I Stand as “the Loyal Opposition.”

Here’s the difference between me and Mitch McConnell, the Senate’s Majority leader who decides what goes to a vote in the hallowed halls of the Capitol. I want America to succeed—even under Mr. Trump. We need a vigorous Department of State, a Veterans’ Administration that continues to successfully serve our wounded soldiers, an Environmental Protection Agency that does just that and, naturally, an Immigration Service that has control of America’s borders and vets those who come to our nation in the hopes of a better and safer life. Who could be against any of these things, you ask?

Mitch McConnell. The moment Barack Obama was sworn in as our 44^th President, McConnell proclaimed to the nation that he would do all in his power to make Mr. Obama a “one term President” and obstruct any and all policies that the newly minted President offered to our legislators. Thus, he was rooting for President Obama to fail.

And that is exactly what McConnell did. Obamacare only passed on a straight party vote because at that time and for two years, the President had a majority in the Senate and House. But during those two years, the forces of the right wing screamed bloody murder. “There will be death panels!” “He is a socialist!” “He is not even an American—he wasn’t born here!” “He’ll bankrupt the country!” and of course, “He’s a Muslim!”

As we know, the truth was that 24 million people were added to health care insurance market; people who had put off seeing a doctor because they could not afford it. Yes, some insurers pulled out of states because they were not making enough profit, but not all insurers. Mr. Obama said over and over that the system is not perfect, far from it, but he continued to implore the ‘loyal opposition’ to help fix it and improve it. And we know exactly what these loyalists did—they tried in vain to repeal it some 50 times. In those eight years of complaining, we learned, after the fact, they had no plan to “replace” it, not to ignore that Mr. Obama is a US citizen and Christian, there were no death panels, and the nation’s economy wasn’t bankrupted at all.  

After the mid-term elections, the impact of the lies and brazen attacks on Mr. Obama took a toll. And to be fair, most Presidents’ luster wears off after two years. And once in control, the Republicans literally shut down the government. Ted Cruz sure was happy.

Enter stage right, Mr. Trump. He claimed in his Inaugural Address that the “American carnage” was over. This was ironic, since the “carnage” to the job market, the Stock Market, and the financial institutions that Mr. Obama inherited in 2008 had been healed, treated, and the patient was recovering fairly well, all things considering—especially the US auto industry. 

The facts are evidenced of this graphic. Is there still a wealth disparity that looms over the nation?and that was a heavy lift. Clearly, America eight years of President Obama had set the ship back on course.

Yes. But that is my point. One President tries to build on the next President’s accomplishments, not tear those accomplishments down. Ronald Reagan asked if we were better off in four or eight years. Not all Americans were after Mr. Obama, but the nation was on the precipice of economic catastrophe with major institutions going bankrupt. We were bleeding out hundreds of thousands of jobs a month. All of that was reversed,

I root for America. I am glad that the unemployment rate has continued to drop from Obama’s 5% to its 4% level. Good on us. I’m glad ISIS is slowly (seemingly) falling apart. The controversial drone attacks Obama authorized seemed to have a serious effect. I know that Mr. Obama deported many people who were here illegally; those whom his administration felt were a threat to our security. Mr. Obama felt this needed to happen in a humane manner.  I’m glad the economy is growing and has been growing since 2008. Good on us. All Presidents and United States legislators should advance the nation’s interest—that is their goal and their sworn oath of office.

However, that was not McConnell’s view. It is not Mr. Trump’s view. They are intent on taking anything that has the signature of President Obama on it and ripping it to shreds. DACA cancelled. Obamacare’s mandate that people pay into the system cancelled. (Only the integrity of John McCain saved the program from being completely leveled). Environmental regulations on auto emissions cancelled. The Paris Accords limiting global warming—America checks out. Soon the treaty agreed to by the United States, Europe and Iran, dismantling its nuclear program is in serious jeopardy. Why? If it is because Mr. Trump does not ‘trust them”—then why would he trust North Korea? And as for negotiations in general, the State Department has been gutted, US ambassadors in many critical nations unnamed. Even Mr. Pompeo, the new Secretary of State, realizes this disaster waiting to happen.

And finally, the incontrovertible fact confirmed by the CIA, NSA and FBI that Russia meddled in our election: hacking and subverting our most important institution, the American trust in free and fair elections. And this fact has been denied, downplayed or ignored by President Trump, who is sworn to uphold the oath of office to protect the United States… “against all enemies, foreign and domestic; ...” Even Mr. Trump’s Republican colleagues are frustrated with his feigned ignorance on this issue.

This is what discord brings. President Lincoln said “A house divided against itself cannot stand.”

How divided are we as a people? Today at the Encinitas Street Fair a man strutted by me aloof to his t-shirt’s insulting bold lettered message (and I am omitting the three letters with *):

TRUMP

F*** WHAT YOU FEEL.

That is not American patriotism. Not in my book. I stand as “the loyal opposition.”