Below is today’s column in USA Today on the protests against President-Elect Donald Trump and why, despite having a house full of family members and friends who have come to protest Trump, I will not be joining them. Instead, I will be home with my kids as we have been in every inauguration – celebrating the peaceful transfer of power in our democracy and wishing the newly elected president (and our country) the best with an inaugural toast. I criticized Trump (and Hillary Clinton) during the campaign (and I will not hesitate to criticize Trump again for policies or actions that I disagree with). However, I find the claims of illegitimacy and attacks this week to be highly disturbing. I totally respect the right of people to come to protest Trump and his policies. However, there appears to be a concerted effort to delegitimize his presidency and create a type of political mythology about this election.
In this column I discuss that mythology and, more importantly, the meaning of the day of inauguration for many of us. Regardless of my criticism of both Trump and Clinton, I always knew that on January 20th I would raise a glass to the 45th President of the United States and wish him or her . . . and us . . . the best of luck in the coming years. It is a time when we reaffirm our commitment not so much to a politician but to each other. We reaffirm a common article of faith that, despite our disagreements and divisions, we remain one country joined by our belief in democratic transition and government. There is much to celebrate this week as a glance around the world at places like Gambia will readily confirm. Donald Trump will be the 45th President. Our President.
DONALD TRUMP IS OUR LEGITIMATE PRESIDENT
It is inaugural week and Washington is again the rallying point for hundreds of thousands of people. Indeed, my house in McLean, Virginia is hosting roughly a dozen people from Illinois and Florida. They are not, however, coming to celebrate but to protest. My brother Chris, his family, and various friends will be joining thousands protesting the inauguration and then will join the “Women’s March.” I will not be joining them. While I fully support their exercise of free speech and share some of their concerns, I believe that this week is about celebrating the 71st time that a democratically elected president has taken the oath of office (and our 58th formal inauguration). I was highly critical of both Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton during the campaign. However, there is a time to protest and there is a time to come together, even if only for an inaugural ceremony.
Over 50 Democratic members of Congress have publicly announced that they will not attend the inauguration, including some like Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga., who has insisted that Trump is not the legitimate president. (Lewis and other members also boycotted George W. Bush’s inauguration in 2001 because they insisted that he was not the true elected president.) Ironically, many of these members were the same people joining Hillary Clinton in denouncing the “horrifying” notion that Trump or his supporters might not accept the results of the election. Clinton decried how Trump, by not stating that he would accept the results of losing, he was “denigrating — he is talking down our democracy.” That was when Clinton was viewed as a shoe-in. Then came election night.
After the election, Clinton joined others in challenging results in key states and Democrats began to question the legitimacy of the election — first due to the fact that Trump lost the popular vote and later based on Russian hacking of Democratic emails.
It is of course immaterial that Trump lost the popular vote in a system based on electoral, not popular voting. (For the record, I have long been a critic of the Electoral College.) Moreover, while references to the “Russian hacking of the election” have become common shorthand, the Russians did not hack the election. Emails were hacked and those emails were not faked or tampered with, as repeatedly claimed by DNC chair Donna Brazile. As recently confirmed by the intelligence report, they were real emails showing incredibly dishonest and corrupt practices. Although there is no question that the leak appears selective in targeting Democrats, Washington seems most aggrieved by the fact that the public was given a true insight into the false and duplicitous behavior that defines the establishment. However, according to a new CNN/ORC poll, the spin is not taking: almost 60% of voters do not believe the hacking determined the outcome of the election.
In the end, the protests are not about legitimacy. Trump is by any measure our duly elected and legitimate president. It is about a refusal to accept legitimate results. Even the title of “The Women’s March” is dubious.
While Bill Clinton insisted that his wife lost because Trump figured out “how to get angry, white men to vote for him,” the fact is that it was the Democratic leadership that secured the election for Trump. Despite long-standing polls showing that voters did not want an establishment figure, the establishment pre-selected Clinton, who is not only one of the most recognized establishment figures but someone carrying more luggage than Greyhound. She is also someone who had even higher negative polling on character and truthfulness than Trump.
More importantly, it is a well-maintained myth that Clinton was the candidate of women who overwhelmingly rejected Trump. Clinton pulled basically the same percentage of female votes as Obama did four years earlier. Indeed, Clinton actually did slightly worse this election than Obama did in the prior two presidential elections with women. She received just 54% of women’s votes while Obama received 55% against Romney and 56% against McCain. Trump handily beat Clinton among many groups of women. For example, 62% of white women without college degrees voted for him over Clinton. Even among college-educated women, Clinton only won 51%. She lost the votes of white women by a whooping 52-43% against Trump. It was her margin among black female voters (over 90%) that eked out an overall majority of women.
Moreover, Trump won basically the same percentage of white voters as Romney. Indeed, according to Pew Research, the percentage was virtually identical with Trump beating Clinton by 21 points and Romney beating Obama by 20 points. Clinton actually fell in the percentage of black voters. Trump outperformed Romney among black, Hispanic, and Asian voters. For example, despite all of the coverage of Trump’s illegal immigration comments, he received roughly 30% of all Hispanic votes.
The point is not to belittle the basis or numbers of opponents to Trump. Yet, there is an effort to establish a mythology that Trump was elected by white men and heavily opposed by women. Worse yet, there is an effort to portray him as some presidential pretender to the office. In reality, it is Democratic leaders who have abandoned tradition and denigrated our democracy by refusing to stand with the new president at his inauguration. Rep. Katherine Clark, D-Mass., said she would not attend because she did not want to “contribute to the normalization of the President-elect’s divisive rhetoric by participating in the inauguration.” That “normalization” is called the democratic process. We are celebrating not a particular victor but the fact that there was a victor — a democratically elected victor followed by a peaceful transition of power.
So, I will not be with my brother and friends at the protests. I will be home toasting the 71st oath of office . . . and, yes, the 45th president of the United States.
Jonathan Turley is the Shapiro Professor of Public Interest Law at George Washington University and a member of USA TODAY’s Board of Contributors. Follow him on Twitter @JonathanTurley.
Posted this before I’ll do it again as so many seem to enjoy it: Time for Lewis to retire.
No, Trump is not legitimate and will never be MY President. Where do we start when explaining this statement? He lost the popular vote by an historic margin. He brags about sexually assaulting women. He said Barak Obama was the stupidest person ever to occupy the White House. He said John McCain was not entitled to be honored as a war hero because he was a POW. He is a serial liar and can’t admit the truth even when he is confronted with video. His spokeswitch dreams up ways to pivot and blame President Obama or the Democrats every time a question is asked. He is at war with the media, mainly because they report the truth about him. He attacked John Lewis as “all talk no action”–a man who literally bled for the right to vote. He is thin-skinned and only ran for President for the attention and adulation. His proposed Cabinet members are all sketchy, to be charitable, and most of them either have serious conflicts or are clearly unqualified. He insults the intelligence community. Russia got him elected-polls don’t count because the full facts have not been disclosed He doesn’t seem to understand why people are shocked at his admiration for Putin. The list goes on and on. We are literally in outrage overload. Every day there is a new shocker. He might as well resign soon because he’s going to catch flak every single day, and will never receive the adulation he so desperately craves. He does not act Presidential and will never be treated Presidential. Let’s just hope he doesn’t start a nuclear war because someone in the Middle East flips the bird. Let’s hope Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid are not things of the past. Let’s hope we can make it until Trump and his douche of a running mate are voted out.
Similarly, Hillary will never be ANYONE’s President.
What is a “douche”? Is that French for “look alike”?
I like that: “spokeswitch” -but KellyAnn does not need to employ sorcery – she simply uses facts.
Thing is Obama has been a complete disappointment for anyone who has been paying attention. Yep, I fell for him and all his lofty rhetoric – and the man does have charisma for sure – I will never forget his performance when I saw him live in 2008.
But the blinders quickly fell off as he appointed venal corporate folks – signed off on indefinite detention – the DARK act – supported the “too big to jail” doctrine putting Wall street over Main Street – tried to ram through the TPP — ramped up conflicts to 6 nations —and MOST disturbingly displayed utter contempt towards his voters.
His town halls were telling. The one that stands out to me the most was him laughing in a woman’s face:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IViTNksljI0
And then most recently at Ft. Lee when a combat Marine who is married to another combat service member expressed her deep concern about the problems that arise when men and women are in mixed units during combat. She cited reports about dangerous outcomes and explained she was worried because her husband was about to be deployed in Afghanistan and would be in a mixed unit. Obama brushed her off – mumbling something about “opening up new opportunities to women who serve” blah blah blah. He also made excuses about the piss poor conditions in many of the VA facilities.
Obama never cared about the American people – civilian or military. He was a useful symbol put in place by the elite. He will live the life style of the rich and famous with nary a concern. We have to deal with the debris of his legacy.
Why should Trump reach out? That would mean there was a self governing free and independent thinker to be reached. Or did you mean to your ruling class?
I am surprised that no one has brought up the “tens of thousands of fraudulent Clinton votes” story. This was buzzing around the internet around election time.
It turns out that “Cameron Harris, a new college graduate with a fervent interest in Maryland Republican politics and a need for cash, sat down at the kitchen table in his apartment to fill in the details [re illegal Hillary votes] Mr. Trump had left out. In a dubious art just coming into its prime, this bogus story would be his masterpiece.” It was eventually shared with over 6,000,000 people online.
He eventually was tracked down and admitted he made it all up. But he earned $22K from internet ads, which he used to pay off college and personal debt. He is hoping for a career in politics !
Some of these left wing wackos might be met with a very large group of patriotic American bikers who don’t agree with them. My monies on the bikers. The left continues to cause problems when they don’t get their way. Everything was just peachy when they thought Hilly was a shoe-in, now blame every thing, every body and start the revolution.
At what point do you think folks will have enough of you??
By your definition, everyone who votes Democratic is a wacko?
No you have to have an operating brain to be wacko. and you don’t vote for democratic principals in any case but for socialist fascist autocracies upon command just like the RINOs. Arf Arf wheah my puppy chow
Many of us left wing wackos did not support her.
Ah a Green Party voter weighs in.
If Hillary Clinton won the electoral college but Donald Trump won the popular vote would these same protesters and members of Congress who boycotted the inauguration be as equally exercised in claiming the president was not legitimate? Of course not.
This affair has nothing to do with contesting the legitimacy of a particular president elect and everything to do with the fact the democrats lost the election and they will not accept it. So, they react badly as they have because their message wasn’t sufficiently attractive enough to attract more voters and they continue to be in denial.
The democrats previously declared the republicans to be the part of NO and that they needed President Obama to act on his own through executive actions because the republicans were obstructionists. Now, they are using this very same tactic.
I disagree. If Hillary had won, Trump would declare that the election was “rigged.” Republicans would boycott a Hillary inauguration. No doubt thousands of “second amendment rememdy” types would descend on DC, perhaps firing rounds into the air as protest. All these people would be at least as exercised as those who will protest tomorrow.
We need to split into (at least) two countries. The Great Experiment is failing.
Jay S, They made the threats last summer and I think they would have done more than shoot bullets in the air.
It was but we moderate centrists and our friends won anyway
The international coordination, the calls for future organizing and the rhetoric on display by some, convince me that the boycott was a part of a political strategy to delegitimization Trump.
The sad part is that Barack Obama was either behind it or complicit. While appearing to want a smooth transition, he was undermining things behind the scenes.
Blah blah blah….. The breitbart writers are so boring today that I am turning this channel off.
Or it means youir programmers have ordered you to disengage and rejoin the collective awaiting other assignments.
easy answer. Yes the election process was rigged and rigged to benefit not one of the parties but THE party. The Government Party with it’s two wings starting from the Republicans In Name Only faction and extending past the center of the the left wing to the Secular PRogressive extremists.
A lot of it were exclusionary methods such as winner take all, money as free speech, ignoring the Constitution and the Oath of Office and so on on.
The key similarity was three words. “Government Over People .” Something that both the Democrats AKA Socialsits/statists which included the Labor Leaders but did not inlude the workers – and the Republicans AKA Corporartisat Socialists. The common names for both sides were liberals and Conservatives. NO other names were recognized or admitted to existing.
Second key IF you control definitions you win the battle IF the opponetns also accept the definitions.
Too many saw thrugh this subterfuge, regjected the false definitions and objecting to not being represented revolted in a Constitutional Counter Revolution. A war which chose ballots not bullets but a war none the less.
This group was skipped over, disregarded and missed entirely by the parties, the polls, the media although there were rumors of a phantom group.
This opposition having had enough of the hypocrisy and realizing if it worked it wouild be a tight squeeae can be called teh Citizens Over Government faction. In common they held to the system of grass roots foundation of having a representtive democracy building to a Constitutinal Republic. Using the existing rules which had been ignored by the ursurpers they won and the best I’ve seen is 55% to 45% with the main enemy not achieving a majority of the popular vote which is another requirement at the federal or Constitutional Republic level nor did they win at the federal level which uses representtice democratic principles Governors and State Legislatures and delegates to the federal Congress and it’s two houses. as well as in the electoral college system of checks and balances.
Stupidity and arrogance lost, Objectivism and working with reality won.
But it took a non policitican outsider as a useful tool to get that far and that part of the counter revolution is still on going. Happily the main enemy still refuses to recognize the existence of the moderate centrist supporters of the Constitution or it’s place as the Center of national political discourse. They still wail and flail at their straw man opponent which is there own right wing. In this case delusion is a tool that benefits us, has shattered the left into four or five groups and hopefully scared hell out of the RNOs and their neo aristocracy establishment masters. That will take exlection cycles 2018 and 2020. to rid ourselves of these RIno’s and Dino’s.
The question now is how much of the rigging of elections will be removed.
First should be money as free speech or legalizing sticking your nose in where it has no business. Simply put If you may not vote…you may not contribute. But if you may vote you may contribute but that does not include foreign governments or foreign funded entities.
Second remove any limitations that keep candidates or measure out of the General Elections such as Christinme Gregoire’s top vote getter nonsense.
Who does that exclude? No one. Businesses, Unions, LLC’s etc. cannot vote therefore they cannot contribute. That is the realm of registered voters and legal participants.
It does not mean they cannot hold union meetings or employer/employee meetings on business time and cost BUT they may not garner donations of time, material or money.
And while we are at iit ban the laundering of tax dollars into campaign funds via Davis-Bacon.
Enough for one post.
If you want to know how Money As Free Speech came into buying I can lay out the whole path one step at at a time. And it’s ending fallacy and false premise. At request. But it started with US Governmetn vs Dartmouth College and ended 200 some years later at the US Supreme Court and established that non granted right at the expense of other approved rights.
Plus, it permits them to play to a narrative, that they are standing up for their various “identity” groups. Playing to The Narrative is the chief preoccupation of the Democratic Party leadership and activists. For example, stop and frisk policies. They are quite willing to accept actual, real live, dead black murder victims, if that is what it takes to condemn stop and frisk as racial profiling.
I think maybe there are DNC techs somewhere, who calculate the cost/benefit ratio just like Ford did with the gas tanks, or GM with the ignition switches. Let’s see, if we condemn stop and frisk as racist, we pick up an extra 100,000 votes in NYC, while the cost is only 300 extra dead blacks per year in NYC. Yeah, there is net gain of 97,700 votes!
Squeeky Fromm
Girl Reporter
Cheers, JT!
What does the law really say? Who put the force into it? Not to hone to fine a point I obtained this one from
https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/2385 although it is obtainable in many many places.
U.S. Code › Title 18 › Part I › Chapter 115 › § 2385
18 U.S. Code § 2385 – Advocating overthrow of Government
Whoever knowingly or willfully advocates, abets, advises, or teaches the duty, necessity, desirability, or propriety of overthrowing or destroying the government of the United States or the government of any State, Territory, District or Possession thereof, or the government of any political subdivision therein, by force or violence, or by the assassination of any officer of any such government; or
Whoever, with intent to cause the overthrow or destruction of any such government, prints, publishes, edits, issues, circulates, sells, distributes, or publicly displays any written or printed matter advocating, advising, or teaching the duty, necessity, desirability, or propriety of overthrowing or destroying any government in the United States by force or violence, or attempts to do so; or
Whoever organizes or helps or attempts to organize any society, group, or assembly of persons who teach, advocate, or encourage the overthrow or destruction of any such government by force or violence; or becomes or is a member of, or affiliates with, any such society, group, or assembly of persons, knowing the purposes thereof—
Shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than twenty years, or both, and shall be ineligible for employment by the United States or any department or agency thereof, for the five years next following his conviction.
If two or more persons conspire to commit any offense named in this section, each shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than twenty years, or both, and shall be ineligible for employment by the United States or any department or agency thereof, for the five years next following his conviction.
As used in this section, the terms “organizes” and “organize”, with respect to any society, group, or assembly of persons, include the recruiting of new members, the forming of new units, and the regrouping or expansion of existing clubs, classes, and other units of such society, group, or assembly of persons.
(June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 808; July 24, 1956, ch. 678, §?2, 70 Stat. 623; Pub. L. 87–486, June 19, 1962, 76 Stat. 103; Pub. L. 103–322, title XXXIII, §?330016(1)(N), Sept. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 2148.)
Now if you don’t give a fig about that one try this one.
The rules under the Patriot Act for apprehension set aside all civil rights and the bill of rights but for this conversation specifically probable cause and due process.
Apprehension “suspicion of terrorism or supporting terrorism”
Terrorism is not defined
There is no defined limit on who may can be apprehended
There are no civil rights none zero zip nada if that charge is used
There are no limits to incarceration it may be changed at any time to any length
How froggy do you feel now snowflakes.
It was your side that put Part II into effect by vote of Congress and PResidential signature and extended/enlarged it twice since 9/11.
Part one is based on the Constitution of the United States of America – 240 years old. ALL civil rights and the Bill of Rights come into play.
But here is Part III. The Constitution is suspended completely within in 100 miles of the borders and coastlines (which includes navigable waters. Care to guess what percentage of the populaton lives within those specifications.
and Part IV Professor Turlow and one name you will recognize have been discussing this for well over a year – in detail.
http://www.truth-out.org/opinion/item/11264-john-cusack-and-jonathan-turley-on-obamas-constitution. Way to long and detailed to repost again But more than any article I’ve seen written anywhere worth the read especiallly since tomorrow at noon eastern…..
Welcome to reality …….Obama didn’t repeal any of the above. Instead he heavily promoted and bragged about it.
Dedicated to the really stupid people I see there is still one of the Comrades left. But more to present objective facts instead of subjective fairy tails. Notice Title 18 is not limited to during timie of declared war.
Make an effort to read the exchange between Turlow and Cusack.
I just love Trump’s choices to head the various executive departments – billionaires who want to eliminate the departments. I love his hatred of women, Blacks, Mexicans, Muslims, LBGQT, and China. I love his love of fracking and open water oil drilling. After all, an oil or toxic water spill is more exciting that a sun spill. I love his love of nukes, again, more exciting than diplomacy. We are reentering the 19th century where despoiling barons chase the $$$$$$$$ where ever and whatever is required for more $$$$$$$$.
Oh, I bet the next 4 to 8 years is going to an absolute perpetual state of bliss for you! You can revel and writhe in an absolute orgy of confirmation bias and cognitive dissonance! There will be racists behind every tree for you, and your adrenaline level is going to be through the roof! Every day will start with some new perceived outrage for you to get your juices flowing over. You’ll just be a hopping and a popping all over the house like a crazed maenad!
You know, some women are just like that. They are at their happiest when they have a fight going on with somebody!
Squeeky Fromm
Girl Reporter
There have been times when we have disagreed and others where we have some common ground.
In this thread, every time I’m about to write a comment or response, I find I just want to write”ditto” following your notes.
Thank you! I think Trump is actually going to cause some liberals to live longer lives by getting them mad and their blood circulating a little better. Betty Kath and IsaacB probably have feelings in their feet for first time in years!
Squeeky Fromm
Girl Reporter
LOL! Isaac may not need Viagra after Trump’s 1st term.
bettykath wants free healthcare for cats. You know she’s got a house full of them.
I can’t tease her on that one. I now have 6 of the little monsters myself. I fostered 8 little kittens and ended up stuck with 3 of them. Funny thing is, I didn’t exactly go out and seek any of them. They was one whose “daddy” went into a nursing home, a feral one, a lost kitten on the side of a major highway, and then 3 of the fostered kittens. I actually had a home for one of them, because a lady found the 8th kitten and took him in for a few days until he could join his 7 siblings who were with me. She said she wanted him back for her son as soon as he was weaned, but they never showed back up to get him, and I sure wasn’t going to chase them down. Particularly when the guy works offshore 2 out of 4 weeks. Plus, if her son isn’t weaned yet, can he really take care of a cat??? 🙂
But I understand the healthcare for cats thing. A lot of old women on Social Security can’t afford veterinary bills for their critters. I met some 2 years ago when I was getting rehabbed for my back. They actually have Pet Medical Insurance now to help pay for the outrageous vet bills. I just spent $40 for two worming pills, and one cat’s insulin is now $120 per month. I spend more on cats and birds and squirrels at the grocery store than I spend on my own food.
Squeeky Fromm
Girl Reporter
Squeek, I am a rarity, I love both cats and dogs. But, no matter how many cats you accrue, you will never be a spooky old cat lady. You will be a hip, cat woman.
There seems to be a cat diabetes epidemic just like in humans. I have 3 or 4 people I know w/ insulin dependent cats. Poor things often can’t make it to the litter box, having to pee so often. I had a pretty smart guy tell me pet health insurance will become mainstream soon.
Find someone going to or in Mexico and coming back then have them bring what you need sdhould be around 40% of what you are paying in the USA. The other choice is same deal – Canada. The only difference I’ve found besides NOT being hassled at the border is in some human meds. Canada has Tylenol III no prescription Mexico does not but something similar.
The hardest thing to find in Mexico turned out to be nitro pills for sub lingual but some of the doctors can get it bring all your medical files and old prescription. The expensive part in the USA is the physical and the last I checked it was $250 USA and $50 or less in Mexico.
Another USA rip off if you are on the move is measuring cataracts for size three to get the operation. Have to go to the optometrist first and pay that one to tell you what you already know and then get referred to a real eye doctor for the other part. Pearl and the other similar had a sort of good deal with both in adjoining rooms. In Mexico you can get those types of eye surgery at 18 on up. Cataract size not an issue.
I don’t know the USA price now but if you had insurance such as Delta Dental it only paid half and the price in Mexico was less than the out of pocket in the USA.
The trick in Mexico is to find the local pricing which is even less than the 40% of USA gringo tourist pricing.
Need a flu shot? They give it to all citizens and all on a visa at zero charge. every year. I really have to feel sorry for those stuck with at ACA whatever. I have Tricare AND Medicare and all their deductibles and co payments and it’s cheaper in Mexico to pay out of pocket but I still have to pay the mordida to Obamacare. Medical for life with military retirement turned out to COST enough to pay the Obama Fine but under a different name.
I love his hatred of women, Blacks, Mexicans, Muslims, LBGQT, and China
You’re projecting again. Deal with your own issues and quit attributing your rancid emotional states to others.
bettykath – speaking of toxic spills….how about Obama’s EPA spilling 3 million gallons of toxic sludge into the Animas River?
From The Hill: “The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said Friday it isn’t allowed to repay damage claims filed against it following a 2015 mine waste spill in Colorado.
In a statement, the agency said it consulted with the Justice Department on the question of the claims, which total more than $1.2 billion.
Attorneys determined that the EPA cannot pay for damages because of a legal principle called sovereign immunity, which prohibits lawsuits against the government.
The agency said individuals and businesses who filed claims against the agency can appeal Friday’s decision in federal court.
http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/314270-epa-says-it-isnt-allowed-to-pay-for-damage-claims-after-mine-spill
http://coloradopeakpolitics.com/2017/01/16/do-as-we-say-not-as-we-do-obama-sets-his-legacy-of-epa-spill/
The Washington Post has Obama’s Top 10 [4]Pinocchio’s in today’s rag. 4 Pinocchio’s are whopper lies.
DDT’s 4 Pinocchios range in the hundreds. There is no comparison. As far as lies, bigotry, racism, slander, lies, finger pointing, lies, DDT the new Liar in Chief has them all beat. He is on another planet and he has’t even started yet. You really illustrate your loser’s argument here.
What a wonderful article, Professor Turley. I believe I will borrow that tradition of toasting each and every new president, wishing them luck, regardless of who we voted for. That’s a great message of sportsmanship and the democratic process to teach to my young son.
I think we can put to rest the meme that Democrats have any high moral ground. All political parties do the same shenanigans. After all that sincere horror over the possibility that Trump might object to the outcome of the election, Democrats all across the country, and in elected office, are absolutely refusing to recognize the outcome of the election. After their outrage that Republicans were using every option open to them to delay any SC nominations at the end of a Lame Duck term, they are planning to block every Supreme Court nomination for the duration of Trump’s presidency. They are vowing to obstruct every move Trump makes, every appointment that he makes, regardless of the merits.
I understand and support a party’s right to not cooperate and vote for policy changes that are contrary to their platform. That’s why I thought all those calls for the Republicans in Congress to go along with Liberal ideas like Obamacare was absurd, as was the “I have a pen and a phone” fiasco that followed. But they are only supposed to fight against measures contrary to their platform, and contrary to the interests of the voters they represent. Merely obstructing each and every move, just to be obstinate, is not democratic.
But above all, there is one thing that I have learned that gives me great dread. The GOP has the votes to defund Obamacare, but it apparently does not have the votes to repeal all the legislation that drove up our healthcare costs to the unaffordable stratosphere. They need the cooperation of 8 or 9 Democrats to do that. Without such support, they can defund it, but healthcare will continue to be unaffordable, and a catastrophe to the middle class, until Democrats start caring about us more than they do power. Because they sure didn’t care about our financial suffering, and our loss of insurance that we liked and could afford. In the name of tolerance and goodness and being the most caring party on Earth, they may well continue to let the middle class suffer under Obamacare legislation, ignoring the will of voters. I know every conversation I’ve had over the past few years is only 6 degrees removed from Obamacare (because it was that bad), but we are not out of the danger zone yet. Like it or not, Obamacare was a failure. There’s no other conclusion you can come to when you’re down to a single, shaky, insurer in so many Exchanges. Admit it was a failure so we can please start afresh.
Please contact your local Congressperson and plead with them to repeal Obamacare so that you can find relief from my harping on it for years and years and years.
Nope…. I have a pre-exisitng condition.
They are retaining the pre-existing condition inclusion.
Frankly, it’s not really insurance if we have a pre-existing condition (as I do, too). That’s like showing up at the auto insurer with a wrecked truck and saying you need to buy insurance to cover the accident you had yesterday. What we’re really saying is that health care is unaffordable unless it’s subsidized by insurance or some other means. We cannot afford most health care without insurance paying for it. Premiums and deductibles are about all we can afford.
Previously, how we had overcome the pre-existing insurance problem is to allow there to be a gap of up to 90 days, I believe. As long as you kept buying insurance, whether it was COBRA, employer policy, or individual policy, your pre-existing condition would be covered. HOWEVER, some companies could still deny you a policy if you had a pre-existing condition. That dumped you into the state high risk pool which was very expensive, if you could not find a regular policy.
Now they require everyone to buy a policy, hoping that would give the insurers enough healthy people forced to buy their product to cover the cost of the sick. But more sick than healthy got policies.
The removal of the pre-existing condition reason for denying coverage is the one, single thing that I liked about Obamacare. I didn’t even like the only other popular part – that of allowing your “kids” to remain on your policy as dependents until they are 26. Anything that treats a 26 year old as a dependent child is failing to address the real problems – which are the lack of affordability of health insurance. The only reason why a 26 year old would want to be claimed as a dependent is because he couldn’t afford getting insurance on his own. Treating adults like children is kicking the can down the road on healthcare affordability.
However, that said, I’m glad that pre-existing conditions inclusion will be kept, and I hope that works out.
No matter what, I would never support Obamacare, which denies cancer treatment to patients when so many major cancer treatment hospitals cannot afford to accept Obamacare individual policies. That’s a death sentence, and I could never be so selfish as to enable that behavior.
You see, you really need to speak to your Congressman to get Obamacare repealed, because I can go on like this for years and years and years and years.
Did they exclude or include the ‘time of war’ provision? All that means is if war is declared the insurance is null and void. Why are you blaming the right wing of the left? No one believes that two party crap anymore. it sounds really ………..like you are out of touch with reality or been reading Don’t See the Elephant too much. As Far as I know there are only 15 Senators and Trump who are not Repubicans In Name Only. That’s your group. The one’s that got rid of civil rights. Can’t have it both ways.
By the way Obama didn’t get you off the hook unless he does it by noon eastern tomorrow. That civil rights suspension is still in force and applies to EVERYONE!
Aren’t you glad he hated secular regressives as much as the rest of us. Should have converted while you had a chance.
Repeal and replace with Medicare for all.
Only if it’s made useful Leave the country it’s just toilet paper.
Joe, I’ll see your one anecdotal, not proven allegation that one man received cancer treatment via Obamacare, and I’ll raise you 4,330,000 results on cancer hospitals not accepting Obamacare.
Yes, some patients did receive care through Obamacare. It is also a fact that many top hospitals do not accept it, and many top cancer drugs are not on formulary.
So if you are lucky, and you happened to live next to a treatment center that accepted your Obamacare policy, and if the older drugs worked for you, then great. That still has no bearing on the facts of Obamacare being a death sentence to many with cancer:
https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=cancer+hospitals+do+not+accept+obamacre&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8#q=cancer+hospitals+do+not+accept+obamacare
I will never understand how any cancer survivor would deny cancer treatment to anyone else. And Obamacare denies cancer treatment to many patients in its inability to get coverage at many of the top treatment centers, and its inability to include many of the top cancer drugs.
Better some hospitals than none.
You’re such a liar. You would give DDT a run for his money. Obama care ranges from bare bones to the Mayo clinic. There are dozens of plans. You pick your payments from basic to Cadillac. But, hey, keep on with the lies. You might get a job offer from the Liar in Chief, DDT.
TLDR:
JT Is a Republican Trumpkin Gal00t!!!1!
http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/315049-trump-keeping-50-obama-administration-officials Very interesting considering all the criticism and remarks about draining the swamp……
Now, I suppose Trump could fire the entire federal work force, and bring in politically inclined neophytes, who really don’t know anything about the functioning of government, but are “loyal.” My experience with new (professional level) hires is that it generally takes them 6 months to find the bathrooms and another year to contribute in any meaningful way. So if the swamp is totally drained, government could hardly function at all. Or is this the Republican ideal?
you missed the picture. Just get rid of the Fourth Branch of Government which is hardly Constitutional no matter what bill of goods FDR sold the nation. That leaves plentyof bureaurats and gets rid of the unsupervised anti-citizen fascist types.
As for splitting? how would you propose that? Try reading the handbook of rules of citizenship for once in your uneducated life. Never heard of it? Small wonder that.
I’l give you a hint. It wasn’t written by Marx and Engels.
Did I call YOU nasty names ?
In any event, dissolving the current US constitution (peacefully) would require an amendment process, or else a new constitutional convention. But if the country continues to cleave apart, it may take that.
As for the “fourth branch,” what exactly do you propose getting rid of? Got any specifics?
“I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same;”
I support the citizens right to protest, regardless of how misguided I believe them to be. What I don’t support are the elected representatives in government who swore an oath to our Constitution. They swear that their allegiance is to our rule of law and its treasured institutions. Their oath is not to some political party nor is it to ANY ideology that subverts our form of government. Every sworn representative of our government that refuses to acknowledge the legitimacy of this transfer of power should immediately be held in violation of their oath. This process we follow in our republic is no different than any military command going through a Change-of-Command. The crew may have reservations about the next Captain of their ship, they may prefer to retain the outgoing Captain, but this new Captain has attained that command through a time-honored process. There are procedures to follow should the Captain violate his or her own sworn duties, but UNTIL that occurs, it is incumbent upon everyone to honor their oath. To do otherwise is subversive and detrimental to good order and discipline. In a word, MUTINOUS..
Olly, As always nothing, if not eloquent. I like your distinction of the public vs. our electetd representatives who are to some degree bound by pledge to the Constitution, the Rule of Law, and therefore to a duely elected President’s inauguration.
I’m a little leery of the analogy with Maritime Law and such historically pregnant terms as MUTINOUS. The two systems have been carefully kept apart over the centuries even by the very Captains that ruled by iron fist at sea only to welcome and enjoy a very different rule of law once back at home on land.
Thank you BB. I’m only drawing a comparison to the legally recognized transfer of power. An oath is supposed to actually mean something. If those that take the oath then operate in a manner inconsistent with that oath, then that undermines confidence in the entire institution.
For some reason there exists a belief that our guiding documents are illegitimate and therefore are not enforceable. For some lawmakers and those that put them in office, the law-making process is too slow to suit their agendas. There is a reason for that. When half of the Legislative Branch gives the Chief Executive a standing ovation for telling Congress he doesn’t really need them; he’s actually telling the People they are irrelevant. This undermines the People’s confidence in our governing institutions. And how does that actually manifest itself? With actual fear, that losing “your” benevolent dictator we’ll usher in “their” malevolent one. This fear is real but it is not Trump’s fault. It’s the fault of every citizen that reelected their representative to Congress that stood by and handed unconstitutional power to the President.
I and many people I know did not vote for Trump because he was the next coming of George Washington. We voted for the possibility of stopping an agenda that is destroying our institutions and the security of our nation. He will be given a chance to do just that. He will not be applauded for violating his oath. He will be on a leash; not a clock. Respect the office, respect the separation of powers, respect the rule of law and secure our nation from all enemies, foreign AND domestic. If he can do that much, then I trust the American people will regain confidence in our system of government. If he fails to do that, I am extremely confident a 3rd party will rise out of the ashes.
Olly,
Yours is an interesting perspective. Thanks for speaking up!
The information I posted previously is the correct information the maritime law is not. As long as you are trying to be somewhat factual at least use the right set of facts based on Constitutional law which are not ‘somewhat’ applicable but wholly and completely applicable.
Sheesh lead a horse to water and watch it pretend it’s a burro.
Once again.
U.S. Code › Title 18 › Part I › Chapter 115 › § 2385
18 U.S. Code § 2385 – Advocating overthrow of Government
Current through Pub. L. 114-38. (See Public Laws for the current Congress.)
US Code
Notes
prev | next
Whoever knowingly or willfully advocates, abets, advises, or teaches the duty, necessity, desirability, or propriety of overthrowing or destroying the government of the United States or the government of any State, Territory, District or Possession thereof, or the government of any political subdivision therein, by force or violence, or by the assassination of any officer of any such government; or
Whoever, with intent to cause the overthrow or destruction of any such government, prints, publishes, edits, issues, circulates, sells, distributes, or publicly displays any written or printed matter advocating, advising, or teaching the duty, necessity, desirability, or propriety of overthrowing or destroying any government in the United States by force or violence, or attempts to do so; or
Whoever organizes or helps or attempts to organize any society, group, or assembly of persons who teach, advocate, or encourage the overthrow or destruction of any such government by force or violence; or becomes or is a member of, or affiliates with, any such society, group, or assembly of persons, knowing the purposes thereof—
Shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than twenty years, or both, and shall be ineligible for employment by the United States or any department or agency thereof, for the five years next following his conviction.
If two or more persons conspire to commit any offense named in this section, each shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than twenty years, or both, and shall be ineligible for employment by the United States or any department or agency thereof, for the five years next following his conviction.
As used in this section, the terms “organizes” and “organize”, with respect to any society, group, or assembly of persons, include the recruiting of new members, the forming of new units, and the regrouping or expansion of existing clubs, classes, and other units of such society, group, or assembly of persons.
(June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 808; July 24, 1956, ch. 678, §?2, 70 Stat. 623; Pub. L. 87–486, June 19, 1962, 76 Stat. 103; Pub. L. 103–322, title XXXIII, §?330016(1)(N), Sept. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 2148.)
I even left out the hard parts.this time.
So I just saw a comment on FB re Obama: “We’ll so miss him and his lovely family. How do you have such dignity, intelligence and fun in a single package? I doubt we’ll see this again in our lifetimes.”
From one of the Women’s March on Washington locally organizers. Thinking I should join the march after all – wearing my “pro women, anti-Hillary” T-shirt. Hubby sez “hell no!” Fears those special snowflakes will do me bodily harm =)
Whatever you Trumpologists say about about Obama, most people realize the respect he shows to his wife and daughters. Certainly cannot say the same for Trump or Bill Clinton.. Now we have the p…. grabber. As a woman, I say yuck. BTW, George Bush was also respectful of Laura and the twins. One cannot imagine him grabbing women by the genitalia, Trump deserves to be protested by women.
Not a “Trumpologist” – Bernieorbuster. Would be interesting to see what all the women and girls around the world who have suffered under the destruction of their cities and family members would think about Obomber.
Bombing other countries is an American thing, both Republican and Democrat. The difference is that the Republican three stooges created so much chaos, hate, and destruction that the momentum continued on into Obama’s terms. Obama has done an excellent job of maintaining the pressure without escalating the chaos. Let’s see what fish mouth will do.
Don’t do it Autumn! They’ve over sensitized their limbic system, become neurotic, and may become violent when confronted with proof that their fantasies about women’s opinions may be false.
Karen S – no worries. I love being a prankster, but I do value my physical well-being =)
“Peaceful transfer of power”- to an agent of a foreign power. Americans are silly buggers.
That’s right. Trump is being blackmailed by Russia. They have the video…..Of the anti-Obama prostitute piss party. The Russkies are just waiting for the right time to release it….(said with sarcasm in case you missed it).
And the British are alcoholics with bad teeth.
There are three parts to this equation.
Firstly there are the lies, bigotry, fear mongering, etc that DDT rode into the Presidency. On this DDT is the most disgusting example of a leader of just about any country.
Secondly there are the moves which DDT has made and his continuing march backwards. Very few of these moves and statements contain anything that might be beneficial to Americans.
Thirdly there is yet to materialize what DDT will do, how he will do it, and the damages and benefits that will come. Thus far DDT has remain the most vile example of a leader. He has promised to fight big pharma but with all the bought and paid for members of Congress and the Senate on both sides of the aisle, we will see. This would be a fantastic victory, to force big pharma to give the same negotiating powers to medicaid and medicare that they do to countries like Canada, Great Britain, France, etc. In other words American pharmaceutical companies treating Americans as they do citizens of other countries. Congress and the Senate has continually blocked this for many Presidencies. If DDT cannot accomplish this then he may only be able to screw things up.
So, let’s see what DDT is made of. So far it has been nothing but privilege, lies, slander, hypocrisy, etc.
Issac,
In this respect, he is no different than your candidate of choice, Clinton.
Let’s see what we the people are made of for a change. I asked you before and I’ll ask again, will you roll up your sleeves and work for justice with your fellow citizens, even if they think differently than you, or are you just going to pretend you have moral superiority and hate on everyone you don’t agree with?
Which do you think will bring more justice to this nation?
Wrong… Did not hear Clinton ranting and raving about some divisive WALL.
Probably because you were too busy jaw jacking to listen and besides you collective cells are not allowed to listen just spout the crap of the day until tomorrow What a said non-life being a five second commercial.
She did not need to do so. Obama has already built the wall. She was busy with other atrocities and illegalities. Perhaps you heard of some of those? If not,check out her e-mails and the e-mails of her staff and just look at her record in office.
Jill
Clinton, in spite of her sleaze and corruption-of which pretty much all politicians are guilty, would have continued a proven healing of the open sore left by the three stooges. Unemployment is going down. Wages are rising. Things were getting better. DDT is pure chaos along with taking the country back a few generations. This constant ideological realignment is what keeps America deficient in areas such as health care insurance, public education, manufacturing, etc. DDT is a businessman who was born to privilege and wealth. He has no concept of the worker. His fortune has been made in the arena of the mega wealthy and entertainment. He has gone bankrupt and screwed the people through the government and directly six times. DDT is an opportunist of the robber baron sort seen a century or so ago. DDT represents an extreme, not a balance.
As far as justice is concerned DDT flaunts ethics, the law, and morality well in excess of any politician in recent history, including Clinton.
He may accomplish some good but most of what he proposes will have to be undone as it does not align with social evolution and believe it or not, we are social animals. The days of the flintlock and going West are over. And, for your information, less than one percent will ever achieve the illusion of the American dream, becoming rich and independent. Almost everyone will work for someone and be dependent on his or her fellow citizens. There is no yours to get.
Isaac – if things are getting better and unemployment is going down, then why is the argument for doubling minimum wage that the job market is so bad that flipping burgers has to support a middle class lifestyle now? Why is there an argument that traditionally entry level jobs, usually receiving a wage within a year, must now have very lucrative pay because good paying jobs are so scarce?
How can the same party say such diametrically opposite positions – that the economy is doing just wonderfully, but we have to double the minimum wage because the job market is so bad?
Sadly, people have left the work force in record numbers. That is why labor participation is so poor.
I am glad that there are enough people who care about our country enough to speak out. I did not vote for either Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton but I celebrate the fact that we can vote for and choose a President every 4 years.
The House members who are boycotting the inauguration are not only insulting our political system but disservice their constituents. Of course members will have differences with the Executive but if someone can tell me what benefit accrues to a House District when their member deliberately insults the President, I am all ears.
Disasters happen and often are ameliorated by a Presidential declaration. How likely is Donald Trump to go to any extra effort to help the constituents of these House members. There are many instances where having a good working relationship with the President can benefit. This is a violation of their mandate to look out for the interests of their districts.
Forgive the typos please.
The right not to protest is as important as the right to protest and in this case, I think is the better part of valor. That said,
Republican Lawmakers in Five States Propose Bills to Criminalize Peaceful Protest
I’m not concerned with whether it is Republicans or Democrats who engineer such bills. This instance may indeed be Republicans, but we know all too well their Democrat counterparts will find ways to let such bills succeed while they shamefully hide under devices of proceedure.
The legitimacy of any Democracy rests on the consent of the people governed. One can put all manner of marble and paint on the halls of government to make it imposing, one can create an august body of law makers and call their court Supreme, but at the end of the day, Democracy boils down to the consent of the governed and this consent at the origins of our own Democracy remains steeped in the blood of those who refused to have it confined or circumscribed by laws or devices of force of the powerful be they kings or corporations.
The genie can not be put back in the tube. One can try to claim that now, because the powerful have built seats of government run by powerful interests that the public is well represented and the messy jostling of the people need no longer be tolerated, but can instead be confined and circumscribed to ineffectual space, time and aspect, but it will not stand as a legitimate foundation except under the guise of veneer.
Republican Lawmakers in Five States Propose Bills to Criminalize Peaceful Protest
And what follows is a complaint that legislator have advocated increasing penalties for breaking already existing laws (e.g. blocking traffic). Yeah, we just gotta make the world safe for okupiers.
Yes indeed, the Sanitization of Democracy. It all sounds so reasonable, so beautifully named in the Innocuous or Inevitable or Perfectly Reasonable traditions of civil rights curtailing propaganda and it works so well in conjunction with a main stream media that will make such sanitized events virtually disappear by silence if so directed by the State Department no matter the gravity of the protests.
But the cumulative effect is of course quite purposefully to render any and all protest as ineffective as whispering down the cuff of one’s sleeve. Authoritarian types love it, of course. Finally, a machine of state that is as shiny, smooth and militarily iron hard in its operation as it is ostensibly inevitable in the patriotic veneer of it’s nomenclature.
You’re a fantasist, but I’ll reply anyway.
People have to get to work or to places of commerce. That’s why we have roads. They can be used for public demonstrations, but you have to adjudicate between interested parties. If you have a bunch of elderly toddlers who insist on seizing the space in disregard of the interests of others, arrest them, and jail them.
You can picket wherever you care to. You just cannot block pedestrian traffic.
Public parks are amenities. They’re not meant for shanty housing for people on sorosphere stipends.
And you can always rent an indoor arena when you want to rally.
And, yes, there is such a thing as public order and hygiene. We want public life sanitary enough that undocumented shoppers expect to be jailed and put on trial for riot, larceny, vandalism, and arson.
Any efforts to erode the right of free speech or the right to peacefully protest are wrong and must be defeated.
Look at the link. It’s special pleading on behalf of people who break laws like blocking traffic. MLK’s advocacy of civil disobedience was for the purpose of having standing to test laws, not for the purpose of making a nuisance out of oneself to people who want to get to work and go about their business.
The right of protest is messy. It will follow the inherent rights of citizens to act in their self interest just as water will follow the laws of gravity with amazing ungovernable persistence and force; you can confine it only temporarily and often with disastrous unintended results.
No, it’s not messy at all.
You want to have a demonstration, you need a permit because there are competing uses for that space. It’s important that the permitting party be a municipal government and that clear and impartial criteria are posted for demurrals.
The rest of your remark is incoherent.
The rest of your remark is incoherent
Obviously to you. .
The net result of your <em.Mr. Clean view of public protest is all to frequently that those protests corresponding to corporate or establishment interests, whether altogether fake and engineered or undertaken by people who have been conned, will indeed take place with permits in officially sanctioned areas and will receive massive coverage by the MSM.
On the other hand, those demonstrations undertaken at great pain by the little guy with real grievances, particularly in so far as such protests challenge the interests of large and powerful interests, will, if done by the same officially sanctioned means, be made invisible by location and by absolute media silence.
Unfortunately, that is more often than not the whole purpose of making such laws – to protect giant corporate interests, which are then wrapped in all manner of reasonable sounding excuses.The “competing uses for public space” is just one of the more frequent examples.
When public grievances become sufficiently acute, then American tradition starting with our Bill Of Rights gives priority to those suffering them under a universal law of self preservation. Obviously, the boundaries of such cases are not always neat and clean.
BB,
Well argued. The fact that Washington is described as a fortress shows how far downhill things have come.
I wrote over and over again to the people who sent me messages to “resist fascism”. What is your goal?They seem to want to replace one fascist (Clinton) with another, Trump. This hardly seems like a worthy goal. Are you training people in non-violent, civil disobedience?
Apparently, they did not train people in non-violence. Some groups are actively encouraging/planning violence. In the meantime, we are fully aware of what this govt. can and will do to completely peaceful protesters. The police are up armed to the teeth with military equipment and tactics. They are no longer peace officers. They don’t even have the semblance of protecting the legitimate rights of our citizens to protest under the Constitution they swore to uphold.
This strikes me as both truly sad and a real recipe for disaster. I am hoping everyone protesting can keep somewhat calm in this situation. I’m also hoping police will remember their oath to the people and act accordingly.
On the other hand, those demonstrations undertaken at great pain by the little guy with real grievances,
Almost no demonstrations concern the real and particular grievances of the wage-earning stratum. Every once in a while you’ll get public meetings which are devoted to their interests: property taxes, issues regarding the schools, street repair, land use questions, and (on occasion) crime. Retirement benefits are another vernacular issue. All this is very remote from the febrile nonsense promoted by sorosphere rent-a-crowd.
DSS – I agree that protests must not close businesses, block traffic, or create harm. Occupy Wallstreet harmed businesses and left human waste all over the place, for example.
But the right to peacefully protest can still be protected. We need to ensure that any efforts to ensure that protests not harm others are still able to get their opinions out.
The right to peacefully protest is not threatened. That’s just another one of Brooklyn Bridge’s red herrings.
The Mayor of New York hosted the biggie. Things are back to normal in the Big Apple. They have reclaimed their title as armpit of the nation.
But the most hilariously funny part of the build up was the idiots on the Clinton News Network arguing over who would take over if Trump and Pence died since none of the cabinet were approved. They claimed it would go to the Obama cabinet.
Now I know we stay stupid is as stupid does but this one defies belief. They used to have a term in psychology for people of 60 on the brain scale which didn’t come close to fitting …Idiots.
If you really don’t know then it’s a damn good thing we ran you out.
I used Wikpedia for Simpletons to make it easy
This was the one in force before Pence took his oath of office. After which Pence replaced Biden The changeover was at noon 1200 hours eastern time for the PResident the rest were done previously. Hatch was the designated survivor and that individual is at an undisclosed location with a Judge and Bible on hand.
# Office Current Officer
1 Vice President Joe Biden now Pence
2 Speaker of the House of Representatives Paul Ryan
3 President pro tempore of the US Senate Orrin Hatch
All the following were removed from their offices at noon.
4 Secretary of State John Kerry
5 Secretary of the Treasury Jack Lew
6 Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter
7 Attorney General Loretta Lynch
etc.
Number seven is now open for the FBI Investigation which was reported earlier – The deal making DID occur on that aircraft.
No one else in these ongoing investigations got pardoned and now can await their fate Everything is back on the table.
Might be better off to wait until Side Deal Kerry is gone.
“Add Secretary of State John Kerry to list of those skipping the inauguration Friday.
A State Department official confirmed to Fox News that the outgoing chief diplomat “will not attend the inauguration.”
The official did not give a reason.”
http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/kerry-not-attending-inauguration-official-says/ar-AAlZ6VX?li=AA5a8k&ocid=spartanntp
Bobb, Kerry’s wife, who calls the shots via purse strings, told him he needed to massage her feet on Friday.
That’s what happens when you marry ‘up’ – or ketchup – like Kerry did….
This is what I’m afraid might happen. Video of the Ukraine riots. See you on the other side when the smoke clears.
Disrupt J20 anarchists (sponsored by Bill Ayers among others) probably have some sh*t planned. One Disrupt J20 person said they hoped to turn DC into one big clusterF. I’d steer clear of the Trump Int’l Old Post Office Hotel in Washington DC.