US Senate

The Ten Greatest Political Villains Of 2022! And An Addendum!

Ronald 3 Comments

Yesterday, I published a post on the ten greatest Political Heroes of 2022.

So now, it is time to indicate who I believe are the ten greatest Political Villains of 2022!

In no special order, I would list the following:

Republican House Minority Leader, possibly Speaker of the House (hopefully not), Kevin McCarthy of California, who time again and again showed he had no spine, being a supplicant to Donald Trump, and demonstrating no principle or ethics in his crazed desire to be Speaker, two heartbeats away from the Presidency. The thought of him being that close in the line of succession is horrifying, not that there are very good alternatives!

Election Denier, and symbol with clenched fist, Republican Senator Josh Hawley of Missouri, who promoted sedition and treason! He faces reelection in 2024 and should be soundly defeated!

Election Denier and most obnoxious Senator (with other competitors), Republican Senator Ted Cruz of Texas, who this author and blogger thought in 2016 was the most dangerous Republican running for President, even more than Donald Trump! He faces reelection in 2024 and should be soundly defeated!

Republican Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, a man who once had some intelligence, but after Arizona Senator John McCain died, has become a total Donald Trump sycophant!

Republican Senator Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, a very unstable and unpricipled excuse for a human being, who, somehow, was able to defeat one of the best US Senators of modern times, Russ Feingold, in 2010 and 2016, and then a very talented Lieutenant Governor, African American Mandela Barnes in 2022. Johnson is one of the worst figures in Senate history!

Republican Congressman Jim Jordan of Ohio, an obnoxious and unprincipled man who, sadly, is likely to become House Judiciary Committee Chairman in the 118th Congress in 2023!

Texas Republican Governor Greg Abbott, who won his third term as Governor in 2022, despite his horrendous policies and lack of compassion, and is likely to pursue a Presidential candidacy for 2024!

Florida Republican Governor Ron DeSantis, who won a vast reelection victory in 2022, and is seen as the front runner for the Republican Presidential nomination in 2024, despite his intolerant and authoritarian bent, and his high level of arrogance and cockiness, on a multitude of issues. These include the COVID 19 Pandemic; Gay and Transgender Rights; Racial and Religious Minorities; interference in the teaching of History and Literature, and Manipulating School Boards and Libraries; and extreme Gerrymandering of Congressional Districts, which took away two African American seats, and gave the Republicans the control of the House of Representatives in the 118th Congress!

Arizona Republican Gubernatorial nominee Kari Lake, who used the same tactic as Donald Trump, promoting the “Big Lie” about her defeat in the recent elections in her state. She has just been repudiated in court in her attempt to reverse a clearcut victory by her opponent, Secretary of State Katie Hobbs. Good riddance to the most obnoxious woman imaginable!

Finally, on this list, former President Donald Trump, the most dangerous and worst US President in American history, twice impeached, and a close ally of totalitarian dictators around the world, willing to overthrow the US Constitution, rule of law, and American democracy. He needs to be prevented from running again for President, and indictment and conviction on the four charges brought against him by the January 6 House Committee is essential, to prevent any future tyrant from taking the kind of actions that this most evil man took! He harmed so many Americans during his term, as well as having the responsibility for the deaths, destruction and violence, in the worst attack on the US Capitol since the War of 1812!

And now an Addendum:

The Supreme Court has become a disgraceful, power hungry, extremist right wing organization!

Chief Justice John Roberts has lost his desired reputation as the leader of his Court, and in particular, Clarence Thomas (appointed by George H. W. Bush) and Samuel Alito (appointed by George W. Bush) have been totally out of control, and both will go down as two of the very worst Supreme Court Justices in American history! The names and reputations of both Bush Presidencies are permanently besmirched as a result!

Ten Years Since Tragic Sandy Hook Massacre, And Lack Of Action On Guns!

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It has been ten years since the horrific massacre of 20 children and 6 teachers and administrators at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, and there has been a total lack of action on gun regulation.

The National Rifle Association and most Republicans in Congress and the state governments have refused to take ownership of the need for gun regulation, and the banning of AK-47 and AR-15 firearms, as only needed for hunting and the military.

The horrors of what happens to victims of gun violence by use of such firearms has not made those involved in the firearms industry, and those who are financially supported by that industry, to have a conscience!

So we have had many more school and college tragedies, most notably the Parkland, Florida Massacre on Valentine’s Day 2018 at Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School in Broward County, Florida, sadly besmirching the name of the legendary environmental activist that the school is named after!

And of course, there have been unbelievable numbers of other massacres in places of worship, supermarkets, concerts, and many other public venues!

A special salute to Connecticut Democratic Senator Chris Murphy who has been a true hero in working to attempt major reforms, sadly to no avail!

How anyone who has turned away from their conscience in the reality of gun violence everywhere, making America the most violent society in the civilized world by far, is unfathomable, but the struggle must go on!

Kyrsten Sinema Becomes Independent, 11th Since The 17th Amendment Passage In 1913!

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Democratic Senator Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona announced today that she is becoming an Independent, making for three Independents, all of whom will still caucus with the Democratic Party.

The other two Senators are Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Angus King of Maine, who have been Independents in the Senate for 16 years and 10 years respectively.

Altogether, Sinema becomes the 11th US Senator since the passage of the 17th Amendment in 1913, calling for popular vote for the Senate, to become an Independent for a substantial period of time.

Sinema is unreliable in her vote, with an early progressive background two decades ago, but much more conservative once she came to the House of Representatives in 2013, and the US Senate in 2019.

But on most matters, the Democrats are in a better position with 51 Senators including three Independents than the present 50 Senators and two Independents.

It is clear that the Arizona Senate race in 2024 will be a three way race, of Independent Sinema, Democratic Congressman Ruben Gallego (who was planning to challenge her for the nomination), and a Republican opponent.

So Sinema could keep her Senate seat theoretically with less than a majority of the vote in a three way contest!

A Great Advantage For Democrats In Senate In The 118th Congress!

Ronald 3 Comments

With the gain of one seat by Democrats in the US Senate, the political equation changes dramatically!

Now there will be one more Democrat on every Senate committee, rather than an even number.

No longer will Vice President Kamala Harris be needed regularly to break Senate ties.

No longer will it be essential that both Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona be in on every vote, and with both of them facing reelection in 2024.

It will be easier to gain judicial confirmations, very important for the future of the courts, and were a Supreme Court Justice leave the Court, it could create a more balanced Court.

If there was a vacancy or party switch, the Democrats would still control the Senate.

Legislation will be easier to pass the Senate, although it likely would fail to gain support of the narrowly majority Republican House of Representatives.

Finally, keeping the control of the Senate will be very difficult in 2024, as only 10 seats are Republican controlled, and will be hard to gain, so the Democrats have to work to find a way to avoid more than a one seat loss.

Some of the Republicans running for reelection in 2024 are particularly despicable, and Democrats need to find viable candidates to fight them, and hopefully, defeat them, including

Ted Cruz of Texas
Rick Scott of Florida
Josh Hawley of Missouri
Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee

It is time to start recruitment of Democrats in Texas, Florida, Missouri, and Tennessee to attempt to gain at least one or two Republican seats in 2024!

At the same time, at least 3 Democratic Senators are likely to have a rough time in 2024, including Manchin and Sinema, along with Jon Tester of Montana, and Sinema is likely to have an intraparty battle with Ruben Gallego, 7th District Congressman.

Raphael Warnock Wins Full Term In The Senate, Another Repudiation Of Donald Trump!

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Senator Raphael Warnock won a full term in the US Senate tonight, overcoming the challenge of former football player and Republican nominee Herschel Walker, and repudiating Donald Trump once again!

With a 51-49 Democratic US Senate in the 118th Congress, the committees will have a Democratic edge in membership, and this will make legislation and other actions much easier to accomplish, than the 50-50 Senate that was in play in the present 117th Congress.

So this victory added to the very successful Midterm Elections of 2022 for the Democratic Party!

If Herschel Walker Was To Win In Georgia, The Senate Would Be Degraded!

Ronald 4 Comments

Herschel Walker has proven to be totally mentally damaged, probably by his football career decades ago, and probably leading a dissolute life including drugs.

Walker is an embarrassment as a Senate candidate in Georgia, and were he to win, the US Senate would be degraded dramatically.

He does not even work hard at his campaign, so he is asking Georgians to elect him because he was a football star in the 1980s, totally preposterous.

Donald Trump has lost on other endorsements of candidates, and Walker needs to lose and be forgotten, while Senator Raphael Warnock is a distinguished Senator and pastor, high quality, and the competition is between night and day.

We have enough disgraceful Republicans in the Senate, but at least, they have signs of intelligence and knowledge and ability, while Walker is a joke of a candidate!

If he needs Lindsey Graham and Ted Cruz to vouch for Herschel Walker, while he mumbles unintelligible utterances, we have reached a true low point, and the dignity of the US Senate would be degraded ever further, if by some fluke, he wins over Raphael Warnock!

A Great Day For Democracy: Conviction Of Seditionists, And Marriage Equality Protected!

Ronald 1 Comment

Yesterday, November 29, 2022, was a great day for democracy!

The Oath Keepers involved in conspiracy on January 6, 2021, including its leader, Stewart Rhodes, were convicted of sedition and will face long prison terms.

It is a warning to Donald Trump and the multitude of conspirators around the former President, that they will be held accountable for the bloody, violent insurrection at the US Capitol.

It also is an assertion to domestic terrorists, including anti Semites, white supremacists and neo Nazis, that if their violent rhetoric goes over the limits toward promoting bloodshed and violence, then they will face prosecution and incarceration as well.

This is a alerting to Nick Fuentes, Kanye West, Michelle Malkin, Charlie Kirk, and others who promote and incite others to action, that there are limits to their free speech rights if it leads to action!

Also, yesterday, a bipartisan group of US Senators have insured the rights of same sex marriage and interracial marriage to be protected, although 37 Republicans were against such action, which will mark them in history in a negative way!

Republicans Very Slow To Condemn Donald Trump Over Dinner With Nick Fuentes!

Ronald 1 Comment

The Republican Party has been very slow to condemn Donald Trump over the dinner he hosted at Mar a Lago with supremacist, anti Semitic, and Holocaust Denier Nick Fuentes, as well as the looney Kanye West.

Former Vice President Mike Pence said Trump should apologize.

Mitch McConnell, Senate Minority Leader, said that the behavior was reprehensible.

Others made it clear they were uncomfortable, but would not say they thought an apology by Trump was required, including Senator Lindsey Graham, Senator Tommy Tuberville, Senator Joni Ernst, and Senator Roy Blunt.

Former Governor Chris Christie, Governor Asa Hutchinson, Senator Mitt Romney, and Senator Bill Cassidy were stronger, but also did not insist on an apology.

Future likely Speaker Kevin McCarthy tried to defend Trump, while saying Fuentes and West should not have been invited to dinner at the White House.

Clearly, the Republican leadership lacks guts and principle, and continues to bow to the Fascist authoritarian Donald Trump!

Thanksgiving A Day To Commemorate The Overall Success In Midterm Elections

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This Thanksgiving is one to commemorate the overall success in the Midterm Elections of 2022, as Joe Biden and the Democratic Party had major successes in the Senate (one seat gain and continued control) and the Governorships (winning three, and losing one, so overall gain of two), with only a small switch in the House, creating a divided Congress, but setting up a situation where the Republican Party will demonstrate its inability to govern effectively!

The only times that the party in the White House had a better result in the past hundred years was in 1934 under Franklin D. Roosevelt, which saw a major gain for the governing Democrats of nine seats gain in the Senate and an equal nine seats gain in the House of Representatives; 1998, when the Democrats under Bill Clinton gained five seats in the House of Representatives and the Senate balance stayed the same; and 2002, when George W. Bush, a year after the September 11 attacks saw a gain for the Republicans of two seats in the Senate and eight seats in the House of Representatives.

The Republican Party campaigned in 2022 on the issues of crime and inflation, but now are making clear their intent only to waste time on investigations of the Biden Administration, including Joe Biden’s son, Hunter Biden. This demagoguery will insure Democrats being able to regain the House of Representatives in 2024, since just like this election, only a few seats will need to be won to take charge once again!

The Republican “Donnybrook” Begins At Republican Jewish Coalition Gathering!

Ronald 1 Comment

The Republican Presidential race has begun, with Donald Trump declaring his candidacy last week in a very uninspiring manner, and a whole slew of potential candidates showing up to display their “virtues” at the Republican Jewish Coalition gathering this past weekend in Las Vegas.

At least 21 potential Republican candidates are in the mix for 2024 at this point!

The potential candidates include those who worked for Trump, and those who looked the other way with his reckless, lawless behavior in office. It also included some who were neither category, but seem unlikely to make much traction!

Among those who worked for Donald Trump are former Vice President Mike Pence; former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo; and former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley.

Among those who looked the other way are Texas Senator Ted Cruz; Missouri Senator Josh Hawley; Florida Senators Marco Rubio and Rick Scott; Kentucky Senator Rand Paul; and a number of Governors, including Ron DeSantis of Florida; Greg Abbott of Texas; Glenn Youngkin of Virginia; and Kristi Noem of South Dakota.

A third category are those who avoided embracing Trump, including former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie; outgoing Maryland Governor Larry Hogan and Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson; and New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu.

Also, former Republican 2012 Presidential nominee and Utah Senator Mitt Romney; and Wyoming Congresswoman Liz Cheney and Illinois Congressman Adam Kinzinger are truly anti Trump, and the latter two, of course, have served on the January 6 House Committee investigating the US Capitol Insurrection.

And an intriguing possility is African American Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina!