STORMY WEATHER

  I suspect that just as the rest of Plainfielders I am straining at the bit not being able to run errands because of the state of emergency despite non-threatening weather this am.

  It did give me the opportunity to update myself on the latest DC news reported on the internet by the Washington Post, NBC, USA Today as well as The Times and Wall Street Journal newspapers.

   Turmoil in the Trump Administration continues. Kellyanne Conway has been cited for a violation of the Hatch Act, using a government position to get involved in a political campaign; Alabama’s special senate primary... Although censorship by Trump was advised; his White House has denied that ever occurred.

  Against the advice of party leaders and most of economic advisers, Trump has not backed down from his plan to place high tariffs on steel and aluminum. History has shown that this action too often may backfire. Indeed many feel that the tariffs of the 20s contributed to the great depression.

  His attitude expressed by a tweet “that a trade war would be welcomed and would  be won” led to the resignation of Chief Economic Advisor Gary Cohn, as well as the Speaker of the House opposing such action.

  Adding to personal woes, stripper Stormy Daniels is instituting a suit against Trump claiming that she is not bound by the silence clause in the payoff received from Trump’s lawyer since Trump himself never signed the agreement.

  North Korea’s dictator claims he is willing to forgo nuclear testing during talks with the USA. Big deal, they will not stop producing nuclear material. Bombs, and advancement in rockets and systems. They not only don’t need further testing at this time but have broken every previous promises. Yet dialog night be helpful in averting a conflict that Russia has threatened to give military aid to the North Koreans if America attacks.
  China's President has had its congress amend their Constitution that limited him to 2 Five Year terms and now can join Putin and Turkey's President as dictators for life.
   This may be a danger with Trump but we may be secure knowing he has no smarts is politics.  It is not

as Groucho Marx said: “[He] may talk like an idiot and look like an idiot. But don’t let that fool you. He really is an idiot.”

   He is business smart and astute; perhaps crookedly so but he is no idiot as some claim. He has made millions avoiding taxes-an assumption on which we must make since he never released any tax data.  

  Unnoticed is a new Senate bill undoing most of the restrictions against the Banks which prevent them from the practices that led to the 2008 recession.

  Also conspicuous is the absence of any congressional action on weapon controls.