Robert Cuff, a Palm Coast resident and attorney who served as a Palm Coast City Council member from 2018 to 2022, sent the following letter to Flagler County’s federal representatives–U.S. Rep. Randy Fine and Sens. Ashley Moody and Rick Scott.
I am appalled and gravely concerned by President Trump’s latest actions in Venezuela and his latest statements and those of his administration, in the press and on social media, that other nations such as Cuba and Greenland are somehow next on a hit list for unilateral American aggression.
Based on the President’s own statements and those of Republican members of the “Gang of Eight,” the president saw fit to notify only Republican members of the bipartisan Congressional oversight committee and, apparently, American oil companies, of his planned military adventure before unilaterally launching the attack. This is not the Congressional notification required for such action, even if full and proper prior notice would somehow have justified what appears to be an unprovoked military invasion, however limited, of a sovereign nation.
The justification for the attack, that Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro is a criminal and that this was a “law enforcement” action to protect Americans from narcotics trafficking, is clearly nothing but a pretext for regime change. This is glaringly obvious in light of President Trump granting a full pardon to convicted ex-presidential narcotics trafficker Juan Orlando Hernández, on the basis that Hernández was a right wing, as opposed to a left wing, head of a nation riddled with narcotics corruption.
It is clear to anyone who takes the time to learn about the drug production and importation problems posed by several countries in Central and South America that Venezuela posed at best a minor threat in this regard, and the real reason for the attack was a “wag the dog” attempt to distract the American people from the president’s increasingly unpopular domestic agenda and, as the president has explicitly stated, to put Venezuela’s oil under the control of American oil companies who will undoubtedly profit handsomely and show their gratitude for these profits to Trump business interests.
Throughout all of this and the administration’s chaotic domestic polices, whether terrorizing and dismissing loyal Federal employees, bullying allies and trading partners with arbitrary tariffs or theatrical cruelty by DHS to meet arbitrary immigrant detention numbers, Congress has abdicated its Constitutional duty to the American people and to our nation’s standing in the world by remaining silent or actively blocking attempts at bipartisan action to excercise the powers assigned to Congress by our Constitution.
I want to be clear that I have been a registered Republican most of my adult life. I support fiscally sound budgeting and spending, reasonable, enforceable immigration policies that support our economy by attracting talent to our country and industries and a strong national defense. For decades I associated these policies with the Republican Party.
It is clear to me, however, as President Trump and his administration attack other nations, threaten to attack other nations and denounce any citizen who disagrees with their actions as enemies unworthy of the protections of the First Amendment, that it is long past time for senators and members of Congress like you to do the job you are elected to do. It is past time for you to re-assert congressional powers over budgeting and spending, waging war and generally participating in running a nation based on the rule of law and Constitutionally granted checks and balances. It is past time for you to stop catering to the whims of an increasingly uncontrollable and unaccountable chief executive enabled by an administration staffed with sycophants who are either unqualified to perform their duties or more concerned with stirring up the president’s political base with social media trolling than doing their job to protect our country.
It is imperative that all members of Congress, both Republican and Democrat, reassert the power of Congress to perform the critical duties necessary to rein in the president’s obvious belief that he is above the law, unaccountable and infallible.
Our nation is depending on you as the only source of governance capable of–and constitutionally required to–provide a rational check on this dangerous situation.
Please, do your job.
Just a thought says
Well, said Mr. Cuff.
A_republic_if_you_can_keep_it says
Thank You Mr Cuff,
Hopefully Mr Fines term will end this year having accomplished nothing other than meeting with some home schooled children and saying nothing. He has no backbone and feels that blind fealty to Mr Trump and Joseph Goebbel aka Stephen Miller who has created this declaration of war with all (except Mr Putin) will win him another term.
The rest of us surviving while food, insurance, medicine , shelter continue to climb expect something more than helping oil company executives continue to get richer.
As an independent will consider participating in the republican primaries in order to make sure Mr Fine doesn’t make it to the general elections and we vote in someone who cares about us.
Joe D says
BRAVO ROBERT CUFF!
At first I MISREAD the beginning of the article and MISTAKENLY thought this letter originally was written by Representative Fine to the others listed!
As I FIRST read though the statement, I thought that Randy Fine had had someone GHOST WRITE the letter, because ( in my opinion), it was too grammatically CORRECT, and used much richer VOCABULARY than the disturbingly guttural recent statements and notices from the “honorable” (and frequently embarrassing) MAGA STOOGE ( in my opinion), Representative Fine.
It was then that I reread the beginning of the article and realized the letter was written by Robert Cuff. What a BRAVE STATEMENT (and factual, and way overdue in my opinion) to make in the Flagler Country MAGA REPUBLICAN WORLD, that turns a blind eye to the reckless and “Borderline” Unconstitutional behavior of our current president and many of his administration ( again in my opinion).
Almost DAILY there is a new “knee jerk” reaction by our supreme leader to a comment/opinion/ policy / “tweet”…(I chuckle every time I hear that term being used …bringing up the vision from my childhood of a cartoon called Sylvester and Tweety Bird)/or legislative decision made by someone (usually, but not always, Democratic recently) that raised his IRE and his (yes it WAS one of his KEPT campaign promises) RETRIBUTION, veiled under the THINNEST of legal justifications drawn frequently from 100 +year old outdated laws (still technically “on the legal books”) to punish them for disagreeing with him vocally or challenging him legally (I wonder how much taxpayer money is being WASTED defending President Trump’s random and dictatorial actions in court….Oh well, it’s not HIS MONEY he’s wasting, it’s YOURS AND MINE)!
UNFORTUNATELY, Robert Cuff will likely be scorned by many in the local Republican MAGA “sheeple” (another new “vocabulary” word meaning to follow “sheep -like” the leader…even if it’s OVER A CLIFF) group, for not towing the MAGA line.
Hopefully other sane citizens of Democratic, Republican, and Independent perspectives will use their CONSTITUTIONAL voting rights (at least constitutional AT THE MOMENT) in 2026 and 2028, to choose more REASONABLE Candidates (regardless of Party), to lead us forward into a more balanced and CARING (remember THAT WORD?), world in the future….and not just one that benefits the powerful and wealthy, out to increase their influence at the expense of those not as fortunately wealthy or powerful.
***let the “HATE” comments begin***
Deborah Coffey says
Beautifully written, Joe, and completely “spot on.” Mr. Cuff gives me hope for a country I love in spite of the difficulties you’ve presented here.
Jim says
I commend Mr. Cuff on his well written letter to our Congressman and Senators. I also admire his courage to do so in the political climate we find ourselves.
But, being completely honest, none of the three will do anything about Trump’s actions. They won’t even acknowledge what is going on.
Atwp says
Do Republicans know what work is?
TR says
Of course they do. It’s the Dems that want all the free hand outs.
Laurel says
Unfortunately, TR, it’s the red states getting the bulk of the “handouts.” You have no logical, real source to back up your comment.
jim says
hey Rob go back to your law books and read about Panama…. Congress DOES NOT NEED TO BE INFORMED!!! All that’s going to do is get our soldiers injured or God forbid killed because some in the Senate and House CANT KEEP THEIR F’N MOUTHS SHUT!!!
joe says
A waste of time to move Randy Fine…he’s more of a Trump ass-kisser than Mike Walz was.
John O says
So, Mr Cuff. You wrote a letter to your congressmen and senators. Big deal! Why don’t you come clean and tell everyone who you voted for in 2016, 2020, and 2024. And what Republican congressmen, senators, and governors you voted for. Are you having a change of heart? Well, you never gave a crap before. Not when your party has been trampling on our civil rights, ignoring our domestic needs like a national health care and a fair tax system, gerrymandering voting districts, installing the most corrupt Supreme Court in modern times, supporting the gun crazy culture which has led to the senseless killing of our citizens. No, you never gave a crap about any of that. So when Donald Trump goes rogue and no one in your party is willing to stop him, just look in the mirror and say ” I did this!” And unless you are willing to actively vote out every member of the Republican Party, Shut the F…up and get out the way!
NJ says
Wake Up!! America has been in a Cold War with China and Russia since China Destroyed Coral Reefs to build Island Military Bases in the South China Sea and Russia started to regain it’s USSR empire! You have been believing the Bullshit LIES in Communist China’s “China News” and Russia’s “RT”!
Just sayiing says
Trump has destroyed the Republican Party. He is out for himself and lied to voters that he was going to lower grocery prices and introduce a new medical insurance plan for all Americans. He is in office to make himself richer and to stay out of jail for all the crimes he has committed and continues to commit.
Mr. Cuff thank you for writing what you wrote, we need more Republicans to speak up and stand up for our Constitution and our rules of law.
Skibum says
I think “destroyed” is too strong a word for what happened to the GOP when used in the context of the convicted felon in the WH. Many, many long time members of the GOP could have, and should have remembered that their bodies actually had spines and stood up to him. McConnel, Rubio, Cruz, Speaker Johnson and far too many GOP members of the House and Senate had enormous power and authority to speak the truth AND more importantly limit the damage that one unhinged convicted felon could do to that party and to the nation IF they wanted to.
No, the destruction to the GOP was not one man’s effort, because a lot of others who are just as culpable went willingly, knowing the truth and ignoring it, seeing the lies and helping to spread them, realizing the damage caused to our democracy and relishing it… for their own survival and power. They betrayed the public’s trust and their oaths of office just like the convicted felon pedophile protector in the WH has done, and they have neither shame nor regret for their complicity in becoming maga sycophants and drumph apologists.
Laurel says
Thank you Mr. Cuff! Your letter sounds like sanity returning to a party that left a good portion of its constituents behind,, to financially enrich themselves and those who do not need any financial bolstering. We have seen, now, what happens when we lose balance in our government. It becomes a dangerous circus, where the good of the many is dismantled to ingratiate the very selfish. We’ve seen them stand with flags and crosses, which mean nothing to them, to line their pockets and gather votes. We’ve seen them cheat, lie and hide the truth. We’ve seen them manufacture “alternate facts” and convincing their believers that facts do not matter.
Mr. Cuff, and other logical, sane Republicans, take back your party!
What Else Is New says
While we are thankful to Bob Cuff for writing a wonderful letter denouncing MAGA policies, one wonders if it is a bit too late. Constantly calling and writing Randy Not so Fine and Rick Medicare Fraud Scott knowing suggestions are ignored, perhaps letters such as Cuff’s will make a dent in changing the minds of those Trump sycophants. It would be nice to know for whom Mr. Cuff voted in 2020.
Sherry says
Thank you Mr. Cuff! I also wonder what took you so long? Hopefully, you can convince others to join you and start a movement towards “Sanity”!