Trump State of the Union Speech a Triumph

Posted on February 5, 2020 by LifeZette

By David Kamioner | February 5, 2020

President Donald Trump, riding good news on several fronts, gave a masterful performance in front of both houses of Congress and other luminaries Tuesday night during his State of the Union address. He hit all the right notes of policy and emotion and was received well regardless of small Democratic attempts to disrupt his presentation.

He ignored impeachment and focused on his past policy achievements and plans for his next term in office.

His comms staff made sure the speech contained the kind of moments and lines that would force the Democrats to respond positively or look like partisan hacks. Most of them took the bait and stood and clapped on numerous occasions, especially the telegenic Democratic Senator Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona.

Trump was not daunted by the tired trope of unintelligibly shouting and chanting hard left Democratic female House members all dressed in white. Nor was his game affected by the sad little stunts House Speaker Nancy Pelosi tried to pull off to distract the camera.

High points of the evening were comprised of the president’s recognition of audience members such as legitimate Venezuelan President Juan Guaido, Tuskegee Airman USAF Brigadier General Charles McGee, Philadelphia student Janiyah Davis and her mother, and Afghanistan hero U.S. Army SFC Townsend Williams. Williams was reunited with his wife and children, who were in attendance, during the event.

Another powerful moment was the awarding of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian award, to conservative media titan Rush Limbaugh. After the president recognized Limbaugh for his talent and devotion to American values, the First Lady presented the award to the talk show host as he stood there in the audience.

The ailing Limbaugh, who was just diagnosed with advanced fourth stage lung cancer, was visibly moved by the medal and the standing ovation he received by many members of Congress and other leaders.

Other notable aspects included the presence of Brexit leader Nigel Farage, the wry smile of satisfaction between Trump-appointed Supreme Court justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh, and the impotent ripping up of the president’s speech by Nancy Pelosi after the SOTU had finished.

The Democrats were once a great political party. They are now reduced to a socialist mob, ripping up sheets of paper after a speech as a forlorn gesture of opposition, such is what the president has done to them.

That, along with the booming economy and the resurgent U.S. posture around the around, may be President Trump’s greatest accomplishment.

This piece originally appeared in LifeZette and is used by permission.

The post Trump State of the Union Speech a Triumph appeared first on The Political Insider.

Next Three Days Vital for President Trump

Posted on February 3, 2020 by LifeZette

By David Kamioner | February 3, 2020

Monday marks the beginning of three of the most important days in the history of modern America.

On Monday the resumption of the Senate impeachment trial will likely bring the process only two days away from a finish. Senators will get to make speeches on the Senate floor for or against impeachment. From those speeches a good count on the final votes on the charges before the Senate should be able to be discerned. Our call remains 55-45 for the president, thus handing him an impressive victory and complete vindication.

This is the de facto and de jure result no matter what the Democratic strategy may be to ignore the trial outcome and possibly embark on another impeachment investigation and vote. That would be timed for the GOP convention or the fall, when the Democrats still have control of the House. If they do that they will lose the House. So pray that they at least try.

The Iowa Democratic caucus on Monday looks like a close battle between Sanders and Biden. We think Biden will pull it off because many Sanders supporters are young and those under 30 do not usually vote or caucus in large numbers. Trump is probably pulling for Sanders, as are we, for the obvious reason of his non-electability in November. But the Democratic establishment will probably not allow his nomination, just as they cheated him out of it in 2016.

Tuesday brings more trial speeches and the State of the Union address by the president. Expect the Democrats to try a stunt to disrupt the president’s speech. Shouting from the audience, a walkout or boycott, even turning their back on the president are all in their playbook. One or more may take place.

Wednesday should close the chapter, for now, on one of the most divisive and unnecessary dramas in American history, as the Senate will likely vote to acquit President Trump on one count of abuse of power and another of obstruction of Congress. Current smart money has Democrats Manchin and Sinema possibly voting with the president on one or both counts. Jones could also jump to Trump on the votes.

Republicans Romney and Collins could vote to remove the president on one or both counts, with Romney the more likely guilty vote on both charges.

Stay with LifeZette for the latest fast breaking coverage on all these events.

This piece originally appeared in LifeZette and is used by permission.

The post Next Three Days Vital for President Trump appeared first on The Political Insider.

Three Dems Balking at Impeachment

Posted on January 29, 2020 by LifeZette

By David Kamioner | January 29, 2020

The last news cycle was all about GOP rebels on the witness question. But three Democrat senators, Sinema, Manchin, and Jones, are also publicly saying, or letting be known through staff leaks, that they are thinking of voting to acquit the president on one or both of the articles of impeachment before the Senate.

Regardless of witnesses or not, the GOP will likely lose 2-3 out of 53 on the votes to acquit or convict. If three Democrats break ranks it could give the GOP 52-53 for the president.

The Democrats need 67 to win. Right now and likely ahead, that is a very far away number for them.

The telegenic Kyrsten Sinema has played it smart so far during her time in the Senate. She has a reputation as a reasonable moderate that is playing well in light red Arizona, a state that used to be deep red in its Goldwater days. If she cut the baby in half and voted to acquit on one article and guilty on the other it keeps her moderate creds and gets nobody too ticked at her.

Joe Manchin of West Virginia has been courted by the GOP to switch parties for years. On energy and cultural issues he votes GOP. On other issues he votes with Trump about a third of the time. He’s got better GOP loyalty numbers than some northeast U.S. GOP members of the House.

He is saying, and his office is spreading it loud and wide, that he could vote for the president on both articles. He could be doing this to leverage a price from the Democrats for staying in their column or doing the same with the GOP for voting to acquit. West Virginia is a deep red state, one of the deepest red in the nation. Manchin thus knows how his constituents would feel if he abandoned the president.

Though, he still has to think of his Democrat base in WV. At least, what remains of it that isn’t already supporting Trump.

Doug Jones in deep red Alabama cannot afford to vote to convict the president on impeachment and hope to stand a chance at reelection this year. He was elected on a fluke and would lose in a landslide. He is the most likely vote for the president on both counts.

The only thing that could give him pause would be the thought that he will probably lose in the fall anyway, why not vote against Trump now and hope Democrats will reward him for services when he is out of office.

That is typically how it is done in DC.

This piece originally appeared in LifeZette and is used by permission.

The post Three Dems Balking at Impeachment appeared first on The Political Insider.