Jul 23, 2018

July 24, 2018: Shameful Weakness, Baseball Can Do That, Idiotlogical Imperative



Political commentator George F. Will once observed that when he was young all his friends were St. Louis Cardinals fans. Will followed Chicago baseball and became a life-long devotee to the Cubs. “My friends grew up happy and liberal” observed Will wryly, “I grew up bitter and conservative.” Woe to those who follow the wrong team. Baseball can do that to a man.

A former sportswriter and editor at The New York Times and now senior editor at Propublica takes a similar view of the nomination of Judge Matt Kavanaugh by Caesar Disgustus to the Supreme Court. Writing in Thursday's Times and citing the importance of precedent in deciding constitutional questions he asks tongue-in-cheek, “Has there, then, been any precedent that raises graver questions about a Supreme Court nominee's fitness than the fact that Brett Kavanaugh got himself as much as $200,000 in debt largely by buying tickets to Washington Nationals games? Indeed, it is a lapse of judgment that boggles the imagination.

Our nation's capital has always been a laughing-stock when it comes to its representatives in professional sports. There have been incarnations of the Washington Senators baseball team, both of which have since relocated to other cities. These were American League franchises who distinguished themselves with the adage: “Washington: first in war, first in peace and last in the American League.” Evidently, the gods of baseball ciphered that if they changed leagues, as well as the name of the team from Senators to Nationals the jinx would, somehow, be broken. To be fair, Washington has raised its ranking in the standings, winning the completely meaningless division title of late but, as Sexton, summarizes:

But the Nats? They are the most soul-sucking strain of professional sports franchise. Not awful. Not great. Just tempting enough for suckers to believe they might be one or the other...

Seriously? He imperiled his family's finances because he couldn't get enough of the team that has been a bipartisan waste of time and energy for people in Washington for a decade?...

Are we so deep into the post-fact era that we can't expect a Supreme Court Nominee to take seriously the irrefutable evidence before him?

Judge Kavanaugh went to Yale Law School, right? My dad did too, and I've bragged about it for years. But maybe reputations aren't what they seem—Yale's, I mean, not my dad's.” (1)

At last, surreptitiously, Sexton brings us to the main point. There are many reasons to oppose this nominee and the Democrats will, reliably, trot out the usual suspicions. Abortion, voting rights, anti-labor and affiliated idiotlogical reasoning. His legal record, grown voluminous in his time as a federal appellate judge, will be combed-over. But Sexton has, inadvertently, struck upon one of the two most glaring reasons to oppose this nominee: Yale Law School. Yale has given us a host of legal “scholars” who now populate the federal bench as well as the Supreme Court, nearly all of them renowned for torturing organic law until it confesses to their philosophic sophisms. It is clear that the elevation of this man to the highest court will do material damage to the letter and intent of our founding fathers and their documents. Yale Law School stands as an immediate disqualification for public office or service, with Harvard and the University of Chicago close on its heels. Yale has given us Clarence Thomas. Case closed.

It is time that we stop the practice of appointing, much less elevating, graduates from these schools to the federal bench. Indeed, it is time we end this incestuous practice of appointing law clerks who have served justices on the court to the federal bench and then, when the time comes, of returning them to the High Court. This for the very good reason that they lack any peripheral vision. They have no experience outside the law. Foremost, they have no experience in governance.

The best of those who have served on the Supreme Court have been those who have served in government. Those who have hands-on experience with the administration of the state. Warren, Brandeis, Taft, Chase, Douglas. Not simply those who have only legal experience, and, if they have any private legal experience, of representing corporations or putting people behind bars. Federal courts populated with more than a few former office holders would not, for instance, have handed down these obscene rulings on gun control. Those responsible for the administration of our social safety net would not have been so prone to hand down these ridiculous decisions on health care, or a worker's right to organize. In sum, such courts would be practical instead of ideological.

No. The deciding vote on this notoriously divided body must be taken from the hands of the idiotlogues and placed in the firm hands of a Practical legal scholar. This requires the appointment of someone who will not savage legal precedent in headlong service to the ideological imperative; someone with eyes open and a hands-on approach. Someone who has a clue about the consequence of flooding the streets with guns or flooding our politics with money. I am reminded here, of Justice Alito's shaking his head and muttering “no” as President Obama in his subsequent “State of the Union” address admonished the court for its Citizens United decision warning that money would now control the electoral process. You can rest assured, that nothing that has occurred in subsequent years has changed the idiot justice's view, as has nothing in the wake of his gun control rulings or his vote to gut the voting rights act will change his idiotlogical view. For no matter how many states move to further restrict voting, no matter how much blood runs in the streets or how much the middle class gets savaged in the wake of these decisions, you can rely upon these Justices to stand firm in their ignorant beliefs. Will this action“Promote the General Welfare”? Or, will this action produce Domestic Tranquility? These are not ideological questions. These are practical questions. These, among others are responsibilities enumerated in the preamble of our Constitution, that we are obligated to provide. These are the very purposes for which the Constitution and this government were created in the first place. Secondary considerations such as: Can this law be effectively administered? What benefit or harm will this decision inflict? Is this a legal or is it a Political question. If it is legal it has standing before the court; if it is political then there are political remedies that must be addressed elsewhere either legislatively or administratively. (2) These, though practical, are also controlling questions.

I'm thinking of some self-educated country bumkin turned politician, oh someone from perhaps Illinois who had his administrative problems but had some command of the king's English and knew how to govern.

There is one other consideration that transcends this nominee and the usual spectrum of criticism that awaits anyone facing the nomination process and that is the criminal intent of the one placing the name in nomination. Here lies the deciding vote of every subsequent 5-4 supreme court decision. A vote over whether a sitting president can be forced to testify before a grand jury. A vote over whether a sitting president can be indicted. A vote over admissibility of evidence in legal proceedings against a sitting president. A vote over whether a sitting president can shut down any ongoing investigation—including investigations into his own conduct. A vote over whether his expansive power to pardon extends to include pardoning those about to testify against him, or whether he can pardon himself.

Some of these questions have never been adjudicated. Some of these questions have been considered settled. But the idiotlogical political wrong have now a long record of judicial activism, overturning decades of established law. Kavanaugh's musings on these issues have been less than reassuring; in fact they have—reflecting the view of presidential power taught at Yale, unnerving.

But there is a larger issue here, a point raised by Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey, among others. It is whether a sitting president can or should appoint anyone to the federal bench while under criminal investigation. It is also a question of whether a sitting president under investigation for possible collusion with a foreign adversary to materially affect his election to the office should so appoint. It is also a question whether a sitting president potentially liable to be found guilty of sedition or treason for conspiring with such foreign adversary should so appoint.

Kavanaugh has been nominated by tRUMP, the most soul-sucking president in our history—not great but awful--nevertheless tempting enough for suckers to believe.

The Senate needs to stand up to its constitutional responsibility. The Senate Intelligence Committee has found that the Russians did interfere with our electoral process in support of Donald John tRUMP. There is now reasonable doubt as to the legitimacy of this presidency and, until the dust settles, the Senate should declare that any further presidential appointments are dead upon arrival at Capital Hill, no matter what team he supports.

'An Br'er Putin, he jus' laugh and laugh”

Impeach and Imprison.

__________________________

  1. Sexton, Joe. “Kavanaugh's Shameful Weakness” The New York Times. Thursday, July 19, 2018. Page A21.
  2. Bush v. Gore, For instance. Here the court overturned over two centuries of legal precedent wrongfully declaring jurisdiction in one of the greatest examples of judicial activism on record. Any previous court would have ruled that the dispute was a political dispute for which there is political remedy clearly outlined in the constitution. That is, whenever the votes of a state in the electoral college are in dispute the question goes to the House of Representatives where each state gets one vote. In fact, several elections had previously been determined by this route. The court, driven by partisan Rescumlican fever, nevertheless intervened appointing, by ending the recount in Florida, Bush to the presidency by a 5-4 vote thereby rendering the Bush presidency a bastard administration. The court, however, has in its history routinely decided that a question has a political remedy and admonished the parties to look elsewhere for relief.



July 23, 2018: The Christian Wrong, Another 'Back Channel', Laugh Too Soon



Let us have no more talk about collusion. Let us speak frankly now and call it what it is: sedition or treason”.

               ----from "The Quotations of Chairman Joe"

What is it with the Christian Wrong and the Rooskies? “Does it seem strange”, writes Katherine Stewart in last Thursday's New York Times, “that a Russian woman stands accused of 'acting as an agent of a foreign government' in part because she hoped 'to establish a back channel of communication' with American politicians at the National Prayer Breakfast?

It shouldn't”. (1)

Citing author Jeff Sharlet, Stewart points out that the Breakfast “has long offered 'a backdoor to American power.' And America's home-grown Christian nationalists have evinced an admiration for Russia's authoritarian leader that appears to have grown apace with his brutality...

the National Prayer Breakfast was initiated in 1953 by a Methodist minister, Abraham Vereide. The annual breakfast now attracts close to 4,000 participants and is hosted by members of congress. But the real force behind the event remains Mr. Vereide's Fellowship Foundation, also known as 'The Family,' whose fundamental mission is to create a ruling consortium of Christ-centered political and community leaders.” (2)

The Family, as it calls itself, treats the National Prayer Breakfast as a “recruiting device”. “Mr. Sharlet, who has published two books about the group...explained further:'It's not just the breakfast—The Family organizes a week of de facto lobbying events”. (3)

The bond between America's Christian nationalists and the Russian government goes back a long way, long before anyone conceived of the possibility of a Trump administration.

Paul Weyrich was a central figure in the founding of numerous conservative organizations, including the Heritage Foundation, ALEC, the Moral Majority and the Council for National Policy. In the 1970's Mr. Weyrich was one of the strategists who first conceived of outreach to evangelical churches in order to recruit activists to socially conservative causes. He was also among the first to grasp the potential for an alliance with religious conservatives in Russia and Eastern Europe. By the time of his death in 2008, Mr. Weyrich was writing and speaking frequently in defense of Russia and facilitating visits between American conservatives and Russian political leaders.” (4)

Then there are figures such as Brian Brown, of the National Organization for Marriage, who “testified before the Duma, Russia's lower house of Parliament, in support of legislation opposing adoption by gay couples.

In the run-up to the 2016 election, the passion for Russian values among America's religious extremists grew still more ardent. In 2013, Bryan Fischer, then a spokesman for the American Family Association, called Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, a 'lion of Christianity.' In 2014 Franklin Graham, the influential evangelist and vocal Trump supporter, defended Mr. Putin for his efforts 'to protect his nation's children from the damaging effects of any gay or lesbian agenda,' even as he lamented that Americans have 'abdicated our moral leadership.”' (5) Ms. Stewart then cited a 45 minute private meeting between Graham and Putin in December 2015.

Although the religious right's affection for Mr. Putin appears to center on a shared disgust with 'the homosexual agenda' and other so-called family issues,” continues Stewart, “it is impossible to overlook the attraction that the Russian leader's authoritarian style has for his American admirers. During the 2016 presidential campaign, Mike Pence hailed Mr. Putin as 'a stronger leader in his country than Barack Obama has been in this country.

The attraction appears to be mutual—even if it is almost certainly not symmetrical. More than 50 Russians attended this year's prayer breakfast, in February.” (6)

This last Tuesday, a Russian national, Maria Butina, was indicted “on charges of conspiracy and acting as an unregistered foreign agent for the Russian Federation”. (7) She apparently not only twice attended the Prayer Breakfast but was working with, among other organizations, the National Rifle Association, in her efforts to influence American public opinion as well as establish a 'back channel of communication.'

What is clear here is that first the Russians have been at this for some time with the Religious Wrong having long developed connections with and affinity for Russian national interests. All this pre-dates the arrival of Caesar Disgustus upon the national scene.

Secondly, it appears to be more than coincidence that Franklin Graham—one of the most vocal and vociferous of Disgustus supporters would be meeting with Putin in the winter leading up to the 2016 campaign. The meeting of scum for nefarious purpose has now become painfully obvious as the vulchers have come home to roost.

When I was young, I was sent to a primary school operating under the auspices of an evangelical church. I am all-too-familiar with the basest of religious rationalizations as well as the pretzel logic and the intellectual and moral rat-holes into which such rationalizations can lead. That the Russian dictator could be seen as a 'lion of Christianity', or that a 'Prayer Breakfast' should become a rat's nest of sedition and treason, comes as no surprise to one familiar with the intellectual and moral levitation that characterized 'the movement'. One can only stand agape at such shameless dexterity.

In any case, the net widens as the cast of characters continues to grow, now including key elements of the Religious wrong and the National Rifle Association. Next up, as principals or accessories in the art of sedition, the House and Senate leadership, the House Intelligence Committee, and the Rescumlican National Committee.

Meanwhile Ms. Butina remains behind bars as Federal prosecutors move to prevent her from fleeing the country.

Perhaps Br'er Putin has overplayed his hand. Perhaps Br'er Putin's idiot is not so useful after all. Perhaps Br'er Putin, he laugh too soon; perhaps he not laughing now.

Impeach and Imprison.

_____________________

  1. Stewart, Katherine. “When the Christian Right Met Russia” The New York Times. Thursday, July 19, 2018. Page A21.
  2. Ibid
  3. Ibid
  4. Ibid
  5. Ibid
  6. Ibid
  7. Ibid.

July 22, 2018: Amid the Flak, Enabling Disgustus, In Sheep's Clothing



Meanwhile, amid all the flak over the Helsinki debacle, the Rescumlicans continue to enable Disgustus. The New York Times reported last Friday that Senate Rescumlicans killed two nonbinding measures in support of conclusions reached by our intelligence agencies that the Russians had interfered in the 2016 election, pressing on the administration to fully enforce sanctions imposed upon Russia for the interference, and calling for increased oversight “including any notes taken by Americans”.

As an afterthought, only “after the White House press secretary said that Mr. Trump was not considering a Putin proposal to make a former American ambassador available to the Russian authorities for questioning” did the Senate vote “98 to 0 in favor of a third nonbinding resolution expressing opposition to the Russian leader's suggestion.

But it was left to Democratic the Senator from Hawaii to express the intent of the body. “With this vote, the Senate has sent a message that is free from all ambiguity: Americans will not be handed over to Putin on our watch...Those who serve our nation do not answer to the Russian president, and they have the support of a thankful nation”, said Senator Brian Schatz. (1)

Perhaps, but not a thankful “president”, eager to throw anyone under the bus if it will divert attention from the crimes under investigation, diplomatic immunity be damned.

Nonbinding” resolutions, sound and fury signifying nothing. All this after the Republican-led Senate Intelligence Committee has concluded that there was Russian interference, and after Special Counsel Mueller has indicted over two score Russian nationals and companies to date, the spineless Rescumlican majority ignores the evidence and votes down two resolutions condemning the Russians; passing a third on diplomatic protocol only after the White House had backed off Putin's proposal. Meanwhile, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, desperate to please his boss by trying to quickly change the subject shifts his Russian focus to Religious “freedom”. (2) There is nothing guaranteed to distract the Rescumlican political base from objective reality faster than throwing red meat to the Christians or the gun nuts; that is, casting false pearls before real swine.

In any case, the best that 'responsible' Rescumlicans could muster were 'nonbinding' resolutions. Sound and not-so-much furry signifying nothing.

It is now clear that in Helsinki Putin administered a good shearing, for Caesar Disgustus and his Rescumlican Party are, in the words of Winston Churchill, sheep in sheep's clothing.

'An Br'er Putin, he jus' laugh and laugh”

Impeach and Imprison.

__________________

  1. Fandos, Nicholas and Sheryl Gay Strolberg “Republicans Block Anti-Putin Resolutions, Then Let One Fly.” The New York Times. Friday, July 20, 2018. Page A15
  2. Dias, Elizabeth. “Pompeo Shifts Russia Focus to Freedom of Religion” The New York Times

July 21, 2018: The Fallout Continues, A Cheap Banjo, Twist In The Wind



The fallout from the Helsinki Surrender continues. Apparently, our Idiot-in-chief has not only taken Putin's suggestion, or was it hair-brained proposal by Disgustus, that we join forces with Russian Intelligence to get to the bottom of the 2016 election mess. Mirroring as it does a similar joint proposal at last year's meeting with Putin that we join forces to create a world-wide cyber security organization, tRUMP emerged from this most recent meeting touting the idea that both countries join hands in the investigation. Instead of handing Putin a copy of the indictments handed down by an American Grand Jury involving a dozen Russian military intelligence officers and demanding their extradition in order to face justice, Disgustus emerged from his two-hour confab with this lame proposal. Once again the great negotiator has met a strong-man on the world stage and once again he has folded like a cheap lawn chair.

And, to add insult to injury, here was Disgustus telling the world that Putin offered to allow Mueller to come to Russia to question those indicted and, in exchange, we would surrender our former Ambassador to Russia on tRUMPed-up charges involving a wholly bogus Russian claim that Ambassador Michael McPhail was involved in some money-laundering scheme in which some $400,000.00 made its way into the Clinton campaign. Faced with the prospect of surrendering a diplomat to Russian “justice”, tRUMP stood before the world and told us that it was an idea worth considering.

The ever-cagey Putin, played Disgustus like a cheap banjo, knowing that such a scheme would find favor with our national disgrace because it would somehow implicate Clinton. And, as predictable as the morning sunrise, here stood our “President Jackass”, towing the Russian line.

Last year's trial balloon was quickly shot down by every political figure in Washington as palpable nonsense. These proposals were met with outrage. Former Secretaries of State Madelyn Albright and John Kerry expressed immediate disgust. There were deep rumblings in “Foggy Bottom” causing congressional leadership as well as several members of the Foreign Relations committee to issue terse statements of condemnation. Finally, freshly minted Secretary of State Pompeo came to the defense of his department issuing a statement that no diplomats would be surrendered, but for more than twenty four hours Ambassador McPhail was left to twist in the wind.

Here we have our “head” of state willing to violate the principle of diplomatic immunity, as well as several treaties, in order to accommodate his Russian master. And here we have a Russian leader structuring proposals that violate the national interests of the United States by serving the interests of Donald J. tRUMP, knowing—as our national idiot does not, that even appearing to accept these ridiculous proposals further weakens the American presidency in the eyes of the country and the world.

It was a painful spectacle to witness, Putin in command watching with intent amusement as the man to his right filled his pants on the world stage. Disgustus, for his part, can only envision a follow-up performance later this year in Washington.

When will the Rescumlicans put a stop to this? At minimum there should be a call for an end to such meetings. At a minimum the Senate should demand that Disgustus never leave the country again, that during the rest of his tenure any meetings with foreign officials are off-limits, for the very good reason that he cannot be trusted.

It should be clear to even the dimmest bulb in Washington that this man has got to go. That there is no action on several bills of impeachment remains a national disgrace.

'An Br'er Putin, he jus' laugh and laugh”

Impeach and Imprison.

Jul 18, 2018

July 19, 2018: Ever Delusional, Howling Outrage, Stinking Up The People's House



Ever delusional, our very own Caesar Disgustus reportedly emerged from the Helsinki summit proud of himself. Immediately taking to tRUMP State News—otherwise known as Fox or Fixed News—he began to crow about his accomplishments.

However once aboard Air Force One he began watching the reviews being broadcast from America where even major figures on his beloved “Fox” were either standing in complete bewilderment or roundly condemning his behavior. All, except notably the idiots in residence Sean Hannity, Laura Ingraham, and Lou Dobbs. Otherwise the reception ranged, like the reaction of Washington, from icy silence to howling outrage.

Chief of staff John F. Kelly, with his ears much closer to the political wind, openly communicated with leaders of the Rescumlican Party that they needed to feel free to launch into a critique. Kelly, bringing in the president of Vice Mike Pence along with Defense Secretary Pompeo arranged for the two Mikes to sit down and patiently explain to the child 'president' that he had indeed shit his pants on the world stage. What followed as the production of a terse, carefully worded statement.

Looking for all the world like a kidnapped hostage reading the note of his captors tRUMP sat before the cameras and tried to explain it all away saying that he had simply misspoke meaning to say that he didn't see any reason why the Russians wouldn't have hacked the election instead of why they would have. It doesn't wash. The spectacle, if it weren't so serious, would be seen as a national joke, a parody, a farce. Then, after a Freudian slip in which he said “I don't see any reason why I wouldn't” before correcting himself to say the Russians, he went immediately off the rails. Saying that he accepted completely the findings of the intelligence community regarding the Russian assault upon our elections he then ad-libbed “it could have been somebody else too, there are a lot of people”, immediately in the same sentence once again undercutting the veracity of our intelligence services as well as the honesty of his acceptance.

Additionally, after agreeing with his staff on the statement, Disgustus not only added with 'magic marker' a reference that there had been no collusion with the Russians, but scratched out a line saying that anyone involved in the Russian effort would be brought to justice.

Here we have in graphic detail not only tRUMP's complicity but a demonstrated intent to negate any reference to any attempts to get to the bottom of all this and hold those responsible to account. By scratching out a call to bring those responsible before the law, he demonstrates for all to see his nefarious intent.

It is indeed a sad day for this country and the rage continues. Crowds outside the White House chanting “Welcome Home Traitor”, former Republican operatives, office holders and strategists from former Republican Congressman Joe Scarborough to John McCain's presidential campaign manager in open revulsion. Indeed, Steve Schmidt openly called for Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats to immediately step down and said there should be massive resignations in this White House in the wake of this debacle. Self respect demands it.

Indeed it does. Much has been made of the need felt by some in this administration to stay on in order to keep the 'child' president in the sandbox. But to what avail? Reports have surfaced that the staff prepared a 100 page brief for the idiot-in-chief prior to this meeting with Putin. The report, by all accounts, went unread. Instead tRUMP was up in Scotland golfing at one of his Russian financed resorts, plugging his real estate venture playing golf before cameras when he wasn't insulting our allies.

Yes, it is long past time for mass resignations. Public and loudly critical resignations. The country needs to see first hand how ignorant, incompetent, and venal is the man currently stinking up the people's mansion.

'An Br'er Putin, he jus' laugh and laugh”

Impeach and Imprison.






July 18, 2018: Child 'president', Inferring from Uranus, Sad Embarrassing Wreck of a Man



Conservative columnist and former Republican George Will has just published an opinion piece in The Washington Post, and syndicated throughout the United States. Here is the summary of what can be rightly called an appraisal of the careful assessment of what is now left of established conservatism of the behavior of our very own Caesar Disgustus. Here, in part, is Will's considered judgment:

America's child president”, writes Will, “had a play date with a KGB alumnus, who surely enjoyed providing day car. It was a useful, because illuminating, event: Now we shall see how many Republicans retain a capacity for embarrassment.

What, precisely, did President Trump say about the diametrically opposed statements by U.S. Intelligence agencies (and the Senate Intelligence Committee) and by Putin concerning Russia and the 2016 U.S. Elections? Precision is not part of Trump's repertoire: He speaks English as though it is a second language that he learned from someone who learned English last week. So, it is usually difficult to sift meanings from Trump's word salads. But in Helsinki he was, for him, crystal clear about feeling no allegiance to the intelligence institutions that work at his direction and under leaders he chose...

Speaking of Republicans incapable of blushing—those with the peculiar strength that comes from being incapable of embarrassment—consider Sen. Lindsey O. Graham (S.C.), who for years enjoyed derivative gravitas from his association with Sen. John McCain (Ariz.). Graham tweeted about Helsinki: 'Missed opportunity by President Trump to firmly hold Russia accountable for 2016 meddling and deliver a strong warning regarding future elections.' A 'missed opportunity' by a man who had not acknowledged the meddling?

Contrast Graham's mush with this on Monday from McCain, still vinegary: 'Today's press conference in Helsinki was one of the most disgraceful performances by and American president in memory.' Or this from Arizona's other senator, Jeff Flake ®. 'I never thought I would see the day when our American president would stand on the stage with the Russian President and place blame on the United States for Russian aggression.' Blame America only.

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, White House Chief of Staff John F. Kelly, Director of National Intelligence Daniel Coats and others might believe that they must stay in their positions lest there be no adult supervision of the Oval playpen. This is a serious worry, but so is this: Can those people do their jobs for someone who has neither respect nor loyalty for them?

Like the purloined letter in Edgar Allan Poe's short story with that title, collusion with Russia is hiding in plain sight. We shall learn from special counsel Robert S. Mueller III's investigation whether in 2016 there was collusion with Russia by members of the Trump campaign. The world, however, saw in Helsinki something more grave—ongoing collusion between Trump, now in power, and Russia. The collusion is in what Trump says (refusing to back the United States' intelligence agencies) and in what evidently went unsaid (such as: you ought to stop disrupting Ukraine, downing civilian airliners, attempting to assassinate people abroad using poisons, and so on, and on).

Americans elected a president who—this is a safe surmise—knew that he had more to fear from making his tax returns public than from keeping them secret. The most innocent inference is that for decades he has depended on an American weakness, susceptibility to the tacky charisma of wealth, which would evaporate when his tax returns revealed that he has always lied about his wealth, too. A more ominous explanation might be that his redundantly demonstrated incompetence as a businessman tumbled him into unsavory financial dependencies on Russians. A still more sinister explanation might be that the Russians have something else, something worse, to keep him compliant.

The explanation is in doubt; what needs to be explained—his compliance—is not. Granted, Trump has a weak man's banal fascination with strong men whose disdain for him is evidently unimaginable to him. And, yes, he only perfunctorily pretends to have priorities beyond personal aggrandizement. But just as astronomers inferred, from anomalies in the orbits of the planet Uranus, the existence of Neptune before actually seeing it, Mueller might infer, and then find, still-hidden sources of behavior of this sad, embarrassing wreck of a man” (1)

Well stated Mr. Will. For once you are dead on.

'An Br'er Putin, he jus' laugh and laugh”

Impeach and Imprison

___________________

Jul 17, 2018

July 17, 2018: Shameful, Disgraceful, Treasonous



Ol' Two-Cows George W. Bush famously looked into Putin's eyes and saw his soul; Caesar Disgustus looked into Putin's pants and, mouth agape, dropped to his knees.”
                 ----from "The Quotations of Chariman Joe

Shameful, disgraceful, treasonous”...is how Fox News host Shepard Smith characterized the performance of Caesar Disgustus on the world stage. As the world recoils from the disaster that is our modern Caligula, we are left in bewilderment as the world asks “What the hell are you going to do about this fool?”

What is frightening about the latest display of Presidential villainy is not what was said as he stammered through a mouthful of Russian sperm at the press conference following his two-hour one-on-one meeting with his male paramour, it is what he may have committed to when meeting in secret.

The chorus of condemnation following tRUMP's latest wretched spectacle reverberates throughout the land, indeed around the world. Everyone, including former CIA chief Brennan who called the behavior of Disgustus 'treasonous', have weighed in with condemnation. Senators McCain, Flake, Lindsay, Schumer and others have expressed indignation. House Speaker Ryan stepped forward to reiterate our traditional foreign policies and express support for our allies, while calling out the 'president' for his gaffes. Even Murdoch's "Fox and Fiends" excoriated Disgustus.   Only Senator Rand Paul—always the outlier and always the idiot—expressed overt support for Putin's useful idiot.  
In the wake of the disaster at Helsinki reports are surfacing that during the NATO conference, Disgustus had snubbed our traditional allies choosing instead to hang out with Turkish strong-man Erdogan. Then, it was revealed that in a recent interview when asked to name the nation's foes, Disgustus put the European Union first and at the top of the list.

Our allies are in dismay as they struggle to find their footing in the wake of tRUMP's World Disaster Tour, with the German foreign minister suggesting that perhaps it is now time for Europe to go its own way. Indeed it is.

The country, indeed the world, was waiting to see what Disgustus is made of. As I have pointed out in these columns, going into this 'summit' was going to be nothing but a repeat of an all too familiar pattern. Disgustus will trash our alliances, undermine our friendships, and embrace our adversary. And so it was.

The reaction has been swift and certain. “Trump Shows The World He's Putin's Lackey” wrote The New York Times Michelle Goldberg. David Brooks, on the same Op-Ed page wrote about “The West's Murder-Suicide”. Both chronicling the steep decline of American Standing as tRUMP turns his back on every value held dear by the West, betraying his nation and our allies in service to his Russian overlord.

No Matter How Low your expectations for the summit between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin on Monday,” writes Goldberg, “it was hard not to be staggered by the American president's slavish and toadying performance.”

On Friday, the Justice Department indicted 12 members of Russia's military intelligence service for criminal conspiracy to interfere with the 2016 election and hurt Hillary Clinton's campaign. The same day, Trump's director of national intelligence, Dan Coats, gave a speech about America's vulnerability to cyberattacks, particularly from Russia. 'I'm here to say, the warning lights are blinking red again,' he said, comparing the threat to the one that preceded Sept. 11.” (1)

Indeed, with the DOJ indictments handed down last Friday, demonstrating in graphic detail how it was done and by whom, it was expected that the 'president' would hand the indictments to Putin and demand the extradition of these Russian intelligence officers for trial in the United States. It was left up to Chris Wallace of Fox News to confront Putin and hand him the indictments. Instead, Disgustus went rambling on about how he had won the election and that it was all a 'witch hunt' whining about how unfairly he has been treated.

Europe is America's mother continent”, writes David Brooks. “Our foundational institutions were inherited from Europe. Our democracy is Greek and British. Our Universities are German. The etiquette book George Washington read to improve himself was translated from French, and so were Thomas Jefferson's ideals” (2).

Brooks could have added that we get our economics from Europe from the Scottish Capitalist Adam Smith to the German Communist Karl Marx, to everything in between. Fabian and syndicalist socialism? European.  Catholicism?  European.  Protestantism?  European.  

Europe represented a path to progress; America saw itself embracing that path and surpassing it...As a young adult nation, we took what Europe had and started democratizing it for our own purposes”, finally, in the aftermath of the world wars, our 'parents' “Partner” (3)

Over the weekend, Trump ripped the partnership to threads. He said the European Union is our 'foe.' On Monday, Trump essentially sided with Vladimir Putin, who has become the biggest moral and political enemy of the Euro-American relationship. Trump essentially dropped a project that has oriented American culture and policy for centuries. He pointed us to a world in which the central ethos is that might makes right”...

His embrace of Putin Monday was a victory dance on the Euro-American tomb”. (4)

'An Br'er Putin, he jus' laugh and laugh.

Impeach and Imprison.

_______________________

  1. Goldberg, Michelle. “Trump Shows The World He's Putin's Lackey”. The New York Times. Tuesday, July 17, 2018. Page A21
  2. Brooks, David. The West's Murder-Suicide” The New York Times. Tuesday, July 17, 2018
    Page A21.
  3. Ibid
  4. Ibid.




Jul 16, 2018

July 15, 2018: Surrender at Helsinki, Disgraceful Performances, Tragic Mistake.


Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator John McCain (R-AZ), Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, released the following statement today on President Trump’s meeting and press conference with Vladimir Putin in Helsinki:

“Today’s press conference in Helsinki was one of the most disgraceful performances by an American president in memory. The damage inflicted by President Trump’s naiveté, egotism, false equivalence, and sympathy for autocrats is difficult to calculate. But it is clear that the summit in Helsinki was a tragic mistake.

“President Trump proved not only unable, but unwilling to stand up to Putin. He and Putin seemed to be speaking from the same script as the president made a conscious choice to defend a tyrant against the fair questions of a free press, and to grant Putin an uncontested platform to spew propaganda and lies to the world.

“It is tempting to describe the press conference as a pathetic rout – as an illustration of the perils of under-preparation and inexperience. But these were not the errant tweets of a novice politician. These were the deliberate choices of a president who seems determined to realize his delusions of a warm relationship with Putin’s regime without any regard for the true nature of his rule, his violent disregard for the sovereignty of his neighbors, his complicity in the slaughter of the Syrian people, his violation of international treaties, and his assault on democratic institutions throughout the world. 

“Coming close on the heels of President Trump’s bombastic and erratic conduct towards our closest friends and allies in Brussels and Britain, today’s press conference marks a recent low point in the history of the American Presidency. That the president was attended in Helsinki by a team of competent and patriotic advisors makes his blunders and capitulations all the more painful and inexplicable.

“No prior president has ever abased himself more abjectly before a tyrant. Not only did President Trump fail to speak the truth about an adversary; but speaking for America to the world, our president failed to defend all that makes us who we are—a republic of free people dedicated to the cause of liberty at home and abroad. American presidents must be the champions of that cause if it is to succeed. Americans are waiting and hoping for President Trump to embrace that sacred responsibility. One can only hope they are not waiting totally in vain.”  (1)

______________

(1). https://www.mccain.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?p=press-releases&id=A99FDA26-673D-4560-B4EA-5AEDF0685EC5


Jul 14, 2018

July 14, 2018: Bringing the House Down, Forces of Disintegration, Huge Orange Balloon.



Europe has been embroiled in internecine conflict for centuries increasingly, from the eighteenth unto the twentieth century, involving the rest of the world. Conflict arising from the “War of Jenkin's Ear” and the Spanish Succession, to religious and dynastic conflicts to, in the wake of the French Revolution, increasingly nationalistic ordeals. It was, in large measure, to escape these conflicts that the founders of this republic separated Church and State, and forged a union so as not to “Balkanize” the continent thereby inviting further European intrusion. It was for these reasons that President Monroe established his “Doctrine”.

Nevertheless, we have found ourselves drawn back into European conflicts culminating the wars of the twentieth century; and it was in the aftermath of those horrendous conflicts that Roosevelt and Churchill began constructing a new order, first at the Atlantic Conference then at Bretton Woods, New Hampshire, producing the U.N., the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund. These were later followed by the Marshall Plan to rebuild Europe and the NATO alliance as well as continued American support for a movement, best promoted by German Chancellor Konrad Adenauer, to unite Europe into a United States' like continental political expression as well as a common market. A strong and united Europe capable of contributing the common defense as well as a strong trading partner.

For nearly four score years the arrangement has kept the peace. It is a remarkable, given the history of the region, achievement. And, after nearly eight decades, Europe has emerged—even given its problems—as much stronger than the old Soviet Union, prosperous and strong.

It has its problems, most of which have been caused by an ill-advised rapid expansion eastward, causing much of the current conflict with the Russians as it tries to absorb and assimilate, among other places, the contentious Balkans. But it has kept the peace and provided—albeit with American support—an umbrella and a framework for building and progress.

None of this means anything to the buffoon currently residing at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Disgustus, for the most nefarious of reasons, is determined to bring the European house down.

It was reported in The New York Times that during this week's NATO conclave Disgustus threatened to pull out of the organization unless his demands are met. The assembled should have looked him coldly in the eye and asked him to leave. They should have declared an end to any further discussions with the United States and sent him packing. In wake of the 97-2 Senate vote, and unanimous voice-vote of the House declaring support for the organization just prior to his flight to the European conference, Disgustus would have been made to return to this country having to explain his behavior while in civilized company. Imagine, if you will, a properly outraged Senate demanding that he appear before the body and answer for his behavior. Don't hold your breath.

Instead he was left free to continue upon his rampage through Europe insulting our British friends, threatening the British Government by withholding a trade deal demanding that the UK sever its ties with the EU. The May government, a coalition with very little room to maneuver has found itself trying to untangle the economic and political ties to the EU while not causing serious economic dislocations. It is worth remembering that Boris Johnson, with the help of the Russians—who helped engineer the Brexit movement as well as the vote—demanded a referendum on the European Union. Then Conservative Prime Minister Cameron, thinking that such nonsense would be roundly defeated, put the question before the people, unaware of what was transpiring behind the scenes. The result was a potential disaster with Britain finding itself a pariah on its own continent, cast alone with only a lifeline to it's most reliable ally left to cling to. Enter Disgustus.

Doing the Kremlin's bidding, our very own Caligula, determined to wreak the greatest damage upon the institutions of the West, threw the weight of the United States behind the centrifugal forces of disintegration. Threatening the UK with economic retaliation if it does not sever its ties with the continent and the singling out Johnson as someone who “would make a great prime minister”, Disgustus let it be known what is demanded of our friends. He spoke the The Sun about how he would love to see the term "England" reapplied to the nation; an not-so-subtle attempt to give a wink and a nod to Scottish and Welsh separatist movements.  He gave encouragement to 'white' nationalists, criticizing Europe and Britain for their immigration policies claiming that it would destroy their culture.   Then, to drive the point home, he went about violating every known protocol when in the presence of Queen Elizabeth as he strolled about the grounds during a military review.

As Europe watched, Disgustus, violating all the norms of civilized conduct, went about trashing everything in site. Like in his home country all of this is comforting to the crypto fascists and other rabid nationalists throughout Europe; none of this is reassuring to our closest friends.

Not since Chamberlain met Hitler at Munich has a British Prime Minister such cause to dread a meeting with the 'leader' of another country.  Disgustus can be reliably only disgusting.  The only question remaining is what form it will take.

It is noteworthy that the visit of Disgustus to the U.K. Has been delayed several times. His visit had been downgraded from a state visit to a working visit. He chose to stay out of the public view, to parade himself down the streets of London, because of the hundreds of thousands of protesters filling the streets beneath a huge orange balloon of an infantile 'tRUMP' complete with small hands, cell phone and snarling expression as it floated be-diapered above the crowd.

And still the fool thinks he is 'winning', telling Murdoch's The Sun that if 'honest' polls were taken they would show huge support for his policies. Right, like the polls in Russia showing 10 percent approval, 71 percent unfavorable, 77 per cent see him as self-centered, 58 per cent think he is dangerous and only 16 percent see him as trustworthy. (1) Compare this to his 16 per cent current approval rating in the U.K. And compare it with what it is here in the United States. Clearly, the Russians take the greatest measure of the 'man', perhaps revealing the inverse relationship between the level of disgust with tRUMP and the relative influence of one rogue Australian media mogul. In any case, this is how the world now sees us. Disgustus is no longer amusing; Disgustus is no longer entertaining; Disgustus is frightening, dangerous and universally reviled. Is it no wonder, then, that tRUMP steadfastly avoids the 'people' and gives interviews only with Murdoch's tabloid The Sun while on his current World Vandal Tour?

The bubble that is 'tRUMPworld' floats above the outraged world like “le Infant Terrible”
that hovered over an angry London. Meanwhile, back in the states, congressional Rescumlicans grille a career FBI agent in a desperate attempt to obfuscate, obstruct, and smear the ongoing investigation into the crimes and misdemeanors of this bastard administration.

'An Br'er Putin, he jus' laugh and laugh”

Impeach and Imprison.

________________

(1). https://www.aol.com/article/news/2018/07/14/poll-majority-of-russians-dislike-president-donald-trump/23482100/









Jul 13, 2018

July 13, 2018: All Too Familiar Pattern, Defecating on Diplomatic Tables, Stench that Fills the Air




It has become an all too familiar pattern: Our Caesar Disgustus moves among our allies, defecating on diplomatic tables, as he makes his way toward a more important rendezvous where he will kneel before the tin-horn dictator and play the skin flute.”

                     ----from "The Quotations of Chairman Joe"


He is beyond a mere national embarrassment. He is beyond a mere national humiliation. He has and is committing more than mere collusion. He is committing sedition, indeed treason.

For the second time in as many months Caesar Disgustus has gone to Europe and defecated on the diplomatic table, deeply offending everyone present—indeed perhaps even senior members of his own administration who are, after all, left with the disagreeable job of cleaning up his mess.

This time it was not only NATO, but the European Union. The NATO summit which, anticipating tRUMP's all-too-predictable boorish behavior, was approached with all the enthusiasm of root canal work. Indeed, the twit did not disappoint his knuckle-dragging followers, berating the Germans for their energy policy demonstrating at once his blinding ignorance of the subject matter. Grossly exaggerating the percentage of German natural gas purchased from the Russians, tRUMP-who can never be educated about anything, kept repeating statistics pulled wholly from the ass of his national security adviser John Bolton. No correction of the record sinks in with this clown. Instead, as the cameras roll our national humiliation continues to prattle on, butt-fuck ignorant and proud of it.

After accusing the Germans of being in the pocket of the Russians, and projecting upon Angela Merkle his own crime of being Putin's Puppet, Disgustus then went on to again question the need for the alliance and to berate those present for not contributing enough toward the joint military commitments. MSNBC had a former ambassador to NATO on the air late in the week explaining that the Europeans offer the use of military bases in Spain, Italy and elsewhere to the United States and, in fact, pay us to station our troops there. The ambassador said that it would cost us more to bring the troops home than keep them there. Then there is the joint commitment of our NATO allies to military action in Afghanistan and elsewhere in the war on terror. It was pointed out during the television interview that the European Union spends more on defense that the entire Russian military budget, and equals that of China, the ambassador underscoring the point as a means of demonstrating that this alliance is not only necessary but powerful.

Of course, at the end of the conference, Disgustus was seen standing alone at an impromptu press conference telling the assembled that he had forced concessions from the group, getting greater commitments to military spending. No sooner had the stench of his presence left the assembly than the President of France promptly informed the world that no such agreement had been reached and that the alliance is to proceed on spending schedules previously reached with the Obama Administration.

Nevertheless, here was Disgustus standing before the world—as at Singapore—crowing about mountains unclimbed. Whatever fealty tRUMP professed to our allies in the wake, it is clear that the alliance has been further shaken. In this, he has done the work of his mentor as he prepares to go to Helsinki and kneel to service him.

Indeed, prior to the trip reports surfaced that Disgustus has offered the French certain financial incentives to follow Britain out of the European Union. The French were having none of it, but it is clear that Disgustus will leave no stone unturned in his quest to service the Russian national interest.

But he wasn't finished. Prior to his London visit, Disgustus sat down for an interview with The Sun, a London tabloid. It is interesting how Disgustus is always drawn to tabloids, but in this case, The Sun gave us some real news. The result was described by the paper as “incendiary” as Disgustus told the paper “ In an extraordinary intervention timed to coincide with his U.K. Visit, Mr. Trump said Theresa May ignored his advice by opting a soft Brexit strategy.

And he warned her any attempts to maintain close ties with the EU would make a lucrative US trade deal very unlikely.

Mr. Trump said:'If they do a deal like that, we would be dealing with the European Union instead of the dealing with the UK, so it will probably kill the deal”.

Disgustus then went rabbiting on:

                *Accusing “EU leaders of destroying its culture and identity by allowing in millions of migrants

    • Tearing “into London Mayor Sadiq Khan for not standing up to terrorists
    • Blaming “Khan for spiraling crime in the capital
    • Insisting “former Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson would make 'a great Prime Minister”'
    • Denying “one branding Theresa May a 'bossy schoolteacher'”
    • Maintaining “he would keep ties with Russian tyrant Vladimir Putin despite the Salisbury Novichok poisonings”
    • Once again “demanded Britain and other NATO countries spend more on defense
    • Spoke of his sadness at feeling unwelcome in the capital by anti-Trump protesters”
    • claimed millions of Brits backed his policies
    • told of his pride at taking his wife Melania to meet the Queen.

It remains unclear, as of this writing, if his hosts let him ride in the Cinderella coach on his way to the ball; but one thing is certain—he turned into a pumpkin (and a stinking overripe pumpkin at that) well before his arrival.

One can forgive Prime Minister May for not heeding the advice of our village idiot. After all, as videos gleaned from congressional testimony back in the '80's show, tRUMP is no stranger to stupidity. Tapes surfaced this week of our ignoramus testifying before congress telling the assembled that science declaring Asbestos a carcinogen was faulty and should be ignored, indeed berating the congressmen for their temerity in banning the substance. This was well before his much ballyhooed denials on climate change, or his embrace of Birtherism and other tin-hat conspiracies. Indeed tRUMP is a catch-basin for all the flotsam and jetsam coursing its way through the backwater of American culture dignified by a defiant ignorance that beggars the imagination. Why would anyone take him seriously?

To underscore the point, he went on blathering about how he had “doubled” or “tripled” the GDP of the country in the last 18 months, demonstrating that he doesn't have the foggiest idea of what the Gross Domestic Product of the country is. At 17 trillion dollars, the tripling of the dollar amount of goods and services, which would take 20 years for the former and 30 years for the latter, without a corresponding increase in the money supply would have resulted in catastrophic deflation, producing an economic depression the likes of which the world has never seen.

But such is the level of idiotic braggadocio that passes for informed opinion in this administration; and such is the level of press coverage that no reporter calls him out on this nonsense to his face. Instead the madness is allowed to linger, like the stench that fills the air in the wake of his every move.

'An Br'er Putin he jus' laugh and laugh”

Impeach and Imprison.

___________________

(1). Dunn, Tom Newton. “Trump's Brexit Blast” https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/6766531/trump-may-brexit-us-deal-off/