A Certain Point of View: Writing, Film and Stuff

On the questions-and-answers site Quora, member Richard Lindhe asks: Why do you think Mitch McConnell is so offended by the nickname Moscow Mitch instead of just laughing it off? My reply: I do not - thank goodness - know Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY) personally, but I can make an educated guess as to why he is so ticked off at being called “Moscow Mitch.” McConnell started out as a moderate Republican when he started his political career. His early political positions as a Kentucky politician were pragmatical and middle-of-the-road. He wasn’t an opponent of abortion rights, and he used to support public employee unions. But since his first election to the U.S. Senate in 1985, McConnell has become the poster boy for partisan obstructionism and a desire to grab as much power for the right-wing of the Republican Party as he can. One of the GOP’s tropes is that conservatives are allegedly more patriotic than the Democratic Party or liberals in general. Social media (F...

President Andrew Johnson being served with the summons of impeachment by Congressional Sergeant-at-Arms George T. Brown, as sketched by Harper's Weekly in 1867. (Library of Congress) If President Donald Trump were impeached and Mike Pence became president, how long would his term be? Would it be for 4 years or would there still be a 2020 election? First, let’s clear up certain misconceptions that are laid bare by the wording of the question. Impeachment does not mean “automatic removal of a Federal official by Congressional fiat.” It is a trial under specific conditions that have to be met Impeachment only results in removing a President or other official if, as implied by the term “trial,” if he or (eventually, she) is found guilty by the Senate It’s now late July 2019, and the 2020 election cycle is currently underway. As in, there is a group of aspiring Democratic Presidential candidates already jockeying for prominence and a decent shot of winning the nomination of...

Dear Senator McConnell, I'm not one of your constituents; I live in Florida, which like your home state of Kentucky is a Republican-controlled state. I'm also not Republican; I used to be an independent until recently. Now I'm a Democratic Party member, although I am always open to voting for Republicans if candidates merit it. I know that you are probably going to ignore me for the reasons I listed above. But I'm a loyal and patriotic American citizen, born and raised in the USA. My parents were legal immigrants; I found my late mom's old INS paperwork and her 1996 certificate of citizenship. You, sir, are the Senate Majority Leader. So please, hear me out. We, Democrats, are willing to vote for more money for border security if it is spent wisely on more personnel and surveillance drones. We do NOT, as you often claim, want "open borders." Immigrants do need to be vetted and, if necessary, sent back to their country of origin. What we DON...