Franklin D. Roosevelt

Biden Selection For Attorney General: Doug Jones The Best Choice

It is likely in this first week of 2021 that President Elect Joe Biden will select his Attorney General, arguably the most important Cabinet post, as the Justice Department needs major makeover, and the person in that position will have to consider action against Donald Trump and many of his Cabinet members and family members who have abused the Constitution.

And the perfect person for this position is former Senator Doug Jones of Alabama, easily the best Senator in modern Alabama history, as the state is sadly known for the horrible, horrendous Senators who have represented the state in modern times.

The best Senator earlier in the 20th century was Hugo Black, who served from 1927-1937, and went on to become a distinguished, outstanding Supreme Court Associate Justice from 1937 to 1971, overcoming his Ku Klux Klan past, revealed when he was appointed by Franklin D. Roosevelt.

Jones is most famous for being the US Attorney who pursued the Birmingham Church Bombers of 1963, who were responsible for the deaths of four young African American girls, with him successfully bringing the perpetrators to justice nearly four decades later, in 2001. He also pursued the Atlanta Olympic Park Bomber, Eric Rudolph, after that infamous terrorist attack in 1996.

Sadly, Jones only had three years in the US Senate, the first Democrat from Alabama since 1997, losing his seat to the former football coach, Tommy Tuberville, who had been at Auburn University many years earlier, but has no real intelligence or knowledge of government. This showed bad judgment by Alabama voters, but now Jones should be the Attorney General, as his ethics and principles are inviolable!

Rating “First Ladies” Since 1933, And Now Dr. Jill Biden!

The position of “First Lady” has become a role of growing significance in the past century since The New Deal years of Franklin D. Roosevelt, with all scholars agreed upon that Eleanor Roosevelt, the longest serving First Lady (1933-1945), was by far the most active and engaged of all First Ladies, and setting a standard for the century since the Great Depression.

We have had 13 First Ladies since Eleanor Roosevelt.

If one were to rank First Ladies in significance after Eleanor Roosevelt, the list, while debatable, would likely be in the following order:

Hillary Clinton
Jacqueline Kennedy
Lady Bird Johnson
Michelle Obama
Betty Ford
Barbara Bush
Rosalynn Carter
Nancy Reagan
Laura Bush
Pat Nixon
Mamie Eisenhower
Bess Truman
Melania Trump

And now, we have Dr. Jill Biden about to become First Lady, and assuredly would be high on the list, based on her past activities as “Second Lady” and her credentials as an educator, and a very supportive wife and mother.

One thing is certain, that the First Lady position, which has been in total collapse under Melania Trump, will be restored with dignity under Dr. Jill Biden, just as Joe Biden will restore the dignity of the Presidency, which has been in total collapse under Donald Trump!

The Heroes Of 2020: Bright Lights In A Year The Worst In Most People’s Lifetimes

The year 2020 has been the worst year in most people’s lifetimes, but there have been heroes who deserve attention and appreciation from all decent Americans.

The ultimate hero is Dr. Anthony Fauci, who reached the age of 80 yesterday, and has been an inspiration to anyone who believes in science, and respects expertise over “junk science”, or science that is generations out of date.

Some of our greatest heroes of the year, sadly, have departed, including Supreme Court Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who left a legacy of promotion of equal rights for all groups in America, including women, people of color, the disabled, and equal justice for all.

Also departing this world was Congressman John Lewis of Georgia, who promoted the concept of “good trouble” to advance human rights in a world and nation that too often is not engaged in such efforts.

Another hero is former South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg, who advanced equality of gays and lesbians, just by becoming the first known gay Presidential contender, and now will be the first openly gay Cabinet officer as Secretary of Transportation.

Another hero is Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi, who has done an amazing job pursuing justice, equality, and the interests of the American people, in a time of the massive threat presented by Donald Trump, and has not blinked at his threats, misogyny, and crazed insanity. She has had to deal with the unrelenting misogyny of many in the Republican Party opposition, and Trump supporters who show a total lack of respect for her that they would never utter against a man!

Another hero is California Congressman Adam Schiff, who was a key player in the impeachment investigation of Donald Trump, and is Chairman of the House Intelligence Committee. He has suffered from threats and vicious attacks by Donald Trump and his minions, but has demonstrated courage and conviction in an admirable manner.

Another hero is South Carolina Congressman James Clyburn, the highest ranked African American in Congress as House Majority Whip, third ranking leadership role. If it were not for Clyburn, Joe Biden would not have been able to become the Democratic Presidential nominee this year, as Clyburn’s endorsement was a major factor in Biden winning the South Carolina Primary and moving forward to the top of the Democratic Presidential ticket.

Another such hero is the future First Lady, Dr. Jill Biden, who, with her elegance and intelligence, will raise the level of that position from the disgraceful low level it reached in the past four years.

California Senator Kamala Harris, soon to be Vice President of the United States, is another hero, who will be the first woman, and first woman of color with her Jamaican and Asian Indian heritage, to be a heartbeat away from the Presidency. She is a role model for women and racial minorities, and will be a very influential Vice President, more in the direction of Joe Biden, Al Gore, and Walter Mondale, than Mike Pence!

And last but not least, Joe Biden, who is a man of decency, compassion, ethics, and empathy, will be our 46th President on January 20, 2021. He will face the most daunting set of issues of any President since Abraham Lincoln in 1861, Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1933, and Barack Obama in 2009. His long career in Congress, and his outstanding Vice Presidency give America hope, that in a time of a “dark winter”, as Joe Biden calls the COVID 19 Pandemic and the Second Great Depression, that Biden will take leadership on the level of FDR’s New Deal to take us to brighter days and a recovery in 2021 and beyond!

Everyone needs to pray for his success, but all know that he will not waste a minute or a day in promoting himself on Twitter or playing golf, as our despicable 45th President, Donald Trump, has done more of in the past four years, than doing his job!

Trump Refusal To Accept Danger Of Russian Cyber Attack Alarming, As If FDR Did Not Accept Pearl Harbor!

We have learned that Russia conducted a cyber attack, in many ways equivalent of Pearl Harbor, on many government agencies, and yet Donald Trump has refused to accept reality, and it adds to the long held idea that Trump is a Russian “traitor”, ready to sell America to the Russians, and undermining our defense.

If Franklin D. Roosevelt had acted casually after Pearl Harbor, it would have been, indeed, very suspicious.

The Russian connection to the Presidential Election of 2016 is clear to anyone who read the Mueller Report, and Trump has given away information to the Russians in the Oval Office in 2017, and accepts everything Vladimir Putin claims is truth, rather than his own military and intelligence agencies.

But now, outgoing Attorney General William Barr and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo have made clear of the Russian involvement in the cyber attack, affecting our national security.

So once Donald Trump is out of office, a full investigation of his collaboration with Putin and Russia is required, and Trump needs to be held accountable for his clear cut treason!

The Trump Family Is The Most Disgraceful And Corrupt Presidential Family In American History!

The history of the Presidency shows some Presidential relatives have been far from ideal in their behavior.

Just in recent times, we had Roger Clinton, the half brother of Bill Clinton, being given a pardon from a drug conviction.

We had Billy Carter, who caused grief when he visited Libyan President Muammar Gaddafi during his brother’s Presidency.

Others had siblings who were drunkards, and some had relatives engaged in some questionable business dealings, as some of the sons of Franklin D. Roosevelt.

But no Presidential Family can match that of Donald Trump.

It has been leaked that Trump’s three oldest children, all with his first wife Ivana, are potentially about to gain pardons.

This includes Donald Trump, Jr; Ivanka Trump; Eric Trump; and Ivanka’s husband, Jared Kushner, all of whom have engaged in shady business dealings, and potentially more to be uncovered.

Even pardons will not prevent prosecution of Trump’s children and son in law in New York City and New York State, so there will be plenty of headlines about these disgraceful Trump progeny!

Trump himself may be the second President, after Richard Nixon, to be pardoned, or even try to pardon himself, which is doubtful legally.

In any case, if any of Trump’s children, or Trump himself, accepts a pardon, it is a sign of guilt, as Gerald Ford said after pardoning Richard Nixon in 1974.

And add to this list, third wife Melania Trump, who has displayed disgraceful behavior and a mean spirit, and has contributed nothing positive to the history of First Ladies!

With seven weeks to go until Joe Biden and his wonderful wife, Dr. Jill Biden, take over the White House, we cannot easily wait out the nightmare of that much more time with the Trumps as the First Family!

Happy Birthday, President Elect Biden! A True Hero Of Courage, Principle, Decency, Sincerity As You Face The Greatest Crisis Since Franklin D. Roosevelt

Today is the 78th Birthday of President Elect Joe Biden, a true hero of courage, principle, decency and sincerity.

Joe Biden needs all of our prayers as he faces the most difficult transition and multiple crises since Franklin D. Roosevelt 88 years ago.

With President Donald Trump refusing to concede and promote the transition, the nation is in a crisis far worse than after FDR defeated Herbert Hoover in 1932.

Those two Presidents did not get along, but even Hoover conceded while being bitter over his defeat. But Trump is preventing the General Services Administration head Emily Murphy from authorizing the release of funds and access to secret intelligence information that the President Elect needs to move forward as the inauguration takes place exactly two months from today, 61 days of stress and tension that should not be occurring.

Joe Biden is handling this mess very well, and is to be commended, and he is proving every day how stable he is mentally despite all of the critics who claim he shows signs of dementia, pure propaganda!

What is true is that the nastiness of Republicans of the same age bracket demonstrates how they, not Joe Biden, have signs of dementia, and this author and blogger is referring to Donald Trump, Rudy Giuliani, Newt Gingrich, and Mitch McConnell in the forefront!

Their hatred and bigotry shows through, while Democrats who are in the same age bracket show total signs of capacity and decency just as much as Joe Biden, and this author and blogger is referring to such people as Nancy Pelosi, James Clyburn, Steny Hoyer, Bernie Sanders, and John Kerry!

Donald Trump Obsesses On An Election He Lost, And Endangers America On COVID 19 And National Security

Donald Trump is wasting his last two plus months in office obsessing on an election he lost, undermining faith in American democracy at a time of America being endangered by the COVID 19 Pandemic, which he refuses to relate to, or care about the massive loss of life, now 250,000 men, women, and children after only 8 months.

Trump is also a danger to national security, with his reckless plan to attack Iran, and withdraw troops precipitously from Iraq and Afghanistan, undermining the fight against terrorism worldwide, and angering even many Republicans.

It has made this transition the most dangerous and tense since 1932-1933 (Franklin D. Roosevelt and Herbert Hoover), and 1860-1861 (Abraham Lincoln and James Buchanan).

Joe Biden faces a series of crises even greater than Barack Obama faced after his election in 2008.

“Socialism” And “Defund The Police” Killed Democratic House Numbers, Endangering Majority In 2022

The Democratic Party needs to realize that if it goes too far to the Left, it will doom President Joe Biden’s efforts for success!

Unfortunately, the Congressional Elections of 2020 demonstrated that the nation is still very split on what is desirable to accomplish, as the Republican opposition and Donald Trump utilized fear of the word “Socialism”, as if Joe Biden and the Democrats are equivalent of Communist leaders in Cuba, China, the Russian Federation, and other left wing regimes, such as Venezuela and Nicaragua!

This shows total ignorance of the term “Socialism”, and the reality that America is a mixed Capitalist-Socialist nation, with the Socialist party of Eugene Debs and Norman Thomas in the first half of the 20th century contributing many ideas, which over time, were part of the New Deal of Franklin D. Roosevelt, the Great Society of Lyndon B. Johnson, and many other progressive reform since then.

But it is clear that had Bernie Sanders somehow been the Democratic nominee for President, he would NOT have been able to win, as only a moderate centrist with a tip to the Left, as Joe Biden has been his whole life, could possibly have won back the Midwest states of Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania, along with the Sun Belt states of Georgia and Arizona, and not lose any of the 20 states that Hillary Clinton won in 2016.

Also, while there have been too many outrageous examples of police abuse and brutality, and particularly against African American males and Latino males, and really even females, the answer is police reform and accountability, not “Defund the Police”, as they are still essential.

Sadly, the Senate only saw two Democrats elected (Mark Kelly, John Hickenlooper), while one (Doug Jones) was defeated, gaining only one seat, to 48, although Georgia creates an opportunity in its runoff election for the chance to have a 50-50 Senate, that Vice President Kamala Harris could organize as a Democratic Senate, with Chuck Schumer as Senate Majority Leader, instead of the horrible Mitch McConnell.

But there is danger of the House of Representatives, in a midterm election, going back to the Republicans, since they have gained at least 5-7 seats in the 117th Congress, and with the reality, that the party in the White House usually loses seats in the following midterm election.

The Senate will have, again, twice as many Republican seats up for election in 2022, but this scenario did not work out in 2020, so no assurance there either of retaining or gaining a Democratic Senate majority, which is so urgent to make Joe Biden a successful President!

Barack Obama And Joe Biden Reach Their Rhetorical Best, As Presidential Campaign Winds Down

Former President Barack Obama has kept his rhetoric down for much of the four years of his successor, but now, with only a week to go to the Presidential Election of 2020, he has utilized his great rhetorical gifts with a blistering, incisive, and at times, ridiculing, attack on Donald Trump, well deserved.

It is a pleasure to see Obama come out in full support and defense of his Vice President, Joe Biden, in such a dramatic and brilliant manner. Obama mocked Trump for saying that the leaders of Russia, China, and North Korea wanted him to win, and Trump’s complaint about Sixty Minutes correspondent Lesley Stahl, stating that if Trump cannot handle Sixty Minutes, how can he handle real crises such as the COVID 19 Pandemic, which Trump refuses to take responsibility for, and now has said cannot be dealt with, other than by a future vaccine.

At the same time, Joe Biden is fired up, and is at his best rhetorically, as well, as he campaigns vigorously in the battleground states. And his visit to Warm Springs, Georgia, the vacation home of Franklin D. Roosevelt, reminds us of a time nine decades ago when we faced a situation thought to be the greatest since the Civil War, but now surpassed by the challenge of not just a Second Great Depression, but also the worst health crisis since the Spanish Flu Pandemic of 1918-1920.

Donald Trump continues to sink in the polls, and soon, the American people will make a clear cut decision to remove this tyrant from office and hold him accountable for his multiple crimes!

Confirmation Of Justice Amy Coney Barrett Creates The Most Extreme Supreme Court Since 1930s!

The confirmation last evening of new Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett creates the most extreme Supreme Court since the time of the New Deal of Franklin D. Roosevelt in the 1930s Great Depression, just as we are entering into the Second Great Depression.

The right wing narrow minded view of Justice Barrett is perceived as more so than even her mentor, former Justice Antonin Scalia.

The fifth woman to serve on the Court, she is the anti Ruth Bader Ginsburg, a great woman who we could only wish had been able to live two to three more weeks, preventing an appointment before the election.

And had she lived until December, even a lame duck President could not have replaced her before January and a new President.

This only accelerates the dire need for everyone to vote, and for the Republicans to be resoundingly defeated next week for the White House and the US Senate, and add seats in the House of Representatives.

With a 6-3 extremist Court, the following areas of law are greatly endangered:

Civil Rights and Civil Liberties in general
Women’s Rights
Abortion Rights
Gay Rights and Gay Marriage
Labor Rights
Voting Rights
Environmental Reforms
Consumer Reforms
Business Regulations
Separation of Church and State
Firearms Regulation

The answer must be to expand the Supreme Court to 11 members, adding two progressives or liberal voices to the Court, making for a slight 6-5 conservative majority, but promoting the concept that Chief Justice John Roberts and Associate Justice Neil Gorsuch will, at times, side with the liberals.

It does not guarantee progressive and liberal ideas, but that has been that way for a generation, but once either Clarence Thomas (age 72) or Samuel Alito (age 70) leaves the Court, likely in the next four years, a moderate Court will be achieved. And if Stephen Breyer or Sonia Sotomayor were to leave, it would insure a Democratic President choosing their successors.

Voting for Joe Biden and a Democratic Senate insures that the right wing tilt of the Court will be short lived!