Tag: President Trump 2018 midterms

Contributor Post Created with Sketch. Recommended by Ricochet Members Created with Sketch. Steve Scalise for the Win, Part 2

Clifford A. Brown
By Clifford A. Brown
Clifford A. Brown Contributor
Retired from the U.S. Army Reserve as a Colonel after 30 years of active and reserve assignments. M.A. Political Science, M.S. Strategic Studies, Army War College, JD. Served in 1st Armored Division in West Germany when the Berlin Wall came down, in 2nd Infantry Division in South Korea during the regime of Kim Il Sung, and commanded a logistics battalion in Iraq 2003-2004. Wide-ranging public policy interests. Occasional home brewer and infuser of alcohol spirits.
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27 COMMENTS
 

Many months ago, in May 2018, I reacted to Paul Ryan’s announced retirement, while failing to yield the Speakership, with an impassioned plea for Majority Whip Steve Scalise to be immediately elevated to Speaker, leading the House Republicans to midterm election victory. This week’s news has, regrettably, borne out the wisdom of that advice. If the Republicans hold the House majority, it will be despite the worst efforts of Ryan, and thanks to Congressman Steve Scalise and President Donald Trump.

It should have been obvious, to all House Republicans who wished to retain their majority, and the power and perks of office, that:

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Contributor Post Created with Sketch. Recommended by Ricochet Members Created with Sketch. Arizona Rally: The MAGA Main Event

Clifford A. Brown
By Clifford A. Brown
Clifford A. Brown Contributor
Retired from the U.S. Army Reserve as a Colonel after 30 years of active and reserve assignments. M.A. Political Science, M.S. Strategic Studies, Army War College, JD. Served in 1st Armored Division in West Germany when the Berlin Wall came down, in 2nd Infantry Division in South Korea during the regime of Kim Il Sung, and commanded a logistics battalion in Iraq 2003-2004. Wide-ranging public policy interests. Occasional home brewer and infuser of alcohol spirits.
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17 COMMENTS
 

This report follows an earlier report on the “opening acts” at the 19 October 2018, Mesa, Arizona, MAGA rally. The event started after a significant number of people were in the hanger, but while people were still being admitted both into the hanger and then into the overflow viewing area. The organization and execution of the event reflected great professionalism and experience. This set the stage for a successful appearance by the President and Senate candidate Martha McSally, both of whose performances are worth noting. We do not have a Texas-size population, but Arizona punches way above its weight.

Staging: Yuge congratulations to the City of Mesa, the Donald J. Trump MAGA event coordinators, and especially the Mesa Police Department! This event was at least double the size of the 2017 Phoenix rally and had none of the leftist mob drama. To be fair, the choice of terrain favored law enforcement, and discouraged significant trouble, before or after the event. Instead of urban canyons, through which small groups could maneuver and strike, the venue was at the edge of a former Air Force airfield, with open desert on its border.

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Contributor Post Created with Sketch. Recommended by Ricochet Members Created with Sketch. Arizona Rally: The Opening Act, Oh My!

Clifford A. Brown
By Clifford A. Brown
Clifford A. Brown Contributor
Retired from the U.S. Army Reserve as a Colonel after 30 years of active and reserve assignments. M.A. Political Science, M.S. Strategic Studies, Army War College, JD. Served in 1st Armored Division in West Germany when the Berlin Wall came down, in 2nd Infantry Division in South Korea during the regime of Kim Il Sung, and commanded a logistics battalion in Iraq 2003-2004. Wide-ranging public policy interests. Occasional home brewer and infuser of alcohol spirits.
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25 COMMENTS
 

The Arizona MAGA Rally was another great success, no thanks to the new Arizona Republican Party Chairman. The structure of these rallies is set and well known by now. President Trump is the headliner, and he will bring up a person who he wants to highlight during his speech. Before that, there are a series of opening acts, following the consistent opening ceremony, comprised of: the Pledge of Allegiance, public prayer invocation, and the National Anthem. Stunningly, the new guy in Arizona, Jonathan Lines, managed to mangle both the National Anthem and the opening acts.

Setting the Scene:

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Contributor Post Created with Sketch. Recommended by Ricochet Members Created with Sketch. McSally vs. Sinema: (Southwest) Desert Storm

Clifford A. Brown
By Clifford A. Brown
Clifford A. Brown Contributor
Retired from the U.S. Army Reserve as a Colonel after 30 years of active and reserve assignments. M.A. Political Science, M.S. Strategic Studies, Army War College, JD. Served in 1st Armored Division in West Germany when the Berlin Wall came down, in 2nd Infantry Division in South Korea during the regime of Kim Il Sung, and commanded a logistics battalion in Iraq 2003-2004. Wide-ranging public policy interests. Occasional home brewer and infuser of alcohol spirits.
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18 COMMENTS
 

Well, maybe a brief shower, with occasional distant thunder. Monday evening, two Arizona congresswomen, Martha McSally and Kyrsten Sinema, squared off in a debate. This was the only debate in the campaign. Indeed, both McSally and Sinema refused to debate their primary opponents. The debate will likely do little to move the electorate.

Debate Mechanics

The debate was held in the PBS studio, at the Cronkite School of Journalism, on the downtown Arizona State University campus. There was no live audience. Each candidate stood behind a translucent lectern, with notes on the lectern. Each candidate was asked the same questions in this manner: 90-second answer, 45-second response, followed by up to two minutes of discussion on the topic. The closing comments were one minute apiece. Total time, from administrative introduction through closing statements, was 59 minutes, 42 seconds.

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Contributor Post Created with Sketch. Recommended by Ricochet Members Created with Sketch. A Letter to Congresswoman Martha McSally

Clifford A. Brown
By Clifford A. Brown
Clifford A. Brown Contributor
Retired from the U.S. Army Reserve as a Colonel after 30 years of active and reserve assignments. M.A. Political Science, M.S. Strategic Studies, Army War College, JD. Served in 1st Armored Division in West Germany when the Berlin Wall came down, in 2nd Infantry Division in South Korea during the regime of Kim Il Sung, and commanded a logistics battalion in Iraq 2003-2004. Wide-ranging public policy interests. Occasional home brewer and infuser of alcohol spirits.
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22 COMMENTS
 

Dear Congresswoman McSally,

You are stuck a month out, unable to persuade about 10 percent of Arizona voters to commit, but you can overcome this reticence, if you regain your military career courage and move past the professional political advisors’ caution. The weight holding you down is the recent history of the past two Republican Senators. You must show, not say, show by burning bridges, that you are no Flake, and that you will never stick your thumb in the eye of the voters, as Sen. McCain did with the Obamacare vote.

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Recommended by Ricochet Members Created with Sketch. Open Letter to Anonymous

Front Seat Cat
By Front Seat Cat
Front Seat Cat Member
Cat lover
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30 COMMENTS
 

An Open Letter to Anonymous, the Author of, “I Am Part of the Resistance inside the Trump Administration.” printed in the New York Times:

Mr. or Ms. Anonymous,

I just finished reading your opinion piece in the New York Times. I first take issue with the title. You are part of a resistance – where? Inside the Executive Branch, Congress, all over? You are not specific, but let me be specific. The people went to the polls in November 2016 and did not elect you President.

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Three Martini Lunch

Nelson’s ‘Four Pinocchios,’ GOP Senators AWOL, Losing House Good for Trump?

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Hosted by Greg Corombos
With guest David French

David French of National Review and Greg Corombos of Radio America applaud the Washington Post for assigning “Four Pinocchios” to Florida Sen. Bill Nelson’s claim that the Russians had already infiltrated his state’s election systems, even though every relevant office in federal and state government had no idea what he was talking about. They also hammer Republican senators for wasting their time in session this month because seven GOP members failed to show up this week, handing Democrats a functional majority while critical votes are supposed to be happening. And they scratch their heads over a new rationale among some Republicans that Democrats winning control of the House in the midterm elections would actually be a very good thing for President Trump’s re-election prospects in 2020.

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