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Tuesday, September 18, 2018

Be Careful What You Wish

Note: This is A FOX Poll

The Trump administration may be on the verge of implosion. Strong indicators - This past month’s court cases, movement in the Robert Mueller investigation, anonymous op-eds and multiple friends cutting their loses to avoid long prison terms. According to The New Yorker, Mueller has obtained the indictments of thirty-two individuals and three corporations, as well as five guilty pleas.  All Trump related. Though unnamed, Trump is an "unindicted co-conspirator" in one of the cases.  Not exactly a "witch hunt" as Trump claims.   

From the beginning, many have known that the Trump Administration would be problematic, but few of us knew the depth of corruption, incompetence and outright lying that would occur.

Trump in his 2016 convention acceptance speech promised to “protect the LGBTQ community”. Once in office did the exact opposite.  

If Trump decides he has endured enough and opts to go quietly, Nixon style (unlikely) or action occurs in the House and Senate, America will still be in jeopardy. 

Mike Pence, the heir apparent to Trump, although political savvy, lacks the intelligence to undo the damage perpetrated by Trump. We will get more of the same prejudices; now with religious justifications.  

Mike Pence also has a problem with science. Here is one of many examples: In 2000 Pence made an issue of the pending agreement to settle government lawsuits against tobacco companies for lying for decades about the dangers of their addictive products. He stated “Time for a quick reality check. Despite the hysteria from the political class and the media, smoking doesn't kill.” 

This was blatantly false based on all scientific evidence. Why you ask would he make such an asinine statement?  Pence's motivation may have been connected to his family's ownership stake in a chain of convenience stores called Tobacco Road, which sold cigarettes alongside soft drinks and chips.  Also, top White House figures – including the vice-president and health secretary – have deep ties to an industry whose donations began pouring in on day one. 

According to Richard North Patterson of the Huff Post:  On LGBT rights - As a congressman, he opposed federal funding to treat HIV/AIDS unless the government also funded programs to discourage same-sex relationships. A nasty side effect of his policies in Indiana ― closing Planned Parenthood clinics and stalling needle exchanges. Notoriously, he spearheaded a “religious freedom” law to protect businesses that refuse service to LGBTQ Americans. 


Let us not underestimate Pence’s influence up to today. Pence seeded the administration with right-wing swamp dwellers including former EPA director Scott Pruitt, White House counsel Don McGahn, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, CIA Director Mike Pompeo (who now serves as secretary of state) and HHS Secretary Tom Price (who was forced to resign in disgrace).

What makes him so dangerous? The belief that his seamiest actions and most self-serving calculations are part of God’s plan. Pence is more ready than ever to achieve the dream he believes God wants him to fulfill. 

Omarosa Manigault Newman:

We would be begging for the days of Trump if Pence became president. He’s extreme.


Source: TheAlantic
God’s Plan for Mike Pence

5 comments:

  1. Great article today, Rhonda. Just a couple of points though. Even if the Democrats are successful in the fall in flipping both the House and Senate, there is no way they are going to get to 67 seats, which would be the level needed to convict and remove the president should he be impeached in the House. So it is likely he limps to the end of his term and is defeated for re-election.

    Also even if somehow Pence should stand for election for president, it's not at all clear he would have the same appeal as Donald Dump...the loud mouth tough guy thing.

    I'm not sure a pure evangelical right winger (Pence) could win today. Remember as it is, Hillary already won the popular vote over Dump and that Democratic advantage will only grow.

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    1. Janet -

      Pence was elected governor of Indiana by being slick and non-committal. He's a religious nut who can't be trusted. We have to keep both of these clowns from having unchecked power until we can put a Democrat in office as POTUS.

      M

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  2. Sadly, I think this problem was what Paul Manafort wanted when he told Trump to pick Pence over Christie for his running mate. It's a perfect "Manchurian Candidate" setup. Remove the incompetent jerk, and place the really dangerous person into the seat of power. It's exactly what Russia would have wanted, as it now uses religious morals to keep the LGBT community from having its human rights AND provides society with the scapegoats it needs to distract from other abuses of power.,

    The other day, I had a chat with a gay fellow at the LGBT center where I volunteer one day each week. He's so disgusted with Trump, that he wants to see Pence become president. God help us if this happens, as most people don't see the danger in Pence. He's been "on the down low" since Trump became president, directing all of Trump's "Christian" efforts.... Imagine what would happen if Pence were doing this out in the open?

    And yet - most people don't see the danger....

    M

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  3. Oh, and something else about Mike Pence: it's not necessarily clear that he is in clear when it comes to investigation of the administration.

    Remember, Pence oversaw the transition from the Obama administration to the current one. That means he may know a lot more than what he is currently letting on.

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    1. Kasich recounted when he was offered VPOTUS spot on the ticket...

      He asked Trump what will my responsibilities be when VPOTUS? Trump said that he'd be in charge of both domestic and foreign policy. The next question was: "What will you do?" And Trump said: "Making America Great Again." Assuming that Pence was offered the same deal, with the exception of Trump's crazy statements on the international stage, Pence may already be running things in secret. This is enough for us to be worried about....

      M

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