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.

Look Who Said Trump Needs to Accept the Election Now!

Breaking today! This afternoon!

 

Check this out! Look who also gets added to the growing list of Right Wingers and Republicans and conservatives who say Trump should accept our election!

Televangelist Pat Robertson says Trump lives in an 'alternate reality' and should move on from election loss

Even Right Wing wacko Pat Robertson says Trump is living in an "alternate reality" and should move on and accept our election and the results! Fantastic! We'll get there yet!

Happy holidays indeed, y'all!  Enjoy! Have great---and safe--holidays!

Meanwhile, unfortunately, also this.

Trump assembles a ragtag crew of conspiracy-minded allies in flailing bid to reverse election loss

Not done there, here is this man Trump today both rather predictably and unfortunately.

Trump is prepared to lay waste to everyone around him in election loss tantrum

Then finally today, there is this.

You can preorder a $100 'Trump defeats COVID' commemorative coin at White House Gift Shop

When have we ever, ever heard of this or anything like it being done by a sitting President?

The answer, of course? Never. Ever. Not by any President. Again, thanks, Republicans. Thanks so very much for this guy.  Grifters gotta' grift.

#Throwthebumout

Let's Be Clear About This President

Donald Trump is the worst President in History

Donald Trump Is The Worst President In US History

Donald J Trump is The Worst President Ever

The worst president. Ever

Donald Trump is indisputably the worst president 

Why Donald Trump Is Already the Worst President

I hope I've cleared that up.

Have a nice day.

Links:

Bill Gates' dire warning: U.S. could lose its global leadership role under Trump

Fintan O’Toole: Donald Trump has destroyed the country he promised to make great again

The world has loved, hated and envied the US. Now, for the first time, we pity it

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”

Quote of the Day -- Presidential Edition

"This president will be in power for only a short time, but excusing his misbehavior will forever tarnish your name. To my Republican colleagues: step outside your media and social bubble. History will not look kindly on disingenuous, frivolous, and false defenses of this man."

--Justin Amash

Quote of the Day: Harry Had It Right

Harry had the Republicans down cold, from then, his day, to today.

Quote of the Day (Week, Month, Year)-- On Donald Trump

A Facebook friend posted the following quote about Donald Trump and I cannot find a better, more complete, nor more accurate description of the man.

Someone asked "Why do some British people not like Donald Trump?"

Nate White, an articulate and witty writer from England, wrote this magnificent response:

"A few things spring to mind.

Trump lacks certain qualities which the British traditionally esteem.

For instance, he has no class, no charm, no coolness, no credibility, no compassion, no wit, no warmth, no wisdom, no subtlety, no sensitivity, no self-awareness, no humility, no honour and no grace - all qualities, funnily enough, with which his predecessor Mr. Obama was generously blessed.

So for us, the stark contrast does rather throw Trump’s limitations into embarrassingly sharp relief.

Plus, we like a laugh. And while Trump may be laughable, he has never once said anything wry, witty or even faintly amusing - not once, ever.

I don’t say that rhetorically, I mean it quite literally: not once, not ever. And that fact is particularly disturbing to the British sensibility - for us, to lack humour is almost inhuman.

But with Trump, it’s a fact. He doesn’t even seem to understand what a joke is - his idea of a joke is a crass comment, an illiterate insult, a casual act of cruelty.

Trump is a troll. And like all trolls, he is never funny and he never laughs; he only crows or jeers.

And scarily, he doesn’t just talk in crude, witless insults - he actually thinks in them. His mind is a simple bot-like algorithm of petty prejudices and knee-jerk nastiness.

There is never any under-layer of irony, complexity, nuance or depth. It’s all surface.

Some Americans might see this as refreshingly upfront.

Well, we don’t. We see it as having no inner world, no soul.

And in Britain we traditionally side with David, not Goliath. All our heroes are plucky underdogs: Robin Hood, Dick Whittington, Oliver Twist.

Trump is neither plucky, nor an underdog. He is the exact opposite of that.

He’s not even a spoiled rich-boy, or a greedy fat-cat.

He’s more a fat white slug. A Jabba the Hutt of privilege.

And worse, he is that most unforgivable of all things to the British: a bully.

That is, except when he is among bullies; then he suddenly transforms into a snivelling sidekick instead.

There are unspoken rules to this stuff - the Queensberry rules of basic decency - and he breaks them all. He punches downwards - which a gentleman should, would, could never do - and every blow he aims is below the belt. He particularly likes to kick the vulnerable or voiceless - and he kicks them when they are down.

So the fact that a significant minority - perhaps a third - of Americans look at what he does, listen to what he says, and then think 'Yeah, he seems like my kind of guy’ is a matter of some confusion and no little distress to British people, given that:
* Americans are supposed to be nicer than us, and mostly are.
* You don't need a particularly keen eye for detail to spot a few flaws in the man.

This last point is what especially confuses and dismays British people, and many other people too; his faults seem pretty bloody hard to miss.

After all, it’s impossible to read a single tweet, or hear him speak a sentence or two, without staring deep into the abyss. He turns being artless into an art form; he is a Picasso of pettiness; a Shakespeare of shit. His faults are fractal: even his flaws have flaws, and so on ad infinitum.

God knows there have always been stupid people in the world, and plenty of nasty people too. But rarely has stupidity been so nasty, or nastiness so stupid.

He makes Nixon look trustworthy and George W look smart.

In fact, if Frankenstein decided to make a monster assembled entirely from human flaws - he would make a Trump.

And a remorseful Doctor Frankenstein would clutch out big clumpfuls of hair and scream in anguish:

'My God… what… have… I… created?

If being a twat was a TV show, Trump would be the boxed set."
Meanwhile, THANKS, REPUBLICANS!

Now get us out of this mess.

What This President Is Concerned With Today

This, of all things in the world today, just this moment, is what's concerning the person who is supposed to be the leader of our nation and the Western world. He tweeted the following this morning.

Donald J. Trump‏
Verified account
@realDonaldTrump
Following Following @realDonaldTrump

Alec Baldwin, whose dying mediocre career was saved by his terrible impersonation of me on SNL, now says playing me was agony. Alec, it was agony for those who were forced to watch. Bring back Darrell Hammond, funnier and a far greater talent!

I'm glad he's thinking and working on the big stuff.

Guns in America?  Nuclear warheads?  Nuclear war? Kim Jong Un? North Korea? Nuclear weapons?A foreign enemy hacking and influencing our elections? The economy? Health care, affordable health care? Any of that?

No. None of that.

A Saturday Night Live comedian/actor, instead.

Have you had enough, Republicans? Can we be over this soon?

Rather Frightening Facts About This Trump Presidency

I was especially struck by an article today in The Atlantic.

Donald Trump Is a Lame-Duck President

There are some things about this that need to be pointed out.

First, I and a lot of people out here think this is true, unequivocally.

Second, that he is or is considered to be a "lame duck" President in not only his first term but in the first seven months of his presidency is incredible. It's stunning. It is, again, as so much of his presidency, unprecedented. Not only has this never happened before to a president at any time in his presidency but it's stunning it has become so and yet more stunning because he's done this to himself. His own actions and words and miscalculations have brought this upon him.

Third, it may well be good because his judgment is so poor on so many topics facing the nation but...

It's bad for the nation because he's not leading, he's not governing. He's not doing nor is he now able to do those things for which he was put into office. This is just one indication of what the nation can expect with this being true.

It's bad news for stocks 

if Trump is now a lame duck

Lots of us warned about a President Trump.  Lots of us warned last year. Lots of those who did warn were Republicans, too. 

Now it's become true and those "chickens have come home to roost", so to speak.

We warned of a Trump presidency. We feared it. Now our fears have come true. Here are, already, some of the things that have been written and said about our nation, due to this man and his presidency.

The G20 proves it. The world no longer 

looks to America for leadership

Gergen: Trump no longer seen 

as world leader at G20

Because of Trump, 

U.S. No Longer World's Most Powerful Country

U.S. Has 'Resigned' As 

Leader Of Free World, Says Fareed Zakaria

Even people in his own political party are questioning him, if not out and out against him.

GOP senator questions Donald Trump's 

stability, competence

2 GOP senators question Trump's competence

Trump Comments on Race Open Breach 

With CEOs, Military and GOP

Lindsey Graham: 

'Half of what Trump does is not OK

McCain threatens to block 

Trump's Pentagon nominee

We now fear for our nation, for our nation's strength, our nation's future.

Links:

Washington Post Gloats: Trump is Lame Duck President

Why a Lame-Duck Trump Is Even More Dangerous 

Mark this date: Donald Trump is now a lame-duck president

Donald Trump Is Already a Lame Duck

Trump Disbands Manufacturing And Business Advisory Councils

Amid wave of defections, Trump's business, jobs councils disband

Trump shuts down CEO advisory councils

Now charities are dumping Trump, too

16 Charities Have Cancelled Fundraisers At Mar-A-Lago

How Donald Trump Fails Logic and Presidential Thinking

The Quickly Developing Presidential, Constitutional Saga That Is Donald Trump

It's getting so it's tough to keep up with all that's happening, all that's unraveling from and out of this White House and administration. It's nearly dizzying. Check out this brief analysis of the last 18 hours or so:

"So last night a story breaks that Trump gave classified information to the Russians. Trump sends all his top staff people out to deny it, say it's a dirty lie. Then this morning Trump sends out tweets saying that he did give classified information to the Russians and explains why. No information yet on whether his staff will continue to deny it."

--Bruce Bartlett

It's important we keep this man and his actions in perspective.

"...John McCain was a prisoner of war for 5 years and didn't reveal as much classified information as Trump..."

--Bob Minor, Professor, retired, KU; also with Missouri Jobs with Justice and friend.

And the hell of it is, it's not just that he's stupid or very stupid, though God know that's more and yet more apparent, it's that he indicts himself with what comes from his own mouth.

Trump undercuts aides, confirms key details of story about sharing sensitive intel with Russia

Who could even begin to guess what's next?

Congratulations, again, Republicans. You got your man in the White House, all right.

Trump's Actual Plan for the Presidency

What We Wouldn't Have With That Other President

From Facebook yesterday--

A reminder of what Hillary Clinton WOULDN'T be doing right now if she were the President she should be, given that she earned 3 million more American votes than the current occupant:

-Taking away your healthcare

-Rolling back your Social Security benefits

-Rolling back your Medicare benefits

- Choosing which religions are okay for you to practice

- Slowing tourism to the United States

- Punishing people for being gay or transgender

- Destroying the EPA and the Dept. of Education

- Rolling back clean water and air protections

- Deregulating Wall Street

- Allowing companies to dump waste in waterways

- Appointing people who hate government agencies to run them

- Attacking the press

- Wasting $22 billion on a useless wall

- Giving racist organizations encouragement

- Giving Russia encouragement

- Appointing Supreme Court justices who oppose gun legislation and Roe V. Wade

- Destroying climate change regulations

- Golfing every weekend

- Taking 

- Defunding Planned Parenthood

- Shamelessly shilling for her family businesses, hotels, clothing lines, jewelry

- Refusing to make public her taxes

- Ending funding of the Arts and Public broadcasting

- Paying to secure three "White Houses" in three states

- Rolling back your democratically chosen option to smoke marijuana.

There's more but already, that's a long, long, even scary list.

How long are you going to tolerate this, America?

Links:   Leashes Come Off Wall Street, Gun Sellers, Polluters 
and More

Senate votes to kill worker safety rule aimed at federal contractors

Two Surprising Results From Two Different Right Wing Sources

Two men, neither of which I voted for or would vote for or whom I hoped would become either our next president or Missouri state governor, Right Wing extremists as they are, have taken two separate political stands.  And I have to say, I'm pleasantly surprise by both.

Donald Trump took this one:

Shaming Firms That Export Jobs 

Has Worked For Trump So Far

And our "Pretty Boy" Governor-elect, Eric Greitens, this:

Greitens stands firm: No state funding 

for stadium project

So even though both men represent nearly everything I am against, at least we got these 2 very separate rays of sunshine.

Here's hoping this isn't the first and last thing we can be thankful for from these two.

The Trumps Say They Won't Prostitute the Office of the Presidency Directly Any More

According to the New York Times today:

President-elect Donald J. Trump’s son Eric Trump says he will no longer directly solicit contributions for charities because of the potential for donors to try to use him to gain access to his father.

How comforting.

So, in the first place, these people, including this man soon-to-be-President, they were all going to pimp his own presidency, pimp the nation, really, all of us, for big-time funds just because enough of us were foolish, if not stupid enough to have voted for him. That's horrible enough.

Now, his son says they won't do it "directly."

Now they'll have a middle-man do it, no doubt.

What's bizarre, first, is that it would and did even occur to them to do this. Second, someone had to no doubt tell them how completely and utterly inappropriate it is, if not thoroughly illegal.

Fantastic.

Again, thanks, Republicans and Right Wingers and all the racists and Obama haters out there who voted for this clownish, infantile buffoon.  It's already paying off for them---and maybe for you, too?--and he's not even inaugurated.

Link:   Trump's Son, Fearing 'Quagmire,' to Stop Soliciting

Okay, Republicans and Trump Supporters, The Next Four Years Are All On You

Yes, Republicans and all who supported and voted for Donald J. Trump for president, after today, he and all he does and all the ramifications are all, every one of them, on you.

Sure, Mr. Trump is already taking us down his deep, dark "rabbit hole" and we'll all suffer but his actions? The blame for what he does and says and tweets and all the ramifications? Even the ones from the election to today, while he was only president-elect, everything from November 8 to today and for as long as he is president, it's all on you. We have you and your vote and your actions to blame.

The economy?   On you.

The nation's international standings?

You.

Any debt or debts he accrues?

Wars?

All.

On you.

And believe me, if he should do anything right and/or well and good, sure, you absolutely get any credit there.

Should that occur.

Same for Mike Pence, as Vice President or, God also forbid, President.

You get all the blame.  It's all on you, to repeat.

You wanted this. You voted for it. You supported him and all he represented then and represents since.

Yes, he's all our President, the nation's President but not because we voted for him, not because a majority of us voted for him.  You did this.

So buck up and suck it up, kids, because Mr. Trump has already shown us all, since that fateful November election day last year that this is going to be a bumpy, bumpy, unpredictable ride.

It's just on your hands.

An Open Letter To Donald J. Trump

An open letter to Donald J. Trump.

Dear Mr. Trump,

We, a lot of us out here in America, are still baffled how we got where we are just now.

We're baffled you somehow won the nomination of the Republican Party to be their candidate for the presidency, the highest office in the nation and the most powerful office in the world.

Worst, many, many of us out here are still reeling from even the idea that you won this office in our election, let alone the fact of it.

But that is all where we are now.

So, being here, you, sir, need to understand the weight and responsibility that is soon to be on your shoulders.  You need to understand that you are there to lead us, at least for the next four years, politically and morally, at least.

You need to understand, sir, there are things we, as a nation, decided we cannot and will not accept or tolerate. Some of them that fall under this list are the following

--Racism

Unfortunately, you have shown, sir, blatant racist intentions and intent. We, as a nation, as a people, decided long ago we cannot and will not have that in our government nor in our government officials.  We are one people, on this planet, in our country, and we must live and act as such.

--Sexism

You REALLY don't seem to get this one, sir. So to clear this up, I give you the definition:

prejudice, stereotyping, or discrimination, typically against women, on the basis of sex.
Again, we decided long ago this is intolerable. You are to be the leader of the nation soon, sir, of all of us. And over one half of us are women, in numbers, and they are worth every bit of respect as their male counterparts.

--Misogyny

Again, because you have shown a lack of awareness on this point, I give you the definition.

dislike of, contempt for, or ingrained prejudice against women.

See just above. This cannot and will not be tolerated.

It needs to be pointed out that you are to be the President and leader of ALL Americans, sir. Rich and poor, Black, brown, white, male, female, all of us. We need to come together, as I pointed out here earlier, since you were elected. We are a nation of immigrants. We are, famously, a "melting pot."

Please, sir, conduct yourself with levity and thought and thoughtfulness and nuance and understanding. The things you say and do will resonate a great deal beyond just you and your former life and influence. You will be covered daily by the press and news media. You must be inclusive with them, as well, and not exclusive. It's not your place to say that any media outlet can't cover you.  You asked and worked for this position, sir. You must soon take on its full mantel. 

A lot of us out here are scared, sir, given what you've said and done on the campaign trail.

You will soon be President of all of us, sir. And for four years.

You will have to act like it.

Finally, please, please remember and always keep in mind that it can and usually does take more strength and character and intelligence and courage to wage and keep the peace than it does to wage war.

God help you, sir, and God help us all.

Links:  

Just two days after Trump’s election, reports of anti-Islam attacks spike

Sign the petition: End the Electoral College

MoveOn Petitions - Abolish the Electoral College

Petition · U.S. Senate: Abolish the Electoral College

Petition to eliminate the electoral college- One vote .

.--We the People

Some Relevant Missouri History

I saw this today from the New York Times. Given the presidential election currently proceeding, it's interesting to see how we've developed and changed--at least somewhat--and where our past leaders and current policies came from.

Choosing a vice-presidential nominee has never been easy, but once upon a time the candidate at the top of the ticket didn’t have to sweat it, as it wasn’t his decision.

In the latter half of the 1800s, the power to pick a running mate often belonged to the party bosses who ran the local political machines. They helped determine turnout, which helped decide elections. Their strategy centered on geographic balance.

One of the their last great convention victories came on this day in 1944, when they replaced on the ticket President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s vice president, Henry A. Wallace, with Harry S. Truman, a Missouri senator.

Truman wasn’t the top choice of likely Democratic voters. A Gallup poll that July found that 65 percent preferred Wallace, and Truman came in eighth place, with just 2 percent.

Roosevelt didn’t want him either. The three-term president said that if he were a delegate, he would back Wallace, whom conservative party bosses opposed. Roosevelt’s wishes were ignored, and when a delegate tried to enter the vice president’s name for the nomination, the day’s proceedings were quickly adjourned.

The decision was momentous, as Roosevelt died less than three months into his fourth term and Truman ascended to the presidency. Today, it’s customary for a convention to honor the presidential nominee’s choice for vice president.

Link:  Harry S. Truman | whitehouse.gov

Donald Trump: Truth Bender

Articles from across media in the last 24 hours.

I saw this one yesterday, with video, showing as much.

Tim Tebow Reveals Trump LIED About 

Him Speaking At GOP Convention

Then there's this one from the head of the IRS. I only saw it today but it's from last March.

IRS Chief: “Trump Is A Liar, 

We Audited Him

Finally, this one from today's New York Times

Donald Trump's Deals Rely on Being Creative With the Truth

Anyone see a pattern here, folks?

And people think Hillary's a liar?

Additional link:

161 Silicon Valley Leaders Warn America

Another Historical Presidential Election

Just think of it.

Our last President, meaning our current one, the first black President of the United States.

Fantastic.

I wish I'd had the presence of mind a friend of mine had when he was first elected. He and his wife knew they wanted to be on hand for the acceptance speech in Chicago that November.

Now?

Now we're on the cusp of electing either the first woman President or the first Jewish, Democratic Socialist.

And some people say our best days are behind us. 

Bah.

Republican Presidential Candidates, 2016

Beware.

And be afraid. Be very afraid.