tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65819930287651365002024-02-19T09:12:45.452-08:00Trump CensureTweeting and blogging in support of House Dems to hold Trump accountable in 2019.
For history of this blog, click on Label "A. Trump censure" below to the right.Rob Shattuckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02707865352312442808noreply@blogger.comBlogger63125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6581993028765136500.post-25663040377295396582023-03-04T16:34:00.006-08:002023-03-14T16:21:25.464-07:00I am the only one<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Trump at CPAC: I am the only one who can get you everything you want.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/alpolitics?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#alpolitics</a><a href="https://t.co/MMsDGrrTJ1">https://t.co/MMsDGrrTJ1</a><a href="https://t.co/TwL7qVuvpR">https://t.co/TwL7qVuvpR</a><br /> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/alpolitics?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#alpolitics</a></p>— Rob Shattuck (@RobShattuckAL06) <a href="https://twitter.com/RobShattuckAL06/status/1632178994329133057?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 5, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Trump at CPAC 2023:<br />I alone can "finish" the mission and get you everything you want.<br />I alone will "finish" the mission and get you everything you want.<a href="https://t.co/MMsDGrrTJ1">https://t.co/MMsDGrrTJ1</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/alpolitics?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#alpolitics</a> <a href="https://t.co/azGu8eSf9F">https://t.co/azGu8eSf9F</a></p>— Rob Shattuck (@RobShattuckAL06) <a href="https://twitter.com/RobShattuckAL06/status/1632423230223925250?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 5, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Besides Trump's 2023 CPAC speech, listen to Bob Woodward's "Trump Tapes" to know how Trump will make mincemeat of DeSantis.<a href="https://t.co/MMsDGrrTJ1">https://t.co/MMsDGrrTJ1</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/alpolitics?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#alpolitics</a> <a href="https://t.co/xPAPl4hoh4">https://t.co/xPAPl4hoh4</a></p>— Rob Shattuck (@RobShattuckAL06) <a href="https://twitter.com/RobShattuckAL06/status/1632503899826401281?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 5, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">All the press needs to know is that Trump will be the retribution and DeSantis will be mincemeat.<a href="https://t.co/w79ucLlNU0">https://t.co/w79ucLlNU0</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/alpolitics?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#alpolitics</a> <a href="https://t.co/2jQbiR7NuQ">https://t.co/2jQbiR7NuQ</a></p>— Rob Shattuck (@RobShattuckAL06) <a href="https://twitter.com/RobShattuckAL06/status/1632898901777711104?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 7, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Let's hear it for Trump being the retribution and DeSantis being mince meat.<a href="https://t.co/w79ucLlNU0">https://t.co/w79ucLlNU0</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/alpolitics?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#alpolitics</a> <a href="https://t.co/SOmhiC4zm6">https://t.co/SOmhiC4zm6</a></p>— Rob Shattuck (@RobShattuckAL06) <a href="https://twitter.com/RobShattuckAL06/status/1635782632800677888?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 14, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>Rob Shattuckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02707865352312442808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6581993028765136500.post-17912706576195021142022-03-13T03:38:00.000-07:002022-03-13T03:38:09.349-07:00Trump doing Putin's work<p> </p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Here is Donald Trump last night doing Putin's work to divide America and help Putin.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/alpolitics?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#alpolitics</a> <a href="https://t.co/CKfkl5NHZP">https://t.co/CKfkl5NHZP</a> via <a href="https://twitter.com/nypost?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@nypost</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/alpolitics?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#alpolitics</a></p>— Rob Shattuck (@RobShattuckAL06) <a href="https://twitter.com/RobShattuckAL06/status/1502953816697806851?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 13, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>Rob Shattuckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02707865352312442808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6581993028765136500.post-44512994893849577452021-02-11T01:27:00.002-08:002021-02-11T01:48:28.267-08:00Trump's secret sauce<p>My fellow American patriots:</p><p>Everything I did on January 6th, I did for you, and for our great American country.</p><p>In the months and years ahead, I will continue to fight like hell for you and for America first.</p><p>They will never stop me or you.</p><p>Together we will win, and win, and win, like you have never seen before.</p><p>We will win in 2022, and we will win in 2024.</p><p>Never give up.</p><p>Keep fighting like hell.</p><p>And we will win.</p><p>Today, tomorrow and forever.</p><p>God bless you my fellow American patriots.</p><p>And God bless the United States of America.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Rob Shattuckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02707865352312442808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6581993028765136500.post-84928750683066152572021-01-21T05:12:00.011-08:002021-02-09T01:08:09.760-08:00Condemning Trump<p>The pending second impeachment puts front and center the matter of what condemnation or punishment of Trump should happen, taking into account the importance of unifying the country and not further dividing it.</p><p>One side says Trump as President did very wrong things that no President should ever do again; punishment or other accountability of Trump is needed to deter any future President from doing the same; and there needs to be general agreement of Americans of the wrong things Trump did.</p><p>On the other side, millions of Americans believe Trump did nothing wrong as President, and Trump has been badly wronged by the Democrats during the past 4 years.</p><p>The foregoing huge discrepancy of views needs to be overcome. </p><p>If the discrepancy is not overcome, it will adversely affect the country's ability to reduce division and gain a unity in addressing the country's crises of health, the economy, violence and race.</p><p>So, then, what wrong things do I think Trump did as President that need to be recognized generally as wrong, and what condemnation or punishment of Trump should happen now?</p><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>1/30/21</b></span><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Praise of Trump</b></span><div>To try to overcome the above referenced discrepancy of views, before listing the wrongs Trump perpetrated as President, consideration needs to be given to the perceptions of those who think Trump did nothing wrong as President. </div><div><br /></div><div>Alabama Trump supporter Perry O. Hooper has submitted a proposed resolution of ALGOP to pass per the below tweet:<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Alabama Republicans want to name Trump "one of the greatest presidents in history" <a href="https://twitter.com/DonaldJTrumpJr?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DonaldJTrumpJr</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/IvankaTrump?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@IvankaTrump</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/EricTrump?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@EricTrump</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/MELANIATRUMP?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MELANIATRUMP</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/GOPChairwoman?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GOPChairwoman</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/ALGOP?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ALGOP</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/EmilyMorenoB?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@EmilyMorenoB</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/alpolitics?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#alpolitics</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GOP?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GOP</a> <a href="https://t.co/byU3WQfWo2">https://t.co/byU3WQfWo2</a></p>— Ph (@perryo14) <a href="https://twitter.com/perryo14/status/1354437289007583233?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 27, 2021</a></blockquote><p>The reasons listed in the proposed resolution are listed below. Bracketed material are some comments of mine about the listed reasons. </p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>putting “the American people and the American worker first in all his decisions and policies” [see what I say in my list of wrongs Trump perpetrated]</li><li>developing the “effective COVID -19 vaccines in record time” [not clear to me that someone else as President would not have managed same]</li><li>enacting “the largest tax cuts and reforms in American history by signing the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act into law” [see <a href="https://al6thcongdist-ihaveuntiljan13.blogspot.com/2017/12/al-experts-re-tax-cuts.html">AL experts re tax cuts</a>]</li><li>withdrawing “from the job-and-trade-killing Trans-Pacific Partnership…and NAFTA”</li><li>standing “up to China bringing back manufacturing industry to the U.S.” [I am not qualified to evaluate]</li><li>his decision to “withdrew from the job-killing Paris Climate Agreement”</li><li>“record low unemployment rates for all Americans, including African, Hispanic and Asian-Americans prior to the pandemic” [numerous factors affect economic performance of United States over time; I don't know that Hillary Clinton would not have achieved samer results]</li><li>appointing “three constitutional conservative justices to the U.S. Supreme Court”</li><li>building “up and bolstered all of the U.S. military branches around the world” [I'm not qualified to do a cost/benefit analysis]</li><li>the Space Force</li><li>withdrawing “from the shady Iran nuclear deal” [not a black and white decision]</li><li>moving the U.S. Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem [I am not qualified to evaluate]</li><li>and “initiating the Israel-UAE (and other surrounding nations) accord providing more stability and commerce in the Middle East” [I am not qualified to evaluate]</li></ul></blockquote><p>I have solicited additions or modifications to above list but have received none.</p> <script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-conversation="none"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Do <a href="https://twitter.com/MAShow995?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MAShow995</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/JeffPoorShow?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JeffPoorShow</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/fmtalk1065?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@fmtalk1065</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/TheDaleJackson?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TheDaleJackson</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/SteveFlowersAL?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SteveFlowersAL</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/will_show2020?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@will_show2020</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/sean_yhn?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@sean_yhn</a> care to add to or modify the reasons set out in <a href="https://twitter.com/perryo14?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@perryo14</a>'s proposed <a href="https://twitter.com/ALGOP?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ALGOP</a> resolution that Trump is "one of the greatest presidents in history"?<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/alpolitics?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#alpolitics</a> <a href="https://t.co/MmT5cYeSRu">https://t.co/MmT5cYeSRu</a></p>— Rob Shattuck (@RobShattuckAL06) <a href="https://twitter.com/RobShattuckAL06/status/1354571684242743297?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 27, 2021</a></blockquote><div><br /></div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Things Trump should be censured for</b></span><br />It is being considered for Congress to censure Trump for his incitement of the January 6th insurrection, and it seems appropriate to cast this discussion in terms of additional things Trump should be censured for. </div><div><br /></div><div>A. Trump's 30,573 false or misleading claims<p>The Washington Post's final tally is that Trump mae 30,573 false or misleading claims during his Presidency. <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/politics/trump-claims-database/">https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/politics/trump-claims-database/</a></p><p>Just about every politicians is guilty of making false or misleading claims.</p><p>The question is whether Trump made false or misleading claims to such an extreme extent that he should be censured by Congress at this time.</p><p>The political process needs parties to be able to agree on facts. A good case can be made that Trump either was successful in getting his supporters to believe his false or misleading claims or to be indifferent to truth, and this has significantly impaired the political process in the United States and increased the division in the country.</p><p>Further, Trump's false or misleading claims can conceal nefarious purposes and goals of Trump, including to escape our system of checks and balances and be above the law (be an autocrat, and help the accomplishment of the nefarious purposes and goals.</p><p>A good case can be made that Trump had and pursued a nefarious goal of being an autocrat not subject to our system of checks and balances.</p><p>A censure resolution should articulate the foregoing and express censure and educate the American people concerning the same and that it was a wrong perpetrated by Trump against the American people to have made the 30,753 false or misleading claims. </p><p>B. Trump's conflicts of interest.</p><p>The problem of Trump's conflicts of interest and the problems they created during his Presidency is discussed at <a href="https://trumptweet.blogspot.com/2019/02/trumps-conflicts-of-interest-problem.html">Trump's conflicts of interest problem</a>.</p><p>The censure resolution should censure Trump related to his conflicts of interest.</p><p>C. Abuse of pardon power</p><p>I think it is clear that Trump has abused his pardon power and he should be censured for that, which will signal to future Presidents that they should not abuse their pardon power and abuse could lead to impeachment.</p><p>D. Abandoning his Presidential duty to save American lives </p> <script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script></div>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-conversation="none"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Do you think Congress should censure Trump for abandoning, after Nov. 3, 2020, the Presidential duties Trump had to save American lives from the virus and to lessen the ongoing economic destruction resulting from the pandemic?<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/alpolitics?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#alpolitics</a></p>— Rob Shattuck (@RobShattuckAL06) <a href="https://twitter.com/RobShattuckAL06/status/1356597073127292931?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 2, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">So, assuming Pelosi didn't allow bipartisan bill to pass because it would have helped Trump's re-election prospects, after Nov. 3, it was ok for Trump to quit his Presidential duties to save American lives and lessen ongoing economic destruction from pandemic?<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/alpolitics?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#alpolitics</a></p>— Rob Shattuck (@RobShattuckAL06) <a href="https://twitter.com/RobShattuckAL06/status/1356670650505641984?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 2, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">History, voters, campaign postmortems, and possible Congressional commission, have provided or will provide much information and judgment about how well or poorly Trump performed his Presidential job regarding virus, before and after Nov. 3rd.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/alpolitics?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#alpolitics</a><a href="https://t.co/lYBvSg1GQV">https://t.co/lYBvSg1GQV</a></p>— Rob Shattuck (@RobShattuckAL06) <a href="https://twitter.com/RobShattuckAL06/status/1356676770913783809?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 2, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">I think, if Biden, Clinton or Obama was President in 2020, comparable speed of vaccine development would have taken place.<br>I have limited info in judging Trump's virus response performance as poor. I'll leave it to others to develop the full case on that.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/alpolitics?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#alpolitics</a></p>— Rob Shattuck (@RobShattuckAL06) <a href="https://twitter.com/RobShattuckAL06/status/1356740549093576707?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 2, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>Rob Shattuckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02707865352312442808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6581993028765136500.post-34749045606725915602020-12-20T01:42:00.003-08:002020-12-20T01:51:45.818-08:00Unlawful martial lawThere is an alarming news report of a White House meeting on Friday that included bringing up of what Michael Flynn had suggested earlier in the week that Trump could invoke martial law as part of his efforts to overturn the election that he lost to President-elect Joe Biden. The report said it wasn't clear whether Trump endorsed the idea, but others in the room forcefully pushed back and shot it down. <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2020/12/19/politics/trump-oval-office-meeting-special-counsel-martial-law/index.html">https://www.cnn.com/2020/12/19/politics/trump-oval-office-meeting-special-counsel-martial-law/index.html</a><div><br /></div><div>This alarming news report raises questions of whether a martial law that is declared by the President can be unlawful, whether such declaration can be criminally unlawful, whether there can be a criminal conspiracy to bring about a criminally unlawful declaration of martial law, whether there can be a criminal attempt to bring about a criminally unlawful declaration of martial law, and, although DOJ policy is that the President may not be indicted for a crime committed while President, whether other actors in the criminal conspiracy or the criminal attempt can be criminally indicted and prosecuted.</div><div><br /></div><div>It seems clear that the answer to the first question is that a martial law that is declared by the President can be unlawful, and a case may be brought before a court that has an outcome that the court declares the martial law was unlawful.</div><div><br /></div><div>In the days ahead, more attention needs to be given by the Department of Justice, U.S. attorneys and others about whether there may be a criminally unlawful declaration of martial law and criminal conspiracy or attempt about the same.</div>Rob Shattuckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02707865352312442808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6581993028765136500.post-8895127867748753732020-12-13T06:14:00.010-08:002020-12-16T03:09:48.099-08:00Cong'l hearing re election integrity<p>Trump continues his adamancy that the election was rigged and stolen from him.</p>Many millions of Americans believe the election was rigged. <a href="https://newsla.localad.com/2020/12/12/fox-news-poll-shows-significant-number-of-dems-and-independents-believe-election-was-stolen/">Fox News poll shows significant number of Dems and Independents believe election was stolen</a>; <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-poll/half-of-republicans-say-biden-won-because-of-a-rigged-election-reuters-ipsos-poll-idUSKBN27Y1AJ">Half of Republicans say Biden won because of a 'rigged' election: Reuters/Ipsos poll</a><div><br /></div><div>Americans need to believe their elections have integrity. If their elections don't have integrity, Americans need to know that, and steps need to be taken to correct the situation.</div><div><br /></div><div>This is a sufficiently serious matter that there needs to be a Congressional investigation in 2021 on Presidential election integrity.</div><div><br /></div><div>There are many possible witnesses for Congress to call to testify in the hearings. A leading witness to be called would seem to be Donald Trump.</div>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en"><a href="https://twitter.com/ALGOP?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ALGOP</a>, will you urge our <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/algop?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#algop</a> in Congress to seek holding of Cong'l hearings in 2021 re election integrity?<a href="https://twitter.com/JeffCo_GOP?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JeffCo_GOP</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/MobileGOP?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MobileGOP</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/ShelbyCountyGOP?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ShelbyCountyGOP</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/BaldwinALGOP?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BaldwinALGOP</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/MIDALGOP?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MIDALGOP</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/MontgomeryGOP?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MontgomeryGOP</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/CentralALGOP?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CentralALGOP</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/GreaterBhamRepW?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GreaterBhamRepW</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/4gop?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@4gop</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/autaugagop?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@autaugagop</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/dalecogop?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@dalecogop</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/TuscaloosaGOP?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TuscaloosaGOP</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/alpolitics?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#alpolitics</a> <a href="https://t.co/B7gkOB5UsB">https://t.co/B7gkOB5UsB</a></p>— Rob Shattuck (@RobShattuckAL06) <a href="https://twitter.com/RobShattuckAL06/status/1338181915464130563?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 13, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>
<br /><p> <b><span style="font-size: x-large;">12/14/20</span></b></p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Alabama <a href="https://twitter.com/AGSteveMarshall?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AGSteveMarshall</a> today spoke before the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ElectoralCollege?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ElectoralCollege</a> vote in Montgomery and said "those seeking to undermine the integrity of our elections remain with passionate energy." <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/alpolitics?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#alpolitics</a><a href="https://t.co/sthLjRtPQf">https://t.co/sthLjRtPQf</a> <a href="https://t.co/zWDgWrt84E">pic.twitter.com/zWDgWrt84E</a></p>— #WVTM13 (@WVTM13) <a href="https://twitter.com/WVTM13/status/1338569814181339137?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 14, 2020</a></blockquote><p>Marshall, in the above clip, says, "For the sake of the country, I hope that we will be able to resolve the questions about this year's elections, questions which are of great public importance, before election day." </p><p>I think Marshall meant Inauguration Day.</p><p>I don't see any way for the questions to which Marshall is referring will be "resolved" before Inauguration Day. It seems certain Trump will continue to say the election was rigged and stolen.</p><p>If Marshall is serious about wanting for such questions to be resolved, the best chance will be via Congressional hearings in 2021. </p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Is your demanded Cong'l investigation into voting irregularities in 2020 election for lame duck Congress or for new one in 2021?<br>I demand citizen Trump testify as witness under oath. <br>Do you?<a href="https://twitter.com/RepBarryMoore?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RepBarryMoore</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/alpolitics?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#alpolitics</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/StopTheSteal?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#StopTheSteal</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/StopTheSteal2020?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#StopTheSteal2020</a><a href="https://t.co/dok9GPgEKT">https://t.co/dok9GPgEKT</a></p>— Rob Shattuck (@RobShattuckAL06) <a href="https://twitter.com/RobShattuckAL06/status/1339009649731915776?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 16, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-conversation="none"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Part of Americans being able to have faith that our elections are free and fair is that there not be lies and misinformation about the elections, which impair such faith.<br>Citizen Trump must testify under oath so Americans can decide whether he lied.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/alpolitics?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#alpolitics</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/StopTheSteal?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#StopTheSteal</a></p>— Rob Shattuck (@RobShattuckAL06) <a href="https://twitter.com/RobShattuckAL06/status/1339165212394577920?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 16, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>Rob Shattuckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02707865352312442808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6581993028765136500.post-14852393722029674602020-09-24T11:16:00.002-07:002020-09-24T11:18:07.715-07:00Combating Trump rallies<div style="text-align: left;">Here's a tactic I propose to the Biden campaign and to Biden supporters to combat Trump rallies: </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">When there is a rally, as many Biden supporters as possible should go to the rally facility or site. The Biden supporters should encircle the facility or site, using social distancing and masks. If there are enough Biden supporters, they can form multiple concentric circles around the Trump rally facility or site. Probably it would be most effective if the Biden supporters are silent, do not have signs, and are stationary. There should be three or four exit spaces in the circle of Biden supporters that surrounds the Trump rally facility or site. After the rally, as the Trump supporters leave the rally, they will see a large number of Biden supporters in a big circle surrounding the Trump supporters and staring at them. The Trump supporters can either walk through the exit spaces left in the big circle of Biden supporters, or the Trump supporters can walk out between the socially distanced Biden supporters. In either event, the Trump supporters will see a large number of Biden supporters arrayed against them and will either have to look Biden supporters in the eye or the Trump supporters will have to avert their eyes. All of the foregoing should be very effective campaign messaging for Biden-Harris and be amplified by great news coverage of the rally.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">This idea was prompted by Trump's September 22nd rally at the Pittsburgh International Airport in Moon Township and the accompanying crowd pictures, such as below.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl8-5CtdrAJ9ZFmqR6otv0xvdnf-Brj5o7MsofvpSZaOKhyphenhyphen2hAozl73253i_NApHuIV3FHxAnURe8i1x1L3hx_hiJUtw4Pp2pen1wevlVCt43r5Dz0U2AGdl9ArhGxb7coL9-1ixJ3uUcZ/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="440" data-original-width="780" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl8-5CtdrAJ9ZFmqR6otv0xvdnf-Brj5o7MsofvpSZaOKhyphenhyphen2hAozl73253i_NApHuIV3FHxAnURe8i1x1L3hx_hiJUtw4Pp2pen1wevlVCt43r5Dz0U2AGdl9ArhGxb7coL9-1ixJ3uUcZ/" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /></div>Yesterday morning, I submitted a post to the Alabama for Joe Biden Facebook page consisting of the introductory words "Here's a tactic to combat Trump rallies: " followed by the exact language in the second paragraph above plus a link to an article about the September 22nd rally, including the above photos.<div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">My post was approved by the group administrators and it was posted on the FB page. My post received 9 likes and the below 6 comments:</div><br /><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;">I think going as undercover trump supporters would work. Just stay and play dumb like all trumpites.<br /> Sounds like a good plan if you want to arrested or our asses kicked by rednecks.<br />Sounds like a recipe for those Trump supporters to start being violent!<br />JOE JOE JOE JOE JOE!<br />Sounds amusing. But there would be people yelling at you. With masks off. Spittle soaring.<br />And then the fights. …SeeMore<br />I think the smart thing is for Biden to keep on doing what he’s doing to keep his followers safe since the Coronavirus is still raging and speeding. If there wasn’t a pandemic I’d gladly attend some of Biden’s rallies if it was anywhere near my location.</blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"> </blockquote> <div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;">Today I learned of Trump's rally tomorrow night in Newport News and I added a comment to my above post, saying, "<span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial; font-size: 13.3333px;">Trump is having a rally tomorrow at the Newport News/Williamsburg International Airport at 9 pm, doors opening 6 pm. </span><a class="yiv5563936716oajrlxb2 yiv5563936716g5ia77u1 yiv5563936716qu0x051f yiv5563936716esr5mh6w yiv5563936716e9989ue4 yiv5563936716r7d6kgcz yiv5563936716rq0escxv yiv5563936716nhd2j8a9 yiv5563936716nc684nl6 yiv5563936716p7hjln8o yiv5563936716kvgmc6g5 yiv5563936716cxmmr5t8 yiv5563936716oygrvhab yiv5563936716hcukyx3x yiv5563936716jb3vyjys yiv5563936716rz4wbd8a yiv5563936716qt6c0cv9 yiv5563936716a8nywdso yiv5563936716i1ao9s8h yiv5563936716esuyzwwr yiv5563936716f1sip0of yiv5563936716lzcic4wl yiv5563936716py34i1dx yiv5563936716gpro0wi8" href="https://www.wtkr.com/news/election-2020/president-trump-to-hold-make-america-great-again-rally-in-newport-news-on-september-25?fbclid=IwAR0lNBWTnrl90dfBei0Qenah2hjzDHt-6Q7xwKupGts7FgSepqNvd6Y3MJ8" rel="nofollow" style="border-color: initial; border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; color: blue; cursor: pointer; display: inline; font-family: inherit; font-size: 13.3333px; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: inherit;" tabindex="0" target="_blank">https://www.wtkr.com/.../president-trump-to-hold-make...</a>"</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I next proceeded to send the below tweet to the Newport News Democrats:<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en"><a href="https://twitter.com/NewportNewsDems?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NewportNewsDems</a> <br />Consider getting a ton of Biden supporters to encircle (to extent possible) the Newport News/Williamsburg International Airport at 9 pm tomorrow where Trump is having a rally. Please read below thread for details of this idea. Thanks.<a href="https://t.co/XXDgGirahX">https://t.co/XXDgGirahX</a></p>— Rob Shattuck (@RobShattuckAL06) <a href="https://twitter.com/RobShattuckAL06/status/1309155501054230528?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 24, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Next I got a notification that the FB group admininstrators had deleted the comment I had added to my post. About 20 minutes after that the administrators deleted the post itself. The explanations given were:</div></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;">[explanation for deletion of post]<br />Group rules that were violated<br /> 1Follow Joe’s Code<br />We are a community that values: Compassion, Faith, Resilience, Empathy, Kindness, Humility, Joy, Respect, Inclusion, Dignity, “No Malarkey”. All posts must reflect this.<br /> [explanation for deletion of comment (before post was deleted)]<div>Additional notes from the admins</div><div>We cannot promote in person events. Please visit https://joebiden.com/take-action/ to find an event or try to organize one yourself through Mobilize!</div></blockquote>Rob Shattuckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02707865352312442808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6581993028765136500.post-16427078711532092002020-06-06T09:15:00.002-07:002020-06-06T09:18:54.067-07:00Dear RVATDear Republican Voters Against Trump (<span style="background-color: white; color: #657786; font-family: , , "blinkmacsystemfont" , "segoe ui" , "roboto" , "ubuntu" , "helvetica neue" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://twitter.com/RVAT2020">@RVAT2020</a> )</span><br />
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I am an Alabamian.<br />
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I was a Republican.<br />
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I voted for Trump.<br />
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I quickly turned against Trump.<br />
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I wish to suggest to the Republican Voters Against Trump coalition a campaign tool of organized direct tweeting to Republican voters and others.<br />
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To understand the campaign tool, please read the link <a href="http://al6thcongdist-ihaveuntiljan13.blogspot.com/2019/02/organized-direct-tweeting-campaign-tool.html">Organized, direct tweeting campaign tool</a> and look at the examples given in the link.<br />
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If this campaign tool appeals to the leadership of the Republican Voters Against Trump coalition, I would suggest that it be implemented by means of special webpages on the <a href="https://rvat.org/">https://rvat.org/</a> website to which the tweets that are sent in the organized direct tweeting would link.<br />
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To start, I think there might a special webpage for each of the 50 states.<br />
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The special webpage for a State would invite persons who come to the webpage to join in the tweeting to other persons in the State.<br />
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I have no experience in webpage design.</div>
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The wording (and visuals) of the special webpages on the <a href="https://rvat.org/">https://rvat.org/</a> website need to be done in a way that motivates visitors who come to the webpage to join in the tweeting.</div>
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I have attempted an anti-Trump form of this in an amateurish way at <a href="https://al6thcongdist-ihaveuntiljan13.blogspot.com/2020/05/alabamians-tweeting-mourning-in-america.html">https://al6thcongdist-ihaveuntiljan13.blogspot.com/2020/05/alabamians-tweeting-mourning-in-america.html</a>.</div>
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If the leadership of the Republican Voters Against Trump coalition decides to try out the organized direct tweeting tool and creates a special webpage on its website for Alabama, I would be pleased to initiate tweeting in Alabama.</div>
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Rob Shattuckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02707865352312442808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6581993028765136500.post-11842685049827644302020-05-17T15:46:00.001-07:002020-05-31T03:01:34.143-07:00A wonderful 2020 electionMillions of Americans are disgusted by their politicians' lies, prevarications, distortions, deceptions, and double standards.<br />
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The voters feel their disgust most acutely during elections. Candidates' TV ads are especially obnoxious.<br />
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During the three years of Trump, hatred and anger that the two side have for each other has been increased by divisiveness that Trump has spawned and attendant charges and counter-charges of lying, fake news, treason, criminality, corruption, evil intent, and conspiracy.</div>
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Currently Trump and Obama are at verbal war with each other.</div>
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The charges and counter-charges, and the onslaught on Americans, will ramp up to intenser levels in the run up to November.</div>
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This is sickening to most average Americans.</div>
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There may be a way the American people can combat the politicians.</div>
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With imagination the 2020 elections might be turned wonderful.</div>
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[to be continued].<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">5/31/20</span></b><br />
OK, here's my idea about how to make the 2020 Presidential election wonderful.<br />
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Get Trump, Biden, Obama and other prime actors relative to the Russia investigation and the Ukraine impeachment to testify under oath to Congress.<br />
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The Dems say that Trump has been guilty of serious wrongdoing amounting to impeachable offenses.<br />
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Trump adamantly says he has done nothing wrong, and he and the GOP say the Russia investigation was a "hoax" the impeachment was a "sham", and the Dems are guilty of an illegal coup against a duly elected President..<br />
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These are extreme charges and counter-charges, they have been going on for 3 years, and they will likely intensify leading up to November.<br />
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For three years, the voters have been inundated by mountains of information and contentions from each side about why its side is right and the other side is wrong.<br />
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Most Americans cannot process what been heaped on them and most Americans don't know whom or what to believe.<br />
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This needs to be boiled down by the two sides, and presented like a court case in Congress, and Americans need to see and hear what Trump, Biden, Obama and other prime actors say to Congress under oath.<br />
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If this happens, Americans who presently don't know whom or what to believe may, should be in a much better position to decide whom and what they believe.<br />
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That could make for a wonderful 2020 Presidential election.<br />
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Rob Shattuckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02707865352312442808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6581993028765136500.post-77987784202218323992020-05-16T15:19:00.011-07:002022-07-10T06:08:51.050-07:00Our country's dire conditionOur country is in the grips of an epochal, nationwide natural disaster.<br />
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The scale of the destruction the COVID pandemic is causing will be upwards of 50 times the most destructive natural disasters of hurricanes, tornadoes and wildfires the country has experienced before.<br />
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Such previous natural disasters were localized, and the costs of the destruction were able to be managed with the resources and wealth of the United States.<br />
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Hurricane Katrina, which is rated the costliest of the country's natural disasters, cost 166.3 billion dollars. <a href="https://finance.yahoo.com/news/most-expensive-natural-disasters-us-153351513.html">https://finance.yahoo.com/news/most-expensive-natural-disasters-us-153351513.html</a></div>
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The total costs of the 9/11 attacks are very much higher than Katrina and can be deemed to include things such as the costs of operating Department of Homeland Security ($408 billion for first 10 years), the cost of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq ($1.3 trillion through 2011 and a total projected cost of wars through 2050 of $4 trillion), and there are other separate categories of costs of tens of billions of dollars each. <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/the-cost-of-9-11-in-dollars/">https://www.cbsnews.com/news/the-cost-of-9-11-in-dollars/</a><br />
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The pandemic natural disaster is, in a short time frame of a few months, causing trillions of dollars of lost income to the American people.<br />
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Tens of millions of Americans, through no fault of their own, have been deprived of jobs they need to provide for themselves and their families.<br />
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Many other tens of millions of Americans, and the businesses they work in, are experiencing significant reductions in income.<br />
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The Federal government is providing trillions of dollars of funding to cover this huge lost income of the American people. The trillions of dollars are being paid and distributed to the American people in various ways.<br />
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State governments are providing funding through unemployment insurance programs.</div>
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Congress is confronting having to spend additional hundreds of billions of dollars to help state and local governments provide essential services, which governments have lost wherewithal to do, because of the pandemic natural disaster's impact on the economy and the resulting loss of tax revenues to the governments.</div>
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There is great uncertainty about when the economy will sufficiently recover so that Americans who have been impacted by the pandemic natural disaster will have jobs so they can provide for themselves and their families, and don't need further governmental funding to stay alive. In other words, more trillions of dollars of governmental funding may be needed.<br />
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All of the trillions of dollars of government funding are an imperative both for getting funds into the hands of Americans to be able to purchase food and other necessities they need to live, and also to keep the economy going by such Americans spending the funds to purchase things as they would do if they had not lost their incomes.<br />
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Currently, a main occupation of our Federal and state governments is managing the distribution of the trillions of dollars of Federal and state government funding to the American people. The distribution is being done on a necessarily rushed basis, and it is likely that much time and effort will be expended to try to "correct" "unjustified" distributions of governmental funds.<br />
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For years to come, our Federal and state governments will confront using their taxing, monetary and other powers to reduce the trillions of dollars of governmental debt that has been and will be created in dealing with the pandemic. How the Federal and state governments do this will have large effects on businesses, workers, schools, hospitals and state and local governments, and this will result in years of political vying of competing economic interests of such persons.</div>
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In all of this, the United States is facing a national challenge probably on the scale and complexity of the challenge the country faced in fighting World War II.</div>
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The challenge calls for a unity of commitment by Americans to do what is necessary to reach the end goal, and that will entail a willingness of Americans to endure hardships and make sacrifices for the common good.</div>
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The national challenge needs a President whose leadership all Americans are willing to accept and follow. This in turn needs the President to have the trust and confidence of the American people.<br />
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An important component of having the trust of the American people is that they believe the President is honest and inspires their loyalty because the President shows his paramount commitment to the country and them. </div>
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Donald Trump fails the foregoing tests in the eyes of more than half the country, and it seems clear that Donald Trump is unable to do anything to change that.</div>
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The failures of Trump in the eyes of more than half the country impairs the ability of the country to succeed in getting through the nationwide natural disaster that has befallen the country.</div><div><br /></div><div>See also <a href="https://al6thcongdist-ihaveuntiljan13.blogspot.com/2020/05/you-must-get-political.html">You must get political</a> and <a href="https://al6thcongdist-ihaveuntiljan13.blogspot.com/2020/08/covid-liability-precipice.html">Covid liability precipice</a>.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">11/24/21</span></b></div><div>The long, complicated slog to dig out of the dire condition into which the United States was plunged by COVID-19 continues.</div>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Pandemic engulfed America.<br />Desperate months of what to do. <br />Close schools, restaurants, bars: stay at home; keep hospitals functioning. <br />Massive gov't relief for businesses & workers.<br />Mental health problems.<br />Now the Great Resignation, the shortage economy & inflation.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/alpolitics?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#alpolitics</a> <a href="https://t.co/5BX7A5a2BE">https://t.co/5BX7A5a2BE</a></p>— Rob Shattuck (@RobShattuckAL06) <a href="https://twitter.com/RobShattuckAL06/status/1459297821576863752?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 12, 2021</a> </blockquote><div><br /></div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>2/26/22</b></span><br />In January Katie Britt tweeted "President Biden is directly responsible for the inflation crushing hardworking Alabama families." In response I tweeted the below comment:<p></p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Katie Britt:<br />You are very deficient in your understanding of what has caused the current inflation.<a href="https://t.co/jP255g0NmU">https://t.co/jP255g0NmU</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/alpolitics?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#alpolitics</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/alsen?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#alsen</a> <a href="https://t.co/X7zIj1O9QC">https://t.co/X7zIj1O9QC</a></p>— Rob Shattuck (@RobShattuckAL06) <a href="https://twitter.com/RobShattuckAL06/status/1481764964671053828?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 13, 2022</a></blockquote><p>Today I sent the below email to Dr Sutter, the author of the above article:</p><div><div id="yiv2182448480"><div style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"><div id="yiv2182448480"><div style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial; font-size: 13.3333px;">From: Rob Shattuck </span></div><div style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial; font-size: 13.3333px;">To: dsutter </span></div><div style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial; font-size: 13.3333px;">Sent: Sat, Feb 26, 2022 1:14 pm </span></div><div style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial; font-size: 13.3333px;">Subject: Follow up on your "Supply chains and the shortage economy"</span></div><div style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: arial; font-size: 10pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 10pt;">Dear Dr. Sutter,</span><span style="background-color: white;"></span><div style="background-color: white; font-size: 10pt;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; font-size: 10pt;">The GOP says the United States' supply chain and inflation problems are the fault of Biden's policies, which the GOP calls "failed" and "disastrous."</div><div style="background-color: white; font-size: 10pt;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; font-size: 10pt;">Your November 12, 2021 <span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 10pt; font-style: italic;">Alabama Today</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 10pt;"> article </span><a href="https://altoday.com/archives/42953-dan-sutter-supply-chains-and-the-shortage-economy" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" style="background-color: transparent; color: #0096ef; cursor: pointer; font-size: 10pt; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">"Supply chains and the shortage economy"</a><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 10pt;"> discusses why there has been a supply chain problem and that the government cannot be viewed as the cause of the problem or be looked to for solving the problem.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 10pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 10pt;">In May of 2020 I expressed </span><span style="background-color: transparent;">that, as a result of COVID-19, the United States was facing a national challenge probably on the scale and complexity of the challenge the country faced in fighting World War II. I said, "For years to come </span><span style="background-color: transparent;">our Federal and state governments will confront using their taxing, monetary and other powers to reduce the trillions of dollars of governmental debt that has been and will be created in dealing with the pandemic." </span><span style="background-color: transparent;"> See </span><a href="https://trumptweet.blogspot.com/2020/05/our-countrys-dire-condition.html" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" style="background-color: transparent; color: #0096ef; cursor: pointer; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Our country's dire condition</a><span style="background-color: transparent;">.</span></div><div style="background-color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent;">After your article was published, I added to</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 10pt;"> </span><a href="https://trumptweet.blogspot.com/2020/05/our-countrys-dire-condition.html" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" style="background-color: transparent; color: #0096ef; cursor: pointer; font-size: 10pt; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Our country's dire condition</a> a link to your article, with my saying "<span style="background-color: transparent;">The long, complicated slog to dig out of the dire condition into which the United States was plunged by COVID-19 continues."</span></div><div style="background-color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white;">The United States had never experienced anything like the pandemic that hit it in March 2020. No one knew what was needed to defend America and Americans against the onslaught of COVID-19 and no one knew what amount of stimulus/relief was needed to keep the economy from crashing or how the stimulus/relief could be most efficiently and effectively provided. In the mammoth governmental response that was undertaken, I think it was accepted that hundreds of billions of dollars could be ineffectively distributed or be subject to fraud, but t was also accepted that it was beyond human and legislative capabilities to fine tune the mammoth program to have notably better effectiveness and much reduced fraud, without risking not doing enough to keep the economy from crashing and providing the needed relief.</div><div style="background-color: white;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white;">In the first half of 2021, inflation warnings about the effects of the stimulus and relief were made by Larry Summers and others. On the inflation question, I think it bears saying again that the United States was in an unprecedented situation, and no one knew how bad inflation could get or what could be done starting in mid-2021 to ward off bad inflation, taking into account what was still needed in the form of stimulus and relief to keep the United States going.</div><div style="background-color: white;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white;">We have now learned a lot that we did not know before. We learned that a lot of relief money was saved and not spent when received, and then supported pent up demand that later got unleashed and contributed to the inflation problem. We have learned about the problems of restarting (or getting back up to speed) significant sectors of the economy, and these problems greatly contribute to the supply chain and inflation problems.</div><div style="background-color: white;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white;">The GOP goes bonkers over Biden's policies, such as not maximizing energy production and paying people not to work, and the contribution those factors have made to the supply chain and inflation problems. Not maximizing United States energy production can be accepted to have had some effect on the supply chain and inflation problems, but the question is how much effect - negligible, substantial, quantifiable, not quantifiable. Part of the reason for this email is to solicit you, as an economist, to comment on much less would be the supply chain and inflation problems if Biden in January 2021 had taken steps to maximize United States energy production.</div><div style="background-color: white;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white;">I think the "paying people not to work" matter is complex. All I would say on that is I think it gives little support to GOP charges of "failed" and "disastrous" policies of Joe Biden. Your view on this is also solicited by this email.</div><div style="background-color: white;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white;">In January, Katie Britt tweeted "President Biden is directly responsible for the inflation crushing hardworking Alabama families." In response, I tweeted . "Katie Britt: You are very deficient in your understanding of what has caused the current inflation," and included in my tweet<span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 10pt;"> a link to this webpage.</span></div><div style="background-color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 10pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 10pt;">After I send this email to you, I will copy and paste it at the end of</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 10pt;"> </span><a href="https://trumptweet.blogspot.com/2020/05/our-countrys-dire-condition.html" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" style="background-color: transparent; color: #0096ef; cursor: pointer; font-size: 10pt; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Our country's dire condition</a>.</div><div style="background-color: white;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white;">I very much hope you will respond to this email, and, if you do, I will add your response to <a href="https://trumptweet.blogspot.com/2020/05/our-countrys-dire-condition.html" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" style="background-color: transparent; color: #0096ef; cursor: pointer; font-size: 10pt; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Our country's dire condition</a>.</div><div style="background-color: white;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white;">Thank you very much for your attention to this email, Dr. Sutter.</div><div style="background-color: white;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white;">Sincerely,</div><div style="background-color: white;">Rob Shattuck</div><div><br /></div></div></div></div></div> <script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script></div>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-conversation="none"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Re "total failure Biden's been [putting us on] our way to being a Third World country"<br />Please see email I've written to Daniel Sutter, Charles G. Koch Prof. of Economics at Troy University, posted at end of <a href="https://t.co/jP255g0NmU">https://t.co/jP255g0NmU</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/alpolitics?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#alpolitics</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/alsen?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#alsen</a><a href="https://t.co/Hv9lQsXwEo">https://t.co/Hv9lQsXwEo</a></p>— Rob Shattuck (@RobShattuckAL06) <a href="https://twitter.com/RobShattuckAL06/status/1497656020952301571?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 26, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-conversation="none"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Do you think the U.S. inflation problem can be solved without the Fed greatly raising interest rates and inducing a recession?<a href="https://twitter.com/AlabamaToday?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@alabamatoday</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/aprylmarie?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@aprylmarie</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/alpolitics?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#alpolitics</a> <a href="https://t.co/YzdSrwMduF">https://t.co/YzdSrwMduF</a></p>— Rob Shattuck (@RobShattuckAL06) <a href="https://twitter.com/RobShattuckAL06/status/1501192993566609420?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 8, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Thank you for Dan Sutter's article "War, policy, & high gas prices." <br />Hopefully article will improve campaign messaging by <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/alsen?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#alsen</a> & other candidates about causes of U.S. inflation & what will reduce the inflation.<a href="https://t.co/jP255g0NmU">https://t.co/jP255g0NmU</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/alpolitics?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#alpolitics</a> <a href="https://t.co/YzdSrwMduF">https://t.co/YzdSrwMduF</a></p>— Rob Shattuck (@RobShattuckAL06) <a href="https://twitter.com/RobShattuckAL06/status/1513658486030311424?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 11, 2022</a></blockquote><p><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>7/10/22</b></span></p> <script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">In 2020 U.S. was in unprecedented dire condition; no one knew exactly re needed pandemic relief; chances were taken; fraud, waste & abuse ensued.<br />What do Katie Britt 's conservative principles say can be done now?<a href="https://t.co/jP255g0NmU">https://t.co/jP255g0NmU</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/alpolitics?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#alpolitics</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/alsen?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#alsen</a><a href="https://t.co/7LBsq54mlS">https://t.co/7LBsq54mlS</a></p>— Rob Shattuck (@RobShattuckAL06) <a href="https://twitter.com/RobShattuckAL06/status/1546117815190560768?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 10, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>Rob Shattuckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02707865352312442808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6581993028765136500.post-63435333612685381762020-05-08T03:08:00.002-07:002020-05-08T03:10:23.633-07:00Mourning in America censorship<a href="https://links.email.lincolnproject.us/u/click?_t=d194caace7234365ba9eb92017efe583&_m=15e73a58ef9e470c8aceee033d550ed7&_e=EkVYowj4V9sXW2YLRdcku83ZuxRgfvn6wUiP9ai2tIpfOack8mlBe1N5xEgbMWJDCSAPc3qyd5Ztxhn1Iy9KNnG4PgB5p6w5eZEBlwMUhx0OsvqFu355W2o5zWVnmTbNiYJYKGgosN6Mp1cNNczSsLEYHPs5ezVeK0l5XnW9IGWny4Dn-2h_c4cF-P6RAyaRZv2WTOmtkvb9fnO6YVfyUIzuLDAmtMQ_AdJ3he0o1CNpP6Sg7nRuDT6xFAgoKOp4" rel="nofollow" style="clear: left; color: #0096ef; cursor: pointer; float: left; line-height: inherit; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; outline: none; text-decoration-line: none;" tabindex="-1" target="_blank"></a><br />
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In the past 24 hours Facebook censored the Mourning in America ad that The Lincoln Project put out a couple of days ago, which ad caused Trump to do midnight rage tweeting against the leadership of The Lincoln Project. Below is the censored Facebook post. Following the below censored post is the fact checking link, and following that is an email The Lincoln Project sent out.<br />
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Donald Trump’s failed presidency has left the nation weaker, sicker, and teetering on the verge of a new Great Depression.</div>
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There’s mourning in America.</div>
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<span class="_3m6-" style="font-family: inherit;"><i class="_f_5 img sp_tAYzfDW4FkA_1_5x sx_307ad4" style="background-image: url("/rsrc.php/v3/yR/r/qDlkeUmuoVf.png"); background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: 26px 332px; display: inline-block; height: 24px; line-height: 28px; margin-bottom: 6px; vertical-align: middle; width: 24px;"><u style="clip: rect(1px, 1px, 1px, 1px); height: 1px; left: auto; overflow: hidden; position: absolute; white-space: nowrap; width: 1px;">eye-crossed-out</u></i></span></div>
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<div class="_88we" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 20px;">
<span class="_3m6-" style="font-family: inherit;">Partly False Information</span></div>
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<div class="_2htc" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; margin-top: 7px;">
<span class="_3m6-" style="font-family: inherit;">Checked by independent fact-checkers</span></div>
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<span class="_3m6-" style="font-family: inherit;"><a ajaxify="/feed/misinfo/about/dialog/?render_style=post_warning&content_id=777583979314850&location=misinfo_overlay&__xts__%5B0%5D=68.ARB6JM5fVg6bT8JuWv8dZ8XsF7G7IWeu2ind-U-BoTpOcIuNgdXofe_qbSObg9DhoRII0c7GJdv8zqZV72dqI8fKY1u1LnFLFMX6bHZdjOHJuV8JSksd2aOjiyNykFF81sw8DXOruZ3ir8R03KYRbCbRebNCpMFSkfBGx1Cbtqo_gr9CtDTSAlNKa-_fxWT8wlnZQftcCvZgp7SoSS7AC0u6cB29MV2XDAD8enCAl1oqtvraHjNLD3X-cGkD33NlGMkds7hw0xRiM_U06bHJ_k87HsyvIYBJ04cb-dMMaU2gW2tFMb77sx5J4bsWtHOGCpE7K6qG9RzWLqLqfVAUVJcie2tS_5hN5UA&__tn__=FFHHH-R" class="_42ft _4jy0 _3jj6 _4jy4 _517h _51sy" href="https://www.facebook.com/thelincolnproject.us/#" id="u_1l_s" rel="dialog" role="button" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: #eff1f3; border-radius: 4px; border: 1px solid rgb(190, 195, 201); box-sizing: content-box; color: #1c1e21; cursor: pointer; display: inline-block; font-family: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-weight: bold; justify-content: center; line-height: 26px; padding: 0px 10px; position: relative; text-decoration-line: none; text-shadow: none; transition: background-color 200ms cubic-bezier(0.08, 0.52, 0.52, 1) 0s, box-shadow 200ms cubic-bezier(0.08, 0.52, 0.52, 1) 0s, transform 200ms cubic-bezier(0.08, 0.52, 0.52, 1) 0s; vertical-align: middle; white-space: nowrap;" tabindex="0"> See Why </a></span></div>
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<span class="_3m6-" style="font-family: inherit;"><video class="_ox1 _21y0 _1_d1" data-original-aspect-ratio="1.7777777777778" data-video-height="267" data-video-width="474" height="267" id="u_1l_v" muted="1" preload="auto" src="blob:https://www.facebook.com/c3de9023-84f8-4ae1-9be9-c0e2975d7c68" style="display: block; height: 267px; left: 0px; position: absolute; top: 0px; transition: filter 350ms ease-in-out 0s, -webkit-filter 350ms ease-in-out 0s; width: 474px;" width="474"></video></span><br />
<div class="_4ubd _170l _27db _3htz" id="u_1l_y" style="bottom: 0px; direction: ltr; font-family: inherit; height: auto; left: 0px; max-height: 100%; max-width: 100%; pointer-events: none; position: absolute; right: 0px; top: auto; width: auto;">
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<div class="_2yu5" style="cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit; height: 8px; padding: 8px 0px; position: relative; width: 221.6px;">
<div aria-label="Change Position" aria-orientation="horizontal" aria-valuemax="60.06" aria-valuemin="0" aria-valuenow="20.555" aria-valuetext="34%" class="_2yu7" role="slider" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.4); border-radius: 4px; box-shadow: rgba(20, 22, 26, 0.3) 0px 1px 4px; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit; height: 8px; margin: 0px 15px; position: relative;" tabindex="0">
<div class="_2yu8" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.5); border-radius: 4px; font-family: inherit; height: 8px; position: absolute; width: 143.7px;">
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<div class="_2yu9" style="background-color: #4080ff; border-radius: 4px; font-family: inherit; height: 8px; position: absolute; width: 65.5625px;">
<div class="_2yua _4sxb" style="background-color: white; border-radius: 50%; border: 2px solid white; box-shadow: rgba(20, 22, 26, 0.3) 1px 1px 0px; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit; height: 12px; margin: -4px -8px 0px 0px; position: absolute; right: 0px; transition: transform 200ms cubic-bezier(0.68, -0.55, 0.265, 1.55) 0s; width: 12px; z-index: 1;">
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</div>
<div style="font-family: inherit;">
</div>
<div class="_80rf" style="font-family: inherit; height: 8px;">
</div>
</div>
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<div class="_1c7f _1c7h" style="display: table-cell; font-family: inherit; padding-bottom: 2px; vertical-align: middle; white-space: nowrap;">
<div class="_5qsr _66_y _66_z" playbackdurationtimestamp="60.06" role="button" style="color: white; display: inline-block; font-family: inherit; line-height: 32px; margin-right: 5px; min-width: 52px; outline: none; text-align: right; text-shadow: rgba(20, 22, 26, 0.7) 0px 0px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;" tabindex="0">
<span class="_3m6-" style="font-family: inherit;">-0:40</span></div>
<div class="_2j04" data-ft="{"tn":",k"}" style="display: inline-block; font-family: inherit; position: relative;">
<div data-hover="tooltip" data-tooltip-content="Settings" data-tooltip-position="above" style="font-family: inherit;">
<span class="_3m6-" style="font-family: inherit;"><button class="_zbd _42ft" style="border-color: initial; border-style: none; border-width: initial; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit; font-size: 12px; height: 20px; margin: 6px; opacity: 0.9; outline: none; padding: 0px; width: 20px;" tabindex="0" type="button"><i alt="" class="_rwt img sp_MXH0uriV8kw_1_5x sx_75886d" style="background-image: url("/rsrc.php/v3/yK/r/oc4nPOZFQHf.png"); background-position: -222px -464px; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: 376px 1522px; display: inline-block; height: 20px; vertical-align: middle; width: 20px;"></i><span class="accessible_elem" style="clip: rect(1px , 1px , 1px , 1px); font-family: inherit; height: 1px; overflow: hidden; position: absolute; width: 1px;">Additional Visual Settings</span></button></span></div>
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<span class="_3m6-" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><button class="_zbd _42ft" data-hover="tooltip" data-tooltip-content="Continue watching while you use Facebook" data-tooltip-position="above" id="js_bb" style="border-color: initial; border-style: none; border-width: initial; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit; font-size: 12px; height: 20px; margin: 6px; opacity: 0.9; outline: none; padding: 0px; width: 20px;" type="button"><i alt="" class="_rwt img sp_50nH9bcA_VM_1_5x sx_6f051a" style="background-image: url("/rsrc.php/v3/yz/r/nVqvEHVvoD5.png"); background-position: 0px -88px; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: 22px 110px; display: inline-block; height: 20px; vertical-align: middle; width: 20px;"></i><span class="accessible_elem" style="clip: rect(1px , 1px , 1px , 1px); font-family: inherit; height: 1px; overflow: hidden; position: absolute; width: 1px;">Enter Watch And Scroll</span></button></span><button class="_zbd _400z _1vek _42ft" data-hover="tooltip" data-tooltip-content="Click to enlarge" data-tooltip-position="above" style="border-color: initial; border-style: none; border-width: initial; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit; font-size: 12px; height: 20px; margin: 6px; opacity: 0.9; outline: none; padding: 0px; width: 20px;" tabindex="0" type="submit" value="1"><i alt="" class="_rwt img sp_HaMHyjpGtt8_1_5x sx_0158c2" style="background-image: url("/rsrc.php/v3/yM/r/01zt54QrV3s.png"); background-position: 0px -410px; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: 74px 510px; display: inline-block; height: 20px; vertical-align: middle; width: 20px;"></i><span class="accessible_elem" style="clip: rect(1px , 1px , 1px , 1px); font-family: inherit; height: 1px; overflow: hidden; position: absolute; width: 1px;">Click to enlarge</span></button></span></div>
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<div class="_2swo" style="display: inline-block; font-family: inherit; height: 34px; margin: 0px 1px; position: relative; vertical-align: bottom; width: 32px;">
<div class="_3pao" style="background: transparent; border-radius: 4px 4px 0px 0px; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit; height: 60px; left: 0px; margin: -60px 0px 0px; opacity: 0; position: absolute; top: 0px; transition: all 0.3s cubic-bezier(0.23, 1, 0.32, 1) 0s; visibility: hidden; width: 32px; z-index: 0;">
<div class="_4sxa" style="background-color: transparent; border-radius: 4px; box-shadow: rgba(20, 22, 26, 0.3) 0px 1px 4px; font-family: inherit; height: 50px; margin: 10px 12px 0px; position: absolute; width: 8px;">
<div class="_3paq" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.4); border-radius: 4px 4px 0px 0px; font-family: inherit; height: 34px; margin: 0px; position: absolute; width: 8px; z-index: 2;">
<div class="_3par" style="background-color: #4080ff; border-radius: 4px 4px 0px 0px; bottom: 0px; box-shadow: rgba(20, 22, 26, 0.4) 0px 1px 4px -4px; font-family: inherit; height: 34px; position: absolute; width: 8px;">
<div class="_3pas _4sxb" style="background-color: white; border-radius: 8px; box-shadow: rgba(20, 22, 26, 0.3) 1px 1px 0px; font-family: inherit; height: 16px; left: 0px; margin: -1px 0px 0px -4px; position: absolute; top: 0px; transition: transform 200ms cubic-bezier(0.68, -0.55, 0.265, 1.55) 0s; width: 16px;">
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<i alt="" class="_rwt img sp_HaMHyjpGtt8_1_5x sx_9c94c9" style="background-image: url("/rsrc.php/v3/yM/r/01zt54QrV3s.png"); background-position: -42px -322px; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: 74px 510px; display: inline-block; height: 20px; vertical-align: middle; width: 20px;"></i></div>
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<span class="accessible_elem" style="clip: rect(1px , 1px , 1px , 1px); font-family: inherit; height: 1px; overflow: hidden; position: absolute; width: 1px;">Mute</span></button></span></div>
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<div class="_1vx9" style="font-family: inherit; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;">
<span class="_3m6-" style="font-family: inherit;"><a class="_2za_" href="https://www.facebook.com/watch/?ref=external&v=777583979314850&__xts__%5B0%5D=68.ARB6JM5fVg6bT8JuWv8dZ8XsF7G7IWeu2ind-U-BoTpOcIuNgdXofe_qbSObg9DhoRII0c7GJdv8zqZV72dqI8fKY1u1LnFLFMX6bHZdjOHJuV8JSksd2aOjiyNykFF81sw8DXOruZ3ir8R03KYRbCbRebNCpMFSkfBGx1Cbtqo_gr9CtDTSAlNKa-_fxWT8wlnZQftcCvZgp7SoSS7AC0u6cB29MV2XDAD8enCAl1oqtvraHjNLD3X-cGkD33NlGMkds7hw0xRiM_U06bHJ_k87HsyvIYBJ04cb-dMMaU2gW2tFMb77sx5J4bsWtHOGCpE7K6qG9RzWLqLqfVAUVJcie2tS_5hN5UA&__tn__=kFFHHH-R" style="color: white; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit; text-decoration-line: none;" waprocessedanchor="true"><span class="_50f7" style="font-family: inherit; font-weight: 600;"></span></a></span></div>
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<span class="_3m6-" style="font-family: inherit;"><a class="_2za_ _5p5v" href="https://www.facebook.com/watch/thelincolnproject.us/?__xts__%5B0%5D=68.ARB6JM5fVg6bT8JuWv8dZ8XsF7G7IWeu2ind-U-BoTpOcIuNgdXofe_qbSObg9DhoRII0c7GJdv8zqZV72dqI8fKY1u1LnFLFMX6bHZdjOHJuV8JSksd2aOjiyNykFF81sw8DXOruZ3ir8R03KYRbCbRebNCpMFSkfBGx1Cbtqo_gr9CtDTSAlNKa-_fxWT8wlnZQftcCvZgp7SoSS7AC0u6cB29MV2XDAD8enCAl1oqtvraHjNLD3X-cGkD33NlGMkds7hw0xRiM_U06bHJ_k87HsyvIYBJ04cb-dMMaU2gW2tFMb77sx5J4bsWtHOGCpE7K6qG9RzWLqLqfVAUVJcie2tS_5hN5UA&__tn__=kFFHHH-R" style="color: white; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit; text-decoration-line: none;" waprocessedanchor="true"><span class="_50f7" style="font-family: inherit; font-weight: 600;"></span></a></span></div>
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<span class="_3m6-" style="font-family: inherit;"><i class="_8nok img sp_HaMHyjpGtt8_1_5x sx_1fe5cc" style="background-image: url("/rsrc.php/v3/yM/r/01zt54QrV3s.png"); background-position: 0px -492px; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: 74px 510px; display: inline-block; height: 16px; position: relative; top: 3px; width: 16px;"></i><span class="_8noj" style="font-family: inherit; margin-left: 6px; margin-top: 4px;"></span></span></div>
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<div class="_1vx9" style="font-family: inherit; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;">
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<div class="_3htz _4ubd _1zmi" id="u_1l_1b" style="font-family: inherit; height: 267px; left: 0px; max-height: 100%; max-width: 100%; pointer-events: none; position: absolute; top: 0px; width: 474px;">
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<div style="font-family: inherit;">
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<div class="_4ivm" id="u_1l_1d" style="font-family: inherit; height: auto; left: 0px; position: absolute; top: 0px; width: auto;">
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<div class="_2t68" style="align-items: center; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(221, 223, 226); color: #444950; display: flex; flex-wrap: wrap; font-family: inherit; font-weight: bold; justify-content: space-between;">
<span class="_3m6-" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="" id="u_1l_g" style="font-family: inherit;"><button class="_5_hk _299h _1yop _42fu _42ft" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border-color: initial; border-radius: 2px; border-style: none; border-width: initial; bottom: 12px; box-sizing: content-box; color: #444950; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-weight: bold; justify-content: center; line-height: 22px; margin: 4px 0px; outline: none; padding: 4px 12px; user-select: none; vertical-align: middle; white-space: nowrap; z-index: 8;" type="submit" value="1"><i alt="" class="_3-8_ _1oid img sp_tAYzfDW4FkA_1_5x sx_0b818f" style="background-image: url("/rsrc.php/v3/yR/r/qDlkeUmuoVf.png"); background-position: 0px -140px; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: 26px 332px; bottom: 1px; display: inline-block; height: 20px; margin-right: 8px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 20px;"></i> See Video</button></span></span><br />
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<span class="_3m6-" style="font-family: inherit;"><button class="_5_hk _299h _1yop _42fu _42ft" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border-color: initial; border-radius: 2px; border-style: none; border-width: initial; bottom: 12px; box-sizing: content-box; color: #444950; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-weight: bold; justify-content: center; line-height: 22px; margin: 4px 0px; outline: none; padding: 4px 12px; user-select: none; vertical-align: middle; white-space: nowrap; z-index: 8;" type="submit" value="1"><br /></button></span></div>
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<a href="https://links.email.lincolnproject.us/u/click?_t=d194caace7234365ba9eb92017efe583&_m=15e73a58ef9e470c8aceee033d550ed7&_e=EkVYowj4V9sXW2YLRdcku83ZuxRgfvn6wUiP9ai2tIpfOack8mlBe1N5xEgbMWJDCSAPc3qyd5Ztxhn1Iy9KNnG4PgB5p6w5eZEBlwMUhx0OsvqFu355W2o5zWVnmTbNiYJYKGgosN6Mp1cNNczSsLEYHPs5ezVeK0l5XnW9IGWny4Dn-2h_c4cF-P6RAyaRZv2WTOmtkvb9fnO6YVfyUIzuLDAmtMQ_AdJ3he0o1CNpP6Sg7nRuDT6xFAgoKOp4" rel="nofollow" style="clear: right; color: #0096ef; cursor: pointer; float: right; line-height: inherit; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; outline: none; text-decoration-line: none;" tabindex="-1" target="_blank"></a>If you click on the "See Why" button in the middle of the above image, you will receive a pop up which has a link to <a href="https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2020/may/07/lincoln-project/mourning-america-ad-critical-trump-misleads-bailou/?fbclid=IwAR3Ri5bz-tE9wqGrYPgYwgWy3pyEuW1r6ZX5vabGRKOqpUA3BphuBED6tj0">https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2020/may/07/lincoln-project/mourning-america-ad-critical-trump-misleads-bailou/?fbclid=IwAR3Ri5bz-tE9wqGrYPgYwgWy3pyEuW1r6ZX5vabGRKOqpUA3BphuBED6tj0</a>.<br />
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<h2 class="c-title c-title--subline" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #1a1b1f; font-family: publicsans, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 2.125rem; line-height: 1.17647; margin-bottom: 4rem; margin-top: 0px;">
Lincoln Project’s “Mourning in America” ad critical of Trump misleads on bailouts</h2>
<div style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #414246; font-family: merriweather, georgia, serif; font-size: 20px; margin-bottom: 2rem;">
A group called the <a href="https://lincolnproject.us/" style="border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: #2270fd; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.1s ease-in-out 0s;">Lincoln Project</a>, headlined by several high-profile Republicans and former Republicans who oppose President Donald Trump, recently released an ad that turned a famous re-election ad for President Ronald Reagan on its head.</div>
<div style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #414246; font-family: merriweather, georgia, serif; font-size: 20px; margin-bottom: 2rem;">
The Reagan ad, "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EU-IBF8nwSY" style="border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: #2270fd; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.1s ease-in-out 0s;">Morning in America</a>," is one of the <a href="http://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1842516_1842514_1842575,00.html" style="border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: #2270fd; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.1s ease-in-out 0s;">most celebrated campaign ads in history</a>. Using optimistic imagery and themes to argue that the country was on the right track after the crises of the 1970s, the ad set the tone for Reagan’s landslide reelection victory.</div>
<div style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #414246; font-family: merriweather, georgia, serif; font-size: 20px; margin-bottom: 2rem;">
By contrast, the Lincoln Project’s ad, retitled "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=3&v=t_yG_-K2MDo&feature=emb_logo" style="border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: #2270fd; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.1s ease-in-out 0s;">Mourning in America</a>," is replete with depressing footage of masked Americans and economic devastation. And it directly blames Trump for acting ineffectively on the health and economic fronts. </div>
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At one point, the ad asserts, "Trump bailed out Wall Street, but not Main Street."</div>
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Trump <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1257532101966036993?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cnbc.com%2F2020%2F05%2F06%2Flincoln-project-has-biggest-day-of-fundraising-after-trump-attacks-group.html" style="border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: #2270fd; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.1s ease-in-out 0s;">tweeted</a> his displeasure with the ad, ironically producing a <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2020/05/06/lincoln-project-has-biggest-day-of-fundraising-after-trump-attacks-group.html" style="border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: #2270fd; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.1s ease-in-out 0s;">banner fundraising day</a> for the Lincoln Project. </div>
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But is the ad’s claim about bailouts accurate?</div>
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While there have been high-profile examples of larger corporations being awarded loans from a primarily small-business lending program (and sometimes giving them back), this line in the ad is inaccurate. </div>
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Marc Goldwein, the senior vice president and senior policy director for the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, has been tracking the federal response to the coronavirus-driven economic downturn. He said the dichotomy in the ad is wrong.</div>
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The coronavirus relief legislation passed so far, Goldwein said, "generally bails out everyone."</div>
<div class="pf_subheadline" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #1a1b1f; font-family: publicsans, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 1.9375rem; font-weight: 800; line-height: 1.29032; margin-bottom: 1.5rem; margin-top: 0px;">
Role of the CARES Act</div>
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We should start by noting that Trump wouldn’t be solely at fault for any design flaws in the primary law for coronavirus relief, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security, or CARES, Act.</div>
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The $2.2 trillion act, which Trump signed into law on March 27, 2020, included stimulus payments to most Americans, enhanced unemployment aid, loans for small businesses, and other relief measures. However, before it got to Trump’s desk, the bill had the support of both parties. It passed the Senate unanimously, and it passed the House overwhelmingly.</div>
<div style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #414246; font-family: merriweather, georgia, serif; font-size: 20px; margin-bottom: 2rem;">
The primary way the bill helps small companies is through the <a href="https://www.sba.gov/funding-programs/loans/coronavirus-relief-options/paycheck-protection-program" style="border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: #2270fd; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.1s ease-in-out 0s;">Paycheck Protection Program</a>.</div>
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Under that program, small businesses can take out federally backed loans through banks or credit unions to tide them through the coronavirus pandemic. The government will forgive the loans if the company keeps all of their employees on the payroll for eight weeks, and as long as the money is used for payroll, rent, mortgage interest, or utilities.</div>
<div style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #414246; font-family: merriweather, georgia, serif; font-size: 20px; margin-bottom: 2rem;">
The Paycheck Protection Program <a href="https://www.npr.org/2020/05/04/848389343/how-did-the-small-business-loan-program-have-so-many-problems-in-just-4-weeks" style="border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: #2270fd; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.1s ease-in-out 0s;">attracted negative media attention </a>when some larger employers, such as Shake Shack, secured small business loans. Criticism grew as the program ran out of money allocated under the CARES Act. Congress later provided funds for additional loans.</div>
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The Shake Shack loan appears to have been legal, since the program allowed loans for businesses in the food services sector that have more than one physical location and employ less than 500 people per location. Still, the negative attention led some of these businesses, including Shake Shack, to voluntarily give back their loans.</div>
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<div class="pf_subheadline" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #1a1b1f; font-family: publicsans, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 1.9375rem; font-weight: 800; line-height: 1.29032; margin-bottom: 1.5rem; margin-top: 0px;">
What does the data show?</div>
<div style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #414246; font-family: merriweather, georgia, serif; font-size: 20px; margin-bottom: 2rem;">
The Small Business Administration, which is overseeing the program, has produced some <a href="https://home.treasury.gov/system/files/136/SBA%20PPP%20Loan%20Report%20Deck.pdf" style="border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: #2270fd; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.1s ease-in-out 0s;">broad breakdowns</a> of how the first $342 billion in loan money was spent.</div>
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For assessing the ad’s claim, the most problematic cut of the SBA data concerns the size of the loans made so far. </div>
<div style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #414246; font-family: merriweather, georgia, serif; font-size: 20px; margin-bottom: 2rem;">
The breakdown shows that slightly more than 74% of the individual loans granted were for $150,000 or less, totaling $58 billion. Because most companies apply for the maximum amount allowable, and because the loans are capped at 10 weeks of payroll costs, a loan of this size is consistent with a company that has roughly seven to 10 workers, Goldwein said. (Because the individual loan amounts in this category were small, the sum of all these loans was equal to only 17% of the total money spent.)<br />
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<a href="https://links.email.lincolnproject.us/u/click?_t=d194caace7234365ba9eb92017efe583&_m=15e73a58ef9e470c8aceee033d550ed7&_e=EkVYowj4V9sXW2YLRdcku83ZuxRgfvn6wUiP9ai2tIpfOack8mlBe1N5xEgbMWJDCSAPc3qyd5Ztxhn1Iy9KNnG4PgB5p6w5eZEBlwMUhx0OsvqFu355W2o5zWVnmTbNiYJYKGgosN6Mp1cNNczSsLEYHPs5ezVeK0l5XnW9IGWny4Dn-2h_c4cF-P6RAyaRZv2WTOmtkvb9fnO6YVfyUIzuLDAmtMQ_AdJ3he0o1CNpP6Sg7nRuDT6xFAgoKOp4" rel="nofollow" style="clear: right; color: #0096ef; cursor: pointer; float: right; line-height: inherit; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; outline: none; text-decoration-line: none;" tabindex="-1" target="_blank"></a><br /></div>
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<br />
<br />
From: Rick Wilson, The Lincoln Project<br />
To: Robert Shattuck<br />
Sent: Thu, May 7, 2020 8:26 pm<br />
Subject: URGENT: We've been Zucked<br />
<br />
Robert, we've been Zucked: Facebook is now censoring the ad that made Trump lose his mind.<br />
<br />
You're not going to believe this — not much shocks me these days, but even I had to see it with my own eyes.<br />
<br />
After our latest ad, "Mourning In America," made President Orangeface short-circuit and throw a rage-tweeting tantrum at 1am, his campaign spin machine went into "damage control" mode calling us "losers" and calling the claims in the ad "false."<br />
<br />
👉 Rush $100, $50, or $25 to fight back now<br />
<br />
Of course, we expected that. Because we know they're scared.<br />
<br />
But now, less than 24 hours later — as if on cue — Facebook has slapped a "false" warning label on our video, telling its users to beware:<br />
<br />
Robert, it's no secret that Facebook has stood by and done little to nothing as lie after lie — from the Liar-In-Chief himself — runs wild on their platform.<br />
<br />
(Oh, and let's also not forget the conspiracy theories, foreign disinformation campaigns and negligence that got Mark Zuckerberg questioned by the United States Congress.)<br />
<br />
But, this? This is an entirely different and dangerous kind of collusion.<br />
<br />
👉<a href="https://links.email.lincolnproject.us/u/click?_t=d194caace7234365ba9eb92017efe583&_m=15e73a58ef9e470c8aceee033d550ed7&_e=EkVYowj4V9sXW2YLRdcku8NpXDYm46BmbCqQA-YJWdKvSOjcTNqu8G4UoAcxgPhC6rZOB5JoqH7Bpnzug9yslZNhWOSAtAeHVjbohNhI_8oDyv_QmLghpIgtJpfp15vcHLlYo-eijsblYo72pUPzziqOpbxj7S_I0zW-gIBea96jX6Pr2igNpiYRsoDetyzgibhAvCAwOuwBEg16B5k9MXA9jWxfTRwz4JN9SQKR4poxe-sDmtoYZ9e6334H0DZaFTHzgXvcwtDCXZ9RsQcxLAAhS2mPV6Zh9nIBMlSJ62Dbh8vEKNajLSGMVUJscQVS"> Contribute $100, $50, or $25 to fight back now</a><br />
<br />
And what is Facebook's excuse for playing favorites with its recently-transferred former employees in the Trump campaign?<br />
<br />
They say a "fact-checker" labeled our claim that "Donald Trump helped bailout Wall Street, not Main Street" was untrue.<br />
<br />
....Really?<br />
<br />
🚨 Millions of Americans are still waiting for their checks.<br />
(USA Today, May 7)<br />
<br />
🚨 Thousands of business owners can't get the loans they need to stay open.<br />
(NBC News, April 27)<br />
<br />
🚨 Multiple research reports show that only: "half of Americans say they got a stimulus payment, and only half of those say it was enough."<br />
(Business Insider, April 29)<br />
<br />
🚨 But Wall Street banks, hedge funds, huge corporations, and Trump's friends and donors, have cut the line and gotten millions they shouldn't have.<br />
(Business Insider, May 1; The Washington Post, April 24)<br />
<br />
Does that sound like "bailing out Main Street" to you, Robert?<br />
<br />
Is that "Partly False?" Of course not.<br />
<br />
We told the truth about Donald Trump...<br />
<br />
He lost his damn mind over it on Twitter...<br />
<br />
Attacked us in front of Air Force One...<br />
<br />
Then sent his spin machine to discredit us...<br />
<br />
And now his allies at Facebook are doing his damage control by censoring the truth he doesn't like.<br />
<br />
So, on behalf of my compatriots at The Lincoln Project, let me be crystal clear:<br />
<br />
We will never back down from this fight.<br />
<br />
We will hammer him with the truth and the facts.<br />
<br />
Donald Trump's failed Presidency has left the nation weaker, sicker, and teetering on the verge of a new Great Depression.<br />
<br />
We're taking this fight directly to Trump and the people—and social media giants—that prop him up.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://links.email.lincolnproject.us/u/click?_t=d194caace7234365ba9eb92017efe583&_m=15e73a58ef9e470c8aceee033d550ed7&_e=EkVYowj4V9sXW2YLRdcku8NpXDYm46BmbCqQA-YJWdKvSOjcTNqu8G4UoAcxgPhC6rZOB5JoqH7Bpnzug9yslZNhWOSAtAeHVjbohNhI_8rT7q_q0UpunSCNnexNG9NN9yobqC0mTPUhzG8N0FYw997H8F_yEXBnPHxJSR7pCN6XlDvDVLoWXf_FOIw4H3yLyjN2FWXv3TdHCnZxYBez_PtKwCRcuk0XF8-8t4tvA95FJshyZAt_fgS8Bs28ew4LRQJYFgkV6NNZRAvcXwQEFbCu4KlQ0mbYY0CRkJNzIDeD9j-Bqh7GKcle-sBC6NrZ">If you're with us, please pitch in what you can, right now.</a><br />
<div>
<br />
This is what we train for.<br />
<br />
Rick<br />
<a href="https://links.email.lincolnproject.us/u/click?_t=d194caace7234365ba9eb92017efe583&_m=15e73a58ef9e470c8aceee033d550ed7&_e=EkVYowj4V9sXW2YLRdcku8NpXDYm46BmbCqQA-YJWdKvSOjcTNqu8G4UoAcxgPhC6rZOB5JoqH7Bpnzug9yslTldgEf01VvCTqDsQa85s9T8U1Zc9iny9pfjfuDUzzq8nIVt-q-CHNLkC72cIfQclo6_tjbN0d8JLOZF0rc6IvkIldGlvI-QA9Z13rh7Rt6qTeoW2MJVn0WX2FvdjiVADJl8zw56Sc99s3k6Fl_dO74F_Lg3MzGsvf8kcgBOoDoXX_jHFFUu-DCANqYsQVu9624VOmSgkJn_dZq48-4RQf4Es343Sos67EBH_PP4pfCdqT6_DJ-9TQuTr8VVWXcVVA%3D%3D">Contribute $100 NOW </a><br />
<a href="https://links.email.lincolnproject.us/u/click?_t=d194caace7234365ba9eb92017efe583&_m=15e73a58ef9e470c8aceee033d550ed7&_e=EkVYowj4V9sXW2YLRdcku8NpXDYm46BmbCqQA-YJWdKvSOjcTNqu8G4UoAcxgPhC6rZOB5JoqH7Bpnzug9yslTldgEf01VvCTqDsQa85s9T-BErtlxPZQu-p8YctgL72fJe-VydGm3bUmraCYEjbr3Ny12cEMi_757Z_7UzAXrwvUUoDV2FUCyn1IM0Htdc-dErGMm0LhWgS2J933f6KdbauUPofjeAnzjDBC08F8GTJoVMoyAf1pdwmf_cvw5Bvj5HA-dcdHxwbNjsn9mrSPneMSiexqi0dpPqMqc4jnNMV6kJp5TzcBlgGgEsGbbc9ZkvTSPhZA45oArrqIiooiQ%3D%3D">Contribute $75 NOW </a><br />
<a href="https://links.email.lincolnproject.us/u/click?_t=d194caace7234365ba9eb92017efe583&_m=15e73a58ef9e470c8aceee033d550ed7&_e=EkVYowj4V9sXW2YLRdcku8NpXDYm46BmbCqQA-YJWdKvSOjcTNqu8G4UoAcxgPhC6rZOB5JoqH7Bpnzug9yslTldgEf01VvCTqDsQa85s9TbjBf_F3Sw79BGTxA9ognpsdq3kH6KV9CENmK2Y-LLCqIYVBYplv6sIY_stn1LfrN9hJhuZYUDCe0Q1p-Ks0_ivIX5CnWrJ10f3wJ1b1XITKePMn4_n3vZDSgGVcMnbowPWWn1UEgEylqBKMT8kZzOBSxEh16DM9Mw6A1tukHP6oqlDGAo0N74YFFSAXPwYTNZZdW1rAHZsaHpid2wGm0hKPRyMupSigwXInrb2-JAhw%3D%3D">Contribute $50 NOW </a><br />
<a href="https://links.email.lincolnproject.us/u/click?_t=d194caace7234365ba9eb92017efe583&_m=15e73a58ef9e470c8aceee033d550ed7&_e=EkVYowj4V9sXW2YLRdcku8NpXDYm46BmbCqQA-YJWdKvSOjcTNqu8G4UoAcxgPhC6rZOB5JoqH7Bpnzug9yslTldgEf01VvCTqDsQa85s9Q59tGs8j4VA6JnrHnlxrZf_RWmbIUYYJyg9BT_SKfIXxJBOTlVHxSjkCMOy56-C0aw-y1Aojc-jYiglFShqV4qPKROxfNB4Uxjt70p0NBWGJUplUUUFMIN3Y-PO7J9mtl4e0DAfgPQk6gBXh8bU27e1YhDgMkcgBJ488j7maFLY1Zg_wpqnHP0SDEHfJ5Agmuy3RYIQETcURpmTnDDGUJ5HgPmBNf6qaXsxzKxwT10NQ%3D%3D">Contribute $25 NOW </a><br />
<a href="https://links.email.lincolnproject.us/u/click?_t=d194caace7234365ba9eb92017efe583&_m=15e73a58ef9e470c8aceee033d550ed7&_e=EkVYowj4V9sXW2YLRdcku8NpXDYm46BmbCqQA-YJWdKvSOjcTNqu8G4UoAcxgPhC6rZOB5JoqH7Bpnzug9yslTldgEf01VvCTqDsQa85s9QcBWTTEUHn63az1bSUXI4eSfxv2yXTJCTel3t-74DWLQVMgKxpiiN8UM2_Rh2_2vOzC_Aw4wXOJxltMa-NYJWB5ge4nZNWpC7alqnYsOuqd4IWWL5_lSTc6YE1e9uZA-5vfgtdVc9psE4d6rBxRsx7LYOSx-n0KyA2wY3Hlq-n-s_5SyN45-xliaUgEeonOLUdurQr6Q6_fNN6D0ubh3-CfWwCg8D63CTp-SaONYbiYg%3D%3D">Contribute $7 NOW </a><br />
<br />
<br />
test<br />
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<br /></div>
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Rob Shattuckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02707865352312442808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6581993028765136500.post-35067637186422309672020-03-24T04:01:00.001-07:002020-05-05T04:56:44.718-07:00Trump's COVID19 war plan -NOTFor days now, we have heard Mike Pence talk about a "whole of government, whole of America" approach.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Such an approach calls for a Commander-in-Chief who steps up and says, "I am the Commander-in-Chief of our "whole of government, whole of America" war against COVID19, the buck stops here, and here is my national war plan."</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Trump cannot or will not step up.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">3/27/2020</span></b><br />
Think about World War II.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>4/12/2020</b></span><br />
In thinking about World War II, I thought Trump should say to the effect that his national war plan included a focus at the start on protecting for Americans their necessities for survival of food, shelter, clothing and health care.<br />
<div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>4/19/2020</b></span><br />
The protests that are happening around the country for Americans to get back to work bring into focus the role of the President of the United States in leading the country through the virus crisis.<br />
<br />
There is obviously balancing to be done between protecting the lives and health of Americans and getting America back to work.<br />
<br />
There are legitimate arguments and strong emotions pushing both ways in doing the balancing between lives and health and getting back to work.<br />
<br />
I contend, to lead the country in this situation, the POTUS needs to accept the responsibility of being the leader. This includes (i) making decisions about how the balancing should be done, (ii) saying he is responsible for things that happen as result of his decisions, (iii) accepting that he will get criticism of his decisions from those on both sides about where the balancing should be done, not attacking those who criticize him, instead saying he understands the criticism, and endeavoring to persuade those who criticize him that he is making the right decisions in the situation, and (iv) being willing to acknowledge when a decision turns out to be wrong, and correcting where mistakes have been.<br />
<br />
I contend that Trump has failed and continues to fail miserably as the POTUS in being the country's leader in the virus crisis.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>5/4/2020</b></span><br />
I am trying to get Trump's leadership discussed on radio talk shows in Alabama.</div>
</div>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-conversation="none">
<div dir="ltr" lang="en">
You say you are an avid Trump supporter.<br />
My opinion is Trump has failed as U.S. Commander-in-Chief in nation's war against the virus. I indicate my reasons in below link.<br />
I think you should discuss Trump's leadership performance on your show.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/alpolitics?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#alpolitics</a> <a href="https://t.co/6gx8xHp7Mq">https://t.co/6gx8xHp7Mq</a></div>
— Rob Shattuck (@RobShattuckAL06) <a href="https://twitter.com/RobShattuckAL06/status/1254058244630368257?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 25, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>Rob Shattuckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02707865352312442808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6581993028765136500.post-8172469345225346422020-02-09T03:35:00.001-08:002020-02-09T05:33:56.352-08:00Impeachment 2.0<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">1. Facts</span></b><br />
The articles of impeachment alleged abuse of power by Trump regarding Ukraine and obstruction of Congress regarding Ukraine.<br />
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In the impeachment, the Democrats were adamant that the evidence they put forth presented an overwhelming case that Trump wrongly abused his power regarding Ukraine and wrongly obstructed the Congress by covering up and preventing Congress from getting witnesses and documents that would further establish Trump's abuse of power regarding Ukraine.<br />
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Trump adamantly contended before he was acquitted that he did nothing wrong regarding Ukraine. Following his acquittal Trump has continued to contend adamantly that he did no wrong regarding Ukraine.<br />
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Some GOP Senators have said that Trump did wrong. Some GOP Senators say Trump did no wrong.<br />
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The GOP Senators voted to acquit Trump on various grounds, including that (i) Trump was denied due process, (ii) the impeachment was an impermissible partisan use of the impeachment power by the House, (iii) the House did not sufficiently prove its case and it was not the job of the Senate to do the House's job, (iv) Trump did no wrong, and (v) any wrong done by Trump did not rise to the level of an impeachable offense.<br />
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The Democrats believe that there were other impeachable offenses committed by Trump that were not in the articles of impeachment, such as acts of obstruction of justice that the Mueller investigation revealed.<br />
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The Democrats probably believe that the retaliations that Trump has embarked on following his acquittal are impeachable offenses.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">2. The law</span></b><br />
I contend, if there is a threat to the Republic, and the President and the Congress disagree about how to protect the Republic against the threat, the effect of the impeachment power is that the Congress ultimately trumps the President about what should be done to protect the Republic against the threat.<br />
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Further, if the Congress acts, through the impeachment power, to prevent the President from deciding how the Republic shall be defended against the threat, the people have the ultimate power to determine how the threat to the Republic shall be responded to by voting out of office the members of Congress who impeached and removed the President.<br />
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I discuss this contention in the blog entry <a href="https://trumptweet.blogspot.com/2020/02/who-abused-their-power.html">Who abused their power</a>.<br />
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In the aftermath of the acquittal of Trump, it is likely that a lot of discussion will occur about whether the GOP Senators properly fulfilled their oath to do impartial justice in the trial.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">3. Impeachment 2.0</span></b><br />
In the aftermath of the acquittal, there is much reason to think that the House Democrats will initiate a second round of impeachment proceedings against Trump.<br />
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<br />Rob Shattuckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02707865352312442808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6581993028765136500.post-30568561153086563342020-02-02T04:52:00.000-08:002020-02-05T08:47:08.573-08:00Who abused their powerThe Dems contend that Trump abused, and will continue to abuse, his Presidential powers.<br />
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Trump and the Repubs say that the House abused its impeachment power.<br />
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This is deserving of discussion.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">1. Separation of powers; Congressional oversight; DOJ</span></b><br />
There is an obvious tension between, on the one hand, separation of powers of the Executive and Legislative branches, and, on the other hand, Congressional oversight of the Executive Branch that entails intrusion of the Congress into the Presidency.<br />
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No one says that the separation of powers provision of the constitution completely prohibits Congressional oversight, and, instead, everyone agrees that line drawing needs to be done between what is permissible in Congressional oversight and what is impermissible in Congressional oversight.<br />
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Where alleged Presidential wrongdoing is involved, that factor potentially affects the foregoing line drawing between permissible and impermissible Congressional oversight actions.<br />
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Further, in the context of an impeachment, the Dems argue that more expansive Congressional intrusion is permissible.<br />
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A further element in the case of alleged Presidential wrongdoing is the role of the Department of Justice, and it having independence, or not, in beginning and carrying out investigation of the President.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">2. Sole power to impeach; sole power to try impeachment</span></b><br />
The constitution states the grounds for impeachment as bribery, treason and other high crimes and misdemeanors.<br />
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There has been voluminous discussion of the grounds for impeachment.<br />
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The Trump impeachment, and its outcome, will embody one interpretation of what is impeachable made by the House of Representatives and another interpretation of what is impeachable made by the United States Senate.<br />
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These interpretations of what is impeachable will be presumably looked to for guidance in a future impeachment.<br />
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Such interpretations would not seem to be binding in the future, and a future House of Representative or a future United States Senate would ostensibly be at liberty to fashion different interpretations of what is impeachable under the constitution.<br />
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If such a future House and Senate should vote to impeach and convict on an interpretation of what is impeachable that is different from the interpretations in the Trump impeachment, it is doubtful that the Supreme Court would declare that said future Congress is bound by the interpretations of the current House or of the current Senate, and the Supreme Court would not declare that the impeachment and conviction made by such future Congress was invalid.<br />
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Based on how the constitution places the sole power to impeach in the House and the sole power to try the impeachment in the Senate, it is probably the case that the Supreme Court would not invalidate any impeachment and removal from office on the basis that the Supreme Court determined that the Congress incorrectly determined what is impeachable under the constitution, such is different from how the Supreme Court interprets what is impeachable, hold that the President has not committed an impeachable offense and invalidates such impeachment and removal.<br />
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The foregoing contention basically means that an impeachable offense is whatever the House and the Senate say is an impeachable offense.<br />
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In the abundant debate about what is impeachable, there has been little express contention that an impeachable offense is whatever the House and the Senate say is an impeachable offense. Even though there has been little express contention of the foregoing, it is doubtful that the Supreme Court would try to substitute an interpretation to restrain an alleged impermissible basis for impeachment. Rather, it is fair speculation to think the Supreme Court would say restraint must come from the House and/or the Senate, and, if those bodies arugably do not exercise proper restraint, it is up to the voters to vote out their members of Congress for failing to exercise appropriate restraint.<br />
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Impeachment is an extreme and serious remedy that a Congress should utilize with an appropriate recognition of the gravity of the matter and therefore use it with restraint. Under the foregoing analysis, it is reasonable to think that the Congress would endeavor to respect the words of the constitution and the guidance of the Founding Fathers respecting the words "treason, bribery or other high crimes and misdemeanors."<br />
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This may or may not result in acceptable restraint, and there may be great contention about what is acceptable restraint in exercising the impeachment power.<br />
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Some may contend that the impeachment of Bill Clinton was an inappropriate exercise of the impeachment power. Voters may or may not have been affected in their voting decisions in Congressional elections following the Bill Clinton impeachment.<br />
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The Trump impeachment has been contentious in the extreme, as manifested in the angry charges by the Dems that Trump has abused his power, and the angry countercharges by the GOP that the House has abused its impeachment power.<br />
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This is accompanied by the GOP argument that impeachment abrogates the fundamental democratic right and power of the people to decide who their President is.<br />
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A good argument can be made that there can be no abuse of the Congressional powers of impeachment that is subject to any restraint or remedy through the judiciary, and rather the only remedy for any such abuse of power by Congress is for the voters to vote their members of Congress out of office.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">3. Due process, etc.</span></b><br />
A further good argument can be made that the constitution doesn’t give Presidents any protections during impeachment. See <a href="https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/what-rights-does-trump-have-in-the-impeachment-process/">"The Constitution Doesn’t Give Presidents Any Protections During Impeachment"</a><br />
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This may sound extreme, but it needs to be kept in mind that the only thing that is being taken from the person who is President in an impeachment is the Presidential office, and there is no deprivation of life, liberty or property that that are sanctified with due process protection under the constitution.<br />
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This would extend to denying, in an impeachment proceeding, any right of the President to withhold witnesses and documents or to assert executive privilege.<br />
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The rationale for denying any protections to the President in an impeachment is, that as between which of Congress and the President has the ultimate authority and power to determine what is "right" and "necessary" for the nation, the Congress has that ultimate authority and power, and it is ultimately to be exercised through the impeachment power.<br />
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If that power is exercised, since the person who is President will not be deprived of life, liberty or property, but only of the Presidential office, all personal protections of due process, etc., must give way to the protection of national and public interest, all as determined by Congress.<br />
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[to be continued]<br />
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<br />Rob Shattuckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02707865352312442808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6581993028765136500.post-60607298676340405672020-01-31T16:19:00.002-08:002020-02-05T01:33:06.933-08:00Ending the Trump presidencyThe 2020 elections are a nationwide political war between Repubs and Dems for power over the U.S. House, the U.S. Senate and the U.S. Presidency.<br />
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This war will mainly focus on Trump and whether his presidency will end or continue.<br />
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The war over Trump will rage with hundreds and hundreds of millions of dollars getting spent on TV, social media, etc.<br />
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Peons like you and me may choose to do nothing in the war.<br />
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Or peons like you and me may do what we can to fight in the war.<br />
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Peons on the anti-Trump side who choose to fight to end the Trump presidency need to figure out what they will do.<br />
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Edit 2/5/2020: In Alabama I am doing in February as described at <a href="https://al6thcongdist-ihaveuntiljan13.blogspot.com/2020/02/32-days-until-march-3rd.html">https://al6thcongdist-ihaveuntiljan13.blogspot.com/2020/02/32-days-until-march-3rd.html</a></div>
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[to be continued]</div>
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Rob Shattuckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02707865352312442808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6581993028765136500.post-9733062893669125492019-12-07T03:06:00.002-08:002020-01-18T01:59:42.575-08:00Impeachment for Dummies<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>A. General</b></span><br />
Donald Trump as President is obligated to serve the public's interests and not to use the Presidential office and powers to serve his private interests ahead of the public's interests.<br />
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This obligation is under the United States constitution and is enforced by means of the separation of powers, and checks and balances, provided by the constitution, including Congressional oversight of the Executive Branch.<br />
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Americans are learning that the crux of the Trump impeachment is that Trump has abused his public position and wrongfully used his powers to serve his private interests and failed to serve the public interest in numerous ways.<br />
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The public or national interests that Trump has failed to properly serve have been various.<br />
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Regarding the Ukraine abuse of power, the national and public interests that Trump failed to serve properly are the extremely important interests of national security and the integrity of our elections.<br />
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In other instances, the consequences of Trump putting personal interest ahead of public interest have been less significant individually, but are cumulative in considering the case for impeachment<br />
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As indicated in public discussions of the coming articles of impeachment, there has been a pattern of Trump abusing his powers by putting personal interest ahead of public interest, and this did not suddenly start with Ukraine.<br />
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In the impeachment, the American people will likely become aware about how much this has happened from the start of Trump's Presidency.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>B. Special factors</b></span><br />
There are special factors that have contributed to Trump's abusing his powers so extensively that it has resulted in his impeachment.<br />
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<u>1</u><i><u>.</u></i><u>Trump's extreme narcissism</u><br />
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A narcissist sees everything through the lens of him or herself and tends to view things that are contrary to him or herself as evil and wrong, and tends to view things that favors the narcissist as right and good. In doing this mentally, the narcissist is unable to tolerate facts and reality that are contrary to him and the narcissist endeavors to create his own reality and facts. Trump has exhibited the foregoing characteristics of narcissism in a monumental way as President of the United States.<br />
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The foregoing means that a narcissist such as Trump who is in public office cannot or will not discern and understand that he has private interests that are different from the public's interests. and he needs to separate them in his mind and subordinate his private interests to the public's interests. Thus, Trump's extreme narcissism is an important causative factor in Trump's pattern of abusing his office to serve his private interests.<br />
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<u>2. Trump's business history</u><br />
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Another factor explaining Trump putting personal interest ahead of the public interest is Trump's business history that he was never accountable to anyone, such as a board of directors or shareholders, and Trump did whatever he wanted. The way Trump was in his business history does not comport well with how, as President, there are separation of powers and checks and balances.<br />
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Trump's business history would seem to be a contributing factor of Trump, as President, acting in many ways not to be accountable to the American people, and not recognizing the separation of powers and checks and balances, and that Article 2 does not give Trump the power to do whatever he wants (unlike his doing whatever he wanted in his business history).<br />
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<u>3. Trump's business conflicts of interest</u><br />
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Another particular factor for Trump that got him started off on the wrong foot was the business conflicts of interest he brought to the Presidency.<br />
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Conflicts of interest present a stark choice for whether a public official will serve the public interest or whether the public official will serve his or her personal interest. The mere existence of conflicts of interest can undermine trust in a public official, distract from tending to the public's business if investigations need to done to determine whether the public official is serving his private interests, and otherwise impair the public official's ability to perform his job and particularly, as to the political supporters of the public official, impair the public official's ability to carry out the agenda that such supporters voted for the public official to carry out.<br />
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Where a public official has conflicts of interest, it takes an assiduous consciousness for the public official to separate in his or her mind his or her private interests from the public interest and make decisions and take actions that the public official can honestly tell himself did not take into account the private interests.<br />
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This is especially problematic for an extreme narcissist such as Trump who cannot or will not separate out in his mind his private interests from the public's interests. </div>
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The upshot was that Trump chose to keep his conflicts of interest and to use his Presidential office to benefit his private business interests.</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">C. Big picture</span></b></div>
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The instances and ways that Trump, as President, has wrongfully put his personal interests ahead of the public's interests are overwhelming.</div>
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Some of the more significant ones may even be debatable, and they should be debated by the American people in the course of the impeachment.</div>
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In other instances, there are important unanswered questions about whether Trump has put his personal interests ahead of the public interest.</div>
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<u>1.Trump's false or misleading claims</u></div>
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Probably as a result of Trump's extreme narcissism, Trump, on a daily basis, makes false or misleading claims, and a compilation has been made that Trump has made over 13,000 false or misleading claims since becoming President.</div>
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These false and misleading claims serve and support Trump's narcissism but are extremely detrimental to the country's governance. </div>
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Trump may contend that his false and misleading claims are not detrimental to the country's governance, and this should be debated by the American people.</div>
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<u>2. Trump's extreme behaviors</u><br />
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Trump's extreme insulting, bullying and demeaning behaviors provide narcissistic gratification for Trump, but would seem to be detrimental to the country's good governance and not in the public's interest.<br />
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Trump may contend that his extreme insulting, bullying and demeaning behaviors are not detrimental to the country's governance, and this should be debated by the American people.<br />
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<u>3. Unanswered Russia questions</u><br />
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Notwithstanding 2-1/2 years of the Russia investigation, the country does not know why Trump acts towards Russia and Putin the way he does.<br />
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Perhaps the explanation is connected to the Trump Tower Moscow project. The details of this were hidden from the American people for two years, and information about it, and the consequences from it, are still unfolding.<br />
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Perhaps Trump as a candidate was secretly doing and saying things to curry favor with Putin in order to advance his Trump Tower Moscow project, and those things were damaging to the country while Trump was helped personally.<br />
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For example, Trump alone in the summer of 2016 was questioning national intelligence about Russian interference in the 2016 election. The country's intelligence apparatus is important for national security, and it is important that the country have a legitimate faith in the apparatus so that actions taken based on the apparatus have the support of the country. If Trump undermined that faith by what he said in the 2016 election in order to serve his private interests, that would be very bad for the country and it would engender huge distrust of Trump if this was found out after he became President.<br />
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To the extent Trump was currying favor with Putin before the election, after Trump won, he was potentially compromised and subject to blackmail by Putin by reason of what Trump did before the election.<br />
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This then gets immensely exacerbated by Trump getting Cohen to lie to Congress about the Trump Tower Moscow project.<br />
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In the course of the impeachment, perhaps the country will gain better understanding why Trump acts towards Russia and Putin the way he does and whether it results from Trump serving his private interests to the detriment of the public interest.<br />
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<u>4. Obstruction of Mueller investigation</u><br />
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Trump's abuses of power in seeking to obstruct the Mueller investigation may get expressly included in the articles of impeachment.<br />
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<u>5. Hollowing out of government</u><br />
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Trump may care so little for the public's interests that he has allowed or promoted the government to be hollowed out, and the American people may have little understanding about how detrimental that is for them.<br />
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Trump may contend that the hollowing out of the government is a good thing for the American people, and this should be debated by the American people in the course of the impeachment, based on fuller information provided to them about what has happened.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">D. Significance of Trump saying he did no wrong</span></b><br />
In Trump's extreme narcissism, in his mind, everything he does is right, and only others do wrong, and others do wrong whenever they act against Trump.<br />
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This narcissism is manifested in the extreme in the Ukraine matter.<br />
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Impeachment becomes especially necessary because of Trump so absolutely saying he has done no wrong. This evidences either that Trump does not understand that he cannot use his powers to serve his personal interests, or that he understands but he nonetheless will use his powers serve his private interests as he chooses. In either case, there is grave risk that Trump will continue to abuse his powers and use them to serve his personal interests, and impeachment is needed to stop Trump from continuing to abuse his powers.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>E. Conclusion</b></span><br />
The totality of the above is why Trump is being impeached.<br />
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The totality of the above needs to be considered by the United States Senate and by the American people.</div>
Rob Shattuckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02707865352312442808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6581993028765136500.post-65866307333469678522019-11-02T03:50:00.000-07:002019-11-02T06:42:26.680-07:00Draft Articles of ImpeachmentDraft<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">RESOLUTION</span></b></div>
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Impeaching Donald John Trump, President of the United States, for high crimes and misdemeanors.</div>
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Resolved, That Donald John Trump, President of the United States, is impeached for high crimes and misdemeanors, and that the following articles of impeachment be exhibited to the United States Senate:<br />
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Articles of impeachment exhibited by the House of Representatives of the United States of America in the name of itself and of the people of the United States of America, against Donald John Trump, President of the United States of America, in maintenance and support of its impeachment against him for high crimes and misdemeanors.<br />
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<span style="text-align: center;">Article I - General; abuses of power</span><br />
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In his conduct while President of the United States, Donald John Trump, in violation of his constitutional oath faithfully to execute the office of President of the United States and, to the best of his ability, preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States, and in violation of his constitutional duty to take care that the laws be faithfully executed, has exercised his Presidential powers wrongfully and abusively in numerous ways, regarding which the following is averred:<br />
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A. The United States' constitutional republic (the"Republic") is a government determined by the will of the people, and the President, the Congress and judges are servants of the people, who serve under the rule of law. Under the constitution, there is separation of the Legislative, Executive and Judicial powers of government, and there are checks and balances of said powers to assure the powers are properly exercised in service of the people and the Republic and are not used for personal or other wrongful purposes.<br />
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B. Some checks and balances on the POTUS are codified in express constitutional provisions (such as the emoluments clause) and in statutory laws (such as prohibitions on bribery and obstruction of justice).<br />
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C. In addition to said codifications of checks and balances on the powers of the POTUS, there is ongoing oversight by Congress of the POTUS, and also the Department of Justice and, from time to time, specially created or appointed Special Counsels or Independent Counsels may exercise oversight of the POTUS and whether the POTUS has exercised his Presidential powers in service of the interests of the people and the Republic (the "public interest") and not to serve his or her private interests or other wrongful purposes.<br />
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D. Accurate information is necessary for Congress and the people to determine whether the POTUS is properly exercising his or her Presidential powers or is acting wrongfully and abusing his or her Presidential powers.<br />
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E. It is important and desirable that the Republic have a POTUS who is of a nature and has the ability to know when his or her personal interests are different from the public interest and is able to subordinate his or her personal interests to the public interest. It is further important and desirable for the POTUS to have the trust of of the people regarding the same.<br />
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F. Patterns and multiple instances of the POTUS abusing his Presidential powers, and repeated and absolute insistence by the POTUS that he has not done anything wrong when there is widespread consensus that the POTUS has done wrong things, are indicative of risk to the Republic that there will be continued abuse of Presidential power by the POTUS.<br />
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G. A Congress that fails to exercise proper oversight over a POTUS, who has failings in fulfilling his or her Presidential duties, encourages such POTUS to commit more failings subsequently.<br />
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H.. Donald John Trump has said and done numerous things and that are indicative that he does not understand or is not willing to accept the limitations on POTUS powers and how they are to be properly exercised.<br />
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I. In Donald John Trump's personal business history, there was little or no accountability to anyone else, such as a Board of Directors or stockholders, and this should be considered as rendering Donald J. Trump insensitive or unaware that the POTUS is subject to limitations on his powers and their exercise.<br />
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J. Before becoming the POTUS, Donald John Trump led an inordinately selfish and narcissistic life of pursuing wealth, glitz, glamour, publicity, and notoriety, and his narcissism should be considered as impairing his ability to understand and discern when his or her personal interests are different from the public interest and to subordinate his or her personal interests to the public interest,<br />
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K. Donald John Trump, after castigating Hillary Clinton for conflicts of interest and corruption, chose to continue his extensive conflicts of interest after he became POTUS, which should be considered as exacerbating the impairment of his ability to understand and discern when his or her personal interests are different from the public interest and to subordinate his or her personal interests to the public interest,<br />
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L. Donald John Trump, possibly due to his extreme narcissistic nature, has made thousands of false or misleading statements to the American people while he has been POTUS. These have impaired Congress and the people in being able to know whether the POTUS has acted wrongfully. It is wrong and an abuse of power for the POTUS to make false and misleading statements to the American people as Donald John Trump has done.<br />
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M.Donald John Trump is an unindicted co-conspirator in a criminal case in which Michael Cohen has plead guilty to having violated campaign finance laws in arranging for a payment to Stormy Daniels for her silence, and Donald John Trump, while POTUS, made payments.<br />
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N. Michael Cohen has credibly testified that he lied to Congress in March 2017 about the Trump organization terminating its pursuit of the Trump Tower Moscow project in January 2016, and has credibly tesitfied that he lied because President Donald John Trump wanted Michael Cohen to lie to Congress.<br />
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O. Donald John Trump has not given a satisfactory explanation of why he asked Russia to interfere in the 2016 election to help him.<br />
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P. Donald John Trump has not given a satisfactory explanation of why he expresses very disparate views about U.S. national intelligence, ranging from his superlative relative to al-Baghdadi mission, to his siding with Putin over U.S. intelligence at Helsinki<br />
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Q. The Mueller investigation revealed ten possible acts of obstruction of justice by Donald John Trump. Donald John Trump has repeatedly said he did nothing wrong in said ten possible acts of obstruction of justice.<br />
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R. Motives of the POTUS in the exercise of Presidential powers are relevant to whether the powers are being exercised properly or whether the powers are being used wrongfully or corruptly and constitute an abuse of power by the POTUS for which the POTUS may be impeached. There are numerous instances in which Donald John Trump had corrupt motives, including in the firing of James Comey.<br />
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WHEREFORE, Donald John Trump, by the totality of such conduct, motives and relevant considerations, and the risk of continuing abuses of power by Donald John Trump, warrants impeachment and trial, and removal from office and disqualification to hold and enjoy any office of honor, trust, or profit under the United States.<br />
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Article II - Ukraine<br />
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Article III - Obstruction of Congress</div>
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Rob Shattuckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02707865352312442808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6581993028765136500.post-79454586840167029512019-10-04T10:22:00.000-07:002019-10-23T16:25:39.554-07:00Absolute crux of impeachment<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Trump's absolutism at crux of impeachment</span></b><br />
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The crux of Trump's impeachment is Trump claiming absolute rights he has as President, and Trump making absolute claims that he has done nothing wrong and egregious wrongs have been done against him.<br />
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The Democrats say that Trump does not have the absolute rights Trump claims, and they are holding Trump accountable for impeachable wrongs he has committed and putting a stop to future wrongs Trump will commit based on his claimed absolute rights.<br />
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Trump has made it clear he will fight tooth and nail that he has the absolute rights he claims and he will never acknowledge having done any wrong. The Democrats will not back off, and there is currently a stand off.</div>
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In the stand off, the Democrats will draft and file articles of impeachment against Trump.</div>
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In the course of House hearings, the Democrats will educate the American people about Trump's absolutism and why Trump needs to be impeached for his absolutism.</div>
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Republicans in the House will be called on to defend Trump's absolutism.</div>
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The House will vote on and pass articles of impeachment against Trump, which will be referred to the Senate.</div>
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In the Senate, the Senate Republicans will in their turn be called on to defend Trump's absolutism</div>
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<br />
If the Senate does not convict Trump for his absolutism, the American people will have received education about Trump's absolutism and will take that into account in how they vote in November 2020.</div>
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<br />
The 2020 election will then determine whether the American people, with information about Trump's absolutism, wish for Trump to continue with his absolutism and will accept the consequences of four more years of Trump's absolutism.</div>
<div>
<br />
Alternatively, if Trump is not convicted by the Senate, the American people may decide that Trump's absolutism is bad for the United States and Trump will be defeated in the 2020 election.</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Trump's claim of absolute right</span></b><br />
Yesterday, Trump tweeted<br />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<div dir="ltr" lang="en">
As the President of the United States, I have an absolute right, perhaps even a duty, to investigate, or have investigated, CORRUPTION, and that would include asking, or suggesting, other Countries to help us out!</div>
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1179925259417468928?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 4, 2019</a></blockquote>
Today Trump tweeted<br />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<div dir="ltr" lang="en">
As President I have an obligation to end CORRUPTION, even if that means requesting the help of a foreign country or countries. It is done all the time. This has NOTHING to do with politics or a political campaign against the Bidens. This does have to do with their corruption!</div>
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1180094411323117568?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 4, 2019</a></blockquote>
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Some of Trump's claims of absolute rights </span></b><br />
During the past 2-1/2 years, Trump has shown that he believes that he has absolute rights to do many questionable things, and that such absolute rights are based on determinations by Trump that the questionable things help Trump serve the country's interests or help Trump carry out his promises to his voters.<br />
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Further, Trump has evidenced that the determinations he makes are absolute, the determinations may not be questioned by Congress or anyone else, and Trump may make such explanation, or make no explanation, of his determinations to Congress and the American people as Trump decides in his sole discretion.<br />
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Questionable things that Trump believes that, as the President of the United States, he has an absolute right to do include:<br />
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1. He has an absolute right to offer pardons to people in order to induce them not to testify or not to cooperate in investigations that are detrimental to Trump.<br />
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2. He had an absolute right to influence Michael Cohen to lie to Congress in March 2017 that the pursuit of the Trump Tower Moscow was ended in January 2016.<br />
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3. He had an absolute right to instruct Don McGahan to take steps to get Mueller fired, and an absolute right to request Don McGahan to write a letter for the record that Trump did not instruct Don McGahan to take steps to get Mueller fired.<br />
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4. He has an absolute right to tell the American people 12,019 false or misleading statements between January 20, 2017 and August 2019.<br />
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5. He has an absolute right to make all the verbal attacks on people that he has made during the past 2-1/2 years, regardless of their truth or falsity, and regardless of whether Trump believes what he says.<br />
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6. He has an absolute right to do and say all the things that he has said or done during the past week, or that have been revealed during the past week to have been done, related to Ukraine matter.<br />
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[The foregoing is a partial list of the questionable things Trump believes he has an absolute right to do, based on determinations by Trump in his sole discretion that the questionable thing helps Trump serve the country's interests or helps Trump carry out his promises to his voters.]<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Trump's absolutism is contrary to constitution</span></b><b><span style="font-size: x-large;"> </span></b><br />
Under the constitution and its separation of powers and checks and balances, Trump's absolutism is untenable. Trump's absolutism has gotten progressively worse. Past presidents have had instances when they took actions that exceeded their Article 2 powers and they have been checked by the Supreme Court or Congress. No past president has come anywhere near to Trump in Trump's belief about the absolute powers he claims he has. There are explanations for how Trump has gotten so far away in his claims of absolute powers. This has now been brought to a head with the Democrats on course in the House of Representatives to impeach Trump.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Source and nature of Trump's absolutism </span></b><br />
Trump may not understand the limitations on the President's rights under the constitution and may not understand why his beliefs about his absolute rights do not comport with the constitution.<br />
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In Trump's personal business history, there was little or no accountability to anyone else, such as a Board of Directors or stockholders. This may have rendered Trump insensitive or unaware that the Presidency is subject to limitations and there is accountability.<br />
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Before becoming President, Trump led an inordinately selfish and narcissistic life of pursuing wealth, glitz, glamour, publicity, and notoriety Trump's grotesque self-centeredness in promoting himself would seem to have left little room for empathy and concern for others, and if hurting other people helped Trump, Trump probably did little subordinating of his interests to the interest and good of others.<br />
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Overwhelming self-centeredness and self-promotion easily carry over to a lot of lying. Trump likes superlatives for himself, and it is easy to speculate, in his personal and business life, the pervasiveness and egregiousness of his lying over 30 years are matched by few other persons. His lying as President probably makes Trump the biggest Presidential liar in history.<br />
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A public official has a duty to serve the public interest and not his private interests. A President needs to understand that, be able to discern when the President's personal interests are not the same as the interests of the American people, and be able to choose to act to serve their interests ahead of his own personal interests. Doing that requires honest introspection, and Trump may not be capable of honest introspection for differentiating what Trump's personal interests are and the country's interests are.<br />
<br />
Trump adamantly touts that everything he does serves the interests of the American people or to fulfill his promises to his voters. While Trump says that, Trump has said and done much that evidences that Trump does not do the needed introspection to discern his personal interests versus the country's interests and is is able to choose to put the interests of the country ahead of his own personal interests or gratifications. At bottom, Trump may be plain dishonest with himself, as well as with the American people.<br />
<br />
Consider Trump's over the top personal attacks and disparaging of others. It is clear that Trump gets personal psychological gratifications from doing that. Perhaps Trump would contend that such attacks and disparaging of others aids Trump in advancing the agenda he was elected to carry out. Many would say that Trump would not be honest with himself if he said that, and Trump is putting his own gratifications ahead of the interests of those who voted for him.<br />
<br />
Ukraine offers another example. Trump claims an absolute right to fight corruption, and such fighting of corruption is in the interest of the United States. Many would say Trump is being dishonest about his motive, and his motive has nothing to do with fighting corruption in the interest of the United States but only to achieve political gain for himself.<br />
<br />
Trump chose to compound for himself the problem of having personal interests differing from the country's interests, his failing to see the differing interests, not being able to separate them in his mind, and and not being able to subordinate his personal interests to the country's interest. This self chosen compounding of the problem by Trump started at the outset of his Presidency by how Trump chose to keep and pursue the extensive business conflicts of interest after he became President (unlike how previous Presidents dealt with conflicts of interest). For more discussion, see <a href="https://trumptweet.blogspot.com/2019/02/trumps-conflicts-of-interest-problem.html">Trump's conflicts in interest problem</a>.<br />
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All of the foregoing has contributed to and is manifested in the extreme degree to which Trump sees everything through the lens of whether he is helped or harmed. If something or someone is helpful to him, that is good, right and beautiful. If something or someone is detrimental to Trump, it is corrupt or evil or a disgrace. This lens through which Trump sees things results in Trump conflating in his mind his own interests and the country's interests, so that if something serve his interests he can find a way to label it as serving the country's interests that is ultimately dishonest.<br />
<br />
Ukraine exemplifies this by Trump not seeing that he has a personal interest of political gain that is different from the country's interest in fighting corruption, and Trump being dishonest with himself and the country in saying his motive is to serve the country's interest to fight corruption, when in fact his motive is political gain for himself.<br />
<br />
This absolute black and white for Trump according to how Trump is helped or harmed contributes to Trump's absolute adamancy that he is always right and never wrong, his claiming excessive credit for himself for favorable events and circumstances, and, if there is an unfavorable event or circumstances, he bears no blame and only others are to blame.<br />
<br />
Trump's absolutism is putting enormous strains on the United States political body. Trump's supporters may be fine with Trump's black and white absolutism. Trump's supporters need to be able to see how intolerable Trump's absolutism for those who are not signed up to Trump's cult of personality. Such absolutism of Trump claiming absolute rights and unwillingness to accept limitations on his rights and Congressional oversight of the same brings the country to the stalemate and impeachment crisis.<br />
<br />
Trump will not back down in his claims of absolute rights as President, the Democrats will absolutely disagree with Trump having the absolute rights he claims, and the Democrats will impeach Trump to hold Trump accountable for Trump wrongfully acting on the basis of Trump's claimed absolute rights and to stop Trump from further acting wrongfully.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Impeachment by the House </span></b><br />
As stated above, it is certain the House will impeach Trump.<br />
<br />
It remains to be seen what will be included in the articles of impeachment and whether the articles will limited, say, to the Ukraine matter, or include other matters.<br />
<br />
As to Ukraine, Trump's above tweets set out the argument that Trump and his supporters will put forth to the effect that Trump had an absolute right to ask a foreign government to investigate corruption on the basis of his determination that such investigation serves the interests of the United States and the American people.<br />
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The Democrats will disagree, say Trump's asserted purpose to protect the United States against corruption is pretext and in bad faith, say Trump is flat lying about his purpose and Trump's true purpose was only to get Ukraine to do things to help Trump and hurt Biden in the 2020 election, and Trump put his own personal interests ahead of the interests of the United States. The Democrats will say such violates the constitution, and the House, under its impeachment power, may determine what Trump has done is an impeachable offense.<br />
<br />
One or more of the ten instances of possible obstruction of justice set out in the Mueller report may be included in the House's articles of impeachment. Trump may contend that he had the absolute right to do the things he did in those instances in order to protect the United States from an coup against the President rooted in wrongful investigations made of him. The Democrats will say Trump had no such absolute right, and that Trump's actions did constitute obstruction of justice, which the House has the power to determine is an impeachable offense.<br />
<br />
The American people will hear much from Trump saying he had the absolute right to do various questionable things that are included in the articles of impeachment and from the Democrats explaining that Trump did not have the absolute right to do such questionable things. It is an open question what the American people will think when they are exposed to hearing for weeks or months about the questionable things Trump has done.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>What happens after House impeaches</b></span><br />
The Republicans will have charge of the trial of Trump in the Senate. The Senate trial may result in the American people hearing more of the same they heard in connection with the House impeachment proceedings.<br />
<br />
Alternatively, the Republicans may make the Senate trial very brief, and the American people will not hear a repetition of what they heard in connection with the House proceedings.<br />
<br />
Regardless, most American people will not be able to shut their ears to the impeachment proceedings and will not be able to avoid thought along the lines of, "I have heard at length about these questionable things that Trump did that the Democrats say were to serve Trump's own interests and not the interests of the United States, I have heard about separation of powers, checks and balances and the role of Congressional oversight regarding questionable acts of the President. So what do I really think about all this I have heard?"<br />
<br />
It probably cannot be predicted how the Senate Republicans will think about and react to the phenomenon of the American people hearing weeks or months of impeachment proceedings about questionable Trump actions.<br />
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If the Senate does not convict, then there will be the 2020 election that will decide whether the United States will continue with Trump's absolutism as President.<br />
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Rob Shattuckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02707865352312442808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6581993028765136500.post-10713259659072465432019-09-14T03:29:00.000-07:002019-09-14T03:37:33.848-07:00Suggested Pelosi statement re impeachment<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">DRAFT</span></b></div>
<b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></b>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">SUGGESTED STATEMENT OF SPEAKER NANCY PELOSI</span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">ABOUT WHY HOUSE IS IMPEACHING DONALD TRUMP</span></b></div>
<br />
My fellow Americans,<br />
<br />
I wish to explain to you why the United States House of Representatives is impeaching Donald Trump.<br />
<br />
It is the constitutional duty of the President of the United States to obey the law and to serve the country's interests and not his personal interests.<br />
<br />
Under the constitution, both the voters (through their voting power) and the Congress (under its impeachment power) have oversight power over whether the President is fulfilling his constitutional duty to obey the law and serve the country's interests and not his personal interests.<br />
<br />
Deciding whether the President is obeying the law and serving the country's interests or his personal interests requires accurate information about what the President does and has done.<br />
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In the 2016 election, Donald Trump had no record as a governmental official for the voters to consider about whether Donald Trump would, as President, obey the law and serve the country's interests and not his personal interests.<br />
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In the 2016 election, the voters elected Donald Trump as President.<br />
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Donald Trump now has a 2-1/2 year record as President that can be considered for determining whether he has obeyed the law and has served the country's interests and not his personal interests.<br />
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In 2020 the voters will possibly have an opportunity to decide whether Donald Trump, as President, obeyed the law and served the country's interests and not his personal interests.<br />
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Deciding that, as I have said, depends on having accurate information about what Donald Trump has done as President.<br />
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The President has enormous power that he can use to prevent the voters from having accurate information about whether he has obeyed the law and served the country's interests and not his personal interests.<br />
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Under its impeachment and oversight powers, the Congress also has great power to get accurate information about whether the President has obeyed the law and has served the country's interests and not his personal interests.<br />
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The 2-1/2 year record of Donald Trump as President has raised very serious questions about whether he has obeyed the law and has served the country's interests and not his personal interests and about whether he has used his enormous power to prevent the voters and Congress from obtaining accurate information for deciding about the same.<br />
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So serious are the foregoing questions that House of Representatives has decided to is use its impeachment power to get accurate information both for Congress and for the voters.<br />
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The House of Representatives believes that it is its constitutional duty to do this.<br />
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The foregoing is my explanation, as Speaker of the House of Representatives, why the House is doing what it is doing.<br />
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We believe that the people agree that the President must obey the law and serve the country's interests and not his personal interests.<br />
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We believe that the people agree, or will agree, that accurate information is needed about whether the Donald Trump has obeyed the law and has served the country's interests and not his personal interests.<br />
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We believe that the people will understand the foregoing explanation of why the House of Representatives has decided to impeach Donald Trump.Rob Shattuckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02707865352312442808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6581993028765136500.post-89610770575062200282019-07-24T16:48:00.001-07:002019-11-25T23:07:28.500-08:00Why today has destroyed Trump[Update 11/16/19: Trump is adamant that he has done nothing wrong regarding Ukraine. The insistence by Trump that he has done nothing wrong regarding Ukraine, when there can be no reasonable question that Trump has done something wrong, establishes that there is a significant risk that Trump will continue to do wrongs in the future. The articles of impeachment against Trump should emphasize the risk of future wrongs by Trump and the necessity of impeaching Trump to prevent him from doing more wrongs as President.]<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">A. General</span></b><br />
<br />
For three years Donald Trump has acted to set himself above the law.<br />
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It will be extremely detrimental to the United States' constitutional form of government of the rule of law and separation of powers if Trump succeeds in being above the law.<br />
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The Mueller hearing is a culmination that brings into stark public view Trump's goal of being above the law, and the stark choice for the Democrats that the only way to stop Trump from putting himself above the law is impeachment plus the 2020 election.<br />
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Trump's psychological and personal motivations for wanting to be above the law are not entirely clear. One motivation is probably to protect himself and his family against legal threats. The full extent of such threats, however, are likely not currently known by the public.<br />
<br />
The evidence that Trump has been acting to set himself above the law consists of (i) statements by Trump that effectively say he is above the law, and (ii) numerous actions by Trump that get him closer to being above the law. These statements and actions incrementally gain acceptance by Trump's base that it is ok for Trump to be above the law. So long as Trump has his base, extreme measures are needed to stop Trump in his quest to be above the law.<br />
<br />
Statements Trump has made evidencing his belief that he is above the law include recent statements that Article 2 of the constitution allows him to do whatever he wants to, plus categorical statements that he has done nothing wrong, such as Trump's statement after the Mueller hearing that "I did nothing wrong."<br />
<br />
There are now three years of Trump wrongfully seeking to set himself above the law, Trump getting away with his wrongful statements and actions getting him closer to being above the law, and Trump being emboldened to go even further to setting himself above the law.<br />
<br />
A key component of Trump's gaining acceptance by his base of Trump being above the law is that Trump says whatever he wants, without regard to truth or falsity; his megaphone is the biggest and loudest in the country; he makes summary categorical statements, such as "I did nothing wrong", and he avoids any meaningful challenge of what he says, such as by being required to answer under oath and be cross examined about what he says. In this situation Trump's base believes whatever Trump says, and stopping Trump requires extreme measures to contradict Trump's "I did nothing wrong" that Trump keeps broadcasting through his megaphone, which is the biggest and loudest in the land.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">B. Mueller hearing</span></b><br />
<br />
The Mueller report, and today's hearing and Trump's statements after the hearing, are a significant culmination of three years of Trump's wrongful statements and actions to get himself of the below.,<br />
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The hearing and statements are a significant culmination because they they present a stark choice for the Democrats that impeachment is necessary if Trump is to be stopped in his wrongful statements and actions aimed at putting himself himself above the law.<br />
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The 450 page Mueller report, besides detailing Russia's interference in the 2016, sets out extensive wrongdoing by Trump in connection with Russia's interference and Mueller's investigation of the wrongdoing.<br />
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As one example, consider that Trump pursued the Trump Tower Moscow project while he ran for President; Trump lied to the voters during the campaign that he had nothing to do with Russia; Trump had Cohen and others support that lie; and, after he was President, Trump directly or indirectly, had Cohen continue the lie in sworn testimony to Congress.<br />
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In the mode Trump has built up for three years, Trump, after the hearing, made a categorical statement "I did nothing wrong."<br />
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Even though what Trump did was clearly wrong, Trump's base hears Trump's general denial "I did nothing wrong," accepts that general denial uncritically, and does not have to deal with Trump being forced to say specifically,<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Yes, I pursued the Trump Tower Moscow project while I ran for President, I lied to the voters during the campaign that I had nothing to do with Russia, I had Cohen and others support that lie, and, after I was President, I directly or indirectly, had Cohen continue the lie in sworn testimony to Congress.<br />
But it was not wrong that I did that.</blockquote>
Trump's nature and psychology may be that he somehow believes that nothing he does is wrong. As to his action after he was President, Trump may believe that nothing he does as President is "wrong" because he, as President, can do anything he wants and therefore anything he does is not wrong, including being involved with Cohen lying to Congress about the Trump Tower Moscow project.<br />
<br />
Another example from the Muelller hearing is Trump asking Don McGahn and others to get Mueller fired. Trump either may deny he did that, of if he did, it would not be "wrong." Again Trump's "I did nothing wrong" statement today fairly means that Trump believes he did nothing wrong if he asked Don McGahn and others to get Mueller fired.<br />
<br />
The foregoing examples are two of scores of incidents during the past three years as to which Trump ostensibly expressed belief he did nothing wrong, or he would contend he did nothing wrong when most or almost all would agree Trump did something wrong.<br />
<br />
A President who believes Article 2 allows him to do anything he wants, and whose position is that nothing he has done is "wrong" during the past three years and nothing he does as President is "wrong", and who does things manifesting that belief, is endeavoring to set himself up as above the law.<br />
<br />
The Mueller report and the Mueller hearing laid out massive wrongdoing by Trump.<br />
<br />
Trump says he has done nothing wrong.<br />
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The Mueller hearing brought to the fore that Trump cannot be indicted while he is President, it is problematic whether Trump would be indicted after he is no longer President, and Trump's false statements are not being subjected to challenge by means of Trump being required to testify under oath and cross examined.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">C. Trump's "I did nothing wrong" lie</span></b><br />
<br />
Probably the most dangerous component of Trump's setting himself above the law is Trump's lying, and the willingness of Trump's base to be unaffected by Trump's lying.<br />
<br />
After the Mueller hearing Trump was asked whether he should have allowed himself to be interviewed by Mueller. Trump answered by referring to how any slip up in answering questions, including innocuous questions, could result in him being charged with perjury. Trump said he made the right decision to not be interviewed by Mueller.<br />
<br />
Consider that every other American is subject to being called to appear and answer questions under oath. Consider that Trump does endless diatribes about lies of various persons such as McCabe, Comey, Cohen, Strzok, and Page, who have been called to appear and testify under oath; and Trump does not himself have to appear and answer questions under oath.<br />
<br />
Trump's not being subject to being called to answer questions under oath is an egregious form of Trump being above the law, which allows Trump to continue with his lies, such as his "I did nothing wrong" statement after the Mueller hearing. As discussed above, those lies are accepted uncritically by Trump's base and are a main tool in Trump's his quest to be above the law and not have to tell the truth and be accountable for his wrongs.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">D. Democrats have to impeach Trump</span></b><br />
<br />
The Mueller hearing and Trump's statement "I did nothing wrong" leave the Democrats with no choice but to impeach Trump to hold Trump accountable for his wrongs and to keep him from being above the law.<br />
<br />
Mueller has done his job in presenting to the American people the case that Trump has done many wrongs and that the wrongs are leading to Trump placing himself above the law.<br />
<br />
Trump is saying, "I did no wrong," even though it is obvious Trump has done many wrongs.<br />
<br />
The Mueller report and hearing have made significant headway in getting the truth about Trump's wrongs into the public domain and how Trump is headed to being above the law.<br />
<br />
Now it is up to the Democrats to continue from where Mueller has brought the case and beyond which Mueller cannot take the case further.<br />
<br />
To carry the case forward to the American people, the Democrats have to impeach Trump and explain the necessity of impeachment for informing the voters in connection with the 2020 election. In other words, tell the voters that one of the issues in the 2020 election is Trump's wrongs, his seeking to be the above the law and why that is extremely detrimental to the United States' constitutional form of government of the rule of law and separation of powers.<br />
<br />
The Senate may not vote to convict, but impeachment is necessary as part of the 2020 election make the case to the American people that Trump will succeed in destroying the rule of law if Trump is not defeated in the 2020 election.</div>
Rob Shattuckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02707865352312442808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6581993028765136500.post-2138340035865223942019-05-27T12:23:00.000-07:002019-05-28T03:35:25.686-07:00To impeach or not impeachThe sentiment of the Democrats in favor of impeachment is growing in the House of Representatives.<br />
<br />
Trump's stonewalling of the Democrats' investigations is a main driver of the growing sentiment for impeachment.<br />
<br />
Trump enjoys angering and taunting people and relishes fights.<br />
<br />
Trump is goading the Democrats to impeach him.<br />
<br />
It is unclear whether the goading is because Trump doesn't care whether he's impeached, or because Trump can't help himself, or because Trump is being strategic.<br />
<br />
Congressional Republicans ought to want to know why Trump is goading the Democrats to impeach him.<br />
<br />
Speaker Pelosi and many Congressional Democrats are concerned that, taking into account that the Republican controlled Senate would never vote to convict Trump, impeaching Trump could backfire, with Trump campaigning about Presidential harassment preventing him from doing the country's business, and resulting in a backlash against the Democrats and a Trump victory in 2020.<br />
<br />
Impeachment or not seems extremely high stakes for the Democrats and for Trump and the Republicans as well.<br />
<br />
Probably no one except Trump knows what Trump really thinks about impeachment.<br />
<br />
There is no discernible crack in Trump's extreme self-confidence that he always wins, and no one ever beats Trump in the end.<br />
<br />
On the other hand, it would seem that not even Trump can know with certainty how the twists and turns of an impeachment would turn out for him.<br />
<br />
Yet Trump seems to be doing almost everything he can unnecessarily to bring on an impeachment in the House of Representatives.<br />
<br />
Besides uncertainty about what Trump really wants, it would seem uncertain whether the Republicans desire an impeachment in the House of Representatives.<br />
<br />
Much bluffing could be going on. Once the impeachment train gets going, there will be little chance of stopping it, and the ultimate unpredictable outcome will be whatever it turns out to be. Anyone who is bluffing now needs to calculate realistically about their bluff.<br />
<br />
I believe Trump is doing extreme damage to the country, and, if Trump wins in 2020, the damage will be even greater.<br />
<br />
This means I have to think realistically about the risk of an impeachment backfiring and contributing to a Trump victory in 2020 and four more years of Trump.<br />
<br />
My assessment is that the truth about Trump is ugly, and that ugliness will come out in an impeachment of Trump in a way that it would not come out in the 2020 election campaign if there is not an impeachment in the House of Representatives.<br />
<br />
If, after the ugly truth about Trump comes out in an impeachment in the House of Representatives, I am willing to take my chances with the American people reelecting Trump in 2020.<br />
<br />
As stated, I think another four years of Trump will inflict much more damage on the country, but I will accept the will of the American people after the ugliness of Trump comes out in an impeachment.<br />
<br />
My saying the above puts it to Republicans to be sure they are realistic with what they assess to be the ugly truth (or not ugly truth) about Trump.<br />
<br />
I believe the truth about Trump is ugly, and that the Republicans in Alabama (where I live) cannot handle that ugly truth. They would do well to search their souls now about the ugly truth about Trump and take their chances accordingly of what an impeachment will bring.<br />
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We will see what happens.Rob Shattuckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02707865352312442808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6581993028765136500.post-24719601951067893232019-04-11T14:00:00.000-07:002019-04-12T15:53:28.035-07:00Obama & Trump must testify to CongressYesterday Trump charged that the Russia investigation was an "attempted coup, an attempted takedown of the President" and he "knew how illegal the whole thing was."<br />
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<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/RBe9aINpN38" width="560"></iframe><br />
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Trump has been lying his head off for 2-1/2 years without consequence. Trump has gotten away with his lying because he has not been forced to tell the truth under penalties of perjury.<br />
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Yesterday's charges by Trump that there was an "attempted coup" against him is as serious charge of criminality, if not treason, that the President could make against his political opposition. Further, millions of Americans believe such charges are true, and this threatens the stability of the country.<br />
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The President of the United States is the highest public servant in the United States, and, as such, the President has the greatest public duty and obligation to the American people.<br />
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It is intolerable for Trump to be telling lies that millions of Americans believe if the lies threaten the stability of the United States.<br />
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The United States House of Representatives has a constitutional duty to protect the United States against a President who is telling lies that millions of Americans believe, which lies threaten the stability of the United States.<br />
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To fulfill that duty, the House of Representatives should pass a resolution inviting Trump to come before Congress and testify under penalties of perjury.<br />
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Barack Obama previously was the President of the United States and was the highest public servant in the United States, who also had the greatest public duty and obligation to the American people. The resolution inviting Trump to come before Congress to testify should also invite Barack Obama to come before Congress to testify under oath.<br />
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If Trump refuses to come before Congress to testify under oath, the House of Representatives should begin impeachment proceedings against Trump.Rob Shattuckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02707865352312442808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6581993028765136500.post-11329541678902592252019-02-26T16:09:00.001-08:002020-07-10T01:40:45.611-07:00Reckoning with Trump's past[Trump's problems consist of wrongdoing from before election and wrongdoing after election. This blog entry discusses Trump's wrongdoing from before election. The blog entry <a href="http://trumptweet.blogspot.com/2019/02/trumps-conflicts-of-interest-problem.html">Trump's conflicts of interest problem</a> discusses Trump's wrongdoing after the election.]<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Limited vetting in 2016 election of Trump's past history</span></b><br />
In the 2016 election, there was widespread voter dissatisfaction with career politicians seeming to serve their own interests, and seeming not to care about a protracted shrinking of the middle class and deterioration in the economic lives of tens of millions of Americans.<br />
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This dissatisfaction was charged up by candidates Sanders and Trump making harsh attacks on a "rigged" political system and by Trump being especially vicious in alleging Clinton corruption.<br />
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In this political environment, Trump swept into the 2016 Presidential election with a campaign spectacle unlike anything seen before in American politics.<br />
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In the campaign Trump trashed Obama and the other Presidents as being stupid incompetents and touted that he Trump, aided by his supreme "art of the deal" business skills, could fix the country's problems that the other Presidents had failed on.<br />
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Trump's campaign spectacle was an entertainment tour de force, which received unprecedented news coverage and free advertising for Trump.<br />
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In all the publicity he got, Trump avoided serious thinking by the voters about Trump's past history and the possible consequences in their consideration of Trump as a Presidential candidate.<br />
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Trump had fame in his previous life, and there were voluminous news stories over 30 years about Trump's business and personal life.<br />
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To the extent there were bad things about Trump's past that were not in the public record, Trump knew what those bad things were, and some Trump associates also possibly knew. To the voters, these were unknowns.<br />
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In the 2016 Republican primaries, the other Republican candidates, possibly because they were cowed by Trump, did minimal attacking of Trump about his past history.<br />
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In the general election, there was also minimal attacking of Trump by Hillary Clinton about Trump's past history.<br />
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Any attacking of Trump about bad things in his past history done by the other Republican candidates or by Hillary Clinton could, as indicated, not include things that were not in the public record (or found by "oppo" research).<br />
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While Trump's business experience had great appeal to many voters, those voters probably gave little serious thought about the possibility that Trump had done nefarious things in his business career, and those could be a problem if Trump won the election and bad things came to light after Trump took office.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Risk of bad things coming out after election</span></b><br />
The 2016 election had potentially serious adverse consequences for Trump, his supporters and the country if there were unknown bad things from Trump's past history, and, if Trump should win, those bad things came to light after the election.<br />
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Bad things from Trump's past history coming out after the election could lessen Trump's moral authority to lead the country as President and reduce the country's trust in Trump. This would be exacerbated if Trump lied and tried to cover up to keep bad things from his past coming out.<br />
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Bad things from Trump's past could be used by Trump's political opponents to attack him, and those attacks could impair Trump's ability to carry out his agenda. That would negatively affect Trump's supporters, who wanted Trump's agenda to be carried out.<br />
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The attacking of Trump by his opponents for Trump's past misdeeds would divert Trump and Congress from carrying out their functions in the operation of the Federal government. Division in the country would also increase from Trump's supporters defending Trump and his past misdeeds, and Trump's opponents attacking Trump for those past misdeeds. This increased division would be especially acute if Trump lied and tried to cover up to keep the bad things from coming out, Trump supporters supported Trump notwithstanding his lying and covering up, and Trump's opponents increased their attack about past misdeeds due to Trump's current lying and trying to cover up.<br />
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The foregoing would happen in the environment that there would be immensely more intensive and broad ranging scrutiny of Trump's past history that would be carried out by the media and by Trump's political opponents.<br />
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Trump knew of all the bad things in his past that could come to light after the election. Trump further knew of the above potentially serious adverse consequences for Trump, his supporters and the country if those bad things from Trump's past came out. Those were risks that Trump knowingly took for himself. He also took the risks for his supporters but Trump's supporters did not know of the risk that Trump took for them.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Bad things actually coming out</span></b><br />
Bad things from Trump's past are now coming out, and the potential adverse consequences described above are now happening.<br />
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Trump can be expected to take the position that, no matter what bad things are in his past and no matter what comes out from his past, there is no recourse against him as President except for the voters to vote him out of office in 2020.<br />
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It can also be expected that such a position by Trump would be strenuously resisted by Trump's opponents, and the ensuing political battle would be exactly one of the potential adverse consequences resulting from bad things in Trump's past that come to light after the election.<br />
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As stated above, Trump, in running for President, knew of whatever bad things there were in his past and Trump further knew of the potentially serious adverse consequences for himself, his supporters and the country if those bad things from Trump's past came out. Those were risks that Trump knowingly took for himself . Trump also took the risks for his supporters and the country, but Trump's supporters and the country did not know of the risk that Trump took for them.<br />
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It can be expected that Trump will take the position that, as between himself and the country, it is the country that should bear all the costs and risk of what Trump consciously and knowingly subjected the country to, and that he Trump should be untouched by the harms he has caused for the country by his choice to run for President.<br />
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Time will tell how all of the foregoing plays out for the country.</div>
Rob Shattuckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02707865352312442808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6581993028765136500.post-91036926496038401782019-02-24T12:04:00.000-08:002019-05-13T23:08:56.071-07:00Trump's conflicts of interest problem[Trump's problems consist of wrongdoing from before election and wrongdoing after election. This blog entry discusses Trump's wrongdoing after the election. The blog entry <a href="http://trumptweet.blogspot.com/2019/02/reckoning-with-trumps-past.html">Reckoning with Trump's past</a> discusses Trump's wrongdoing from before the election.]<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">General problem of conflicts of interest</span></b><br />
There is long standing understanding of the problem of public officials having conflicts of interest and the need for prohibitions, disclosure and other ways for avoiding or lessening the problem. <a href="https://www.oecd.org/gov/ethics/49107986.pdf">Managing Conflict of Interest in the Public Sector</a><br />
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Public officials are supposed to act for public purposes and not to benefit themselves personally.<br />
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If public officials have conflicts of interest, there is a risk that they will make decisions and take actions for their personal benefit in violation of what they are supposed to do.<br />
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Further, the mere existence of conflicts of interest engenders distrust of the public official, because the public cannot know with certainty that the public official is acting for public purposes and not for personal benefit. This distrust can metastasize to such an extent a public official does not have trust of the voters needed to make and carry out difficult decisions in his public office.<br />
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The best solution to the conflict of interest problem is for there not to be conflicts of interest, which can be done by prohibiting them or insulating them by the use of "blind trusts" so the public official does not know what will benefit himself personally.<br />
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Disclosure of conflicts of interest is also a tool, but it is not as good a tool as prohibition.<br />
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The worst case is where the public official has conflicts of interest and hides the conflicts of interest.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Exemption of President</span></b><br />
18 U.S.C. Section 208 is the general Federal law prohibition on Federal officials having conflicts of interest.<br />
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<a href="https://codes.findlaw.com/us/title-18-crimes-and-criminal-procedure/18-usc-sect-202.html">Section 202</a>, however, provides an exemption for the President, the Vice President, any Member of Congress, or a Federal Judge.<br />
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Until Donald Trump, U.S. Presidents have been sensitive to, and taken steps to avoid, their having conflicts of interest, and Presidential conflicts of interest have not presented a problem for the country before Donald Trump.<br />
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Trump controversially started out his Presidency with an attitude and actions that he legally could have any conflicts of interest he desired, and that he would in fact have and pursue personal benefits for himself and his family from an extensive set of conflicts of interest.<br />
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For news stories and commentary on this, see Brennan Center for Justice, <a href="https://www.brennancenter.org/publication/strengthening-presidential-ethics-law">"Strengthening Presidential Ethics Law"</a>, by <a href="https://www.brennancenter.org/expert/daniel-i-weiner">Daniel I. Weiner</a>, December 13, 2017;<br />
<i>Emory Corporate Governance and Accountability Review <a href="http://law.emory.edu/ecgar/content/volume-4/issue-special/essays-interviews/conflicts-president-law-trump-presidency.html">"</a></i><a href="http://law.emory.edu/ecgar/content/volume-4/issue-special/essays-interviews/conflicts-president-law-trump-presidency.html">Conflicts of Interest and the President: Reviewing the State of Law in the Face of a Trump Presidency"</a> ; POLITICO <a href="https://www.politico.com/story/2016/11/trump-bush-ethics-exemption-231773">"Trump owes ethics exemption to George H.W. Bush"</a>, by Josh Gerstein, November 23, 2016: and LAW & CRIME,<br />
<a href="https://lawandcrime.com/high-profile/trump-is-right-conflict-of-interest-rules-dont-apply-to-him/">"Trump is Right, Conflict-of-Interest Rules Don’t Apply to Him"</a>,<br />
by <a href="https://lawandcrime.com/author/rachel-stockman/">Rachel Stockman</a> November 23, 2016<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Past two years</span></b><br />
The past two years have evidenced great untoward consequences for the country growing out of Trump's attitudes and actions to keep his conflicts of interest while President and pursue personal benefits for himself and his family from those conflicts of interest.<br />
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This has included instances of Trump hiding his conflicts of interest and lying.<br />
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Perhaps the leading, most egregious instance to date is the Trump Tower Moscow matter. This was hidden for two years, and information about it, and the consequences from it, are still unfolding.<br />
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While Trump had a legal right to pursue his business interests during the time he was running for President, this was a precursor "conflict of interest" that, in the course of two years, morphed into a huge trust problem for Trump and the country.<br />
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The precursor "conflict of interest" was that Trump as a candidate may have been secretly doing and saying things to curry favor with Putin in order to advance his Trump Tower Moscow project, and those things were damaging to the country while Trump was helped personally.<br />
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For example, Trump alone in the summer of 2016 was questioning national intelligence about Russian interference in the 2016 election. The country's intelligence apparatus is important for national security, and it is important that the country have a legitimate faith in the apparatus so that actions taken based on the apparatus have the support of the country. If Trump undermined that faith by what he said in the 2016 election in order to serve his private interests, that would be very bad for the country and it would engender huge distrust of Trump if this was found out after he became President.<br />
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To the extent Trump was currying favor with Putin before the election, after Trump won, he was potentially compromised and subject to blackmail by Putin by reason of what Trump did before the election.<br />
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This then gets immensely exacerbated if Trump got Cohen to lie to Congress about the Trump Tower Moscow project.<br />
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The upshot of the foregoing is huge damage to the country's trust in Trump, and, if Trump is willing to do the foregoing in service of his private interests and to protect himself, the distrust spills over to many other actions of Trump and what other things Trump may be willing to do to protect himself.<br />
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Currently, legitimate questions can arise as to whether Trump's summit with Kim this week is to further U.S. national interest or to distract from Mueller. If Trump is willing to get Cohen to lie to Congress, Trump himself may lie by saying he has removed the North Korea nuclear threat, when in fact it has not been removed.<br />
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Kim is presumably aware that Trump is weakened by widespread distrust of Trump in the United States and Kim potentially can take advantage of the distrust in whatever agreement is made at the summit.<br />
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During the past two years Trump has had many other conflicts of interest that are harmful to the country in the way described above.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Republican complicity</b></span><br />
For two years the Republicans have enabled Trump's conflicts of interest and increased the problem for the country of Trump's conflict of interests.</div>
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The Democrats won the House of Representatives in the 2018 election and should endeavor to undue the damage that the Republicans have done in enabling Trump's conflicts of interest for two years.<br />
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Rob Shattuckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02707865352312442808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6581993028765136500.post-5303458997642555282018-10-31T13:35:00.000-07:002018-10-31T15:39:34.424-07:00Tweet against electoral college <span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>TWEET AGAINST ELECTORAL COLLEGE BY GETTING VOTE FOR #ALDEMS CONG'L CANDIDATES UP</b></span><br />
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TO: As many #ALDEMS and other Alabamians as we can tweet to:<br />
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While #ALDEMS Congressional candidates (except for Terri Sewell) may not win, it is important to get the total vote for them up.<br />
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The electoral college, which determines the Presidency, and the United States Senate, are undemocratic and unfair. <br />
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It was undemocratic and unfair that Donald Trump became President in 2016 when Hillary Clinton got 3,000,000 more votes.<br />
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It is undemocratic and unfair that the 25 least populous states have about one-sixth the total United States population, and those 25 states have 50 of the 100 Senators in the Senate.<br />
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This unfairness is a bone of contention between the two political parties, and that will continue after Nov. 6th. <br />
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After the 2018 votes are counted, the total vote that Democratic Congressional candidates get nationwide, compared to the total vote that GOP Congressional candidates get, will be important..<br />
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The more the total vote nationwide for Democratic Congressional candidates exceeds the total vote for Republicans, the greater the "unfairness" and undemocratic nature of the electoral college and the United States Senate will appear. <br />
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Thus it is important to get votes for the #ALDEMS Congressional candidates up as much as possible, because all the votes will count favorably in the nationwide vote total described above.<br />
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We are tweeting to you to call this to your attention and to urge you to vote on Nov. 6th for the Democratic Congressional candidate in your district.<br />
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We want to send thousands of tweets to #ALDEMS and other Alabamians to ask them to join with us, and send more thousands of tweets to #ALDEMS other Alabamians, all to get the vote total up for #ALDEMS Congressional candidates<br />
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To join in and tweet with us, please follow Steps One and Two below.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Step One</span></b><br />
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Click on the below "Tweet here" link to send a tweet that says,<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Tweet against the undemocratic electoral college and undemocratic U.S. Senate. Get vote total up for #ALDEMS Cong'l candidates to do this. #alpolitics<br />
https://trumptweet.blogspot.com/2018/10/tweet-against-electoral-college.html</blockquote>
(After you click on the below "Tweet here" link, you will see a preview of your tweet, and your tweet will not be sent until you click the "Tweet" button in the preview.)<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https://trumptweet.blogspot.com/2018/10/tweet-against-electoral-college.html&text=Tweet%20%20against%20the%20undemocratic%20electoral%20college%20and%20undemocratic%20U.S.%20Senate.%20Get%20vote%20total%20up%20for%20%23ALDEMS%20Cong%27l%20candidates%20to%20do%20this.%20%23alpolitics&"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Tweet here</span></b></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Step Two</span></b><br />
Send individual tweets to other Alabamians, which tweets have a link to this webpage. This will be to try to get recipients of tweets to come to this webpage, send their own tweet in Step One, and, after that, join in sending tweets to more Alabamans in this Step Two. The goal here to get a large number of "pyramiding" of tweets going to Alabama voters.<br />
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A suggested tweet message to send in this Step Two is:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Help tweet against the undemocratic electoral college and the undemocratic U.S. Senate. Help get vote total up for #ALDEMS Cong'l candidates to do this. https://trumptweet.blogspot.com/2018/10/tweet-against-electoral-college.html</blockquote>
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Then find follower lists of Twitter accounts in your geographic area that have a lot of followers. Below are examples of good Twitter follower lists to use for the Huntsville, Birmingham, Montgomery, and Mobile areas:<br />
<a href="https://twitter.com/ALcomHuntsville/followers">https://twitter.com/ALcomHuntsville/followers</a><br />
<a href="https://twitter.com/GreaterShelby/followers">https://twitter.com/GreaterShelby/followers</a><br />
<a href="https://twitter.com/OTMJ_Life/followers">https://twitter.com/OTMJ_Life/followers</a><br />
<a href="https://twitter.com/HomewoodHigh/followers">https://twitter.com/HomewoodHigh/followers</a><br />
<a href="https://twitter.com/TrussTribune/followers">https://twitter.com/TrussTribune/followers</a><br />
<a href="https://twitter.com/ALcomMobile/followers">https://twitter.com/ALcomMobile/followers</a><br />
<a href="https://twitter.com/MGMAdvertiser/followers">https://twitter.com/MGMAdvertiser/followers</a></div>
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FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS FOR YOUR TWEETING<br />
A. General<br />
This tweeting involves a non-standard use of Twitter, namely, the sending of large numbers of individually directed tweets to followers of other Twitter accounts (not your own followers).<br />
A ground has been staked out with Twitter for this method of tweeting. See letter to <a href="http://campaignfinancereformers.blogspot.com/2015/10/to-twitter-support.html">Twitter @Support</a>.<br />
The object of this method of tweeting is to get a "pyramiding" of tweets going in Alabama.<br />
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B. How to send your tweets efficiently from laptops<br />
In doing your tweeting, you are repetitively sending the same tweet message. This can be done very efficiently, at least on a laptop computer. Get the tweet message on your mouse clipboard, go to the follower list you are using for your tweeting, start with the first person on the list you want to tweet to, and do this:<br />
1. Right click on person's Twitter name.<br />
2. Choose "open in new tab"<br />
3. Go to the new tab.<br />
4. Click on the "Tweet to" button.<br />
5. Paste the tweet message in the box.<br />
6. Hit the "Tweet" button.<br />
7. Close the tab, which takes you back to the list<br />
8. Go on to next person, and repeat above steps.<br />
You should be able to send 35 to 70 tweets in a half hour. Send as many tweets as you are willing to. Don't worry about any duplication that you think may arise.<br />
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C. How to send your tweets efficiently on smartphones<br />
[to be added]<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">DISCLAIMER</span></b><br />
This communication is not authorized by any Congressional candidate or political party.The author of this blog Robert Shattuck is paying for this communication. His permanent address is 3812 Spring Valley Circle, Birmingham, AL 35223, tel. no. (205) 967-5586. </div>
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Under Federal election law, an uncompensated individual or group of uncompensated individuals may engage in certain voluntary Internet activities for the purpose of influencing a federal election without restriction. These exempted Internet activities do not result in a contribution or an expenditure under the Federal election law and do not trigger any registration or reporting requirements with the FEC. This exemption applies to individuals acting with or without the knowledge or consent of a campaign or a political party committee. Exempted Internet activities include, but are not limited to, sending or forwarding electronic mail, providing a hyperlink to a website, creating, maintaining or hosting a website and paying a nominal fee for the use of a website. The author of this blog is not receiving any compensation.</div>
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Rob Shattuckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02707865352312442808noreply@blogger.com0