To those of you who watched or listened to the seventy-five
minute diatribe from the president on the afternoon of February
6, 2020, what can I say? It was the incoherent ramblings of
an idiot or a madman or both. And it is about time someone
said so. Perhaps the media does not want to alarm the rest
of the world, I don't know how they could not be alarmed
if they were listening. I know I am frightened indeed, this
is a man who holds the nuclear codes to blow up the world,
for god's sake!
To those sniveling cowards in the Senate who said the
impeachment was a lesson and the president has learned
and will change his ways; "Where you listening?" Do
you really think that you can control this lunatic? He
has no moral compass to guide him, that was your job
and you failed miserably. You failed the country, you
failed the world, and you will be held accountable.
After listening to the president's speech - and I use the
term speech for lack of a more defining term - the Toronto
newspaper, The Globe and Mail, printed this on it's op-ed
page; "The Virus of Trumpism and His Infectious Moral
Failings". written by Andrew Coyne. I would like to quote
from parts of it, if I may:
It is not possible to look at all that Mr. Trump is
and all that he represents - the pathological lying,
the habitual corruption, the serial groping, the
casual racism, the glorification of violence, the
winking to Nazis, the laziness, the impulsiveness,
the childish tantrums, the bottomless ignorance,
the vanity, the insecurity, the vulnerability (so
skillfully exploited by America's adversaries) to
flattery, the bullying, the crudity, the indifference
to suffering, the incompetence, the chaos in the
White House, the attack on America's allies and
support for it's foes, the contempt for experts and
for expertise, for norms and conventions, for checks
and balances, for limited government, for the very
rule of law - it is not possible to be exposed to all
this on a daily basis for four years and shrug it off
or explain it away or accept it as part of the deal
without there being something wrong with you.
This is the way people outside our country view our president,
and Canada is not alone in this feeling. Mr. Coyne goes on to
say that this unreasonable attachment to a man of such dubious
character is akin to a cult. And this cult-like adherence is not
just relegated to people of less than stellar intelligence. Coyne
goes on to say:
To reach such a verdict, in such circumstances, is
beyond a mere error of reasoning. It is a moral
error. and of a particular egregious kind. These
are not, after all, bar-stool yahoos or internet
trolls, but senators who are supposed to know
better. To say that one disagrees with it, then, is
insufficient. It must be condemned, as surely
history will condemn it.
Mr. Coyne speaks of the acquittal of the president as a moral failing,
and I must agree. The damage that this president will go on to inflict,
not just on our country, but on areas of instability in the middle-east
for example. And that damage will be attributed to all who voted to
free him of the shackles of propriety, decency, and morality. Coyne
says further:
It is not just a mistake to make excuses for Donald
Trump. It is a moral failing. It may only be
blindness - while some may actively applaud
him for his depravities, most just minimize them -
but this is, at this stage, culpable, if not willful
blindness.
Those of you who lacked the moral certitude to convict this president
should be ashamed. How could you not listen to one of your own who
said 'he took an oath before God' and he honored it; and then listen
to your president mock him, and mock his religion, do you not feel
any remorse?
I am ashamed of the president and I am ashamed of the government
that supports him. I am tired of apologizing to people I visit with in
other countries when they ask me how this happened. As a country
we have given up the moral high-ground. we have lost any sense of
rectitude. we have trashed the principles that have guided us since
our founding. My only hope is that when these dark days are behind
us, we can find our way back.
I'm just sayin'.
Friday, February 7, 2020
Wednesday, February 5, 2020
It's Not About Democracy, It's About the Money
Last night, February 3, 2020, the debacle known as the Iowa caucus,
again showed why this farce should never happen again. Twenty-four
hours after the caucuses closed and there is still no definitive winner.
Only 61% of the precincts have reported in with totals.
In a previous article (08/13/2019) I discussed the ridiculousness of
having Iowa, a state that doesn't even remotely resemble the nation as
a whole, be the first state to hold a primary. The rules governing how
a caucus is to be conducted make the game of Go seem like child's play.
I don't believe many of the actual caucus goers understand them completely.
Many of the would-be caucus participants are not able to attend the caucuses.
Those who work second-shift would be eliminated. Those with physical
handicaps, trouble walking or driving, are also eliminated. Where is the
ADA when you really need them? The rules specify that the doors to the
caucus be open for a short, definite time, after that they are closed to any
late comer. Rather than a secret ballot, caucus participants must state
their preference for a candidate and physically join the candidate's group.
Thus declaring oneself in front of one's friends, neighbors, and relatives.
That may make the next church pot-luck dinner a bit dicey.
Iowa has been using the caucus system to select delegates to the Democratic
and Republican conventions since the 1800's. In 1916, they held an election
but returned to the caucus system in 1917 due to the cost. The people of
Iowa say they have their finger on the pulse of the nation, - except for that
woman who requested her ballot back because she just found out Mayor
Pete was gay- that they are open and forward thinking and can select a
candidate based on integrity, and ability and one who will go on to lead the
country, as long as they are not gay. Hmmm, let's look at the results of the
past caucuses, the success rate for Iowan selections are; 55% for the
Democrats and 43% for the Republicans. I don't know about you, but I
wouldn't bet those odds.
After all these shenanigans, and millions of dollars spent, the result of the
Iowa primary is 41 delegates, yup you read that right, 41 delegates to the
convention in Milwaukee in July. That is less than 1% of the nationwide
total of 3979 delegates to be chosen, and less than 2% of the 1990 delegates
needed to win the Democratic nomination. And for this pittance, twenty
hopefuls began scouring the state since last August, with the hope of
currying the favor of a handful of farmers. Ten of them were driven out
of the race because they could no longer spend the money required. I am
sure some of them were viable candidates whom you would have liked to
have voted for. I know I really liked one or two.
But we didn't get that opportunity, and coming out of Iowa there may be
even fewer than the ten candidates going in. The world loves a winner even
if the prize is nothing more than bragging rights, that is if you really wanted
to brag about garnering 10 whole delegates - that probably amounts to
$100,000.00 apiece. Is it really worth it? You bet it is to Iowa, every
election cycle, the state racks-up millions of dollars in revenue, without
which Iowa would dry-up like the corn before harvest.
So what is to be done? The Democratic Committee, the DNC, can change
the rules. They have done so many times, most lately when they allowed
Nevada and South Carolina to join Iowa and New Hampshire in early
primaries. All the rest of the states must wait until after the first Tuesday
in March to hold elections, which this year comes early, March 3rd. After
that date each state may choose the date of it's primary. California moved
it's primary up to 'Super Tuesday' to exert a greater influence on the selection
of a candidate.
If Iowa doesn't agree to cede its early primary date to another state, say
Illinois, which is much more diverse and more in line with the demographics
of the country, the DNC can strip Iowa of its delegates. Wow, that means a
candidate could lose 10 delegates. Not hardly the deterrent needed to keep
those running out of the state. The DNC could front-load the primary dates
with more states. That would be a problem for candidates of where to spend
their time and money to get the biggest bang for their buck. It would drive
more small underfunded candidates out of the race even sooner, setting the
stage for a few wealthy individuals to buy the election.
Or, and the most desirable in my opinion, is to have a national primary.
That way we all get to vote for our favorite candidate, big or small war
chest. Gone are the days when a candidate had no other way to reach
out to voters except by train or later by plane. Today, the media choices
are endless, besides the televised debates, there is a myriad of social media
sites; Facebook, Twitter, text, where a candidate can reach out to millions
of voters on a daily basis.
Unfortunately, there is no control over these sites, voluntarily or regulated.
The greed that they show is unconscionable, and yes, I am calling it greed,
pure and simple. They don't care about presenting a fair and truthful account
of a candidate, they only care about how much money they can raise in
advertising. They will tell us that the internet is free and open and they wish
to keep it that way. No, they wish to keep the money coming in. Newspapers
and television must abide by certain rules of libel, slander, and truth, not
so Facebook and Twitter.
Perhaps the next president and Congress could examine that issue more closely.
Or perhaps the courts would allow libel cases to go forward against the social
media that posted the libelous statements. Something to think about, after we
solve the problem of Iowa. After all it's all about the money.
I'm just sayin'.
again showed why this farce should never happen again. Twenty-four
hours after the caucuses closed and there is still no definitive winner.
Only 61% of the precincts have reported in with totals.
In a previous article (08/13/2019) I discussed the ridiculousness of
having Iowa, a state that doesn't even remotely resemble the nation as
a whole, be the first state to hold a primary. The rules governing how
a caucus is to be conducted make the game of Go seem like child's play.
I don't believe many of the actual caucus goers understand them completely.
Many of the would-be caucus participants are not able to attend the caucuses.
Those who work second-shift would be eliminated. Those with physical
handicaps, trouble walking or driving, are also eliminated. Where is the
ADA when you really need them? The rules specify that the doors to the
caucus be open for a short, definite time, after that they are closed to any
late comer. Rather than a secret ballot, caucus participants must state
their preference for a candidate and physically join the candidate's group.
Thus declaring oneself in front of one's friends, neighbors, and relatives.
That may make the next church pot-luck dinner a bit dicey.
Iowa has been using the caucus system to select delegates to the Democratic
and Republican conventions since the 1800's. In 1916, they held an election
but returned to the caucus system in 1917 due to the cost. The people of
Iowa say they have their finger on the pulse of the nation, - except for that
woman who requested her ballot back because she just found out Mayor
Pete was gay- that they are open and forward thinking and can select a
candidate based on integrity, and ability and one who will go on to lead the
country, as long as they are not gay. Hmmm, let's look at the results of the
past caucuses, the success rate for Iowan selections are; 55% for the
Democrats and 43% for the Republicans. I don't know about you, but I
wouldn't bet those odds.
After all these shenanigans, and millions of dollars spent, the result of the
Iowa primary is 41 delegates, yup you read that right, 41 delegates to the
convention in Milwaukee in July. That is less than 1% of the nationwide
total of 3979 delegates to be chosen, and less than 2% of the 1990 delegates
needed to win the Democratic nomination. And for this pittance, twenty
hopefuls began scouring the state since last August, with the hope of
currying the favor of a handful of farmers. Ten of them were driven out
of the race because they could no longer spend the money required. I am
sure some of them were viable candidates whom you would have liked to
have voted for. I know I really liked one or two.
But we didn't get that opportunity, and coming out of Iowa there may be
even fewer than the ten candidates going in. The world loves a winner even
if the prize is nothing more than bragging rights, that is if you really wanted
to brag about garnering 10 whole delegates - that probably amounts to
$100,000.00 apiece. Is it really worth it? You bet it is to Iowa, every
election cycle, the state racks-up millions of dollars in revenue, without
which Iowa would dry-up like the corn before harvest.
So what is to be done? The Democratic Committee, the DNC, can change
the rules. They have done so many times, most lately when they allowed
Nevada and South Carolina to join Iowa and New Hampshire in early
primaries. All the rest of the states must wait until after the first Tuesday
in March to hold elections, which this year comes early, March 3rd. After
that date each state may choose the date of it's primary. California moved
it's primary up to 'Super Tuesday' to exert a greater influence on the selection
of a candidate.
If Iowa doesn't agree to cede its early primary date to another state, say
Illinois, which is much more diverse and more in line with the demographics
of the country, the DNC can strip Iowa of its delegates. Wow, that means a
candidate could lose 10 delegates. Not hardly the deterrent needed to keep
those running out of the state. The DNC could front-load the primary dates
with more states. That would be a problem for candidates of where to spend
their time and money to get the biggest bang for their buck. It would drive
more small underfunded candidates out of the race even sooner, setting the
stage for a few wealthy individuals to buy the election.
Or, and the most desirable in my opinion, is to have a national primary.
That way we all get to vote for our favorite candidate, big or small war
chest. Gone are the days when a candidate had no other way to reach
out to voters except by train or later by plane. Today, the media choices
are endless, besides the televised debates, there is a myriad of social media
sites; Facebook, Twitter, text, where a candidate can reach out to millions
of voters on a daily basis.
Unfortunately, there is no control over these sites, voluntarily or regulated.
The greed that they show is unconscionable, and yes, I am calling it greed,
pure and simple. They don't care about presenting a fair and truthful account
of a candidate, they only care about how much money they can raise in
advertising. They will tell us that the internet is free and open and they wish
to keep it that way. No, they wish to keep the money coming in. Newspapers
and television must abide by certain rules of libel, slander, and truth, not
so Facebook and Twitter.
Perhaps the next president and Congress could examine that issue more closely.
Or perhaps the courts would allow libel cases to go forward against the social
media that posted the libelous statements. Something to think about, after we
solve the problem of Iowa. After all it's all about the money.
I'm just sayin'.
Sunday, February 2, 2020
It's Time to Move On
In 1998, during the impeachment hearings against then president
Bill Clinton, Joan Blades and Wes Boyd, a married couple, began
a petition to have the U. S. Congress censure President Clinton
and move on to the pressing problems of the day. The petition
garnered over a half a million signatures by word of mouth alone.
The petition, however, did not dissuade Congress and President
Clinton was impeached by the House of Representatives, though
he was found not guilty in the Senate.
Twenty years later we are facing a somewhat similar situation.The
President, Donald Trump, has been impeached by the House of
Representatives and has been tried in the Senate. The country is
awaiting closing arguments and a verdict. The verdict is, and
always has been, a foregone conclusion. Then, as now,
the world is watching what we are doing here.
If I may quote from an editorial from the Toronto Globe and Mail,
newspaper written by Lawrence Martin:
What happened is another bold illustration of how Mr. Trump
has taken the presidency by the throat and redefined it. As
historian Douglas Brinkley put it, "he's dynamited the
institution of the presidency."
As the impeachment shows, he's turned his party into a swarm
of lackeys. He's ransacked the reputation of the other
institutions such as intelligence and security agencies. He's
overhauled communications with his daily barrages and
attacks on the media. With his staggering output of falsehoods
and misinformation he's waged an unconscionable war
on truth...
His manhandling and obstruction of the justice system have
been amply apparent in the impeachment proceedings and
many other controversies. He's taken a wrecking hammer
to Congressional oversite.
This is from our friend and neighbor to the north; it is not the first
time they have taken our President to task. Trumps approval rating
in Canada is a dismal 22%. But what is done is done and it is time
for the country to move on. We must if we are to survive as a
Democracy.
Our country is as divided as I have ever seen it, and I lived through
the assassinations of John Kennedy, Martin Luther King, and Bobby
Kennedy. I lived in Chicago during the 1968 convention riots, the
war protests, and the civil rights marches. I remember the Kent
State Massacre in 1970, and they all pale to the hatred I see today.
This impeachment has driven an even bigger wedge into the heart
of the country, and has caused a deeper divide than I thought possible.
The Democratic Party is in the process of choosing a candidate to run
against Trump. The election is in nine short months. I know, in
politics a week is forever and a year is a mere heartbeat. If Joe
Biden isn't the candidate, the impeachment will have been forgotten.
And if the economy is still booming, Trump may be a shoe-in.
In the background, unnoticed by most, are the drone strikes at the
heart of al-Qaida. This continuing 'poke the bear' strategy will
eventually bring a response, and an even greater response from the
U.S. Trump knows the public will not 'change horses in the middle
of the stream' even if he is the one who is causing the stream to
overflow. Trump's campaign is playing every card in the deck, but
this will be child's play when it comes to the attacks once a
Democratic candidate is chosen.
But we as Democrats, must not rise to the bait. We have to select a
centrist to represent the party. We must reach out with an open hand
not a closed fist, we have to stop the divisive rhetoric, the subtle dog-
whistle messages, the out-and-out lies. The Democrats must lift politics
out of the gutter and bring civility back to the White House, if we ever
want the world to look at us as a beacon of hope and promise again.
We must promise to restore the faith of our allies, the determination of
purpose to our enemies, we must say what we mean and mean what we
say. Open our doors to those who need our help and build alliances, not
walls. Walls don't keep people out they keep people in. We must embrace
our differences, they are what made this country great. And most of all
we must reach across the aisle and work with those whose ideas we
feel are counter to our beliefs, and work with them to find a common ground.
The Republicans tapped into a vein of resentment in 2016, they promised
to change lives and bring prosperity to the impoverished areas of this
country. And they failed miserably. They promised that coal mines
would reopen, manufacturing would rebound in closed and shuttered
factories. And they failed again. They promised that the wall, the
beautiful wall, would keep out the immigrants who were stealing their
jobs, and Mexico would pay for it. The wall remains a dream and Mexico,
they are keeping their pesos. The tariffs that were supposed to be paid
by China? They came out of all of our pockets, the money paid to the
farmers came out of our pockets, the higher prices caused by the tariffs
came out of our pockets. Every promise that Trump made has been an
utter failure, except for his lies.
Trump says his plans are working, look at the stock market. How many
Americans are in the stock market? It's hard to put money into you IRA
when you have bills to pay and the paycheck hasn't gotten any bigger in
years. The mega corporations are inflating the stock market by putting
profits that should go the workers, into buying company stock. Thus
inflating the price and making their shareholder happy, to say nothing
of making their portfolio happy. Are you happy?
The road to the White house will be an arduous trek, we will have to
endure name-calling at best and degradation at worse. But we must
keep our eyes on the prize. We must lift up the election process and
refuse to be dragged into the mud of lies and intimidation. And it
must begin with you and me.
I'm just sayin'.
Bill Clinton, Joan Blades and Wes Boyd, a married couple, began
a petition to have the U. S. Congress censure President Clinton
and move on to the pressing problems of the day. The petition
garnered over a half a million signatures by word of mouth alone.
The petition, however, did not dissuade Congress and President
Clinton was impeached by the House of Representatives, though
he was found not guilty in the Senate.
Twenty years later we are facing a somewhat similar situation.The
President, Donald Trump, has been impeached by the House of
Representatives and has been tried in the Senate. The country is
awaiting closing arguments and a verdict. The verdict is, and
always has been, a foregone conclusion. Then, as now,
the world is watching what we are doing here.
If I may quote from an editorial from the Toronto Globe and Mail,
newspaper written by Lawrence Martin:
What happened is another bold illustration of how Mr. Trump
has taken the presidency by the throat and redefined it. As
historian Douglas Brinkley put it, "he's dynamited the
institution of the presidency."
As the impeachment shows, he's turned his party into a swarm
of lackeys. He's ransacked the reputation of the other
institutions such as intelligence and security agencies. He's
overhauled communications with his daily barrages and
attacks on the media. With his staggering output of falsehoods
and misinformation he's waged an unconscionable war
on truth...
His manhandling and obstruction of the justice system have
been amply apparent in the impeachment proceedings and
many other controversies. He's taken a wrecking hammer
to Congressional oversite.
This is from our friend and neighbor to the north; it is not the first
time they have taken our President to task. Trumps approval rating
in Canada is a dismal 22%. But what is done is done and it is time
for the country to move on. We must if we are to survive as a
Democracy.
Our country is as divided as I have ever seen it, and I lived through
the assassinations of John Kennedy, Martin Luther King, and Bobby
Kennedy. I lived in Chicago during the 1968 convention riots, the
war protests, and the civil rights marches. I remember the Kent
State Massacre in 1970, and they all pale to the hatred I see today.
This impeachment has driven an even bigger wedge into the heart
of the country, and has caused a deeper divide than I thought possible.
The Democratic Party is in the process of choosing a candidate to run
against Trump. The election is in nine short months. I know, in
politics a week is forever and a year is a mere heartbeat. If Joe
Biden isn't the candidate, the impeachment will have been forgotten.
And if the economy is still booming, Trump may be a shoe-in.
In the background, unnoticed by most, are the drone strikes at the
heart of al-Qaida. This continuing 'poke the bear' strategy will
eventually bring a response, and an even greater response from the
U.S. Trump knows the public will not 'change horses in the middle
of the stream' even if he is the one who is causing the stream to
overflow. Trump's campaign is playing every card in the deck, but
this will be child's play when it comes to the attacks once a
Democratic candidate is chosen.
But we as Democrats, must not rise to the bait. We have to select a
centrist to represent the party. We must reach out with an open hand
not a closed fist, we have to stop the divisive rhetoric, the subtle dog-
whistle messages, the out-and-out lies. The Democrats must lift politics
out of the gutter and bring civility back to the White House, if we ever
want the world to look at us as a beacon of hope and promise again.
We must promise to restore the faith of our allies, the determination of
purpose to our enemies, we must say what we mean and mean what we
say. Open our doors to those who need our help and build alliances, not
walls. Walls don't keep people out they keep people in. We must embrace
our differences, they are what made this country great. And most of all
we must reach across the aisle and work with those whose ideas we
feel are counter to our beliefs, and work with them to find a common ground.
The Republicans tapped into a vein of resentment in 2016, they promised
to change lives and bring prosperity to the impoverished areas of this
country. And they failed miserably. They promised that coal mines
would reopen, manufacturing would rebound in closed and shuttered
factories. And they failed again. They promised that the wall, the
beautiful wall, would keep out the immigrants who were stealing their
jobs, and Mexico would pay for it. The wall remains a dream and Mexico,
they are keeping their pesos. The tariffs that were supposed to be paid
by China? They came out of all of our pockets, the money paid to the
farmers came out of our pockets, the higher prices caused by the tariffs
came out of our pockets. Every promise that Trump made has been an
utter failure, except for his lies.
Trump says his plans are working, look at the stock market. How many
Americans are in the stock market? It's hard to put money into you IRA
when you have bills to pay and the paycheck hasn't gotten any bigger in
years. The mega corporations are inflating the stock market by putting
profits that should go the workers, into buying company stock. Thus
inflating the price and making their shareholder happy, to say nothing
of making their portfolio happy. Are you happy?
The road to the White house will be an arduous trek, we will have to
endure name-calling at best and degradation at worse. But we must
keep our eyes on the prize. We must lift up the election process and
refuse to be dragged into the mud of lies and intimidation. And it
must begin with you and me.
I'm just sayin'.
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