Time to call for impeachment
President Trump invited Russian officials to the Oval Office last week and barred the U.S. media from the room while allowing Russian media inside. Trump tried to intimidate former FBI Director James Comey into dropping the investigation of Trump’s possible collusion with Russian officials. According to Comey, Trump suggested that journalists who report leaked information should be imprisoned!
What do all these episodes have in common? They are all instances in which American values are being violated, in addition to the law of the land. Democrats are shocked and appalled, but when will Republicans put the good of the country before the good of their party? Only Sen. John McCain has had the guts to confront Trump and question his ethics. It is time to impeach Trump.
Nadia Silvershine, San Rafael
Tread carefully
Regarding “Trump: a law unto himself ” (Editorial, May 17): President Trump can fire an acting attorney general and the director of the FBI, but he can’t obstruct justice by interfering in a federal investigation of his administration’s pre-election collusion with Russia.
This chief executive is deluding himself if he thinks his brazen actions cannot have grave consequences. One is reminded of another “Teflon Don,” former mob boss John Gotti, who repeatedly escaped prosecution for his crimes, until his “luck” ran out and he died in prison. Trump ought to tread carefully.
Eduardo Montoya, Daly City
Unregulated cars
Regarding “Ride hailing collides with urban well-being” (May 16): Thank you for David Talbot’s insightful and honest article.
These unregulated vehicles have operated with no oversight for way too long and have made navigating through the city a dangerous, frustrating nightmare for other drivers, bicyclists and pedestrians. The alarming numbers of them, the insane maneuvers they pull, the double parking and the distracted driving — not to mention the environmental impact that is so obvious but never talked about — diminish our overall quality of life here in San Francisco.
I read an article recently that quoted Mayor Ed Lee as saying that he wanted to look at this problem “scientifically” and not get caught up in how people were feeling “emotionally.” Perhaps this is the mayor’s problem with the many problems facing the city now. He fails to understand that gridlock traffic and long commutes are emotional and that worrying about your rent going up or your building being sold is emotional too. Taking a walk and stumbling upon piles of bodies, needles and human feces, having to leave your community, and watching artists and families being driven out of the city is also emotional. It’s time to pay attention and do something!
Kristen Korkos, San Francisco
Craven attitude
Regarding “Impulsive president loses his message” (May 17): Andrew Malcolm’s column illustrates the utter cravenness at the heart of contemporary conservatism. Never mind President Trump’s inexplicable attempts to claw back safeguards for ordinary consumers (e.g., net neutrality, internet privacy, broker fiduciary duties), small businesses (e.g., state-sponsored retirement plans), students (e.g., loan fees, for-profit colleges) and so many more.
Never mind his more visible plans to roll back environmental, health insurance and a myriad other policies that protect the general public. Never mind all the weirdness around Russia, so weird that now Vladimir Putin is defending Trump against his own staff ’s acknowledgment that he handed classified intelligence information to Russian officials.
What matters, says Malcolm, is that Trump, the “master showman, highly skilled at setting the media’s agenda,” does not give his communications team enough time to digest information so that his surrogates can “explain and influence coverage.” If only “Comey’s firing had been properly planned, prepared, and executed,” the team would have gotten the “story straight” and “the media could have been led to focus on Comey’s replacement.” Yes, if only Trump had a Joseph Goebbels by his side to deal with that “obstreperous” and “hostile” media, we would all feel so much better.
Deborah Sivas, Palo Alto
Get the tapes
Regarding “Comey memo may implicate Trump” (May 17): President Trump better hope that there are no “tapes” of his conversations with James Comey before he starts denying what Comey wrote in his contemporaneous memos.
Bob Roden, Berkeley
Revise the bill
Regarding “Bookstores need legislators’ help” (May 17): Why should book signing events be treated like autographed sports memorabilia? It’s one thing to require a certificate of authenticity for someone who wants to spend hundreds or thousands of dollars on a signed baseball or autographed team jersey. But requiring bookstores to do the same when authors sign a $25 hardcover book is absurd. State Assembly Bill 1570 definitely requires a “revised edition.” Takeshi Hashimoto, San Jose
Word of caution
President Trump and his team of professional prevaricators are clearly intent on dismantling our governmental institutions.
There’s a term for this. It’s called anarchy. And yet House Speaker Paul Ryan, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and the majority of Republican Trump-enablers in Congress continue to condone their reckless, dangerous actions. A word of caution to those politicians who are too meek or corrupt to stand up for what’s right: History will not be kind to you. Kurt Howard, San Rafael
Less drama
OK, folks, isn’t it time that President Trump be impeached and removed from office? I am sure that Vice President Mike Pence’s politics wouldn’t be much difference, but, as Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said, “I think we could do with a little less drama from the White House on a lot of things so that we can focus on our agenda.” Also, we need to get along with the rest of the world, not just our relatives. Irving Waldorf, San Francisco