Monday, March 25, 2019

The Washington Post: 'William Barr: Must Release Full Mueller Report'

Source:The Washington Post“President Trump says he’s innocent. If so, he should want the Mueller report public.” – Special Counsel Robert Mueller: release the damn report!
Source:The New Democrat

"The country deserves to see the results of the Mueller investigation into election interference. The Post editorial board says we need to know if the President was involved in a crime."

From The Washington Post

Source:The Washington Post “Now we know what Trump will say when we learn what he’s hiding. President Trump.” – President Donald Trump: “no really, I’m not a crook” LOL
As someone who isn't a lawyer I must say that Donald Trump out of all the people who've ever been investigated before at least by the Federal Government, he looks the most guilty. And that's assuming he's innocent of everything he's been investigation of. Which granted is not a safe assumption. I mean if I just pulled one of the greatest if not the greatest if not greatest upsets in American presidential election history and my presidential campaign was under investigation even though I personally knew I wasn't involved in any personal crimes relating to it my campaign, I would welcome an investigation both personally, but as a patriot as well. Especially when we know that a hostile power like Vladimir Putin and his Russian Federation interfered into the election. And I would want it for several reasons:

One, to personally clear me and to not have this over my head when I'm running for reelection.

Two, to figure out what the hell actually happened so it can be addressed and it doesn't happen again.

Three, to figure out how to prevent this from happening in the future.

Source:The Advocate- "“President Trump says he’s most hounded leader ever, says ‘even my enemies’ know he’s innocent” – President Donald Trump: “I’m not a crook! LOL
Four, to set a precent here that future President's would hopefully follow that when foreign countries especially hostile ones try to interfere into our elections and they know that they're personally innocent, but perhaps perhaps who are close to them aren't completely innocent and need to be investigated for that. But again to figure out exactly what happened, so we can stop it and prevent it from happening in the future. I wouldn't wait for my Deputy Attorney General to appoint the Special Counsel, I would consult my Vice President and Chief of Staff, as well as the Attorney General and order the investigation myself.

But what does Donald Trump do: instead of acting like a victim of mistaken identity or false accusation, he pulls a Richard Nixon Watergate play and tries to cover up it up and personally obstruct the investigation. Not with any official actions and we know that now, but through public means by how he talks about it and tries to convince the people who are under real investigation and in serious trouble that he has their back and is still on their side, that they're getting a raw deal and plays with pardons like baseball players play with baseballs ( sorry, but it's that time of year ) and tosses them around in the air for the helluva it.

Americans have the right to know about and see Robert Mueller's report for a couple of reasons:

One, we paid for the damn thing and have a right to know if our President is a crook or not ( to paraphrase President Richard Nixon ) and is our President has been bought off by either the Russian Federation or the Saudi Kingdom.

Two, we have a right to know if a hostile power not only has damaging information on our President or not, but how exactly did they interfere in our elections or not. To what success and they may have and why did they did that. How come President Vladimir Putin wanted Donald Trump to be President of the United States.

If President Donald Trump, is completely innocent here and Russia really does have nothing on in and this kissass routine that he has for Vladimir Putin is nothing more than innocent, inexperienced, amateur bad judgment on his part and he really does believe that the way you get Vladimir Putin's Russia to act like a civilized player on the world stage is by being soft on them rhetorically and go out-of-your-way to  either excuse what Russia does or put America on the same level as Russia and say: "we do bad thing too" then releasing Mueller Report makes perfect sense on Donald Trump's part, because it can only help him because he's innocent and would be doing American people ( that's all the people, not just Donald Trump's base ) a real public service. But that's probably not what's going to happen here.

Monday, March 18, 2019

The Washington Post: Brian Lamb: 'Washington is Full of Waste and C-SPAN Lets Us Wallow In It'

Source:The Washington Post- If you're a taxpayer your message should be: "thank God for Brian Lamb and C-SPAN!"
Source:The New Democrat

"The Cable-Satellite Public Affairs Network (C-SPAN) broadcast from the House of Representatives for the first time in March 1979, uncovering a process shrouded in secrecy. C-SPAN founder Brian Lamb says how Americans use that transparency is still a work in progress. Read more:"

From The Washington Post

Source:News Daily- Some of our elected politicians 
When I think of C-SPAN, I think of the expression the cold hard truth, because that's what it gives us which is an inside, painfully truthful look about what our tax dollars are paying for and how our elected government works. People might argue ( especially career politicians ) that people would be better off not knowing about how our government works, because it just shows us how depressing and inefficient it works and all of that.

But the easy counter to that is that if you buy a car, you want to know exactly what you're getting with the money that you're spending on the car. The great handling, smooth ride, the power, but you also want to know about whatever drawbacks that you might get from that car. Low gas mileage, the durability of the car, etc. You don't want to know why your new car is in the shop once a month or a couple times of month, not six months down the road ( no pun intended ) but upfront before you buy the car.

Well, government is the same way. The U.S. Government which is the largest organization in the world both in money and in personal with a budget of over 4 trillion-dollars and a staff of over 2 million and since we're paying for all of that so-called service and a lot of waste we need to know exactly what we're paying for.

That's what the Government Accountability Office is for, but that's also what C-SPAN is for. Some might say that's the job of Congress to hold the government accountable. Two problems with that: one, Congress is part of the government ( hopefully that isn't any newsflash to U.S, Government students, or Millennial's ) and if it's Congress's job to hold the government accountable, then whose job is it to hold Congress accountable? And two, Congress is made up of politicians ( to state the obvious ) who in too many cases are just if not more interested in getting reelected and getting promoted, as they are in doing their jobs and the right thing. Because if they do their jobs and the right things, it could cost them votes and contributions with people who want the status-quo, because they benefit from the current corruption in government.

Some might say it's the job of the people to hold their government accountable. Which is true, but how are they supposed to do that without the information and facts: just listen and take the word of their politicians and automatically assume they're doing what's right and doing their jobs correctly? Does anyone who is sane, sober, intelligent, and aware of their surroundings actually tend to take the word of any politician that they're familiar with, actually take the word of a typical politician whether they're a career politician or not? Of course not, so we need those eyes and ears in our government and then we need the people to actually examine what they're seeing and take in the information that they get about how our government actually works in this country. Even if that means putting down their smartphone for more than five minutes at a time, or even hours at a time to see how their tax dollars are being spent in this country.

Some might argue who advocate for a closed government that the reason why politicians and government is so unpopular in America and why a 20% rating is actually good numbers for any Congress, ( "hey, if only 8-10 Americans think we're doing a bad job, we must being something right" ) is because we allow cameras in Congress both in the House and Senate and The White House briefing ( even if they're only once every 2 months now ) and we broadcast and cover our government meetings and get to hear from our public officials. And we get to hear about Congress not doing their jobs and not even passing their own budget and appropriations bills and in some cases both the House and Senate not even passing their own budget in their respective chambers. Well, that just makes my point for be, because all C-SPAN and other news organizations do is show exactly what our politicians and other public officials are doing. What they're saying and how they voted and what they proposed and signed into law. Things that we wouldn't know about if we didn't allow cameras and reporters into government.

Monday, March 11, 2019

CPH: David Levering Lewis: The Improbable Wendell Willkie

Source:Southern Methodist University- David L. Lewis, talking about his book about Wendell Willkie. 
Source:The New Democrat

"In the wake of one of the most tumultuous Republican conventions ever, the party of Lincoln nominated in 1940 a prominent businessman and former Democrat who could have saved America’s sclerotic political system. Although Wendell Lewis Willkie would lose to FDR, acclaimed biographer David Levering Lewis demonstrates that the corporate chairman–turned–presidential candidate must be regarded as one of the most exciting, intellectually able, and authentically transformational figures to stride the twentieth-century American political landscape."

Source:Livestream- David L. Lewis's book about Wendell Willkie 
If anyone is wondering why I bother too write about Wendell Willkie a man who maybe only 5% of the country has ever even heard of and most of those people being old enough to remember his presidential campaign or born just after his 1940 presidential campaign: the reason why I'm interested in Wendell to the point that I write about him is because I base my own politics and political ideology around 3 people: Thomas Jefferson, the father of American liberal democracy. John F. Kennedy, the last Liberal and not just Classical Liberal President that we've ever had. And Wendell Willkie, the last Classical Liberal as well as Liberal Republican nominee for President. Who left the Democratic Party, because he believed they were moving in a socialist big government direction under Franklin Roosevelt in the 1930s.

Source:Presidential History Geeks- Classical Liberal Wendell Willkie 
Wendell Willkie, is a political hero of mine and if the Republican Party today was the Willkie Republican Party, I would be a Republican instead of at best an Independent Democrat today. Wendell, was a Republican who supported civil and equal rights of all Americas. Who opposed social classes even as it relates to race and ethnicity. Wendell, was to the Left of President Franklin Roosevelt on civil rights for African-Americans, as well as other racial and other ethnic minorities. Back in the 1950s and 1960s, the Republican Party was the civil rights part. First lead by President Dwight Eisenhower who opposed school desegregation and also supported a broader civil rights bill in the 1950s. And without Congressional Republicans, President Lyndon Johnson doesn't get his civil rights laws in the 1960s.

Wendell Willkie, was anti-Communist, antiauthoritarian Liberal Republican. Think about for a second and see if you can get past that. He obviously wouldn't fit inside the Republican Party today, but there wouldn't be much room for him inside the Democratic Party today either. Because he was a true constitutionalist who believed in constitutional rights for all Americans and believed in limited government. He was one of the first true liberal internationalists that we've ever had in a presidential candidates at least., who believed that America couldn't police the world, but we needed to be engaged with the world to protect liberal democracy and stand up to communism and other authoritarian ideologies. A Wendell Willkie, couldn't fit inside of a Republican Party today, that's dominated by Nationalists when it comes to foreign policy and in general. And a Democratic Party that's not only now embracing democratic socialism, but doesn't seem to have issues with authoritarian socialism either.

Wendell Willkie to me, even though I'm maybe 1 out of 5 Americans who've ever heard of man ( perhaps a few more ) is very interesting to me because he was a man and a political candidate who was not just ahead of him time as it relates to foreign policy, the Constitution, limited government, and civil rights, but also represents the the liberal democratic ( or classical liberal, if you prefer ) void that was left inside the Democratic Party when President John Kennedy was assassinated in 1963 by a Communist, with the Democratic Party moving Left ever since President Kennedy was assassinated. We no longer have a liberal ( or classical liberal ) wing in either the Democratic or Republican Party today and is still missed by me and other Liberals ( or Classical Liberals, if you prefer ) today.
Source:CPH

Monday, March 4, 2019

The Onion: 'Trump Base Celebrates President For Standing Up To The Constitution'

Source:The Onion- President Donald Trump: "I don't need the Constitution!" 
Source:The New Democrat

"WASHINGTON—Enthusiastically praising the commander-in-chief for holding firm in the face of opposition, Donald Trump’s political base cheered on the president Friday for standing up to the U.S. Constitution. “He stayed strong and really showed the Constitution who’s boss,” said 48-year-old Trump supporter Ross Heddens, applauding the president’s bravery and determination in taking on the document that represents the social contract through which all authority vested in the U.S. government is ultimately derived. “No fundamental system of laws is going to get in his way. Trump has shown that he won’t allow mere constitutional articles—not even the ones that explicitly delineate which powers are granted to which branches of government—to stop him from doing what he has pledged to do. That’s how tough he is.” Members of Trump’s base went on to urge the president to continue standing his ground by ignoring any future rulings from the U.S. Supreme Court that may seek to prevent him from fulfilling his campaign promises."

From The Onion

Source:The Onion- President Donald Trump: "who needs the Constitution?"
"Enthusiastically praising the commander-in-chief for holding firm in the face of opposition, Donald Trump’s political base cheered on the president Friday for standing up to the U.S. Constitution. “He stayed strong and really showed the Constitution who’s boss,” said 48-year-old Trump supporter Ross Heddens, applauding the president’s bravery and determination in taking on the document that represents the social contract through which all authority vested in the U.S. government is ultimately derived. “No fundamental system of laws is going to get in his way. Trump has shown that he won’t allow mere constitutional articles—not even the ones that explicitly delineate which powers are granted to which branches of government—to stop him from doing what he has pledged to do. That’s how tough he is.” Members of Trump’s base went on to urge the president to continue standing his ground by ignoring any future rulings from the U.S. Supreme Court that may seek to prevent him from fulfilling his campaign promises."

Source:The Onion- President Donald Trump: "the Constitution is a little annoying thing"

"Congress poised to reject President Trump's national emergency declaration; Rich Edson reports." 

From Fox News

Source:Fox News- I guess Donald Trump's base views Rand Paul as a Rino. 

At risk of sounding serious for a moment which I can promise you will be fly by as fast as one of Donald Trump's political positions: Donald Trump and his base in America doesn't represent political Conservatives and political conservatism. Similar to how Communists and Socialists in general are illiberal on many if not all issues, the Donald Trump and his base are anti-conservative. They don't believe in tradition, even in "little annoying documents" like the U.S. Constitution which they trend to view as obstacles to their political agenda.

Donald Trump, wasn't elected to conserve tradition and the status-quo. He was elected to blow those things up. He views rules, checks and balances, tradition as not applying to him. And the mindset that he wasn't President or even around when the U.S. Constitution and our form of government was put together and never officially signed off on it, so why should it apply to him. And views the The White House and the executive as extensions of the Trump Organization. 

People need to understand these things when they look at Donald Trump and understand that the man is not even a Republican, let alone a Conservative. He doesn't believe in Republicanism let alone conservatism. And neither does his bases at least in a constitutional and political sense, regardless of whatever their religious values and beliefs might be.

So when I say that Donald Trump is not a Conservative or Republican that's what I'm talking about. I'm not talking about what his party registration is. Someone could own a second home far from where they actually live and technically, be a resident of that community. But if they're never there and perhaps just own that second home as an investment or own it to avoid taxes, they're really not part of that community. 

If you're familiar with the term RINO that the Tea Party coined back in 2011-12 ( Republicans in Name Only ) which is how they described establishment Republicans ( the real Republicans ) who weren't as far to the Right or as partisan as they were, well, RINO is Donald Trump. I mean we're talking about a man who claimed to be the King of Debt when he was running for President and that he liked debt and all of that. Which is something that no actual Conservative would ever be proud of.

So when Donald Trump takes a position on something that his base ( or political cult, depending on who you talk to ) they're not interested in how gets it done, just as long as it gets done. So if Congress including Republicans say no to President Trump's so-called border wall, the President just says: "I'll do it without you." even though U.S. Constitution ( that little annoying document ) says that the President cam't appropriate money by himself and that only Congress has the power of the purse. And his so-called national emergency is just an example of that. 

The Donald believes he can pull the licenses of media organizations whether it's NBC News or CNN or anyone else ( not named Fox News, Newsmax, Breitbart, The National Enquirer ) because he believes that First Amendment and the Freedom of Press doesn't personally prevent him from taking such actions. 

Donald Trump, really is a wannabe dictator and autocrat and we should thank God and Founding Fathers ( The Founding Liberals ) everyday ( even if we're not religious ) for our Constitution and checks and balances that we ca use to fight back against his authoritarian leniencies.

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