Welcome to my Politics Blog
November 1, 2017
Mueller starting to drain the Trump swamp.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aSGhUbGcaPQhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?
June 4, 2017
So, I haven't posted here in a while, but thought I would check in.
I commented at the time that the firing of James Comey was the beginning of the end for the Presidency of Donald Trump. His base is hanging in there, but support is softening a little. Hopefully this week, we will hear from James Comey and that will hasten the end of Trump.
And now, Trump has taken USA out of the Paris climate deal. This is generally regarded a "red meat" for his base. But support is growing for action on the climate change front, and this will be another nail in Trump's coffin.
I am watching Trump's approval rating closely on Real Clear Politics. Trump's support is slipping away but slowly, oh so agonizingly slow.
Poll today: Approve 39.6%, Disapprove 54.6%, Spread 15%
To quote a recent article from Jeffery Sachs, "Trump is an ignoramus".
February 7, 2017
The facts still matter in court!
February 6, 2017
Amidst all the chaos created by the Trump administration, Trump plans to gut the banking regulations (Dodd-Frank). Will there be another financial sector meltdown?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E8Zq4wTXbeA
February 2, 2017
Well, Trump continues to act as a spoiled 5 year old with temper tantrums making new enemies almost every day, he even hangs up on the Australian PM. Who gets upset with Australia? Trump is such a child. Now he is putting Iran "on notice". I guess that answers the question: who will he invade first? Iran, and I suppose he'll take the oil?
Well, as he wreaks havoc on the global stage, fulfilling his promises, let's not forget all his broken promises and bullshit.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ud0-TvO_sGY
January 31, 2017
The White House continues to defend it's unconstitutional travel ban. The thinly veiled Muslim ban has already been challenged by several courts around the country and then by it's own Justice Department. Acting Attorney General Sally Yates has now been fired by Trump after she refused to defend the executive order. Thank you to Sally Yates for her courage in defending the law. Even a few Republicans have now grown a pair. A few words from Arnold.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wMM-2P_r3Uc
Trump demonstrates again that he is not ready to be President. As one politician stated, Trump failed to vet his own version of extreme vetting. He has no clue how to run a large organization. Wasn't he supposed to be this great businessman? Think again.
January 29, 2017
So we have had our second weekend of protest after just 9 days of Donald Trump as President. Protests this weekend were over the Trump executive order regarding travel to 7 Muslim countries. Apparently, Trump's plan to implement extreme vetting wasn't adequately vetted. What a goofball. Trump told how smart he was, what a great businessman, negotiator, yada, yada, yada. The execution on this executive order was a disaster. No consulation, no proper instruction to officials on enforcement, the whole thing was a collossial mess. Trampling on civil rights and the US Constitution.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iHdM3AN58U0
January 28, 2017
Well now, we have had a full week of Donald Trump as US President. How long will the Republican party support him? I guess as long as he promotes their agenda. I guess the best source here as to Republican support would be Fox news. I found this Fox news assessment on the Trump's first week.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h58U0nZW2mU
January 22, 2017
Okay, so now Trump is the US President. His supporters have been telling us for a long time now "just wait until he is President, then we'll see a new presidential style Donald Trump". Hmmm, he sounds like the same guy as the past 18 months. I guess you really can insult your way to the White House. His problem now is that it is time to deliver. He will need support from either Democrats or Republicans to make good on his many campaign promises. But before we get to that, does he not need to learn to check his ego? Instead of getting on with business, he is preoccupied with the size of his crowd on inauguration day. His crowd was smaller than Obama's on his first inauguration. So what? Obama was the first African-American President, I would expect his crowds to be bigger. Can't Trump just accept this fact? Apparently not. His narcissism will not allow it. Instead, he orders his new press secretary, Sean Spicer, to hold a press conference to declare his inauguration crowd was the largest in history, an obvious lie, and to berate the press for lying.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H6fWCkwbZcc
Many have described Trump as a pathelogical liar. There is a long history to support this claim. Becoming President has apparently not cured his of this major character flaw. Too bad.
January 18, 2017
The American people have finally got the message on climate change. Will Trump and the Republican change course?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Fu2rDSljJs
January 17, 2017
New book out by Matt Taibbi, Insane Clown President.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bdrH9E6ehfw
42 Democrats now planning to boycott Trump's inauguration in support of civil rights hero John Lewis.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQzeMSMdnJY
Trump now dropping in the polls. President-elects normally get a honeymoon period, but with Trump's "unpresidential behavour" he will be the exception. Hopefully soon, Trump voters will start to understand they have elected a spoiled brat child and abandon him.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JNTx_aA2Ta4
January 16, 2017
A simple example of one of many conflicts of interest for Trump.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZFq2FXM9DTE
January 15,2017
Trump's plan to address his conflicts of interest is wholely inadequate. Immediately after annoucing the plan, Walter Shaub, OGE Director (office of goverment ethics) went public with this address.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R58fJ7Eetbg
January 12, 2017
I've been away for a few days, so much to talk about.
Here is a clip of Elizabeth Warren questioning Ben Carson. It is clear Carson is trying to avoid answering the question directly. Warren goes ahead and educated Carson on issue of conflicts of interest.
January 8, 2017
I enjoyed this interview with VP Joe Biden
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a0TTfqOXdEk
Including his thoughts on the upcoming Trump administration.
Biden's advise to Trump: Grow up!
January 7, 2017
Who is paying for the wall?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=avzWNEBvEdA
Just another idiotic campaign promise.
But the real story this week, which most of the media missed (they are busy chasing the latest idiotic tweet from Trump), is the deficit forecasts. The Republicans had to produce a budget this week showing projected deficits for the next 10 years. Guess what! With all their proposed tax cuts for the wealthy, the annual deficit grows from 582 billion for 2017, to 1,008 billion in 2026.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ekWLd5rj_Q
So much for their "we'll balance the budget" rhetoric. The US debt will grow from the current 19 trillion to 29 trillion.
January 6, 2017
Republican congress is busy moving ahead with cutting the social safety net for Americans. Bernie Sanders speech in the senate to remind him of his promises.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6iEnMZV0Zbw
January 5, 2017
I missed my post yesterday, but I was going to comment on the Republicans attempt to gut the Ethics watchdog. Yes, now that the Republicans are in charge of everything, their first order of business was to eliminate the ethics watchdog. Wow.
But later they backed off after receiving massive phone calls from angry voters and the straw that broke the camels back was a scalding from Donald Trump. Wow. Way to go Trump. Well give credit where credit is due. But maybe it was more in the context of "it is my swamp now, get out"
January 3, 2017
Early on the Trump agenda is to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare). Repealing it would seem to be the easy part, but replacing it with something equivalent is the more difficult task. Trump has promised that the most popular parts (insurance can't be denied due to pre-existing conditions, and kids can stay on parents plan until age 26) will continue, and that the repeal and replace will happen simultaneously so that nobody will lose their coverage in the transition. Okay.
Republicans have fought health care reform for decades. While most of the advanced nations of the world provide universal health care, in the US poor families who can't afford health insurance premiums are faced with bankruptcy and then the eventual death of their loved ones who face major health problems. Obamacare, with all its flaws, does provide a solution to this horrendous problem. Now that Obamacare has changed the landscape, it sounds like the Republicans want to keep parts, rebrand it, and then take credit for it. Hmmm....
Anyway, it is a big topic. We will hear much more about it in the weeks ahead. For some history, I have two clips.
January 2, 2017
Well, it is a new year. For those who have an interest in politics, the US elections of 2016 were indeed shocking. In less than 3 weeks, Donald Trump will be sworn in as the next US President. The voters have taken the extraordinary step of electing a man totally unprepared for office, who IMHO, will be a disaster. But, if Clinton had won, who knows, the Republicans would continued their tactics of obstruction and the US political system with all it's corruption and stupidity would have continued same old same old.
Questions of conflicts of interest will be a major topic going forward.
Tony Schwartz: The Truth about Trump