One thing we can say with confidence about the incoming Administration: anyone who still thinks Trump and his cronies are going to “drain the swamp” are beyond delusional.
The latest evidence that we are getting ready to turn the keys to the country over to a pack of looters and con men (and women) comes via reports that Trump is planning to find a White House position for Pam Bondi.
In case you don’t remember, Bondi is the Florida Attorney General whose office was preparing to investigate claims against Trump University when she accepted a sizable campaign contribution from The Donald, and suddenly concluded that there wasn’t really enough evidence to justify going forward with the intended lawsuit.
The contribution was not only sizable–it was illegal. As The Week reported,
In 2016, Trump paid a $2,500 penalty to the Internal Revenue Service for an improper $25,000 donation from the Donald J. Trump Foundation to a campaign group supporting Bondi, who had solicited a contribution from Trump while her office was deciding whether to join a fraud lawsuit against Trump University. After receiving the donation, Bondi “inexplicably decided not to pursue charges against Trump University,” RedState writes, and Trump “held a posh fundraiser for Bondi at the infamous Mar-a-Lago estate.”
Bondi has claimed that she solicited the contribution before her office knew about the Trump University lawsuit, and that the investigation had never been brought to Bondi herself, that instead it had been considered by lower-level staff who made the decision not to pursue the case.
Even assuming the accuracy of Bondi’s version, however, an ethical lawyer would have returned the contribution when she was alerted to the conflict. Numerous media outlets reported upon the sequence of events and the illegal nature of the contribution. And a lawyer with any sensitivity to ethics–not to mention a political figure concerned with the appearance of impropriety– would not have allowed herself to benefit from a fundraiser held by a recent target of her office’s investigation.
Bondi is an attractive blond–I don’t know if she’s a “ten” in Trump-talk, but she’s probably at least a seven or eight–and physical appearance clearly counts with our incoming Commander in Chief. I’m sure he also finds her willingness to place political and financial considerations above the public service dimensions of her job to be equally attractive, judging from the gang (and I use the term advisedly) that he has assembled.
That swamp just keeps getting wetter…..No drain in sight.
It really helps to have been a former federal and state prosecutor to understand the modus operandi of this sociopath. I’m putting in my application NOW to be the head prosecutor in his upcoming IMPEACHMENT TRIAL.
Go Marv
Throughout this country, at all levels of government, we need to levy a law against the rich with a punishment other than paying a fine. It is their money at the root of the problem and their money pays their way out of the problem. What is wrong with this picture?
If the decision is left to the general public; Marv Kramer has my full support as prosecutor over the TRUMP IMPEACHMENT TRIAL. Marv’s history of fighting for right (NOT right-wing) is longer than Trump’s history of doing wrong.
The Democratic Party and our IC has done an excellent job of boxing in Donald with the whole Russian “hacking scam”. Donald calling on Dan Coats to run the IC shows he’s not really good at picking quality people. Dan was falling asleep during hearings. He’d present bills in the wrong rooms in Washington. He retired because he couldn’t handle the day to day grind.
Reality TV isn’t reality. It’s fake reality. It’s contrived and produced.
Sadly, our country is contrived and produced as well. The IC’s role is social engineering over U.S. population and foreign actors. The media is part of the circus. Sunday TV “news” is a joke. It’s also contrived and fake.
The players being chosen are all cut from the same mold. You cannot rise to that level being an honest actor. The system will flush you out long before you get there. For God’s sake, Citibank chose Obama’s cabinet as he walked into the greatest economic collapse this country has witnessed. All his appointments were hand picked to ensure there would be no accountability and Obama claimed to be a “progressive”. He was no progressive. He was a con man just like the rest of them. He barely moved the needle to what was already a Plutocracy. Wall Street committed wholesale fraud on the global financial markets and NOT ONE BANKER WAS JAILED.
The Swamp Monsters choose other Swamp Monsters. It’s the Universal Law of Attraction. Honest people won’t last 5 minutes in Washington. They’d never be allowed. This also includes journalists who cover Washington. This will be the biggest period of awakening for U.S. citizens.
Here’s the only issue we should be concerned with…”What happens when the anti-government crowd figures out they got conned, yet again?”
They actually believe Donald was their savior. Who will appeal to them next? I’m guessing a true fascist will rise from the right…
Fines are pointless for these ethics violations. Bondi (et.al.) should be dismissed from their elected office and never be allowed to run for any public office again.
Marv, your comments took me to a search on line of the Impeachment process. While it is highly unlikely that one could get the present US Senate to convict Trump of anything, the idea of legally taking the bully-in-chief down legally is entertaining.
As for the charges, bribery seems the most likely crime he will commit going forward. Unfortunately, the majority of members of Congress could most likely be charged with the same thing.
What would it take? A new crop of Senators who actually have high morals and ethics and do not fear the ramifications if they take a stand on those beliefs. I won’t hold y breath until that happens.
Patrick,
Thanks for the encouragement. We must move now. This morning I purchased the URL….Impeachment.website. The prosecution needs to be kept as simple as possible since it is such an “open and shut case.”
I had purchased the URL….TrumpCard.video a few days after he announced he was running for President. I let that URL lapse. Impeachment. website is now much more appropriate. Website is a new domain extension.
“I skate to where the puck is gonna be, not where it has been.”
~Wayne Gretsky, the great National Hockey League player
Theresa,
Citizens can prosecute in the Court of Public Opinion. That ‘s what we did in Dallas back in 1991. We successfully prosecuted the Mayor of Dallas. See http://www.The Alarm Report.info.
By the way, insanity is no defense in the Court of Public Opinion.
Go Marv.
I’m looking for a job so let me know if you need help.
I haven’t watched Rachel in a couple of years but one thing I do remember from her show was that whenever something happened like fraud, sex, lies and video tape, IOKIYAR (it’s okay if you’re a republican).
And even Meryl Streep – what a class act…in her acceptance speech last night, made me choke up a little. The orange one couldn’t stand it. He had to attack her (as expected) by 1am. What a whiny little B*tch he is.
I might need some help financially. The URL cost $2.99 + tax.
Bravo to Marv!
In my very humble opinion by think he is absolutely spot on. I don’t think there’s any way around it, this has to be stopped by constitutional means by the American people. Here we are 11 days before Trump is inaugurated and we are already dealing with a train wreck of unprecedented proportions and this hasn’t even supposedly started yet. Think of the position he has put the American people in where they are actively contemplating his impeachment before his term has even started. What is this going to look like and six months or year from now?
Dump the Trump before he brings the whole shebang down in a crashing roar and while we’re at it actively work to end this “unified republican government” as soon as possible as well. This country’s future is it grave risk otherwise.
Please excuse my typos. I am using voice activated software which is acting like it has also been hacked by the GRU.
AgingLGrl,
We need all the help we can get. My partner Harvey Wheeler was also a partner with George Clooney. He’s someone who I believe would help if he knew all the facts.
I’ve had help from Hollywood before in my on going battle with the author John Grisham. http://www.KillingtheMessenger.info.
AgingLGrl,
Oliver Stone’s attorney helped me take on John Grisham. He backed off once the matters reached the LA Weekly. Hollywood has immense power. It’s much more than money.
Term Limits.
Post Haste.
I love how the trumpers are calling out Streep for her speech and don’t ‘get it.’ They obviously didn’t listen to it. It was 5 minutes long, poor dears too much for them. Anyway, if they had listened to it, they should have agreed with her and if they didn’t, WTF? They are so wrong and she was speaking of empathy for others. The trumpers might want to get some of that empathy because they can’t use her Hollywood status as an issue because they elected the biggest Hollywood celebrity yet!
Marv: George Clooney – makes my heart swoon and I haven’t had a crush on a celebrity since Davy Jones. snicker. I like Clooney. He has that empathy and heart that draws me most…and he’s not bad looking either. 😉
BTW, Pam Bondi is a zero if you consider character.
https://www.google.com/search?q=images+of+pam+bondi&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en-us&client=safari#imgrc=yjARGnVl2oJ1zM%3A
We will have an administration that has no qualms about violating the Constitution and a House and Senate that seem unconcerned about that. Top that off with a media that have drunk the Kool-Aid and that leaves the people in a very bad position. Impeachment is not likely unless Trump crosses his new found Republican friends. The question I would ask of each of you is, “Would you really prefer a President Pence?”
We must work as hard as possible to turn both the Senate and the House in 2018. We must also work to change red statehouses blue.
With aid of the internet, we don’t have to be physically present to help each other. Last night I was reading again “The Ugly American” by William J. Lederer and Eugene Burdick (New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 1958). Burdick co-authored “Fail Safe” with my partner, Harvey Wheeler.
This is from the back cover:
“Eugene Burdick and Bill Lederer met at the Breadloaf Writer’s Conference in Middlebury, Vermont, ten years ago. They then went their separate ways, each establishing himself as a writer. They met again in 1957 when Burdick visited Honolulu. Lederer’s ideas about and experiences of the events in Southeast Asia, and Burdick’s studies of power politics in the same area, led them to collaborate on ‘The Ugly American.’ It was a collaboration between two authors usually separated by several thousand miles, conducted by long-distance telephone and the exchange of numerous tape recordings. Both are men of great energy, whose talents and experiences cross many areas of endeavor. That two such strong individualists should have collaborated so peacefully and brilliantly as they have in ‘The Ugly American’ attests not only to the virtues of tape recorders and separation in space but also to their shared, deep conviction that what they have to say in his book must be said–and to the largest possible audience of thinking Americans.
This reminds me of our collaboration on SheilaKennedy.net.
Peggy,
“Impeachment is not likely unless Trump crosses his new found Republican friends. The question I would ask of each of you is, “Would you really prefer a President Pence?”
These friends, I suggest, are not as loyal as you might expect. My aim is to put him [and Pence] on the defense before he makes his first step into the White House. Both Trump and Pence must be discredited.
In dealing with a neo-fascist movement, you need three things according to a real expert, the Israeli, Yehuda Bauer who knows from first-hand experience: 1. Allies 2. a Front 3. AND THE ABILITY TO COUNTER-ATTACK. Staying still is suicidal. We can’t wait for the next election whether it’s in 2018 or 2020.
Marv,
I wish you the best of luck and I will support you whatever you do, but to take back the House and the Senate and turn statehouses is not something we wait until 2018 to do. We have to start that work now, if we are to have any hope of achieving it. What you will be doing is essential to that effort.
Peggy,
I don’t believe you should wait at all until 2018 to do something. This mess is going to take efforts from many directions. I’m just trying to make sure the doors will stay open. Trump will have no other choice than to try to close them after he assumes power. He can’t survive with the doors open.
Streep for President! Bondi for Leavenworth! As a retired lawyer living mostly in Florida, I have been painfully aware of the crime committed by Bondi and Trump when he ponied up 25 grand to her reelection campaign in return for her dropping Florida’s participation in joining a group of other states investigating Trump University. Trump didn’t come up with the payoff from his own account; he rather paid off from his “foundation’s” funds. He was subsequently fined $2,500 for paying from his “foundation’s” funds rather than his own funds, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he didn’t find a way to pay even the fine with “foundation” funds. It must be nice to have your own cookie jar from donated funds to pay off legal fees and fines and whatever else you please in your other businesses (see casinos, golf courses, branding expenses etc.). Perhaps the Attorney General of New York State who is currently investigating Trump’s “foundation” could look into this. Trump is trying to cover his posterior with an announcement that he is closing down his “foundation,” but the New York AG says it cannot be closed while under investigation, and the good news is that I think the findings of this state AG’s may well serve as one of many grounds for later impeachment of this arrogant bully pretending to represent others than his narcissistic self.
The swamp has not been drained nor is it likely to be. It has rather long since expanded to every state capital and has slithered down even into local politics at county and municipal
levels, as all but the least discerning of us has noted. We the people have lived with one outrage after another from our political class without causing them any great discomfort, so now it has come to this – the election of a seriously demented man whose only goal in life is to profit at other peoples’ expense.
Nixon did not go jail but his underlings did. Cheney lined his pockets with war cash via a clueless Bush and nobody went to jail. Hangers on such as Abramoff did time but the politicians he did business with walked. Is there a lesson here, or are criminal backgrounds to be the new pre-requisite for running for and serving in office? It’s our call, as soon as we wake up. Those of us who are awake have a citizen’s duty to awaken our slumbering fellow citizens to the realities of what is likely to transpire following January 20. Sheila does a good job of it, but we must do our duties as well because the ruffians are at the gate.
I have said this many times on other websites that I do not believe there is a crime a wingnut can commit that rises to the level of impeachment. Since Clinton was impeached for lying about adultery, we had a wingnut Potus who started two illegal wars, outed a covert CIA agent. violated the Geneva Conventions and lied constantly to the PEOPLE. If we could ship Bush and Cheney overseas they would be immediately detained and tried for war crimes. Why wasn’t it done here?
Gerald,
“We the people have lived with one outrage after another from our political class without causing them any great discomfort, so now it has come to this – the election of a seriously demented man whose only goal in life is to profit at other peoples’ expense.”
You’re absolutely right. Your crucial word is GREAT discomfort. One individual or organization, ultimately, cannot make a big enough difference. According to the Rand Corporation, it takes a SWARM.
Perhaps the basis for our problems with politicians is not with them but with us. One would not be outraged at the lying, cheating, and stealing of others if they themselves were involved in similar activities.
It is the woman who collects SSI yet manages to work two jobs.
It is the man who sells guns at his annual garage sale knowing full well that in this neighborhood it is most likely going into the hands of a violent person. It is the home repair man who installs, not new material as promised, but used and damaged material to the unsuspecting customer. It is the father who cheats on his income tax return so as to appear eligible for government assistance with this program or that program. It is the employee who knowingly goes along with some criminal activity at work by telling himself that he is only following orders from the boss. It is the board member who sits silently at meetings while others plot how to screw the buyers.
When the majority raise their own standards of ethics and morality we will be able to demand the same from Washington.
Mike,
“I have said this many times on other websites that I do not believe there is a crime a wingnut can commit that rises to the level of impeachment.”
Although we don’t know much of anything about your background, I would have to disagree when you on that one. First of all, there has never been a Donald Trump before.
It can be done. Although very improbable. In 2004, I attended a large convention in New York on the “Possibility of Impeaching George Bush.” The attendees amounted to about 500, with national speakers on the platform. The speakers were sure they could CONNECT ALL THE DOTS. But I warned, at that time, that their efforts would be futile.
Just as important as CONNECTING ALL THE DOTS is….. COLLECTING ALL THE DOTS. They hadn’t collected enough dots even to start impeachment proceedings. Their efforts went nowhere.
I’ve been collecting dots from the right venues for over 45 years.
Theresa – You make a good point – that crooked politicians merely reflect what is going on in the larger society. I recall when prosecuting a taxpayer for his attempt to bribe a revenue agent (giving the revenue agent a check which I presented in evidence) that the jury found the defendant to be not guilty and that I asked defense counsel afterwards how that could happen. He said to me: “Jerry, all those jury members cheat on their taxes and felt duty-bound as a result to find my client not guilty.” I lost a case that could not rationally be lost, just as (per your view) we may have lost last November’s election. “The people” are at least theoretically the boss in a democracy, but we the people have our shortcomings as well. I shudder at the thought of having a “revival” led by TV preachers, so to whom do we look to improve our own moral outlooks as citizens? Scientists? Cleaner politicians? Whom?
Our democracy was designed around the principle that we the people would not elect people who threatened our freedom.
“We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, ”
We have just demonstrated that democracy is not robust enough protection for things as important as a more perfect Union, Justice, domestic Tranquility, the common defence, the general Welfare, and the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity.
What now?
What is not being understood is the fact that the collection of a significant number of dots has never been attempted by those who are supposed to be looking out for our democracy. There has been absolutely NO LEGITIMATE DEFENSE. That’s why it appears that we’re “Up Shit’s creek without a paddle.”
Does anyone in their right mind believe that James Carville, an important Democratic Party strategist, can do that when his wife has been a Republican strategist up until recently when she started advising the Libertarians? On top of that, we still have The New York Times bolstering Carville’s credentials.
My background? I was born and raised in Cherokee, iowa circa 1953. I have lived my entire life within 20 miles of where I was born. I graduated from High School (1971), missed out on VietNam because of loss of hearing.
I worked various manual labor jobs and farmed. Had the 1st of four back operations at age 26 and the last at age 47. Farmed for another 9 years and had to replace a hip and then I was forced into retirement at age 57. Ihave a degenerative disk disease and will need a wheelchair someday in the near future. I am also a lifelong Dem, not real active, but, a consistent voter and I can raise heck on certain websites where something less than the strictest decorum is allowed. In short, I can cuss like a muleskinner when I get mad. I survive on a small SS check every month. What else do you need to know? My life is pretty much an open book.
Numbers crunched for the past election show HRC won the popular Potus vote by 2.85 million votes. Dem Senate candidates had over 11 million more Senate votes and wingnuts won the house vote by 1.4 million votes. Since I am not educated, I see something is wrong and I can’t figure it out.
Mike,
“……I see something is wrong and I can’t figure it out.”
I’m just trying to let you know that you have been royally SCREWED.
Gerald,
I just don’t know.
“It is the employee who knowingly goes along with some criminal activity at work by telling himself that he is only following orders from the boss. It is the board member who sits silently at meetings while others plot how to screw the buyers.”
Theresa; your comments above identify the crux of the internal problem, fighting the establishment is dangerous and frightening and takes great caution to know who you can trust and who you cannot if – IF- your moral system won’t let you “go along to get along”. As I had to do; you have to pick between the employees from the former government administration to find who you can trust and even more carefully assess the incoming administration. I found weakness in surprising places in my search for help. The paranoia and stress levels are destructive physically and emotionally when struggling to keep your head above the foul water in the swamp. You also have to decide which issue is worth the fight and taking the chances and which you must let go of and cross your fingers.
I occasionally get petitions asking for support to allow Edward Snowden to return to this country. I either ignore or send my views on that situation which are; he dumped thousands of messages just as Wikileaks has done, not caring who they will hurt or help, if they should be made public or if they are too damaging to the country to release or if they are even true. And where did he run to for sanctuary? To me Snowden is one of the swamp creatures who are where they belong. He is no better morally or as an American than Trump.
The swamp water has been seeping in since November 8th; the floodgates will be opened on January 20th.
For those who have the question running through their mind regarding my situation in the Goldsmith administration; YES, I was trying desperately to find another job. Private business (other than those used by Goldsmith) didn’t want to hire former city employees. I hung on till I was literally hanging onto walls and furniture to get around the office; after several physical collapses on the job, my three doctors refused to allow me to return to work.
Mike: that’s called Gerrymandering. That’s why the GOP has those seats and not Dems. It’s a nationwide problem.
Welcome. You’ll fit right in.
Todd, good comment @ 7:03 am. Pam Bondi is just the latest example of the interlocking defense of the Legislative, Executive, and Judicial Branches of Government with Crony-Capitalists, the 1% and the links to Campaign Contributions.
As far as any Impeachment of Trump is concerned there is no reason to believe the Republican House or Senate will allow that to happen. With the Trumpet in the White House the Republicans have star power, which will provide the cover for what ever they want to do.
Speaking of “drinking the Kool-Aid,” on it’s evening national news “show” yesterday, CBS “News” ran a puff piece with the premise that Trump isn’t really the most outside-the-norm or crazy man ever elected to serve as President by comparing him to prior Presidents such as Andrew Jackson and Teddy Roosevelt among others. Whatever the merit of that premise might be, it scares the heck out of me that the national news media are now trying to “normalize” Trump and his crowd, and trying to make it seem that Trump/Pence and their gang are really no different than prior occupants of that Office. “See folks, we really have nothing to be worried about.”
I think it is also ominous that “talking heads,” such as Megan Kelly, from “Faux” News are being hired by NBC and other media giants. All the better to get on Board with the new bosses in town and report on the glories of the Trump/Pence Administration with a smile. Looking more and more like we won’t be able to count on the national media giants to provide factual reporting on what Trump and the Repub gang in Congress are going to do to the country.
Louie,
“As far as any Impeachment of Trump is concerned there is no reason to believe the Republican House or Senate will allow that to happen. With the Trumpet in the White House the Republicans have star power, which will provide the cover for what ever they want to do.”
I’m not sure you want to hear this. Nevertheless, let me just explain why I’m bringing up IMPEACHMENT. It’s because it affects the whole game Trump is playing. And to be honest, I know how to play it and most importantly, have been able to beat the deep forces behind the scene in the past.
And I haven’t found anyone else who can play this game from the pro-democracy side in the past 60 years. If I had, I would have been able to prevent some of the massive retaliation I have received over the years by having to go alone. However, I know one thing for sure, from all of this, is that the likes of James Carville, The New York Times, the Southern Poverty Law Center, Planned Parenthood, and the ACLU don’t know how to play the game.
The game is rigged. If you don’t know how it’s rigged then you don’t have a “chance in hell.”
Well I live in Florida and the good news is she won’t be our AG anymore. The bad news is she will ply her stupidity and brazenly corrupt tactics at the national level. She is attractive so maybe she was brought on so he can “Move on her like a ______” (I won’t say it!)
I personally am absolutely confident that the proof of Trump’s incompetence at everything but celebrity will be in the pudding. America’s failure will be dramatic.
What’s not predictable is the Trumpublican response to that. They have learned that nothing beats lying and will, I presume, double down on that but there’s lots of evidence that most of us have learned our lesson now.
This is why democracy and freedom are on very shaky grounds.
Louis, I wouldn’t be so sure that the Rs won’t at some point choose to impeach Trump. He is a loose cannon and will be a constant source of stress and frustration for them. If they impeach him they could then get pence. That combination is very scary for most of us, but I can see congressional Rs finding it to be like winning the lottery.
Dennis; I understand your feelings about Bondi…”there is good news and there is bad news”. I live in Indiana and still have my “Pence Must Go” sign in the front yard; I did NOT mean for him to go to Washington, D.C. Unless it was as a tourist, of course.
“You can never solve a problem on the level on which it was created.”
~Professor Albert Einstein
Talk about the swamp getting deeper, Associated Press just released this story.
_________________________________________________________________
VIENNA (AP) — Iran is to receive a huge shipment of natural uranium from Russia to compensate it for exporting tons of reactor coolant, diplomats say, in a move approved by the outgoing U.S. administration and other governments seeking to keep Tehran committed to a landmark nuclear pact.
__________________________________________________________________
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_IRAN_NUCLEAR?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT
BSH, gee, thanks for ruining the day. Ugh
BSH,
Why wouldn’t Iran break Its treaty knowing the West is being led by someone as impotent as Donald Trump? Right now we’re defenseless. What are we going to do? Nuke everybody.
There are a number of countries involved in getting this nuke deal with Iran. Russia has been an ally of Iran for quite awhile. How will Drumpf snuggling up with Putin gonna fly with our distrust of Iran?
I firmly believe Drumpf is a puppet of Russia. Be nice to see what his tax records say. I am afraid wingnuts are too far into this mess to buck Drumpf or Russia. Plus I’m certainly not hopeful Dems can mount any resistance.