HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Here are some Thanksgiving quotes that will hopefully improve your day...

I am grateful for what I am and have. My thanksgiving is perpetual.
Henry David Thoreau

Be thankful for what you have; you’ll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don’t have, you will never, ever have enough.
Oprah Winfrey

If you are really thankful, what do you do? You share. 

W. Clement StoneThere is one day that is ours. Thanksgiving Day is the one day that is purely American.

O. Henry

To give thanks in solitude is enough. Thanksgiving has wings and goes where it must go. Your prayer knows much more about it than you do. 

Victor Hugo

Give thanks not just on Thanksgiving Day, but every day of your life. Appreciate and never take for granted all that you have. 

Catherine Pulsifer

I celebrated Thanksgiving in an old-fashioned way. I invited everyone in my neighborhood to my house, we had an enormous feast, and then I killed them and took their land. 

Jon Stewart

I loved my mom so much because she had to work on a penny just to put food on the table... During the Depression in the United States, everybody had a tough time. And I was so hurt because she was crying that she didn't have any food for us for Thanksgiving.
Tony Bennett

I have strong doubts that the first Thanksgiving even remotely resembled the "history" I was told in second grade. But considering that (when it comes to holidays) mainstream America's traditions tend to be over-eating, shopping, or getting drunk, I suppose it's a miracle that the concept of giving thanks even surfaces at all.
Ellen Orleans

Have a great day!

Congressional members with NRA blood on their hands

Recipients of cash from the National Rifle Assn. (NRA) (1988-2016) who refuse to pass gun control laws that would save lives, as reported by The Nation magazine. Call them today!

Congressman: Sen. Don Young (R-AK)
Total amount received: $55,650

Tel. Number: (202) 225-5765

Is it time to look at Dems working with Trump

Sen. Chuck Schumer, NY

He is the President-elect, although on last count Hillary Clinton was 1.7 million popular votes ahead of him. Major consideration for getting rid of the Electoral College but that's another story and possibly already in the works. So far I have been on Trumps back because during the ugliest U.S. election in many years, he said and proposed some terrible things. Degrading everything from Mexicans to women, never once apologizing, seemingly proud of everything said and done.

It's hard as hell to vote for someone like that; I didn't. It's hard as hell to like anyone like that; I still don't. But if this country is to recover from the vicious competition of the 2016 election, someone has to make a move. And Sen. Chuck Schumer, (D-NY) has done just that. Schumer is new Dem head of the Senate and has shown how we can work with the President-elect. Here's what he said on NBC’s “Meet the Press:

“Surprisingly, on certain issues, candidate Trump voiced very progressive and populist opinions,” Schumer said. “For instance, getting rid of the carried interest loophole, changing our trade laws dramatically, a large infrastructure bill.”

There's more positive input, Schumer names helping American workers with improved trade deals, on carried interest, and rebuilding the infrastructure. It's a good start and there's also a tough side. The new Senate head draws a line on the repeal of Obamacare, not going to roll back Dodd-Frank,” the 2010 law that imposed financial regulations on Wall Street after the 2008-09 crisis, and says Dems won't help him build the wall, instead comprehensive immigration reform .

Schumer doesn't like cabinet appointee Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, who Trump picked to be national security adviser for his suggestion that fearing Muslims is rational. But strangely, no mention of Trump's powder keg appointment of Steve Bannon as his chief strategist. I'm just waiting for the real fireworks.

Congressional members with NRA blood on their hands

Recipients of cash from the National Rifle Assn. (NRA) (1988-2016) who refuse to pass gun control laws that would save lives, as reported by The Nation magazine. Call them today! 

Congressman: Sen Roy Blunt, Missouri 

Total amount received: $60,550 

Tel. Number: (202) 224-5721

Trump's first one-hundred days void of substance

Donald Trump...with a sneer

Well, there is one action that deserves attention, simply because it had so much discussion during the Primary. It's the TPP trade deal to bring jobs back to this country, which Trump actually built part of his platform on. Bernie Sanders was also against the TPP but Barack Obama thought it was good for this country, hoping it would be part of his trade legacy. It's hard to fight any proposal, though, that will bring jobs back to American workers so a plus so far.

But from here on it turns into promises, vague meanderings, and complete absences of issues that were, again, a part of the Trump platform. According to CNN, "...he focused exclusively on campaign promises that would not require congressional approval." Shades of screams Obama heard from the Republican do-nothing Congress. But, then, the shoe is on the other foot now and time will tell how this plays out with the good-ole-boys who did not support Trump.

On the major issues requiring congressional approval, he backs off significantly from his vitriolic campaign rhetoric that was obviously meant to get the votes of his group of uneducated rednecks. Among other things, he called Mexican immigrants "criminals" and "rapists," then added they were killers too. "He Insisted The Mexican Government Intentionally Sends Their Criminals To The U.S." See all nine here. Didn't even mention building the Mexican wall.

Another major issue of the campaign not included in Trump's first one-hundred days is the repeal of Obamacare. You will remember his meeting with the sitting President and Obama asking him to at least keep the no preexisting conditions of the ACA, and the President hopeful he would agree. Trump released his own plan on healthcare back in March of 2016, making several vague references to what he would do. There was one high point:

"Trump would also allow prescription drugs to be imported and for full transparency of health care pricing, although he offered few details about how that — or any of the proposals — might work."

The first 100 days starts January 21, 2017. Mark your calendars for April 24, 2017, for the first evaluation of the new president that lost the popular vote by 1.7 million votes...and still counting.

"Bernie Mafia" has a request Democrats can't refuse

Bernie Sanders appeals to masses

First it was Elvis' mafia, now Bernie Sanders has his and they plan to capitalize on the strength of his popularity, which is still growing since Clinton won the primary and lost the election. Bernie has just been promoted to the Democratic leadership in the Senate and his colleague, Rep. Keith Ellison of Minnesota, is a favorite to be the next chairman of the Democratic Party. He replaces Debbie Wasserman Schultz who brought the party down to where it is.

In effect, it is a decapitated party, as put by Alex-Seitz Wald of NBC News, that Ellison will inherit, if elected. Thanks to Debbie Wasserman Schultz. But as an example of Bernie Sander's popularity, his Facebook page grew by 100,000 followers in the 24 hours after Clinton's defeat. Which indicates to me the fact that, had the primaries not been rigged to elect Clinton, with Bernie running against Trump, we would have a different President-elect right now.

Sanders laments the fact that the Democratic Party has all but deserted the working class in the search for a moderate identity that didn't work. But he's even reached out to Clinton to the heal the wounds of a primary the latter's supporters feel did her in. What really did Clinton in was her favorability rating: 41.1% favorable, 55.3 unfavorable. For Bernie Sanders: 54.1% favorable, 37.5% unfavorable. A Bernie quote to end this on:

"I'm not here to blame anybody, not to criticize anybody, but facts are facts," When you lose the White House to the least popular candidate in the history of America, when you lose the Senate, when you lose the House, and when two-thirds of governors in this country are Republicans, it is time for a new direction for the Democratic Party."

Amen! 

Obama can still appoint Merrick Garland to Supreme Court

It is certain that Democrats will attempt to block any radically conservative nominee that Donald Trump comes up with to fill Antonin Scalia's seat. It will no doubt include a filibuster. The GOP, however, could initiate the "nuclear option" and overcome this but will they? The NO simply lets the Senate head call a vote to change the number of votes needed to stop the filibuster from 60 to a majority, which the Republicans have. Bingo, the Supremes have gone ultra conservative.

But hold on, Dahlia Lithwick of Slate says, it isn't Donald Trump's nomination to make and actually we already knew that. The Senate's token asshole, Mitch McConnell, stopped Barack Obama's nomination of Merrick Garland. And has-been John McCain had also said that should Hillary Clinton become President, he would block all of her nominees. And he doesn't even know who they would be. This all confirms the stupidity of the current Republican Party.

The only answer now is for the Democrats to stand firm and do everything in their power to prevent Trump's Supreme Court nominations. Unless he comes to his senses and works with the Dems on a nominee, and we know that won't happen. But here's the kicker, the Advise and Consent clause of the Constitution gives the President the right to do many things, including nominate judges for the Supreme Court. The court then approves or disproves the nomination.

But what if the Senate doesn't act. The Supreme Court has said:

"No procedural principle is more familiar to this Court than that a constitutional right, or a right of any other sort, may be forfeited in criminal as well as civil cases by the failure to make timely assertion of the right before a tribunal having jurisdiction to determine it.”

The Washington Post has said:

"It is altogether proper to view a decision by the Senate not to act as a waiver of its right to provide advice and consent. A waiver is an intentional relinquishment or abandonment of a known right or privilege."

Although he is running out of time, Obama could "...advise the Senate that he will deem its failure to act by a specified reasonable date in the future (perhaps 30 days) to constitute a deliberate waiver of its right to give advice and consent. I know we're in the change of command but the GOP started the fight and it's the Democrats time to finish it. And that would be, if there is no action by the Senate, Obama appoints Garland to the Supreme Court. Case closed.

It happened in 1975 under Gerald R. Ford's presidency you can read here.

Steve Bannon scarier than ever with his statement : "darkness is good."

The term is in reference to keeping the liberals in the dark, but hits a familiar note when comparing Dick Cheney with darkness and in the same sentence, Satan. Bannon is "known for pushing nationalist policy positions, as well as conspiracy theories, and has been criticized as being racist, sexist and anti-Semitic." Speaking of Trump's potential ability to please the public, his comment is...

"...we'll get 60 percent of the white vote, and 40 percent of the black and Hispanic vote and we'll govern for 50 years."

 You'll notice the "we'll govern" in his rhetoric, indicating either Donald Trump has a twin or this presidency could be a doubleheader. If it is the latter, this is one of the points in Steve Bannon's agenda: Wants to replace Republican Party with "Trump's movement. I would have given anything to see the look on the faces of Mitch McConnell, Paul Ryan, even Mike Pence, when Bannon said that. He even mentions Andrew Jackson's populism to create a new political movement.

And here's a statement that is downright laughable, the fact that Bannon thinks Trump really gets it. Gets what? There is no substance to the President elect's issues and his thin skin keeps him attacking anyone who criticizes him indicating to me a vein of insecurity. What he gets is the fact that he hornswoggled enough of the public to be elected President, and now he is in the process of figuring out just how to convert this into the future of his businesses.

Donald Trump has reinvigorated racism and hate

I recently did a post on Donald Trump's use of racism to fuel the many racists out there looking for a new leader.They found him and, unfortunately, he will be leading the most powerful country in the world in less than two months. In that post, The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) reports that over "300 incidents of harassment or intimidation have been reported following Donald Trump's election Tuesday [Nov. 8] night."

Then on Saturday, The Southern Poverty Law Center counted more than 700 cases of hateful harassment or intimidation in the United States since Election Day on November 8. An additional 400 cases in less than two weeks. Many have accused Trump of fostering xenophobia and particularly Islamophobia, which stems from his earlier statements re. banning Muslims from the U.S., later establishing a "radical Islam commission."

Then, abruptly, the President-elect sobs he is "so saddened" to hear this is going on and tells the public on "60 Minutes" to stop it. I am not a physicist, but what Donald Trump has brought forth in hate and racism during his campaign now appears to have achieved the form of perpetual motion, perhaps unstoppable. Swastikas and the word "Go Trump" were painted on playground equipment at Adam Yauch Park in Brooklyn, according to the New York police

New York City Councilman Brad Lander, who represents that part of Brooklyn, wrote on Twitter: "Yet more hatred & anti-Semitism from Trump supporters." In Denver, a transgender woman's car was spray-painted early Wednesday morning with a swastika and the words 'Trump' and 'die,' among other derogatory terms." "Heil Trump," an anti-gay slur and a swastika was painted on the side of the church, Saint David's Episcopal, in Beanblossom, Indiana.

I think you get the idea. Just in case you don't, all you uneducated rednecks out there have elected someone to the highest office in the land that is capable of starting Charley Manson's Helter Skelter. Trump didn't take his followers to the mountains of California like Charley did, that would be too bizarre for even him--besides, Melania would never camp out--the presidential contender somehow got to them in the corn fields, cotton fields, cattle farms, etc. 

But you did it and we all have to live with it. I'll leave you with this:

"I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear." Martin Luther King, Jr.

Trump puts all his "deplorable" cabinet picks in one basket

Donald Trump Cabinet

Hillary Clinton said it first during the election campaign, “You know, to just be grossly generalistic, you could put half of Trump’s supporters into what I call the basket of deplorables. Right?” Right, maybe more. Then John Dingell picked up on it Friday with this statement: "Forget the basket. The truly deplorable ones end up in the Cabinet." As the longest member to serve in Congress, Dingell has seen a few and has the credentials to comment on Trump's Cabinet.

Let's start with Jeff Sessions, the new Attorney General to be, the first sitting Senator to endorse Trump. Payback time again, a la Reince Priebus? Known and confirmed racist, he denounced the 1965 Voting Rights Act and labeled the American Civil Liberties Union and the NAACP "un-American." He thought the Ku Klux Klan was OK until he found out they smoked pot. Sessions was once turned down for a court appointment due to his racist comments.

And it doesn't get any better. Lt. Gen. Mike Flynn has been selected for national security adviser. First of all, he's an arrogant jerk, and we want him in charge of our intelligence? His ties with Russia, and especially Putin, are questionable. Especially since his visit to Russia where he attended dinners in relation to Russian propaganda, sitting with Putin at the head table. In interviews, he comes off as a loose cannon, but, then, cut in the mold of...

Mitt Romney for Sec. of State is reaching but Rudy Giuliani is ludicrous. The potential Sec. of State claimed no terror attacks happened "before Obama came along." Then, when reminded of 9/11, said he failed to remember the worst terror attack in U.S. history, because of the brevity he likes to use while on the campaign stump for Donald Trump. And then there were his famous five howlers topping even Katrina Pierson you have to see here.

The rest is a mish mosh of unknowns, has-beens, a smattering of losers with a few at least partially qualified. There's Bob Corker rep. from Tennessee, Nikki Haley, So. Carolina Gov., JPMorgan Chase Chief Executive Jamie Dimon, and Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), the wingnut that penned the underhanded letter to the leaders of Iran that sparked the trending hashtag #47Traitors. The latter is but one example of what Trump is capable of, but, unfortunately not all.
 

One more example of Donald Trump's ongoing deception

'Look at me world, I saved the Ford plant from going to Mexico,' was the war cry from a president-elect who continues to scam the public even after the election is over. Does it bring to mind the possibility that this narcissistic egomaniac is never satisfied with the status quo and must continue to heap adoration on himself? Will he ever be satisfied and get around to running this country? By the way, Ford never intended to move the plant to Mexico, confirmed by Ford.

Here's an example of blowhard Donald Trump's claim:

"Just got a call from my friend Bill Ford, Chairman of Ford, who advised me that he will be keeping the Lincoln plant in Kentucky — no Mexico," he tweeted.

more...

"I worked hard with Bill Ford to keep the Lincoln plant in Kentucky. I owed it to the great state of Kentucky for their confidence in me!" he tweeted.

Christin Baker of Ford confirmed that Bill Ford spoke with President-elect Trump on Thursday talking basically about Ford's commitment to America. Then we learn that the Ford/Mexico fiasco was really over the rumor they would move Lincoln MKC production to the company's plant in Cuautitlan, Mexico. So much for the American commitment. Yes, it's a two sided dragon: can't trust what our incoming president says and can't trust corporate "America."

This now becomes a Bernie Sanders issue where all the good jobs are moving out of the country to take advantage of cheap labor. Ford has already committed $1.6 billion to its Mexico operations and that figure could grow with future plans. Bottom of the barrel Republican Mitch McConnell, who also happens to be Senate head, voted at least three times for corporate tax breaks that send jobs overseas. Those workers that didn't vote for Bernie should take note.

What is "alt right" and what does it do?

Here is the definition of "alt-right":

The alt-right is a loose group of people with far right ideologies who reject mainstream conservatism in the United States.

Here is a recent headline by NBC News:

Analysis: Breitbart's Steve Bannon Leads the 'Alt Right' to the White House

Can't tell if that is a promise or a threat. Considering the incendiary and explosive politics of Steve Bannon at Breitbart, I would take it as a threat. To destroy this country in the next four years under Donald Trump. He is the President-elect's chief strategist and senior counselor, which indicates to me he is at the top of the decision-making process. Bloomberg News said:

"Steve Bannon is the most dangerous political operative in America."

Now can you see Reince Priebus locking horns with Bannon from the get-go?Steve Bannon was famous for his input to Trump for anti-immigration and especially anti-Muslim propaganda. He has also participated in an online-based counterculture movement associated with white nationalism. And now white nationalist leaders are praising Donald Trump's decision to name former Breitbart executive Steve Bannon as his chief strategist.

It also gets the approval of former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke; he recently lost a bid for the U.S. Senate in Louisiana. White nationalist blogger Brad Griffin said :

"We're most excited though about the foreign policy implications of Bannon in the White House. We want to see our counterparts in Europe — starting in Austria and France — win their upcoming elections. We're hearing reports that Breitbart is expanding its operations in continental Europe and that is where our focus will be in 2017."

And with Putin as a good friend, do you think Donald Trump plans to conquer the world? 

Who the hell is Jared Kushner?

Of course we know he is Ivanka Trump's husband but what we don't know is what gives him all the qualifications to serve in the Trump administration, including a top security clearance. Reince Priebus has made the statement that Jared Kushner will be "very involved" in the White House. It is fairly certain that Kushner is responsible for the sacking of Chris Christie from the transition team because...

"then-U.S. Attorney Christie convicted Kushner's father, Charles Kushner, on a variety of charges including tax evasion, witness tampering and making illegal campaign contributions."

One might agree that his heritage gives him the necessary credentials for the job. Kushner was reportedly also instrumental in getting Christie taken out of contention for Vice President. Sounds to me like he has at least one of Donald's ears, but it isn't yet clear just how far this man will go. If he's anything like his father-in-law, and there is more to come from the family, looks like a huge case of White House nepotism. Kennedy had substance. Trump doesn't.

Kushner played a key role in the campaign but his future in the WH could hinge on a lot of things, one of them being:

"In 1993, a federal appeals court looked at the issue as part of a lawsuit over Hillary Clinton's role in the health care task force. The court didn't decide the question but strongly suggested that the White House staff is not a federal agency."

CNN also speculates on Kushner working as an unpaid adviser for the President, which would avoid the anti-nepotism law, but anyone in the Trump family working for free? I don't think so. How the "family affair" will play out is not clear at this point, but what is clear is that President-elect plans to keep his administration close to the vest. Worse than perhaps George W. Bush, the transparency of the new White House will no doubt be close to zero.

Trump(s) use White House to peddle jewelry, clothing, golf courses, etc.

There is already concern over the fact that rather than put his business holdings into a blind trust, Donald Trump is turning them over to his family. Only a phone call away, or, perhaps, a bedroom away in the White House. It shouldn't be a surprise, however, since they are hawking everything from $10,000 bracelets to the Trump Tower and have been for the last eighteen months. Kathleen Clark, a law professor at Washington University, says:

"...public office is a public trust, that people are given the opportunity to serve in the government, not in order to line their pockets." In contrast, "...what may be developing is a president who sees this an opportunity to further his private brand and to permit his business to take very advantage of the opportunities given to him."

Although Congress could pass laws to establish guidelines for this --and we know that would take years and probably result in no decision --it is already being addressed in social media, like this blog, plus Twitter, Google+ and Facebook, to discourage the public from shopping at stores carrying Trump lines like Macy's and Nordstrom. The political pundits sort of anticipated this when, before the election, they predicted Trump was doing it just to further his brand.

What they weren't forecasting at the time was the fact that Trump would, in fact, win the election and extend the promotion of his brand in a four-year long campaign from the Rose Garden of the White House. Unless...

Trump "hate" message carries on after election

The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) reports that over "300 incidents of harassment or intimidation have been reported following Donald Trump's election Tuesday night." And, according to NBC, the reports continue to come in mostly from K-12 schools and on university campuses. In many cases the Trump campaign was featured in the incident. It's bad enough that Trump's uneducated redneck adults do this but K-12 through college? Pathetic!

Messages like, "Trump Nation, Whites Only." Another, a white male threatens to set a female Muslim on fire. Again a message, along with a swastika, "Heil Trump" and "F-- Church" were spray painted on the walls of an Episcopal church. Back to the segregated South, "Colored" and "Whites Only" signs were placed above drinking fountains at First Coast High School in Jacksonville, Florida. "Make America White Again" message shortly after Trump victory.

The Huff Post reports on 13 incidents during the election when Donald Trump was an out-and-out racist. Among them:

• He attacked Muslim Gold Star parents
• In fact, discrimination against black people has been a pattern in his career
• He refused to condemn the white supremacists who are campaigning for him
• He condoned the beating of a Black Lives Matter protester
• He stereotyped Jews and shared an anti-Semitic meme created by white supremacists

There are more you can read on the Huff Post and I feel certain that over the years and during the election there were more. The American public has to come to grips with the fact that they have elected a man to the presidency of the most powerful county in the world that is a confirmed lowlife. And, he's proud of it. Bernie Sanders says he will hold Trump accountable as I am sure the millions of Progressives will across the country. 

Bring on the impeachment.

Electoral College on trial-Verdict?

Electoral College Votes

Barbara Boxer, one of the feistiest Democratic Senators in Congress, will do her best to get rid of the Electoral College. She introduced a bill Tuesday to put an end to this institution that dates back to the Founding Fathers. One of the myths out there is that the whole concept came into being because the group couldn't make a decision around the idea of the popular vote decision so they settled on the Electoral College. If so, it's time for a change.

Boxer said, "The Electoral College is an outdated, undemocratic system that does not reflect our modern society, and it needs to change immediately. Every American should be guaranteed that their vote counts." CNN also quoted Donald Trump tweeting this in 2012, "The electoral college is a disaster for a democracy." Now he's all for keeping it. It has already chalked up two recent disasters: Gore-Bush in 2070, now Clinton-Trump in 2016.

The problem with the California Senator's bill is that two-thirds of each house of Congress must pass it plus approval in three quarters of states. Finding the states to make the change might not be so hard but convincing an overwhelming conservative Congress is another thing. All 435 House seats are up for reelection in 2018, 33 Senate seats. Hate to say it again,but look forward to 2018. 

Trump honed incendiary style from National Rifle Assn.

For years the National Rifle Assn., led by Wayne LaPierre, has railed against a government that suppresses its people and denies them their constitutional rights. Of course, the opposition has always been designed to protect their precious 2nd Amendment, a part of the Constitution that should have been done away with or at least modified significantly. Something that obviously could never happen under a Donald Trump presidency or Republican controlled Congress.

A recent post on this subject pointed out how the emphasis on state elections will probably increase in the next four years, while pointing out the high amount of gun violence the U.S. suffers annually from too many guns. At one point Trump said, “I support the ban on assault weapons and I also support a slightly longer waiting period to purchase a gun.” The Trace article also said that during the election, "...Trump adopted an incendiary message that matched the NRA’s own."

When the NRA heard Trump's repeated rhetoric that the 2nd Amendment was sacred, something that must be protected at all costs, the decision was made to pump $30- million into ads that supported Trump. It started with 5-million NRA members, then picked a rural population the NRA has been appealing to for years, all ramrodded by the huge ad campaign both for Donald Trump and against Hillary Clinton. It worked. Trump was elected but can the NRA really depend on his fickle nature?




The fact is that almost all of the Republican hierarchy shunned Trump in the early stages, as well as further into the campaign. Special interest groups ignored him; do the Koch brothers come to mind? Even the conservative press was caught off guard by his zany antics. Sociologist Scott Melzer, author of the 2012 book "Gun Crusaders: The NRA’s Culture War," told The Trace:

"The gun group and its candidate speak to 'this white rural conservative population that feels left behind by economic shifts and cultural shifts. These changes pose a threat to their identity.'”

Wayne Lapierre wasn't able to beat Barack Obama but he was successful defeating Hillary Clinton. I continue to wonder how long a gullible American public will buy the NRA's bullshit. Meanwhile, it accepts 12,000+ gun deaths a
year, over 3,000 of them children. Thank you America.

Young vote helped elect Donald Trump

2016 election protesters

Obviously a nation is pissed with Donald Trump as the newly elected President. Protests are going on across the country, but one thing bothers me about the reports. Apparently the demonstrations include a lot of young people, which raises the question of where they were last Tuesday...when Trump was elected. The Atlantic reports:

A national exit poll suggests more young adults in 2016 than in 2012 “supported a third-party candidate, did not vote for a presidential candidate, or specifically chose not to answer this poll question,” according to the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE).

 Further, the article provides that 37% of ages 18 to 29 voted for Donald Trump. When you add that figure to those voting for third-party candidates plus those who didn't vote, the numbers become significant. A new DNC chair will be welcomed since Debbie Wasserman Schultz has allowed the Democratic Party to weaken to the point where everything from local councils to the presidency is now controlled by Republicans.

We are not so much a conservative nation as we are a nation controlled by conservatives. This did happen on Schultz's watch and now that she is gone and new blood is coming on--perhaps Keith Ellison--the new head must work vigorously to develop the youth, Hispanic and black vote. It took years for the GOP to lay the groundwork for their success and I am afraid it will take some time for the Democrats to catch up.

Rudy Giuliani called the protesters “spoiled crybabies.” Trump thinks they may not know him. The uprisings stretched all the way from Maryland to Oregon and several states in between and you can bet these "spoiled crybabies" knew exactly what they were doing and who it was about. Donald Trump as President is bad enough but looking forward to a GOP controlled Congress and overall Republican domination for the next few years really sucks.

Gun Control: With Trump emphasis shifts even more to states

NRA head, Wayne LaPierre

For years now a cowardly Congress, scared to death of Wayne LaPierre and the National Rifle Assn., has failed to act on reasonable gun control. Even the simplest steps like background checks, closing the gun show loophole and banning assault weapons. And now in comes Donald Trump with his open philosophy on guns, including a belief that there should be absolutely no limit on gun sales in America. With 112.6 guns per 100 residents already.

The gun situation in the U.S. can be defined in one word: obscene. The Washington Post reported:

"Homicides in the United States went up by more than 10 percent in 2015 over the year before, while violent crime increased by nearly 4 percent in the same period, according to new statistics released Monday by the FBI."

Translated into specifically gun-related violence, the Gun Violence Archive 2016 reports:

Total gun incidents-49,816
Number of deaths-12,860
Number of children to age 11 killed or injured-594
Mass shootings-342
Accidental shooting-1,846

In another report, you can see Donald Trump's position on nine issues in his own words. One in particular is laughable. Here's what he says about the national right to carry:

“The right of self-defense doesn’t stop at the end of your driveway … A driver’s license works in every state, so it’s common sense that a concealed carry permit should work in every state.”

Can you believe that kind of stupid reasoning? It's like saying a driver's license gives you the right to drive and your gun gives you the right to kill. Especially when you are talking about carrying an AR-15 assault rifle. Only a dedicated gun nut would espouse or believe this kind of bullshit. Or...a political candidate trying to get your vote.

Steve Bannon reconfirms Donald Trump extreme right plans

Kellyanne Conway

Steve Bannon is Donald Trump's new White House strategist, signaling the fact that he definitely has radical tendencies in mind for his administration. Bannon is the former president of Breitbart News, the ultra conservative publication so far to the right, its followers don't even recognize the other direction. Bloomberg News said: Steve Bannon, "is the most dangerous political operative in America. That's scary, considering his position in the new Trump administration.

Kellyanne Conway, Donald Trump's campaign manager, screamed foul, spouting off Bannon's credentials:

“He has got a Harvard business degree. He’s a Naval officer. He has success in entertainment. I don’t know if you’re aware of that. And he certainly was a Goldman Sachs managing partner. Brilliant tactician.”

I wonder if he was the "brilliant tactician" that almost brought Goldman Sachs down when it defrauded its customers in a hedge fund scandal, part of the George W. Bush financial disaster that almost brought the country down? But my concern is more with the fact that the Tea Party--remember them?--has endorsed not only Steve Bannon but also Reince Priebus, former head of the RNC and now Trump's Chief of Staff.

It's hard to see how the election of Donald Trump could get any more bizarre but it just did. Anyone want to predict what's next?

Real reason Donald Trump won

Is this reason for the low turnout?

All things considered, anger at Washington insiders, people didn't like Hillary Clinton, and on and on, the real reason Donald Trump won this election was the low turnout. Almost 5% less votes were cast in 2016 than 2012, and the latter was 3.7% less than 2008. The Bernie bunch let us down. The blacks let us down. And once again the Hispanics let us down. So in comes a stampeding group of Trump do willies who stumble through the process of electing...him.

A low turnout by lazy Democrats has always favored a Republican base, which at least rises to the occasion when it is important.

The outcome is that we are stuck with Donald Trump for the next four years--but maybe not says Michael Moore--as the President of the most powerful country in the world. More than scary, right? In case you are interested, this is the profile of the gang that elected your President. By "your," think you know what I'm talking about. Here is how Allen Clifton of Forward Progressive describes the supporters for the new President-elect:

1. They’re not very well-educated
2.They have delusional visions about how wealthy they might be
3. They really don’t know a damn thing about politics
4. They’re highly misinformed about nearly everything and extremely gullible
 5. They think they’re a whole lot smarter than what they actually are and tend to be extremely stubborn, if not outright arrogant

Now here is one I've never heard before, #2: They have delusional visions about how wealthy they might be. You mean even the dimmest of the Donald dimwits think they can do what he did? Take a million dollars from your father and turn it into four bankruptcies? Well, they would. And more power to them. But meanwhile we're stuck with, well you know what. But like I said earlier, maybe there is hope when Trump starts again with his bizarre antics.

Let me finish with a question. Can we surmise from the above plus other recent articles on Donald Trump's election; are his followers simply uneducated rednecks? Shades of the Tea Party.

Bernie Sanders: Stay healthy for 2020

Debbie Wasserman Schultz

Michael Moore and Allan Lichtman predicted Donald Trump won't survive a full four years as President. As encouraging as that is, we need a backup just in case for 2020. I read a comment yesterday on an Internet site covering the Trump demonstrations across the country. It said, eat right and get plenty of exercise, Bernie, for 2020. Not being anything close to a Constitutional Law expert, or even layman, not sure if he could fill in for an impeached Donald Trump.

I harken back to the unethical antics of Debbie Wasserman Schultz, disgraced former head of the Democratic National Committee, who repeatedly showed overwhelming favor for Hillary Clinton in the primaries. She was fired for her actions, things Bernie Sanders frequently exposed during the campaign, but only to the deaf ears of demented Democrats. Who, obviously, got what they deserved, Donald Trump.

Here's one such email from Brad Marshall suggesting that they use religion against a certain possible atheist with a Jewish heritage:

From:MARSHALL@dnc.org To: MirandaL@dnc.org, PaustenbachM@dnc.org, DaceyA@dnc.org Date: 2016-05-05 03:31 Subject: No shit

It might may no difference, but for KY and WVA can we get someone to ask his belief. Does he believe in a God. He had skated on saying he has a Jewish heritage. I think I read he is an atheist. This could make several points difference with my peeps. My Southern Baptist peeps would draw a big difference between a Jew and an atheist.

Marshall was chief financial officer of the DNC, who later tried to claim his message did not refer to Bernie Sanders. Bernie beat Donald Trump consistently in the polls leading up to Clinton's nomination. But the election results were a complete turnaround from what all the polls were predicting between Clinton and Trump. I would like to think this:

When Bernie Sanders lost the primaries, the force of his following was so let down and discouraged that the majority fractured completely away from the Democratic Party and with no direction or leadership either didn't vote at all or simply looking for change from the typical Washington insider, Hillary Clinton, they misguidedly voted for Donald Trump. This added to Trump's rural support put him over the top.

But, of course, we'll probably never know. 

There's hope-a duo of predictions for Donald Trump's resignation or impeachment

Allan Lichtman

Michael Moore was right when he predicted Donald Trump could win last July. But this is what he said on Huff Post re. Trump's staying power: “Here’s what’s going to happen, this is why we’re not going to have to suffer through four years of Donald J. Trump, because he has no ideology except the ideology of Donald J. Trump." What have we seen that the President-elect has either said or advocated that wasn't connected to the well-being of Donald Trump? Nothing.

Interestingly enough, Allan Lichtman, a history professor at American University in Washington, D.C., also forecasted the win. But, then, he has predicted nine consecutive presidential election results based on a model he created that consists of 13 factors. He doesn't believe in polls and kicks sand at all the data mining fanatics that depend entirely on numbers. At the same time. Lichtman also felt that Donald Trump would be impeached.

Nate Silver's 538 Blog, which has called several presidential elections correctly, picked Hillary Clinton for a win right up to Nov. 8, 71.4% to Trump's 28.6%. Others foresaw the actual outcome which you can see here. Allan Lichtman had 13 true false statements but Michael More decided based on just 5 reasons. They are:

 Midwest Math, or Welcome to Our Rust Belt Brexit; The Last Stand of the Angry White Man; The Hillary Problem; The Depressed Sanders Vote; and The Jesse Ventura Effect.

Each is an interesting look at election psychology, and you can read them here.

Could Donald Trump surprise us all and turn out to be a fine, upstanding President? But, with very limited thought, little chance.

Protesters against Donald Trump election everywhere

Donald Trump election protesters

Thousands hit the streets from San Francisco to Washington, DC, as well as Atlanta; Austin, Texas; Boston; Chicago; Denver; Philadelphia; Portland, Oregon; Seattle. And, it's not letting up, entering the fourth day of demonstrations. CNN reported, "One college student showed CNN a sign that said, 'I still can't believe I have to protest for civil rights.'" Is it fair to say that we have a relatively large proportion of the public unhappy with Donald Trump?

It's bad enough that we have a flawed election process where several people are chosen as electors by the two political parties--but not Independents--sometimes with no relationship to the will of the public. Electoral votes put George W. Bush in office in 2000, and Donald Trump in 2016. In both cases the popular vote elected Al Gore and Hillary Clinton. If you're interested an Electoral College explanation here, why we don't get rid of it here.

On the other hand, Donald Trump talked in extremes during his candidacy saying he would repeal Obamacare, put Hillary Clinton in jail, and send all of the illegals back home. Just to garner the votes of the racists, bigots and radicals in general. It worked. And he added a few others who voted simply for change. I would like to know the percentage of his supporters who voted blind, with no clue to the issues of the Trump campaign.

Had they looked, they still wouldn't have found any. And now these poor souls have learned that that their idol for change is already reversing himself on Obamacare, Hillary Clinton and immigration. One might wonder if these people will have the gumption to stand up to the man who is letting them down. I've said it before and will say it again, it is this kind of profile that rushes to the voting booth with their double-digit IQs, voting accordingly.

The election outcome protesters of the last few days knew the issues of their candidate, Hillary Clinton, and even though many had rather have had Bernie Sanders on the ticket, they voted in protest to keep Donald Trump out of the White House. It didn't work. Or rather it did, but the Electoral College undercut their efforts. Progressives have a lot to do to get this country back in shape.

Latino Chants of "¡Si se puede!" as Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio loses big

The Hispanic community of Arizona can rest easier after the decisive defeat of Sheriff Joe Arpaio in Tuesday's election, at least until January 20, 1917. I talked to one Latino as he finished grooming our yard, ready to ask him if he voted but he asked me first. I said, "Yes, did you?" His answer was a quick "Yes." I didn't ask him who he voted for but I'm betting as far as the Sheriff's race is concerned, it was probably Paul Penzone, Arpaio's opposition.

Don't know how my guy voted in the Presidential election either but Hispanics accounted for 11% of the total vote and favored Clinton by better than two to one. In 2008 Obama received 67% of the vote but the Latino turnout was only 9%. Once again this ethnic group did not step up to the plate. They also offered no help in the Arizona legislature where the stupid laws like the 2010 immigration bill that was eventually gutted.

I am more inclined to believe the white population of Arizona was finally fed up with Joe Arpaio, sick of the grandstanding to feed his ego, and at least $55 million in lawsuits against him and his department. And recently he was personally indicted on contempt of court charges he will have answer without his shield to back him up. Not sure what state's position will be on paying future legal bills. Knowing this state, anything is possible.

Hillary Clinton was supposed to ace the Hispanic vote but she barely held on to Obama's 2008 numbers. Either the Dems just aren't approaching the Latino community right, the latter just don't give a shit about their future, or it's all Hillary's fault. The future of the Democratic Party is significantly in question right now. Where are you Bernie?

World doesn't agree with U.S. election of President

Trump's supporters may be in ecstasy right now but the rest of the world is in a state of disbelief over the outcome of the election. Here's a quote from the Pew Research poll taken last June:

"In seven of 15 countries outside of the U.S. polled by Pew Research Center, Trump’s ratings are in the single digits. Large majorities in 11 of the countries have little or no confidence in the prospective Republican presidential nominee ability to manage international affairs. That includes 92 percent of Swedes, 89 percent of Germans and 82 percent of Japanese."

He's going to have to come out more than just running to overcome that; a sprint probably won't even do it. NBC News describes it as follows: "Disbelief, horror and downright mockery." And we have to live with these people as a nation unless we plan to become isolationists. You must take a look at the above underlined NBC News article and marvel over the front pages of newspapers worldwide.

As when Trump started his campaign, we are the laughing stock of the world...again.

Opinion to chill out over Trump only partially right

Timothy Stanley's headline, "Liberals, chill out about Trump victory," sounds comforting but he goes way too far. He's right about the courts holding Donald Trump in line and the fact that the 2018 election will certainly take into consideration how the President-elect fares in his first two years. And also the rights of the LGBT community. But he is dead wrong about him cutting taxes, repealing Obamacare, and his choice of Supreme Court justices.

Good God man, have you forgotten the disaster of the Geo. W. Bush fiasco, a fact that 20 million people are now covered by health care plans that weren't before the ACA? And for my money, we are only headed for some disastrous years with the addition of Trump's Court nominees. Conservatives won't admit it but the Citizens United decision has made a mockery of the election process and there is no way we will repeal that under Trump.

There is some contradiction to the above, considering that all of Hillary Clinton's massive ad buys in the millions didn't help her. But in the end it only proves that the Democrats nominated the wrong candidate. Most of us knew all along that it should have been Bernie Sanders.

Did 82% of Bernie Sanders supporters vote for Hillary Clinton?

I am not sure and here is why.

Everyone is saying a disgruntled "rural" population is what elected Donald Trump, one that claims they are always overlooked. But the question is, what is the "rural" population?

According to the U.S. Census Dept., "Rural encompasses all population, housing, and territory not included within an urban area." 

Further, "To qualify as an urban area, the territory identified according to criteria must encompass at least 2,500 people, at least 1,500 of which reside outside institutional group quarters."

My contention is that many of Bernie Sanders supporters came from the suburbs of urban areas like Los Angeles, Chicago, Atlanta, San Francisco, and the list goes on. Are they mistakenly included in this rural identification and, if so, what are their numbers. My reasoning is that the farm population is only 2% of the total U.S., the rural population only 19%, but maybe it is only a matter of semantics.

It's one thing for 82% of Bernie's people to "say" they were going to vote for Clinton. The question is,did they? Remember, according to Politico, back in November, 71% of GOP insiders said ..."the polls understate Trump’s support because voters don’t want to admit to pollsters that they are backing the controversial Republican nominee." But when Democrats were asked this, only 26% agreed.

We may never know but one thing is for sure, 2016 will go down as they most bizarre election to ever take place in the U.S.

Bernie Sanders will be a thorn in Donald Trump's behind

Bernie Sanders

It isn't sour grapes since Bernie Sanders didn't have a chance at beating Donald Trump. Had he, he would have. It's just that Bernie recognizes and isn't afraid to verbalize his concerns about the potential of a Trump administration. One of the last major politicians to release a statement, this is what he said:

"Donald Trump tapped into the anger of a declining middle class that is sick and tired of establishment economics, establishment politics and the establishment media. People are tired of working longer hours for lower wages, of seeing decent paying jobs go to China and other low-wage countries, of billionaires not paying any federal income taxes and of not being able to afford a college education for their kids — all while the very rich become much richer."

I don't want to put words in his mouth, but it is almost as if the inference is that Donald Trump's rants of change may have picked up some of the Revolution's supporters when Bernie was beaten by Hillary Clinton. He added this to the above:

"To the degree that Mr. Trump is serious about pursuing policies that improve the lives of working families in this country, I and other progressives are prepared to work with him. To the degree that he pursues racist, sexist, xenophobic and anti-environmental policies, we will vigorously oppose him."

It is obvious that Bernie Sanders, The Revolution, and staunch Progressives will cautiously eye the movements of the President-elect. This blog will be devoted to that mandate in the future.

Hillary Clinton baggage lost the election for her

Thank God it's over and it's time for us Progressives to face the facts and regroup to make sure the Donald Trump administration doesn't wreak havoc. It will be hard with the WH and Congress in the control of the GOP.


Hillary Clinton carried the baggage that obviously defeated her on Nov. 8, spawning a situation we will have to live with for the next four years. Has everyone forgotten all the things Trump said over the period of the campaign? Things like:

"undocumented immigrants will be deported en masse, Arab Americans will be racially profiled and the United States will "bomb the s--- out of ISIS."

 There's more:

"In Trump's America, foreign Muslims will be banned from the US, Syrian refugees sent back to their war-torn country and free trade agreements torn to shreds. And, of course, the US will build a 'great wall' on the US-Mexico border, which Mexico will have to pay for."

And even more in the article underlined above. These are not Presidential comments and it is hopeful that the tone of the President-elect reported by Pres. Obama, in their personal conversation today, will prevail in Trump's governing of this country. I am not yet ready to predict a George W. Bush comeback but the next few months will determine that.

OMG! Donald Trump is President

Michael Moore

Michael Moore said it could happen. Donald Trump said it would happen. It did. He was elected President of the United States in a cliff-hanger that played out to the bitter end. My wife and I watched it but gave up in disgust at 2:30 AM ET. It was a classic example of how conservatives have taken over this country...again. I guess memories of the George W. Bush eight cataclysmic years have faded into the combination of I hate Obama and the establishment.

I didn't really want Clinton; Bernie Sanders would have suited me much more, and apparently the other progressives out there. Not certain, but would bet that many of Bernie's supporters voted for Trump because both stood for change, although the former's revolution makes tons more sense than whatever the Donald's idea of make America great again is. But now we have him and we must do the best with what the rural U.S. has given us.

I do think we have to give the man a chance even though thousands like me do not agree with anything he espouses. You can bet that Bernie sanders and Elizabeth Warren will form a duo of oversight for the Trump administration, with an eye on every move he makes. Considering the number of Republicans that failed to support the new President-elect, this should be a very interesting next few months in the Congress, considering its favorability rating is only 20%.

Hillary Clinton Issues: Equal Pay

"Fighting for equal pay."

Hillary Clinton

Hillary Clinton Issues: Overturn Citizens United

"We will do everything we can to overturn Citizens United."

Hillary Clinton

Hillary Clinton Issues: Health Care/ACA

"Stand up to Republican-led attacks on this landmark (health care) law—and build on its success to bring the promise of affordable health care to more people and make a ‘public option’ possible."

Hillary Clinton Issues: Immigration

"Pass comprehensive immigration reform with a path to citizenship that keeps families together."

Hillary Clinton Issues: College Tuition

ON COLLEGE TUITION

"For families making less than $125,000 a year, we will eliminate tuition" for in-state students at public colleges.

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