Monday, April 16, 2018

This Explains a Lot


New York City’s Sewage Shipment Runs Afoul in Rural South

Alabamans want human-waste deliveries to local landfill to stop; ‘We didn’t produce it. We don’t want it here.’



From the WSJ. And no Alabama, despite the great target we are not going to make snarky comments on this. That would be just too easy.

Since the U. S Knew Syria Had Chemical Weapons

And since the U. S. knew where the chemical weapons were being made

And since the U. S. knew where the chemical weapons were being stored

Why didn't the U. S. destroy them before they were used to kill innocent civilians?

Sunday, April 15, 2018

Actual Innocence Isn't Enough to Get Convicted Person Out of Jail

Fortunately, That's the Dissent

Want to know what's wrong with our criminal justice system?  This post from the Volkh Conspiracy is example enough.

  • "Low-IQ drifter confesses to killing two gay men three days apart in 1980. He's convicted of first murder, acquitted of the second. Decades later, DNA exculpates him of the second murder, but DNA from the first no longer exists. Fifth Circuit: New trial. Evidence of innocence, like a third party's fingerprints at the scene (which was withheld from the defense) and a detective's propensity for beating suspects, is ample. Dissent: A finding that a convict is actually innocent isn't enough to grant him relief; he still has to prove that his rights were violated and that deference to the state court is out of line." (ermphasis added)
In our system of justice innocence does matter. And oh yes, the suspect had an IQ of 59 and confessed to another murder that he did not do.

Saturday, April 14, 2018

Trumpie Rails Against Proven Liars and Leakers

So he pardons one, Scooter Libby, a proven liar since 
he was convicted of that in a court of law.

Friday, April 13, 2018

Paul Ryan - No Longer to be Speaker, But Still a Liar

Everybody should remember how he said he was not quitting as Speaker before he
did quit as Speaker.

Finally, Even Republicans in Virginia Embrace Health Care for Low Income People

The Cruelty of Conservatives May Stop


Virginia is one of the Republican controlled states that refused to expand Medicaid. To even get Medicaid in the state residents had to be not just poor, but as poor as some of the weakest economies in the world.


Currently, Virginia has one of the most restrictive Medicaid programs. Childless adults are not eligible and working parents cannot exceed an income of 30 percent of the federal poverty level, or $5,727.


But reality, read elections, are changing things.


Elections have consequences, goes the old saw, and in Virginia a Democratic wave in November remade the political landscape on one of the state’s longest-running and most contentious issues: whether to expand Medicaid to 400,000 low-income residents.


Republicans lost 15 seats in the House of Delegates and, left clinging to a bare majority, did an about-face on Medicaid expansion — an issue that to many had smacked of “Obamacare.” But Republicans in the State Senate, who had not faced voters, blocked expansion last month, and lawmakers failed to pass a state budget because of the issue.

Now, as Gov. Ralph Northam orders the House and Senate back to the capital on Wednesday for a special session to fix the problems, what remains of Republican opposition to expansion appears to be cracking.

Two Republican state senators said this week they would accept some form of broader Medicaid benefits, as provided under the Affordable Care Act — enough votes to carry the day on an issue that is widely popular in state polls.


And the Republicans who are changing are learning first hand how vicious conservatives can be.




Mr. Kilgore’s district in southwest Virginia is one of the poorest in the state, where each July thousands of people visit a free pop-up clinic at a county fairground.


Delegate Chris Peace, another Republican who favored expansion in the House, said he had changed his position in part because in his family law practice, he had come to see the dire effects that a lack of health care had on low-income families.


He called the House bill that includes work requirements “the epitome of the Republican conservative mantra of a hand up, not a handout.”


Ahead of the special session, activists from the conservative group Americans for Prosperity have demonstrated outside Mr. Peace’s office in Mechanicsville, trying to pressure him to change his mind.


He dismissed them as remnants of the Tea Party movement straining to remain relevant. “Half are 60-plus gray-haired white men who hate Obama,” he said.







Thursday, April 12, 2018

Defficit Hawk Paul Ryan Leaves a Legacy

Trillion Dollar Deficits 

When the tough gets going, the tough stay and fight.  Ryan cuts and runs.

Missouri Republican Gov. Charged with Felony in Sex Scandal


Still Has Support of 55% of GOP Voters

Another nail in the coffin of Republican ethics is happening in Missouri where the recently elected governor is charge with a felony for threatening his girl friend. Of course he was married at the time, he is a liar and a cheater.

But the not so amazing thing is that his support among the GOP is still fairly solid.

Greitens’ job approval ratings have tumbled since his personal foibles were exposed. But they haven’t collapsed irreparably, some Republican insiders say. In an early March survey, 34 percent of Missouri voters gave Greitens positive marks; among Republicans, that number was nearly 55 percent.

Yes these are the same people who thought Bill Clinton was the devil incarnate for his actions. But then Bill didn't cut taxes for billionaires, so we guess he deserved it.

Wednesday, April 11, 2018

House Speaker Paul Ryan - Quitter In Chief

Turns Tail and Runs

A Big Win for the American People

The news that Paul Ryan in the not to distant future will no longer be Speaker of the House of Representatives is just great news for the people who believe government serves everyone and not just the rich and powerful.  A possible Democratic takeover of the House seems to be what pushed Paulie out.

Ryan leaves a lot of unfinished business.  He has not yet ruined health care.  People, particularly children still get nutrition assistance when they need it.  A woman's body is still in her control, not the government's.  Social Security lives.

All American should celebrate Ryan's departure.  Just so sad it took so long.

Tuesday, April 10, 2018

GOP To Chase Their Dream – Make Low Income People Go Hungry


Take Away Their Food – Take Away Their Dignity

Republicans never tire of trying to use the money from cutting benefits to low income to pay for tax cuts for the wealthy. Well they got the tax cuts for the money bags, now they just need to cut nutrition assistance, and they are off to the races.

WASHINGTON—House Speaker Paul Ryan’s long-sought goal of overhauling welfare programs will get a kick-start when Congress returns to Washington this week, as Republicans prepare to release a new, five-year farm bill that would impose tougher work requirements to get food stamps.

It remains to be seen if this is just a symbolic middle finger to people struggling to put food on the table, or real policy. Either way, cutting nutrition assistance to families who need it defines the Republican Party of Donnie Trumpie.

Monday, April 9, 2018

Kentucky Leads the Nation - Tax Cuts for the Wealthy, Tax Increases for Everyone Else

That's What Conservatives Believe

Republicans have long argued that they support working men and women.  They have long lied about this.  Now in Kentucky the truth is out.

Here's the headline




Kentucky legislators send tax cuts for wealthy, tax hikes for the other 95 percent to governor’s desk

See, other rabid Republican states like Kansas passed big tax cuts for the high income folks and experience huge revenue losses. Kentucky wanted to avoid that. Of course the easy way to avoid that would be to not cut taxes for the wealthy. But Kentucky has a better way, raise taxes on everyone else.

Pat Robertson is Batshit Crazy


From 

Political Wire

Robertson Says He’s Being Dominated By Homosexuals


Pat Robertson said on The 700 Club that homosexuals are drowning out voices like his.
Said Robertson: “We have given the ground to a small minority. You figure, lesbians, one percent of the population; homosexuals, two percent of the population. That’s all. That’s statistically all. But they have dominated — dominated the media, they’ve dominated the cultural shift and they have infiltrated the major universities.”
He added: “It’s just unbelievable what’s being done. A tiny, tiny minority makes a huge difference. The majority — it’s time it wakes up.”

Sunday, April 8, 2018

Remember When Donnie Was Going to Produce Better Relations with Russia?


How's That Working Out?




The response of Trumpie to criticism that he like and loved Putin has been that he will develop a good rapport with Russia and will lead to a glorious era of cooperation with Russia and and end to animosity. Things have not turned out that way, have they?


Russia's ambassador to the United States has told the "Today" show that he can't remember a period of worse relations between Washington and Moscow, after both countries expelled dozens of diplomats following the poisoning of a former Russian spy.


So Donnie, the strategy of sucking up to Putin, it ain't working. As with most things, you are making it worse.

Saturday, April 7, 2018

No Wisconsin Anti-democratic Republican Governor – You Cannot Cancel Elections


Just Because You Think You Will Lose

One of the great myths is that conservatives believe in democracy. Their massive effort to keep people from voting, that is, people they don't think will vote for them is well documented. In Wisconsin the Republican governor decided not to hold elections for vacant state legislature seats because he was sure they would lose to Democrats. A court has said nope, no deal.

A judge ruled Thursday that Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) must “promptly” hold special elections for two vacant seats in the state legislature — elections that he refused to call because he was afraid his party would lose.

According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Dane County Circuit Judge Josann Reynolds ruled that state law requires Walker, a two-term governor and former presidential candidate, to hold the elections in order to give residents of the two districts representation in the state legislature. The seats have been vacant since December, when Walker appointed the two representatives to serve in his administration.

“To state the obvious, if the plaintiffs have a right to vote for their representatives, they must have an election to do so,” said Reynolds, who Walker appointed to the court in 2014.

Yep, democracy kills, ultra partisan conservatives that is.

Friday, April 6, 2018

Sure Scott Pruitt's $50 a Night Condo Cost is Market for D. C.


A Rate Available to Everyone

The current EPA Administrator got to rent a condo from a lobbyist's wife for $50.00 a night in Washington. The claim of course is 'nothing to see here, that's the going rate'. Actually that's the going rate at the Fleabag Inn in Butcreek, Georgia. The cost in D. C., a little bit more.

Holiday Inn Washington DC-Central/White House
1501 Rhode Island Ave NW, Washington, DC

Check in Mon, Apr 9Check out Tue, Apr 10
Holiday Inn Washington DC-Central/White House
Total: $259/night


Standard room - Book early and save
2 guests
Total: $259/night

2 full beds nonsmoking - Book early and save


Thursday, April 5, 2018

Patient Doesn't Have $6,500 Cash to Pay for Prescription


Too Bad, Just Die

The prescription drug pricing crisis in the U. S. is not getting the attention it needs, and certainly getting nothing from Trumper who promised to do something about it. Here is one dire situation from the WSJ.

Killgore, who was born with hemophilia, knew that clotting factor would help stop the bleeding and pain. He had previously used a co-pay coupon provided by the factor’s manufacturer to afford the prescription, but it wasn’t working this time.
To get his life-sustaining medication, Killgore needed to pay his $6,500 health insurance deductible in full, the pharmacy told him.

It was money Killgore and his wife, Lauren, already grappling with hundreds of thousands of dollars in student and medical debt, just didn’t have.
Lauren asked a customer service representative about a payment plan, and was advised to borrow money from family or take it out in credit cards.

Killgore ended up being hospitalized and needing surgery, something that taking the factor would have completely avoided.

How does this happen to a person with insurance? Oh, high deductibles that must be paid before any insurance kicks in. This is the junk insuranace type Republicans want to replace ACA. After all, shouldn't everyone have that experience?

Smackdown – Wisconsin Gov Has to Call Special Elections


Democracy Wins – Conservatives Lose

One way to prevent a party from losing an election is not to have the election in the first place. In Wisconsin after Republicans started losing special elections the Republicans reacted by cancelling elections. A court set them right.

MADISON - After a three-month delay, a lightning-quick lawsuit and three orders from as many judges, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker called two special elections Thursday and GOP senators dropped legislation to block the contests.
Republican efforts collapsed following a Wednesday ruling by an appellate judge ordering the governor to call the May primary and June general elections. In less than a day, Walker abandoned a state Supreme Court appeal to overturn the ruling and lawmakers in both the Senate and Assembly canceled plans to vote to leave the seats vacant.

Nice going Democracy!


Wednesday, April 4, 2018

Wisconsin Judicial Race Says People Don't Like NRA, Trump

Hey Conservatives, Are You Getting the Message?

A race for a seat on the Supreme Court in Wisconsin normally is not news outside of Kenosha.  But yesterday it was news, as reported by the Washington Post.

PowerPost

Democrat wins a bitter, costly race for 

Wisconsin Supreme Court

Both candidates and their supporters turned the race, which is technically nonpartisan, into a political referendum. Dallet ran early ads that accused President Trump of “attack[ing] our civil rights and our values,” while Screnock portrayed himself as a “rule of law” conservative endorsed by the National Rifle Association. By election day, more than $2.5 million had been spent on TV ads.
With 88 percent of the precincts reporting, Dallet had 56 percent of the vote and Screnock had 44 percent.

Wow, Wisconsin which has turned slightly Republican decisively went against the NRA and conservatives. Big news people.

Just In - Photo of Enemy Migrants Trumpie Wants to Send Military After

Don't Be Fooled - This is a combat ready child

From the WaPo

A girl lies awake as migrants traveling with the annual “Stations of the Cross” caravan sleep at a sports club in Oaxaca State. (AP)

Tuesday, April 3, 2018

Trump and Treasury Sec Try and Fail to Explain Their Ignorance of the Constitution

Just Another Day in Trump World

When the acting President and his chief economic flunky the Secretary of the Treasury called for the line item veto, they had to be corrected by Fox News of all people.

"On “Fox News Sunday,” Mnuchin was tasked with defending the president’s signing Friday of a $1.3 trillion spending bill, to the scorn of many on the far right. Asked by host Chris Wallace what the president would do if congressional Republicans sent Trump another spending bill of this size later this year, Mnuchin repeated a suggestion that President Trump made Friday: Congress should give him the power of “line-item veto,” i.e. the ability to veto portions of the bill without vetoing the whole.
The problem? As Wallace pointed out, “that’s been ruled unconstitutional by the Supreme Court, sir.”

That the President is an ignoramus is not news. That his Secretary of the Treasury is one is not news. That Fox News would be the revealer of truth is.

"Wallace is correct: The Supreme Court ruled the line-item veto unconstitutional in 1998. But instead of conceding his mistake, Mnuchin dug himself in deeper: “Well, again, Congress could pass a rule, okay, that allows them to do it.” When Wallace pointed out that “No, no, sir, it would be a constitutional amendment,” Mnuchin stammered, “Chris, we don’t need to get into a debate in terms of — there’s different ways of doing this” and moved on."


Monday, April 2, 2018

Trump Lawyer Michael Cohen Does Another Stupid Thing

Exposes Trumpie to a Deposition in Stormy Case

Duh

Michael Cohen, the lawyer who paid the $130k to Stormy Daniels moved the case to Federal Court because he thought it would be more favorable for him.  Bad move.

Stormy's lawyer has now moved to depose Donnie.  In Federal Court this means that unless the Supreme Court overrules itself the Prez has to give the deposition because conservatives forced that ruling when Bill Clinton was in office.  Had the case remained in state court there was a chance the federal ruling would not have applied.

Nice going Michael, you just blew it, again.

Pictures of Trumpie's Great Wall

Here it is!

According to Donnie the building of the Wall has started and boy is it a great wall.  Here it is in all its glory, and remember, it is all being paid for by Mexico.


Image result for photo great wall of china

Sunday, April 1, 2018

Saturday, March 31, 2018

Jared Kushner is in Charge of Bringing Peace to the Middle East.

Here's the Latest


It was going to be easy to solve the Middle East conundrum. Put a sniveling son-in-law in charge and the problems would be solved. Here's what happening right now.

Israeli Military Kills 15 Palestinians in 
Confrontations on Gaza Border




JERUSALEM — What was billed as a six-week campaign of peaceful protests in Gaza descended almost immediately into chaos and bloodshed on Friday, with health officials in the Palestinian territory saying Israeli soldiers killed 15 Palestinians in confrontations along the border fence.
Soon after the campaign began Friday morning, the Israeli military said Palestinian protesters were rioting in six places along the border, rolling burning tires and hurling stones at the fence and at Israeli soldiers beyond it.
Later, the military said Palestinians threw Molotov cocktails at soldiers and that it had also thwarted a shooting attack in northern Gaza and an attempt to infiltrate the border. Israeli forces fired live ammunition, rubber bullets and tear gas.

Yep, doing a heckuva job Jared. Try not to overdo the celebrations of peace this Passover.




Friday, March 30, 2018

Trump to Appoint Family Dog as Secretary of the Interior

Real Fake News

Donnie the Trump has told friends he will be appointing the family dog, Spot to head the Interior Department.  The reason for this, Trump has said, is that he knows the dog very well, the dog obeys most of the time and the dog is clearly qualified to be the head of a cabinet department.

Trump apparently is following up on the success of his appointment of his personal physician to head the Veterans Department.  In that situation a person with no administrative experience will head one of the largest parts of the federal government.  Trump has commented on this appointment by saying that anyone who can stick his finger up my ass is someone I want near me in government service.

Thursday, March 29, 2018

New Vegas Betting Game


Guess How Many Women Trumpie Has Paid Off

It is now clear that a standard operating practice that Donnie adopted was to

  1. Have affairs

  1. Pay the women not to tell

  1. Repeat and repeat

So in the latest fake news this Forum is happy to report that odds makes in Vegas are now taking bets on just how many of these paid off women will come forward. The most popular bet is on more than can be counted with fingers and toes.

Wednesday, March 28, 2018

Blatant Obstruction of Justice by Trump Lawyer


Told Michael Flynn's Lawyer Trump was Prepared to Pardon Flynn

It Does Not Get Any Worse Than This

John Dowd just quit as Trump's lawyer, and like everyone else associated with Trumpie he is in a world of trouble. He is reported to have discussed a pardon with the lawyer for Michael Flynn, the former National Security Adviser to Trump who has pleaded guilty and is co-operating with the Special Counsel.


Mr. Dowd has said privately that he did not know why Mr. Flynn had accepted a plea, according to one of the people. He said he had told Mr. Kelner (Flynn's lawyer) that the president had long believed that the case against Mr. Flynn was flimsy and was prepared to pardon him, the person said.

Holy Crap!

And that's not all.

The pardon discussion with Mr. Manafort’s attorney, Reginald J. Brown, came before his client was indicted in October on charges of money laundering and other financial crimes. Mr. Manafort, the former chairman of Mr. Trump’s presidential campaign, has pleaded not guilty and has told others he is not interested in a pardon because he believes he has done nothing wrong and the government overstepped its authority. Mr. Brown is no longer his lawyer.

Offering the possibility of a Presidential pardon has got to be one of the more egregious offenses relating to obstructing justice and a whole bunch of other no-no's. But hey, just another day in Trumpworld, where everything goes south, the rule of law included.

To be fair, Dowd is denying the story, but then he would, wouldn't he.  But if the Times' story is correct, well, those lies are just another black mark against an administration covered in them.

House Defeats Bill to Gut FDA Drug Protections


Like By a Big Margin

One of the myths of conservatism is that the FDA approval process keeps good drugs off the market. The FDA is charged with protecting the public against drug companies that want to hurry their untested drugs to the market to get back some of their development costs and to beat the competition. So conservatives wanted to let drug companies get into the market even if the drugs had not been fully tested. Surprisingly the Republican House shut it down.

Republican backers brought up the measure under a suspension of the rules, which does not allow for amendments and requires approval from two-thirds of those present to pass. The legislation failed on a vote of 259 to 140.

The key here is that the people who know what is best came out against the bill.

On Monday, more than 75 patient groups, including the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, the American Lung Association and the Cystic Fibrosis Association, had sent a letter to House leaders saying the bill “would not increase access to promising therapies” because it didn't deal with the main barriers to experimental drugs  — the cost of drugs and company restrictions on making therapies available outside of clinical trials.
So at least for a while the ideologues who vote on fantasy have lost.


Could Bringing On John Bolton Be a Smart Move?

Nah, A Smart Move Can Only Come From a Smart Person

A case can be made that strategically the elevation of Mike Pompeo to head the State Department and the hiring of crazy John Bolton to be National Security Adviser were good moves to make prior to Trumpie meeting with the North Korean leader.  See both of these people are hard liners, and that could send the message to the North Koreans that Donnie is seriously considering military action of the North Koreans do not stand down their nuclear progam.

Unfortunately, the fact that such thinking would be smart is the very thing that dooms it in the case of Trump.  Instead one has to think he is really considering military action against North Korea and tearing up the Iran deal.  So be afraid America, be very afraid.

Monday, March 26, 2018

Stormy Not a Storm, Just a Few Drops of Rain

Stormy's Attorney Just Spews Hot Air

There was a 'Geraldo Rivera/Al Capone' momment on TV with the 60 Minutes Interview with porn star Stormy Daniels.  All talk, all hype, no evidence that Ms. Daniels was telling the truth.  And the next morning here attorney went on Morning Joe and just said little or nothing.

If Ms. Daniels has something, let's see it.  If Trump is a liar on this subject, let's see it.  If Ms. Daniels wants us to take seriously her report that she was physically threatened she needs to convince us by something other than an accusation, that's the way it works in America.

A plaintiff, an accuser has the burden of proof, or at least the burden of producing something other than just words.  So far, her attorney, the much praised Michael Avenatti is just another blowhard attorney.  Hey Mike, when you got something let us know, otherwise go back to the office.

Sunday, March 25, 2018

No Idaho You Cannot Sell Junk Health Insurance

Real News - Administration to Uphold Law

One purpose of health care insurance reform was to get rid of zombie policies, health insurance policies that provided very little benefits other than for policy holders to say they had health insurance.

Idaho decided the law prohibiting these policies did not apply to them.  Well guess what potato heads, it does.

 Medicare Administrator Seema Verma flatly rejected Idaho's plan to allow insurers in the state to scrap the ACA's consumer protection rules.
The ACA, Verma said in a letter to Idaho Gov. Butch Otter, "remains the law and we have a duty to enforce and uphold the law." That put the kibosh on a plan by Blue Cross of Idaho to sell five "state-based" insurance policies that flouted the ACA.

Wow, the rule of law rules in the Trumpet administration. What next, Trumpie will actually meet with the North Koreans!

In a surprise move, Trump administration nixes Idaho's plan to sell junk health insurance to the masses
Seema Verma, Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, spoke at a 2017 meeting of health officials. On Thursday she ruled Idaho's attempt to circumvent Obamacare out of order. (Alex Brandon / AP)

Yeah, we are just as astonished as she is that the law is the law.

Saturday, March 24, 2018

How Many Women Does Trumper Have to Abuse or Exploit

Before the Religious Hypocrites Leave him?

We don't know, but the correct answer is more than 20.

Friday, March 23, 2018

Craving Attention, Donnie Threatens to Veto Spending Bill

Needs Congressional Republicans to Beg Him

The spending bill that will fund government for the rest of its year (its year ends September 30, don't know why) has bloated military spending and then mostly does business as usual.  Trumpet already threatened to veto it, causing Speaker Paul Ryan to rush to the White House to grovel and beg him to sign it and be done with it.  Donnie agreed.

But now he wants another taste of Ryan cowering in front of him, so the veto threat is out there again.

I am considering a VETO of the Omnibus Spending Bill based on the fact that the 800,000 plus DACA recipients have been totally abandoned by the Democrats (not even mentioned in Bill) and the BORDER WALL, which is desperately needed for our National Defense, is not fully funded.

Don't worry Paulie, just go up there, get down on your knees and beg some more. That's all he wants.

Andrew Cuomo Gets A Primary Challenge in New York


And It's Both an Opportunity and a Problem

It is not clear if New York Governor Andy Cuomo is Presidential material. A great pedigree, long term government service and a not too bad governor of New York should mean he is a front runner for the Democratic nomination. But the whiff of corruption surrounds him, and he is not the progressive nor the speaker his father was.

Now he has a primary challenge from actress Cynthia Nixon. Yes he leads by 40 points at this point in time, but New York has a very late primary and September is a long ways away. And a Cuomo surrogate did not help things with this comment.

Cynthia Nixon was opposed to having a qualified lesbian become mayor of New York City,” Ms. Quinn told The New York Post, referring to her own candidacy. “Now she wants to be an unqualified lesbian to be the governor of New York. You have to be qualified and have experience.”

Yeah, pretty offensive and it puts Andy is a difficult position. If Ms. Nixon proves to be a credible candidate, watch out Andrew.  But if Cuomo can show himself to be an articulare campaigner who supports the people Dems must appeal to in order to win elections, then he catapults to the top.

Ball is in your court Mr. Cuomo.

Remember Those Steel Tariffs? Gone

With great fanfare Trumpie announced big taxes on steel imports.  Yes, taxes, let's call em like we see em.  Now, in the middle of news about his extra marital affairs and firing of foreign advisers like the Secretary of State and the National Security Adviser he has dropped tariffs on 'allies'.  Since the tariffs only hit allies, this is the equivalent of dropping them. 

Trumper has a perfect record on keeping his word.  Zero.

Thursday, March 22, 2018

Leading Cause of Polarization – Nebraska Senator Ben Sasse ( R) - Writing on Polarization


Rigid, Un-compromising, Ideologue Wants Everyone to Agree with Him

There is no greater hard line vicious conservative than Senator Sasse. A holier-than-thou so called religious man he would drive the nation in a hard right direction in which government would impose value, Ben Sasse values on everyone. Now he wants to write about polarization.

It's going to be titled "Them," with a subtitle of "Why We Hate Each Other and How to Heal," Sasse said Wednesday during a telephone interview from Washington.

Of course, how to heal according to Sasse's votes would be to take health care away from tens of millions. In his world of deep faith we guess faith healing along with massive tax cuts for the wealthy will cure cancer, heart disease and fix the opiod crisis.

Trump's Porn Star Paramour Apparently on Double Secret Probation

Who Knew Life Imitates Animal House

The news is that the Trump people sought an arbitration order to silence a porn star who says she had a long term relationship with Donnie.

"A top Trump Organization attorney filed a secret legal document to keep Stormy Daniels from talking about her alleged affair with President Trump, deepening links between Trump’s company and the effort to silence the porn star.
The Trump Organization quickly distanced itself from the document, filed as part of confidential arbitration proceedings in Los Angeles on Feb. 22. The document was made public Wednesday evening by CNN and the Wall Street Journal, and The Washington Post confirmed its authenticity with Michael Avenatti, a lawyer for Daniels."

This places the Trump people in a difficult position, because in order to lie about this, which is what they usually do they would have to deny the existence of a document which exists in physical form. So they make stuff up like this.

In a statement, the Trump Organization emphasized that the company is not representing anyone in the Daniels dispute and “has no involvement in the matter.”



Apparently they forgot to look up what 'representation' means for a lawyer. Among other things it means filing a document in a legal proceeding.

Wednesday, March 21, 2018

As Sen. John McCain Fades His Wisdom Trumps His Partisan Past


The Senator Continues to Show What He Could Have Been

John McCain is an American hero. As a politician he has had great moments, none greater than when he defended Obama against an attack by a bigoted person at one of his campaign rallies. He has also had moments that did not serve him well. But he still has what it takes, as witnessed by this quote on Trumpie siding with Putin.

"An American president does not lead the Free World by congratulating dictators on winning sham elections," John McCain (R-Ariz.) said in a statement and on his Twitter account.

We could not have said it as well, which is why we repeat what Mr. McCain has said.

Tuesday, March 20, 2018

Florida's Pro Discrimination, Anti-African American, Pro Republican Voting Restoration Process for Felons is Struck Down


About Time

It is a generally accepted idea that once a criminal has completed their sentence he or she returns to society with full voting rights. Many states do this automatically. But not Florida. And now its process has been condemned by a federal judge.

Why, here's how the process works.

In Florida, a clemency board including the governor ultimately decides whether to restore voting rights to people with felony records. To get there, applicants must wait five to seven years after completing all terms of their sentences before applying for rights restoration. Then it takes another nine years on average for their petitions to be heard, according to the state office that oversees the process.

And Florida, controlled by Republicans wants to keep it that way. Why? Because some felons are African Americans and Republicans don't really consider them real Americans and besides they tend to vote for Democrats. And the process is corrupt.

The judge referenced one case where a man told Mr. Scott during a 2013 clemency board meeting that he had voted illegally for the governor. Mr. Scott restored the man’s rights. Meantime, plaintiffs identified five other cases where the clemency board denied voting rights to people questioned about illegal ballots.
It is not lost on this Court that four of the five rejected applicants are African-American,” the judge said.
We will see how this plays, and if it goes to an appeals court with Donnie appointees the prospects for ending Florida's anti-American program will not be good. But this is just another episode showing how conservatives hate the concept of democracy.

Monday, March 19, 2018

Unfair Criticism of Actor Jim Carrey's Portrait of Sarah Huckabee Sanders

But There is Some Criticism Justified

Actor Jim Carrey has painted this picture and



said this about it.

"This is the portrait of a so-called Christian whose only purpose in life is to lie for the wicked. Monstrous!"

No, that is not her only purpose in life. Part of her purpose is to drive the rest of us nuts.


Sunday, March 18, 2018

Congressman to Stick It to Trump and Sessions on McCabe Firing


A One Day Hire Would Undo Petty Actions of Donnie and Beau

The White House orchestrated the firing of the number two person at the FBI a day before he was to retire. Why. To punish him for adding legitimacy to the Mueller probe. Mr. McCabe may (or may not) have had a minor violation, but from all reports it was not serious enough to fire him in order to deny him his pension. It was simply a mean, vindictive act by a mean and vindictive administration wanting to punish someone who thought potential crimes should be investigated even if they involved the President and to scare others.

Now a neat solution has arrived that would allow McCabe to keep his full pension.

At least one Democratic congressman has offered McCabe a temporary job so he can get full retirement benefits — and McCabe appears to be considering.
Rep. Mark Pocan (D-Wis.) announced Saturday afternoon that he has offered McCabe a job to work on election security in his office, “so that he can reach the needed length of service” to retire.

And it may work!

McCabe's team is confident that he had at least 20 years of law enforcement work under his belt — defined as carrying a weapon or supervising people who do — which made him eligible to retire on his 50th birthday on Sunday, with full retirement benefits.
With those 20 years, he would need to just go to work with the federal government for another day or so in any job he pleases, whether that's as a election security analyst for a Wisconsin congressman or a typist for a day, to get full benefits, said the former official who spoke to The Fix. The job doesn't matter so much as the fact that he's working within the federal government with the same retirement benefits until or after his 50th birthday.

Let's hope this pans out, if for no other reason than to see the look on Trumpie face when he hears about it. This assume everyone's TV will show that shade of bright red.

Saturday, March 17, 2018

Retarded!!!!!

As great a report you will ever find, from Taegan Goddard,  Bless Him


Political Wire






From the New York Times on November 21, 2006:
“I’m at this fashion show,” Vanessa Trump said, recalling their meeting in 2003. “Donald Trump comes up to me with his son: ‘Hi, I’m Donald Trump. I wanted to introduce you to my son Donald Trump Jr.’”
The three engaged in a brief, awkward conversation.
At intermission, the elder Trump again noticed a gorgeous girl nearby.
“Donald comes back up to me again, ‘I don’t think you’ve met my son Donald Trump Jr.,’” Vanessa Trump recalled. She remembers responding, “Yeah, we just met, five minutes ago.”
Six weeks later, at a birthday party at a New York restaurant, they were introduced a third time, this time by a mutual friend. Neither remembered the other. “We talked for an hour,” she recalled.
Then suddenly, something clicked: Wait, you were at that fashion show. Wait, you’re “the one with the retarded dad!” Vanessa blurted out.

Friday, March 16, 2018

Trumpie Cheated on Wife with Porn Star - Maybe, But

How is that News?



60 Minutes is going to have an interview with a porn star who says she had a long affair with Donnie right after his wife gave birth. 60 Minutes is a news program. A story about Donnie cheating is not news, it is business as usual.

Huh.

And despite the hype it may be that this is another Geraldo Rivera story on opening Al Capone's vault. Don't expect to learn to much.

Thursday, March 15, 2018

Betsy DeVos is a Billionaire and an Idiot


Two Reasons Why She is in the Trump Cabinet

Appearing on 60 Minutes the current Secretary of Mis-Education showed the nation why should not even be a part time crossing guard.

These are just some of the things that DeVos said — or couldn’t answer — during the interview:
  • She couldn’t say whether the number of false accusations of sexual assault on school campuses is lower than the number of actual rapes or assaults.
  • Arming teachers “should be an option” for states and communities, she said, even though she couldn’t “ever imagine” her first-grade teacher, Mrs. Zorhoff, having had a gun.
  • We have invested billions and billions and billions of dollars from the federal level, and we have seen zero results,” DeVos said — a statement Stahl challenged.
  • I hesitate to talk about all schools in general because schools are made up of individual students attending them.”
Ms. DeVos does not go to poor performing schools because she has no interest in solving their problems, just taking away their funding. At the end of her term in government it will be realized that she made the problems in education worse, not better. See, you go to poorly performing schools to learn what is causing the problem. But if you don't care, then you don't go.

Question From the Washington Post

Because it ain't news..News means smething new

Wednesday, March 14, 2018

French National Front Party Reaches Back to Connect with Nazi Past


They Just Want Everyone to Know Where They Are Coming From

Don't Worry French Nazi Lovers, We Do

The far right party in France known as the National Front is changing its name. The party has been losing favor recently despite the fact that it has tried to rid itself of its anti-Semitic pro Nazi past policies and pronouncements. Since that did not work, it is now changing its name to remind voters what it really is.

The new name, “Rassemblement National,” which translates roughly to National Gathering or National Rally, immediately prompted critics to draw parallels to a World War II-era faction that collaborated with France's pro-Nazi Vichy government. . . .

In 1941, the “Rassemblement National Populaire,” or Popular National Rally, became a major collaborationist party in support of the Vichy government, a regime that controlled France’s “unoccupied zone” but was allied with Nazi Germany, which occupied northern France. . .
Like other Nazi-allied parties during World War II, the “Rassemblement National Populaire” saw the war — and the experience of occupation — as a chance to cleanse and purify France from within. It was no stranger to overt anti-Semitism and open admiration for Nazi Germany.
The party used a logo featuring elements of the Nazi swastika, displayed on a similar red backdrop. One of the earliest members of the “Populaire,” Roland Gaucher, went on to co-found the National Front with Jean-Marie Le Pen.


And further proof of the evil this represents,



Le Pen's announcement Sunday came a day after a visit to a National Front conference in Lille by former White House chief strategist Stephen K. Bannon, who encouraged the party to stick to its nationalistic roots.
Let them call you racists. Let them call you xenophobes. Let them call you nativists,” he told an audience Saturday as Le Pen stood alongside. “Wear it as a badge of honor. Because every day, we get stronger and they get weaker.”
Heil Bannon!

Democrats, Not Republicans Need to Be Warned by Pa. Election

Will They Learn?  Probably Not


The special election in western Pennsylvania may (or may not, but probably) will go to the Democrat.  Everybody says this is a message to the Republicans, because the district was heavily Republican.  Everybody is wrong.  The message here is for Democrats.

First of all, switch a couple of hundred votes and the story is how the Dems still could not win even with a great candidate and a Repubican hack on the other side.  But most importantly, if the polls were even close to being correct the Dem was ahead by four or five points until Trumpie came into the district and made it a tie.  The point, Trump can motivate his base and the House is not going to be Democratic after the fall elections unless Dems get out and vote.

Are you listening Nancy Pelosi?  If so, are you packing your bags?  You should be.


Tuesday, March 13, 2018

A Greedy Drug Company Illustrates All That is Wrong with America

Pricing a Critical Drug So High That People Suffer

Capitalism, private enterprise is a great system, but sometimes it doesn't work. A company that has a monopoly on a life saving drug can exploit the market to make huge profits while allowing those who cannot afford the medicine to suffer and die. Such is the case in this nation today.

Since 2013, the price of a 40-year-old, off-patent cancer drug in the U.S. has risen 1,400%, putting the life-extending medicine out of reach for some patients.
Introduced in 1976 to treat brain tumors and Hodgkin lymphoma, lomustine has no generic competition, giving seller NextSource Biotechnology LLC significant pricing power.



Health care workers, you know, the kind of people that actually try and help ailing patients recover are horrified.

Some cancer doctors are taking notice of the price hike. “This is simply price gouging, period,” said Henry S. Friedman, a neuro-oncologist and professor of neurosurgery at Duke University School of Medicine. “People are not going to be able to afford it, or they’re going to pay a lot of money and have financial liability.” He co-wrote an editorial criticizing lomustine’s pricing in The Cancer Letter newsletter in September.
Mallika Weant, a clinical pharmacist in Duke’s brain-tumor clinic, said some of the clinic’s patients have opted for less-costly medications because they can’t afford lomustine. The doses are based on body weight, and some patients must take multiple capsules, adding to the cost. Even insured patients often have to pay for a portion of their medicines out of pocket.

What basically has happened here, as is happening elsewhere, is a greedy uncaring bastard buys the rights to the drug, then raises the price to astronomical levels. If people can't afford, well they should not have gotten a cancer they could not afford to treat.


A nation that allows this is not one that lives up to American ideals. But it is America in 2018.

Fantastic Quote from Dana Milbank

It doesn't get any better than this

"Whenever DeVos speaks, it feels as though the sum total of human knowledge is somehow diminished."