Vlad, Meet Donald

During the late 15th Century in Central Europe, the despot Vlad Tsepesh, known to later generations as Vlad the Impaler, ruled largely through fear and intimidation.  Yesterday, a modern analog, who I'll call Don the Slanderer, attempted to use Vlad-like tactics against those he considers a threat.

Mr. Trump threw red meat to his base by implying that U. S. Representatives  Rashida Tlaib, Ilhan Omar and Ayanna Pressley.were in office illegally.  In the case of Omar, a naturalized American originally from Somalia, he even suggested she was not a citizen.

Trump saved his most preposterous insults for New York City Mayor Bill De Blasio.  But De Blasio beat The Donald to the punch, tweeting Saturday morning of ICE raids that had already taken place in his city.  De Blasio concluded by claiming Donald Trump has turned ICE into a political weapon.

IMHO Mr. Trump considers anything and everything a political weapon ...

Another One Bites the Dust

Today, Alex Acosta became at least the 34th member, or affiliate, of the Trump Administration to be forced out of office.

Way to choose the right people, Donald! 

Secretarys of Labor

Arthur Goldberg, Secretary of Labor in the John F. Kennedy Administration, began his public life as a legal strategist and advisor to the American labor movement.  Throughout his career, he advocated for the rights not only of workers but of women, both within and outside the workplace.

Fast-forward to today.  The current Secretary of Labor, Alex Acosta, lacks Goldberg's credentials, and apparently his humanity.  Even Trump News has predicted that Acosta will not remain in the cabinet for long.

Be Afraid - Be Very Afraid

Especially if you get your health care via the ACA (Affordable Care Act, AKA Obamacare).  There are rumblings that, support from Chief Justice John Roberts notwithstanding, Obamacare may be about to bite the dust.

But don't throw in the towel; just yet.  A ruling by the 5th US Circuit Court of Appeals, one of the most conservative appellate courts in the country, is not expected until later this year. Equally expected - the losing side will appeal to the Supreme Court.  Get in touch with your member of the House of Representatives, to tell them you support their resolution to condemn the Trump Administration's efforts to do away altogether with the Affordable Care Act .

Census by Executive Order

Once again today Donald Trump spoke from a driveway outside the White House; that location has become a substitute a the Press Briefing Room.  While there, Trump suggested he might issue an executive order, to force a question regarding citizenship into the 2020 Census.

The poor man can't quit embarrassing himself, or us.  Article 1, Section 2, Clause c of our Constitution defines the interval - every ten years - at which a census must be taken.  It also gives Congress, and specifically the House of Representatives, control over the methods by which the census should be conducted.

Nowhere, in 1.2.c, is there any mention of citizenship.

Ukrainian Americans

Yesterday, a friend was kind enough to forward to me info on Tadeusz Kosciuszko, a Polish military engineer who helped the Colonies become the United States.  I reacted childishly- told my friend I wasn't Polish, but rather more-or-less Ukrainian.  (More-or-less only because national and ethnic boundaries in eastern Europe have changed frequently, and continue to do so.  Re: the latter point, think Crimea.  Re: the former, think Ruthenia or Trans-Carpathian Rus.) 

My friend's gesture caused me to google into Ukranian-0American history.  As it turns out, folks from Ruthenia took part in the America Revolution as well as our Civil War. 

But what tickles me most is that Ruthenians in the War of Independence and the Civil War seems a perfect riposte to the xenophobia that has become a badge of honor in the Trump Administration.  (News flash,, Kellyanne Conway - the First and Second Amendments aren't equally dispositive.)

Thanks, Al.