Not the time for Progressives to fight

Get over it Bernie and Warren

Bernie's hand is clearly out there, repelled by Elizabeth Warren, so what does that mean? Whatever happened, these two sophisticated politicians must mend fences and put this crap behind them. Bernie has just tied Biden with registered voters, putting him at the top for the nomination. Now is not the time to start a party brawl, but also not the time to ignore a gender conflict in the matter. Warren says Sanders said a woman couldn't win in 2020. Sanders says otherwise.

A former Vermont governor says Bernie will play dirty, if necessary, but I don't see the Bern in that kind of character. But this is the sort of thing that can knock a campaign off-course for both Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders, something the left does not need right now. Jane O’Meara Sanders, Bernie's wife, says...

“Our campaign has always been about bringing people together. Not dividing them up like Trump does by gender, race or ethnicity.”

RealClearPolitics' recent poll pits Bernie against Trump averaging several polls, both liberal and conservative. The Bern comes out three points ahead. 
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Rick Wilson mocks Moscow Mitch on impeachment moves

Former GOP strategist goes after Moscow Mitch over impeachment

The conservative Rick Wilson who has spent much of his time recently criticizing Republicans and their tactics has taken on Moscow Mitch, Senate head who is ramrodding the impeachment trial. Here's how RawStory described it...

"The ex-Republican compared the GOP majority’s attempt to cover for President Donald Trump to a weekend bender gone horribly wrong."

Here were Wilson's actual words...

“On Friday night, it’s a lot of fun and you’re having a great time. On Saturday, you’re starting to feel it, and on Sunday there’s a dead hooker in the trunk.”

 McConnell's "dead hooker" is a very live NancyPelosi who appears to be conjuring up the last laugh on Moscow Mitch as bombshell developments keep exploding like Rudy Giuliani associate Lev Parnas'recent testimony. And the General Accountability Office's (GAO) recent decree that...

"the Trump administration broke a law that governs how the White House disburses money approved by Congress by withholding $214 million worth of equipment, training and other support to help Ukraine in its battle against Russian-backed forces."

Chief Justice John Roberts administered an oath to all 100 senators on Thursday, swearing them to "do impartial justice" Is that possible when you are talking about this gang? We'll see.   READ MORE...

Witness: Bernie didn't actually say woman couldn't win in 2020

Witness confirms Sanders side of "Woman can't win" story

Let's get 'he said,' 'she said,' debacle out of the way for good. My earlier post on this today half explains some of what was actually going on, but a later report sheds even more light. Bernie said this...

“It is ludicrous to believe that at the same meeting where Elizabeth Warren told me she was going to run for president, I would tell her that a woman couldn’t win.”

Everyone is aware of the honesty of Senator Sanders, but, then, neither does Elizabeth Warren lie. So, this was the statement from witnesses...

"Two people with knowledge of the conversation at the 2018 dinner at Warren’s home told The Washington Post that Warren brought up the issue by asking Sanders whether he believed a woman could win. One of the people with knowledge of the conversation said Sanders did not say a woman couldn’t win but rather that Trump would use nefarious tactics against the Democratic nominee.

The Bern continued...

“What I did say that night was that Donald Trump is a sexist, a racist and a liar who would weaponize whatever he could.” Do I believe a woman can win in 2020? Of course! After all Hillary Clinton beat Donald Trump by 3 million votes in 2016.”

Let's finally put this to bed!   READ MORE... 

What about Sanders/Warren confrontation AFTER debate

Media mysteriously quiet about Sanders/Warren post debate confrontation

I saw it, my wife saw it, the audience of CNN saw it, and the network commentators following the debate played it over and over with the question of just what was happening. In a post-debate Tom Steyer interview he said he didn't hear what they were saying, obviously questionable considering his positioning above. The most dramatic part is Warren rejecting Sanders' handshake and Bernie's exit from the affair. Here's the video...

CNN cuts off the video just before Sanders waves off Warren and walks away. Not sure what their reasoning was on this because it clearly shows the Bern is irked about something. Reasoning: The 'he said,' 'she said' part is up for grabs as to who really said what. And in both cases neither Sanders nor Warren is given to lying. One thing is clear, what you don't see on the video is an unhappy Bernie Sanders quickly turning away leaving the conversation with Warren.   

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Bernie Sanders v. Elizabeth Warren

He said...She said...There is much to explain in Tuesday night's debate

Bernie Sanders

Elizabeth Warren's campaign has accused Bernie Sanders' campaign of sending volunteers out door-to-door trashing her. Bernie, of course, said he had nothing to do with it and apparently the cause was some over-zealous volunteers. We are talking about in Des Moines, where the Iowa Caucuses will be held on February 3, and a Democratic debate was held last night. More on that later today. The script in question "described Warren's appeal as limited to the highly educated and financially well off."

Bernie's press aids never denied that the document existed and the candidate commented...

“We have hundreds of employees. Elizabeth Warren has hundreds of employees. And people sometimes say things that they shouldn’t.”

First of all, is the statement in the realm of being accurate. If there is any accuracy to it, Warren's campaign may be pushing the envelope. She has been dropping in national polls of late. One page actually "included attacks on the electability of Warren, as well as Joe Biden and Pete Buttigieg." If Bernie is playing tough now against his own people, it will hopefully prepare him to deal with Donald Trump in the coming election.

And then, there is a meeting that occurred around a year ago when Warren accuses of Sanders saying a woman couldn't win the election in 2020. My immediate thought is why it is just now coming to light now. Bernie denies saying it but Warren says there were witnesses. Here's Bernie's actual statement...

"It is ludicrous to believe that at the same meeting where Elizabeth Warren told me she was going to run for president, I would tell her that a woman couldn't win.”

Tuesday night in Des Moines was probably very interesting.   READ MORE... 

Public Citizen files complaint against Moscow Mitch McConnell

Public Citizen thinks Senate head Mitch McConnell makes a mockery of impeachment trial

Moscow Mitch McConnell

Not that Moscow Mitch cares, simply because he has seen his reputation smeared about as much as Donald Trump, with him, as well, it doesn't sink in. He must know how reprehensible he is because it is necessary to come out from under his rock each day to go to the Senate. Well now Public Citizen has seen fit to recognize his exploits, filing a complaint...

"accusing the powerful Republican of betraying his oath of office by signaling overt bias in favor of President Donald Trump even before his looming impeachment trial begins."

The accusation is that, rather than "coordinating with the White House" in the trial, McConnell should exercise his oath of impartiality, as specified by the office he holds. Here is a statement by Robert Weissman, president of Public Citizen...

“This is not about whether McConnell has views on Trump’s guilt or whether he has reached a conclusion based on the available evidence. It’s about whether he will design a process that aims to render impartial justice. He has made clear he has no intention of doing so.”

The corruption of the Republican Party, all the way to the top, has made it clear that the left will not be able to deal with the 2020 election as you would with an honorable opponent. Not to lower ourselves to the depths the GOP has stooped to, but most certainly to not give the other side one inch when it comes to trust. Republicans have solidly proved they are not capable of playing in anything but a fixed arena. We won't join them, we'll just watch every move they make and react accordingly.   READ MORE...

Speaker Nancy Pelosi in impeachment standoff

Pelosi shows Moscow Mitch for the lowlife he is

Speaker Pelosi - Moscow Mitch

It's hard to tell right now what the slimeball head of the U.S. Senate will do but you can bet that it will be a show of Republican power and as underhanded as McConnell can make it. The man is in a class with Donald Trump, no morals, no ethics, no decency. And that is what Pelosi accomplished by holding the Articles of Impeachment until this week. She made it perfectly clear that Moscow Mitch doesn't give a shit about this country, just himself and the Party.

RawStory reports that...

"By holding the articles and forcing McConnell to do what he was going to do — run the trial his way — Pelosi gives Democrats a scapegoat for their eventual failure to remove Trump. They can blame McConnell’s allegedly unfair and prejudicial rules for the debacle rather than their own failure to bring even a small portion of the non-Democratic electorate behind them."

Not the result that we would all like but just more proof that Republicans can never win without stacking the deck.   READ MORE...

Mike Bloomberg, real billionaire, could sink Trump

Mike Bloomberg wants Donald Trump out of the White House, willing to do something

Mike Bloomberg

I wasn't sure whether to take Mike Bloomberg's candidacy for president seriously, until now. But it is clear that he is hell-bent in removing Donald Trump from office and spend a good part of his fortune to maintain a platform on which to pursue his determination. Right now he is in fifth place behind Biden, Sanders, Warren and Buttigieg. With Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren at each others throats, Biden forever faltering and Buttigieg's lack of experience, who knows.

Here is RawStory's headline: "Mike Bloomberg’s plan is to bait Trump into self-destruction — even if he isn’t the nominee." T-rump has already given Bloomberg a nickname, “Mini Mike Bloomberg, ”which indicates to me the former New York Mayor makes him uncomfortable. Here's the current scenario...

"Bloomberg’s strategy of getting under Trump’s skin to strengthen Democrats was on full display this week, as he rolled out a massive ad buy attacking Trump for threatening protections for pre-existing conditions — a wedge issue that drove many conservative voters to support Democrats in 2018."

It was in Trump's reply following this that he used the new nickname. This was Bloomberg's response tweet...

"Glad to see you're watching our ads, @realDonaldTrump. I know management isn't your strong suit, so perhaps you don't know your Justice Department supports a suit that would undermine protections for pre-existing conditions. Now that you know, why not ask them to drop the suit?"

We're all waiting for Trump's answer.   READ MORE... 

This move shows how low Trump can stoop

Trump initiated Soleimani death as a buffet to impeachment trial

Now we know. It was obvious that T-rump had no good reason to assassinate Iranian Maj. General Qassem Soleimani, and in many cases the political pundits figured the devious maniac in the White House did have his reasons. Turns out he signed off on taking out Soleimani seven months ago but didn't give the go-ahead until the impeachment began to heat up. As a matter of fact, many believe this just adds up to more reason for impeachment.

And now the Oval Office lunatic and "Attorney General William Barr say that whether the threat was immediate or not, the president had the right to act." And there's more...

"Trump said in a tweet Monday that the question of whether or not the strike was imminent 'really didn't matter,'"

He said...they said...

"Critics on Capitol Hill, who have questioned the strategy behind the strike and the decision not to notify Congress, say whether or not Soleimani posed an imminent threat is crucial."

RawStory makes this chilling statement assessing the fact that Trump did wait seven months, then ordering Soleimani's assassination...

"It is reasonable, therefore, to suggest Trump ordered a man’s death for political reasons, not for national-security reasons (there aren’t any). I suggest he tried creating an image of himself as a war president too important to remove from office. I suggest Soleimani’s assassination is just one more way Trump has abused his power, and hence affirmed his indictment."

The Senate must indict Donald Trump and remove him from office.

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U.K. abandoning alliance with U.S. because of Trump

UK Defense Secretary Ben Wallace looks for other international partners

UK Defense Secretary Ben Wallace appears to believe that Donald Trump is turning inward, taking the United States to an isolationist country. The U.K. did not condone the assassination of Iranian Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani...

"Wallace said in an interview published Sunday that Trump's isolationist foreign-policy stance had prompted the UK to look for alternative allies."

The comments came after Prime Minister Boris Johnson's government distanced itself from the Soleimani assassination. Johnson's spokesman also said...

Trump's threats to target Iranian cultural sites, if carried out, as a breach of international law and possibly a war crime.

Sec. Ben Wallace believes that in Donald Trump's administration the United States has given up its "leadership around the world," necessitating for the U.K. to look elsewhere for the kind of relationship it has with this country for years. It would appear that T-rump is hell-bent on pushing away all the allies we have worked so hard to develop so the Oval Office lunatic can rule the U.S. like an island monarchy.

U.S. big pharma why Americans seek Canadian drugs

U.S. pharmaceutical companies a disgrace to the marketplace

The pharmaceutical industry lines politician's pockets to insure that it isn't easy for Americans to get Canadian drugs. That's because in Canada a generic prescription was an average of 38% less than in this country. Canadian drugs are cheaper because the government regulates the price of generic and brand-name medications. In the U.S., well, if a politician gets a hefty donation from large pharma, what's he or she to do but favor that industry over the American consumer.

You have to be careful since drugs from outside the U.S. are not controlled by the FDA, although in 2019 it was reported that this agency's actions had plummeted under Donald Trump. Meaning more favoritism of the pharmaceutical industry. Bernie Sanders recently went to Canada checking into cheap drugs for the U. S. but this has been tried before in a Democrat administration...

"In 2000, Congress passed a law to allow imported retail drugs, but the Clinton administration, heavily funded by the health care industry, killed it administratively."

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New York State questions Trump taxes

Did Trump lie on his taxes?

New York Mayor Bill de Blasio has alerted the Manhattan District Attorney to investigate a suspicious disparity in what Trump companies reported for tax purposes and what the figure actually was. The properties were reported were more profitable to lenders than to city tax authorities. One matter in the issue was turned over to the district attorney last November. de Blasio said...

he made the referral “because there is a possibility of a criminal act having been committed.” The referral related to Trump’s historic downtown skyscraper at 40 Wall Street.

The Mayor added...

Trump’s efforts to avoid taxes have gone beyond the measures taken by most wealthy Americans. He “consistently has believed he was above the law, even before he was president.”

Trump obviously denied everything, blaming de Blasio's accusations on those of a political opponent. The Mayor was in the running for 2020 but has since dropped out of the race.

2nd Amendment sanctuaries should be certified concentration camps

Gun nuts rampant on 2nd Amendment Sanctuaries across U.S.

The gun rights gang has swarmed the country setting up their 2nd Amendment Sanctuaries to deft gun control advocates to tread on their "sacred" ground. These people are crazy as a loon to begin with but now their misinterpretation of 2nd Amendment rights looks like they could never win in a court of law. There was District of Columbia v. Heller where SCOTUS (conservative) Justice Antonin Scalia said...

it is “not a right to keep and carry any weapon whatsoever in any manner whatsoever and for whatever purpose.”

Gun nuts just don't seem to get it, gun control legislation will happen, and I believe we will see something significant right after a new administration and Congress in 2021. These people have been influenced by NRA head Wayne LaPierre to resist any kind of control over their firearms, no matter how helpful it might be to help curb gun violence. Something like universal background checks and banning assault weapons. This could be the year of realization by the American public. One can only hope.   READ MORE...

New book on Red State Christians is scary

Red States alone are creepy, but add Evangelicals...

I read this book for the purpose given by the author's sub-title, "Understanding the Voters Who Elected Donald Trump." I'm done and although I do have some inkling of what these people are all about, I cannot fathom why they believe it. The author, Angela Denker does a good job of remaining as objective as an Evangelical could (she isn't a Donald Trump supporter) but is definitely a conservative, yet not sure just how much the church should participate in politics.

There's a lot to be said for the separation of church and state, specifically to protect the rights of atheists, Jews, Muslims, Agnostics, and other people who hold beliefs different than Christianity. As an example, Donald Trump has recently expressed the idea of launching a school prayer crusade which has delighted Evangelicals. Denker's book would lead one to believe the Evangelical movement is here to stay. God help us if it gets more political. Without question, I would recommend every Progressive/liberal read this book.   SEE MORE...

Does 2-Year-Old need a gun? - Family thinks so

Family decides to buy 2-year-old gun for protection

It isn't everyday that you hear the announcement, 'I'm buying my 2-year-old kid a gun.' But this did happen recently and these people were very serious. Seems like she needs it to protect herself, but think about that. You give the kid a loaded gun and what does she do? She'd probably shoot herself or a family member, and, of course have no idea what she had just done. Arizona, where I live, has wide open gun laws; if your body is warm, you can buy one...

In Arizona, the state in which the nine-year-old girl inadvertently killed her shooting instructor with an Uzi, state law allows for the temporary transfer of firearms to minors by firearms safety instructors or by another adult accompanying a minor in hunting or target shooting activities -- so long as the child's parents give consent.

In 2013 in Kentucky, a 5-year-old brother shot his 2-year-old sister. I rest my case.   READ MORE...  

Your Monday News Buzz

4-year-old Iowa girl goes blind almost dies with flu: NO FLU SHOT

This is a tough one since these parents are not anti-vaxxers. Jade DeLucia, the 4-year-old, had a flu shot last March, but for some reason, didn't get one this flu season. The confusion of the DeLucia over these new flu shots cost their daughter her sight, almost her life. It isn't clear what happened, why a flu shot in March, then the reasoning another one isn't needed in the Fall of 2019. With all the media coverage of this issue, it's hard to believe any parent could make this decision. 

Jade has significant brain damage which is permanent with something called encephalopathy. The current flu season is predicted to be the worst in years. If you haven't yet had your flu shot you are an idiot, unless there are prevailing circumstances. If not, you should stay at home.   READ MORE...