A few Republicans slowly emerging from the cult of Donald Trump "Trumpziism"

Former Republican Ohio Gov. John Kasich says he's now for impeaching Trump

(CNN)- Former Ohio Gov. John Kasich said Donald Trump should be impeached, a major switch for a former Republican presidential candidate who had previously said there was not enough evidence to impeach the President.

Kasich, who's a CNN senior political commentator, told CNN's Ana Cabrera Friday the "final straw" for him was White House acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney's Thursday admission that military aid was withheld from Ukraine in order to pressure that country for investigations into Democrats.

"But if you are asking me if I was sitting in the House of Representatives today and you were to ask me how do I feel, do I think impeachment should move forward and should go for a full examination and a trial in the United States Senate, my vote would be yes." Kasich said on CNN's "Newsroom."

Kaisch's support for impeachment breaks with his party's overall stance. While he did not directly call for Trump's removal from office, stating he would need see to the articles of impeachment before making that decision, his statements make Kasich one of the few high profile Republicans who have agreed with Democrats that Trump should impeached.

Kasich had previously said in interviews that he did not think Trump shoud be impeached because he didn't see a clear quid pro quo.

"In reading that transcript, I did not see a clear quid pro quo," Kasich said in an October 8 interview on "CNN Tonight."
"If you have an impeachment that doesn't bring the Republicans along, and this is done strictly along party line votes, this is going to end up not helping this country," he added.

Kasich, the Ohio Republican said the events of Thursday afternoon -- Mulvaney's admission of a quid pro quo and the announcement of the resignation of Energy Secretary Rick Perry chief among them -- caused him to rethink his stance.

"The last 24 hours have really forced me to review this," Kasich said.

At a news conference, Mulvaney confirmed that Trump froze nearly $400 million in US security aid to Ukraine in part to pressure that country into investigating Democrats. He then attempted to claim that he did not admit to the quid pro quo a few hours later. This change in narrative, said Kasich, left him "uneasy."
"When I look at all the information that is coming to us, and all the craziness that is surrounding the operation of the White House, now the resignation sometime this year of Secretary Perry and his involvement, it just goes on and on and on and on."

"I fought with people on the air about 'Is there a quid-pro-quo?' and 'Does this rise to the level of impeachment?' I now believe that it does," he continued. "At this point, there is a big cloud and I think it has to be cleared."

While he admitted that it was "extremely difficult" for him to publicly announce support for impeachment, he called on other Republicans to do the same, saying he believes Republicans "should at least be calling for an inquiry."

"If Barack Obama had been doing something like this, Republicans would be going crazy," he claimed. "Now it's their own guy doing it. What's fair is fair."

Kasich urged Republicans to "look at yourself and say, 'What do we expect out of the President? How do we expect the President to conduct foreign policy? Are there some lines that simply cannot be crossed?"

"It is very difficult for a Republican to come out and say anything like this because they're going to get attacked at home. ...You gotta be willing to take the heat, frankly," he said.

Kasich did echo another party line in the interview, calling for Democrats in the House to vote to formalize an "open" and "clear" impeachment inquiry in order "to get all the facts out there so that people can understand what's at risk."

Okay Ohio! State lawmakers can't pull rug on Medicaid

Governor John Kasich won his face off with Ohio state legislators who would not take a vote on his veto of the repeal of Medicaid expansion, to help care for Ohio citizens. More to the point, the Ohio hospitals surely wouldn't support such a terrible repeal. Their budgets are already inclusive of the patient revenues  Thereofore, at least for the time being, the Medicaid expansion in Ohio will stay, thanks to the good judgement of Governor John Kasich. 

"Kasich is among the most vocal Republicans nationally in support of the Medicaid expansion"

Although the state legislators did override several of the Medicaid provisions in the expansion, the fact is, Federal waivers will be necessary to implement the legislators' actions and that would take time.  Meanwhile, the people most impacted by the Medicaid repeal will have an opportunity to vote those selfish Republicans out of office, because of their cruel policy decisions.

Ohio Governor John Kasich has the best healthy interest of everyone as his legislative goal.

We can only pray for Governor John Kasich to prevail against opposition,  because he has the best interest of all Ohio people, including the fiscal well being of health care organizations, as his legislative goal.

By Julie Carr Smyth, Associated Press

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Republican Ohio Gov. John Kasich's veto protecting Medicaid expansion will stand, at least, for now, following a decision by state lawmakers on Thursday, to delay a threatened override.

Ohio House Speaker Cliff Rosenberger, a fellow Republican, said his chamber has decided to let the health care debate in Washington play out before acting. He said the GOP-controlled chamber had the 60 votes that would have been needed.

"At this juncture, we want to give the federal government the summer to see if they're going to come to a conclusion in Congress before we take action on moving forward with the freeze waiver and the request," Rosenberger said.

He said the House still has until the end of Ohio's two-year legislative session in December 2018 to act. With House action stalled, the Ohio Senate canceled a session for considering overrides that it had scheduled for next week.

The House did vote Thursday to override 11 other items that Kasich vetoed from the state budget Friday. They restored a provision giving legislators additional control over future Medicaid spending and revived the Healthy Ohio program, which imposes additional Medicaid requirements that could bump 125,000 people off the program.

They also restored a proposal to increase taxes on health insurers that would have sent money to counties and regional bus services, a hike that administration officials warned later Thursday could risk drawing attention that jeopardizes a bigger chunk of money and creating a $615 million loss for Medicaid.

Of the largest consequence, however, was a provision vetoed by Kasich that ordered him to seek federal permission to suspend enrollment under the expansion beginning July 1, 2018, and to prevent those who drop out of the health care program from re-enrolling.

Some 700,000 low-income adults are now covered under Ohio's expansion, at a cost of almost $5 billion — most of which is picked up by the federal government. The Kasich administration estimated that 500,000 Ohioans could lose coverage under the proposed enrollment freeze within the first 18 months.

Kasich praised House members and advocates who worked to avert the enrollment freeze, if temporarily, but he warned "risks remain."

"A number of the actions taken by the House today threaten health care access for vulnerable Ohioans including seniors, people with disabilities, veterans and children, as well as Ohio's hard-won budget stability," he said in a statement. "When these actions begin to impact health care access for Ohioans, those who supported them will bear responsibility. As the saying goes: if you break it, you own it."

Kasich is among the most vocal Republicans nationally in support of the Medicaid expansion, an option made available to states under the Affordable Care Act targeted for replacement by the party. He was forced to make an initial end-run around reluctant GOP lawmakers to bring the expansion to the state, and has continued to advocate it as a program beneficial to the most vulnerable citizens.

Ohio receives some $300 million through the program for drug addiction and mental illness, which Kasich has described as an important funding source for the state hardest hit by the national opiate crisis.

Roman Catholic woman blogs to Newt Gingrich

Dear Mr. Newt Gingrich, So,  you appear eager to be asked to run as a vice-presidential nominee, with Republican Donald Trump. As a Roman Catholic, how can you justify such an ambitious goal? Remember, "Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth"? Meekness is not one of your personality strong suits.

Nevertheless, as a Roman Catholic woman, this is my advice to you. In my opinion, you cannot reconcile your conversion to Catholicism with Donald Trump's vision of the world  Follow the lead of your colleague Governor John Kasich.  Find other plans.

Newt Gingrich should follow the moral tenets of his chosen Roman Catholicism and not consider being a Trump sidekick

Here's why:

1.  Donald Trump's draconian response to immigration reform might meet the criteria for genocide.  There is no way Americans can deport immigrants based solely  on their religious beliefs or Hispanic ethnicity.  As a humanitarian and as a religious person, genocide causes carnage and, in Catholicism, it is a serious sin.

2.  Donald Trump's inability to tell the truth violates the Ten Commandment, "Thou shall not lie". In fact, Donald Trump can't handle the truth, because he makes it up as he goes along and then changes his lies to fit his own purposes.  

3.  Donald Trump is a greedy and a "thin skinned bully". "No, seriously!"  As I understand it, "greed" goes with "pride" as synergistic sins, because they're self serving attributes. Roman Catholicism teaches us to be charitable and humble.

4.  Donald Trump believes "water boarding" will destroy the evil of the self declared Caliphate declared by the Islamic State.  In other words, he says, if Americans torture Muslims, we can defeat ISIS. Even the US military and the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) say they won't do it, because it's wrong and lowers our military to the degrading level of the enemy.  Fighting fire with fire is not a strategy, it's just a simplistic way  of speaking to the fear many people have, when they don't understand war strategies. As Einstein said, you cannot solve a problem in the same plane in which it was created. In other words, evil ISIS won't be defeated because torture is used on its delusional followers. Instead, a bigger picture strategy must be used. Besides, torture is a sin, because it a deliberate pre-meditated harm caused by inflicting pain on another person who might, indeed, be innocent of any wrongdoing.

5.  Donald Trump has no "moral compass". In his life, Donald Trump hasn't demonstrated any overt act by which he shows compassion for the human condition other than to promote his own aggrandizement, to increase his power.  Symptomatically, he's exhibited signs of narcissism, misogyny and even multiple personality disorder (aka "dissociative disorder"). In other words, Donald Trump could be mentally ill.  His moral compass is pointed to his ego.  As your mother likely told you, "Be wary of who your friends are....".  Donald Trump is nobody your  mother would want you to hang around with, because he's a bad influence, especially on a converted Roman Catholic.

6.  Donald Trump believes the women who choose to have abortions should be "punished".  This is totally wrong minded. In fact, when women choose abortions, they should be asked to seek help to overcome the remorse they may experience as a result of this decision, but not punishment. It's repugnant to the Right To Life and to Pro-Choice advocates to put forth punishment as a response to the women who chooses to have abortions. Punishment is no way to respond to the woman who has chosen to end a pregnancy. 

Although, Mr. Gingrich, it may be you aren't the only person Donald Trump is vetting to be his political sidekick, I'm  assuming the same six points apply to Roman Catholic Governor Chris Christie, as well. 

Even considering to align with Donald Trump is a hypocritical act because his stated policies on immigration, torture, consequences for abortion and his inability to focus on the truth, are contrary to Roman Catholic moral teachings.

In other words, as Governor John Kasich says, "find other plans" for your future.  It makes no sense to align with Donald Trump when his views and opinions are clearly antagonistic with the social and theological teachings of the Roman Catholic faith, which is the religion to which you are a Baptized member.

Governor Romney blasts Republicans who won't condemn candidate Donald Trump

"I love this country. I love the founders. I love what this country is built upon and its values and seeing this is breaking my heart'," Romney said. The 2012 nomin'ee was visibly emotional and appeared to tear up when making the remarks.

At least Governor Mitt Romney has the courage to say "Hey, the standard bearer you GOP folks want 'has no cloths'". Nevertheless, he isn't offering to run in place of the apparant lunatic candidate Donald Trump has evolved into being.

CNN Reports- Romney tears into GOP for not criticizing Trump  By Theodore Schleifer, CNN

Park City, Utah (CNN)

Mitt Romney gives an emotionnal response to his opposition to candidate Donald Trump

Mitt Romney on Saturday torched Donald Trump and the Republicans who failed to stop his climb to the party's presidential nomination, saying the current fortunes of the GOP are "breaking my heart."

Romney's condemnation, made here at the Stein Eriksen Lodge before hundreds of his donors and business partners, highlighted the ill will between the last two GOP nominees for president.
The former Massachusetts governor harshly criticized Republican candidates such as Ohio Gov. John Kasich and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, as well as super PACs such as Jeb Bush's well-funded Right to Rise group, for not stopping Trump in the primary. The two candidates largely avoided attacking Trump for much of their campaigns. He made the comments before many of the individuals who had helped fund those very candidates.

"Ted Cruz was basically praising Donald Trump through the whole process until the very end," Romney told CNN's Wolf Blitzer, who was hosting the discussion. As for Kasich, "he was in well after the time there was no possible pathway to becoming the nominee."
Romney's broadsides were warmly received by many of his allies, earning a 21-second round of applause when he wondered aloud about the future of the GOP.

"I find this so troubling, and I know a lot of folks are saying, 'Mitt just get off your high horse on this and get behind the guy.' 

But these things are personal. I love this country. I love the founders. I love what this country is built upon and its values and seeing this is breaking my heart," Romney said. The 2012 nominee was visibly emotional and appeared to tear up when making the remarks.

Yet Romney still preached tolerance. He declined to criticize previous speakers, including House Speaker Paul Ryan and Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus, who pitched Trump to the well-heeled crowd this weekend, and said he would not try and sway the GOP elites assembled here to abandon their nominee. 

And he recognized as legitimate the notion that some Republicans may choose to back Trump solely to prevent Hillary Clinton from appointing Supreme Court nominees, calling it a "darn good reason."

The day before, Romney had told Blitzer in an interview that he worried about the moral fraying of society should Trump become the nominee: "I don't want to see trickle-down racism," he said.

And before the crowd here on Saturday, Romney used another former president as an example of how society is shaped by his example.

"Bill Clinton's dalliances in the White House affected the sexual inclinations and practices of a generation, and probably beyond," he said.

But Romney was also challenged by some questioners who were trying to whip up support for Trump. Romney has pledged to never support Trump, and many of his fund-raisers feel similarly.

"We've got to get behind him," one man implored the crowd. "These are the cards we've been dealt." (Oh paaaaleeeze, the "cards you have been dealt are a 

Romney was also pressed as to why he accepted the endorsement of Trump during his 2012 presidential run given Trump's zest for "birtherism," or the idea that President Barack Obama was not born into the United States and is thus ineligible to be president. Romney said he saw Trump's comments as "nutty" but not disqualifying.

Now, the pair are using one another as political foils, with Trump blasting his GOP predecessor. 

On Saturday in Tampa, Florida, he called Romney someone who "let us down" and writing on Twitter that Romney "choked like a dog."

The former Massachusetts governor brushed off the attacks.
"I have dogs. I don't know dogs choking," Romney said to laughs. "That's an insult that somehow doesn't work."

Romney did, though, express some regret over his failed 2012 campaign, saying that he, like Bush, had failed to connect his economic vision with average, middle-class voters. But for now, Romney said he was trying to remain focused on the future, though he has now ruled out serving in the next White House.

"Had there been a President Bush or a President (Marco) Rubio or a President (Scott) Walker, I might've been happy to be a part of their administration," Romney said.

Medicaid Expansion - Ohio said yes but 20 other Republican states abandoned their poor

State's that chose not to accept the Medicaid expansion, offered under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), must face up to being wrong. In fact, I'd be willing to suggest a libaility risk for state's where people experienced healthcare suffering, as a result of unwillingness to accept the federal funds,

Daily Kos reports about the impact on state's where the Medicaid expansion was not accepted.

The refusal of some 20 Republican governors or state legislatures to accept the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Medicaid expansion has to rank as one of the biggest political and moral scandals of modern times. 

To allow millions of citizens to suffer or die needlessly without health insurance, merely to continue a political grudge, is beyond reprehensible, but to do so when such state costs are covered between 90% to 100% by the federal government descends to abject immorality. 

That funding fact, alone, makes today's sad episode one for the history books. Like the "Jim Crow" South or post-WWII "red-lining" of minority communities, this Republican policy of denying available health insurance to the poor is indefensible on a historic level.

Republicans are aware of their crime and, in particular, know that the biggest PR key to denying their culpability is to pretend that this withheld insurance is not fully or near fully funded by the federal government. 

After all, what moral person could gratuitously, miserly, refuse health insurance to their own citizens? No, it must be fiscally impossible. Out of the sinners' control. But how?

Daily Kos reports Fox's Megyn Kelly, at the last Republican debate on August 5th, asked an intentionally dishonest question:

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Governor John Kasich

KELLY asked: Governor John Kasich (of Ohio), "You chose to expand Medicaid in your state, unlike several other governors on this stage tonight. Now, (the program)  is already over budget by some estimates costing taxpayers an additional $1.4 billion in just the first 18 months."

"You defended your Medicaid expansion by invoking God, saying to skeptics that when they arrive in heaven, Saint Peter isn’t going to ask them how small they’ve kept government, but what they have done for the poor."

"Why should Republican voters (asked Kelly), who generally want to shrink government, believe that you won’t use your Saint Peter rationale to expand every government program?"

Wow!  So, Ohio's Medicaid expansion - passed over objections of the Republican legislature - is already $1.4 billion over budget?!? Holy cow!

But, no! This dishonest Megyn Kelly question (previously the rage on right wing web sites) is so galling, and dangerous, that it requires close attention:

In fact, Ohio's Medicaid expansion proved so necessary and appealing that more people signed up than predicted. Do you catch that trick?  Gov. Kasich illustrative numbers only originally hoped to reduce Ohio's uninsured rate by 5% in the first year, but wound up reducing it by 8%.

What about the $1.4 billion in extra costs? All of it, 100%, is covered by the federal ACA program, without any additional costs to Ohioans.

3. But Ms. Kelly mentions the "taxpayers"? Not Ohio taxpayers. She's slyly referring to federal taxpayers. But the ACA federal taxes are already being collected, and they don't go up or down whether Ohio expands Medicaid, rejects Medicaid or enrolls more (or less) than they expected in Medicaid. If Ohio Republicans succeeded in taking away their citizens' insurance, federal taxpayers would not save a penny.

In fact, the Medicaid expansion is paid 90%-100% by the federal government, while the traditional Medicaid is paid around 50%. So, with respect to the "overage," Ohio is getting double the Medicare reimbursement by accepting Obamacare, and eliminating the (substantial but inadequate) amounts that it used to spend on the uninsured.

Megyn Kelly certainly knew she was obfuscating information. Sorry, Megyn. The politics of your Republican bosses remain immoral . . . historically immoral. A true journalist would report the crime, not aid in covering it up.

BTW:  Kelly's question - "You defended your Medicaid expansion by invoking God," you talk about "arriv[ing] in heaven," and "Saint Peter" and what we should do "for the poor." Megyn Kelly is most worried about defending the morality, not the economics, of the Republican position. 

Indeed, with typical chutzpah, Kelly turned the question on its head and asked why Republican voters shouldn't "believe that you won’t use your Saint Peter rationale to expand every government program?" That's some nice old time religion, Megyn!, or so reports DailyKos.

Yes, the net effect of the Medicaid expansion has been hugely beneficial to Ohio (and other states).

But more important, those states where the Medicaid expansion has been rejected have huge numbers of people who are uninsured.  These uninsured people, in my opinion, have the right to launch a class action against their state providers, for not providing the care they need.  

Megyn Kelly is now a woman scorned by presidential candidate Donald Trump the Chump. Nevertheless, Kelly had an opportunity, at the August 5th GOP circus tent debate, to ask a meaningful question, but she failed to do so.

In fact, Governor John Kasich of Ohio (Who O Why O?) made a decision to take the money because his state's poor people needed the health care coverage.  Other states, like Maine, where the governor vetoed acceptance of the federal expansion, in spite of the legislative support, have put tens of thousands of people at risk for preventable illnesses and complicating morbidities.

The state where the Medicaid expansion was rejected by the state government have abandoned their poor.