The president*s decision to put Mike Pence in charge of the coronavirus response in the US seems like advertising the decision to leave the American public defenseless in the face of what looks to be a pandemic which may rival the Spanish Flu of 1918. Not only is Pence not the sharpest knife in the drawer. He also bases many of his decisions on a particularly ignorant strain of Catholicism which he seems to practice avidly.
As I pointed out yesterday, the coronavirus is the first crisis to hit us since 2016 that was not of this administration's making. The bungled response to Hurricane Maria doesn't count, unless you live in Puerto Rico. Since only about 3 million brown people live there, most Americans discount anything that happens in the Commonwealth. However, when cases of Covid19 start popping up all over the lower 48, many people wearing MAGA hats are going to start reappraising their support for Cheetolini if the government response is to ask for prayers. Meanwhile, the 1% saw several trillion dollars of their wealth get flushed on Wall St. this week. If a robust, scientific assault on the problem is not forthcoming, they may also revise their opinion of tRump. As many have pointed out, the Emperor has no clothes on and now the rest of the population is about to see that ugly reality.
Friday, February 28, 2020
Thursday, February 27, 2020
Heckuva job, Brownie
With those immortal words, the Shrub began the Hurricane Katrina response which will forever define his administration as one of the most incompetent in history. I was reminded of that fiasco as i watched the current president* contradict a couple of experts on infectious disease regarding the coronavirus during a press briefing last night. Our dear leader was trying to quell the increasing panic in financial markets as the specter of mass factory closings and disruption of worldwide supply chains wiped out all market gains for last year and this.
George Bush enforced a personnel policy which valued loyalty to the republican party above competence. Fortunately for us, there was at that time a number of competent republicans in government, although a fair number of idiots and ideologues were appointed. tRump is choosing from a much smaller pool of applicants for government jobs since his guiding principle is loyalty to tRump. He puts fealty to him above party and country. The results so far include a short staffed government and increasing numbers of young opportunists without a job history who are willing to do obeisance to tRump in return for lucrative and important jobs they are not qualified to do.
We may soon find out if the coronavirus panic is tRump's Katrina. Aside from the Hurricane Maria debacle in Puerto Rico, this administration has not faced a stern test. If that response is a comparable to what we can expect now, I think I will lay in a supply of Holy Water.
George Bush enforced a personnel policy which valued loyalty to the republican party above competence. Fortunately for us, there was at that time a number of competent republicans in government, although a fair number of idiots and ideologues were appointed. tRump is choosing from a much smaller pool of applicants for government jobs since his guiding principle is loyalty to tRump. He puts fealty to him above party and country. The results so far include a short staffed government and increasing numbers of young opportunists without a job history who are willing to do obeisance to tRump in return for lucrative and important jobs they are not qualified to do.
We may soon find out if the coronavirus panic is tRump's Katrina. Aside from the Hurricane Maria debacle in Puerto Rico, this administration has not faced a stern test. If that response is a comparable to what we can expect now, I think I will lay in a supply of Holy Water.
Wednesday, February 26, 2020
More of the same
I confess I could barely watch the democratic primary debate last night. Every time I tuned in the vibe was that of a 3rd grade class which just came in from recess and wanted to continue to play a very loud and raucous verbal game. The moderators needed to channel their inner Sister Mary Elephant, but they failed. The result was everyone on the stage, especially the marginal players, shouting over each other and helping the GOP's attack ads take shape.
From what I could see, Bernie more than held his own, although in typical grumpy uncle fashion he chastised the audience when he got booed a couple of times. I have a feeling he will come out of Super Tuesday with a commanding lead. Everyone else on the stage, except for Bloomberg and his billions is nearly out of time. Without a decent haul of delegates on Tuesday the rest of the candidates will have to withdraw. It will be interesting to see who they throw their support to.
From what I could see, Bernie more than held his own, although in typical grumpy uncle fashion he chastised the audience when he got booed a couple of times. I have a feeling he will come out of Super Tuesday with a commanding lead. Everyone else on the stage, except for Bloomberg and his billions is nearly out of time. Without a decent haul of delegates on Tuesday the rest of the candidates will have to withdraw. It will be interesting to see who they throw their support to.
Tuesday, February 25, 2020
About time
It looks like Harvey Weinstein is going to spend most, if not all of his sunset years in a federal prison when he is not in court to answer more charges of sexual assault. The significance of the guilty verdict handed down yesterday should not be lost in the press of other news.
As the father of 3 girls, I know first hand some of the anguish women feel in a world designed for and run by men. From mildly misogynistic male teachers to boys who felt entitled to more than a polite kiss after a date, to actual harassment and discrimination on the job sometimes by other women, my girls have experienced things no male would put up with for a New York minute. The Weinstein verdict and an avalanche of lawsuits across the country are starting to change the contours of the relationships between men and women. But it isn't enough. Men with daughters need to not only protect the women in their lives. They need to help them understand that the existing rules, written and unwritten need to be revised and full equality of the sexes needs to be real and tangible.
It is ironic that a genital grabbing misogynist is currently president* and will probably bend the justice system in order to protect male privilege. However, as each successive generation of women is raised to respect themselves and demand the same from their male counterparts there will be less need for judicial remedies.
As the father of 3 girls, I know first hand some of the anguish women feel in a world designed for and run by men. From mildly misogynistic male teachers to boys who felt entitled to more than a polite kiss after a date, to actual harassment and discrimination on the job sometimes by other women, my girls have experienced things no male would put up with for a New York minute. The Weinstein verdict and an avalanche of lawsuits across the country are starting to change the contours of the relationships between men and women. But it isn't enough. Men with daughters need to not only protect the women in their lives. They need to help them understand that the existing rules, written and unwritten need to be revised and full equality of the sexes needs to be real and tangible.
It is ironic that a genital grabbing misogynist is currently president* and will probably bend the justice system in order to protect male privilege. However, as each successive generation of women is raised to respect themselves and demand the same from their male counterparts there will be less need for judicial remedies.
Monday, February 24, 2020
The guy you love to hate
Bernie mania is sweeping the country! That is the message being promulgated by the Morning Joe crowd as they wring their hands and declare the imminent demise of democracy if Sanders gets the democratic nomination for president. Cable news is rapidly becoming the biggest forum of the "anybody but Bernie" movement. For most of the pundits, it's really " only Mike Bloomberg can beat tRump". That's their story and they are sticking to it.
Many democrats of a certain age are indelibly scarred by the specter of George McGovern. I watched in abject horror in 1972 as the idealistic senator from South Dakota was buried by Tricky Dick. Many of us feel an atavistic fear of a similar event in 2020, although Bernie has a highly motivated base and will likely pull in most democrats. The margins may be smaller than 1972, but barring a crisis on the order of Hurricane Katrina which would expose the gross incompetence of the present administration, the result would be the same as 1972. Worse yet, many downballot races could go against us as well, resulting in a mandate for republicans to lay waste to the social safety net.
If Bernie is the nominee, we must not merely hold our noses and vote for him. Come the convention this summer, we may all be Bernie Bro's, and we better be prepared to act that way.
Many democrats of a certain age are indelibly scarred by the specter of George McGovern. I watched in abject horror in 1972 as the idealistic senator from South Dakota was buried by Tricky Dick. Many of us feel an atavistic fear of a similar event in 2020, although Bernie has a highly motivated base and will likely pull in most democrats. The margins may be smaller than 1972, but barring a crisis on the order of Hurricane Katrina which would expose the gross incompetence of the present administration, the result would be the same as 1972. Worse yet, many downballot races could go against us as well, resulting in a mandate for republicans to lay waste to the social safety net.
If Bernie is the nominee, we must not merely hold our noses and vote for him. Come the convention this summer, we may all be Bernie Bro's, and we better be prepared to act that way.
Friday, February 21, 2020
The Road to...
As the United States descends willynilly down the road to fascism, it seems right to ask how we have gotten to this point. The easy answer is today's republican party has decided to dismantle democratic norms in its effort to remain in power despite the demographic juggernaut threatening a generational advantage to the democratic party. However, if you talk to individual members of the party they will hotly deny any such thing.
You can pretty much trace the trajectory which has led us to our current situation. In 1964, the GOP was crushed by LBJ and the democrats. This victory led to medicare, landmark civil rights legislation and the war on poverty. Not since the heyday of the New Deal were so many people affected by government in a positive way.
While this was happening, conservatives were organizing. Prominent rich republicans began to bankroll what later came to be known as "wingnut welfare". They subsidized employment of ideologues through advocacy groups they funded. The pinnacle of this system was the establishment of Fox News by Rupert Murdoch. This was the syringe which injected rabid racism and misogyny into our discourse. Once the GOP found its natural audience, disaffected white men, it sowed the hateful mix of authoritarianism which has resulted in the election of Donald J Trump.
We are now at a critical juncture. Another 4 years of tRump will put us firmly on the road to an authoritarianism not seen in this country since the Jim Crow south of the early 20th century. We need to stand up and be counted in 2020.
You can pretty much trace the trajectory which has led us to our current situation. In 1964, the GOP was crushed by LBJ and the democrats. This victory led to medicare, landmark civil rights legislation and the war on poverty. Not since the heyday of the New Deal were so many people affected by government in a positive way.
While this was happening, conservatives were organizing. Prominent rich republicans began to bankroll what later came to be known as "wingnut welfare". They subsidized employment of ideologues through advocacy groups they funded. The pinnacle of this system was the establishment of Fox News by Rupert Murdoch. This was the syringe which injected rabid racism and misogyny into our discourse. Once the GOP found its natural audience, disaffected white men, it sowed the hateful mix of authoritarianism which has resulted in the election of Donald J Trump.
We are now at a critical juncture. Another 4 years of tRump will put us firmly on the road to an authoritarianism not seen in this country since the Jim Crow south of the early 20th century. We need to stand up and be counted in 2020.
Thursday, February 20, 2020
Post debate observations
Despite many on the left who advocate not watching the candidate debates, I have decided it is my civic duty to torture myself. Sifting through 2 hours of poorly worded questions and scripted, talking point answers it is hard to find anything which would make me proud of American democracy, circa 2020.
The questioners, led by the execrable Chuck Todd were less interested in policy than trying to spark verbal fireworks among the candidates, especially directed at Mike Bloomberg, the new kid on the block. It wasn't a pretty sight.
My take is Liz Warren had a pretty good night, although it seems a lot of people are turned off by a woman who commands the stage and who proves more than a match for any man out there. Bloomberg pretty much flipped everyone off when they challenged his unorthodox path to the nomination. Bernie was even more cranky than usual and it doesn't wear well. Biden looks like somebody's uncle who wandered on to the stage. Buttigieg and Amy Klobuchar got bogged down in a spat over their respective experiences and it wasn't a good look.
This thing is going to drag out as long as the candidates remain funded, unless Bernie can deliver a knockout in the next couple of contests. It remains to be seen if Bloomberg's billions can make voters forget a lifetime of misogyny and racism. Altogether it was a somewhat dispiriting couple of hours and i wish I felt more uplifted.
The questioners, led by the execrable Chuck Todd were less interested in policy than trying to spark verbal fireworks among the candidates, especially directed at Mike Bloomberg, the new kid on the block. It wasn't a pretty sight.
My take is Liz Warren had a pretty good night, although it seems a lot of people are turned off by a woman who commands the stage and who proves more than a match for any man out there. Bloomberg pretty much flipped everyone off when they challenged his unorthodox path to the nomination. Bernie was even more cranky than usual and it doesn't wear well. Biden looks like somebody's uncle who wandered on to the stage. Buttigieg and Amy Klobuchar got bogged down in a spat over their respective experiences and it wasn't a good look.
This thing is going to drag out as long as the candidates remain funded, unless Bernie can deliver a knockout in the next couple of contests. It remains to be seen if Bloomberg's billions can make voters forget a lifetime of misogyny and racism. Altogether it was a somewhat dispiriting couple of hours and i wish I felt more uplifted.
Wednesday, February 19, 2020
Technology and grumpy old men
I freely admit this blog is probably the apex of my use of technology. I still haven't figured out how to share it to my facebook page, depending instead on my brother to post it to his page. That's probably a good thing as he has far more friends than I do.
Ring doorbells, phone apps, and even wrestling with computer problems are things I don't even like to contemplate. I am a spectator of the technological revolution, or at least a wary participant. Now comes the technology editor of the NYT to tell me that many of the surveillance apps and other heralds of the coming dystopia either don't work well enough to deploy or are actually worse than a police lineup for purposes of identification. This probably should not be comforting, but to a grumpy old technophobe it made my morning.
Ring doorbells, phone apps, and even wrestling with computer problems are things I don't even like to contemplate. I am a spectator of the technological revolution, or at least a wary participant. Now comes the technology editor of the NYT to tell me that many of the surveillance apps and other heralds of the coming dystopia either don't work well enough to deploy or are actually worse than a police lineup for purposes of identification. This probably should not be comforting, but to a grumpy old technophobe it made my morning.
Tuesday, February 18, 2020
High Hopes and Low Expectations
Having read the column and the blog by a couple of real economists, Paul Krugman and Atrios, I feel newly empowered to make the case against a couple of democratic candidates for the presidential nomination. The main reasons being soft core racism and economic ignorance.
First, in Krugman's column, he demolishes the argument of a conservative who used his column in the NYT the other day to bleat out the discredited theory that the 2008 fiscal crisis was caused by banks making bad loans to low income (read black and brown) people who couldn't pay the carrying charges. Of course it has been amply proven that fancy fiscal instruments like derivatives and bundling bad debt and selling it as a supposed safe investment were the real causes, but racism trumps rational analysis any day on the conservative side of the spectrum. Now comes Michael Bloomberg declaring the blacks are responsible for our problems because liberals made the poor, naïve bankers lend them money via ruinous adjustable rate mortgages.
Atrios in his rather unsubtle way points out the economic ignorance, willful or otherwise of Pete Buttegieg. The up and coming candidate has pulled a page from the republican playbook and is trying to demonize the ballooning federal deficit to make him look like the paragon of economic sense. As both Atrios and Krugman have both said many times, the deficit in our country for the most part consists of money we owe to the federal government through the vehicle of treasury bills which we own. We cannot default to ourselves. Also, you cannot compare the debt of a sovereign nation which can print its own currency to a struggling family sitting at the kitchen table deciding which creditor to pay first.
As Krugman has famously put it, these are both zombie ideas which keep shambling along no matter how many times they are shot in the head. Any democratic candidate who embraces them should not represent the party in this election.
First, in Krugman's column, he demolishes the argument of a conservative who used his column in the NYT the other day to bleat out the discredited theory that the 2008 fiscal crisis was caused by banks making bad loans to low income (read black and brown) people who couldn't pay the carrying charges. Of course it has been amply proven that fancy fiscal instruments like derivatives and bundling bad debt and selling it as a supposed safe investment were the real causes, but racism trumps rational analysis any day on the conservative side of the spectrum. Now comes Michael Bloomberg declaring the blacks are responsible for our problems because liberals made the poor, naïve bankers lend them money via ruinous adjustable rate mortgages.
Atrios in his rather unsubtle way points out the economic ignorance, willful or otherwise of Pete Buttegieg. The up and coming candidate has pulled a page from the republican playbook and is trying to demonize the ballooning federal deficit to make him look like the paragon of economic sense. As both Atrios and Krugman have both said many times, the deficit in our country for the most part consists of money we owe to the federal government through the vehicle of treasury bills which we own. We cannot default to ourselves. Also, you cannot compare the debt of a sovereign nation which can print its own currency to a struggling family sitting at the kitchen table deciding which creditor to pay first.
As Krugman has famously put it, these are both zombie ideas which keep shambling along no matter how many times they are shot in the head. Any democratic candidate who embraces them should not represent the party in this election.
Monday, February 17, 2020
Put me in coach
By the time "Centerfield", the iconic baseball song by John Fogarty was a hit in 1986, I was already in my mid 30s. By that time of life, most of us have put away our childhood fantasies. Of course, my fondest dream while growing up on Long Island in the 50s and 50s was to emulate my hero, Mickey Mantle and play centerfield for the New York Yankees.
Unfortunately for me, by the time I got to high school, my eyesight had worsened to the point where a game of catch became problematic. I finally got glasses, but the bad impression my myopia had made on coaches at the school ensured I would be lucky to warm the bench. Fogarty's song made an instant impression on me as it voiced the plaintive cry I had longed to make; Put me in coach, I'm ready to play".
Nowadays, I look forward to being able to play catch with my grandchildren, but "Centerfield" always brings me back to the imagined glory of my youth. Spring training is starting, it's time to play!
Unfortunately for me, by the time I got to high school, my eyesight had worsened to the point where a game of catch became problematic. I finally got glasses, but the bad impression my myopia had made on coaches at the school ensured I would be lucky to warm the bench. Fogarty's song made an instant impression on me as it voiced the plaintive cry I had longed to make; Put me in coach, I'm ready to play".
Nowadays, I look forward to being able to play catch with my grandchildren, but "Centerfield" always brings me back to the imagined glory of my youth. Spring training is starting, it's time to play!
Friday, February 14, 2020
Living and dying with dignity
Should Cheetolini manage to get re-elected this year and worse yet restore republican control of the House, things are going to get drastically worse for those on Medicaid, especially those in nursing homes.
Republicans are already looking to cut Medicaid and many fiscally strapped states would go along with new restrictions on eligibility. However, that does not acknowledge the 500 lb. gorilla in the room, the tsunami of elderly patients who have exhausted their personal wealth and have defacto become wards of the state.
I don't know about other states, but in our area in upstate New York, nursing home care can run to $14,000.00 per month. that is $168,000/year. Many seniors retired decades ago, when that much money was considered a princely sum. Without long term care insurance, most seniors wind up with no assests in short order. What will happen to them if New York cuts the amount they will pay for these people? It is an issue anyone with elderly parents will probably have to deal with at some point.
Republicans are already looking to cut Medicaid and many fiscally strapped states would go along with new restrictions on eligibility. However, that does not acknowledge the 500 lb. gorilla in the room, the tsunami of elderly patients who have exhausted their personal wealth and have defacto become wards of the state.
I don't know about other states, but in our area in upstate New York, nursing home care can run to $14,000.00 per month. that is $168,000/year. Many seniors retired decades ago, when that much money was considered a princely sum. Without long term care insurance, most seniors wind up with no assests in short order. What will happen to them if New York cuts the amount they will pay for these people? It is an issue anyone with elderly parents will probably have to deal with at some point.
Thursday, February 13, 2020
Whiplash
If you consume liberal and conservative media, you are probably wondering who is sounding the correct note over the last 24 hours. On the one hand, more liberal outlets like MSNBC and CNN are running around with their hair on fire claiming tRump is destroying the rule of law in the country. On the conservative side it is either crickets or an apologist saying the president* has every right to subvert the DOJ in order to lessen the sentence Roger Stone is likely to get for lying to Congress, obstructing justice and witness tampering.
Whichever side you come down on, the other side looks ridiculous. This is going to become the norm as we enter fully into the election season and tRump becomes increasingly unhinged and uncontrollable. The conservative/authoritarian mind will continue to justify his behavior, while the liberal/democratic mind will continue to be horrified by our descent into totalitarianism. Meanwhile, Putin smiles and continues to pull the strings to make Cheetolini dance to his tune.
Whichever side you come down on, the other side looks ridiculous. This is going to become the norm as we enter fully into the election season and tRump becomes increasingly unhinged and uncontrollable. The conservative/authoritarian mind will continue to justify his behavior, while the liberal/democratic mind will continue to be horrified by our descent into totalitarianism. Meanwhile, Putin smiles and continues to pull the strings to make Cheetolini dance to his tune.
Wednesday, February 12, 2020
Political Forecast--Cloudy with a chance of Democratic socialism
We can cross New Hampshire off the electoral calendar until 2024. The little state which insists its 90% white population can mirror the democratic party's diverse composition did little to burnish that image last night. Instead of voting for a person of color or a woman, the top two candidates were a grumpy old self proclaimed socialist and a bland young white man some pundits now refer to as "Mayo Pete". Of course, republicans are thrilled by the turn of events in the Granite State.
To those of us who are checking out the possibility of Canadian citizenship if tRump wins another 4 years of chaos, I would say all is not lost. Bernie may not be my idea of the ideal candidate, but democrats could do a lot worse. For one thing, it would be nice to watch the Bernie Bros. go into full attack mode on tRump and his followers. For another, for those of you who fear Bernie's "revolution", if you check out his career you will find someone whose performance as a mayor and a legislator over 40 years is that of a skilled compromiser who can get things done. His most fanatic followers may be disappointed, but the rest of us will get a democratic president who will govern in a far more hospitable way than the current president*.
It is still a long slog to the nominating convention and anything can happen, but I wouldn't discount Bernie at this point.
To those of us who are checking out the possibility of Canadian citizenship if tRump wins another 4 years of chaos, I would say all is not lost. Bernie may not be my idea of the ideal candidate, but democrats could do a lot worse. For one thing, it would be nice to watch the Bernie Bros. go into full attack mode on tRump and his followers. For another, for those of you who fear Bernie's "revolution", if you check out his career you will find someone whose performance as a mayor and a legislator over 40 years is that of a skilled compromiser who can get things done. His most fanatic followers may be disappointed, but the rest of us will get a democratic president who will govern in a far more hospitable way than the current president*.
It is still a long slog to the nominating convention and anything can happen, but I wouldn't discount Bernie at this point.
Tuesday, February 11, 2020
Maybe today
I haven't seen the returns from Dixville Notch yet. This "first in the nation" primary's first voters (all 12 of them) are supposed to give us clarity as to who the presidential candidates should be. Forgive my skepticism, but Hillary won 4-0 in 2016 and look at the final result.
In a campaign where the wild card, Mike Bloomberg is willing to spend north of a billion dollars in just the primary season, the retail politics for which New Hampshire is famous may be out of date today. Sure, Bernie is likely to win and his backers continue to pour millions into his campaign, but New Hampshire is still virtually the start of a long and grueling contest as long as several other candidates with the resources to compete continue to do so.
Today' winner will get the media spotlight, but the rest of the cast will pack their bags and head to Nevada and South Carolina where the contest will continue.
In a campaign where the wild card, Mike Bloomberg is willing to spend north of a billion dollars in just the primary season, the retail politics for which New Hampshire is famous may be out of date today. Sure, Bernie is likely to win and his backers continue to pour millions into his campaign, but New Hampshire is still virtually the start of a long and grueling contest as long as several other candidates with the resources to compete continue to do so.
Today' winner will get the media spotlight, but the rest of the cast will pack their bags and head to Nevada and South Carolina where the contest will continue.
Monday, February 10, 2020
Winter notes
It is snowing again in the North Country as I write this. Only a couple more inches added to the foot or so we got last week, but the accumulation of several weeks of intermittent snow means there is probably 15-18 inches on the ground in the Champlain Valley and much more in the mountains. Fortunately we will have several days of warmer weather this week which will melt some of the mess.
We haven't had a severe winter so far. It has only been below zero a handful of times since the start of 2020. According to many climatologists, this area of the country will be one of the last to experience what a warming climate will do to native species of plants and animals. However, we are seeing more and more signs we are catching up to the rest of the world in this respect.
We haven't had a severe winter so far. It has only been below zero a handful of times since the start of 2020. According to many climatologists, this area of the country will be one of the last to experience what a warming climate will do to native species of plants and animals. However, we are seeing more and more signs we are catching up to the rest of the world in this respect.
Friday, February 7, 2020
There you go again
One of the more traumatic phrases I have ever heard was Ronald Reagan's rejoinder to Jimmy Carter's accusation he was against Medicare and Social Security (spoiler alert; he was). "There you go again" was one of the factors which cost Carter the election. It also led to the "Reagan Revolution" which exacerbated the inequalities among us and led to the 1% controlling more wealth than the bottom 50%.
I was reminded of this episode while watching a few minutes of the hate filled tirade of post acquittal tRump. Reveling in his new found freedom, he spewed venom on everyone he felt caused his impeachment, from Nancy Pelosi to James Comey to Adam Schiff. Of course he didn't dwell on the person responsible for shaking down an allied government in an effort to manufacture dirt on a political opponent.
The orange buffoon is actually the anti-Reagan or at least the culmination of republican devolution from the genial but single minded Gipper to the foul mouthed fulminations of our current president*. I can't even scold the American electorate for this travesty. in 5 of the last 6 presidential elections they have voted for the democrat, although thanks to an electoral college which accords extra power to rural and overwhelmingly white voters we had to endure two terms for the Shrub and now the latest excuse for a human being who torments our country. "There you go again" is going to sound positively profound compared to what we will be subjected to in the coming campaign for America's soul. I hope we are prepared for the onslaught.
I was reminded of this episode while watching a few minutes of the hate filled tirade of post acquittal tRump. Reveling in his new found freedom, he spewed venom on everyone he felt caused his impeachment, from Nancy Pelosi to James Comey to Adam Schiff. Of course he didn't dwell on the person responsible for shaking down an allied government in an effort to manufacture dirt on a political opponent.
The orange buffoon is actually the anti-Reagan or at least the culmination of republican devolution from the genial but single minded Gipper to the foul mouthed fulminations of our current president*. I can't even scold the American electorate for this travesty. in 5 of the last 6 presidential elections they have voted for the democrat, although thanks to an electoral college which accords extra power to rural and overwhelmingly white voters we had to endure two terms for the Shrub and now the latest excuse for a human being who torments our country. "There you go again" is going to sound positively profound compared to what we will be subjected to in the coming campaign for America's soul. I hope we are prepared for the onslaught.
Thursday, February 6, 2020
Profile in courage
Knowing the amount of abuse he was assuredly going to endure must have been on Mitt Romney's mind before he went onto the Senate floor and explained why he would later vote to impeach the president* for abuse of power. He was the lone republican senator to vote against tRump.
The poo flinging monkeys were immediately out in force, the president*s son demanding Romney be kicked out of the party and others suggesting worse fates. Alone among his GOP compatriots, Romney not only acknowledged the commander in chief's wrongdoing but also called for the sanction of impeachment and removal from office. If even one other republican had called for the same penalty, Romney's gesture would have been overlooked. Instead, he finds himself a villain and a hero.
I have never been a fan of Mitten's. His cavalier assessment of 47% of population as dependent on government and indentured to the democratic party caused me to lose whatever respect I had for the man. However, his courage in voting his conscience in this debacle has rehabilitated him in my eyes, at least until he votes for the confirmation of the next fascist up for a lifetime judgeship.
The poo flinging monkeys were immediately out in force, the president*s son demanding Romney be kicked out of the party and others suggesting worse fates. Alone among his GOP compatriots, Romney not only acknowledged the commander in chief's wrongdoing but also called for the sanction of impeachment and removal from office. If even one other republican had called for the same penalty, Romney's gesture would have been overlooked. Instead, he finds himself a villain and a hero.
I have never been a fan of Mitten's. His cavalier assessment of 47% of population as dependent on government and indentured to the democratic party caused me to lose whatever respect I had for the man. However, his courage in voting his conscience in this debacle has rehabilitated him in my eyes, at least until he votes for the confirmation of the next fascist up for a lifetime judgeship.
Wednesday, February 5, 2020
What it has come to
I didn't watch the state of the union speech last night. I spared myself the gag reflex the president* inspires in me every time he opens his mouth to lie again. But opening the Washington Post website this morning I saw a picture of Nancy Pelosi neatly tearing tRump's speech in half on national TV. Her explanation was "it was better than the alternative"!
More than any other president in my lifetime, tRump inspires the adulation of his base and the detastation of nearly everyone else. That a lifelong pol like Pelosi feels comfortable with the insult implied by her action is perhaps more telling than any poll. We need a healer in chief at this point and I'm not sure the nation is ready for a revolution.
More than any other president in my lifetime, tRump inspires the adulation of his base and the detastation of nearly everyone else. That a lifelong pol like Pelosi feels comfortable with the insult implied by her action is perhaps more telling than any poll. We need a healer in chief at this point and I'm not sure the nation is ready for a revolution.
Tuesday, February 4, 2020
Gross stupidity
If Iowa truly wanted to address its unwieldy and unrepresentative caucus system in a positive way, the state democratic party failed miserably last night. After being assured we would have results by 9 p.m on Monday, a supposed "glitch" in an app managed to collapse the whole system. This lead to Mayor Pete declaring victory apropos of nothing.
Taunting the rest of the country for months with its first in the nation status, Iowa is the poster child for least likely to represent the democratic party. 94% white and aging, it has held on to its status by convincing the media and the national party it is a bellwether. Meanwhile, more representative states like Florida, Texas and California are left with a choice of which old white man the democrats will put up against the GOP's old white man. This is madness and it needs to be addressed before the next election.
Taunting the rest of the country for months with its first in the nation status, Iowa is the poster child for least likely to represent the democratic party. 94% white and aging, it has held on to its status by convincing the media and the national party it is a bellwether. Meanwhile, more representative states like Florida, Texas and California are left with a choice of which old white man the democrats will put up against the GOP's old white man. This is madness and it needs to be addressed before the next election.
Monday, February 3, 2020
While Rome burns
Sometime late this evening or early tomorrow morning a tiny subset of democratic voters in Iowa will maybe, perhaps, possibly let us know who they prefer in the presidential primary. As I watched several morning shows on Sunday I was treated to interviews with these Hamlet's who despite a year of personal campaigning by exhausted candidates still seem unable to make up their minds. A couple of them even said they had narrowed their choice to four candidates, ticking off the four leaders in the latest polls. I have a feeling if Mickey Mouse was polling above 15% he would be on their short list as well.
Our election system is broken. From the nominating process through the conventions to the actual elections, we have allowed misplaced patriotism, dark money and human nature conspire to turn what should be a compact, fair and equitable process for choosing our president into a marathon which has most recently resulted in a pussy grabbing, misogynistic, racist reality television celebrity becoming our Commander in Chief.
We need to shorten our electoral process, beginning with dumping Iowa and New Hampshire as first in the nation bellwethers. Start the campaigns a month before the primaries start. A nationwide primary set in July or August and paid for with public funds would get money out of the campaigns and allow for a more representative candidate. Follow up with mail in early voting and an election day holiday for more traditional voters. These are just a few suggestions which I am sure could be improved. The point is we need to do something different than the current system.
Our election system is broken. From the nominating process through the conventions to the actual elections, we have allowed misplaced patriotism, dark money and human nature conspire to turn what should be a compact, fair and equitable process for choosing our president into a marathon which has most recently resulted in a pussy grabbing, misogynistic, racist reality television celebrity becoming our Commander in Chief.
We need to shorten our electoral process, beginning with dumping Iowa and New Hampshire as first in the nation bellwethers. Start the campaigns a month before the primaries start. A nationwide primary set in July or August and paid for with public funds would get money out of the campaigns and allow for a more representative candidate. Follow up with mail in early voting and an election day holiday for more traditional voters. These are just a few suggestions which I am sure could be improved. The point is we need to do something different than the current system.
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