Determine the extent to which “Interstate Crosscheck” improperly disenfranchised voters, by establishing a fully-funded, open-ended, non-partisan congressional investigative committee (4 Democrats/4 Republicans – Chaired by Independent Bernie Sanders) with subpoena power to investigate and publish the policies, procedures, datasets, workpapers, and purge lists.

OK, what’s this book about? It’s about what’s happened to the American government lately. It’s about the disastrous decisions that government has made. It’s about the corruption that rotted the Congress. It’s about how traditional conservatism has nearly been destroyed by authoritarianism. It’s about how the “Religious Right” teamed up with amoral authoritarian leaders to push its un-democratic agenda onto the country. It’s about the United States standing at the crossroads as the next federal election approaches.

“Well,” you might be thinking, “I don’t believe any of this is true.” Or maybe, you’re thinking, “What else is new? I’ve believed this for years.” Why should a conservative, moderate, or liberal bother with this book? Why should any Republican, Independent, or Democrat click the “Whole Book” link on this page?

Because if you do, you’ll begin an easy-ride journey through some very relevant scientific studies I have done on authoritarian personalities--one that will take you a heck of a lot less time than the decades it took me. Those studies have a direct bearing on all the topics mentioned above. So if you think the first paragraph is a lot of hokum, or full of half-truths, I invite you to look at the research.

For example, take the following statement: “Once our government leaders and the authorities condemn the dangerous elements in our society, it will be the duty of every patriotic citizen to help stomp out the rot that is poisoning our country from within.” Sounds like something Hitler would say, right? Want to guess how many politicians, how many lawmakers in the United States agreed with it? Want to guess what they had in common?

Or how about a government program that persecutes political parties, or minorities, or journalists the authorities do not like, by putting them in jail, even torturing and killing them. Nobody would approve of that, right? Guess again.

Don’t think for a minute this doesn’t concern you personally. Let me ask you, as we’re passing the time here, how many ordinary people do you think an evil authority would have to order to kill you before he found someone who would, unjustly, out of sheer obedience, just because the authority said to? What sort of person is most likely to follow such an order? What kind of official is most likely to give that order, if it suited his purposes? Look at what experiments tell us, as I did.

If, on the other hand, you’re way ahead of me, and believe the extreme right-wing elements in America are poised to take it over, permanently, I think you can still get a lot from this book. The studies explain so much about these people. Yes, the research shows they are very aggressive, but why are they so hostile? Yes, experiments show they are almost totally uninfluenced by reasoning and evidence, but why are they so dogmatic? Yes, studies show the Religious Right has more than its fair share of hypocrites, from top to bottom; but why are they two-faced, and how come one face never notices the other? Yes, their leaders can give the flimsiest of excuses and even outright lies about things they’ve done wrong, but why do the rank and file believe them? What happens when authoritarian followers find the authoritarian leaders they crave and start marching together?

I think you’ll find this book “explains a lot.” Many scattered impressions about the enemies of freedom and equality become solidified by science and coherently connected here.

You think I’m pulling your leg? Click the link.

A letter from Office of Government Ethics Director Walter Shaub is warning that the Republican Senate Majority is about to confirm Trump nominees who have not provided sufficient information or disclosed potential conflicts of interest.

What is happening is that Trump’s nominees are following the precedent established by their boss. Donald Trump didn’t disclose his medical records, tax returns, or potential conflicts of interest as a candidate, so his nominees are also not disclosing critical information about interests and activities that could pose a conflict.

Trump and his nominees are setting the stage for the most corrupt presidential administration in modern political history, but the blame does not rest solely with the ethically challenged individuals that Trump has nominated.

The majority of the blame rests with Senate Republicans who are willing to push through nominees without proper vetting and information. Republicans are giving the most corrupt president-elect potentially ever a free pass. When this all goes wrong, it will be Majority Leader McConnell and company who will be responsible.

Egads! We’re not only dealing with Trump’s own conflicts of interest but also his family’s. Jared Kushner – Trump’s son-in-law -- is now deeply involved in steering Trump policy, deciding on appointments, and intermediating between foreign leaders and Trump. And he is on the way into the Trump White House.

But Kushner’s multi-billion-dollar real estate business is backed by foreign money and by big banks, especially Goldman Sachs. According to today's New York Times:

1. Kushner was instrumental in getting Trump to appoint Goldman Sachs president, Gary D. Cohn, as his chief economic adviser.

2. Kushner has received multiple loans from Israel’s largest bank, Bank Hapoalim – now under a Justice Department investigation into allegations that it helped wealthy Americans evade taxes.

3. Kushner is also a major borrower from Deutsche Bank, which recently reached a $7.2 billion settlement with the Justice Department over its sale of toxic mortgage securities, and remains under investigation over allegations that it disguised trades that helped Russian clients move money offshore.

4. When the Chinese ambassador to the United States called the White House in early December expressing concern that Trump spoke by phone with the president of Taiwan, the call was relayed to Kushner. At the same time, Kushner has been negotiating with Wu Xiaohui -- the chairman of China’s giant Anbang Insurance Group, with estimated assets of $285 billion and close ties to the Chinese government -- on a joint financial venture in Manhattan.

5. Several of Kushner’s foreign investors are beneficiaries of a federal program that grants two-year visas and a path to permanent residency in exchange for investments of $500,000. The program is popular with real estate developers as a cheap source of financing. But the U.S. Government Accountability Office has issued several reports raising concerns about the program’s insufficient background checks and lax safeguards against illicit financing.

How will Americans ever know whether the Trump White House is acting in the interests of America or in its own financial interests?

What do you think?