Hysterical, desperate reactions mark Trump’s early presidency

Watching Democrat/liberal reactions to President Donald Trump from the time he declared himself a candidate has been entertaining, educational, and recently more than a little disturbing. Since the election and swearing in, the anti-Trumpsters have simply become unglued, indulging in outlandish and irrational behavior.

Among the craziness we find:

·      The automatic emotional criticism of Trump’s nominees.

·      Government employees saying they will not do their jobs, because of Trump.

·      The lawful travel suspension on people in seven predominantly Muslim countries connected to radical Islamic terrorism being deliberately mislabeled as a “Muslim ban.”

·      Some are calling for the military to overthrow the government, senior Obama administration Pentagon policy official Rosa Brooks, among them.

·      Trump’s actions and/or his supporters have been met with rioting in the streets, the destruction of property, and some have been personally attacked.

Following the issuance of an Executive Order for temporary travel suspension, which was approved by the Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel as a lawful order, the Acting Attorney General, Sally Yates, refused to defend the order issued by her boss, her client. She could have resigned her position on principle, but chose insubordination and causing a politically motivated public incident instead, resulting in Trump telling her, “You’re fired!”

This event was met with typical liberal disdain: “This administration seems to have no regard for the rule of law;” said one of the leaders of the party of Hillary Clinton, Al Sharpton, Lois Lerner, Rod Blagojevich, and Dan Rostenkowski; that person being Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY).

Regarding the claim that it is a “Muslim ban,” there are some 40 countries with substantial or majority Muslim populations, but the suspension covers only seven. It is a lawful and appropriate temporary suspension on travelers from seven terrorism-connected nations, and those "countries of concern" were officially identified in a 2015 law signed by then-President Barack Obama. Furthermore, Trump’s action is well within a president’s authority, and similar bans have been imposed by previous presidents, including Chester Arthur, Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, and, yes, Barack Obama.

Legal actions to derail the travel suspension must show it will cause plaintiffs irreparable harm. The plaintiffs in the case where U.S. District Judge James Robart issued a restraining order are the states of Washington and Minnesota, not individuals or groups of individuals, and the states cannot demonstrate irreparable harm. Some observers say, therefore, that the restraining order has political motives, rather than legal ones. Deciding to suspend foreign visitors for national security is an executive branch decision, not a judicial decision, and the restraining order should be nullified.

The travel suspension is a smart tactic that could have been handled better. It has attracted even more attention than the fake news and media screw-ups, but Trump’s nominee to succeed the late Justice Antonin Scalia on the Supreme Court is not far behind.

Much wailing and gnashing of teeth followed then-President Obama’s nomination of Judge Merrick Garland to fill the vacant seat not long after Scalia died last February. The Republican-controlled Senate announced it would not act on the nomination in Obama’s final year, saying that the next president should fill that slot.

The Republicans’ position has an interesting history. Then-Sen. Joe Biden (D-Del.) said on the U.S. Senate floor in 1992 that in a presidential election year a president should not make a nomination for the Supreme Court until after the election. This became known as “The Biden Rule.” Apparently, Biden, as Obama’s vice president, was unable to persuade him to follow his rule, or did not try.

Federalist.com notes that “Not only have there been several lengthy Supreme Court vacancies, but there are plenty of past instances when [Democrat] senators refused to confirm a [Republican] president’s nominations.” The article lists 10 such actions.

Since the Democrats do not control the Senate, they must try to show that the nominee, federal Appellate Court Judge Neal Gorsuch, is unqualified, and given the broad approval of Gorsuch’s nomination, that is a tall order.

“Judge Gorsuch has repeatedly sided with corporations over working people, demonstrated a hostility toward women’s rights, and most troubling, hewed to an ideological approach to jurisprudence that makes me skeptical that he can be a strong, independent Justice on the Court,” Minority Leader Schumer said in a statement.

Such comments of desperation – posing as thoughtful opposition – are interesting in view of the unanimous confirmation vote putting Gorsuch on the Appellate bench 10 years ago, as well as the voluminous praise of his towering qualifications for this nes position.

Gorsuch made this revealing statement during Trump’s announcement of his nomination: “A judge who likes every outcome that he reaches is very likely a bad judge,” meaning that following the law and the Constitution is more important than following one’s political philosophy, or personal desires, which is precisely the judicial philosophy we must have in all judgeships, and what he has demonstrated on the Appellate Court. Judges must have impartiality, independence, collegiality, and courage, he said.

Trumpitis has infected the land. Major news outlets demonstrate rampant symptoms through abdication of journalistic standards, and other anti-Trumpsters riot, destroy, and scream obscenities in protest. Large doses of adult behavior and acceptance of reality are prescribed.