Mike Pence

Is World War 3 On The Horizon, After Assassination Of Iranian Government Leader By Donald Trump’s Orders?

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As the new year 2020 begins, the world is faced by the possibility of World War 3 on the horizon, after the assassination of Iran’s number two government figure, Qasem Soleimani, by order of President Donald Trump.

Not since World War II has there been an assassination of a top government leader by plan of the United States, with that event being the murder of Japanese Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto in April 1943.

This presents the potential for any US government leader, such as Vice President Mike Pence, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, or a whole slew of other government figures, including the President himself, becoming a target.

And the potential for World War 3, with the close and growing association of Russia and China with Iran, is certainly present.

The President has opened up a can of worms, and has defied the War Powers Act of 1973 to inform Congressional leaders of his plans and actions.

And this comes at a time when Trump has been impeached, and before his trial.

It seems overly political that Trump is trying to divert attention from his impeachment, and meanwhile, endangers US National Security, and the lives of Americans overseas, whether military. diplomats, or just ordinary tourists and travelers.

Gordon Sondland Indicts Trump, Pence, Pompeo, Mulvaney, Perry, Bolton, Giuliani In Ukraine Scandal

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In a shocking six hours of testimony before the House Intelligence Committee, Gordon Sondland, Ambassador to the European Union, indicted President Donald Trump, Vice President Mike Pence, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney, Secretary of Energy Rick Perry, former National Security Adviser John Bolton, and former NYC Mayor and Trump legal adviser Rudy Giuliani of collusion in the Ukraine Scandal.

Nothing like this has ever happened before to this extent, although the Watergate Scandal under Richard Nixon and the Iran Contra Affair under Ronald Reagan were both massive scandals.

By all justification, all of these people should be facing prosecution, and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi should be finishing up the remaining year in the Trump term, but that is highly unlikely.

If this is not enough to convince Trump loyalists on the evil represented by Donald Trump, then we can say true “brainwashing” has occurred, and nothing will convince the 40 percent of Americans who are clearly totally delusional and clueless.

Nikki Haley Has Damaged Her Image Irreparably With Criticism Of Rex Tillerson And John Kelly Opposition To Donald Trump, And Her Laudatory Endorsement Of Trump

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Former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley, earlier Governor of South Carolina, always had a good reputation, including her opposition to Donald Trump’s candidacy in 2016 for the Presidency.

When she agreed, however, to be his UN Ambassador, her image was harmed, although she came across as one of a very few Trump appointees not involved in corruption nor in unseemly advocacy of horrific policies.

There is no question that Haley has political ambitions, but her decision to criticize former Trump appointees Rex Tillerson and John Kelly for trying to recruit her to undermine Trump, makes her look totally unable to see the danger that Trump represents in both domestic and foreign policy, and on the issue of separation of powers.

It seems clear that Haley is trying to undermine Vice President Mike Pence, and possibly replace him as the Vice Presidential nominee in 2020.

This shows she has no principles, decency, ethics, morals, or scruples other than her own advancement. She is totally delusional, when she says Trump was always truthful, and that she had no doubts about his capability to be President, a mind boggling assertion on her part! How could she say that Trump listened well, and that she always enjoyed working with him, when we know that Trump is on a constant rampage of anger on Twitter and in public statements?

So she has lost a lot of decent Americans who wanted to believe she was a quality figure, a rare one, but now it is clear she has no concern except her own aggrandizement. She is willing to see the destruction of the Republican Party by her constant endorsement of the worst President in American history, a denial of all GOP Presidents of the past!

So Nikki Haley is just another typical disgraceful Republican who should be repudiated for future political office, as she is willing to accept the lawless, abuse of power, and obstruction of justice of Donald Trump!

A Sense Of What Might Happen In The Presidential Election Of 2020

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This blogger and author has been away for a few days, and has decided to wait until we know the results of the few elections taking place in 2019, before making an educated guess on the Presidential Election Of 2020. With the upset victory of Andy Beshear over Matt Bevin for the Kentucky Governorship, and the gaining of the majority in both houses of the Virginia legislature for the first time in a quarter century, the situation for Democrats looks very promising for 2020.

Understand, without a clear answer as to who the Democratic Presidential nominee will be, it is far from easy to judge how the nation will go a year from now.

But with signs that college educated people, inner suburbs, women, African Americans, Latino Americans, Asian Americans, and young people are alienated from Donald Trump and the Republican Party, here is my estimate of what might happen, subject to change, and a final judgment in late October of 2020.

Let us begin with what states are assured to be in the Democratic camp next year:

New England states—Maine (including the 2nd Congressional district which went to Donald Trump in 2016), Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island–a total of 33 electoral votes

Middle Atlantic states–New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, District of Columbia—a total of 59 electoral votes

Southern states—Virginia—13 electoral votes

Midwest states—Illinois, Minnesota—30 electoral votes

Mountain West states—New Mexico, Nevada, Colorado—20 electoral votes

Pacific Coast states—California, Oregon, Washington, Hawaii—78 electoral votes

This group of guaranteed states for the Democrats number 20 plus DC, and a total of 233 electoral votes, 37 short of the number needed to win the Presidency.

Now, states likely to go to the Democrats in order of odds—Arizona (11) and Florida (29)–a total of 40 electoral votes, giving the Democrats 273 electoral votes, 3 more than needed to win the Presidency.

Other states that might go to the Democrats—in order of odds—Pennsylvania (20), Michigan (16), Wisconsin (10), North Carolina (15), Georgia (16)—a total of 77 additional electoral votes.

This would make for a total of 27 states plus DC, and a grand total of 350 electoral votes.

But also, one more electoral vote is possible, the 2nd Congressional district of Nebraska (Omaha metropolitan area), which voted for Barack Obama in 2008, so a final total of 351 electoral votes, leaving 187 electoral votes for Donald Trump or Mike Pence, or whoever the Republican Presidential nominee might be.

So the Republicans would win 23 states—West Virginia, Kentucky, South Carolina, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas, Tennessee, Texas (all in the South)–Ohio, Indiana, Iowa, Missouri, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska except for the 2nd Congressional District, Kansas, Oklahoma in the Midwest and Great Plains—and Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, Utah, Alaska in the Mountain West—a total of 187 electoral votes!

I welcome commentary on my estimate, and it will be an exciting year to November 3, 2020!

John Kasich Comes Out For Impeachment

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Former Ohio Governor John Kasich has taken a big step and endorsed impeachment of Donald Trump, a big step, which will, hopefully, lead to more Republicans moving in that direction.

The horrible news about the abuses of office, and the collaboration of Vice President Mike Pence, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Attorney General William Barr, Acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney and others in the administration has made the constitutional crisis worse than Watergate and Richard Nixon, and requires action not only in the House of Representatives, but also by Republicans in the US Senate.

To gain 20 or more Republicans to convict Trump still seems like a long shot, but Kasich, one of the few reputable Republicans, hopefully will assist in convincing a “Profile in Courage” by Senators putting the nation ahead of their own personal ambitions and agenda.

We are in uncharted waters, and the future looks extremely scary!

CNN Makes Major Contribution To Addressing The Issue Of Gay, Lesbian, And Transgender Rights, Essential For Social Justice

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CNN made a major contribution last night to addressing the issue of gay, lesbian and transgender rights, essential for social justice.

Nine Presidential candidates had a half hour each to answer questions and make clear their views on this crucial topic.

Cory Booker, Joe Biden, Pete Buttigieg, Elizabeth Warren, Kamala Harris, Beto O’Rourke, Julian Castro, Amy Klobuchar, Julian Castro, and Tom Steyer participated between 730 pm and midnight.

Bernie Sanders did not participate due to his recent heart attack, and Tulsi Gabbard and Andrew Yang claimed scheduling issues made it impossible for them to be present.

Particularly impressive, in the mind of this blogger and author, was Pete Buttigieg, the first openly gay Presidential candidate, who has made a good impression on many people on many different issues, and has been successful in raising millions of dollars in the third quarter of 2019, and is fourth in most polls.

But all of the candidates are open minded and tolerant, a stark difference from the evangelical right wing Christian view advocated by Vice President Mike Pence, and promoted by Donald Trump, despite his total lack of religiosity his entire life. Trump has ended the policy of tolerance of gays in the military, and has shown no willingness to have an open mind on gay rights, including judicial appointments of nominees clearly anti gay, using religion as an excuse for discrimination.

Trump Aiding Russia And China In Suppression Of Ukraine And Hong Kong: A Complete Reversal Of Foreign Policy Of Cold War Years

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The nation is in the midst of a totally unbelievable situation, with President Donald Trump, Vice President Mike Pence, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, and Attorney General William Barr involved deeply in a conspiracy to collaborate with Russia and China, two nations that have been historically rivals in the years since World War II, with both being Communist nations.

Russia may be, technically, no longer Communist, but in actuality, Vladimir Putin was part of the old Soviet Union secret police before 1991, and China has been a Communist nation since 1949.

So now Trump and his cronies are trying to force Ukraine to help in collusion on trying to destroy former Vice President Joe Biden for the 2020 election, and basically, telling Ukraine’s leader that if he is to get military support against Russia, he must come up with “dirt” on Biden. The implication is that Ukraine is endangered, and that Russia, which took away part of that nation in 2014 will have a free hand if Ukraine does not come up with what Trump wants from them.

And now Trump has asked China to help do damage to Joe Biden, with the implication that the United States would stand by and allow China to suppress Hong Kong, and in the future, who can say that Taiwan would not also be threatened by China with no American response?

So in order to win the 2020 election, Trump wants collusion by Ukraine and China, similar to what he had with Russia in 2016, and he is not telling Russia not to collude again, and Putin is now joking about it openly!

And if Ukraine is seized by Russia, and if Hong Kong, and maybe in the future, Taiwan, are seized and end the concept of human rights, so be it in Donald Trump’s unstable brain, as he has abandoned all principle on the significance of basic human freedoms, and historic Republican opposition to Communism in the two biggest nations that have been seen as threats.

Here is a man who keeps on saying he has no intentions on leaving power at any point, so he represent a threat to basic human rights in America, let alone in Ukraine and Hong Kong and maybe Taiwan!

If that is not an impeachable act in itself, then what is impeachable?

Mike Pence, Mike Pompeo, William Barr All Guilty Of Impeachable Acts: Unprecedented In American History!

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An unprecedented situation has arisen in American government and American history.

Vice President Mike Pence, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, and Attorney General William Barr are all implicated in the Ukraine Scandal, and now Trump has called upon China to collude in finding “dirt” on former Vice President Joe Biden, right now the strongest opponent of Trump in the upcoming Presidential race.

So it is possible that all four will face impeachment resolutions, as clearly, the top leadership of the nation is jointly involved in scandal and corruption, and not just the Ukraine or China collusion.

This will scar all three of Trump’s cronies in history, and if Mike Pence somehow becomes President in the remainder of the term, he is scarred and will not be able to stay in office beyond January 20, 2021!

Republican Senators Might Prefer Mike Pence As A “Pure” Conservative Without The Instability And Drama Of Donald Trump

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Following up on yesterday’s blog entry about the potential for up to 23 Republican Senators voting to remove Donald Trump from the Oval Office if there was an impeachment trial in upcoming months, there is speculation that many Republican Senators would prefer Mike Pence in the Presidency.

The argument is that Mike Pence would represent all of the “good things” about conservatism—the promotion of more right wing judges; more cutting of regulations; more tax cuts for the wealthy; more promotion of “Christian values”; and all without the instability and drama of Donald Trump.

And under this scenario, if Mike Pence came into office, assuredly, he would pardon Donald Trump, as Gerald Ford did with Richard Nixon 45 years ago, and nothing could be done to prevent that.

Understand, as if there is any doubt, that this blogger and author would be totally opposed to any such development, and what it would mean in promoting conservatism without the disaster of Donald Trump.

But it does seem to be a reasonable situation that could develop in the next few months of this impeachment drama.

Donald Trump Becomes More Dangerous Every Day, As He Is Acting Like A Caged Animal!

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Reports are making it clear that the stress and tension level at the White House is sky high, and anyone who looks at Donald Trump can see that he is not looking healthy, and is striking out in a crazy, maniacal manner at everyone imaginable, including the assertion that the whistleblower in the Ukraine scandal should be treated as “spies in the past” have been treated, implying the death penalty.

Actually, only Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, convicted as atomic spies, were executed, with all other convicted spies having life in prison without parole.

But Trump is a danger to national security every day, and he could strike out by launching attacks and invasion on Iran, or declaring martial law by asserting that the “deep state” conspiracy he perceives in his crazy mind requires him to do so.

One has to hope that Vice President Mike Pence and the majority of the cabinet perceive the maniacal behavior of Donald Trump, and would be ready to take action under the 25th Amendment to take power away from the President if the craziness continues.

But it is hard to imagine Mike Pence putting the national interest ahead of his own ambitions, even though we know now that his wife. Karen Pence, is no fan of the Chief Executive.

So we are in very dangerous times, possibly more so than since September 11!