Tag Archives: government

All the sordid little things . . .

We know that Trump is corrupt, but what does that mean? “Corruption” is kind of a vague term. But specifically, it can include some things that are dishonest that aren’t technically illegal, AND it can definitely include quite a few things that are TOTALLY illegal.

The CRIMES of corruption include: Bribery, Extortion, Fraud, Mail Fraud, Wire Fraud, Theft (including Theft of Personal Identity Information), Embezzlement, Money Laundering, Racketeering, Insider Trading, Perjury, Witness Tampering, Obstruction of Justice, Contempt, and Conspiracy. It can also include crimes of violence. (Please sign and share my petition at: https://chng.it/jdMDPC44hT )

Trump has done many of these things, even in just the last few months. None of these crimes are “official or core duties” of the President. These are his “extracurricular” activities. There is no immunity for such criminal enterprises. He can, and hopefully will, be brought to justice when circumstances catch up with him. Americans don’t like corruption. Especially when they find out all the sordid little things that are part of it.

What’s good for the goose . . .

Leave a reply

Live and let live.

Republicans have forgotten that.

For example, I believe that it’s wrong, morally wrong , to kill animals and eat meat. But I don’t want Congress to make it a crime for anyone to eat meat. I don’t want people who eat meat to be fired from their jobs because of it. I don’t want people deported because they eat meat. You see the point? Our beliefs, our lifestyles, our bodies, are nobody’s business unless we are actually hurting the health or welfare of others. Only then should government step in, and only according to the Constitution.

They take an oath

Leave a reply

Trump doesn’t own the government. He’s not majority stockholder of our public institutions. The government belongs to us, all of us, together. Not to individuals or groups. Not to Trump or the Republicans or the Democrats.

Loyalty to a politician, rather than a principle, has no place in our Constitution, our government, or our legal system.

LEADERSHIP, RESPECT AND INTEGRITY

Leave a reply

An Attorney General needs three basic qualities. She or he needs to be a leader. Someone who has the maturity, temperament and expertise to run the world’s foremost law enforcement agency, from preliminary investigation to complex litigation.

She or he needs to be respected. She needs to be respected by her vast workforce, which includes the agents of the FBI, ATF and DEA, Immigration Judges, U.S. Attorneys, subject-matter attorneys in all areas of federal law, the Bureau of Prisons, the Antitrust Division, and the Environment and Natural Resources Division. She needs to be respected by the federal bench, before whom her Department will appear and argue its cases, if the interests of the United States are to be effectively prosecuted or defended. She needs to be respected by opposing parties and opposing counsel. This includes opposing parties who are foreign states and foreign nationals who may be subject to U.S. jurisdiction.

Finally, the Attorney General needs to have personal and professional integrity. Just like a Justice of the Supreme Court, the Attorney General must be beyond reproach in terms of integrity. There must be no trace of bias, personal interest or conflict of interest in any of her words or actions. Blind loyalty to a party or a President should be nowhere in her character. She should protect elections, not undermine them. Malice or retribution should be ideas she repudiates, not endorses. She must serve only the interests of the American people and their Constitution and laws. Not the interests of wealthy individuals, wealthy foreign entities, or corporate monopolies.

Can we say, with a straight face, that the person whom President-elect Trump wants to be our next Attorney General possesses any of these three qualities? Rarely has a negative answer to such a question been so embarrassingly obvious.

Chuck Redman, retired federal trial attorney, U.S. Department of Justice and U.S. Department of Homeland Security

Leadership, Respect and Integrity

Leave a reply

She or he needs to be respected. He needs to be respected by his vast workforce, which includes the agents of the FBI, ATF and DEA, Immigration Judges, U.S. Attorneys, subject-matter attorneys in all areas of federal law, Bureau of Prisons, and officers responsible for monitoring sex offenders and preventing Violence Against Women. He needs to be respected by the federal bench, before whom his Department will appear and argue its cases, if the interests of the United States are to be effectively prosecuted or defended. He needs to be respected by opposing parties and opposing counsel. This includes opposing parties who are foreign states and foreign nationals who may be subject to U.S. jurisdiction.

Finally, the Attorney General needs to have personal and professional integrity. Just like a Justice of the Supreme Court, the Attorney General must be beyond reproach in terms of integrity. There must be no trace of bias or personal interest in any of his words or actions. He must serve only the interests of the American people and their Constitution and laws.

May the Farce be with you

3 Replies

Now we know what Trump and Putin were talking about in their private meeting in Helsinki. Space Wars. Maybe they already have a board game designed and the whole summit was set up so they could try it out without anyone looking over their shoulders. Maybe they had a couple of those lightsabers from last year’s Star Wars convention and were jousting all over Gothic Hall in Helsinki’s Presidential Palace while their highly-paid advisors were standing outside in the hallways looking lost.

Because if Trump is so gung-ho about creating a Space Force, a sixth branch of the military, you better believe Putin is just as gung-ho about the plan. What better way for the two bullies to distract attention from real issues, award giant contracts to their friends in the military arms industry, and, at the same time, have a heck of a lot of fun acting out their science fiction fantasies.

Nevermind that our space programs already have cost billons and billions of dollars with little real benefit to our struggling species here on earth. Nevermind that we already have plenty of terrestrial wars and genocides and terrorist attacks to keep us busy day and night just adding up the number of deaths of innocent victims.

Maybe Trump will appoint William Shatner as Commander of the Space Force and Harrison Ford as Chief of Star Battles. On second thought, he’ll probably appoint his sons. Their birthdays are coming up.

Do you want good government or don’t you?

2 Replies

I’m Faith Wellernd and I approve this ad. . .

I believe I am qualified to be Governor of California because I have worked in all the branches of California government for many years, in leadership positions. Most recently I have been Lieutenant Governor and was Acting Governor for nine months while the Governor was recovering from heart surgery.

The problems we face are complicated and there are no simple answers or guarantees that we will overcome them. I can only promise that I will work hard and do my best to find those answers. I would like to lower taxes but only if we can meet the needs of the people of this State without spending as much as we spend now.

My opponent, Ernest Phelluh, would also make a good Governor. He has a great deal of experience and always does a good job. He is honest and sincere. He believes that California should meet its clean energy goals by emphasizing wind power over solar power. I believe that the emphasis should be more on solar power. So while I fundamentally disagree with him, I understand and respect his point of view.

Here’s some moderately-flattering footage of me digging the first shovelful at the groundbreaking for a new school. Here’s some moderately-flattering footage of Ernest cutting the ribbon on a new transit line.

Please consider both of our records and our platforms and vote for the candidate who you feel would best govern this State. Thank you.

PAID FOR BY THE CALIFORNIA MONEYLESS AND SLIME-FREE PUBLIC CAMPAIGN REFORM FUND

Uniformly qualified

5 Replies

Yesterday, another free-wheeling random-style revenge shooting. Besides all the other things that ought to be said, I want to say something about the local police chiefs and sheriffs whom we see on television briefing the press after these horrific shootings. Whether they’re heads of large urban police forces or small town sheriffs, these men and women are, without exception, well-spoken, responsive, professional and eminently competent. And this is under extremely stress-filled circumstances.

They choose their words carefully, they don’t twist facts, they don’t exhibit bias. They are candid yet cautious. This is not to say that these local officials are heroes or saints. This just makes me wonder why so many of our senators, governors, cabinet members, White House officials, and especially White House occupants, have none of these qualities. Why are there so many good people in government, and so few really good ones at the very top?

“Going once, going twice, sold!”

3 Replies

It hasn’t sunk in yet. Even after four months. That the Presidency of our nation is now just a piece of property. That can be acquired. That can be acquired through dealings and leveraging. Through bids and transactions, proffers and presents. In other words, the Office of President has finally been privatized.

It’s no longer regulated. It can make its own rules. It can do, say, decree, undecree, prioritize, deprioritize, reveal, conceal, validate or invalidate whatever it wants, whenever it wants, and however it wants. It now owns us, we don’t own it.

I hear it’s planning on selling off the Constitution, one Article at a time. The Bill of Rights will be sold at auction. Cash or letters of credit only.