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