Why is it that Mitch McConnell and the Republicans have blocked any hope of the public or even the Congress of seeing the full report of special council Mueller? You can't say we don't have the right to see it. You can't say we wouldn't understand it. That may be true for many, but we still have the right to see it and read it for ourselves. And certainly Congress has the responsibility to see it in full, not just the right, but the responsibility.
I guess the real question is why does McConnell think he has the right to use his power in the Senate to block the world from seeing this report. To see how a foreign enemy power has infiltrated our electoral process in order to sway an election to their favor. And did Trump, in any way, ask for, receive, and use any help from that enemy power? And to determine if that broke the law.
As an American, McConnell has a duty to the country that overshadows any political considerations. Regardless of whether it helps or hinders President Trump, that report needs to be made public. Certain sections would need to be redacted for the public, but not the Congress. The Congress needs to see the whole report and the background files that substantiate the findings of the report.
McConnel seems to be gambling that the people won't care about it in the coming elections. And probably it won't be the top of the list of things the people will care abut, but it will be high enough to sway an election and McConnell will rue the day he chose to keep it from the people.
Tuesday, March 26, 2019
Tuesday, March 19, 2019
College For All.
I'd like to take this opportunity to talk to rich kids. If you're not doing well in school, that can be overcome. If you're just downright dumb, that can be overcome. If you're not too athletic, that can be overcome. If you've got two left hands and two left feet, that can be overcome. All this can be overcome by one simple fact. Your parents have lots of money.
Now if you're very, very smart and very athletic too, but you're poor, good luck, you'll need it. We're here to talk about the kids most in need of help. That is to say, we want to help the rich kids get into the very best of the very best colleges. And there's only one way for that to happen. You're parents are going to have to dig deep and come up with $$$$.
We're not talking about thousands, we're not talking about tens of thousands, we're talking about hundreds of thousands, or even millions. But that's not enough. You're going to have to do your part. You've got to enter your name as a sports hero. You've got to claim high quality ability at the game of "JACKS" or hopscotch or jump rope or some such sport.
You don't actually have to know how to do it, just make the claim and then never show up. The best schools prefer people like you. People who count on your parents to get you into school whether you can make it or not. If you can't, so be it. If you sort of can, a little more money will boost you over the top. Sorry, misprint. Should read a LOT more money.
As for the poor, but smart kids, you likely could have attended a best school, but a rich kid took your space. There are openings in the local community college though.
Now if you're very, very smart and very athletic too, but you're poor, good luck, you'll need it. We're here to talk about the kids most in need of help. That is to say, we want to help the rich kids get into the very best of the very best colleges. And there's only one way for that to happen. You're parents are going to have to dig deep and come up with $$$$.
We're not talking about thousands, we're not talking about tens of thousands, we're talking about hundreds of thousands, or even millions. But that's not enough. You're going to have to do your part. You've got to enter your name as a sports hero. You've got to claim high quality ability at the game of "JACKS" or hopscotch or jump rope or some such sport.
You don't actually have to know how to do it, just make the claim and then never show up. The best schools prefer people like you. People who count on your parents to get you into school whether you can make it or not. If you can't, so be it. If you sort of can, a little more money will boost you over the top. Sorry, misprint. Should read a LOT more money.
As for the poor, but smart kids, you likely could have attended a best school, but a rich kid took your space. There are openings in the local community college though.
Wednesday, March 6, 2019
Take Aim.
Well, once again someone who wasn't licensed to carry a handgun shot himself. Sure it was an accident, it could have happened to anyone. Well at least any male. The thing is, guns are dangerous. Anyone using a gun and especially a handgun needs proper training. Even a holstered handgun can be dangerous as it was to this gentleman.
Now something new needs to be taught in gun safety. We need to have safe placement of holsters explained. After all, we don't want more men shooting themselves in the penis as did the man in the case above. He's still in the hospital for goodness sake. I suppose he's learned his lesson, but what about all the rest of us?
Was it the holster's fault, the gun's fault, was it the placement to blame, or was this the case of a duffus with a gun. Seriously, gun safety is far more important than our government allows. As soon as the word "gun" is mentioned, out comes the 'big guns' the NRA and an assortment of second amendment kooks.
How can any of these groups actually have a complaint against requiring a person to have some gun safety training before they can purchase the type of firearm they trained on? After all, the safety in using a flintlock is somewhat different than, say a semi-automatic handgun or a semi-automatic assault rifle.
The point is, gun safety can affect us all. Ask that guy's wife, if he has one. She'll tell you, it matters. So let's require that gun safety anyone needs if they have thoughts of owning a gun.
Now something new needs to be taught in gun safety. We need to have safe placement of holsters explained. After all, we don't want more men shooting themselves in the penis as did the man in the case above. He's still in the hospital for goodness sake. I suppose he's learned his lesson, but what about all the rest of us?
Was it the holster's fault, the gun's fault, was it the placement to blame, or was this the case of a duffus with a gun. Seriously, gun safety is far more important than our government allows. As soon as the word "gun" is mentioned, out comes the 'big guns' the NRA and an assortment of second amendment kooks.
How can any of these groups actually have a complaint against requiring a person to have some gun safety training before they can purchase the type of firearm they trained on? After all, the safety in using a flintlock is somewhat different than, say a semi-automatic handgun or a semi-automatic assault rifle.
The point is, gun safety can affect us all. Ask that guy's wife, if he has one. She'll tell you, it matters. So let's require that gun safety anyone needs if they have thoughts of owning a gun.
Sunday, January 27, 2019
Shame On Us.
800,000 plus people learned the meaning of being poor. If they didn't know, they learned the importance of charity and the need to care for their fellow man. What's most unfortunate is that the principles of the shutdown, both parties in Congress and the President,did not learn the hard truth. They did not face days of not knowing if they would lose their homes, their next meal could be questionable.
These leaders carried on as if nothing had changed. Paydays were met, life was good and disagreement was easy to live with. No cost to them. Their daily bread was as sweet as ever. Somehow this isn't right. The next time some leader or group of leaders decides to shut down the government, there is no fair or good reason they shouldn't suffer right along with the government employees.
Unfortunately, far too many leaders are far too wealthy to be concerned with that loss of income. What a shame that you have to be rather comfortably wealthy to be an elected leader in this country. Smart, successful businessmen don't always make smart, successful government leaders. Some do, some don't. Look at Lincoln. Think he could get elected today.
Today you can't get elected unless you've got the money to buy your way in. The Supreme Court assured us of that in their decision involving money in politic. It's no longer 'one man one vote' now its all about the dollar. Without it, you can't get a vote. Money will decide who will run for office and who will not be heard above the din of cash flowing.
These leaders carried on as if nothing had changed. Paydays were met, life was good and disagreement was easy to live with. No cost to them. Their daily bread was as sweet as ever. Somehow this isn't right. The next time some leader or group of leaders decides to shut down the government, there is no fair or good reason they shouldn't suffer right along with the government employees.
Unfortunately, far too many leaders are far too wealthy to be concerned with that loss of income. What a shame that you have to be rather comfortably wealthy to be an elected leader in this country. Smart, successful businessmen don't always make smart, successful government leaders. Some do, some don't. Look at Lincoln. Think he could get elected today.
Today you can't get elected unless you've got the money to buy your way in. The Supreme Court assured us of that in their decision involving money in politic. It's no longer 'one man one vote' now its all about the dollar. Without it, you can't get a vote. Money will decide who will run for office and who will not be heard above the din of cash flowing.
Wednesday, January 23, 2019
Just A Few Problems.
The State Department had to postpone a conference on border security because of the shutdown. The shutdown was caused because Trump wants a wall for border security. The Coastguard is required to continue working without pay during the shutdown. Isn't the Coastguard required to guard our coast, among other things? Isn't that border security too? Then there's the FBI. They would like to get paid before they all lose their homes.
Isn't it true that the Republican party is,officially, backing Trump in this standoff. All for a border wall that almost nobody along the border wants. It seems that the folks most likely to need a wall say it just isn't needed. And, isn't it true the Democrats say we should reopen the government first and then argue about an unneeded wall.
Of course Trump realizes that if he reopens the government and gets some 800,000 people paid he would then have no leverage to get that wall built. His only hope for the wall is to starve nearly an extra million Americans. He realizes the advantage of starvation, when it comes to his agenda. Let em eat cake. It's a plan somebody else tried. She failed, but she's no Donald Trump.
If only he could withhold pay for all the Democrats in Congress. Hey, he could withhold all the Republicans too, even himself. After all, he's a billionaire. Wouldn't matter to him. It might hurt Ruddy but somebody's gotta pay. Maybe he'd stop appearing on TV. That would boost Trump's ratings.
Isn't it true that the Republican party is,officially, backing Trump in this standoff. All for a border wall that almost nobody along the border wants. It seems that the folks most likely to need a wall say it just isn't needed. And, isn't it true the Democrats say we should reopen the government first and then argue about an unneeded wall.
Of course Trump realizes that if he reopens the government and gets some 800,000 people paid he would then have no leverage to get that wall built. His only hope for the wall is to starve nearly an extra million Americans. He realizes the advantage of starvation, when it comes to his agenda. Let em eat cake. It's a plan somebody else tried. She failed, but she's no Donald Trump.
If only he could withhold pay for all the Democrats in Congress. Hey, he could withhold all the Republicans too, even himself. After all, he's a billionaire. Wouldn't matter to him. It might hurt Ruddy but somebody's gotta pay. Maybe he'd stop appearing on TV. That would boost Trump's ratings.
Sunday, January 13, 2019
No to Public Takeover.
The latest wet dream for Republicans is privatizing the VA healthcare system. Send veterans to private healthcare for all their problems. That way they can bankrupt the VA in short order. The advantage to the veteran under this arrangement is much longer waiting times and less facetime with the doctor.
Sorry Charlie, but America's healthcare system is far inferior to the VA healthcare system. Now I admit, the VA doesn't have all disciplines in all locations, but there is already a solution to that problem. In such cases veterans can transfer to a private specialist and still receive regular care at the VA. And at much shorter wait times.
Why is it that every so often the Republicans want to eliminate perfectly good systems and institute much more expensive and worse solutions. Could it be that there's more money to be made by the new choice? You do know who pays for these ideas, don't you? It's you, and every other tax payer.
The only thing the VA needs is more processors. People who process new enrollees. You can't fight two wars for too many years and have far too many new veterans in need of care, and give the VA less money to handle the crush. The public may be slow to pick up on the mess, but we're not dumb. We can see how badly Congress and the Administration are screwing up. We don't need any more nonsense.
Sorry Charlie, but America's healthcare system is far inferior to the VA healthcare system. Now I admit, the VA doesn't have all disciplines in all locations, but there is already a solution to that problem. In such cases veterans can transfer to a private specialist and still receive regular care at the VA. And at much shorter wait times.
Why is it that every so often the Republicans want to eliminate perfectly good systems and institute much more expensive and worse solutions. Could it be that there's more money to be made by the new choice? You do know who pays for these ideas, don't you? It's you, and every other tax payer.
The only thing the VA needs is more processors. People who process new enrollees. You can't fight two wars for too many years and have far too many new veterans in need of care, and give the VA less money to handle the crush. The public may be slow to pick up on the mess, but we're not dumb. We can see how badly Congress and the Administration are screwing up. We don't need any more nonsense.
Monday, January 7, 2019
An Iron Curtain.
President Trump is now asking for a steel barrier instead of a concrete wall. Steel or Concrete, what's the difference? The former Soviet Union, Russia, built one, it was called the Iron Curtain. It failed. The question is this; do we want all the world leaders standing on the Mexican side hollering "Mr. Trump, Tear Down this Wall!"
And all the worlds leaders will do it because we will have no friends left to stand by our side. We won't have friends because Mr. Trump will have alienated them all. Just think back to when President Reagan uttered those words to President Gorbachev. Tear Down This Wall. And the Soviet Union, in shame, tore down the wall, or rather, allowed it to be torn down.
"Mr. Trump, Tear Down This Wall!" A better way would be to say, Don't build it in the first place. We need border security, that's for sure. We need it along the Mexican border, we need it at all our seaports and we even need it along our Canadian border. Not all to the same degree, but we need it. We can't build walls at New York City, or Boston, and we certainly can't afford a wall all along our Canadian border, but we need security. So lets stop acting silly about a silly wall and start considering smart technology. Build walls in places where they make sense and more 21st century security elsewhere.
What we don't ever want to see is the whole world standing on the Mexican side yelling "Mr. Trump, Tear Down This Wall." It would be embarrassing. We don't need an Iron Curtain along any of our borders. We're not isolationists and never will be. So Mr. Trump, Stop Asking For an Iron Curtain Wall.
And all the worlds leaders will do it because we will have no friends left to stand by our side. We won't have friends because Mr. Trump will have alienated them all. Just think back to when President Reagan uttered those words to President Gorbachev. Tear Down This Wall. And the Soviet Union, in shame, tore down the wall, or rather, allowed it to be torn down.
"Mr. Trump, Tear Down This Wall!" A better way would be to say, Don't build it in the first place. We need border security, that's for sure. We need it along the Mexican border, we need it at all our seaports and we even need it along our Canadian border. Not all to the same degree, but we need it. We can't build walls at New York City, or Boston, and we certainly can't afford a wall all along our Canadian border, but we need security. So lets stop acting silly about a silly wall and start considering smart technology. Build walls in places where they make sense and more 21st century security elsewhere.
What we don't ever want to see is the whole world standing on the Mexican side yelling "Mr. Trump, Tear Down This Wall." It would be embarrassing. We don't need an Iron Curtain along any of our borders. We're not isolationists and never will be. So Mr. Trump, Stop Asking For an Iron Curtain Wall.
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