It’s Friday morning as I write this article. Normally I write the Sunday article on Saturday awaiting the Friday news dump. This week I decided to comment on several items instead of concentrating on just one. Late last night I decided I already had more material then I needed. In disgust I said to myself, “Enough already!” Let’s explore.
For those who think President Trump is operating in a vacuum I suggest you watch other authoritarian regimes around the world. Fascism is on the rise globally and many of the practitioners of it are Trump’s idols and role models.
The Polish government is led by President Andrzej Duda of the Law and Justice Party. (Don’t you just love the Party’s name?) They passed a law that immediately aged out several Supreme Court justices including the President of the Polish Supreme Court (think: Chief Justice) Malgorzata Gersdorf. As of this point Gersdorf and the other “aged out” justices have remained in their seats vowing to abide by the Polish Constitution and serve out their terms. (Supreme Court justices have terms in Poland.) A system of checks and balances is necessary to insure the function of a representative democracy. People like Duda and Trump have no interest in representative democracy; they find there is more money in autocratic fascism.
Tea Party firebrand Representative Jim Jordan of Ohio as of this writing has been accused by four former Ohio State University wrestlers that he aided in the cover-up of the team doctor molesting them when he was an Assistant Coach at Ohio State in the 1990’s. Predictably Jordan claims ignorance of the situation and innocence of any wrong doing.
I spent seven seasons as an Assistant Basketball Coach at two different colleges during that same general time period. Perhaps the thing I liked the most about being an assistant as opposed to being the head coach is that I got to be sort of a big brother to my players as opposed to the father figure. I was a bit more of a friend/confidante and never the final authority figure. Had I ever come across an allegation like that I would have taken it to the head coach and athletic director. If they failed to act I would have resigned and gone to the press and/or law enforcement. Imperfect as I am, I take pride in being a man of character; Jim Jordan, well that appears to be another story.
Speaking of people lacking in the character department, Scott Pruitt resigned as EPA Director last week. Many liberals rejoiced I was not among them. For his personal conduct I feel Pruitt should face legal charges. His resignation will probably save him from that fate and I’m sure some right wingers will provide him with opportunities to make a nice living the rest of his life. The heir apparent is Andrew Wheeler who was a lobbyist for polluters and had served as the Chief-of-Staff to Oklahoma Republican Senator and climate change denier James Inhofe. Under Trump the job of the EPA Director is to not do your job. Wheeler is capable of doing just that and we collectively will eventually pay the price for the lack of a change of direction at the EPA. Privatize the profits and socialize the losses; that’s the Republican way.
Where did you spend your Fourth of July holiday? I bet it was in America. I can’t say the same for seven Republican Senators. Steve Daines of Montana, John Hoeven of North Dakota, Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, John Kennedy of Louisiana, Jerry Moran of Kansas, Richard Shelby of Alabama and John Thune of South Dakota spent theirs in Moscow. I hear Moscow, Idaho is very nice this time of year; the problem is they were in Moscow, Russia.
Only Johnson is a member of the Foreign Relations Committee. I find it interesting that five (Daines, Hoeven, Kennedy, Moran and Shelby) are on Appropriations – (Shelby chairs that committee). On the Third they had a formal meeting which Russian officials that the Russians described as the easiest meeting they ever had with American members of Congress. On the Fourth the Senators played tourist taking in the sites including a ballet. Don’t feel left out; you got to pay for their vacation.
Last week former Fox News senior executive Bill Shine took over as White House Communications Director. This flew largely below the radar considering all the other goings-on. Shine should be a good fit in the Trump White House. He was involved in silencing whistle blowers in the various Fox News sexual harassment cases. A yes man sans morals; perfect for Donald Trump’s team.
In addition to the sins outlined above we can add proof of incompetence (and lying about it). The Trump administration has all along said they had a plan to reunite separated children with their refugee parents. HHS among others have lied that they knew the exact whereabouts of the separated parties. That lie was refuted by the administration that now has to rely on DNA test to hopefully link the children with their parents. The only plan was to make fleeing to America as painful as possible and the separation of refugees from their children was an immoral deterrent.
All my regular readers know I am a great admirer of Harry Truman. The late president once said, “The [American] people have often made mistakes, but given time and facts they will make the corrections.” Electing Trump and these weak willed Republicans was a mistake; hopefully the correction will start this November and the majority of voters will join me in exclaiming, “Enough already!”
This article is the property of tellthetruthonthem.com and its content may not be used without citing the source. It may not be reproduced without the permission of Larry Marciniak.