“You’re just making people vote for Trump.”  I hear this from time to time.  I guess it’s supposed to be some kind of manipulation.  “Stop saying mean things about me or the Trump crime family or I’ll vote for him again!”

It’s kind of a stupid line.  If the police investigate a bank robbery, are they just forcing you to rob a bank?  Did you steal from your boss because you discovered a grand jury investigation into embezzlement somewhere?  So, how does investigating the crimes Trump has committed FORCE YOU to vote Trump?

No, you’ve made a choice.  It’s a tough choice to enforce, too.  In order to maintain your pretense that there’s something – anything – decent and honest about Donald J. Trump, you have to force your head so far up the conservative bubble you can’t even breathe anymore.  But it’s a price you’re willing to pay, I know.  (In fact, the lack of oxygen to the brain probably makes it even easier to stay safely in the cocoon of the conservative bubble…)

The trumpsters are NOT watching the hearings.  IF they “know” anything about the process, they’ve heard it from some opinion-monger, free to say anything.  My current understanding is that nothing – and I mean nothing – will sway those who have put their faith in stubborn, false pride.

I get it.  You thought you saw something in the guy.  Great.  But when it became clear he was something other than advertised, you stuck with it because you had already pronounced yourself dedicated…

I’ve seen that kind of thing before.  Some people think they can’t ever go back and review a decision they’ve made because it might make them look weak.  You look FAR weaker in being unable to admit error than in staying the erroneous course…

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For the record, I’m pretty sick of the official arm of the Democratic party telling me that people really want somebody who will do nothing – the incremental, baby steps model – and that Americans calling for change are “too far left.”  When did the concept of America doing what’s best for the largest number of Americans become an idea that’s “too far left?”

I know, we’re stuck with whomever the DNC foists upon us.  But don’t lie to us and pretend it’s “what people want.”  If the people had been interested in a do-nothing, incremental, baby steps President, Hillary would be in the Oval Office right now.

The lie gave us Donald Trump…

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Roger Stone – one of Trump’s closest friends and advisors – has been convicted of all 7 counts he was facing.  It only took the jury a few hours to decide.  His conviction throws Trump’s written testimony to Congress into question…because, apparently, Trump lied – in writing!

Here’s a bit of nuance: the Constitution of the United States – the document that once defined this country and still might – says the President enjoys the absolute right of Pardons – except in cases of impeachment.  (Emphasis mine.)  THAT, I think, is why Nancy Pelosi initially called her inquiry an “impeachment inquiry.”  Trump started tossing out the promise of Pardons as an inducement to his cronies to carry out their tasks, legal or not.  Invoking the i word blocks him.

Stone seemed, to me, to be a little too relaxed when found guilty.  My guess (it’s not clever. It’s everyone’s guess.) is that he’s counting on one of those awesome Presidential Pardons to make this all go away.

I’d like to see Nancy bring it back into the impeachment inquiry, now that we know Trump lied in his statements, so that Trump can’t pardon Stone…

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Prince Andrew went on television in England to “explain” about his relationship with convicted child molester Jeffery Epstein.  You just KNOW the royal house had meeting after meeting trying to decide how best to spin the story.  They went with “I don’t recall.”  I wonder how much money was spent working up THAT brilliant defense.  Here, I can help:

Andrew DID allow that it was likely poor optics (my words) to continue the relationship with Epstein after his initial conviction as a pedophile.  You think?  But let’s get real, here.  Who ELSE was going to fix the pervert Andrew up with all those underage girls?  I mean really, what choice did Andrew have?  Well, yeah.  He COULD have tried relationships with women his own age but, apparently, he wasn’t up to that challenge…

As a sidebar, EVERY story I’ve seen about Epstein has included a reference to a woman named Ghislaine Maxwell.  (Jizz lane?  Really?)  I want to know why she isn’t in jail.  By all accounts, she’s the one who groomed the girls Epstein and Andrew raped but never met and don’t recall.  Why hasn’t she even been charged with anything?

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In an unexpected development, Trump went to the hospital for an unexpected and unannounced check-up yesterday.  Of course, the White House “spin” is that this is just his regular check up, no big deal.  Maybe it is.  Trump has always announced his other checkups in his schedule, though.  Oh, and the claim is that Trump just took advantage of “a free weekend” to get started on his annual physical.

Two things: One, I didn’t know the US President HAD “free weekends.”  (Hell, the work schedule is the ONE reason I’ve never sought the job!  It might interfere with my golf…)  Two, really?!?  This is a “free weekend” for Trump?  This weekend during the impeachment hearings when all of the testimony under oath says Trump did the crimes he’s accused of committing?

Okay, maybe it’s a free weekend and an unannounced, unscheduled start to a physical.  But maybe it’s all those “hamberders” catching up to a fat, old man under serious stress…