POLITICAL JUNKIES

april485

Ok, so Hillary was the muscle behind Benghazi and she wrote about it in emails, ha ha ha...show me the money! (love that movie)

gotta give it to you Marijen. You have a great sense of humor.

Englishmummy

I think the Watergate thingy was regurgitated and perpetuated by 'Trash' Limbaugh et al.

Snopes.com doesn't seem to think it's true http://www.snopes.com/politics/clintons/zeifman.as...

Next....

ElaineTherese

I'm not fond of Hillary, as she will pursue some policies I don't care for. And yes, she does have some problems with admitting that some of her decisions have been problematic (private server, etc., etc.) But if it's a choice between Hillary and Trump, who is a loose cannon and has already alienated important allies with his moronic claims (e.g., getting Mexico to pay for "the wall"), I choose Hillary.

marijen

Five reasons not to vote for Hillary

http://www.truth-out.org/opinion/item/29052-five-reasons-no-progressive-should-support-hillary-Clinton

Hillary's Legacy as Secretary of State

http://www.truth-out.org/opinion/item/14401-hillary-clintons-legacy-as-secretary-of-state

Hillary Clinton: The Pros and Cons: Why You Should and Should Not Vote for Her for President

Oct 9, 2015by Donald Michaels

Kindle Edition

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Hillary Clinton: The Top 25 Reasons She Should Not Be Elected President

Aug 23, 2015

by John Foster

Say When? There's more....

Meow13

I love Bill Clinton for signing a bill that requires plastic surgery reconstruction coverage for women like us.

ElaineTherese

I used Clinton's Family and Medical Leave Act to get a semester off from teaching after the birth of my kids.

april485

Marijen, these are subjective books about why some people don't like her. Does not hold any allure for me to purchase them whatsoever. I am a Bernie Sanders fan for what its worth by the way. But, I see the writing on the wall. Hillary will likely get the nomination and I will vote for her rather than that abomination of a human called Trump. He is absolutely despicable human being and what is worse is that he has NO platform that makes ANY sense and if he does, he sure hasn't revealed it to me. He is crazy with power and feels he can do whatever he wants and get away with it. Life does not work that way for the 99% so NO WAY I or anyone I personally know is supporting that little dictator.

marijen

So you will vote for the lesser of two evils. Why not just stay home. I'll get back to you in a year to see what you have to say. I know where to find you : )) Really - an abomination? Come on. Over the top. What will you do when Hillary is indicted and Bernie loses......

PS my thoughts are subjective too.

Meow13

Did Trump say he would push to put pre-existing conditions back in insurance? I thought either Rubio or Cruz said they would keep it out?

marijen

Healthcare could have been fixed by changing a few laws such as pre-existing conditions. I'm not sure what the Trump said - but apparently it's all at his website, including his better plan than Obamacare.

I doubt that they would ever go back to the old way. But that's just me. Some say Trump is a Democrat in lamb's clothing (cashmere) I believe.

april485

Why would I stay home? I want Hillary for President if she is nominated. Not Mr. Trump. Please explain to me your rationale on why you think the Donald would make a good President for this country? He has called women every name in the book and that to me is an abomination. He has lied so many times that he is an abomination. Scary and a liar. Wayyyy more of a liar than Hillary or any other politician I have ever seen. He believes his own lies for pete's sake.

http://www.politifact.com/personalities/donald-trump/

Marijen, I don't mean to gang up on you but you seem to be the only one sticking up for Donald Trump. Plus, I am having fun because I promised myself (and I stuck with it) that I would not post ANYTHING this election year on Facebook so this is my only outlet.

Hopeful82014

Frankly Trump does summon up images of 20th century European history that concern me greatly. It also concerns me that many/most of his followers seem oblivious to those concerns and that the media (for those most part) ignores them, too.

I like much of what Sanders has to say but am much more comfortable with the idea of voting for HRC.

marijen

Please show me where I said that Trump would make a good President please?

Englishmummy

• I'm no misogynist; I put women in charge of construction. (Donald Trump - Aug 2015)

ElaineTherese

To me, Trump is an unpredictable abomination. As the child of an immigrant, I don't like his xenophobia. As the mother of twins with disabilities, I was shocked when he mocked a reporter with a disability. As the daughter of a veteran who served during the Vietnam era, I found his comments about John McCain's imprisonment to be inexcusable. As a woman, I find his feud with Megyn Kelley to be typical of a man who cannot stand being questioned by a powerful woman. I haven't even touched on the overt racism of some of his followers....

I won't enjoy voting for Hillary, but Trump lacks the character to serve as leader of the free world.

marijen

I could counter all of that but it's like wacking moles, not up to it at the moment. bbl

Meow13

I am thinking of going to the caucus March 26th at our local middle school. First time for me, my older son is a Bernie fan and he wants to go.

ElaineTherese

OK, Marijen! And, just because I don't like Trump doesn't mean that I don't think his fans have some legitimate gripes about the political system. Peace, sister.

Englishmummy

My hubby went to the one near us, took my daughter. He was really glad he went - my daughter was SO excited when they got home - she gave me a play by play of what went down. I think it gave him a much better view on how these things really work....there were 9 people (out of 107) that were undecided but by the end, 2 went with Hillary and 7 with Bernie, Bernie won overall.

Hopeful82014

Meow, I'd really encourage you to go and take your son. It's a great opportunity for both of you!

We have primaries here, rather than caucuses, and all of our voting is by mail. I love vote by mail but sometimes miss the experience of going to my local precinct station. When we were in school the precincts often voted at a local school and I well remember the special aura of those days - the halls filled with voting booths, teachers reminding us to be quiet so voters could concentrate, etc. I do think it was important for school kids to see voting taking place and the importance everyone placed on it.

ChiSandy

Don’t get me wrong--the dysfunction in the current political system is maddening. Not only does the majority party in Congress make its own rules at the start of every session and keep bills it doesn’t like (or those it doesn’t mind but wishes to hold hostage in return for pet projects like de-funding Planned Parenthood or keeping tax breaks for fat cats--e.g., the Lymphedema Act) or opposition-party Presidents’ nominees from even reaching an up-or-down vote, the minority has the power to filibuster and declare “secret holds” on bills. I can’t be the only one here who doesn’t believe a corporation is a “person” with all the Constitutional rights of an actual human being--nor am I the only one outraged that there are no limits on campaign spending (limits were initially imposed by the bipartisan McCain-Feingold act). Bipartisanship is now defined as “you’d better come over to my side, I’m not moving one inch.”

But let’s not lay blame on the shoulders of “politicians.” Guess what--the moment you run for office you’re a “politician,” and that status becomes firmly set in stone once you’re successful and take office. EVERY elected official has to be a “politician” in order to be successful in achieving, holding and functioning in office. Being an “outsider” with no governmental experience whatsoever does not translate into any degree of competence. Experience is necessary to acquire expertise. Here in IL two years ago, after we kicked out the despicable Rod Blagojevich (an embarrassment to all Illinoisians on both sides of the aisle) too many citizens mistook reformist Gov. Pat Quinn’s inability to persuade longtime “machine” legislative leaders (Dem. from Chicago, GOP from downstate) as “incompetence”--especially after pension policies enacted under the administrations of GOP Govs. Kerner, Thompson, Edgar and Ryan were declared Constitutionally ironclad by a majority-Republican state Supreme Ct. Too many were charmed by Bruce Rauner’s folksy manner (despite being a billionaire venture capitalist), budget (Land’s End Outlet) casual wardrobe, and proud declarations of being an “outsider” (the guy never even ran for class office in grade school); and we now have a Governor hell-bent on holding every budget item hostage in favor of his pro-big-business union-busting agenda--a man so unschooled in political, interpersonal and even business negotiations (as a venture capitalist, he never needed to negotiate, but rather just buy companies because he had billions of dollars as leverage) that he is even less successful than was Quinn in dealing with the legislature.

One of the most popular fallacies propounded by Republicans starting in 2007 was the idea that government and macroeconomics are identical to business and family budgeting, just on a larger scale. They count on the fact that few voters were taught even economics (or, certainly, civics) in K-12: “if a family spent more than they took in they’d be in the poorhouse” resonated with a public that is, alas, fiscally ignorant when it comes to government and is totally unfamiliar with the concept of deficit spending and gov’t debt. (They’ll buy gov’t and corporate bonds for investment, not to mention taking out mortgages, car & home equity loans, yet vote down school and public works bond issues on the grounds that “people and the gov’t shouldn’t have to borrow”). And heaven forfend raising revenue by raising taxes on those most able to pay them (and who currently benefit the most from exemptions and gov’t business bailouts--corporate welfare that dwarfs personal safety-net spending), even though tax rates are at a historical low. And then there’s the matter of raising the debt ceiling--which doesn’t mean borrowing more money but rather being able to pay debt the gov’t already owes. For those who insist on using the “family budget” meme, imagine Daddy saying, “We’re spending more than we’re taking in. But even though I’ve been in the same job for 20 years at the same salary, I won’t ask for a raise--and I forbid you from either taking a job or if you have one, asking your current boss for a raise either. Instead, we’re going to cut out eating dinner and replacing worn-out clothes, and stop paying our mortgage and car notes.”

I am no fan of political conservatism, but on this point, there were a couple of famous historical conservatives---Plato in The Republic and Hamilton in the Federalist Papers--who got it right: government is too important to leave to amateurs, and that the best & brightest ought to be discovered early on and encouraged to study and train for the sacred calling of governance before seeking office.

ChiSandy

I am a huge fan of the precinct caucus system--it's how ordinary citizens get the chance to actively participate in political parties beyond just putting a check mark on a ballot. I was a Udall delegate to the King County and WA state Dem. conventions back in 1976--and I was chosen by the attendees at my precinct caucus, in my building's laundry room, where we actually got to try to persuade each other. Because of that I became involved in my local Democratic Party organization in Seattle, co-chairing the successful campaign for Mayor in my district organization--and despite being rebuffed by the “machine" Dem, organization when I moved to Chicago (they actually asked me “who sent you?" and “what can you do for us" beyond just volunteering) eventually became involved in reform Democratic ward organizations--including being high up on the volunteer campaign staffs of a successful ward committeeman and then the first election of our current Congresswoman who is on her way to her 10th consecutive term.

When I was a kid in Brooklyn, NYS and NYC had party primaries for state and local office even though not yet for President (no precinct caucuses either--the parties, which were & still are non-governmental private entities with the right to set their own rules, chose delegates from among their most active members; but anyone could join their local party organizations and rise through the ranks). Our polling place was in the school gym, and the Monday before Election Day, it was a real treat for us to be able to see the sample ballots and use the demonstration voting machine that we would one day use for real. Pulling that big lever and having that curtain close behind us, and getting to push down the little candidate levers (with fake candidate names) and then re-opening the booth was heady stuff indeed. In fact, in 1960, we had a straw poll in our 5th-grade class for President--JFK beat Nixon 29-1.

I remember helping hand out flyers as far back as 1956, and coming to school in tears the day after Stevenson lost for the second time. I remember being so confused when the literature I was slipping beneath doors for the incumbent mayor's primary opponent--depicting an LP that had apparently been used for target practice as “the Wagner record, shot full of holes"--and then after the primary, handing out flyers and bookmarks praising Mayor Wagner to the skies. Over half a century later, I hope those Sanders supporters excoriating HRC for her corporate-friendly stance and prior trade-agreement votes, and HRC supporters calling Sanders too impractical and anti-business can come together this fall and unite behind whoever is matched head-to-head against either the outrageously demagogic Trump or the insidiously reactionary and theocratic Cruz.

Just found out last night whom Cruz has been considering as his “dream team" of advisors & Cabinet if elected, and it's scary indeed--not merely Bush-era neocons (one of whom famously advocated that--though I may be slightly paraphrasing--“every now & then America needs to find some insignificant little country, invade them and kick their asses just to show the world we can"), but an Iran-Contra participant, a lunatic Holocaust-denier or two, and the notorious right-wing conspiracy theorist Frank Gaffney--who is still an anti-Obama “birther" (silent as to Cruz' own status) who has frequently gone on record as saying Obama, former Sec'y of State Madeleine Albright and---get this--former GOP anti-tax guru Grover Norquist (WTF???!!) are all secret operatives of the Muslim Brotherhood and want to institute Sharia law. Oy to the vey.

The old saying “be careful what you wish for, you just might get it" is ringing truer and truer--apparently more than a few Democrats have taken Republican primary ballots in order to make sure Trump is the GOP nominee, presumably because he'd be easier for HRC or Sanders to beat. Unfortunately, increasing numbers of Trump supporters have cited his prior primary victories as evidence of his being a “winner" who will make America a “winner;" it's become a self-fulfilling prophecy that has begun to snowball out of control. (And anyone see the PBS news segment interviewing a typical Trump supporter and her husband's efforts to persuade neighbors and those online--and the Odin's Cross tattooed on one of her hands and the number “88" on her other forearm? For those unfamiliar with these symbols (go to the Southern Poverty Law Center and Anti-Defamation League's webpages on “Hate Symbols"), the Odin's Cross resembles a Celtic (circled) cross, except the vertical bar is the same length as the horizontal one; the number 88 stands not for the keys on a piano but for the 8th letter of the alphabet--H. 88=HH, not a nostalgic nod to Hubert Humphrey nor literary fandom for Horatio Hornblower, but rather “Heil Hitler." When this was pointed out to PBS after the segment aired, and they asked the couple about it, the woman said the cross is for her “Celtic heritage" (really? she didn't know that a Celtic cross is a circle superimposed on a normally-proportioned CHRISTIAN cross?) and she and her husband tersely said “88" was “personal." Amazing for whom how many hundreds or even thousands of people that identical “88" tat apparently has similar “personal" significance. (BTW, the Odin's Cross is frequently combined with the number “14," which is shorthand for the "14 words" slogan coined by white supremacist organization The Order leader David Lane, who is serving a 190-year sentence for his part in the assassination of a Jewish talk show host. I won't quote the actual slogan because it is so racist, but it's really easy to find).

ChiSandy

And for those enamored of Trump’s reputation as a successful businessman, check out Trump University, the bankruptcies of his casino property, the one-issue history of his self-touted magazine, Sharper Image’s admission of dismal sales of Trump Steaks (their sole outlet), etc. Trump’s triumphal Super Tuesday press conference was performed standing in front of tables displaying his “business successes” Trump Wines (which despite his claim “It’s the biggest winery on the East Coast, I own it 100%, it’s great wine” quotes in its own literature that it is neither owned by nor has any connection to Donald Trump or Trump Enterprises, and it’s sold mostly on the premises of Trump hotel & resort properties); the aforementioned Trump Magazine (which is available only on the coffee tables of guest rooms & suites in his hotels & resorts); Trump Water (which is exclusively sold in the gift shops and distributed free of charge, to guests at his hotels & resorts--I ought to know, I guzzled bottles of it in the desert heat when I stayed at the Trump Hotel in Vegas last year); and the aforementioned Trump Steaks (“they’re great steaks, I sold thousands of ‘em”), to which when contacted by news organizations their exclusive distributor The Sharper Image responded in writing why they no longer carry them, “we sold essentially no Trump Steaks.”

Gullible voters who never paid attention to politics before believe that because Trump incessantly declares that he is successful and “the greatest” he really is. Muhammad Ali declared he too was “the greatest,” but at least in Ali’s case there is independent verification--in video of his fights and firsthand recollections of opponents and reporters. Trump’s appeal is largely based on his dismissal of opponents and those who dare question his claims as “losers,” thereby conferring “winner” status on those who adore him. He is like the Big Man on Campus giving rambling disjointed pep talks to his admirers, anointing them as the “cool kids” even if in the past they’d been (or perceive themselves to have been) recipients of wedgies in the locker room of life--and this consummate bully is skilled at convincing his followers that those who they believe “bullied” them are the most vulnerable and disadvantaged--who look, speak and pray differently from them.

Englishmummy

Actually, Lane died in 2007.

ChiSandy

Englishmummy, I stand corrected as to the “is serving” part of the Souther Poverty Law Center’s quote. Since Lane died, he has become elevated in his followers’ eyes to the status of martyr.

Angtee15

I know I am in a fantasy land but wow how great it would be if US leaders could fix healthcare? Our political system is so infested with special interest money that it allows for things to happen like my one body injector shot of Neulasta retailing for $5,000!!! So four for my AC is $20k. Wtf. Are there unicorn tears in there?Or my outpatient port placement and sentinel node biopsy procedure costing $17,000?. I am blessed with good insurance but what in hell are the uninsured or underinsured doing to survive cancer treatment? I could see this easily costing $500k+. It's abhorrent and it makes me really sad. And I know none of the jokers running for president can fix this with the way campaigns are financed.

Englishmummy

ChiSandy, that is a fact with Lane. uggh, how do these people come to be?

Angtee: I did not have chemo but my new foobs cost over $150,000 all said and told....one part of my EOB for my NSBMX states $25,374 for 'miscellaneous sundry items - OR'. WTF?? The rest of the bill made the total $97,000 and the PS billed separately....and just for the record, the actual money for the Surgeon was $7200 and I only stayed in 1 night. It is absolutely insane. One can't help but wonder if they over treat when that much money changes hands, why would they not?

marijen

Watching Kasich into his third day of delusional thinking

wrenn

From Canada the opinion is that it is very sad. Many here feel for rational, "normal" or thinking Americans as we watch the collapse of our neighbour. It isn't funny any more. It is just sad. We've watched the breakdown pick up speed and it is frightening. :-(

ChiSandy

Marijen, I agree that Kasich is engaging in magical thinking. Yes, there's a chance that neither Trump nor Cruz will have the magic number of delegates going into Cleveland to prevent a brokered convention. But I've been watching elected Republican officials--one of whom (Graham) rather recently suggested that if Cruz were to get shot during a closed session on the Senate floor and the trial were held in the Senate, nobody would be convicted--falling all over themselves to grudgingly endorse Cruz in the remaining caucuses & primaries in order to prevent a Trump nomination. If that were to happen, true that it'd be wide open again. But I doubt Kasich would be the requisite knight on the white horse. Though he claims polls show him to be the candidate with the best chance against either HRC or Sanders, he's too nondescript--with the personality of a tepid pierogi. (Mixing up ethnic groups, I know--how about lukewarm cevapcici)--and a sincere but awkward speaker. Much more likely that Rubio would be dragged out of impending retirement, as he has won more than one primary, is young and might be the one Republican who could siphon both Floridians & Latinos off from whoever runs on the Dem. side. No chance that Romney has the stomach for another run, nor that Ryan would succumb to the lure of being drafted--he now holds the most powerful job in Washington with far fewer drawbacks (especially internationally) than either VP or President. As Speaker, he has a semblance of a normal family life, free to come & go without being surrounded by Secret Service and hounded by far fewer paparazzi or dangerous crackpots.

Cruz announced another “dream team" member today, this time as economic advisor: former Sen. Phil Gramm, who engineered the dismantling of regulation in general and regulation of the financial sector specifically. He most notably pushed through a law permitting banks and investment firms to package and sell the junk-mortgage “derivatives" that caused the housing crash and then tanked the economy. (Just saw “The Big Short" a few weeks ago--and that announcement about Gramm made me start to throw up in my mouth).

Speaking of “awkward speakers," anyone else catch HRC's latest foot-in-mouth in PA--when she doubtless meant to say that current coal miners and natural gas drillers would be able to get safer and better-paying jobs in renewable industry, prefaced that would-be remark with a promise to “shut down the coal companies." Shades of Obama's 2008 gaffe when instead of rural blue collar workers being "distressed by their economic plight" he said they were “bitter," and “cling to guns & religion" rather than “take comfort" in those constants in their lives. He managed to win anyway--but not the primaries in those Appalachian states. Nuance is tough to sell--but soundbites are forever.

And the sham endorsement today of HRC by KKK official William Quigg (who in Sept. tweeted that Trump has the “best hope of saving white America")? HRC needs to get on top of it and IMMEDIATELY denounce and disavow this counter-operative, reject his “support" and say that "with 'friends' like him, who needs enemies?" (If she is unaware of him, her staff needs to keep her better informed).

Somewhere in the afterworld, renowned GOP dirty-tricks operatives Dick Tuck and Lee Atwater are high-fiving.