Anyone questioning the integrity of the 45th President of the United States might be feeling a little ashamed of themselves after observing his recent interview with Fox News’s Laura Ingraham.  When asked by Ms. Ingraham if he would block the testimony of former national security advisor John Bolton by declaring executive privilege, President Trump righteously professed that since he has never done anything wrong in his entire life he would be perfectly comfortable allowing any testimony, except for one thing- the impact that would have on future presidents.  The Commander in Chief said that furthermore he would be absolutely delighted to have Mick Mulvaney and Mike Pompeo or anyone else testify for that matter, but “there are things you can’t do from the standpoint of executive privilege,” the president insisted.

To further explain the president’s assertion later in the day, presidential spokesperson Kellyanne Conway said “You can’t have people sitting there in front of other people and blabbing away about special secret stuff.  Everyone knows what a beacon of integrity the president is, and the country should appreciate the extraordinary sacrifice he is making to protect the responsibilities of the executive branch in the future.  Of course he has nothing to hide, but what about the next president.  What if sometime we don’t have enough nice, simple people around who believe everything the president says and believe he can do anything he wants?  What would happen then?  What if a future president didn’t have the foresight to stow away personal transcripts in a secret server.  And what if all of a sudden a president had to reveal his tax return information? Then where would this country be?   President Trump has a lot to lose by preventing the  people around him from testifying and exonerating him.  They know what an impeccably  moral and  principled man he is and  many of them know all about the corruption going on everywhere, er, in the Ukraine of course, but there he is, courageously making this magnanimous, selfless gesture, risking groundless suspicion of his unblemished character and honorable intentions in order to defend this great country of ours.  That’s  just the kind of righteous, noble and patriotic man he is. Any doubt about the courageous sincerity of the president is discordant fiction being spread by the fake news.  Those people need to wise up.”

Devoted Trump supporter and rabid rally attendee Bud Mudd couldn’t agree more.  “I’ve traveled to all parts of the country just to hear President Trump talk the truth as I understand it, and he has never failed to deliver.  If you go to one of his rallies you can just sense his honest, saintly goodness and know right off he will always tell the truth.  He knows just the kind of straight talk the crowd wants to hear. You can’t blame him for using that privilege of executive obstruction thing.  Shoot I wouldn’t want just anybody to find out about some of the stuff I did. Not that he’s done anything wrong  but he’s got to protect those presidents coming up.  Hell I bet  Don Junior is as good as any for that job, and so ya, it would be smart to have some protection for a kid like that.  If he wants to go off shooting elephants and tigers  that’s his business.”

Well here’s something that scares the shit out of me.  We live in a time of immense intellectual sophistication, with access to information in manners that are almost infinite, and yet in spite of that, in fact because of that, our species is not only more confused, but more and more of us are throwing in the towel when it comes to the act of critical thinking.  You can’t get through the week without encountering some kind of reporting about this from a sociologist or expert on cyber sciences.

The problem we are facing has to do with the truth and the dissemination of propaganda.  Because there are multiple biased sources of information, the truth today is easily  manipulated and transmitted through multiple believable authors a multiple number of times until the truth becomes unrecognizable and the average person doesn’t know what to believe. What we now have is  an enormous population that has given up, and won’t take the time to research the truth.  It is just easier then to let passion override reason.  Although commentary will almost always point  out distortion of the truth is considerably more impactful when it is promoted by an authoritative  figure like President Trump, both liberals and conservatives, Republicans and Democrats, are guilty of promoting faulty information.

This is bullshit.  Society should be evolving into a higher place.  Are we devolving into turkey-like creatures capable of little intellectual activity other than staring at the sky?  Ben Franklin said  “Being ignorant is not so much a shame as being unwilling to learn.”  Our founding fathers understood that democracy critically depends on an informed public.  The truth is out there.  We need to demand it.

Contact your state congressional representatives.  A huge majority of the American public wants to hear from any administration official with personal knowledge of what went on with the Ukrainians, and see related documents.  If the president truly wants to be vindicated, that is exactly what is required.  Let your elected officials know you want the truth. We should also demand to know what the urgency was in assassinating Qasem Suleimani.  We’ve been down this road before with the lying about Tonkin Gulf and WMD in Iraq.  Let your official representatives know you want the truth.

If you see some bullshit on Facebook, call it out.  Report it.  Reply with the demand that the comment in question be fact checked.  It’s relatively easy.  Tell the author to look at any number of fact checking services- allsides.com and factcheck.org are just two.  I have done this a number of times.  Every so often I even receive a reply of thanks instead of the usual request that I engage in some form of complicated intercourse with myself.

This is  becoming a frightening situation.  There are now supposedly intelligent members of congress like Mitch McConnell and Lindsey Graham publicly stating they do not want to have anything to do with the truth, and even worse, the example of Kevin McCarthy promoting completely debunked  Russian conspiracy theories.  That is not right, these people should know better, and need to be held accountable.  Constituents of districts represented by this type of unsavory misconduct should be embarrassed.  Democracy can work, but it is the public’s responsibility to make it work.

“All lies and jests, Still a man hears what he wants to hear, and disregards the rest.”  Simon and Garfunkel   from The Boxer

“

Have you ever been subpoenaed?  It’s an intimidating document.  Having been presented with one on two different occasions to testify as a witness in prescription forgery trials, I can attest to a subpoena’s compelling intent.  As instructed by the demands of those legal directives I cleared my calendar and dutifully appeared in court.  It is the law.

But the law seeming does not apply to the President of the United States.  That’s what he would have us believe anyway. After all, that is exactly what he told every American, some gullible enough to believe him, when he publicly declared Article Two of the U.S. Constitution gives him the right to do anything he pleases.  Even a federal judge’s scathing ruling that totally rejected Trump’s absurd assertion of complete immunity for his advisors hasn’t altered his indifference to the law.  He has instructed the people around him to ignore subpoenas no matter what because it is his belief that the law is not important when applied to him personally.  What is important to Trump is only that which protects or promotes him.

Even though there will never be a senate conviction, there is still victory in his impeachment.  Trump’s historical presidential ranking will forever dwell with the lowly bottom-feeders. In an apparent attempt to address this conundrum is his dumbfounding six page letter he sent  to Nancy Pelosi on the eve of his impeachment.  But rather than defending his legacy, I can not imagine an ordinary citizen reading through those pages thirty years from now and not concluding what they see is the rantings of a pathetic man suffering from pathological narcissism. And those with introspective historical curiosity will have to wonder about the competency of any presidential advisor who would let such a letter become archived at such a critical time in Trumps presidency, or if he had any advisors at all.

So his misdeeds are more accurately recorded for posterity, it’s too bad the House Judiciary Commitee decided not to include the six other plausible articles of impeachment. Eight Applicable Articles of Impeachment  Understandably the committee was concerned about Trump inviting more foreign involvement in the 2020 election and must observe the time constraint.   However with no chance of conviction why not officially document  the obvious incidents of his egregious behavior.  There should be an historical record to refer to so future presidents clearly understand their limits of power and to give congress a road map to fix all the damage done by this man.

And it was particularly galling to hear various Republican committee members whine about unfair process when the president prevented the admission of dozens of pertinent documents and testimony by the very people who know the truth.  Over half the county believes Trump is guilty of an impeachable offense and two thirds want to hear from the material people Trump is refusing to let testify. Hearing from the major players involved in the Trump/Giuliani shake down scheme seems to be the only thing that might convince wavering Trump supporters to change their minds. But sadly Mitch McConnell is not about to let that happen.   Hopefully shortly after November of 2020 subpoena documents will regain their important power and the lawless autocratic conduct in the executive branch of government will mercifully end.

NOTE  Ours is “a government of laws, not of men” were words inserted in the Massachusetts Constitution by  second president John Adams.  Some might have noticed I’m a big fan.  Recommended reading about  both presidents Adams- “THE PROBLEM OF DEMOCRACY” by N. Isenberg and A. Burstein.  Much of the book’s content is pertinent to today.  

As more details that surround the House impeachment inquiry are revealed, it has emerged that President Trump was so fed up with stories of governmental corruption in Ukraine, he decided it was time to take matters into his own hands and send Energy Secretary Rick Perry to the flailing country to straighten things out.

Spokesperson Kellyanne Conway told reporters that the president’s cabinet is chock-full of members who are exceptionally experienced with corruption, but she personally thinks the president made the best choice.  “Of all the cabinet members I think Rick is the one with the most free time.  His staff gets kind of tired of him constantly asking them if he is supposed to be doing something.”

From all appearances it didn’t take Secretary Perry long to size things up.  Shortly after he  attended  Ukrainian President Zelenskiy’s inauguration, the new government awarded a lucrative gas and oil exploration contract to long time Perry political supporters Michael Bleyzer and Alex Cranberg.  Make Them an Offer They Can’t Refuse

And not about to let opportunity slip him by is Trump personal attorney and self-appointed secretary of state Rudy Giuliani.  With the aid of the local muscle of his cronies Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman, it is rumored Giuliani has carved out a nice slice of Ukrainian energy profiteering pie for himself.  Giuliani Keeps Investigators on Their Toes

“This is a perfect example of how the president is making America great again,” said Conway.  “Those Americans got a sweetheart  gas deal in Ukraine.  They bid millions less for that contract and somehow still managed to rake it in.”  When asked if she thought veiled  threats to withhold U.S. security aid, military weapons, meetings with state officials, or awkward presidential suggestions to join in the frolicking of U.S. politics affected the Ukrainian’s decision making, Conway seemed indignant.  “Everyone knows the president always does what it takes to make the best deals, and if you are implying that there is some kind of nefarious leveraging going on you should be ashamed.  He has no one other than the Attorney General of the United States traveling to foreign countries all over the world explaining how to do things properly.  I am sure the Ukrainians understand by now the president will always keep their best interests in mind when he is considering his best interests.”

In case you missed it and are into corruption, see Trump Junior Book Intrigues Genome Theorists

Not that I would have any interest in reading it, but apparently Donald Trump Junior’s recently released book “Triggered: How the Left Thrives on Hate and Wants to Silence us” is a validation of the old adage “fruit doesn’t fall far from the tree.”  In the book, Junior makes the astonishing comparison between the sacrifice of U.S. troops killed in combat to the financial ones he claimed his family made when his father became president.  As you might have guessed  he is being eviscerated by veterans and others all over the country.  Junior’s brain apparently made this strange connection when he took it on a trip to Arlington National Cemetery.  How does the vision of thousands of white grave markers evoke from any human mind the response of dollar signs? It’s simply not normal.  An abhorrent gene perhaps?  That kind of remark takes crassness to an unparalleled  level.  But Junior comes by his garish avarice honestly.  Just look at the stipulations the judge set forth in the recent 2 million dollar fine the president must pay for misusing his charity foundation (below).  The ruling mostly had to do with the president’s admission that he used funds for personal use and allowed his campaign rather than the foundation to direct the charity’s funds.  Coincidentally a specific instance mentioned was the “fundraiser” for veterans in January of 2016.

Did  Junior become so shallow by observing his father, or is it something genetically inherent?  It’s one thing to make comments on the spur of the moment during a speech, but thinking about it, writing it down and publicizing it for posterity is something else again.

Appalling as this part of the book is, it should be pointed out Junior’s claim that his family has made substantial financial sacrifices,  or any monetary sacrifice at all for that matter, is laughable.  And there are a number of well publicized (for posterity) records out there to prove it.  For example, this: Trump’s Conflicts of Interest

Like I mentioned, I’m not about to read Junior’s book.  But if you are inclined to do so, I suggest that it might be useful, or even imperative, that you have some experience with fact checking services.   Whatever the explanation, whether Junior has been taught by his father or there is some contaminated gene in control, when it comes to telling the truth, both  Junior and Senior are  endowed with the same intractable compulsion to create their own version of it.

Judge Disagrees with Trump Interpretation of Adage “Charity Begins at Home “

After President Trump’s recent announcement that open impeachment hearings would not be fair to him, it has emerged House Republicans are presently conferencing to determine what course of action would most effectively demonstrate their loyal support of the president.  Since only a couple of weeks have passed since several dozen Republican congressmen protested the closed nature of the hearings by storming the private room where the House Intel Committee was conducting its impeachment inquiry, members of the national media are naturally curious about such a dramatic position reversal.

When House Minority Whip Steve Scalise was asked how he would explain the flip flop to his constituents, he said  he would be consulting with Mick Mulvaney and Rudy Giuliani about it.

The obvious underlying reason the president would not want open hearings is he suddenly realized a publicly televised event of people with the courage to tell the truth will reflect badly on him.  When asked if that is how he felt, Florida congressman Matt Gaetz replied “Ridiculous.   When you have a half dozen people like this telling the same story, it’s obvious there is something fishy going on.  I mean, what are the odds?”

Just where the Republicans would be staging their next protest was another question the media had for the GOP congressmen.  Representative Steve King of Iowa said he was open to any number of possible locations, as long as the discussion did not include any Mexican restaurants.

DOJ Wants Anti-Trump Info  WTF?!

John Adams, the second President of the United States,  had a massive impact in developing our democratic form of government.  He had a perceptive political mind and was one of those founding fathers who foresaw potential problems with all the freedoms the constitution provides.  He was extremely weary of a future autocracy, and we are seeing his concerns unfold with the Trump presidency. Although Trump is the complete antithesis of Adams and represents exactly what our visionary second president feared, the two men have one thing in common- a thin skin.

John Adams did not take well to criticism, and  inadvisably promoted and signed the Alien and Sedition Acts in 1798. These were a series of laws that were Adams’ reaction to the French Revolution and its impact on national security.  The Alien Acts made it easier to deport foreigners as well as making it more difficult for immigrants to vote.  Though most of those laws were gradually repealed after Adams left office, there are some sections still on record.  The Sedition Act however was very quickly viewed as a huge overreach of presidential power.  It essentially prohibited public opposition to the government.  Newspaper editors were arrested and some imprisoned.  It is considered to be the greatest mistake of the Adams’ presidency, quickly repealed, and why he was not reelected.   Ironically it was an act  interpreted as an autocratical abuse of power that undermined the reelection of a man nearly obsessed with preventing that very type of abuse.

No such irony exists with our 45th president.  He has a history of unbridled avarice and is a lawless opportunist who seems to be overtly proud of it.  To him the presidency represents the ultimate position for a man driven by lust for power. He has announced publicly that Article Two of the constitution gives him the right to do anything he wants and as we have seen he has few reservations about pursuing that agenda.  Stand in the way of his designs and you are likely to be labeled a traitor.

Trump is on a mission to retain control of his power.  He has a lot to lose if he doesn’t because of a myriad of legal problems he has with the State of New York that are constrained by the statute of limitations.  He has Rudy Giuliani trying his best to resurrect some cuckoo, debunked conspiracy theory and both have exerted pressure on a foreign government to manufacture dirt on a political opponent.  And for some inexplicable reason Trump has convinced his Secretary of State and, of all people, the Attorney General of the United States, to go along with and even assist in his political illegality.

People eventually decided they had had enough of John Adam’s power overreach and placed their trust in Thomas Jefferson to straighten things out.  Once again this country of ours needs some straightening out.  Knowing now what our current president is capable of, I am not at all confident that we can wait another year to do that.