America has endured a dismal 2017; self-inflicted and utterly deserved with the election of the racist, thief, and buffoon, Donald Trump. It came at a time when several European countries actually beat back the right-wing racist masquerading as populist to be leaders of their respective countries: France and Germany, etc. But, Americans as usual took the simpler path and in their typical non-thinking, bigoted minds elected a man totally lacking in character, substance, intellect, and will be proven to be a traitor by the Mueller investigation. 

Trump then proceeded to  hire the most mediocre, corrupt, racist, sexist Cabinet he could find as he "drained the swamp". Supported by the cowardly GOP leaders in the House and Senate, Trump has instituted a program to totally turn the country over to  his party's corporate masters and donors.

Trump and the Republicans played expertly on the racism and stupidity of the American voters (63 million of them)  and managed to convince them that a failed businessman, sexual predator, adultery, and proving liar would bring years of prosperity back to coal country, that Obamacare was failing, and that the country was failing because the country was growing browner. Even today, polling shows that 44% of republicans believe Obamacare has been repealed as almost nine million have recently enrolled in the program.

There is little to feel optimistic about with Trump and the corrupt regime of cowards and racist who run the Republican party as they connive and scheme to fleece the non-rich. There is a massive assault on regulations which protect our air, water, land, and the environment. They have passed a tax bill which robs the working class and rewards the rich. They have demonstrated in no uncertain terms that they don't give a fuck about the voters they supposedly represent, and they basically have no fear of retribution because they can count on their electorate's racism and stupidity to support them.

As Trump's regime destroys the fabric of decency and integrity that America had under more humane presidents, it remains to be seen whether his party will go down in flames with him. Recent reports have not only Trump's campaign colluding with the Russians but the Russians also funded millions to the GOP, conducted campaign smear attacks on Demo candidates, and hacked into many state election offices to steal voter data. So in the final analysis, the country faces significant threats not just from the outside but from a party which will collude and sellout to anyone for a dollar.  

The outgoing year has been a bad one for America and will only get worse unless people wakeup to the real threat facing the country, the Republican Party. 

Sen. Gillibrand of New York led a passionate campaign to get Sen Franken out of the US Senate. Now, she has been exposed as crawling to Donald Trump to get campaign money. I am confused here. If Sen Franken was such a horrible sexual molester as claimed by some dubious reports a few weeks ago, then why is Sen Gillibrand going to a confessed sexual molester for campaign money?

Does the dear Senator Gillibrand think that Trump is less guilty because he is wealthy? And as a result his sexual transgressions can be forgiven. Transgressions which go back decades as opposed to Franken's. Franken by the way, has never had the opportunity to defend himself or been the subject of an investigation. Or is this just another case of gross HYPOCRISY? 

Sen. Gillibrand who was been nothing more than a Blue Dog Democrat before arriving in the Senate has made her claim to fame campaigning against sexual assault in the military and has sponsored legislation on that behalf which has gone nowhere. 

Republican strategist, Steve Schmidt, has suggested that Sen. Gillibrand is now the front runner for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2020. I respect Schmidt but I would never vote for a candidate who railroaded a colleague out of the Senate on flimsy accusations and denied him due process. Also, I don't like Blue Dog Democrats who I consider nothing more than gutless politicians and are easily bought off, like asking Donald Trump for money.