Make America's Presidency "Great Again" Impeach President Trump

President Trump is incapable of making America "great again" because America has never lost its greatness.  But the Presidency can be made "great again" by the impeachment of Donald Trump.  The latest Trump attack on our NATO allies at the summit in Brussels was another sad chapter in the instability of America's President and Commander in Chief.  NATO is a stable alliance that allows American troops and military bases on their soil.  America does not like to admit it but those bases and troops are there to have a strategic military presence close to Russia and not for the sole purpose of protecting the NATO countries.

Trump's remarks at the summit that Germany was a captive of Russia drew a sharp rebuke from German Chancellor Merkel who told the President Germany was not a captive of Russia or the USA.  The unnecessary remark by Trump displayed the trumpet man's ignorance, lack of character and corrupted persona.  Actually, the case can be made that President Trump is a captive of Russia's Putin but Merkel would not stoop to Trump's low.  Trump also lied about how much energy Germany purchases from Russia.

The people of the world are watching America's President and after the summit the President will visit England and Prime Minister May who also has come in for Trump's bashing.  The Prime Minister is civil and won't answer in kind but the people of London have scheduled a massive protest against Trump's visit.  As a result, the President will by pass the city.

Yes, there was a time not long ago when American Presidents were welcomed around the world and as a leader with moral character.  Impeachment is the only way out for this President to make the Presidency "great again"


This commentary written by Joe Lorio

Conservatism, Pro Choice and Pro Life: The Fairy Tale Spin Of Repubicans

Conservatives use those words to divide people knowing people in general don't understand the real meaning or interpretation and casually accept the way conservative republicans apply those words.  Yet, all those words play a large role in political and civilian life and many times in heated arguments.  But never in a real debate because that would expose the fairy tale, the division and the republican party.  So lets explore all those words.

Conservatism:  The word being practiced and used today goes back to the Newt Gingrich era and represents an ideology of hate, personal attacks, elitism and an alleged superior understanding of government, religion, division, fiscal responsibility and small government and blame.  Prior to Newt republicans in congress never much talked about themselves as being conservative.  They were satisfied as being conservative and pursuing a conservative agenda without personal attacks.  The first words out of a republican's mouth today is, "I am a conservative."  Well, so what?  I am a American and  proud of it.

The conservative movement since Newt has proved there is no such thing as a conservatism in the republican party or a republican White House.  Ditto when it comes to big government or government spending.  The most recent examples are the republicans failure to pass health care and immigration reform.  What the so called republican conservatism actually cover is several factions of extreme ideology with in the party that disagrees on everything and of course their tax scheme that will add $1.5 trillion to the national debt is no where near conservatism.

The underline ideology behind Newt's conservatism was to break the democratic hold the party enjoyed in the U.S. House for many years.  Newt resorted to vicious personal attacks against democrats and started the push to dilute the states voting districts in favor of republicans.  He also tried to use religion and moral values to divide the people.  And today, several states are tied up in court over gerrymandering by the republican party to assure a vote advantage for their party.

The reasons why there is no such thing as a conservative republican party was laid out in PolitiDose many times over in the past several years  And just recently the CBO announced that Trump's first fiscal year budget will end on 9/30/18 with a federal deficit of over $800 billion.  A 21% increase over President Obama's last fiscal year budget.  Conservatism?  Yeah right, in fairy tale land.

Pro Choice:  The republicans have done a good job convincing the news media and many voters with the fairy tale that Pro Choice means one is for abortion, but nothing could be farther from the truth.  Of course they try to use their favorite opponent Hillary Clinton and try to use her Pro Choice position as advocating abortion.  But they have a big problem because Hillary choose Life and brought a daughter into this world who in turn chose life and also became a proud Mother herself.

Pro Choice simply means the Supreme Court ruled a woman has a right to choose and make a choice under certain circumstances.  Those who protest the loudest about a woman's right to choose are men, the political kind who use the subject matter to divide and seek votes.  It is a reminder of a time in our past when women were denied the right to vote.  That was a Pro Choice decision too that was also protested by many when they were given the right to vote.  The Supreme Courts decision heard the thoughts of the religious and scientific community before they gave their finding.  And what chaps most conservatives about the courts ruling was the fact that the court was actually described as a conservative court.

The fairy tale about Pro Choice has gotten so out of hand by those who try and use religion to define the matter have even suggested abortion is murder.  Women who make a Pro Choice decision deserve better and the majority of women who support Pro Choice are mothers who chose life.

Pro Life:  Conservatives like to describe Pro Life as one opposed to abortion.  But Pro Life is about life itself and how one lives life.  A person can actually be Pro Life and Pro Choice at the same time and not be a contradiction.  Political motivation is used to try and misuse words or their meaning in order to infame some one even though the words can actually apply in another sense.  Those who support Pro Choice and who are mothers are Pro Life also.  They just understand the real meaning of the two words.  If Pro Life is related only to the opposition of abortion it has lost all meaning.

And now, the country will be  talking about the issue of Pro Life and Pro Choice once again with the nomination of a new Supreme Court Justice.  The story still goes on after 45 years because our political system has to find blame and because of ideology.  Those who claim to be Pro Life should respect others point of view to live their own lives, after all, that is what life is all about.

Real conservatism does not exist in our political body any more because conservative values have been absent and ideology has been substituted.  It is a fairy tale that has even lost civility.  And that really says it all.


This commentary written by Joe Lorio

The Republican Leader In The U.S. Senate: Mitch McConnell

Senator McConnell, the majority leader in the republican controlled senate did what he does best, rubber stamp Trump's wishes.  In this case, will hold senate hearings to confirm Trump's new Supreme Court nominee even though he adopted a different standard when President Obama nominated his Supreme Court pick and refused to give Obama's nominee a hearing.

Democrats usually do not play bard hard because they have accomplishments when they are in power and know how to achieve results, should play hard ball when they once again become the majority party in congress.  McConnell's actions are so partisan on the Supreme Court issue it requires a hard ball response from the democratic party.  In the mean time the party can play hard ball on a few issues before they become the majority again and should use that option.

The republicans will end up confirming their so called conservative nominee, but the Trump Presidency and the republican controlled congress will continue to govern in chaotic fashion with very little accomplishments.  The past 17 months tells the real story.


This commentary written by Joe Lorio

The Failure To Govern and The Blame Game

President Trump and his Vice President continue to show their unstable persona on the immigration issue.  Their attacks on the democrats as being for open borders may sell to the ignorant and their blame game mentality which is used by those who have failed at governing is telling and will continue until the November elections.

It is easy to tell the bad guys because they are in the White House with a 17 month record of regression.  It has become evident how President Obama's economic policies of success is the only positive force taken place on the Trump-Pence watch.  But as this writer noted not long ago in another commentary, the Trump recession will surely take place in the near future.

Trump and Pence's immigration rhetoric will continue on the campaign while they and their party fail to pass immigration reform.  When the party in power fails to govern, they have to blame some one else and that some one else has to be the democratic party.  Look for Trump and Pence to be on the campaign trail until the November elections.  Both want to take the people's mind off an administration mired in chaos and under investigation by special counsel Mueller, whose investigation is closer and closer to Trump.  Mueller is a man of integrity and will not let Trump intimidate him with threats.

There will be more side shows by Trump and Pence and more of the same rhetoric.  However this is an administration that is so unAmerican, neither will finish their first term in office.  Trump's actions tells this writer he knows his days are numbered as President of the United States.


This commentary written by Joe Lorio

The U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee Report On Russia and The 2016 Presidential Election: More Proof of Trump's Big Lies

The Senate Intelligence report concerning Russia and the role they played in the 2016 Presidential election is out and their findings support the accuracy of the Intelligence community's report.  The Senate report confirmed Russia's effort was extensive and sophisticated and its goals were to hurt Hillary Clinton and help Donald Trump.

President Trump's portrayal of the intelligence community report being "fake news" and the whole Russian affair as being a "witch hunt" and a democratic ploy has been exposed by the report as just another lie by the President of the United States.  The senate report also tells the American people how low Trump is willing to stoop in his effort to destroy the checks and balances in our democracy and his willingness to degrade America's institutions.

Trump's actions prove how willing he is to try and destroy our political process.  He is the first Presidential candidate of either party to seek outside influence from a foreign country to meddle in a Presidential election and to seek dirt on his opponent, Hillary Clinton.  There is no record of any other Presidential candidate who ever sought the help of a foreign government in America's election process.

And we now read where Trump and Putin will meet in private before they meet at the summit.  That is some thing no past American President has done.  Trump has walled he and Putin off so no one knows what they talk about.  This President has a lot to hide with Putin and Russia and it shows.  Putin is calling the shots and Trump is a willing follower and trust Putin more than he does America's intelligence community.  If any one thinks Trump will talk tough at the Russian summit about the 2016 Presidential election, don't hold your breath.


This commentary written by Joe Lorio

The News Media: Out Of The Loop On The Issues, The Story Continues

Television, Radio and the press let the people and the country down on the two most important legislative issues in the past several years.  And our elected officials are the ones who moved those issues to the top of their list.  The two issues are the republicans attempt to repeal and replace the ACA and immigration.  The news media failed to explore what could be done about those issues and allowed our elected officials spin the myth that they had the answer by telling lies.

The news media had to know that Donald Trump and the republicans claim of having a health care plan to repeal and replace the ACA and at the same time lower cost and insure more people was a scheme and that they had no plan at all.  What the news media failed to do was offer and make the case to the people that the best course of action would be to make the necessary changes to the ACA to make the program better.  They should have devoted more time to that with democratic input and input from other groups that had ideas.  The media itself had the resources to make the case that the republicans were lying thru their teeth and that input to the ACA would be the better way to make health care more affordable, less expensive and cover more people.

The republican controlled congress has kicked the immigration can down the road for the past three and half years they have been in control and did zero on the issue during the administrations of President's George W. Bush and Barack Obama.  The news media also had to know the republicans never did and still don't have a immigration plan, only rhetoric.  The media failed to point out that an option was and still is available on immigration.  That is the comprehensive immigration reform bill that the democratic controlled senate passed in 2013 by a vote of 68-32.  It was a bi-partisan bill with 52 democrats, 14 republicans and 2 independents voting for the bill.  It was a good immigration reform bill that also secured the border and provided funds for a 700 mile fence among other measures.

The media should  have pointed out the republicans had an option on immigration reform and should have done a series on the issue.  The democratic bill that was passed could be used as a model and make necessary changes to make the bill better and use democratic input.  After all, the 14 republicans who voted for the bill in 2013 were considered strong on immigration.

But the American people were given only spin on the two issues and not a real debate on the options available.  Yet, the media spends 24 hours a day covering Trump' and his party's lies and divisive tactics.  In the mean time, Trump and his party are slowly killing the ACA and still have no replacement and they do not plan to take up immigration until after the November elections.  So the people are left with Trump and his party's rhetoric and lies on the issues.

Today, the news media in a political sense is a mouth piece for elected officials spin and mis-information for public consumption.  They are not capable of or have no desire to challenge elected leaders remarks in a civil way to flush out truths, facts or other options on matters under discussion.  The volume of the republicans rhetoric grows louder and louder with less and less accomplishments and the media has forgotten its commitment to the public and the country.

What might have been on immigration and health care could  have been if all the options available   were debated by the news media as a helping hand to fully understand legislation should not be a one way street and that various ideas have merit.  With an unstable President in the White House, now is not the time for an unstable news media.  Do we have a news media "host" capable of having a civil debate with those elected officials concerning issues that are deemed so important to the country.  This writer has his doubts.


This commentary written by Joe Lorio

Another Mass Shooting and Killings In The United States

This time at a newspaper office in Maryland where five people were killed.  The alleged shooter was captured and is in police custody.  The FBI in a report some months ago (which was the subject of a PolitiDose commentary) said last year was the most deadly mass shootings in the United States since they began keeping records.

This year, 2018 continues to follow the pattern no matter who is President even though Donald Trump said it would stop on his watch.  Now his administration holds the record for mass killings and his tough talk has fallen on deaf ears.  The usual condolences and prayers are offered by Trump and other elected officials but it all rings hollow since there is no real policy or plans to roll back the tide of violence.  So the next mass shootings and killings will surely take place.

The real problem is bogged down in the name of "guns" which makes a debate nearly impossible.  Some one of statue has to stand up for a legitimate debate on the issue so a policy and plan can be developed that actually addresses the cause and the cure no matter where the chips fall.

One more death is a tragedy and a sad one when there is no movement on the matter by mature people who are responsible for keeping the people safe.


This commentary written by Joe Lorio

Trump and His Party Fail Once Again To Pass Immigration Reform Legislation

President Trump, with his ditto head republican cowards in the U.S. House failed to pass immigration reform for the second time in the past week.  This time they failed big time on a lopsided vote of 301-121.  Their rhetoric on immigration reform continues to be just that, rhetoric.  The cowards can not even agree on a plan even though they have enough votes in the House to pass immigration reform without democratic votes.

Trump, the tough talking big mouth helped to defeat the two bills by first opposing them,, then supporting them and then in between told his party to stop wasting their time on immigration until after the November elections  Cowards use ideology to make decisions instead of doing the right thing and the result is a lack of governing.  That is why the trumpet man and his ditto heads really have no policy or plans on immigration reform.  It is also why every vote they have taken on health care and immigration has failed.  And just think, they made both issues their top priority.

The United States has an unstable President and a unstable republican controlled congress that operates in chaos every day.  The government is running but it is not governing, there is a difference.  But there is hope because this writer believes Mueller's investigation results will be a bombshell beyond any ones expectations and the possibility does exist democrats will win back at least one house of congress.

In the mean time Trump and his party are still trying to discredit any one that has anything to do with Mueller's investigation.  They know the hand writing is on the wall and the clock is ticking.  Cowards always put themselves first above country and the law.


This commentary written by Joe Lorio

Harley-Davidson and President Donald Trump: Corporate America and Trump Face Off As The Chaotic Mess Of The Administration Continues.

The words associated with the latest remarks between Harley-Davidson and President Trump have once again exposed how both use fake news and lies to try and cover their own positions.  H-D released a statement saying because of the EU's retaliatory tariffs put in place after Trump placed tariffs on the EU, H-D would have to move some of its production to their foreign operations to avoid the tariffs.

H-D said the tariffs would add about $2200 to each bike sold.  Of course the kicker is H-D has overseas capacity for production already and should not have to shift some of its domestic production to its foreign plants.  Its playing a corporate game after having their tax bill reduced 14% by the Trump-Republican tax scheme that was passed last year.

Trump jumped into the act and did a little acting himself.  He said the tariffs were being used as an excuse and that he would tax the hell out of H-D.  His position on the tax reduction for corporate America was it would allow them to bring back jobs to America and H-D's move made Trump look like the fool that he is.  The facts tell us corporate America, including Trump's foreign business operations are not moving back to America, and the news media failed to ask Trump when his foreign operations will  be moving back to America.

Trump tried to sell America the fake news about how America would win in a trade war.  Pure nonsense and a lie.  And he and the republican controlled congress lied when they said their tax scheme that favored corporate America and the wealthy would move jobs back to America and stop Corporate America from building new foreign operations.  We know that job creation under Trump in his first 16 months in office was weaker than it was under President Obama in his last 16 months in office.

And just yesterday the Congressional Budget Office announced that the federal deficit for fiscal year ending 9/30/18, Trumps first fiscal year will end with a projected budget deficit of over $800 billion, a 21% increase over President Obama's last fiscal year budget.  Trump and the republicans told the people the tax cut would provide enough growth in the economy to increase revenue and balance the budget.  The CBO reports budget deficits are projected way past Trump's term in office because of the Trump Tax cuts which reduces federal revenue.

And PolitiDose is proud to say it reported all of that long ago in its commentaries.  The Reagan and Bush tax cuts created 16 years of deficit spending and Trump and the republicans convinced the voting public for the third time voodoo economics would work.  What a shame.


This  commentary written by Joe Lorio

The Supreme Court Upholds President Trump's Travel Ban

But do not look for the travel ban to produce any thing noticeable except the reaction from some of the foreign countries included in the ban.  It does nothing to protect what is taking place on our southern border or the additional problems Trump has started there with the separation of parents and children.  Comprehensive Immigration Reform Policy is still needed for the southern border.

The national security of the U.S. has been protected from foreign terror attacks very well since the attack on 9/11/01.  That covers a period of the past 17 years, and do to the laws passed and implemented by the Bush administration and President Obama's administration who made it top priority to bring Bin Laden to justice (which he did) and to keep our homeland safe from terror attacks from foreign countries.  Our nations intelligence service has done a remarkable job doing the work necessary to keep track of those who would like to harm America.

Targeting Muslim countries is obviously satisfactory to Trump's base but could also act as an extra excuse to attack America.  The question that has to be answered sooner or later is this.   Will the travel ban protect America while it is in effect as much as America has been protected for the past 17 years.  Only time will give us the answer.


This commentary written by Joe Lorio