Trump deals from the bottom of the deck, calling out others for flaws that he has in spades. Our demure president, attacked Comey as an attention seeking showboat. The certifiably charitable Clinton foundation came under attack for foreign contributions, notwithstanding Trump's heavily fined sham foundation, and his staggering, business related, conflicts of interest.
All of these pale before Trump's primary obligation, ensuring the security and safety of the American people. During the campaign, Trump heckled Hillary for mishandling confidential information and using a hackable email server. Here again, the pot is really black and dirty. Our President blew an Israeli source who has, and could have in the future, alerted us to ISIS plots. Even worse is his Flynn flam.
The New York Times has reported that in January, Michael Flynn disclosed to the Trump campaign that he was under investigation for being an unregistered foreign agent. Additionally, Obama personally warned Trump about Flynn. In response, our ever prudent President shared the nation's deepest secrets with Flynn by making him National Security Advisor.
Is it time to bid one no Trump?
Showing posts with label Hillary Clinotn. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Hillary Clinotn. Show all posts
Thursday, May 18, 2017
Tuesday, April 4, 2017
Rubber Trump
Perhaps reflecting his level of maturity, Trump's operating principle is the children's old school taunt, "I'm rubber you're glue, what you say bounces off me and sticks to you."
Trump was rated the least truthful major presidential candidate in modern times, yet coined "Lyin Ted Cruz". His conflicts of interest are legion, and his charitable foundation was a self serving, discredited, sham. Yet he attacked the Clinton Foundation.
He called Hillary crooked, while defrauding students at Trump University so badly that he willingly paid $25,000,000 to settle their suit. He has amplified Russian propaganda and Breitbart conspiracy theories, while deriding major media as fake news.
Recently he accused, Obama's National Security Advisor, Susan Rice of politicizing the position. This is the same Trump who placed Mike Flynn, a foreign agent for Turkey, and a recipient of undisclosed Putin payments, as his National Security Advisor. Even with Flynn gone, he forced Flynn's successor to keep Cohen-Watnick on as a high level staffer. Cohen -Warick helped Nunes in his clandestine charade to substantiate Trump's lying tweet about Obama ordered wire tapping. Cannot get more political than that.
Even more recently, he blamed Assad's use of chemical weapons on Obama. Obama did not take strong action when Assad crossed this Obama decried redline. Unfortunately, Trump supported Obama's caution at the time, and criticized his debate opponents for seeking regime change in Syria.
If hypocrisy was helium, Trump could eclipse the entire Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.
Trump was rated the least truthful major presidential candidate in modern times, yet coined "Lyin Ted Cruz". His conflicts of interest are legion, and his charitable foundation was a self serving, discredited, sham. Yet he attacked the Clinton Foundation.
He called Hillary crooked, while defrauding students at Trump University so badly that he willingly paid $25,000,000 to settle their suit. He has amplified Russian propaganda and Breitbart conspiracy theories, while deriding major media as fake news.
Recently he accused, Obama's National Security Advisor, Susan Rice of politicizing the position. This is the same Trump who placed Mike Flynn, a foreign agent for Turkey, and a recipient of undisclosed Putin payments, as his National Security Advisor. Even with Flynn gone, he forced Flynn's successor to keep Cohen-Watnick on as a high level staffer. Cohen -Warick helped Nunes in his clandestine charade to substantiate Trump's lying tweet about Obama ordered wire tapping. Cannot get more political than that.
Even more recently, he blamed Assad's use of chemical weapons on Obama. Obama did not take strong action when Assad crossed this Obama decried redline. Unfortunately, Trump supported Obama's caution at the time, and criticized his debate opponents for seeking regime change in Syria.
If hypocrisy was helium, Trump could eclipse the entire Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.
Thursday, January 26, 2017
Donald Endangers Democracy
Elections have consequences. Give a new president a chance and wish him well. These platitudes have power in a normal election. Progressives can hardly expect to love a Republican agenda. If my qualms with Trump were merely on policy grounds, I would hope for the best, and work politically, to fend off the worst.
Unfortunately, Trump is not a normal president. Democracy in its purest form is a clash of ideas. But the battlefield must be composed of a common set of facts. Alternative facts and the conspiracy theories they foster, tear the fabric that unites America. A plurality of Trump supporters believe that George Soros paid women to march on the 21st of January. The president believes massive voter fraud deprived him of winning a majority of the popular vote. You cannot argue with crazy. Democracy suffers when discourse dies.
Equally troubling is the Russia connection. First lets examine the facts. Trump has had a campaign manager and foreign policy advisor with close ties to Putin and Russia, His soon to be Secretary of State received the highest award that can be given to a non-Russian, directly from Putin. Russia used information from cyberattacks to help Trump and to discredit Hillary.
Trump has taken pro-Russia and pro-Putin positions for no obvious reason. He changed the plank in the platform supporting the Ukrainian efforts to fend off Russian attacks. He has floated plans to remove sanctions on Russia and called NATO obsolete. The pro-Putin stance is almost as unpopular with his supporters as it is with his detractors. He gains nothing politically. Trump has fired the senior State Department Officials best positioned to oppose a pro-Putin policy. The fired four served under multiple presidents. They were fired on no notice, without replacements ready. One of the four was on a plane to Rome to attend a non-proliferation conference, and was ordered to turn the plane around and clean out his desk.
Whether it is emotional, financial, or even darker, Putin has an untoward influence over our President. Absent tax returns, we cannot know if his enterprises our in debt to Russian oligarchs. Then there is the dossier that alleges that Putin is able to blackmail Trump. The dossier is not alternate news. The source is a former British MI6 agent who has been a reliable source. The claims in the dossier may not be immediately verifiable. They may be false. But the terrible truth is they could be real, and would explain both Russian support of Trump's candidacy and Trump's strangely pro-Russian positions.
Unfortunately, Trump is not a normal president. Democracy in its purest form is a clash of ideas. But the battlefield must be composed of a common set of facts. Alternative facts and the conspiracy theories they foster, tear the fabric that unites America. A plurality of Trump supporters believe that George Soros paid women to march on the 21st of January. The president believes massive voter fraud deprived him of winning a majority of the popular vote. You cannot argue with crazy. Democracy suffers when discourse dies.
Equally troubling is the Russia connection. First lets examine the facts. Trump has had a campaign manager and foreign policy advisor with close ties to Putin and Russia, His soon to be Secretary of State received the highest award that can be given to a non-Russian, directly from Putin. Russia used information from cyberattacks to help Trump and to discredit Hillary.
Trump has taken pro-Russia and pro-Putin positions for no obvious reason. He changed the plank in the platform supporting the Ukrainian efforts to fend off Russian attacks. He has floated plans to remove sanctions on Russia and called NATO obsolete. The pro-Putin stance is almost as unpopular with his supporters as it is with his detractors. He gains nothing politically. Trump has fired the senior State Department Officials best positioned to oppose a pro-Putin policy. The fired four served under multiple presidents. They were fired on no notice, without replacements ready. One of the four was on a plane to Rome to attend a non-proliferation conference, and was ordered to turn the plane around and clean out his desk.
Whether it is emotional, financial, or even darker, Putin has an untoward influence over our President. Absent tax returns, we cannot know if his enterprises our in debt to Russian oligarchs. Then there is the dossier that alleges that Putin is able to blackmail Trump. The dossier is not alternate news. The source is a former British MI6 agent who has been a reliable source. The claims in the dossier may not be immediately verifiable. They may be false. But the terrible truth is they could be real, and would explain both Russian support of Trump's candidacy and Trump's strangely pro-Russian positions.
Wednesday, November 9, 2016
Dropping Out of College
Americans voting for a candidate that they know has neither the qualifications, nor the temperament to be president, tore my heart out. I may be blogging more about food and travel, than politics, while I shake it off.
Trump is now my president, and I must hope for his success, Maybe he will surround himself with wise people who will appeal to his better angels. If not, we will redouble our efforts to elect a Democratic Senate in 2018, and to replace him in 2020.
Until then, we should work to eliminate the electoral college. My plea is not because Hillary won the popular vote, but because we need to come together and be united states. Candidates should be talking to us all, not only to voters in 13 or 15 highly contested states. My vote in California should matter as much as that of my friend in Florida.
My vote is already devalued by California having the same number of Senators as a less populous state like Montana. At least my vote for president should have meaning.
Trump is now my president, and I must hope for his success, Maybe he will surround himself with wise people who will appeal to his better angels. If not, we will redouble our efforts to elect a Democratic Senate in 2018, and to replace him in 2020.
Until then, we should work to eliminate the electoral college. My plea is not because Hillary won the popular vote, but because we need to come together and be united states. Candidates should be talking to us all, not only to voters in 13 or 15 highly contested states. My vote in California should matter as much as that of my friend in Florida.
My vote is already devalued by California having the same number of Senators as a less populous state like Montana. At least my vote for president should have meaning.
Monday, November 7, 2016
Final Prediction
Momentum has swung back to Hillary. Surrogates and volunteers are powering up, as the election winds down.
Hillary will win at the high end of current surveys, 6 percentage points. Her electoral total will be above 339.
Democrats will narrowly capture the Senate. House pickups will be in the mid to high teens.
Let me know your predictions.
Hillary will win at the high end of current surveys, 6 percentage points. Her electoral total will be above 339.
Democrats will narrowly capture the Senate. House pickups will be in the mid to high teens.
Let me know your predictions.
Sunday, November 6, 2016
Mighty Pen
On Monday Pennsylvania will be the epicenter of the political world. The Clintons and Obamas will share the stage before thousands. Is Hillary afraid of losing this Democratic stronghold?
The answer is nuanced. With Comey incompetently skewing the race, the polls have tightened. Trump's campaign can count to 270. The swing states are not enough. They need a blue state. Thinking he is the WD 40 for the rustbelt, Trump is making a big push in Pennsylvania and Michigan.
But the main reason is structural. Pennsylvania has virtually no early voting. In preserving her blue wall, Hillary has focused on early voting states. Now to close the door on Trump, she is making a big entrance in a state that has yet to cast votes.
While Trumpets shout, "Lock her up," she is locking down the presidency.
The answer is nuanced. With Comey incompetently skewing the race, the polls have tightened. Trump's campaign can count to 270. The swing states are not enough. They need a blue state. Thinking he is the WD 40 for the rustbelt, Trump is making a big push in Pennsylvania and Michigan.
But the main reason is structural. Pennsylvania has virtually no early voting. In preserving her blue wall, Hillary has focused on early voting states. Now to close the door on Trump, she is making a big entrance in a state that has yet to cast votes.
While Trumpets shout, "Lock her up," she is locking down the presidency.
Thursday, November 3, 2016
3 Points and a Cloud of Dust
Time to grind it out. A good ground game can be worth up to 3 points. Three points is enough to give Hillary a safe lead.
In early voting states, surrogates systematically speak near voting sites. Canvassing is the spear tip on the polling data, to get out the first time ,or occasional voter. The low lying voters can be harvested on election day.
Obamacare premium increases and Comey coming hither, have us rooting for the grass roots. Knock, knock is no joke.
In early voting states, surrogates systematically speak near voting sites. Canvassing is the spear tip on the polling data, to get out the first time ,or occasional voter. The low lying voters can be harvested on election day.
Obamacare premium increases and Comey coming hither, have us rooting for the grass roots. Knock, knock is no joke.
Sunday, October 30, 2016
Clinton Innocence Reinforced
Comey has shown his true color, pachyderm grey. Inserting himself into the election, against protocol, is as clear cut, as his letter is ambiguous.
Now that we know his bias, we can reexamine his decision to not prosecute. The case was so clear cut he had no option. The only thing he could do as a partisan, was to issue a harsh statement, once again violating protocol. If a self serving, GOP leaning hack, cleared her, someone more objective might have given her a medal.
Now that we know his bias, we can reexamine his decision to not prosecute. The case was so clear cut he had no option. The only thing he could do as a partisan, was to issue a harsh statement, once again violating protocol. If a self serving, GOP leaning hack, cleared her, someone more objective might have given her a medal.
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