#103) I'm Back!

May 31, 2017

Dear Mr. President,

It's been a few days…did you miss me? Let me tell you what happened; I sat down to write my letter, as usual, and realized that I had 6 different letter-worthy bones to pick with you.  Six!!  In just one day!  It was overwhelming.  I couldn't choose just one to write about because they were all important, so I didn't write at all.  And then the next day there was another one.  Then the next day there were two!  And as my list of grievances grew my motivation fell because it all felt so hopeless and useless.  But this morning I read a news item that perked me up and re-kindled my political fire.  Politico has released a poll showing that 43% of voters want Congress to begin impeachment proceedings.  43%!!  Isn't that amazing?!  It made me feel not so alone in my anger towards you anymore.  There are others out there and they are organizing.  So here I am, back at the keyboard with my list of complaints.  Here goes:

-Betsy DeVos is not just dangerous for education, she's also dangerous for children.  Google her testimony during the House Appropriations subcommittee meeting where Rep. Katherine Clark tried to get her to take a stand against discrimination in schools, and she wouldn't.  There is no discrimination that Betsy DeVos doesn't support.  It's sickening.

-Telling Philippine President Duterte the location of our secret nuclear submarines at a time of near-war with North Korea was unbelievably stupid.  Secret means you're not supposed to tell anyone and the stakes couldn't be any higher right now.  Duh.

-Jared Kuchner had no right to set up secret communication channels between you and Russia. I'm sure he did it at your request, and one or both of you is going to pay heavily for it. That was also incredibly stupid.  Considering how many highly paid lawyers you have you'd think someone would be able to tell you what's legal and what's not. 

-The Congressional Budget Office estimates that 24 million people will lose health insurance under your new plan.  Makes me sick just thinking about it.

-Did you know that there are NO border-state Republicans that support building a southern wall…not a single one.  Isn't that interesting.

-Melania wearing a $51,500 jacket during your trip to Italy was vulgar and inappropriate.  That is a decent annual salary for many people in this country (such as myself) or a police officer, a sheriff's deputy, a fire fighter, a first year teacher, a coal miner, or a registered nurse.  You have lost perspective and are completely out of touch with the lives of real people.  Public disgust can be a very dangerous thing Mr. Trump, just ask Marie Antionette.

-The video of you pushing Prime Minister Markovic of Montenegro out of your way at the NATO meeting was appalling and shameful.  I was embarrassed to be an American when I saw that video.

-When Ivnaka and Melania were in Saudi Arabia they did not cover their heads.  That's fine. Whatever.  But a few days later when you all arrived in Rome to visit the Pope they donned traditional black veils.  Why the double standard?  It looked as if you were showing preferential treatment for one religious leader over another (which you probably were). 

-Leaking the identity and key information about the Manchester bomber was sooooooo stupid and I don't blame the UK one bit for suspending intelligence sharing with the US. Yet another rookie mistake for your jagaloon crew.  They are beginning to add up, aren't they?

-Why in the world did you lift the ban on Argentinian lemons coming into this country!?  You built your campaign on promises of fair trade and putting America first but Argentine lemons haven't been imported to the US for 16 years and allowing them in now is going to destroy small-scale citrus farmers.  Smooth move idiot.  What happened to hire American, buy American?

-Three men were stabbed (2 fatally) on a train in Portland, Oregon when they tried to calm a man who was berating two teenage girls, one black and one wearing a hijab.  This is a hate crime.  Hate crimes are on the rise since your election because you have made it socially appropriate to be publicly hateful.  The killer was recorded in the police car as saying, "I hope they all die.  I'm gonna say that on the stand.  I'm a patriot, and I hope everyone I stabbed died.  That's what liberalism gets you."  This is a direct result of your hateful rhetoric.  You should be ashamed of what you are doing to this country.

-Removing the US from the Paris climate agreement will have dire consequences, not just for the US, but for the entire planet.  That agreement committed almost every nation in the world to take action to curb the warming of our planet.  For some reason you think that protecting the environment will harm the economy or slow down job creation which is total nonsense.  Stop watching Fox News and listen to a real scientists and economists for a change.  Talk about "fake news", sheesh.

Sincerely,

Amy Beaton

#102) Vatican Visit

May 24, 2017

Dear Mr. President,

Well, the road trip continues I see and you had your meeting with the Pope.  Was it awkward at all?  You know because of all those mean things you said about him during the campaign?  Like when you called him "disgraceful" because he said a true Christian would be building bridges and not walls, bringing people together not dividing and antagonizing.  And then you had the disrespect to say, "If and when the Vatican is attacked by ISIS, which as everyone knows is ISIS's ultimate trophy, I can promise you that the Pope would have only wished and prayed that Donald Trump would have been president."   

Well, you have a remarkable ability to flip flop and just pretend that you never said the things you actually did say...so maybe the visit went well (although I suspect Pope Francis' memory is not as flexible as yours).

Sincerely,

Amy Beaton

#101) Plans for Peace

May 23, 2017

Dear Mr. President,

So you're in Israel...good for you.  I've always wanted to go there myself.  You have been boasting quite a bit (going all the way back to your time on the campaign trail in 2016) about brokering a peace deal between Israel and Palestine but much like health care reform, I don't think you fully understand the immensity of that proposal.  Remember when your first health care plan failed and you said, "Nobody knew that health care could be so complicated." when actually everyone knew.  Like seriously, everyone.  This peace deal is basically the same thing; it's only you who underestimates the complexity of it.  But if you want to take it on, well more power to you and good luck.

But here's what's really bothering me today - the possibility that you might move the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. There is a 50 year history of why this is a bad idea but here are my top two:  while Israel claims Jerusalem as their state capital, Palestine also claims Jerusalem as the capital of their future Palestinian state, and Iraqi Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr has posted on his website that moving the US embassy in Israel to Jerusalem would be a "declaration of war" against Islam.  So that's quite a threat.  I think we would all like to avoid that one.

I've got to get to work now, but you should do a Google search about this because this is huge and I would hate to see your ignorance destroy the fragile co-existence that currently exists in the Middle East.

Sincerely,

Amy Beaton

#100) Travel Broadens the Mind

May 22, 2017

Dear Mr. President,

I guess what they say is true; travel really does broaden the mind, because this trip seems to be awakening you to all sorts of new and exciting possibilities (like a small child discovering that he has a backyard with a swing set).

I heard your speech in Saudi Arabia and it was good for the most part.  There were just two points, however, that I can't let slip by without comment.   

You said, "A new spirit of optimism is sweeping our country: in just a few months we have created almost a million new jobs, added over 3 trillion dollars of value, lifted the burdens on American industry, and made record investments in our military that will protect the safety of our people and enhance the security of our wonderful friends and allies - many of whom are here today."  Literally the only part of that statement that is true is that many of your friends and allies "are here today."  That's it. There's no sweeping optimism, no new jobs, what the hell is "added value" and how did we get 3 trillion dollars of it, no resurgence of industry, and the military budget has not passed (and probably won't). 

The second point at which my ears perked up was when you said, "Bolstered by Iran, Assad has committed unspeakable crimes and the US has taken firm action in response to the use of banned chemicals....."  I won't type the rest because it doesn't matter. The part that matters is where you call out Iran for bolstering the Assad regime in Syria.  What about Russia?  Why no condemnation for Russia who is by far doing more harm in Syria than Iran.

Last year when Russia greatly increased their involvement in Syria with air strikes aimed, ostensibly, at ISIS targets the British Foreign Minister Phillip Hammond said, "The Russians have given the regime another gasp at life and that is bad news for everyone, and they will hold responsibility for prolonging this conflict.  It is a constant source of grief to me that everything we are doing is being undermined by the Russians."  And these feelings were echoed by most of the world (including us).  It's easy and popular to call out Iran when you're in a room full of Arabs.  But it's hypocritical and cowardly to not call out Russia as well when their involvement has caused far more death and destruction.

Good luck in Israel.  Don't mess it up.

Shalom,

Amy Beaton

#99) Viva la Revolucion

May 21, 2017

Dear Mr. President,

I was worried that I wouldn't have anything to write to you about today because you are in Saudi Arabia and with the time delay I can't get news of your exploits until late in the day (and I write this letter in the early morning).  But never fear...even half a world away you still managed to screw something up that I can write about!  You never let me down Mr. Trump.

Apparently you sent a congratulatory message and your "warmest wishes" to the Cuban people on the occasion of Cuba's Independence Day (May 20).  The only problem is that Cuba stopped celebrating that holiday in 1959! I've said it before and I'll say it again - your crew of advisors are a bunch of jagaloons who couldn't find their way out of a paper bag never mind affect meaningful diplomacy around the world.

Cuba's response was priceless.  They said that you are "badly informed" about their country.  They said your message of congratulations was "controversial" and "ridiculous".  They even read out an official statement on state TV informing you that on May 20, 1902, Cuba stopped being a Spanish colony only to become a "neo-colony of the Yankees," which it would remain until January 1, 1959, the day of the Cuban Revolution.  (That's the day Fidel Castro proclaimed the victory of the Cuban Revolution and is celebrated to this day as Triumph of the Revolution Day.)  They also said, "even the US government itself is aware of the contradictory and clumsy pronouncements made by the billionaire tycoon-turned-president on both foreign and domestic policy."  Ouch.  That must have hurt.

So that explains why they called your letter "ridiculous."  But they also said it was "controversial" and that's because you made reference to the valor and many accomplishments of Jose Marti.  Cuban officials said that the "president doesn't seem to understand that Marti was the most anti-imperialist of all Cubans." 

Dude, seriously, get yourself a good computer with access to the Internet and a better team of advisors because your lack of information about the world is just making everything awkward.

Sincerely,

Amy Beaton

#98) Responses from the Twittersphere

May 20, 2017

Dear Mr. President,

The other day you gave the commencement speech at the Coast Guard Academy graduation and were thoroughly skewered by the entire Internet because you only talked about yourself.  Does your ego have no limits?  Anyway, I really got a hoot out of reading the comments and I thought you might too.  So here are some of my favorites; they are in response to when you said,  "No politician in history, and I say this with great surety, has been treated worse or more unfairly." 

@tedlieu:  That's because no President in history has been worse.

@CharlieYoungEsq:   under a picture of Nelson Mandela he writes, "Umm...ok..."

@popehat:    Coast guard cadets know that a flailing, drowning person can be dangerous to would-be rescuers.

@TrumpDementia:    Even one whose birthplace and religion were constantly questioned by his eventual successor?

@BSmegg:    I'd say Kennedy, McKinley and Lincoln were, all things considered, demonstrably treated more "unfairly" than Trump has been to date.

@StevenSSWrites:  What about Lyin' Ted Cruz, Little Marco Rubio, or Fake Tears Schumer?

@adharves:  I'd be interested in the views of Jakarta's jailed governor Ahok on Trump's assertion about politicians treated unfairly.

@tar791:    Lincoln and JFK did not respond immediately to requests for comment...

@DavidCornDC:  Apparently not even Julius Caesar

@WTFisGoingOnDon:   In 1672, a mob of angry Dutch killed and ate their prime minister. Options.  Just sayin'.

And I would personally like to add that Hilary Clinton was treated a whole lot more unfairly during the 2016 campaign. She handled it with dignity and grace and should be a role model for politicians everywhere.

Sincerely,

Amy Beaton

#97) John McCain, American Hero

May 19, 2017

Dear Mr. President,

You know there has been a tiny little sliver of sunshine in this week of otherwise disgusting political news....and it's John McCain the Republican Senator from Arizona.  You remember him, he's the guy that you said wasn't a war hero because he was captured and held prisoner for more than 5 years in Vietnam (refusing early release even after being repeatedly beaten because he felt prisoners should be released in the order they were captured and he was being offered preferential treatment as the son of an admiral).  Yeah, that guy.  You could learn a lot from him.  Throughout this whole week of scandal and uproar he has repeatedly put his loyalty to the country above loyalty to his party (as ALL elected officials should) and was one of the first to call for an independent counsel to investigate your Russian connections and threats to Director Comey. He's a guy who says what he means and means what he says.  He's got integrity (boy it's been a long time since I've used that word in relation to a politician) and the respect of people on both sides of the aisle because of it.

So on Tuesday night when the security forces of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey - including several armed individuals - charged and attacked a group of peaceful protestors standing outside the ambassador's residence he SPOKE UP.  He had the integrity to say NO.  This was by all accounts a brutal attack; 11 people injured, 9 sent to the hospital, and 2 secret service agents assaulted.  But this wasn't only an attack on Americans, it was an attack on free speech and democracy and it happened right here in our nation's capital!  What the hell Mr. Trump?!  Where were you?  What have you got to say about this? 

I'll tell you what John McCain had to say, he said the Turkish ambassador should  immediately be thrown out of the country.  He said, "This is the United States of America, this isn't Turkey, this isn't a third-world country, and this kind of thing cannot go un-responded to diplomatically and maybe in other ways."  He also said that whoever issued the orders to attack should be charged with a crime because, "You cannot have that happen in the United States of America.  People have the right in our country to peacefully demonstrate and they were peacefully demonstrating."  Even DC police and local officials have decried this as a "brutal, violent" attack that needs a formal response.  But here's what your administration had to say about it:  a full 24 hours AFTER the attack the State Dept said they were, "concerned by the violent incidents involving protestors and Turkish personnel."  That's it. Then Sean Spicer declined to comment on the attack, on the video footage of the attack, on whether or not you had seen the video footage of the attack, and merely referred reporters to the State Department's statement. 

When people wonder what's wrong with our government and how it got so dysfunctional- this event is what I will think of.  Because how can any elected official, regardless of their party affiliation, look at this scene and not feel outrage?  I'm at least glad that John McCain does and that he is willing to speak up.  Thank you Senator McCain.

Sincerely,

Amy Beaton

P.S.  Refresh my memory, how many hotels and properties do you own in Turkey again?

#96) Free Falling

May 17, 2017

Dear Mr. President,

Well, another day, another disaster.  I'm going to keep this really short today; it is an illegal act to ask an FBI Director to stop an investigation that involves oneself.  This is obstruction of justice and people take it seriously...even Republicans.  In fact, there is a growing number of Republicans in the House and Senate who are coming to the conclusion that you must be dealt with.

When writing about your gratuitous idiocies (like why the Civil War was not avoided and how Andrew Jackson, who had been dead for 16 years, was so upset by its outbreak) Charles Krauthammer said, "These are embarrassments but they don't materially affect the course of the presidency or of the country."  But obstruction of justice with an FBI investigation is criminal.  It's not just a gratuitous idiocy and it does affect the course of the presidency as well as the legitimacy of the office of president.  And apparently James Comey was a meticulous record keeper.  Not only did he take notes on his conversations with you, he also shared his experiences of meeting with you with senior FBI advisors. So there is a paper trail out there somewhere which will be unearthed and aired to the Senate Intelligence Committee (and then hopefully the American people) very soon.

What more is there to say?  You've got no one to blame but yourself.

Sincerely,

Amy "The People" Beaton

P.S.  Please don't send Sean Spicer out there to defend/explain this disaster.  That poor guy's head is going to explode and his final meltdown should not be televised.

#95) Lawful But Awful

May 16, 2017

Dear Mr. President,

Have you ever heard of the term lawful but awful?  I heard it on NPR this morning and immediately wrote it down because it sums up so much of what you have done as President this week.  Was it legal for you to fire James Comey?  Sure.  Should you have fired James Comey? Absolutely not.  Was it legal to share classified information about ISIS with Russia?  Yes, technically.  But should you have shared that information?  Definitely NOT.

When the news broke yesterday about your over-sharing with your Russian guests, White House officials quickly went into damage control mode.  Such heavyweights as H.R. McMaster and Rex Tillerson spoke publicly to affirm that you "did not disclose intelligence sources or methods."  This is a very important distinction because sharing sources and methods would have been illegal.  By sharing classified information you only did something stupid…not actually illegal (lawful but awful).  They really did their best to cover for your inadequacies and reassure the world that there are some people who actually know what they are doing in charge (e.g. Them).  But then you took to Twitter and completely un-did their work when you wrote:

            "As President I wanted to share with Russia (at an openly scheduled WH meeting) which             I have the absolute right to do, facts pertaining to terrorism and airline

            flight safety for humanitarian reasons, plus I want Russia to greatly  step up

            their fight against ISIS and terrorism."

So, I don't know how to tell you this, but Russia is never going to step up their fight against ISIS and terrorism, just like China is never going to stop North Korea from pursuing nuclear weapons.  Honestly, you're naivete and falsely elevated belief in the power of your Tweets will be the undoing of our intelligence services.  Just because you threw the Russians a bone (which is really kind of obnoxious and condescending when you think about it) does not mean that they will do something for you.  At least, not if it's something they don't want to do.  And Tweeting about your clever ploy to bend them to your will just makes you look stupid.

The irony is not lost on me (or the rest of the nation) that during the campaign you repeatedly berated Hillary Clinton for her "careless handling of classified information."  I believe you said she should be "locked up".  I bet McMaster and Tillerson are thinking the same thing about you right now.

Remember when we talked about that how-to-be-a-president-leadership-handbook a few months ago?  Well here's what you would find in Chapter 2:  just because you can do something doesn't mean that you should.  So go get your two scoops of ice cream, sit down in the corner out of the way, and SHUT UP.

Sincerely,

Amy Beaton

#94) Trumphaustion

May 15, 2017

Dear Mr. President,

I know that you tried really hard to coin a new term this week – prime the pump.  It was kind of awkward and uncomfortable though because this is a very common and well known term that has been around for more than 50 years so you obviously didn't invent it.  Weird, but nice try.   

Well those smart folks over at CNN did actually create a new term this week and it is awesome.  It's Trumphaustion.  Can you guess what it means?  It's used to describe people who are exhausted with Trump.  The couple of times that I've seen it in print were in reference to House Republicans experiencing Trump-fatigue; that is, they are burned out and exhausted with your bizarre behaviors overshadowing the legitimate workings of the legislature.  There was even mention of certain senior House members being "at or near a boiling point" regarding your craziness and the toll that it is taking on their attempts to legislate.  These are smart and dedicated people who probably won't run for re-election because they just can't handle A) not being able to get anything meaningful accomplished, and B) being associated with your administration and all the unprofessionalism and chaos that goes along with that.  Although I am a Democrat, even I can see that the loss of senior Republican legislators is a bad thing. 

I'm not sure what your long-term strategy here is…or even if you have one.  But you should really take a look around you at the damage you are doing to the people who should be a source of strength for you.  You're certainly not doing yourself any favors.

Sincerely,

Amy Beaton

#93) Adios, Don Quixote

May 14, 2017

Dear Mr. President,

Have you ever read Don Quixote by Miguel De Cervantes?  If you haven't already, you really should because as soon as I heard that you had appointed an Election Integrity Commission to investigate voter fraud in the 2016 election I had an immediate vision of you as Don Quixote...tilting at windmills (or in this case imaginary illegal voters).  It's kind of a funny image, until you realize that this completely useless commission is funded with taxpayer dollars.  And then it's not so funny.

You have alleged over and over again that "millions" of illegal immigrants voted illegally in the 2016 election based solely on the fact that you lost the popular vote to Hillary Clinton by about 3 million votes.  Much like your wiretapping claim, you have no evidence BUT you have successfully created the issue by sheer force of will (and your Twitter account).  Much as Don Quixote misinterpreted the world, you have created a phantom problem which is illogical and possibly self-destructive because this Election Integrity Commission, if it has any integrity at all, will not find evidence to support your claim.  The only reason for this commission is to soothe your own ego (oh yea, and to distract from your recent firing of FBI Director Comey and the sh*t storm that that created).

Listen, do you really think that 3 million people voted illegally and no one noticed?  They just didn't and it is an outrage that you are going to spend taxpayer money for this sham commission to investigate a fake problem.  All I can say is that the truth will eventually, hopefully, be made clear and people will see what an ego-maniacal, money-wasting con-artist you actually are. 

Adios,

Amy Beaton

#92) Going Down

May 13, 2017

Dear Mr. President,

I have been staring at this screen for 10 minutes trying to think of some way to shape the last 48 hours of your presidency into a meaningful and coherent letter and at this point I just don't think it can be done.

If I were to list out all of the crazy behaviors, false statements, and bizarre tweets you have issued in last two days it would fill 4 pages and I have neither the time nor the energy to do that (plus the media is doing a pretty good job of re-hashing every crazy-pants piece of it without me).  I think you have begun your death spiral.  I think the next few months are going to be one drama/crisis after another.  I just hope that we have enough competent legislators to guide your train wreck of a presidency to a safe conclusion where no one gets hurt and the foundational elements of our government are still in tact.

Just remember, I'm still watching.

Sincerely,

Amy Beaton

#91) What is Patriotism?

May 12, 2017

Dear Mr. President,

The following is written by Timothy Snyder, excerpted from his excellent book On Tyranny.

"What is patriotism?  Let us begin with what patriotism is not.  It is not patriotic to dodge the draft and to mock war heroes and their families.  It is not patriotic to discriminate against active-duty members of the armed forces in one's companies, or to campaign to keep disabled veterans away from one's property.  It is not patriotic to compare one's search for sexual partners in New York with the military service in Vietnam that one has dodged.  It is not patriotic to avoid paying taxes, especially when American working families do pay.  It is not patriotic to ask those working, taxpaying American families to finance one's own presidential campaign, and then to spend their contributions in one's own companies.

It is not patriotic to admire foreign dictators.  It is not patriotic to cultivate a relationship with Muammar Gaddafi; or to say that Bashar al-Assad and Vladimir Putin are superior leaders.  It is not patriotic to call upon Russia to intervene in an American presidential election.  It is not patriotic to cite Russian propaganda at rallies.  It is not patriotic to share an advisor with Russian oligarchs.  It is not patriotic to solicit foreign policy advice from someone who owns shares in a Russian energy company.  It is not patriotic to read a foreign policy speech written by someone on the payroll of a Russian energy company.  It is not patriotic to appoint a national security advisor who has taken money from a Russian propaganda organ.  It is not patriotic to appoint as secretary of state an oilman with Russian financial interests who is the director of a Russian-American energy company and has received the "Order of Friendship" from Putin.

The point is not the Russia and America must be enemies.  The point is that patriotism involves serving your own country."

For someone who says he wants to put "America first" you sure have a funny way of doing things.

Sincerely,

Amy Beaton

#90) Bad Timing

May 11, 2017

Dear Mr. President,

Hmmm...interesting plot twists here...the NY Times is reporting that Director Comey asked for more money in his budget to investigate your Russian connections.  Then a few days later you fired him.  Rotten timing, huh?  Probably just a coincidence, huh?  Then there's this other weird coincidence, apparently senior officials at the White House (including Jeff Sessions who shouldn't have been involved in ANY way because he had already recused himself from this investigation) were asked by YOU to create a case for firing Comey.  They were told to gather information, come up with plausible reasons, so that you could fire him and make it look legit.  And I watched how that played out yesterday because every time I saw one of your toadies speaking about this they repeated over and over (and over and over) that you were "simply endorsing the recommendation of the AG's office".  As if this had practically nothing to do with you and you just rubber-stamped what was a common place occurrence.  As if you had no idea that this was a big deal thing happening at a very significant and suspicious time.  As if it was just another day at the office. Come on! Nobody is that stupid.

I think you are going to be hearing the term "Constitutional Crisis" a lot in the next few weeks.  And since you've never held an elected office before you might not know what that means exactly so I will keep this as simple as I can:  it means people want to impeach you.  It means you seem unable to operate the government in a way compatible with the legal principles of our Constitution. It means you (and by extension your entire administration) are in a world of trouble.  So when you start hearing that term remember that you heard it here first and that you are pretty much screwed.

The good news is that there is a simple, quick, and inexpensive solution to this problem.  You could just show the world your taxes so that everyone can see whether or not you have benefited financially (or otherwise) from the Russian government.  As you said, this is a "taxpayer funded charade" and speaking as a taxpayer, I would dearly love to see a cheap solution to this mess.  Federal prosecutors are even now preparing subpoenas for Flynn and his associates which takes time, money and energy away from the REAL work of the government.

You have tied up the resources and effective working of this country long enough.  While being divisive and incompetent is merely bad, taking payments and financial benefits from foreign nations is actually illegal. So either face a criminal investigation by a special prosecutor or get out of the way so the government can do the work of the PEOPLE.

Sincerely,

Amy Beaton, taxpayer

#89) Dream On

May 10, 2017

Dear Mr. President,

Well, I was beginning to think there was nothing you could do that would surprise me anymore, but firing FBI Director Comey...I did NOT see that coming.  Wow.  I could write a whole long (very long) letter about the many reasons that was a bad idea, but I'll keep it simple for you.  Here goes:

A person being investigated for a crime should not fire the person who is investigating him,    especially on the advice of a man who had to recuse himself from said investigation because of his OWN murky and mostly unexplained involvement in the crime being investigated. (Oh, what a tangled web you weave.)

In your letter dismissing Mr. Comey you said, "While I greatly appreciate you informing me, on three separate occasions, that I am not under investigation, I nevertheless concur with the judgment of the Dept. of Justice that you are not able to effectively lead the Bureau."  I especially like the "on three separate occasions" part.  It's so casual, so blase, so whatever-I'm-not-worried-about-your-investigation-into-my-Russia-connections.  But let me be perfectly clear that you are fooling no one Mr. Trump.  This firing does not "restore faith in our criminal justice system" in any way. It makes you look like you're covering something up.  Bigly.  You have now fired US Attorney Preet Bharara and  acting Attorney General Sally Yates as well as FBI Director James Comey; three powerful (and theoretically independent) law enforcement agents all investigating your connections to Russia.  You are creating a trail of unanswered questions that only erodes the people's trust in your judgment and ability AND makes you look guilty as sin.

Sincerely,

Amy Beaton

P.S.  It's time to retire Kellyanne Conway.  Her remarkable ability to double speak with a straight face is no longer enough to overcome her complete lack of integrity and regard for honesty.  Her TV appearances border on the farcical and do nothing to enhance the legitimacy of your presidency.  Seriously.

P.P.S.  You are living in a fantasy world if you think people are going to "thank you" after "the dust settles"on this.  Dream on big guy.

#88) Well said, Mr.Markey

May 9, 2017

Dear Mr. President,

Here is my favorite quote (so far) about the health care bill just passed by the House:

"There is zero chance of that bill ever becoming law.  Zero chance.  Dead on arrival in the Senate.  It guts Medicaid, takes $830 billion from Medicaid funding away from grandma who is in a nursing home with Alzheimer's or Parkinson's, for people who need opioid treatment, for the disabled, for poor children, takes that money and gives it as a tax break to the wealthiest 1% in our country.  Dead on arrival!"

This is from Senator Ed Markey (MA).   Nuf said.

Sincerely,
Amy Beaton

#87) More Guns

May 8, 2017

Dear Mr. President,

Yesterday in Chicago 10 people were shot, 2 of them fatally, at a memorial service for a man who had been shot to death days earlier.  So tell me, just how of out control does gun violence need to get before you and your friends at the NRA realize that we have a problem, because what is happening in Chicago right now is pretty out of control.  The sickening part is that YOU have the power to do something about it and you choose not to.  You have the power to limit gun ownership, save lives, protect police officers and first responders, and make the city of Chicago a safer place.  But you won't.

Most of Chicago's gun violence is gang related so breaking up the gangs is the obvious first step to restoring peace…but wouldn't it be a hell of a lot easier to do that if the gangs weren't all armed with guns?  Relaxing gun laws exposes police officers to greater dangers and prevents them from doing their job effectively.  For years professional police organizations have supported relaxing gun laws and have been vocal supports of private gun ownership.  But that is changing.

Last year a new law in Maine passed allowing people to carry a concealed weapon without any permit or training.  Police Chief Michael Sauschuck said, "It is absolutely ludicrous to me that we require people to go take a test to get a driver's license, but we are allowing people to carry a deadly weapon on their person without any procedures regulating it."  I'll spare you all the details, but there are about 12 states where the police are speaking up and fighting back against clueless legislators hell bent on relaxing gun control.

On the campaign trail you told us over and over again that you were going to be the "law and order" president.  Isn't it now time to draft some laws and re-gain some order?  Just listen to what police departments all over the country are saying.  They are the ones on the front lines.

Sincerely,

Amy Beaton

#86) The Johnson Ammendment

May 6, 2017

Dear Mr. President,

On the campaign trail you promised to "totally destroy the Johnson Amendment" and a few days ago you signed an executive order to that effect.  Here are some problems with that:      

            -The president can't repeal an amendment (you big idiot) your executive order has

            no teeth.

            -This isn't about "free speech" for churches it's about money and politics because

            if clergy are allowed to participate in political campaigns, then tax-free donations

            to their churches could go to support a political candidate.

            -The separation of Church and State is a founding principle of our country.

            Religious lobbying is illegal because it is morally WRONG.

As James Madison said, "Religion and government will both exist in greater purity the less they are mixed together."  Along with your new friend Andrew Jackson (who's insights obviously could have prevented the Civil War), Thomas Jefferson and John Adams also had some interesting things to say about the separation of church and state. You should pick up a history book sometime.  You will be amazed.

Sincerely,

Amy Beaton

#85) How is this a win?

May 5, 2017

Dear Mr. President,

I don't know what the hell you're celebrating.  You got a healthcare bill through the House of Representatives, that does NOT make it the law of the land.  The next step for your bill is for it to go to the Senate.  You may not be aware of this, but the Senate has said unequivocally that they will not vote on your bill.  They are drafting their own rather than voting on yours, and once they do the two groups will have to come together to conference and merge the two bills into one document that both chambers agree on.  I think the likelihood of that happening any time soon is quite slim. (FYI School House Rock has a great video series that explains how a bill becomes a law with catchy music and cute cartoons…very informative.)

You took this bill to a vote without any analysis of 1) how much it would cost, and 2) who it would cover.  This was probably intentional on your part because the last time the Congressional Budget Office evaluated your plan they said 24 million people would lose insurance coverage and premiums would rise dramatically for seniors and low-income people (the two groups who need insurance coverage the most).  Basically you are choosing to fly blind here rather than face any uncomfortable truths.  This isn't leadership, it's cowardice (with a little bit of manipulation on the side).

You seem quite pleased with yourself and you keep calling this a "win" but how so?  You promised insurance for everyone, lower premium costs, lower deductible costs, no Medicaid cuts, and protection for people with pre-existing conditions.  These were your goals (and I agree with all of them). But you didn't get ANY of that is this House bill.  None of your goals was met. So just what exactly do you think you have won?  I don't get it.

During your celebratory speech yesterday you said, "People are suffering so badly with the ravages of Obamacare."  What planet are you living on!?!  No one is being "ravaged" by health insurance.  I'm not even sure you know what that word means.  Usually your speeches are just inflammatory and provocative, but that one was completely out of touch. 

You've got a weird way of operating Mr. Trump.  I don't get it.

Sincerely,

Amy Beaton