Must Biden quit the Democratic Primary race?

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2019 NEWS BYTES

Should Joe Biden quit the race?   

Jo Biden...As if?

Jamil Smith of Rolling Stone contends that 2020 will end up being a fight to determine which side of racism will win the election. Will it be the white nationalist racist bigot Donald Trump, or the candidate on the left who truly believes that people of different colors can live happily together? Smith does not think Joe Biden is the latter and that he should drop out of the race now, although Biden seems to be garnering the black vote.

That last part doesn't make sense to me and Politico's Maya King substantiates that idea, but with additional input to Bernie Sanders recent growth in black American support...

"Joe Biden has amassed a staggering lead among older African Americans, commanding nearly two-thirds support of black voters 65 and older in the most recent Morning Consult poll. Bernie Sanders is the favorite of black millennials, though his margin with that group is much smaller. Among all black voters, Biden is leading Sanders, 41 percent to 20 percent."

The RollingStone article covers what it considers a multitude of gaffes by Biden on the racial issue after it trashes former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel. Smith started with a question on the coddling of Biden when he was attacked by Julian Castro...

"Treating the 76-year-old front-runner so delicately is arguably more insulting than questioning his mental fitness, especially considering the incumbent whom he is preparing to run against."

Joe Biden on no responsibility for 300 years ago... 

Could it come down to Joe Biden's meandering in a debate against the sheer lunacy in Donald Trump's rhetoric? In T-rump's state of deteriorating mental acuity, who knows where he'll be by the time they face each other. The Oval Office lunatic might even be in a strait jacket by then. The one thing that is clear is that Trump's racial bigotry will have to be faced head-on, and just hope that this country has not stooped so low as to fully support this ideology.

Linsey Davis, an African American from ABC, asked Biden about his "alarming 1975 comments on school segregation," which were...

“I don’t feel responsible for the sins of my father and grandfather, I feel responsible for what the situation is today, for the sins of my own generation, and I’ll be damned if I feel responsible to pay for what happened 300 years ago.”

Another Biden racist gaffe...

Biden said that "teacher raises are the first step to undoing the legacy of slavery," then rambled on with this...

"Number two, make sure that we bring in to help the teachers deal with the problems that come from home. The problems that come from home, we need — we have one school psychologist for every 1,500 kids in America today. It’s crazy.

 "The teachers are — I’m married to a teacher. My deceased wife is a teacher. They have every problem coming to them. We have — make sure that every single child does, in fact, have 3-, 4-, and 5-year-olds go to school. School. Not daycare. School. We bring social workers into homes and parents to help them deal with how to raise their children.

"It’s not that they don’t want to help. They don’t — they don’t know quite what to do. Play the radio, make sure the television — excuse me, make sure you have the record player on at night, the — the — make sure that kids hear words. A kid coming from a very poor school — a very poor background will hear 4 million words fewer spoken by the time they get there."

Jamil Smith exclaimed with some shadowed doubt that this is the front-runner of the Democratic Party, talking as if this should be a surprise. My take is that Joe Biden has absolutely nothing for Progressives so it's on to Bernie and Warren as far as I am concerned. There's more and this article is well worth the read.

Can we wait to deal with Donald Trump mental illness until 2020?

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2019 NEWS BYTES

Just how mentally ill is Donald Trump? 

YES YES YES

How many times have you heard similar headlines? "Trump Is Not Well." This is from the latest coverage by The Atlantic magazine. There is actually not much in the piece we haven't heard but it is the thorough comprehensive approach used by Peter Wehner, a Republican who has worked for Ronald Reagan and both H.W. and G.W. Bush. He opposed Donald Trump in 2016 for several reasons...  

"first, I think he is temperamentally unfit to be president. I think he’s erratic, I think he’s unprincipled, I think he’s unstable, and I think that he has a personality disorder; I think he’s obsessive. And at the end of the day, having served in the White House for seven years in three administrations and worked for three presidents, one closely, and read a lot of history, I think the main requirement for president of the United States … is temperament, and disposition … whether you have wisdom and judgment and prudence.”

Whew! That pretty much nails Donald Trump to the wall, with comparisons to past presidents who may have had their faults but stood eons taller than T-rump. Wehner continues...

"Donald Trump’s disordered personality—his unhealthy patterns of thinking, functioning, and behaving—has become the defining characteristic of his presidency. It manifests itself in multiple ways: his extreme narcissism; his addiction to lying about things large and small, including his finances and bullying and silencing those who could expose them; his detachment from reality, including denying things he said even when there is video evidence to the contrary; his affinity for conspiracy theories; his demand for total loyalty from others while showing none to others; and his self-aggrandizement and petty cheating."

Dr. Lance Dodes on Trump mental illness...

In the above you can explore Peter Wehner's research on all the bizarre behavior coming from the Oval Office lunatic. "Trump Is Not Well" is a must read for anyone who wants to understand what's going on in the maniac mind that is running the most powerful nation in the world. There's more...

"It manifests itself in Trump’s impulsiveness and vindictiveness; his craving for adulation; his misogyny, predatory sexual behavior, and sexualization of his daughters; his open admiration for brutal dictators; his remorselessness; and his lack of empathy and sympathy, including attacking a family whose son died while fighting for this country, mocking a reporter with a disability, and ridiculing a former POW. (When asked about Trump’s feelings for his fellow human beings, Trump’s mentor, the notorious lawyer Roy Cohn, reportedly said, 'He pisses ice water.')"

And the tragic thing here is that there's not a damn thing we can do until he is elected out of office in 2020 with lowlife Mitch McConnell controlling the Senate and loving everything Trump does because that means Moscow Mitch can do anything he wants to do. As an Independent, I am afraid my confidence in the current state of the Democratic Party isn't such that I feel they, alone, could win the election. It will take Progressives like Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren.

Yale's Dr. Brandy Lee on Trump's mental state...

Wehner uses the NOAA/Alabama fiasco as a recent example of Donald Trump's slippage. T-rump used his marking pen--something he turned into a campaign favor--to point out on a map that Dorian would probably impact the state of Alabama. The U.S. Weather Service said no way. NOAA disputed the Weather Service, then put out an order to never contradict Trump. First, that was blamed on Sec. Commerce Wilbur Ross.

But later it was thought to come from Trump's Chief of Staff, Mick Mulvaney. Finally, we learn the order to never question Donald Trump came from, you guessed it, Donald Trump himself. Wehner makes an interesting point, "It’s said that speculating on Trump’s mental health is inappropriate and unwise, especially for those who are not formally trained in the field of psychiatry or psychology." He qualifies that with obvious observations of Donald Trump's insane actions.

Of course, there is documented evidence of psychiatric evaluation of Trump, without the actual personal examination. This was done by Dr. Brandy Lee and her team from Yale University, plus other mental health professionals. The hands down conclusion was that Donald Trump is mentally challenged. Wehner concludes with...

"Whether or not his disorders are diagnosable, the president’s psychological flaws are all too apparent. They were alarming when he took the oath of office; they are worse now. Every day Donald Trump is president is a day of disgrace. And a day of danger."

Read this article. It is terrifying. 

Weekend news catch up

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2019 NEWS BYTES

The latest wrapped up for Progressives   

The poverty rate may be down but there are still millions that are poor, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. We carry 5 dollar bills around in the car's compartment just for the homeless that are at most intersections where we live.

Polls in the Democratic Primary are pointing to a three-way split between Joe Biden, Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren. With all his problems, Biden is still a solid first. The Bern continues to show his resilience, tied at second with Warren.

Justice Sotomayor accuses the Supreme Court of showing favor toward the Trump administration. Her reference is to "the Court order that effectively locked nearly all Central American migrants out of the asylum process."

Lawrence O'Donnell of MSNBC speaks of some ominous revelation we can expect from former National Security Advisor John Bolton, after being belittled by Donald Trump. To that Bolton commented, "I will have my say in due course." O'Donnell says it "could destroy the Trump re-election campaign."

Salon says in 2020, "Gerrymandered maps are being struck down by courts across the country, and the 2018 midterm elections point to massive turnout in the next election." Democrats must be cautious over the corrupt Republicans that will do anything to win.

Additional confirmation of SCOTUS' favorability to the Trump administration. The move allows T-rump "to bar most asylum seekers at the southern border while a lawsuit over the rule makes its way through the courts."

"Trump's former ghostwriter Tony Schwartz [The Art of the Deal] says Trump discards staff like 'Kleenex filled with snot'" Business Insider uses John Bolton's recent departure from the White House, and Trump's subsequent unfavorable comments about him as just one illustration.

Jerry Falwell Jr. is a Trump supporter, so are we to assume this "supposed" religious leader is in favor of T-rump's womanizing and, yes, his lying. The eighth Commandment says, “Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor,” in short, it condemns lying. Apparently these people don't read the Bible.

Saturday News Bytes

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2019 NEWS BYTES

News you can use...   

Check your state's Dept. of Motor Vehicles and you will probably find that they are selling your personal information again, if they haven't been all along, There's a treasure trove there and junk mailers plus the business community in general thrive on this data.

The Koch brothers have always been very secretive because their political tactics are so underhanded that they fear exposure. One just passed away, David, but Charles has always been the mastermind. This article divulges the ‘secret history’ of the conservative empire.

Only a maniac like Donald Trump could come up with a gun control measure like this: "White House considers gun control plan that monitors phones of mentally ill." Not only is mental illness the primary cause of gun violence-too many guns on the street is--but the mentally ill most certainly have a right to privacy.

Now here is something Donald Trump said that needs no explanation other than the fact that this ego maniac is out of his mind: "Trump claims ‘there was nobody here’ in America 25 years ago so ‘they probably had cleaner water.’"

Apparently Donald Trump has been "grifting" on his Turnberry Resort for some time. As it turns out the "Air Force says it sent crews to Trump’s Scottish resort up to 40 times." And we knew this folks before the Oval Office maniac came to the White House.

North Carolina is one of the racist states in the country, as well as most corrupt when it comes to politics. Republican gerrymandering is rampant and now this:
"Secret files reveal how North Carolina Republican systematically stopped black people and students from voting." Where are the Progressives when you need them?

Input on who won-lost #3 Democratic debate

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2019 NEWS BYTES

My take...no winners, no losers... 

Sanders/Warren-Is there something we should know?

I watched the debate without any distractions and felt most of the contenders did a good job. No one was great. No one was lousy. When it was over, I frankly could not pick a winner or loser, unless you consider Joe Biden a winner and Julian Castro a loser for Castro's criticism of Biden's memory. The audience didn't like it and the pundits didn't like it. But to me it was meaningless, and, anyway, I questioned whether it was some kind of movement to bring Biden down.

Cody Fenwick in RawStory says the debates began "unfortunately" on the health care question and "failed to focus much on foreign policy." It is true that health care has been labored over repeatedly in past debates, but it is clear that, along with climate change, they could be leading issues in 2020 for both sides. Donald Trump has no foreign policy [only bizarre antics], so anything the Democrats do will be an improvement.

Debates were heavy on health care...

         
Since Fenwick's winners/losers did not even include a Bernie Sanders mention, I looked further and found that the Washington Post agrees with me, "The winner of the debate? Nobody." Molly Roberts mentioned Beto O'Rourke's mandatory buyback on assault rifles adding, "it’s too late for him." Then, Kamala Harris came on too strong too soon, as has been her approach in earlier debates. Roberts commented...

"Of course, candidates are going to take shots at one another, sometimes tinged with substance and sometimes all sound bite. Of course they’re going to “go on … twice over!” as Joe Biden complained. How else are they supposed to get noticed?

Julian Castro got noticed in his attack on Joe Biden's memory suggesting he might be a little old for 2020. Roberts thinks his intentions are for a vice president slot, of course, with another candidate. In a continued analysis...

"Did anything stick? We’ll see soon enough. Mostly, though, the evening seemed winnerless. Slightly longer answers offered slightly more substance; distinctions on policy points became more distinct still, especially when it came to health care. The debate wasn’t useless for America, but it might have been relatively useless in changing anything meaningful about the race. So congratulations to Biden, Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders."

Want to watch full debate?...

Look at the RealClear Politics polls and notice the drop offs that occur after Biden-Sanders-Warren. Kamala Harris dives a full ten points from Warren, Buttigieg 12 points, Yang almost 14, O'Rourke and Booker almost over 14, then it's 1.3 for Gabbard down to 0.7 for Bennet. In between are Klobuchar, Castro and Steyer; Tom Steyer has just qualified for the debates and think he should be heard. Otherwise, it is time to cull the candidate to focus on strength.

Right now the strength is definitely Joe Biden [26.8 on RCP], Bernie Sanders [17.3] and Elizabeth Warren [16.8]. But keep in mind Joe Biden was 41.4 back in May. Since hitting 26 territory the beginning of July, he has been pretty consistent with some up and down fluctuations. Kamala Harris, perhaps Pete Buttigieg might be able to make substantial gains, but that will have to be done fast, certainly before debate #4, Tuesday, October 15, and may extend to Wednesday, October 16.

As they say, it is time to fish or cut bait, the reckoning of who you want to be the next president. International Business Times says, "Biden Weathers Democratic Debate But Uncertainty Persists."...

"In extended exchanges that highlighted the party's ideological schism over health care and the cost of shifting to a government-run universal coverage system, Biden was often in the limelight, occasionally going on the offensive against rivals."

But is that good enough to beat Donald Trump? 

Thursday night's Democratic debate imposing

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2019 NEWS BYTES

Who won, who lost...you decide...  

If we could wrap all ten Democratic contenders from last night's debate in a neat package of two, we'd have great candidates for 2020. RealClear Politics defined it, "10 Candidates, 10 Strategies on Display." And there lies the diversity of the Party of the Left, with little animosity, unless you consider Julian Castro's attacks on Joe Biden. Castro said they weren't personal, and they weren't really attacks, rather strong disagreements.

Taking it from stage right, Amy Klobuchar, from Minnesota, who makes a lot of common sense, but only ranks 1.2 on the RealClear Politics polling. Her primary statement was, "if you feel stuck in the middle of the extremes in our politics and you are tired of the noise and the nonsense, you've got a home with me." She is definitely against Medicare for the Medicare for All proposals championed by Sens. Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren.

Next, Corey Booker, talking about growing up in unsafe Newark, NJ neighborhoods, and definitely on the band wagon for more gun control, when asked by Dana Bash if Joe Biden is too old, replied definitely not. But, on the other hand, he was concerned about Biden's meandering, in the past and on that evening. In addition to gun violence, Booker reminded us of the problems with our water supply nationwide. He is 2.3 in RCP. 

Pete Butigieg talked about coming out, and will likely lend support for the LBGTQ community if elected. Butigieg had an earlier surge, and there was talk that he would at least come in as a potential vice-presidential candidate, but he has lost ground and comes in at only 4.8 on RCP. He made the statement, “This is why Presidential debates are becoming unwatchable,” referring to Castro's attack on Biden.

And then there's Bernie Sanders, who should be President of the United States today, but for a DNC unethical move by Debbie Wasserman Schultz, is second on RCP with 17.3. There would be no Democratic Party today without the Bern, even considering his leftness, it is far more discernable than the politics of Nancy Pelosi/Chuck Schumer. Think Bernie was losing his voice last night, but only physically, since his political voice will live on forever.

Joe Biden was, well, Joe Biden, and thankfully no huge gaffes last night. Julian Castro said his challenge to Biden was not personal, but I wonder if there is some movement to unseat the former vice president from his number one position in the polls. Joe Biden is a solid 26.8, leading Bernie by almost 10 points. Biden is able to 'work across the aisle' as is described by many, but in my mind is too moderate for the new wave of Progressives he just doesn't understand.

CNBC says Elizabeth Warren is rising in the polls [16.8 RCP] due to a base "more intense than any other candidate." She, along with Bernie Sanders fought with Joe Biden on Medicare for all; Biden prefers to just improve on Obamacare. My gut tells me the pair will not sell MFA until they make it clear how it will be paid for, using actual numbers. It wouldn't bother me to get rid of health insurers, but that may be a hard sell. Warren still favors reigning in corporate America.

Kamala Harris was riding the high road for a while, but apparently hit a speed bump. Her primary thrust was and has been against Donald Trump, although following the debate she chided ABC for asking no questions about abortion and reproductive rights. She is fourth in the polls at 6.5 RCP, which has been a plateau for her recently. A body language expert said she was less passionate than other candidates in the first hour. Her big money supporters were watching.

Beto O'Rourke brought the audience to their feet with applause when condemning assault weapons and saying he is for a mandatory buyback law. He was criticized saying this would certainly help Republicans in 2020. I don't think so, and if I'm wrong the voting public is completely hopeless on gun control to save the lives of innocent Americans. You have to wonder if O'Rourke is a bit too early but a prime candidate for 2028? He is 2.8 on RCP.

Andrew Yang wants to save traditional retail and attacked Amazon to make his point. He also suggested a $1,000 monthly giveaway for an entire year to 10 American families, if you believe that you can solve your own problems better than any politician. This drew chuckles from other debaters, and one deemed the idea at least original. Later, he said he left the debate not “encouraged” for the Democrats’ future. He is 3.0 on RCP leading O'Rourke and Booker.

Finally, Julian Castro, already mentioned criticizing Joe Biden for his contradiction. Castro also attacked Biden for his references to former President Barack Obama throughout the primary campaign. This I don't understand since Biden was an integral part of the Obama administration. He is only 1.0 on RCP but at one time was considered an up and comer in the Democratic Party. This debate was no help

RealClear Politics poll rankings.

The chronicles of Moscow Mitch corruption

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 2019 NEWS BYTES

Analyzing a corrupt Mitch McConnell a la Moscow Mitch  

Moscow Mitch: Money-power-corruption

The House hasn't yet given up on impeachment with 131 Democrats in favor. They need a majority of the House, 217 Democrats, plus independent Justin Amash. "Rep. Jerrold Nadler said an impeachment inquiry might begin in late fall, after hearings this month and next." The Daily Beast says there's a holdup because of "a faulty analysis of the politics of impeachment...

They’re still caught in the grips of myopic conventional wisdom about the way the whole thing would actually play out in a trial in the Senate.

Here's the scenario...

"Sen. Michael Bennet repeated the familiar argument that the Senate will not remove Trump from office. If the House impeaches him, Bennet said, Trump 'would be running saying that he had been acquitted by the United States Congress.'”

Julian Castro shot back: “If they don’t impeach him, he’s going to say, ‘You see? You see? The Democrats didn’t go after me on impeachment, and you know why? Because I didn’t do anything wrong.’”

"Conversely, Castro continued, if the House impeaches Trump, the public would conclude that 'his friend, Mitch McConnell, Moscow Mitch, let him off the hook.'”

The answer, dishonor "Trump by impeaching him, and blame McConnell when he is acquitted in the Senate." If this is done fast enough, it could lead to both T-rump and Moscow Mitch losing in 2020? The only other impeachment case, Bill Clinton, is not a good comparison, although it was during a Republican controlled Senate too. DB gives a good run-through that is worth reading, and of course there is a different SCOTUS Chief Justice, John Roberts.

Moscow Mitch blocking election security bill...

AlterNet says, "For most Democrats, beating Mitch McConnell in 2020 has become almost as important as defeating Donald Trump." Even non-Kentuckians probably feel this way about the tyrannical racist Moscow Mitch due to the way he has run the Senate as his own domain simply to thwart anything the Democrats try to accomplish. He has literally brought the U.S. Government to a standstill under his reign, starting with Barack Obama's administration.

Right now Moscow Mitch's approval ratings in his home state are 14%, and you wonder how anyone could win an election with numbers like that. Well, he did it in 2014 when he beat his challenger, Alison Lundgren Grimes, by over 15 points. Amy McGrath is running against McConnell in 2020 and you have to think, no matter how loyal these people are--a la Donald Trump supporters--they will too wake up and see what this moron is doing to our country.

Amy McGrath says Mitch McConnell must go...

The difference with Lundgren Grimes is that she was soft on everything Democrat like Obamacare, "even skirted answering a question about whether or not she had voted for Barack Obama in 2008 and 2012." McGrath is coming on strong about just how bad Moscow Mitch has been for Kentucky and the country. As an example...

"McConnell blocked a measure that would have funded pensions and health care for coal miners in his home state of Kentucky, not long after steering almost the same Treasury Department funds to an aluminum plant linked to a Russian oligarch."

This is a clear connection between Mitch McConnell and the Russians, leading to more speculation he was involved with Vladimir Putin's hand in the 2016 elections to help Donald Trump win. Then you compound this with the fact that Moscow Mitch has fought and defeated all legislation to strengthen voting machine equipment across the country, and the charge that he is a Russian asset becomes the reality that it is.

We cannot afford another six years of the most corrupt politicians this country has ever experienced. Alongside Donald Trump, Mitch McConnell has brought the United States to the lowest point it has ever been, both domestically and internationally. But we can do something about both in just over a year, and if the current trend is any indication, the Democrats can expect the kind of results that will will rid us of the top two political scumbags.

Will Donald Trump make 2020 grisliest election ever?

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 2019 NEWS BYTES

A less than pretty 2020 election ahead? 

This what you want in 2020, folks?

Remember what Moscow Mitch said about Barack Obama's second term? His comment was that he would do everything to make him a one-term president. It didn't work and Obama won handily. In 2016 Donald Trump got down and dirty as only he could, he won, and it isn't likely he could stand losing in 2020. As a matter of fact, he is again talking about a third term, which probably sent his double-digit supporters into the streets.

Can anyone even imagine a second term with the Oval Office lunatic, much less a third? Alex Henderson in AlterNet says...

"As ugly as the presidential election of 2016 was, 2020 is likely to be even uglier. President Donald Trump does not want to go down in history as a one-term president, and a key part of his reelection strategy is trying to fire up his base as much as possible..."

Those are the double-digits, above, I was talking about. This is how he pumps up these pathetics...

"Trump tells four Democratic congresswomen of color they should leave the United States (Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Rep. Ilhan Omar, Rep. Ayanna Pressley and Rep. Rashida Tlaib), attacks the predominantly black city of Baltimore as a 'disgusting, rat- and rodent-infested mess' or claims that Jews who vote for Democrats are being 'disloyal' to Israel."

Trump significantly behind to four Dems...

Yes, that is the kind of rhetoric these mentally challenged people understand. And this is how Henderson says T-rump will do it...

1. There will be more racism: The Squad, Ocasio-Cortez, Omar, Pressley and Tlaib, scenario will continue, and any other racial bigotry he can come up with.

2. More Hispanic harassment: The border wall, Latinos being hassled for speaking Spanish in public, jailing families at the border.

3. More emphasis on Evangelicals: In 2020, he will do everything imaginable to get far-right white evangelicals to the polls.

4. More voter suppression: "The last thing Republicans need in 2020 is a heavy turnout in Democratic parts of swing states, and as odious as the GOP’s voter suppression tactics have been, they will only get worse in the months ahead.

5. More violence: A recent Arizona newspaper headline read, “Could the 2020 election turn violent?" The answer was yes, due to the Trump White House encouragement of white nationalists

Bizarre moments with Donald dufus...

Keep in mind, the above is a compendium of how Donald Trump operates, a most pathetic conclusion when he heads up the most powerful nation in the world. But The Washington Post says, "Trump digs his own political grave," in a piece that points out once again the nuances of an individual that many think has reached a level of mental madness. The article places T-rump in a "somewhat feeble quality"...

"He makes the bare-minimum statement on the latest gun massacre, ducks a World War II commemoration in Poland on the grounds that he has to monitor the hurricane (but then plays golf and misinforms the public about the hurricane’s path) and eggs Vice President Pence to stay at the Trump International Golf Links and Hotel in Ireland, raising once more the grotesque self-dealing and corruption that permeates this administration."

And the democrats just remain on the sidelines holding their reactions while "he’s in the midst of blowing himself up."  That's okay for now, but the Dems had better get off their butts soon and make hay of the deterioration of this maniac, or they/we will be dealing with him for four more years.

Donald Trump: The great betrayal

WEDNESDAY-SEPTEMBER 11, 2019 NEWS BYTES

An anthology of Donald Trump follies...  

The absurd #45

If ever there was a news media's dream, it is Donald Trump's absurdities in the White House. They come so fast that they have to be collected in anthologies. This is one of those and includes some of the most recent stupid moves this maniac has made. The Congress can see this but does nothing because a GOP headed up by lowlife Mitch McConnell can only think of maintaining the power of the right wing radicals. Something that will soon change.

Now Trump's tariff trade war has finally caused a slowdown' among American small businesses. Business optimism hit a five-month low in August, this from the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), a lobbying group. Here's the situation...

"Pantheon Macroeconomics said in an email that the main optimism figure was "dragged down by declines in expectations for the economy and business sales." Both measures fell significantly, by eight points and five points respectively, Pantheon said."

And...

"the trend remains weak and continues to signal a clear downshift in business investment through the end of this year and into early 2020."

These small business owners "are reluctant to make major spending commitments," in part due to Donald Trump's bizarre war on China with a steady increase in tariffs, which brings a like response from Xi Jinping.

Barack Obama knew the importance of small business to the economy...

The number of uninsured Americans for health insurance has increased under the Donald Trump White House.,,

"data suggest that the economic expansion, now the longest on record at more than 10 years, is still struggling to provide widespread benefits to the U.S. population."

Also, "household income rose last year at its slowest pace in four years and finally matched its previous peak set in 1999. There's more...

"Solid gains in household incomes in the past four years have returned the median only to where it was two decades ago. And despite strong growth last year in the number of Americans working full time and year-round, the number of people with private health insurance remained flat."

"An estimated 27.5 million people, 8.5% of the population, went without health insurance in 2018. That was an increase of 1.9 million uninsured people, or 0.5 percentage point."

T-rump must be stopped before these numbers are completely out of control.

Chris Cillizza on Trump and Obamacare...

Donald Trump fired war monger John Bolton, or Bolton quit, according to him. No matter, we're rid of the guy who could have started World War III. Apparently Johnny 'finger on the button' had a rivalry with Mike Pompeo, Sec. of State, and the Oval Office lunatic didn't like some of his recent moves. This is how the Guardian sees it...

"The US president’s antipathy to globalism and multilateralism will remain but there will be a rebalancing towards Trump’s instinctive anti-interventionism, coupled with his penchant for personal diplomacy. At best, it may also lead to greater policy coordination between Washington’s national security agencies and, as a result, more consistent advice being handed to an often under-briefed president."

I think that might infer that John Bolton stood in the way of some national security briefings that weren't getting to Trump. Not sure what difference that made cause T-rump probably wouldn't read them, and, if he did, wouldn't understand them. If you are interested in Bolton's positions on Afghanistan, Venezuela, Iran, Russia and No. Korea, suggest you read the article.

Read more 'Donald Trump Dumb' here

The 18th anniversary of 9/11

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2019 MEMORIAL

9/11, a day never to be forgotten...

2nd plane hits-1st smoke seen

We still remember those lost on that disastrous day September 11, 2001, when 2,977 people were killed, over 6,000 injured, as terrorists attacked New York city, Washington, D.C. and another plane supposedly headed for the White House brought down in Pennsylvania. Although it was eighteen years ago, the USA hasn't forgotten, and this post is in remembrance of the first responders and innocent people who lost their lives. Here's how the attack unfolded...

See more pictures of the destruction of 9/11

Gun violence bloodshed threatened if 2020 goes to Democrats

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2019 NEWS BYTES

Fox News suggests gun violence to stop new gun legislation  

Wayne LaPierre-Always there with more guns

You would expect no less from Fox News and other conservative news outlets than to suggest gun violence bloodshed should the Democrats win big in 2020. It's looking likely that they will so these anarchistic terrorists are "threatening mass violence and a bloody people’s revolt in the streets." Here's a sampling of right media delirium...

"If you take 'people’s guns away from them, there’s going to be a lot of violence,' The View’s Meghan McCain announced. 'What you are calling for is civil war,' warned Fox News’ Tucker Carlson. 'What you are calling for is an incitement to violence.'”

Of course, these are two of the most insane of the conservative Republican media wingnuts. And the nation's gun nuts still believe the...

"Second Amendment exists not for self-defense, or to protect the rights of hunters and gun enthusiasts, but to enable citizens to go to war with the U.S. government, and to fend off a 'tyrannical' turn at home."

And that is basically what Fox is espousing, suggesting a bloody revolution will be necessary to stop the Democrats. Here's the scenario...

“The core philosophy of the Three Percenter movement, whose adherents have engaged in violence, is that citizens would be justified in taking up arms to violently overthrow the government if the government enacted stronger gun regulations.”

The Daily show's Trevor Noah on Fox News and guns...

It all started with the Obama election when the radical gun nuts were convinced he was going to take away their guns. They were supported by the head gun nut, the National Rifle Assn.'s Wayne LaPierre. Following the Sandy Hook school massacre in Connecticut...

"Fox’s Todd Starnes warned there would 'a revolution' if the government tries to 'confiscate our guns,' while Fox News Pat Caddell claimed the country was in a 'pre-revolutionary condition,' and 'on the verge of an explosion.'”

AlterNet says, "The sinister, desperate threats of bloodshed come as the public opinion pendulum continues to swing away from the NRA and its radical gun defenders." And gun owners must now look forward to the possibility of a Democratic House, Senate, and White House where new gun laws are most likely. Of course, the most immediate benefit will be for the gun manufacturers since the gun nuts will be amassing to buy more firearms.

The latest massacre in Texas follows "a long list from that state alone." The Washington Post says...

"the [Texas] governor encourages people to buy more guns and a new set of laws now allow you to take your gun to church and prohibit landlords from banning guns in rental properties."

Elizabeth Warren talks about gun violence...

Now that's a move in the right direction if your intention is to encourage more gun violence in your state. Paul Waldman of the WP muses, "If we actually told the truth about guns"...

The first thing they’d [gun advocates] say: The rote response we give after every mass shooting is just playacting. President Trump will say, “We’re looking at a lot of different things. We’re looking at a lot of different bills, ideas, concepts,” but he’s not going to do anything. He’ll claim that he’s going to stand up to the National Rifle Association, but then he’ll cave. Republicans in Congress will make sure no bill offering even the mildest controls on gun ownership will pass, even if it’s supported by 93 percent of the public. We may offer up our “thoughts and prayers,” but our main thought is “Can’t we talk about something else?” and our prayer is that voters don’t decide to change the situation we’re in.

There's more but you get the idea. The gist of all this is the fact that the gun huggers aren't serious about anything that even slightly resembles the enactment of responsible gun laws...like universal background checks. They would rather listen to the evocative rantings of Fox News and its propaganda spouters. That's why we are in the situation we are, a nation where there are more guns than people. This is bound to catch up with us soon, and we'll be sorry.

Read more about gun violence from my blog.

  

Donald Trump's spool is unraveling

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2019 NEWS BYTES

Donald Trump lunacy tidbits... 

Definitely coming off the spool

It happens daily, almost hourly, these days, when Donald Trump opens his mouth and sticks the whole White House in it. His tweets have dubbed him master of the inane, a position he probably will never be challenged for. So, I am assembling more of the instances today where the Oval Office lunatic has lived up to his reputation.

"Trump’s G-7 achievements: No trade deal, no military deal, no climate deal — and ‘yes’ on helping himself." T-rump did come away from G-7 with the accomplishment he probably went there for in the first place. To promote his Florida resort Mir a Lago for the next G-7 Summit. Well done.

And the whole Mir a Lago idea backfired. "Observers and experts quickly observed that this idea was likely illegal and potentially unconstitutional. There's more...

"Trump’s suggestion that the world leaders should meet at the Trump [also losing money] National Doral in Miami — thus funneling potentially millions of dollars directly into his pockets. In two years, the resort’s net operating income — a key figure, representing the amount left over after expenses are paid — had fallen by 69 percent.

At least there was some humor at G-7...

"Trump Campaign Spokesperson Floors CNN’s Chris Cuomo: Trump Has Never Lied to American People." This was Kayleigh McEnany, national press secretary for the Trump campaign, "who claimed with a straight face that President Donald Trump has never lied to the American people." Cuomo thought he had bad hearing, but the T-rump minion stuck by her statement.

I say Trump is a "useful idiot" who is a Russian asset. There were a lot of points made about Donald Trump being so favorable to Russia and its president, Vladimir Putin, in this article, but I liked this one best...

"A former CIA operative told Insider the evidence is "overwhelming" that Trump is a Russian asset, but another CIA and NSA veteran said it was more likely Trump was currying favor with Putin for future business deals."

A counterintelligence FBI agent added...

"It's hard to see the bar anymore since it's been pushed so far down the last few years, but President Trump's behavior over the weekend was a new low."

The agent was talking about the G-7 Summit, a meeting Donald Trump attended for the sole purpose of selling the Trump brand.

Former acting FBI Director Andrew McCabe says Trump could be a Russian Asset...

"Trump’s trade war debacle has Wall Street and farmers turning on him," is the screaming headline from RawStory. According to MSNBC’s “Morning Joe"...

"Donald Trump is rapidly losing the support of businesses and business-friendly chambers of commerce over his trade policies, which could doom his 2020 re-election prospects."

And U.S. farmers, who were partially responsible for his 2016 election win, are furious over what the Oval Office lunatic has done in the tariff trade war, in some cases wiping out the sale of their crops. Speaking again about the recent G-7 Summit...

"on balance, it is good for China for the world’s big industrialized democracies to be without effective U.S. leadership."

And that's exactly what America has, ineffective leadership.

Recession signals say Trump economy may be in trouble. Here's why...

"Data is coming at investors from every angle with so-called recession indicators flashing signs of an economic slowdown brought on by slower growth abroad and the U.S.-China trade war."

There seems to be a lot of disagreement on "how healthy or unhealthy the U.S. economy really is" with several factors involved. The U.S. bond market is down; GDP growth is slowing; Corporate profits are down drastically; Manufacturing growth has slowed; and a host of other aspects point to a downturn. Obviously, not a good thing for T-rump with his multitude of other problems. But it is yet another clear sign that we must get rid of this ego maniac.

Progressive News Bytes

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2019: LATEST NEWS BYTES

Yes, trim the Senate, starting with Mitch McConnell  

The main target, Mitch McConnell, is on the RIGHT

NBC News says the landscape of the U.S. Senate may be due for a trimming and then reseeding. Very competitive are No. Carolina, Texas, Iowa and Georgia. The most vulnerable seats include Colorado, Maine and Arizona. Here are some examples...

In Iowa, Sen. Joni Ernst is a one-term incumbent running in a state that has been hit hard by the president’s trade disputes with China. 

In Texas, Sen. John Cornyn is up for re-election in a state where the registered voter demographics are changing and where GOP Sen. Ted Cruz had to fight hard to eke out a win over then-Rep. Beto O’Rourke.

Seats that could be upsets are Montana, Kansas, Kentucky and So. Carolina. If we can just get rid of Mitch McConnell in Kentucky the whole political spectrum will change.

MSNBC comments on Democrats 2020 Senate chances...

You think Fox News is biased and spews lies and misinformation, just wait for Sinclair Broadcasting, who now has control over the local broadcast airwaves reaching 72% of the nation’s households. And they are ultra-conservative. Sinclair has “must-run” commentaries at its 193 broadcasting outlets in 89 markets required by all of its stations to air. Here's an example coming from political commentator Boris Epshteyn, coming straight out of the 1990s...

"Epshteyn argued that children must not be exposed to the “gratuitous violence” of video games and movies, and that the “impact of violent media on the psyche of our youth” has to be a part of preventing mass shootings."

AlterNet says the broadcaster could be "competing with Fox News to be Trump’s favorite propaganda machine." Just what we need.

Turning to another major problem, Suicide rates are on the rise in rural America reported by Danielle Steelesmith, a postdoctoral fellow at Ohio State University’s Wexner Medical Center. Not unexpected, the presence of more gun shops was also associated with an increase in suicide rates in all counties, except for the most rural ones. Number one, rural areas love their guns and, two, they were also what helped put Donald Trump in the White House.

Okay, farmers were one of the hardest hit with the Trump tariffs, but the study doesn't mention them specifically. However, one must wonder?

How No. Carolina ended gerrymandering...

And finally, Politico says, "Republicans fear drubbing in next round of redistricting." When Democrats fell asleep at the switch in 2010, [it] "cost them control of Congress for nearly a decade." The Democrats still haven't fully waked up but recent laws on the issue are kicking in and could help save their ineffectual butts in 2020...

Senior Republicans concede they’re at risk of losing dozens of state-level elections that will determine who wields power over the post-2020 congressional map — and potentially which party controls the chamber for the following 10 years.

That should get us back to round zero, but then, something must be done to prevent gerrymandering in the future. 

You the taxpayer rescued Trump Scotland Turnberry resort hotel

MONDAY SEPTEMBER 9, 2019: SPECIAL REPORT

Trump Turnberry resort corruption accelerates  

Where the latest Trump correction is

Here's the scenario. Donald Trump has a resort hotel, Turnberry, about 50 miles outside Glasgow, Scotland. It's in trouble financially, like just about everything else this moocher owns; the property lost $4.5 million in 2017, but revenue went up $3 million in 2018.” Also, VP Pence stayed at Trump's resort during his recent trip to Ireland in his usual suck-up way. That, alone, brought along the investigations into impropriety still progressing.

And it seems Turnberry has a money-losing airport they cannot afford to give up due to its convenience for travelers flying in to stay there. So, not only do you own this property, but you're also the U.S. president who can do what you want to when manipulating the government to support the Trump brand. And the Oval Office lunatic did just that. Rachel Maddow of MSNBC reported the following Politico headline...

"Air Force crew made an odd stop on a routine trip: Trump’s Scottish resort”

Here are the details...

“In early spring of this year, an Air National Guard crew made a routine trip from the U.S. to Kuwait to deliver supplies. What wasn’t routine was where the crew stopped along the way: President Donald Trump’s Turnberry resort."

Not only did they refuel at significantly higher priced gas than they could have gotten on a military base, but the crew stayed at the ultra-expensive Trump hotel. What is even worse is, the Air Force said this "wasn't unusual." Not in a Donald Trump administration it isn't. This is compounded by the fact that T-rump also has another money-losing resort in Florida, Mar a Lago, that he has been trying to steer the next G-7 to, since returning from the Summit. Maddow continued...

“But now, miraculously, now that Donald Trump is president, American military cargo planes have started refueling at that airport, at a significant price mark up. Right. It’s much cheaper for them to get their fuel at military bases. That’s part of the reason they always stop at military bases. Also, they’re the military. They’re no longer stopping at military bases.”

Rachel Maddow exposes Trump Turnberry fiasco...

Don't know how many said this when Trump was elected--it was several--that he really didn't want to be president, but now that he was, he would make the best of it by using the office to promote his Trump brand. Maddow says the Turnberry incident is, "uncharted waters, obviously, in terms of presidential corruption," and it implicates Donald Trump himself and everyone else who participated in it. These partners in the exploitation are not cooperating.

House Democrats have obviously picked up on this with investigations, added to those already started on the Mike pence Ireland visit. A senior Democratic aide on the oversight panel told Politico...

“The Defense Department has not produced a single document in this investigation. The committee will be forced to consider alternative steps if the Pentagon does not begin complying voluntarily in the coming days.”

Mike Pence pathetically defends Ireland Trump resort stay...

So far this committee has not been effective. Vox comments on the Politico report, "The US military may have spent millions to help prop up a Trump resort." There's more...

"The military has spent $11 million on fuel alone at the Prestwick Airport near Trump’s Turnberry resort since fall of 2017. the airport has provided discounted rooms and complimentary rounds of golf at the Trump resort for some US military members. The expenditures are unusual given buying fuel from Prestwick Airport costs the government (and, ultimately, taxpayers) more than refueling at military bases, such as the nearby Lakenheath Air Base in England."

Corruption will be one of Donald Trump's major legacies. 

Is there method to Donald Trump's madness?

SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 7, 2019, NEWS BYTES

More madness in the White House...  

The new Donald Trump campaign cap

This question could be answered in a number of ways. First, 'Of course, he always has been.' Second, 'Yes, the power usurped by the presidency has driven him over the edge.' Three, 'Although he seems crazy as a loon, it is really just a cover for the publicity and promotion he is receiving for his Trump brand.' I go with numbers one and two, for sure. Three has definitely been a benefit to the family in some ways, but not one of them has the IQ to pull it off. Plain luck.

The president is “batsh*t crazy,” according to a Republican operative Rick Wilson, and we'll have to wait until 2020 to do something about it. Wilson continued...

"Trump supporters, and much of the mainstream media, once believed the president’s outrageous and outlandish remarks were part of some psychological strategy to “own the libs,” wrote GOP strategist Rick Wilson for The Daily Beast, but 'only idiots and zealots believe that now.'”

That is very interesting that a major Republican, no less, political pundit would agree that Donald Trump supporters are both idiots and radicals. Just what this blog has been saying for months. And they are still talking about T-rump's most embarrassing performance at G-7, looking like he was coming off the spool spouting off...

dramatically escalating "the trade war with China, declared the whole world to be in recession — except the United States — wondered publicly whether the chairman of the Federal Reserve (whom he appointed) was a bigger enemy than the Chinese president, and “ordered” American companies to stop doing business with China. Oh, and he called American Jews who vote for Democrats either stupid or disloyal and canceled a state visit to Denmark after the Danish prime minister said that his proposal to buy Greenland was absurd."

There was a method to Donald Trump's madness...

If that isn't a plethora of madness, I don't know what is. But one of his biggest critics, Nicolle Wallace of MSNBC, says, "He’s almost self-imploding on the economy.” She's joined by Princeton Professor Eddie Glaude who remarks over Trump's tumbling polls...

"saying that this is a critical time of year for farmers, and they’re already hurting. If Trump destabilizes the economy, they’ll be hit even harder."

In other words, the more the Oval Office lunatic opens his mouth, the worse the U.S., and the world, becomes. The question is, can we wait until 2020?

More on gun violence and Moscow Mitch

September 6, 2019: NASTY JACK BUZZ NEWS BYTES

Gun violence and Moscow Mitch are a couple...   

My earlier post, Moscow Mitch apparently approves of gun violence," clearly illustrates the fact that Senate head, Mitch McConnell has no intention of addressing gun legislation that could halt mass killings and the deaths of innocent children and adults. He's paid by Wayne LaPierre's National Rifle Assn. (NRA) to not do this in the amount of $1.26 million. Not only that, but he relishes his power in the Senate, thus over Democrats, to do his any bidding.

It is unconscionable and MSNBC’s Joe Scarborough, the guy who came up with the moniker, Moscow Mitch, says, although McConnell hates the name, it will become his legacy. Scarborough added...

“You look at this guy’s legacy, and it’s going to be two things, I think right now. He’s going to have a legacy of basically doing the work of Vladimir Putin, an ex-KGB agent, and Mitch McConnell has been told by the CIA, director of national intelligence, the United States military, he has been told by everybody that Russia is trying to interfere and disrupt our democratic process, that we are under attack, so Mitch McConnell is killing Republican bills like Marco Rubio’s, and Democratic bills that would protect the homeland from this attack from Russia.”

It is no different, except for the deaths, than McConnell's recent blocking of legislation that would have improved the security of U.S. voting machines. Moscow Mitch wants the Russians to hack into the 2020 elections, because they are on the sides of Donald Trump and his new Republican brood. On the short side of treason, if not actually it, this is a U.S. senate member that has chosen to side with a foreign government, instead of the country he represents. Just like Donald Trump.

Opposition to Moscow Mitch over gun legislation...

During all this, there are still pluses and minuses in the gun violence issue. First on the plus side, Kroger has requested customers refrain from openly carrying firearms in its stores, along with Walmart recently, and Dick's Sporting Goods dropping guns in the not too distant past. But, on the minus side, a 14-year-old boy from Elkmont, Alabama, admitted to killing five members of his family, including his three younger siblings. A mass killing at one home, all in the family. Late additions, Walgreens and CVS joined the above. The victims...

"CBS affiliate WIAT-TV reports that authorities identified the victims as the teenager's father, John Wayne Sisk, 38; his stepmother, Mary Sisk, 35; and three siblings -- a 6-year-old boy, 5-year-old girl and a 6-month-old boy."

The Sheriff said the kid used a 9MM handgun that was in the house illegally. Number one, where did the illegal gun come from, and number two, how did it get in the hands of a 14-year-old? This kind of killing is what makes the NRA's propaganda about responsible guns owners pure bullshit. And finally, The Atlantic is reporting on a Supreme court that appears to have taken sides with the gun rights gang...

Recently, "53 United States senators—every member of the Republican caucus—wrote a 'letter' to the clerk of the Supreme Court assuring the justices that the Republican Party has their back. The Democrats, the senators told the Court, pose 'a direct, immediate threat to the independence of the judiciary.'”

I don't know what you would call this--certainly unethical--but it is just another example of how the right will do anything to win. ANYTHING!

Gun violence is Moscow Mitch's speciality

THURSDAY September 6, 2019: NASTY JACK BUZZ NEWS BYTES

Moscow Mitch McConnell behind U.S. gun violence...  

Moscow Mitch-Gun violence perpetrator 

Moscow Mitch McConnell, the sub-slimeball heading up the U.S. Senate won't even allow the consideration of any new gun legislation. Could that result from the $1.26 million in NRA contributions he has received? Moscow Mitch has been a lowlife for years since he said, "my number one priority is making sure president Obama’s a one-term president." He didn't, and Barack Obama could have been a three-term president and beat Donald Trump if not limited to two terms.

Now, recognize these names? Rodolfo Julio Arco, 57; Kameron Karltess Brown, 30; Raul Garcia, 35; Mary Granados, 29; Joseph Griffith, 40; Leilah Hernandez, 15; Edwin Peregrino, 25. They were the seven massacred by a shooter in the West Texas cities of Midland and Odessa. This is beginning to happen too regularly, says the Editorial board of the Washington post. The Board asks...

"What if there was a mass shooting in the United States not once or twice or four or six times monthly, but every single day, a big one, the kind that electrifies social media and squats for days on Page 1 — would that be enough to move Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell from his insistent inertia on gun safety? Would any volume of bloodshed convince the Kentucky Republican that Congress faces a moral imperative to act? Thirty-eight people were slain in three such shootings in August — in Dayton, Ohio, and El Paso, as well as West Texas — and still Senate Republicans and President Trump refuse to act."

Hundreds rally against Moscow Mitch stand on gun legislation...

It is sheer lunacy that one of the biggest newspapers in this country has to pose the above question. Moscow Mitch is complicit with other gun terrorists like Wayne LaPierre and his National Rifle Assn. (NRA), and must be dealt with quickly to save the lives of innocent Americans. In a surprise move recently, San Francisco's board of supervisors passed a resolution officially labeling the NRA a domestic terrorist organization. District 2 Supervisor Catherine Stefani said...

the NRA "spreads propaganda that misinforms and aims to deceive the public about the dangers of gun violence."

The Daily Beast says, "The NRA Can Be Beaten—and Here’s How It Will Happen"...

"I’ve come to think it’s possible to beat the NRA within maybe three or four election cycles. Doing so requires three elements. One, some anti-NRA Democrats beating some pro-gun Republicans in some high-profile races. Two, some Republicans turning against the NRA and living to tell the tale." [Synopsized] Three, NRA continued propaganda will alienate pro-gun rights Republicans, flipping them on the issue.

Michael Tomasky of The Daily beast Beast thinks this could take a few election cycles. Well, I disagree in that we can't wait that long for more mass shootings and hundreds more deaths. Somehow...we must make it happen soon. NOW!