#78- The Approval Rating of DJTrump - Down, Down and Down

We have all heard the stats.

George W. Bush ended his first calendar year at 86% approval, John F. Kennedy hit 77%, George H.W. Bush reached 71% and Dwight Eisenhower hit 69%.  Richard Nixon, Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton and Barack Obama all finished their first calendar year with approval ratings in the mid-to-high 50s

President Donald Trump's approval rating sank to a new low in CNN polling last week*, earning the approval of just 35% of Americans less than a year into his first term.  That’s down from 45% in March of this year

*The CNN Poll was conducted by SSRS December 14-17 among a random national sample of 1,001 adults reached on landlines or cellphones by a live interviewer.  Results for the full sample have a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3.8 percentage points,

That’s an actual drop of 10%, over just a relatively short 9 month term, which is pretty remarkable.

It comes with the realization, that the iconic video of DJT riding down the escalator (with Melania dutifully in tow), the day he announced he was running for President, would prove to be a prophetic metaphor for his soon-to-be drop in popularity.  Down, down, and down….

If this trend continues, and DJT succeeds in remaining in office through the end his first and only term, if you extrapolate it out, his popularity will actually drop to a NEGATIVE 1.7% two months ahead of the 2020 Presidential election!

There are many reasons for this, too many to mention on this beautiful snow-filled white Christmas morning in New England.  But the one that stands out the most, the one that is head and shoulders above the rest, and the one that even hard core Trump supporters will tell you disappoints even them, is that DJT has done nothing to bring the country together, nothing to get us all marching in the same direction and nothing to provide a pathway to the future for the country. 

And, if you get a few eggnogs in them, many of them will readily admit, that he has only worked to drive a wedge between us all.

Mathematicians, statisticians, pollsters, physicists, teachers, waitresses, cops, cabbies and construction workers will all line up to tell me – This is mathematically impossible.   It can’t happen.  By definition, there is no human being on the planet who can receive an approval rating …below zero.  It is a physical impossibility, according to both the laws of man and of God.

But in the Age of Trump, I maintain, that anything is possible.

Merry Christmas everyone.  [Oh, and for the record, and I have been saying this for the better part of my 63 years, for as long as I could talk, long before DJT road his escalator down, down, down]

#77- Collusion In The Highest Levels Of The US Government

Sorry to disappoint you friends, but I am not talking about the possible collusion of members of the Trump Campaign with Russian backed entities to tilt the election away from the Hillary Clinton.  In all my posts, I have never once addressed this because, at this point in time anyway, collusion with Russia has not been proven, and because, simply because,  there is more than enough incompetence within the Trump administration to keep me busy for a lifetime,

No, the collusion of which I speak is so blatant, so disingenuous, so corrupt, so absolutely mind boggling, and blanketed in hubris that it leads me to believe that our country has truly lost its way, that we are incapable of being responsible for acts of true good in the world, because we are simply incapable of being responsible to ourselves. 

No, the collusion of which I speak is openly and coarsely perpetuated by every single Republican member of Congress who is in the process of voting for this upcoming give-away to corporate America and the top 1% of the country.

A paragraph from the Washington Post on Monday morning, discussing the upcoming vote  on proposed Republican tax “reform” sums it all up

“The plan schedules many of these individual-side tax cuts to expire in eight years, though Republicans say they expect a future Congress to extend these cuts and, as such, should be considered permanent.”

REPUBLICANS SAY THEY EXPECT A FUTURE CONGRESS TO EXTEND THESE  CUTS, AND, AS SUCH, SHOULD BE CONSIDERED PERMANENT

What?

Excuse me, but what kind of crystal ball are Republicans using to predict that the economics of 2024 will permit that Congress to extend the cuts?

Excuse me, but what kind of crystal ball are Republicans using to prove that the $1.5 trillion tax cut and deficit builder which grotesquely favors corporations and the wealthy will trickle down to the LONG TERM benefit of those most in need?

Excuse me, but what happens if things aren’t hunky dory eight years from now?  It’s a distinct possibility you know.  Sh*t happens.  You don’t have to go back too far in our history to remember that.  It was less than ten years ago on September 15, 2018 that Lehman Bros. failed and many economists and financial types were whispering the “D” word, for fear that if it was spoken aloud, it might just come to pass…..

And that crisis was of our own making.  It was not caused by external forces such as authoritarian dictators in the Middle East or the latest manifestation of your basic head chopping terrorists or a little Rocket Man in North Korea. 

We did it to ourselves.

Despite the fact that the 1980’s were a time which proved real estate values can decline precipitously, just two decades later, we permitted the sub-prime industry, which was predicated on real life estate values never declining, to grow and prosper, and it nearly took us down. 

We were in control of our own destiny and we couldn’t control it.  

With this in mind, how in heaven’s name are we to put our faith in a future Congress when we have no faith in the current one ?

And even if we can get past our own collective incompetencies, how can we be sure that external developments will permit us to provide more tax cuts seven years from now ?

Republicans in Congress, let by Paul Ryan and Mitch McConnell, can’t legally make the individual cuts permanent today, so they have colluded to subvert the rules of the reconciliation process, which were written to prevent stupid politicians from doing stupid things. 

They have colluded together openly, willingly, abusively, all to placate the selfish desires of their real base, large corporations and the ultra wealthy, and they colluded with President Donald J. Trump to ride the back of the so-called populist movement he created which attracted lower and middle class, less educated, working Americans, and then chose ...to turn their backs on them.  

Betrayed, in the blink of an eye.  

If that is not collusion in the highest levels of the US government, I don’t know what is. 

#76 - To Trump Supporters Everywhere: "Donald Trump thinks you are all buffoons"

To Trump Supporters everywhere, who believed he cared about you:  

     

Donald Trump thinks you are all buffoons

I don’t believe him my friends, but that's what he thinks.  It's the only plausible explanation.

Mr. Trump has stated that the prospective Republican tax legislation making its way through the  reconciliation process with the House and the Senate will “cost him a fortune”.  And that the plan is a "one of the greatest Christmas gifts for the middle class".  He infers that he is sacrificing his hard earned fortune for your personal benefit and for the good of our country.  How many of you folks believe him when he says that? 

Please raise your hands now.

OK, there are many of you. That’s not surprising.  If I supported a candidate for a long time, I would want to believe that he was telling the truth as well

But how many of you really understand the different components of the suggested tax changes in the proposed legislation?

Again, please, raise your hands. 

Sure, only a few.  That’s not surprising either.

Tax law can be extremely complex. And I claim no expertise, but my own business background has provided me with an awareness of the structural changes being put forth by Republicans which have received full-throated endorsements from Mr. Trump because:

(a) he needs a win, any kind of a win, on any topic or any issue, it doesn’t matter, simply because Mr. Trump can't be perceived as a loser, and 

(b) and this one is important, so take it in slowly and appreciate what it really means, he doesn’t care about helping you in the least, because when the day is done, it's just about him.  And he will do anything to continue enriching himself.  

It's true.  Don't take my word for it.  Let's look at some of the changes in the tax plans and some which were conveniently left out, which work to the specific benefit of the man you support

o  The top corporate rate would move down to 21 percent from 35 percent, and shareholders and others with investment income would see their tax bills cut by one-third or more. 

o  Owners of businesses that are taxed at the same rates as individuals would see their top tax rate drop from nearly 40% to closer to 30%. The Trump Organization consists of about 500 such "pass-through" entities, according the Presidents lawyers.  

o The legislation would also allow full expensing of capital investments for businesses— rather than requiring them to be depreciated over time (although this is phased out over time). 

o  The estate tax threshold would get doubled to $22 million for married couple, saving Donny Jr. and the Little Trumps approximately $4 million, when DJT Sr. kicks the bucket.

o  Parents would be eligible to use a type of tax-preferred savings plan — known as a 529 plan —, previously only available for college educations, to save for their children’s elementary and secondary education as well.  I am going to go out on a limb here, but I don't think DJT's kids and grand kids go to PS234.

o  During the campaign, DJT railed against certain wealthy investment managers (Private equity, hedge funds, real estate)  who, thanks to the so-called carried interest loophole, pay taxes on the majority of their pay at a lower capital gains rates. The only change requires the investments be held three years vs. one year, which is very common for these type of investments.  The change is a nothing burger.

        

o  Oh yes ,and the deduction for golf course owners, well that remains.  How many of you are helped by that tax provision?  Please raise your hands

Anyone?

Last question: Did you know that the individual tax actual cuts, your tax cuts, will expire in 2025, but the business tax cuts the ones that benefit DJT go on... forever?

Hmmm, silence.. no hands.  You seem surprised?  Shocked?  Would you like me to repeat the question?

So you see my friends, Mr. Trump believes you will take everything he says as gospel, and you won’t speak out against his one-sided, self-centered plan.

That’s because, he believes... that you will believe him, when he says it's all good for you.  

That’s because, he believes... you will let Republicans provide he and his family with one of the biggest tax windfalls in the history of taxation on Planet Earth.  

That's because, he believes... you are all buffoons.

I don’t believe him friends, I don’t believe him at all,  

But I can't prove it.  Only you can.

#74A- The Republican's "PT Barnum" Approach to Tax Reform

There are many reasons why the Republican monstrosity on tax reform should not see the light of day, but let me focus just on one.  It safer that way, if I put too many points into one posting, I would be afraid too many readers might just lose it completely and spontaneously combust into a pile of ashes. I wouldn't want that on my conscious

You may have heard that there are a lot of positive tax reductions for businesses, and there are also tax reductions for many, but not all individuals.   This part is true. 

But do you know that the business tax reductions are permanent?  Which means it's very possible that they could stay in place for all of eternity or until hell freezes over, whichever comes first.

But, but, but the individual tax cuts, on the other hand, are set to expire in 2025.  Did you know that?! Coincidentally that would be one year after DJ Trump's second term.  How convenient.  Let someone else clean up his f**k up.

As perverse as this is, Republicans, including Speaker Paul Ryan, blamed, what they consider to be, the arcane Senate rules, for causing this “disconnect”.  Imagine my surprise.  I thought those rules were in place to keep stupid politicians from doing stupid things.   It shows you just how little I really know. 

The arcane problem to which Republicans will refer is that if the individual tax cuts were permanent, that would jack up the calculated cost of these tax cuts from $1.4 trillion to somewhere in the range of $1.9 trillion, according to the fiscal watchdog group Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, which is roughly $.4 trillion over the so-called arcane Senate limit. 

Republican leaders, in promoting their PT Barnum “there’s a sucker born every minute” approach to tax reform say, don't worry, don't worry, Congress will do the right thing in 2025 and extend the individual tax cuts.  Right...the only thing we can be sure of is that Congress will only do what is good for Congress.  There is no direct correlation that their actions will be good for our country.

“The savings, the score (i.e. the $1.4 trillion stated cost), it just isn’t valid because you know that they’re not going to follow through,” Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.), an avowed fiscal conservative, said in a recent interview. “You can’t assume that we’ll grow a backbone later. If we can’t do it now, then it’s tough to do it later.”

It should be noted, that Senator Flake has voted for this plan anyway.

In a desperate attempt to appear relevant, and to placate their donors, and to line their pockets, Donald Trump and the Republican Congress have falsely promoted their tax plan as the grand middle class tax cut, and in the process, they have sold America down the river.  

Even PT Barnum would have been impressed.

#75- Three Losers Walked Into A Bar

Three losers walked into a bar, fresh off a historical political loss in the state of Alabama.

The first loser said, “We may have lost this race, but at least I can go home and keep collecting my Seinfeld royalties”.

The second loser said, “We may have lost this race, but at least I can go home and keep abusing teenage girls”.

The third and biggest loser of the night said, “We may have lost the race, but there are hundreds more Republican Congressional candidates up for re-election over the next three years, none of whom will want my endorsement, so at least I can go home ….and watch Fox and Friends in the morning, work on my handicap in the afternoon and spew out hateful tweets at night.  My own personal recipe for Making America Hate Again" 

#74- Republican Leaders Need to Grow a Back Bone

Republicans politicians, for once in their sorry lives, need to grow a backbone

There are many reasons why the Senate version of tax reform should not see the light of day, but let me focus just on one.  It safer that way, if I put too many points into one posting, I would be afraid too many readers might just lose it completely and spontaneously combust into a pile of ashes. I wouldn't want that on my conscious. 

You may have heard that there are a lot of positive tax reductions for businesses, and there are also tax reductions for many, but not all individuals.   This part is true.

But do you know that the business tax reductions are permanent?  Which means it's very possible that they could stay in place for all of eternity or until hell freezes over, whichever comes first.

But, but, but the individual tax cuts, on the other hand, are set to expire in 2025.  Hmmm...maybe it's just my own personal, always optimistic, glass half-full outlook on life, but that seems to be a few years shy of eternity to me.

Yes, I know, it hard to comprehend, so let me try explaining it another way.  It’s pretty much the equivalent of you getting a good job out of college at age 22 and agreeing with your new employer that you will work 10 hours of overtime a week, for the good of the company, until the day you die, but your employer will stop paying you overtime pay before you reach your 30th birthday.  That’s fair, right?  That's something you can swallow. 

As perverse as this is, Republicans, including Speaker Paul Ryan, blamed, what they consider to be, the arcane Senate rules, for causing this “disconnect”.  Imagine my surprise.  I thought those rules were in place to keep stupid politicians from doing stupid things.   It shows you just how little I really know. 

The arcane problem to which Republicans will refer is that if the individual tax cuts were permanent, that would jack up the calculated cost of these tax cuts from $1.4 trillion to somewhere in the range of $1.9 trillion, according to the fiscal watchdog group Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, which is roughly $.4 trillion over the so-called arcane Senate limit. 

Republican leaders, in promoting their PT Barnum “there’s a sucker born every minute” approach to tax reform say, don't worry, don't worry, Congress will do the right thing in 2025 and extend the individual tax cuts.  I suppose that is possible. It is also possible that the approval rating of Congress will top 15% by 2025 as well, but I wouldn't put any money on it. 

“The savings, the score (i.e. the $1.4 trillion stated cost), it just isn’t valid because you know that they’re not going to follow through,” Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.), an avowed fiscal conservative, said in a recent interview. “You can’t assume that we’ll grow a backbone later. If we can’t do it now, then it’s tough to do it later.”

Great point Senator Flake, thank you for trying to get your Republican friends to think intelligently.  It’s an uphill battle I know.  And here’s another question you can ask them.  Why don't Senate Republicans just make the individual cuts permanent and allow the business ones to lapse in 2025 instead?

That would be because many Republicans politicians cater more to their donor class than to their citizen class.   

#73- Republican Leaders Sink To New Low

In a desperate attempt to prove they are not a bunch of bungling, selfish bullies, masquerading as the leadership of our country, the Republican led Senate firmed up plans to fleece the American Public and jam through a bunch of tax cuts under the guise of tax reform.

The Senate released the 515-page text of its sweeping tax legislation for the first time Monday evening — and Republican leaders are now planning to hold a floor vote on it within 10 days.   10 days!

Oh and by the way, in between those 10 days, instead of actually discussing and debating the implications of the bill, Mitch McConnell, the Obstructor in Chief, and the other disinguine, power hungry abusers took a week off, so they could all celebrate Thanksgiving back in their home states and give thanks to the short-sighted obliviousness of their own base who will believe anything they hear, as long as it's not from a liberal snowflake.

So you appreciate the implications of the incredible brevity in play here, in contrast, the last time we had a rewrite of the tax code back in 1986, the process took months, and the Affordable Care Act, which Republicans have assailed for seven years now, all to no avail, took six months.

Oh, and there is one more reason for the expeditious process, my friends.  Republicans don't want you to know what's really in it. They claim it's a tax break for middle America, while the real winners are the ultra rich. And, and, and, because it's going to increase the annual deficit to the tune of $1.5 trillion over the next ten years, it will mortgage the futures of your children and your children's children, so a few bungling idiots might appear relevant for once in their sorry lives.

If Republicans were really serious about tax reform, it would go through the time honored process of discussion, review and debate...discussion, review and debate.  Sadly, Republicans continue with their obstructionist agenda, having concluded that our country does not deserve that luxury

That’s because they wasted the better part of the year failing to Repeal and Replace...something, we are not exactly sure what, and all because Donny Sr. and all the Little Trumps want something to brag about at their Christmas table.

At least one GOP senator has complained about the pace of the proposed legislation.  “I’ve got a real problem with this process,’’ Senator Ron Johnson of Wisconsin said Monday on WISN radio. “I would prefer that this bill would’ve been introduced months ago.’’

“Months ago” said...one Republican senator.  Sigh, common sense, once a stable trait of the Grand Ol’ Party, the party with which I used to vote, is now in the clear minority of its members.

Why is this so upsetting? Well, one independent analysis found Tuesday that the Senate legislation would result in between $1.3 trillion and $1.5 trillion in lost revenue over 10 years — EVEN AFTER CONSIDERING ECONOMIC GROWTH EFFECTS. The Penn-Wharton Budget Model at the University of Pennsylvania released the finding, which counters assertions from the bill’s proponents that it would pay for its tax cuts with increased growth. THE TRUTH IS WE DON’T YET KNOW WHAT TO BELIEVE, BUT 10 DAYS, INCLUDING THE WEEK OF THANKSGIVING, IS A SURE SIGN THAT REPUBLICAN LEADERS ARE HIDING SOMETHING.

You should note that Penn-Wharton is that fine university where Donald J. Trump supposedly matriculated, but can we be sure? Has anyone ever seen his graduation certificate?

Republicans won’t be draining any swamps in the near future. They are too busy digging new ones.

[Data points from today’s post from Sahil Kapur of Bloomberg News, righteous indignation courtesy of WMTN(m)]

#72- The Holy Grail of Republican Tax Reform; Repeal of the Estate Tax

Listen up friends, this one is important

In introducing the tax plan proposed by the Republican led House of Representatives, which will add $1.5 Trillion, $1.5 trillion  to the national debt over the next 10 years, Speaker Paul Ryan gleefully boasted, “With this plan, the typical family of four will save $1,182 a year on their taxes.  For many families, having an additional $1,182 more will make a real difference”.

Lost in the midst of the Republican speeches, the celebration, the applause, the self-congratulatory back-slapping of the day was the planned silence of, oh a rather small piece of the new proposed Republican legislation, the elimination of the Federal Estate Tax.

  

It was a classic move of misdirection.  Distract them with a little reward, over here…and walk away with the big prize, over there.  Classic.

And let me make this important  point, House leaders are not discussing simply changing the tax, they are not talking about lowering the rates.  They are not talking about increasing the taxation levels.  They are talking about ELIMINATING THE TAX,!COMPLETELY!  Gonzo! Poof! 

When, in the history of taxation on Planet Earth, has this ever happened?

Most Americans don’t know much about the estate tax, and that’s not a surprise. According to the Joint Committee on Taxation, 99.8% of estates owe no federal estate tax at all, leaving only the estates of 0.2% of the wealthiest Americans to pay up.  Let me say that again, .2%

How does the estate tax work?  Well, today, the estate of a married couple with net worth of $11 million won’t owe a dime of estate taxes, but anyone with a larger estate would owe a tax of 40% on anything over this level,

Let’s use a simple example, so you all understand what’s at stake here. In May 2016, then presidential candidate Trump filed a personal financial disclosure form that detailed a net worth of more than $10 billion.  That’s billion with a B.   

Fox News Lovers, take note.  This is not fake news.  This figure is from Trump’s own certified statement. So, it would appear that under the current tax law, when Donny Sr. kicks the bucket, his estate will likely have to shell out oh, roughly 4 billion, that’s billion with a B, dollars, in federal estate taxes

But, if the current Republican tax reform passes and the estate tax is repealed, Donny Jr and his siblings will pocket their share of the $4 billion savings, and each of them will be able to go out and buy….their own personal skyscrapers!

So you see, if you are in the stratosphere of the ultra-wealthy, this change in the tax law is the whole ball of wax.  It is the pot of gold at the end of rainbow. It is the Holy Grail.  

In 1980, the top 1% of families owned 25% of the country's wealth. In 2012 that same 1% now owned 42% of the country's wealth.  42%, The ultra-rich have been accumulating wealth for the last four decades, how’s that worked out for you?  Are you still waiting for your trickle down? 

So I ask, at a time when the wealth accumulation of the ultra-rich is at an all-time high, and our annual deficits are already severe,, and we are faced with the greater risks from terrorism, war and climate change, and and and the dysfunctional Republican led government can't agree on a sane way to offer all Americans affordable health insurance, is the repeal of the estate tax really something that should even be on the table at this time?

In his introductory speech for the new tax plan Speaker Paul Ryan actually said and I quote “we are getting rid of loopholes for the special interests and yes we are leveling the playing field”  Leveling the playing field!!  He actually used those words.

Let’s me close with quick review.  What does all this mean?

Well, you get $1,182.

Donny Jr. and all the other little Trumps win the lottery, collect the pot of gold, and in the process treat you like the doormat they take you to be, and laugh at you, all the way to the bank

Is that what it means to level the playing field? 

Is that what it takes...to Make America Great Again?

#71 - Common Sense Diplomacy

I love a good ol’ fashioned common sense perspective, as it sometime seems lacking in the world today, and while watching Fareed Zakaria GPS this morning with guest Richard Haas, President of the Council on Foreign Relation, I received a much needed dose.

I have always enjoyed Haas’s perspective as he seems to be a straight shooter, who I have heard both criticize and compliment Barack Obama in the past.  Recently, Haas called for the resignation of Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, but not because of the reason you might think, that at different times, his own boss has gone out of his way to emasculate him in public.

It’s true, while Tillerson was meeting with Chinese counterparts, the President disparaged his own diplomatic efforts, and separately undermined the Secretary of State at every turn as he tried to work a deal between Saudis and Qatar.

But Haas went on to say that Tillerson has made a bad situation worse, because of his focus on reducing the size of the State Department staff.   Calling the savings a routine rounding error in the budget, Haas asked why we should be doing this with magnitude of the diplomatic challenges we currently face, including one in South Korea, asking “Why don't we have an ambassador there nowa?”  He went on to say:

“We face as large a diplomatic inbox any administration has ever faced in modern times, and this Secretary of State seems focused on reducing the diplomatic capacity of his own department staff.  I simply don't think that is wise ”.

Neither do the majority of Americans who still believe that the world doesn't end on the shores of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.

#70- Pass the Torch to the Hands of a New Generation

I watched an interview about a week after the horrific Las Vegas shooting on ABC conducted by Martha Raddatz with Congressman Seth Moulton (D) of Massachusetts and Congressman Scott Taylor (R) of Virginia who debated aspects of gun control legislation, specifically the possible banning of bump stocks, which for the price of dinner for four at Applebee's, can convert a semi-automatic rifle into an outright killing machine.

The interview was noteworthy for it brought together two men with somewhat opposing positions to discuss those positions intelligently and rationally, and for anyone watching it was a very small sign of hope, that… the country might return to better days, and it was even more meaningful because of the unique background of both of these men.

Moulton graduated from Harvard University in 2001 with a Bachelor of Science in physics, joined the United States Marine Corps after graduation and served four tours in Iraq. In 2008, during his final tour, General David Petraeus requested Moulton's assignment to work as a special liaison with tribal leaders in Southern Iraq. On his return to the States, Moulton went on to earn his master's degrees in business and public policy in a dual program at Harvard University. 

Taylor, enlisted in the United States Navy right out of high school and served with the Navy SEALS for eight years. He is fluent in Spanish and served overseas in South and Central America in counternarcotics and foreign internal defense missions. During Operation Iraqi Freedom, Taylor was a SEAL sniper.  He earned a Bachelor of Liberal Arts concentrating on International Relations from Harvard University Extension School, and also received a certificate in government contracting from Old Dominion University. He is a member of the Republican Main Street Partnership, a group of centrists and moderately conservative republicans in Congress. 

So it was not lost on the audience that both of these men held resumes which included military training and experience in armed conflict, an anathema to more than 99% of Americans, and that they were willing to sit down TOGETHER and have a real conversation on a topic that has been extremely divisive for our country

Here is the real kicker.  A lot of Republicans shy away from this discussion.   While many are recipients of NRA financial support, who will wave the flag and proclaim the right to bear arms as if it were god given, none wish to get anywhere near an intelligent discussion about reasonable considerations for gun control.  Scott Taylor didn't, and this friends, is a small sign of hope.

Now both of these men are still young enough that they have not yet been burdened by the divisiveness that exists in our politics.  Perhaps that’s the solution we need to move our country forward in a positive manner.  Every day it seems to become clearer that just about everyone in my generation (the Baby Boomers) is past our prime and so, when it comes to solving some of the mega-problems that stand in front of us, perhaps it would be best, if we just got out of the way. 

In President John F. Kennedy’s 1961 inauguration speech he spoke of passing the torch of leadership to the hands of a new generation.  I think that time has come again.  We are the generation that voted Donald J Trump into the office as the 45th President of the United States. If the country was divided before, under the Presidency of Donald J Trump, that division has become a chasm.  Many of us did not vote for him and do not support his behavior, but we have been part of the history that led us to his candidacy, and when it mattered the most, we failed to convince our contemporaries that this was wrong.

Yes that’s right we failed, and we did so spectacularly. 

So the time has come to get out of the way, clean the slate, clear the path, let the minds of a new generation, raised in the new millennium, tempered by war, disciplined by a seemingly unattainable peace, proud of our unique American heritage and unwilling to permit the slow unwinding of that heritage, take the reins.

They can't do any worse than us.

I lean left in my politics, after many years of leaning right, but more than anything in the world I just want the outright divisiveness of the Presidency of Donald J. Trump has openly tried to foster and promote, to go away, as quickly as humanly possible.  

Let a younger generation show us, there is a better way.

. 

Footnote #1 - In the House, Rep. Moulton, along with Republican Rep. Carlos Curbelo of Florida have since introduced legislation to ban the sale of bump stocks, but there's been no action taken by the Republican leadership in the House.

.

Footnote #2– this past Friday the state of Massachusetts became the first state to completely ban the OWNERSHIP of bump stocks.  The bill previously passed the legislature on an almost unanimous vote of 158 to 3 and was just signed in to law by our Republican Lt Governor (filling in for our Republican Governor Charlie Baker, who was out of state).  Being first in Massachusetts is nothing new, as it was also the first state in the country to legalize gay marriage.  I am happy to say that I live in this great state, and I am proud of our cooperative, bi-partisan leadership.

#69 - The Twilght Zone

Here is the latest from a Fox News poll conducted from 10/22 -10/24 with 2017 registered voters (+/- 3% PTS), regarding the man, the legend, the guy with the “big brain”, President Donald J Trump:

Approval 38%

Disapproval 57%

Not honest / trustworthy 63%

Doesn’t care about people like me 60%

Lacks knowledge to serve effectively 60%

Lacks judgement to serve effectively 60%

Lacks compassion to serve effectively 60%

As someone who has been consistently making all of these points for the better part of 10 months or so, I have to say,

these numbers give me goosebumps.

And let me emphasize the fact that this was a Fox News poll, so if there was any bias in this poll, and I am not saying there was, it would have understated these numbers.

Now while the results of this poll indicate that there is still a large minority of the country who remain hypnotized / bamboozled/ mesmerized / infatuated / intoxicated with the Presidency of Donald J. Trump, it is also an indication that the majority of the country understands that somehow in our recent past, somehow we lost our way, unaware of our own misdirection, and oblivious to the grave error which would cause us to wander into this new, uncharted territory, And it is also an indication that the majority of the country understands, that we can’t get out fast enough.

For on the surface, these numbers are horrific for any sitting president.

Now I’d like to think that my little posts in WMTN(m) in several left leaning politically oriented Facebook groups (the right leaning ones won’t take me) were the turning point and they convinced a small percentage of average Americans “to see the light”, well yes, that would be nice, but, but, but…I know better, a lot better, and that’s because I don’t have the overinflated ego of our President which would permit me the luxury of effortlessly separating truth from reality on a daily basis.  Oh, how I wish I could. 

No, the truth is that DJT’s continuous drop in the polls over the last nine months is entirely his own doing.  He gets all the credit.  Never before in the history of our country have we seen incompetence exhibited on such a consistent basis.   You really have to hand it to the guy, most people would be incapable of screwing up so routinely, dividing our citizens, ignoring the most vulnerable, disrespecting our allies, and insulting our enemies and in the process steering our country, OUR country, into uncharted territory, into..,

“...a fifth dimension beyond that which is known to man, a dimension as vast as space and as timeless as infinity. It is the middle ground between light and shadow, between science and superstition, and it lies between the pit of man's fears and the summit of his knowledge. This is the dimension which we call the Twilight Zone”.

While the now dearly departed Rod Serling may feel a small amount of redemption for having tried to warn us about this so many years ago, I am certain that he finds no satisfaction in the knowledge that we have landed in the place he knew so well.

And for the sake of our country, I am sure he wants us to get out, I am sure he wants us to find our way back home.

But sadly, Rod can’t help us, we wandered in here all on our own, and so it’s up to us now, to find our own way out.

# 68 - Niger, the Next Benghazi ?

Niger -the Next Benghazi ?

I really, really hope not. The fact that Trump waited two weeks to talk about this does not mean this is a conspiracy,  it's just his typical self-centered stupidity on display,....again.  Its his avoidance gene, which precludes him from every admitting he made a mistake, and it kicks in every time he screws up causes him to... lie and lie and lie. 

It's really a shame we can't get his nose to grow.  I'd pay be bucks to see that.

Yes, Niger needs to be looked at to determine: 

a) what was the military objective?

b) what actually happened?

c) what went wrong? 

d) and most importantly, for the sake of our men and women in military service, what do we need to do to avoid it from happening again?

But that's it friends. One investigation, not 17. 

Some Democrats will look at this as an opportunity for payback for the political posturing
by Republicans who went after Hillary Clinton on the deaths of four Americans in Benghazi, relentlessly, over and over and over again, wastefully, and in my opinion, disgracefully, with investigations upon investigation. 

Republicans could not let go of Benghazi, that's because, sad to say, somewhere along their path, they lost sight of their way and concluded that their objective should always be to  put party over country, (said the former Republican).   This is just one of many examples.

Still, I sincerely hope that Democrats will realize that they already have enough crap to take Trump down in the next election (or sooner, if we could be that lucky) without politicizing the loss of four soldiers in the fog of war.    Let the families of these four men mourn their loved ones as peacefully as humanly possible.

Yes, I do hope Democrats can keep it together and show Republicans that there is a better way.  I hope that they can show all Americans what real leadership looks like.  

# 67 - Gold Star Family and the Art of the Lie

Let me distill the politicizing of the loss incurred by our Gold Star Families.  No one is blameless in this shameless endeavor, but once again, DJT and his administration lead the league in offensive fouls because of a now over-used tactic, honed and perfected by President Donald J. Trump over the course of his miserable life, the Art of the Lie. 

1) The absurdity of all this started with DJT.  It always starts with DJT.   DJT made the erroneous statement that Obama and other predecessors never called the families of fallen soldiers, a fact that was successfully disputed about 30 seconds after the words came out of his mouth (DJT Lie #1).

2) This was followed by comments from Congresswomen Frederica Wilson of Florida, a family friend of one of the fallen soldiers killed in Niger.  Wilson was invited by the family to listen to the incoming call from DJT who attempted to offer his condolences.   At best ,DJT was clumsy in his delivery (and Democrats are surprised by this?).  But sadly, Wilson felt compelled to reveal the clumsiness of the Trump conversation about this family’s loss and score political points along the way (Democratic Accurate but Extremely Self-Serving Statement #1).

3) DJT then came out and told the world, the Congresswomen lied about the content of the conversation, a point subsequently refuted by, wait, wait for it….DJT’s own Chief of Staff, John Kelly.  (DJT Lie #2).  When members of the Trump administration can’t even lie in unison…you just have to wonder.

4) Then, Kelly jumped into the fray and was doing an admiral job of defending his boss until, like his boss who never admits an error and responds with more lies, Kelly felt compelled to go in to attack mode.   Kelly accused Wilson of bragging about securing $20 million for a South Florida F.B.I. building and twisting President Barack Obama’s arm to do so.  But  the video, released by The Sun Sentinel, showed that during her nine-minute speech, Ms. Wilson never took credit for getting the money for the building, only for helping pass legislation naming the building after two fallen federal agents. She never mentioned pleading with Mr. Obama, and she acknowledged the help of several Republicans, including John A. Boehner, then the House speaker; Representatives Mario Diaz-Balart and Carlos Curbelo; (DJT Lie #3).

For those of this who held out hope that John Kelly would get this administration on the right track, this was incredibly disappointing, as it was now clear that this highly respected individual had now officially been turned to the Dark Side.   Where is Luke Skywalker when we need him?

OK, so now let’s tally up the score.  DJT and his administration outwardly lied three times to make their points, while Congresswoman Wilson spoke the truth but did so to score political points, once.

 

So, The Art of Lie is apparently alive and well and living in the White House.  Unbeknownst to us, this must be the price we have to pay to… Drain the Swamp.  

To put the icing on the cake, when White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders took a question about Kelly’s surprising complicity with the Liar-in-Chief, she suggested to the White House Press Corp that it was “highly inappropriate” and inferred it was unpatriotic, to get into a debate with a four star general.  The statement t had most Republicans shaking their heads in dismay….again.

When Republican Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina was asked if it was fair to tell Americans that they shouldn’t criticize generals, he simply replied “not in this country”.  

Thank you sir.   As someone who used to lean right, it’s comforting to know that many Republicans still do know the difference between right and wrong.

[Note this is also the same Senator Graham who once called Trump a “race baiting, xenophobic, religious bigot.”  I love it when Republicans channel my inner me.]  

#66 - The Wall of Shame

“It takes a big man to admit a mistake”

Wait. What? Who said that?  

I doubt anyone knows, but it’s my guess that the expression probably evolved when some intelligent, caring individual was trying to encourage a friend, who might have felt slightly ashamed to admit some error, to be honest and forthcoming.   And over time, the expression stuck, because other caring individuals used it to encourage other reluctant friends to be honest as well.  Those offering the guidance understood that any discomfort that comes from the admission of a mistake is fleeting, and once it's past, all is good again.  The expression was always just intended to get their friends over the hump, and it worked. It's frequent use, never implied that it was true, but along the way it became a simple, yet elegant way to teach ordinary men to admit their mistakes.

Because the real truth is, real people, who understand how the real world works

(a) make mistakes all the time,

(b) admit to those mistakes,

(c) apologize for those mistakes,

(d) make corrections, and

(e) most importantly, move on.  

In most cases the whole process takes about as long as it took me to type this sentence.

Most individuals learn this lesson early in their lives.  Sad to say, Donald J. Trump is one of the exceptions.  And for an individual who is so spectacularly incompetent, and on so many levels, it is a shame for him, but worse, it is a disaster for the rest of us, as we are forced to watch it unfold on a daily basis in front our own unbelieving eyes.

Now, I could use this lead-in to talk about any one of a couple hundred unforced errors that have defined the Trump Administration to date. (See posts 1-65), but I can only use it once, so I need to pick wisely.  But it’s an easy call.  It’s the Wall, That’s the one.  It's the perfect lead-in for the Wall.  This was the defining centerpiece of the Trump presidential campaign, so it's only fitting this should be our focus.  And it was back in the news, again, yesterday as Trump has now made building the entire wall along the Mexican border, a requirement of his negotiations with a Democrats over the DACA legislation.  So, yes, let's talk about the Wall.

Perversely, after more than eight months into his new presidency, Mr. Trump cannot give up on his Wall, even after transcripts of his call to the Mexican president on January 27th were released which found him admitting that it's all about the show, it's just political.  

On his discussions with President Enrique Peña Nieto of Mexico around the building and the payment of the Wall, Trump stated:

“I am willing to say that we will work it out, but that means it will come out in the wash and that is okay. But you cannot say anymore that the United States is going to pay for the Wall. I am just going to say that we are working it out. Believe it or not, this is the least important thing that we are talking about, but politically this might be the most important (thing to) talk about.”

Let that sink in

“This is the LEAST important thing that we are talking about, but POLITICALLY this might be the MOST IMPORTANT (thing to) talk about.”

And once more, for effect.

“This is the LEAST important thing that we are talking about, but POLITICALLY this might be the MOST IMPORTANT (thing to) talk about.”

This, from the Republican candidate who said he was going to “drain the swamp”. How do Trump supporters at his rallies who whooped and hollered every time he repeated that phrase reconcile their candidates outright disingenuous commentary, from a politically motivated swamp dweller of the lowest order?

And how does this President respond to the release of the transcripts?  The administration doesn't choose to deny them, but instead they dispatch Attorney General Jeff “I have to do something to get back in his good graces” Sessions to determine the identity of the leaker, and so Sessions considers the use of lie detector tests on the President’s staff.  This apparently is just one many extraordinary benefits of working for this president.

At different times Trump has threatened to shut down the government just to fulfill a campaign promise, that even many of his supporters considered a metaphor for generic border security. Further, the Republican led Senate doesn't want to touch it with a 10 foot pole, and nobody, NOBODY in their right mind believes Mexico is going to pay for it. 

What is even more baffling, is that he has already made great progress in cutting down on illegal border crossings. In July, Fox News contributor and former Trump Campaign operative, Steve Cortes, claimed illegal border crossings were down 70% over the prior year.  Also in July, National Border Patrol Council President Brandon Judd told C-SPAN that the significant downturn in the number of illegal border crossers between the U.S. and Mexico is "nothing short of miraculous”.

And so if you voted for Trump based on this metric, then you should be thrilled.  Even better, he did it without spending a dime!  Now it’s true, as part of his immigration crackdown, to send out his message loudly and clearly, Mr. Trump did deport many honest working, (but still illegal) immigrants, and callously ripped them from their families, but in Donald Trump’s view of the world, some good hombres just needed to be sacrificed to rid our country of all the bad hombres. It's just a little collateral damage in his mind.  And why should he be concerned, they didn't vote for him. Mr. Trump has sent a clear and powerful message, to hombres everywhere, get out, we don't want you here.  And by itself, that has been a more powerful deterrent than any costly, physical barrier, which will only cost that much more because of Trump’s promise that...“it will be beautiful”.

I don't agree with his approach at all, but if you measure him solely on the math. it's a win for him, a rare one, but still a win. Now don’t get too excited as this is not a harbinger of future successes to come.  You need only read post #27, “Even a broken clock is right twice a day” to understand.  After all, he is still Donald Trump, and that's not going to change.

Still he wants to spend money on the Wall, even though, foreigners will still come into the country to visit, and may still choose not to leave. Still others will dig tunnels or climb ladders, or come in on parachutes, hot air balloons, catapults, bungee cords and jet packs.  Just as nature adapts, so will people, but they will do so quicker and more efficiently.

Everyone wants tighter border security, including Democrats, but there are smarter ways.  Crack down on the employers and penalize them, secure all borders everywhere through electronic surveillance, add more guards, but the Wall won't help this problem unless you are going to wall every foreigner out and wall the rest of us in.

So why can't he declare the ultimate victory, talk about the accomplishment of reductions in illegal crossings through the sheer force of his own personality and the fear created by his bombastic rhetoric, that no one else could have accomplished.  It's ripe for the taking.

All he has to do is tell the American public: “Hey, we are doing such a great job, we no longer need the Wall, it was a mistake. We found a better way”.

It would be over, his base would still be thrilled, and we could stop wasting the country's time and money on this stupid, stupid, stupid concept.

It would be easy.   A walk in the park.  A piece of cake.

No, it doesn't take a big man to admit a mistake, just a good one.

With Malice Toward None, With Charity For All (…mostly)

www.richardpiccolo.com