Democrats, It’s Time For A Government Shutdown If Republicans Don’t Support A Clean DACA Bill

Posted on January 16, 2018 by jilldennison under Political commentary

Every year in recent history, there has been a threat of a government shutdown because the two sides, republican and democrat, cannot agree on a few points to come up with a workable budget. Almost every year, there is a resolution at the 11th hour, a budget is agreed upon in Congress and signed by the president just in time to keep the federal government up and running. Ho-hum … same ol’ same ol’. This year is no exception, which was already a given, considering the polarization between the two sides in Congress and the idiot-in-residence at the White House. But this year, perhaps there will be no 11th hour solution, for the idiot-in-residence does not seem to be willing to put the good of the nation ahead of his own waning popularity. Our friend Gronda has written an excellent post showing us what happened last week and explaining how one person, Donald Trump, has put our nation in jeopardy to assuage his own ego. Please take a few moments to read Gronda’s post. Thank you, Gronda!

Gronda Morin

Image result for photos about 1/11/18 meeting with trump Until recently, I was truly desirous of the Democrats working with this president and fellow republicans colleagues, even if it meant that Democrats would have to cave by giving the president a win with funds for his Wall in order to pass real immigration reform.

My thinking hardened when the republican President Donald J. Trump chose to blow up a bi-partisan plan worked on by Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Senator Lindsey Graham and 4 others, to fix the DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) program and other immigration issues, at a Thursday morning meeting (1/11/18). Senators Durbin and Graham were prepared to present their proposal, but the president chose to renege on earlier commitments to approve any bi-partisan work product by blowing up the meeting with profanity and by referring to Haiti, El Salvador and African countries as shxtholes,

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I had been one of those foolish who believed the…

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Senate Judiciary Committee Republicans Have Been Caught With Their Pants Down

Posted on January 11, 2018 by jilldennison under Global Issues, Political commentary, Re-blogs

Once again, our friend Gronda brings us valuable information … a summary of the most important conclusions from the Fusion GPS transcript that was released by Senator Diane Feinstein this week. The dirty dealings … illegal dealings … between Trump and the Russians go far beyond what even I imagined. Hats off to Diane Feinstein for having the courage to stand for the nation, especially when it seems that no one else will. Thank you, Gronda!

Gronda Morin

Image result for photos of grassley and graham SENATORS GRASSLEY/ GRAHAM

The republican Senate Judiciary Committee members Senators Chuck Grassley of IA and Lindsey Graham of SC had been conspiring to discredit the FBI by falsely portraying the FBI’S Trump Russia probe as having been compromised by a partisan opposition research company Fusion GPS. They were insinuating that the co-founders Glenn Simpson, a former Wall Street Journal reporter, had done a hatchet job, to deliberately set up the president with the help of the MI6 agent Christopher Steele that he hired. The plan was to push the tale that Mr. Steele’s work product indicating questionable connections between Mr. Trump and Russia, which had been shared with the FBI, was tainted and shouldn’t have been used to further its investigation. The republicans even went as far to refer Mr. Steele, a reputable professional, for possible criminal charges to the US department of Justice.

The Fusion GPS executives were so…

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On Beating A Dead Horse …

Posted on September 19, 2017 by jilldennison under Political commentary, Social commentary

Two men who know less about health care and medical insurance than even I, have suddenly become experts in what is good for the health of our nation. Senators Lindsey Graham and Bill Cassidy have brought the dead horse issue of repealing ACA (Obamacare) back to some form of life in the Senate, apparently in the hope of currying favour with Donald Trump.

There was a time that I had some grudging respect for Senator Graham, but that time has long since passed, the final nail driven into the coffin last weekend when he lowered himself into the dung heap and appeared on Breitbart to make a plea to the masses. The ‘nationalist’ Trump-supporting masses, that is, for the other 65% of us do not appear to matter to him.

The Graham/Cassidy bill looks remarkably like a clone of the bill that failed in July that was drafted by Mitch McConnell and his goons, none of whom know any more than I do about the details of a comprehensive health care plan. Where are the experts? Where are the people for whom this is charted territory, the people who understand the ramifications and effects on We The People? They are not in the hallowed halls of the U.S. Capitol, that’s for certain.

Lindsey Graham/Bill Cassidy

When Senators McCain, Murkowski and Collins cast ‘nay’ votes on the Senate floor in July, I thought the issue was done … the dead horse had been beaten for the final time. Trump ranted for a bit: “3 Republicans and 48 Democrats let the American people down. As I said from the beginning, let ObamaCare implode, then deal. Watch!” He told them to go back to the floor and try again, but the senators were tired, it was time for their break, and they had other work to do. They also knew they could not sway the three who voted their conscience.

But now for some reason, Lindsay Graham and Bill Cassidy are determined to attempt to breathe new life into that dead horse. Make no mistake … it is the same horse and it is still dead. The goal of Graham and Cassidy, I think, is to bully and browbeat and push for a very quick vote before the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has time to remind us of the terrible consequences of the repeal. I hope … I sincerely hope … that nothing has changed and that at the very least, Senators McCain, Murkowski and Collins will continue to stand by what they know is right. I believe they will. Senator Rand Paul has also said that he will not vote for the bill. But what about the other 49 senators? Where are their consciences? I think I know where … buried deep in their wallets, gathering dust and being crushed by their fat arses every day.

If the Graham/Cassidy bill fails to pass by September 30^th, then it will require a 60% majority to pass, which would mean at least 8 democratic senators would have to cast their votes in favour. I would like, ultimately, to see bi-partisan efforts such as those being proposed by Lamar Alexander and Patti Murray to fix the cracks in the ACA and maintain it, rather than recklessly throwing out the baby with the bathwater.

On Saturday, Graham appeared on Breitbart to convince those who watch such things that his plan would somehow make them happy, I suppose. One thing he said, though, sticks in my craw:

“So the goal is to get the money and the power out of Washington. This is not about repealing and replacing Obamacare. This is about stopping a march towards socialism.”

This was in reference to the single-payer plan laid out last week by Bernie Sanders. I can speak only for myself, but if Bernie’s plan is considered socialist, and Graham’s plan is anti-socialist, then call me a socialist. Austria, Belarus, Croatia, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, Moldova, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Serbia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom all have universal health care, and none are socialist nations. Senator Graham is wrong, just plain wrong. He is simply more interested in pleasing Trump and the lobbyists for the insurance industry than he is in seeing to the best interests of those who have voted him into office since 2003.

My best guess is that this latest incarnation will have essentially the same effect, that of leaving between 24-26 million people without health insurance and without the ability to pay for their own health care. If so, that is an abomination. Graham claims the states will then implement their own health care bills, but we all know that a) these things take time, and b) we cannot always trust the states to act in our best interests.

Meanwhile, folks, it is time to start once again making those phone calls and writing those emails once again. This administration is going to owe us all new laptops and cell phones before it’s all over. Some analysts are saying it looks close this time, but of course it was close last time, and if Senator McCain had not pulled a rabbit out of his hat, it would have passed in July. But we cannot rest on our laurels, and we cannot count on ‘right’ to win out over ‘might’, for Trump is a powerful bully who wears people down with his schoolyard tactics. Please, take a few minutes to write to your senators and let them know how you feel.

We need to put this idea of repealing ACA at all costs, to bed. If the GOP had a viable plan whereby everyone … everyone … would have access to affordable health care, I would not object. Obviously, they do not. It is not the senators who need to worry about how they will be able to afford a doctor next time they need one … no, it is you and I, our friends and our families.

The “BIG NEWS” Is Not The Real News

Posted on March 15, 2017 by jilldennison under Political commentary

The big news from last night and this morning is that two pages of Trump’s 2005 tax return were released on television. Two pages. Of a 14-year-old tax return. It is rather like giving a man who is dying of thirst in the desert a 15 cent coupon for a bottle of wine. It is nothing. It tells us nothing. And in truth, though the White House staff pretended righteous indignation, it is extremely likely that Trump himself ‘leaked’ those two pages in yet another attempt to turn the public’s attention from the Russian hacking of the election, the growing claims of Russian connections among Trump’s staff, Monday’s release of the CBO report on the disastrous effects of Trumpcare, and his inane tweets last week saying that President Obama had ‘wiretapped’ his phones. Those two pages are worthless, folks. Yes, I want Trump’s tax returns released, but not two pages from 2005. I want the full returns from 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015. Full returns. For the past six years. Until that happens, it is not news, it tells us not a single thing about his financial dealings, and it is nothing more than another red herring.

The real news is the news that we did not see on our televisions or online or on the front pages of the New York Times. The real news is what is happening with the investigation into Trump & Co.’s Russian ties, the very thing Trump is trying so hard to distract us from.

So what IS going on with the investigation? On March 2^nd, during a meeting between FBI Director James Comey, Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (unfortunate name – leads to confusion), and Senator Lindsey Graham, Comey indicated that he ‘might’ provide a “clearer explanation” of the existence of a Russia-related FBI investigation in advance of an anticipated Senate hearing on Wednesday, March 15^th. The Senate hearing is titled “The Modus Operandi and Toolbox of Russia and Other Autocracies for Undermining Democracies Throughout the World”. That’s a mouthful! The hearing will focus on the FBI’s role in any Russia investigation. According to Senator Whitehouse, “You can’t really be in the position of saying, ‘your congressional oversight will interfere with an ongoing investigation but we’re not going to confirm that we have an ongoing investigation.’ You can’t have it both ways.” In other words, Senators Whitehouse and Graham are still trying to figure out if the FBI has an investigation going. Sigh.

Turning our focus to the House investigation, the two top leaders are Representative Adam Schiff and Representative Devin Nunes. Schiff says Russia’s effort to sway the election for President Donald Trump is one of the most serious issues of our time. Devin Nunes isn’t even convinced Russia tried to help Trump. Obviously this one will go well. Nunes, by the way, was a member of Trump’s transition team, if that tells you anything. THIS, folks, exemplifies why we need an independent investigation. At the very beginning of the House investigation, Nunes claimed he saw no evidence tying Trump officials to Moscow. Schiff responded with, “When you begin an investigation, you don’t begin by stating what you believe to be the conclusion.” Quite so … it would be like a scientist drawing a conclusion, then looking only for data to support his conclusion. This is NOT the way to run an investigation.

In other news, Representative Nunes announced earlier today that he has not seen any evidence that then-President Barack Obama wiretapped Donald Trump last year. “We don’t have any evidence that that took place and in fact I don’t believe — just in the last week of time, the people we’ve talked to — I don’t think there was an actual tap of Trump Tower.” What a surprise, huh? Another red herring bites the dust. I wonder if they checked the microwave oven for hidden cameras?

In still other news, FBI investigators and computer scientists continue to examine whether there was a computer server connection between the Trump Organization and a Russian bank, Alfa Bank, according to a CNN report.

The news that I would like to hear, is what is being done to investigate the ever-widening array of contacts between Trump and Putin via Trump’s businesses, family, and staff/cabinet members. Politico has put together seven charts that best clarifies what we know at this point. Below is the first of the seven, but I encourage readers to check out the others as well, as there are some rather interesting connections that I was not aware of.

It is imperative that we focus on those things that actually have relevance. Two pages of Donald Trump’s 14-year-old tax returns are not relevant and tell us absolutely nothing. His claims of wiretapping are ludicrous. Yet it is these stories that we are force-fed to the exclusion of the more important news. Trump is using diversionary tactics to send us all off chasing moonbeams while ignoring the fires under our feet. There is a reason … always a reason …

JASTA – A Bad Idea

Posted on May 18, 2016 by jilldennison under Global Issues, Political commentary, Social commentary

Sometimes there is a disconnect between the brain and the heart, and while we may feel that one thing is the proper course, the brain reminds us that it just is not so. This post is about one such situation.

At issue is S.1535, Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act (JASTA), passed in the Senate yesterday and now headed to the House of Representatives as H.R.3143, that would allow the families of 9/11 victims to sue the government of Saudi Arabia. First, the rationale behind JASTA: 15 of the 19 hijackers of the 9/11 attacks were Saudis. Part of the job of the 9/11 commission in 2002 was to investigate how the hijackers were able to operate without alerting U.S. intelligence agencies. Though the commission’s report was released in 2004, some information was classified and remains so today, including 28 pages pertaining to the Saudi government’s involvement. Recently there has been a major push to declassify and release this information which could, if JASTA becomes law, result in private lawsuits filed in the U.S. courts against the government of Saudi Arabia.

Senators John Cornyn and Chuck Schumer introduced the legislation in 2013 and it enjoys bi-partisan support, though last month Senator Lindsey Graham temporarily blocked it based on concerns that it could backfire on the U.S. Their stated purpose with this bill is to send a message to all nations that they can and will pay a price if they harbor terrorists or in any way aid terrorism, and to afford justice to 9/11 victims. While many see this as a positive move, I see more harm than good that could come as a result of its passage into law.

President Obama has said he will veto the bill should it pass the House. The ramifications of this act becoming law could be widespread and have the potential for an economic domino effect. The Saudis hold hundreds of billions of dollars in U.S. assets and have indicated that they would sell up to $750 billion in U.S. Treasury securities if the law were to pass. To do so would cause a severe blow to the U.S. economy, the Saudi economy, and would have the potential to de-stabilize the world economy.

Saudi Arabia is our ally and this legislation, if passed, would undoubtedly alienate Saudi Arabia and undermine a longstanding, albeit strained relationship with a critical U.S. ally in the Middle East. Additionally, Senator Graham’s concern is the possibility that it could open the door for foreigners to sue the U.S. government, accusing Washington of supporting terrorism. Senator Schumer disagrees with that argument, saying “We’re not busy training people to blow up buildings and kill innocent civilians in other countries.” I mostly agree with him, but … I would not want to see that door opened, especially in light of Trump’s claim that he will bomb terrorists and kill their families which, in itself, could easily be considered an act of terrorism.

The Senate unanimously passed the S.1535 yesterday. Senators Schumer and Cornyn are talking to leaders of both parties in the House in hopes of expediting the vote there. Paul Ryan has expressed concerns, surprisingly, as that puts him on the same side as President Obama on this one. If H.R.3143 passes but the president vetoes it, as he has said he will, Schumer and Cornyn believe they can muster enough votes in the Senate to override the veto.

In the end, even if this bill becomes law, it is likely to accomplish very little and potentially cause many more problems. The idea that it will provide justice to the victims of 9/11 and their families is ludicrous. I cannot see that anybody will derive any satisfaction from suing a foreign government for their failure to take proper counter-terrorism measures 15 years ago. The likelihood of monetary compensation is slim to none, and what good is it anyway … you cannot replace human life with cash. As far as sending a message goes … other nations in the Middle East will simply laugh at the notion. In short, what seemed like a good idea to the heart, does not seem like much of one to the brain. At least that is Filosofa’s Word.

BAIL !!!!! The Ship Is Sinking …. Man The Lifeboats!!!

Posted on May 5, 2016 by jilldennison under Humour, Political commentary

I am surprised that Twitter hasn’t broken this week! I do not tweet, although I have an account. However, my blog posts are published on Twitter, so I do get some views and ultimately followers through that venue. But ever since Trump’s victory in Indiana last night, the Tweeting world has run amok, especially with Republicans expressing their distaste of, and lack of support for, the presumptive nominee. Here are just a few samples:

Lindsey Graham, Republican senator from South Carolina: If we nominate Trump, we will get destroyed…….and we will deserve it.
Ben Sasse, Republican senator from Nebraska: A presidential candidate who boasts about what he’ll do during his ‘reign’ and refuses to condemn the KKK cannot lead a conservative movement in America.
Mark Salter, former advisor to John McCain: The GOP is going to nominate for President a guy who reads the National Enquirer and thinks it’s on the level. I’m with her.
Michael Reagan, former President Ronald Reagan’s son: The Republican Party is no longer the Party of Reagan. It is the Party of Trump .. Good Luck
Robert Peter George, McCormick Professor of Jurisprudence at Princeton University: God help us.
Steve Deace, conservative talk show host: Well there goes my time as a Republican. We’ll be changing our party affiliations tomorrow. Frankly, I feel relieved to do it. Free even.
Jonah Goldberg, conservative syndicated columnist and author: I can’t wait for Trump to lead with his theory that Trump killed Tupac.
Jay Caruso, contributor to conservative blog RedState: Sorry Reince. Trump is a fake. A fraud. You should have expelled him long ago.
Brandon Morse, contributor to conservative blog RedState: So, I’m washing my hands of this. Y’all have fun with President Conspiracy Theory, and his wall we’ll never see.
Ben Howe, contributor to conservative blog RedState: #ImWithHer
Philip Klein, managing editor of the Washington Examiner, a conservative publication: I have officially de-registered as a Republican.
Kyle Foley, contributor to conservative Hypeline news site: I’m willing, if need be, to vote Hillary. That’s how strong my disdain is for Trump.
Louise Mensch, former member of the British Parliament: As a conservative, I would always rather lose to a democrat, than support a racist and sexist with my party’s nametag.
John Cook, Massachusetts Republican party fund raiser: Pigs may fly, hell may freeze over, and I, a lifelong GOPer, will never unite behind the Orange Menace.

And this picture sums it all up nicely:

Most of these had thousands, some even hundreds of thousands, of ‘likes’ and ‘re-tweets’. Does this speak volumes? I knew the Tea Party movement was destined to come to an end soon, but I had no idea it would become the victim of such a bloody massacre! Bye-bye, Tea Party … see you again in another 100 years or so.

Reince Priebus, Chairman of the GOP, tweeted this: @RealDonaldTrump will be presumptive @GOP nominee, we all need to unite and focus on defeating @HillaryClinton.

Though not a ‘twitter-er’, I did in this case twitter a reply: Sorry, Reince, not a snowball’s chance in hell.

Heck, during the next six months I may hone my ‘twitter-ing’ skills after all! It seems pretty easy … but I do seem to have a problem with staying within that 160 character limit.

In all seriousness, however, although pretty much a liberal democrat, I feel badly for the ‘Grand’ Old Party (GOP). There is no longer anything grand about them, and if they do not make some substantial changes in the coming four years, they are doomed to fall into the oblivion of history along with the Whig Party, the Farmer-Labour Party, the Bohemian National Alliance and others. The reason for the epic failure of the GOP in 2016 started with the Tea Party movement and led to the nomination of one of the biggest political jokes in the history of the party. Most Americans are actually pretty moderate, pretty middle of the road. The ‘Tea Party’ movement took the party farther to the right than the mainstream was prepared to go. It was a response to the Obama presidency and was based on several things, but race was the major one. A wizened GOP, one that is chastised by the successes of an uneducated man such as Trump, will hopefully make wise decisions that move them closer to the center of the political spectrum. Otherwise, I cannot predict what the political landscape will look like in four years, but I doubt I will be around to know or care.