Open letter to Rev. Patrick Conroy, Chaplain to US House

Rev. Conroy,

When I read you were fired as House chaplain due to comments you made

about the tax reform bill, my thoughts went to my local priest who often 

speaks in support of legislation to aid illegal entrants and refugees. Unlike

pure Christian teachings, this also represents a political area that not all in
our congregation or even our country agree with.  

But, as troubling as I find this, I find it even more troubling a Catholic 

would not use his position as a chaplain to Congress to weigh in on

the most crucial issue, the sanctity of life.  

Last Oct. the US House passed a bill to ban abortion at the twenty week

mark, which is six week longer than the average of 14 weeks in most 

developed nations.  In January this 'pro unborn' legislation died in the

Senate. 

I searched to see if you had mentioned this legislation in any of your 

opening prayers.  I could not find one.  Nor did I hear any mention 

from the pulpit of my church, which is even more troubling. 

Last week it was something to behold to see so many Democrats come

to your defense, demanding you stay. I could not help but wonder, do 

you think these same members would applaud your remarks in support 

of restrictive abortion legislation?  I doubt it, but we will never know

since you did not speak out.

Surely the Catholic Church which speaks for people in need care 

equally for the unborn, yet this is rarely heard, especially from the 

clergy that can be so influential that serve our Congress take a 

less visible roll. 

Even Catholic universities are turning Christ's teachings on its heads 

when they are challenged by the intolerant that have little use for the

guidance faith and religion provides.

I know you agree the right to life is the most crucial in our faith and 

to dismiss as merely an 'elected individual choice' is as criminal as 

any crime can be.

In the future I hope you speak out about the right to life as you 

do on others issue.

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Can't they answer a simple question?

Every so often some politicians show themselves for what they are,
self serving individuals that cannot even handle a simple  "gotcha
question" most of us can.

The question recently 'hatched' by the cable network media hosts
is "will you support President Trump in 2020?". 

First, its interesting this question is being asked so far in advance
of the next presidential election and second why is it being asked
by so many reporters at the same time.  

Most of us who supported President Trump would have answered
with a resounding YES for the simple reason he has kept most of
his campaign promises and is working with Congress on those not
yet met.

Unfortunately, some Republican members of the Senate have trouble
the Trump electorate do not.  These senators hedged rather than point
to the successes of the first year and half as the reason to support him.

The answers from senators Collins, Corker, Alexander, Cornyn and
others demonstrated the disconnect between many establishment
politicians and the conservative electorate. None would commit to
support Trump, fumbling the question with asinine replies.

Each of them preach party loyalty, ask their constituents to support
their reelection citing campaign promises they kept. Yet, these same
people don't have the party loyalty or decency to do the same as Trump
who has not disappointed the electorate or the party!

Is it any wonder why mid-term results reflect on the public's disgust
rather than appreciation!

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It is time Robert Mueller be fired!

It has been almost a year since Deputy Attorney General Rod
Rosenstein hired Robert Mueller, a former FBI director, as
Special Council to conduct an investigation into Russia's
influence in the 2016 election. 

Throughout this "Russia" probe we have seen time and again
the target has been President Trump, not Russia.

We have seen this is an orchestrated effort to bring down the 
Trump  presidency by a diverse set of players from in and out 
of government.

They come from Wall St which do not care about our slumbering
economy as long as the markets set new levels and political
partisans who are threatened the business as usual culture of
Washington was at risk.

If this investigation was truly to get to the bottom to whatever role
Russia played in the 2016 presidential election, it would interview
the people whose fingerprints are clearly visible, those of Hillary
Clinton and her surrogates, none that have been interviewed
during the probe.

On several occasions President Trump has been advised to fire
Mueller as he has proven to be the partisan his 'impeccable'
reputation hid from public view during his tenure at the FBI
director under President Obama!

And each time Trump was urged to dismiss Mueller he listened to
those who said he should not, that it would be political suicide.  

Trump knew what was going on, but rather than "listening"  to his
own instincts which have always served him well and won him the
presidency he conceded to let the investigation run its course.

If the countless anti-Trump allies in  and out of government want
to bring him down, it should be on his terms, not their's.

It is now time for Trump's instincts to guide him, fire Mueller
and address his decision in a televised message to the American
people as to why.

The Trump presidency is not about him, it is about more than sixty
million voters, enough to garner the required electoral votes to
secure his victory. He has not lost them and should not let others
take his presidency away from them!

This is about promises made that are being kept.  It is about ending
the dysfunctional political lunacy which has destroyed much of the
responsible governance from our nation's capital!

It is time Robert Mueller be fired and President Trump is the right

person to do it! 

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"Captains of Industry" have proven to be corporate cowards.

Once again they quiver in the boots, afraid to remain principled executives, easily pressured to submit to outside demands rather than stand fast in their decision to sponsor programs.

These corporate cowards decided to pull advertising from another program after receiving the demand from outside agitators filled with hatred towards those they find fault with.   

Today it is Laura Ingraham for commenting on David Hogg mentioning he was not accepted into several universities, tying it to his gun control campaign.

Its unfortunate to see these bullying tactics work so successfully on corporations to silence conservative, traditional viewpoints and worse, end careers and bankrupt businesses.

These are the companies that announced they will cancel ads on Ingraham; Office Depot, Liberty Mutual, Jenny Craig, Nutrish, Atlantis Bahama Island, Stitch Fix, Global investment group, Johnson & Johnson, Hulu, Expedia, Nestle, Wayfair, Trip Advisor, and Ruby Tuesday.

It is rare I respond to such actions, but I must now. I will contact the three companies I do business with that I will no longer use their services.

There will come a day when these companies pressured to cancel advertising will be in the cross hairs themselves.

The longer corporate executives cower, the more emboldened these social anarchists become. 

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Which political party is failing its members?

Which political party is  failing its members?

This is a timely question all members of both parties need to ask

as we approach the next election, especially in the aftermath of

another irresponsible budget passed by Congress and signed

into law by President Trump.

The answer to this question can be found in the votes on issues

important to us where there is a divide in party positions.

Two such issues are abortion and immigration where both

parties clearly have recognizable positions that easily allows

us to see which party legislates according to its principles

and party platform.

Both issues came under scrutiny as they were topics of

discussion after the budget passed.

First, abortion, debated for decades, offer the differing

positions of both parties.

Democrats herald the "right to choose", without restrictions

by age or length of term. Republicans call themselves the

"pro life" party, with restrictions on when abortions are

permissible.

The budget "answers" the question with the inclusion of

continued funding of Planned Parenthood in the amount

of $500 million. 

We may not know who added this funding to the budget 

bill, but we do know the Republican leadership did not 

remove it!

So, the party which has in its platform a pro life plank,

allowed the biggest abortion provider to continue receiving

federal funding!

This abortion funding inclusion comes less than four months

after legislation failed to limit abortions to twenty weeks,

even as the world average is fourteen weeks! .

Second, immigration which has been center stage as 

funding for "Dreamers", immigrant children that arrived 

illegally for the past decade,  under a DACA program was 

not included in this budget.

What this means, at least to me, Democrats who want the

current DACA program to continue did not even need to 

request funding,  got their wish.  

And Republicans that tell us we need to eliminate 'chain

migration, family members allow to come, did nothing

to gain control with limit on funding. 

These two issues answer the question. The Democrat

Party keeps it promises while the Republican continues

to disappoint.   

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President Trump finger prints were not on the Omnibus bill, but his signature was!

Those of us that understand the dis-ingenuousness of politicians who
promise but never deliver are seeing once again the Congress has passed
a six month budget that will cost us more than $1 trillion, 'funded' with
debt and will not address important issues that will now have to wait
until 2020 when another budget will be due!

Three key campaign issues of President Trump, defunding of Planned
Parenthood and sanctuary cities, and building the wall on the Southern
border are not included in this budget, and to the satisfaction of most
Democrats and half the Republicans that couldn't care less about the
president's promise to the people that elected him.

Even one issue Democrats say are deeply concerned about, 'Dreamers',
DACA children are also not protected, even though it really doesn't hurt
their cause as until legislation is written they're here to stay and 'chain'
of relatives also will not be deported.

This was enough to warrant a presidential veto which did not occur, but
will it be enough to give Democrats a Congressional majority in November?

What else is in this legislative concoction? The following are requests from
the Trump Administration which were rejected.

1. No increase in the number of ICE ( Immigration and Customs Enforcement) 

2. Detention centers for apprehended illegals are not being increased.

3. Sanctuary cities will continue to be funded. 

4. Only 33 miles of new fencing on the Texas border will be funded,  none
     may resemble the wall prototypes being tested.

5. Funding to enhance border security of nations in conflict in the Middle
    East, not here in the United States.

6. African Development Foundation, Corporation for National Community          Service,  Corporation for Public Broadcasting ALL will receive funding.

7. The National Endowment for the Arts & Humanities did get a cut, $1000
     less than the combined $300 million received in previous budget! 

8. Woodrow Wilson Center, a "think tank"  receives $12 million.

9. Planned Parenthood gets $500 million a year.

Many organizations on this list are self sustaining, pay their executives and employees handsomely, yet each year they grovel to Congress for more
funding, all indifferent to the great debt taxpayers carry.

We can only conclude the Republican leadership prefers to cower to the
interests of Washington lobbyists than the people that elect them.

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Not every FBI agent is "Untouchable"

From the moment President Trump came down the escalator at the

Trump Tower in New York and pronounced he was running for the 

presidency he was met with every imaginable response accept the 

belief he could actually become our forty-fifth president.

Yet, eighteen months after his June 16, 2015 announcement he won 

the presidency!

Since than we have seen President Trump keep his campaign promises 

while all around him his enemies, within both parties, have been snipping 

at his heels to undermine his agenda.

The most dogged snipping came from the FBI which began investigating

"Russia" attempts to influence our election, but curiously, only with

Trump benefiting. 

The investigation began in earnest six months prior to Trump taking the 

oath of office, which was long enough for him to observe the landscape to

take note of the key 'players', upper level FBI executives that planned to

take him out, either before, or boldly after the election, if he was the victor.

As the investigation moved forward the FBI requested but was denied
a FISA warrant to broaden its scope.  This is quite illuminating since the
approval  rate such requests  has been 99.97% between 1979 and 2012! 

But, in October, one month prior to the election FBI requested a FISA
warrant again, bringing in new information that gained approval.  The
timing of the second request should raise curiosity since it came one
month prior to the election.  Such occurrences are usually called an
"October Surprise", so often used to bring down a candidate.

It has been said President Trump plays chess against opponents
playing checkers. The FBI-Russia investigation could prove Trump
is a grand master!

Consider the following: 

With candidate Trump able to observe the FBI pattern of behavior prior to becoming its boss, he may have seen enough to strategize with Sen. Jeff 

Sessions, who would be his Attorney General, how to give prejudiced, 

partisan corrupted agents enough latitude to destroy a fraudulent 

investigation themselves, from within!

Start with Jeff Sessions recusing himself which had everyone who supported Trump outraged, many even saying Sessions needed to be replaced. 

Considering how many people President Trump fired in his first year, its 

curious he did not fire Sessions who he said should have stepped away 

from the investigation,  allowing the FBI to continue his oversight. His

 recusal may have been a planned 'chess move' orchestrated by Trump.

With Sessions 'stepping aside' Deputy Rod Rosenstein would oversee the investigation, without either Sessions or Trump interceding.

Rosenstein also suggested to Trump that FBI James Comey be fired, 

which I found odd considering he headed the six month old Russia 

investigation.  Trump did, the decision on Rosenstein recommendation. 

The 'firing' may have been telegraphed to Comey before it was suggested 

to the president.

Immediately, Rosenstein named Comey's successor, Christopher Wray, 

who surprisingly kept the investigation alive without even questioning 

the FBI's lack of evidence. Wray should have entered the FBI with a fresh perspective, noting the overreach by the FBI, but he did not. 

Next, in late May Rosenstein authorized a Special Council, Robert 

Mueller, to investigate 'alleged Russian involvement'.  This meant 

we would have TWO investigating bodies, the FBI and Mueller's.

The playing field was now changed, Comey, Sessions and Trump are on the  'outside' while Rosenstein, Wray, Mueller and FBI players investigating

from the beginning are still dutifully performing to find a Russian connection

to Trump.

All the while Congress which has oversight of the Justice Dept. held hearings to better understand the investigation. They brought to light the source that prompted the FBI to investigate and for Rosenstein to appoint Mueller was  'spurious', and should not have even been considered. 

The Holy Grail, of the investigation, the "dossier", nothing more than a 

'bunch of  papers' was found to be lacking any evidence Trump was in 

collusion with Russia and in fact showed a true connection with Hillary

Clinton, the Democrat Party and even FBI agents assigned to the

investigation based on their internal communications about Trump.

We need to remember neither Trump or Sessions had any involvement, so

don't expect to find either of their 'fingerprints' on this investigation.  

All attention goes towards the integrity of the Justice Dept (Rosenstein) 

and the FBI (Wray).

With the latest revelations by the oversight committee, Congress may take

the next step, authorize a special prosecutor to  investigate the FBI itself, 

and even Rosenstein for his role.

What I offer may be consider fantasy, but if President Trump and Attorney General Sessions have been working covertly to ferret out corruptible members

of the FBI, it was a masterful effort.

President Trump may have been  unknowingly running the Russian collusion investigation all along from afar, to demonstrate to the American people that

even within the highly  vaunted FBI we will find people undeserving of the public's trust.

Let's hope we are close to saying "checkmate"

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