Tag: Donald Trump

Part II: Behind The Curtain

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Part II: Behind The Curtain

D. S. Mitchell

I have talked about Donald Trump and his struggle to overcome his boyhood wealth in the dismal back water of Queens, N.Y. and his four decade effort to impress the only world that mattered at the time., the glittery world of Manhattan real estate. It was only later that he set his sights on the White House. Come with me while we continue that tumultuous journey.

In 1988, Donald bought a profitable shuttle line from the failing Eastern Airlines.  He had assembled a $380,000,000 loan from a consortium of twenty-two banks. Trump decided to go “high-end,” turning the shuttle service  into a very pricey hour trip. By 1992 the Trump Shuttle was in receivership and had ceased operations.

Trump has learned the art of spin.  He tells anyone that will listen, that every major bank in the country is begging him to borrow their bank’s money.  What a crock of crap.  In fact, according to many financial sources, Trump had no choice but to morph his real estate business in to a “licensing, branding company, where other people own the assets, because he couldn’t get bank loans, he had no choice.”

Mike Burnett, a transplanted Brit, was riding high in 2002 with the biggest hit on reality television, Survivor. Burnett wanted to spend more time with his children in New York and Survivor was filmed in far off jungle islands.  Burnett came  up with an idea for a show set in New York and he  needed a bigger than life central character to pull it off.

After seeing Trump’s picture plastered everywhere he looked around New York he decided to pitch the project to Donald Trump.

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Part I: Behind The Curtain

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Part I: Behind The Curtain

D. S. Mitchell

We are now in the midst of the most controversial presidency in our in our country’s history. Trump’s erratic and often bizarre behavior, his Twitter storms, his failing public agenda, his plummeting poll ratings, the mounting pressure of multiple ethics and campaign investigations, his attacks against members of his own party, keep the world riveted to our various media devices.  Sadly, for the country his first 7 months in the Oval Office have been nearly toxic, starting with his dark and angry Inaugural Address has led to anger and violence on “both sides.” There is an uptick of violence by whites against blacks and other people of color.

How did we go from a Republican House, a Republican Senate and a Republican President that had the potential to ramrod through any legislation they proposed has dissolved into the current chaos. What started as whispers over drinks at dinner between Republican party operatives and legislators, moved to the first timid voices, and what now can best be described as a near free-for-all between the varying Republican factions. Louder voices are demanding either changes in his behavior,  or they will use the power of the Congress and remove his spoiled, delinquent ass, from office.

You can almost see the salivating lawmakers as they look to their quiet former colleague, the up-tight Vice President Mike Pence. The visual is all photo perfect, with Pence looking like a TV game host and sounding like a Baptist preacher. That budding love affair between Pence and the Legislative Branch, is at the moment, only wishful thinking, but as Trump becomes more toxic I can see increased support for the presumptive “new” president.  I can see Trump when forces begin to close in on him; Trump will pardon everyone in sight, including himself and resign, leaving us with that devoted conservative Mike Pence.

I promise you, if Trump resigns, or is removed from office and they try to leave us with Mike Pence I will lose it–seriously lose it.  If Russia colluded with the Trump campaign, then Pence was at the very center of the scandal and should never under any circumstances be sworn into the office of the President of the United States.

So, how did it come to pass that a probable losing candidate for a second term as Indiana governor, could now  be standing this close to being sworn in as the 46th President of the United States.  Paul Manafort is the man behind Trump picking Mike Pence for this now pivotal role. Paul Manafort and Mike Pence. What ties did those two have between them, that made Manafort confident enough in Pence that Manafort would push Pence for the Vice President role, working apparently overtime to convince Trump that Pence was the perfect balance to the ticket.

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Health Care In America

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Health Care In America

D. S. Mitchell

The GOP nicknamed the Affordable Care Act, “ObamaCare” and spent seven plus years condemning the program, and promising to “repeal” the entire act, and  “replace” with some nebulous unspecified improvement.  Remember Trump telling the country’s voters they “will have great health care. Cheaper health care.  Everybody will be covered.” What the GOP Congress has offered, and Trump claims he will sign, is a bill that would gut services, slash Medicaid expansion and strangle insurance subsidies.

It has been made obvious since Trump’s inauguration that this candidate had no plan and his rhetoric was a total and complete fabrication.  In the recent struggle, the repeal forces are re-energizing and narrowing its focus to eliminate at least the most unpopular mandates of the ACA, such as mandating that everyone buy insurance, and companies with 50 or more employees provide employee insurance.  Those two issues, along with the rapidly rising costs, and decreasing policy options in the private marketplace deserve immediate attention.

Republicans have made hay deriding and chastising the Democrats for a less than democratic process during the drafting of the ACA (ObamaCare).  Truthfully, the drafting of the ACA was an example of transparency compared to recent efforts by Mitch McConnell and Paul Ryan to bring their repeal and replacement to resolution by passage of a new health care law.

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Another Beach Day

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Another Beach Day

D. S. Mitchell

I have been trying to stay calm.  Morning meditation, a 3 mile walk on a misty beach, background acoustic guitar played today while I worked on my *novel.  No cable news.  Just me, and steady controlled breathing.

There are two special elections in the South today.  The South, since the late 1960’s has been  Republican red.  When I was a kid, the Democrats owned the South.  But, strangely enough in reaction to Civil Rights Legislation backed by the Democrats the South moved lock, stock and barrel to the Republican party.

I donated to both Democratic candidates, Archie Parnell in South Carolina, and Jon Ossoff in Georgia. Not much money, because I’m a pensioner, but I felt I had to at least put something in the pot. Not that I expect the Dems to win, but I have hope.

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I’d Call That Annoying

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I’d Call That Annoying

D. S. Mitchell

Calamity Politics is a Progressive political blog where I try to go with the facts, not just my feelings. The headline news is looking really bad right now for Jared Kushner, but those of us at Calamity Politics, we will wait and watch as this new angle on the 2016 Russian Trump collusion investigation continues to suck all the oxygen out of the room.

In another life I was a real estate investor, not on a Donald Trump scale, but bigger than many. What I do know, is that there is a component of risk in real estate. An edgy excitement. Chasing the prey, cornering the prey, teasing the prey and then; maybe, purchasing ‘the prey’.

I can see Kushner being one of those guys, who like to walk the edge. The risk, part of the reward is that zing of power you feel when you conquer the risk. I have found that most real estate investors like the risk, as much as anything. It’s a weird hybrid gambling addiction. I have recovered, however. I am so done with real estate.

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Trump Wants to Keep Ethic Waivers Secret

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Trump Wants To Keep Ethic Waivers Secret

D. S. Mitchell

Calamity Politics, a West Coast based progressive political blog, attempts to shine a light into the murky world of U.S. political dog fighting

I have been silent for a day or two while I did some archive updates and computer housekeeping. I added lots of new pictures. If you haven’t taken a look at the site for a while, I welcome you back and hope you take a few minutes to look at some of the old stories. As I was adding pictures I was surprised to note that most of the same issues that were shocking me six months ago are still shocking me, today.

Now that the house cleaning is complete I am back. My storytelling fingers have been itching to get back to covering the hot button current events of our day. This White House has dropped a shield around itself. There is not even a pretense of transparency. Dozens of former lobbyists and industry lawyers have been hired by the Trump administration. In late January President Trump signed an executive order that “barred lobbyists and lawyers” hired as political appointees from participating in “particular” policy issues that involved former clients for two years. Trump of course, like previous presidents, reserved the right to “issue a waiver” to anyone he wanted to hire. This action is not new. What is new is that the Trump White House has been steadfastly refusing to release evidence of any such waivers, or acknowledgement of who waivers were granted to, or disclosure of any accompanying documents.

    1. Walter M. Shaub Jr., head of the Office Of Government Ethics has asked every federal agency for copies of all waivers and accompanying documentation issued by Trump be returned to his office no later than June 1, 2017. In response the White House challenged Shaub’s “legal authority” to demand such information. Mick Mulvaney, chief of the Office of Management and Budget requested more time to review “the scope of OGE authorities”, without specifying what those questions were.

In a statement provided to the NY Times, Mulvaney switched tactics, and accused Shaub of “playing politics” and attacked the “expansive scope and breathless timetable, demanded that we seek further guidance”. The reason for the “expansive” scope is because Trump has hired innumerable former lobbyists and industry lawyers for the administration, many of whom the administration has attempted to conceal from public scrutiny. For every minute the waivers are kept secret the Trump appointees are able to potentially advance their own financial interests.

A week after attempting to further stonewall the requests by the OGE, the White House announced it will comply with the OGE request and will publicly disclose all waivers that the White House has quietly given out since January that allow these former lobbyists to work in the administration. The White House position was drawing heavy fire from ethics watchdogs. These waivers are given on a case-by-case basis, and in effect, allow appointees to work on policies that may overlap with issues they worked on with former employers.

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Trump On Tour

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Trump On Tour

D. S. Mitchell

I am screaming at the top of my lungs. It’s a damn good thing this is not a pod cast commentary, because someone would be ordering psych restraints for this old girl.

I started writing for Calamity Politics because I saw Trump as a demented, narcissistic, irrational, terrifying, irresponsible, backward thinking, corrupt and dangerous individual. I was concerned that the country had just elected a gross misogynist clown as President of the United States.

I wanted to speak out against what I expected to be an immediate attack on the environment, entitlement programs and Roe v Wade. I knew the Republicans, heavily financed by the Koch Brothers, and other right extremist Superpacs, would launch an all out attack against anything progressive as soon as the inaugural partying was over.

Because of my intense concern, I felt the pressure to get on line with Calamity Politics as soon as possible. If you as a reader, wonder who I am, and what I stand for, I suggest you take a few minutes and read ‘About Me’ and ‘Mission Statement’ which are located on buttons at the top of this page.

I thought I might be alone in my outrage. Had I “lost” my mind, as was suggested by two family members, or was I one of many?

I found out soon that I was just one of an army of individuals who were truly fearful that the election of Donald Trump was a step back in time. None of us wanted to take 21st century America back to the segregated, air polluted and garbage littered mid 20th century America romanticized by Donald Trump. So fearful in fact were we, that we began organically to call ourselves the “resistance”. I embraced the label as a personal commitment to fight trump, and everything he represents. I am a soldier in the fight against authoritarianism. I am one of the ‘resistance”.

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“Follow The Trail Of Russian Bodies”

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Follow The Trail Of Russian Bodies

D.S. Mitchell

Calamity Politics is a progressive political blog that attempts everyday to provide interesting and topical articles, focused primarily on the U.S. national political scene.  Topics of analysis and commentary are determined by me.  Sometimes I discuss the headlines of the day, sometimes I veer off and talk about things that make me smile and others that make me mad. Today, I am going to reach back in to recent history.  The news of the day, again involves the Russians and possible disclosure by President Trump of highly classified information.  So, I thought it might be good to have a refresher course on Russia’s war against our democratic institutions.  Sources for this article are Del Quentin Wilker, the LA Times, Melissa Ryan Extra Newsfeed, and AP correspondents, Deb Reichmann and Eileen Sullivan, and finally CtrlAltRightDelete.

On March 30, 2017 Clint Watts, terrorism and espionage expert, Robert A. Fox Fellow, Program on the Middle East and Senior Fellow, Program on National Security, appeared before the Senate Intel Committee to discuss the Russian intervention in the 2016 presidential election.  Watts gave the committee and the American public a history lesson into the activities of the Russians, tracing the Kremlin’s efforts to influence our elections as a decades long effort using misinformation to undermine our democracy.

Wilker in his LA Times article declared, “Watts provided a road map to better understand” the shady practices by Moscow. To understand the activities, he urged the Senate and the U.S. government to “follow the money” to figure out “how misinformation websites and social media outlets are being funded.”

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Self Inflicted Crisis

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Self Inflicted Crisis

D. S. Mitchell

What a difference a day makes. Not only has it gone from sun and fun here at the Oregon coast but a big storm has blown in, sending us all here at Calamity Politics, running inside to escape the heavy rain and driving wind.

To top it off, I have managed to lose my eyeglasses. How? I do not know, but that bit of stupidity has proved expensive, and inconvenient. I went into Costco and my prescription is good until July, so they ordered me another pair of glasses. Two hundred nineteen dollars later and a delivery date sometime next week, caused me a bit of frustration and irritation.

In my case, the lost glasses are a bad thing. I’m currently wearing my prescription sunglasses, trying to get enough light to my retinas to see what I’m doing. Considering the change in weather, the sunglasses look really dumb.

So, enough of my personal nonsense. As Calamity Politics’ blogger-in-chief I am frothing at the mouth to comment on the craziness of this week in U.S. political headline news.

Stories are emerging, of a raging and screaming President Trump reacting to the growing Russian collusion reports on television. The televised testimony of Yates and Comey seems to be the true cause of Trump firing the FBI Director.

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Keep Smiling Sucker

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Keep Smiling Sucker

D. S. Mitchell

I started writing the Calamity Politics blog to present the urgent political news of the day. I take pride in presenting current and meaningful issues in the hope of connecting with people that have similar political leanings. There is also a bit of silliness, now and then.

I want to be a supportive voice of the “Resistance”. I, like so many others this political season have become unbelievably energized by the election of Donald Trump. He defines everything I don’t want in a man; much less a president. I have never previously been ashamed of a U.S. president, but knowing that Donald Trump is the “face of America,” truly sickens me.

I am sure we can defeat this megalomaniac and his science rejecting policies and his Fossil Fuel Agenda. None of us can do it alone. We need to bind together. It is together that we can keep the heat on these thugs and hoodlums; by our sheer numbers. Whether by impeachment, implementation of Amendment 25, or some other means Donald J. Trump will be removed from office before the end of his term. That conviction keeps me writing, talking and networking every day. I hope all my readers make that their mission also.

Donald Trump is one of the biggest phonies in U.S. history and he is now President of the United States and I’m worried that he will make as big a mess out of the United States government as he did his own personal finances.

Donald Trump began working for his father’s real estate company in 1972 after graduating from the Wharton School of Business with a degree in Economics. From the beginning Donald was better at self-promoting than actually making any money. It is estimated that when Fred Trump, Sr died in 1999 Donald Trump inherited something in the neighborhood of 100-200 million dollars.

According to the Associated Press, if Donald Trump had done nothing more than place his inheritance into index funds his net worth today would exceed 13 Billion dollars. Estimates project his current net worth is far from that dazzling amount. So, after all the ballyhoo and boasting he is rich because he was born rich. He could have been stratospherically wealthy if he had done nothing. Funny, in a peculiar way.

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