Continuing
on a theme from yesterday, two items today demonstrate the extent of the
disrespect this administration has for democracy and the rule of law. Trump
might be the most dangerous threat to not only our collective futures but the
tenets laid down by our founding fathers. The two most important are the central
precepts of separate of powers and checks and balances and the clear intent to
stop government officials from using public office to enrich themselves (a real
concern after what had happened in France not long before the Constitutional
Congress convened). Trump and his administration appear unable or unwilling to
respect the separation of powers between government and the courts, church and
state and the presidency and Congress. Worse still, they have started an
assault on the media that seems intent on weakening the fourth estate beyond
recognition. Finally, is the growing realization that fears about conflicts of
interest are even worse than we might have imagined, as the administration
might be willing to air their crony capitalist intentions for all to see.
The
first news item today relates to that last point, as building on Trump’s own
tweet excoriating Nordstrom for dropping his poorly-selling daughter’s line, surrogate
Kelly-Anne Conway openly advertised for Ivanka during a television appearance on
Fox News (WP).
She was condemned by the press and rebuked by the House Oversight Committee
Chairman, who just happens to be a Republican. It is just the latest example of
an administration comfortable rewarding their friends and going after their
enemies in ways that push the conflict of interest intentions to their very
limit, comfortably gelling with early indications that foreign policy might be
run based on the business interests of the family (Salon).
The
second item, of course, was the decision of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals
to reject the Trump Administration motion to reinstate their travel ban (Salon)
– and the reaction of Trump and his surrogates. Apparently, his legal team
argued that Executive Orders are not subject to judicial review, an absurd
opinion that challenges the separation of powers and system of checks and
balances established to ensure another monarchy would not be democratically
established within the U.S. Trump would clearly love to take his seat at the
throne of a new American kleptocracy and is already laying the groundwork for
that very threat. Luckily for us, the Democrats appear to have finally
developed a backbone after years of bending over backwards to stay “moderate”
in a country that has shifted radically to the right and, combined with the
work of everyday citizens, committed members of the media and powerful liberal
organizations, might just be able to stave off his dreams.
Extraordinary
results from the latest Public
Policy Polling show a country that is already decidedly anti-Trump. While
his most fervent followers, which one should remember are only 25 percent of
voting age Americans, continue to buy into his narrative and support his
policies, a growing majority have turned against him, with an astounding 40
percent already backing his being impeached!
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