Category Archives: Federal Politics

Federal Politics, State Politics

The Trump Netanyahu Nexus

“The great enemy of the truth is very often not the lie – deliberate, contrived and dishonest, but the myth, persistent, persuasive, and unrealistic.  Belief in myths allows the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought.”

The Mr. Donald J. Trump of the United States of America and the Prime Minister of Israel, Mr. Benjamin Netanyahu, have come together and agreed to bar two U.S. members of congress – both of whom are women of color and Democrats, from entering Israel.  There has been talk about why Democratic Representatives Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib were denied entry that ranged from them not following customary protocol to an Israeli law that bars anyone from entering Israel who promotes a boycott of Israel.  They ultimately settled on the Israeli law that prohibits anyone who promotes boycott legislation against Israel from entering the country.

Mr. Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu certainly could not go with the talking point that Representatives Omar and Tlaib did not follow customary protocol because that would have immediately exposed Prime Minister Netanyahu as a complete hypocrite: do you remember when he came to the United States and spoke on the floor of the United States Congress without informing the White House when President Obama was in office?  I do!  And I also remember that he went there with the specific purpose to undermine President Obama’s efforts to make a deal with Iran regarding nuclear weapons.  He was lobbing our congressmen to vote against their own president!

Prime Minister Netanyahu is well aware that the majority of Americans believe that the Mr. Donald J. Trump of the United States of America is a racist and that many of us believe that he is also a white supremacist.  Mr. Trump has publicly stated that “I am a nationalist…but not a white nationalist.”  It is very unlikely that Prime Minister Netanyahu believes that Mr. Trump is a “Nationalist but not a white nationalist!”  Prime Minister Netanyahu is also aware of how Mr. Trump has treated and continues to treat people of color in America yet-and-still he willingly works with him hand-in-glove while he implements his xenophobic agenda against the poor, women and anyone who is not white.  Prime Minister Netanyahu knows that this is not the right thing to do but he still does it in order to achieve his personal political goals.

American Republican politicians are just as bad as Prime Minister Netanyahu when it comes to their fear of Mr. Trump.  This fear fuels their willingness to continue to enable him and wink at his antics no matter how much they degrade the Office or how disgusting they are.  Furthermore, virtually all congressional politicians whether they are Democrats or Republicans are afraid to say anything negative about Israel even when chastisement is well deserved and despite what Prime Minister Netanyahu does in the way of kowtowing to Mr. Trump.  Although they know that Prime Minister Netanyahu is indulging Mr. Trump for political purposes while he accuses the two previously mentioned congresswomen of hating Israel, these American politicians remain virtually silent for their own political purposes.  They have also remained quiet for the same reason when Mr. Trump has accused his other political enemies – including American voters who didn’t vote for him, of hating Israel.

Prime Minister Netanyahu and all of these congressmen know that those people that Mr. Trump is accusing of hating Israel don’t hate Israel.  They know that this is just a political ploy that Mr. Trump is using to keep his base excited in order to enhance his chances of getting reelected in 2020.  These congressmen should not stand by silently while Mr. Trump blatantly keeps his foot on the collective neck of people of color, women, and the poor.  Mr. Trump has proven time-and-again that he is incapable of being shamed.  But these politicians who are enabling him should be ashamed of themselves.  And if they have even a grain of dignity left, a desire to live up to the oath that they took when they were sworn into office, and any empathy whatsoever for those whom they were elected to serve and humanity in general then they should speak up.

They should speak truth to power to both the Mr. Donald J. Trump of the United States of America and to Prime Minister Netanyahu!  After all, Israel, which is headed by Prime Minister Netanyahu, receives billions of dollars in aid from the United States so he should be held to account also!  All of those tax dollars that provide that aid to Israel come from American tax payers and that means that a part of that is my money too!  Prime Minister Netanyahu should not be baring U.S. congresswomen from entering Israel at the urging of Mr. Trump simply to please him.

Whether or not these American congressmen will have the courage to stand up to Mr. Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu remains to be seen.  But I have no doubt that there are plenty of other people of color and white people who believe in truth and fairness who feel the same way that I do.  Even if politicians do not meet the challenge and speak up I am confident that those people of color and white people that were just mentioned will.  That notwithstanding, the fact is that it is incumbent upon our elected politicians to stand up to Mr. Trump and anyone else who challenges our democracy no matter how major or minor that challenge might be.

These politicians should be constantly working to pull all people – no matter the color of their skin, to the side of the ledger that our founders envisioned for America and not abandon them without leadership and guidance on Mr. Trump’s side of it.  They should not allow Mr. Trump to infect and corrupt everything that America stands for and has ever stood for in order to line the pockets of himself and his family.  We are Americans and, just like these elected politicians, all of us have a responsibility to America and our fellow Americans as well.

Therefore, we need to fulfill our responsibility, which includes the responsibility to vote, to insure that our democracy will remain strong by doing the right thing even when it is hard.  And with the ball of confusion that Mr. Trump has wrapped all Americans up in and with his helter-skelter leadership (if one can call it that) style, it is hard.  Too many of us have retreated to our comfortable corners where all of the people look and think like us, circled the wagons and are prepared for what we perceive to be the battle to come.  We don’t trust anyone outside of our circled wagons.

This is not the way that things should be.  Too many of us have allowed Mr. Trump to instill fear in us and either pull us over to his side of the ledger or so badly divide us that we find ourselves unable to function as normal, reasonable human beings.  Mr. Trump is used to all of this confusion and divisiveness because this is how he has lived his entire life and now he is trying to get the rest of America to normalize this madness.  Let’s not allow this to happen.  Instead, let’s use our power, which is our vote, to place someone in the Oval Office who is worthy of it and who as president will honor the Office and its long-held honorable traditions.

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, Operation Rubik’s Cube and Living Between The Line

Federal Politics, State Politics

Trump, His Minions, And Jeffrey Epstein

“The great enemy of the truth is very often not the lie – deliberate, contrived and dishonest, but the myth, persistent, persuasive, and unrealistic.  Belief in myths allows the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought.”

After the mysterious death of Jeffrey Epstein, the Mr. Donald J. Trump of the United States of America and his minions are trying to get ahead of the curve on anything that might be said about Mr. Trump’s involvement with him.  Just like Attorney General William Barr did with the Mueller Report they want to put a Mr. Trump spin on any involvement that Mr. Trump had with Jeffrey Epstein.  They are attempting to do this by obfuscating and laying any potential findings of wrongdoing by those associated with Mr. Epstein squarely at the feet of everyone else; especially those among those ‘everyone else’ who are Democrats or who support Democrats.

Just like Mr. Barr’s promulgation almost a month ahead of time of his false narrative on the Mueller Report conclusion before the media and the public had the opportunity to read the redacted version of this Report and draw their own conclusion was misleading in favor of Mr. Trump and caused confusion; Mr. Trump and his minions are trying to do the same thing with the Jeffrey Epstein situation.  The Mr. Donald J. Trump of the United States of America kicked off his efforts to distance himself from Jeffrey Epstein, obfuscate and create confusion around his own involvement with him by retweeting a conspiracy theory about Jeffrey Epstein and former president Bill Clinton.

Shortly after Mr. Trump’s tweet, Mrs. Kellyanne Conway – Mr. Trump’s counselor, defended Mr. Trump’s retweet of this conspiracy theory by downplaying it and saying that the Mr. Donald J. Trump of the United States of America just “wants everything to be investigated.”  To suggest that this is why Mr. Trump retweeted this conspiracy theory, on its face, is highly questionable since Mr. Trump has done everything in his power to block congress from getting to the truth about things concerning him (that could possibly exonerate him) in their ongoing investigations involving him.

And as far as the Department of Justice (DOJ) conducting an investigation into Mr. Epstein’s untimely death and Mr. Trump’s previous involvement with him, their credibility is currently barely above zero so why should anyone believe any conclusion that the DOJ arrives at?!  Mr. Barr has already proven that he is just a Trump toady!  And unfortunately, the FBI operates under his jurisdiction so no matter how honest, dedicated, professional and above board the individuals that are a part of the FBI might be, their collective conclusion can easily be tainted by him.

Based on documents that were recently unsealed by the court, there were many high-level US government officials and other high-level socialites and foreign officials that were associated with Mr. Epstein.  Existing news clips show that before he became the Mr. Donald J. Trump of the United States of America, Mr. Trump was aware of Mr. Epstein’s affinity for extremely young women and that he partied with him.  This does not mean that Mr. Trump was aware that Mr. Epstein was trafficking in young girls but by association the implication is there and that is why an honest, above board investigation needs to be conducted.

Such an investigation can serve to either clear or implicate Mr. Trump.  Should it indicate that he was aware that Mr. Epstein was involved in unlawful activities and that Mr. Trump continued to associate himself with him, then the proper persons or official organizations can determine how to proceed.  However, such an investigation would be made more difficult and its outcome harder to accept as fully credible if anyone attempts to obfuscate by putting up roadblocks or interfering in any other way.  This is why Mr. Trump, Kellyanne Conway and all of his other minions should refrain from putting forward conspiracy theories or doing anything else that will taint the Epstein investigation.

One could reasonably argue for a number of reasons that Attorney General William Barr should recuse himself from this case.  How helpful that might be is questionable because of how badly the Mr. Donald J. Trump of the United States of America and Attorney General Barr have already tainted the credibility of the DOJ: no one knows how deep the political rot has already penetrated.  So although a recusal would be the right thing to do, it might not do much to enhance the credibility of the findings or ultimate conclusion determined.

The likelihood that the Mr. Donald J. Trump of the United States of America and those around him will allow an investigation into Jeffrey Epstein’s death to go forward without interference is already obvious.  They will not.  The investigation has only just begun and Mr. Trump has interjected himself into it by tossing a conspiracy theory up against the wall of things that will need to be investigated to see if it will stick.  This conspiracy theory has already gained traction and is spreading fast.  At the same time, Attorney General Barr is continuing to work hard to put the ‘Trump spin’ on things in advance of any actual findings and the final determination of the case.

Americans have been and continue to be given blaring warning signs that America is headed in the wrong direction and that our democracy is in imminent danger.  We have an election coming up in 2020 and through our vote, we can do something to change the situation and the direction in which we are traveling.  Hopefully we will have the courage to make that change.  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, Operation Rubik’s Cube and Living Between The Line

Federal Politics, State Politics

Welcome To The Inception Of Trump’s America

Conceived shortly after his unexpected 2016 election win, Mr. Donald J. Trump’s conception of Trump’s America has finally begun to materialize.  The record indicates via his sordid personal, business and political history that he has lived his entire life in the “Trump’s America” bubble.  And now as the Mr. Donald J. Trump of the United States of America he is trying to expand the “Trump’s America” bubble so that it covers, not just the echoes of his mind, but all of the real America.

Working out of the Oval Office with the strong support of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and the rest of the Republicans in the Senate and House, he is moving full speed ahead to implement his full agenda.  Because Mr. Trump’s self-proclaimed “I am a nationalist” proclamation appears to be an intricate part of his “Make America Great Again” (MAGA) crusade, which he is hell bent on bringing to fruition no matter the cost, and his base – that appears to espouse these white nationalist ideals and is strongly focused on the second amendment of the Constitution is also an intricate part of his MAGA crusade, and all of these things smoothly dovetail with his constant hateful rhetoric, the latest mass shootings are worth mentioning.

There have recently been shootings in El Paso, Texas and Dayton, Ohio that have involved the use of assault-type weapons that have killed at least 31 people and wounded at least 40 others.  So far the Mr. Donald J. Trump of the United States of America has had very little to say about it that serves to console the American people and bring us together; and congressional Republicans have continued to eschew their responsibility to speak truth to power by failing to confront him for his lack of leadership.

Even the lip service that they have provided has been sparse likely due to their fear of upsetting Mr. Trump.  Senator Ted Cruise spouted some strong words denouncing white supremacy and hatred that might have had a stronger impact on the American people had the Mr. Donald J. Trump of the United States of America said them even though the majority of Americans would have known that they were the words of a proven liar and hypocrite.  They would have known that they were the hollow words of “Teleprompter Trump” and not the sincere words of “Trump bubble” Trump.

Neither Senator Ted Cruise nor any of the other congressional Republicans should be given a free pass for not standing up to Mr. Trump because they are afraid that they will not be reelected if they do.  What good are they to America anyway if they are reelected if they refuse to do their sworn duty to protect America against all enemies foreign and domestic?!  Are Americans supposed to reelect these politicians just for the sake of reelecting them?!  I don’t think so!

As the Trump train continues to barrel forward like some bizarre version of the train in the movie “Unstoppable”, without our elected politicians in Washington stepping up and doing their job, Americans can only hope and pray that the Trump train will have an ending as uplifting as the one in the movie…  Or – beyond hopes and prayers, we can wait until the 2020 election when American voters will have the opportunity to send these politicians a “no uncertain terms” message that we will not tolerate their cowardice and that they will pay dearly during elections for any dereliction of duty.  Hopefully, we will have the courage to do this.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and many other Republicans have said that the Mr. Donald J. Trump of the United States of America is not a racist.  And even after the horrific events that recently took place in Texas and Ohio, their silence says that they continue to believe this; or at least, that is the way that they are going to continue to spin his racist behavior.  The definition of racist in every dictionary that I know of says that Mr. Trump is a racist.  And how all of his Republican minions can continue to say to the public that he isn’t without being challenged is a mystery to me.

How they can continue to say that he is blameless in the terrible situation of hatred and divisiveness that we currently find ourselves in is also a mystery to me.  If Republicans say that Mr. Trump is not a racist then someone needs to ask them what their definition of racist is!  And if they say that it is ridiculous to lay any blame on him for what these latest two shooters have done then should we not attribute any blame to those of foreign countries who radicalize foreign terrorist and urge them to wreak havoc in our country?!

By spewing the language of hate and divisiveness the Mr. Donald J. Trump of the United States of America is radicalizing those who are committing the heinous acts like those that occurred in Texas and Ohio.  It can reasonably be argued as to whether he is doing this by accident or on purpose but it is obvious that he is doing it so to deny that would be farcical.  The Mr. Donald J. Trump of the United States of America has said publicly that he is a nationalist and tried to spin his statement in such a way as to say he is a nationalist but not a white nationalist.

Most of the American people who heard him say that he is a nationalist but is not a white nationalist likely believe that this is a ludicrous statement.  After all, white nationalist certainly believe that he means that he is a white nationalist and they have made this known whether directly or indirectly.  But most importantly, this is not something that a president who knows and understands the importance of this office and what the impact of what he says has on America and the rest of the world should say.  They should know that words have consequences; especially the words of the most powerful person in the world!

If Americans intend to survive the situation that we find ourselves in while maintaining our democracy as we know it we must act now and in the 2020 election.  We must act now by holding Mr. Trump accountable for his lawlessness and the damage that he has done and is doing to America.  And we must hold him and those in congress who have enabled him and continue to do so to account in the 2020 election.  This article has spoken at length about the cowardice of congressional Republicans because they refuse to stand up to Mr. Trump and speak truth to power.  As American voters we too have a responsibility to do the right thing.  It is important that we do more than just provide lip service.  All eligible voters must fulfill our civic duty to vote; especially in light of America’s current situation.

Since Russia interfered in our 2016 election for the precise purpose of helping Mr. Trump to get elected, to pit Americans against one another and to create animosity and confusion, there is no doubt that they are thrilled with what is happening in America!  But we can fix things with our vote.  And once we have a president in office that is serious about upholding their sworn oath to protect America and to place her interest above their personal interest, we can demonstrate to Russia that they were wrong to interfere in our election and let them know that such interference will not be tolerated.

And once we fix things by way of our vote in 2020, it will serve to reinforce how important it is that you always remember that 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, Operation Rubik’s Cube and Living Between The Line

Federal Politics, State Politics

The Democrats’ Where To From Here Conundrum

“The great enemy of the truth is very often not the lie – deliberate, contrived and dishonest, but the myth, persistent, persuasive, and unrealistic.  Belief in myths allows the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought.”  This is a quote from the late President John F. Kennedy that is strikingly relevant for the situation that Democrats, Republicans, and Independents find themselves in today.  Elected politicians and everyday Americans – whether or not they are of voting age – must make a choice as regards the position that they will take on the issue of “the great enemy of the truth.”

Washington congressional politicians have already decided which side of this issue that they will stand on and their decision breaks almost perfectly along party lines.  The Republicans, minus a few – the number of which can be counted on one hand, have chosen to accept the lies and to believe in myths while the Democrats have chosen to reject them.  To be fair, I must also state that there are a few Democrats who have sided with the Republicans.  I am not sure where Washington congressional Independents stand but they likely stand with the party that they caucus with.  Therefore it is crucial that the American people who are not elected politicians make it perfectly clear to our elected politicians which side of the issue that we stand on: will we accept lies and believe in myths or will we stand for truth and facts and protect the United States Constitution?

Mr. Donald J. Trump of the United States of America is at the epicenter of the conundrum that Washington congressional Democrats and all other Americans now find themselves in.  This “don’t believe what you see and hear, believe me” Mr. Donald J. Trump of the United States of America has capitalized on divisiveness, hate and fear and used it to lull Americans to sleep in his effort to reinforce and continue to grow his political power and personal riches.  And it is obvious that although he is a proven liar, many Americans believe and have accepted the things that he is telling them.  Washington congressional Democratic politicians and all other Americans who believe that Mr. Trump is leading this country in the wrong direction must find a way to successfully address this problem.

So far, congressional Democrats have had limited success in their efforts to fix it.  They have tried almost everything that they can think of, short of opening impeachment proceedings, to stop this Mr. Donald J. Trump of the United States of America from continuing in his refusal to be a Mr. Donald J. Trump of the United States of America to all of the American people and leading the country backwards in order to sustain the support of his political base.  His aide, Steven Miller, says that he already is the [Mr. Donald J. Trump] for all of the American people.  Although many of the previously mentioned congressional Democrats support impeaching Mr. Trump, Speaker Nancy Pelosi has steadfastly resisted this option.

Many pundits say that Speaker Polosi’s opposition to impeaching Mr. Trump is a political decision and is not based on “the right thing to do.”  I believe that her decision is an efficacy decision and not a political one.  It is not that she is not interested in doing “the right thing.”  But instead, she is interested in effectively solving the problem while doing the right thing.  In other words, it does not do anyone any good who is interested in changing things to impeach Mr. Trump if the Senate fails to convict him and remove him from office.  If the Senate fails to convict Mr. Trump – which based on all of the information available right now they would not convict him, then the problem would not be effectively resolved; the process will only have reinforced Mr. Trump’s position and would serve as fodder against those running in the 2020 election who voted to impeach him.

Mr. Trump is a reality show Mr. Donald J. Trump of the United States of America and he likely knows almost everything there is to know about television ratings and manipulating those who generate those ratings.  As a result, he can assure that combined they will have the maximum impact on the audience that he is playing to at any given time.  He is very aware that we live in a world where people (his audience) are more interested in the drama of the situation and loud voices than they are in – to what the majority of Americans might find, the boring facts and the drudgery surrounding comprehending those facts, and then consistently applying them in order to effectuate effective governance.  Because he is a reality show Mr. Donald J. Trump of the United States of America, Mr. Trump is a master of playing to his audience.  And in addition to this because he is amoral, cannot be shamed and has no bottom when it comes to how low he can go in order to win or get his way, this gives him a great advantage over all of his adversaries.  The situation that America finds itself in is just a part of the reality show that Mr. Trump stumbled into in 2016 while trying to create the world’s greatest infomercial; he did not expect to win the election!

As it turns out, winning the election was probably Mr. Trump’s worst nightmare.  And if it is not his worst nightmare, it certainly is that of the majority of Americans.  For those who do not agree with my perspective on America’s current situation, my perspective and the various perspectives of all Americans are something that deserves reasonable discourse by those politicians who we have elected to represent us.  But in order to have effective discourse that has the potential to effectively solve the problem, all constituents must be represented by those who they – by way of majority vote – elected to represent them.  These elected officials, including the Mr. Donald J. Trump of the United States of America, must represent all of their constituents; even those who did not vote for them.  We can and must assure that this is indeed the case.  The best way that we can assure that it is actually the case is through our vote.  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, Operation Rubik’s Cube and Living Between The Line

Federal Politics, Local Politics, State Politics

The Mr. Donald J. Trump of the United States of America Must Be A Mollusk

The Mr. Donald J. Trump of the United States of America recently said that he does not have a racist bone in his body.  The only way that this can be true is if he is a mollusk: is Mr. Trump a mollusk?!  Does he have all of that racist mushy stuff sloshing around inside of an external bony shell that looks human?  That’s as scary as what all of the hatred and divisiveness that constantly flows out of his mouth has the potential of doing to America!  Mr. Trump is a United States race war looking for an opportunity to happen, he is a war with Iran desperately seeking a reason to explode onto the scene, he is chaos personified and that chaos is yearning to be free to express itself so that all eyes will be on Mr. Donald J. Trump no matter how great the resulting mayhem that follows and resounds far beyond its wake!

Mr. Trump has so many ‘acting’ officials in his administration that they are almost impossible to keep up with and the litany of scandals that have occurred on his watch are almost just as hard to track.  Real governance under his watch is at best rare and at worst (hopefully) the punch line of jokes for the late night comedians.  None of this seems to bother Mr. Trump in the least and if it has any impact on congressional Republicans, they steadfastly refuse to show it.  Their willingness to sell their soul to Mr. Trump followed by their blind loyalty to him is astounding.  Once they enter his orbit they are ultimately sucked into some kind of an indescribable black hole and into his control; a control that allows him to manipulate them to the point to where they will do almost anything for him.

A perfect example of how this strange phenomenon works is reflected in the new version of Senator Lindsey Graham.  He has morphed into someone who is totally unrecognizable when compared to the man that he was when he was a close associate of the late Senator John McCain.  When he was associated with Senator McCain he was a reasonable man who made reasonable decisions.  Even when he ran for president in 2016 he called Mr. Trump out as a kook and conman who was unfit to hold the office of president.  Now, he is a complete Trump toady who seems to like nothing better than carrying Mr. Trump’s water.

As I continue to watch Mr. Trump and these Republican congressmen it brings to mind a movie that I watched not too long ago called ‘The Best Of Enemies.’  This movie is based on fact and depicts things that actually occurred in Durham, North Carolina and it is playing out in America right now in the way that the Mr. Donald J. Trump of the United States of America conducts himself.  I am not going to spoil the movie for you by expounding on details in the event that you have not already watched it.  But even if you have not already seen it you are likely at least familiar with the events on which it is based that actually occurred in North Carolina.  So I am going to try to share my thoughts about it as it relates to the Trump administration without spoiling it for you should you decide to watch it.

In this movie as I picture it, Mr. Trump is the mayor who presided over the city council, the Republican congress members are the city council members, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is the council member who represents Ms. Ann Atwater’s district and Senator Lindsey Graham plays the part of the KKK president C.P. Ellis.  For those who have already seen the movie, you might not agree with me on who plays the various characters.  And for those who have not already seen it – after you watch it – you might not agree with me either.  But that does not matter because it does not impact on what my point is.  My point is that, under this imaginary scenario, America needs more Republicans in congress with the courage of C. P. Ellis.  And she also needs more Americans, particularly our elected government officials – especially those elected officials in Washington, to be willing to regularly and seriously participate in these ‘charrette’ type meetings regardless of what they call them (perhaps bipartisan negotiations?).  If you have absolutely no idea of what I am talking about, watch the movie.  Then everything will come into focus.

Americans need elected leaders and all other elected government officials who are seeking to be a part of something that is bigger than themselves and their political party; elected officials who are serious about protecting the constitution, governing and keeping America great.  This is not something that can be done through hatred and divisiveness but through love and togetherness: we are stronger together!  Far too many of us have already willingly journeyed much too far down this rabbit hole and toward the abyss while led by the Mr. Donald J. Trump of the United States of America.  But those Americans who are concerned about the direction in which America is traveling must not be discouraged and throw up their hands and give up because they feel that we have traveled too far down this path to turn back.  We must remember that hope is always present!  Hope, change and faith is in our DNA and most if not all of us believe that “faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”  Keep the faith!  Stay in the fight…and win!

Eulus Dennis – author, Operation Rubik’s Cube and Living Between The Line

Federal Politics, Local Politics, State Politics

The Republican Mad Triad

‘The Republican Mad Triad’ (TRMT), which consists of Mr. Donald J. Trump, Attorney General William P. Barr and Senate Majority Leader Addison Mitchell (Mitch) McConnell Jr., has a nefarious game plan that it is working to perfection on the American people.  These politicians are assisting Mr. Trump in moving America backwards as quickly as they can.  And they are not alone in helping him.  Almost every Republican in the United States congress is assisting him either directly or tacitly.  And those congressmen are being led by Senator Lindsey Graham who appears to be one of Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s key lieutenants.

The silence of the tacit toadies is deafening!  Mr. Trump is boldly spouting the old familiar words of racist and white supremacists from many years gone by: his rhetoric sounds like words taken directly from a KKK rally.  And the stench of those standing silently by and not challenging him is as bad, if not worse, than that of those human beings that Mr. Trump is having held in cages at America’s southern border in inhumane conditions!  He is not providing them with soap or toothbrushes, he is not providing them with access to showers and some of them have been told to drink water from the toilet.  Vice President Mike Pence continues to stand by Mr. Trump and support his position in the way that he is handling the situation at the southern border.

Mr. Trump knows exactly what he is doing and it seems that he has successfully lulled the American people to sleep.  While the press continues to say that there is no way that Mr. Trump can be reelected with only the support of his base and not expanding that support to the broader electorate, they fail to take into consideration or mention the other things that he is doing to tip the 2020 election scale in his favor: things like gerrymandering, eliminating early voting, eliminating Sunday voting, the purge of voters from eligible voters records, states implementing new voting laws that have a disparate impact on people of color, intimidating potential voters, intimidating voters at the polls and more!  They fail to give serious consideration to all of these things that he is doing in the way of voter suppression!  They fail to consider what the combination of the support of his base and voter suppression can do; and this scenario does not even include the closet Trump voters who find much of what he says and does disgusting but like the affect that the things that result from his acts, no matter how disgusting, have on them.  It is an “I am not that (I do not adhere to that and do not condone those things) but I like this” (the tax break, the trend of the economy, how the resulting outcome will effect white people and etc.) kind of thing.

Wake up America!  Mr. Trump is telling Americans not to believe what they see and/or hear but to believe him.  And many Americans are buying this load of crap that he is selling them although they know that he is a proven liar and conman.  They are buying it because he has trampled on the press and worked to discredit it ever since he entered office and his tactic has worked.  One need only to look at the countries with despots and strongmen where a small percentage of those in power control 90 percent of the population or more to realize that this is not something that is impossible.  Don’t get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with looking at things from the perspective of how is this going to affect me; we all do it!  But at the same time that we look at “how is this going to affect me” we need to also look at what price is America and our fellow Americans going to have to pay for it and is it worth that price.  America has always been that kind of a country and it still is even with a Mr. Donald J. Trump leading it.  We Americans simply need to let him and his enablers know in no uncertain terms what we absolutely will not tolerate!

Mr. Trump recently attacked four U.S. congresswomen of color (a.k.a. “The Squad”) and in essence accused them of hating America and Israel and being un-American.  After accusing them of this he told them that if they did not like it in America that they should go back to where they came from.  Based on Mr. Trump’s rhetoric, he was not just addressing those four Democratic congresswomen but he was addressing all people of color.  It just so happens that I am a person of color and I say who the hell is Mr. Trump to tell me to go back to where I came from as if this is his country and not mine too?!  I am an American!  I am just as much an American as he is!  Perhaps he should go back to where he came from; that is, if where he came from would be willing to accept him after witnessing how he has been conducting himself as the Mr. Donald J. Trump of the United States of America!

Before I leave this subject, “The Squad” does not get off totally free here.  I have a message for them as well.  Mr. Trump did not attack you just by chance just as he did not defend Speaker Nancy Pelosi against you by chance.  Mr. Trump is using you to foster tension, descent and internal problems to hurt Democrats and their 2020 election chances.  He is using The Squad’s quarrel with Speaker Pelosi to promote himself and bolster his chances to be reelected.  There is no doubt that The Squad deserves respect but you must also understand why all organizations have leaders, how leadership works, understand the proper protocol to resolve problems with the leader and you must respect the leader and their right to lead.  You likely already know all of these things better than I do, but you need to do more than know them you must incorporate them into how you conduct yourselves.  Because I have no doubt that someday in the future one of you will be the Speaker or even the Senate Majority Leader.  I also have no doubt that somewhere along the way that there will be controversy on your watch and that you will want and even demand that members follow proper protocol.

With this in mind, you should resolve right now that you will not allow anyone in the TRMT to use you and the mandate that you have from your constituents to harm the Democratic Party and your chances to win the presidency, retain the House and win the Senate.  With the way that Majority Leader Mitch McConnell – the self proclaimed Grim Reaper, is packing the courts with conservative judges to Mr. Trump’s liking and blocking bipartisan legislation that Mr. Trump does not want to pass no matter how beneficial it would be to America, Democrats will need all of the leverage that they can get in order to set policies and pass legislation that will help America to heal.  Senate Majority Leader McConnell obviously fully supports Mr. Trump and all of the things that he is doing and he says that The Mr. Trump of the United States of America is not a racist.  Based on the Merriam-Webster Dictionary’s definition of racist, from my perspective, Mr. Trump could be the poster child for “racist.”  I wonder what Majority Leader McConnell’s definition is for “racist.”  A reporter should ask him that question.  Of course if the Majority Leader’s response turned out to be not to Mr. Trump’s liking, we all know that he would call it “Fake News.”

Eulus Dennis – author, Operation Rubik’s Cube and Living Between The Line

Federal Politics, Local Politics, State Politics

Is Republican Mo Brooks A Hypocrite, Coward Or Both?

Is Alabama Republican Representative Mo Brooks a hypocrite, coward or both?!  Perhaps he is a sleek well-integrated model of both.  Because Colin Kaepernick said that Nike should not sell sneakers with a Revolutionary War-era flag on them Representative Brooks suggests that he should move to another country where their laws might be better suited to him?!  Is he speaking only to Colin Kaepernick or is he speaking to all people of color while using Mr. Kaepernick as his whipping boy just like the Mr. Donald J. Trump of the United States of America did when he attacked him and all other athletes of color for kneeling during the playing of the National Anthem?  And speaking of Mr. Trump who is one of the most lawless Mr. Donald J. Trump’s of the United States of America – if not the most lawless – ever, where is the voice of the Republicans who swore an oath to the Constitution of the United States when they took office?!  With everything that Mr. Trump is doing to dismantle the institutions and laws of this country while defiantly thumbing his nose at America and those branches of government that are his co-equals, where are their voices; where is Representative Mo Brooks’ voice?!

I am not saying that I agree with Colin Kapernick as regards his opinion on the previously mentioned Revolutionary War-era flag issue.  What I am saying though is that Mr. Kapernick has a right to his opinion and the right to express it without being relegated to anyone’s “not a patriot” heap and who should be banished to another country no matter that offended person’s political affiliation.  Is Representative Brooks a coward?  Is he a hypocrite?  Is he both?  Does it even matter which he is?!  What does matter is that he is not honoring his oath to the Constitution or his responsibility to the American people.  Representative Brooks and all of those other congressional Republicans who are supporting Mr. Trump while winking at his antics for whatever reason are assisting him in ruining this country and all of those great things that it stands for.  There is no legitimate excuse for doing that!  I am not suggesting that the right choices that they must make are easy ones but I am suggesting that they must make those choices; that is what they were elected to do!  That is what they swore to do to the best of their ability when they were installed in office!  It is obvious that they are not doing that.

I want to be clear.  I am not saying that Representative Brooks is a bad human being or that he should be punished for his way of thinking.  But I am saying that he is a hypocrite, a coward or a combination of the two and that he needs to clean up his act.  None of us is perfect and the majority of us are not faced with making such grave decisions with regards to our democracy as is Representative Brooks.  But the majority of us are not officials who were elected to represent the American people as a whole.  So come on Representative Brooks, stop posturing for reelection and do your job.

Eulus Dennis – author, Operation Rubik’s Cube and Living Between The Line

Federal Politics, Local Politics, State Politics

Major Biden Supporter: That Shit Ain’t Happening!

At least two supporters of former Vice President Joe Biden are obviously very angry at Senator Kamala Harris because she challenged Mr. Biden on his comments as he reminisced about his warmhearted relationship with two segregationist senators during his speech at the Jesse Jackson Rainbow PUSH Coalition.  According to an article in POLITICO by Carla Marinucci and Natasha Korecki, when one Biden supporter, Lee White, was asked about Senator Harris’ challenge he said; “She played low ball, which was out of character.  And he didn’t expect it, nor did I.  She should not have gone that route.  She’s much too intelligent, she’s been able to be successful thus far, why do you have to do that.”  Another Biden supporter from California, which is Senator Harris’ home state put it in harsher terms when he said; “It’s going to bite her in the ass.  Very early on there was a buzz… Biden-Kamala is the dream ticket, the best of both worlds.”  After this week, “That s—t ain’t happening.”

Every reasonable Democrat – and everyone else, knows that Joe Biden is not a racist and that he has fought hard for civil rights during his entire career as a politician.  Having said that, It has been proven time-and-again that politics is a tough game that tends to get into, and far too often, beyond the grey areas of what some Americans find to be beyond the pale; that is why so many of them find politics distasteful and refuse to follow it.  I don’t know if some consider what Senator Harris did to Mr. Biden to be an unfair attack that was beyond the pale; I certainly don’t think that it was: and I respect the previously mentioned Biden supporters’ right to say that she “played low ball” and that “it’s going to bite her in the ass.”  But what I do know is that what she did exposed Mr. Biden, whom I greatly admire and believe to be a man of principle and integrity, as a person who might struggle to deal with the current Donald J. Trump of the United States of America, Mr. Donald J. Trump, in a one-on-one debate and defeat him.

I am still closely watching and weighing all of the primary candidates in an effort to determine which one of them can best handle Mr. Trump, a man with no moral compass and who has no bottom when it comes to how low a human being can go when it comes to winning and/or getting their way.  After the most recent Democratic debate if the choice to be the Democratic nominee boiled down to Senator Harris or Mr. Biden, I would be compelled to give Senator Harris the edge over Mr. Biden.  I would give the edge to Senator Harris because she demonstrated some very sharp and unique skills in taking Mr. Biden apart in this debate.  And even if he did not expect her to come after him in the manner that she did he should have been able to think on his feet and avoid or, at least, greatly mitigate the amount of damage that she would be able to do to him.  He did not do that and he made matters worse in the way that he tried to defend himself.  If he was taken by surprise by the way that Senator Harris attacked him, what would happen if he were face-to-face with Mr. Trump who has no boundaries and no bottom as regards how low he can go when he plays “low ball?”

Not only did Senator Harris manage to throw Joe Biden off balance in her attack on him during the Debate but she used these same skills previously in taking down United States Attorney General William Barr when she questioned him during his testimony to the senate: she left him confused and virtually speechless during his responses to her questions.  And it was not because he did not understand the questions that she asked him.  Instead, it was because with the skill and precision with which she asked these questions he was unable to effectively be evasive and obfuscate in his responses.  These are precisely the kind of skills that the candidate who will eventually face Mr. Trump will need.  During a debate they will need to remain focused and cut through the bluster of a bloviating imposter and conman who, according to records, has lied over 10, 000 times thus far during his time in office and force him to deal with facts and the truth.  Not “alternative facts” or Trump facts, which exist only inside his private bubble of Trump World; but real facts and real truth that exists in the real world.

The Democratic primaries have really only just begun so there is still plenty of time for all of the other candidates to have the opportunity to demonstrate their skills so that voting Americans can decide who among them have what it takes to confront Mr. Trump in debates and defeat him in the 2020 general election.  Once we decide who those candidates are we can then select the very best one and throw all of our support behind them and do everything within our power to help them defeat Mr. Trump.  It is impossible to overemphasize how important it is to defeat Mr. Trump for numerous reasons.

Among those reasons why it is so important to defeat Mr. Trump are; 1) He has completely ignored the emoluments clause in the Constitution.  2) He has refused to present his income tax returns to the appropriate organizations and personnel for review so that they can assure the American people that all is well which will allow them to be comfortable and confident that he is protecting the country’s interest first rather than his own personal interest.  3) He has ignored the traditions regarding nepotism.  4) He has openly obstructed justice on many occasions and defied congressional subpoenas for materials.  5) He has instructed those who are and were a part of his administration to defy subpoenas.  6) He has caused and/or allowed children of immigrants to be separated from their parents and then placed those parents and children in detention facilities (cages) under inhumane conditions on America’s southern border.  7) He has done many other things that are unbecoming of a Mr. Donald J. Trump of the United States of America including his current apparent attempt to ignore a U.S. Supreme Court ruling by way of an Executive Order.  The bottom line is that he has already done what might be irreparable damage to America including ruin her reputation around the world in the eyes of our allies and enemies.

With Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell by his side enabling him in everything that he does no matter how lawless or crass, the Republicans in congress and the senate remaining silent at all costs and refusing to hold him to account Mr. Trump is conducting himself as if he is invincible.  With each thing that he does for which he is not held accountable he becomes more bold in thumbing his nose at the rule of law and all American institutions that will not bow down to him and kiss his ring.  Let there be no doubt that Mr. Trump is not alone in these atrocities.  He and all of those Republicans in congress who continue to support him and wink at the way that he is conducting himself should and must be held to account.  We can assure that they are through our vote.  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!  If you value our democracy as we now know it and want to preserve it for posterity, be sure to do your civic duty and vote!

Eulus Dennis – author, Operation Rubik’s Cube and Living Between The Line

Federal Politics, Local Politics, State Politics

Donald J. Trump, The Republican-led Congress And Benjamin Netanyahu

‘The Infamous Gang of Three’ – the Mr. Donald J. Trump of the United States of America, the Republican-led congress and the Prime Minister of Israel – Mr. Benjamin Netanyahu, appear to be working together in lockstep to achieve Mr. Trump’s goal to take America back to the Jim Crow and pre-Roe v Wade Days.  I am referring to the same Benjamin “Bibi” Netanyahu who bypassed standard protocol to inform the then President of the United States of America, Mr. Barack Obama, that he was coming to the United States of America with the intention of speaking on the floor of the United States Congress.  He certainly did not let him know that he would be speaking in an effort to undermine his effort to strike an agreement with Iran on a nuclear deal!

Although Prime Minister Netanyahu might not be motivated by the same reasons that are motivating Republican members of congress to snuggle up to Mr. Trump no matter how lawless or outrageous the things he does, he – along with the Republican-led congress – have opted to sell their soul to him in order to achieve their own personal goals.  Prime Minister Netanyahu is content to watch from the sideline as the Mr. Trump of the United States of America rips down all of the guardrails of American democracy and puts his foot on the necks of people of color and women in order for him to try to achieve his goal of what he has dubbed “Make America Great Again!”  Prime Minister Netanyahu, I challenge you to juxtapose this same situation that Mr. Trump is subjecting people of color and women to in the United States but instead with those people of color and women being Israelites; then ask yourself, would I still be as enamored with Mr. Trump as I am now?!  Would I still dedicate a town (Trump Heights) in the Golan Heights to him?!  It seems so hypocritical for someone like you to cozy up to someone like Mr. Donald J. Trump!  Think about it!

It is frightening to see Mr. Trump openly defy the laws of our country, regularly challenge co-equal branches of government and cause them to cower before him, continuously thumb his nose at America and the American people, ply dictators and strongmen with accolades and talk about the possibility that those who support him might demand that he serve more than two terms.  For whatever reasons, it appears that Mr. Trump has Mitch McConnell, the Senate Majority Leader in his pocket because Mr. McConnell is constantly aiding and abetting him.  Mr. Trump is becoming bolder each time that he breaks the law and faces no consequences but instead gains more support from the Republican Party.  With the impending decisions due from the Supreme Court, I can only hope that their responses won’t pave the way for the situation to evolve to the “Gang of Four.”  Whether or not it does, I don’t know if impeachment is the answer but something must be done to stop this out of control so-called American president.

Eulus Dennis – author, Operation Rubik’s Cube and Living Between The Line

Federal Politics, Local Politics, State Politics

Voters Have A Responsibility To Help Educate Themselves On Political Issues

Allow me to begin by stating that I have read the entire Mueller Report.  It is important that I begin with that statement because there has been a lot of talk on cable news shows lately about how congress needs to educate the public on the information contained in the Mueller Report.  Many of the cable news contributors on these shows say that this is necessary if congress has any real expectations of getting the public to support them in impeaching the Mr. Donald J. Trump of the United States of America, Mr. Donald J. Trump.  Really?!  I am not against cable news or any other media doing its part to help educate the public but, come on; we must take part in our own political education just like we did when we were in K-12 school or college.  If we don’t, even if “education by congress” does work, it will definitely encourage voters to feel privileged, expect to always be pampered and continue to expect to be spoon-fed.  We will continue to be lazy when it comes to politics, performing our civic duty and protecting our precious democracy.

What the cable news stations really need to do is to find a way to virtually grab all of us who consume cable news and the rest of America by the collar and shake us until we come back to our senses!  They need to shake us back into reality!  This is our democracy that we are talking about and whether or not it will continue to exist as we know it, if it continues to exist at all!  It is not the responsibility of cable news or anyone else to spoon-feed us when it comes to political issues and politics; especially when these issues could have an existential impact on our democracy itself!  We should not need to be spoon-fed when it comes to this!  What am I missing here?!  Are we so busy enjoying life that we don’t even have time to do our patriotic duty to help save our country from disaster?!  Are we so consumed with self that posterity does not matter?!  What about our children and our children’s children?!  Do they not matter?!

Of course, not all Americans are political geeks who obsessively follow politics; as a matter of fact, many Americans hate politics and do not want anything to do with it.  But this does not mean that they should not take the time to educate themselves on political issues and always remain educated on current political issues so that they can intelligently vote for or against candidates who are in office or for or against those who are running for office.  Voting is our civic duty!  And if we vote without having any knowledge of the issues and just on election cycle sound bites, we are derelict of duty and might as well not vote at all.  Let me be clear, I am not encouraging Americans to not vote at all but rather to get informed, stay informed and always vote.  No one expects voters to research all candidates in office or who are running for office to the “Nth” degree but it is certainly reasonable to expect them to get informed on the issues and not simply vote based on sound bites and/or the aesthetic appeal of a candidate.

The Mr. Donald J. Trump of the United States of America and his attorney general, Mr. William Barr have lied to the American people about the Mueller Report and are leading them down a rabbit hole that is taking America back to the Jim Crow days and pre Roe v. Wade days.  Mr. Trump has openly sided with President Vladimir Putin against his own American intelligence community – which Attorney General Barr is now investing to determine whether or not their investigation of Mr. Trump as it relates to Russia and Russia’s interference in the 2016 election began as the result of corruption in the American Intelligence Community – and he has sided with a dictator while on foreign soil to disparage former Vice President Joe Biden.  These are only among the most recent disgusting things that Mr. Trump has done to debase the office of the presidency and embarrass America in the eyes of the American people, America’s allies and the world.  And yet, almost all of the U.S. senators – under the leadership of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, and congressional Representatives continue to support, protect and enable him.

It is extremely important that all Americans, regardless of our party affiliation, take a step back and look closely at what is happening in our country right now.  We must stop assuming that our democracy is so strong that it does not demand our attention as voters because nothing can possibly hurt, let alone, destroy it!  All of us need to focus in on what Special Counsel Mueller said when he said today that “all Americans” should be concerned about what Russia did in our 2016 election, that they are likely to try to interfere in our 2020 election and that they will likely continue to interfere in American politics into the future.  It is incumbent upon all American voters to educate ourselves on the issues and remain educated on ongoing issues.  It is and has always been important that we vote.  But in these perilous times in which our democracy and its founding principles are being tried and tested to the limit, it is of the utmost importance that all Americans fulfill their civic duty and vote.

So I want to take this opportunity to encourage all voting-age Americans to always vote.  And if somewhere along the way for any reason you find yourself making an excuse as to why you don’t need to cast your ballot always remember, your vote is the most important one of all…unless you don’t use it!

Eulus Dennis – author, Operation Rubik’s Cube and Living Between The Line