And what will happen? Will justice ever come to Trump? Will it ever come to the corruption of this Republican Party? I think it's doubtful. Every single time that a Trump corruption event has been uncovered, we think aha! this is what will do him in. But it never does and it likely never will. Look at the recent decision by the DOJ to protect Trump over rape denial. That's Merrick Garland's DOJ, not Bill Barr's. There is a very strong faction within this country that protects a sick malignant narcissist at all costs over justice. It's not just Trump who wanted to be king, it's a lot of folks that would rather live under a dictator because they know they can't win a fair election in a democracy. I know Garland said he will investigate these allegations and that's good. However, I hate to be Debbie Downer but don't hold your breath on anything ever happening. Democracy is dying folks. This is how it happens. It won't be the army in the streets with machine guns on every corner. Nope, democracy dies slowly with most people more concerned about the traffic getting to the mall. Happy Monday!
I keep imagining what the republicans would’ve done if all of this was committed during a democratic administration. The R’s would be able to create more outrage, more noise and raise the roof higher than the Dems. They seem to have that edge.
Donald Trump has spent his life obsessed with getting revenge against those who he feels have wronged him. From his own brother outward, Trump has been a nonstop ball of aggrieved anger. He doesn't care about politics or anything larger than what's inside the thin skin that surrounds an overblown ego. It doesn't even matter to him whether he's been insulted or not - it's his own perception that a mortal insult has occurred that matters to him. Nixon was desperate to cover up a crime that had already blown up in his face. Donald Trump only cares about his myopic view of the world.
And of course the repubs will stonewall every attempt to discover the facts of the corruption, and thwart any investigations to improve future oversight procedures, ignore subpoenas and on and on. Imagine say, an airline industry that refuses to investigate accidents, won't cooperate with air safety organizations, is run by narcissistic despots, spies on it's employees, shuts the door when the FAA visits, won't spend a penny it isn't forced to spend on flight crew training, treats the unions like mortal enemies and cares only for the "bottom line". Well hey, welcome aboard!
I just don't understand why your column is not front page in every remaining newspaper in this country! Your interpretation and explanations of the Republicans' actions to take over this country are clear and incisive. Every citizen, not just Democrats, should be outraged and terrified. Why is it not the leading story on every newscast! What can one ordinary person do to stop this horrendous onslaught of Republican greed from continuing? The 'Me Too' and the 'Black Lives Matter' movements were so empowering to see, with so many good people rising up to publicly proclaim that evil must be stopped. Why are there no marches now? Where are the student uprisings? Why is the citizenry so apathetic? Yes, we lost John Lewis, and we lost John McCain, but surely there are some heroes out there who will stand up for democracy. Aren't there? Democracy must not end with a whimper...
The entire saga is shocking and to the degree that an enemies list was acted upon it definitely is Worse than Watergate, but can we please come up with another descriptor?
Watergate was 50+ years ago and will mean little or nothing for generations of Americans who were not yet born when it concluded. It might as well be “Worse than Teapot Dome.” Those readers are going to skip right over those headlines.
I have to disagree about John Mitchell not being involved in the plotting of the Watergate break-in. From the Washington Post:
“Even before assuming formal control of the Nixon campaign, according to testimony in the Watergate hearings, Mitchell had serenely listened in his Justice Department office to a proposal by G. Gordon Liddy to use prostitutes and electronic listening devices to get information from Democratic officials.
Although Mitchell, according to testimony, turned down that proposal, he eventually approved giving Liddy and his coconspirators $250,000 for another project: the break-in and bugging of the Democratic National Committee headquarters in the Watergate Office Building in Washington.”
I don’t disagree that Trump was worse than Nixon. When it came time for Nixon to go he didn’t try to stage a coup — although by then his own party had turned against him. Unlike Trump Nixon was not an idiot and had a lot of good policies.
So, what will happen? Nothing. We can gripe all we want, talk about how unfair and horrible the last 4 years were under Trump, but not a single person will pay the price legally. In fact the Republicans still have all the power even though Democrats have the Congress and Presidency. McConnell is still in charge in the Senate. I am a Democrat and I believe strongly in Democratic principals, however, once again the weak back bone of those in Congress will be our undoing. It is so frustrating for the majority of the American people.
The rules and norms that existed when Trump came into the White House were adequate for a decent, morally centered person who knew and respected the office. Trump ran the country in the same corrupt, mini-mafia manner that he ran the Trump Organization, but he couldn't have done so without the cooperation of Congressional Republicans. Jackie Chalmes is right - Trump is a symptom (and accelerator) of the rot, but he didn't cause it.
There is no principle but power. Uncle Pat saw the tide coming, and his machinations set the platform for Ailes, Atwater, all of the poll taxing by other means. Atwater trained Rick Wilson and a whole new generation of Know-nothings.
The answer is officially outnumber. That means register. Record. Outorganize, outlegislate. It doesn't happen overnight, or cleanly. What they will understand is defeat.
"Trump enemies targeted by his out-of-control DOJ."
Not "out-of-control DOJ". That so much of the DOJ was in his control is the problem. It is one of the first steps to tyranny.
Trump took a leaf out of this communist China playbook:
"The Supreme People’s Court will “resolutely resist the influence of mistaken Western concepts and ways of thinking.” Mr. Zhou specifically singled out judicial independence and separation of powers as “Western” concepts around which the court had drawn a thick line." https://www.wsj.com/articles/BL-CJB-26055
Watching the Republican Party hand over to FG its ethics, morals, congressional powers and prerogatives has been nothing but breathtaking. Concurrently McConnell has brought the government to a halt. I fear the latest egregious abuses of power will be another major threat to democracy the Rs will gloss over, excuse, allow, WELCOME??? Another support beam of democracy rotting from its core. Our 2 party system is truly on life support. At least Merrick Garland says DOJ will pursue the local seditioners tampering w/our elections and suppressing the vote and I’m praying he’ll have some success rooting out some of this garbage that pollutes the body politic. We’re living in a split screen reality; Biden trying to bring back together one America and the other side ripping it apart.
Re Calmes: It isn’t so much the biggest story of their career so much as the biggest story the establishment press failed and/or chose not to report. Indeed, said media were complicit by ignoring anf not covering the story.
I wonder how much of this Ms. Calmes has put in print and how much has been held for the book. I don't say that nastily or snarkily, yet. The question will be whether there are things she long since should have put in print.
And what will happen? Will justice ever come to Trump? Will it ever come to the corruption of this Republican Party? I think it's doubtful. Every single time that a Trump corruption event has been uncovered, we think aha! this is what will do him in. But it never does and it likely never will. Look at the recent decision by the DOJ to protect Trump over rape denial. That's Merrick Garland's DOJ, not Bill Barr's. There is a very strong faction within this country that protects a sick malignant narcissist at all costs over justice. It's not just Trump who wanted to be king, it's a lot of folks that would rather live under a dictator because they know they can't win a fair election in a democracy. I know Garland said he will investigate these allegations and that's good. However, I hate to be Debbie Downer but don't hold your breath on anything ever happening. Democracy is dying folks. This is how it happens. It won't be the army in the streets with machine guns on every corner. Nope, democracy dies slowly with most people more concerned about the traffic getting to the mall. Happy Monday!
I keep imagining what the republicans would’ve done if all of this was committed during a democratic administration. The R’s would be able to create more outrage, more noise and raise the roof higher than the Dems. They seem to have that edge.
Donald Trump has spent his life obsessed with getting revenge against those who he feels have wronged him. From his own brother outward, Trump has been a nonstop ball of aggrieved anger. He doesn't care about politics or anything larger than what's inside the thin skin that surrounds an overblown ego. It doesn't even matter to him whether he's been insulted or not - it's his own perception that a mortal insult has occurred that matters to him. Nixon was desperate to cover up a crime that had already blown up in his face. Donald Trump only cares about his myopic view of the world.
And of course the repubs will stonewall every attempt to discover the facts of the corruption, and thwart any investigations to improve future oversight procedures, ignore subpoenas and on and on. Imagine say, an airline industry that refuses to investigate accidents, won't cooperate with air safety organizations, is run by narcissistic despots, spies on it's employees, shuts the door when the FAA visits, won't spend a penny it isn't forced to spend on flight crew training, treats the unions like mortal enemies and cares only for the "bottom line". Well hey, welcome aboard!
I just don't understand why your column is not front page in every remaining newspaper in this country! Your interpretation and explanations of the Republicans' actions to take over this country are clear and incisive. Every citizen, not just Democrats, should be outraged and terrified. Why is it not the leading story on every newscast! What can one ordinary person do to stop this horrendous onslaught of Republican greed from continuing? The 'Me Too' and the 'Black Lives Matter' movements were so empowering to see, with so many good people rising up to publicly proclaim that evil must be stopped. Why are there no marches now? Where are the student uprisings? Why is the citizenry so apathetic? Yes, we lost John Lewis, and we lost John McCain, but surely there are some heroes out there who will stand up for democracy. Aren't there? Democracy must not end with a whimper...
The entire saga is shocking and to the degree that an enemies list was acted upon it definitely is Worse than Watergate, but can we please come up with another descriptor?
Watergate was 50+ years ago and will mean little or nothing for generations of Americans who were not yet born when it concluded. It might as well be “Worse than Teapot Dome.” Those readers are going to skip right over those headlines.
I have to disagree about John Mitchell not being involved in the plotting of the Watergate break-in. From the Washington Post:
“Even before assuming formal control of the Nixon campaign, according to testimony in the Watergate hearings, Mitchell had serenely listened in his Justice Department office to a proposal by G. Gordon Liddy to use prostitutes and electronic listening devices to get information from Democratic officials.
Although Mitchell, according to testimony, turned down that proposal, he eventually approved giving Liddy and his coconspirators $250,000 for another project: the break-in and bugging of the Democratic National Committee headquarters in the Watergate Office Building in Washington.”
I don’t disagree that Trump was worse than Nixon. When it came time for Nixon to go he didn’t try to stage a coup — although by then his own party had turned against him. Unlike Trump Nixon was not an idiot and had a lot of good policies.
So, what will happen? Nothing. We can gripe all we want, talk about how unfair and horrible the last 4 years were under Trump, but not a single person will pay the price legally. In fact the Republicans still have all the power even though Democrats have the Congress and Presidency. McConnell is still in charge in the Senate. I am a Democrat and I believe strongly in Democratic principals, however, once again the weak back bone of those in Congress will be our undoing. It is so frustrating for the majority of the American people.
If Fox News, Hate Radio and the Moron Majority were around when Nixon was in the White House he would have gotten away with it.
The rules and norms that existed when Trump came into the White House were adequate for a decent, morally centered person who knew and respected the office. Trump ran the country in the same corrupt, mini-mafia manner that he ran the Trump Organization, but he couldn't have done so without the cooperation of Congressional Republicans. Jackie Chalmes is right - Trump is a symptom (and accelerator) of the rot, but he didn't cause it.
There is no principle but power. Uncle Pat saw the tide coming, and his machinations set the platform for Ailes, Atwater, all of the poll taxing by other means. Atwater trained Rick Wilson and a whole new generation of Know-nothings.
The answer is officially outnumber. That means register. Record. Outorganize, outlegislate. It doesn't happen overnight, or cleanly. What they will understand is defeat.
Also, thanks for Yola.
"Trump enemies targeted by his out-of-control DOJ."
Not "out-of-control DOJ". That so much of the DOJ was in his control is the problem. It is one of the first steps to tyranny.
Trump took a leaf out of this communist China playbook:
"The Supreme People’s Court will “resolutely resist the influence of mistaken Western concepts and ways of thinking.” Mr. Zhou specifically singled out judicial independence and separation of powers as “Western” concepts around which the court had drawn a thick line." https://www.wsj.com/articles/BL-CJB-26055
Watching the Republican Party hand over to FG its ethics, morals, congressional powers and prerogatives has been nothing but breathtaking. Concurrently McConnell has brought the government to a halt. I fear the latest egregious abuses of power will be another major threat to democracy the Rs will gloss over, excuse, allow, WELCOME??? Another support beam of democracy rotting from its core. Our 2 party system is truly on life support. At least Merrick Garland says DOJ will pursue the local seditioners tampering w/our elections and suppressing the vote and I’m praying he’ll have some success rooting out some of this garbage that pollutes the body politic. We’re living in a split screen reality; Biden trying to bring back together one America and the other side ripping it apart.
"He didn’t cause its crackup, he accelerated it."
Don Trump was a fascist kamikaze from Russia.
Re Calmes: It isn’t so much the biggest story of their career so much as the biggest story the establishment press failed and/or chose not to report. Indeed, said media were complicit by ignoring anf not covering the story.
I wonder how much of this Ms. Calmes has put in print and how much has been held for the book. I don't say that nastily or snarkily, yet. The question will be whether there are things she long since should have put in print.