Tag: Donald Trump

Distractions and the important stuff

Distractions and the important stuff

Distractions keep our attention off the important stuff. The problem many of us have is we can’t tell which are the distractions in President Trump’s administration and what is important.

Certainly the Russian interference in our election is important. We do not know yet if the president or perhaps part of his administration or campaign helped the Russians in some way. But it is clearly important to learn this. The apparent cover-up and attempts to interfere with this investigation are suggestive but not proof. Continue reading “Distractions and the important stuff”

Trump Tapes.  Watergate redux

Trump Tapes. Watergate redux

The Trump tapes. This sounds familiar but perhaps slightly different.

I was much younger when we wanted to hear the Nixon tapes. But is history repeating itself ?

President Trump tweeted

James Comey better hope that there are no “tapes” of our conversations before he starts leaking to the press!

Are there tapes? Do we get to hear the unedited version? How much of what goes on in the Whitehouse is taped? President Nixon had tapes but I would have thought the following Presidents would have learned.

Non-recusal recusal of Jeff Sessions

Non-recusal recusal of Jeff Sessions

The non-recusal recusal of Jeff Sessions makes one wonder what recusal means. I thought it meant not participating in an official action. But that is apparently not what it means in the Trump administration.

About 2 months ago Jeff Sessions said
Continue reading “Non-recusal recusal of Jeff Sessions”

The Tuesday afternoon ambush

The Tuesday afternoon ambush

The Tuesday afternoon ambush was the firing of FBI Director James Comey who was conducting an investigation into the Russian interference in the 2016 elections and possible collusion by the Trump administration and campaign.

Why Watergate

Continue reading “The Tuesday afternoon ambush”

Why fire FBI Director Comey now (Russian investigation)

Why fire FBI Director Comey now (Russian investigation)

Why fire FBI Director Comey now? Is this another Trump administration attempt to misdirect, mislead and cause such confusion that all probes into the Russian interference in the 2016 elections and possible collusion by the Trump administration and campaign are delayed and hindered.
Continue reading “Why fire FBI Director Comey now (Russian investigation)”

Party discipline wins and Americans lose

Party discipline wins and Americans lose

Party discipline wins, President Trump wins, Speaker Ryan wins, Republicans win, most rich people win, millions of Americans lose. In a remarkable display of party unity, House Republicans singlehandedly passed a Heath Care Bill with no democratic support.

Thus it would seem the Democrats are the losers. But in the bigger analysis, it was the American people who lost. Well, most Americans and American ideals. A few people at the top of the economic ladder do get big tax cuts if this becomes law.

Exciting week in Washington to avert the government shutdown

Exciting week in Washington to avert the government shutdown

It looks like we are going to have an exciting week in Washington. The looming government shutdown is the main issue. Or at least the one where the clock is ticking. Congress needs to pass (and the President needs to sign) a bill which funds the government this week. This is the only way to avoid a shutdown.

The President always likes to add a bit of drama. Chaos seems to be rampant these days. I think he hopes it will distract us from investigating his campaign’s and administration’s links to Russia. So far he has been successful.
Continue reading “Exciting week in Washington to avert the government shutdown”

Trumpcare 2.0, it’s even worse

Trumpcare 2.0, it’s even worse

Trumpcare 2.0 is in the works. The first attempt to repeal and replace Obamacare with Trumpcare was so bad and so opposed that it failed before even coming to a vote.

For a short while it seemed the President had learn and would work with Democrats and moderate Republicans to find a good replacement. Then he decided to skip healthcare and move on to tax reform.
Continue reading “Trumpcare 2.0, it’s even worse”

Trumpcare  sooner than you think

Trumpcare sooner than you think

Trumpcare may be back and sooner than you think. The first attempt to repeal and replace Obamacare failed before even coming to a vote because of opposition by extremely conservative Republicans.

Although President Trump insisted during the campaign and again after his election that he would repeal and replace Obamacare on day 1 of his presidency.
Continue reading “Trumpcare sooner than you think”

BIG “R” win with runoff in Georgia

BIG “R” win with runoff in Georgia

Not a big win by any measure and very few would even call it a win. Coming in a distant second is not a win. The Republicans manage to narrowly avoid a big loss is more like it.

President Trump, or should I say the realDonaldTrump, tweeted that we had a “BIG “R” win with runoff in Georgia”. You’d think that might mean they had won the runoff in a big way. In reality it means that one of the Republican managed a distant second and qualified to be in the runoff. And this is in a very Republican district.

Democrat Jon Ossoff received 48.1% of the vote, failing to meet the 50% + 1 needed for outright victory with no runoff. Republican Karen Handel came in a distant second with 19.8% of the vote. And any second place, even a very distant second place, gets you in the runoff. Those Trump favored came in further back.

So hardly the big win the President would lead us to believe.

Retroactive registration as foreign agent

Retroactive registration as foreign agent

I am having a bit of trouble with the idea of retroactive registration as foreign agent.

The important stuff on foreign agents

The Foreign Agents Registration Act has been a law since 1938 and modified several times since then.

This law seems to be serious business but I understand that although failure to register is a felony these cases are often not pursued by the Justice Department. If we have laws, and this seem to be an important law, why not enforce them?
Continue reading “Retroactive registration as foreign agent”

Protecting U.S.  Democracy from Russian  Election Interference

Protecting U.S. Democracy from Russian Election Interference

Our intelligence agencies agree that Russian election interference took place in 2016. President Trump and the Republican party clearly benefited and there is the possibility that the Trump campaign or others may have colluded with the Russians.

On January 6, 2017 a bill (HR 356) was introduced in the House of Representatives called the “Protecting Our Democracy Act”. The bill would establish an independent commission to look into Foreign Interference in the 2016 Election.

Continue reading “Protecting U.S. Democracy from Russian Election Interference”

Less privacy on the internet

Less privacy on the internet

There is not much privacy at all on the internet but soon there will be even less privacy. The Republicans and the Trump administration are doing their best to make sure of that.

Republicans are giving the little privacy you have to internet service providers. They will be free to sell your information on which websites you visit and what your do there. The bill has been passed by both the Senate and House. President Trump will sign it. (see Republicans Attack Internet Privacy).

More money for the big companies. Less privacy for us.
Continue reading “Less privacy on the internet”

This is getting tiresome

This is getting tiresome

Tiresome is the word that came to mind. I wasn’t sure if it was the right word.

So I looked it up. Well, a lookup online. I knew I had a dictionary around but it seemed so much easier this way.

The Merriam-Webster dictionary online offers “causing you to feel bored, annoyed, or impatient”. So it looks like I found a good word because –
Continue reading “This is getting tiresome”

Misdirect and delay, again

Misdirect and delay, again

Delay the probe in the Russian interference in the 2016 elections and possible collusion by the Trump administration. Misdirect and mislead us so we don’t notice the delay. Misdirect and delay, again.

When will we ever learn? I had just written about the bizarre actions of Rep. Nunez, chair of the House Intelligence Committee which to me seemed to be an attempt to delay the probe into Russian interference in the 2016 elections and possible collusion by the Trump administration.
Continue reading “Misdirect and delay, again”