Only 5 More Days of this Orange Mess of a President

Only 5 more days to tolerate this orange President and his administration, thank goodness. And in the midst of all this, everything around him is falling apart, virtually, if not actually. 

Here's how things stand for Republican Party President and soon to be regular citizen Donald J Trump now.

• He was just impeached for the 2nd time in your Presidency, a first in your nation's history
• He must vacate that same Presidency in 5 days
• States are cancelling multi-million dollar contracts with his companies
• Corporations and businesses are cancelling financial aid and any other support to and for him
• He has hundreds of millions of dollars in loans coming due in months to come and finally,
• He has been cut off from virtually all meaningful social media because of his personal opinions and announcements in the last months

More:

Senior Trump Official: We Were Wrong, He’s a ‘Fascist’

GOP senator concedes Trump 'misled' his followers, may face charges

Another Tenant Wants Out of Donald Trump's Wall Street Skyscraper

Pew's last poll of his presidency is also Trump's worst. They show his approval rating at  29 percent. A great deal of us out here don't think it should even be that high, of course. And while he is at his lowest popularity, most Americans want him held accountable.

54% of Americans Want Trump to Face Criminal Charges for Inciting Deadly Mob Attack on US Capitol: Poll

Here's what they're saying about him across the pond in Ireland presently.

Donald Trump led America into ruin

It seems his taxes are not just being investigated for his taxes and any problems in 2 New York State cases but also in both Ireland and Scotland. On top of it, Scotland has made clear Trump is not welcome.

Scotland Leader Says Trump Not Welcome 

Imagine that, please. A former US President declared not welcome in another, foreign nation that is an ally. Again, unprecedented in our nation's history. He's becoming a sort of, if not actual, man without a country.

Then, this is what's happening just now with his attorney.

Trump is reportedly stiffing Rudy Giuliani 

Meanwhile, this is where we stand today on this very killing pandemic for which we are leaderless, of couse.

CDC projecting over 90,000 deaths within the next 3 weeks due to this pandemic. Then check out this fact breaking today: the United States, with about 4% of the world's population, has reported about one-fifth of all reported deaths globally.

Thanks, Mr. President.
Thanks, Republicans.

A Facebook post very correctly, I think, summed it all up this way:

Thousands dying every day, an economy in shambles, millions out of work, massive deficits, a skyrocketing national debt, a country divided unlike it’s been in decades, the United States turned into some twisted, embarrassing global reality show the rest of the world is watching in horror, our enemies are stronger, white supremacists and other conspiracy nuts empowered and more radicalized than ever before, and the very foundation of this country fractured to such an extent it might take decades to repair the damage that’s been done to it.  --  Allen Clifton

The Washington Post has summed up Trump to be the following:

The biggest loser

I think the following quote from USA Today is accurate.

With these last few days pending, it's the power he still has that is so very concerning.

Trump Accused of Trying to 'Inflict as Much Harm as Possible' With Billions in Global Health Funding Cuts During Pandemic

There is at least one silver lining to Donald Trump's complete paths of destruction, I think and that's this.

Trump Is Blowing Apart the G.O.P. 

I intend to make the following true the rest of my long, healthy, happy life, long as I'm alive.

Trump’s stench will cling to Republicans

I wasn’t sure how, exactly, we would get here, but this is exactly what I expected after 4 years of Trump being in office.

I will say this finally today, I no way thought Republicans would do worse than Nixon, and a LOT worse, at that, in my lifetime. But they did. And did they ever.

Fortunately, this afternoon, on a different story, there is this breaking just now.

NRA declares bankruptcy

My God, that is magnificent. So for 2021, we will have gained a vaccine, lost a killing pandemic, gotten  rid of an orange excuse and nightmare of a President and the NRA declared bankruptcy!!

Happy new year, everyone!

Additional links:

Final Pew Research Poll: Trump Approval PLUMMETS - Down to 29%

The first political ads of the next cycle are already here ... and Republicans aren't happy

More Presidential Last Days Insanity

 It's difficult to even keep up with, let alone believe all the things this Republican Party President is saying and doing in these his last days in that office.

First today, this morning, there was this. He's still pushing this nonsense, this lie, this untruth.

In odd video, Trump falsely suggests he received a Nobel prize

Added to that, check out just a bit of the article:

The fact that Donald Trump is still releasing campaign-style ads is itself bizarre. Election Day was eight weeks ago; the Republican incumbent lost badly; and if these commercials are intended to create a groundswell of support for the outgoing president, he's likely to be disappointed.

But while the effort is odd, the details of the latest campaign-style ad are considerably more ridiculous. In the new, minute-long video that Trump posted online late yesterday, the first on-screen text reads, "Trump stands for America," which is a strange message for a president who's spent months attacking his own country's democracy. It's followed by, "Trump stands for American jobs," which is also weird given his poor record on job creation.

The video goes on from there, making other curious boasts. "Trump stands for American justice" is belied by his corrupt pardon abuses, while "Trump stands for military might" is an interesting choice given his recent veto of funding for his own country's military. It culminates in a five-word message: "Trump: He's what's for America," which is a rhetorical construction so clumsy, I wonder if the president's communications team was drunk when they wrote this.

Just loony. Fortunately, either his insanity or his stupidity, whichever it is that moment, helps his perceived enemies, hurts him and hurts what is supposed to be his own political party.

WSJ editorial board: Trump's push for $2,000 checks will hand Democrats the Senate

On the $2000 COVID assistance for Americans today, first this happened, no surprise.

McConnell blocks quick vote on $2,000 stimulus checks

The wonderful thing about the $2000 stimulus check in COVID assistance is that it's tearing down this President's own political party.

Senate GOP in Stimulus Bind With Trump Ramping Up Pressure

The two GOP Senators in the Georgia runoff, Perdue and Loeffler have had to come out for it, too.

The irony of this next issue and headline just stunned me.

Trump lashes out at ‘weak and tired’ Republican congressional leadership

Donald Trump. President Donald J Trump. Saying someone else doesn't lead. You can't get any more ironic, or hypocritical, than that.

Then, what he is doing is attacking members of his own political party, instead, God love him.

Trump targets congressional Republicans on multiple fronts

Honestly, this President and his unpredictability and lashing out is not just unprecedented but...what? Insane? Certainly unpredictable.

Speaking of no leadership...

Nashville mayor says Trump hasn't called since bombing

Nashville, Tenn., Mayor John Cooper (D) on Monday said that he has not spoken directly to President Trump since the intentional detonation of an RV in the city’s downtown on Christmas.

“No, I haven’t,” Cooper told CNN when asked if he had heard from the president since the bombing.

Keeping in mind he could be leading us all through this worst, most deadly, killing international pandemic in the last more than 100 years.

More than 2,900 health care workers died this year

December is deadliest month of COVID-19 pandemic in US so far

Not done there...

Fauci: You 'have to assume' pandemic is going to get worse

But no.

Instead of leadership, this is where his attention has been and where his insanity hurts us, hurts the nation.

Trump's desire for 'wild' protest sparks fear among US officials

One observer noted that Trump will fail in Congress, but the greater danger "is on the streets, where pro-Trump forces are already threatening chaos."

It was nine days ago when Donald Trump announced via Twitter that there would be a "wild" protest in the nation's capital on Jan. 6, the day Congress will formally certify President-elect Joe Biden's victory. The Republican has referenced the gathering while insisting he won the election he lost, and Trump has returned to the subject several times since, including in a weekend tweet in which the outgoing president declared, "Never give up. See everyone in D.C. on January 6th."

More on the possibility of violence issue.

Ex-Pence aide turned Trump critic 'very concerned' about Jan. 6 violence

Fortunately, this went in our favor the last few days. Ultra-conservative, Right Wing, Republican Party supporting Rupert Miurdoch's own New York Post blasted this President Trump for denying our election with a big front page story.

Murdoch’s New York Post Blasts President’s Fraud Claims

A snippet of the original Post article:

Mr. President, it’s time to end this dark charade.

We’re one week away from an enormously important moment for the next four years of our country.

Meanwhile, Trump's former attorney, Michael Cohen came out with this. 

Michael Cohen says the associates Trump pardoned may now be forced to testify against him because they can no longer invoke the Fifth Amendment

President Donald Trump's former lawyer and self-described fixer, Michael Cohen, said the president's pardons and sentence commutations for close associates such as Michael Flynn and Roger Stone could be a big mistake. Cohen told MSNBC on Monday that by pardoning these allies, Trump could be unintentionally giving prosecutors the power to force these close associates to testify against him. Cohen suggested that the people Trump pardoned would no longer be able to invoke their Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination and therefore must comply with investigations into Trump. Trump faces multiple lawsuits and criminal investigations when he leaves the White House.

It might well help to explain the pressure on Trump and his seeming unraveling.

And yes, this next article is the Washington Post and they are tough on this President but it shows he is getting lots and lots of really bad press.

Trump, in his final days, goes full King Lear

Then there's this from Salon.

The final, desperate days of our psychopath in chief: How bad will it get?

It's gotten so bad now, at the end of this presidential administration, it's even falling in on his Vice President Pence.

Gohmert, Other Republicans Sue VP Pence, Demanding He Throw Out Non-Trump Votes

I can't imagine anyone other than Mike Pence has been more loyal to Republicans but they attack him for not supporting Trump in his fraudulent effort to overturn our votes and election. Incredible.

But wait, there's more. There's much, much more.

Trump biographer says the humiliation of Mike Pence is ‘reaching a crescendo’

So far in this administration, I think Vice President Mike Pence did just what he wanted to do. That is, he laid low, quiet, rather out of sight and so, hopefully on his part, I believe, out of mind. No more. At the end and seemingly clear unraveling of this President and his administration, even he is finally getting some negative hits from all of this. It's no way a complete surprise bad as this administration is failing and flailing but it's certainly not the way he VP Pence, planned this, that's for sure.

So stay tuned, America, Americans. There's no telling where we're headed or what this President Trump will say or do, as we've seen. Hoping the worst isn't still ahead of us.

The good news? We're down to only 3 weeks left in this nightmare administration as of tomorrow.

Hallelujah.

Additional link:

Trump Gives Schumer an Assist - WSJ

The 10 worst things Trump did in 2020

The top 20 stupidest things Donald Trump said in 2020

So Proud of Our Kansas City Star

Wow.

What can you say but "Wow"?

Our own local paper, the Kansas City Star stunned me and I feel, probably lots of us this week. Their report, their reporting, their confession was just that, stunning. You likely know of what I'm writing. It's this.

The truth in Black and white: An apology from The Kansas City Star

Today we are telling the story of a powerful local business that has done wrong.

In it, rather famously now, the paper confessed and admitted to racism, horrible racism from them over the years when reporting on minorities in the area--specifically, Black Americans.

I'll only post the beginning of the editorial.

Today we are telling the story of a powerful local business that has done wrong.

For 140 years, it has been one of the most influential forces in shaping Kansas City and the region. And yet for much of its early history — through sins of both commission and omission — it disenfranchised, ignored and scorned generations of Black Kansas Citians. It reinforced Jim Crow laws and redlining. Decade after early decade it robbed an entire community of opportunity, dignity, justice and recognition.

That business is The Kansas City Star.

To repeat, there's no word that describes this any better than stunning.

This took guts. This took courage. Just freaking wow.

They could have recognized their past faults internally and vowed to never repeat such things, sure. But this? Confessing to the supporting of Jim Crow laws and redlining and segregation and other obscenities, however legal?

Stunning. Nothing short of stunning.

It went national, too, it was that big a story. This was from the New York Times.

Kansas City Star Apologizes for Racism

NBC News.

Kansas City Star apologizes for decades of racist coverage

Daily Kos.

'We don’t need stories about these people': Kansas City newspaper confesses to tradition of racism

You get the idea. It was covered nationally from virtually every media outlet.

I think there are two huge things to take from this, too, besides the fact that, as I said above, they didn't have to do this cleansing so publicly like this. 

The first is that this was an important move for them, the Star, the newspaper, to own up to but it's much more than that. We all need to own up to what and how we've gotten to where we are. We all, as a people and as a nation, need to know how we got here, where we are today. We need to know our nation's history, our full national history. We need to really know all the details about slavery and our Civil War, sure. But that's for starters.

We all need to also know about our Reconstruction and the failure of it, our failure and how that impacted African-Americans then.

We all need to know, really know about Jim Crow laws, what they were, what they did, the fact that they were legal and the deep, deep damage that they did to those same Americans, African-Americans. That's a great deal to know there alone.

Then there's the "redlining" the Star's story mentions and its corresponding segregation, legalized, thank you very much.

If, as a people, you are kept away, legally, from the best housing and jobs, good education and so, consequently and understandably, also kept away from better paying jobs and careers?  Is it any wonder the wealth of Black Americans today is, still, to this moment, a fraction of white America?

And that's how we got now, here to where we are. It's why still, to this day, so many Black Americans do not and even, for a lot of them, cannot still live wherever they wish. It only makes sense. It's a natural outgrowth of all that then-legalized racism and hate and ugliness. It's why do many cities in the United States--including, of course, our own Kansas City on both sides of the state line--are still so very, very segregated even though that legal segregation was made illegal decades ago now.

So, again, wow. Kudos to the Star.

In their article, they made a great and important point of saying that their paper, over the years, highlighted white people's accomplishments but virtually never Black people's.

In the pages of The Star, when Black people were written about, they were cast primarily as the perpetrators or victims of crime, advancing a toxic narrative. Other violence, meantime, was tuned out. The Star and The Times wrote about military action in Europe but not about Black families whose homes were being bombed just down the street.

Even the Black cultural icons that Kansas City would one day claim with pride were largely overlooked. Native son Charlie “Bird” Parker didn’t get a significant headline in The Star until he died, and even then, his name was misspelled and his age was wrong.

It reminded me of a KCPT PBS broadcast on Kansas City's own Charlie "Bird" Parker. Lonnie McFadden made the very fair and important point that Winston Churchill, of all people, is on our Country Club Plaza.

But not Bird.

How else can we heal? How else can we repair centuries long wrongs and racism if we don't examine ourselves, see where we are, see what we did, see what those ramifications are and then apologize for them and look to rectify them? We must do this as a society. We're long, long overdue.

Anyone, any American who thinks we don't owe Black Americans reparations should, again, study our national history.

And read this article, too.

A Deepset Conservative on this President

 Yes sir and ma'am, a deepset conservative, none other than Bill Kristol, on this Republican Party President

And for proof? Look no farther.

Trump administration officials passed when Pfizer offered months ago to sell the U.S. more vaccine doses

Trump's pandemic blindness and election denial darken America's desperate winter

I can hardly believe what I read about this man sometimes.

An Open Letter, a Plea, Really, to Missouri's Senator Josh Hawley

From Republican Party's Missouri Senator Josh Hawley and his Facebook page today. He posted it at about 1:30 pm. He's concerned about---China

What a year for #china - Beijing inflicted #COVID19 on the world and continues to violate its treaty obligations & destroy the liberties of its people, including this latest crackdown in #HongKong

 With this article from The New York Times

Joshua Wong and Agnes Chow Are Sentenced to Prison Over Hong Kong Protest

To which, I respond...

China. 

More on China from this guy. 

Unbelievable. 

Have you heard, do you know there is the worst, most deadly, killing international pandemic in the last more than 100 years going on just now, presently, this year, Senator? Do you know we all still need PPE out here? And testing? And that millions, literally millions of Americans are going hungry presently due to this pandemic? And that literally millions of Americans are going into winter facing eviction from their homes because of the pandemic? Would you DO SOMETHING about these situations, Senator Hawley, instead of harping about China, for pity's sake? Please?

CDC director: Winter could be 'most difficult time in the public health history of this nation'

Because we'll beg. I'll beg. Honest I will. Please.

Help.

The USA.

Great Time to Point Out What We Need To Do As a Nation

Three things, three big and important things, at minimum, we need to do to and with our government given the new administration that will be comind in. Next year couldn't be soon enough. First up--

Get the Big, Ugly Money Out of Our Election System and Government

We need to do this and badly. We need to first overturn Citizens United and then end the legalized bribery we call "campaign contributions." We could easily do this if we but have the will, too. We should do what the UK did long ago and make our elections only, say, a month or 3 months long. This would have many benefits besides killing the need for our government legislators to beg for and raise and have so much money for their political campaigns. It would also end the nearly constant campaign cycles we have now. Those two right there are huge benefits.

Next up--

Outlaw Gerrymandering and End Voter ID Laws

We need to do this so, of course, no political party even can let alone does gerrymander any political district so they can win reelection in perpetuity. It needs to be illegal for both political parties, everywhere, period. This only make sense.

And yes, end voter ID laws since they only disenfranchise fellow taxpaying American citizens and are frequently racist, too.

Then, third--

Bring back the Fairness Doctrine

Finally, we need to get the division and ugliness out of our media, out of what is still called "news" but which, because of ending the Fairness Doctrine, has become the likes of Fox "news" and Breitbart and so much Right Wing, even literally hate radio and media. It needs to be illegal, again, to not show at least 2 sides of any issue or story and not just one. Lying on the news should be illegal.

So there you are. With a new Presidential administration coming in soon, these are 3 things, at minimum we need and need so sorely. I doubt we do them but there is talk of changing things and now is the time. We are long, long overdue on these.

Links:

Amend the Constitution to Prevent Another Trump

Debunking the Voter Fraud Myth | Brennan Center for Justice

The Myth of Voter Fraud | Brennan Center for Justice

Opinion | American Democracy Is Drowning in Money

The Fairness Doctrine: How We Lost It and Why We Need It Back

GOP Rigs Elections: Gerrymandering, Voter-ID Laws

Look What Uber Right Wing Republican Said Trump Should Concede!

Peggy Noonan, folks! Check that out!

A Bogus Dispute Is Doing Real Damage – Peggy Noonan

Conspiracy theories are damaging the country today and will hurt Republicans tomorrow.

No hard evidence of widespread fraud, no success in the courts or prospect of it. You can have a theory that a bad thing was done, but only facts will establish it. You need to do more than what Rudy Giuliani did at his news conference Thursday, which was throw out huge, barely comprehensible allegations and call people “crooks.” You need to do more than Sidney Powell, who, at the same news conference, charged that “communist money” is behind an international conspiracy to rig the U.S. election. There was drama, hyperbole, perhaps madness. But the wilder the charges, the more insubstantial the case appeared.

More than two weeks after the election, it’s clear where this is going. The winner will be certified and acknowledged; Joe Biden will be inaugurated. But it’s right to worry about the damage being done on the journey.

Even very Right Wing, very, very, uber conservative PEGGY NOONAN calls Trump's attempts at voter fraud a "bogus dispute" and that i's doing "real damage" to the nation! Even Peggy Noonan gets it!

Yes!

For once, I agree with her!

Concede, Mr. Trump or #Throwthebumout

This Maddening, Possibly Frightening President Now

 This so sorry excuse for a President and "leader" is still, still, to this day, pushing to ignore our election, deny that election, ignore our vote and votes and subvert our Democracy.

In Pennsylvania, Trump wants questioned ballots or the entire election thrown out. His claims of fraud remain baseless.

Even Fox's own deeply Right Wing loony Tucker Carlson says Trump and his legal team have no evidence of election fraud. 

Tucker Carlson bashes Trump attorney Sidney Powell for lack of evidence in fraud claims: ‘She never sent us any’

Worse, once again it looks as though people in this administration are actually harming or trying to harm the nation, too, one way or another, no exaggeration.

Treasury Secretary Mnuchin cuts off several Federal Reserve emergency aid programs, sparking unusual rebuke from Fed

Check that out.  Rebuked by someone, another department, in their own same administration. It's insane. We've never experienced anything like this in our nation I don't believe.

Here's another example of what leadership looks like to this man, this President, this Donald J Trump.

President Trump golfs at Trump National Golf Club on Sunday in Sterling, Va. (Al Drago for The Washington Post)

Trump could be a no-show at virtual G-20 as coronavirus ravages the globe

The White House won’t say whether the president will participate in this year’s summit of world leaders

We know why Trump wants to hold onto his position what with tax and criminal investigations pending on, of and for him.

NY probes Trump consulting payments that reduced his taxes

Apparently Ivanka won't be unscathed by the examination, either.

Ivanka Trump is not happy about being sucked into investigations of daddy's tax fraud

Is it any wonder Trump expressed dislike for New York in the last month or two? They're examining his taxes--for fraud--on at least two different levels. I believe this is the third.

Fortunately, at least a few Republicans are speaking up about this President and his tactics.

GOP senators Mitt Romney, Ben Sasse slam Trump campaign tactics in contesting election

Romney says he can't imagine 'a more undemocratic action' than what Trump's done

Retiring GOP Sen. Alexander said Trump should provide the Biden team with all resources necessary for a smooth transition.

This next one is a very pleasant surprise.

GOP Sen. Joni Ernst Breaks With Trump, Blasts Claims At Giuliani Press Conference

I frankly thought Senator Ernst would lay low and keep quiet on this. I'm pleased to see she's doing the right thing here on this.

This naturally pleased me, too, of course, logical as it is.

Key McConnell ally: Biden should get access to transition

Former AG Eric Holder weighed in, thank goodness.

Ex-AG Holder urges GOP to speak against Trump efforts

And this is the status just now, fortunately. Not that reality means anything to this Orange Man or his supporters, sadly, tragically.

Georgia certifies election results, making Biden win official

Unfortunately, this is where far too many people in this Republican Party stand.

Republicans are letting Trump wage war on Democracy

This is where this President and his political party have brought us.

The Crisis of American Democracy Is Not Over

“To succeed, Biden will have to do more than secure Americans’ right to vote, ensure that workers’ wages rise, and return life to some semblance of pre-pandemic normality, although those are all necessary,” Adam Serwer writes. “He must show Americans that the government can serve the people, and not just the ambitions, avarice, and ego of its leader.”

History Suggests Delay In Trump-Biden Transition Could Mean Danger

National security is one of the major reasons smooth transitions are so crucial, says Barbara Perry, director of presidential studies at the University of Virginia's Miller Center. Perry notes that the 9/11 Commission pointed to the shortened transition period between Bill Clinton's administration and the Bush administration after the disputed 2000 results in Florida as playing a role in al-Qaida's attack in 2001.

Besides not leading the nation during this killing pandemic, this just took place, too. This is from Axios.

China's new world order 

The largest free trade area in the world came into existence over the weekend — and the U.S. was not even invited.

Why it matters: For the first time in living memory, the hegemon at the center of a major global free trade agreement is not the U.S.

China has stepped into Uncle Sam's shoes, and now anchors the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, or RCEP, an area covering 2.2 billion people and 1/3 of all the economic activity on the planet.

So here's the question. The New York Times poses it this week.

Can America Restore the Rule of Law Without Prosecuting Trump?

To which I answer, no, no we can't restore the rule of law without prosecuting Trump. Further, and just as importantly, at least, we need to make certain no one and nothing like Donald Trump happens again here, too. Donald Trump's crimes have been too numerous and they have been too grievous, too, both. 

And again I say, because it's deserved, too, still, still we are leaderless in this the most killing, deadly international pandemic in the last more than 100 years.

November on track to be state's deadliest month for COVID-19

Still, still no leadership from this man Trump, our supposed leader, our President on this pandemic, in any way.

Peters criticizes Trump for not taking action after cyberattacks on hospitals, COVID-19 researchers

The time has more than come, America.

Time to admit Trump lost, Biden won and move forward 

Opinion: It's time to stand behind election results and move on

We are, frankly, America, in one helluva mess, medically as well as politically and this President and his political party are standing squarely in they way of any solutions.

#Throwthebumout

Presidential Advice--From Richard Nixon?

 Yes, presidential advice from, yes, really, Richard Milhouse Nixon, on lame duck Presidents, elections  and conceding.

"If I were to demand a recount, the organization of the new administration and the orderly transfer of responsibility from the old to the new might be delayed for months.

The situation within the entire federal government would be chaotic. 

Those in the old administration would not know how to act--or with what clear powers and responsibilities--and those being appointed by [John F.] Kennedy to positions in the new administration would have the same difficulty making any plans.

The, too, the bitterness that would be engendered by such a maneuver on my part would, in my opinion, have done incalculable and lasting damage throughout the country. 

And finally, I could think of no worse example for nations abroad, who for the first time were trying to put free electoral procedures into effect, than that of the United States wrangling over the results of our presidential election, and even suggesting that the presidency itself could be stolen by thievery at the ballot box.

It is difficult enough to get defeated candidates in some of the newly independent countries to abide by the verdict of the electorate. If we could not continue to set a good example in this respect in the United States, I could see that there would be open season for shooting at the validity of free elections throughout the world.

Consequently, I make the decision not to support the contest and recount charges. I know that this greatly disappointed many of my best friends and most ardent supporters--but I could see for myself no ohter responsible course of action."

And therein lies the problem.

Asking or getting this Donald J. Trump to be responsible.

Thanks, Republicans!

#Throwthebumout

Let's Call It What It Is: A Constitutional Crisis

So we had an election. We voted. We all voted. We know.

And now, the man we voted out isn't recognizing and won't recognize our vote, that vote, that election, our election.

He's denying the vote, the votes, he's denying us all. He's denying our Democracy.

What is that if not a Constitutional crisis?

We've all seen the headlines.

Donald Trump in denial over election defeat

And unfortunately, too many in that, his political party are going along with this absurdity, this insult to us all.

McConnell declines in floor speech to congratulate Biden

Georgia Republicans Are Clinging to Trump

And of course, Fox is aiding and abetting this obscenity, this ugliness, even this stupidity.

Fox News Is Pushing Dangerous Propaganda About Election Theft

The network is broadcasting the Trump campaign’s debunked conspiracy theories and unproven allegations to millions each night.

As it goes on, Trump has done more and more bizarre things.

'These are dictator moves': Defense officials alarmed as Trump installs more loyalists at the Pentagon

Unfortunately, very unfortunately, if not also predictably, our own Senator Blunt even joined in on Trump's absurd claims. Because, you know, you HAVE to put your political party before the country, before the nation and before the people and even before what's right.  Right??

Sen. Roy Blunt: Trump 'may not have been defeated' 

Nine days after having our election and all of us voting, there are some good indications and movements on this insanity. There are some beacons of hope.

Wall Street to Trump: It's over. This isn't a repeat of 2000

Joe Biden's win grows more decisive each day as votes are counted

The Times Called Officials in Every State: No Evidence of Voter Fraud - The New York Times

No Evidence of Systematic Fraud in U.S. Elections, International Observer Mission Reports - WSJ.com

Nine legal experts say Trump's lawsuit challenging election results in Pennsylvania is dead on arrival

'This is getting insane': Republicans push back against Trump's false election claims

Rep. Will Hurd of Texas tweeted that Trump's comments are "not only dangerous & wrong, it undermines the very foundation this nation was built upon."

Trump lawyers suffer embarrassing rebukes from judges over voter fraud claims

Fortunately for the state of Georgia and all of us, really, there is this guy and anyone and everyone like him, standing up and doing what's right.

His fellow Republicans turned on him, but Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger isn’t backing down

This is only one city but it's an excellent example of just what this President and his supporters have to show for their denying our election, votes and the results.

In poll watcher affidavits, Trump campaign offers no evidence of fraud in Detroit ballot-counting

And I love this next one.

Lawyers Litigating for Trump Suddenly Remember Their Licenses Are on the Line If They Lie to a Judge

Even Fox, EVEN FOX, folks! is doing the right thing on this, at least in this one instance, anyway. 

Fox News pulls plug on Trump spokeswoman making baseless claims of fraud

Also from Fox, this broke yesterday, thankfully.

GOP senator says he’ll ‘step in’ if Biden doesn’t receive intel briefings by Friday

U.S. Sen. James Lankford said there was “nothing wrong” with the idea of Biden receiving intelligence briefings

And it's not just this one Senator, either, that's calling for Biden to get intelligence briefings though Senator Lankford did, later, back off this original stand I read.

Senate GOP calls grow to give Biden access to intelligence briefings

"Nothing wrong" with Biden receiving intelligence briefings. Nothing wrong and everything right about it.

Then, not just from Fox but from TUCKER CARLSON HIMSELF, two days ago, folks.

Tucker Carlson Says There's Not Enough Fraud to Change Election Results: 'We Should Be Honest'

"At this stage, the fraud that we can confirm does not seem to be enough to alter the election result. We should be honest and tell you that..." he said, on his Fox News show "Tucker Carlson Tonight."

That alone is pretty incredible. That was followed by this. Even Karl Rove can read this writing on the wall.

Karl Rove Calls It For Joe Biden

Ohio's Mike Dewine spoke up yesterday, thank goodness, as all Republicans should.

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine: ‘Joe Biden is the president-elect’

Today, this broke. It does look as though the tide is finally, finally turning on this President's denial of our election and votes, thank goodness. It shouldn't have been necessary.

Karl Rove: Trump lawsuits won't change election's outcome

It's as I said before here, it's obvious why Trump wants, no, needs to deny our votes and election, too. According to the New York Times, he owes nearly, if not completely 1 billion dollars to who knows who out there in the world, New York State, at least, is going after him for his taxes in two different cases and then there's this.

6 lawsuits Donald Trump is going to have to deal with when he leaves office

And the above doesn't even address any and all possible investigations of wrongdoing and/or illegality/illegalites he may have committed while President.

It's as I said in Donald Trump's first year in office, he's in WAY over his head. He had no idea what he was getting into but now he's there and he doesn't want to deal with any of it, let alone all.

Then the Washington Post poses this unsurprising possibility.

Trump's election challenge looks like a scam to line his pockets

Then there's this ugly trend, overall, from and by his political party.

GOP leaders’ embrace of Trump’s refusal to concede fits pattern of rising authoritarianism

Here's yet more of the enabling cowards that is the Republican Party.

National Security Republicans muzzle anger over Trump’s Pentagon culling, afraid antagonizing him could imperil Georgia runoff

This is one of the things that is most concerning about this entire situation, too, with Trump challenging, denying our votes and election.

Chaotic presidential transition brings vulnerability, security risks to nation

Meanwhile, we have still no leadership whatever, of course, from this excuse for a President out of his White House or administration since he's paying far more attention to covering his hide and tracks.

Covid-19 Live Updates: U.S. Hospitalizations Top 61,000, a Record

US Coronavirus cases hit daily high, more than 140,000

Look at this fact that just broke today.

The US reported the most single-day COVID-19 deaths since May and experts say pandemic is accelerating

The most single-day COVID-19 deaths since May AND IT'S NOT EVEN WINTER YET.

So with all this, then, where are we? Where does this leave us? Besides the fact that this orange excuse for a President is shaping us into his own banana republic, where does this leave us now? And then, what do we do?

And here is where I say we have to stand up and speak up and speak out, all we can, especially to our Republican Party officeholders and tell them what we need, what we want. We need to tell them what, exactly, needs to happen next and that is, that this President and all in his political party must, at long last, recognize our vote, our votes, our election, our Democracy and demand he, Donald Trump, concede this election. We must demand it.

So with that, I post here, below, a link to go to so you can email and phone, both, preferably, your, our government representatives, to tell them this must happen and it needs to take place sooner, rather than later.  Today is not too soon.  Indeed, it is late in this process. It is very late.  Please contact your representatives. Maybe especially Missouri's own Senators Roy Blunt and Josh Hawley. Thank you in advance.

Contacting Congress

Two more links.  Let's be clear.

'Stolen election' rhetoric: more dangerous than you might think

Experts fear damage from Trump's election pushback

Then, once Trump is gone, a way forward?? Dare I say? Or even think? Hope?

Conservative pundit says the GOP cannot go back to pre-Trump ways