Trump at CPAC

Not a day goes by that I am not repulsed by this country’s president and his administration. Even today, so far and surprisingly, despite the fact there were no new scandals. That’s not to say that any of the previous, core scandals have been resolved or gone away magically. But, today (again, so far) no new scandals to report. However, Trump is giving his typical election speech at CPAC this morning and I am repulsed by watching both him and the crowd of Juggalos cheering him on.

For anyone who's new to my blog, I am a liberal with an education in social work so I am, by all accounts, a tolerant and non-judgemental person. I am an open-minded individual who realizes that diversity and differences makes for strength and progress. But, while listening to Trump give his speech I found myself saying aloud, “He is such an applause whore.” I don’t like to be judgmental nor do I like being judged by others, yet I find myself (at least) sounding as if I'm judgemental towards this narrow-minded, backward thinking president, his staff and his base. 

All I saw today while watching Trump speak to a crowd of “Jethro’s” was a man seeking applause and approval from a safe crowd – his supporters. All I saw in the crowd (with the exception of two or three people) were a bunch of “Jethro’s.” You remember the television series, “The Beverly Hillbillies,” right? Well, if you’re familiar with that show you’re familiar with the character “Jethro.” Jethro was the extremely stupid nephew of “Jed Clampett” who struck oil while shooting at a “varmint.” Yeah, the show was about a family of hillbillies who found fortune from the luck of “shooting at some food.”

So today, while watching Trump relive his campaign by giving a reproduction of his former campaign speeches to a group of people who were shown on camera from time to time, all I got out of this waste of time was “Trump is an applause whore” and “he’s talking to a bunch of Jethro’s.” Oh yeah, there was one other message that was conveyed to me by his speech. That was, “He’s taking us backwards.” That thought came when he started preaching about bringing back coal mining jobs. Of course, when he made that statement he was met with a standing ovation. What do you expect from a bunch of Jethro’s?

Maybe that's part of why I am so repulsed whenever I see him speaking to his base with his closed-minded rhetoric to a group of closed-minded individuals. He, his staff and base (Juggalos) are all the epitome of what was wrong in the past, is wrong now but will (hopefully) be wiped out of existence in the future as far as "social issues" and "society" is concerned. We had enjoyed an eight year victory where progress had been achieved in so many social areas that had previously been unattainable. After so much progress had been achieved we find ourselves going backwards instead of forward and that is always the wrong direction for every aspect of humanity. 

His fanatical views founded upon religion and "nationalism" (cough **bullshit - racist** cough) are outdated and have proven to be destructive rather than constructive. So, yeah, I guess I am making a judgement, calling bull shit, or forming my educated opinion based upon analysis of his words and actions. Frankly, I don't care how anyone perceives what I am saying about this guy - this so-called president - his staff or his base (Juggalos). I know what I see whenever I watch his actions and I know what I hear whenever I listen to his words and none of it is good for anyone who is trying to strive for progress. 

Progress in the way we treat each other. Progress with the way we respect and appreciate the planet. Progress with every aspect of being human beings on a living planet that provides all aspects of life for every form of life upon her. Going backwards instead of forwards only ensures that life for us, the planet and all other life upon her will end sooner rather than later. Especially if he follows through with initiating another nuclear arms race. For fuck's sake man, we have better technology than that now. There is no need to engage in upping the ante of nukes trying to outbid Russia - a country led by a man who's a legitimate psychopath. You can't reason with crazy and if crazy is trying to reason with crazy then that is not a solution of less crazy it is a solution that equals crazy squared.

My advice to Trump is stop campaigning – you already won. Do start governing and do so fast. I know it’s way outside your comfort zone, but it is what you signed up to do so do it. You may have the Jethro’s of this country fooled but, let’s face it, that’s not a hard thing to accomplish. It’s much like convincing your cat that your hand that you’re moving underneath the sheets is “prey.” For that matter, it’s like convincing your cat that a piece of cloth tied to the end of a shoestring is prey. For those of you who have never had cats, believe me when I say that getting a cat to attack either of those two things is the easiest task in the world.

Trump's Chaos

The “so-called” president of the U.S. has created so much chaos within such a short time. We all knew this would happen. Those who supported him believe it’s because he’s keeping his promise of “draining the swamp” and “shaking up the system.” Those of us who are sane realize it’s because he hasn’t a clue of how to govern and that governing the most powerful nation in the world isn’t like the celebrity apprentice. It’s difficult and the media will report facts. So, for a man who continually refers to factual media as “fake news” and fake news as factual media this is a tough time.

This is a man who won because of the massive ignorance and enormous frustration with the difficulty of making ends meet. The cost of living rises higher and faster than wages. We, the sane, know that when he says, “I inherited a mess,” he is full of shit. Sorry for the vulgarity, but this man is vulgar. He is not presidential. He is not sane. He is not in touch with reality. Those are facts. There are numerous ways to verify those facts – just watch what he says at any given moment. You don’t have to have a degree in psychology to know that this man is not right in the head. Because if he truly believes the things he says he is insane. If he knows he is full of shit every time he opens his mouth – he’s pathological with his attempts to lie.

He did not inherit a mess. He inherited an economy that had been turned around by his predecessor; a real president. President Obama inherited a mess. Trump inherited a pristine, clear water lake. Then he came in and dropped a boulder of petrified shit into the center; himself. That ripple effect has created a mess and he is to blame. He continually refers to his campaign victory at the most inappropriate times when asked questions about serious issues that have nothing to do with the number of electoral votes he won. That is insane. His inappropriateness and detachment from reality is insane. His hatred for any news organization who reports the truth is insane.

I find myself wanting to tune out everything now. I find myself wanting to disconnect from watching this circus because it’s just too much. I feel terrible for the real journalists and news anchors who have to cover his minute-by-minute, shit show. There isn’t enough Valium, Xanax or Ativan in the world to help them nor me during this disharmonious and dysfunctional time in U.S. history. But before I take my sabbatical I want to point out something that speaker of the house Ryan said today during his press conference about repealing the ACA. Paul Ryan said something that we’ve all been speculating about for a while and his saying it makes me believe there’s no need to speculate. Either that or he’s trying to cover up the mess that Trump is making so quickly.

Paul Ryan told a reporter (and I’m paraphrasing because I didn’t DVR the interview) something to the effect of “we’ll do this and then there will be more chaos that you guys will have to report about.” Again, that isn’t verbatim because I didn’t record the interview. But think about the fact that he was announcing repealing the Affordable Care Act while being asked a battery of questions about the Flynn debacle. When he made that comment I remembered two days ago when the news was breaking about General Flynn’s resignation. Speaker Ryan and a bunch of his republican comrades were giving a press conference to announce the repeal of Obamacare. There were three or four republican congressmen that were speaking about taking away healthcare for millions of Americans followed by Paul Ryan wrapping up the announcement and as soon as he started taking questions he was hit with nothing about the repeal of Obamacare. Not one question about the fact that millions of people will lose their health care coverage without a replacement.

Yes, you read that right. The “ticker-tape” underneath their faces that was broadcast on television said, “congress moving to repeal ACA.” I listened to every one of them make their statement and not one of them said a thing about a replacement. I was stunned with the thought of a repeal only move and thought to myself that this freak show taking place with Flynn is a gift to the GOP who has taken heat in their districts for wanting to repeal Obamacare. I live in one of the reddest states in the country; Utah. Jason Chaffetz (one of many here in Utah I hate) was met with heavy protests and anger at a recent town hall where they were protesting the repeal of the ACA. Do you know how happy the GOP is with the amount of crazy coming out of the White House right now?

I am here today to remind people to “keep your eye on the ball.” I know that it’s like trying to keep your eye on one, particular gum ball within the gumball machine to see if it is the one that drops down the shoot when you put your quarter in and turn the knob right now. But pick one issue and focus people. However, with the numerous number of very, important issues it is hard to pick one. So, maybe, pick your top five. The average human being can retain five things within their short-term memory. Once a person memorizes five by repetition those five things will penetrate into the long-term memory of the brain. Once the initial five issues have entered into the long-term (permanent) memory you can pick five more. But only after you have permanently memorized the first five issues most important to you. 

Things you don’t want trump to destroy (like healthcare, the environment, public education, women's choice, civil rights, etal). In my opinion, we should be pursuing the release of his tax information, investigating illegal and impeachable offenses regarding Flynn as well as the numerous ways in which there can be (and likely has been) pay-for-play/conflicts of interest type offenses via the businesses in which he hasn't divested. 

Then we need to continue to bombard our congressmen and senators with calls, letters and email as well as showing up to townhalls. We all need to unite and send the GOP home in 2018 (just like we did in 2006). We need to unite with our demands for the investigations making it, perfectly, clear to legislative republicans that they need to follow through with these investigations - if not for us - for their own self-preservation. Those of us on the left have always known that the GOP doesn't have any real care or concern for "us," the citizens who make up the 95-99% of those who aren't wealthy. Their care, which is shown with their policies, is for corporations, lobbyists and the wealthiest one to five percent. They talk a good game to their voters because their voters believe things that are just not true. Their voters watch Fox News, listen to Rush Limbaugh and believe fake news stories passed along social networking sites like Facebook, Google+ and Twitter (mostly the first two).

Let's face it America, the only reason that the GOP has united behind Trump is because they believe they will be able to use his (obvious) ignorance about how government works along with his narcissism (by giving him constant praise) in order to make him their puppet. It's this delusion of the majority of congressional and senate republicans that has brought upon their sudden approval of a man that they despised (openly) until he was elected. 

Let's keep up the resistance. Let's use our voices to ensure this "so-called" president is impeached. Then let's take back the House and Senate in 2018 and the White House in 2020. We may not be able to change the minds of conservative voters because they are made up of a populous that denies science, facts, believes lies as truth and are (primarily) closed-minded individuals who believe things like sexual preference is a choice, etc. But do not despair about the fact that you can't have an intelligent argument with the ignorant or that you can't reason with crazy. We, the Democrats (liberals and progressives) make up the majority of the population. Also, every generation (for the most part) improves in intelligence and open-mindedness. The Baby-Boomers were more liberal than their parents. The Gen Xers were more liberal than the Baby-Boomers. The Millennials - more liberal than Gen Xers (and so on and so on it goes).

It's because of each generation progressing and surpassing its predecessor that we were able to make so much progress with the rights of the LGBTQ community and the legalization of (first) medical marijuana and (then) recreational marijuana. It's sad that it took the civil rights movement so long to progress, but it did eventually (although there are still areas in demand of more progress in the areas of racism and equal rights/equal pay for women and minorities). Also, it's very disheartening that the progress made for the LGBTQ community has regressed, which many of us expected to happen with the confirmation of Jeff Sessions. 

That's why it is so important to send our message loud and clear to the legislative republicans that their jobs are on the chopping block if they continue to go along with this unpresidential president's agenda and if they don't act quickly with the multiple investigations and hearings they should be conducting. Investigations and hearings that will inevitably impeach this "so-called" president. Investigations and hearings they would already be conducting if Hillary Clinton was the president refusing to release tax returns, divest, placing a political analyst in her security council and having a national security advisor entangled with Russia as well as having won her presidency due to hacking that she instigated by a foreign government; Russia.

Trump knew about Flynn Talking to Russia

I just heard a question to the president from MSNBC reporter, Kristen Welker. She asked him (the president) if he directed Flynn to talk to Russia about the sanctions and, if not, is that why he (Flynn) was fired and he said, “No I didn’t. I fired him for what he said to Mike Pence…” He went on to say that he could have talked to Russia and other countries, “Mike was doing his job,” and it “would have been okay with me.” Then he said, “I would have directed him to talk to them if he wasn’t talking to them.” Did you catch that? He just answered that he didn’t know that Flynn had talked to Russia immediately following with “I would have directed him to do it if I thought he wasn’t doing it.”

“If I thought he wasn’t doing it.” He didn’t direct him to talk to Russia, but he would have directed him if he thought (knew) he wasn’t talking to Russia. Do you see what I’m saying, rather, do you see what the president just said? That means he knew that Flynn was talking to them. He either directed Flynn to talk with Russia or he knew that Flynn had talked to them about the sanctions. He just admitted it on television. Rewind that tape MSNBC. Rewind that press conference and watch (all the way through) when Kristen asks her question and the president answers. Watch the entire answer and his face and body language in “real time” as it was aired on television to the American public. He lied to Kristen and to America – that is the answer. You have it on tape.

Frankly, the entire press conference was a freak show and was terrible. You could see how disorganized and chaotic and (often) combative this so-called president presents himself. I was, further, stunned when another reporter (April Ryan who happens to be black) about the CBC being included in conversations with respect to inner-cities… He said to her, “are you going to set up the meeting?” It’s not only what he said, but how he said that (very) insulting question to this reporter that blew my mind. This man (as I’ve said all along) is not presidential. He is not cut out for this job and he is unhinged. If the GOP were smart, at all, they would quit trying to think of him as their puppet and start working with Democrats to investigate him. I guarantee they will find enough evidence to impeach this man soon if it doesn’t exist already. I believe it exists already.

I included the YouTube video of that press conference. Unfortunately, the video has a lot of ads. But, what's worse is the fact that I couldn't find MSNBC's version so you can't see Kristen standing up with a microphone asking her question. It's not the same quality as what I saw broadcast on air by MSNBC. This version seems to have been edited and (likely) posted by either a member of the Trump Insane Clown Posse or by the Trump team itself. That is why I am imploring NBC to release their version of the conference. I want everyone to see (and catch) what I saw very clearly. Keep in mind that I've had a lot of professional and personal experience with "reading people" and catching liars. I wish I would have been in that room so I could have called him on his shit.

Disgust is all I Feel Today

The level of crazy, inappropriate and unethical moves that the “so-called” president of the U.S. has displayed in his first three weeks is an assault on every citizen of this nation. He is supposed to represent the American people and, although his behavior may represent a portion of our population it (most certainly) does not represent me nor the majority of the people within the U.S. He isn’t just an assault upon the persona of president he is an insult to everyone who is ethical, has strong morals and values, is intelligent and sane or all others who aren’t deplorable.

Everyone who paid attention to this man’s unhinged behavior during the election (including myself) knew he would be an absolute disaster if elected president. I hoped to be wrong and happy rather than be right and miserable, but as with every time I watch the news and hear the anchor or interviewee say, “We hope” or “I hope,” I say back to them, “put hope in one hand and a pile of shit in the other then tell me which hand is heavier.” Do you know how disturbing it is for me, a Spiritual Advisor with an education in social work and counseling, to say something that fatalistic in tone? When is this clown going to realize the awesome and serious nature of his job to lead America and quit treating the presidency like a fucking reality television horror show?

I am beyond disgusted. Equally as disturbing as the “Clown in Chief” is everyone supporting this train-wreck of human indecency. That means everyone in the White House (Kellyanne “the woman every other woman and man would like to punch in the face” Conway etal), all the republicans in the House and Senate (Mitch “the human turtle from Bugs Bunny” McConnell and Paul Ryan etal) and every person who voted for this man. Yes, those of you who saw his unpresidential behavior during the primaries and said, “I don’t like him” then voted for him anyway (my parents, etal).

I want everyone to stop lying to themselves, right now, and deal with the reality that this man will never be presidential. He will never do the right thing for everyone in this country. He will always focus on the stupid, irrelevant, little things and abuse his power at every opportunity to do so. For God’s sake people – he hasn’t (and will never) shown his tax returns nor has he completely divested from his companies. The republicans in D.C. need to stop calling the rest of the country “sore losers” and realize that we aren’t screaming because we lost – we’re screaming because he won; the reality television guy and cyber-bully. Yes, we’re pissed off because he’s doing exactly what we knew he’d be doing with the most important job in the world. It’s time to stop making excuses for his deplorable behavior and impeach the insane-clown along with his entire posse.

Every republican in the House and Senate needs to do the right thing right now or realize that they will lose their seat in the next election – period. Also, since the Electoral College was designed to prevent stupid people from choosing who became president and this election’s results, clearly, showed that it accomplished the exact opposite, when the Democrats regain control they need to do away with the Electoral College. Never again should the majority of the populous be determined by the insane, ignorant and/or hateful minority.

In closing, since Kellyanne likes to throw out inappropriately unethical (and immoral) statements promoting a billionaires' brand during news interviews I would like to match her in kind by taking off my armor of morality and invite her to meet with me in person. (Now I'm speaking to her directly.) You can sit with that smug grin on your face that says, “I have no moral fiber, no ethics or personal values whatsoever. Yes, I would (and likely did) get down on my knees for a high-profile position in the White House. Even if it meant shaking hands with and blowing the devil – as long as I got what I wanted it’s worth ruining everyone else’s existence because I’m more important than everyone else.” While you sit there smiling I will let you see the absolute disgust in my face. The look that says, “If I was a piece of shit like you I would reach across the table and choke the living, shitass grin right off your face and smile as I saw the light leave your soulless eyes.” Oh, yes, and have a blessed day.

SNL was Reading My Mind; See for Yourself

I awoke yesterday morning to the sound of my son laughing out loud. Then I left my bed and went into the room where he was sitting, watching the YouTube video of Melissa McCarthy's, grand-slam performance on SNL the previous night. It was Divine Coincidence that, also, at that same moment I looked up at the television screen to see a tiny snippet of McCarthy's "punch in the face" to Sean Spicer. Call it what you will - but (in my life with all I've experienced) even coincidence masks the fate that occurs on a daily basis. Don't get hung up on my description of what, literally, happened when I awoke to my boy laughing at the YouTube video I've placed within this post (below). Just watch the video I'm posting and realize that I posted my commentary about Spicer's press conference last Tuesday. Then, if you haven't read that "opinion" (rant) post I created four days prior to this SNL skit in the video below, watch the video then scroll down and read the post from Tuesday. McCarthy is great!