The President likes to repeat over and over again that he is the most transparent President in the history of the country. Given that claim, I find it hard to understand why he refuses to release his tax returns like all other Presidents have done. In addition, he has blocked release of documents and ordered staff not to participate in House hearings. That is why I believe that an appropriate Christmas gift for him is a copy of a Websters Dictionary.
Trump Support Fatigue
The President took time at his rally yesterday to criticize a revered Michigan House Representative who has served his constituency for sixty years. Then he proceeded to attack his widow for not having opposed his impeachment. Trump asked: ‘How could she do this after what I had done for her!’. His comments were greeted by moans and disbelief. Since this came a day after his rambling and incoherent letter of his to the House Speaker, there is no doubt that he is in a very foul mood right now.
Impeachment Observation
On the surface it appears that the two articles of impeachment passed on a partisan basis but, I believe, one needs to look at the underlying political current driving the vote count. The House Speaker went on record to sat that Democratic members were free to vote any way they wished but they should have their conscience and oath be their guidance. The Minority Leader instructed Republicans to maintain unity and to attack the proceedings as being a sham and being done too quickly. Meanwhile the President has a reputation to aggressively attack and bully anyone daring to take a stance against him. That means that we can look at the impeachment vote through two lenses. One is that the Democrats voted out of conviction that the President did wrong while the Republicans voted because they feared retribution from their Party Leader, the President. Another possibility is that the Republican party as we know it for many, many years no longer exists and those ramifications are too dire to predict!