Louisiana Voice

Okay, the Democrats swept the midterms. It was truly a tsunami, casting a blue tint over the formerly predominantly red map of the U.S.

First, Democrats should know that the euphoria is temporary at best. Americans now expect results and we’re impatient. Democrats should also know Americans have notoriously short attention spans. In other words, what have you done for me lately?

Finally, Democrats should remember that politics is a pendulum. Republicans made the mistake of thinking the Democratic Party was dead. Democrats would be wise not to think the same of Republicans. The pendulum swings back and forth and it will swing again to the right—hopefully later rather than sooner—but it will swing back. It’s always been that way. To suggest, as some have, that if this or that doesn’t happen, the opposing party will be in power “for the next 100 years” is crazy talk. The political landscape is far too volatile for such permanence.

Democrats have one chance to bring about real change, real progress in Congress, to actually get things done. Otherwise, the swing back will be quick.

Remember 1976 when backlash against the Republicans for Watergate swept Jimmy Carter, a decent man, and Democrats into office? Well, that lasted exactly four years before Ronald Reagan and the Republicans ushered in the likes of Newt Gingrich, Grover Norquist, Karl Rove and George W. Bush, which in turn led to governmental shutdowns, higher deficits and events like Iran-Contra and eventually the Citizens United decision which opened the floodgates to unimaginable money to pollute political campaigns—and a 20-year winless war.

As bad as all those Republican administrations were, they paled in comparison to the bumbling, stumbling, grumbling psychopath who currently occupies the Oval Office.

At last, for the first time since Barrack Obama vacated the presidency, Democrats have a real chance to rein in the excesses of Donald Trump and family.

NY Times Reveals Trump Sons’ Links to $1.6B Kazakhstan Deal.

Trump’s Kazakhstan deal has gotten scant media attention, probably because the details of the deal broke in the midst of the midterms, which were dominating the news cycles. But it is no less significant than that $400 million gift airplane from Qatar, the Russian diesel deal or the elusive Epstein files and all the sexual abuse charges.

And speaking of the Epstein files, just what is the relationship of Trump’s Commerce Secretary HOWARD LUTNICK and the world’s most notorious child predator? Simon Andriesz, a whistleblower, alleged he had uncovered undisclosed business ties between Lutnick and Epstein in the federal government’s Epstein files. Andriesz subsequently died of suicide following retaliation against him for his revelations of other wrongdoing.

Epstein Files: Whistleblower Simon Andriesz Dies After Exposing Howard Lutnick Ties

Likewise, the media have been awfully quiet about the latest rape allegation against Trump. Again, this may be attributed in part to the midterms’ domination of the news cycle but the media must know that news is most often comprised of more than a single topic. Other stories deserve just as much exposure but somehow get pushed to the back pages.

That news came in the form of a NEW REPORT released by Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee and revealed that at least five other women have come forward to claim that they were either sexually assaulted or raped by Trump and/or Epstein in the 1980s and the early and mid-‘90s at Trump Tower, Mar-a-Lago and at Trump’s Plaza Hotel in New York City.

It should be abundantly clear by now that Trump is a serial sexual predator, is oblivious or unconcerned about legal restrictions on his power as president, is criminally involved in insider-trading, is guilty of gross conflicts of interests and is unconcerned about working Americans.

So, coming into office in January, Democrats should be poised to:

• End the war in Iran;
• Reverse all of Trump’s tariffs;
• Investigate ICE crimes;
• Investigate insider trading;
• Work to close the income gap between the uber-rich and middle Americans;
• Consider impeachment of Pet Hegseth;
• Force the release of unredacted Epstein files.

Only then should Democrats turn their attention to investigating other criminal activity by Trump and his cabinet.

To go into office with guns blazing in widespread investigations would be a mistake and a repeat of Trump’s tactics. A saner approach is called for here. Yes, all criminal activity should be investigated but only after other more pressing issues are addressed as listed (in order) above.