Barack Obama

Potential For Four New African American Senators

Ronald Leave a comment

There have been 11 African American Senators in the 234 years of US Senate history.

Presently, there are three—Republican Tim Scott of South Carolina; and Democrats Cory Booker of New Jersey and Raphael Warnock of Georgia.

Prominent earlier African American Senators included Democrats Carol Moseley Braun and Barack Obama of Illinois; Democrat Kamala Harris of California; and Republican Edward Brooke of Massachusetts.

Now, there is the possibility of four additional African American Senators, if fortune works out.

They include: Mandela Barnes in Wisconsin; Cheri Beasley in North Carolina; Charles Booker in Kentucky; and Val Demings of Florida.

Barnes is competing against Ron Johnson in Wisconsin; Beasley againast Ted Budd in North Carolina; Booker against Rand Paul in Kentucky; and Demings against Marco Rubio in Florida.

All of these races are tight in polls, except Booker against Paul in Kentucky, where Booker is at a major disadvantage.

Also, Warnock is in a tight race against Republican Herschel Walker in Georgia, with both being African Americans.

Donald Trump’s Attack On American Jews, Encouraging Anti Semitism!

Ronald Leave a comment

Donald Trump is questioning American Jews and their loyalty to Israel, and has consorted with anti Semites over his career!

About a third of American Jews admire Donald Trump, due to their so called “conservative” values, which include the fact that he supported the Israeli government of former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Also, no question that Trump accepted Jerusalem as the capital of Israel; the annexation of the Golan Heights; and the Abraham Accords, which normalized relations of Israel with the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan, and Morocco.

But Trump used foul language against Netanyahu when Netanyahu “had the gall” to congratulate Joe Biden on his victory in the 2020 Presidential Election.

Israel was able to influence Trump, but Trump is constantly denouncing American Jews, who are not always supportive of the Israeli government’s policies, and with about 70 percent supporting the candidacy of Joe Biden in 2020!

While Trump was supportive of Israel, so have been other American Presidents, including the often not appreciated efforts of Barack Obama and Jimmy Carter in particular!

Republican Party Openly Promoting Misogyny, Racism, Nativism, Anti Semitism, Without Shame!

Ronald Leave a comment

It is clear that the Republican Party is openly promoting misogyny, racism, nativism, and Anti Semitism, without shame or apology.

Republicans are demonstrating they do not care about women’s right to control their own bodies, and many of those seeking office wish to put women back in the bedroom and the kitchen, rather than being independent and pursuing careers.

Senator Tommy Tuberville of Alabama openly promotes racism against African Americans in particular, as he did at a campaign rally in Arizona for Donald Trump!

The attack on immigration continues in the Republican Party, making it a major issue promoted by the likes of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, Texas Governor Greg Abbott, and Arizona Governor Doug Ducey!

And Pennsylvania Republican gubernatorial nominee Doug Mastriano is openly anti semitic, including attacking his Jewish opponent, Democratic gubernatorial nominee Josh Shapiro!

And these examples are just the tip of the iceberg, as the Republican Party has become the party of Fascism, and right wing extremism, and out to destroy all of the good done by the Democratic Party since the time of Franklin D. Roosevelt through Lyndon B. Johnson, Barack Obama, and now Joe Biden!

Unveiling Of Barack And Michelle Obama Portraits At Biden White House A Celebration!

Ronald 2 Comments

In the midst of difficult and stressful times in America, yesterday was a glorious day of celebration as Barack Obama and his wife Michelle Obama returned to the White House to unveil their official portraits that will be added to the White House Art Collection, and rejoice with Joe Biden and Dr. Jill Biden!

The portraits of both the President, by artist Robert McCurdy, and the First Lady, by artist Sharon Sprung, are gorgeous art, and it was an opportunity for the Obamas and Bidens to get together and celebrate the accomplishments of both Obama and Joe Biden in the Presidency!

Usually, the portraits of a President are unveiled in the administration of his successor, but that was not possible with Donald Trump, who constantly savaged the Obamas, and promoted the theory that Obama was not born in the United States, the so called “Birther” theory!

One has to wonder if it will ever happen that there will be unveiling of portraits of Donald Trump and Melania Trump in the White House art collection, but if so, it will not be during the Joe Biden Presidency, as Trump still refuses to accept that Joe Biden was legitimately elected President in 2020!

Republican Attacks On Social Security And Medicare Arise Again: They Never Give Up!

Ronald Leave a comment

Social Security has been under attack by Republicans and conservatives ever since its passage in 1935 as part of Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal.

Medicare has been under attack by Republicans and conservatives ever since its passage in 1965 as part of Lyndon B. Johnson’s Great Society.

The Affordable Care Act (ObamaCare) has been under attack by Republicans and conservatives since its passage under Barack Obama in 2010!

Most recently, George W. Bush promoted privatization of Social Security, which failed to occur in 2004-2005, luckily so, as the Great Recession of 2008 would have destroyed those who invested in the stock market, rather than having the guarantee of Social Security.

Also, Mitt Romney proposed privatization of Medicare during his Presidential campaign in 2012.

Now, Senator Rick Scott of Florida, Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky, and Senator Ron Johnson of Wisconsin are the biggest backers of phasing out Social Security over five years! Also, Arizona Senatorial candidate Blake Masters has backed this idea!

If the Republicans were to win both houses of Congress and the Presidency by 2024, a great tragedy would occur!

As it is, Rand Paul and Ron Johnson face reelection this November, and every effort possible should be mounted to defeat these two horrendous US Senators! And Blake Masters needs to be defeated in his quest to be elected to the Senate!

White House Chief Of Staff Ron Klain Summarizes Joe Biden’s Record In Office After 19 Months!

Ronald 1 Comment

White House Chief of Staff Ron Klain has summarized Joe Biden’s record in office after 19 months.

After a period of struggle and disappointment, now Joe Biden’s record is quite amazing for a President in office just a bit more than a year and a half, a truly transformational President!

As Klain describes it in an interview with POLITICO, Joe Biden “has delivered the largest economic recovery plan since Roosevelt.”(Franklin D. Roosevelt and the New Deal)

Biden has brought into law “the largest infrastructure plan since Eisenhower.” (Dwight D. Eisenhower and the Interstate Highway System)

Biden has accomplished “the most judges confirmed since Kennedy.” (John F. Kennedy)

Biden has accomplished “the second largest health care bill since Johnson.” (Lyndon B. Johnson and Medicare) and (after Barack Obama and the Affordable Care Act)

Biden has “the largest climate change bill in history.” (since Jimmy Carter promoted need for change)

Also, we have seen the first gun control bill since Bill Clinton’s time. (Brady Bill legislation)

And Biden has placed the first African American woman on the Supreme Court (Ketanji Brown Jackson) (After Lyndon B. Johnson placed the first African American man on the Supreme Court, Thurgood Marshall)

Additionally, as many observers have noted, we have seen 9.5 million jobs created; accomplished the lowest unemployment rate in 50 years; forced the rich and corporations to pay their fair share of taxes; lowered drug prices and general health care costs, including insulin costs for Medicare recipients; lowered the national debt; confirmed the most diverse set of judges to the federal bench; accomplished the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, and the American Rescue Plan to combat the COVID 19 Pandemic; canceled some student loan debt; and passed the CHIPS and Science Act, and the PACT Act to help sick veterans from our wars.

In foreign policy, Biden ended America’s longest war (Afghanistan), which Donald Trump had arranged to end actually three months earlier than Biden; strengthened NATO by adding Finland and Sweden; took out Al Qaeda’s top leader; and come to the defense of Ukraine against the Russian invasion.

Rick Scott, Ron Johnson And The Entire Republican Party Want To Take Away Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, Veterans Benefits!

Ronald Leave a comment

The Republican Party is making it very clear to anyone who has a brain!

THey are against basic programs that Americans rely on, and have had for many decades!

Florida Senator Rick Scott and Wisconsin Senator Ron Johnson are leading the charge to end Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and Veterans Benefits over a five year period!

But it is not just these two Senators, but the reality is that the party philosophy never liked what Franklin D. Roosevelt (the New Deal) and Lyndon B. Johnson (The Great Society) did, anymore than willing to accept the Affordable Care Act of President Barack Obama!

So the answer is to war on the Republican Party, which has gone too far to the far Right, including wanting to force women to have every pregnancy to term!

This is a battle for the future of America, and there can be no prisoners, just victories!

Two Republican Majority Courts Supported Abortion Rights, But Not Now In 2022!

Ronald 1 Comment

In the case of Roe V. Wade (1973), decided by 7-2, Abortion Rights for women was made federal law, with five of the seven votes being Republican appointments:

Harry Blackmun (Nixon)
Warren Burger (Chief Justice) (Nixon)
William Brennan (Eisenhower)
Potter Stewart (Eisenhower)
Lewis Powell (Nixon)

In Planned Parenthood V. Casey (1992), a later case on abortion, with some limits, the decision was 5-4, with all 5 in the majority being Republican appointments:

Sandra Day O’Connor (Reagan)
Anthony Kennedy (Reagan)
David Souter (HW Bush)
Harry Blackmun (Nixon)
John Paul Stevens (Ford)

All of these Republican appointed Justices were considered to be “conservatives” in their time frame, although Blackmun, Brennan, and Stevens came to be seen as “liberals’ over time, and O’Connor, Kennedy, and Souter came to be seen as “moderates”.

The definition of “conservative” has changed dramatically in the past half century, so all of the Republican Justices would be seen by right wing Republicans in 2022 as “RINOS”, Republicans In Name Only!

In 2022, in Dobbs V. Jackson’s Women Health Organization, all six Republicans voted to end abortion rights, although Chief Justice John Roberts wanted only further limitations on abortion, and therefore dissented while joining the other five Republicans.

These appointments were by two Presidents who lost the popular vote when they were elected by the Electoral College, along with Clarence Thomas appointed by George H W Bush.

Thomas and Brett Kavanaugh both had charges of sexual impropriety brought against them, while Neil Gorsuch gained a place on the Court that was meant for Barack Obama appointee Merrick Garland, and Amy Coney Barrett replaced the recently deceased Ruth Bader Ginsburg just a week before an election in which Donald Trump lost by 7 million votes to Joe Biden, who should have been allowed that appointment.

Republicans In White House In Six Major Periods Of Corruption!

Ronald Leave a comment

The Republican Party has the unenviable record of having six of their Presidents leading the nation in major periods of corruption, sometimes with their support, and other times because of poor selection of advisers and cabinet officers.

Chronologically, they are as follows:

Ulysses S. Grant–1869-1877

Warren G. Harding–1921-1923

Richard Nixon–1969-1974

Ronald Reagan–1981-1989

George W. Bush–2001-2009

Donald Trump–2017-2021

The two worst are Donald Trump and Richard Nixon, while the others seem not to have engaged personally in scandals!

But all six Republican Presidents had people in their administrations face indictments and convictions!

While there was minor scandals under some Democrats–Harry Truman, Lyndon B. Johnson, Bill Clinton—they, in no way, match the horrendous record of the Republican Party!

And two recent Democratic Presidents have a totally clear record of no corruption, no indictments, no convictions—Jimmy Carter–1977-1981, and Barack Obama–2009-2017!

Joe Biden Arguably Has Faced The Worst Set Of Crises Other Than Lincoln And FDR!

Ronald 12 Comments

Abraham Lincoln faced the breakup of the Union and the Civil War in his Presidency from 1861-1865.

Franklin D. Roosevelt faced the Great Depression, the growing threat of Fascism and Nazism, and World War II, from 1933-1945.

Other than Lincoln and FDR, the question arises which other Presidents faced crises on a level as dangerous and challenging as those two Presidents.

One could say George Washington facing the challenge of making the Constitution work, and the nation able to survive as a republic from 1789-1797.

One could say Harry Truman, facing the challenge of sudden elevation to the Presidency in a time when World War II was not yet resolved, and having to deal with the threat of the Soviet Union during the Cold War years from 1945-1953.

One could say John F. Kennedy, facing the threat of the Soviet Union, including the Berlin Crisis and the Cuban Missile Crisis, which dominated his time in the Presidency, from 1961-1963.

One could say George W. Bush, facing the challenge of the terrorist attack on September 11, 2001, and the dual wars fought during his Presidency in Afghanistan and Iraq, and the Great Recession which developed in his last year in office, from 2001-2009.

One could also say Barack Obama, facing the challenge of the Great Recession, the worst economic downturn since the 1930s, and the constant domestic resistance from the right wing Tea Party Movement, and the growing extremism of the Republican Party, from 2009-2017.

But one could also argue that Joe Biden, facing the COVID 19 Pandemic; the growing epidemic of mass murders by firearms by domestic terrorists and mentally disturbed people; and the threat of nuclear war in the midst of the greatest foreign policy crisis (The Russia-Ukraine War) since the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962, is the greatest challenge and crisis other than Lincoln and FDR!