This is the title I chose for my personal blog, which is meant to give me an outlet for one of my favorite crafts – writing – plus to use an image from my favorite sport, golf.  Out of college, my first job was as a reporter for the Daily Astorian in Astoria, Oregon, and I went on from there to practice writing in all my professional positions, including as press secretary in Washington, D.C. for a Democrat Congressman from Oregon (Les AuCoin), as an Oregon state government manager in Salem and Portland, as press secretary for Oregon’s last Republican governor (Vic Atiyeh), and as a private sector lobbyist.  This blog also allows me to link another favorite pastime – politics and the art of developing public policy – to what I write.  I could have called this blog “Middle Ground,” for that is what I long for in both politics and golf.  The middle ground is often where the best public policy decisions lie.  And it is where you want to be on a golf course.

Hill.com showed up last week with a list of what it called “the…most damaging allegations” against Donald Trump that have emerged so far based on the House Committee’s work investigating the January 6, 2021 insurrection.

I reprint those allegations below, but, before doing so, I add my own allegation which I believe could top any list.

It is this:  Trump hates this country and illustrated his hatred by fomenting a riot in the Nation’s Capital, one designed, like actions of a despot, to steal an election he had lost.  Like the narcissist he is, he refused to accept defeat, believing that everyone and everything revolved around him.

And, now, truth be told, despite all of the potential criminal actions he has taken, he is toying with running again for president.  Perish that notion.

So, beyond that leading allegation – mine — here is a summary of what hill.com wrote, with, first, a couple leading paragraphs:

“The panel, comprised of seven Democrats and two Republicans critical of Trump — Representatives Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger — has laid out a compelling case against the former president.

“By the panel’s account, Trump knew his claims of election fraud were bogus, recklessly encouraged the January 6 rioters and endangered his own vice president as members of a mob marching on the Capitol called for Mike Pence’s hanging.”

Hill.com’s list:

• Even the president’s own daughter, Ivanka Trump accepted the fact that there was no widespread election fraud.  She just couldn’t convince her father.
• Trump knew the January 6 crowd had weapons — and wanted to join them at the Capitol anyway, armed and ready to fight, even kill.
• Trump’s own campaign manager balked at fraud claims and was proud to be on ‘Team Normal.’  Trump didn’t care.
• And, Trump thought Mike Pence deserved to hang because Pence wouldn’t do his bidding.

I could go on.  The January 6 investigative panel has cited numerous additional instances of Trump’s crimes.  More is to come, especially on the basis of testimony from Trump lawyer Pat Cipollone.

Alone, this list of Trump’s misdeeds, including my leading proposal for such a list, plus Trump’s typical abnormal behavior, should prompt Americans to drop him from a list of any potential, future presidents.  It also should prompt law enforcement and legal authorities to subject him to penalties for his abhorrent conduct.