To set the record straight, I voted for Donald John Trump for president three times, Bill Clinton never. Had I my choices all over again, I would still vote for Trump, but in the case of one William Jefferson Clinton, I might have to reconsider.
Clinton, after all, got things done that Trump and his crew are putting off until 2029, such as a work requirement for public benefits.
As you may recall, President Clinton (I hate to write that word combination), spurred by Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, not only passed work requirements for welfare but also balanced the budget. Trump and Speaker Mike Johnson are doing neither; thus my headline reference to Bill Clinton.
It’s a sad day when a Democrat President actually deserves more praise than a Republican President, but so be it. All Trump and Johnson are doing is pushing the nation’s budget problems down the road to the next administration while touting $150 billion a year in savings, which will of course never appear.
Okay, now for the “Russia, Russia, Russia” part of my headline. This is in reference to Trump 47’s secret negotiations with Vladimir Putin of Russia over obtaining a ceasefire leading to peace negotiations in the Ukraine War.
Whenever Trump speaks with Putin, no details ever emerge except a declaration that everything went “very well.” Monday’s call with Putin, however, also ended with the promise that Putin would begin talks over the war soon.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio even backed this up by saying Putin would have a proposal post haste. Putin, of course, has had a proposal all along that Ukraine President Zelenskyy and European Union (EU) leaders would rightly reject even if offered two zillion times.
Meanwhile, the EU is imposing further sanctions on Russia, but Trump is having none of it. The Great Statesman is hoping for a “peace in our time” announcement emanating somewhere out of the diplomatic ether.
The only good news I heard yesterday was that Israel is planning to bomb Iran’s nuclear facilities. All I can say is the sooner the better. Trump will no doubt say he tried to dissaude Netanyahu, but oops, the Isaeli leader wouldn’t listen.
Therefore, I’m at the doorstep of saying we can assert “Russia, Russia, Russia” has some validity as a theme for Trump 47. Why can’t he stand up to Putin?
Why can’t he get a real budget, not one that kicks the proverbial can down the road?
Indeed, why not?