Wednesday, July 18, 2018

Contractions Are Difficult

Two days ago the President of the United States, in a press conference in Helsinki, along with Russian dictator Vladimir Putin, denied that Russia tried to influence the US elections by hacking the Democratic campaigns computers.  This is direct opposition to his own intelligence officers, including Dan Burton, who he named in his rant.  Also 15 Russian intelligence officers have been indicted for doing just that.  (Oh missing from some news reports is that the indictment includes unnamed Americans including a Congressional candidate).  At one point in the presser Trump said, "Putin 'just said it’s not Russia I will say this: I don’t see any reason why it would be, but I really do want to see the server," shifting to a crazy conspiracy theory about the DNC server and the FBI.  This was a moment that jaws dropped around the world.  The President of the United States, facing overwhelming information that Russian officials tried to influence the election in the US in 2016, basically said he is fine because a thuggish dictator who kills detractors, lies to his people and is a master of propaganda told him he didn't do it. This caused a stir even among SOME of his supporters.  So 24 hours later he came out with an explanation for this anti-American statement made on foreign soil.  He said that he meant to say WOULDN'T instead of WOULD.  I will give you a minute to laugh.  Yes, he suggested that he didn't get the idea of the contraction or as he said a double-negative.  Now if you believe he simply misspoke, congratulations you are the reason that peanut butter has on its label:  CAUTION CONTENTS PEANUTS.

As some members of the GOP are now trying to run cover for this disgraceful leader I think we need a call to people who are hired to represent us to act now.  At the very least Congress should issue a joint censure.  Hearings should be held to find out exactly what the President talked about in his private meeting with Putin.  If they don't act then we should vote them out, this isn't about party, this isn't about tax cuts, it isn't about SCOTUS, it is about the integrity of Western Democracy.  Last night he suggested that the US shouldn't have to respond to NATO's Article 5, the mutual defense article (only invoked ever on behalf of the US after 9-11.) specifically singling out Montenegro.  Here is the thing, Montenegro is a place that Russia wants more influence.

Donald Trump has always been unfit to be President of the United States.  Nothing in the process that got him elected worked.  So now it is up to us, the people, the majority that doesn't want him to have free reign as President, must act.  Call, write, harass your representatives.  If they apologize for his actions, challenge them.  Use facts not emotional nonsense.  Keep within the Constitution (some nut suggested we should install Hillary Clinton by fiat)  and vote.  Vote for Democrats even if they aren't perfect.  Vote against anyone that has sat by and did nothing during the last 18 months or worse tried to run interference for this President.  We are a great country and have been long before Trump bought his first red hat.  We are in crisis but we are stronger than people think.  Come on America, this is US.Two days ago the President of the United States, in a press conference in Helsinki, along with Russian dictator Vladimir Putin, denied that Russia tried to influence the US elections by hacking the Democratic campaigns computers.  This is direct opposition to his own intelligence officers, including Dan Burton, who he named in his rant.  Also 15 Russian intelligence officers have been indicted for doing just that.  (Oh missing from some news reports is that the indictment includes unnamed Americans including a Congressional candidate).  At one point in the presser Trump said, "Putin 'just said it’s not Russia I will say this: I don’t see any reason why it would be, but I really do want to see the server," shifting to a crazy conspiracy theory about the DNC server and the FBI.  This was a moment that jaws dropped around the world.  The President of the United States, facing overwhelming information that Russian officials tried to influence the election in the US in 2016, basically said he is fine because a thuggish dictator who kills detractors, lies to his people and is a master of propaganda told him he didn't do it.This caused a stir even among SOME of his supporters.  So 24 hours later he came out with an explanation for this anti-American statement made on foreign soil.  He said that he meant to say WOULDN'T instead of WOULD.  I will give you a minute to laugh.  Yes, he suggested that he didn't get the idea of the contraction or as he said a double-negative.  Now if you believe he simply misspoke, congratulations you are the reason that peanut butter has on its label:  CAUTION CONTENTS PEANUTS.

As some members of the GOP are now trying to run cover for this disgraceful leader I think we need a call to people who are hired to represent us to act now.  At the very least Congress should issue a joint censure.  Hearings should be held to find out exactly what the President talked about in his private meeting with Putin.  If they don't act then we should vote them out, this isn't about party, this isn't about tax cuts, it isn't about SCOTUS, it is about the integrity of Western Democracy.  Last night he suggested that the US shouldn't have to respond to NATO's Article 5, the mutual defense article (only invoked ever on behalf of the US after 9-11.) specifically singling out Montenegro.  Here is the thing, Montenegro is a place that Russia wants more influence.

Donald Trump has always been unfit to be President of the United States.  Nothing in the process that got him elected worked.  So now it is up to us, the people, the majority that doesn't want him to have free reign as President, must act.  Call, write, harass your representatives.  If they apologize for his actions, challenge them.  Use facts not emotional nonsense.  Keep within the Constitution (some nut suggested we should install Hillary Clinton by fiat)  and vote.  Vote for Democrats even if they aren't perfect.  Vote against anyone that has sat by and did nothing during the last 18 months or worse tried to run interference for this President.  We are a great country and have been long before Trump bought his first red hat.  We are in crisis but we are stronger than people think.  Come on America, this is US.

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