Month: July 2021

56th Anniversary Of Medicare And Medicaid: A Salute To Lyndon B. Johnson And The Great Society!

The nation is celebrating the 56th Anniversary of Medicare and Medicaid, a time to salute President Lyndon B. Johnson and the Great Society of the 1960s.

It is impossible to imagine how much worse off this nation would be if Johnson had not used his powers of “Wheeling and Dealing” to accomplish the health care legislation which has saved millions of American lives in the past half century, and made the lives of the elderly, the disabled, and the poor far better.

Government is not there just for the wealthy to get tax breaks, but also to serve the needs of the American people, and it is soothing to know how much Medicare and Medicaid have changed the lives of the American people.

Along with Social Security, passed into law under Franklin D. Roosevelt and the New Deal in 1935, Medicare and Medicaid have transformed lives over the decades, despite the naysayers, mostly conservatives and Republicans, who love to call these laws “Socialism”!

If these transformational legislative achievements are “Socialism”, so be it!

Carl Levin Of Michigan, A Giant In The Senate, Dies At 87!

Former Democratic Senator Carl Levin of Michigan, a true giant of the Senate, has passed away at age 87.

Levin had a distinguished 36 year career in the Senate from 1978 to 2014.

He was rated one of the top ten US Senators in a Time Magazine article in 2006.

He was the fourth longest serving incumbent at his retirement in 2015, and was the longest serving Senator in Michigan history.

He served alongside his Congressman brother Sander Levin, both of them outstanding Senators of the Jewish faith, and both had a great impact on Michigan and the nation.

Carl Levin was Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman, and served alongside Republicans and worked well across the aisle with them, promoting civil dialogue.

He supported the revival of the auto industry, and supported efforts to address pollution and other environmental issues affecting the Great Lakes.

He promoted a crackdown on offshore tax havens, and was an advocate for stem cell research and gun control laws.

He gained respect for his attention to detail and deep knowledge of policy.

Levin came across as a “regular guy”, who was unassuming and unpretentious.

His kind will not be easily found in the future, as he was, in many ways, one of a kind.

Rest in Peace, Carl Levin, you will be well remembered in the annals of history!

17 Republicans Join 50 Democrats In First Senate Vote On Physical Infrastructure Legislation

In a surprising development, 17 Republican Senators joined the 50 Democratic Senators to vote for a version of the Physical Infrastructure legislation, a promising sign of bipartisanship.

The 17 Republicans who voted in favor include:

Roy Blunt Missouri
Richard Burr North Carolina
Shelley Moore Capito West Virginia
Bill Cassidy Louisiana
Susan Collins Maine
Kevin Cramer North Dakota
Mike Crapo Idaho
Lindsey Graham South Carolina
Chuck Grassley Iowa
John Hoeven North Dakota
Mitch McConnell Kentucky
Lisa Murkowski Alaska
Rob Portman Ohio
James Risch Idaho
Mitt Romney Utah
Thom Tillis North Carolina
Todd Young Indiana

This list includes moderates Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski, and Mitt Romney, but also leading figures in the party, including Lindsey Graham, Chuck Grassley, Mitch McConnell, and Rob Portman. It also includes both Republican Senators from North Carolina, North Dakota, and Idaho, an unlikely scenario!

And yet, Donald Trump has condemned this move in the Senate, and particularly attacked Mitt Romney, terming him a RINO (Republican In Name Only), and it is all jealousy that he was unable to accomplish any infrastructure legislation during his Presidency, despite saying it was an important goal!

It is good to see that Republicans are ignoring Donald Trump on this matter, and hopefully, the party will wrest its freedom from the danger that Donald Trump represents!

The “G Traitors And Seditionists”—Matt Gaetz, Louie Gohmert, Paul Gosar, Marjorie Taylor Greene!

The Republican Party has become a party of traitors and seditionists, unwilling to accept reality that Donald Trump incited the January 6, 2021 US Capitol Insurrection!

Only a small few have been willing to fight against the “party line” promoted by House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy and others in the party, who instead are attacking Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger as “Pelosi Republicans” for their willingness to join in the investigation by the January 6 House Committee, which began yesterday.

A particularly obscene group of four House Republican members, which should be known as the “G Traitors and Seditionists”—Matt Gaetz of Florida, Louie Gohmert of Texas, Paul Gosar of Arizona, and Marjorie Taylor Greene—held a press conference after yesterday’s hearing, trying to negate the courage shown by the four police officers—Harry Dunn and Aquilino Gonell of the US Capitol Police and Michael Fanone and Daniel Hodges of the Washington DC Metropolitan Police Department.

These four disgraces need to be prosecuted and expelled from the Congress, as traitors to the Constitution, American democracy, and the rule of law!

First Day Testimony Of Four Police Officers Before The January 6 Commission Gripping And Emotional!

Today’s first day testimony of four police officers before the January 6 Commission on the January 6 Insurrection was truly gripping and very emotional.

All four officers demonstrated great courage in how they handled themselves on January 6, working to protect the US Capitol and the members of Congress who were threatened that day by seditionists and traitors.

Particularly disturbing was the description by an African American officer of the racist statements made to his face by these insurrectionists.

Particular kudos are due to Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger for their commitment to truth, facts, and holding those accountable for the disgraceful violence and bloodshed of that day.

The Republican leadership, led by Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, is destroying the image of the party as supporters of the law enforcement community, by their denial of reality of what truly happened on January 6.

Kevin McCarthy must be called to testify, and not be allowed to evade responsibility for his sins in backing Donald Trump in this debacle.

31st Anniversary Of Americans With Disabilities Act!

It has been 31 years since President George H. W. Bush signed into law the Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990.

This law would open up the world to Americans with disabilities of all kinds–both mental and physical conditions.

It covers employment, public public entities and public transportation, public accommodations and commercial facilities, and there have been many legal cases further augmenting the basic law, which was added to under President George W. Bush.

It gives disabled people hope and promise that they can achieve as much as possible, backed by federal law and courts.

It is one of the most lasting impacts of both Presidents Bush in history!

Adam Kinzinger Second Republican Added To January 6 House Committee Investigation By Nancy Pelosi

The House Select Committee on the January 6 US Capitol Insurrection has been greatly improved by the announcement of Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi that Illinois Republican Congressman Adam Kinzinger has agreed to join the investigation.

Kinzinger, like the other House Republican on the committee, Congresswoman Liz Cheney of Wyoming, is a solid conservative who does not support most Democratic Party ideas and values, but they are both, ultimately, patriots who understand that what happened on January 6, 2021 was an attack on the Constitution, American democracy, and the rule of law.

Both Kinzinger and Cheney are strong critics of Donald Trump, and make clear that he has hijacked the Republican Party and the conservative movement, and is a threat to the survival of the Republican Party and the conservative ideology, but both are willing to do what is necessary for the betterment of the nation.

Both have, and will continued to experience, bitter and vicious attacks, and will face tough primaries in the Midterm Congressional elections of 2022, and may lose their seats and even membership on committees as a result.

But they are putting the nation ahead of their own personal interests, and one can wish that they will add a great deal to the investigation of January 6, and help to hold those complicit in that attack on the US Capitol, to the full extent of the law.

Since there would be little chance of the Illinois district of Kinzinger going to the Democrats, and likekly, zero chance of the state of Wyoming At Large Congressional district going Democratic, we can all wish that both Kinzinger and Cheney are successful in retaining their seats in the House of Representatives in November 2022.

Even if that does not happen, they will be well remembered in history as “Profiles in Courage”!

Fox News Channel, One America News Network, Newsmax All Undermining Fight Against COVID 19

The three right wing cable news channels—Fox News Channel, One America News Network (OANN), and Newsmax—are involved in a competition to undermine the fight against COVID 19.

In effect, they are in the process of killing off many of their own crazy, clueless, ignorant loyalists!

The anti science, anti medicine channels are undermining public health and safety, and are being promoted by a vast majority of Republican members of Congress and many reckless, irresponsible state governors and legislators, including Ron DeSantis of Florida; Greg Abbott of Texas; and Kristi Noem of South Dakota, among others.

Social media, and in particular, Facebook, are also engaging in this disgraceful spreading of lies, myths, and conspiracy theories!

This is undermining the ability of the United States to move forward on the long list of problems the nation faces, with no sense of patriotism or loyalty to the nation, on the part of these treasonous, seditionist forces!

The Supreme Court Is Undermining American Democracy And Basic Human Rights!

America is in a tragic situation, of a nation clearly more progressive than the Supreme Court, which has now been stacked with 6 solid conservatives out to take away voting rights, abortion rights, and protect corporations at the expense of workers.

At times, some of the 6 Republican appointees surprise, but clearly, the rights of people of color, women, labor, environmental causes, and basic civil liberties are under constant threat.

And the thought that five of the 6 Republican appointments to the Supreme Court were made by Presidents (George W. Bush, Donald Trump) who did NOT win the popular vote, but rather in contested elections, were awarded the Electoral College majority in 2000 and 2016!

We are in a crisis situation, where the Court is undermining American democracy and basic human rights!

Donald Trump Calls Mike Pence A “Statue”; Others Call Pence A Fawning, Admiring Sycophant!

Donald Trump has called his Vice President, Mike Pence, a “statue”, for refusing to prevent the Electoral College victory for Joe Biden on January 6, 2021, which led to the US Capitol Insurrection that is now being investigated without the support of the Republican Party faithful, who mostly still support Donald Trump.

Mike Pence was under threat on January 6, 2021, and Donald Trump did not care, and for that alone, Trump should spend the rest of his life in prison for treason and sedition, including the endangerment of all members of Congress, and the destruction that went on in the US Capitol building by the right wing white supremacists who were assisted by some of the Republican members of Congress!

Mike Pence took his constitutional duties seriously, and the fact that the Republican Party continues to support Donald Trump, is disgrace and an insult to Pence!

But it is reality that Mike Pence has proved until that date, January 6, 2021, to be a fawning, obsequious sycophant, who embarrassed himself by his public signs of total loyalty and unwillingness to show any guts or courage to Trump’s outrageous behavior during his term, and he will not be looked fondly upon in history!

Rather, he will go down as a too obedient, overly admiring individual to Donald Trump’s misbehavior over four years, much too weak and unwilling to show guts, courage, and a spine until the most dangerous moment in American history since the Civil War!