Tuesday night places Republicans on the run for the House

Troy Balderson, the Republican candidate, looks like he has barely defeated Danny O’Connor in Ohio's 12th District. The reason RealClear Politics thinks it is a Democratic victory is that the District is heavily Republican, the most of sixty in Ohio, and there are still 3,500 provisional ballots to count. The results actually mirror the recent trend for Democrats to take over the house. The last time this seat was open back in 2000, the GOP's candidate won by 10 points. Turnout was down in the rural areas of the 12th district, with the urban areas coming to the aid of the left.

There's more. Democrat votes were even up in the suburbs of this district, which could indicate that the Dems are finally getting off their butts and voting. Outside of Ohio, Washington state, in the its 8th District, which looks like Ohio's 12th, Democrats are ahead by three points. But in the end the Dems must muster up the base force of "urban liberals, college-educated whites, and various minority communities." And it is also time for Progressives to get their act together bringing voters to the polls. And then on to the Senate.

First Facebook,now twitter-All that's left is the bloggers

I have been blogging now for almost 15 years and both Twitter and Facebook, plus Google+ and now Pinterest have been very helpful in sharing my blog posts. I think Mark Zuckerberg is one of the most arrogant persons I have ever known about, on a parallel with Donald Trump. His (Facebook's) handling of your privacy information is shocking and downright scandalous, precisely why he gets the very minimum required from me. But since the latest uproar against Zuckerberg and Facebook my referrals from FB have dropped to a minimum, compared to Twitter.

Now, Jack Dorsey, who heads Twitter, is defending Alex Jones, the wacky conservative radical and his broadcast network Infowars, after it was banned by Apple, Facebook, YouTube, and many other companies. I am a staunch defender of the 1st Amendment but Jones is a real nut job who came up with the conspiracy theory that the Sandy Hook Massacre of 26 people including 6-year-old children, never happened. If Dorsey wouldn't censure him for content, he could have for the fact the whole thing is an outright lie, which is a proven fact. Alex Jones followers are even more pathetic than those who watch Fox News.

NRA staggers after hit from friends on gun violence

Dana Loesch promoting gun violence

NATIONAL RIFLE ASSN. LONGTIME INSURANCE ASSOCIATE PLACES ALL BLAME ON THE ORGANIZATION FOR ITS "INFLAMMATORY MARKETING": The NRA has numerous enemies, the most recent of whom is New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, who has attacked the group with a vehemence. He has hit them where it really hurts, their pocketbook. A recent claim by the NRA's head, Wayne LaPierre, said they could go down the tube if this "blacklisting" continues in New York. Cuomo promptly stepped up his campaign.

And now Lockton, the insurance broker behind the NRA’s Carry Guard program, a product that the NY Gov. says is illegal in his state, says it is all because of their "inflammatory marketing," in a lawsuit to sever ties with the organization. They are selling Carry Guard, a policy protecting the NRA's gun nut membership, "through which gun owners could seek reimbursement for legal costs arising from self-defense shootings. It's also just another way to milk this some 5 million disciples of "more guns for everyone," and their gullibility eats it up.

There is no doubt about the arrogance of Wayne LaPierre and his group, but in Andrew Cuomo, they might just have met their match 

GOP Congress reaches new low to overrule 1st Amendment

REPUBLICANS, AND SOME DEMOCRATS AND INDEPENDENTS, "WANT TO GIVE PRESIDENT TRUMP THE AUTHORITY TO CLOSE DOWN CERTAIN NEWS OUTLETS": 43 percent of self-identified Republicans said that they believed “the president should have the authority to close news outlets engaged in bad behavior.” Of course, that "bad behavior" would include any criticism of T-rump. Dems and Independents joined in but with significantly less numbers, 12 and 26%. respectively. Most agree this is a result of Trump's tweeting of an "enemy press corps."

On the other hand, the Ipsos poll found that 57 percent of all respondents said that they believed news and reporters were “necessary to keep the Trump administration honest” including a plurality of Republicans. There is no doubt that some of the news media skew their reporting either left or right, decidedly Fox News and Sinclair Broadcast. The liberals have their supporters too but there hasn't been anything like conservative radio before in my lifetime, spawned by Rush Limbaugh and sustained by people like Bill O'Reilly, Glenn Beck and Sean Hannity, all hacks but effective.

Donald Trump supporters are way beyond stupid

THE MOST IMPORTANT ISSUE TO DONALD TRUMP SUPPORTERS IS PROTESTERS KNEELING DURING PLAYING OF THE NATIONAL ANTHEM: That is in comparison with more restrictions for gun control at a time when children are being murdered regularly in their own schools, and other innocent Americans are dying daily from gun violence in their own neighborhoods. It is obvious to say the priorities of these dullards is misplaced, to say the least.

So now we've passed over 'gun rights at any cost' for trashing an athlete that believes in a cause that many Americans support. But, then, it's a "black" thing and the Trump bunch is considered a gang of racists. Trump attacked LeBron James and CNN commentator Don Lemon recently calling them both dumb. They are both black. Melania came to James defense praising his school for needy he opened in Akron, OH. You have to wonder if Trump followers are simply mentally ill?

Chicago gun killing epitome of NRA's 'Get more guns on street

70 PEOPLE SHOT, 11 FATALLY, OVER THE WEEKEND IN CHICAGO: Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel always has someone to blame for the city's gun violence, this time it was repeat offenders, but it all boils down to one major problem: The National Rifle Assn.'s continuous plea, led by its head Wayne LaPierre, that if we had more guns on the street for protection, gun violence would go down. We do and it hasn't. Emanuel and his police department are apparently doing the best they can but obviously not enough.

Police Supt. Eddie Johnson appears to be holding the community partially responsible, saying "the shooters need to be held accountable," indicating the need for someone to give up the shooters. Instead, he bemoans, everyone points fingers at the police. As the third largest city in the country, it is far ahead in gun violence of the two largest, New York and Los Angeles combined. But all things considered, it is only a matter of, need a gun? stand on a street corner long enough and you'll make a deal. Or just simply go to the next gun show where they will sell a gun to anyone, no questions asked.

Canada boycotts U.S. products...thanks to Donald Trump

CANADIANS ARE PISSED AT TRUMP-AMERICAN INDUSTRY SUFFERS THE CONSEQUENCES: We have Canadian friends who lived in the U.S. for years and recently returned there; can hardly wait to get their take on the "boycott America" movement. We talked several times in the past about life there compared to the U.S., and I have never heard anyone so satisfied with their country's government. The guy was here for the development of a special software project but since has returned home.

There was a lot of criticism for the U.S., some of which I refused to accept, but most of it was valid. We talked primarily about politics and, of course, 99% of their critique made sense because of our Congress, and the election leading to Donald Trump in the White House. They left just in time. And as far as these folks were concerned, Canada's universal healthcare works fine, even with the wife experiencing cancer. All in all Canada is a great place to live, the reason they went back after so many years. Its progressivism is what impressed me most.

And don't start telling me, 'if you like it so much, why don't you move there.' I believe the United States is the greatest country in the world, but in the last several years it has gone to hell in a handbasket and anyone who can't see that is living under a rock. We could take some direction from countries like Canada who admittedly has its problems too, but seems to portray a more relaxed and prudent atmosphere. I particularly like their gun control. Our friends are happy as hell back in Canada, and I am anxious to hear their reaction to the snub of the U.S.