Pete Buttigieg

Ohio Train Derailment And Nebraska Child Labor Scandal Signs Of Corporate Abuse!

Sadly, in 2023, we have examples of corporate abuse as seen with the recent East Palestine, Ohio derailment of dangerous chemicals, on a train two miles long, with only two workers operating the train.

Also, in Nebraska, we have early teens doing dirty and dangerous work as cleaning workers in a slaughter house, breaking the child labor laws, and exploiting immigrant children.

How this is possible is due to continued big business and conservative and Republican attempts to weaken federal regulation, as occurred under Donald Trump and earlier Republican Presidents, despite the work of Barack Obama to strengthen such regulation.

The issues of government regulation of business and labor rights were dealt with in the Progressive Era of Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson; again in the New Deal of Franklin D. Roosevelt; and again in the 1960s under John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson. It emerged again in the Obama Presidency, but then was backtracked on under Donald Trump, as with earlier Republican Presidents, particularly Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush.

It is essential to have actions to prevent the kinds of tragedies that have occurred recently. The answer is not to attack Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and President Biden. And the Republican attack on the Environmental Protection Agency, Federal Emergency Management Agency, and other federal regulatory agencies must stop!

The Heroes Of 2020: Bright Lights In A Year The Worst In Most People’s Lifetimes

The year 2020 has been the worst year in most people’s lifetimes, but there have been heroes who deserve attention and appreciation from all decent Americans.

The ultimate hero is Dr. Anthony Fauci, who reached the age of 80 yesterday, and has been an inspiration to anyone who believes in science, and respects expertise over “junk science”, or science that is generations out of date.

Some of our greatest heroes of the year, sadly, have departed, including Supreme Court Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who left a legacy of promotion of equal rights for all groups in America, including women, people of color, the disabled, and equal justice for all.

Also departing this world was Congressman John Lewis of Georgia, who promoted the concept of “good trouble” to advance human rights in a world and nation that too often is not engaged in such efforts.

Another hero is former South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg, who advanced equality of gays and lesbians, just by becoming the first known gay Presidential contender, and now will be the first openly gay Cabinet officer as Secretary of Transportation.

Another hero is Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi, who has done an amazing job pursuing justice, equality, and the interests of the American people, in a time of the massive threat presented by Donald Trump, and has not blinked at his threats, misogyny, and crazed insanity. She has had to deal with the unrelenting misogyny of many in the Republican Party opposition, and Trump supporters who show a total lack of respect for her that they would never utter against a man!

Another hero is California Congressman Adam Schiff, who was a key player in the impeachment investigation of Donald Trump, and is Chairman of the House Intelligence Committee. He has suffered from threats and vicious attacks by Donald Trump and his minions, but has demonstrated courage and conviction in an admirable manner.

Another hero is South Carolina Congressman James Clyburn, the highest ranked African American in Congress as House Majority Whip, third ranking leadership role. If it were not for Clyburn, Joe Biden would not have been able to become the Democratic Presidential nominee this year, as Clyburn’s endorsement was a major factor in Biden winning the South Carolina Primary and moving forward to the top of the Democratic Presidential ticket.

Another such hero is the future First Lady, Dr. Jill Biden, who, with her elegance and intelligence, will raise the level of that position from the disgraceful low level it reached in the past four years.

California Senator Kamala Harris, soon to be Vice President of the United States, is another hero, who will be the first woman, and first woman of color with her Jamaican and Asian Indian heritage, to be a heartbeat away from the Presidency. She is a role model for women and racial minorities, and will be a very influential Vice President, more in the direction of Joe Biden, Al Gore, and Walter Mondale, than Mike Pence!

And last but not least, Joe Biden, who is a man of decency, compassion, ethics, and empathy, will be our 46th President on January 20, 2021. He will face the most daunting set of issues of any President since Abraham Lincoln in 1861, Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1933, and Barack Obama in 2009. His long career in Congress, and his outstanding Vice Presidency give America hope, that in a time of a “dark winter”, as Joe Biden calls the COVID 19 Pandemic and the Second Great Depression, that Biden will take leadership on the level of FDR’s New Deal to take us to brighter days and a recovery in 2021 and beyond!

Everyone needs to pray for his success, but all know that he will not waste a minute or a day in promoting himself on Twitter or playing golf, as our despicable 45th President, Donald Trump, has done more of in the past four years, than doing his job!

The Joe Biden “Cabinet” Is Well Balanced, Diverse, And Talented!

Joe Biden promised diversity in his “cabinet”, both the official Cabinet members, but also others, and he has shown he means business!

At this point, still incomplete, Biden has appointed a group of talented people that includes:

45 percent whites
27.5 percent black
12.5 percent Asian
10 percent Latino
5 percent Native American
50 percent men
50 percent women
5 percent gay

Only three House of Representatives members are in this group, and no US Senators as of yet, and only one rival of Joe Biden during the Presidential campaign, former South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg.

Hopefully, the positions left open at this point, including Attorney General, Secretary of Commerce, Secretary of Labor, and Secretary of Education will be filled soon, with lots of speculation about who might be under consideration!

A Suggested Joe Biden Cabinet For 2021 Difficult To Formulate Before The Election Results Are Clear!

Thinking ahead about a suggested Joe Biden Cabinet for 2021, it is difficult to formulate before the election results are clear.

If the Senate goes Democratic massively, to say 53-55 seats, then it might be possible to have one or two US Senators in the Cabinet, but having to take into consideration whether the governor in such states is a Democrat, so that Republicans do not gain a seat by such Senator joining the Biden Cabinet.

The same goes for the US House of Representatives, which hopefully will see a 10 gain seat for the Democrats to about 245-250 seats, and then allow some House members to be Biden Cabinet officers.

Of course, there are former members in the Cabinet or sub Cabinet from the Presidencies of Barack Obama and Bill Clinton, who might be factored in to possible Cabinet posts under Joe Biden, with one example being former National Security Adviser Susan Rice in the Obama Administration.

So trying to formulate a list is difficult, and much of it may be too speculative and or unrealistic at this time.

So just a few suggestions of who might be selected to be part of the Biden Cabinet or other top aides and advisers. besides Susan Rice mentioned above.

It would seem likely at least one Republican would be put into the Biden Cabinet, as is customary, and it would seem to me that the most appropriate would be former Ohio Governor and former Congressman John Kasich.

Also possible is former Pennsylvania Congressman Charlie Dent or former Arizona Senator Jeff Flake.

At the same time, some former Democratic contenders in the Presidential Primaries of 2020 would seem fit to put into the Cabinet, including possibly the following:

Former South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg

Entrepreneur Andrew Yang

Former San Antonio Mayor and Secretary of Housing And Urban Development Julian Castro

Former Texas Congressman Beto O’Rourke

Notice just from this list the wide diversity of just this short list of potential candidate for the Biden Cabinet—African American female; former Republican Governor, Congressman, and Senator; former Mayors; former Obama Cabinet member; a gay male former Mayor Presidential candidate; and a Latino and Asian contender for President

All Star Lineup For Four Nights Of Democratic National Convention

The Democratic National Convention is being held remotely this week from Monday to Thursday, and there will be an all star cast of speakers each evening.

Monday night, the speakers will include, among others–Amy Klobuchar, Andrew Cuomo, Gretchen Whitmer, Doug Jones, James Clyburn, Bernie Sanders, and Michelle Obama, along with Republican John Kasich.

Tuesday night, the speakers will include, among others—Chuck Schumer, John Kerry, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Bill Clinton, and Dr. Jill Biden.

Wednesday night, the speakers will include, among others—Elizabeth Warren, Nancy Pelosi, Hillary Clinton, Kamala Harris, and Barack Obama.

Thursday night, the speakers will include, among others—Cory Booker, Pete Buttigieg, Gavin Newsom, Keisha Lance Bottoms, Tammy Baldwin, Tammy Duckworth, Chris Coons, Andrew Yang, and Presidential nominee Joe Biden.

It will be an opportunity for the Democrats to display all of their “stars”, who have, together, contributed to the present day version of a party that has done so much for America over the decades since Franklin D. Roosevelt onward, responsible for most of the domestic reforms and foreign policy stability that marks the periods of Democratic Party control of Congress and the White House!

Potential Running Mates For VP for Joe Biden

It now seems highly likely that former Vice President Joe Biden will win the majority of the remaining primaries, although it is certainly still mathematically possible that Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders could reverse his present losing fortunes.

It is time to start thinking about who could complement Joe Biden, and be of assistance in case he starts to have major cognitive problems, which Donald Trump has already demonstrated.

It would seem wise for Joe Biden to select a Vice Presidential running mate who would be a step forward, so therefore, a straight white male is probably not a good idea.

Probably a woman would be best, and hopefully someone far more qualified than Geraldine Ferraro in 1984 or Sarah Palin in 2008.

Good possibilities include Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar; California Senator Kamala Harris; or Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer.

Former San Antonio Mayor and Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Julian Castro would be a strong contender, and would draw more Latinos to vote in Texas, Arizona, North Carolina and Florida.

Former South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg has a bright future, and Biden is very impressed with him, and has compared him to his dead son, Beau Biden. The fact that Pete is gay and has a husband would not have much effect, except among extremist religious groups, such as right wing evangelical Christians, conservative Catholics, and Orthodox Jews, but none of those groups are likely to vote Democratic anyway.

There are others that have been talked about, but right now, this author and blogger would suggest one of the above group.

The Magnificent Joe Biden Revival The Greatest In American History

Former Vice President Joe Biden completed the greatest turnaround of political fortunes in American history in the last four days.

Thought to be a “lost cause”, he accomplished the winning of 10 of 14 primaries on Super Tuesday, after winning South Carolina last Saturday, and left Bernie Sanders in the distance.

He also caused Michael Bloomberg to withdraw today, but pledge all financial help to the Biden and Democratic Party campaign to retire Donald Trump from the Oval Office.

What Biden did is in many ways a miracle, but it could not happen to a nicer, more decent, more compassionate, more empathetic, and more genuine man than Joe Biden.

Biden has dedicated the past half century to public service, serving 36 years in the US Senate, and 8 years as the most active and engaged Vice President in American history!

His persona looks even better when compared to the Vice Presidents before and after him–Dick Cheney and Mike Pence!

Joe Biden is not perfect, and has votes and statements and silly flubs as part of his record that can be used against him.

But he KNOWS domestic and foreign policy, and would be the most experienced public official in total years ever to be President.

The man knows how to lead, as he did as Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee and Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

And he knows the importance of “crossing the aisle” when possible. which is essential for any progress on any public issue.

There are some worried about his mental lapses, but my thought is that if it ever was clear that he needed to step aside and resign, he would do so, and that makes the Vice Presidential nomination more important than ever before.

He would not stay on in poor condition as Woodrow Wilson, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Ronald Reagan did, and as Donald Trump would do.

Biden needs to select a much younger person, who could be his successor, and this blogger suggests Julian Castro, Pete Buttigieg, and Kamala Harris as his top three choices.

We need to pray for him, that he can meet the challenge of retiring Donald Trump, and restoring faith in American government.

Stunning Action Of Pete Buttigieg, But He Saw Handwriting On The Wall!

This author and blogger was truly stunned by the sudden decision of Pete Buttigieg, after a fourth place showing in South Carolina’s Presidential Primary on Saturday, to announce his withdrawal from the Presidential race.

After recovering from the shock, however, it makes total sense, as it is clear after the massive victory of Joe Biden, that the only legitimate alternatives left are Biden, Bernie Sanders, and Michael Bloomberg.

And even Bloomberg, if he does not perform well on Super Tuesday, should withdraw, and give his financial support to Biden, to stop Bernie Sanders.

One would think that Elizabeth Warren and Amy Klobuchar will withdraw after Tuesday, but hoping they win their home states’ primaries in Massachusetts and Minnesota, and deny support to Bernie. But even if they do win, they have no realistic chance of being nominated, and as moderates, should join Pete Buttigieg in support of Joe Biden as the best hope for the party.

Having stated the above, it is still disturbing that the final three choices are all to be octogenarians in the next Presidential term, so the importance of who is Vice President under any of the three is extremely crucial.

And also, the Zero Election Year Syndrome, which led to seven Presidential deaths, one President shot, and one President seriously threatened on September 11, will rear its ugly head again in 2020. With three candidates, all being far older than Ronald Reagan or Donald Trump, this is a worrisome matter. So we must have the best possible VP choice, because the odds grow that such person might very well end up in the Oval Office at some point!

Overwhelming Biden Victory In South Carolina Makes Super Tuesday Even More Significant

After Joe Biden’s resounding, convincing victory by more than two to one over Bernie Sanders, and winning nearly 50 percent of the total South Carolina Primary vote yesterday, the race has led to a true showdown on Super Tuesday!

The question is whether South Carolina can have a dramatic effect on the 14 states that vote on Tuesday, as Bernie Sanders seems to have the edge in most of that group of states.

Meanwhile, Tom Steyer has dropped out, and likely the same will happen with Amy Klobuchar after Tuesday, particularly if she does not win her home state of Minnesota.

And Elizabeth Warren is fighting hard but performing poorly, and if she cannot win her home state of Massachusetts over Bernie Sanders, who already defeated her in neighboring New Hampshire, then it is likely her candidacy is over!

Pete Buttigieg also faces a potential turning point, and everyone will be watching to see if Michael Bloomberg’s spending of more than $400 million in advertising does anything to promote his candidacy.

For anyone who is a political junkie, Super Tuesday will be a very exciting day, with the likelihood of possibly as few as three candidates left standing–Sanders, Biden, Bloomberg—all three reaching 80 in the next Presidential term, and two of the three being Jewish.

Somehow, the feeling is present that Pete Buttigieg will continue to contest, but right now, the future is not bright.

The Number Of Democratic Contenders Will Drop After Super Tuesday

Once the South Carolina Primary today, and the 14 Super Tuesday Primaries on Tuesday have taken place, the number of Democratic contenders will drop dramatically.

Without knowing the results at this writing of what will happen between today and Tuesday, the expectations are that the following candidates will drop out:

Elizabeth Warren

Amy Klobuchar

Tom Steyer

Tulsi Gabbard

The four finalists seem likely to be:

Bernie Sanders

Joe Biden

Pete Buttigieg

Michael Bloomberg

It is likely that Warren and Klobuchar will win no primaries nor end up at least third in any of them, other than their home states of Massachusetts and Minnesota, with doubts they will even win their states.

Steyer has spent a lot of funds in South Carolina, but seems unlikely to do well, and while he has the financial means to stay on, it seems likely he will give up.

As far as Tulsi Gabbard, a truly weird candidate, if she had any sense, she would get out as she has zero credibility, but even if she stays in the race, she is a pure joke!

It seems likely that Joe Biden will win South Carolina and some other primaries, and that Pete Buttigieg will do well enough to stay in the race. And Bloomberg, with his financial assets, has pledged to remain in the race until the bitter end.

And finally, Sanders, with his lead, is not going anywhere!

So the four likely finalists are three old men nearing 80; a fourth candidate half their age and gay and has a husband; and two Jewish finalists.

Who could have predicted this? No one!