With the Trump Impeachment Trial getting underway it is necessary in this episode to recap on our discussion of justice and accountability. Is it enough to want to hold Trump and his minions accountable personally? Justice without a higher reason seems more like vengeance and last we checked that is the purview of a higher being. Fortunately, there are some much better reasons to give the American people their day in court with the alleged crimes of Donald J. Trump. First is to live out the creed that all men are created equal in the eyes of the law. Second, to send a timeless message to all would-be tyrants who are coming to strike at our liberties and freedoms and way of governing ourselves that if you mess with those rights we hold dear, a very high price is in your future. A message that is necessary because there are always people who dream of the kind of power we do not give to individual officeholders in our form of government. 
Our main focus today is on legislative obstruction. What is it? What are examples of it the last 10 years? Well, Republicans have been morphing into a group that is simply the anti party and left with little to do but obstruct. They are against nearly all change and they are against government and most certainly against any policy no matter how beneficial it might be for the American people if it will ever give ammunition and help to a cause other than their own.  It has happened on a host of issues including immigration, gun control, foreign policy, climate change and more. Democrats believe in government, so they are inclined to want to work out solutions with Republicans. They also are smart enough to know that issues that are solved in a bipartisan way get more support from the American people that all of them answer to. Republicans should be able to acknowledge at least the necessity of government and work within that framework and their conservative mvalues to accomplish things for the American people. They use to. Not any more. Today their actions show they hold an absolutist belief that unless they are in power whatever happens is inherently bad - and that is inherently absurd and unhealthy for the country. A new chapter began with a new president in January 2021. One question is will Republicans go back to their old playbook and give up on governing as they did for the 8 years of the Obama Administration and be obstructionist with every action and every word of every waking moment they do not hold the White House.  Will the Democrats and Biden allow them the ability to do so. I'm not so sure. Stay tuned...
Program Note: Our next episode will feature an interview with former Florida Congressman David Jolly.  David has left the Republican Party and is part of a new political party: The Serve America Movement or SAM.  Mr. Jolly is considering a run for Governor of Florida in the next election.