Republican Party

More Corruption Scandals Under Donald Trump Than Any Other President!

It is, sadly, now clear, that when the entire history of the Donald Trump Presidency is written, that his administration will be seen as the most corrupt in American history.

Just the fact that Trump has been twice impeached, four times indicted, and so far, one time convicted of crimes, puts Trump in a special category.

But earlier Presidents also have had a tawdry reputation to different degrees, including:

Ulysses S. Grant 1869-1877
Warren G. Harding 1921-1923
Richard Nixon 1969-1974
Ronald Reagan 1981-1989
George W. Bush 2001-2009

All of the above, along with Donald Trump, have been Republican Presidents!

But only Nixon comes across as personally involved in so many corrupt actions of this group, so was considered the “worst” President on corruption until Donald Trump came along.

Democratic Presidents, by comparison, have had minor, insigificant scandals, with the most prominent being the Monica Lewinsky scandal under Bill Clinton, but which was easily matched by Donald Trump with the Stormy Daniels and other scandals involving women.

And Jimmy Carter and Barack Obama had NO serious violations of the law in any way considered significant.

Republicans In Congress Plan Wrecking Ball On Democrats, Presaging Civil War!

The Republican Party at large, in both the House of Representatives and Senate, are planning a “wrecking ball”, open revenge on Democrats, due to the felony conviction of Donald Trump.

The Republican Party is declaring war on civility, and advocating open insurrection against the Constitution, the judicial system, and the rule of law, and this is being led by Speaker of the House Mike Johnson and the multitude of MAGA Republicans.

In so doing, unstable American right wing extremists are being incited to rise up in rebellion, with the potential for mass bloodshed and violence throughout the nation.

The likelihood of a new wave of assassinations of public leaders, as occurred in the 1960s, but on a much greater scale, is becoming a reality, as we commemorate today the assassination of Robert F. Kennedy in 1968, two months after the murder of Martin Luther King Jr. in April 1968.

This level of threat is a clarion call that could make for a level of violence reminiscent of the pre Civil War period in the 1850s.

This is no laughing matter, as the breakdown of law and order would also endanger America’s position in a world with major threats from Russia, China, North Korea, and Iran.

Mind Boggling That Convicted Felon Is Allowed To Run For President!

Only a few days since the felony conviction of Donald Trump, it is mind boggling that a convicted felon is allowed to run for President, and is gaining the support of over 90 percent of Republican officeholders, who are attacking the judicial system and the rule of law.

It is also mind boggling that members of the Supreme Court are willing to undermine American democracy and their own reputations in service of a man who has made clear that he wants to destroy the US Constitution, American democracy, and to seek retribution on his enemies, and declare a dictatorship on Day One and beyond.

It is also beyond understanding why the judge, prosecutor, jury and witnesses in the Donald Trump trial are facing constant threats to their personal security and that of their family members, and yet no condemnation by Republicans to this threat to public order.

The American nation also has allies in NATO and other friendly nations around the world who are truly alarmed at the prospect of a second Donald Trump Presidency, and have told Joe Biden that he must insure that Trump, a menace to the world, is not permitted to retake power.

The concept that Donald Trump still keeps millions of supporters makes one wonder what is wrong with the mental health of the American people.

How could any decent person who is Jewish, African American, Latino American, Asian American, and any person who professes to true Christian faith be able to overlook the record of destruction and hatred of Donald Trump, and vote for authoritarian Fascism just before the 250th anniversary of the American Republic?

Republican Party Destroying Its Future

While there are a small number of Republicans who are refusing to support Donald Trump in his Presidential campaign, the vast majority have decided to drink the Kool Aid and are sacrificing their principles, honor, and historical reputation in backing a convicted felon.

The hypocrisy is massive, and they have no sense of shame, ethics or morals.

The day will come when they will regret their decision to work against democracy and the rule of law, and they will go down as the villains who destroyed the party of Lincoln, TR, Ike, Reagan, the Bushes, Romney, McCain, and many moderate, mainstream Governors and Senators of recent decades.

A true, principled conservative party will rise from the ashes of the 170 years old party, now in its death knell!

Back From Costa Rica Vacation, And Republican Party Continues To Self-Destruct!

Having just returned from a Costa Rica vacation, I return to a nation embroiled in turmoil by the conviction of Donald Trump, and the Republican Party, with few exceptions, continuing to self destruct its history and legacy.

Costa Rica is a successful democracy, with people that are very happy, and committed to an environmental legacy, opportunity for all, and with a very high life longevity, a model nation which lowers blood pressure by its primary commitment to education and health care for all, and has no standing army, and the most successful long lasting democracy in Latin America.

America, on the other hand, is moving toward its 250th anniversary as a nation, divided by greed, corruption, and many evil leaders who only care about their own aggrandizement, and promotion of the undermining of American democracy and the rule of law.

America is in its greatest crisis since the Civil War in the 1860s, and no certainty of its survival as a beacon for the world!

Mitt Romney Totally Wrong On Idea Of Trump Pardon!

Retiring Republican Senator Mitt Romney is totally wrong on his idea that President Joe Biden should have pardoned Donald Trump at the time of the four indictments against the former President.

Romney has opposed Trump, refusing to vote for or support him, and he was one of the Republican Senators voting to convict Trump twice on impeachment charges in 2019 and again after the January 6, 2021 US Capitol Insurrection.

But now, he says that Biden should have taken action to pardon Trump, comparing it to Gerald Ford doing so with Richard Nixon in 1974.

This is preposterous and ridiculous, and to compare Trump to Nixon is a distortion of history.

Yes, Nixon was corrupt and engaged in criminal action, but NOT on the level of Donald Trump!

There are many who still feel Nixon should have been prosecuted, and that his pardon helped to cause the defeat of Ford in the Presidential Election of 1976.

But the rule of law, despite what Ford did a half century ago, requires that any public official be held accountable.

Most notably, this is a man who committed the incitement of the Insurrection at the US Capitol, which led to deaths and injuries; and took government documents illegally to his private residence; and also interfered in state government and state electors regarding the vote count in the Presidential Election of 2020.

The Presidency needs to be reigned in so that the image of an Imperial Presidency, where the Chief Executive is not subject to the laws everyone else is, is put to rest for eternity.

The Presidency is NOT a dictatorship, but an office responsible to the American people!

Nikki Haley Vote Percentage After Leaving Presidential Race A Danger Sign For Donald Trump!

Nikki Haley dropped out of the Presidential campaign two months ago, having only won DC and Vermont, but gaining often one third of the primary vote in the states she lost to Donald Trump.

Since then, amazingly, she has racked up 13-25 percent of the vote in later Republican primaries despite having withdrawn from the race, and in some suburban counties in these states even higher at times.

She did this in crucial states, including Indiana, Pennsylvania, Georgia, Arizona and Wisconsin.

And Donald Trump has made no moves to appeal to Haley or her supporters, while Joe Biden is making every effort to appeal to Haley supporters to “cross the aisle”.

This is an encouraging sign for Democrats.

Vice Presidential Contenders Make Themselves Subservient To Donald Trump

The Vice Presidential “sweepstakes” for those who want to be Donald Trump’s running mate is a total disgrace.

Instead of credentials mattering, and the idea of whether someone is qualified to be a heartbeat away from the Presidency, instead we are having ill-qualified people who are making themselves look subservient.

So Kristi Noem brags about killing her puppy.

Tim Scott refuses to say if he will accept the results in November no matter what happens.

Doug Burgum also seems willing to allow his great fortune to be exploited by Donald Trump, who is running way behind in fundraising to Joe Biden.

Elise Stefanik sold her soul long ago to Donald Trump, making clear her ambition to reach a level she is not qualified for.

Vivek Ramaswamy specializes in being totally obnoxious and obsequious to the extreme.

Marco Rubio and JD Vance are unprincipled phonies who are flattered by Trump considering them.

And then, there is former Democrat Tulsi Gabbard, who embraced Syria’s dictator, and has changed her political views so radically from what they were, that one wonders about her mental stability. She seems ready to sell herself to the highest bidder, so to speak, as she flirted with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. before he passed her over.

What a horrible, unqualified bunch, when compared to Vice President Kamala Harris, who may laugh too much, but what is so wrong with that? She also is super qualified when compared to this bunch of characters!

Better than the nasty, grievance laden attitude of Trump and his minions!

Six Months To Presidential And Congressional Elections

It is precisely six months to the Presidential and Congressional Elections of 2024, and polls indicate an extremely tight race for both the White House and control of both houses of Congress.

However, the fact that Donald Trump is unleashing lunatic statements and authoritarian threats daily, and is mired in a courtroom four days a week, are negatives that are affecting independent voters and undecided voters.

And abortion rights is seen as a definite loser for Trump and Republicans, as the vast majority of those polled, and particularly among women, clearly want women to control their own bodies and destinies.

The issue of the Israel-Hamas War, while creating problems for Joe Biden in Michigan, in particular, seems likely to calm down, as Muslims and Arabs voting for Donald Trump would not promote a different policy, as Trump has a record of working to persecute Muslims and support Israel.

The economy, and particularly inflation, is an issue, but one must remember that Trump did promote the largest tax cut and increase of the national debt for any one term President, and the economy was in free fall due to his inability to deal with the COVID 19 pandemic adequately.

The fight for control of both houses of Congress will be a bitter one, with the likelihood that both houses will have very small margins of the majority, with the House of Representatives likely to go Democratic, but the US Senate likely, at this point, to swing Republican.

So federal judge appointments and more environmental executive orders are crucial for the Democrats and Joe Biden to accomplish in the next six months.

And constantly reminding Americans of the danger to American Democracy cannot be emphasized enough.

May 4, 1970 Anniversary: A Sobering Moment Recalled

It is now 54 years since the National Guard, called onto the campus of Kent State University in Ohio by Republican Governor James Rhodes, opened up fire on student demonstrators against the war in Vietnam, and specifically, the invasion of Cambodia.

Four students were killed, including Jeffrey Miller, who was shot in the back while walking far away from the student demonstration, and led to the infamous photograph of a young girl weeping over his body as his blood drained out. Nine students were also wounded, and one was paralyzed for life in this tragedy.

The idea that it was appropriate to call in military forces to a college or university campus, now being promoted by many Republicans, including Arkansas Senator Tom Cotton, is an example of how nothing has been learned from that horrendous tragedy.

This tragedy only emboldened President Richard Nixon, as many Americans believed in so called “law and order”, and the fear is that the present college campus demonstrations regarding the Israel-Hama War might only embolden Donald Trump and his followers in the upcoming Presidential and Congressional Elections of 2024.