This blog promotes humane values.
I consider myself a shameless bleeding-heart liberal with no regrets. That said, everyone should feel welcome, regardless of political sentiments.
Don't hesitate to leave comments.
If the consequences of the Trump campaign's whoppers regarding immigrants purloining and eating family pets weren't so dire, we could share the hilarious absurdity. But in reality, promoting this lie is causing serious harm, even placing lives of many families, especially those of Haitian expats in Springfield, Ohio at enormous risk.
Yet here's the supreme absurdity: We have Donald John Trump rabidly raving about kitties getting snatched. Isn't this the self-same Donald John Trump who prides himself on being better at grabbing pussies than anybody else, ever?
As awful a human being as he is, in so many ways, our Dear Senate Majority Leader actually appears to possess an emotional trigger. Early last month (December, 2020), the Senate bade a fond fare-thee-well to Tennessee's senior senator, Lamar Alexander, who opted for retirement at age 80.
Dear Leader Addison Mitchell McConnell Jr., (that's what momma actually named him), appeared to be on the precipice of a good ol' man-cry, as he stood at the podium honoring his loyal chum, Mr. Alexander, one of his most dependable Republican yes-dudes. It seemed as if those optical waterworks were about to burst forth at any moment, inundating the entire Senate chamber. Here's the video, for your viewing pleasure.
Believe it or not, this wistful event wasn't Mournful Mitch's first-ever Senate-session blubber-fest. Back in 2017, Dear Leader and His Merry Band launched their seventy-somethingth attempt to suffocate The Affordable Care Act, a.k.a., Obamacare. However, three GOP senators bravely crossed the aisle and saved the day: Susan Collins from Maine, Alaska's Lisa Murkowski, and, in dramatic fashion, the late Arizona Senator John McCain, having just been released from the hospital where he was being treated for terminal cancer.
Launching into a funerial scold-a-thon, Dear Leader seemed to be at wit's end: Were we witnessing Mournful Mitch or the scolding old Mangy Mitch? Judge for yourself.
In any event, Obamacare survived. Despite its warts, it still serves as a lifeline for over 20 million souls. On the other hand, the Senate chamber came this/close to suffering the watery consequences of a Marathon McConnell Man-cry.
Tomorrow, January 5, 2021 will be a memorable day, whatever the outcome. The Good Burghers of Georgia are faced with the noble task of empowering the United States Senate. Dear Leader Mitch's future as The Grim Reaper is on the line. The Democrats have fielded two very capable candidates, Rev. Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff. In contrast, the Republican incumbents are a duo of self-serving, Trump-loving grifters, who've personally profited from this deadly pandemic.
If The Good Reverend and Mr. Ossoff prevail, Dear Leader Mitch will end up, alas, as "Just Another Senator." He'll waterlog the chamber with his copious tears.
I'd strongly suggest that FEMA remain on standby for a massive cleanup effort.
NOTE: For further details regarding Mr. McConnell's 2017 weep-a-thon, feel free to eyeball the post from 9/25/2017 titled Trumpcare 3.0? Seriously?
Over the past year, my brain's been tragically fallow. I've made concrete plans to vacuum it out and install some fresh brain cells. If all goes well, posts will resume soon.
Have you ever felt so overwhelmed and exhausted by the state of affairs that your creative stream became reduced to a mere piddle? If so, I can relate.
Looks like The Bathtub Admiral is at it again! (For relevance, please eyeball my post dated 9/14/16: Young Master Donald, The Bathtub Admiral). Only now, now that he's the honest-to-Gawd, rotten'-tootin' Commander in Chief, The No-Longer-So-Young Master Donald has ratcheted up the tension considerably. Against all sagely advice from relative grownups like National Security Advisor General HR McMaster and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, as well as numerous other career military officials and diplomats, the Tangerine Terror decided to walk away from the nuclear accord with Iran: All by himself! And whom do you think he anoints as his nation's security go-to guy? This dude: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PLE-cMbm0sk--- and not to be overlooked, his alter ego: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFCTIIPuACMh
Yosemite John Bolton may appear just as cartoonish as the Warner Brothers character, but his presence on the international stage is no laughing matter. Actually, Cartoon Character Yosemite Sam, despite his bluster, can be kinda cuddly if he's so inclined. He's been known to shoot gumdrops instead of bullets. In contrast, there's nothing even remotely lovable about Cartoon Character Yosemite John Bolton and his relentless obsession with things that go boom!
From the outset of his campaign, His Royal Orangeness has insisted that he doesn't want war. Yet he anoints as his national defense advisor the most incendiary creature in the whole universe: Military force is Yosemite John's one and only antidote for whatever ails the geopolitical sphere. He was one of the most raucous cheerleaders in support of our tragic misadventure in Iraq! So what's The No-Longer-So-Young Master Donald's game? Is he trying to be "good cop" versus Yosemite John's "bad cop?" Who knows what transpires within the cobwebbed caverns of his fevered mind! Everything he says and does seems to be off-the-cuff and unbelievably cavalier, considering possible consequences. Millions can live, or millions might die! It may depend on the number of cheeseburgers and Diet Cokes that he wolfed down the previous evening. Kinda reminds me of a scene from Charlie Chaplin's iconic film, The Great Dictator. Check it out. (Links aren't available, but video clips can be viewed on YouTube. Just key in "The Great Dictator: Globe Scene.")
A wee bit of advice to Master Trump might be appropriate at this juncture: The presidency is not a toy! Neither is the world!
Ever since Mitch McConnell has achieved political fame/infamy, a lot of folks have been cracking wise regarding his perceived facial resemblance to our shell-endowed animal friend known as the turtle. Many refer to him as "McTurtle."
Me? I don't get off on it. First of all, the guy has very minimal control over his appearance, unlike our Tangerine Toddler-In-Chief. For the record, McConnell once appeared as a guest of Stephen Colbert on his late-night TV gig. The host showed him the photo of a tortoise with his guest's head superimposed over the creature's shell. The senator responded with a big ol' shit-eating grin. "I love it," he cooed. As awful a human being as McConnell may be, he can, apparently take a joke, unlike the thin-skinned Reverse Raccoon residing at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
Here's my second reason for not being real stoked on the McConnell/McTurtle stuff. It's insulting to turtles! They're harmless, gentle, environmentally simpatico critters.
Now that the Democrats have recaptured a majority of the House, they're determined to restore humane values to that august body. For starters, they've introduced as their very first measure in the 116th Congress, a bill intended as a joint resolution with the Senate; it's been dubbed the For the People Act, otherwise known as House Resolution 1 (HR 1).
Among its provisions are the following: ---Purging of voter rolls is deemed illegal. ---It requires independent redistricting commissions, doing away with gerrymandering. ---Automatic voter registration becomes standard and universal. Additionally, there are campaign spending limits, and a mandate requiring disclosure of campaign donors. Oh, not to be forgotten, Election Day would be declared a national holiday.
A solid House majority is widely expected to approve it. The Senate? Well, that's another kettle o' fish! Here's Senate Majority Commissar Addison Mitchell McConnell, Jr. (yep, that's really his name), at his disdainfully harrumphing best: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/31/us/politics/election-day-holiday-mcconnell.html "One more federal holiday! Just what we need!" he huffed, referring to HR1 as a "Democrat power grab." A power grab? Is this the same Addison Mitchell McConnell, Jr., who refused to even hold hearings for Judge Merrick Garland, President Obama's Supreme Court nominee? (It must be, unless he has an evil twin. Uh, never mind!). His excuse? Wellll, Obama's a lame-duck president. It's an election year and his last year in office. Of course he couldn't cite any sort of legal or constitutional prohibition, because there ain't any! He actually tried to cite historic precedents, but upon being challenged by an astute TV journalist, he pitched a hissy-fit. Behold the clip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wg781xOBLT4 Kudos to Face the Nation's John Dickerson. Unless I'm wrong, Master Addison Mitchell McConnell, Jr. conveniently forgot that recently-retired Justice Anthony Kennedy was nominated by a lame-duck president named Ronald Reagan. Admittedly, one could get a li'l nit-picky over the fact that he chose Kennedy on November 11, 1987, a month-and-a-half prior to the election year. But he was sworn in on February 18, 1988. It should be duly noted that the Democrats comprised a solid majority of the Senate that year: 55-45. Senate Majority Leader Robert Byrd made no attempt --- none! --- to obstruct Senate hearings for President Reagan's nominee. In fact, the mostly Democratic Senate approved the Republican President's choice without a single nay! 97-zip! So, let's talk power grabs! If Master McConnell's blatantly political monkey-shines --- the denial of Obama's nominee, followed by the ramrod tactics used to advance The Orange Caudillo's court picks --- weren't power grabs, then Mike Pence is a commie. Back to HR 1, the For the People Act! Master Addison Mitchell McConnell, Jr. insists on calling it a "Democrat power grab." That's his opinion. He might be partially right. As far as I'm concerned, it's a democratIC power grab. (Note the lower-case "d.") A very righteous one! Update: On March 8th, HR 1, otherwise known as The For the People Act, sailed through the House 234-193. Every Democrat voted yea, Republicans uniformly gave it thumbs down. But for now, that's as far as it goes. Even before the vote was cast, Dear Senate Majority Leader Addison Mitchell McConnell, Jr. has declared that he won't bring it to the floor for a vote. When asked why not, he harrumphed, "Because I get to decide what we vote on!" During a press conference two days prior to the House vote, he stated his reason for opposing the bill: "It's a bill designed to make it more likely for the Democrats to win more often." <gasp> The good news? According to recent polls, Addison Mitchell McConnell Jr.'s approval rating amongst his Kentucky homies stands at an abysmal 30%. He's up for re-election in 2020. So maybe a strong, assertive Democrat can unseat him. In the meantime, we're stuck with him. So there'll be NO electoral fairness, NO campaign finance reform, and NO end to gerrymandering. Why? Because Addison Mitchell McConnell, Jr. SAYS SO!
The curtain may be about to descend on Trump's acid reign over the US of A. Just the other day, The New York Times released a barn-burner of a journalistic piece. (Dateline: Friday, January 11th.) Apparently, His Orangeness's unceremonious eighty-sixing of FBI director James Comey, triggered an ongoing investigation focused on possible collusion between Trump's coterie and Moscow --- which could possibly ensnare The Reverse Raccoon, himself. Anyway, here's a link to the article; you be the judge. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/11/us/politics/fbi-trump-russia-inquiry.html (click anywhere on this address: the link will appear below)
If this scenario actually unfolds, guess who takes charge of the Oval Office! Wherever Mr. Trump might be, standing close by is what, at first blush, might appear to be a hard-wired lamppost with a burnt-out bulb. However, whenever the Chief Executive twitches his lips, The Lamppost can be seen bobbling his globe in affirmation. At that moment, it becomes evident that The Lamppost, despite its burnt-out bulb, has characteristics that are vaguely human. It's none other than Mike Pence! Bobblehead Mike! Bobblehead dolls in the image of the Vice President are available online. I'm not about to invest in one, however; they're not cheap. But I can still make use of my warped imagination: no charge! Envision one holding forth on a bookshelf or coffee table. Plop one of those li'l gyrating hula dolls down beside it; I mean perilously close! Bear in mind that the real Mike Pence cannot ever be alone in the same room with a woman other than his wife <gasp>! (Incidentally, he addresses his beloved spouse as "Mother.") Yet here he is, sharing the same, immediate peace of real estate with a grass-skirted cutie! Mother would be very, very angry! Just in case that scenario seems too risque or offensive, I have a tamer alternative proposal. Just mount the Mike Pence bobblehead on the rear window ledge inside any sedan, facing aft, of course. This would enable Mike Pence to do what he does best. Looking backwards!
When an out-of-control li'l kiddo needs work on his chompers, it's often customary to bribe him with a treat, say a lollipop. That's assuming he's a good boy, and refrains from biting the dental hygienist. In other words, just by behaving, he'll be rewarded. In the wake of the peace summit between North and South Korea, eighteen members of Congress --- all Republicans --- have actually penned a letter to the Nobel Committee, proposing that Donald J. Trump be given the Nobel Peace Prize. With an extra flourish, The Donald's Senatorial Main Squeeze, Lindsey Graham (R-SC), opined that there would be mass casualties if it happened, because "A lot of liberals would kill themselves if they actually did that!" Not me! I'd just vomit. There's precious li'l doubt in my mind that Young Master Donald must have been an insufferable brat, constantly in need of attention. The No-Longer-So-Young Master Donald? Still a brat: The planet's most powerful brat, at that! So how exactly did No-Longer-So-Young Master Donald contribute to the pan-Korean thaw? Let's be real. South Korean President Moon Jae-in did the real heavy lifting. He was elected, having promised his constituents that he would seek rapprochement with their immediate neighbors and fellow ethnics. He kept that promise. On the other hand, until recently, The Most Powerful Brat on the Planet, had been relentlessly engaged in a prolonged pissing match --- a potentially lethal one --- with Kim Jong-un, whom he called "Little Rocket Man." For example, The Donald would bluster, "My penis --- oop, I mean 'nuclear button' is bigger than yours." "Military solutions are now in place, fully locked and loaded, should North Korea act unwisely." And not to be forgotten, he once threatened to unleash "--- fire, fury, and frankly power, the likes of which the world has never seen before." Now that the two Korean leaders have jointly broken bread, Our Wayward Head-of-State somehow got the message that he needs to make nice with Little Rocket Man. Done! Now that he's being a good boy, a Nobel Peace Prize may actually be in his future. If so, that's quite a lollipop! Come to think of it, suckers have defined much of his life. They still show up at his campaign rallies. NOTE: This post was conceived before Trump's dreadful decision to scuttle the nuclear agreement with Iran. Somehow, I doubt that he'd be warmly received in Oslo anymore, Nobel or no Nobel.
Back in ye olden days, from the 1930s throughout much of the '70s, many schools attempted to teach primary-grade students to read by force-feeding them Dick and Jane primers. These precious li'l picture books were standard fare in the Chicago Public Schools during the early '50s when I was still a wee kiddo. And gawd, were they ever booooorrrring! They featured a boy named Dick and a girl called Jane as well as their baby sister Sally, Spot the Dog, Puff the Cat, and a pair of soulless parental units, known as "Mother" and "Father," for some strange, unfathomable reason. "Father," of course, smoked a pipe, which meant that he always knew best! Prior to 1965, the entire Dick and Jane cast of human characters wore the same baby-powder-colored skin tone. Only then, did the publishers, Scott-Foresman & Company (based here in Chicagoland), make the long-overdue decision to create versions of this iconic, but deadly dull, family in darker hues. However, their names stayed the same. Jane remained Jane, and Dick was, well, still a Dick --- for keeps! And the primers themselves still sucked. Here's an example of the inspiring wordplay our impressionable young minds were expected to absorb: See Dick run! Run, run, run! See Jane skip! Skip, skip, skip! Anyhoo, you get the idea. All that running and skipping was enough to make my head explode. And they were, oh, soooo free of care --- Dick and Jane and Baby Sally and Spot and Puff --- in their leafy suburban paradise. (No worries over sweet, sweet, li'l Puff ever getting squished by a big, bad ol' semi!) A real treat to read for all of us snot-nosed city kids, in our own pavement-colored heaven! Now those were the good ol' days, back when America was great! The Orange Caudillo obviously pines for those days. Maybe that's the real reason he anointed Betsy DeVos as ---uh--- Education Secretary. After all, with Sweet Betsy at the helm, everything's gonna be hunky-dory, like it's 1951 again. She might even bring back Dick and Jane!
During the waning days of September, Republican senators will try once again to ramrod their latest Trumpcare aberration through the legislative process. It's only been two months since its last crash-landing, the culmination of an effort known as the American Health Care Act (AHCA) or "The Skinny Repeal" [of Obamacare; the 79th attempt overall, maybe?]. Only this time 'round, the fresh proposal, known as the Graham-Cassidy Bill in honor its Senate co-sponsors, is far more draconian. It eliminates the mandate, enables insurance carriers to charge patients with pre-existing conditions enough to force them into indentured servitude, and ends Medicaid subsidies to the states. Each state will instead be given an unrestricted-use block grant --- at a reduced level of funding, of course. After all, we can't allow HHS Secretary Tom Price to fly coach or ride Amtrak like the rest of us peons, now can we? Perish the thought! Remember last July's fiasco with "The Skinny Repeal?" It fell short by one vote; three Republicans joined their Democratic colleagues and deep-sixed it: The Good Senators Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski, and, in dramatic fashion, John McCain. Ever see a Senate majority leader blubber? Well, neither have I, but Mitch McConnell did get all somber and teary-eyed --- right on the cusp of a marathon man-cry, that could have left the entire Senate chamber waterlogged. Meanwhile, the Orange Caudillo flew into a 71-year-old-man-child's rage, insisting that a new health care bill be passed, seemingly unaware that the legislative process had run its course. So why does the GOP keep resurrecting their repeated attempts to sink Obamacare? It's like beating a dead horse, burying it, then digging it up and beating it some more. What's the point? Here's what Chuck Grassley, Iowa's Senior Senator Since Forever, has to say about it: "Republicans campaigned on this so often, that you have a responsibility to carry out what you said in the campaign." Kinda makes sense. It seems as if the Grand Old Party has stitched itself into a tight li'l trick bag. In order to be true to their word, they must continue to trash Obamacare, which despite its warts, has provided a lifeline to 20 million souls. There's precious li'l doubt that Graham-Cassidy is about to be ashcanned, just like its previous incarnations. Beyond the end of this month, any further attempts to dispatch the Affordable Care Act will require sixty votes, not just a simple Senate majority. So, is this really the Republicans' last anti-Obamacare gasp? Who knows! Many folks made that assumption a couple months ago. Just consider that angry turd (the one wearing the orange fright-wig) that you can't ever flush down. Let's keep those plungers handy, folks.
This past weekend, a hatred-laden rogues' gallery of torch-bearing white supremacists sieg-heiled a deadly path through the historic college town of Charlottesville. Many came equipped, not only with tiki torches --- the type normally used for festive display on outdoor patios in comfortable suburbs --- but also with weaponry intended to inflict bodily harm on anyone who dared to stand up to them. Who are these sorry creatures anyway? Well, they're not beer-swilling bubbas. None of the photos and videos appeared to capture images of down-on-their-luck older guys either: y'know, the ones who raved about The Orange Caudillo because he catered to their frustrations --- including some legitimate economic ones --- and insisted that he, alone could fix things. For starters, the majority of them appear to be millenials, moderately prosperous ones at that. They're beneficiaries, not only of white male privilege, but social and economic advantage as well. Few displaced factory workers or miners could be found among their ranks. Au contraire! The lion's share of these goose-stepping, stiff-armed monsters are, in reality, spoiled brats playing SchutzStaffel, raised with a sense of entitlement. Only what they're playing at ain't the least bit amusing. These folks represent a clear and present danger. And --- they are frighteningly resolute. They insist that they're not going away. Among the pale punks' most disgusting rallying cries is, "You will not replace us" --- a blood-lustful baritone shriek which has been known at times to segue into, "Jews will not replace us." As one might readily assume, this vile, surly collection of swastika-suckers has a putative leader --- or if one prefers --- a fuhrer! Who is this guy? Last time I checked, he goes by the name Donald John Trump!
When a wee kiddo pitches a hissy-fit in a public place --- a store, a street, or an event --- bystanders are often left feeling discomforted. Beyond that momentary unease, there are rarely any lasting consequences. As a li'l sweetheart reared in the gilded surroundings of his family's lavish life-style, I think it's a safe bet that Young Master Donald initiated more than a few high-intensity shriek-a-thons in his day. He seems to have had ample practice. Last week, the GOP's latest attempt to snatch away life-sustaining healthcare from twenty-plus-million human beings crash-landed in flames. Even Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell mournfully conceded defeat in a seven-minute speech. On more than one occasion, he seemed to be on the brink of tears, reminiscent of a li'l tyke whose cherished puppy had just been flattened by a bus. Yep, even Dear Leader McConnell, whose hatred and contempt of everything Obama, was throwing in the towel. The No-Longer-So-Young Master Donald was having none of it! Launching a fecal tweet-storm to end all tweet storms, our so-called chief executive callously threatened to withhold vital funding, that enables low-income beneficiaries to maintain their health insurance. No, no, no, no, no! <shriek!!!> If a new healthcare bill isn't approved quickly, BAILOUTS for insurance companies and BAILOUTS for members of Congress (now covered by the ACA) will end very soon. (Bailouts??!! Oy!) Here's the awful reality. According to Senator Chris Murphy (D-Connecticut), a quirk in the ACA actually gives a president the power to authorize the payments. As The Good Senator further stated, "We never thought that any president would stop making these payments." Well, folks, The Orange Caudillo is not just "any president." Without missing a beat, he's perfectly willing to sacrifice the lives of millions of his fellow Americans, only because he couldn't have his way! Like I stated in the subject line of this post, a tantrum can really kill! In this particular instance, the tantrum's owner happens to be named Donald J. Trump!
Last week, I posted an appeal to Republican senators from across the pond featuring Boy George crooning in his own inimitable style, his 1982 chart-buster, Do You Really Want to Hurt Me? (Check out the link in that previous post.) Well, believe it or not, the very next day, West Virginia's junior senator Shelley Moore Capito (R), declared that "she didn't come to Washington to hurt people." Sheer coincidence, or is she a fan? In any event, good for her. At least two other Republican senators have joined their colleague, stating their opposition to the upcoming, supposedly revised version of the --- uh --- "Better Care Reconciliation Act." (BCRA). Consideration of the bill may be brought to a vote as early as today (Tuesday, July 25th). However, that would just initiate debate on this measure. Affordable health care ain't dead yet. Here's the kicker. They have no idea what the bill contains. It might include chunks of the House Bill a.k.a.,The American Health Care Act (AHCA) as well as parts of the BCRA. In any case, according to the Congressional Budget Office, at least 20 million souls would lose their coverage. Texas Senator and Majority Whip John Cornyn, Mitch McConnell's Senior Bookend,* insists that letting senators know what's in the bill they'll be voting on is "a luxury we don't have." Gotta ram it through before summer recess, y'know. All of these endlessly --- and mercilessly --- repetitive attempts to scuttle affordable healthcare remind me of one thing: That angry turd that you can't ever flush down! It just keeps on defiantly bobbing back at you! Well, progressive Democrats have fashioned a much-needed plunger. It's called "Medicare for All." The House bill has been assigned the number 676 (HR 676). Add ten points to "666" and we'll exorcise Lucifer, once and for all. This measure now has about 100 sponsors --- and it's growing! The Senate version is SB 1782. If your member of Congress hasn't signed onto it yet, give 'em a poke! It's time!
* Here's what I meant by "Senior Bookend." Whenever McConnell makes any sort of official announcement/proclamation, he's always flanked by the same two senators: Senior Bookend Cornyn, to his left, and on his starboard side, Junior Bookend John Barrasso(R), a solemn-looking, bespectacled non-household name of a senator from Wyoming.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and his minions ain't givin' up! Their determination to eliminate health insurance for millions of our most vulnerable citizens seems to be iron-bound. Heartlessly, soullessly iron-bound! Ironically, the Republican crusade to Make America Sick Again --- otherwise known as the Better Health Care Act or Trumpcare --- has been stalled by one senator's absence for a spell, owing to his need for emergency surgery. Arizona's senior senator, 80-year-old John McCain had a clot removed from a frontal lobe above his left eye, and will need time to recuperate. Having received the finest medical care available, he's recovering nicely. I wish him well. Maybe, just maybe, he'll undergo an epiphany and discover that he has a moral backbone by casting his ballot to deep-six Trumpcare, this time for keeps. Just three GOP dissenters will do the trick. Two have already committed. Perhaps an appeal from across the pond might work, not just with Senator McCain, but some already-declared fence-sitters as well, such as Louisiana's recently-elected senator, Bill Cassidy. That's Doctor Bill Cassidy, who co-founded a free clinic in his home state's capitol, Baton Rouge! Very commendable, Doc. Now how about that Hippocratic Oath, "First do no harm?" * Without further ado, here's Boy George coming at ya, with his 1982 chart-buster, Do You Really Want to Hurt Me? Enjoy! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8MoXSjjERBk * According to a reputable Wikipedia source, the actual Latin translation of the oath reads, "I will utterly reject harm and mischief."
This could well be a portent of things to come. A few Republican members of Congress seem to be encountering some difficulty facing the residents of the districts that they supposedly represent. California's Tom McClintock, a supporter of Mister Trump's travel ban largely affecting Muslims, skittered away from a townhall meeting rather than engage his constituents. Concerned citizens can be kinda scary, I guess. Here's Mike Coffman, from Colorado's 6th District, fleeing a meeting in Aurora last month. The uncertainty of access to healthcare seemed to be foremost on everyone's minds. It was videoed in all its awkward glory, complete with crime scene tape: Public Servant In Flight. Community-minded folks can be frightening! Finally, just last week, one of my Metro Chicago homedudes, a Republican congressguy named Peter Roskam, abruptly cancelled a meeting with constituents once he found out that a reporter would be present. <gasp> Mr. Roskam, who represents parts of suburban Kane, DuPage, and northwest Cook Counties, was seen cutting a lordly figure while fleeing a group of folks who wanted to discuss the Affordable Care Act. Hurriedly exiting the scene, he scattered a trail of chicken feathers in his wake! Think 2018, ladies and gents! The Democrats need to flip 24 seats in order to recapture a House majority. Presuming that they can get their act together, the districts represented by the three runaways described above --- California's Fourth, Colorado's Sixth, and Illinois' Sixth should be among those ripe for the plucking. It's a matter of preserving the memories.
Medicare, perhaps the nation's most revered social program, may actually be on the chopping block next year. In the wake of the election, House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Ayn Rand) vowed to wave his magic mallet, releasing just enough pixie dust to make Medicare go poof! President-elect Donald Trump, seems to be on board with this, although he hasn't yet made any official statements. Maybe he's still searching for the Kool-Aid that Mr. Speaker had drunken, lamenting aloud, "How come I didn't get any?" It should be noted that during the campaign, The Donald insisted that he wouldn't disturb Medicare, Social Security, or many of the other social programs vital to our survival and well-being as a nation. Yet he has chosen Congressman Tom Price, one of Speaker Ryan's staunchest allies, as Secretary of Health and Human Services --- a Fellow Preacher of the Gospel of Selfishness as a Public Virtue. So much for His Royal Orangeness's campaign promises! As someone who relentlessly insisted that he was an "outsider," he's gone to great lengths to diamond-stud his cabinet with uber-wealthy, corporate insiders. Consider Betsy DeVos, Trump's choice for Education Secretary, a relentless crusader hell-bent on dismantling public education and disempowering teachers. She and her husband gave the Trump campaign $9,000,000! Pay to Play at its ultimate reekiness! Congressman Ryan and his allies have made a point of declaring that all who are 55 and older will retain their full Social Security benefits, in the event that they're actually empowered to fulfill their wildest wet-dream. But hey, those older folks have kids and grand-kids, who'd be among those thrown under the bus. I'd like to believe that many of them would be more than a tad concerned about their progeny. Perhaps a few congressional Republicans might be sane enough to realize that many of those they represent would be seriously affected by the denial of these benefits. In any event, I'm thoroughly convinced that The Donald's gilded veneer is going to wear thin very quickly. Many of the folks who cast their ballots for him out of desperation and frustration will realize just how severely they got "Trumped." The burning question is: Where will they go? Those of us with humane values have a lotta work to do. It's gonna be a long slog!
Once we've licked our wounds, we should start planning for the 2018 midterms and beyond. If Trump succeeds in moving forward with parts of his agenda, many of his supporters may well become disillusioned. Remember, a great number of those who cast their ballots for this president-elect are not vicious haters. Quite a few supported Bernie Sanders, switching their allegiances to Trump after Clinton's primary victory. They'll soon realize that The Donald is not their friend, especially once his administration cuts taxes for the wealthy and guts vital social programs. 2018 could provide the perfect opportunity to set the table for progressive programs. I'm convinced that Elizabeth Warren among other progressive luminaries has a significant political future. Onward!
If Wisconsin falls to Trump, that state's draconian voter suppression measures may actually provide enough margin to affect the outcome. As of 10:30 election night, Clinton still has a chance to recover. Nothing is certain. Wisconsin's early April primary should have been considered the canary in the coal mine: 1.1 million declared Republicans vs. 1 million Democrats. 300,000 voters deemed ineligible by the ID laws should also be factored in. Some among those 300k were ultimately able to obtain their IDs, but not without a concerted effort. A few months back, GOP Congresscreature Glenn Grothman crowed about voter ID laws allowing his party to win the state. He may be right. The whole world is watching, folks!
It's been a 108-year drought since the Cubs' last World Series triumph. 71 years have elapsed since the Cubs last competed in the Series, falling to the Detroit Tigers. According to a great bearded legend, their 1945 loss had been widely attributed to a bar owner named William Sianis who attended the fourth game with his pet billy goat in tow. As it turns out, goats have a tendency to be stinky; not their fault, that's just what goats do. As one might well expect, the nasal sensitivities of fans within eyeshot --- and nose-shot --- of Man and Goat were severely compromised. Hence, Wrigley Field officials prevailed upon them to leave the facility. As he was being evicted, the enraged Mr. Sianis declared, "Them Cubs, they ain't gonna win no more!" At that moment, the Curse of the Billy Goat was born. Well, the Curse is no more! The Cubs downed the Cleveland Indians in what may have been one of the most suspenseful and skillfully executed series ever. The beauty of this team goes well beyond its star-studded roster featuring names such as Arrietta, Bryant, Russell, Fowler, Rizzo, Lester, Baez, Zobrist, Ross, and Hendricks --- and I know I left some out. There isn't one prima donna among them; and Major League Baseball is full of them! These guys have a sense of community, which they demonstrated throughout the regular season and into the playoffs. It has served them well. They're all nice guys. Forget Leo Durocher, a terrific player, coach, and manager, but also a notorious jerk. He was the guy who coined the moth-eaten old adage, "Nice guys finish last." Not anymore! Oh, one more thing! The Cubs should be commended for not wearing an historically hurtful logo on their caps and jerseys. I highly doubt that Smokey The Bear is the least bit offended.
