Anti-vaxxers threaten U.S. workplace, economy

Want your kid to look like this?

The National Institute of Health has said ...

"The agenda of anti-vaccination activists may be causing a drag on the U.S. economy as the measles outbreak forces people to stay out of work and seek medical care."

This is the statement by the director for the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Dr. Anthony Fauci. His premise is, “If you wind up getting more infections and diseases that were vaccine-preventable, those are entirely avoidable burdens on the economy.” In other words, it is the anti-vaxxers that are causing this problem, but we knew that already. Here are some numbers re. cost...

"a University of North Carolina study showed vaccine-preventable diseases among adults cost the economy nearly $9 billion in 2015, with unvaccinated individuals responsible for 80% of those costs."

There is a total of 704 measles cases now, the biggest number since the disease was considered controlled in 2000. There is no excuse for this happening other than the fact that these anti-vaxxing parents decided not to vaccinate their children, resulting in the outbreak. An outbreak that could prov fatal for some...

"Dr. Fauci, who helped develop a vaccine against AIDS, warned that measles itself is dangerous and can kill. The disease, before vaccines were available, killed an average of 2 million to 3 million people a year globally. In the United States, there were about 2 million cases [of measles] and about 500 deaths per year.”

If the feds don't take action soon, we could top those figures causing hundreds, maybe thousands of innocent deaths.

Threats required for health insurers to do right thing?

I have never been completely sold on Bernie Sanders' Medicare For All plan, simply because it is so hard to visualize the GOP allowing health insurance companies to be expelled from the marketplace. And I am not sure it would be such a good thing, even though they have been a blight on health care for years. The reason is, I think the government would do a worse job. Perhaps the best approach is a combination of government and private business.

At any rate, health insurers have conveniently decided to add new Medicare benefits. These include...

Anthem added new supplemental benefits including those addressing social determinants of health...Blue Cross and Blue Shield launched a “social determinants of health benefits package” offering healthy meals for seniors

Of course, this doesn't even come close to addressing Bernie's concept that all Americans should be given their medical care free. On the other hand, there are numerous countries that have universal healthcare, which is paid for by the government...

Canada, Austria, Belarus, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, Moldova, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, and the United Kingdom.

Bernie Sanders argues...

"the single payer version of Medicare For All would eliminate co-payments, deductibles and allow Americans to pick the doctors they want free of insurance company restrictions and provider network rules."

Apparently, the Medicare Advantage plans are popular today for many seniors with supposed increased benefits that I have never thought were worth the increase in cost. But, back to the original question, why did it take threats from Bernie's Medicare For All concept to make the healthcare industry cough up more benefits? The answer is the greed of the health insurance companies for more profits, and that is why the government should be in control.

Please give me your COMMENTS on this issue.

The latest on gun control...or not

GUNS KILL...USING PEOPLE

AR-style weapon used in Poway synagogue shooting-legal or illegal?...Appeals court upholds Mass. assault weapons ban...Baltimore shooting at a cookout kills one and injures many...Here's why Democrats aren't saying much about gun control...The latest list on innocent victims kill by guns, just in 2019...Four shot dead in Ohio apartment...

Please give me your COMMENTS on this issue.

Wake up Democrats...Bernie Sanders can win

Bernie has the ball(s)

I cannot believe that major donors, party operatives, senior lawmakers and rival candidate Pete Buttigieg would conspire against another liberal who has shown that he can not only raise big funds but also spark a huge lineup of contributors and loyal volunteers. But they did. Is there jealousy on the part of these lawmakers and fellow candidates, the fact that they may have dismal track records? Or do they simply wish they had the balls to do what Bernie is doing?

I am not completely sold on the Bern yet, and won't be until he gets much more aggressive on gun control. One of his volunteers called me recently since my wife and I had supported him in 2016, and I told him my concern over the gun control issue. So, I have to look at Joe Biden, who, although middle of the road, seems more inclined to get solidly behind the gun violence issue. But let's just assume Bernie does come out solid in this area.

Some say the Vermont Senator isn't electable, but then he didn't get the chance to challenge Trump in 2016 thanks to Debbie Wasserman Schultz and the Democratic National Committee. Few can claim the favorability ratings that Sanders has maintained since coming on the presidential scene. Right now he is outperforming Trump in the polling. The Guardian says there's infighting and bad blood left from his run against Hillary Clinton. Here's a point of view...

"social psychology research tells us that people who have different ideas about politics than us are not generally bad people – they’re mostly good people with different convictions."

Bernie Sanders' convictions are definitely different than establishment Democrats, but in my eyes they are also definitely better. That's why I am an Independent.

Please give me your COMMENTS on this issue.

Washington is a 3-ring circus

WITH DONALD TRUMP RINGMASTER OF CHAOS

Two Los Angeles Universities quarantine 700 in measles scare...One dead 3 wounded in synagogue shooting...Trump concocted voter fraud proven another of his fantasies...Just how much worse could the measles outbreak get?...Three children shot by Oklahoma police..."Carrywear," new fashions for women to carry more guns on the street brought to you by none other than Wayne LaPierre and the National Rifle Assn.

Please give me your COMMENTS on these issues.

NRA going down in flames

LaPierre-North

First, National Rifle Assn. president Oliver North asked head gun nut Wayne LaPierre to resign re. challenges surrounding the organization's fundraising and nonprofit status...

"The organization's 2016 election spending, including $36 million to help Trump, has prompted regulators in its charter base of New York state to threaten to investigate its nonprofit status."

And then Oliver North resigned from the NRA in the midst of what he described “a clear crisis,” all of this during the organization’s annual conference in Indianapolis. In addition, "Maria Butina, the Russian operative who used her NRA activism to illegally infiltrate American conservative circles, was sentenced to 18 months in prison." And, apparently North confronted LaPierre with threatening information about the long-time gun lobby chief.

No matter what the reasons, gun control advocates are having a field day in their celebrations of the demise of a group that has spawned non-stop gun violence during the tenure of Wayne LaPierre. The NRA has been at odds with law enforcement for years over its nonprofit status, and its contributions to lawmakers and presidents. But the gang of gun huggers has been protected by a cowardly Congress afraid of losing the NRA's donations.

It was reported that Oliver North "created a committee to investigate alleged financial improprieties at the NRA." Then another report said...

"that a civil complaint in Virginia filed earlier this month and amended Wednesday claims that North has been receiving income from advertising firm Maria Butina while it has been under contract with NRATV to produce a documentary series."

And then if was discovered that Ackerman McQueen "was sued by the NRA earlier this month over allegations that it was deliberately concealing details about how it was spending millions of dollars received by the group." LaPierre has also claimed that North is just in it for the money, which is interesting considering the head gun nut has made a fortune as CEO of the NRA.

In the meantime, 39,773 Americans were killed by guns in 2017; the NRA spent $9.7 million in 2018 to defend Republicans’ complete control of Washington; there are between 280,000 and 520,000 bump stocks in circulation. Check The Trace for more on gun violence. I rest my case against the NRA and Wayne LaPierre.

Please give me your COMMENTS on this issue.

Latest on the NRA downfall

DOWN WITH THE NRA

NRA's own membership says group is 'F*cked’...New York Attorney General going after NRA non-profit status...NRA dumps top lawyer...Everytown posts The NRA in Crisis...Why the NRA is struggling

Your Political Bullshit of the Day

TRICKLE DOWN BULLSHIT

Mueller absolutely right on Donald Trump obstruction of justice...Mueller proved Trump lies and urges others to do the same...Lawmakers want Facebook's Zuckerman accountable for privacy arrogance...Are Democrats afraid of Progressives?...Obama not endorsing Joe Biden?...Who does Donald Trump fear most in 2020?...

Did Democrats abandon gun control?

Where's the action today?

I just received a letter from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, accompanied by a survey of issues that I think are priority for Democrats. Not one mention of gun control. Of course they asked for a contribution, which they won't get from this family until they address that issue aggressively. Now, I do also believe in the other issues like Medicare/Social Security, healthcare, climate change and the minimum wage, to name a few, but completely ignoring gun control?

You need to watch for my blog post on Monday about the demise of the National Rifle Assn. and its head gun nut Wayne LaPierre, and president, Oliver North. The title is "NRA going down in flames," and reports on how the organization is imploding right in the middle of its annual convention in Indianapolis. It couldn't happen to a better bunch of freaks, and gun control advocates look forward to the day this group of gun violence perpetrators is out of business.

But the above is no thanks to the Democrats' efforts to control gun violence. The NRA's downfall stems primarily from infighting between Wayne LaPierre and Oliver North, plus its huge contributions to Congress and presidents when its non-profit status basically says no. On another note, a Bernie Sanders volunteer called me recently asking for a contribution and, having been a strong supporter in 2016, I told him not until his man got more aggressive on gun control.

There were well over 300 mass shootings in 2018, with that year the worst on record for gun violence in schools. You would think these statistics would give a clue to even the most dullard of Congress. Yet Democrats proudly announced in February that they were no longer afraid of the gun control issue. This is only April and we've yet to hear anything about this controversy being included in the 2020 platform.

I can only hope there are more like me out there that will remain reluctant until gun control is aggressively addressed.

LATE BREAKING: NY Atty. General investigating Nat'l Rifle Assn.

It was announced just hours ago that New York Attorney General Letitia James has launched an investigation into the National Rifle Association. The IRS has been on the edge for years questioning how the organization has made contributions in the millions to Congress and presidents in its non-profit status. One must assume the IRS didn't move because no one, namely a cowardly Congress, didn't act on the matter.

Subpoenas have been issued to members of the NRA, as well as several businesses connected with the gun rights group. It follows the dumping of current president Oliver North by the NRA in the middle of their annual convention in Indianapolis. And that was right after North tried to fire head gun nut, Wayne LaPierre. The wheels are coming off at the nation's largest gun lobby, which will prompt dancing in the streets by gun control advocates.

I'll have a post on Monday, "NRA going down in flames," I hope you will read describing the fiasco going on in this club that is responsible for most of the gun violence in this country. Please give me your comments on what is happening to the NRA and your feelings on this issue.

Pete Buttigieg couldn't be more wrong about Bernie

Pete Buttigieg just said, "he doubts fellow hopeful Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) can beat President Trump in a general election." Boy was I wrong when I suggested a ticket with him as Bernie's vice president. It is just damn arrogant of a newbie like Buttigieg, whose only political career so far has been mayor of South Bend, Indiana, to make a prediction about a seasoned, experienced and dedicated politician like Bernie Sanders.

On the other hand, I think Franklin Graham's attack on Bettigieg as a gay man is beyond bad taste. This country is trying its best--and is failing by the way--to erase the prejudice of racism and sexual orientation. Graham said...

the Bible defines homosexuality as “something to be repentant of, not something to be flaunted, praised or politicized.”

That's very interesting since I am just finishing a book, The Bible Unearthed, which makes an excellent case that the Bible's accuracy is, at best, questionable on all levels. This is supported by excavation uncovering complete cities with the artifacts to prove their theories. Graham probably wouldn't know about this and would refute it if he did. Still in the process of excavating, who knows what these archaeologists will find of homosexuality in biblical times.

Sanders's campaign manager, Faiz Shakir, replied to Buttigieg's comment with...

"At a time when Trump has lied to millions of Americans and sold out workers, voters are looking for a leader who they can trust will fight for them," obviously talking about his candidate, Bernie Sanders.

It will be interesting to see if Bernie's age or Buttigieg's being gay will affect their election chances. But so far both are front -runners. 

Your Political Bullshit of the Day

TRICKLE DOWN BULLSHIT

Americans unhappy with Donald Trump's tax overhaul...Syphilis spreading around rural America...Mueller Report proves Sean Spicer, Sarah Sanders lied...The Mueller Report on Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump...Federal Appeals Panel says yes to California 'Sanctuary State' Law...Why did Robert Mueller downplay Donald Trump's obstruction of justice?...

Republicans support the anti-vaxxers

The incredible stupidity of the Republican Congress re. the urgent need to vaccinate our children is enough to amaze anyone and provoke most us to throw up. One person from this gang of idiots even denied the emergency of the measles outbreak. Politico reports...

"All states have mandatory vaccination laws, but they vary in how liberally they dispense exemptions on religious or philosophical grounds. That’s getting scrutiny as measles spreads.”

And the GOP wants to expand these exemptions even more, while "Democrats present bills tightening the loopholes as science-based and necessary to fight disease, while sometimes demeaning their foes as misguided or selfish “anti-vaxxers.“ I am one of the latter. This is how the dumbbells see it...

"Republicans portray themselves as equally enthusiastic about the life-saving virtues of vaccines, but many are loath to diminish the right of parental control over their children’s bodies, and yield that power to the government."

They forgot one important factor; as a Senior citizen I have absolutely no desire to mingle with unvaccinated children that might be carrying the measles virus, so these parents trample on my rights when they introduce their infected urchins in the marketplace. Here's another scenario...

“'What if God forbid someone dies?' said Jeff Dinowitz, a Bronx assemblyman whose bill to limit religious exemptions has nine Democratic co-sponsors — but no Republican backers — in the New York Assembly."

And the coup de grâce is the fact that Donald Trump and two of his Republican 2016 primary foes, Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) an ophthalmologist, and Ben Carson, a neurosurgeon who is now HUD secretary, all three voiced support for disproven theories linking vaccine to autism during a 2016 debate. This is perhaps one of the most pathetic examples of all the anti-vaxxing movement.

Mueller formulates plan to nail Donald Trump after White House

The perpetrator caught

Although questionable Justice Department guidelines say that a sitting president can't be indicted, Robert Mueller's just released report provides several guidelines to get Donald Trump when he is ejected from the White House in the 2020 election. Mueller's knowledge of the law gave him the background to assemble "an investigation into obstruction that could outlive President Donald Trump's time in the White House and his temporary immunity."

That means when T-rump is just another man on the street, law enforcement at all levels will be able to vigorously pursue the evidence provided by Mueller. One of the questions is, will Trump have enough money and legal power to fight off these attacks. In deciding how to approach the debacle...

"Mueller wrote that he was adhering to DOJ guidelines and also considered the 'burdens' an indictment would place on the President's ability to govern and respond to the allegations while in office."

That's nice, but when most of the country just wants to get rid of this ego maniac, it falls short of public expectations that want to get the United States back to normal again. People want a return to respect, something they haven't seen any of from the Oval Office lunatic. Mueller's wording in the report leaves the door open to "future criminal exposure for Trump when he is no longer in the White House." And there's much more...

"Trump's immediate criminal exposure is protected by his status as president and also by the decision of Attorney General William Barr, whom Trump appointed, to not bring a case." Convenient! Although Mueller did not pass along the investigation to Congress, he pointedly reminded it of their responsibility...

"a constitutional checks and balances role and can consider obstructive acts under its impeachment authority."

The House is now seriously considering impeachment since T-rump has refused to release his taxes. And the New York Attorney General has actively begun its investigation of Trump after Deutsche Bank turned over, "financial records related to its business with President Donald Trump." With everyone closing in, it appears that the fraudulent Donald Trump could soon meet his reckoning. And about time.

Joe Biden is running for President in 2020

Joe Biden announces for 2020

Joe Biden has finally thrown his hat in the ring after months of deliberation, and which will be his third attempt at the office. During his announcement he attacked white nationalism, particularly the Charlottesville , Virginia rally in August 2017, saying of Donald Trump...

"He said there were quote some very fine people on both sides. With those words, the President of the United States assigned a moral equivalence between those spreading hate and those with the courage to stand against it. And in that moment, I knew the threat to this nation was unlike any I had ever seen in my lifetime."

And Joe Biden had hit the nail on the head in describing Donald Trump's presidency.  Biden is the front runner right now, leading other candidates like Bernie Sanders, but, as a centrist, must contend with these powerful forces from the left, and the fact that Bernie came in a solid first in a recent New Hampshire poll. Here's what Trump had to say about Biden's entry into the race...

"Welcome to the race Sleepy Joe. I only hope you have the intelligence, long in doubt, to wage a successful primary campaign. It will be nasty - you will be dealing with people who truly have some very sick & demented ideas. But if you make it, I will see you at the Starting Gate!"

The words T-rump uses against Biden like doubtful intelligence, nasty and sick and demented are the perfect verbiage to describe a Donald Trump.

681 measles cases across 22 states already in 2019

The way it should be

Number one, we can thank the witless anti-vaxxers for this "estimable" statistic. Second, the number represents a figure that has "surpassed the highest number on record since the disease was declared eliminated nationwide in 2000." I rest my case right here on whether these idiot parents should be rounded up and placed in a concentration camp where they can happily spread their diseases among like minds. The states involved are...

Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas and Washington.

Health officials have said,  'Most of the cases that we're seeing are in unvaccinated communities,' with this statement from  Dr. Nancy Messonnier, director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases at the CDC...

"I do believe that parents' concerns about vaccines leads to undervaccination, and most of the cases that we're seeing are in unvaccinated communities."

A person knowledgeable with the measles dilemma said that in the recent cases of measles counted, "72% are unvaccinated, and 18% have an unknown vaccination status." Further "The CDC says 91.5% of US children aged 19 months to 35 months received at least one dose of the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine in 2017, the most recent year available." Since the anti-vaxxer crusade is a relatively recent event, it is possible that the figure of 91.5% could be higher now. Many of the outbreaks are linked to travelers who were infected and brought measles back from other countries... 

"For instance, the outbreak in New York, which was declared a public health emergency this month, began when an unvaccinated child became infected while visiting Israel, according to health officials."

CNN reports...

"Experts recommend that children receive the vaccine in two doses: first between 12 months and 15 months of age and a second between 4 and 6 years old."

There could be reactions, but doctors say, " "the benefits outweigh the risks when it comes to the measles vaccine." Why can't the uninformed anti-vaxxing retards understand this?

Read more: Terminally ill child exposed to measles by anti-vaxxers

                   Anti-vaxxers are just...stupid!

Iowa 29-year Republican dumps Donald Trump

I lived in Des Moines and while I wouldn't recommend it as a residence, I do know the people of the state of Iowa have the ability to think through things and arrive at a logical conclusion. That's why presidential candidates make it number one on their list to visit before an election, and why we pay so much attention to the Iowa caucuses scheduled for February 3, 2020. Having said all this, I can admire one of the longest-serving Republican state lawmakers for switching parties to the Democrats. Granted, it's at the state level but considering the 29 years tenure, it is definitely significant.

State Rep. Andy McKean is a moderate from eastern Iowa and announced his switch by calling Trump...

"a poor example for the nation and particularly for our children." He'll seek re-election in 2020 as a Democrat.

McKean continued...

"He sets, in my opinion, a poor example for the nation and particularly for our children by personally insulting -- often in a crude and juvenile fashion -- those who disagree with him, being a bully at a time when we are attempting to discourage bullying, his frequent disregard for the truth and his willingness to ridicule or marginalize people for their appearance, ethnicity or disability."

That statement pretty much sums up Donald Trump and emphasizes the rancor in the ranks of the Republican Party that apparently is seething across the country...that is when they are willing to admit it. The question is what effect this might have on the Iowa caucuses since they are the first indication in the country of how the presidential election might go, just nine months away. But what we really want to know is could this sink Trump in Iowa? This is how McKean describes the dilemma...

"I believe that it is just a matter of time before our party pays a heavy price for President Trump's reckless spending and shortsighted financial policies, his erratic, destabilizing foreign policy and his disregard for environmental concerns."

"If this is the new normal, I want no part of it."

The nation as a whole wants no part of a lunatic that has brought the United States to its lowest point in years, and one can only hope that Andy McKean's move will only be one of many similar acts.

Jared Kushner: The 2016 Russian interference "a couple of Facebook ads.”

Jared Kushner has finally made a statement since the release of the Mueller Report, and it is typically Trump-family stupid. He said the "Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election didn’t amount to more than a couple of ads on Facebook." Let's look at the facts...

"Russian agents actually purchased about 3,500 Facebook ads during the 2016 presidential campaign, spending more than $1 million a month to reach about 10 million users. Meanwhile, Russian agents also purchased ads on Instagram and created thousands of bot accounts on Twitter that almost exclusively spread propaganda aimed at helping Trump by damaging Hillary Clinton."

Kushner, who is repeatedly mentioned in the Mueller Report and is considered easier to indict after its release, according to an ex-Watergate lawyer, actually made the following statement...

“You look at what Russia did, buying some Facebook ads to try to sow dissent and do it, and it’s a terrible thing. But I think the investigations and all of the speculation that’s happened for the last two years has had a much harsher impact on our democracy than a couple of Facebook ads.”

This from a man who had questionable credentials for a White House security clearance, and still faces a potential indictment for his part in the Russian investigation. Vox explains his participation...

"He was in the room during the infamous June 2016 Trump Tower meeting between a Russian lawyer who had promised dirt on Hillary Clinton as 'part of Russia and its government’s support for Mr. Trump' and suggested creating a secret back channel to communicate directly with the Kremlin, going around US intelligence. He’s mentioned many times in Mueller’s report for these and other activities that still have not been fully explained."

In addition, Kushner completely avoided talking about "the Kremlin-orchestrated hacking campaign against Democratic targets — hacks that resulted in WikiLeaks publishing tranches of emails online during key stretches of the 2016 campaign." In other words, it is all about selective editing of the truth and then modifying that into another Donald Trump lie. And the beat goes on.

Sarah Sanders has no credibility

Sarah Sanders

That's just tragic since Sarah Sanders is the spokesperson for Donald Trump, who, of course, has zero credibility himself. Which means when the lie comes out of T-rump's mouth, it is immediately compounded by Sanders. If this all hadn't already dropped to the depths of the ludicrous, I would have to say again it's getting worse. But we're way beyond worse after Columbia Journalism Review editor-in-chief Kyle Pope remarked...

“Reporters have to start assuming that this White House is going to continue to lie and manipulate the media.”

That is one of the most pathetic statements on the Trump administration I have ever heard, but it will still fall on the deaf ears of hard-core T-rump supporters. In addition, Pope...

"even questioned the value of quoting or interviewing Trump’s principal spokesperson, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders, who admitted to Mueller’s investigators that she made unfounded claims that the ousted FBI director James Comey had lost support among rank-and-file agents."

And even worse, Sanders tried to maintain her credibility even after admitting to Robert Mueller's investigators that her Comey comments had no basis in fact. Lather she went so far as to denounce the media while Trump bashed The New York Times on Twitter, calling on them to “get down on their knees & beg for forgiveness.” This whole damn administration is a gang of certifiable freaks, and the tragedy is they are in control of the most powerful government in the world. There is literally no one who can be trusted, and that's scary as hell.

Another example, first T-rump claimed “total exoneration” from the Mueller Report. Later this changed to Mueller's findings were “total bulls--t" while at the same time berating his staff who blew the whistle on him. Peter Baker of the New York Times said...

“Journalists shouldn't take anything said by any president at face value, but the Mueller report reminds us that this president in particular says so many things that are flatly untrue that we shouldn't trust anything without checking it.”

There's not much more left to be said than please, please let the 2020 elections get here as soon as possible so we can rid ourselves of this fraudulent president. Unless he wants to resign now???

Bernie says don't impeach Trump-He's right

Bernie says the most important thing to him in the time left leading up to the 2020 election is to see that Donald Trump is not reelected. That would be the attitude of most of the U.S. population, minus the Trump hard core supporters, which was around 18% in 2018. I have been in contact with a few of these uninformed citizens recently and can say their less than rational mentality will never change. As I mentioned in another post today, much of the Trump base is completely disenchanted with the Oval Office lunatic and are looking hard at Bernie Sanders. The gist of Bernie's statement...

"At the end of the day, what is most important to me is to see that Donald Trump is not re-elected president, and I intend to do everything I can to make sure that doesn't happen."

 He does want a thorough investigation by the House and would reconsider his position if anything damaging to Trump were to develop. Meanwhile, here's CNN Politics assessment of the right direction for Democrats...

1) Abandoning the Mueller report conclusions is unacceptable to the party's political base.
2) Impeachment will allow Trump to paint himself as a victim of overly partisan Democrats looking to run him out because they lost an election.
3) Senate Republicans will simply not abandon Trump en masse, ensuring that even if impeachment succeeds in the House, Trump will not be removed from office.

Bernie's position is, and I agree, that the left shouldn't fight a campaign of personalities, rather, emphasize the issues like healthcare, minimum wage, climate change, gun control and racism. A sensible public is not interested in revisiting the bizarre antics of a moron who has proven time after time that he is unfit to be president of the United States. And since impeachment is the epitome of Bernie's base, he must justify this position by convincing his people he can win in 2020. Early polls show him well out front in New Hampshire, but Joe Biden declaring tomorrow could change things.

Karl Rove says Bernie can beat Trump in 2020

Bernie Sanders

Coming down the stretch for the first U.S. primary in New Hampshire, Bernie Sanders has a commanding double-digit lead at 30 percent, followed by Biden at 18 percent and Buttigieg at 15 percent. Biden hasn't officially declared and N.H. is right next door to Sanders home state of Vermont. But the real surprise is the fact that newbie Pete Buttigieg is surging in the Democratic race, trailing former V.P. Joe Biden by only 3 points. Could the primary end up with a Bernie Sanders/Pete Buttigieg ticket, and, if so, could they beat Donald Trump?

Karl Rove says so. He "thinks Democratic contender Bernie Sanders could beat Donald Trump in 2020 to become the next president." Rove even added...

"After watching the Vermont senator’s Monday Fox News town hall, Rove complimented Sanders on Fox and Friends Friday, saying participating in the event was a 'smart move on his part.' He was also impressed with the response Sanders got, saying, 'Bernie comes on to Fox, and gets the largest viewership of any campaign event thus far.'”

Now that's very interesting considering Fox plays to a conservative, Republican base.

The word is out some Trump supporters who are disenchanted with the Oval Office lunatic's bizarre antics are looking at Bernie Sanders for 2020. But Bernie still must contend with the fact he is a Democratic Socialist, a trait becoming more acceptable but not quite there yet. I have had two people recently question my Bernie 2016 bumper sticker, still affixed. One "patriot" actually walked up to my wife on the passenger side window and said, "Just wanted to see what a Socialist looks like." I pulled out of the parking place quickly hoping to run over his toes. Unfortunately not.

Trump-Giulani statements...Can this get any more stupid?

The Bobbsey Twins-Trump, Giuliani

Of course the double-digit Trump supporters will just schluff this off as a simple mistake by Donald Trump and another dumb remark by Rudy Giuliani. Neither would be correct. They are each examples of two morons--one of which runs the most powerful country in the world--who perpetually run off at the mouth, with the result that the sane people of America just shake their heads in disgust. These are the two scenarios...

TRUMP: “Heartfelt condolences from the people of the United States to the people of Sri Lanka on the horrible terrorist attacks on churches and hotels that have killed at least 138 million people and badly injured 600 more. We stand ready to help!”

GIULIANI: "There's nothing wrong with taking information from Russians,"

To begin with, Trump's figure of 138 million people is six time the entire population of Sri Lanka. Second, Giuliani's statement is just...stupid. Apparently the idiot doesn't realize that this very issue is what the Robert Mueller investigation was all about.

But the real concern here is that we have a lunatic sitting in the Oval Office that has absolutely no tether whatsoever. His mouth is allowed to run rampant daily with no one able to control him and often resulting in disasters. Like his comment on John McCain's heroism...

“He’s not a war hero. He was a war hero because he was captured. I like people who weren’t captured.”

 That's just one of many Trump major gaffes compiled by Politico you can see here. As far as Giuliani is concerned, we just consider the source and hope that he doesn't do too much damage. However. because all of this has become a daily, almost hourly, occurrence, one has to wonder what kind of condition the U.S. is really in with people like these in high places. Is impeachment the answer?

Trump guilty of same charges Bill Clinton impeached for

Bill Clinton acquitted of impeachment

Did the Mueller Report accuse Trump of witness tampering, one of the offenses Republicans impeached Clinton for? The answer is an unequivocal, YES! "It accused Donald Trump of obstructing justice by witness tampering, one of the offences that led Republicans to impeach Bill Clinton 20 years ago." The Mueller Report revealed that Trump...

"repeatedly made efforts to 'encourage witnesses not to cooperate with the investigation' into Russia’s interference in the 2016 election."

Is this why Democrat Elijah Cummings and his House colleagues feel confident about the possibility of reintroducing the idea of impeachment? Senator Elizabeth Warren, also a Democrat plus presidential candidate, is a proponent of impeachment saying...

"The severity of this misconduct demands that elected officials in both parties set aside political considerations and do their constitutional duty. That means the House should initiate impeachment proceedings against the President of the United States."

Trump as much as offered His former campaign mgr., Paul Manafort, a pardon, while at the same time encouraging his prior personal attorney, Michael Cohen, "not to 'flip' and help Mueller’s inquiry." Clinton's guilt pales when you consider the corruption Donald Trump has spewed throughout his administration. This is what the slime ball Mitch McConnell said of Bill Clinton...

"… I am completely and utterly perplexed by those who argue that perjury and obstruction of justice are not high crimes and misdemeanors."

Yet this lowlife lets Donald Trump go on his merry way. The U.S. Congress is itself a cancerous stigma in the American political system. This could be their chance to make amends.

A pathetic presidential administration based on lies

The culprits Sarah Sanders and Donald Trump

THE DONALD TRUMP ADMINISTRATION has based its entire tenure in the White House on lying. Lying to the public, lying to the media and the Oval Office lunatic even lies to his own aides. The Mueller Report exposed a bunch of these intentional deceptions, the latest of which is T-rump's spokesperson, Sarah Sanders. She is trying to lie herself out of a lie over James Comey...

"Addressing reporters from the White House lectern, Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders made a startling claim shortly after President Trump fired FBI Director James B. Comey two years ago. 'I’ve heard from countless members of the FBI that are grateful and thankful for the president’s decision,' she said, refusing to back down when pressed on the issue. 'Between emails, text messages, absolutely,' she insisted."

You don't lie to Congress, nor the feds, as the prosecuted perjurers Michael Flynn and Michael Cohen found out. But Sarah Sanders is the face of Donald Trump, and a very ugly one it is. Not because of her looks but because of how low she is willing to lower herself for the lowlife she works for. The deceit extends into the Trump family when Donald Trump Jr. was told the [Trump Tower] lawyer was working on behalf of the Russian government and would bring damaging information on Hillary Clinton...

Trump Jr. replied, “If it's what you say I love it.”

And this is Los Angeles Times Chris Megerian's take on the whole scenario...

"Pervasive lying is an unsurprising result of having a president whose dishonesty has been a hallmark for years, whether it’s exaggerating the height of his buildings or claiming that President Obama wasn’t born in the United States.

While every White House is accused of dissembling or worse at times, the report makes clear that Trump leads a White House where falsehoods and misrepresentations are common practice."

What is clear is that this country somehow elected an accomplished scam artist. What we must be careful of now is not to do it again in 2020.

Robert Mueller Report shows Trump collusion with Russia

DONALD TRUMP IS GUILTY

Trump-Mueller-Barr

This is what Donald Trump said when then Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions told him in 2017 that a special counsel had been appointed to conduct the Russia investigation: “Oh my God. This is terrible. This is the end of my presidency. I’m fucked.” With his usual "class," T-rump clearly believes Robert Mueller's investigation will bring down his presidency, indicating to me that the Oval Office lunatic feels that he is guilty. Mueller was appointed in May 2017, days after Trump fired FBI Director James Comey. The appointment was made by Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein,

After the Mueller Report was released today, The Slatest live blog commented...

As to why Mueller decided that the the presidential transition team’s friendly outreach to Russia about sanctions—an issue that campaign figures had previously learned was an issue of concern to the Russian government—didn’t constitute participation in Russia’s election-interference scheme … I haven’t really figured that out!

That was 12:00 Noon eastern time but at 11:55 A.M., Slate's earlier observation...

"The report indeed documents previously known instances in which Trump figures expressed interest in Russian assistance (e.g., the June 9 Trump Tower meeting), and it documents instances in which the campaign (via Paul Manafort) and presidential transition team (via Michael Flynn) discussed Russia-friendly policies with Russian-government-linked individuals."

But Mueller "concludes that such activities were not illegal 'coordination'or 'conspiracy.'” But here's a brief summary of findings...

“In sum, the investigation established multiple links between Trump Campaign officials and individuals tied to the Russian government. Those links included Russian offers of assistance to the Campaign. In some instances , the Campaign was receptive to the offer, while in other instances the Campaign officials shied away. Ultimately , the investigation did not establish that the Campaign coordinated or conspired with the Russian government in its election-interference activities.”

 Republicans, particularly Trump supporters, will spin this to exonerate the most fraudulent president in recent history. The left will see it for what it is, a clear indictment of the corruption of the Donald Trump administration.