Bernie Sanders Vermont

“Democratic Socialists Of America” Platform Preposterous And Unachievable!

Ronald 9 Comments

This author and blogger is proud to call himself a “progressive”, and has always admired political leaders who promote “liberal” values and ideas.

At the same time, this author and blogger has never believed in so called “Democratic Socialism” as an agenda, while at times, admiring individuals, such as Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont, for his humanity and idealism.

But this author and blogger never believed Sanders was the proper person to lead the Democratic Party as a Presidential candidate.

But recently, with the victory of Zohran Mamdani as NYC Mayor, and a few congressional candidates being of the “Democratic Socialist” variety, the thought has been the issue of whether this movement within the Democratic Party was practical and realistic.

We have the possibility of Abdul El Sayed winning the Senate nomination in Michigan, and Francesca Hong winning the Wisconsin Gubernatorial nomination, in the coming few weeks.

But many are concerned that if these two candidates win, the Republicans will gain the edge to win in November, a fear that this author and blogger has.

And when one examines the platform of the DSA, it is clear that it is unrealistic and even dangerous to imagine an America governed by their philosophy.

The DSA is clearly not “Communism’ as Donald Trump and other Republicans are claiming, but their ideas are too extreme and unwise, and if adopted, would lead to massive destruction of the Democratic Party.

The DSA platform supports the following “crazy” ideas:

Abolish the US Senate
Abolish the Supreme Court
Abolish the Presidency as we know it, and the Electoral College
Allow the Congress (House of Representatives only) to govern and control the other branches of government
Defunding the Department of Defense, and withdrawing from all military bases around the world
Amnesty for all immigrants and abolition of ICE
Support For Palestinians and Hostility Toward Israel
32 hour work week, a living minimum wage, and paid family leave
Tuition free public education through college
Publicly Owned Housing and Universal Rent Control
Medicare For All and Universal Healthcare
Public Ownership of Corporations
Aggressive Wealth Taxes on the Rich and Corporations
Promotion of Labor Unions and Worker Rights
Environmental Green New Deal

While movement forward on the work week and labor unions; education; housing; health care; more taxes on the rich and corporations; and environmental reforms, can be promoted, the remainder of the ideas listed above are preposterous and unachievable.

Abolishing the government as we know it is not going to happen, and would require a new Constitutional Convention, that could lead, in theory, to a more right wing extremist government, instead of what is proposed.

The Department of Defense and ICE will continue, although the policies pursued need to be reformed so that there is the end of abuses now being perpetrated.

Also, the United States will continue to support the safety and survival of the state of Israel, while being able to be critical of the government of Benjamin Netanyahu and its policies toward the Palestinians.

The Founding Fathers created a form of government, that while not perfect, has overall done quite well in moving the nation forward “toward a more perfect union”, and the Presidency of Donald Trump is a short term derailment of their goals, but will, with public support, be overcome.

“Democratic Socialists” Vs Democratic Party

Ronald 23 Comments

The Democratic Party has brought about in the past century, since Franklin D. Roosevelt onward through Joe Biden, a massive number of major reforms.

The vast number of them came under FDR and the New Deal in the 1930s, and Lyndon B. Johnson and the Great Society in the 1960s, both periods where the Democratic Party had massive majorities in both houses of Congress.

Under other Democratic Presidents, fewer reforms were possible, but there were domestic accomplishments and advancements under Presidents Harry Truman, John F. Kennedy, Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, and Joe Biden.

Now, however, so called “Democratic Socialists” are trying to turn the Democratic Party further to the left, and have succeeded in electing Zohran Mamdani as NYC Mayor and likely will elect Janeese Lewis George as Washington DC Mayor in November.

The best known “Democratic Socialist” is Independent Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont, who caucuses with the Democratic Party, and is seen by others as a “model”, but is not technically seen as part of this updated “Democratic Socialists”.

Also, there are three members, presently, in the House of Representatives;

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York
Rashida Tlaib of Michigan
Greg Casar of Texas

In the upcoming 120th Congress (2027-2029), the following additions are to be added to the House of Representatives:

Dairaliza Avila Chavalier of New York
Claire Valdez of New York
Melat Kiros of Colorado
Chris Rabb of Pennsylvania

There are others who are termed as “The Squad”, but do not call themselves “Democratic Socialists”, including

Ilhan Omar of Minnesota
Ayanna Presley of Massachusetts
Delia Ramirez of Illinois
Summer Lee of Pennsylvania

The “Democratic Socialists” and “The Squad” membership could be a problem if the Democrats gain the majority in the House of Representatives by only a small margin, as that could interfere with the ability of House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York to become the first Black Speaker of the House.

“Democratic Socialists” promote the following:

32 Hour Work Week
Minimum Wage of $30
Medicare For All
High Taxation of the Rich
Housing Reform And Universal Rent Control
Cuts In Military Spending
Opposition to NATO and Aid to Ukraine
Replacement of Capitalism
Hostility To Israel Since Israel-Gaza War

This author and blogger, proud to be a “Progressive”, sees these goals as unrealistic or objectionable.

Lowering the work week to less than 40 hours is possible, and a minimum wage goal over time of $25 seem reasonable.

Movement toward Medicare to cover Americans over 50, and some taxation of the rich is also reasonable.

Housing Reforms including for renters in a moderate way is also reasonable.

Some Cuts in Military Spending, but support of NATO and of Aid to Ukraine in its war with Russia is the proper way for the future.

Capitalism will not be replaced, but could come under greater regulation and controls.

Criticism of Israel, and ending military support of the government due to its actions in Gaza and the West Bank, can occur, but not total hostility to the right of Israel to its own nationhood.

So there is potential for reforms and change, but not to the extreme promoted by the “Democratic Socialists” and “The Squad”.

They will continue to “make noise” as their small number in Congress grows, but the Democratic Party is not going to go as far left as these groups promote, as they are totally unrealistic.

Many Octogenarian US Senators, With Need For Younger Generation Entering The US Senate!

Ronald 8 Comments

It is disturbing that the US Senate now has more Octogenarian members than ever before, even though some are retiring:

Dick Durbin of Illinois
Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire
Mitch McConnell of Kentucky

However, the following Octogenarians remain in the Senate:

Peter Welch of Vermont 79–will reach 80 in May 2027
Ed Markey of Massachusetts 80
Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut 80
Angus King of Maine 82
Jim Risch of Idaho 83
Bernie Sanders of Vermont 84
Chuck Grassley of Iowa 92

Markey and Risch are running for reelection in 2026, while the others come up for reelection in 2028, except King and Sanders who have their seats until 2030.

Interestingly, of these ten Senators listed above, two are Independents (King and Sanders); three are Republicans (McConnell, Risch, Grassley); and the remaining five are Democrats (Durbin, Shaheen, Welch, Markey, Blumenthal).

Also of interest, six of the ten Senators are from New England—Shaheen, Welch, Markey, Blumenthal, King, and Sanders—with that section of the nation having the overall oldest average age population.

It is essential that a younger generation of US Senators are elected to the chamber, and there are many inspiring potential Senators who are in their 30s, 40s, and early 50s, as outlined in this blogger’s entry on June 30, 2026!

Medical Doctors Running For Senate And Governorship

Ronald 2 Comments

Three medical doctors are running for public office, two for the US Senate, and one for a governorship, who have a good opportunity for possible success.

Abdul El-Sayed seems to be the frontrunner for the Democratic nomination for the US Senate in Michigan, with the primary occurring on August 4. Senators Bernie Sanders and Chris Van Hollen have endorsed him. Congresswoman Haley Stevens is his primary opponent, backed by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer. Former Michigan Congressman Mike Rogers will be the Republican nominee.

Annie Andrews is the Democratic nominee for the US Senate in South Carolina, challenging Lindsey Graham, who has been in the Senate for 24 years.

Amy Action is the Democratic nominee for Governor in Ohio, challenging billionaire and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy to replace Republican Governor Mike DeWine.

All three have a tough race ahead, but if they won, it would represent a challenge to the looney health leadership of Robert F. Kennedy, Jr, Secretary of Health and Human Services.

Senate Democrats Split Over Graham Platner

Ronald 15 Comments

The victory of Graham Platner in the Maine Democratic primary for the US Senate was overwhelming, but has split many Senate Democrats, who retain doubts about the controversial history of their party’s nominee.

Among those registering doubts and misgivings are:

Arizona Senator Mark Kelly
New Mexico Senator Catherine Cortez Masto
Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman
Michigan Senator Elissa Slotkin
New Hampshire Senator Jeanne Shaheen
New Hampshire Senator Maggie Hassan
Illinois Senator Tammy Duckworth
Vermont Senator Peter Welch

At the same time, Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, Bernie Sanders of Vermont, Ruben Gallego of Arizona, Chris Murphy of Connecticut, and other progressive oriented Democrats emphasize the need to support Platner despite his shortcomings.

The vast majority of Democratic Senators are seeing Platner as their best hope to reach a Senate majority in the Midterm Elections of 2026.

And they point out that despite his checkered record on many fronts, the opposition Republicans have so many more checkered backgrounds, including, most notably:

Donald Trump
Pete Hegseth
Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Ken Paxton

The clear conclusion is that there are few “saints” in politics, and that the American people have overlooked or had to accept shortcomings in candidates over many years.

The days of candidates, such as Gary Hart, Bob Packwood and Eric Swalwell losing their careers due to their misbehaviors, seem even more distant than the 1980s and early 1990s, when ethics and morals seemed to matter more.

This author and blogger is very uncomfortable with Platner, but every effort to gain a Democratic majority in the Senate is essential, in order to fight to resist and reverse a lot of the damage of the Trump Presidency, and gain the recovery of American democracy and the rule of law.

This author and blogger is glad he does not live in Maine, as voting directly for Platner, who comes across as unseemly in so many ways, would be a very difficult effort.

But his record is just about the same as Texas Republican Senate nominee Ken Paxton, who is not beneath vicious, unwarranted attacks on his opponent, Democrat James Talarico, so the mud slinging on both sides in this midterm election cycle is already in full swing.

Two “Independent” Senate Candidates In Nebraska And Montana Give Hope To Democrats!

Ronald 3 Comments

Presently, there are two Independents in the US Senate–Bernie Sanders of Vermont, and Angus King of Maine, who both join the Democratic caucus.

In the upcoming Midterm Congressional Elections of 2026, two strongly Republican states have Independents running who give hope to Democrats that if they were able to be elected, they would clearly join the Democratic caucus, while reserving their independence as Sanders and King have done for many years.

These are Dan Osborn, age 51, in Nebraska, and Seth Bodnar, age 47, in Montana, and if either were to win the Senate seats in their states, it would insure that Democrats would control the Senate majority with their help and support on most issues.

This, along with the many potential Democratic Senate candidates who are in their 30s, 40s, and early 50s, would make the US Senate vastly younger in membership for the near future.

Osborn is a US Navy veteran, industrial mechanic, former labor union leader, who challenged incumbent Republican Senator Deb Fischer in 2024, losing by only 7 points, in a race no one thought would be anywhere near that close.

Osborn is now challenging Senator Pete Ricketts, former Governor, who is finishing out the term of former Senator Ben Sasse, who resigned in 2023. Osborn is running as a “rugged guy”, portrayed in similar terms as Graham Platner, who is running for the Maine Senate seat race as a Democrat against Maine Governor Janet Mills, for the opportunity to challenge Republican Senator Susan Collins.

Osborn is running on a populist platform, promoting small businesses, family farmers, and workers, and the Democrats, who have not run candidates in recent times in Nebraska, decided they would support him informally, and not have a Democrat in the race. Early indications show a nip and tuck race in polls, so Osborn just might win as an Independent, and bring relative youth to the Senate.

In Montana, Seth Bodnar, age 47, former President of the University of Montana, is running as an Independent, with no strong Democratic opponent for what will be an open seat, as Republican Senator Steve Daines decided not to run for reelection, and endorsed former US Attorney Kurt Alme minutes before the primary deadline.

Bodnar is a US Military Academy graduate who served in Iraq, and was a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford University in the United Kingdom. He was encouraged to run as an Independent by former Democratic Senator Jon Tester.
So there is a reasonable chance that Bodner could win the Senate race as an Independent, but with leanings toward the Democratic Party agenda, and would likely join the Democratic caucus in the Senate as an Independent.

Ouster Of Kristi Noem Satisfying, But Markwayne Mullin As Replacement Is Not An Improvement!

Ronald 13 Comments

Finally, after a full year of a massive nightmare, the leadership of Kristi Noem as Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, Donald Trump has dismissed her, without even giving her warning ahead of time.

Noem should be prosecuted for her uncaring, abusive leadership of ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement), which is part of her department.

But the truth is that Donald Trump is ultimately responsible for the ICE abuses against American citizens, legal immigrants, and even undocumented immigrants, which has led to the deaths of Rene Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis, plus the massive abuses, including some deaths, at detention facilities, and the horrendous tactics utilized by ICE all over America.

So the fact that Noem is gone is not satisfying, as her proposed replacement is Oklahoma Senator Markwayne Mullin, who has made a reputation of being a lunatic in his utterances, and no better than Noem in his agreement with ICE tactics that have outraged all those who believe in the Bill of Rights.

Mullin has been labeled “the dumbest Senator” by many, and embarrassed himself by his threats to engage in a physical brawl with the President of the Teamsters Union, Sean O’Brien, at a hearing, causing Senator Bernie Sanders to intervene, and call for civil behavior.

ICE needs to be massively reformed in its tactics, and Mullin must be pressed to agree that the outrageous mistreatment of people much like a secret police or Gestapo, has to end.

But the massive campaign against immigrants, and the racism that is so evident, most likely will not change, so Mullin will just be the “front person”, who will rapidly alienate the American people as Noem has done.

The Age Issue In Congress

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A total of 24 members of Congress in 2026 are over the age of 80, and 13 of them are planning to remain in Congress, if the voters agree in this upcoming Midterm Election of 2026.

Among those leaving are:

Nancy Pelosi of California, former Democratic Speaker of the House of Representatives, age 85
Steny Hoyer of Maryland, former Democratic House Majority Leader, age 86
Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, former Republican Senate Majority Leader, age 84
Dick Durbin of Illinois, Senate Democratic Whip, age 81

Among those 80 or over who are remaining in Congress, and are running for reelection are:

James Clyburn of South Carolina, former Democratic House Whip, age 85
Virginia Foxx of North Carolina, Republican Congresswoman, age 82
Maxine Waters of California, Democratic Congresswoman, age 87
Bernie Sanders of Vermont, Democratic Senator, age 84
Chuck Grassley of Iowa, Republican Senate President Pro Tempore, age 92
Jim Risch of Idaho, Republican Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman, age 82
Angus King of Maine, Independent Senator, age 82
Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, Democratic Senator, age 80
Ed Markey of Massachusetts, Democratic Senator, age 80

While age alone should not be the only factor in judging who should be in Congress at an advanced age, it is perceived that Congress, overall, is out of touch with the vast number of Americans of younger generations!

The Inspirational Inaugural Address Of NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani

Ronald 3 Comments

The inaugural address of NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani on New Year’s Day was inspirational, and there is a need for critics to pause, and give the young Democratic Socialist Mayor an opportunity to promote his programs, before going on the attack.

To this author and blogger, Mamdani reminded him in many ways of Barack Obama and his Inaugural Address in 2009.

The youngest NYC Mayor in more than a century; the first South Asian and Muslim Mayor; and a rare immigrant Mayor—sworn in by Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, demonstrated his charisma and commitment to his ideas, which some see as attacking billionaires and oligarchs, who clearly see him as a threat.

Also, the Jewish population is concerned due to Mamdani’s Muslim religion, including being sworn in on a Quran, rather than a Bible. Also, the fact that the new Mayor has been harshly critical of Israel’s massive war on Gaza, which led to more than 70,000 deaths, with many seen as avoidable, has caused great stress.

Many might think that his “Socialist” goals are “pie in the sky”, but the thought is that his ideas and programs should be given a chance to succeed, as the voting population was strongly in favor of his election.

In any case, Mamdani’s Mayoralty has to be better than the disastrous tenure of now former Mayor Eric Adams over the past four years, with lots of corruption and conflicts of interest.

The Issue Of “Age” In Upcoming Midterm Elections In 2026

Ronald 21 Comments

The US Congress, in both chambers, is the oldest in age of any period of American history, and the issue of whether it is time for members in their 70s, 80s, and beyond to move on, and allow a younger generation better able to relate to the future, to be replacing them.

David Hogg of Florida, who was a Vice Chair of the Democratic National Committee, caused controversy in promoting such change, and he was pushed out, and is working with others to challenge many older, longer serving members in upcoming primaries for the 2026 Congressional Elections.

And the issue has come to the forefront, particularly, in the state of Maine, where Democratic Governor Janet Mills, age 77, is challenging sitting Republican Senator Susan Collins, who will have served for 30 years in the upper chamber, and is presently 72 years old.

So Graham Plattner, age 41, an oyster famer and Marine Corp veteran, is challenging Janet Mills, with the issue of age being a crucial one.

And Maine already has Senator Angus King, who just won reelection at age 80 in 2024, and Vermont has Bernie Sanders, who won reelection in 2024 at age 83.

But there are other such cases, as with Democratic Senator Ed Markey of Massacusetts, age 80, who has served a half century combined in the House of Representatives until 2013, and since then in the Senate. Congressman Seth Moulton, age 47, is arguing that while Markey has been an excellent leader for Massachusetts, it is time for change.

Other Democratic Senators of advanced age are retiring, including Illinois Senator Dick Durbin, and New Hampshire Senator Jeanne Shaheen, Also Republican Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky is retiring in 2026.

But there are others who are over 70 and choosing to run for reelection, or planning to when the next elecion for their seat takes place, including Ron Wyden of Oregon and Chuck Schumer of New York in 2028.

Also, in the House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi of California, Steny Hoyer of Maryland, Jim Clyburn of South Carolina, and Marcy Kaptur of Ohio, the fist three past leaders in the chamber, are running again in 2026, despite their being in their 80s. And Republican Senator and President Pro Tempore Chuck Grassley also could run for reelection in 2028, although at present, he is 92 years old!

It would seem legitimate that these older political leaders would finally give up their positions, and allow for the future generation to take over Congress.