dailykos--2020-01-02--Good News Roundup, Thursday, January 2, 2020:
Resolutions? What Resolutions?

This is time of year renowned for all sorts of purported fresh starts .
Well , screw that .
Confession time : I don ’ t have any new resolutions for this year ; I ’ m more in a “ continuing mode.
” I have made reasonable progress on several fronts , and have resolved this year to continue beyond my previously set intermediate marks .
I ’ m not shooting for drastic overnight changes , but sustainable realistic attainable goals .
There are no quick fixes here : this is a time-intensive task .
1 .
I am @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Yes , yes , yes , I know smoking is a vile and dangerous habit .
It is also a damn tough one to break , especially if one has been smoking for many years , in my case 38 years .
I ’ ve tried Chantix , and did the patch .
So far , so good .
I bought my last pack of cigarettes in July , 2018 .
I have been smoking cigarillos since then , usually two or three a day .
Now I ’ m down to one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Marlboros ( my former brand ) now costs about $ 10.00 a pack in my part of California .
That ’ s a potential $ 3,650 a year habit ( plus tax ! )
.
But I don ’ t want to turn into this fellow : I ’ ve been living on a plateau for the past six months or so .
The weight on my driver ’ s license issued by DMV last June states a weight thirty pounds lighter than that of the previous license issued in 2015 .
And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there ’ s some progress .
I will probably want to get one of those Federal compliant licenses before next October if I want to travel anywhere by air , so I ’ d like the weight on that one to be even lower .
And I think the airlines might appreciate the effort as well .
A little less stress on the airframe .
I bought two pairs of trousers the other day .
They ’ re two inches smaller around the waist than the last trousers I bought .
By June @ @ @ @ @ @ @ belt rather than rely on dynamic tension .
But first I ’ m gon na use up the IHOP gift card my sister gave me for Christmas !
3 .
I get my knee looked after .
I finally broke down after all these years , got on the CoveredCalifornia website , and applied for medical insurance .
Truth be told , I ’ ve been exceedingly lucky in that respect .
Aside from a broken collar bone as the result of a bike wreck in 1984 , some minor scars , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ m still pretty much factory-stock after over more than half a century .
But the time has come at last to get some attention paid to this wretched knee problem .
And Lord only knows what else has been left unattended to !
So , there are my three not-very-new-continuing “ resolveds ” in the new year .
And now some good news !
Editorial Note : Today I decided to look beyond politics a little bit , especially with Congress still on recess until next week and the President hiding at Bide-a-Wee @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the little stories that don ’ t get much attention about some simple human kindness ; some things with entertainment value , and hopefully enough stuff in the Hot Links section to keep you interested .
Onward then !
Zookeepers in Australia save all their animals from brushfire !
What will spare change get you these days ?
How about an MRI machine !
Trump ’ s NY golf course becomes home to coyotes “ Donald Trump has a $ 269m golf course in New York City that is regularly prowled by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prey upon those they deem smaller and weaker .
We are , of course , talking about coyotes .
The shrewd canines have spread so far from their ranges in the western US that they are now making unlikely homes in cities on the east coast , including beside the Trump Golf Links at Ferry Point , a landscaped sward frequented by visor- and chino-wearing golfers in the faintly incongruous setting of the Bronx .
“ The staff at the golf course think the coyotes are cool , ” said Chris Nagy , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Coyote , a collaboration of researchers who study coyotes in New York .
“ But there ’ s a point where if the coyotes are getting annoying and worrying the golfers , then they ’ ll change their minds.
” Texas man makes canes for veterans from donated and recycled Christmas trees Jamie Willis and one of his creations .
“ US Army veteran Jamie Willis started `` Canes for Veterans Central Texas '' in 2016 when he realized he was n't the only veteran who needed a cane that was safe and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for 8 years and is now disabled and unable to work .
`` I do this so I do n't sit home all day feeling sorry for myself , '' Willis told CNN .
`` This is all out of kindness .
I do everything out of pocket and from donations . ''
Willis was originally given a cane from Veterans Affairs but it was `` ugly '' and kept collapsing on him .
So , he turned to the Florida-based organization `` Free Canes for Veterans '' which was giving out 500 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was told they had none left , the organization 's founder , Oscar Morris , taught Willis how to make his own cane .
Oldhippiedude posted this video early last year , and it still plays well !
So I decided to recycle !
Vitellius .
Even the Romans got a greedy fat slob as Emperor every once in a while .
This one didn ’ t last long .
AD 69 – The Roman legions in Germania Superior refuse to swear loyalty to the new Emperor Servius Galba .
They rebel and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He in turn is overthrown and killed in December of the same year by troops commanded by Flavius Vespasian .
In all , there were four men who were Emperor in 69 after the death of Nero : Galba , Otho , Vitellius , and Vespasian .
Three died nasty , cruel deaths .
The fourth was deified .
Makes our politics look just a little bit more tame , doesn ’ t it ?
1492 — Muhammad XII , the last Emir of Granada , surrenders his city to Ferdinand II @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ending both the Reconquista and centuries of Muslim rule in the Iberian peninsula .
1777 – American Revolutionary War : American forces under the command of George Washington repulsed a British attack at the Battle of the Assunpink Creek near Trenton , New Jersey .
The American army disengaged during the night , stole away unnoticed , and attacked and defeated another British force at Princeton the next morning .
1788 – Georgia becomes the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution .
1920 – The second Palmer Raid , ordered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ results in 6,000 suspected communists and anarchists being arrested and held without trial .
On the same day Issac Asimov is born .
1942 – The Federal Bureau of Investigation ( FBI ) obtains the conviction of 33 members of a German spy ring headed by Fritz Joubert Duquesne in the largest espionage case in United States history—the Duquesne Spy Ring .
1959 – Luna 1 , the first spacecraft to reach the vicinity of the Moon and to orbit the Sun , is launched by the Soviet Union .
1963 – Vietnam @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first major victory , at the Battle of Ap Bac .
Be honest .
Would you rather see the Skipper or Reagan ?
1967 – Ronald Reagan , past movie actor and future President of the United States , is sworn in as Governor of California .
1974 – United States President Richard Nixon signs a bill lowering the maximum U.S. speed limit to 55 MPH in order to conserve gasoline during an OPEC embargo .
1990 – Alan Hale Jr. , American film and television actor ( b .
1921 ) dies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Skipper in Gilligan ’ s Island ( September , 1964-April , 1967 ) .
2004 –The NASA probe Stardust successfully flies past Comet Wild 2 , collecting samples that are returned to Earth .
From the Associated Press : Time to wind this up and send my fourteenth Roundup out into the wilderness !
It seems a long way from last April when I posted my first Roundup , but as always , it ’ s been a lot of fun !
Please add your very own content , comments , criticism @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also any alliterative accolades and accompanying additional amendments you might toss into to the mix !
No one can tell what this year will bring , so we might as well roll the dice and make the best of it !
With that , we ’ ll let Rush ( the band , not that gasbag ) take us out today !

Good morning all!
“Good enough is the enemy of better.” ~Admiral Sergei Gorshkov
This is time of year renowned for all sorts of purported fresh starts. Well, screw that.
Confession time: I don’t have any new resolutions for this year; I’m more in a “continuing mode.” I have made reasonable progress on several fronts, and have resolved this year to continue beyond my previously set intermediate marks. I’m not shooting for drastic overnight changes, but sustainable realistic attainable goals. There are no quick fixes here: this is a time-intensive task.
1. I am cutting back again on the cigarillos.
Goodbye to all that? Nearly.
Yes, yes, yes, I know smoking is a vile and dangerous habit. It is also a damn tough one to break, especially if one has been smoking for many years, in my case 38 years. I’ve tried Chantix, and did the patch. So far, so good.
I bought my last pack of cigarettes in July, 2018. I have been smoking cigarillos since then, usually two or three a day.
Now I’m down to one a day.
Here’s a neat little factoid : A pack of Marlboros (my former brand) now costs about $10.00 a pack in my part of California. That’s a potential $3,650 a year habit (plus tax!).
But I don’t want to turn into this fellow:
"… I have given up smoking again!... God! I feel fit. Homicidal, but fit. A different man. Irritable, moody, depressed, rude, nervy, perhaps; but the lungs are fine." ~ A. P. Herbert
You CAN handle the truth!
2. I will continue to lose weight.
I’ve been living on a plateau for the past six months or so. The weight on my driver’s license issued by DMV last June states a weight thirty pounds lighter than that of the previous license issued in 2015. And it’s the truth! So there’s some progress. I will probably want to get one of those Federal compliant licenses before next October if I want to travel anywhere by air, so I’d like the weight on that one to be even lower. And I think the airlines might appreciate the effort as well. A little less stress on the airframe.
Goodbye Hometown Buffet. Farewell pasta! (for now) Sigh.
I bought two pairs of trousers the other day. They’re two inches smaller around the waist than the last trousers I bought. By June I want to have to wear a belt rather than rely on dynamic tension.
But first I’m gonna use up the IHOP gift card my sister gave me for Christmas!
3. I shall get my knee looked after.
I finally broke down after all these years, got on the CoveredCalifornia website, and applied for medical insurance. Truth be told, I’ve been exceedingly lucky in that respect. Aside from a broken collar bone as the result of a bike wreck in 1984, some minor scars, and a few missing teeth, I’m still pretty much factory-stock after over more than half a century. But the time has come at last to get some attention paid to this wretched knee problem.
And Lord only knows what else has been left unattended to!
So, there are my three not-very-new-continuing “resolveds” in the new year.
And now some good news!
Editorial Note: Today I decided to look beyond politics a little bit, especially with Congress still on recess until next week and the President hiding at Bide-a-Wee in Florida. So instead I looked for the little stories that don’t get much attention about some simple human kindness; some things with entertainment value, and hopefully enough stuff in the Hot Links section to keep you interested. Onward then!
Zookeepers in Australia save all their animals from brushfire!
From the BBC:
Part of the Mogo Zoo on fire. All the animals were saved. “Amid the devastating fires ravaging Australia, a small zoo has managed to save all its animals through the extraordinary bravery of its staff. Mogo Zoo houses Australia's largest collection of primates, along with zebras, rhinos and giraffes. Yet when it was right in the line of a bushfire, the keepers managed to protect all 200 animals from harm. While most were sheltered at the site, monkeys, pandas and even a tiger were temporary lodgers at one keeper's home. On Tuesday, an evacuation order was made for the New South Wales area where the zoo is located, but staff decided to stay to protect their animals.
What will spare change get you these days? How about an MRI machine!
From Good News Network:
Liam Duggan and friends collecting for Koins for Kids Ireland Back in 2016, a determined Irishman began collecting spare change to help sick children—and he is now on track to buy an MRI machine for a local hospital. Liam Duggan first started pursuing his dream of building a children’s hospital by standing outside of a local cafe with a cardboard sign so he could gather spare change from generous passerby. Three years later, Duggan has raised over $165,000 (€150,000)—and while he is not necessarily raising money to build an entirely new children’s hospital, he is more determined than ever to raise enough money to buy an MRI machine. From humble beginnings, Duggan’s dream has grown and inspired the support of other people who have helped his dream to flourish. This included a chance encounter with a legal professional, which led to the successful accreditation of Duggan’s venture by the Irish Charity Regulatory so that Koins for Kids Ireland is now a fully-fledged charity with a regulating board of trustees.”
Trump’s NY golf course becomes home to coyotes
From the Guardian:
A coyote in the Bronx! “Donald Trump has a $269m golf course in New York City that is regularly prowled by feared, largely nocturnal individuals that instinctively prey upon those they deem smaller and weaker. We are, of course, talking about coyotes. The shrewd canines have spread so far from their ranges in the western US that they are now making unlikely homes in cities on the east coast, including beside the Trump Golf Links at Ferry Point, a landscaped sward frequented by visor- and chino-wearing golfers in the faintly incongruous setting of the Bronx. “The staff at the golf course think the coyotes are cool,” said Chris Nagy, a wildlife biologist and co-founder of Gotham Coyote, a collaboration of researchers who study coyotes in New York. “But there’s a point where if the coyotes are getting annoying and worrying the golfers, then they’ll change their minds.”
Texas man makes canes for veterans from donated and recycled Christmas trees
From Sunnyskyz:
Jamie Willis and one of his creations. “US Army veteran Jamie Willis started "Canes for Veterans Central Texas" in 2016 when he realized he wasn't the only veteran who needed a cane that was safe and sturdy. Willis served in the army for 8 years and is now disabled and unable to work. "I do this so I don't sit home all day feeling sorry for myself," Willis told CNN. "This is all out of kindness. I do everything out of pocket and from donations." Willis was originally given a cane from Veterans Affairs but it was "ugly" and kept collapsing on him. So, he turned to the Florida-based organization "Free Canes for Veterans" which was giving out 500 canes at the time. After he was told they had none left, the organization's founder, Oscar Morris, taught Willis how to make his own cane.
A vaccine for dementia?
From the Independent:
So far, so good! “A vaccine designed to prevent dementia is to enter human trials after successful tests on mice. If the treatment is proven to work safely on people it could be available within a decade, researchers say. The revelation, published in the journal Alzheimer’s Research & Therapy, comes after 20 years of research backed by the US government and largely carried out in Australia. The treatment – a combination of two different drugs – is said to work by targeting and then removing the brain plaque and nanofibre tangles which lead to cognitive decline and memory failure.”
First Musical Interlude:
Oldhippiedude posted this video early last year, and it still plays well! So I decided to recycle!
Today in History!
Vitellius. Even the Romans got a greedy fat slob as Emperor every once in a while. This one didn’t last long. AD 69 – The Roman legions in Germania Superior refuse to swear loyalty to the new Emperor Servius Galba. They rebel and proclaim their commander Aulus Vitellius as emperor. He in turn is overthrown and killed in December of the same year by troops commanded by Flavius Vespasian. In all, there were four men who were Emperor in 69 after the death of Nero: Galba, Otho, Vitellius, and Vespasian. Three died nasty, cruel deaths. The fourth was deified. Makes our politics look just a little bit more tame, doesn’t it? 1492 — Muhammad XII, the last Emir of Granada, surrenders his city to Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabel I of Castile, ending both the Reconquista and centuries of Muslim rule in the Iberian peninsula. 1777 – American Revolutionary War: American forces under the command of George Washington repulsed a British attack at the Battle of the Assunpink Creek near Trenton, New Jersey. The American army disengaged during the night, stole away unnoticed, and attacked and defeated another British force at Princeton the next morning. 1788 – Georgia becomes the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution. 1843 - Richard Wagner's opera "The Flying Dutchman" premieres in Dresden. 1920 – The second Palmer Raid, ordered by the US Department of Justice, results in 6,000 suspected communists and anarchists being arrested and held without trial. On the same day Issac Asimov is born. 1942 – The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) obtains the conviction of 33 members of a German spy ring headed by Fritz Joubert Duquesne in the largest espionage case in United States history—the Duquesne Spy Ring. 1959 – Luna 1, the first spacecraft to reach the vicinity of the Moon and to orbit the Sun, is launched by the Soviet Union. 1963 – Vietnam War: The Viet Cong wins its first major victory, at the Battle of Ap Bac. Be honest. Would you rather see the Skipper or Reagan? 1967 – Ronald Reagan, past movie actor and future President of the United States, is sworn in as Governor of California. 1974 – United States President Richard Nixon signs a bill lowering the maximum U.S. speed limit to 55 MPH in order to conserve gasoline during an OPEC embargo. 1990 – Alan Hale Jr., American film and television actor (b. 1921) dies. Best known, perhaps, as the Skipper in Gilligan’s Island (September, 1964-April, 1967). 2003 - Greta Thunberg born. 2004 –The NASA probe Stardust successfully flies past Comet Wild 2, collecting samples that are returned to Earth.
Interesting Bits!
Tumbleweeds run riot in Washington State, close highway!
From CNN:
That’s a semi covered in tumbleweeds! “Several people got trapped in their cars Tuesday after strong winds blew a thicket of tumbleweeds into a portion of a state highway, according to Washington State Patrol Trooper Chris Thorson. Several vehicles and one semi truck slowed down because of low visibility and eventually came to a stop, Thorson said. Then they got covered in tumbleweeds, rendering them unable to proceed. The piles of tumbleweeds were as high as 20 to 30 feet in some places, Thorson said, blocking SR 240 around mile post 10, about 20 miles west of Richland in the south-central part of the state. worked through the night to help clear the roadway. The road was closed for about 10 hours and reopened around 4:30 a.m. on Wednesday, Thorson said. Crews from the Washington state Department of Transportationto help clear the roadway. The road was closed for about 10 hours and reopened around 4:30 a.m. on Wednesday, Thorson said.
Cat in Thailand destroys completed Lego set, survives.
From the Mirror:
Kittens. Legos. Bad mix. “The relationship between humans and cats can often seem like a one-way street. When a toy store worker was asked to construct a model of a Doraemon by a client in time for New Year, he spent hours and hours over a week painstakingly piecing together the 2,432 block figurine. Doraemon, a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Fujiko Fujio, was perfect. The unnamed worker from Thailand posted a photos to Facebook of the model lying in pieces on the floor after the ginger cat knocked it over, undoing the good work in an instant.”
Hershey to retire the Kissmobile
From the Associated Press:
Kissmobile. “HERSHEY, Pa. (AP) — The Hershey Co. will soon retire its vehicles that are shaped like its Hershey’s Kisses. The Hershey Kissmobiles, which are each made up of three massive Kisses candies, have traveled across the country since 1997. The chocolate company has confirmed that the 26-foot-long vehicles won’t return in 2020. The company decided to pull the aging Kissmobiles out of safety concerns for employees and the public, Hershey Co. spokesman Jeff Beckman said. It has also become more difficult to find replacement parts for the custom vehicles.
Vermont firefighters rescue cat (and owner) from tree!
From UPI:
One rescued cat. One rescued cat owner. “Firefighters in Vermont said a call about a cat stuck in tree became more urgent when the animal's owner attempted to retrieve their pet alone and also became stranded up the tree. The South Burlington Fire Department said the cat's owner called on Christmas Eve to report their cat was struck up a tree, but the department's only ladder truck was assisting the Williston Fire Department with a fire at the time. The owner decided to take matters into their own hands and climbed the tree until they also became stranded on a branch. "We would like to take a moment to remind our residents that at no point is it a good idea to try and rescue an animal out of a tree yourself," the department said in a Facebook post. "There are safer options such as calling a tree company or simply giving the cat 24 hours to self rescue."
Hot Links!
First Goat Video of 2020!
And that’s a wrap!
Time to wind this up and send my fourteenth Roundup out into the wilderness! It seems a long way from last April when I posted my first Roundup, but as always, it’s been a lot of fun!
Please add your very own content, comments, criticism, or cantankerous contemptuous calumny, and also any alliterative accolades and accompanying additional amendments you might toss into to the mix!
No one can tell what this year will bring, so we might as well roll the dice and make the best of it! With that, we’ll let Rush (the band, not that gasbag) take us out today!
Have a great day!


dailykos--2020-01-07--Trump + Pence: Resign. Pelosi: President - Why This Plan Works for Everyone Involved

This post is meant to explain why the best plan for everyone involved would be for Donald Trump and Mike Pence to resign , allowing Nancy Pelosi as Speaker of the House to hold the office of the President for the rest of 2020 .
I know this is already the response of many , but hear me out .
In this scenario , the Republican Party forces Donald Trump and Mike Pence to resign before the Senate holds the impeachment trial .
Following the line of succession , Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi becomes the President .
She @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pence , and for whoever else it may be necessary , but also use her new position to immediately bolster the defense and integrity of our government and election systems from Russian and other malevolent attacks .
Similar to when Gerald Ford pardoned Nixon , Pelosi ’ s actions would have the rationale of being in the interests of healing the country ’ s deep wounds , and moving the country forward .
Unlike Ford , she is not going to be running for President afterwards , at least not for 2020 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ is not of the same party as Trump and others who may need pardons .
These would mitigate some of the charges that happened with Ford , and would invariably rise against her , whose pardoning of Nixon was seen as a sign of corruption , and tarnished his popularity at the time .
Ensuring that Trump is out of the picture for the Presidential race of 2020 would really give the Republican Party their best chance at actually winning , whether they want to admit it or not .
While Trump running @ @ @ @ @ @ @ advantage , it also comes with it a clear disadvantage — Trump himself .
While it is clear that he holds a strongly fervent base on which he can rely — it bears repeating that , in 2016 , he lost the popular vote , and with the backlash already seen against his administration throughout midterm elections — which saw the Democratic Party retake the House of Representatives , several statewide offices , and multiple high-profile wins , such as Doug Jones in Alabama and Conor Lamb in Pennsylvania — there is good @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him and his party this year .
States where Trump won in 2016 — Michigan , Kentucky , Kansas , and Wisconsin — have all flipped their governors from Republican to Democrat since Trump took office .
Even if Trump gives them a great chance of holding the Presidency , his coattails will be dangerously non-existent for the Republican Party .
And that ’ s assuming he is able to win his own election .
If the Republican Party made a deal to get Trump out of office now , they would have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ candidate in their primaries ( or , at worst , Mitt Romney ) .
Furthermore , as the impeachment process is showing , as well as his dangerous moves on Iran such as the Soleimani assassination , the Republican Party can not reasonably hope for Trump to be an asset , or even just a non-factor .
The only thing Donald Trump does remotely consistently , is dig himself into bigger holes .
Hotel magnate ?
More like hole magnet .
The idea that he won ’ t continue to become an even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is laughable , at best .
A logical question might be why the Republican Party , even if they were to consider this scenario , wouldn ’ t just want to keep Pence in office , keep Pelosi out of the Presidency , and let him run for election moving forward .
Setting aside if he would even be that great of a candidate , the biggest reason is that , if Republicans finally buy into the notion that Trump has been egregiously corrupt and dangerous to the interests and people of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to also pin Pence as a powerful accomplice in Trump ’ s actions .
Pence , like Trump , can arguably be shown to have abused his position in the Executive Branch .
As the head of Trump ’ s transition team , Pence is likely implicated in much of the interactions between the Trump campaign , and outside forces such as Russia and Turkey .
Furthermore , Pence has repeatedly come out as a key defender of Trump ’ s administration — all of this leaves little room for not also holding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ regime .
Outside of Trump and Pence , there are numerous current Republican politicians , currently in office , who , if Trump is allowed to remain in the White House and continue his corrupt reign , should also arguably be held to account for their actions .
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell — reportedly blocked the Obama administration from notifying Congress , and the American people , about intelligence findings on Russian hacking of the 2016 elections .
Even now , he is still personally standing in the way of the US @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy — while being taped , claimed that Trump is on Putin ’ s payroll .
Rep. Devin Nunes — who has been key to protecting Trump in Congress , but may have also been implicated in the Ukraine aid quid pro quo himself .
When it comes time to finally fully investigate how far Putin and Russia ’ s influence reaches and has reached into our nation ’ s government , these are just some of the many Republicans , who need to be more forthcoming with their answers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they knew it .
Because another point worth mentioning — all the officials associated with Trump or Trump ’ s campaign , that have since been charged or convicted for crimes .
Michael Flynn .
Paul Manafort .
Roger Stone .
Michael Cohen .
The list could go on and on .
The list , as time goes on , very well could include the likes of McConnell and McCarthy — who have probably only avoided the scrutiny of prosecutors themselves , only for their status as elected officials .
Seeing as how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 2020 , the possibility of making Trump quietly go away is even more in their interests .
And yet , it is not as if McConnell is the only Republican Senator whose re-election campaigns in 2020 , are fraught with peril due to their closeness to Trump — especially if it is more about helping him cover up for his misdeeds .
Susan Collins of Maine , Martha McSally of Arizona , and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina , for example .
All would have their re-elections further complicated , if they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that might largely be seen as a sham , with how McConnell and Trump are crafting things .
And even if McConnell ’ s own race is safe — which , itself , might be an issue — the odds that a Senate impeachment trial of Trump actually helps him maintain control of the Senate , seems far more dubious than losing it .
On the other hand , if the Republican Party continues to aid Trump in his offenses , when Democrats regain the White House ( and with Trump the candidate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a strong possibility ) , there will a strong call to continue prosecuting him and his administration — but also many of these other Republicans , who have made themselves a big part of Trump ’ s actions .
I am reminded of the Presidential race of 2008 , when prosecuting the Bush administration became a big part of the discussion .
Although Obama eventually stepped back from pursuing such actions , future Democratic Presidential candidates may be more open , especially when one starts to compare the severity of offenses between the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stand now , McConnell and Republican leadership , and most observers , see their best play being to hold the impeachment trial — no matter how biased and immaterial , so they and Trump can claim his name cleared — and then hope they can use their institutional advantages to maintain their grip on power , including the White House , through the 2020 elections , and possibly beyond .
This , however , brings with it the large risk that not only does Trump lose , but the backlash of wielding so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of propping up Trump and covering up his misdeeds cause them to lose many more elections , if not just the Senate , but also seats all up and down the ticket .
Alternatively , were they to force Trump out sooner — much as the Republican Party back then did to Nixon — they could stand a better chance of maintaining much of their grasp on power , perhaps even the White House with a more electable candidate .
I know for many here , the idea of issuing pardons to Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deal is quite offensive .
But the immediate threat posed by Russia on our institutions is greater than any possible punishment that Trump would ever face — as if any President in our history has ever been punished in such a way or likely ever will .
Similarly , the threat of Trump continuing to wield military power , in the ways that he has shown to Iran , for even one moment longer , warrants looking at options such as a deal like this , to immediately neutralize such a threat .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ trial in the Senate , the country avoids a tumultuous and divisive battle , that , even if the outcome is Trump ’ s removal — which is increasingly seemingly remote by the day — would likely only cause even more turmoil in the country .
On the other hand , if he resigns voluntarily , and passes off power in a way that demonstrates the institutions in this country are working as intended , it leaves a conciliatory feeling for both the Republican and Democratic Parties to operate under going forward .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ granting pardons , a President Pelosi would also be holding them to admissions of guilt , though that is still a contentious debate .
Still , such a move , such as by pardoning Nixon , could potentially be more far-reaching than a current perceived outcome of a McConnell lead impeachment trial .
In the end , politics in America is hardly ever perfectly what we want it to be — but when we seek out an option that works reasonably well for as many involved as possible , we are able to @ @ @ @

This post is meant to explain why the best plan for everyone involved would be for Donald Trump and Mike Pence to resign, allowing Nancy Pelosi as Speaker of the House to hold the office of the President for the rest of 2020.
I know this is already the response of many, but hear me out.
In this scenario, the Republican Party forces Donald Trump and Mike Pence to resign before the Senate holds the impeachment trial. Following the line of succession, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi becomes the President. She can then issue pardons for Trump, Pence, and for whoever else it may be necessary, but also use her new position to immediately bolster the defense and integrity of our government and election systems from Russian and other malevolent attacks.
Similar to when Gerald Ford pardoned Nixon, Pelosi’s actions would have the rationale of being in the interests of healing the country’s deep wounds, and moving the country forward. Unlike Ford, she is not going to be running for President afterwards, at least not for 2020. And also, unlike Ford, she is not of the same party as Trump and others who may need pardons. These would mitigate some of the charges that happened with Ford, and would invariably rise against her, whose pardoning of Nixon was seen as a sign of corruption, and tarnished his popularity at the time.
Ensuring that Trump is out of the picture for the Presidential race of 2020 would really give the Republican Party their best chance at actually winning, whether they want to admit it or not. While Trump running as an incumbent would be a clear advantage, it also comes with it a clear disadvantage — Trump himself. While it is clear that he holds a strongly fervent base on which he can rely — it bears repeating that, in 2016, he lost the popular vote, and with the backlash already seen against his administration throughout midterm elections — which saw the Democratic Party retake the House of Representatives, several statewide offices, and multiple high-profile wins, such as Doug Jones in Alabama and Conor Lamb in Pennsylvania — there is good reason to believe a similar backlash awaits him and his party this year. States where Trump won in 2016 — Michigan, Kentucky, Kansas, and Wisconsin — have all flipped their governors from Republican to Democrat since Trump took office. Even if Trump gives them a great chance of holding the Presidency, his coattails will be dangerously non-existent for the Republican Party. And that’s assuming he is able to win his own election. If the Republican Party made a deal to get Trump out of office now, they would have plenty of time to field a stronger candidate in their primaries (or, at worst, Mitt Romney).
Furthermore, as the impeachment process is showing, as well as his dangerous moves on Iran such as the Soleimani assassination, the Republican Party cannot reasonably hope for Trump to be an asset, or even just a non-factor. The only thing Donald Trump does remotely consistently, is dig himself into bigger holes. Hotel magnate? More like hole magnet. The idea that he won’t continue to become an even bigger embarrassment on the 2020 campaign trail is laughable, at best.
A logical question might be why the Republican Party, even if they were to consider this scenario, wouldn’t just want to keep Pence in office, keep Pelosi out of the Presidency, and let him run for election moving forward. Setting aside if he would even be that great of a candidate, the biggest reason is that, if Republicans finally buy into the notion that Trump has been egregiously corrupt and dangerous to the interests and people of the country, then it is hard not to also pin Pence as a powerful accomplice in Trump’s actions. Pence, like Trump, can arguably be shown to have abused his position in the Executive Branch. As the head of Trump’s transition team, Pence is likely implicated in much of the interactions between the Trump campaign, and outside forces such as Russia and Turkey. Furthermore, Pence has repeatedly come out as a key defender of Trump’s administration — all of this leaves little room for not also holding Pence accountable for Trump’s impeached regime.
Outside of Trump and Pence, there are numerous current Republican politicians, currently in office, who, if Trump is allowed to remain in the White House and continue his corrupt reign, should also arguably be held to account for their actions.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell — reportedly blocked the Obama administration from notifying Congress, and the American people, about intelligence findings on Russian hacking of the 2016 elections. Even now, he is still personally standing in the way of the US defending itself from these attacks.
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy — while being taped, claimed that Trump is on Putin’s payroll.
“There’s two people I think Putin pays: Rohrabacher and Trump,” McCarthy said, according to the recording. Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, another Republican from California, is a fierce defender of Russia and Putin. “Swear to God,” McCarthy added, after some of the lawmakers laughed at the statement.
Rep. Devin Nunes — who has been key to protecting Trump in Congress, but may have also been implicated in the Ukraine aid quid pro quo himself.
When it comes time to finally fully investigate how far Putin and Russia’s influence reaches and has reached into our nation’s government, these are just some of the many Republicans, who need to be more forthcoming with their answers on what they knew, and when they knew it.
Because another point worth mentioning — all the officials associated with Trump or Trump’s campaign, that have since been charged or convicted for crimes.
Michael Flynn. Paul Manafort. Roger Stone. Michael Cohen. The list could go on and on.
The list, as time goes on, very well could include the likes of McConnell and McCarthy — who have probably only avoided the scrutiny of prosecutors themselves, only for their status as elected officials.
Seeing as how both also have re-election to worry about in 2020, the possibility of making Trump quietly go away is even more in their interests.
And yet, it is not as if McConnell is the only Republican Senator whose re-election campaigns in 2020, are fraught with peril due to their closeness to Trump — especially if it is more about helping him cover up for his misdeeds. Susan Collins of Maine, Martha McSally of Arizona, and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, for example. All would have their re-elections further complicated, if they have to vote for a Senate trial that might largely be seen as a sham, with how McConnell and Trump are crafting things. And even if McConnell’s own race is safe — which, itself, might be an issue — the odds that a Senate impeachment trial of Trump actually helps him maintain control of the Senate, seems far more dubious than losing it.
On the other hand, if the Republican Party continues to aid Trump in his offenses, when Democrats regain the White House (and with Trump the candidate in 2020, that will always be a strong possibility), there will a strong call to continue prosecuting him and his administration — but also many of these other Republicans, who have made themselves a big part of Trump’s actions. I am reminded of the Presidential race of 2008, when prosecuting the Bush administration became a big part of the discussion. Although Obama eventually stepped back from pursuing such actions, future Democratic Presidential candidates may be more open, especially when one starts to compare the severity of offenses between the Bush and Trump administrations.
As things stand now, McConnell and Republican leadership, and most observers, see their best play being to hold the impeachment trial — no matter how biased and immaterial, so they and Trump can claim his name cleared — and then hope they can use their institutional advantages to maintain their grip on power, including the White House, through the 2020 elections, and possibly beyond. This, however, brings with it the large risk that not only does Trump lose, but the backlash of wielding so much of their power in the efforts of propping up Trump and covering up his misdeeds cause them to lose many more elections, if not just the Senate, but also seats all up and down the ticket.
Alternatively, were they to force Trump out sooner — much as the Republican Party back then did to Nixon — they could stand a better chance of maintaining much of their grasp on power, perhaps even the White House with a more electable candidate.
I know for many here, the idea of issuing pardons to Trump and others as part of such a deal is quite offensive. But the immediate threat posed by Russia on our institutions is greater than any possible punishment that Trump would ever face — as if any President in our history has ever been punished in such a way or likely ever will. Similarly, the threat of Trump continuing to wield military power, in the ways that he has shown to Iran, for even one moment longer, warrants looking at options such as a deal like this, to immediately neutralize such a threat. And without having to hold an impeachment trial in the Senate, the country avoids a tumultuous and divisive battle, that, even if the outcome is Trump’s removal — which is increasingly seemingly remote by the day — would likely only cause even more turmoil in the country. On the other hand, if he resigns voluntarily, and passes off power in a way that demonstrates the institutions in this country are working as intended, it leaves a conciliatory feeling for both the Republican and Democratic Parties to operate under going forward. One could also argue that, by granting pardons, a President Pelosi would also be holding them to admissions of guilt, though that is still a contentious debate. Still, such a move, such as by pardoning Nixon, could potentially be more far-reaching than a current perceived outcome of a McConnell lead impeachment trial.
In the end, politics in America is hardly ever perfectly what we want it to be — but when we seek out an option that works reasonably well for as many involved as possible, we are able to achieve significant change.


dailykos--2020-01-08--This Year The Minimum Wage Can be Raised
In The Majority Of States

The 2020 new year marks an historic landmark for dramatically improving many people ’ s living standards by increasing the minimum hourly wage .
According to David Cooper of the Economic Policy Institute , nearly 7 million workers will start the new year with higher wages .
This is not due to Trump ’ s tax cut which reduced the corporate income tax rate from 35 percent to as low as 20 percent .
That change resulted in doubling the number of companies paying zero in taxes , according to research from the Center for Public Integrity .
Instead , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ citizens working in their communities to make local governments accountable to them .
This year half of the states will have raised the minimum hourly wage , at effort that was led by 22 city and county governments , with states now trying to catch up .
The movement to raise the minimum wage to $ 15 first caught the nation ’ s attention when in 2013 the Washington State city of SeaTac , with a population of less than thirty-thousand , passed a citizen ’ s initiative establishing it .
A coalition @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and community groups came together , inspired by one-day walkout strikes by non-union fast-food workers in New York city in the late fall of 2012 .
They demanded better working conditions and a $ 15 minimum wage .
Walkouts by fast food workers occurred early the next year in cities like Chicago , St. Louis , and Milwaukee demanding a higher minimum wage .
SeaTac ’ s victory encouraged workers and citizens to mobilize in neighboring Seattle , with a population of over 600,000 .
Astonishingly , within six months of Sea-Tac ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ city in the US to adopt a $ 15 minimum hourly wage for all employees , working part and full time , including those receiving tips .
Several books have described how this victory came about .
My book , Becoming a Citizen Activist , begins with a glimpse of how the city council came to pass the legislation .
More detailed descriptions of how the effort began in Sea-Tac and spread to Seattle are covered in David Rolf ’ s The Fight For $ 15 and Jonathan Rosenblum ’ s Immigrant Workers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the Labor Movement .
The desire to raise minimum wages is not confined to large liberal cities .
It crosses regional and political boundaries , uniting grassroot efforts challenge entrenched political parties who control the state governments .
For example , look how voters in both New Jersey and Missouri increased the minimum wage , overturning their governor ’ s and state legislator ’ s actions .
In November 2013 , New Jersey voters effectively overrode Governor Chris Christie ’ s veto of the minimum wage bill the legislature had passed .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ballot measure .
These were not hard-core democrats , since republican Christie and his lieutenant governor were re-elected with over 60 % of the vote .
In Missouri voters passed a higher state minimum wage at the ballot box after state lawmakers nullified city minimum wage ordinances that had been enacted by local governments in Kansas City and St. Louis .
Missouri is a trifecta state , where the republicans simultaneously hold the governor ’ s office and majorities in both state legislative chambers and since 2000 , has voted 100 % for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ minimum wage once again was critical to voters who also voted republican .
These local and state actions have become necessary because congress , under the control of either the democrats or the republicans , has up to now , been unwilling or unable to increase the minimum wage .
And it is about time that they act .
The federal government last raised the minimum wage to $ 7.25 in July 2009 , and since then its purchasing power has declined by 17 percent .
This past July , the democratic controlled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Raise the Wage Act of 2019 ” , a bill that would raise the federal minimum wage to $ 15 by 2025 .
It has been sent to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell , but he has denied it an opportunity to be voted on , along with a hundred other bills from the House of Representatives that have been referred to the Senate .
However , no matter what occurs in D.C. this November , organizing must continue at the local and state level .
Below are some strategies to consider for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ staff - there must be full time staff working with community groups to provide them outreach services .
Unions , like SEIU and HERE Unite , that have been in the forefront and others who are involved , may have paid staff to fill that role .
Unions provided the organizational strength that allowed both SeaTac and Seattle to ultimately succeed .
Meanwhile , the faith community ’ s organizations are more likely to provide a pool of volunteers to work with paid staff and reach out regularly to their membership .
Second @ @ @ @ @ @ @ critical to provide reliable data to the public .
The executive director , John Burbank , and the policy director , Marilyn Watkins , of the local and nationally recognized think tank , the Economic Opportunity Institute , provided data to convince both politicians and the pubic that raising the minimum wage was good for the economy .
On a national level , Economic Policy Institute ’ s David Cooper continues to track efforts to increase the minimum wage throughout the nation .
That research does not end after legislation is passed , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government regulation will continue to site studies that could eliminate or hamper such legislation .
Watkins ’ article Poor research leads to poor findings on minimum wage , provides a perfect example of why such attention is needed , as she systematically dissects a study critical of increasing the minimum wage .
Third , Work with politicians - community groups need to identify and work with elected officials who are willing to champion , support or even discuss the need for increasing the minimum wage .
Timing is important .
If there is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ increasing the minimum wage .
As a city council candidate , socialist Kshama Sawant built a grassroots $ 15 Now campaign and made increasing the minimum wage an issue that both Mayoral candidates adopted in the general election .
Even without introducing legislation , a local councilmember can hold public forums to get information out to the public and to other politicians .
Ady Barkan , the founding director of the national network of one thousand elected municipal officials , Local Progress , writes in his book Eyes to the Wind , how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ national experts and councilmembers from other cities to a Seattle symposium to discuss how minimum wage legislation could help employees avoid poverty while expanding the economy .
Three months later the Seattle City Council passed the legislation .
Fourth , Involve national groups – without the support of groups like Local Progress and SEIU , Seattle ’ s effort would have had to rely just on local resources .
National groups are not going to win a campaign , but they can bring in resources , like speakers , national media , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ send a representative to your city , make it a media event by inviting the public to hear them .
Also , line up interviews for them with reporters , bloggers , politicians and opinion leaders .
Fifth , Feed all types of media – use social media to broadcast events , solicit volunteers and educate the public .
Use radio to appear on talk show programs , all of them .
It doesn ’ t matter if the host is a conservative , as long as you can get your message out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Meet regularly with bloggers to give them an inside look at what is happening on this issue and do the same with newspaper columnists and reporters .
Don ’ t forget to reach out to community , church , and any group that has an electronic newsletter .
To borrow from Eric Lou ’ s book title , You 're More Powerful than You Think .
Now you just have to work with others to exercise that power to get your local government to raise the minimum wage .
Nick Licata , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , named progressive municipal official of the year by The Nation , and is founding board chair of Local Progress , a national network of 1,000 progressive municipal officials .
Author of Becoming a Citizen Activist .
http : //www.becomingacitizenactivist.org/changemakers/ Subscribe to Licata ’ s newsletter Urban Politics http : //www.becomingacitizenactivist.org/

The 2020 new year marks an historic landmark for dramatically improving many people’s living standards by increasing the minimum hourly wage. According to David Cooper of the Economic Policy Institute, nearly 7 million workers will start the new year with higher wages. This is not due to Trump’s tax cut which reduced the corporate income tax rate from 35 percent to as low as 20 percent. That change resulted in doubling the number of companies paying zero in taxes, according to research from the Center for Public Integrity.
Instead, guaranteed higher wages was a result of citizens working in their communities to make local governments accountable to them. This year half of the states will have raised the minimum hourly wage, at effort that was led by 22 city and county governments, with states now trying to catch up.
The movement to raise the minimum wage to $15 first caught the nation’s attention when in 2013 the Washington State city of SeaTac, with a population of less than thirty-thousand, passed a citizen’s initiative establishing it. A coalition of unions, faith groups, immigrant and community groups came together, inspired by one-day walkout strikes by non-union fast-food workers in New York city in the late fall of 2012. They demanded better working conditions and a $15 minimum wage. Walkouts by fast food workers occurred early the next year in cities like Chicago, St. Louis, and Milwaukee demanding a higher minimum wage.
SeaTac’s victory encouraged workers and citizens to mobilize in neighboring Seattle, with a population of over 600,000. Astonishingly, within six months of Sea-Tac’s victory Seattle became the first major city in the US to adopt a $15 minimum hourly wage for all employees, working part and full time, including those receiving tips.
Several books have described how this victory came about. My book, Becoming a Citizen Activist, begins with a glimpse of how the city council came to pass the legislation. More detailed descriptions of how the effort began in Sea-Tac and spread to Seattle are covered in David Rolf’s The Fight For $15 and Jonathan Rosenblum’s Immigrant Workers, Faith Activists, and the Revival of the Labor Movement.
The desire to raise minimum wages is not confined to large liberal cities. It crosses regional and political boundaries, uniting grassroot efforts challenge entrenched political parties who control the state governments. For example, look how voters in both New Jersey and Missouri increased the minimum wage, overturning their governor’s and state legislator’s actions.
In November 2013, New Jersey voters effectively overrode Governor Chris Christie’s veto of the minimum wage bill the legislature had passed. The voters approved an increase through a ballot measure. These were not hard-core democrats, since republican Christie and his lieutenant governor were re-elected with over 60% of the vote. In Missouri voters passed a higher state minimum wage at the ballot box after state lawmakers nullified city minimum wage ordinances that had been enacted by local governments in Kansas City and St. Louis. Missouri is a trifecta state, where the republicans simultaneously hold the governor’s office and majorities in both state legislative chambers and since 2000, has voted 100% for a republican presidential candidate. Raising the minimum wage once again was critical to voters who also voted republican.
These local and state actions have become necessary because congress, under the control of either the democrats or the republicans, has up to now, been unwilling or unable to increase the minimum wage. And it is about time that they act. The federal government last raised the minimum wage to $7.25 in July 2009, and since then its purchasing power has declined by 17 percent. This past July, the democratic controlled U.S. House of Representatives passed the “Raise the Wage Act of 2019”, a bill that would raise the federal minimum wage to $15 by 2025.
It has been sent to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, but he has denied it an opportunity to be voted on, along with a hundred other bills from the House of Representatives that have been referred to the Senate.
However, no matter what occurs in D.C. this November, organizing must continue at the local and state level. Below are some strategies to consider for doing so.
Five Critical Strategic Steps For Passing
Higher Minimum Wage Legislation at the Local Level.
First, Have dedicated staff - there must be full time staff working with community groups to provide them outreach services. Unions, like SEIU and HERE Unite, that have been in the forefront and others who are involved, may have paid staff to fill that role. Unions provided the organizational strength that allowed both SeaTac and Seattle to ultimately succeed. Meanwhile, the faith community’s organizations are more likely to provide a pool of volunteers to work with paid staff and reach out regularly to their membership.
Second, Do good research - it is critical to provide reliable data to the public. The executive director, John Burbank, and the policy director, Marilyn Watkins, of the local and nationally recognized think tank, the Economic Opportunity Institute, provided data to convince both politicians and the pubic that raising the minimum wage was good for the economy. On a national level, Economic Policy Institute’s David Cooper continues to track efforts to increase the minimum wage throughout the nation. That research does not end after legislation is passed, because those opposed to this type of government regulation will continue to site studies that could eliminate or hamper such legislation. Watkins’ article Poor research leads to poor findings on minimum wage, provides a perfect example of why such attention is needed, as she systematically dissects a study critical of increasing the minimum wage.
Third, Work with politicians - community groups need to identify and work with elected officials who are willing to champion, support or even discuss the need for increasing the minimum wage. Timing is important. If there is an election, use it to promote increasing the minimum wage. As a city council candidate, socialist Kshama Sawant built a grassroots $15 Now campaign and made increasing the minimum wage an issue that both Mayoral candidates adopted in the general election.
Even without introducing legislation, a local councilmember can hold public forums to get information out to the public and to other politicians. Ady Barkan, the founding director of the national network of one thousand elected municipal officials, Local Progress, writes in his book Eyes to the Wind, how Local Progress worked with me to bring national experts and councilmembers from other cities to a Seattle symposium to discuss how minimum wage legislation could help employees avoid poverty while expanding the economy. Three months later the Seattle City Council passed the legislation.
Fourth, Involve national groups – without the support of groups like Local Progress and SEIU, Seattle’s effort would have had to rely just on local resources. National groups are not going to win a campaign, but they can bring in resources, like speakers, national media, and critical strategic advice. If they can send a representative to your city, make it a media event by inviting the public to hear them. Also, line up interviews for them with reporters, bloggers, politicians and opinion leaders.
Fifth, Feed all types of media – use social media to broadcast events, solicit volunteers and educate the public. Use radio to appear on talk show programs, all of them. It doesn’t matter if the host is a conservative, as long as you can get your message out, you will pick up some support. Meet regularly with bloggers to give them an inside look at what is happening on this issue and do the same with newspaper columnists and reporters. Don’t forget to reach out to community, church, and any group that has an electronic newsletter.
To borrow from Eric Lou’s book title, You're More Powerful than You Think. Now you just have to work with others to exercise that power to get your local government to raise the minimum wage.
Nick Licata, was a 5 term Seattle City Councilmember, named progressive municipal official of the year by The Nation, and is founding board chair of Local Progress, a national network of 1,000 progressive municipal officials.
Author of Becoming a Citizen Activist. http://www.becomingacitizenactivist.org/changemakers/
Subscribe to Licata’s newsletter Urban Politics http://www.becomingacitizenactivist.org/


dailykos--2020-01-08--Rap Artists Have Stopped Visiting The White House

In the early spring of 1992 , I was an often antagonized freshman at Denver ’ s George Washington High school .
I was enrolled in eight separate classes , with my favorite class being Social Studies and American Government .
I should have been supplementing my social science education by watching the local and national news programs .
However , after finishing my evening homework assignments and eating my dinner , watching news anchors gibber at my television screen was the last thing I wanted to devote the remainder of my evening to .
That was until the Los @ @ @ @ @ @ @ acquitted for beating Rodney King to within an inch of his life .
The nation was riveted by the Los Angeles riots , as was I .
For a period of weeks I remained glued to the television as residents rampaged through their own neighborhoods , lighting fires that engulfed entire buildings , looting businesses , and assaulting innocent bystanders .
I watched in horror as four individuals pulled a white man — Reginald Denny — from his truck and beat him mercilessly before smashing a brick against the side of his head @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I turned to my father and said , “ Dad , I know they are doing all of this because of the Rodney King verdict .
But why are they hurting regular people .
Why aren ’ t they protesting at the police department ?
” My dad shrugged .
“ I don ’ t know , Eze.
” His eyes were downcast .
“ America.
” Plumes of smoke escaped burning buildings , blackening entire miles of the California sky .
The first George Bush had to send in the National Guard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It looked as if the city was experiencing some sort of Armageddon .
In the ensuing aftermath of the Los Angeles Riots , Sister Souljah , then a female member of the rap group Public Enemy , sat down for an interview with a Washington Post news reporter .
During the interview , Souljah was asked a question about black-on-white violence .
Souljah responded with the following comment : “ Yeah , it was wise .
I mean , if black people kill black people every day , why not have a week @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people , this government and that mayor were well aware of the fact that black people were dying every day in Los Angeles under gang violence .
So if you ’ re a gang member and you would normally be killing somebody , why not kill a white person ?
Do you think that somebody thinks that white people are better , are above and beyond dying , when they would kill their own kind ?
” Bill Clinton , the former democratic governor of the state of Arkansas and current presidential candidate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ comments to the Washington Post and lyrics in a music video , and pounced like a hungry lion on an antelope .
He stood before the Jesse Jackson Rainbow Coalition and said the following : “ If you took the words ‘ white ’ and ‘ black , ’ and you reversed them , you might think David Duke was giving that speech.
” Bill Clinton was elected president of the United States in November , 1992 .
After his election , the prospect of a rap artists visiting a president at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the ancestors of people who looked like the rappers that mainstream America vilified , was very small .
Barack Obama was elected president of the United States sixteen years later , an even more seismic event that the riots of 1992 .
Rap artist and media mogul Jay-Z , a former crack dealer from Brooklyn , New York , and rap artist Young Jeezy took the stage at Washington D.C ’ s Club Love and performed their memorable congratulatory song , My President .
Jay-Z ’ s future wife , Beyonce , would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ball .
My interest in news and politics shot through roof after Obama became our first black President of the United States .
I watched cable news with my father , made sure to read news of the president on the internet every single day , and became a member of a little know political news website named Dailykos.com .
I would agonize over sudden shifts in Obama ’ s poll numbers , curse the Republicans and some Democrats who did everything in their power to see him fail , and I prayed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rap artist Common to the White House for a music and literature event .
Conservative politicians — people who insist that wealth should reside in the hands of a select few — and their sympathizers pounced , thinking that they could score some political points by linking the lyrics in some of Common ’ s more militant songs to the Obama ’ s own views about race and power .
I feared that the Republicans ’ strategy would bear fruit , and lead to sliding poll numbers for the young first-term president .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ song , Obama brushed that criticism off of his shoulders and kept moving .
He would go onto host many more rap artists at the White House in the subsequent aftermath of the Common fiasco , and many of these rap stars could be described as “ controversial ” by conservative critics .
The Obamas were able to hobnob and pose for photos with rap legends and contemporary rap stars .
Jay-Z , Janelle Monae , Ludacris , Big Sean , Doug-E-Fresh , and Queen Latifah are some examples .
President Obama seemed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would often pose for photos with them without hesitation .
The moment where Obama is photographed shaking hands with Kendrick Lamar , a generational rap talent who grew up in Compton California , is one of my favorite moments from the Obama presidency .
In the photo , Obama is dressed in a blue suit .
Kendrick Lamar looks to be wearing a sweat shirt adorned with a glittering neck chain , his hair plaited into cornrow style braids .
Lamar , who would have been considered too controversial to visit a president @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , was enthusiastically welcomed into the house of the most powerful man in the world .
The two of them were paragons of one of Obama ’ s favorite mantras : “ You can make it if you try ” .
I ’ d assumed that rappers popping in for a visit at the White House was going to be a regular occurrence going forward .
And then Donald Trump was elected president in November , 2016 , shocking the entire world .
Donald Trump was born and raised rich in Queens , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ York real estate mogul and a celebrated personality .
There is a photo of Sean Combs ( Puff Daddy ) chatting with Donald Trump and his wife back in the day .
And rap artist Nelly mentioned Donald Trump in one of his songs .
In fact , Donald Trump was treated as an icon in the rap community , and had been mentioned favorably in over three-hundred rap songs before he became a presidential candidate .
But shortly after becoming the President of the United States he instituted a racist Muslim Ban @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ son of bitches ” in a speech , and has locked young Latino kids in cages along the southern border .
These actions , along with countless other despicable policies and behaviors , have contributed to a widespread rescinding of support from nearly all members of the rap community .
The only rappers who ’ ve deigned to visit President Donald Trump during his time in office are Kanye West , whom Obama chided for bullying Taylor Swift on stage a while ago , and Kid Rock , a rap metal musician @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after he made inappropriate comments about Taylor Swift in a tweet .
Why are Trump rappers so aggressive in their hatred for Taylor Swift ?
We ’ re in the fourth year of the Trump presidency , and he continues to devolve into an increasingly racist , dangerous , incompetent , buffoon .
Just recently , he launched a preemptive attack against the Iranian military and is currently breaking the law by detaining Iranian American citizens at the border , he ’ s shipping asylum seekers to Guatemala against their will , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ roll back protections against discrimination in housing .
With the passage of each day , Trump is providing rap artists with more fodder to bash him over the head with in their songs .
As long as Trump remains president , the leading rap artists of the day will stay away , which is a shame since many rap artists are what you call conscious rappers — these artists focus on creating awareness , disseminating knowledge , and calling for action to cure society ’ s ills — who could offer the president @ @ @ @ @ @ @ members of traditionally marginalized communities .
I am hopeful that the next presidential election leads to the removal of Trump from the White House , making way for a new president ( Bernie Sanders ) who rap artists will respect .

In the early spring of 1992, I was an often antagonized freshman at Denver’s George Washington High school. I was enrolled in eight separate classes, with my favorite class being Social Studies and American Government.
I should have been supplementing my social science education by watching the local and national news programs. However, after finishing my evening homework assignments and eating my dinner, watching news anchors gibber at my television screen was the last thing I wanted to devote the remainder of my evening to. That was until the Los Angeles riots erupted after four cops were acquitted for beating Rodney King to within an inch of his life.
The nation was riveted by the Los Angeles riots, as was I. For a period of weeks I remained glued to the television as residents rampaged through their own neighborhoods, lighting fires that engulfed entire buildings, looting businesses, and assaulting innocent bystanders.
I watched in horror as four individuals pulled a white man — Reginald Denny — from his truck and beat him mercilessly before smashing a brick against the side of his head and raising their arms in triumph. I turned to my father and said, “Dad, I know they are doing all of this because of the Rodney King verdict. But why are they hurting regular people. Why aren’t they protesting at the police department? ”
My dad shrugged. “I don’t know, Eze.” His eyes were downcast. “America.”
America.
Plumes of smoke escaped burning buildings, blackening entire miles of the California sky. The first George Bush had to send in the National Guard to try and quell the violence. It looked as if the city was experiencing some sort of Armageddon.
In the ensuing aftermath of the Los Angeles Riots, Sister Souljah, then a female member of the rap group Public Enemy, sat down for an interview with a Washington Post news reporter. During the interview, Souljah was asked a question about black-on-white violence. Souljah responded with the following comment:
“Yeah, it was wise. I mean, if black people kill black people every day, why not have a week and kill white people?… White people, this government and that mayor were well aware of the fact that black people were dying every day in Los Angeles under gang violence. So if you’re a gang member and you would normally be killing somebody, why not kill a white person? Do you think that somebody thinks that white people are better, are above and beyond dying, when they would kill their own kind?”
Bill Clinton, the former democratic governor of the state of Arkansas and current presidential candidate, caught wind of Souljah’s comments to the Washington Post and lyrics in a music video, and pounced like a hungry lion on an antelope. He stood before the Jesse Jackson Rainbow Coalition and said the following:
“If you took the words ‘white’ and ‘black,’ and you reversed them, you might think David Duke was giving that speech.”
Bill Clinton was elected president of the United States in November, 1992. After his election, the prospect of a rap artists visiting a president at the White House, a building constructed by the ancestors of people who looked like the rappers that mainstream America vilified, was very small.
Barack Obama was elected president of the United States sixteen years later, an even more seismic event that the riots of 1992. Rap artist and media mogul Jay-Z, a former crack dealer from Brooklyn, New York, and rap artist Young Jeezy took the stage at Washington D.C’s Club Love and performed their memorable congratulatory song, My President. Jay-Z’s future wife, Beyonce, would perform at the Obama’s inaugural ball.
My interest in news and politics shot through roof after Obama became our first black President of the United States. I watched cable news with my father, made sure to read news of the president on the internet every single day, and became a member of a little know political news website named Dailykos.com. I would agonize over sudden shifts in Obama’s poll numbers, curse the Republicans and some Democrats who did everything in their power to see him fail, and I prayed for his safety.
Obama would invite rap artist Common to the White House for a music and literature event. Conservative politicians — people who insist that wealth should reside in the hands of a select few — and their sympathizers pounced, thinking that they could score some political points by linking the lyrics in some of Common’s more militant songs to the Obama’s own views about race and power. I feared that the Republicans’ strategy would bear fruit, and lead to sliding poll numbers for the young first-term president.
But, just like in the Jay-Z song, Obama brushed that criticism off of his shoulders and kept moving. He would go onto host many more rap artists at the White House in the subsequent aftermath of the Common fiasco, and many of these rap stars could be described as “controversial” by conservative critics. The Obamas were able to hobnob and pose for photos with rap legends and contemporary rap stars. Jay-Z, Janelle Monae, Ludacris, Big Sean, Doug-E-Fresh, and Queen Latifah are some examples. President Obama seemed comfortable chatting with rap stars, and would often pose for photos with them without hesitation.
The moment where Obama is photographed shaking hands with Kendrick Lamar, a generational rap talent who grew up in Compton California, is one of my favorite moments from the Obama presidency. In the photo, Obama is dressed in a blue suit. Kendrick Lamar looks to be wearing a sweat shirt adorned with a glittering neck chain, his hair plaited into cornrow style braids. Lamar, who would have been considered too controversial to visit a president at the White House in the past, was enthusiastically welcomed into the house of the most powerful man in the world. The two of them were paragons of one of Obama’s favorite mantras: “You can make it if you try”.
I’d assumed that rappers popping in for a visit at the White House was going to be a regular occurrence going forward.
And then Donald Trump was elected president in November, 2016, shocking the entire world.
Donald Trump was born and raised rich in Queens, New York. He became a New York real estate mogul and a celebrated personality. There is a photo of Sean Combs(Puff Daddy)chatting with Donald Trump and his wife back in the day. And rap artist Nelly mentioned Donald Trump in one of his songs. In fact, Donald Trump was treated as an icon in the rap community, and had been mentioned favorably in over three-hundred rap songs before he became a presidential candidate.
But shortly after becoming the President of the United States he instituted a racist Muslim Ban, called the mothers of black men “son of bitches” in a speech, and has locked young Latino kids in cages along the southern border. These actions, along with countless other despicable policies and behaviors, have contributed to a widespread rescinding of support from nearly all members of the rap community. The only rappers who’ve deigned to visit President Donald Trump during his time in office are Kanye West, whom Obama chided for bullying Taylor Swift on stage a while ago, and Kid Rock, a rap metal musician who has been described as a misogynist after he made inappropriate comments about Taylor Swift in a tweet. Why are Trump rappers so aggressive in their hatred for Taylor Swift?
We’re in the fourth year of the Trump presidency, and he continues to devolve into an increasingly racist, dangerous, incompetent, buffoon. Just recently, he launched a preemptive attack against the Iranian military and is currently breaking the law by detaining Iranian American citizens at the border, he’s shipping asylum seekers to Guatemala against their will, and has instructed the head of HUD to roll back protections against discrimination in housing. With the passage of each day, Trump is providing rap artists with more fodder to bash him over the head with in their songs.
As long as Trump remains president, the leading rap artists of the day will stay away, which is a shame since many rap artists are what you call conscious rappers — these artists focus on creating awareness, disseminating knowledge, and calling for action to cure society’s ills — who could offer the president and his minions insight into issues affecting members of traditionally marginalized communities. I am hopeful that the next presidential election leads to the removal of Trump from the White House, making way for a new president (Bernie Sanders) who rap artists will respect.


dailykos--2020-01-09--Biden Still Leads Nationally, Iowa Is a Toss Up and Some Trends That Are Hardening

Checking the polling sites today for the latest on the primary races , January Polling/Democratic Primaries .
We are getting to the time in the process where things are beginning to crystallize to the point some general observations can be made about the state of the Democratic field .
Because there is no charismatic newcomer that has hearts all a twitter as we saw with Obama , Dean before him and the surprising rise of Bernie in 2016 , this election primary season is more typical in many ways and therefore somewhat easier to forecast what may be coming .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ I don ’ t see anything on the political horizon that will alter them much before we get to Super Tuesday on March 3rd .
The top three Democratic candidates are well known to the public so it is unlikely there will be any dramatic shifts brought on by new revelations or policy additions that would elevate/decimate a candidate in the run up to March .
Here are some of those trends : • Biden has a comfortable national lead that will be hard to dislodge until the progressive coalition chooses either Sanders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ started to pull away and I suspect that this be fully realized if he wins both Iowa and New Hampshire .
• Biden ’ s lead is solid and holding despite some bumps .
He will not benefit as much from the Buttigieg or Klobuchar defections as Sanders will in the crossover from Warren .
Also , Buttigieg isn ’ t going anywhere .
He has a boat load of money and is using this to build his brand for the future .
Be it politics or business , he can write his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Iran situation could be a wash for Biden .
By that I mean he could benefit from foreign policy wariness as a stabilizing influence , yet take criticism for his part in history that arguably led to those events .
A prediction based on these trends is that it will be Biden and Sanders left standing at a brokered Democratic convention this summer ( ( not the party bosses in a back room style brokered , but “ a mutual agreement arising out of the desire to not alienate impassioned Bernie voters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) .
Disclaimer : I have already stated in an earlier diary that I fully believe Sanders will win the nomination .

Checking the polling sites today for the latest on the primary races, January Polling/Democratic Primaries.
We are getting to the time in the process where things are beginning to crystallize to the point some general observations can be made about the state of the Democratic field.
Because there is no charismatic newcomer that has hearts all a twitter as we saw with Obama, Dean before him and the surprising rise of Bernie in 2016, this election primary season is more typical in many ways and therefore somewhat easier to forecast what may be coming.
Some trends are beginning to harden and I don’t see anything on the political horizon that will alter them much before we get to Super Tuesday on March 3rd. The top three Democratic candidates are well known to the public so it is unlikely there will be any dramatic shifts brought on by new revelations or policy additions that would elevate/decimate a candidate in the run up to March. Here are some of those trends:
Biden has a comfortable national lead that will be hard to dislodge until the progressive coalition chooses either Sanders or Warren. Right now Sanders has started to pull away and I suspect that this be fully realized if he wins both Iowa and New Hampshire.
Biden’s lead is solid and holding despite some bumps. He will not benefit as much from the Buttigieg or Klobuchar defections as Sanders will in the crossover from Warren. Also, Buttigieg isn’t going anywhere. He has a boat load of money and is using this to build his brand for the future. Be it politics or business, he can write his own ticket coming out of this. The Iran situation could be a wash for Biden. By that I mean he could benefit from foreign policy wariness as a stabilizing influence, yet take criticism for his part in history that arguably led to those events.
A prediction based on these trends is that it will be Biden and Sanders left standing at a brokered Democratic convention this summer ((not the party bosses in a back room style brokered, but “a mutual agreement arising out of the desire to not alienate impassioned Bernie voters causing Democrats to lose” style brokered).
Disclaimer: I have already stated in an earlier diary that I fully believe Sanders will win the nomination.


dailykos--2020-01-09--Pelosi Should be Willing to Hold Impeachment Articles as Long as McConnell Held Garland Nomination

Speaker Pelosi should put out a statement announcing that she is ready and willing to withhold the articles of impeachment from the Senate for as long a period as Mitch McConnell withheld President Obama ’ s nomination of Merrick Garland to the Supreme Court , unless McConnell agrees to a fair impeachment trial including witness testimony and documents and any other pertinent evidence .
Mitch McConnell should be the last person whining about Nancy Pelosi playing politics with one of the solemn responsibilities spelled out in our nation ’ s Constitution , and reminding the world of how he held @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nonsense right to the bone .
President Obama announced his pick of Merrick Garland on March 16 , 2016 .
Donald Trump was not inaugurated until January 20 , 2017 .
That made it 310 days that McConnell blocked the Garland nomination .
Donald Trump was impeached December 18 , 2019 .
310 Days would take us to October 23 , 2020 — less than two weeks before the 2020 General Election .
“ I do solemnly swear ( or affirm ) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United @ @ @ @ @ @ @ domestic ; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same ; that I take this obligation freely , without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion ; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter : So help me God.
” As a Senator , Mitch McConnell and the rest of the Republican Senators took an oath to support the Constitution — not Donald Trump .
Yet they want to argue that it is Pelosi and the Democratic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than treating it with the serious gravity that it truly encompasses — we have a corrupt , unhinged and tyrannical President , it is in the country ’ s best interests to force his removal from office .
Donald Trump and the rest of the Republican Party would have you believe that as President , he can do whatever he wants and break any laws he wants , like a king or emperor — but this goes against the very nature of the Constitution on which this country was founded .
And indeed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ needed to remove such an occupant from office .
That is why Speaker Pelosi should be applauded for doing damn near everything in her power , to serve the interests of this country , uphold the values of the Constitution , and ensure the Senate holds a fully prosecuted and unbiased impeachment trial .
While many of us and many in the media may have become desensitized to Republicans and their disregard for the Constitution they loudly claim to respect — it is vitally important to highlight these , nowadays , brazen acts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their Donald Trump over this country , it ’ s Constitution , and its citizens .

Speaker Pelosi should put out a statement announcing that she is ready and willing to withhold the articles of impeachment from the Senate for as long a period as Mitch McConnell withheld President Obama’s nomination of Merrick Garland to the Supreme Court, unless McConnell agrees to a fair impeachment trial including witness testimony and documents and any other pertinent evidence. Mitch McConnell should be the last person whining about Nancy Pelosi playing politics with one of the solemn responsibilities spelled out in our nation’s Constitution, and reminding the world of how he held up the Garland nomination will cut that nonsense right to the bone.
President Obama announced his pick of Merrick Garland on March 16, 2016. Donald Trump was not inaugurated until January 20, 2017. That made it 310 days that McConnell blocked the Garland nomination.
Donald Trump was impeached December 18, 2019. 310 Days would take us to October 23, 2020 — less than two weeks before the 2020 General Election.
“I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter: So help me God.” - The Oath We Take
As a Senator, Mitch McConnell and the rest of the Republican Senators took an oath to support the Constitution — not Donald Trump.
Yet they want to argue that it is Pelosi and the Democratic Party who is politicizing impeachment, rather than treating it with the serious gravity that it truly encompasses — we have a corrupt, unhinged and tyrannical President, it is in the country’s best interests to force his removal from office. Donald Trump and the rest of the Republican Party would have you believe that as President, he can do whatever he wants and break any laws he wants, like a king or emperor — but this goes against the very nature of the Constitution on which this country was founded. And indeed, the Constitution includes the very mechanisms needed to remove such an occupant from office. That is why Speaker Pelosi should be applauded for doing damn near everything in her power, to serve the interests of this country, uphold the values of the Constitution, and ensure the Senate holds a fully prosecuted and unbiased impeachment trial.
While many of us and many in the media may have become desensitized to Republicans and their disregard for the Constitution they loudly claim to respect — it is vitally important to highlight these, nowadays, brazen acts by Republicans to prioritize their Party and their Donald Trump over this country, it’s Constitution, and its citizens.


THE TALE OF THE

THE TALE OF THE I was going to write something about trump , then I stopped .
As you can see , even the title stuck in my proverbial throat .
It ’ s just that my disdain for the man has grown to such a level that even writing bout his inadequacies , or anything about him at all brings on negative feelings so strong that my only recourse is to turn away .
Two years ago , I stopped watching Saturday Night Live .
During the run-up to the 2016 election , I got a hoot out of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Back then , I was sure he ’ d never get the nomination .
Then I was sure that a competent and experienced candidate such as Hillary Clinton would easily defeat him .
Surely the American people , who after all benefit from basic and/or advanced education , would understand that a tyro such as trump was severely unqualified for the job of president .
Hell , I thought Ross Perot was an interesting candidate , and thought that his business-forward approach was perhaps what America needed back in those days , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ even making it to the election .
The office of president is more than running a company .
It requires diplomatic skills , which trump lacks , it necessitates an historical perspective , a term I don ’ t think trump would even understand , and it begs the need for a real and abiding empathy , which as far as I can tell has never resided in the bosom of the current president .
So more and more , I grew to regard all his appearances , all his oratory ( if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ even the mere sound of his voice as repugnant .
Thus , knowing that most episodes of SNL would include an opening or a segment making fun of trump , even someone imitating him began to be an irritant .
So I tuned out .
I of course watch the news .
It is imperative to keep up to date with our current world .
But I often turn it off after a few words from trump , as I began doing when Sarah Huckabee would give her “ press conferences.
” The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ us ; they discontinued the press briefings all together .
( BTW , is anyone else as alarmed as I am at that bit of demagoguery ? )
In 2019 , for the first time in many years , I did not tune in to watch the State of the Union speech .
Why irritate myself , I thought .
I know what he ’ s going to say , I know how the Congressmen and women will respond , I even know what the ad nauseam commentary will be post speech .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He thinks he ’ s not .
Nice suit , emperor !
So I started out today to make a comment on trump ’ s obvious cloudiness last night when he addressed the nation and the world about the past forty-eight hours in the Middle East .
He was sweating , he was bleary-eyed , he slurred not one but many words , and misspoke several words , much like a person coming out of surgery .
Aren ’ t we alarmed ?
We should be .
And perhaps even more alarmed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Graham , stated that this was the best speech since Ronald Reagan told Gorbachev to “ tear down that wall.
” Is Lindsay incapacitated too ?
Had he been drinking ?
No rational person watching the president speak last nigh could come away anything but shaken at the apparent incoherence of the man .
And he is in charge .
He has the fate of the world in his sweaty palms .
There .
I got that much out .
I have to stop now .
The taste of gall is impeding my @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spit .

THE TALE OF THE
I was going to write something about trump, then I stopped. As you can see, even the title stuck in my proverbial throat. It’s just that my disdain for the man has grown to such a level that even writing bout his inadequacies, or anything about him at all brings on negative feelings so strong that my only recourse is to turn away.
Two years ago, I stopped watching Saturday Night Live. During the run-up to the 2016 election, I got a hoot out of Alec Baldwin’s impersonation of trump. Back then, I was sure he’d never get the nomination. Then I was sure that a competent and experienced candidate such as Hillary Clinton would easily defeat him. Surely the American people, who after all benefit from basic and/or advanced education, would understand that a tyro such as trump was severely unqualified for the job of president. Hell, I thought Ross Perot was an interesting candidate, and thought that his business-forward approach was perhaps what America needed back in those days, and he was soundly trounced, never even making it to the election. The office of president is more than running a company. It requires diplomatic skills, which trump lacks, it necessitates an historical perspective, a term I don’t think trump would even understand, and it begs the need for a real and abiding empathy, which as far as I can tell has never resided in the bosom of the current president. So more and more, I grew to regard all his appearances, all his oratory (if it can be called that), even the mere sound of his voice as repugnant. Thus, knowing that most episodes of SNL would include an opening or a segment making fun of trump, even someone imitating him began to be an irritant. So I tuned out.
I of course watch the news. It is imperative to keep up to date with our current world. But I often turn it off after a few words from trump, as I began doing when Sarah Huckabee would give her “press conferences.” The administration solved that problem for all of us; they discontinued the press briefings all together. (BTW, is anyone else as alarmed as I am at that bit of demagoguery?) In 2019, for the first time in many years, I did not tune in to watch the State of the Union speech. Why irritate myself, I thought. I know what he’s going to say, I know how the Congressmen and women will respond, I even know what the ad nauseam commentary will be post speech. The man is nothing if not predictable. He thinks he’s not. Nice suit, emperor!
So I started out today to make a comment on trump’s obvious cloudiness last night when he addressed the nation and the world about the past forty-eight hours in the Middle East. He was sweating, he was bleary-eyed, he slurred not one but many words, and misspoke several words, much like a person coming out of surgery. Aren’t we alarmed? We should be. And perhaps even more alarmed when a prominent Senator, one Lindsay Graham, stated that this was the best speech since Ronald Reagan told Gorbachev to “tear down that wall.”
Is Lindsay incapacitated too? Had he been drinking? No rational person watching the president speak last nigh could come away anything but shaken at the apparent incoherence of the man. And he is in charge. He has the fate of the world in his sweaty palms.
There. I got that much out. I have to stop now. The taste of gall is impeding my very appetite. I have to go spit.