Don't Blame the Senate

If you're pissed that there won't be witnesses in the Senate trial, and that there isn't going to be a conviction, don't blame the Republican controlled Senate.

First, blame Trump Derangement Syndrome. It's real, and it's debilitating. Nowhere in there am I defending President Trump, or saying he's perfect, or that his phone calls are perfect, or that anything's perfect. But damn! Trump Derangement Syndrome wipes out people's judgement and renders them damn near stupid at times. OK, so I get it. They hate the guy. But it's to the point that instead of assessing what he said and does rationally and logically, everything, and I mean every damned thing is looked at through a distorted lens of corruption and inappropriateness. So, no matter what he says or does, it's a crime or it's a travesty to the Trump deranged. So with this Ukraine thing, the first thing is they're presuming, to the point they call anyone who questions it names, that the Joe Biden and Hunter Biden thing is squeaky clean and totally on the up and up. Bullshit it is! Take of your fucking Democrat glasses! And if Joe and Hunter were up to no good, "Son of a bitch!", and if you have a problem with the Prez looking into foreign corruption that appears to reach into the USA before he cuts them checks for millions and billions, I can't help you. You're a partisan and a fan and you're deranged and beyond help.

And don't forget to blame the House. Yeah, the house. Why? Because they were blinded by their own Trump Derangement Syndrome and they screwed this up royally. How?

• The House Democrats ran a kangaroo court investigation that didn't allow the Prez' attorney's standing in the procedure, to cross examine witnesses, or to call their own witnesses. Hell, they didn't even let the House GOP committee members call their witnesses. Rep. Adam Schiff (for brains) even went so far as coaching his witnesses on what questions from the GOP they shouldn't answer.
• The Speaker of the House didn't empower the Impeachment Inquiry Committee by a full House vote until it was about 90% completed. This put the Committee's subpoena power in legal jeopardy.
• Rather than to take the White House to court to contest the White House's unwillingness to provide witnesses and testimony, the House wrote up an Article of Impeachment of Obstruction of Congress. I guess they were in a damned hurry or knew damned well the courts might uphold "Executive Privilege", so they just wrote them up instead. It was foolish. So all they were left with was 18 hearsay witnesses and deep conviction that the hearsay was right and 'proved' Trump is a crook.
• Once they finally got around to it, they wrote up two really weak articles, neither of which rises to the level specified in the US Constitution, "Treason, Bribery, and other High Crimes and Misdemeanors". These articles, even if fully proven in the Senate trial fall short of the constitutional standard. Sending those two articles was a fool's errand, at best.
• The House sat on the two Articles of Impeachment for 33 days after they were passed, completely undermining any sense of urgency or importance. It was so important that you took a fucking vacation? Stupid. Really stupid, Nancy. That's on you. Were you scheming to hurt Bernie and Liz and to help Joe "Son of a Bitch" Biden, or were you just scared to send it over? Or were you buying time hoping to find real evidence? Son of a bitch!
• And lastly, the House Managers team that Speaker Pelosi sent over was a joke. Day in and day out they were outclassed and out-lawyered by the President's law team. The team the House sent was Keystone Cops and Trump's team more like the Untouchables. 

And I didn't even get into the whistleblower, his relationship with Schiff staff employee Misko, or the Intelligence Community Inspector General's testimony being kept from the Senate. How did the House make all these mistakes? See the first section: Trump Derangement Syndrome. They've got it. Bad. Same as the constituents they were serving with this joke of an impeachment do, the sycophantic press does, and the corrupt Deep State operatives in the bureaucracy do. It impaired their vision, their judgement, and their ability to do a good job.

There is a third thing that didn't help. President Trump is doing and has done a pretty good job. I mean rhetoric and style aside, he hasn't started any wars, the economy is good, and even the dimmest bulbs, if they look through eyes not blinded by Trump Derangement Syndrome, can see they're not doing too badly these days.

So if you're reading this and the Senate voting not to call witnesses was devastating to you, maybe like the failure of the Hillary Clinton campaign was three years ago this past November, don't blame the Senate. It's not their fault this thing was a turd, a pure political hit job founded on the worst legal foundation ever. Blame it on Trump Derangement Syndrome and the Trump deranged House of Representatives, especially Pelosi, Schiff, and Nadler. That's why the thing bombed.

First Blog Post

So I'm going to publish on this blog. It feels like my Facebook posts generate limited interest, but all too often, at least when I write about politics, there is a nearly inevitable volley of comments from friends who go back and forth and it turns into a food fight. On here I hope to write without the food fight. So what are the topics that may appear here?

Fishing. I love fishing, especially bass fishing. It's become my favorite pastime, replacing golf in my life. Which is OK.

Sports. I love my NY Mets, the NY Football Giants, and my UofL Cards. I'd add the NY Knicks, but the Knicks have sucked so long and so bad that I can't hardly be the fan I'd like to be. But all of the major sports interests in the USA, I also call my own. Except hockey and soccer, sorry. I don't much care for either. Maybe if some Team USA does great I might take an interest, but otherwise, fuggesdaboudit.

Food. I like to eat and I like to cook. More eating than cooking, though. Italian food. Mexican food. Steaks, chops, and chicken on the grill. And beer. Beer is food.

Family. Family is everything. It's not the only thing, but it's up there on the short list of things important to me.

My beloved Marine Corps, the KC-130 squadrons and community is on the short list right next to family.

Travel. I love travel, especially the US National Parks. I've been blessed to see many of them thanks largely to my father and mother and our family camping trips when I was a kid. Since those trips, I've been to some more, and back to some of the same ones, too. I'd love to be able to say I've been to all of them, but it's not realistic at this point.

Music. Classic rock, blues and blues rock. My Mount Rushmore is the Allman Brothers, the Rolling Stones, the Eagles, Led Zeppelin, and the Grateful Dead. That's five. So what. Sue me.

Politics and culture. Mostly politics. It's an unfortunate addiction in my life. I'm a conservative. I used to consider myself fiscally conservative and socially moderate. But the left has veered further and further left, and my once moderate views seem more conservative relative to the rest. I believe we are in a political and cultural 'soft' civil war. This blog is one place where I may take up arms.

I hope to blog at least once a week. Until I get too wrapped up in something else, or bored with it or something.