“Political courage is not political suicide!” – Arnold Schwarzenegger

By Glen Reaux

Saying “Despite Biden’s Election Victory Democrats Remain Totally Spineless” might sound harsh. However, a close examination of how Democrats are responding to Republican tactics and positions provides little to no proof to the contrary. And, unless the Dems start wielding their power, they will lose both the House and the Senate in the 2022 mid-terms.

One of the most egregious examples of this was the recent Senate impeachment trial. Factors in the trial were Mitch McConnell’s refusal to hold a trial while Trump was in office by refusing to accept the Articles of Impeachment from the House of Representatives while Trump was still in office. This power play by McConnell was reminiscent of his refusal to hold a hearing on President Barack Obama’s Supreme Court pick, then Judge Merrick Garland. This denied President Obama the constitutional right to appoint Supreme Court Justices resulting in the Republican Party maintaining control of the high court. The House finally delivered the articles after Biden was sworn in as president. Subsequently, Mitch McConnell and the Republicans in the Senate argued the constitutionality of trying a former president to prevent Trump from facing justice. This led to a bi-partisan vote, including 5 Republicans that ruled the trial was legally constitutionally. Despite the ruling, McConnell and the rest of the Republican Senators refused to abide by the ruling, which violated the Senate rules and the oath taken by each of them swearing to be a fair and impartial jurist.

While Dems cannot control these overt actions taken by their Republican counterparts, there are things that an ounce of bravery and leadership could have left a positive impact on the proceeding and public perception. They did not show strength by using their power. They never sent a message to the Senate or the American people they were truly serious about the trial or restoring law and order to the nation. Case in point:

Beginning on Thursday, February 12^th, Senators Ted Cruz, Mike Lee, and Lindsey Graham showed their true colors and contempt for the constitution, their constituents, Democrats, Senate, and the entire nation. Beginning on that day and throughout the entire second impeachment trial of Donald John Trump, these three Senators consulted with Trump’s attorneys for the purpose of Trump’s acquittal. This was a blatant act of jury tampering by Trump’s attorneys and the Republican Party. 

Neither Trump’s attorneys nor the shameless Senators, Cruz, Lee, and Graham should have been allowed to take part in the trial. These parties conspired to rig an impeachment trial. The Senators violated their oaths of office, Senate ethics rules, and their trial oaths.

“I solemnly swear (or affirm, as the case may be,) that as stated in all things appertaining to the trial of the impeachment of, now pending, I will do impartial justice according to the Constitution and laws: so help me God.”

Despite these clear violations and contempt for the process which was widely reported in the news media, Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, President Pro tempore Patrick Leahy, President of the Senate Vice President Kamala Harris, or any other Democrat Senator objected to this illegal and unethical act perpetrated by Cruz, Lee and Graham. Democrats control the Senate and should have barred those Senators from the trial, and Trump’s attorneys should have been sanctioned at the very least. The Democrats spineless inaction surely sent the message that Republican lawlessness will continue to be accepted as common practice. As a citizen, one must ask: “When will Democrats realize this Republican Party will never be bi-partisan nor do they believe in justice or the constitution?”

Another area where a spine is needed in the Biden administration is the Department of Justice, which is slated to be headed by Judge Merrick Garland, Biden’s nominee for Attorney General. Despite the mountains of criminality perpetrated by the Trump administration upon the American people, Biden does not appear to be concerned. For this nation to heal there must be accountability. And there can be no accountability without justice. Instead of openly taking a stand for accountability, Biden holds out an olive branch and Chuck Schumer is singing Kumbaya. While Biden’s and Schumer’s attempts of bipartisanship fall on deaf ears, smiling Vice President Kamala Harris just appears happy to be here. Nancy Pelosi with her recent action to bar Qanon Representative Marjorie Taylor Green from committee assignments appears to be the only person in Democratic Party leadership to have any guts.

So, we must ask, “What do the American people need from the Department of Justice to heal the nation?” The American people want the Justice Department to put lawless Republicans on Notice. They want and need prosecutions of the criminals in the Trump administration. These criminals were also leaders of the Republican Party. They want the Justice Department to develop a spine and follow the money.

On December 12, 2018, former Trump lawyer, Michael Cohen was sentenced to three years for tax evasion and campaign finance violations. During the trial, prosecutors provided evidence and named Trump as an un-indicted co-conspirator for paying porn star “Stormy Daniels” hush money to cover up his affair. If the affair were made public, it would have affected the 2016 election. During Trump’s term, through his attorneys generals, Trump obstructed the investigation and his Justice Department refused to indict him for his crimes. Trump was never vindicated for this case. Since the result of the investigation led to the conviction of Michael Cohen who committed these crimes for trump and under his instructions, it stands to reason that, he must also be tried for the crime. The trial of the un-indicted co-conspirator Donald John Trump would go a long way towards healing the country and send a powerful message that “no one is above the law,” including a president.  “Political courage is not political suicide!” and the Biden Justice Department must show some courage and finish the prosecution of Trump.

In November of 2020, Trump pardoned former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn, who was convicted for lying to the FBI about being an unregistered foreign agent. One month later, he pardoned his mentor Roger Stone, who was convicted for making false statements to Congress (five counts), witness tampering, and obstructing an official proceeding. During the investigations into these two men, many other crimes were uncovered by the FBI. There was enough evidence to charge them with these other crimes, but the Trump justice department chose not to. These criminals should be tried for the other crimes that they committed. And it should not stop there. Many members of the most corrupt presidential administration including Jared Kushner, Ivanka Trump, cabinet members Mike Pompeo, Rick Perry, and others committed federal crimes that were common knowledge on the Hill and heavily reported by the Media. They were never investigated. For this country to heal they must be held accountable and that requires the Justice Department to grow a political spine.

During the Mueller investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election, Mueller’s hands were tied and all aspects of the crimes committed by Trump and the Russians were not investigated. This “Manchurian Candidate” operation had a very well-organized infrastructure. For such an operation to have attained the success that this one had required a tremendous amount of money and participation from American citizens, including politicians. This operations infrastructure included cybercrimes, money laundering, and campaign finance violations.  Other than the cyber crimes which led to the indictments of many Russians, the campaign finance crimes and money laundering were never investigated. In September 2019, this site, Xplicit News did a two-part expose on Putin’s campaign finance contributions to “Moscow Mitch” McConnell and other Republicans in Congress. The article was titled ‘Moscow Mitch Putin’s Bagman” ⁽¹⁾.  The Dallas Morning News ⁽²⁾ also published an investigative article into Putin’s campaign contributions to Mitch McConnell and other Republicans, “How Putin’s oligarchs funneled millions into GOP campaigns.”  For a Manchurian Candidate to be effective, an infrastructure of politicians is needed to support the candidate and his agenda.  Putin’s money financed Trump and many Republicans in Congress, and it has been going on for years.  America wants the Biden Department of Justice to “follow the money!”

Throughout the term of the Trump administration and those of other Republican presidents, the supposedly nonpartisan Supreme Court handed down dozens of partisan, non-constitutional decisions that favored Republican policies that have crippled this nation.  In particular, Shelby v. Holder gutted the Voting Rights Act.  Citizen’s United v. Federal Elections Commission made possible the establishment of “dark money” networks that have funneled billions of dollars into the campaigns of crooked politicians from corporations and foreign governments.  Politicians owe their allegiance to these dark money contributors, not the voters that put them in office.  And, most recently, in June of 2019, the High Court ruled that it will no longer hear gerrymandering cases stating “redistricting is a political question beyond the Court’s reach.”  This position reversed the High Court’s standing position whereby for more than 100 years, the Court settled gerrymandering cases.  This decision allowed Republican State legislatures around the country to launch massive gerrymandering and voter suppression campaigns leading to the disenfranchisement of millions of American voters.  The High Court is corrupted by partisan politics.

In 2016, Mitch McConnell refused to conduct a hearing for then-President Barack Obama’s Supreme Court Nominee Merrick Garland.  McConnell was joined by 11 Republican members of the Senate Judiciary Committee signed a letter stating they had no intention of consenting to any nominee from President Obama.   President was denied his constitutional right to appoint a Supreme Court Justice of his choosing.  In a speech given in August of that year,  in Kentucky, “Moscow Mitch ”McConnell stated: “One of my proudest moments was when I looked Barack Obama in the eye and I said, “Mr. President, you will not fill the Supreme Court vacancy.”

These are not the actions of elected officials that are upholding their oaths of office or respecting the constitution.  This is not the behavior of people that will accept an “olive branch” or sing Kumbaya with you at a campfire.  They are the actions of power-crazed politicians following their leader, self-proclaimed Mitch “Grim Reaper” McConnell.  The only way to repair the damage done to the country by this partisan High Court add the Republican Party and return us to a nation of laws is to appoint new justices.  This means expanding the Supreme Court to at least 13 justices.  This has been done before and the American people want the Biden administration to show enough courage to “get it done.”

Biden has a huge task ahead of him if he is to get America back on track.  But even if he takes a much stronger with the Republicans, he cannot do it alone.  He needs others besides Nancy Pelosi to grow the proverbial pair of “brass balls.”  And, Chuck Schumer needs to be the one to do it.  He is the Majority leader in the Senate which is the bottleneck to Biden’s success and saving America.

The Republican Party under Trump and McConnell has surpassed their prior obstructionist standards of being “the party of no.”  They have become ignorers of the will of the people.  Despite all of the mass school shootings and the public demand to stop it via gun control, they have refused to pass legislation to protect our teachers and children.  Despite the more than 60 attempts to destroy Obama Care and its overwhelming popularity, they still persist in their mission to destroy it and deny healthcare to American citizens.  They have helped Trump trample over the rights of the LGBTQ community and transgender people in the military.  They have refused to consider any legislation that would provide a living wage to everyone in America.  Prior to Trump, Republicans became “the party-of-no” because to support bipartisan legislation would offer credibility to Democrats.  Such accomplishments would strengthen the Democratic Party and reduces the amount of power and control that Republicans have in government.

However, since the time Trump era, their prior obstructionist standards of being “the party-of-no” have lowered to standards that support insurrection and overthrow of our government, the murder of capitol police officers, collusion and bending the knee, and kissing the ring of a want-to-be banana republic dictator (Trump’s impeachment trial acquittal.)  They have even stooped so low as to state to the media that Trump owns the party.  In the Senate, 90% of them are traitors to their oath.  From the “party-of-no” to the party of dictatorship and worshipers of the “golden calf” is who they have become.

Seventy percent of the public support the Biden disaster relief, American Rescue Plan, but every Republican in Congress voted against it.  In the Senate, every single Republican has vowed to vote against it.  Seventy percent of the American people means, that many of their voters and supporters understand the need for the COVID relief bill and want it.  The Federal Reserve, a majority of economists, 425 mayors including 32 Republican mayors ⁽³⁾ all support the bill, yet not a single Republican in the House voted for it ⁽⁴⁾ and in the Senate, Republicans have sworn to stop it.  It’s time for American voters, Democrats and Republicans alike to ask the following questions:

1. On whose behalf are the Republicans working for?
2. Why do they not want the country to recover from COVID-19?
3. Do they care about me and my family?
4. Just why did I vote to put them in office?
5. Should I do it again?
6. When did I tell them to worship the “golden calf?”

This needs to stop now and the only way this will happen is for Chuck Schumer to “grow a pair,” get Joe Manchin in line and do away with the filibuster. Otherwise, nothing will get accomplished in the Senate, Dems will fail and Republicans will regain control of the Senate and possibly the House in 2022.  If this happens, Trump will win and the Golden Calf will rule America again.  Americans have proven that they will follow a crazy leader (Trump) before following a leader that they perceive as weak.  If Biden fails, he will be perceived as weak and Republican Party will continue to kneel before their “golden calf” with his magic wand.  Trump will rise again.  Only this time there will be no Moses with the Ten Commandments.  American Democracy will fall because of a failure to defend the constitution and a spineless Democratic leadership.

https://www.gofundme.com/xplicit-news

Linked Sources and Documentation

1. Moscow Mitch Putin’s Bagman: http://www.xplicitnews.org/2019/09/04/the-republican-senate-putins-payola-part-1/
2. Dallas Morning News – How Putin’s oligarchs funneled millions into GOP campaigns: https://www.dallasnews.com/opinion/commentary/2018/05/08/how-putin-s-oligarchs-funneled-millions-into-gop-campaigns/
3. Republican Mayors: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2021/02/25/joe-bidens-covid-19-stimulus-bill-boosted-republican-mayors/4540358001/
4. House vote on Biden American Rescue Plan: https://clerk.house.gov/Votes/202149

Copyright © 2021, Glen Reaux, all rights reserved