1-16-2020

High Crimes and Misdemeanors – The Case for Impeachment

(Updated periodically throughout the Trial)

We are living in historic times. Since the 2016 election of Donald J. Trump as the 45^th President of the United States we have been continually bombarded with the threats of “Impeachment” from Congressional Democrats. The search for impeachable offenses began almost before close of business inauguration day 2017.

We have heard from seasoned life-time professional democratic members of both the House and the Senate calling for impeaching the President. He’s been called an imposter, a fake president, even a stooge of Russian President Putin.

We heard cries of “Trump’s getting us into a war with North Korea” because the talks in the private meeting with Kim Jong Un were held in private and as of today – no war?

We heard “Trump’s making a fool out of the US” when going along with the program didn’t happen during international meetings of world leaders.

We also heard more impeachment cries from freshman members of Congress who went so far as to make their cries derogatory in nature on live television.

There were a number of sitting members of Congress “challenging” each other in a vain attempt to go head-to-head with President Trump during the upcoming 2020 election, just as I thought – much ado about nothing. They wanted to have their names up in lights as those who went against Trump, only one thing – they all dropped out except for a very select and hopeful few.

So here we are in January 2020 and finally after all the name calling and hype the House decides to Impeach the President because they can (really under the Constitution they are the only ones who can), but their long list of offenses boiled down to “Abuse of Power” and “Obstructing Congress” –  Come on now? House and Senate Democrats (and Republicans) have been abusing their congressional powers and obstructing the President since the inauguration.

At first it was imminently dangerous for the nation to wait until after the 2020 election. So after an “investigation for show” and a huge announcement that “Trump has been impeached and that is forever” – Speaker Pelosi, it took 4 weeks to transmit the articles of impeachment to the Senate. The reason it took so long was the House attempting to pressure Senate Majority Leader McConnell into agreeing to Pelosi’s terms for the trial (not Constitutional). This brought out cries for a fair and balanced trial in the Senate, or it’s just a Republican cover-up (more posturing).

Next came the signing of the articles using special “Nancy Pelosi” pens, which she handed out to her Democratic House colleagues and the ceremonial “transmitting” of the articles by a televised procession of House “managers” so everyone could see.

At the Senate the first order of business was the swearing in of the Chief Justice and the ceremonial signing of the pledge to be fair and impartial by all members, next the trial of the President.

1-25-2020

After 1 full week of Democratic posturing, appealing and finally insulting bullying techniques from the House “Managers” who tried to convince the Senate and the public that “All Thoughts Matter”, especially perceived thoughts by Congressional House mind readers.

I finally had an opportunity to sit down and watch what turned out to be the final 30 minutes of Saturday’s Presidential defense team literally tearing apart the biased House’s unethical impeachment process. Citing past presidential impeachment precedence, Supreme Court cases referencing due process and procedure it took a total of 2 hours to shred the grossly mishandled and bungled sham impeachment.

I have to admit I began by recording the opening remarks by House “Manager” Schiff but had to turn it off after it became obvious that he was simply posturing as is his habit before the mainstream media for the past 3 years.

I attempted tuning in at the beginning of each day of the trial and could only stomach a few minutes before I began thinking to myself “The View” would be better than this. Yuk! The saying there is no honor among thieves became apparent throughout this procedure.

Today even though I got in on the tail end of today’s proceedings it was in my opinion the best 30 minutes of the day. The Senate recessed until Monday and with somewhere around 23 hours remaining in the Presidential defense it will definitely require recording.

I read that after the session was adjourned Chairman Schiff went straight to Fox to complain about the President’s defense team. Somebody ought to put a lollipop in that man’s mouth and send him home to momma Nancy or something.

I trust that American’s are calling in sick, forgoing their traditional lunch pastimes and stay glued to the television = CSPAN2 for the unedited methodical rundown of what the House should have done as they claim President Trump has shredded the Constitution, when in fact they have all but ground it underfoot. Time to take a break and wait until the Senate convenes.

1-26-2020

I turned on the TV this morning to watch Meet the Press and low and behold who did my eyes see – Rep. Adam Schiff fixing to tell his side of the truth to anyone who hasn’t already heard it in Congress already over the past 3 years.  I don’t know about you but that sounds more and more like the boy who cried wolf. Why am I surprised at the “solemnness” of this presidential impeachment and the way the House Dems cling to television cameras to tell why everyone else is wrong and they’re the only ones who are right? (That’s a rhetorical question in case you don’t know). Maybe that’s why in normal court cases the judge sequesters the jury? (Another one).

1-28-2020

I depend upon CSPAN2 to provide the unvarnished live feed on the happenings of Congress and the President. Yesterday prior to the actual trial I watched Senate Majority Leader Schumer and other Democratic Senators gather in front of the media to put their spin on the trial. To be fair I muted the sound and did not turn on captioning as I wanted nothing to distract or influence the continuation of the trial. I got a late start on watching the trial so I went to the beginning of today’s proceedings and listened to the President’s legal team continue his defense. What I heard and saw made it very clear that according to the Constitution House Speaker Pelosi began the Impeachment of President Trump flawed from the start.

The Constitution gives the sole power of Impeachment to the House of Representatives, not to a person or party in power at the time. In fact the first order of business should have been a roll call of “all hands on deck” and a full vote for Impeachment with 435 members of the house voting Yea or Nay. Procedurally that did not happen. What did happen began 19 minutes after President Trump was inaugurated and continued throughout the President’s current term of office with Speaker Pelosi moving forward with Impeachment on her own initiative. The is a clear abuse of power and a violation by Speaker Pelosi and the House.

What also became evident was the Constitution clearly states in Article II, Section 4 – The President, Vice President and all Civil Officers of the United States, shall be removed from Office on Impeachment for, and Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors. The charges levied against President Trump were for Abuse of Power and Obstructing Congress which in themselves are vague and not even crimes, let alone high crimes. The Impeachment investigation hoax has been at best shoddy and poorly done. Well beneath the ethical standards of the House of Representatives.

Based upon the material presented by the President’s legal team members and former members of Congress HAVE violated Article II, Section 4 and there are in fact Impeachable Offences that the House have overlooked that constitutes criminal action on behalf of members of the House as well. What was also shown was the former Vice President Joe Biden actually engaged in and admitted to threatening to withhold US Aid funding to Ukrainian unless they get rid of a certain prosecutor investigating a Ukrainian company of which his son was a board member. That is quid pro quo with an actual crime committed by a high ranking US official (Vice President Biden).

If you were watching the proceedings on main stream media, the testimony by legal team member Pam Bondi was not allowed to air in order to protect Democratic Presidential Candidate Joe Biden. This is a clear case of “the Swamp” covering for its own and the deep state clearly moving to suppress critical evidence from American voters.  Today is sure to be another exciting day of testimony as the Presidential defense team continues shredding the partisan efforts to remove a President without an impeachable crime being committed.

The President’s defense team finished laying out the case for dismissing the articles of impeachment as they do not meet the Constitutional standard for High Crimes and Misdemeanors or grounds for removal from office. White House Counsel Jay Sekulow issued a stern warning to Senators – Warning! Warning! Warning! The Presidential Defense Team rested more than 10 hours ahead of schedule.

Senatorial Impeachment Rules govern the questioning phase and length of time for each question and must be written down and submitted to Chief Justice Roberts. Questions will be taken from both sides of the isle and is scheduled to last 2 8 hour days.

1-30-2020

Yesterday was day 1 of a 2 day answer session of the Impeachment Trial phase. It was interesting to note that House Democratic leaders threatened that should the Senate fail to impeach the President, they would file Articles of Impeachment for “Obstruction of Congress” due to the President’s legal defense team. I take it as more than a veiled threat that threatens the separation of the Chambers of Congress.

There were many questions asked of both sides. The answers were revealing. In fact the House Managers insisted there can be no trial without witnesses, forgetting the fact that during the House investigation phase it was their sole responsibility to do just that – call witnesses. At one point in the questioning the President’s Legal Team said that IF the Senate chose to allow witnesses one of the first would be House Manager Adam Schiff, Hunter Biden and the yet unnamed whistleblower. When questioned further about the number of witnesses called during the House investigation that proved their case conclusively, the defense said then we don’t need to call any witnesses. What is obvious after one day of questioning the House case has not been substantiated by fact or proven at all.

1-31-2020

Yesterday I was only able to sit and watch a little more than 2 hours of the question and answer session. What struck me was the House Managers continue to see Secretary Bolton as a necessity when answering almost every question. So why did they not see him as such over the past several months of investigation? I saw a video clip of Bolton saying the President’s 2 phone conversations were pleasant. (Didn’t they have access to this same tape?)

The narrative keeps shifting and now they are saying it’s a presidential scheme to cheat in the 2020 election, when in fact the impeachment is just that. Manager Schiff said its right here in plain sight, and he was. And when representing the House Managers in answering questions why did he feel the need to go and provide his answers to questions asked solely to the President’s defense team?

I agree with a point re-emphasized by the President’s legal team – the “Impeachment” has been invalid from the beginning. When asking for documents using shortcuts or improperly, those requests were not honored. When told the grounds of not honoring the requests, the House failed to take the necessary corrective action.

The Democratic talking points have shifted entirely over the course of the trial and now that Secretary Bolton’s manuscript on a book not even released yet, coupled with a newspaper article citing from the not yet released book has been read into the trial as “evidence” of presidential wrongdoing I find it hard to take anything said by the House Managers seriously.

I think that should the Senate vote to call witnesses it should be very controlled alternating 5 per side and limit questioning/cross-examination to 10 minutes each side. It would be interesting to see who would be called and who would not show up?

Well back to monitoring the festivities of the day where hearsay “evidence” is called “proof” and legislators say nobody is above the law, while they perch themselves above the Constitution (which is the law).

The Senate voted against calling witnesses and documents for a very good reason – during the trial phase of a presidential impeachment it’s not their place to become investigators for the House. To recap on what the President’s legal team has said repeatedly during the trial – if Manager Schiff was in a criminal trial and went into court asking the judge to call witnesses or for documents he had not sought prior to the hearing there would have been a mistrial declared and the case would be over.

It is the job of the Senate to try the evidence presented by the House and make a determination of guilt or innocence under the law. There will be a conclusion rendered by Thursday by the Senate and announced by the Chief Justice and this will be over.

It has been a great miscarriage of justice in that for 3 years the House has threatened President Trump with impeachment. Let that sink in. In that time the House did not vote for impeachment, nor did they begin “investigating” to discover evidence or interview witnesses until a little over 2 months prior to the announcement of Articles of Impeachment. During those 2 months there was no representation or defense allowed by the President or his legal team. The hearings were closed, secreted away in the basement bunker and routinely leaked to the media. No due process or fairness for the President or the American justice system.

Evidence presented to the Senate during the trial phase was based on hearsay not fact. Video clips and slides of “testimony” were presented but nothing was based upon fact, simply twisted and even made up words by House Managers. More importantly the Articles of Impeachment were not impeachable offenses in their title, nor their definition and were therefore a sham, debunked easily by the President’s defense team.

The reaction and response of the House, House Managers and Senate Democrats thus far have indicated that they consider anything done by the Senate to be a cover up and not to be accepted, but will lead to more impeachment charges in a hurried attempt at election interference for the upcoming 2020 Presidential election.

The fact that Senate Democrats competing with President Trump for the office of President do not see the conflict of interest they present by voting against their political opponent (an assertion they levy against President Trump).

2-3-2020

Closing Arguments

Today the Senate convened for closing arguments by House Managers and the President’s legal team. To be fair I do not lend credibility anything said by the House Managers as their case as layed out by the summary from the President’s legal team shows the Articles of Impeachment failed on both its face and definition (counts 1 and 2). The Senate adjourned until tomorrow (2-4-2020) when there will be a roll call vote on each Article of Impeachment.

My concerns are that during the investigation phase much has surfaced indicating at the very least conflicts of interest concerning members of both the House and Senate in relation to some personal or family involvement with Ukraine for the past several years or the upcoming 2020 Presidential Election where various members of the Senate are running for the Democratic nomination in a bid to challenge President Trump in November.

Names that have come up in relation to Ukraine are Pelosi, Schiff, Nadler, Biden, Romney, Kerry. Names of Democratic and former 2020 candidates serving in Congress are Warren, Harris, Booker, and Sanders. Each of those named above should recuse themselves of any involvement in the Impeachment or the pending Senatorial vote on the Articles of Impeachment for political bias against President Trump. I doubt that any of those named will do the honorable thing, as they are heavily involved in both the Deep State and the Swamp.

2-5-2020

The Conclusion – Not Guilty!

This is especially gratifying and alarming to see 100 Senators vote to acquit President Donald John Trump of both Articles of Impeachment.

Article 1 rendered a 48 – 52 vote = Not Guilty

Article 2 rendered a 47 – 53 vote = Not Guilty

While the vote was done primarily along party lines it is alarming that Senators did not vote on the Constitutionality of these articles.

The garbled case presented by House Managers did not allege or prove an actual crime, simply policy disagreements and outright hatred of the President.

The defense clearly showed that the Impeachment process followed in the House was improper and unconstitutional in the manner it was conducted, in secret with frequent leaking to the press and without the constitutional safeguards established by jurisprudence.  Ignore the rule of law and the response should have been no surprise.

It now falls on the American voters to determine in the upcoming presidential election not only the President, but whether members of congress who acted in bad faith should remain in office as well?

There will be consequences for those who conducted illegal threats by intimidation of House members, threatening members of the Senate and even the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court sitting on the Court of Impeachment, as well as threats of disbarment against the President’s legal team for insuring a proper defense. I trust the DOJ will seek out those wrongdoers and begin appropriate legal action.

Thus far the Presidential Impeachment has been an over-reach of political power, an exercise in futility, a test of strength and patience by Americans.

I am the Real Truckmaster!

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12-28-2019

My Take on Speaker Pelosi

Coming from a political family, she began as a volunteer and rose in the party ranks, serving as a California representative to the Democratic National Committee from 1976 to 1996. She won a special election for California’s Eighth District in 1987.

Historically and as a Democratic Party politician Pelosi began breaking ground becoming the first female Democratic leader of the House and the first female Speaker of the House in 2007 and again in 2018. She is currently Speaker of the House, making her the most powerful female American politician.

Pelosi opposed George W. Bush, aligned herself with Barack Obama and prided herself as fighting for the people, working to lower health care costs, increase workers’ pay through strong economic growth and rebuilding America, and clean up corruption to make Washington work for all. She was inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame in Seneca Falls, the birthplace of the American woman’s rights movement.

Pelosi spent 31 years representing San Francisco’s 12th District in Congress. She led House Democrats for 16 years and previously served as House Democratic Whip. Under her leadership the 111th Congress was called “one of the most productive Congresses in history” by Norman Ornstein. Obama called her “an extraordinary leader for the American people”. The Christian Science Monitor wrote: “….make no mistake: Nancy Pelosi is the most powerful woman in American politics…”

Under Obama, Pelosi led the House passage of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act in early 2009 to create save millions of American jobs, provide relief for American families, and provide a tax cut to 95 percent of working Americans. She continued to focus on the need to create jobs in America and prevent them from being shipped overseas.

She was the architect of the landmark Affordable Care Act which guaranteed protections for all Americans with pre-existing medical conditions, ended annual and lifetime limits on health coverage, and provided affordable health coverage for tens of millions more Americans while lowering health care costs over the long term.

She lead Congress in passing strong Wall Street reforms to rein in big banks and protect consumers as well as the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act, which expands educational opportunities and reforms the financial aid system to save billions of taxpayers’ dollars.

Additionally key legislation passed into law like the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act to restore the ability of women and all workers to access our judicial system to fight pay discrimination; legislation to provide health care for 11 million American children; national service legislation; and hate crimes legislation. In late 2010, Pelosi led the Congress in passing child nutrition and food safety legislation as well as repealing the discriminatory “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy, which prohibited gays and lesbians from serving openly in the military.

As Speaker, Pelosi made energy security her flagship issue, enacting comprehensive energy legislation in 2007 that raised vehicle fuel efficiency standards for the first time in 32 years and making an historic commitment to American home grown biofuels. In 2009, under her leadership, the House passed the landmark American Clean Energy and Security Act – a comprehensive bill to create clean energy jobs, combat climate change, and transition America to a clean energy economy. The legislation was blocked by Republicans in the United States Senate, but sent a strong signal to the world about the United States’ commitment to fighting the climate crisis.

A leader on the environment at home and abroad, Pelosi secured passage of the “Pelosi amendment” in 1989, now a global tool to assess the potential environmental impacts of development. In San Francisco, Pelosi was the architect of legislation to create the Presidio Trust and transform the former military post into an urban national park.

In continuing to push for accountability and transparency in government, under Speaker Pelosi, the House passed the toughest ethics reform legislation in the history of the Congress, including the creation of an independent ethics panel, and increased accountability and transparency in House operations, including earmark reforms. As Speaker, Pelosi led the fight to pass the DISCLOSE Act in the House, which fights a corporate takeover of U.S. elections and ensures additional disclosure.

Additional key accomplishments signed into law under the leadership of Speaker Pelosi include: an increase in the minimum wage for the first time in 10 years; the largest college aid expansion since the GI bill; a new GI education bill for veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars; and increased services for veterans, caregivers, and the Veterans Administration.

As House Democratic Leader, Pelosi wrested critical legislative victories out of the GOP majority. In the 114th Congress, she spearheaded a historic bipartisan agreement to strengthen Medicare, ending the cycle of expensive “Doc Fix” patches and transitioning away from a volume-based system toward one that rewards value, ensures the accuracy of payments and improves the quality of care. Following the Iran Nuclear Agreement, Leader Pelosi orchestrated the effort that secured the votes to uphold a possible Presidential veto of Republicans’ effort to disapprove the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.

Pelosi’s strength at the negotiating table has consistently delivered significant funding increases for key Democratic priorities. In the FY 2016 omnibus, Pelosi won the permanent authorization of the World Trade Center Health Program and a massive five-year extension of expiring wind and solar renewable energy tax credits. In the FY 2018 omnibus, Pelosi won significant increases in vital domestic investments, including a $3.2 billion increase in opioid epidemic funding, a $3 billion increase for NIH medical research, and the largest single year funding increase for Child Care Development Block Grants in the initiative’s history.

In the face of the all out-Republican onslaught against Americans’ health care, Leader Pelosi held House Democrats united through dozens of votes to repeal or undermine the Affordable Care Act – mobilizing a massive nationwide campaign to block House Republicans’ monstrous “Trumpcare” legislation. Under her leadership, House Democrats also unanimously opposed the GOP tax scam for the rich.

What I don’t understand is how someone so politically savvy obtaining a tremendous amount of political power could drift so far outside the realm of reality? In her quest to demonstrate her power against President Donald Trump, she has tolerated and violated the very ethics she was instrumental in establishing within the House.

During the Obama presidency (2008 – 2016) Speaker Pelosi did not object the unconstitutional executive order establishing Delayed Entry of Childhood Arrivals (DACA), yet has fought vigorously President Trump who suggested Congress fix DACA and make it constitutionally viable.

Pelosi did not initiate action, nor seek solutions to the illegal immigration issue that caused Obama era Border Patrol to setup the cages to detain illegal border crossers, yet has fought President Trump’s efforts to stop the flow of illegal entry by pushing for comprehensive immigration reform and constructing a more effective barrier wall.

Of the many attempts by deep state operatives to take down the sitting President of the United States, it would appear that Speaker Pelosi has become obsessed with the illusion that removing the President by impeachment, and possibly the Vice President would lead to her breaking ground as the first female President of the United States. A goal Hillary Clinton failed to achieve in 2016.

I don’t begrudge Speaker Pelosi for her groundbreaking accomplishments in politics, but it is my personal opinion that career politicians such as her, should never remain in political office as lifetime politicians. It has been said that “Absolute power corrupts absolutely” and biblically speaking power and money are never enough. The love of money IS the root of all evil and the Ten Commandments were written as a lifetime guide for everyone to follow.

There is a right way and a wrong way to achieve fame, fortune and political power, but now we know there is also the Pelosi way! – I am the Real Truckmaster!

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12-8-2019

Democrats Party of the People?

To my Democratic Party friends (both of you) I ask you – How can the 2016 “Party of the People” spew such hatred against fellow Americans and forget the words outlined in this 2016 Party Platform which is pledged to be re-affirmed in 2020?

I’ve tried several times to read and understand how this translates into what we see in the media and in Congress? It’s obvious to me and anyone with a truly open mind that these words mean nothing when it comes to the Oath of Office taken by these career politicians, many who have been in Congress since the days of Richard Nixon?

America deserves better than what I see from members of Congress. They band together like a bunch of drunken sailors teetering on the edge of utter despair. They have turned the First Branch of Government into a circus for all to see, yet they themselves fail to grasp the consequences of their actions.

I am reminded of in the book of Proverbs where they will reap what they sow.

Proverbs 22:8
He who sows injustice will reap disaster and the rod of his fury will be destroyed.

Read below or follow the links to read for yourselves and tell me you believe what is written below. – I am the Real Truckmaster!

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The 2016 Democratic Platform

https://democrats.org/where-we-stand/party-platform/

[Emphasis added]

Every four years, the Democratic Party puts together our party platform, the ideas and beliefs that govern our party as a whole.

What follows is our 2016 platform — our most progressive platform in our party’s history and a declaration of how we plan to move America forward.

• Democrats believe that cooperation is better than conflict,
• Unity is better than division,
• Empowerment is better than resentment, and
• Bridges are better than walls.

This party platform was voted on and passed by our membership at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia in 2016. The platform will be updated and re-approved at the 2020 Democratic National Convention.

PREAMBLE

https://democrats.org/where-we-stand/party-platform/preamble/

In 2016, Democrats met in Philadelphia with the same basic belief that animated the Continental Congress when they gathered here 240 years ago: Out of many, we are one.

Under President Obama’s leadership, and thanks to the hard work and determination of the American people, we have come a long way from the Great Recession and the Republican policies that triggered it. American businesses have now added 14.8 million jobs since private-sector job growth turned positive in early 2010. 20 million people have gained health insurance coverage. The American auto industry just had its best year ever. And we are getting more of our energy from the sun and wind, and importing less oil from overseas.

But too many Americans have been left out and left behind. They are working longer hours with less security.

• Wages have barely budged and the racial wealth gap remains wide,
• While the cost of everything from childcare to a college education has continued to rise.
• And for too many families, the dream of homeownership is out of reach.
• As working people struggle, the top one percent accrues more wealth and more power.
• Republicans in Congress have chosen gridlock and dysfunction over trying to find solutions to the real challenges we face. It’s no wonder that so many feel like the system is rigged against them.
• Democrats believe that cooperation is better than conflict,
• Unity is better than division,
• Empowerment is better than resentment, and
• Bridges are better than walls.

It’s a simple but powerful idea: we are stronger together.

Democrats believe we are stronger when we have an economy that works for everyone—an economy that grows incomes for working people, creates good-paying jobs, and puts a middle-class life within reach for more Americans. Democrats believe we can spur more sustainable economic growth, which will create good-paying jobs and raise wages. And we can have more economic fairness, so the rewards are shared broadly, not just with those at the top. We need an economy that prioritizes long-term investment over short-term profit-seeking, rewards the common interest over self-interest, and promotes innovation and entrepreneurship.

We believe that today’s extreme level of income and wealth inequality—where the majority of the economic gains go to the top one percent and the richest 20 people in our country own more wealth than the bottom 150 million—makes our economy weaker, our communities poorer, and our politics poisonous.

And we know that our nation’s long struggle with race is far from over. More than half a century after Rosa Parks sat and Dr. King marched and John Lewis bled, more than half a century after César Chávez, Dolores Huerta, and Larry Itliong organized, race still plays a significant role in determining who gets ahead in America and who gets left behind. We must face that reality and we must fix it.

We believe a good education is a basic right of all Americans, no matter what zip code they live in. We will end the school-to-prison pipeline and build a cradle-to-college pipeline instead, where every child can live up to his or her God-given potential.

We believe in helping Americans balance work and family without fear of punishment or penalty. We believe in at last guaranteeing equal pay for women. And as the party that created Social Security, we believe in protecting every American’s right to retire with dignity.

We firmly believe that the greed, recklessness, and illegal behavior on Wall Street must be brought to an end. Wall Street must never again be allowed to threaten families and businesses on Main Street.

Democrats believe we are stronger when we protect citizens’ right to vote, while stopping corporations’ outsized influence in elections. We will fight to end the broken campaign finance system, overturn the disastrous Citizens United decision, restore the full power of the Voting Rights Act, and return control of our elections to the American people.

Democrats believe that climate change poses a real and urgent threat to our economy, our national security, and our children’s health and futures, and that Americans deserve the jobs and security that come from becoming the clean energy superpower of the 21st century.

Democrats believe we are stronger and safer when America brings the world together and leads with principle and purpose. We believe we should strengthen our alliances, not weaken them. We believe in the power of development and diplomacy. We believe our military should be the best-trained, best-equipped fighting force in the world, and that we must do everything we can to honor and support our veterans. And we know that only the United States can mobilize common action on a truly global scale, to take on the challenges that transcend borders, from international terrorism to climate change to health pandemics.

Above all, Democrats are the party of inclusion. We know that diversity is not our problem—it is our promise. As Democrats, we respect differences of perspective and belief, and pledge to work together to move this country forward, even when we disagree. With this platform, we do not merely seek common ground—we strive to reach higher ground.

We are proud of our heritage as a nation of immigrants. We know that today’s immigrants are tomorrow’s teachers, doctors, lawyers, government leaders, soldiers, entrepreneurs, activists, PTA members, and pillars of our communities.

We believe in

• protecting civil liberties and
• guaranteeing civil rights and
• voting rights,
• women’s rights and
• workers’ rights,
• LGBT rights, and
• rights for people with disabilities.

We believe America is still, as Robert Kennedy said, “a great country, an unselfish country, and a compassionate country.”

These principles stand in sharp contrast to the Republicans, who have nominated as the standard-bearer for their party and their candidate for President a man who seeks to appeal to Americans’ basest differences, rather than our better natures.

The stakes have been high in previous elections. But in 2016, the stakes can be measured in human lives—

• in the number of immigrants who would be torn from their homes;
• in the number of faithful and peaceful Muslims who would be barred from even visiting our shores;
• in the number of allies alienated and dictators courted;
• in the number of Americans who would lose access to health care and see their rights ripped away.

This election is about more than Democrats and Republicans. It is about who we are as a nation, and who we will be in the future.

240 years ago, in Philadelphia, we started a revolution of ideas and of action that continues to this day. Since then, our union has been tested many times, through bondage and civil war, segregation and depression, two world wars and the threat of nuclear annihilation. Generations of Americans fought and marched and organized to widen the circle of opportunity and dignity—and we are fighting still.

Despite what some say, America is and has always been great—but not because it has been perfect. What makes America great is our unerring belief that we can make it better.

• We can and we will build a more just economy,
• a more equal society, and
• a more perfect union—because we are stronger together.