Trumpzilla Unleashed in Cleveland

Wednesday, September 30th, 2020

My Dear America:

It didn't take long for things to get very ugly on the Debate Stage in Cleveland on Tuesday night, September 29th.  Anyone looking for a new and improved Donald Trump debate performance had to be sadly disappointed very quickly.  The Monster who ate the Republican Party in the 2016 Election was back and in High Gear as he tore into Joe Biden like a Buzz Saw.  Gentleman Joe did his best to keep his cool and take things in stride but even the unflappable Democratic Candidate for President didn't seem to be believing what he was seeing and hearing.  Joe actually did a remarkable job trying to actually keep the First 2020 Presidential Debate both Presidential and a Debate but he certainly wasn't getting much help from his Republican Presidential Rival.

The truth is that Fox News Personality and Debate Moderator, Chris Wallace, tried very hard to keep the Debate from going off the rails but he appeared to be overpowered and overwhelmed by Donald Trump who was determined not to show his rival, Joe Biden any Mercy or Respect.  

Trumpzilla was on the move in Cleveland and he was taking no prisoners.  Although Gentleman Joe got frustrated enough to call Trump a "Clown" at one point, he was far too easy on Trump, for the most part.  Chris Wallace was also far too respectful to Trump as Trump trampled on the debate rules as if he didn't know that it was ignorant and frowned upon to talk while his Rival Presidential Candidate was speaking.  Whether or not Trump knew the debate rules, he clearly didn't care about following the rules.

The First Presidential Debate of 2020 was, quite frankly, a Shit Show.

I hate to use terms that I will certainly be ashamed of when and if my Grandchildren read my Blog or listen to my Podcast but I really can't think of any other way to describe what occurred last night in Cleveland.  The entire more than 90 minutes was Trump doing what he does best and Worst, Dominating and Overwhelming the proceedings with his ignorance and his arrogance.  

By far one of the worst moment of last nights madness was Trump's refusal to condemn  Violence by Right Wing Extremist Groups.  Not only did he refuse to condemn Right Wing Violence but Trump gave a Shout Out and an Advertisement to the "Proud Boys", a rapidly expanding Right Wing Extremist Group who call themselves a Fraternity and have shown extremely violent behaviors and Fascist attitudes.  Even prior to the end of the "Debate" the "Proud Boys" were online bragging about Donald Trump mentioning them at the debate and passing on Donald Trump's message for their group to "Stand Down and Stand By."

This was surely a chilling message to send to the countless Americans watching the Presidential Debate on Television 

Trump also continued to rail against "The Ballots", by which I believe he means mail in ballots which, of course, he doesn't like because he knows that most of them will not be for him.

Trump is clearly delusional enough to believe that he is in a position at this point prior to the election in November to steal his way to the Presidency once again. Unfortunately he seems to have all Republican members of Congress gutlessly behind him and even encouraging him to do so.  

Where is the outrage on the part of Congress after last night's Disgusting display of the wrecking of American Norms.  No Republicans so far are condemning Trump's Reckless and Out of Control Behavior last night.  As we slither toward Dictatorship the Republican Party is presently showing itself to be a party of Hypocrites who need to be thrown out of Office along with Trump in November.

All in all, Last Night's "Presidential Debate" was not a Debate at all.  It was a Debacle and was just one more Disgusting and Disturbing incident in an Outlaw Administration that never should have had a chance to exist if all the votes that were cast in 2016 all counted.  Donald Trump continues to state that he can do what he wants because he won the 2016 Election when the fact is that Hillary Clinton got more than 3 Million more votes than Donald Trump.  He was handed the Presidency by an Outmoded Electoral College System that should be done away with as soon as the Democrats take over the White House, The Senate and The House in January of 2021.

In the meantime I would recommend to Joe Biden that in order to keep himself from trying to choke Donald Trump when Trump trashes Biden's sons, that he should refuse to participate in any further "Debates" with Donald Trump.  Certainly Biden does not need to continue to put himself in a situation in which he is Abused and Demeaned by Donald Trump.  Why should he put himself in proximity to Trumpzilla anymore.  Biden is winning and after last night's Foul Spectacle he does not need to subject himself to further torture from Donald Trump.

At the very least, if Biden does continue to "Debate" Donald Trump he should insist that the Ground Rules set by the Debate Commission that runs the debates are followed.  If Trump continues to Flaunt the rules then Joe Biden should walk off the stage for good and put an end to the Donald Trump Reign of Terror on November 3rd.

Sincerely Yours

Jerry Gallagher 

 

Suggested Debate Questions For Donald Trump

 Sunday, September 27th, 2020

My Dear America:

It is Sunday, September 27th and the time seems to be flying by very quickly right now as we race to the Presidential Finish Line in early November.  Joe Biden was on television today railing against the reprehensible conduct of Donald Trump and Mitch McConnell as they try to Jam through Super Conservative Amy Coney Barrett, Trump's Nominee to fill Ruth Bader Ginsberg's barely empty seat on the United States Supreme Court.  Former Vice President Biden pointed out that what is on the line in the upcoming Supreme Court appointment are some extremely important topics including The prospective end to protecting Pre Existing Conditions and Obamacare, also Reproductive Rights for Women, among many other important issues that the Court will undoubtedly be discussing and deciding.

From what I can gather it sounds like Chris Wallace will be asking some very important and relevant questions of the candidates on this coming Tuesday's First Presidential Debate between Donald Trump and Joe Biden.  Although there has been some criticism of the Choice of Chris Wallace as Tuesday's Debate Moderator I feel confident that Wallace will do a good job as host of Tuesday's Debate.  Although Chris Wallace has been a Fox News Personality for many years he has shown himself to be more than a cut above many of the other disturbingly biased and reckless Fox News Personalities.

I realize that Chris Wallace and the other individuals who will be hosting the other Presidential Debates do not need, and probably do not want, my suggestions regarding what possible questions they might ask either Vice President Biden or President Donald Trump.  Regardless, whether they want my suggestions or not I am going to voice some statements and questions that I hope might be topics of discussion in the debates primarily with regard to Donald Trump that I feel strongly are topics of discussion which should be included in the upcoming debates.

Here Goes.

Mr. President, you have done a terrible job in your Administration in virtually all areas of your Responsibilities.

Why have you have failed to control the Coronavirus with over 200 thousand American Citizens dead and no end to the death toll in sight.  While you certainly can't be blamed for all of the Americans killed by the Virus, many Americans died needlessly because they followed your encouragement not to wear a mask and not to socially distance, as well as your other very controversial and frankly terrible advice that you gave your followers.

Why have you also failed terribly with regard to the issue of Immigration where you ordered the separating of children from their families and incarcerating Immigrants and separately incarcerating their children with no thought or planning regarding how these immigrant families might be reunited.

Why have you corrupted the United States Justice Department and every other Agency in the Government of the United States by loading the top echelon of government agencies with toadies and yes men and women who are too frightened of your power and control to think for themselves or protest your illegal or unwise orders.

Why have you disgraced the United States Armed Services, especially those who have died in service to America by describing them as "Losers" and "Suckers"

Why have you also disgraced America by treating our Allies as Enemies and our Enemies as Friends.

Why have you Disgraced America by believing Vladimir Putin over virtually all of the American Intelligence Services with regard to whether or not Russia interfered in the 2016 Election.

Why have you disgraced America by your constantly lying about nearly everything throughout your Administration.

Why have you clearly risked the Fall of Democracy in Ukraine by illegally holding back funds that had been approved by almost the full Congress to provide for munitions so that Ukraine, which is situated on the border with Russia, could successfully resist Armed Russian Aggression.      

Speaking of Allies, Why did you abandon the Kurds in Syria, who did the great majority of fighting and dying in the fight against ISIS in Iraq and Syria.  Why did you unilaterally pull out American Troops from Syria opening the door for Russian and Turkish Troops to enter Syria and wantonly slaughter our Kurdish Allies.

Why did you approve Pardons for Roger Stone and Michael Flynn but tried to punish Michael Cohen by having your Attorney General put him back in jail because he would not relinquish his right to write a book about his years of service to you.  

Why have you constantly and seemingly seriously recommended jailing Hillary Clinton and other Democrats who committed no crimes other than opposing you.

Why have you encouraged "Second Amendment People" like Kyle Rittenhouse to take their guns to Portland, Seattle, Kenosha and other American towns and cities where Black Lives Matter Protests were taking place.  Also why have you sent Federal Secret Police to those same cities and towns where protests are taking place to arrest and intimidate protesters.

Why do you continue to lie to the American people about Health Care stating that you intend to present a Health Care Plan that will protect Pre Existing Conditions while your Administration fights in the Supreme Court to eliminate the Pre Existing Conditions Protections of Obamacare.

You have nominated to the Supreme Court and Federal Courts around the country Right Wing Judges who seem ready to eliminate Obamacare and the Reproductive Rights of Women.  You are now in collusion with Republicans in the United States Senate trying to cement the Right Wing Takeover of the Supreme Court by stealing the Supreme Court seat held by recently deceased Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg   

Although you skillfully manipulated the American Press to help you get elected you have throughout your Administration demeaned and disparaged the Press when they have shown the backbone to tell the truth about Donald Trump and the Trump Administration .  You have called the Press "Enemies of the People" just like Adolph Hitler and all of those Dictators who you seem to admire have done.

You seem to be obsessed with undoing whatever President Obama has done in his Administration such as pulling America out of the Iran Nuclear Deal and the Paris Climate Accord.  Why are you so obsessed with President Obama.  Is it Jealousy, as Michael Cohen has said.

Well these are my proposed Questions and Statements about Donald Trump.  It is my hope that some of these issues may be discussed in the coming debates.  I hope for the best from Joe Biden and hope that Gentleman Joe is not too much of a Gentlemen with the Ignorant Fool who will be trying to destroy Joe Biden just like he has tried to destroy our country for the past four years.  

You Go, Joe.  We are with you and we will be turning out in droves to vote for you, whether it is on election day or before.  We are not going to buy Donald Trump's Malarky about mail in ballots. We support the Post Office System and oppose Donald Trump's efforts to destroy it.  Whether it is with mail in ballots or at the polls on election day we will be turning out to vote for you and vote for every Democrat we can find running on Election Day.   

Have A Great Debate on Tuesday, Joe.  

We will all be with you in the coming final days of this Enormously Important Election.

Sincerely Yours

Jerry Gallagher

A Fond Farewell To The Notorious RBG

 Sunday, September 20th, 2020

My Dear America:

The News Friday Night was shocking.  I was playing Music in my basement with two of my closest Democratic Musician Friends on the Jamkazam Internet Music Website when My wife blinked the lights to get my attention.  "Ruth Bader Ginsberg died" my wife told me and I, in turn, told my friends.  We were all devastated and talked for a long time about the Notorious RBG before we finally went back to playing music.  We tried to play some songs in her honor.

It wasn't that the prospect of her death was unexpected.  RBG had endured  some serious bouts with cancer and she was, after all, 87 years old.  I simply think that we had all gotten used to hearing that she was having health concerns at points and then hearing that she was back to work at the Supreme Court almost immediately.   I think we all thought that after working on the Supreme Court for 27 years that she would certainly be around to vote for Joe Biden, see him elected and see him inaugurated.

RBG clearly had no use for Donald Trump.  She had made it clear at one time that she recognized what a dangerous fool he was.  Of course, Donald Trump, who never seemed to have any problems saying inappropriate things about others, called her comments about him inappropriate.  She apologized for what she had said about Trump.

One of my daughters is a successful lawyer who graduated from Rutgers Law School after RBG had left her position there as a Rutgers Law Professor. My daughter was certainly the beneficiary of some of the prestige that Professor Ginsberg brought to Rutgers, though and although RBG could not find a job in her day after graduating at the top of her class in Law School, in today's Justice system Women and Men are rather evenly divided throughout the legal profession.  

Women have come a long way in many professions but they have certainly made tremendous strides in the Legal profession.  While RBG was a Law Professor at Rutgers Law School I found out in the Hollywood movie about Ruth Bader Ginsberg and her husband, Marty Ginsberg, She proudly shepherded several groundbreaking cases under the auspices of the American Civil Liberties Union in which she ended up as Legal Counsel in the Supreme Court making great strides  with regard to gender equality for both Women and Men.  In some ways RBG's gender equality cases before the Supreme Court were just as important overall as the cases she dealt with while she was an Associate Justice on The Supreme Court.

One thing that did not change with her over the course of her Long Legal Career was the fact that in all of her jobs she was a very hard and a very serious worker who held the law in high esteem and had high (almost impossible) standards that she had for herself as a Lawyer.  

She was not only well liked by those who worked with her.  She was loved by most people who interacted with her.  Certainly she was loved by her husband and children and grandchildren.  Her students loved her as well, as did judges and lawyers she worked with and her clients, of course. She was also highly respected by those who knew her.  It was well known that RBG was a very Progressive (Left Leaning) Supreme Court Justice.  It was also well known that Justice Antonin Scalia was a very Conservative (Right Leaning) Supreme Court Justice.  It would seem as though these two people whose Legal views couldn't have been farther apart from one another would never have gotten along.  They were, however, the best of friends. They had both worked together on the DC Circuit Court and had gotten along well there, as well.  When RBG was appointed to the Supreme Court they continued to be good friends, sharing an interest in opera, as well as the law.

It was interesting to learn from the CNN Documentary Film about Ruth Bader Ginsberg that in the later years of her life she seemed to get a kick out of the fact that she was known as the Notorious RBG.  She, indeed, had a notorious style to her.  Although she apparently had not seen the brilliant portrayal of herself by Kate McKinnon on Saturday Night Live, the movie producers sat her down in front of a television and had her watch Mckinnon's Notorious RBG Skits.  Like the outstanding person she was, she laughed loudly and gave Kate McKinnon an enthusiastic thumbs up for her brilliant performances

Ruth Bader Ginsberg's last words according to her Granddaughter were that she hoped that efforts to replace her would wait until after November's election and the Inauguration of a new President.  

Clearly Donald Trump and Senator Mitch McConnell do not seem willing to accede to RBG's wishes.   Although Ruth Bader Ginsberg's life was beautiful and uplifting what Trump and McConnell are planning to do in order to steal RBG's Supreme Court seat before the November election is going to be an ugly and disgusting exercise in Brute Power, something RBG had little use for.

I only hope that their revolting plan backfires on them and puts Joe Biden in the White House as his New Permanent Residence.  I am sure that RBG would get a kick out of that.

Rest in Peace RBG.  We will always love you, respect you and admire you.

And We will never ever Forget You.

Sincerely Yours

Jerry Gallagher

 

Candidates In Kenosha - Extreme Contrast In Reasons For Going

Saturday, September 5th, 2020

My Dear America:

It is Saturday, September 5th and it is Labor Day Weekend.  My wife and I just had a Zoom Training Session with a young man named Jay who is working with the Biden- Harris Campaign.  Jay strikes me as being highly motivated and Competent.  It will be good to work with him as we all struggle to get Joe Biden and Kamala Harris elected on  November 3rd of this year.  

This has been a hellish year with One Hundred and Eighty Five Thousand Americans dead from the Coronavirus, or in Donald Trumpspeak, the China Virus.  I guess Trump thinks that if we all think of it as the China Virus that somehow that will clear him of responsibility for failing to act in a responsible way that might have ended up killing the virus instead of the virus ending up killing a Hundred and Eighty Five Thousand American Souls.  

At this point in time it is incomprehensible to me that Donald Trump could gather even five percent of voters polled nationwide let alone over 40 percent of Americans.  But once again like a dangerous snake Trump continues to crawl up in the polls as his efforts to suppress the vote intensify. What in the world is wrong with so many Americans willing to not only tolerate Donald Trump's behavior, but actually to support it.  

Many decades ago Walter Cronkite used to narrate a black and white television program called "You Are There" on CBS.  The program featured staged recreations of historical events with Walter and other correspondents interviewing participants in the historical happenings.  At the end of each program Walter used to say something like "What you have seen will Alter and Illuminate our Time and You Are There."

What we Americans are seeing every day of our lives in the time of Donald Trump is certainly Altering and Illuminating our lives, and as much as sometimes we don't want to be there to see what Donald Trump is doing to us and to our Country We Are There, whether we like it or not.

After the Coronavirus Superspreader Event on the White House Lawn that ended the last night of the Republican Convention it almost seemed as though nothing could have topped the insanity of that monstrously insensitive move.  Once again, however, we were wrong.  Donald Trump had more in store for us and this week we found out what it was.

Before August 23rd, 2020 almost none of us knew the name Jacob Blake.  But once again someone with the capability of taking a video took a very shocking one in Kenosha, Wisconsin featuring a young man by the name of Jacob Blake.  

The details of the incident involving the shooting of Jacob Blake are sketchy, at best.  Witnesses of the event do not seem to be in agreement on all of the details of what happened.  What is known is that the Kenosha police department was called to an incident of what was described as a domestic disturbance.  Apparently they were notified by Jacob Blake's girlfriend that Blake was defying a Protection From Abuse order of Protection by coming to her home and was trying to steal her car.  Some witnesses to the incident state that when the police arrived Jacob Blake was trying to break up a fight between two women on the sidewalk.  Police tried to grab Jacob Blake and when he resisted he was tasered.  Some witnesses said Blake wrestled with police and when he broke free he walked around a vehicle and attempted to get in.  Police surrounded him and one of the officers standing behind him shot him several times.  The police officers gun shot Blake either 7 or 8 times from behind, although reports are that only 4 shots hit Blake.  Those four shots did a lot of damage but they did not kill Blake.  He continues at this time to be hospitalized and most of his small intestines have been removed.  One bullet smashed through his spinal column and reports are that doctors do not see much hope that Blake will ever walk again.

As has been the situation in other cities around the country this disturbing incident set off protests in Kenosha some of which got out of hand and resulted in some buildings being burned.  Immediate reactions from Blake's family differed depending on who was speaking.  Jacob's father was outraged and angry.  His mother prayed, not only for her son but for the police officer who shot him.  She also prayed for the community and advised the community that her son asked for the community to respect him and each other and stop the violence.

The reaction of the President of the United States was, not surprisingly, divisive and disturbing.  His only reaction to the Kensoha shooting was to back the police and never did he express any remorse for the shooting of Jacob Blake.  Apparently, in reaction to Trump's insensitivity regarding the shooting of Jacob Blake a number of "Second Amendment People" began to show up in Kenosha fully armed and ready for battle with protesters.  One of those Armed gunmen was not even a man.  He was a teenager named Kyle Rittenhouse, who walked through the streets of Kenosha shooting people, two of whom died.  

Donald Trump could have called on his followers not to follow in the footsteps of Kyle Rittenhouse and ruin their lives, as Kyle has ruined his, as well as the lives of others.  He didn't do that, however.  Trump clearly failed to condemn  the teenagers actions and presented what Rittenhouse did as a matter of self defense.  Certainly Rittenhouse would not have been in a position of needing to defend himself if he had stayed home and didn't come to Kenosha with a long rifle and a displaced allegiance to Donald Trump.

This past week we saw two reactions by the 2020 Presidential Candidates who both went to Kenosha with two separate reasons to go to this Wisconsin city.

Donald Trump went to Kenosha despite the fact that the Mayor of Kenosha and the Governor of Wisconsin requested that he should not come.  Clearly they were obviously worried that Trump would come to Kenosha with the intention of fanning the flames of hate rather than trying to tamp down the violence. He did come to Kenosha and stayed away from the Kenosha government figures, or rather they stayed away from him.  Trump found some business figures and members of the police department who met with him.  It is hard to see why he came, what he got out of this visit or what the city of Kenosha got out of his visit. 

Also this past week Joe Biden also visited Kenosha.  His visit was extremely different than that of Trump.  Biden met with Community Leaders and he also met with members of Jacob Blake's family.  He even had a conversation with Jacob Blake on the phone.  Biden took the opportunity during his visit to call out Racism and Violence in the streets.

The reactions of and the reactions to both Joe Biden and Donald Trump in Kenosha, Wisconsin are contrasts that are stark and stunning and are lessons that should be paid attention to by all Americans prior to the November Presidential Election.    

Sincerely Yours

Jerry Gallagher