Ted Cruz

Ten States Refuse To Expand Medicaid, No Concern About Health Care For Millions!

Ronald Leave a comment

North Carolina just became, finally, the 40th state to expand Medicaid for its poorer, less fortunate citizens!

It is mind boggling that TEN states, mostly Southern, refuse to care about health care for millions of their populations combined.

These states are:

Florida
Texas
South Carolina
Georgia
Tennessee
Alabama
Mississippi
Wisconsin
Kansas
Wyoming

This needs to be emphasized for those states that are likely to have Republican Presidential contenders, including Florida (Ron DeSantis), Texas (Greg Abbott and Ted Cruz), and South Carolina (Nikki Haley, Tim Scott).

It is unconscionable that Republicans who are supposedly “pro life” on abortion have no concern about the lives of their poor constituents!

It is a crime against humanity, and should be rectified!

The South Dominates In Potential Republican Presidential Contenders!

Ronald 2 Comments

The American South was the area that revolted against the federal government, and seceded from the Union in 1860-1861, culminating in the American Civil War (1861-1865), with the Republican Party representing the Union cause, and the Democratic Party being dominant in the South.

The South remained strongly Democratic until the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was passed under Democratic President Lyndon B. Johnson.

Since then, most of the South has become strongly Republican, and promoters of white supremacy and Christian Nationalism, to the point that most of the potential Republican Presidential contenders in 2024 derive from the South!

These include the following:

Donald Trump, Ron DeSantis, Marco Rubio, and Rick Scott of Florida
Ted Cruz and Greg Abbott of Texas
Asa Hutchinson and Tom Cotton of Arkansas
Nikki Haley and Tim Scott of South Carolina
Glenn Youngkin of Virginia

These eleven Republicans are not all sure bets to run, but all have been rumored, although some seem to be backing away from doing so.

Other potential contenders come from the Northeast area of the US, including

Chris Sununu of New Hampshire
Chris Christie of New Jersey
Larry Hogan of Maryland

And finally, from the Midwest area of the US, we have such potential contenders as

Mike Pence of Indiana
Mike Pompeo of Kansas
Josh Hawley of Missouri
Kristi Noem of South Dakota
Adam Kinzinger of Illinois

And finally, we have Liz Cheney of Wyoming

The Presidential Election Campaign Of 2024 Has Begun!

Ronald Leave a comment

With the new year 2023 upon us, the Presidential Election campaign of 2024 has begun!

It actually began when former President Donald Trump declared his candidacy on November 15, 2022, but with the last seven weeks having been a total disaster for any Presidential plans.

This is not just what the January 6 House Committee investigating the US Capitol Insurrection has recommended, criminal charge against Donald Trump.

It is much more than that, including even that his own daughter, Ivanka Trump, has made clear that she has no interest in being engaged in his campaign, as she was in 2016 and 2020!

The public support for Donald Trump has been deteriorating dramatically, and the odds are good that a multitude of Republican potential Presidential candidates will start announcing their campaigns soon.

Among them are likely the following:

Former Vice President Mike Pence
Former Secretary of State and CIA head Mike Pompeo
Former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis
Texas Governor Greg Abbott
South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem
South Carolina Senator Tim Scott
Texas Senator Ted Cruz
Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin
New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu
Former Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson
Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie
Former Maryland Governor Larry Hogan

And the two Republicans on the January 6 House Committee might also announce their candidacies:

Former Wyoming Congresswoman Liz Cheney
Former Illinois Congressman Adam Kinzinger

In the mind of this author and blogger, while he would not vote for any of these in November 2024, the following would be seen at this point as “tolerable”, including if they actually won the White House, no special order:

South Carolina Senator Tim Scott
New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu
Former Maryland Governor Larry Hogan
Former Wyoming Congresswoman Liz Cheney
Former Illinois Congressman Adam Kinzinger

The most intriguing of this list of five would be, in the mind of this author and blogger, if either Larry Hogan or Adam Kinzinger ended up as the nominee!

The Republican “Donnybrook” Begins At Republican Jewish Coalition Gathering!

Ronald 1 Comment

The Republican Presidential race has begun, with Donald Trump declaring his candidacy last week in a very uninspiring manner, and a whole slew of potential candidates showing up to display their “virtues” at the Republican Jewish Coalition gathering this past weekend in Las Vegas.

At least 21 potential Republican candidates are in the mix for 2024 at this point!

The potential candidates include those who worked for Trump, and those who looked the other way with his reckless, lawless behavior in office. It also included some who were neither category, but seem unlikely to make much traction!

Among those who worked for Donald Trump are former Vice President Mike Pence; former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo; and former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley.

Among those who looked the other way are Texas Senator Ted Cruz; Missouri Senator Josh Hawley; Florida Senators Marco Rubio and Rick Scott; Kentucky Senator Rand Paul; and a number of Governors, including Ron DeSantis of Florida; Greg Abbott of Texas; Glenn Youngkin of Virginia; and Kristi Noem of South Dakota.

A third category are those who avoided embracing Trump, including former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie; outgoing Maryland Governor Larry Hogan and Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson; and New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu.

Also, former Republican 2012 Presidential nominee and Utah Senator Mitt Romney; and Wyoming Congresswoman Liz Cheney and Illinois Congressman Adam Kinzinger are truly anti Trump, and the latter two, of course, have served on the January 6 House Committee investigating the US Capitol Insurrection.

And an intriguing possility is African American Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina!

The Republican Party Declares War On Law Enforcement And National Security!

Ronald 1 Comment

The Republican Party, Donald Trump loyalists, and Fox News Channel have declared war on law enforcement and national security, threatening action to destroy the FBI, Department of Justice, and Department of Homeland Security, over the legitimate action of removing national security and other government documents wrongfully taken by Donald Trump to his Florida estate, Mar A Lago, when he left office 19 months ago!

It is shocking to see the reaction of a large slew of Republicans, including, among others:

Rick Scott
Marco Rubio
Ted Cruz
Rand Paul
Josh Hawley
Tom Cotton
Kevin McCarthy
Jim Jordan
Elise Stefanik
Newt Gingrich

They and numerous others are promoting violence and potential civil war, and it is clear that they have become the Fascist Party, with the desire to install Donald Trump as the dictator of the US, with the plan to wipe out these government agencies!

Death threats are emanating, with the fear that top government officials to the highest level, may be subjected to assassination threats, a horrifying thought!

Another January 6th is a possibility, an attack on the US Capitol or other government buildings by an armed mob, with domestic terrorism being inflamed further by Donald Trump and his minions!

Republicans And Veterans: Total Hypocrisy And Disgrace!

Ronald Leave a comment

The Republican Party loves to wave the flag and talk about “patriotism”, but they are regularly against veterans receiving health care for their sacrifices since September 11.

They just, out of spite, worked yesterday against aid to soldiers exposed to toxic pits and other dangers in war zones, including in Afghanistan and Iraq after September 11.

It is shocking to see even so called “better” Republicans, such as Mitt Romney and Ben Sasse joining with outgoing Senators, such as Rob Portman, Pat Toomey, Richard Burr, Roy Blunt, and Richard Shelby, and all of the usual obnoxious Senators (including Rand Paul, Ted Cruz, Tom Cotton, Josh Hawley, Rick Scott, and others) to vote against veterans’ health aid!

Only 8 Republican Senators supported the legislation yesterday, including Susan Collins, Shelley Moore Capito, Marco Rubio, Jerry Moran, Chuck Grassley, Lindsey Graham, and two others!

From Nelson Rockefeller (1963) To The January 6 2021 Insurrection: Right Wing Threats

Ronald Leave a comment

Sixty years ago this week, New York Governor Nelson Rockefeller denounced the Right Wing threat working to gain control of the Republican Party, and he fought against Arizona Senator Barry Goldwater for the Republican Presidential nomination in 1964.

Goldwater lost massively against President Lyndon B. Johnson, but the seeds had been planted in a movement that now has become a menace to America under Donald Trump, leading to the January 6, 2021 US Capitol Insurrection.

But even Barry Goldwater was not as extreme as right wing Republicans now are!

If Trump or a Trumpite follower ends up as the Republican nominee in 2024, the concept of American democracy could be dissolved, as the threat of Barry Goldwater sixty years ago has been far surpassed by many Republicans since the 1990s.

Leading potential Republican nominees besides Trump in 2024 include such as Ron DeSantis, Ted Cruz, Tom Cotton, Josh Hawley, and Rick Scott, among others.

The alarm bell has rung, and the question is whether the diminishing band of mainstream Republicans–such as Mitt Romney, Ben Sasse, Larry Hogan, Chris Sununu, Chris Christie, Liz Cheney, and Adam Kinzinger–many of them far from ideal–can mount a campaign and take the Republican Party back to the center of American politics!

Democrats Need To Follow Lincoln Project Strategy: Go On Attack Against Trumpists!

Ronald 8 Comments

The Democratic Party needs to follow the strategy of the Lincoln Project, a PAC (Political Action Committee) organization formed in 2019 to fight Donald Trump and his ilk, and continuing to attack Donald Trump and his supporters in public office after the January 6, 2021 Insurrection.

The Lincoln Project has continued to put out strong ads on cable and on Twitter, convinced that is the only way to stop Trump and the people who surround, support, and defend him, and to weaken his appeal.

They also want to undermine any future candidacy by either him or his “copycats”, including Ron DeSantis, Greg Abbott, Josh Hawley, Ted Cruz, Rand Paul, Tom Cotton and innumerable others.

This is a battle for American democracy, and to revive the reputation of a party which, historically, had great leadership before the present orientation toward authoritarianism!

So Democrats have to stop being “nice guys”, and go on the attack and defend their principles against a party that has rapidly gone downhill toward Fascism!

Disgraceful Display Of Disrespect By Republican Senators Upon Confirmation Of Ketanji Brown Jackson!

Ronald Leave a comment

The gleeful emotions of Senate Democrats yesterday, upon the confirmation of Kentanji Brown Jackson to become an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, was counteracted by the disgraceful display of disrespect by Republican Senators, who walked out as rounds of applause, lasting a full minute, emanated in the Senate chamber.

Only Senator Mitt Romney joined the Democrats to applaud the confirmation of Ketanji Brown Jackson.

It was an embarrassing scene, when all Senators, whether they supported Jackson or not for the Supreme Court, should have shared in the historic nature of her appointment.

It is one thing to oppose a nominee or a piece of legislation, but another to be rude, insulting, and clearly racist and bigoted in nature, as if after 108 white males being placed on the Court, it is somehow unacceptable to have a qualified, competent black female to be added to the Court!

It just adds to the obscene image of the Republican Party which is mostly beholden to the evils represented by Donald Trump!

The memory of the horrendous behavior of Lindsey Graham, Tom Cotton, Josh Hawley, Ted Cruz, Marsha Blackburn, and Mike Lee will never dissipate, and all of these Senators will be condemned in the long run of history, as their reputations will lie in tatters!

Success For Ketanji Brown Jackson, As Bipartisan Vote Will Place Her On Supreme Court!

Ronald Leave a comment

A salute to Republican Senators Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, and Mitt Romney of Utah for crossing party lines to support Ketanji Brown Jackson as the first African American woman on the Supreme Court in its history!

There is no question that these three Republicans are the most moderate, centrist, and reasonable Republicans in a party that is a total disaster otherwise!

Ben Sasse of Nebraska is a disappointment, refusing to support Jackson, and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina is a total hypocrite and an embarrassment, after having voted for Jackson for two earlier judicial appointments.

And others, including Josh Hawley of Missouri, Ted Cruz of Texas, Tom Cotton of Arkansas, and Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee are extremist demagogues!