Category: Ethics

Trump Impeachment: Agony & Ecstasy

  By , , , , , , , ,
The Senate of the United States is about to acquit president Trump of charges brought against him by the House of Representatives

The Republican Senate is about to acquit Trump of 1) abuse of power and 2) obstruction of Congress.

Trump Impeachment:

Agony & Ecstasy

The Agony

It seems the Trump impeachment has been going on forever.  The never ending developments, obstruction, ignored reality, AAAAGGGGHHHHH!!!! That’s me screaming. And we unfortunately know, that no matter the evidence the Senate will ignore it. Some days I can’t stand reading all this garbage and have to stop scanning the internet.  Apparently, if you’re Republican no matter Trump’s guilt, the offense isn’t bad enough.  Voter tampering isn’t serious enough.  AAAAGGGGHHHH!!!! That’s me screaming, again.

Phone Call Perfection

The absurdity of the Trump defense that his July 25th, 2019 call to Ukrainian President Zelensky was “perfect,” makes me want to kick a stump but I don’t want to break my foot.  Trump’s plot to withhold needed financial aid from a desperate Ukraine had two goals. First, he wanted the Ukrainians to announce an investigation into his political rival, Joe Biden and his son Hunter. Secondly, Trump wanted to implicate the Ukraine in the 2016 election tampering instead of the Russians. Both goals are outrageous and corrupt. Nothing serious enough to have an impeach hearing over.  WTF?  Sorry, I can’t think of anything more serious than election fraud.  Back in a minute, I have to hurl.

Overturn Valid Election

Seriously!  Back to AAAAGGGGHHHH!!!!  I’m on the back porch, screaming. The Republican idea that the entire Trump impeachment process is to overturn an election is a fairy tale.  Why on earth would anyone with a brain think Pence is a prize?  We all want to get rid of Trump so we can have someone even worse?  I hear this stupid argument day in and day out. I guess I’m wondering why America would want to overturn an election.  The Dems could have just ignored all the crimes and waited until the election if that was the goal.  Let’s get it straight, Trump was impeached because he’s a cheat, a criminal, and a dumb ass clown.

Loyalty to Trump Not U.S.

What the F!  One of the criticisms I have of the House Manager’s prosecution is that no one mentioned that the witnesses against Trump are Republicans.  Most of them Trump appointees.  Trump is so ‘effn dumb.  All of the audio, video and eyewitness testimony has been filed by Republicans.  Trump is the kind of boss that would make me spend all my time devoted to malicious compliance.  All while looking for a better job.  The idea that even being a lifelong Republican isn’t important because your loyalty now has to be to Trump.  Trump only.  If you haven’t kissed the royal ring, and the royal ass you aren’t Trumpian enough. Seriously, we are looking at cult behavior.

The Ecstasy

Whatever the outcome of the Trump impeachment hearing, this has been an extremely damaging scenario for the president. Day after day new information is leaked to the media pointing to Trump’s guilt and I presume this will continue ad nauseam until he is out of office. I call it the scandal a day presidency. So there is definitely some good with the bad in this whole drama.  Sometimes I just think if we just sit back and wait Trump will accidentally confess to something even Republicans believe is impeachable.  “Hey, Donald!  I found some more rope, you want some?”

Twitter

The Trump impeachment has sent the president’s Twitter account into overdrive.  He has been spouting idiocies on his Twitter feed for years but the recent ones are a joy to behold.  I enjoy watching him embarrass himself day after day with poor grammar, lousy spelling and idiotic ramblings,  When I’m tired and can’t sleep, I read Trump tweets instead of counting sheep.  Then when I do fall asleep it’s with a smile on my face.  What a moron!  By the way, he has tweeted Schiff, Pelosi and Bolton are all “going to pay for their part in the Trump impeachment”.  His Twitter feed is full of threats, hate and lies.

Obstruction Shenanigans

His recent admission that “we have all the material.  They don’t have the material,” is scary. He is talking here, about evidence. This is an admission of obstruction of Congress. Trump has made obstructing the impeachment process into an art form.  It really scares me that the Republicans are willing to aid the president in suppressing the voices of fact witnesses.  Especially since they have to throw so many loyal Republicans (Vindman, Sondland, Bolton, Mattis, Kelly) under the bus to protect the President.

Comedy Gold

The Trump impeachment is comedy gold for the late night comedians  As you can see, I’m trying to keep a good sense of humor until the next election.  Trump isn’t going to be removed from office until then.  Hopefully, this is Trump and his Republican followers last hurrah. We will have to wait for the last laugh until Trump is out of office and the Congress has been cleansed of the Trump cultists, but I believe it is coming.  I know most Americans can’t keep focused on anything for more than a week, but I am hopeful that, on this issue, the issue of Trump’s character will be the major topic in the 2020 election.  There is a price for ignoring the 63% of Americans who wanted witnesses called and documents presented.  The majority of Americans wanted to see an actual trial. Vote and make sure we, the People, have the last laugh.

The Trump Impeachment Trial

Now we come to the impeachment trial phase and Republican obfuscation.  Republicans say they have no need for documents or witnesses.  They heard the House testimony and it’s not enough.  They’re going to acquit Trump.  With that in mind, new evidence, such as the phone records by Lev and Igor and Bolton’s book revelations are being blatantly ignored.  So annoying.  Join me in my prayer that Mitch McConnell, Rand Paul and Lindsey Graham develop anal warts.

The Fallout

Republicans are playing with impeachment fire.  The arrogance of the Republican lawmakers is alarming.  They are literally willing to ignore, and in some cases bury the evidence, but the public is not.  Since 51-56% of Americans believe Trump should be impeached and removed from office the Republicans risk losing their Senate majority in the upcoming election.  All in all this could be a very good year for Democrats and November may give them the House, Senate and the Presidency.  If we don’t F it up!

David L. Shadrick is a regular contributor to Calamity Politics. 

 

Resolutions For The Next Decade

  By , , , , ,

Resolutions For The Next Decade

By Anna Hessel

Resolving for the New Decade

Happy 2020!  This start of a new decade makes me ponder the tradition of New Year’s resolutions.  Hopefully, we are all resolving to show peace to all, abolish intolerance, and offer acceptance to those who are different from us.  I realize many of us have personal resolutions to enrich and better our own lives, but I think there are times when we must be resolute in our compassion to pray and work to fulfill the needs of others.

Where We’ve Been

In the latter half of the past decade, we have regressed from working to provide health care for all Americans, to legislation designed to repeal the Affordable Care Act. We’ve gone from sanctuary cities to children in cages at our southern border. We’ve gone from the establishment of affordable housing to the greatest percentage of homelessness in American history.

Continue reading

A Veteran’s Day Message

  By , , , ,

“I am a patriot and it is my sacred duty and honor to advance and defend our country irrespective of party or politics.” -Lt. Col. Alexander S. Vindman

A Veteran’s Day Message

By David L. Shadrick

Veteran’s Day

So today myself and many other Veterans will dress formally, honor the fallen and eat all kinds of free food. Happy Veteran’s Day! Of course, I say the last part in jest.  This year there is another kind of hero and they are under attack. I’d like to talk about these heroes. These men and women who need to be remembered and supported today.

Victims of Rhetoric

Veteran’s Day is a time to set aside political differences and celebrate our fallen heroes.  Strangely enough, I want you to honor some of the stanchest conservatives of all time.  POW John McCain, Ambassador and Bronze Star recipient William B. Taylor, and purple heart winning veteran, Lt Col Alexander S, Vindman are under attack from all sides of the conservative spectrum. Of all things, they are accused of being secret liberals out to overthrow the Trump government.

Not Your Cup of Tea

While these men that I ask you to show support and respect for are not people I’d expect to see voting my agenda, they are heroes.  Their patriotism cannot be denied.  They were wounded, suffered untold tragedy and came out the other side.  It doesn’t matter to me what their political leanings may be, they need our support on Veteran’s Day, and every day that follows.

Betrayal

As a veteran myself, the idea that loyal Conservatives would be attacked and demeaned by other Conservatives is scary.  Suddenly, it’s not did you vote Democrat, but did you vote for the correct Conservative.  Any Conservative appointed by Bush or Reagan, is now not loyal enough for our criminal regime. Happy Veteran’s Day from the Trump administration!

Support

As you celebrate your Veteran’s Day please keep these heroes in your thoughts. They have been betrayed by their command.  They have proven and continue to prove their patriotism and bravery every day.  Send tweets and posts. Pick up the phone and call your Representative. Whether you agree with their politics, or not, no one should ever question their loyalty. Stop the personal attacks on the impeachment witnesses.

Veteran’s Day Itself

I just want to stress the importance of Veteran’s Day itself.  This isn’t just a three-day weekend for veterans.  I don’t know any veteran who hasn’t lost a friend.  Even though I never saw combat, I served overseas. I lost friends.  Friends that stayed in the service after I got out and ended up not making it home. Friends like Airman Jacobson.

Jacobson

For me I always think of Airman Sara Jacobson on Veteran’s Day.  After my eight years in the Army, I drove a cab for awhile. Jacobson was often one of the MP’s who checked my shuttle going in and out of Goodfellow Air Force Base, San Angelo, TX.  She was nice. She was funny. She was nineteen years old. She and my ex-wife were good buds.  I literally saw Sara Jacobson 5 days a week for a year and a half, before she deployed.  They named the South Gate at Goodfellow in her honor, after a roadside bomb killed her in Iraq.  I’m crying while I write this.  I can’t help myself. Pardon my melancholy.

Final Thoughts

Today will be a good day. I mean I’m going to Denny’s for breakfast, Olive Garden for lunch and Golden Corral for dinner.  Enjoy the three-day weekend, they don’t come often.  Just pray for our heroes under attack, for the ones we have so tragically lost and those yet to come.  Remember to thank a veteran. Just as importantly, remember the service of those you may disagree with politically. We all know there are no liberals or conservatives on the battlefield.

 

SILLY TRUMP WORD CHAIN

  By , ,

SILLY TRUMP WORD CHAIN

By D. S. Mitchell

Change Gears

Let's change gears

Time to change gears, it’s Saturday afternoon

For at least a couple of hours every Saturday and Sunday I try to come up with fun distractions; for myself and my readers. So, it’s playtime again here at Calamity Politics. I love word chains. So today I have decided to play with some words, with a little politics thrown in for fun. Hope that doesn’t bother you. Of course, I know you love politics, or you wouldn’t be reading Calamity News and Politics.

Rod L. Evans, Word Magician

A word chain consists of a group of words arranged so that each word differs by only one letter from the words directly before and after it. So here we go. I have to admit that I cheated today and I am using  Rod L. Evans, Ph.D. ‘Tyrannosaurus Lex’ for today’s’ game. Thanks, Mr. Evans. Please check out his several books on Amazon.

Continue reading

MITT ROMNEY FINALLY SPEAKS OUT

  By , , , , , ,

By D. S. Mitchell

This is the strongest reprimand I have seen from any GOP Senator. It took awhile to wrestle the rebuke from the Senator, but he looked in the mirror and knew he could not continue to remain silent. Thank you @MittRomney for your strong words.

OPINION: Trump Keeps Up The Shock Treatment

  By , , , , , , , ,

Calamity and Lucifer Can't believe what they are hearing?

Are you listening to the “National Moron”? Trump is in full meltdown. Don’t worry Lucifer, the guys in white jackets with injectable medication are on their way, I think. Careful, kitty, I’ve read he’s “pathologically dangerous”.

OPINION:

Trump Keeps Up The Shock Treatment

By D. S. Mitchell

“Unhinged” In Real Time

I had to get off Twitter, to write this post. I’ve watched the ‘National Moron’s’ press conference. What an embarrassment to our country. His misdirected anger, his contentious behavior, his defiance, his lies, his betrayal of our country, his vile insults against an elected congressman, his cursing, even his attempted fondling of the Finnish president’s leg. Anyone watching this horror show, can’t continue to support this very damaged man. He is as #Omarosa said, in her book about her time in the White House, “Unhinged.” In addition to the Omarosa book, I refer my readers to, “The Dangerous Case of Donald Trump” from 2017. Available on Amazon.

“The Dangerous Case of Donald Trump”

The “Dangerous Case of Donald Trump” was a compilation of 27 essays written by no less than 37 psychiatrists and a variety of mental health professionals. The book  published in 2017, came early in Trump’s administration. The book describes Donald Trump as “psychologically dangerous”.  Using the “duty to inform and protect” the co-authors lay out the dangers a Trump presidency. These mental health professionals see Trump as “a clear and present danger.”  What we saw this morning in the Oval Office was a president in mental collapse. ** (That book has been updated, though I admit, I have not yet seen it).

“Perfect Call”

Trump and the White House have totally implicated themselves. They admitted to the crime and then provided proof of that criminal activity. Now we’ve got Trump claiming the whistleblower is lying. The truth here is, that Trump has confirmed nearly everything in the whistleblower complaint. How can the president be allowed to continue his smear of the whistleblower and private citizens. It is outrageous.  This call was not “perfect”. Nor was it placed by a “perfectly stable genius”. Instead we have a glass-chewing maniac, performing as a mafia boss, extorting an underling.

Continue reading

“No Whitewash At The White House”

  By , , , , , , , , ,

By D. S. Mitchell

In 1973, Richard Nixon declared, “there can be no whitewash at the White House.” That was all theory, not reality.

Then And Now

After, protests and investigations, Nixon finally resigned, before impeachment.  I wonder if President Trump will resign?  It’s possible he will order military defense of his position.  Don’t laugh.  Just because it hasn’t happened, doesn’t mean it can’t, or won’t.  Thank you Founding Fathers, for the Second Amendment.

In My Defense

In defense of myself, the information is coming so fast it is hard to make sense of it

In defense of myself, the information is coming in so fast it is hard to keep track of it all.

I started Calamity Politics because I wanted to express my  frustrations as to the direction I saw the country going.  It was necessary to keep from losing my frigging liberal mind. I try to focus on news and facts. I try to support my statements with at least two sources. With this post, there are so many sources I can’t count them all.  I’ve thrown all previous behaviors to the wind, and this post is from the gut, as the guys say.

I Had A Husband Once

I had a husband once.  He believed, “if you repeat a lie,  enough times, most people believe it.”  Or, at least believe, there must be something behind all the smoke. On the other hand, I am more of the, “You can fool all the people some of the time.  You can fool some of the people, part of the time,  but you can never fool all the people, all the time.”  I believe we are about to find out which theory holds water.  I’ve got my fingers crossed.  There’s a lot at stake here; 240 years of our constitutional democracy.

Continue reading

Senseless Killing: Trophy Hunting

  By , , , , ,

SENSELESS KILLING                               

By Anna Hessel

The Senseless Death of One Lion

In the summer of 2015, Minnesota dentist Dr. Walter Palmer, having reportedly paid $50,000 in US dollars to hunter-guide Theo Bronkhorst as the price for an innocent lion’s head, shot and killed a majestic creature named Cecil.  Palmer first shot Cecil with bow and arrow, then tracked the wounded king of the jungle for about a 40-hour period, finally killing him with a rifle on July 1st near Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe.

A Song Too Late

Public outrage at this prompted many celebrities and politicians, among others, to publicly condemn the murder of this animal.  Musicians composed songs of tribute in Cecil’s honor, while artists worldwide such as Aaron Blaise, a former animator for Disney, created works to celebrate his life and mourn his death.

Continue reading

KOCH BROS: Corruption & Hypocrisy

  By , , , , ,

By Trevor McNeil & D.S. Mitchell

Kernel of Truth

The old adage that “only the good die young” was confirmed with the death of David Koch at the age of 79.  David Koch, and brother Charles, formed the two-headed demon that led one of the most unethical and unprincipled companies in modern memory.  Which is saying something with the likes of Enron as competition. Though, to be fair, like them or hate them, no one at Enron, as far as is known, used their vast fortune to fund and push for extreme hard right libertarian political ideology of small government and anti-regulation to transform U.S. government policy.

The Company We Keep

A group of hard Right, hyper-“patriotic”, pseudo-Christians emerged with the Obama election. These folks identified themselves as the “Tea Party”.  They were a cranky group of hustlers and howlers who seem to think the parable goes “turn the other cheek; and then pull a Glock”. A bit of a turn on the standard evangelical prayer group.

Continue reading

Trumpism Is Unsustainable

  By , , ,
Calamity face

I am on a mission to make sure that Donald Trump is a one term president. Voter Blue.

Trumpism Is Unsustainable

By D. S. Mitchell

My Personal Mission

Trumpism is unsustainable. Donald Trump has been in office for two and a half years. Since November 9th, 2016 I have made it my personal mission to call out our faux president every chance I get for his scandalous and corrupt behavior. I challenge anyone, Republican or Democrat to name any president in our 200 year plus history that was worse than this guy. Trump is in fact a risk to the country, in every way imaginable.  He is a reckless and hate filled demagogue.

Temperamentally Unfit

Trump’s chaotic thinking and his emotional volatility are, in fact, a danger to the country he administers. In my most wild nightmares, I never imagined the potential of such a soulless narcissist ever being elected to any office in the country, much less the presidency. His behavior over the last week has raised both tempers and eyebrows. The local volunteer Fire Department has had to stop by my house several times to put my ‘hair fire’ out.

Continue reading