US Senate

Ron DeSantis Comes Out As Neville Chamberlain, Divides Republicans On Foreign Policy Toward Vladimir Putin

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Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who clearly will be announcing for President in the near future, has come out clearly against aid to Ukraine, seeing the Russia-Ukraine War as not an issue of national security for the United States.

In that regard, he is acting like Donald Trump!

In so doing, DeSantis and Trump are coming out as Neville Chamberlain, the British Prime Minister who made a deal with Adolf Hitler to give up half of Czechoslovakia in 1938 (the Munich Conference), thinking it would satisfy Hitler’s territorial demands, which was instead appeasement of a dictator.

The issue of Ukraine has divided the Republican members of the US Senate, including:

Mitch McConnell of Kentucky
Mitt Romney of Utah
Lindsey Graham of South Carolina
John Cornyn of Texas
John Thune of South Dakota
Marco Rubio of Florida
Mike Rounds of South Dakota
Kevin Cramer of North Dakota
Roger Wicker of Mississippi
John Kennedy of Louisiana

And there are others in the Senate who have not spoken publicly who would take the same stand, being critical of both DeSantis and Trump on Ukraine.

There are also a few House Republicans, the so called “moderates”, who would join the Senate Republicans who are in opposition.

So a major battle for the soul of the party is in process!

Joe Biden At His Prime: State Of The Union Speech And Ukraine Visit!

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President Joe Biden is clearly at his prime at the beginning of his third year in the White House!

First, he gave a magnificent State of the Union Address, and disarmed his Republican critics, forcing them to back away from the threat to “sunset” Social Security and Medicare!

It was hilarious how Florida Senator Rick Scott and Utah Senator Mike Lee were stunned by Biden going after them on the issue of these programs, paid by taxpayers over their lifetime, being threatened by their bullyism.

Biden was at his best also by surprising many observers by traveling to Kiev, the capital of Ukraine, and meeting with President Zelenskyy yesterday, demonstrating how the US and its NATO allies are determined to continue to assist that war torn nation that has been subjected to the worse war situation since the end of World War II!

Biden made it clear, as did Vice President Kamala Harris a day earlier, that Russia has engaged in war crimes, and crimes against humanity, and that Vladimir Putin and his government will be held accountable under international law!

For a man who is three months past his 80th birthday, Joe Biden is clearly in top shape for the battles ahead, including against a growing number of Republicans, who are proving, like former President Donald Trump, that they are leagued with Putin and Russia over the interests of freedom and democracy!

And now, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is showing he is another Russia apologist, who see the Russian war against Ukraine as a conflict America should not engage in, a stunning admission by this arrogant, authoritarian leading challenger to Donald Trump for the Republican Presidential nominatoin in 2024.

So a future battle between Joe Biden, and either Donald Trump or Ron DeSantis will be centered over opposition to or support of the Russian threat to world peace!

Mike Pence’s Decision To Fight The Subpoena For Testimony On January 6 Insurrection Is A Sign Of Weakness,NOT Principle!

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Former Vice President Mike Pence has decided to fight the subpoena for testimony on the January 6, 2021 Insurrection at the US Capitol, pursued by Justice Department Special Counsel Jack Smith.

This is stunning, for Pence to believe that in his role as President of the Senate (as Vice President) that he is fighting this subpoena on constitutional grounds.

Pence was threatened with death by the mob on January 6, and Trump had no concern about his life or welfare, so for Pence to be unwilling to testify is mind boggling!

Pence’s ambition to run for President is, seemingly, more important than the fact that his life and that of his wife, other family members, and Secret Service agents, were in great danger.

Pence has to be delusional to believe that the “Trumpsters” who hate him for refusing to allow an alternative counting of the electoral vote, would somehow, magically, decide that they are willing to support his Presidential candidacy over Trump!

Pence has zero chance to be the nominee, and he is degrading himself meanwhile, and destroying the one moment of courage and commitment that he displayed on January 6.

This is a truly pitiful display of misjudgement that will undermine his historical legacy as a man who was a toady daily to Donald Trump, except for one fateful moment that saved American democracy!

At the end, Pence will be forced to testify, after causing unnecessary delays, and he will NOT be President of the United States!

California Open Senate Seat Requires Having A Senator Who Will Have Longevity!

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Now that it is official that Dianne Feinstein is retiring from the Senate at the end of 2024 at the age of 91, it is urgent that the open Senate seat have a Senator who will have the opportunity to build seniority over time for the Golden State.

So Congresswoman Katie Porter (49), seen as a junior Elizabeth Warren in the sense of copying her strategy and tactics toward corporate monopolies; and Congressman Adam Schiff (62) who has compiled a wonderful record in more than twenty years in the House and was on the committee for the first Donald Trump impeachment trial, should be seen as sensible alternatives.

What is not sensible is that long term Congresswoman Barbara Lee, who has been in the House of Representatives since 1998, and has the distinction of being the only member of either house of Congress to vote against the authorization for use of military force against terrorists resolution (AUMF) after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, be elected to the Senate seat.

The question is why this author feels this way, and the answer is Lee will be past 77 if she took over the seat in January 2025, making her the oldest first Senator in history to have a full term. She has said she would only serve one term, but the concept of electing Lee is just one of ego, as this author sees it.

If however, Feinstein was to retire sooner, it would be perfectly fine for California Governor Gavin Newsom to appoint Barbara Lee to fill the seat, but with the understanding that she would not seek a full term in office.

Lee is a wonderful legislator, but what is needed is the potential of a new US Senator who could gain seniority if reeelected in the future. But my admiration for her as stated in an earlier article on History News Network on March 4, 2022 still stands! And if Lee chose to remain in the House of Representatives, and facing easy reelection every two years, that is perfectly fine!

Dianne Feinstein Finally Announces Retirement, Long Overdue!

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Finally, but even with some confusion due to her forgetfulness and clearly many signs of dementia, Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein has announced she will retire at the end of her term in 2024 at the age of 91.

There were many who thought Feinstein should not have run for another six year term in 2018 at age 85.

This is not an issue of age discrimination, but simply common sense that no one should be in office and running again in the mid 80s or more in age.

Of course, Iowa Republican Senator Chuck Grassley has just won another term, his eighth, at age 89, so in theory, will be in the Senate until age 95. Grassley does seem to be fine mentally, as compared to Feinstein, and he does pushups every day and shows few signs of aging. But realistically, he should not have run at his advanced age, and opened up the future to someone else.

Feinstein was an influential Senator, and made major contributions in her 30 plus years in the Senate, becoming the longest serving woman Senator in American history, surpassing Maryland Democratic Senator Barbara Mikulski last November.

Common sense would have Feinstein announce her retirement, and allow California Governor Gavin Newsom to appoint someone to her seat, but it looks as if only death or a serious illness will bring about the early retirement of Feinstein!

With The Entrance Of Nikki Haley, The GOP Presidential Race Begins!

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Former South Carolina Governor and United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley is about to enter the Republican Presidential race, being the first announced candidate challenging former President Donald Trump.

Haley had said in the past that she would not run if Trump ran, but lately, she has made it clear that she is running against her former “boss”, who has said Haley is an example of an ‘overly ambitious” individual, clearly an example of misogyny.

Being “overly ambitious” has not been used against male contenders for the Presidency, and is just another example of Trump’s utilization of personal attacks on an obscene level.

If Haley was a white man, she would have a reasonable chance in the upcoming Presidential race, but being a woman of color with parents born in India, is not a plus in the Republican Party.

And Haley runs, knowing that South Carolina’s governor Henry McMaster, and Senator Lindsey Graham have already endorsed Donald Trump.

And the other South Carolina Senator, Tim Scott, who is African American, and originally was appointed by Haley when she was Governor ten years ago to fill a Senate vacancy, is also actively planning a Presidential race on his own.

This will certainly be an interesting early race in the battle for the Republican Presidential nomination!

Republican Governors Vs Democratic Governors: The Future Battles!

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As one looks ahead to future political battles, one cannot ignore the growing role of Republican governors being challenged by Democratic governors, usually a “fraternity” in which the members share a “camaraderie”, but not so in 2023, 2024, and beyond!

A number of former or sitting Republican governors are seen as likely to seek the Presidency, and even those who are not seeking to “move up” are engaged in “culture wars”.

Meanwhile, Democratic governors seem unlikely to enter the Presidential race for 2024, standing by while President Joe Biden moves to run for a second term, but they are “backups” in case the situation changes, and are certainly to be seen as part of the long term future of the Democratic Party, even more than sitting members of the US Senate.

The list of Republican governors includes Ron DeSantis of Florida; Greg Abbott of Texas; Kristi Noem of South Dakota; Glenn Youngkin of Virginia; Brian Kemp of Georgia; Chris Sununu of New Hampshire; and former Governors Larry Hogan of Maryland and Asa Hutchinson of Arkansas.

The Democratic list of the Governorships has potential future Presidential contenders, including Gavin Newsom of California; J. B. Pritzker of Illinois; Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan; Jared Polis of Colorado; Jay Inslee of Washington; Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania; Wes Moore of Maryland; Phil Murphy of New Jersey; Andy Beshear of Kentucky; and Roy Cooper of North Carolina.

Never have we had so many state governors seen as potential Presidential contenders, with the reminder that in the past 100 years, we have had the following Presidents who were state governors: Calvin Coolidge, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton, and George W. Bush.

Party Loyalty Should Be Secondary To Loyalty To Democracy!

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It is extremely infuriating to discover that almost all Republican office holders are unwilling to state that loyalty to the nation is more important than party loyalty!

Considering the criminal behavior of Donald Trump, and the January 6, 2021 US Capitol Insurrection, it is beyond belief that many office holders continue to deny what happened, and even those who are so called “critics” of the former President are unwilling to state that if Trump is the Republican nominee in 2024, that they would refuse to support and vote for him.

This shocking attitude has recently been expressed by New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu. And former Maryland Governor Larry Hogan first said he would back Trump if he ends up the nominee in 2024, but then walked it back, stating he would not pledge to support Trump, but believed he would not be the party nominee. This is not encouraging, the need of Hogan to walk back what sounded like party loyalty was more important than loyalty to democracy!

At this point, it seems as if only the two Republicans who served on the House January 6 Committee, former members of Congress Liz Cheney of Wyoming and Adam Kinzinger of Illinois, are committed to opposing Trump completely.

It also seems that former Arkansas Governor and potential Presidential contender Asa Hutchinson might be in this camp, but still not for certain, and Republicans who hold office, and are not running for President, who would seemingly refuse to support Trump would be limited for now to Utah Senator Mitt Romney and Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski!

This is all very wearying, the refusal of most Republicans to put country above party!

Civil War Emerging In The Republican Party, And Democrats Can Watch And Enjoy!

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Joe Biden hit a grandslam homerun this week in his State of the Union address.

Meanwhile, Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy was unable to enforce the idea that his MAGA Republican caucus behave properly, as they boored, jeered, and yelled “Liar” at President Biden, when he stated that Republicans were promoting a “sunset” on Social Security and Medicare, which is totally true.

McCarthy seemed totally hapless and he knows that if he makes too much of an issue of bad behavior, he could be pushed out of the Speakership, already angering members of his party for saying that the US Capitol police offer who shot and killed Ashli Babbitt on January 6, 2021 was doing his job, a rare moment where McCarthy did the right thing.

And the Republican Senate caucus is bitterly divided, with Minority Leader Mitch McConnell repudiating what Senators Rick Scott of Florida, Mike Lee of Utah, and Ron Johnson of Wisconsin have been promoting–the end of Social Security and Medicare.

Scott and Lee have been demoted from a committee due to their battling to replace McConnell, who gained two thirds of the Republicans remaining loyal to him in the leadership struggle for the Senate minority leadership.

This is a situation in both houses of Congress where the Democrats can watch, enjoy and eat popcorn, lol! 🙂

The Upcoming California Senate Race 2024

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In 2024, California will have a US Senate race as Dianne Feinstein will be retiring, even though she refuses to address the issue until the Spring.

There is no possible way that Feinstein, who will be 90 in June, will run again, as there are many signs that she is in early stages dementia, and should not have run in 2018 at age 85. She seems often to be unaware of events around her and to have major memory problems regarding what she has been told by her staff or others. It is simply pride and stubbornness that has prevented her from resigning in dignity.

The refusal of older members of Congress to retire when in their 80s is a sign of ego winning out over reality, as for instance, Iowa Republican Senator Chuck Grassley winning reelection at age 89 in November 2022. Yes, Grassley is still able to do pushups and other exercises, and for now, seems fit mentally, but the idea of a Senator being in office until past age 95 is ludicrous, and if he survives until the end of 2028, he will be the oldest ever Senator except for South Carolina Republican Senator Strom Thurmond, who was clearly in dementia, but remained in his Senate seat, being guided in every way by his staff, until past age 100!

California Governor Gavin Newsom has indicated that if a vacancy was to occur by Feinstein’s leaving earlier, that he would appoint an African American woman as her replacement, with the likely choice being California Congresswoman Barbara Lee, who has been in the House of Representatives since 1998, and will be 77 this summer.

That is fine for the short term, but the idea that Lee plans to run for the open seat in 2024 when she would be past 78, and be serving until past 84, is NOT a good idea. She has said she would only serve one term, but who can say that would be fulfilled, as ego could come in the way, and she could decide to run again for a second term until age 90!

Barbara Lee has had an admirable record in the House of Representatives, but she should NOT run for a full term, and instead continue her service in the lower house, unless she is appointed, and then agrees NOT to run for the full term!

Instead, California has a choice of three Congressional members who have served well–Adam Schiff, Katie Porter, and Ro Khanna, all decades younger, and capable of gaining seniority and serving, in theory, for an extended period of years!