TRUMP’S BFF KIM JUST EXECUTED FIVE OF HIS NEGOTIATING TEAM!!!
The news out of Seoul, S Korea that Kim Jong un has executed FIVE individuals who were involved in the Hanoi summit with Trump for their failure to consummate a deal!! This is the same man who within the last week or so tested short range missiles in violation of his agreement with the U.S., according to National Security Advisor John Bolton, alias “DR. STRANGELOVE”. Also the same man who Trump says he “fell in love with” and then said publicly that the missile tests “don’t bother me”. The same man who Trump says will be willing to negotiate the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula. It is all just so crazy it defies description. All Trump has in essence done in his previous summits with this murderous thug is to legitimize him on the world stage, something that EVERY previous administration had refused to do with good reason. But of course, Trump and his side kick “POMPOUS” Mike Pompeo know better, as evidenced by their negotiating success to date. NOT!!!! Donald Trump is a man with absolutely NO moral compass, and he has consistently backed murderous despots like Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince MBS, Russia’s Vladimir Putin, Turkish strongman Erdogan and of course his BFF Kim Jong un despite the evidence of their complicity in murder, state executions, imprisonment of political foes and assassinations on foreign soil. Here is how the executions in N Korea are being reported by Reuters. SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea executed its nuclear envoy to the United States as part of a purge of officials who steered negotiations for a failed summit between leader Kim Jong un and U.S. President Donald Trump, a South Korean newspaper said on Friday. Kim Hyok Chol was executed in March at Mirim Airport in Pyongyang, along with four foreign ministry officials after they were charged with spying for the United States, the Chosun Ilbo reported, citing an unidentified source with knowledge of the situation. "He was accused of spying for the United States for poorly reporting on the negotiations without properly grasping U.S. intentions," the source was quoted as saying. The February summit in Vietnam's capital Hanoi, the second between Kim and Trump, failed to reach a deal because of conflicts over U.S. calls for complete denuclearization of the Korean peninsula and North Korean demands for sanctions relief. The United States is attempting to check on the reports of the envoy's execution, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said during his visit to Berlin on Friday. So there it is, my fellow citizens. Your President is on record as “being in love” with a man who routinely and without remorse “purges” (translation-murders) those who fail to do his bidding and has also been responsible for the death of an American college student as a result of the inhumane treatment he received while imprisoned in N Korea on bogus spy charges. This same man in all likelihood now possesses the capability of sending nuclear devastation to neighboring Japan and at present the west coast of the United States. And all the while Trump and Pompeo stand with Johnson in hand, he grows even stronger and more emboldened. He undoubtedly took comfort in knowing Trump said nothing about Jamal Khashoggi’s brutal murder and dismemberment in Turkey on orders from MBS except “he told me he didn’t do it”. Every day that Donald Trump remains POTUS puts this great nation at further risk. He has absolutely ZERO negotiating skills, few if any qualified diplomats to represent us and an inner circle that is more like a circle jerk. If we continue down this current path (it’s more like bush whacking down the hill) much longer, there will be serious consequences for a whole lot of people. The man is loose cannon.
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NAVY NAMES TRUMP CHIEF “PETTY” OFFICER
The reporting by the Wall Street Journal that the White House directed the Navy to remove the USS McCain from it’s dock in Japan prior to Donald Trump’s state visit, and then literally covered it up should come as no surprise to ANYONE. The absolute vindictive nature of this man and his insane jealousy of McCain’s military and political career have been manifested ever since his campaign for president when he said that “he preferred people who didn’t get taken prisoner” regarding McCain’s eight years as a POW in the Hanoi Hilton. Of course both Trump and his Defense Secretary deny any knowledge of the affair. According to The Wall Street Journal, officials used a tarp and a barge to cover the USS John McCain's name. The Navy ship is named on behalf of three generations of McCain vets, including former Senator John McCain. Trump said he had no knowledge of the cover-up. Officials from the Navy have also denied the claim. The White House wanted the USS John McCain “out of sight” for Trump’s visit to Japan. A tarp was hung over the ship’s name ahead of the trip, and sailors—who wear caps bearing the ship’s name—were given the day off for Trump’s visit. Accordingly, the Navy has bestowed a new rank upon Trump-Chief “PETTY” Officer. He deserves it. It’s absolutely incredible to me that the office of POTUS has been reduced to this level in just over two years of Trump’s presidency. There are just no limits to the depths to which this man will sink. This is precisely the reason among others that it’s time for “NO BALLS” Nancy to do her Constitutional duty and beginning impeachment proceedings against Trump. For her to put politics above that responsibility is just plain wrong. DONALD TRUMP’S DAY OF RECKONING
Robert Mueller spoke to the nation for the first time since he began his investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. He then resigned from his position at the DOJ. What he basically had to say in his ten minute speech, one that will surely go down in the annals as one of the turning points in American political history, is that the Russians purposefully and deliberately attempted to influence the outcome of the 2016 election of Donald Trump by obtaining through illegal means information harmful to Hillary Clinton and releasing it through social media outlets and Wikileaks, that Trump is guilty of obstruction of justice on numerous counts and though DOJ policy prohibits the indictment of a sitting president the Constitution allows other remedies to deal with presidential criminal behavior, namely the Congress through the impeachment process and that William Barr deliberately mislead the American public and lied to Congress regarding the release of Mueller’s report and his whitewashing of the facts to suit the White House narrative. Although the White House from Trump to Mike Pence to Sarah Sanders tried to downplay the significance of Mueller’s address and use it as another prop to claim their exoneration, it’s very obvious to me that all bets are off at this point with regard to impeachment. "Nothing changes from the Mueller Report," Trump tweeted. "There was insufficient evidence and therefore, in our Country, a person is innocent. The case is closed! Thank you." Not a single mention of the seriousness of the charges and indictments of numerous Russian operatives involved in the election interference. NOT A WORD. Why? Because it delegitimizes his election over Hillary Clinton, an election in which he lost the popular vote by some three million votes. It would put his BFF relationship with the man responsible for all of this, Vladimir Putin at risk. That his total sycophants like Mike “I’M A LITTLE DENSE” Pence and Sarah “HUCKLEBERRY” Sanders would also claim exoneration, as they have all along, based on Mueller’s word is about as surprising as Trump’s tweet. It’s the official party line. Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Mueller statement: "The Congress will continue to investigate and legislate to protect our elections and secure our democracy. The American people must have the truth." House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler had this to say in a statement just a short while ago: "Given that Special Counsel Mueller was unable to pursue criminal charges against the President, it falls to Congress to respond to the crimes, lies and other wrongdoing of President Trump – and we will do so. No one, not even the President of the United States, is above the law”. With most members of Congress out of Washington until next week, Nancy Pelosi has a little breathing room before her caucus returns and ratchets up the demand to begin an impeachment inquiry into this President. She has resisted the pressure to do so thus far for purely political reasons, but there comes a point in time where the oath of office each of these members of Congress took and the upholding of our Constitution take precedent over reelection campaigns. Donald Trump stole the presidency with the absolute assistance of the Russians, of that fact there can be no doubt. The participation of the Russian GRU intelligence service in the campaign all but assures that these programs meant to sway the American vote in Trump’s favor came straight from the top that is Putin himself. To believe otherwise is just plain naïve. And then there is the multitude of obstruction charges involved in the White House attempts to either quash the investigation or influence those individuals who were involved to lie about it, from his own son Don Jr. to those already serving time in prison for their roles in it like Michael Cohen. This Russian involvement was at the very heart of the beginnings of the entire Mueller investigation and yet to date we haven’t heard a single word from Donald Trump regarding the grave danger this interference poses to our future elections. Why would he?!? He was the beneficiary last time and presumably would be in 2020. His own attorney, Rudy Guiliani, has already stated on the record that Trump will take any help he can get. Let’s set that issue aside for just a moment, though it is without question the critical component of the entire conversation. Forgetting about the election and the collusion and/or obstruction, Trump’s very behavior since assuming the presidency has been so unstable and erratic in nature that many of his actions could also be grounds for impeachment. What about his fraudulent financial dealings? His Inauguration Committee and the illegal “donations” made by numerous foreign emissaries to gain influence with him? How about him continuing to profit to the tune of half a billion dollars while sitting in the Oval Office as a result of his family business dealings with the Saudis and other foreign influences? What about his supporting the Saudi Crown Prince, MBS, despite the fact he personally directed the brutal murder and dismemberment of a Washington Post journalist? What about his ridiculous claims about his relationship with Kim Jong un and the failed negotiations to denuclearize the Korean peninsula that puts us all in jeopardy? How about his total acquiescence to Putin in Helsinki? How about the escalating of tensions in the Persian Gulf under false pretences at the direction of John Bolton which could lead us into a catastrophic conflict? How about the disastrous trade war with China? The list is endless. The bottom line to all of this is that Donald J. Trump is unfit to serve as President. He is guilty of “high crimes and misdemeanors” plain and simple, which as spelled out in our Constitution is the basis for impeachment. The supposed DOJ doctrine that a sitting president cannot be indicted or charged with a crime is absurd and needs to be addressed. That very doctrine is what has allowed this Constitutional crisis to evolve to where it stands today. Otherwise, Mueller would have indicted Trump and the rest would be history. It’s time for Congress to act and execute their Constitutional responsibilities. “NO BALLS” Nancy needs to grow a pair within the next week or so and move forward with opening up the impeachment inquiry in the House. When the evidence comes out during the subsequent hearings, it will be such that the REPUBLIKAN majority in the Senate will be faced with the very difficult decision of defending the indefensible. If they fail to do their duty and rally around the most corrupt and divisive president we’ve ever had, they WILL pay the price come next November. The time for talk is over. The time to act is now. CLIMB EVERY MOUNTAIN?!?
I have always loved the mountains since my first visit to Colorado and Wyoming many years back and been more than a little fascinated by mountaineering and those who climb the world’s tallest peaks like Everest, K2, Annapurna and Denali. Individuals like Ed Viesters, John Krakauer, Reinhold Messner and Sir Edmund Hillary and their incredible will to climb. I have read numerous books on the subject, including “INTO THIN AIR”, “NO SHORTCUTS TO THE TOP”, “K2 THE SAVAGE MOUNTAIN” and “DENALI’S HOWL” among others. They call the regions above 26,000 the death zone for a reason, as the human physiological make up just isn’t constructed to survive where there is very little oxygen and temperatures can plunge literally to 70 deg F below zero. And yet men and women alike continue their quests for conquest of these massive peaks in record numbers. And it now appears these numbers have gotten out of control. Take a look at the picture above, taken within the last few days. It shows a line of climbers on what is called the “Hillary Step”, the final obstacle to reaching the summit of Mt Everest, the world’s tallest mountain. It looks like the line at Wal-Mart before the doors open on Black Friday! Already in this year’s climbing season, which is a very short window in late April and May when the weather is supposed to be conducive to climbing, a dozen individuals have died attempting to summit and safely return to base camp. Over the course of the last several years, there have been a number of catastrophic events which have resulted in literally dozens of deaths on this mountain alone, such as the earthquake which rocked the region in 2015. In the 2014 and 2015 seasons, tragedies killed more than a dozen people. On April 18, 2014, 16 Sherpas were killed in an avalanche that struck base camp. On April 25, 2015, 19 people were killed in an avalanche at base camp following a 7.8 earthquake, which killed more than 9,000 people and injured more than 23,000 in Nepal. It is the worst single-day fatality count in Everest’s history. All told, nearly THREE HUNDRED individuals have perished climbing Mt Everest. Most of the people who live in Nepal are Buddhists, and if I didn’t know better I would say that the God of the Mountain is not a very happy camper right now!! Perhaps it’s because of the fact that Everest has become a turnstile instead of a mountain to be revered and treated with respect. It seems at this point that money now qualifies individuals who would otherwise not be considered as such in terms of their mountaineering experience and expertise. There are quotes from individuals who have summated successfully this season about how they had to step over dead bodies in their ascent or descent. Is it REALLY worth the risk of losing your life to say that you successfully conquered the world’s tallest peak? I would say apparently so in the cases of those individuals like Ed Viesters to whom climbing is a religion and mountaineering is their way of life. But for those who have the financial resources but only the minimal skills or experience required to do so I would say there needs to be some soul searching done and some additional steps taken to alleviate what has become a near untenable situation on Mt Everest. Perhaps further screening by the guides and companies who arrange these expeditions in conjunction with the Nepalese government should be implemented. Perhaps the number of permits issued should be greatly reduced in order to avoid the “Charlie Foxtrot” depicted in the photograph above. We sincerely mourn the loss of those who lost their lives in pursuit of conquering Mt Everest, but believe it’s time to take a long hard look at the human toll the mountain has extracted over the last twenty years and find a better way to minimize the risks. I realize that as long as there are mountains to climb and peaks to summit people will continue to do so, but I also believe Sir Edmund Hillary, the New Zealand adventurer who was the first to summit Everest with his sherpa Tenzing Norday in 1953 must be turning over in his grave at what is taking place on the mountain today, some seventy years later. BESHEAR vs. BEVIN-ROUND ONE
Ladies and Gentlemen…let’s get ready to rumble!!!! In the RED corner fighting out of someplace other than Kentucky weighing in as a lightweight introducing “THE CARPETBAGGER” “MAD” Matt Bevin!! In the BLUE corner fighting out of western Kentucky and weighing in as a heavyweight introducing Andy “ATTORNEY GENERAL” Beshear!! This bout will be for five scheduled months with the winner taking the Governor’s mansion in Frankfort and the loser returning to oblivion. Gentlemen, defend your selves at all times and let’s have a fair fight with no hitting below the belt. (Not betting on it!!!) So it begins-the ballots had barely been counted in the primary election when the REPUBLIKANS started with their television attack ads on Andy Beshear, the Democratic candidate for governor who will be running against incumbent “MAD” Matt Bevin. Bevin himself has also joined the fray going negative in his very first statements about the race. He has already made it clear that his campaign strategy is simple-touting his own economic record as governor and kissing Donald Trump’s brass ring in order to get his endorsement and rally the voters in the deep red state that Kentucky has become. I predicted before the primary that it would end up being Attorney General Beshear facing off against “MAD” Matt and that the campaign would be personal and ugly. I’ve already been proven correct in that regard. The opening REPUBLIKAN salvo depicts Beshear as the beneficiary of his father’s legacy (Steve Beshear was a former governor) with no credentials of his own. It also touts Bevin’s economic accomplishments, which have been significant. But that’s it, folks. There’s nothing else there nor will there be in the future. Bevin has no other accomplishments to stand on. Like the REPUBLIKAN party on a national basis, Bevin’s administration has focused exclusively on passing legislation or doling out huge tax incentives to benefit corporate America in pursuit of perpetuating themselves in office as recipients of huge campaign contributions in return. Social programs like healthcare, Medicaid and women’s rights are either shoved to the back burner or dismantled altogether in favor of economic development. The REPUBLIKAN dominated state legislature in Frankfort has attempted to destroy labor unions, attacked teachers for standing up for their rightful pension benefits following an eleventh hour attempt to sabotage them as part of a nondescript water bill, dismantled the state health Exchange which had helped insure some 400,000 Kentuckians and attempted to close down all of the abortion clinics in the state. The also just passed an extremely prohibitive abortion law which greatly reduces a woman’s right to choose. Most of the actions that Bevin or his administration have taken have been struck down by the courts, proving that he is willing to go to any length to put his right wing agenda in place even if it is contrary to the law. So this is the choice that will be made come November. Will the deep red state of Trump turn its back on fellow Kentuckians for the sake of economic development that benefits corporate Amerika at our expense or will the social programs and safety nets that have benefited so many in the Commonwealth in the past be more important to the voters? Rural Kentucky voted overwhelmingly for Trump in 2016. I wonder how the farmers who have been impacted by the trade war with China are feeling about that vote now. Most suburban voters in the large cities like Louisville and Lexington tend to support Trump’s opposition, especially women voters. The turnout in these areas and from these voters will be critical come November if Beshear hopes to oust “MAD” Matt. Bevin is the most UNPOPULAR governor EVER in Kentucky and his polling numbers actually make him the most unpopular governor in the country. That’s quite a large obstacle to overcome. He knows that his only chance to victory in November is to tie his campaign directly to Trump and ride his popularity with the deep red state. Bevin is nothing more that a “Minnie Me” to CROOKED DONALD, and I sincerely hope that both are run out of town in the next elections. Bevin’s victory in 2015 was a precursor to the unlikely and disastrous election of Trump as our President-let’s hope this year’s results are a premonition of the house cleaning our state and nation so desperately needs. In the meanwhile, stay tuned for the rest of the fight. It should be quite a knock down drag out affair!!! TRUMP’S FOREIGN POLICY FOLLY: Starring “POMPOUS” Mike Pompeo and “DR STRANGELOVE” John Bolton and “CROOKED DONALD” as the President
As the nation relishes the fact that Trump is on the other side of the world and we can enjoy a relatively normal Memorial Day weekend to honor our nation’s fallen heroes instead of the “all Trump all the time” news cycle, one of his tweets from yesterday necessitates a response. The US president tweeted on Sunday: “North Korea fired off some small weapons, which disturbed some of my people, and others, but not me. I have confidence that Chairman Kim will keep his promise to me” Then his national security advisor John Bolton, alias “DR. STRANGELOVE” tweeted this: “The UN resolution prohibits the launch of any ballistic missiles,” Bolton said on Saturday. North Korea’s test firings included short-range ballistic missiles and so there was “no doubt” it was a violation, he added, urging its leader, Kim Jong-un, to return to denuclearisation talks. Really sounds like they are in step, doesn’t it!?! His negotiations with the N Korean leader have been an abysmal failure to date, despite his nonsensical and naïve comments about his relationship with the murderous thug Kim Jong-un. Despite scant progress from two summits with the North Korean leader, Trump has made much of his personal relationship with Kim, saying last year that he “fell in love” with the dictator after receiving “beautiful letters” from him. The N Koreans have demanded that Mike Pompeo, Secretary of State, be excluded from future talks. John Bolton has apparently turned his attention from starting a war on the Korean peninsula to starting a war in the Persian Gulf. Meanwhile, Kim continues to move forward with his missile testing and nuclear weapons production DESPITE what Trump says. His own intelligence community, who he chooses to ignore more often than not because he “trusts his own instincts”, has agreed that the N Koreans are continuing their program in secret locations throughout the country. We are no closer to any agreement on denuclearization while Kim Jong-un grows ever closer to realizing his ambition of having a nuclear arsenal capable of threatening the United States. In other areas of foreign policy, we see equal ineptitude and incompetence. In the last several weeks Trump, under advisement from Bolton, has escalated the tensions in the Gulf by deploying strategic bombers, an aircraft carrier group, and now is talking about sending additional troops to the region. The primary target in all of this build up is Iran. The justification for these measures seems dubious at best, with no convincing proof offered to date that the Iranians or their proxies were planning any kind of attacks on American interests in Iraq or Syria. Trump himself started the entire cycle of escalation when he pulled out of the Iranian nuclear deal despite the advice of our European allies. Bolton wants a confrontation so bad he can taste it!! And meanwhile, our two Middle East proxies, the Israelis, under another crooked P.M. in Netanyahu and the Saudis, under the murderous reign of MBS, would be the beneficiaries of such a conflict. And Trump has recently threatened to go ahead with his Saudi arms deal WITHOUT Congressional approval. Let’s see how “RICH” Mitch McConnell and Kevin (JOE) McCarthy like that! In actuality, like on every other issue where Trump has usurped Congressional powers, they will probably stand by and say and do nothing. And speaking of the Middle East, how about putting (HE WENT TO) Jared Kushner in charge of our peace efforts?!? That gives me GREAT confidence, especially after Trump sticks it to the Palestinians by moving our Embassy to Jerusalem and backing Netanyahu’s illegal seizure of Palestinian land on the West Bank for Israeli settlements in clear violation of previous agreements. And the Trump and Kushner family financial dealings with the Saudis have not yet been fully revealed, but when they are I’m sure we’ll find that the Saudis have extreme leverage over Trump’s empire-why else would he side with the Crown Prince when our own intelligence communities told him MBS was DIRECTLY involved in the ordering and planning of Jamal Khashoggi’s brutal murder and dismemberment while claiming that MBS said he “didn’t do it” and that our arms deal was far more valuable than the death of a Washington Post journalist?!? And how about how he has dealt with Russia and his BFF Putin?!? That’s a whole other story, but we all know there’s more to this than we have seen so far. And his trashing of NATO? His trade war with China? His ongoing battle with Mexico over border security and immigration? Or our relationship with our northern neighbors in Canada? The entire realm of Trump’s foreign policy, or lack thereof, has put the security of our country at grave risk. And he has surrounded himself with sycophants who are too afraid to stand up for what is right and just in order to keep their positions and a political party in the REPUBLIKANS who value reelection over ANYTHING else, including the safety and security of our interests and that of our traditional allies around the world. The guardrails are long gone, folks, and we are heading down a path from which there might not be any favorable outcome as a result of Trump’s ignorance, naivety or both. I know I’m NOT sleeping any better at night as Trump promised following his initial summit with Kim Jong-un. In fact these days I’m hardly sleeping at all!!!! How about you????? MEMORIAL DAY
As we prepare to celebrate Memorial Day on Monday, May 27, 2019, let us not forget the true reason we recognize this date as a national holiday. Yes, it’s the unofficial beginning of summer, the pools open and the grills get fired up for the backyard barbecues, but in reality the day is about the American patriots who made the ultimate sacrifice in the defense of our freedom, from the Revolutionary War up through and including the ongoing war in Afghanistan. As of May or 2018, statistics show that over ONE MILLION have perished and approximately ONE AND A HALF MILLION were wounded in the various conflicts. It is to honor them and their sacrifice and heroism that we celebrate Memorial Day. So we never forget the TRUE price of freedom and the price we have paid as a nation to defend that freedom at home and abroad. Those who fought and died in the Revolutionary War gave birth to our nation. Those who died in the Civil War gave their lives for ideals they believed in, and the death toll from this conflict was horrific, as well as the number of those maimed by the new technologies of warfare. Those who perished in the First World War did so defending the freedom of our European allies who were under attack by the Germans. World War Two saw us defending the same European allies as well as battling the fanatical Japanese who attacked us suddenly and without warning at Pearl Harbor as part of their ambitions to control the Pacific. The Korean Conflict and the Vietnam War were two vicious wars that were fought without the fanfare and support of the previous two wars, but the casualties were just as real. These conflicts were fought under the premise of containing the spread of Communism, but the soldiers who fought them and died weren’t concerned about political doctrine. They were concerned about having the backs of their fellow soldiers, even if it meant sacrificing their own lives. The recent wars in Iraq and Afghanistan were fought for different reasons, one to liberate Kuwait and then depose Sadam Hussein, the other in response to the horrific attacks on 9/11 that killed more innocent civilians than the number of casualties suffered when the Japanese attacked Hawaii. In every case, we lost men and women who represented the finest this nation has to offer whose lives were snuffed at before they had the opportunity in many cases to enjoy the very freedoms they were fighting for. So this Memorial Day, fly our flag in honor of those who gave their lives for it. Explain to your children and grandchildren if necessary why we honor our fallen on this day, because in many cases they don’t know or understand. And think about the ultimate sacrifice that over one million of your fellow citizens made so you can enjoy that back yard barbecue. WE HONOR THE FALLEN THIS MEMORIAL DAY-NEVER FORGET THEIR SACRIFICE!!! A POST ABOUT “THE POST”
I wrote a post for my blog over a year ago entitled “ALL THE PRESIDENTS MEN REDUX” which follows. I revisit this because I just finished watching another great movie regarding the freedom of the press and the publication of the so called “Pentagon Papers” and the unrelenting attacks on the Washington Post and New York Times by the Nixon administration to stop them from publishing these documents. Here is what I wrote originally. I watched the original movie “All the Presidents Men” last night revisiting the Watergate political scandal dating back over forty years ago starring Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman as two young Washington Post reporters who broke the story of criminal conduct and the cover up perpetrated by “Tricky” Dick Nixon and his band of merry men that ultimately forced him to resign in disgrace. The movie was, of course, riveting in and of itself, but I was also struck by the similarities between what happened then and what is going on right now with Donald Trump. Nixon was paranoid about Ted Kennedy. Trump is obviously paranoid about Hillary Clinton. Nixon resorted to the so called “dirty tricks” campaign to defeat his political rivals; Trump colluded with the Putin and the Russians to defeat Hillary Clinton. Nixon and his aides went to extraordinary lengths to cover up everything from the illegal campaign funds used to finance the dirty tricks campaign to the existence of the tape recordings made in the oval office which incriminated the President and his Chief of Staff, as well as others. There was a Senate Committee hearing to ascertain the facts and depth of the cover up and a Special Counsel appointed to oversee the investigation. Robert Mueller as Special Counsel is investigating both the allegations of collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia as well as the possible obstruction of justice involved in the cover up of the collusion. Nixon fired the Special Counsel in what is referred to as “the Saturday Night Massacre”; Trump is currently floating numerous trial balloons through his attorney and others about firing Mueller. There are, of courses, major differences between what happened then and what is going on now. For one thing, the Congressional hearings into the Watergate scandal were essentially bipartisan in nature, with the primary concern being to uncover the truth and defend our democracy from those who would set aside the norms of law and governance to justify their own ends. Unfortunately, we have such political discord now that even the House Intelligence Committee has to issue separate Republikan and Democratic reports on their findings because the proceedings have become so politicized and our politics so polarized. The other big issue involves the media. Whereas the Washington Post and New York Times battled each other for breaking news on Watergate, Donald Trump decries both publications as “fake news”, just like he condemns every other newscast that doesn’t bear the FAUX NEWS brand, his own personal propaganda rag. The idea that the media uncovered the Watergate story despite the best efforts of the Nixon administration and exposed it for what it was should be a lesson to us all when the current President rails against the media and the protections afforded it under the First Amendment. A free press is the cornerstone of our democracy, and keeps people who would do our republic harm on notice that there is nowhere to hide if you break the law. The end game to the Watergate scandal was the downfall of a President who incorrectly believed he was above the law. I sincerely hope the final outcome of the Mueller investigation, whenever it is revealed, results in the ouster of the imposter currently residing in the White House, DONALD “TRICKY2” TRUMP. Our nation was able to pull itself off of the mat following this disastrous episode in our history, and I’m confident we’ll be able to do the same after his departure. It can’t come soon enough!!! These words are more meaningful today even as we witness Trump’s unrelenting attacks on the media and Congress moves ever closer to impeachment proceedings against him. He was never exonerated by the Mueller report as he has continuously claimed since the whitewash job William (DIS)Barr gave in releasing the report, and the press has kept the stories alive because the public has the need to know that their President is a criminal and has engaged in criminal activities both before and during his presidency. A free press is for the benefit of the governed NOT the governing as written by Justice Black in the favorable ruling the Supreme Court handed down in the case of the government vs. The Washington Post and New York Times. Both of these major news publications have won numerous Pulitzer prizes for their journalism excellence and that is why Trump fears them. His BFF’s at FAUX NEWS masquerade as journalist, but educated Americans no better. Trump can tweet all he wants about the Post and Times and their so called “fake news”, but we all know the truth- the REAL fake news is his own brand. Every time he opens his mouth it’s either a lie, misinformation or to trash a political opponent. I realize the glory days of the newspaper business as depicted in “The Post” are long gone having been replaced by Twitter and Face book, but at least back then you had a chance to actually read in depth reporting about a subject and formulate an opinion before you went off on a tweet storm like today. The world has definitely changed, and not necessarily for the better. It’s much more difficult today to formulate an honest opinion about something without being bombarded by angry tweets trying to sway you one way or another, many without any factual basis. It’s no wonder our country has become so polarized. But a free and independent press will always remain the lamp lighting the way through the darkness, just like today. THE WILD WILD WEST (END)
During the town hall meeting I attended about the Mayor’s proposed insurance premium tax increase, I was struck by the intimidation tactics being employed by LMPD officers who were present as they detailed the catastrophic consequences of cuts to their departmental budget. Approximately sixty five per cent of ALL Louisville Metro expenditures go toward financing the police, fire and EMS. It’s inevitable that each of these entities will have to share in the pain of the financial burden placed on the city by the state in order to prop up the failing teachers pension fund, pain that amount to thirty five MILLION dollars over the next few years. Last night I heard a firefighter basically threatening that it will be on our hands if the proposed closing of a fire station results in casualties due to extended response times. These are the same scare tactics that go back to the moment Fisher announced his taxation plan and tried to sell it to a skeptical populace. So far none of these cuts has actually happened as the Metro Council debates what cuts should be made to what departments prior to a June deadline to unveil the Metro budget. And yet today comes the news that over the last twenty four hour period in west Louisville, eight people have been shot, two of whom died. No arrests have been made. You read that correctly. My simple question to Chief Steve Conrad is WTF is going on in your city?!? It’s obvious these shootings are either drug or gang related or both, and yet the task force unit that was assigned to address these issues was disbanded by the Chief himself. The results speak for themselves. Violent crime in the west end of Louisville is completely out of control, and LMPD cannot control it with the manpower they have now. The answer is not more “feet on the street”-the answer is getting a Police Chief who actually knows what he’s doing!!! Conrad should have been fired when the entire Explorer program sexual abuse scandal story broke, but Mayor For Life Fisher didn’t have the balls to do it. I say now is the time to revisit the issue, especially considering Conrad’s abysmal record when it comes to dealing with the minority community, which is where the root of the problem lies. People don’t trust the police and Conrad is responsible for that. The unwarranted traffic stops of persons of color are just one example of how his department has alienated the community, and the very real concerns in the black community of officer involved shootings are legitimate. I for one have the utmost admiration and respect for law enforcement, firemen (and women) and the EMS that serve our community. Every day when they go out the door they put their lives on the line in performance of their duties to “protect and serve”. However, when eight people are shot in a twenty four hour period and a Fire Department spokesperson resorts to threats and intimidation in order to protect their own when everybody that works for Metro government will share in the pain of cutbacks, this is UNACCEPTABLE. It’s time to make some changes. Conrad should be fired to start. His record speaks for itself. He has failed to provide the kind of leadership necessary to motivate the rank and file, and does not have the confidence of the community at large. Grow a pair, Mr. Mayor!!!! It’s time to clean house as we move forward in the budget process. Oh, and BTW, this latest round of violence also lends itself to another topic-gun regulations. Apparently it’s easier to obtain a firearm, usually a pistol, than it is to get a drivers license. The root of the problem is guns and drugs, and we could eliminate both if we truly were serious about stemming the endless cycle of violence. I have stated my position before on these issues and I will state them again-we need to take handguns off of the street and we need to legalize drugs so that there is no longer the motivation for our young people to be shooting each other at such an alarming rate. All we need to do is look at other countries that have enacted similar legislation to see the end result. Otherwise, we will continue to bear witness to what has truly become “THE WILD WILD WEST (END). WTF IS WRONG WITH AMERICA?!?
Two particular items caught my attention on this Tuesday . The first was that a sixteen year old Guatemalan died while in custody of the Border Patrol in Texas, becoming the FIFTH youth to die since December while incarcerated compliments of Donald Trump and Stephen (the KILLER) Miller’s inhumane immigration policy of child separation. Five completely innocent victims who were only trying to reunite with their parents and family and seek a better life in America-and are now deceased as a result. I don’t know how many bodies have to be stacked up before people realize exactly what is going on at our southern border and demand that these inhumane policies be stopped. The strategy of securing our borders being pursued by Trump as a promise fulfilled to his base during his 2016 campaign has had exactly the OPPOSITE effect-more people than ever before are attempting to cross the border both legally and illegally and have essentially overwhelmed the ill prepared agencies who are supposed to be responsible. The previous Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielson resigned over policy differences with Trump and the man behind the curtain orchestrating the implementation of the zero tolerance and child separation directives. That’s the blood of five innocent children now dripping from their hands. The other item was the fact that this year’s graduating class will bring along with them student loan debt totaling approximately ONE AND A HALF TRILLION DOLLARS!! More than their collective credit card debt. We promise all of our children a vast world of opportunity awaits those who will complete four or more years of college and then saddle them with debt so crushing that they have to take jobs they normally wouldn’t even consider just to pay off the interest on their student loans. My own daughter graduated a few years back with a debt load of roughly $30,000, which is the approximate norm across the range of graduates. Some, including those who attended the more prestigious universities or are working toward higher degrees or attend medical school and don’t have the benefit of wealthy parents to buy buildings or Hollywood types to bribe their way in often graduate with debt obligations exceeding one hundred thousand dollars. Great way to start your working career, by having one third to one half of your pay go toward paying off a student loan. The entire system just cries out for reform and should be one of the critical issues to be considered moving forward as part of the greater income inequality conversation. Lower income families or individuals and persons of color often suffer a disproportionate share of this burden. Other progressive societies in countries around the globe subsidize higher education, and I believe that a majority of Americans would support paying higher taxes if it meant free public education for all who qualify. We cannot continue to ask our children and their children to carry this burden any longer. The time has come for a complete overhaul of the system of higher education and its affordability and accessibility. Bernie Sanders and other Democratic candidates have publicly called for such changes, and I believe the time has come to begin to consider implementation of the necessary changes. Also, today is Primary election day in Kentucky and local news channels are predicting a voter turnout in this closed primary election of less than 15% of registered voters. This to name the potential candidates from the Democratic or Republikan party who will face off in the general election in November for state offices like Governor, Attorney General, Secretary of State, State Treasurer and State Auditor. They say we get the government we deserve, and if this is an accurate assessment of the actual number of citizens of the Commonwealth who actually cast their ballot tomorrow we probably deserve four more years of “MAD” Matt Bevin. If the political ads being run non stop now up through tomorrow are any indication of the quality of the candidates themselves, we are scraping the bottom of the barrel folks. When your only qualifications to become Attorney General are being a husband, a father and having faith we all have a serious problem. Please cast your considered ballot tomorrow no matter what your party affiliation, but preferably if you’re a registered Democrat. We will need all of these votes come fall to turn out the Mad man in the Governor’s mansion and his REPUBLIKAN henchmen in the Legislature who have been on the attack against women’s rights, unions, teachers, Medicaid and healthcare for the last four years. Finally, Donald Trump once again advised one of his attorneys to defy a Congressional subpoena and NOT testify in front of a House Committee. Another one of his attorneys told Michael Cohen to lie about the Trump Tower meeting. His Attorney General lied in front of Congress. He has abused his office so frequently now in the name of executive privilege in order to obstruct the ongoing investigations into his financial activities and those of his family and others in his administration that it will take months for the courts to sort all of this out. I suspect Trump’s strategy is the old tried and proven defer and deflect method in just the same fashion as he ran his so called business empire, which by recent accounts was as fraudulent as he is, losing nearly half a billion dollars in the ‘80’s and 90’s and never paying a penny in taxes. There are so many reasons to begin impeachment proceedings against him that even members of his cowardly REPUBLIKAN party are joining the growing chorus of voices crying for his head on a platter. It’s time, Nancy. I heard your explanation of the “process” which must be followed before you take this path, but by the time the process plays out in court it may be too late. Get on with the business of the country, which includes exposing this fraud of a man and his criminal activities before and during his tenure as POTUS. We can’t afford to wait until January of 2021 to rid our great country of this game show charlatan!!! |
About Mike ColeBorn in Hamilton, OH but a proud Kentuckian since age two. One brother and three sisters. Suburban, Catholic middle-class upbringing. Attended Jefferson Community College and Pasadena Community College. Proud father of four and grandfather to seven, and most of all, a concerned American citizen! Are you??? Categories |