FROLITICKS

Satirical commentary on Canadian and American current political issues

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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Nov 1

November Is Here, Leaves Are Falling And So Is The President

by bcurry

There’s a cold wind blowing here, but not as cold as the one in Washington, D.C.  Congress has voted to proceed with the impeachment hearings over the President’s dealings with the Ukraine and consequential national security concerns. Just to remind us, the Ukraine has been fighting against attacks in eastern Ukraine by Russian-backed forces after Russia took over Crimea. As a result, NATO allies, including Canada and the U.S., agreed to supply the Ukraine with military aid and training. Apparently, President Trump delayed the transfer of American aid to the Ukraine on the condition that the Ukrainian administration investigated business dealings by Joe Biden and his son. Such activities would have occurred during Biden’s stint as vice president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. This request was made despite the fact that the current Ukrainian administration had earlier investigated matters related to state corruption and found no evidence of any direct link to the Biden’s.

Although the President has denied that there was no “quid pro quo” arrangement with the Ukraine concerning the matter, closed-door testimony by white house officials before the congressional committee appears to contradict the President. Hopefully, the upcoming public hearings will help clear the air as to what actually took place.  The American public needs to know the truth one way or another.

Yet, here’s the clincher. With Trump, his intervention in Ukraine appears to have been an abuse of his powers, but, conceivably, not a crime. The debate about the criminality of the President’s behaviour with regard to Ukraine, on some level, will always remain a theoretical matter.  Trump’s lawyers will argue that such dealings between heads of states are just a normal part of foreign policy initiatives. Nevertheless, Trump proceeded to use his position as President to have a foreign government look into what is obviously a matter of politics in light of the upcoming presidential election.  Does such a move represent an abuse of presidential power and a real threat to American national security?  That will be up to Congress to shortly decide and American voters to eventually judge at the polls.

Whatever comes out of the impeachment hearings, there is little doubt that Trump and his administration and the Republican Party are on the defensive. Congress has a right to defend the constitution and no president is above the law.  The rest of the world is closely watching and is deeply concerned about the subsequent consequences and greater instabilities.  Things most likely will get nastier and partisan divisions will grow even wider in American governance.  God help the United States of America!

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Dec 23

With Trump, There’s Nowhere To Go But Down

by bcurry

Well, President Trump, you’ve gone and done it again. 2018 is ending with a big downward spiral in everything political, economic and international.  What’s really sad is that your narcissistic self has gotten the better part of your uneven temperament.  Let’s see, your former Chief of Staff and Secretary of Defense are now gone over obvious in-fighting in the not so tranquil White House.  American allies around the world are bewildered at your foreign policies, including the immediate withdrawal of American troops from Syria and Afghanistan. Your failure to condemn the leaders of Saudi Arabia for the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi has brought disgrace upon the U.S.  The November elections saw the Republicans loose control of the House of Representatives and numerous state legislatures.  Your so-called protectionist trade practices have helped the stock exchanges head into the worst bear markets since the great recession of 2008.  The American people are more divided then ever before.  Now, you’ve caused the shut down of many federal departments and agencies just before Christmas, with some 300,000 civil servants going without pay for who knows how long.  All over your squabble with Congress about including $5 Billion to construct a silly wall between the U.S. and Mexico, for which you had unrealistically promised during the election would be paid for by Mexico. Even members of the Republican Party are becoming frustrated with your irrational premise for a shut-down which you openly welcomed and endorsed on national television.

As we approach the start of a New Year, there appears that there is little hope for things to get any better. Your trade war with China has only just begun and we may be on the verge of another global recession. Americans, Canadians, Europeans, Japanese and everyone else will suffer as a result.  I’m afraid, President Trump, that you are no King Midas.  It appears that everything you touch turns to one big turd.  Indeed, the best is yet to come!  There are still the indictments of members of the President’s election team and the final outcome of the Mueller investigation which most likely will be the political story of 2019.  There is also little doubt that the Democrat majority House will begin investigations into your behaviour and past transgressions.  You may be yet facing impeachment proceedings.  But don’t worry.  You can always ask your good buddy, Vladimir Putin, to provide you with refuge in lovely Moscow. I hear that it’s nice at this time of the year.

Donald Trump Foreign Policy Immigration Political Scandals US

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