Constitutional Rights Under Assault from Within

“First came for the communists, and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a communist. Then they came for the Jews, and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Jew. Then they came for the trade unionists, and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a trade unionist. Then …

America is on a Slippery Slope

“A body of men holding themselves accountable to nobody ought not be trusted by anybody.”
Thomas Jefferson
 The signors of the Declaration of Independence understood the potentially lethal consequences of their actions yet opted to, “mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor,” by formally severing ties …

What Will Our Children’s America Look Like?

“Notice and comment is unnecessary because I am ordering the repeal,”
President Trump’s Executive Order to unilaterally
repeal energy and environmental regulations
 
Donald Trump’s insatiable thirst for and expansive interpretation of presidential power has been the defining characteristic since his inauguration.  His issuances of daily, often legally-questionably, Executive Orders and Actions have …

Cut Off El Salvador

Of course I’m not going to do it,”
El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele
 
Despite judicial orders, President Trump remains defiant when it comes to repatriating a wrongfully arrested and deported legally-protected El Salvadoran immigrant who has lived in the country for a decade, is married to an American citizen with whom …

Free Speech Under Attack from the Right and Left

“I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.”
Attributed to Voltaire
 
For nearly fifty years Liberals have been justifiably accused of censoring speech with which they disagree.  It has taken the form of establishing so-called free speech zones on high school and …

Trump’s Dismantling of America

“he who saves his country does not violate any law”
Donald Trump
 His wildly inaccurate remark, “I have an Article II where I have the right to do whatever I want as president,” and embracing the label of “king” epitomizes Donald Trump’s exaggerated and narcissistic ego and disrespect for the Constitution!
Trump’s election …

Putin’s American Puppet

“Peace for our time”
Neville Chamberlain (1939)
Russian President Vladimir Putin and other autocratic rulers have learned how to easily manipulate Donald Trump by playing to his narcissistic ego, craving for adoration, promises for future development deals, and desire to become the fifth president awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
Never distracted by facts, …

The Dismantling of America

“‘I have an Article 2 where I have the right to do whatever I want as president”
Donald Trump
 President Trump’s photo-op trip to the Super Bowl is estimated to have cost American taxpayers between $15 and $20 million, but raised no concerns from his DOGE Czar Elon Musk.
The long-term interests …

The Real Donald J. Trump Reveals Himself

“My proudest legacy will be that of a peacemaker and unifier,”
President Trump – January 20, 2025
Trump has long billed himself as being a “unifier” and on election night declared his victory was a “massive mandate.”
In 2024 of the approximately 242 million eligible voters only 155.3 million (a dismal 63.9%) actually …

International Insanity

“Every square meter of the Canal belongs to Panama and will continue to be so,”
Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino
 
Trump’s continuing threats to annex the Panama Canal and Greenland as being crucial for our national security are not only shear madness but could have disastrous national and international consequences.
Sending troops into …

The Reality of Reversing Inflation

“For every complex problem there is a simple solution, and it is wrong.”.
H.L. Mencke
 On the campaign trail, Donald Trump preached a steady diet of simplistic remedies for the kitchen-table concerns and complex challenges affecting so many Americans.  With the Democrats seemingly incapable of providing credible alternatives, voters naively swallowed Trump’s …

Protecting “Dreamers” and Others

The President …”shall have Power to grant Reprieves and Pardons for Offences against the United States.”
U.S. Constitution, Article II, Section 2
 
Donald Trump frequently used his presidential pardoning power to reward loyalists convicted of various crimes … and has alluded to pardoning those convicted of participating in the January 6th …

Our Democracy Can Be Lost at the Ballot Box

“Those who do not learn history are doomed to repeat it.”
George Santayana
  
Retired General John Kelly and other senior Trump’s Administration officials  confirm Donald Trump’s admiration of world leaders is limited to ruthless authoritarians including Putin, Xi, Orbán and Erdoğan, MBS, Kim Jong Un and even Hitler, whom he claims “did …

Does It Concern You?

“A second Trump presidency is the most existential national security threat to our democracy in our lifetime. The global world order that the Greatest Generation fought and died for, then handed to us to sustain, will be severely damaged. Their sacrifices will be squandered if we aren’t there to defend …

An Open Letter to President Biden

October 6, 2024
 
President Joseph Biden
White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue
Washington, DC  20500
 
Dear President Biden:
As a poll worker and someone who has written political and social commentary for nearly forty years, I was extremely disappointed, although not totally surprised at the results of this past Tuesday’s elections.
While the campaign messaging on women’s reproductive …

America’s Better Angels

“Only a life lived for others is a life worthwhile”
Albert Einstein
 As with his other campaign mistruths, Donald Trump’s claims Georgia Governor Brian Kemp hadn’t been able to reach President Joe Biden to discuss Hurricane Helene’s impacts on his state and Federal agencies were, “going out of their way to not …

The Anti-Democratic Candidate

“Trump demands that government actors pledge loyalty to him, as opposed to the law or to the Constitution”
Rick Pildes
 
Donald Trump’s rants claiming undocumented immigrants are all recently released criminals from foreign prisons and mental institutions and “poisoning the blood” of Americans and declaring of Haitian immigrants, “They’re eating the dogs. …

Is Trump Mentally Fit?

If President Biden or Vice President Harris had praised the (fictional) “late, great Hannibal Lecter”, ranted about Haitian immigrants eating peoples’ cats and dogs, described immigrants as criminals and “poisoning the blood” of Americans, quoted Hungary’s autocratic dictator as a personal a character reference, talked longer about the sizes of …

The Presidency is All About Character

“Never underestimate your adversary,
former President Bill Clinton
 
Democrats celebrated throughout the recent Democratic Convention in Chicago … many already predicting Kamala Harris to win in November, perhaps in a landslide.
On a personal level, she appears to be genuinely grateful for the support she has received since President Biden withdrew from the …

Alliances Make a Difference

“She [Kamala Harris] is a competent and experienced politician who knows exactly what she is doing and has a very clear idea of her country’s role, of developments in the world, and of the challenges we face,”
Chancellor Olaf Scholz of Germany
 Donald Trump’s campaign is currently struggling for an identity and …

Decision Time For Democrats

Every choice comes with a consequence. Once you make a choice, you must accept responsibility. You cannot escape the consequences of your choices, whether you like them or not.”
Roy T. Bennett
 The Democratic Party is fast approaching its own Rubicon, or point of no return.  While Trump has been anointed by …

The Democrats Biden Conundrum

“I believe I’m the best qualified to govern and I think I’m the best qualified to win, but there are other people who could beat Trump, too.”
Joe Biden
 This week’s Republican convention witnesses the coronation of Donald Trump despite having proven he is unfit to return to the presidency.
During and since …

Biden Damning Admission

”The coming days are critical …”
President Biden’s alleged comments to some of his staff
 
Already sinking in the polls across the political spectrum, during his recent meeting with Democratic governors President Biden excused his dismal debate performance, in part, on his travel schedule and getting too little sleep; and he didn’t …

A Squandered Opportunity

“I shall not seek, and I will not accept the nomination of my party for another term as your President,”
Lyndon B. Johnson (March 1968)
Watching last evening’s presidential debate was like viewing a train wreck in slow motion.  As speculated in “For Biden – It’s Show Time”, it was essential the …

Who Would You Believe?

“They made up a ‘suckers’ and ‘losers’ statement. So terrible.”
Donald Trump
 
 In today’s “Morning Shots”, William Kristol penned a timely commentary, “Trump’s Latest Lies About His Lies,” excerpting from a recent speech he made at the annual Faith and Freedom Conference.
Trump criticized a 2020 article in the Atlantic, based on multiple …

For Biden … it’s Show Time!

“the time is now and the place is here and … there are no second chances”
Jeanette Winterson
 
The most important date of this year’s presidential campaign is just a week away when President Biden and former President Trump faceoff in a debate hosted by CNN, where they will not be allowed …

Always the Victim

The only thing worse than a liar is a liar that’s also a hypocrite!
Tennessee Williams
 
Contrary to his rants, Donald Trump’s recent conviction was not result of any influence by or direction from President Biden or the Justice Department, but from his own actions!  An impartial jury of 12 average citizens, …

Presidential Campaign Conundrums

“Between and Rock and a Hard Place”
Anon
 
Candidates running for office face a major challenge, trying to appeal to and appease their base while not alienating swing voters … who ultimately dictate most election outcomes.
President Biden’s campaign continues to struggle with a perception chasm between the actual state of the economy …

Putin’s Candidate

“I will have that war settled in one day, 24 hours”
Donald Trump
For close to a year, former president Donald Trump has bragged that if elected in 2024 he would end the war in Ukraine “in one day” and the “deal would be easy.”  When pressed as to how he might …

Congressional Allegiances in Question

"The only thing for evil to triumph in the world is that good men do noting!"

Edmund Burke

 

Tragically, the Republican Party of Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt, and Reagan, to which my parents belonged their entire lives, has for all practical purposes ceased to exist. 

Today, the majority of Republicans in both the House …

What is His Ultimate Goal?

“The American people are suffering as a result of what’s happening at the border … and someone running for president ought to try and get the problem solved, as opposed to saying, ‘Hey, save that problem!  Don’t solve it!  Let me take credit for solving it later.’”

Republican Senator Mitt Romney

The …

Trump’s America After Me Campaign

“Since narcissists deep down feel themselves to be faultless, it is inevitable that when they are in conflict with the world they will invariably perceive the conflict as the world’s fault.”
M. Scott Peck

Lest anyone doubt presidential wannabee Donald Trump’s priorities, his rhetoric makes it crystal clear addressing such critical issues …

Trump in His Own Words

"I have a gut, and my gut tells me more sometimes than anybody else's brain can ever tell me."

Donald Trump

On January 20, 2017, Donald Trump spoke the following words, "I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will …

The Greatest Threat Facing America

“There are more instances of the abridgment of the freedom of the people by gradual and silent encroachments of those in power than by violent and sudden usurpation.”

James Madison

Ask any politician, political commentator, or cable talking-head about the greatest threats facing America and you will predictably hear China, Russia, Iran, …

An Ominous Warning

“I love the poorly educated”

Donald Trump  (February 23, 2016)

 

It is not surprising the leading Republican presidential candidate limits his campaign stops to adoring crowds who, without any evidence, believe his lies about a stolen election, Democrats being socialists, the Justice Department has been weaponized, and his victimhood.

Discarding his vengeance-filled litany …

Where Are the Patriotic Republicans?

“It’s a very detailed indictment and it’s very damning.  But I do think if even half of it is true, then he’s toast”

Former Attorney General Bill Barr

In the wake of his 37-count indictment, Donald Trump launched a predictable tirade, again baselessly claiming the 2020 election was stolen and portraying himself …

No Person Is Above the Law

“There shall be one rule of Justice for the rich and the poor; for the favorite in Court, and the Countryman at the Plough.”

Samuel Adams

Trump avoided criminal liability during his presidency based on a Constitutionally-questionable 1973 DOJ memorandum which concluded “indictment or criminal prosecution of a sitting President would impermissibly …

And the Next Speaker Could Be ….

“The House of Representatives shall chuse their Speaker and other Officers”

U.S. Constitution – Article 1, Section 2

With only 213 Democrats elected during the mid-term elections it would seem the Party will have no realistic say in the election of the chamber’s next Speaker. 

Kevin McCarthy, the current frontrunner, has demonstrated he’ll …

It Can Happen Here

“The object of life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane.”

Marcus Aurelius

In 1935, during the depth of the Depression Sinclair Lewis published a novel in which the average American’s political ignorance and complacency resulted in a …

An Ongoing Threat to Our Democracy

"Republicans cannot both be loyal to Donald Trump and loyal to the Constitution,"

Congresswoman Liz Cheney

With the House Select Committee investigating the January 6th 2021 insurrection and assault on the U.S. Capitol about to release its final report and the U.S. Justice Department; District of Columbia; States of Georgia, Florida and …

Our Nation’s Institutions Under Attack

“I’ve done nothing wrong.”

Donald Trump  (time and again)

Had Donald Trump not transferred hundreds of classified (many marked SECRET, TOP SECRET and TOP SECRT//SCI) and other documents which, pursuant to the Presidential Records Act of 1978, are legally the property of the United States to his home at Mar-a-Lago in January …

The Cost of Patriotism

“… for meritorious contributions to the security or national interests of the United States”

Presidential Medal of Freedom Criteria

Yesterday, Americans witnessed the price an individual often pays for exhibiting true Patriotism.

Sadly, the vast majority of Republicans continue to embrace the former president’s “big lie” about a stolen election, ignore his attempted …

No American Can Be Above the Law

“The President, Vice President and all civil Officers of the United States, shall be removed from Office on Impeachment for, and Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors.”

Article II, Section 4

During his 2016 presidential campaign, then candidate Trump bragged, “I could stand in the middle of 5th …

What Does It Mean to be a Patriotic American

"Patriotism consists not in waving the flag, but in striving that our country shall be righteous as well as strong."

James Bryce

It is fitting on the 246th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence to reflect on what it means to be an American patriot.    

Survey any random group …

An Open Letter to President Joseph R. Biden

"The fabric of democracy is always fragile everywhere because it depends on the will of citizens to protect it, and when they become scared, when it becomes dangerous for them to defend it, it can go very quickly.".

Margaret Atwood

June 24, 2022

Dear President Biden:

Since January 2017, our fragile democracy has been, …

Democracy is Not a Spectator Sport

 

"The greatest danger to American freedom is a government that ignores the Constitution."

Thomas Jefferson

Sadly, Republicans have stonewalled reasonable and meaningful, overwhelmingly popular gun control legislation, complaining about losing Constitutional Second Amendment rights.  Yet, they’ve been quick to embrace a dangerous and delusional ex-president who frequently violated his Constitutional oath of …

Putin’s Ukrainian Invasion … A Defining Moment for the GOP

“Now is our moment to meet and overcome the challenges of our time.”

President Joe Biden – State of the Union Address

March 1, 2022

Since the 2020 election, the Republicans Party has attempted to rewrite history, whether echoing Trump’s baseless claims about a stolen election or redefining the deadly January 6th assault …

Trump’s Comments – A Dire Warning

“they are being treated so unfairly."

Donald Trump (January 29, 2022)

 

As the 2022 mid-term elections approach, Donald Trump continues to focus on his big lie that the 2020 election was stolen from him!

Perpetuating allegations of election fraud, Trump has taken a page from “Mein Kampf’s” rulebook: never allow the public to …

Trump – the GOP’s Ultimate RINO

"He's all about himself.  He's not about building or supporting the party."

Paul S. Ryan

Donald Trump’s latest assault on Republican fundraising efforts should be a wake-up call and remove all doubts as to where his loyalties lie!

He delayed the first COVID stimulus checks until his name could be printed on …

Lacking Moral Principles

“We were discussing their strategy for tomorrow, and we were sharing our thoughts, in terms of where the argument was and where to go,”

Senator Ted Cruz

At the outset of the Senate Impeachment trial of Donald Trump, each of the body’s 100 members (the trial’s jurors) declared, “I solemnly swear (or affirm) …

A Case for Impeachment Jury Tampering

“The intentional effort to influence the outcome of a juror’s opinion, vote or decision by unlawfully communicating with the juror in either a direct or indirect manner, outside the scope of legally permitted courtroom procedure.”

Definition of Jury Tampering

Once the results of the 2020 election became clear, Donald Trump became consumed, …

An Impeachment Trial Accomplishes Nothing

“Prudence means understanding your situation, seeing what good can be accomplished in it, knowing what options are both morally legitimate and likely successful—and then pursuing the wisest goal in the wisest way”

Brian C. Collins

Unquestionably, President Trump’s words and actions were the catalyst for the mob invasion of the nation’s Capital. …

Our Republic Under Siege

“We will never give up; we will never concede”

Donald Trump (January 6, 2021)

 

In the wake of Wednesday’s violent demonstration and lawless assault on the Capitol building questions must be asked … and answered.

Concerns Trump can still wreak havoc on our democracy and imperil our national security has initiated calls for …

Donald Trump’s Attempted Coup

"So look. All I want to do is this. I just want to find 11,780 votes, which is one more than we have. Because we won the state."

Donald Trump (January 3, 2021)

Despite White House claims President Trump is “doing the work of the American people”, he has spent the past …

A Time to Heal

"Our Anerican republic will endure only as long as the ideas of th emen who founded it continue dominant"

James Russell Lowell

Republican politicians must stop pandering to the president and his delusional belief he won the 2020 election and begin a process of helping to heal a dangerously divided nation.

 

As the …

A Lightweight President Goes AWOL

"Don't talk to me that way."

Donald Trump (November 26, 2020)

While answering reporter’s questions for the first-time since the election, President Trump went on an angry tirade about massive voter fraud, horrible Republican governors and state election officials who certified accurate vote totals showing Joe Biden won and then falsely claimed, …

Trump’s Fantasies Are A Danger to Our Republic

"Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not his own facts."

Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan

There seem to be two groups still living in Trump's fantasyland.

The first includes all but twenty-odd Republican members of Congress who can’t utter the words, “Biden won.”  They’ve placed loyalty to a narcissistic demigod above their …

Marc Thiessen’s Praise of Trump’s Handling the COVID-19 Pandemic Crisis

Marc Thiessen begins his recent OpEd piece, “Harris casting doubt on a pre-election vaccine is shameful”, claims “Democrats have accused President Donald Trump of endangering the public health …” and that “Trump will deservedly get credit” for such a timely vaccine.  If Trump’s recommendations to not wear masks, medicate with …

Trump Again Tries to Circumvent the Constitution

“Respect for the law and protection of the integrity of the democratic process warrant the exclusion of illegal aliens from the apportionment base”

Donald Trump (July 21, 2020)

After being rebuked by the Supreme Court when he tried to have the 2020 census exclude undocumented aliens, President Trump has predictably sought new …

A Clear Case of Dereliction of Duty

“The Bucks Stops Here!”

President Harry Truman

 

If any military commander knew, or should have known, about potential threats to the safety of the men and women serving under their chain of command and failed to take actions to protect his forces they would be guilty of dereliction of their duty.  If …

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