Month: August 2019

Senator Majority Leader Mitch McConnell A Traitor To American Values And National Security, And Will Be A Leading Villain In American History!

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Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky will go down in history as a traitor to American values and national security, and be seen as a leading villain in American history.

When one compares him to other Senate Majority Leaders, including:

Democrats Alben Barkley, Lyndon B. Johnson, Mike Mansfield, Robert Byrd, George Mitchell, and Tom Daschle

and Republicans Howard Baker and Bob Dole

McConnell pales by comparison.

The fact that his wife, Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao, is in the Trump Cabinet, is in itself a massive example of corruption and conflict of interest.

But beyond that, McConnell denied President Barack Obama his right to have a Supreme Court Justice nominee, Merrick Garland, to be considered for the Court in 2016.

McConnell has also refused to allow any strengthening of voter security to prevent a Russian government collusion in our election system, as occurred in 2016.

McConnell has also been involved with Russian businessmen investing in Kentucky industrial projects, a clear cut example of treason.

McConnell has made clear that if a Supreme Court appointment occurs in the election year of 2020, he will allow such an appointment, after NOT allowing it in 2016.

McConnell has not allowed votes on House of Representatives bills, with the ability to vote them down, but not even allowing a vote on so much potential legislation, in order to avoid the Republicans in the Senate from putting their careers on the line by actually having to vote to prevent reforms of all kinds.

McConnell’s major goals has been to enrich the top one percent with tax cuts; to destroy all regulations possible on business and industry and destroy as much of the Great Society programs of Lyndon B. Johnson and the New Deal programs of Franklin D. Roosevelt; and to pack the federal courts with extremist right wing judges, many of them incompetent, who wish to destroy civil rights, organized labor, consumer rights, environmental regulations, women’s rights; and other progressive causes and laws, wiping out all fairness and movements towards social justice and equality.

The Pure Cruelty, Heartlessness, And Lack Of Humanity And A Moral Compass Of Donald Trump

Ronald 11 Comments

Every day that goes by, Donald Trump displays ever more cruelty, heartlessness, and a lack of humanity and a moral compass.

Why would he decide to promote emissions of methane into the atmosphere, with the clear knowledge that it will promote more environmental damage, making the planet ever more on the road to destruction?

Why would he order sick children who have come to the United States for medical treatment that saves their lives, to be forced to leave and go back to the nation that they came from, which does not have the medical treatments needed to perpetuate their lives?

Why would he decide that our troops and diplomats overseas, who have children while abroad, shall have their offspring not automatically declared US citizens without any complications for the future of those children?

Why would he heavily criticize Puerto Rico, and lie about the amount of aid to that island after Hurricane Maria, as they faced the threat of Hurricane Dorian?

Why would he have such hatred for immigrants, when two of his wives were immigrants themselves, and his own grandfather migrated in the late 19th century?

What is wrong with this man, that he harbors such ugly thoughts and beliefs, and seems intent on destroying any chance of having his name look at all positive in history, by his love affair with authoritarian dictators around the world?

It is perfectly clear, now if not before, that Donald Trump is a madman, a very dangerous psychopath, and yet has willing accomplices who promote his evil, heartless, and dangerous policies without any forethought.

The Trump loyalists will suffer mightily in the loss of any good reputation they might have had by their constant association with a man who has a strange hold on them, and allows them to suspend all moral and ethical judgment in service to this tyrant.

Trump is absolutely assured to go down in history as a true nightmare, and with no sane person believing that he can possibly be surpassed as being the worst President in American history.

He is a traitor to basic American values of fairness and compassion, that made America the beacon of hope for centuries of immigrants of all backgrounds who came to America and contributed to its greatness!

Joe Biden Pledges His Vice Presidential Running Mate Will Be A Woman Or Person Of Color

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In an interview with a group of African American journalists, former Vice President Joe Biden pledged that if he was to end up as the Presidential nominee of the Democratic Party, he would select a Vice Presidential running mate who was either a woman or a person of color.

This is, if it indeed occurs, quite a revolutionary step, and it gives us the following list of potential Vice Presidential nominees:

Senator Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota

Senator Kamala Harris of California

Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts

Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey

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

Entrepreneur Andrew Yang of New York

Former Georgia Gubernatorial nominee Stacey Abrams of Georgia

It would seem highly unlikely that Elizabeth Warren would be asked or accept, and being the oldest potential nominee at age 71 in 2020, alongside Biden, who would be 78, is highly unlikely.

It also seems unlikely that Andrew Yang would be tapped, as he has no government experience.

Stacey Abrams was rumored months ago to be a potential Vice Presidential nominee, but without any state level executive experience or Congressional or other federal government experience, it would seem highly unlikely.

So the bet would seem to be either Amy Klobuchar, shoring up the Midwest support, which is crucial, or Julian Castro, with his mayoral experience in a large city in Texas, and his cabinet office experience. Also, Castro was on the short list for Hillary Clinton, and being that the Latino population is the largest minority in America, and that he has an inspiring story of growing up in poverty without a father present, makes him very appealing. Castro might also put Texas into play for the election.

Harris might not wish to be number 2 on the ticket, and there is no need for California to be concerned about in the election. And Cory Booker comes from the same Northeast as Biden, so seems highly unlikely to be selected, plus there already has been an African American male President, Barack Obama.

Two Likely US Senators In 2021: Joe Kennedy III (Massachusetts) And Liz Cheney (Wyoming)

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With 34 seats up for election to the Senate in 2020, two seats are sure to remain in the hands of the same party, but with different officeholders than at present.

In Massachusetts, it is clear that Congressman Joe Kennedy III, grandson of Robert F. Kennedy, will challenge incumbent Democrat Ed Markey, who served more than 36 years in the House of Representatives, and will have served nearly eight years in the Senate.

Markey is a sterling progressive with a great record, and it is regretful that Kennedy, who will be 40 at the time of the election in 2020, is challenging Markey, who will be past 74 by election time.

It is really an example of a younger generation saying it is time for the Baby Boomer generation to step aside, but it is also the power of the Kennedy family and name coming into play.

It would be best to avoid bad blood if Markey decided to retire, but he started his national political career at age 30 in 1976, and is not likely to oblige young Kennedy.

So, sadly, a good man will be defeated in the primary, and if, somehow, he does triumph over young Kennedy, it will be a massive upset, hard to imagine.

Kennedy will be an outstanding Senator, no debate on the part of this blogger, and will likely be a potential Presidential contender in 2028, assuming a Democrat wins the White House in 2020. If not, Kennedy will certainly be in the mix for 2024.

Meanwhile, Liz Cheney, the older daughter of former Vice President Dick Cheney, who has been a Congresswoman from Wyoming since 2017, and is now third ranking Republican in the House as Chair of the House Republican Conference, is set to run for the open Senate seat of Senator Mike Enzi, who is retiring after 24 years in the Senate. Cheney had tried unsuccessfully to push Enzi aside in 2014, but she gave up the fight when public opinion polls showed Enzi would easily defeat her in a primary race.

Cheney is just like her father, tough as nails, and very ambitious, and she will win the Senate seat hands over, and assuredly, will seek the Presidency in 2024 and or 2028, as a serious Republican woman challenger for the White House.

We could see a future Presidential race between Joe Kennedy III and Liz Cheney, a fascinating race between two family inheritors—Robert F. Kennedy and the whole Kennedy family, versus Dick Cheney, his wife Lynne Cheney, and the Cheney family.

Latest Monmouth University Poll Shows Three Way Tie For Democratic Nomination

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The latest Monmouth University poll shows Joe Biden slipping slightly behind Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, a sign of trouble for the former Vice President.

All three are basically in a statistical tie, but it is clear that Joe Biden is losing support, at least for now.

Many observers believe that neither Bernie Sanders nor Elizabeth Warren can win the Presidency, as they would be labeled “Socialists” and other nasty labels by Conservatives, Republicans, and Donald Trump.

This development is a warning for more centrist Democrats of a younger generation to make their move forward at the next Democratic debate in Houston in mid September.

It is now clear that the top three, all of whom would be older than Donald Trump upon inauguration first term, and Sanders and Biden actually older, is not the best future for the Democratic Party.

Rather, it would seem clear that Pete Buttigieg, Julian Castro, Cory Booker, and Kamala Harris, all a generation or more younger than the top three Democratic contenders, would be a better choice, just as was the case with John F. Kennedy, Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, and Barack Obama over the past half century!

Former Illinois Congressman Joe Walsh As Challenger To Donald Trump

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Suddenly, with time short, Donald Trump is starting to gain opposition to his nomination for a second term as President.

Former Governor William Weld of Massachusetts, who was the Libertarian Vice Presidential nominee in 2016, announced months ago, with little to show for it, as polls indicate 85-90 percent of Republicans are ready to back Trump.

Weld is at least seen as a “legitimate” candidate, but now we have others who are much more right wing than Weld, and lack credibility as national candidates, who are emerging.

Already, former South Carolina Governor and former Congressman Mark Sanford, he of the sex scandal that forced him out of the Governorship a decade ago, saying he might join.

And now, this past weekend, we have a definite challenger, but of no greater reputation, former one term Illinois Congressman Joe Walsh, of Tea Party fame, who was a believer in the “birther” theory used against Barack Obama, and spewed poison and hate in his one two year term, followed by defeat and retirement to a career as a talk show host.

Walsh was reckless and confrontational in his one term, and came across as a mean spirited and nasty Congressman, with a record of driving on a suspended license, and failure to pay child support, and using racist and sexist language, often considered “a loose cannon”. And he supported Donald Trump in 2016, but now has regrets for that and has apologized and expressed regret on his treatment of Barack Obama.

The fact that Walsh is willing to attack Trump, and tell the truth about him as a horrendous man and President is great, but his own record and background, despite his trying to make amends now in 2019, make him suspect as someone to fully trust.

This is not a way to revive Republican fortunes, to consider Mark Sanford or Joe Wash as legitimate alternatives, when the real alternatives, as suggested in an earlier blog entry last week, would be Jon Huntsman or John Kasich.

The only good thing about Walsh is that he might, somewhat, convince a small number of Republican voters to abandon Trump, and weaken him enough that he will not win reelection. Any effort in that regard is certainly welcome.

And Walsh made an important statement, when he said that young people, women, and suburbanites were totally alienated from Trump. Let us hope that as if they are, in mass numbers, against Trump, and one adds African Americans, Latino Americans, Asian Americans, Jewish Americans, college educated people, and those that possess compassion and empathy towards the victims of Donald Trump, then we will be liberated from the cancer of Donald Trump.

Reflecting On The Age Issue Over Next Decade

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America is faced with many crises, but one not much paid attention to is the Age issue.

We are seeing more people in government who are reaching their 70s and 80s, and that is a worrisome trend.

Certainly, people in their 70s and 80s can be active, engaged, constructive, as this author, in his mid 70s is, as an adjunct college professor, lecturer, author, blogger, contributor of articles on history and politics, and participant on radio shows about history and politics.

But this author is NOT making government policy, and is not facing the daunting challenges of dealing with a multitude of challenges in domestic and foreign policy, that affects and will continue to affect hundreds of millions of Americans, and seven billion people worldwide.

We see Donald Trump in his mid 70s, showing signs of craziness and dementia. We see Joe Biden, who this author loves, not quite as swift and alert as he seeks the Presidency. We see Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren both seemingly very alert and energetic, but reaching 79 and 71 by January 20, 2021, both older than Trump when he was elected, and with Biden reaching 78 by Inauguration Day 2021.

We see the top three Democrats in leadership in the House of Representatives all nearing 80 in the next couple of years, including Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, and the same with Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. There are about four Senators over 80 already, and Dianne Feinstein was elected at 85 in 2018, to serve another six year term to age 91. And at least two Senators will be added to that list over 80 in the next few years.

We have two Supreme Court Justices, Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Stephen Breyer, who are 86 and 81, and their refusal to leave years ago has created the possibility of an extreme right wing Court if Donald Trump wins reelection.

There has to be recognition of the need for younger generations to inherit power, and for older generations to accept that their time has passed.

Donald Trump Destroying International Relations

Ronald 8 Comments

Donald Trump is now at the G-7 Summit in France, and is totally upending international relations, as he has been doing for two and a half years.

He has promoted a trade war against China, which will destroy the international economy, and cause a worldwide depression.

He has threatened France on trade as well.

He has been belligerent toward Denmark over the issue of Greenland acquisition, totally preposterous.

He has ignored the missile tests of Kim Jong Un of North Korea, undermining the security of South Korea and Japan.

He has embraced the crazy British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who is much like him, and is in process of destroying the United Kingdom, which has existed since the Act of Union in 1714.

He has proposed that the G-7 readmit Russia, even though Putin invaded Crimea, taking part of the Ukraine away in 2014, the reason for Russia being expelled.

He accepts the Brazilian government of Jair Bolsonaro ignoring the Amazon fire disaster, which undermines the environment for the entire planet.

He is working to provoke a war against Iran, and yet trusts the Saudi Arabian government of Mohammed bin Salman, which killed the journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

Clearly, Donald Trump is a threat to the international order in so many ways, embracing authoritarians and rebuking democratic allies we have had since World War II!

Two Presidents (John Tyler And Richard Nixon)Who Could Have Faced Prosecution, And Then Donald Trump

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Two past Presidents could have faced prosecution, and now, Donald Trump faces the likelihood of prosecution when he leaves the Presidency.

John Tyler, (1841-1845), gave up his US citizenship when he declared his loyalty to the Confederate States of America in 1861 at the beginning of the Civil War. He became a member of the Provisional Confederate Congress in that year, voted for secession at the Virginia Secession Convention, and was elected to the Confederate House of Representatives, but died in February 1862 before the opening session of that legislative body.

Had he lived through the Civil War, Tyler might have faced treason charges, and be forced to face trial and possible conviction and imprisonment. As it was, the US government did not officially recognize his passing, and the flag did not fly at half staff, as it has for every Presidential death and funeral, except for Tyler. He was buried with a Confederate flag, rather than an American flag, over his casket

Richard Nixon (1969-1974) was the second President who could have faced prosecution and possible conviction and imprisonment as someone who had obstructed justice and abused power, and engaged in massive corruption in office. The fact of his resignation in August 1974 did not bar that possibility, but his successor, President Gerald Ford pardoned him from any prosecution in September 1974, a factor in Ford’s failure to be elected to a full term in 1976.

The obstruction of justice and abuse of power of Nixon has been revived due to the tumult surrounding the possible impeachment moves by Democrats in the House of Representatives against Donald Trump. By comparison, many observers see Nixon as not as evil as Trump.

Donald Trump will likely face prosecution when he leaves office in 2021, although if he wins a second term, he would likely prevent such action by the statute of limitations on prosecution. Of course, he could also be pardoned from any prosecution by a future President, so one has to wonder if Trump will be held accountable for Russian collusion, obstruction of justice, and abuse of power, crimes seen by his critics as far worse than anything Nixon or Tyler did in the Presidency.

Journalism Keeps Us Free And Informed: Pulitzer Prizes In Journalism And Abusive Government In Conflict

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In the midst of a massive attack on the free press by Donald Trump and his supporters, it is instructive to look at the role of major newspapers in informing the American people and keeping us free.

This is the record of the history of the Pulitzer Prizes in Journalism, the top eleven recipients over more than a century:

New York Times–127

Washington Post–47

Los Angeles Times–45

Wall Street Journal–37

Chicago Tribune–27

Boston Globe–26

Miami Herald–22

St. Louis Post Dispatch–19

Atlanta Journal Constitution–17

Des Moines Register–17

Baltimore Sun–15

Five of these newspapers are in the Northeast; Two in the Southeast; Three in the Midwest; and One on the Pacific Coast.

399 Pulitzer Prizes for the top eleven Newspapers in America!

“The Truth Shall Set You Free!”

The free press will outlive the threat of Donald Trump, as it has for other government leaders, most notably Richard Nixon, who have criticized the truth telling and revelations of the top news media!