Tag Archives: Donald Trump

“Our long national nightmare is over.” — President Gerald R. Ford

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By Scott Hamilton
Guest Commentary

“Our long national nightmare is over.”

These were the words of Gerald R. Ford, minutes after he was sworn in as the 38th President of the United State.

Gerald R. Ford is sworn in as President. Source: Wikipedia.

The events of Jan. 6 as Trump supporters invaded and occupied the Capitol proves our current, long national nightmare isn’t over yet. But it appears a crescendo was reached.

President-elect Joe Biden takes office Jan. 20. He’s got one huge mess bequeathed to him by Trump. Biden must end the COVID pandemic. He must repair the economy. He faces damaged US standing on the global stage. And he must repair the divisions within the US.

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Trump’s environmental choices prompt questions locally

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Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt has been nominated to head the Environmental Protection Agency. Pruitt has a record of fighting EPA regulations. The EPA adopts regs for clean water and protecting threatened/endangered species--like the Kokanee salmon in Lake Sammamish.

Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt has been nominated to head the Environmental Protection Agency. Pruitt has a record of fighting EPA regulations. The EPA adopts regs for clean water and protecting threatened/endangered species–like the Kokanee salmon in Lake Sammamish.

Scott Pruitt for director of the Environmental Protection Agency.

Ryan Zinke for Secretary of Interior.

Rick Perry for Secretary of, umm, ahh, Oops.

These are President-Elect Donald Trump’s choices for environmental departments. In the case of Perry, the Department of Energy, the agency he wanted  close but for which he famously forgot and said Oops in his 2012 run for president. Energy has no small impact on the environment.

Pruitt, the attorney general of Oklahoma, fought EPA regulations for years. Zinke, a first-term Congressman from Montana, received just s 3% rating from the League of Conservation Voters.

And now they will be in charge of clean water and endangered/threatened species regulations.

There are direct, local implications.

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A protest vote for president not even an alternative

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Sammamish Comment focuses on elections that are specific to Sammamish. Accordingly, it doesn’t ordinarily consider Statewide and Federal races, nor statewide initiatives.

This election is unusual because of the divisive nature of the heads of the Republican and Democratic tickets. Donald Trump’s candidacy in particular has down-ballot implications for the Republicans because he is so divisive. The same can’t be said for Hillary Clinton, despite her divisive character.

Because of that, Sammamish Comment is deviating from its past a bit. In addition to making endorsements in the State Legislative races for those districts that cover Sammamish (the 5th, 41st and 45th), for the first time The Comment will hazard into the presidential arena.

A colleague summed up the choice between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton nicely: “When you add everything up, you still get less than zero.”

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The Vision Thing

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  • Tonight is the first of three debates between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton, beginning at 6pm PDT.

“The Vision Thing” was George H. W. Bush’s lament about which he was having trouble articulating when he was running for President the first time.

George H. W, Bush had trouble with The Vision Thing. Photo via Google images.

George H. W, Bush had trouble with The Vision Thing. Photo via Google images.

Bush, well qualified from his decades of public service, and at the time two-term vice president to Ronald Reagan, went on to win election in 1988. But the “vision thing” dogged him throughout his first term. He couldn’t create a “vision” to synopsize his goals for the American people.

He lost reelection to Bill Clinton in 1992, an election in which a third party candidate—Ross Perot—hurt his reelection chances.

It’s a lesson Hillary Clinton should take to heart.

Like it or not, Donald Trump has no trouble articulating a vision, regardless of how repugnant some find it and how mangled his syntax.

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Valderrama: denounces, has no “plan” to support Trump (or Hillary) (Update)

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Ramiro Valderrama still ducks the question of whether he supports Donald Trump for president.

Update, Aug. 13: Valderrama emailed that in addition to denouncing Donald Trump’s comments, not does not support Trump, either. Valderrama’s original email is below the jump.

Ramiro Valderrama, candidate for the 45th District State House of Representatives and current deputy mayor of Sammamish, still won’t take a position on whether he supports, endorses or disowns Donald Trump.

He denounces Trump, the Republican nominee for President, for things Trump says. But that’s as far as he goes.

This is the position Valderrama took when Sammamish Comment first asked his position in May.

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