Week 10 of This Presidency

Week 10 at the White House:

--Launched the American Jobs Plan! --20m Syringes in 7 days: a record! --11 judicial noms w/in 1st 100 days: most ever! --Offshore Wind Plan: powering 10m homes by 2030! --900K new jobs in March: first admin Heavy plus signover 1m jobs in first two months! --Ronald Klain @WHCOS

It's a Great Time In America!

First, this. All this. Check out all that great news, ladies and gentlemen.

Added to this, Trump will be going through his second--second--impeachment trial in Congress this week.

And then, GO CHIEFS!!!

It's a bee--YOO--tee--full day!!

Have a great, great day, everyone!

Look Who Said Trump Needs to Accept the Election Now!

Breaking today! This afternoon!

 

Check this out! Look who also gets added to the growing list of Right Wingers and Republicans and conservatives who say Trump should accept our election!

Televangelist Pat Robertson says Trump lives in an 'alternate reality' and should move on from election loss

Even Right Wing wacko Pat Robertson says Trump is living in an "alternate reality" and should move on and accept our election and the results! Fantastic! We'll get there yet!

Happy holidays indeed, y'all!  Enjoy! Have great---and safe--holidays!

Meanwhile, unfortunately, also this.

Trump assembles a ragtag crew of conspiracy-minded allies in flailing bid to reverse election loss

Not done there, here is this man Trump today both rather predictably and unfortunately.

Trump is prepared to lay waste to everyone around him in election loss tantrum

Then finally today, there is this.

You can preorder a $100 'Trump defeats COVID' commemorative coin at White House Gift Shop

When have we ever, ever heard of this or anything like it being done by a sitting President?

The answer, of course? Never. Ever. Not by any President. Again, thanks, Republicans. Thanks so very much for this guy.  Grifters gotta' grift.

#Throwthebumout

Mitch McConnell Doesn't Trust the White House

 Did you see this in the news?

McConnell said he hasn't visited the White House in over 2 months because he doesn't think Trump's COVID-19 protocols are safe

From the article:

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on Thursday said he has not been to the White House in more than two months, suggesting that the Trump administration's lax COVID-19 protocols make him feel unsafe.

The Kentucky Republican said that since early August he's instead opted to speak with President Donald Trump by phone.

"I actually haven't been to the White House since August the 6th because my impression was their approach to how to handle this was different than mine and what I insisted that we do in the Senate, which is to wear a mask and practice social distancing," McConnell said at an event in Kentucky.

So understand what this means, America.

The Republican Party Senate Majority Leader himself, Mitch McConnell, doesn't himself trust this President, this White House on this very killing pandemic.

Why should we?

Why should anyone?

Donald Trump, In a Nutshell

 Here, ladies and gentlemen, Americans, is Donald J Trump, reputed President of these United States.

Anand Giridharadas@AnandWrites

He hosted a super-spreader event to honor a justice who would have the government control your body but refuse the duty to care for it, and when the virus he helped go around came around, he availed of the healthcare he would deny others, financed by the taxes he refuses to pay.

Thanks, Mr. President!

Thanks, Republicans!

Let's do this, folks.

Vote.  And vote blue.

86 45

BYEDON

Link:

Now NINE people are confirmed to have COVID-19 after attending 'Amy Coney Barrett superspreader event' as virus spreads through Trump's senior team

And Now the Psychotic Presidency

This now psychotic Presidency, I swear.

Check out that headline on this article. It broke yesterday.

Trump cheers on governors as they ignore White House coronavirus guidelines in race to reopen

This President, through his White House and staff, has set guidelines for reopening the nation, our businesses, because, of course, of this killing pandemic but--wait for it---this same President is actually cheering on governors across the nation, supporting them, for opening early, against his own guidelines because, you know, business is important.

What the absolute what?

Thanks, Republicans.

Quote of the Day -- From This President

What we're dealing with now.

REPORTER: I wanted to ask you specifically about one industry in particular, and that’s food-processing plants. Is there a priority to get testing at food-processing plants all across the country?

This Republican Party President: "Well, you’re asking that because of what happened — it’s a fair question, too — what happened in Denver. Because in Denver, I’ve never seen — I said, “What’s going on?” We’re looking at this graph where everything’s looking beautiful and it’s coming down and then you got this one spike. It’s — I said, 'What happened to Denver?'

And many people, very quickly, and they — by the way, they were on it like, so fast, you wouldn’t believe it. They knew every aspect. They had people go and — not only testing, 'Who did you see? Where were you? How many people did you meet? Were you out to dinner in somebody else’s home? Where were you?' Where did — where did this number of people come from? How did — they are totally on it.

Now, this just happened. I just saw it this morning. I’m looking at everything smooth, going down, topping out. And then you have this one spike in Denver. It’s like, where did this come from?
So we’ll be looking at that. And we don’t want cases like that happening. This was — but this — this is the kind of thing can happen. This is very complex.

This is a very brilliant enemy. You know, it’s a brilliant enemy. They develop drugs like the antibiotics. You see it. Antibiotics used to solve every problem. Now one of the biggest problems the world has is the germ has gotten so brilliant that the antibiotic can’t keep up with it. And they’re constantly trying to come up with a new — people go to a hospital and they catch — they go for a heart operation — that’s no problem, but they end up dying from — from problems. You know the problems I’m talking about. There’s a whole genius to it.

We’re fighting — not only is it hidden, but it’s very smart. Okay? It’s invisible and it’s hidden, but it’s — it’s very smart. And you see that in a case like a Denver.

But, you know, I think we’re doing well, and they’re on Denver like you wouldn’t believe. I came in this morning; it was a flurry. I said what’s going on? They said, “Denver.” I said, “What happened to Denver?” Because Denver was doing pretty well. And they’ve got that under control. But, yeah, that would be a case where you do some very big testing."

First, what the absolute heck?

Second, who talks like this?  What adult talks like this?

Not even third graders talk like this, let alone adults. Let alone the leaders of nations. Let alone the leader of what is supposed to be the head of nations. Let alone what is supposed to be the wealthiest of nations.

Thanks, Republicans!

Seriously. Honestly. God help us.  Get us to November.

Precisely How Poor, How Bad This Republican Party President's "Leadership" Is

This is what it's come down to.  This is how bad, how poor the excuses for leadership from this White House, from this President has gotten.

The TV networks break away from the PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES because he goes counter to his own, our own health experts.

TV networks cut away from the White House coronavirus briefing as Trump contradicted his health experts

• CNN, MSNBC, ABC News, NBC News, and CBS News cut away from President Trump's lengthy coronavirus briefing on Monday night.
• During the briefing, Trump chafed at the idea of continuing the widespread order for people to stay home, saying it was harming the economy. His top infectious-diseases expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci, had said social-distancing measures would need to be in place for "several weeks."
• CBS told Insider that it "plans to continue covering briefings whenever possible" but may cut away for other programming. MSNBC told Insider that it "cut away because the information no longer appeared to be valuable to the important ongoing discussion around public health."
• Critics of the president have called for networks to stop airing the briefings. "All of us should stop broadcasting it, honestly," MSNBC's Rachel Maddow said on Friday. "It's going to cost lives."
• On Tuesday, Seattle's NPR station, KUOW, also announced it would not broadcast the briefings live "due to a pattern of false or misleading information."

Thanks, Republicans!

Meanwhile, I just ran across this.

President Trump is as popular as he's ever been right now

It's not saying a great deal because he's never enjoyed traditional support most Presidents get and we are in a national emergency so I get that his supporters are behind him but still.

Additionally, more reason for concern.

60% of Americans approve of Trump's coronavirus response: poll

I don't know what's more frightening--the coronavirus pandemic or Trump's handling of it. Neither are predictable and both could kill.

And then there was this cold, incredibly callous ignorance from, yes, another Republican only yesterday.

Texas' lieutenant governor suggests grandparents are willing to die for US economy

And keep in mind, this is from a man who is 69 years old.

So again, thanks, Republicans! Many thanks.

Additional links:

Trump claims if stopping coronavirus 'were up to the doctors' the world would be shut down 'for a couple of years'

Trump Shakes Everyone’s Hands at Coronavirus Press Conference—Ignoring CDC Guidelines

Trump slams NBC’s Peter Alexander in coronavirus press conference

Notes on a Pandemic

I miss normalcy.

I already hate the term "social distancing."

As soon as I learned art galleries were closing, I immediately wanted to go.

I can't get enough Dr. Anthony Fauci.

I don't know what this is a picture of.

I never thought I'd live during a pandemic.

Or an epidemic, for that matter.

This is unlike anything I've ever experienced in my 60+ years of living.

It seems clear we don't have a good, appropriate leader in the White House with this situation.

 I refuse to isolate myself. Worst that can happen, I die. I'm comfortable with that.

As with most any problem, we need to pull together as people, as nations, all across the world.

To end on a positive note, at least, thank goodness it's Spring

Links:

Anthony S. Fauci, M.D., NIAID Director | NIH: National Institute 

Trump Says He Could Demote Fed Chair Powell, Risking More Market Turmoil

8th KS COVID-19 case reported in Franklin County. Officials declare state of disaster

Facts about novel coronavirus and how to prevent COVID-19

Fauci: Possibly a 'few months' until life gets 'back to normal'

Trump's go-to political strategy isn't working for pandemic response

Trump Wants to Slash CDC Funding—Just As Coronavirus Spreads


Returning Americans face long screening lines at airports

This Is How Bad Politics and Government Are In Our United States Today

It looks for all the world as though Joe Biden will be the Democratic Party candidate for the presidency this Fall.

Sure, Bernie Sanders could still pull yet more delegates in the states that have yet to vote but it does look like, between the money and corporations and organizations that are already behind Mr. Biden and that will be behind him, he will likely gain this political nod and position.

So as the title says, this is how bad politics, presidential, federal government is just now in our nation.

Joe Biden would be a HUGE improvement over Donald, "The John", Trump but he is no way a change agent. Not for the environment, heck, not even for the people.

I've written and posted here, in the last 3 years, some of the worst of the current administration in our White House. God knows this President is ignorant of our government and personally arrogant and misogynist and sexist and racist and homophobic and so much more.

So yes, Joe Biden will be an improvement.

Yahoo.

He can keep us from going over any further national and international brinks, so to speak. He and Congress should be able to, at last, get and keep Russians out of our elections and so much more.

But here's Joe Biden.

And as for the environment?  More on Joe.

Greenpeace Gives Joe Biden a D- 

on Climate Change Report Card

And look what happened today to the markets after Joe did so well last evening.

Dow jumps more than 800 points as Biden Super Tuesday victories boost health care stocks

Oh, sure, Joe says he'll go back and fight for an element of Obamacare.

Biden Vows To Reinstate Obamacare’s 

Individual Mandate

One element. That's it.

Forget about much significant change in our health care system.

Or change in much of anything else, for that matter.

No, no. Joe Biden is, hmm, at best, a "decent" man. He means well. In his career in Congress, he's been "Go Along Joe." He famously/infamously voted for the Iraq war and on and on. 

The wealthy and corporate America no way want a Bernie Sanders or Elizabeth Warren in the White House, know that, fellow Americans. They no way want to allow or make possible true, fundamental change, changes back for the people, the middle-, working- or lower-classes.

All that can be said for him, for or about Joe Biden, is that he's no Donald Trump.  He's an improvement over that.

That, ladies and gentlemen, is how desperately bad our national politics and government are presently.

These are dire times indeed.

We are bought and sold.

God help America.

Link: More of the Democrats and Democratic Party stifling true Progressives--

Pelosi Carries Right-Wing Rep. Henry Cuellar Over Finish Line to Defeat Progressive Jessica Cisneros

Man who took 30 years to win one state considered "electable"

The Case Against Joe Biden: Former VP’s Long Career Shows a Recurring Theme of “Appeasing the Right”

Very Safe Predictions On This President

One of three things are going to happen to this very orange Republican President Trump in the next year. Either

1. He actually does get impeached, which is an admitted, if hopeful, long shot or
2. He quits the job out of pressure and frustration because the evidence of all his misdeeds and illegalities are so strong against him and he just can't take it or, finally
3. He gets voted out of office next November.

One of those 3 things will take place in the next year, mark my words. Whichever it is, the people win, the nation wins.

Stay tuned.

Before Trump, I Had Hope

It's true. Before Donald Trump became President, which even now pains me to say, I believed in America. I believed in people. I believed in progress.

Now?

Now that Donald Trump not only became President but has been so for 2 years, all that is gone.

I no longer believe in the arc of progress through history. I no longer believe in the progress of humankind. I no longer see or believe in progress as being inevitable and/or natural. I don't assume it any longer.

It's the same with racism in our nation.



I used to see it as something deeply stupid that used to exist and occur in our society. I used to see it as something we would and were naturally working away from, having learned our collective lessons.

No longer.


Again, with this President---a member and now leader of the Republican Party it needs to be repeatedly pointed out--racism has not just reared its ugly head but come out very publicly, repeatedly and demonstrably.

I thought we'd all learned that lesson. I thought we knew better. I thought we were weaning ourselves of that outrageous ignorance.

Climate change?

This President doesn't believe in it. So naturally, we don't need our government or the governments of the world to do anything about it. Forget the science. Forget the scientific studies. Forget the facts and truth. Full, polluting speed ahead.

Then there's the safety nets we already decided on as a nation that this President is rolling back.

78 Environmental Rules on the Way Out Under Trump

Trump EPA acts to roll back control on climate-changing coal

This broke this week.

Trump Administration Wants To Roll Back Mercury Emissions

I was against Ronald Reagan becoming President and his tenure in the office bears me out. I was vindicated by what he did, in more ways than one. This was the biggest one.

Iran-Contra: Reagan's Scandal and the Unchecked Abuse of Power

Then there was Dubya'.

Yes, naturally, I was against George W. Bush becoming President.

I know, shocking, right?

And it was more, far more than just because he was a Republican. He proved me correct, too.

How Clinton Surplus Became A $6T Deficit

The Iraq War: Bush’s Biggest Blunder

George W Bush, Starter of Two Wars

George W. Bush didn't just lie about the Iraq War

But Reagan and Dubya' both became President and we lived through it and I knew we would.

But Trump? Donald J. Trump as President?

In these fast two years with him in the White House, I see so many ways not just our nation but the world has gone and is going backward, already. It has made all kinds of things that were previously considered impossible, possible.

I do see some glimmers of hope. They are only brief and glimmers but there are some promising things out there. Here's one.

More Republicans Now Think Donald Trump Is ‘Unfit to Be President of the United States,’ Watergate Reporter Claims   When even Republicans come out publicly denouncing him in any way, it gives me hope. Of course, there have been Republicans and Right Wingers publicly writing against and yes, denouncing him, for some time--columnist George Will, now-deceased Charles Krauthammer, both, among them.

While I've lost hope, I am still of the opinion we have to fight ignorance and stupidity and short-sightedness and greed. We can't give in completely. We have to work, however and whenever and wherever we can to better things, both for others and ourselves. Always.

We have to persevere.

Links:

Confronting the Cost of Trump's Corruption

Here's A Running List Of President Trump's Lies

Trump lies. And lies. And lies.

Trump’s lies corrode democracy

Retired four-star general warns White House applicants against working for ‘immoral’ Donald Trump

A year of unprecedented deception

Nancy Pelosi Growing the Cajone's the Democrats Should Have Had Long Ago?

It seems Nancy Pelosi is finally, finally getting tough on this Republican Party President and his political party. First there was this, last week, in the Oval Office of the White House...

Trump spars with Pelosi, Schumer in Oval Office meeting

Mr. Trump was still wanting his wall on the Southern border--you know, the one he said Mexico would pay for? But now he wants the wall and wants us all to pony up the 5 billion dollars for it. 

Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer were having nothing of it and went toe to toe with him, so to speak, in the Oval Office itself.

Now, this is breaking news today, in the last hour, actually.

House Democrats to seek Trump's tax returns, Pelosi says

WASHINGTON — Democrats controlling the House next year will start trying to obtain President Donald Trump’s income tax returns from the Internal Revenue Service, the likely next speaker said Thursday.

From the sounds and looks of it all, Ms. Pelosi took people's advice that she needs to get tougher with the President seriously. She wanted and wants that House leadership position and badly. 

It looks like she's taking that advice very much to heart.

Funny thing about this last issue with Trump's tax returns, however. Remember what he said about them?

Thank goodness for videotape, huh?

(Scathing) Quotes of the Day on Donald Trump -- From a Long Time Republican

Fantastic, spot on writing today on this President and what he's doing to us, all of us, the Presidency and nation from the New York Times.

The Full-Spectrum Corruption 

of Donald Trump

Just a few---of the best--quotes.

First up, just the byline alone:

Everyone and everything he touches rots.

Going on from there.

A party that once spoke with urgency and apparent conviction about the importance of ethical leadership — fidelity, honesty, honor, decency, good manners, setting a good example — has hitched its wagon to the most thoroughly and comprehensively corrupt individual who has ever been elected president. Some of the men who have been elected president have been unscrupulous in certain areas — infidelity, lying, dirty tricks, financial misdeeds — but we’ve never before had the full-spectrum corruption we see in the life of Donald Trump...

...the moral indictment against Mr. Trump is obvious and overwhelming. Corruption has been evident in Mr. Trump’s private and public life, in how he has treated his wives, in his business dealings and scams, in his pathological lying and cruelty, in his bullying and shamelessness, in his conspiracy-mongering and appeals to the darkest impulses of Americans. (Senator Bob Corker, a Republican, refers to the president’s race-based comments as a “base stimulator.”) Mr. Trump’s corruptions are ingrained, the result of a lifetime of habits. It was delusional to think he would change for the better once he became president...

In any case, the Republican Party’s as-yet unbreakable attachment to Mr. Trump is coming at quite a cost. There is the rank hypocrisy, the squandered ability to venerate public character or criticize Democrats who lack it, and the damage to the white Evangelical movement, which has for the most part enthusiastically rallied to Mr. Trump and as a result has been largely discredited. There is also likely to be an electoral price to pay in November.

But the greatest damage is being done to our civic culture and our politics. Mr. Trump and the Republican Party are right now the chief emblem of corruption and cynicism in American political life, of an ethic of might makes right. Dehumanizing others is fashionable and truth is relative. (“Truth isn’t truth,” in the infamous words of Mr. Trump’s lawyer Rudy Giuliani.) They are stripping politics of its high purpose and nobility....

A warning to my Republican friends: The worst is yet to come. Thanks to the work of Robert Mueller — a distinguished public servant, not the leader of a “group of Angry Democrat Thugs” — we are going to discover deeper and deeper layers to Mr. Trump’s corruption. When we do, I expect Mr. Trump will unravel further as he feels more cornered, more desperate, more enraged; his behavior will become ever more erratic, disordered and crazed.

And the source.

By Peter Wehner
Mr. Wehner served in the previous three Republican administrations and is a contributing opinion writer.

The Bizarre, Completely Unbelievable Evolution of Collusion Denial from this White House

Beset by leaks, White House talks firings, 

not apologies

From Aaron Blake of the Washington Post this week.

"Here are the seven distinct stages of collusion denial I've identified:"

1. November 2016: No communications, period

Hope Hicks: “It never happened. There was no communication between the campaign and any foreign entity during the campaign.”

2. February 2017: There were no communications, “to the best of our knowledge”

Sarah Huckabee Sanders: “This is a non-story because, to the best of our knowledge, no contacts took place.”

3. March 2017: There were communications, but no planned meetings with Russians

Donald Trump Jr.: “Did I meet with people that were Russian? I'm sure, I'm sure I did. ... But none that were set up. None that I can think of at the moment. And certainly none that I was representing the campaign in any way, shape or form.”

4. July 8, 2017: There was a planned meeting at Trump Tower, but it was “primarily” about adoption and not the campaign

Trump Jr.: “We primarily discussed a program about the adoption of Russian children that was active and popular with American families years ago and was since ended by the Russian government, but it was not a campaign issue at that time and there was no follow-up.”

5. July 9, 2017: The meeting was planned to discuss the campaign, but the information exchanged wasn't “meaningful”

Trump Jr.: “No details or supporting information was provided or even offered. It quickly became clear that she had no meaningful information.”

6. December 2017: Collusion isn't even a crime

President Trump: “There is no collusion, and even if there was, it’s not a crime.”

Jay Sekulow: “For something to be a crime, there has to be a statute that you claim is being violated. There is not a statute that refers to criminal collusion. There is no crime of collusion.”

7. May 2018: Even if meaningful information were obtained, it wasn't used

Giuliani: “And even if it comes from a Russian, or a German, or an American, it doesn’t matter. And they never used it, is the main thing. They never used it. They rejected it. If there was collusion with the Russians, they would have used it.”

The Very Dangerous President Who's Trying To Bamboozle You, America

I don't think most people realize how dangerous this President is.

Besides watching a great deal of Fox TV (it's not "news") and then responding to it all, he is also, according to news reports and this from Gabe Fleisher at Wake Up To Politics today:

"Trump has reportedly been musing about firing Rosenstein lately, which would give him more control over the Russia probe. According to CNN, the White House is preparing an effort to undermine Rosenstein's credibility, instructing allies to highlight potential areas of conflict that would preclude the Deputy Attorney General from overseeing the investigation.

--- The meeting comes as Trump's outside allies have increased calls for Rosenstein and Mueller to be fired. CBS News' Jacqueline Alemany: 'A source tells me that Trump called yesterday and asked source to go on TV to call for Trump to fire Mueller.'"

So understand, everyone, Americans. This President is trying to undermine an investigation into his own possible wrongdoings, illegalities, by having his own people go on television news programs to call for he, himself, to fire the man overseeing the investigation of him.

He's trying to flim-flam you, America.

And that's just one of the ways in which he's dangerous, presently.

Oh, and according to that same source, this President also has zero, zilch, nothing whatever on his official business/work schedule/calendar today other than an 11:45 am intelligence briefing.

I'm busier than that and I'm not leading the entire nation.

As if that's not bad enough, by itself, for the foreseeable future, as former FBI Director James Comey tours on his new book, expect this President to become increasingly unhinged.

Comey paints unsparing portrait of Trump 

in devastating tell-all book

I would love, love to get good news out of this administration.

This President Seems to be Coming Unglued

Honestly, it's as though this President Trump is losing it. Did you hear what he did Monday at the White House during the Easter Egg roll?

Trump touts economy, military but slams Democrats at Easter egg roll

To children. To an audience of mostly children and again, at an Easter event. And nothing like trying to be the President, the leader, of all of us, eh?  This, during the event, is how he described, or tried to describe, the White House.

“I also want to thank the White House Historical Association, and everybody who works to keep this incredible house, or building, or whatever you want to call it — because there really is no name for it. It’s special. And we keep it in tip-top shape. We call it sometimes 'tippy-top shape,' and it’s a great, great place."
And that's the adult speaking. The man who is supposed to be leading the nation.

Then there is this, just breaking.

“Trump Is Like, 'How Can I F--k with Him?'”: 

Trump's War 

with Amazon Gets Personal

This is the way he conducts the highest level White House meetings, apparently.

Trump reportedly puts a Fox News host on speakerphone during meetings in the Oval Office

Then, finally, at least for now, for today, there is this.

Trump touts Rasmussen poll results: 

'Higher than Cheatin' Obama

Somebody, someone at the White House and/or in the Republican Party needs to get a handle on this guy.

What This President Is Concerned With Today

This, of all things in the world today, just this moment, is what's concerning the person who is supposed to be the leader of our nation and the Western world. He tweeted the following this morning.

Donald J. Trump‏
Verified account
@realDonaldTrump
Following Following @realDonaldTrump

Alec Baldwin, whose dying mediocre career was saved by his terrible impersonation of me on SNL, now says playing me was agony. Alec, it was agony for those who were forced to watch. Bring back Darrell Hammond, funnier and a far greater talent!

I'm glad he's thinking and working on the big stuff.

Guns in America?  Nuclear warheads?  Nuclear war? Kim Jong Un? North Korea? Nuclear weapons?A foreign enemy hacking and influencing our elections? The economy? Health care, affordable health care? Any of that?

No. None of that.

A Saturday Night Live comedian/actor, instead.

Have you had enough, Republicans? Can we be over this soon?

What We Did Last Year In That Election

101 Facts About Donald Trump

God help us.

Enjoy your Sunday anyway, y'all.