by Pa Rock
Citizen Journalist
For the past few days I have been focused on grandfatherly things and not as tuned into the political world as I usually am. Now, temporarily ensconced in Portland and flying home in the morning, I have time to make a few observations that I have been sitting on for awhile.
Robert Mueller turned in the report from his team's two-year investigation on Friday, and there seems to be some consensus from the talking heads on television that at least a summary of the findings will be released to Trump and selected members of Congress today. Trump undoubtedly has four score or more of angry tweets ready to send which claim vindication, and he will be shouting from the rooftops that Mueller has proved his complete innocence in the whole tawdry Russian affair - regardless of what the report actually says. More rational minds, however, are likely to not be as dismissive of Mueller's findings.
As a taxpayer, I feel that I have an absolute right to read every word of the report. The redaction of just one syllable will be tantamount to a coverup!
Joe Biden is still threatening (or promising) to get into the Democratic presidential race. In an effort to make people forget that he is an elderly white male with a history of being gaffe-prone and leaning right in times of controversy, Biden's people are floating a radical idea that he may name his running mate at the start of his campaign for the nomination - and that his running mate will be Stacey Abrams of Georgia.
"Hi, I'm Joe. I may look and act like Methuselah, but my running mate is young, and female, and black - so that fixes me!" Stacey Abrams is an emerging force in the Democratic Party, and I can't see where she gains anything by signing up as the social director onboard the Titanic.
Bernie Sanders, who most polls point to as the current leader in the Democratic scramble, seems to be focused on targeting Beto O'Rourke, as does Trump. Beto, for his part, climbs out of the muck of politics and onto table tops, or counters, or vehicles, and addresses large thunderous crowds with a continuous stream of inspirational insights. Beto hops in the family minivan and covers state after state with a gusto that makes the rest of the field look about as energetic as Donald Trump trying to crawl out of a sand trap.
Two years ago Bernie had a lock on energy and inspiration, but this year Beto O'Rourke has already beaten him at his own game.
Mayor Pete Buttigieg of South Bend, Indiana, is also pumping some youth, vitality, and new ideas into the race for the Democratic nomination. Mayor Pete, an Iraq War veteran who returned from combat and managed to get elected to lead the city that he grew up in, is an openly gay man who is joined on the campaign trail by his husband - and he appears to be attracting a wide range of voters who have no problem with his sexual orientation. Mayor Pete, like Beto, does not shy away from talking about controversial issues.
Kamala Harris also takes hard stands on tough issues, particularly the need for commonsense gun legislation. Harris has also recently become a proponent for paying teachers a professional wage - and using federal funds to get the teacher salaries up to where they should be.
Elizabeth Warren is still an arch foe of big corporations and banks, but recently she has branched out and has now called for the elimination of the Electoral College.
And, as this campaign season begins focusing on new ideas, several potential nominees - including Warren, Harris, and O'Rourke - are also publicly exploring the idea of expanding membership in the Supreme Court beyond nine justices. The Republicans, who currently control the Supreme Court nomination apparatus (the presidency and the senate) are scoffing at the suggestion and calling it "court-packing," but it is at least being discussed.
I hope the Democrats can come up with a geographically and temperamentally balanced ticket that has the intellect and vitality to defeat Trump. There is a wealth of candidates to choose from, and all are infinitely better suited to the job than the grifter who currently occupies the Oval Office. But whoever the Democrats wind up nominating in Milwaukee next year, good people everywhere need to support the ticket enthusiastically and get the Trump trash out of the White House.
I have my favorites, but I will aggressively support whomever the Democratic Party nominates. Nothing is more important than the defeat of Donald John Trump in 2020!
Citizen Journalist
For the past few days I have been focused on grandfatherly things and not as tuned into the political world as I usually am. Now, temporarily ensconced in Portland and flying home in the morning, I have time to make a few observations that I have been sitting on for awhile.
Robert Mueller turned in the report from his team's two-year investigation on Friday, and there seems to be some consensus from the talking heads on television that at least a summary of the findings will be released to Trump and selected members of Congress today. Trump undoubtedly has four score or more of angry tweets ready to send which claim vindication, and he will be shouting from the rooftops that Mueller has proved his complete innocence in the whole tawdry Russian affair - regardless of what the report actually says. More rational minds, however, are likely to not be as dismissive of Mueller's findings.
As a taxpayer, I feel that I have an absolute right to read every word of the report. The redaction of just one syllable will be tantamount to a coverup!
Joe Biden is still threatening (or promising) to get into the Democratic presidential race. In an effort to make people forget that he is an elderly white male with a history of being gaffe-prone and leaning right in times of controversy, Biden's people are floating a radical idea that he may name his running mate at the start of his campaign for the nomination - and that his running mate will be Stacey Abrams of Georgia.
"Hi, I'm Joe. I may look and act like Methuselah, but my running mate is young, and female, and black - so that fixes me!" Stacey Abrams is an emerging force in the Democratic Party, and I can't see where she gains anything by signing up as the social director onboard the Titanic.
Bernie Sanders, who most polls point to as the current leader in the Democratic scramble, seems to be focused on targeting Beto O'Rourke, as does Trump. Beto, for his part, climbs out of the muck of politics and onto table tops, or counters, or vehicles, and addresses large thunderous crowds with a continuous stream of inspirational insights. Beto hops in the family minivan and covers state after state with a gusto that makes the rest of the field look about as energetic as Donald Trump trying to crawl out of a sand trap.
Two years ago Bernie had a lock on energy and inspiration, but this year Beto O'Rourke has already beaten him at his own game.
Mayor Pete Buttigieg of South Bend, Indiana, is also pumping some youth, vitality, and new ideas into the race for the Democratic nomination. Mayor Pete, an Iraq War veteran who returned from combat and managed to get elected to lead the city that he grew up in, is an openly gay man who is joined on the campaign trail by his husband - and he appears to be attracting a wide range of voters who have no problem with his sexual orientation. Mayor Pete, like Beto, does not shy away from talking about controversial issues.
Kamala Harris also takes hard stands on tough issues, particularly the need for commonsense gun legislation. Harris has also recently become a proponent for paying teachers a professional wage - and using federal funds to get the teacher salaries up to where they should be.
Elizabeth Warren is still an arch foe of big corporations and banks, but recently she has branched out and has now called for the elimination of the Electoral College.
And, as this campaign season begins focusing on new ideas, several potential nominees - including Warren, Harris, and O'Rourke - are also publicly exploring the idea of expanding membership in the Supreme Court beyond nine justices. The Republicans, who currently control the Supreme Court nomination apparatus (the presidency and the senate) are scoffing at the suggestion and calling it "court-packing," but it is at least being discussed.
I hope the Democrats can come up with a geographically and temperamentally balanced ticket that has the intellect and vitality to defeat Trump. There is a wealth of candidates to choose from, and all are infinitely better suited to the job than the grifter who currently occupies the Oval Office. But whoever the Democrats wind up nominating in Milwaukee next year, good people everywhere need to support the ticket enthusiastically and get the Trump trash out of the White House.
I have my favorites, but I will aggressively support whomever the Democratic Party nominates. Nothing is more important than the defeat of Donald John Trump in 2020!
1 comment:
If I could draw a Venn diagram with three circles overlapping the first circle would represent everything that is in the Mueller Report. Circle number two contains all grand jury proceedings. The final circle represents ongoing criminal investigations into Trump, his family, his businesses, and persons whose identities as of yet have not disclosed.
That hopefully narrow but possibly large area where all three circles overlap is the only place where the report to the American people needs to be redacted; and that information withheld to protect ongoing investigations.
Grand Jury proceedings and evidence are not normally disclosed. In cases where such disclosure has been made in the past it has been done with the permission of the judge presiding over the grand jury. In the Nixon impeachment the grand jurors wrote their own report, submitted it to the judge, before it was given to the Congress.
Attorney General Barr has submitted a letter to the leadership of the Judiciary Committees of Congress. That was not the Mueller report. America deserves to see as much of the report as can be revealed without jeopardizing ongoing criminal investigations.
The Mueller Report is not the end of the inquiries into Donald Trump. It is only the end of the beginning. The wheels of justice turn slowly, but they turn. I am confident that the criminal enterprises of Donald Trump are collapsing around him. State as well as federal prosecutors are after him. Michael Cohen said Trump was “person number one” for whom he committed felonies. The Southern District of New York is pursuing criminal investigations outside of the narrow mandate of Special Counsel Mueller against Trump. Main Justice has an ongoing criminal investigation where Trump may be a target in their counter intelligence division.
The Office of the Special Counsel obtained 37 indictments and or guilty pleas. Among those facing federal prosecution are Russian military officer. Barr’s letter admits that Russia engaged in apparent illegal conduct against the United States in the 2016 election in two significant ways. Trump has done nothing to protect the nation against these attacks on our sovereignty.
Meanwhile Russian troops landed in Caracas, Venezuela yesterday.
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