Columnists

After 18 years of unchallenged power and success, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan suddenly finds himself in the middle of several domestic and foreign crises with no obvious way out. It is unfamiliar ground for a master politician who has moved nimbly from the margins of power to the undisputed leader of the largest economy in the Middle East. -more-

After waiting almost two years, the report of the Special Counsel charged with investigating Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election -- the "Mueller Report" -- was made made available on April 17th. Although this 448-page report was edited -- "redacted" -- by pro-Trump Attorney General William Barr, enough was uncensored that we can draw general conclusions.

1.We're at war with Russia and they are winning. The most disturbing conclusion from the Mueller Report is that Russia made a concerted effort to alter the results of the 2016 election. "The Russian government interfered in the 2016 presidential election in sweeping and systematic fashion." Vladimir Putin and his cronies wanted Trump to win and engaged in a variety of technical efforts to help him. It's not clear what the overall impact was. Russians operatives were active in key swing states -- such as Michigan,Ohio, and Pennsylvania -- but it's not provable that the Russian efforts resulted in Trump's 78,000 vote margin. What is clear is that the Russians helped the Trump campaign by concerted social-media campaigns and hacking Clinton-campaign emails.

There's no evidence that Russian interference has abated. Indeed, if one looks at the Putin's objectives, there's no reason for the Russians to stop because they are succeeding. Russian efforts have weakened U.S. morale and diminished our role as leader of the "free" world. (They have also weakened the European Union and brought the United Kingdom to the brink of chaos.) -more-

Simplistic thought is not useful if you are trying to understand the world. Simplistic thought is prevalent among the Earth's people. Many people's thinking is guided by others who are self-appointed authorities, or who have education and authoritative jobs and who are therefore deemed wise.

Most people are afraid to think for themselves. My father encouraged independent thinking in my early upbringing, and this trait didn't always help me. But it made me the person I am today. I am not afraid to think and to draw my own conclusions. I've discovered that when I'm not psychotic, much of my thinking turns out to be conventional, and parallel to that of many others.

It helps people with psychotic tendencies if we can improve our ability to listen. At the same time, it helps if we have a system that can allow us to learn to think more clearly. Such a system doesn't necessarily have to be created by ourselves, it can be something we've studied--so long as the system works. And remember that any system you or other people develop will have limits--it won't apply to all things. -more-

Despite three pending corruption charges, Benjamin Netanyahu won a fifth term as Israel’s prime minister. During the campaign, he said he would annex Jewish settlements in the West Bank — land captured in 1967. This would firm up Israel's hold on them and will probably preclude any Palestinian state. Presently, there are more than 2.5 million Palestinians in the West Bank and severely blockades 2 million more in Gaza. -more-

Stop the Presses: The GOP Calls for Impeachment

Listen to the voices or our Republican leaders:

"I am completely and utterly perplexed by those who argue that perjury and obstruction of justice are not high crimes and misdemeanors."

— Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY)

"We're a nation of laws, and that's what this case has always been about to me … He turned the judicial system upside down, every way but loose. He sent his friends to lie for him. He lied for himself."

— Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC)

"Isn't it true that [the federal law on witness tampering] criminalizes anyone who corruptly persuades or engages in misleading conduct with the intent to influence the testimony of any person in an official proceeding?"

— Senator James Inhofe (R-OK)

"I do not believe we can ignore the facts or disregard the Constitution so that the president can be placed above the law."

— Senator Richard Burr (R-NC)

Are these quotes legit? Yes, and they all come from 1999, when the GOP was howling for the impeachment of Bill Clinton.

MoveOn wants to put these quotes in an ad and pay Fox News to run it. The ad will cost $150,000. Donations accepted.

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