US House Of Representatives

South Carolina Could Be Battleground For Republican Presidential Nomination In 2024!

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Donald Trump made a first Presidential campaign swing in South Carolina last weekend, supported by Republican Governor Henry McMaster and Senator Lindsey Graham.

But there are two South Carolinians who are considering running for the Republican Presidential nomination, and could make South Carolina a battleground in the Presidential race.

Former Governor Nikki Haley, who was UN Ambassador under Trump, seems ready to announce her candidacy as the first challenger to Donald Trump.

And African American Senator Tim Scott is also testing the waters. He is only the fourth Republican African American Senator, and the only one out of a total of eleven African American senators to have also served in the House of Representatives.

So this could be a very interesting scenario for the Spring of 2024.

Interestingly, Haley appointed Scott to a US Senate vacancy in 2013, but now they may be rivals for the nomination.

If either Haley, whose parents are from India, or Scott were to be the Republican nominee for President, it would be the first example of a woman, an Asian-American, or African American on the Republican side of the Presidential race.

The MAGA Republican Agenda Must Be Resisted By Biden And Democrats!

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The MAGA Republicans who now control the House of Representatives under Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy, and also have influence over some of the minority Republican contingent in the US Senate, have declared war on common decency.

Joe Biden, the Democratic Senate majority and the minority House Democratic caucus under the leadership of Hakeem Jeffries have their work cut out for them to resist and defy the lunatics who are wishing to impose their agenda on the nation.

The Republicans want to negotiate over the debt ceiling when it is their party that has added most of the national debt under Republican Presidents, and specifically, Ronald Reagan, George W. Bush, and most egregiously, Donald Trump, in their mad quest to cut taxes for the super wealthy who do not need tax cuts, and never pay an adequate tax rate.

They have no concern over the damage that would be wrought on the American and worldwide economy by holding the debt ceiling as hostage, when it covers past Congressional actions that were enacted, so it shows that they are deadbeats when it comes to payment of financial obligations. The debt limit has been raised more times than years in the past multiple decades, and without question when the Republicans controlled both chambers of Congress!

And they wish to destroy the Internal Revenue Service, and instead of income taxes, tax everyone a flat rate of 30 percent sales tax on all purchases and expenses, an idea that will destroy the middle class and the poor, and greatly benefit the wealthy, absolutely outrageous!

The Republicans also want to make massive cuts to Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, food stamps, veterans benefits, calling them “entitlements”, when taxpayers pay for these programs in their years of paying taxes, so to cut is an outrage!

Republicans are also declaring war on the need for environmental reforms to deal with climate change; to promote “clean energy”; wanting to cut national parks and conservation lands and sell them to industrial interests; necessary investment in infrastructure; along with wanting to cut the meager investment in National Public Radio and PBS, undermining the concept of educating the American public with a miniscule investment of public funds!

The Democrats need to counter the Republicans by insisting on such programs as the following:

An increase in the minimum wage, and indexed to inflation

A significant tax increase on the wealthy

Expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) to states that have not expanded Medicaid, mostly in the South, and including the megastates of Florida and Texas

Universal Pre-K for children under the age of five

A national paid family leave program

A permanent expansion of the child tax credit

And a “compromise” might be a smaller tax increase on the wealthy, and a slower increase in the national minimum wage over a longer period of time, but in exchange, the Republicans would stop holding as hostages the national debt that they mostly created without concern.

The Republicans claim to be “pro life”, and yet they show no concern for the welfare of American children who are not from wealthy families, and refuse to consider gun regulations as more and escalating numbers of mass murders occur, with 41 such incidents in the first 27 days of 2023!

Outrageous For Speaker McCarthy To Deny Three Democrats Appointments To Committees They Have Served On!

Ronald 3 Comments

Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy is demonstrating what a total disaster he is, allowing right wing extremists to have authority, and now working to deny Democrats of their appointments on the House Intelligence Committee, specifically Adam Schiff and Eric Swalwell both from California, who have served on that committee honorably!

McCarthy is also taking a stand against Muslim Congresswoman Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, planning to deny her continued membership on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, but giving the phony liar, George Santos, positions on two committees!

This is outrageous, and the few moderate Republicans, such as Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania, Nancy Mace of South Carolina, and Don Bacon of Nebraska, along with a few others, can prevent this outrageous violation of McCarthy to be prevented by voting with Democrats to overrrule the Speaker!

Two Year Anniversary Of Joe Biden Presidency: Should He Run For Second Term?

Ronald 10 Comments

Today at 12 Noon marks the two year anniversary of the Joe Biden Presidency!

Considering the difficult political circumstances, of an evenly divided Senate for only the fourth time in American history, and a five seat margin in the House of Representatives, Joe Biden accomplished a great deal in his first two years in office.

From a progressive view, he was the most successful in his first two years domestically than any President since Lyndon B. Johnson in the 1960s with his “Great Society” legislation, which was far greater, but with a massive margin of his party in control of both the Senate and the House of Representatives.

Biden accomplished more than Democrats in the Presidency after Johnson, including Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, and even Barack Obama, after their first two years in the Oval Office!

Foreign policy has been difficult, as it always is, but Biden’s strong support of Ukraine in its war with Russia, and backed by NATO, has been a very strong example of his promotion of democracy against totalitarianism, reminiscent of Franklin D. Roosevelt coming to the aid of Great Britain in 1940-1941, before America’s entrance into World War II.

Having said all the above, the question now is should Joe Biden, having reached the age of 80 precisely two months ago, run for a second term, and would he win a second term?

This author and blogger has always had great and warm feelings toward Joe Biden, going back to when he gravitated toward Biden as, in my mind, the replacement in commitment and personality traits of Hubert Humphrey, who was this author’s original political “hero”!

I wish that Biden had been able to run for President in 2016, but his son Beau’s death prevented that, as I believe he would have won the nomination, and would have defeated Donald Trump, and saved America from the nightmare four years of horrendous policies and criminal actions.

Hillary Clinton had too many barriers, including controversies surrounding her and her husband, along with simply being the first woman nominee for President. Of course, Hillary Clinton still won the national popular vote by 2.85 million, and only lost because of Russian collusion with Trump that threw the Electoral College vote to him in Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania. Even a Republican controlled Senate committee came to that conclusion, despite the continued lying and deception that continues unabated to the present.

But the present is the issue, and this author and blogger sincerely believes that while Joe Biden would win a second term, against Donald Trump or anyone else on the horizon, that for the future of the Presidency and of Joe Biden’s own lifespan, that he should announce that he will retire.

It would make him a “lameduck President”, but freed from politics of his own ego, he could be seen as a statesman, helping to bring the future of the nation toward a Democratic Party successor, who would pursue his principles, goals, and common decency and compassion!

We need a future President who has the character traits of Joe Biden, as we do not want to promote selfishness, greed, nastiness, and lack of compassion and common decency, which too many Republicans who plan to run for President, possess as their basic character traits!

This way, Joe Biden can leave office at age 82, with head held high, having accomplished a decent record under difficult circumstances, having assisted for his own succession. And he can have peace of mind, planning his own Presidential Library and Museum, writing his own memoirs, and enjoying his wife, Dr Jill Biden, and his family in a relaxed, well deserved retirement, which is likely to lead to a longer life, than having the stress of another four years in office!

He should not join the list of Presidents who either died in office or had very short retirements, such individuals as Woodrow Wilson, Calvin Coolidge, and Lyndon B. Johnson!

So, President Biden, do what is best for you and for the nation you have served so well, and announce your decision to leave office two years from today, having insured the succession of a Democratic President who will carry on with your commitment to decency, fairness, and compassion!

Seditionists In Republican Caucus In Charge In The House Of Representatives In The 118th Congress!

Ronald 5 Comments

A sad, tragic, and threatening circumstance now is reality!

The Republican controlled House of Representatives in the 118th Congress has become the property of seditionists and traitors, those who promoted “Election Denial” and the US Capitol Insurrection of January 6, 2021!

Extremists, led by Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia; Lauren Boebert of Colorado; Matt Gaetz of Florida; Paul Gosar of Arizona; Scott Perry of Pennsylvania; Jim Jordan of Ohio; James Comer of Kentucky; and others has been given power and membership on committees that will now be out to wipe out the truth and the investigation completed by the January 6 House Committee!

And any one of them could call for a vote at any time to dislodge Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy, who has sold his soul, ethics, morals, and principles in order to accomplish his lifelong goal to be Speaker!

Chaos and anarchy are ahead of us, and sham investigations and supposed scandals will be the center of attention, without any real conclusions that are truthful, only designed to divide America further, without regard as to the effect on average Americans!

And the likelihood of a financial crisis over the debt limit will cause great turmoil and suffering, totally reckless and unnecessary!

Truman Vs The 80th Congress; Biden Vs The 118th House Of Representatives!

Ronald 2 Comments

75 years ago, President Harry Truman, looking like a “loser” to many observers, chose to use an attack strategy against the Republican 80th Congress (1947-1949), calling them the “Do Nothing” Congress, and gaining a nickname, “Give Them Hell Harry!”

Everyone underestimated him tremendously, and he staged a magnificent upset victory, winning a full term in the Presidency despite low public opinion polls at the time, defeating the clearcut favorite candidate, Republican Presidential nominee Thomas E. Dewey, and winning back control of both houses of Congress for the 81st Congress (1949-1951).

Now, President Joe Biden, who most observers never expected to be the Democratic Presidential nominee in 2020, and to have the Democrats win the Senate along with the House of Representatives in both 2020 and keep the Senate in 2022, is being given a golden opportunity to run a campaign against the small margin Republican House of Representatives in the 118th Congress, and they are making it very easy by their disastrous tactics and public image!

So Joe Biden will run a Truman like campaign and give the Republican House “hell”, with all of his accomplishments in his first two years.

He has a great chance to win reelection, with a low unemployment rate, lowered inflation, and courageous leadership against Russia in Ukraine. Just as Truman took a strong stand against Russia in the Berlin Blockade Crisis of 1948, Biden is coming across strongly in the Ukraine Crisis!

And the odds of the House of Representatives going back to the Democrats is outstanding, and the Senate, while difficult, with Joe Biden on the same ticket, the odds increase of the continuation of a Democratic Senate for the 119th Congress (2025-2027)!

California Split: Kevin McCarthy Declares War On Adam Schiff, Eric Swalwell, Fellow Californians!

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Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy from Sacramento, California, has demonstrated in just one week how corrupt and vindictive he is!

He has declared war on two fellow Californian Congressmen, both Democrats, Adam Schiff and Eric Swalwell, because of their efforts regarding the impeachments of former President Donald Trump. He has promised he will deny these two courageous Congressmen from serving on the House Intelligence Committee in revenge!

Now, McCarthy is also suggesting that the Republican House of Representatives might move to “expunge” the two impeachments of Trump that took place in 2019 and 2021, trying to whitewash and change history!

This is the same man who denounced Trump, rightfully, for the January 6, 2021 US Capitol Insurrection, but then within about ten days, went to Mar A Lago and made “peace” with a President who had been responsible for treason, sedition, bloodshed, and violence, including all members of Congress of both parties, as well as law enforcement personnel, and Congressional staff members!

The Disaster Of Charlatan George Santos, A Burden For Nassau County, Long Island, New York!

Ronald 3 Comments

This author and blogger grew up on Long Island, in northern Queens and Nassau County, and lived there for four decades before moving to South Florida.

The area I used to live in is now represented in the House of Representatives by a person who lied about his background, education, religion, sexuality, and his financing for his election.

George Santos is a disgrace, and an embarrassment to anyone who is a decent human being, and his Nassau County,Long Island Republican Party has denounced him, and called for his resignation.

But Santos says he will not leave, and at this point, the Republican Party in the House of Representatives, with a razor thin margin, has decided they are not going to intervene and pursue what the Republican Party in New York wants, that the seat be made vacant, and a new election take place.

This mess makes Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy look horrible, and demonstrates how he is allowing himself to be controlled by extremists in the Republican caucus, who have no concern about the citizens of Nassau and Queens County, Long Island, New York having decent representation, whether Republican or Democrat.

Four other newly elected Republicans in New York State, and on Long Island, as well, have demanded that Santos leave.

However, it looks as if Santos is not going anywhere, and might very well serve two years, and go down in history as a totally corrupt political figure who foisted himself on the good citizens of his Congressional district!

Republicans On Suicide Watch: Promoting More Anti Abortion Legislation!

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The right wing extremist Republican Party clearly is on a “suicide watch”, as after losing so many elections on the issue of abortion in the 2022 Midterms, they are at it again, passing extremist bans on abortion in the House of Representatives!

There is ZERO chance of such disgraceful limits on women’s control of their own bodies being passed in the US Senate. In any case, any such legislation would be vetoed by President Joe Biden!

The right wingers and the Republican Party have not learned that it is a losing cause to put limits on abortion, no matter what is done by the US Supreme Court and by backward state legislatures in many Southern states and Midwestern states!

But let us hope they continue their craziness, as it will insure their defeat for the Congress in 2024, as well as the White House!

Conservative Republicans Against Defense Cuts Create Problems For Kevin McCarthy!

Ronald 5 Comments

Speaker of the House of Representatives Kevin McCarthy may have made deals with the most extreme right wing Republicans (the Freedom Caucus) to win the Speakership on the 15th ballot, but he will now face opposition from mainstream conservative Republicans who do not like the deals struck on the budget.

In particular, the issues of defense spending and aid to Ukraine is bound to cause a split and create chaos.

Already, it seems quite likely that at least the following six conservative Republicans are unwilling to promote the defense cuts that the more right wing Freedom Caucus is pushing for:

Tony Gonzales of Texas
Dan Crenshaw of Texas
Michael McCaul of Texas
Don Bacon of Nebraska
Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania
Nancy Mace of South Carolina

If those six House Republicans resist on the issue of defense, there will be no cuts, and Democrats would certainly join them on continued aid to Ukraine, and chaos will reign in the House majority!