Ideas, Opinions, Genealogy, and Book Reviews
What is going on with Representative Devin Nunes, the chair of the House Intelligence Committee? Is this just another distraction to delay looking into Russian interference in the 2016 election and the possible collusion of President Trump oor his associates?
This this just another example of misdirection?
Senator Mitch McConnell made history when he stopped the Senate from doing it’s job in holding hearings to allow President Obama to fill the Supreme Court vacancy. His somewhat novel theory was that a President had limited powers during his last year in office and should not nominate someone for the Supreme Court if there was a vacancy.
Senator McConnell now has a second chance to make history, President Trump has nominated Judge Gorsuch to fill that vacancy. But President Trump is now under FBI investigation for colluding with Russia to influence the 2016 election. It seems to me that this is reason enough to stop the confirmation process now.
Continue reading “Supreme Court vacancy: Senator McConnell’s second chance”
Remember when politicians used to say “country before party” and seem to mean it. They still say it but I don’t see much evidence for it. Watch what they do rather than what they say.
Yes, Democrats looks like they are putting country before party by calling for investigations into some of the stuff President Trump is doing or may have done but it is hard to separate the patriotic from the partisan since they seem to require saying the same thing.
But Republicans still say they stand for country before party but don’t seem to be doing much to show us they actually believe that. Is that a case of party before country? Do they think this will help deliver the Republican agenda? Is that the important thing?
Watch what they do rather than what they say.
I don’t understand why President Trump and the Republicans are against an independent investigation.
Our intelligence agencies agree that the Russians interfered in our election. There are suggestions that the Trump campaign may have been aware or perhaps aided in this. But that is far from proven.
We have now learned of multiple contacts between the campaign and the Russians. They may be totally innocent but it looks bad.
Continue reading “Why is President Trump against an independent investigation ?”
I think all the news and tweets coming out of President Trump’s administration is misdirection overload. About a month ago I wrote about misdirection here in a post called While we were being misdirected.
In the past month the news about President Trump, both real and fake, has just accelerated. I think this is not only misdirection but information overload so we are not only misdirected but we forget some of the bad stuff.
And it is hard to know what bad stuff is just bad stuff they want us to forget or bad stuff to distract us from what they are doing. The misdirection continues. And the information overload continues.
Continue reading “Misdirection overload”
We need a nonpartisan investigation on Russian influence on the presidential election of 2016, the Trump campaign, and President Trump’s administration. There are so many unknowns but there is highly suggestive evidence for at least the election and campaign. I think it also reasonable to look into the possibility that this Russian influence may extend into the administration as many of the same individuals are involved.
There is little doubt that Russia intervened in our election in favor of candidate Donald Trump. There are reports that Trump campaign aides had contacts with Russian intelligence but this is disputed by President Trump’s administration. For a good review of the situation see the PBS story which is now a few days old.
Continue reading “Nonpartisan investigation on Russian influence”
Is it time for an independent investigation on Russian influence in the election and the Trump administration?
According to a story titled Trump administration sought to enlist intelligence officials, key lawmakers to counter Russia stories Which was published a few hours ago in the Washington Post, the Trump administration has tried to compromise the FBI, Senate, and House investigations and succeeded in getting the chairs of the Senate and House committees to speak to the press on their behalf.
Continue reading “Are we ready for an independent investigation yet?”
About 2 weeks ago I wrote about President Donald Trump’s immigration ban wondering why if it was so important that he might get to it next week. If it is so important, why the delay?
At that time the the parts of the ban had been blocked by judges in specific areas followed by a nation-wide ban.
When the acting attorney general told him the immigration ban was unconstitutional, President Trump did not fix it. He fired the acting attorney general.
Continue reading “Is the immigration ban still important?”
The news about the Trump administration brings Richard Nixon to mind. I am wondering if news on Russian influence could lead us to something even bigger than Watergate.
I don’t think is reasonable to expect Republicans to investigate Republicans and do much of a job. You can see all the party-line votes occuring in Congress in the past weeks.
Continue reading “This could be big, maybe even bigger than Watergate”
Republican Senator Rand Paul has said the is no need to investigate former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn and it would not make sense having Republicans investigate Republicans. I partly agree.
I think his implication was the there was too much for the Republicans to do and they should not waste time on investigations into each other. But my agreement comes not from thinking Republicans are too busy or that they have important things to do but because I think this is a issue could be very important and if Republicans investigate Republicans they seem unlikely to look very hard. I think the investigation should be as nonpartisan as possible and look at some of the wider problems of Russian influence rather than be limited to the problems of one former official.
Continue reading “Republicans investigate Republicans”
The Trump administration seems intent on muzzling science, at least in federal agencies. How can we save science in our government? There are those of us who believe health, environmental, and other rules should be based on the best science possible.
But the Trump administration and many Republicans seem to believe otherwise. Why should rules be based on science? Why even consider reality? Why not base rules on wishful thinking, political theories, works of fiction, etc. How can we save science in this “party of ignorance” environment?
The answer may be a simple as looking north. The Canadian federal scientists faces a similar situation not too many years ago. So this could be a good model to examine.
A Canadian scientist has published a short article giving some of the specifics. When Canadian Scientists Were Muzzled by Their Government is well worth reading if you are a scientist or merely an interested party, such as those who may drink water or breathe the air.
This is potentially really big. Is it time for a special prosecutor or commission on Russian influence in the election and the government in general?
With the resignation of Michael T. Flynn from his post as National Security Adviser, the near certainly on Russian influence on our election, and other possible problems with Russian influence, is it not time to appoint a special prosecutor or high-level indedendent commission on Russian influence on our government.
There are several ongoing and completed investigations on some aspects of this but should we look at the big picture in a nonpartisan way ?
The House of Representatives passed a bill earlier this month to overturn an Obama administration rule which would have the Social Security Administration send records of some beneficiaries with severe mental illness to the FBI’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System. The bill may go to the Senate this week where it can be passed simple majority and soon thereafter sent to President Trump.
If you think this information should be available to the FBI during background check (or not), you may want to contact your Senator and President.
President Donald Trump thinks it is so important that he might get to it next week.
President Trump issued his now famous executive order “Protecting the Nation From Foreign Terrorist Entry Into the United States.” on January 27, 2017. Within hours, there were mass demonstrations. Several federal judges blocked parts of the order.
Continue reading “So important that he might get to it next week”
Kellyanne Conway has a new job – Saleswoman, Presidential branch. She is probably feeling under-worked in her main job as counselor to the president. She needed an additional job to keep her busy
The Ivanka Trump brand was having a bit of trouble. The ordinary sales staff just could not succeed and they lost the Nordstom account and a few others. A sales boost was needed.
And what better way to increase sales than by diversifying a bit by opening a Presidential branch. And who better to head it than the stylish mistress of misdirection. A new job for Kellyanne Conway.