Weekly opinion wrap up...

I started the week out with a post about a black man who was brutally murdered by a white man; the latter shot the other three times from his apartment balcony after the black man had simply mistakenly knocked on his door. It rings loud and clear of racial hatred that was supposed to be improving gradually over the years but, in fact, is seething in the minds of many.

It was around this same time that we found out that measles are at the 2nd highest level since elimination was declared in 2000. For this we have that new screwed up group of Anti-Vaxxers to thank. As of March 28, there are 387 individual cases of measles that have been confirmed in 15 states. Folks, that's after science eradicated the disease. Pathetic!

With the above in mind, a terminally ill child was exposed to measles by anti-vaxxers at the U. of California Davis Jackson Souza Bell Medical Center. The mother wasn't told for two days after her child had been exposed. It's bad enough that these maniacs are passing their disease around on the street, but there should be some level of security in a hospital.

Later, the National Rifle Assn. (NRA) was fighting the extension of a law that would make it a crime to abuse a date, stalking him or her, after they break up. There are federal domestic violence laws protecting spouses, but if you're not married, the NRA considers you fair game. But it has always been the NRA that is the problem in getting gun control done. Yet there is a host of gun owners who think gun ownership standards should be raised. It all comes down to one man, Wayne LaPierre, head NRA gun nut.

I ended the week with Robert Reich's statement: "Mitch McConnell is destroying the Senate – and American government." This has been my position on Mitch McConnell for years, expressed regularly in this blog. But there's more: "No person has done more in living memory to undermine the functioning of the US government than the Senate majority leader, Mitch McConnell." Robert Reich agrees with everything I have ever felt or said about Mitch McConnell.

ROBERT REICH: Mitch McConnell is destroying the Senate – and American government

I have been saying the exact same thing in this blog for years that Robert Reich is saying in the above headline. Reich goes on...

A smug Mitch McConnell

"The majority leader cares only for winning, not rules or democracy itself. He is doing more damage than Trump"

Bingo, my thoughts replayed, and maybe with this international utterance (source is the UK's Guardian) coming from a leading political figure of the past (served in the administrations of Presidents Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, and Bill Clinton and was Secretary of Labor from 1993 to 1997) a witless Senate will realize what a jerk they have leading this body. More from Reich...

"No person has done more in living memory to undermine the functioning of the US government than the Senate majority leader, Mitch McConnell."

He compares Donald Trump's stupidity in the Oval Office with Senate Head Mitch McConnell but qualifies his statement with the fact that McConnell is, "actively and willfully destroying the Senate."

It remains to be seen just how far Robert Reich's comments go, or if they just fall on deaf ears. If it's the latter, we're back to a half-baked Senate that does nothing.

My favorite post on Mitch McConnell. 

Your Political Bullshit of the Day

TRICKLE DOWN BULLSHIT

And now a New York Judge joins the anti-vaxxers...Can Trump demean Mueller Report enough to convince the uninformed?...If Barr's credibility tanks, what happens to release of Mueller Report?...Obama worries about Progressives' "rigidity" - he could have used more in his administration...New York wants to end religious vaccinations exemptions with new law

What we need are "inferences" on Trump tax returns

As the Democrats draw closer to getting the tax returns of the Oval Office lunatic, there is a federal law protecting them and him...

"it is a felony, punishable by up to five years, to improperly disclose private tax information."

Okay, then we have to plan our strategy something like, 'My cat paid more taxes than Donald Trump.' That would nail it on the head if he is avoiding paying personal taxes. Or, 'Sounds like something John Gotti would have done.' This tells us there is definitely something illegal in T-rump's tax filings. And I am sure the Dems can come up with a host of approaches that will reveal the personal side of the most corrupt president this country has ever experienced.

However, this is apparently not a done deal, getting Trump's taxes, that is...

"Ways and Means Chairman Richard Neal (D-Mass.) demanded this week that the administration turn over six years' worth of Trump’s individual and business tax returns, giving them a deadline of April 10."

The potential hassle of obtaining Trump's taxes has been kinda downplayed so far but Democrats do have a card up their sleeve...

"They are relying on a statute that allows the heads of Congress’s tax committees to examine anyone’s confidential taxes. Advocates of the effort emphasize that the law says the Treasury Secretary 'shall' hand over any requested returns."

We can only hope that all this effort will be worth it.

Your Political Bullshit of the Day

TRICKLE DOWN BULLSHIT

God forbid, there are more NRA gun nuts on the street...This is where terminally ill child was exposed to measles by anti-vaxxers...Terrifying fact: "more than 20% of deaths of people aged 15 to 24 involved guns"...Trump continues to fight releasing tax returns-WHY?...Salon says the National Rifle Assn. (NRA) is an "international menace...Oh by the way, the NRA is expected to draw 80,000 gun nuts to its annual convention in Indianapolis Apr. 26-28 to talk more gun violence on the streets

If Michael Cohen drops the other shoe, will it be on Trump's head?

Michael Cohen wants to stay out of jail as long as he can, so one can only hope this new information is credible and damning to Donald Trump. Cohen's attorneys Lanny Davis and Michael Monico have contacted Congress alerting them that...

"Cohen has discovered substantial files on a hard drive that might be helpful to investigators."

Cohen not only has to worry about Congress but also the Southern District of New York trying to persuade them to postpone reporting to jail in order to review the files in question. It would appear that Cohen was only recently able to access the information that he proposes to Congress and prosecutors. He claims the new hard drive he found "contains millions of additional files."

New York prosecutors say "that Cohen shouldn't be considered a cooperating witness. Cohen did assist the special counsel's investigation but he...

"repeatedly declined to provide full information about the scope of any additional criminal conduct in which he may have engaged or had knowledge."

He has already been sentenced to three years in prison, but as the noose tightens, who knows what Michael will do, and it can't be good for T-rump.

Mueller team says AG Barr definitely withholding info

He said, they said. The "he" is Wm. Barr, Atty. Gen. who said about the Mueller Report, "evidence was not sufficient to prove that the president obstructed justice." The 'they' are members of Mueller's investigative team saying, "their findings on obstruction were alarming and significant." Don't know about you but I'm inclined to believe "they said." They're also concerned that, "the summaries they had prepared for different sections of the report for quick discharge, "were not released by Barr.

The Mueller team is pissed, and rightfully so. Barr makes a piddly number of pages available from a 400-page report that is purported to prove Donald Trump's part in some collusion with Russia in his win of the 2016 presidential election, and his part in the obstruction of justice, like firing James Comey. Barr said...

"Mueller did not reach a conclusion “one way or the other” as to whether Trump’s conduct in office constituted obstruction of justice."

But the Mueller team countered...

“It was much more acute than Barr suggested."

If when this is all over and the shit hits the fan as Donald Trump is tried for treason and obstruction of justice, will his double-digit followers then admit just how stupid they have been? Probably not. Pathetic!

NRA SAYS: Put guns in the hands of convicted felons

This slimy pile of gun nuts continues its march toward annihilating the American public with its gun violence policies. It's a matter of federal law that someone convicted of  "physically abusing his spouse, ex-spouse, live-in lover, or co-parent" cannot own a gun. But if it's a date, stalking him or her, after they break up, the other is fair game. The NRA is well aware of the latter but still fights for the right of the perpetrator to keep or buy his or her gun.

Well, here are the numbers...

"About half of all female homicide victims are killed by intimate partners — and about half of intimate partner homicides are committed by casual dating partners."

So the NRA was no doubt forced into the legislation that bars abusive husbands from having guns, but they fight the above scenario. It is more clear evidence that Wayne LaPierre, head NRA gun nut, and a certain portion of his membership value their weapons over human life, even someone close to them. Until this sick mentality can be driven out of this country, children and innocent citizens will continue to die by gun violence in schools and on the streets.

NRA has always been problem getting gun control done

Here's a recent article headline from The Hill...

"Gun control advocate: 'Surprised' at how many gun owners agree gun ownership standards should be raised"

I'm not, and when I see a header like this there is no doubt in my mind that, if gun owners want reasonable gun control, it is definitely the National Rifle Assn. (NRA) that is standing in its way and has for many, many years. Wayne LaPierre, the NRA's head gun nut refuses to listen to any legislation that limits access to guns. Even reasonable background checks, the banning of assault rifles which is the weapon of choice in most all gun massacres.

There are three people in this country today the American public could do without: Donald Trump, Mitch McConnell and Wayne LaPierre. All three fly in the face of anything that is good for this country, and seem hell-bent on dragging the United States to the bottom of the barrel. Each has his own agenda, a combination of twisted ideas and philosophies, all of which point back to the pariah in question. What this nation needs is a clean sweep of this trash.

Facebook data gone postal again

Here's the lead sentence in the Bloomberg article...

"Facebook Inc. user data is still showing up in places it shouldn’t."

Almost fifteen years ago when I started my privacy blog, The Dunning Letter, we were talking about how loose personal data was becoming, and predicting events just like what has happened with Facebook. When I realized how things were progressing in the private information field, I realized two things:1) People don't care if their personal data is kept private and; 2) Companies that collect this information don't care what these people think. Tragic but true!

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has made a career of using your personal data to make zillions of dollars, placing the man in a perpetual state of apology for the mismanagement of FB user data. Now he's calling for Internet regulation, sounding like the guy who is desperate and needs help to stop gambling. I spent 35 years in the junk mail industry, where your name and personal information were flaunted as if you had no say whatsoever. You didn't.

And now there is the "Cloud," where trillions of pieces of data can be stored...forever. That's correct, whatever you said on Facebook today is shot right up to that colossal database in the sky, can be retrieved in seconds and it will never be deleted. It's been said before, 'You have no privacy.' So, you might as well go on your merry way throwing everything that is private about you to these data mongers. They probably already have it anyway.

Looks like Bernie's on right path this time

Early on Bernie Sanders is taking advantage of his record-breaking grassroots army, picking out volunteers and hiring people with the right experience. Campaign aides report that more than 1 million people have signed up to volunteer for his campaign, and they will be asked to host house parties around the country again. In an email to supporters he will say...

"we need to create an unprecedented grassroots political movement."

Sounds familiar, as does a lot of Bernie's rhetoric. But stop! is this the kind of individual we need in the White House, one we know exactly where he stands, with pretty much no change in the issues of his platform since he first ran for Senator in Vermont? NPR has done a good job of illustrating them here. If you like the issues, get on Bernie's bandwagon. We're all keeping our eyes on the polls because that is just as important to Bernie's campaign as money.

Terminally ill child exposed to measles by anti-vaxxers

Jackson Souza Bell

This 7-year old young man already doesn't have very long to live. Jackson Souza Bell hasd been "diagnosed with tuberous sclerosis at 4 months old, has around 100 small tumors and a few very large ones on his brain." His mother took him to the University of California Davis Jackson Souza Bell Medical Center for care and...

"Days after the two arrived at the hospital, doctors told Bell that during his stay, Jackson had been exposed to measles."

Welcome to the new world of horrendously stupid people. Because Jackson's condition is so critical, Rayna Bell has tried to surround him with a plastic bubble to keep him alive as long as possible. He will eventually die. Enter the latest morons...anti-vaxxers with the following scenario...

"Bell claims doctors told her the source of the disease was a child whose parents had not vaccinated her. She had caught the measles while overseass."

Apparently these doctors who finally gave up the anti-vaxxers did not know they had a hot kid with stupid parents until after the fact. The boy had to be quarantined at the hospital for 18 days for measles. The mother cited the irresponsible parents that chose not to vaccinate their child, and in this case, the parents idiocy could shorten Jackson Souza Bell's life.

McConnell rebukes Trump on healthcare

The two pariahs of politics have locked horns over healthcare, and so far the Senate leper is winning. McConnell said flatly...

"that the Senate will not be moving comprehensive health care legislation before the 2020 election, despite the president asking Senate Republicans to do that in a meeting last week."

McConnell is afraid to screw with Obamacare before the 2020 election after so many failures in trying to repeal the act. Then it sounded like he blindsided Trump in a Tweet saying that...

"he would be developing a plan that he would take to the American people during the 2020 campaign.”

McConnell is no fool, at least politically, and would love to get the upper hand on T-rump in this issue. Don't know if he hates Trump as much as he hated Obama, but at least Donald Trump is white so for the Senate dullard, that is at least in his favor.

Your political Parody of the Day

PARODY ON POLITICS

The phone rang in the Oval Office and Donald Trump answered it on the second ring. "Hello, this is the most magnificent president of the United States to ever sit in this chair."

"Don't bullshit me Donny, this is your father who knows you're the dumbest bastard on the block. Ya don't even know where I was born you idiot."

"I'm sorry, daddy, I just forgot."

"Three times, you dimwit? If you'd listened to the fake news, you'd know where I was born, in fucking New York, not Germany. Where the hell did that come from, you got something going with Angela Merkel?

"Naw, daddy, she called me a wacko, could you loan me the money to sue her?"

"Hell no, you are a wacko and how's Melania? God, she's got a great rack. Ok, that's enough of this stupid palaver but don't you forget where I was born."

"No, daddy, I won't," and Fred Trump hung up.

The next morning Donny was asked where his father was born and he replied to the media, Keokuk, Iowa

UPDATE: T-rump exclaims his father was German, born in Germany...AGAIN!

New disease anti-vaxxers will probably spurn

It's called AFM, which stands for Acute flaccid myelitis that is affecting children. It is a "rare, mysterious and sometimes deadly paralyzing illness that seems to ebb and flow on an every-other-year cycle." Here's even worse news...

"Dr. Anthony Fauci, head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said it may bear similarities to polio, which smoldered among humans for centuries before it exploded into fearsome epidemics in the 19th and 20th centuries."

Other countries have experienced it, but AFM is more prevalent in the U.S. where more than 550 Americans have been struck this decade, the oldest 32. In some cases, it started with a cold, got better, but the,n took a turn for the worse when the patient "descended into paralysis." The virus was discovered over 55 years ago, and, although not yet proven, may have mutated to become more dangerous. So far there is no cure but a vaccine is hopeful for the future.

If a vaccine is perfected and placed on the market, will we have to fight once again with these double-digit anti-vaxxers to keep them from killing their children with a new scourge of polio-like illness?

Bernie tops $18 million from 500,000 donors

Bernie Sanders 

The above number comes from the period when he declared his presidential bid in February, topping all other declared candidates. Newcomer Pete Buttigieg has raised $7 million and Beto O'Rourke raised $6.1 million. Yet I read a Wash. Post article recently that implies Bernie Sanders isn't electable. Apparently 500,000 people don't agree. First of all, they think he's too old and spouts the same platform over and over. And, oh yes, he's a Socialist.

There are millions of progressives that believe the above qualities are good enough to put him in the White House. The question remains whether certain other factions will agree, like Independents, young people and the female vote. In comparison with Bernie's $ numbers, the Trump campaign has only about $19 million cash on hand. There are also around a $6 million in legal fees against the campaign. Should it come down to Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump, I believe Bernie can take him, if those above factions kick in.

Sci-Fi used to normalize Trump admin.

Geo. Orwell-Donald Trump

Sci-Fi publishers are doing their bit to fight the Donald Trump administration by encouraging manuscripts from their freelance writers, "to try to imagine some new futures that might help us figure out how to get back to normal from here.” Anthologies like Resist: Tales From a Future Worth Fighting Against and If This Goes On. Very appropriate titles when one considers the road to destruction Donald Trump has taken this country on since his administration took office.

There are also a number of books about Trump that aren't science fiction, but still read like it in some cases. There's Fire and Fury, Fear, Unhinged, A Higher Loyalty and The Trump White House, to name only a few. I have read most of them and can attest to the fact that, in some cases, it feels clearly like you are in another world. When The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy is written for 2020, the Donald Trump administration is certain to be the lead story.

NRA flagrantly opposes womens' rights

Women against the NRA

Just when you think this gang of gun nuts has hit the bottom of the barrel--they taught Aussies "How to Sell a Massacre--they come up with a new profound reason to get rid of the organization. The National Rifle Assn. (NRA) will oppose Democratic legislation that will reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), which expired in February. Here's why...

"The group opposes provisions that could lead to firearm confiscations over misdemeanor domestic violence or stalking convictions."

Once again, the value of their guns over human life!

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy wants House Republicans to consider an alternative VAWA bill, which would "provide a one-year extension to continue funding services to survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence while Congress works on a bipartisan reauthorization of VAWA." After the introduction of this bill in Congress in 2019, it had one sponsor, the NRA. By the way, this GOP alternative bill was submitted by a woman, Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY), who touts an A rating from the NRA.

Here's what the NRA says about domestic violence...

“The NRA opposes domestic violence and all violent crime, and spends millions of dollars teaching countless Americans how not to be a victim and how to safely use firearms for self-defense.”

BULLSHIT! The truth is that the NRA promotes domestic violence, as well as gun violence against children and in general by putting as many guns on the street as it can. 

Is someone in the White House selling security clearances?

Trump-Kushner

Here's the scenario. With the White House run by a maniac, everybody wants to get a front row seat for the performance. But government policy says you must have a security clearance which is: a determination by the United States Government that a person or company is eligible for access to classified information. No problem, the Trump family has used this administration to promote everything from beauty products to Trump Towers, why not security clearances? Let's see, they should go for at least 500 big ones.

OK, here's the real scenario...

"An 18-year White House employee told congressional investigators that she and other career staffers denied security clearances for 25 Trump administration officials, including three 'very senior' officials, only to see most of those recommendations overturned."

The employee was Tricia Newbold, and she was interviewed by the staff of the House Committee on Oversight and Reform. Here's a summary of her interview. The leading suspect seems to be Jared Kushner, and here is what Newbold said...

"in the case of one official, named only as Senior White House Official 1, staff denied the security clearance request after a background investigation revealed 'significant disqualifying factors, including foreign influence, outside activities ... and personal conduct.'"

And at that point, Ivanka said, 'Don't worry, hon, Daddy will fix it,' and he did.

Who is Pete Buttigieg?

Pete Buttigieg

Right now, he is a long shot to the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination but is turning a lot of heads with his issues. Even with low name recognition, Pete Buttigieg raised $7-million since January. Now that's right up there with the leadin' contendas, if he can get an act together soon, things could improve. He is currently the mayor of South Bend, Indiana. 37, gay, and literally has come from nowhere. Early polls have him in 7th position of declared candidates.

Buttigieg has raised enough money to qualify him for the summer Democratic debates, which requires contributions from at least 65,000 donors to make it to the debate stage. His issues include, "Medicare for all who want it, believes in "addressing or reversing harm and inequities" through policy, supports the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program and a path to citizenship, openly pro-choice, strong gun control advocate, and more in the above article.

He's a Progressive's kind of person. But while sitting mayors haven't had much luck in the past, Buttigieg plans to change that. 

FACT: Measles at 2nd highest level since elimination

Here's the actual headline from CNN: "US measles cases at second highest since disease was eliminated in 2000." This is unheard of for the leading industrialized nation in the world. And it is all thanks to the anti-vaxxers who refuse to vaccinate. It's like these parents said, 'we're not killing enough of our kids with guns, let's kill 'em now with measles.'

"A total of 387 individual cases of measles have been confirmed in 15 states from January 1 to March 28, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This is the second-greatest number of cases reported in the United States since measles was declared eliminated in 2000."

The following states have reported cases: Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Texas and Washington. There are six outbreaks, which are defined as three or more cases, in California (Santa Cruz and Butte County), New Jersey, New York (Rockland County and New York City) and Washington.

"Measles is a highly contagious disease caused by a virus that can spread through the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes, or if a person comes into direct contact or shares germs by touching the same objects or surfaces."

Which means the anti-vaxxers are not only sending their kids off to school today to learn, but also to spread their disease around. Pathetic!

Senate lowlife at it again

McConnell-Pelosi

There will come a day when Senate head Mitch McConnell will do something that no one, Democrats or Republicans, can stomach. The Senate floor will open in a chasm that will devour this contemptible despot and the country will be rid of the worst politician it has ever experienced. McConnell is at it again, fully blocking everything House Speaker Nancy Pelosi brings to the floor. A health care package, proposals on gun safety, climate change and voting reforms.

“I’m not sure that anything we do is going to reach the floor of the Senate,” said House Budget Committee Chairman John Yarmuth (D-Ky.). “That’s the reality.”

McConnell is up for reelection in 2020--he barely made it last time--and I hope the people of Kentucky have the guts to force him out. This man has single-handedly wreaked more havoc in the Senate than any other politician has in years. As a confirmed racist, McConnell hated Barack Obama and blocked all of the programs he proposed. Maybe we won't have to wait for 2020, perhaps that Senate floor chasm is in the making as we speak.

Witless Sheriff in Colorado won't enforce law to save lives

The headline refers to Weld County Sheriff Steve Reams, clearly the epitome of a gun nut, saying...

"he would refuse to enforce a proposed state law that would permit family members, roommates or law enforcement to ask a court take away firearms from a person deemed a potential danger to themselves or others."

In other words, he will stand by, observing, as a person displays clear tendencies  to cause harm to someone with a gun. He would not take the person's firearm as a new Colorado law would allow him to do. He said he'd rather go to jail and hopefully he does when and if the law passes, and this idiot fails to perform his sworn duties. This numb nuts added: "It's a matter of doing what's right." And this is the problem with these people...

They value their guns, weapons, firearms over the lives of human beings, including children.

The sponsor of the bill state Rep. Tom Sullivan (D), says he won't lose sleep over Reams comment. He did add...

"What I'm going to lose sleep over is, if that's the choice that they make and someone loses their life, someone in crisis goes on a shooting spree, (or) someone commits suicide" because a firearm wasn't taken from someone."

Sullivan's son was killed in the 2012 shooting at a movie theater in Aurora, Colorado.

Shoot black man first-Ask questions later

RACISM: Confront it-It's still rampant

This is the epitome of racism with the end result a completely innocent person's death. The victim was black. Not sure but think shooter was white. In the scenario a black teenager knocked on what he thought was his and his girlfriend's door at 12:30 AM, receiving no answer. Darryl Bynes, 32, inside the apartment,
didn't open the door, grabbed a gun and went onto his balcony to confront Omarian Banks, 19. After a short conversation, Bynes shot him and then told Police he shot Banks in self-defense.

Banks girlfriend, Zsakeria Mathis explained what she had heard while talking to Banks during the incident on FaceTime...

"I just hear faint voices and a gunshot, and then I hear him yell. And I heard all the fear in his voice and he was just, 'I'm sorry! I'm at the wrong door!' The man was like, 'No, you're not at the wrong door!' And he shot two more times and then it was silent."

 Darryl Bynes had not even been confronted face-to-face with Omarian Banks at this point. The latter was downstairs in the parking lot headed to his car, posing absolutely no threat to Bynes, but the gun nut shot the young man from his balcony in what appears to be cold blood. And it was all a huge mistake when Lyft let Banks off at the wrong apartment entrance and he was confused because he and his girlfriend had just moved in.

This all happened in Atlanta and Darryl Bynes is charged with murder.

Anti-vaxxers identified by area-SEE

Merit badge of anti-vaxxers

These uninformed, mentally challenged people are spread all over the U.S., unfortunately, but NBC has nailed down the most prolific geography. Nassau-Suffolk is the highest concentration with 14.2% with at least one parental vaccination refusal. The national refusal rate is 3.3 percent. Bloomington, IL. is the lowest with 5.3%. In between are Texas, Colorado, Michigan, New Jersey, more New York, Washington state, Arizona and Oregon.

It would be horrendous if a regional epidemic of measles, mumps and chickenpox broke out in the northeast with the density of its population. As an example, there are 26,403 people per square mile in New York City compared to 3,165 people per square mile in Phoenix. AZ. In New York, they are continuously bumping into each other spreading germs, which would also apply to New Jersey and up and down the East coast.

The CDC reports that more than 310 cases of measles have been reported in the U.S. so far this year, compared with 372 for all of 2018. If you crunch the numbers, based on the results so far, we could have 1,240 total. Crude but possible when you consider the stupidity of these parents that refuse to immunize their children. The most terrifying part of this whole scenario is, the science community had virtually wiped out all these diseases.

Until a gang of idiots saw fit to reintroduce them to the world. Pathetic!These uninformed, mentally challenged people are spread all over the U.S., unfortunately, but NBC has nailed down the most prolific geography. Nassau-Suffolk is the highest concentration with 14.2% with at least one parental vaccination refusal. The national refusal rate is 3.3 percent. Bloomington, IL. is the lowest with 5.3%. In between are Texas, Colorado, Michigan, New Jersey, more New York, Washington state, Arizona and Oregon.

It would be horrendous if a regional epidemic of measles, mumps and chickenpox broke out in the northeast with the density of its population. As an example, there are 26,403 people per square mile in New York City compared to 3,165 people per square mile in Phoenix. AZ. In New York, they are continuously bumping into each other spreading germs, which would also apply to New Jersey and up and down the East coast.

The CDC reports that more than 310 cases of measles have been reported in the U.S. so far this year, compared with 372 for all of 2018. If you crunch the numbers, based on the results so far, we could have 1,240 total. Crude but possible when you consider the stupidity of these parents that refuse to immunize their children. The most terrifying part of this whole scenario is, the science community had virtually wiped out all these diseases.

Until a gang of idiots saw fit to reintroduce them to the world. Pathetic!

U.S. could be so lucky if Democrats shut down NRA

Who else? Wayne LaPierre

Wayne LaPierre, National Rifle Assn.'s head gun nut is whining that the group may be"shut down forever" thanks to Democrats. Nothing could make millions of Americans happier than if this gang of gun violence perpetrators bit the dust, and all of their trash propaganda with them. But I don't really believe they are this close to tanking, rather, LaPierre is simply appealing to his double-digit gun nut minions who apparently believe anything he says and will give up their money.

There is some concern from the fact that...

"New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat who last year directed state regulators to 'urge insurance companies, New York State-chartered banks, and other financial services companies licensed in New York to review any relationships they may have with the National Rifle Association.'"

And Cuomo isn't giving up, with more good news from LaPierre...

“Cuomo’s tactics are already working. One by one, more and more banks and insurance companies across the country are knuckling under to Cuomo’s threat — and telling NRA they won’t do business with us — because they don’t want to be targeted and crushed by Cuomo’s strong-arm tactics and the vast power of thousands of New York bureaucrats.”

Gun control advocates should be dancing in the streets, but, with caution. I wouldn't trust Wayne LaPierre under any circumstances, nowhere, not never. But cutting into the NRA's finances is an excellent start as LaPierre commented further...

“The attack on the NRA is unprecedented. This call to action is real. If left unchecked, the actions of Gov. Cuomo would damage the NRA’s ability to access certain financial and insurance services—hurting its financial position and impacting its ability to advocate for members..."

We can only hope. 

Your Political Bullshit of the Day

TRICKLE DOWN BULLSHIT

Trump's "no collusion" on Mueller Report a flop, thanks in part to T-rump's Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney...Sandy Hook families proved "Congress Lied to Pass One of the NRA’s Favorite Bills"...Will Trump succeed at repealing Obamacare?...Wm. Barr plans redactions to Mueller Report-Better have good reasons for each one...Another loss for gun control-CA Judge blocks ban on high-capacity magazine for 2nd Amendment gun nuts.

Radical right will always be radical...just not too bright

Many of the radical right are basically fanatics. You can tell who they are by the fact that when all of the info is there proving that they are wrong, they see only what they want to see. Like anti-vaxxers, and Donald Trump supporters. It's hard to tell if they have lost their way or are just too dumb to see the truth. The philosopher George Santayana had this thought...

"Fanaticism consists in redoubling your efforts when you have forgotten your aim."

Both categories, above, have probably lost sight of their original aim but have been caught up in the stupidity of their movement, and keep plodding ahead in a futile bliss that seems to keep them going until they literally destroy themselves plus those close to them. And the sooner we get rid of them, the better.

Don't want no stinkin' Electoral College

The above is the decision of the American public, according to a new Politico/Morning Consult poll. 50% want a popular vote, 34% still prefer the Electoral College. This is how the Electoral College works...

"a group of people that elects the president and the vice president of the United States. ... When voters head to the polls, they do not vote for the presidential candidates directly, in a popular vote. Instead, they vote to elect specific people, known as “electors” to the college."

And there is the "stinkin'" part, turning our vote over to another body. Because Hillary Clinton wasn't watching the store in 2016, Donald Trump was elected to the White House by the Electoral College. This fact, on its own, should be enough to demand an end to the College before 2020. Republicans prefer the EC 2 to 1 over the popular vote, in my estimation because they can manipulate this body, just like they do in gerrymandering.

This all came about in the Constitution to ensure that smaller states would get equal representations in elections. There has been such a huge increase in population since then, it is time to bid the Electoral College goodbye.

Your political bullshit of the day

TRICKLE DOWN BULLSHIT

Gun control advocates concentrating on gun nuts AR-15 attacking the glorified advertising used...Parents charged with money laundering in college admissions cheating scandal...Bernie Sanders Medicare for all Plan losing public support but Dems have another idea...Lori Loughlin’s daughter Olivia Jade had trademark denied because she couldn't punctuate correctly-guess she was too dumb to get into USC on her own...Biden up one point in polls, Bernie down one...

Arizona anti-vaxxer couple deny feverish son medical care

It's stupid enough when you refuse to vaccinate your kid when the scientific community has both proven and made its findings public to substantiate the need for vaccinations. Then it is doubly dumb when these same parents wouldn't take this sick child to the hospital, especially after a doctor had recommended it. The police had to force their way into the home to remove the kid. Arizona law...

"allows officials to take custody of a child for his or her safety and gives police the ability to 'use reasonable force to enter any building' to do so."

One Arizona politician exclaimed, "If you make the parental decision to wait 'til the morning to get medical care, you risk losing your child." Now there is a reasonable statement from a Republican state legislator that is contrary to what we expect to hear from these people from the radical right in this state.

The boy's parents, Sarah Beck and Brooks Bryce, have each been charged with a count of child abuse, by the Chandler Police Department.

From one dimwit (Sen. head) to another dimwit (Oval Office)

Trump makes McConnell look like the dolt he is

Congress' leading lowlife, Mitch McConnell, has told this country's leading despot, Donald Trump, you're on your own when it comes to health care adding, “I am focusing on stopping the ‘Democrats’ Medicare for none’ scheme.” Cute, considering McConnell couldn't give a damn if any American has access to health care. But when the GOP controlled both houses of Congress, they couldn't repeal Obamacare and both T-rump and McConnell are still pissed.

McConnell is running for reelection, and I would do anything and will do, to keep this reprehensible person from going back to the Senate. A Senate without McConnell and without a Republican majority is the goal of all Progressives and Democrats. In 2020, the GOP will be defending 22 Senate seats to the Democrats' 12. In the last cycle, Democrats were defending 26 Senate seats compared to just nine for the Republicans.

Some pundits call it political instincts, but my opinion of Mitch McConnell is
one where this sleazebag doesn't make a move unless he feels relatively sure he will win, and that whatever he is pushing, it has to be GOP oriented. This man cares nothing about this country, only himself and his Party. To all this Trump stated...

“The Republican Party will become the Party of Great HealthCare!” Trump tweeted on Thursday afternoon. “Moving forward in Courts and Legislatively!”

There is no way any Republican will propose a health care bill that is in the best interest of the American public.   

The stupid twins skewer each other

Trump-DeVos...Still confused

Donald Trump and Betsy DeVoss, one supposedly in charge, one appointed, with probably not 100 IQ points between them. First DeVos says she will cut the Special Olympics drastically (272,000 kids affected), then spends several says defending her decision, until the Oval Office lunatic realizes it will look bad for him and his base and disavows Special Olympics cuts. DeVos, the idiot she is, just dangles out there until her tyrant boss tells her what to do.

But, DeVos told Senators...

"on Thursday morning that she was not personally involved in the decision to propose eliminating funding for the Special Olympics, but continued to defend the cut included in her department's budget."

And then T-rump stepped in "saying that he had 'overridden' DeVos' plans." DeVos' plans.

Next, "DeVos issued a statement saying that she and the President agree."

On what, that the Trump administration is in total chaotic confusion?

I posted on this earlier when it wasn't clear who had made this decision. Apparently, it still isn't.

Betsy DeVos goes stupid again, this time the Special Olympics

Betsy DeVos

The above is my continuing remark on this Trump Cabinet member (Education) and she hasn't disappointed us again. I have remarked that DeVos is the stupidist person in T-rump's cabinet, mainly due to her incompetent approach to everything she does, especially in the preparation for briefings. But this time she has done herself proud, using a Special Olympics cut to balance the Education Department's budget.

And here is another example of why she is such a dolt, when asked how many children this would affect, she dully replied, “I don’t know the number of kids.” But the questioner quickly let her know the number was 272,000. My gut tells me her inquisitor, Rep. Mark Pocan, (D-Wis) knew she wouldn't know the answer, attempting to point out the double-digit IQs Trump has given us in his Cabinet.

DeVos seems to think the private sector philanthropic groups will pick up the slack. It would mean that they will have to donate around $18 million dollars to cover what Donald Trump cut from the Special Olympics budget, a number which DeVos supported. She had no experience when she came to this job, and throughout her tenure has backed charter school funding over public schools. It is just one more example of the complete incompetence of the Trump administration.

LATEST: Trump undercuts DeVos and keeps Special Olympics funding

Arizona will turn Blue soon

A Blue Arizona finally

I live in Arizona and, due to a large amount of rainfall and the warmer days coming sooner, this state is beautiful! But it's not Blue yet, still Red with a gang of radical conservatives hell-bent on ruining the state. We have some of the loosest gun laws in the country, our educational system ranks 47th in the U.S., with teacher pay a confusing number 50th to 28th nationwide. But, the Hill reports that, "Arizona Democrats see a path to the White House that runs through the Valley of the Sun."

That avenue cited is a result of a doubling population since 1990, that in the past was initiated by retirees who voted Republican. Much of the growth is still the fantastic weather, but now the younger generation has found the Valley of the Sun. They are looking for good jobs and low housing costs — while at the same time holding on to their progressive beliefs. One of the significant results of this is the fact that Krysten Sinema, a woman and Democrat, was elected to the U.S. Senate.

Half of our imports, 537,000 people total, came from California carrying that state's Progressivism in their luggage. I have experienced a local group reading my blog who agree with my posts and express their own Progressive views. And there are the Hispanic voters who have let both parties down repeatedly in the past, but with a younger age group the time just might be right in 2020. When you combine these three groups, the left could make its voice heard in the near future, turning Arizona into the Blue state it should be.

What is gerrymandering?...

GERRYMANDERING IS...

"manipulating the boundaries of an electoral constituency so as to favor one party or class."

In other words, drawing lines that favor your party so the people in a particular voting district will have the numbers to elect the candidate of their choice. It's been done for years, by both parties, but most recently Republican efforts--while Debbie Wasserman Schultz was asleep at the Democratic National Committee--have put the GOP in the enviable position of controlling an important number of voting districts across the country. And this wins elections.

What ThinkProgress calls an "unlikely alliance" in the U.S. Supreme Court could save "Proportional representation" in No. Carolina and Maryland, where cases are pending. During the process of each attorney arguing his or her case, Justice Kavanaugh made an interesting observation. After listening to one of the lawyers with no comment, Kavanaugh suggested...

"that proportional representation provides the courts with a 'judicially manageable' standard to assess whether a particular map is gerrymandered." 

Justice Brett Kavanaugh has been a constant worry of Progressives and Democrats for his conservative views, the most prevalent being abortion. But he, along with Chief Justice Roberts, could help SCOTUS to arrive at an equitable decision for both sides.

Trump determined to take away Americans healthcare

The Oval Office lunatic is on another rampage to repeal Obamacare, just because he hates Barack Obama. You can place Mitch McConnell in that same category (hating Obama-they are both racists) with McConnell's continuing support to get rid of Obamacare. Neither does it for the good of the country or its citizenry, they do it to feed their warped egos and sick minds in the continuing parade to erase anything Barack Obama did in his administration. GOP Senators were blindsided, according to The Hill. And Republicans are screaming, "We need a plan," on another occasion where they are caught short by their own president, says Politico. It remains beyond comprehension how a maniac like Donald Trump can continue to lead the most powerful country in the world.

There is nothing lower than this man

 

Definitely Mitch McConnell

MITCH MCCONNELL. He is the most underhanded politician that has ever been in Congress using his power as head of the Senate to stymie or completely block anything with a liberal tag, even if it's good for the country. McConnell doesn't give a shit about this country, he cares only about pushing a Republican agenda. His latest ploy is to block release of the Mueller Report to the public, having opposed it two times now. A majority of the public wants it and most of Congress, including several Republicans, want it. Yet this lowlife takes it upon himself to decide to keep it a secret. Hopefully the courts will decide to take it out of the hands of this mentally challenged Congress.

Your political bullshit of the day

TRICKLE DOWN BULLSHIT

Democrats resist another of Donald Trump's stupid ideas to kill Obamacare...To Israel's Premiere, Netanyahu, Donald Trump's corrupt administration is just a joke...Maybe SCOTUS Chief Justice John Roberts is more liberal than we thought...The anti-vaxxers and their unvaccinated should be banned from all public places...Anyone who thinks the Mueller investigation of Donald Trump is over should read this piece...

Barr sucked up on Mueller Report to get his job

Nancy Pelosi

The above headline is frightening in itself with the implication that Donald Trump selects his staff and Cabinet members just to please his bidding. Naive me. To confirm this, Nancy Pelosi told Democrats in a recent private meeting...

"Attorney General William Barr's words cannot be taken at face value, according to multiple sources in the meeting, arguing Barr got the job in the first place by authoring a memo criticizing special counsel Robert Mueller's obstruction probe as 'fatally misconceived.'"

Trump is known for naming people to posts with the direct opposite views than the post represents, for example, Scott Wheeler, current EPA head, was formerly a lobbyist for the coal industry, the latter which has provided some of the dirtiest air this country has ever experienced. And Pelosi is calling for the full release of the Mueller Report like all Democrats and several Republicans. The Speaker is making her moves because...

"Democrats are facing a torrent of criticism from congressional Republicans and the White House after Barr released his summary of Mueller's report on Sunday."

It is my prediction that Progressives and Democrats will have the last laugh when the truth finally comes out, but Donald Trump will be...to be determined. 

What did Barr "forget" in release of Mueller summary?

The Atlantic says what Barr "forgot" to mention is critical, with writer Natasha Bertrand explaining as follows...

"experts tell me that Mueller’s decision not to charge Trump or his campaign team with a conspiracy is far from dispositive, and that the underlying evidence the special counsel amassed over two years could prove as useful as a conspiracy charge to understanding the full scope of Russia’s election interference in 2016."

Like I mentioned in an earlier post, the summary and complete Mueller Report is inconclusive. In other words, Robert Mueller didn't find anything he could take to court. This is far from exonerating Donald Trump, especially considering all the other federal investigations of the man in progress, plus the New York Atty.  Gen. is after him on several fronts.

David Kris, founder of Culper Partners, who served as the assistant attorney general for the Justice Department’s National Security Division under former President Barack Obama said...

“there is no question that a counterintelligence investigation would have a wider aperture than a strict criminal inquiry as applied here, and would be concerned, for example, with the motivations and any sub-criminal misconduct of the principal actors.”

He adds, “The American people rightly should expect more from their public servants than merely avoiding criminal liability."

But...have the American people arrived at the point where they have come to accept what the Oval Office lunatic does? If so, this is so pathetic!

Your political bullshit of the day

TRICKLE DOWN BULLSHIT

Will the courts have to force the full release of the Mueller Report?...What has happened to So. Poverty Law Center credibility?...Russian arms maker Almaz-Antey modifies the Kalashnikov's AK-47 into a flying drone for more sophisticated mass killings...Seniors are looking more to marijuana or its hemp kin to improve their lives...Medicare for all could eliminate health care insurance as we know it, but do we care?...The 10 most unanswered questions about the Mueller report...

Is Trump really on the edge of his cliff, ready to fall/jump?

T-rump cornered

Robert Reich asks, "What does a megalomaniacal president of the United States do when he’s cornered?" That, in itself, is damning, but it speaks to the tragedy of dealing with the sitting Oval Office lunatic. Reich continues...

"Senate Republicans have begun to desert him: Twelve defected on the wall; seven refused to back Saudi Arabia’s war in Yemen. Almost all have gone on record that they want Robert Mueller’s report made public."

Many are screaming, including some Republicans, Mueller "does not exonerate." Because T-rump has no capacity to contain guilt, there will be no abasement, thus, this idiot will merrily go on his way, continuing to destroy America. Here's what Trump said to Breitbart...

“I have the support of the police, the support of the military, the support of the Bikers for Trump — I have the tough people, but they don’t play it tough — until they go to a certain point, and then it would be very bad, very bad.”

A clear assertion of violence if he doesn't get his way. The Intercept asks..."Is Donald Trump inciting far-right terror in the U.S.?" Then they mention the killings by hate groups, including Charlottesville, VA. It goes on...

"contrary to Donald Trump’s warnings, terrorists weren’t coming from Mexico or Syria; they were here in America, and some of them attended his rallies."

Reich sums up "trump's mind" very concisely...

"congressional investigations that could cause him shame and humiliation, and quite possibly result in a prison sentence, will be countered by forces loyal to him: the police, the military, and vigilante groups like Bikers for Trump."

If not impeachment, what??? 

NRA teaches Aussies "How to sell a massacre"

NRA head Wayne LaPierre

According to an Al Jazeera investigation, the National Rifle Assn. has specific guidelines on how to steer the blame for mass gun massacres away from the real reason: too many guns on the street. This is how they coached  Australia's One Nation party... 

"First, 'Say nothing.' If media queries persist, go on the 'offence, offence, offence'. Smear gun-control groups. 'Shame them' with statements such as - 'How dare you stand on the graves of those children to put forward your political agenda?'

Aha, a blatant admittance that, in general, gun nuts are responsible for the gun violence we experience daily. Well, not so much daily "down under" but certainly here in the U.S. If the NRA didn't feel this tremendous guilt for killing children across the country, why would they assemble this "playbook" on mass shootings that was revealed during the course of a three-year undercover sting by Al Jazeera's Investigative Unit.

Undercover reporter, Rodger Muller, infiltrated the gun lobbies in the US and Australia. With a hidden camera he recorded "a series of meetings between representatives of the NRA and One Nation in Washington, DC in September last year." Proof, he says of how the NRA "deliberates over mass shootings and seeks to manipulate media coverage to push its pro-gun agenda." And then NRA head Wayne LaPierre stands before the American public spouting his bullshit...

"In our thoughts and prayers," and "Guns don't kill, people do."

Pathetic!