Hillary Clinton on Civility

Donald Trump on the Kavanaugh Controversy

LeBron James on the Politics of Sports

Jason Chaffetz on Democrats' Scorched Earth Policy

DC Edition of What's New Mr. Magoo?

Roger Stone on John Brennan

Sarah Huckabee Sanders on MS-13

When the Constitution Is Used As Kleenex

Dennis Miller on Socialism

Nikki Haley on Red Lines

On the Raid of Donald Trump's Personal Lawyer's Office

Post Scriptus- 04/10/2018:  

In attempting to report on Donald Trump's reaction to the raid on his personal lawyer's office and home, Twitter has taken to block links which cite the President's  thoughts, claiming that it could be a violation of Terms of Service.  

This seems to be another example of social media censorship of conservatives via shadow banning by internet overlords.  No wonder why Diamond and Silk are so agitated.

Revisiting the Loyalty from the So-Called Basket of Deplorables

Social media reaction to President Donald Trump signing the 2,200 page $1.3 Trillion Omnibus spending bill for the remaining six months of FY 18 has been swift and sharp.  Many who want to Drain the Swamp lamented that Mr. Trump caved in on a spending boondoggle which made Democrat leaders like House Minority Leader Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA 11th) and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer quite happy.   But in the wake of this spending spree, Trump loyalists took to Twitter as “Now is the time for all good men to come to the aid of their leader (sic)” with a tenacious and acrimonious approach.

Basically, Deplorables dictated that you are either with him or against him. No criticisms could be countenanced. Agreeing to the Omnibus may have been a bad choice, but what did you expect him to do when everything is arrayed against him. Wondering whether President Trump lost his legislative leverage was considered heresy and such nay sayers were implored to “Stop bitchin’ and get crackin!”.

Reflecting upon the irrational response of Deplorables, it was reminiscent of trepidations of a Troll Party takeover of the GOP as Mr. Trump entered the Republican run for the White House.  That analysis did not anticipate that Mr. Trump would be the last man standing after the Republican 2016 Presidential primaries, much less that he would win the White House that November .

If one were to try to characterize these voters, one would presume that they are previously dis-affected with the political process. Consequently, they seem to dismiss the present political process or are ignorant of the workings of the system.  The Trump phenomenon points to a charismatic ordinary man who is a successful non politician who is poised to shake up the system.

It is easy to appreciate Deplorables’  exasperation over how the political system is not working well, but when one dialogs with them about details of how to change, it devolves into populist platitudes or invincible ignorance about governance of our constitutional Republic.  Tellingly, one colloquy with such a Trump-eteer was summarized as: “pugnacious, smearing and ambiguous”, which seems consistent with contemporary experience. 

Sen. Rand Paul

When pressing for practical policies aside from the ambiguous “stand by your man”, there is a tendency of deflection.  It was surprising that one interlocutor tried to shut down realpolitik post Omnibus analysis by insisting one had no right to comment unless one had a PhD in Political Science.  

Rep. David Brat 

Yet a few exchanges later, the tenor had changed to insist that you have to do your own homework and you didn’t read the Omnibus bill.  Well, neither did Congress, but trusted sources like Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) and Representative David Brat (R-VA 7th) had highlighted egregious examples, but then those pearls of wisdom were suspect because it was mouthing others’ opinions.

For a political junkie who is not part of the Establishment, it can be vexing to have what could be characterized as a dialog with the deaf.

In many ways, this voter segment was an able army in the 2016 election cycle, especially when the opposition was so antithetical. Viscerally, they were probably aligned with Steve Bannon’s “burn down the house” approach to politics.



With the benefit of hindsight, it is easier to see this nascent Troll Party (ironically nicknamed “The Basket of Deplorables) by Hillary Clinton, as being praetorian populists, who are inclined to advocate any line from their dear leader. While it would seem that Deplorables tend to be individuals previously alienated from the political process and who are oriented toward an instinct to "Drain the Swamp", this must take place with conventional politics under our rule of law system. It may be appealing for a President to rail against earmarks, but unless there is a constitutional amendment for the Line Item Veto, these obtuse budgetary battles carry the day. 

Ex Speaker John Boehner

Others who want to Drain the Swamp may well be the rump of Constitutional Conservatives who were instrumental in sweeping the GOP back into power in the House in 2011 and the Senate in 2014.  Despite their tenure on Capitol Hill, they have not successfully infiltrated Republican leadership (though they were decisive in declaring the chair vacant and ousting Speaker John Boehner from power in 2015). 

There have been other prospective rifts in the alliance between Deplorables and Tea Party types, most notably prior to the Schumer shutdown in February 2018, in which President Trump called the Democrats’ bluff about DACA and there was a brief budgetary shut down. Those of a conservative bent expressed consternation that Trump had abandoned his mantra to “Build the Wall” to regularize a large swath of illegal immigrants. Because Schumer was blamed, this did not cause a serious split among those who want to shake up the system. 

It is my supposition that President Trump’s acquiescence on the Omnibus cram down spending spree may precipitate a waning of enthusiasm among the conservative base. This six month funding of the federal government increased domestic spending by 13% while busting the sequester caps on military spending.  Fiscal conservatives wonder if the Federal government will ever really reduce its spending willingly and adding over a trillion in half a year is unsustainable and virtually indistinguishable from the Obama era.

Big “Build the Wall” backers will be chagrined at how President Trump’s primary election promise has been thwarted.  Sure, the Trump Administration brags that $1.6 Billion has been allocated and work will start the next business day.  But if one looks at the specifics, it’s half that amount and there are provisions that the funds can not be spent on any of the Wall prototypes that President Trump traveled to California to inspect. Of course, building the wall is currently estimated to cost $26 Billion, so the allocation is a drop in the bucket.  Maybe Mexico will pick up the rest of the tab. Moreover, despite the pugilistic rhetoric about fighting jurisdictions which thwart immigration laws, Sanctuary Cities received full funding in the Omnibus.

If the conservative base is less than enthused about supporting the Administration, things may become bleak for Republican majorities in the House and the Senate.  In the Senate, the 2018 cycle should be challenging for Democrats to achieve a majority, as they have to defend 25 of 33 seats up for election. But Republicans hold a slim one vote majority, and Senator John McCain (R-AZ) has spent lots of time back in his home state convalescing from acute cancer.

In the House of Representatives , a shift of two dozen seats will bring Democrats back to power. Considering the court imposed redrawing of districts in Pennsylvania, the GOP is likely to lose up to five seats. If Democrats take over the House, they are more likely to impeach President Trump on nearly any grounds rather than work with him.

Despite the apparent depressing of conservative enthusiasm because of President Trump signing the Omnibus bill, the Democrat National Committee and the Democrat Congressional Campaign Committee are dead broke whereas the RNC and the RNCC are flush with cash. Perhaps the smart money is voting with campaign contributions.  However, as the 2016 cycle showed, money is not everything, otherwise it would be Madam President Hillary Clinton.

Some Deplorables are insisting on social media that President Trump has more cards up his sleeve about the budget, and proffer a prediction that Omnibus language is only a suggestion and that the Chief Executive will do what he wants, such as using the military to build the border wall.  If this novel approach was actually pursued, it would be enjoined by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in a nanosecond and would give substance to Democrats filing new articles of impeachment. But it would gladden the heart of the Basket of Deplorables for a bit. 

Denouncing the Nerve of Russia Poisoning

Trump Administration UN Ambassador Nikki Haley denounced the assassination attempt on  a Russian double agent living in England at the UN Security Council.  Sergei Skripal and his daughter were found slumped over in Salsibury city center on March 4th and they remain in critical condition.  Haley noted that this episode was a defining moment and "The credibility of this [Security] Council will not survive if we fail to hold Russia accountable." 


 The March 4th attack in Salsibury used Novichok ("Newcomer" in Russian), a military grade nerve agent which was manufactured in secret in the Soviet Union during the 1970s and 1980s.  A-230, one of the chemicals in Novichok, is five to eight times more lethal than VX gas. This toxic assassination attempt on foreign soil exposed dozens of citizens and 200 first responders to deadly chemicals.  Still, Russian Federation President Vladimir Putin deflects from responsibility for the attack. 



British Prime Minister Teresa May opined: "Either this was a direct action by the Russian State against our country or the Russian government lost control of a potentially catastrophically damaging nerve agent and allowed it to get in the hands of others."   The British Government expelled 23 Russian diplomats and suspended high level contacts.  In addition, there is talk that the UK may organize an official boycott of the Sochi World Cup competition this June.  Putin is mulling over retaliatory actions against the UK. 

Although the British have not invoked the "All For One, One For All" Article V Clause of NATO, there has been a rare joint statement between President Donald Trump, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and British Prime Minister Teresa May which concluded that there was no plausible alternative explanation explanation to Russian responsibility to the Salsibury attack and Russia's non response to the British legitimate request for an explanation further underlines the responsibility.  The communique noted that the use of chemical weapons is a breach of international law and an assault on UK sovereignty.


During one of the 2012 Presidential debates, President Barack Obama mocked Governor Mitt Romney (R-MA) for thinking that Russia was the premiere world threat and joked "The 1980s are now calling to get their their foreign policy back." The Salisbury chemical attack impeaches Obama's caustic quip.  Sadly, the mainstream media today is more focused on over-exposing Stormy Daniels strip tease of her truth of a Trump affair a dozen years ago than covering a serious international incident which actually involves Vladimir Putin. 

Update 03/26/2018  The Trump Administration expelled 60 Russian diplomats, including 12 from the United Nations.

Rep. Jim Jordan on the Uranium One Scandal

Victor David Hanson on FISA-gate

Tucker Carlson on Deep State Corruption

Sebastian Gorka on the FBI

Does Hope for "A Better Deal" Scuttle Bipartisan Budgetary Cooperation?

Andrew Napolitano on DC Swamp Culture

In reaction to revelations that the FBI withheld 30 documents about the July 2016 tarmac meeting between former President Bill Clinton and Obama Attorney General Loretta Lynch (when Hillary Clinton was still under investigation for the Hillary Email security violations), Judge Andrew Napolitano revealed an ugly truth about Beltway ethics. 

Napolitano's exhortation for government officials to follow the rule of law and not protect other "members of the club", explains why Values Voters Summit participants repeatedly rallied at allusions to "Drain the Swamp".

On Domestic Spying