God Help The United States of America

God Help The United States of America

With regard to President Donald Trump:

He insists a Navy Seal disgraced for outrageous behavior be reinstated. What does that say about accountability to our men and women in uniform?

He causes the baseless firing and disparagement of a career civil servant. He conducts a shadow diplomacy in Ukraine undermining the diplomatic corps. What does this say about respect for the soft power of American diplomacy?

He insults our European allies. What does this say about the leadership role of America in the world?

He calls Democrats “human scum”. What does this say about the civility of our democracy and even the pretense of a commitment to finding legislative solutions to our intractable domestic policy issues.

He announces a withdrawal from Syria without engaging military, diplomatic or security counsel. What does that say about prospective future impulsive, unvetted decisions that could have dire national security implications?

He refused to acknowledge, accept, or act on incontrovertible evidence that Russia interfered with the 2016 elections and continues to work to undermine the integrity of our future elections. What does this say about his commitment to ensuring our Democracy is not undermined by our greatest geopolitical adversary?

In supporting his self-serving thesis that he won the 2016 election without help from Russia, he denigrates the United States intelligence services, instead giving a pass to President Putin in front of the world. What does this say about his commitment to standing up to our adversaries?

He panders to dictators and autocrats, expressing his admiration, sometimes directly to the world’s most heinous actors. What does this suggest about his true desires in regard to how he would act were he to have unchecked, autocratic power over the people of the United States?

He mocks and denigrates any and all who disagree with him, branding tenured and distinguished civil servants and military heroes who have served multiple administrations “traitors”, “deep state actors” and “Never Trumpers”. What does this say about his respect for the Civil Service and those who have dedicated their careers with non-partisan commitment to the country they love?

He does not unequivocally and consistently condemn white supremacists and hate speech. What message does this send to those on the margins susceptible to hate and violence?

He rails against judicial decisions that are counter to his political interests. He expects his Attorney General to be his personal lawyer. What does this say about his respect for an independent judiciary and Justice Department?

He refuses to release his tax returns. What does this say about what he has to hide?

Every word, tweet, action or deed points to his single-minded focus on his self aggrandizement and prospects for reelection. What does this say about his commitment to our country?

He uses his unmovable support of the Republican base to cause elected Republicans and those seeking office to cower and hue to his political demands. What does this say about the independence of the Legislative Branch and their Constitutional imperative to hold presidential power to account?

He lies without shame; statements that are easily exposed as falsehoods emit from his Twitter account and his lips with daily regularity. What does this “post-truth” world he has nurtured say about our ability to continue to function as a Democracy?

He brands the press as “the enemy of the people.” Without evidence, he denigrates the mainstream media as corrupt and their news as “fake”. What future do we have as a country if the credibility of our most trusted news organizations is questioned to the point that they cannot be called upon to hold power to account?

He flouts the rule of law, relying on his interpretation of Presidential power to push the envelope whenever he can. He has obstructed justice during the Meuller probe and he has intimidated witnesses during the Impeachment hearings, all without regard to law, ethics or precedent.

He has no interest in even pretending that there is no conflict of interest in his dealings as President and business owner. His efforts to hold the G7 summit at his Doral facility is just one staggering example of his disregard for propriety. What does this say about our idea of Government of the People, by the People, for the People?

He has incited hate and riled up nativist passions in dealing with the human tragedy at our southern border. He has separated children from their parents and encouraged his supporters to think of migrants as animals, rapists and murderers. He is not interested in solving the problem at the border, but rather using it to gin up his political base. Furthermore he has undermined America’s longstanding commitment to playing our part in addressing the crises of displaced persons across the globe by decimating our refugee resettlement program. What does this say about our humanity and our belief as Ronald Reagan said that “America is a shining city upon a hill whose beacon light guides freedom-loving people everywhere”?

He has doubled down on the politically motivated skepticism toward climate change by unilaterally withdrawing from the Paris Agreement, undermining Obama-era policies to limit carbon emissions, and aggressively supporting industry-friendly deregulation that allows companies to continue the bad habits of the past. What does this say about his regard for the overwhelming consensus of science and his commitment or concern for future generations?

He has caused our country to turn its back on its long time leadership role in the world, a role based on military and economic strength and moral integrity. Today our military and economic strength is unabashedly self-serving and our moral integrity in the world of nations is seriously in question. What does this say about who we have always believed we are as a country – a leader; certainly not a follower, or, worse, a pariah among the free nations of earth?

In conclusion, Donald Trump is first and foremost for himself. His cabinet and Republicans in Congress are interested in self-preservation, and thus are first and foremost for Donald Trump. As such, our democracy is bereft of one of its most critically important Constitutional checks on power. The only remaining check on Trump’s unhealthy power, then, is the will of the people. Sadly, however, too large a percent of the American electorate appear all too willing to accept and defend the unconstitutional, undemocratic, immoral, unethical and hate-filled leadership of our current President. If the “will of the people” causes the reelection of Donald Trump…

God help the United States of America.

Republican Leaders are Signaling They’re OK with the Demise of our US Democracy

I believe there are growing elements within the Republican party base that are more interested in policy and judicial success than in the preservation of our democracy. These elements are comfortable ‘looking away’ while the Republican party compromises electoral integrity, suppresses voters, supports gerrymandering that tightens the Republican lock in state and federal districts, and supports immigration laws that suppress any future advantage to the Democratic party.

During the Trump presidency, these elements have looked even farther away as Donald Trump has all but broadcast his willingness to compromise our democracy, undermine the freedom and integrity of the press, call into question the independence of the judiciary, and denigrate our intelligence agencies. No matter the latest shocking revelation, Congressional Republicans (Lindsey, Mitch, and the list goes on…), rather than take seriously their oversight role, grovel at the shrine of Trump, never questioning the danger he poses to our democracy.

That these intelligent men and women understand full well the consequences of their inaction leads to the most frightening and telling conclusion of all: These leaders of the Republican party are signaling their acquiescence to a future non-democratic form of our United States government.

Thoughts from Joe Biden Event

6/6/2019:  At today’s fundraiser, Joe Biden talked about how Trump has trampled our American values and how we need to reclaim them.  The thing is I believe most reasonable Republicans who voted for Trump acknowledge that he is a heinous human being with despicable values (ok maybe they wouldn’t use those exact qualifiers), but they like his policies, his judicial appointments and the perceived net impact on economic and social future.  They make themselves comfortable with their Faustian bargain by focusing on what they argue is the greater good and not acknowledging the moral compromise that daily eats away at the soul.

We can fret all we want about how our Republican brethren have irretrievably compromised their Republican and our American values.  This, however, will not be the winning argument in 2020.  Those who dig in ever harder to justify their support of Trump will not be swayed by a call to values.  We have to win on policy.  I believe Biden has the right policies and the right message.

Republicans: You Are Accountable!

Yesterday the Washington Post published Jamal Khashoggi’s last column, written just before he went missing in Istanbul.  At this point, more than two weeks later, it appears likely that he was the victim of a vicious murder and dismemberment ordered by the Saudi Arabian crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman.  Saudi Arabia has never had a free press, and Khashoggi has long been a thorn in their side publishing dissident articles about the government.

In the wake of this atrocity, President Trump has been characteristically muted in his response, choosing to give benefit of the doubt to an autocracy rather than hold them to account.  This response echoes Trump’s defense of Putin after their summit in July. 

We know well by now that Donald Trump has no respect for the principle of a free press and its critical role in a healthy democracy.  Trump’s well documented fondness of authoritarian leaders across the globe, paired with his constant derision of all media outlets in America that hold him to account point to his own authoritarian impulses.

The United States’ ability to ward off descent into authoritarian rule is only as strong as the willingness of those who participate in our democracy to hold Trump to account.  Republicans control both houses of the legislature, yet  the conscience of the Republican Party has all but disappeared with the passing of John McCain, the imminent retirement of Bob Corker and Jeff Flake, and Lindsey Graham’s recent abdication of his commitment to thoughtful deliberation.

As importantly, Republican voters have made a Faustian bargain, reconciling their concerns about the dangers of a Trump administration by focusing on the single-issue outcomes his presidency offers them.  Evangelists get their conservative judges; the wealthy see their stock portfolios grow; xenophobes and white supremacists see immigration policies that ensure America will stay majority white.

Emboldened by his Republican base, Trump cozies up to dictators and authoritarian governments, denigrates America’s free press, and undermines our judiciary, while America lurches rightward with consequences unheeded.

In his last column, Khashoggi’s laments:  “A state-run narrative dominates the public psyche, and while many do not believe it, a large majority of the population falls victim to this false narrative.”  He is talking about the Arab world, but he could just as easily be describing the United States.  On a daily basis, President Trump demonizes Democrats and brands reporters as enemies of the state.  How far away are we from the day when an American journalist disappears and the Republican electorate goes along?

Republicans, you are accountable.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/global-opinions/jamal-khashoggi-what-the-arab-world-needs-most-is-free-expression/2018/10/17/adfc8c44-d21d-11e8-8c22-fa2ef74bd6d6_story.html

The World is Watching Us

I am here in Cape Town visiting my dad and step-mom whom I haven’t seen in almost four years.  Today they invited ten of their close friends for tea so they could visit with me.  One by one, as they arrived and greeted me, the first question asked or comment offered concerned Kavanaugh. 

The world is watching us, and it’s safe to say that we Americans should not be proud.

I didn’t need to fly to South Africa to realize just how much of a farce this Senate confirmation of Judge Kavanaugh had become.  Regardless of your politics or how it informed your position on Kavanaugh, chances are you would agree that the integrity of the process for confirming Supreme Court appointees as well as respect for the Court itself have been badly, if not irreparably, damaged.

American politics has devolved into an unrelenting focus on short term gain.  As kids we were taught to take a long view, that immediate gratification had its consequences.  This is true when it comes to that tempting slice of chocolate cake and it is true in the calculus of politics.  Republicans will pay for having pushed for (and won) the confirmation of a judge who has materially shifted the balance of the court rightward and whose alleged but believable youthful actions will forever taint his ascension to the High Court.  Democrats will pay for their efforts to derail this nomination in a Quixotic fight they never could win.  (Let’s face it, even if Kavanaugh’s confirmation had been derailed, Trump would simply have appointed another similarly conservative judge.)

Now in the wake of Kavanaugh’s confirmation, instead of picking up the pieces, two of the most moderate, reasonably minded Senators are being targeted for removal – Lisa Murkowski by Trump for her failure to vote for Kavanaugh and Susan Collins by Democrats for her failure to vote against Kavanaugh.  If Trump and the Democrats have their respective ways, these two moderate Senators will be replaced by politicians more likely than not to align with their respective party bases, further widening the canyon that divides our government and precludes the negotiation of sustainable legislation.

As a country, as a people, as Americans, we must take a step back from the brink.  We cannot accept as inevitable the blood sport of American politics.  Donald Trump is the master of this cage battle; Republicans are complicit.  Democrats must accept the blame for their knee-jerk, short term response.  The future for our country, if there is to be a future, will not be found in the remains of an all out war; it will be found in the election of a new cadre of leaders – those who commit and stay committed to a vision to bridge our divided government.  Republicans and Democrats can and should remain committed to their differences in governing philosophy.  But responsible legislators should be committed above all else to finding solutions for the long term health of our country.  Americans might be divided on everything else, but we have in common a shared love of country.  Let this shared vision be our North Star as we strive to find a way forward.

Americans Deserve Comprehensive Immigration Reform – How Do We Get There?

The United States refugee program affirms who we are as a nation and a people. It speaks to our values and responsibility on the world stage. When we ban entry to America based on religion, when we dehumanize those seeking asylum at our border, forcibly separating children from their parents, when we slash the number of refugees to whom we grant entry, we tell the world and we tell ourselves that we have forgotten what we stand for, we have forsaken our values.

The Trump administration’s recent setting of a record low cap of only 30,000 refugees next year is the most recent example of why we need comprehensive immigration reform.  Until recently, the United States was admitting more than 70,000 refugees per year with plans to increase to more than 100,000.  Welcoming refugees is not just a moral responsibility we fulfill alongside so many other allied countries, it is good for America. 

In the absence of comprehensive immigration reform, our refugee program is eviscerated, young immigrants with DACA status live with the anxiety of an unknown future, many more millions of undocumented immigrants with no criminal record retreat further into the shadows as an ever vigilant ICE performs random raids and roundups where the outcome achieves no strategic ends other than to sow fear and misery amongst a sizable population of hard working men, women and children.  

No less critical, our archaic visa program must be updated to reflect the realities of the 21^st Century.  And we must address the security of our southern border so that those who immigrate to the United States in future follow a consistent and legal process before gaining entry.

Achieving comprehensive immigration reform needn’t be the divisive political issue that it has become in recent years.  Reasonable people from both sides of the aisle can bring their political convictions to the negotiating table and still find room for compromise and agreement. 

How?  Well, it’s already been done.  In 2013, a bipartisan immigration reform bill passed the Senate by a vote of 68-32.  The bill included provisions for border security, comprehensive changes to the visa program, and a path to legal status for many undocumented immigrants.  Republicans and Democrats held fast to their principles, yet they compromised on points of policy.  They compromised without compromising their values.  At the end of the day they did what was right and good for America, even when it ran counter to visceral objections from party leadership and party faithful on the left and on the right.  Sadly, because John Boehner feared backlash from his party’s uncompromising extreme, this bill never made it to the House floor. 

Republicans in the House believed they had won the day, but the reality is that America lost.  Here we are, more than five years later, hamstrung by a broken immigration system that destroys real lives while simultaneously fueling the fans of divisiveness, fear and hate across our fractured political divide.

We know from the 2013 Senate debate that comprehensive immigration reform is possible.  What we need are more reasonable minded members of Congress who are committed to finding compromise, committed to legislating for the good of our country.  The 2018 mid-terms will surely usher in a measure of much needed change to insert a check on the sitting President.  But the problems facing our country – immigration, healthcare, the debt, climate change, gun safety and so many others – are not going to see fixes in the short term.  These are issues of national strategic import that will exist after Trump has gone.  We must look to transform America, to transform how we elect our leaders and hold them accountable.  We must demand that our members of Congress commit to placing the good of America ahead of any conflicting party or personal political advancement.

This is an achievable goal.  We, the people, are still in charge.  We, the people, still get to decide who we elect to Congress.  Let us then – we, the people – decide to hold our elected leaders accountable, to demand that they make the hard choices so that critical problems like our immigration crisis can be addressed and resolved.

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What the heck is wrong with you people?

Almost 80% of “strong Republicans” still support Trump. This poll was conducted before Trump’s off the rails press conference on August 15 when the repeated his original claim that the blame for the Charlottesville violence rested on “both sides”. But in the wake of Trump’s controversial remarks, Fox News continues its Trump-pandering editorial, recognizing that it is playing to the inclinations of its audience, regardless of how extreme and noxious Trump has gone with his implicit support of the alt-right.

Most of the Republicans I know are educated, thoughtful, good people. If I were to ask them if they sympathized with the cause of white supremacists, nazi’s or the KKK they would unambiguously answer “No!” If I were to ask them if they were in favor of the continuation of our democracy, they would certainly answer in the affirmative. If I were to ask them if they preferred a President who acted with strong moral and ethical authority, they wouldn’t hesitate to respond “Yes.”

So why, when asked, do they still, albeit with some ambivalence or qualifications, do they still say they support Trump?

One told me that they wished he would just stop tweeting.

I haven’t talked to my Republican friends yet since the events this last weekend in Charlottesville and Trump’s changing responses. But I have seen and heard the ways in which others are fooling themselves into sympathizing with Trump’s conflation of the “alt-left” violence with the alt-right.

There is really only one way to look at what’s happened: When David Duke praises the response of the President, then the President’s response is flat wrong. It’s as simple as that. There is no more to the story.

But let’s dig a little deeper to understand the cognitive dissonance of the “thinking” Republicans who are trying to find a way to sympathize with Trump. They are seeing the logic in the fact that there was blame to be shared by the alt-left. Sure there was. But it’s a matter of proportion. The elephant in the room is that this was a rally by the alt-right, a group of white supremacists, neo-nazi’s and members of the KKK. These are abominable people espousing with flags, signs and slogans a viscous message of hatred aimed at Jews, blacks, immigrants and other groups of Americans. Their message is about as un-American as any message could be. There can be no tolerance or acceptance of people like this. This is the story of Charlottesville. Everything else, including the alleged alt-left’s response at the rally, is commentary. By blaming the left in the same vein as condemning the alt-right, Trump put the two sides in the same bucket. There is no long, sordid, embarrassing history of an alt-left in our country. The alt-right represents a resurgence of an extremism that has been marginalized in recent decades. This is the story that must wither under the unadulterated light of candor. This is the movement that must be excoriated by the unwavering moral clarity of our country’s President.

Instead, on August 15 we heard a whimper from Trump as he evaded his moral responsibility. And as thanks, Trump received the praise of a right wing extremist, David Duke.

Who Should Oppose Karen Handel in the Georgia Sixth District in 2018?

June 26, 2017:  As the Democrats in the Georgia Sixth District and nationwide lick their wounds after a resounding defeat last week, it is not too early to look ahead to next year when this Congressional seat will again be contested. It would be easy to fall back to the long held belief that incumbency together with the Republican leaning makeup of the electorate will make this seat impossible to contest in 2018. However, I believe exactly the opposite.

Karen Handel is entering Congress at a very dangerous time for Republican House members. While Handel notably avoided mentioning Donald Trump during her candidacy, her ability to keep her distance from the President and his policies during the next 17 months will be all but impossible. It is likely that her most important initial vote in the House will be to approve a reconciled Republican health care bill that will be noxious to well over fifty percent of the country. The Trump and Republican legislative agenda only continues to get uglier as attempts at a devastating budget and tax “reform” will surely follow. By the 2018 election Handel will be so compromised and covered in the right wing, nationalist agenda driven by the President that it will be hard for her to defend her inevitable party-line sycophancy.

After the Democrats have recovered from last week’s loss, they need to take a bright look at the future – not only across many Congressional districts around the country, but right here as well in the Georgia Sixth. They need to decide that they want a viable Democratic candidate, and they need to decide what they want in said candidate. Here’s what I propose to the latter question.

The Democratic candidate for the Georgia Sixth District in 2018 should be a mature (read: some grey hair), intelligent, respected member of the local community. He or she should not necessarily be an experienced politician. In fact it would be better to put forward a candidate who has proven success as a business owner or leader; one who can demonstrate leadership and success in the face of the adversity and opportunity presented by a changing economy over the course of a career spanning multiple decades. The candidate should have a track record of strong interest in policy with demonstrable positions (through recorded speeches, blog posts or other writings) that reflect a centrist viewpoint, a moderating influence on the partisanship on both the left and right that is destroying our political system and estranging the majority of voters on both sides of the spectrum. The candidate should have sound, principled positions on health care, budget/deficit, taxes, education, social security, campaign finance, immigration, climate change, foreign policy, First and Second Amendment rights, as well as issues that directly impact Georgia and the district itself. Said policies should align generally with the Democratic platform, but should recognize that all issues of import in this country are addressed and resolved near the center where calm, reasonable minds can prevail.

Such a candidate will be the one who can represent the Democratic Party in the Georgia Sixth next year, while appealing to those moderate Republicans who, after the next 17 consecutive months of a Trump-handled Handel, will be willing and ready to consider a reasonable alternative.

Etching Away at American Democracy

Donald Trump has catalyzed a latent anti-democracy vein in America. If you ask any Trump supporter if they are pro-democracy, they would almost certainly respond in the affirmative. Trump supporters consider themselves the most American of Americans. And they have been indoctrinated – as have we all – that democracy is central to America’s greatness. It follows then that those who want to “Make America Great Again” would not swing their cudgels at democracy itself.

Yet one need look no further than Turkey, whose recent referendum reveals that a majority of their population supports severely curtailing the democratic system of checks and balances in favor of concentrating more power in the hands of their autocratically inclined President. Their reasoning is based on fear and frustration – they have faced a recent coup attempt, an influx of refugees, terrorism, and a Parliament beset with infighting.

But that could never happen here in the United States of America….could it? What possible confluence of circumstances could make America ripe for Constitutional change that would erode our democracy?

Firstly, the Trump phenomenon has already shown that rational people are willing to look beyond certain beliefs or principals in order to accomplish what they believe is the greater good. Trump supporters believe that he represents the change that this country needs to become “great again”. Even with the failures of the Trump Presidency these first ninety days and Trump’s about-faces on so many of his populist campaign promises, those who supported him still claim a strong commitment to his rule. Trump has a cult of personality that is appealing to his supporters in ways that allow them to dismiss his string of leadership failures, his lack of a governing philosophy, and his consistently inconsistent stands on domestic issues and foreign policy. With the unquestioning support of his base, Trump is in a position to take ever more preposterous positions while expecting that his supporters will bend to his logic.

A second reality on the ground is the American public’s disgust with Congress. The tendency toward excessive partisanship through the Clinton, Bush and Obama Presidencies resulted in ongoing gridlock and abysmal approval ratings for the institution. With the election of Trump, the Republicans gained control of all three branches of government, setting high expectations for legislative successes. Yet three months into the session, the Obamacare replacement legislation went up in flames and the prospects for comprehensive tax reform are on life support. Polls show that those inclined to support Trump are willing to blame his failures of domestic leadership on an already discredited Congress. How much do these voters need to be convinced that a slight amending of the power of a dysfunctional Congress to check the President is in order?

But amending the checks and balances enshrined in our Constitution is no easy task; not even in these times of upheaval and populist demand for change. Congress itself would have to be complicit in an amendment that even minimally reduces its powers. Yet the circumstances of the recent efforts to pass a new health care law show that Congressmen and women are willing to accept unpalatable legislation in order to advance a populist demand – in this case the repeal and replacement of Obamacare. No matter how badly the new law would impact the very constituents it was meant to please, Congress was willing to go along with it in order to satisfy those constituents aligned with the populist movement of our time. It is not too far a stretch to imagine Trump advocating a reduction in Congressional power – as example, let’s imagine a carve-out for the President to set health care policy outside the legislative process – and for Congressional Republicans to go along with this travesty against democracy so as to not incur the wrath of the substantial Trump constituency come mid-term elections.

Just like more than half of Turkey’s population, Trump supporters are fearful and frustrated. They are willing to forgive Trump’s autocratic tendencies as well as his governing inconsistencies in favor of his perceived leadership strength and a broader message that appeals to their latent nationalism.   At the same time, this substantial portion of the electorate is disgusted with Congress, blaming it (and past Democratic Presidents) for ineffective policy that have dragged America from its leadership position in the world. They are eager for change, and while they cannot define exactly what this change looks like or means, they show a willingness to accomplish this goal no matter the cost. Congressional Republicans understand this dynamic and have already shown their willingness to bend to the populist winds so as to advance their own careers.

With these dynamics playing out before our eyes, is it really so far-fetched to envision an etching away of our great democracy by the very population sworn to America’s greatness?