11-23-2023

The Best That You Can Be

It’s true that you can’t undo a first impression and it’s vitally important in military leadership. During my 22+ military career I had many examples to emulate and some I clearly didn’t. 

Early on there was Staff Sergeant Schultz, my 1^st platoon sergeant, 3^rd Battalion, 3^rd Brigade, basic training platoon at Fort Lewis, Washington. I don’t remember much interaction with our drill instructors unless it was being corrected for violating army rules or regulations.

During my first duty station after training I was assigned to the 2^nd platoon, 569^th Transportation Company at Camp Khon Kaen, Thailand (68-70) and my platoon sergeant was Sergeant & later Staff Sergeant Jerry Neinhouse. My fondest memories of him was after hours sitting outside the NCO barracks, sitting on a backwards chair reading and rereading a technical manual on preventive maintenance checks and services. Other times he’d be conducting motor stables or going with us on convoys to a number of bases where we delivered military cargo. Was he perfect, not by a long shot, but to me he was what a platoon sergeant was supposed to be.

I never had many close dealings with officers, unless you count Captain Durazzo, Company Commander, of the 569^th who one time instead of returning a salute outdoors, waved instead, but next time when I waved instead of saluting, gave me an awful dressing down.

Then there was First Lieutenant Steve Koons who was a hand’s on platoon leader. He taught me that no matter how one is addressed by a senior officer, their first name is Sir (Yes Sir, No Sir). It was not unusual to be in the lub pit changing differential oil and getting a helping hand from LT Koons, or getting help developing film in the unit’s makeshift photo lab. On one occasion while on convoy I got in a bit of trouble and upon returning to base had to face the company commander. When I got to the orderly room, LT Koons was acting company commander. He made sure I learned a valuable lesson and sent me on my way. Was he perfect, nope! We crossed paths after then Lieutenant Colonel Koons assumed his battalion command and he was still the same leader I remembered. He is now a retired Colonel, and retired from a second career in the Senior Executive Service, where he had been the SES of Logistics (a 1 star billet). Today I count him as my friend. When I think of what a leader is, he automatically comes to mind.

I’ve had platoon sergeants, platoon leaders and company commanders from whom I learned a great deal. I spent half of my career as a platoon sergeant, where caring for my troops and getting the mission accomplished were of the utmost importance. I never asked or demanded of others what I wouldn’t do myself. Was I perfect, not by a long shot! In fact trying to play catchup (teach myself) have caused my NCOs to mistake my actions as undermining their ability to perform their duties.

I found out the hard way that leadership at the higher company level becomes competitive and sometimes leads to jealousy, manipulation, back biting, control or outright hatred which is the complete opposite of effective leadership. Sometimes a senior leader will ask for input which they then attempt to use against you.

There is a distinction between being the best and being the best that you can be. Quite often the bar of being the best is stacked so high that it becomes unattainable. So what do you do? Give up and go home or dust yourself off and keep on trucking!

I tend to follow a biblical principle of “do unto others what you want them to do unto you”, instead of “do unto others before they do it unto you”.

I call having integrity as doing the right thing in spite of what others do. – RTM

I was not yet 30 years of age when I wrote this poem:

Professionals

WE ARE PROFESSIONALS

You and I

We are the experts in our chosen fields

We are senior to few,

Junior to most

And equal to many, but

WE ARE PROFESSIONALS

Our jobs are the toughest, most demanding, yet the most satisfying.

Though our triumphs few, and defeats many over the years,

we have not lost our sense of pride,

WE ARE PROFESSIONALS

The years have demanded our best,

And we have not failed.

The hours are long, the pay is little,

Yet the satisfaction we receive amounts to a great deal more

WE ARE PROFESSIONALS

Written by: Staff Sergeant Joseph J. Wilson, Jr. December 20, 1978

(After completing a 3 year tour in the Panama Canal Zone, & stationed at Fort Carson, CO.)

11-23-2023

Going to the VA Dentist

Today is Thanksgiving Day across the nation and I’m thankful that after reaching the 100% disability level my care now includes VA dental. After getting my initial screening and a treatment plan I had to wait for approval from the VA.

If you’re in the VA system you know everything seems to move at a snail’s pace. Finally I received the approval letter to get my teeth fixed. When I called the dental office I was actually able to get in just a few days later.

The day arrived and I really didn’t know what part of the treatment plan I would be facing this particular morning. I was one of the first patients that morning and soon I was lying back in the dental chair.

When the dentist came to me he was pleasant and cheerful (aren’t they always). He gave me a topical sedative and then brought that huge long needle to deaden the around the area he would be working on. That’s when he said first thing would be a root canal, followed by a crown.

As he began working on my tooth he and his assistant began chit chatting about other things before they talked about a recent military patient. Occasionally the dentist would ask me a question and I had to wait for him to remove his tools or hands before I could answer.

He asked what branch I had been in, and I said Army.

He asked how long, and I said 22 years.

Then he continued working and doing things to remove the damaged nerves inside my tooth.

As he removed his hands and tools I mentioned that he didn’t ask what I did in the army.

So he asked what I did, and I said I was a dentist.

He stopped in disbelief, you were a dentist, he asked?

No, I told him, I just wanted to see his reaction.

He said, can I ask what you did, or would you have to kill me?

I told him I was a truck driver, actually a babysitter of truck driver.

We all had a good laugh.

He continued working and after getting the crown fitted and glued I was ready to leave. I looked at the clock and I had been there for a solid 2 hours.

Next week I go in for treatment number 2.

I still don’t know what that visit will entail, but I’m sure it will be a blast! – RTM

11-20-2023

By Their Actions They Shall Be Known

What began in 2015 during the early stages of the 2016 Presidential Election’s campaign season, and during the 2016 election took a serious detour on January 20^th 2017 when President Donald J. Trump was inaugurated in Washington D.C. and nobody seemed to notice.

There was a boycott by members of Congress, as well as public protests by well-known Hollywood’s elite actors and athletes as a prominent newspaper headline declared the War on Trump has begun. A member of the Secret Service’s Presidential Detail refused to perform her duty to protect the newly elected President and was simply re-assigned without disciplinary action or termination. The Justice Department, the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Bureau of Investigation and other law enforcement agencies became fueled with a rancid anti-Trump hatred mentality and along with the mainstream news and social media entities jumped on board wholeheartedly.

All subversive actions were downplayed or ignored and nobody was held accountable for their actions as accusations, allegations and fabrications were brought publicly to smear and slander the President, his family name and members of his administration appointees.

During the 2020 Presidential Election these nefarious agents of division doubled down by a series of voter fraud, election tampering and outright changing election results in order to prevent the re-election of President Trump.

Every constitutional challenge by the Trump campaign was met by a number of obstacles, while the Biden campaign declared a new president-elect before the Electoral College ballots had even been certified and/or submitted to Congress on January 6, 2021.

As President Trump urged voters to see for themselves how the EC certification process worked, the next phase was put into action to call it an insurrection orchestrated and led by President Trump.

Every underhanded scheme came from Saul Alinsky’s playbook “Rules for Radicals” (call the other guy doing what you are doing).

The chaos caused by the Democratic Party has pretty much affected the American people where they live as Biden set about reversing Trump policies and opening the southern border to hundreds of thousands of unvetted and undocumented migrants, in violation of the immigration laws of our nation and all but erasing the safeguards of our national security.

All is not lost as the deeds done in darkness are coming out into the light.    

There is no need to name names as everyone played their hands openly in the public forum in their quest to humiliate Donald Trump into resigning in disgrace. (Hey it worked with President Richard Nixon and many other politicians.)

It is my assertion that every “player” of the past 6+ years who have obstructed and/or hindered President Trump from executing his administrational duties as President be thus charged with violating 18 U.S. Code § 2385 – Advocating overthrow of Government and held accountable for their actions. – RTM

18 U.S. Code § 2385 – Advocating overthrow of Government

  Whoever knowingly or willfully advocates, abets, advises, or teaches the duty, necessity, desirability, or propriety of overthrowing or destroying the government of the United States or the government of any State, Territory, District or Possession thereof, or the government of any political subdivision therein, by force or violence, or by the assassination of any officer of any such government; or

  Whoever, with intent to cause the overthrow or destruction of any such government, prints, publishes, edits, issues, circulates, sells, distributes, or publicly displays any written or printed matter advocating, advising, or teaching the duty, necessity, desirability, or propriety of overthrowing or destroying any government in the United States by force or violence, or attempts to do so; or

  Whoever organizes or helps or attempts to organize any society, group, or assembly of persons who teach, advocate, or encourage the overthrow or destruction of any such government by force or violence; or becomes or is a member of, or affiliates with, any such society, group, or assembly of persons, knowing the purposes thereof—

  Shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than twenty years, or both, and shall be ineligible for employment by the United States or any department or agency thereof, for the five years next following his conviction.

  If two or more persons conspire to commit any offense named in this section, each shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than twenty years, or both, and shall be ineligible for employment by the United States or any department or agency thereof, for the five years next following his conviction.

As used in this section, the terms “organizes” and “organize”, with respect to any society, group, or assembly of persons, include the recruiting of new members, the forming of new units, and the regrouping or expansion of existing clubs, classes, and other units of such society, group, or assembly of persons.

(June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 808; July 24, 1956, ch. 678, § 2, 70 Stat. 623; Pub. L. 87–486, June 19, 1962, 76 Stat. 103; Pub. L. 103–322, title XXXIII, § 330016(1)(N), Sept. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 2148.)

10-30-2023

Redefining the 14^th Amendment

According to Democratic Congressional spokesperson Adam Schiff of California, under the 14^th Amendment anyone (President Donald Trump) who participates (no conviction required) in an insurrection against the government is unfit and not qualified to hold an elected office.

If we are to take what Congressman Schiff says at face value there are serious implications that should be held up for scrutiny in the court of public opinion and a great many people should be held to “The Adam Schiff Standard”.

Without naming too many names or going into great detail the “The Adam Schiff Standard” would include Representative Adam Schiff and EVERYONE who willingly and publicly climbed on board the Anti-Trump Train. Every member of Congress who participated in boycotting, actively clamoring against anything Trump.

President Trump was accused of leading an insurrection by the very people who were engaged in an insurrection or rebellion to depose him and his administration.

Including then House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s tearing up her copy of the State of the Union speech behind President Trump’s back and on public television; conducting two (2) Impeachments and the J6 Committee investigations and everything else she orchestrated in her attempt to remove President Trump from office and prevent him from a second term.

Including public figures; sports; entertainers; actors; broadcasters; reporters; anchors; news and organizational staffers; social media heads that make it a point to slander, malign and attempt to disgrace President Trump at every opportunity.

Maybe we should read what the 14^th Amendment, paying particular attention to what Section 3 actually says:

Amendment XIV (1868)

Section 1. All persons born or naturalized in the United States and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.

Section 2. Representatives shall be apportioned among the several States according to their respective numbers, counting the whole number of persons in each State, excluding Indians not taxed. But when the right to vote at any election for the choice of electors for President and Vice President of the United States, Representatives in Congress, the Executive and Judicial officers of a State, or the members of the Legislature thereof, is denied to any of the male inhabitants of such State, being twentyone years of age, and citizens of the United States, or in any way abridged, except for participation in rebellion, or other crime, the basis of representation therein shall be reduced in the proportion which the number of such male citizens shall bear to the whole number of male citizens twenty-one years of age in such State.

Section 3. No person shall be a Senator or Representative in Congress, or elector of President and Vice President, or hold any office, civil or military, under the United States, or under any State, who, having previously taken an oath, as a member of Congress, or as an officer of the United States, or as a member of any State legislature, or as an executive or judicial officer of any State, 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. But Congress may by a vote of two-thirds of each House, remove such disability.

Section 4. The validity of the public debt of the United States, authorized by law, including debts incurred for payment of pensions and bounties for services in suppressing insurrection or rebellion, shall not be questioned. But neither the United States nor any State shall assume or pay any debt or obligation incurred in aid of insurrection or rebellion against the United States, or any claim for the loss or emancipation of any slave; but all such debts, obligations and claims shall be held illegal and void.

Section 5.

The Congress shall have power to enforce, by appropriate legislation, the provisions of this article.

________

Anyone with a concerted effort to threaten or encourage violence against the President, First Family, or Trump Administration officials (by insurrection or rebellion) is guilty of the violating the 14^th Amendment.

The “Adam Schiff Standard” is not only a clear case of blaming another party of something he is actually doing, but it brings up another violation of a whole series of federal and state election interference laws.

The United States is a nation of laws, as stated in federal and state Constitutions. It’s time Americans become familiar with our laws and vote accordingly, without fear of intimidation. – RTM

10-15-2023

The Dividing Wall of Hostility

The way of man since the beginning of time seems to have been division and hostility with anyone different in appearance, ethnicity, beliefs or core values. It has been bred into our culture as an acceptable practice UNLESS it affects us personally and that is not how God created us to be.

Jesus said to love God with all of our heart, mind, body and spirit and to love our neighbor as we love ourselves. We are to do it willingly because even though He knows our innermost thoughts, our heart and that is how God first loved us, even when we sin against Him.

The very nature of man is sinful.  

When Jesus walked upon the earth as a man it was not as a conquering general, but to teach us how to love one another by his example. Did Jesus get angry or frustrated because people did not seek after him, but after his miracles?

Even today man flocks after miraculous signs and wonders instead of giving honor, glory and praises to Almighty God, the creator of all that which was created and from whom all blessings flow.

When the angel Lucifer thinking more highly of himself than he ought, was cast out of Heaven, his influence over other angels caused them all to be banished to the earth until such time as the gates of Hell will open and swallow them all at the appointed time known only to God.

In the meantime Lucifer (Satan) who has been given all authority over the earth for a season goes about as like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.

Satan has no authority over God’s children (believers and followers of Jesus). In fact there is nothing, not even all of the collective beings combined from the beginning to eternity that can stand up to the Creator God and nothing takes God by surprise.

Nothing simply “happens”. Everything is done for the glory of God.

When storm clouds arise, and the sky gets dark and menacing – look for God in the storm. Don’t ask God to remove you from hard or troubling times, but seek His face and pray thanking Him that He will carry you in the shelter of His outstretched arms.

We are told that whenever it is within our power to live at peace with one another. How do we make that happen? Do not rely on man or government, but place all of our trust in God who is more than enough. It is better to be standing for God, than falling for anything else. – RTM

10-9-2023

Ignore the Hype

Attention all you anti-republicans, anti-democrats, anti-politics and anti-everything folks out there – stop believing what you read or hear when it comes to the political hype.

I made that decision many years ago when I wanted to hear for myself what someone had to say about any subject near and dear to my heart. I didn’t want to a re-cap of “what they said was” or “this is what they meant”. I wanted to hear it straight from the horse’s mouth, not the other end (from so called reporters, television anchors and so called political experts).

When the media pays attention to politicians, there is a persona that turns that person into a legend (at least in their own mind) in the minds of susceptible “believers” of – “well I heard it on television or I read it on social media” types.

It then becomes a battle of egos. He/She/It is a no good so and so or often the opposite a “Saint Karen”.

There are two basic ways to hear what someone has to say and that is be there in person listening (and recording) their conversation so you can go back and study in context what they said.

The other is to watch them in a televised interview. Editing can be a problem unless you can read a transcript of everything that was said.

Deaminizing the opposition is a tried and true political tactic, but care must be taken so as not to accuse someone of doing what you are doing if you’re trying to make them look bad. (Pointing a finger, leaves 3 fingers pointing back at you).

Naysayers would have us to believe that congress is full of mindless, political bunglers and self-serving political hacks.

The reality is there are some really good patriots serving in congress, as well as a few who are out to grab the headlines and make a name for themselves, while some are in congress to accumulate money and power. The latter are usually those who spend a lifetime in congress. They keep getting reelected because voters don’t pay attention to what their elected official is actually doing.

Have you ever sat down or had a conversation with any of your state’s legislators? I mean engage them on topics that mean something (safety, security, finances, state or national debt and world affairs)?

You might be surprised?

Do you know what you believe? Have you stood in front of a mirror and told yourself what is important to you? Does your elected official believe as you do or have the same voting track record?

Our first line of defense is to Vote Responsibly and to hold our elected officials Accountable. As a constituent call them and let them know how you feel and what you expect from them. Tell them when they fail to uphold your wishes.

They do not/should not be democrat or republican but Americans representing America values, looking out for the interests of the nation as a whole, not some special interest or other nations.

Good – Bad – Ugly they represent you and me.

If we flooded their mailboxes, inboxes, and telephone lines and made our voices known we could make a huge difference.

It’s not about Vote & go home and then wait for the next election and repeat the process.

The best and the worst of America start and end with you.

Hold yourself accountable for your actions before you try to hold someone else accountable.

The image you see in the mirror is – YOU! – RTM

10-6-2023

No More Politics As Usual

If you know me then you know that my political views have not changed. I do not follow the crowd. My principles are biblically based. God said it that settles it, now go do it.

In politics there are those who do, those who won’t and those who can’t. Although “qualified” to serve as an elected official, many should never have stepped into the ring. Once they taste power it is really hard to let it go. How many congressional dinosaurs have spent their entire adult lives in office without considering themselves as public servants? How many have died in office well after retirement age? How many have left office or “retired” with a congressional pension? How does one retire from public service anyway?

Over the past 40 years we have seen a number of politicians with their “hand in the till” spending American tax dollars like it was their own personal money. They say it benefits their constituents back home, when in reality all too often it only pads their bank accounts through kick-backs and campaign contributions or outright gifts from foreign sources.

What America needs are responsible citizen servants in Congress who are business minded and determined to get things done that benefit our nation as a whole, instead of special interest, minority, political groups or factions. Congress as an institution contains many great minds with diverse backgrounds that when working together can accomplish great things, unless they become divided by personal or political agendas.

As a nation we must get back to balancing our out of control budget, by a combination of embargos, tariffs, tax incentives for US corporations, a unified single tax rate and not spending what we don’t have. Our government must be run like a business, by people who know how to make a business successful while providing quality products or services at an affordable cost to the consumer.

Our government’s utmost priority must be national security and the safety of every citizen at home and abroad. A nation without border security is prone to failure. Selective enforcement of our laws makes Americans unsafe. Laws that contradict the US Constitution and common sense place Americans in great danger. While catering to citizens of other nations who come to this country or allowing foreign criminals into our country and penalizing law abiding American citizens makes no sense at all.

The political process begins and ends with America voters. Every registered vote matters regardless of political party. Vote for the candidate that supports the Constitution, honors God and believes the way you do. – RTM

9-26-2023

We are Born to Die

If that’s not a scary thought I don’t know what is. Why would God create this little blue globe and everything on it to be born, hatched or sprout just to end up dying?

Why is it that man is so intent upon saving the planet, the whales, the trees and animals from cruel and harsh mistreatment but have no compassion upon the unborn, newborn or elderly, so long as it doesn’t affect them directly?

Well I have news for you, we are each appointed once to die and then the judgement.

We tend to argue over semantics, like when does life begin in the womb or at birth. We either forgot or don’t know that life begins at creation. Before time there is God who created all that has been created. It is God who created each of us in His image – Spirit. It is God who first knew you and me before our spirit entered our mother’s womb and we became a living, human being, knit together and growing until it was time for our birth.

Our great commission is to love God and to love others as we love ourselves. We are to go unto the entire world and tell everyone the good news – God loves you while our actions speak louder than our words. Can we honestly preach the good news to others while spewing hatred from our lips?

The bible tells us that while we were yet sinners, God loves us and sent his only begotten Son, Jesus to die on the cross, in our place, to pay for the sin of the world so that we could be restored in perfect fellowship with God.

John 3:16 tells us that God so loved the world that he sent his only begotten son Jesus into the world so that through him all who believe would not perish but have everlasting life.

Without God death leads to eternal separation from God and there is no turning back.

A genuine relationship with God leads to eternal life both here on earth and after death it leads to being in the presence of Almighty God for eternity.

The choice is yours to make before death, even now – will you choose life or death? – RTM

( image @ dreamstone.com)

9-16-2023

When Everything Is On The Line

In the US we have sayings like:

For those ever boasting we challenge them to put their money where their mouth is.

Workers are told to give it everything they’ve got.

Gamblers tend to put it all on the line.

When we’re for a good idea or something new we say we’re all in.

In a battle we tell each other we’ve got your back.

Runners put their toe to the mark.

Politically speaking we say you’ve got my vote.

In football players are told not to step over the line.

A military leader might say follow me.

These are all useful sayings in order to gain the compliance of people in order to attain a particular goal or agenda. That’s why before a business places your call on hold they pipe in this saying – Your call is important to us. How more important is might be to actually talk to a living, breathing human being?

We have been led to believe that the government has our best interests at heart. That’s our problem because the government has no heart. People do.

“The most terrifying words in the English language are: I’m from the government and I’m here to help.” ― Ronald Reagan.   

The government is a heartless entity where decisions are made for the best political interests of those making the rules. Those interests are almost always money, power and control.

During Obama’s administration there was an all-out push to divide the nation by class, race and politically. Obama even got the prestigious Peace Prize based not on what he had done, but what he was expected to do.

“We’re going to have to change our traditions, our history.” – Michelle Obama

We are living through those changes in what we see in the news, through media and television with a push to destroy our history because it offends us.

Did we not learn anything from history?

The push to eliminate all reference to the Confederacy and the names of anyone connected to it has been a huge mistake. American families fought on both sides of that conflict to protect and defend their rights under the Constitution. Yet out of that conflict ugliness became a cancer that continues to grow in our society called democracy in the form of the Democratic Party and early on the KKK to demonize and control through fear people of color and those who stood against them.  Why is it that the very people who were targeted, now blindly follow and support their very oppressors?

We are being told that conservative (godly) values are bad and lead to racism or worse. Even patriotism (pride for our nation) has been deemed as un-American. Those who exhibit patriotism have been demonized and declared enemies of the state.

I once asked why we have heard so little, if anything from former President Barack Obama concerning the flood of illegal immigrants, drugs or human trafficking coming across our southern border.

Crickets………

Is it a coincidence that after leaving office (if not during his administration) Obama created a left-center networking organization called Organization For Action (OFA) which was a political action group that has changed its name to All On The Line (with a dot com) website. Their primary message is combatting gerrymandering of elections in order to give democratic political candidates the advantage (redistricting).

AOTL is currently active in 34 states across the nation (their words not mine) and in October the great community organizer in chief, former President Obama and former Attorney General Eric Holder will be speaking at a scheduled event.

Another focus of AOTL is changing the US Constitution. It seems that being a Constitutional Republic is not conducive to their goals, but making the nation a Constitutional Democracy is. I’ve seen the document and changing our Constitution will not end well for the nation or its people.

I seem to remember reading something about Trump being charged to stop evil as God’s sword against the spirit of political correctness. That being the case nothing said he would cease being that after leaving office or seeking another term.

The plot to topple Trump from office failed miserably, yet those responsible have not yet been held accountable and the current plot to tie Trump up in unlimited allegations show no sign of letting up, since the DOJ is clearly in the pocket of the radical progressive left.

So he said to me, “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the Lord Almighty. – Zechariah 4:6

Nothing is over until God say’s so. – RTM

9-13-2023

Impeaching The President

I don’t know about you but I’m tired of hearing Democrats or Republicans talk of impeaching the sitting President of the United States. In my life time there have been only 2 presidents who have been impeached William Jefferson Clinton over the intern affair and Donald James Trump, the only president to have been impeached twice – once over a congratulatory phone call to the newly elected Ukrainian President and the second over obstructing Congress.

It took 19 months for Congress to bring charges of impeachment against Trump and now 20 months for Congress to begin talking about impeaching Biden. But what will the charges be – exceeding his authority as a bully while a senator, or bullying another country as vice president or degrading national security by opening the southern border and having the gates welded open? Or that he was seen eating the wrong flavor of ice cream?

What offenses are worthy of impeachment?

The Constitution states them as any of these acts “Treason, Bribery, or other High Crimes and Misdemeanors?”

However it’s up to the Speaker of the House of Representatives to make the call. Speaker Pelosi got into a feud with President Trump and to prove her point, lead 2 impeachments and the January 6^th (a type of impeachment), with herself being in the direct line of succession. Now Speaker McCarthy has Okayed a committee to explore impeaching President Biden and he is now in the direct line of succession.

According to Constitutional Lawyers,

“High Crimes and Misdemeanors” are

• Real criminality — breaking a law;
• Abuses of power;
• “Violation of public trust” as defined by Alexander Hamilton in the Federalist Papers.

In 1970, then Representative Gerald R. Ford defined impeachable offenses as

• “Whatever a majority of the House of Representatives considers it to be at a given moment in history.”

Ford later went on to become President.

It’s a little known fact that since 1841 over one-third of all American Presidents have either died in office, became disabled, or resigned. However, no American President has ever been forced from office due to impeachment.

Only four times in our history, has Congress held serious discussions of Impeachment:

• Andrew Johnson was actually impeached when Congress became unhappy with the way he was dealing with some post-Civil War matters, but Johnson was acquitted in the Senate by one vote and remained in office.
• Congress introduced a resolution to impeach John Tyler over state’s rights issues, but the resolution failed.
• Congress was debating his impeachment over the Watergate break-in when President Richard Nixon resigned.
• William J. Clinton was impeached by the House on charges of perjury and obstruction of justice in relationship to his affair with White House intern Monica Lewinsky. Clinton was eventually acquitted by the Senate.

So why does Congress feel that its members can threaten the President with Impeachment just because he doesn’t cave in to their political whims? Prolong that over 2+ years and it’s akin to the fable of “The Boy Who Cried Wolf” where nobody took him seriously, even when the wolf showed up.

Let us take a real close and personal look at The Impeachment Process.

In the House of Representatives

• The House Judiciary Committee decides whether or not to proceed with impeachment.

If they do…

• The Chairman of the Judiciary Committee will propose a Resolution calling for the Judiciary Committee to begin a formal inquiry into the issue of impeachment.

• Based on their inquiry, the Judiciary Committee will send another Resolution to the full House stating that impeachment is warranted and why (the Articles of Impeachment), or that impeachment is not called for.

• The Full House (probably operating under special floor rules set by the House Rules Committee) will debate and vote on each Article of Impeachment.

• Should any one of the Articles of Impeachment be approved by a simple majority vote, the President will be “impeached.” However, being impeached is sort of like being indicted of a crime. There still has to be a trial, which is where the US Senate comes in.

In the Senate

• The Articles of Impeachment are received from the House.

• The Senate formulates rules and procedures for holding a trial.

• A trial will be held. The President will be represented by his lawyers. A select group of House members will serve as “prosecutors.” The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court (currently John G. Roberts) will preside with all 100 Senators acting as the jury.

• The Senate will meet in private session to debate a verdict.

• The Senate, in open session, will vote on a verdict. A 2/3 vote of the Senate will result in a conviction.

• The Senate will vote to remove the President from office.
  • The Senate may also vote (by a simple majority) to prohibit the President from holding any public office in the future.

Impeachable Offenses

Article II, Section 4 of the Constitution says, “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.”

In his report, Independent Counsel, Starr accuses President Clinton of committing eleven acts for which he could be removed from office by impeachment.

In the past, Congress has issued Articles of Impeachment for acts in three general categories:

• Exceeding the constitutional bounds of the powers of the office.
  • Behavior grossly incompatible with the proper function and purpose of the office.
  • Employing the power of the office for an improper purpose or for personal gain.

When a politician habitually gets away with wrongdoing his entire adult life and reaches the pinnacle in politics (POTUS) they seem to think they are above the law, or they are ignorant of the law so how can a lawyer turned politician be ignorant of the law?

Impeachment should never be used as a political weapon because POTUS has differing political beliefs. It should be used when there is justifiable cause and verifiable proof to back it up.

As I have often said these liberal warriors vocalize accusations which mimic offenses they themselves are guilty of yet because Impeachment is generally considered in relation to the President of the United States I’ll bet these “Congressional Scholars” haven’t considered that Impeachment can be done to any of them as well. – RTM