Democrats

The Loss Of Moderate Conservative Republican Principle: Ben Sasse, Rob Portman, James Lankford

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Looking at the Republican members of the US Senate, trying to find those who “might” be considered “moderate” conservatives who have some ethics and principles, is a tormenting task.

Republican Senators, with the exception of Mitt Romney, have been unwilling to speak up against the transgressions of Donald Trump, remaining silent in the midst of so much lawlessness and evil.

So when one tries to make a list of possibly “retrievable” Republican Senators, other than Lisa Murkowski of Alaska at times, and even Susan Collins at fewer times, who makes the list?

Senator Ben Sasse of Nebraska

Senator Rob Portman of Ohio

Senator James Lankford of Oklahoma

These three seem reasonable occasionally in statements and actions, but one cannot be very optimistic about them despite the occasional exceptions. The first two have been seen as potential future Republican Presidential contenders, while Lankford is young enough, and at times, rational enough, that he might also be added to a potential Presidential candidate list.

This is the sad state of the Republican Party in 2020, while in the past, there were always “reasonable” Republicans to work with “across the aisle” with Democrats.

Donald Trump Proving Inability To Deal With CoronaVirus Crisis

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Donald Trump is proving his inability to deal with the CoronaVirus Crisis, as all he is doing is playing politics, attacking Democrats with his insults, and contradicting health experts.

He is more concerned with his reelection, than caring about Americans and their health.

He seems totally out of control, unable to deal with reality, and his mental instability is clear to anyone who has a brain.

Some worry about Joe Biden and his mental stability, but Biden is showing statesmanship by saying that the President should keep his mouth shut, and let the health experts take control and do what they know best, how to control a situation that requires calm and measured judgment.

Americans are seeing just how incompetent our President is, as if they did not know it already, if they had been paying attention to his day by day actions and utterances for the past three years!

Donald Trump Has Attacked 430 Targets On Twitter Since He Announced For President, But NOT Vladimir Putin, Stormy Daniels, Nor Rachel Maddow!

Ronald 17 Comments

By several estimates, subject to some re-evaluation by major news sources, President Donald Trump has attacked about 430 targets on Twitter since he announced for President in June 2015.

News media sources;
the judiciary;
Republican leaders and members of the party in Congress;
Democratic leaders and members of the party in Congress;
state governors;
corporations;
every one of his Republican opponents in 2016;
every Democratic opponent in 2016;
sports figures;
Hollywood film and music personalities;
intellectuals and professors;
conservative critics;
women who accuse Trump of sexual harassment;
African Americans;
Muslims;
Hispanics;
leaders of foreign nations;
intelligence agencies;
national security agencies;
international organizations;
cabinet and other Trump Administration participants past and present;
and on and on and on!

Who has he NOT attacked? The list is quite brief: Vladimir Putin of Russia and some other authoritarian leaders around the world, Stormy Daniels, and get this, Rachel Maddow of MNSBC!

It is clear Stormy Daniels has some evidence on Trump, that makes him afraid to attack her, although her lawyer has been under attack by people around Trump.

Rachel Maddow? Weird, but true, and totally unexplained at this point!

The Plot To Privatize The Department Of Veterans Affairs, And The Firing Of Secretary David Shulkin, Just A Beginning To Privatize Much Of Federal Government

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It is clear that Donald Trump, and his right wing friends, billionaires Charles and David Koch, and other right wing extremists, are out to destroy the Federal government involvement in just about every government agency other than the original cabinet agencies created in 1789–State, Treasury, (War)Defense, and Justice.

So the firing of Secretary of Veterans Affairs David Shulkin is clearly a move to make Veterans Affairs privatized, which is a horrible idea, as taking care of our veterans should not be based on the profit motive. There is also a plan to privatize Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, Education, the Post Office, and other government agencies.

Those who care about a responsive national government being protected must understand that “war” has been declared by the extremists on the right, who do not give a damn about the lives of 325 million Americans, only downgrading federal government as it has operated since the beginning of the 20th century and President Theodore Roosevelt.

Regulation and intervention has advanced America, but the big corporations and the elite wealthy want to reverse, and destroy, all progress for average Americans to make our nation more humane and responsive.

This is the time for liberals, progressives, and Democrats to work to deny the success of this plot, so every caring American must work to get rid of the Republican majority in Congress, so that the fight against the evil of the Trump Presidency can move forward.

Marist Public Opinion Poll: 83 Percent Democrats, 76 Percent Independent, 57 Percent Republican–Let Mueller Investigation Move Forward

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At a dangerous moment in the probe of Donald Trump by Special Counsel Robert Mueller, as Trump unravels more than ever before, and has fired so many people on his staff, greater than any President after one year in office, a Marist poll demonstrates that the American people want the Mueller investigation to move forward to completion.

It is now ten months since Mueller was appointed by Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein to investigate the firing of FBI Head James Comey, and it is clear that evidence has been gathered leading to convictions and indictments already, that show widespread corruption in the Trump Presidency.

Republicans in Congress have been unwilling to pass legislation to insure that the investigation will move forward, believing Donald Trump will not fire Mueller, but the feeling is that any day, that could happen.

Based on the Marist Poll–83 percent Democrats, 76 percent Independent, 57 percent Republican–it seems as if there would be a storm fire if Trump went ahead and fired Mueller, similar to what happened when Richard Nixon fired Archibald Cox in 1973. One would think there would be a movement, even by many Republicans, towards impeachment.

The problem is that even impeachment support by Republicans would take time, and an unhinged Donald Trump, with a crazy National Security Adviser, John Bolton, advocating “regime change” on North Korea and Iran, could take us into one or two massive wars that could cause tremendous loss of life, and possible nuclear war. Also, the “tariff wars” Trump is promoting could cause a world wide Great Depression or Great Recession at the least.

So public opinion is on the side of backing Mueller over Trump, but no matter how one looks at it, America and the world at large is in the midst of a constitutional crisis, which seems much more severe than Richard Nixon and Watergate 45 years ago!

2018 Presidents And Executive Politics Presidential Greatness Survey Of 170 Political Scientists: First Experts Assessment Of Donald Trump

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The American Political Science Association conducted a survey from late December 2017 to mid January 2018 of social science experts in presidential politics, the first such survey to assess all of the 44 men who have held the office of the Presidency, including Donald Trump after one year in office.

Last year, C Span had its third survey of Presidential experts, mostly historians but some political scientists and journalists, rating the Presidents, as Barack Obama left office.

So this is a significant moment, as now Donald Trump is part of the equation. The score rating is, theoretically from 100 high to a Zero low.

Abraham Lincoln had 95.03 rating of this group of scholars, and Donald Trump ended up number 44 out of 44, with a score of 12.34, nearly three points lower than James Buchanan with 15.09 score, with the pre Civil War President finally getting out of the basement as the lowest ranked President.

Even William Henry Harrison, the one month President in 1841, who accomplished nothing but his inaugural address and selection of his cabinet, ended up 42nd with a score of 19.02, demonstrating just how disastrous this group of political scientists sees Donald Trump after one year.

Democrats and Liberals and Moderates rated him 44th, the bottom, while Independents ranked Trump 43rd, ahead of only Buchanan. But even Republicans and Conservatives only rated him 40th out of 44, only ahead of Buchanan, Harrison, Pierce, and Andrew Johnson for Republicans, and only ahead of Buchanan, Harrison, Andrew Johnson and Pierce for Conservatives.

In percentage, Democrats gave Trump a 7.60 rating; Liberals a 7.92 rating; Moderates a 13.43 rating; Independents a 16.49 rating; Republicans a 24.53 rating; and Conservatives a 25.19 rating.

Trump topped the list as the most polarizing President, mentioned 138 times. The closest to him was Andrew Jackson, mentioned 81 times; George W. Bush with 74 mentions; and Barack Obama 72 times. Richard Nixon was fifth, with 55 mentions and tied with Abraham Lincoln, followed by Andrew Johnson with 37 mentions, Ronald Reagan with 33 mentions, Bill Clinton with 30 mentions, and Franklin D. Roosevelt with 29 mentions, to round out the top ten.

Five questions were asked about Trump: his Presidency overall; Legislative Accomplishments; Foreign Policy Leadership; Embodying Institutional Norms; and Communicating with the Public.

Trump earned three Fs and 2 Ds, with his best score on Communicating with the Public and lowest on Embodying Institutional Norms.

The only area in any group where Trump gained a C was in Foreign Policy Leadership, and also in Communicating with the Public, both from Republicans.

So Donald Trump, in the view of scholars and experts on the Presidency, is a true disaster, and to think he will get out of the basement and pass the four Presidents above him, is truly delusional!

56 Percent In Quinnipiac Poll Say Trump Not Fit To Be President, But Republicans In Poll Are Totally Delusional And Clueless

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Donald Trump is coming apart at the seams, and America sees it.

In a new Quinnipiac poll, 56 percent say Trump is unfit to be President, including 57 percent of Independents and 94 percent of Democrats. At the same time, 84 percent of Republicans say he is fit, which makes one wonder what is wrong psychologically with Republicans, who would never have tolerated such incompetence in Barack Obama or Bill Clinton.

63 percent of women said Trump was unfit, while men were evenly divided at 49-49 because of the strong support for Trump among Republican men.

On race relations, Trump had 94 percent of African Americans, 66 percent of Hispanics, and 55 percent among whites against his policies.

Trump remains disapproved in the 60s over all, while low 30s to low 40s is his positive limit.

No President has ever since World War II had such negative numbers at any time, let alone in his first year in office.

With Trump’s disgraceful handling of Puerto Rico relief, it is time for pressure to be brought that he should resign the Presidency in disgrace.

But it seems at this point unlikely that he will follow Harry Truman’s advice: “The buck stops here!”, and take responsibility for the disaster of his brief Presidency.

99 Years Since America Entered World Affairs In A True Sense, And The Future!

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99 years ago, on April 6,1917, the United States Congress declared war on Germany, and America entered “The Great War”, World War I.

Woodrow Wilson, by asking for a war declaration on April 2, took a fateful step that put America on the world stage, and committed us to sending American troops overseas.

It began a century in which America would be engaged in seven wars, and face the headaches and responsibilities of world leadership.

Now, we are hearing candidates, including Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders, who wish for us to retreat from that commitment to world affairs, as there is total disillusionment with our foreign policy under both Democrats and Republicans.

The world is a dangerous place, and trying to figure out what is best for America’s future in a world of nuclear weapons being spread, and of terrorism a threat all over the globe , is daunting!

We tried a return to isolationism in the 1920s and 1930s, and it was an utter failure and a disaster.

But at the same time, we were drawn into wars that could not be won, including Korea, Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan.

So we are in a quandary, with no easy or simple solution as to what our future relationship with the world should be!

Republicans In Congress Demonstrate Unbelievable Arrogance, And Ignore Public Opinion, Even Of Republican Voters!

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The House Republicans are the most reactionary group seen in Congress in modern times, as evidence now shows that they are opposing not only general public opinion, but also that of voters of their own party, along with Independents and Democrats!

Issues where this is true include the following where some Republicans supported the proposed legislation in the Senate:

ENDA–the bill to stop discrimination in employment against gays and transgendered people, passed 64-32 in the Senate.

Comprehensive Immigration Reform, which passed the Senate 68-32.

At the same time, Republicans in both houses of Congress are fighting against the following, which are also supported by Republicans in polls, along with Democrats and Independents.

The Minimum Wage increase legislation to $9 an hour.

Background Checks on Gun Purchases

Who would think that a political party could ignore the views of its own voters and expect to stay in office? It makes one wonder how the GOP can believe it will keep power in the House and gain control of the Senate, as they seem to believe they can accomplish, when they have such a high level of arrogance as they are demonstrating!

Michele Bachmann To Leave Congress: Goodbye, Good Riddance, And Please No More Public Appearances Once You Leave (Fat Chance)!

Ronald 55 Comments

Minnesota Congresswoman Michele Bachmann, arguably the most infuriating Republican House member, although there are others who could certainly compete for that honor, has announced she is not going to run for a fifth term in her Congressional district, and everyone should celebrate this news!

Bachmann will go down as one of the most reckless, most irresponsible members of the US House of Representatives in its entire history!

She said stupid, inane things on a regular basis; worked at character assassination of Democrats and progressives; and her husband added to the embarrassment of her public appearances and speeches, both on the floor of the House and off!

She contributed NOTHING positive to American politics, working at dividing Americans, rather than unite them on anything!

She was also an embarrassment to the advancement of women in politics, and her Presidential campaign was a disgrace, that she even thought she was qualified to serve in the Oval Office!

To believe that she is a tax attorney is hard to conceptualize, as he came across as brain dead, having no understanding of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, and rejected science totally, and accepting mythology and hearsay as fact!

To believe that this dumb moron was on the Intelligence Committee of the House demonstrates what a mockery the Republican Party has become in the House of Representatives, accomplishing the least legislative action of any Congress in 70 years!

Bachmann claims that she was not worried about losing her seat, even though her margins of victory were smaller each time, and the last round, she won by one percent.

Bachmann also claims that she is not concerned about the investigation of her Presidential campaign funding by the Internal Revenue Service and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, but an active pursuit of information about likely corruption is in process, and do not be surprised that she could be indicted, and could, in theory, face expulsion from the House if the investigation develops quickly enough over the next 18 months.

It would be fitting for Bachmann to be repudiated and forced out, as she is a a literal nightmare that brought out the ugliest side of the American right wing!

And the Tea Party Movement, of which she was the leading member, is also in trouble, and hopefully, there will be a repudiation of that hateful, backward, movement that promoted selfishness and greed, and condemns people who are not part of the elite upper class white establishment that put us into the Great Recession!

Meanwhile, we have rid ourselves of Florida Congressman Allen West, South Carolina Senator Jim DeMint, and former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, other morons and threats to a stable future in America, so we do have some things, as progressives, to be happy about!