Still Wild About Harry

Wishing a posthumous very happy birthday today to Missouri's own Harry S Truman, born this day, May 8, 1884 and thank goodness.

One of his many great and so true quotes: He had these people down all that long ago. If anything, they've only gotten worse. “Republicans approve of the American farmer, but they are willing to help him go broke. They stand four-square for the American home--but not for housing. They are strong for labor--but they are stronger for restricting labor's rights. They favor minimum wage--the smaller the minimum wage the better. They endorse educational opportunity for all--but they won't spend money for teachers or for schools. They think modern medical care and hospitals are fine--for people who can afford them. They consider electrical power a great blessing--but only when the private power companies get their rake-off. They think American standard of living is a fine thing--so long as it doesn't spread to all the people. And they admire of Government of the United States so much that they would like to buy it.” ― Harry S. Truman

Question for America Tonight

After this speech tonight from President Biden to Congress, could we now, at long last, be done with the Right Wing & Republican Party idea that he can't speak in public and/or, worse, that he has dementia?

Finally? At long last?

Remember Noblesse Oblige?

Remember noblesse oblige? Remember when people with money, wealth cared, actually cared about and for those with less? Cared for and about the imporverished?

It would be nice, so nice if that would come back. Besides being the right, "Christian" thing to do, if that matters to anyone, it also happens to make the nation stronger.Hey, we can hope. You hear that, Mr. Bezos? Mr. Zuckerberg? Walton family? Etc?

Republicans? Americans? Those Migrants at the Border?

Republicans seem to only have one big issue presently and that is the migrants at our Southern border. Ignore and forget all the rest of President Biden's excellent work and even results already, in these first two months of his administration, just focus on the one problem. If you'll watch this brief video, you'll find one of the sources of the problem at our border. Brian Tyler Cohen describes it very well. Note, too, it's only an 8 minute video in length, too. So the fact is, of course, the administration of The Former Guy in the last 4 years and his work and directives led, no surprise, to our situation today. So much so that Joe Biden, long before he was President, warned that Trump's cutting of aid to these Southern nations, as this video shows, could and would likely lead to yet more migrants at our border. So once again, thanks, Mr. Trump. And to you, too, Republicans. Thanks so much.

Week 10 of This Presidency

Week 10 at the White House:

--Launched the American Jobs Plan! --20m Syringes in 7 days: a record! --11 judicial noms w/in 1st 100 days: most ever! --Offshore Wind Plan: powering 10m homes by 2030! --900K new jobs in March: first admin Heavy plus signover 1m jobs in first two months! --Ronald Klain @WHCOS

On Guns and Common Sense Gun Legislation

"Make no mistake about it: Universal background checks will save lives...

Make no mistake about it: Outlawing high capacity magazines will save lives. Make no mistake about it: Getting the military-style weapons off our street and private ownership will save lives." --Senator Ben Cardin, Maryland (D)

Entertainment Overnight -- Mr Biden, Bring My Vaccine

From--who else? Randy Rainbow!

Good night, y'all! Sleep well. And if you haven't already, get that vaccine soon as possible!

One Week In

 One week into this new Joe Biden Presidential Administration. This is where we are. Already.

1. We can now ignore Twitter
2. The White House briefing room is not an Orwellian nightmare of lies
3. We are now confronting white domestic terrorism
4. We are not paying for golf trips
5. There are no presidential relatives in government
6. The tenor of hearings is sober and serious
7. Qualified and knowledgeable nominees have been selected for senior spots
8. We have a first lady who engages with the public
9. We have not heard a word from presidential children
10. We are now tough on Russian human rights abuses
11. We get normal readouts of sane conversations between the president and foreign leaders
12. The White House philosophy is to underpromise and overdeliver, not the other way around
13. Manners are in, bullying is out
14. You feel calmer after hearing the president
15. Fact-checkers are not overworked
16. Quality entertainers want to perform for the White House
17. We have seen the president’s tax records
18. The president is able to articulate policy details, coherently even
19. The worst the press can come up with is the president’s watch
20. We have a White House staff that looks like America
21. We have a national covid-19 plan
22. Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Anthony S. Fauci is liberated, sounds happy and even looks younger
23. Fauci, not the president, briefs on the science of covid-19 and efficacy of vaccines
24. Masks and social distancing in the White House
25. The White House has policy initiatives and proposals, not merely leaving it all to Congress
26. The administration is committed to releasing information, not covering it up, on the slaughter of journalist Jamal Khashoggi
27. The Muslim ban is gone
28. It is the Republicans not the Democrats who are in disarray
29. The national security adviser has not been fired for lying to the FBI
30. No Soviet-style fawning over the president by his subordinates
31. The president takes daily, in-person intelligence briefings
32. The president does not care about Air Force One colors
33. We have a president familiar with the Constitution
34. Real cable news outlets get high ratings, others not so much
35. President Andrew Jackson is out of the Oval Office, Benjamin Franklin is in
36. Voice of America is back in the hands of actual journalists
37. We get memes about Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), not crowd size
38. We are back in the Paris climate accord and the World Health Organization
39. Instead of running it like a business, the new administration will try running government competently
40. We have a president who doesn’t think military service is for “suckers” and who doesn’t send his “love” to people assaulting law enforcement
41. The secretary of treasury nominee has her own Hamilton lyrics
42. Amanda Gorman is a household name
43. More than two-thirds of Americans approve of the White House covid-19 approach.
44. No more work-free “executive time” in the presidential living quarters
45. We have a churchgoing president “who has spent a lifetime steeped in Christian rituals and practices.”
47. The vice president’s spouse does not teach at a school that bars LGBTQ students
48. The White House takes the Hatch Act seriously
49. The administration wants as many people as possible to vote
50. The president will talk more to our allies than to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Not perfect, certainly. But it's good. It's very good. It's a huge, huge improvement.

Good on you, America. 

No, great on you.

PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN!!! IT'S OFFICIAL!!!

 Yes sir and ma'am!!! It's official, Mr. and Mrs. America!!

JOE BIDEN IS OUR 46th PRESIDENT!!!

It was just announced!!

Biden defeats Trump to win presidency

Pennsylvania and Arizona, etc., all went for Joe!!

Yahooooo!!

Our long, national nightmare is over!!!

Ding, dong, the doink is done!!

Now we need this.

WSJ editorial board urges Trump to 'concede gracefully' if Biden wins

Arguably the Most Important Article All Adult Americans Can--and Should--Read Today

The Business Insider published today what I think is an excellent, downright important article on this President and the direction we should all take once he's out of office. 

Once Donald J Trump is out of office, we need to investigate--and more. A lot more.

I'd argue that it is easily, easily the most important, insightful, over-arching article any adult American could read about our nation and our situation today and going forward and in at least a few different ways.

If Democrats win, they need to enact a transformative agenda, fully prosecute Trump — and ignore any hand-wringing from pundits

All Democrats need to see, read and understand this article.

We need to make certain nothing like Donald J Trump ever happens again in our nation. We owe it to ourselves, we owe it to our children and grandchildren, we owe it to the nation and all successive generations of Americans.

It isn't about "revenge", either, no way. And it's not about fighting between the two political parties. It's about having people follow the law but especially government officeholders, especially the highest officeholder of the nation.

Let's do this. We need to do this. We need to root out corruption so it doesn't happen again.

86 45

And then prosecute him to the fullest extent of the law.

And then fight for restructuring the government so that it's far more fair and just and science-friendly and forward-thinking and acting, at the very least.

Our lives and our nation depend on it.

Links:

A brief overview of the many lawsuits Trump is facing right now

Trump officials blur lines on campaigning, governing

Here's a List of the Crimes That Made Donald Trump President

All the President’s Crimes

List and Summary of Donald Trump Scandals

The Many Scandals of Donald Trump: A Cheat Sheet 

Quote of the Day -- On These Presidential Candidates

I'm going there.

We're three weeks out from saving our Democracy. Our Social Security. Our health care. Our freedom of speech. Our peace of mind, spirit and body. We're three weeks out from either voting for probably the most despicable display of a human I've ever witnessed. Trump or a true American who wants to and has  saved this country from catastrophe.

Trump, a "man," and using that description very loosely, who has filed bankruptcy six times. Who has had three marriages. Who is a cheater. A serial liar. A conman. A racist. A misogynist. Truly, a despicable human being. Could not care less about you. His word. His promises. Think about it. What promises has he kept?

None.

And, somehow, this disgusting, vile person got in our White House. Additionally, he is sabotaging and killing the very core and spirit of this country. He has promoted white supremacy and is the leader and head of that gang. He gives them the green light to forge ahead by telling them to "stand by." He has called Latinos "rapists and killers and thieves."

He is the lowest form of any example of a good human.

He holds rallies while sick, not caring how that may affect his supporters but cares only about the attention and acollades these ridiculous, blinded followers still throw his way. It's truly astounding.

All that said, Joe Biden is a good man. He's a good human. He would not have been my first choice for the Democratic Party nomination but he's a good man. And he knows how to govern this country. He will hold us up, united. He will fold us back in with our allies. He and President Obama saved this country from a very trying time when we were facing a recession which would have devastated this country. They turned it around and saved this country. Whether you like Biden or not, that is a fact. Trump was given the gift of that good, strong economy from Biden/Obama. That is a fact.

If you value your Social Security. If you value your preexisting conditions. If you value your family. If you value this country and its unity and truly becoming the truly "united" states once again ... there is only one choice.

--Hilary De Witt

Quote of the Day -- Another Proud Day for Missourians

"Socialism is a scare word they have hurled at every advance the people have made in the last 20 years.

Socialism is what they called public power.

Socialism is what they called Social Security.

Socialism is what they called farm price supports.

Socialism is what they called bank deposit insurance.

Socialism is what they called the growth of free and independent labor organizations.

Socialism is their name for almost anything that helps all the people."

--President Harry S Truman, said this day, October 10, 1952

Give 'em Hell, Harry.

And thanks. Thanks so very much. For all you did and said and stood and fought for.

Calm, Unemotional Logic on the November 3 Vote

From actor and activist Robert Redford because we seem to be lacking calm, clear, unemotional logic and thought lately.

"I have a lot of vivid memories of growing up in Los Angeles in the 1940s, but one in particular keeps coming back to me today, in these troubled times. I remember sitting with my parents -- actually, my parents were sitting; I was lying on the floor, the way kids do -- and listening to President Franklin Delano Roosevelt talking to us over the radio. He was talking to the nation, of course, not just to us, but it sure felt that way. He was personal and informal, like he was right there in our living room.

I was too young to follow much of what he was saying -- something about World War II. But what I did understand was that this was a man who cared about our well-being. I felt calmed by his voice. It was a voice of authority and, at the same time, empathy. Americans were facing a common enemy -- fascism -- and FDR gave us the sense that we were all in it together. Even kids like me had a role to play: participating in paper drives, collecting scrap metal, doing whatever we could do. That's what it was like to have a president with a strong moral compass. It guided him, gave him direction, and helped him point the nation toward a better future.
Maybe this strikes you as simple nostalgia. I've got a touch of that, sure (who doesn't right now?). But I'm too focused on the future to sit around pining for the old days. For me, the power of FDR's example is what it says about the kind of leadership America needs -- and can have again, if we choose it.

But one thing is clear: Instead of a moral compass in the Oval Office, there's a moral vacuum. Instead of a president who says we're all in it together, we have a president who's in it for himself. Instead of words that uplift and unite, we hear words that inflame and divide. When someone retweets (and then deletes) a video of a supporter shouting "white power" or calls journalists "enemies of the state," when he turns a lifesaving mask against contagion into a weapon in a culture war, when he orders the police and the military to tear gas peaceful protestors so he can wave a Bible at the cameras, he sacrifices -- again and again -- any claim to moral authority.

Another four years of this would degrade our country beyond repair. The toll it's taking is almost biblical: fires and floods, a literal plague upon the land, an eruption of hatred that's being summoned and harnessed, by a leader with no conscience or shame. Four more years would accelerate our slide toward autocracy. It would be taken as free license to punish more so-called "traitors" and wage more petty vendettas -- with the full weight of the Justice Department behind them. Four more years would mean open season on our environmental laws. The assault has been ongoing -- it started with abandoning the historic agreement that the world made in Paris to combat climate change, and continued, just last month, with using the pandemic as cover to let industries pollute as they see fit. Four more years would bring untold damage to our planet -- our home.

America is still a world power. But in the past four years, it has lost its place as a world leader. A second term would embolden enemies and further weaken our standing with our friends.

When and how did the United States of America become the Divided States of America? Polarization, of course, has deep roots and many sources. President Donald Trump didn't create all of our divisions as Americans. But he has found every fault line in America and wrenched them wide open.

Without a moral compass in the Oval Office, our country is dangerously adrift. But this November, we can choose another direction. This November, unity and empathy are on the ballot. Experience and intelligence are on the ballot. Joe Biden is on the ballot, and I'm confident he will bring these qualities back to White House.

I don't make a practice of publicly announcing my vote. But this election year is different. And I believe Biden was made for this moment. Biden leads with his heart. I don't mean that in a soft and sentimental way. I'm talking about a fierce compassion -- the kind that fuels him, that drives him to fight against racial and economic injustice, that won't let him rest while people are struggling.

As FDR showed, empathy and ethics are not signs of weakness. They're signs of strength. I think Americans are coming back to that view. Despite Trump -- despite his daily efforts to divide us -- I see much of the country beginning to reunite again, the way it did when I was a kid. You can see it in the peaceful protests of the past several weeks -- Americans of all races and classes coming together to fight against racism. You can see it the ways that communities are pulling together in the face of this pandemic, even if the White House has left them to fend for themselves.

These acts of compassion and kindness make our country stronger. This November, we have a chance to make it stronger still -- by choosing a president who is consistent with our values, and whose moral compass points toward justice."

--Robert Redford, July 8, 2020

Vote, folks.

November 3, be sure to vote.

And vote blue.

Quote of the Day -- Election Day Version

“My dear friends: Your vote is precious, almost sacred. It is the most powerful nonviolent tool we have to create a more perfect union.”

–- Representative John Lewis, a 2012 speech in Charlotte, North Carolina

Quote of the Day -- Memorial Version

(Click on picture for easier reading).

Rest in peace, Representative Lewis. 

You've certainly earned it. 

We'll keep up the good fight.

We must.

On Being a Liberal

Reputedly, supposedly, reportedly and hopefully, from Ron Howard, found out there on social media:

January 24 at 5:41 AM

I'm a liberal, but that doesn't mean what a lot of you apparently think it does. Let's break it down, shall we? Because quite frankly, I'm getting a little tired of being told what I believe and what I stand for. Spoiler alert: not every liberal is the same, though the majority of liberals I know think along roughly these same lines:

1. I believe a country should take care of its weakest members. A country cannot call itself civilized when its children, disabled, sick, and elderly are neglected. PERIOD.

2. I believe healthcare is a right, not a privilege. Somehow that's interpreted as "I believe Obamacare is the end-all, be-all." This is not the case. I'm fully aware that the ACA has problems, that a national healthcare system would require everyone to chip in, and that it's impossible to create one that is devoid of flaws, but I have yet to hear an argument against it that makes "let people die because they can't afford healthcare" a better alternative. I believe healthcare should be far cheaper than it is, and that everyone should have access to it. And no, I'm not opposed to paying higher taxes in the name of making that happen.

3. I believe education should be affordable. It doesn't necessarily have to be free (though it works in other countries so I'm mystified as to why it can't work in the US), but at the end of the day, there is no excuse for students graduating college saddled with five- or six-figure debt.

4. I don't believe your money should be taken from you and given to people who don't want to work. I have literally never encountered anyone who believes this. Ever. I just have a massive moral problem with a society where a handful of people can possess the majority of the wealth while there are people literally starving to death, freezing to death, or dying because they can't afford to go to the doctor. Fair wages, lower housing costs, universal healthcare, affordable education, and the wealthy actually paying their share would go a long way toward alleviating this. Somehow believing that makes me a communist.

5. I don't throw around "I'm willing to pay higher taxes" lightly. If I'm suggesting something that involves paying more, well, it's because I'm fine with paying my share as long as it's actually going to something besides lining corporate pockets or bombing other countries while Americans die without healthcare.

6. I believe companies should be required to pay their employees a decent, livable wage. Somehow this is always interpreted as me wanting burger flippers to be able to afford a penthouse apartment and a Mercedes. What it actually means is that no one should have to work three full-time jobs just to keep their head above water. Restaurant servers should not have to rely on tips, multibillion-dollar companies should not have employees on food stamps, workers shouldn't have to work themselves into the ground just to barely make ends meet, and minimum wage should be enough for someone to work 40 hours and live.

7. I am not anti-Christian. I have no desire to stop Christians from being Christians, to close churches, to ban the Bible, to forbid prayer in school, etc. (BTW, prayer in school is NOT illegal; *compulsory* prayer in school is - and should be - illegal). All I ask is that Christians recognize *my* right to live according to *my* beliefs. When I get pissed off that a politician is trying to legislate Scripture into law, I'm not "offended by Christianity" -- I'm offended that you're trying to force me to live by your religion's rules. You know how you get really upset at the thought of Muslims imposing Sharia law on you? That's how I feel about Christians trying to impose biblical law on me. Be a Christian. Do your thing. Just don't force it on me or mine.

8. I don't believe LGBT people should have more rights than you. I just believe they should have the *same* rights as you.

9. I don't believe illegal immigrants should come to America and have the world at their feet, especially since THIS ISN'T WHAT THEY DO (spoiler: undocumented immigrants are ineligible for all those programs they're supposed to be abusing, and if they're "stealing" your job it's because your employer is hiring illegally). I believe there are far more humane ways to handle undocumented immigration than our current practices (i.e., detaining children, splitting up families, ending DACA, etc).

10. I don't believe the government should regulate everything, but since greed is such a driving force in our country, we NEED regulations to prevent cut corners, environmental destruction, tainted food/water, unsafe materials in consumable goods or medical equipment, etc. It's not that I want the government's hands in everything -- I just don't trust people trying to make money to ensure that their products/practices/etc. are actually SAFE. Is the government devoid of shadiness? Of course not. But with those regulations in place, consumers have recourse if they're harmed and companies are liable for medical bills, environmental cleanup, etc. Just kind of seems like common sense when the alternative to government regulation is letting companies bring their bottom line into the equation.

11. I believe our current administration is fascist. Not because I dislike them or because I can’t get over an election, but because I've spent too many years reading and learning about the Third Reich to miss the similarities. Not because any administration I dislike must be Nazis, but because things are actually mirroring authoritarian and fascist regimes of the past.

12. I believe the systemic racism and misogyny in our society is much worse than many people think, and desperately needs to be addressed. Which means those with privilege -- white, straight, male, economic, etc. -- need to start listening, even if you don't like what you're hearing, so we can start dismantling everything that's causing people to be marginalized.

13. I am not interested in coming after your blessed guns, nor is anyone serving in government. What I am interested in is the enforcement of present laws and enacting new, common sense gun regulations. Got another opinion? Put it on your page, not mine.

14. I believe in so-called political correctness. I prefer to think it’s social politeness. If I call you Chuck and you say you prefer to be called Charles I’ll call you Charles. It’s the polite thing to do. Not because everyone is a delicate snowflake, but because as Maya Angelou put it, when we know better, we do better. When someone tells you that a term or phrase is more accurate/less hurtful than the one you're using, you now know better. So why not do better? How does it hurt you to NOT hurt another person?

15. I believe in funding sustainable energy, including offering education to people currently working in coal or oil so they can change jobs. There are too many sustainable options available for us to continue with coal and oil. Sorry, billionaires. Maybe try investing in something else.

16. I believe that women should not be treated as a separate class of human. They should be paid the same as men who do the same work, should have the same rights as men and should be free from abuse. Why on earth shouldn’t they be?

I think that about covers it. Bottom line is that I'm a liberal because I think we should take care of each other. That doesn't mean you should work 80 hours a week so your lazy neighbor can get all your money. It just means I don't believe there is any scenario in which preventable suffering is an acceptable outcome as long as money is saved.

Added to all that, the definition of a liberal:

liberal  [ˈlib(ə)rəl]

ADJECTIVE

willing to respect or accept behavior or opinions different from one's own; open to new ideas.
"they have more liberal views toward marriage and divorce than some people"

Synonyms:
tolerant · unprejudiced · unbigoted · broad-minded · open-minded ·

relating to or denoting a political and social philosophy that promotes individual rights, civil liberties, democracy, and free enterprise.

"a liberal democratic state"

synonyms:
progressive · advanced · modern · forward-looking · forward-thinking ·

relating to a Liberal party or (in the UK) the Liberal Democrat Party.
"the Liberal leader"

given, used, or occurring in generous amounts.
"liberal amounts of wine had been consumed"

NOUN

a supporter of policies that are socially progressive and promote social welfare.Often contrasted with conservative.

"are we dealing with a polarization between liberals and conservatives?" ·

a supporter of a political and social philosophy that promotes individual rights, civil liberties, democracy, and free enterprise.

"classical liberals emphasized the right of the individual to make decisions, even if the results dismayed their neighbors or injured themselves"

a supporter or member of a Liberal party or (in the UK) the Liberal Democrat Party.
"the Liberals are looking to defend a seat in Tuebrook and Stoneycroft"

Harry Truman and V-E Day, Same Day!

Yessir and ma'am, today would have been President Harry Truman's 136th birthday!

Harry S. Truman was born 136 years ago today

And then yes, the 75th Anniversary of V-E Day--Victory in Europe Day, the end of World War II.

VE Day 75th anniversary: WWII veterans share lessons

VE Day 2020: Britain toasts second world war heroes

VE Day: UK marking 75th anniversary of end of WW2

Huge, huge day.

So happy birthday, Harry! And thanks so very much for all you---and certainly our Veterans---did.

Would that we had such leadership today.

And Now, Biden v. Trump

I think it's sad and unfortunate we've come down to Joe Biden as a candidate for the presidency this year.

Enlarge Image

But it's absolutely, literally frightening, no understatement, that we've come down to Donald Trump.

Again.

Fortunately, we have this in our favor. This is from last Fall.

Poll: Most Voters Dislike President Donald Trump

Mr. Trump had, almost singularly, the economy going for him. Now, he certainly doesn't have that. 

Added to the above link is this:

Polls: Majority of Americans disapprove of Trump’s handling of the coronavirus outbreak

Joe Biden may not have been your first pick for President this year.

He certainly wasn't mine.

And sure, he's likely at least unimaginative and uninspired and yes, accused in the past of sexual assault.

Unlike Mr. Trump, he was not accused of sexual assault--or rape--by 80 different women.

But Joe Biden is, by far, far and away, a huge preference to Donald J Trump even the first time, let alone for a second term.

It's sad we've come to this.

Vote.

And vote blue.

And get all your family and friends out to vote, too.

Well, except your crotchety old Uncle Goober, the Trump supporter.

#bluewave

Link:

Biden vs. Trump: The General Election Is Here, and Transformed

This Is How Bad Politics and Government Are In Our United States Today

It looks for all the world as though Joe Biden will be the Democratic Party candidate for the presidency this Fall.

Sure, Bernie Sanders could still pull yet more delegates in the states that have yet to vote but it does look like, between the money and corporations and organizations that are already behind Mr. Biden and that will be behind him, he will likely gain this political nod and position.

So as the title says, this is how bad politics, presidential, federal government is just now in our nation.

Joe Biden would be a HUGE improvement over Donald, "The John", Trump but he is no way a change agent. Not for the environment, heck, not even for the people.

I've written and posted here, in the last 3 years, some of the worst of the current administration in our White House. God knows this President is ignorant of our government and personally arrogant and misogynist and sexist and racist and homophobic and so much more.

So yes, Joe Biden will be an improvement.

Yahoo.

He can keep us from going over any further national and international brinks, so to speak. He and Congress should be able to, at last, get and keep Russians out of our elections and so much more.

But here's Joe Biden.

And as for the environment?  More on Joe.

Greenpeace Gives Joe Biden a D- 

on Climate Change Report Card

And look what happened today to the markets after Joe did so well last evening.

Dow jumps more than 800 points as Biden Super Tuesday victories boost health care stocks

Oh, sure, Joe says he'll go back and fight for an element of Obamacare.

Biden Vows To Reinstate Obamacare’s 

Individual Mandate

One element. That's it.

Forget about much significant change in our health care system.

Or change in much of anything else, for that matter.

No, no. Joe Biden is, hmm, at best, a "decent" man. He means well. In his career in Congress, he's been "Go Along Joe." He famously/infamously voted for the Iraq war and on and on. 

The wealthy and corporate America no way want a Bernie Sanders or Elizabeth Warren in the White House, know that, fellow Americans. They no way want to allow or make possible true, fundamental change, changes back for the people, the middle-, working- or lower-classes.

All that can be said for him, for or about Joe Biden, is that he's no Donald Trump.  He's an improvement over that.

That, ladies and gentlemen, is how desperately bad our national politics and government are presently.

These are dire times indeed.

We are bought and sold.

God help America.

Link: More of the Democrats and Democratic Party stifling true Progressives--

Pelosi Carries Right-Wing Rep. Henry Cuellar Over Finish Line to Defeat Progressive Jessica Cisneros

Man who took 30 years to win one state considered "electable"

The Case Against Joe Biden: Former VP’s Long Career Shows a Recurring Theme of “Appeasing the Right”

A Notable, Don't-Miss Speech From the Impeachment Proceedings Yesterday

House Representative Steny Hoyer (D-CA) said it all and said it so very well yesterday in the impeachment hearings. It shouldn't be missed by any adult, voting American.

Transcript of U.S. Rep. Steny Hoyer’s speech on the articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump

“Madam Speaker, I’ve had the honor of serving in this House for over thirty-eight years. I’ve served during six presidencies. I’ve been here through moments of tremendous progress and terrible tragedy. I’ve seen periods of rank partisanship and patriotic bipartisanship. I’ve seen our two-party system work, and I’ve seen it break down.

“Never, in all my years serving in this great institution and the people of my district, did I ever expect to encounter such obvious wrongdoing by a President of the United States. Nor did I expect to witness such craven rationalization of presidential actions, which have put our national security at risk, undermined the integrity of our elections, and defied the Constitutional authority of the Congress to conduct oversight.

“We’ve heard from Republicans that this impeachment really has to do with policy differences or concerns about the President’s temperament or that we simply dislike the President. They’ve alleged that Democrats have been itching to impeach him since he first took office. The facts say otherwise.

“Throughout the Trump presidency, Democrats have resisted pursuing impeachment even as we watched with dismay and disgust at a pattern of wrongdoing. That pattern included ordering federal agencies to lie to the public, firing the FBI Director for refusing to end an investigation of his campaign, siding with Vladimir Putin over our intelligence agencies, taking funding away from the military to put toward an ineffective border wall, and setting policies that have led to the separation of families and the caging of children. We have, to be sure, deep disagreements with the policies and actions taken by this president. But they are not reasons to pursue what Chairman Schiff has called, ‘a wrenching process for the nation.’

“In fact, Democrats rejected that process emphatically in three specific votes. In December of 2017, Democrats overwhelmingly voted against pursuing articles of impeachment, including the Speaker and myself. We did so again in 2018, with over sixty percent of Democrats rejecting that path. Again, in July 2019, just days before the infamous July 25 telephone call, we did the same, with sixty percent of Democrats voting not to proceed.
“What I will do is remind Americans that the House provided President Trump every opportunity to prove his innocence. Instead, he ignored Congressional subpoenas for documents and for testimony by White House officials and ordered his subordinates not to cooperate. This itself is unprecedented. When Presidents Nixon and Clinton were asked to hand over documents and allow officials to testify, ultimately both complied. Because it is the law. Such actions of the President can be taken as further evidence of his obstruction and abuse of power. It is itself impeachable conduct, the subject of the second article in this resolution.

“These two articles before us concern two very profound Constitutional issues about the abuse of power in our republic. First, whether it is acceptable for the President of the United States to solicit foreign interference in our elections, undermining our national security and the integrity of our democracy. And second, whether it is permissible for the president to obstruct Congress and act as if he is above the law and immune from Constitutional oversight.

“On December 4, the Judiciary Committee heard the testimony of Constitutional law experts who weighed in on these points. One of them, Professor Noah Feldman, cautioned: ‘If we cannot impeach a president who abuses his office for personal advantage, we no longer live in a democracy. We live in a monarchy, or we live under a dictatorship.’

“The votes we are about to take concern the rule of law and our democracy itself. Let us not forget the words of the philosopher John Locke, so influential to the Founders of our republic. He warned: ‘Wherever law ends, tyranny begins.’

“This impeachment asks whether we are still a republic of laws, as our Founders intended – or whether we will accept that one person can be above the law. In America, no one is above the law, but only as long as we hold every person accountable for breaking the law – even a president. Especially a president.

“If the House does not act – if we wait and delay – we run the risk of allowing the President’s misconduct to be repeated at the expense of the integrity of our elections, our national security, and our Constitutional system of separation of powers. Democrats did not choose impeachment. We did not wish for it. But President Trump’s misconduct has forced our Constitutional republic to protect itself.

“These votes we are about to take – and the process that will follow in the Senate – are not only an assessment of the President’s commitment to the Constitution or to his oath of office. It is, as well, a test of our own. Damning evidence of the President’s high crimes has emerged. Nevertheless, Republican Members of this House and of the Senate have continued to defend a President whose actions and statements are indefensible.

“All of us feel a sense of loyalty to party. It’s what makes our two-party system function. It’s what helps hold presidents and majorities accountable. But party loyalty must have its limits. And as evidence of the President’s impeachable offenses has mounted, it has become increasingly clear that the limits of partisanship have been reached and passed.

“Now, Democrats and Republicans together face a test before our constituents, our countrymen, and our Creator.

“The New York Times on October 18 summarized the question now posed to House and Senate Republicans: ‘Compromise by compromise, Donald Trump has hammered away at what Republicans once saw as foundational virtues: decency, honesty, responsibility. …Will they commit themselves and their party wholly to Mr. Trump, embracing even his most anti-democratic actions, or will they take the first step toward separating themselves from him and restoring confidence in the rule of law?’

“Madam Speaker, we have seen Republican courage throughout our history, from the Civil War to the Cold War. In 1950, Margaret Chase Smith, the Senator from Maine, spoke bravely against the cancer of McCarthyism in her party, leading six of her Republican colleagues in a ‘Declaration of Conscience’ against their own leadership.‘We are Republicans,’ they declared, ‘but we are Americans first.’

“In 1974, one Congressman took the brave and principled step of becoming the first Republican on the Judiciary Committee to support impeaching President Nixon. He said to his colleagues and to the country: ‘…It isn’t easy for me to align myself against the president to whom I gave my enthusiastic support… on whose side I’ve stood in many legislative battles, whose accomplishments in foreign and domestic affairs I’ve consistently applauded. But it’s impossible for me to condone or ignore the long train of abuses to which he has subjected the presidency and the people of this country. The Constitution and my own oath of office demand that I bear true faith and allegiance to the principles of law and justice upon which this nation was founded. And I cannot in good conscience turn away from the evidence of evil that is to me so clear and compelling.’

“That Congressman’s name was Larry Hogan Sr. He represented the Fifth District of Maryland, which I now represent. His son is presently the second-term Republican governor of our state. When Larry Hogan Sr. died in 2017, every obituary led with praise for his great act of political courage. Who among us, many years from now, will receive such praise as a man or woman of courage? Who will regret not having earned it?

“When Rep. Justin Amash left the Republican Party, he admonished his colleagues that: ‘This president will only be in power for a short time, but excusing his behavior will forever tarnish your name.’ Rep. Amash, of course, is the only Member of this House who has no allegiance to either party. He is supporting both articles of impeachment.

“We need not ask who will be the first to show courage by standing up to President Trump. The question we must now ask is: who will be the last to find it?

“The pages of our history are filled with Americans who had the courage to choose country over party or personality. But, as President Kennedy wrote: ‘The stories of past courage …can teach, they can offer hope, they can provide inspiration. But they cannot supply courage itself. For this each man must look into his own soul.’

“I urge my colleagues in the House and in the Senate: look into your soul. Summon the courage to vote for our Constitution and our democracy. To do less betrays our oath and that of our Founders, who pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor. Let us neither turn away from the evidence, which is so clear, nor from our good conscience, which compels us to do what in our hearts we know to be right. Let us not allow the rule of law to end or for tyranny to find its toehold."