Congressional Republicans

Trump Threatens Any Republicans Who Support NPR And PBS: Time For Courage, Conscience, And Principle To Resist!

Ronald 13 Comments

Donald Trump is on a rampage to eliminate all media reporting of the horrible truths of his first six months in office.

He is trying to eliminate the free media and press through lawsuits of privately owned media, including most notably CBS and ABC; and to wipe out financial support of two institutions that have been crucial in public information and truth—National Public Radio (NPR) and Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), created during the Presidency of Lyndon B. Johnson six decades ago.

Both NPR and PBS are great treasures, who have always had citizens contribute to their well-being, including this author and blogger. But there has also, always, been public tax support of the massive positive impact of both agencies, which is a pittance, when one considers federal expenditures.

Trump’s attempt to destroy NPR and PBS, and to promote censorship of major television and cable news, as well as the best newspapers that keep America free (specifically the NY Times and Washington Post, along with the Los Angeles Times and Wall Street Journal), along with other major print media, needs to be resisted at all costs, as the one way to insure American democracy survives the nightmare of Trump authoritarianism!

It is urgent that Republicans in Congress show some courage, conscience, and principle, and resist threats from Trump to oppose any party member who resists his desire to destroy public media that has done so much good for 60 years!

If they do not, on such a small investment as this, then it is time for the Republican Party of history to be declared dead, and admit we have a Fascist party, with elements of Benito Mussolini, Francisco Franco, Juan Peron, and even Adolf Hitler!

Texas Flood Disaster Sadly A Forecast Of Future With Trump War On National Weather Service And Federal Emergency Management Agency!

Ronald 19 Comments

The horribly tragic flood disaster in Texas, with the loss of at least 80 lives, including many young girls at a camp, but also many other victims, cries out for more spending and staff for the National Weather Service, and a continuation and bolstering of the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

The reality of global warming and climate change is not only from floods, but also from wildfires due to droughts, and tornadoes and hurricances, and the growing threat of inadequate resources to deal with these crises that will, certainly, continue to arise over time.

But instead, Donald Trump has declared war on science, weather, and a national commitment to protection of Americans from such emergencies, with his plan to eliminate FEMA, and leave it to underfinanced and understaffed state agencies to deal with it in an incompetent manner.

This is particularly so with many rural “red” states, who are already facing massive cuts in Medicaid, due to the passage of the “Big and Beautiful” funding bill, that was just signed in an obnoxious ceremony at the White House, with cheering and smiling Republicans witness to the horrendous tragic event.

The tragic events that have occurred are now likely to occur again and again all over America, as the government declares war on science, health, and public safety, while the extremely wealthy gain massive tax cuts that they do not deserve!

Lisa Murkowski And Don Bacon Disappoint Those Who Thought They Had Basic Principles!

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When one looks at the cave in of Congressional Republicans on the “Big And Beautiful” Bill that just passed Congress, wiping out a lot of “The Great Society” of Lyndon B. Johnson from six decades ago, what particularly disturbs is that only three Senators and two House members voted against the legislation.

Had one more US Senator and two more House members voted against, the legislation would have failed, and would have had to go back for further consideration and modification, hopefully making it less onerous.

It is amazing how members of both houses of Congress, that were opposed to adding to the deficit, and those who made clear their concern about the Medicaid Cuts, still went ahead and voted for the Senate bill, which was more extreme than the House bill.

So called “principled” Republicans demonstrated that they were NOT “Profiles in Courage”, and two come to mind.

Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski and Nebraska Congressman Don Bacon both seemed to be people of principle, who would stand up for the needs of their constituents and the nation at large.

But both failed to do so, and now makes this author and blogger look at both as no longer believable, and really, no better than the multitude of Congressional Republicans surrounding them!

Trump-Musk Split A Major Boon For Democrats!

Ronald 10 Comments

The sudden end of the “bromance” between Donald Trump and Elon Musk may have surprised many observers, but there were many others who predicted it would happen, but maybe not so rapidly.

At this point, Trump seems to have all the cards in the battle, as it seems highly unlikely that many, if any, Republican officeholders in Congress, particularly in the House of Representatives, are going to rush to Musk’s side.

But Musk’s threat to form a third political party, and to finance opponents to many Republicans in the House and US Senate who face election contests in 2026, throws a “fly in the ointment”, complicating the hope of Trump and Republican office holders to keep their majorities, particularly in the lower chamber, but even possibly in the Senate.

So this split can be seen as a major boon for Democrats, looking forward, if they can manage the breakup of Trump and Musk in a way that benefits their party.

Grievance, Revenge, Retribution, Cruelty: Hallmarks Of Trump Presidency!

Ronald 17 Comments

America has NEVER had a situation as we have in the present: a President whose life is based on grievance, revenge, retribution, and cruelty.

It is a literal nightmare the nation faces, as there is no compassion, empathy, decency, morals, ethics present, and not only in Donald Trump, but also in his Cabinet and other advisers and appointees.

Everything that is said and done is meanspirited, and without any conscience.

Never has the nation had it anywhere as tragic as this, not even with Richard Nixon, as members of his Cabinet turned againat him, and Republicans in Congress cooperated in investigations that led to his resignation.

But even Nixon would be shocked to see the level of open corruption and venality exhibited by Trump and his top cohorts.

Never did we have a group of women, such as Kristi Noem, Pam Bondi, Tulsi Gabbard, and even White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, who exhibit no sense of propriety in their statements and actions.

Never had we had such evil, nasty aides such as Stephen Miller and Thomas Homan and Russell Vought who are so anti immigrant to an extreme hard to fathom.

Never had we had people who have such arrogance as displayed by Pete Hegseth, Howard Lutnick, Robert F. Kennedy Jr, and even Vice President JD Vance.

The Horrors Visited On Fired Federal Government Employees: Totally Outrageous!

Ronald 4 Comments

One estimate of the damage done to Federal Government employees is that about 150,000 out of about 2.4 million such individuals (about 6 percent), are no longer employed by the US government, and with many agencies put out of existence, or barely in operation, if not totally shut down, by the Department Of Government Efficiency (DOGE) run by Elon Musk!

The shock and disarray of the mass “blood letting” going on, as described in an article in the Washington Post, has led to suicide, depression, and many other horrendous outcomes of dedicated workers who have had their lives totally upended.

Meanwhile, many government agencies have been damaged, and are not capable of meeting the responsibilities with diminished staffs, therefore, endangering the American people in so many areas of public policy and life.

What Donald Trump, Elon Musk, and Republicans in Congress, by not challenging Presidential abuses, is doing, is undermining the safety and security of the entire population long term.

It is as if Donald Trump and company are working to dismantle and destroy the American government, and only favoring the further enrichment of the billionaires and corporations, a new “Gilded Age”!

Donald Trump Speech And Interview On 100th Day Of Presidency Proof He Is Totally Mentally Incompetent!

Ronald 21 Comments

Donald Trump’s speech in Michigan and his ABC interview on his 100th day in office demonstrated clearly how mentally incompetent and deranged he is. He lives in a fantasy world, rather than in reality!

Trump is more of a threat with his declining mental state than Joe Biden ever was, and yet his supporters and sycophants in his Cabinet do not care and are enriching themselves and producing a level of corruption unmatched in any earlier administration, including that of Ulysses S. Grant, Warren G. Harding, Richard Nioxn, Ronald Reagan, George W. Bush, and even Trump’s first term.

Trump with his declining mental state is endangering American national security every day, and taking us into a massive economic recession that may end up as another Great Depression, more than like the Great Recession under George W. Bush.

Trump is on the road to making Herbert Hoover and the Great Depression seem tame by comparison, as 123 million people lived in the United States in 1930, while now in the mid 2020s, 95 years later, we have 327 million, nearly 275 percent more!

Watching the 4th Cabinet meeting and the total “love fest” and praise could remind someone of authoritarian dictators such as Kim Jong Un of North Korea, in their hyperbole!

This is sickening, and the fact that the Republican Party in Congress goes along with this submission to Trump is a danger sign for survival of American democracy and the rule of law!

The First Hundred Days Of Trump Second Term More Revolutionary Than FDR!

Ronald 68 Comments

The First Hundred Days of Donald Trump, Second Term, is coming up on Wednesday, April 30.

The nation and the world have seen the most revolutionary, radical set of actions and statements by Donald Trump that the nation has ever witnessed.

One would have thought that Franklin D. Roosevelt’s First Hundred Days of the “New Deal” from March 4, 1933 to mid June 1933 would be a marker that would never be matched.

But Donald Trump has far surpassed the impact of FDR, and in many ways, trying to wipe out most of the last century and more of the federal regulatory state and the leadership of the democratic world in international relations.

Trump has demonstrated that Presidential power is way out of line, a growing problem since FDR onward, but with most occupants of the White House having good intentions in their assertion of power, unlike Trump.

The massive use of executive orders, 137 so far, an all time record for such a short time as President;

the threats and actions against universities, law firms, cultural institutions, corporations, state governments;

the bypassing of judicial interventions;

the Republican party in Congress refusing to assert their authority;

the growing dictatorial attitude of Trump appointees inside and outside the Cabinet;

the repudiation of our traditional alliances in world affairs;

the dangerous flirtation with protective tariffs that undermines the American economy;

the clearcut corruption and grift being conducted in clear vision;

and so much more not listed here,

all have created a whirlwind of chaos and anarchy that affects all Americans in deleterious ways!

Alaska Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski: A Profile In Courage, Principle, And Decency!

Ronald 4 Comments

The Republican Party in the 1970s had members of Congress who spoke up against the abuses of power under President Richard Nixon, most notably the Watergate Scandal.

Arizona Senator Barry Goldwater (Mr. Conservative); Pennsylvania Senator Hugh Scott (Minority Leader); and Arizona House Minority Leader John Rhodes all showed true statesmanship, by going to the White House and telling Nixon that he would not survive an impeachment trial.

Sadly, fifty years later, Republicans in Congress, with a very few exceptions, refused to take action against the abuses of Donald Trump in his first term.

And now, in his second term, and being much more abusive and law breaking in just two months in office, almost all Republicans in Congress are overlooking what is going on, as they are terrified that Elon Musk will “primary” them for their next election, if they dare to speak up on principle against Trump.

At a difficult time like this, there is at least one major exception to this cowardice, and that is Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski, who has been in office since 2002, and won reelection as an Independent in 2010 against Republican and Democratic Senate opponents. She voted to impeach Trump in his second trial in 2021. She has managed to be truly courageous, principled, decent, and honorable, and speaks her mind, and has been criticized by Trump and Musk, but she carries on with no fear.

Mirkowski has great respect from Alaska voters, and at a difficult time such as now, she is a rare case of someone who will speak her mind, and criticize and oppose Trump, unafraid to condemn his abuses of power.

So Lisa Murkowski is a true “Profile in Courage”, and if another book, such as the one published by Senator John F. Kennedy in 1956 on courageous Senators is ever published in the future, Murkowski should head Chapter One!

Major Disaster In the Making, If Medicaid And Food Stamps Are Gutted By Congressional Republicans!

Ronald 34 Comments

President Lyndon B. Johnson, as part of the Great Society reforms of the mid 1960s, accomplished the passage of Medicaid and Food Stamps, two programs to help sustain the poor, seniors, the disabled, children, and pregnant women of all backgrounds.

A myth that is popular out there in the right wing fantasy world is that only minorities–African Americans and Latinos–benefit from these programs, and nothing could be further from the truth!

But even if that was so, should not America assist those of racial minorities who have not been given a “fair shake” in society?

But the reality is that the majority of those who benefit from Medicaid and Food Stamps are white Americans, many of them rural Americans, not just urban minorities, as the myth would have it.

A total of 72 million Americans depend on Medicaid, and 42 million on Food Stamps.

Should not the nation help poor and deprived people to be able to afford nutritional food, and should not the nation insure that health care is available, to prolong lives of those less fortunate and prosperous?

Should not those who call themselves “good Christians” support such programs, rather than give massive tax cuts to the super rich who do not need it, and already pay far too little to support the nation?

And these super rich Americans will not be harmed by paying more taxes, as their interest on their massive wealth makes up for whatever taxes they might pay!

So why cannot Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Mark Zuckerberg, Bill Gates and the multitude of others who have become super wealthy, be patriotic enough to contribute to the advancement of American society, and care about the poor, the disabled, the elderly, and other groups that struggle for survival every day?

Donald Trump and the Republican Party are heartless and selfish, and have no concern for the damage that is occurring, and this is insufferable and unacceptable!