SAVE OUR SHIP! – An Urgent Appeal to Select Members of Congress

This is a draft of the letter I intend to send to those Republican members of Congress still able 
to think and act in the best interests of this great nation. 

My goal—and yours, I fervently hope—is to rid our government of the pretender president, Donald Trump, and staunch, as quickly as possible, the hemorrhaging of this great nation's lifesblood: our uniquely-American values—generosity, optimism, vision, creativity, brotherhood ...and just simple decency—for which so many of our country-men and -women have fought 
and died.

Feel free to copy/paste any or all of this content. Maybe you prefer to pull a few quotes and build your own case around them. It's all good. All I ask is that, if you use something, please share the link to this page with as many of your like-minded friends and family members, through as many media, as you can. 

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Dear SENATORS: John McCain (AZ), Rand Paul (KY), Lindsey Graham (SC), Susan Collins (ME), Ben Sasse (NE), Jeff Flake (AZ)

Dear REPRESENTATIVES: Charlie Dent (PA), Walter Jones (NC), Speaker Paul Ryan (WI), Justin Amash (MI), Barbara Comstock (VA)
(These are some of the Congresspeople The Hill, The Washington Post and other media have identified as willing to confront Trump on at least some issues. You may know of other Republicans—perhaps those representing your state—you'd like to implore to reason.)

W ith the election of Donald Trump and his subsequent rush to consolidate power,  
a great tragedy is playing out on our national political stage. And you are in a unique position to thwart it.

I’m accused by friends who support Trump of simply poor sportsmanship—sour grapes, they say—for not just shutting up and taking it as they claim they had to do when Barack Obama was elected.

But this man is different. He has proven amply, through his well-documented comments and actions, that he is a bigot, a misogynist, a pathological liar and a boor. More importantly, he shows, every day, that he lacks the qualifications, knowledge, temperament and judgement to even approximate fulfilling the duties of the most powerful office in the world.

           He has lived and prospered by lawsuit, 
           and promises to govern the same way.

Even his one and only claim to competence, his success as a businessman, is a sham, given the roil of bankruptcies, lawsuits and, ultimately, cheated customers, suppliers and investors he leaves in his wake. He has lived and prospered by lawsuit, and promises to govern the same way—a distraction, to say the least, from the awesome responsibilities of this office.

Perhaps most perilous for the country, this brash pretender clearly shows every single clinical marker of a serious mental condition (narcissistic personality disorder). This utterly self-centered, thin-skinned, impulsive, aggressively insecure, delusional profile is typical of some of the most destructive despots in human history—men who throw not just their rivals, but their own countries and their own people under the bus to feed their insatiable need for attention.

Though elected with a significant minority of the popular vote, Trump already, in just the first few weeks of his presidency, has undermined most of my beloved homeland’s hard-won national values—qualities I’ve cherished and served to defend—like generosity, a just and prudent welcome to immigrants, celebrating diversity at home, an indomitable optimism, a can-do spirit of cooperation, a quiet strength, and a skillful exertion of our example and leadership around the world.

             trump has torn the still-gleaming crown from 
             Lady Liberty's head and stepped on it.

Trump’s insensitive, knee-jerk insults to other countries—including cherished allies—are already undermining our diplomatic and trade relationships with those nations, and threatening the delicate balance of world peace. And his avowed admiration for several of the world’s other despots—including Russia’s own narcissist, Vladimir Putin—sends a truly frightening signal of the president’s intentions.

We used to be a country roundly admired around the world—the much-coveted ideal of democracy. While this reputation has seen its share of tarnish in recent decades, Trump has torn the still-gleaming crown from Lady Liberty’s head and stepped on it. Apparently he favors a mantel of fear and hatred of our nation over one of respect.

Trump and his brazenly-stacked, titans-of-industry cabinet seem determined to simply turn off every moderating constraint on their greed. It is a corporate power play unique in American history. And Trump himself refuses either to divest of his personal business interests or to release his complete tax returns and prove his intention to put this country’s interests ahead of his own and those of his cronies.

           This will require the very best of you.

If not the most frightening implication of Trump’s incompetence, certainly the saddest for me is this: I pray that my grandchildren will not grow up wanting to emulate anything about this man.

Senator/Representative_________, you are in a unique position to literally save our great nation from a despot, one who, in stunning similarity to North Korean boy-dictator Kim Jong-un, has the emotional maturity of a five-year-old.

By continuing to call him out for his lies and excesses, by making the case for impeachment to any fellow Republicans still willing to face reality, by building a coalition of conscience, by communicating your concerns to your constituents and the American people, perhaps you can help turn the tide.

This will require the very best of you—your conviction, your eloquence, your courage, perhaps every dime of your political capital, and, most certainly, your heart and soul.

Please do not let this very small man go one step further in dragging this great nation down to his size!

Sincerely,

CAN YOU FEAR ME NOW? – How trump Has Betrayed His Anti-Insider-Elites Pledge

Earth to trump supporters:

At the heart of donald trump’s unlikely electoral victory was his pledge to rid Washington of corruption, cronyism and insider dealing. And you bought it.

Now, before the glow of victory’s even faded, he’s already broken—no, annihilated—that promise. Intentionally, blatantly, shamelessly—right in front of your perhaps well-intentioned, but short-sighted, eyes.

        Are these the real-deal, straight-shooting, friend-of-
        the-working-class outsiders you pictured when you 
        heard trump's pledge?

Don’t buy it? You tell me. Are these the real-deal, straight-shooting, friend-of-the-working-class outsiders you pictured when you heard trump’s pledge? (List thanks to Robert Weissman, President of Public Citizen, in a Jan. 10, 2017 article in the Huffington Post):

    •    MIKE PENCE, Vice President – has strong ties to Koch Industries and raked in eye-popping sums from the finance sector, construction industry, pharmaceutical industry and chemical industry

    •    REX TILLERSON, Secretary of State – spent his entire career at Exxon Mobil, which is not just among the world’s largest oil companies, but the corporation most responsible for spreading climate denial and intimidating climate activists

PHOTO: Wall Street Journal

    •    STEVEN MNUCHIN, Treasury Secretary – longtime Goldman Sachs executive who, through a hedge fund, took over the failed IndyMac, turned it into One West and went on a foreclosure rampage, engaging in robosigning and other abuses such that one judge found the bank to have engaged in practices that were “harsh, repugnant, shocking and repulsive”

    •    GEN. JAMES MATTIS, Secretary of Defense – has spun through the revolving door, leaving the military to serve on the board of General Dynamics, a multinational military contractor, and the scandal-ridden Theranos, a start-up company which misled investors and consumers about its blood-testing technology

    •    JEFF SESSIONS, Attorney General – has a racist record that disqualified him from a federal judgeship three decades ago, and a record of gentle treatment of the finance, tobacco and other industries

    •    BETSY DEVOS, Education Secretary – a billionaire scion whose husband is heir to the Amway fortune, who is a purveyor of extremist education privatization proposals, and who has herself invested in for-profit education companies

    •    ELAINE CHAO, Secretary of Transportation – served on the board of directors of Wells Fargo during the cross-selling scandal, as well as a half dozen other corporate boards

    •    GARY COHN, Director, National Economic Council – Led Goldman Sachs as it profited off the housing market collapse in part by misleading its own clients

       These folks are not your equals. They are not your 
       boss's equals, not your boss's boss's equals, not..well, 
       you get the idea.

PHOTO: Denver Post

    •    SCOTT PRUITT, Administrator, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency – believes that climate science is “far from settled,” has repeatedly sued the agency he will be tasked with leading, and as Oklahoma attorney general sent letters to federal agencies that were literally drafted by Devon Energy, one of the state’s largest oil and gas corporations

    •    STEVE BANNON, Special Adviser to the President – once ran and may maintain undisclosed business or other ties with Breitbart.com, a far-right, racist website, and is a former Goldman Sachs executive

    •    LINDA MCMAHON, Administrator, Small Business Administration – as World Wrestling Entertainment CEO helped ensure the wrestling industry remained largely unregulated, putting the health and safety of wrestlers at risk

    •    ANDY PUZDER, Secretary of Labor – the long-time mogul in charge of the Hardee’s and Carl’s Jr. fast-food chains, companies known for being anti-worker and anti-union, and who opposed many or all of the most important recent, pro-worker initiatives of the Obama Labor Department, including a rule to ensure that workers are properly compensated for overtime

               He has financial holdings that give him a direct 
               stake in many of the matters about which he will 
               be advising the president.

    •    WILBUR ROSS, Secretary of Commerce – a billionaire whose firm has profited from buying distressed firms and cutting workers’ benefits

    •    CARL ICAHN, Special Advisor to the President on Regulatory Affairs – the emblematic corporate raider epitomizes predatory corporate capitalism, with financial holdings that give him a direct stake in many of the matters about which he will be advising the president

So there you have it. By the most conservative of the media’s estimates (Bloomberg), these “independent,” “non-elite” “friends-of-the-working-class” have a net worth of over $6 billion. And every single one of them now has a role in government that, by all appearances, could benefit them at the expense you and your family.

These folks are not your equals. They are not your boss’s equals, not your boss’s boss’s equals, not…well, you get the idea. Do you think they give a good God-damn about your working-class concerns?

If you believe that, I’ve got a chunk of land in a another swamp you might be interested in.

GOVERNANCE BY LAWSUIT – The Only Game trump Knows

Are you ready for the era of governance by lawsuit?

Donald trump’s long-time personal attorney and mentor, mob lawyer Roy Cohn, taught him well how to use the law as an aggressive weapon against the slightest objection or criticism. Now trump has brought his next personal attorney, Michael Cohen—also known for his take-no-prisoners aggression—with him to the White House.

It’s the only strategy—business or personal—trump has ever known. It’s simple. You do whatever you want to do, no matter how unscrupulous.

Someone challenges you? You instantly discredit them to the world with whatever Twitter prattle you want—doesn’t matter how ridiculous. The person sues you? No problem; you just counter-sue them for 100 times the money.

Incredible how many of those pesky little former employees, business dupes, cheated consumers—oh, and women…don’t get me going on women—you can scare away like that.

        Just more fodder for this clinically-narcissistic 
        child-man's insatiable appetite for attention.

TAINTING A WHITE HOUSE
Nonetheless, at last report, there were still some 75 lawsuits against trump and his businesses with enough staying power to survive, some of which have undoubtedly followed him into the white house.

Gee, do you think being subpoenaed for court appearances and depositions might prove a distraction to the new president? Just ask Bill Clinton. Of course trump would say he loves this shit—and he’d be right. Just more fodder for this clinically-narcissistic child-man’s insatiable appetite for attention.

Besides, all that other “presidenting”—you know, stuff like sensitive diplomacy with world leaders, crafting smart, constructive legislative initiatives, commanding the armed forces with clarity and restraint, serving as a role model for millions of American kids—that crap just bores him.

Trump knows no other way. Dashing the hopes of supporters who’d hoped he might become at least somewhat more disciplined once he was actually in office, he continues to spend a shocking proportion of his time on the defensive. Hunched over his Korean-made Samsung Galaxy smartphone, he scours Twitter for folks he sees as threats to his ego, and crudely disses them.

I know you are, but what am I? And by the way, your mother's a whore.

The man's insecurity knows no bounds. If you won't adore him as he demands, you're the enemy, be you a citizen, a government official—elected or appointed—or even a long-standing, loyal ally of the United States.

So presidential.

trump Declares World Peace

Breaking…

By Jeffrey Willius – One Man’s Venting
THE WHITE HOUSE – In a hastily-called press conference this morning, president Donald Trump declared that, in a major deal he’s struck with world leaders, there is now world peace.

Notably, with the exception of this reporter, journalists from mainstream, objective news sources were barred from the session, left to watch though binoculars for any signs of activity visible through the West Wing's windows from a barricaded area across the street in Lafayette Square.

Despite only reporters approved by the president being allowed into the press briefing room—and those asking only questions scripted by the White House to help simulate for Trump a much- coveted position on the world stage—it did not take long for that manipulation to backfire on him.

For the first question, president Trump called on Harold Ingvetz, former chief of the Little Rock bureau of the National Jingoist Journal. “Mr. President, you’ve accomplished something world leaders have struggled with for centuries. What will this new era of peace look like to the average red-blooded, patriotic American?”

        "These guys...that Angelica Markle of Belgium—
        she's one overrated leader—they don't have to tell 
        me what world peace is."

Trump replied, “Let me be crystal clear, folks. This will be a tremendous peace...like...Russia’s great leader, Putin...what he was able to bring into Trimea…the place was hemorrhaging unpeace. Then he comes to the table and, wow, let’s just say everyone knows where they stand. No, this is a total, very big, terrific peace.”

Another reporter asked, “How will the peace be enforced?” The president, turning to wink at Michael Flynn, his national security advisor, standing just behind him, replied, “Look, I have over 21 billion followers on Twitter. These war people—the Arabs, the Burning Bush down in Honduras, the Bengazis—they’re big followers…huge followers!”

Trump continued, “Hey, the good guys...my friend Nathan Yahoo in Israel…and besides…they love me. They all know…they don’t come to the table…that’s it…it’s history…big time.”

When asked how he’d managed to conduct so many one-on-one peace negotiations with world leaders in just his first few days in office, the president was dismissive. “I’ll do those meetings when I need them. I don't have to be told—you know, I'm, like, a smart person," Trump said. “These guys…that Angelica Markle of Belgium—she’s one overrated leader...sad—they don’t have to tell me what world peace is. I don't need that.”

Fox News’s Shamus Bias asked Trump, “What will you do with units of the Armed Forces now stationed in war zones and potential flash points around the world—I guess we should call them peace points—now that those personnel won’t be needed any more?” 

The president responded, “We’re totally going for that America First thing. Let me tell you, there’s a lot better things those men in our terrific Armies could be doing…like fighting Mexican and Arab terrorists trying to get into this great country...and, you know, the rapists. Like clearing those liberal bleeding hearts out of our national parks so we can give those…a disaster, really so overrated…to someone who really loves them—the oilers and the miners…I love oilers and miners.”

        Sir, that's not the peace sign!"

Then, in what proved a turning point in the press conference, Bias asked for a follow-up question. “Sir, with all due respect, what do the National Parks have to do with world peace? And besides, don’t those public lands actually belong to the public?”

At that point, White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer abruptly stepped up to the podium and whispered something in the president’s ear. Trump, his face suddenly flushed, shook his finger at Bias and blurted, "That question...you...are a fake questioner!" Seeming to gain his composure, the president added, “This has been a terrifically open, comprehensive press conference…a huge success.” Then Trump, followed by Spicer, Flynn and the rest of his retinue, simply turned and walked out of the room.

Trump’s surprise exit, just five minutes into the press conference, puzzled even this friendly crowd. Anson Lipschitz of the weapons industry journal, Bang! called it “cryptic…so comprehensive...and yet so concise.”

At the door, Trump turned back toward the reporters, raised the back of his right hand in a fist, smiled triumphantly and extended his middle finger. One journalist, insisting his observation be shared off the record, later told this reporter that he overheard Spicer whisper loudly toward the president, “Sir, that’s not the peace sign!”

Why a President with an Acute Personality Disorder is a Bad Thing

To whom it may concern:
Here’s the dictionary (Apple Dictionary) definition of narcissism:

     Excessive or erotic interest in oneself and one's physical appearance.

     Psychology: Extreme selfishness, with a grandiose view of one's own
     talents and a craving for admiration, as characterizing a personality type.

     Psychoanalysis: Self-centeredness arising from failure to distinguish the
     self from external objects, either in very young babies or as a feature of
     mental disorder.

 

According to the American Psychiatric Association, narcissistic personality disorder (NPD) includes these symptoms:

    •    Having an exaggerated sense of self-importance
    •    Expecting to be recognized as superior even without achievements that
         warrant it
    •    Exaggerating your achievements and talents
    •    Being preoccupied with fantasies about success, power, brilliance, beauty
          or the perfect mate
    •    Believing that you are superior and can only be understood by or associate
          with equally special people
    •    Requiring constant admiration
    •    Having a sense of entitlement
    •    Expecting special favors and unquestioning compliance with your
          expectations
    •    Taking advantage of others to get what you want
    •    Having an inability or unwillingness to recognize the needs and feelings
          of others
    •    Being envious of others and believing others envy you
    •    Behaving in an arrogant or haughty manner

So, if by some odd chance seeing these very qualities in the most powerful man in the world—the man who, to a great extent, holds your future and that of your kids and grandkids in his hands—doesn’t concern you, consider this. Here are just a few figures of note known to suffer from NPD:

    •    Jim Jones
    •    Saddam Hussein
    •    Joan Crawford
    •    Ike Turner
    •    Lee Harvey Oswald
    •    Donald Trump
    •    Kayne West
    •    Eva Peron
    •    Simon Cowell
    •    Adolph Hitler
    •    Joseph Stalin
    •    Joseph Mengele
    •    Ted Bundy

 
 



    •    Heinrich Himmler
    •    Hermann Göromg
    •    Pol Pot
    •    And, by most accounts…yes, you guessed it…Vladimir Putin (Hm-m-m,
          birds of a feather?)

According to evolutionary psychologist Nigel Barber’s article, “Is Narcissism All Bad” in  Psychology Today (Oct. 9, 2014), the social media phenomenon—yes, including Twitter—of the past 15-20 years has served as rocket fuel to both the pervasiveness and seriousness of narcissistic personality disorder.
   
MentalHealth.com’s outline of the occupational-economic problems associated with NPD includes these:

• Causes significant impairment in academic, occupational and/or social functioning
• (Patients) work poorly with others; they are self-centered, can't tolerate criticism or defeat)

So-o-o, you trump-pets out there: any concerns yet about your guy’s qualifications and temperament for the job? Any concerns at all?

Tellin' It Like It Is...NOT!

Most trump supporters I’ve seen interviewed come up a little short when asked what it is they so love about the man and his professed policies. Oh, they might recite some nonsense they’ve bought from one of his campaign rants or a tweet about terrorist immigrants or sticking it to China. But what they do say quite clearly, almost to the person, is “…and he tells it like it is.”

Well folks, here’s exactly how your guy is telling it:

Tax Returns: When it comes to this disclosure, one of the few credible pieces of evidence suggesting any presumptive President’s innocence of conflicts of interest—and one which every major-party presidential candidate since 1976 has provided—he’s not tellin.’

Putin Influence: trump’s been accused of being under the thumb of Vladimir Putin—the ruthless, egomaniacal president of an adversary bent on undermining our democratic process. Those tax returns and perhaps a few business records just might put that concern to rest. But uh-uh, he’s not tellin.’

   trump offered a doctor's note—the 
   equivalent of the ten-year-old's note to his teacher saying 
   "Jimmy is xqused from skool today. I am sik."

Russian Obligations: Surely trump has business and banking records to refute allegations that he was bailed out of his massive 1980s bankruptcy by Russian oligarchs whose favor he’d long courted. Right? Nope—not tellin’ that either.

Medical Records: Instead of the specific medical evidence of their physical and psychological health Americans expect of their presidential candidates, trump offered a doctor’s letter—the equivalent of the ten-year-old’s note to his teacher saying “Jimmy is xqused from skool today. I am sick.” Obviously…not tellin.’ 

Contributors: How about disclosing who’s contributing to his inauguration extravaganza—something our last three presidents have done before being sworn in? No way, not tellin.’

     trump is "one of the most secretive presidential candidates 
     in modern history."

Cabinet Nominees: Shouldn’t they be providing Congress with all the customary background materials to clarify any offenses or potential conflicts of interest they might have? Once again, not tellin.’

White House Media Access: Perhaps most chilling of all, trump wants to ban from the White House any reporters who might force him to stop not tellin.’

There are many, many other shady—a better word would be opaque—areas of trump’s dealings, from his claimed charitable giving, to his business practices, to his behavior toward women…the list is long.

So, this is the man a disgruntled minority of American voters say they love for his openness and candor. The man they’ve entrusted with the hardest, most nuanced job in the world. The man who’s supposed to represent the interests and values of this country around the world. The man with his finger on the nuclear trigger. So what will trump do with all that power?

Clearly, there’s no telling.

                     John Wonderlich, executive director of the Sunlight
                     Foundation, which advocates for more openness in
                     government, calls trump one of the most secretive
                     presidential candidates in modern history.

THE LINE – When Sweet Talk Turns to Abuse

trump supporters: Maybe you admit your president-elect’s not the kind of man you’d want your daughter to date. Maybe there’s just a little lump in your gut that tells you something’s not quite right with the lustful recklessness of his moves on Lady Liberty. Still, you say, you want to at least give the guy a chance.

Okay, I get that. But, in the name of God, decide for yourselves—right now, as he already commits one mindless blunder after another—where you will draw the line on this guy’s conduct as your president.

         If you're unable or unwilling to draw a moral 
        line in the sand, history amply proves despots 
        like trump will draw it for you.

Will the last straw be proof that trump and his family are profiting from decisions and influences affecting U.S. trade policy? An order to hand-select the White House press corps to exclude any whose questions make him uncomfortable?

Maybe evidence that another country—especially a sworn enemy of the United States—has influence over him, perhaps even controls him with the threat of blackmail? Connections to the Mafia? Indictment for a serious crime like tax evasion, election fraud, sexual assault or rape?

Decide!

Because if you’re unable or unwilling to draw a moral line in the sand, history amply proves despots like trump will draw it for you. And then you’ll soon have to make another decision: how to tell your children and grandchildren yours was the political movement that sat back and watched while America and all her precious, hard-won values got seduced from right under your nose by a fucking TV reality star. And how you just waited while this masher groped, denigrated and brutally defiled our virtuous nation like just another of his bimbo groupies.

Decide!