The Cost of America's Moral Leadership - AKA Saudi Payments to Trump

A Legislative Agenda for 2019

Fiction vs Reality

The West Wing, Season 3, Episode 3 - Ways and Means

The subpoenas are handed out in the hearing over Bartlet's concealment of his multiple sclerosis. The special prosecutor, Clement Rollins (Pryor), appears to be both fair and responsible, but C.J. believes the White House will be better served in the public eye if investigated by a partisan agent. She therefore decides—against the strong objections of White House counsel Oliver Babish—to present Rollins as an ally of the administration, thereby forcing Congress to take control over the investigation. --from Wikipedia

The idea was that the Special Prosecutor was too well respected and expected to do a good job, that sending the investigation to the House would turn a legitimate fact-finding investigation into an all out partisan brawl which could be defeated. Sounds eerily familiar to what happening now.

Pro-Choice is the Only Choice

This one might get difficult, but let’s give it a try. If you want a society with fewer abortions, your only choice is to vote for Democrats. That is the only party with a platform that will actually reduce the number of abortions - 

• access to birth control
• comprehensive sex education
• expanding access to health care
• affordable education
• early childcare/welfare/food stamps

The Republican answer is to simply ban the medical practice, which doesn’t prevent abortions but makes them less safe for the mothers. Outlawing abortions also fails to acknowledge the instances in which abortions are a medical necessity or the least bad of two choices. It’s not a good choice, but is one that many hopeful mothers are forced to make - when the genetic or ultrasound tests show that the fetus will not survive the pregnancy or the birth. It is a terrible decision but one that a mother must make with her physician.  The Republicans insert themselves between a women and here OB/GYN with unnecessary testing and sometimes force the physician to lie. 

I understand that people see this as a black and white issue, but as with most things in life, the practice is quite gray. There are legitimate, medical reasons for abortions or induced miscarriages, and they are all sad and terrible. But the answer isn’t to make the women criminals or punish the physicians. The answer is to make the practice an unnecessary as possible and that is where Democratic policies win the argument. 

Midterms are Over!

The Midterms are over! No more political ads for about 18 months. The Democrats scored a big victory last night taking back control of the House of Representatives. In fact, Democratic candidates received about 4 million more votes than the Republican candidates (about 9 points overall). That is a strong rebuke of Trump and his politics in Urban and Suburban districts. Democrats must show again what responsible leadership looks like. While I am not a member of the House and the Democratic leadership, I think their first priorities should be as follows:

1. Governmental Accountability and Ethics Reform - strong legislation to hold members and appointees to task for abusing the public trust.
2. New Voting Rights Legislation - improve ballot network security, require paper trails, automatic audits of at least 10% of precincts, automatic recounts at 1% difference, ban with penalties misinformation about election details, penalties for voter suppress (like only putting 3 machines or broken machines in a majority-black precinct), penalties for machines than miscount votes (punish the manufacturer), prevent voter purges, ban robocalls, automatic voter registration at 18, and other good ideas.
3. Others - Reinstate Net Neutrality, strength protections for pre-existing conditions, replace cost-sharing reductions to lower premiums, and I am sure that I am forgetting some major items.

Most importantly, Democrats will take over the leadership of Congressional Committees. No longer will the abuses of the Trump administration be covered up by the Legislative branch. There are certain things that should be investigated - like the response to Puerto Rico or the abuse against migrant children by taking them from their families. Let Mueller do his job and wait for his report. He already has a successful list of convictions, pleas and indictments.

Trump makes a move on Mueller

Whelp, it happened. President Trump has fired Attorney General Jeff Sessions. Trump seemed to only have 3 problems with Sessions.

1. His Southern Accent (which he deems stupid)
2. He graduated from the University of Alabama (which he deems inferior)
3. He recused himself from the Investigation in Russian Interference in 2016 (which he wanted the AG to protect him from, but why do you need protection if you did nothing wrong).

Now, don't get me wrong, I strongly dislike Jeff Sessions. I have no doubt that he will burn in Hell for all of eternity for his treatment of blacks, Hispanics and the LGBT community. But Sessions's removal, also effectively fired Rod Rosenstein from overseeing the Mueller Investigation. In the normal order of business, the deputy AG becomes AG. But that doesn't accomplish what Trump wants to accomplish.

Instead he installs his own protector as AG to take the investigation from the DAG. This is it. This is the ballgame. You cannot say that you believe in the Rule of Law, if the President is above the law. Even if the President had done nothing wrong, curtailing an investigation to protect your friends and your family is still obstruction. Even using your Constitutional powers for corrupt intent is abuse of those powers.

Suppose you are a Trump supporter, imagine for 5 seconds that President Obama or a President Clinton had made moves to impede the progress of an investigation into themselves or their friends. You should act now the you would act if that had occurred.

Arming Teachers?

"A Republican Ended Slavery"

From the West Wing, Season Seven, Episode 7

Evolving Excuses on Russia

List of Scandals Republicans REFUSED to Investigate

What is Conservative about the Current Republican Party

Matthew 16:26

Closing Arguments for the 2018 Midterms

Articles of Impeachment against President Richard Nixon

Public Education and Political Parties

If you believe in Public Education - as a force for good, a weapon against poverty, a vaccine against ignorance - then you must vote for the Democrats. The other political party consistently shows itself hostile to public education by cutting resources, eliminating assistants, and outright attacking teachers.

I am a proud product of public schools -  K-12, Undergrad, Masters, Doctorate. I taught in public schools for 7 years. I would not be where I am today without public schools. And I firmly believe that all children deserve a quality education. The Democratic Party stands for education, stands for children, and stands for teachers. 

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DdR_NczU8AElnxt.jpg

You cannot say that you support education while voting Republican. If you believe in education, believe in a better future, better citizenry, and better economy. It is a simple choice - Vote for the Democrats.

Voter Suppression is a Republican Tactic

Make no mistake. The Republican Party is the party of voter suppression.  Instead of being party of American ideals and good ideas that can persuade voters to trust them with our future, it became the party that blocks as many voters as possible from making their voice heard. The Democrats want you to vote, even if you disagree with us. We want to make it as easy to participate in the system without unnecessary barriers.

H/T to /u/1mjtaylor

Republicans have different ideas about the most fundamental right of all Americans. They close polling places in populated areas, in minority areas (Kansas erased the only polling place in a Hispanic-majority city), and on college campuses (see Boone in 2016).  They limit the availability of early voting, reducing hours and even closing on the weekends (no Sunday voting?!?). They kick people off the voter rolls for little reason (of 53k voter denials, 70% are black) like saying someone moved because they didn’t send back in a nondescript postcard. They push for voter ID laws but then severely limit the allowable ID’s (picking ones that minorities are less likely to have as in NC with near surgical precision) or make them more difficult to obtain.  Free IDs might be free, but it costs a person working 2 minimum wage jobs a day off work. If you live in a black community they are probably shutting down the nearest DMVs (see Alabama). They actively send out misinformation to voters telling them the wrong dates for the election or that you can vote by text message.  They send out fundraising letters that look like official voter mail to scam old people into donating to their campaigns. And they ruthlessly gerrymander districts to create safe districts for themselves, effectively allowing legislators to pick their voters instead of voters picking the legislators (In the 2017 blue wave election in Virginia the Democratic governor won by 9 points, but the House of Delegates only broke even). In at least 2 states, the person in charge of protecting the elections is the person running for governor (Georgia and Kansas) as more of the scams become evident. 

Today, the Republican party claims that counting your vote is fraud.  They can't win without cheating.

#MAGABomber

Just two weeks a crazy Trump fan sent pipe bombs to leaders of the Democratic Party and vocal critics of the President - Obamas, Clintons, Biden, Eric Holder, Maxine Waters, George Soros, Robert De Niro, and John Brennan (care of CNN). This list easily reads as a political hit list of the President’s favorite targets, a President that celebrates violence and encourages the hateful rhetoric of modern politics. While many politicians in the past have played on our differences, dividing Americans, Trump has enflamed those divisions for political gain. 

During campaign rallies, he routinely encouraged violence against protestors - even offering to pay the legal fees (he didn’t end up paying). Trump “joked” about 2nd Amendment solutions should Clinton win After the election, he defended the white supremacists in Charlottesville that not only beat counter protestors with sticks, bats and shields but also murdered a woman by driving a car into the crowd. During these midterm rallies, he has attacked Democrats an a angry mob that will use violence if they win back Congress (which makes no sense whatsoever, but that’s who he is). He still leads chants of lock her up, though exactly who and for what isn’t exactly clear other than political opponents (Ted Cruz also got into this by saying that his opponent Beto O’Rourke should be jailed, I guess for running against him). And just last week he celebrated a Republican representative that plead guilty to assaulting a reporter that simply asked the candidate their position on repealing the ACA. Celebrated him as an American journalist was murdered by the Saudis (who only made the Saudi enemies list when he criticized Trump). As he calls the press the enemy of the people, encouraging despots around the world to imprison and murder journalists without American retribution.  

https://jimheath.tv/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/van-1-1080x675.jpg

I am clearly not saying that Trump built and sent these bombs. That is the fault entirely of the bomber.  But this political environment is entirely the fault of President Trump. Well, Trump and the people that support him. It is no coincidence that racists chant Trump’s name as a they harass people of a darker hue as it elicits a strong feeling of pride in the white supremacists amongst us. And I don’t just mean the frothing MAGA-hat-wearers who cheered on his celebrations of violence in real time.  Republican politicians either completely ignored or mildly rebuked his rhetoric while completely caved to his hate to win an election. It’s also the fault of all of those that voted for him. You had a chance to show him and other hate mongers, that incitement of political violence remains unacceptable in America and you failed spectacularly. He faced no electoral punishment for his behaviors and you rewarded with an unexpected victory.

Yesterday, as events unfolded, the President meekly read from a statement prepared by his staff. He did not stand with the former Presidents that had been targeted. But he read, the absolute minimal statement he needed to. And that lasted for less than a day. As political opponents received more packages, he went back to the campaign trail. While he did not aggressively attack as he normally did, he did demonstrate that he doesn’t care. He mocked the idea of his own statement- saying he can be good for awhile. Then this morning he attacked the mainstream media for this situation. Because reporting on Trump’s hateful rhetoric is their fault, for repeating his words and actions. The Press Secretary (who no longer holds daily press briefings) said that it was CNN’s fault for receiving a bomb at their office.

Trump and the Republicans will not unify the country. The entire Republican platform is about fear and hate. They want to encourage the haters to get out to vote. Those that hate blacks, hate Hispanics, hate Muslims, hate immigrants, hate gays, hate trans people, hate liberals and so on. They have always done this. But now their leader actively encourages the violence that follows. Hate crimes surged in 2017 against Jews and Muslims as the White House said nothing. White supremacists feel entitled to march in the streets, even starting a brawl last week in NYC. The President says nothing, and in fact purposefully describes himself as a nationalist (exactly what those people want). 

The president will not change. We must rebuke him and his rhetoric at the ballot box.  We dod so forcefully in 2018 and we must do so again in 2020.

Attacking the Press

Any politician that attacks the media is afraid of what the media can uncover. That politician is doing something embarrassing, unethical, or illegal that they do not want you to know about. You should vote for the other candidate immediately. Calling the press “the enemy of the people” is a tried and true technique from the dictator’s handbook, a tactic used by Hitler, Stalin, Sadaam, etc. This is not metaphorical or hyperbolic. Trump is AFRAID of what the press has uncovered, what the press will uncover and that the American people will understand just how corrupt he, his family and his administration are. 

There are few things as American as a free press and this is yet another American value the Trump/Republicans have degraded. 

H/T to /u/jaydawg69

This week the White House has gone to great lengths to help the Saudi’s cover up the murder of a journalist. The journalist was an American resident and worked for this country. Interestingly, he wasn’t put on a Saudi blacklist until AFTER HE CRITICIZED President Trump. Meanwhile, Saudi money flows into the US to pay for our obliviousness. A question that has not been asked about previous presidents must now be asked - how much of that money is going directly into the Trump family?

And still, the President encourages and celebrates violence against the media. Trump praised the Congressman that pled GUILTY TO ASSAULT on a journalist last year. Where’s the decency, the civility, the respect?  It doesn’t exist. Trump and his supporters don’t actually appear to support anything America actually stands for. 

The Importance of Pre-Existing Conditions

At this very moment, it is illegal for insurance companies to deny you or your loved ones health coverage is you have a pre-existing condition. They can’t, it is a popular part of the ACA, or ObamaCare. The Republicans have voted 72 times to remove protections for patients with chronic health conditions. The Republican Party will allow insurers to deny coverage for pre-existing conditions. Apparently some candidates are blatantly lying in adds to make you think that they won’t. But they will. They will do it quickly and quietly as they pocket donations from the insurance companies. 

Conditions which include diabetes, high blood pressure, cancer, childhood cancer, and pregnancy. If Republicans succeed, if you fit in these categories, the insurers can either outright deny you or increase your price beyond what you could pay. 

This is not a hypothetical situation - this is how it worked before the ACA was passed. This is why we had so many medical bankruptcies. This why people were stuck in jobs they hated to maintain health coverage - preventing people from find the jobs they love or taking a risk on the next big idea and starting their own business.  Now, bankruptcy filings have been cut by 50%, thanks to Obamacare and the Obama Economy.

But hey, if you are okay with a child cancer survivor being denied the coverage they need later in life, then vote Republican. If you think that health care is a right, described in our Declaration of Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness, then vote Democrat. The choice is not that hard. 

https://cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/170504112456-gfc-healthcare-states-with-highest-pre-existing-conditions-exlarge-169.png

Fear and Immigration

As with nearly every subject, the Republican Party is dreadfully wrong on immigration.  It seems to me their entire is FEAR - be afraid of immigrants, be afraid of Hispanics, be afraid of Muslims, be afraid of children, no matter what, be afraid, be very afraid. But the only thing to fear is exactly how many Americans subscribe to this fear mongering and racism.

And yes, the party’s attitude on immigration is completely and totally racist. Why? Because the only immigration that the ever care about involves people with darker colored skin.  In fact, the second part to Trump referring to “shithole countries” was a remark about why don’t we get more people from Norway.  “Shithole countries” as a term to describe human beings who want to make a better life for themselves, people who go through an extensive vetting process and on average turn out more successful.

It’s also not about illegal immigration at all, because the Stephen Millers of the administration also want to restrict legal immigration. That’s what the “shithole” discussion was about. They simply don’t want more browns in this country.  Even to the point of arguing against reuniting families.  Supposedly the party of “family values” want to end what they call chain migration, but what is really called family reunification.  Because what we know is that people who immigrate with family members around do better. They integrate better, they succeed more, which is why this process exists.

Speaking of families, let’s not for get that the Trump administration has been systematically orphaning the children of people trying to come here.  Let’s make that more clear - TAKING CHILDREN FROM THEIR PARENTS AND PUTTING KIDS IN CAGES.  That whole process hasn’t been resolved.  We took the kids, deported their parents, kept the kids, and then claimed we couldn’t find the parents.  I do mean “we”.  Because it was done in your name, in my name, in our name.  The kids that are return have suffered severe mental trauma at our hands.  The “family values” party really, really sucks at “family values”.  Which is really odd considering how many times the Bible tells us to care for the immigrants among us.

A lot of the families that the Republican Party so gleefully ripped apart were seeking asylum.  Asylum is an entirely legal process where you come to the border, turn yourself in to an immigration officer and request asylum on the basis of persecution or fear of your home country.  It’s legal.  We destroyed families who tried to do things the legal way.  Not every petition for asylum is granted and those people are sent away. But it a legal process, agreed to by international treaties.  I make the point about asylum, because the “terrifying caravan” that has WALKED from Guatemala is the current fear mongering of the President and the reason 11 Jews are dead.

https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/claremoreprogress.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/5/97/597263bf-791e-5e26-b1b6-c9f6395504a6/5bdbe31ba74e8.image.jpg?resize=1200%2C800

The Caravan started walking during Holy Week to leave their home marred with violence to seek a better life in America. It started as like 7000 men, women, and children. That whole number won’t make it here - they receive asylum in the other countries along the way or give up.  But the ones that do, turn themselves in and request asylum.  Poor, tired men, women and children are now a political scare tactic of the President and Republicans.  For this, the President wants to send more troops to the border than we have in Afghanistan and has said that we could “open fire” on the children.  ON CHILDREN. I would rather send blankets, water and food, and let an immigration judge hear their request for asylum.  

But then again, I’m not the racist asshole sitting behind a Presidential desk.  Nor am I sitting on a couch on Fox & Friends continuing to spew this hateful garbage.  Recently, the President said that George Soros was paying for this caravan.  He’s not. But let’s look at it.  George Soros is a prominent Jew - most people don’t know who he is, but the white supremacists do.  The President’s lie was previously being spread around on Neo-nazi websites and one guy decided he would do something about it and killed 11 Jews in a synagogue and wounded 4 police officers.  That horrific event happened before the President gave it a megaphone.  You can’t say he didn’t know that it was dangerous rhetoric.  People have died and he supported the argument of the crazy guy.  Because he wants to pander to white supremacists.  He thinks that if he gets the white supremacists and you on the same side, then he will win.  That’s who he is grouping you with.  

That’s were the birthright citizenship comes from.  The 14th Amendment is clear.  If you are born in the United States, then you are a US citizen by birth.  It is clear as can be.  The Neo-nazis and the president point to the “jurisdiction clause” saying that illegal immigrants are within our jurisdiction.  Except that they most certainly are.  If an undocumented person commits a crime (which they do are a far lower rate than the current administration), then they can be prosecuted as they are within the jurisdiction of the US.  If they have a child here, then that child is a US citizen. It also comes down to this.  Even if you disagree with how the parents got here.  It has nothing to do with the child.  We do not punish children for their parent’s sins.  Now, if Trump can write an executive order striping the citizenship away from the children of undocumented parents, what is to stop him from striping the citizenship from legal immigrants? But it doesn’t seem like a good idea to argue that you can change the Constitution with a pen.  If he did it, it would be struck down immediately.  But that’s not the point.  It is a hat tip to racists.  It’s using their language.  Giving their arguments the appearance of legitimacy.  This is why white supremacists have become so emboldened under the Trump administration.

We can have a legitimate discussion about immigration, numbers, etc. We can debate an unnecessary $25 billion wall paid for by American tax dollars. But unfortunately, you have to get through all of this other crap first.  Because real debate aren’t the arguments the Republicans are making.  Republicans want you to be afraid of brown people.  They think that you will vote for them if you are afraid.  These choices aren’t hard.  Do you want to be a part of the party of fear and hate, or the party of hope?  Unfortunately, the Republican Party is no longer the party of Lincoln, Reagan, McCain or even the Bushes.  It’s the party of Trump and his hate is their hate.  Again. You might not hate immigrants, you might be mad about tearing families apart, or disgusted with the racist rhetoric.  But if you vote for the Republicans, then you are affirming exactly that.