The epitome of the disgusting is Donald Trump

Remember Donald Trump's often touted book, "The Art of the Deal," something he hasn't been able to accomplish since being in the White House? Well there's another twist from the book's co-author, Tony Schwartz, who revealed a shocking observation...

“To know Trump is to hate Trump,” said Schwartz. “Meaning everybody who knows him, deep down, hates him completely.”

Not really shocking is it? Actuall,y that isn't the real shocker; This is even closer to home, that his oldest daughter, Ivanka, "despises him," can't stand him anymore. Of course it's hard to tell with all of the "sweetness" we see between her, Jared Kushner and Daddy Warbucks. Schwartz's reasoning...

“When you’re around a person who devalues you, humiliates you, ignores you, shames you, what possible other reaction could you have other than to despise him?”

Trump was in Orlando last week to kick off his 2020 presidential campaign--many say that he's never stopped campaigning since 2016--but is it significant that Orlando is a city completely enclosed by swampland? This is certainly appropriate considering the Oval Office lunatic's promise entering office was to drain the Washington swamp. He didn't and what we ended up with was an even bigger quagmire of corruption led by none other than the professed liberator.

Joe Biden on Donald Trump

But it is even more laughable that just hours before Trump's campaign kickoff in Orlando, the Orlando Sentinel announced that it would endorse anyone but Donald Trump. The newspaper commented...

"After 2½ years we’ve seen enough. Enough of the chaos, the division, the schoolyard insults, the self-aggrandizement, the corruption, and especially the lies. So many lies — from white lies to whoppers — told out of ignorance, laziness, recklessness, expediency or opportunity."

Wow! That's a statement that perfectly clarifies the maniac that had been inhabiting the White House now for around two-and-one-half-years, posing as a head of state for the most powerful nation in the world. Or at least it was until T-rump took office. But the Democrats don't get an official nod out of this from a paper that has a history of endorsing Republicans, rather, it's more a mandate that Donald Trump must go.

And finally, Trump has lost the support of one of his largest 2016 supporters, the wealthy Mercer family. Here's the loss...

"The Mercers supported Trump aggressively in 2016, donating at least $15.5 million to pro-Trump organizations..."

According to sources, the Mercers have become disillusioned with Trump for a variety of reasons. One, they favored Steve Bannon; Trump fired him. There were others but supporting Steve Bannon tells you enough about this family to place them in a category of the radical right of the Republican Party. Donald Trump can't afford to lose too many of this brand since it is the thrust of the GOP in all elections. One can only hope that the entire Trump campaign fails...soon.

PROGRESSIVE STREET-Where Liberals Walk: Mitch McConnell/Democrats 2020 nemesis

The slime ball of politics, Mitch McConnell, can take down anything Democrats have planned for post-2020, even if they win the White House and hold on to the House. McConnell is hell-bent on blocking whatever comes from left field, and has followed this path since at least Barack Obama's election to the WH. The Senate head is totally reprehensible in his savage moves to maintain Republican power, especially his own. Unless...we're rid of him in 2020.

Read more…

New York Times exposes decades-old fraud by Donald Trump over his inflated health. Legal intimidation is the key in threats against “journalists and organizations that threaten to expose his purported wealth as a house of cards.” In the 1980s a Forbes editor had written that Trump was failing and worth “below zero.” Theory is Forbes changed it to he had a net worth of $500 million and…

“Trump was threatening to sue, and he was also threatening to expose [Forbes publisher] Malcolm Forbes with some sort of outrageous lie that Trump had concocted.”

Read more…

Politico says, "House leaders have developed a new plan to get what are called 'star witnesses'” that are out of the reach of Donald Trump's executive privilege. They would be people involved in Trump’s 2016 campaign — but were not government employees. These people could include former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and campaign manager Corey Lewandowski, possibly Paul Manafort and Rick Gates. What you wanna bet he tries to intervene.

Read more...

Donald Trump Parody/His Armageddon #4

Bananas Man was back in the Oval Office thinking about that war he wanted to start. He just didn't know who to start one with, when he noticed the picture on the wall and the name China. The caption read, 'China is the country that could give the United States the most trouble.' Then he realized that the U.S. must be a country, and this world is broken down by countries. Strange to the alien whose Odious was assembled in a series of globules. But then, everything here was odd.

He ran back out to the female he had spoken with before and stated calmly, "I want to start a war with China, and I want to do it now." His boredom was getting the best of him and he was getting impatient for the chaos he was used to on Odious. "Send someone in here to help me get this done, he added," and returned to his office. The woman was aghast, but with her experience she knew the first thing to do was to call the Secretary of State.

The Secretary of State noticed the Oval Office door was partially open so he knocked lightly and walked in. Donald Trump/alien had no idea who he was but decided he must be the war starter so he continued, "How do the two of us start a war with China, and I mean right now?"

The SOS completely lost his ability to speak and reason until he suddenly realized the figure in front of him wasn't acting in any way like the president he knew. Collecting himself finally, "Mr. President, we can't do that without cause," and looked at his presumed but doubtful boss with complete exasperation.

"It's cause I don't like them and I want to." And that was it, no preamble to a move of going into combat that would surely result in bloodshed and loss of lives. Just "cause" he didn't like them and he wanted to. "How long will it take us to do it?" he added.

And then the SOS figured it out, the president was playing one of his war games of strategy. Something he did regularly for what he termed a sure way to keep the U.S. on its toes. Have to play along as the Secretary of State should he thought, then said, "To the situation room quickly Mr. President, and the red phone." As they hustled to the basement in the West Wing of the White House, the SOS wondered just how far the president would go this time.

It was very quiet in the soundproof situation room where Donald Trump/alien eyed a red object on the table in front of them, all alone. "What's that?" again, before he thought, then remembered this man he was with saying 'to the red phone.' He immediately wheeled around looking directly at the Secretary of State, "You get things started, then I'll take over," pushing the phone towards him.

The SOS decided the president wanted to play it by the book, took the phone and picked up the headpiece, which put him in direct contact with two of the U.S. missile launching sites in Colorado and Nebraska, gave them a red alert for China, then handed the phone to Donald Trump/alien. "The missiles are ready to fire, Sir."

The pseudo president took the phone and said, "This is the president...fire!"

The SOS almost fainted, and when getting hold of himself finally said, "Mr. President, you just started World War III."












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Donald Trump's Parody #3

Donald Trump, alias Bananas Man, was feeling the power of having these earthlings adore him while sensing the control he held on them when demanding their attention. They were rapt with praise and he knew this gave him the right to do anything he wanted to. He would use this humankind and cast them off when they were no longer of any value to him. Cocky and pompous to a fault, Donald Trump condescendingly told them he was their leader. They wildly cheered him.

Unfamiliar with how these earth dwellers governed themselves--on Odious the male was totally in charge and chaos was the norm--he asked them what was the most important thing he could be here on earth. The answer, of course, was President of the United States. Bananas Man quickly replied, "How do I do it?" In their reaction the brown shirts explained the path to the presidency, but Donald Trump decided he would bypass all this and go straight to the White House.

As an alien, especially one from Odious, he had special powers allowing him to transport his body at will, anywhere he wanted, in any form that he chose. He decided he needed to be invisible. Bam! He was in the Oval Office looking at a man behind a large structure with articles all around, one of which he had in his hand and to his ear. He was talking, as if there were someone to listen to him. Donald Trump did a number on the man, instantly appearing in his place.

After a day of doing what presidents do, he decided this was nice but boring.

Opening the door, there was a woman sitting outside at something that looked like where he had been, but much smaller. She looked up saying, "What can I do for you Mr. president?" There was this large box on the wall with a picture where he had been sitting, showing various images with words flashing across the picture, one of which he recognized as "war."

Used to having perpetual conflict on Odious, Donald Trump blurted out, "I want to start a war."

Completely caught off guard, the woman responded, "Sir, you really should contact Congress before you do that."

"What's Congress?" before he caught himself and then said, "They can wait. I need to start a war now," and stormed back into the Oval Office to watch more of the picture on the wall.

Next, Donald Trump's Armageddon.

Thanks again to my wife, Barbara, for the alien concept!

A Donald Trump Parody #2

I can't tell you exactly where Odious is in the star system, but I can say that it is shunned by all the other planets as if it had a measles outbreak. A very cold and windy Uranus was so pissed at one point--Odious had sent spaceships to circle the asteroid dumping loads of garbage--that it fired off a shooting star as a warning against future invasions. It did no good. But this was Donald Trump's home and the population was proud of its unbridled son. Little did they know.

Donald Trump, or Bananas Man as he was referred to on Odious, walked the streets of New York in his new body sporting something clinging to him that he didn't quite recognize, including a rope-like piece around his neck. He noticed everyone he passed was doing the same thing so he must be fitting in. As he casually passed what appeared to be the female species of this planet, he calmly grabbed her by the butt, which was normal for him on Odious.

The woman immediately slammed him with her purse and screamed for the cops. Bananas Man reacted like the typical Odian and began to build his case to incriminate the woman, instead of him. Fortunately, there were several humans standing around wearing brown shirts that said, "Keep America Stupid," who were ready to support Donald Trump so there wasn't much the police could do. He was released and immediately started bragging about his superhuman charisma.

The shirted gang was enthralled heaping praise on their new liberator who began to deride anyone who wasn't wearing the brown shirt slogan. And then he spied a mortal that was black all over, at least what he could see of the individual, and began to berate him for being a different color. The brown shirts loved it, clapping wildly, grabbing the black man and throwing him to the ground. After several blows, the poor guy was allowed to limp off down the street.

Bananas Man quickly began a braggadocio over his prowess in, well, just about everything. There was a hot dog vendor on the corner and he was exchanging money with a customer. Donald Trump eyed the funny looking paper and metal pieces, immediately determined them of value, and exclaimed, "I have millions of those," to which the brown shirts roared approval. Looking very stern, he spoke directly to his followers, "I demand your loyalty," with yet more shouting.

Next, how the Bananas man begins to move up in the world.

Thanks again to my wife, Barbara, for the alien concept!

Donald Trump parody

Donald Trump first coming to earth

Most people think Donald Trump was born in the borough of Queens, New York at the Jamaica Hospital Medical Center. He wasn't. His feeble-minded followers believe his parents were Frederick Christ Trump, a real estate developer, and Scottish-born housewife Mary Anne MacLeod. They weren't. A pathetic example for news reporting by the name of Fox News is convinced he is a "god" that has been anointed to save this country. He isn't.

Donald Trump is an alien, not those from south of the U.S. border that he abhors and would persecute, but one living in a far-distant planet by the name of Odious. From a galaxy of mostly friendly asteroids, the sphere of Odious is considered the most wretched residence in space. Any being from this orb would be considered the lowest form of existence in the celestial universe. And that being would be Donald Trump, sent to the U.S. to wreak havoc.

Once here, using earth creatures, Donald Trump spawned children that somehow, in the mix between alien and human, were denied the intelligence of either. Destined to be a perpetual blight on humanity along with their procreator. But this curious immortal...thing...protected his offspring, while demanding complete loyalty from them, including heaping praise on the "father," no matter his deeds with others around him. You see, Odious was the evil planet of the galaxy.

On the planet Odious, first, it was better to lie than tell the truth, it was

The planet Odious

customary to sexually abuse women and molest children, practice egotistic supremacy, belittle others, be a racist, willingness to sacrifice others to save yourself, be authoritarian, a tactless boaster, arrogant and ignorant leading to irresponsibility, employ nepotism, and finally there is a silver lining in most beings but those from Odious do not have even one good trait.

So, on the arrival of Donald Trump from Odious, the wheels started turning in his grossly misshapen head when he viewed those around him that were so different. But in his case, of course, this made him feel even more superior, however, it was also necessary for him to fit in, so he stole the body of the first person he ran into. It appeared to be comparable to his status and he quickly discarded the body's spirit as if it had never existed.

Tomorrow, how the alien Trump makes his way in this new world.

Thanks to my wife, Barbara, for the alien concept!

UPDATE: Trumps own aides even hate him...

Monday June 17, 2019

Bernie Sanders re-explains Democratic Socialism with a focus on Donald Trump and the Bern's "new vision to bring our people together in the fight for justice, decency, and human dignity, this is that time.” Obviously a jab at Trump for the way he has belittled the United States, making it the laughingstock of the world. Read more.

400 Current, former cops members of hate groups on Facebook "that were anti-Islamic, Confederate, anti-women, or anti-government." From Chicago to Mississippi, more than 50 departments have launched internal investigations. Read more.

Clinton confessed before impeachment-will Trump? But the real question is will impeachment backfire on Democrats? Nancy Pelosi is downplaying impeachment, but other democrats are fanning the flames and making their own moves. The left must win the White House in 2020, along with the Senate and keep the House. Besides, what good would it do with Mitch McConnell sitting in the chair. Read more.

Should we ban the old farts from the presidency? Joe Biden is 76, Bernie Sanders 77, Donald Trump 73. On the other hand, Nancy Pelosi is 79, Mitch McConnell 77. Today, Democratic politicians are generally older than their Republican counterparts but those in the Dem wings are much younger like Elizabeth Warren, Kamala Harris and Pete Buttigieg. For my money, Bernie Sanders outshines them all in sharpness, but not in the polls. Read more.

Democrats win in racial gerrymandering case. SCOTUS dismissed a challenge to a lower court decision saying some of Virginia’s legislative districts were racially gerrymandered. This could radically change the Virginia legislature, and a move that has caught on nationwide. Republicans caught Democrats with their pants down when former DNC chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz wasn't watching the store. Read more.

Trumps own aides even hate him. An excellent example of why in a recent ABC interview during which T-rump halted the interview to order his Chief of Staff Mike Mulvaney out of the Oval Office for coughing while Trump answered a question about turning over his financial records. "New York Times reporter Nick Confessore said the tone of the president’s voice was harsh and cruel." And this is the man you pathetic misinformed followers elected that has his finger on the button.

Liberal News Bites

LIBERAL, THAT IS

Trump obstructed justice so many times it was hard for Mueller to count them...MORE
“Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely,” yep, that's Donald Trump...MORE

23% of Americans now favor socialism, up 11% from 1949...MORE

Anti-vaxxers cause potential air travel ban...MORE

Child homelessness surges 80% under Donald Trump administration and GOP Congress...MORE

Could gun control win the White House and Senate for Democrats in 2020?...MORE

Ben Carson latest illustration of stupidity in Trump administration appointees...MORE

Donald Trump's "Public Enemies List" an impeachable offense...MORE

Mental diminishment seen in Donald Trump's eyes in Nancy Pelosi squabble...MORE

NRA downfall continues-own ad agency sues for $50 million...MORE

LATE BREAKING NEWS-For liberals only

The only side Mitch McConnell has is a dark side, in contrast with a piece in Politico featuring the inference this slime ball might have some worthwhile virtues. He doesn't. Politico says, "The Senate majority leader is relishing his turn as villain to the left." I posted this by Robert Reich saying, "Mitch McConnell is destroying the Senate – and American government." Reich states...

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

 Politico says...

Call him “Cocaine Mitch,” “Nuclear Mitch” or the steward of the “legislative graveyard.” Mitch McConnell says he’s the “Grim Reaper” anyway, so he’s loving every minute of it.

The “Grim Reaper” comment illustrates a sickness in this pariah who craves his power as head of the Senate, with the sole intention of getting his way and the way of the Republican Party over all that is good for this country. Donald Trump is the bottom of the barrel but Mitch McConnell is the ground under the barrel. The left will no doubt tell us that the country would be much better off with a Democratic Congress, particularly with a Dem in the White House.

Joe Biden wants to be that Dem and he's running ahead in the "brigade-sized Democratic field," described by The Hill. He has a...

"double-digit lead not only nationally, but in the key early primary states of New Hampshire and South Carolina. He is also currently even leading Sen. Kamala Harris in her home state of California."

But wait, The Hill says that polling is fickle...

"At this point in 2007, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani was way ahead in the Republican race, and Hillary Clinton was leading Barack Obama by double digits. In the 2012 GOP race, the assortment of one-time poll front runners included, at various times, Newt Gingrich, Rick Perry, and even Herman Cain."

Will he or won't he, but could Bernie Sanders still be the dark horse? Although Biden was once tentative on Roe v. Wade, just recently he said he would support abortion rights "if necessary." Doesn't sound too convincing, especially when "Two-thirds of Americans want Roe v. Wade left in place." In a CBS News poll, 67% say Keep it as it is; only 28% want to overturn it. But 48% claim they would be angry if it was overturned. That is fairly dramatic.

It isn't likely a Democratic House will allow a bill to repeal Roe v. Wade, but New state abortion laws are threatening the law, like the recent legislation in Alabama. It has been judged by many as going much too far and is already being challenged in court. The real fear by the left is when one of these laws is brought up in the ultra-conservative Supreme Court. Meanwhile, back at the White House with Rex Tillerson, who once called Donald Trump "a fucking moron."

Rex Tillerson Secretly Meets With House Foreign Affairs Committee to Talk Trump, was reported by the Daily Beast...

"In a more than six-hour meeting, he told members and staffers that the Trump administration actively avoided confronting Russia about allegations of interference in the election in an effort to develop a solid relationship with the Kremlin, a committee aide told The Daily Beast."

Tillerson's meeting comes on the heels of the Mueller Report release, and the refusal of Don McGhan to appear before the Democratic House. Trump recently had this to say about Tillerson...

"Rex Tillerson, a man who is 'dumb as a rock' and totally ill prepared and ill equipped to be Secretary of State, made up a story (he got fired) that I was out-prepared by Vladimir Putin at a meeting in Hamburg, Germany. I don't think Putin would agree. Look how the U.S. is doing!"

 This is after Trump chose Rex Tillerson to be his secretary of state ...

in December 2016, he praised the former head of Exxon Mobil for his "tenacity, broad experience and deep understanding of geopolitics." In a tweet touting the pick, Trump called Tillerson "one of the truly great business leaders of the world."

Donald Trump is a certifiable lunatic!

And that's the current wrap up. Please give me your comments. 

Howard Stern has proof Donald Trump 2016 campaign a publicity stunt

I have information that he...

It is hard these days to condense all the machinations of the Oval Office lunatic into one post, so I have to go on my merry way blogging on Donald Trump. For instance, after one White House meeting, Nancy Pelosi questioned his manhood and called him a skunk. Pelosi's view of the meeting...

"I can't explain it to you. It was so wild," Pelosi told top Democratic legislators after her White House meeting with the president, Vice President Mike Pence and Sen. Chuck Schumer, the top Senate Democrat. "It goes to show you: you get into a tinkle contest with a skunk, you get tinkle all over you."

 There was more on the subject of manhood, Pelosi linked Mr. Trump's masculinity to his infamous border wall pledge. "It's like a manhood thing for him," she said. "As if manhood could ever be associated with him. This wall thing." With all Trump's braggadocio about scoring with women, you wouldn't think so, but apparently Pelosi found a crack in the wall. Trump concluded the meeting with...

"We can go two routes with this meeting: with a knife or a candy."

What the hell does that mean? .Whatever it means, his tirades appear to be getting worse to convince Democrats to stop the investigations of him. Trump's statement to the press...

"I respect the courts, I respect Congress, but what they've done is abuse." 

It's hard to believe that Donald Trump has respect for anything, including himself. Then the next thing spewing from his mouth was that he would refuse to work with Congress until the investigations ceased. In other words, in his own demented way, he was saying, if I don't get my way, I'll take my ball and go home. You'll note that I said ball not the plural, which he never had. Here's what a U.S. District Court Judge ruled in Trump's case...

"On Monday, U.S. District Court Judge Amit P. Mehta ruled in favor of the legislative branch, reaffirming the importance of congressional oversight authority."

CNN muses over how T-rump keeps taking Nancy Pelosi's bait. This gigantic ego cannot accept any criticism of himself without a rebuttal that most of the times turns nasty. Think back, any president you can think of that ever exhibited this kind of behavior? I think not. And this draws a correlation between the man who easily blew off his competitors in the overcrowded 2016 Republican Primary with a soaring self-admiration.

Race forward to now when he seems completely bamboozled by the Speaker of the House who apparently isn't done with him yet. Pelosi seems to be on the right path planning more baiting to draw out more of Trump's bizarre reactions. Here's a grabber, "Howard Stern says he has inside info that Trump's campaign was a 'publicity stunt'" Here's the scenario...

Radio host Howard Stern, who often hosted President Trump on his show before the reality star and real estate mogul entered politics, claims Trump’s 2016 campaign was a “publicity stunt” to get NBC to give him a raise for “The Apprentice.”

 “This is a publicity stunt,” Stern said in an interview with CNN’s Anderson Cooper. “I have no doubt because I have some inside information.”

Ludicrous sounding but entirely possible with the maniacal Donald Trump. It's almost as if he senses the impending dementia and wants to shove his point through on innocence before going to never-never land. This may sound crass for someone with this condition, and I wouldn't wish it on even Donald Trump, but when you weigh what this man has done to our country, there is certainly grounds for disgust. More startling news from Stern...

Stern said it all started with the 1987 book “The Art of the Deal,” ghostwritten by Tony Schwartz but credited to Trump. Stern said that a public relations professional suggested Trump start a "rumor" that he was planning to launch a White House bid.

 “So, all of a sudden, he was being interviewed — the book goes right to No. 1,” Stern said.

All Trump needed was several thousand double-digits to vote for him plus an outdated Electoral College, and we have a lunatic in the Oval Office. And yet another GOP congressman has called for T-rump's impeachment, former Rep. Tom Coleman, who represented Missouri for nearly two decades. He told Erin Burnett on CNN...

"I'm calling for impeachment now because the Mueller report is out, and in it (special counsel Robert Mueller) describes 10 obstruction of justice charges that he could not bring because of a Department of Justice rule and regulation that says you can't indict a sitting president

The other Republican was Justin Amash whose stand has pissed off the GOP en masse. Now it seems like Nancy Pelosi is going to have to work on the other side of the aisle as well to quell the demands for impeachment.

Have a great Memorial Day

Memorial Day is an American holiday, observed on the last Monday of May, honoring the men and women who died while serving in the U.S. military. ... Originally known as Decoration Day, it originated in the years following the Civil War and became an official federal holiday in 1971.

How to Observe Memorial Day

By visiting cemeteries and placing flags or flowers on the graves of our fallen heroes.
By flying the U.S. Flag at half-staff until noon. ...
By attending religious services of your choice.
By visiting memorials.

Or you can do it your way...Just Remember!

Thanks to Google for the information.

Political Looney Tunes of Donald Trump

If ever there was a good use for the word loony, it is now, to describe Donald Trump. Sitting in the Oval Office he has performed such foolhardy high jinks that he would have been guaranteed a spot in the cast of the cartoon Looney Tunes. There are so many characters he could have replaced such as Daffy Duck and Elmer Fudd, to name a couple. And can't you just imagine that zany lineup populating the White House just as the current members do? Looney...Looney...Looney

 Having said this, these antics provide people like me the ammunition to point out how much of a mental case maniac Donald Trump is. As an example, Trump has proposed rolling back healthcare protections for the LGBTcommunity passed by former President Barack Obama. With the spread of HIV in the offing, how foolish can this be?  Here's the scenario...

"The proposed rule from HHS reverses President Barack Obama's administration, which found that the Affordable Care Act’s anti-discrimination section does indeed protect transgender people seeking health care services."

The rule can be finalized after a 60-day public comment period. HHS' director of the Office of Civil Rights, Roger Severino, justifies the move by saying, “When Congress prohibited sex discrimination, it did so according to the plain meaning of the term, and we are making our regulations conform.” Huh? The Trump administration should be impeached en-masse for its stupid interpretations of the laws.

We're experiencing one of the early examples of the new conservative supreme Court making bad judgments for the country. Gerrymandering, which everyone but Republicans think is wrong, has been given a reprieve in Michigan and Ohio by SCOTUS. The background...

"The high court heard partisan gerrymandering cases in its previous term as well, in 2017 and 2018. But a year ago, the court issued a limited ruling that largely left the issue undecided and opened the door for lower courts to enforce limits on partisan gerrymandering. Since then, however, Justice Anthony Kennedy retired and was replaced by Brett Kavanaugh, a conservative who doesn’t have a record on the issue thus far."

This is the guy, Kavanaugh, that Sen. Susan Collins believed on abortion, and why there is a move today to vote her out of office. With the headline, "Trump is a would-be tyrant surrounded by henchmen," Joe Conason of Creator's Syndicate says...

"Donald Trump is no longer just a persistent object of national shame and revulsion. He has become a threat to the Constitution and the rule of law — and the question before the House, quite literally, is what to do about him."

Although many Democrats want to impeach Trump, Nancy Pelosi "warns that attempting to remove a duly elected president, even one who lost the popular vote, will be inevitably divisive and politically unpopular." And of course with a Mitch McConnell led Senate, there is virtually no chance to convict the Oval Office lunatic. The arguments for impeachment,however, get louder by the day, as Trump continues to commit impeachable offenses in the eyes of the left.

In keeping with the above, "MSNBC's Joe Scarborough and Donny Deutsch agreed President Donald Trump's feud with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi had revealed his mental diminishment." In late 2018,Jeffrey Sachs did an intriguing piece on "Trump’s Diminishing Power and Rising Rage," illustrating what a danger this manic is as his mental capacity continues to decline. How far will the American voting public allow to go?

Observations from left field

Did James Madison really want the 2nd Amendment? History tells us his intention was to land a seat in the Virginia legislature andin doing so he had to appease Southern Baptists. The results were that...

“Madison found himself one of the first American politicians to pirouette, in the course of a campaign, from a deeply held view to its opposite—all the while insisting (and trying to convince himself) that he had not changed his view at all. The Bill of Rights was born of a pander to a noisy interest group in a single congressional district.”

Thus evolved the First and Second Amendments. READ MORE.

The anti-vaxxer measles outbreak has now spread to 24 states, the 24th being Oklahoma. The number of cases has now increased to 880, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Here's the scenario...

"The total number of cases is inching closer to the record 963 cases reported across the U.S. in 1994. The current outbreak is still the largest since the disease was declared eliminated in 2000."

The majority of measles cases are still concentrated in New York. READ MORE.

Donald Trump is sliding in in Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania,the Rust Belt, where he barely won in 2016. His campaign polling shows him trailing Joe Biden. Apparently the state Republican Party isn't performing up to par raising concerns...

"that a potential GOP Senate candidate in Michigan could hurt the president’s prospects there."

"The Trump campaign recently completed a 17-state polling project that concluded the president trails Joe Biden in Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Michigan." READ MORE.

Donald Trump's misguided escalation in the China trade war could lead to a dangerous confrontation. Here's where it stands...

"Ely Ratner, the director of studies at the Center for a New American Security, told The Washington Post that the failure to reach a trade deal could see the US unleash "harsher measures" against China."

The South China Sea or Taiwan are the focal points for a future crisis. READ MORE.

However, Xi Jinping says China is embarking on a “new Long March, and we must start all over again!” That has been interpreted in the U.S. to mean that he will not give in to Donald Trump's demands. Even worse...

"Xi also visited rare earth mining and processing facilities on Monday, the report said. There has been speculation that China could ban rare earth exports to the U.S. if the trade war escalates, according to the South China Morning Post."

All negotiation between the U.S. and China are in limbo, with it looking like  Xi Jinping is not interested in resuming talks. READ MORE.

Corporate income tax dodgers

Here's a fact: "Corporations are paying a smaller share of federal tax revenue than they did in the 1950s, dropping from one-third then to only one-tenth of the total today." Here's more from Americans for Tax Fairness...

"Yet, an army of lobbyists is pushing hard to convince Congress to cut the corporate income tax rate by nearly one-third — from the current 35% to 25%. This issue is at the epicenter of the coming battle over tax reform."

Bernie Sanders has been screaming this to anyone who would listen for his entire political career. Here are more facts...

Corporate share of federal tax revenue has dropped by two-thirds in 60 years — from 32% in 1952 to 10% in 2013.

Profitable corporations paid U.S. income taxes amounting to just 12.6% of worldwide income in 2010.

U.S. corporations dodge $90 billion a year in income taxes by shifting profits to subsidiaries — often no more than post office boxes — in tax havens.

Corporations complain about their tax rates but...

"The top statutory tax rate of 35% in the U.S. is somewhat higher than that of 30 other OECD countries, but the average effective tax rate — the actual rate paid after deductions and credits — is slightly lower than our competitors, according to the Congressional Research Service (CRS).
"Several studies have found that U.S. corporations pay a similar or a lower effective tax rate — the rate actually paid — than corporations in other countries."

Thanks to Donald Trump's new tax law...

"This ITEP (Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy) report provides the first comprehensive look at how corporate tax changes under the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act affect the scale of corporate tax avoidance. The report finds that in 2018, 60 of America’s biggest corporations zeroed out their federal income taxes on $79 billion in U.S. pretax income. Instead of paying $16.4 billion in taxes at the 21 percent statutory corporate tax rate, these companies enjoyed a net corporate tax rebate of $4.3 billion."

 Go to this site for startling figures on who is not paying their fair share, as Bernie Sanders puts it. With escalating profits, conniving corporations leave it up to the American taxpayer to foot the bill, the ones who contribute to corporate profits. Legitimate deductions to decrease a fair tax is one thing, but in each case U.S. companies have an unfair advantage over the average taxpayer. This is why it is so important to elect Progressives to Congress and the White House.

Charley Manson's "Helter Skelter" is back

A young Charles Manson

The Manson family got its start in 1967, just north of where we lived in Canoga Park, Calif. We rode up there one day looking for Spahn Ranch where the Manson cult collected and did their evil business. We were almost immediately turned around by signs saying"No Admittance" accompanied by a heavy wire fence. Appropriately called the Spahn Movie Ranch, it was owned by George Spahn who willingly allowed Manson and his followers to live there.

The ranch had been the home for TV episodes of "Bonanza," "The Lone Ranger," and "Zorro." Although George Spahn wasn't involved in any of Manson's crime, his ranch was where the 'family' lived while committing the 1969 Tate-LaBianca murders in Los Angeles. A wildfire destroyed all of the Spahn Movie Ranch film set and buildings on September 26, 1970. The owner, George Spahn died on September 22, 1974. My thanks to Wikipedia.

With this background, you might remember the book, "Helter Skelter," written by Charles Manson's prosecutor, Vincent Bugliosi. It was Charley's term for the race war he intended to start between blacks and whites, expecting near annihilation after which he would lead his followers to take over the country. The words, from a Beatles' song, were written on the LaBianca's refrigerator door to instigate the race war. And that's a long way around to get to this...

"The Russians who interfered in the 2016 US presidential election are still at it — and this time, they’re trying to ignite racial violence in America and a partial collapse of the United States."

Looks like Charley Manson got in Vladimir Putin's head, assuming there is room next to Donald Trump. Here's the scenario from Vox...

"According to secret documents obtained by a Russian opposition group, hackers have discussed plans to stir up racial resentment in the United States in hopes of tearing American society apart. The operatives are apparently associates of Yevgeny Prigozhin, the man who set up a troll farm and was indicted by special counsel Robert Mueller for his role in 2016 meddling."

Someone has been reading "Helter Skelter." There's more...

"Prigozhin and his team of Russian trolls tried to inflame racial tensions during the 2016 cycle by operating several social media accounts that tried to discourage African Americans from voting, mainly by repeating messages of police violence and voter fraud."

But the "apparent new plot" originating as early as 2018, in preparation for the 2020 election, digs much deeper. The following is unbelievable...

"The documents reportedly contain shocking proposals such as sending black Americans to Africa “'for combat prep and training in sabotage,' as well as targeting people who have previously been incarcerated and people 'who have experience in organized crime groups ... for participation in civil disobedience actions.'”

Manson could take lessons from this guy, Yevgeny Prigozhin. Vox says...

"there is no indication of how seriously the documents — titled “Development Strategy of a Pan-African State on US Territory” — and the plan overall have been received in Russia. It’s possible the set of proposals went absolutely nowhere and were viewed as too extreme (or ridiculous) even for Moscow."

We can only hope with Donald Trump in the White House.

Justin Amash run against Trump as Democrat?

Republican Rep. Justin Amash is taking a ton of flak from his party because he publicly condemned Donald Trump's actions saying the Mueller report "showed he committed impeachable offenses by obstructing justice. The Michigan congressman refuted...

Trump/Amash-Who will win?

"many of the mistaken and weak defense of Trump’s actions. Many have criticized the idea that an obstruction of justice charge could possibly be warranted." 

My gut tells me that a switch of parties is called for, as he faces what will probably be a major backlash by the GOP. What the hell, the Democrats need a fresh face, assuming Amash can abide a more liberal philosophy. But after looking at his position on the issues, that is not likely. That's all very well since the left can just use him to point out the many shortcomings of Donald Trump. He even shakes his fist at the GOP National Committee Chair Ronna McDaniel.

Amash comments...

"the idea that 'there is no crime' in the Russia case is just false.

“In fact, there were many crimes revealed by the investigation, some of which were charged, and some of which were not but are nonetheless described in Mueller’s report.” 

This clearly shows one Republican has chosen to see the Mueller Report in the context that it was meant to be seen, information that was legally gathered pointing to the fact that Donald Trump did obstruct justice in the Russian 2016 election tampering and otherwise. Most other Republicans in Congress choose to see it as a threat to the Party, therefore protecting Trump. Some think GOP attacks on Justin Amash could doom Trump’s chances for re-election...

"The Michigan Republican finished reading special counsel Robert Mueller’s report, which he faulted other lawmakers for neglecting to do, and concluded the president had engaged in impeachable conduct — and Attorney General William Barr had misled the public about the investigation’s findings."

This is the opinion of New York Magazine‘s Jonathan Chait. He commented further...

"The Michigan Republican finished reading special counsel Robert Mueller’s report, which he faulted other lawmakers for neglecting to do, and concluded the president had engaged in impeachable conduct — and Attorney General William Barr had misled the public about the investigation’s findings."

Here are four excellent points from Chait...

Here are my principal conclusions:
1. Attorney General Barr has deliberately misrepresented Mueller’s report.
2. President Trump has engaged in impeachable conduct.
3. Partisanship has eroded our system of checks and balances.
4. Few members of Congress have read the report.

House minority leader Kevin McCarthy and Trump say Amash did it for attention, and, if so, he certainly accomplished his purpose. However, back to Amash challenging Trump, he was one of 13 Republicans "who voted to block Trump’s phony emergency declaration, reported by the Washington Post. I say let him run against Trump in the Republican Primary, where Trump will no doubt show his true self along with depleting his war chest for 2020.

Trump supporters don't want Iran war. Why does he?

Trump-Pompeo-Bolton- The 3 perpetrators

Trump_Pompeo_BoltonDonald Trump supporters loved it when he castigated "Washington’s regime-change wars and nation-building crusades." Republicans didn't like it, but he went on to slam Bush for the Iraq War and Afghanistan. Everyone in this country was sick of wars--except John Bolton, of course--with a peaceful outlook in the future. But not to be when T-rump starts sword rattling against Iran. Vox has 9 reasons, with John Bolton, even Mike Pompeo, expressing hate for Iran.

The Daily Beast reports...

"Three U.S. government officials familiar with the situation told The Daily Beast that officials in multiple U.S. intelligence agencies have assessed that Iran’s new, threatening activity–which the administration points to in justifying its military presence in the Persian Gulf–is in response to the administration’s aggressive steps over the last two months."

On Capitol Hill, lawmakers say...

"that Tehran’s aggressive moves—reportedly planning attacks on U.S. diplomatic facilities in Iraq and loading missiles on fishing boats in the Gulf—appear to be in response to Washington’s moves to press the Islamic Republic and its leadership. The Trump administration’s decisions to tighten oil sanctions and to designate the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist group, particularly provocative"

In my recollection, the nuclear treaty negotiated by former President Barack
Obama, while certainly not perfect, was at least progressing. Here's what National Security Adviser John Bolton previously said...

"the administration’s aggressive efforts aim to squeeze Iran 'until its leaders decide to change their destructive behavior, respect the rights of the Iranian people, and return to the negotiating table.' But the policy doesn’t appear to have put leaders there in a mood to make concessions."

The World Report gives a good documentation of human rights in Iran, and that is part of what the Trump administration is pissed off about. That and nuclear proliferation. The question is the correlation in Iran's aggressiveness and that of the United States. A British general said of Iran, “there’s been no increased threat from Iranian-backed forces” in the region. Expounding further...

“We monitor them along with a whole range of others because that’s the environment we’re in,” said Maj. Gen. Chris Ghika, speaking via video from Baghdad. “If the threat level seems to go up then we’ll raise our force protection measures accordingly.”

 The U.S. Central Command issued a statement just hours later disputing Ghika’s comments repeating...

"John Bolton’s unsubstantiated claim that American intelligence has 'identified credible threats' from 'Iranian-backed forces' in Iraq and Syria."

Folks, I call your attention to the key word in the above, "unsubstantiated."

LATE BREAKING: Trump walks out on Pelosi/Schumer meeting

Trump walks out of Pelosi/Schumer meeting

Speaker Nancy Pelosi called it "very, very, very strange," adding, "sad" referring to a meeting at the White House with Donald Trump, which included Sen.Chuck Schumer. Pelosi described Trump's walking out of the meeting as "an orchestrated — almost to a 'poor baby' point of view" situation."

Here is Trump's tweet retort...

"So sad that Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer will never be able to see or understand the great promise of our Country."

 In another, he warns, "You can’t investigate and legislate simultaneously - it just doesn’t work that way."

Later trump heard Pelosi accused him of "engaging in a cover up," and apparently he went postal. One of his minions said...

"Bottom line: if Nancy Pelosi had not come out this morning and said what she said about "cover up," they would still be in there right now meeting on infrastructure." 

According to CNN, What Pelosi said: Pelosi on Monday night said the committees were on course to be successful and Democrats' message must be "No one is above the law," and that they are witnessing "the cover-up." The California Democrat also said they all agreed they needed to get to the truth, but that the public believes kitchen table issues must also be dealt with.

What's going on in left field

LIBERALS ARE BEAUTIFUL

You can deprogram Trump supporters? Let's do it now...Mike Pence bombs at commencement speech...What is rape if not rape?...Trump tells McGhan to be tardy for House...Ex-congressman calls Trump "dishonest tyrant," blasts "pathetic"Republicans...How long do they let Facebook getaway with this?...

Will Deutsche Bank be Trump's nemesis?

The culprit

It is pathetic that a bank would have an "anti-money laundering" department but in my naive moment there is the realization that these are the times and all we can do is cope with it. Deutsche Bank employees in that section reportedly...

"recommended turning over information about transactions by entities owned by President Trump and his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, to a government watchdog in 2016 and 2017, but the bank's executives apparently declined to do so."

It had to do with transactions connected to the now-dissolved Trump Foundation, discovered by the bank's computer system, designed to reveal illegal activity. Five current and former employees were involved, which led to a later report they thought should be sent to the Treasury Department for investigation. It wasn't. The transactions weren't spelled out...

"some of them involved money going between the entities and foreign companies or individuals."

The NYT says it ain't necessarily true because "sometimes complete large cash transactions that can cause a review to be triggered without any actual wrongdoing." Thus, the reason for no report. Apparently Deutsche Bank treads lightly on this kind of issue according to Tammy McFadden, a former Deutsche Bank employee who looked into some of the transactions. She continued, “It’s the D.B. way. They are prone to discounting everything.”

The Hill reported...

"McFadden told the Times that she was fired after she questioned the bank's practices and has since filed complaints to regulators about what she sees as its lack of enforcement."

Well now, that doesn't seem kosher, and is it just another example of the shady deals of the Trump family? The Hill also says...

"Deutsche Bank has loaned billions of dollars to the Trump and Kushner companies. Federal and state authorities are currently reviewing the bank's relationship with President Trump."

The NYT also revealed the...

"staff of Deutsche Bank were hired especially for their expertise of money-laundering."

Now doesn't that beat all. Trump biographer David Cay Johnston said...

“We know for a fact that Donald Trump has been involved in money laundering in the past, fined for it. We know that Deutsche Bank is fined over $600 million just for laundering money for Russian oligarchs and are nondenial denials. The Trump Organization said we never heard of this. Why would you? It was locked up in the bank. The bank said we didn’t stop anyone. The story makes it clear.”

Finally, from the Times...

“So, in addition, The Times has a pregnant line in it. It says that is there are other, ‘politically connected people’ who also were swept up,” Johnston said. 'It’s clear that David Enrich, a very good reporter at The New York Times has seen these documents and other people whose money laundering suspicion of money laundering activities were also apparently quashed by the people at the private banking unit of Deutsche Bank in New York. This is for Donald Trump a really serious problem.'”

We can only hope that David Cay Johnston's assessment is correct.

In private, Republicans want Trump impeached

Impeachment is in the air all around Washington with Speaker Nancy Pelosi saying that Donald Trump is just "goading" the House to impeach him. I did a recent blog post, "American public should be itching for Donald Trump impeachment?" that had high viewer appeal and has been typical of this issue all along. Now this...

"Appearing on CNN's "New Day," Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE) confided to host Alisyn Camerota that multiple Republican senators agree with Rep. Justin Amash (R-MI) that Donald Trump has committed impeachable offenses, but are afraid to go public at the moment."

This has been classic GOP reaction to pretty much everything Trump has done, working not for the American people, but only for the Republican Party protecting this idiot. AlterNet reported Coons saying...

“Those who have read the Mueller report cannot avoid the conclusion that the president and some of his advisers engaged in profoundly disappointing, reprehensible conduct that would rise to the level of obstruction of justice.“

As this same conclusion reverberates around Washington, Congress sits on its fat asses doing nothing. In another post, "Two valid reasons for Donald Trump's impeachment," the most crucial was the letter that 450 ex-prosecutors had signed to prosecute Trump for obstruction of justice. That number has now surpassed 800. But none of this seems to sway the Oval Office lunatic since he has recently blocked around 20 requests from the Democratic House for information.

Camerota asked, “You don’t think Republicans are thinking that privately, do you?” The conversation continued...

“Yes,” the Democratic senator replied without hesitation.“
What makes you say that?” the CNN host asked.
“Conversations,” the now hesitant Coons replied.

“So it’s not so private,” Camerota continued, before adding, “You have spoken to Republicans who think it is impeachable?”

“There is a difference between thinking the Mueller report reveals conduct that is deeply disappointing, inappropriate, borderline or actually illegal and saying they would vote to remove the president,” Coons admitted. “Many revealed concerns privately about the Mueller report in part because of the gap between what Attorney General [Bill] Barr characterized as being in the report and what was actually in the Mueller report for those who have taken the time to read through it.”

Okay, there is general consensus that Donald Trump obstructed justice. It apparently exists across both aisles, non-partisan, so what are the ramifications of this charge. First, obstruction of justice is a felony. Second, it is punishable by up to five years in prison.  Third, there is no statute of limitations. I'm good with all three but let's not wait, the maniac is constantly at work.

Washington Merry-go-Round political wrap-up

POLITICAL MAYHEM TAKES A LEFT TURN

This idiot likes robocalls...Bernie Sanders and AOC want lower interest on loans...Nobody wants to work at Facebook...Is Trump believable on Iran?...Trump staffers ignore boss on outrageous demands,until he forgets them...SCOTUS pick Kavanaugh confirmed with dark money...GOP 
Rep. Justin Amash says Donald Trump "has engaged in impeachable conduct"

Biden depends on unity to beat Trump's "divider in chief"

Joe Biden-Unity in 2020

It's not enough that Democrats are angry with Donald Trump's election and the direction he has taken the country in. There also has to be an influx of Republicans who have made a left turn and feel the same way. In a former blog I quoted a reliable source that said 20% of Trump's 2016 voters have soured on him. I closed the post saying, 'Hold that thought.' Joe Biden avoids the anger for Trump approach with an appeal for unity in America. Will it win in 2020?

Joe Biden doesn't believe anger will win in 2020, even when T-rump used " it to win over the Republican base in 2016, saying he gladly carries the 'mantle of anger.'" He's been mad ever since and just look at what shape he has put the country in. A good economy does not excuse the Oval Office lunatic's white nationalism, bigotry, blatant racism and women's abuse, to name only a few. I did a post yesterday that explains it: "Less than half of Trump supporters like him."

Rebecca Traister, author of the book "Good and Mad: The Revolutionary Power of Women's Anger," retorted, "Biden is 'deeply wrong' that 'Anger at injustice has catalyzed transformative change; 'unity' has not.'" Another voice...this a writer from Rolling Stone, Jamil Smith added, "Women, people of color, and other Democratic constituencies aren't angry like Trump and his followers. They've been pissed off in a whole different way. "She doesn't explain how.

Biden also mentions reaching across the aisle as an approach to unifying Congress, something that many Democrats have criticized. With people like Senate head, Mitch McConnell, sitting on the other side of the aisle, I can understand the reluctance of the Dems. And then there's Barack Obama, to back or not to back. To begin with, the former president hasn't offered and second is whether this would help or hurt Biden.

Lee Drutman of Vox speaks of the Joe Biden “epiphany” theory "that Republicans will have an epiphany about the power of bipartisanship once Trump is gone and start working with Democrats again." Drutman says no way, and I wholeheartedly agree, at least as long as the ogre of the Senate is still around. Drutman argues...

"The problem with Biden’s theory is that Republicans’ hostility to Democrats did not begin with Donald Trump (see, the Obama administration). 

Today, as in 2012, the partisan hostility is highly transferable. It is based neither in opposition to one president nor loyalty to another. It is based in the underlying zero-sum electoral logic that defines the American two-party system and the winner-take-all elections that make the two-party system possible."

Not said, but certainly not forgotten, is racist Mitch McConnell's hatred of President Barack Obama, with his vow that he would make Obama a one-term president if it was the last thing he ever did. He didn't, which shows what a lowlife this jerk is, and the fact that he may not be as powerful as he thinks he is, perhaps just a fat blowhard. Biden talks about Trump's divisiveness while we regularly see the maniac's favorability improve, still holding on to his loyalists.

In one case in Pennsylvania, Joe Biden jumps back and forth between his unity issue and the put-down of Donald Trump. This state is important to Biden in 2020, where Trump barely won in 2016; part of the "blue wall" of Democratic industrial states. The former V.P. is headquartered in Philadelphia and in rallies continued to call Trump the 'divider in chief.' Biden spent time on the issues, including climate change and health care, making comparisons with Obama.

If there is anything this country needs it is unity, something we haven't seen for years, back through many presidents. We need it on the local level, between states, and most of all in Washington. The U.S. Congress is in a complete state of diversity, inconsistency, division, discord, strife, disarray, hostility, almost all-out warfare. There aren't enough antonyms of unity to show the disunion of that body of outright incompetent morons. Maybe Joe has the right idea.
 

Wrap-up from weekend left field politics

POLITICS ON THE RUN

GOP says Jared Kushner clueless...Nobody wants to work for Trump...4 ways Trump really screwing rural voters...Trump wants "patriotic" sacrifices from farmers in trade war...Trump says unwed LGBT couples' kids aren't citizens...James Carroll of The Atlantic says, "abolish the Priesthood"...Former Regulatory Nuclear Commission member says nuclear power industry should be banned

How old is too old for U.S. president?

The question is, does age matter?

Art Cullen in the Guardian says that age-70 may be too old for being President of the United States, referring to Joe Biden, Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, the latter turning seventy before inauguration. Considering who will be running in 2020, Trump will be 72, Biden 76, Sanders 78 and Warren 69. He cites Ronald Reagan in his 70s while in the White House, and Nancy Reagan and Al Haig actually running things as the Gipper passed into neverland.

Here's how Cullen describes the situation...

"Trump is batty and losing it more each day. Bernie impresses as a grumpy and impatient Trotskyite, Biden as a familiar Irish pol who wants to hug you up and keep you warm, hearkening to days when unions had teeth and Scranton had steel. They confront a candidate written by Rod Serling for the Twilight Zone."

 "Warren seems a pup in their presence. Young of mind, she is a fan of Game of Thrones. She is full of vim and vigor and maybe is no more likely to die of a stroke than Pete Buttigieg, 37. She could beat me in a foot race any day of any distance. But if she wins she will be 75 at the end of her first term – slightly older than Reagan at the end."

You'll note here that he spends twice as much space on Warren as any of the other three. After this Cullen draws comparisons between Einstein, Mark Twain, Eisenhower and the Kennedys, alluding to their accomplishments at various ages. He says, "War would be rarer if women ran the world." then adds, "But we are talking, in the main, about three old white men. At least the national cable media are. Biden nearly has the nomination cinched, to hear it told."

That doesn't bode well for Democrats with the rest of the field relatively weak, except, perhaps, for Kamala Harris. Sorry, but I still have a warm spot for the Bern, and as a Democratic Socialist myself, believe that most of his issues could fly. My concern is Medicare for All-Single payer plan, and just how feasible that is. Here's a definition...

"Single-payer is a more general term used to describe a government system, typically backed by taxes, in which everyone gets health care from one insurer, run by the government. Think of Medicare for all as a brand-name single-payer plan. Some advocates also like the term 'national health insurance.'”

Consider the possibility of not doing away with insurance companies, which would be an almost impossible sell. Have the government use insurance companies, allocating coverage out to the lowest bidder, with obvious restrictions on the quality of coverage. I solidly believe Bernie deserves a shot at the presidency with his honesty and integrity.  And I have no problem with his age...I am 86.