Day: April 25, 2018

Closing Thought–25Apr18

Trump has been at odds with journalists ever since he announced he was a candidate in 2016…..he has daily Twitter storms about this media or that journalists…….usually those that do not agree with him on his many and varied opinions.

And recently Trump stated that journalists, at all, should be jailed and forced to give up their sources…..apparently he is not knowledgeable on the Constitution and the First Amendment……

Amid more salacious talk and other key interactions—including discussions of “golden showers”; how President Trump claimed Russian President Vladimir Putin bragged to him that Russia had the “most beautiful hookers in the world“; and a request by the president for the then FBI director to “let go” of the investigation into national security advisor Michael Flynn—a revealing moment contained in the contemporaneous memos of James Comey, redacted versions of which were released Thursday night, is when Trump suggests jailing journalists and then having them sexually assaulted as way to force them to “talk” about their sources.

http://theantimedia.com/trump-journalists-jail-raped/

Interesting, yes?

For someone that claims all this patriotism to mention anything that impedes a persons First Amendment rights is just silly…..and a bit scary.

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What Brought About The American Revolution

I have always had a soft spot for the early years of this country, most notably the years between 1760-1812 and the American Revolution.

There is a wealth of subjects written about this time and just as many excuses for why the Revolution was fought…..some point to high taxes….others just did not appreciate the monarchy and its influence on the Colonies……I found 10 things that lead to the Revolution and ultimately the independence of this nation.

This article list 10 reasons for the revolution…..

On April 19, 1775, the first battles of the American Revolution were fought in Lexington and Concord between soldiers of the British Empire and American rebels. How did the British Empire, the most powerful, wealthy, and politically sophisticated polity in the world at the time, manage to alienate its most prosperous North American colonies? Here are 10 reasons:

https://www.realclearhistory.com/articles/2018/04/18/top_10_things_that_tipped_off_revolutionary_war_295.html

We Americans have always been an opinionated lot….so here is your chance to voice your opinion on the American Revolution.

Is There A Resurrection In Progress?

As Easter approached the term “resurrection” becomes more and more popular in our society and what better time to offer an political opinion than now?

The big news of the week is the election of a Dem in Western Pennsylvania a deep red district……..

It is still officially too close to call, but Conor Lamb has declared an against-the-odds Democratic victory in the special election in Pennsylvania’s 18th District. He was introduced as “Congressman-elect Lamb” at a Hilton Inn campaign party, even as officials were counting hundreds of absentee ballots, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports. “It took a little longer than we thought, but we did it. You did it!” said Lamb, whose Republican opponent, Rick Saccone, has not conceded. Unofficial results put Lamb ahead by around 600 votes. The margin is narrow enough for supporters of either side to get a recount if they can find three voters in the same precinct who attest to error or fraud, the AP reports.

The district voted for President Trump by 20 points in 2016 and has been so reliably Republican in recent years that Democrats didn’t field a candidate in the 2014 and 2016 House races, meaning the result will be a major worry for the GOP heading into the midterms even if it ends up as a narrow Republican win, the New York Times notes. Trump campaigned in the district and Republican-aligned outside groups spent more than $10 million on the race, even though the winner will only hold the seat for eight months. “The real impact of this race has to do more with the symbolism of the outcome as a harbinger of things to come, and as a reflection of President Trump’s popularity,” pollster Chris Borick tells the Post-Gazette.

And of course the media is painting it as a “blue wave” year coming in the November mid-terms…..but to me the humorous story to come pout of this election is that Lamb is a Repub….(I know…say what?)…..

the RNC and its supporters reversed course and seized on a false talking point that Lamb’s victory was unusual because he was “pro-life” and basically ran as a Republican.

Speaker of the House Paul Ryan (R-WI) told reporters that the result was not a “big surprise” because both candidates “ran as a pro-life anti-Nancy Pelosi conservative.”

(think progress)

Brings a smile to my face and as moronic as his statement sounded……. deep down Ryan may have a point…..

WTF, Professsor?

Lamb sounds like a “Blue Dog Democrat”….(I will pause here for all the people that have NO idea what I am saying to hit the Google button)…..(Times up!)

A Blue Dog Democrat is a member of Congress who is moderate or more conservative in their voting record and political philosophy than other, more liberal, Democrats in the House and Senate. The Blue Dog Democrat, however, has become an increasingly rare breed in American politics as voters and elected officials become more partisan and polarized in their beliefs.

To make it easier to understand…..A Blue Dog Democrat is one who views himself/herself as being in the middle of the partisan spectrum and as an advocate for fiscal restraint at the federal level

The preamble to the Blue Dog Caucus in the House describes its members as being “dedicated to the financial stability and national security of the country, notwithstanding partisan political positions and personal fortune.” (sounds like a Repub to me)

Members of the Blue Dog Democrat coalition listed among their legislative priorities a “Pay-As-You-Go Act,” which require that any legislation that requires an outlay of taxpayer money cannot increase the deficit. (still smells like a Repub)

They also supported balancing the federal budget, closing tax loopholes, and cutting spending through the elimination of programs they feel don’t work.

For further information on Blue Dogs…..

http://content.time.com/time/politics/article/0,8599,1913057,00.html

I give all this information to my readers for I see a return of the Blue Dog Democrats……Dems finding  a way to win elections in an ever expanding conservative base….Clinton-esque crap of the Democratic Leadership Council……

What The Hell Happened?

Do you remember the silly name calling by Trump and Lil Kim?  To many we were close of a nuke meltdown….I also thought there was a chance that all that rhetoric could be a chance for escalation.

After all the doom and gloom we have had a break through…….it appears as if all is coming up daisies and unicorns……

Nukes were the center of all the back and forth…..and now that has changed…..

North Korea’s official state media has announced that as of Saturday, all nuclear and long-range missile testing in the country are being suspended indefinitely. They also announced they will be closing their nuclear testing site.

The decisions were made at a meeting of the nation’s Central Committee, and officials say it marks a broad shift in national focus, toward trying to improve North Korea’s economy. It is also a very helpful move for the peace process.

Oh but wait there is so much more……

North Korea has expressed a desire for the “complete denuclearisation” of the Korean peninsula without attaching preconditions such as the withdrawal of US troops, the South Korean president has said.

The statement, unconfirmed by North Korea, comes before a summit between the leaders of the two countries on 27 April, to be followed in May or June by a meeting between Kim Jong-un, the North Korean leader, and Donald Trump

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/apr/19/north-korea-wants-complete-denuclearisation-says-seoul

After all the chest thumping on both sides…..the “rhetoric” was the story in the past…..what would it be if that were eliminated?

a hotline between North and South Korea as turned on. The line connects North Korean leader Kim Jong-un to South Korea’s President Moon Jae-in. The two are expected to talk over the phone ahead of next Friday’s summit.

Perhaps the biggest change is in rhetoric. North Korea in particular has dialed back anti-US rhetoric significantly. On Thursday, North Korea announced that they are okay giving up nuclear weapons even with the US leaving troops in South Korea. At no point in recent history has North Korea been so open to such a dramatic deal. South Korea and the US have similarly been a lot more optimistic about deals with North Korea over the past several months, as diplomatic efforts starting around the Winter Olympics have grown.

Who would have thought it?  After all the war baiting that the Korean Peninsula would become a more peaceful place.

What will the war Hawks do now?  Iran should prepare itself for new attacks on them by Israel which will make the case for US intervention.