Hail To The King

So let it be written. So let it be done. Thanks to the Republican Party, our Constitution is now under the control of a king. While his title is still the President of the United States, Donald J. Trump assumed the throne last week, his scepter carried by the likes of Mitch McConnell and Lindsay Graham.

The total capitulation, which we knew was in the works based on McConnell’s pledged allegiance to the White House before the impeachment trial began, climaxed when the vote to hear from additional witnesses failed by a mostly partisan 51-49 margin. We could have heard from John Bolton, Mick Mulvaney, or others who had first-hand knowledge of the President’s scheme.

Instead, we got words of wisdom from disgraced Baylor University Chancellor Ken Starr. Remember him? He’s the guy who couldn’t wait to impeach President Bill Clinton for lying about a sex act but lectured the country on how bad it was to impeach this President–for something far worse.

We also heard from the golden tongue of one Adam Dershowitz, a good friend of sexual predator Jeffrey Epstein, and one-time defender of O.J Simpson. Mr. Dershowitz wanted to let us know that abuse of power, especially one where the President was only acting in what he thought was in the country’s best interest, was not impeachable. In other words, if the President does it, it’s not illegal. Richard Nixon must have been doing a thumbs up from his grave.

Yes, those were just a couple of the President’s defenders. The others did their share of lying and deflecting. But the reality of the whole thing is that it was all just one big waste of time. We all knew it going in. Some of us, myself included, hoped we might at least have a snowball’s chance in hell that Bolton would testify. No such luck.

The fix was in from the beginning, and now we’re left with an emboldened President (King), accountable to nobody, with an Attorney General ready to unleash God knows what on his enemies. That’s right. Reports say that the king already has an enemies list, a la Nixon. And would it surprise anyone if bogus investigations are soon in the works for those who dared to defy the all-mighty one? If I were Adam Schiff, I’d watch my back.

Far be it for me to declare Trump a king, though. None other than presidential historian and author John Meacham said the following the other day during coverage of the impeachment trial: “Trump is functionally a monarch at this point,” he said. “He may well have now become the most powerful President in American history. He has such standing with his political base that senior United States senators have decided that though he is guilty, they are not going to risk the wrath of the people to follow through on what is clearly spelled out in the Constitution.”

I’m an admirer of Mr. Meacham. He’s an excellent author and straight shooter. When he speaks, we should all take notice. The Founders worried about this very same situation. They feared a man like Trump could very well be President someday. And well, here we are.

So, my friends, what are we to do? It’s tempting to throw up our hands in despair. The anger I’m feeling right now is real and palpable. But I’m not going to bury my head in the sand. Instead of being deterred at this moment in time, let’s be determined—determined to remove the President of the United States from office on November 3, 2020.

But that’s not all. There’s more we need to do. If we want the change we seek, removing Trump is only part of the equation. In my view, there are four main objectives this year:

That’s right, not just an electoral victory, but an overwhelming popular vote victory is the only way to send the message that the man in the White House right now is unacceptable. HE is not America. We are so much better than this.

And let’s face it, folks, a real close second as far as importance goes, must be the defeat of Mitch McConnell. Next to Trump, defeating this man has to be a top priority. He’s the one guy standing in the way of so much that needs to be done. Whether it’s election security, gun safety, health care, or climate change, McConnell is blocking everything, except the confirmation of out of the mainstream right-wing judges. His time is up, and it’s time to send him packing.

Keeping the House in Democratic control and flipping control of the Senate is paramount as well. We can do all four. The question is, are we willing to do some work? We know Trump’s base will be motivated and ready to rumble. I think we can not only match their resolve but surpass it many times over.

I know many of you do not use Twitter. I do participate on that platform, and here is a tweet from the other day that I think may be useful for all of us going forward.

These are the people running against some of the more vulnerable Senators from winnable states. I know it’s a stretch that McConnell’s Kentucky is winnable. But, he’s not very popular there. And, an excellent candidate is running against him: Amy McGrath, a retired Marine, and F/A-18 pilot. I’m planning on doing what I can to help her. I realize all of our situations are different, and if you can’t contribute monetarily, it’s understandable. But, if you can throw her a few bucks, please do so. I plan on doing so later today.

The people of the United States and Kentucky deserve better than Donald Trump and Mitch McConnell. McConnell has calculated that living with King Trump is better than removing him from the throne. He’s making the bet that the base of his party would never forgive him. As long as they get their judges, tax cuts, and deregulation, the rest of the country be damned.

The final coronation ends tomorrow afternoon. The King’s servants will gladly acquit him of his crimes against the office of the presidency. It’s no fault of Adam Schiff and the House Managers, by the way. They did their job and proved his guilt. Unfortunately, as the old saying goes, it takes two to tango.

In this case, one political party decided to dance with the devil, while the other is dancing with the Constitution. The road to rid ourselves of that devil begins right now. Are we ready?