Democracy

Profiles In Courage Awards Of JFK Presidential Library 2022–Defending Democracy

The John F. Kennedy Presidential Library has given out “Profile In Courage” Awards since 1989.

The award recognizes public officials at the federal, state, or local level whose actions demonstrate the qualities of politically courageous leadership in the spirit of John F. Kennedy’s Pulitzer Prize winning book of 1957.

This year, Congresswoman Liz Cheney, Republican of Wyoming; Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, Democrat of Michigan; House Speaker Russell “Rusty” Bowers, Republican of Arizona; Wandrea’ ArShaye Moss, Elections Department Employee, Fulton County, Georgia; and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine are being given the award for “Defending Democracy At Home And Abroad”.

All of the above, except for Zelenskyy have been involved in fighting Donald Trump and the “Big Lie” about the Presidential Election of 2020.

Liz Cheney has been unwavering in her support of the investigation of the January 6, 2021 Insurrection at the US Capitol, despite having lost her House leadership position, and facing a tough reelection primary in Wyoming.

It is worrisome that too many Secretaries of State across the nation are being challenged for reelection, with the purpose being to “fix” the results of upcoming elections, including the 2022 Midterms and the 2024 Presidential Election. This struggle includes Jocelyn Benson of Michigan.

And Elections Department employees are being threatened in their commitment to fair and unbiased election counts, including Wandrea’ ArShaye Moss of Georgia.

And some Republicans on the state level are resisting Donald Trump conspiracy theorists about the election of Joe Biden, including Arizona House Speaker Russell “Rusty” Bowers.

And Zelenskyy has been miraculous and courageous in defending Ukraine against Russia, seen by many as a modern Winston Churchill!

April 4 Commemorations: NATO Formation And Martin Luther King Jr. Assassination

Today is an historic day more than just normal.

It is the 73rd anniversary (1949) of the formation of NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization), an alliance that began as 12 nations and is now 30 nations, formed in opposition to the Soviet Union, to defend democracy in western Europe, but now also including the former Soviet satellite states in Eastern Europe as well.

In this itme of the horrors of the Russia-Ukraine War, NATO is even more important, and may soon be engaged in World War III, if any of the NATO nations are being attacked.

It is also the 54th anniversary of the tragic death by assassination of the Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr in Memphis, Tennessee in 1968, a loss that has had a dramatic effect on the issue of race and civil rights in America, and more of a crisis yet again in the time of Republican and conservative attacks, including the Supreme Court, on women, immigrants, racial minorities, and the gay, lesbian, and transgender communities.

As Trump Asks For Help From Putin To Slander Biden, Republicans Remain Silent!

The Republican Party has become a true party of treason and sedition, and not only because of their lack of concern about the January 6 Insurrection.

Donald Trump has appealed to Vladimir Putin to help him slander Joe Biden through unwarranted attacks on Hunter Biden, and Republicans enmasse, with a very few exceptions, remain silent.

And there are Republicans who support Putin, rather than Ukraine, and this includes Fox News Channel and other right wing channels, a true example of treason and sedition.

The Republican Party, the party of anti Soviet views throughout the years of the Cold War, has become complicit in support of the Russian Federation and its autocratic leader.

The Republican Party is backing autocracy against democracy, and denying basic human rights to people of color; women: gays, lesbians and transgenders; labor; immigrants; and the poor.

They have become a party of obscene, hateful, despicable behavior with no shame!

Joe Biden Speech In Poland One Of Great Presidential Speeches

President Joe Biden gave one of the great Presidential speeches of modern times yesterday in Warsaw, Poland, as he met with refugees from the Russia-Ukraine War.

He was passionate in defense of democracy, freedom, and in support of NATO as it deals with the Ukraine invasion.

His speech will be remembered much like John F. Kennedy’s Cuban Missile speech in October 1962, and Ronald Reagan’s Berlin Wall speech in June 1987, both challenging the Soviet Union, as now, Biden challenged its successor, the Russian Federation.

Joe Biden has demonstrated on this European trip a high level of energy and focus which belies his right wing critics who say he has dementia, a total fabrication.

Everyone should be proud of Joe Biden, who is proving just how Presidential he is, a stark contrast to his predecessor in the Oval Office!

Republican Party Divides Over Ukraine: Bad News For Donald Trump

The Ukraine Crisis, with the horrific invasion ordered by Vladimir Putin, has put the issue of Donald Trump’s “love affair” with Russia on the forefront of American politics, and is causing a Republican Party division of massive significance.

Trump, Mike Pompeo, and other Trump lackeys have good things to say about the “genius” of Putin, which is a total joke, as Russian military is suffering massive losses, and NATO and world reaction has done great damage to the Russian economy through harsh reaction in every economic way to the Ukraine invasion.

It has led many Republicans, particularly in the US Senate, to come to support of all actions being taken by Joe Biden and the international community to the tragic events.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell; Senator Lindsey Graham; Senator Mitt Romney; Senator Ben Sasse; and many others are united against Russia.

In the House of Representatives, we have Putin apologists, including Madison Cawthorn of North Carolina; Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia; Andy Biggs of Arizona; Lauren Boebert of Colorado; Matt Gaetz of Florida; Chip Roy of Texas; and others showing they are traitors to American interests and the concept of democracy, as for instance, Cawthorn condemned Volodymyr Zelensky as a “thug”.

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy has criticized Cawthorn, but refuses generally to condemn such seditionists, and there is a clearcut split in the Republican Party between Senate and House membership.

So the appeal of Donald Trump to run for President is declining rapidly, as there is no way that Trump could possibly unite the party or its remnants in a campaign for the Presidency.

So Civil War is evident in the Republican Party, and Senate apologists such as Josh Hawley of Missouri, Ted Cruz of Texas, and Rand Paul of Kentucky face repudiation by sane Republicans as they plan to run for President in 2024.

And Texas Governor Greg Abbott and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis have tremendous state controversies facing them, without even getting into the fray on the Ukraine Crisis, and how to handle Donald Trump and their own selfish personal ambitions!

56th Anniversary Of Voting Rights Act, Now A Major Crisis Of American Democracy!

On this day in 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act of 1965, supported by Democrats, but also a substantial number of Republicans, who understood that voting rights were the central human right in a nation that was a democracy.

It was a reaction against the denial in the former Confederates states of the South to enforce the 15th Amendment of 1870, which gave men of color the right to vote after the Civil War.

Now, America is again in a crisis, as the Supreme Court cut back enforcement of the Voting Rights Act in 2013, in Shelby County V. Holder, and many Republican states are now claiming voter fraud in 2020, when it did not exist, and are passing all kinds of restrictions to prevent minority voters, young voters, and poor people from their constitutional right to vote.

Texas, Georgia, Florida and Arizona, and their crooked, corrupt governors and state legislatures are trying to fix the results of future elections, by making it impossible or extremely difficult for people to vote, and Texas has seen the Democrats in the state legislature for the past month and more, leaving the state and coming to Washington, DC to promote a restoration of the Voting Rights Act.

These Texas Democrats face arrest and possible imprisonment, which should not be permitted, and instead, Texas Governor Greg Abbott and the right wingers in his state and others, should face prosecution for what they are attempting to perpetrate.

H R 1–For the People Act, and H R 4–John Lewis Voting Rights Act, need to be passed into law now!

The 2021 Republican Party Is The Democratic Party Of 1861

It has been 160 years since the outbreak of the Civil War.

The Democratic Party of 1861 was the party of secession, treason, sedition, and white supremacy.

The Republican Party was the party of the Union, and promotion of anti slavery expansion, and many of them were also anti slavery, promoting human rights and democracy.

Now, the Republican Party is the party of secession, treason, sedition, and white supremacy.

And the Democratic Party is the party of promotion of human rights and democracy.

This complete reversal, and the concept of the Republican Party fighting to prevent demographic change, and accept that America will be a multi racial society with a white population minority in 2045, is truly shocking!

It weakens the nation as it faces so many challenges internally, and in foreign policy!

Tonight’s First Presidential Debate: The Middle Class Guy Vs The Phony Billionaire And Bully

Former Vice President Joe Biden enters tonight’s first Presidential debate in Cleveland against President Donald Trump in a position of strength. He is far ahead in most state polls, including in the Midwest where Hillary Clinton lost the election in 2016.

Biden is the middle class guy who has had struggles and tragedies in his life, much like the vast majority of Americans. He possesses naturally great compassion, empathy, decency, and tons of government experience as US Senator for 36 years and as one of the two best Vice Presidents in American history, alongside Walter Mondale.

Biden comes in with public opinion polls showing great strength for him among college educated voters of both genders; suburban women; African Americans; Latinos except for Cubans; Asian Americans; Jews; Social Justice Catholics; mainline Protestants; moderates; Independents; young voters; and a small sliver of Trump voters in 2016 who realize Donald Trump is a phony billionaire and bully!

Putting Biden in the Oval Office will give us a President with more background knowledge and expertise than any President when he entered the Presidency—more than Lyndon B. Johnson or George H. W. Bush.

Biden knows world leaders and can restore US foreign policy so that foreign allies can against trust our government.

Biden can restore much of the damage done to our domestic infrastructure and our government agencies that are so necessary to continue the advancements of the New Deal, Great Society, and the later accomplishments of Presidents of both parties from Richard Nixon to Barack Obama!

We will have a President who does not lie 20,000 times in three and a half years;

who will not ignore medicine and science;

who will pay his fair share of taxes;

who will not cheat on his wife with other women;

who will pick judges who understand that originalism is the wrong approach to law;

who will work to cross the aisle when possible, instead of constant insults and bullying of opponents and critics;

who will have a Vice President, Kamala Harris, who gives us confidence should there ever be an emergency;

who will restore faith in our basic values of democracy and freedom;

who will bring back honor and decency to the Oval Office;

and who will support total exposure of all crimes committed by the present incumbent of the White House!

Donald Trump Totally About Himself: The Ultimate Narcissist, Even As More People Have Died In Last Month Under His Presidency!

Donald Trump put on another disgusting performance this evening, all out to defend himself, despite clear evidence that he ignored the CoronaVirus Pandemic threat, and has caused the deaths of 23,000 people in the last month, a greater loss in one month than anytime since the Civil War!

Trump is totally about himself, the ultimate narcissist, who is willing to sacrifice the lives of Americans for his own pathological need to lie, and to win reelection at all costs.

This man will likely have to be taken out in handcuffs and chains from the Oval Office, as it is hard to imagine him accepting the massive defeat that he is likely to suffer on November 3.

Meanwhile, he is trying to do everything conceivable to make it hard for people to vote, when already one third vote early, or by absentee ballot, or by mail.

Republicans are unwilling to stand firm for the basic element of democracy, the right to vote, and they do not care about the horrific damage Donald Trump has brought to this country over the past four years.

So the Republican Party needs to be severely punished for their transgressions, and needs to be rebuilt after the election, with responsible leaders in the vein of Jon Huntsman and John Kasich!

The So Called “Liberal News Media” Are True Heroes, Constantly Explain Facts And Truth!

Donald Trump, as usual, condemns the “liberal news media” as a “hoax”, as “fake news”, as journalists who are out to get him, as if it is the job of news media to be “nice” to Presidents and other political leaders.

If one went back to the past, ask Andrew Jackson, Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson Franklin D. Roosevelt, Harry Truman, Lyndon B. Johnson, Richard Nixon, Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama and other Presidents how they reacted to constant harsh criticism from the media of their time periods.

Of course, they did not like it, but NONE of them acted the way Donald Trump has, which is a threat to democracy and freedom of the press!

The news media, often called “liberal”, is only called that because they refuse to support corruption, racism, nativism, misogyny, homophobia, corporate wrong doings, religious hypocrisy, and lack of ethics and morality among public figures.

They are out to report the truth, the facts, and take a lot of flack from those who choose to ignore the fact of their accuracy and honesty, with an occasional, human trait, error, but not intended, not endemic, and not evil spirited!

It was the news media that saved us during Watergate, and it is the news media that is doing heroic service in working to prevent a Trump dictatorship, which he would love to impose on the American people.

Journalists worldwide and in this nation have often sacrificed their safety and even lives, in their mission to inform, and nothing will stop them from their commitment and willingness to sacrifice for the common good!