Paul Luvera Journal

I view this election as a critical decision about what kind of a government we will have after the election is over. My view is that this election issue is very simple: “anybody but Trump.” It is especially true since the U.S. Supreme Court made a political decision to give the president of the United States total immunity while in office for their actions. The idea of Donald Trump as president with total immunity for his actions endangers our democratic…

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I have taught lawyers  at legal seminars for many years that jury trials are battles of impression and not logic. We know that science has established human beings size each other up quickly. In general first impressions occurred in just seven seconds of seeing or meeting someone. It is significant that once we have an initial impression of someone it is difficult to change that opinion. We also know that appearing calm and confident demonstrates intelligence.  Studies show that people…

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Donald Trump released a video on his Truth Social platform  urging his supporters to buy a Bible he labeled “the “God Bless the USA Bible.”  He promoted it with a sales pitch:   “Happy Holy Week! Let’s Make America Pray Again. As we lead into Good Friday and Easter, I encourage you to get a copy of the God Bless the USA Bible.” Trump  directed his supporters to his website selling the book for $59.99. Trump went on to urge the…

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The anticipated State of the Union speech was last night and lasted some sixty-eight minutes. It opened with President Biden talking about Donald Trump, but not by name, referring only to  “my predecessor.” It closed with a Donald Trump comment in a talk which included thirteen references to Trump as “my predecessor.” Biden taunted and made fun of the Republican lawmakers as well as the Supreme Court, with several Justices seated in front him. It has been described as one…

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The presidential candidates have been hard at work. The second Republican presidential debate has taken place. Donald Trump wasn’t there, but we know the campaign platform both have been promoting to encourage their election. President Biden focuses on the theme that his administration has made the country a better democracy and more prosperous. He warns that his re-election is key to preserving democratic institutions from Donad Trump and the Republicans. Donald Trump, on the other hand, promises to remake the…

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The first Republican primary debate was show on Fox News on August 23, 2023,  in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It was moderated by Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum. The candidates who qualified were Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, former Vice President Mike Pence, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, conservative entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum and former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson. I confess that I did not have the…

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Over a period of years there has been an erosion of the Constitutional balance of power in the United States. This is related to an expansion of executive power, where presidents have exerted authority beyond the bounds outlined in the Constitution. This includes the use of executive orders to bypass Congress, the expansion of executive agencies with regulatory powers, and the assertion of broad national security powers, such as surveillance programs, drone strikes, and military interventions. The legislative branch, particularly…

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Donald Trump has had frightening success in his continuing campaign to make hypocrisy accepted and normal. What is hypocrisy? It comes from the Greek “hypocrisies” which means “acting on a stage” or “to play a part.” A hypocrite is a person who says one thing and does or believes another. Hypocrisy is just plain lying and being dishonest. The evil of being a hypocrite is that it can make hypocrisy look normal and acceptable. By normalizing hypocrisy, it makes it…

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The Republican National Committee  has voted to censure Representatives Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger for participating in the the House of Representatives inquiry into the January 6th deadly riot at the Capitol. The resolution states that both lawmakers “have demonstrated, with actions and words, that they support Democrat efforts to destroy President Trump more than they support winning back a Republican majority in 2022.” On top of that it goes on to accuse them of “participating in a Democrat-led persecution…

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Clerow “Flip” Wilson was a comedian and actor best known for his television appearances during the late 1960s and 1970s. From 1970 to 1974, Wilson hosted his own weekly variety series The Flip Wilson Show, and introduced viewers to his recurring character Geraldine. Wilson died in 1998 but his stories of Geraldine have a lesson about current political situations. of today. When I read about the hypocrisy and dishonest explanations for political actions and statements I am reminded of Geraldine’s…

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