The American Presidency: Indictment or Impeachment?

If we fail to indict a sitting president In the face of irrefutable evidence of serious unlawful conduct, we fail to live up to the ideal that “no one is above the law”!  By not indicting a sitting president, are we implying that the president is too important to be inconvenienced by the laws that the rest of us must abide by, or else?  Are we also implying that the indictment of a sitting president would disturb the efficient flow of the government’s business? Do we not indict a sitting president because the government (represented by the President) cannot indict itself, as many law professionals tell us?

It is my opinion, in our democratic republic, all citizens that break the law, regardless of position, should be lawfully pursued and brought to justice. To give a sitting president a pass, decisively proves that “everyone is not equal under the law”.

The Constitution does not definitively address the question of whether we can, or cannot, indict a sitting president: it is a matter of constitutional interpretation.  No American authority, including the Supreme Court, has conclusively decided this issue, and law professionals have voiced different opinions about the issue.

Fox News.com reports that “Alan Dershowitz said that the Justice Department made it very clear that sitting presidents cannot be ‘indicted, prosecuted, or tried while serving in office.’ The Harvard law professor reminded everyone that the president must first be impeached and removed from office before he can be charged with a crime.” The Department of Justice’s position aligns with the Dershowitz position. The existing DOJ policy is that it does not indict sitting presidents. As a matter of procedure, following impeachment, the burden of deciding the fate of a sitting president resides with the Congress of the United States.

Some citizens feel that indicting a sitting president hampers the smooth running of the nation’s business and that may be true.  However, others argue that the constant veil of doubt surrounding possible presidential infractions has the same effect.  While citizens ponder whether the President is guilty or innocent, the daily presidential operations are slowed down as the administration scurries around trying to defend itself against the onslaught of serious accusations.

In lieu of indictment, the President can be impeached. However, impeachment makes the procedure political (in which the President will be judged by Congress), rather than legal (in which the President will be judged by the courts).

Recently, in a New York City courtroom, former Trump personal attorney, Michael Cohen, pled guilty to eight charges; among them were Trump’s illegal “hush money” payments to Stormy Daniels and Karen McDougal. Most pundits that I’ve heard believe that the Cohen admissions are true. Actually, the Karen McDougal part has already been corroborated by Trump’s friend, David Pecker, who heads up the company that owns The National Enquirer.   If Cohen’s testimony is corroborated by the court, it means that President Trump is guilty of a felony with reference to the 130 thousand dollar payment to Stormy Daniels and the 150 thousand dollar payment to Karen McDougal. According to Mr. Cohen, these payments were made while Trump was still campaigning, and Trump authorized and ordered these payments to be made using campaign money. 

The Daniels/McDougal “hush money” was designed to keep the knowledge of their affairs with Trump from the public so that this information would not negatively impact his run for the presidency. Though public knowledge of the affairs would not have precluded Trump from running for office, he would have encountered a formidable “uphill battle” when faced with the scrutiny of the voters and the RNC as he sought the presidency.

Given the undisputable evidence of Trump’s guilt of campaign finance infractions; would it be best for Congress, or the Courts, to adjudicate his fate? I’ll give you my opinion later.

As I see it, we made a considerable mistake by choosing the interpretation of the Constitution that suggests that you can’t indict a sitting president. Why not? Did the Founding Fathers think that indicting a sitting president would disrupt the government?  Probably not: because even if a president dies, for example, we replace them, and the government keeps on ticking.  Did they believe that the President is too important to be hampered by an indictment? I doubt it. The Founding Fathers may well have thought that impeaching a sitting president and having his fate decided by his peers in Congress was the best way to go.

Over the years we have been blessed to have honorable and stalwart men and women representing us in Congress.  They were hell-bent on doing the honest and right thing. They put country before party!  However, right now there is a red wall of silence on Capitol Hill, and the majority Republican Party has been providing unjustified “cover” for the sitting president’s misdeeds at every turn.  Their failure to “push back” on the President when deemed prudent and necessary shows that they are still immobilized by their fear of the President!

Here is my key question: If there is an impeachment proceeding against the sitting president, will his fate be determined by “principle” or “party”?  Will Republicans again be manipulated, compromised, and silenced by their impulsive and combative leader?  At such a pivotal time in our history, they may not choose principles over party. That, as I see it, is the classic flaw in the concept of “impeachment” versus “indictment”, because legitimate impeachment proceedings can be skewed in the direction of an unscrupulous majority party. The “hijacking” of The House Intelligence Committee by the Republican Majority is a case-in-point. Consider the following from my article entitled “Rejecting the Trump-era Normal”:

“Trump’s crony Devin Nunes hijacked the House Intelligence Committee’s Russia Investigation and came out with findings (really bogus findings) favorable to Trump. After silencing the Democrat minority, the Committee found ‘no evidence’ of Trump collusion with Russia. The Democrats claim that the ‘majority Republicans’ did not allow them to present certain witnesses and did not fully question witnesses in a real truth-seeking effort.  It appears that the Nunes-led Committee wanted to force a conclusion favorable to Trump. They were never interested in ‘uncovering the truth’. This is America. Such things should not be allowed. This is not normal for us. However, yes, it is the Trump-era normal.”

Need I say more?  Hopefully, in the future, there will be a choice as to whether we want to either “indict” or “impeach” a sitting president (depending on the particular circumstances at the time). Due to the current circumstances, I prefer indictment over impeachment because there is too much of an incentive for the Majority Party to place party over principles (and unscrupulously “tip the scale”) in the case of impeachment.

Remember the midterms. Please vote your conscience.

Donald J. Trump: Unfit for Office

It is a shame that Donald Trump could not put country above vindictiveness in an important situation. He recently revoked the security clearance of John Brennan, former head of the CIA, further signaling what has been obvious to the majority of Americans for a long time; Mr. Trump is unfit for office and will never rise to the high expectations of the American presidency.  He will never reach the level of knowledge and sophistication of a John F. Kennedy, Barack Obama, or Franklin D. Roosevelt because he has no moral compass and resides in a bizarre Trump-created universe that only he understands.

Donald J. Trump has a history of putting his “personal political agenda” before all else, no matter whom it hurts. He used the NFL”knee” issue as a personal crusade. His intent was to take a peaceful protest and recast it as his opportunity to spotlight and throw shade on predominantly Black football players. His desire was to falsely create the image that these highly paid football players were routinely disrespecting their flag, country, and military. If you bought into this false narrative, you would likely see these football players as “ungrateful” successful black persons with no love or respect for our country, its military or its values.  In other words, they might begin to think “what more do these people want?” “They are at the top of their professions, making a lot of money and they are denigrating the very country that gave them these great opportunities”.  Trump, as the “master manipulator”, that he is known to be, was again sowing the seeds of division, as usual. Actually, you can’t protest police violence against minorities more peacefully than “silently taking a knee”. Trump should leave these athletes alone.

Trump continually takes facts (or groups of facts) and manipulates them to accomplish his own selfish ends. To Trump, facts don’t exist unless they’re pro Trump. If facts are anti-Trump, he dismisses them as “erroneous” or “fake”. Thus, you hear him constantly talking about fake investigations, fake news, etc.

In my opinion, Donald J. Trump is not the right person to lead America and promote its values. He has shown a lack of concern about the questionable actions he has already taken.  For example, he fired three key government officials (all in a position to bring him to justice). He invoked widespread tariffs (that are hurting some of our industries). He revoked the security clearance of John Brennan and is targeting several other former key officials for the same revocation. If you don’t “go along” to “get along” with Trump, he wants you to know that he will get you!  He governs through the strategy of “fear”, and to a large degree, it is working. Most Congressional Republicans won’t challenge him on any action or issue. They appear immobilized by fear!

Trump is dedicated to not offending Vladimir Putin-yet he very adept at offending many of our long-term friends at the drop of a hat, and for no valid reason. This jeopardizes our alliances abroad and leaves our allies wondering if America can be counted on in the event of an international crisis.

Under the Trump presidency, we seem to be on a crooked road to self destruction as we have a president demonstrably attuned to accelerating the fortunes of himself, Russia, and Putin-even if it’s at the detriment of America. That’s exactly what it looks like!

Over, the last several months, Trump threatened to rescind the press credentials of many in the media, but it never happened. He threatened to revoke the security clearances of several past high level government officials, and he made good on the threat by first revoking the clearance of John Brennan, an outspoken Trump critic.  There are more on his pending “hit list”. This is not good for a nation that may need to call on the talents of these former officials in the future. In such a case it would be best if their clearances were still in effect.

Many thinking Americans believe that the following two things have been apparent with reference to Trump’s campaign and his presidency-first, he constantly promotes Putin and Russia, and secondly, he ducks and dodges on any issue involving Mueller and the Russia Investigation.  He is still “playing around” with the idea of interviewing with Mueller, rather than “manning-up” and facing the interview “head-on”.

With the myriad of legal issues facing Mr. Trump, we will soon see if “everyone is equal under the law”. Not too many people can negotiate what questions you want to be asked at the “bar of justice”.

The vindictive and irrational revocation of Brennan’s clearance (with possibly more to come) may be just the beginning of many other similar acts to follow, as Mueller’s noose closes in on the Trump Kingdom and he becomes more paranoid and afraid. Sometimes it is difficult for many to put certain feelings into words, but Admiral McRaven did that for many concerned citizens in the Washington Post Online on August 16, 2018, when he appropriately criticized Mr. Trump:

(William H. McRaven, a retired Navy admiral, was commander of the U.S. Joint Special Operations Command from 2011 to 2014. He oversaw the 2011 Navy SEAL raid in Pakistan that killed al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden).

Dear Mr. President:

Former CIA director John Brennan, whose security clearance you revoked on Wednesday, is one of the finest public servants I have ever known. Few Americans have done more to protect this country than John. He is a man of unparalleled integrity, whose honesty and character have never been in question, except by those who don’t know him.

Therefore, I would consider it an honor if you would revoke my security clearance as well, so I can add my name to the list of men and women who have spoken up against your presidency.

Like most Americans, I had hoped that when you became president, you would rise to the occasion and become the leader this great nation needs.

A good leader tries to embody the best qualities of his or her organization. A good leader sets the example for others to follow. A good leader always puts the welfare of others before himself or herself.

Your leadership, however, has shown little of these qualities. Through your actions, you have embarrassed us in the eyes of our children, humiliated us on the world stage and, worst of all, divided us as a nation.

If you think for a moment that your McCarthy-era tactics will suppress the voices of criticism, you are sadly mistaken. The criticism will continue until you become the leader we prayed you would be.

Thank you Admiral for so eloquently echoing the sentiments of many-myself included!

Again, I believe that President Donald J. Trump has shown throughout his presidency that he is unfit for office. Much of this is captured on videotapes from his inauguration through the present day. He lies incessantly, has embraced our enemies and alienated our friends. He has no respect for the rule of law. He corrupts and compromises the integrity of many of those who dare work for him. He has no moral boundaries and oftentimes doesn’t exhibit the proper decorum. He lacks a sufficient working understanding of domestic and international issues and refuses to become a “student” of national and international affairs. He constantly disrespects others, including our friends and allies abroad.

Many have characterized Mr. Trump as being divisive, misogynistic, and racist. When you consider Charlottesville, the Central Park Five, Trump’s reneging on DACA, his inciting followers to violence at his rallies, his denunciation of Hispanic Judge Curiel, the Matt Lauer interview (in which he likened the horrible atrocities of Putin to those of Obama), and the infamous Billy Bush Tape, you have a few prime examples of his divisive, misogynistic, and racist nature, which help to highlight his unfitness for office.

Again, Trump is unfit for office! He does not embody the best of America or its age-old values, which have historically been respected, tested, and trusted around the world!  We need to register our disapproval of Trump and his platform at the ballot box come November, 2018, and beyond. I’ll see you there!

Some Reasons Why Many Americans Do Not Support Donald J. Trump

He is a demonstrated liar.

He divides Americans against each other.

He disrespects people, including our allies.

He does not adhere to the traditional protocols of the Office of the President.

He falsely calls the media “the enemy of the people”.

He creates and lives in an “alternate reality”, where “facts” don’t exist unless they’re “pro-Trump”.

He pretends to care for his base but he cares primarily for himself.

He “plays” his supporters and all Americans.

He admires totalitarians and dictators.

He oftentimes “exaggerates” achievements, etc. , in lieu of his usual outright lies.

He treats women as objects for his selfish sensual pleasure.

He doesn’t honestly respect women and oftentimes demeans them.

He creates political and social fights specifically designed to gain media attention and earn “political points” from his base.

He claims to be patriotic but he is not. Patriots try to unite Americans, not divide them.

He embarrasses America at home and abroad with his impulsive actions and crass attitude.

He embraces and promotes Russia and Putin for some reason(s) we don’t understand.

He alienates our allies.

He caters to his base, and to hell with the rest of Americans.

He has a history as a womanizer and adulterer.

He has been accused of sexual and physical abuse.

He is labeled a possible draft dodger based on his supposed history of “bone spurs”.

He has exhibited such behavior that he has been termed a braggart, a narcissist, and a racist.

Comments:

Trump has a mesmerizing effect on some segments of the population, and at his “rallies” he exploits this to the hilt. He loves to hear them chant “Trump, Trump, Trump” as he whips them into a frenzy. However, sadly, Trump could care less about these people. They are just “puppets and props”-a means to an end for him.

Trump started out with many friends and associates.  He heaped praise on them at every turn. Many of these friends and associates have dropped off, one-by-one.

Jeff Sessions was among the first of the well-known Congresspersons to publicly support Trump at the onset of his campaign. He helped Trump win the election and became Trump’s Attorney General. 

After honorably recusing himself from the Mueller Investigation due to perceived “conflicts of interest”, Mr. Sessions has been routinely and publicly humiliated by Trump, who was not satisfied with his recusal.

It is known that Trump wanted Sessions to stay active in the Mueller Investigation to basically “protect” him from Mueller. After his recusal, Trump continually tried to humiliate Sessions into “quitting” as AG, but Sessions, rightfully, didn’t quit.

Trump courted Tennessee Senator, Bob Corker as a possible candidate for a job in his Administration. Now Corker is one of his worse enemies.

Michael Cohen was Trump’s trusted “fixer” and “personal” attorney who once said he “would take a bullet” for Trump. Now they don’t even talk to each other nor refer to each other in the “glowing” terms of the past. With Trump, one day you’re a friend and confidante, the next day you’re the worse person on earth.

Donald Trump uses you, sometimes abuses you-then he dumps you. That’s the Trump way. He apparently feels that the only entity that he has to show any allegiance to is his so-called “base”. He understands that it is his “base” that makes him “viable” and keeps him in the political game as a leader with political “clout”.

Trump rules as it he has a mandate from the people. However, it should be remembered that Trump never earned a “mandate” from the people. Hillary Clinton garnered about 3 million more popular votes than he did.  Had it not been for the outdated Electoral College, Ms. Clinton would have been our president. However, even with the Electoral College in play, other factors, like Comey, WikiLeaks, and Russia, may well have tipped the scale in Trump’s direction. We can never quantify what influence these factors had on the election, but given the questionable nature of his win, Trump should be “walking on eggshells” right now so he doesn’t offend the people who did not vote for him-the majority of Americans!  However, Trump doesn’t care about that. He is determined to play this presidency thing, the Trump way, for all it’s worth.

As a master manipulator and showman of excellence, Trump will pull any lever he can to reach his own selfish ends. He has convinced his base that they have been historically wronged and he is their “once-in-a-lifetime” benevolent savior. They are committed to following him wherever he leads them.

Many Trump followers can’t articulate his foreign or domestic agenda, but they will tell you that he has a plan and a strategy, and when he initiates them, the world will understand their faith in him. They trust in him, and no outsider can change that. However, for others, no tax break, or agenda, or any other Trump perk, is worth giving up their traditional American values for.  We’re beginning to see that at the ballot boxes across the nation where citizens appear to be pushing back on the Trump platform.  There are many indications that that will continue. Let’s hope so! See you at the ballot box!

Trump: Liar-in-Chief

Lies, lies, and more lies; large lies, small lies. This is a problem that America unfortunately is faced with under the leadership of Mr. Trump. The ability to trust an ally has to be a major concern of allies who, in times of crises, form partnerships in order to accomplish their mutual interests.

If there were to be a crisis, how could our allies trust what Trump promises or says? At the recent Helsinki Summit, in answer to a journalist’s question regarding the culpable party in the election attack, Trump said, “I don’t see any reason why it would be Russia”. The next day, he said that what he meant to say was, “I don’t see any reason why it wouldn’t be Russia.” Despite having several staffers with him (who were in the position to correct any erroneous statements immediately after the speech, or on AF One) the “misstatement” was not corrected until about 24 hours later. The response was made due the furor in the USA and abroad over the peculiar statement. When partnering with allies on an international concern, you can’t say: “I commit 50,000 troops to this important initiative”, only to “walk it back” at the time of delivery saying, “Well I meant to say 5,000, not 50,000.” That doesn’t work. When leaders speak publicly, especially on the world stage, their words must well thought-out and precise. Furthermore, important speeches should be reviewed before delivery, and after, in order to insure that it was delivered exactly as intended. Many believe it is possible that the Trump speech was delivered as intended, but conveniently “corrected” after the public uproar.

The majority of American citizens know that Trump is a pathological liar and the poster boy for extreme narcissism. These are not the preferable traits for an American president.

Some eighteen months into the Trump Administration, we have been lucky because there hasn’t been a major crisis requiring our teaming up with allies to confront the issue.

Besides his history of lying at every turn, Mr. Trump has shown a cruel disrespect for some of our key allies, like Angela Merkle, Justin Trudeau, and Elizabeth May, representing Germany, Canada, and England, respectively. Further complicating the Trump issue is the fact that Trump is a subject and perhaps a target in the Mueller Investigation. Given the current news-of-the-day, the possibility that the Trump Campaign, the Trump Administration, or Mr. Trump himself,  colluded or conspired with Russia with respect to our last Presidential Election appears more-and-more probable as each day passes.

In addition to the truth issues regarding Trump, there are several lawsuits pending against him and it is possible that more will follow. Therefore, Trump and his presidency are in a precarious condition at best.

Trump’s lies go a long way to divide America, especially along racial lines. He also alienates the press with such false statements as “the press is the enemy of the people”. He says that you can’t trust the intelligence community, and other government entities, but you can trust him. He sounds more and more like some totalitarian dictator rallying the citizenry, than the head of the most successful democracy on earth. His words are very dangerous and divisive, and I am not exaggerating!

Trump’s demonstrated allegiance to Mr. Putin is hard for many to understand, especially in the aftermath of Russia’s 2016 election crimes perpetrated against the USA. Yet, Trump continues to embrace Putin and denigrate our traditional allies. Many are asking, “What gives”?  

Trump’s strange deference to Mr. Putin was dramatically demonstrated at the Helsinki Debacle in July. The Helsinki Debacle show cased Trump kowtowing to Putin on the world stage. Trump suggests that he wants to get along with Russia because together, the US and Russia holds 90% of the world’s nuclear capability. Without definitively saying so, Trump seems to be trying to conjure up the image that an association with Russia cushions us against a possible nuclear catastrophe.

Trump likes to say that America is the “laughing stock of the world”, but fails to recognize that this is because of him. Trump has brought pathological lying to a new high, and America to a new low.

We can go on forever talking about Trump’s lies and misdeeds, but suffice it to say that Trump must be replaced by a capable person of vision, who possesses high morals and unquestionable honesty.  We don’t need another “Liar-in-Chief” with dictatorial tendencies. See you at the ballot box!