All Things SCOTUS

What is the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) and what is its function?  Here is a good, brief summary of the SCOTUS and what it is all about: https://www.uscourts.gov/about-federal-courts/educational-resources/about-educational-outreach/activity-resources/about .  Here is another good reference on the SCOTUS: https://www.supremecourt.gov/about/faq_general.aspx .

What does the Constitution say about the SCOTUS?  Here is a great link to the actual text of the U.S. Constitution relating to the SCOTUS; Article III, Sections 1, 2, and 3 deals with the authorities of the SCOTUS: https://www.heritage.org/constitution?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI3diQyIuC7AIVFYTICh38IwFtEAAYBCAAEgJ5MfD_BwE . 

What does the Constitution say about filling a SCOTUS vacancy?  Here is a great link to the actual text of the U.S. Constitution; Article II, Section 2 deals with the President filling a SCOTUS vacancy.  At the end of the day, there are two simple and independent steps involved in filling a SCOTUS vacancy; the President nominates and the Senate, through its actions or inactions, advises and consents: https://www.heritage.org/constitution?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI3diQyIuC7AIVFYTICh38IwFtEAAYBCAAEgJ5MfD_BwE .

Who is Amy Coney Barrett?  Here is an excellent biography of the nominee: https://www.scotusblog.com/2020/09/profile-of-a-potential-nominee-amy-coney-barrett/ .

Here are some good summaries of Barrett’s positions on frequently-discussed topics:

The issue of stare decisis: https://www.nationalreview.com/bench-memos/judge-barrett-on-stare-decisis/ .

The issue of textualism and originalism: https://www.nationalreview.com/bench-memos/judge-barrett-on-textualism-and-originalism/ .

The issue of Second Amendment rights: https://www.nationalreview.com/bench-memos/judge-barrett-on-the-second-amendment/ .

The issue of Title IX Protections for Accused Students: https://www.nationalreview.com/bench-memos/judge-barrett-on-title-ix-protections-for-accused-students/ .

The issue of abortion: https://www.nationalreview.com/bench-memos/judge-barretts-record-on-abortion/ .

What is the schedule for Barrett’s Senate confirmation?  From all indications, the Judiciary Committee will begin its confirmation hearings on Monday, October 12.  It appears that four such hearings will be held that week.  The results of those hearings will likely determine whether or not there will be more.  The time between the President’s nomination on Saturday, September 26 and October 12 will be utilized by Barrett to pay personal visits to Senators.  For “official” confirmation of the Committee schedule, you can check on their website here; there is a “Hearings” link at the top of the page: https://www.judiciary.senate.gov/ .

Who is on the Senate Judiciary Committee?  In order to be confirmed, a SCOTUS nominee must receive a majority vote from this Committee in order to advance for a full floor vote in the Senate.  Here is a good summary of the dynamic that exists between a SCOTUS nominee and the Committee: https://www.judiciary.senate.gov/nominations/supreme-court .  There are twelve Republicans and ten Democrats on the Committee.  The numerical advantage of the Republicans flows from their position as the majority party.  The Chairman is Lindsey Graham, Republican of South Carolina.  The Ranking Democrat on the Committee is Dianne Feinstein, Democrat of California.    It is of particular note that Senator Kamala Harris, the Democratic Vice-Presidential nominee, is on the Committee.  Here is a link that will let you look further into exactly who these people are: https://www.judiciary.senate.gov/about/members .

What are the rules for the Senate Judiciary Committee SCOTUS confirmation hearing?  Here are the rules for the Senate Judiciary Committee: https://www.judiciary.senate.gov/about/rules .

What are the rules for the Senate SCOTUS confirmation floor vote?  Here are the rules for the Senate floor consideration of the nominee: https://www.rules.senate.gov/rules-of-the-senate .  Fifty-one votes are required to confirm the President’s nominee.  In the case of a tie, the sitting Vice-President will vote to break the tie.

What is at stake with the Barrett nomination?  Both the Right and Left in America have their hair on fire with this issue.  After searching extensively for an article that might present a “fair and balanced” perspective on this nomination, I have concluded that it is impossible.  Every single author who pens an opinion on this subject has some baggage that will be used by those who disagree in an effort to paint them as biased.  So I will simply acknowledge the deep and clear divide on this matter and present for your consideration an example of opinion from both sides.

Vox is clearly a liberal source.  Here is what they have to say: https://www.vox.com/2020/7/21/21328863/supreme-court-trump-vacancy-voting-rights-rnc2020-epa-police .

The American Spectator is clearly a conservative source.   Here is what they have to say: https://spectator.org/amy-barrett-immediately-if-not-sooner/ .

What outcome can we expect?  Given that Barrett has already undergone a Senate confirmation process for her placement on the Seventh Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals (that confirmation took place on October 31, 2017), it is pretty close to a certainty that Barrett will proceed from the Committee to the floor.  If that occurs, it is difficult to imagine the Republicans having any problem reaching the minimum required 50 votes (with VP Pence providing the tie-breaker) to confirm Amy Coney Barrett as the next SCOTUS Justice.\

 

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Quick Takes for a Busy World

Hope you will take a few minutes to read some news about this crazy world we are living in.  Here are some good pieces about current events that might help make some sense about what is going on.

Very few things in this world are as satisfying as watching a puffed-up, arrogant, politician get brought down by his own words or actions.  One of the biggest blowhards in recent political history is John Kerry.  He is a man who was born with a silver spoon in his mouth and then married into the rest of the silver collection.  Read about, and watch, his comeuppance and then wonder…do these idiots not realize that there is video and audio history?  https://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2020/09/conventional-wisdom-distilled.php .

President Trump has defied many of the so-called foreign policy experts and here is a good story about how that has happened: https://freebeacon.com/columns/how-trump-changed-the-world/ .  Trump and his son-in-law Jared Kushner have redefined the Middle East with their recent UAE/Bahrain/Israel agreements.  It is hi-lar-ious to watch the mainstream media talking heads try to figure out a way to belittle this historic diplomatic success.  Perhaps it is instructive to place American media to the side and get some perspective on this matter from one of our greatest foreign allies: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-53781360 .  This is the way the rest of the world views our President.

The subject of college education in the United States is ripe with issues for debate.  The decay of the university diversity in thinking and policy is tragic; even more so than the degradation of the instructors and administers who have marshaled that decay.  Academia has truly lost most of its ethical standing and a good deal of its credibility.  Here is an interesting story about how free speech is faring on the university campus these days: https://www.jamesgmartin.center/2020/09/censoring-a-thousand-words-universities-must-cease-punishing-students-for-their-online-pictures/ .  That does not sound like an environment for tomorrow’s leaders, does it? 

But hey, not to worry.  Even though a college degree is highly over-priced and over-rated, it will be much easier to acquire (or perhaps a better word is “pursue”) if the Democrats have their way: https://jonathanturley.org/2020/09/18/senate-democrats-push-plan-to-cancel-student-college-loans/ .  How does this effort sit with those of you who worked your arse off to not only get your degree but to then pay it off?  Now you get to help pay off someone else’s … and it’s not even your child.  A whole bunch of these kids are professional students who spend five to seven years in college without obtaining a degree; float around on borrowed money and irrelevant course selections; and then move back home to live in the basement.  And now we are all supposed to help them pay off their college loans?

Technical certificates and college degrees should be a means to an end.  Education simply for the sake of education is a luxury few in life can afford.  Our high school graduates need to have a goal in mind when they zero in on their career and they need to focus on their postsecondary education efforts as a business proposition.  They need to find a skill that suits their abilities, a trade that they might enjoy, and a career that will enable them to pay off their debts and achieve the life style they desire.  This does not mean that they cannot enjoy the experience; it simply means that life and money are limited resources and they should be expended wisely.

My favorite Trump appointee is Attorney General William Barr.  I find his honest, straight-forward, and objective approach to justice to be absolutely refreshing.  His recent remarks on the coronoavirus lockdown policies that have received so much attention are enlightening and thought-provoking: https://www.cnsnews.com/index.php/article/washington/michael-w-chapman/ag-barr-excluding-slavery-national-lockdown-over-coronavirus .  Why can we never seem to get people of this caliber to run for president?

Of course, had Joe Biden been President, that nasty old virus would have never considered setting foot in America.  He would have prevented it from ever showing up here, injuring a single citizen, or adversely affecting this nation in any fashion whatsoever.  How would he have done it?  Not real sure about that because he has either echoed every action that was actually taken by President Trump or simply said that he would have done … something else.  But one thing is for certain; he knows who is to blame for this generational, worldwide, and baffling pandemic that no nation on earth has been able to effectively combat: https://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2020/09/quotations-from-dementia-joe-contd-2.php .

One of the most difficult hurdles an incoming President has to overcome when attempting to implement their policy initiatives is the entrenched deep state personnel that reside in the myriad collection of government departments and agencies.  It is even more difficult when the previous President was from the opposing party and especially if that President served two terms.  Eight years of political appointments is difficult to deal with; made even more difficult when they burrow in to career positions prior to the transition to the new administration. 

Donald Trump came into Washington as a political outsider with very little support from his own party and no quarter from the opposing party.  He did not have a ready list of potential political appointees in hand because, frankly, he didn’t really think he would win.  When he did shock the world by defeating Hillary Clinton, he was ill-prepared to fill the thousands of vacancies created by the election verdict.  This was an issue Donald Trump should have addressed early on and the fact that he did not pay appropriate attention has cost him dearly.  Rather than having people in departmental and agency positions of authority that he could trust and rely upon to co-operate with his agenda; he has constantly dealt with adversarial resistance at every level of government. 

Here is a short summary of what he faced in the political appointee arena: http://centerlineright.blogspot.com/2018/11/a-place-to-begin.html .  He has only himself to blame for failing to promptly and adequately take action to fill the many vacancies at his disposal.  Here is a good account of his laxity:  https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/politics/trump-administration-appointee-tracker/database/ .

An excellent example of the urgency that Trump should have taken while filling his political appointees is the approach Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has taken to filling federal judicial slots.  As I have written before, it is my belief that the actions taken by McConnell in the confirmation and placement of conservative federal judges will have far more lasting impact on America than any action taken by President Trump.   This November, I will be exceedingly proud to cast my Kentucky vote for Mitch McConnell as U.S. Senator and here is why: https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/congress/mcconnell-confirms-eight-federal-judges-in-three-days-keeping-his-promise-to-leave-no-vacancy-behind .

I don’t believe there has been a more pro-active tax fairness President in my lifetime than Donald Trump.  He made tax reform a central theme of his campaign for president and he delivered on that promise in a magnificent fashion.  As the Democrats and Joe Biden have openly proclaimed, one of their primary goals if Biden is elected this November will be to reverse the Trump tax reform.  How do you think that will look?  Here is one perspective: https://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2020/09/want-tax-cuts-for-the-rich-vote-for-biden.php .  Anyone with a brain must understand that a major, if not THE major, component in helping to create the historically-robust U.S. economy that we enjoyed immediately prior to the pandemic was the Trump tax reform effort.  A reversal of its standards would be a very damaging blow to the U.S. economy at a time when it is struggling to overcome the lingering pandemic effects.

The fact that Biden and the Democrats want to dispense with this law is revealing.  They have truly become the party of the rich, the elite, and the privileged wealthy that are far more interested in preserving their status than lifting up those who aspire to the American dream.  The list of high profile Democrats who are among the rich and powerful is endless; but here is a revealing statistic about some of the Democrats in what is commonly called the “people’s House”: https://www.cnsnews.com/index.php/article/washington/terence-p-jeffrey/26-27-richest-congressional-districts-represented-democrats .

If he doesn’t come up with a way to weasel out of it, Joe Biden will debate Donald Trump three times before November’s election.  If Trump and the Republicans don’t stop lowering the bar for Biden, he will win all three by simply showing up and standing on his feet for ninety minutes.  It will definitely be must-see TV and here is your schedule for the events: https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/presidential-debates-2020-everything-you-need-to-know .

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And with a handful of weeks between this blog and the November election, I would be remiss if I did not take a moment or two to document the total inadequacy of Joe Biden as our next president.   If you in any form or fashion are even considering a vote for Biden, please take some time to read and digest these articles.

Biden continues to make cringe-worthy gaffes wherever he goes; but here are some of his more recent contributions: https://nypost.com/2020/09/18/joe-biden-makes-multiple-dubious-claims-at-cnn-town-hall/ .  Of course, it always helps if the network that sponsors your town hall meeting helps out in covering for your poor performance: https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/cnns-hotshot-fact-checker-rides-to-bidens-rescue .

Ever wonder exactly why the Democrats continue to groan endlessly about Russia, Russia, and Russia?  It is possible they just might want to distract attention from something like this: https://www.wsj.com/articles/from-russia-to-biden-with-love-11600383717 .

Has any presidential candidate in history been given more forgiveness for doing so little in campaigning for our nation’s highest office than Joe Biden?  And when you consider the small amount of policy that he has publicly espoused, you have to ask yourself honestly … what the heck did he just say?  Of course, the best way to prevent problems of this nature is not to say anything at all: https://www.cnsnews.com/index.php/article/national/susan-jones/biden-his-plan-get-americans-back-work-i-wont-bore-you-details .

If Joe Biden is elected president in November, he will have been the least active candidate in history.  He has hidden behind the pandemic and the pervasive anti-Trump sentiment in order to severely limit his public exposure to the American voting public.  If he is victorious, it will be because people dislike Donald Trump; not because people support Joe Biden.  But will this strategy work?  Can you literally hide in your basement and get elected President of the United States?  Some people have their doubts … even Democrats have their doubts: https://time.com/5889093/joe-biden-michigan-campaign/ .

Oh ... and by the way ... while taking note of the above-mentioned takedown of Windbag Kerry, keep in mind how accurate all the experts were during the last presidential election: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G87UXIH8Lzo .

If you got his far, you are either further clarified or merely confused.  Either way, you are definitely more informed.  Be well and may God bless you and yours.

 

What Is and What Should Never Be

Even before he was elected President, Donald Trump was targeted by the Obama administration for surveillance, investigation, and professional skullduggery in an attempt to prevent his successful quest for the presidency.  After he defied the expectations of his own party, ninety-nine percent of the media, and the opposition party; the private and professional lives of he, his family, and his associates continued to be dissected in search of something…anything…that might somehow disqualify his unexpected political victory. 

Robert Mueller and his Merry Band of Democrat Lawyers spent well over two years and over forty million dollars trying to fabricate some type of ruinous charge against Trump that would destroy his presidency.  They had essentially no accountability, unlimited funding, the full and active support of the mainstream media, and even the active support of some foreign governments.  They did not lay a glove on Donald Trump.  This bunch of data-dumping, law-bending, ego-maniacal, hyper-partisan, ethically-challenged, self-glorifying, holier-than-thou, and lower-than-the-ish-on-the-sole-of-my-muck boots group of clowns were gloriously unleashed in WDC with the full blessings of the Democratic Party, the mainstream media, and the heavily-imbedded DOJ deep state.  They slowly, deliberately, and unceremoniously proceeded to make the Keystone Kops look like a well-oiled machine.  Pay real close attention to how this bunch of rogue partisans took care of their business: https://justthenews.com/accountability/russia-and-ukraine-scandals/monammysterious-destruction-evidence-related-steeles .  And just to drive home the point, read this: https://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2020/09/how-accidental-can-you-get.php .

For all intents and purposes, not a day has gone by since Donald Trump occupied the White House during which he has not been hounded, sabotaged, baselessly criticized, and all-out ambushed by the Democratic Party and their allies in the Resistance, the mainstream media.  In spite of this, President Trump’s record of accomplishments, both domestic and international, over his first term is substantial and impressive.

Immediately prior to the global onset of the corornavirus pandemic, the U.S. economy was performing at historically high standards.  Effective unemployment figures were essentially zero, interest rates were minimal, and workplace participation was at astronomical levels with businesses actually competing for good employees and real wages rising incrementally.  The employment picture for everyone, especially black and hispanic Americans, was glowing.  In response to the Trump administration’s tax reform initiatives, the American business sector was booming and the future was looking even brighter. 

There was no talk about defunding the police, racial inequality, politics in sports, or social justice.  Why?  Because anyone who wanted a good paying job not only had the opportunity for one, but had multiple choices for one.  People were exercising their rights as Americans to pursue the dreams of liberty and independence.  They were earning a good living and enjoying the fruits of their labor.  They were making plans for the futures of their families and their children.  They were getting about the business of life.  All of this occurred while the Democrats in Congress were working around-the-clock to dredge up and/or fabricate some type of scandal that would eliminate this President that was clearly accomplishing so much for the citizens of our country.  Oh … and by the way … they were also trying to impeach him.

Even now, as we appear to be putting the catastrophic effects of the coronavirus behind us, that optimism that was so prevalent pre-pandemic is showing signs of creeping back into our society.  In spite of all the riots, the hatred, the non-stop anti-Trump media coverage, and the partisan-poisoning of everything we see, touch, or hear … there is a sense in the air that we can get back to where we were.  It has been clearly demonstrated to people that the American dream which nourished this country since its inception can once again be alive and after a brief viral recess, people are ready to get back to the business of pursuing it.

I fervently hope that all of the vitriol and spite that is being spewed by the Democrats and the mainstream media will not somehow extinguish these promising embers of what we had before the recent viral plague.  If only these glints of promise can gain strength through numbers … can once again find the wherewithal to blossom into the realization of dreams; perhaps we can pick up where we were and continue the path that will actually create a society of equal opportunity and justice for everyone.  We can truly return to being the nation where each person who is willing to stand up and be held accountable has the opportunity to earn respect and find pride in their accomplishments.

It is nothing short of incredible that this progress has been realized with one of our national political parties doing all it could to mitigate the efforts.  One hand tied behind the back?  Heck, Donald Trump has been hog-tied and locked in a freezer for most of his first term.  In hindsight, it just might be the case that the American potential unleashed by the Trump administration was less the result of Congressional action and more the result of simply unwinding the regulatory bundling that resulted from eight years of Obama.

A perfect case-in-point are the recent actions of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi … quite likely the most powerful and influential Democrat in America.  After the Trump Administration announces historic peace agreements between Israel and Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates, Pelosi refers to these agreements as “distractions”.  While Trump is bringing our soldiers home from the bloody sands of the Middle East and negotiating peace agreements, Pelosi is video-conferencing with globalists from around the world to stop the planet-threatening status of global warming.  Read about it here: https://www.cnsnews.com/article/international/patrick-goodenough/so-cynical-pompeo-says-pelosi-calling-historic-israeli and here: https://www.the-sun.com/news/1464227/house-speaker-nancy-pelosi-signs-g7-declaration-climate-crisis/ .  On the one hand we have a President ending wars and making peace and on the other hand we have a Democrat worrying about thunder storms. 

It is mind-numbing to acknowledge that this woman is third-in-line to be President of the United States.  To think that this clueless, cosmetically-enhanced,  diva-esque mannequin was elected by less than one county in California and is now in a position to cause so much damage to our government is simply beyond the pale.  Imagine what might have been had she been a good-faith negotiator with Trump?  So many good things could have been accomplished; so much angst could have been prevented and everyone … Democrats and Republicans alike … would have benefited greatly.  Like the shallow Obama that preceded her in Democratic leadership, she is more interested in her own reflection than anything else in life.

You can expect some type of false bombshell Trump scandal being announced by the Democrats and the mainstream media (but I repeat myself) every ten days or so between now and the election.  These much bally-hooed stories will burst onto the scene with exuberant fanfare and then fall flat within a couple of days due to no foundation.  It is fake news, dirty politics, empty rhetoric reflecting lack of ideals, and quite reflective of the people shoveling out this foolishness.  Here is the latest example: https://spectator.us/atlantic-trump-american-war-graves/  .  The Democrats and their media allies have shamelessly jumped on board the theory that if you tell a lie often enough and loud enough, it eventually becomes the truth.  Not.

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Now take a moment or two and reflect on what could have been.  What if Senator John McCain had chosen not to spitefully poke Trump in the eye and had supported the Senate effort to free our national health care industry of Obamacare overregulation?  How much better would our health care system be today if we had kept the few worthy remnants of Obamacare and allowed the free market to refine and improve the industry through efficiency, innovation, and competition?

What if Congress had embraced the Trump administration’s generous and bi-partisan efforts at immigration reform, including an extremely compromising remedy for DACA?  That proposal could have laid the foundation for a comprehensive overhaul of our immigration system and set our nation on a path towards a responsible, effective, compassionate, and practical national approach to immigration regulation.  Even more importantly, it would have put this emotional, partisan, and divisive issue in the rear-view mirror and created the opportunity to move on to other important policy debates.

What if the Democratic leadership in Congress had joined Trump at the table and responsibly negotiated a national infrastructure bill that was clearly within reach?  Given the introduction of this effort during a time of economic prosperity, how many jobs and how much commerce would have been created all across our country?  How much safer would our citizens be today traveling over renovated highways and bridges that are in bad need of repair?  All of this was right there for the taking, but the Democrats pulled the football back every time Trump tried to kick it; all for the sake of political gamesmanship.

And then there is the roiling debate about the police.  Like Donald Trump, the police unions are oftentimes their own worst enemy.  I truly believe that the overwhelming majority of Americans respect and appreciate the job performed by our police forces and strongly resent the “defund” movement that has become so publicized.  The problem is that like all professions, law enforcement harbors some bad characters who are not worthy of their position.  It appears that there are occasions when these bad characters are caught in the act of wrong doing and are then protected from appropriate punishment by the police employee organizations. 

I very much think that if the leadership of the police rank and file organizations would step up and do a better job of acknowledging the bad actors in their professions and clearly support commensurate punishment and accountability for these people; the public at large would be much more forthcoming in their demonstrable support for the police.  Congress and the President need to join with these police organizations in an effort to better communicate the unique and special challenges faced daily by our law officers. 

Senator Tim Scott made a good faith effort to make progress on this front with his recent introduction of new legislation.  But like all things Republican or Trumpian in nature, the Democrats threw up roadblocks in its path.  In fact, the Democrats in the Senate would not even permit the bill to come to the Senate floor for debate.  Read about it here and file this one in the “what could have been” category along with the others: https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/06/25/if-democrats-cared-about-police-reform-they-would-have-advanced-tim-scotts-bill/ .

At the end of the day, when one considers what has been accomplished in the first term of President Donald Trump, further considers what he tried to accomplish, and takes into full account the impediments thrown up to prevent him from accomplishing anything; there is a compelling argument to give him another four years to try and close out the deal.

That is my view on what was and what should have been.   Now I need to pay tribute for the title.  Here is Led Zeppelin’s view on “What Is and What Should Never Be”.  Enjoy…. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ijgIpmALXas .

The Buffet is Open

Let’s start off with a salad; a very light salad, in fact.  In my last post, I referenced a recent book about looting whose author had not only been prominently featured on NPR; but had been graced with the type of softball questions/cuddly approach known only to presidential candidates named Biden.  In light of the recent Trump anti-military hoax perpetrated by a handful of anonymous sources and The Atlantic magazine, is it any surprise to learn that the person interviewing this so-called author for NPR was formerly employed as an assistant editor at The Atlantic before assuming the same position at NPR.  These wannabe journalists live in bubbles, talk only to people like themselves, and have literally no clue as to what the real world entails.  Read this:  https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/npr-regrets-elevating-pro-looting-anti-semite .  It is revealing that Ms. Escobar finds this particular book “really clarifying”.  NPR needs to get clarified and hire some professional journalists.

Since the salad was light…very light..., let’s have an appetizer or two.  What about mail-in ballots?  Is it something necessary because of the pandemic or it is an invitation to confusion and fraud?  One thing is for certain; this is not the first time it has come up.  Read here about what a bi-partisan commission said about the idea several years ago:  https://justthenews.com/politics-policy/elections/long-trump-bipartisan-group-elder-statesmen-flagged-mail-ballot-fraud . 

Appetizer two is up…a small bite of the story that continues about the U.S. Postal Service and how they do operate, could operate, and should operate.  Here is a revealing article on that topic: https://www.aei.org/research-products/report/separating-myth-from-fact-about-the-troubles-of-the-postal-service/ .

Hey, how about two entrees also?  First up, is it just me or is the coronavirus obsession losing some of its steam?  I suspect that when this pandemic is behind us, we will conclude that one of our biggest errors in judgment was keeping our kids out of school.  It is not an easy call; but the kids are sure taking a hit: https://nypost.com/2020/09/01/the-numbers-are-clear-covid-is-no-real-threat-to-kids/ .  In my humble opinion, the most important learning years for kids are from age 5 to age 15.  If you take one to two of those years away, as we have done, you will not ever be able to replace them.  That is a permanent loss.  And for what… because a tiny percentage ran the small risk of being infected by a virus whose effects would most likely be asymptomatic? 

Did all of our efforts to prevent the spread of the virus and flatten the curve simply spread out the inevitable damage over a longer period of time: https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/editorials/editorial-what-ever-happened-to-flatten-the-curve .  Just how effective will our national shutdown efforts prove to be in the final analysis: https://nypost.com/2020/09/02/numbers-show-lockdowns-didnt-help-contain-covid-19-opening-up-didnt-boost-it/ .  

Entrée No. 2 emphasizes that the world has not come to a halt because Americans can’t get along inside their own country.  While we quarrel amongst ourselves, Europe is going through some significant turmoil trying to figure out a European Union without Great Britain, whether or not a European currency is even feasible, and trying to get comfortable in between an American ally with a wildcard President and an adventurous Russia headed by a thuggish strongman. 

German chancellor Merkel has never been a friend or admirer of Donald Trump.  When you study her record and rhetoric over time, I doubt she has been much of a friend or admirer of America.  I believe she found Obama to be a useful idiot for her own ambitions.  She sees Germany as being the pre-eminent power and authority in Europe and does her best to play the U.S. and Russia off of each other for Germany’s benefit (see Nordstream 2 pipeline deal).  She does not seem to enjoy sharing the stage with a co-star.  Germany is a difficult problem for any American president and whoever our next one turns out to be, they better have their game on when they do business with the chief of Europe’s premier economic power…Germany: https://www.nationalreview.com/corner/merkels-nord-stream-2-hypocrisy/ .

In that same vein, Russia’s ambitions do not seem to have cooled very much since its Crimean adventures.  Read about Putin’s ruthlessness here: https://www.brookings.edu/blog/order-from-chaos/2020/03/17/crimea-six-years-after-illegal-annexation/ .  Even though the Trump Administration has made some very good progress in Eastern European diplomacy; it has been overshadowed by all-encompassing domestic events.  Read here about some good news on the European front: https://balkaninsight.com/2020/09/04/kosovo-and-serbia-sign-historic-deal-under-trumps-auspices/ .  Putin’s mischief is always just below the surface in his dealings with neighboring nations: https://strategypage.com/on_point/20200901211727.aspx .  While Putin (and the Democrats) distracts us with his feeble attempts to meddle in our elections; his very real intent to restore the Soviet empire to its former glory is alive and well. 

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That second entrée was heavy; but there is always room for dessert.  Perhaps the sugary high we get from our after dinner delights will help to tolerate some political discourse.  I have always taken comfort in thinking that I am a fairly normal American citizen; unremarkable in most ways and sharing the same concerns that most other people have.  My safety is my insignificance; my comfort is my obsolescence; my security is my modest lifestyle; and my peace is my God and my Faith.  This is why I understand that the results of this coming election, notwithstanding its historical significance, will not really impact my personal life that much.  The sun will continue to rise in the east and set in the west…every day.  The possible tragedy resides in the potential harm the outcome might do to over 200 years of American liberty and independence. 

That is the reason why this Independent is strongly in support of Donald Trump for President in 2020.  It angers me greatly that the Democrats have lost themselves in their liberal mania and that the Republicans have given us the most arrogant and buffoonish President in my lifetime.  But the simple fact is that one of these two men must lead this nation for the next four years beginning in 2021 and each one of them represents a unique and quite distinctly different set of values and ideals for this country. 

Trump is an egotistical tyrant who is so consumed with himself that he is hard to tolerate in anything other than sound bites.  But there is one thing that Trump is clearly not; he is not a politician.  Some of his political ideas work out successfully and some gloriously flop; but none of them are initiated out of political cunning.  They are implemented due to some type of personal, byzantine, and arbitrarily-instinctual behavior pattern that is Donald Trump.  You can call it winning, conniving, devious, maniacal, or genius; but whatever it is, it is unique to this President.  He is a true outsider and not a product of our political system.  And for all of his faults and excesses; I find this to be his ultimate redeeming quality. 

I detest the man; but I love his fresh and honest (sometimes painfully so) approach to the domestic and international issues that face our Chief Executive.  He has brought a unique perspective to Washington, D.C. that has shaken things up, made people re-evaluate former attitudes and positions, and opened up opportunities for progress that would otherwise never have occurred.  In spite of his personal failings, this aspect of Donald Trump makes him the best choice as our next President.

Consider the alternative.  Joe Biden is a career politician of nearly 50 years that has a long and proven record of going whichever direction the wind might be blowing at that moment.  He possesses a ready willingness to say anything to anybody at anytime in order to advance his political ambitions.  He is a shell of a man with no principles or conviction.  He is predictably malleable.  He is, always has been, and will continue to be a product of his immediate environment.  If he is elected President, that environment will be exceedingly liberal.  Read about his public service record here: https://justthenews.com/politics-policy/elections/biden-has-history-controversies-involving-plagiarism-fabricated-stories .

His recent conflicting statements about fracking and the fossil fuel industry are perfect examples of his shifting politics.  The very fact that he selected an individual like Kamala Harris as his veep when her policy positions are so radical is reflective of how he makes important decisions.  How does he square her selection with his much ballyhooed “home” state of Pennsylvania: https://spectator.org/biden-harris-have-a-big-problem-in-pennsylvania/ .

I recently wrote about the bitching, moaning, and whining of the Democrats and Joe Biden.  Read this article and then consider the wisdom of what I wrote: https://www.cnsnews.com/article/national/cnsnewscom-staff/joe-biden-all-pain-and-suffering-stems-president-trumps-failure .  My friends… “All pain and suffering…” covers a whole…lot…of…ground.

And as the mainstream media continues to circle the bowl and head down the sewer, there is the new hoax circulating that President Trump somehow disparaged the troops while he was visiting in Europe.  The mainstream media is not just in bed with the Democrats and Biden; they are serving them breakfast and emptying his bedpan.  Read this: https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2020/09/anatomy_of_another_fake_scandal.html . 

The amount of obvious co-ordination between the media and the Democrats is woeful; but the true tragedy is the lack of shame that either party exhibits about the arrangement.  They hardly even attempt to shroud or deny their Machiavellian schemes anymore.  They are treating the American voters like idiots and many American voters are thanking them for their attention.  Donald Trump is not only competing with the opposing national party; he is also dueling with the mainstream media and RINO members of his own party who feel somehow disrespected by him.  I cannot recall when a presidential candidate had a higher stacked deck lined up against him.

But if you think this election is over one way or the other, I believe you are badly mistaken.  American voters are deeply conflicted about the two National Parties, their Political Agendas, and their very different Presidential Candidates.  A large chuck of voters could have voted last week; they are that certain about what they want and who they support.  But the voters that will choose who will be our next President still have not decided.  They are sitting in their homes, watching their families, gleaning tidbits here and there from their news sources, speaking with their friends and neighbors, looking at their bills and their paychecks, going to church with their masks on, and trying to make some sense out of the madness that surrounds this country.  Come Election Day…these people will determine our next President. 

The last bite of dessert will be the words of a journalist that I admire greatly.  She did not sell out when she had the opportunity.  She goes her own way, trusts her own judgment, and speaks intelligently in an independent fashion.  She has been through the political battles and has the scars to prove it.  It behooves anyone who wants to stay informed to pay attention to her words: https://justthenews.com/politics-policy/elections/four-little-noticed-trends-giving-trump-edge-november .   I sure hope that bringing politics up at the conclusion of the meal doesn’t leave you with indigestion.