What Do You Want?

In one of his final acts former President Obama directed the United States election systems are to be treated as “critical infrastructure” under the Department of Homeland Secretary, DHS, Director Jeh Johnson announced in a move concerned citizens are describing as a major federal overreach.

In a letter to the Associated Press, Johnson declared the US government would monitor and intervene in future elections, a process previously handled by the states themselves as national elections are the sum of what happened in 3141 United States counties.  It is this division of the responsibilities that has kept the process free of corruption.

Nonetheless, Department of Homeland Secretary Jeh Johnson, an imposing man with a naturally nasty expression said, “Given the vital role elections play in this country, it is clear that certain systems and assets of election infrastructure meet the definition of critical infrastructure, in fact and in law. Particularly in these times, this designation is simply the right and obvious thing to do.”  Oh really? 

Critics complain this designation allows for information to be withheld from the public when state and local officials meet to discuss election security, thus putting secrecy on our election process that has traditionally been open and transparent.

Secretary Johnson claims closed door conversations allow for more frank discussion to prevent bad actors from learning of our vulnerabilities. He claims the DHS would also be able to grant security clearances when appropriate and provide more detailed threat information to states.  Why do we think we would get less, perhaps no, information?

The announcement of a federal takeover of the electoral process follows an alleged report, yet to be seen, from several intelligence agencies claiming the Russian government worked to influence the outcome of the 2016 US election!  Typically, the Obama government has been long on accusations and very short on documentation, evidence or convincing testimony.

The magazine "Ebony" recently put out a special edition dedicated to the Obama Presidency and every article includes the word "Cool" in the headline or opening paragraph.  We do not expect a "slick book," as such magazines are called in the trade, to contain much substance, but where Mr. Obama ran America on a trillion Dollar credit card for each of his eight years, plus another trillion in change, coming actually to $9.3 trillion in a debt many Democrats now say, "Oh, of course we will never pay that!" 

These are people who are unaware or choose to forget that should that ever be the case trucks will stop rolling, ships will stop sailing, airplanes will not be flying and you will out of toilet paper.  These are the same folks who are in the streets breaking store windows, starting fires, bashing police officers and going to prison for a few years unaware that when they get out they will be marked for life and have to answer "Yes" to the question, "Have you ever been convicted of a felony and served time in prison?"  How many times will that have to happen before you conclude that you ruined your life back in 2017?

Every American citizen should thank God, or somebody, that a man like Donald J. Trump, who has more of everything than anyone any of us will ever know, would take the simultaneously best and worst job in the world for $1 per year!  He wants to save America. What the Hell do you want?

Adrian Vance