Category Archives: Elections

The Struggle for the Soul of America: Trump and the Republican Party Represent a Real Fascist Threat to American Democracy

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In my last blog, I noted Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer would be my choice for the Democratic nomination for president if Biden stepped down, which, for a short time, seemed possible. Since it’s now clear to me that Biden will not be stepping down, I won’t go into why I favored Whitmer as I had originally intended. Still, keep an eye on her. She will most likely be in the Democrats’ top tier for the 2028 nomination.

But for 2024, I will strongly support Biden assuming he will be the Democratic nominee. In fact, I will support any Democrat over Trump or whomever the Republicans nominate. While there are many reasons for my position, chief among them is that the Republican Party is anti-democratic and veering toward fascism.

While this may sound alarmist, the American people need to be clear about what the Republican Party is up to. New York Times opinion columnist Charles Blow recently observed that Republicans “have turned their backs on democracy.” Since they realize they are becoming a minority party, Blow concludes that the Republicans “want to devise a plan for minority rule.”[1]

That plan has a strong fascist tint to it. A mass political movement, fascism “emphasizes extreme nationalism, militarism, and the supremacy of both the nation and the single, powerful leader over the individual citizen.”[2] This is exactly what Trump and his MAGA stormtroopers are fighting for.

The great majority of Republicans back Trump. If he wins the presidency next year, the New York Times reports that Trump intends “a sweeping expansion of presidential power over the machinery of government,…reshaping the structure of the executive branch to concentrate far greater authority directly in his hands…” He plans “to alter the balance of power by increasing the president’s authority over every part of the federal government…” and suppressing all opposition.[3]

Miles Taylor, the former chief of staff in Trump’s Department of Homeland Security, interviewed numerous Trump aides and GOP leaders who know the ex-president. Here’s what they believe would happen if Trump or another MAGA candidate wins the White House next year:

First, the entire executive branch would be weaponized. The military would be deployed on U.S. soil to crush protests. Executive agencies would be politicized, focusing on actions to solidify and enhance Trump’s supreme authority.

Second, Congress would be neutralized, and GOP objectors muzzled..

Third, the justice system would be used to punish the MAGA movement’s enemies. The FBI would be used for revenge.[4]

Whatever doubts we may have about another four years of President Biden, they pall in comparison to the dangers a second Trump presidency presents. It is not too early to sound the alarm and motivate our friends, family, and colleagues to engage in the fight to save our democracy from the dire threat that Trump and his MAGA followers pose.

Bruce Berlin

P.S. I will be traveling out of the country for the next two weeks. My blog will resume the week of October 9.

A retired, public sector ethics attorney, Berlin is the author of Breaking Big Money’s Grip on America (See breakingbigmoneysgrip.com.), the founder of New Mexicans for Money Out of Politics, a former U.S. Institute of Peace fellow, and the founder and former executive director of The Trinity Forum for International Security and Conflict Resolution. He can be reached at breakingbigmoneysgrip@gmail.com.

Subscribe to this blog at https://breakingbigmoneysgrip.com/my-blog-3/. Join the movement to revive our democracy. Together we can save the soul of America.

[1] https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/03/opinion/republican-party-anti-democracy.html

[2] https://world101.cfr.org/contemporary-history/world-war/what-fascism

[3] https://www.nytimes.com/2023/07/17/us/politics/trump-plans-2025.html

[4] https://time.com/6294052/new-trump-presidency-would-be-even-worse/

The Struggle for the Soul of America: Should Biden Run for Re-election?

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In a recent CNN poll, two-thirds of Democratic voters believed the Democrats should nominate someone other than President Biden in 2024. The biggest concern among the respondents was his age. If re-elected, the President would be 82 by the time he began a second term.[1]

Views of Biden’s performance in office are deeply negative in the new poll. His job approval rating stands at just 39%, and 58% say that his policies have made economic conditions in the US worse. Seventy percent say things in the country are going badly, and 51% say government should be doing more to solve the nation’s problems.[2]

While I do not fall in line with some of the above poll responses, I am now with the Democrats who want Biden to step aside and have the Party nominate someone else for president next year. Here are some pressing reasons for my decision:

First, I feel Biden is too old to lead the nation. We need new energy, fresh vision and vitality. If you can remember that far back, think about when the young John F. Kennedy ran for president in 1960. Like then, it’s now time for a new generation of leadership. Nancy Pelosi and her octogenarian deputies recognized that and stepped away from leading the House Democrats. Biden should do the same.

Second, the Democrats need to inspire voters, not just say we’re better than the other guy. This is especially true with getting out the Gen-Z youth vote which is critical to the Democrats’ election prospects. Biden does not generate enthusiasm among younger voters. In fact, he does not among a great many voters of all ages.

Third, in the latest poll, the leading Republican candidate, Donald Trump, is tied with Biden, despite the fact that Trump has been indicted four times.[3] With 91 felony counts pending against him, Trump’s nomination should, theoretically, provide Biden with the best shot at winning. But, if tying with Trump is the best he can do, what happens when the Republicans finally decide to nominate someone without all of Trump’s baggage, someone significantly younger with executive and foreign policy experience like former Gov. Nikki Haley? 

Fourth, if the Republicans do nominate Haley, even for vice president, the Democrats will lose some moderate Republican women who were leaning Democratic due to the abortion rights issue. While clearly pro-life, Haley is taking a broader approach to abortion as she tries to hold onto those women voters. That includes encouraging adoption, providing contraception, and not criminalizing women who have the procedure.[4]

Fifth, Biden’s support is slipping among a key Democratic constituency, nonwhite voters. Biden now receives support from just 53% of registered nonwhite voters. In 2020, he won more than 70% of nonwhite voters.[5]

Democrats win when voter turnout is high. If young and nonwhite voters are not enthusiastic about the Democratic candidate, the turnout will not work in the Democrats’ favor. Add to that a woman on the Republican ticket and their gender advantage will be diminished as well.

Can the Democrats afford to take a chance with Biden when so much is at stake? Shouldn’t Democratic leaders, as well as the rest of us, be speaking out and pressuring Biden to step aside for the good of the country?

While there are a number of next generation Democrats who could take Biden’s place and win the White House, I favor Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. According to The New Yorker magazine, “she is a Democrat who fights and wins in one of the most competitive parts of the country.”[6] More about why Gov. Whitmer and the Democrats’ dilemma next week.

Bruce Berlin

A retired, public sector ethics attorney, Berlin is the author of Breaking Big Money’s Grip on America (See breakingbigmoneysgrip.com.), the founder of New Mexicans for Money Out of Politics, a former U.S. Institute of Peace fellow, and the founder and former executive director of The Trinity Forum for International Security and Conflict Resolution. He can be reached at breakingbigmoneysgrip@gmail.com.

Subscribe to this blog at https://breakingbigmoneysgrip.com/my-blog-3/. Join the movement to revive our democracy. Together we can save the soul of America.

[1] [1] https://www.cnn.com/2023/09/07/politics/cnn-poll-joe-biden-headwinds/index.html

[2] Ibid.

[3] https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2024-election/biden-trump-tied-polls-rcna103893

[4] https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/09/us/politics/haley-abortion-2024-presidential-race.html

[5] https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/05/upshot/biden-trump-black-hispanic-voters.html?partner=slack&smid=sl-share

[6] https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2023/07/24/how-gretchen-whitmer-made-michigan-a-democratic-stronghold

The Struggle for the Soul of America: Trump Train Falling Off the Rails

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I can see the tide turning. On Tuesday, voters in an Iowa county that supported Trump by a 17-point margin in 2020 voted to elect Democrat Kimberly Sheets to the position of county auditor. Sheets captured 66.5% of the vote over her Republican opponent who had spread false conspiracy theories about the 9/11 terrorist attacks and the 2020 presidential election. Iowa’s county auditors oversee elections.[1]

On Monday, U.S. District Judge Tanya S. Chutkan scheduled Donald Trump’s D.C. trial on charges of attempting to overturn the 2020 presidential election for March 4, 2024.[2] As hard as he tries, Trump will not be able to hide his disgraceful betrayal of our democracy until after next year’s presidential election.

Last Thursday, Fulton County Judge Scott McAfee set October 23rd for the trial of Kenneth Chesebro, one of 18 defendants charged alongside former President Trump with various acts of conspiracy to overturn the state’s 2020 election results.[3] While Trump may not be on trial in this latter hearing, it will expose to the American people a great deal about his alleged criminal wrongdoing in the 2020 Georgia election.

Finally, the wheels are coming off the treacherous Trump train. But even if Trump is found guilty in all four criminal cases now pending against him, it will not fix our broken democracy.

That is why it’s imperative that we, the people, need to get to work now to fix our democracy. That’s a very tall order. Many measures, beginning with open primaries and the right to vote and have our votes counted for everyone over 18, will be required to repair our democracy. While what’s required won’t happen overnight, if we want to save our country from autocratic rule, there is no time to waste.

Where to start and what to do? For some practical answers to those questions, attend the ‘Fix Our Democracy’ rally on the eastside of the Roundhouse in Santa Fe this Friday at noon. Rick Hubbard, who is alerting Americans to the urgent necessity to come together and repel the imminent danger to our democratic way of life, will be the featured speaker.

Hubbard, an 81-year-old retired lawyer and political activist, is Walking Across America to Fix Our Democracy. Obviously, he can’t do it alone. This is a critical time in our country and if we ever were going to help save our democracy from authoritarianism, now is the time to step up and get involved.

Show your support and attend the rally this Friday at noon and bring a friend or two with you. Urge all your friends and colleagues to be there. Please send this notice to as many people as you can. For more information, see the press release below.

Bruce Berlin

A retired, public sector ethics attorney, Berlin is the author of Breaking Big Money’s Grip on America (See breakingbigmoneysgrip.com.), the founder of New Mexicans for Money Out of Politics, a former U.S. Institute of Peace fellow, and the founder and former executive director of The Trinity Forum for International Security and Conflict Resolution. He can be reached at breakingbigmoneysgrip@gmail.com.

Subscribe to this blog at https://breakingbigmoneysgrip.com/my-blog-3/. Join the movement to revive our democracy. Together we can save the soul of America.

For immediate release

CONTACT: Rick Hubbard Cell: 802-999-3905 

Email: fixdemocracy@rickhubbard.org 

This 82-Year-Old Could Be at Home Complaining About Dysfunctional Government.

Instead, He’s Walking Across the Country to Fix Our Democracy.  

 Many Americans think that our government and political system isn’t serving the common good. Instead of properly serving constituents, our elected representatives spend countless hours raising money and becoming beholden to special interests. However, one man is taking to America’s roads to say that all is not lost, and “we the people” have the power to rescue our democracy. 

Retired Vermont lawyer and businessman Rick Hubbard started his Walking to Fix Our Democracy quest from Pasadena, CA in October of 2022. He will arrive in Santa Fe, NM Friday morning, September 1, and will speak at the east side of the Roundhouse at 12 noon hosted by Indivisible Santa Fe, RepresentUs New Mexico, Common Cause New Mexico and Breaking Big Money’s Grip on America.  The nonpartisan event is free and all are welcome.

Hubbard traveled through California, Nevada and Arizona before leaving the road in December 2022 when his life-partner Sally had a relapse of her cancer and later passed away in April 2023.  After putting her affairs in order, Rick returned to the Walk in August 2023, starting in New Mexico with the intention of arriving in Washington, DC after the January 2025 inauguration and a new Congress is seated.  

Hubbard’s project is not just about one person, however.   Walking to Fix Our Democracy is a national effort to engage, activate, and support citizens to fix our democracy.  Rick wants to empower voters across the land to walk and advocate in their own communities to demand proper representation.   

“We can make our political system fairer, more inclusive, more competitive, and more representative. Our walk is a nonpartisan effort to make the case in communities across the U.S. that fixing our democracy first is the quickest and most effective way to unlock progress on issues important to us all: Climate change, health care, education, infrastructure, the freedom to vote, campaign financing, and much more,” says Hubbard. 

Walking to Fix Our Democracy has several purposes: 

  • Raise awareness about the need, and ways, to avoid autocratic rule of government. 
  • Spotlight state and local democracy activist efforts along the route. 
  • To encourage short walks for the same purpose on specific, coordinated dates in communities across America. 
  • To encourage candidates for Congress and other levels of government to make fixing our democracy their lead issue, starting with the passage of the Freedom to Vote Act and John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act. 

Hubbard considers this project as an opportunity for high school and college age youth to amplify their voices and concerns about how government functions and its accountability, both locally and nationally.   “I have a request for youth to tell me what to say or ask on their behalf, when I speak with the media, our elected and potential representatives, and the American people,” he stated. 

As Hubbard walks, he encourages citizens of all ages to walk with him, organize local walks, invite him to speak to groups, high schools and colleges, and share his effort via social media.  “My logistics are mostly a volunteer effort,” said Hubbard.  “I depend on volunteers as I travel to help drive the RV, organize events and help get the word out.  This walk, like democracy, isn’t a spectator sport!  It won’t be successful unless we all do our part to make it work,” he said. 

See the schedule and how to get involved by visiting the website at http://www.fixourdemocracy.us

[1] https://iowastartingline.com/2023/08/29/iowa-voters-oust-conspiracy-theorist-from-county-elections-post/?utm_campaign=shareaholic&utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=socialnetwork

[2] https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2023/08/28/trump-jan-6-trial-date/?utm_source=alert&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=wp_news_alert_revere&location=alert

[3] https://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/4169484-fulton-county-da-seeks-oct-23-start-date-in-trump-georgia-trial-after-speedy-trial-request/

The Struggle for the Soul of America: Walking Across America to Fix Our Democracy

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Many Americans believe that our government and political system do not serve the common good. And, they are correct. Instead of properly serving constituents, our elected representatives spend countless hours raising money and becoming beholden to special interests. (See my book at breakingbigmoneysgrip.com)

However, Rick Hubbard is taking to America’s roads to say that all is not lost, and “we the people” have the power to rescue our democracy. A retired Vermont lawyer and businessman, Rick started his Walking to Fix Our Democracy quest from Pasadena, CA in October of 2022. He will arrive in Santa Fe, NM, Friday morning, September 1, and will speak at the east side of the Roundhouse at 12:10 p.m. hosted by Indivisible Santa Fe, New Mexicans for Money Out of Politics and Breaking Big Money’s Grip on America. The nonpartisan event is free and all are welcome.

Hubbard traveled through California, Nevada and Arizona before leaving the road in December 2022 when his life-partner, Sally, had a relapse of her cancer and later passed away in April 2023.  After putting her affairs in order, Rick returned to the Walk in August 2023, starting here in New Mexico with the intention of arriving in Washington, DC, about the time of the January 2025 presidential inauguration and the seating of a new Congress.  

Hubbard’s Walk to Fix Our Democracy is a national effort to engage, activate, and support citizens to fix our democracy.  Rick wants to empower Americans across the land to walk and advocate in their own communities to demand the right to vote and proper representation for all citizens. 

“We can make our political system fairer, more inclusive, more competitive, and more representative. Our walk is a nonpartisan effort to make the case in communities across the U.S. that fixing our democracy first is the quickest and most effective way to unlock progress on issues important to us all: Climate change, health care, education, infrastructure, the freedom to vote, campaign financing, and much more,” says Hubbard. 

Walking to Fix Our Democracy has several purposes: 

  • To raise awareness about the need, and ways, to avoid autocratic rule of government. 
  • To spotlight state and local democracy activist efforts along the route. 
  • To encourage short walks for the same purpose on specific, coordinated dates in communities across America. 
  • To encourage candidates for Congress and other levels of government to make fixing our democracy their lead issue, starting with the passage of the Freedom to Vote Act and John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act. 

Hubbard considers this project as an opportunity for high school and college age youth to amplify their voices and concerns about how government functions and its accountability, both locally and nationally.   “I have a request for youth to tell me what to say or ask on their behalf, when I speak with the media, our elected and potential representatives, and the American people,” he stated. 

As Hubbard walks, he encourages citizens of all ages to walk with him, organize local walks, invite him to speak to groups, high schools and colleges, and share his effort via social media.  “My logistics are mostly a volunteer effort,” said Hubbard.  “I depend on volunteers as I travel to help drive the RV, organize events and help get the word out.  This walk, like democracy, isn’t a spectator sport!  It won’t be successful unless we all do our part to make it work,” he said. 

Come to the Roundhouse in Santa Fe on Friday, September 1, at 12 noon to hear Rick speak and join him in the effort to Fix Our Democracy. To learn more about Rick and the Walk to Fix Our Democracy go to https://www.fixourdemocracy.us/.

Bruce Berlin

A retired, public sector ethics attorney, Berlin is the author of Breaking Big Money’s Grip on America (See breakingbigmoneysgrip.com.), the founder of New Mexicans for Money Out of Politics, a former U.S. Institute of Peace fellow, and the founder and former executive director of The Trinity Forum for International Security and Conflict Resolution. He can be reached at breakingbigmoneysgrip@gmail.com.

Subscribe to this blog at https://breakingbigmoneysgrip.com/my-blog-3/. Join the movement to revive our democracy. Together we can save the soul of America.

The Struggle for the Soul of America: Trump Is His Own Worst Enemy

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On Thursday, August 10th, Special Counsel Jack Smith requested a January 2, 2024 trial date in the insurrection case against Donald Trump.[1] Objecting to such an early trial, Trump immediately fired back that Smith was “deranged” and the date was “election interference,” given the Iowa caucuses are just two weeks later on January 15, 2024.[2] 

The prosecutors have indicated that the first batch of discovery material they will share with Trump’s team includes roughly 11.6 million pages.[3] For the defense to just review that much evidence — and there’s more to come — would most likely take longer than five months.

Trump, on the other hand, wants to delay the trial until after the 2024 election. He is betting on winning the election. As president, he would then fire Smith and Attorney General Merrick Garland and have the charges dropped by his newly appointed attorney general.

By calling for such an early trial, Smith is giving U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan room to set a compromise date that would still be prior to the general election campaign next fall. The judge indicated that she would set the trial date at the next pretrial hearing on August 28th.

 If the trial is to be before the election — given that the voting public needs to know the verdict before going to the polls — it stands to reason the case should be heard before the Republicans choose their candidate for president next July. The GOP must know whether Trump is a convicted felon before it chooses its nominee.

Then, on Friday, Judge Chutkan held a hearing regarding “protective orders” governing evidence. Smith’s motion for a protective order was in response to Trump’s post on social media: “If you go after me, I’m coming after you.”[4] Trump has made a number of other threatening or intimidating remarks targeting potential witnesses, like former Vice President Mike Pence, as well as Smith, that could also impact the jury pool.[5]

But Trump’s bullying just may backfire. In response to his public browbeating, Judge Chutkan made it clear that she would not tolerate Trump harassing or threatening witnesses. She noted:

Even arguably ambiguous statements from parties or their counsel, if they can be reasonably interpreted to intimidate witnesses or to prejudice potential jurors, can threaten the process…The more a party makes inflammatory statements about this case which could taint the jury pool, the greater the urgency will be that we proceed to trial quickly.[6]

We all know what a hard time Trump has keeping his mouth shut. The judge has warned him and his lawyers that she “will take whatever measures are necessary to safeguard the integrity of these proceedings.”[7] That could even include incarcerating Trump prior to the trial. Just a few days ago in another federal criminal case, U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan revoked Sam Bankman-Fried’s bail and ordered him jailed pending trial for attempting “to tamper with witnesses” in his multibillion-dollar fraud case.[8]

While Trump may have valid arguments for a trial date later than next January, Trump’s inability to behave ethically in accordance with the judge’s orders may hasten his trial date and lead to his downfall. In effect, Trump is his own worst enemy.

Bruce Berlin

A retired, public sector ethics attorney, Berlin is the author of Breaking Big Money’s Grip on America (See breakingbigmoneysgrip.com.), the founder of New Mexicans for Money Out of Politics, a former U.S. Institute of Peace fellow, and the founder and former executive director of The Trinity Forum for International Security and Conflict Resolution. He can be reached at breakingbigmoneysgrip@gmail.com.

Subscribe to this blog at https://breakingbigmoneysgrip.com/my-blog-3/. Join the movement to revive our democracy. Together we can save the soul of America.

[1] https://www.courthousenews.com/feds-push-for-january-trial-date-in-jan-6-case-against-donald-trump/

[2] https://www.yahoo.com/news/rattled-trump-melts-down-truth-135728272.html

[3] https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-protective-order-january-6-case-judge-hearing/

[4] https://www.politico.com/news/2023/08/04/feds-alert-judge-to-trumps-if-you-go-after-me-im-coming-after-you-post-00109944

[5] https://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-mike-pence-attacks-jan6-trial-1818217

[6] https://www.politico.com/news/2023/08/11/judge-warns-trump-speed-trial-00110870

[7] Ibid.

[8] https://www.politico.com/news/2023/08/11/sam-bankman-fried-sent-to-jail-while-he-awaits-trial-00110933

The Struggle for the Soul of America: The Beginning of the End for Donald Trump

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Many thought this day would never come. My gut told me that American democracy would not survive if it let Donald Trump off the hook. Then, on August 1, 2023, more than two and a half years after the January 6th attack on our nation’s Capitol, Trump was indicted for conspiring to overturn the 2020 presidential election. The former president is finally being held accountable for his treasonous conduct.

            While there is no guarantee that justice will prevail, there is now a clear and convincing path to Trump’s being found guilty as charged. For those who still remain skeptical, consider these factors:

            The Judge Assigned to the Case.  U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan, nominated to the bench by President Barack Obama and confirmed by a 95-0 bipartisan Senate vote, will oversee the case. She has stood out as one of the toughest punishers of rioters who stormed the U.S. Capitol on January 6th, even handing down harsher sentences than Justice Department prosecutors recommended. At one sentencing hearing, Judge Chutkan explained, “It is not patriotism, it is not standing up for America to stand up for one man – who knows full well that he lost – instead of the Constitution he was trying to subvert.”1

In November 2021, Judge Chutkan ruled against Trump in a prior hearing when she refused his request to block the release of documents to the U.S. House’s Jan. 6 committee by asserting executive privilege.2

            The Trial Venue. The January 6th conspiracy case will be tried in Washington, D.C., a pretty progressive city with a multicultural population. Unlike the Mar-a-Lago documents case in Florida, the jury pool will not be drawn from a Republican-friendly area more inclined to look favorably upon the former president.

Trump has already questioned whether an impartial jury can be seated in D.C. But Judge Chutkan previously ruled in the case of one January 6th defendant that the assumption the jury pool would be politically biased against them was “not an appropriate basis for changing venue.” She found that “Jurors’ political leanings are not, by themselves, evidence that those jurors cannot fairly and impartially consider the evidence presented and apply the law as instructed by the court.”3 Judge Chutkan will not permit the trial to be moved to another venue.

            The Timing of the Trial. It is critical that the case be tried before the November 2024 presidential election. The American people must know the outcome of this trial before they go to the polls, assuming Trump is the GOP nominee, which now seems likely. But Trump and his attorneys will do everything they can to delay the trial until after the election. They will argue that they need more time for discovery and pre-trial motions in such an important case.

Additionally, Trump will contend that the government had over two years to prepare its case, and, in all fairness, he should have just as much time to get ready for the trial. In fact, Jack Smith, the special prosecutor handling the case, was not appointed until November 18, 2022, less than nine months ago. Prior to that, the Department of Justice was focusing on prosecuting people who participated in the January 6th attack on the Capitol. Preparing the case against Trump was not the DOJ’s focus until Smith came on board. Thus, Smith can argue that giving Trump, who has known for several months that an indictment was coming, another nine months to get ready for trial would be equivalent to what the prosecutor has had to put his case together.

            The 1974-75 Watergate case involved high-level officials in the Nixon administration who were charged and convicted of conspiracy and obstruction of justice. It was a complex political trial comparable to the January 6th insurrection case. President Nixon was named as an unindicted co-conspirator in that case.4 The seven defendants were indicted on March 1, 1974, and tried and convicted in January 1975, less than a year later.5 Given the Watergate precedent, Trump’s trial could be completed by next summer.

            Trump already has two other trials scheduled for next year. In one of them, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg has signaled that he is ready to set aside former President Trump’s March 2024 trial date in New York to make way for a possible trial related to Special Counsel Jack Smith’s January 6th insurrection trial.6 That would make a Spring 2024 trial date for the insurrection case feasible. It would also provide Trump’s attorneys with approximately nine months to prepare for trial.

            The Prosecutor. Special Counsel Smith has a reputation for winning tough cases against war criminals, mobsters, and crooked cops.7 As a former prosecutor for the NM Public Education Department, I know that prosecutors do not bring charges against someone unless they are confident that they have the evidence to prove their case. I’m sure Smith has that confidence as well.

Smith called for a speedy trial in this case.8 One very significant indicator of Smith’s desire to bring this case to trial as soon as possible is that despite noting six other co-conspirators, none of them were indicted. Indicting others would have required more discovery and pre-trial motions which would have been more reason to extend the trial date. Smith is well aware of the importance of trying and winning this case before next year’s election.

The Key Witnesses. Almost all of the key witnesses in this case are credible Republicans, most of whom were appointed by or closely associated with Trump. Bill Barr, Trump’s former attorney general, confirmed that Trump “knew well he lost the election.”9

Former Vice President Pence stated that Trump pushed him to reject the Electoral vote count on January 6th in violation of his Constitutional role and send the election to the House of Representatives.10 There are many more GOP witnesses of high standing ready to testify how Trump plotted to overthrow the government. The picture they will paint is of a power-hungry tyrant itching to turn American democracy into an autocracy under his total control.11 The DOJ and the American people cannot allow this to happen.

The time has come. For Donald Trump, it’s the beginning of the end.

Bruce Berlin

A retired, public sector ethics attorney, Berlin is the author of Breaking Big Money’s Grip on America (See breakingbigmoneysgrip.com.), the founder of New Mexicans for Money Out of Politics, a former U.S. Institute of Peace fellow, and the founder and former executive director of The Trinity Forum for International Security and Conflict Resolution. He can be reached at breakingbigmoneysgrip@gmail.com.

Subscribe to this blog at https://breakingbigmoneysgrip.com/my-blog-3/. Join the movement to revive our democracy. Together we can save the soul of America.

  1. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-66383603
  1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wevombMsZFY
  1. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/07/17/us/politics/trump-plans-2025.html

The Struggle for the Soul of America: Dealing with the Times That Try Our Souls

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We are living in very stressful, dangerous times. Record-breaking temperatures, massive wildfires, attacks on our democracy, escalating gun violence, states eliminating the right to an abortion, the threat of another pandemic, the growing possibility of civil war, rising antisemitism, discrimination against people of color, and the list goes on.

Some of us can’t bear to watch the news anymore and feel there’s nothing that can be done to help prevent or alleviate the disasters in the making. Others volunteer with political or social services organizations, and/or make donations to these groups. Nevertheless, dark clouds continue to hang over our nation. Regardless of what we do or don’t do, it just seems to be getting worse. Is there no way out of the mess we’re in?

I don’t claim to have the solutions we are seeking, but I’d like to share how I cope with it all in the hopes that it will help others who are feeling dispirited.

First and foremost, I try to keep a balanced perspective. The news isn’t all bad. Here’s some good news. Inflation is down and the economy is improving.[1] More young people are concerned and getting involved in public life, voting, and social issues.[2] Last year Congress passed the Inflation Reduction Act, the biggest climate bill in U.S. history. According to the Citizens’ Climate Lobby, it was “a really big deal.”[3] 

Next, I explore how I can realistically make a meaningful contribution toward improving our situation. I feel it’s important that I keep up with the news about what’s happening in my community, my state, the country, and the world. Writing this blog is my way of sharing my perspective on current events and encouraging others to get involved in the issues important to them. I also contribute what I can to causes and candidates I believe in. And, I plan to get actively involved in the 2024 elections by the end of this year.

Additionally, I participate in a regional effort, the Mora/San Miguel Justice 40 Council. We are a group of concerned citizens helping to access federal funds for community-driven projects to improve environmental justice, climate resilience and address the impacts of the 2022 Calf Canyon/Hermit’s Peak fire and flooding.

At the same time, it’s vital that I maintain a balanced lifestyle. I hike and spend time in nature. I hang out with friends. I’m in a men’s group that meets regularly and I attend larger personal growth gatherings. I’m writing a memoir, go to a movie or concert once in awhile, and travel a little. And I make time to just relax and be with my partner, Margaret.

But what counts the most is my attitude. As best I can, I try to maintain a positive outlook. Someone once said, “Attitude is 90% of the game (of life).” I can see the glass as half empty or half full. And, there’s really no value in worrying about the things I can’t do much or anything about. In fact, worrying is bad for one’s health.[4]

So, that’s how I soothe my soul and mostly maintain my equilibrium in these troubling times. I hope you find what works for you as well.

Bruce Berlin

A retired, public sector ethics attorney, Berlin is the author of Breaking Big Money’s Grip on America (See breakingbigmoneysgrip.com.), the founder of New Mexicans for Money Out of Politics, a former U.S. Institute of Peace fellow, and the founder and former executive director of The Trinity Forum for International Security and Conflict Resolution. He can be reached at breakingbigmoneysgrip@gmail.com.

Subscribe to this blog at https://breakingbigmoneysgrip.com/my-blog-3/. Join the movement to revive our democracy. Together we can save the soul of America.

[1] https://www.wsj.com/articles/us-gdp-report-economic-growth-92482437?mod=automatedsf_trending_now_article_pos3

[2] https://circle.tufts.edu/latest-research/youth-are-interested-political-action-lack-support-and-opportunities

[3] https://citizensclimatelobby.org/inflation-reduction-act/utm_source=google&utm_medium=ppc&utm_campaign=inflation-reduction-act&gclid=CjwKCAjwq4imBhBQEiwA9Nx1BpSvW3rPL7JlVlPQQDdUQofgWAqHU4HFmbe9-pKScH13GC_H8y2EARoCtG0QAvD_BwE

[4] https://www.psichi.org/page/214EyeSum17aLlera?gclid=CjwKCAjwzo2mBhAUEiwAf7wjktPzcUTX4VYZDFnxyXxdM3zVOi1-pdCjlcWXemIVPWdbg4ilOFt6rRoC4UoQAvD_BwE

The Struggle for the Soul of America: My Blog Is Back As the 2024 Elections Loom on the Horizon

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Some of you have been wondering why you’ve not been getting my blog. Back in January I decided to take a break from it so I could concentrate on the memoir I’ve been writing.  But life got in the way and I have not made the progress on my memoir that I had hoped for. While I will continue working on my book, I feel that my blog can no longer be on hold. There’s just too much going on that calls for our closer examination. So, here goes…
 
While we have almost 16 months until the 2024 election, it may very well be a critical turning point in the history of our country. A victory by Trump and his Republican allies would be a major step toward our nation becoming an autocracy. The New York Times recently reported that the former president plans “a sweeping expansion of presidential power over the machinery of government if voters return him to the White House in 2025, reshaping the structure of the executive branch to concentrate far greater authority directly in his hands.” (See https://www.nytimes.com/2023/07/17/us/politics/trump-plans-2025.html.)

With a dozen or more candidates lining up to challenge Trump for the Republican presidential nomination, 2024 could be a replay of 2016. Trump’s hardcore support of 30 to 40 percent of Republican primary voters could carry the day as all the other contenders carve up the remaining 60 to 70 percent of the vote. The Republicans would have to coalesce around one anti-Trump candidate to have any real chance of knocking Trump from his pedestal. 

On the Democratic side, President Biden appears to be a shoo-in for the nomination. At the moment, Robert Kennedy, Jr. is making some significant inroads into Biden’s support, though it’s hard to imagine his snatching the nomination away from Biden. In a Biden-Trump rematch, the president would appear to be the favorite given that the state of the economy, declining inflation, abortion rights, and escalating gun violence are all major issues favoring the Democrats, not to mention all Trump’s legal baggage.

The real electoral mystery is the possibility of a third-party candidacy affecting the election outcome. In a recent poll, nearly half of the respondents indicated they were open to supporting a third-party candidate. (See https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/4035698-nearly-half-of-voters-would-consider-backing-third-party-candidate-in-2024-poll/.) I believe that would take more votes away from Biden than from Trump, giving the former president a real possibility of winning and turning our country into a dangerous autocracy. 

Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) is making gestures suggesting a possible No Labels third-party candidacy to the right of Biden as Cornel West joins the Green Party to run to the president’s left. (See https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/4098630-the-memo-democrat-suspicions-grow-about-rfk-jr-cornel-west-no-labels/.) One or both of these campaigns could doom Biden’s chances of re-election and put Trump or another right-wing Republican in the White House. 

It’s way too early to even guess how this will all turn out. But it’s not too soon to get involved and learn what you can do to help avoid a democratic disaster in next year’s elections. Now’s the time to determine how you can best get in the fight to save our democracy.   

Bruce Berlin

A retired, public sector ethics attorney, Berlin is the author of Breaking Big Money’s Grip on America (See breakingbigmoneysgrip.com.), the founder of New Mexicans for Money Out of Politics, a former U.S. Institute of Peace fellow, and the founder and former executive director of The Trinity Forum for International Security and Conflict Resolution. He can be reached at breakingbigmoneysgrip@gmail.com.

Subscribe to this blog at https://breakingbigmoneysgrip.com/my-blog-3/. Join the movement to revive our democracy. Together we can save the soul of America.


 

The Struggle for the Soul of America: Democrats’ Silver Lining

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With right-wing Republicans now in control of the House of Representatives, the chances of the Democrats passing any significant legislation in the current Congressional session are practically non-existent. Still, this new term could prove very beneficial to President Biden and his party come the 2024 elections.

The Democrats’ silver lining over the next two years is two-fold. First, the bills they passed in the last session will be bringing major benefits to the American people beginning now till well after the next election. For example, here are just some of the valuable aid Americans will receive from the Inflation Reduction Act[1] which not one Republican supported:

  • Medicare beneficiaries’ prescription drug costs will go down because of the provision allowing Medicare to negotiate prescription drug costs.
  • Seniors with Medicare Part D will have their drug costs capped at $2,000 per year.
  • Medicare beneficiaries with diabetes will be guaranteed that their insulin costs are capped at $35 for a month’s supply.
  • 3 million more Americans will have health insurance.
  • 7.5 million more families will be able install solar on their roofs with a 30% tax credit.
  • Up to $7,500 in tax credits for new electric vehicles and $4,000 for used electric vehicles, helping families save $950/yr.
  • Advance cost-saving clean energy projects at rural electric cooperatives serving 42 million people.
  • Millions of good-paying jobs making clean energy in America.
  • No family making less than $400,000 will see their taxes go up a penny.

In addition, the bipartisan Chips Act will create a great many new jobs in the semiconductor manufacturing industry.[2] And the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act will provide $550 billion of new federal investments over five years in bridges and roads, public transit, broadband, water and energy systems.[3] These are just a few of the Biden administration’s accomplishments that will assist a great many Americans in the next couple of years. The last two bills also demonstrate that Republicans and Democrats can overcome their differences and work together to move America forward.

But what amounts to a second Democratic silver lining is the Republican response to the Biden administration now that they control the House of Representatives. Rather than proposing alternatives to the Democrats’ legislation that would also aid Americans in these difficult times, Republicans are calling for cuts in Social Security and Medicare benefits,[4] two of the most popular government programs.

House Republicans are also prioritizing digging up dirt on the Biden administration with the creation of a wide-ranging investigative panel that will allow the party to examine any government agency or program that it views as suspect.[5] This appears to be an unnecessary duplication of effort and a waste of time and resources since Congressional committees already have the power to conduct oversight of the executive branch.[6]

The net effect of the Republicans’ approach will offer the 2024 voting public a stark choice between the parties:

Do Americans want to continue on the path of economic development, job growth, better healthcare, and climate change protection of Biden’s first two years in office? Or do they support the Republicans’ obstructionist agenda that offers nothing but more tax cuts for the wealthy while cutting Social Security and Medicare benefits for the rest of America?

I believe the Democrats will have a strong hand to play in the critical 2024 elections.

Bruce Berlin

A retired, public sector ethics attorney, Berlin is the author of Breaking Big Money’s Grip on America (See breakingbigmoneysgrip.com.), the founder of New Mexicans for Money Out of Politics, a former U.S. Institute of Peace fellow, and the founder and former executive director of The Trinity Forum for International Security and Conflict Resolution. He can be reached at breakingbigmoneysgrip@gmail.com.

Subscribe to this blog at https://breakingbigmoneysgrip.com/my-blog-3/. Join the movement to revive our democracy. Together we can save the soul of America.

[1] https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/08/15/by-the-numbers-the-inflation-reduction-act/

[2] https://usafacts.org/articles/whats-in-the-recently-passed-chips-act/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=ND-Economy&gclid=Cj0KCQiAn4SeBhCwARIsANeF9DId7YcgBe5VT0wQfu78MATA2I5__kGak6p0l5aa_sSKCCM7P7mG7vAaAkb1EALw_wcB

[3] https://www.cnn.com/2022/09/12/politics/infrastructure-projects-biden/index.html

[4] https://news.yahoo.com/republicans-signal-cuts-social-security-175927429.html

[5] https://www.politico.com/news/2023/01/10/house-republicans-justice-department-00077108

[6]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Congressional_oversight#:~:text=Oversight%20also%20occurs%20in%20a,congressional%20support%20agencies%20and%20staff.

The Struggle for the Soul of America: The Downfall of Donald J. Trump

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As we begin 2023, the future holds many uncertainties for Donald J. Trump. While no one knows his fate for certain, here’s how I see what’s coming for the former president and America’s number one grifter.

Donald Trump will be indicted before this coming summer. In my view, Special Counsel Jack Smith was hired by Attorney General Merrick Garland to prosecute the case against Trump, not to close it. Garland believed that putting Smith, someone outside the Justice Department, in charge of the case would make the prosecution less political. Whether that turns out to be the case remains to be seen and, in fact, may be irrelevant at this point.

Just this past week, Smith hired two seasoned attorneys who “have prosecuted some of the most high-profile public corruption targets of both political parties in recent years.”[1] Those targets included former Virginia Republican Gov. Bob McDonnell, current New Jersey Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez and former presidential candidate Democratic Sen. John Edwards.

If Smith thought that the DOJ didn’t have the evidence to indict Trump, he wouldn’t now be hiring prosecutors experienced in handling complex public corruption cases. As a former New Mexico Department of Education prosecuting attorney, I know that prosecutors do not bring charges unless they are convinced that they have the evidence needed to convict. That would be especially true in the case of a former president.

Last November two reports by veteran prosecutors and top legal experts analyzed two criminal investigations into Trump. One involved Trump’s solicitation to commit election fraud including a call to Georgia’s Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger asking him to “find” 11,780 votes. In total, that report finds at least 11 charges that could be filed against Trump resulting from his efforts in Georgia. The other report explored the mishandling of sensitive government documents at Mar-a-Lago. Both reports concluded that “there is enough evidence to bring charges against the former president.”[2]

As a result, I believe Trump will be tried and convicted by the end of this year. His trial cannot be allowed to cloud the 2024 presidential primary season.

It’s difficult to predict the sentence Trump will receive for his crimes. A friend of mine recently suggested Trump would be placed under house arrest but would not have to serve any jail time. That would be letting Trump off way too easy for attempting to overthrow our government. I don’t believe a federal judge would be so lenient for such appalling crimes, especially by a former president. At the least, Trump will receive a multi-year suspended sentence, which would put him on strict probation, though I feel he should spend the rest of his life behind bars.

Whatever the sentence, Trump is sure to appeal. Ultimately, his fate will lie in the hands of the Supreme Court, ironically including the three justices he appointed to the Court. I’m thinking that at least five justices will have the decency and integrity to uphold his conviction and sentence.

Finally, there’s Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign. Assuming he is convicted, Trump’s sentence must include invoking the 14th Amendment provision preventing any person from ever again holding public office who having previously “taken an oath…as an officer of the United States… to support the Constitution of the United States, shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof.”[3]

On the other hand, if Trump somehow avoids prosecution or is found not guilty, he still will not be elected president in 2024. The results of the 2020 and 2022 elections clearly demonstrated that Trump and his handpicked candidates are losers. The Republican Party hates losers. Trump’s base is shrinking[4] and will continue to do so as more and more evidence of his misdeeds are revealed to the public during his likely unprecedented nationally televised trial.

In any event, Trump’s days are numbered.

Bruce Berlin, J.D.

P.S. I want to take this opportunity to again thank my partner, Margaret Lubalin, for another year of suburb editing of my blog. She’s the best.

A retired, public sector ethics attorney, Berlin is the author of Breaking Big Money’s Grip on America (See breakingbigmoneysgrip.com.), the founder of New Mexicans for Money Out of Politics, a former U.S. Institute of Peace fellow, and the founder and former executive director of The Trinity Forum for International Security and Conflict Resolution. He can be reached at breakingbigmoneysgrip@gmail.com.

Subscribe to this blog at https://breakingbigmoneysgrip.com/my-blog-3/. Join the movement to revive our democracy. Together we can save the soul of America.

[1] https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-01-06/special-counsel-jack-smith-hires-anti-corruption-prosecutors-in-trump-probe

[2] https://thehill.com/regulation/national-security/3742386-for-experts-the-evidence-in-two-probes-compels-charging-trump/

[3] https://www.businessinsider.com/how-the-14th-amendment-could-prevent-trump-from-office-2021-2

[4] https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2022/12/13/trump-support-gop-2024-presidential-race-poll/10882346002/