What triggered this blog was a re-examination of a past allegedly-corrupt prosecution by Sec. of Labor Alex Acosta, just reported yesterday. In 2008, Acosta was a Florida prosecutor in the case of Jeff Epstein, a billionaire and friend of Trump. Epstein was accused of sex trafficking and other offenses. The problem for Prosecutor Acosta was that he negotiated a very light sentence for many serious crimes, and kept the process unlawfully secret. No meaningful reason was given for the very light sentence.
So, here we have yet another corrupt person in the Trump gov. We must begin impeachment proceeding in the House, right now. Every day our President is in power we risk more damage to our country. Here are the factors to consider.
There is already plenty of evidence for high crimes. The constitution does not define “crimes,” so it is anything that congress decides. In previous Blogs, I have listed all of the criminal acts that this President has committed. His staff and cabinet consist of criminal, corrupt, and unprincipled persons. The definitions of “crimes” in the USA gov and states varies and so there is flexibility.
Waiting for the Special Council Mueller Report is pointless because it may not be made available to Congress (let alone the public) without serious alterations. Eventually, the original text will probably be leaked, but we cannot wait for this. As I understand it, the report will provide facts, but not recommendations for prosecution or impeachment. It is possible that the report will not add much to the great deal of info already known, and may lead to more unproductive discussion and delay.
Maybe this is most important. Some argue that impeachment is futile because the Republican Senate will never convict. There are two points here: (1) impeachment even without conviction, will tell the world that the President does not really represent the USA and (2) there is a good chance that when a Republican Senator can actually vote to convict and be rid of this dangerous influence, he/she might feel freed to act! It’s like selling something, if you have cash available right now, you can tempt the buyer. Once Trump is impeached, convicted, and out of office, he can no longer be a danger to them. Senators will be afraid right up to the time when with a simple word, they can be rid of him forever. The time of the conviction vote will be seen as a new dawn.
Any Senator might be tempted to vote impeachment conviction
Some might not want Trump to resign because Mike Pence would take over. My conclusion is that no one could be as bad as Trump. Also, Pence would not be a crowd pleaser like Trump, and he represents the establishment. So he would not have the same power or appeal to the “base.”
Here is another thought. The President might resign if he could in some way be assured that he will never be prosecuted for past crimes. He does not really seem to be comfortable in office, with all the bad press and investigations. He might just be hanging on to avoid the many post-presidency prosecutions that have been threatened.
148. MSNBC: The “Shining Network on Air”
22 FebWe have all heard about the “shining city on a hill,” which represents a noble goal. I see MSNBC as that kind of beacon of hope — sensibility in the bizarre and dangerous world of Trump.
I watch MSNBC almost every day, usually for several hours. I also read the internet NY Times, WashPost, other newspapers, tweets, TED, Daily Kos, and many other types of info, for enjoyment, curiosity, and to prepare my blogs and tweets. I sometimes watch good programs on CNN and see Fox at times to view the negatives. But, the MSNBC commentators often are really enjoyable to listen to and many feel like genuine friends. In the spirit of rewarding people that do great work, I want to present my evaluations. I have listed the highly functioning MSNBC people and after much thought decided not to list and criticize those that disappoint me.
Outstanding and enjoyable are L. O’Donnell, Brian Williams, Kasie Hunt, and Katy Tur. Williams often avoids expressing controversial opinions, but his little side remarks and humor are fun. O’Donnell and Tur do their job very intelligently. Kasie Hunt does her job well, is a joy to watch, and brings real humanity to the programs she runs.
Quite competent are: Andrea Mitchell, Joy Reid, Mika Brzezinski, and Chris Hayes. Steve Kornacki presents statistics well and does a good job in other roles.
Michael Steele is notable in this list for being a Republican. He speaks well and makes good Repub arguments. Often he agrees with the Democrat positions. If all Repubs were like Steele, we would be living in a much better world.
Rachel Maddow often provides very valuable and exclusive info. I would listen to her more if her presentations were less dramatic and less “wordy.” Most of her hours could be condensed down to 15-min and would be more interesting for me.
Joe Scarborough is notable for his blatant honesty, which I really like. But sometimes, he does drift off topic a little. I often watch “Morning Joe” in the early hours.
Chris Mathews often has valuable info from real experiences. But he would do better by forgetting the “hardball” crap and listen more. Probably because he is older, he tends to drift off topic a little.
Chuck Todd does the current “Meet the Press.” He has a tough job and sometimes misses opportunities for better questioning. He often appears uncertain and drops his voice level. He does a good job, but could improve. “Meet the Press” always seems a bit bland, as if someone ordered them to be neutral.
I want to emphasize one more point. Looking at all the experts, commentators, and anchors that have appeared on MSNBC, a small number stand out for their unrestrained honesty and bravery. These are: Lawrence O’Donnell, Joe Scarborough, Steve Schmidt, Robert Reich, and Bill Maher (and probably a few others that did not come to mind).
The above I consider the best and most interesting commentators. A few not mentioned are competent, and a few other regulars are either less interesting, less effective, or awkward at times. Not mentioned are the many experts in different areas that make great contributions when called upon. This blog is about MSNBC, but in all fairness, CNN should be mentioned for its contributions, and I do like Fareed Zakaria.
Tags: Commentators, Morning Joe, MSNBC, politics, The Press