The Lap of Luxury

I kind of feel sorry for Melania Trump.  I suspect she sold her youth for a luxurious life style for herself and her family.  I doubt she ever suspected that her oaf of a husband would run for the presidency and hold her up to a  certain level of public humiliation.

One of the sad things about the whole plagiarism things is that it has drawn attention away from the ravings of Dumbo's supporters at the Repug convention.  In general, I hate Nazi analogies, but let's be honest,  Rudy was a few minutes away from calling for concentration camps for American Muslims.  General Michael Flynn was also pretty sad.  Apart from being a horrible public speaker, until Donnie came around, the retired General was a life long, pro choice Democrat, yet he was willing to throw it all away for a very slight chance to be on the losing ticket.  And would someone please tell Antonio Sabato Jr., that President Obama is not a secret Muslim.  Now I have my doubts that the Prez is all that religious, but come on, the next thing we'll see is some sort of birther nut opening his big mouth, and wouldn't that be pathetic.

Number 3

Of course a mainstream/Republican independent Presidential candidate can win and here's how.  All the stop Trump Republicans need to do is put forward a Repug who is able to peel votes away from both Donny Dumbo and Hillary.  If he or she can win as little as two or three states that candidate has a good shot at throwing the election into the House of Representatives.  Then, if the so called main-streamers remain loyal to their savior, they can make that person President of the United States.  Mitt, John McCain, Marco, this may be your only chance at the big job.

Maybeeeeee

I was born in 1955, and in my lifetime, the pundits assured us that the American people would never elect John Kennedy, because he was a Catholic.  After a devastating loss in the California governors race against Pat Brown, we were all told that Richard Nixon's political career was over.  He was no longer electable.  Jimmy Carter, a one term Governor from Georgia, was a political joke.  Another southern Governor, Bill Clinton, was a womanizer, somewhat shady, and after a disastrous keynote address  at the previous Democratic Convention, one of the seven dwarfs, and was dog meat against a popular sitting President.  And let's not forget how we were all assured that America wasn't ready for a black President, and that Barack Obama was nothing but a speed bump on the road to a John McCain victory.

I'm not predicting that Donald Trump or Bernie Sanders will be the next President.  Quite frankly, my feeling is that Donnie will probably go third party and guarantee a Democratic victory.  As for Bernie, I think he's got a shot in a week field, (And yes, I do include Hilary in that.) though it's unlikely.  The point is, the American electorate doesn't always follow the advice of the talking class.

The Donald

So Donald Trump want's to be President of the United States.  Actually, I suspect he'd be horrified if he actually won.  Best guess, his publicity addiction has finally got the better of him.  The only question in my mind: Will his behavior at the Fox sponsored Republican debates make one of the other nuts look reasonable?  Reasonable enough to be a viable candidate?  Only Donald Trump, by comparison, could make Ted Cruz look sane.

And speaking of debates.  As I understand it, only the top ten contenders, based on polling, will be invited.  As of right now, Donny is in, but John Kasich, the sitting Governor of Ohio, is out.  Lindsey Graham, a sitting U.S. Senator is out.  Don't get me wrong, there's not a single announced Repug candidate that I would vote for, but Kasich and Graham actually have experience in government, and too, there not lunatic  publicity whores.

I'm Confused

I'm confused.  Republicans detest Attorney General Eric Holder, but they won't confirm his successor, Loretta Lynch, effectively keeping Holder in office.  My head hurts.

The New Definition of Treason

It's time to start calling it what it is.  It's not extortion, blackmail, an attempt to force negotiations, or a power grab.  It's an attempt to subvert the constitution, a coup, it's treason.

Yes, the Repugs are at it again.  There's a way to get rid of a law that 's not to one's  liking.  It's called repeal.  But what to do when that's not possible.  Why, subvert the constitution. Shut down the government, destroy the credit of the United States.  When small, far right (Or left.) parties try something like that in a third world country, we sniff, hold our noses and call it treason.  For the life of me, I can't understand why Ted Cruz and his followers aren't guilty of the same crime.

Of course, the Repugs have been pulling this stuff for awhile now.  Let's see, there's that whole voter suppression thing.  Five conservative thugs on the Supreme Court overturning an election.  And let's not forget the impeachment of Bill Clinton over a sexual indiscretion.  Bad taste, for sure, but a basis for removing a President from office?  I think not.

There's an important constitutional issue here.  If the Repugs can threaten the destruction of the country, if they don't get their way, then the country ceases to exist.  I hope President Obama fights this one to the end. Let's also hope that the Republicans are going the way of the Whigs.

Worrying About Rand

I worry about Rand Paul becoming President.  The Ayn Rand namesake has a broad appeal among those sadly pathetic losers who get political only when the promise of legalized drugs are an issue.  And that's a lot of voters.

Post Debate Blues

This should be the fun blog for me.  I've always been political, and opinionated, to my detriment.  I get to be cynical, sarcastic or sincere as the mood dictates, and done anonymously, with out reproach.  Not a benefit I've had in the real world.   Sadly, my life has been dominated by personal problems of the financial kind, and I spend more time thinking about money than I do about politics, or any of the other things that interest me.

Alrighty then.....debates are a terrible way to pick a President.  Don't get me wrong.  I may have been way too young to vote against Richard Nixon in 1960, and I'm glad he lost (If only he would have lost eight years latter.) but really.  Disqualified because of a sweaty upper lip.  All because he was too vain to wear makeup.  And the whole "There you go again." line.  Clever theater, but not a reason to elect the fount of all of our current troubles.

I think I know why Barack Obama did so poorly in the first debate.  I don't think he was prepared to argue with a ten year old.  Walk in to any room with a ten year old and a broken lamp for an example.  The lamp is broken, in pieces on the floor, and the kid will tell you he didn't do it.  Point out the obvious, that as the only person in the room when the lamp was broken,  he has to be responsible, and it will be something like this.  "I didn't throw my football across the room."  Doesn't have anything to do with the smashed lamp, but he will stick with it.  Point out to Romney that cutting taxes on the wealthy, making the Bush tax cuts permanent, and increasing defense spending will not lead to a balanced budget, and he just denied he ever said that.  Oh no, closed loop holes, the rich will still pay the same, strong military can be paid for with cutting other things.  Nonsense, but if it's said enough it must be true.  Poor Barack, he brought facts to a fantasy fest.

The second debate was better.  It helped that the aging Jim Lehrer was replaced by a moderator this side of ninety.   Candy Crowley was still walked on, but at least she was able to impose the slightest bit of order.  Mitt Romney, AKA the Lyin' King, continued to say what ever came to mind with no regard for any past statements.  That brings us to the big question.   Does Mittens have an ideological bone in his body?  I think so.  I think he has the ideology of the marketeer.  If one line doesn't work, move on to something else.  The customer forgets.  Of course the moneyed interests don't forget, so keep that in mind.  Just don't say it too loud.  Or say it behind closed doors you 47% you.  Still, it was nice to see Obama engaged and willing to fight back.  I know both guys, at one time or another, talked over the other one, but really.  Must Romney keep saying, "I'm talking know."  If he's going to stand up to Russia, China, Iran, and all of his other enemies, both imagined and real....Well, I doubt Putin will shut up when told.  Is it just me or have others noted a tendency of Mittens to chant when painted into a corner?  "Government does not create jobs. Government does not create jobs. Government does not create jobs."  I thought I was at a social Darwinist ashram.

I was just checking out some of the instant polling for the final Pres. debate, and I was surprised to see a clear win for Obama.  Now, I thought Obama won too, but I'm very partisan.  Looking at things objectively, Mitt didn't do all that bad.  How could he.  He endorsed the Obama foreign policy.  Of course, he then went on to decry a lack of leadership, even though he agreed with almost everything that O has done.  And then we got back to the mythical apology tour.  Once again, the Repugs embrace the idea that people will believe anything that's repeated enough.  Sadly, many do.  Bit those people were probably voting Repug anyway.  At least O got the chance to look the Lyin' King in the eye and, politely, call him a liar.  And the best line of all three debates, the one about not having as many horses and bayonets as we used to.  Romney keeps making this point about how we don't have as many ships as we did before World War 1.  The President pointed out the obvious.  One aircraft carrier, one nuclear submarine, is worth whole navies from 1916.  So what does the instant polling signify?  Perhaps the American people are seeing the empty suit, and wondering why they should vote for a guy who doesn't believe in anything beyond making money.

Oh, and least we forget, Joe Biden mopped the floor with Paul Ryan-Rand.  AKA, Kid Fraudster.

Rubio Vs Castro, More than One Castro

Now that we've seen both conventions, there is one thing we can be certain of: Both parities are trying to present an Hispanic face.

The Republicans are pinning their hopes on Marco Rubio, while Democrats are going with the far more telegenic  Julian Castro.  Castro, despite his last name, is of Mexican descent while Rubio has Cuban roots, and on the surface, with  far greater numbers of Mexican immigrants, that would seem like a bad bet for the Republicans.

I agree with that, but for different reasons.  Rubio isn't just Cuban, he is a throwback to a community that defines itself as anti-communist and distrusting of government, while Mexican-Americans  are far more likely to look to government as a fair arbiter for full integration into the American mainstream.  And let's face it, with its embrace of Jan Brewer and the politics of anti-immigration hatred, the Repugs aren't exactly endearing themselves to the far larger Mexican American demographic.

But it goes beyond that.  Rubio is a really, really,  big throwback.  Today's younger Cuban-Americans may agree with their grandfathers that Fidel Castro is an evil man and that Cuba should be free and democratic,  (I'm a white, liberal Democrat and I think that too.)  but those young Cuban Americans have never know Cuba and communist oppression.  What they know is increasing college tuition, and high youth unemployment.  And those are issues that are far stronger for Democrats than Republicans.

I found it telling that Cuban-American talk show host Cristina Saralegui chose to endorse President Barack Obama for reelection.  In theory, she should be a Republican.  Unlike Marco Rubio, she was born in Cuba, and she does have memories of Fidel and the revolution.  But in her world view, we look forward to the future, not back to the past.  I'm sure she would love to see a fair and free election in Havana, but she'd also like to see social progress, a progress built on economic justice and opportunity for all, in the United States.

One other note.  In 2004 Illinois State Senator Barack Obama gave the key note address at the Democratic National Convention, and after he was done, many people, myself included, said to themselves. "I've just seen the first African-American president."  How many people said that Rubio will be the first Hispanic-American president?  How many thought that of Castro?  .  Pay attention.  I don't often agree with George W. Bush or brother Jeb.  Their contention that pissing off Hispanics is a good way to destroy the Republican Party is dead on.

Clint

I admire Clint Eastwood the film director.  I think he has made some of the best film of the past several decades.  I admire Clint Eastwood the actor.  I'm looking forward to seeing his new film, Trouble With the Curve, and would be quite happy if he were to finally win a much deserved acting Academy Award to go with his directing Oscars.  I do background work in the movies and spent some time on the set of Million Dollar Baby and found him to be a gracious and thoughtful person.

But his performance at the Republican National Convention was just sad and strange.  The interview with the empty chair, standing in for President Obama, full of  sarcasm and at lest two allusions to an obscenity was beneath him.  One of Eastwood's strengths as an actor and director is an eye to a good script.  I don't know who wrote Clint's convention words, but he doesn't have a future in Hollywood.

Repug Convention Night 1.5

I've been watching the Repug convention on PBS (Slated to be defunded by a Romney administration.) and I've got a few  quick thoughts.

Ann Romney gave a great speech.  It was one of the best arguments for big government  I've ever heard.  She also painted her husband as a big government activist.  To bad Mittens isn't a Democrat.  It would have really put him in a good light.

Why didn't Chris Christie talk about Mitt?  I know he managed to squeeze in a bit about the hair piece towards the end, but mostly it was about what a wonderful guy Chris Christie is.  Talk about ego.  Too, he brought in the whole greatest generation thing.  Shouldn't someone tell the Repugs that the greatest generation was the ultimate big government generation.  The WPA, the CCC, the arsenal of democracy.  And of course the G.I. Bill that sent Chris's dad to Rutgers.  Once again we have Franklin Roosevelt to thank for the American century.

Mr. Shrimshock

When I heard Missouri representative Todd Akin's remarks about legitimate rape and a woman's magical ability to shut down pregnancy, my first thought was of my junior high school gym and boy's health teacher, Mr. Shrimshock.

When we were in the eighth grade, we had the lecture.  It was about mid year, we all filed into class,  Mr. Shrimshock pulled down the door blind, handed us a brochure and told us to read it and keep our mouths shut.  As I remember it, the pamphlet was three or four pages long, it had a couple of not very well executed illustrations, and gave a very brief explanation about sperm, eggs and pregnancy.   After we were done reading Mr. S gave us a brief talk.

Women, he told us, would only have sex with us so they could get pregnant, force us into marriage and bind us to a lifetime of labor so that they could stay home, watch soaps, and eat chocolate.  And if that was all that happened to us we would be lucky, since women were all filthy and would give us a disease that would make our penises fall off.  Even at thirteen, I knew that Mr. Shrimshock was a sick man who hated women.

Since Todd Akin delivered his opinion on legitimate rape, I've heard a lot about the Republican war on women.  I think that's wrong.  I think it's a conservative, fundamentalist Christian war on secular values.  The Christian right has become very quick to label disagreement with it's agenda as a war on religion.  If we think a woman has a right to choose, that we all should have access to contraception, if we believe in gay rights or that organized prayer has no place in a public school the Christian conservatives start in on how we are trying to trample on their religious values.  I don't see it that way.  I would never tell a fundamentalist woman that she should have an abortion, or use an IUD.  I would never tell a conservative Christian that he or she should    associate with gays or not pray when ever they feel the need.  But the right wing fundamentalist would gladly take away my right to live a life apart from religion.

I think those of on the left feel very uncomfortable standing up to the religious.  Our belief  in tolerance is so strong that we shrink from fighting back against those on the religious right who have no tolerance for any religious beliefs different from theirs.  I'm an atheist, and even I have trouble with push back.  But if we don't get a back bone and start telling the fundamentalist crowd to keep their belief system out of government, someday we'll wake up to an American Taliban, and that won't be a pleasant world.

The Robes of Office

I was up late last night (Reading a book, I can't afford a social life) so I was still in bed this morning when the weekly Republican radio address came on.  I'd say I couldn't believe what I heard, but there's not much the Repugs can say or do that would shock me anymore.  Dear old Rand Paul, Senator from Tennessee, asked if we wanted to swap out our constitution for South Africa's.  Come on Repugs.  There must be a subtler method to remind us that President Obama is black.  Perhaps they could talk about the dusky sunset, no that's not it.  The tribal approach....no, that doesn't work either.  Oh hell, just be honest, break out the elephant embroidered robes and burn a cross or two.

Was Rand Paul named for this years co Vice Presidential nominee Ayn Rand?  Inquiring minds want to know.

Outrage In Chains

The Repugs are outraged at recent comments by Vice President Joe Biden.  Poor Joe.  He does have a habit of stirring the Republican bouillabaisse.  How dare he suggest that Romney/Ryan/Rand would push an economic agenda that might, just might, further hamper the long term prospects of the middle class all so the very wealthy can have a few more tax breaks.  And a slavery analogy to boot.  Bad Joe, Bad!

Just for the hell of it, let's turn back the clock a bit.  When Bill Clinton was prez, the elephants said he was a cocaine dealer, that he killed Vince Foster, perpetrated a real estate fraud, and while the whole impeachment was technically about lying under oath, let's be honest, it was pretty much an excuse to talk about his sex life.  Clinton remained above the fray.  

Al Gore runs for the top spot, and the Repugs make him out as a pathological liar incapable of telling the truth.  If Gore had said it was sunny at noon, the Rove squad would have claimed an eclipse had blocked out the sun.  Gore took the high ground and didn't fight back.

John Kerry, a decorated war hero was portrayed as a coward who had falsified his military records.  The senator responded with reason and facts.

Barack Obama runs and....let's recount the lies.  He was born In Kenya.  He is a secret Muslim.  He is a socialist.  He wants to impose sharia law on America.  He wants to take  guns away so that the United Nations can take over the country.  That he went on an apology tour,  and blamed the United States for all the ills of the world.  That he wants to drive the cost of energy up to the point that the national economy will fail.  And it goes on and on.

But the pattern seems to be changing.  President Obama, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, and V.P. Biden are fighting back.  Of course the Repugs are outraged.  Democrats are supposed to be reasoned and too pure for the hard fight of modern politics.   Mittens might actually have to defend himself against Democratic counter attacks. How unexpected.  Democrats willing to meet Republican smears with something other than polite rejoinders.  And by the way, co-nominee Ayn Rand was not born in the United States.  Bad Democrats. Bad!

Did I Call It?

A few posts ago, I opined that Mitt Romney wasn't trying to hide any illegalities in refusing to release more than two years worth of tax returns.  I thought he was trying to hide the fact that he hadn't paid any taxes at all.  Well, according to Senator Harry Reid, an investor from inside Bain called up his office and told him that Mittens hadn't paid any taxes for a decade.  Now, I admit it.  Without any names, without a verifiable source, it's nothing but rumor.  But, it makes sense.  Reid also said that Romney couldn't be confirmed for a cabinet post because of his refusal to provide tax records for more than two years.

Two of a Kind

Is it just me, or are there others out there who have noticed the parallels between Mitt Romney and George Herbert Walker Bush? AKA Poppy.

Both men are the sons of fathers who walked away from business success to enter politics. George Romney was the self made man who ended up running American Motors and being very well paid for it. Prescott Bush, with help from a father, uncle, and father-in-law, was a big deal on wall street. George would end up as a three term governor of Michigan, while Prescott was a two term U.S. Senator from Connecticut.

While I find little to praise in the political philosophy of either parent, both George Romney and Prescott Bush did have a core set of beliefs. Neither man played the race card to get elected, and Bush was willing to vote to censure Joe McCarthy when he was very popular among Republican voters in his home state. Both men seemed to have a sense that they owed something back to their states and to their country.

The sons, however, are both cut from a very different cloth. Neither George H. W. Bush nor Mitt Romney have any discernible core belief system. They both blow in the wind, taking whatever political course that will lead to electoral success. The famous wimp factor that dodged H.W. had more to do with a perception that he was Ronald Reagan yapping little lap dog, coming whenever he was called, rather than any perceived lack of personal bravery. Both men seem to have a sense of entitlement. They were born to politics, are wealthy, get what they want, and so they should be president in the natural course of events. It's a right they were born to. Both are willing to go the smear and hate route to get elected. So far, that's only worked for H.W. The clocks still ticking for Mittens.

The Weiner

Dare I say it again? People like sex. People, given the chance, will use whatever means at hand to play at sex. Unless someone breaks a law, a person's sex life, and that includes the sex lives of the famous, shouldn't be any of our business. If Representative Anthony Weiner wants to send sexually themed photos to women and they are receptive, who cares? Not me.
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I've noticed that some Repugs are trying to draw a comparison to Weiner and another New York state congressman, Chris Lee. Their confused logic seems to run along the lines that since our guy resigned, a Democrat should fall too. Well, Rep. Lee, yet another anti-gay marriage Repug, in addition to posting shirtless photos of himself, was trolling for passable CD/TVs for fun and games. Personally, I don't think an interest in guys wearing high heels, dresses, and red lipstick should disqualify a man from being in congress. As I've pointed out on my photo blog, http://www.thenewfoundphotography.blogspot.com/ I spent years working in photo labs, and I never had a week go by where I didn't print amateur, sexually themed photographs, and by far, the biggest category was cross dressing. Hey, what ever does it for you. By now, Repug hypocrisy has been so well established, that I doubt it can do them any harm.

GUNS DON'T CAUSE VIOLENCE....

.....conservative political policy causes violence.

Independents Breaking Republican!

I keep seeing all these polls that show independents are breaking Repug. This reinforces my opinion that most independents don't have a coherent political philosophy. What independents do have is a sense of themselves as being thoughtful and intelligent. Lacking a real understanding of political theory and how it applies to government, they substitute a facade of anger and cynicism, and end up either voting for charismatic leaders or against whom ever is in power. And while that benefited Barack Obama, which I consider a good thing for the United states, they also were the same people who voted Nader and gave us our George.
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If the same independents who voted Obama actually had a political philosophy, they wouldn't now be breaking Repug. Their rather incoherent call for change for change sake, is leading them to vote for the obstructionist party that is doing nothing more than blocking any sort of real reform. If the senate didn't have this whole gentlemen's filibuster rule, which allows the Repug minority to declare their intention to filibuster, didn't exist, then the progressive legislation that has been coming out of the house wouldn't be stalled in committee, and we wouldn't be facing the possibility of Speaker of the House John Boehner.

Little Meg and the Housekeeper

Forget about the boarder. If you want to do something about illegal immigration, arrest those who hire the undocumented. Hmmmmm, where should we start? Here's an idea, how about Republican pornographer, little Meg Whitman. Yes, it seems that our favorite wealthy political dilettante, little Meg had an illegal alien on her household staff. Wow, what a bombshell. It seems that little Meg, just like every other Repug that runs for office, is quick to criticize their liberal opponents (Well let's be honest and make that more liberal. After all, many things are comparative.) for an elastic sense of right and wrong, when they themselves are quick to break the law when it's in the good cause of supporting America's ever expanding plutocracy. (Look it up if you don't know what it means. And for goodness sake, use a paper dictionary!) And what's doubly exciting for little Meg is that she's not just a defender of the plutocrats, she is one!
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Hey, but seriously folks. There is only one real reason to hire an illegal immigrant to work as a housekeeper, and that's because they work for a lot less money than a legal resident of the United States. So why isn't anyone asking the obvious question; What kind of billionaire is so cheap that they're comfortable with exploiting the poor and desperate? I'd be willing to bet that if pay was divided by hours worked, little Meg wasn't even paying the lady minimum wage.
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I rest my case. To be a successful CEO, one has to be a sociopath. The other great example in Cal politics is political dilettante, Carly Girl Fiorina. Let's see, fire thousands of American workers from a profitable company to increase profits by going for the super cheap labor in China. It's a good thing for the Carly Girls of the world that they shoot labor leaders in China.