Author: tonihall805@outlook.com

I opened my mail-in ballot, otherwise known as an absentee ballot, and realized that I wasn’t ready to choose a presidential candidate. Many whose names appear on the ballot have dropped out, the most popular among them were Andrew Yang, Cory Booker, Deval Patrick and Michael Bennet. Thankfully, they have narrowed the field for me, but I’m still in serious deliberation.

First on my mind is electability over the brutal Trump lying and cheating machine as well as the ability to win in battleground states. Second on my mind is where each candidate stands on the issues. And third are personal traits such as health, intelligence and character. There are two candidates whom I am confident can beat Trump. They are Amy Klobuchar and Michel Bloomberg. Although I would enthusiastically support whomever wins the democratic nomination, if it is not one of these two, I would likely have butterflies in my stomach for months because the other front runners have vulnerabilities that frighten me.

First among the scary candidates to me is Bernie Sanders. I think he is too far left and the label democratic “socialist” will scare away too many voters, especially in battleground states. While I agree with him that income inequality has gotten out of hand, I’m not certain that his solutions are the answer. I agree that the wealthy and corporations should pay more in taxes. I agree that access to healthcare is a human right, however I am skeptical of his Medicare for all solution. I don’t agree that college should be free, but I do believe that those who can pay should pay and that government grants should be far more robust for needy students to the point where they do not have to take out student loans. I agree with eliminating student debt. As for his personal traits, he is smart but he also comes off as short-tempered and impatient with people. He had a heart attack and I’m afraid he might not last. I put Warren in the same category as Bernie except I like her temperament a lot more and I don’t worry about her health as much.

If I believed Americans were ready to accept a gay man married to another man, I would readily vote for Pete Buttigieg. While he is an impressive human being, he would be a lightening rod for religious conservatives and would further divide our country over the issue of sexual orientation. I like where he stands on the issues and I greatly admire his intelligence, health, positive energy and character. I enjoy hearing him articulate his ideas. He would make a great vice president and I hope that whomever the nominee is will select him.

And finally, I have given up on Joe Biden for two reasons. The first is that the Republicans successfully tainted his reputation among too many voters because of his son’s business dealings in Ukraine. Although his dealings were not illegal, they look ugly enough to do real damage to him. Innuendos about Hunter’s business deal won’t disappear if Biden is the nominee. And secondly, Biden isn’t performing well enough on the debate stage or in some of the town halls and he isn’t raising enough money. I’m fine with him on the issues and I’m okay with his character, but he isn’t articulating anything particularly well. I like Joe Biden as a person and I was pushing for him early on, but he really looks old and worn out to me. I see him and feel like he has had the stuffing knocked out of him. He looks like the tenacious fighter who just won’t give up. And I just want him to throw in the towel already.

So, I’ve narrowed my choices to Amy Klobuchar and Mike Bloomberg. I do think Mike would beat Trump by a wider margin than Amy though. His adds are impressive and he has the money to fight hard and smart. I heard that he is hiring two experts: one on how to get under the skin of a narcissist and a comic to weaponize that knowledge. I like both Michael and Amy the issues. However, Mike has character baggage with his push for stop and frisk that was a racial profiling nightmare for black and brown men in New York and across the nation. I have to balance that stop and frisk policy with the acknowledgement that the murder rate dropped by 68% during his administration and many of those lives saved were also black and brown. His age is also an issue for me, although he seems healthy, mentally strong, and energetic.

But Amy hits all the boxes for me. I think she can pull off a win against Trump because she is truthful, likeable, and smart. I like her moderate pragmatic policies. And her character, health, energy and presence are refreshing. I wonder if Mike would be willing to throw some of his 68 billion dollars her way if she wins the nomination and lend out those experts? I also believe that a Bloomberg-Klobuchar would be unstoppable and would place Amy in the position of an eventual presidency.

It sounds like I’ve made my choice on paper. But I’m going to wait until the very last minute to fill out my ballot.

This was an incredibly bad week for our nation as the very fabric of who we have actually become was exposed. This week the rule of law, truth, common decency and even our sense of what is fair, good, and right were literally thrown out like garbage. Justice was not served. Even Christian values were openly mocked by a man who is vindictive, volatile, and vulgar. It was difficult to stomach. But at the same time, his approval ratings reached an all time high of 49%. The decision for Americans in 2020 is about what our values will be moving forward. This is our year to decide who we are and what we care about. My revulsion at what I witnessed this week exposed my values as an American.

First, I recognized just how deeply I care about truth and actual facts. I care about accurate facts and truths because they are the foundation upon which consequential decisions should be made. As a rational human being I rely upon what I believe to be factual and truthful information to inform my responses to issues like climate change, my health, and who I vote for. Having a president who perpetually lies and covers up the truth is dangerous to voters and to policy makers. I watched this president lie about wanting to protect pre-existing conditions in his State of the Union speech when at the same time behind the scenes his administration is in court to get rid of it. He said he would forever protect Social Security and Medicare when the week before he said he was considering cuts. He lied about the Obama economy that created more jobs than his economy. He completely ignores a deficit that has reached 23 trillion dollars because of tax cuts and doesn’t mention cuts in food stamps for the poorest among us. But people, believing these lies and never hearing the truth, will vote for him to their own detriment.

The second thing I recognized is how frightened I am for our nation because of a man who is so vindictive and volatile that those around him have to be extraordinarily courageous to expose his corruption. Senator Mitt Romney bravely held onto his convictions by voting to remove Trump from office this past week. He is now being publicly ridiculed not only by Trump, but by the GOP and their media outlets for trying to hold this president accountable for obvious wrongdoing. Colonel Vinmen who testified under oath about what he heard, and even his brother, were fired. And so was the Ambassador to the European Union, Gordon Sundland, who also testified as to the corruption he witnessed. The failure of the Senate to conduct a fair trial and to hold Trump accountable for what they know were impeachable offenses is frightening for the rule of law moving forward. They allowed him to take away Congressional oversight of the executive branch of government. That leaves our whole nation vulnerable to the corrupt and self-serving whim of this vulgar man.

And finally, I recognized just how dismayed, deeply disappointed, and even disgusted I am by Americans who continue to support this president in the face of his lies, corruption, brutality, volatility and vulgarity. In 2016, some Americans just wanted to blow things up in Washington and so voted for Trump. Well he did blow things up. Like when he separated children from their parents at the border. Like when he pardoned a war criminal. Like when he abandoned the Iran Nuclear Deal. Like when he awarded Rush Limbaugh, a known and outspoken racist, the Medal of Freedom. Like when he openly mocked Christ’ admonition to love your enemies. Like when he says he has never needed to ask for forgiveness. Like when he threw out regulations to protect our water and air. Like when he hid the scientific evidence about climate change. Like when he started tariff wars? Like when he gave tax cuts to the wealthy and corporations who instead of raising wages, bought back stock and blew up the deficit. Like when he cut food stamps for the poor. Like when he referred to poor nations as “shit hole” countries and added more countries to his banned list this week. Like when he keeps appointing barely qualified federal judges who will make life hell for gays, women, immigrants, and minorities moving forward. Like when he mocks people with disabilities.

Americans of good will must really ask themselves if any of us are better off? Is our nation a better place? Are we kinder to each other or meaner? Does the rule of law matter for government leaders? Has the swamp been drained or are the swamp creatures running wild with impunity? Are there fewer mass shootings or more? Are our climate and environmental issues being addressed or ignored to our peril? Do our children and grandchildren have honorable role models in government? Do more people have access to affordable healthcare or fewer? A few people have a lot more money, but most people in this country have less given inflation because wages are growing far too slowly. A few depraved people feel happy that immigrants, religious minorities, gays, and people of color are being targeted and mistreated. A few angry people just want to stick it to anyone and everyone without thought as to how this man is actually hurting them and the nation. Do we want to continue to wake up to a new disaster every morning because of this president’s volatility? Is the fear of vengeance the way we want our lawmakers make decisions? Is vulgarity the norm we want to embrace as our national character?

The 2020 election will reveal who we truly are as a nation. I’ll be voting for anyone who isn’t a lying, corrupt, and depraved human being. My vote will be against vindictiveness, volatility, and vulgarity. So, that means I will definitely not be voting for Donald J. Trump.

It wasn’t enough that our nation had to mourn the sudden passing of basketball legend Koke Bryant, his 13 year old daughter and seven other parents and children in a tragic helicopter crash last Sunday. We also had to endure the passing of fairness, truth, law and order, and a big piece of what makes our nation great: our Constitution and the safety net of the separation of powers. There must be a price to pay for the cowardly and corrupt Republican senators who worship at the feet of partisan politics rather than protect and defend our Constitution. They betrayed us! They shamefully refused to hold Donald Trump accountable for his corruption, specifically his abuse of power and obstruction of justice. In the past four years these were among a host of other crimes that they let slide. No more! I want my country back. These GOP senators no longer deserve to represent this nation and its citizens. And we don’t have to simply throw up our hands in disgust; we can fight.

I was in conversation with a colleague this week who shared his strategy for fighting in 2020. I had one of those light bulb moments when you realize there is a whole new world of opportunity. He simply said that he was going to financially support democratic candidates running against GOP senators across the country. This was a huge eyeopener for me. That strategy hadn’t even occurred to me. It’s sad, but research clearly shows that in this nation money influences elections. It takes money to run a successful campaign. Our collective donations can make the difference in the outcome of the 2020 campaigns against the cowardly GOP senators who proved themselves unworthy to represent us from states other than our own.

There are 16 GOP senators up for re-election this year. Starting at the top, and the worse offender of all, who admitted that he was in lock step with the White House as Senate Majority Leader to get to a swift acquittal of Trump is Mitch McConnell of Kentucky. Other offenders are Lindsey Graham of South Carolina who spews so much nonsense in defense of Trump that he is unredeemable. There is Dan Sullivan of Alaska, Tom Cotton of Arkansas, Martha McSally of Arizona, David Perdue of Georgia, Jim Risch of Idaho, Joni Ernst of Iowa, Cindy Hyde Smith of Mississippi, Steve Daines of Montana, Ben Sasse of Nebraska, Tom Tillis of North Carolina, James Inhofe of Oklahoma, Mike Rounds of South Dakota, John Cornyn of Texas, and Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia.

In addition to sending funds to their Democrat opponents, if you live one of these states or have friends or family in one, contact those you know and remind them to either register to vote or to check their registration, and to be sure to vote because running against someone with longstanding name recognition is difficult. You can also become a campaign volunteer to canvas, make phone calls, etc. The starting point is to find the name of the GOP senate opponent and provide three good policies they are running on to share with friends and family in that state and on social media.

For example, in Kentucky, Democrat Amy McGrath is running against Mitch McConnell. The two are in a statistical tie right now and money to get her message and name out there in Kentucky will make a huge difference. But so will being able to articulate why she deserves the votes of Kentucky citizens. I would highlight her pro-gun control stance, her fight against climate change stance, and her pro-healthcare stance as reasons to vote for her. I’m donating to her campaign today. And I will donate to Democratic senate races across the nation. I’m going to use my Facebook and Twitter accounts to promote the opponents of every GOP senator who is up for re-election until election day.

That said, we can’t afford to forget to also support the four democrat senators who are up for re-election this year. They also need support. They are Doug Jones of Alabama, Gary Peters of Michigan, Tina Smith of Minnesota, and Jeanne Shaheen of New Hamshire.

We flipped the House of Representatives in 2018. Now is the time to flip the Senate and to remove the corrupt and cowardly Republicans from our nations capital. They no longer deserve to be there. Of course, it’s a given that Trump has to go, too. Let’s make it a landslide defeat of the corrupt and cowardly in 2020.

A couple of months ago, while watching my favorite Chinese pop singers, JJ Lin and A-Lin on YouTube, the algorithm inserted into my feed what seemed like a random video of a K-pop South Korean boy group called Astro. I’d never heard of or even seen them before, but I liked their sharp black suits and the stage setting so I watched them perform their hit song, “Baby“, a May 2017 release on their Dream Part 1 mini-album. An obsession was born.

Frankly, up to that point, I had only seen a little of the South Korean group BTS on random shows and thought they are good, but I didn’t think much of them. I knew BTS was a popular K-pop group, indeed they will be at the Grammy’s tonight, but their hard hitting rap and tough guy images weren’t all that attractive to me. Astro was different.

They aren’t tough guys. Instead they project good-looking nice guys with a ton of talent and great personalities. They debuted on February 23, 2016 as school boys and have quickly evolved into men. Their early performances are of cute boys dancing and singing in childish outfits. While their early music appeals to me, the dance moves and outfits are cringe-worthy. That changed in 2017 with their newest mini-albums and especially with their new November 2019 release, “Blue Flame“.

The producers at their production company, Fantagio, know what they are doing. K-pop is big business and serious business with huge pressures on their artists who live together, are in training for a long time before their debut, and who have major restrictions on their behavior and social lives. The producers put together a full sensory package with catchy music, incredible choreography, great visuals in clothes, makeup, hairstyling, production staging, and great effort in promoting the roles and personalities of each group member. The finished product in this case, Astro, is nothing short of amazing and I am a true fan. These six young men work extremely hard as they rehearse, travel, perform, and try to project a positive image 24/7.

My daughters rightly laughed at me this Christmas as I made them watch a few of their video performances. But they liked them too, though not as much as me. Human brains work differently and my responds to their music, dancing, and aesthetics in a way that brings me great pleasure. I’ve even added their arm movements in my favorite videos to my morning treadmill routine. It gets my heart rate up and stimulates my brain and muscle memory. Some of my favorite songs are “Moonwalk”, “All Night”, “Blue Flame” “Always You” and “When the Wind Blows”.

I can talk about each member and his role with ease. There is the beautiful face of the group, Cha Eun-woo, who is an actor as well as a singer and pianist. I’ve enjoyed him in the drama, “My ID is Gangnam Beauty” streaming on Viki and “The Rookie Historian” streaming on Netflix. He’s super handsome, smart, and projects a humble kindness. I enjoy his acting much more than his dancing, although he has mastered all the dance moves, his feet bother me a bit and sometimes he just appears to be going through the motions.

My favorite performer in the group is Moonbin. He is a great singer and incredible dancer whose dancing is always on point and full of feeling. He also plays the piano. He is by far the sexist member in the group and apparently he is also the favorite among fans. In November, he didn’t go on the road with the other members to promote and perform the new release, “Blue Flame” mini-album for health reasons. I sincerely hope he gets better soon.

The most accomplished dancer and choreographer is Rocky. He is amazing. He’s a really good slow rapper and can sing, too, although they don’t promote that much. He has a black belt in Taekwondo which may account for his apparent discipline. He appears to be the most serious of the members personality wise. He has a beautiful smile and I love watching him dance for the passion and precision he brings to every move.

The leader of the group and second in the sexist member category is Jinjin. His deep voice rapping and his true b-boy hip hop lends a great vibe to every song. I love hearing him rap and I enjoy his harder hitting dance moves. He has a nice personality, an easy laugh and he watches over the members, especially Yoon Sanha, the youngest of the group.

Yoon Sanha is the most evolved. He is considered the baby of the group and they don’t seem to want to let him grow up, but I’ve seem his performances evolve from a boy into a more manly performer with all the sexy vibes coming out. His talent extends to the guitar. He is the tallest member now, growing taller than Cha Eun-woo, and he’s very slim and graceful. His dance moves are beautiful to watch and his singing voice is really soothing and pretty. I love listening to him sing. He recently talked about his struggle with depression for which I admire his transparency.

And finally, there’s MJ, the personality of the group who is an incredible belter with the high notes in the songs. I adore MJ. One would never guess that he is the oldest member of the group. He seems to be the most fun-loving and loud. He has the most striking features, especially his mouth and eyes. He’s a good dancer, too, but I especially enjoy his singing.

I’ve downloaded at least three songs from each of their six-mini albums. Besides the dancing videos, they do have a several ballads that I love, including, “I’ll be There” , “Innocent Love” (features Cha Eun-woo accompanying on piano), “Bloom”, “Because it’s You” and “Run”. All I can say is that I’m a true fan girl and that for now they are my brain’s happy place.

Few people believe the Republican led Senate will remove Donald Trump from office even though the emerging evidence clearly points toward his guilt.  I feel like I’m watching a movie unfold that depicts the blatant corruption of powerful government officials. This week called into question the behavior of Attorney General William Barr, Congressman Devin Nunez, former governor Rick Perry, and even Vice President Mike Pence. And to think that these men were elected by Americans to protect and defend the Constitution.  The members of Trump’s circle implicated in multiple corruption scandals since 2016 is nothing short of a betrayal of the public trust. But why is this happening?  Can anyone do anything to stop this train wreck from happening in the next few weeks?

I believe the answer lies in the loud and determined demands of the American people.  We the people are responsible for whether the Senate does its job in a fair and impartial way during this trial.  Yeah, they took an oath, but it means nothing.  Over the years, Republican lawmakers have repeatedly shown us who they are.  It’s our good fortune that journalist have uncovered the fact that they are willing to lie and cheat and overlook sexual harassment and all manner of wrongdoing for the sake of remaining in power so that they can stack the courts.  These Republicans know Trump has broken many laws and has violated the trust of his office and the American people, but none of that matters if they can remain in office. Can it really be that simple and that bad? Maybe.

Whether it is or isn’t that simple, I say we remind them that they will not be re-elected to office if they betray our country and the rule of law by denying us a legitimate trial that brings forth relevant witnesses and documents that either exonerate or convict the president.  Let both sides expose the facts of the case.  No covering up the truth.  No withholding of facts.  No distractions. No moves to dismiss the allegations just to make the whole thing go away because you have a majority. 

This past week, I wrote to Mitch McConnell several times, demanding witnesses and documents and a legitimate trial.  I’ve seen several news reports that polls show that 70% of Americans want to hear from witnesses.  I’m grateful for the relentless journalist who keep digging for information, and for pollsters who keep polling, and for reporters who keep reporting the actual news. The legitimate news outlets (not Facebook; not Fox; not conservative talk radio) are helping to inform us during this crucial time in our nation’s history. We have to support them financially with subscriptions and by watching so that they can continue the important work. With the information they provide, we have a job to do, too.

We, the people have a voice.  We must use it to demand a fair trial so that we are sending a clear message to our government that blatant corruption and criminal behavior will not be tolerated.  Our voice is expressed in marches, letters, emails, phone calls, protests, blogs, and voting. Whichever way makes sense, each American should use her voice to demand what is right.  Silence is a friend of the corrupt.

I don’t understand how a person like Donald Trump got elected. I only know that there are criminal and corrupt elements undergirding his presidency and working diligently to deceive the electorate every minute of every day.  It is evident that he has surrounded himself with criminals.  Even those who turn on him have credibility issues because of their own criminal behavior. But think about the role Trump himself gave to those people are who turned on him? These were people engaged in his schemes. This week Lev Parnas became the newest person to turn over evidence of Trump’s bribery scheme. We know that Trump lies, cheats, steals, bullies and kills innocents with his policies without morality.  He has no regard for people who don’t swear loyalty to him.  How is this man still president of the United States?  I know the world is wondering the same thing.

It is time for we the people to demand that the Senate do the right thing and seriously consider the facts as to whether Trump truly deserves to be our president. 

If I remain healthy enough, I plan to retire in four years at the end of June, 2024.  The days seem to fly by and so I realize that four years will be here in the blink of an eye. On some days, it seems like many of my friends and family members have already retired and that I’m a lone holdout.  But I’m not yet ready. However, I’m seriously thinking about how to spend these last four working years.

There are three high priorities on my list.  They could be considered the three-legged stool upon which my successful and happy retirement will depend.  The first is good health, the second is adequate savings, and the third is a satisfying lifestyle plan. 

It’s only to be expected that aging brings health concerns because these bodies were not designed to last forever.  Everything about this body seems to wear out and to become less effective over time.  Move the wrong way and parts tear, sprang, or break.  Eat and more is stored as fat.  Less muscle, less stamina, slower memory recall.  It becomes harder to see and harder to hear.  These are all the norm.  I’ve heard people ponder how “young me got stuck in this old body”. I can relate. The reality is that we can’t stop the aging process, but we can slow it down with a healthy diet and greatly reduced calorie intake, moderate daily exercise for at least 45 minutes that includes stretching and weights as well as aerobics, adequate sleep, and an active brain.  I’m working to modify my health habits to match these best recommendations.  The challenge will be to find brain activity after I retire that matches the rigorous workout my brain gets every day at work, both socially and intellectually.

The second leg on the stool is having adequate savings.  Thankfully, I’ve been saving for retirement since my twenties.  And according to the financial planner, I’ve met the goal.  However, I’m determined to exceed it by far only because I don’t want to be scrapped for cash and who knows what healthcare costs will be.  So, I’m somewhat obsessed with saving and investing.  I made a decision to stop spending on unnecessary things, trips, restaurant meals and entertainment, and to put that money into additional savings and investments for the next four years.  I love to shop, so this will be difficult for me.  However, I acknowledge that I have more than enough clothes, shoes, and accessories stockpiled to get me to retirement without purchasing one more item. 

And that last stool, lifestyle is the most exciting prospect of what I’ll want retirement to be.  I know a few things.  First, I want to be close to family members so we can reach each other quickly.  Second, I want to trade in my professional wardrobe for a simple, leisurely and comfortable one.  Third, I want to be more active in my sorority, not as an officer, but as a supporter of our activities.  I’ll enjoy what I’ve always enjoyed, writing, reading, gardening, puzzles, good television, and decorating.  And the next house will need a really big kitchen because I plan to cook every day.     

Four years will come quickly and it’s nice to have implemented a plan to help me retire the way I hope to.

It’s not very comforting to hear your doctor say that medicine isn’t a perfect science and sometimes a prescription that is good for one ailment can cause another.  At least he’s honest rather than arrogant.  But that is the situation I found myself in this past week when I visited my doctor’s office for severe intermittent stomach pains.  Thanks to WebMD, I knew my diagnosis and treatment before the words came out of his mouth and I had already taken steps to mitigate the problem. 

Of course, the doctor berated me for my proactive behavior.  After all, I hadn’t gone to medical school.  However, in my defense, I was in real pain and the earliest appointment I could get was three weeks out. I can read and I have the internet, so I did some research and diagnosed my problem as a stomach ulcer and took the proscribed steps to begin the healing process. By the time I made it to the doctor’s appointment, 80% of the intermittent pain was gone and I’d even considered cancelling the appointment.  Thankfully, my husband vehemently objected to that idea and so did the doctor.

The doctor confirmed my own diagnosis as being peptic ulcer disease. He officially took me off of my daily baby aspirin, something I had stopped taking two weeks before.  My bad kidneys already demanded that I leave other NSAIDs like Ibuprofen alone.  I changed my eating habits, giving up spicy foods, eating much smaller meals, and adding oatmeal in my morning shake along with my plain Greek yogurt and berries.  Since I don’t smoke or drink, I was halfway there. 

The doctor’s appointment wasn’t totally a waste, though.  I learned that stress doesn’t cause ulcers. Stress can exacerbate the problem. I also learned that apparently 80-90% are caused by an infection of H. pylori bacteria. I was given a breath test to determine if I need antibiotics.  True to form, the doctor ordered a battery of other tests to rule out a host of other potential problems for which I had no symptoms and which he admitted were highly unlikely.  I wanted to object, but having already been berated for my lack of an MD, I compiled with tests that will likely contribute to the skyrocketing cost of medical insurance. That was time and money down the drain, but I wasn’t bold nor confident enough to refuse.

The unsettling part of it all was that the baby aspirin I was taking for years is no longer recommended for most women because it causes bleeding and will worsen my ulcer if it wasn’t the actual cause.  However, I am a female exception to this newest medical finding because of my strong family history of stroke and having had a mini-stroke several years back.  For women like me, aspirin is recommended.  But for women like me with a peptic ulcer, aspirin is a big problem.  My doctor was at least humble enough to admit that he didn’t know what to do. The best he could do for now was see if I needed antibiotics, recommend Pepcid, keep me on the lookout for blood in my stool, and rule out other problems.

I’ve decided to do more.  I left the doctor’s office with a renewed commitment to get more serious about losing weight, eating healthier, getting enough sleep, restarting a lunch walk to my exercise regime, moving more through gardening and housekeeping (not shopping), and keeping my stress levels down.  My most important goal for 2020 is to develop a healthier lifestyle. Pain from a sore in my stomach was the best motivation I needed to do better.

I’m taking the next two weeks to fully enjoy the holidays with family and friends. Take some time to read or reread some of my past posts. Enjoy the holidays and stay safe and healthy. Thanks for supporting me in 2019 by reading, commenting on, and perhaps even sharing my posts with others. More to come in 2020.

In my estimation, the most dangerous man in America is not Donald Trump, but Senate Majority Leader, Mitch McConnell.  Not only is he preventing a vote on most of the legislative bills that Congress passed, including those designed to protect our elections and reasonable gun control, but he is fast filling the federal courts with conservative judges.  And now, he is working with the White House to orchestrate the Senate impeachment hearings in favor of the president.  What the hell?

On what planet is it okay for a judge to work with the accused to mount a defense?  Essentially, the Senate sits in judgement as to whether a president’s alleged behavior against the interest of our democracy and the Constitution warrants that president’s removal from office.  The protection of our nation is why we have three co-equal branches of government.  For such a time as this is the reason the Framers of our Constitution gave Congress oversight of the Executive branch. Mitch has already announced on Fox News that he will definitely ensure that the president is acquitted.  There is not even a hint of trying to appear to give the facts of the case a fair hearing.

And that is the danger of Mitch McConnell.  He doesn’t even try to play fair.  He blocked the federal judges Obama put forth and he also blocked the appointment of Judge Merrick Garland to the Supreme Count.  But with a grin, he announced that in this election year he would readily approve a new nominee to the Supreme Court should an opening become available.  The hypocrisy is stunning!  But more than that, McConnell’s behavior will have real world consequences for Americans.

By stacking the federal courts and the Supreme Court with conservative judges, the hope of real gun control, the preservation of women’s control over their bodies, the civil rights of the LGBTQ community, the preservation of voting rights, welcoming immigration laws, environmental protections, access to health care, and so many other issues that provide protections to minorities and women will be challenged in court and lost.  The majority of Americans do not want these things to happen and sadly most do not even realize the consequences of McConnell’s actions. 

It is past time to flip the Senate.  The only way to get rid of McConnell is to take over the majority of Senate seats.  Although I would love for Kentucky to ditch Mitch, without a majority of Democratic Senate seats, even if he lost, another unethical Republican leader would take over.  The 2020 election is not just about dumping Trump, it is also about the Senate who protects a corrupt president and stacks our courts with far too conservative judges.

If we are to rid ourselves of the most dangerous American in the country, we must awaken our friends, family, neighbors, students, and anyone with a vote to the reality of the danger we are in.  We will get the America we are willing to fight and vote for.

I thought the Constitutional law professors who testified before the House Judicial committee last week were going to be boring. But they were anything but boring. The four of them were passionate, articulate, and informative in their explanation of the Framers reasons for including provisions for impeachment in the Constitution. Three of the four argued that the President’s actions warrant impeachment while the forth argued that he hasn’t yet seen enough to draw that conclusion. But he hasn’t seen enough because Republicans are hiding all the evidence they can from half of the country who watch Fox News. I think they are cowards.

A coward is someone who lacks bravery. And bravery is only called for when one is under threat. A brave person summons up the mental and moral courage to do the right thing in the face of danger. We can all see clearly that we have a bully in the White House who has surrounded himself with a news outlet and enough people who support his lawlessness to publicly humiliate any Republican lawmaker who goes against him.  And so, what they continue to do is skirt the issue of his bribery in Ukraine and his continuing corruption and obstruction of legitimate Congressional oversight.  It’s rather pathetic to watch.

In normal times, these same lawmakers would have defended the Constitution, the rule of law, morality, ethics, and the American people.  But they want so much to remain in office that they have become shameful cowards. As an American, I decided to use my freedom of speech to call them out publicly.

I reopened a Twitter account when the hearings began and followed the main Republicans like Devin Nunes and Keven McCarthy and Doug Collins and Matt Gaetz and I respond to their absurd attacks on process and even more ridiculous attempts to deflect from the president’s actual misdeeds.  I’m calling them out on their cowardice.  I remind them that they took an oath to protect and defend the Constitution, not a lawless President. Their inaction threatens our democracy.

In my book, these cowardly lawmakers need to be held accountable for their behavior during this important time and they should be publicly berated and then thrown out of office when they come up for re-election.  That is our duty as brave and patriotic Americans.