If it weren’t already obvious from his “America First” campaign slogan, or his recent performance on the world stage, Donald J. Trump has finally cemented the deal … the U.S. can no longer claim the mantle of leader of the free world.

Today, unbowed by science, some members of his own party, our European allies … and even the Pope, the United States officially withdrew from the Paris Agreement on climate change.

To Trump, it was a bad deal. He says he wants to “renegotiate” a better agreement for the U.S.

“If we can get a deal, that’s great. If not, that’s fine,” said Trump.

Of course our allies, France, Germany and Italy put out a statement reminding our master negotiator the Paris deal is “not renegotiable”.

With the United States pulling out of the international climate deal spearheaded by the Obama administration in 2015, we now join Nicaragua and Syria as the only countries in the world not participating in the accord. Oh, and by the way, Nicaragua had a good reason for not signing up … it was pushing for a more stringent agreement! And Syria? Well, it is in the middle of a civil war.

There was a time the world looked to the United States for leadership on climate change and almost everything else (strangely enough, that seems only a few days ago!) With Trump as our nation’s chief executive, that well-earned reputation is now a moot point.

By going rogue, it is possible the United States has done more harm to itself than to the climate.

China, no doubt, will now be the undisputed world leader in clean energy.

As much as Trump “digs” coal, sorry people of West Virginia, those mines are not reopening anytime soon.

Of course, the United States withdrawing from the accord does not, in and of itself, kill the deal completely. China, Canada, and the European Union have signaled they intend to move forward with the agreement even without the United States, but the U.S. exit just might encourage other, less-willing participants, like Russia, to follow the U.S. lead or significantly downgrade their commitments.

For those who traffic in Trump/Russia conspiracy theories, now that is something to think about! This seemingly irrational move may just make sense when viewed through the eyes of Putin.

Photo | montecarlotimes.com

In politics, it’s never too early to start thinking about the next election. Even though the last presidential contest ended just six months ago, Democrats are already looking around for their next savior.

Who will Democrats in 2020 put up against the disaster otherwise known as Donald Trump (assuming he makes it to the end of his term without being impeached or forced to resign)?

Without a clear frontrunner, the prospect of getting a Democrat back to the White House will no doubt attract an array of hopefuls … from senators and governors, to showbiz types and businessmen.

Here are some potential candidates to watch:

1. Elizabeth Warren – Some are calling her the leading contender for 2020. Her populist cred includes having created the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau from scratch. While she is feisty, a good speaker and is beloved by many Democrats, would Dems be spooked over picking another woman to head their ticket?
2. Cory Booker – Far from being the most liberal member of the Senate, the relatively young Booker (47) is media savvy and the darling of the Manhattan donor class. But is the country ready for it’s second African-American commander in chief?
3. Andrew Cuomo –The ambitious New York governor has put together an impressive list of accomplishments, including his recently passed universal college tuition program. But in a party where the left is on the rise, would Dems go for a man who has positioned himself as a centrist?
4. Al Franken – During Senate confirmation hearings for Trump’s cabinet picks, Franken has been a breath of fresh air and a beacon of common sense. Some say the ex-comedian’s devastating wit is the perfect foil for the likes of a Donald Trump. But would Dems seriously consider the former star of Saturday Night Live?
5. Kamala Harris – She’s African-American and female. To many Democrats, she’s a dream candidate. But the first black woman to serve as California Attorney General just got to the Senate. She may be interested in higher office but has she paid her dues yet?

Here are some other names being bandied about for 2020: Sen. Kristen Gillibrand; Gov. Deval Patrick; Sen. Amy Klobuchar; Sen. Tim Kaine; Sen. Chris Murphy; Gov. John Hickenlooper; Sen. Sherrod Brown. Believe it or not, some are even mentioning Bernie Sanders and Joe Biden … and wait, Hillary Clinton! For some real long shots, how about Oprah Winfrey, Michele Obama, billionaire Mark Cuban or Dwayne “the Rock” Johnson?

Many are calling Barack Obama a once in a lifetime figure. For Democrats eager to regain the reins of power, can lightning strike twice?

(AP Photo/Gabriel Bouys, Pool)

If Vladimir Putin had any doubts whether his big investment in Donald Trump would pay off, he got his answer relatively quickly. Trump’s just concluded first trip abroad as commander in chief of the United States made all those rubles spent to get him elected the bargain of a lifetime.

Yes, Putin no doubt knew a Trump presidency would be a destabilizing factor inside American politics but could he have known the former reality TV star would be able to single-handedly sink America’s hard earned reputation in the world, particularly among our allies, so fast?

Ivo H. Daalder, a former U.S. NATO envoy, has said, thanks to Trump, the days of American global leadership are over.

“This seems to be the end of an era, one in which the United States led and Europe followed,” stated Daalder. “The president’s failure to endorse Article 5 in a speech at NATO headquarters, his continued lambasting of Germany and other allies on trade, his apparent decision to walk away from the Paris climate agreement – all suggest that the United States is less interested in leading globally than has been the case for the last 70 years.”

German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, in a speech following Trump’s visit admitted (ok indirectly) Germany and Europe could no longer count on the United States for support.

The days when her continent could rely on others was “over to a certain extent,” said Europe’s de facto leader. “This is what I have experienced in the last few days. And that is why I can only say that we Europeans must take fate into our own hands.”

A relationship with our allies that took President Obama years to mend following the disaster otherwise known as George W. Bush, wiped away by a bullying, hostile Trump in just one visit! Or as Trump himself described it: “Trip was a great success for America.” Putin, the former KGB spy, must be downright giddy! He has proven himself to be nothing short of a political mastermind.

Americans, and allies, take heart. Trump will not always occupy the Oval Office. Whether sooner or later, a new chief executive will be elected.

One can only hope the new American leader will be able to repair the damage done by the most unqualified, unfit president in American history and reclaim America’s rightful title as “leader of the free world.”

Do the Democrats have another Obama hiding somewhere?

Photo | the sun.co.uk

Call them what you want … deceptions, fabrications or falsehoods … the Trump White House is knee-deep in a cesspool of lies. Ranging from the comical (“No politician in history … has been treated worse or more unfairly”) to the absurd (“The Russia story is a total hoax”), it seems mendacity is at the core of the Trump administration.

But when media outlets report on the mountain of Trump BS, most loyal supporters of the president reflexively shout, “fake news.” Any story questioning Trump’s veracity is simply labeled unfair or “negative.”

And boy has the news coverage been negative!

It should come as no surprise that, barring Fox News, most of the nation’s largest and most influential news outlets rightfully do not support our deceitful president.

In a recent Harvard study, professor Thomas Patterson notes, “Trump’s coverage during his first 100 days set a new standard for negativity. Of news reports with a clear tone, negative reports outpaced positive ones by 80 percent to 20 percent. Trump’s coverage was unsparing. In no week did the coverage drop below 70 percent negative and it reached 90 percent negative at its peak.”

Unfortunately, for loyal Trump supporters, negative is synonymous with inaccurate.

To their credit, most news organizations have not let up on calling out the new president.

You know things aren’t going well when even some at Fox News think Trump is a disaster.

Chris Wallace, reporter for the Republicans’ most trusted mouthpiece, recently said, “Every step he has taken this week has cut into the credibility of this White House, the trust of the people inside the White House, and clearly I think the trust that the American people pay to this President and to his White House staff.”

During the presidential campaign, Ted Cruz correctly nailed Trump as a “pathological liar.” Now that falsifier occupies the Oval Office.

But as bad as having a lying president is (in damage to our country and national security), what’s even more frightening is that when the media does its job by reporting Trump’s lies, a large segment of the American population would rather attack the press than the prevaricating prez.

Photo | lyingcrookedtrump.com

After Donald Trump’s stunning win over Hillary Clinton on November 8, 2016, the majority of Americans braced themselves for the worst. Yes, a Trump presidency promised to be bad, but how awful could it possibly be? And if it devolved into a true horror show, Congress (i.e. Republicans) would impeach Trump and hand the reigns of power to Mike Pence (their preferred guy, anyway).

Only 118 days in office, we now know Trump’s “Reign of Error” is much worse than anyone could have imagined. His administration simply careens from one scandal to another. In just the past week, Trump committed what many are calling “obstruction of justice” by firing FBI Director James Comey and “treason” by revealing classified information to a foreign enemy, Russia.

But just as Trump boasted on the campaign trail he could shoot someone in the middle of Fifth Avenue and not lose supporters, nearly all congressional Republicans are sticking with their bumbling president. The “I” word is only being mentioned by a growing number of congressional Democrats.

True to form, it’s been a classic case of party over country for our nation’s Republican “leaders.”

The realization has sunk in among many Democrats the only way to send Trump to an early retirement is to win back the House in 2018 and begin impeachment proceedings.

There are two big problems with that assessment.

One, at the rate Trump and his administration are going, can the country even survive another year and a half of the Trump regime? And two, what makes Democrats believe that voters will be so sick of Trump they will punish Republicans by voting them out of office?

If history is any guide, Republicans will employ every dirty trick at their disposal to stay in power. A doubling down on their voter suppression tactics? You betcha! A ramping up of their propaganda machine (conservative news outlets) to keep voters misinformed? Why of course!

All one has to remember is that as disliked as George W. Bush was going into his 2004 reelection campaign, having an overall approval rating of under 50% (which normally spells doom for an incumbent), he beat the “swift-boated” John Kerry.

It is possible many of the party-loyal Republicans will go down in defeat in 2018 because of their support, and enabling, of what perhaps is already the most incompetent, dangerous and corrupt presidential administration in American history. But then again … they’ve been in dire situations before and have come out smelling like roses.

Photo | Liberal America

With all the fuss about how to categorize Donald Trump’s first 100 days in office, one thing seems certain. With little over three months in power, the Trump administration is already on track to be the most brazenly dishonest and corrupt in U.S. history.

Of course Trump campaigned as a populist. He was the only non-politician who could “drain the swamp,” otherwise known as Washington D.C. He was going to stop the endless “pay for play.” He was going to operate the most transparent administration in history. He promised to level with the American people.

But with each passing day in office, Trump showed his campaign promises were just ruses to attract angry Americans rightfully fed up with government corruption. Hillary was a crook. He was the billionaire who could not be bought. Remember?

Candidate Donald Trump promised to release his tax returns once in office. A few days ago, his Treasury Secretary, Steven Mnuchin, told a room of reporters Trump has “no intention” of releasing his returns. So much for transparency!

Whether it’s vacationing at his own properties or subtly promoting his brand, the 45^th president of the United States seems very comfortable enriching himself, his associates and family … in board daylight.

“I’m at a loss,” said Robert Maguire, an investigator with the Center for Responsive Politics, a group that advocates for more transparency in government and campaigns. “This idea that the presidency is something to enrich your private interest to the extent he’s doing, not by going on the speaking tour or getting a big book deal after he leaves office, but while he’s in office, sort of milking the office for all it’s worth ― it’s tacky.”

Ask a Trump supporter about the many apparent conflicts of interest surrounding the president’s affairs and they just shrug. Is there any reason why Trump should be concerned about his profiting from the presidency? No. Not when there is a Republican congress that happily turns a blind eye.

In a just released report,  NBC News informs that despite all the claims from Trump and Mike Pence that they had no idea disgraced former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn had accepted payments from a foreign government, this was a lie. NBC News has learned from sources close to the Trump-Russia investigation that both the Trump transition and the White House did do a background check on Flynn.

It’s just another example of the Trump Administration’s crookedness. They vetted Flynn, found dirt but hired him anyway… then lied about it.

With Trump, the level of corruption is unparalleled.

Photo | businessinsider.com

Neil Gorsuch is a marked man.

Much like Barry Bonds and his recording-breaking MLB home run record, Gorsuch’s confirmation to the United States Supreme Court will always be marked with an asterisk in the eyes of many Americans.

While Barry Bonds was able to break Hank Aaron’s home run record of 755 with the help of performance-enhancing drugs, Neil Gorsuch got his boost from a different power source … Senate Republicans. Gorsuch was able to become the 113^th justice of the Supreme Court when the GOP majority voted to change the longstanding rules on how a justice is confirmed.

Guided by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, the Senate voted, in effect, to require a simple majority to confirm a Supreme Court nominee instead of the previous 60 votes needed from the group of 100. In a body made up of 52 Republicans and 48 Democrats, Neil Gorsuch was confirmed by a vote of 54-45.

Baseball purists believe Barry Bonds is a thief. They say he stole the home run record from Aaron and therefore does not belong in the Baseball Hall of Fame. Baseball writers who vote on Hall of Fame inductees agree. They have consistently voted down Bonds every year he has been ballot eligible.

Nearly all Democrats see Gorsuch in the same negative light as baseball fans see Bonds. They believe Gorsuch stole the Supreme Court seat rightfully belonging to Merrick Garland, President Obama’s High Court pick. In a totally unprecedented move, not only did Senate Republicans refuse to vote on Garland’s nomination, they refused to even give him a hearing!

Anyone who did not believe Republicans would employ the “nuclear option” i.e. change Senate rules to benefit their candidate, must have been dozing the past several years.

Republicans know the only way they can maintain their grip on political power is to tilt the playing field in their favor … in other words, to cheat. They have secured themselves major electoral advantages through the gerrymandering of congressional and state legislative districts and through constitutionally-suspect voter suppression laws.

Much like the case with Bonds, history promises to be unkind to Neil Gorsuch. He will forever be known as the illegitimate Supreme Court justice, appointed by an illegitimate president, “installed” by a radical, precedent-breaking Republican Senate.

Photo | conservativereview.com

It is a mystery that has stumped many a great mind … why do some people vote against their own economic interests? Why do so many white, low and middle income voters keep electing Republicans whose agenda is diametrically opposed to their wants and needs?

In today’s New York Times, Nicholas Kristof tries to tackle that conundrum. In a piece titled, “In Trump Country, Shock at Trump Budget Cuts, but Still Loyalty,” Kristof interviews a number of Trump voters in the deep red state of Oklahoma.

Almost all of the Trump voters questioned will be adversely affected by White House proposals to ax programs they have depended on … in order to pay for Trump’s border wall and increase in military spending.

But while these Trump supporters are upset, Kristof warns Democrats not to be too gleeful. The prospect of winning over these “penitent voters” is still a long shot.

They do not regret their vote.

Even if Trump’s harmful budget cuts go through, Kristof found none regretted their votes and all said they might vote for Trump in 2020.

Kristof notes “some of the loyalty seemed to be grounded in resentment at Democrats for mocking Trump voters as dumb bigots, some from a belief that budgets are complicated, and some from a sense that it’s too early to abandon their man.”

My belief is that the loyalty Trump voters show towards their man is partly grounded in a deep, visceral hatred of liberal ideology, in general. The very concept of multiculturalism scares them to death. They fear for a future when whites will be in the minority. They long for the good old days when “others” knew their places. They see the Republican Party as their vehicle for getting them to their dreamed of promised land.

In a recent article for The Nation, Sean McElwee and Jason Mc Daniel write, “In short, our analysis indicates that Donald Trump successfully leveraged existing resentment towards African Americans in combination with emerging fears of increased racial diversity in America to reshape the presidential electorate, strongly attracting nativists towards Trump and pushing some more affluent and highly educated people with more cosmopolitan views to support Hillary Clinton. Racial identity and attitudes have further displaced class as the central battleground of American politics.”

While it sounded sophomoric at the time, Trump’s campaign slogan of “Making America Great Again” was pure marketing genius.

Photo | Andrea Morales/New York Times

For over seven years, Republicans railed against the “broken healthcare system” given to us by the Democrats. Obamacare, they told us, was a disaster that needed to be repealed and replaced. To drive home the point, House Republicans safely voted over 60 times to repeal the dreaded law knowing full well it would never be scrapped as long as Obama was president and could veto the bill.

With Donald Trump now occupying the White House, the Republican dream of relegating Obamacare to the dustbin of history seemed well within reach.

But the big moment never happened. Yesterday, the GOP healthcare bill went down in defeat. No, not because it failed to secure the required number of House votes to pass … but because the bill was yanked from the floor and never voted on.

Chuck Schumer, the Senate Minority Leader, attributed the GOP debacle to incompetence.

Ultimately, the TrumpCare bill failed because of two traits that have plagued the Trump presidency since he took office: incompetence and broken promises. In my life, I have never seen an administration as incompetent as the one occupying the White House today.

Schumer, of course, is right. But Republican incompetence and broken promises is just part of the story why the Republican effort to repeal and replace Obamacare failed.

Simply put, the GOP health plan was a bad bill.

Trump supporters, even in deeply red states, came out in force against the bill Trump tried to sell as one that would “lower costs, expand choices, increase competition, and ensure health care access for all Americans.”

It appears you can’t fool all of the people, all of the time. Even voters taken in by Trump’s con know dog poop when they see it.

Fearing for their political lives, is there any wonder why House Republicans, led by the bill’s architect, Paul Ryan, pulled the bill?

Hey, there are elections coming up next year!

Republicans got the message loud and clear at the many “town hall” meetings they held earlier this month with their constituents.

Nothing instills fear in the hearts of Republicans more than the prospect of losing their jobs … and their free gold-plated health insurance.

(AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

The GOP’s attempt to repeal and replace Obamacare has gone down in flames. For the second time in two days, Republican leaders pulled their bill from the House floor when it became clear the votes to pass the much promised legislation was headed for a humiliating defeat.

What happens next is anybody’s guess.

Will Republicans, after seven years of attacking Obamacare and over 60 House votes to repeal the law, just move on?

The Republican healthcare bill, sometimes known as Trumpcare, sometimes Ryancare, was disliked by both moderate and conservative Republicans … but for different reasons. Moderates were against the bill’s harsh treatment of Americans enjoying the benefits of Obamacare. For conservatives, the bill was despised because it wasn’t harsh enough.

One thing’s for sure. Donald Trump will not take the blame for this humiliating turn of events. The fact that Trump resisted calling the GOP bill “Trumpcare” tells you all you need to know about how committed the president was to the legislation in the first place.

For Trump, the bill’s passage was always more about racking up a big win than actually effecting policy. Some political pundits even questioned Trump’s knowledge of the bill and how it would disproportionally affect the very people who helped get him elected.

The smart money is on Trump blaming the debacle on Obama and the Democrats. Can anyone actually rule out Fox News finding a way to blame Benghazi or Clinton’s email server for the defeat?

If Trump follows through on his plan to spend another weekend golfing at his luxury Mar-a-Lago resort, he’ll have plenty of time to clear his head and think about the next big thing on his agenda … tax reform.

You can be sure Republican lawmakers will be on board with another attempt at “trickle down” economics… or as Hillary Clinton called it on the campaign trail, “Trumped up, trickle down” economics.

Photo | politicususa.com