 In one of my blogs last year I raised the question “Would Ukraine be better off if Trump was president?” The answer, for me at least, is a resounding no! Without the financial and military support from NATO countries, Ukraine would not be able to stand up to the military might of Russia. Russia would overrun Ukraine’s territory and annex it, much in the same way as it did to the Crimea in 2014. Soon Ukraine would no longer exist as an independent country.  The United States’ policies toward aiding Ukraine, under the leadership of President Biden, have strengthened the Western alliance and made NATO more united than it has been in decades. Finland was recently admitted to the alliance, and President Biden helped negotiate a deal with Turkey’s President Erdogan to remove the final roadblock to allowing Sweden to join NATO. President Biden also helped to secure commitments from all NATO member nations to allow Ukraine to join the alliance once the war with Russia is over. Under Article 5 of the NATO treaty, an attack on one member is regarded as an attack on all of them. If Ukraine became a member of NATO before the end of the war, it would put the United States and other member nations at war with Russia. The United States is simply not willing to go to war with Russia over the invasion of Ukraine. In addition to escalating and widening the war by involving all NATO countries, Putin is just crazy enough to use nuclear weapons if he felt backed into a corner.  Last week President Biden traveled to Helsinki to congratulate Finland’s president on becoming the newest member of NATO. During his time in Helsinki the president also met with the leaders of Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Iceland. President Biden gave assurances of cooperation between our countries and conveyed the United States’ commitment to NATO. The contrast between President Biden’s recent Helsinki Summit and the one attended by President Trump in 2018 couldn’t be more different. At the summit in 2018 Trump met privately with Vladimir Putin. After the meeting Trump sided with Russia against his own U.S. intelligence agencies, disavowing the findings that Russia had indeed interfered in the 2016 elections. Trump stated during a press conference that he believed Putin, who had told him that Russia had not meddled in the U.S. elections. This left many of the United States’ allies in Europe shaken, questioning whether or not they could rely on security commitments from the United States going forward.  Despite Donald Trump’s attempts to rewrite history, it has been extensively reported over the years that he was no friend of NATO. On several occasions Trump told his top national security advisors that he wanted to pull out of NATO. If not for his chief of staff John F. Kelley and his national security advisor John Bolton, he might have done just that. He called the alliance obsolete and berated member states for not paying their fair share. Even though these claims were not true, it undermined confidence in the alliance and created division between members. In short, President Trump left the future of NATO in doubt, and President Biden has unified and strengthen it.
The COVID pandemic taught us that the world is more interconnected and interdependent than ever before. Economic and strategic relations between nations are vital, and that is particularly true for the United States. Tackling worldwide threats such as disease, climate change, and microplastic contamination of the environment will require strong relationships and cooperation among nations. It would be foolish to think that the United States has the resources and will to go it alone against military and competitive threats from the likes of China, Russia, and Iran. The United States cannot go it alone. Without security alliances such as NATO, and partnerships in the Middle East and the Indo-Pacific region, we will go the way of ancient Rome, the British Empire, and the Soviet Union. International relationships and alliances are key to the long-term prosperity and survival of our country.  ChatGPT or any form of artificial intelligence were not used in the writing of this blog.
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 With just days to go before our nation celebrates its Independence Day on July 4th, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of democracy. In the case of Moore v. Harper the Supreme Court upheld a decision by North Carolina’s top court to strike down a partisan congressional map. The ruling rejects the notion that under the “independent state legislature theory”, a state legislature has the exclusive and independent authority to set the rules for federal elections and drawing congressional maps. Importantly, the ruling preserves the checks and balances required to safeguard the integrity of our federal elections. It also protects against rogue state legislators overturning the will of the voters by introducing an alternate slate of electors into a presidential election. The ruling won’t protect against voter suppression and all questionable congressional maps, but it is a step in the right direction in favor of federal election integrity.  Independent State Legislature Theory: It is a narrow reading of the Constitution that has been used by some partisan groups to justify the actions of state legislatures to gerrymander electoral maps, pass restrictive voting laws, and ultimately control the outcome of elections. The Constitution does delegate the administration of federal elections to the states, but with congressional oversight. The two relevant clauses in the Constitution are the “Elections Clause” and the “Presidential Electors Clause”. The Elections Clause reads, “The Times, Places and Manner of holding Elections for Senators and Representatives, shall be prescribed in each State by the Legislature thereof; but the Congress may at any time by Law make or alter such Regulations.” The Presidential Electors Clause reads, “Each State shall appoint, in such manner as the Legislature thereof may direct, a Number of Electors.” These are the electors who actually vote for the president on behalf of the state in the Electoral College. Proponents of the independent state legislature theory use the two aforementioned clauses to bolster their claim that state legislatures have exclusive and near absolute power to regulate federal elections. The Supreme Court has rejected this interpretation of the Constitution in several previous cases, maintaining that state courts have oversight responsibility to ensure that laws for federal elections comply with their state constitutions.  The Ruling: In a 6-3 ruling, the Supreme Court rejected the independent state legislature theory and affirmed that North Carolina’s top court had the right to strike down a congressional redistricting map that it deemed unfairly partisan. According to the majority opinion written by Chief Justice John Roberts, “State courts retain the authority to apply state constitutional restraints when legislatures act under the power conferred upon them by the Elections Clause.” His opinion further states that the Court rejected the contention that the Elections Clause vests state legislatures with exclusive and independent authority when setting rules governing federal elections.  Results of the Ruling:
 Implications of the Ruling: The ruling in Moore v. Harper is a repudiation of the independent state legislature theory. Without this ruling rogue state legislatures would be emboldened to run federal elections any way they wanted to, even if it meant violating their state’s constitution. Taking it to the extreme, if state legislatures had independent authority over federal elections, they could choose a slate of electors in presidential elections favorable to their party, irrespective of the popular vote. Sound farfetched? A team of lawyers working for Donald Trump attempted to create fake slates of electors in seven key states won by Joe Biden, in an attempt to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. Fortunately, the scheme failed and may result in criminal prosecutions in several jurisdictions. The 2024 presidential election is heating up. Throw into the mix several court cases pending against Donald Trump and things are going to get interesting. The Supreme Court decided to hear Moore v. Harper precisely because of the implications that it has for the upcoming presidential election. By taking the independent state legislature theory off of the table, the Supreme Court has lessened the potential for partisan shenanigans.  ChatGPT or any form of artificial intelligence were not used in the writing of this blog.
If you enjoy reading this type of commentary please subscribe to my blog and tell a friend. You will receive an email notification when new blogs are posted. The email will come from the site’s email: armchairamerican1776 @gmail.com. Thanks, Armchair American  Only in Washington D.C. can you get congratulated for simply doing your job. President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy both took a victory lap last week with the signing into law of the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023. The President and the Speaker did the right thing by reaching a compromise deal leading to legislation to lift the debt ceiling, thus avoiding a fiscal calamity. The debt ceiling drama, which had consumed Washington D.C. for the past several weeks is over for now. Let’s hope that Congress can get back to work on more important issues, such as immigration reform, border security, and gun violence. As I stated in a previous blog on the subject, the debt ceiling showdown could have been avoided if the President pushed through a debt ceiling resolution last fall when the Democrats controlled both houses of Congress. Now, with the House of Representatives in the hands of Republicans, Biden had to move away from his position of not negotiating to lift the debt ceiling. It was inevitable that the President would have to negotiate with Speaker McCarthy to get any legislation passed.  Highlights of the Debt Ceiling Legislation:
 In the Fine Print:
 In the end, the debt ceiling legislation was a win for both President Biden and Speaker McCarthy. The President can claim success for signing into law a truly bipartisan piece of legislation and minimizing draconian budget cuts that Republicans were demanding. McCarthy can claim that he extracted some spending cuts and imposed new spending discipline on the Democrats. He also showed that he could lead the House and get results in the face of strong opposition from the conservative members of his party who demanded far steeper spending cuts. It will be interesting to see if he is punished by the Freedom Caucus for not extracting more spending cuts from the Democrats.  The spending “cuts” won’t put a dent in the massive federal debt and ongoing budget deficits that this country faces. But at least the debt ceiling negotiations got the federal government talking about the need for fiscal discipline. But it will be up to the American electorate to demand that tough choices be made, sooner rather than later. The longer the tough fiscal choices are ignored, the more painful the solutions will become.  My views on the debt ceiling have not changed. I still think that it should be abolished. Government debates over pubic debt and borrowing limits should be part of the appropriations and budgeting processes. It is a little late to think about how to pay for something after you have already ordered it.
If you enjoy reading this type of commentary please subscribe to my blog and tell a friend. You will receive an email notification when new blogs are posted. The email will come from the site’s email: armchairamerican1776 @gmail.com. Thanks, Armchair American  After a four year investigation into the origins of the FBI’s probe into ties between Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign and Russia, special counsel John Durham issued his report earlier this month. Donald Trump and his allies would have you believe that the report uncovered the “crime of the century”, the existence of a “deep state” out to get him, and an FBI weaponized against him. This is not what the report indicated. The Durham report revealed very little that hadn’t previously been reported in prior investigations and in the press. The Durham report should be the last word on the Trump-Russia probe, but it won’t be. Donald Trump will use the report as proof that he is the victim of a deep state conspiracy, and use it throughout his 2024 presidential campaign as a shield against all pending accusations against him. Therefore, the subject deserves just a little more of our time before we relegate it to the trash heap of yesterday’s news.  Time Line of Events in Trump-Russia Probe: A review of the time line of events may help to make some sense of the Durham report. July 31, 2016: The FBI began an investigation, code named “Crossfire Hurricane”, into possible links between the Trump 2016 presidential campaign and Russian officials, and to possible Russian meddling in the presidential election. This investigation would be taken over by the Mueller investigation in May of 2017.  May 9, 2017: President Trump fired FBI Director James Comey. May 17, 2017-May 29, 2019: Special Counsel Robert Mueller was appointed to investigate Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election, links between the Trump campaign and Russian officials, and possible obstruction of justice arising from the firing of FBI Director Comey.  March 22, 2019: The Mueller report was issued. The main findings of the report are as follows:
 December 8, 2019: Michael Horowitz, the Inspector General of the Department of Justice, issued a report on the findings of his investigation, started in early 2018, into how the FBI came to investigate the Trump campaign’s possible links to Russia. In his report, Horowitz concluded that the FBI had a legitimate purpose in opening its investigation known as Crossfire Hurricane, and that there was no evidence that political bias or improper motivation influenced the decisions to open investigations into some of Trump’s campaign advisors. But the Horowitz report was critical of how the FBI handled the applications for surveillance under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, targeting Trump campaign aide Carter Page. The report outlined “serious performance failures” requiring major changes. Horowitz also called for greater oversight before the FBI opens a politically sensitive investigation. Attorney General Barr and U.S. Attorney John Durham disagreed with Horowitz’s conclusion that the FBI was justified in opening the Crossfire Hurricane investigation. Barr urged Durham to continue his investigation into possible FBI missteps during the Trump-Russia investigation. According to Barr’s memoir, as the 2020 election neared, Donald Trump was angry that no charges were leveled against the FBI.  October 19, 2020: Attorney General William Barr Attorney appointed John Durham as a special counsel to provide him and his team the assurance that their investigation could continue regardless of the outcome of the 2020 presidential election. Durham Report: Issued on May 15, 2023, the 316-page Durham report was the conclusion of a 4 year investigation set in motion by Donald Trump’s Attorney General, William Barr. Pressured to do so by Donald Trump, Barr hoped to prove that the FBI’s investigation into possible collusion between Trump’s 2016 campaign and Russia was nothing more than a political witch hunt. But the report failed to do so, and provided no new revelations that hadn’t been previously reported by Robert Mueller and Michael Horowitz.  The Durham report is highly critical of the FBI’s behavior, finding that the bureau acted too hastily and relied on raw and unconfirmed intelligence when it opened the Trump-Russia investigation. But the report does not recommend any new charges against any law enforcement officials or changes to FBI guidelines and policy. Durham claims no political bias on the part of the FBI. He rightly points out certain individuals within the FBI who showed personal bias against Trump, but he could find no institutional bias. It seems to me that the Durham investigation was politically motivated, and a tool to help Donald Trump’s reelection chances.  FBI’s Impact on 2016 Presidential Campaign: On July 10, 2015 the FBI opened a criminal investigation into Hillary Clinton’s handling of classified information while she was Secretary of State. As you may remember, this centered around the use of a personal server to store her government emails. On July 5, 2016 FBI Director James Comey issued a public statement indicating that the investigation was being closed with no recommendations for charges against Hillary Clinton. Then in late September of 2016, the FBI discovered a trove of emails from Hillary Clinton on the laptop of Anthony Weiner, the husband of Clinton aide Huma Abedin. On October 28, 2016 Director Comey informed Congress (and the world) of the existence of the newly found emails and that the investigation into Clinton would be reopened. It was highly unusual and consequential for the FBI to make this information known less than ten days before a presidential election.  On November 6, 2016 Director Comey informed Congress that a review of the recently discovered Clinton emails provided no relevant information and the case would be closed. But with early voting underway in most states, the damage had already been done. The rest is history. Throughout most of the 2016 presidential campaign Hillary Clinton had the black cloud of “email-gate” hanging over her head. At the same time the American public had no idea that the FBI was investigating the Trump campaign for possible ties to Russia. With all of Trump’s claims of a witch hunt, he fared much better at the hands of the FBI than did Hillary Clinton.  The 2024 presidential election is heating up, Donald Trump’s legal problems are mounting, and you have more important things to think about. So, you can be forgiven if you have forgotten all about the 2016 Trump-Russia investigation conducted by the FBI. The Durham report has brought the subject back front and center, and Donald Trump will use it to spin a narrative of “victimhood” throughout his campaign. Trump and his allies will continue to beat the drum of deep state conspiracies against him. But don’t buy it.
Let’s hope that no more public funds are spent on useless investigations that attempt to rewrite history and weave false narratives. Now go out and enjoy the summer months before things really get crazy. If you enjoy reading this type of commentary please subscribe to my blog and tell a friend. You will receive an email notification when new blogs are posted. The email will come from the site’s email: armchairamerican1776 @gmail.com. Thanks, Armchair American  As the highest court in the land, the United States Supreme Court plays a critical role in our constitutional form of government. It is independent of, but co-equal to Congress and the Executive Branch of our federal government. Without a deep commitment to the rule of law, and a belief that justice is truly equal under law, our system of government would collapse. The Supreme Court is the court of last resort for those seeking justice, and it protects the rights of citizens by striking down any law that violates the Constitution. Therefore, the Supreme Court must be seen as independent of outside influences, and it must adhere to the highest levels of transparency and ethical standards in rendering its decisions. Revelations in recent weeks of unreported gifts to Justice Clarence Thomas have raised questions by the American people and members of Congress about the integrity of the Supreme Court.  ?In extensive reporting last month by ProPublica, it has come to light that Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas has for many years been the beneficiary of unreported gifts from Harlan Crow, a Texas billionaire with close ties to the Republican Party. These gifts included lavish international travel, real estate deals, and tuition payments made on behalf of Thomas’ grandnephew. Harlan Crow also funded a political group founded by Thomas’ wife which paid her a $120,000 salary. None of this has been disputed by Crow or Justice Thomas. On several occasions during his tenure at the Court, Clarence Thomas complained about the low pay for Supreme Court Justices, further fueling calls for Congressional investigations into his actions. Do these revelations about Justice Thomas represent possible conflicts of interest or unethical behavior? Possibly. But they don’t represent violations of any laws or codes of conduct applicable to the Supreme Court, and therein lies the problem.  Calls for Change: On April 20th two senators introduced a bipartisan bill designed to force the Supreme Court to establish a code of ethics. Earlier this month the Democrat controlled Senate Judiciary Committee held hearings highlighting possible ethical lapses by Justice Clarence Thomas, and the need to adopt more transparency and clearly defined ethical standards. Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. declined an invitation to appear before the committee, citing issues related to the separation of powers and the importance of preserving judicial independence. It is no surprise that Republicans called the hearings a partisan attack on a conservative member of the Court, and promised to thwart any legislation that the Democrats put forth to constrain the Court in any way. Even though the hearings won’t produce any Congressional action, several Republican Senators, including Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, urged the Supreme Court to take actions to improve transparency and instill more public confidence. The Congressional hearings and public calls for the Supreme Court to be more transparent have not gone unnoticed by Chief Justice Roberts. In a rare written statement defending the Court, Roberts sent a letter to the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee which included a Statement on Ethics Principles and Practices signed by all nine Supreme Court Justices. The statement lists the statues and guidelines which the Court uses to address specific ethical issues. I applaud the Court for providing some of its principles and practices. But these are all voluntary guidelines and the Court is not compelled to follow them. The statement doesn’t address the apparent ethical issues surrounding gifts received by Justice Thomas. It is still unclear whether or not Chief Justice Roberts deems these gifts to be inappropriate, and if so, what corrective actions will be taken.  What Can be Done? In 1973 The Code of Conduct for United States Judges was adopted by the Judicial Conference to promote public confidence in the integrity, independence, and impartiality of the federal judiciary. The Code governs the behavior of most federal judges, but it does not apply to the Justices of the Supreme Court. In fact, the Supreme Court is not bound by any formal code of conduct. There have been several attempts by Congress to impose a code of conduct on the Supreme Court, but most have run into legal problems. Separation of powers between the three branches of government prevents the Congress from mandating how the Court conducts its internal affairs. Even if the Congress was to pass legislation that directed the Court to adopt reforms, the Court could deem the legislation unconstitutional.  What Should be Done? Even if Constitutional issues could be overcome, Congress is too polarized to pass any meaningful legislation that would impact the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court clearly has a credibility issue with the American people. It is not up to Congress to remedy this situation. It is the responsibility of Chief Justice Roberts, and his legacy depends on it. Here are two suggestions:
For the credibility of the Supreme Court, this should be done quickly and communicated to the American people.  The Supreme Court is the only branch of the federal government that is unelected and unaccountable to the American people. Therefore, it must be above reproach and its actions and deliberations should be transparent. Unreported gifts to Justice Clarence Thomas have brought into question the integrity of the Court in recent weeks. The fallout from these revelations is of the Court’s own making, and only the Court can remedy the situation. Chief Justice Roberts must take clear and decisive action to preserve the integrity of the Court, otherwise our system of government could be in peril.  Update November 13, 2023: The Supreme Court announced today that it had issued an ethics code for its justices. All nine justices signed on to the new rules.
It has been a long time coming, and is evidence that the Court is listening to the American people and the Congress. The code is not perfect, but it is certainly a step in the right direction. The main complaint against the new code is that it has no enforcement mechanism and is therefore toothless. It is doubtful that if the code had previously been in place, it would have curbed the behavior of Justice Thomas (outlined in the blog). Here is a link to the new code of ethics: https://www.supremecourt.gov/about/Code-of-Conduct-for-Justices_November_13_2023.pdf If you enjoy reading this type of commentary please subscribe to my blog and tell a friend. You will receive an email notification when new blogs are posted. The email will come from the site’s email: armchairamerican1776 @gmail.com. Thanks, Armchair American  Donald Trump was the first person without government or military service to be elected president of the United States. He was the first president to be impeached twice, and the first president to refuse to publicly concede defeat when he lost his re-election bid in 2020. Donald Trump was the first president in over 150 years not to attend his successors inauguration, and now he is the first former president to be indicted, booked and arraigned on criminal charges. That’s quite a record, and things are just starting to look interesting for Mr. Trump.  Yesterday Donald Trump turned himself in at the criminal courthouse in lower Manhattan. He was then arrested, booked and arraigned on 34 criminal counts of falsifying business records. In the unsealed indictment we learned that each count involved the “intent to defraud and intent to commit another crime and aid and conceal the commission thereof, made and caused a false entry in the business records of an enterprise”. The charges stem from hush-money payments made by Donald Trump during the 2016 presidential race. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The Statement of Facts, which accompanied the indictment, spells out the charges against Donald Trump in more detail. Here we learn why misdemeanor charges of falsifying business records are being bumped up to felony charges. The business records were falsified in order to conceal the following criminal conduct:
Response to Donald Trump’s Indictment and Arrest: The response to the news of Donald Trump’s criminal indictment and subsequent arraignment is not surprising. Everyone from Donald Trump’s lawyers to House Speaker Kevin McCarthy called it “political persecution”, a “blatant abuse of power from a DA focused on political vengeance”, and “an attempt to interfere in our Presidential election”. The Republican establishment rallied behind Donald Trump even before they knew what crimes he was being charged with. For his part, Donald Trump had been preparing his supporters that an indictment was imminent. On his social media platform and at his rally in Waco Texas, the former president called on his supporters to “Protest, take our nation back!”, and warned of “death and destruction” if he faces criminal charges. In a questionable legal strategy, Donald Trump went so far as calling Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg a “degenerate psychopath”, among other things. If Donald Trump was trying to intimidate the District Attorney, it didn’t work. After his arraignment in New York, Donald Trump flew back to Mar-a-Lago and delivered a prime-time campaign speech. The first line of his speech was “The only crime that I have committed is to fearlessly defend our nation from those who seek to destroy it”.  Is Donald Trump’s Arrest Good for our Democracy? Many congressional Democrats think so. They are calling for justice to be blind, and standing by the notion that no one is above the law, not even former presidents. I agree with this position, as do most Americans. Without respect for the rule of law our democracy would crumble. Justice Department policy shielded Donald Trump from criminal prosecution while he was president. Now that he is out of office, Donald Trump should be provided the same protections and sanctions that the laws provide to all citizens of this country. Donald Trump may have jumped into the 2024 presidential race early in an effort to shield himself from the several pending criminal cases that are plaguing him. This was a miscalculation on his part. It’s true that it is unprecedented for a former president to be indicted on criminal charges. But it is not true that presidents have never been held accountable for their actions once out of office. Bill Clinton lost his law license and paid a fine rather than face perjury charges once he left office. Richard Nixon would have certainly been indicted on obstruction of justice charges in the Watergate investigation if he hadn’t been pardoned by Gerald Ford after leaving office.  Short Term Implications of Donald Trump’s Arrest: Donald Trump’s base of supporters has certainly been energized, and his fund-raising apparatus has shifted into overdrive. Trump’s team raised over $4 million within 24 hours of the indictment being made public. The indictment has thrown a wet blanket over Trump’s competition for the 2024 Republican nomination for president. Ron DeSantis, Nikki Haley, and Mike Pence have all come out in support of Donald Trump against what they perceive as partisan attacks. Trump’s support among conservative Republicans has never been higher, and it has just gotten a lot tougher for anyone to wrestle the Republican nomination for president away from him.  Long Term Implications of Donald Trump’s Arrest: The criminal charges that Donald Trump faces in New York will take months, if not years to play out. The extent of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s evidence against Trump will not be fully known until the case goes to trial. The next scheduled hearing on the case is December 4, 2023. If the case goes forward, it will certainly cast a gray cloud over the 2024 presidential election, making it difficult to see a path to victory for Donald Trump in a general election. In any case, the stage has already been set for claims of “another rigged election” by Donald Trump if he fails to win back the presidency. At his recent rally in Waco, Trump claimed that the criminal charges leveled against him are the result of “prosecutorial misconduct”, a new tool being used against him. He went on to say, “We must stop them and we must not allow them to go through another election where they have yet another tool in their tool kit.”  Donald Trump’s Legal Jeopardy: I don’t think that Donald Trump faces any real legal jeopardy in the New York criminal case. He certainly won’t do any jail time if he is convicted of any of the charges. The importance of the Manhattan District Attorney’s case against Donald Trump is that it sets a precedent for future cases. It will make it more likely that other prosecutors will bring criminal indictments against him in the more serious and consequential cases currently under investigation. Federal prosecutors could bring charges of obstruction of an investigation related to Donald Trump’s handling and storage of classified government documents at Mar-a-Lago. Another federal investigation is underway to determine if Donald Trump unlawfully interfered with the certification of the 2020 election results, or attempted to stop the peaceful transfer of power. He is also under investigation in Georgia for possible election code violations. If all that wasn’t enough, Donald Trump is facing two defamation lawsuits in New York filed by E. Jean Carroll, who has accused him of rape. The first of these two cases will begin later this month. I wouldn’t want to be responsible for Donald Trump’s legal bills. Where the money comes from to pay for those bills will certainly be the subject of future investigations. It will be a tricky balance not to run afoul of campaign finance laws.  Donald Trump’s criminal indictment and subsequent arrest in New York is not a reason to celebrate. If the criminal charges he is accused of are credible, then he should be held accountable. No one is above the law, not even former presidents. Any charges leveled against Donald Trump will be viewed by his supporters as politically motivated. No surprise there. Donald Trump deserves his day in court and we need to allow the judicial process to play out. But I hope that long before that happens the Republican Party realizes that Donald Trump does not represent the values of its party or those of the United States. It is not good for our democracy when one of our major political parties is held hostage by the ego of one man.  If you enjoy reading this type of commentary please subscribe to my blog and tell a friend. You will receive an email notification when new blogs are posted. The email will come from the site’s email: armchairamerican1776 @gmail.com.
Thanks, Armchair American  If Donald Trump needs a propaganda minister, he found one in the person of Tucker Carlson, an opinion host for Fox News. Since the 2020 election, Tucker Carlson has been a vocal supporter of Donald Trump and his lies about the election being stolen. Carlson made news last week for reporting on his prime-time cable show that the United States government had lied about what actually happened at the Capitol on January 6, 2021. He based his claims on video surveillance tapes that were provided to him and his producers by House Speaker Kevin McCarthy. Why did Carlson, of all people, have access to the tapes, are his claims valid, and what does this say about Kevin McCarthy’s leadership? Let’s dig into these issues which have people on both sides of the aisle riled up.  Kevin McCarthy’s Role in the Drama: Sometime in early February, Kevin McCarthy provided Tucker Carlson and his producers unfettered access to the January 6, 2021 security videos of the Capitol. At the time McCarthy told reporters that he thinks that “the American public should actually see all that happened, instead of a report that’s written on a political basis”. The Speaker was referring to the January 6th Committee Final Report which places the blame for the Capitol riot squarely on the shoulders of Donald Trump. So, it appears as if McCarthy wanted to set the record straight by providing exclusive access to the security tapes to an unbiased organization like Fox News! If Speaker McCarthy really wants transparency surrounding the events of January 6, as he has claimed, then why not allow access to the nearly 44,000 hours of video footage to all news outlets, simultaneously? Since becoming Speaker, McCarthy has been under intense pressure by the right wing of his party to release the videos to a sympathetic news outlet. If you had any doubts about whether or not the newly elected Speaker was beholden to extremists in his party, you shouldn’t anymore. Providing Tucker Carlson exclusive right to access the surveillance videos was a failure of leadership by McCarthy, pure and simple.  Tucker Carlson Reports: After about three weeks of examining the video footage provided by Speaker McCarthy, Carlson reported his findings on March 6 during his “Tucker Carlson Tonight” show on Fox News. The House members who pushed Speaker McCarthy to release the tapes got exactly what they wanted from Tucker Carlson. Here are some of what he said about the January 6 Capitol riot: “The protestors were angry. They believed that the election that they had just voted in had been unfairly conducted, and they were right. In retrospect it is clear that the 2020 election was a grave betrayal of American democracy. Given the facts that have since emerged about that election, no honest person can deny it”. “To divert attention from the details of the Presidential election itself, Democrats in Congress impaneled the House Select Committee on the January 6th attack. The point of the committee was to prevent Donald Trump from running for president again. The committee did not explain what happened inside the Capitol on January 6th. Three weeks ago, the Speaker turned over 44,000 hours of tapes that the January 6th Committee had access to”. “Committee members lied about what they saw, and then hid evidence from the public and from January 6th defendants and their lawyers. Speaker McCarthy rectified that crime by handing over the surveillance tapes to Fox News. We are providing a public service to bring the videos to you since the government didn’t want you to see them”. “The videos prove beyond doubt the Democrats in Congress, assisted by Adam Kinzinger and Liz Cheney, lied about what happened that day. They are liars. That is conclusive, and that fact should prevent them from ever being taken seriously again”. “The video does not show an insurrection or a riot in progress. Instead, it shows police escorting people through the building. The overwhelming majority of people in the Capitol were peaceful, they were orderly, and meek. These were not insurrectionists, they were sightseers”. “The videos demolish the claim that what happened inside the Capitol was an insurrection. That’s why the Democratic Party and allies in the media withheld the videos from the public”. “Members of the January 6th Committee hurt people and the country. They are liars. They lied. Members of the committee are liars”. This is strong stuff, if true.  Donald Trump Responds: The following day Donald Trump claimed that the video “evidence” shown on Tucker Carlson’s show vindicated him from any wrong doing on January 6. He went on to state that Carlson’s assertions were irrefutable evidence that rioters have been wrongly accused of crimes. Trump thanked Carlson and Speaker McCarthy for their work in rectifying the official record. Trump then called for the release from custody of the people who have been convicted or pleaded guilty to charges stemming from the Capitol riot.  What are we to Make of Tucker Carlson’s Assertions?
To Tucker Carlson these are meek sightseers at the Capitol on January 6, 2021.
Come to your own conclusions about what actually happened at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. The programming on Fox News’ “Tucker Carlson Tonight” last week is a good reminder that not everything presented on cable news networks is actually hard news. Much of it is opinion, and the hosts are pushing a certain agenda. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy knew this when he provided Tucker Carlson access to nearly 44,000 hours of surveillance video from the Capitol. This was a purely political move and not in the best interest of the country. To provide the transparency that he claims to want, Speaker McCarthy should immediately release that same video footage to any and all news outlets that request it.  If you enjoy reading this type of commentary please subscribe to my blog and tell a friend. You will receive an email notification when new blogs are posted. The email will come from the site’s email: armchairamerican1776 @gmail.com.
Thanks, Armchair American  It has been quite a month over the skies of North America. Between February 4 and February 12, a high-altitude Chinese balloon and three other unidentified flying objects were shot out of the sky by U.S. fighter jets. Are we under attack by some foreign power, or an alien race from outer space? Or has the Air Force just gotten a little trigger happy? This series of incidents created quite a stir across the country, and seemed to catch the military by surprise. The Biden Administration was certainly caught off guard, causing it to overreact in the face of public and political criticism. What do we know about the flying objects that the air force shot down, and is this something else we need to add to our long list of things to worry about? Here is what we know about the unidentified flying objects, now referred to as unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP) by the government, shot down by the U.S. military in recent days:  Chinese Spy Balloon: The U.S. government has known about the existence of the Chinese military’s spy balloon program since 2020. The Chinese have sent spy balloons over more than 40 countries on five continents. The spy balloons augment the more than 260 intelligence satellites that the Chinese have in orbit. The U.S. began tracking the now infamous spy balloon in late January when it was launched from Hainan Island in southern China. Based on the trajectory of the balloon, U.S. officials believe that its mission was to conduct surveillance of U.S. military bases in Guam and Hawaii. Winds blew the balloon off course and it entered Alaskan airspace on January 28. The balloon traveled over Canada and the U.S. mainland before it was shot down off the coast of South Carolina on February 4. The Chinese balloon was flying at an altitude of approximately 60,000 feet, and therefore presented no hazard to commercial airliners, according to the Pentagon. Deflecting criticism for allowing the balloon to linger in U.S. airspace for several days, Pentagon officials claimed that the balloon posed no threat, and allowed the military to collect intelligence about the balloon and take high-resolution images of its equipment. The military also claimed to have locked down non-encrypted communications coming from military bases in the balloon’s flight path.   The Navy, Coast Guard, and FBI have finished recovering all the debris from the downed balloon from the ocean off of South Carolina. The debris was taken to the FBI lab in Virginia for analysis. The recovered electronics and optical equipment reinforced the military’s conclusion that the object was in fact a Chinese spy balloon. To this day, Chinese officials insist that the balloon was a civilian device used for weather research that had simply drifted off course. If you believe that, you believe that Putin invaded Ukraine to rid it of Nazis.  Three More Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAP) Shot Down:
 What’s Going on in the Skies Above Us? Due to the lack of debris recovered from the three UAPs recently shot down, we will never know preciously what they were or where they came from. What we do know is that none of the three objects were emitting signals of any kind. They were traveling at low speed at an altitude of 20,000 feet to 40,000 feet, within the range of transcontinental air traffic. The claim by the military that the UAPs posed a danger to air traffic lanes provided cover for its actions. The current thinking from the military and intelligence community is that the UAPs were most likely balloons, or similar devices owned by private companies, research groups, or recreational clubs studying weather or conducting research. The military has known for many years that there is a large amount of airborne trash floating around at high altitudes, in addition to objects participating in active scientific research, like weather balloons.  In response to the incursion into U.S. airspace by the Chinese spy balloon, the military radar systems monitoring the American and Canadian airspace have been adjusted to make them more sensitive to slower moving objects. The result is that our radar systems are spotting many more objects that would have previously been missed. So, if I were you, I would put off scheduling any hot air balloon trips until the military has its radar systems fully dialed in.  The Real Significance of Recent UAP Events: The shooting down of four UAPs by the military earlier this month revealed its shortcomings in monitoring America’s airspace. But this will be corrected with time. The real threat to our country isn’t from little green men in flying saucers, or from other UPAs. The real threat comes from frayed relations with China. Recent events have revealed just how strained the relations between the U.S. and China really are. The Chinese spy balloon incident further strained relations between our two countries. Secretary of State Antony Blinken canceled a scheduled trip to Beijing where he was expected to meet with President Xi Jinping. China’s defense chief refused to take a call from Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin to discuss the spy balloon incident. The U.S. Commerce Department announced plans to ban trade with several Chinese companies with ties to the Chinese military. In response, Chinese officials have stated that they will take “counter measures” against “relevant American entities”.  The heightened tensions between the U.S. and China should come as no real surprise in light of recent actions taken by the Biden Administration. These include increased U.S. military access to bases in the Philippines, a new military technology agreement with India, restrictions on sales of advanced computer chips to China, and the development of new security agreements with Australia and Britain. When you include Japan’s announcement that it will increase military spending and America’s commitment to Taiwan, it’s not surprising that China feels more isolated and is acting more aggressively with its spy balloon program. The last thing that the world needs is for the two superpowers to enter into a cold war. Fortunately, U.S. and Chinese diplomats have begun to talk again in recent days. Secretary Blinken met last weekend with the Director of the Chinese Communist Party’s Central Affairs Office at the Munich Security Conference in Germany. For the sake of our two countries, and indeed the world, let’s hope that the channels of communication can open and tensions cool. It is better to fix any problems now when the threat from China involves spy balloons. When the problems escalate to nuclear weapons, it may be too late.  If you enjoy reading this type of commentary please subscribe to my blog and tell a friend. You will receive an email notification when new blogs are posted. The email will come from the site’s email: armchairamerican1776 @gmail.com.
Thanks, Armchair American  I previously wrote about the debt ceiling in October of 2021. It was the last time a divided Congress threatened the financial stability of the country, and indeed the world, by withholding support for increasing the amount of money the U.S. Treasury can legally borrow to pay its bills. The only thing different this time is the cast of characters in Washington D.C.  The federal government reached its $31.4 trillion debt ceiling on January 19, 2023. It took the government decades to reach this level of debt, and is the result of tax cuts and spending increases from both Democrats and Republicans in Congress. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has stated that through the use of “extraordinary measures” (fancy accounting), the federal government will be able to continue to pay its bills through early June. Congress must increase the debt ceiling in order for the Treasury to raise the money needed to pay the bills that Congress has already approved. If this doesn’t happen, the Treasury will run out of money and not be able to pay all of its financial obligations. No reasonable person wants this to happen, but it is a test of the new Congress and President Biden as to how the current impasse gets resolved.  President Biden’s Position: The President has stated that he will not negotiate over the debt ceiling. He wants it increased with no strings attached. President Biden’s refusal to negotiate with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy stems from his experience during the 2011 debt ceiling negotiations between the Obama Administration and Congressional Republicans. When negotiations broke down, the United States suffered its first ever credit downgrade, financial markets were rattled, and recovery from the Great Recession was threatened. Biden pledged that he would never again allow debt ceiling negotiations threaten the financial stability of the United States. President Biden should have pushed through a debt ceiling resolution last fall when the Democrats controlled both houses of Congress. I believe that he feared that such a move would have appeared too partisan. To that I say, “so what”. It’s better than allowing Congress to threaten the financial credibility of the country, and diverting legislative attention away from more important issues.  Speaker McCarthy’s Position: During his fight for the House Speakership last month, Kevin McCarthy assured the ultraconservative members of his party that he would use the debt ceiling as leverage to force budget cuts. The new House Speaker has met with the President in recent days to extract spending cuts in exchange for a debt ceiling increase. McCarthy wants an 8% reduction to the current budget, which would bring spending down to 2022 budget levels. Apparently, the meeting was not a negotiation but simply a discussion, with each side stating their position. But McCarthy has not shown the President, or the American people, his proposed budget. He has spoken in general terms, but has not defined which budget items would be cut and to what extent. Speaker McCarthy has mentioned that he would like to see changes to major entitlement programs, and to cut annual spending that funds the operating budgets of federal agencies. All well and good, just show us your plan. I don’t think that McCarthy will be able to gain much ground with the President on this issue anytime soon. The government won’t run out of cash until sometime in June, which gives McCarthy more time. This will be a real test of his leadership abilities, and show just how secure his position as Speaker of the House really is.  Do Away with the Debt Ceiling: Paying our federal debts should be an automatic act, not subject to the whims of political brinksmanship. The debt ceiling doesn’t control federal spending, and needlessly burdens Congress with legislation when its time is needed for much more urgent matters. It often brings the Congress to a standstill and prevents the Treasury from performing its functions efficiently. It’s time for the United States to join most other industrialized countries and abolish the federal debt ceiling altogether.  The fact that the U.S. government is on the verge of adding more debt to the $31.4 trillion already owed is incomprehensible to most Americans. Interest payments alone on the national debt amounted to $475 billion in the last fiscal year. It will be significantly higher this year. That is money not available for social programs, infrastructure spending, or any other national priority. An alternative to borrowing more money to fund public spending is to collect more taxes. But one of the first bills passed by the new 118th Congress was to rescind the $80 billion in new funding for the I.R.S., passed in the last Congress. That makes it hard for me to believe that the Republicans are serious about getting the government’s fiscal house in order. Fortunately, the bill will never get approved by the Democratic held Senate.  The discussion over government spending and public debt is a discussion worth having. But having that discussion when the debt ceiling has already been reached, is a little late. The money has already been spent. The time for that debate is during the presidential election season. Substantive discussions around government spending, paying down the national debt, and other fiscal initiatives would be welcome, and long overdue. Bring on the debate!  If you enjoy reading this type of commentary please subscribe to my blog and tell a friend. You will receive an email notification when new blogs are posted. The email will come from the site’s email: armchairamerican1776 @gmail.com.
Thanks, Armchair American  2022 was a difficult year for the digital asset space, particularly cryptocurrencies. Values plummeted and FTX, a company that ran a major exchange in cryptocurrencies, declared bankruptcy, losing billions of dollars in investors’ money.  So, what is cryptocurrency? Does it have a future, and should we even care? The world of crypto is new to many of us, and it comes in many forms. This is a fast-moving space, with lots of twists and turns, and there’s new terminology to learn. This blog is my attempt to wrap my head around the emerging world of crypto. This new tech/finance space is not going away, despite a rough 2022. About twenty percent of American adults own cryptocurrency, so it is something that I will be paying attention to in the months and years to come.  What is Crypto: When people talk or write about “crypto” they are usually referring to “cryptocurrency”. Cryptocurrency is virtual currency that uses cryptography to secure transactions digitally on a blockchain. More on the blockchain later. Cryptocurrency is digital, it doesn’t exist in a physical form. It is not produced or sponsored by a central government, and is not backed by gold or other asset to support its value. El Salvador and a few other countries have made bitcoin (the first cryptocurrency) an official currency, but most have not. China has banned it outright. Millions of people around the world are now using cryptocurrency as a form of money, but it is not a government backed (fiat) currency like dollars and euros. So, if it is not currency, what is it? It is a digital asset, which the I.R.S. defines as “the binary representation of anything having an economic value that can be owned”. A single unit of cryptocurrency is also referred to as a digital coin or token.  Bitcoin: Bitcoin was the first cryptocurrency, is the most widely known, and most valuable. The first transaction using bitcoins was on May 22, 2010. Today the value of all bitcoins worldwide is over $360 billion. But bitcoin is not alone. There are over 20,000 different cryptocurrencies in existence, and the number is changing daily. Bitcoin was developed in 2008 by a programmer, or programmers, going by the name of Satoshi Nakamoto. It was during the depths of the financial crisis when Satoshi released the white paper “Bitcoin, a Peer-to-Peer Electronic Cash System”. The system was designed to bypass central banks and conventional currencies, which were not to be trusted. According to Bitcoin’s website, it was established to be an innovative payment network with a new kind of money. The network is known as Bitcoin, using the newly developed blockchain technology (more on the blockchain later). The new kind of money was the first cryptocurrency, known as bitcoin (lower case b). Bitcoin uses peer-to-peer technology to operate with no central banks. The management of transactions and issuing of bitcoins is carried out collectively by the network. Bitcoin is open-source, its design is public, nobody owns or controls Bitcoin, and everyone can take part. From these egalitarian beginnings, Bitcoin launched a new gold rush in digital assets, and a multi-billion-dollar worldwide infrastructure catering to investors and developers has sprung up.  Buyer Beware: Bitcoin was designed to seamlessly facilitate payments across borders, without the need for banks, at little cost. But the real action is in speculation on the price of bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. Bitcoin had no value when it was first introduced. It reached a high of $65,000 in November of 2021 before losing over 60% of its value in 2022. Today it trades at just over $21,000. Cryptocurrencies are easy to buy, but often come with high fees to acquire and store it. You are out of luck if you lose your “wallet” where your cryptocurrencies are stored, or if you forget your digital key (password) which identifies you as the owner. Coinbase is one of the most popular online platforms for buying, selling, transferring and storing bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. Several traditional brokerage firms sell cryptocurrencies and/or funds that invest in cryptocurrencies or affiliated companies. You can even buy the major cryptocurrencies from special ATM machines. You may have seen them in drug stores and grocery stores.  Before you invest in cryptocurrencies do your homework. They are highly speculative, and invest only an amount of money that you can afford to lose. Deal with experienced, reputable brokers. You don’t want to have your money disappear like it did with FTX. I don’t own any cryptocurrency for two simple reasons. Prices are highly volatile, and there is little regulation of this asset class. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has described cryptocurrencies as “very risky assets”, and she remains very skeptical, as you should. There are many unknowns about the future of cryptocurrencies which could affect their investment value. What happens if the U.S. government regulates them more closely, or bans them outright? What happens if the U.S. government decides to issue its own digital currency pegged to the dollar? These and other unknowns should give you pause when considering cryptocurrencies as an investment. But that doesn’t mean that cryptocurrencies and other digital assets don’t hold real promise.  The Promise of Digital Currency: There are many advantages of digital currency over physical currency. The costs of producing, storing, and distributing physical currency are enormous. Physical currency can be easily lost, stolen, or destroyed. It can be counterfeited and used in the underground economy due to lack of traceability. Digital currency issued by a central bank would be cheaper, more efficient, and safer for people to use. It would leave a digital footprint, which would cut down on crime, tax evasion, and loss. Other advantages include faster, cheaper, and more efficient payment systems. Digital currency holds a lot of promise for places like Africa where large numbers of people don’t have access to banks and financial institutions. Digital currency could eliminate the need to have banks and other infrastructure in order to hold money and conduct financial transactions. Your cell phone could take the place of the local bank. Central banks around the world are exploring the development of their own digital currency. A digital currency backed by a central bank would have price stability, and be more widely accepted than today’s cryptocurrencies.  Blockchains: The real promise that the emergence of digital assets has brought is the underlying technology that enables them, blockchains. There would be no bitcoin without Bitcoin, the original block chain that enables it. A blockchain is a database (digital ledger) of transactions that is updated and shared across many computers in a network. Every time a new set of transactions is added, it is called a “block”. The blockchain is decentralized, meaning that it doesn’t exist in a central location, but in computers all over the world. Each transaction is encrypted and distributed to all of the computers in the network. Hackers would have to access a majority of all computers in the network to change or delete a transaction, making the system very secure. Blockchains are immutable, which means that once a record is created it cannot be altered or deleted. They are typically open source, making a blockchain’s code and record of transactions open for anyone to inspect. In short, blockchains are public, permanent databases that are very secure, and not owned by anyone. Virtually anything of value can be tracked and traded on a blockchain network without the need for an intermediary or middleman. This cuts costs and reduces risk for each party involved in a transaction. Blockchains are ideal for financial transactions. But advanced blockchains will track real estate, intellectual property, patents, copyrights, insurance policies, medical records, and so much more. You can find more information on blockchains at this link.  Ethereum and Smart Contracts: Since the development of Bitcoin, blockchains have been developed with features and benefits that bring value far beyond enabling cryptocurrencies. Ethereum is a blockchain network with its own cryptocurrency, “ether”, which is second only to bitcoin in popularity. Bitcoin is only a payment network, but Ethereum is that and much more. It is programable, which means that applications can be built that use the blockchain to create an ever-growing list of applications beyond the digital currency space. The built-in programming feature of Ethereum has allowed for the development of smart contracts, which have the potential of transforming many industries.  Smart contracts are programs stored on a blockchain that run when predetermined conditions are met. They are used to automate the execution of an agreement so that all participants can be immediately certain of the outcome, without any intermediary’s involvement, increasing speed and reducing costs. Smart contracts have applications in real estate, financial services, insurance, medical records, gaming, legal services, the administration of public and private policies, and the list is growing daily. Here is a link for more information on Ethereum and smart contracts.  Regulations: No one knows for sure what the future holds for cryptocurrency. But one thing is clear, government regulations are coming. The billions of dollars of investor money lost in the collapse of the crypto exchange FTX has caught the attention of Congress and the White House. Most legislators, as well as industry insiders, agree that more regulation is needed. But the question is, which agency should have regulatory authority over digital assets, exchanges, and dealers? The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) claims that digital currencies are not securities. The Federal Reserve says that digital coins, like bitcoin, are not currency. The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) says that digital coins are not commodities. The only federal agency that has stepped to the plate with regulations has been the I.R.S. This makes sense, since the I.R.S. never misses an opportunity to find a new stream of tax revenue. The I.R.S. classifies digital assets as property, and considers any sales or exchanges to be taxable events. Last year President Biden signed an executive order that called on government agencies to study the “responsible development” of regulations of digital assets. Now the Treasury Department, SEC, and CFTC are working together to develop regulations for digital assets. Congress has been behind the 8 ball on this issue, and new regulations are needed sooner rather than later.  Cryptocurrencies are not just a passing fade. Their utility will encourage central banks around the world to develop their own. Powerful new blockchains, like Ethereum, will transform the way business is conducted in many fields. Investors will continue to speculate on bitcoin, ether, and other digital coins. But without new regulations and investor protections, buying and trading digital assets will remain very risky. New regulations should also stimulate wider acceptance by consumers and retailers. I have only brushed the surface on the topics of cryptocurrency and blockchains. There are a lot of books and articles available on this exciting new frontier. I predict that one day blockchain technology will be as integral to businesses as the internet is today.  If you enjoy reading this type of commentary please subscribe to my blog and tell a friend. You will receive an email notification when new blogs are posted. The email will come from the site’s email: armchairamerican1776 @gmail.com.
Thanks, Armchair American  As most of us settled in to enjoy the holiday season at home with family and friends, our representatives in Washington D.C. raced to finish some last-minute business. Major legislation was passed, the January 6th committee issued its final report, Donald Trump’s tax returns were released, and the 117th Congress faded into the history books, leaving some important business undone. Before turning the page on 2022, my final blog of the year is about some of my thoughts on these issues that emanated from D.C. while the rest of the country was busy with holiday preparations.  Donald Trump’s Income Taxes: Today (12/30/2022) House Democrats released six years of former President Donald Trump’s income tax returns. This is the type of thing that excites the politicians in Washington D.C., but for most of Americans it is a yawner. People just don’t care about Trump’s returns. We already know that Trump pays very little in personal income taxes because he uses massive real estate losses and write-offs from his various companies to offset any income. The House has the right to release Trump’s tax returns, but it didn’t have to. It was purely a political move to damage him. What is important was brought to light in a report issued by the House Ways and Means Committee ten days ago. The I.R.S. had failed to audit Trump’s tax returns during the first two years of his presidency, even though it is mandated by I.R.S. policy. It wasn’t until after the congressional committee’s inquiry into the matter as part of its oversight role, did the I.R.S. initiate the audit of President Trump’s tax returns. I don’t think that the Trump White House pressured the I.R.S. into turning a blind eye to Trump’s tax returns. I simply think that the I.R.S. was outgunned by Trump’s army of tax attorneys and accountants, and overwhelmed by Trump’s hundreds of tax entities and tangle of businesses. The I.R.S. just didn’t have the manpower and expertise to do a thorough audit of such a complex tax situation. This is why the Democrats included $80 billion for the I.R.S. in the Inflation Reduction Act , passed earlier this year. House Republicans have threatened to withhold this money from the I.R.S. when they take over the House majority in January. This would be a huge mistake and hypocritical on their part. If the Republicans claim to be the party of fiscal responsibility and low taxes, then they should give the I.R.S. the tools and resources required to collect the taxes that are legally owed.  January 6th Committee Report: Last week the House committee investigating the deadly attack on the U.S. Capitol released its final report after 18 months of investigations. The report was issued just weeks before the new Republican controlled House of Representatives will certainly shut down the committee and its investigation. Most people will never read the 800 plus page report, but it is important, if for no other reason than to create the historical record of the most significant act to overthrow the government of this country since the civil war. Congress will probably shelve the report and move on. Now it is up to the Department of Justice (DOJ) to pursue some of the criminal charges that the report recommends be brought against former President Trump. These include inciting or assisting an insurrection; conspiring to defraud the United States; obstructing an official proceeding; and conspiring to make a false statement. Do I think that Donald Trump is guilty of some or all of these charges? Yes! Do I think that the DOJ will indict Trump of any of these charges? Probably not, because they will be difficult to prove in a court of law. According to the committee’s report “The central cause of Jan. 6 was one man, former President Donald Trump, whom many others followed. None of the events of Jan. 6 would have happened without him.” But the American people have decided long ago whether or not they think that Donald Trump is responsible for the Capitol riot on January 6, 2021. Donald Trump will not be held responsible for the events of that day. But he is not out of the woods. He will face serious legal jeopardy for mishandling government documents related to the storage of those documents at Mar-a-Lago, and for his attempt to force election officials in Georgia to change the results of the 2020 election.  $1.7 Trillion Spending Bill: Yesterday President Biden signed into law a nearly $1.7 trillion, 4155-page spending bill which will fund the federal government through September 30, 2023. I am always leery of any piece of legislation that is pushed through Congress in the waning days of a term, when no one has completely read or fully understands it. Like most spending bills, there are a lot of goodies tucked into it by politicians at the last minute. But there are two significant parts of the legislation that I agree with. Funding for Ukraine and the overhaul of the Electoral Count Act.  Funding for Ukraine: Included in the bill is $45 billion for military, economic and humanitarian assistance for Ukraine. Despite some Republican protests that the Biden Administration has given the Ukrainian’s a blank check, I think that this is money well spent. Consider the trillions of dollars spent on the Afghanistan and Iraq wars which produced no strategic value, and resulted in nothing but death and destruction. Russia is arguably one of the biggest military threats to the United States, and the largest threat to the peace and economic stability of Europe. The war in Ukraine has become the equivalent of a proxy war with Russia, without direct U.S. military involvement and U.S. casualties. The war also unites many of the world’s democracies behind a common cause, and puts a check on Russia’s aggressive expansionary goals. The money spent now in Ukraine is a bargain for the humanitarian and strategic benefits that it will bring.  Electoral Count Reform Act: A section of the spending legislation reforms the Electoral Count Act, an 1887 law that governs the counting of Electoral College votes in Congress. The update to the law ensures that electoral votes tallied by Congress accurately reflect each state’s public vote for President. The new legislation clearly defines the role of the vice president to be purely ceremonial during the electoral vote count. The vice president has no power to determine, accept, or reject a state’s electors. This change was in response to President Trump’s attempt to get Vice President Pence to reject certain slates of electors in favor of ones that would win Trump the presidency. The other important change to the law is the raising of the threshold to lodge an objection to electors. An objection will now take 20% of the members of each chamber of Congress. This change will reduce the likelihood of frivolous objections by ensuring that objections are broadly supported. Previously, only a single member of both chambers was needed to object to an elector or slate of electors.  Unfinished Business: Title 42 is a health measure put in place by the Trump Administration near the start of the pandemic to restrict migration at the border. In anticipation of the expiration of Title 42 near the end of December, migrants have flooded border crossings and overwhelmed the resources of border towns in the U.S. Last week the Supreme Court blocked the lifting of Title 42, keeping the border restrictions in place. Title 42 has been used more than 2 million times to expel migrants on public health grounds during both the Trump and Biden Administrations. Now the Biden Administration has a few more months to prepare for the eventual expiration of Title 42. Not passing any meaningful legislation to deal with the eventual end of Title 42 is a major failure of the Biden Administration and the 117th Congress. Both Democrats and Republicans are to blame. They prefer the issue to be used as a political football rather than to address the serious security and humanitarian crisis unfolding at our southern border. Good luck passing any legislation on border security or immigration reform during the next Congress.  2022 will be remembered for the Russian invasion of Ukraine, high inflation, and the Federal Reserve raising interest rates seven times in an attempt to curb inflation. Financial markets were turbulent all over the world, and the bloom came off of crypto currencies. Even with our best efforts to ignore it, COVID would just not go away, so the world endured a third year of the pandemic. Despite all that, Americans remain an optimistic lot, me included. I look forward to 2023 with renewed optimism and hope that the new year will be better than the last.  If you enjoy reading this type of commentary please subscribe to my blog and tell a friend. You will receive an email notification when new blogs are posted. The email will come from the site’s email: armchairamerican1776 @gmail.com.
Thanks, Armchair American  Later this month President Biden will sign into law the Respect for Marriage Act. Even though this law won’t be perfect, it does provide some very important protections for same-sex and interracial couples, and should be considered a holiday gift to the American people in the waning days of the 117th Congress. What is the Respect for Marriage Act? The bill was approved by the House of Representatives in July and then moved to the Senate for consideration. After the inclusion of an amendment which provides certain protections to nonprofit religious organizations, the bill was passed by the Senate on November 22, 2022. All Democrats and 12 Republicans voted for the bill, getting it past the 60 votes needed for passage. Since the House version of the bill was amended in the Senate, it will return to the House for a final vote. This should happen within the next two weeks before going to the President for his signature.  For the purposes of federal law, the bill redefines the definition of marriage, and requires all states to recognize any marriage that was legal in the state where it was entered into. The bill also prohibits polygamous marriages, and protects religious organizations who refuse to perform marriage ceremonies that are counter to their beliefs. Revised Definition of Marriage: The bill repeals the Defense of Marriage Act, which defined marriage as “a legal union between one man and one woman as husband and wife”. Under the new bill, the federal government will recognize any marriage between two individuals which is valid in the state where the marriage was entered into. This gives same-sex and interracial couples equal treatment under the law as any other married couples. New Protections: All states must recognize the marriages of couples legally married in other states. State officials must afford the same rights and protections to all married couples, regardless of the sex, race, ethnicity, or national origin of the individuals involved. Even though all 50 states currently allow same-sex and interracial marriages, these marriages are not protected by federal law, and are subject to the whims of the Supreme Court and state officials.  Religious Protections: Senate Republicans would never have voted for the bill without the support of the religious right and some major religious organizations. These organizations were worried about losing their precious tax-exempt status if they didn’t go along with the provisions of the bill. In order to win the support of the religious right, Senate Republicans negotiated with Democrats to amend the House version of the bill. The amendment won the support of the Mormon church, the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities, the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America, and the National Association of Evangelicals. The bill provides the following protections:
Many on the left and in the LGBTQ community oppose the protections given to religious organizations. They view the religious protections as a way to deny same-sex couples the rights and freedoms that other couples enjoy. This may be true, but it is the first major piece of federal legislation that balances the needs of same-sex couples and of conservative religious groups. Without the religious protections, the bill would never have passed the Senate, and the bill wouldn’t become law.  Why is the Respect for Marriage Act Needed? The Supreme Court has already ruled that the federal government must recognize same-sex marriages (United States v. Windsor), and the Court’s 2015 ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges requires all states to grant same-sex marriages and recognize same-sex marriages granted in other states. It seems as if same-sex marriages are already protected by Supreme Court rulings, so why the need for a new federal law?  The makeup of the Supreme Court can change over time and prior rulings can be overturned. When the Supreme Court overturned Roe V. Wade this summer, the country learned that rights may be taken away if they are not written into law. In his opinion in the case overturning Roe v. Wade, Justice Clarence Thomas wrote that the Court “should reconsider” Obergefell v. Hodges. This set off alarm bells across the country, and many saw this as a direct threat to the national recognition of same-sex marriage. The Respect for Marriage Act was passed by Congress to counter that threat. It is the job of Congress to write laws, not the Supreme Court. To protect and preserve the rights of same-sex and interracial couples, it is up to Congress to codify those rights into law, and not let nine unelected justices make a decision which would impact millions of Americans.  What this Bill Doesn’t Do: Marriage is largely regulated by the states. Each state determines who is allowed to marry and how a marriage can be dissolved. The Respect for Marriage Act doesn’t force states to issue marriage licenses to same-sex or interracial couples. If the Supreme Court overturned Obergefell v. Hodges, as Justice Thomas has hinted at, many same-sex couples would be forced to leave their home state to get married. This will have to be addressed in future legislation. The Respect for Marriage Act does not resolve the conflict over whether private businesses can be forced by law to provide goods and services for same-sex or interracial weddings. The Supreme Court is currently hearing arguments on a case about whether a web designer can be forced to provide her services to create a wedding web site for a gay couple, which goes against her religious beliefs. This case will probably be decided in June.  There are over 1 million same-sex couple households in the United States according to the latest census data. Nearly 60% of these couples are married. Over 10% of all marriages are either interracial or interethnic. These marriages are currently protected by previous rulings of the Supreme Court. But current or future Courts could overturn these protections. Thirty-five states have bans on same-sex marriages on their books. Many of these bans would go into effect if rulings such as Obergefell v. Hodges were overturned. Interracial marriages could also come under threat by future Courts, without the protection of a federal law.
As stated in the Respect for Marriage Act, “millions of people, including interracial and same-sex couples, have entered into marriages and have enjoyed the rights and privileges associated with marriage. Couples joining in marriage deserve to have the dignity, stability, and ongoing protection that marriage affords to families and children”. Though not perfect, the Respect for Marriage Act will help to preserve some of these rights and privileges.
Sometimes good things do come out of Washington D.C. One of them is the Respect for Marriage Act, just in time for the holidays. If you enjoy reading this type of commentary please subscribe to my blog and tell a friend. You will receive an email notification when new blogs are posted. The email will come from the site’s email: armchairamerican1776 @gmail.com. Thanks, Armchair American  The Russian invasion of Ukraine started nine months ago and has not gone according to Vladimir Putin’s military plans. After several military setbacks, it has turned into a brutal war of ruthless destruction on Ukraine’s non-military infrastructure and civilian populations.
In October the Russians escalated their destruction of energy infrastructure across Ukraine using missiles and drones. Last week Russia launched its largest missile attack to date, hitting power plants, substations, natural gas facilities, and waterworks. Over 50% of Ukraine’s energy infrastructure has been damaged, leaving widespread blackouts and millions of civilians without heat, power or water. On November 15, 2022 a missile hit the Polish village of Prezewodow, about four miles from the Ukrainian border. The subsequent explosion killed two people. Initially the missile was reported to have been launched by Russian forces. This triggered an intense 24-hour investigation into the incident by NATO officials and NATO member Poland. A deliberate attack by Russia on Poland would have triggered a response by the NATO Alliance, possibly dragging the United States into the war.  Russia denied responsibility for the missile explosion in Poland, but the missile was Russian made, heightening tensions between Russian and NATO countries. Fortunately, tensions quickly subsided when the following day a top NATO official and Poland’s president reported that a Ukrainian air-defense missile, not a Russian weapon, had most likely caused the deadly explosion on Polish territory. Air defense systems within the Ukraine were activated on November 15th in response to Russia’s biggest wave of missile strikes of the war. Ukraine fired many surface-to-air missiles that day to shoot down the Russian missiles, and one accidentally landed in Poland. Allies quickly came to Ukraine’s defense, pointing the blame squarely at Russia. “Let me be clear. This is not Ukraine’s fault,” said Jens Stoltenberg, the NATO secretary general. “Russia bears ultimate responsibility as it continues its illegal war against Ukraine.” A statement from the White House said “it is clear that the party ultimately responsible for this tragic incident is Russia, which launched a barrage of missiles on Ukraine specifically intended to target civilian infrastructure. Ukraine had, and has, every right to defend itself”.
Deliberate attacks on civilians or the infrastructure vital to their survival are war crimes as defined by the 1949 Geneva Conventions and ratified by all member states of the United Nations. The actions leading to the deaths of the two Polish civilians were not the first war crimes perpetrated by Russian forces on the civilians in and around Ukraine, and they won’t be the last. As I write this, Russian missiles are raining down on critical infrastructure sites all over Ukraine. This is an effort to bring the civilian population to its knees as cold winter weather begins to settle in. These are the same tactics used by Russian forces in Chechnya and Syria. As military efforts failed, the deliberate and brutal attacks on civilians and infrastructure began to escalate. According to the prosecutor general of Ukraine, at least 8,300 civilians have been killed in the war, including 437 children. Well over 10,000 civilians have been injured and millions have been displaced. We are witnessing cold blooded murder.
As I wrote in my blog “Putin’s War”, the International Criminal Court is impotent to prosecute Russia for war crimes. Therefore, the United Nations should act forcefully to hold Russia responsible for its crimes. Russia should be removed from the Security Council and have its United Nations membership revoked. If these actions require the rechartering of the United Nations, so be it.  This week the European Parliament designated Russia a state sponsor of terror. This move is largely symbolic, but it is a step in the right direction. But much more needs to be done. Russia’s actions in Ukraine are immoral, criminal, and outside the norms of civilized behavior. Russia must be stopped, and it’s president Vladimir Putin, convicted of war crimes.  If you enjoy reading this type of commentary please subscribe to my blog and tell a friend. You will receive an email notification when new blogs are posted. The email will come from the site’s email: armchairamerican1776 @gmail.com.
Thanks, Armchair American  Votes in several House races are still being counted, but one thing is already clear. The 2022 midterm elections were a victory for the democratic process and election integrity in this country. The Democrats have retained the majority in the Senate, and the Republicans will take the leadership role in the House of Representatives by a narrow margin. Politics aside, all fair-minded Americans should be breathing a sigh of relief. There were few, if any, incidences of violence in and around polling places, and with the exception of some armed “poll watchers” in Arizona, voter intimidation was not a problem. The vast majority of candidates who lost their races graciously conceded to their opponents. A move toward normalcy? Let’s hope so. This blog is about some of my takeaways fr0m the midterm elections.  The Democrat Party Defies the Odds: Midterm elections are usually a referendum on the sitting president, but this one was a referendum on former President Donald Trump. Most of the polls and pundits got it wrong by predicting a “red wave” which would have given the Republicans a large majority in the House and possibly the Senate. With 40-year high inflation and President Biden’s approval rating hovering around 40%, Republicans stumbled badly in not performing better than they did. So how did the President manage to have the best midterms of any president in 20 years? Let’s take a look.  Abortion and Reproductive Rights: When the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, which guaranteed the constitutional right to an abortion, it was celebrated as a major victory by many conservative Republicans. But to many Democrats, Independents, and moderate Republicans, this was seen as an attack on personal freedoms and reproductive rights. This issue motivated many to vote in the midterms, including many young voters under the age of 45 who lean heavily Democrat. In all five states where abortion related issues were on the ballot, voters chose to protect abortion rights. But abortion wasn’t the only thing on voters’ minds. As summer turned to fall, the issue of abortion rights began to fade as inflation and economic issues took center stage.  Threats to Democracy: In a September speech, President Biden delivered a blistering attack on Donald Trump and MAGA Republicans, who he characterized as extremists and a threat to democracy. The speech was considered provocative and divisive by most Republicans, and not helpful by some within the President’s own party. But the message resonated with many Democrats and Independents, and became a major messaging point for Democrats on the campaign trail. The recent violent attack on Nancy Pelosi’s husband was a brutal reminder of the dangers of extremism and toxic rhetoric.  The Trump Factor: In recent days many in the Republican Party have attributed their underperformance in the midterms to poor candidates and bad messaging. Although Donald Trump will never admit it, much of this lies squarely on his shoulders.  Poor Candidates: Several of the candidates backed by Donald Trump failed in key races across the country. The main attributes of a Trump backed candidate are, total loyalty to him, and a belief that the 2020 presidential election was stolen. Trump’s support was critical in getting these candidates across the finish line in primary races when the base of the party vote in large numbers. But many of the Trump backed candidates lacked political experience, qualifications, and competence, which are crucial to winning a general election.  Trump handed the Senate to the Democrats by backing the following wholly unqualified candidates in races that could have been won by more qualified Republican candidates: Blake Masters in Arizona, Dr. Mehmet Oz in Pennsylvania, and Herschel Walker in Georgia. Herschel Walker will face the Democrat Raphael Warnock in a run-off election on December 6, 2022. The Democrats will maintain the leadership in the Senate regardless of the outcome of this race, which I think will go to the much more qualified and competent, Raphael Warnock.  Trump’s backing of fellow election denier Adam Laxalt in the Nevada Senate race failed to secure a win against the vulnerable Democrat incumbent Catherine Cortez Masto. Even Kari Lake, the MAGA Superstar and vocal election denier, couldn’t win the open governor’s seat in Arizona with the adoring support of Donald Trump.  Bad Messaging: Donald Trump is extremely popular among the base of the Republican Party where his stale message of a rigged 2020 election plays well. The Republican base votes in large numbers in primary elections, helping candidates who embrace Trump and his stolen election lie. As the midterms have shown, election denial is not a winning message during a general election. What the midterm elections have made crystal clear is that attacking the integrity of American elections is not a winning strategy. General elections are about policies, not personalities or past grievances. The winning messages for the Republicans included high inflation, crime, and problems at the border. But these were overshadowed by talk of stolen elections, conspiracy theories, and investigations to come. Fortunately for democracy, every 2020 election denier who sought to become the top election official in a critical background state lost their election. This proved once again that MAGA extremism doesn’t play well to a general audience. The Road Ahead for the Republican Party  Congress: With thirteen House races yet to be decided, it appears that sometime tomorrow the Republicans will secure the 218 seats required to win the majority in the House of Representatives. What is less clear is who will be the next Speaker of the House. Kevin McCarthy is the leading candidate to become the Republican leader in the House. But with such a slim majority he will have to fight for the speakership, which will be voted on by the full House on January 3, 2023. McCarthy will need at least 218 votes to become speaker. A tall order with such a small majority of Republican held seats. Many in the pro-Trump House Freedom Caucus, which includes Marjorie Taylor Greene and Jim Jordan, have already indicated that they will withhold support for McCarthy unless he concedes to their requests. Other factions within the House Republican Caucus will no doubt seize the opportunity to push forward their agendas. With at least 150 election deniers elected to fill House seats during this election cycle, whoever the next speaker is will have a difficult time keeping this crowd in check.  Donald Trump is Not Going Away: As far as Donald Trump is concerned, he is the leader of the Republican Party, and any shortfalls in the midterms were not his fault. In order to punctuate this point, in defiance of many Republican stalwarts, Donald Trump announced today his candidacy for President of the United States in 2024.  Florida Governor Ron DeSantis: If there was any type of red wave during the midterms it was in Florida. Republican Governor Ron DeSantis easily beat his Democrat challenger by nearly 20 points. The Republicans won supermajorities in both chambers of the state legislature, and Florida picked up four additional Republican seats in the House of Representatives. DeSantis is seen as the main challenger to Donald Trump for the Republican Party's 2024 presidential nomination. Although DeSantis has not made his intentions known about running for president, he has certainly gotten under the skin of Donald Trump. Trump’s early announcement about his 2024 candidacy was clearly designed to blunt DeSantis’ rising star. Even before Trump announced his candidacy, he began taking swipes at DeSantis, and true to Trump’s adolescent ways, he coined a derogatory nickname for him, “Ron De-Sanctimonious”. I think that it will turn out to be a battle royal for the soul of the Republican Party, and for the sake of the party, I hope that DeSantis runs.  Team Normal or MAGA Republicans: After the disappointing midterms, the Republican Party is very much at a crossroads. Do the Republicans continue to embrace Donald Trump, or do they see the midterm defeats as a wakeup call and go in a different direction? If recent history is any guide, Trump will continue to enjoy enormous influence within his party, and he will not go away until he is rejected by Republican voters.
There are many Republican legislators and governors who would clearly like to move beyond Trump and his extremist rhetoric. Wyoming Republican Liz Cheney called the midterm results “a clear victory for Team Normal”, and a step in the right direction. Republican Senator Mitt Romney, perhaps the captain of Team Normal, urged Republicans to work with Democrats on issues critical to the American people. Romney acknowledged that it would be counterproductive to “pursue pointless investigations, messaging bills, threats and government shutdowns”. Let’s hope that Republican legislators and voters take Romney’s message to heart. The results of the 2022 midterm elections should bolster Americans’ faith in the integrity of elections and in democracy itself. It has been a good month for democracy and a bad one for political divisiveness and extremist rhetoric. Let’s hope that Team Normal can expand its ranks within the Republican Party, and that the new Congress will work for the benefit of the people, and not their party. If you enjoy reading this type of commentary please subscribe to my blog and tell a friend. You will receive an email notification when new blogs are posted. The email will come from the site’s email: armchairamerican1776 @gmail.com. Thanks, Armchair American  Scream queen Jamie Lee Curtis has just appeared in her final movie of the “Halloween” franchise. But not to worry, there are plenty of real-life scream queens to haunt our dreams. The foremost is the far-right conspiracy theorist Marjorie Taylor Greene who is masquerading as a member of Congress. Normally I wouldn’t waste my time writing about a person I don’t respect, don’t agree with, and who represents a cancer within the Republican Party. But rather than becoming marginalized for her outrageous views and shunned by her political party, Greene’s star is shining brighter than ever and her influence within the Republican Party is alarming. She represents a real danger to our democracy and she shouldn’t be ignored. Why? Because the Republicans are heavily favored to win back the majority in the House of Representatives in the midterm elections next month. The next Republican Speaker of the House, presumably Kevin McCarthy, will need the support of the Trump wing of the party. There is no more vocal supporter of Donald Trump and his lies about the stolen election, than Marjorie Taylor Greene.  Who is Marjorie Taylor Greene? She is a first term congresswoman from the mostly white and rural 14th congressional district in northwest Georgia. Greene is a member of the Republican Party and a very vocal supporter of former president Donald Trump. She frequently claims that Trump won the 2020 presidential election in a landslide and that the election was stolen from him. Greene arrived in Congress with no previous political experience and describes herself as a “Christian Nationalist”. What she did bring to Congress was a lot of baggage stemming from her support for far-right conspiracy theories, which she freely shared on social media. Some of her most outrageous posts supporting white supremacy, antisemitism, QAnon, and Pizzagate, to name a few, have been taken down.  Upon entering Congress Greene quickly established herself as a Democrat foil. She voted against certifying the election of Joe Biden, filed articles of impeachment against President Biden for dereliction of duty, and has antagonized several Democrat members of Congress. Barely a month into her congressional term Greene was stripped of her two committee assignments in response to her extremist statements and endorsement of political violence. Eleven Republicans as well as all Democrats in the House voted for her removal from all committee assignments. A formal censor of Greene has been referred to the House Ethics Committee.  Without any committee assignments Greene has been very busy, appearing on right-wing media outlets like Newsmax and Steve Bannon’s “War Room”. She has also become a prodigious fundraiser, bringing in more money in the past year than all but three other House Republicans. In 2021 she raised over $7.4 million, mostly from small donors. Corporations have mostly shunned Greene for her outrageous views. Greene has become a huge draw at Republican events, and she has been very active on the campaign trail. She has recently stumped for other MAGA firebrands such as Arizona Gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake, and J.D. Vance, the Republican candidate for the Ohio Senate seat. Greene is a regular at Trump rallies, firing up the faithful for her political hero Donald Trump.  Views Held by Marjorie Taylor Green 2020 Presidential Election: The election was stolen from Donald Trump making Joe Biden an illegitimate president. January 6th Capitol Riot: Antifa was responsible for the riot, and the FBI is to be blamed for possibly instigating the violence. She voted against awarding police officers who defended the Capitol that day the Congressional Gold Medal. Abortion: Should be outright banned and anyone providing abortion services should be tried for murder. Climate Change: Advocates eliminating any and all laws intended to address climate change. COVID-19: Opposed to mask-wearing, and was fined over $100,000 for refusing to wear a mask on the House floor during the pandemic. Greene claims that COVID-19 is not dangerous for non-obese people and those under 65. She has refused to get vaccinated, calling the vaccine ineffective at best and possibly responsible for killing people. Greene was kicked off of Twitter for spreading misinformation about COVID-19. It will be interesting to see if Elon Musk allows her back on the platform. FBI: Should be defunded for the raid on Mar-a-Lago. Gun Rights: All gun-control laws should be overturned. She has introduced legislation to abolish the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). Immigration: Through the “Protect America First Act”, which she introduced in Congress last year, Greene calls for the suspension of all immigration into the United States for four years. She advocates building the border wall and naming it after Donald Trump, and cutting off federal funding to sanctuary cities. Religion: America should have a Christian government and prayer should return to public schools.  No Lone Voice in the Wilderness: Since joining Congress, Greene’s views have not moderated. If anything, they have become more extreme. Rather than being ostracized for her views, more Republicans in and out of Congress have shifted their views to be more in line with hers. It is important to remember that 139 Republican members of the House of Representatives voted to dispute the Electoral College count on January 6, 2021. Greene is a member of the Freedom Caucus, the most conservative caucus within the House Republican Conference. This group of at least 44 members of the House is a powerful far-right voting bloc. Its members are among Donald Trump’s most loyal supporters within Congress. If the Republicans regain control of the House, many within this group will gain leadership positions in the new Congress.  Kevin McCarthy’s New Best Friend: On September 23, 2022 Greene sat directly behind Kevin McCarthy as the Republican House leader announced his legislative agenda at a manufacturing facility in Pennsylvania. In recent months McCarthy has invited Greene to high-level policy meetings, such as a discussion about the National Defense Authorization Act. According to Greene, in order for McCarthy to be an effective speaker of the House and to please the base, “ he’s going to give me a lot of power and a lot of leeway. And if he doesn’t, they’re going to be unhappy about it.” McCarthy has reported to have spoken to Greene about a possible leadership position, which she neither confirms or denies. But according to Greene, “I don’t have to have a leadership position. I think I already have one, without having one.” Scary, but probably true.  What to Expect Under Republican Leadership in the House: Kevin McCarthy would probably sell his soul to the devil to become the next Speaker of the House of Representatives. That is why he is aligning with Marjorie Taylor Green and the Freedom Caucus. Under Speaker McCarthy, the House will utilize its investigative authority to avenge the wrongs done to Donald Trump, investigate Hunter Biden’s business dealings in Ukraine, and possibly go after companies that stopped donating to the Republican Party after January 6, 2021.  At the top of Marjorie Taylor Greene’s agenda will be the impeachment of President Joe Biden, Attorney General Merrick Garland, and Secretary of Homeland Security, Alejandro Mayorkas. The Republicans will certainly disband the January 6th Committee, and minimize or reject any recommendations that the committee makes. Republicans in Congress will work to block President Biden’s agenda and attempt to pull back some of the initiatives that the President has championed. But the main focus of House Republicans will be to prevent President Biden from winning a second term.  The Republican Party had their opportunity to marginalize Marjorie Taylor Greene and bar her from the House Republican Conference. They could have endorsed and funded a 2022 primary opponent against her. But they allowed Greene to stay within the Republican tent, perhaps to appease Donald Trump, which seems to have normalized her. The Republicans’ embrace of Donald Trump’s lies and the fringe views of Marjorie Taylor Greene, has ushered in a dangerous chapter in America’s political life. Greene has turned political rhetoric into a dangerous weapon. In her opinion, Democrats are not just wrong, they are evil, and left leaning Democrats are no longer Socialists, but members of the Communist Party out to destroy our country. If Greene is given any type of leadership position in Congress, it will come back to haunt the Republican Party. But even worse, it could become a national nightmare. Greene’s style of politics will only lead to further division, hate, and violence. The attack on Speaker Pelosi’s husband Paul on Friday is the latest example of this.  Right-minded people can prevent Congress from becoming a real horror show. This means being informed, voting in the upcoming election, and holding elected officials accountable for their words and deeds. This Halloween let’s keep the scream queens in scary movies and out of positions of power.
If you enjoy reading this type of commentary please subscribe to my blog and tell a friend. You will receive an email notification when new blogs are posted. The email will come from the site’s email: armchairamerican1776 @gmail.com. Thanks,  President Biden would love for the COVID pandemic to be over, as we all would. But declaring the pandemic over during a television interview doesn’t make it so. This topic has become more real to me in recent days. Last week I tested positive for COVID-19 after returning from a trip to Yellowstone National Park. The President is correct to conclude that in the minds of many Americans the pandemic is over, and they have moved on. To bolster this notice, infection rates, hospitalizations, and deaths from COVID-19 have dropped significantly over the past two months. But according to the CDC’s COVID Data Tracker, on average, over 300 Americans are dying from COVID-19 every day. This and other troubling developments may show that President Biden was a little premature in declaring the pandemic over.  Winter is Coming: The autumn and winter months bring colder weather to much of the Untied States. These are the months when children are back in school and people gather in large numbers for holiday celebrations. Cold weather leads to more indoor gatherings, a major reason for the increase in transmission of respiratory diseases such as COVID-19.  Worrisome Trends in Europe: COVID-19 infections are trending higher across Europe, and Europe tends to precede the United States by about four to six weeks. For the week ending October 9, 2022, the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control reported widespread increases in all COVID-19 indicators, including infections, hospitalizations, and deaths.  Emergence of Variants: The last major variant to emerge was BA.5, a subvariant of Omicron. It peaked in July, and according to the CDC’s latest projections, BA.5 represents approximately 68% of the circulating strains of the virus in the United States. The World Health Organization is currently monitoring over 300 different variants. Of most concern are the variants XBB, BQ.1.1, and its sibling BQ.1. According to Yunlong Richard Cao, of Peking University in Beijing, these are the most antibody-evasive strains ever tested. In the lab, antibody therapies such as Evusheld, don’t work against these new variants. Infections due to BQ.1.1 in the United Kingdom and other European countries are increasing at an alarming rate. The highly transmissible BQ.1 and BQ.1.1 are now spreading in the United States and are causing about 10% of new COVID-19 infections. This could be the next variant wave that hits this winter.  Low Acceptance of Boosters: Only about 40% of U.S. adults have received a booster (3rd shot) after they received their original two doses of COVID-19 vaccine. The new bivalent booster, released last month, has received a cool reception from the general public. Less than 5% of adults have gotten it. More troubling is the indication that only about one-third of adults are very likely to get the new booster, according to the latest Monmouth University Poll.  Best Defense Against COVID: Most people in the United States received their original COVID-19 vaccine in 2021. The protection offered from the original doses decline with the passage of time. These original vaccines were not developed to protect against the new variants that are now circulating in the population. Vaccines and boosters remain our best defense against serious illness and death from COVID-19. The new bivalent booster was designed to be effective against the BA.4 and BA.5 variants of the virus that causes COVID-19. Therefore, it should provide protection against the new variants BQ.1 and BQ.1.1, which are descendants of BA.5 According to Dr. Ashish Jha, head of the White House COVID task force, 70% of people dying from COVID-19 are age 75 and over. The vast majority of those people are either not up to date on vaccines, or are not receiving treatments such as Paxlovid when they have breakthrough infections, according to Dr. Jha. In other words, most deaths due to COVID-19 could be prevented.  Cautionary Tale: Let my recent trip to Yellowstone National Park, where I contracted COVID-19, be a cautionary tale. For the past two and a half years I had done all the right things to protect myself. I got all the required COVID-19 vaccines and boosters, wore face masks whenever I went into a store or other public place, and practiced social distancing. Eating at an indoor restaurant or attending an indoor show were out of the question. Two weeks prior to setting off for Yellowstone I received the new bivalent booster shot, and continued to mask in most indoor settings. During our visit to Yellowstone, we wore face masks in indoor settings such as visitor centers. We ate breakfast in the hotel room, and took picnic lunches when exploring the park during the day. We chose early October to visit Yellowstone to avoid the summer crowds. But this is also the time of year when nighttime temperatures fall dramatically, and many of the lodging and dining options are closed. On the few occasions that we ate indoors we found ourselves in crowded dining facilities with people from all over the United States and other regions of the world. None of the wait staff wore face masks and neither did the vast majority of diners. Despite all the precautions, I fell victim to this highly contagious virus.  I can attest to the fact that vaccines and boosters are not enough to fully protect you against COVID-19, particularly as we begin to gather indoors. Other public health measures such as masking, social distancing and handwashing, need to continue. I know that COVID fatigue is real, and the prospect of wearing face masks indoors is not popular. But I think that the percentage of the population vaccinated with the bivalent booster and the amount of indoor masking, will determine if COVID-19 hits in a wave or a whimper this winter. President Biden may have declared the COVID pandemic to be over, but the virus has other ideas. As new variants emerge and cold weather forces people indoors, this is not the time to let your guard down.   If you enjoy reading this type of commentary please subscribe to my blog and tell a friend. You will receive an email notification when new blogs are posted. The email will come from the site’s email: armchairamerican1776 @gmail.com.
Thanks, Armchair American  Earlier this month Florida Governor Ron DeSantis had 48 migrants taken from a shelter in San Antonio, Texas and flown to the island of Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts. Was this a shrewd political move or a despicable act which preyed upon the vulnerabilities of desperate migrants? Probably both. The actions of DeSantis were clearly immoral and probably criminal. There are currently several investigations and lawsuits into the actions of DeSantis which will take months, if not years, to unravel. But in the meantime, the Florida Governor has succeeded in grabbing national headlines, delighting the Republican base, and causing outrage among Democrats.  In addition to increasing his own profile, DeSantis has spotlighted how the problems at the southern border are a huge vulnerability for the Biden Administration and an energizing issue for most Republicans. For the rest of us, this episode has shined a light on important issues that Congress has failed to adequately address. Immigration policies in this country are broken, causing security issues at the border, untold misery on migrants attempting to seek asylum, and chaos for our border states. Only Congress can fix this mess.  Scope of the Current Problem: DeSantis’ political stunt succeeded in focusing our attention on the massive surge of migrants who have been apprehended crossing the U.S. southern border this year. According to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, more than 2.3 million migrants have been arrested during the 2022 fiscal year, which ends on September 30. This is the most arrests in our history. The surge in migration is being fueled by people fleeing the violence and poverty in Venezuela, Nicaragua and Cuba. Over half of the migrants arrested were immediately sent back to Mexico or their country of origin. But many of those who remain apply for asylum or another humanitarian status. These people, like the Venezuelans sent to Martha’s Vineyard by DeSantis, can stay in this country pending a court hearing. It can often take several years for asylum cases to be resolved. In the meantime, the migrants are free to stay and travel within the United States. Dealing with the influx of migrants flowing through legal, as well as illegal, points along the border, has overwhelmed border communities. Texas has taken the brunt of it, but California, Arizona and New Mexico have also been impacted.  Why Doesn’t the Government Act? Immigration and border issues are multifaceted and very tough to resolve politically. The last time a piece of comprehensive immigration legislation was signed into law was during the Reagan Administration in 1986. Rather than coming together to solve the problem, the major parties use the issue as a political weapon against the other side. As a result, most of the policies currently in place have come from judicial decrees or executive orders from recent presidents. This is a patchwork approach, and not very effective. For more information on the immigration debate and a good review of executive actions taken by the past few administrations, follow this link to the Council on Foreign Relations.  Has President Biden Made the Problem Worse? In a word, probably. Joe Biden campaigned on taking a much more humane approach to the southern border than Donald Trump did. True to his word, the President took dozens of actions during his first few months in office to overturn many of Trump’s immigration policies. These included ending travel bans from many Muslim countries, halting construction of the border wall, lifting the suspension of green card processing, increasing the number of visas issued to immigrants, and speeding the reunification of migrant families. Some of Biden’s efforts to overturn Trump’s policies have been blocked by judges, and others are still undergoing judicial review. All of these actions have signaled to migrants that the United States is a kinder and gentler place now that Trump is out of office. It's hard to argue that President Biden’s immigration policies didn't encourage more immigration to the United States.  So, What is to Be Done? The surge of migrants at the southern border requires a surge of federal resources to address the crisis. The Customs and Border Protection Agency needs to be beefed up as quickly as possible, and the border states need federal dollars and personnel to deal with the influx of migrants into their states. This is a national issue, and the border states need our support to humanely deal with the suffering along the border. The federal government needs to provide the financial resources required for case officers and immigration courts to more efficiently handle the huge backlog of applicants. If the United States can find billions of dollars to help Ukraine, and rightly so, it can find the billions needed to address some of the most urgent immigration and border issues. In the short-term, President Biden will continue to manage border and immigration efforts through the executive branch. But this a patchwork approach, and any policies put into place can easily be reversed by the next administration. The real solution is for Congress to negotiate a comprehensive package of reforms which address border security, the demand for high and low-skilled workers, the legal status of the millions of undocumented immigrants living in the country, and the enforcement of immigration laws.  Immigration law is complex, and it was not my intention to do a thorough examination of it here. There are many good references for those who are interested in taking a deeper dive into this topic. This site provides a good summary of the immigration laws in our country. The actions of Florida Governor DeSantis were reprehensible and some day he may pay a steep price for them. But in the meantime, his political star has risen. The one silver lining to this episode is that it has shined a light on an issue that deserves more of our attention. Border security and effectively managing immigration is one of the most important duties of the federal government, and it has failed. This should not be a political issue, but an American issue.  If you enjoy reading this type of commentary please subscribe to my blog and tell a friend. You will receive an email notification when new blogs are posted. The email will come from the site’s email: armchairamerican1776 @gmail.com.
Thanks, Armchair American  It is a mystery why former President Donald Trump kept hundreds of classified documents and other government records at his Mar-a-Lago club. It is no mystery why the government wanted those documents returned. It has become clear in recent weeks from the release of previously sealed court documents, that the FBI was fully justified in retrieving those documents. Most Americans were unaware of government efforts to retrieve documents from Trump until August 8, 2022, when the FBI executed a search at Mar-a-Lago. During the search the FBI retrieved more than 100 classified records, some of which are so sensitive that few people in government have the security clearance to view them.  The FBI’s search was not a partisan attack on the former president. It was not an attempt to discredit him and his allies ahead of the mid-term elections. Trump has called the FBI’s search at Mar-a-Lago an unprovoked “raid”, and totally unnecessary because he and his attorneys had been cooperative with the FBI and Department of Justice (DOJ) every step of the way. Don’t believe this nonsense. The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) and the DOJ had been attempting to retrieve Presidential records and classified government documents, unlawfully held by Trump, for well over a year. Trump’s refusal to hand over the documents prompted the DOJ to secure a subpoena to search Mar-a-Lago and retrieve the documents. A lot of what the public knows about the ongoing investigation into Trump’s mishandling of government documents comes from the publication on August 26, 2022 of the affidavit used to obtain the warrant to search Mar-a-Lago. Nearly half of this 38- page affidavit was redacted to protect sensitive information and witnesses involved in the ongoing investigation. But there is still a lot that is known that should give any fair-minded American reason for concern.  Why This Matters:
 Time-Line of On-Going Investigation: May 6, 2021: After determining that it was missing about two dozen boxes of documents from Trump’s presidency, the NARA requested their return from Trump. The effort was stonewalled by the Trump team for months. December 2021: A Trump representative informed the NARA that 12 boxes of records had been found at Mar-a-Lago and could now be retrieved. January 18, 2022: Agents from the NARA picked up 15 boxes of Presidential records from Mar-a-Lago. It would later be revealed that 14 of the boxes contained classified documents. Over 700 pages of classified documents were found, including 25 documents marked “TOP SECRET”. February 9, 2022: Based upon the fact that classified materials had been potentially mishandled and improperly stored at Mar-a-Lago, the NARA’s Office of the Inspector General referred the matter to the DOJ. Soon after, the FBI opened a criminal investigation into the matter. April 12, 2022: The NARA informed Trump of its intention to provide the documents recovered from Mar-a-Lago to the FBI. To appease Trump’s attorneys, the documents were not provided to the FBI until May 12, 2022. May 11, 2022: The DOJ issued a subpoena for additional records. June 3, 2022: In response to the subpoena, a Trump attorney handed over more documents to three FBI agents and a DOJ attorney at Mar-a-Lago. Of the 38 documents handed over, 16 were marked “SECRET”, and 17 were marked “TOP SECRET”. No explanation was given for why these documents had not been previously turned over to the NARA. The FBI agents were told that all the White House records had been stored in a single room. Trump’s attorney gave the agents a signed letter certifying that a “diligent search” had been completed and that no government documents remained. June 8, 2022: The DOJ sent a letter to Trump’s attorney requesting that “all the boxes that were moved from the White House to Mar-a-Lago be preserved in that room in their current condition until further notice.” August 5, 2022: The DOJ filed an application for a search and seizure warrant for Mar-a-Lago, citing “probable cause” that additional Presidential records and records containing classified information remained in various locations at the club. Federal Judge Bruce Reinhart approved the application that day.   August 8, 2022: The FBI executed the search at Mar-a-Lago and seized 36 items of evidence, including more than 100 classified records. The evidence was found in the storage room as well as in Trump’s office. It would latter be learned that some of the documents were so sensitive that even FBI counterintelligence agents and DOJ attorneys required additional security clearances before they could review them. Trump and his allies called the search a “weaponization” of the justice system, and soon after the FBI reported a surge in threats against its agents. August 26, 2022: Upon the order of Judge Reinhart, a redacted version of the affidavit used to obtain the search warrant for Mar-a-Lago was released. The affidavit revealed the DOJ’s reasoning for requesting the search warrant. According to the affidavit there was “probable cause to believe that evidence of obstruction will be found” at Mar-a-Lago, suggesting that there were efforts underway to impede the recovery of government documents. The affidavit listed three criminal laws that may have been violated as the basis for the investigation. The federal laws citied were the Espionage Act, obstruction under section 1519 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, and the willful retention of national security and other records that rightfully belonged to the NARA. The affidavit also revealed that the government had interviewed a significant number of civilian witnesses who had information pertaining to the movement of documents to and within Mar-a-Lago, and knowledge of Trump’s post-presidency actions.  September 5, 2022: District Judge Aileen M. Cannon announced that she will grant Trump’s request to appoint a “special master” to examine the documents seized at Mar-a-Lago. The role of the special master will be to identify any material that might be protected by attorney-client or executive privilege. This move prevents the DOJ from further review of the materials in question and using them in the ongoing investigation, until the review by the special master is complete. The Office of the Director of National Intelligence may still continue to review the material to make an assessment of the potential damage that may have resulted from the manner in which the documents were transported and stored. September 6, 2022: The Washington Post reported that some documents seized at Mar-a-Lago detailed top-secret U.S. operations and nuclear capabilities of some foreign nations. This level of intelligence is usually restricted to the President, some cabinet secretaries, and near-cabinet level positions with the highest security clearance. September 8, 2022: The DOJ threatens to file an appeal with the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals if Judge Cannon doesn’t restore their access to the documents seized at Mar-a-Lago. The documents seized at Mar-a-Lago and Trump’s culpability is an ongoing story and will be played out over the months ahead. Even if a special master is not appointed, I think that the DOJ will take a cautious approach to the investigation. Trump is an incendiary character and the mid-term elections are less than 60 days away. The last thing the DOJ wants, and the country needs, is for any of its actions to influence the upcoming elections in any way. It appears as if the most sensitive documents in Trumps possession have been recovered, and there will be ample time to build a case and issue indictments if the evidence justifies it.  The FBI was fully justified in searching Mar-a-Lago and retrieving Presidential documents and classified materials stored there. Donald Trump had several months to turn these records over to the NARA, but he didn’t. This was not a partisan attack, but a legal process precipitated by his own actions. The search at Mar-a-Lago would never have taken place if he had simply followed the law and returned all of the documents that belonged to the NARA.
Even if Trump had declassified the documents, as he has claimed, they were still not legally his. This is no simple dispute over the storage of documents, as the Trump camp would like you to believe. It is criminality. If Donald Trump is a victim, he is a victim of his own ignorance and arrogance. His callous disregard for the rule of law has once again landed him in hot water, and I think this time he is going to get burned. Updated 9-16-22: On September 15, 2022 Judge Cannon appointed a former chief federal judge in New York, Raymond J. Dearie, to be the special master to review the documents seized at Mar-a-Lago. Cannon ruled that the special master should examine the documents with classified materials and give priority to them over the non-classified documents taken from Mar-a-Lago. The Judge has given the special master until November 30th of this year to complete the review, and has denied the use of the records by prosecutors until after the review. This is a good thing in my opinion. It will cool things down a bit and get us past the mid-term elections. I think that indictments will eventually result from this case, so it is important to get it right and not be perceived as in any way political. Updated 9/24/2022: On September 21, 2022 the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit in Atlanta sided with the DOJ to prevent the special master from evaluating the roughly 100 classified documents seized from Mar-a-Lago. This will allow the FBI to use the documents in its ongoing criminal investigation. Trump continues to claim that he declassified the documents before they left the White House. According to Trump, he can declassify material “even by thinking about it.” That would be a frightening prospect if true. What else can a president do simply by thinking about it, issue pardons or getting into a military confrontation? The Appeals Court was not moved by the Trump team’s argument that the documents had been declassified. They couldn’t produce any evidence to back up the claim. In any case, the issue of declassifying the documents is irrelevant. As the court stated, “the declassification argument is a red herring because declassifying an official document would not change its content or render it personal.” Now the special master can get on with the work of reviewing all of the non-classified material taken from Mar-a-Lago to determine if any may be covered by claims of attorney-client privilege or executive privilege. The special master has until the end of November to complete his work. Updated 6/8/2023: Today the special counsel investigating Donald Trump’s handling of classified documents that he brought to Mar-a-Lago has handed down seven indictments against the former president. Trump has been summoned to appear at the Federal Courthouse in Miami on Tuesday at 3 PM to answer to these charges. We will not know the full extent of the charges until then. But they will be related to violations of the Espionage Act, making false statements and obstruction of justice. Those opposed to Donald Trump will gloat in triumph, and those who support him will call this an outrageous witch-hunt and an illegal use of the Department of Justice to bring him down. There is nothing to celebrate here. This is not good for the country, and we need to remember that Donald Trump has the presumption of innocence until proven guilty. He deserves his day in court. Donald Trump and his allies will assert that Mike Pence and Joe Biden did the same thing by keeping classified documents in their personal possession after they left office. But the differences couldn’t be starker. When it was discovered that classified documents had been discovered in the possession of former Vice President Mike Pence and President Joe Biden, the FBI was notified and given full access to locations where any and all documents could be stored. There was no attempt to prevent the FBI from retrieving the documents. Donald Trump misled the FBI and prevented it from obtaining government documents that he had in his possession for well over a year. This forced the FBI’s hand and led to the raid on Mar-a-Lago last year. This is the first federal indictment ever brought against a former president. Stay tuned. If you enjoy reading this type of commentary please subscribe to my blog and tell a friend. You will receive an email notification when new blogs are posted. The email will come from the site’s email: armchairamerican1776 @gmail.com. Thanks, Armchair American  Joe Biden is no Donald Trump when it comes to self-promotion. With his low approval ratings and fellow Democrats keeping their distance, you can be forgiven for forgetting that Joe Biden is our President. Donald Trump continues to suck all of the oxygen out of the room, on and off the campaign trail. The recovery of classified documents from Mar-a-Lago has dominated the headlines for weeks, while another major piece of legislation signed into law by the President gets pushed to the back pages. As Trump promotes far-right candidates in the upcoming mid-term elections, and the Republican Party is apoplectic about the “raid” on Mar-a-Lago, President Biden quietly pulls off another major legislative victory.  Legislative Victories:
 Time for Action: Now it is time for the President and the Democrat Party to rally around their latest legislative victory and regain the narrative from the Republicans. The Republicans see the Inflation Reduction Act as a Democrat victory and are desperate to somehow turn it against the President. It is true that calling the bill the “Inflation Reduction Act” is a little disingenuous, but there is a lot of good in this bill. Let’s take a closer look at it now.  Inflation Reduction Act of 2022: This bill should have been titled the “Healthcare, Tax and Climate Bill of 2022”, because that is really what it is. The details of this bill fill over 700 pages and the costs are projected out over ten fiscal years. The $740 billion price tag attached to this bill is confusing and really doesn’t mean much to the average American. Democrat legislators claim that the approximately $440 billion in new spending will be more than offset by new tax hikes on wealthy corporations, reduced drug prices paid by Medicare, and increased taxes recovered by the IRS. If this bill actually brings in more federal revenue than it costs, then yes, it will reduce federal spending and help to lower inflation. But I can’t find any analyst who really believes that this bill will lower inflation. The best that we can hope for is that it pays for itself, and doesn’t exacerbate inflation. Here are some of the major provisions of the bill:  New Spending on Clean Energy and Combating Climate Change: If fully enacted, these initiatives are projected to reduce carbon emissions in the U.S. by up to 40% by 2030. The programs that fall under this category will cost approximately $375 billion over ten years, and fall into four major parts.
 Healthcare Spending:
The Republicans have backed themselves into a corner by being on the side of the pharmaceutical industry and against lower prescription drug prices for seniors. It is hypocritical to say that you are the party of lower government spending, but refuse to allow the Medicare program to lower its costs through negotiations.  Additional IRS Funding: The bill will invest $80 billion over ten years to begin to rebuild the Internal Revenue Service after years of underfunding. If you have ever filed a paper tax return or tried to get an IRS representative on the phone, you understand just how dysfunctional the IRS has become. I have written extensively on this topic in my blog “The IRS Needs Our Love, Not Our Hate”. A significant portion of the new funding will help upgrade phone and computer systems, and ease the administrative logjams now plaguing the IRS. The IRS will also be replacing existing agents who are retiring in droves, and adding new agents to its ranks. I see this is as a positive development. There are hundreds of billions of tax dollars that go uncollected each year due to severe staff shortages. It takes a lot of staff resources to audit and investigate large corporations, complex entities, and cash-based businesses. Don’t fall for the Republican scare tactics flooding the air waves and social media about an army of IRS agents getting ready to breakdown your door. The new funding will focus on tax cheats that have the potential to return large sums of money to the Treasury. If you are an honest taxpayer and earn less than $400,000 a year, your chances of hearing from the IRS are remote. The Republicans are running scared because of the popularity of many of the provisions in the Inflation Reduction Act. They are trying to paint IRS agents as jackbooted thugs, at the beck and call of an out-of- control Biden administration.  15% Minimum Corporate Income Tax: The new minimum tax will apply to a limited number of large publicly held corporations with over a $1 billion in annual profits. There are a lot of ways for companies to manipulate profits, and therefore, what they report to the IRS for tax purposes. To get around this problem, the 15% minimum tax will apply to the book income, or what the company reports to its shareholders. This provision of the bill is expected to bring in approximately $258 billion in new revenue over ten years.  1% Excise Tax on Stock Buybacks: This new corporate tax will apply to the value of a company’s own shares of stock that it repurchases (buybacks). Stock buybacks are often used by publicly held companies to increase the stock price of the remaining shares. This provision of the bill is expected to bring in approximately $74 billion over ten years.  The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 has a lot of good provisions, and will be paying dividends for years to come. One of them will probably not be reducing inflation. But with luck, most of the new spending provisions will be offset by new corporate taxes, higher IRS collections, and lower Medicare spending. The new law will empower the Medicare agency like never before, and demonstrates that the government has the power to do something about exorbitant health care costs. While Donald Trump’s legal troubles mount, and he paints himself as the victim of a partisan witch hunt, Joe Biden has achieved real legislative victories which will benefit current and future Americans. It’s time for Joe Biden to become “cheerleader-in-chief” for his legislative victories. Along with his fellow Democrats, he needs to take to the airwaves and campaign trail to tout his accomplishments.  If you enjoy reading this type of commentary please subscribe to my blog and tell a friend. You will receive an email notification when new blogs are posted. The email will come from the site’s email: armchairamerican1776 @gmail.com.
Thanks, Armchair American  Donald Trump’s rein of terror on the Republican Party continues unabated. Of the ten Republicans who voted to impeach Trump over his involvement in the January 6th Capitol riot, only two have survived to go on to the general election in November. Representative Liz Cheney of Wyoming is his latest victim. The fact that Liz Cheney lost her seat in the House of Representatives to a Trump-backed candidate is no surprise to anyone. Cheney is one of Trump’s most outspoken critics in the Republican Party, and is the vice-chair of the Congressional subcommittee investigating January 6th. Denying the results of the 2020 presidential election and downplaying the events at the Capitol on January 6, 2021, are the only political ideologies that matter in the Trump Party. I want to thank Liz Cheney, for being an American first and a Republican second. She sacrificed her House seat by standing up for truth, democracy, and the Constitution. That took courage, a rare commodity in politics today. She has shown that a “principled politician” is not an oxymoron. Liz Cheney demonstrated that patriotism does not mean blind obedience to a political party or a political leader. Rather, it is taking a firm stand against a political onslaught in defense of the rule of law and the principles that this country was founded on. I hope that she continues to stand proud while others in her party call her disloyal, unpatriotic, or un-American. What is un-American is being punished for speaking truth to power, questioning authority, and standing on your principles.  Liz Cheney is down, but not out. This week she announced the creation of a new political action committee, “The Great Task”. According to a Cheney spokesperson, the committee will “educate the American people about the ongoing threat to our Republic, and to mobilize a unified effort to oppose any Donald Trump campaign for President”. Cheney has said that she is considering a run for president in 2024, and this would be the platform to launch her presidential run. Whatever she chooses to do, I am confident that she will continue to lead with integrity and courage.
This country needs more politicians like Liz Cheney. For the sake of the Republican Party, and indeed the country, I hope that she continues to be politically engaged, if for no other reason, to help dispel the falsehoods emanating from the Republican Party. Someday the Republican Party will wake up from its self-induced dystopian nightmare and find Donald Trump nowhere to be seen. But Liz Cheney will still be standing. If you enjoy reading this type of commentary please subscribe to my blog and tell a friend. You will receive an email notification when new blogs are posted. The email will come from the site’s email: armchairamerican1776 @gmail.com. Thanks, Armchair American |
AuthorThe Armchair American. 
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