Winning - November 2018

Keeping track of the GOP and Trump Administration:

• The hits just keep on coming. Through10/31/2018, Trump has made 6,420 false or misleading claims over 649 days. Over the seven weeks leading up to the midterms, he averaged 30/day. An amazing rate. 
• 11/2 - A federal judge denies a stay in the Trump emoluments case. 
• The Supreme Court refuses to delay a case challenging citizenship questions on the 2020 census. 
• A federal judge rules against Georgia Secretary of State Brian Kemp (R) over voting restrictions. 
• The Supreme Court refuses to block young people’s climate lawsuit against the U.S. government.
• Attorney General Jeff Sessions forced to resign. Future of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation in question. 
• 11/8 - US Court of Appeals ruled that the Trump administration can not end DACA.
• The White House uses doctored video to justify the revoking of CNN's Jim Acosta's press pass. Talk about fake news.
• Federal judge Timothy Kelly, a Trump appointee, ruled that CNN's Jim Acosta's White House press credentials must be temporarily restored. 
• The White House decides to permanently restore Acosta's press pass. CNN drops the lawsuit. 
• 11/9 - A federal judge blocks construction of the Keystone XL pipeline.
• The CIA concludes that Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) ordered the assassination of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Awkward for the White House.
• First Lady Milania Trump gets deputy national security adviser Mira Ricardel fired. A blow to national security adviser John Bolton's standing.
• Ivanka Trump used a personal email account to conduct government business. LOCK HER UP!
• 11/20 - A federal judge ordered the Trump administration to resume accepting migrant asylum claims.
• Trump contradicts the CIA findings in the Khashoggi case. Fails to denounce Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Money talks.
• 11/22 - A New York judge denied a request by Trump's lawyers to dismiss a lawsuit alleging that Trump and his family violated charity laws with the management of their personal charity foundation.
• 11/23 - National Climate Assessment Report in direct conflict with the Trump Administration deregulation policies. 
• Trump's former campaign manager, Paul Manafort, has violated his plea agreement and will be sentenced. 
• 11/29 - Michael Cohen, former Trump lawyer and "fixer", pleads guilty to lying to Congress. Details Trump's involvement in financial dealings with Russia in 2016.

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He Knows the Best People

When President Trump was campaigning, he bragged about knowing the best and smartest people. He would populate his administration with those people, not the stupid people who had been running our government. How is that going?

His latest "best people" is Matthew Whitaker, appointed as acting Attorney General. An appointment made necessary because he fired "best people" Attorney General Jeff Sessions. Although to be fair, Trump now says that he didn't know Whitaker before the appointment but he says Whitaker is a smart guy. Yet, last month he did claim to know Whitaker. Typical Trump dancing around the actual truth. Was Trump's denial of knowing Whitaker to distance himself from a terrible choice or because the optics look like an attempt to handcuff Mueller? A day or two later spokesperson Kellyanne Conway admitted that Trump did know Whitaker prior to the appointment. Does he or doesn't he? Let's bet he knew Whitaker and why he appointed him. 

As it turns out, Whitaker doesn't look so smart. He is now the acting chief law enforcement officer of the country yet he is not a fan of the Judicial Branch. It is the judicial system that actually finds lawbreakers guilty or not guilty. It is the judicial system that determines whether laws are constitutional. It is the judiciary that determines whether Whitaker's Justice Department actions, policies, and rules are legal. 

In the past, he has stated that the Judicial Branch is not equal, that the courts should be the "inferior branch". He thinks only  Christians should serve on the bench. No Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, agnostics, atheists, etc. Judges should be biblical, specifically new testament biblical. What an inclusive and Christian viewpoint. 

He was on the board of World Patent Marketing. A company that the Federal Trade Commission labeled a "scam". He is accused of using his prior position as a US Attorney to intimidate customers of that company. 

Mr. Whitaker has previously made statements that show he is fully in support of Trump. He thinks the Mueller investigation is a witch hunt among other things. He has prejudged the investigation and some of the people involved. That should disqualify him from overseeing Mueller. 

All in all, Matthew Whitaker does not come across as a "best people". It also appears that once again the White House has not vetted an appointee. Was the appointment run by the lawyers? Did anybody even Google the guy? 

On top of all that, there is a question about whether this appointment is even constitutional. Whitaker has not been confirmed by the Senate. In the normal succession, Rod Rosenstein, the Deputy Attorney General, would take over the Justice Department. We'll have to wait to see how that is resolved. It will be the inferior Judicial Branch that will decide that. I hope they are all Christian judges involved in that decision.

Just another inept step by an inept administration. No surprises here, it is what we have come to expect from Trump and his minions. Within 24 hours of Whitaker's appointment, the media was able to unearth skeletons in his past. Is it too much to expect the White House to spend an hour or two vetting their appointments? 

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Winning - October 2018

Keeping track of the GOP and Trump Administration:

• The New York Times publishes an investigative story alleging that the Trump family participated in dubious, often illegal tax schemes for decades. The New York State Department of Taxation and Finance said they will investigate.
• It appears that Donald Trump is mostly the product of daddy Fred Trump and not the self-made man he professes to be. What a surprise.
• A federal judge temporarily blocks the Trump administration from terminating the legal status of 300,000 immigrants who fled violence in Haiti, Nicaragua, El Salvador, and Sudan.
• Nikki Haley resigns as US Ambassador to the UN. What's next for her? 
• Elizabeth Warren's DNA test shows that she has Native American ancestors. Trump denies promising to pay $1 million to her favorite charity. Unfortunately for him, there is video proof he said it. 
• HUD and Interior departments are having a spat over Suzanne Israel Tuft. Which department does she work for and what are her duties? HUD Secretary Ben Carson seems confused. Surprise. 
• Suzanne Israel Tuft resigned from whatever government job she had. Fishy.
• In related news, Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke was found to have violated department policy on travel. Swampy.
• Another condominium has voted to remove the Trump name. Trump Place at 200 Riverside Blvd., NYC. 
• Trump hails Montana Congressman Greg Gianforte for bodyslamming a journalist. This while the murder of Jamal Khashoggi is being "investigated". 
• Trump blames the Pittsburg synagogue for the shooting because they didn't have an armed guard. Blame the victims. 
• Trump doesn't cancel political rally because the New York Stock Exchange opened the day after 9/11. Except that is wrong. The NYSE did not open that day or several days after that.  Ignorance is bliss.
• Wrong again. Trump says the US is the only country with birthright citizenship. He also thinks he can nullify the 14th Amendment with an Executive Order.
• At least one of the three or more internal investigations of Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke has been turned over to the Justice Department. More swamp activity.

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