Countdown 76 Day Election

California 46 days until early voting

TRUMP’S – AUTOCRATIC BEHAVIOR  

Trump keeps railing about the mail-in-ballots, except in Florida where he votes in that fashion. Saturday when he was at his golf course he said, “We are going to have an election that takes place on a beautiful day November 3^rd. ……you are not going to know this (results) possibly, if you get everything right, for months, or years”  as a result of mail-in-ballots. This will occur if Donald contests every vote and don’t think this not his strategy: to force a result without all votes in. “They are going to be lost, they’re going to be gone.” He gave away his premeditation when he said that. He was opposed to the postal service bailout in the democratic relief package and went on to say without that money, it would be difficult to have the mail-in-ballots.  He tipped his hand when the amount of money requested in the bailout is the same dollars as requested by the Postal service Board of Governors which includes Trump appointees.

In an op Ed in the Washington Post, retired Admiral William H. McRaven former commander of Seal Team 6 that killed Osama Bin Laden, wrote a piece titled “Trump is actively working to undermine the Postal Service—and every major U.S. institution”. The article writes in part: “Today, as we struggle with social upheaval, soring debt, record unemployment, a runaway pandemic, and rising threats from China and Russia, President Trump is actively working to undermine every major institution in this country.  He has planted the seeds of doubt in the minds of many Americans that our institutions aren’t functioning properly.  And , if the president doesn’t trust the intelligence community, law enforcement, the press, the military, the Supreme Court, the medical professionals election officials, and the postal workers, then why should we?  And if Americans stop believing in the system of institutions, then what is left is chaos and who can bring order out of chaos: only Trump.  It is the theme of every autocrat who ever seized power or tries to hold onto it.” “As Trump seeks to undermine the United States Postal Service and stop mail in voting he is taking away our voice to decide who will lead America, it is not hyperbole to say that the future of the country could depend on the remarkable men and women who brave the elements to bring us  our mail  deliver our votes. Let us insure they (postal Service) have every resource possible to provide the citizens of this country the information they need, the ballots they request  and the Postal Service they deserve.” 

The Admiral had warned every time Trump has trampled on norms in the past, however, this time, he warned, the results of his actions could have catastrophic results. Trump only wants to stay in power and does not care about serving the people.

If Trump doesn’t have the Constitutional means to do something, he cheats. He has restructured the Republican Party to his political views, which are self-serving. He has accomplished this by changing the rules in plain view, which redefines the political landscape. Trump is attempting to redefine normalcy for the Republican Party. 

Trump won and conservative principles went out the window. Trump has had the largest deficit and deficit spending ever, the largest budget, largest domestic spending and the biggest military spending ever. The federal debt has increasing at record pace, conservatives once fought for smaller balanced federal budget, smaller domestic spending, individual’s independence and protesting human rights violations in Russia and China, however,  no longer.

Trump is following the autocrats’ playbook. First you create distrust for the media.  Then you dismantle any institution that can counter your goals, the courts and then dismantle the state. Eliminate anyone that is installed to oversee your actions the oversight officials the inspectors general. This was done in full view on a typical Friday night so no one would notice.  You sow distrust in the security apparatus, you undermine the media to hide any dalliances with the mantle of fake news.

Like a frog in water being heated to a boil, the frog does not feel the increased heat until it’s too late. Trump’s actions are cumulative and when the Republicans recognize it, it may be too late. These are the actions of the autocrats in Poland, Hungary, and Turkey. Oh also in the U.S.

When it comes to the Post Office, he made it clear and out in the open, without pretense. He wanted to make it harder to vote in the election and is willing to bend the rules to that end. 

Trump doesn’t have a right to undo the system and make it extremely difficult to have anyone ever challenge an incumbent in an election. He undermines media to hide his dalliances changing rules to insure there is not a level playing field for the elections, messing with the mail slowing down delivery to use the Post Office to help him win his election. The Post Office is an institution with a 90% approval rating.  There is an air of both incompetence and panic with the Donald.

Trump keeps trying to break the law and has even said his intent was to make it so there are no mail-in ballots. The replacement Postmaster General has put it in writing that the mail would be potentially slowed down during the election season. So if anyone blocks the new house legislation funding the Post Office, they should be informed of Trump’s statements and the law below.                     

18 U.S .Code §1701 says this “Whoever knowingly and willfully obstructs or retards the passage of the mail, or any carrier or conveyance carrying the mail, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than 6 months or both.  Whoever , being a person employed in any administrative position by the United States, or any department or agency thereof…. Uses his official authority for the purpose of interfering with, or affecting , the nomination or the election of any candidate for the office of President…” 

18 U.S. Code § 1708.Theft or receipt of stolen mail matter and Postal property

“Whoever steals, takes, or abstracts, or by fraud or deception obtains, or attempts so to obtain, from or out of any mail, post office, or station thereof, letter box, mail receptacle, or any mail route or other authorized depository for mail matter, or from a letter or mail carrier, any letter, postal card, package, bag, or mail, or abstracts or removes from any such letter, package, bag, or mail, any article or thing contained therein, or secretes, embezzles, or destroys any such letter, postal card, package, bag, or mail, or any article or thing contained therein; or Whoever steals, takes, or abstracts, or by fraud or deception obtains any letter, postal card, package, bag, or mail, or any article or thing contained therein which has been left for collection upon or adjacent to a collection box or other authorized depository of mail matter; or Whoever buys, receives, or conceals, or unlawfully has in his possession, any letter, postal card, package, bag, or mail, or any article or thing contained therein, which has been so stolen, taken, embezzled, or abstracted, as herein described, knowing the same to have been stolen, taken, embezzled, Shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than five years, or both”  Mail boxes are Post Office property not the homeowners.

“Whoever steals, purloins, or embezzles any property used by the Postal Service, or appropriates any such property to his own or any other than its proper use, or conveys away any such property to the hindrance or detriment of the public service, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than three years, or both; but if the value of such property does not exceed $1,000, he shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than one year, or both.”

The Trump minions should be informed of the law. If any of his dotards mess with mail, they should be punished to the fullest extent, for the disenfranchisement of any voter based on the law above. Trump’s actions concerning the Post Office would be extremely offensive in normal times and would be rebuked by both parties for Trump and De Joy’s (USPS Postmaster General) actions. But with the Republicans, it’s the sound of crickets. Trump’s actions impact veterans, seniors and anyone in lockdown that depends on the USPS for drugs and necessities.  Businesses that are dependent on mail are also impacted. 

Friday, Louis DeJoy will be testifying in a House subcommittee and will be asked about his actions that are meant to delay the mail, which is illegal and carries a $5,000 fine. Thanks to Donald, it looks like both of them have some kind of legal liability. Similar laws are in place in the States and the liability exists for any postmaster that has attempted to delay the mail in any fashion. Whatever Trump touches he spoils, Thanks Donald!