Truth Or Lies

What a Weekend!
First, well actually in no particular order, we have Trump declaring that the NFL ahs sent him a letter protesting the dates for the dabates because two of the three fal on the same nights as nationally televised games.  The NFL declared that it ahd sent no such letter.
Then Trump declared that Russia had not interfered in Ukraine territory.  We all know that in fct, that have taken over Crimea.  Let's give Trump the benefit of the doubt, perhaps Trump doesn't know that was part of Ukraine.  Over 100 countries are protesting Russia's annexation of Crimea.  But Trump doesn't know that.
Finally, at least this time Trump phrased his latest absurdity as conjecture, maybe Mrs Khan wasn't permitted by her husband to speak.

Just this weekend!  Until recently, I truly felt that Trump was basically manipulative, that he knew what he was saying as to its truth, falsehood, rationale, etc.  Not anymore.  Trump is floundering for words to say.  Anything to combat what has already been stated.  He is both without knowledge and insight.  And when he can't find lies with words of content, he resorts to name calling.

And his comments are downright stupid, often against his true self interest.  He encouraged Russia to hack Clinton's emails.  Of course, later denying it.  But the point is that he is building up a dossier against himself of words in support of Russia.  Then his son says the Trump complex gets loans from Russia.  Then Trump won't release his tax returns.  You can't make this stuff up.

More stupidity - how could he equate his work in business as any kind of  sacrifice at all, let alone as the Khan's very real sacrifice, whose son was killed in Iran. 

As a pundit said on msnbc this weekend, you better believe every journalist in the USA, maybe the in the world, is trying to get the scoop that will reveal the truth of this.  I add, they will get a Pulitzer, whoever succeeds.

Already everyone is predicting that he will manipulate his way out of the presidential debates.  His initial foray into this effort was stupid - the dates were set by a bipartisan commission a year ago, taking into account everything from federal and religious holidays to baseball playoffs.  But not good enough for Trump.

Tony Schwartz, who ghost wrote Trump's Art of the deal, is right.  Trump is a sociopath.  He is ultimately dangerous.  Were he to become President, I would quickly make bets on when he would be impeached.  A sure bet, but we can't put the nation through that.

Political Suicide

Today Steve Cortes, Trump's campaign surrogate, said that "The US Constitution doesn't permit the country to commit suicide."  This statement was in explanation of Trump's advocacy of various manifestations of a ban of Moslem entrance into the US.  The biggest fear of the US committing national "suicide" is electing Trump.  The remarkable aspect of The US Constitution is that anyone can run for President and has the potential to take us down a ultimately dangerous path.

History

History is and isn't a reason to support or vote for a candidate.  Remembering what demagogues have wrought in the past is an critical reason to reject demagogue now.  Reaching a new level of inclusion by having a woman as President in and of itself is not a reason to support and vote for a woman.  But when that woman candidate is of the highest competence and can defeat the most dangerous candidate - perhaps in the history of this nation - we have a double winner.
Here are my ancestors - my mom is the "baby" in 1916 or 1917 with her mother, grandmother and great grandmother.  My grandmother, born before woman's right to vote, cherished her right to vote and never missed an opportunity.  None of them lived to see this day.

Good News

Google has reported that since the DNC Convention, searches for "voter registration" has spiked!
Way To Go

YIKES!!!!

Donald Trump has said:
"I have a relationship with Putin"
"I was in Moscow recently"
"He couldn't have been nicer"

HMMMMMM....................and Trump is now eligible for a security briefing from the US Government?  EEGAD!!!!!!!!

Donald, Here's My Question

So Donald doesn't want to release his tax forms, giving the (phoney) excuse that they are "under audit".  Here's my question, Donald: why not release the most recent year's tax return that it NOT under audit?  Explain why not, Donald.  Especially now that there are legitimate questions about your financial dealings or links with Russia.  Not to mention continuing questions about your real actual charitable contributions.  Why not, Donald?

Finally

Republicans are beginning to take the big step from not supporting trump to supporting Hilary Clinton actively.  Finally some noted Republicans are saying that Hillary will be the most capable, qualified President.  Period.  Here are some names:
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2016/07/25/the-biggest-gop-names-backing-hillary-clinton-so-far.html
Finally - some Republicans putting the country ahead of political party. 

But the saddest case, for me, is Paul Ryan.  He is a committed, principled conservative.  Ryan continues to speak out against Trump's most absurd positions, but still supports him.  Only time will tell as what that will do to Ryan's political future.

Call It Treason

Donald Trump invited Russia to look for Hillary Clinton's emails.  When he got bipartisan backlash, he claimed that he was being sarcastic.  Do Russia power brokers understand sarcasm?  I don't think so.  Trump invited a cyber attack on the USA.  He has cleaned up his comments many times by saying, one way or another, he didn't really mean it.  But he has never retreated from his repeated comments that the NATO treaty, the basis of Western Europe's security since World War II.  Can you hear Putin licking his chops?
Does Trump have any financial tie to Russia?  How would we know - Trump won't release his taxes!

Politics Is Dirty Busuiness

Yes, politics is dirty.  It has been since at least Andrew Jackson's day.  Not that I'm approving of dirty business, but it's simply the fact.  The DNC got caught.  Do you think Trump is any better?  Is it on a high moral level to call Hillary "Crooked Hillary" or "Lying Ted" or  "Pocahontas"?  What about the unfounded accusations toward Ted Cruz's father?  It seems that the DNC is being singled out while Trump's crude public assaults seem ok.  Because he has inured us with his verbal assaults.  By the way, if Hillary wins in November, Trump has already set her up to be illegitimate - just like he did with President Obama.  So, what is more insidious?   Yes, politics is a dirty business. 

Unfortunate

I just listened to 2 devoted young supporters of Bernie Sanders.  They declared, rather petulantly, that they had no intention to vote for Hillary Clinton.  One said that she hadn't produced anything.  Obviously, this young adults don't see the larger picture.  And Bernie Sanders created a "Revolution" without parameters.
Remember the Big Picture.  The Supreme Court.  The Affordable Care Act.   A Woman's Right to Choose.  Same Sex Marriage.  All could be gone!
GET OVER IT AND GET ON BOARD !

DNC Day 1

What a powerful display of talent.  Cory Booker, Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders.  What a powerful view of cultural diversity.  I heard a Republican comment that "they" were going for every subgroup's vote.  This Republican just didn't get  it - the Democrats weren't "going for their votes" - this is who is the Democratic Party - an full on embrace of the cultural diversity of the United States of America.   
The evening was a richness of ideas and full of proposals based on the current needs of our country overall.  Yes, problems were also pointed out - but in relation to how they can be fixed.  No need to fear monger here - because constructive suggestions or even solutions were readily proposed.
Debbie Wasserman Schultz took one for the team.  The democratic Party addresses its issues and solves them.  A couple points on that count.  Do remember that Bernie Sanders was not and is not a registered Democrat.  He is an Independent, running as a democrat.  Maybe it isn't so bad that the DNC put its finger on the scale.  If the Republicans had done that, they would have managed to select a more appropriate candidate. 
One thing we can reasonably conclude - that the Wikileaks were not found by a friend of the Democratic Party.  Imagine - the two likely culprits are the Republican Party/Trump or Russia/Putin.  What does that say about who takes issue with the Democrat's position.  Actually, it was most reasonably posited that Putin ahs a deep grudge against Hillary Clinton for past differences.  And, of course, Trump has taken positions which appeal to Putin - Trump's willingness to dismiss the obligations of the NATO Alliance (the basis of Western Europe's security since World War II)  and Trump's stated affinity for working Putin.  Hmmm...why would PUtin want to see Trump as President of the United States?  Can you say feeding a mouse to a lion?

Hmmmmmm

Did you hear reports of Trump's rant against Ted Cruz today?  Did you hear that Trump say that he is considering funding a PAC against Cruz if Cruz runs in 2020?  Hmmmmm.  Does that mean Trump wouldn't run for a second term? OR that Trump knows he isn't going to win a first term?  Yipee.

Governor Kasich

Governor Kasich spoke to the press, revealing that Trump's son approached him two weeks before the Republican Convention and offered him the Vice President place on Trump's ticket.  The promise from Trump - that Kasich would run "domestic and foreign policy".  When Kasich asked what Trump would do, Trump replied, "Make America great again".  In other words, Trump's son is saying that his dad  wouldn't be running the government!  EE-GAD!

Think About It

The Republicans pursued President bill Clinton relentlessly - literally to impeachment over a personal sexual infidelity.  Republicans declared President Barak Obama an illegitimate President due to his place of birth (inaccurately) and openly stated their objective of obstructing the goals of his Presidency.  Now Republicans are setting up Hillary Clinton to be a "criminal" President. 

Has the Democratic Party EVER questioned the legitimacy of the Presidencies of Reagan, George HW Bush or George W Bush?  NO  Did the Democratic Party ever seriously beat up up Bush 43 because of 9/11?  NO!

I read a quote from Bush 43 that he thinks he might be the last Republican President!

WHY?  Perhaps because the so-called principles of the Republican Party are hopelessly bereft ideas held by an elite minority.  Whatever the reason, the ethics of the Republican Party are disgusting and contrary to the foundation and growth of the USA

DISARRAY

In the grand scheme of things, I don't mind - not too much anyway - the plagiarism by Melania Trump.  More to the point is the very public confirmation of what thinking people have known for months. That the Trumps are NOT READY FOR PRIME TIME GOVERNING. 
The trump campaign is strewn with missteps and errors - even Republican operatives are calling the 'unforced errors".  Truth be told, the "unforced errors" delight me.  But not when I think about what those kinds of errors would look like by the President of the Untied States.
Let's see what the candidate does with his security briefings.

It Gets Worse

I found an interesting website today.  Confirms my gut feeling about Trump.  Read this: https://mic.com/articles/148976/donald-trump-s-ghostwriter-tony-schwartz-says-trump-presidency-may-end-society#.U5cvDfUx7

In response to the dreadful events of the past weeks, Trump says, "Something is going on."  Mysterious.  When questioned, he won't reply.  Journalists indicate that Trump is blaming President Obama, Hillary Clinton and the Democrats.    Trump just shrugs and says he is the "law and order candidate".  At his rallies, he says that dissenters, in the past, would have been carried out on stretchers.  He promises to pay legal expenses for supporters who get arrested for inciting violence.  Yes, something is going on all right.

He is stoking fear in a time of serious tumult.  So that he can win an election. 
His tactics are identical to those of Hitler.

Then we read that he says he might not want "to do the Presidency thing" if he wins.  Because he doesn't have a clue and he is clever enough to know it. 

All this undermines the foundational fabric of American society.  Obama is an illegitimate President and incompetent.  Hillary Clinton is a "crook".  Ted Cruz is a "lying", our elective officals are incompetent and the "system is rigged".  He has a negative adjective for any politician who criticizes or disagrees with him. 

Then is says something is going on.  Yes, something is going on - he is undermining the fabric of American society.  Does he realize the extent of the damage he is doing?  I don't know.

But the problem is that he will not have a clue as to how to put this discontent back in the bottle.   Jeb Bush correctly perceives that Trump cannot build the wall nor ban all Moslems.  Trump will only further disillusion his own supporters.  But I will go further - for his supporters, Trump ahs ended their belief in the government of the Untied States of America.  This is a recipe for unrest on a monumental scale domestically.  This doesn't even begin to address what he would do on the international scene. Nor the views of his potential Vice Presidential candidate.

He makes Nixon look like a choir boy.

what a week

i have many thoughts and, just as i want to express them, my laptop battery fritzed out.
check back next week for complete thoughts. meanwhile, pray and love.

Shame, Paul Ryan

Donald Trump is talking about how great Sadam Hussein was in disposing of terrorists.  Which is incorrect, by the way.  And puts Trump in the position of praising Hussein's lack of judicial process and his genocidal aggression against the Kurds.
BUT!  Meanwhile, who is Speaker Paul Ryan advocating to prohibit from receiving classified information?  Hillary Clinton. 
Shame, Paul Ryan.
Meanwhile, Speaker Ryan's House of Representatives is planning FIVE committee investigations into the decision to not prosecute Hillary Clinton.
Trump talks about a "rigged system",  But the right question is, what is power worth that drives Republicans to go to these lengths?  It is time for the Republicans to disavow Trump... if they care about the future of the United States of America.
You can't make this stuff up.

Party or Country ?

That is what is comes down to.  Trump would be a disaster for the Untied states of America.  actually, he already is.  His presumptive candidacy has resulted in a total absence of a serious discussion of the issues facing the country.  Instead, he lobs insults and lies.

Trump's rise is the fault of the Republican Party.  Responsible, serious Republicans gave silent nods to his mouthing off since 2012 with the start of his accusation that Obama was foreign born.  Then, he continued his insults, like calling current leaders stupid and worse.  Again, serious Republicans looked the other way.

Then the Republican Party held a primary with 17 candidates.  So no one candidate emerged with a majority.  The Party could have taken steps to shape the field and the race.  In a field of three, four or even five, a reasonable candidate would have emerged.  But no, they let Trump continue on until he gained a plurality.

The Republican Party created this irresponsible candidate who knows nothing of governing nor foreign affairs.

The Republican Party created this mess.  Why aren't they willing to fix it? 

Or, is the Party willing to wait until Trump orders the military to commit war crimes?  When he tries to default on the US debt?  Refuses to pay back the principle on the average citizen's US Treasury bonds?  Then what?  Impeachment? 

Watch who Trump selects for Vice President - he could very well become President when Trump is impeached.  Or, Trump just gets bored or can't take the heat.

The Republican Party needs to fix this.