This morning House Judiciary Committee Democrats voted two articles of impeachment against President Trump out of committee by a 23-17 vote along strict party lines.
There appears to be zero chance that a two-thirds majority of Senators will vote to convict and remove the President if the full House votes next Wednesday to send the matter to the Senate for a trial, which would likely begin sometime soon after January 1, 2020.
“There appears to be zero chance that a two-thirds majority of Senators will vote to convict and remove the President…”
So, the only real political debate remaining is whether or not the impeachment attempt by Democrats will backfire on them by sending more fired-up Trump Republicans to the polls and endangering moderate Dems up for election in November 2020, especially House Dems in districts Trump carried in 2016.
California Senator Kamala Harris, a self-proclaimed “top-tier candidate” for the presidency, mercifully ended her failing campaign today, months before the first primary and much to the chagrin of woke progressives on Twitter.
Witness the immortal Sally Kohn swipe away at this (to paraphrase Van Jones) “whitelash” by the Democrats:
Obviously I’m no centrist but it’s downright effed up that smart, compelling, *very* experienced, centrist Democratic candidates of color are floundering while a smart but wildly inexperienced, centrist white mayor of teeny tiny city is surging.
CNN contributor MJ Lee tweeted that the remaining candidates who have qualified for the next debate are all white:
Kamala Harris’ campaign was historic — a black and South Asian female candidate whose potential seemed sky high early on.
Her dropping out means that every candidate that’s qualified so far for the next debate is white: Biden, Buttigieg, Klobuchar, Sanders, Steyer and Warren.
The U.S. House of Representatives will hold the first two impeachment inquiry public hearings this week.
Wednesday, Nov. 13, George Kent, a deputy assistant Secretary of State and Bill Taylor, a former ambassador and the top US diplomat in Ukraine are scheduled to testify.
Friday, Nov.15, it will be former US ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch.
It appears inevitable at this point that the House will vote to impeach President Trump and equally certain that there will not be a conviction in the Senate. In other words, it’s all politics.
We’ve seen polls suggesting that about half of Americans believe the President should be impeached and removed. We’d like to ask the same question in a different way to see what local readers are thinking.
“I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by…”
…their political party affiliation or ideological leaning?
…their level of hatred or support for Trump?
Martin Luther King Jr.’s dream was that we would judge others based on the “content of their character”. But in today’s hyper-partisan America where Twitter mobs and Facebook arguments are so pervasive, King’s dream seems further from reality than it did 50 years ago, and not primarily for racial reasons. This new breed of discrimination is based on your politics rather than skin color.
Why? Because we have allowed political identification and ideology to become the predominant, and sometimes only, defining characteristic by which we judge our fellow Americans.
If you voted for or support President Trump, well, that’s all some folks need to know about you in order to conclude that you are of low character and an enabler of evil. Your support of or vote for Trump is what defines you, and it means you’re a Nazi racist misogynist homophobe deplorable, unquestionably. Right?
Remember when supporting a duly and fairly elected POTUS because we wanted to see the country succeed was considered a good thing? Not anymore. Now, you must publicly confess that Trump is the full-on manifestation of the Prince of Darkness, because if you don’t then you’re obviously one of his evil minions who will be held equally responsible for the coming Trump-caused collapse of Western civilization.
Because according to some, no good, virtuous, moral person of high character could possibly support any part of Trumps agenda.
How in the world did we come to the place that we actually believe ones character can be determined by a cursory glance at his or hers choice of political platform or candidate?
The political part of a person is only a sliver, a tiny slice, of who that person is, and to make broad and character-defining judgments about folks based solely on the politicians they like or don’t like is preposterous and flat-out wrong. Yet that seems to be the place we’ve come to in America now.
And yes, we saw the same tendencies during the Obama presidency, and Bush before that etc. But it’s worse now than I’ve ever seen it, and I’ve been around awhile.
Trump is a temporary occupant of the White House, he’ll be gone eventually and other presidents after him will have to endure the precedent we’re setting today, and that precedent doesn’t look much like Dr. Kings vision.
It looks more like we’re judging the character of our American brothers and sisters based on an opinion of the content of someone else’s character.
It appears our Great Falls City Commissioner Houck has become the self-appointed arbiter of civility, political responsibility and justice. We’re in trouble now.
Houck lectured Senator Daines on Facebook. She opines that he doesn’t speak on behalf of the majority of Montanans and that he certainly doesn’t represent the views and wishes of her and her friends. She offered her “help,” by suggesting she had materials to help guide his future work and efforts in DC for all Montanans.
No, and HECK NO!
I’d like to remind Houck that there are other people in Montana—people that don’t share her views and values. People that think for themselves rather than gather under a hashtag. Houck’s views on Kavanaugh and Senator Daines certainly don’t represent me, my friends and, I would argue, the majority of Montanans that I’ve met. Her implication that Daines needs her help to understand all Montanans is just ridiculous.
And to her comment that she’d be “happy to share the statistics of the number of men and women who have been sexually assaulted in their life times”—share it as proof of what? Just what is the relevance of those statistics to the Kavanaugh accusations and Daines’ communication? What do those statistics prove, other than there are a certain number of sexual assaults? It certainly doesn’t prove that a man now accused of a sexual assault 36 years in the past—with no corroborating witnesses, no evidence and no accurate and detailed account of the incident—is guilty. Quite the contrary, I would say.
It’s actually embarrassing that someone so nonsensical is representing the city of Great Falls. It’s also embarrassing that Houck thinks she’s more astute about Montanans than our senator. Perhaps I should take a page from the resistance playbook at this point and say, “Not My Commissioner!”
It’s actually embarrassing that someone so nonsensical is representing the city of Great Falls. It’s also embarrassing that Houck thinks she’s more astute about Montanans than our senator. Perhaps I should take a page from the resistance playbook at this point and say, “Not My Commissioner!”
Interestingly, Houck claims this isn’t about being Democrat or Republican. I chuckled at that because, on the contrary, it most certainly is about that—it’s about a Democratic Party unhinged and taken over by progressivism/socialism.
And in the unhinged world of the progressivist/socialist resistance:
The accused are guilty until proven innocent.
Mere accusations are proof in themselves, with no need for corroborating evidence.
A so-called victim account, riddled with inconsistencies and outright discrepancies, becomes prima facie evidence of a crime.
Mob rule replaces a Constitutional Republic.
Political correctness trumps freedom of speech.
Feelings are more important than civil liberties, truth and logic.
The values, views and agenda espoused by Houck and progressives/socialists don’t represent the majority of Montanans, or of United States citizens for that matter—at least not yet—and for that I am grateful.
I am also grateful for Supreme Court Justice Kavanaugh. I believe he will faithfully interpret the Constitution, rather than legislate from the bench. I know many strong, courageous women throughout the United States feel the same, and that includes many sexual assault victims.
Those of us who value the Constitution, our justice system and a free market economy cannot become complacent about the damaging influence of emotion-based, progressivist/socialist group-think.
Recently someone brought to my attention some comments on the Kavanaugh nomination written by a so-called “leader” in Great Falls, Tracy Houck, and posted last week on Senator Steve Daines’ public forum page. Here’s a screenshot of her comments:
After seeing her comments here’s what I wrote on my FB page in response, and then I’ll give you an interesting update that someone pointed out to me yesterday.
“Here’s Houck representing herself as a Great Falls public official actually lecturing Senator Daines on the Kavanaugh nomination.
Regardless of what one thinks about this national issue, Tracy Houck is the last person in Great Falls that I and many, many others want speaking as a GF elected official on the Senators comment page. What a total embarrassment she is to my hometown.
Houck is an incompetent, dishonest buffoon who is once again doing a disservice to the good and honest folks of Great Falls by representing herself in a public forum as someone who speaks in an official capacity.
Since she has so arrogantly presumed to lecture my senator and condescendingly offer him “advice” as an elected official from Great Falls, perhaps it’s time once again to remind the public through documented evidence obtained in public records requests and elsewhere, that Houck has been demonstrated to be a serial public liar and a fraud.
She is guilty of violating Montana campaign-finance law, backdating official state documents in an attempt to cover her lies to the public, the press, and the state Commissioner of Political Practices, and of abusing her position of public trust in attempts to benefit herself and her employer financially.”
And now the update:
In a letter dated March 14, 2017, written and signed by Houck wherein she attempted to justify her dishonest actions concerning the Community Development Block Grant funding process, Houck stated that “…Harmony indicates intent to file a sexual harassment charge against a PGS staff person. Similar letters were sent to various staff…A subsequent investigation was conducted…Absolutely no truth was found to support any of the allegations.” (emphasis added) You can read the entire letter and included documents here.
“A subsequent investigation (into sexual harassment) was conducted…Absolutely no truth was found to support any of the allegations.” says Houck. Does that sound familiar in light of recent events?
So, when unproven, uncorroborated sexual harassment allegations affecting Houck and her employer are raised, Houck becomes indignant and insists that those allegations be ignored and set aside so she can get her pile of taxpayer money.
So, when unproven, uncorroborated SEXUAL HARASSMENT allegations affecting Houck and her employer are raised, Houck becomes indignant and insists that those allegations be ignored and set aside so she can get her pile of taxpayer money.
But when Judge Kavanaugh is slimed with unproven allegations by the “resistance”, which Houck supports, she thinks it’s her responsibility to lecture Senator Daines and educate him about “…statistics as to the number of men and women who have been sexually assaulted in their lifetimes.”
If it’s so hip, edgy, cool and progressive for some to hate all those evil corporations out there then why all of a sudden is it so hip, edgy, cool and progressive to love the Nike corporation? In fact, shouldn’t every good, blue-blooded, anti-corporate Democratic Socialist actually have a special loathing for a multi-national corporation like Nike which has been caught using sweatshop labor and exploiting children to manufacture their products?
But no, Nike is now somehow heroic and righteous because their new highly paid spokesman is a rich ex-NFL player who knelt during the national anthem and dislikes Trump. How does that work?
For some, however, Nike appears to be the single exception, because all other corporations continue to be evil. Even right here in Great Falls it’s surprising how much I hear and read local progressives assuredly proclaiming that corporations are at the root of all of our problems – even while those same folks continue buying, using and consuming corporate goods and services like gluttons.
Even right here in Great Falls it’s surprising how much I hear and read local progressives assuredly proclaiming that corporations are at the root of all of our problems – even while those same folks continue buying, using and consuming corporate goods and services like gluttons.
So, in the spirit of good fun here’s something I wrote for someone or something-or-other a few years ago which is still apropos:
“Corporations are rich, evil, greedy, controlling entities that do no good and are destroying our country. I hate them.” opined the under-informed citizen on Facebook/Twitter (corporations) by way of his Apple/Microsoft (corporation) laptop while sipping his Starbucks (corporation) latte then getting in his Subaru (foreign corporation), filling up at BP (foreign corporation), driving while listening to his Sony (foreign corporation) mp3 player to EMI (foreign corporation) artist Paul McCartney on the road (paid for in part by corporate taxes) to his job at Green Energy Corporation.
Then for lunch picking up some McDonalds (corporation) and checking his DAD (corporation) stock and US Bank (corporation) savings accounts before going home to his house built with Building Materials Corporation of America products and financed by Home Mortgage Corporation, popping a Sony (foreign corporation) DVD into his Hitachi (foreign corporation) DVD player to watch Kung Fu Panda (DreamWorks Corporation) on his RCA (corporation) flat screen before opening his Westinghouse (corporation) refrigerator for some Ben & Jerry’s (corporation).
After brushing his teeth (Colgate Palmolive Corporation) and watching Colbert on CBS (corporation) he closes his eyes and thinks “yeah , I sure hate those useless corporations” before drifting off to sleep on his Sealy (corporation) mattress.
Local readers continue to send us screenshots and reactions to Presidents Trumps recent visit to Great Falls. Some of the comments are positive and in support of the President while others are downright vile and vicious in their hatefulness. Here’s an example of both from the Tribunes own Facebook page:
What we find interesting here is that former and longtime Tribune “reporter” Peter Johnson associates himself with and “Likes” Jen Lynns ignorant and hateful suggestion that our fellow Great Falls citizens who attended the Trump rally are inbred. Really?
It is troubling, though not surprising, that Mr. Johnson is so cavalier in his willingness to identify with and display such open hatred and disdain for his friends and neighbors, folks who at one time trusted him to be an objective news reporter.
“It is troubling, though not surprising, that Mr. Johnson is so cavalier in his willingness to identify with and display such open hatred and disdain for his friends and neighbors, folks who at one time trusted him to be an objective news reporter.”
We don’t take issue with people who criticize and call to account elected officials at any level, in fact we highly encourage it and actively participate in it. But unfortunately the recent trend is to excoriate, demean, attack and insult regular local Great Falls citizens who voice any level of support for Trump or any other official in his administration.
We’ll conclude with these gems from our own E-City Beat Facebook page (you can read the whole thread here). Just look at the arrogance, hatred, and disdain dripping from local anti-Trump “resistance” member Christopher Horners repulsive comments.
“Tammy Evans, Trump does collect stupid trash like you though…Another White Trash Falls Trump acolyte…Jon still works at Albertsons, and is in the underachievers party of Trump, lol, lmao You look like his mom, are you his mom defending your fat, stupid son.”
“I need someone to fetch me my groceries and do the shit work. I’m just glad it’s you and not me. Didn’t I see you in your pickup with that huge confederate flag driving down the street. Do you know how embarrassing it is to tell people I actually live in this ghetto town?”
A Facebook friend of mine recently sent me this screenshot of a comment thread he was involved in just a couple of days ago. The Trump hater in this thread is also a Great Falls resident.
The last comment in the thread is particularly troubling. It appears it’s now just commonplace to label our fellow citizens and neighbors with which we disagree politically as Nazis. In just the last few days on national television I’ve heard otherwise intelligent folks compare the family separation tragedy on our southern border to concentration camps and the Holocaust. I’ve heard Trump referred to as Hitler and anyone who doesn’t participate fully in the unhinged hate-Trump orgy as Nazis and Brownshirts.
Among the several disturbing problems associated with playing the ‘Nazi card’ and comparing 21st Century American issues, social context, and contemporary politicians with Hitler and Nazi Germany are the following:
It ignores actual history. People who make such comparisons only prove their own historical ignorance.
Such comparisons dumb down and cheapen the real horrors of the attempted extermination of an entire race during the actual Holocaust.
It’s dangerous. The extreme acrimony and hatred have reached a boiling point and will result in violence if it continues unabated.
Why is it dangerous? Because when you point at those who support or voted for the President and paint them with the Nazi brush you turn them into the worst villains imaginable. Your neighbors, friends, folks standing next to you in the grocery store checkout, sitting next to you in the pew, even your own relatives are transformed into killers, torturers, monsters. Because they don’t hate Trump sufficiently?
It dehumanizes your fellow citizens, your fellow Montanans. And when you make them less than human, when you make them evil personified, then any kind of action against them seems justifiable. After all, the world is better off without those evil Nazis so it must be for the greater good to hurt them. To kill them. Who could blame you for hurting or killing a damn Hitler loving Nazi Brownshirt?
“After all, the world is better off without those evil Nazis so it must be for the greater good to hurt them. To kill them. Who could blame you for hurting or killing a damn Hitler loving Nazi Brownshirt?”
Don’t believe me? Just look at Peter Fonda’s despicable Tweets:
So if you’re a Trump Nazi family member or Brownshirt Cabinet official, or even staff, then it’s okay to whip you, strip you, poke you, rape you etc. Because, you know, Nazis deserve it.
Of course, most of those who oppose or who hate Trump and compare him and his voters to the Third Reich don’t intend to hurt others. But there are plenty of unstable folks out there who listen to the Nazi nonsense being spewed out by others and who could take such language as not just a justification but an invitation to harm others.
It also works the other way. How long will it be before some Trump supporter somewhere isn’t going to take being called a murderous Nazi with patience and civility. Think about it.
Time to tone down the rhetoric. We can do better. We must do better.
