Month: March 2024

43 Years Since Reagan Assassination Threat, And Dangers Ahead!

It has been 43 years since the last direct threat against an American President.

Ronald Reagan was shot by John Hinckley on March 30, 1981, and miraculously survived and recovered, although many observers think his later diagnosis of Alzheimers Disease may have been related to that shooting.

There have been threats against Presidents and other top government officials in the four decades since, thankfully without the kind of horrible experience that Reagan went through.

But the levels of verbal violence and threats has grown exponentially, and now Donald Trump has used violent rhetoric, incitig his supporters and threatening Joe Biden, federal judges, and others, claiming “freedom of speech”.

But “freedom of speech’ does have its limits, and there is a need to make that clear to Donald Trump and everyone else, on all sides of the political spectrum, that using incendiary rhetoric could lead to prosecution and imprisonment!

The fact that we have gone through the longest period of no turnover in the Presidency, and that the 25th Amendment has only been used twice, in 1973 and 1974, is a warning of the growing reality that the nation is likely to face growing odds of a transition that we have not faced in a half century since 1973-1974.

So the office of the Vice Presidency is more significant than ever, moving forward!

Super Wealthy Put Low Personal Taxes Ahead Of Nation’s Welfare

The super wealthy in America are proving that only their money and fortune matter, not the nation’s welfare!

Many of the super wealthy turned against Donald Trump after January 6, 2021, but now are finding excuses to support him, primarily to avoid higher taxation, as if they are going to take their super fortunes to the grave with them, or simply want to spoil their children with lack of motivation to have to accomplish in their own lives, without “Daddy’s” fortune!

The fact that the super wealthy gained massive tax cuts three times, under Ronald Reagan, George W. Bush, and then Donald Trump is not enough for this super wealthy class!

So they come up with excuses, such as the supposed poor mental state of Joe Biden, which is purely a myth, while anyone who pays attention can perceive that Donald Trump is in a much poorer mental state, clearly in dementia, and having proved it by his public appearances where he cannot even express himself in an intelligent manner!

The fact that Trump would bring into office evil people who would promote a Fascist dictatorship is of no concern, as long as these super wealthy do not have to pay taxes to help the nation and its population, that includes many who live in poverty and deprivation!

But these individuals think they are “good Christians” and “Good Jews”, and see themselves as “religious”, a total farce, clearly fake religiosity, as they clearly have no interest in anything outside their own selfish interests!

So the downfall of American democracy, the Constitution, and the rule of law is secondary to their own greed and selfishness!

Massive Fundraising Event For Democrats With Biden, Obama, Clinton!

For all those who believe the Democratic Party offers the best hope for the future, last night’s massive fundraising event at Radio City Music Hall in NYC with Presidents Joe Biden, Barack Obama, and Bill Clinton in attendance, was a magnificent event!

A total of $26 million was raised for the fight ahead for American democracy, the US Constitution, and the rule of law!

All three Presidents are united in their fight against the autocratic, Fascist threat of Donald Trump, and many reasonable and patriotic conservatives and Republicans are also committed to the struggle for the future against this evil man!

When one looks back at the Presidencies of Obama and Clinton, and the accomplishments of Joe Biden, and compares them to the dismal record of Republicans in the White House, one knows that we are engaged in a righteous cause, the most challenging time since World War II!

Senator Joseph Lieberman Passing Reminds Us Of His Significant Role In American History

Former Connecticut Senator Joseph Lieberman passed away yesterday at the age of 82, tragically as the result of complications from a fall.

This sad news reminds us of his significant role in American history and politics.

A comparatively conservative Senator for a Democrat, specifically on foreign policy, while quite liberal on most matters of domestic policy, Lieberman became the first Jewish candidate on a national Presidential ticket as the Vice Presidential nominee for Al Gore in the Presidential Election of 2000.

Coming to the Senate after defeating liberal Republican Senator Lowell Weicker in 1988, and backed by conservative advocate William F. Buckley, Jr, who called Lieberman his “favorite Democrat”, he lost the Democratic nomination for his seat in 2006, but ran as an Independent and defeated his Democratic and Republican opponents, serving his fourth and last term until 2012, when he retired.

Lieberman was closely associated with Republican Senators John McCain and Lindsey Graham as “hawks” on the Iraq War, and McCain considered him for the Vice Presidency in 2008, before choosing the disastrous Alaska Governor Sarah Palin.

Lieberman was always highly controversial, but also remembered as very principled and a major factor in American politics for more than a generation.

For a person such as this author who sees himself as “progressive”, Lieberman often irritated with his overly hawkish views on foreign policy, and he did not show adequate support for either Barack Obama or Joe Biden, including engaging in the NO LABELS movement, which seems, fortunately, to be going nowhere in the upcoming presidential election.

Right Wing Supreme Court A Threat To All Federal Regulations, Attempt To Repeal All Reforms Since Theodore Roosevelt Onward!

The Right Wing Supreme Court can be seen as a threat to all federal regulations, as the Federalist Society and other right wing extremist groups are clearly attempting to wipe out all federal regulations that have occurred in the past century since the Progressive Era, through the New Deal and Great Society, and expanded further by Barack Obama and Joe Biden’s time in the Presidency.

If left to their whims and desires, the Supreme Court would wipe out the regulatory roles of many federal agencies that have evolved from Theodore Roosevelt onward.

These include;

The Food and Drug Administration

The Environmental Protection Agency

The Consumer Product Safety Commission

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration

Department of Health and Human Services

Department Of Labor

Department of Education

and many federal laws promoting regulations of banks and corporations in the public interest, voting rights, working against discrimination towards women and various racial and ethnic minorities, and so much more!

Ronna McDaniel Should Be Fired, Not Rewarded, For Opposing Truth About 2020 Presidential Election! :(

Ronna McDaniel, the head of the Republican National Committee from the election of Donald Trump in 2016 until a week ago, should not be rewarded for collaborating in the “Big Lie”, that Donald Trump won the Presidential Election of 2020!

It is shocking beyond understanding why NBC would hire her as a political commentator, when she was a collaborator in the January 6 2021 US Capitol Insurrection. She continued to defend Donald Trump right up until he called for her resignation, as he has taken over the Republican Party apparatus lock, stock, and barrel, destroying the heritage of the 170 year old party!

This is not Michael Steele, or Liz Cheney, or Adam Kinzinger or other Republicans who, with their conservative credentials, might disagree with Democrats and progressives on issues, but are loyal to the Constitution and rule of law.

Having such alternative ideas and debating them is part of the American tradition, but if anything, Ronna McDaniel should be facing prosecution, not rewards, for her unpatriotic, immoral, and unethical defense of Donald Trump’s illegalities nonstop for the past three plus years since Trump lost reelection!

NBC management, facing major revolt by all of the MSNBC commentators, needs to pay off Ronna McDaniel and fire her, and she should not be a paid commentator, distorting the truth about Donald Trump!

It was a massive public relations disaster that the corporate leaders of a major news organization should have committed such a massive blunder!

Very Few Principled Republicans Who Put Nation Ahead Of Donald Trump

Face the facts: The Republican Party of 170 years history is dead!

In its wake, we have a cult loyal to Donald Trump!

So there are only a handful of elected Republicans, or former elected Republicans at this point, who have put the nation ahead of Donald Trump, and will not support Donald Trump in the upcoming Presidential Election of 2024!

Among them are the following 24 Republicans:

Liz Cheney
Adam Kinzinger
Mitt Romney
Lisa Murkowski
Susan Collins
Bob Corker
Jeff Flake
Rob Portman
Pat Toomey
Bill Cassidy
Paul Ryan
John Boehner
Peter Meijer
Anthony Gonzalez
Will Hurd
Fred Upton
Joe Walsh
Charlie Baker
Phil Scott
Jeb Bush
Chris Christie
Larry Hogan
Asa Hutchinson
John Kasich

Some Reasons Why Donald Trump And Republicans Will Lose in 2024

Despite conflicting public opinion polls, there are many reasons to believe why Donald Trump and the Republican Party are on the road to defeat in 2024!

Among them are the following:

If one uses Ronald Reagan’s argument in 1980, “Are you better off than you were years ago?”, and use it in reverse, most certainly, economically, the nation is far better than it was in 2020, by any economic statistic! The stock market is booming; unemployment is at a 50 year low; inflation is coming down; and more jobs have been created than under any modern President in a four year term!

Also, Donald Trump brags about ending Roe V Wade, and this ending of abortion rights has become a major motivator among the vast majority of women and the men who love them, and will motivate many voters to be sure to vote and get others to vote!

Donald Trump also tells Republicans to reject the strongest immigration bill in a generation, and the crisis on the border is worse, as a result, and it will reverberate on Republicans in the Fall. With various conservative groups backing the legislation, it can be used as a weapon against Trump in the upcoming election, and harm the party chances in Congress!

The Republican House of Representatives has been a disaster, leading to some Republicans quitting early, not wishing to hang around, and leaving the Republicans with just one vote more than a majority, subject to change at any time, if anyone in their slim majority resigns, dies, or is in the hospital for an extended period. And Speaker Mike Johnson is in danger of being the second Speaker to be removed in the same Congress. So the Democrats have a great issue as they get ready for the election, which should guarantee a Democratic majority in that chamber in the upcoming 119th Congress of 2025-2027!

Donald Trump being indicted on 91 counts in four cases is not going to help promote loyalty of Republicans, as already, there are indications that a substantial number did not want him to run, and instead supported Nikki Haley. The idea that independents or Democrats will vote for Trump is not realistic, and already, he has a record of never winning the popular vote in either 2016 or 2020!

With so many former Trump Administration officials refusing to support Trump this time around, since they see how dangerous he is on foreign policy, and his plans for a dictatorship, this will also strengthen the case for Joe Biden as a center of stability and democracy!

And with Trump saying the January 6 Insurrectionists are “hostages” that he would free from prison is not a way to win support or strengthen Republican prospects!

With all these factors, Democrats have the advantage, but have to be concerned about keeping support of African Americans, Hispanic-Latino Americans, Asian Americans, Arab-Muslim Americans, Jewish Americans, and the younger Generation Z first time voters.

So there is plenty of work still ahead!

Republican 118th House Of Representatives A Total Disaster!

The 118th Congress (2023-2025) has been a total disaster, with the House of Representatives controlled by the extremist right wing Freedom Caucus, which deposed Kevin McCarthy as Speaker of the House, and now is moving toward deposing Mike Johnson, because of his cooperation with Democrats to adopt a budget bill and avoid default. Looney Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia has taken the first steps to call for possible removal of Johnson from the Speakership.

This chaos has led some Republicans to quit the House of Representatives early including Ken Buck of Colorado and Mike Gallagher of Wisconsin.

So now, once Gallagher leaves in April, the split will be 217-213 in the House, meaning the Republicans only have a ONE vote margin!

So any further craziness, and the Democrats will gain control of the House of Representatives, an unbelievable situation!

Hooray! :) 14 Year Anniversary Of The Affordable Care Act (ObamaCare)!

Celebrations are in order for the 14 year Anniversary of the Affordable Care Act (ObamaCare), President Barack Obama’s greatest achievement, despite constant attempts of Republicans to destroy it over these years since 2010!

The Affordable Care Act now gives health coverage to 21 million Americans, and is a further extension of health care coverage beyond Medicare and Medicaid, all brought about due to Democratic Presidents, as well as Social Security!

It is not a perfect law, as nothing is, but far better than if these laws had never been passed.

And it is ironic that in 2017, it was a critic of the Affordable Care Act, Arizona Senator John McCain, who was the opponent of Barack Obama in the Presidential Election of 2008, who saved the legislation, and this just a year before his passing.

This anniversary is being celebrated by both President Obama and President Joe Biden, and everyone well knows that President Donald Trump tried so hard to destroy this legislation and coverage, and pledges to do so if he is returned to the Oval Office, along with threats against Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid being targeted yet once again by Republicans!