Even the white nationalists are turning on Trump

Iowa has always been the come-to state for Presidents and 2016 was no different for Donald Trump. He took the state 51.1% to win against Hillary Clinton's 41.7, garnering the 6 electoral votes. Des Moines, where I spent several years, went for Clinton as did another major metro area, Cedar Rapids. Iowans are considered good, down to earth, stable people with common sense. That's pretty much true as I can attest to after spending several years in the capital city, but also having experienced a hard-line cliquishness there that forbids outsiders in until proven. I never made it.

I left in the late sixties, never sorry for my decision, and have never looked back. I tell you this to qualify the fact that I am a maverick, always have been, and always will be. Mavericks don't do well in the state, although there is a basketball team there by that name who are apparently winners. But it is people like Tom Godat, a union electrician from Clinton, Iowa, that represents a state that has been a combination of Democrat and Republican in the past, but recently has been attacked by the Tea Party. It elected Joni Ernst to the Senate, something many in the state still can't believe.

But back to Mr. Godat, who has always voted for Democrats, decided to cast his vote for Donald Trump in 2016, not that he particularly thought Trump was best, but because he thought Hillary Clinton was worse. An excellent case in point to shore up the fact that Bernie Sanders should have been the Democrats nominee, not Clinton. Tom now says he is "embarrassed" over his vote. I would suspect that a lot of good people out there are also coming to the same conclusion. What I don't understand is, after viewing Trump's campaign, why wasn't Tom Godat horrified with what he saw?

There were Donald John's comments about Mexican immigrants, about women, about veterans, the disarming of Clinton's bodyguards, saying Obama was the founder of ISIS, sicking the gun nuts on Hillary, encouraging Russia to hack Clinton's campaign, more racism calling for a ban on Muslims in the U.S., saying people in New Jersey were cheering on 9/11, suggesting one of his protesters should be roughed up, referring to his daughter in a sexual way, his bizarre comments about Megyn Kelly's menstrual period, I could go on forever but you get the idea. Why didn't Tom Godat?

Washington Post reporter, Jenna Johnson, and her photographer, Michael S. Williamson, ran into "...more than 100 Iowans [who]explained why so many of them are already disappointed in the new president." It only took four days which means they encountered 25 a day. That's an impressive number of people when you consider that Iowans aren't that open and easy to get to talk to by people they don't know. And then there's Lost Nation, Iowa, where the president received 66 percent of the vote. After Trump's election, the Iowa legislature voted to dramatically scale back the collective bargaining rights of the state’s public workers, distressing my Lost Nation residents.

The Huff Post reports that "thousands" of people across the country are unhappy with their vote for Donald John, and they are tweeting it in response to the "head tweeter's" barrage of lies and misinformation. Here's an example...

“I’m starting to feel like the biggest mistake of my young 23 years of life has been voting for [Trump],” Joseph Richardson tweeted on Nov. 21.

And that's less than two weeks after the November 8, election day. Richardson said it was a bitTrump’s Cabinet picks or the 'very childish' behavior he exhibited at a press conference last week. And he does regret his vote. Sort of." Even if he did it over, Richardson says he still couldn't vote for Clinton continuing with, “I still think Trump would be the better candidate. I’d still regret it. I’d vote for him again but I’d still regret it.” Go figure. But it is this exact kind of reasoning that political pundits were clamoring over during the 2016 election.
unsettling and added, "He doesn’t like

Now here's a guy you just have to shake your head over. Not sure if he is misinformed, full of indecision or just not too bright...

"Bill said he would like Trump to act more like President Barack Obama, who he voted against twice but considers 'an extremely honorable man who served the country fantastically.'”

I could understand a statement that said, served the country "well," or "fine," or even "right." But how can you call Obama "extremely honorable" and a man "who served the country fantastically" but still have voted against him twice? Makes no sense unless there is an ulterior motive. And that's what is wrong with our political system, people voting who haven't the slightest idea what they are doing. There were some that lashed out at Donald John for not following up on his promise to investigate Clinton’s handling of sensitive emails, a decision that also puzzles some of the pundits.

Others voiced their reason to vote for Trump was his promise for change, to drain the swamp. Many of this group think the swamp is fuller than ever, but others believe Trump is following through on his promises. Even the alt-right and its white nationalists are down on Donald Trump. Remember Richard Spencer? The guy "who stood at a podium shortly after Donald Trump's election and, in a video that went viral, shouted 'Hail Trump!' while several in the crowd celebrated the victory with a Nazi salute." He's not sure now his President will be racial enough.

From what I have read, a large number of Trump voters have combined to strongly object over the fact that Donald John did not investigate, subsequently prosecute Hillary Clinton over the email issue. This is a major campaign promise that he broke, and the fact that this is one of the primary annoyances of those who voted for the man, it is yet just one more instance that reflects the amount of animosity toward Hillary Clinton. This was clear from the early 2016 campaigning right through the November election. A leading reason Democrats are in the hole they are now in.

Donald Trump's top adviser and chief White House strategist, Steve Bannon, described Richard Spencer as one of the leading intellectuals of the alt-right movement. CNN reported that...

"Spencer is a white nationalist who believes that there should be a 'peaceful ethnic cleansing,' where people who are not of European descent voluntarily leave the United States."

Not that it is important since this deranged kind of thinking probably has no chance of ever being initiated in this country, but what if they don't leave voluntarily? But just maybe the thought of ethnic cleansing isn't so far out when you consider Trump has already provided the model in his latest Muslim ban of now six countries just announced in Monday's address to Congress. More from Slate on Bannon/Spencer connection...

"In August, [2016] Bannon proudly described his site as 'the platform for the alt-right,' a movement with Spencer as one of its intellectual leaders, again, according to Bannon’s own site."

It is said the Vice President is only a heartbeat away from the presidency. In the case of Steve Bannon, this is a heart beat that could change the direction of the greatest free nation of all time.

What is the real reason that Trump hates the media?

Donald Trump recently banned Journalists from CNN, The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, the BBC, BuzzFeed, and Politico from a news conference. It was an informal question-and-answer session between a press secretary, Sean Spicer, and journalists, adding Breitbart, The Washington Times and One America News Network. The Daily Beast reports White House spokeswoman Sarah H. Sanders said: “We invited the pool so everyone was represented. We decided to add a couple of additional people beyond the pool for an expanded pool. Nothing more than that.”  

She failed to add that in the addition there was also a subtraction, three of the largest media outlets in the country. Time and the Associated Press boycotted what was called a “gaggle,” with the AP commenting… 

“AP believes the public should have as much access to the president as possible.”

CNN, The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, the BBC, BuzzFeed, and Politico deemed the move “a troubling development” and “an affront to freedom of the press.” CNN commented further that it was their assumption if you report true facts, it is something the White House cannot handle. Considering Donald John’s first month in the Oval Office where there were 33 lies and misinformation spewing from his mouth on a daily basis, it’s surprising they continue to hold news conferences. It would be my guess the new president of distortion will set a record for untruths.

Here are a couple of comments...

"The New York Times executive editor Dean Baquet said 'nothing like this has ever happened at the White House in our long history of covering multiple administrations of different parties,' adding: 'Free media access to a transparent government is obviously of crucial national interest.'”

"Ari Fleischer, a Trump backer who served as White House press secretary for President George W. Bush, reacted on CNN by conceding that the decision to block certain reporters from the gaggle was 'unwise and counterproductive,' but added: 'There is nothing unusual about presidents meeting with self-selected reporters… and White House staffs do it all the time.' Fleischer echoed some conservatives who said the press largely overreacted to the way Friday’s briefing was handled, and defended Trump’s overall accessibility to the media."

Come on Fleischer, this wasn't just a meeting with "self-selected reporters." It was a meeting with self-selected reporters that barred reporters from three of the country's leading media outlets. But what do we expect from another Republican, even though he was put out to pasture. Fleischer added...

“He [Donald John] is making journalism interesting and great again. It’s a fascinating time to be a journalist because he’s such a fascinating story. And he’s giving the press so much access.”

Can you believe that? Thought you had to have better than a double-digit IQ to be a press secretary. And it would appear Sean Spicer is following in Fleischer's footsteps. Bret Baier of Fox News surprisingly excluded himself from the gaggle, standing with those boycotted. The Wall Street Journal, although attending, said it would not participate in future press events if the administration did this again. The Daily Beast reported other instances...

"During the campaign, multiple news organizations including The Daily Beast, Politico and The Washington Post were blacklisted by the Trump team—barred from attending any campaign rallies, press conferences or other events."

Donald Trump's oligarchy is turning America into the likeness of countries like China, North Korea and Venezuela, with the outlook that he may try and push his power into that of an autocracy. And while the new White House despot attempts to turn our country into a dictatorship, his press secretary, Sean Spicer, is up for the worst of his kind to come along in the history of western civilization. When you consider that Spicer is the middle-man between the most powerful person in the world and the free voice of America; now, that's scary.

Spicer has been a favorite of "Saturday Night Live" recently and is beginning to look a lot like Kellyanne Conway in terms of the amount of misinformation he has thrown at the press. Conway has been chastised and virtually cut off by the media for her consistency of lies on the air, but reporters have nowhere else to go without Spicer. Unless they just stand around and wait on the leaks from the press secretary's office that apparently are frequent. So much so that Spicer had to call a special meeting recently to check staff electronics, including their phones, for evidence of leaks.

According to Jennifer Rubin of the Washington Post, Sean Spicer is ""...disliked and disrespected by superiors, peers and subordinates alike." Further, "He is so lacking in credibility as to diminish, if not eliminate, his utility in conveying the views of the White House or basic facts about what is going on." This all coming from a reporter from a major U.S. paper located in the nation's capital. Think about this for just a minute. There is a new President that continually hurls lies and misinformation, with his spokesman guilty of the same deeds. Where does that leave the American public?

Especially when they have been told by the Oval Office ogre that the media is the enemy of the people, and some, meaning Donald John supporters, either don't have the intelligence to or simply refuse to realize that this man is a lunatic and shouldn't be believed. In making this unpatriotic saying to the Conservative Political Action Committee for the umteenth time, the President castigated reporters for using anonymous sources and said we are going to do "something" about it. He did not indicate what "something" was, all as if the man is completely oblivious of the 1st Amendment.

If the dictator is planning to do something about dealing with anonymous sources, he'll have to clean his own House first. It was only two hours before Trump criticized anonymous sources at CPAC, exclaiming all sources should be named when, "... an administration official provided a briefing on condition he not be identified," according to USA Today. And here's another quote...

"William McRaven, the retired admiral who planned the 2011 raid that killed Osama bin Laden, said this week that Trump's attacks on the media may also be undermining democracy itself."

Now let's be honest, there are times the media overdoes a story; as a matter of fact, this was true in
the coverage of Donald John in the 2016 primaries and election. As I recall, there was one evaluation of Trump coverage vs. Bernie Sanders and it was something like 200+ impressions for Trump, about 7 for Sanders. Hillary Clinton suffered as well but not as much as the Bern. Apparently, the old phrase applies, "Can't live with 'em, can't live without 'em. In any event, we are experiencing a first with an American President who hates the media and is making himself invisible to it.

Here's a comment from Matthew Miller, a spokesman for President Barack Obama's Justice Department...

The sustained attacks show "how worried he is about the repeated reports of chaos, incompetence, and potential wrongdoing inside his administration. His problem, though, is with the facts, not the media, and he’s only making his problem worse the more he runs away from it."

How does one say it? The country is going to hell in a handbasket, an expression I have heard since I was a kid, but have no idea what it means. But in the case of Donald Trump it could very well mean Armageddon.

Political Satire: What is Trump still hiding about Russia?

He's not heavy, he's my puppet 

Whatever it is, it is bad enough that Donald Trump has enlisted the help of Congress, the intelligence community. And now the FBI has refused to cooperate with the White House by downplaying the news stories about Donald John's close ties with Russia. It involves Trump associates’ ties to Russia and the fact that pressure is being applied to cover this up. Greg Miller of the Washington Post said...

"Acting at the behest of the White House, the officials made calls to news organizations last week in attempts to challenge stories about alleged contacts between members of President Trump’s campaign team and Russian intelligence operatives."

Here's some background on the story. According to Politifact...

"The Washington Post reported Dec. 9 that the CIA concluded Russia meddled in the election with the intent to help Trump, rather than to disrupt the election generally. The New York Times produced a similar report. However, the Washington Post also reported that the FBI isn't as confident in this conclusion. These stories are all based on anonymous sources and cannot be independently verified."

 But just last week, the FBI indicated that it would not downplay these same news reports after a request to do so from the White House. Business Insider Politics said...

"Trump administration officials wanted the FBI to disavow the reports and say there was no contact between people associated with Trump and Russia."

Democrats are still pissed over the fact that FBI Director James B. Comey released critical information about Hillary Clinton's email probe just prior to the 2016 election, yet kept quiet on the fact that Trump's campaign team had been in regular contact with Russia. Hillary Clinton accused Donald John of a direct tie between him and Vladimir Putin in one of the election debates, accusing her opponent of joining with the Russian leader to get rid of NATO. And then early in February, Trump voices his support for NATO admonishing member countries for better support.

Rep. Adam B. Schiff (Calif.), the ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee said that...

 if the White House “contrived to have intelligence officials contradict unfavorable news reports, this represents a new and even more grave threat to the independence of the intelligence community.”

Former CIA director Michael Hayden expressed his concern that intelligence sources were being strong-armed into providing information that was later being interpreted into political speak and then put into the wording that best fit their message. What's new. But considering the Trump administration's  continued praise of Putin and all the action so far to get it out of the media, does that mean there is a smoking gun? And to cap it all off, Donald John has repeatedly criticized the intelligence organizations recently for leaking misinformation.

The leading example of Russian involvement in the 2016 election was the DNC hack where the embarrassing emails from Debbie Wasserman Schultz were uncovered, resulting in her being removed as chair. In this case the federal intelligence community, cybersecurity analysts, the Homeland Security Department and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence released a statement saying...

"...they believed people at the top levels of Russian government directed the attack in an attempt to interfere in the election."

Donald Trump took the Miss Universe pageant to Moscow in 2013, and he is known to have other

It might even look like this

business interests in Russia; specifically a desire to build a luxury Trump hotel in Moscow. But since he won't release his taxes, there is no way to know exactly what is going on. There is one thing we know for sure, Donald Trump is about business. He has been criticized time and again over the lack of complete separation between the presidency and his business-related interests. One son recently cost the federal govt. thousands of protection dollars to protect him in work abroad for the hotels.

Business insider Politics reported...

"Democratic Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse this week said he was sure the Russia-related cloud hanging over President Donald Trump's administration would not be clearing up anytime soon."

 The Rhode Island Democrat says Lindsey Graham's Subcommittee on Crime and Terrorism will look at the issue from three perspectives. 1) Trump's relationship with Russia pertaining to his business enterprises; 2) What did these actually do to affect the 2016 election?; 3) How exactly was the Trump staff involved in, if any, shenanigans in trying to swing the election toward Donald John? It is a fact that more Republicans have evidenced their concern over the possibility that Russia might have some part in getting Trump elected.

It is important to note that three important Donald Trump advisers have left the White House staff due to their Russian ties. First, Paul Manafort, former campaign manager and consultant for a pro-Russian political party in Ukraine, left early, in August of 2016. Resignation has not been explained. Carter Page, former foreign policy adviser, left in September 2016, with ties to a business consultancy work for state-owned Russian oil giant Gazprom. Page is currently subject to U.S. investigations over his Russian connections. Michael Flynn left recently Feb. 13, for lying to V.P. Pence about speaking with Russian Ambassador Sergei Kislyak in December 2016.

Politifact concluded...

"Based on the evidence, it seems highly unlikely that actions by the Russian government contributed in any decisive way to Trump’s win over Clinton."

Senior research scientist at CNA Analysis & Solutions, Dmitry Gorenburg, lamented over all the ruckus over what might have happened. What the U.S. should be concerned about is the fact that Russia even made the attempt. As an observer to all that has been written, that would indicate to me that the hackers felt they had the means to accomplish their goals and it is accepted knowledge that Putin's minions are known to be excellent cyber thieves. They were able to hack into and steal million from U.S. banks back in 2015.

However, former President George W. Bush said, "...that the American people deserve answers on the alleged connection between President Donald Trump’s campaign and Russia." This from Donald John's own party plus someone who sat in the Oval Office in the same place where he is sitting now just over eight years ago. And then just this past Friday...

"Republican Rep. Darrell Issa called for Attorney General Jeff Sessions to hire an independent prosecutor to investigate the connection between the Trump campaign and Russia. Issa joins a number of Democrats in calling for an independent prosecutor."

I would expect that kind of rhetoric coming from a career building blowhard like Issa, but GWB is way beyond having to make a name for himself. Apparently the decision of a prosecutor is Senator Richard Burr (R-N.C.), chairman of the U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. This was Trump's, of course, Tweet response...

“Russia talk is FAKE NEWS put out by the Dems, and played up by the media, in order to mask the big election defeat and the illegal leaks!” 

And finally, Wilbur Ross, who probably will be confirmed Secretary of Finance tonight, is the latest with Donald John's conglomeration of Russian connections. Esquire reports that Ross has an ownership stake in a Cyprus bank in consultation with Russian President Vladimir Putin who was the first to prop up the institution. The magazine also notes that, "Cyprus banks have a long and painful history of laundering dirty money from Russians involved with corruption and criminality."

Well, it just doesn't get any better.

Poltiical Satire: Can the Democrats/Progressives recover? Why not!

The left is in, perhaps, the worst shape it has been in for decades. Not that it has had that much past luck in Congress, the only positive recently being Barack Obama who was stonewalled by the GOP during his entire eight years. But the election of Donald Trump over Hillary Clinton proves the inability of Democrats to nominate an electable candidate to run against a weakened Republican Party. They had one in Bernie Sanders but blew it allowing Debbie Wasserman Schultz to run the show and bar his nomination through unethical tactics, for which she was fired.

There are all kinds of perceptions of whether or not the Bern would have beat Trump, but what is sure is the fact that he would have given him a better run for his money than Hillary Clinton did. Sanders awakened the younger crowd, which could have been his ace in the hole against Donald John. But this is all history and the focus now is how to bring Democrats/Progressives back to the forefront. If my experience with the Demographic grassroots volunteer organization is any indication of the competency of this group, this is where the most work is necessary.

With both Barack Obama and Bernie Sanders I volunteered my services repeatedly; in both cases, with no takers. That's right, my background in database management, including computer modeling , along with research and market predicting was made available several times to apparently deaf ears. Due to my physical condition I couldn't go out and knock on doors, but time and again I offered to make my full office and experience available. Most recently, I contacted Bernie Sanders' campaign right up to the bitter end of his running for the nomination. Both in my state and national. Nothing.

And today Democrats are divided over how to handle Donald Trump, with one group wanting an all-out war, the other wants to try and guide him to the center. It should be obvious by now to anyone, you don't push Donald John in any direction but his own. And then there's the realization that with all the support to oppose Trump, the congressional Democrats just may not have the power to accomplish what they want. Impeachment now would take some strong support from Republicans and that isn't likely to happen. Of course, 2018 could turn the tide.

Bernie Sanders

But there has always been a leader from the left that stood out when minds were being made up aboutBernie Sanders stood out as the candidate of choice but denied his right. The American public was screaming for change, and the Bern offered that in a way that would most benefit the working class. What they got was Donald Trump, the voice of...Donald Trump.
campaigns and elections to come. Names like F.D.R., John Kennedy, Bill Clinton, unfortunately, Hillary Clinton most recently. There was a clear point at which the obvious was there to see in 2016, and that was when

One Democrat from a left-leaning state, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, who is Vice Chairman off the Democratic Governors Assn., spoke of massive support for resistance against Donald John's Executive Order banning refugee admissions and travel from seven majority Muslim countries. Gov. Inslee has backed a lawsuit that challenges Trump's Executive Order and commented that by "...undermining Mr. Trump across the board..." The Dems will eventually hope to split Republicans away from the President. Not sure the likes of Mitch McConnell are bright enough.

The Democratic Party is so weakened that several Congress members from red states are afraid to oppose Trump for fear of losing their seats. But what good are those seats to the left if they have no voice. The answer is none. I am having a problem here wondering why we aren't getting fire and brimstone from a team of Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren and Chuck Schumer. They are, combined, the strength of the Senate and the Democratic Party. The Republicans doesn't hesitate to gang up against the left when the opportunity presents itself.

However, this is what the Dems are up against. A House and Senate controlled by the GOP. A Republican in the White House, although with such a lack of direction in his first month in office, the unknown will be the biggest problem. And if, probably when, Neil Gorsuch is installed in the Supreme Court, it will be five conservatives against four liberals. Insurmountable odds? Maybe not. Leo Jennings, a Democratic consultant from Youngstown, Ohio, days the Party must adopt a more Progressive economic agenda. Progressives must reclaim the Party.

Jennings, a Sanders supporter, said...

"If we don't start talking about the things that we can do to make it better for all working-class voters, we're bankrupt as a party."

Jennings feels you should lump whites and blacks (people of color) together in the Party's approach, but not rule out identity politics altogether. A state Party organizer who is black said, "If the Democratic Party wants to be around in the future, they need to go left." Precisely what Bernie Sanders was doing when his campaign was ruthlessly side-tracked. The public saw Hillary Clinton as too middle of the road and much too connected to the financial community to be on the side of the consumer. Some Sanders' supporters did vote for Hillary butt it was all too late.

I mentioned the potential magic trio earlier of Sanders, Warren and Schumer, the latter also Senate minority leader, thinking how much power is held by three of the most forceful Democrats in the Senate. What if we now add former President Barack Obama to the formula as a civilian, and Bill and Hillary Clinton, if they are of a mind, plus any other Progressives that want to join the new club. Now, looking forward to 2018, and a takeover of the Senate, and the House too, this consortium could be unbeatable. Is there any reason why these people couldn't and shouldn't work together?

There is at least one skeptic, Chinemerem Onyeukwu, 23, the Party organizer from Ohio, who is worried that, "...Democrats are going to keep running what he called '90s-style campaigns despite Clinton's loss." He has reason to believe that when, in light of the changing analytics of the 2016 Primaries, the Dems were still under the spell of the wicked witch from Florida. There is hope with the election of a new Democratic National Committee head yesterday, Tom Perez. It wasn't the pick of Bernie Sanders and the rest of the Party left, so the future remains to be seen.

Political Satire: Steve Bannon pursues "deconstruction" of what?

Look what we dug up

It is near impossible to find something to admire Donald trump for but Steve Bannon would. It's the fact that the engineer of this runaway train, being called the Trump administration, will never moderate on his issues. That would be commendable, except that many of his issues are insane. Take the immigration Executive Order as one example. Another is targeting Obamacare. There are more. But this is all about something Stevo calls “deconstruction of the administrative state,” and that would mean...

"...the system of taxes, regulations and trade pacts that the president says have stymied economic growth and infringed upon U.S. sovereignty."

It was Barack Obama, a Democrat, who rescued the U.S. economy after Geo. W. Bush, another Republican, put it in the toilet.  Obama has placed it on the path to recovery and it would be in an even better position if the former President hadn't been blocked at every move he made by GOP obstructionists like Mitch McConnell and John Boehner. Back to Bannon, here's another biting commentary...

"Former Ohio governor Ted Strickland (D) said Bannon is a 'dangerous person driven by an authoritarian ideology who, I fear, has more influence than anyone in the administration.
This is a mean, vicious, intolerant group. I’ve never seen anything like this in my political life.'”

Finally, for the record, When Stevo was a documentary filmmaker, he promoted former Alaska governor Sarah Palin as a conservative idol for the Tea Party wackos. Need I say more?

The real story...

Political Satire: 33 Days of lies/misinformation from the White House

Have you wondered, will Donald Trump ever get through one day without telling a lie or spewing misleading information? It is doubtful since his first 33 days in office have been fraught with a complete distortion of the facts. But with no remorse. That's the new President of the United States, a gift bestowed on us by a bunch of uneducated, racist, religious nuts. This group probably has a problem with the truth since they are completely removed from reality. And the real problem is that these poor souls still think this lunatic is doing the right thing.

Here's more, and it might be the most alarming; a conservative news service reported that 45% of Donald John's followers trust his administration more than the news media. No doubt the same conglomeration as those covered above. The Washington Post's lead fact-checker, Glenn Kessler, said...

“There’s never been a presidential candidate like Donald Trump — someone so cavalier about the facts and so unwilling to ever admit error, even in the face of overwhelming evidence.”

Yet, the American public just complacently sits back, when there should be an outcry demanding that this maniac either resign or be impeached. But, of course, there is still a blockhead Congress to deal with. What we need is a new visionary from the Progressive ranks to lead the fight. Actually, we had one, and he is the person who should be in the White House now.

The real story...

Political Satire: More never-ending Tea Party stupidity

The Tea Party brain

There is just no end to the idiocy of this organization. You have to wonder how a group with double-digit IQs can hang around so long; probably because there are so many people out there with double-digit IQs. I am talking about the Tea Party, of course, more specifically their continued derision of Barack Obama. Apparently, these blockheads don't know he is out of office, no longer in the White House. Not in a policy-making capacity anymore, and probably doesn't give a damn what the Tea Party thinks or says about him. But they still keep grinding it out. Why?

Because of headlines like this, "BIZARRE: Obama’s CULT Manual FOUND, Claims ‘Clouds Will Part’ When He and Michelle Return," that encourage those double-digits to read their crap and give up their money. The Tea Party has been bankrolled from the beginning by the Koch Bros., David and Charles, guilty repeatedly of favoring their business interests over human life and the general well-being of consumers. The Tea Party follows suit by favoring their ultra-conservative credo and driving issues that benefit their group at the expense of the country. No matter, it will always be stupid.

Political Satire: The Daily Banter calls Mitch McConnell a condescending prick

There are several terms used for Mitch McConnell, the most disliked member of the U.S. Senate, but "condescending prick" in The Daily Banter is perhaps one of the best. My favorite is asshole, which is described in the dictionary as, a stupid, mean, or contemptable person. That certainly works for me. But get this, in Kentucky, Rand Paul, the state's other Senator, has an approval rank of 51%, McConnell only 40%. Even Breitbart, an alt-right publication, says he is the most unpopular U.S. Senator with a 52% disapproval rating, only 38% approve. The man is a disgrace to this country.

The Daily Banter is referring to his bitching and moaning over protests against Donald Trump that are holding up Senate business, when this jerk brought Senate business to a complete halt during the Obama administration, just because it was Barack Obama. I have always said this also included racial overtones, a characteristic McConnell has been accused of before. The downside of all this with Donald John in the White House, it is a two-barrel crisis since the former will no doubt rubber-stamp most everything McConnell does. One can only hope the American public wake up before 2018.

The real story...

Political Satire: Trump...The clown who doesn't know he's a clown

What difference does a war make Donald

I had a friend during my younger years who acted pretty zany when all our friends got together to party. Didn't think much about it since most of us were half zwacked. The friend was displaying his normal clownish antics one evening at a fairly respectable place that expected decorum, when a new arrival to the group turned to me and said, "Geez, who invited this country bumpkin?" I suddenly realized just how stupid you can be when you have had too much to drink. Donald Trump claims to be a teetotaler, yet he still comes off as a "buffoon."

That's what Seth Myers called Trump on his "Late Night" show but he added, a buffoon "...Who Has No Friends." My friend was no Donald John, and he did have some friends, but even at the rate I put away booze at parties or outings, I could see he was definitely a buffoon. The guy was also a racist, something I learned later in our friendship, which does make him more Trumpish. When you think about it, who are the recent ruler's friends? The first name that comes to mind is Steve Bannon and that may very well be why Seth Myers said Donald Trump has no friends. Think about it.

The real story...

Political satire:Trump runs away career CIA agent

Donald Trump at the CIA promoting Donald Trump

He wanted to make it his life's work, had spent 10 years at the CIA, even told his father he would make it his career. And then Donald Trump was elected. Edward Price became disillusioned even before the floundering new President took office. And there is nothing partisan about his decision; he served both the administrations of both George W. Bush and Barack Obama. But when an outsider held the agency in such contempt with a complete disregard to its years of accomplishments, that was too much for Price. He cites in a presidential debate where Donald John cast aspersions on the 17 intelligence agency findings that Russia had hacked the U.S. election. Something now confirmed.

Price recalls the gall of Donald Trump turning a day meant for the purpose of repairing relations with the CIA into just another grandstand of his "ego and bluster." His words...

"Standing in front of a memorial to the CIA’s fallen officers, he seemed to be addressing the cameras and reporters in the room, rather than the agency personnel in front of them, bragging about his inauguration crowd the previous day."

Pathetic! And then there was Donald John's favorite white nationalist, Steve Bannon, top White House adviser but now a part of the National Security Council, one, if not the most, secret organization our country has. Well, it was all enough to send Edward Price looking for another job, a huge loss for the American government, particularly the CIA. How many more top profile exits can we expect under this new cancer in the White House?

The real story...

Political Satire: Whose President is Donald trump?

I didn't see any "Trump my Presidents Day" rallies on the Presidents Day holiday. There were several “Not My Presidents Day” crowds across the country. As an example, in Chicago, a child on the parent's shoulders held a placard that said: "Donny's not my President, Donny's a dumbhead." That pretty much says it all for those of us who value a certain level of class in the White House, a person with the character of an adult. Not a child-like, pompous buffoon who embarrasses the U.S. around the world and provokes demonstrations that label him not a President of the people.

There were a lot of immigrants in the different groups, protesting the kind of treatment that Donald John has demonstrated from the first day of his presidential campaign right up to his Executive Order for an immigrant travel ban. And these folks just may be the key to his downfall. There are at least 11 million illegal immigrants in the U.S., one-million of which are in Florida. The way Donald Trump is talking, they have nothing to lose if the million converge on Mar-a-Lago when Trump and his family are there, surround the place, holding them hostage until he resigns.

Just kidding but I wonder how long it would take Donald John to run out of golf balls?

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Political Satire: The wacky workings of Trump supporters

Typical Donald Trump voter

They lined up to vote for a candidate that repeatedly talked and acted as if he had come completely off the spool. During the 2016 presidential campaign, Bernie Sanders called him 'delusional' and 'insane,' and you know it had to be something exceptional for the Bern to say something like that. But they are dedicated and one must assume as delusional and insane as Donald Trump. To show their loyalty, these people who...

"...waited for hours in the Florida sun this weekend for his first post-inauguration campaign rally — say their lives changed on election night. Suddenly they felt like their views were actually respected and in the majority."

Let's analyze them:

• White, no high school diploma (Uneducated) 
• Live in Mobile homes (Low income)
• Segregationists (Probably racists)
• Evangelical Christians (Likely some religious nuts)

There's more but you get the idea. And these people are pissed off that Donald John isn't getting the respect he deserves. Considering their demographics and voting record, these poor souls haven't the slightest idea what respect is. If they are so enamored, let the religious folks build an idol that looks like Donald Trump to worship. See what kind of crowd that would draw.

Political Satire: There's a limit to even presidential security

Just Donald Trump's "great" room

From the White House in Washington, D.C.,  to Trump Tower in Manhattan, to Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, the costs are soaring to keep Donald Trump and his family safe. To begin with, Melania, the First Lady, has decided to continue to make her and her son't residence in New York at the Trump Tower. One cannot blame her but why should the American taxpayer foot the bill of $500,000 a day amounting to $183 million a year. This almost unnecessary semi permanent expense is bad enough, but get this about one of the prodigal sons...

The "Secret Service and U.S. Embassy staffers paid nearly $100,000 in hotel-room bills to support Eric Trump’s trip to promote a Trump-brand condo tower in Uruguay"

Then it was on to Dubai where Secret Service accommodations have surpassed $16,000, continuing from there to Vancouver, B.C.

The pompous mogul can't use Camp David like other presidents, no, he has to fire up Air Force One to go to Mar-a Lago, which takes two hours at $200,000 an hour. The losers that voted for Donald John knew he was the epitome of extravagance so here's an idea. Take an average for presidential security, say Barack Obama, Geo. W. Bush combined, and subtract that from what is being spent for Trump. To recoup the difference, tax each Donald Trump voter in an amount that totals the difference of what the rest of the American public is now paying. Call it retribution for bad judgment.

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Political Satire: Donald Trump baptized the dictator he is

I am not a fan of John McCain, even though I am an Arizonan, but he hit it on the head Saturday when he commented on Donald Trump's statement that U.S. media is "the enemy of the American people," intoning that is “how dictators get started.” But Donald John had his start years ago in his everyday course of doing business. If you don't agree with the oligarch, you will be quickly dispatched on your way most likely with your pockets empty. There is no looking back, this man is hell-bent on pushing his personal agenda at the expense of the country he supposedly leads.

Donald John does not like the media because they aren't constantly at his feet, praising his every move. He surpasses the topmost heights of narcissism and borders on a dangerous level of a completely unbalanced individual. He reacts to John McCain calling him a loser and makes another reference to his "hero" status. Maybe if Congress renamed the White House Trump Palace, in keeping with the Queen of England, and renovated the Oval Office to a throne room, complete with a gold throne, that would feed his ego enough. Nah...he wants something closer to God-like status.

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Political Satire: Even Kellyanne Conway's alma mater dislikes her

Either she isn't contributing enough to the alumni fund, or Trinity Washington University has simply had enough of the lies and deceit being spewed by Kellyanne Conway...as has the rest of the country. Here's what Patricia McGuire, President of TWU, wrote recently...

“Presidential Counselor Kellyanne Conway, Trinity Class of 1989, has played a large role in facilitating the manipulation of facts and encouraging the grave injustice being perpetrated by the Trump Administration’s war on immigrants among many other issues.”

KC replied that McGuire didn't hesitate to ask her for money--she donated $50,000--and added TWU had commented favorably on other alumni, Nancy Pelosi, adding, Pelosi had "...a casual relationship with the truth." Now, this statement is downright preposterous coming from someone whose relationship with the truth is non-existent. Kellyanne Conway has reached a critical point now from which there is probably no return. Aesop said it best...

"A liar will not be believed, even when he [she] speaks the truth."

The way politics are going these days, KC will easily find another job. 

Political Satire: Donald Trump blunders through news conference lies

The one and only Donald "Pinocchio" Trump

Let's start with the "Perfect" Executive Order rollout, which he bragged over after describing his administration as “a fine-tuned machine.” Neither the Executive Order rollout was perfect, nor is his administration a fine-tuned machine. The Immigration Executive Order was stopped in in its tracks by a court order and this administration, well, it can only be considered a complete disaster. This can be illustrated through the antics of one of his top advisers, Kellyanne Conway, who has recently been banned by two major news organizations because all she does is lie to the media.

But, of course, Donald Trump is the head honcho when it comes to barfing up the complete fabrication of the truth. USA today did a fact-check on his recent disinformation news conference and the level of deception of the American public is downright frightening. Here are some...

• Trump said that the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which unanimously decided not to reinstate Trump’s travel ban, has had its rulings overturned by the Supreme Court “at a record number.” Not true.

• The president claimed his November victory was “the biggest Electoral College win since Ronald Reagan.” It wasn’t. Three presidents since Reagan captured a larger share of electoral votes than Trump did, including Republican George H.W. Bush.

• Trump said he thought the media had “a lower approval rate than Congress.” No — the public’s approval of Congress is lower than its trust in the media. There's more in the link below.

Donald John's Geppetto apparently had a dull knife when he carved what is now the president of the United States. In Pinocchio, the wooden figure just wanted to be a boy but tends to lie a lot. Fortunately, he has a cricket named Jiminy, who helps him with his conscience and the change eventually happens. Happy ending, right? Pinocchio yes, White House no. There is no Jiminy Cricket in the WH but if there were, with the level of lies spewing from this man, and his determination to continue the trend, he would need to walk around the Oval Office with a can of Raid.

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Political Satire: Donald Trump makes white supremacy notorious

White nationalism or white supremacy is the belief that white people are superior to those of all other races, especially the black race, and should therefore dominate society. It's hard to believe this kind of concept could persist in the 21st century. Don't get me wrong, it has been prevalent over the years since the Civil Rights Act of 1968 also known as the Fair Housing Act. There were others before it but Lyndon Johnson thought he was putting on the final touches with his late sixties bill. Although there was some noticeable breakthrough, racism in its purest form still exists.

What we never thought possible in this country is the fact that, even though there have been racists presidents before him, no other administration has ever prided itself in stocking its staff, even its cabinet, with white nationalists. Donald Trump not only welcomes their company, he encourages their participation in the sport by regularly practicing his own. It's like who can one up the other. As Salon's headline expressed...

Donald Trump’s white nationalist “genius bar”: Steve Bannon, Stephen Miller, Michael “Decius” Anton and beyond

 Further: "Donald Trump’s administration is built around a brain trust of white nationalists." Folks, these crackpots are all proud of a trait that normal, civilized people consider abhorrent. In addition to the above, Donald John's new Atty. General, Jeff Sessions, has been a racist most of his adult life. And according to the Washington Post, half of Trump supporters are racists, proving my earlier point that racism has been prevalent over the years, in spite of targeted legislation. We are a truly pathetic nation that allows these lowlifes not only to exist, but also to proliferate.

Said it once and here it is again, "How about concentration camps for racists?" my headline from an earlier post. May sound far-fetched but wouldn't it be fun to visit their compound and flip them the bird through the chain-link fence...with barb-wire around the top, of course.

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Political Satire: Mitch McConnell a fan of derangement

A one word definition of derangement is "insanity," something that most certainly applies to new President, Donald Trump, and his entire administration. Muttonhead McConnell said of Donald John, "...what I am a fan of is what he's been actually doing." Let's see what that is...

Starting at the inauguration, with clear evidence to the contrary, Trump exclaimed he had largest inauguration crowd ever. The President lied.

Then, he sent spokesman, Sean Spicer, in front of the public to reiterate his lie of inauguration crowd size. The President's spokesman lied.

Put the country's business on the back burner while he raised hell with Nordstrom for dropping his daughter, Ivankas's, clothes line.

Continuing a war against the media that not only he can't win, but one that displays his buffoonery to the world, making America the laughingstock. 

Talks and writes like a three-year-old, something that has rubbed off on his staff and is available, when he tweets, which he does incessantly, to the entire world.

Lets Kellyanne Conway talk, and talk, and talk to the public saying nothing of substance and lying more than Donald John, if that is possible.

I was born in Kentucky, but am frankly ashamed of that fact since mealy mouthed McConnell represents the state. I was in Paducah recently with my wife and the mention of his name brought only looks of scorn. So who the hell voted for him? The same people who voted for Trump, those with the standards of an imbecile.  

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Political Satire: Running from the Oval Office Trump screams FIRE...FIRE

It was 2AM in the White House when Donald Trump emerged from the Oval Office, smartphone held high, screaming that there was a fire, when he ran into Kellyanne Conway stalking Steve Bannon. She thought he was NBC's Chuck Todd. KC said, "What the hell are you talking about? Where?"

"Right here on my phone you idiot, and you are one of the main reasons."

"If you keep hurting my feelings, I'll go on TV and tell everyone your gardener does your hair."

He thought about that for a minute and decided to change the subject. "KC, they're getting way too close to the truth about my connections to Russia, and you know how much I hate the truth. By the way, have you ever told the truth?"

She thought so long that Donald John went on. "When I told my campaign to get in touch with Russian officials about Hillary and the Democratic National Committee, they told me no one would ever know. The question now is how to hang them out to dry and get me off the hook. If you can ace that, I'll put you in charge of Steve Bannon."

"Goody, goody," was the reply, and she immediately tweeted, 'White House learns that it was Jared Kushner who set up contacts with Russia to do the hacking and is the close friend of Vladimir Putin.' She looked at her phone satisfied that she was still able to lie like the pro she was. 'Two birds with one stone." Then, "That'll teach him to try and keep me out of the White House.

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Political Satire: White House renamed Looney Bin

The transition from a perfectly normal White House, with a normal President and his normal family, to this...

We have a President who wasn't elected by the popular vote, who is a tweet mongering lunatic and pathological liar. If that weren't enough, he brings along a family, not just to join him occasionally in the White House, but to help him run the government. Without the slightest idea of what they are doing. Of course, neither does Donald Trump as President.

 E.J. Dionne sums it up best in his Washington Post headline: "Admit it: Trump is unfit to serve"

I could stop right now, having made my case for ridding this country of a demagogue who will surely, if given the time, bring the United States down to its knees. But unfortunately there is more...

Donald John sends his son in law, Jared Kushner, Ivanka's husband, to the middle-east for peace negotiations because 1)he s a real estate salesman, 2) he's Ivanka's husband, 3) he's a Jew. As a comparison, a recent negotiator was former Senator and presidential candidate, John Kerry.

Donald John goes wacko when Nordstrom drops his daughter, Ivanks's, clothes line spending a couple days tweeting nonsensical tirades against the company--prompting two other retailers to do the same--mostly ignoring the job he was elected to do,. 

Donald John names Steve Bannon his chief strategist. For what, to promote an administration of white nationalists that is already lopsided with racists like Jeff Sessions, the new Attorney General, and Donald Trump himself, with his first Executive Order to ban immigrants from the country. 

And, of course, the continued cultivation of his twin pathological liar and all around ringmaster of the White House lunatics, Kellyanne Conway. If there is anyone in the lineup of Trump flunkeys that should be kept out of the public eye and cutting the White House lawn, it is KC. 

In closing, Dionne's concerns over Trump's loyalties bother me most and should matter to the wingnuts that elected him. I'm thinking, as we can hold someone accountable legally for libel, there should be a way to make Trump supporters accountable for what this maniac is doing to our country.

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Political Satire: Mitch McConnell still the asshole even after Obama

Mitch Mitchell-The epitome of hypocrisy

Many Republican Senators, featuring Mitch McConnell at the head of the list, have made it their goal, actually a crusade, to put the good of America on the back burner with the sole purpose to stand in the way and defeat anything the Democrats propose. The movement became a monster under McConnell as the minority leader in the Senate in 2009. His quote was: “The single most important thing we want to achieve is for President Obama to be a one-term president.” A single-minded promise to screw the country in order to stop a great President from doing great things. They did.

But Barack Obama was elected to a second term, so now how do we get rid of Mitch McConnell? Legally, of course. With this in mind, I would like to suggest that McConnell immediately retire from the Senate and enter a monastery to atone for his sins against the former President. If he won't go willingly, maybe Harry Reid could be talked into shanghaiing him from the Congress subway system, then delivering him to the abbey. After all, Reid is a former boxer. I know this would never happen but can't you see it now?

First of all, you would have to explain to McConnell what atone means.

Second, none of the Monks would have anything to do with him. Naturally.

Third, McConnell would refuse to enter the monastery if there were any black monks; force needed

Fourth, he would fight to block any...well, just about anything that comes up within the walls.

Fifth, all the lies he tells in the monastery must stay in the monastery. Denied.

Pipe dreams? Yes, but this is what Progressives do with this kind of President and Congress.

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Political Satire: Trump's 'propaganda minister' in trouble

Kellyanne Conway transitions to pathological liar

Mika Brzezinski of MSNBC's "Morning Joe" show says she won't interview Kellyanne Conway because “It’s giving people dishonesty, it’s not worth the interview.” Another quote from a show anchor...

"Conway hasn’t been invited on the anchor's show for months, saying the viewer gets 'nothing out of her' because 'she constantly obfuscates and misrepresents the truth.'”

 In cognitive behavioral therapy, a pathological liar is...

"...a stand-alone disorder as well as a symptom of other disorders such as psychopathy and antisocial, narcissistic, and histrionic personality disorders, but people who are pathological liars may not possess characteristics of the other disorders. Excessive lying is a common symptom of several mental disorders."

I can see the headline now, 'Mike Pence assumes presidential duties. His first act is an Executive Order to commit Donald John and KC to the White House funny farm to receive therapy for their compulsive lying. Sorta like a modern day political Mutiny on the Bounty. Trump is of course Captain Bligh, and  Conway could play the deck hand who organizes the crew into mutiny; very appropriate casting if I do say so.

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Political Satire: Trump Executive Order making Steve Bannon Presdent

Trump's latest Executive Order

Donald Trump was secretly constructing a new Executive Order when Kellyanne Conway walked into the Oval Office. She immediately asked what he was working on since Donald John looked so insidious. He told her he was afraid he might have to resign since everyone was dropping Ivanks's clothes line and there was no way he would let this country's business interfere with his business. Besides, he planned to come out with a new line of golf balls and his business advisers were telling him 'Dump the presidency." I'm recommending Steve Bannon for the job.

"Whaddaya mean, Bannon, Mike Pence is Vice President."

"That's what this Executive Order is for but don't tell Mikey or Stevo yet."

"This is bullshit, why can't I be President?" KC retorted.

"You're a woman, to begin with, and besides, no one likes you. You have to have charisma like me."

It was right then that Melania walked in. "Here's the plan to trim the White House in gold. Mitch McConnell loves it and says he'll get the budget of $100 million approved."

Donald John looked at everyone, "Maybe I'll hang around another two years; probably won't make it past the midterms anyway."

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Political Satire: 3 Musketeers replace KKK

Yiannopoulos, Spencer and Bannon

Not that we were ever free of the Ku Klux Klan, but now we have a new version of white supremacy going by the initials YSB which stands for Milo Yiannopoulos, Richard Spencer and Steve Bannon. You know who Bannon is but the other two are less well known but just as articulate. And I guess I just don't get it because I have never understood why a white Caucasian thinks the color of their skin makes them a better human being than another person of color, particularly blacks. I read the book, "Race and Reason" over 50 years ago, convinced these people were fruitcakes then.

According to the Additive Color Theory, white is a color and black is the absence of color, scientifically speaking. That could play several ways to mean what you want, but any way you cut it, it's laughable. Look at it this way...for some reason the sun gets hung up on earth and there is no darkness for six months. All us superior whites get sun tans that make us look almost black. All the blacks out in the sun non-stop are bleached out to mulatto. Yiannopoulos, Spencer and Bannon look at each other and are horrified that no one can tell the difference anymore. Peace.

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Political Satire: Bedbugs responsible for Kellyanne Conway wackiness

Kellyanne's personal bed bug

Kellyanne Conway was lying on the exam table in the emergency room of Bethesda Naval hospital wearing only one of those gowns that open down the back, or front, or whatever. The bright florescent light glaring overhead made her squint, shading her eyes momentarily with her hand. Two doctors were discussing the situation over in the corner but she couldn't really hear what they were saying. One looked at her periodically and she didn't like the scowl on his face. Finally, the other doc said out loud, "It can't be," and KC came raring up.

"It can't be what?" and the two doctors hurriedly left the room calling for constraints.

Now she didn't know what to do. There was something wrong, no doubt, when Donald John had recommended that she needed medical help. Her family and staff agreed. Even Steve Bannon thought her behavior was beyond unusual; on a scale of one to ten, right now she was an eleven. It all stemmed from an itching in her brain that prompted her to say ridiculous things, even more ridiculous than she normally did. Like recently she made the statement that Donald Trump had decided to enter the priesthood and wanted KC to join him as a nun. This was on CNN, labeled alternative news.

It was right after that crawly, itchy feeling in her head. She likened it to liberals walking in her brain and said it wasn't a sure thing but thought it was Bernie Sanders. And then on another occasion, she walked into the briefing room, right up to the podium, and gave the press her daily briefing. Except, the press wasn't there, only a janitor cleaning who clapped loudly. It didn't go unnoticed since the security cameras were on and the secret service was on the floor laughing. Then she was jerked back to reality when the two docs walked back into her room snickering at each other.

"Ms. Conway, I don't exactly know how to tell you this but you have a cute little nest of bedbugs burrowing close to your brain. Right at the base of your skull located between your eyes," one of them said.

At that moment, KC's eyes crossed and she started screaming. "How the hell did they get in there?"

"Probably through your mouth. Is it open a lot?"

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