POLITICAL JUNKIES

Wow! Yes, kind of like being at Ford's Theater in Washington, DC. You look at that one tiny bullet and think how it changed the course of mankind.

Love it, suersis. How big is the glass? How big a glass would we need, I wonder. It is easy to be cynical in regard to the spin (or outright lies) and it does seem that this presidential campaign is way over the top. I have yet to hear from anyone who thinks (right on, Ruthbru) deeply about it and has been around awhile as I have can recall anything close to this circus. Hoping for Trump to implode and for others to recognize the issues of concern to all and we want those addressed without emotional manipulation. Or the backlash is going to be even more polarizing, I fear. Nice to have a place to share concerns and opinions without being viewed as a bigot, a fool, or (gasp) stupid. I want to say that I was horrified to heasr Nancy Pelosi, as House Speaker, say You have to pass the ACA before you can know what is in it. I wonder how many bills are passed before they know what is in them , and how many are just passed along party lines and because you scratch my back, Ill scratch yours. Anyone else want to see one issue, one bill, eliminate the pork?

Please post if you're so inclined. Everyone so far has been civilized on the thread and it's always good to hear all views.

Ok I will put together a post of why I support him!! I just don't want to make any enemies with the people I pray for the most each day!! Which is all of you!!

Carol

Yes, Maltese, please do share your thoughts and reasons--they are just as valid as anyones and just look at all the folks who have voted for him. You are certainly not the only Trump supporter on the planet. I think we are all weighing the issues. Looking forward to hearing more from you.

Octogirl - I, too, remember being in the family car when LBJ made that stunning announcement and can still recall the shock. Also years later ('73), gathered around the large table of the apartment I shared in Munich, listening to hour after hour of the Watergate hearings on the radio, probably Armed Forces Radio or the like; it wasn't aired on television there. Some played bridge, some sketched or knitted. Everyone, Americans and others, listened raptly, evening after evening. It was quite an experience. That entire year-plus, from the break in onward, was fascinating to watch unfold. Who knows - maybe someday we'll look back on this year in a similar fashion?

Carol: regarding your list, not to address every issue, but a few notes;

1. I don't understand how ACA/ Obamacare impacted your insurance situation one way or the other. Perhaps you'd like to give more details, but without them, I don't understand your point as to how your situations, or those of others, would be different without the ACA. Are you saying you are paying more now? Honestly, your point is lost on me. Folks have *always* had the option to go out of state if they had funds to pay for it and nothing in ACA changed that, to my knowledge. The most important aspect of ACA for me is that it expanded coverage to persons who didn't have it. It isn't an ideal system but it has meant that many, many more people had insurance coverage than did previously. I will take a less than perfect system in exchange for many more who have access to care. So the question (for me) is: will Trump continue coverage for those folks and promise that his health care policies won't reduce these critically important gains in access? See: http://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/241259-17m-ga...

2. Immigrants and terrorism: "not all Muslims are terrorists, but most terrorists are Muslims'. Actually not true. You give absolutely no evidence to support that statement, and there is considerable evidence to the contrary.. See for example the following article, based on evidence from research institutions such as the University of North Carolina: http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/01/14/a...

So, Trump's proposed policy doesn't address the real problem. It is just fear mongering, IMO. Not to mention hurtful to those of us who are or are close to Muslims. It doesn't address the real roots of terrorism, isn't evidence based, and it isn't just about closing off immigration from Syria: Trump has made repeated blanket remarks that we should patrol Muslim neighborhoods in the US (actually, there are very few, in most areas of the US Muslims are well assimilated. This isn't Europe) and keep Muslim Americans who travel abroad from being let back into the country. Not sure wha he would propose to do about the 5900 or so (Pentagon estimates based on self report of religion) of Muslims in the armed forces of the United States. By the way, did you know that 65000 or so foreign born immigrants serve in the armed forces of the US (again, Pentagon estimates)? And as a reminder to all of us, since you mention the World Trade Center: approximately 22% of the people who dies on 9/11 were foreign-born immigrants. Our country is better than what he proposes, IMO.

3. Trump and women and his ex-wives: You say, "although he has been married and remarried, all of his ex wife speak highly of him." Um. No. Google Ivana Trump and her statements about her ex Donald for lots of lurid and unsettling details. To be clear, She now says she supports his candidacy and for that matter I don't necessarily think that an ex's view of a candidate is a major factor in whether I would support him or her, but since you raise it as an argument to support his views on women's issues, I do think it is fair to point out that actually she has spoken of him in very unfavorable ways.

4. Economy and Jobs. You say, "I have never heard a politician ever say they were going to bring jobs back to the US. Not on the left or the right. Can Mr Trump bring back jobs? I am not sure I can say yes to that, but I know for sure that in the last 24 years things have only become worse."

Not sure I understand your point here. Whether things are worse or not may depend on how you measure them. But in terms of the specific issue on bringing jobs back to the US: Here is Clinton saying she will bring jobs back to US:

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/7f43016c-ea08-11e5-9fca-...

and Cruz:

http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/susan-jones/cr...

So, I almost wonder if that was a typo in your argument. It isn't the case that no one talks about bringing jobs back. Actually, I think all the politicians say this, honestly, although they have different suggestions as to how to do it.

That all said, in terms of the bigger issue of the economy: there is some indication that a Trump presidency would not be good for the economy. See:

http://fortune.com/2016/03/08/donald-trumps-tax-pl...

http://www.politico.com/story/2016/01/trump-econom...

7. Guns: Regarding the question: "Just what if.. what if the teacher in the room next door had a gun permit that was authorized to use? What if you were the parent of one of those precious little kids? Where would your stand be?"

Obviously, It is a very complicated issue. But your question doesn't have to be just rhetorical. You can find answers to the stands of many of those parents with a quick internet search. This group, for example, is doing good work to raise awareness of the issues of gun violence: http://www.sandyhookpromise.org I like that they want to bring people together rather than by dividing them through condoning separating out certain groups or through condoning violence.

At least some of those parents who lost children took a stand against gunmakers by suing Remington: http://www.cnn.com/2016/02/22/health/sandy-hook-fa...

Thanks for your thoughts, but obviously we don't agree, either on what Trump stands for or on whether his positions will make this a better country.

Best

Octogirl

Just when I thought I was well on the road to recovery, I'm having a new set of symptoms. This may sound odd, but I'm hoping it turns out to be an infected seroma, as that seems to be less serious than cellulitis, radiation fibrosis, or IBC, which can share some similar symptoms. I know others here have experienced infected seromas, and I'm hoping they might be able to shed some light on the subject. My apologies in advance for the long post.

On March 10, I had a diagnostic mammogram and saw my BS as part of my regularly scheduled follow-up. All seemed to be going well with the post-op breast -- my seroma appeared to be shrinking and my BS said it's normal for the surgical site to be tender and painful even this long after surgery (over 7 months).

But over the following days, the whole breast became painful, which I put down to being smooshed during the mammogram. I also noticed other symptoms: overall swelling of the breast and hotness to the touch; a reddish flushing of the skin over most of the breast; a rash that comes and goes over a smaller area of the breast; a change in the texture of skin; pain in my armpit and just below my collarbone; and on one occasion, an inverted nipple (a first for me). I took Extra-Strength Tylenol and put over-the-counter cortisone cream on the rash. The rash went away, came back, went away again, and hasn't been back for the past several days. The other symptoms are more persistent. They get better for a day or so, then return in full force. I'm not using any new soap, detergent, lotion, or other products, and I haven't bought any new clothes.

I had previously scheduled follow-up appointments with my RO and MO this past Thursday (3/31), so I knew I'd be seeing someone who could take a look at these new symptoms. I saw the RO first. The nurse measured my arms and noted that both were the same size and didn't display any visible swelling, unlike my breast and axilla. She also remarked that my blood pressure was on the low side (110/60). After examining me and asking questions, the RO prescribed Keflex for a week. He told me that if the symptoms didn't respond by then, I should call him or my BS. When I saw the MO, she seemed even more concerned and also made me promise to follow up if the symptoms did not respond to the antibiotic.

I've been taking the medicine since Thursday night and I'm not seeing improvement. I know I should be patient and give it time, but I'm finding it hard not to worry. If there's anything else I should be doing (ice packs? warm compresses?) or not doing, advice would be appreciated.

I'm getting awfully tired of people calling Hillary a “liar" because all their favorite pundits on FOXNews and right-wing talk radio say she is. A GOP-dominated House-appointed commission on Benghazi found no wrongdoing on her part. Colin Powell used a private e-mail server, and the only reason Rice didn't was probably that servers cost a fortune back then, and her circle outside the White House was far narrower than was Hillary's. She was cleared of wrongdoing in Whitewater, and her work in the Rose firm was exactly what any corporate litigator worth her salt would be expected to do on behalf of clients. Just because she didn't dump her husband over his infidelities doesn't make her a hypocrite about female assault victims (and Lewinsky, despite her reincarnation by her spin doctors as an advocate against “slut-shaming," was no victim--she boasted to friends upon getting her WH internship that she intended to get her “Presidential knee pads." It took two to tango, and she didn't exactly demurely “follow" on that metaphorical dance floor).

Kasich is the only adult running for the GOP nomination. But he's not the bipartisan moderate those conservatives disgusted by Trump’s bluster and incompetence and Cruz’ extreme right-wing near-theocratic views make him out to be. He de-funded Planned Parenthood, busted unions, encouraged the Ohio legislature to send him ALEC-written cookie-cutter bills to sign (voter ID, anti-collective bargaining, the misnomer “right to work," etc.). ALEC is a nationwide pro-business conservative think tank specializing in writing legislation favoring a pro-business anti-government agenda--in fact, over a dozen states have literally filled in the blanks on their identically-worded legislation. Just about the only moderate thing he did was to accept Medicaid funds for Ohio and let it participate in the insurance exchanges--because he said that at the Pearly Gates, St. Peter isn't going to ask how much he cut government spending but rather how much he did for the people. And that is the right thing to do. regardless on which side of the aisle you sit. But it's also the absolute minimum acceptable amount of human decency.

Ideologically, I'm all for Sanders. I wouldn't go so far as to say his proposals are unrealistic and unworkable--they certainly worked for FDR. His years in Congress did include foreign policy experience, but I wonder who his advisors in that regard would be. And though polls may technically have him beating Trump more strongly than would Clinton, Clinton has been tested on the national stage not only as First Lady but as a twice-elected Senator from NY and Sec'y of State. Any mud that could be slung at her already has. But when it comes to the GOP Dirty Tricks machine and the right-wing media taking on Sanders, I fear we ain't seen nothing yet. It's pretty telling that my own Congresswoman, Jan Schakowsky (heir to the seat once held by Sid Yates, with whom she shares a near-flawless ADA rating, the highest of any Federal politician), supports not Sanders but rather Clinton. I am a liberal--but also a pragmatist. I voted for Sanders in the IL primary, but I expect Clinton to get the nomination. And when she does, I will do all I can both in terms of volunteering and donating to make sure she--and not one of the three GOP contenders--becomes President.

Oy vey, I have more than enough on my plate as an educator. No time for weapons training. The safe place we go to is outside of the funnel of death (yes, police have trained us on this). Sadly, not viable for students at recess, PE or the numerous other places that take us outside the classroom. How about armed guards? I'll tell you what, if we can ever get the Federal gov't to pony up for the 40% funding promised to IDEA (individuals with disabilities educational act, ) since inception, I'll hold a bake sale to finance the notification technology you speak of. Heck, I teach in Silicon Valley and many of our parents are in high tech, we might be able to get a discount 😉.

Yes, I should educate myself on ACA, but if you're suggesting an open market place as a means to making sure everyone has health care, an open market will not benefit the poor, or shrinking middle class who are most often effected by lack of health care.

I'm not in favor of abortion, per se, just the choice. The reasons for seeking abortions go far beyond those who were not educated enough to protect themselves.

I think I will stop here as our views are very, very far apart and will probably never meet. However, I still think America is great and can only remain so if we maintain civil diplomacy, not isolationist, bully posturing.

kayb,

You are always able to say, so eloquently and rationally, what I often express with far more emotion and less hard core fact. Thank you

I don't know how many Sanders supporters we have. Personally, I love his vision of social democracy, but as a pragmatist, I don't think it would be workable in the US at this time

Geez I must have misunderstood you then .., sorry ... You told me to bring my a game if I was going to participate? Did I read that wrong? It isn't sarcasm it was meant to be funny. Peace.

Added: bring on all the cartoons you want I enjoy the cleverness of them all regardless for or against what I believe. I'm not here to sell you anything. I think it's great to be the only Trump supporter here. It's similar To fighting stage for breast cancer !!