Failure to Vet Trump

I'm sure Donald Trump's presidential aspirations would be in the dustbin of history had his contenders vetted his background early on and challenged him on it rather than treat his candidacy as a joke and let it fester, thus giving rise to the dregs of humanity rising above the slime he's created.

Freedom

“We can go from boom to bust
From dreams to a bowl of dust
We can fall from rockets' red glare
Down to "Brother can you spare-"
Another war-another waste land-
And another lost generation...” ~ Neil Peart

Or

“Freedom's just another word for nothin' left to lose,
And nothin' ain't worth nothin' but it's free” ~ Kris Kristofferson

Let me preface by saying I’m an American first, a Democrat second, and a self admitted bleeding heart liberal.  I make no bones about it and have stated as much in my previous writings.

When Thirteen Colonies declared their independence some 236 years ago from the British Crown, they did not know what the future had in store for them.  They only longed for the freedom to live where they made their own rules, lives as free men under a new flag.  They wanted to shed the King and totalitarian rule.  Although British by birth, in their hearts they were American.

Now, to this time and this place… Where thirteen colonies are now Fifty States…. Here in the 21st Century…

Cast away the royalty, but gain the rich and powerful…  my how times have changed.  They are still making the rules.

But what does it get you???  Lower taxes?? Sure – I’ll go without decent road and bridges to drive on.

More money for Defense??  Sure – let’s fire a few thousand teachers in the process.  Who needs teachers anyway – our education systems are failing, we’re near the bottom in math and science, we don’t teach music and we teach to a test….  Kids don’t need books…  But someone out there decided we need the biggest and the brightest bombs our tax dollars will buy.

No need to increase the minimum wage??  What about those starving people who can barely scrape by on the pittance they are paid working in a big box store or fast food joint!!!  The standard of living rises, but wages fail to rise with them.  Two dollars 20 years ago doesn’t buy what two dollars will today…  But hey, Freedom isn’t free!!!  Now you have to work 2 or 3 jobs – to make ends meet.

We don’t need Healthcare reform??  Tell that to the family who has to sell everything just to be well, even go bankrupt in the process. They didn’t need that house or car… But the rich and powerful insurance companies and corporate-owned hospitals got theirs, in not only money, but someone’s blood and dignity!!!  So much for “promoting the General Welfare” of the people.

Our nation spends more on defense that all of our allies combined, and who does it benefit??  Defense contractors.  Our roads are crumbling, bridges and schools falling apart, teachers having to buy supplies for their classrooms out of their own pocket.  That’s not Freedom – that’s Neglect!!!  Neglecting our own for the sake of what??  A fucking plane or bomb??  Where does it end.

We have starving people in this country – do they feel this Freedom??  No, they don’t.  They fall through the system.  They are the invisible citizens. Liberals look out for them, while  conservatives want to take it all away.  Mentally ill people walking the streets when they should be taken care of. Families evicted from homes, with no assistance from the Government sworn to protect them, yet the banks who loaned them the money are bailed out.

People cry about their god and Jesus and whoever else they might worship, but do not follow the teachings. Feed the poor, heal the sick, blah blah blah… Hypocrisy abound with these people.  What ever happened to love thy neighbor – now neighbors are suffering along the political divide; left vs. right, liberal vs. conservative, Democrat vs. Republican…  We will never agree, but there can be a common ground to work from – not against.

So, this Independence Day, one should reflect on what will make this country better and shine once again.  This downward slope we find ourselves on where the top 1% control what the other 99% do is out of hand.  It’s not a matter of left and right, it’s a matter of being an American.  We have to find it within ourselves to make changes where they need to be made.  Build schools, educate our young, make college affordable, fix our infrastructure, care for the sick, feed the hungry…  I know it’s asking a lot, but as a country, we cannot fail our own..  We must preserve our future…  That is Freedom!!!

The Poor, A Mental Disease, and Trolls.. Oh My!!!

I happened to see a video online (below) about a Democratic Pundit saying the word “Fuck” live on Fox “news”… no big deal to me since I drop F-bombs faster than the Pope can hide a sex abuse scandal.

 

What bothered me about it was Neal Boortz saying “Poverty is a mental disease”.  I took offense by that statement and I tweeted to this man the following: “Poverty is not a mental disease, @ XXXXXXX .... You think people choose to be poor??? You're an asshole!!!!” (Since then, he retweeted it to his minions rather than confront me himself, the coward that he and all RWNJs are on Twitter).

People do not chose to be poor.  Some are born into it, some are forced into it, and some become poor by their own design – but I do not feel it is a mental disease!!!  Where in the fuck he came up with that line, I’ll never know.

When I say “born into it”, it is just that.  You could be in parts of the world (or for the USA, for that matter) and live in poor areas – not having any idea of what might be out there that would be better.  You live day to day, trying to raise your family on the little money you make at the menial jobs that are available in your area and don’t have the means to leave and you’re stuck!!!  Nowhere to go, no one to help. Even with the meager amount of food stamps you might receive from the government, you’re barely scraping by.  Thus is your life in an impoverished city, town, state or country.

When I say “forced into it”, it means you might have had a comfortable living, but it all went away from something devastating – like medical bills.  Sure, you might have had health insurance, but you’re always one catastrophic illness away from the poorhouse, and this does happen in the good ol’ UsofA!! Yay Us!!! (I’m not going to get into the benefits of “Obamacare” but some parts of that law will prevent things like that from happening). When a family member gets sick, the insurance only covers so much, and the bills keep coming and you can’t keep up… Step by step, you lose your house, live in the car or lose your car…  You are now one of the working poor, praying to your god you don’t lose your job….  This is the America we live in – ashamed??  If you believe in what I do, you’re not, but if you are a conservative, you probably don’t give two shits!!!!

When I say “by their own design”, it means just that…  The over spender, poor budgeting, compulsive gambling… These are some of the ones I have less sympathy for, but there is help out there for them. They’ve made their bed, and they must deal with it.  The compulsive gambler has a disease and can be treated.  Poor budgeting: have someone manage your money. Over spending, stop!!!

But to say someone in poverty has a mental disease was uncalled for.  The Boortz-trolls keep telling me you can get out of it… They all seem to be living well with their internet connections to attack my statement, but you know what??  There are people who don’t have that fucking luxury!!  Why???  because when you’re down and out in this country, you become the unseen, the unwashed, and the ignored part of the population.  When you befriend a homeless person or acknowledge their existence by saying hello, then we’ll talk.  Until then, I don’t want to hear it!!!

Letters from Teabaggers….

This one came from the Tea Party Express (my comments are in red italics):

This week, as Members of Congress debated this year's budget, the Tea Party was smeared by Congressional Democrats. As they Should be!!!

Sen. Chuck Schumer said the Tea Party movement was a bunch of fleas, wagging a dog's tail. He hit the nail on the head!!!

Senator Harry Reid went one bit further, blaming the budget stalemate on the Tea Party.  Which is true, isn’t it??

Here's the truth:  the Tea Party was the one reason that Members of Congress were pressured to finally start cutting spending.  But we have so much further to go.   And if Chuck Schumer and Harry Reid think they can silence us by smearing us, they have another thing coming. Yeah – more of your crap since you or Republicans know how to govern!!!

We have a $14+ trillion national debt, and instead of real spending cuts, many Members of Congress think they can keep spending more and more - and to pay for it all they want to raise our taxes.  Well, our answer is this:  NO WAY! George W. Bush is to blame for this.  He gave huge tax cuts to the wealthy and did not pay for them, started two wars which were off budget as was Medicare Part D.  President Obama simply put the Medicare Part D and the wars on the budget!!!

Liberals in Congress got us into this mess from rampant over-spending, and too many Republicans went along with these liberals.  Now it's time to stop the party, wake up and face our nation's hangover.  We have a spending problem in our government and it's time to make the serious cuts that are needed to protect our nation's future. I’m sorry, but when Democrats are in charge, we use the Pay-Go system (you know, pay with the money you have) – Republicans always take that away and spend and grow government deficits (Reagan, Bush I & Bush II… Clinton had balanced budgets and was paying down the debt and Bush II squandered it by giving tax cuts to the wealthy)!!!

Please help us fight back.  The battle has just begun and we need much more fiscal accountability in Congress.  We got a start this week - but it's just that, a start. Here’s a start – Fuck you!!!!

Looks like they’re losing this one..

Desperation is sad.  Teabaggers can’t even get enough money collected to recall Democrats in Wisconsin – here, they are BEGGING to collect $15,000.00 for their efforts. While MoveOn.org has collected nearly $1,000,000.00.  Also note, this nutjob uses the word “liberal” like it’s a dirty word ::Gasp::

In just one week, voters in Wisconsin will decide whether the state's Supreme Court will become dominated by liberals - who will throw out Gov. Walker's legislative victory over the public employee labor unions - or if it will remain a Court with a center-right tilt grounded in the Constitution.

We here at the Tea Party Express have just opened a new Wisconsin State PAC and tomorrow will begin running a new TV ad campaign that will fight to keep the Court grounded in the Constitution.  If we are successful then Gov. Scott Walker and "We The People" win.  If we lose Barack Obama wins. 

We just have to raise $15,000 in the next 18 hours to get our first round of TV ads on the airwaves. You can now donate to our Wisconsin State PAC - DONATE HERE.

If you need want to donate to help our cause and get these dumbasses out, please go to MoveOn.org to make a donation!!!

Let’s make this a win for Progressives, Democrats and just to piss off the Tea Party Express, a major win for President Barack Obama!!!

Go!!!  NOW!!!  Please!!    Thank you!!!

E-Mails from Desperate Teabaggers…

I thought I was going to bed, but got this in my e-mail from the Tea Party Express (again, not sure how I got on their mailing list).  Looks like they are running scared!!!  Also, by reading this, I can picture the person typing this e-mail on the verge of tears. Links from original e-mail have been deleted.

We told you this weekend about the critical election taking place one week from tomorrow for the Wisconsin Supreme Court.  If we lose, then liberals will block Gov. Scott Walker's new budget relief legislation and Barack Obama and the labor unions will win. 

It would be devastating for conservatives and constitutionalists if we lose.  Every Republican Governor across America would cave to Obama and the unions on every issue imaginable - heck a lot of them do that now already, just think what climate it would be like if we ended up losing in Wisconsin after we had initially obtained a great victory.

We here at the Tea Party Express have just opened a new Wisconsin State PAC and are launching a campaign to support the conservative Supreme Court Justice and oppose the radical leftist opposing him. We can now reveal to you, our supporters, that we are just finishing a new TV ad which we will unveil to you tomorrow and which will run statewide across Wisconsin.

We must raise $45,000 in the next 36 hours to get our first round of TV ads on the airwaves. You can now donate to our Wisconsin State PAC - DONATE HERE.

If you can afford a larger contribution of $100, $250, $500, $1,000 or more, then please help us.

You can contribute any amount up to the maximum allowed limit of $5,000.  And since we're in a new election cycle, those of you who had previously "maxed out" are once again able to contribute as much as you'd like - all the way up to that $5,000 maximum.

If you need want to donate to help our cause and get these dumbasses out, please go to MoveOn.org to make a donation!!!

Go!!!  NOW!!!  Please    Thank you!!!

Second Nature

A memo to a higher office
Open letter to the powers-that-be
To a God, a king, a head of state
A captain of industry
To the movers and the shakers-
Can't everybody see?

It ought to be second nature-
I mean, the places where we live!
Let's talk about this sensibly-
We're not insensitive
I know progress has no patience-
But something's got to give

Second Nature by Rush – Lyrics by Neil Peart

• I am a liberal.
• I am a progressive.
• I am a Democrat (of the Democratic Party).
• I am Agnostic.
• I have no issued with people who worship (just don’t push your beliefs on me).
• I fight for what I believe is right.
• I believe in equal justice under the law.
• I don’t hate Republicans or Conservatives (as people) because of what they believe.
• I believe the rich and big business should pay their fair share of taxes.

I make no apologies for any of those statements.

Which brings me to why I’m writing tonight. I was once called a “bigot” on Facebook by someone for the beliefs I hold.  I may disagree on many issues with the other side of the political spectrum, but I do not hate.  I know there isn’t much for common ground in today’s political climate with the vitriol on the right and the caving by some on the left, but I still don’t hate.

What keeps me grounded are facts.  If I don’t believe something, I look it up.  If I make a statement or post something (on, say, Facebook, Twitter or my blog) and someone may disagree with it, I am ready to back up any comments with facts.  Facts are funny things – they usually put people in their place.  As the quote (attributed to) by Daniel Patrick Moynihan goes: “Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not his own facts.”

I am an avid listener of Progressive Radio – something that Las Vegas has nothing of, so I pay for XM Radio to hear voices that lean towards what I think and feel.  I watch MSNBC mostly, and at times, CNN.  I’ll admit I used to watch FOX “News” when it first came online, and every now and then I’ll watch Shepard Smith, but it’s a rare event.  I listen to Randi Rhodes and she always says (paraphrasing) “Don’t believe me or anyone else on the radio – look it up” – and I’m not afraid to do just that.

I’ve written about my religious beliefs before (here and here) so I won’t go into details again.  As I said above in my bullet points, I am Agnostic. As Merriam-Webster online defines it: “a person who holds the view that any ultimate reality (as God) is unknown and probably unknowable; broadly : one who is not committed to believing in either the existence or the nonexistence of God or a god”, which would define me perfectly.  I have an open mind and there are things I just can’t wrap my head around, which is why I believe the way I do, but I still wouldn’t call my self an Atheist. Just don’t try to push your beliefs on me unless you have archeological or scientific proof to back up your points.

As a kid, I read some Ayn Rand.  Most notably, Anthem and The Fountainhead.  I tried to read Atlas Shrugged, but gave up because it was the most boring fucking book I ever picked up. (I have We The Living, but never cracked the spine).  Most of my early reading was influenced by Neil Peart (Drummer and Lyricist for Rush) and some his early lyrics were based on books by Rand.  What I got most out of her writings (that I read) was for the concept of individualism.  I never took to the political arguments she espoused.  I do believe, however, we all have rights, but I also believe government is there for a reason – to regulate, tax, promote the general welfare of the people and protect the populace.  There are no free market societies – it’s been tried in South America by that nutjob Milton Friedman and it all failed miserably (see Shock Doctrine by Naomi Klein).

Again, I don’t hate.  I may disagree with you or your ideas, but I don’t hate you for it.  I may have different beliefs than you, but I won’t hate you for it.  You may be a different color or have a different ethnic background than me, but I won’t hate you for it. You might have different political views than me, but I don’t hate you for it.

Today is different,
And tomorrow the same
It's hard to take the world
The way that it came
Too many rapids
Keep us sweeping along
Too many captains
Keep on steering us wrong
It's hard to take the heat-
It's hard to lay blame
To fight the fire-
While we're feeding the flames

Second Nature by Rush – Lyrics by Neil Peart

By Hatchet, axe and saw….

After careful thought and reading various tweets via my Blackberry at work tonight regarding the happenings in the Wisconsin state legislature, I became very angry.  What I observed was a power grab by the Republicans, pure and simple.  They are taking away power of the people.  They are trying to take away our voices.  They are taking away the soul of the middle class.  In the greater Republican view, Wisconsin is the first domino to fall, then the rest of the states will follow.  What they did was wrong, and from many reports I’m hearing, possibly illegal.

I hate to see a class of people beaten down, whether it be those of color, gender, nationality, religion or sexuality.  What these Republicans are doing encompasses all of those I just listed.  It affects every walk of life who aren’t in the upper class of our society (millionaires and billionaires).  These are the people who teach our children, clean our streets, put out the fires, heal us and protect us from harm.  These are the people toiling in the dirt to produce what the millionaires/billionaires sell to others toiling away to buy their products.  What is happening is a return to indentured servitude and slave wages should the millionaires/billionaires get their way.

We, as a people, cannot let them get away with this power grab.  The first words of our Constitution are “We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”  I see positive words in that – establish justice, domestic tranquility, general welfare, blessings of liberty – nothing about beating a man when he’s down.  The Republicans wrap themselves in the flag and Constitution, but it is not theirs to claim for themselves.

This is our time to take back the flag, the Constitution and our country.  We are a nation of laws, not of gods or corporations.  This country was built on the backs of our ancestors.  It was the working man who built the roads, laid rail for the trains, placed the bricks and mortar in our skyscrapers, assembles our vehicles.  We must never forget!!!

This is our time.  This is our moment to shine.  The time is now to come together and fight for our constitutionally given “right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.”  The battle has begun, we will not waver, we will not lose!!!!

 

‘Nuff Said…

see more Political Pictures

Ass Hat!!!

Note to asshole pictured below:

There is no high speed rail from Disneyland to Las Vegas anywhere in the Stimulus Bill!!! 

Now, if you please, remove your head from your ass before you suffocate!!!

 

Last Time I checked...

...This man was DEAD!!! 

Screw the Republicans and their love for this man.  He's one of the reasons this Country is in the state it's in.

$2.4 Trillion US Dollars down the Sh*thole!!!

The House Budget Committee met today to discuss the war spending. Only one Republican bothered to show up, and guess who it wasn't!!! Don't know?? I'll tell you... Our own congrASSman Jon Porter (R-NV03). I guess the ASS only cares about siding with the War party than his constituents and the American People!!!

Rep. Doggett: “I assume, by Mr. Ryan being here, that every member of this panel, including every Republican member on that side of the aisle where all the seats are vacant, received notice about this hearing about the cost of war in Iraq?”

Chairman Spratt: “I’m sure they did.”

Rep. Doggett: “And when was this notice of the hearing sent out?”

Chairman Spratt: “Seven days ago, as required by the rules.”

My new hero!!!

WaPo:

Desultory, that is, until Rep. Pete Stark (D-Calif.) grumbled at Republicans: "Youdon't have money to fund the war or children. But you're going to spend it to
blow up innocent people if we can get enough kids to grow old enough for you to send to Iraq to get their heads blown off for the president's amusement."

Dedication for Republicans to Petraeus

Found this clip... I guess I'll make this a dedication for all the War Party members (Repulicans) to David Petreaus: