Donald Trump is once again out on the campaign trail … on our dime and time.  This time the venue was Cedar Rapids, Iowa, where the local paper, the Gazette, placed an ‘Open Letter’ to Trump on its front page.  A few highlights:

The last time you visited us, you were a candidate for the presidency. Now, you’re the commander in chief. And you’ll no doubt be happy to know interviews by Gazette reporters show some of the local voters who supported you are still in your corner, even after your rocky start. [emphasis added]

It’s always a big deal when a president comes to town. But we couldn’t help but notice the main event of your trip today is a campaign rally. Mr. President, the campaign is over. You won. Now is not the time to rally. Now is the time to sell your policies, listen to Americans with a stake in those efforts and govern. Iowans have questions and concerns about your plans. They can’t be heard over the cheers of a rally.

And although we understand addressing climate change is not among your priorities, we will point out that the more frequent heavy rains it spawns have brought major flooding to this city twice in eight years. Preparing for the worst is a priority here, not a hoax.

We understand your strong desire to save America’s coal industry. But here in Iowa, we’re already generating a large percentage of our power through alternative energy sources. We’re a state that benefits from economic opportunities sparked by producing energy from the wind, the sun and the crops we grow.

More than 70,000 Iowans face losing health insurance obtained through the Affordable Care Act as uncertainty, indecision and partisan politics roil the health care system. You promised a “terrific” Obamacare replacement, but we haven’t seen anything resembling a terrific plan.

As Iowa struggles to afford its state investments in public schools, human services, the justice system and many other services used by Iowans every day, your proposed budget would make the situation worse.

But we think it’s critical you understand the real world implications of these and many other policies your administration is proposing.

We concede it’s not as much fun as hearing the cheers and chants of folks convinced you’re making America great again. But it’s what presidents do.

I have never been in Cedar Rapids, have never read the Gazette, but the editor(s) who wrote this letter have my respect.  Trump was put in his place without rancor, and I know from experience how hard that is to do!  Hats off to the Editorial Board at the Gazette.  If you would like to read the letter in its entirety, here is a link.

Apparently, as this is his fifth such ‘rally’ in as many months, he intends to turn the presidency into a four-year-long campaign rally.  I vote we impeach him now and put an end to this waste of taxpayer money … money that could be better spent on environmental issues, education and health care.

But let us look at just a bit of his ‘rally-rhetoric’ …

In reference to Tuesday’s special election in Georgia: “All we do is win, win, win. We won last night. The truth is, people love us … they haven’t figured it out yet.”

In reference to the ongoing, multiple Russian investigations: “They have phony witch hunts going against me.”

In reference to wind-harnessed energy: “I don’t want to just hope the wind blows to light up your house and your factory as the birds fall to the ground.”

When he mentioned Hillary Clinton, the crowd lustily chanted, “Lock her up,” as if the election had not taken place. When are these people going to get over their obsession with Obama and Hillary???

He told the crowds he has made “amazing progress” in his first five months. HUH?

Trump said he will soon introduce legislation that would bar immigrants to the United States from being on welfare for their first five years in the country.  It should be noted that under a 1996 welfare law signed by President Bill Clinton, legal immigrants must live in the United States for a minimum of five years to become eligible for social aid programs.

Trump also told the crowd that he is contemplating putting solar panels on the wall that he has pledged to build on the U.S.-Mexico border. “The higher it goes, the more valuable it is, Pretty good imagination, right? . . . We could make it really look beautiful, too.”

But the part of his speech I find most offensive is the defense of his uber-wealthy cabinet officers.  This topic will ultimately get a post of its own, but briefly, he stated, “Somebody said why did you appoint a rich person to be in charge of the economy? No it’s true. And Wilbur’s [commerce secretary Wilbur Ross] a very rich person in charge of commerce. I said: ‘Because that’s the kind of thinking we want.’”  Trump’s cabinet is the first ever cabinet comprised of multiple billionaires. Because “that’s the kind of thinking” he wants.  That single statement tells us all we need to know about how Trump views We The People.  Our thinking, our needs, are irrelevant to him unless we have ten digits in our net worth column.

To clarify his point, he spoke of his economic adviser Gary Cohn, saying, “[Gary] had to give up a lot to take these jobs,” and that Cohn in particular, a former president of Goldman Sachs, “went from massive pay days to peanuts”.  It is true that Cohn’s salary at Goldman Sachs was in the 9-figure range, however to say that his government pay is peanuts, when he receives more than twice what the average American family earns, is a slap in the face to us all!  And Donald Trump is too stupid to realize it, and what’s worse is he doesn’t care.

Trump’s handlers have had their hands full trying to keep him off Twitter, and they have reportedly encouraged him to get out of Washington, in light of his falling poll numbers, the fallout over his ill-advised firing of James Comey, and the ongoing Russian investigations into Trump, his family and staff.  I understand their view and their frustration, but it is an abomination for him to be spending our money campaigning for an election in 4 years where his name will NOT even appear on the ticket.  Especially at this time, when we are being told that we have so little value that Congress and Trump will be signing our death warrants with their “health care” bills.

These two seem happy to have been hoodwinked, don’t they?  Fools.