Hillary is a Crook; Obama is an Educated Fool; and Trump is a Loudmouth Boor. Whodoyawant fer Prez?

Now let’s see how this works…If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck…it is probably a duck.  Obama is the President who desperately wants to get his Iran Nuclear Deal approved to (so he believes) cement his legacy.   A key player in getting Iran to sign said agreement is Putin, who is the power behind the Iranian throne.  Putin has his greedy fingers into all things that are Russian and profit-making, such as an effort by Russian company Uranium One to corner the world’s uranium market.  Hillary Clinton is Secretary of State and pretty much has a free-hand (consolation prize from her loss to Obama and price of admission into his Administration) in all things foreign policy.  Hillary is in the midst of her presidential quest that, from all appearances, seems bound for glorious success.  Oh…by the way…uranium is a base ingredient for nuclear weapons and is the fuel for nuclear generators, which just happen to account for 19.7 percent of America’s electrical generation.  The Russian effort to get their uranium deal approved through our government involved about 20 percent of all American uranium deposits.  And…just as a side note…as is the case in all things Russian, the effort by Russian interests in seeking this uranium deal approval involved bribery, money laundering, and other various nefarious practices and…the U.S. Government knew this was going on because that had a confidential informant undercover in the negotiations, placed there by the FBI.  And to add one more layer of bizarre to this episode, the FBI and the Obama Administration chose for some reason (what could that reason possibly be now?) not to disclose this criminal activity to the Congress, who was at that time evaluating the uranium deal as part of their oversight responsibilities.  Now, that just about sets the stage.

Obama gets his Iranian Deal signed by the rulers of Iran, with the prodding of Putin’s Russia and with the shipping of pallets loaded with cash (yes…stacks of bundled currency) directly to the Iranian rulers.  Picture in your mind what a payoff looks like; yep…that’s it.  So while they are aware of Russian government involvement and sponsorship of illegal activities in the uranium deal, the Obama Administration keeps that information secret, ships cold hard cash to the Iranian rulers to use as they please (terrorists, line up for your share),  turns a blind eye to Clinton’s personal enrichment in the deal (more on that to come), enlists the mainstream media in touting the utter brilliance of the agreement, and gets Iranian rulers to sign off on a list of promises that they obviously have no intention of honoring.  Law be damned; ethics be damned; national security be damned; all things are expendable in the quest of a legacy.

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Now as Obama and his ilk were providing cover, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton watches her husband stroll over to Russia and receive a cool $500,000 to make a speech for the bank that is backing the uranium deal.  Simultaneously, approximately $2.35 million flows into the Clinton Foundation from a foundation set up by Uranium One’s (the Russian front company in the uranium deal) chairman.  And as anyone who has been paying attention whatsoever knows, once money goes into the Clinton Foundation black hole, no one knows where it goes.  So while serving in the office that is responsible as the President’s chief foreign affairs adviser, Hillary Clinton is lining her pockets with cash while compromising not only her office as Secretary of State; but also compromising the very security of this nation by enabling the uranium deal.  Law be damned; ethics be damned; national security be damned; all things are expendable in the quest for cash.

And where is Donald Trump in all of this?  Where is the Russian collusion that we have been hearing about constantly from the Democrats and the mainstream media for over a year?  The so-called collusion that Robert Mueller (who by the way was running the FBI during the uranium deal) and his superstar (?) team of ace prosecutors are seeking?  While the mainstream media is all over Donald Trump Jr. entertaining overtures of possible opposition research material on Hillary Clinton, they are strangely quiet while the Clinton campaign and the DNC is surreptitiously paying out over $9 million ($5.6m Clinton/$3.6m DNC) to fund  the so-called Trump dossier.  Oh…and by the way…no one can recall those payments for the dossier’s production and somehow it was overlooked for federal reporting purposes on campaign expenses.  While certainly behaving in a fashion that embarrasses many people (other than himself) who dearly wanted him to defeat Clinton, Trump appears to have danced with, but never embraced, the Russian efforts to feed him disinformation about his political opponent.  The DNC and Hillary Campaign Machine, on the other hand, appears to have leapt into bed with the Russian effort to sell them a dossier filled with Trump disinformation.

Chickens coming home to roost; karma is a bitch; what comes around goes around; what’s fair for the goose is fair for the gander; those who live in glass houses should not throw stones; careful what you sow, lest come the harvest; all of these seem to be formulating a perfect Democratic storm.  It is too early to tell exactly to what extent ethics and laws were broken in this escapade; and it absolutely ludicrous for anything Republican in nature to promote any comparisons that might make them appear saintly (that ain’t happening).  But we should all consider the facts, the hard cold facts, in this Uranium One story and dwell on the point that had Donald Trump not defeated Hillary Clinton for President last November, none of this would have ever seen the light of day.  So while Jeff Flake and Bob Corker and John McCain find it nigh on impossible to deal with the sophomoric reality TV star currently in the White House; they would be wise to consider what the alternatives to President Trump were.  Sometimes, the least of all evils is the best choice available.

Living in a Cocoon Changes People.

With so much very real and meaningful news in this wide world, the mainstream media is apparently obsessed with the parting shots of two U.S. Senators, their maverick cohort from Arizona, and a glitter cowgirl wannabe Representative from Florida.  It seems that anyone, anytime, and in any way can diss President Trump and become an instant rock star.  It is one thing to hear opposition and the “Resist” call from the Democratic Party; they are still in denial about losing the last national election.  But it is difficult to understand why given a rare opportunity to govern with control of the Executive and Legislative branches of government, the Republicans can’t get their act together and get something done.

On several occasions over the last year, I have written critical remarks about Donald Trump and how he conducts himself both personally and politically.  Lord knows he is not the most civil politician; but civility is not a very common trait these days in any politician.  And truth be told, how many of us wouldn’t lose our cool to some degree if everyone and their uncle was on our case about   …EVERY…SINGLE…THING…THAT…WE…SAID…OR…DID?  No doubt, our President brings much of the turmoil and drama that follows him down upon himself.  His childish and perpetually sophomoric tweeting is not only demeaning to himself and the office he occupies; but it is quite likely the largest impediment to gaining some degree of accomplishment and stature for his term in office.

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Even so, it is puzzling why so many Republicans in WDC hold President Trump in such obvious contempt.  Are they really so sanctimonious that they feel themselves to be superior to the President in character and judgment?   These Senators and Representatives who have reveled in their positions of authority and posh benefits,  held themselves up to be models of integrity and wisdom, and have been part and parcel of running this nation’s government into the ground over the last decade or more?  Flake and Corker and McCain, now being hailed as heroes by the Democrats and the liberal media, have suddenly found their critical voices after eight long years of silence while Obama fiddled away.  Flake and Corker, who have very long odds of re-election in their home states; and then McCain, who hates Trump based on their war of words and his resentment that Trump accomplished the very task that he himself wanted so badly to succeed at and failed.  It must be hard to know that you are a genius among fools and then have to accept the role of lowly Senator when the man you consider the biggest fool of all is your President.

As I have said before, President Trump can be a buffoon, he is an egomaniac, he is a poor loser, he is an even worse winner, he has lowered the civility level in the White House, and he apparently has no intention of changing his stripes to please anyone not serving his purposes.  But he is our President.  He is the leader of the Republican Party.  He is the leader of the majority national Republicans who defeated the minority national Democrats last November.  For all of his faults, he deserves the respect due the office he occupies.  However, that deference does not extend to respect for the man and his habits.   The President has not yet, and may not ever, grasp that concept of distinction.  But whether or not his self-awareness matures beyond the current high school level, he will continue to serve as this nation’s leader and Commander in Chief until his term(s) expires.  He will establish policies and make decisions that impact each of us as citizens.  Republicans should criticize within reason, speak opposition when the opportunity presents itself, and then get on the field to win the ballgame.  If they can’t do that, then go quietly into the good night.  Democrats should present the alternatives to Trump’s policies and initiatives when they honestly and sincerely disagree.  But this knee-jerk “Resist” is not helping anyone; least of all themselves.  It is hard to imagine how the mainstream media and journalistic community can sink to any lower level than the one they currently occupy; but they seem intent on plumbing those depths.

It is absolutely incredible to me that anyone or any entity could look at the fledgling Trump administration and call it corrupt on the heels of Obama’s eight years of total disregard for ethics, bipartisanship, transparency, and yes…even the law.  As the days and months pass away and we get further away from its time in space, the width and depth of the Obama Administration corruption becomes more apparent.  History will eventually show that not since Richard Nixon’s team of power-hungry faithful ran the White House, no administration has allowed itself to be so blinded by its zealotry and dedication to its own ideals and principles.

At some point, it should occur to President Trump’s manic critics that if in fact he is the idiot they think him to be, he will tangle himself up if given sufficient rope.  Perhaps rather than making themselves look foolish with baseless opposition and criticisms, they should simply play their traditional roles and let the President walk through the door on his own.  If he is as inept as they think, he will stumble through that door and fall on his face.  Perhaps their certitude of that pratfall is not so great and their fear of his successful entry through that door is a greater threat?   The American electorate shocked themselves and most of the world last November when they elected Donald Trump as President.  They did not elect him because of who he was; they elected him because of what he represented.  And because of whom he was running against.  The Republicans have not grasped that first concept.  The Democrats have not grasped the second.  And the media?  Well, they are simply clueless.

Dancing Up to the Line, But Not Stepping Over.

After watching the President at the Pennsylvania rally and the FRC event this week, one thought came forth in mind….He is getting pretty good at this politics thing.  In fact, if the Donald can somehow, someway get some semblance of control over his manic tweeting; he could very well become a popular President and a formidable politician. 

These developments serve to simply push the Democrat’s “Resist Movement” further to the radical left.  One has to wonder to what extent they will allow this idiotic effort to marginalize their party.  However, the bigger question might prove to be exactly how Trump’s increased political acumen impacts his opponents within the Republican Party.  And make no mistake about it; the President has a wealth of enemies within the Republican Party and Congress.  Without diminishing the huge challenge that Speaker Ryan and Majority Leader McConnell face in trying to herd the Republican cats in the House and Senate, they did not comport themselves favorably in the Obamacare legislative debacle.  Some members in particular (looking at YOU, Mr. McCain) behaved in an openly hostile fashion towards not only President Trump, but also towards their own party.  If the President can continue to improve his political skills and gain control of his considerable presidential powers, he may become a huge factor in the upcoming national elections if he decides to settle some scores with those who have treated him so rudely.

I am more ambivalent about this President than any in my lifetime.  I do not like him personally.  His arrogance, bluster, crude language, and lack of civility are not endearing traits for my vision of what a President should be.  On the other hand, I find myself agreeing enthusiastically with the overwhelming percentage of his policy initiatives and I am very encouraged by the quality, character, and professionalism of his appointments.  Like him or not, one cannot dispute that Donald Trump is doing as President what he said he would do in his campaign for President. 

But I must admit that it troubles me greatly that much of the policy achievements that President Trump has realized have been accomplished through Executive Action.  This type of executive fiat is exactly what I railed so loudly about when Obama was president.  There is no greater example of this dilemma than Trump’s executive order eliminating the illegal Obamacare subsidies to insurers.  The correct and permanent way to deal with the morass that is Obamacare is for Congress to repeal and replace it.  That did not happen.  That did not happen in a spectacular fashion.  Is it acceptable to right a wrong by committing an equal and opposite wrong?  Think that one over carefully.  Our American society, especially the mainstream media, has developed an unsavory habit of condemning certain behavior in those with whom they disagree or dislike, while they celebrate the same certain behavior when executed by those who promote their agenda and beliefs.  Both parties, Republican and Democrat, and both political philosophies, Right and Left, practice this disturbing form of hypocrisy and the public, aided by the technologies of videos and recordings, are beginning to catch on to this Machiavellian deceit.

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So…I am stuck with the dilemma of either supporting Trump for doing the right thing in the wrong way… or… leaving things in a colossal mess because his hands are tied by a dysfunctional bureaucracy (U.S. Senate) that is paralyzed by its own ineptitude.   Perhaps I am trying to rationalize my way out of my ambivalence, but it is possible that there is a method to Trump’s actions that will hopefully set a pattern for future initiatives.  In the case of both his Obamacare and Iran Nuclear Deal executive actions, President Trump not so much announced new policies as he unwound existing policies.  He not only un-did the prior executive actions, but he did so in a way that sent these issues back to Congress for final edicts.  Several respected journalists have noted this reality and have dubbed it a “return to law’ or a “return to order”.  If, in fact, President Trump continues to exercise his Presidential authority by eliminating and/or negating improper executive impositions by prior presidents, I can see some reason and acceptance in his actions.  If, on the other hand, his forays into executive fiat begin to go beyond correcting past executive transgressions and meanders into the realm of creating new regulation and procedure, well…that will be a different kettle of fish. 

Obama played fast and loose with his presidential powers and the law in his effort to form this nation’s government in his perverse, personal vision.  He abused his authority, he broke faith with his office and the citizenry, and he allowed his arrogance and narcissistic inclinations to override common sense and responsible behavior.   If President Trump allows his frustration with Congress, his dedication to his personal beliefs, his arrogance and ego, and his own sense of what is best for this nation to cloud his judgment and push him towards an imperial presidency in the mode of Obama, then he is no better than Obama.  At some point…and that point is yet to be determined…the value of the action cannot validate the methods used to accomplish the action. 

The Eventual Cost of Binary Opinion.

In the wake of the Las Vegas shooting tragedy, the NRA has publicly, and for the first time in my imperfect memory, come out in support of regulating the use of “bump stocks” to make semi-automatic weapons more similar to fully-automatic weapons.  How has this entreaty been received by many on the left?...They have pretty much ignored it and continued their hysterical, misinformed, and intentionally deceitful effort to basically outlaw all gun sales and confiscate those that are already out there.  Now to be fair, there are those on the right who feel sufficiently threatened by any new gun control effort that they automatically oppose anything associated with regulating the sale and possession of firearms, no matter how practical the proposal might be.  Their understandable, but inadequate, rationale for this knee-jerking is their argument that any new gun control regulation represents the anti-gun lobby getting their foot in the door in preparation for the final battle…total and absolute control of firearms. 

This latest dust-up between pro and anti gun forces is in many ways a microcosm of the overall state of political affairs in our nation.  Whether it is media coverage, late night television, sports reporting, or extracurricular (and curricular) affairs in our school systems K thru PhD; our society and culture is polarized to such an extreme that there is little if any tolerance on either side for the other side’s position.  It is all or nothing, win at all costs, with us or against us, us against the world, damn the torpedoes (subtle tribute to TP&HB) and fight to the end for what and only WHAT we happen to believe.  What was once, and not too awfully long ago, a 35/35/30 split in our electorate with the last 30 representing the middle has now devolved into what is likely closer to a 45/45/10 split.  Do you doubt this?  Why do you see presidential approval figures for Bush/Obama/Trump appear to be capped at 45-50 percent?  Every radical cause,  no matter how illogical or rigid, seems to be able to find some type of foothold in that 45 percent of the electorate that will reliably support anything left or anything right.  The middle ground has become a deserted wasteland.  People are finding out that they can carve out a nice little niche inside of that 45 percent on either side of the political divide.  Our center is disappearing and what will be the price of that transaction?

The first and most obvious result is the paralysis and dysfunction it has wrought in our government.  With so many nuclear option scores to settle, we are inching closer and closer to that time when all legislation…ALL legislation…will be passed on a party-line vote.  Now before you stand up to cheer and shout “In your face, McConnell!”, you better think this thing through.  The one overriding WDC principle that we can all agree with is that power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.  Do we really…really…want Republicans or Democrats to have carte blanche over everything governmental, foreign and domestic?  Think about exactly who it is that controls the two national parties these days.  Do you think the deep pockets of the party sponsors and donors pull the strings or do you think that our politicians are driven by some form of allegiance to their constituents?  If the ultimate nuclear option is detonated, those who control the lawmakers will control the law.  Those who control the law will control the society.  Do the terms KGB or Oligarchy hold any meaning for you?  Our society and culture would lurch from one type of state to another; the other being a polar opposite of the status quo.  No ally would be able to trust our word or commitment to any position.  Business and commerce would be forced to gamble on what the future environment might hold for their enterprises.  We ourselves would be in a constant state of wonder about the world we would be leaving our children to grow up in.

The most infamous accomplishment of our least effective President in my lifetime, Barack Obama, was to further divide and solidify the racial divides in our society.  Everything he touched and performed was racially tinged and his demeanor never wavered from a self-righteous and condescending manner that ultimately was designed to divide and conquer.  To its detriment, and ultimate demise if not corrected, the Democratic Party has continued with this philosophy.  Our culture and citizenry has taken this approach to almost every aspect of our daily lives.  Families and long-time friendships have literally dissolved over Trump disputes.  The level of vitriol and downright poisonous seasoning in political discourse has reached new and disgusting depths.  The mainstream media, to their obvious discredit, has leapt Full Monty on board with this effort and sacrificed decades of public trust and credibility for a few moments of Trump-bashing giggles. 

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Presidents will come and go; Congress will tilt from the right to the left to the right to the left; and when an occasional national consensus is reached on an issue of common concern, our government should respond to that consensus.  As is appropriate, that response should be executed by the Congress, the Executive, or the Judiciary.  But the world we are living in today; the politically-corrupted environment that has contaminated every aspect of our daily lives, illegitimately demands this response when a majority (50+ percent) of a minority (45 percent) feels a sufficient level of certitude in their wisdom to make rules for the entirety of society.    Presidents get weary of the heavy lifting required by the normal order of legislating and issue Executive Orders from on high; Federal  Judges short circuit the standards of lawmaking and civil order by injecting their personal beliefs into their opinions and verdicts; individuals and organizations throughout our culture have thrown away any semblance of respect and decorum, trashing those who dare to disagree with their thoughts and building blatantly deceitful straw men to distort the views of their opposition. 

Whatever his motivations might be, however insincere he may present them, and however oratorically awkward or inappropriate they may seem; President Trump has tossed out a few invitations in the direction of the Democrats to sit down and discuss some compromise on legislative issues.  Somehow…someway…the Democrats need to find a way to hold their club together and, at the same time, sit down and negotiate in good faith with a President they don’t like very much.  The Republicans in Congress have to come to grips with the fact that their majority is insufficient to power drive their agenda through the legislative process.  If we continue to see the 10 percent in the middle shrink; if we see continued support for the ultimate nuclear option; and if we continue to see our society cleaved by raw emotion and irrational opinion…well, our great nation is going to be but a shadow of what it once was and could be again.