Republican Party

Graham Platner Finally Withdraws, But Leaves Major Problem For Democrats To Overcome Susan Collins!

Ronald 1 Comment

This author and blogger from “Day One” felt uncomfortable and doubtful about Maine Democratic Senate nominee Graham Platner.

The gut feeling was that there was something suspicious and disconcerting about him, hard to pinpoint, but the feeling one gets when one meets someone and has a bad vibe about such person, something everyone has with some people they encounter in life.

The revelation of his past shortcomings and disgraceful behavior did not stop Maine Democratic voters from supporting him over Maine Governor Janet Mills, but the new revelations accusing Platner of rape was the turning point, forcing him out of the race.

A key issue was clearly the fact that Janet Mills is 78, and would be the oldest first term elected Senator in history, leaving office after one term in her mid 80s.

The fact that Republican Senator Susan Collins would be 80 years of age herself in six years, made for an unusual situation, as Maine already has the oldest age population of any state, with average age of 45.1, and 23 percent of the population being over the age of 65.

Of course, already, Maine’s other Senator, Independent Angus King is age 82, so would be 86 at the end of his present term in 2030.

Susan Collins has managed to win five terms, more than any Maine Senator in history, and win in a state that is very “Blue” in Presidential elections, and she has always gained the majority of women in Maine.

So the tragic situation with Graham Platner is a major negative for Democrats, as it seems clear that if the Democrats do not win Maine, the chance of them controlling the US Senate in the 120th Congress (2027-2029) will go by the wayside.

With Platner’s announced withdrawal last night, a state convention of 500 delegates will be arranged before the state deadline of July 27.

It is urgent for unity to occur in the aftermath of the Platner disaster, as winning Maine for the Democrats is a priority.

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

Ronald 3 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!

America Has The Most Corrupt And Abusive Presidency In Its 250 Year History, Undermining The Celebration Of The Semiquincentennial

Ronald 27 Comments

Tomorrow, July 4, is the 250th (Semiquincentennial) Anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, establishing a Republic and condemning Monarchy.

Now, tragically, America and the world face the most corrupt, unethical, immoral, and abusive Presidency in its history, with the threats well established of the damages and danger Donald Trump and his sycophants have brought to undermine American domestic and foreign policy.

The revelation of Trump’s unprecedented enrichment as President, more than $2 billion in the first year of his second term, while tens of millions of Americans have lost their health care;

have faced mounting economic hardship;

have confronted pure racism, nativism, misogyny, and promotion of extremist Christian white supremacy nationalism;

have faced arrest and prosecution without the protection of the Bill of Rights;

have faced the danger of illegal obstruction of the upcoming elections for Congress in 2026 and the Presidency in 2028;

faced the undermining of a multitude of government agencies and endangering American democracy, the rule of law, and national security and international alliances;

and so many other violations of law, morals, ethics, and constitutional norms that it is impossible to list all of them in a brief essay.

NO President or his administration comes close to the level of corruption, malfeasance, immorality, and lack of ethics of Donald Trump.

The most corrupt administration before Donald Trump is clearly Richard Nixon.

And there were disgraceful evidence of corruption also in other Presidencies—specifically, in chronological order:

Ulysses S. Grant
Warren G. Harding
Ronald Reagan
George W. Bush

with all of these Presidents being Republicans in party affiliation.

But none of these Presidents, other than Nixon, were so personally involved in scandals, while presiding over them, and therefore, having to be criticized and condemned for the people who served under them who engaged in abuses of power.

Even Richard Nixon, as much as he was horrendous in so many ways, accomplished some major positives, and knew when it was time to resign, and had a Republican Party who forced his hand, unlike the 2026 Republican Party which is unwilling to take action against the abuses and corruption that mounts daily.

This major historical moment, while very much in the midst of negative and horrible events, must be a clarion call for all decent Americans to resist the movement toward Fascism and acceptance of a new Monarchy, which was rejected in 1776, and must be vehemently opposed in very way imaginable in the coming weeks, months, and years!

Israel And Iran Will Cause Massive Political Turmoil In Midterm Elections Of 2026 And Presidential Election Of 2028!

Ronald 19 Comments

Foreign policy will take front stage in the Midterm Elections of 2026 and the Presidential Election of 2028, due to the heightened controversies involving Israel and Iran, with Israel having a controversial effect on the Democratic Party in particular, and Iran having a clearcut effect on the Republican Party in particular.

The decision of the United States and Israel to go to war against Iran, along with the continuing massive loss of life in the Gaza Strip and the Palestinian West Bank caused by Israeli policies, will reverberate over the next two years. It likely will have a dramatic impact on not just the 120th Congress (2027-2029), but also on the likely prospects of a multitude of Democratic and Republican Presidential contenders.

Division and tumult regarding the appropriate policies toward both Israel and Iran will provoke major political splits in ways not yet possible to perceive.

One Issue Dealt With Properly By Right Wing Majority Supreme Court: Protection Of Birthright Citizenship!

Ronald 13 Comments

The right wing Supreme Court under Chief Justice John Roberts has created, overall, a disgraceful record in recent years, and has kowtowed to Donald Trump too often, and promoted the concept of a “Unitary Executive”.

But at least on one issue, Birthright Citizenship, the Court by a 6-3 vote (which should have been 9-0)—Chief Justice John Roberts, Associate Justices Brett Kavanaugh, Amy Coney Barrett, Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan, Ketanji Brown Jackson)—upheld the basic right that anyone born on US soil is a citizen at birth, added to the Constitution in the 14th Amendment 160 years ago. However, Kavanaugh based his vote on the concept that Congress could modify the 14th Amendment by legislation, so not a full support of the other five Justices who backed Birthright Citizenship completely as a basic right under the 14th Amendment.

The idea that Donald Trump wants a constitutional amendment to change that basic right is a non starter, as it would require a breaking of the Senate filibuster, and would require a two thirds vote of each house of Congress, followed by three fourths (38 states) to ratify.

It is clear, however, that with the Supreme Court as now constituted, IF and when the Democrats regain Senate control, they must work toward expansion of the Court membership; set up term limits of 18 years for future members of the Court; set up that each future President has two appointments in a four year term, leading in the future over time to constant turnover and change on the Court.

Also, there is need for the promotion of an ethics code, so that we do not see the kind of corruption that has been displayed by Associate Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito, which would be banned; and also reform the so called “emergency” or “shadow” docket to limit unsigned or unexplained rulings on pivotal cases, promoting transparency and accountability, sorely needed.

Temperamental, Unstable Donald Trump Cancels Ceremony For Bipartisan Housing Legislation, Obsessed With “Fixing” Midterm Elections!

Ronald 78 Comments

Donald Trump has just undermined his own Republican Party, by canceling on Wednesday a ceremony to sign an overwhelmingly bipartisan Housing bill, which would have been a major positive for his party, as the Midterm Elections of 2026 arrive about four months from now.

But instead, the temperamental and unstable occupant of the White House has demanded passage of the so called “Save America Act”, which would, if passed, mandate that all Americans provide documentary proof of citizenship when registering, and present a photo ID when voting, including for absentee ballots.

It would work to end voting by mail, and cause a major expense for millions of voters to have to purchase a passport, or pay for a copy of their birth certificate if one is not readily available.

It also would cause problems for women when they marry, and their name changes, and for rural, younger, and lower income individuals. It is designed to discourage and make voting more difficult.

This proposed legislation has been unable to advance, since it would require a 60 vote threshold to overcome the filibuster tactic, which means members of both political parties would have to agree for such legislation to move forward.

Trump has pressured Senate Majority Leader John Thune to work to end the filibuster tactic, but Thune and other Republicans are concerned that doing so will cause grief in the future when Democrats again control the majority in the US Senate.

Trump wants this legislation enacted to suppress voting, as he is concerned that his party is likely to lose control of at least one chamber of Congress, which is also part of the usual reality of midterm elections, that the party in the White House loses seats and often, control of the majority in one or both houses of Congress.

So there is a stalemate, and it makes clear that Trump does not care about the need for housing legislation, but ironically, even if Trump vetoes the legislation, it would likely pass over his veto, and if it did not, the Republican Party would further suffer in public opinion support.

And if Trump does not sign the legislation, it would become law without his signature in the next week or so.

So this whole controversy demonstrates how crazy Trump has become, undermining his own party.

Democratic Party In Danger Of Destroying Their Chances Against Republicans!

Ronald 8 Comments

The Democratic Party has the opportunity to advance to a potential majority in both the House of Representatives and the US Senate in the Midterm Elections occurring in a little more than four months from now.

But the victories of “Democratic Socialists” in a number of New York City races for the House of Representatives and the state legislature endangers the ability of New York Governor Kathy Hochul in her Gubernatorial race against right wing Trump supporter Bruce Blakeman, the Nassau County Executive, and also endangers the possibility of Democratic House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries to become Speaker of the House if the party wins the majority in November.

Two newly nominated and certain to be elected women for New York City Congressional seats—Darializa Avila Chevalier and Claire Valdez– will be a danger to political stability as the upcoming Presidential race begins after the Midterm Elections, and it also undermines Mayor Zohran Mamdani, due to his strong anti Israel stand, which is shared by the two new women who will be in the 120th Congress.

“Democratic Socialists” sounds fine, until one looks at what they propose that is “pie in the sky” and also will only help MAGA Republicans.

They want:

Defund Or Abolish Prisons and the Police

Tax the Rich

Guarantee Free Health Care

End Military Aid to Israel

Expand the Social Safety Net

Raise the Minimum Wage, Shorten Work Week

For this author and blogger, ONLY Expanding the Social Safety Net is reasonable, along with “some” minimum wage increase and “some” taxing the rich.

To suggest Defund or Abolish Prisons and the Police; Guarantee Free Health Care; and End Military Aid to Israel–are all non starters.

These two new Congresswomen will get lots of attention, and become regarded as more extreme than Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has been perceived, but it will only undermine the Democratic Party as it looks to the long term future beyond Donald Trump.

New York 12th Congressional District: Can Jack Schlossberg Revive The Kennedy Family History?

Ronald 14 Comments

Tomorrow, Tuesday, June 23, the 12th Congressional District of New York State, covering Midtown Manhattan, the Upper West Side, and the upper East Side, and the smallest and most population dense Congressional District in America by area in the United States, will elect a new Democratic member of the House of Representatives. It is among the wealthiest and oldest districts in the nation, and has the most college graduates, and a very large percentage of Jewish voters. All the major television and cable news networks, along with the NY Times and the Wall Street Journal are based there.

Congressman Jerrold Nadler is retiring after serving since 1992, and the fight for the seat, guaranteed to the Democrats, involves four major contenders, with the most attention being paid to Jack Schlossberg, the son of Caroline Kennedy, and the only grandson of President John F. Kennedy.

However, it seems likely that Micah Lasher, endorsed by Nadler, or Alex Bores, who is promoting AI regulation, will win the primary, as polls show the main battle between them, with Schlossberg, with little work or government experience, way behind.

There is also former Republican George Conway, who divorced his wife KellyAnne Conway, over her involvement with Donald Trump after the first year of the first Trump term, who is running as a Democrat, wanting to work to remove Donald Trump, a basically lost cause, but Conway is adding publicity to the race.

In the present circumstances, the Kennedy “Mystique” seems unlikely to be revived, as two Kennedys lost elections in recent years:

Congressman Joseph P. Kennedy III (2013-2021) lost US Senate primary to Senator Ed Markey of Massachusetts in 2020.

Christopher G. Kennedy lost the 2018 Illinois Democratic Primary for Governor to JD Pritzker.

But when it comes to the Kennedy name, one cannot be sure what the results of the upcoming primary will be.

So Tuesday’s New York State primaries will be fascinating to watch.

Republican Fury At Iran Agreement Very Evident!

Ronald 17 Comments

There is massive Republican and conservative fury at the Iran Agreement negotiated by Donald Trump’s Administration.

To many, it is clear nothing substantive was gained by the three and a half month war, and that the future situation in the Middle East Cauldron is far from stable.

Among the critics are:

Senator Ted Cruz of Texas
Former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley
Former Vice President Mike Pence
Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina
Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana
Senator John Cornyn of Texas
Senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas
Senator Susan Collins of Maine
Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska
Senator Roger Wicker of Mississippi
Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo
Former National Security Adviser John Bolton

Even Senate Majority Leader John Thune of South Dakota expressed concerns with the agreement.

And there are a long list of others, who see the Trump agreement with Iran as no better than the one negotiated by Barack Obama in 2015.

Upcoming Colorado Democratic Gubernatorial Primary With Two Exceptional Candidates!

Ronald 11 Comments

On Tuesday, June 30, the Colorado state primaries for Governor and other state offices will take place.

The Democratic Party has two exceptional candidates for Governor in the upcoming Colorado Gubernatorial election, an embarrassment of riches not often seen.

We have Senator Michael Bennet, who has served with distinction in the US Senate since 2009, and we have State Attorney General Phil Weiser, who has served with distinction since 2019 in that post.

The good thing is IF Bennet loses the primary, he can continue in his Senate term, which does not expire until the end of 2028.

Having watched the recent Democratic Gubernatorial debate on C Span, this author and blogger came away impressed tremendously with both candidates.

So whoever ends up as the nominee, will bring distinction to the Governorship, succeeding Jared Polis.

The Democrats are heavily favored to keep the Governorship, as well as reelect Senator John Hickenlooper to a second term in the US Senate.