FROLITICKS

Satirical commentary on Canadian and American current political issues

Apr 24

When It Comes to Treating LGBTQ in American Schools, What Happened to Their Parental Rights

by bcurry

On March 28, 2022, Florida’s Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis signed into the Parental Rights in Education bill into law.  The Act now bars instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity in kindergarten through the third grade.  Critics had dubbed it the “Don’t Say Gay” bill which in turn suddenly sparked a national war of words, particularly among the LGBTQ community.  On top of which, the legislation created opposition by Florida’s Disney World against Governor DeSantis.  This has led to the Florida legislature to vote to undo the special district that Disney operates in, potentially affecting Disney’s ability to build new attractions, creating potential hiccups in transitioning to many of its current public services and increased expenses for Disney — which could mean higher prices at the gate.  The resulting economic impact could be massive.

What is even more important is the impact on the rights of LGBTQ parents and gay or transgender students.  Much of the justification put forward for such laws is that it protects the rights of parents, who by all concerned are non-LGBTQ parents.  Those opposed to the law argue that the Act centers around whether it would prohibit the “instruction” or “discussion” of sexual orientation.  Critics of the law say its language “classroom instruction,” “age appropriate” and “developmentally appropriate” is overly broad and subject to broad interpretation.  Consequently, teachers might opt to avoid the subjects entirely at all grade levels for fear of being sued by parents as now permitted under the law.  Opponents of the law also say that banning lessons about gender identity and sexual orientation marginalizes LGBTQ people and their presence in society.  DeSantis appears to love playing with smoke and mirrors.  Andrew Spar, president of the Florida Education Association, said the law is nothing more than a political wedge issue for Republicans.  He notes that elementary schools, especially in kindergarten through third grade, currently don’t even teach these subjects, much like “critical race theory”.

Moreover, there is little recourse left open to LGBTQ parents or students other than filing complaints with federal officials when they believe they are experiencing discrimination in school.  Subsequent to the bill’s passage, U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona said that his agency “will be monitoring this law upon implementation to evaluate whether it violates federal civil rights law.”  However, as everyone knows, such processes can often take years to implement, leaving LGBTQ parents and students in the lurch and prone to harassment.

Florida is not the only state that considered such a law, as a number of other conservative states have moved in a similar direction.  Take for example Alabama.  There you have the second openly gay lawmaker, Neil Rafferty, sitting in the state legislature.  As a Democrat, he has spent much of his current term in the Alabama Legislature working to prevent new restrictions on gay and transgender young people.  Mr. Rafferty appealed to his colleagues and constituents with Republican proponents on the basis of their conservatism, arguing that they had no business involving themselves in the decisions of parents, doctors and children.  “Where’s the freedom in that?” he asked. “Where’s small government in that?”

Indeed, there appears to be a fair amount of hypocrisy in the current legislative push by Republicans aimed at protecting some parents’ rights, to the detriment of other parents with different values and circumstances.  It’s obvious that this sudden obsession with eliminating any instruction on sexual orientation — including the LGBTQ history in American — and the banning of related reading materials from libraries is nothing more than a political ploy aimed at securing votes from the social conservative rank and file.  But at whose expense and which freedoms?

With so many more important issues to be concerned about today, does one really need to be sidetracked in this manner?  The mental wellbeing of all students, including LGBTQ students, needs to be addressed, especially in light of the negative impact of the pandemic on their education.  Surely, legislators have better things to do than to play politics with children’s lives and those of their parents!

Education in U.S. US US Politics

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Apr 7

Is the Separation of Church and State Still Possible in the U.S. and Canada?

by bcurry

In both the U.S. and Canada, several religious groups attempted during the pandemic to have certain public health restrictions thrown out by the courts, but to no avail.  They argued that governments were infringing on their rights of assembly and religious freedom, which they felt were guaranteed by their respective constitutions.  However, the courts ruled that there was no such violation of rights since the broad-based restrictions were not specifically directed at religious gatherings, but were directed at places where normally the public would gather, often involving mandated lockdowns. 

Now, I’m no constitutional expert, but under the circumstances the imposition of health-based restrictions appeared to be more than reasonable.  Indeed, many churches, synagogues, mosques and other religious entities were more than happy to comply with the restrictions in their places of worship.  They did so out of concern for the safety and health of their congregations in light of the real dangers attributed to the pandemic.  No one’s specific religious beliefs were placed in jeopardy, and no constitutional rights were violated.  Let’s face it, no one was being persecuted, and churches found alternative ways to effectively serve their parishioners and communities.

Despite all of this, there is little doubt that religious fervour has been heightened among some Christian movements in particular, as evidenced by the growing political involvement of such groups.  Increasingly, right-wing political movements are taking advantage of many believers who are importing their worship of God, with all its intensity, emotion and ambitions, to their political life.  Politicians like Donald Trump had jumped on this band wagon, waving a bible back in June 2020 in front of St. John’s Church in Washington DC for a photo opportunity.  Talk about someone who is obviously irreligious wanting to garner support for his own political ambitions.  For some of his supporters, right-wing political activity itself is becoming a holy act and is often evident at his rallies.

Both the U.S. and Canadian constitutions are designed to prevent any one church or religious institution from having undo influence in the daily act of governance.  This of course is based on the fundamental principle governing the separation of church and state in each country.  However, this does not mean that certain religious groups will not attempt to influence which political parties or candidates are elected.  As in the case of their opposition to government mandates during the COVID pandemic, they spear head other causes such as the ‘right to life’, opposition to gay marriage, and the promotion of conspiracy theories.  Their attitudes are largely framed by an apparent desire to build a nation that actively promotes a particular set of Christian beliefs.

I firmly believe that many of these religious right-wing groups are feeling threatened by what is happening within both countries.  Immigration and high birth rates are moving the population to one of greater cultural and religious diversity, such that within the next decade white Americans and Canadians of Christian faiths will be outnumbered.  They believe that the predicted changes will undermine their Christian values, such that one often hears them, many of whom attend charismatic or evangelical churches, talking about ‘taking back the country.’  With over a hundred million evangelicals in the U.S., their voices make it hard for many politicians to ignore, especially Republicans, seeking election or re-election in many states.  Many are also attracted to populist movements wherever they may emerge.

Just as some churches attempted to support certain political entities in the past, their leaders and parishioners will do so in the future.  The danger is that the abyss between those who promote a state religion and those who support the separation between church and state will continue to grow.  As history has shown, such conflict could eventually lead to dangerous influences on public policy.  Policy which after all results from governance that reflects the current values of the majority of Americans and Canadians, regardless of their particular secular or religious beliefs.

Canada Populism in Canada Religion Republican Party US US Politics

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Nov 29

Massive U.S. Foreign Military Aid to Israel Could Be Used To Improve Treatment of Palestinians

by bcurry

According to the Congressional Research Service, as of November 2020, Israel was the largest recipient of U.S. Foreign Military Financing.  For Fiscal Year 2021, President Trump’s request for Israel would encompass approximately 59 percent of America’s total requested Foreign Military Financing worldwide.  For decades now, the U.S. has had several Memoranda of Understanding consisting of tens of billions of dollars in its military aid package to Israel.  As a result of U.S. financial assistance, Israel also has been allowed to purchase 50 F-35s fighter jets in three separate contracts and missile defense systems.  In all, these annual military grants to Israel significantly represent approximately 20 percent of the overall Israeli defense budget.

Needless-to-day, the above appropriations suggest that the U.S. government should have some clout in terms of dealing with Israeli interactions with Palestinians.  Indeed, in May of this year, President Biden made an unusually blunt demand that Israel de-escalate its military attack on Gaza, creating a bit of a rare rift between the two countries.  Then there is the issue of Israeli settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem where nearly three million Palestinians are living.  Nearly 140 unauthorized settler outposts were built there in recent decades in the West Bank, taking over lands lived on by Palestinians for centuries.  Much like former Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, the new right-wing Prime Minister, Naftali Bennett, appears once again to support the settlers.

What is troubling over recent months, it has recently been disclosed by the Israeli military at the defense ministry that Israeli settlers have dramatically increased their attacks on Palestinians in the West Bank.  They further note that violent incidents by settlers are up about 150 percent in the past two years.  Remember that the Israeli army is in charge of security in areas of the occupied West Bank where Israeli settlements are located.  However, observers, including Israeli human rights groups, have testified that soldiers frequently do little to intervene during the hate incidents against Palestinians.  Advocates also claim that crimes by Palestinians are aggressively prosecuted while settler violence typically goes unpunished.  By making life difficult for Palestinians who have lived in the these territories for generations, whether or not settler violence is part an overall strategy of expanding Israel’s presence is hopefully far from the truth.  Some suspect that it may not be.

Yes, anyone studying the history between Israelis and Palestinians recognizes that the issues are fairly complex.  However, with the evident clout that the U.S. has with respect to supporting Israel’s military, you would think that the Americans might do more to pressure the Israeli government to do more immediately to protect Palestinians in areas under their control.  Settlements that are illegal under Israeli law should be dismantled and greater protective measures should be implemented for the Palestinians.  Failure to do so could prove to be a blemish on human rights not only in Israel, but also for U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East.  When it comes to improving relations between Israelis and Palestinians, the Biden administration should attempt to revive America’s former role as a more neutral mediator in the Middle East’s most protracted conflict. 

Foreign Policy Israel US US Politics

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Aug 21

Canadian Federal Election is Here, But What About the Issue of Fairness in Taxation?

by bcurry

A recent release of secret files of the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS) revealed that some of the wealthiest billionaires in the world — including Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk, Michael Bloomberg and George Soros — hadn’t paid a cent in income tax in some years, and paid very low rates of tax in general.  The files indicated that the wealthiest 25 American billionaires paid an average income tax rate that worked out to just 3.4% of their increase in wealth in the five years from 2014 to 2018.  That’s far less than the average American or Canadian paid in income tax as a share of their income or their increase in wealth.  The tax system in both countries is obviously broken, and it could never really pretend to be progressive in its current form.

According to most tax experts, there’s little doubt that Canada’s ultra-wealthy and billionaires also pay very low rates of tax on their income and wealth.  Our tax system has many similarities with the U.S., similar ways to dodge taxes, and Canada is the only major country without some form of wealth tax.  And we’re talking big bucks!  As the non-profit Canadians for Tax Fairness (C4TF) notes: “Canada’s 1% now control over a quarter of the country’s wealth — over C$3 trillion.”  The existing massive inequality in wealth grew even bigger during the pandemic, as corporations and wealthy individuals prospered while many Canadians struggled to simply maintain their standard of living.  Canadian corporations received taxpayer-funded government subsidies while paying out billions to their shareholders.

A recent book by Jonathan Gauvin and Angella MacEwen, entitled “Share the Wealth”, highlights the injustices found in the current tax system.  The book is highly recommended.  It  points out that more and more countries are applying new successful taxes on the uber-rich.  Even the Biden administration is promoting higher corporate taxes.  The concept of a wealth tax on the richest of the rich is increasingly becoming accepted by Americans and Canadians.  In addition, most of us would like to see the current tax loopholes for individuals and corporations closed.  This alone would bring in billions dollars into the federal treasury, and could be used to help fund such things as much needed infrastructure improvements, national child care initiatives and pharmacare programs. 

All three major federal parties have expressed their willingness to introduce tax fairness measures if elected.  Since its establishment in 2011, the C4TF has brought forward issues like taxing the wealthiest 1%, closing tax loopholes, tackling tax havens, having corporations pay their fair share, and taxing digital giants in Canada.  All the necessary rationale for change exists.  Isn’t it about time that whichever party forms the next government, it will put the issue of tax fairness front and centre in parliament.  Let’s hopefully see the next government ‘walk the talk’ in support of the needed changes when it comes to this important issue!

Canada Fairness in Taxation US US Politics

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Jul 30

U.S. Congressional Hearings on January 6th Capitol Breach

by bcurry

On January 6, 2021, a peaceful and patriotic crowd of citizens gathered in front of the steps of the U.S. Congress, on what is referred to as the Hill.  They lovely and respectfully greeted the law-enforcement officers from the Capitol Police on duty that day.  Suddenly, these individuals who were exercising their right to protest, broke through the police lines and entered the people’s building of American governance.  They did not mean to hurt anyone, although there were a few who mockingly shouted that they wanted to hang Vice-President Mike Pence.  In order to avoid the determined mob, both Republican and Democrat members of Congress conveniently left the Senate Chamber in order to make room for the touring crowd.  These patriots then went about their business of sightseeing through the corridors of the Capitol.  Once they had finished their tour, they left the premises, often carrying handfuls of souvenirs to show the family back home.  Meanwhile, the outgoing President of the United States of America, sat comfortably in the White House and calmly watched the unfolding events televised on American news networks for all to see.  He was particularly concerned that none of his supporters would be seriously injured by the authorities during their visitation.

Months later, one now has a House select committee investigating the storming of the Capitol, much to the chagrin of majority of Republicans who don’t see any need for any inquiry, let alone an independent commission of inquiry.  For this reason, Speaker Nancy Pelosi refused to seat two Republicans who publicly opposed the establishment of the committee itself, and instead invited two more neutral Republicans, Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger, to join the committee.  This seems to make sense.  Let’s face it, most Republicans would like the whole January 6th armed insurrection to go away.  Remember, many of the mob have said under oath that they were there because Donald Trump sent them.

I don’t know about you, but I sat in front of my television witnessing what some have called the worst attack on Washington since the War of 1812 — between what was then Canada and the U.S.  I could not believe what I was witnessing!  No one in their right mind can deny the fact that the attack was orchestrated and well planned in advance.  To say that a few of Trump’s supporters simply got overly zealous is a pile of you know what.  The real problem and failure, indeed the tragedy, is that the actions of the mob were not foreseen by the Trump administration and the intelligence and security communities.  Congress was virtually left at the mercy of a crazy group of insurrectionists.  It is these elements of what happened on January 6th that need to be investigated and made public.  The role of Donald Trump in inciting his supporters is already well known and no longer of particular import.  What is important is to establish what went terribly wrong within the intelligence community, law enforcement and among federal agencies involved, including the Department of Defence.  Hopefully, these are the issues that the committee will examine in order to introduce changes that would ensure that something of this nature will never happen again.  Let’s face it, there’s plenty of blame to go around.  What one needs is truthful answers and expert analysis.

Donald Trump Republican Party US US Politics

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Jun 28

June Was a Bad Month for the Catholic Church in North America

by bcurry

Here in Canada, the discovery of hundreds of unmarked graves containing Indigenous children’s remains on former Indian residential school grounds raised the anger of many Canadians, and in particular those of the Catholic faith.  Many of the residential schools were run by the Catholic Church.  Indigenous leaders in Canada have been pressing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to secure an apology, on Canadian soil, from Pope Francis himself for the role the Catholic Church played in operating residential schools. Those demands — which Trudeau repeated again Friday, June 25th — have so far gone unheeded.  However, a number of Church leaders in Canada have taken upon themselves to apologize for the Churches role in running the schools and for the associated unmarked graves.

In the U.S., as only the second Catholic president, an issue was raised by some of the country’s Catholic bishops with respect to President Joe Biden.  A question was asked as to whether the Catholic Church should not allow the president to receive Holy Communion because of his political support for abortion rights.  The president, who attends church regularly, rightly replied that this is a personal and private matter.  As one observer noted, denying Communion to Biden or other public figures as a means of correcting their errors would be claiming the right to overrule their conscience.   Subsequently, several American Catholic bishops suggested that any such ban on the president was not in the cards.  They are likely mistaken, however, if they think a Communion crackdown will bring him or other so-called wayward Catholics back in line.  Furthermore, declaring abortion the “pre-eminent” issue for Catholics has created another crisis of authority for the bishops — remember the handling of recent cases of alleged abuses by American priests.

In both instances, the results have been criticism and outrage from many Catholics and non-Catholics of the Churches position on these matters.  In the American situation, it is clearly a matter of the separation of state and church which form an important part of a democracy.  One’s religious beliefs should not form part of the government’s policy making process which is designed to defend the interests of all its citizens, regardless of faith.  In the Canadian context, the inability of the Catholic leadership to recognize the role of the church in the tragic operation of residential schools and the horrific impact on Indigenous peoples needs to be addressed.

The number of followers of the Catholic Church in both countries is on the decline, particularly among younger people.   Reportedly, between 2000 and 2017 the number of its churches in the U.S. declined by nearly 11 percent, and by 2019 the number of Catholics decreased by 2 million people.  During the last decade, Catholics have been steadily shrinking as a share of the U.S. population. Situations like the above two examples do not help the Churches image and have led once again to parishioners having to assess their continued participation within the Church.  Perhaps it’s time for the Catholic Church to enter the twenty-first century and to hone up to its role in and openly admit its past mistakes, instead of trying to cover them up or simply ignore them.

Canada Joe Biden Religion The Pope US Politics

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Jun 6

Believe it or not, Donald Trump is still around!

by bcurry

Based on findings by Facebook’s Oversight Board, Facebook said it will suspend former U.S. president Donald Trump’s accounts — including Instagram — for two years.  The finding is that he stoked violence ahead of the deadly Jan. 6th insurrection.  On Facebook, Trump’s suspension has meant that his account is essentially in “Facebook jail,” which is a term that users use to describe when the social network bans people from posting or accessing their accounts.  Others can still read and comment on Trump’s past posts, but he and other account handlers are unable to post new material.  In a press release, Trump called Facebook’s decision “an insult.” “They shouldn’t be allowed to get away with this censoring and silencing, and ultimately, we will win. Our Country can’t take this abuse anymore!”  The two-year ban brings Trump back just in time for the 2024 U.S. presidential election, although too late to be of any real import.  In its decision last month, the board agreed with Facebook that two of Trump’s Jan. 6th posts “severely violated” the content standards of both Facebook and Instagram.

Trump in turn gave his first public address since leaving office at the North Carolina Republican Party convention on June 5th.  Of course, he came out blasting the current Biden administration for everything from immigration policies to foreign policy.  Attacks so soon after a change in administration are somewhat uncommon and unusual among former presidents.  However, Trump is anything but normal.  Trump reserved his early remarks on President Joe Biden, which he called “the most radical left-wing administration in history”.  The fact is that his administration provided little assistance to the incoming Biden administration during the transition period, thus hindering a smooth transition.  Trump further believes that the Republicans will take back the Senate, the House, and the White House sooner than most people think.  The former president waited more than an hour to once again advance falsehoods about the 2020 election, which he described as “the crime of the century”.  Of interest, both CNN and Fox News declined to carry the speech on their channels.

The former president has also claimed that vaccines would not yet have arrived in US without him, ignoring the fact that over 400,000 Americans had died from COVID-19 during his administration, and claiming initially that the pandemic was a “hoax”.  On top of which, he unrealistically called on China to pay $10 trillion in reparations to the United States and the world for China’s handling of the virus.  Good luck on that one!

Trump has pushed Republicans to support candidates who are loyal to him in next year’s midterm elections.  In next year’s fight for control of Congress, he further vowed to be an active presence on the campaign trail for those remaining Republicans who share his values.  In any potential run for the White House in 2024, he may yet have to go up against former vice-president Mike Pence who has publicly asserted that he does not see eye to eye with Donald Trump on the horrific events of January 6th on the Hill.  Don’t forget that Pence and his family had to flee for their lives from the pro-Trump mob.

While Trump remains a dominant force within his party, he however remains deeply unpopular among key segments of the broader electorate and elements of the Republican Party.  Remember that he lost the last election by 7 million votes, primarily as a result of alienating Republican-leaning suburban voters across the country.  Trump supporters still haven’t yet come to grips with this fact. 

President Trump Is Playing The Victim Role Once Again | FROLITICKS (wordpress.com)

Donald Trump Republican Party US Politics

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Mar 23

Something Dangerous Is Happening In American Politics

by bcurry

Recently, I read an interesting book written by two professors of government at Harvard U., Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt.  The 2018 book entitled “How Democracies Die” takes a historical look at numerous democracies in various countries, including the U.S., which have at some point in time become more authoritarian, despite having strongly written constitutions.  What’s frightening is their conclusion that the actions of elected leaders have often paved the road to democratic failure, and why the U.S. in now vulnerable to the same downward spiral.  Shared beliefs and practices, beyond our formal constitutions, need to be restored.  The attack by some factions on these values has been slowly evolving over several years in U.S. politics.  One can go as far back to McCarthyism in the 1950s, ending in a witch hunt for communists in and out of government, ruining lives and bitterly dividing the country.  Then there was the selection of Sarah Palin who, as John McCain’s running mate in 2007, became his attack dog against the Democrat’s Barack Obama.  Politics has become increasingly personal, with attacks on the character and patriotism of opponents through mainstream media and more recently through social media.  The arrival of Donald Trump on the scene and his subsequent Presidential stint firmly installed the current polarization of American politics and continuing campaigns of intolerance and misinformation. 

Now, we have politicians like Wisconsin Republican Senator Ron Johnson who continues to spread conspiracy theories and disinformation, particularly now that Donald Trump is banned from social media and largely avoiding appearances on cable television.  He reportedly spreads doubts about President Joe Biden’s victory, argues that the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol was not an armed insurrection, promotes discredited COVID-19 treatments, sees no need to get the coronavirus vaccine and declares that climate change was not man-made but instead was caused by “sun spots”.  He is also one of those politicians who loves to spread his message through such outlets as Fox News and right-wing talk radio, especially in Wisconsin’s wide network of conservative talk-radio shows.  The use of the media to disperse misinformation and fervently attack their opponents is a common practice among politicians today in several democratic countries.

Back when Spiro Agnew served as Richard Nixon’s vice-president, from 1969 until his resignation in 1973, he began a predilection for “anti-intellectualism” aimed at appeasing a certain faction of the American population.  This attitude culminated in attacks on what Agnew referred to as the “elites” and on the “left-wing or liberal media”.  Of course, Donald Trump’s rantings about the media’s unfair reporting of his administration’s policies (fake news) just continued the attacks on democratic institutions.  The inability to establish respect and civility within our governing institutions is probably one of the primary challenges in the next few years.  We need to have political entities promoting more partisanship in order to help make governing institutions work effectively and democratically. 

As the above book points out, no democracy is immune to authoritarian actions which can help to diminish confidence in our democratic institutions at a perilous moment.  This danger comes at a time when the health and economic well-being of nations relies heavily on mass vaccinations, the spread of misinformation and when one’s faith in democracy is being shaken by right-wing falsehoods about voting. 

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Feb 11

Split in Republican Party Worsens As Impeachment Trial Drags On

by bcurry

As it stands now, the Senate impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump is for all intent and purpose over.  According to recent polls, the Democrats and those few Republican senators supporting a conviction have already won in the court of public opinion with a majority of those polled supporting Trump’s conviction higher than during the first impeachment.  While there are obviously not enough Republican senators to convict Trump, the damage from the January 6th riot at the Capitol continues increasingly to split the ranks of the GOP.  Those Republicans in Congress supporting Trump’s impeachment and the election of Joe Biden are now the target of several state and local Republican officials.  Since Trump left office, grassroots Republican activists and state parties have become his most vociferous defenders, often condemning and censuring elected Republicans who dare to deviate in any way from full support of the former president.  Whether or not one likes it, Trump remains the most popular national figure associated with the Republican Party.  State and local party organizations elect their own members and operate with considerable autonomy under the GOP system.  Many continue to believe that Trump was the voice for their agenda in D.C.  However, the reality is that Trump’s gang created his image and platform more than the GOP rank and file did.  Narcissist Trump simply used them and continues to do so after the election to support his nonsensical claim that the election had been stolen.

Now, you have dozens of former and current Republican officials who view the party as unwilling to stand up to Trump and his attempts to undermine U.S. democracy.  Apparently, some senior Republicans are even contemplating the formation of a center-right breakaway party.  As argued by certain party strategists, the problem is that the growing GOP split will undercut the party’s chances in the 2022 midterm elections to win House and Senate majorities.  As it stands right now, the possibility of quickly regaining party unity appears to be a long shot as long as Trump’s influence on the local and state GOP continues.  Many Republicans remain fiercely loyal to the former president, while exasperated others seek a new more centralized direction for the party back to its conservative roots.  Instead, they would run on a platform of “principled conservatism,” including adherence to the Constitution and the rule of law.  They feel that the party’s integrity is at stake and Republicans need to distance themselves from Trump’s influence.

Emotions are running high among both pro-Trump supporters and the anti-Trump faction of the party.  Trump not only inspired a mob to storm the Capitol, he also brought the Republican Party close to a breaking point.  Whether or not Trump is convicted and thereby unable to ever run again for the position of president, the damage is already done within the GOP.  There is no other way to describe the GOP’s internal squabbles but that of continued ‘fanaticism’ and ‘disfunctionalism’.  Moreover, millions of Republican voters are seeking no such separation from Mr. Trump.  The House minority leader, Kevin McCarthy, many of his House colleagues and state lawmakers around the country continue to express support for Trump.  For the moment at least, they are far more loyal to their lame-duck president than to the traditional party leaders who preceded him.

As part of the impeachment process, the House is currently laying out a very convincing case against Trump, branding him the ‘Inciter in Chief’.  Interestingly, in the unlikely case that the Senate were to convict Mr. Trump — finding him guilty of “inciting violence against the government of the United States” — senators apparently could still vote on whether to bar him from holding future office. That vote would only require a simple majority.  If it came down to party lines, Democrats would prevail with Vice President Kamala Harris casting the tie breaking vote.  This could help the GOP to begin to renew its fractured party, but don’t count on it.  It may also cause more backlash among Trump’s supporters, while further widening the existing spit within the party.  All of this makes for great political debate in the coming months, much to the growing embarrassment and consternation of the Republican establishment. 

Donald Trump Impeachment Proceedings Republican Party US US Politics

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Jan 15

Donald Trump: To Convict or Not to Convict?

by bcurry

Now that the House of Representatives has voted to impeach the president, the question on everyone’s mind is whether the Senate will hold a trial which could lead to Trump’s conviction for his role in inciting the riot on Capitol Hill on January 6th.  It has been reported that although Senator Mitch McConnell, Republican of Kentucky and the majority leader, has privately told advisers that he approves of the impeachment drive and believes it could help his party purge itself of Mr. Trump, he refused to begin the proceedings this week while he is still in charge.  Despite having some support to convict among several Republican senators, the fact is that the Senate needs a two-third majority to convict.  Doing so would open the door to disqualifying Trump from holding office in the future.  The chances of this happening are very improbable.

The fact is that the Republican Party is still split over its support for Donald Trump and his populist movement.  Indeed, Trump has installed loyal supporters in all of the G.O.P.’s establishment bodies.  For example, since Trump’s 2016 victory, 91 of the 168 positions on the Republican Nationwide Committee have turned over, with nearly all the newcomers elected by Trump-aligned state events.  Several news headlines read: “Deep In the G.O.P. Ranks, the MAGA Mind-Set Prevails.”  It also appears that a vocal wing of the party maintains an almost-religious devotion to the president, and these supporters, especially at the state and local levels, don’t hold him responsible for the mob violence last week.

Unfortunately for the Republican Party, the schism between Trump supporters and the G.O.P. establishment will exist for some time to come.  Without a conviction by the Senate, Donald Trump will continue to hang around, along with his conspiracy theories.  A very recent Axios-Ipsos ballot following the Capitol riot confirmed that a majority of Republicans help the president’s latest habits and say he still ought to be the Republican nominee in 2024. In addition, many Trump supporters are clamoring to go after any of the Republican members of Congress who voted for impeachment or against the motion to investigate the voting results of the presidential election.  Some of those Republican members now even fear for their lives.

Various Republicans in Congress believe that proceeding with an impeachment trial in the Senate will only pour gasoline on the already raging fire among Trump supporters.  They believe that such a move will further divide the nation at a time when a new administration is being sworn in.  Given the volatility of the current situation, they may have a legitimate argument.  House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has discretion over when to transmit the article of impeachment sometime next week, formally initiating the Senate proceeding.  While this may be the right thing to do in light of the serious charges against Trump, the timing may not be good for the country.  The House members, including ten Republicans, have made their point and expression of justifiable outrage over the president’s actions leading up to and following the Capitol riot.  After all, his legacy now includes being the only American president to be impeached twice.  Proceeding to convict represents a greater threat to the G.O.P. than anyone else, and may only provide more ammunition to Trump loyalists to continue their fight within the party.  Hopefully, not literally!

Donald Trump Impeachment Proceedings Republican Party US US Politics

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