My first independent post on the Fish — whoopee! No more advertisers squawking about me picking on poor Donald Trump. I get to say what I think, not what others think and not softened to avoid stepping on advertisers’ toes.

I used to think that good advertising meant that the advertiser wanted to make its products known, not to control the content of the paper that it advertises, but I was wrong. It’s their right, but it’s too bad they exercise it.

My writings are opinion pieces — not the gospel. I would never compare my writings with those professional newspeople who do a pretty good job of reporting the news as it is, not as we would like it to be. Since our Lying President deems the real press to be “fake news,” I hope in my humble way to join them in that regard.

With Trump, pay no attention to what he says, but just to what he does. The man has set a world’s record for presidential lies and misstatements. Yet the party in power — the party that controls the House and Senate as well as the presidency — his Republican Party sits in silence as he damages everything we hold dear in this country.

I’ve lost so much respect for federal legislators that it will take a miracle (or Trump’s impeachment) for me to regain my former respect for them.

I can remember in recent times when GOP stood for “Grand Old Party,” instead of GOR, “Grand Old Russians.”

With all of the damage the Russians have done, Trump still falls all over Putin and refuses to say one bad thing about him. To placate those who are tuning in to his lies, he now must admit the Russians have in fact interfered with our election. Ya think?

As Mueller continues his march for truth, the president and his son, Don Trump Jr., still play us citizens for fools.

Think about it. It’s 2016. Trump is in his office in Trump Tower. His son and a group of Russians and/or Russian sympathizers are meeting in a room one floor below Trump’s office … and Trump is sitting in that office.

Rumors suggest there had already been a prior meeting to set up the notorious meeting attended by Junior and Jared Kushner, the one that they’ve admitted … but that still remains to be proven.

What Trump and his son would have us believe is that the president knew nothing about that meeting at any time and that he and his son never discussed it. To do so, you would have to forget the fact that the president himself dictated the false cover story (that it was an innocent meeting about “adoptions”) using government staff and equipment on board Air Force One.

Now let me ask one simple question. Do you believe there is even one chance in hell that Donald Jr. would never have informed his father of meeting with Russians who claimed to have dirt on his archenemy Hilary Clinton? Before that took place, do you honestly believe young Trump wouldn’t have been so excited he’d have gone straight to Dad to tell him about it?

Does anyone with the brain God gave a goat believe that Trump doesn’t keep tabs on everything — every single thing — his family and subordinates do?

I have a difficult time understanding how anyone can accept lying as a way of life and face no consequences!

Mr. “I’m the Greatest” “I’m the Most Intelligent” “I’m Very Rich” “I’m the Best Deal Maker the World Has Ever Known” just fails in each category he brags about. He’s afraid to disclose his tax returns because they would show: 1. He’s not rich. 2. He’s indebted to the Russians and other foreign governments. On its face, many of his questionable finance sources openly pay him outrageous sums as rent in his various properties. Others buy his astronomically priced condos with cash.

He’d tell you that this violates no laws … but with lawsuits over the emoluments clause in progress as I write, the courts will show otherwise. In the lawsuit, the plaintiffs have prevailed on every motion, and the case is headed for trial. If successful, it will require the Great Deal Maker to divest himself of the income he’s deriving because of his position as president.

I think of Trump praising himself after his North Korea and Russian visits. Absolutely nothing has come from either, except the president’s lies about success. A North Korean missile test site had imploded before he met Kim Jong Un. Trump was convinced they destroyed it. No missiles have been fired lately by the North because, while Trump grins and brags about success, we’ve learned they are building new and more effective missiles at a new site. Yet the president does not believe his own security agencies, but relies only on his own judgment.

The president meets for Putin for two hours in private. No one (at least from our side) records it. He has nothing to show for it when he comes out. Everything we know at this point is what the Russians have announced. Even our secretary of state admits he knows not what agreements were made.

And now Trump wants to meet with the leaders of Iran. He says he’ll meet anyone, anytime with no preconditions.

This man thinks he can run the greatest nation in the world like he runs his companies. Oh oh. He has filed repeatedly for bankruptcy (so much for his deal ability!) and is setting this country up for the same. The greatest deficit in United States history is forecast for next year. That means the greatest debt.

His big tax achievement has brought big breaks for to the wealthy but modest tax relief for the average person. Even that is being swallowed up by increased costs because of his poorly thought out tariff policies.

Between now and the midterm election, real American politicians in the party of Trump must dump their cowards’ shields and come roaring back as American Patriots. This isn’t a D or R question — it is an A-for-American issue. Time is flying by.

Keep the faith. The Mueller wake-up call is on track, bringing light to the true facts, wherever they lead us. Amen.