The Solution to Obstructionism.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has apparently had enough of Democratic contrariness and he is going to streamline the Senate confirmation process.  In my lifetime, there has never been obstruction like we are seeing in today’s Congress.  The partisan sparring between our two national parties has always involved a certain amount of Congressional gamesmanship; but the hatred and venom that has been directed towards the Trump Administration is reaching a point where some permanent changes are about to be wrought.  If someone on the Democratic side of the aisle does not soon step forward and exhibit some common sense in legislative matters, the Republicans are going to take some dramatic actions that will have ripple effects far into the future…to the detriment of both parties and our nation. 

The strategy of the Democrats is obvious.  They are using their deep state, carryover federal employees in various government agencies to do everything possible towards delaying Trump Administration policy initiatives.  This effort, combined with their obstruction in Congress, is calculated to minimize the possible changes by Republicans.  It is clearly the hope of the Democrats that having created this dysfunction in government until the mid-term elections or the next general election, they can then shift the power back to their liberal philosophy and continue with their Obama business as usual.  Another disappointing aspect of this Democratic tactic is the farcical circus surrounding the Trump Campaign/Russian Collusion investigation and all of the cottage industries that have sprung from it.  Not only has this sham helped to delay any significant policy progress from the Trump Administration; it has also served the dual purpose of deflecting appropriate and necessary attention to the DOJ and partisan abuses of power by the Obama Administration. 

I find myself terribly frustrated by the Republican’s apparent impotent responses to these obstructionist tactics and wonder aloud how with a Congressional majority and a sitting President, the Republicans cannot use the levers of power to at least mitigate these delaying tactics.  It is certainly a critical consideration that even though the Republicans are the majority party in the Senate, they fall short of the magic cloture-solving number of sixty votes and are continuously hamstrung by that threshold.  I am inclined to give McConnell a pass for this reason, while secretly hoping that he would at least show a bit more animation in his protests about Democratic chicanery.  Much more troubling to me is the failure of the Trump Administration to use their administrative tools to reshape federal departments and agencies into a force that will more readily implement a new and improved model for government operations.  I think that we have all, myself included, underestimated the power and influence of the deep state obstacle in trying to transform the federal administrative workforce.  Additionally, it is significant to note that Trump comes into the White House as an outsider and an outcast of his own party; bereft of the type of institutional support that most newly elected presidents enjoy.  

My belief is that Republicans are squishy; but at least they have the right policies.  Their continual habit of bringing a knife to a partisan gunfight is maddening; but they do, in the main, represent a more efficient and effective model for running this country.  The question that is hanging out there is how the Trump Administration can specifically, and the Republican Party in general, overcome this obstruction effort and get some real changes actually implemented before the current shelf life of a Republican majority expires?

The first order of business is to take care of business.  In spite of all the hurdles that may be placed before them, Trump and Congressional Republicans must accomplish legislative goals.  They have to demonstrate the ability to get things done in order to effectively contrast their policies with those of the Democrats.  If the policy discussions are confined to partisan wrangling and rhetoric, the debate devolves into misinformation and misdirection.  As we have seen from the tax reform legislation; it is necessary for new laws and policies to actually work their way into our everyday lives in order for the public to fully grasp their significance.  The Republican Congressional Leadership and the Trump Administration must reassess their approach to governing, use every tool in the box to move along their initiatives, and come to a sobering realization that their time in power is transient and may be coming to an end sooner than anyone thinks. 

Secondly; the American voters must take the time to study exactly what each national party stands for and make the effort to support the party of their choice.  These days do not allow us the luxury as citizens to have our ideal candidate before us on the ballot.  Unfortunately, we are oftentimes faced with the lesser of two evils.  But that uncomfortable choice pales in comparison to the larger facts of what the impact might be if one party’s vision of America is superior to the other.  Carefully consider what principles created the birth of this nation.  Think about the values you hold in your personal life and those of your family.  Think about the relationships between you and your government, at every level, and exactly how much involvement you are willing to give bureaucrats in your day-to-day living.  Think about what actions or services are intrinsically governmental in nature and what actions or services are best left to the private sectors of our society.  Think about whether the inherent and proper rights and dignity of the minority should permit them to impose laws of behavior and loss of liberties on the majority.  Think about the type of life your children will experience as they grow and mature; inheriting the environment that we, the American voters, are creating for them.   Honestly consider the state of this nation at the end of Obama’s two terms and what the election of Hillary Clinton would have done to perpetuate and further evolve that globalist vision of America.  The reality is that the Democratic Party has deserted the pragmatism of President Clinton, advanced far beyond the universal healthcare concepts of HillaryCare, and shifted well to the left of Obama’s liberal utopian ideals.  Just as our President is deeply flawed, so is the Republican Party.  Their policies are not bulletproof; they are susceptible to corruption and distraction; and they can be just as self-serving as any Democrat that ever lived.  But the hard truth is that the current state of Republican policy is far superior to that of the Democrats and it is critically important to preserve that policy through the maintenance of Republican majorities in the House and Senate.

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In a perfect world, a new and unique candidate will arise from the many 2020 presidential wannabes.  It will be a candidate that is motivated by a quest for a smaller and more efficient government.  It will be a leader that can both inspire the public and effectively manage the sprawling bureaucracy that is our government.  It will be a candidate that will speak in terms that are strong and principled, yet civil and respectful.   It will be an individual who has somehow discovered a method to bridge the partisan gap between our two national parties and restore some semblance of statesmanship in the WDC environment.  But, alas…we do not live in a perfect world.  Short of a highly unlikely indictment, impeachment, resignation or retirement, it is almost certain that Donald Trump will be the Republican candidate for President in 2020.  It is nearly as certain that given the way the liberal left has taken ownership of the Democratic Party, the 2020 Democratic presidential nominee will be about two small steps short of a socialist.  In our quest for perfection and our frustration with imperfection, we as voters must not lose sight of the fact that we can only vote for those candidates that are on the ballot.  Our government is more than one Senator or one Representative.   Our government is more than one President.  Our government is a reflection of the collective choices we make in selecting the people to run that government. 

It is my belief that the best direction for this nation, as things currently stand, is to hope that Donald Trump can somehow grow into his role as President and gain the respect that comes from real accomplishment.  I believe that as imperfect and flawed as the Republican Party is; they best represent the ideals that our nation was founded upon and can better manage the government of that nation.  I shudder to think about where this country would be today if Hillary Clinton had defeated Donald Trump and all of the revelations that have occurred over the last year had simply been papered over.  We will get the government we deserve.

What We Have Become.

Two “documents” have recently been released; the memoirs of ex-FBI Director James Comey and the Report of the Investigative General of the Department of Justice.  Comey’s book has sucked all of the oxygen out of the room while very little attention has been paid to the IG Report.  One is a collection of sanctimonious opinions from a terminated federal employee who has, without question, improperly leaked DOJ information to the media in surreptitious fashion, at a minimum played fast and loose with the truth surrounding multiple FBI investigations, and sprinkled his novel with material better suited for the National Enquirer.  The IG Report is a result of a months-long investigation by a non-partisan career professional that has had complete and total access to all of the facts surrounding that of which he speaks.  It is a scathing indictment of how Obama’s Department of Justice operated and unfortunately, it is likely only a harbinger of many more scandals to come.  It says something about us as a country that all of the public attention is focused on Comey’s effort and not that of the IG.

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The Inspector General is Michael E. Horowitz, an Obama appointee.  You can read his report yourself and draw your own judgment @ https://www.lawfareblog.com/document-doj-inspector-general-report-andrew-mccabe.  There can be little doubt that the Obama Administration, through the Department of Justice and Attorney General Loretta Lynch, did all it could to deflect any investigation into Hillary Clinton wrongdoing in advance of the last presidential election.  Additionally, Andrew McCabe, the recently terminated FBI Deputy Director who previously worked hand-in-glove with his supervisor James Comey, is undeniably exposed as little more than a partisan hack who has long been abusing his power and position in the DOJ for political purposes.

Comey, a self-professed paragon of virtue, served as FBI Director beginning in September of 2013, being appointed by Obama, until he was fired from that position by President Trump in May of 2017.  At various times over the last few years of his tenure, he was alternately praised and condemned by both Democrats and Republicans …depending on whose ox he was goring at the time.  Although he spent most of his early legal career as a government employee, he spent the time period of August 2005 up to his Obama appointment as a corporate lawyer on the east coast.  His anti-Trump dialogue is openly embraced by the mainstream media and all those associated with the Resist Trump movement.  Trump supporters and loyalists claim that his literary effort is little more than a pathetic, partisan swipe at the man who fired him.  Again…you read the book and you decide.

At a moment in time when the three most powerful forces for freedom and liberty on this planet, America/United Kingdom/France, have just executed an attack on a rogue regime in Syria, at the high level risk of escalating an already volatile situation into a more heated environment; after years of fiscal paralysis, when America’s economy is finally beginning to gain some momentum, realizing the growth of decent jobs and seeing the business sector flourish; when Congress has pitifully continued to demonstrate its absolute incompetence by failing to pass a budget, continually squawking about Russian meddling, and generally spending most of its time on things that are peripheral to its  primary functions; when illegal immigration is tearing this country apart and there continues to be no meaningful discussion or debate about  how federal immigration policy should be revised; in the midst of all of this…most all of the media want to talk about a book that discusses Trump’s hair, his possible tanning bed habits, the size of  his hands, and an assessment of his moral content from a disgruntled ex-employee of his (yes…I said that correctly; the FBI Director is hired by the Chief Executive and serves at his pleasure).

While the careful and professional investigative report of the IG is largely ignored, the critically important abuses of power that it exposes are simply skipped over by the media for the more salacious flavors of Donald Trump’s past romps with centerfold playmates and porn queens.  That we, as a nation, are obsessing with one of these revelations over the other is a very telling moment.  Partisanship is a fever that has forever fueled our two-party political system in America.  It is critical that we have two strong and vital political philosophies to serve as a governor on the other.  But when partisanship reaches the stage at which it now resides, permeating every aspect of our culture, with no one in either party showing the ability, or the courage, to stand up and call out the fever for what it is…then we have reached a very sad place indeed.  We deserve the government we elect.  We have elected a poor choice as President whose many flaws are barely exceeded by his choice of wise policies and qualified appointees.  The Democratic Party has devolved into a pathetic, writhing blob of bitching, moaning, and classless criticisms.  The Republican Party, having achieved a brief moment of supreme political positioning, has forsaken the principles which he has espoused for decades in return for a spineless, unprincipled quest for some type of public image and the paths of least resistance.  Our recently-fired FBI Director is hawking his tell-all book on the street corner, we are bombing a middle-eastern government into oblivion, the Democrats want to impeach our Republican President for eating the wrong cereal at breakfast, the Republicans in Congress continue their athletically-challenged exhibition of tripping over themselves, the federal budget expenditures continue to balloon far beyond expected revenues with no thought towards the hole we are digging ourselves, and…the beat goes on.  This is what we have become.

Is WDC Stuck in a Spin Cycle?

Between the Resist Trump movement by the Democrats in the House, the incompetence of the Republicans in the Senate, the blatant disregard for the rule of law in the Judiciary, the malfeasance from Obama holdovers in the civil service, and the unpredictable mayhem of the Trump White House, it is difficult to see how this WDC dysfunction moves in any direction but downward.  Is there anything at all that can be done to improve the effectiveness, efficiency, transparency, and ethical standards of our government and how it operates?  While there is certainly no silver bullet that will solve this dilemma overnight, there are some common sense steps and actions that might move the needle in the right direction.

Term Limits.  I know, I know…who in their right mind could possibly believe that our noble Senators and Representatives would actually vote themselves out of a job?  I cannot argue with that logic.  But simply because it does not seem likely or easily attainable does not make it unworthy of pursuit.  There can be little doubt that a large portion of the problems surrounding our Congress is the fact that powerful Congressional people have been corrupted by their length of service and they simply refuse to give it up.  Additionally, the longer they live and work in the WDC environment, the more out of touch they become with the people and the communities they are sent there to serve.  Every Senator harbors a secret ambition to become President and once that ambition is shriveled by reality, the notion remains that they would be a better President than the one in the White House.  The House was intended by the founders to be an ever-evolving body of citizens who took a bit of time from their routine lives to serve this nation.  Nowadays, every Representative appears to live with the impression that they were selected as the savior of divine government rather than the leading vote-getter from a handful of counties in their home state.  And the Presidents…they get elected to a four-year term and get no more than moved in the White House before they are running for re-election.  Every decision they seem to make is tinged with the impact it might have on the upcoming elections.  And of course, they all live under the illusion that they can remake this nation into that perfect ideal they hold in their infallible little heads. 

Give the President one, six-year term to accomplish their goals.  That is sufficient and it will eliminate having a campaigner-in-chief rather than a true Chief Executive.  Any Senator that serves more than three, six-year terms has forgotten what is like to be a regular citizen; they consider themselves royalty.  They are either actively running for a higher office or maneuvering around to benefit from someone else getting it.  EIGHTEEN years is sufficient.  And the House, where we have citizen representatives from our own home towns or areas…how long do they navigate about in WDC before they forget from whence they came and why they came?  These folks have to maintain a closer alliance with the homefolks because they represent such a smaller area with fewer people and serve far shorter terms in office.  If they are of sufficient caliber to be re-elected for six, two-year terms, I say let them have it.  But after twelve years in office, they should move on to another vocation. 

Biennial Budgeting.  This continuing fiscal circus of Keystone Kop impersonation that is being annually performed by our sitting Presidents and Congress has reached epic fail status.  The combination of sweetheart trades, omnibus packaging, continuing resolutions, and last minute annual appropriations panic composition has rendered the annual federal budgeting process a joke.  For whatever reason, Congress has proven itself clearly incapable of properly passing a federal budget prior to the year the spending plan is scheduled to be implemented.  This has led to ballooning deficits that neither party wants to acknowledge or discuss; a monstrous albatross that is being hung about the necks of our children.  It has led to extraneous and bizarre expenditures being shoveled into last minute legislation that nobody knows anything about…except those doing the shoveling.  It has led to federal agencies never being able to use good business practices to plan their staffing, their training, and their very missions in any type of responsible fashion.  It has gotten so bad that no one involved in the process feels any shame or accountability whatsoever for failing to perform the primary function for which they were elected.  A biennial budget will not solve all of the partisan wrangling that dogs the federal budget process; but if Congress and the President could ever manage to get just one biennial budget completed on time, prior to the implementation period, just think about what might be accomplished in the following two years.  Congress could actually hold real hearings and debates about priorities for federal spending.  Federal agencies could assimilate two-year plans of action about the best ways to implement legislation and law.  It is bound to clear up the water to some degree and it just…makes…good…sense.  Now most folks can only budget as far ahead as their reliable income will allow.   That is no problem for the government, however; if they need more money, they just print more money. 

Less Patronage; More Career; Beef Up Hatch Act.  Increasingly, we are seeing a President assume their office in an environment soaked with partisan venom.  The party that is out of power seems intent on conducting guerilla warfare against the party that is in power; all for the purpose or intent to paralyze the majority party’s policy initiatives with no consideration for good and effective government.  Although I don’t believe I have ever seen this phenomenon rise to the current level we see in the Resist Trump movement; it has indeed gone on for decades and was very much in play during Obama’s two terms.  How can we tamp this down and spend more time governing with less time…organizing? 

It is estimated that each new President appoints about 3,000 people based on political considerations; commonly referred to as patronage appointments.  The upside to this type of hire is that a President gets to select people of like mind and inclination; people who think like he does and will hopefully be loyal to his ideals.  The downside is that even though we know these folks will be true believers, we can only hope they will be competent to fulfill their duties and responsibilities.  That is not always the case.  Many times, people are rewarded more for their monetary contributions to the candidate than they are for their intelligence, capabilities, and accomplishments.  A competent true believer can significantly improve the implementation of a new President’s agenda and serve the government well.  An incompetent political hack serves no useful purpose, destroys the morale and stability that may already be in place, and simply serves as a placeholder until the next President comes around.  A poorly appointed patronage employee is resented by the majority of career civil service employees who serve alongside and subordinate to them; creating a toxic atmosphere for effectiveness and efficiency. 

In addition to the quality problems associated with patronage appointments; there is also the delays created by the need for Congressional approvals.  Many of the patronage appointment positions are essential and critical to the good performance of our government; but they get bogged down in the Congressional review process due to partisan chicanery.  It is not unusual these days for many important political appointment positions to remain vacant well into the mid-term or later of a newly-elected President.  A thorough review needs to be conducted and many of these patronage appointments need to be converted to career civil service positions.  Let the federal hiring system serve its purpose to select the best people for the jobs and then let these people develop a career of accomplishment serving our government.  Just imagine the increased efficiency that would be gained from continuity alone as we transfer power from administration to administration with far less turnover in federal agency managers. Think about how much more time would be available to a new President to accomplish their vision for our nation if they can more quickly put their team in place to implement that vision. These actions would not require amendments to the Constitution; only a bi-partisan group of leaders (please…don’t injure yourself laughing) from Congress who are more interested in government that works than they are in rewarding their contributors.

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And if we are going to convert a significant number of these patronage appointments to career spots, then we must simultaneously (in the same piece of legislation) review and strengthen the Hatch Act.  Generally speaking, the Hatch Act is the set of rules applying to federal employees that is intended to keep politics out of the fashion in which they perform their duties.  It is designed to prevent political conflicts of interests and eliminate favoritism infections in the administration of government policies.  The Hatch Act has been somewhat diluted and marginalized over the last several administrations and the prosecution of its violations have been largely cherry picked by random accusers with political vendettas.  Based on what we have learned in recent revelations about the FISA program, the DOJ’s questionable behavior, and the blatant politicization of government agencies by the Obama administration; it is abundantly clear that the Hatch Act needs to be reviewed and strengthened to prevent the future political poisoning that has been occurring in the halls of our government.

If these three initiatives were to become reality, a President would come into office with full confidence that they could get their team in place in short order and begin the process of fulfilling his or her campaign promises.  They would not be looking ahead to insuring their own re-election and they should more intently focus on actual policy.  Over their term in office, they should be in a position to greatly influence three biennial budgets, which should dramatically enable them to put their policy ideals into actual practice.  They would have serving beneath them in the many and varied layers of government more professionals and fewer politicians than any President before them; and they could rely on the promise that those federal employees were interested in performing their appointed duties to the best of their abilities and not scoring political points for selfish reasons.  It might not be sufficient to entirely eliminate the current spin cycle; but it would absolutely slow it down and put it on a new path towards rediscovering some sense of gravity in this crazy, vertigoesque environment we are now experiencing.

Is the Political Ground Shifting or is the Universe Messing with Our Heads?

Winston Churchill died at age 90 in 1965; Donald Trump was born in 1946.  Churchill made his famous enigma statement in a 1939 radio broadcast.  It is fairly certain that Churchill was talking about Russia and not Donald Trump when he addressed the difficulty of understanding some geopolitical things.  But there can be little doubt that Donald Trump is, using Churchill’s words “…a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma…”  When one of his tweets goes south, or one of his off the cuff remarks seems unusually strange, or he gets too wrapped up in the moment at one of his rallies and goes off script with over the top hyperbole…when one of these things happen and it does not wear well on our President, he is firmly planted with the blame, derision, and ridicule that goes along with such a faux pas.  He is never given the benefit of a doubt.  However, when he pulls off a successful political maneuver or accomplishment (successful tax reform legislation, common sense deregulation, solid appointments of high consequence, foreign policy victories, winning the Presidency against overwhelming odds, etc.), few people give him clear credit for successfully planning and executing the winning strategy and many, in fact, simply explain it away as dumb luck or stumbling unintentionally into success.  I share this confusion on exactly how it is that he achieves many of his wins.  I am not certain if he is Machiavelli or Bozo the Clown…or some bizarre combination of the two.  Regardless of whether or not it is wisdom or happenstance, he has won quite a few battles since ascending to the Chief Executive’s office and the consequences of those victories are becoming more tangible each day.

A person would be rather foolish to predict with much confidence any political outcome of future events whatsoever.  The American political scene is in as much chaos and turmoil as I have seen in my lifetime and even those who have professionally covered this area for a substantial length of time typically throw up their hands these days and shrink from short or long-term prognostications.  And who can blame them?  But there are two WDC subplots that are simultaneously playing out which might lead to a monumental political earthquake later this year.  And that earthquake, if it occurs, could change the face of our nation for generations to come.

I have often marveled and expressed frustration in this blog over the lack of Democratic criticism towards Obama and his leftward lurching legacy he left behind for his national party. Repeatedly, a Democrat in a position of prominence will say or do something that is clearly and universally recognized as bad/stupid/just plain wrong and not a single, solitary, Democratic leader of influence will speak out against the offender.  The closest any of them have come is the final frustration being vented against Hillary Clinton’s never-ending victimhood tour.   Based on some fairly recent remarks, most of which remain anonymous, the Democrat Party has finally reached its limit on Clinton sympathy and now simply wants her to (in her words) go away.  In their minds, all of the angst energy she is expending on perpetually explaining her loss to Trump is sapping resource that could better be used in the Resist Trump effort.  But with the exception of Hillary, it seems no Democrat can commit any offense worthy of intra-party criticism so long as they remain faithful with blind allegiance to the Resist Movement.  Recent developments in the investigations of the Obama Administration/Justice Department and the cadre of Obama holdovers in the Trump Administration that have apparently been plotting, and executing, some apparent form of political treason appear to be headed towards some convincing evidence of wrongdoing; wrongdoing that may rise to the level of illegality and may thus result in criminal prosecutions.  As this twisted little tale of political intrigue plays out, and the rats begin to leap from the less buoyant Good Ship Get Trump, the players may begin to turn on each other.  The true story and the scope of wrongdoing might just begin to cascade out in unexpectedly major torrents, and those WDC Democrats who wish to continue their futures in national politics might actually begin to state the obvious…Some of our folks did some pretty rotten things.  The distance they can manage to put between themselves and those involved in these escapades might help them survive to fight another day.  But the incontrovertible fact is that if many of these Democrats are found to be complicit in clear anti-Trump wrongdoing, it cannot help but throw some positive vibes towards the President, who will undoubtedly seize every opportunity to scream to the heavens…I told you so!

At the same time these investigations are gaining momentum and the houses of cards are beginning to tumble, Trump is finding some traction in the execution of Presidential policy.  Either through karma or lessons learned from the Obamacare Repeal debacle, Trump and the Republicans pushed through tax reform legislation and spin as you might, it is bound to have an overall positive impact for the President and his Party’s national standing.  Trump has somehow managed to come out looking pretty reasonable on this DACA/Immigration debate also.  Be it ever so humble a beginning, the wall is starting.  North Korea, whether serious or not, appears to be approaching the negotiating table in a way no one anticipated.  Democrats will not be able to resist jumping in on this Infrastructure Legislation that is starting up and that is going to be a big PR effort for everyone involved (never underestimate the capacity of federal spending to unite Republican and Democratic Congresspersons!).  My point is that in spite of porn queen sexcapades, wholesale staff overhauls in this Administration, and the continuing sophomoric anti-Trump bias from the mainstream media, Trump is beginning to get the hang of this Presidential Thang and appears to be finding a rhythm that is leading to some success.  Given the obvious volatility of our President, who knows how his job performance report card will read over the next few months; but it is not beyond conceivable that he could parlay his early 2018 successes into a yearlong record of good economic numbers, domestic policy success, and foreign policy initiatives that can be spun in his favor. 

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And if these two things happen…if the investigative convictions begin to mount as Democrats call out their own crooks, if the country appears to be on the right track for the balance of this year and a case can be made that a major part of that success is due to President Trump and his policies…then how shocking will it be to everyone if the Republicans not only hold their Senate majority in the fall midterms, but miraculously also hold, or build on, their House majority status?  Imagine the enthusiasm, courage, and ambition that would accompany such political food fortune and think about the bold actions that such a Republican Congress might take.  Why, it would not be surprising to see such elusive targets as National Health Care Reform, Comprehensive Immigration Reform, and yes…even Entitlements Reform morph into something that resembles obtainable. 

On the other hand, as things stand today, we could also see the Republicans hold the Senate and Democrats seize a narrow majority status in the House; thus leading to at least two long and agonizing years of constant struggle and drama between Congress and the Executive Branch, and highlighted by impeachment proceedings in the House of Representatives.  My friends, the next seven months will be very consequential indeed.

Three Things on a Sunday Morning.

Well, the world is a happening place these days…is it not?  The dissonance that was ushered in with Donald Trump’s election to the Presidency has not abated and, in fact, seems to be gathering steam each and every day.  The struggles across the face of the globe for power, wealth, and influence play out in their own little theatres and the ripples from each form a complex and unpredictable mosaic of intrigue, disaster, and tragedy.  And here in America, it appears the flavor du jour for effective governing is to put our high school students in charge of domestic policy.  Judging from their incredible abilities (wink, wink) to manage mass events in support or opposition to various causes, they would all appear to have bright futures in event management or crowd organization.  But then again, once they ascend to the podium and we begin to actually hear their words, the luster falls from their shining images and we are reminded that they are likely closer to playing the role of useful idiots than they are of being prophetic revolutionaries.  So…on to a comment or two…

First off, please allow me to address the Storm (pun is absolutely intended) that is gathering around our President regarding his apparent previous relationship with an ex-porn star.  I have stated in this column before and I will say it again: Based on his history, behavior both current and past, and his rhetorical theatrics, the President is a pig.  He appears to harbor a snarky, chauvinistic attitude that is unworthy of a person in his leadership position.  It matters not that we have had scoundrels before as President.  It is irrelevant that Clinton likely did more of it and Kennedy did it a lot smoother.  What matters is that we have every right to expect a higher standard from our President.  I do not pretend to sit in judgment of our President’s behavior; I am not qualified to do so and that obligation lies with another.  But don’t we all occasionally marvel that we as a people select some of the worst amongst us to lead our government?  Whatever traits we as voters find appealing in our candidates, strong morality and character are certainly not near the top.  It seems that when we get candidates on the ballots that appear to exhibit those traits, it becomes more of a liability for ridicule than an asset for selection.  Do we want a saint in elected office?  I don’t think that is a good idea.  Do we want someone in office that has demonstrated a grasp on decent standards of behavior and living?  Well, yes.  No matter how strongly one may support his policies, all the wise leadership decisions in the world will not cancel out the fact that Trump was a hound and seems to remain unchanged to this day.    We can, and should, do better.

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Now…how about that big budget that Congress just passed and the President will, or has, signed?  What…a…freaking…joke!  This budget is for federal fiscal year 2018.  This federal fiscal year runs from October 1, 2017 through September 30, 2018.  Federal fiscal year 2018 is nearly fifty percent over.  The primary role of Congress is to fund our nation’s government.  Now in fairness to the Republicans, any budget action under current Senate operational rules would require 60 votes.  There are not 60 Republicans in the Senate.  Therefore, it is disingenuous to blame this budget fiasco on the Republicans simply because they hold a majority status in the Senate and the House.  However, it is not disingenuous to blame the Republicans for (a) failing to use all of the administrative tools at their disposal to arrive at a more responsible budget in a timely fashion or (b) voting for such a ridiculous fiasco.  The prevailing argument amongst the Republican apologists who have voted for this bill is that they had no choice.  Look at the good it does…in spite of its pitfalls!  We were up against a wall!  There would have been a shutdown of the government!  The Democrats made us do it (Trump’s favorite)!   All of these pathetic excuses have been used before and are just as lame today as they were then.  The plain, simple, and unavoidable fact is that the time to write, complete, and pass a federal budget is prior to the beginning of a budget year; thus the term…federal budget.  It is designed to be a blueprint for future government spending, which should reflect government policies.  As has been the pattern for several past administrations, it is now routine for our government to operate on seat of your pants continuing resolutions for the majority of the time.  The first words out of every…single…professional…personal financial advisor is…prepare a budget.  That concept is so universally accepted that it is actually the law of the land in America for our government.  Is it really any surprise that so much of our government is helter-skelter and dysfunctional when it operates for most of the time on a week-to-week, month-to-month budget?  The Republicans own this budget.  They controlled the organizational levers of the Senate for the majority of fiscal year 2017; the time period when the FY2018 should have been completed.   Congress…Just do your job.  Do it in a timely fashion.  Do it in an honest and transparent fashion.  Spend the federal dollars in a responsible and efficient way. 

And finally, what do you think about our school administrators deciding which political causes should be worthy of excused student absences due to participation in support rallies?  And, apparently, in a few selected cases, that excused absence might be coupled with financial assistance…from your local tax dollars.  As a father, I have celebrated my children’s participation in the political process.  I have not, and do not, always agree with their positions; but I always celebrate their willingness to engage in the process.  However, the one thing I have always encouraged in them is the obligation to educate oneself on the issue prior to publicly taking a position on it.  This requires a careful consideration of not only defining exactly what the issue involves, but also the differing opinions and ideals surrounding the issue.  I submit that this essential precursor to intelligent issue debate and discussion is missing in many of the great policy debates that are currently ongoing; including, but not limited to, the gun control debate.  Most parents and school administrators have viable and constructive alternatives to giving students the green light to skip school, carry signs written by others, shout out slogans they did not author, and pledging blind allegiance to politically correct causes when they are patently unfamiliar with the details and substance of the issues themselves.  Dinner tables and school classrooms are fertile ground for debates and discussions about the facts surrounding gun control; but that ground is obviously not being cultivated when the majority of the school students protesting in these marches cannot even define the term assault weapons while marching to ban them.  Educators need to educate; not agitate.  Parents need to foster; not co-opt that privilege to others.  Gun control is a serious, complex, and extremely pertinent issue that should be addressed by our young adults.  But that approach should be a reflection of the lessons we have learned over the ages involving going off half-cocked about things that you don’t know shit about.  As I mentioned previously regarding the selection of leaders with good moral fiber; it is an eternal mystery why we as a culture look to Hollywood for our moral standards, look to WDC and the Judiciary for ethical behavior benchmarks, and turn our children over for raising to an educational system that is riddled and dominated by a liberal philosophy which is rotting the foundations of our nation and society.

Russia Puts Its Fingers in Our Election Pie.

With all signs indicating that the House Intelligence Committee investigation into Russian Meddling in the 2016 Election is coming to a close, it might be time to reflect just a bit on the matter.  Now the House Intelligence Committee will not be the final word on the subject; there is another Committee or two in the House that might have something to say about it, there is a Senate Committee looking into the matter, and heaven only knows what Mr. Mueller and his merry band of lawyers are diddling with these days.  But this indication of a coming final report from the House Intelligence Committee may be the first movement, among several more, towards some closure in this episode.  What conclusions might we draw from the facts in this case?

First off, it is pathetically disingenuous for any person associated with the U.S. Government to ceremoniously condemn a foreign nation for openly or covertly supporting a particular candidate in another nation’s election.  We have done it ourselves many times, and we will undoubtedly continue doing it.  The most recent and blatant example is the Obama Administration’s very public efforts to defeat Benjamin Netanyahu as the Prime Minister of Israel.  Obama and Netanyahu’s world views did not jibe and Obama did everything within his power and authority to remove Netanyahu from Israeli leadership in hopes of replacing him with someone he might be better able to work with.  There is nothing unusual or significantly improper about t his.  Obama was the leader of our country and in his quest for serving our nation’s best interests, he did what he could do to influence the leadership of other global nations with whom we do business.  Perhaps the biggest distinction of the Obama meddling was the public nature of it.  The venom between he and Netanyahu was poorly concealed by both parties and the fact that it played out in the media as opposed to behind the scenes did little to serve the interests of either nation.  But the larger point is that there is nothing unusual about one nation’s interest in who leads another nation’s government.  America meddles, right along with all the rest of the global society.  The proper source of attention should be the prevention of the meddling; not the meddling itself.

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Secondly, it is extremely difficult, if not downright impossible, to assess the effectiveness of foreign nation meddling in another nation’s elections.  Heck, it is evident from U.S. polling performance and analysis that even domestic meddling in domestic elections is a very inexact science.  It is foolish to think that the amount of money available to a candidate has no influence on their chances of winning.  However, a significant advantage in campaign funds never has, and never will, be a guarantor of victory.  It is one of many important factors in the election process.  

From all indications, the Russian meddling effort took place through the auspices of an entity called the Internet Research Agency (IRA).  Reports tell us that the IRA spent up to $247,100 on Facebook and Twitter in an effort to influence the way American voters perceived the candidates and their positions.  Reports indicate that Clinton and Trump spent a combined $81 million on Facebook.  It is useful to note that the Clinton Campaign and associated PACs spent $1.2 billion in their quest for the Presidency while the Trump Campaign and associated PACs spent around $617 million to win.  The IRA’s social media efforts were not always targeted in the same direction.  They were, over time, taking different policy positions and promoting/disparaging different candidates.  It is also interesting that a significant portion of the IRA expenditures in this election exercise actually occurred after the election was over.  Points being: the amount spent by Russia is a drop in the bucket when considering the overall amount of money spent by the candidates and the parties themselves in the election efforts.  The influential effectiveness of the IRA efforts is also highly questionable; their conflicting positions and timing had to compromise their intended purposes.  We must also remember that the paltry expenditures of the IRA were spent across as many as 27 different targeted states. 

Finally, we should focus on what our true concerns should be in foreign election meddling.  Russia’s gonna be Russia.  America’s gonna be America.  Everybody else is gonna mimic us.  If we get the chance to screw around with a nation who is hostile to our global interests, we are going to do it.  We are doing it.  As long as a foreign nation does not actually develop a method that is sufficiently sophisticated to reach into our precinct voting machines and materially change vote counts, the meddling will amount to nothing more than a clumsy effort to tilt the scales in a contest where the rules are poorly understood by the meddler.  In politics, the law of unintended consequence is a great mitigator.  The very real threat associated with foreign meddling is in the corruption of a selected individual by a foreign government; a quid pro quo arrangement that can actually alter policies that impact the security of our country.  The successful implant of such a Manchurian Candidate into our national leadership would be the ultimate coup for our global enemies.  There can be little doubt that this effort to orchestrate the election of such a person has been attempted by the Soviets/Russians over time and quite possibly, with some success at lesser levels of U.S. government leadership.  But as long as their sole venue for pursuit of this goal is the attempt to influence the decision making process of the individual U.S. voter and not the material manipulation of U.S. vote counts, the efforts will continue to be futile and marginal at best. 

In lieu of further and significant evidence coming out in this matter, there is little doubt in the mind of any objective person that Russia did make a feeble and pathetic effort to meddle in our 2016 election; but their aim was not to elect Donald Trump because he was their Manchurian Candidate.  Their aim was to sow chaos in our election process, distrust in our form of government, and general conflict among our peoples.  As long as we take reasonable steps to prevent high-tech intrusions into our material vote count processes and do all within our power to insure the integrity of our voting laws and regulations, Russia will continue to meddle but fail to materially impact our elections.  One thing is for certain, however.  The inability of our government to address this issue in a pragmatic, bipartisan, and honest fashion has rendered them as nothing less than useful idiots in Russia’s aims.  The Trump Administration and the Democratic Party have spent much of the first year since the 2016 election chasing the ghost of the Manchurian Candidate.  The House Intelligence Committee has stopped chasing this ghost.  It is time for the rest of the ghost chasers to wake up.

Who’s Zoomin’ Who?

Not at all sure, Ms. Franklin.  But for certain, there is a lot of zoomin’ going on.  For the next few moments, I want to focus on the zoomin’ taking place in WDC; most of it surrounding our President.

The mainstream media is zoomin’ the President.  Every step he takes, every move he makes…you know the lines.  As the old saying goes…if he walked on water, they’d complain about his inability to swim.  It is a pretty natural thing for the press to zoom the President; but this Trumpobsessionthang that the media has submerged into is a new level of frenzy and infatuation never before seen.  He is the shiny object they simply cannot resist.

The Donald is zoomin’ the media.  He drives them nuts with his tweets.  He infuriates them with his off the cuff remarks and jibes.  He stutters their orbits with his irreverence about the way things should be in WDC.  He wins a few and he loses a few; but there can be no doubt that one of the things he just loves about being Prez is the ability to jerk the journalists around and mess with their heads.

The Republicans are zoomin’ Donald Trump.  He was never one of them and he will never be one of them.  He is, though, extremely fortuitous for the Republican Party.  He gives those on the right sufficient red meat to curb their conservative appetite and even manages to tweak their noses on occasion, just because he can.  He flirts with the moderates about his willingness to compromise, only to yank away the football as they approach for the kick.  Truth be told, most Republicans in WDC don’t think much at all of our President.  But…he is a Republican…and…he beats the hell out of President Clinton.

The Democrats are zoomin’ the media.  Their insatiable hatred for all things Trumpian has driven the media into the arms of their treasonous lovers in the liberal community.  And they are being played royally.  Their exquisite performances as useful idiots for the self-titled progressive community has not only exposed them as the ethical and hypocritical charlatans that they are; but their momentary lapse of reason since Trump’s election victory has exposed them as pathetic ideologues hiding behind paper-thin masks of the Fourth Estate.  I am sure that having once envisioned themselves as the puppeteers behind the machinations of the DNC and liberal America; they now wallow in the self-acknowledging pity that they have become mere lapdogs for the left.

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The Trump family is zoomin’ the President.  Who knows what is true or false when we consider the reported chaos in the White House;  but there can be little doubt that there is some high drama going on between the children, the parents, the in-laws, the out-laws…pretty much the whole Trump clan.  The only person who seems oblivious to the turmoil and has somehow managed to maintain a certain level of grace is the First Lady.  She has thus far managed to hover above the daily fracas and present an image of dignity and respect.  If history has taught us anything, it tells us pretty reliably that the appearance of Presidential kinfolk in the White House is typically followed with pages that are better left out of the family album.

The elected officials of both major parties are zoomin’ the people. People are being trampled and cast asunder daily in the politicians’ zest to leap upon the most recent locomotive leaving the station.  Be it the Immigration Express (permission only to illegal aliens in America, U.S. Citizens prohibited; ridership occupancy running very high), the New Bullet Train (must pass background check to ride and cannot wear clothing that makes you look scary or tough) , the Tax Cut Special (most recent tax forms should reflect that you spent at least two multiples in expenses as compared to your gross adjusted income),  or the one that really stacks ‘em up on the platforms…the Soviet Collusion Phantom (the ridership bar is very low...anyone can board anytime to go any place...and yet, all of the cars are running less than half full).    Every one of these gleaming projectiles of impressive mobility offers the ambitious and ever-watchful worldleaderwannabes the opportunity to thrust themselves into the breach of that fifteen minutes they are all seeking. 

The President is zoomin’ all of us.  As he bounces through each new day like the silver ball working its way down the machine to the dual flippers at the bottom, he sets off the lights and the bells and the whistles and he is loving every minute of it.  Captain Chaos in an Uncle Sam suit, dancing a jig to the national anthem, tweeting gloriously when the urge strikes him, playing the fool today, playing the sage yesterday, and playing us all for tomorrow.  Announcing to no one’s surprise that yes…he will in fact see about sticking around for another term.  And why wouldn’t he?  In a life that has been full of entitlement, excess, all the happiness that money can buy, and pretty much free reign to do as he damn well pleases; he has now stumbled miraculously into the best gig he has ever known, or even imagined.  Those few things he had given up on acquiring…respect, honor, prestige, being a man of consequence...have come to him in a rush.  People stand in line to heap upon him the praise and adulation he never envisioned for himself.  He is an extremely non-serious man in an extremely serious position.  He is surrounded by people who either despise him openly and are for that reason dismissed or worship him without reservation and are for that reason taken for granted.  With no reason from his friends to grow up and reevaluate his fantasy life or from his enemies to reconsider his spontaneous agendas and actions of consequence, he will simply continue to live chapter after chapter of this contemporary novel about a reality TV personality becoming President of the United States.

Who’s zoomin’ who?  There’s a lot of zoomin’ going on, but where it all leads is anyone’s guess.