On my knees -- where I usually pray -- I plead with our electors to meet on December 15 and decide together how to vote for a U.S. President on December 19, 2016.
Those electors who are pledged by their states to vote for Donald J. Trump should reconsider their pledge. There is good reason to reconsider. During the campaign, candidate Trump told lies that led to his election. During the interim between the popular election and the inauguration, the truth is gradually becoming revealed.
For example, candidate Trump told hard hats and other laborers that he would preserve their jobs by threatening an import tax on the Carrier Plant in Indiana should they move to Mexico. Carrier is now planning on remaining in Indiana, preserving 1,000 jobs. Why? Because of Trump's threatened import tax? No. It's because Governor -- I mean Vice President Elect -- Mike Pence gave Carrier $700,000 in tax relief. In short, this means tax payers bribed this company to remain in Indiana to provide the presidential team with a moment of public glory. This shining glory hides the darkness of the lie.
Candidate Trump promised to drain the Washington swamp. In a flurry of hiring his millionaire and billionaire friends to earn additional government salaries and pensions, no hires come from the unemployed line workers in the rust belt. Instead of draining the Washington swamp, the president elect is filling it with alligators.
Even though the president elect has reversed numerous campaign promises, one very important item has not been reversed. It appears he will not change his mind on the Iran agreement to prevent the proliferation of nuclear weapons. To tear up this agreement would make our world a much more dangerous place, for Americans and for everyone else.
The electors have an opportunity to protect America and even to protect the world from ceding power to an unabashedly dangerous individual.
We live in a republic. We live in a representative democracy. I plead with our electors: provide us with a president whom we can trust.