Full speed ahead: Destination Dictatorship

It is moving much faster than many of us realize or wish to admit.

It has been on the road to dictatorship since the day Trump won the Republican nomination for President. He has fired or got rid of everyone that presented a threat to his ultimate aim.

It has now progressed to the point where he has taken over the Republican Party, including the US Senate, and much of our court system and now has made the move to consolidate his gains.

With little or no dissent from the Republicans, he made the shocking declaration that he would disregard all subpoenas from the Congress of the United States and would order all staff and former staff to do the same.

Today we read that he has taken the credentials away from most all of the White House press reporters. Like all dictatorships, at some time or other, they move to destroy a free press.

We may be moving much quicker than any of us realize?

A Stark Realization

We are in a political war with the Trump Party, formerly known as the Republican Party. They are a threat to our democracy and a national security threat, also. They are using lies and confusion as a political weapon.

At some point, we must realize that there is no compromise within the cards. It is about power and using all the weapons in your arsenal. The threat is very real.

Democrats are on their own. They can expect no assistance from the present Republican Party. We are in this battle alone.

But it is a battle that must be fought. We must stand on our principles and put political calculations in the back seat.

It is a tough realization to come to. These people are acting as an enemy of our government, led by their President, Donald J Trump. They mean to do harm to our democracy and our people. We cannot stand for that.

We must expend all options, including the Supreme Court, and including the impeachment process. The people must understand that we are fighting for them.

In the end, we will hope they will reward the Democratic Party at the polls. But that cannot be the primary motivation in this battle for the soul of America.

Hiding behind a lie.

Donald Trump hired William Barr to "land the plane". In other words, to stop the Mueller investigation.

Like a good soldier, Barr did just that.

Then, he gave his conclusions. After waiting for 3 or 4 weeks, he made public a redacted version of the Mueller Report.

His conclusions were not true and not accurate. But the damage had already been done. Those that supported Donald Trump were totally convinced by Bill Barr's summation. That was all they needed.

Donald Trump needed more.

He ordered that the full Mueller Report be withheld from the Congress. Furthermore, he ordered all his staff and former staff to not cooperate with any subpoenas or requests from the Congress. It was over. He had been totally exonerated. Mitch McConnell was marched out to the Senate floor to announce that the "case was closed". It was time to bury this "witch hunt".

But, the Democrats in Congress and many Americans did not think it was over. It looked like a cover-up. The House Judiciary Committee charged AG Barr with contempt of Congress when he refused to turn over the full Mueller Report.

Donald Trump continued to hide behind AG Barr's lies about the Mueller Report and declared himself not an equal branch of government, but superior to the other two branches. He stated that he would not cooperate with any requests from the Congress. It was an unprecedented action from a president.

As Donald Trump hides behind the lie, in order to cover-up the truth, the country slides into a political, if not constitutional, crisis. The battles lines are being drawn.

Forever Young

Do the right thing.

Democrats and Republicans must put our Country above their Party.

Last night, on the Lawrence O'Donnell program, Professor Lawrence Tribe made a comment about being "too cautious can lead to cowardice and cowardice can lead to betrayal". He was directing his comments to the Democrats in Congress. He was basically saying that they should do what the Constitution requires them to do.

However, he did say that there was a process that they need to go thru. They need the hearings and the documents, in order to do their jobs.

The Republicans crave power more than anything, except maybe money? They usually see the two as intertwined. They are not just supporters of Donald Trump. They are accomplices and complicit in his crimes, whether it be obstruction or perjury. In no way can we accept the degree of corruptness now worming its way thru the once-great political Party.

It is always easier to see the speck in our neighbor's eye than the log in our own.

We can clearly see the disqualifying crimes and transgressions of the Republican Party. But to look at ourselves can be a little more difficult.

But, I think we should heed the words of Lawrence Tribe. Yes, we should be cautious, but not too cautious, less we become cowards. That would only happen if we believed that winning the next election is more important than following the Constitution and doing the right thing.

I think what Elizabeth Warren did yesterday on the Senate floor was admirable. She gave an impassioned speech in which she said that impeachment proceedings should begin today. I do not know what happened on the Senate floor after she gave her speech? Did any Democrats compliment her or did any Republicans comment on her remarks? Perhaps she should take an hour per day and read the entire report to the distinguished Senators?

She felt it was the right thing to do. She understands there is a process to go thru. It can't be swept under the rug or covered-up, as the eon-long Senator from my home state of Kentucky, seems inclined to do.

If the White House continues to ignore the Legislative Branch of our Government, ignoring subpoenas and declaring executive privilege, in order to keep any witnesses from testifying to Congress, then they are brazenly breaking the laws. They deny Congress the authority granted to them by the Constitution. Yes, they should file contempt charges against AG Barr and Don McGahn, but there is more they can do.

First of all, if the White House continues to stonewall and is successful, then the Congress will have no choice but to take it to the Courts, as I see it. Also, other than contempt charges, they can also levy fines on the individuals. For example, they could fine someone held in contempt, $25,000 per day, as ordered by the Congress of the United States. No one is out of bounds of accountability.

But, if it reaches the point where it goes to Court, then at that time, the Democrats should begin the impeachment process. The impeachment process should last thru the Court's decisions. Then, depending on the judgement of the Courts, the impeachment process would end, or the trial would begin in the Senate.

However, the Senate, led by Mitch McConnell, would not be giving speeches against Mueller and the Democrats only. If the Courts reaffirmed the law, and that is something that not even the leaders of the Senate can escape, then he would have to look at the situation with a different perspective. So that he would not be in dispute of the law, as defined by the Supreme Court. Yes, it is not lost on anyone that the Supreme Court is stacked in the Republican Party's favor.

Should the process go that far, then the next election might be over? Or maybe not? It would be closer to election day.

As Americans, not as Democrats or Republicans, we should strive to do the right thing.

The Republicans are in full cover-up mode.

They don't want to hear from Mueller. They prefer to hear from Barr and Trump. What are they afraid of?

Chuck Schumer accused Republicans of trying to cover up the Russian attack on our election system.

But why?

McConnell must have had a little talk with Trump last night. He wanted to talk about the Russia investigation being over. The case is closed, he says.

The White House is blocking all requests from Congress and the Senate is obstructing in every way they can. They would like to change the polls so they say the people agree with them.

They are very fearful that the truth is going to come out. So, they have gone into cover-up mode.

Congress should fast track the IRS case over Trump's taxes to the Supreme Court.

Do the people have a right to know if their leaders are invested and doing business with our enemies and foreign competitors? Isn't that too much of a threat to accept?

I doubt that the Supreme Court, however friendly to Donald Trump, would accept the Treasury argument.

It's time for some resolution.

Robert Mueller must think of the consequences if he clears Trump of all charges...

We have already seen a hint of where he will go.

When he received the good economic news and felt confident that the investigation was over, what did he do? He called up Vladimir Putin and gloated, totally ignoring their attack upon our democracy.

If he is not held accountable, it will get much worse and much quicker than we think.

At this moment, Robert Mueller is the arbiter between the 500+ prosecutors and officials, that signed a letter, and the Trump/Barr/Republican Senate axis.

A message for Mitch McConnell:

You might want the case to be closed, but....

THE CASE IS NOT CLOSED!

We have to wonder what degree of complicity is your involvement?

There are a lot of questions that must be answered.

And we are going nowhere until then.

Why are you so afraid of the truth?

Robert Mueller's words will carry more weight than William Barr's...

If he contradicts Barr's conclusions, it will be a very big story. That is why Donald Trump does not want him to testify. Because Mueller's words will be more important than those of Trump and/or Barr.

No doubt, Robert Mueller understands the gravity and historical significance of his testimony to the Congress. There is a lot of weight upon his shoulders but we will find out if he is willing to carry it. He could go down in history as a profile in courage or he could become just a footnote.

But, if the investigation cleared Donald Trump of collusion and obstruction, then the Mueller team would have said so. They did not. There was a load of evidence showing collusion and obstruction of justice. Bill Barr is not Moses. His conclusion was not written on a stone tablet. If it was indeed true, then Donald Trump would welcome the testimony of Robert Mueller. He would not try to prevent it.

After all, it was Robert Mueller that did the investigation. He knows more about his own investigation than Trump or Barr. The American people are likely to accept his version of events. The PR campaign of Trump will be greatly damaged if Robert Mueller contradicts AG William Barr.

Nothing scares Donald Trump more than the truth.