Where to start… my, that is a tough one.  Let’s try starting with the fact that there are, at least, two United States Supreme Court (SCOTUS) justices who should not even be hearing this presidential immunity argument; they should have recused themselves.  Surely that great new ethics code that the SCOTUS just put together to apply to themselves so that they will be just like all the other courts in the country should have come in handy here.

Meaning, that since these two justices refused to recuse themselves from hearing this argument, Chief Justice John Roberts should have used that brand new shiny ethics code to force them to recuse.  Surely threatening them with that baby would have caused them to recuse!  Oh yeah – I forgot; it doesn’t have any teeth.  It reads more like a surprise grab-bag of suggestions rather than a meaningful ethics code with consequences if any justice should not take their responsibility to recuse seriously.

Yeah, I think that is a good place to start because all the SCOTUS justices heard this presidential immunity argument, which – by the way, they will not decide on until June if they follow their current schedule.  Ethics be damned, right?!  It appears that, under the leadership of Chief Justice John Roberts and with a conservative supermajority, this court feels that the Republican conservative agenda takes precedence over all; including the American democracy.

And, based on the way that things played out during the hearing, it also appears that those justices appointed by Donald J. Trump, the former The Donald J. Trump of the United States of America, along with the two justices that should have recused are all-in for helping Trump in any legal way that they possibly can.  One would think that these justices would have at least some concern about being fair and the appearance of being unfair.  And if not that, they would be concerned about their legacy and how their children and grandchildren will view them and remember them as a result of them taking part in disrespecting and then destroying this great American institution.  Well, they do not.

Lamentation.  Ah, the Supreme Court of the United States; this great institution that is the highest court in the land.  This institution that was once awe-inspiring for all Americans is now looked upon by many Americans in the same way that they look upon any other political institution that is subject to partisan bias.  The only real difference in their minds is that it is occupied by politicians in long black robes.  These feelings are reflected in the polls; the SCOTUS is at nearly its lowest level in its history when measured by how it is viewed by the American public.

This Supreme Court – again, led by Chief Justice John Roberts, seems to be oblivious to the damage that they are doing to it.  Chief Justice Roberts either can’t or is reluctant to correct its course to save it.  Based on the questions that the SCOTUS conservative justices asked during argument and their unrelenting determination to focus on hypotheticals to prevent future occurrences like that which occurred on January 6, 2021 rather than focusing on what actually happened on January 6, 2021, they are continuing to lean toward helping Trump to avoid being held to account.  The statement by Justice Neil Gorsuch that “we are writing a rule for the ages” is not a rule that is being written for the benefit of all presidents; it is being written for the benefit of Donal J. Trump, the former The Donald J. Trump of the United States of America.

It seems that instead of embracing the once awe-inspiring aspect of the SCOTUS, too many SCOTUS justices have chosen to embrace Trump and the conservative Republican agenda instead.  These justices have no qualms about their partisan bias and now, they are no longer pretending that they do.  They are no longer hiding it regardless of what the American people think about the SCOTUS and regularly express when they are polled on their thoughts about this once awe-inspiring institution.  After all, their jobs are secured by a lifetime appointment.  And under these circumstances, coming out must be truly liberating for them and not at all frightening.

The expression that everything that Trump touches turns to s**t must apply to all politicians whether they wear suits or long black robes.  That certainly does appear to be the case for the SCOTUS since it entered Trump’s orbit.  To be fair, the SCOTUS was already doing a slow burn downward spiral; Trump just did what comes naturally to him, he poured fuel on the fire.  And now, all Americans must face the facts and recognize that as James Carville said, nobody is coming to rescue us, we have to do it ourselves.

And there are those; lawyers and political activists, who are already fighting behind the scenes to block or reverse the blockades – whether they are laws, gerrymandering, or intimidation tactics – that Republicans are putting forward in their effort to make it harder for Americans to vote.  But if democracy is to survive this well-organized and well-funded onslaught that Republicans are perpetrating against the American people to establish and entrench minority rule, America needs all boots on the ground.  This means that the American people who value the American democracy must turn out in force and vote in the 2024 election.

Americans must prepare ourselves for all adversity that we will surely face in November 2024 as we head to the polls and remain steadfast in our determination that nothing will stop us from making our collective voice heard via our vote.  All of those who are involved in orchestrating these undemocratic things to take away our power through thwarting our collective voice must be made to realize that they will not succeed; they are already destined to lose.  America can do this!  We are a resilient people who are at our best when we are under pressure and need to pull together as one.

So always remember, whether you are a Democrat, Republican or Independent, your vote is the most important one of all… unless you don’t use it!

Eulus Dennis – author, M2: Street Cop To Top Cop; Operation Rubik’s Cube and Living Between The Line

Finally!  Teflon Don will be held to account!  This does not necessarily mean that he will be found guilty of anything; as a matter of fact, he might be exonerated and the judge will tell him that he is free to go.  But regardless of whether he is found innocent or guilty of the charges that arose out of his alleged sexual relationship with porn star Stormy Daniels, he will have been held to account.  I can’t recall a single time that Donald J. Trump has been held accountable for anything that he has done.  That is the problem!  And that is also why he dared America to even try to hold him to account for any of the 91 counts and four cases that he is currently facing.  Obviously, his challenge has finally been accepted.

You see, it does not matter what you, I, or anyone else might think about Donald Trump or what we believe that he has done but it will matter what the 12 jurors in his Hush Money trial believe.  It matters what these Jurors believe because not only will they have the opportunity to hear testimony from witnesses who are under oath but they will also have access to all the corroborating evidence that supports the testimony of these witnesses.  Corroborating evidence can go either way; it can go toward supporting Trump’s innocence or his guilt.  Most important of all, these 12 jurors’ decision will carry weight.  Once they decide Trump’s innocence or guilt – unlike what you or I or anyone else might think, to no avail, about Trump and what we think that he has done and should be punished for; the presiding judge will use these jurors’ collective belief of Trump’s innocence or guilt to set him free or punish him.

Trump has been under a gag order leading up to and during this trial.  However, just like he has done before, he has boldly said things that either violate this gag order or tread extremely close to violating it.  The judge will soon determine which of these things is true.  If it is the former, it is reasonable to believe that the judge will punish him for it.  It is doubtful that this punishment will involve jail time but that is among the available options to the judge.  After the opening statements of the trial today, Trump continued his antics and did not appear concerned about the gag order or any less inclined to test the judges resolve.  The trial will continue tomorrow beginning with a hearing on the previously mentioned gag order.

Judge Juan Merchan has already admonished Trump’s lawyers to control their client after Trump looked toward the jury and angrily mumbled some things under his breath.  Two jurors that had already been selected later requested to be excused; one because she felt intimidated and the other because he said that he could not be fair.  Judge Merchan has also instructed Trump directly to sit down when he stood up and proceeded to leave before court was formally ended for the day.  Despite all of this, Donald Trump continues to conduct himself as he always has.  He appears to have no respect for the judge or jury and this does not bode well for him with either one.  It remains likely that Trump will continue to be Trump throughout this trial.  But if he is found guilty, maybe things will change.  We just must wait and see.

Eulus Dennis – author, M2: Street Cop To Top Cop, Operation Rubik’s Cube and Living Between The Line

Is the not so Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) and other federal courts helping the former The Donald J. Trump of the United States of America to avoid being held to account for the crimes that he allegedly committed?  If they are not, it certainly appears that they are.  The SCOTUS, led by Chief Jus…

Amid writing the first paragraph of this article it struck me that I was once again writing an article that served to vent my personal frustrations about the SCOTUS and complain about those who are aiding want-to-be dictator Trump while, instead, I should be striving to explain to readers why they should not support Trump; why they should not give him their vote.

As I reflected on these thoughts it became clear to me that as dangerous and precarious as the situation with Donald J. Trump is and as close as he is to being elected to another term as president, my focus should be on doing everything that I can to alert others to the blatant, existential threat that he poses to our democracy!  And that I should be working to convince them to fight against his serving again as president.

Therefore, I decided to immediately change course and give it my best effort to explain America’s Trump ignominy to those readers, for lack of a better expression, at their level.  I will quickly add that by “at their level” I simply mean from the perspective of those reading this article.  While I admit that I can only surmise what their perspective is, I am certain that most Americans are not political geeks like me.  Many Americans do not like politics, find it a divisive topic when interacting with family and friends, so eschew it completely.

What I offer in my attempt to explain why Donald J. Trump neither deserves your support nor your vote to those who are not political geeks or do not even follow politics closely is simple.  Do you want democracy or autocracy?  It would be easy for me to simply say that, if you think about it, you should want democracy because, by experience, you know that democracy is wonderful and from what you surely know about autocracy and autocratic countries, autocracy sucks.  But if I do that, it would not explain to you from a kitchen table perspective why a democracy benefits you so much more than would an autocracy.  So, please, take some time to think about this democracy or autocracy question during the time leading up to the November 2024 election and especially before you cast your vote.

My effort to explain things to readers from a kitchen table perspective consists of the following questions followed by rationale as to why you are better off living under a democracy.  Women, do you want to exercise control over your own body?  Men and women, do you want access to reasonable healthcare for yourselves and your children?  Do you like having Medicare and Medicaid benefits available to your elderly loved ones and friends and would like to have these benefits available to you once you become eligible to receive them?  Would you like to have Social Security available to you when the time comes?  Do you like having a minimum wage law?  Do you like having input on all these things that I just mentioned and more, and the ability to have civil discourse and even protests if you disagree with them?

All these things and more are things that you have a right to when living under a democracy.  They are not available to you under an autocracy.  Under a dictator or strongman, you might have faux rights.  In other words, you have a right to them if they are in line with the current dictator’s or strongman’s policies to which you had zero input.  Donald J. Trump has shown all Americans who he really is and it is imperative that we believe him.  He wants to be a dictator and he has said so publicly.

That is why it is extremely important that those who are supporting Trump and intend to vote for him must take a step back, take a deep breath and thoroughly examine why you support him and intend to vote for him.  Is it because you truly believe that he did the right thing when he held office before, rightfully resisted – beyond his legal remedies – leaving office after he lost the election, and then – ever since he left, has tried to destroy many of America’s institutions?  Is it because you truly believe that he is doing the right thing now and deserves another chance to lead America as her Commander-in-Chief?  Or, is it due to some nefarious reason conjured up by Trump, which is fueled by a flaw he has discovered in you and is exploiting for his own political purposes?

I am fully aware that there are many Republicans who may read this article or hear about it who, knowing that I am a dyed-in-the-wool Democrat, will be tempted to reject its content out-of-hand.  I implore you not to do this!  Instead, check to see what many of your well-respected conservative elected leaders are saying about Donald J. Trump and how he is an existential threat to democracy.  A threat to the very democracy that guarantees you all of the previously mentioned rights and more.  Further, do not just listen to what those leaders are saying but do further research of your own and bring yourselves up to speed on Donald Trump and as much of the information as possible about his efforts to become president again.

I know that most Republicans disagree with Democrats, and by association that includes me, on policies and how America should move forward.  But I believe that all of us agree that America should remain a democracy.  And if, together, we have the good fortune of keeping her a democracy when all votes have been counted for the 2024 presidential election, we can celebrate that bipartisan accomplishment together.  After that, we can get back to fighting things out through civil discourse to resolve our differences.  On the other hand, if Trump wins and once again becomes president…

So always remember, whether you are a Democrat, Republican, or Independent, your vote is the most important one of all…unless you don’t use it!

Eulus Dennis – author, M2: Street Cop To Top Cop, Operation Rubik’s Cube, and Living Between The Line

The gall of Republican Senate Minority leader Mitch McConnell is only exceeded by his arrogance.  Shortly after Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer finished his senate floor speech in which he called for new elections in Israel, Senator McConnell took the floor and issued, in essence, what was a rebuttal to Senator Schumer’s speech.  Though he did not mention Senator Schumer’s name, it was obvious that he was referring to the speech that he made.

According to ABC News, Republican Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said “It is grotesque and hypocritical for Americans who hyperventilate about foreign interference in our own democracy to call for the removal of a democratically elected leader of Israel.  This is unprecedented.  We should not treat fellow democracies this way at all.”

Republican Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell continued, ‘Israel’s unity government deserves’ “the deference befitting a sovereign democratic country.  Things that upset left-wing activists are not the prime ministers [sic] policies they are Israel’s policies.  Make no mistake, the Democratic party doesn’t have an anti-Bibi problem, it has an anti Israel [sic] problem…”  “Only Israel’s citizens should have a say in who runs their government.  This is the very definition of democracy and sovereignty.  Either we respect their decisions or we disrespect their democracy.”

Republican Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell is lecturing Senator Chuck Schumer and the rest of America on democracy and hypocrisy?!  This is the same Mitch McConnell who, shortly after the January 6, 2021 insurrection, said “There is no question that President Trump is practically and morally responsible for provoking the events of [January 6, 2021].  Then this same Mitch McConnell said the following when he recently endorsed Donald Trump – a man with 4 cases and 91 counts against him – as the Republicans’ 2024 candidate for president.  “It is abundantly clear that former President Trump has earned the requisite support of Republican voters to be our nominee for President of the United States.  It should come as no surprise that as nominee, he will have my support.”

These two positions regarding Donald Trump are diametrically opposed!  How can Senator McConnell say that Donald Trump was practically and morally responsible for provoking the January 6, 2021 insurrection and then in good conscience say, as the Republican Senate Minority Leader, that “it should come as no surprise that, as nominee, [Trump] will have my support?!”  And if he does say this, how can he then turn around and lecture Senator Chuck Schumer and the rest of America on democracy and hypocrisy?!

Republican senator Mitch McConnell’s arrogance is blatant but his hypocrisy is subtle, at least to those who do not closely follow politics.  In this case involving Donald Trump, Republican Senator McConnell’s apparent disdain for democracy and penchant for hypocrisy to favor retention of power and Party above democracy is repulsive.  After having made these absolutely opposed statements about Trump, in his arrogance, Republican Senate Minority Leader McConnell rebuked Senator Schumer for being a hypocrite and eschewing democracy while he himself cunningly steeped his rebuttal in Republican orthodoxy and thinly veiled anti-Democratic Party rhetoric.

The stench of his choice to hold the retention of power and Party above democracy is forever and it will leave an indelible stain on his legacy as a shrewd politician.  Further, it will have a negative impact on his long tenure as an elected official and cast doubt on whether his oath of office held true meaning to him.  Although Senator McConnel’s words in his rebuke of Senator Schumer arguably may have merit, Senator McConnell is among the last of Republicans who should be making this argument.

I realize that I risked being called out for blatant redundancy by repeatedly referring to Senator McConnell as “Republican Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.”  However, emphasis was purposely placed on the words “Republican Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell” and repeated for a reason.  That reason was to point out that 1) He is a Republican; and the Republican Party is at the center of the threat to the American democracy right now.

There was a time when the Senate conducted itself differently from the House.  Sometimes that difference was subtle and at times not so subtle; however, it was always discernable.  But now, the way that the Senate is conducting itself on the Republican side of the aisle is just like that of House Republicans.  Its bad conduct is blatant!

2), Mitch McConnell is the Senate Minority Leader.  He is the Republicans’ leader in the senate.  Senator McConnell has always been first and foremost about Party and retaining power.  He has been unfaltering in his adherence to Republican dogma but could still be counted upon to hold civil discourse across the aisle and be open to reasonable compromise to efficiently govern.  That is no longer the case.

Because Senator McConnell’s paramount purpose as Leader is to retain power, apparently even if the price of doing so is the American democracy, he has ceased to be the reasonable leader he once was.  Instead, he has acquiesced to Donald Trump in his blind quest to retain power.  As a result of this shameless choice, he has become a Trump toady and is conducting himself accordingly.  He is using his role as Leader to move his conference to support Trump’s nefarious goal of becoming president.

There is slightly less than eight months left before Americans go to the polls to select a new president.  During that period Donald Trump will continue to stoke fear, hate and as much divisiveness in America as possible.  His supporters who are mesmerized by him and believe his lies will continue to hang on his every word and will likely vote for him without ever knowing who he really is even though he has shown them time-and-time again.

And those like Republican Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, who know exactly who he is will likely vote for him either out of Party loyalty, the unquenchable lust for power or both.  Regardless of their reason for voting for him, each of them will help him to move a bit closer to his goal of becoming America’s first dictator; even if “only for a day.”

Those of us Americans who want America to remain a democracy and would prefer not to see our president hobnob with dictators and strongmen, shun our allies, and tell Russia to do whatever the hell it wants to them must do our part, no matter how small, to help assure that Trump is not elected.  We must do all that we can to help educate those who are mesmerized by Trump so, therefore, have bought in to his tactics of lies, fear, hate, and divisiveness.  In addition, we must make sure, despite all obstacles that we may face, to get out and vote in the 2024 presidential election.

So always remember, whether you are a Democrat, Republican or Independent, your vote is the most important one of all…unless you don’t use it!

Eulus Dennis – author, M2: Street Cop To Top Cop, Operation Rubik’s Cube, And Living Between The Line

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson went on Fox News after President Biden’s State of the Union (SOTU) speech, in which President Biden confronted Republicans for rejecting the bipartisan border bill.  When the Fox News host asked him if House Republicans rejected the bill offered by Democrats that would have fixed the border problem Speaker Johnson said that the bill did not pass the senate.

What Speaker Johnson said was true.  But what he did not say was that congressional conservative Republicans were fine with this bill until Donald Trump informed them that he was against it.  Conservative senator James Langford of Oklahoma was negotiating the bill along with Democratic senator Chris Murphy and independent senator Kyrsten Sinema.  Further, Speaker Johnson did not say that when Trump implied that he wanted them to reject it; led by Trump’s sycophants, all the Republicans fell in line and did as they were instructed to do.

They did this without even reading the text of the bill, to which many of them had provided input.  Another thing that Speaker Johnson did not say was that although negotiations on this bill had been going on for four months and were almost complete, he (Speaker Mike Johnson) informed the senate that the bill would be dead on arrival in the House before the senate had even voted on it.

Among those senators who voted against the bill was Senator Katie Britt who gave the response to President Biden’s State of the Union speech.  She skewered President Biden for not doing anything about the border situation even after many of the things that she suggested should be done about the border were in that bill.  In her response, she talked about how Republicans are in support of in vitro fertilization (IVF).  Yet, Republicans in Alabama had just passed a law that said frozen embryos were children.  This caused IVF clinics to immediately halt services for fear of being prosecuted for murder if any embryos were accidently damaged to the extent that they were unusable: Senator Britt is from Alabama.

Senator Britt even told a story about an immigrant that was raped and implied, without revealing that it occurred, according to MSNBC host Joy Ried, “under another president’s administration and in Mexico not America, that this was President Biden’s fault because of his border policy.  When on Fox News she was given the opportunity by the host to provide clarification on her raped immigrant story and walk it back, she did not.”  Senator Britt’s response was meandering, short on facts and worthwhile substance.  It seemed designed only as pabulum to get viewers’ votes.

In the meantime, Speaker Johnson made sure to mention how partisan that President Biden’s SOTU speech was, and to emphasize just how partisan it was, he said that it was a campaign speech.  To remember all the partisan stuff that President Biden said and be sure to label it a campaign speech must be the reason why Speaker Johnson forgot to include key details, like those mentioned above, as to why the bill failed to pass the senate.  You know, like in that TV commercial that says in order to remember something, you have to forget something else.  While Speaker Johnson was busy forgetting the “something else” in order to remember all the partisan stuff that President Biden said, other Republicans complained about how they thought and hoped that President Biden would give a unity speech, something that would bring people together.

As regards the comments from those Trump sycophants and other senators who said President Biden took cheap shots at Republican members of congress through his comments; when they had the opportunity, and duty, to take shots at Trump for his conduct during the January 6, 2021 insurrection and their fellow Republicans who aided and abetted him before and after the fact, they did not.  They were all cowards and they took the cowards way out; they remained silent!  To make matters worse, they have continued their silence and have now assisted, whether overtly or tacitly through their continued cowardice, in making him their 2024 nominee for president.

Republicans have circled the wagons around Donald Trump: Donald Trump, this twice impeached ex-The Donald J. Trump of the United States of America who is still facing four cases and 91 counts against him and who just hosted Viktor Orban, Hungary’s authoritarian leader and key Putin ally, at Mar-a-Lago.  This support for Trump is being led by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and House Speaker Mike Johnson.  Mike Johnson is relatively new at politics at the level that he holds as House Speaker but he is very smooth, has a personable air about him and is a quick learner.  Since his policies are in line with the small extremist group that has taken the Republican conference hostage and he strongly supports Trump, this makes him a formidable advisory for those who want America to remain a democracy.

For everyone who reads this post it is important that you realize what is happening in America before it is too late and do something about it; use your vote!  Our democracy is being taken away from us.  Trump has said that he wants to be a dictator and there are those among his supporters who say that is what America needs right now.  Some of those same supporters have said that violence should be used, if necessary, to put him back in office.  It is also worth reiterating that Trump met with authoritarian leader Viktor Orban at Mar-a-Lago after President Biden’s State of the Union Speech and heaped him with praise while calling him “great” and an “uncontroversial” leader.  Trump’s behavior and the current situation that America is in should be a worry to all Americans.  In the words of President Biden, if you are not worried about it, you should be.

Accordingly, I implore those who read this article to educate yourselves on the issues.  Do not be fooled by soundbites!  Do not watch what Republicans say, watch what they do!  Two good examples of Republicans saying one thing and doing another are given in this article: 1) Republican senator Katie Britt’s response to President Biden’s State of the Union speech then shortly thereafter, her failure to correct her immigrant rape story when given the opportunity by the Fox News host to do so.  And 2) Speaker Mike Johnson’s response to the Fox News host about whether House Republicans rejected the bipartisan border bill that could have fixed America’s southern border problem.

Again, do not watch what these Trump-led Republicans say, watch what they do.  And always remember, whether you are a Democrat, Republican, or Independent, your vote is the most important one of all…unless you don’t use it.

Eulus Dennis – author, M2: Street Cop To Top Cop, Operation Rubik’s Cube, and Living Between The Line

It is time to say the obvious out loud; the Republican Party is now the antidemocracy party.  In my humble opinion, it became official when Nikki Haley dropped out of the Republican presidential primary race and Republican Mitch McConnell, the senate minority leader, officially endorsed Donald J. Trump.  Of course, anyone who closely follows politics knew that Republicans had given up on democracy long before this official announcement based on their behavior.

House Republicans made their intentions clear before they won the House.  They told anyone who would listen that, if they should win, they would go on a campaign of revenge and retribution against the Biden administration and Democrats in general.  And ever since they won the House, they have done exactly that and have refused to govern.  To make sure that Democrats in congress and the rest of America understood that they were not bluffing, a small group of rightwing extremists in their conference made Kevin McCarthy, their first Speaker after winning the House, go through 15 humiliating rounds of votes before he was elected.  During those votes these extremists extracted almost all the power vested in the office of Speaker to vote for McCarthy and, in essence, vested it in their small group.

To further assure that congress and the rest of America understood that they meant business, after about nine months as Speaker – after Speaker McCarthy did something (an attempt to govern) that they warned him not to do, one of these rightwing extremists called for a vote to “vacate” and removed him from office.  It then took three weeks and the failure of three replacement speaker nominees before the current Speaker, Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, was elected.  Now House Republicans are back to business as usual, avoiding governing and creating as many problems as they can for Democrats to prevent them from governing.  At times they have hinted at ousting Speaker Johnson if he fails to toe-the-mark but so far, he and they appear to agree with how he is handling things.

Republicans in the senate have not appeared as chaotic in working their partisan agenda as the house has been.  However, now that the Republican primary is over and Trump is their nominee, things for senate Republicans are likely to become more challenging.  Their situation is exacerbated because Minority Leader McConnell not only has announced that he will be stepping down from his leadership role in November but he has just formerly endorsed Trump.  This makes matters worse because none of these senators, who are first and foremost politicians, knows who will become Leader or how pro-Trump that senator will be.  I say matters will be made worse because any reasonable observer can see, based on how they are handling the existential threat to the American democracy, that these politicians are more concerned about retaining power than they are about the threat to democracy or their oath of office.  This has to be a recipe for chaos.

This developing situation in the senate provides a perfect segue back to Senator McConnell and his leadership in the senate.  There is no doubt that Senator McConnell is a shrewd politician who has successfully led Republican senators through many tough situations and almost always held his conference together.  His political prowess is all but unquestionable.  Therefore, there is only one thing that can reasonably be deduced after reading the following excerpt from Senator McConnell’s speech and comparing it with his stance as of the posting of this article.  The excerpt is from an article of his speech after the senate acquitted Trump published in US News on February 14, 2021:

January 6 was a disgrace.

American citizens attacked their own government.  They used terrorism to try to stop a specific piece of democratic business they did not like.  Fellow Americans beat and bloodied our own police.  They stormed the Senate floor.  They tried to hunt down the Speaker of the House.  They built a gallows and chanted about murdering the vice president.

They did this because they had been fed wild falsehoods by the most powerful man on Earth – because he was angry he’d lost an election.

Former President Trump’s actions preceding the riot were a disgraceful dereliction of duty.

Let me put that to the side for one moment and reiterate something I said weeks ago: There is no question that President Trump is practically and morally responsible for provoking the events of [January 6, 2021].

Sadly, many politicians sometimes make overheated comments or use metaphors that unhinged listeners might take literally.

This was different.

This was an intensifying crescendo of conspiracy theories, orchestrated by an outgoing president determined to either overturn the voters’ decision or else torch our institutions on the way out.

The unconscionable behavior did not end when the violence began…

Even after it was clear to any reasonable observer that Vice President Pence was in danger, even as the mob carrying Trump banners was beating cops and breaching perimeters, the president sent a further tweet attacking his vice president…

In recent weeks, our ex-president’s associates have tried to use the 74 million Americans who voted to re-elect him as human shields against criticism.

Anyone who decries his awful behavior is accused of insulting millions of voters…

This body is not invited to act as the nation’s overarching moral tribunal…

We have no power to convict and disqualify a former officeholder who is now a private citizen.

Here is Article II, Section 4:

“The President, Vice President and all civil officers of the United States, shall be removed from office on Impeachment for, and Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors.”  …

Article II, Section 4 must have force.  It tells us the president, vice president and civil officers may be impeached and convicted.  Donald Trump is no longer president…

In one light, it certainly does seem counterintuitive that an officeholder can elude Senate conviction by resignation or expiration of term.

But this just underscores that impeachment was never meant to be the final forum for American justice.

Impeachment, conviction, and removal are a specific intra-governmental safety valve.  It is not the criminal justice system, where individual accountability is the paramount goal.

Indeed, Justice Story specifically reminded that while former officials were not eligible for impeachment or conviction, they were – and this is extremely important – “still liable to be tried and punished in the ordinary tribunals of justice.”

Put anther (sic) way, in the language of today: President Trump is still liable for everything he did while he was in office, as an ordinary citizen, unless the statute of limitations has run, still liable for everything he did while in office, didn’t get away with anything yet – yet.

We have a criminal justice system in this country.  We have civil litigation.  And former presidents are not immune from being held accountable by either…

Senator McConnell’s stance now?  Per an article in Newsweek by Matthew Impelli titled Republicans Rush to Support Donald Trump After Nikki Haley Drops Out, Senator McConnell said “It is abundantly clear that former President Trump has earned the requisite support of Republican voters to be our nominee for President of the United States.  It should come as no surprise that as nominee, he will have my support.  I look forward to the opportunity of switching from playing defense against terrible policies the Biden administration has pursued to a sustained offense geared towards making a real difference in improving the lives of the American people.”

I mentioned above that only one thing can be reasonably deduced from Senator McConnell’s stance then compared to now.  That one thing is that when the choice presented to him is between honoring his oath of office and protecting the American democracy and honoring his commitment to Party, politics, and retaining power, Senator McConnel’s choice is clearly the latter: Party, politics, and retaining power is king.

Eulus Dennis – author, M2: Street Cop To Top Cop, Operation Rubik’s Cube, and Living Between The Line

Here we go again.  Once again, Republicans in the House and Senate are siding with Donald J. Trump.  But this time, not only is it Republican Representatives and Senators, it is the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) and too many others in the American judicial system.  Although what Trump has done and continues to do is an existential threat to the American democracy, these Republicans are continuing to enable him.  It does not matter whether they are doing it out of loyalty to him, fear of him, or any other nefarious reason.  If they are not doing it based on anything other than the rule of law and to uphold the law, they are derelict of duty.

I can remember a key statement that Senator Mitch McConnell made after the senate elected for a second time to not convict Trump after he was impeached by the House.  He said that Trump was “practically and morally responsible for provoking the events of [January 6, 2021].”  U.S. news provided the text of Senator McConnell’s remarks in its article titled “READ: McConnell Speech After Trump’s Impeachment Trial Acquittal.”  Excerpts from those remarks follow:

January 6 was a disgrace.

American citizens attacked their own government.  They used terrorism to try to stop a specific piece of democratic business they did not like.  Fellow Americans beat and bloodied our own police.  They stormed the Senate floor.  They tried to hunt down the Speaker of the House.  They built a gallows and chanted about murdering the vice president.

They did this because they had been fed wild falsehoods by the most powerful man on Earth – because he was angry he’d lost an election.

Former President Trump’s actions preceding the riot were a disgraceful dereliction of duty.

Let me put that to the side for one moment and reiterate something I said weeks ago: There is no question that President Trump is practically and morally responsible for provoking the events of that day…

Sadly, many politicians sometimes make overheated comments or use metaphors that unhinged listeners might take literally.

This was different.

This was an intensifying crescendo of conspiracy theories, orchestrated by an outgoing president determined to either overturn the voters’ decision or else torch our institutions on the way out.

The unconscionable behavior did not end when the violence began…

Even after it was clear to any reasonable observer that Vice President Pence was in danger, even as the mob carrying Trump banners was beating cops and breaching perimeters, the president sent a further tweet attacking his vice president…

In recent weeks, our ex-president’s associates have tried to use the 74 million Americans who voted to re-elect him as human shields against criticism.

Anyone who decries his awful behavior is accused of insulting millions of voters…

This body is not invited to act as the nation’s overarching moral tribunal…

We have no power to convict and disqualify a former officeholder who is now a private citizen.

Here is Article II, Section 4:

“The President, Vice President and all civil officers of the United States, shall be removed from office on Impeachment for, and Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors.” …

Article II, Section 4 must have force.  It tells us the president, vice president and civil officers may be impeached and convicted.  Donald Trump is no longer president…

In one light, it certainly does seem counterintuitive that an officeholder can elude Senate conviction by resignation or expiration of term.

But this just underscores that impeachment was never meant to be the final forum for American justice.

Impeachment, conviction, and removal are a specific intra-governmental safety valve.  It is not the criminal justice system, where individual accountability is the paramount goal.

Indeed, Justice Story specifically reminded that while former officials were not eligible for impeachment or conviction, they were – and this is extremely important – “still liable to be tried and punished in the ordinary tribunals of justice.”

Put anther (sic) way, in the language of today: President Trump is still liable for everything he did while he was in office, as an ordinary citizen, unless the statute of limitations has run, still liable for everything he did while in office, didn’t get away with anything yet – yet.

We have a criminal justice system in this country.  We have civil litigation.  And former presidents are not immune from being held accountable by either one…

To read the full content of Senator McConnell’s remarks, you can read the article in U.S. News titled “READ: McConnell Speech After Trump’s Impeachment Trial Acquittal” published on February 14, 2021.

Those excerpts are the things that Senator Mitch McConnell said then in his speech as the rationale for not convicting then president Donald J. Trump.  He said these things as the leader of his party and as their representative.  Now, silence by Republicans about Trump’s actions then and now is deafening!  Republicans have become complete cowards, are trembling in Trump’s shadow, and have completely acquiesced to him.  Their insatiable desire for power and desire to retain it once acquired, has trumped their oath of office even if it means that, to retain that power, America must become an autocracy.

The precarious situation that America is in right now does not seem to register with many Americans, or at least not with the 74 million who voted for Trump that Senator McConnell mentioned in his remarks.  It could be even more than this 74 million.  It is pure speculation on my part but it could be that it is because these Americans do not follow political news like the news media journalist, news pundits, and political geeks like me do.  So, in their hunger for change, being unaware of Trump’s true nature and what he is truly about, they base their reasons for potentially electing him again on incessant lies and soundbites by him, his campaign, and his Republican sycophants.

Finally, lower courts and the SCOTUS are playing a part in what Trump is doing to dismantle America.  Both the SCOTUS and some lower court judges, e.g. Judge Aileen Cannon, are slow-walking the trials – seemingly in an effort to assist Trump, that Trump is faced with.  This has led some in the news media, Attorneys who are following the Trump situation, and some political pundits to express concern about how the courts are handling these Trump trials and the Trump situation overall.

James Carville, Andrew Weissmann, and Charlie Sykes were among those expressing concern.  James Carville said “[the Supreme Court] got away with 2000 Bush v Gore; then Citizens United, Shelby County v Holder, and Dobbs.  Justice Alito took a trip to Alaska paid for by billionaires.  Justice Clarence Thomas [took gifts associated with] Leonard Leo and Harlan Crow.  This took place while Democrats were winning the popular vote in seven out of eight elections.  [The Supreme Court Justices] have no ethical standards and they do this because they can get away with it.  [The Supreme Court] will continue to do this because the public holds candlelight vigils and does polls showing disapproval ratings of [the Supreme Court].  The cavalry is not coming in; the courts and Jack Smith are not going to save you; you are going to have to do it on your own.  [The Republicans] play hard politics and [the Democrats and the public] are doing protest and holding candlelight vigils.”

Both Andrew Weissmann and Charlie Sykes simply said, “Nobody is coming to rescue us, it’s on us now.”

It is on us now and we must do it on our own.  Those of the American people who want to see America remain a democracy must do our part, no matter how small, to help educate those who have been mesmerized by the lies and soundbites of Trump and his Republican sycophants.  Hopefully, this will jolt them out of the stupor of their life in Trump’s America and enable us to assist them back to life in the true America.

Eulus Dennis – author, M2: Street Cop To Top Cop, Operation Rubik’s Cube, and Living Between The Line

Beyoncé (Bey) has gone country with two new singles, Texas Hold Em and Sixteen Carriages.  These singles are topping the country music charts and are sure to generate lots of new country music fans around the world including in Texas.  If those country music lovers in Texas – Black, White, and all hues in between who are in hiding come out, can Texas hold em?!  Can you, Texas?!

I posted an article to this blog back in February 2017 stating how I love country music, how I regularly pluck out a few country tunes on my ole guitar, and why I never attended a concert of any of my favorite country singers.  You can click on the link above if you would like to read that article.

I’m really hyped about seeing what impact Beyoncé’s new country music album, especially her two new country singles that she has already released, will have on country music overall.  I’m just as hyped about seeing how many Black country music lovers it will bring out of hiding; if there are any, because – don’t tell anybody I said this, I was in hiding for a while back in the early 1970s.

I was young then and wasn’t sure whether I wanted my buddies to know how much I liked, and regularly listened to, country music.  That was when I didn’t know better.  But since I learned better, which was a long time ago, I have tried to turn my friends and relatives on to it but I have had little success.  Some of those friends and relatives live in Texas.

I have even had less than “little success” when I have tried to get them to listen to me pluck out a few tunes on my ole (or new) guitar.  They all manage to find some polite reason not to listen or just stealthily remove themselves from the room.  To be fair, maybe those friends and relatives in Texas already liked country music and just did not want to listen to my version of it.

Either way, I can’t wait to see if there are any changes in their perspective toward country music since Bey burst onto the country scene.  My wife really likes Beyoncé but she did not need the Beyoncé nudge to listen to me play.  So, to be fair to her, she was not among those who would find a polite reason to not listen to me play or stealthily remove themselves from the room, at least most of the time she wasn’t, when I would throw down with a few of my favorite country tunes.  Just to be clear, I am sure that even if the remainder of these friends and relatives had a complete change of heart about country music because of Beyoncé, that does not mean that they would now be willing to listen to me pluck out a few tunes.

They will probably regret their polite excuses and stealthiness when I make it to the big time – like Beyoncé, and they ask for my autograph and I snub them.  But that is a different story for a different time.  However, before I leave this subject, I want to clearly state that the “they” mentioned above does not include my wife.  I don’t know why I felt the need to make that abundantly clear but I did.

Anyway, should any of these new-country-music-loving bumpkins (they are from the inner city and suburbs but it is fair to call them bumpkins) come running to me asking me to pluck out a few tunes for them once I have made it, I am going to really make them beg.  I am going to find release for all those years of them ducking out on me before I play for them.  Don’t tell them I said that, okay?  But like I said, that is a different story for a different time.

I think that Beyoncé is going to do a lot to attract new fans of all colors to the country music genre.  I will likely have to wait awhile to see how much impact it will have on the mindset of my relatives’ and friends’ attitude toward my ole (or new) guitar, me, and my plucking out tunes for them.  But when that time comes, remember what I just told you about how I am going to handle that situation.  Again – just as a polite reminder, don’t tell them I said that, okay?

I imagine that, just like in my post back in February 2017 that I provided you the link to, you are probably asking yourself; since this is a political blog, what does this article have to do with politics?  Well, it has to do with the same rationale that I gave you in that article.  You will have to read the article to get the rationale.  So, go ahead and read it; I believe that you will enjoy it and it will take your mind away from all the negative, stressful politics that Americans are currently faced with.

Eulus Dennis – author, M2: Street Cop To Top Cop, Operation Rubik’s Cube and Living Between The Line

Democrats are soooooo concerned about appearing to be non-partisan in their politics that they allow Republicans to run roughshod over them.  Democrats have always been this way and they continue to be even though they are dealing with a completely transformed Republican Party led by Donald J. Trump.  This new Republican Party, based upon the way it is conducting itself, is arguably now the Anti-Democracy Party (ADP).

Yes, you read it right.  The old GOP could now well be the ADP.  Can you believe it?  Can you believe that most Republicans have circled the wagons around Trump and are supporting him despite the four legal cases and 91 counts that he is faced with?  Despite that he said that he would not defend a NATO ally if they were attacked and then encouraged Russia to attack them?  Under these circumstances, Democrats are the sole roadblock standing between Trump and his hellbent determination to turn America into an Autocratic country.

Do you remember what James Comey did to Hillary Clinton?  Do you remember how Former Attorney General Bill Barr handled the Mueller Report and how it impacted on the truth and the Democratic Party?  Do you remember how the appointment of Delaware United States Attorney David Weiss, who was appointed by Attorney General Merick Garland and later appointed Special Counsel in the case, to investigate Hunter Biden impacted the Democratic Party and continues to impact it?

Even if you do not remember any of these examples, surly you remember this recent one.  The one where Special Counsel Robert Hur – who was also appointed by Attorney General Garland, included negative, unnecessary personal opinion remarks about President Biden’s mental acuity in his final investigative report.  This report was on his investigation into classified documents that were found stored in President Biden’s garage.  According to some staunch conservatives, Special Counsel Hur broke long-held Department of Justice rules when he voiced his personal opinion of President Biden in this report.

Two attorneys who reviewed Special Counsel Hur’s report and summarized it with one of their own to make it more understandable to laypersons elicited the following comment from MSNBC’s Lawrence O’Donnell.  Every time that [Special Counsel Robert Hur] mentioned innocent or unintentional in his report he couched it in language that made it appear tongue-in-cheek or to mean the opposite.   The attorneys who summarized Special Counsel Hur’s report stated that the conclusion in his report to not prosecute President Biden made it appear that this was at his prosecutorial discretion when it was actually because he did not have a provable case.  They further said that all this information that brought Special Counsel Hur to arrive at this conclusion should have been stated at the beginning of the report even though it was dispersed throughout it.

Attorney General Garland could have instructed Special Counsel Hur to remove these unnecessary negative remarks but he did not.  Had he done it, there is no doubt that he would have received blowback from Republicans saying that his redactions were politically motivated.  All things considered, whether you believe that these things were done purposely by these individuals because they are all Republicans or it was simply happenstance is obviously up to you.  However – in my humble opinion and, in the vernacular, these things certainly look, walk, and talk like ducks; so…they must be ducks.

The bottom line?  These Trump-led Republicans have no shame.  Shame is not in their vocabulary so to them shame does not exist.  They know ahead of time that they will be ridiculed for their actions but they move forward with them anyway.  They do this because they know that once they have said the words they cannot be called back into their mouth; they know that once they have written and promulgated words, they cannot be unpublished; and in the end, it does not matter to them anyway because as Donald J. Trump Toadies, they know that they must win at all costs.  The end justifies the means, and these things are simply a conglomerate of means to ends until they achieve their goal.  Anytime that one goal is achieved, they focus their attention on the next one and continue to press forward.  The process is perpetual.

We Democrats know what Republicans are doing to us, yet our only response has been to wring our hands.  This lack of action has garnered negative comments from some Party members.  It is hard to hear some of the things that James Carvel and other Democrats are saying about the Democratic Party even though they are true.  Among the things that they are saying is that in some ways Democrats must become tougher, more hard-nosed, and partisan just like the Republicans.  They need to become less concerned about appearances, especially since the GOP is no longer the conservative Party that it once was but has now become the Trump-led GOP that seems to prefer autocracy over democracy.  Instead, they must become more concerned about using all the legal, nonviolent tools available to them to keep America a democracy.

The Republican Party’s primary priority is to maintain its power.  Based on how it has consistently conducted itself over the years, it is reasonable to conclude that they view Democrats’ determination to compromise and be as non-partisan as possible to govern as a weakness.  Accordingly, they regularly seek to exploit this supposed weakness anytime that it suits their Party’s purposes; it is viewed as simply a means to an end.

As if these domestic problems confronting President Biden and the Democratic Party were not enough of a distraction during this presidential election year, there are global problems which they must contend with as well.  All these problems are exacerbated by Republicans for political gain.  And to make matters worse while Democrats are trying to address these problems, Republicans are doing everything that they can to block any potential progress.  Republicans claim that they want to work with Democrats to govern but all the while they continue to stir this toxic domestic and global Republican brew to assure that as much turmoil as possible will remain in the public eye.

Republicans have proven time-and-again that they are not interested in governing and seriously seeking solutions; e.g., they rejected the bipartisan senate bill that Republicans requested and a bipartisan committee worked on for nearly four months, without even reading it.  This bill contained badly needed funding for Israel, Ukraine, and Tiawan.  The lack of funding for Ukraine has stifled Ukraine’s progress in their war against Russia – straining the American Ukrainian relationship, and the situation in Israel, with or without this funding that Republicans are blocking, has put President Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at odds with one another.

Since this new Trump-led Republican Party is pro-Russia in this war, and because Prime Minister Netanyahu is more closely linked with these Republicans than he is with Democrats, he does not seem to be concerned that he is creating strong, negative backlash against President Biden for how he is handling the war in Gaza.  As a result, Republicans are happy to continue business as usual because it is good for Trump.  The way that Republicans are conducting themselves is not normal.  And that many Americans are supporting Trump even though he has said that he wants to be a dictator, believe that violence is acceptable to put him back in office and say that it is worth a civil war to achieve this is freighting.

Those Americans who want America to remain a democracy must wake up and realize how serious the situation is.  Trump is an expert at exploiting chaotic situations and using them to his advantage.  He has already demonstrated an uncanny ability to lull Americans to sleep while he works his Trumpian wizardry on them.  Reasonable Americans have been mesmerized by him and have become his toadies only to realize too late that he is exactly who he has shown them he is.

Some among these Americans, although they have been lulled to sleep, already know exactly who Trump is but have chosen to ally with him anyway.  This is because, out of the human instinct to survive, the impulse to acquiesce to the need to support the divisiveness buried deep within them demands that they submit to the acceptance of the hate of others if that is what survival demands.  Accordingly, all of this is driven by their fear, that is just below the surface within them, of the Trump-driven chaos and turmoil which implies that people of color are trying to take “their” country from them.  These Americans are terrified by the changing color of America from white to black and its various hues.

Wake up, America; so far, Trump is winning!  The verdict that Judge Engoron rendered yesterday, February 16, 2024, against Donald J. Trump was the first step toward Holding Trump accountable for the numerous unlawful acts he has committed.  Now it is our turn as voters to also hold him to account as a politician.  Using all the lawful, nonviolent tools available to us, we must do our part to keep America a democracy and assure that she remains great!  We must turn out and vote in the 2024 election and keep Trump out of the White House!

Eulus Dennis – author, M2: Street Cop To Top Cop, Operation Rubi’s Cube and Living Between The Line