A Functioning Government Please

Face it, America, Donald Trump is our ‘Manchurian Candidate,’ an unwitting sleeper agent who gained power through a combination of exploitations: 1) Trump exploited American voter ignorance, 2) Russians exploited Trump. What is left is self-destruction at the hands of a bully authoritarian who is not the brightest bulb on the planet.

The trouble is, this is not a joke. It has put America into a declining spiral. There are no brakes because Congress too is exploited by corruption and the willingness to go along with their leader.

American voters must compel elected representatives to do their jobs. The midterm election is desperately important. Until or unless there is a sea change in Congress, the nation is doomed. It is that serious. We’ve been nuked.

Get him out of here.

Manufacturing Industry is Strategically Important

For as long as I have been writing business articles, American industrial policy has been a topic. Some believe that we don’t have one. In fact, our trade policies, laws and regulations make de facto policy whether it carries a label or not.

I have met with the Deputy Undersecretary of Defense Office of Industrial Policy in past years. Sometimes it was staffed by a retired general and other times by a professional policy expert. The office existed because the military needs to know that there is sufficient manufacturing capability in America’s domestic supply chain to support its needs.

Throughout my working years, beginning in 1970, America’s manufacturing industry has been in decline. I worked many of those years in manufacturing industry trying to hang on, and we lost the battle.

In intelligent place to begin to address manufacturing industry needs and policy is by assessing the strategic requirements for domestic production capacity across the entire lifecycle form raw materials to final assembly. Donald Trump and Congressional Leaders are not doing that. Instead, they are flying by the seat of their pants at great risk to national security.

The intention to address manufacturing should begin with a strategic assessment and not driven by pretending to create jobs. An effective policy will result in produce the right kinds of jobs, and they will not carry the profile of what was lost in the past because the world competitive standards have advanced well beyond that.

Read my book: Regenerating America with Sustainable Economics by James A. George and James A. Rodger © 2017 Archway Publishing.

“TRUMP FINDS SUPPORT FOR TARIFFS -- President Donald Trump is finding that his proposal to impose steel and aluminum tariffs has some support on Capitol Hill after all -- from red-state Democrats. "As Republicans howl that new tariffs could cause an economic meltdown, a handful of Rust Belt Democrats are giving the president a rare serving of praise," Elana reports. "His stance could give the trio -- Sens. Sherrod Brown of Ohio, Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Bob Casey of Pennsylvania, all top GOP targets -- a chance to tout their bipartisan credentials and defend their home-state metals industries all at once."
 The Hill email

http://www.businessdefense.gov/ 

What Nunberg and Stone Say About Trump?

What Nunberg and Stone Say About Trump and the Republican Party?

In conclusion, the Republican Party maintains a relationship with dirty politics tricksters that goes back to the days of their leader, Richard M. Nixon.

You may have seen Sam Nunberg on one of his many appearances on television yesterday. Nunberg was an aide to Donald Trump who now at the age of 36 years said he was with Trump since 2011. That is he was publicity and then campaign advisor for six years.

How did this young attorney grab Trump's attention? For one thing, it appears to be his style. Listening to the "troubled" man on television, he sounded and acted much like Trump. One difference is that Nuberg admitted to taking prescribed antidepressant medication. TV host, Erin Burnett also said that he had the odor of alcohol on his person. He denied drinking.

To the main point, Nunberg is another "Trump hire." Significantly, Nunberg worked for Mitt Romney's 2008 campaign, being hired by attorney Jay Sekulow to work with the American Center for Law & Justice in an attempt to stop the construction of the Park51 mosque. There he met Roger Stone, whom he has described as his mentor.

The significance is that Nunberg is a Republican Party conservative and political advisor to two presidential candidates.

In February 2014, Nunberg was fired by Trump after he arranged a Buzzfeed interview with Trump that ended up being highly critical of Trump. That was Numberg's mistake.

However, Trump liked him so much he brought him back.

In February 2015, Nunberg was rehired by Trump, as a communications adviser for the Trump campaign. Nunberg, along with Stone, helped prepare the candidate for the first Republican debate, on August 6, 2015.

Next, Trump fired Nunberg again, later that month after some of his old Facebook posts surfaced which contained ethnic comments.

"In July 2016, Trump sued Nunberg for $10 million, accusing Nunberg of violating a confidentiality agreement by leaking information to the New York Post. In a legal response, Nunberg said that Trump might have illegally funneled corporate money into the campaign. Trump and Nunberg settled their legal dispute in August 2016."

Wiki 

What you see is that Nunberg is a hired gun who will perform dirty tricks under the guise of a political operative.

His being hired is a reflection on his employers, Trump, Romney, and Roger Stone.

Who is Roger Stone?

Roger Stone has a life-long history of being a dirty political trickster. Here is some of what Wiki says about him.

"1972–1977: Nixon administration and Reagan '76

After Nixon won the 1972 presidential election, Stone worked for the administration in the Office of Economic Opportunity. After Nixon resigned, Stone went to work for Bob Dole, but was later fired after columnist Jack Anderson publicly identified Stone as a Nixon 'dirty trickster.' In 1976, he worked in Ronald Reagan's campaign for president, and in 1977, became national chairman of the Young Republicans.

With partners Charlie Black and Paul Manafort, he formed Black, Manafort, and Stone, a political consulting firm, described as "instrumental in the success of Ronald Reagan's 1984 campaign". Republican political strategist Lee Atwater later joined the firm in 1985, after serving the #2 position on Reagan-Bush '84. The firm lobbied for the Filipino dictator Ferdinand Marcos and the Congolese dictator Mobutu Sese Seko.

In 1987–88, Stone served as senior adviser to Jack Kemp's presidential campaign, which was managed by consulting partner Charlie Black. In that same election, his other partners worked for George H.W. Bush (Lee Atwater as campaign manager, and Paul Manafort as director of operations in the fall campaign).

In April 1992, Time alleged that Stone was involved with the controversial Willie Horton advertisements to aid George H.W. Bush's 1988 presidential campaign, which was targeted against Democratic opponent Michael Dukakis. Stone has said that he urged Lee Atwater not to include Horton in the ad."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roger_Stone

Now, the news is that Special Prosecutor, Robert Mueller, wants Nunberg and Stone to testify. Nunberg has already been before the FBI, but they want him back to discuss emails and other information. Nunberg says he will defy the subpoena. The prosecutor expects to see him before the grand jury on Friday.

In conclusion, the Republican Party maintains a relationship with dirty politics tricksters that go back to the days of their leader, Richard M. Nixon.

Nunberg and Stone, Dirty Tricksters

Lies Are Not Color-coded

Hope Hicks said that she told "white lies" to protect the President. The FBI doesn't have a color scale. It is true or false. If you lie "to protect the President," what does that make the President? A liar, of course, and that is apparent.

Lying by a federal government official is a crime. Crimes do come in categories, but lying isn't one of them. It is on or off, true or false.

We don't know what the Special Prosecutor asked her, nor do we know her response. If she admitted to them that she told lies, that might have made her vulnerable.

"Her resignation came a day after she testified for eight hours before the House Intelligence Committee, telling the panel that in her job, she had occasionally been required to tell white lies but had never lied about anything connected to the investigation into Russia’s interference in the 2016 election." 

The New York Times

"F.B.I. Officials warned one of President Trump’s top advisers, Hope Hicks, earlier this year about repeated attempts by Russian operatives to make contact with her during the presidential transition, according to people familiar with the events. 

The Russian outreach efforts show that, even after American intelligence agencies publicly accused Moscow of trying to influence the outcome of last year’s presidential election, Russian operatives were undaunted in their efforts to establish contacts with Mr. Trump’s advisers." 

The New York Times

Spies Like Us

Slowly Rolling Donald Trump

It's going down. Not alone with the theory that Donald Trump has long since had financial entanglements and relationships with Russians that compromise his political integrity, the script is being born out by the Special Prosecutor. It takes more than a plausible theory and circumstantial evidence to build a case that will hold in the court, Congress notwithstanding.

The Trump administration is a target of vulnerability that is exploited by America's enemies and anyone else who wants to take advantage of inexperience or propensity to commit corrupt crimes.

President Trump's having chosen to use his family in The White House for which they could not get top secret security clearances is just one indication.

The case against Trump that could put a noose around his neck and others too who "went along" will be financial threads that lead to collusion and conspiracy to commit harm to the United States of America.

Watch as the facts continue to drip or pour from day to day as this is nearing the end of the rope.

"Washington (CNN)A volley of stunning revelations over Jared Kushner and the Russia probe are rocking Donald Trump's inner circle and suggest a pivotal moment is at hand in the West Wing personnel wars that have raged throughout his presidency. 

First, it emerged Tuesday that chief of staff John Kelly downgraded the top secret security clearance for the President's son-in-law in a bid to clear up a scandal over whether top administration players are qualified to access the most sensitive intelligence. 

Then, The Washington Post published a bombshell report that at least four countries had discussed how to use Kushner's sparse experience, financial troubles, and intricate business arrangements to manipulate him. 

Hours later, CNN reported that special counsel Robert Mueller is asking questions about Trump's business dealings with Russia before the President's campaign, a potentially significant development in the investigation." 

https://www.cnn.com/2018/02/28/politics/donald-trump-jared-kushner-investigations/index.html?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=ebb%202-28&utm_term=Editorial%20-%20Early%20Bird%20Brief

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Guns Too Hard To Handle

When the government is dysfunctional and probably corrupt and illegitimate, addressing the need to change the Second Amendment is too hard and inconceivable. However, the circumstance underscores that this government is unable to ensure the safety and security of its citizens at home.

For young Americans who are vulnerable and without adequate protection, there is no excuse or solace in the situation. For caring parents and the majority of citizens who did not elect Donald Trump as President, there is angst and frustration.

Unfortunately, a majority of Americans elected a Republican majority in the Senate and House of Representatives, and for that, there is only remorse.

If Americans want to restore democracy to the nation, they must impeach and proceed to replace the government with more qualified and better-suited representatives.

Our enemies, led by the Russians want Americans to remain divided. They are enjoying our plight as we demonstrate an inability to control our destiny in a pluralistic society. The challenge is to prove them wrong.

As an independent analyst, I don't cut much slack for the Democrats either. When the nation's democracy is under attack and crumbling from the insurgency, I expect more courageous leadership from the opposition.

"Gun control dominates conversation as Congress returns 

Congress returns this week amid intense debate over the best legislative approach to mass shootings.

Lawmakers and President Trump have proposed a number of controversial ideas, but so far only a handful of specifics." 

The Hill email

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What it Means for Trump to be at 35%

For one thing, Trump's being at his lowest approval rating means that 65% of Americans are not on board with the radical right-wing leader whose incumbency is suspected as being illegitimate. 

It might also reflect that 35% of Americans are what might be described as deplorable. That is, people who are aligned with and going along with the present regime in the Executive Branch and Congress are siding against the rule of law and democracy.

As the news continues to point to President Trump being a stooge for Russians, most Americans wait for due process and prosecutors to make their cases. The cases include many members of the Trump campaign who were high up in the organization that elected Trump. They have pled guilty to lying to the FBI and many other crimes.

"President Donald Trump's approval rating in a new CNN poll conducted by SSRS stands at 35%, down five points over the last month to match his lowest level yet. 

The slide follows a January bump in approval for the President, a finding that appeared connected to a bullish stock market and strong reviews for the economy. His new rating matches a December poll, which marked his lowest approval rating in CNN polling since taking office in January 2017." 

https://www.cnn.com/2018/02/25/politics/cnn-poll-trump-approval-matches-low/index.html

Unfit and Obstructing Justice