tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-46025481792947860972024-02-21T05:43:59.856-08:00Relation StateExploring human relations issues, current events that affect society - particularly those that politics and government policy.Jeffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16060441484392165488noreply@blogger.comBlogger27125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4602548179294786097.post-11132641363912396962022-04-18T12:28:00.002-07:002022-04-18T12:30:31.729-07:00Obama Tried to Get Bernie To Sell Out<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgCgHN1Ez0_lUlRwMDIuLd61_HL7F-Kw-PONZqpUv9DRRfzjmlDeI1VUVfcDGa8Az8WEQCAEzOiknjgYtwmTkzyw2lsOjLFHNLiuasfNWsJC8Hwbw6lCg8ilQwEFsr30SmcW_iMSN5gC8d2VpiQZnpaUkw73DcAnrzIcLIAHi5z4AhQzfBxYSeT2xfcZQ" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1688" data-original-width="3000" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgCgHN1Ez0_lUlRwMDIuLd61_HL7F-Kw-PONZqpUv9DRRfzjmlDeI1VUVfcDGa8Az8WEQCAEzOiknjgYtwmTkzyw2lsOjLFHNLiuasfNWsJC8Hwbw6lCg8ilQwEFsr30SmcW_iMSN5gC8d2VpiQZnpaUkw73DcAnrzIcLIAHi5z4AhQzfBxYSeT2xfcZQ=w471-h304" width="471" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial;">According to a Maureen Dowd opinion piece in the NY Times, it turns out that back in 2018, Obama told Bernie that he had to sell out in order to win the Democratic nomination. Bernie didn't. We saw what happened during the campaign. Everyone bowed out and endorsed Biden with Obama's urging. </span></span></div><p></p><div class="cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql o9v6fnle ii04i59q" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: arial;">I bought in to the "Hope and Change" when Obama won the presidency. As time has gone by, I have really seen the ugliness in Obama's politics and realized that there was no change at all. This is also why I gave up being a Democrat years ago.</span></div></div><p><br /></p>Jeffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16060441484392165488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4602548179294786097.post-3193286371196742112020-04-22T11:47:00.000-07:002020-04-22T11:50:41.776-07:00GOOD NEWS! CANCER PATIENT WHO FOUGHT LFG FINALLY WON APPEALBack in November, Relation State reported on Emily Suess, who was denied her long term disability claim from Lincoln Financial Group. You can find that story here at <a href="https://www.relationstate.com/2019/11/lincoln-financial-group-scams-cancer.html" target="_blank">Lincoln Financial Group Scams Cancer Patient.</a> We are pleased to report that after a grueling ordeal, Emily has won her appeal.<br />
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It took an attorney, patience and some resiliency, but Emily knows now that it was worth the payoff. She has decided to be a resource, herself, for anyone undertaking the same struggle she had. She has published her timeline on her site and is willing to be a source of encouragement and information as much as she can. <br />
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Recently, Emily did a guest appearance on <i><a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1_GCferA7W2dr5WVP2rq_w" target="_blank">Brain Cancer Diaries</a> </i>on Youtube. Here, she talks about her journey and how she is dealing with her life as a cancer patient.<br />
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<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="409" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Ulio6TB4ElQ" width="727"></iframe><br />
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You can see all the things she is doing and get information if you want to help support her work at <a href="http://emilysuess.com./">EmilySuess.com.</a>Jeffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16060441484392165488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4602548179294786097.post-45312845408976635122019-11-16T16:45:00.000-08:002019-11-16T17:41:39.055-08:00LINCOLN FINANCIAL GROUP SCAMS CANCER PATIENT<h3>
<i>Maybe we don't like our insurance companies after all.</i></h3>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Emily Suess struggles with her disability and LFG.</td></tr>
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There has arisen a great debate in this country concerning the role insurance companies should have in health care in the United States. Progressives like Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren insist that they have no place while conservatives and moderate De<br />
mocrats want them to be pivotal in care. However, because they are for-profit corporations, the goal of insurance companies is to maximize profits in order to keep their shareholders happy. To accomplish that, they find ways to deny care or payment of care to their customers. Therein lies the inherent conflict of interest. </div>
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I could spend a lot of space showing example after example of how health insurance companies have denied care because of built-in excuses they have in the fine print of their policies and the unethical schemes they use to utilize that fine print. However, that isn’t the aim for this piece.<br />
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It should be known that health insurance isn’t the only product that companies use to routinely bilk their customers. Emily Suess can testify to that. She has been battling Lincoln Financial Group (LFG) to get them to honor their commitment to provide her benefit. She bought in good faith a long term disability insurance policy from them when she was well enough to work. However, LFG has determined that instead of giving her that benefit, she should return to work now despite her debilitating and inoperable, malignant, brain tumor.<br />
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Emily was hired as a writer for Wolfram Research in Champaign, IL in 2013. As part of her benefits package, she thought it wise to purchase a supplemental policy that would cover long term disability. Her husband, Dan, is disabled which made Emily the sole breadwinner. She thought the wise and responsible thing to do was to buy disability insurance just in case something unthinkable should arise. She knew it would be devastating for her and Dan if she was forced to give up working because of an accident or health issue. She bought that policy not only to safeguard her finances, but also to give her peace of mind. As it turned out, it gave her neither.<br />
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A little over a year after purchase of that policy, Emily began to experience gait abnormalities, vertigo, and dizziness. She started to fall a lot. She also started suffering from fatigue, chronic generalized pain, insomnia, IBS and other digestive issues. For the next three years, she was jerked around by one doctor or facility after another . That could fill an article by itself. However, let’s just say after being told everything from fibromyalgia, psychosomatic problems, and possibly multiple sclerosis, she was ultimately diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor - an astrocytoma.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjugJkP0cAiLMBcVb-5Vt9bVAEVoK7yCaorNA88pKo5p9yMRYDnrff2Ffd1WwMvHubEFK-jhrI-CC5fogSIGYfyakIKucJ9vu5CS8cUi6-tw24nG8d5FMzZoWSd83f4tHQz6A6byUJip-Jk/s1600/incision.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="274" data-original-width="206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjugJkP0cAiLMBcVb-5Vt9bVAEVoK7yCaorNA88pKo5p9yMRYDnrff2Ffd1WwMvHubEFK-jhrI-CC5fogSIGYfyakIKucJ9vu5CS8cUi6-tw24nG8d5FMzZoWSd83f4tHQz6A6byUJip-Jk/s1600/incision.jpg" /></a></div>
At that point, in 2017, Emily applied and received her benefit from her short term disability insurance policy. After having brain surgery to address the tumor (a biopsy to determine the best way to treat it), she applied and received her long term disability benefit from LFG.<br />
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As soon as she started to receive her checks from LFG, she was urged - even coerced by LFG to obtain the Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefit. This was important to LFG because the policy allowed them to subtract the amount of the SSDI from their payout (which is a common stipulation in long term disability policies). Since Emily received her SSDI briefly after application, LFG was able to cut her benefit by the amount of her SSDI check. However, that wasn’t enough for LFG; they were hell bent on not paying Emily anything at all. “Other companies do it to.” Emily told RS - referring to the cutting of her benefit in lieu of SSDI, “I mean, they already get out of paying so much when you make a claim that it is just disgusting when they cancel on you altogether and don’t have to pay anything.”<br />
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That is exactly what happened. After 24 months, LFG re-evaluated Emily’s disability and proclaimed her able to go back to work. Bear in mind there is still a tumor on her brain stem and her symptoms have not changed. So how did LFG justify cutting Emily off from her benefits? They found a ringer.
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<b>ENTER DR. LEE HARTNER</b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQpqBglerE1AtDSZiRe2UAvJUr_8bsz_X_wYldnHwbuRSmvFgWTNan7yWKJL3TccKAguLCnXRoQSA4566Ast-l_ZD-titigkO_Oolzg5ZmQRrvGtQcJht3ATqscWClBX40t8u6kWjMcvrX/s1600/hartner_lee.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="215" data-original-width="160" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQpqBglerE1AtDSZiRe2UAvJUr_8bsz_X_wYldnHwbuRSmvFgWTNan7yWKJL3TccKAguLCnXRoQSA4566Ast-l_ZD-titigkO_Oolzg5ZmQRrvGtQcJht3ATqscWClBX40t8u6kWjMcvrX/s200/hartner_lee.jpg" width="147" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lee Hartner, LFG's hired gun<br /></td></tr>
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In order for LFG to be able to take away someone’s benefit, they have to find an expert to claim that the policy holder can return to work, thus getting LFG off the hook. It just so happens that LFG has such an expert that they are sure will not let them down. Dr. Lee Hartner, an oncologist for Penn Medicine, went to work on the insurance company’s behalf.<br />
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It would be easy to assume that LFG would insist that Emily be examined by THEIR doctor (Hartner) so that he could soft soap a five minute examination and then tell LFG what they paid him to hear. However, LFG and Hartner did nothing even that ethical. Instead, Hartner apparently looked over a few tests, reviewed some literature about astrocytomas, and gave her a clean bill of health.<br />
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Emily stated that this wasn’t an isolated case for Hartner. He has apparently, based on her research, ruined other cancer patients’ lives with his company line assessment in order to benefit insurance companies which is his gravy train.This incenses Emily, “It disgusts me that he treats cancer patients (in his regular practice).”<br />
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LFG quickly cut off her benefit despite the fact that none of her symptoms had dissipated or even improved. This forced Emily and Dan to try to live on roughly 30% of her previous salary. Due to circumstances beyond her control, Emily went from being a professional writer making a decent living for her family, to a disabled woman worried about keeping a roof over her head and food on the table - on top of dealing with her debilitating condition that caused her pain and physical dysfunction. All this despite doing the responsible thing of buying insurance to prevent this very circumstance.<br />
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Emily is now on her second appeal after being denied the first one. She and Dan are hoping beyond hope that somehow she will win this time and have the necessary portion of her income restored - the portion she bought and paid for. She has also started a Patreon page where people can help. “I do still get SSDI. There’s never been a question with the Social Security Administration as to my disability. It is not enough to get by without the benefits from the Lincoln Financial policy.”<br />
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Emily’s struggle with LFG has opened her eyes to the corruption that is part of the M.O. of insurance companies - especially those that deal with health and disability. She stated that she would like to see major changes in how people are treated by insurance companies such as LFG. “I’d like to see the system dismantled. I don’t care about (LFG) as an individual company. The people who work for them and prop up this system need to be called out. I’ve contacted my members of Congress, tried to tell the world. I’m not some poor soul who was in the wrong place at the wrong time. This system is how they want it -- FOR EVERYONE! I just want people to know that and think about it before they sink their hard earned money into it.”<br />
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Emily would, at least, like to see doctors be subject to additional regulations when they engage in this type of chicanery, “I want to make the doctors disclose this stuff the way they have to disclose taking money from pharma. I will die trying to make that happen.”<br />
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<b>YOU CAN HELP</b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuI9Xv6xf1wYq7zfAXp4HeKHA-pckwz5S7_JO5vlC2THoiqw5Xd5TD43OvGwBYEWxjvnHOyYKzDawZSotKNqek1EgPVa0-eo7b-xfSv4vbg6bKeacJGJqk8I3oGqcLV9AvEXQx5pESsyVM/s1600/Emily-and-Dan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuI9Xv6xf1wYq7zfAXp4HeKHA-pckwz5S7_JO5vlC2THoiqw5Xd5TD43OvGwBYEWxjvnHOyYKzDawZSotKNqek1EgPVa0-eo7b-xfSv4vbg6bKeacJGJqk8I3oGqcLV9AvEXQx5pESsyVM/s200/Emily-and-Dan.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Emily and Dan</td></tr>
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As mentioned Emily has started a Patreon page for people who are interested in helping out. They get the benefit of reading her memoir chapter by chapter as it comes out and it also has zentangles, a form of meditative design and pattern drawing. You can check out her page at patreon.com/emilysuess. You can also help Emily with your Paypal account at paypal.me/emilysuess. Emily also has her web site (emilysuess.com) to keep people up to date with her situation and other important issues around her life.<br />
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Emily asks for those who want to help stop this type of abuse to share their story and vote for people who represent real constituents, not corporate donors. Most of all, she urges everyone to not give their money to Lincoln Financial Group.
Jeffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16060441484392165488noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4602548179294786097.post-13733265022138084032019-08-25T14:56:00.000-07:002019-08-25T15:09:48.262-07:00Tea Party Politician Exhibits the Guts to Take on the Trump Disaster in the Republican Primary<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS9Uk68u5eun5xFkMqvAcHIqYMaCPsld_Pl-B55GiGlZjALPZXVYmXoQ_egB4Bv8pBVd8jomcXQOo5J2YiT5SFbctUw4KxieZ4ZOj14gt2kgaL8sjLi5fE3q5MDlnilgQGZ2Joq7OFZAfY/s1600/joe_walsh_hpMain_16x9_992.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="558" data-original-width="992" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS9Uk68u5eun5xFkMqvAcHIqYMaCPsld_Pl-B55GiGlZjALPZXVYmXoQ_egB4Bv8pBVd8jomcXQOo5J2YiT5SFbctUw4KxieZ4ZOj14gt2kgaL8sjLi5fE3q5MDlnilgQGZ2Joq7OFZAfY/s320/joe_walsh_hpMain_16x9_992.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ex-Congressman Joe Walsh</td></tr>
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Back in 2016, Relation State refused to endorse Hillary Clinton. The Democratic National Committee along with the Clinton Campaign had demonstrated that they were corrupt as they were in cahoots to coronate Clinton as the nominee come hell or high water.. <a href="https://www.courthousenews.com/bernie-sanders-backers-battle-dnc-in-11th-circuit/" target="_blank">The DNC was even sued for fraud.</a><br />
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Endorsing Donald Trump was a non-starter. RS knew that he would be an embarrassment to the country with his juvenile petulance and his obvious ignorance of how government actually works.<br />
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While staring at a binary choice, Hillary was the better of the two evils. RS is not totally averse to endorsing with prejudice the candidate that is the lesser of two evils, but exposed corruption is a deal breaker. Therefore, Relation State was forced to endorse third party candidate, Jill Stein. Stein was the least of the three evils, but at least she wasn't guilty of corruption.<br />
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One thing that we miscalculated was the courage and integrity of the Republican Party. We figured that even if Donald Trump won, party leaders would keep him in check because they would want to preserve the dignity and reputation of the party. Since Trump would be the most unpopular president in recent history, according to the polls, the party would want to keep their distance. We. Were. Wrong.<br />
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The GOP became the party of the sycophant. People who disparaged Trump and knew that he was bad news, suddenly sang his praises out of fear that he would tweet his displeasure at them and encourage someone to primary them.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i style="background-color: white; color: #3d85c6; font-family: LabGrotesque-Black, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: -0.2px;">"We need a commander in chief, not a Twitterer-in-chief. ... I don't know anyone who would be comfortable with someone who behaves this way having his finger on the button. I mean, we're liable to wake up one morning, and Donald, if he were president, would have nuked Denmark."</i></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i style="color: #3d85c6;">--Ted Cruz, February 2016</i></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #3d85c6;">"<span style="font-family: "neuehaasgrotesk" , "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-style: italic;">While pundits obsessed over tweets, he worked with Congress to cut taxes for struggling families. While wealthy celebrities announced that they would flee the country, he fought to bring back jobs and industries to our shores. While talking heads predicted Armageddon, President Trump’s strong stand against North Korea put Kim Jong Un back on his heels."</span> </span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i><span style="color: #3d85c6;">--Ted Cruz, April 2018</span></i></blockquote>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7oG7sIX9kxUjidhPgdiCAgkyKjiR905E5TUwp1o4dboTgmxM2rWyRWgnhy_dGB6xEIEKl3dLWfPNtlIqDpTFrihFSAEyG8FaFajIbmmFeX_GdMJ3nabl5K7zdtXAai9YAOJR541n1njm6/s1600/dgraham.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="223" data-original-width="226" height="315" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7oG7sIX9kxUjidhPgdiCAgkyKjiR905E5TUwp1o4dboTgmxM2rWyRWgnhy_dGB6xEIEKl3dLWfPNtlIqDpTFrihFSAEyG8FaFajIbmmFeX_GdMJ3nabl5K7zdtXAai9YAOJR541n1njm6/s320/dgraham.jpg" width="320" /></a>Finally, SOME Republicans have realized that the deal they made with the devil has a cost. Trump buddy, Anthony Scaramucci finally had enough of the nonsense and has publicly stated that Trump has to be defeated. However, the guy that is turning the most heads these days is Tea Party member and FORMER demagogue Joe Walsh who announced his candidacy for the Republican nomination for president against Donald Trump on <i>This Week with George Stephanopoulis.</i>.<br />
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Walsh did something that Trump would or could never do - own his mistakes. He stated that he had a "come to Jesus" moment and realized that his positions demonizing his political adversaries were wrong. He took responsibility for paving the way for Trump and has pledged to hammer the president everyday to remove the power from the bully he states that he helped put there.<br />
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Walsh may not be the only Republican opposing Trump in the primary. Former Massachusetts governor, Bill Weld is in and former South Carolina governor and congressman Mark Sanford is expected to announce his candidacy. Neither has attacked Trump's character in the way that Walsh has. Sanford indicates that his main issue will be fiscal responsibility and that has been the source of his opposition of Trump.Weld mentions both policy and character, but Walsh makes no bones about his attacks. He is running on the idea that Trump is unfit to be president..<br />
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While Relation State does not embrace Walsh's politics, we do endorse his courage and his new found conscience. We will not ask anyone to vote for Walsh, but we would not be averse to our readers writing a check to his campaign.Jeffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16060441484392165488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4602548179294786097.post-28640298933181947692019-08-09T13:58:00.001-07:002019-08-09T13:58:56.629-07:00Buttigieg Looking to Capitalize on the 2020 Version of Democratic Primary Shenanigans<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLqEXKeYZTu_96Ef9gCV57BT6NotAwep1a3-Jj7tWBUqW4k_RTdNx4Om1jk_GQVczEJYGV7kr9MPRJU4cOXKrqBuuUwWyIcnRQt9ehXZDIMAlq8fyWdp_cWtLXVXO2j6CSaxE_XZOz8a4m/s1600/butti.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="789" height="186" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLqEXKeYZTu_96Ef9gCV57BT6NotAwep1a3-Jj7tWBUqW4k_RTdNx4Om1jk_GQVczEJYGV7kr9MPRJU4cOXKrqBuuUwWyIcnRQt9ehXZDIMAlq8fyWdp_cWtLXVXO2j6CSaxE_XZOz8a4m/s320/butti.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: x-large;">S</span>even months before the first primary election date, Pete <a href="https://news.yahoo.com/buttigieg-ramps-outreach-democratic-superdelegates-231042747.html" target="_blank">Buttigieg is already courting superdelegates.</a> In other news, Donald Trump just moved one step closer to seizing his second term.<br />
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When a candidate is already looking to capitalize on a system that short circuits the democratic process, you have to wonder if there is a hidden ethical problem.<br />
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For those who don't know, the superdelegates do not vote until the second ballot in 2020 if necessary. Unless the field is pared down quite a bit when the voting starts, a second ballot is going to happen. If you remember 2016, <a href="https://www.huffpost.com/entry/how-super-delegates-decid_b_10098414" target="_blank">it was the superdelegates that gave Bernie Sanders too much of an uphill battle to win the nomination</a>. They are party insiders that favor establishment candidates that have their hand in the corporate till which buys influence with politicians. A simple check of Buttigieg's contributors (compliments of <a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/2020-presidential-race/contributors?id=N00044183" target="_blank">Open Secrets</a>), we already see that he is immersed in corporate money.<br />
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When the loudest messages on the campaign come from Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders, there will be trouble if there is an establishment takeover on the second ballot. It will cause a rebellion with the progressive wing of the party because the message from Warren and Sanders is that the corporate establishment is corrupt. <br />
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The establishment took over to a certain extent in 2016, and we got Donald Trump. If it happens again, get ready for four more years of ridiculous tweets and xenophobic policy.<br />
<br />
Conventional wisdom says that the superdelegates will not pick Buttigieg this time. They will court Elizabeth Warren instead. She has been known to play ball with the establishment from time to time and would be more likely to spark a rebellion. They certainly aren't going to pick Bernie Sanders. They might have to settle for Bernie light. In the meantime, Buttigieg is showing some colors that a lot of voters aren't fond of.Jeffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16060441484392165488noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4602548179294786097.post-74532487381542065172019-08-02T07:01:00.000-07:002019-08-02T07:01:50.382-07:00Establishment Dems are Blaming the Wrong People for Tarnishing Obama<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj5F8DhOSLVust57u_yS7aJbwB5ihu0_iHS4tA5PTfZCEpTSeQACQVIVRefgfCXtcPnIV1CjUx44w8Oqk45TCFcQRc66tc6lRX-G6ws8NA5R1_L2lwIMe1afsfTxJHtkB-S0BZvERPdK8h/s1600/ap_obama_biden_lb_151016_hpEmbed_2_10x7_992.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="697" data-original-width="992" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj5F8DhOSLVust57u_yS7aJbwB5ihu0_iHS4tA5PTfZCEpTSeQACQVIVRefgfCXtcPnIV1CjUx44w8Oqk45TCFcQRc66tc6lRX-G6ws8NA5R1_L2lwIMe1afsfTxJHtkB-S0BZvERPdK8h/s320/ap_obama_biden_lb_151016_hpEmbed_2_10x7_992.jpg" width="320" /></a>On every news channel, the mantra has been. The Democratic candidates are offensive. How dare they tarnish the legacy of the great Barack Obama! I agree to a point. Obama was a president that unified the party and blazed a couple of trails that were previously too tough to venture. However, their ire is pointed at the wrong people. This unfortunate turn of events should be pinned on Joe Biden and his campaign and perhaps they need to look into the mirror.<br />
<br />
One of the worst aspects of street fights is that innocents get hurt. When people find themselves in the wrong place at the wrong time, they stumble into harm's way. However, when one of the combatants use an innocent as a shield, then where does most of the responsibility lie?<br />
<br />
Biden has used the "Barack and I" line so much, that I am just waiting to hear about some mole President Obama has on his body that only Biden (and perhaps Michelle) knows about. This notion that Biden can use Obama's name as a magic word where no one is allowed to touch him, isn't going to fly. One of the lessons that should have been learned in 2016 was that when you try to coronate someone before the nomination process, it doesn't end well. Therefore, no magic words allowed!<br />
<br />
All candidates have to run on their records and no one's should be exempt. It is arguable that a policy that may be undesirable now was understandable in context when it was enacted. As far as that applying the Obama administration, that is up to Biden to clear up, not his opponents. If Joe Biden is going to invoke Obama's name, then he has to be the one to protect it. Biden has to have a better defense of his and his soul mate's decisions than, "I can't believe you went there!" <br />
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The Democratic party isn't getting any help from the mainstream media either. The establishment news channels fume about how the Dem candidates are giving fodder to Trump to justify his attacks on Obama. They are wrong; the media is the one doing that. Our TV bug of a president doesn't have original ideas. He gets all his ideas from television. Can you guess who already used that info at his rally in Cincinnati?<br />
<br />
Logic tells us that before we can pin blame on Cory Booker or Kamala Harris for hurting Obama's legacy, we have to get through Biden and the media first. However, I don't expect a light bulb moment to happen to either of those players.Jeffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16060441484392165488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4602548179294786097.post-11623489253530776922019-07-24T17:22:00.000-07:002019-07-24T17:23:36.541-07:00Pelosi, and Trump do the Impeachment Dance to the Mueller Orchestra<b>THE AFTERMATH OF THE MUELLER TESTIMONY</b><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSNb92_o3AJIKMIMMwnpIrPIhW3Ak6I58sGEiCf_MI3uiaDzATZd1raXAjiRz1Re-NHBt6hPwcjZ-QDKWDW8bz4f424ND6ibOgOBwCmQi5HBN-Xm5BcNIV8VVehHv6O75gYg1IfUlWRewB/s1600/Impeachment-photo-2-780x405.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="405" data-original-width="780" height="166" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSNb92_o3AJIKMIMMwnpIrPIhW3Ak6I58sGEiCf_MI3uiaDzATZd1raXAjiRz1Re-NHBt6hPwcjZ-QDKWDW8bz4f424ND6ibOgOBwCmQi5HBN-Xm5BcNIV8VVehHv6O75gYg1IfUlWRewB/s320/Impeachment-photo-2-780x405.jpg" width="320" /></a>Impeachment is unlikely. Nancy Pelosi doesn't have the stomach for it. She thinks it is a bad political move and she is probably correct because people will not read the Mueller Report. Mueller's congressional testimony didn't help much either because it was dry and Americans tend to have the attention span of gnats. They are now and will continue to be - at least during this administration, an uninformed people.<br />
<br />
Americans are tribal and no one will hear anything that is bad for the their tribe. It is true to a certain extent for Dems, but it is even worse for Trump Republicans. For that bunch, there are only two types of information: pro Trump facts, or fake news.<br />
<br />
However, <b><span style="color: #990000;">RELATION STATE</span></b> thinks the impeachment inquiry must go on anyway. If Pelosi and the Dems are making decisions totally based on politics, then they have no claim to the ethical high road any more than Trump and the Republicans. The Congress is there to safeguard the country and fulfill their Constitutional duty of checks and balances. If they allow Trump to be above the law because of a fear of political consequence, then they are complicit in the corruption.<br />
<br />
Seldom are there situations where the ends justify the means and this is definitely not one of those times. If we allow the Constitution to fail, then what do we really have?<br />
<br />
Therefore, Pelosi and the House should take up impeachment inquiry and reveal to the world whatever grounds there are for impeachment. The Mueller Report suggests that there are plenty. They cannot fear that it will fall on deaf ears in the other chamber. If the senate does not convict, then that is on Mitch McConnell and the senate Republicans to wear the mantle of corruptness. They can't wear it if the House keeps it for themselves.Jeffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16060441484392165488noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4602548179294786097.post-86443307862215139972019-06-25T06:11:00.000-07:002019-06-25T06:11:51.956-07:00Handicapping the Field - Joe Biden<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-0px26URQLiI1UyQCqDtEjcm73gEn4g4satPHOeS6td3XsxazxXwOY4w0o5ftcklg3r-Hdr_gk9kzwFBXpQYQBl89qdgcITWz_B0EHAkrXI6RJ-qtLbDiGbgeXFVnKB_10AG3oSjqgTc5/s1600/joe-biden-buy-a-shotgun-instead-of-an-ar-15-L-vIAH06.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="344" data-original-width="460" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-0px26URQLiI1UyQCqDtEjcm73gEn4g4satPHOeS6td3XsxazxXwOY4w0o5ftcklg3r-Hdr_gk9kzwFBXpQYQBl89qdgcITWz_B0EHAkrXI6RJ-qtLbDiGbgeXFVnKB_10AG3oSjqgTc5/s320/joe-biden-buy-a-shotgun-instead-of-an-ar-15-L-vIAH06.jpeg" width="320" /></a>Now that the debates are here, I thought I would produce a series of posts that look at that Democrats applying for the nomination and try to summarize the outlook. I am not going to predict the winner; that would be naive. However, I am going to opine on who has the better paths to win. Of course I am not going to go through all of the candidates because that would take longer than some will be in the race. However, I will take a look at some that I think will last the longest. First up, Joe Biden.<br />
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Biden is the front runner for a number of reasons - the most obvious is name recognition. Everyone knows Biden's name because he has been around forever and his most recent gig was vice president for Barack Obama. I remember that because Biden won't let anyone forget it. He is always name dropping "Barack" anytime he gets a chance. I am surprised that he doesn't call him "Barry" at this point.<br />
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<b>Advantages:</b> In addition to name recognition, Biden has the advantage of having the image of bringing normalcy back to the White House. He is genuinely a nice guy and is a safe, moderate pick for people who have political fatigue. He also has the DNC stamp of approval because he is the darling of the establishment. That means he will be protected to a certain extent by the mainstream media and will have built-in surrogates every hour on CNN and MSNBC.<br />
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<b>Disadvantages:</b> Nice guys finish last - particularly in this country. Four years, ago at this point in the election process, Jeb Bush was the huge front runner for the Republicans. He was also a nice guy.<br />
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More specifically, Biden doesn't have anything new to offer. His platform so far is that Donald Trump is a bad guy and that he is no Donald Trump. The policies that he has hinted at seem to be retreads of old policies that he and Barry put together. That isn't going to fly with the party that falls in love as opposed to one that falls in line.<br />
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Being the establishment darling and moderate will ensure he will get no support from a faction of the party. He is seen by some as the Hilary of 2020 and that leaves a bad taste for those that feel like Bernie Sanders got hosed.<br />
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Biden is also a gaffe machine. He will, undoubtedly, say some things that he should not.<br />
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He is also dealing with old baggage. He has been on the wrong side of things that have the woke Democrats up in arms. He wasn't very accommodating to Anita Hill during the Clarence Thomas hearings. In addition, he earned a reputation of being pretty handsy. He was also an architect of the controversial Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 which has earned the ire of the African American community.<br />
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In addition, Biden has to carry the baggage of being an old white guy. In this election season, it is perfectly acceptable to hold age, race, and sex against an individual as long as it is elderly, male, and white. That isn't to say that white males haven't had a power lock on positions of political power that must be addressed; I am merely speaking of how it will affect individuals in this particular election - for right or for wrong.<br />
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<b>Outlook:</b> Although Biden looks strong in the polls now, like Jeb Bush did, it is a long shot in my mind that he can take this LONG campaign wire to wire. People have short attention spans and they are going to jump to the next shiny thing sooner or later because they get bored easily. The front runner is the big target and Biden will take a beating from other Dems and Trump.<br />
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Biden's only hope is to parlay political fatigue, establishment coddling, and his "nice guy-ness" to the nomination. He must hope that a lot of people will latch on to him and tune out of the election process due to fatigue. If the establishment dems and media come to his defense like they have so far when he is attacked, that will help establish him as a sympathetic candidate and also allow him to hold on to freshness.Jeffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16060441484392165488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4602548179294786097.post-67455216459020881842019-06-18T15:05:00.000-07:002019-06-18T15:13:32.277-07:00Is Trump Framing Iran for Oil Tanker Attacks in the Strait of Hormuz?<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFENSxtXGzDqAdgxv5lwHOiDqEnDa0YLg9z93DKkqrOru2a_RpX4-sK4nt-S-3D7ummlOGVEok90eAji-4X2kKm4kcPH0wovZOfDreTIitqZaV7Z56Ssj2Hs-vl7ViUyh_xOkbElTIGcCT/s1600/WAR+IRAN.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="405" data-original-width="720" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFENSxtXGzDqAdgxv5lwHOiDqEnDa0YLg9z93DKkqrOru2a_RpX4-sK4nt-S-3D7ummlOGVEok90eAji-4X2kKm4kcPH0wovZOfDreTIitqZaV7Z56Ssj2Hs-vl7ViUyh_xOkbElTIGcCT/s320/WAR+IRAN.jpg" width="320" /></a>Normally we would consider it unthinkable to believe a US president could be behind the oil tanker attacks that took place in the Strait of Hormuz last week. However, there is nothing normal about the current president. As we have seen many times since the inauguration, President Donald Trump is blazing a trail of unorthodoxy - and that is being generous with the magnitude and ethics of his approach to government.<br />
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<b>Don't get me wrong; I am not saying that Trump is behind the attacks. However, unfortunately I simply can't rule it out.</b><br />
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The US was first out of the blocks to blame Iran for the attacks. It may be that Iran IS responsible, but the quick leap to judgment would make any reasonable person suspicious. The US states, through Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, that they have enough evidence to convict, but so far all we have seen is a grainy image of what appears to be an Iranian boat removing something off a ship - the US claims it is an unexploded mine. Maybe it is. However, the US has used grainy footage before to justify military force, and it blew up in their face . . . so to speak (see War: Iraq).<br />
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Great Britain and Saudi Arabia were also quick to join the US in blaming Iraq. Iraq denies responsibility and the European Union and Japan have stated that they haven't seen enough evidence to draw any conclusions.<br />
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The argument for Iran's guilt is based on the position that they would be showing that they are going to be a big player in the oil trade and no one else will transport oil through the channel if they can help it. However, if that was the case, denying responsibility would weaken their position. In addition, one of the tankers was Japanese and the Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was in Iran at the time on a diplomatic mission. It doesn't seem to add up.<br />
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Although others have reason to sew discord in the area. Saudi Arabia has long wanted the US to act against Iran. They would benefit from the attack being pinned on Iran while tensions gear up between Iran and the US. That is probably why they were eager to stand with Pompeo when he rushed to judgment to blame Iran.<br />
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What would Trump have to gain to frame Iran for the attacks? First of all, it would help cement his standing with another repressive country, Saudi Arabia. Trump seems to be eager to up his reputation in the Deranged Despot Club (DDC) with Putin and Kim Jong-un. Trump supports the horrendous war in Yemen waged by the Saudi's that has caused 50,000 deaths and millions in need of aid. He also backed Saudi Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salmon (member in good standing in the DDC) in his denial of having American resident and Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi killed despite mountains of evidence to the contrary. Trump wants to continue support of the war in Yemen in addition to moving forward on selling arms to Saudi Arabia despite Congress blocking him in bipartisan fashion. If tension heats up between Iran and the US to the point of military action, then Congress would feel pressure to back off and allow the arms sale because of Saudi's conflict with Iran would make them an ally in the conflict.<br />
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In addition, Trump is feeling the pressure of the election. Just about every poll picks a number of Democrats defeating Trump in 2020 - even in key states Trump won last time. With the knowledge that Americans are hesitant to vote an incumbent president out of office in times of war or international conflict, a dust up with Iran couldn't come at a better time.<br />
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For some, the thought of Trump being behind the attacks in some way to frame Iran just seems untenable and ridiculous. However, after two years of the Trump Administration, untenable and ridiculous have proven to be right in his wheel house. Add National Security Advisor, and White House resident war monger, John Bolton, to the mix and its time to start hugging the national guard members in your family before they deploy.Jeffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16060441484392165488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4602548179294786097.post-8119224170121402742019-03-14T13:35:00.001-07:002019-03-14T19:19:05.967-07:00If He Says It, It Must Be True - Trump's Morally Bankrupt Budget<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
President Trump's tax cut for the wealthy and corporate America helped
raise the deficit and debt to astronomical levels.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So how are we going to pay for it?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>According to Trump's budget. We are going to
cut Medicare and Medicaid (and decimate the ACA) among other programs that the poor and middle class
depend on. By cutting all medical programs, some of us may not survive - literally.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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We don't have to be humanists or religious to
see that the values of this White House lack in humanity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The president talked a good game on the campaign trail by saying
that he would never cut Medicare or Medicaid and that he stands with the
everyday folks in the country as opposed to the wealthy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Talk is cheap, but tax cuts and walls are not.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Trump said that his rich friends wouldn't like his
"middle class tax cut."<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was
right, THEY LOVED IT.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The middle
class?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not so much. Now the regular folks are going to have another hardship thanks to the president that was elected because too many people wanted to "really shake things up." Consider yourselves shook.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjACI93XlvmFA2gEwKjuVhOa48AR0vocj8Qg2BFI-EUJ6-M8qbNCjxPJ7nzQd_9p6jLuDE_VICno9Npau6c3fr9qJbmzqP8eifHwdzi2UJTZ0cMiZj5ffIWIWFUo1TurNDIjW51bAyOhnIt/s1600/budget2020.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="1200" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjACI93XlvmFA2gEwKjuVhOa48AR0vocj8Qg2BFI-EUJ6-M8qbNCjxPJ7nzQd_9p6jLuDE_VICno9Npau6c3fr9qJbmzqP8eifHwdzi2UJTZ0cMiZj5ffIWIWFUo1TurNDIjW51bAyOhnIt/s400/budget2020.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;">
Trump's "Promises Kept" Budget. </div>
<i style="background-color: blue;"><span style="color: blue;"></span></i><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="background-color: white; color: blue; font-size: x-small;"><i>If
you repeat a lie often enough, people will believe it,</i><i style="text-align: left;"></i></span></i><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"></span><br />
<div style="display: inline !important; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span style="color: blue;"><i style="text-align: left;"><i style="background-color: white;">and you will even come
to believe it yourself.</i></i></span></i></span></div>
<span style="font-size: x-small;">
<i style="background-color: blue;"><span style="color: blue;"><i style="text-align: left;">
</i></span></i></span></div>
<i style="background-color: blue;"><span style="color: blue; font-size: x-small;">
</span></i>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="color: blue; font-size: x-small;"><i style="background-color: white;">--Attributed to Joseph Goebbels, Hitler's Propaganda Specialist</i></span></i></div>
<i style="background-color: blue;"><span style="color: blue; font-size: x-small;">
</span></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
So why do so many of us STILL believe him? My guess is that some of us are already too emotionally invested. Plus, we generally lack the humility to even consider admitting when we were wrong. We can't expect our leaders to be better if we as citizens are not wise enough to tell when we are being lied to or if we don't care when it becomes obvious.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Let there be no confusion: As a country we were wrong. For some of us, unfortunately we were dead wrong.</div>
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<i><span style="color: blue;">"Budgets are moral documents: They signal what and who
we prioritize and seek to protect or uplift. As Christians we can disagree on
many issues, but it should be hard to argue that there is an overriding call in
the Bible to demonstrate a particular concern for the poor and prioritize the
welfare of the vulnerable. This is the moral test by which we must evaluate
every budget, perhaps most importantly the federal budget. Based on this test,
the Trump administration’s proposed budget priorities for Fiscal Year 2020 fail
miserably and must be rejected."<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<br /></div>
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<i>-<span style="color: blue;">-Rev Adam R. Taylor, Executive Director of Sojourners</span></i><o:p></o:p></div>
<br />Jeffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16060441484392165488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4602548179294786097.post-71236049582178948782019-03-08T11:54:00.001-08:002019-03-08T11:54:24.030-08:00The House Passes the Voting Rights and Ethics Bill (without one Republican vote)<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPC6V3HAqT_ePelpZ71Yru1pwLDWR8Xf1oaUD9x6oq5qIkK3dSJu41kfN97saQMiYdACXVK5w1P5r6nd34065AGxI1kLt-mGWvsFFNaq9zNue5OR3fdCaMvYY1nc1Qa-3GexphK8MsrvW0/s1600/gettyimages-1077172754_wide-13e7a784f87d69cfdd54c0dbde69ddfb9459eaa1-s800-c85.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="449" data-original-width="800" height="356" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPC6V3HAqT_ePelpZ71Yru1pwLDWR8Xf1oaUD9x6oq5qIkK3dSJu41kfN97saQMiYdACXVK5w1P5r6nd34065AGxI1kLt-mGWvsFFNaq9zNue5OR3fdCaMvYY1nc1Qa-3GexphK8MsrvW0/s640/gettyimages-1077172754_wide-13e7a784f87d69cfdd54c0dbde69ddfb9459eaa1-s800-c85.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rep John Sarbanes of Maryland introduces his voting rights and ethics bill.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The House of Representatives put forth and passed HR 1, the For the People Act of 2019. It is a voting rights and ethics act designed to eradicate and prevent corruption in elections introduced by Rep John Sarbanes of Md. Of course, not a single Republican gave it a thumbs up vote. Do you want to know why? So do I.<br />
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Here is a summary of the bill (<a href="https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2018/11/30/18118158/house-democrats-anti-corruption-bill-hr-1-pelosi" target="_blank">courtesy of Vox</a>):<br />
<span style="color: #783f04;"><br /></span>
<h3 id="54h3Ok" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Balto, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 1.2; margin: 0px 0px 0.6rem; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: inherit; vertical-align: inherit;">
<span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;">What this anti-corruption bill aims to do</span></h3>
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<span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;">HR 1 will be formally introduced later today by Pelosi, Sarbanes, and chairs of the committees of jurisdiction for the bill: Reps. Elijah Cummings (D-MD), Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), and Jerry Nadler (D-NY).</span></div>
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<span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;">The bill will make its way through their committees in the coming weeks; Sarbanes hopes to have a final floor vote done later this month or early February.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;">The bill covers three main planks: campaign finance reform, strengthening the government’s ethics laws, and expanding voting rights. Here’s the important part of each section.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;">Campaign finance</span></h4>
<ul style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Balto, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.2rem 0.6rem; padding: 0px 0px 0px 1.2rem; text-decoration-line: inherit; vertical-align: inherit;">
<li id="53ZN8K" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 0.6rem; padding: 0px; text-decoration: inherit; vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;">Public financing of campaigns, powered by small donations. Under Sarbanes’s vision, the federal government would provide a voluntary 6-1 match for candidates for president and Congress, which means for every dollar a candidate raises from small donations, the federal government would match it six times over. The maximum small donation that could be matched would be capped at $200.<span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: 700; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: inherit; vertical-align: inherit;"> </span>“If you give $100 to a candidate that’s meeting those requirements, then that candidate would get another $600 coming in behind them,” Sarbanes told Vox this summer. “The evidence and the modeling is that most candidates can do as well or better in terms of the dollars they raise if they step into this new system.”</span></li>
<li id="c29lTO" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 0.6rem; padding: 0px; text-decoration: inherit; vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;">Support for a constitutional amendment to end <em style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: inherit; vertical-align: inherit;">Citizens United.</em></span></li>
<li id="kxGoxD" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 0.6rem; padding: 0px; text-decoration: inherit; vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;">Passing the <a href="https://cicilline.house.gov/press-release/democrats-introduce-disclose-act-2018" style="background-color: transparent !important; border-bottom: 1px solid transparent; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: 600; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: inherit; transition: color 0.1s ease 0s, background-color 0.1s ease 0s, fill 0.1s ease 0s; vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: inherit; vertical-align: inherit;">DISCLOSE Act</span></a>, pushed by Rep. David Cicilline and Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, both Democrats from Rhode Island. This would<span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: 700; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: inherit; vertical-align: inherit;"> </span>require Super PACs and “dark money” political organizations to make their donors public.</span></li>
<li id="AT0v8D" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 0.6rem; padding: 0px; text-decoration: inherit; vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;">Passing the <a href="https://www.warner.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/the-honest-ads-act" style="background-color: transparent !important; border-bottom: 1px solid transparent; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: 600; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: inherit; transition: color 0.1s ease 0s, background-color 0.1s ease 0s, fill 0.1s ease 0s; vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: inherit; vertical-align: inherit;">Honest Ads Act</span></a>, championed by Sens. Amy Klobuchar (MN) and Mark Warner (VA) and introduced by Rep. Derek Kilmer (D-WA) in the House, which would require Facebook and Twitter to disclose the source of money for political ads on their platforms and share how much money was spent.</span></li>
<li id="vna8zj" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 0.6rem; padding: 0px; text-decoration: inherit; vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;">Disclosing any political spending by government contractors and slowing the flow of foreign money into the elections by targeting shell companies.</span></li>
<li id="IrySxs" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 0.6rem; padding: 0px; text-decoration: inherit; vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;">Restructuring the Federal Election Commission to have five commissioners instead of the current four, in order to break political gridlock.</span></li>
<li id="KBM8Hb" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 0.6rem; padding: 0px; text-decoration: inherit; vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;">Prohibiting any coordination between candidates and Super PACs.</span></li>
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<span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;">Ethics</span></h4>
<ul style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Balto, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.2rem 0.6rem; padding: 0px 0px 0px 1.2rem; text-decoration-line: inherit; vertical-align: inherit;">
<li id="vwDeRL" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 0.6rem; padding: 0px; text-decoration: inherit; vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;">Requiring the president and vice president to disclose 10 years of his or her tax returns. Candidates for president and vice president must also do the same.</span></li>
<li id="78AlDH" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 0.6rem; padding: 0px; text-decoration: inherit; vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;">Stopping members of Congress from using taxpayer money to settle sexual harassment or discrimination cases.</span></li>
<li id="dovhpa" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 0.6rem; padding: 0px; text-decoration: inherit; vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;">Giving the Office of Government Ethics the power to do more oversight and enforcement and put in stricter lobbying registration requirements. These include more oversight into foreign agents by the Foreign Agents Registration Act.</span></li>
<li id="gJuQKC" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 0.6rem; padding: 0px; text-decoration: inherit; vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;">Creating a new ethical code for the US Supreme Court, ensuring all branches of government are impacted by the new law.</span></li>
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<span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;">Voting rights</span></h4>
<ul style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Balto, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.2rem 0.6rem; padding: 0px 0px 0px 1.2rem; text-decoration-line: inherit; vertical-align: inherit;">
<li id="Wog4PZ" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 0.6rem; padding: 0px; text-decoration: inherit; vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;">Creating new national automatic voter registration that asks voters to opt out, rather than opt in, ensuring more people will be signed up to vote. Early voting, same-day voter registration, and online voter registration would also be promoted.</span></li>
<li id="ckiw4t" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 0.6rem; padding: 0px; text-decoration: inherit; vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;">Making Election Day a holiday for federal employees and encouraging private sector businesses to do the same, requiring poll workers to provide a week’s notice if poll sites are changed, and making colleges and universities a voter registration agency (in addition to the DMV, etc), among other updates.</span></li>
<li id="AGNk4d" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 0.6rem; padding: 0px; text-decoration: inherit; vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;">Ending partisan gerrymandering in federal elections and prohibiting voter roll purging. The bill would stop the use of non-forwardable mail being used as a way to remove voters from rolls.</span></li>
<li id="Q9q6QC" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 0.6rem; padding: 0px; text-decoration: inherit; vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;">Beefing up elections security, including requiring the director of national intelligence to do regular checks on foreign threats.</span></li>
<li id="6WF6Fg" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 0.6rem; padding: 0px; text-decoration: inherit; vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;">Recruiting and training more poll workers ahead of the 2020 election to cut down on long lines at the polls.</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Balto, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has already stated that he won't give this bill even a hearing in the senate. That means, not only will they not vote on this bill, they won't look at it, try to amend it to suit them, or anything. </span><div>
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<span style="font-family: Balto, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">If you are concerned that your Congress isn't concerned about fair and ethical elections for ALL candidates and making it easy and safe for Americans to participate in the elections, you should be. </span><div>
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<span style="font-family: Balto, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm?OrderBy=state&Sort=ASC" target="_blank">Call your senator and get involved.</a></span></div>
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Jeffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16060441484392165488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4602548179294786097.post-79968425769269179152018-02-15T08:22:00.000-08:002018-02-15T08:29:50.230-08:00The NRA Cult and the New Normal<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqJz3Zg2u6nLvT1AfRDowcCyo_152cVR3ZwKq_ZUXgKY9M_yB6hp9IAYcExDVbm3GLBsyPTjig69XONomrw8F2Pn6rqvCYqQZztM7GTYjjK0JMbKbSDvGlT7NtU-Sgj3P3rqUcfJxewdOC/s1600/parkland-florida-school-shooting-03-ap-jc-180214_4x3_992.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="744" data-original-width="992" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqJz3Zg2u6nLvT1AfRDowcCyo_152cVR3ZwKq_ZUXgKY9M_yB6hp9IAYcExDVbm3GLBsyPTjig69XONomrw8F2Pn6rqvCYqQZztM7GTYjjK0JMbKbSDvGlT7NtU-Sgj3P3rqUcfJxewdOC/s320/parkland-florida-school-shooting-03-ap-jc-180214_4x3_992.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">I am sick of seeing this Florida high school shooting tragedy all over the news. Let's move on! Why?</span> <span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; white-space: pre-wrap;">Because this is our new normal.I have accepted it. The NRA cult has seen to it that guns will forever be available to whoever has a notion to kill.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; white-space: pre-wrap;">They claim </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; white-space: pre-wrap;">that it isn't the guns but mental health or </span><st1:city style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; white-space: pre-wrap;" w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Hollywood </st1:place></st1:city><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; white-space: pre-wrap;">that is really to blame while not lifting a finger to do anything about those things, either. I think they know </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; white-space: pre-wrap;">better.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; white-space: pre-wrap;">No nation </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; white-space: pre-wrap;">on Earth has a shortage of the mentally ill. They all have access to </span><st1:city style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; white-space: pre-wrap;" w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Hollywood</st1:place></st1:city><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; white-space: pre-wrap;">'s most violent </span><span data-offset-key="85cae-0-0" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; white-space: pre-wrap;">films. Yet, the <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">USA </st1:place></st1:country-region>is the only advanced country with this </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; white-space: pre-wrap;">problem.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; white-space: pre-wrap;">So, that is it, then. </span><span data-offset-key="72ct2-0-0" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; white-space: pre-wrap;">We have cowards in <st1:state w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Washington </st1:place></st1:state>that do not want to stand up to the NRA because they are afraid they will have </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; white-space: pre-wrap;">to get a real job if NRA money defeats them at the polls. Then there is the NRA </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; white-space: pre-wrap;">cult following that parrot their master's mantra while more and more kids get </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; white-space: pre-wrap;">killed.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; white-space: pre-wrap;">There is </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; white-space: pre-wrap;">nothing left to argue. If the killing of twenty kids (only six and seven years old) at </span><st1:place style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; white-space: pre-wrap;" w:st="on">Sandy Hook</st1:place><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; white-space: pre-wrap;"> is not going to prompt action, another high </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; white-space: pre-wrap;">school shooting will surely not do it. We can just train ourselves to say, "That's a </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; white-space: pre-wrap;">shame," when these things happen from now on - if we try hard </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; white-space: pre-wrap;"> enough.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; white-space: pre-wrap;">We can know these things for certain:</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; white-space: pre-wrap;">1. </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; white-space: pre-wrap;">The 2nd Amendment is more important that life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.</span><br />
2. <span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; white-space: pre-wrap;">People are mentally weak and have higher priorities than the lives of their neighbors </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; white-space: pre-wrap;">or their neighbor's children; and</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; white-space: pre-wrap;">3. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; white-space: pre-wrap;">School </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; white-space: pre-wrap;">shootings are the new normal.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; white-space: pre-wrap;">So, </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; white-space: pre-wrap;">let's get it off the news and turn the station to watch old episodes of Duck Dynasty. God Bless </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; white-space: pre-wrap;">America!</span>Jeffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16060441484392165488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4602548179294786097.post-39558272732960447682017-05-06T09:32:00.000-07:002017-05-06T09:32:24.789-07:00Bill Maher Missed the Plot About Progressive Purity<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrKBSsuHXV5oLA9eF94pV5CYrP2Yr9fqRbFYNZT9NTMhEbYSzeOYEdrH-2g65N7aVeDKdujt4YcTlWFebMr1iKrfSryQwFawuuI9TQgbm5O9J5lzNz5Lx1VIUwJy7UY9odaYzUxoKVFVYx/s1600/billmaher.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="172" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrKBSsuHXV5oLA9eF94pV5CYrP2Yr9fqRbFYNZT9NTMhEbYSzeOYEdrH-2g65N7aVeDKdujt4YcTlWFebMr1iKrfSryQwFawuuI9TQgbm5O9J5lzNz5Lx1VIUwJy7UY9odaYzUxoKVFVYx/s320/billmaher.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-size: 14px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I am sure that Bill Maher tries to be on the good side of issues, but he seems to not be a deep thinker - only bein able to analyze the top layer. His "New Rules" in his recent show is an example. His thesis was pointing out that the people who refused to vote for Hillary in the election were idiots because Trump is a lot worse - as if anyone didn't know that would be the case before the election.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-size: 14px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Relation State endorsed Jill Stein for president. It wasn't because RS believed that Stein had a chance to win. It wasn't that we believed that Hillary was as bad as Trump. Relation State endorsed Stein because what was wrong with Hillary was disqualifying.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-size: 14px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What Maher doesn't get is that those with progressive leanings refused to consider the "lesser of evils" mentality in allocating their sacred votes. If we go though our lives making decisions based on the lesser of evils, we will find ourselves never selecting the good.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-size: 14px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Not only did progressives not want to vote for the lesser of two evils, they hope that if Trump did win, that perhaps people could see the consequences of their choices. However, they perhaps gave Democrats more credit than they deserved. Hillary and her followers refuse to look in the mirror concerning their failures. Instead they choose to blame FBI Director James Comey, Bernie Sanders, Jill Stein, and even - if you can believe this, the media. I am not one to defend the media, but my gosh . . .</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-size: 14px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-size: 14px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So yes, Mr. Maher, you are correct. Hillary would have been a better president than Trump. Everyone knew this in advance. However, you have completely missed the plot. There are many progressives who care more about winning the war than they do about winning a battle - even if a battle is very consequential.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-size: 14px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span data-offset-key="9adgv-0-0" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-size: 14px; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Democrats, using sleazy tactics, were hell bent on coronating a bad candidate that had no message. Those tactics, when exposed, cost a number of DNC employees their jobs and put the DNC, itself, into court. There is no wonder this had a lot to do with disqualifying their party and their candidate in the general election to a lot of people. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-size: 14px; white-space: pre-wrap;">The lesson learned here is that selecting a president doesn't start in the first week of November; it starts in late winter.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-size: 14px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-size: 14px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The moral of this little tale is this: If Democrats didn't want a Donald Trump to win the presidency, they shouldn't be hell bent on nominating someone who can't beat him. Mr. Maher, if you could just peel back your sanctimonious onion another layer, you could have easily seen this. Maybe at this point of your life, for a number of reasons, you are not capable of doing that (insert your own pot joke here).</span></span>Jeffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16060441484392165488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4602548179294786097.post-89623091094564398082017-01-20T08:14:00.001-08:002017-01-20T10:09:02.202-08:00Don't Waste Your Activism!As I write this, Donald Trump is still a couple of hours away from being sworn in as President of the United States. While I disagree with a vast majority of the things he seems to stand for, I must say that he is indeed going to be the president of the United States. He will be the president of ANYONE who is a citizen of the United States, whether you like it or not. That is not my opinion; it is a simple fact.<br />
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However, I applaud those who feel compelled to stand up for issues that they believe in. The March for Women is relevant today because the threat that many people feel from Mr. Trump in the area of women's rights and dignity. These type of demonstrations, rallies, and protests are as much a part of this country's make-up as the inauguration and the peaceful transfer of power.<br />
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I do have to say that if your protest is centered on "Trump is not my president," I believe you are in error. Here is why. For eight years, we had similar reactions from the right. We had people pushing forward the idea that Barack Obama was not a legitimate president. It did great damage when a cluster of Republicans, led by Mitch McConnell, was meeting at this time eight years ago saying that their number one concern was to make Obama a one-term president. It was outrageous then, and guess what; it is outrageous now.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLpg2hG8qfuel5pSpQLzH0XtZ5A_m_l61h50BV-UGMOr0JqGy9UDKka7NuNJ9TXe9sBSu_mxit__NHEy5X1brMjmtPwEUHXRXA6ZdXD4DzdCPlMHM44AjbCpvzlgarKnJJIDGL-nfr-DIp/s1600/0011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="156" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLpg2hG8qfuel5pSpQLzH0XtZ5A_m_l61h50BV-UGMOr0JqGy9UDKka7NuNJ9TXe9sBSu_mxit__NHEy5X1brMjmtPwEUHXRXA6ZdXD4DzdCPlMHM44AjbCpvzlgarKnJJIDGL-nfr-DIp/s320/0011.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Remember this? Don't sink to this level.</td></tr>
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You demonstrate against the legitimacy of the Trump presidency for what purpose? To send a message? To who? Trump doesn't care. He and his supporters just do their version of the chant student sections at basketball games do in response to criticism of the other side: "Scoreboard! Scoreboard!" That indicates that you can whine or mock all you want to, but it doesn't affect the score of the game. So I ask those who challenge the legitimacy of the Trump presidency, to what end?<br />
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Let me encourage you instead to do this: Keep fighting, but fight for the right things! Fight against prejudice. Fight against social and financial injustice. Fight for policies that benefit ALL Americans. BUT PLEASE, don't fight against our constitutional system. Don't be the voice of obstruction no matter the issue. We had obstructionism far too long and it will never stop if progressives don't take the higher road.<br />
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It is now imperative that good Americans not wash our hands of the constitutional system that we have lived under since 1787. It is our job to hold our politicians' feet to the fire and make sure they work for us - whether that is Donald Trump or the congressman in most remote district in the country. Don't copy the GOP and be the party of "No." Instead, be the party of "Let's Go!"<br />
<br />Jeffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16060441484392165488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4602548179294786097.post-69680833206113896222016-11-16T10:56:00.001-08:002016-11-16T11:04:27.411-08:00Bernie Takes on Establishment, Media in Election Post Mortem<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsbAbWK2i42eUBTaiIdzm5GK9pFfuQ5G3nqb4W7I112aHNhCeYbIkhcTbAyUlOQKoxRDkY3PIaQvY2TIDIySqI0I997390fbqv-ARK_ktomW-3QguGxdE-xnfw8Q_X6-LIjID7G0nkV7Iv/s1600/n-BERNIE-SANDERS-WISCONSIN-large600.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="146" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsbAbWK2i42eUBTaiIdzm5GK9pFfuQ5G3nqb4W7I112aHNhCeYbIkhcTbAyUlOQKoxRDkY3PIaQvY2TIDIySqI0I997390fbqv-ARK_ktomW-3QguGxdE-xnfw8Q_X6-LIjID7G0nkV7Iv/s320/n-BERNIE-SANDERS-WISCONSIN-large600.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: 12.8px;"> Bernie Sanders in Wisconsin - </span><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">Progressives note that </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.8px;"> Hillary Clinton </span><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">lost the state and others with similar </span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12.8px;"> demographics to</span><span style="font-size: 12.8px;"> Donald Trump.</span></div>
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Bernie Sanders has been making the rounds in the media with the release of his book, <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Our-Revolution-Believe-Bernie-Sanders/dp/1250132924/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1479321151&sr=8-1&keywords=bernie+our+revolution" target="_blank">Our Revolution</a></i>. Most of the interviews have been about what you would expect. They ask if he thought he would have beaten Trump among other Trump related questions. Inevitably they get around to the question of why Hillary lost the election. <br />
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Bernie always figures out a way to fit in all the issues that working families are concerned about in every answer. He also manages to mention how the media never talks about those issues. A good time is usually had by all.<br />
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However, when CBS's Nora O'Donnell asked Bernie if he is any to blame for Hillary losing, Bernie couldn't hold in his contempt for the question and the whole idea of establishment entitlement.<br />
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Unless the Democratic Party and their media sycophants stop playing the blame game, they are going to be doomed to repeat this election every four years. The political climate is changing and Donald Trump tuned into it and ran away with the electoral college. In the meantime, Hillary and the establishment Dems are blaming FBI Director, James Comey, or Bernie Sanders, or even the African-American community for not getting to the polls. The most recent scapegoat is the electoral college - a system that has been around since the inception of the Constitution. Until there is some ownership within the party, they are going to be left behind or will have another party splinter away from them as Robert Reich suggested according to <i><a href="http://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/305617-seething-liberals-vow-revolution-in-democratic-party" target="_blank">The Hill</a></i>.<br />
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This whole episode reminded me of a time when I used to coach Little League. One year, my team finished the regular season undefeated beating the overwhelming favorite of the league twice. In the championship game of the playoffs, we had to play them again. In that game, there were a number of bad calls favoring our opponent and we came up short. <br />
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After the game, as I gathered the team to address them, the parents came out of the woodwork exclaiming "We wuz robbed!" They encouraged the boys with statements like, "You really won this game; the umpires just stole it from you," and similar messages. I put a stop to it and told my row of 30 tear filled eyes that I was proud of them and that I loved them. However, I made one point very clear: "You can't go through life blaming someone else for your defeats and disappointments. Sure, the umpires had an effect on the game, but what could WE have done to change the outcome? What could we have done to take away the power of any bad call?" I talked about the few errors that we made and the number of times we swung at bad pitches. I finished my speech with, "I want you to go through your life knowing that you have the power to win or lose. Concentrate on what you can control and not the things that you can't."<br />
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Going forward, this is the same message the Democratic Party must learn. Otherwise, they will take the same tack, make the same mistakes, and only hope that it works out. But most importantly, they have to understand what those mistakes are. Many now are agreeing with Sanders that the party has to change its focus. If show that they care about the people, the people will care about the party's agenda - because it will be THE PEOPLE'S agenda.<br />
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As Sanders told Wolf Blitzer on CNN, “There are millions of families in this country where people are working two or three jobs, where people can’t afford childcare, they can’t afford to send their kids to college, they’ve seen their jobs go to China or Mexico. They’re hurting."<br />
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He went on to say that the Democrats have become “more concerned about raising money from wealthy individuals than they have been about bringing working people into the party and taking on the billionaire class, taking on Wall Street, the drug companies or the insurance companies,”<br />
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Donald Trump was able to tap into that angst. The Democrats didn't. And as they sit in the dugout crying about their defeat, they better be prepared to do things differently from now on.<br />
<br />Jeffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16060441484392165488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4602548179294786097.post-16409237600278804682016-11-06T16:14:00.000-08:002016-11-06T16:14:49.918-08:00Relation State FINALLY endorses . . .<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I have been putting off this post because it has probably been the most difficult piece to write. This election illustrates how dire our situation is in the United States. With this cast of characters running for the highest office in the land, the future looks bleak no matter what happens on election day.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">First, allow me to define the term according to </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">the Merriam-Webster Dictionary: </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0JKflBvjCIFTL_UrjDF0yR56GU7GQK3rPPpUElMFND3iuiQVUUd7tsVlqb0DMzeuSNTxPJz4sVaGG6MlKiWMFMBxGIpqaJddkzwvXO_cmzz5NQiiiy-wtD0pDQjAUHdlyVeFwif8LUmI9/s1600/candidates.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black;"><img border="0" height="177" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0JKflBvjCIFTL_UrjDF0yR56GU7GQK3rPPpUElMFND3iuiQVUUd7tsVlqb0DMzeuSNTxPJz4sVaGG6MlKiWMFMBxGIpqaJddkzwvXO_cmzz5NQiiiy-wtD0pDQjAUHdlyVeFwif8LUmI9/s320/candidates.png" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<i><span style="color: blue;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Endorse:</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> to approve openly <</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">endorse</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> an idea>; </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">especially</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">:</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> to express support or approval of publicly and definitely <</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">endorse</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> a mayoral candidate></span></span></i></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Keep that definition in mind as we go through the candidates. I will cover each one in reverse order of popularity as measured by the </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-style: italic; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Real Clear Politics </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">composite poll.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Jill Stein (Green Party) - Stein has no relevant experience in governing - especially for a national office. She has run for president twice (2012, and presently), governor of Massachusetts twice, and has also ran for other down ballot offices.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Stein’s platform is basically the same one that Bernie Sanders ran on in the Democratic Primary. In fact, she requested that Sanders become the Green Party candidate when he fell short of getting the nomination. I have no issues with Stein’s platform as I <a href="http://www.relationstate.com/2016/03/relation-states-2016-democratic-primary.html" target="_blank">endorsed Sanders in that primary</a> because of his platform.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The negatives that Stein brings to the table are inexperience and judgment. She hasn’t held any public office of note and starting out as POTUS is an example of one's dreams outreaching one's arm span. That concept paints this candidate as kooky among other adjectives in that vein. In addition, her selection of Ajamu Baraka shows poor judgment. Baraka is a controversial figure who has said a lot of things that are not conducive to running for office. He is a drag on the ticket and encourages people to not take the ticket seriously.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Gary Johnson (Libertarian) - Johnson has relevant experience. He was governor of New Mexico as a Republican. He has also run for president twice as the Libertarian candidate (this year and in 2012).</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Although Johnson is a Libertarian; he is also a corporatist. Other than personal liberty issues, he tends to remain Republican in his fiscal policies. </span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The problem with Johnson is he doesn't come off like a serious candidate. His pro marijuana stance is so well known it is associated with his personal choices. He is practically the Bill Maher of the presidential candidates. He doesn't seem to know or to be interested in knowing basic world happenings like “What is Aleppo?” In addition, his running mate, former Massachusetts governor, William Weld has already shown support for Hillary Clinton. Ron Paul, probably the most popular Libertarian in the country, chose to endorse Jill Stein over Johnson, if that tells you anything.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Donald Trump (Republican) - Trump has no experience in public office and is proud of that fact. He touts his business acumen and deal making as being some of his positive points. His biggest positive, however, is that he presents himself as being anti-establishment.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I am not going to get into a lot of details on Trump’s policies for a couple of reasons. For one, he doesn't have a lot of details other than he is going to “make America great again.” His methodology for doing that is a little cloudy but he insists that we should just trust him to do it. He does promise to secure the border by building a wall and also to cut taxes. He vows to bring industry back to the country by threatening tariffs. </span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Trump’s negatives are almost too many to mention. He lacks transparency as he is the first president in recent history to refuse to release his tax returns. He has alienated Mexicans, Muslims, and women. He is charged with horrendous deeds by women and has also made money off scams such as Trump University. Pardon me now while I sigh.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Hillary Clinton (Democrat) - Clinton is obviously the most qualified when looking at all the candidates' resumes. Her experience in the executive branch as first lady is unlike any other first lady we have had since Eleanor Roosevelt. She actually worked on policy, namely health care. She also has legislative experience as a popular senator from New York. Finally, she has foreign policy experience as secretary of state for Barack Obama.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Clinton’s original platform is a moderate, corporatist Democratic one. Since Bernie Sanders worked out his endorsement deal with her, she has adopted about 70% of his policy initiatives that brings her platform to one of the most progressive in history.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Clinton brings a ton of negatives into the contest, however. She is allegedly involved or associated with a number of scandals. The first one being her poor judgment in having her own server in her home to do State Department business. The FBI investigation showed extreme carelessness and FBI Director James Comey even revealed her dishonesty as she discussed her emails with the public and to Congress. In addition, the Clinton Foundation is being investigated for shady dealings - to which Clinton’s State Department may be a party. Also, there is evidence showing that collusion existed between the DNC and the Clinton campaign during the primary. Even more, WIkileaks has released emails that apparently show the Clinton campaign was coordinating with supporting PACs which is illegal. Double sigh.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="background-color: white; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b><u>On to the Endorsement</u></b></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Trump’s problems are too big to ignore. His rhetoric suggests that he will not represent all Americans; that is disqualifying. The fact that he isn't transparent with his taxes (the first candidate in five decades) and that he has no detailed plan to institute anything we can see as positive change takes him out of serious consideration.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Clinton’s legal problems, trustworthy issues, and lack of good judgment is ALSO disqualifying for her. I went back and forth between Clinton and . . . ANYTHING ELSE (other than Trump) for a long time before making my decision. It is the reason this endorsement post is so late in the game. However, when playing out the scenarios to their logical conclusions, I have determined that I cannot endorse this candidate. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZSSYGyKwh4wq9atNRBdCak_ivzr9gKml0NQG_yWwCk8TT5K8ylHbZNBVUNcNozkDbspdhpZaFwV-MpsIzBV-PosqsRbgHYJrLYe9o4_gqR1RQrrscRbmWwz-MGv5EVtLy7n2o9NYfkJe3/s1600/clinton+hearings.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="color: black;"><img border="0" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZSSYGyKwh4wq9atNRBdCak_ivzr9gKml0NQG_yWwCk8TT5K8ylHbZNBVUNcNozkDbspdhpZaFwV-MpsIzBV-PosqsRbgHYJrLYe9o4_gqR1RQrrscRbmWwz-MGv5EVtLy7n2o9NYfkJe3/s200/clinton+hearings.jpg" width="200" /></span></a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A Hillary Clinton administration will be bogged down in investigations and hearings for perhaps her entire term. Representative Jason Chaffetz (R) of Utah, the head of the House Oversight Committee, has already stated that there is enough evidence to look into her activities for years - and he is determined to do so. The reality of that is deterrent enough, but the knowledge (via WikiLeaks and FBI investigations) that there is some legitimacy to these investigations makes it that much worse. The country doesn't need an administration with this much of an albatross hanging around its neck. </span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I have heard from a number of people when discussing Clinton’s alleged corruption say that it is just the reality of politics. However when we support and elect these candidates, we are saying that we care nothing about the integrity of our government. Wink wink, nudge nudge is not the methodology of a government that is supposed to be a beacon of democracy. Politics is only dirty because we allow it to be. Count me as one that will no longer be apathetic to a system that represents big money and special interests rather than the people who dutifully exercise their franchise.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyFdNcjE13NTmxVCpP58niAmyB0aBzOdJRF1SLv8YbFJIVin6E_oHsF5NFAn09ztQZ7f0g0zcPhwJYGKMZG8NizphQqGAPs4nsQksatXz01xyapMqTLYtXw7W-mW8nTr4Zc7RM3N2ouhyphenhyphenj/s1600/JillSteinChicagoRally640.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyFdNcjE13NTmxVCpP58niAmyB0aBzOdJRF1SLv8YbFJIVin6E_oHsF5NFAn09ztQZ7f0g0zcPhwJYGKMZG8NizphQqGAPs4nsQksatXz01xyapMqTLYtXw7W-mW8nTr4Zc7RM3N2ouhyphenhyphenj/s320/JillSteinChicagoRally640.jpg" width="320" /></span></a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Thus, the only candidate that can possibly be deemed worthy of endorsement is Green Party Candidate, Jill Stein. Sure, she is short on experience, but that doesn't seem to be a concern to half the country supporting Donald Trump. While examining both candidates, Stein seems to be much more versed in policy and how government works compared to Trump. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">She fails to have anything close to the resume qualifications of Clinton, but she has nowhere near the baggage either. She has a solid core of values that she puts on the line by actually showing up places where she finds injustice. Her only legal baggage is a misdemeanor charge against her in North Dakota for standing up against the North Dakota Access Pipeline that threatens to desecrate sacred lands of Native Americans and poison the drinking water - an issue on which Clinton hasn't had the courage to even comment.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Stein is honest and willing to put skin in the game to take the country out of the establishment muck that it is stuck in. She has virtually the same progressive platform as the Bernie Sanders primary campaign which, in my opinion, puts her on the right side of history. Her honesty and willingness to commit makes her a newbie president that we can work with. While every president shares the same observation that NOTHING can prepare someone for the presidency, I accept that Stein will happily fit into that scenario.</span></div>
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<span id="docs-internal-guid-50222f0f-3b29-fc86-328a-84d66d5c7a92"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">At the beginning of this piece, I defined the term “endorse” as </span><span style="background-color: white; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">to "express support or approval of publicly and definitely." I cannot do this for Trump, Clinton, or Johnson. However, I can for Jill Stein. She isn’t perfect, but she is someone that Americans can be proud of as president.</span></span></span><br />
<span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I don't make any unrealistic assertions that Stein has a chance to pull a big upset in the election. However, there is an additional incentive to vote for Stein (or even Johnson). Enough support for the Green candidate will help take away the monopoly of power by the establishment two-party system. If <a href="http://www.fec.gov/press/bkgnd/fund.shtml" target="_blank">five percent</a>, or more, of the voters find it impossible to support Clinton or Trump and vote for Jill Stein, it will open up the process to the Green party in the next election. They will be eligible for matching funds which will help get their message out. Presently the two parties, as much as they show complete contempt for each other, collude to orchestrate that the two party system remains. We have seen the disaster that this system has become and we have an amazing opportunity to do something about it. The founding fathers warned us about it; perhaps now is the time we will listen.</span></span></span><br />
<span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, "Bitstream Charter", serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic;"><span style="color: blue;">There is nothing which I dread so much as a division of the republic into two great parties, each arranged under its leader, and concerting measures in opposition to each other. This, in my humble apprehension, is to be dreaded as the greatest political evil under our Constitution. --John Adams</span></span>Jeffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16060441484392165488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4602548179294786097.post-83042592491258677482016-10-25T20:04:00.003-07:002016-10-26T15:38:23.396-07:00Election 2016 Exposes the Media as Fraudulent<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqPXJ8VNduUWDGm3uKu84S2784L-f8EO20kgoqc5xlKP9PlAekIPgMSAnUUYNMPKM_3Y-aNcJ14F8fzObwPx61-0f01gV9lfWpW2HCVBFFsSKjCEJkLSdiJpH4pAqzFCpqSB-kv_XuH_CI/s1600/corporate-media-1024x538.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqPXJ8VNduUWDGm3uKu84S2784L-f8EO20kgoqc5xlKP9PlAekIPgMSAnUUYNMPKM_3Y-aNcJ14F8fzObwPx61-0f01gV9lfWpW2HCVBFFsSKjCEJkLSdiJpH4pAqzFCpqSB-kv_XuH_CI/s320/corporate-media-1024x538.jpg" width="320" /></a>Nauseating has been the operative word for this election season. However, the one aspect of the season that is more than sickening is the fact that we can no longer trust what we see or read in the media anymore. There is too much coziness between the media's parent companies and presidential campaigns. Even the on screen talent and beat writers become "too familiar" with the candidates and their staffs. There is no wonder why the words "shill" and "rigged" are being thrown around so much this year.<br />
<br />
Jordan Chariton, from The Young Turks Network and Mediaite, has painstakingly filtered through WikiLeaks for all the evidence illustrating that the mainstream media has descended to an aid to the powerful instead of the noble entity it once was.<br />
<br />
Traditionally, the role of media has been to keep us informed and remain the watchdog over the authorities and ruling class. Today media follows a different model. For the most part it merely echoes the opinions of the elite.<br />
<br />
In an article that Chariton wrote for <a href="http://www.mediaite.com/online/donna-braziles-deception-is-a-symbol-for-the-big-media-lie/"><i>Mediaite</i></a>, he exposes the media bias for Hillary Clinton while covering the presidential election. In a section concerning CNN Contributor and DNC Chair Donna Brazile, he shows how she played an integral part in the campaign's “media division:”<br />
<br />
<i><span style="color: red;">"Brazile is joined by a long list of phony 'analysts' and 'strategists'—as well as anchors and reporters—who were clearly in-the-tank for Hillary Clinton all along . . . Brazile and those like her do what they do best: scheme to help get, and keep, their friends in power, and then go on TV and pretend to be on the level, offering their expert “analysis” on the same people. Does this make Brazile and other pundits bad people? No. But does it expose the platforms they operate on completely and utterly fraudulent."</span></i><br />
<br />
This just isn't crooked, it is a cancer. We turn on the news and hope to get the unvarnished truth so we can make decisions about our lives. However, when I turned on MSNBC's <i>Morning Joe</i> this morning I saw a panel talking about how the WikiLeaks have nothing troubling for the Clinton campaign. They cited an email that talked about general campaign strategy when the panel said nothing of the numerous emails that show a direct cooperation between the Clinton Campaign and their PAC's, for example - which is explicitly illegal.<br />
<br />
Case in point:<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXrPS7JC6U1-mA4nf7NE40MjzmXYY-sg03IM87w8tev0ibZvh_tqk4Quh-MFr2Qg_UeAvd-CXBV2YrY7i29QxyM6X4g0CJY2ooIEPLFwntwWxPNJ2u4MxqDF6oGrIcIwoLFjF5LAqqfJ1C/s1600/RFH+Clinton.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXrPS7JC6U1-mA4nf7NE40MjzmXYY-sg03IM87w8tev0ibZvh_tqk4Quh-MFr2Qg_UeAvd-CXBV2YrY7i29QxyM6X4g0CJY2ooIEPLFwntwWxPNJ2u4MxqDF6oGrIcIwoLFjF5LAqqfJ1C/s400/RFH+Clinton.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Credit: Wikileaks, and @JordanCharion on Twitter</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
This isn't meant to be an anti-Clinton rant. No, not at all. Clinton, Trump, and those who follow in the elections that have yet to come, will emerge and fade away. This post is about something much more significant than who becomes the president in the remote year of 2016. The most frightening part of this election season is that we have discovered that we are manipulated into thinking whatever the mainstream media, and those who pull their strings want us to believe – true or not, in order to advance the corporate establishment agenda. Since this seems to be the model now, there is no reason to think that we will ever be able to count on knowing the truth about our world. We are now, and will undoubtedly continue to have the "blue pill" shoved down our throats.<br />
<br />
<i><span style="color: #3d85c6;">“When the people who control the political power in this country . . . can rig the media, they can wield absolute power over your life, your economy, and your country. They control what you hear and don’t hear, how its covered and even if it is covered at all.”</span></i><br />
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<i><span style="color: #3d85c6;">--Donald Trump</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><br /></span></i></div>
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That just goes to show you, even a broken clock is right twice a day.</div>
Jeffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16060441484392165488noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4602548179294786097.post-55988801462615947052016-10-16T08:33:00.003-07:002016-10-16T08:45:26.320-07:00Open Memos to the Clinton and Trump CampaignsDear Hillary Camp:<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: inherit;">We understand that the probability of </span><st1:country-region style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: inherit;" w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Russia</st1:place></st1:country-region><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: inherit;"> hacking
into our national emails is problematic. We also understand that the troubling
content of those emails paint a Jekyll and Hyde candidate. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: inherit;">It also paints a campaign and political party that are not above collusion and dirty methodology. We have the ability
to consider both of these issues at the same time and consider them separately. Please stop insulting our intelligence and pretend that we can't or shouldn't.</span><br />
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEXxj-FGcKFJFuAMS39I_sI3lkfpJL8Xh3zEFUD6L5vb9zUf1O2-n5C7kvP5j_eU9u72v5gbK3TcMHzyI6x6v06fP6RdFKnxqowhFDXvUMT9N1LyaYip9Vd6SEOvbSocC9aThm40YuKsAO/s1600/Clinton-Trump-0222.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEXxj-FGcKFJFuAMS39I_sI3lkfpJL8Xh3zEFUD6L5vb9zUf1O2-n5C7kvP5j_eU9u72v5gbK3TcMHzyI6x6v06fP6RdFKnxqowhFDXvUMT9N1LyaYip9Vd6SEOvbSocC9aThm40YuKsAO/s320/Clinton-Trump-0222.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: inherit;">Dear Trump Camp:</span></div>
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<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: inherit;">We understand that all of the sexual accusations of your candidate are
not confirmed by witnesses. We also understand that the probability that they
are all false especially given the very words that come out of your candidate's mouth is practically nil. Please do not insult our intelligence by suggesting we ignore
reality and ask us not to factor in the disgusting aspects of your candidate's
existence.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: inherit;">Dear Hillary and Trump Camps:</span></div>
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<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: inherit;">The American people don't deserve either of you, but apparently you
deserve each other.</span></div>
Jeffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16060441484392165488noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4602548179294786097.post-35576694788420894302016-09-14T14:33:00.000-07:002016-11-06T16:19:45.035-08:00Diverse Group Supports Miners at Capitol Hill Rally<div style="text-align: right;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDwIW9SMdEnYjxCAplSQP4s5GJDsXTx0LW8-GJ29ATzGeqMYbmkRH0n_y3Bm_nvyqqKNEhSIF1xTVTMQg1LEYeYzpp5ehMw8Yf8Fc0Uapr59tZEjzTiCUJQ77kLW9MozkA271GzAGN0RKX/s1600/Rally+Cap+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="144" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDwIW9SMdEnYjxCAplSQP4s5GJDsXTx0LW8-GJ29ATzGeqMYbmkRH0n_y3Bm_nvyqqKNEhSIF1xTVTMQg1LEYeYzpp5ehMw8Yf8Fc0Uapr59tZEjzTiCUJQ77kLW9MozkA271GzAGN0RKX/s200/Rally+Cap+2.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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The United Mine Workers
of America and other labor unions were in full force - along with various
organizations, activists, and concerned citizens - at a rally in Washington
last week. They were there to press Congress to honor its 70 year old commitment. A promise was made by the government in 1946
to always protect miner and retiree benefits. The details can be found in <a href="http://www.relationstate.com/2016/09/coal-miners-take-district-to-press.html">part one of the this series. </a><o:p></o:p></div>
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I was invited to ride
along on a bus with a group from <st1:state w:st="on"><st1:state w:st="on">Henderson</st1:state>,
<st1:state w:st="on">KY</st1:state></st1:state> on the 1470 mile round
trip. People from different unions and
other backgrounds made the trip to support the miners who stand to lose quite a
bit. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH-mcA4mVUSUMNB7Bu0-gfR5zm6S1CD6wgQjT7UmKz-knQhxqDqmxLgUCjDRn-4Q9wOqZAmw6GydJQiwFozerbZeXfXsMY8YRMBJyiKzxjPCnJxHhvV5nzrihVBAd44-ZJQUJjYtSPT3kx/s1600/tina+at+rally+c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH-mcA4mVUSUMNB7Bu0-gfR5zm6S1CD6wgQjT7UmKz-knQhxqDqmxLgUCjDRn-4Q9wOqZAmw6GydJQiwFozerbZeXfXsMY8YRMBJyiKzxjPCnJxHhvV5nzrihVBAd44-ZJQUJjYtSPT3kx/s1600/tina+at+rally+c.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tina McCormick. candidate for <br />
Henderson County (KY) Judge Executive</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Tina McCormick, who is the daughter of a miner - and a
candidate <o:p></o:p></div>
for the office of Henderson County Judge Executive - was aboard the
bus as it headed towards the capital.
McCormick made an interesting choice to sign on to the trip. She decided
to take three days away from her campaign to support the cause. <br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“This is an issue that affects a lot of lives in our area,”
said McCormick. “I just want the miners
and retirees to know that we in <st1:state w:st="on"><st1:state w:st="on">Henderson</st1:state>
<st1:state w:st="on">County</st1:state></st1:state> will do more than give lip
service. We will actually stand with<i><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span></i>them.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivV1tYuuMbfpQIUsl0OcOW2QDXrL9so3xwwDPivCkW-w-7_iHKoOLmUsT-xJ2TRhBSLL_FTHmJmObwzur6wUzTBsGC-ncx-JW-qkHaYu1RjGruEwCFunbunimcZLaYnFfbw_LRffvPxHMB/s1600/EdMellorc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivV1tYuuMbfpQIUsl0OcOW2QDXrL9so3xwwDPivCkW-w-7_iHKoOLmUsT-xJ2TRhBSLL_FTHmJmObwzur6wUzTBsGC-ncx-JW-qkHaYu1RjGruEwCFunbunimcZLaYnFfbw_LRffvPxHMB/s200/EdMellorc.jpg" width="169" /></a>Ed Mellor also decided
to support the miners. At 82, he didn’t
hesitate to climb aboard the <st1:state w:st="on">Washington</st1:state> bound
bus. Mellor, a member of the Plumbers
and Pipefitters union from Evansville, IN, is proud to fight alongside his
union brothers of the UMWA.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“The union has been a blessing to me,” Mellor said. “I thank
God for it. Without the benefits the
union got for us, I don’t know where I would be. That is why it is important to stand in
solidarity with <i><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 107%;">all</span></i> the unions.” <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-Dbe0C8A38P5Kf2muQQijAVjZq_54gyT8x6PP4yczcYNpxBXKCwZYj1gIq05xsEM4DjqTfDZFHaHLYC32Btv-iX_8ZrY1C1vWGztJhN3s53YUJ0S93Rsmv7mpZYPxq82-mjriWpODdHvX/s1600/jackie+and+cecil+robertsc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-Dbe0C8A38P5Kf2muQQijAVjZq_54gyT8x6PP4yczcYNpxBXKCwZYj1gIq05xsEM4DjqTfDZFHaHLYC32Btv-iX_8ZrY1C1vWGztJhN3s53YUJ0S93Rsmv7mpZYPxq82-mjriWpODdHvX/s200/jackie+and+cecil+robertsc.jpg" width="191" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jackie Condor and <br />
Cecil Roberts, president of the UMWA</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As Jackie Condor
illustrates, one doesn’t have to be a member of a union to realize the
importance of supporting the UMWA at the rally. She is a retired nurse with an
activist’s heart. Condor is proud that
her grandfather was a miner under John L. Lewis. Lewis was the president of the UMWA from
1920-1960 who negotiated the “the romise” from the federal government that now
is in jeopardy. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“I
want to be a part of helping people,” Condor said. “We cannot change this
country till we all pull together<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCiP5KfaeJ22rXIZ3yGNvwxANQjCb8abcNnR8GbEroeGFvBxGw6RE8LlSZJ6G1HrriJtOrlrzWlYtB3soJtoQGy85JTaIQ0q1WOKuSEKzdHhhtmzq8eGcmJ7VTPSMe6wrV8KrfeCxp84nY/s1600/gking3c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="182" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCiP5KfaeJ22rXIZ3yGNvwxANQjCb8abcNnR8GbEroeGFvBxGw6RE8LlSZJ6G1HrriJtOrlrzWlYtB3soJtoQGy85JTaIQ0q1WOKuSEKzdHhhtmzq8eGcmJ7VTPSMe6wrV8KrfeCxp84nY/s200/gking3c.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
For Greg King, the concern
over the loss of benefits could be a matter of life or death. He depends on those benefits now that he has
been disabled from an accident while working in the mines. If the benefits discontinue, he will not be
able bear the cost of his meds for himself and his wife. King is heartened to
see the diversity of people taking up the cause. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“I’m tickled to death to see folks from all walks of life
standing up with us,” he said. “It shows everyone is concerned and not just us
miners.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white; color: #1d2129;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white; color: #1d2129;">No one had any misconceptions about the trip. They knew it
was not going to be a picnic and it wasn’t. We spent most of rally day outside in
the heat (with a heat index of about 100 degrees Fahrenheit). There was also a
matter of a grueling 30 hour bus ride on a trip that lasted only three days
from start to finish. However, I didn’t
see any complaints on the journey. I
only saw people rising up for a cause and enjoying the opportunity to spend
time with others that were likeminded.
The group </span>saw the importance of fighting to make sure that the
government that represents all of us stands by its promises to each of us.<o:p></o:p></div>
Jeffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16060441484392165488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4602548179294786097.post-79966771114644026652016-09-06T13:43:00.000-07:002016-11-06T16:20:27.249-08:00Coal Miners Take the District to Press Congress to Honor Promise <div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: right;">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIkXvnQUF-cjDkQSxrMYx0uNHpFBuW6PyMyJfVCgsdMTAvvrDeasSDHBQ1m6WhIEcaLQ-ry8P2wlBKuTdOgSz2rcg21-UugylQo4sUjibqxYq-azU1SRn11MQ_Vo7XpohmRdlrN5Fh1Whyphenhyphen/s1600/miners+at+the+capital.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="130" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIkXvnQUF-cjDkQSxrMYx0uNHpFBuW6PyMyJfVCgsdMTAvvrDeasSDHBQ1m6WhIEcaLQ-ry8P2wlBKuTdOgSz2rcg21-UugylQo4sUjibqxYq-azU1SRn11MQ_Vo7XpohmRdlrN5Fh1Whyphenhyphen/s200/miners+at+the+capital.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">United Mine Workers Rallying <br />
at the Capital Building.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Some things should transcend
politics. Honoring promises to hard
working Americans should definitely be one of them. However, <st1:country-region w:st="on">America</st1:country-region>’s coal
miners are concerned that this simple and principled position is getting lost
on our corporate billionaire class and some of the politicians that feed at
their trough. Unless Congress takes
action, 22,000 coal miners will lose their health care coverage and over 90,000
retirees will have their pensions significantly cut. That is why thousands of miners and other
activists will descend on <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Washington</st1:city>
<st1:state w:st="on">D.C.</st1:state></st1:place> Thursday at the Keep the
Promise – Capitol Hill Rally.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The promise
these miners are pointing to stemmed from a 1946 agreement between the
executive branch of the government and the United Mine Workers of America
(UMWA). The Krug Lewis Agreement
promised the UMWA membership that their health and retirement benefits would
not be compromised.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">A
Little Background<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Through the
first half of the 20th century, there was no industry more important to the <st1:country-region w:st="on">United States</st1:country-region>
than the coal industry. The country
counted on the energy provided by coal through the hard work of the miners to
power them to world heights of the industrial age. So important was the coal mine industry that
miners were asked to stay in the mines throughout World War II instead of
fighting on the front lines.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
At the
conclusion of World War II, the UMWA went on strike because an agreement
couldn’t be reached with the coal companies concerning their inadequate health
benefits. Industry had turned back to
production of consumer goods and Americans were in the mood to consume. The
country couldn’t afford a coal shortage because of the likelihood it would halt
production. The stand-still would move the country back into the dire economy
of the pre-war depression.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
To avoid this
crisis, President Harry Truman ordered the federal government to take over the
mines and start negotiating with the union.
What emerged was the Krug Lewis Act which promised benefits would not be
taken away from the coal miners.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">What
Happened?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The funds
holding together the miners’ benefits were solvent up until the 2008 economic
crisis. At that time, abuses on Wall
Street destroyed the pension funds of a lot of Americans. Also, the changing
energy industry and the declining price of natural gas had an adverse effect on
the number of employed coal miners.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In addition,
corporate shenanigans such as the Peabody/Patriot Coal spinoff perpetuated the
disaster. Patriot spun off <st1:city w:st="on">Peabody</st1:city> and acquired its
liabilities including retiree health benefits.
When Patriot filed for bankruptcy in 2012, these benefits were in
jeopardy. If it weren’t for a modest settlement between the company and the
UMWA, the crisis would have hit crisis level much earlier. However, this minor victory for the union did
nothing to ensure future availability of these benefits.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">The
Solution<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Last year,
Senator Joe Manchin, (D) WV, introduced S. 1714 “The Miner’s Protection Act.”
This legislation would essentially keep the promises that were made and protect
the benefits of the miners, the retirees and their families. It is a bi-partisan bill with 18 sponsors
with nine being Democrats, eight Republicans and one independent. There is an identical bill in the House that
is also bi-partisan. It has 47
Republican sponsors, and 36 Democrats. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<i><span style="color: #2f5496;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<i><span style="color: #2f5496;">“Our retirees suffering
from black lung, who gave not only their years of service but also sacrificed
their health, will be forced to choose between getting that oxygen tank they
rely on to breathe or paying their electric bill. Surviving widows will be
forced to choose between buying their blood pressure medicine or putting food
on their tables.”<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<i><span style="color: #2f5496;">--Sen Joe
Manchin, (D) WV<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBZGlNpAKFMDnwDWpEYxmI4tZKemOyrq2GFNAiEAuwXkTVDH3B0bpeBoxacpd8WQqbJzXOiXKTQv6d4oE0tg8KRjKL5E6DXdiTfhcemX9Ri4OLLnt-xKfXbEgni6329Oqc4CZuvm1knx-1/s1600/manchin_senate_floor-1440x741.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="102" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBZGlNpAKFMDnwDWpEYxmI4tZKemOyrq2GFNAiEAuwXkTVDH3B0bpeBoxacpd8WQqbJzXOiXKTQv6d4oE0tg8KRjKL5E6DXdiTfhcemX9Ri4OLLnt-xKfXbEgni6329Oqc4CZuvm1knx-1/s200/manchin_senate_floor-1440x741.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Senator Joe Manchin (D) WV, introduced the<br />
Miners Protection Act to the US Senate</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So what is the
hold up? The leadership has not allowed the bills to progress to a vote on the
floor. Strangely enough, the majority
leader of the Senate, Mitch McConnell is holding this bill up in the Senate. As the senior senator from <st1:state w:st="on">Kentucky</st1:state>, a big coal mine state, one can
only conjecture why he hasn’t jumped to the aid of his constituents.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
According to the AP, a McConnell
spokesman said that the majority leader “has been and remains committed to
helping ensure the retirement security of our nation’s retirees, including coal
miners.” Of course the UMWA and the many
legislators that have signed on to support the Miners Protection Act logically
respond, “Prove it!”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on"><br /></st1:placename></st1:place></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Relation</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">State</st1:placetype></st1:place> is firmly behind the UMWA and their
membership. It was on the backs of coal miners that the <st1:country-region w:st="on">US</st1:country-region> became the
strongest, most industrialized nation in the world. It was the energy driven by coal that pushed
the factories that provided Americans jobs, but also automobiles, appliances,
and other goods that kept the economy strong and created the middle class.
Those that labored in the mines gave their bodies and health to push the nation
forward. Is it too much to ask that we
honor our commitments and ensure that they get the benefits that they earned
and were promised? If <st1:state w:st="on">Washington</st1:state> can bail out the Wall Street
banks that caused the economic crisis, it is incomprehensible that the
government could default on the promises made to the coal miners who were
victims of it.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Jeffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16060441484392165488noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4602548179294786097.post-22964688316428966052016-07-21T08:33:00.000-07:002016-07-21T08:50:11.581-07:00Should Voters Be Afraid of Trump Incompetence?<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZsdIwRP4dUlT0jGNgzbbfekk5oELPI6hu0E9KTAzT0Cbgh2l6OYGH-_cnQ0KW84LOv_PefFofpW-jEUa4rD-ecFzcrttTVlhoLBUK_5TUAOZIK9QX5QyObpwcH4kHcGgxoczVV22-Ikyg/s1600/Trump+trump+team.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="169" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZsdIwRP4dUlT0jGNgzbbfekk5oELPI6hu0E9KTAzT0Cbgh2l6OYGH-_cnQ0KW84LOv_PefFofpW-jEUa4rD-ecFzcrttTVlhoLBUK_5TUAOZIK9QX5QyObpwcH4kHcGgxoczVV22-Ikyg/s200/Trump+trump+team.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>The Trump Team - (top) </i><i>Donald , <br />(from left to right) Paul Manafort,<br /> Melania, and Michael Glassner</i></span><span style="font-size: 12.8px;"> </span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
In the grand scheme of things, people do not have a reason to get bent out of shape over the the Melania Trump plagiarism scandal. It was a lovely speech and many people share the same sentiments that she shared from the podium. Whether she plagiarized part of her speech from Michelle Obama or not isn't the red flag. No, it emerged in observing how Trump and the campaign handled the scandal.<br />
<br />
It didn't have to be as complicated as they made it out to be. They should have issued a simple statement and moved on. Something like: "Melania gave that speech in earnest and her heart was behind every word. We apologize for any similarity or appearance of it resembling other speeches that may or may not have had some influence in her remarks." That kind of response would have shown some competence in handling obstacles that may surface in a campaign, but more importantly, those that arise in an administration.<br />
<br />
What was the response from the campaign? First it was denial. All of us who saw the obvious reproduction were dubbed crazy. Two days later, which is two days too long, ANOTHER statement was released. This time, it is from a family friend and staff aid, Meredith McIver, who took the blame. In a TMI passage from the statement, she admits that Melania borrowed some sentiments from people she admired - one of those being Michelle Obama. McIver even offered to resign over it, but the Trumps nixed that idea.<br />
<br />
At that point, the campaign made a fifteen minute story that could have been vanquished immediately into a three day story that now includes how Melania is inspired by current first lady and enemy of the party (just ask them), Michelle Obama. That would still be the driving story of the convention if it weren't for Ted Cruz.<br />
<br />
Cruz, who doesn't want to help Trump at all, did so much more. He flaunted a non-endorsement in a prime time speech, drew ire from the delegates, and unified the Republican party all in his attempt to put Trump in his place. In other words, Trump's enemies do a better job of managing his campaign than he does - which brings us to the REAL story here, the potential disaster of a Trump administration.<br />
<br />
The thought of a Donald Trump presidency becomes more alarming each day. If he can't handle the single-goal concept of a campaign, how will he fare in a multi-fronted responsibility of running the United States? With domestic social policies, foreign affairs, the economy, etc., the presidency is one job that shouldn't have the "flying by the seat of your pants" approach. <br />
<br />
Despite his success in the primaries, he looks like he hasn't used any of this campaign journey as a learning experience. Even though he was able to bluster and bully his way to a nomination, support from a fraction of the conservative minded is not going to pave a smooth road to the White House.<br />
<br />
Trump has seemed to have taken his methodology from Kramer of Seinfeld fame. His life and subsequent campaign seems to be from a fantasy camp. Up till this point, he does what he wants and falls ass-backwards into success. However, that only works in the primary if you are a targeting only conservatives. In a world where Limbaugh and Fox News has shaped his audience, he can play to them in any obtrusive way he wants. They will applaud his defiance of political correctness and simplified solutions.<br />
<br />
However, in the general election, he has to draw from a new audience. They are more complicated and discriminating than the primary crowd that readily gobbles up defecated propaganda that the Conservative Entertainment Complex produces. Trump seems to flirt with a pivot towards a general election message, but so far he has proven to be like the weak dieter who holds out as long as he can, but damn it, he is going to eat that piece of cake. He returns to his boorish ways to the cheers of his base, but also to the gagging sounds of those he now needs to win over.<br />
<br />
Instead of Kramer, Trump should borrow from another Seinfeld character, George Costanza. George learned that his every inclination has been wrong so he endeavored to do the opposite of his urges. As Jerry told him, "If every instinct you have is wrong, then the opposite would have to be right." It worked for George. It could work for Trump.<br />
<br />
The primary campaign and the general election campaign ARE opposites. That is why most politicians look like complete frauds. They tell their base one thing in the spring, and pivot in the fall. Or as Eric Fehrnstrom, Mitt Romney's senior adviser for his 2012 campaign, put it, "I think you hit a reset button for the fall campaign, Everything changes, It's almost like an Etch A Sketch, You can kind of shake it up, and we start all over again." Of course, as true as that statement is for campaign strategy, he probably needed to keep that truth to himself.<br />
<br />
As part of his campaign shift, Trump needs to do the opposite of what all his impulses tell him to do. If he feels the need to double down on an issue, he probably actually needs to back up. We will see if he has much luck with that.
He is the climax of the Republican National Convention Thursday night with his nomination acceptance speech. That speech will determine what kind of direction his campaign will go.<br />
<br />
Will he get a bump or a crater? If he does the opposite of his impulses, he will probably be okay.<br />
However his gut is probably telling him not to take the opposite strategy to heart. Someone over at the campaign should probably hide the cake.<br />
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Jeffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16060441484392165488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4602548179294786097.post-36590095834467596272016-06-01T18:08:00.001-07:002016-06-01T18:15:00.532-07:00The "Berners" are ready to Occupy the News Channels for Bernie Sanders<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjR-mivqD7H8RnNUw3ddcO4qz2nAvXsJYY25aMNg6DsJU7vXAp-b6P78LVGWP-Xfs2goUr8kSjIKhqLSF2ICd10f8n0n9FlsVpP_rExtYKAo2XJYra0KswNHmT2YPO3qMSSO14ipQkioVm/s1600/Bernie_Sanders_by_Gage_Skidmore.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjR-mivqD7H8RnNUw3ddcO4qz2nAvXsJYY25aMNg6DsJU7vXAp-b6P78LVGWP-Xfs2goUr8kSjIKhqLSF2ICd10f8n0n9FlsVpP_rExtYKAo2XJYra0KswNHmT2YPO3qMSSO14ipQkioVm/s200/Bernie_Sanders_by_Gage_Skidmore.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">There is a movement afoot that has Bernie Sanders supporters ready to occupy the media for next Tuesday's primaries. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">What caused this stir is something Chris Matthews, of MSNBC, stated on the air to Jeff Weaver, Bernie Sanders' campaign manager, "<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 15.6pt;">I'm told by the experts on numbers around here at NBC and
elsewhere that come </span><span style="line-height: 20.8px;">June</span><span style="line-height: 15.6pt;"> 7th, the day of the California primary, . . . that at eight o'clock that night Eastern Time the networks will be prepared, including this </span></span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">one, to announce that Hillary</span><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"> Clinton has now gotten over the top - that
she will have won the nomination. In numbers, it's done! What will that do to turn out if
that's five o'clock Pacific time with three more hours to vote in California, who will be least likely to vote? Sanders' people from 5 to 8, or Hillary's?"</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">It was at this point that Humpty Dumpty establishment finally had their big fall. This arrogant proclamation by Matthews infuriated the Bernie crowd. Afterwards, social media became abuzz encouraging the faithful to stand up to these establishment media giants in the same spirit that Sanders has crusaded throughout his life - through peaceful protest.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The issue is that only the pledged delegates, i.e, those that are mandated by the voters, are locked-in delegates. The superdelegates are basically floaters. They can change their mind everyday from now until the convention. Nothing is written in stone for them. Weaver explained to Matthews that the pronouncement would be inaccurate because the superdelegate count is basically a poll, not a vote. He compared it to calling the California primary election based on polling numbers rather than the voters on election night. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">What made matters worse is the response Matthews gave to Weaver, "I don't want to have this conversation." </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Of course he doesn't but it was too late for that. As a result the "Berners" are mobilizing. There is talk of showing up at the door of NBC at Rockefeller Center, CNN at Columbus Circle (both in New York City) to express their displeasure with the establishment media who they are convinced has been out to get Sanders from the beginning.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">What makes it look particularly bad for MSNBC is the hypocrisy. It is hard to reconcile that their commentators routinely chastise Republican policies that suppress the vote while their basic reporting policy will do the same thing come Tuesday night.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">If the media follows through with its pre-mature announcement, it will be just another in a long list of ways the entire establishment has been trying to contaminate the democratic process in the primary process. It is this kind of system that gave birth to the Trump and Sanders' phenomena. It will be interesting to see how they all attempt to put Humpty Dumpty back together again.</span>Jeffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16060441484392165488noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4602548179294786097.post-85670967293404976012016-05-29T20:16:00.000-07:002016-05-29T20:16:18.335-07:00Bigger Than Bernie<div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="95eok" data-offset-key="8tmbp-0-0" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 16px; white-space: pre-wrap;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijiKCLu1E5SBLLy-qdy5O3ACPM9du_Zn33XMtVExkkIdp-fKaZ7lMPrvY7G4D4Uh3cjpJRklkrZmwHaPpCSZNl2ms88lPTpHSMmGAMSMGAUSgHriqjYOl70nlUmYf-BLUZO2LbOPsDOLTt/s1600/BIG+Crowd+for+Bernie.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijiKCLu1E5SBLLy-qdy5O3ACPM9du_Zn33XMtVExkkIdp-fKaZ7lMPrvY7G4D4Uh3cjpJRklkrZmwHaPpCSZNl2ms88lPTpHSMmGAMSMGAUSgHriqjYOl70nlUmYf-BLUZO2LbOPsDOLTt/s200/BIG+Crowd+for+Bernie.png" width="200" /></a><span data-offset-key="8tmbp-0-0"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>W</b></span><span style="font-size: 12px;">hy don't Sanders supporters get it? Don't they know that Donald Trump winning the presidency is Armageddon? Don't they care about the appointments he will make to the Supreme Court? DON'T THEY? The answer: Yes and no.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12px;">Many people want to tell Bernie Sanders supporters that no matter how they feel about Hillary Clinton, they should be ready to work for her if she secures the nomination. The thinking is that a Clinton presidency while a lot less appealing than Sanders in the White House is infinitely better than a Trump presidency. While Bernie doesn't yet urge his followers to be prepared to support Clinton if he comes up short, he does admit that a Trump presidency would be the worst of all possibilities.However, it seems that Bernie doesn't quite understand the full impact of the movement that he started. It has become bigger than Sanders and more about the future of politics in the United States.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12px;">The Bernie revolution is hoping to change progressives to a different way of politicking and governing. They want to do it from within the Democratic party because of the two main parties, it is the most progressive. However, a great number of Bernie supporters are just now getting acquainted with politics and the Democratic party and have found both to be contemptible. There is no "sucking it up" and getting behind the party. They are more inclined to start their own party than to coddle up to the one that rejected them. It wouldn't be a leap to say that half of them wish Bernie would walk out right now and run as an independent.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12px;">To the revolution, this election isn't about beating Trump; it is about transforming the way America does its business. Without Sanders, it is business as usual. If it takes Trump to screw things up to wake some progressives up, then a Trump presidency isn't' the worst thing in the world that could happen. Politics as usual is worse than even Trump. Is that a practical approach? Probably not. Couldn't the revolution be won in increments without giving up the White House and congressional coat tails to the Republicans? Perhaps. But just remember, the idea of increments was what they rejected in the first place. That was the mantra of that other primary candidate.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12px;">To the "Bernie or Bust" crowd, for a revolution to succeed, the insurgents are going to have to be prepared to sacrifice for the cause. A Trump presidency, no matter how horrible, is merely a sacrifice and not a defeat. They know that a raccoon will chew through his arm to free itself from a trap. A Trump presidency may be that sacrificial limb. The sacrifice may hurt and disadvantage them for a spell, but will also provide incentive for them to come back stronger than ever. At least, that is their mindset. They just may be right.</span></div>
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Jeffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16060441484392165488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4602548179294786097.post-39204403145334859332016-05-26T17:22:00.000-07:002016-05-27T16:46:44.566-07:00UPDATE: Trump Not As Smart as We Gave Him Credit<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">UPDATE:</span></b><br />
<br />
Just when we thought we had Donald Trump figured out, he comes through and confirms what many have accused him of being this entire primary season - just a blow hard, and a lucky one at that.<br />
<br />
Relation State, on careful analysis (as seen in the original article below), determined that there had to be some genius to Trump, despite his appearance of being a pompous, policy vacant celebrity. However, after having a brilliant strategy come to fruition, he backed out like a typical flip-flopping politician that listens to too many advisers.<br />
<br />
The reason Trump gave was that it wasn't appropriate to debate the second place finisher in the Democratic Party. What paints Trump as dishonest (this time) is that nothing has changed in the Democratic primary situation in the last 24 hours when he agreed to the debate. It is a cop-out explanation. What makes that position worse is that he took a leap in the debit direction on ALL four of the reasons that made debating Sanders so brilliant in the first place. <br />
<br />
By not debating, he gives up the opportunity to 1) use his leverage to fashion the debate for his maximum benefit, 2) have a huge, national audience to watch him slam Hillary Clinton, 3) up his PR by raising money for a good cause. Now that he has painted Bernie as the loser despite Trump's position that the Democratic primary was rigged, he now puts himself squarely INSIDE the establishment with the rest of the "Hillary has already won" crowd. Doing that takes Trump out of his inside position to 4) court Bernie's followers. By slamming the door in the "Bernie has already lost" fashion, he lost his chance to woo them. He may have even made Hillary look a lot better than she did. <br />
<br />
Perhaps this thong sandal of a decision shouldn't be surprising since he has changed positions on just about every issue that he has initiated. It can only be assumed, like his other positions and proclamations, his agreement to debate Bernie Sanders was "just a suggestion."<br />
<br />
(Previously)<br />
<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">____________________________________</span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">A</span></b>t first blush, it doesn’t look like a good idea for Donald
Trump to debate Bernie Sanders. Everyone
knows that it is seldom a good idea to “debate down.” Because Trump has already clinched the Republican
nomination, debating the long shot in for the Democratic nomination is indeed
debating down. </div>
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<br /></div>
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However, Donald Trump didn’t get where he was by always
doing the obvious or the safest things.
He somehow has a foresight often missed by the workaday pundits that you
find on cable news channels. The master
of the greatest show in politics always seems to find the unconventional way to
get ahead. This time is no exception.</div>
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What is so genius about this debate for Trump? There are four main components that will give
him a great advantage in the fall.</div>
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<br /></div>
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1. He can forge the rules to give him the maximum
benefit. Trump has all the leverage in
this deal. Sanders would have to give in to just about every demand because he
needs the debate; Trump doesn’t. He has already demanded that the purpose would
be to raise money for women’s health agencies. Trump could also demand that neither
participant engage in personal attacks on EACH OTHER (I emphasize this with
great intention). Sanders is inclined
to play that way anyway. With this,
Trump ensures that Sanders doesn’t go after the “Trump is a bigot” tack which
is Trump’s biggest weakness – as the demonstrators at his rallies continue to
point out.</div>
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<br /></div>
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2. Trump gets the opportunity to slam Hillary Clinton for
two hours in front of a national audience – probably a YUUUUGE one. Trump and everyone else (except Sanders and
his supporters) believe that <st1:city w:st="on">Clinton</st1:city>
will be the Democratic nominee in the fall. He will take every opportunity to
rake Hillary over the coals and Sanders will likely be an accomplice rather
than a <st1:city w:st="on">Clinton</st1:city>
defender. With the recent Inspector General’s report about <st1:city w:st="on">Clinton</st1:city>’s email violations, he will even have
fresh fodder. While Sanders will probably not deal with <st1:city w:st="on">Clinton</st1:city>’s
personal issues, he will be right there with other issues such as exchanging money
for access, the <st1:country-region w:st="on">Iraq</st1:country-region>
war, and international trade deals. Both
candidates will make it look obvious that Hillary is just wrong about too many
issues. In addition, he will easily be
able to refer to <st1:city w:st="on">Clinton</st1:city>
as being not smart enough to take advantage of this debate and perhaps paint
her as a coward for not being brave enough to face him or Sanders.</div>
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<br /></div>
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3. By raising money for organizations dealing with women’s
health, he capitalizes on the female demographic where some are still sitting
on the fence about Trump. Many
Republican women do not like Trump, but dislike <st1:city w:st="on">Clinton</st1:city> as well. Trump may help to sway a portion that is just
plain undecided. It is just good public relations.</div>
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<br /></div>
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4. Perhaps the most genius aspect of the debate deal for
Trump is that he will have the opportunity speak directly to Bernie
supporters. He knows that if Bernie
loses the nomination, the last thing they will WANT to do is support <st1:city w:st="on">Clinton</st1:city>. Trump can slyly court a practically captive
audience and attempt to give them another option. For this to work, he will have to stress the
issues on which they both agree (<st1:country-region w:st="on">Iraq</st1:country-region> war, trade, and campaign
finance, etc.). In order for this to
work, he will have to resist his normally callous attacks and keep his eye on
the prize. If he does this and emphasizes
his anti-establishment persona, he may steal a few – especially the “Never
Hillary” crowd. I have heard many “Bernie
or Bust” people say that it would serve the DNC right if Trump gets
elected. Some even think it is the only
way the Bernie revolution can survive if Sanders doesn’t get the nomination. Being “not that bad,” may capitalize on that
spirit and pick up a few more votes.</div>
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<br /></div>
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At this point, there is no reason to underestimate Donald
Trump. Whenever he gets accused of doing
something stupid or unwise, it ends up working in his favor. For the above reasons, the Bernie debate
strategy is very impressive. He will do what he does best which is infuse
himself into the front of the news coverage while Hillary looks like an
ineffective spectator in the back of the auditorium. What makes stealing the
media here particularly a bonus is that he is coming into what normally would
be considered a media dead spot for a candidate. He is already the presumptive nominee. He has little to do to make news until the
convention in July – other than picking a running mate. It would be hard to do that for two solid
months.</div>
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<br /></div>
<br />
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However, to make this strategy work, he will have to remain
disciplined throughout the process and keep his mind on the bigger prize –
November. If he gets to aggressive with
Sanders, he will alienate Bernie’s followers and defeat his strategy. The only thing that will stop a windfall for
Trump is that he isn’t brave enough to go through with it or disciplined enough
to execute it. However, it has usually
been a mistake to bet against Trump.</div>
Jeffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16060441484392165488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4602548179294786097.post-37896372126509407602016-03-03T15:30:00.003-08:002016-03-03T15:34:23.173-08:00Relation State's 2016 Democratic Primary Endorsement: Feel the Bern<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7IzcRqCfz5IxhJ7KSb9zau4J9qJT3rJptygveqqO0Z_E7WETUsSQ31yBio-hyEdoN8Af4wPlr-bRRjy1eMBJ3cN6uZX3W9kIeUaYJGHFIMB-e9IkxEC71lIe9FHsCXMD8vCBsWNOQx-8/s1600/aaa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7IzcRqCfz5IxhJ7KSb9zau4J9qJT3rJptygveqqO0Z_E7WETUsSQ31yBio-hyEdoN8Af4wPlr-bRRjy1eMBJ3cN6uZX3W9kIeUaYJGHFIMB-e9IkxEC71lIe9FHsCXMD8vCBsWNOQx-8/s320/aaa.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">From our sister site <a href="http://psychosomaticwit.com/">Psychosomatic Wi</a>t :</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This year, in the Democratic primary, we have Hillary 2.0, “It’s My Turn” versus Bernie Sanders, whose “Enough is Enough” campaign has excited people who normally don’t think about politics. </span><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; line-height: 1.38; white-space: pre-wrap;">Clinton and Sanders both offer compelling cases. Clinton brings experience and pragmatism to her campaign while Sanders wants a more transforming government. Since they both agree on the issues roughly 90% of the time, it is their approach to how to best run the executive branch will decide in the end for most voters who they will support. As for Psychosomatic Wit, I believe Bernie’s approach to be the most compelling and serves the best interest for this season and for the future of this country. Let me lay out my case.</span></span><br />
<a href="http://relationstate.blogspot.com/2016/01/the-gop-primary-endorsement.html">To See The Republican Nomination Endorsement Click Here</a></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
</span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I originally was in the Clinton camp. I didn't think that anyone should even bother to challenge her in the primary. As we all have heard before, many believe that Hillary is the most qualified candidate that has ever run for president. She did meaningful work while being associated with the executive branch as first lady and received hands on experience of government from the legislative branch side of it as a senator from New York. </span></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
</span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">She has also spent four years as Obama’s secretary of state which is probably the most impressive qualification she has. Many may argue that she didn’t do anything significant, but she certainly was busy cleaning up a lot of diplomatic messes in the Middle East which is a result of a broad military presence there. Despite the right wing talking points that the US has a worst reputation around the world under Obama, the facts do not back them up. According to the three polls I could find (BBC Polling, Pew, and Gallup), the US has improved its standing around the world compared to the Bush administration. Clinton can sincerely take credit for a big part of that.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
</span><br />
<b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">The Issues</span></b><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It wasn't easy to look at Clinton’s credentials and decide to go in another direction. However, the issues help tell the story. Both candidates claim to want to bridge the gap in economic inequality. Bernie Sanders wants to address this by raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour slowly over the next several years. Clinton wants to raise it to the twelve dollars per hour which she deems “sensible.”</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
</span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Both realize that we have farther to go in providing health care. Sanders wants to transform our healthcare system to something similar to the rest of world - a single payer, everyone is covered system he calls Medicare for all - borrowing from the popular system already covering senior citizens and the disabled. Clinton wants to build on ObamaCare, (the Affordable Care Act) that President Obama worked hard to pass that is the centerpiece of his presidential legacy.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The third leg of bridging the gap between the rich and the middle and working class has to do with accessibility of education. Sanders believes that public education should increase from K-12, to K-16. He claims that a Bachelor’s degree today has about the same bargaining power for employment as a high school diploma fifty years ago. He claims that in order to stay competitive and give the middle and working class a chance to keep up with educational requirements for most gainful employment, the time has come to revise the extent of public education bridge the educational gap. Clinton wants to take that notion as far as an associate's degree (2 year) at a community college. This is concept that was introduced by Obama. She also wants to make borrowing money for tuition more affordable.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Clinton’s main arguments about why she should be elected over Sanders is three-fold. One is her experienced which I have already touched on. The second reason is her electability. She believes that she is the only one that has a chance defeating the Republican in the fall. Finally, and the reason she emphasizes the most, is that she is the only one that can get her agenda passed through Congress.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">The Decision</span></b></span></h3>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">When analyzing these and other arguments, PW has decided to endorse Bernie Sanders. In addressing her experience, it is true that, no matter how you slice it, Clinton has more qualifications based on experience. Although Sanders has served in the legislature longer, Clinton’s experience as Secretary of State cannot be matched by Sanders or anyone else. However, if this was the main qualification to hold the office of president in this country, we would have a number of former secretaries of state holding the office throughout history. Sanders argues that his judgment is more sound than Clinton’s. He points to his opposition to the Iraq war and the numerous trade deals, such as NAFTA that he opposed while Hillary supported them. Still, judgment aside, it is hard to minimize her experience. </span></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
</span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Clinton argues that because of her experience, she will be ready on Day 1 to deal with anything that arises on the foreign policy side. The saving grace for Sanders, in addition to his judgment, is that starting in November, the president-elect, while putting a team together is kept apprised of all security situations. As long as the team is good, the foreign policy is good and Sanders will have the opportunity to use his judgment based on the information he is given.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
</span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Clinton claims the edge on electability but the facts really don't bear that out. The right wing absolutely despises her. She has had over 20 years head start acquiring that level of contempt compared to Bernie, a relative newcomer on the national scene. Unfortunately for Clinton is that hate spills over to mainstream America because of the success the Conservative Entertainment Complex (CEC) of pushing their views. Fox News and AM radio have butchered Hillary for years and some of the metrics associated with her establish this. She is running a high deficit on trust issues as the CEC will not let her email issues and other scandals disappear from the public eye. </span></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
</span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In addition, the most recent head-to-head polls for the general election show Sanders in a much better position to win in the fall than Clinton. In polling reports provided by <a href="http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/latest_polls/" target="_blank">Real Clear Politics</a>, </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Clinton narrowly defeats Trump but loses to the rest of the field. In the same polling, Sanders beats the entire field. When figured on average, Hillary loses in the fall no matter who her opponent is, but Sanders beats the entire field by an average of 9 percentage points.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
</span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In examining which candidate can push an agenda through Congress, Bernie still makes the most sense. Hillary is running on a pragmatic platform. She keeps saying that she won’t make promises that she knows she can’t keep. What that means, is that she is the candidate of increments. She knows we need a universal healthcare single payer system in this country, but she doesn't want to push it, so she says that she just wants to build upon ObamaCare which still gives insurance companies control over our health care. Bernie wants a revolution. He wants to take the populist capital that he has and continues to acquire and put pressure on the system. That is what a revolution is all about - championing the grass roots with the threat of “throwing the rascals out” if they do not bend to the will of the people. A revolution will have bigger coattails and have a better chance bringing lower level democrats into office with the huge excitement and turnout it should bring.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid1C0ToOXOeF8sQew5-Ac0cZGUoaBkASke8tq5xmT9nGzDs_KrehQ-bCj8JElrgv-y8YpyHAK1xlkF0ALzNY1WNdjni4bBNXbZ4ylWq75ylHeSC5KLfJuVF_q2n0BO-EdsenPxymOSOaE/s1600/Bernie+Strong.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img border="0" height="316" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid1C0ToOXOeF8sQew5-Ac0cZGUoaBkASke8tq5xmT9nGzDs_KrehQ-bCj8JElrgv-y8YpyHAK1xlkF0ALzNY1WNdjni4bBNXbZ4ylWq75ylHeSC5KLfJuVF_q2n0BO-EdsenPxymOSOaE/s320/Bernie+Strong.jpg" width="320" /></span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">That brings us to the number one reason why Bernie is the only choice to get Psychosomatic Wit’s endorsement. He is committed to getting big money out of politics. Without that, “the one person, one vote” concept of our democracy is only a myth. This is a battle between the people and the establishment. Hillary tries to tell us that she is not establishment, while taking millions from Wall Street and other interests. Bernie is funded by the people. He has no PAC. He doesn't get Wall Street money. He gets his funding through the folks - those of us that want our vote to count whether we have $20 or $20 million in the bank. Bernie would rather have our donations (which he boasts only averages $27), than any check from special interest that will always want special favors. He wants to for and with the folks, not special interests with deep pockets. Clinton says that she has never changed a vote because of big money. Maybe she hasn't; maybe she hasn't needed to because her agenda has been shaped by those gifts in the first place. All we know is that Bernie makes sense when he proclaimed at a recent debate, “Let’s not insult the intelligence of the American People. People aren't dumb. Why in God’s name does Wall Street make huge campaign contributions? . . . I guess for the fun of it.”</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Bernie knows that with the big money in campaigns, he isn't going to get the great things passed. That is why it is his number one objective to reform campaign financing. If we can’t get money out of politics, it really doesn't matter who wins, does it?</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">So, yes Bernie Sanders wants to do great things and Hillary wants to be pragmatic. To borrow a sports metaphor, Hillary might be a good game manager, but Bernie is a play maker. The time has come to stop throwing a few crumbs to the masses in an unseemly attempt at pacification while preserving a system of big money corruption that flies in the face of our very democratic national identity. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Republican party is not going to work with ANY Democratic president. We have seen that over the past seven years and the election of Hillary Clinton will not change that. It will take a revolution to change the government from one of stalemate and stagnation to one of progress. Because of this, Psychosomatic Wit is forced to shout, “Go big, or go home!” And in that spirit, PW whole-heartedly endorses Senator Bernie Sanders for the Democratic nomination for president.</span><br />
<a href="http://relationstate.blogspot.com/2016/01/the-gop-primary-endorsement.html">To See The Republican Nomination Endorsement Click Here</a></div>
<br />Jeffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16060441484392165488noreply@blogger.com0