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The Inevitable Trump Train 2024!
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Trump… The Sore Loser
Can’t deny that Donald Trump is being a bit sore about his election defeat. Such a strong believer in the United States legal system — he sues everybody — the poor man couldn’t get a single judge (Republican or Democrat) to side in his favor. Late at night, he cries hysterically.
Enjoy a coffee mug (for purchase on etsy) to commemorate the occasion. A warm cup of trump crying will keep you motivated at work.
Death smiles at us all, all a man can do is smile back.
Marcus Aurelius
Hostiles (2017) is a movie of blight. Joe Blocker (Christian bale) is a salty army captain closing in on an eventful career in colonial America. As he comes to the crossroads in his life, he is tormented by his decisions as an Army commander in the fog and ghosts of war against native Americans. His past and inner struggles come to a head when he has to shepherd an aging Cheyenne chief back to his homeland – an ostensible political effort by President Harrison to apologize for past war atrocities. Blocker begrudgingly follows the order, but it becomes clear he has a history with this Chief.
Failing to understand the workings of one’s own mind is bound to lead to unhappiness.
Marcus Aurelius
Bale carries the movie well. The audience is taken along on an eventful journey and the western ends as it should. At some points, I worried that the movie would fall into a white Jesus complex but thankfully, it did not. The movie captures the realities of the time period well and offers some brilliant insights on death, honor and tragedy. In spite of all the blight, again, the movie ends how it should. A critical decision on the success of a movie is how it ends, and this one ends well. Each character is developed and along with the insights, I was satisfied with the suspense and closing.
February 2020
Dark mornings and short days in Washington are interrupted by a week of uncharacteristically warm weather, probably a result of the Constitution being burned in the basements of the Senate building. Donald Trump is set to be acquitted by the United States Senate, something that everyone knew was going to occur. With all sycophant GOP Senators afraid of having their head on a pick from the White House, the question was less about guilt and more about whether a legitimate trial would occur. It did not.
For the first time in history, no witnesses were questioned and no new evidence was gathered. Moscow Mitch fawned over his latest raping of Senate rules and procedures. Chief Justice John Roberts robotically read from a script, never offering an opinion of substance or encouraging actual deliberation – cementing his performance as a disgrace to the legal profession. The week feels like a 7-day funeral for the Constitution with Moscow Mitch chopping off the Senate’s own arm in the process.
Wednesday
A blessed shine of light comes from Utah to offer its condolences…. Mitt Romney, GOP Senator, is a fleeting semblance of hope for the week. In a gut-wrenching speech on the Senate floor, Romney votes to remove Trump from office. He provides a compelling and emotional explanation that historians will look back on as a dark time in United States history.
“Corrupting an election to keep oneself in office is perhaps the most abusive and destructive violation of one’s oath of office that I can imagine,” said Romney. “With my vote, I will tell my children and their children that I did my duty to the best of my ability, believing that my country expected it of me. I will only be one name among many, no more, no less, to future generations of Americans who look at the record of this trial. They will note merely that I was among the senators who determined that what the president did was wrong, grievously wrong.”
Disagree with his politics, Romney chose the country and God over his party, and on this sad event brought tears to the eyes of many Americans. It would have been Democratic victory enough that no Democrats voted to acquit (Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Doug Jones of Alabama were very possible), but having a GOP turn is important for the country. Even with the death and destruction of institutions under President Trump, his impeachment marks the first time a Senator voted to remove a President of his own party. This data point is as good as any to show that this was far from a Democrat-orchestrated hoax, something the President will be ridiculed for saying.
Thursday
The buffoon attends the National Prayer Breakfast holding up newspaper headlines stating “Trump Acquitted” as if it were a celebration. As he did with Tuesday’s State of the Union, he turns a traditionally non-political event into a political one. He mocks House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (in attendance) and Senator Romney for using their faith to inform their decisions and pray for others. He takes time to personally recognize each co-conspirator on his team, sometimes the recognition turns into jarring quips or roasts. Steve Scalise, a congressman who was shot a few years earlier at a Congressional baseball game in Alexandria, he says was prettier after his injury. He takes credit for a governor’s election victory because of his endorsement. The most awkward of his attempts at playful comments was a joke about wives. When Scalise got shot, his wife “cried her eyes out” at the hospital and Trump joked that “not many wives would react that way … I know mine wouldn’t.”
Friday
In fallout after his Senate acquittal, Trump purges Lt. Colonel Alexander Vindman and EU Ambassador Gordon Sondland from the White House. Vindman sat on the National Security Council and attended phone calls of Trump and Zelensky. His Congressional testimony revealed that Trump and Pence’s aides were not only concerned about Trump’s behavior with Ukraine, but actively worked to contain him. Security escorted the purple heart recipient and Iraq war veteran out of the White House in an effort to shame him.
Ambassador Sondland was a Trump loyalist who got caught in a lie in his overzealous responses to house impeachment officials. He had to formally re-enter his testimony because of those lies and gave impish testimony before Congress that incriminated Trump. In Trump’s eyes, the hotelier and million dollar donor violated his trust. In his skittish attempts to thread a needle and not incriminate himself before Congress, Sondland hit the trifecta of appearing disloyal, unreliable and aloof. Over twitter, he accepts his removal and thanks the President.
Both men are removed. One an appointee. The other an employee. The week is laid to rest. America looks forward to the weekend to cleanse us of this acrid Trump stench of failure and disgrace.
In a Senate impeachment trial, the idea that the Chief Justice’s presiding role as largely ceremonial is nonsense and a shirking of legal responsibility. The Chief Justice has a duty to ensure that the proceeding is a legitimate and fair trial through the perspective of an officer of the court – after all, he represents the highest ranking member in the judicial branch and presumably earned that rank because of his experience as a successful arbiter of justice. The fact that the Trump Senate Impeachment trial is ending without witnesses and evidence gathering is more than enough reason for Chief Justice John Roberts to step in and assure that a trial, and not a farce, is actually held – as the Constitution requires.
In US history, there have been 18 Senate impeachment trials of Secretaries and Judges of the executive and judicial branches; respectively. Witnesses have testified in all trials except three: two cases in which the impeached official resigned prior to the trial reaching witness stages, and one situation in which the Senate decided that Congress cannot govern impeachment of its own members. These exceptions make sense. Not having witnesses would set a precedent Justice Roberts cannot sign off on with a healthy conscience. Doing so would be a disgrace to the judiciary branch, perhaps to a greater degree than the Senate has already disgraced itself.
A trial requires both sides the opportunity to present evidence and cross examine witnesses before it can conclude. It is Chief Justice Robert’s responsibility and duty to govern this playing field. Otherwise, the proceeding fails on its essential purpose. Trump sycophants have hijacked the Senate to put party over country, ignorance over truth, and Justice Roberts must step into the fray. In fact, his judicial responsibility requires it.
It is a defection of American principals for Justice Roberts to stand idly by while a sham “trial” is presented before him. If Justice Roberts believes he hears a lie, he should feel an obligation to correct it. If he hears Trump impeachment lawyers deceptively claim that the House did not try to subpoena John Bolton, he should clarify this to the jury of Senators – if not for the fundamentals of the judicial branch as an institution, then for the assurance that proceedings have direction and findings of fact as it moves forward.
“I will decide every case based on the record, according to the rule of law, without fear or favor, to the best of my ability. And I will remember that it’s my job to call balls and strikes and not to pitch or bat,” said Roberts during his 2005 Senate confirmation.
Justice Roberts, call balls and strikes. If you believe players are telegraphing pitches to batters, call it. If you believe Senators are making a mockery of your Court by shutting the American public out from testimony, call it. If you believe actions are being taken to delegitimize the process, you should be making every effort to legitimize it.
The argument that the claims against Trump don’t rise to the level of impeachment is fair. Reasonable minds could differ on whether Trump violated the national security of the United States and its ally Ukraine by doing what he did. However, the fact that the Senate is unwilling to further investigate the behavior is the true atrocity here. Such a failure of due process is precisely the situation that Chief Justice must control as Presiding Officer.
During the first day of starting arguments of the Senate Trump impeachment trial, Supreme Court Chief Justice admonished both the House impeachment managers and the defense team — probably the only time Chief Justice directly addressed the teams with some judicial direction.
“I think it is appropriate at this point for me to admonish both the House managers and president’s counsel in equal terms to remember that they are addressing the world’s greatest deliberative body,” Roberts said. “Those addressing the Senate should remember where they are.”
Let’s do as what Chief Justice Roberts asked and remember where we are at this presidential impeachment. There has been nearly zero cross party deliberation during this trial. The Senate sits quiet while lawyers launch didactic diatribes to one another. During breaks, Senators retreat to their party bunkers, eating separately, or occasionally breaking away in partisan groups to speak their own diatribes to the press. No witnesses are heard or cross examined during this “trial.”
The definition of deliberation is “long and careful consideration and discussion.” Juries deliberate. There has been none here.
It’s clear that Chief Justice Roberts admonished them in an effort to set the tone, but also to stifle, setting the stage for a truly kangaroo court – one with no deliberation. With enduring pain, true fear and loathing, I hope I’m wrong about Justice Roberts, but doubt I am. If he doesn’t require legitimacy to this trial, he will go down as a willing facilitator in neuteuring the Senate for generations to come (along with Mitch McConnel). Democratic government stands in front of a noose today and dictatorship is holding the switch.
In the history of the Republic, every Senate impeachment trial has required witnesses and new evidence. Even one for a guy who was on trial for lying about a marital affair.
During the Senate impeachment trial, the White house defense lawyers are repeatedly and condescendingly referring to the house impeachment managers as “the Democrats.” The goons can say that because the House team only consists of members of the Democratic party. However, this house impeachment vote has not been truly partisan. Justin Amash, a five-term card-holding Republican Congressman until 2019, voted for Trump’s impeachment.
Amash has taken the stand that no other Republican-seeking re-election has done during this current two year legislative session. He was a gift to Democrats and should have played a central role to the Senate impeachment trial. He would have been a bold choice for a house impeachment manager. On that footing, Pelosi and the Democrats could have represented the impeachment team to America as a bi-partisan committee.
It would have been the astute political move that Democrats needed to make. Further, Amash should have voted for impeachment as a Republican, then switched parties. Republicans did something similar with Steve Van Drew, a NJ congressman who voted against impeachment as a Democrat, then turned Republican the following day.
We’ll see what happens to both in their 2020 re-election campaigns, but hopefully Amash’s courage is rewarded and Democrats can reach across the aisle and leverage him. They will need him to truly convince a weathered, apathetic America who sees the federal government as a hollowed out, silo-ed enterprise.
Early, early morning. A time to sleep and avoid sleep, moving from room to room in the house with a phone in hand. As I wipe the sleep from one eye, I arrive upon a non story that should be called out for what it is.
Axios reported a story (and Rolling Stones later followed) in which Trump said the f-word when talking with his Health secretary, Alex Azar, about the administration’s position on vaping. “I should never have done that fucking vaping thing” is the headline. Come on now.
This is precisely the type of treacherous non-story that distracts voters. President Trump curses like most people do (even in business settings). Non-story. Trump, like all politicians, may hide or obfuscate a position on an issue out of fear of losing votes from his base. Non-story. Trump’s been a hack his whole career, why stop after becoming president.
Perhaps the right move politically is to defer to the FDA on the matter. His decision to ban all flavors except nicotine and menthol seems overly broad and infringes liberty. Again, where’s the story here? I’m sitting here in pajamas waiting to be enlightened.
The lazy, piggy backing Rolling Stones article is click bait and a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Sometimes the desire to know the internal dialogue of the executive lead us to be disappointed and distract us from substance.
The real information lie hidden in the original Axios article. In the same conversation, Trump pushed HHS Secretary Azar to draft regulations permitting import of cheaper prescription drugs from Canada. Introducing foreign competition to the market is interesting, but need more than just Canada and it’s a questionable long term strategy. Canada’s drug prices may just slowly get pulled up over time. It’s ironic that the United States would rely on the Canadian Governments socialist healthcare system to lower drug prices. The US should be building price controls itself not exploit Canada’s.
Time to switch rooms.
As San Diegans grow further away from the Chargers since their move from America’s finest city in 2016, a distant humming on the offseason horizon has the football gods praying. Drew Brees, the cannon from Purdue, is a newly minted free agent. If Chargers management had sense, they would re-sign Brees. Not only to roll the dice on a championship, but to reignite the fanbase for one last swan song of sorts. A storyline so bright with a hollywood ending.
In 2005, the Chargers cast Drew Brees away and for legitimate reasons. He was recovering from a shoulder surgery that many doctors believed there was no coming back from. He had Phillip Rivers waiting in the wings, something Brees was well aware of when he left. “A.J. didn’t draft me,” Brees said in a parting shot to A.J. Smith, who had succeeded John Butler as general manager after his untimely death.
Since Drew Brees’ departure, the what ifs have always circulated. Brees reminisced endearingly of his times in San Diego while he set records and won a super bowl. The Chargers had their share of success but never claimed the ultimate prize. Let me be clear. Now is the time to bring Brees back. Dean Spanos rise to the occasion and have one last run at glory and forgiveness.
The move is perfect, but the Chargers brass probably won’t deliver. They don’t make bold moves. They fumble their superstars and fan base in the name of frugality. Odds have it Tyrod Taylor is more likely to start in LA next season than Philip Rivers (or Tom Brady for that matter). A dribble rather than a splash awaits us for the inaugural season in a brand new stadium.
Should Chargers management come to their senses and sign Drew Brees this offseason, it would be a wise gambit in a long history of shortcomings. The team would be what it should have been in 2016: The Southern California Chargers — preferbly San Diego, but market forces being what they are.
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An Inept Response to a Bufoon
Just when we believe a disaster is averted with the US-Iran chest pounding, a real tragedy occurs. It’s gut wrenching to think that Iran mistakenly shot down a commercial airliner jet out of fears it was in retaliation to their air strikes on US bases 2 hours earlier.
Imagine the look on Iranian soldiers’ faces after realizing of this blunder — hopefully the shot of piercing humanity that sobers this tension between the two countries. Humanity lost today, folks. May they rest in peace and God bless these 176 innocent victims of a bufoon and a paranoid idiot.
- 82 Iranians,
- 63 Canadians,
- 11 Ukrainians,
- 10 Swedes,
- Four Afghans,
- Three Germans,
- Three British Nationals.
The Last Democrat 