Trump's Latest Book: The Art of Thinly Veiled Threats

Good Day World!

You may not have heard this, but Trump is coming out with a sequel to the Art of the Deal. 

This follow-up (also ghost-written) is titled, The Art of Thinly Veiled Threats.

While touting his latest addition of fiction, Trump said this:

"I can tell you I have the support of the police, the support of the military, the support of the Bikers for Trump - I have the tough people, but they don't play it tough - until they go to a certain point, and then it would be very bad, very bad." 

The response on social media was immediate, calling him out as a bully. His supporters, like crazy Kellyanne Conway, tried to defend his rant, but most people could see through her lies.

Apparently Trump felt pressure to delete his threatening tweet after news of the massacre of 49 people in a New Zealand Mosque was announced yesterday. 

Trump has put steroids into the presidential Bully Pulpit, taking the original meaning and twisting it into an attack platform against anyone who dares to defy him with any means possible.

That goes for thinly veiled threats of violence. 

He uses campaign rallies to encourage anger against the mainstream media and anyone who opposes him, encouraging followers to attack protestors, saying he'd pay for their legal bills.

I have a hunch his new book isn't going to be a best seller.

Time for me to walk on down the road...

Trump Enablers Forced to Face Lawmakers

Good Day World!

For two years Trump's enablers in the government have been able to protect him while he repeatedly assaults the Constitution and every law he comes across.

Now, the time has come for these devoted minions to face the music coming from House committees.

Starting with Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin. He's got some explaining to do on why Trump is refusing to let his tax returns be released to House committees.

From the start, Mnuchin promised his idol Trump that he would protect him from anyone seeking his tax returns. It's why Mnuchin got the job in the first place.

A host of other enablers are going to be faced with questions from lawmakers as new suspicions about dangled pardons, conflicting congressional testimony, implicit pleas form clemency and fresh suggestions of inappropriate presidential behavior are unraveled in the days, and weeks, ahead. 

Related: Trump's Acting AG 'Blatantly Lied to Congress' and Testified Again Because He Feared He Could Go to Prison 

Senate Republicans were faced with rebuking Trump's Emergency Resolution yesterday, which they did, setting it up for Trump's first veto. I suspect another is on the way too.

The Story - GOP Senators Voting Against Trump Try To placate the President: 'It's Not in Any Way A Slight On Him

The above story singles out how his enablers in the senate were forced to choose the Constitution over Trump's power grab for the Congressional purse. How pathetic is that after making doing the right thing they apologize to Trump and hope he's not mad at them.

Wow. I've only touched on some of Trump's enablers and it's enough to make a sane person's head spin. 

I'm somewhat consoled to know that historians will someday study how one man was able to corrupt every federal agency in the government.

His enablers will also have a place in Trump's Hall of Shame.

Time for me to walk on down the road...

A Mockery of Democracy: It's a Wealthy World After All

                                        Good Day World!

It's time for the majority of Americans to admit that the wealthy one percent of this country rule. It's a dirty little open-secret about our democracy, while our country still professes equal justice for all.

They've given corporations the same rights as humans (See Citizens United) and live at a different strata level than the average American.

We keep seeing evidence of the wealthy's tentacles throughout our society.

The most recent example is the wealthy families who were caught cheating to get their already privileged children placed in prestigious colleges.

The FBI is calling the college scandal the biggest admissions scam ever prosecuted in the United States. And get this, this scandal is just the tip of the iceberg authorities assert.

In yet another recent example, the public was outraged to hear how easily Paul Manafort got off in his first trial where he could have been sentenced to 20 years in prison and instead only got 47 months.

Related: What Manafort's Light Sentence says about Our Criminal Justice System 

When Manafort went to court the second time yesterday, he was once again given a lighter sentence than everyone expected considering his crimes.

The topper on this farce is Trump, who experts agree, will pardon Manafort before he leaves office.

Couple that with the Trump's wealthy minions in key government positions, and we have a mockery of democracy.

Time for me to walk on down the road...

Why Trump is Mocked Everytime He Opens His Piehole or Tweets

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It doesn't take a stable genius to know Trump is as dumb as a rock.

When he actually opens his pie hole, or tweets, his ignorance is so pronounced that people feel compelled to mock him. 

Trump's recent announcement that planes are far too complex to fly and pilots have to be computer scientists to fly them, comes after a second Boeing's 737 Max 8 crashed - killing all aboard - in the last six months.

Let's unpack that statement for a moment.

a) Is Trump suggesting we go back to the Kitty Hawk and the Wright Brothers? Doesn't get much simpler than that.
b) Did some poor fool try to explain the plane's new navigation system to Trump who became overwhelmed when a reporter asked him about it?
c) Trump's comments about modern planes quickly drifted off into a rant: "I see it all the time in many products. Always seeking to go one unnecessary step further, when old and simpler is far better."

This recent rant picks up Trump's ongoing theme of simple is best. Like his plans for a medieval wall on our southern border, or his love affair with the wheel.

But the biggest reason Trump is mocked is because he regularly lies, and demonstrates a complete lack of understanding of the world around him. I have a pug that knows more about other countries than our Cheeto in charge does.

His ignorance is really appalling when it comes to the Constitution and the functions of Congress and government agencies.

How could Americans not mock him? The rest of the world does too.

Time for me to walk on down the road...

A Slow News Day Amidst The Winds of Change

                                           Good Day World!

Lately, between my morning caffeine fix and the daily news on steroids providing an adrenalin rush, I was pleasantly surprised that there was a slow day (yesterday) in the news cycle.

Instead of being jacked up and ready to opinionate for my daily post, I became passive and found it hard to complain about anything. Even Trump.

Maybe it was because, for one rare day, he didn't entirely dominate the headlines with a new scandal, and news organizations were forced to settle on a rehash of his shit from the weekend, and last week.

Yesterday had some real news events (not linked to our liar in chief). Like the second crash in six months for Boeing's brand new 737 Max 8 causing worldwide concern.

My point is that there are a lot of newsworthy stories getting buried every time Trump makes an ass out of himself, which is practically daily.

Amidst the winds of change with Democrats controlling the House and holding Trump and his minions to task, I don't expect too many slow days this year.

My advise, should we be so blessed again, is to savor that day without Donny getting the top stories like you would a sunny day in Alaska.

Time for me to walk on down the road...

The Power of Bullshit

Good Day World!

I'm feeling philosophical today, inspired by the awesome power of Trump's bullshit to deflect critics.

After Trump finished molesting the American flag during a recent CPAC gathering, he summed up all of the investigations into his numerous criminal activities as...bullshit.

At any other time in history Americans would have been shocked to hear a president use such a vulgar word to sum up his opinion about legitimate ongoing investigations by the House and a special counsel.

In the Trump era, partisan bullshit has been so plentiful I'm frankly surprised he hasn't use the word more often. It is a powerful word. It's also a word that a demented authoritarian would use when the walls of truth are closing in on them.

In Trump's world of fake news and wild conspiracy views, the word conveys a oneness with the common man. It takes him from being a billionaire to a blue collar kinda guy.

In another era bullshit was mocked. It didn't have the power it has today, thanks to our liar in chief. In the end, bullshit is simply bull feces dressed up in ideological rants and served up by assholes like Trump.

Time for me to walk on down the road...

WH Patronage: Or, How To Fly Under The Radar

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As another White House Communications Director loses his job (that's five and counting) Americans got a peak at another Trump appointee who somehow flew under the ethics radar for nearly six months.

It's a common enough occurrence in the Trump regime.

The scandal about this latest Trump puppet, Bill Shine (former president of Fox News), has been simmering since last December when Democrats sent a letter to the White House counsel's office, demanding proof that Fox's payments to Shine didn't violate federal ethics and conflict-of-interest statutes. 

They never got one.

When New Yorker reporter Jane Mayer wrote an article exposing the incestuous relationship between the West Wing and Fox News, Trump's enablers elected to move Shine out from his high profile position and hide him on Trump's 2020 re-election team.

There's plenty of other examples, such as Jared and Ivanka's controversial top security clearances that have flown under the radar for nearly two years. The only reason their being scrutinized now is because the Democrats got the House back.

Because of that dynamic change on Capitol Hill there's going to be a lot less Trump appointees that will be able to fly under the radar during the rest of his scandalous presidency.

Expect Trump to keep trying to infect our government and judiciary in spite of this heightened oversight. It's in his DNA.

Time for me to walk on down the road...

It's Confusing: Do We Have a Strong Economy Or Not?

                                       Good Day World!

In the age of Trump it's nearly impossible to confirm if the American economy is really doing as well as he claims.

The reason being our liar in chief has a habit of muddling reality and his fantasies, and cracking down on any government reports that show our economy is slowing down -or not growing as fast as Trump maintains.

What are we supposed to think after hearing stories like the two following examples?

1) US Hiring Slows Sharply in February 

"The sluggish hiring and job cuts in February were widespread across industries. Construction cut 31,000 jobs, the most in more than five years. Manufacturing added just 4,000, the fewest in a year and a half." 

2) In Blow To Trump Trade Deficit Hits Record High

"America’s trade deficit in goods with the rest of the world rose to its highest level in history last year as the United States imported a record number of products, including from China, widening the deficit to $891.3 billion and delivering a setback to President Trump’s goal of narrowing that gap."

Other factors like Trump's $1.5 trillion tax cut have benefited the one percenters in America and corporations, leaving the average taxpayer with a ballooning national debt to contend with.

Despite these reasons, there are economists who still argue America is doing better than just okay. They point out increased wages and low unemployment are keeping the economy healthy.

Then we have Trump's tariffs. They have cost Americans $19 Billion in 2018. 

"In addition to the economic toll of the trade war the tariffs caused, they find that the full cost of the tariffs was passed on to US consumers, meaning the tariff hike was effectively a tax hike on all Americans. On top of that, in response to facing less international competition, American businesses have increased their prices."

It has to be difficult for the average American to understand why we have these competing versions of prosperity in our country today.

A big reason for that is most of our news sources have become infected with partisan views, making it that much harder to know what the state of the union really is. 

Related: As Budget Deficit Balloons, Few In Washington Seem To care 

Related: Two Economists With Opposing Views Weigh In On Trump's Economic Plan

Time for me to walk on down the road...

Filial Cannablism and Republicans in Congress

Good Day World!

This morning, while enjoying my java fix, I got to thinking about how the animal world is a lot like Congress; 

Unpredictable, and dangerous.

Take the practice of eating one's offspring. 

Many types of animals, including bank voles, house finches, wolf spiders, and many fish species, have been observed by zoologists chowing down on their babies.

I know. How revolting is that?

I'd say as revolting as Congressional Republicans who threaten and eat their own if they don't stay in lockstep with our liar in chief.

The most recent example is North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis. He's been an ardent Trumpie and has stayed in line with the rest of the puppets roaming Capitol Hill since Trump slithered into office.

But he's going to pay a price for announcing he's voting against Trump's Emergency Declaration because he's aware it's unconstitutional.

If Rand Paul wasn't one of the two people in Congress that Trump really likes (Lindsey Graham is the other one) his promise of voting against his attempted power grab would have made him fresh meat to be devoured by his rabid supporters. 

Interestingly enough, we haven't heard Trump give the word that would put Paul on the Trumpkin menu.

Zoology studies have offered up a couple of reasons why they think animals eat their young.

Theory One: Cannibalism was found to increase the parent's reproductive rate by apparently increasing mate attractiveness.

Theory Two: filial cannibalism could be a way to root out offspring that take too long to mature and therefore require a little too much parental care.

I think theory number two applies to Congressional Republicans who don't want to waste time with members who require repeated indoctrinations.

Comparing the Trump regime to animals questionable practices helps explain a lot of things happening in Washington DC today.

It's a jungle out there, and we have an orangutan dragging his little knuckles on the floor of the Oval Office.

Time for me to walk on down the road...

Dictators Have State-Controlled Media Like Trump's Fox News

                                           Good Day World!

Seems like I'm getting a lot of epiphanies these days early in the morning while indulging in coffee and cannabis. 

Today, while reading a New York Times expose on Trump having his own propaganda organization - also known as Fox News - it occurred to me this relationship has been evident since Trump decided to run for president.

No one has actually come out in the open about this incestuous relationship until recently. 

For over three years Fox News enabled and supported Trump's lies for political and business reasons while insisting they had fair and balanced reporting.

What happened was reality overcame the thin smokescreen between Trump and Fox management.

For starters, we found out that Fox spiked the Stormy Daniel story days before the 2016 election to protect candidate Trump.

Why? Rupert Murdock wanted Trump, not Hillary Clinton, to win, according to a Wall Street Journal article in 2018. It's around that time Fox News became the unofficial propaganda media outlet for Trump.

As historians are fully aware, one of the signs of a true dictatorship is by controlling a media propaganda organization to distribute lies.

Americans have watched as Fox News hosts and management have infiltered our government like lice. Currently heading up the White House Press Staff is Bill Shine, an ex-Fox executive.

When the day comes and historians try to piece together all the pathways of corruption that got Trump elected, Fox News and The National Enquirer will hold special places in that nefarious plot along with conspiring with the Russians to rig the election results.

Related: Democratic National Committee Rejects Fox News for Debates: Citing New York Times Article 

Related: Fox News: So What If Trump Conspired With Russia To Win The Presidency?

Time for me to walk on down the road...