Filosofa’s BIG Announcement!

Posted on April 14, 2019 by jilldennison under education, Election 2020, Environmental Issues, Global Issues, Political commentary, Racism & Bigotry

Okay, folks … here is my big announcement:

I’ve decided to run for President of the United States in November 2020!

Um … don’t everybody wear your hands out applauding now … well, a little bit of applause might be nice … okay, I’ll settle for those few chuckles I heard.

Now, I can’t afford a huge campaign, and I will NOT take a single dime from any business or lobbying interest, so that puts me at a disadvantage before I even get to the gate. However, I do have a few advantages over the rest of the pack, but I’ll get to those in a minute.

First, a few of my highest priorities:

Environmental
- The United States will immediately, the day after I take office, rejoin the Paris Accord
- All regulations on the fossil fuel and auto industries that were revoked by my predecessor will immediately be re-instated
- I will petition Congress for emergency funding to re-build the Environmental Protection Agency and will nominate a conscientious person as director of that agency
- We will enhance our renewable energy resources and provide incentives for companies to develop new sustainable energy sources
Constitutional Issues
- I will support freedom of the press to the fullest, even when I don’t like what they say about me – the free press is our only hope for remaining a free people
- Separation of church and state will be the law. There is no place for religion in government, and this government will support no particular religion over another
- I will petition Congress for a ban on all assault weapons, and for expanded background checks, as well as training and licensing in order to obtain any sort of firearm
Education
- All funding for the Department of Education will go toward public schools where all children will be treated equally; taxpayer money will NOT be used for ‘charter’ schools that benefit only the few
- I will propose that Congress introduce legislation to provide free college tuition for a minimum of two years to all students whose annual family income falls below $100,000
- School curriculums will be evaluated and re-designed as necessary in order to provide students with a well-balanced education that includes both career training and a liberal arts education
- Religion will not be taught in public schools. Parents who wish their children to obtain religious training may send their children to religious schools at their own expense
Health Care
- No person in the country will be without affordable healthcare. Most will pay according to their ability to pay, without such payment placing undo hardship. Those who cannot afford to pay will receive free healthcare
- There will be an ad hoc committee to study prescription drug costs and appropriate caps will be put on all pharmaceuticals
Taxation
- The tax brackets will be expanded for those earning over $100,000 per year. Those whose net worth is $1 million or more will fall into the highest income tax brackets, to be determined before year end
Economy
- Unfettered capitalism will cease to exist. My administration will place a higher value on human life than on GDP
- The Chairman of the Federal Reserve will decide at what point it is prudent to raise or lower interest rates without coercion from myself or others. This is not a political agency, but one based on the best interest of the nation
- We will aim for a balanced budget, or at least reduce the deficit by 20% each year, and will not increase the national debt beyond its current levels
International Relations
- We will begin re-building trust among our allies in whatever way possible
- We will hold Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman accountable for the brutal murder of our journalist Jamal Khashoggi last year by severing any arms agreements, and imposing other sanctions as seen fit
- There will be NO wall on our border

This is by no means a comprehensive list, but merely the top bullet points of my platform. Now, what do I bring to the table, since it damn sure isn’t money or fame?

Honesty and integrity, for starters. I will take not a single dime from any organization that seeks special favours or sees their donation as creating an obligation. I will not lie … if I cannot tell you something, I will simply say that I cannot discuss it, but I will not lie or over-inflate my achievements. I will demand the same from any cabinet members that I select.

Compassion and humanity. I will put the people of this nation … all the people … ahead of profit. One thing this means is that I will never demean or mock another human being. We’ve had enough of that to last a lifetime. I will not tolerate bigotry in any form. The emphasis of this government will be people, not weapons of war, not profit for the biggest corporations, but the well-being of people.

Literacy. Unlike my predecessor, I have studied politics and history all my life, hold a B.S. in both Accounting and Political Science, and an M.A. in International Relations. I have read the U.S. Constitution at least 50 times in the past 30 years and have taken a number of classes in Constitutional Law. I have studied past presidents. And I can write more than 5 words without a spelling error. In other words, I know the difference between ‘origins’ and ‘oranges’.

Common Sense. I am smart enough to realize that there are many, many things I will not know, but unlike my predecessor, I am willing to seek the advice of those who do know those things. I am also smart enough to realize that sometimes we all make mistakes, but the important thing is to admit those mistakes, then take steps to rectify the errors. This I will do.

And that, my friends, is all I have to offer. Now all I have to do is find a running mate who shares my values and vision. Any takers?

Snarky Snippets … Version MCXII

Posted on April 13, 2019 by jilldennison under Bits 'n Pieces, Global Issues, Law and justice, Political commentary

I used to do Snarky Snippets once every couple of weeks. Now, it’s more like several times a week. There is just so much …

Who could blame him?

Yesterday, a man in a wheelchair tried to set fire to himself outside the White House gates. The man lit his jacket, officers immediately responded, extinguishing the fire and giving the man first aid, the man was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries yada, yada, yada.

A “suspicious package” was found near the area … turned out to be the man’s backpack. The White House was put on lockdown because the Idiot-in-Chief was there, even though it was obvious there was no threat to him. And thus ends the story, right?

So why did the guy do it? There comes a point where hopelessness leads to not caring anymore which leads to … this. A man who figures life isn’t much worth living any more, and whose fault is it? Donald Trump’s. And so … let’s put an end to it, but let’s make sure Trump knows that this blood is on his hands, that he is responsible for the death.

The official story, by later today or tomorrow, will be that the man had a history of mental illness. I’m betting not. I’m betting that he’s given up on the hope of seeing this country rise above the abomination that is Donald Trump, decided it’s not worth sticking around to watch the final chapter, but wants Trump to know … as if Trump had a conscience and could understand human pain, the suffering of humanity.

Score one for Maxine Waters

Steve Mnuchin … just seeing his picture makes me want to relieve him of that smirky little smile he always seems to wear. For any who are unaware, Mnuchin is Secretary of the U.S. Treasury, another of Trump’s boot-lickers.

Well, on Tuesday he met his match in the persona of one Representative Maxine Waters!

Mnuchin had been testifying before the House Financial Services Committee, when he decided he had enough and cited a meeting with a “foreign leader” as his reason for needing to leave. Ms. Waters, chairperson of the committee, asked Mnuchin if he could give the committee another 15 minutes so members who had been waiting for their five-minute turn could ask him questions. He again cited the importance of his meeting.

Finally, Ms. Waters said, “If you wish to leave, you may.” Well, Mnuchin was caught off-guard by that, apparently, and responded with …

“Please dismiss everybody. I believe you are supposed to take the gavel and bang it.”

WHOA-DEE … You could have heard a pin drop, for about 3 seconds, until Representative Waters said …

“Do not instruct me as to how I am to conduct this hearing.”

Mnuchin stayed the extra 15 minutes and then told Waters, “I look forward to being back in May, and we will work on a date.” Waters responded, “Thank you very much.”

The lady has class!

He just keeps coming back …

Ol’ Roger Stone just won’t go away and stay gone. On Friday, his lawyers asked a federal judge to dismiss Stone’s indictment for lying to Congress and obstructing justice and to order that Stone receive a full unredacted copy of Mueller’s recently completed report. Say WHAT??? We the People are as unlikely to see it as a man is likely to give birth, but Roger Stone thinks he deserves a copy? Yo … Roger!!! You can read the heavily-redacted version in the New York Times the same as the rest of us! At least, I suppose they let you read the Times in prison.

“No other person, Committee, or entity has Stone’s constitutionally based standing to demand the complete, unredacted Report,” said the lawyers.

A new bromance for Trump?

Trump has found himself another strongman dictator to love … what a surprise, eh? This time it is Egyptian President Abdel Fatah al-Sissi, a ‘president’ in name only, but in reality, a dictator who is in the process of making changes to Egypt’s Constitution that will make him a de facto dictator for life, while permanently enshrining military control over Egypt’s political system. He continues to hold tens of thousands of political prisoners, including at least a dozen U.S. citizens.So, how did Trump respond when al-Sissi arrived at the White House for a visit on Tuesday?

“I think he’s doing a great job. I don’t know about the effort. I can just tell you he’s doing a great job. Great president.”

The Egyptian president, naturally, returned the compliment …

“Let me emphasize, Mr. President, that the relations have not been better over the years of our bilateral relationship, and that is why I’m extending, Mr. President, to you our thanks … All the credit goes to you, Mr. President. Thank you very much for your support on all fronts.”

Feeling sick yet? 🤢 Trump also took the opportunity to lie and whine to al-Sissi …

“We are building a lot of wall, and we are being very strong on the border. But we are bucking a court system that never, ever rules for us, and we are bucking really bad things with the Democrats in Congress not willing to act. Nobody can believe these decisions we’re getting from the 9th Circuit. It’s a disgrace.”

And al-Sissi sat smiling at Trump, for he has had his own troubles with judges who were trying to thwart him by upholding the law. President al-Sissi’s answer to his troubles was to change the law. Think about that one for a minute.

Okay folks, I’ve vented enough for one day. Enjoy the rest of your weekend … I’ll be back!

John Hickenlooper: The 7 Issues Guide

Posted on April 12, 2019 by jilldennison under Election 2020, Environmental Issues, Political commentary, Racism & Bigotry, Re-blogs, Social commentary

Today I bring you the 9th installment of TokyoSand’s excellent series, The 7 Issues Guide, helping us get to know a bit about the platforms of the democratic candidates running for the office of president next year. John Hickenlooper is on deck today, and I didn’t know much about him at all, so this post is enlightening for me, as well. Thank you, TokyoSand, and your diligent volunteers, for helping us get to know Mr. Hickenlooper!

Political⚡Charge

hickenlooper

The Democrats have a big field of candidates running for President in 2020. To briefly use a sports analogy, I see our candidates as the starting players on the Blue team, each bringing their own unique strengths to the table in a bid to take our country in a very different direction than the one we’re on today.

But as we well know from 2016, the media (and especially social media) gets fixated on non-substantial issues that take up all the oxygen. Plus, they don’t give the candidates the same treatment or the same amount of airtime.

In order to help voters get to know the Democratic candidates, I’ve enlisted the help of a team of terrific volunteers who have helped gather quotes and information about what the candidates have said or done in regards to the 7 issues that midterm voters identified as the most important. I hope…

View original post 1,460 more words

And The Winners Are …

Posted on April 12, 2019 by jilldennison under Law and justice, Political commentary

I wrote a good bit about the republican’s tax cuts that would benefit mainly the wealthy back in 2017 when it was first passed into law. Since then, I have only mentioned it in passing for the most part. But today I would like to revisit the topic. A lot of middle income wage earners are just now figuring out that it was not much more than a shell game whereby they saw a slight increase in their weekly pay, but at the end of the year, when it came time to file their taxes, they were left slack-jawed, wondering why, for the first time in decades, they owed money at year end.

If you have found yourself in that situation, take heart, for some people truly did receive a benefit from the 2017 tax cuts! Companies like Amazon, Chevron, General Motors, Delta, Halliburton, and IBM paid NO income taxes for the year 2018! Aren’t you happy? Aren’t you dancing a jig? According to the Institute for Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP), some 60 Fortune 500 corporations were highly profitable, yet paid no income tax, and in some cases even received rebates!

Take Netflix, for example. The company earned $845 million, its highest profit ever, and paid not a single dime in income taxes. In fact, they recorded a $22 million federal tax rebate. Then there was Amazon who nearly doubled their pre-tax income from $5.6 billion in 2017 to $11.2 billion in 2018, yet paid $0 … that’s right Zero, Nada, Zilch … in income taxes. The tax cuts for the wealthy in 2017 lowered the maximum corporate tax rate from 35% to 21% and allowed companies to write off the total cost of capital equipment in the year of purchase, rather than via a depreciation schedule over the course of the life of the equipment. Look at the results for the top earning Fortune 500 companies …

Company	U.S. Income (millions)	Federal Tax (millions)	Effective Tax Rate
Amazon.com	$10,835	–129	–1%
Delta Air Lines	$5,073	–187	–4%
Chevron	$4,547	–181	–4%
General Motors	$4,320	–104	–2%
EOG Resources	$4,067	–304	–7%
Occidental Petroleum	$3,379	–23	–1%
Honeywell International	$2,830	–21	–1%
Deere	$2,152	–268	–12%
American Electric Power	$1,943	–32	–2%
Principal Financial	$1,641	–49	–3%
FirstEnergy	$1,495	–16	–1%
Prudential Financial	$1,440	–346	–24%
Xcel Energy	$1,434	–34	–2%
Devon Energy	$1,297	–14	–1%
DTE Energy	$1,215	–17	–1%
Halliburton	$1,082	–19	–2%
Netflix	$856	–22	–3%
Whirlpool	$717	–70	–10%
Eli Lilly	$598	–54	–9%
IBM	$500	–342	–68%
Goodyear Tire & Rubber	$440	–15	–3%
Penske Automotive Group	$393	–16	–4%
Aramark	$315	–48	–15%
AECOM Technology	$238	–122	–51%
Tech Data	$203	–10	–5%
Performance Food Group	$192	–9	–4%
Arrow Electronics	$167	–12	–7%

Source: Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy

Still feeling really good about that extra $20 on your weekly paycheck? Let’s take a look at your tax rates. If you were single and earned between $38,701 and $82,500, your effective tax rate was 22%, or between $8,514 and $18,150. Sure, you probably paid less if you had any deductible expenses, but still … look again at the chart above.

ITEP’s Five Things To Know on the One-Year Anniversary of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act:

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act will substantially increase income, wealth, and racial inequality.
The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act will continue to substantially increase the deficit.
The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act is not significantly boosting growth or jobs.
The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act continues to be very unpopular.
Despite the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act’s lack of popularity and ill effects, many Republican lawmakers are calling for even more tax cuts for the wealthy and corporations.

Next time somebody tries to tell you that the 2017 tax cuts were to benefit the middle class, remember this post and tell them in your loudest voice: HOGWASH! And in case your blood pressure isn’t already through the roof, take a gander at this …

A Jaw-Dropping Headline …

Posted on April 11, 2019 by jilldennison under Law and justice, Political commentary, Racism & Bigotry, Social commentary

The headline:

Failed Texas Bill Would Have Made Death Penalty Possible in Abortion Cases

Say WHAT??? You have got to be kidding me?!?!?! The story …

A bill considered by members of the Texas House of Representatives this week would have criminalized abortions and opened up the possibility for women and physicians to receive the death penalty.

The bill would have allowed women who obtained an abortion or doctors who performed one to be charged with assault or criminal homicide, the latter of which is punishable by death in Texas. It would have allowed no exceptions for abortions in cases of rape or when the health of the mother is at risk.

Yes, the bill failed to pass the Texas state legislature, with even some legislators who identify as being strongly “pro-life” feeling it went too far. But I find the fact that somebody even thought of it to be chilling.

So, a young mother who already has two children, works two jobs to support them and still struggles to put food on the table and pay the rent, gets pregnant. Knowing that she cannot possibly manage to support yet another child, she struggles, searches her soul, sheds many a tear, but at the end of the day she sees no choice. She has an abortion. Does anybody honestly think she should be punished at all, let alone be treated in the same way as a man who goes on a shooting spree in a mosque, or an African-American church and kills 10, 15, 20 people? WHERE is the logic in this?

Worse yet, picture the woman who discovers, at the same time she finds she is pregnant, that she has cervical cancer and carrying the fetus to full term would likely cause her death. Somebody in Texas thinks this woman should be arrested, sent to prison and put on death row for having an abortion in an effort to save her live? Again I ask … WHERE is the logic in this?

Nobody can dispute that the U.S. has moved backward in terms of civil rights over the past two years. Bigotry in all its ugly forms has expanded, obviously including misogyny. One of Trump’s selling points in his campaign was that he would put judges on the bench who would be willing to overturn Roe v Wade, and he has placed two such judges on the Supreme Court so far. What happens if Roe v Wade is overturned? If we have people who honestly think that abortion is akin to murder, then folks, we are in deep trouble.

Women make up only 28.7% of all state legislatures in this country. There are 127 (23.7%) women in the U.S. Congress. It’s an improvement, but still not what I would define as equality. I repeat what I said not too long ago … how would men like it if women decided whether or not they should be allowed their Viagra prescriptions? Ponder on that one for a while.

Oh … one last thing here. All those who claim to be “pro-life” … why aren’t they out there fighting hard for universal healthcare, for an expansion of social services to protect and preserve the lives of those who are living below the poverty line? And why aren’t they vociferously speaking out against the death penalty? If they aren’t doing those things, if abortion is the only area in which they are concerned about human life, then they aren’t ‘pro-life’, but rather they are misogynists, considering women to be second-class citizens.

What’s Next???

Posted on April 11, 2019 by jilldennison under Law and justice, Political commentary, Racism & Bigotry

“I do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my Ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.”

That is the oath that every president must take before taking office. Donald Trump took that oath on 20 January 2017.

On Monday, Judge Richard Seeborg of the United States District Court for the Northern District of California ruled that existing law did not give Mr. Trump the power to enforce the policy, known as “migrant protection protocols”, that would force asylum seekers to wait in Mexico while their cases proceed.

Sunday night, Trump fired his hard-nosed Secretary of Homeland Security, Kirstjen Nielsen, because she had refused to engage in activities that were illegal, activities in which Trump was overstepping his authority.

Last June, Judge Dana Sabraw ruled against Trump’s policy of separating immigrant children at the border, and yet recently Trump has said he plans to re-implement that policy.

And last Friday, Donald Trump, the ‘man’ who was placed into office by the auspices of the electoral college despite losing the election, gave a little speech to Customs and Border Patrol agents, telling them not to allow any migrants into the country:

“We’re full, our system’s full, our country’s full — can’t come in! Our country is full, what can you do? We can’t handle any more, our country is full. Can’t come in, I’m sorry. It’s very simple. If judges give you trouble, say, ‘Sorry, judge, I can’t do it. We don’t have the room.’”

After Trump left the room, agents sought further advice from their leaders, who told them they were not giving them that direction and if they did what the President said they would take on personal liability. You have to follow the law, they were told. Okay, it’s nice to know at least somebody has some good sense, but still … the person who took the oath of office had the gall to blatantly and publicly violate that oath. He is thumbing his nose at not only the Constitution, but at We the People.

In order for the system of checks and balances as defined by the U.S. Constitution to work, the executive branch must respect the prerogatives of Congress, from appropriations to oversight, and the interpretations by judges of the law and the Constitution. What does it say about a ‘president’ who defies the rule of law, who defies the very Constitution he took an oath to uphold? And what does it say about members of Congress who continue to allow such perfidy?

There have been a number of areas in which Trump has defied the Constitution during his nearly 27 months in office. Just two examples …

Trump is violating both the foreign and domestic emoluments clauses of the Constitution, by accepting payments from foreign and state governments at the Trump International Hotel in DC.
Trump’s first executive order banning travel from six Middle Eastern countries was in violation of the establishment clause of the 1^st Amendment.

I could go on, but you get the idea.

“When someone becomes president, that person’s responsibility is to the country and doing what is in the best interest of the American people and, at that point, business interests need to be put aside because people need to have faith that their leaders are working for them, not that their leaders are working for their own financial benefit.” — Noah Bookbinder, executive director of CREW (Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington)

It is painfully obvious that Donald Trump has absolutely no concern for the people of this nation. And yet, some 40% of the people in this nation support him. The current ‘president’ of the United States violates his oath of office on a regular basis, his speech is more fitting for a trucker’s hangout than the White House, he incites white supremacists and supports anti-LGBT groups … and 40% of the nation still love him. I’m stunned, but that isn’t my point at the moment. My point tonight is something I want you to really think about. What’s next?

If he feels so emboldened that he can blow off the U.S. Constitution, that he can defy the orders of federal judges, then where does he stop? Is there any limit to what he will do? Yesterday he signed more executive orders taking away state’s rights to halt oil pipeline construction – construction that would harm the environment and wildlife. Yes, there will be lawsuits and the courts are unlikely to rule in Trump’s favour, but he has already shown that he does not respect the courts.

Until the last month or so, although I was frustrated and sometimes enraged by his behaviour, I felt that the courts and Congress would keep him somewhat in check. I no longer believe that. I now think that this ‘man’ envisions himself as a ruler, a dictator, perhaps even a king. And what choice do We the People have? Congress has proven useless, the courts are being proven useless … where does that leave us? I ask again … what’s next?

‘Toons To Make You Laugh (Or Cry)

Posted on April 10, 2019 by jilldennison under Bits 'n Pieces, cartoons, Environmental Issues, Humour, Law and justice, Political commentary

I think it’s time for another batch of toons, don’t you?

The two biggest topics in ‘Toonland’ this week are ones I refuse to touch, so let’s start with the third biggest. Recently the Idiot-in-Chief declared that wind turbines, or rather the noise from them, cause cancer. This notion came from the cavernous depths inside his rather spongy head, but it made for some good humour at his expense.

And of course one of the big topics remains, as it has been for over two years now, immigration, or rather Trump’s use of immigration as a fear-mongering tactic.

On a related note, there was his demand for Kirstjen Nielsen’s resignation because, although she was a cruel and heartless b**ch, she was not quite cruel and heartless enough to suit the ‘man’ without a conscience.

Let us not forget about his determination to squash ‘Obamacare’ and replace it with … the grim reaper.

And beyond all of that, it’s pretty much the usual chaos and insanity that define the reign of Donald Trump.

Have a great weekend, folks! Wha … WHAT??? It’s not the weekend yet? It’s only Wednesday?

Pity The Nation …

Posted on April 9, 2019 by jilldennison under Global Issues, Political commentary, Racism & Bigotry, Social commentary

Those last few lines especially sound familiar, don’t they? Perhaps this makes the case that, “the more things change, the more they stay the same”. Lebanese writer Khalil Gibran’s poem Pity the Nation, published posthumously in the book The Garden of the Prophet in 1933, inspired another poet named Lawrence Ferlinghetti.

Today I focus on Lawrence Ferlinghetti’s version of Pity the Nation, for although it was written and published in 2006, I think it fits the current circumstances of the United States today, as well as a number of other nations. A bit about Mr. Ferlinghetti who, by the way, celebrated his 100th birthday last month!Lawrence Ferlinghetti is an American poet, painter, socialist activist, and the co-founder of City Lights Booksellers & Publishers. He is the author of poetry, translations, fiction, theatre, art criticism, and film narration. Ferlinghetti has expressed that he is “an anarchist at heart”, however he concedes that the world would need to be populated by “saints” in order for pure anarchism to be lived practically. Hence he espouses what can be achieved by Scandinavian-style democratic socialism.

Without further commentary, I give you Mr. Ferlinghetti’s poem …

PITY THE NATION
(After Khalil Gibran)

Pity the nation whose people are sheep
And whose shepherds mislead them
Pity the nation whose leaders are liars
Whose sages are silenced
And whose bigots haunt the airwaves
Pity the nation that raises not its voice
Except to praise conquerers
And acclaim the bully as hero
And aims to rule the world
By force and by torture
Pity the nation that knows
No other language but its own
And no other culture but its own
Pity the nation whose breath is money
And sleeps the sleep of the too well fed
Pity the nation oh pity the people
who allow their rights to erode
and their freedoms to be washed away
My country, tears of thee
Sweet land of liberty!

— Lawrence Ferlinghetti
San Francisco, January, 2006

A New Batch … Hot Off The Press!

Posted on April 9, 2019 by jilldennison under Free Press Issues, Global Issues, Political commentary, Social commentary

Some days I think I have turned into a huge cynic, a shrew, and I remonstrate with myself about it. Now, I’ve told you before about these three-way conversations with Me, Myself, and I, right? Well, in this particular conversation. Myself convinced Me that it wasn’t my fault I was turning into an untrusting, cynical human being, and I thanked Myself, while Me felt a bit hurt and left out. Confused yet? Welcome to my mind! Anyway … today I am feeling like a bit of mockery at the expense of Trump & Co., for they deserve it, and it makes me happy. So … snarky snippets it is!

And the award goes to …

Donald Trump has mentioned a few times that he believes he will be awarded a Nobel Peace Prize. It galls him to no end that his nemesis, President Obama, earned the award, and he has not a snowball’s chance. However, there is one person in our government today who is being honoured with a prestigious award. Speaker of the House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, is to be awarded the 2019 John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award. Caroline Kennedy, the daughter of the late President John F. Kennedy, said in a statement Sunday that Ms. Pelosi is “the most important woman in American political history.” Pelosi is being honored because of her efforts to pass former President Barack Obama’s 2010 health care law and for helping Democrats reclaim control of the U.S. House during last year’s elections. Kennedy said Pelosi “leads with strength, integrity and grace under pressure.”

The award will be presented to Pelosi on May 19 during a ceremony at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum in Boston. I smile thinking of what Trump must have said when he first heard this news. 😊

And speaking of awards …

The James W. Foley Legacy Foundation, founded in 2014, advocates for the safety of journalists and the release of Americans held hostage abroad. Each year at its annual dinner, the foundation issues a “hostage freedom award” to someone for “courageous work for hostage recovery, press freedom, and humanitarian efforts”. This year, the award was initially planned to go to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, but the foundation changed its mind because of what it felt was an inadequate response by the administration to the killing of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi.

Pompeo did not take the loss of the award with good grace, however.

“I regret that there was pressure applied by the media for that award to be withdrawn.”

Ultra-conservative Washington Post columnist Marc Thiessen did not miss an opportunity to accuse and abuse the media, saying that the award was rescinded only because “media partners’ promised to boycott the event if Pompeo got the award”.

If you can’t somehow blame the democrats, then blame the media, eh? However, the foundation published a “Letter to the Editor” of The Washington Post on Friday …

“The decision with respect to the James W. Foley Hostage Advocate award was mischaracterized in Marc A. Thiessen’s April 4 column … While it is accurate that our foundation intended to present our hostage freedom award to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, and we extended the invitation to him on Nov. 19, 2018, we ultimately decided we could not present the award as planned because of the dramatic change in circumstances when the Trump administration did not press for genuine accountability from the Saudi government for the brutal murder of Post contributing columnist Jamal Khashoggi. We communicated the reason for this decision to the secretary’s team on Jan. 11.

Our decision had nothing to do with whether we received media pressure. In addition to advocating for the safe return of U.S. hostages abroad, the protection of free speech and promotion of journalists’ safety are key pillars of our foundation, and this award would have been in conflict with that key principle.”

Simple, straightforward, and honest, but Pompeo exhibits the same character flaw that his boss does … he is a sore loser. Suck it up, Mike.

Even dumber than Kellyanne …

Donald Trump has a ‘campaign press secretary’. I had never seen her until yesterday when she swooped across my radar. As I read the headline, I thought … this one is even dumber than Kellyanne! And that, folks, is a tough act to follow!

Her name is Kayleigh McEnany and she is actually just about to become 31 years of age, though I wouldn’t have guessed it based on what I’ve seen so far. I think you can see, even before I go any further, why Trump chose her for his campaign press secretary.

She even looks a bit like Kellyanne … that is, before Kellyanne aged 40 years in a month from having to go behind her boss and pick up his messes. But to the point. McEnany has pulled some dumber-than-dirt moments in the past year or so, but this one takes the cake. Yesterday, following the lead of Trump and Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney, McEnany claimed that Trump should not be forced to release his tax returns to Congress. She said that Congress doesn’t have a legitimate reason to ask for them. (Forgive her, but she’s likely never heard of the word ‘ethics’ before). Her reasoning? Because Congress isn’t asking for the tax returns of other presidents. Let that one sink in just a minute, folks.

“Ironically, the only person whose tax returns they’ve asked for — the only president — is Trump. So it’s a sham reasoning.”

Oh, Kayleigh … please … do go back to school! I hear they offer GED courses at most community colleges? You’re definitely not ready for this job!

Wow! Really???

Now, as we all know, every other president starting with Nixon has released their tax returns voluntarily, so Congress never had a need to demand them. And even if that weren’t the case … none of those other guys are president today!

President Barack Obama released his tax returns for every year between 2000 and 2015. President George W. Bush released his returns for 2000 through 2007. President Bill Clinton made public his returns from 1992 to 1999 (and then his wife, 2016 Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton released their returns from 2000 to 2016). And Trump? Not. One. Single. Year.

If you ask me, Trump is down to dredging the bottom of the barrel to find people willing to work in the chaos that defines the current administration.

And on that note, I shall go see what other mischief I can dig up.

Just Two Things …

Posted on April 8, 2019 by jilldennison under Global Issues, Law and justice, Political commentary, Racism & Bigotry, Trump's Staff Picks

On Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg …

If I had to pick a favourite among the current Supreme Court Justices, it would be Ruth Bader Ginsburg. The woman is intelligent, has spunk, and her heart is in the right place, unlike some others. She has gone through a lot, but she bounces back. Since her most recent bout with cancer, she has returned to the Court, heard oral arguments, authored opinions, and even made a few public appearances outside the courtroom. But yet …

There are some who claim Justice Ginsburg has been dead for weeks, and that democrats … of course, it’s always the democrats … are covering up her death in order to keep the jackal in the Oval Office from nominating another one of his sycophants for the seat. Say WHAT??? How can a person who is in the public eye, who goes to work every day and is seen by her co-workers and others, be believed to be dead? What rock have these people slithered out from under?

According to The Hill …

The Supreme Court has been bombarded with Twitter users demanding evidence that Ginsburg is still alive, while some online videos allege her public appearances have been manufactured.

There are also claims that audio of her from recent Supreme Court oral arguments has been doctored and is nothing more than phrases pieced together from earlier recordings of her remarks.

There’s little chance the Ginsburg conspiracy theory is going away anytime soon, experts say, mainly because the biggest proponents are unlikely to accept any proof that she’s alive.

I have a solution. Invite them all to visit the court at a specified date and time, then let Justice Ginsburg go ‘round the room and poke each one of them in the eye with a stick. Perhaps that will convince them.

It seems, though, that Donald Trump is hoping for Justice Ginsburg’s demise, for he has already decided on a nominee for her replacement: Judge Amy Coney Barrett. Barrett, not surprisingly, is known as a “superstar” among the religious right.

Barrett is young (46) and has vociferously made known her willingness to overturn Roe v Wade, which, along with Obergefell v Hodges seem to be the only thing the religious right cares about when it comes to the Supreme Court. Take away women’s rights and take away the rights of the LGBT community, and Trump’s biggest fan base will be happy.

Personally, I hope that Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg stays healthy for at least another two years.

Not tough enough???

The big news of the day is that Trump apparently forced the resignation of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen. Now, I’ve never liked Nielsen, always considered her to be rather a cold, heartless bitch, but apparently she wasn’t heartless enough to suit Trump, and that should concern us all. It will likely thrill his base of white supremacists, however, who would like nothing better than to line the southern border with armed guards who are told to shoot first and ask questions later.

Rumours abound, as they will when facts are not made available. One, the most probable one, is that Trump is eager to reinstate his horrendous child-separation policy, taking children from their parents when they cross the southern border. Ms. Nielsen rejected the plan, in light of the fact that a federal judge struck down the policy last year.

Another theory was proposed by Josh Campbell, the former FBI agent turned CNN national security analyst. Mr. Campbell believes it possible that Ms. Nielsen was the author of the anonymous OpEd in the New York Times last year that caused such a stir. The basis for his conclusion is stylistic similarities between Nielsen’s letter of resignation and the OpEd. Not much to go on, but if she was the author of the OpEd, now that she has resigned from her position she has nothing to lose by coming clean, so … maybe?

I’m still stunned, though, that she wasn’t ‘tough enough’ to please Trump, even after she authorized the use of tear gas to repel a large crowd attempting to break through a border fence on New Year’s Day. I’m also stunned that Trump has plans to defy Judge Dana Sabraw’s order and reinstate his cruel, inhumane child separation policy.

Are there no longer any restrictions or limitations on the power of the presidency? Has Donald Trump, in fact, become the dictator he always wanted to be? He shuts the government down in an attempt to get his way. That doesn’t work, so he declares a state of national emergency to get his way. That hasn’t worked yet, so he demands the resignation of the Secretary of Homeland Security to replace her with a man who is even more cruel and heartless. Where does it end. When do We the People finally say we have had ENOUGH??? Or do we keep burying our heads in the sand, believing that somehow, in some way, it will all work itself out. Believing that our Constitution, or next year’s election will stop him. Think about it.

Filosofa's Word

Cogito Ergo Sum

Category Archives: Political commentary