First, a quick review of the terms.  A criminal collusion is when a group of people plan how to break the law.  A criminal conspiracy is when a group of people act to break the law.  Both are crimes.

We already know that Donald Trump Jr., Paul Manafort and Jared Kushner have colluded, because after several amazing rounds of lies and false denials, mini-Don released his emails, and after their own rounds of lies, all the people involved admit that the emails are genuine.  The White House, after lying about Trump’s involvement repeatedly, currently admits Trump was deeply involved in the reactions false reports, only disputing whether Trump actually narrated the exact response.  That ties Trump to the conspiracy while adding obstruction of justice.

The question of a criminal conspiracy is still unanswered, but that serious and important question is being investigated by at least one of the groups responsible for oversight.  Not all of them, of course.  The House Judiciary committee is still suggesting they’re too busy investigating Hillary Clinton emails, and I haven’t a clue what happened to the House Intelligence Committee.

The evidence is that Trump is hiding much more than we’ve found.  I suspect it’s possible, and increasingly likely, the current American President worked with Putin’s Russia — America’s primary adversary in the world — to subvert the last presidential election.

I only say that because simple malfeasance isn’t enough anymore.  It’s well-known, if not officially proven, that Trump has used his office for personal profit and the profit of his family and allies.  Trump openly lies about his conflicts of interest, and his manipulation of the government for his personal benefit.  Nope, Republicans say, we won’t act.  (Yes, they resemble their own criminal conspiracy for a reason.)

Russia is threatening NATO in real (huge troop movements) and substantial ways.  They continue to subvert the US news, as well as the news and elections of our allies.  If we have any left.

The Ukraine, seeing Trump’s indifference, is sliding into autocracy.  Along with the Philippines, Libya, Syria, Turkey, and — oh yeah! — Russia itself.  They know perfectly well that the American President no longer cares about democracy.

So, what’s our orange-furred President doing right now?

Trump is publicly and loudly supporting an anti-immigration bill written by Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AK) and Sen. David Purdue (R-GA) that would cut legal immigration by half, eliminating refugees, and contradicting the American traditions of welcome.

Trump and his spokesman on the topic, Stephen Miller, lied about the rationale, the data, and then they lied about the words on the Statue of Liberty.

Hey, any excuse I get, I repeat the the poem.  Here’s Emma Lazarus:

Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,
With conquering limbs astride from land to land;
Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand
A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame
Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name
Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand
Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command
The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.
“Keep ancient lands, your storied pomp!” cries she
With silent lips. “Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”

Oh yeah, and Trump is touting a bill written by two wingnuts with no chance of passing the Senate.

The questions are unchanged:  is Trump colluding and possibly conspiring with Russia, and has Trump has violated his oath of office?

President Trump’s Justice Department under Jeff Sessions is redirecting civil rights resources to protect white people in higher education.  Sessions is re-opening the war against drugs, repeating his same debunked arguments.  Sessions is pushing for no police reform, expanded asset seizure, and abandoned all LGBTQ.

The questions are unchanged:  is Trump colluding and possibly conspiring with Russia, and has Trump has violated his oath of office?

Trump is hollowing out the State Department at a time when diplomacy is critical.  His EPA approves proven-harmful chemicals against scientific advise while hiding public climate data.

Congress is on the verge of defaulting on American debt.  This would be catastrophic to American standing, and it would jack up the cost of our debt, disrupt critical foreign trade, and jigger all the businesses that depend on a functioning US financial system.  Imagine the effect on the stock and bond markets.  Blowing up the budget and furloughing hundreds of thousands of people?  Wasting hundreds of millions of dollars?  A cakewalk compared to blowing the full faith and credit of the United States

The questions are unchanged:  is Trump colluding and possibly conspiring with Russia, and has Trump has violated his oath of office?

Trump has fired a wide swath of professional law enforcement professionals — all the US attorneys — without replacing them.  He insists on loyalty pledges, and openly encourages police brutality, perjury and malfeasance.

The questions are unchanged:  is Trump colluding and possibly conspiring with Russia, and has Trump has violated his oath of office?

Are we distracted yet?   I’m hoping not, but you wouldn’t always know it from the news coverage.