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

Donald J. Trump, the former The Donald J. Trump of the United States of America – figuratively speaking, has declared war on America.  With the way that he has so adroitly manipulated the United States justice system into twisting itself into a complex, judicial pretzel and tying itself into knots is, well, amazing!  As of the writing of this article, he has successfully prevented three of the four cases against him from moving forward as scheduled without knowing when the current proceedings will continue or the scheduling of a new trial date.

But since Trump is the king of chaos and thrives in it, he is likely not so amazed by what he has done and is surprised and bemused as to why all the rest of America is so shocked by this feat.  Most of the mainstream media are saying things like although it is important that Trump is found innocent or guilty in one or more of the four cases he is faced with before Election Day in 2024, the courts do not run on political time.  It is no surprise that they and practically the entire federal government are putting a positive spin on things.

However, knowing whether Trump is a convicted felon before Election Day could be crucial in determining the election outcome.  Many Americans who at this point say that they will vote for him say they will not vote for him if he is convicted.  Based on what Trump has done and what he is saying that he will do if he is elected in 2024, it is arguable that he has not just figuratively but literally declared war on America.  He is an existential threat to the American democracy.

Trump is unlike any other man, in a negative way, that has held the title of the highest office in the land; President of the United States of America.  Trump has an affinity for all the strongmen in the world – especially the more powerful among them – and he seems to bask in his own erosive impact on the American democracy.  No, there are no tanks rolling down American streets followed by numerous American soldiers preparing to assure that his will shall be done in every part of the country…yet.

Although he regularly employs divisiveness, fear, hate, racism, and misogynistic language in his speechmaking, most of what he is doing to get elected as president again – though despicable, seems legal.  I say “seems legal” rather than “is legal” because I am not a lawyer and am simply expressing my opinion.  It is reasonable to say that Trump has already taken control of the Republican Party, is the leader and face of it and has turned them into the anti-democracy party.  They have become oblivious to political norms in governance and have basically refused to govern.

These lawmakers have abandoned their duty to fulfill their oath of office and have elected to follow Trump rather than do the business of the American people.  Trump has mesmerized all these Republican elected officials in Washington and around America and a large swath of Americans throughout the country.  Who is this person that has dubbed himself “the chosen one” and “perhaps the most honest person that God has ever created?”  Who is he, really?  The answer is painfully obvious since he has already shown everyone who he really is.  Everyone just has to believe him!

But the Republican elected officials and that “large swath” of Americans throughout the country do not believe him.  This is obvious because they have circled the wagons around him even though he has broken every American political norm, has flagrantly attacked the American democracy and continues to do so.  They look upon this as political baggage that is part-and-parcel to a means to an end and, therefore, must be acceptable.

I oftentimes hear in the media that what these Republican elected officials are doing is “good politics.”  Can watching America implode upon herself be good politics?!  Would someone in this media please define “politics” for the rest of America and explain to us what “good politics is?!  Can it really be distorting the truth, accepting all lies, and normalizing these things as long as they are coming from a politician and benefits them and/or their Party politically?!

American voters are exhausted and Trump and his sycophants know it.  They are waiting for these voters to admit defeat and just quit.  He and his sycophants are confident that voters will do this so they are emboldened.  They are saying all the despicable things out loud that the Trump-led Republican Party stands for.  It does not matter that many of these elected Republicans may be good American officials who just want to hold on to power at all cost with the intention of reverting to true conservativism when the time is right and then working to govern and make fair and reasonable change when that time is right.

It does not matter that many people among this large swath of Americans throughout the country may have this same kind of good intentions.  What truly matters is whether these “good American officials” and “large swath” of Americans throughout the country are for or against the American democracy.  If those in either of these two groups are against democracy then those Americans who are for democracy must be against them.

Trump, even without an army, has proven that he is a formidable adversary.  And he is an adversary if he is against the American democracy.  And if he is against democracy then he – like any of those in the previously mentioned two groups who are against democracy, must be held to account for that position.  And those Americans who are for democracy must be against him and resist him with every non-violent, legal weapon available to them.  American voters must not grow weary and quit.

Instead, they must be determined to see the 2024 election cycle through until the end.  They must refuse to quit and work even harder to defeat Trump, his sycophants and all of those who want America to become something other than the democracy that she is now.  And for those who believe, like Trump, that he is the better choice between President Joe Biden and himself, should he become the Republican nominee, and that it would be good to have a strongman run America; I implore you to educate yourself on the situation and not just via Fox News and only other conservative media.

The American democracy is at stake and will be on the 2024 ballot.  With so much at stake it is imperative that all voters expand their horizons and go beyond their normal methods of how they approach and consume news.  They must educate themselves to the greatest extent possible on the issues and political situation before they cast their ballot.  It is crucial that in 2024 they make their decision on who will be the United States president based on facts and not soundbites or the “D” or “R” that precedes the candidates’ name.

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

Here we are on January 9, 2024.  Wow, have I witnessed some amazing changes in America and the world since I was born back in 19XX!  By the way, the “XX” does not represent the number 20, but I am sure that most of you already know that and accept that I simply prefer to demur – for personal reasons – on this age-related matter.

Although the “XX” does not represent the number 20 in the previously mentioned 19XX, not many of us hang around that long, I have been around for a while.  I have been around long enough to see the world make tremendous technological advances.  I have seen the world go from computers that were extremely large that could only be housed in very large rooms to computers that we can carry around with us.

I have seen times when very few people had telephones, which had to be connected to wires and therefore had to remain in one location – usually a business, home or in a telephone booth on a street corner, to times when almost every man, woman, and child has one; and they are now mobile, need no wires, and can fit into your pocket or purse.

I have witnessed a man set foot on the moon.  I have seen the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, the attempted assassination of a president; President Ronald Reagan, and the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, I have even seen a Black man become president of the United States and a Black woman become vice president of the United States!

Throughout all those amazing years I never was one who, too often, made resolutions to begin the new year.  I don’t know about you, but I did not make any New Year resolutions this year either.  But before the new year began, I found myself thinking a lot about what America will be like in 2024 and whether by the end of November this year, she will still be a democracy.

I know that there are many things that I would like to work on to improve my life, my family’s life, and hopefully even have a positive impact on the lives of Americans and other people around the world.  I know that I can accomplish this even if I am successful at only one thing; helping to assure that America will remain a democracy.  If mentioning things I would like to work on to improve my life, my family’s lives and contribute to making the lives of others around the world better constitute resolutions, then I suppose I did make resolutions this year after all.

Anyway, I often find myself thinking again-and-again about things like 1) I would love to improve my life physically, mentally, and spiritually; how can I do that?  …Donald Trump and “The Big Lie;” will he be reelected and what impact will he continue to have on America?

2) What can I do to make things better for my family, help enhance their happiness and likelihood of their personal success and help make things better for my fellow Americans and others around the world?  …Donald Trump and “The Big Lie;” will he be reelected and what impact will he continue to have on America?

3) What do I need to do to move things that I have on the back burner, which seem to be right on the verge of success, to the front burner and onto the success side of the ledger?  …Donald Trump and “The Big Lie;” will he be reelected and what impact will he continue to have on America?… you get the gist of what is happening here.  Whether it is reasonable or unreasonable, Trump and the harm that he is doing to America is always on my mind.

I find myself thinking about all the Americans who have put their complete faith and trust in Trump even though he has shown them who he is.  I cannot help but to think, how can these people be so stupid!  Many, if not most, of these Americans are reasonable people whom, to the best of their ability, are fair-minded and care about the feelings and perspectives of other people.  They might despise the things that Trump has done and continues to do in his personal life but they love the policies – he has no actual polices of his own – that they envision he represents.

This combined with the divisiveness, hatred and fear he has so effectively cultivated and exploited in them, compels them to follow him and vote for him regardless of his despicable character.  In essence, these “many” or “most” Americans are just good Americans whom I oftentimes disagree with on political matters.  Under these circumstances, upon reflection, I think, perhaps I am being unfair in calling them stupid.

Although Trump is faced with multiple legal issues, he is continuing to hold onto “The Big Lie” and spout lies about the 2020 election and advance conspiracies as America moves toward the 2024 election.  He acts as if he does not have a care in the world while he defies court orders and breaks all the rules that would immediately land anyone else in jail.  He mocks the U.S. justice system and dares it to do anything about his outrageous antics.

This puts pressure on those, like Special Counsel Jack Smith, who are following the rules and no doubt adds to the stress that they are already under.  All of this is happening while with every opportunity he gets between court appearances and strategizing with his attorneys, Trump is egging his MAGA followers on by continuously feeding them the MAGA farce of making America great again by taking them back to the “good ole days.  Good ole days for who?!

The sooner these “many” or “most” Americans wake up and realize that Donald J. Trump –  this former The Donald J. Trump of the United States of America, this want-to-be dictator, this man who called military men and women who served or currently serve their country losers and suckers, this man who did not want to go visit the graves of fallen soldiers because he did not want to get wet, this man who did not want to appear in public with wounded veterans because in his mind “it made him look bad,” this man who – to this day – continues to mock the late Senator John McCain, this man who regularly denigrates women and said that you can grab them by their p***y and they let you if you are a star, this man that said that General Mark Milley should be executed, this man…and the list goes on – only cares about Donald J. Trump the better off that they and the rest of America will be.

MAGA?  America does not need MAGA; she is already great!  And as for the “good ole days,” again, I say good ole days for who?!

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

You like immigrants if you allow all of them – no matter where they are from, who they are, or what their background is – into America at our southern border.  No, wait.  You do not like immigrants if you do not allow all of them – no matter where they are from, who they are, or what their background is – into America at our southern border.

No…, you like immigrants if you allow a reasonable amount of them (depending on your definition of reasonable) – no matter where they are from, who they are, or what their background is – into America at our southern border.  Or…, maybe you like immigrants if you allow a few (depending on your definition of few) of them – no matter where they are from, who they are, or what their background is – into America at our southern border.  Hmmm – let me think, …  Immigrants are poisoning the blood of our country!

So, there is this big argument with one side saying, yeah, you like immigrants if you allow all of them – no matter where they are from, who they are, or what their background is – into America at our southern border.  There are others who are saying – yeah, you like immigrants if you allow a reasonable amount or few of them (again, depending on your definition of reasonable and few) – into America at our southern border.  Further, there are those who are somewhere in between these two arguments with various nuances on “all,” “reasonable,” and “few.”

And then… there is Trump, the former The Donald J. Trump of the United States of America; immigrants (of course, with his nuances on immigrants) are poising the blood of our country!  Maybe an analogy from a homeowner’s perspective would be beneficial here to provide some clarity and assist readers of this article to better determine where they stand or should stand on this issue; so, it follows:

I own my home and have long-time neighbors whom I do not know a lot about and they do not know a lot about me.  We have lived next door to one another for more than seven years but we are simply acquaintances.

One year during an extremely cold winter one of my neighbors, who has a month-to-month lease on a fully furnished home, decided that his landlord is gouging him by charging too much rent and being unfair in other ways as well.  As a result, he decided to leave.  He came to my home because while he has been my neighbor, he has noticed that my home is well-kept and I appear to have few if any problems.

He knocked on my door and when I answered, he gave me his story about what had occurred with his landlord and asked if he could stay with me.  He said that he is willing to carry his load with the mortgage, food, and all other expenses for as long as he stays with me.  I understand his situation so sympathize with him.  Since I did not mind having a roommate and the extra money would be a real plus for me, I agreed to let him stay but only if he agrees to abide by my rules.  He agreed so I made him aware of the rules.

1) Before you enter my home you must clean the mud and snow off the bottoms of your shoes using the doormat you are standing on.  He complied with my request.  2) I got a wet cloth and a dry one and handed them to him.  You must clean the tops and sides of your shoes with this wet cloth and dry them with this dry one.  He began to do as I asked him but amid doing so, he said it is extremely cold out here, can I come in and finish?

I told him that he must complete the task outside.  Instead of doing as I told him, he tried to force his way into my home.  I refused to let him in and there was some pushing and shoving that had a high potential of escalating.  Nonetheless, I assured him that I would do whatever was necessary to prevent him from entering my home without my permission, which would only be granted if he followed all my rules.  Fearing the potential consequences that could occur, he acquiesced.

In this analogy, my home represents America and my neighbor’s home represents any random country.  My neighbor’s landlord and his gouging represent the negative things that are occurring in these random countries.  I represent the American government and my neighbor represents immigrants.  The mortgage, food and all other expenses represent Americans’ responsibilities as citizens.  The extra money represents the contribution to America that current immigrants have made and that new immigrants can make.  My rules represent America’s laws and rules.

Based on that, the moral of this analogy/story is that immigrants are an essential part of the American fabric and Americans should recognize and appreciate that.  Americans must also recognize and acknowledge that immigrants have played an important role in America’s success since its founding and continue to play an important role now.  They are not poisoning the blood of our country!

However, there are rules that must be followed in allowing immigrants into America.  America cannot just stand by and allow those from other countries to come into America whenever and wherever they choose without abiding by her immigration rules.  Finally, when we do not let them in or deport them because they refuse to abide by America’s immigration rules, no matter what anyone thinks or says, we do not hate them.  We are simply demanding that they abide by America’s laws and rules just as we demand that all Americans abide by them… or face the consequences.

Considering the current immigration situation, this suggests that the American government must immediately address the issues at America’s southern border.  And as unfortunate as the situations are for those who are trying to enter there or anywhere else along her borders, the rules must be followed.  If they are not, our country will find herself in an untenable situation.  And if that is allowed to occur, neither current American citizens nor those who are trying to enter this country will benefit.  Immigrants who enter America must follow the rules and it is incumbent upon our elected officials at all levels to assure that this happens.

As things stand now, many states around the country are experiencing a large influx of immigrants into their major cities who have crossed America’s southern border and are in this country illegally.  This is putting a strain on the human, medical, and financial resources of these states and cities.  It is also angering many citizens and, therefore, creating a major problem for America’s elected officials and these immigrants.

Even those Americans who are supportive of immigrants are becoming concerned about the amount of them that are being allowed into the country and the rate at which they are being allowed into it.  Even if you disagree with the tactics that governors like Ron DeSantis of Florida and Greg Abbot of Texas are using in bussing or flying these illegal immigrants off to what they refer to as blue states or sanctuary states, it is reasonable to assume that you agree that they are forcing those states to feel what their states have been feeling for a long time.

Notwithstanding whether you agree or disagree with the tactics that various elected officials are using to mitigate America’s immigration conundrum, it is important that politicians find common ground to solve this problem and solve it quickly.  That common ground must be found within our current immigration laws and rules even if some tweaking must be done and adjustments must be made.

All political posturing must be set aside and this problem must be fixed!  Even if this 118^th congress has been the most do-nothing congress of do-nothing congresses in the history of congress, they must come together and do something about America’s immigration problem.  It is imperative to the smooth operation of America’s immigration system and the smooth function of her overall society.

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