New KJ, I have some questions

[The Lone Ranger]

Well not even a 100 days in and already Trump in big trouble. He is trying to bring on board Democrats to save the Ryan health care plan, a move the Speaker doesn't even want. General Flynn is going to seek immunity something he has said in the past indicates guilt, when talking about Hillary Clinton. Now they are going to chant Lock Him UP, or are they? If a Russian connection is established what then, not to mention Turkey trying to kidnap an American citizen, so he can be prosecuted by political tyrant. Looks like Trump aka Lucy will have some splainning to do.

[The Lone Ranger]

It has been a long time since I posted on this thread. The condition of this country hasn't gotten much better if any. The Republicans even though they now control all three branches of government seem unable to govern. They have been given the keys to the car and what are they doing? They are fighting over who gets to drive it off the cliff. When the majority of the American voters polled favor some kind of Universal Health coverage for all, and the political hacks are controlled by the big medical insurers and Drug companies, we can see who our elected officials are really representing. Knocking over 20 million people off the health care system is the wrong way to go. These people will continue to show up at the Emergency Room doors and we will be picking up the tab anyway. So we might as well have everyone in the system paying what they can, and quit being adverse to having a modern medical delivery system, like all of the other major industrialized countries do. "Americans will always do the right thing after they have tried everything else" Winston Churchill.

[The Lone Ranger]

It seems that Trump has pardoned Sheriff Joe, this might be a signal to other law breakers that they too will get a pardon from him. Especially those caught up in the investigation concerning Russian interference during the 2016 election. The President better be careful if these traitors are pardoned then they can't use their 5th Amendment rights against self incrimination. This means they will have to tell the truth about Trump or face perjury charges. Trump asked if he could pardon himself, no one seems to know since no President has even thought of that?

[DanG2006]

If Trump hasn't committed any crime then why does he feel the need to ask if he can pardon himself? Sounds like an admission of guilt to me.
And yes, I believe that he cheated and stole the election with the help of an outside country that is not on good standing with the United States.

[The Lone Ranger]

Danny this idea of pardoning one's self really makes you wonder. Even Richard Nixon had Gerald Ford pardon him, and never even considered pardoning himself. I guess Trump feels that if he pardons himself he can still be President and not have to worry about VP Pence doing the dirty deed. Ford pardoning Nixon probably cost him the next election. So much for rule of law.

[The Lone Ranger]

I haven't posted for the longest time on this subject. I have been too busy enjoying my retirement from the karaoke hosting business, and I'm winding down my other responsibilities. Soon I will be able to travel this summer with my wife. This whole business with Trump is just getting worse not better. So far our democratic political fabric has held up. For how much longer remains to be seen. When you have a political figure who quotes Mussolini it makes you wonder how far to the right this country is going? Come on rule of law?

[wiseguy]

With Trump, it's the same old shit another day, but the shit is really starting to pile up. I keep thinking that finally we have something that will sink him and then nobody does a thing. Will Stormy Daniels bring him down, or will something they find from the Cohen raid be the last straw? I'm not holding my breath. The only real hope is that the GOP will damage themselves enough that we clean up in the midterms.

[DanG2006]

I don't buy Ryan's reason not to run again totally, it might be part of the reason but I bet you, he's afraid to run due to his screwing his own constituents. He probably thinks that he would end up losing so why not retire before he gets fired.

[wiseguy]

Paul Ryan is a coward. He knows that if he keeps going along with Trump his legacy will be severely tarnished yet he doesn't have the balls to stand up to Trump and do the right thing. There are a record number of Congressmen who are not seeking re-election this year and many of them for this same reason.

[The Lone Ranger]

One has to remember even if the center left does get control of the house, it is a pretty good bet they won't have the votes in the Senate to convict. Even though the election was rigged in the favor of Trump, he is still the choice of the electoral college, who by the way fell down on their responsibilities. It would end up probably like Clinton and Andrew Johnson, where the house impeached but the Senate did not uphold the conviction, and remove the President from office. This whole system is setup to carry out the will of the people. You have to remember even Hitler was elected the first time around by the German People. Of course they didn't know that he would become dictator for life, more or less.

[wiseguy]

This president is not popular among most Republicans even though they defend him now. It's not out of the question that the Senate would uphold a conviction. But I was thinking more of the pushback and complete lack of cooperation Trump would receive if we had the House and Senate, or even just the House. That could be enough to push his fragile ego over the edge. In the meantime, I'm hoping what they find from the Cohen raid causes Trump some real damage. As an added perk I'd love to see it ruin Hannity.

[The Lone Ranger]

The chances of Hannity getting hurt are slim. There are two types of news hosts at Fox, the serious day journalists and the nightly clown car. It is due to the efforts of the day shift that Fox is taken seriously in the first place. Hannity is in the clown car and not really a serious newsman. I just hope that rule of law prevails, if not long term damage will be done to our Republic.

[wiseguy]

Hannity is akin to Bill O'reilly and we know what happened to him. Hannity's sponsors are already starting to pull out and if the Cohen raid exposes some of his dirty little secrets that should finish him off. Not to mention if he would get indicted for aiding Trump in criminal activity. Serious newsman or not, Hannity and those of his ilk are a danger to equality and our democracy.

[The Lone Ranger]

The real danger to our Republic is the divide in our country between the Red and The Blue. It is almost as bad as when it was the Blue and Gray. I just hope we don't end up in some sort of civil war, or just as bad a dictatorship. The art of political compromise seems to be dead. You are either for one side or against it there is no middle ground. The American people themselves have to be the responsible and go out and vote.

[wiseguy]

The electing of Trump has done more to divide the country than anything I have ever witnessed. He has given a voice to the worst of the right and they are speaking it loudly. The bigotry and racism are reminiscent of the pre-civil rights era. Yes, voting is key to turning things around.