Socialism

 If you have watched the first two nights of the Republican National Convention, and I am sorry if you have, you have probably seen speaker after speaker accuse Joe Biden and the Democratic Party of being SOCIALISTS who, if elected, will carry out the agenda of Bernie Sanders, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and Ilhan Omar.

If only that were true…

But while they scream "socialist" as an epithet in their videos and from the stage, what everyone needs to know is that Trump and the Republican Party just LOVE socialism — a corporate socialism for the rich and the powerful.

And let's be clear. Their brand of socialism has resulted in more income and wealth inequality than at any time since the 1920s, with three multi-billionaires now owning more wealth than the bottom half of our nation. Their socialism has allowed, during this pandemic, the very, very rich to become much richer while tens of millions of workers have lost their jobs, their health care and face eviction.

While Trump denounces socialism let us never forget the $885 million in government subsidies and tax breaks the Trump family received for a real estate empire built on racial discrimination.

But Trump is not alone.

The high priest of unfettered capitalism, Trump’s National Economic Council Director Larry Kudlow, spoke in a video last night.

And who could ever forget when Larry was on television begging for the largest federal bailout in American history for his friends on Wall Street — some $700 billion from the Treasury and trillions in support from the Federal Reserve — after their greed, recklessness and illegal behavior created the worst financial disaster since the Great Depression.

But it is not just Trump and Larry Kudlow.

If you are a fossil fuel company, whose carbon emissions are destroying the planet, you get billions in government subsidies including special tax breaks, royalty relief, funding for research and development and numerous tax loopholes.

If you are a pharmaceutical company, you make huge profits on patent rights for medicines that were developed with taxpayer-funded research.

If you are a monopoly like Amazon, owned by the wealthiest person in America, you get hundreds of millions of dollars in economic incentives from taxpayers to build warehouses and you end up paying not one penny in federal income taxes.

If you are the Walton family, the wealthiest family in America, you get massive government subsidies because your low-wage workers are forced to rely on food stamps, Medicaid and public housing in order to survive — all paid for by taxpayers.

This is what Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. meant when he said that “This country has socialism for the rich, and rugged individualism for the poor.”

And that is the difference between Donald Trump and us.

Trump believes in corporate socialism for the rich and powerful.

We believe in a democratic socialism that works for the working families of this country. We believe that in the wealthiest country in the history of the world, economic rights are human rights.

So yes, progressives and even moderate Democrats will face attacks from people who attempt to use the word "socialism" as a slur.

There is nothing new of that.

Like President Harry Truman said, "Socialism is the epithet they have hurled at every advance the people have made in the last 20 years … Socialism is what they called Social Security … Socialism is their name for almost anything that helps all the people." 

Bernie Sanders

Trump and the RNC

Over the next week during the Republican National Convention, we will be reminded of the devastating impact of the right-wing extremist agenda that Donald Trump and the Republican Party have forced upon the nation.

 In many ways, this is the most important week of the most important election in modern American history. And our job this week is to expose Donald Trump for the fraud and pathological liar that we all know him to be.

 This is a president, Donald Trump, who said he was going to provide health care to everyone, yet tried to throw 32 million people off of health care and continues, to this day, to try and accomplish that goal. Today, millions fewer Americans have health insurance than when Trump came into office.

 This is a president, who in his last campaign said that he was a different type of Republican who would make no cuts to Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, but introduced budgets that slash all three.

 This is a president who said he was going to stand up for working families and who promised to pass tax reform legislation designed to help the middle class, yet 83 percent of his tax benefits go to the top 1 percent.

 This is a president who promised to take on the pharmaceutical companies. He said they were "getting away with murder." Yet, drug prices continue to soar and he appointed a drug company executive as the Secretary of Health and Human Services.

 This is a president who promised to take on the greed of Wall Street, but then proceeded to appoint more Wall Street titans to high positions than any president in history.

 This is a president who said the coronavirus would just “disappear” and that he had a “natural ability” to understand this deadly virus, yet almost 200,000 people have died from the virus, there are tens of thousands of new cases a day, and there is absolutely no end in sight — and yet he refuses to support extending what we accomplished in the CARES Act, getting a weekly $600 check to people who desperately need it.

 This is a president who said he was going to "drain the swamp," but has used his office for blatant personal and political gain, running the most corrupt administration in modern American history. 

 This is a president who said he would do "everything in my power to protect our LGBT citizens," yet has gone out of his way to attempt to deny them from getting the health care they need and allow discrimination against them in the workplace.

 This is a president who, after a number of different mass shootings, said that he would take action to keep weapons out of the hands of dangerous people, but has time and time again sided with the NRA and done absolutely NOTHING to solve the epidemic levels of gun violence in this country.

 This is a president who said that if he won that America would be respected again around the world, yet as a result of his anti-democratic and incompetent policies has succeeded in significantly lowering the respect that people all over the planet have for the United States.

 The truth is, Donald Trump has sold out the working families of this country and he cannot be elected again. He is a menace to democracy whose rejection of science has cost us almost 200,000 lives and whose rejection of climate science threatens the future of this planet. We have to appreciate how unbelievably severe the current moment is.

 If Trump wins again, all of the anti-worker, anti-democratic policies he has pursued during his first term will only be magnified. We will have more racism, more xenophobia, more attempts to divided us up based on the color our skin and where we were born, more reactionary policies with regard to the economy, and we’ll continue our national march toward authoritarianism.

 We must vigorously take on the lies and bigotry we are going to see on the stage at this week’s Republican National Convention. I, like you, am frankly outraged by what Trump and Washington Republicans are doing to our country and our people.

Governor Andrew Cuomo on the Virus

 

Start with the Truth, Admit the Mistakes, Reset with a National Lockdown.

 Or the Virus will Richochet Around the Country Forever.

 

Pessimism, realism or optimism? your choice

  Once a week I have  a zoom lunch  with 4 to 6 former colleagues and friends.  Hard to believe that we have known each other for more than forty years.  We were  a group of young attorneys who liked and respected each other.  Now we are a bunch of old farts who still feel the same about each other.  My colleagues are smart, engaging and bring different perspectives to the discussions.  The one thing we all have in common is our utter disdain for Treasonous Trump.

        One of my colleagues believes  that tRUMP is going to successfully steal the election.  He said, however, that in his life he has never wanted to be so wrong.  Other colleagues  are not predicting a tRUMP victory, but are scared s***less that he might win.  Then there is the eternal  optimist who can give an endless list of reasons to  be optimistic.  The events of this week make it more difficult to be optimistic however.

      Several months ago, we all agreed that tRUMP is a dirty fighter.  Democrats don't know how to fight dirty or respond to dirty fighters.  We all agreed that tRUMP would find ways to fight dirty that we could not imagine.  This week he proved the point.  We could never have imagined that tRUMP would defund the post office.  Neither could we imagine that he would appoint a postmaster general  who would emasculate the postal service.  tRUMP's consigliere   Separately, Bill Barr will no doubt have a September/October surprise.  The same goes for Lindsey Graham and Ron Johnson.  The exact surprises can't be predicted, but they are coming.

      So how does the eternal optimist stay optimistic?  The more we see and hear Kamala Harris, the more it becomes evident that this was a brilliant choice.  I had several reasons for not putting her at the top of my list.  All of those reasons have proven wrong.  Biden can remain the adult in the room and not get into the mud with tRUMP. Harris  will not  let tRUMP get away with anything.  During the judiciary committee hearings I thought Harris was far and away the best of the Democratic senators.

      I believe that there will be a massive voter turnout despite the defunding of the post office. I believe  that in every state, voters can drop off the ballots at their polling stations.  Democrats will do a massive educational campaign to get people to drop off their ballots rather than mailing them. If people can't get to the polling stations there will be volunteer organizations to transport them. I am told that the Ohio Secretary Of State has ordered that there be only one drop off site in each county.  I assume that will be the subject of lawsuits.  I believe one way or another, people will turn out in droves.  That happened  in Wisconsin during the height of the pandemic. It happened in Georgia despite the governor's vile attempts at voter suppression.

        As just one example of the GOTV movement, please note the incredible organization started by LeBron James and a number of other high profile athletes and entertainers. (one of my all time Michigan favorites Jalen Rose is among the principals).  Check out More Than Just A Vote.  The organization is dedicated to getting tens of thousands of African American citizens to register and to vote.  There are countless similar organizations across the country.

          The  bottom line for my optimism is that Hillary lost because of a perfect storm.  This time around there will not be huge numbers of voters who decide not to vote for president.  This time around there will not be a strong Green Party candidate to syphon votes from Biden.  This time around there are significant numbers of Republicans who find tRUMP abhorrent.   And this time around African American voters will turn out in much higher numbers.

        So with all due respect to my pessimistic and realistic friends, I remain the eternal optimist.  Let's hope.  Stay safe.

                                                  Richard

tRUMP's disgusting twofer

   tRUMP's proposal to bankrupt the Postal Service has received tons of publicity in the last few weeks.  Now he is threatening to suspend payroll taxes.  There is no bottom to his evil.  What is most perplexing is that he is attacking two programs that have overwhelming public support across all political lines.  I have read that the Postal Service has a 90% favorability rating.  Post offices in small rural communities are popular meeting spots.  One would think  that Republican senators from sparsely populated states will fight to properly fund the postal service.  On the other hand, in the age of tRUMP, it is impossible to apply rational thinking to irrational minds.  

        The payroll tax is 7.65% which is charged separately  to both employees and employers.  Trump claims that he has the authority to suspend the tax without congressional involvement.  It goes without saying that he probably has no such authority.  If he were able to suspend the tax, it would mean that  wealthy wage earners  would save about $10,500.  An employee earning $20,000 would save about $765.  And, of course, unemployed people would save nothing.

     A cut in payroll taxes found its way into the proposed Republican covid relief bill.   McConnell claimed he did not know how it got into the bill.  In any event it was swiftly deleted.  McConnell well knows that the politics of defunding social security and medicare is toxic.

       Trump has not said whether he would suspend the employer tax as well as the employee tax.  We can assume that is his intent.  Think of all the money the tRUMP/Kushner criminal enterprises would save.  By my math using reasonable assumptions of payroll, it may be in the millions. Employers would love to see the tax cut.   This is a classic example of trickle down economics which has proven time and time again that the money barely trickles down.

       The payroll tax funds social security and medicare, both tremendously popular programs.  You may recall that in 2005, George W. Bush made a modest proposal to partially privatize social security.  The public reaction from all sides was overwhelmingly negative.  Bush quickly withdrew the proposal.  For years wealthy conservative Republicans have thirsted for reductions in social security benefits.  tRUMP's proposal will help starve social security and medicare.  Will tRUMP's base know or care that he wants to starve social security and medicare?  The answer to both is probably, "no". AARP will certainly care.

       As an aside,  there is an easy fix to fully fund social security and medicare for decades to come.  Right now there is a cap on the amount of income which is subject to the payroll tax.  So a millionaire pays a far smaller percentage of his or her income than does an ordinary wage earner.  If the cap were eliminated everyone would pay the same percentage.  Seems fair to me.  Eliminating the cap will never happen while Republicans control the Senate.  This is another good reason to boot them out.

       tRUMP and his enablers are actively undermining the quality of the postal service.  All of the members of the postal service board of directors are white male tRUMP appointees.  People on our side of politics are legitimately worried that tRUMP will successfully disqualify millions of mail in ballots by emasculating the postal service.  I worry as well.  But the eternal optimist thinks that most secretaries of state  will do their best to protect the franchise.  Jocelyn Benson will absolutely protect mail in ballots.  A simple protection is to make sure that every voter has access to a drop box for their ballot.  We saw in Wisconsin that neither Republicans nor covid will deter the Democratic wave from  coming. Do your part to fumigate tRUMP out of the White House.

                                                            Richard

tRUMP's campaign tactics: fraud and fear

 I am the fortunate or unfortunate recipient of countless emails from the tRUMP campaign.   I also receive countless solicitations from Biden.  The difference between the two is day and night.    The Biden solicitations are straightforward asks for money.   They contain messages about the importance of money and the importance of defeating tRUMP.  The tRUMP solicitations are straightforward frauds.

      One solicitation said that I had been chosen among all of tRUMP supporters to be in the 100 club.  This club is limited to 100 tRUMP supporters from around the country.  If I did not act immediately, I would lose my chance to be in the club.  It goes without saying that this is laughable.  But, it is much more sinister than laughable..  The tRUMP campaign would not put this out if it were not effective.  This means that thousands if not tens of thousands of supporters contribute because they think they are in a club limited to 100 people.

      Eric tRUMP sent me an e mail that said that if I immediately make a contribution, there would be a 400% match.  I assume this is lie.  But I also assume it is an effective lie.

        Lara tRUMP sent me an e mail saying that I could be in the VIP club.  There would be only 100 members of the VIP club.  If I did not act before midnight, my place would be taken by someone else.  Another damnable lie.  But people believe it.

         The Federal Elections Commission is a toothless entity. The FEC has an equal number of Republicans and Democrats.  The commission should vigilantly scrutinize fraudulent election tactics. It is a guarantee, however, that a complaint against the tRUMP campaign would tossed into  the trash bin.
 
        Now to the fearmongering.  For this solicitation tRUMP actually used the USPS.  It is a four page diatribe of the most disgusting fearmongering imaginable.  To quote, " If Joe Biden wins the White House in November it's game over for American Capitalism".  He calls the green new deal  a Socialist pipedream.  He says that Democrats want to turn our country into a big government socialist nightmare like Venezuela. He  said that the green new deal would kill the energy sector and the airline industry and cost tens of millions of American Jobs.   He claims that Democrats forced his hand to call a national emergency at the border because of their utter contempt for the security  of everyday citizens. He said that his big, beautiful wall  is giving greater security from the pandemic  and prevents the flow of hardened criminals who threaten our children and our way of life. He said that the Democrats are using the coronavirus to push for mail in voting so it could open the door for widespread fraud and abuse.  I could go on.  The bottom line is that a contribution of $45 or more would get you  a limited edition MAGA hat. and would help insure victory.

          I can't watch Hannity and I can't listen to Limbaugh.  But I do read tRUMP'S solicitation  to get a sense of the tRUMP netherworld.  tRUMP has done incalculable damage to our country.  Much of it can be fixed with a Democratic president and Congress.  But the hate and venom spewed by tRUMP and his supporters may last for decades.  

             In my view, tRUMP and his enablers are floundering.  The signs are good for a Democratic sweep and an end to the nightmare.  But it is an eternity to the election.  So stay optimistic and help get out the vote.  If we do that we win.

                                                                 Richard

Comrade Benedict tRUMP

  I wrote this piece on Wed, but had computer problems.  So I am sending it today.  In the meanwhile an organization named VoteVets has put out a commercial titled Benedict Donald.    Damn, I beat them to the punch but couldn't get my piece published in time.  In any event,  Benedict tRUMP has desecrated  our national holiday honoring the ideals of our country.  So for the moment let's enjoy the day and try to forget  Benedict.

      What does Russia have on tRUMP? About a year ago I suggested a number of reasons why  treason could have been in the articles of impeachment.  At that time there were ample reasons for suggesting that tRUMP was treasonous.  He has now added to the list.  His response to Russia having a bounty on the heads of Americans  has been immoral  at best and treasonous at worst.  There can be only one explanation for tRUMP promoting Russian interests over American. They have something on him.

          He has denied that he consorted with prostitutes in a Moscow hotel.  Maybe the rumor is not true.  But we all know that tRUMP has zero credibility.  Would anyone be surprised if the videotapes are disclosed?  

          We know that more than $100 million of Russian oligarch money has been invested in tRUMP properties That is separate from the stinky Florida land deal.  He bought an estate in 2004 for $41 million and sold it to an oligarch in 2008 for $95 million. 

         The most glaring example of tRUMP's treason was when he accepted the word of Putin in Helsinki over the unanimous opinion of all American intelligence agencies.  He was silent when Russia invaded Crimea and Eastern Ukraine.  Most recently he ordered the removal of American forces from Germany contrary to the wishes of our NATO allies  and American military leaders.  Nothing could make Putin happier.

     And now we find out that tRUMP knew that Russia was paying a bounty for dead Americans and coalition forces.  tRUMP's response to this scandal could have been written by Putin.  First he denied that he was warned.  This was a typical tRUMP lie.  Second, he denounced leakers.  This is typical when leakers reveal the truth.  Third now that it is out in the open he has not said a word of denunciation of Russia.  And fourth, he has spoken to Putin at least 6 times since the briefing on February 27 nad has not even brought up the subject let alone tell him that we know what he's doing.  If this is not treason I don't know what is. 

             In my email last year I suggested that we call him Traitor tRUMP.  Moscow Mitch has stuck to McConnell.  Why not Traitor tRump?  I suggested that the word "quisling" originated from Prime Minister Quisling who was a traitor to Norway during World War Two.  

      The most famous traitor in American history was Benedict Arnold.   For 3 1/2 years tRUMP has shown incredible loyalty to Russia.  While I like Traitor tRump, Benedict tRUMP fits nicely.

            The Lincoln Project has produced an incredible ad. I may not have it exactly right but it is something like this. It shows a man facing the camera and saying that he is a Republican  pro life, pro second amendment guy. But tRUMP is a dishonest coward and for the first time in his life he will vote for a Democratic candidate for president.  I previously described Joe The Barber.  If these two men are being duplicated throughout the country, We win in a landslide.

               Thanks for listening.  Have a safe and peaceful holiday.

                                                               Richard

Trump Doesn't Believe in Democracy, Here's His 25-Step Reelection Plan

Trump will do anything to be re-elected. His opponents are limited because they believe in democracy. Trump has no limits because he doesn’t.

Here’s Trump’s re-election playbook, in 25 simple steps:

1. Declare yourself above the law.
2. Use racist fearmongering. Demand “law and order” and describe protesters as “thugs”, “lowlife” and “rioters and looters”. Describe Covid-19 as “Kung-Flu”. Retweet posts from white supremacists. In your campaign ads, use a symbol associated with Nazis.
3. Appoint an attorney general more loyal to you than to America, and politicize the Department of Justice so it’s lenient on your loyalists and comes down hard on your enemies. Have it lighten the sentence of a crony convicted of lying under oath. Order investigations of industries you dislike.
4. Fire US attorneys who are investigating you.
5. Fire independent inspectors general who are looking into what you’ve done. Crush any whistleblowers you find.
6. Demean and ignore the intelligence community. Appoint a director of national intelligence more loyal to you than to America. Demand that the head of the FBI pledge loyalty to you.
7. Pack the federal courts with judges and justices more loyal to you than to the constitution.
8. Politicize the Department of Defense so generals will back whatever you order. Refer to them as “my generals”. Have them help clear out protesters. Order the military to surveil protesters. Tell governors you’ll bring in the military to stop protesters.
9. Purge your party of anyone disloyal to you and turn it into a mindless, brainless, spineless cult.
10. Get rid of accumulated experience and expertise in government. Demean career public servants. Hollow out the state department, the Department of Justice, Health and Human Services, and public health.
11. Reward donors and cronies with bailouts, tax breaks, subsidies, government contracts, regulatory rollbacks and plum jobs. Put their lobbyists in charge of your agencies. Distribute $500bn in pandemic assistance to corporations in secret, without any oversight.
12. Coddle dictators. Don’t criticize their human rights abuses. Refuse to work with the leaders of other democracies. Withdraw from international treaties.
13. Create scapegoats. Demonize migrants and lock up asylum-seekers at the border even if they’re children. Put a white nationalist in charge of immigration policy. Blame Muslims, Mexicans and Chinese.
14. Denigrate and ridicule all critics. Describe opponents as “human scum”. Attack the mainstream media as purveyors of “fake news” and “enemies of the people”.
15. Conjure up conspiracies against yourself supposedly led by your predecessor and your opponent in the last election. Without any evidence, accuse your predecessor of “treason”. Fabricate a “Deep State” out to get you.
16. Downplay real threats to the nation, such as a rapidly spreading pandemic. Lie about your utter failure to contain it. Muzzle public health experts. Urge people to go back to work even as the pandemic worsens in parts of the country.
17. Encourage armed supporters to “liberate” states from elected officials who disagree with you.
18. Bribe other nations to investigate your electoral opponent and flood social media with lies about him.
19. Use rightwing propaganda machines like Fox News and conspiracy theory peddling One America News to inundate the country with your lies. Ensure that the morally bankrupt chief executive of Facebook allows you to spread your lies on the biggest media machine in the world.
20. Suppress the votes of people likely to vote against you. Intimidate voters of color. Encourage Republican governors to purge voter rolls, demand voter ID and close polling places.
21. Seek to prevent mail-in ballots during the pandemic. Claim they will cause voter fraud, without evidence. Threaten to close the US postal service.
22. Get Vladimir Putin to hack into US election machines, as he did in 2016 but can now do with more experience and deftness. Promise him that in return you’ll further destabilize America as well as Nato. Allow him to put a bounty on killing U.S. troops in Afghanistan.
23. If it still looks like you’ll be voted out, try to postpone the election.
24. If you’re voted out of office notwithstanding all this, refuse to leave. Contest the election, claim massive fraud, say it’s a conspiracy, get your cult of a political party to support your lies, get your propaganda machine to repeat them, get your justice department to back you, get your judges and justices to affirm you, get your generals to suppress any subsequent rebellion.
25. Declare victory.
Memo to America: Beware Trump’s playbook. Spread the truth. Stay vigilant. Fight for our democracy.

Robert Reich

Corruption

Please indulge me.  As I have said more than once, I think it is important to chronicle the criminality, corruption and derangement of tRUMP and his gang.  As is often the case, tRUMP has produced multiple big stories in one day.

       In yesterday's press conference tRUMP exposed   his total corruption for the world to see.  He said he thinks there should be NO, repeat NO, inspectors general. The function of IGs  is to keep the government honest.  In other words,  tRUMP admits he wants a corrupt government.

         tRUMP has not yet fired every inspector general.  He said he has fired and will continue to fire any inspector general who was appointed by Obama.  tRUMP's venality leaves me breathless.  As far as I know Charles Grassley is the only Republican senator question  the firings.  I think every one of the 53 Republican senators should be outraged.   Inspector generals keep watch over the executive branch.  The legislative branch should embrace the system of inspectors general. Republican senators  have completely abdicated their roles as a check on the executive.  What is wrong with them?  A bigger question is whether any of this matters to any tRUMP supporter?  The answer is obvious.

     The latest firing was the inspector general of the State Department.  News reports are that the IG was investigating a number of possible claims about Mike Pompeo.  Some are relatively small like having government employees walk his dog, pick up Chinese food, pick up his dry cleaning and perform other personal services on the taxpayers' dime.  Another is huge, having to do with tRUMP's declaration of an emergency to send billions of dollars worth of arms to Saudi Arabia.   In answer to the firing, Pompeo has stated that he had no idea what the IG was investigating.  Therefore he could not possibly be charged with retaliation against the IG.  Please take five minutes to stop laughing before you go to the rest of my blog.

     Now to the story of tRUMP's ongoing lunacy.  He declared that he has been taking hydroxychlorquine (HCQ) for about a week and  a half.  He said that he has talked to "a lot of people" who say it is a good idea.  He disagrees with the FDA and the vast majority of physicians  and scientist who say it is dangerous to take HQC unless there is a specific indication.  

         

        I followed several newscasts that reported the story.  In my view every newscast missed the most important point of this crazy story.   When tRUMP and a few doctors started advocating HQC, they did so as a  treatment for people who were seriously ill with covid 19.  It has never been promoted, or even suggested, that it can prevent covid 19.  If it prevented covid there would be no  need for  a vaccine.  HCQ would be the vaccine.  Why is tRUMP taking this drug?  Has he tested positive for the virus?  Or is he just crazy?  I go with the crazy answer.

        So another day another corruption scandal and another glimpse into a very sick mind.  Take care all.  Stay safe.  

                                                               Richard

tRUMP's mental illness

If you don't want to read another one of my tRUMP rants, please skip down to the last paragraph.  You will love it.   During tRUMP's campaign I wrote about the several well recognized mental disorders from which  tRUMP suffers.  Mental disorders do not get better on their own.  Treatment may help.  But absent treatment, the disorders get worse.  There is no doubt that tRUMP's mental disorders are progressing.

        This week tRUMP ranted that Obama and Biden have committed the worst crimes in U.S. political history.  They should be thrown in prison for fifty years.  No response is necessary to this lunacy.  Among other conditions, tRUMP suffers from a personality disorder known as neurotic projection.  Obama's presidency was recognized as  among the least corrupt presidencies in history.  tRUMP's presidency is probably the most corrupt.  So, because of his mental illness tRUMP projects his own corruption on Obama.

        I am not a student of history.  As far as I know, no president has ever attacked a predecessor so viciously.  But this is more than an attack.  I believe it is the clearest sign yet that we have a progressively more  deranged president.  If further proof is needed, On May 4 tRUMP accused Joe Scarborough of killing a young female  assistant  in 2001.  tRUMP called Scarborough "Psycho Joe."  The accusation is pure nonsense, but it comes from the president of the United States.

           This week I will be writing or calling several Republican senators asking them when they will publicly denounce this craziness.  Is there no John McCain among the fifty three spineless creatures  in the Senate?  

          On May 3,   CNN's Don Lemon made the most prescient statement about tRUMP's Obama obsession.  This is what he said:

                            What is it about President Obama that really gets under

                            your skin.  Is it because he's smarter than you?  Better

                            educated?  Made it on his own? Didn't need daddy's 

                            help? Wife is more accomplished?  Better looking? What

                            is it about him?  That he's a black man that accomplished 

                            being president?  That he punked you on the whole birth 

                            certificate thing?  What is it?  Just wondering.

       Lemon nailed tRUMP up to a point.  He implied  a mild mental derangement.  I don't think it's mild.

      

          One more thing.  Tonight at 8:00 there will be a nationwide virtual high school graduation.  It will be carried on all major networks including Fox.  President Obama will be giving the commencement address.  Don't miss it.  I wish there were a video cam in the White House.  Smoke will be coming out of tRUMP's ears.  Take care.  Stay safe.

                                            Richard

Supreme Court reporter

My favorite thing to do when I visit Washington is to watch oral arguments in the Supreme Court.  Today I listened to arguments  about tRUMP's tax returns as they were broadcast by C Span.  There were two cases.  The first was The House Of Representatives subpoena of tRUMP's returns.  The second was the New York district attorney (Cyrus Vance) subpoena of tRUMP's returns.  Here are my thoughts.

      The new format of arguing remotely is not the same format as when all of the justices sit together at the court.  The usual format is that an attorney starts speaking and is then interrupted by a justice asking a question.  Then the attorney starts answering and another justice asks a question.  This goes on for the entire argument.  That format allows justices to ask multiple followup questions.  In remote  format, the justice gets a turn and then it's over. Each justice's turn and the answer lasts about three minutes. I don't care for this format.

       The first case involved the House Of Representatives suing tRUMP's accounting firm to get a whole bunch of records including tRUMP's tax returns in the years before he became "president".  The first attorney for tRump made the bold statement that never before have the personal records of a president been subpoened.  There must be a compelling need, which does not exist in this case.   Later he referred to  "demonstrated need." He argued that Congress had come up with a completely phony pretext to subpoena the records.  

   

          The House lawyer was the worst of the  lawyers who argued.  He fumbled.  He was obsequious.  Ar one point he could not come up with an answer to a hypothetical.  But at least he did say why there was a compelling need.  There were three committees which requested the subpoenas.  The subpoenas were requested after explosive information came to light about tRUMP's finances.  The intelligence Committee wanted to investigate whether a foreign power would have undue influence over the president.  The oversight committee was investigating whether there had to be legislation improving the Ethics in Government Act".  I believe the third committee  was looking at possible changes in the tax law.  To me, each of those committees had a compelling interest.

         Justice Ginsberg's first question out of the box was the best.  She asked tRUMP's attorney how was this case differed from  subpoenaing  Bill Clinton's Whitewater records , the subpoena of Hillary Clinton's billings, the Nixon tapes,  Watergate records and the Paula Jones case.   tRUMP's attorneys did not make any decent  argument distinguishing those cases.

     Justice Thomas asked a couple  of surprisingly good question.  In the first case he asked whether Congress had implied powers to issue subpoenas.  The answer was "Yes."  Some have argued that subpoena power is not enumerated in the constitution.

        Breyer asked a simple question, "were the subpoenas in Watergate legal, yes or no?"   The response was that the President is on duty 24/7 and therefore cannot be burdened with a subpoena.  In other words a non response.

On the other hand, Breyer made a statement that was chilling.  He said he worried that if there is no limit on Congressional subpoena power of the president, a future Joe McCarthy could subpoena a future Franklin Roosevelt.  I usually like Breyer.  Not this time.  In this case he was using a Reductio Ad Absurdum argument .  He was using the most absurd hypothetical possible to attack a reasonable proposition.  It seemed like Breyer was so fervent in his argument that he might vote with tRUMP.  I don't know how he can ignore the legitimate legislative concerns of Congress.

Alito asked an interesting question.  He asked if the president can be used as a case study for potential legislation.

          Sotomeyor had a great reference to an earlier Supreme Court case which said that a subpoena is valid if there is any conceivable reason to issue the subpoena. 

            Kagan made the point that there have been hardly any prior similar cases because Congress and the president have always come to an accommodation.  In this case, tRUMP refused any accommodation.

             Roberts asked if tRUMP's position is that the court must probe the mental processes of Congress to see if this is a pretext.

               tRUMP's attorney said that Congress needs to show the legislation it is proposing in order to justify the subpoena.  Ginsberg pointed out that legislation comes about only after investigation, not before.

                 At one point tRUMP's attorney said that there needs to be a higher standard to subpoena the President.  Ginsberg asked how did that work out in the Paula Jones case.  She was cut off before the attorney could answer.

                Kagan brought up that in the Paula Jones case, Clinton argued that a deposition placed an undue burden on him.  The Supreme Court rejected that argument.

                  Gorsuch asked an excellent question.  Would it be a legitimate subpoena if Congress was investigating whether it should pass a law requiring presidents to disclose their tax returns.  tRUMP's lawyer answered "Yes."  As far as I'm concerned that question and answer should end the discussion.  Gorsuch followed up by saying the Whitewater subpoena was very much like this subpoena.  

             At some point tRUMP's lawyer said that the House had never articulated a legislative purpose for the subpoena.  The House attorney  said that the legislative purpose  was laid out in pages 17-36 of its brief.

              In the House case there is an issue of separation of powers.  That issue is not involved in the NY case.  I believe there are two big issues in the House case.  First,  did the house have a legitimate purpose for issuing the subpoena?  Second, does the Subpoena place an undue burden on the president?    I believe both issues should be decided in favor of the House.  Regarding the first issue,  the House set forth multiple reasons it had for wanting the tax returns.  Regarding the second issue, none of tRUMP's attorneys detailed how subpoenaing  the records would place and undue burden on the president.  If I had been representing the House, I would have argued that there is not only no undue burden, in fact, there is no burden whatsoever.  The accounting firm would turn over the records.  tRUIMP could go on being president and playing golf. It was impossible, however to read where the Court was going.    I worry that the justices will rule that the Congressional subpoenas violate the separation of powers doctrine.  I don't buy it because  Congress had legitimate legislative reasons to get the records.  But then again, I am not a Supreme Court justice. 

          It turns out that the NY case is more compelling than the House case.   Even Jay Sekulow admitted that there is nothing improper for the district attorney to do a criminal investigation of the President.  Sekulow drew the line, however, at issuing a subpoena.  He argued that a sitting president has absolute temporary immunity.  He had to concede to Justice Thomas  that such immunity is not written anywhere.  I was waiting for a justice to ask about immunity in the setting of the President shooting someone on Fifth Avenue, but no one asked the question.  

        In the NY case tRUMP was represented by Sekulow and the solicitor general of the United States.  They both brought up the ridiculous argument that there are 2300 county district attorneys in the United States.  If Cyrus Vance is allowed to Subpoena the president's records, that would open a Pandora's box allowing 2300 prosecutors to file law suits.  The NY attorney shot that argument down.  tRUMP lived in NY and his business enterprise was located in NY.  There is no jurisdiction in the 2300 other counties.

      I know this is an extraordinarily long e mail.  Trust me, I have enough notes to make it twice as long.  Let me just summarize.  tRUMP's side says that answering the subpoena would place an undue burden on him.  Remember the subpoenas were not issued to him but to his accountants. Throughout the argument I never heard a description by tRUMP's attorneys of the undue burden.  On the other side, I did not hear a good argument refuting the undue burden argument.  Second,  everyone seems to agree that subpoenaing the president requires a higher standard than subpoenaing an ordinary person.  Congress and NY both argue that the higher standard was well met.  Third, there is the issue as to whether Congress issued the subpoena for the purely political reason of harassing the president.  This was Sekulow's argument.  No matter how the Supreme Court rules, I can't imagine it will buy Sekulow's argument.

         As I said at the outset, it is impossible to read how  the the Court is going based upon today's oral arguments.  I thought Thomas and Gorsuch asked good questions which would seem to favor the legitimacy of the subpoenas.  But Breyer gives me pause.  It would be fantastic if this court followed the Supreme Court precedent in Watergate and unanimously rule against the president.  But this is a completely different time and court.  I would be happy with a five-four ruling against tRUMP.  My prediction is that the Supreme Court will send the NY case back to the lower court to investigate whether there was  a legitimate reason to investigate a possible crime.  This would conveniently prevent the turn over of records until after the election.  I worry that the court will rule against The House based upon the separation of powers doctrine.  I would hope that at a minimum the Supreme Court will send the House case back for a determination as to whether there was a legitimate legislative purpose.  We should know the decision by the end of June.

                                                            Richard

Bill Roy Cohn Barr

 tRUMP infamously said, "where is my Roy Cohn?"  At that time tRUMP was upset that Jeff Sessions acted ethically in recusing himself from the Russia investigation  tRUMP wanted an unethical attorney general.  Roy Cohen was a poster child  for unethical lawyers.  tRUMP now has his Roy Cohn.

      Yesterday, Bill Roy Cohn  Barr (hereafter referred to as BRCB) made an unprecedented motion to dismiss the conviction of Michael Flynn.  Please remember how that conviction came about.  Flynn had inappropriate contacts with the Russian ambassador. Then Flynn lied to Pence about his contacts.  Then tRUMP fired Flynn for lying to Pence.  Then Pence pleaded guilty to lying to federal investigators.  Flynn was scheduled to be sentenced on his guilty plea  on 12/18/18.  Prior to sentencing his attorneys submitted a sentencing memo saying that Flynn was unfairly tricked into pleading guilty.  At that hearing the judge made it clear that he would not guarantee that Flynn would not be incarcerated.  The judge said it appeared that Flynn may have betrayed his country.  The judge asked if Flynn wanted to withdraw his guilty plea.  Flynn did not.  The judge asked Flynn if he was pleading guilty because he was guilty.  Flynn answered "yes."  Please remember that Flynn not only pleaded guilty twice, but he was required to agree to a written detailed statement of facts describing his crime.  

         

       Now along comes BRCB.  He was previously excoriated by a huge number of former U.S. attorneys as well as many legal scholars for contradicting his line prosecutors' sentencing recommendation for Roger Stone.  Up to that point, no  one could recall an attorney general doing such a thing.  Now  BRCB  has  his previous improper interference in the judicial system as a precedent.  But this is far worse.  And it is scary.  Barr  is literally the  consigliori for  the tRUMP criminal enterprise.  He is in a position to help his criminal friends and prosecute  his political enemies.  This sounds very much like Stalin's courts of justice.  

         Barr's motion to dismiss does not deny that Flynn lied.  He merely asserts that the lies were not "material."  This is a defense which had been available to Flynn at any time.  When he pleaded guilty his attorneys knew that materiality was an element of the crime. 

        This story is barely 24 hours old.  I predict that the outrage in the legal community will be far greater than the outrage over the Stone imbroglio.  I am hoping that BRCB suffers the same fate before the bar of justice as did Roy Cohn, tRUMP's hero.  Roy Cohn was disbarred by  the New York State bar for unethical and unprofessional conduct.  One of the charges against Cohn was that he put a pen into a comatose client's hand and scrawled a signature on a will.  The will  made a huge bequest to Cohn.   I will be asking my colleagues who are much more knowledgeable about the canons of ethics whether Barr may be subject to disbarment proceedings.

             And how about this for closing the circle.  In 1979, Roger Stone was employed by the Reagan for president campaign.  During that time Stone stayed at Roy Cohn's townhouse in Manhattan.  Cohn had a scheme to put John Anderson on the Liberal Party ballot for president.  This would presumably split the opposition to Reagan.  It worked.  Reagan carried New York State with 46% of the vote.  Stone told the story that at one point Cohn gave him a suitcase to be delivered to a prominent attorney for the Liberal Party.  Cohn  told Stone not to open the suitcase.  Years later Stone said that he assumed that the contents of the suitcase were a bribe.

                So tRUMP wanted his Roy Cohn  He has him.  His Roy Cohn interfered in the criminal case involving Cohn's old buddy  Roger Stone.  In my view Roger Stone will never see the inside of a jail cell.  Either tRUMP will pardon Roy Cohn's buddy, or he will have his consigliori do the dirty work.  I said it long ago, this will go down in history as by far the most corrupt presidency ever.  God willing it will end soon.  And if it does, a new attorney general may look into the activities of the tRUMP continuing criminal enterprise.

  

             On that optimistic note, stay safe.

                                                           Richard

More tRUMP

As we know, tRUMP creates a major story  every day, sometimes two or three.  I

 The last several days have been no exception.   I will write about a couple.

        In some ways it is easy to figure out tRUMP.  He is a simple minded person who cannot think past the next hour.  At other times he has an actual long range strategy.  I think his disgusting support of the Michigan demonstrators is a combination of both.

       In the last 3 1/2 years practically nothing has stuck to tRUMP.  Any one of a number of scandals would have sunk any other president.  There is one exception to the Teflon man, namely his comments after Charlottesville.  tRUMP said that there were very fine people on both sides.  That comment was universally condemned by Republicans and Democrats.  tRUMP and his handlers twisted themselves in knots trying to do damage control, but to know avail  The comment will be stuck to tRUMP forever.  A normal human  being would never make the same mistake again.   The  word "normal' can never be used in the same sentence with "tRUMP".

        In Lansing there were thugs armed with assault weapons.  There were confederate flags.  There were swastikas. There were nooses.  tRUMP's response was to say these were very good people but they were angry.  If there is one person whom I don't want to be angry it is a nut job carrying an AK 47.  Is it possible that these angry people were angry because tRUMP tweeted  "liberate Michigan"? There is nothing good about people carrying confederate flags or swastikas.   There is nothing good about people congregating in close quarters without masks thus  endangering themselves and others. tRUMP is unable to keep his mouth shut or his twitter finger in check.  Why in the world would he repeat his Charlottesville gaffe?  My guess is that there are two factors.  First, he is incapable of learning a lesson.  Second, he has a long range strategy to keep his base happy. 

         Can anyone name the Secretary of the Interior?  It is David Bernhardt.  His qualification to be Secretary Of The Interior is that he was a lobbyist for the oil, gas and mining industries.  He has been found to violate environmental laws.  He has all kinds of conflicts of interests.  He has scuttled scientific analyses.  And, of course, he is a tRUMP sycophant.  Bernhardt  is every bit as corrupt as his predecessor Ryan Zinke.  He usually stays below the radar.  But this week he became a huge blip on the radar screen.  He violated a law concerning the Lincoln Memorial.  The law explicitly prohibits any events taking place inside the Lincoln Memorial. But that's where tRUMP wanted to hold his Fox News "town hall".  Bernhardt, knowing full well the prohibition, nevertheless announced that because the town hall was an important public event he was waiving the prohibition.   In the town hall tRUMP as is typical lied about the venue.  He said he knew nothing about the choice and merely assumed that Fox had arranged it.  If you believe that, you may want to purchase the Lincoln Memorial from tRUMP.

          Then there is tRUMP Virus news.  There is no doubt that China delayed and lied about the virus up to a point.  In late January, however China publicly announced the danger of a pandemic.  Since that time, the well documented bungled response by tRUMP has without question cost lives and an economic disaster.  In order to deflect criticism of this administration, tRUMP and Pompeo have gone after China.   This is not a legitimate argument.  It is a conspiracy theory based diversion.  Here is how we know.  Richard Grenell the uber  tRUMP loyalist director of national intelligence has stated that there is no evidence that the virus originated in a Wuhan laboratory.  This was directly contradicted by Pompeo on Sunday when he said there was "enormous" evidence that the virus originated in the Wuhan lab.  Given Grenell's statement, you know that Pompeo's statement is a bald faced lie.  There is zero evidence. But to seal the deal, on Monday the National Geographic published an article about Dr. Fauci.  Fauci stated that the overwhelming scientific evidence shows that the virus originated in an animal, probably a bat, and jumped species to humans.  He went further to say that chasing the Wuhan lab theory is a waste of time.  

              tRUMP stories  never end.  In fact, they   almost write themselves.  Thank you tRUMP for extending my writing career.  Thanks for listening.  Stay well.  Stay safe.

                                                                   Richard

Chutzpah

The classic definition of chutzpah is a man who killed his parents asking a judge for mercy because he's an orphan.  There are a million examples of tRUMP'S chutzpah and that of his criminal gang.  Let me give just a couple.

      tRUMP lies about things big and small.  He lies when he doesn't have to.  His lies often make no sense.  His lies are easily exposed.  And yet, he simply can't help himself.  I think it is the ultimate example of chutzpah to lie when the truth is easily exposed.  In a  press conference last week,  he blurted out that he hadn't left  the White House for months.  He said the only time he left the White House was to go to Virginia to kiss the hospital ship. He was pressed about  a rally he had held in March.  His response, " I don't know anything about a rally.  Did I do a rally?  I don't know anything about a rally."  He then went to another reporter. Of course he knew about the rally.   Lying is simply what he does.  As for his claim about staying in the White House for months, he had 5 rallies in February in addition to the one in March.  On top of that he spent a number of prolonged weekends in January and February at Mar A Lago.   So this lie will soon be forgotten as a torrent of future lies smack us in the face.

           Talk about Chutzpah, how can we forget Ivanka?  She has very publicly advocated staying at home during the  crisis.  Then she, Jared and family went to their New Jersey country club for Passover.  They claim that the closed country club was in effect a personal residence therefor they were merely traveling from one personal residence to another.  This was their official line.  Of course it's nonsense.  What we don't know and will probably never know is whether Kushner's  extended family attended the Seder.  I  can't imagine the little nuclear family sitting in an empty dining room waited on by servants.  I don't want to waste more than 10 seconds thinking about the Seder. But what gets me is the incredible chutzpah to be tRUMP's principle advisor, to advocate behavior for every person in the  United States, and then to publicly flaunt her  disregard for the behavior  she advocated.

         This brings me to Pence.  Talk about Chutzpah!  He was told explicitly by the Mayo Clinic that he needed to wear a mask.  Not only did he not wear a mask, but he stood in a crowded room and hovered over a patient.  His excuse was that he has been tested frequently  and was negative.  Was he tested that day?  He might have been tested the day before, or the week before.  Equally as important, testing appears to have a false negative rate in the area of 25%.  And finally,  he is supposed to be a role model.  If people see him in a crowded hospital room without a mask, they will think it's okay, just as it must be okay to drink Lysol if the president says it's okay.

         Here is what I don't get.  What;s the bid deal about wearing a mask?  Trump says he will never wear a mask.  Now Pence  will follow his fearless leader's example.  Just wear the f...ing mask.

       I just want to leave you with one more thing.  David Frum is an extremely conservative political commentator.  He was a speech writer for George W. Bush.  He despises tRUMP.  It remains a mystery why there is not a significant percentage of traditional Republicans who  feel exactly the same.  In any event,  here is Frum's most recent tweet:

                               For an extreme NPD (narcissistic personality disorder)

                               case like Donald Trump the lives and troubles of 

                               other people are remote, incomprehensible, less real

                               to him and infinitely less important  than an incorrectly 

                               melted slice of cheese on his day's hamburger.

          That says it all.  Take care.  Stay Safe.

                                                         Richard

Michigan Protest

 

As many Michiganders are aware, about 1000 of our ‘lesser intellect’ citizens descended upon Lansing today to protest against an extension of Governor Whitmer’s emergency powers (not the stay-at-home order...they seem not to know what the Legislature was voting on today, but I digress).

As you may also have heard, three of these critters were in Lansing yesterday seeking entry into a closed Capitol, with the result that 2 of the 3 were physically removed after refusing to leave after multiple requests and becoming belligerent. One of whom, a loud mouthed twit from Ann Arbor..Wendy Darling..walked out of the gallery and immediately called for an ambulance claiming she had been assaulted (by the Capitol police). As she continued filming herself, she fell into hysterics and began screaming and crying, explaining she suffered from PTSD. Eventually she was whisked away to the hospital, released and sent home. She did not return to Lansing today.

The other ‘ladies’ (pictured above) are Audra Johnson and Shelley Gregoire, from Grand Rapids and Battle Creek, respectively. They returned today and can be heard quite loudly urging insurrection inside the Capitol. They both brought their ‘security’ with them today....the rednecks with the guns. Giggling throughout their videos the whole time about this...it was ‘funny’.

BTW...Shelley Gregoire is also a candidate for State Representative...she’s the short bumpkin with glasses.

Honestly, these hayseeds make me embarrassed to be a Michigander. These 3 went looking for a fight yesterday...and they got it. And damned if they didn’t look for the same today. I’m sure they’re disappointed tonight.

As for the others in Lansing today, I’d just have to ask, ‘What in the world is wrong with you?!?!?! No masks, no social distancing, NO FCUKING REGARD for anyone but themselves! Kudos to the MSP and Capitol police who had to endure these degenerates yelling and screaming in their faces (without masks over theirs). 

Absolutely disgusted with this appalling display of ignorance. You want to work? Plenty of places are hiring. You want to contract the ‘Rona?!?! That’s fine too (#Culltheherd). Just remember you may be bringing the disease to your family. But more disgustingly, you may be bringing it to innocents and those unaware of your callous disregard for others.

These Darwin candidates need to remember one basic principle...YOUR rights end where MINE begin!

Sue

Posting from a COVID Nurse

I have seen 4 patients die, 5 get intubated, 2 re-intubated, witnessed family consent to make 2 more patients DNRs, sweat my butt off during CPR, titrated so many drips to no avail, watched vent settings increase to no avail. We are exhausted and at a total loss.

All of this in two shifts in a row.

Some of you people have never done EVERYTHING you could to save someone, and watched them die anyway, and it shows.

I would have no problem if you fools worried about your "freedom" all went out and got COVID. If only you could sign a form stating that you revoke your right to have medical treatment based on your cavalier antics and refusal to abide by CDC and medical professionals' advice. If you were the only people who got infected during your escapades to protest tyranny, great. But that's sadly not how this works.

You wanna complain because the garden aisle is closed? If you knew a thing about gardening, you'd know it's too early to plant in Michigan. Your garden doesn't matter. If killing your plants would bring back my patients, I would pillage the shit out of your "essential" garden beds.

Upset because you can't go boating...in Michigan...in April...in the cold-ass water? You wanna tell my patient's daughter (who was sobbing as she said goodbye to her father over the phone) about your first-world problems?

Upset because you can't go to your cottage up north? Your cottage...your second property...used for leisure. My coworkers can't even stay in their regular homes. Most have been staying in hotels and dorms, not able to see their spouses or babies.

All of these posts, petitions online to evade "tyranny", it's all such bullshit. I'm sorry you're bored and have nothing to do but bitch and moan. You wanna pick up a couple hours for me? Yeah, didn't think so. I wouldn't trust most of you with patient care, anyway. Not just because of the selfish lack of humanity your posts exude, but because most of those posts and petitions are so riddled with misspellings and grammatical errors, that it makes me question your cognitive capacity.

Shoutout to my coworkers, the real MVPs.

 Amy Elizabeth

Gretchen Whitmer

You probably remember the psychopath in chief singling out our governor Gretchen Whitmer for a bilious attack.  His problem with Gretchen was that she was begging for more help from the federal government.  tRUMP couldn't remember her name so he referred to her as, "that woman from Michigan."   He went so far as to tell Pence not to take her calls.  For once Pence ignored tRUMP's instruction.

                 Gretchen Whitmer is a bright, concerned, competent, strong woman.  In short, she is the kind of woman tRUMP abhors.  So of course he attacked her.

             

                Yesterday Lansing made national news.  A bunch of tRUMPITES held a "gridlock" rally, closing streets around the state Capitol.  They were protesting Governor Whitmer's stay in place order.  But these are not ordinary times and this was not an ordinary protest.  tRUMP has unleashed very dark forces. The rally was filled with hate.  There were a number of confederate flags.  There were people openly packing weapons.   There were many "proud boys" flashing the white power symbol.  I have a friend who has lived in East Lansing for 40 years. He has witnessed many demonstrations. He told me that yesterday's demonstration was the ugliest day he had ever seen in Lansing.

         As always, Governor Whitmer handled the day with grace.  She affirmed the protesters' right to demonstrate.  But she pleaded with them to stay safe.  She asked them to stay in their cars and maintain safe distances.  Many ignored her pleas.  They left their cars and gathered in groups.  It  will be   ironic if  protesters who ignored the pleas for safety become infected.

          Gretchen is not up for reelection until 2020.  So this is not a plea for money.   I am suggesting that you contact the governor's office to let her now that you support her efforts.  Thank goodness that Governor Whitmer and other Democratic governors were swept into office in 2018.  They are a brake on this runaway freight train.  Take care all.  Stay safe.

                                                Richard