Come Heller high water …
- I was asked the other day why I’ve been writing about Trump so much lately. That’s an easy one. I write so much about Trump because what he’s trying to do is rebuild the nation in his own ugly image. He wants an America where non-whites are second class citizens, where women know their place, where LGBTQ people hide in closets, where the rich rule and everyone else is ruled, where poor women with unwanted pregnancies resort to coat hangers while wealthy women get proper medical care, where wars are endless because they feed the military industrial complex, where people of color are always suspect in the eyes
of the police and the courts, where the planet is nothing more than a resource to be plundered, where science is just somebody’s opinion, where facts don’t matter, where the truth is what he says it is, where colleges and universities are not institutions of higher learning but breeding grounds for liberalism, where a free press is supposed to be compliant, obedient, do the king’s bidding and not document any of the aforementioned, and where we’re all supposed to believe Putin is a great man and our own intelligence agencies are filled with traitors. I can’t do that. I can’t be like the German people in Nazi Germany who knew what was going on but did nothing to stop it. I won’t be complicit by my silence. I don’t agree with Trump’s vision for America, not one bit, and if it comes to pass, it’s not a place I want to live. Those are some of the reasons I’ve been writing so much about Trump. But the biggest reason is this: I think he’s close to succeeding. Very close. That may not scare you but it does me. So, I’ll keep writing because this is the issue of my lifetime. I won’t “keep quiet.” I refuse to go along to get along. Because that’s what he wants everybody like me to do. - Speaking of the orange fib-gibbon, he’s sure to be acquitted by the Senate, assuming the House’s backbone doesn’t quiver on them – these are Democrats, after all. They’re not known for sturdiness of spine. That won’t mean impeachment wasn’t worth it. The way I see it, we are all called to do the right thing in life, politicians included. If House Democrats had heeded Nancy Pelosi’s initial “strategy” to not pursue impeachment, they’d have been accessories after the fact to the destruction of democracy.
- Time’s “Person of the Year” is teenage climate change activist Greta Thunberg. Great. She deserves it. Bonus: It’ll drive Trump crazy. She deserves another award just for that.
- “They” is Merriam-Webster’s word of the year, as in “You know what they say.” I think they truly deserve it. They are very powerful. Some people think they are full of it. But what do they know?
- Am I the only one suspicious that suddenly all the stories in the media about the Detroit Tigers are about how the team is suddenly and inexplicably done with the tear-down phase of its “rebuild” (quotation marks to indicate my sarcasm of the term when it’s clear they’re still cutting costs prior to selling the team) and now they’re looking to add better players? I smell a PR plan to mollify pissed-off fans, not an actual change in the team’s approach. Media should be extremely challenging of this sudden change of heart. Will they be?
- Stubhub says 2019’s top-selling tour artists are … (wait for it) Elton John, Rolling Stones and Queen. In other words, the acts of my youth. Hey, kids, I TOLD you our stuff was better.
- Yeah, yeah, I know: “Whatever, boomer.” That suddenly popular millennial dig on Baby Boomers doesn’t bother me because millennials have endured much more and worse from my generation. A more unfairly maligned generation, I cannot think of.
- “Nothing is the end of the world except for the end of the world.” – Obscure play title.
Thank you, Andy. Your 160-word sentence deserves it’s own award. Trumpism is the issue of our lifetimes. We must defeat it, as our parents and grandparents defeated the Axis Powers.
I do not know how to write with THEY as a singular pronoun. Are we supposed to use singular verbs? Trump is dangerous. They is a muddy frog in a very shallow brain-puddle. Andrew Heller may have made a mistake. They writes that Trump is like a Nazi. Even though they is like a Nazi, they say they will lose the argument if they brings up Hitler or Nazis.
They want you to write about them. They love it. But they are wrong about someone using a Nazi reference as being always wrong.
Omg, I keep changing my mind , but this IS YOUR BEST!
Ha, thanks, Marilyn. I appreciate that.
Trump is surrounded by the same types of officers who did Hitler’s biding. They are willfully brushing off the law and the Constitution not just to appease Trump, but also because they have something to gain out of it, such as achieving their fantasies of unimaginable power. These are scary and dangerous times for America. You are right to be afraid.
Republicans are doing everything they can to stoke anger and hatred on both sides. I suspect their goal is to provoke a violent event of civil obedience so they can blame it on the Democrats and declare themselves the only legitimate party. We are getting close to that boiling point and Trump and his enablers couldn’t be happier when it happens.
I meant to say civil disorder. That just ruins my comment. Sigh
For four years I have been saying “I am afraid, I am very afraid”, and people have laughed at me, “What’s to be afraid of? Nothing is going to happen!” It is actually far worse than I could have imagined. What kind of country are we leaving to our children and grandchildren? The country is divided because he has enjoyed dividing it..no one who took an oath to uphold the Constitution has ever spent his entire time in office flaunting the fact that he does not feel that he has to uphold it. His defenders defend him because “That’s the way he does business”. Bankruptcies may have given him “do-overs” in business, but we don’t get “do-overs” as a country. It is going to take generations to fix this mess, if it ever can be fixed.
Andrew,
I am new to your column as well as Michigan, but I have to say that I’ ve not read anyone before who explains the issues (most created by ‘the guy with such a
rump’) with such lucidity and I thank you for that. The problem worse than him; however, is the gang of enablers who claim to love our country and want to do ‘right’ by their constituents. I say “Bah! Humbug!” Their constituents are no different than the rest of us and wish mostly for better paying jobs, health care. clean air and water, and a safe street to walk down, and the list goes on, yet the enablers have sacrificed their responsibility to their constituents, not to mention the constitution (notice the root of those two words), and have given over to someone whom almost all of them hated back in 2016, whose platform is just as you’ve so clearly expressed. It baffles me as it does many others but as Representative Cicilline of Rhode Island stated recently, and I paraphrase, ‘I hope my republican friends can open up their hearts’ on the impeachment issue
and bring this madness to an end so we all can begin to repair the damage together.
Welcome to the frozen mitten, Leonard. I don’t know how you located me on the world wide web, but you are most welcome.
Two additional points worth mentioning: 1) You were right, Trump SO hated the fact that Time chose Greta, that He.Publicly.Attacked.A.Child, and 2) In today’s news, Eric Holder called out Barr. Interestingly, the public comments against Holder’s opinion say that he is not qualified to say anything because…wait for it…drumroll…he was…censured…for refusing to release documents.
Very well said, Andy! Trump is an embarrassment to our country. I shake my head in disbelief when his constant idiotic words spew put of his mouth. I cannot believe after all the damage he’s done that anyone can support him!! Unbelievable!
I agree with Andrew’s opening statement as well as yours, Mama Bear. A lot of people are not taking his words and actions seriously. They are too complacent. When it all goes down led by Trump, we’re going down too. He is everything and more of what he accused Hilary of being. He is good at lying.
This article needs to be on the front page of the New York Times! Every word is true, and more people need to speak up. Thanks for having the guts to say it!
I agree.
Impeachment is a done deal, but no hope for conviction in the Senate. Still, I assume each Senator will get to speak. So, here is my suggestion to our Senator Debbie Stabenow:
These Impeachment Articles barely scratch the surface of Donald Trump’s crimes, misdemeanors, failures, mistakes, scams, and harm… He is a global laughingstock and an American menace…
He has told us 13,435 documented lies. He treats all of us as fools or victims when he expects us to go along with his lies and schemes and excuses and fantasies.
Ten years from now, Americans who now support him will be ashamed of themselves. Right now, I am distressed and depressed to hear all these simple-minded, barely-plausible defenses of Trump, and so much theatrical feigned outrage, from people who darn well know better. You are better than Trump, and smarter too! No need to go along with Trump. Please vote him out!
I wonder how Chief Justice John Roberts will deal with the Senate when he presides over the impeachment trial since Mitch and Donnie are going to turn it into a circus. Will he sit back and let them make a mockery of the Constitution and thus risk the integrity of the Supreme Court? I fear the answer is yes, and the slippery slope will turn into an avalanche.
That’s a good question. Roberts did throw shade on Trump in a WaPo op-ed last year. I wonder if Trump won’t try to bribe him because of that. It could get interesting. I am going to research to see what exactly the Chief Justice’s role is in the impeachment trial and whether or not he has any authority over how it is conducted. I am guessing not much if any.
Many years from now, the children and grandchildren of Trump enablers will be ashamed as well.
The Senate impeachment trial might get interesting especially since Chief Justice John Roberts may not show complete loyalty to Donald Trump. That usually brings out Trump’s best name-calling behavior.
I doubt he will show loyalty to anyone. From what I read, he will basically act as a court room judge and will decide to overrule or sustain objections from either side. He may even have a say in what evidence will be allowed. For example, if the Republicans want the testimony of some right-wing nutjob who has nothing but debunked conspiracy theories to offer, Roberts can reject that. However, unlike a regular court room setting, the senators can vote and overrule anything he decides, and we can bet that is exactly what the Republicans will do if he decides anything that doesn’t favor them.
So agree on Tump and forgive your run- on sentence,
Sometimes run-ons are necessary.
Well, well, well…….James Comey just admitted the FISA process to spy on candidate Trump was a sham. Evidently there were deliberate omissions of evidence, false evidence and other manipulations, distortions and jury rigging presented to the FISA court ( without his knowledge of course 😂). The Steele dossier, paid for by Hillary, was full of lies and Russian disinformation, yet the main piece of ‘proof’ in making the case to spy on a U.S. presidential candidate. Clearly the textbook definition of Russian collusion and interference to affect a U. S. federal election. Trump won, and you snowflakes can’t process it. Liberals who hate him use foreign agents and intel, lies, false information and rumors to undo a LEGAL presidential election. That’s called a coup, and at best it’s sedition , at worst, treason. When will you leftists stop using the constitution as toilet paper?
Comey agreed that there were procedural errors and omissions, not that the process was a sham. The IG report said it was still warranted and not politically motivated. The Steele Dossier was ordered by the Republicans to stop Trump from becoming the candidate, and when he won the primary was sold to the Democrats to use (like that “Opposition Research” that Trump said in an interview was done all the time and he would probably ask foreign governments for dirt on an opponent). The Russian collusion and interference were the hacking into servers and the infiltration of social media sites to spread lies, false information and rumors to help Trump. The definition of a “coup” is a military takeover, and before you throw out the words “sedition” and “treason”, you might want to reread the Constitution yourself. And just because someone believes that Trump abused the power of his office and obstructed a Congressional investigation, does not make us a “snowflake” or a “leftist”. It means we believe in the rule of law, the Constitution, and “Three Separate but Equal Branches of Government”. NOT executive privilege.
.
Brad – Your pal Trump has told us an average of twelve documented lies per day, since he assumed the presidency. Are you glad about that? Are you pleased to be one of Trump’s dupes? You bore the pants off us, when you keep reciting out-of-date right-wing tropes. Please try to come up with any interesting original thought.
Hey, guys and gals… Donnie John is a first-time offender. Maybe we should cut him some slack. Well, sure, he has been in court before. But, that was for minor stuff such as embezzling millions of dollars from his own fake charity, and bilking people with his fake university… Let’s not hold that against him.
Maybe the US Senate should just put him on probation, or simply send him to Juvie for a while, so that he does not get a conviction on his permanent record. That sort of thing could limit his opportunities in the future.
The Sword of Damocles =
The Javelin of Zelensky (hung by Trump)
Are you guys listening to the Impeachment discussion today? Some Arch-Ninny Republican Rep. from Georgia just compared Trump to Jesus!!!
VP Joe Biden:
“………I said I’m telling you, you’re not getting the billion dollars. I said you’re not getting the billion, and I’m going to be leaving here, and I think it was what, six hours. I looked. I said I’m leaving in six hours. If the prosecutor is not fired, you’re not getting the money. Well, son of a bitch. He got fired.”
VP Quid Pro Joe.
I hear Nancy
She is singing …
♫♫♫
These boots are made for walking
And that’s just what they’ll do
One of these days these boots are gonna walk all over you
♫♫♫
Sigh, Brad, I have no doubt that you know this.
Biden said that as VP because the removal of Shokin was the official position of the United States.
And Germany’s.
And France’s.
And the UK’s.
And the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development’s.
And the International Monetary Fund’s.
And a whole lot of other reputable people.
Among the reasons they wanted him fired was his failure to initiate investigations into corruption in Ukraine, including into Burisma, the company Joe’s son took that job from. Then there is also the massive street protests in Ukraine calling for his ouster due to his refusal to investigate the shooting of street protestors. Then there was his firing of prosecutors in his office that wanted to prosecute other prosecutors in the office for accepting bribes of diamonds, cash and the like.
IOW, it appears that calling for his removal was not exactly a controversial position to take.
Like I said, I know you know all this, because you’re clearly an intelligent guy, and really, not knowing would actually make you a rather uninformed dupe… I know that can’t be the case, so I’m left having to deduce that you’re willfully disregarding this knowledge so that you can publish partisan talking points.
That’s actually pretty disgusting, dude, and you’re actively making the country a worse place with this type of thing. Please stop it.
I just made a point of watching and listening to Trump’s speech in Battle Creek. Wow! In some ways, we are in deep trouble. For the first hour of the speech Trump put on a great show! Much better than any of our opposing candidates can do. Really. The white James Brown. Hardest workin’ man in the business.
But, Trump went on and on, well over two hours. Maybe sort of like sitting through Mussolini or Fidel Castro. His first hour included lots of baloney, but the second hour was full of bull. When he got specific on immigration and other points, he was outrageous. He should have left that out. He could have stopped speaking, but he persisted, and proved his shallow nastiness. He cannot help himself, I guess. Such a fancy twit!