This is why Pelosi must be replaced - She is anti-Progressive

HEADLINE: Pelosi ripped for boosting Koch-backed Texas Democrat over progressive 

challenger

There is nothing worse than someone associated with the Koch Brothers, except the brothers themselves. Nancy Pelosi should know this, and if she does, it is further proof that she will stand in the way of anything Progressive. I have blogged on the Kochs repeatedly over the years and these two brothers, one of which is thankfully dead, are the bottom of the barrel. Looks like the Koch-backed, anti-choice Democrat will win. Now it's time to dump Pelosi.  

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Is there anyone who didn't think the Supreme Court conservatives weren't biased toward Donald Trump? I think not...

Justice Sonia Sotomayor

We knew we had a one-sided SCOTUS, to the right, of course, some recent decisions pointing to what we might expect in the future. The recent immigrants wealth test apparently did it for Justice Sonia Sotomayor. Here's the scenario...

"On Friday evening, by a 5–4 vote, the Supreme Court allowed the Trump administration’s wealth test for immigrants to take effect in Illinois. All four liberal justices dissented from the order, which changes relatively little: Thanks to the conservative justices’ intervention in January, the wealth test was poised to take effect in 49 states, and Friday’s vote lets the government apply it in the last state left. What’s most remarkable about the decision is Justice Sonia Sotomayor’s withering dissent, which calls out—with startling candor—a distressing pattern: The court’s Republican appointees have a clear bias toward the Trump administration."

Here was the article's headline...

"Sonia Sotomayor Just Accused the Supreme Court’s Conservatives of Bias Toward the Trump Administration"

Donald Trump could still do more damage with additional conservative appointees, thus, even more reason to dump the White House maniac. 

Bernie Sanders at war with Donald Trump but also with the Democratic establishment...

The Russiasn are coming, the Russians are coming, but here is Bernie Sanders retort...

"We were told that Russia, maybe other countries, are going to get involved in this campaign, and look, here's the message to Russia: Stay out of American elections."

Not sure that will work but he also said to the Democratic and Republican establishment...

"I've got news for the Republican establishment," the Vermont senator tweeted on Friday night. "I've got news for the Democratic establishment. They can't stop us."

The Bern is on a roll and hopefully he is right, they can't stop him.

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UPDATE

Arizona Broadway Theatre strikes gold again with its presentation of LaCage Aux Folles...

Jamie Parnell and his voice were magnificent as Georges along with his stage partner Chris Hendricks as Chantal. Zane Hadish as the maid/butler, Jean Michel was a hoot. The all-male chorus was just great in their singing and dancing antics. I cannot say enough good about this show where the choreography and staging are ABT's normal level of excellence.

Kiel Klaphake and his wife, Cassandra, ABT founders, produced the play in its original LGBTQ theme, making the scenes meaningful but hilarious. It closes at ABT February 28, then moves to Phoenix's Herberger Theatre on March 6 through the 22nd. Folks, this a MUST SEE...

La Cage aux Folles is on stage at Arizona Broadway Theatre Jan 24 – Feb 28 and transfers to the Herberger Theater Center in Downtown Phoenix March 6 – 22, 2020. All tickets can be purchased online at azbroadway.org, or by calling 602-293-3600.

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CORRECTION: Chantal, played by Zane Hadish was not Georges partner. Georges partner was Albin/Zaza played excellently by Michael Ursua.

FOR DONALD TRUMP...

Donald Trump carries out the purge that eliminates his adversaries and builds his strength as the dictator'''

HEADLINE: ‘A travesty and a disgrace’: Trump quietly issues memo that could abolish union rights for 750,000 federal workers

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Can you see Big Brother in the headline below...

HEADLINE: "Trump’s new personnel chief orders ‘purge’ of all never-Trumpers from federal agencies"

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Catch-up with my latest news bytes...

RawStory says Republicans can't win unless they cheat, evidenced by the GOP holding up three election voting security bills...

Moscow Mitch admits, THERE ARE 395 HOUSE BILLS SITTING IN THE SENATE. He adds, "WE'RE NOT GOING TO PASS THOSE." This pathetic lowlife rivals Donald Trump in his corruption and disservice to this country.

Salon says the, "American health care system costs four times more than Canada's single-payer system." This means, "Americans pay $2,497 a year for insurance overhead and admin costs, while Canadians pay just $551." And that means that the health-care industry and pharmaceutical companies are gouging U.S. citizens for every penny they can get. Leading to why 70% of the country favors Bernie Sanders Medicare for All.

Here's a headline for anyone thinking of voting for Donald Trump in November,
"Trump’s economy is far from the ‘best ever’ — and wage growth ‘pales in comparison’ to past presidents." What we hear from the Oval Office lunatic on a mostly daily basis is that he has made the economy great, it's beautiful. Well, it's not and that is just more of his bullshit.

The AlterNet's John Stoehr of the Editorial Board says we might very well expect a Trump secret police in the future. Here's the scenario...

"I wrote this morning about the president’s new intimidation of sanctuary cities. He’s deploying 100 CBP agents, including BORTAC, which is a SWAT team for border security. The official goal is increasing deportations by 35 percent, but it’s pretty clear the aim is bullying local law enforcement into cooperating with federal authorities."

It wouldn't surprise me in the least if T-rump began to organize the double-digit thugs who follow him into a squad of enforcers to implement his psycho demands. The next step is a full-blown Big Brother. Was George Orwell actually predicting Donald Trump?

A warning from overseas: "Europeans fear relationship with America will only get worse under a Trump second term." And, it no doubt will, as he continues to piss off foreign leaders, coddling up to rogue nations like Russia and North Korea. Here's the scenario...

"The president has routinely attacked various European politicians, and criticized NATO security partnerships, claiming that America is carrying too much of the burden on its own. He has also undermined key security agreements in which Europe plays a role, including the Iran nuclear deal, which includes France, Germany, and the United Kingdom."

Europe is considering developing the power it needs to do without the help of the United States in the future, go it on their own while distancing themselves from a relationship it took decades for America to develop. They think that is what T-rump wants and they may very well be right.

Donald Trump was here in Phoenix yesterday...BFD

The governor of Arizona, Doug Ducey, joined Trump on the podium. More BFD. But Phoenix's Veterans Memorial Coliseum was packed with poor lost souls in search of a leader that, because of who this idiot is, will never materialize. The Arizona Republic, solidly conservative, gave us five things learned from the rally...

"Trump's base is ready," but so are the Progressives of Arizona to turn the state at least purple.

 "Trump is all in for McSally," but her opponent in the Senate race, Mark Kelly, is ahead by 6.7 points.

And Trump roared what all the Arizona gun nuts wanted to hear, " Guns, guns and more guns." There's more of this pathetic drivel, if you have the stomach.
READ MORE...

Michael Bloomberg debate debut at best a disaster...

Elizabeth Warren lit into Michael Bloomberg on the debate stage like a firestorm and wouldn't let go. My wife observed that he looked like a deer in the headlights and didn't recover until well into the evening. Bloomberg never answered Warren's question of whether he would release his female employees from their non-disclosure agreements, rather, he went on to justify their legality. And then this shows up in the media this morning...

"Billionaire Mike Bloomberg‘s performance at Wednesday night’s Democratic debate was by most accounts at best terrible, but that didn’t stop the campaign from pushing out a fake, doctored, and highly-edited clip suggesting the other candidates on stage were silenced by a claim he made."

Mike Bloomberg has done too many good things like fighting gun violence and climate change to be crucified and hung out to dry. Questions: 1) Will he get a sympathy vote over his treatment? and; 2) Will Bloomberg's demeanor appeal to Trump supporters who are disenchanted with his actions? There are still eight months left.

Massive blue wave coming for November...???

How long have the Progressives sat on their butts when it was time to come out and vote to support their party? At least as far back as Barack Obama, and then for several years before. That's why we are currently saddled with a GOP Senate, and having just won back the House. I call them apathetics, those who hug the couch when it comes time to do their duty. But they may be waking up. In a recent extensive poll by Reuters they found...

"that interest in voting in 2020 is surging in urban areas dominated by Democrats faster than in Trump-supporting rural areas."

There's more in this AlterNet article...

"voters’ interest in going to the polls appears to be growing faster among those who disapprove of Trump than among those who approve of him. The advantage in urban political engagement extends deep into the most competitive battleground states that Trump won by razor-thin margins four years ago.”

Would anyone be surprised? Probably not, but it's comforting to see it in print with solid facts to back it up. The left is finally completely fed up with Donald Trump and his corrupt administration with the urban areas coming alive with Progressives committing all across the country. Nicholas Valentino, a political scientist at the University of Michigan commented...

“Democrats are very angry. Many see this administration as an existential threat to the constitutional order. They’re standing ready to participate to try to change the course of this country.”

One of the biggest issues for the November election could be health care, more likely than not, and although the Oval Office lunatic trumpets his support for this issue...

"the Trump Administration is very much on board with a Republican lawsuit that seeks to abolish the protections of the Affordable Care Act of 2010, a.k.a. Obamacare — including coverage of preexisting conditions — and rip health insurance away from millions of Americans by arguing that the law is unconstitutional."

According to journalist Daniel McGraw, this could be a major obstacle for T-rump who needs the rust belt this November, and where polls are reporting his loss of support in this region. Without this area, the White House maniac is probably dead meat. Bill Kristol, a very right conservative, and Charlie Sykes founded the Bulwark in late 2018, a "passionately anti-Trump" organization. But they are in favor of Obamacare. Go figure.

The RawStory article McGraw cites another study, the Baldwin Wallace University’s Great Lakes Poll in rust states Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan and Wisconsin, with this comment...

“One question in the poll was especially relevant to health care, and unlike the questions in most previous national polls, phrased very directly: ‘Do you approve or disapprove of the way Donald Trump is handling health care policy?’ The results show Trump and the Republicans have a big problem in these key states.”

Many of the pundits aren't giving Bernie Sanders much of a chance against Donald Trump, although he holds a commanding lead in the Democratic Primary. My gut tells me with a 70% U.S. approval rate for Medicare for All, there are more supporters for the Bern than we think.

How many breaches of the law like this does it take to make a new impeachment?

Assange lawyer claims congressman offered pardon on behalf of Trump in exchange for absolving Russia in WikiLeaks DNC case

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Looks like Bernie Sanders was right about Medicare for All and with the support of 70% of U.S....

MEDICARE FOR ALL WOULD SAVE $450 BILLION ANNUALLY WHILE PREVENTING 68,000 DEATHS, NEW STUDY SHOWS

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New polls show Bernie Sanders in double-digit lead

Bernie Sanders is up 9% in the polls to 31% nationally with Bloomberg second at 19%, then Biden 15%, Warren 12%, Klobuchar 9% and so on in the new NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll. It is this poll that qualifies Bloomberg for the Nevada debates, which should determine his competition with Bernie going forward. There are two problems here: the Bern must increase his base to win this election; Bloomberg must address the accusations of women’s allegations of profane, sexist comments. READ MORE...

I am not talking about the Primary when it comes to Bernie, he can probably win that with his base due to the "fragmented" support of other candidates, according to Politico. Here's the scenario...

"While few expect that Sanders can carry more than a third of the vote in Nevada, nearly everyone believes that will be enough to win in a field where the moderate vote remains splintered. It is becoming a source of celebration for Sanders' supporters and an urgent problem for those who want to prevent him from claiming the nomination."

The Washington Post reports the Vermont Senator "is powered by a loyal base, but results in Iowa and New Hampshire show the movement has limits." Here's the thinking...

"A core base of young, liberal and working-class voters inspired by the Vermont senator's calls for a political revolution powered the self-described democratic socialist to an effective tie atop the Iowa caucuses and an outright win in this week's New Hampshire primary.

"Yet the early returns show that Sanders's loyal army represents a limited slice of the party, accounting for just over a quarter of the vote in each of the first two states. And one of the central premises of his campaign — that it is built to activate legions of new voters and spur record turnout among young people — has not been realized."

And that isn't good for the Bern. But the accusations of Bloomberg's conduct are also not good, and the two questions remain if Bernie can get his act together and widen his support outside the far-left and if Bloomberg can clear up this mess he has created. Something must happen, because, without these two, Democrats are way up the creek without the paddle. This would mean four more years of Donald Trump and a vast number of Americans don't want that, including some Republicans.

There is one more angle when it comes to Michael Bloomberg's candidacy, his close connection to Wall Street, which, both Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren are fighting against. But CNN says "the billionaire is nonetheless vowing to crack down on the financial industry." Some might say that the self-made billionaire would be reluctant to go against his former cronies but look at the gun control issue. He is a leader with his Everytown for Gun Safety group.

And, that may not be exactly apples and apples, but it does show that Bloomberg is willing to buck the system and do the right thing. His attacks on Donald Trump so far have been right on and seem to be getting under the Oval Office lunatic's skin, which is just more heat to drive Trump over the edge. As I said earlier, these two (Bernie and Bloomberg) are a must for the Dems in November when it comes to beating the White House maniac. Nevada debate February 19, on NBC/MSNBC.

This kind follows Donald Trump...

Paula White

"Trump ‘spiritual adviser’ tells followers to skip paying monthly electric bills so they can send her church more cash"

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Donald Trump: I am the king...

Here's a headline you cannot pass by without literally throwing up: "Trump says he has the ‘absolute tight’ to tell the Justice Department what to do." It obviously came from the office of the Oval Office lunatic and really shouldn't surprise anyone. Unfortunately, it has now gotten to the point, following T-rump's exoneration in the Senate from impeachment, that he really believes he has these powers and is about to explode into complete totalitarianism. Here's the scenario...

"President Donald Trump says he has the 'absolute right' to direct the Dept. of Justice in who and how it prosecutes, but claims that he didn’t, despite his furious tweet overnight attacking the DOJ and calling prosecutors’ sentencing recommendation of Roger Stone a 'miscarriage of justice.'”

It is Trump's reaction to the 7 to 9 year recommendation of jail time for Roger Stone, his former buddy, confidant, and former campaign adviser. The White House maniac denies ordering the turnaround in sentencing, but stated, “I’d be able to do it if I wanted I have the absolute right to do it.” READ MORE... This may not be illegal, but it has caused a furor in Justice prompting four prosecutors to quit, thus, eliminating more barriers for the emperor.

This whole thing is akin to the Ukraine conspiracy and reeks of the same kind of cover-up and fraudulent manipulation of, this time, a U.S. figure, namely Atty. General William Barr. CNN claims...

"The Stone affair has also added to evidence that Attorney General William Barr is acting more as the President's personal lawyer and less to ensure the neutral administration of justice."

But Donald Trump never learns, and apparently neither does a Republican Congress that is supposed to be the primary check on the executive branch. It may have something to do with the fact that every time he bucks the Washington machine, his double-digit followers go all out for him. And that is the dominant aspect in T-rump's support, except these people don't realize that this idiot does not have the mentality to successfully carry out this kind of maneuver.

This is a tragic statement from CNN...

"Trump's pattern of behavior relies on an indifference to the health of US political and judicial systems on the part of the President and a willingness to destroy trust in institutions that could take decades to recover from his power plays."

And how many times has the United States warned certain foreign countries who have shown "the stigma of justice corrupted by strongmen leaders" to allow it to come home to roost in free America? Here's another shocker to apparently everyone, including the Washington establishment...

"The President's decision not to even wait a week after his impeachment trial -- an event that some Republicans said they hoped would teach him a lesson, despite voting for acquittal -- to expand his power has stunned Washington. That's even following three years of Trump-triggered shocks."

Here's a comment from Rep. Kathleen Rice, D-New York...

"My fear is that Donald Trump is going to succeed in numbing the American public to his transgressions. We cannot let this happen. He has to be held accountable," Rice, a member of the House Homeland Security committee, told CNN's Wolf Blitzer.

This country sure is, and I suspect the whole world is numbed by the radical misdeeds of Donald Trump.

Lisa Murkowski dumbs down again ...

Here's a headline from AlterNet: "Lisa Murkowski admits Trump didn’t learn his lesson after reporters confront her with evidence president has gotten worse since acquittal" Is she dumbing down to protect the Oval office lunatic or just plain stupid? Any fool could see what was going on...oh, that's right, she's a GOP congresswoman.

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Mike Bloomberg-Hillary Clinton: Could they beat Trump?

Bloomberg - Clinton

This pair may be proven research, but it looks to me like a train wreck going somewhere to happen. When you Google "Hillary Haters," you get 7.4 million hits. But, when you do the same with supporters, you get 22.6 million, so maybe I am wrong. My initial reaction comes from blogging during the 2016 election, seeing the ire from so many commenters and across the board when it comes to profiles. But Bloomberg's research team does appear to have credibility.

On the other hand, RealClearPolitics says, "Bloomberg May Be What Democrats Need." RCP continues that the 77-year-old, former Republican, billionaire is probably not what the Dems want, at least Progressives like Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren. The Bern does say that Mike Bloomberg is trying to buy the election, which, if you look at the mechanics of Bloomberg using his money only to fund his campaign, might vaguely qualify for the accusation.

RCP considers Buttigieg and Klobuchar, but lacking the experience and a strong following, rules them out. Democrats need Bloomberg for four reasons...

"First, the former New York mayor has done real things. Building a multibillion-dollar business from scratch and ably managing New York City for 12 years are concrete accomplishments. Making speeches and sitting in committee hearings – the core tasks of being in Congress – are no match for what Bloomberg has done."

"Second, Bloomberg is not a left-wing ideologue."

"Third, competence. Bloomberg knows how to make things run."

"Fourth, Bloomberg guarantees a first-class campaign. He can fund the entire general election out of petty cash. Two billion? Three billion? Four billion?"

 With the favored candidate, Joe Biden, in a downward spiral, recoiling from being originally "available, acceptable and electable," here's the latest scenario...

"a recent Quinnipiac poll shows his once-powerful support among black and moderate Democrats nationally has taken a tumble since Iowa."

Warren is fairing no better, and all this considering Bloomberg skipped campaigning in the first four states: Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina. The experts thought he was crazy, but turns out he made a smart strategic move with the demise of Biden. The Buttigieg/Klobuchar profiles are fairly similar and I can see their followers going to Bloomberg, should they drop out of the race. But here's a possible obstacle that could throw everything into chaos.

Based on a recent release, Michael Bloomberg may be considering the selection of Hillary Clinton as a running mate. Now that may show strength to his strategists, but I can see it as pissing off Klobuchar and Buttigieg, if, in fact, as I have surmised earlier, each is now not running for president, rather, for vice president. Depending on how the two react, they could stay in the race, which, of course would siphon votes from Bloomberg.

As far as electability goes...

"On November electability, which was Biden’s calling card, Bloomberg is now doing better than other Democrats. The most recent Quinnipiac poll places Bloomberg ahead of Trump by a sizable nine percentage points. The latest Fox News poll has Bloomberg beating the White House occupant by eight points. Even polls that show narrower Democratic margins place Bloomberg in a relatively strong position for November."

On the Progressive side, haven't seen any recent polls for the Bern against T-rump, but in the past Sanders has been in the lead. For what it's worth the BBC says, "US election 2020: Could it be Bernie Sanders v Donald Trump?" This should be a very interesting fall.   READ MORE...

AG William Barr must go!

Over 1,100 former DOJ officials demand

Barr’s resignation in scathing letter

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Friday afternoon news bytes...


"Here are 20 of the most racist things Rush Limbaugh has ever said" ie...

"You just gotta be who you are, and I think it’s time to get rid of this whole National Basketball Association. Call it the TBA, the Thug Basketball Association, and stop calling them teams. Call ’em gangs."

"Joe Walsh pulls plug on presidential run and goes scorched earth on GOP: ‘It’s not a party — it’s a cult’"  

Quote from Walsh...

"the conservative Walsh admitted he would rather see a 'socialist' in the White House rather than Trump whom he called a 'danger to democracy.'”

"Lev Parnas hands Democrats a new treasure trove of photos and videos that go far beyond Trump impeachment: CNN"

The question, of course, is what will they do with it??? So far, the party has been totally ineffective in after-impeachment action. These are...

"unseen photographs and videos that bear out his contention that he was working closely with Donald Trump’s attorney despite disavowals."

 "Trump’s Jobs Record Is Weaker Than Everyone Thought"

Compare the job figures under Barack Obama with that of Donald Trump...

"In the end, the economy has added fewer jobs in every year of his presidency than it did during Obama’s final one. There never was much of a Trump bump."

"These 3 charts show how Trump’s ‘blue collar boom’ is more of a bust for US workers"

The latest data, adjusted for changes [in nominal growth] in the cost of living reveals...

"the picture changes drastically. And far from representing a 'blue collar boom' – as the president put it in his State of the Union address – the real, inflation-adjusted data show most U.S. workers have not benefited from the growing economy."

READ MORE... 

"Betsy DeVos’ approval rating is 28 percent as voters back investigations into student debt scandal: poll"

Trump's village idiot, Betsy DeVoss appears to be in trouble, that is in addition to her low approval rating by the public...

"A majority of voters support congressional investigations into Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos’ handling of student debt programs, according to the results of a new poll, which exposes how deeply unpopular the Trump Cabinet member is across the country."

"Democrats’ ‘worst nightmare’? Here’s the truth about the freakout over ‘Bernie or bust’"

The moderate Dems must get used to Bernie Sanders popularity among voters and stating riding with it...

"The take-away from all of this is that in every election cycle, a small share of primary voters won’t vote for their party’s nominee unless it’s their preferred candidate, and that’s true regardless of who wins the nomination."

Aside from the Bernie's surging ratings, he also has a considerable base...

'There are 71 million millennials in the United States ages 24 to 39. 26 millennials voted in 2018. Bernie Sanders is ahead in the Iowa Caucuses and he leads in the New Hampshire Primary. So, what does this say for the Bern.'

 Happy Valentine's Day!

A vengeful Donald Trump will spiral out of control before November

How do I know this? I don't, but if this maniac continues his attack on those who were against him in the Senate impeachment trial, he will have no time to campaign for re-election. However, there is a 'yeah, but,' which is the question of whether his fight against his adversaries will satisfy his mentally challenged followers to the extent that they will be even more solidly behind him. There are more than enough voters left to beat him in November.

Vox reports, "Bernie Sanders leads Donald Trump in polls, even when you remind people he’s a socialist." I have also heard that, yes, people are comfortable with The Bern's Socialism now, but if Trump should choose to use this as a campaign issue, say, calling Sanders a dirty Socialist, or even get nastier and call him a Communist, how would that affect their attitude? We know how the T-rump cult would react, since that is already one of their favorite charges.

Here's a headline for you, "Trump’s acquittal has unleashed the most ‘corrupt, unfit, demented and malevolent president’ ever," from Tom Boggioni of AlterNet. Here's the scenario...

"In a scorching column for the Daily Beast, David Rothkopf accused Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and Attorney General Bill Barr of standing by while President Donald Trump purges anyone who crossed him with their testimony during his impeachment trial, with the columnist saving most of his vitriol for Republicans who are letting the president continue to break the law."

Each of these two Donald Trump minions have been standing by, Moscow Mitch since the beginning of this administration, and Bill Barr since he has selected as Attorney General. The sadness of all this is that at least McConnell is supposed to be one of the checks on the Executive Branch. These two, plus others, have provided the platform from which the Oval Office lunatic is able to spew his perpetual hate and corruption. And there is no sign of this ebbing.

David Rothkopf in the Daily Beast provides two examples of T-rump's "Friday Night Massacre," just two days after he was acquitted of abuse of power charges...

“'Donald Trump unleashed a Friday night massacre at the end of the week the Senate acquitted him, one that reveals yet again not only who Trump is but how he intends to act thanks to the carte blanche to abuse his powers handed him by the Senate and his attorney general,' Rothkopf writes while noting the firings of Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Vindman, his brother and EU Ambassador Gordon Sondland."

Travis Gettys headline in RawStory, "‘The gloves are off’: Trump hell-bent on revenge for impeachment — and ‘everything is out in the open’" really says it all but he adds...

"President Donald Trump and his personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani are hatching revenge plots with help from Attorney General William Barr."

And he continues by saying that Trump has...

privately asked Giuliani to keep investigating Joe Biden and his son’s activities in Ukraine, and Barr acknowledged that the Department of Justice would evaluate the information Trump’s personal attorney turned up, reported The Daily Beast."

The problem with this is that Joe Biden is fading in the polls miserably with Bernie Sanders surging to a double-digit lead over all the candidates, and it is highly unlikely the White House maniac will be able to dig up much dirt on the Bern. If he does, it will certainly be fake news. Daily Beast reports a senior administration official said...

“I think he feels like the chains are off now. It’s like things have taken a turn. The gloves are off, and everything that used to be hush hush is now just … out in the open.”

So, my premise that Donald Trump will involve himself in the impeachment vindication so heavily he will literally forget November, probably also so cocky now he feels there is no way he could lose an election, is perhaps a credible concept. And, if so, provides the perfect podium for Bernie Sanders to launch his election bid. It should be very interesting.

"Rush Limbaugh: ‘Mr. Man’ Trump Will ‘Have Fun’ With ‘Gay Guy’ Buttigieg Kissing His Husband"

Donald Trump cult programmed to adore and follow him

The Trump gang of loonies are definitely in a cult state. They are even proud of it, wanting all to know they support the Oval Office lunatic. When you Google the definition of cult there are three answers that come up. I chose this one...

a misplaced or excessive admiration for a particular person or thing.
"a cult of personality surrounding the leaders"

The key word here is "Misplaced," which indicates to me that these lost souls are either mentally retarded, or are in some way unable to think for themselves. An AlterNet commentary describes it this way...

"a lifestyle that can be adopted by anyone in any arena, at any scale, for any reason, in any culture, disguised as serving any goal. It is an attempt at a unified theory of what makes some humans particularly dangerous company, the product of 25 years of psycho-proctological study..."

To carry this further, it is simplistic people worshiping a simplistic cause delivered by a simplistic person. The leader, Donald Trump, is the biggest simpleton, followed by his gang of puppet minions who regularly eat up his bullshit, spewing it out to others who simply think they are...simpletons. I did a blog post recently on "What Trump supporters really look like," that asked this question...

"Have you ever tried to convince a Donald Trump follower that he is a tyrannical despot scraping the bottom of the political barrel?"

I have and they are as spacey as someone freaked out on crack. They look at me like I am the crazy one, which only compounds the fact that these people are living on another planet. But here's a fact from another of my posts, "Under 50% of Trump supporters like him. In  a June-July 2016 Pew survey," the findings were...

"Very few consider him well-informed or admirable. Only a minority expected that he would be willing to work with those he disagrees with, that he could unite the country, and that he is honest."

Good God! Trump followers think he is dishonest, yet they would follow this man off a cliff? It shows you the level of mentality that exists in at least parts of this country. And it is this kind of supporter that makes Donald Trump the scam artist he is. Referencing the White House maniac's 4th of July performance, here's an example from a July 10, 2019 headline: "Trump’s fake patriotism was sophomoric and insulting — so of course his supporters loved it."

This came from Salon's Lucian Truscott, in an opinion piece...

"Donald Trump’s Fourth of July speech was sophomoric. The fly-overs were anemic. The pairs of Bradley fighting vehicles and M1-A2 tanks were practically invisible. Everyone was soaked to the skin. They even played the hoary redneck anthem, 'I’m Proud to Be an American.'”

 "But the crowd loved it."

Here's what Steven Hassan, author of a new book, “The Cult of Trump,” said...

“[What] really made me think of Trump as a cult was the way the groups who supported him were behaving, especially religious groups who believed that God had chosen Trump or was using Trump."

Hassan adds...

"Trump uses 'very sophisticated mind-control techniques' through various media to push a “black-and-white, all-or-nothing, good-versus-evil, authoritarian view of reality that is mostly fear-based.”

Hassan believes that not all Trump followers are actually cultists...

“but those who buy everything he says, who think he’s some kind of savior or a gift from God, whose loyalty is both unquestionable and irrational, I do think they’re behaving more or less like cult members.”

The question is not only how long will it take to get rid of Donald Trump, but also how long it will take to convince the T-rump cult that their adoration was so tragically misplaced. 

Trump demands Justice Dept. reduce his buddy Roger Stone's sentence

The Justice Dept., headed up by AG Bill Barr, is forcing the prosecutors of Roger Stone, one of Donald Trump's closest associates, to reduce his sentence. It's called the White House as usual.   READ MORE...

Can Michael Bloomberg push Trump over the edge with his campaign ads touting the Oval Office lunatic's business failures?

I have spoken in several of my posts how well-known psychiatrists keep coming to the conclusion that Donald Trump is mentally unbalanced to the extent he shouldn't be running this country. These esteemed medical professionals, even though they have not personally examined the Oval Office lunatic, are fully confident their diagnoses are right on target. Their reasoning, there is plenty of his daily bizarre rhetoric in the media to pinpoint T-rump's problems.  

Vanity Fair asked the question recently, "WILL NEW IMPEACHMENT EVIDENCE PUSH TRUMP OVER THE EDGE?" It didn't. And now some are even talking about the possibility he has some built in resiliency that is keeping him from the men in the white coats, which many of us have felt would have been at the White House long before now. Maybe Michael Bloomberg has found the answer, a massive ad campaign attacking Trump's business failures.

There are many, as you can see in the above illustration. Hillary Clinton had a similar strategy in 2016 calling out...

"Trump’s tendency toward bankruptcy, highlighting every opportunity Trump had to increase his father’s money for a higher profit. But investment after another failed, as Trump was forced to file for bankruptcy six times for five different companies."

Bloomberg is among the top 10 richest people in the United States. Trump ranks 275th. That alone must piss Trump off every day. The election would be billionaire against quasi billionaire. Here's the scenario...

"Thus far, Bloomberg’s challenges to Trump has prompted Twitter meltdowns, rally rants and name-calling in interviews. If Bloomberg manages to take Trump down, mentally and emotionally, with ads targeting the president’s failed businesses and inability to make the 'deals' he promised, it could prompt the next level of a knockdown drag-out fight."

Vanity Fair also says Bloomberg's tactics are working when Trump reduces himself, again, to use the nicknaming insult, calling the former New York city Mayor, “little Michael Bloomberg,” instead of countering with issues of substance. And that is the big problem in this matter, Donald Trump has no substance...zero, zilch, nada. To depict just how close the White House maniac is to the brink, on February 6, RawStory posted this headline:

• "Trump just had a weapons-grade crazy post-impeachment tantrum — here are the most insane moments"

The tirade included...

"attacks on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) and Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT), and also featured some bizarre off-the-cuff ramblings about his Republican allies."

Here is one of his off-the-wall comments that seems to confirm the psychiatrists' belief that Donald Trump is coming off the spool...

"Trump says that Rep. Steve Scalise’s (R-LA) wife really loves him because she was visibly upset after he got shot."

What the hell has this to do with the subject at hand??? But RawStory sort of clarifies...

"For unexplained reasons, the president gave a recap of the 2017 shooting at a congressional softball game practice that put Scalise in the hospital. Trump said he was impressed at how emotional his wife, Jennifer Scalise, got when visiting him in the hospital."

That's all well and good, but who gives a shit. Especially considering it is the lowlife Steve Scalise. There's more you can read in this article mentioning Nancy Pelosi, Adam Schiff and a jab at Mitt Romney and his Mormon religion. And I have to mention here that during all of the ranting and raving, congressional Republicans were cheering this idiot along. Beyond pathetic!

The Clinton-era expert speaks out

Sporting a new bow tie but brandishing the same political philosophy as earlier, this liberal icon of American political commentary is fired up and telling the Democrat Party off. “We’re losing our damn minds,” he exclaims, with the urgency of someone about to be pushed over the edge. Carville is the epitome of strategists, making Republicans look like crooks in a mediocre way by keeping his tactics, and those around him, principled and honorable.

He says the Dems must be "Majoritarian," a word I have missed, if a part of the current liberal jargon. Here's the definition...

"From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Majoritarian democracy, as opposed to constitutional democracy, refers to democracy based upon majority rule of a society's citizens. Majoritarian democracy is the conventional form of democracy used as a political system in many countries."

What worries me most is his opinion of the current tribe of 2020 Democratic candidates; he's not impressed with any of them, including Bernie Sanders and Mike Bloomberg. All this amid a chaotic Iowa Caucus that it isn't clear is settled yet. In the middle of this article, there is another piece, "Bernie Sanders leads Donald Trump in polls, even when you remind people he’s a socialist," and Carville has this comment...

"But back to Sanders — what I’m saying is the Democratic Party isn’t Bernie Sanders, whatever you think about Sanders."

And he's right, Bernie Sanders is where the liberals, call them Progressives or Democrats, are going for the future. Hillary Clinton screwed up 2016, ably assisted by the conniving of then DNC head, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, leading to an Electoral loss but a huge margin in the popular vote winning by over 3-million. Carville thinks Bernie could win the electoral--and I believe the popular vote in larger numbers than Clinton--but we won't regain the Senate.

And, of course, there is no way a Democrat/Progressive would get anything done in the White House with Moscow Mitch McConnell heading up the Senate, even though the Bern would probably hold on to the House. David Faris outlines his plan to fix all this in his book, "It's Time to Fight Dirty." This is how James Carville would fix it...

"The Democratic Party is the party of African Americans. It’s becoming a party of educated suburbanites, particularly women. It’s the party of Latinos. We’re a party of immigrants. Most of the people aren’t into all this distracting shit about open borders and letting prisoners vote. They don’t care. They have lives to lead. They have kids. They have parents that are sick. That’s what we have to talk about. That’s all we should talk about."

But when you look at the other Democratic candidates, it is clear that their focus is on those people above with programs like Sanders' fight against inequality, Bloomberg's gun control, Biden's appeal to the blacks, to name a few. James is right on racism; the only one in the campaign who really emphasized this issue was Corey Booker, and he is no longer running. And surprisingly, the ragin Cajun doesn't support free education for fear of pisssing off those who had to work their way through school.

Another thing I don't understand is his inability to grasp the fact that liberals are, in fact, slowly moving farther to the left and there is a quiet revolution of those of us who are fed up with the overall inequities between the elite wealthy and us normal folks. James Carville is looking for a "winning message," as he describes it, and I am not sure his reasoning here when Bernie Sanders has a hold on millennials numbering 71 million; that's a hell of a base to start with.

Carville closes with...

"I think the other side wants us to think there are no swing voters, that we’re doomed and it doesn’t even matter if you have a message because you can’t reach anyone. I think that’s bullshit. I think that’s a wholly incorrect view of American politics. But look, if no one’s persuadable, then let’s just have the revolution.

"Falling into despair won’t help anyone, though. I mean, you can curse the darkness or you can light a candle. I’m getting a fucking welding torch. Okay?"

You have to give the ragin Cajun his due, successfully steering Bill Clinton to wins in two presidential campaigns. I think the point here is to temper what he has said with the solid push to the left, which long time Democrats can't seem to get their minds around and come up with the winning combination. Not only to just win big in 2020, but to carry the left ahead in the future with solid issues there affect not only the left, but the right as well.   A MUST READ HERE!