Closed For Business

Here we are Monday 1/22/2018 and our government is closed for business. It officially closed at 00:01 on Saturday but there was no major effect over the weekend. As the work week starts, it gets real.

This post is not meant to go over or dissect the issues involved that got us to this stalemate. It is to express my complete disgust with ALL our elected officials in Washington. Republicans, Democrats, Independents, House, Senate, White House, Ryan, Pelosi, McConnell, Schumer, and Trump. The whole damn lot of them.

On the Sunday morning political talk shows, every single guest blamed the other side for this mess. Democrats blamed Republicans for the "Trump Shutdown" or "Republican Shutdown". The Republicans said it was the "Democratic Shutdown" or "Schumer Shutdown". There were no ideas about how to compromise and fix the problem, just blame for the other side.

Many of the arguments by both sides were laughable, disingenuous, and outright lies. It was very interesting to see the video clips and quotes from several people in 2013. That was the last time we had a government shutdown. At that time, the sides were reversed. The Republicans, Ted Cruz in particular, were trying to stop Democratic legislation. You can take the quotes from this shutdown compared to the 2013 shutdown. Except for the specific issues on the table, the quotes and arguments are exactly the same. The difference is that the Republican arguments and reasons from 2013 are now the Democratic arguments and reasons of 2018. And vice versa. 

Almost every politician talks out of both sides of their mouth. They are shameless. They also count on the fact that the populace as a whole has a short memory. What is said in 2013 will never be remembered in 2018. If by chance someone does remember the past statements, the politician has a spin as to how these are different times, a different issue. They try to spin that there completely contradictory statements are both right. In fact, they are both probably wrong. 

We now also have the circumstance of "tribal" politics. Whatever my guy says is right, whatever the other guy says is wrong and probably a lie. Whatever I don't agree with is fake news.   

Both sides try to justify their stance. Both sides blame the other. Meanwhile, our government remains closed. Government services go undone. More importantly, many government workers and others go unpaid and/or are furloughed. 

Stop the public statements and arrow slinging. Get behind closed and locked doors. Buy a few hundred pizzas, cases of beer, a case of Diet Coke and get this solve. No one gets out of the room until a deal to re-open the government is reached. 

Act like adults and do the job you were sent to Washington to do now. We should all be mad as hell at our representatives.

wjh 

It's Mueller Time - 2017

On 05/17/2017, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein appointed Robert Mueller as Special Council. Mueller was to investigate any possible collusion between the Trump presidential campaign and the Russian government. The investigation was not limited to that issue and any crimes discovered while investigating were also subject to prosecution and/or being turned over to the Justice Department or state prosecutors. The first tangible results of that investigation were made public in late October 2017. The first of what may be a long line of indictments, guilty pleas, and embarrassing information. 

• On 10/30/2017, indictments were served on former Trump Campaign Manager Paul Manifort and his business partner, also a Trump campaign official, Rick Gates. They were charged with lying to the government, money laundering, failing to register as a foreign lobbyist or agent and conspiracy against the United States. There are 12 separate counts in the indictment. The Manafort-Gates indictment is here.
• Also on 10/30/2017, it was learned that George Papadopoulos, a Trump Campaign foreign policy advisor has pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about meetings with the Russians. The Papadopoulos charges are here. 
• Around Thanksgiving, we learned that Michael Flynn's lawyers would no longer share information with White House or Trump lawyers. Is there a deal in the works?
• On 12/01/2017, Michael Flynn, former Trump National Security Advisor, pleads guilty to lying to the FBI concerning contacts with the Russians.

Despite the statements by Trump that Mueller's investigation will be over soon, it appears it is just getting started. The Mueller team has been very tight-lipped since it began. Barely any leaks in a city, Washington DC, that usually leaks like a sieve. 

Expect much more in 2018. We may also get some finalization from the various Congressional investigations. Where will it all lead, when will it all end? 

wjh

Winning - December 2017

More in the continuing saga of Trump's and the GOP's winning ways in December 2017. A partial list:

• Michael Flynn, former National Security Advisor to candidate and President Trump, pleads guilty to lying to the FBI concerning contacts with the Russians.
• Indications are that Flynn is cooperating with the Mueller investigation. 
• The Flynn indictment records indicate that a “very senior member of the Presidential Transition Team” directed Flynn.
• Trump declares that the US will recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. Draws outrage and objections from the Arab and European world.
• A federal judge upholds the January 1, 2018, deadline to allow transgender people to enlist in the military. 
• At Trump's pro-Moore rally in Pensacola, he lies about Black home ownership percentage being the highest in history. It's not even close. Current is 42%, highest is 49.7% in 2004.
• Doug Jones, a Democrat, defeats bigot, racist, pedophile Roy Moore, a Republican, for the Alabama US Senate seat. That despite Trump's and Bannon's full endorsement of Moore. Senate now at 51-49 for GOP.
• Omarosé Onée Manigault-Newman either quits or is fired by John Kelly.
• Sen. Charles E. Grassley (R-Iowa), chair of The Senate Judiciary Committee, said that based on his discussions with the White House, the Trump judicial nominations of Jeff Mateer and Brett Talley would not move forward through the confirmation process.
• Sen. John Neely Kennedy (R-LA) embarrasses Trump judicial nominee Matthew Spencer Peterson during a confirmation hearing. Another who has never tried a case. Trump continues to find the best of the best.
• Completely unqualified judicial nominee Matthew Peterson withdraws.
• The FCC rescinds net neutrality rules. A big win for internet providers. A big loss for internet consumers.
• Trump's nominee to head the Export-Import Bank, Scott Garrett, failed to win approval by the GOP controlled Senate Banking Committee.
• On 12/19, the House passed the GOP tax bill. Then realized it didn't adhere to some Senate rules. That's what happens when you rush big bills through. 
• The Trump administration takes down Petitions.WhiteHouse.Gov website without ever answering any of the petitions. Transparency?
• Trump threatens to cut aid to countries that vote for a UN resolution against recognizing Jerusalem as the Israeli capital.
• The UN Security Council votes 14-1 to condemn the US recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital. The US vetoes the resolution.  
• The UN General Assembly condemns US/Jerusalem move 128-9 with 35 abstentions. Another win?
• Trump has absolutely no clue how the diversity visa lottery program works. What a surprise.
• Several of the women who accused Trump of sexual improprieties have re-emerged. How are all those lawsuits he promised coming along? 
• Recently, Trump has once again disparaged the FBI and Justice Department but praised Putin.   
• For the third year in a row, Trump retains his title as King of the Whoppers according to FactCheck.org.
• Trump brags that he has signed the most bills ever in a presidential first year. WRONG! He has actually signed the fewest in the last 60 years. 
• In a rambling, often incomprehensible, interview with the New York Times, Trump gets most of his "facts" wrong.

That's a wrap for 2017. I'm sure Trump will continue "winning" in 2018. Well, at least he'll tell us he is winning.

Happy New Year!

wjh