US House Of Representatives

The Major Goals For 2022: Accountability For Donald Trump, Voting Rights Insured, And Biden Agenda Accomplished!

As the year 2021 comes to an end, the major goals for 2022 are clear!

First, there MUST be accountability for the sins and crimes of Donald Trump and his seditionist supporters of January 6, and that includes proper punishment for the Congressmen and Senators who supported Trump during and after the attack on the US Capitol. So the Republican Party must be purged of its treasonous elements, and expulsion and prosecution must occur!

Second, voting rights must be insured, by changing the filibuster, as voting is the most basic right every American citizen has, other than freedom and liberty itself!

Third, the Joe Biden Agenda, as expressed in the Build Back Better bill, must be passed, maybe in modified form, but essential for the promotion of the middle class and the poor!

Despite the many challenges Joe Biden faces in 2022, this author and blogger senses that the US Senate will go majority Democratic, and that the House of Representatives, after reapportionment of seats, and even with the sin of gerrymandering, is likely to be evened out in such a way that the Democratic Party has a good chance of retaining the House majority. To allow the seditionist, treasonous majority of the House Republicans to gain control, and whitewash the US Capitol Insurrection, would be true destruction of democracy, and every decent person must resist that to the extreme degree during this upcoming year!

The year also brings the continued danger of the COVID 19 Pandemic; high inflationary pressures; continued climate change and global warming challenges; and the mental health crisis facing the nation.

And threats of war and bloodshed create a massive challenge as well, particularly regarding Russia and Ukraine, and China and Taiwan.

So there will be plenty to worry about and write about in the next year, and I wish the best to all my readers in the new year 2022!

The 10 Leading Villains Of The Year 2021 In American Politics!

There are so many villains in American politics in the year 2021, that trying to make a list of the 10 worst is difficult, but here goes, in no special order:

Notice they are all Republicans:

Senator Ted Cruz of Texas
Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky
Senator Ron Johnson of Wisconsin
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy of California
Congressman Jim Jordan of Ohio
Congressman Louie Gohmert of Texas
Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia
Congresswoman Lauren Boebert of Colorado
Governor Greg Abbott of Texas
Governor Ron DeSantis of Florida

The Ten Leading Heroes Of The Year 2021 In American Politics!

When one looks back at the year 2021, the following ten individuals, a very selective list and certainly not inclusive, stand out as heroes, people who upheld American democracy, the Constitution, and the rule of law.

We will begin with Republicans who demonstrated their statesmanship and courage:

Congresswoman Liz Cheney of Wyoming
Congressman Adam Kinzinger of Illinois
Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska

The following Democrats also stand out for their statesmanship and courage:

Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi of California
Congressman Adam Schiff of California
Congressman Jamie Raskin of Maryland
Supreme Court Associate Justice Sonia Sotomayor
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York
Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts
Senator Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota

US V Nixon; Clinton V Jones; And Now Trump Lawsuit Against January 6 Committee Appeal To Supreme Court!

The Supreme Court has come out with two decisions in the past half century that made it clear of the limits of Presidential power!

In 1974, in US V Nixon, the Supreme Court, including three appointees of President Richard Nixon, unanimously by an 8-0 vote, declared that Nixon had to hand over the Watergate tapes to the Special Prosecutor, leading to the resignation of Nixon from the Presidency within weeks!

In 1997, in Clinton V Jones, the Supreme Court, including two appointees of President Bill Clinton, unanimously by a 9-0 vote, declared that a President had no immunity from civil law litigation in federal court for acts done before taking office. This case involved the sexual harrassment charge brought by Paula Jones against Governor Bill Clinton

Clinton’s evasiveness in testifying in court about Paula Jones led to the Monica Lewinsky scandal, and charges of perjury and obstruction of justice, and his impeachment by the House of Representatives in 1998, although found not guilty by the Senate in the impeachment trial in 1999.

Now, Donald Trump wants “executive privilege” to be in effect to prevent evidence in White House records of what he was doing on January 6, 2021 involving the Capitol Hill Insurrection, to be presented to the January 6 House Committee, investigating the events of that day. President Joe Biden has authorized waiver of such privileges, since Trump is a former President.

Despite having three Trump appointments to the Supreme Court, the strong likelihood is that the Court will, unanimously, reject such arguments, as earlier Courts did involving Richard Nixon and Bill Clinton.

If such does not happen, which seems like a long shot, then the Court will have besmirched its reputation for the long term, and the reputation of Chief Justice John Roberts will be damaged forever.

And that will promote the likelihood of attempts to add four new members to a Court which will be the most condemned and pilloried since the time of Chief Justice Roger Taney during the Civil War!

Jim Jordan, Paul Gosar, Louie Gohmert, Mo Brooks, Scott Perry, Andy Biggs–The Six Seditionist Traitors!

Jim Jordan of Ohio; Paul Gosar of Arizona, Louie Gohmert of Texas, Mo Brooks of Alabama, Scott Perry of Pennsylvania, Andy Biggs of Arizona! All Seditionist Traitors!

These members of the House Freedom Caucus together conspired to stage a coup and deny Joe Biden the Electoral College victory he clearly and honestly won!

They had contact with Donald Trump and his conspirators who were trying to force Vice President Mike Pence to throw out legitimate votes in several states, and flip the Electoral College vote count on January 6 to Trump!

These six culprits spread conspiracy theories in the two months before January 6, and poisoned the truth, causing massive numbers of Trump supporters to be riled up and decide to attack the US Capitol, with Donald Trump and many around him, besides these six House members, promoting an overthrow of constitutional government and undermining American democracy!

White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, himself a former member of the House Freedom Caucus, was intimately involved in emails, phone calls, and personal meetings with these conspirators and others!

The “Stop the Steal” movement was unpatriotic, illegal, unethical, and immoral, and the “Big Lie” continues eleven months later!

And we cannot forget that 139 House Republicans and 8 Republican Senators refused to accept the legal process and accurate Electoral College result, and all of these 147 Republicans should face expulsion and prosecution for their undermining of the rule of law!

37 Members Of Congress Leaving In 2022, With 22 No Longer Seeking Public Office

Thirty seven members of Congress, including six US Senators, are leaving office in 2022, with fifteen House members seeking a Senate seat or a a Governorship or other office, rather than retiring completely from politics.

Some are worthy of attention as follows:

Five Republican Senators:

Richard Burr of North Carolina
Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania
Rob Portman of Ohio
Richard Shelby of Alabama
Roy Blunt of Missouri

and Democratic Senator Patrick Leahy of Vermont

In the House of Representatives, notable retirements include:

Devin Nunes (R) of California
Peter DeFazio (D) of Oregon
Jackie Speier (D) of California
Adam Kinzinger (R) of Illinois
John Yarmuth (D) of Kentucky
Anthony Gonzalez (R) of Ohio

Amonag those running for the US Senate:

Peter Welch (D) of Vermont
Conor Lamb (D) of Pennsylvania
Val Demings (D) of Florida
Tim Ryan (D) of Ohio
Mo Brooks (R) of Alabama

Running for Governor:

Charlie Crist (D) of Florida
Tom Suozzi (D) of New York
Lee Zeldin (R) of New York

Also, running for Mayor of Los Angeles–Karen Bass (D) of California

Congressmen Adam Schiff (California)And Jamie Raskin (Maryland): Two Courageous, Principled Legislators!

Two of the most outstanding, principled members of Congress serve on the January 6 House Committee investigating the US Capitol Insurrection, and both were involved in one or the other impeachments of Donald Trump in December 2019 and January 2021.

California Congressman Adam Schiff has served in Congress since 2001, and was the lead manager in the first Trump impeachment investigation in 2019, and is the Chair of the House Intelligence Committee. He represents part of the Los Angeles metropolitan area.

Maryland Congressman Jamie Raskin has served in Congress since 2017, and was the lead manager in the second Trump Impeachment investigation in January 2021. He represents Montgomery County, in the suburbs of Washington, DC.

Both men are courageous and totally decent, models of what all members of Congress should be like, but sadly, so many are not such!

Bob Dole, An Historic Figure, And True American Hero, Dies At Age 98!

Former Kansas Senator Bob Dole, the Vice Presidential running mate of Gerald Ford in 1976, and Republican Presidential nominee in 1996 against Bill Clinton, passed away on Sunday at the advanced age of 98!

Dole served nearly 40 years in American national government, including service in the House of Representatives from Kansas, as well as the Senate.

Dole was a true American hero, and suffered immensely when wounded in World War II as the war in Europe neared an end in April 1945, and spent three plus years in a military hospital recovering, and never had the use of his right arm, as a result of grievous injuries.

Dole was an historic figure, who fought hard for his Republican views, but also had humanity and a sense of humor, and often worked across the aisle with Democrats.

Dole served as Senate Majority Leader and Senate Minority Leader, and was also Republican National Chairman at one point, as well as Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee.

Dole is a giant figure in the history of the Republican Party, and was well regarded by politicians in both parties, and millions of Americans!

Kevin McCarthy Caught In A Bind Between “Crazies” And “Normal” Members Of Republican Caucus

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy has put himself into an impossible situation, as he works to become the Speaker of the House of Representatives in 2023, IF the Republicans win control of the 118th Congress!

He is caught in a bind between the “Crazies” in the House Republican Caucus, including Jim Jordan, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Lauren Boebert, Paul Gosar, Madison Cawthorn, Louie Gohmert, Matt Gaetz, Mo Brooks, Andy Biggs, and others; and the more rational, mainline conservatives, who are unnamed, but unhappy with Kevin McCarthy refusing to hold the “crazies” accountable for their utterances and actions!

For the Republican leader to refuse to condemn Paul Gosar for his anime video attacking Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Joe Biden; or the horrific and hateful statements of Greene, Boebert, Cawthorn and others, is a likely death knell to McCarthy’s opportunity to be Speaker!

McCarthy clearly has no ethics, morals, or scruples, as he continues to kowtow to Donald Trump, and participates in the “Big Lie” being continued a year after the Presidential Election of 2020, that Trump won the Presidency over Joe Biden!

But there are indications already that McCarthy is not Trump’s favorite, because initially, after the January 6, 2021 US Capitol Insurrection, he was critical of Donald Trump, bedore he went to Mar a Lago and switched his views on that event which he had lived through!

Republican Party Is Selling Its Reputation To Donald Trump, Who Is Hellbent On Destroying The Party!

The Republican Party is in the process of destroying its legacy, and selling its reputation to Donald Trump, who is hellbent on destroying the party in his quest for absolute power, and destruction of American democracy!

Whether one agrees or not with the conservative philosophy of the Republican Party throughout its history, the party has added to the constant debate over the nature of government.

The Republican Party had its great leaders with courage and convictions, from the time of the party being founded as a reform party in the 1850s, through its various highs and lows over the past 167 years from 1854 onward.

Its low points included 1912, when William Howard Taft won only two states, 23 percent of the vote, and 8 electoral votes; to 1964, when Barry Goldwater won less than 40 percent of the vote, and only 6 states; to the shock of a reckless businessman, Donald Trump, who was able to hijack the party and its principles in 2016, and now has set out to destroy the party and the nation by refusing to concede defeat in the Presidential Election of 2020, and is a dire threat for the future!

Where are the “Profiles in Courage” that put the welfare of the nation over their own ambitions, and are willing to stand up to Trump Fascism, and its promotion of white supremacy and domestic terrorism, as demonstrated in the January 6, 2021 Insurrection on the US Capitol!

Only a small group is putting the nation and American democracy ahead of their own naked ambitions!

So on this Thanksgiving Day, we have to be thankful that Joe Biden is President, and do everything to insure that the Democratic Party overcomes history, and keeps control, and gains seats in both the House of Representatives and the Senate in 2022!