A Coherent Explanation of Why the Nunes's Memo Doesn't Destroy the Investigation

I will admit I had trouble reading the memo because it is a bunch of gobbledygook.  Then this morning I read how it was written by a staffer who went to a foreign law school and then couldn't pass the bar exam so he went to work as a Congressional staffer.  Talk about hiring the best and brightest!

Anyway, Bret Stephens explains coherently why this memo is worth the paper it is written on from a legal perspectives.  It is just a political rant.  Why the GOP insist on protecting Trump when they have a perfect foil for their political goals in the Vice President baffles me.

Link to "NothingBurger"

And from the WaPo.

From the memo
“The Papadopoulos information triggered the opening of an FBI counterintelligence investigation in late July 2016 by FBI agent Pete Strzok,”

From the WaPo
That timing is significant, given the FBI did not seek authorization to conduct surveillance on Page until three months later, on Oct. 21, 2016.


So the lier in Chief, our President, is wrong when he says the investigation is finding nothing.  If it was finding nothing, why have two people from the Trump campaign pleaded guilty.

And why doesn't everybody want to see Trump's tax returns?

72% of Republicans Believe Trump is a Good Moral Leader

1st, let me say that I do not agree with that.  Trump violates so many of the 10 Commandments that the only real lesson here is that white Evangelical Christians do not believe in the 10 Commandments, rather they believe you can do what you want and then ask for forgiveness from Jesus, and everything is OK.

In the last two weeks, Trump has been caught lying again about wanting to fire the Special Prosecutor investigating his ties to Russia.  He has been caught committing adultery with a Porn star and then paying her hush money.  Hush money is bribery.  He has American troops caught between Turkey and the Kurds and he is reducing funding to the PLO, which in turn will reduce their ability to offer hope, and likely lead to increased terrorism.  I have no doubt that somewhere in his past, Donald Trump hired someone to be a hit man for him and get rid of a troublesome individual.  And that is just the stuff Trump does that violates the 10 Commandments.

Every day is a violation of the Constitution Emoluments Clause.

If a Democrat were doing this, I guarantee you the GOP would be having a fit.  But no Democrat has ever stooped this low, and the GOP is accepting Trump's definition of morality as their own.

All Donald Trump cares about is his personal financial condition.  He cares about nothing else.

And I wish there was a decertification process for news organizations because clearly Fox News does not research anything and should no longer be allowed to call themselves a News Organization.  What Fox, Breitbart, NewsMax, and Drudge do would make the KGB and Gestapo proud of the effort if they had done it.

I wish I could move to another country, but RSL would never do it.  So I will stay here and just be in the Resistance and hope things improve in November.

meanwhile, I will be shocked if the House passes anything that helps the Dreamers. Not because there would fail to be sufficient votes on a bi-partisan basis, but because leadership will not bring it to a vote to appease the Freedom Caucus.

GOP Redefines Morality

And google SNL last Saturday and watch their take on how none of this matters anymore.  They are right, only it is not funny, Trump can do anything and the GOP will not hold him responsible for moral leadership.

The Upside to a 3:15 a.m. dog walk

We never had to do this with our Bouvier's, but our current dog is not as big and she occasionally cannot get her schedule right for we humans, or should I say me; as there is no way RSL is going to get up and go out at 3:15 a.m.

The unfortunate part of all this is that once I am up and had some exercise walking, I don't go right back to sleep.  So I listen to the BBC.

This morning on Hard Talk, the interviewer, who has a real talent for pushing people (thus the show called Hard Talk), interviewed Michael Steele, an African American, who is the former head of the Republican National Committee.  He is also a Never Trump'er and did not vote for him.

He explained coherently why GOP Congressman and many Senators will not go against Trump.  While Trump is supported by only 36% of the Electorate nationwide, within Republican geographies, 60% of Republicans support Trump.  While Steele felt Jeff Flake and Bob Corker should have taken the risk of a primary to make the case against Trump to the GOP base in their states, he stated that is why GOP Congressman take Trump's bad as a cost of achieving their policy goals.

And don't forget, Trump is making excellent progress for GOP policy goals.  Tax cuts are done, the individual mandate to buy health insurance is ended, regulations are being rolled back, Federal land is being reduced and opened to mining and logging, and conservative judges are being confirmed.

So, that is the reality and winning elections is the only way to reverse this.

And gaining understandings like that from Hard Talk is the upside to a 3:15 a.m. dog walk.

How Low Can We Go

We are pretty low right now and seemingly heading lower.  I know we are better than this, but the President sets the tone, words matter as any child is taught and knows, and this is where we are.

this guy says it better than me

Why I have not written anything lately.

1st, it has been the holidays.  2nd, nothing has changed.  The GOP Congress kneels over and kisses Trump's hand.

Nothing the GOP legislators do or do not do surprises me. While they are not necessarily racists, they condone racism, bigotry, and fail to govern on behalf of everybody preferring to be slaves to supply side economics and alt-right social policies favored by the NRA and social conservatives.

Corporations and GOP Donors Win Big in Tax Bill

and reveal how corrupt Citizens United has made the Republican Party.  If this were private business, it could be prosecuted for the giving and accepting of bribes.  But it's politics, and political donations followed by favorable tax treatment is just fine.

Link to E.J. Dionne column

5 Year's After Sandy Hook

I just don't understand.

This country suffers gun violence on such a frequent basis and nothing is being done to address it.

Yes, the Sandy Hook parents are trying to work on educating people about how to identify people at risk of doing such horrible things.  That is good.

But, you can still buy unlimited number and types of weapons in certain states in order to sell them in states where that is not legal.  And the NRA and the GOP want to allow that and concealment of such weapons anywhere including states where it that is illegal.

Why do people need weapons that can be made into machine guns with bump bump stocks?

Why do people who are terrorists, criminals, abusers and other violent people, allowed to buy guns no matter what their personal history?

Why are people allowed to buy semi-automatic weapons that they can adapt to fire faster?

Why are people allowed to buy hand-guns that they can conceal and frighten policeman to the extent that they shoot anybody they fear may have such a gun?  Even when the victim shows no move toward such a weapon.

This Congress will not do anything.  I can only wait for enlightened people to be elected.