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Their view: A blow against birth control

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Happy birthday Natalia Rose Mecca!

<p>WASHINGTON &#8212; If you are among the 38 percent of Americans still supporting Donald Trump, consider the following verifiable facts. </p><p>Right after a vicious terrorist attack on London, Trump twitter-lashed the respected mayor of the city, misconstruing his words.</p><p>Face to face, Trump praised the leader of Qatar, a key U.S. ally in the Persian Gulf. But when Saudi Arabia persuaded other Arab states to ostracize Qatar without informing the United States (an incredible affront), blocking food and airlines into the country, Trump sided with the Saudis. He apparently did not know that nearly 11,000 American men and women are stationed at a giant, crucial air base in Qatar, which, by the way, is less a sponsor of terrorism than the Saudis, who play Trump like a violin while the Islamic State keeps time.</p><p>The White House sought top D.C. lawyers to represent Trump in the increasingly serious investigation into why so many Trump campaign officials had close ties to Russia, which sought to elect Trump. The law firms declined. Two reasons: Trump neither pays his bills nor listens to legal advice. Otherwise, a perfect client.</p><p>Although drafts of Trump&#8217;s NATO speech included Article 5 (one for all and all for one), he delivered the speech without that vital reference. NATO allies, including England, Canada, France and Germany (already affronted that Trump called Germany &#8220;bad, very bad&#8221; for selling its cars here) see this as the end of their reliance on the United States as the leader of the West.</p><p>Trump&#8217;s philosophy of diplomacy is not cooperation but competition in a dog-eat-dog world. This is not the approach that has kept world peace since World War II. NATO has shed blood and treasure to help us in Afghanistan. That may end.</p><p>Trump promised to help struggling Americans make ends meet, but wages have not gone up. The number of new jobs created each month has not gone up. (The unemployment rate has gone down for reasons not related to new jobs.)</p><p>Trump has failed to fill hundreds of key positions, including anti-terrorism posts and health and safety slots. Democrats are not stalling confirmations; nominations have simply not been made. Important activities and policies are neglected. Government may have overreached in the name of the environment and consumer safety, but a dismantled government treading water does greater potential harm.</p><p>Instead of draining the swamp, the Trump family is engaging in unprecedented pay-to-play conflicts of interest, including everything from foreign potentates staying at Trump hotels to Ivanka Trump getting lucrative deals from the Chinese government for her line of accessories and shoes (made by exploited students). Trump has made 24 visits to his golf courses at enormous taxpayer expense.</p><p>But Trump has yet to produce a tax reform plan (a one pager of unrealizable goals doesn&#8217;t cut it). His infrastructure plan includes privatizing the air control system. The promised repeal and replacement of Obamacare has stalled and is hugely unpopular.</p><p>Many business leaders think Trump&#8217;s trashing of the Trans Pacific Trade deal and the Paris climate accord will hurt their bottom lines.</p><p>A special prosecutor is investigating connections between Trump&#8217;s campaign and Russia, while Trump refuses to criticize a corrupt murderer, Vladimir Putin, but excoriates American agencies whose people put their lives on the line to get him intelligence. Trump fired his national security adviser, center of the fiasco, for lying and then fired the FBI director leading the investigation.</p><p>America&#8217;s moral leadership is declining. Except for our enemies, foreign leaders are puzzled, frustrated, angry and scornful of Trump.</p><p>Trump supporters have lost faith in many institutions but scoff at the mountain of evidence that Trump so far has been a disaster. They wait patiently for the day when Trump suddenly emerges as competent. As compassionate. As anything but the nation&#8217;s vindictive, twitter-addicted poster boy for narcissism. They admire the president who pouts that the son-in-law he put in charge of nearly everything is &#8220;more famous than me.&#8221;</p><p>As Daniel Patrick Moynihan said, we&#8217;re entitled to our opinions but not our own facts. We&#8217;re in the midst of Watergate II (although this is a much worse scandal because of possible treason). Let&#8217;s hope the facts don&#8217;t get buried by legislators who stick their heads in the sand.</p><style>
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<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>Ann McFeatters</p><p>Guest Columnist</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Ann McFeatters is an op-ed columnist for Tribune News Service. Readers may send her email at <a href="mailto:amcfeatters@nationalpress.com">amcfeatters@nationalpress.com</a>.</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Their view: Just when you think it can’t get worse