If Nancy Pelosi ran for president, she’d beat Trump

Opinion by David Gergen and James Piltch, posted on the CNN web site

Updated 5:27 PM ET, Wed December 11, 2019

David Gergen has been a White House adviser to four presidents and is a senior political analyst at CNN. A graduate of Harvard Law School, he is a professor of public service and director of the Center for Public Leadership at the Harvard Kennedy School. James Piltch is Gergen’s chief research assistant. His writing on civic life and education has appeared in The Washington Post, The Boston Globe, and The Chronicle of Higher Education. The opinions expressed in this commentary belong to the authors. View more opinion on CNN.

If she were in the market for the job, it is now clear which Democrat would have the best chance of beating Donald Trump in 2020: Nancy Pelosi.

What a dramatic turn of events Pelosi has engineered since Trump rose to power. Not so long ago, she was a political punching bag for Republicans. They ran political ads all over the country morphing the pictures of Democratic candidates into images of Pelosi and issuing stark warnings to voters that any Dem running for the House would be a Pelosi stooge. Even some of her own members preferred fresh leadership as Trump took office.

Now, however, she is enjoying not only a last laugh but also a major comeback—mostly because she has been more successful than any other Democrat at outmaneuvering and often outfoxing President Trump.

With the nation’s attention riveted on her as she has guided the impeachment inquiry, she has been at her absolute best—keeping an ideologically diverse and at times unruly caucus largely satisfied while not allowing impeachment fervor to overcome her governing or judgment.

But what Pelosi has done outside the realm of impeachment also deserves acknowledgment. Under her leadership, the Democrat-controlled House has passed a number of significant bills—ones that would protect voting rights, take needed action on climate change, address gun violence and help achieve equality for LGBTQ Americans.

These bills have all died in Mitch McConnell’s “graveyard.” But the 400 bills the House has passed (with 80% of them still languishing in the Senate, Democrats say) should help Democrats drive home a point in 2020: if Americans are angry about nothing getting done in Washington, they shouldn’t put all the blame on the Democrats.

Perhaps more importantly, given the way Republicans routinely let Trump off the hook, Pelosi has repeatedly gotten the best of the President in very public ways. During the shutdown one year ago, she put Trump in a very public corner—an Oval Office meeting before reporters and cameras-—where he conceded he would own the shutdown. Notably, the only time Trump has been below 40% approval for an extended period since his first months in office was during that shutdown.

She also walked out on the President in October after he reportedly had a “meltdown” during a meeting with Democratic leaders. While the photo of her standing up to him captured attention and praise, he tweeted it as an insult of her that night — a choice that probably did not help his already rocky standing with suburban voters.

With impeachment, she has brought these abilities—to govern and to tussle with the President—into near-perfect alignment. When the Mueller Report did not provide an easily explainable smoking gun, and so did not move the country, she resisted Democrats who wanted to move forward on impeachment.

Donald Trump himself is Democrats’ star witness

Even as the list of such members grew, she did not put either those who did want impeachment or those who did not into a box. That is, she let individuals speak out but did not hold a vote that would put those who were unsure in an impossible situation. She was wise to be patient and cautious.

Then, when details of the Ukraine call were revealed and the evidence of impeachable behavior was persuasive, she moved quickly and effectively, launching the inquiry. A majority of Americans soon came to support the need for the inquiry (though it appears unlikely that Democrats will make people also support removal as decisively.)

Aware that the House Judiciary Committee was full of Republicans who enjoy a partisan brawl, and also confident in the talents of Intelligence Committee chairman Adam Schiff, she had his Intelligence Committee take over the impeachment investigation.

While Republicans raised some legitimate questions about fairness in the private hearings, they ultimately had an equal chance to speak, and, as promised, Democrats opened the hearings to the public over time. To many observers (at least a few Republicans included), the Democrats’ handling of the proceedings were at the very least as fair as the GOP hearings on Benghazi, though that is a low bar, to be sure.

Donald Trump was elected to break the elite. Of course they want to impeach him

Now, on a day that will live in memory, Pelosi has pulled off a two-step: Democrats announced the articles of impeachment, calling out the President for abuse of power and obstruction, and just an hour later, announced their support for a major trade deal that Trump had sought.

While Democrats considered having an article related to Trump’s obstruction that was detailed in the Mueller Report, Pelosi kept the focus on Ukraine, because that is what the country appears to care about and what her members support.

Meanwhile, with the trade deal—the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement—Democrats appear to have gotten most of what they wanted, and Pelosi has given her moderates something to sell back home (and she may offer another victory for Democrats with the prescription drug bill this week).

Trump could clearly claim a victory, too, on North American trade, but who thought Pelosi and Richard Neal (D-MA) would pull off an AFL-CIO endorsement of their actions? (The union is allied with Democrats on most issues, of course, but parted ways on the original NAFTA agreement.)

Pelosi has not had a perfect record in the last two years. She has had some scraps with members of her own caucus, making news and distracting from the bigger issue of holding Trump accountable. However, she may well be the only politician who has both personally and politically stood up to a President seen by many as corrupt, even as she achieved legislative accomplishments that have the potential to help a significant number of Americans.

By moving so quickly with impeachment, she’s making it clear that a President should be held accountable and that elections must be transparent and fair, while also guaranteeing that in the runup to next November, Democrats have time to focus on key issues, such as health care costs. (Please see a shocking story in The Washington Post showing that the percentage of Americans who cannot afford medical care has doubled in the past three decades.)

Americans may remain unsure who should be the next President. But it’s clear Democrats already have their best possible choice for Speaker of the House.

Is Judaism a religion or a nationality-or is it both?

This question is debated by both Jews and non-Jews. Everyone is entitled to an opinion. The last thing we need is the United States government defining any religion. In fact the first words of the first amendment to the constitution are “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.”

President Donald Trump reportedly plans to sign an executive order that would classify Judaism as a race or nationality instead of just a religion.

His action will put a target on every Jews in America. Hitler would be delighted.

Three administration officials told The New York Times that the order would threaten to withhold federal funding for colleges and universities that fail to combat discrimination on their campuses.

The loudest critics of the measure are Jews themselves, many of whom said that referring to Judaism as a nationality would only further fuel anti-Semitism.

The move appears to be targeting the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement, or BDS, which encourages various forms of boycott against Israel for what it deems violations of international law. The group, which has become popular on college campuses, holds annual events like “Israeli Apartheid Week” to push for Palestinian rights.

Many American Jews are worried Trump’s reported decision to define Judaism as a nationality and not just a religion would do far more harm than good. I’m one of them.

I have known a few people who are converts to Judaism. One comes to mind who is proud of her Scottish heritage. Based upon her last name I suspect she converted when she married a Jew. I’m guessing she will resent this action.

Trump probably believes he will win more Jewish support in the November election by issuing this order. I doubt that will be the case.

I hope the ACLU files a suit against this action.

Constitutional Grounds For Presidential Impeachment

You don’t have to be a lawyer to understand this report. If you read articles on the internet, on this blog or on Facebook you will understand this report.

REPORT BY THE MAJORITY STAFF OF THE HOUSE COMMITTEE ON THE JUDICIARY

This report was issued on December 7, 2019

The House Judiciary Committee released a report on Saturday that aims to define what the framers of the Constitution meant by an impeachable offense, issuing the document just days before the Democratic-led committee is expected to approve articles of impeachment against President Trump.

Following is the primary paragraphs of the report.

Conclusions regarding the nature of impeachable offenses. In sum, history teaches that “high Crimes and Misdemeanors” referred mainly to acts committed by public officials, using their power or privileges, that inflicted grave harm on our political order. Such great and dangerous offenses included treason, bribery, serious abuse of power, betrayal of the national interest through foreign entanglements, and corruption of office and elections. They were unified by a clear theme: officials who abused, abandoned, or sought personal benefit from their public trust — and who threatened the rule of law if left in power faced impeachment. Each of these acts, moreover, should be plainly wrong to reasonable officials and persons of honor. When a political official uses political power in ways that substantially harm our political system, Congress can strip them of that power.

Within these parameters, and guided by fidelity to the Constitution, the House must judge whether the President’s misconduct is grave enough to require impeachment. That step must never be taken lightly. It is a momentous act, justified only when the President’s full course of conduct, assessed without favor or prejudice, is seriously incompatible with either the constitutional form and principles of our government or the proper performance of constitutional duties of the presidential office. But when that high standard is met, the Constitution calls the House to action — and the House, in turn, must rise to the occasion. In such cases, a decision not to impeach can harm democracy and set an ominous precedent.

Chaos President

Donald Trump has brought chaos to America and the world.

Since the Republican Party controls the United States senate it is unlikely that Donald Trump will be removed from office. Blind political party loyalty has been a reality of the two party system throughout America’s history.

Republicans supported Richard Nixon in the face of his obvious protection of law breakers until the evidence was overwhelming. Donald Trump’s actions are not overwhelming evidence of “Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors” in the eyes of the Republicans and many independents.

There is a long list of reasons a Democratic Party candidate can win the election next November if she or he is able to forcefully enunciate those reasons.

Democrats’ most powerful argument against Trump in their 300 page House intelligent committee report are he has abused presidential power for his own personal and political gain. He has hijacked foreign policy and obstructed justice. He has destroyed institutions and undermined alliances.

Supporting evidence is everywhere.

At the NATO conference in the UK he has argued with Canada’s prime minister and France’s president. He has threatened to abandon NATO.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has proposed new rules limit access to food stamps for households with savings and other assets, a measure that officials said would cut benefits to about 3 million people.

Gun violence continues unabated even in states like California that has some of the toughest regulations.

Obama Care, the Affordable Care Act, has become unaffordable in many areas of the country.

The immigration system has denied DACA victims permanent legal status, asylum seekers are waiting in Mexico for entry, and legal immigration has been corrupted.

Since the issues are so flagrant, all it takes is a capable campaigner to return America to its leadership role.

Voters don’t like Joe Biden’s nostalgia? That’s pure malarkey

This is fun to read but it is full of baloney.

By Jonah Goldberg Los Angeles Times Columnist

Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden has embarked on a “no malarkey” campaign tour.

I like the word malarkey, consarn it. It’s the bee’s knees. Sure, the youngsters might say, “OK, Boomer” on hearing Joe Biden utter the word, but if you think he’s all wet for using it, you can take your phonus bolonus and tell it to Sweeney.

Joe Biden has never really been my cup of tea. There’s always seemed like a bit of flimflam behind that gigglemug of his. And for a guy who uses the word malarkey more than any politician since the 19 th century — and has now emblazoned the slogan “no malarkey” on his campaign bus — he’s peddled a lot of it over the years. But he remains popular among a lot of Democrats for the same reason people like the word malarkey: nostalgia, which can be a powerful force in an election.

While I’m prone to nostalgia myself, I’m fairly immune to Biden nostalgia. And so are the hep cats of Twitter and Instagram who have an outsized role in the Democratic primary process. Most of the Twitterati weren’t even twinkles in their father’s eye when Biden first ran for the Senate, and it’s no surprise they don’t get his appeal.

But if Donald Trump taught us anything, it should be that the opinions of smarty pants don’t amount to a hill of beans compared with the opinions of voters. Trump’s “Make America Great Again” campaign was soaked with balderdash. He promised to balance the budget, cut taxes, spend wildly and save money in the process. He promised to fix the economy by putting China in its place and bringing back manufacturing. For nostalgic Republican voters, though, Trump’s vision evoked just the sort of mythical past they aspired to inhabit one day. And it was a plus that Trump caused the self-righteous press to huff and puff their outrage as they declared him incapable of victory.

Biden benefits from a similar dynamic. The handicappers keep fitting him for a pine overcoat, but the voters haven’t gotten the memo.

As Bloomberg columnist Ramesh Ponnuru writes, “The only thing Joe Biden has had going for him in this race is Democratic primary voters.” He’s flubbed debates and failed to convince wealthy members of his party to open their wallets. But despite a barrage of negative press, he remains popular with a lot of voters, particularly older ones.

Nostalgia is Biden’s trump card. For some voters, it’s not nostalgia for the good old days of the 1950s or the 1920s, but for the Obama years — which is why Biden mentions him like a verbal punctuation mark. But he also appeals to a deeper nostalgia.

For moderate voters who nonetheless think things have gone haywire under Trump, Biden represents a kind of return to normalcy, to a time when partisan politics weren’t quite as lethal. He may be as prone to malapropisms and misstatements as Trump, but his folksy fumbling is a known quantity, a relic from a more predictable time.

But he’s also reassuring to Democratic voters who still think they’re good liberals in the tradition of FDR, Johnson and Clinton, and who honestly think their party is veering off the rails. They’re the voters who aren’t interested in who’s tweeting what or what’s trending in search engines, and there are a lot of them. A recent pre-obituary of the Kamala Harris campaign in the New York Times noted that many of the younger members of her team thought Twitter was the best place to figure out what voters really care about.

This doesn’t mean everything is copacetic for Biden. But he’s doing better than the wiseacres seem to think. He’s up 10 points over the field nationally, nine in Nevada and 19 in South Carolina. In New Hampshire and Iowa he’s slipped considerably and is now running in fourth place. But it’s still easy to imagine he could win or pull off a close second. Bill Clinton came in second in New Hampshire and, thanks to his gift for tooting his own horn, was dubbed “the comeback kid.”

If Hoosier moppet Pete Buttigieg wins in Iowa and Sen. Elizabeth Warren wins in New Hampshire as a “favorite daughter” from neighboring Massachusetts, that wouldn’t be ideal for Biden. But if he were to come in second in both places, which doesn’t seem unlikely, he could still be rolling in clover, and that’s no malarkey.

@JonahDispatch

Not Once

The Orange Tree will provide a bumper crop

The tree is probably 60 years old. It was not looking well. The nursery suggested a fertilizer mix to spread every three months. The crop was big last year and this year the branches are almost touching the ground thanks to the heavy load of fruit. The tree is easily 30 feet tall and I can see the fruit near the top. They will be bright orange around January 1. The squirrels are going to have a wonderful time.

Trump in a landslide? This historically accurate model predicts exactly that

Why is the president all smiles?

According to Moody’s Analytics, Trump is headed toward another four years in the White House. And, if the numbers are right, it won’t even be close. Since 1980, Moody’s has managed to nail the outcome every time but once — like many, it didn’t see Trump coming. They have three different models and Trump wins in all three. The stock-market model gives him the slightest edge of 289-249, as investors continue to navigate a volatile investing landscape. Then there’s the unemployment model, which leans heavily in his favor at 332-206.

Unemployment is at a 50 year low and the Dow Jones industrial average just passed 28,000 on November 15. All Donald J. Trump has to do is talk about the state of the economy and nothing else for the next twelve months. His own big mouth is his worst enemy.

Yes, I watched the November Democratic Party debate. They all agreed that defeating the president is their primary goal. Not one of the candidates offered a plan on how to defeat Donald Trump.

Storybook Bombshell Collection

I do not know where Yandy.com finds their models. All I know is they have found some real beauties and the outfits are fabulous. I admit to being partial to redheads.