Tag Archives: politics

Trump’s Victory

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Democrats thought they had a good issue. They’d pass still another continuing resolution to reopen the government in return for an agreement from Republicans to extend special subsidies for insurance policies bought through the Affordable Care Act. They misjudged the willingness of Donald Trump to continue his war on America by inflicting more pain on the American people. Cut food assistance for more than forty million Americans? Sure. Cripple the air traffic system by requiring controllers to work without pay? Of course. Furlough hundreds of thousands of federal workers and threaten to penalize them by not restoring their wages when they return to work. No problem.

Democrats underestimated Trump’s need to inflict pain. He loves it. He gets off on it. Nothing massages his massive ego more than enjoying a luxury party at his Florida home while people can’t buy food. If they can’t get groceries, let them eat cake. The ACA is also known as Obamacare. Trump hates Obamacare. A doubling or tripling of premium rates for Obamacare insurance policies just gives Trump more ammunition to attack the program. Trump has been trying to kill Obamacare for decades. He insists he will replace it with something better. He never produces a new plan. His supporters don’t seem to mind. So, Trump would not give in to the Democrats no matter what.

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The Cowardly Broadcasting System

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I remember how proud I was the day I reported to work at WBBM-TV, the CBS owned and operated station in Chicago. It was in October 1974. I was to start my first “real,” that is, “post school,” job. My position was “Assistant Political Analyst.” That was a fancy title for an entry level job more commonly known in newsrooms as a “legman.” Legmen, and legwomen, assist senior reporters and columnists as needed. One of the station’s anchors also had the title of “Political Analyst” and I was to help him in everything from researching and producing his stories to doing his expense account and picking up his laundry.

But here I was at bottom of the ladder at the company where Walter Cronkite presided over the evening newscast. The same newscast I had been watching for most of my life. Yes, I felt proud.

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No Kings

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Anywhere from five to eight million people turned out for the second “No Kings” protests across the nation. The rallies took place in over 2,600 locations across the United States.

I have first or secondhand knowledge of protests in New York, Washington D.C., Chicago, Portland, San Francisco, and Los Angeles. They were peaceful. Crowds were almost jubilant at having an opportunity to voice their opposition to the actions of the Trump administration. The only place I heard Trump supporters showed up to counter the protest was Palo Alto, California. No Kings protesters refused to engage with the Trumpies, who they feared were trying to provoke them.

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Hot Off the Griddle

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He’s in the groove. Donald Trump finally has his production line going and he’s serving up indictments like he’s working the griddle at the local fast-food joint.

On October 9, a federal grand jury in the Eastern District of Virginia indicted New York Attorney General Letitia James on charges of bank fraud and making false statements to a financial institution. The charges relate to allegations involving a mortgage loan. James is the second name on Trump’s revenge list. The same judicial district run by the same US Attorney indicted former FBI director James Comey last week. Just like the Comey case, the James indictment came over opposition from career prosecutors.

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The Supremes 2025

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The first Monday of October is upon us. This is the day the Supreme Court begins its new term. The justices have been on recess and away from the Capital since the end of June. But they have had a busy summer. We just don’t know much about what they were doing.

The Supreme Court is shrouded these days. Literally and figuratively.

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R.I.P. – D.O.J.

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A former Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation has been indicted on the direct order of the President of the United States.

Let that sink in. I’m sure that this thing happens all the time in Russia. Or China. Or North Korea. Or Iran. But I can’t think of anything comparable ever happening in the United States of America.

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It is a Nice Idea

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Free speech is a pain in the rear. Always has been. Always will be.

It is a nice idea. If you have freedom of speech, you have the right to say whatever is on your mind without fear of repercussions. But there is a rub. It also means the guy standing next to you has freedom of speech. That means he can say whatever is on his mind, even if you find it to be abhorrent, disgusting, threatening and maybe even dangerous.

The men who designed our government met in secret and wrote a historic document detailing the structure of the national state and enumerating the powers and responsibilities of its parts. When the document was made public, the people were not pleased. They demanded a guarantee of their rights be written into the document.

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