Trump Casts A Long Shadow As He Takes The Country Into 2018

I cannot point to one thing Donald Trump has done this year that was positive. He has been consistent. He consistently lies. He consistently plays golf. However, Trump has done what many thought impossible. He will still be in office leading us into the New Year.

These recent pictures do not instill confidence. His face is off. His features appear to be rearranging themselves. He reminds me of a stroke victim.

 

The man looks fatigued. More and more, he looks disheveled.

The caps he wears seem out of place on a President. He wears them inappropriately.

I'm sure no one will be wearing a cap at Prince Harry's wedding reception next year.

Pictures don't tell the whole story. We have to examine what the man says as well. Here is what he said during an interview with The New York Times on 12/18/17:

"I think it's all worked out because frankly there is absolutely no collusion, that's been proven by every Democrat is saying it. Virtually every Democrat has said there is no collusion. There is no collusion. And even these committees that have been set up. So, I think it's been proven that there is no collusion. And by the way, I didn't deal with Russia. . . . I can only tell you that there is absolutely no collusion. Everybody knows it. And you know who knows it better than anybody? The Democrats. They walk around blinking at each other.... There's been no collusion.... Everybody knows the answer already. There was no collusion. None whatsoever.... Let's just say - I think that Bob Mueller will be fair, and everybody knows that there was no collusion. I saw Dianne Feinstein the other day on television saying there is no collusion. She's the head of the committee. The Republicans, in terms of the House committees, they come out, they're so angry because there is no collusion. So, I actually think that it's turning out - I actually think it's turning to the Democrats because there was collusion on behalf of the Democrats. There was collusion with the Russians and the Democrats. A lot of collusion .... There was tremendous collusion on behalf of the Russians and the Democrats. There was no collusion with respect to my campaign..... But there is tremendous collusion with the Russians and with the Democratic Party.... I watched Alan Dershowitz the other day, he said, No. l, there is no collusion, No. 2, collusion is not a crime, but even if it was a crime, there was no collusion. And he said that very strongly. He said there was no collusion. And he has studied this thing very closely. I've seen him a number of times. There is b, and even if there was, it's not a crime. But there's no collusion."

Personally, I find that more disturbing than the pictures. It strikes me as gibberish, but then I'm just a retired clinician who was licensed in New York, Virginia, Colorado, Maryland and Delaware. My career spanned several decades.

What I can say is that this is right up there with some of the more extreme things I've heard from some of the patients I worked with in psychiatric facilities.

Yes, Trump's shadow is long and dark. It's unclear what he has in mind for us. Whatever he is holding onto seems ominous.

What might that shadow conceal? Is there something evil lurking there?

Will someone cast a light on it? If so, what will emerge?

There is one other thing that may shed some light on what Trump has in mind for us next year. It's frightening to say the least. Trump said in that same New York Times interview:

"I have absolute right to do what I want with the Justice Department."

Contrast that to what President Obama said to Justice Department Attorneys when he met with them when he was the President.

Holy Moly!

The National Quiz - One Simple Question

What happens when Muller finishes his investigation? No talking. Keep your eyes on your own paper. Begin now. You've got an hour. We'll review your answers after the test.

One hour later. Okay, let's go over some of these answers.

Nick, you wrote "We'll find out what really happened with Russia. We'll know whether Trump did anything illegal."

No Nick, that's not it. We already know more than we need to about whether Trump did anything illegal. Christ Nick, Trump is guilty as Hell and we all knew that before he won the election. What's that you say? I'm wrong?

Do you remember this guy Nick? No?

What about now?

How about her? No?

What about now?

What? I'm not being fair? We're a nation of laws? People are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law? Bullshit!

I didn't render a verdict here Nick. I just said we already know Trump is guilty as sin. We don't need a verdict to tell us what we already know.

Unfair? You thought I was talking about being found guilty of a crime in a court of law? The question was what happens when Mueller finishes his investigation. Pay attention.

Let's see, Jessica you wrote, "Trump will be found guilty of obstruction of justice." No. In order to be found guilty he would have to be tried in a court of law. When Mueller finishes his investigation that's not the same as a guilty verdict in a trial.

No. My question wasn't a trick question. It was a simple question.

Hey, Don't you all be lookin at me like that! Uh, Kathy you wrote, "I haven't a clue."

Cute. Very Cute. Moving on here - it appears that many of you have written slight variations on what Nick, Jessica and Kathy wrote. Give me a minute.

Clearly this is getting us nowhere. Welcome to Twitter where everybody becomes a dilettante. It's like going on a cruise. You don't go on a cruise to gain weight, but that's what happens to just about everybody.

We are way past the time when Donald Trump should have been impeached. The country is being shaken apart. Mueller is not the issue, but he has become the focal point.

God bless Mueller, he's looking into a can of worms. Someone has to, but Mueller is not what anybody should be talking about. Everybody should simply be doing their best to facilitate Mueller and his team.

Laurence Tribe put this ever so elegantly and ever so simply in a Tweet. He said, "Trump must be impeached for abusing his power and shredding the Constitution more monstrously than any other President in American history." Laurence is a constitutional law professor at Harvard Law School.

Why are so many Republican congressmen attacking Mueller and asking for him to be fired? Is it just because they are guilty as well? Is it that simple?

Trump is trying his damnedest to discredit both the investigation and the news media, but he's not firing him or arranging for Mueller to be fired. He's fired others. Why not Mueller?

When Mueller does finish his investigation, we're all going to be waiting for the other shoe to drop.

The other shoe should have dropped months ago, but this Kabuki Theater has served as a monumental distraction. As long as Mueller doesn't finish the investigation, people seem willing to forestall the inevitable.

The inevitable is impeachment.

Uh, but we could do that now. Yeah we could, but we haven't. This isn't about partisan politics it's about national security and the survival of the Republic. So what are we missing here?

Paul Ryan ain't gonna let it happen no matter what. Mueller could bring in videotapes of Trump committing numerous crimes, confessions from those who were involved and even numerous confessions from Trump, himself. It wouldn't matter.

Ryan won't let a vote for impeachment happen and, even if he did, the Republicans in the House would vote against it. Maybe that's why there are rumors about Ryan resigning. He doesn't want to be left holding the bag.

FOX news and Kellyanne Conway have talked about coups recently. It's not coincidental that this conversation is going on at the same time so many Republicans are trashing Mueller.

Ironically, a real coup took place the moment Donald Trump was sworn in as president. This is not hyperbole. This is a simple fact.

Putin is using good ole capitalism to destroy our country. He simply bought what he wanted on the open market. He bought a narcissistic fool. He bought corrupt politicians. He bought religious and special interests groups.

Can we regain control of our government? So many of you answered "I haven't a clue." on the quiz. The truth is the United States is now a full fledged kleptocracy.

Mueller can't save us. He can bring indictments against everybody who was involved in this abomination - all the crooks, all the traitors, but he can't do that until Trump and Pence are impeached and he can't impeach them.

If these bozos don't take bipartisan action and impeach Trump and Pence right now, it won't matter come 2018. The situation is way past critical.

Holy Moly!

Controlling Trump By Feeding His Ego - Barf ...

I finished reading "Collusion" by Luke Harding a week or so ago. It's a great book and it clarified a lot for me. Everybody should read this book.

When the Russians first were sizing up Trump they determined that he would be an ideal candidate to recruit because he was very susceptible to flattery.

When Russian ambassador, Yuri Dubinin, met Trump in New York in 1985, he "charmed" him by telling him, "The first thing I saw in the city was your tower."

"Trump melted at once. He is an emotional person, somewhat impulsive. He needs recognition. And, of course when he gets it he likes it. My father's visit worked on him [Trump] like honey to a bee". "Collusion", page 222.

 After the tax bill was finally passed by both the House and Senate, Paul Ryan praised  Trump's "exquisite presidential leadership". Orin Hatch called him "one heck of a leader". Mitch McConnell said this year was "a year of extraordinary accomplishment for the Trump Administration".

 

It was a love fest for sure.

 The praise flowed like syrup. What it lacked was sincerity. Barf ...

Diane Black said, "Thank you, President Trump, for allowing us to have you as our president." Ugh!

Mike Pence called them "historic tax cuts" and described it as a "middle-class miracle". Yeah, it's a friggin miracle.

What everybody was really praising is Donald Trump's signature. Donald Trump has no idea what's in this legislation. He had nothing to do with it's drafting. The sole thing he will contribute to it is his grandiose scrawl.

Trump offered up his own humble assessment, "I promised the American people a big, beautiful tax cut for Christmas. With final passage of this legislation, that is exactly what they are getting … By cutting taxes and reforming the broken system, we are now pouring rocket fuel into the engine of our economy. America is back to winning again, and we’re growing like never before."

Who then is responsible for this abomination? Who was it who orchestrated this over one and a half trillion dollar giveaway to the ultra rich? Who got caught with their pants down?

The Trump fiasco is really extraordinary. The head of the Russian Kleptocracy initially compromised Trump and groomed him for the American Presidency. Putin owns Trump. Putin kills reporters and political opponents. Putin is the real deal.

However Putin was no match for these shameless hucksters. They've been buying local, state and federal politicians for decades. They control Trump now and when they are done with him they will discard him like the trash he is.

In the meantime, Trump will sign what they tell him to sign, when they tell him to sign it. That's the deal. As long as Trump is useful to those who will remain pants-less, he can parade around and tweet and praise himself ad nauseam.

Putin can have the rest of the world. He can take satisfaction from creating the largest security breach in our country's history. He got his man in the White House.

This drama's final act has yet to come. Things could spin out in all directions. Our country will suffer irreparable harm. Hell, the whole world will be negatively impacted, but it ain't over yet. It ain't over till the fat lady sings and when that happens we'll hear it no matter where we are.

Holy Moly!