A President With Difficulty Recognizing a REAL Crisis......

Contrary to President Trump's insistence we are facing  a national emergency because of illegal immigrants are crossing our southern border with Mexico the truth is... there  IS NO  NATIONAL EMERGENCY.

The steel slat fence the President is touting is, in fact, a barrier wall that can be breached. Forethought and planning, combined with the proper tools will get the determined illegal immigrant through.

Then there is THIS. A real developing global emergency.

tRump Is Crass and Coarse, Apparently So Are Some Democrats......

Our national discourse has grown coarser and significantly more divisive since tRump hit the political scene in 2015. While criticism of tRump's rhetoric is more than justified this site finds it curious that the new democratic leadership apparently finds it justified for his opposition to use the same coarse language.

Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich. - “People love you and you win. And when your son looks at you and says ‘Momma, look you won. Bullies don’t win. And I said, ‘Baby, they don’t.

Because we’re going to go in there and impeach the motherf---er,”

To which Speaker Pelosi reacted to by saying, "Generationally, that would not be language I would use, but nonetheless, I don’t think we should make a big deal of it." To which she added, "… what Tlaib said was nothing worse than the president has said..."and, "I don't like that language, I wouldn't use that language, but I wouldn't establish language standards for my colleagues."Source

You can call me old fashioned if you like, but, I'm no saint and have been known to use salty language from time to time. However, if our nation's political leaders accept and engage in degrading, vulgar, and or divisive language it will not be too long before it becomes the new norm. In other words our language and public discourse will be further gutturized.

Leadership is best exercised by example. By not only talking the talk but by Walking the Talk as Well. tRump has failed miserably this test of leadership. In this specific example Speaker Pelosi has failed it as well. As for Representative Tlaib, I certainly would not want her garbage mouth representing me any more than I want tRump's garbage mouth representing this country.

Principles, decency, civility, respect, decorum, and leading by example is what makes a great leader. tRump has failed miserably and the nation has suffered because of it. Representative Tlaib has failed before she has even started. As for Speaker Pelosi? Hopefully she started to rein Ms. Garbage Mouth in right after she failed the leadership opportunity she had to set a better example. That would at least be showing leadership behind closed doors. We can only hope.

Yuuuuuge Kudos To Senator Romney......

Mitt Romney: The president shapes the public character of the nation. Trump’s character falls short.

It is so refreshing to hear a Republican speak the raw truth about the "man" the nation calls its president. Senator Mitt Romney is a man with true character, integrity, decency, and values that Americans understand. It is men and women of courage like Senator Romney that are needed in the Republican party  (of tRump) who are unafraid to stand tall and call out the president every time he lies or misrepresents the truth or American interests. Now is the time and Romney is the man. We can only hope more Republicans with a modicum of integrity will grow a set of cajones and do the same.

From The Washington Post. 

The Trump presidency made a deep descent in December. The departures of Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and White House Chief of Staff John F. Kelly, the appointment of senior persons of lesser experience, the abandonment of allies who fight beside us, and the president’s thoughtless claim that America has long been a “sucker” in world affairs all defined his presidency down.

It is well known that Donald Trump was not my choice for the Republican presidential nomination. After he became the nominee, I hoped his campaign would refrain from resentment and name-calling. It did not. When he won the election, I hoped he would rise to the occasion. His early appointments of Rex Tillerson, Jeff Sessions, Nikki Haley, Gary Cohn, H.R. McMaster, Kelly and Mattis were encouraging. But, on balance, his conduct over the past two years, particularly his actions last month, is evidence that the president has not risen to the mantle of the office.

SKIP

To a great degree, a presidency shapes the public character of the nation. A president should unite us and inspire us to follow “our better angels.” A president should demonstrate the essential qualities of honesty and integrity, and elevate the national discourse with comity and mutual respect. As a nation, we have been blessed with presidents who have called on the greatness of the American spirit. With the nation so divided, resentful and angry, presidential leadership in qualities of character is indispensable. And it is in this province where the incumbent’s shortfall has been most glaring.

The world is also watching. America has long been looked to for leadership. Our economic and military strength was part of that, of course, but our enduring commitment to principled conduct in foreign relations, and to the rights of all people to freedom and equal justice, was even more esteemed. Trump’s words and actions have caused dismay around the world. In a 2016 Pew Research Center poll, 84 percent of people in Germany, Britain, France, Canada and Sweden believed the American president would “do the right thing in world affairs.” One year later, that number had fallen to 16 percent.

SKIP

The world needs American leadership, and it is in America’s interest to provide it. A world led by authoritarian regimes is a world — and an America — with less prosperity, less freedom, less peace.

To reassume our leadership in world politics, we must repair failings in our politics at home. That project begins, of course, with the highest office once again acting to inspire and unite us. It includes political parties promoting policies that strengthen us rather than promote tribalism by exploiting fear and resentment. Our leaders must defend our vital institutions despite their inevitable failings: a free press, the rule of law, strong churches, and responsible corporations and unions.

SKIP

America is strongest when our arms are linked with other nations. We want a unified and strong Europe, not a disintegrating union. We want stable relationships with the nations of Asia that strengthen our mutual security and prosperity.

SKIP

I remain optimistic about our future. In an innovation age, Americans excel. More importantly, noble instincts live in the hearts of Americans. The people of this great land will eschew the politics of anger and fear if they are summoned to the responsibility by leaders...

To be sure there are some things this sight disagrees with Senator Romney on. Most notable is his inferred reliance on faith based judgements. But, putting those disagreements aside it is clear that Senator Romney's vision and leadership is far and above superior to that of tRump.

America's (Almost) State Rum Network......

Donald Trump ends 2018 with a Fox News interview — his 41st since inauguration

New York (CNN Business) - President Donald Trump rang in the new year with his friends at Fox News — literally.

He wrapped up 2018 by chatting with one of his most loyal supporters on Fox, Pete Hegseth. The phone interview aired on the cable network's New Year's Eve countdown show.

With some notable exceptions, Fox has been Trump's shelter from the storms that are saturating his presidency. And Trump has generously promoted the network and its right-wing personalities with dozens of tweets and endorsements.

Traditional lines have been crossed or erased altogether. Trump seems to get his daily briefings from "Fox & Friends" and get directions from Sean Hannity and Jeanine Pirro.

During the partial government shutdown, Pirro, a Saturday night host, spoke directly to Trump through her opening monologue.

"I am pleading with you," she said, to keep up the fight for border wall funding.

Past presidents have had close connections to members of the media of course — but Trump and Fox have taken it to a whole new level. Throughout 2018, the second year of Trump's presidency, the relationship became even cozier. Some love the tight relationship, and others detest it. Critics have likened the set-up to "state-run TV," or the opposite, a "TV-run state." Comedian Jordan Klepper went with the "TV-run state" idea in a commentary last April: "Fox says it, Trump spreads it."

He definitely gathers intelligence and gains talking points from Fox's talk shows. That's evident from his tweets and remarks at rallies. And he hires people he sees on TV. In 2018, Fox contributor John Bolton became National Security Adviser. And Fox anchor turned State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert was nominated to be Trump's ambassador to the UN.

The revolving door went in the other direction too, with Fox host Kimberly Guilfoyle joining her boyfriend, Donald Trump Jr., at a pro-Trump PAC.

When Trump called Democrats "the dims" at an October rally, he credited his source: "The dims. Who says that? Lou Dobbs, the great Lou Dobbs, he says that."
Dobbs, Trump's biggest booster on Fox Business, also has the highest-rated show on Fox Business.

Similarly, the highest-rated shows on Fox News belong to pro-Trump hosts like Sean Hannity.

That's an important part of the answer to any question about whether Fox's support for Trump will waver in 2019, given the numerous criminal investigations and scandals surrounding Trump.

Dumb interviews dumber. Constantly.

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