December 3, 2019

I'm off work today and seeing news that 45 is once again bringing shame on our country, attacking our allies, attacking our constitution, and being the best puppet Putin could have ever dreamed of. Useful idiots like 45 don't come along every day.

I know 45 makes us all (except his crazed, cult-like followers) ashamed, but just focus on the fact that there is an impeachment inquiry underway and he certainly will be impeached in the House. Hopefully, he will be removed by the Senate, but if not, at least history will show that many of our elected representatives tried to preserve and save our constitution and rule of law. At least history will now show that we, America, went down fighting.

"Dad, do not worry. I will be fine for telling the truth."

I have to express my feelings re Lieutenant Vindman’s heart stopping testimony yesterday at the impeachment hearing.

My personal backdrop for yesterday is that it was a cosmic day for me: an important mile marker, my last every-three-months-for-two-years check-up with the gynecologic oncologist about my 2017 ovarian cancer. My last chemo was October of 2017, so it has now been two years and, so far, so miraculous: I’m fine! Everything looks great, and now we transition to me only going to the doctor every six months to get checked out (CA125 blood test, and check-up with the oncologist), for the next three years. I’m so grateful to be here!  As my mom would say, "Thank God we're this far!"

And so it was that, yesterday, instead of being at work as I normally would have been when the impeachment hearings got underway, I was at home, getting ready to go to the doctor (went to work after the appointment, never fear). I was able to catch just the very beginning of Lieutenant Vindman’s opening statement. As I stood up, reluctantly, to turn off the TV and head out the door, and walked up to the TV to put the remote down next to it, I was suddenly riveted in place by what he said as I did so. I froze, and my heart leapt into my throat. Tears came into my eyes.

Lieutenant Vindman came here as a toddler, when his 47-year-old dad made the decision to leave his home, his country, the Soviet Union, so that his children could live free. As I stood there, inches from the TV screen, about to turn it off, Lieutenant Vindman suddenly stopped my heart: “Dad,” he said, “you made the right decision coming here. Do not worry. I will be fine for telling the truth.”

Tears filled my eyes. As they do again just typing that: Dad, don’t worry. I will be fine for telling the truth.

He is now under extreme threat from 45’s despicable, cult-like, hateful, mob-mentality, McCarthyesque followers. I don’t even refer to them as “supporters” anymore.  No, as of this second, I only call them "followers":  they are blind, hateful followers. They don’t think for themselves. Whatever hateful, dehumanizing, violence-inciting dog whistle 45 and/or Fox News (a.k.a. 45’s propaganda arm) blow, they follow. They are definitely like a cult at this point. Voluntarily brainwashed.  The dog whistle gets blown, and they instantly bare their ugly fangs and attack.

Lieutenant Vindman is a patriot, who has dedicated his entire life to serving the United States of America. He has a purple heart. Yet he is being demonized by these rabid Trumpsters and threatened, as is the whistleblower, and other brave patriots. Lieutenant Vindman’s words, in the face of all that, to me, encompass everything about what we are going through as a country right now, and everything that we ARE as a country: "Do not worry, Dad. I will be fine for telling the truth."

And there you have what this whole thing is about.  There you have what is important, what is worth being brave for, what is worth standing up for, what America really is: our constitution, our rule of law. Lieutenant Vindman (and I) have faith in it. The constitution and the rule of law will win. Our republic, our democracy, will win.  The lawless fascist in the White House and his truly despicable followers will not. That said, I am scared of their hate. I’m scared for Lieutenant Vindman. I’m scared for Rachel Maddow. I’m scared for the Whistleblower. I’m scared for my dear Muslim co-worker and her family. I’m scared for myself when I sit in my liberal church on Sundays. We are in scary times, when the POTUS encourages, incites and leads with hate. But, do not worry, Dad. We’ll be fine for telling the truth. Though I am scared for brave individuals, and groups targeted by the disgusting POTUS and his perhaps even more terrifying followers, I have faith in our founders, and the wise, awesome and strong groundwork they laid.  I have faith that, as a country, in the end, we WILL be fine, Dad. We will be fine for telling the truth.

God bless you, Lieutenant Vindman, and all of the other brave, patriotic witnesses who complied with their subpoenas, showed up and told the truth, and will continue to do so.  America will indeed be fine, due to our constitution and rule of law, our free press, and courageous patriots like you and all of us who continue to stand up to this President, and for what America really is.

Wake Up, Trumpsters: 45 is 100% Owned By Putin

Unlike the role he PLAYED on "The Apprentice", the real 45 was and is a terrible businessperson. No bank would give him a loan to bail him out of his many bankruptcies. Yet he mysteriously kept getting money--substantial sums, vasts sums, of money--and now won't show his tax returns. Let me spell this out for anyone who has not been dialed in to the actual news for the past few years as I have (if you were, for example, if you watch The Rachel Maddow Show, you would know all the substantive evidence out there on this that is the size of Mount Everest): Putin put money into 45, correctly pegging him as a useful idiot. Putin owns 45. 45 is doing Putin's bidding in the White House, NOT what is in the best interest of the United States of America.

For example, this whole Ukraine thing that has led to the House finally starting long overdue impeachment proceedings was, I'm 100% convinced, orchestrated by Vlad. 45 didn't come up with this on his own. Pressuring Ukraine, of all countries, to go on mike and say that Russia didn't interfere in the 2016 elections (the news media is not focusing on THAT part of the ask enough: yes, 45 also illegally held up money approved by Congress for Ukraine on the condition that Ukraine go on mike and say that they are investigating a political opponent of 45, but he asked them to state that Russia didn't interfere in the 2016 election. Who benefits from him getting Ukraine to say that lie? Is that in the best security interests of the USA? To deny the fact that our election integrity was interfered with by an enemy foreign power? Whose PR interest is getting Ukraine to say that in? Whose interest has it been in for 45 to consistently deny Russian interference in the 2016 election ever since it happened? Certainly not ours.
No: RUSSIA'S.

This is all Putin. The entire Trumpocalypse, all of it, this whole almost-three-years: it's all Vlad. Except for the incitement of xenophobia and hate. That's the only part that comes naturally to 45. Everything else he does is as a puppet, the strings of which are controlled by the fascist, murderous head of a fascist, oligarchic, enemy country.

Somehow, the Republicans are okay with this. All my life, they shouted "I'd rather be dead than red!" and jeered at all of us on the left, calling us "commies". To this day, they are trying to elicit old, cold war and post-cold war scare tactics toward Bernie Sanders and those of us who support him by calling us "socialists" and conveniently leavings out the "democratic" ahead of that. "Socialist", when screamed by the Right in the USA, is code for "communist": Soviet-style communism.

Yet it is 45, The Republicans' chosen one, who actually IS a puppet of ex-KGB and current fascist head of Russia, Vladimir Putin. Follow the money. Follow 45's actions. Connect all the plethora of dots that are out there and that have already formed themselves into a clearly pixelated picture.

Twitter version: PUTIN OWNS TRUMP. The sooner those of you who haven't figured that out yet do, the better for our republic. And for those of you who have, yet turn a blind eye to him for whatever disgusting reason(s) you have, you are complicit. Complicit with treason. Complicit with a POTUS who kidnaps babies and puts them in cages in for-profit concentration camps. Complicit with a POTUS who is lawless and incites hate and violence on a daily basis. I could go on but I'll just say you are COMPLICIT.

Wake up, Trumpsters. Wake the bleep up. Before it is too late for our country.

45: The Puppet Show From Hell

Folks, no one seems to be saying it, stating the obvious, so I will: when it comes to 45’s now rightly infamous, impeachment-inquiry-triggering Ukraine call, I think it was all orchestrated by 45’s puppet master: Vladimir Putin. Think about it: strong-arming the Ukraine into somehow producing faux dirt on 45’s possible 2020 opponent *AND* telling them to produce faux evidence that shows Russia didn’t interfere in 2016’s election. Who does this benefit most? PUTIN!!! And now, 45 suddenly pulling the US out of Syria, totally abandoning the Kurds, our allies, and benefiting Assad: whose interests does that align with? Those of PUTIN!!!

Of all the news stories, op-eds and television punditry I’ve been absorbing like a sponge since the whistleblower’s story broke and now, since 45 decided to pull us out of Syria as of yesterday, I’m not seeing or hearing ONE journalist just SAY IT: 45 didn’t come up with these things on his own, people: Putin is pulling the strings and making his puppet dance!

Many have pointed out during the past three years that 45 is compromised, under Putin’s control, yet for some reason, no one in the news media, at least not that I have seen, is saying it specifically and clearly right now about those two things: the Ukraine call and surrounding entire situation, leading up to it and afterward, and this latest horror show of pulling out of Syria suddenly, abandoning our Kurdish allies and basically giving new life to ISIS. None of that is in the interests of the United States of America. All of that is treasonous because 45 is acting as the puppet of an enemy foreign power, precisely against the interests of the United States and our allies.

I have seen it said today that 45 pulling us out of Syria benefits Putin. I have not seen it said that he did it AT THE INSTRUCTION OF Putin, yet it is so crystal clear to me that he did, just as the whole Ukraine situation must have come from Vlad. 45 wouldn’t think of those things on his own.  Oh, he'd initiate a wild goose chase to dig up non-existent dirt on an opponent, for sure--that's classic 45--but via the Ukraine, via strong-arming them?  And including in said strong-arming that they should somehow clear Russia of interfering in our 2016 election's integrity?  That's got VLAD written all over it, baby.

And this Syria pull-out?  That's all Vlad, too.

I’m not saying 45 isn’t crazy—clearly he is a sociopathic, unhinged mercenary within the construct of a malignant narcissist’s personality. I've been shouting that from the rooftop to anyone who will listen since 2015.  But I am saying that all of these actions are not just things that he up and did on a whim, or even on what passes for something that he thought through. I am saying, point blank, that if we scratch the surface of any of this, it will be Vladimir Putin’s face that we see beaming back at us. When you look at all the “crazy” things 45 does through the lens of him being Putin’s utterly compromised puppet, IT ALL MAKES SENSE.

As I have written many times before, 45 is a clear and present danger to our constitution, rule of law, separation of powers, free press, rights and our very democracy and republic. I am so very grateful and heartened that my Democratic Party has finally opened a formal impeachment inquiry, and I just pray that they move with all deliberate speed because, as the walls close in, 45 is becoming more and more dangerous, more and more putting the “clear and present” in “clear and present danger”. He’s got to go: it’s his presidency or the United States of America that we love—both cannot survive, so we have to choose. I am rooting with all my heart and soul for my country, the United States of America, and all that we truly stand for.

Impeaching 45 is not about party, it is about country.

Okay, where, where, where, oh dear God WHERE to start on the jaw-droppingly infuriating, sad, frankly scary (we have GOT to get this man out of the office of POTUS, asap), incredible, sickening news conference I just witnessed 45 give?

Oh, I know!

Infuriating and Outrageous Item Numero Uno:

He kept saying that this is all a Democratic "witch hunt" because we are so terrified of losing the upcoming election, we have to impeach and remove him. Um, let me update you on something, 45: *every* poll out there shows *every* major candidate in the Democratic field of same beating your rhymes-with-bass definitively in the upcoming 2020 election. If any of us--our leaders, or Democratic voters out here in the electorate who also are AMERICAN CITIZENS FIRST--were acting on a purely partisan basis, we would NOT, not, not, not, not, not, not, not, not, not, not, not, not, not, not, not, not, not, not, not, not, not, not, not, not, not, not, not, not, not, not, not, not, not, not, not, not, not, not, not, not, not, not, not, not, not, not, not, not, not, not, not, not, not, not, not, not, not, not, not, not want to impeach you! I myself would love to run against you! My platform? Two words: Not Trump!

This isn't about party, this is about saving our rule of law and our very country from you!

As for all the many, many other points I could make re your terrifyingly unhinged press conference, I will let them all speak for themselves. I will say this, though: the only people who still support you are the voluntarily brainwashed members of your cult, fueled by the constant pro-you propaganda and unsubstantiated conspiracy theories of Fox "News".

You, non-sir, are going DOWN. And you clearly know it. You know what you looked and came across like in your little presser there? A very rattled cornered rat who knows he's cornered.

Bye bye, 45. You're done.

Thank you, Speaker Pelosi

Email sent to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi this afternoon by moi:

"I just want to profoundly THANK YOU for doing your duty by starting a formal impeachment inquiry re our current POTUS. By doing so, you are fighting for our constitution, rule of law, and democracy. I have sent you several emails and phone messages in recent months, passionately asking you to do this, so now that you have, I had to take just a moment out of my busy day to say thank you, Speaker Pelosi. I appreciate very much that my party is taking a stand on the right side of history and the constitution--I appreciate that so much, as a Democrat, but even more as an American. This is not a partisan thing, this is about preserving and protecting our democracy."

Nancy Pelosi, Do Your Job

I just took in a quick horror flick, a.k.a., 45's tweets from just the last 48 hours. Folks: our country (and the world) needs this man either to be impeached and removed, or article 25'd out of office, asap.

If House Speaker Nancy Pelosi doesn't make a move, then it really pains me to say this, but she will be just as complicit and, frankly, at this point, treasonous, as Mitch McConnell, AG Barr, and every other complicit 45 stooge. Now, I *know* that Nancy is not a 45 stooge, and that she actually thinks she is doing the right thing by NOT doing the right thing, but she needs to instead do the right thing. Forget political calculations (which I think hers are faulty on this anyway). Forget jumping ahead to what we all think the result of moving forward on impeachment is going to be due to the complicit, treasonous Mitch McConnell. Forget all that and ask yourself, Nancy: do we have rule of law in this country or not? If we do, we can't allow a lawless POTUS to go unchecked. It sets an unacceptable precedent for the future. That alone is enough: you must--you have a duty to--move to impeach. But wait, there's more: read the man's tweets for just the past 48 hours alone. This is not a person who is fit, in any way, shape or form, to be POTUS. You must--you have a duty to--move to impeach.

There's no choice here. Either we choose the United States of America, and our duty to protect and defend it, or we choose to be complicit with the opposite of that. Those are the options. I say, if we go down, we need to go down fighting. We need history to show that we TRIED.

Clear and Present Danger

Oh my God. Waking up to hearing a recording of 45 ranting and raving about how the investigation into the Russian interference in our 2016 election was a "coup" and an "attempted overthrow of our government" and that those conducting the investigation are "sick people", etc.

I cannot wait until this sick (I've commented before on how everything the president calls those he is attacking and attempting to dehumanize and vilify are names that actually project things that are true of him), very dangerous, lawless president is impeached and removed from office, as I have been 100% certain he will be for a very long time, and as I have thought, even before becoming 100% certain that he will be, that he would be if he were elected, even since the 2016 primaries. The man is lawless, as I said. We are a nation that is based, thankfully, on the rule of law. So those two facts are incompatible. This man cannot stay in office. As I have said many, many times: this is not partisan, at all. 45 is a clear and present danger to our country. He has to go. It is a constitutional imperative.

Anyway, his rantings and ravings, since the Mueller report is now finally actually coming out (we still need the redacted parts to get revealed to Congress, but that will happen), and since he knows it is bad and there is even much *more* to come out with all the ongoing investigations, grand juries and Congressional subpoenas, have gotten much, much worse. 45 knows the walls are closing in. 45 was dangerous enough before this. We are now not only in a full-blown constitutional crisis, we also have to be keenly aware that 45 is completely dangerous and could do anything at this point, to attempt to distract attention from what is happening and unite the country behind him: such as: start a war. He doesn't care. He has no allegiance to our country, no empathy or feeling for other human beings, no sense of responsibility as a President. As I have been shouting since 2016, 45 is a sociopath and a mercenary. He is a dangerous form of a narcissistic personality, I believe they even call it "malignant" narcissism. He *only* cares about himself. He's not only capable of *anything* to distract us and to attempt to unite his stupid (sorry not sorry) and hateful followers, one of which I tried yesterday to reason with and it just reaffirmed to me that they cannot be reasoned with and also they are never going to see him as a problem whatsoever, no matter what comes out--so frankly who cares, we have to go around them and just concentrate on our laws, our constitution, and helping our beautiful system to work as designed (translation: call your Congress person and your Senators and express your deep concern over how dangerous this president is), he's also quite capable--in fact, it a huge part of how he won the nomination of his party, and the presidency--of exploiting divisions, inciting violence and whipping up hate. He enjoys it. It's fuel to him. It, along with the McDonald's food, keeps him going. That's his diet: McDonald's food, hatemongering, watching Fox, and tweeting.

We are in deep, deep trouble. This is a very scary moment in American history. But I believe in our constitution and our wisely designed system of checks and balances, and I believe in the majority of we, the people, in this country. We will rise up and form a human chain around the aforementioned constitution. We'll save and protect it, and it will save and protect us.

Impeach 45

It is a constitutional imperative to begin impeachment proceedings re 45. He has, and continues to, violate our precious constitution in so many ways, he is a clear and present danger to our country, and a treasonous traitor.

It's getting close to 2020 now. Some may be thinking, oh, let's just wait it out. Focus on 2020. I say we cannot set the precedent that a US President can get away with the violations of the constitution that this man has done and is doing, and we cannot tolerate a traitor in the White House.

Start the impeachment process now, for the sake of the present and future health of our constitution, rule of law, and country.

Impeach Trump Now