Monday, December 12, 2016
Bernie Sanders,"unhappily," sorry we'll have pathological liar in White House
As I am sure the rest of us sane individuals are, but there is nothing we can do about Donald Trump getting there, but maybe something can be done about his staying there. The Bern made reference to Chuck Jones who challenged the President-elect's outright lie that he had saved all the Carrier jobs at the Indiana plant, when in fact more than half are still going to Mexico. Sen. Sanders concludes that Trump's message here to unions and their workers was that if you continue to stand up and fight, my administration will go after you. Just as he did with Chuck Jones on Twitter.
MSNBC's Chris Hayes questioned Bernie on the appointment of "Andrew Puzder, CEO of Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s, who supported Trump during his campaign, praising him as a 'pragmatic centrist' and 'negotiator.' The Senator took the opportunity to remind those who voted for the President-elect that all those promises of standing up to the establishment were all "crap," my word but still accurate. Pudzer, who is anti-worker, and who pays his workers as little as possible--many of whom have to get federal assistance--is adamantly against raising the minimum wage.
When Chris Hayes asked Bernie Sanders about the reality of all this, referencing how Barack Obama has established his legacy from his accomplishments, particularly, bringing the economy back from near disaster under George W. Bush--now that's reality. At this point we have another Republican in the White House, and Hayes wondered if reality would hit when under Trump wages decline, outsourcing continues, and the economic squeeze on the middle-class advances, will the public, particularly his supporters, blame it on the President-elect or Bernie, Hillary, the Democrats?
The Bern hopes to build a movement of grass roots supporters who do see the reality of what just happened in this election, plus what will be taking place under Donald Trump. I know I'm in!
Sunday, December 11, 2016
Cry baby Trump just can't take criticism, is Twitter deranged
If Donald Trump was going to start World War III, and his mouth does have the capability of doing that, he most likely would announce it to the world on Twitter. This mentally challenged psychopath jumps on social media the moment anyone questions his...whatever he thinks he is. Okay, he is the President-elect, a mistake this country must now live with. Robert Reich, former secretary of labor in the Clinton administration now a professor of public policy at the University of California, Berkeley, gets on Trump's case about the effects from his whining criticism.
When Chuck Jones, local Indiana union leader who is President of United Steelworkers 1999, criticized Donald Trump because he falsely claimed he had saved 1,000 Carrier jobs, a blubbering Trump replied on Twitter...
"Chuck Jones, who is President of United Steelworkers 1999, has done a terrible job representing workers. No wonder companies flee country!"Following that, Jones received death threats.
You will remember the Boeing fiasco where Trump said out of the blue, "We want Boeing to make a lot of money but not that much money." That was a qualification to an earlier statement after the Boeing CEO lightly rebuked the President-elect for being against trade. After which Trump had tweeted...
"Boeing is building a brand new 747 Air Force One for future presidents, but costs are out of control, more than $4 billion. Cancel order!"The outset was that Boeing took an immediate hit, then we found out that Boeing did not even have this $4 billion order.
Donald Trump has used the power of his position and big mouth to intimidate people in the real estate industry, and now he has brought this same level of sleaze to the White House. And with the GOP control of Congress featuring some of the biggest morons in politics, we're in for a tough four years. Or, once again, maybe not?
Saturday, December 10, 2016
Just another example Donald Trump not serious about his presidency
The new President-elect is skipping intelligence briefings, blowing them off as if the security of the United States is not a priority to him. And maybe it isn't, as he continues to plan new Trump hotels in Taiwan; Russia is probably next. I've said from the beginning of Donald Trump's rise in the polls that he was doing it for one thing...Donald Trump. President Obama has ordered his daily intelligence to be given to Trump and Mike Pence to keep them abreast of the current status of our security and what the global situation is. Trump has schluffed off most, attending at best one a week.
But, then, why not have an uninformed President; all of his supporters were uninformed. He's not required to attend these briefings but Presidents in the past have welcomed the opportunity to have a heads-up on where the nation and world stands before taking office. Not Donald Trump. And if he does have his mind on things other than the US, like where his next hotel will go, well, a lot of us told you so. This hasn’t gone unnoticed, according to MSNBC...
"Sens. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and Ben Cardin (D-Md.), the ranking members on the Senate Intelligence and Foreign Relations Committees, respectively, noted they find it 'particularly troubling' that the president-elect 'has mostly declined to take the daily intelligence briefing' – breaking with what other presidents-elect have done for decades."Former CIA Director Leon Panetta is concerned with the situation and when you consider Donald Trump's lack of experience in governing--zilch/nada--it should send up warning signs to everyone, especially those in the Pentagon, that this president might be AOL when those important decisions need to be made. Of course, the man has never been presidential and never will. Here's another MSNBC statement worth quoting...
".. it’s hard not to feel uncomfortable with these circumstances. The least experienced, least knowledgeable presidential candidate in American history – prone to believe weird conspiracy theories and disregard facts he finds inconvenient – is preparing to take office soon, and at this point, he seems passively indifferent towards security information."The whole thing is alarming but what is even more alarming is that these uneducated rednecks that elected him knew he was not presidential material before they voted.
Friday, December 9, 2016
Drop the College and drop the 2nd Amendment
Never before have I seen a case made so eloquent for ridding ourselves of a "relic" bestowed on us by the Founding Fathers. We have a few but this is one that happens to be in the spotlight now as the bungled finish of the 2016 Presidential election becomes evident. For the second time in 16 years, the out-of-date Electoral College has given the White House to the person with the least popular vote. And this year it is significant: Hillary Clinton has scored over 2.2 million more votes than Donald Trump. John Nichols does an excellent job of making his case in The Nation...
"The Electoral College is an abomination: an antidemocratic relic of the unconscionable compromises made during America’s founding that should never have been allowed to linger into the 21st century."Now I'll get to the Electoral College in a later post but this one is devoted to just how much Nichols' article applies to the 2nd Amendment. Read it again, but this time substitutiing the 2nd Amendment for Electoral College...
The 2nd Amendment is an abomination: an antidemocratic relic of the unconscionable compromises made during America’s founding that should never have been allowed to linger into the 21st century.I hear the gun nuts coming out from under their rocks now but even the "antidemocratic" portion, above, can be defended. It is against my democracy to have to be in a public place with some guy or gal who feels it necessary to walk around with an assault rifle on their shoulder, a weapon that belongs only in law enforcement and the military. Yes, they have a right, but that should extend no further than their front door. But even the right to defend yourself in the home shouldn't include assault rifles. Individual rights go just so far and can be limited, as agreed by the Supreme Court.
The fight over guns will go on until enough of the "right" people are killed, and by that I mean those most verbal over gun rights that preclude any responsible control at all. And by the lunacy of some of their rhetoric, I wonder if even then.
More on the Electoral College later.
Thursday, December 8, 2016
How about concentration camps for racists?
Okay, too severe. Besides, you wouldn't want to collect that much lowlife together in one place, the smell would be horrendous. Think what it would do to insurance rates in nearby communities and the depreciation of homes. Perhaps to harsh, or maybe not harsh enough for these mutants from humanity. It is impossible to describe these dregs of the earth without the use of words this bad. And it all stems from an organization originating from the South, where I was raised, the Ku Klux Klan.
This all comes from an article I read on CNN by Rob Crilly, who went to a KKK rally in Roxboro, NC, where the Klan was staging a rally that almost no one went to. They called it a kalvacade, organized by the group's Imperial Kommander, Amanda Barker, designed as a victory for the election of Donald Trump. Remember that basket of deplorables, apparently it overflows in North Carolina? Crilly commented that in Roxboro, he had seen "...the future of the alt-right."
And yes, come January 20, of 2017, the alt-right will reside in the Donald Trump White House in the form of Steve Bannon, former head of Breitbart News, a known racist, woman hater and anti-semitic. Bannon will be at the top of the totem pole in the Trump administration as the chief strategist, no doubt guiding policy in the alt-right direction which is to establish white nationalism in the United States. And Donald Trump regularly spewed during the election he would represent all people.
It is unimaginable to me how the American public made it possible for a man like Donald Trump to become President. I realize that concentration camps for these uneducated rednecks is a stretch, but I wonder how many out there today would relish the opportunity to get as far away from these lunatics
Wednesday, December 7, 2016
Congressional members with NRA blood on their hands
Rep. Paul Ryan |
Recipients of cash from the National Rifle Assn. (NRA)
(1988-2016) who refuse to pass gun control laws that would save lives, as
reported by The Nation magazine. Call them today!
Total amount received: $36,800
Tel. Number: (202) 225-3031
Bernie sanders blasts Donald Trump's billionaire Cabinet
In an interview with Chris Hayes of MSNBC, Bernie Sanders was his usual self in describing President-elect Donald Trump's Cabinet picks of billionaires and millionaires. Hayes showed a clip of Trump's rhetoric criticizing Wall Street, saying they wouldn't get away with anything. Well, they got away with the "golden goose" in the Cabinet choices he has made so far. See Matt Rocheleau's line up. Rocheleau comments:
"Collectively, the wealth of his Cabinet choices so far is roughly four times greater than President Obama’s Cabinet and nearly 30 times greater than the one George W. Bush led at the end of his presidency."And this is just half of the Cabinet so far. Bernie points out that, not only is Trump not criticizing Wall Street, he is appointing its insiders to help him run the country. The Bern deemed it sheer hypocrisy and laughable in the following video...
Chris Hayes talks about how happy Wall Street must be with only billionaires and millionaires so far to determine the future of the middle class. I hope those uneducated redneck supporters of Donald Trump are looking at this and realize what a momentous mistake they have made. Something tells me these people may never realize just how bad they are being screwed. There are more Cabinet members to be chosen but there is no reason to think it will change.
As Bernie Sanders said, we have elected a fraud and a phony.
Tuesday, December 6, 2016
The new President-elect just can't keep his mouth shut
President -elect Donald Trump |
"Did China ask us if it was OK to devalue their currency (making it hard for our companies to compete), heavily tax our products going into their country (the US doesn't tax them) or to build a massive military complex in the middle of the South China Sea? I don't think so!"CNN reports there has been no reaction from Beijing yet on either issue as I reported earlier. But according "...to the People's Daily -- the Communist Party's official mouthpiece --"the call set a bad precedent." The spokesman for China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Lu Kang, says China is only interested in U.S. policy, not Donald Trump's style. The People's Daily also said, "China will not take it lightly.
This has to be the first time a President-elect has started a "war," with a foreign power before they even take office. I am, of course, speaking of a war of words. Chinese international relations expert, Victor Gao, said, "...that Trump could say what he liked as President-elect but his comments would have huge global consequences once in office." Sounds like a mandate to me from someone who is an expert on U.S.-China relations.
Nancy Pelosi should have gone down with Debbie Wasserman Schultz
Nancy Pelosi |
Pelosi isn't the only one responsible, however, Debbie Wasserman Schultz , chairperson of the Democratic National Committee, was in the trenches while all this was going on but did nothing. After helping to throw the Democratic nomination for President in the 2016 Primaries to Hillary Clinton, thus, defeating Bernie Sanders, she has been sent to the showers, disgraced for pulling the rotten shenanigans against Bernie.
W.S. is gone but Nancy Pelosi remains, with the hope that at least Keith Ellison will be the newly elected DNC chair, with a Progressive agenda that Pelosi can at least follow. Ohio Rep. Tim Ryan did challenge the reelected leader of House Democrats but lost. Ryan, 43, who represents the blue-collar town of Youngstown, Ohio, promised a new vision with a new generation of leadership. Ryan was even accused of pulling a publicity stunt to elevate his position.
A fellow Californian, Rep. Adam Schiff said, "We need the very best to lead us ... No one is a better tactician than Nancy Pelosi." If Pelosi was that good a tactician, she would have seen the Republican take-over of state legislatures and governor's offices. This move occurred over years and will take the Dems years to overcome the deficit. Or maybe the left is giving in to the fact that we are currently in a "Republican" cycle with, in fact, no strategy to fight back.
With both Houses of Congress and the White House firmly under GOP control, the outlook is dim. But you should never underestimate a Progressive and with all this Republican power and self-assurance, that might just work for the left.
Monday, December 5, 2016
Taiwan Pres. calls Trump
Okay, Donald Trump broke protocol with mainland China by even taking the phone call from Taiwan's President, Tsai Ing-wen--if, in fact, she did call--something that quickly came to the attention of China's President, Xi Jinping. No repercussions yet, but the political experts believe China is laying low to try and figure out the new U.S. President-elect. Good luck on that one. But most feel they will make their move and it might not be pleasing.
But what should be noted here is the fact that even weeks before this mysterious call, a "businesswoman claiming to be associated with Trump's conglomerate made inquiries about a major investment in building luxury hotels as part of the island’s new airport development." The woman reported as Ms. Chen arrived from the U.S. to meet...
"the mayor of Taoyuan, Cheng Wen-tsan, one of the senior politicians involved in the Aerotropolis project, a large urban development being planned around the renovation of Taiwan’s main airport, Taoyuan International."The above in September, and then in November, Nicola Smith of the Guardian reports...
..."a Chen Si-Ting, a US citizen of Taiwanese origin, had given a speech at a Friends of Trump banquet in central Taipei. Chen claimed at the event on 1 November that Trump’s company was interested in investing in Taiwan and that his son, Eric, would visit the island before the end of the year."Coincidence, or strategic planning by the Trump family? Of course the man isn't yet President, his promise to leave the Trump organization behind was after he became President, but this looks like a clear use of the American Presidency, even significantly breaking diplomatic protocol to do it, to further Donald Trump business interests. Separately...
"...Anne-Marie Donoghue, who describes herself as the global head of transient sales and Asia at Trump Hotels, was confirmed to have been in Taiwan in October."C'mon now, where are all the Republicans asking for an investigation of this possible egregious conflict of interest?
Has Donald Trump made a major diplomatic faux pas?
China Pres, Xi Jinping |
Lawrence O'Donnell, on MSNBC, in covering the Taiwan call, also mentioned the fact that Trump was in contact with Rodrigo Duterte, Pres. of the Philippines, noting that he had called Barack Obama a "Son of a whore" again. O'Donnell continued that Duterte was the "craziest and possibly most dangerous elected politician in the world...as of now." The emphasis is my own but put there to question whether it might be predicting a future Donald Trump.
In consideration of the breach of protocol alone, Trump or his incompetent minions may not think it is important that they have in effect held Beijing in disrespect, but you can bet China's President, Xi Jinping, is watching every move Donald Trump makes and will take appropriate steps. Jinping was educated in the U.S. and is well aware of our customs here but the President-elects Taiwan move caught the country off guard:
"Breaking decades of American diplomatic practice, he caught the Chinese government off guard by lunging into the most sensitive of its so-called core interests, the 'One China' policy agreed to by President Richard M. Nixon more than four decades ago."So much for diplomacy with a nation that we need to keep on the good side of not only for trade, but in the interest of a more stable world. But the real story here is the fact that political pundits question whether a major reason he took that call from Taiwan’s president, Tsai Ing-wen, was to firm up their relationship in order to obtain more favorable arrangements for building a hotel in the country. That would of course be a major conflict of interest which is my next post today.
Sunday, December 4, 2016
Bernie Sanders exposes more of Donald Trump broken promises
President-elect Donald Trump has been waving flags over how he is going to keep Carrier jobs in Indiana from going to Mexico, how he would end up slapping a 35% tax on any Carrier products coming into the U.S. Well, it ends up being his typical bullshit that he typically never follows up on. Instead of heavily taxing Carrier, he's giving them a $7 million tax break. And folks, we haven't even had the inauguration yet.
It all started out with 1,100 jobs leaving the Indiana plant for Mexico when our new blowhard head of the nation said he would save all of them...or else. Or else turned into, OK, you can send 300 jobs to Mexico and keep 800 in Indiana. As it turned out at the time, another Carrier plant planned to send 700 more jobs south. MSNBC's Chris Hayes brought in Bernie Sanders, whose Presidential platform was to keep jobs in America, who basically showed Trump up as a fraud.
Bernie also commented on United Technologies, who own Carrier, and their $6 billion in defense contracts that he said Trump should have threatened taking them away rather than giving the $7 million tax break. Sen. Sanders thinks Donald Trump is setting a very dangerous precedent in his approach and calls for laws that would require American companies to be patriotic corporations by continuing to make their products in the U.S., not shipping jobs overseas.
The bottom line is that Carrier will move some 1,300 jobs to Mexico, keep 800 in the U.S., Paying Mexican workers $23 less per hour with a potential income loss in Indiana of $67 million, a total loss of $108 million to the surrounding area. Now folks this is only one company in one state throughout the United States. You can go here for a complete list of companies moving jobs overseas. Does Donald Trump plan to visit each company? Yeah, sure.
Saturday, December 3, 2016
Trump inherits great President Obama economy
President-elect Donald Trump said that Barack Obama has been very cooperative with him and his transition team, scary as it is, in turning over a government that was rescued from George W. Bush's calamitous eight years as President. Bush almost put the country in the toilet, but Obama has brought things back to a stability that can be built on. All the time with a GOP Congress that resisted virtually every move the President made.
Unemployment, at the lowest level since 2007, home prices at all time highs, with the middle class getting a pay raise. These words from CNN Money where they quote Paul Ashworth, chief economist at Capital Economics, saying, "The 'Obama economy' deserves a 'B or B+' grade." It's not an "A" but many think it should be, and the the President, in defense of his administration commented:
"Anyone claiming that America's economy is in decline is peddling fiction."Wages are stagnant, have been for some time, not responding to a cycle where they usually rise when unemployment goes down. One of the reasons is, rather than pay higher wages, companies are going overseas for cheaper labor. But with no inflation, workers at least keep a status-quo, which could change soon if the feds up the interest rates. What matters is that the economy is going in the right direction under Pres. Obama. We'll see where it's going a year from now.
Friday, December 2, 2016
If anyone could f*** up the VA more it's Sarah Palin
Sarah Palin |
And then there was John McCain who amazingly picked her for his running mate in 2008, when the two of them were beaten in a landslide for the presidency by Barack Obama. They're both losers but Palin is the epitome of deadbeat politicians who keep appealing to more deadbeats who, if they would bother to get informed, would realize what a deadbeat she is. It is beyond me how politics have evolved into individuals like Sarah Palin, Donald Trump, Joni Ernst, etc.etc.
Here's the MSNBC coverage:
Dr. Sam Foote blew the whistle on the VA in 2013 after 24 years as a physician in a Veterans Affairs hospital. He worked at the Phoenix facility and when he revealed the devastating details of what happened, the hospital director, Sharon Helman, was fired and a judge sentenced her to two years' probation for receiving gifts illegally. I live in Phoenix, and, as a veteran, followed all the media coverage hoping something very positive would happen from this. It didn't.
And now Trump wants to put a bush-league, would-be politician with no experience in charge of something that is already a fiasco but will certainly get much worse with her at the head. But the bombshell here is the fact that she is closely tied to Steve Bannon, Donald Trump's chief strategist, who was accused of being racist, sexist and anti-Semitic, whose comment "darkness is good" should have given the Pres.-elect a clue. It didn't.
Palin is just more of the kind of judgment it took to pick Michael Flynn, clearly a loose cannon, for national security adviser. And, as one observer pointed out, Trump's transition team "reads like a who's who of some of the worst political villains of the last 40 years." We can only wait and hope but it is very likely that in the next four years--or maybe less--there will be hundreds, maybe thousands of 'I told you so.'
Trump's presidential run one big bait & switch
Is Donald Trump neurotic? |
Any way you look at it, it is a classic case of bait and switch. Republicans were sure they had lost the Party to an ego maniac who was interested only in national attention for him and his businesses. Well those three factors haven't changed but Trump, for some reason even many political experts haven't figured out, has changed course aligning himself more along party lines. Like his Cabinet picks that "...hew closely to what Republicans have advocated for decades."
He campaigned on the premise that he would be an "unconventional president capable of taking positions all along the political spectrum." It's not clear whether the GOP establishment scared him, if that's possible in Donald Trump's mentality, but what is clear is the fact that this man is now playing ball with the Republican Party, whether he knows it or not. Not only that but he is playing by many of their rules that he so vehemently disparaged before the election.
"David Brooks of The New York Times said that Trump is a threat to the party loyalty that has dominated American politics. 'He is hostile to the Republican establishment,' Brooks wrote. 'His proposals cut across orthodox partisan lines.'" Most think Donald Trump's intentions are to undo most of what the Obama administration accomplished. He'll certainly have a partner in the Senate's resident idiot, Mitch McConnell. Speaking of McConnell...
"The transportation secretary-to-be, Elaine Chao, the wife of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, had a solid, anti-union record when she was secretary of labor under President George W. Bush. Chao is well-networked in the most "establishment" Republican circles of Washington."God help us!
Thursday, December 1, 2016
Trump goes haywire over Clinton's popular vote
Donald Trump harried |
"In addition to winning the Electoral College in a landslide, I won the popular vote if you deduct the millions of people who voted illegally."To begin with, he didn't win the Electoral College in a landslide (306 to 232). Barack Obama won in a landslide in 2008, 365 to McCain's 173. And there is absolutely no evidence the 2016 popular vote was "illegal," although Jill Stein has embarked on a crusade if there were mistakes made or anything intentional favoring Trump in her state recounts. In 2012 Trump made this statement:
"The electoral college is a disaster for a democracy."Then, a week after the election:
"The Electoral College is actually genius in that it brings all states, including the smaller ones, into play. Campaigning is much different!"Unstable on the one hand and indecisive on the other. Excellent qualities for a president.
Trump's tantrums could start World War III
Daisy Girl |
Even after winning the Electoral College vote, Trump is steaming excessively over the fact that Hillary Clinton is ahead in the popular vote by over 2.3 million. He even says he would win the popular vote if they deducted the millions of illegal votes; which no one in his campaign can confirm. But that still didn't keep him from going...
"...a little berserk, publishing a series of bizarre tweets pushing back against accurate reporting the president-elect found inconvenient.
This. Is. Not. Normal."The above, an observation from Steve Benen on MSNBC, who continues with his concern that Donald Trump has yet to mature for the presidency, with his inauguration fast approaching. Benen adds:
"If the pressures of the transition are causing Trump to flip out in response to accurate reporting, I shudder to think how unhinged he’ll be once he bears the burdens of an actual president."Barry Goldwater would be aghast at the thought of Donald Trump as the next President of the U.S., wondering if his beloved Republican Party had gone mad. In 2016 Hillary used Monique Luiz, who did the original "Daisy Girl" ad and now living in Arizona at age 52, in a version of the original. It pointed out the same possibilities but apparently with no results. I can hardly wait until No. Korean leader, Kim Jong-un, pisses off Trump.
Wednesday, November 30, 2016
Trump's transition team worse than even imagined
Rudy Giulini in anticipation |
- Kris Kobach, acclaimed vote suppressor and co-author of Arizona's 1070 ant-immigrant law
- Congressman Lou Barletta, best known for effectively criminalizing immigrants as Mayor of Hazleton, PA
- Florida Atty. General Pam Bondi, who sacked career prosecutors working to indict attackers for fraud and accepted an illegal $25,000 from Trump Foundation at the time at the time she decided to stop an investigation of Trump University
- Ken Blackwell, as Ohio sec. of state prevented enough Democratic voters from casting ballots in 2004, to hand the state to GWB
These words are taken directly from the The Nation, and this is but a few of the many scoundrels they bring to task that make up Trump's transition team. When you consider these very scary individuals will assist in ushering in the new administration of Donald Trump, it is easy to see how Progressive publications like The Nation would be concerned, even alarmed. It would appear that Trump has gone out of his way to gather political outlaws around him.
Candidates for and those already selected for Trump's cabinet are another horror story entirely. People like Newt Gingrich, Rudy Giuliani, John Bolton, Sarah Palin, Rick Scott, the infamous former Arizona Sheriff, Joe Arpaio, Stephen Hadley and Ben Carson. In each of these individuals' cases, there is a history of radical conservatism that is not in the best interest of this country. Collectively, you have political Armageddon.
In The Nation's words, "This isn't just the swamp, it's the muck dredged up from the bottom." Donald Trump can execute his promise to clean up the "Washington swamp" by starting in his own backyard.
Candidates for and those already selected for Trump's cabinet are another horror story entirely. People like Newt Gingrich, Rudy Giuliani, John Bolton, Sarah Palin, Rick Scott, the infamous former Arizona Sheriff, Joe Arpaio, Stephen Hadley and Ben Carson. In each of these individuals' cases, there is a history of radical conservatism that is not in the best interest of this country. Collectively, you have political Armageddon.
In The Nation's words, "This isn't just the swamp, it's the muck dredged up from the bottom." Donald Trump can execute his promise to clean up the "Washington swamp" by starting in his own backyard.
Which side of the nation are you on?
A nation divided |
For all Americans
Real Clear Politics rates Donald Trump currently, 39.5% Favorable, 56% Unfavorable. All of this is out in left field compared to Barack Obama's rating following his 2008 election, 70% Favorable, 25% Unfavorable. His current, Favorable 56%, Unfavorable 40%. In another Republican comparison, when George W. Bush left office, his Favorable was 27%, Unfavorable 66%. The key is the Dems needed someone like Obama in 2016...think Bernie Sanders.
- Paul Ryan, Speaker of the House, 47% favorable, 35% Unfavorable
- Hillary Clinton, 40% Favorable, 57% Unfavorable
- Mitch McConnell, Sen.Majority Leader, 25% Favorable, 39% Unfavorable
We just experienced the most obnoxious election in recent history, perhaps ever.
"...more than 8-in-10 Americans say the country is more deeply divided on major issues this year than in the past several years."
"And more than half say they are dissatisfied with the way democracy is working in the US."But here's hope for Progressives, "...nearly 8-in-10 overall hope to see the GOP-controlled government incorporate some Democratic policies into its agenda." CNN interprets the poll saying
"...'most' say they would like to see President-elect Donald Trump, who won with an Electoral College majority despite trailing in the popular vote nationwide, pursue policies that could draw in new supporters rather than appeal solely to those who backed him during the campaign."Not sure who CNN's "most" is, but I do not see Progressives wanting new supporters in any Republican form, certainly not the Donald Trump ilk. But the feelings are unanimous that we are a split nation, "...with 85% saying so overall, including 86% of independents, 85% of Republicans and 84% of Democrats." And even though Hillary Clinton won the popular vote, the general public still feels ill about her following the election.
As Progressives, we can only hope that Trump will do the right thing. If not, there is 2008. Unfortunately, thanks to Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Democrats/Progressives have been saying that too much in the last few years.
Tuesday, November 29, 2016
Bernie Sanders on Electoral College: Examine now
Rep. Keith Ellison, (D-MN) |
"We have one candidate who had two million more votes than the other candidate but she is not going to be sworn in as president, and I think on the surface that's a little bit weird."Many agree, including Sen. Barbara Boxer from California who has introduced a bill to scrap the Electoral College, which most think has no chance of getting anywhere in a Republican Congress. Progressives have to face this fact head on that liberal issues are going to be on the back burner for four years or at least to when Trump is impeached or resigns. That is, as far as the GOP is concerned. But the hip Democrats and Independents know this is the fight of our lives.
There's plenty of common sense to this thinking if this is a country of "We the people..." Damn the additional efforts to use the popular vote. If our technology will get us to the moon, it certainly should be able to count the votes quickly and accurately following an election. Bernie thinks all this falls in line with where the Democratic Party is going in the future and how it should be led. The Vermont Senator thinks US Rep. Keith Ellison of Minnesota can do the job.
Get an ark and be ready for global warming floods
Pres. Obama Leonardo Decaprio on climate change |
"The current warming trend is of particular significance because most of it is very likely human-induced and proceeding at a rate that is unprecedented in the past 1,300 years."
"Global sea level rose about 17 centimeters (6.7 inches) in the last century. The rate in the last decade, however, is nearly double that of the last century."
"All three major global surface temperature reconstructions show that Earth has warmed since 1880. Most of this warming has occurred since the 1970s, with the 20 warmest years having occurred since 1981 and with all 10 of the warmest years occurring in the past 12 years."There is a supposed hiatus of global warming for the last 19 years and Climate Depot calls it an embarrassing reality. The IPCC (The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change), established in 1988, and recognized by the Earth Summit, admits global warming has paused. Wikipedia attributes the pause to an unusual El Nino in 1998 but adds these references to weather patterns are measured in 15 year periods, possibly too small for accuracy, not accurate.
Watch this video with President Barack Obama with leading climate activist, Leonardo Dicaprio:
In other words, there may be a pause but climate change will get back to its old tricks in no time. Following are but a few in Congress that totally deny the existence of global warming, pointed out by President Obama. Visit this site and you can check your state.
Sen. Mitch McConnell from KY, Rep. Paul Ryan, WI, both a disgrace to Congress, and someone I seriously doubt if she even knows what climate means, much less climate change, Joni Ernst, from Iowa. And there are several more laughables.
Sen. Mitch McConnell from KY, Rep. Paul Ryan, WI, both a disgrace to Congress, and someone I seriously doubt if she even knows what climate means, much less climate change, Joni Ernst, from Iowa. And there are several more laughables.
Monday, November 28, 2016
How many more guns does this country need? REALLY
Apparently Donald Trump's gun lovers don't believe what he said about the 2nd Amendment, the National Rifle Assn. (NRA) and protecting their guns. They headed out in droves on Black Friday for the 10% to 50% discounts that were available on weapons like a $500 Sig Sauer and various assault rifles like an AR-15. Featured in many articles as the "go-to weapon for mass shooters," the average, reasonable individual wonders why any normal citizen needs one.
Because these people are not normal; they are obsessed with guns. And like some car enthusiasts who want the fastest vehicle they can drive, gun worshippers go for the gun with the biggest capacity. Like the Sig Sauer MCX .223 used in the LGBT nightclub massacre with a magazine of thirty. Omar Mateen killed 49 people with a gun that belongs only with the military and law enforcement, but is available to a majority of the U.S. population.
So, the fact that Hillary Clinton, an avowed gun control advocate, didn't win the election, had no effect on the Black Friday surge in gun buying, why are these enslaved individuals rushing out to buy more of what they probably already have at least one of at home? Because Wayne LaPierre, NRA Head, told them to and he did that because the gun manufacturers told him to. There are almost well over 300 million guns on the street, very near to one per household.
Since only one-third of U.S. households own a weapon, approximately 101 million, that's over 3 guns per household. Here are some obscene gun statistics to close:
- Total number of gun incidents-51,720
- Number of deaths-13,367
- Number of injuries-27,560
- Number of children killed or injured-3,418
- Mass shootings-351
The problem is, since we have a cowardly Congress, a newly elected President who favors gun rights, the future looks dismal.
YES, there are valid reasons for an election recount
Hanging chads Florida 2000 |
Second, Jill Stein, Green Party nominee, calls for recounts in Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, due to the possibility of hacks in key counties in those states.
Three, enough of the American public wants it justified by the fact that Jill Stein has already raised $4 million; the cost is only $1.1 million.
Actually, I could stop right there but there is more. The Guardian says:
"...the recount process is intensive, expensive and unlikely to change the outcome of the election unless widespread voter fraud is proven. Experts have been skeptical that is the case."CNET says we should breathe since there is the chance the election was hacked. When's the last time a computer hacking was a positive thing? The answer is before Donald Trump was elected President. Nate Cohn, reporter for polling and demographics for the NY Times along with Nate Silver, who runs the polling statistics website FiveThirtyEight, both say "the differences between the polls and the results don't point to any irregularities."
The Atlantic thinks that many voters who cast their votes elsewhere want to be convinced the election was rigged, thus, calling for a recount. With Clinton leading the popular vote by 2 million+, it's hard not to accept a hypothetical representation of what should have been. So the controversy goes on and on. The process for recounting is long, tedious and very expensive, but the latter is covered so all that is left is the extended effort. Question is, should we do it?
Sunday, November 27, 2016
Congressional members with NRA blood on their hands
Rep. Pete Sessions (R-TX) |
Recipients of cash from the National Rifle Assn. (NRA)
(1988-2016) who refuse to pass gun control laws that would save lives, as
reported by The Nation magazine. Call them today!
Congressman: Rep. Pete Sessions (R-TX)
Total amount received: $51,650
Tel. Number: (202) 225-2231
Republicans want a Constitutional Convention
Why wouldn't they? They control the White House, both houses of Congress, and the Governor's offices and legislatures in many of the states. Perfect opportunity to turn this country so far right the average citizen will be on the streets begging. But wait, there's some actual substance to their plans. Jeb Bush--you remember him--wants to pass term limits and a balanced budget amendment. So far, so good.
A liberal, Harvard professor Lawrence Lessig, got in the act saying now's a great time to undo the Citizens United ruling. Some other liberals, mostly gun control advocates like me, would like to see the 2nd Amendment re-interpreted to fit the 21st century, putting Wayne LaPierre and his NRA gun nuts in their place. There hasn't been a Constitutional Convention since the original one that gave us the Constitution we have. But the environment has never been so right for one party, and the rules for calling a convention are in the Constitution.
Two-thirds of the states have to petition Congress for the meeting, required by Article V of the Constitution. Beyond this stipulation, instructions are vague, which could make it near impossible to come to an agreement. What bothers me most is that the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) endorses the move and I am against anything they are in favor of. ALEC has only one purpose in mind, the promotion of corporations and industry. The consumer be damned.
Some lawmakers and constitutional experts aren't sure about dickering with the Constitution, especially in the environment of a convention. With the loose guidelines for conducting this sort of thing, we could end up with a disaster. But don't we sorta have that anyway now?
Saturday, November 26, 2016
Congressional members with NRA blood on their hands
Rep. Boob Goodlatte-R/VA |
Recipients of cash from the National Rifle Assn. (NRA)
(1988-2016) who refuse to pass gun control laws that would save lives, as
reported by The Nation magazine. Call them today!
Congressman: Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-VA) Total amount received: $52,250
Tel. Number: (202) 225-5431
Trump economic policies could cripple U.S. economy for generation
Economist Larry Summers |
Anthony Scaramucci said in Fortune, one of the keys to Trump's economic plan is his simplification of the tax code. I am sure a majority of people will agree with that, as long as it doesn't favor the wealthy. He reiterates what many others have said, which is to repeal Dodd-Frank would result in disaster. But goes on to say that, like many laws in this country, it could stand tweaking. Here is a sample of Summers' analysis:
"What I'm worried about is that we're going to do tax cuts that are going to cripple government for a generation," Further, his opinion is that by repealing the estate tax, the wealthy in this country will simply protect their assets in a family trust.Harvard's President feels the government will have to take the lead in providing jobs for Americans out of work, currently 4.9% (but we know it is actually more). He says targeting prime infrastructure projects in need could help do the trick. In my opinion, we have to face up to the fact that technological advances plus the automation that has occurred over the last few years are good reasons for the unemployment. Summers says education is the answer and I agree.
But Trump has backed off many of the mandates he issued during the campaign and maybe, somehow, he will come to his senses here. We can only hope.
Friday, November 25, 2016
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