Wm. Barr on a par with Mitch McConnell as lowlife

Barr and Trump

CNN's analysis by Stephen Collinson is frightening, to say the least, and predicts months of "unchained presidency" by Donald Trump. Collinson says Trump was right when he remarked that he could get away with anything. He continues...

"The drama also showed that in the short span of a White House term, given certain partisan conditions, the modern political system will find it almost impossible to constrain a President -- especially one who poses such an overwhelming challenge to congressional custom as Trump."

He has accomplished all this with the help of Attorney General Wm. Barr, "a human block of granite, who sees few limits on presidential power and is willing to obfuscate and execute blocking movements on his behalf." But Collinson's most alarming statement is...

"There's probably never going to be a price to pay."

Which means Stephen Collinson believes that the Oval Office lunatic will never be held accountable for the bizarre antics of his administration. He doesn't believe House Speaker Nancy Pelosi will act on impeachment and the House investigations will continue until they have run their course. In other words, we must live with T-rump until he is voted out of office, because with his enormous ego exceeding all limits, he won't resign. A dismal outlook for sane voters.

Barr has completely obfuscated the Mueller Report getting harsh criticism that comes from both sides of Congress and the general public. Benjamin Wittes of The Atlantic says, "The attorney general misled the public in seven key ways." And although in the beginning he said he was willing to give Barr a chance, finally concluded that "he [Barr] is likely as good as we’re going to get," [from Donald Trump] 20 more months to put up with this monumental nuisance.

Wittes on Barr's failures...

"Where Barr has utterly failed, by contrast, is in providing 'honest leadership that insulates [the department] from the predations of the president.' I confess I am surprised by this. I have never known Barr well, but I thought better of him than that.'

Benjamin Wittes is Editor in chief of Lawfare and a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution.

Please give me your comments on this issue.

Latest on the Democratic Primary for 2020

2020 Democratic candidates

To begin, it should be noted that after Joe Biden announced his candidacy recently, he shot up to a 26-point lead over other candidates, Elizabeth Warren second, Bernie Sanders third. Don't know about Warren's campaign, but I'll bet that Bernie's camp expected the surge; the question is what will he do about it? One thing he is doing is out-raising his competitors in contributions bringing in $18.2million in first-quarter fundraising.

On the other hand, Biden raised $6.3 million on his first day out of the gate. Kamala Harris is second to Bernie and Elizabeth Warren is a distant fifth at $6 million in total returns. The BBC says...

"Her [Warren] campaign is far from scraping the bottom, however, as she transferred $10.4m from her Senate campaign coffers to her presidential account, giving her some financial breathing room in the months ahead."

But here's the game changer...

"64 percent of Democrats and likely Democrats who had selected a favorite presidential candidate said it is possible they might change their mind. Thirty-six percent said they 'definitely support' their top choice."

Which means Joe Biden's 26% lead could go up in smoke and any of the other challengers could become the favorite. Money is the thing and Bernie Sanders is one of the best at fundraising, depending on small donations in the range of around $27.00 each that are loyal donors who give over and over.  But "Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) topped the list, with 23 percent of respondents putting her in the top three candidates they were most curious about."

Elizabeth warren was second, Joe Biden third. It might be safe to assume, because of Bernie Sanders run in the 2016 election, the public is so familiar with him they don't need to know more. There are 21 Democratic presidential candidates in the race so far with Joe Biden regularly taking the lead and the Bern a close second. However, Elizabeth Warren has seen increased interest in the last few days. In other words, it's still a wide-open Primary.

Please give me your comments on this issue.

Reasons to trash NRA and pass gun control

DUMP THE NRA

Iowa woman shot and killed while driving home from work...2 dead, 4 wounded in U.N.C. Charlotte shooting...2 judges shot in disturbance outside White Castle in Indianapolis...National Review asks will culture war kill NRA?...NY Gov. Cuomo believes the NRA is counterproductive

Please give me your comments on these issues.

Latest on the NRA downfall

DOWN WITH THE NRA

Even gun nut Ted Nugent says NRA Has been "less than accountable...Head gun nut Wayne LaPierre re-elected at NRA...Re-elected NRA head Wayne LaPierre goes forward with internal turmoil and an outside probe...NRA has huge mess on it hands with New York Attorney General investigation of group...NRA's leadership battle is worst in very long time

Please give me your comments on these issues.

Fact Checker: Trump continues lies at "unbelievable pace"

What past president do you know of that made over 10,000 false or misleading comments in the first 2-years of their presidency...and they can be documented? I don't know of any since it is entirely possible that no other president has been flagrant enough in his lying to prompt the media to literally record this action. And that is purely pathetic! For the Oval Office lunatic, that's 12.2 claims per day, or 10,111 total claims in the 828 days of the Trump presidency.

The leading Washington Post Fact Checker, Glenn Kessler, said...

"The President continues to say false or misleading statements at an unbelievable pace."

This said of the moron who leads the most powerful country in the world. Here's more...

"According to The Post, the largest issue area of false or misleading claims has been immigration. The most-repeated claim is that the border wall is currently being built, something that Congress has not allocated funding for or authorized construction of. The Post points out that there are portions of the border wall being repaired."

If this lying dolt spent as much time in the improvement of this country as he does on immigration and other lies, the U.S. would be in much better shape. According to Fact Checker, most of Trump's false or misleading claims--22%--occur at his campaign rallies. There were 61 alone at the rally in Green Bay, Wisconsin. As an example...

"Trump said he had cut the estate tax to "zero," or that he was one vote away from repealing the Affordable Care Act — both claims are untrue."

Yet, the man's pitiful followers still stand by him with accolades over his stupidity that is apparently inherent in the whole gang of Trumpsters. George Conway, the husband of White House adviser Kellyanne Conway had this to say on Twitter...

"Congrats, #DerangedDonald!! An amazing accomplishment!! No one but you could have achieved this."

it was retweeted 12,000 times by the time it was published.

Yes, make anti-vaxxers face isolation, fines, arrests.

I couldn't say it better so I will just quote the Washington Post headline...

Anti-vaxxers are dangerous. Make them face isolation, fines, arrests.

 The author of the opinion piece says she loves her children and believes these anti-vaxxers love theirs too. If the latter is the case, then they must be complete idiots with their actions going blatantly in the face of evidence that vaccinations save lives. Juliette Kayyem continues...

"But, I am quite confident in this fact: I love their children much more than they love mine. These anti-vaxxer parents — call them free-riders or even pro-plague — are putting my children and our communities at risk to cater to their erroneous belief that vaccinations would harm their children rather than contribute to the elimination of childhood diseases."

Kayyem wants to switch the focus on the measles epidemic from a public health problem to a public safety crisis, accompanied by arrests, fines and isolation. BINGO! My thoughts exactly, as you can read in past posts. With Trump admitting we have a big problem, it is now up to the U.S. Congress to put these uniformed parents in the position of vaccinate...or else. The patience period has ended and if we don't want a pandemic in this country, we must act now!

As of April 26, there have been 704 measles cases in the U.S. The last closest outbreak was 667 cases in 2014, which originated at the Disney theme park in Los Angeles. As Kayyem indicates, we are in an avoidable crisis that was caused by irresponsible parents, many of which were misguided by social media. She comments further...

"Imagine, instead, that this outbreak is what happens when negligent people do negligent things, such as sending a kid to school with a loaded gun and hoping for the best."

Now there is the best comparison I have seen of this senseless epidemic. Sending your unvaccinated kid to school is like putting a gun in their hand just before getting on the school bus. They both can kill!

PLEASE LET ME HAVE YOUR COMMENTS ON THIS ISSUE.

Joe Biden holds 26 point lead over all Democrats

What is most astonishing after learning Joe Biden leads the Democratic Primary pack by 26 points is that Elizabeth Warren comes in second with 12 percent, and even more unbelievable to me is that Bernie Sanders is third at 11 percent. This is the highly respected Quinnipiac University Poll whose assistant Director Tim Malloy said...

“The Democratic primary race suddenly gets real with a fast start by former Vice President Joe Biden and a very clear indication from voters that he is the only candidate who can send President Trump packing 18 months from now.”

So how are Progressives supposed to feel about Biden, who appears to be a moderate with further left tendencies. The Hill-HarrisX daily poll, taken last December said voters who have...

"a 'strong liberal' ideology prefer former Vice President Joe Biden to Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) in a hypothetical 2020 matchup against President Trump, according to a new poll."

I would prefer to hear it from the candidate's mouth and will wait until Joe Biden addresses issues like gun control, free healthcare and education and immigration reform to name a few. I would also feel more comfortable if Obama spoke more positively about his former vice president. The results of the Quinnipiac University Poll are similar to survey results that report on Biden's surge in the polls after announcing he was in the race. Almost like they were just waiting.

In Pittsburgh, Biden spoke to a firefighters union the International Association of Fire Fighters, which endorsed him earlier in the day. He called himself a "union man," sounding like the days when unions helped candidates win elections. He talked about gun violence, plant closings and moving out of the country. He also called for a national minimum wage of $15 per hour, mostly sounding like Bernie Sanders. Then he exclaimed he could beat Donald Trump in 2020.

I like the last part best and obviously a lot of people out there agree.

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.