Train Wreck!

Kevin McCarthy’s eleventh hour decision to pull his name out of the Speaker’s race speaks volumes.

It says that whatever moderates that may be left in the Republican Caucus serve at the pleasure of the far right fringe.

It says that in this herd of cats known as the GOP, “governing” is a mortal sin and “compromise” is a four letter word.

It says that the far right minority will resort to any means necessary to get their way; even if it means destroying their Party’s chance of winning a general election.

It say that there is no understanding within this caucus that the first step to getting your agenda put into law is finding a consensus within your own ranks.

Kevin McCarthy’s decision to withdraw rather than deal with the irresponsible nonsense coming from his right is the clearest sign yet that this is a party on the fast track to political irrelevance.

The GOP can’t govern itself. Why should voters believe that it can govern the country?

Train wreck!

Attack the Shooter!

Not only would I probably not cooperate with him, I would not just stand there and let him shoot me. I would say “Hey guys, everybody attack him! He may shoot me but he can’t get us all.”

That was Republican presidential candidate Ben Carson’s response to the recent mass shooting in Roseburg, Oregon. Carson later said that he wasn’t criticizing the victims. He just wanted to plant the seed for the next time the situation occurs.

I cannot criticize Dr. Carson for politicizing the Roseburg shooting because I believe that the political atmosphere that allows for 294 mass shootings in the past 274 days should be politicized.

Dr. Carson is just doing his civic duty to prepare us for what he sees as the inevitable next mass shooting.

In that spirit of civic duty I offer this advice to all parents.

Before you put your child on the school bus don’t forget to plant the seed.

“Attack the shooter!”

This & That

IN IT TO WIN IT – The Republican elites and the main stream media continue to look down their nose at Donald Trump. Not a day goes by without speculation in the back rooms and the press gaggles as to when Trump will crash and burn. Are they right? Consider this…

Quinnipiac has just released polling results for primary voters in key swing states. The numbers suggest The Donald isn’t going anywhere soon.

Florida – Trump 28%, Carson 16%, Rubio 14% and Bush 12%

Ohio – Trump 23%, Carson 18%, Kasich 13%, Rubio 7% and Bush 4%.

Pennsylvania – Trump 23%, Carson 17%, Rubio 12% and Bush 4%.

In Florida Trump has double the support of a sitting state senator and has a 16 point lead over an extremely popular former state governor. In Ohio Trump leads the state’s popular sitting governor by 10 points. In Pennsylvania Trump leads the Party’s leading fund raiser and once presumptive nominee by 19 points.

Still not convinced that Trump is here to stay?

A just released Reuter’s national poll has Trump at 33%, Carson 16%, Bush 16% and Rubio 7%.

If any other “establishment” candidate were posting these numbers in key swing states the media and Party elites would be declaring “game over” and referring to him/her as the “presumptive nominee.”

Republican primary voters have a deep seething anger toward the Party establishment. Trump speaks to that anger. The folks in the Party penthouse and the main street media had better start taking Trump seriously…boring in on him for specifics…questioning his policies. Until the elites make a serious effort to expose Trump’s flaws, he is in it to win it. Those who scoff at his campaign do so at their own peril.

WHAT’S GOOD FOR THE GOOSE IS GOOD FOR THE GANDER – In the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham voted against a bill authorizing the federal government to send $60 billion in relief to the state of New Jersey. Graham argued that of the $60 billion only $24 billion actually went to New Jersey for relief efforts. The remaining $36 billion was pork.

Now we have Senator Graham asking his colleagues to approve federal relief funds for those in his state who fell victim to Hurricane Joaquin. Before reaching a final vote this bill is certain to find itself loaded with pork in much the same manner as the Superstorm Sandy relief bill. Will Senator Graham vote “No” on this bill as well?

TRUTH OR POLITCS AS USUAL - The controversy over the motivations of the House Benghazi Committee continues to rage. Republicans have long believed that then Secretary Clinton understood that the embassy in Benghazi was under terrorist attack and did nothing to offer assistance. Some went so far as to assert that she ordered the military to "stand down" as the DOD scrambled to provide aid. The Benghazi Committee was allegedly formed to find the truth. But given the accusations from the right in the immediate aftermath of the attack the question remains: Is this a well-intended search for the truth or a politically motivated witch hunt to take down the presumptive Democratic nominee? "Fiscally conservative" Republicans have spent $4.5 million (and counting) tax payer dollars on the endeavor.

Presumptive Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy inadvertently answered the question when he proudly linked the committee’s work to the reduction in Hillary Clinton’s poll numbers. McCarthy has since walked back his assertions; saying that the committee has only the purest of intentions.

Unfortunately for Republicans recent events tell another story.

A week ago Secretary Clinton’s former Chief of Staff Cheryl Mills spent eight hours testifying before the committee. For some reason Committee Chair Trey Gowdy ordered that her testimony be held behind closed doors; secreted away from the prying eyes of CSPAN. The intrigue only heightened when Gowdy inexplicably refused to release the transcripts of Ms. Mills’ testimony. In spite of Ms. Mills protest that the entire transcript of her testimony be released to the public; the transcripts were sealed.

Democrats, furious over McCarthy’s revealing gaff and incensed over Gowdy’s refusal to release the Mills transcripts, leaked excerpts of the transcripts to the press. The excerpts show that Clinton did far more than nothing.

Ms.. Mills testified that Secretary Clinton was “very concerned” about safety and well-being of her good friend Ambassador Stevens and his staff. Mills testified that Clinton and President Obama ordered the military to “everything we can” to secure the embassy and its staff.

Democrats have promised to release the full transcripts in five days to allow time to redact any information that might violate national security interests.

It now seems pretty clear as to why Chairman Gowdy wanted Ms. Mill’s testimony taken behind closed doors; and why he refused to release the transcripts.

Truth or $4.5 million dollar tax payer funded political witch hunt? It’s almost Halloween!

Ready! Fire! Aim!

Donald Trump continues to be the lead dog in the race for the Republican nomination. Carly Fiorina and Ben Carson are keeping pace. Three “outsiders” dominating the field. Each tapping in to a palpable frustration within the Party. A frustration over politics as usual coupled with a burning desire to show the world that same old same old is no longer good enough.

Into this vortex of discontent steps the Republican leadership. On one hand eager to harness the passion and frustration of the base and direct it toward a White House victory. At the same time fearful that left to its own devices the frustration on the fringe could destroy the Party from within and with it any chance for an electoral victory.

Republicans understand that they have a real opportunity in 2016 to control the House, the Senate and place one of their own in the Oval Office. All they have to do is learn from the mistakes of the past, control the crazies and put forth a conservative plan to re-kindle the American dream.

Unfortunately, in spite of all their promises of reform and inclusion all we have seen of late is yet another example of how to lose a general election. This time it’s not the crazies like Trump Cruz, King and Ghomert leading the charge to electoral ruin…it’s the Party leadership.

Things were going along so well.

The House Special Committee on Benghazi had spent the past eighteen months successfully painting Hillary Clinton, the Democrat frontrunner, as complicit in the tragic deaths of four Americans at the Benghazi mission.

Clinton herself then “emailed” Republicans and unexpected gift. Her use of a personal email account and private server while serving as the nation’s top diplomat, her mishandling of confidential documents and her botched attempts to explain it all away were like manna from heaven. The FBI was investigating. The server was subpoenaed. The emails thought to have been destroyed were recovered and would be released in a slow steady drip for months to come; forcing Clinton to address the issue over and over again. The firestorm had grown so bad that Clinton had finally agreed to testify before the committee on October 22. The nation would be watching as the committee would expose her for the liar Republicans believed her to be.

There were victories to be had on other fronts as well.

Republicans have been obsessed with the issue of abortion. Over the past two years the Republican led House had passed 48 ant-abortion bills only to watch each of them die a slow death in the Democrat led Senate. Suddenly a clandestine video has gone viral. A Planned Parenthood employee is caught discussing in callous terms the disposal and illegal sale of harvested fetal tissue. The nation is horrified and Republicans are giddy. Planned Parenthood President Cecile Richards is subpoenaed to testify before the House Oversight Committee…where she and her organization will be torn to shreds.

Suddenly, Speaker John Boehner announces his resignation. The man who could never bridge the factions within the party was leaving. The opportunity existed to find a new leader. Someone who could unite the moderates and the right wing fringe in pursuit of one common goal…winning the White House.

Things were going well. Republicans were on a role.

And then the wheels fell off.

The presumptive new Speaker, Kevin McCarthy proudly announces that the Select Committee on Benghazi had accomplished its goal…Clinton’s poll numbers were plummeting. With one undisciplined remark McCarthy had exposed eighteen months of assertions that the committee was only seeking the truth. A witch-hunt is exposed. McCarthy’s presumptive rise to
Speaker no longer certain. Outrage and chaos swell within the Party ranks. House Oversight Chairman Jason Chaffetz announces that he will challenge McCarthy for the Speakership.

Then Chaffetz creates a controversy of his own.

During his committee’s long awaited grilling of Planned Parenthood President Cecile Richards, Chaffetz introduces a slide which he asserts shows evidence that claims of abortions making up only 3% of Planned Parenthood’s services are false. Richards refutes the accuracy of the evidence. Chaffetz believes he has Richards in his crosshairs. He believes he has the proof that will ultimately destroy Planned Parenthood and propel him to the Speakership. He smugly states: “I got the information right off of Planned Parenthood’s corporate reports.”

Richards retorts that Chaffetz assertions are false. She tells him that slide he is showing was produced by Americans United for Life; an antiabortion activist group. Americans United for Life is clearly listed as the source on the bottom of the slide. “You should check your sources.” Richards says. Chaffetz, clearly humiliated and speechless, yields his remaining time and turns off his mic. The lie exposed. The advantage lost.

In one weeks’ time Republicans managed to toss away golden opportunities to take down two of their most despised ideological opponents: Hillary Clinton and Planned Parenthood. Once again their lack of discipline and unfiltered ideological dialogue has resulted in a self-inflicted wound. Politics as usual. Same plan…same result.

But this time it’s not the un-tethered crazies on the fringe pulling the trigger. It’s the Republican leadership.

Ready…fire…aim.

GOP Keeps Its Word

Today we shift our focus from Roseburg, Oregon and the consequences of conservative cowardice at the prospect of losing the endorsement of the NRA. Today we turn to the great state of Alabama and the GOP’s ongoing efforts to suppress the minority vote.

Selma, Alabama sits in the middle of what has historically been referred to as the Cotton Belt. Seventeen counties running east to west across the state; home to some of the richest, blackest most fertile soil in the world and the epicenter of what once upon a time was the state’s most profitable field crop…cotton.

Owing to the financial opportunities literally lying at their feet, local plantation owners brought thousands of slaves into the region to work the cotton fields. Over time the black population exceeded the white and the area referred to as the Cotton Belt also became known as the Black Belt. The disproportionate number of blacks versus whites living in the region remains in effect today…as does the reference.

In 2008 and 2012 the predominantly Democratic voters in the Black Belt were instrumental in helping Barak Obama win the White house.

In 2014 Alabama’s GOP led state legislature took steps decided to diminish the electoral power of the Black Belt and other like-minded citizens by passing new voter I’d laws that were particularly impactful on the minority population. A list of approved forms of identification became the law; one of which had to be presented in order to vote. Number one on the approved list…a valid state driver’s license. Over 250,000 black Alabamans who had legally voted in previous elections could now be turned away due to lack of proper identification.

Alabama is a poor state; one of the poorest in the country. So poor that the GOP legislature recently convened and emergency session to figure out how to pay its bills. Alabama’s elected leaders decided that budgetary cuts were in order. Included among the cuts was the closure of 28 offices across the state that issued state driver’s licenses.

Fifteen of the 28 office closures just happen to be in counties within the Black Belt…10 of the 15 in counties where blacks make up over 75% of the population.

Mere coincidence?

After the last general election Republicans promised to be “more inclusive” in policy and thought. It appears that what we have here is the Party keeping its word; including the state of Alabama in its efforts to suppress the vote.

My thanks to the Rachel Maddow Show for bringing this story to light.

#Whatever!

They say that it is inappropriate to politicize certain issues.

Like the recent shooting in Roseburg, Oregon that claimed 10 lives and injured 7.

They say that to politicize such an event is crass…insensitive…overstepping the boundaries of acceptable political discourse.

Yesterday an angry President Obama said that events such as Roseburg are exactly the type of event that should be politicized. I agree. So let the crass discourse begin.

The mass shooting at Roseburg…the 45 other school shootings that have occurred this year…the 294 mass shootings that have occurred in the first 274 days of 2015…all resulted in part due to the cowardice, selfishness and irresponsible behavior of the members of the United States Congress.

In spite of overwhelming evidence that gun violence is a serious problem that is having devastating effects on our society, congress refuses to act. Why? Because our elected leaders place a higher value on their job security and the significance that an endorsement from the gun lobby has on their prospects for election…than they do on the lives of innocent men, women and children.

Congress has moved heaven and earth to prevent foreign born terrorists from killing Americans. Trillions have been spent and wars have been waged to “protect the homeland and secure American lives.” Nothing…not even the United States Constitution…has impeded their frenetic hair on fire pursuit of this endeavor. Under the auspices of national security they pass laws that allow them to eavesdrop on our phone calls and emails, profile us on the basis of ethnicity, pat us down, make us remove our shoes and belts, herd us like cattle, scan us and subject us to strip searches, hold us without cause for as long as they like without probable cause and deny us access to legal counsel. When it comes to protecting us from radicals who would kill us there is no stone left unturned…no civil right that cannot be violated. But when it comes to protecting us from killing ourselves Congress does nothing. The right to bear arms trumps any and all other civil rights. Why? Because protecting the gun lobby protects one’s job. The disproportionate response toward threats to American lives proves the point.

Congress would argue that the above is a false equivalency. Accept it isn’t. If every American life matters then equal steps should be taken to protect them from threats be they foreign or domestic. That is clearly not what is happening here. If congress were willing to act they could make a difference.

President Obama challenged the media outlets to show the number of deaths in this county caused by gun violence and compare it to the number of deaths cause by terrorist attacks. NBC took up the challenge. Here are the results for the past decade:
# of deaths attributed to gun violence – 315,000
# of deaths result from gun related homicides – 118,000
# of deaths from terrorist attacks – 38

Congress took steps to stop foreign born attacks. No plan could ever be 100% successful in a country with open borders. But the results bear witness that a seemingly impossible task can be accomplished. And Americans sleep well in their beds knowing that everything possible is being done to keep them safe; never knowing the number of terrorist plots that have been thwarted on their behalf.
Yet when it comes to protecting citizens from violence here at home congress lacks the political courage to even try. They have become so numb to the violence that each occurrence generates and even lesser response.

It used to be that when a situation like Roseburg or Columbine or Sandy Hook occurred congressmen would be stumbling all over each other to find a television camera where they could express their faux outrage and sorrow before returning to business as usual. Now they don’t even bother. This morning many of the congressional messages of grief came via their twitter accounts. “My thoughts and prayers go out to the victims and their families.” #Whatever!

Then there are those willing to go on the record but only to parrot the NRA’s boilerplate talking points when suck tragedies occur: “Guns don’t kill people…people kill people. The only thing that can stop a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun…” And there are those politicians who already this morning have made the argument that we don’t need more gun laws we just need to enforce the existing ones. They note that Oregon has in place some of the toughest gun laws in the country but they didn’t stop this tragedy from occurring. This line of thinking basically says that since we can’t stop all the gun violence there is no sense even trying.

Stricter gun laws don’t have to be perfect to be effective. Universal back ground checks for all gun purchases will save some lives. Closing the gun show loophole will save some lives. Outlawing assault weapons and expanded ammunition clips will save some lives. A national gun registry and more investment into the correlation between mental illness and gun violence will save some lives. enough? 80% of Americans believe these laws should be enacted.

These common sense laws won’t save everyone but they will make a difference. How much of a difference? Who knows? Bit if saving even one life matters than shouldn’t we make the effort. Shouldn’t we make the same effort to stop the violence against Americans coming from within our borders as we have in disrupting attacks from abroad?

What will it take to move congress to act? They watched as one of their colleagues took a bullet to the head and did nothing. They watched as 20 babies were slaughtered; some of them disfigured beyond recognition from multiple gunshots to the face…and did nothing. What will it take? Do we need to watch a person armed with an assault weapon mow down members of congress from the visitors’ gallery to effect change?

It’s up to the American people. The voters need to send people to congress who will enact series gun violence legislation or send them packing. Lawmakers need to fear the people more than they do the gun lobby.

Tweeting “our thoughts and prayers are with victims and their families” isn’t enough.

Sometimes God wants you to get off your ass and act.

Turf War

Just when you thought things in the Middle East could not get any worse.

Forty eight hours ago President Obama and Russian Czar Vladimir Putin addressed the UN General Assembly. In their prepared remarks each leader made it a point to harshly criticize their counterparts’ foreign policies.

Afterward the two met privately to discuss their differences. The conversation centered on Russia’s aggressive moves in Crimea and the Ukraine and its insertion of military arms, material and personnel into Syria. The president has said that ISIS must be defeated and that the Assad regime must be removed from power. Putin agrees that that ISIS must go but he wants the Assad regime, Russia’s best ally in the region, to remain a key player in any transition movement.

Off the record reports categorized the meeting as “icy.” Body language made it clear that the only thing these two leaders share is a palpable personal dislike for each other.

We are told that the leaders did agree to coordinate military efforts in taking the fight to ISIS. The US believed that there would be a series of meetings between US and Russian military personnel to coordinate their efforts. Evidently Mr. Putin does not share our government’s need for meetings and strategy. Less than 24 hours later a Russian military attaché marched into the US embassy in Bagdad and informed US representative that Russian airstrikes against ISIS targets would commence within the hour and that all US military aircraft should be grounded. Translation…Russia had just informed the US that it was imposing a no fly zone over the Syrian territory.

Russia is purported to have carried out 20 bombing runs against various targets in Syria. Some of the targets were known ISIS strongholds. However some of the bombing runs were aimed at areas occupied by the Syrian Free Army; American backed moderate rebels fighting against the Assad regime.

The Obama administration expressed outrage over the sudden Russian attacks; particularly those against US backed rebel groups. Secretary of State John Kerry was immediately dispatched to meet with his Russian counterparts. Clearly the US government was caught flatfooted; lulled into some false sense of cooperation by Putin.

The US had been working for months to cobble together a coalition of European partners and local Middle Eastern nations to defeat ISIS. Unwilling to ask a war weary nation to engage in another Middle Eastern conflict; the Obama administration had been working tirelessly to help the region defend itself. Unfortunately the process is like herding cats as most of the players have grown comfortable with the US playing the role of policeman and protector. With the US maintaining its distance a power vacuum has emerged.

Suddenly the Russians have inserted themselves into the void. The entire region has grown exponentially more complicated and dangerous. What happens if the Russians bump into Israeli or Turkish forces; allies that the US has sworn to protect.

Syria isn’t the only area of concern. Lest we forget Iraq is a mess and growing more fractious by the day. The Taliban have returned with vengeance in Afghanistan; taking and holding the city of Kunduz. Yemen and Libya are rudderless territories; safe havens for extremists like ISIS and Al Qaeda.

Naturally Republicans blame all of this on the “feckless” leadership of President Obama. Yet when asked what they would do specifically to resolve these issues they have no answer. Let us not forget that the Republican led congress yet to authorize the president’s yearlong air war against ISIS. Better to lob grenades from the sidelines and let the president take the heat. No profiles in courage here.

My guess is that Putin senses a weakness in the resolve of the American people and their leadership. He sees an opening that he feels he can exploit to his benefit. If his plan to keep Assad around works then he maintains his ally in the region. If it fails and Assad is forced out; then Putin assures himself a seat at the transition table. Meanwhile he demonstrates to the Russian people that he is keeping his promise to return the Motherland to its rightful leadership role in world events.

Putin has just challenged the United States to a turf war. It’s a very dangerous ploy that could have disastrous consequences.