Edward L. Marcus

There are many reasons why the Republican Party did the right thing in electing Ben Proto as its new Republican State Chair.

The Electoral College is a vestige of the past, still strongly supported by rural, southern agricultural states as a means of having over-weighted influence on presidential elections. Five Presidents have come into office without being supported by a majority of the national popular vote. A state’s popular vote winner typically must get all of the state’s Electoral College votes.  Both Donald Trump and George W. Bush won that way.

By this time most of us know that the House of Representatives voted to impeach the President. The U.S. Senate now must act as the jury and decide whether the President is to be acquitted or found guilty on one or both of the counts with which he is charged. The assumption in the Constitution is very clear: The members of the U.S. Senate shall listen to evidence presented and make a decision based solely on the evidence. Their decision shall not be influenced by political party affiliation or any other outside pressure.

Gov. Ned Lamont’s administration has become a master in the art of the “float,” publicizing a suggested new policy and then waiting to see public reaction before taking a firm position. Most of the time Lamont does not take a hard position, but he implies that his proposal is a positive one. It all comes across as being indecisive and, I believe, most of us see it as an abdication of leadership.

Last February, I wrote an article stating that Trump would be impeached before the end of 2017.  In retrospect, it seems I was more hopeful then realistic. One reason impeachment did not occur in 2017 and may not occur in 2018 is that the Republicans have control over the House, and the Republicans will not support impeachment no matter what the facts may be.  But don’t panic, unless there is a dramatic shift in the polls and in Mr. Trump’s behavior, the Democrats should take control of the House in November.  There also is a reasonable possibility of taking the Senate, as well.  The shift of just two seats in the Senate will transfer control from the Republicans to the Democrats.

President Trump is the real “enemy of the people.” All of us must remain focused on the federal investigation and the probability that Trump and his campaign team colluded with the Russians to affect our last election and that he and his cohorts made some kind of nefarious deal. This has been denied directly by Trump and his associates. When the truth is out for all to see, what will we, as a nation, do about President Trump? I believe that Republicans will have no choice by to initiate impeachment proceedings. Trump will be impeached and that is the legal and appropriate way to go.

President Trump’s presidency of, now, about 45 days or so has distinguished itself by scandal after scandal. One, ultimately, will do Trump in: his and his staff’s secret involvement with the Russians and, in particular, Russian intelligence operatives. I have no doubt that Russian involvement in the presidential election was enough to change its outcome. This is, without a doubt, the equivalent or far more then Nixon’s Watergate.

If Hillary Clinton wins the White House, what does that mean for Connecticut? As a result of the enthusiastic support for Clinton by Gov. Dannel Malloy and U.S. Sens. Richard Blumenthal and Chris Murphy as well as the rest of our congressional delegation, a Clinton win likely will mean increased power for our representatives in Washington. On a hardnosed economic basis it will be positive for Connecticut and our defense industry. …