In poker, a player who gives away his hand through some gesture, tic or physiological change (e.g. blushing) is said to have a “tell.”  Well the White House and Republican senators and representatives have a tell when they claim to champion a cause and then take actions through which they undermine the very condition they swear is so near and dear to them and their constituents.  THEIR LIPS MOVE.

Last week, I focused on their pro-life platitudes while taking numerous actions which either endanger American lives or deprive citizens of the health care they need to survive illness and pain or ward off premature death.  But that is just the tip of an enormous iceberg which even global warming seems unable to diminish.  Consider the following examples.

Honoring Police, My Ass/For two weeks we have heard charges that kneeling during the national anthem disrespects the police and other law enforcement officials.  To my knowledge no police officer has been killed or wounded by an NFL player taking a knee. You know what REALLY demeans the honest cops who do not abuse their position?  Laws which allow individuals to arm themselves with military grade weapons which KILL and MAIM these public servants. Or regulations which allow the purchase of bullets which can pierce the Kevlar vests worn by first responders.

Less Regulation, My Ass/I’ve lost count of the number of federal health and safety regulations the Trump administration has rolled back in order to “get government off the backs of business.”  So you would think that applies to media also?  Think again.  This morning, the whiner-in-chief tweeted:  “More and more people are suggesting that Republicans (and me) should be given Equal Time on T.V. when you look at the one-sided coverage?”

For someone with the best words, Trump needs to be reminded:  (1) It is “the Republicans (and I)”, (2) television is one word; therefore the abbreviation does not need two periods (if it needs any) and (3) his tweet is a declarative statement which should end in a period, not a question mark.  I understand Twitter is considering increasing the character limit from 140 to 280 characters.  In Trump’s case,  the limit should be increased to 144 characters.  Then his tweets would truly be examples of GROSS illiteracy.

But grammar aside, the only instance of increased regulation now pushed by Trump and his lemmings would violate the first amendment to the U.S. Constitution.  In  other words, Republicans now believe silencers should be permitted under both the first AND second amendment.  So let’s add Strict Constructionists, My Ass to the list of Republican hypocrisy.

Drain the Swamp, My Ass/It’s been quite a month for the “best people” who rode Trump’s coattails to the executive branch.  Several have been exposed for the grifters they are, bilking taxpayers for millions of dollars so they continue to live they same opulent lifestyle for which they used to bilk their customers, workers and constituents.  Some now admit they work for a “moron” or worse.  And several have exited the West Wing once they have been exposed as soon to be indicted criminals, racists, incompetents or just garden-variety jackasses.

Unconstitutional Executive Authority, My Ass/The occasions on which the Republicans chastised President Obama for what they considered executive overreach is beyond enumeration.  Yet there is no outcry as Trump unilaterally chooses to not implement existing law and issues executive orders:

• negating environmental protections,
• placing unconstitutional bans on travel to the United States,
• cutting back protections put in place following the financial meltdown in 2008-9,
• changing the order of succession in the Department of Justice,
• allowing federal contractors to discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation or identity,
• promoting “buy American, hire American” while he and his offspring do just the opposite,
• reversing or modifying designations of national parks and public lands,
• undercutting long-standing trade agreements
• promoting free speech (see above) and religious freedom, and
• wasting money on chasing election fraud of which there is no evidence.

Government Transparency, My Ass/On June 6, 2012, Trump Tweeted, “Why is @BarackObama spending millions to try and hide his records?  He is the least transparent President–ever–and he ran on transparency.”  This from the man who refused to release White House visitor logs until forced to do so and to this day will not release visitor logs for Mar-a-Lago or Bedminster.  This from a man who has continually broken his promise to release his tax returns.  This from a man and Republican congress that promised to “lock up” Hillary Clinton for using a private email server yet goes silent about similar offenses by his children, vice president and other White House staff.  And when will Trey Gowdy schedule hearings to get to the bottom of the deaths of four Green Berets in Niger under less than transparent circumstances?  Do these Americans not deserve the same consideration as Christopher Stevens and the other Benghazi victims?

I could go on and on, but this is truly exhausting and my ass can take only so much.

For what it’s worth.
Dr. ESP

There is an old political adage, “Republicans believe life begins at conception and ends at birth.”  In the past two weeks, the GOP in the era of Trump has made this maxim the central theme of its now laughable claim to make America great again.

In a single fortnight, Comrade Trump and his minions have:

• Tried to deprive 32 million Americans of imperfect, but more accessible and affordable health care than they have today.
• Half-heartedly responded to the basic needs of 3.5 million American citizens without water, food or electricity.  Then had the temerity to criticize the mayor of San Juan when she begged for help to keep her people from dying.
• Allowed the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), which provides basic health care for nine million low-income children to expire on September 30th.  In the Republican version of “if I can’t have my way, I’ll take my ball and go home,” the leadership refused to take up any health related issues after failing to gut the Affordable Care Act.
• And finally, in the wake of the single most deadly mass shooting in American history, claimed it is inappropriate to talk about gun control.  As Trevor Noah reminded us last night, “Then there will never be a time to talk about it as mass shootings become more frequent.”  Remember, the GOP is the party which undermined the appointment of a surgeon general because he suggested gun violence is a national epidemic and restricts the Center for Disease Control and every other federal agency from spending one penny to study the root causes and possible means of preventing gun violence.

So cut the crap about being pro-life.  Bringing children into this world and then denying them access to health care or refusing to consider anything that might prevent our sons and daughters from being victims of a deranged or politically motivated individual armed to the hilt is not noble.  It is cruel and sadistic.

For those who forget what leadership used to look and sound like, John Kennedy, in his September 1962 speech in Houston, announced the goal of putting a man on the moon by the end of the decade.  He reminded us, “We choose to do these things NOT because they are EASY, but because they are HARD.”  Just imagine if Kennedy had suggested the Apollo mission would be a “logistical nightmare” because the moon “is a celestial island, surrounded by space, big space, an ocean of space.”

For what it’s worth.
Dr. ESP