A social psychologist by day, political analyst and journalist by night, Dr. Mark Bear has built an established audience by printing facts, without click-bait, sensationalism, or hyperbole. He is married to his wife of 34 years, and both he and his wife, Susan, have a Schnauzer named Shadow. Follow along by connecting with Doc on Facebook or Twitter under the handle Dr. Progressive!
Appearing on Fox News’ Chris Wallace Show Fox News Sunday yesterday, Kellyanne Conway was asked by Wallace about the tape capturing last week’s altercation between a White House intern and Jim Acosta from CNN, and then circulated by White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders, and InfoWars claiming the “altered video” was not altered at all, because it…
Prior to leaving for Paris, Mr. Trump had an impromptu press interaction and declared he did not know his newly placed Acting Attorney General, Matthew Whitaker, who is now overseeing the Mueller probe. However, this claim by Mr. Trump refutes the very clear record that he does in fact, know Mr. Whitaker. As Eric Tucker…
Yesterday, Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) sent out a series of Tweets implying a vast conspiracy was taking place due to his belief that “democratic lawyers are trying to change the results” of this past Tuesday’s election. Governor Rick Scott continues to hold a slim lead over his opponent, Senator Bill Nelson (D-FL), however, that margin…
It is no secret to the American public, that Fox News is Mr. Trump’s favorite news outlet, with Fox & Friends being his go-to show. As Charles Blow, Opinion Writer for the New York Times makes clear: “This show, with its kindergarten-level intellectual capacity, moved from parroting conservative policies to constructing presidential priorities. “Fox & Friends” has…
As my colleague, Leo Vidal here at PoliticusUSA makes clear regarding Mr. Trump using the most blatant of racist ads to use as his closing argument for the mid-term elections by pinning it up on top of his Twitter feed: “It remains to be seen whether this will serve him — and his party —…
Many are aware of Mr. Trump‘s mental deficiencies and pathological lying, but what remains puzzling is why so many of his supporters remain so vigilant in their defense of him, when he has made such a delusional and mendacious remark as he did yesterday, regarding his Administration’s response to Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico. Even…
Yesterday the ABC network – cancelled The Roseanne Barr Show due to Barr placing an inflammatory Tweet on Twitter for public consumption. In response to a Tweet about former President Barack Obama’s aide, Valerie Jarrett, Barr made the following statement: “Muslim Brotherhood and Planet of the Apes had a baby = vj.” As a result,…
Rudy Giuliani had quite the unhinged interview with Dana Bash several days ago. As PoliticusUSA Editor-In-Chief, and my colleauge Jason Easley described that interview in his piece titled Rudy Giuliani Screws Up And Admits Mueller Wants To Interview Trump On Obstruction of Justice: “Thanks to the Rudy Giuliani, the world’s worst defense lawyer, it is…
On the same broadcast this past Friday when Nicole Wallace, host of Deadline: White House, laid into Donald Trump for his persistent lying with impunity to the people of this nation, in a later segment Wallace reminded her viewers through one of her panelists why Mr. Trump is “utterly unfit” to be President of the United…
MSNBC’s Nicole Wallace, host of Deadline: White House, has had it with Donald Trump’s propaganda, and has reached a point of utter frustration, as a direct result of it, so much so that she refused to share with her viewers any more of the plethora of Tweets Trump spewed Friday morning regarding the Russian investigation….
E. J. Dionne, columnist for the Washington Post and author of several works regarding political analysis, reports that the American Bishop, The Most Rev. Michael Curry, who “preached for the royal wedding last Saturday, isn’t finished with us yet.” According to Dionne: “This is a testing time for the country as a whole, but the…
The first amendment of our constitution is clear: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech or of the press; or the right of the people to peaceably assemble and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.” So what…
On January 6, 2017, between Donald Trump winning the presidential election and his being sworn in, our nation’s intelligence community issued a document clearly outlining how Russia, at the directive of the President of that nation, interfered with our election, favoring Donald Trump. When asked by a reporter yesterday, whether the Department of Homeland Security…
Instead of providing reassurance that Mr. Trump was not considering firing Robert Mueller or Rod Rosenstein, Trump provided a cryptic response to a reporter yesterday asking whether “he had decided it not worth the political fallout” to fire either of the men associated with the Russian investigation. Mr. Trump responded to the question beginning with…
By now we all have learned how American Ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley appeared on Meet the Press on Sunday to tell the world that the United States was going to be imposing a new round of sanctions against Russia for their involvement in the Syrian crisis. Said Ambassador Haley: “You will see…
Several rumors continue circulating that Mr. Trump wants to fire the Deputy Attorney General for the United States Department of Justice, Rod Rosenstein, or Special Counsel, Robert Mueller, with reports by major media outlets such as The Washington Post and The New York Times, confirming such speculation. And despite these speculations, Republicans seem content to march…
Last night, Robert Costa, from the Washington Post reports that Steve Bannon is “pitching a plan to West Wing aides and congressional allies” in an apparent attempt to “cripple the federal investigation, into the matter of Russian interference.” The reader will recall that Steve Bannon fell out of Mr. Trump’s graces over his comments in…
During Mr. Trump’s meltdown on Monday night, prior to his meeting with his security team regarding the issue of Syria, the reader might recall a reporter asking Mr. Trump quite an unusual question: “Why don’t you just fire Mueller?” If you find this unusual, it might be because it is. Taunting a sitting president to…
It is one thing for liberal leaning political analysts or pundits to discuss Mr. Trump’s apparent meltdown yesterday addressing how his long time friend and lawyer, Michael Cohen is now at the center of a federal investigation and quite another to witness Republican strategist, and former John McCain campaign Chief Strategist, Steve Schmidt doing so….
In front of his Security Council yesterday, Mr. Trump commented on the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s earlier raid and warrant served on his longtime friend and lawyer, Michael Cohen. Lashing out at the Federal Bureau of Investigation, calling the investigation a “witch hunt” and a “disgrace,” Trump said the following regarding the raid which took…
Often, when comparing the current occupant of our Oval Office to his predecessor, Barack Obama, I inevitably receive a healthy dose of criticism arguing how my doing so “plays into the hands of Donald J. Trump” while normalizing his behavior. This is a fair point to argue, however, we all might wish to keep three…
Scott Pruitt should find himself in jeopardy of losing his job. However, yesterday Mr. Trump called Mr. Pruitt, a “good man,” while refusing to comment on questions regarding questionable ethical behavior engaged in by the Environmental Protection Agency’s Administrator. Mr. Trump added: “I think he’s done a fantastic job,” Mr. Trump told reporters aboard Air…
Ever since The Washington Post reported two days ago, that Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s team, in an attempt to interview Mr. Trump, told Trump’s legal team that Trump was being investigated, but that Mr. Mueller “does not consider him a criminal target at this point,” a parade of pundits and analysts have chimed in to…
The Presidential Personnel Office is responsible for the vetting and hiring of nearly 4000 government employees with 1200 requiring Senate approval. It is this office which ensures the government functions smoothly and properly under any administration. However, recent reporting by the Washington Post suggests the office is operating with approximately one-third of the normal staff,…
With Mr. Trump being considered by many political pundits and media outlets as the most prolific liar as President in modern day politics, it is stunning to observe his supporters continuing to stand by his side. Case in point: The New York Times dedicated an entire cover to Mr. Trump’s lies, leading the Times reader…
Eight days ago, I wrote a column sharing how our “nation is divided .” Those seeking evidence for this claim need only to look to two recent events effecting Black Americans in our nation. The first is the announcement by Louisiana Attorney General, Jeff Landry, that no charges would be filed against two White police…
As Mr. Trump continues to hinder our reputation as a nation around the globe, he also is destroying the reputation of the modern-day Church in the process. Those who attend church these days, cannot say they were not warned. Make no mistake: I do not write this article to proselytize the reader, but to hold…
Just ten days after firing his ” Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson, Mr. Trump decided to remove one of the last remaining ‘adults’ in the room, by firing H.R. McMaster relieving him from his post as National Security Adviser. As with Tillerson, McMaster learned of his demise through a Tweet, Mr. Trump’s preferred method of…
After creating chaos earlier this morning by threatening to veto the proposed Senate and Congressional omnibus spending bill, adding an additional 1.3 trillion dollars to the previous 1.7 trillion added by the Republican tax reform law passed just over a month ago, Mr. Trump finally decided to sign the legislation, announcing his decision to a pool…
Today, John Dowd, one of several attorneys working on Mr. Trump’s legal team has resigned as was speculated by many. With reports of Trump’s disaffection with his legal team coupled with reports of his taking advice from more non-traditional individuals such as Fox News personality, Judge Jean Pirro. Fox news opinion personalities have urged Trump…
Our house is divided. Despite Mr. Trump’s continued assault on Robert Mueller, and the investigation he is tasked with, one might be wondering where the Republican profiles in courage are these days. Why the near deafening silence, save the voices such as Senator Flake (R-AZ), Senator Bob Corker (R-TN), or Lindsey Graham (R-SC), or the…
Rick Tyler, a well known Republican strategist, appeared on Stephanie Ruhle’s show and made an assertion which appears to have shaken her and her entire panel to the core. Tyler’s assertion? “Donald J. Trump will fire Robert Mueller.” While leading her panel earlier today, Ruhle presented the factual aspects of how Trump has attacked Robert…
The political process of consolidating power occurs when an individual in power disbands legislative, judicial and executive authorities while placing that authority in one or two offices or office holders. For a historical example of this consolidation and what it looks like to the casual observer, one need only look to the October Revolution of…
Groupthink, a term coined by social psychologist Irving Janis in 1972, occurs when a group makes faulty decisions leading to a “deterioration of mental efficiency, reality testing, and moral judgement.” Key characteristics of this phenomenon are: excessive optimism coupled with the encouragement of taking greater risks, collective rationalization as members of the group discount warnings,…
It has been four-hundred and eighteen days since Donald Trump has been sworn into office as President. Since that time, Americans have been treated to what is aptly described as a reality-show presidency with all of the trappings. Each day brings new revelations about Trump’s campaign and its possible and likely involvement with Russia in…
Yesterday, British Prime Minister Teresa May made clear that the nation of Russia was highly likely responsible, according to their evidence, for the poisoning of a former Russian double agent, Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in the English city of Salisbury on March 4. She made clear – before the House of Commons –…
Ever since seventeen children were tragically killed and another sixteen injured last month in yet another school shooting at Marjorie Stoneman-Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, the nation has been embroiled in a national debate which has been amplified by the survivors of that tragic event. Key to the debate has been the age requirement or…