Congressional Wing Nuts & Wombats
April 2, 2022
We currently have an excess supply of Wombats, Obstructionists, and probable Seditionists serving in Congress.
Some of these characters include: Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia; Jim Jordan of Ohio; Lauren Boebert of Colorado; Matt Gaetz of Florida; Madison Cawthorne of North Carolina; Louie Gohmert of Texas; Paul Gosar of Arizona; and several more.
These are folks who were nominated by their Party and encouraged to run for public office; and who were then elected to represent their constituents in Congress.
These also are the same folks who live large in public media, seemingly hell-bent on destroying the foundations of the American political system and American political values.
We recently learned of the death of Don Young of Alaska, a highly respected and the longest-serving Republican in the history of the U.S. House of Representatives.
A special election to fill his vacant seat will be held August 16, and the winner of the special election will finish the remainder of Young’s term, which ends in January 2023.
Former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin has announced her intention to run for Congress to replace Don Young.
In her announcement, Palin said our nation “is at a tipping point,” and she spoke of the need to address “out-of-control inflation, empty shelves, and gas prices that are among the highest in the world.”
“I’m in this race to win it and join the fight for freedom alongside other patriots willing to sacrifice all to save our country,” Palin said.
Sarah certainly knows the right words to say; she only lacks the knowledge and abilities to deliver on whatever promises she intends to make.
We’ve seen enough of Sarah Palin’s wisdom, experience and character from her run as the VP candidate under John McCain in the 2008 presidential election.
We certainly don’t need Sarah Palin in Congress to further degrade and destroy the foundations of our American political system and political values.
Josh Hawley, an Elected Obstructionist?
March 23, 2022
Is Sen. Hawley a danger to our democracy?
Josh Hawley, the junior senator from Missouri, was mostly unknown until he joined a few other newsworthy seditionists to attempt to deny certification of Joe Biden’s election on January 6, 2021.
Hawley became a poster boy for the cause, caught on camera fist-pumping outside the Capitol just prior to the insurrection.
His re-election campaign now uses this photo to embellish a number of trinkets available on his website – for example, a coffee mug is available for just $20.00.
Hawley graduated from a private Jesuit high school where he was valedictorian; is a graduate of Stanford; and of Yale Law School where he was an editor of the Yale Law Journal and also served as president of the Yale Federalist Society chapter. Prior to his election to the Senate in 2018, he held a number of positions, including a stint as an associate professor at the University of Missouri Law School, where he taught constitutional law.
But, please don’t be fooled by his pedigree, boyish good looks or his melodious baritone delivery.
Hawley clearly has a penchant for disloyalty and rebellious activities focused on undermining the workings of the United States government.
And, his recent performance interrogating Supreme Court nominee Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson has given new meaning to the phrase “badgering the witness.”
A new look at the Republican Party
January 13, 2022
During my college years, I was introduced to the writings of Franz Kafka; that may help explain my rather bizarre sense of humor.
Another American Massacre?
August 3, 2019
Today’s massacre in El Paso contains some common elements to dozens of similar occurrences.
Who are these killers?
The statistics tell us that they are most likely to be U.S. born while males, generally under 30 years of age.
A number of studies have shown that the male brain reaches maturity significantly later than females. The key brain region believed to be primarily responsible for reasoning and helping us to ‘think before we act’ is the pre-frontal cortex, which develops later in males, and is generally still changing and maturing well into adulthood.
What sort of weapons do these mass killers prefer?
Military-style assault weapons with high-capacity magazines.
What should we do right now to put a halt to these massacres?
Institute an immediate ban on the production, sale or civilian possession of military-style assault weapons in the U.S.
AR-15 (AK-47 and similar weapons) have no place in a civil society, except perhaps for military and limited law enforcement use.
Is there a precedent to this “call to action” at the federal level?
Yes, there is. The Public Safety Recreational Firearms Use Protection Act (1994) prohibited the manufacture, transfer, or possession of “semiautomatic assault weapons” as well as “large capacity ammunition feeding devices” — defined as “any magazine, belt, drum, feed strip, or similar device” which had “the capacity of, or that can be readily restored or converted to accept, more than 10 rounds of ammunition”.
That legislation passed in September 1994 with a sunset provision for the assault weapon ban section. The law expired on September 13, 2004, and nothing has occurred at the federal level over the past 15 years to reign in the proliferation of civilian ownership of assault weapons, military grade ammunition and high capacity magazines.
I refuse to stand by and wait for someone to go hunting with an AR-15 at the school which my grandchildren attend, at the mall where my family shops, or at the house of worship in my neighborhood.
Please join me: Step up and demand common sense gun regulations from your elected officials.
Now!
An Economic Genius: Part 2
August 1, 2019
A few weeks ago, I shared some thoughts about our current President and his economic credentials.
Donald John Trump was one of 366 student members of the class of 1968 who was awarded a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics from the Wharton School of Finance and Commerce at the University of Pennsylvania.
Other than his bachelor’s degree and some experience working in the family real estate business, there is no evidence that Mr. Trump has pursued additional education, credentials or capabilities in the field of economics.
Trump’s paucity of bona fides in the world of economic theory and practice has not deterred him from taking an active role in testing new economic theories and concepts.
Below, I introduce a new chapter in my observations on Donald Trump’s economic strategy:
…………………….…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
July 31, 2019 (Wednesday): Federal Reserve Chairman Powell reluctantly announced a 25bp cut in the federal funds rate, the first rate cut in over a decade (December 2008). In his announcement, Chairman Powell cited, “implications of global developments for the economic outlook as well as muted inflation pressures”. The Fed also referenced an apparent global economic slowdown; uncertainty around U.S.-China trade negotiations; and ‘stubbornly low inflation’.
August 1, 2019 (Thursday): Donald Trump announced (in a series of tweets) that the U.S. would impose a new 10 percent tariff on certain goods from China beginning on September 1, 2019, following the news that trade talks with the China have failed to make sufficient progress.
These new tariffs will apply to the $300 Billion of Chinese goods which had not before faced a tariff. Another $250 Billion of Chinese goods will continue to be tariffed at a 25 percent rate.
This abrupt and unusual move roiled the equity markets, creating a major sell-off.
Since late 2018, the U.S. economy has been showing signs of slowing — bond markets are flaccid; GDP has slowed; new home sales are generally flat; and business investment is anemic, at best.
Virtually every main-stream economist agrees that Trump’s trade war is contributing to the domestic economic malaise, although it’s too early to determine by how much, and if the damage is permanent.
The Fed rate cut on Wednesday was accompanied by a caveat that one purpose was to help create a barrier to prevent Trump’s trade wars from toppling our domestic economy.
Thursday’s surprise announcement by Trump reveals a new, arbitrary, capricious and unilateral decision by the White House which will result in higher taxes to Americans on imports; and further expand uncertainty for businesses which need significant time to manage their supply chains.
The agricultural sector in the U.S. – farms and ancillary industries, suppliers, manufacturers, etc – are already fighting the unexpected impacts of climate and weather on production. Then, they were handed a potential death sentence by a White House which is guided not by strategy and planning, but by impetuous and arbitrary policy changes driven by Trump’s narcissistic compulsions.
If Trump’s Trade War battle plans were conceived within a coordinated environment (i.e. in concert with the Fed and the Congress) perhaps we would be able to see a pathway toward successful outcomes.
Trump is consistent in his bravado that he – and he alone – has the vision, wisdom and solutions to create equilibrium in the trade accounts between the U.S. and China.
According to a BBC analysis from May 2019, “Trump’s decision to take on China could lead to adverse effects for consumers in the US and in China, but also worldwide. An economic showdown between the world’s biggest economies doesn’t look good for anyone.”
Article I of the US Constitution vests the power to set tariffs in Congress, thus Congress has the power to stop this President from continuing his arbitrary and impetuous trade war. The question remains: Will elected officials in Congress wake up, do their job and use that power, or will they continue to abdicate legislative responsibilities to this President?
The Grim Reaper?
June 18, 2019
The U.S. Senate consists of 100 members – 2 elected from each state — independent of population. Under the Constitution, our elected Vice President serves as the President of the Senate, and presides over the Senate’s daily proceedings, and only the Vice President has the authority to cast a tie-breaking vote.
Over the past 2 decades, I’ve become more and more befuddled, baffled and bewildered by the apparently bad behaviors of some of those elected to represent us in the U.S. Senate.
Currently, it seems that one of the 2 Senators elected from Kentucky – Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell – has acquired extraordinary power over the operation and functionality of this key part of the legislative branch of our federal government!
While it is perfectly clear that McConnell has usurped extraordinary power over the functionality of the Senate, he could have only acquired this power from the spineless reptiles who worship at his feet.
How can it be possible that one person – elected from the great state of Kentucky – has the arbitrary and singular power to schedule — or not schedule – votes on bills by the Senate?
How can it be possible that one person – in this case, the Senate Majority Leader – has obtained the power to fully obstruct a government of the people, by the people and for the people?
The arbitrary and unilateral power of the Senate Majority Leader is not derived from the Constitution, from any law, or from formal rules of the Senate.
Instead, it is entirely based on informal, colloquial and unwritten rules established over time by a collection of precedents, beginning with an informal ruling by then-Vice President John Garner in 1937 which created a “right of preferential recognition”.
Vice President Garner – serving in his Constitutional role as Senate President – may have been trying to create order within a body of highly assertive and opinionated elected officials from very diverse geographic and economic backgrounds.
Regardless of intent or motivation, the Garner precedent continues to serve as the foundation upon which Majority Leader power is based in the Senate today.
Today, there is one person — elected by some voters in Kentucky — who has the power to obstruct a government of the people, by the people and for the people.
Very recently, Mitch McConnell proclaimed that no issues which he objects to would be voted on in the Senate. He said, “So think of me as the Grim Reaper” — the guy who is going to make sure that we fully support the agenda of our current President.
Is this what the American people really want?
What the Mueller Report Actually Said
May 30, 2019
On Wednesday, May 29, 2019 Robert Mueller broke 2 years of silence to speak to the American public about the Special Counsel Report which bears his name.
Mueller advised Americans to read his report if we want to understand what really happened in 2016. “We chose those words carefully, and the work speaks for itself,” he said.
The pressure is on. We need to read the Mueller Report.
The Mueller Report is huge, and it is written in ‘legalese’ – well beyond the interests and/or abilities of most American adults. You want footnotes? Volume I of the Mueller Report includes about 199 pages of text, illuminated by 1,283 footnotes. Volume II adds another 182 pages of content with almost 1,100 footnotes. That is almost 2,400 footnotes! Yikes!
According to the national not-for-profit organization Reading is Fundamental, 93 Million American adults read at or below the basic level needed to contribute successfully to society.
I have to guess that the majority of these 93 Million American adults lack the motivation — and the skills — needed to read, comprehend and analyze the contents of the Mueller Report.
I’m retired and I have plenty of discretionary time. I have read significant portions of the Mueller Report. It is not an easy task.
Yet, I discovered that Volume I provides a powerful and comprehensive look at the events and evidence related to foreign election interference.
Volume II documents a number of actions directly or indirectly initiated by Donald Trump intended to impede or obstruct the FBI investigation into foreign election interference, and further actions intended to obstruct the Special Counsel investigation.
I predict that the Mueller Report will become a significant historical document for U.S. history scholars.
As it stands, it is just too academic and complex to become a widely-read, popularly acclaimed explanation of current events for most American adults.
Thankfully, all is not lost!
In its May 29, 2019 issue, The Atlantic published a synopsis penned by David Frum which helps bridge the gap between legalese and the typical American adult’s willingness and ability to read, comprehend and understand the conclusions reached by Mueller and his team.
I encourage you to make the time to read Frum’s article.
Mueller Report
May 29, 2019
Several of my friends have wondered: What part of “… this report does not conclude that the President committed a crime, it also does not exonerate him” supports the “No Collusion, No Obstruction” response from the Trump White House.
My theory is based on a variety of academic studies over the past 2 decades which have determined that an ‘average American adult’ reads at (or about) the eighth grade level.
The reading skills of American adults are significantly lower than those of adults in most other developed countries, according to a study by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development based on a sample of 160,000 people from two dozen developed nations.
The Mueller Report is an academic treatise written at a level which clearly exceeds the abilities of most American adults to engage; read; analyze; and conclude.
The ability to read fluently, critically and for understanding— to be able to learn from text— may be the most important foundational skill for U.S. adult citizens’ health, well-being, and social and economic advancement.
Critical reading skills are the gateway to lifelong learning, education, and training.
The internet and social networking currently operate through the written word, thus reading literacy provides access to an infinite and readily accessible library of the world’s knowledge, as well as the ability to communicate with friends, family, and employers.
The digital revolution provided access to information which is the foundation for an informed society — except for those adults who continue to struggle to read and/or comprehend.
We have a crisis in America. The Mueller Report is written at a level which exceeds the skills of the majority of Americans — including many of those currently serving in Congress — to understand, analyze and arrive at critically informed conclusions.
The Pew Research Center recently reported that adults with a high school degree (or less) represent the majority (37%) of U.S. adults who report not reading books in any format in the past year.
I have to wonder – and I hope you will join me — How many of these 37% of adults who don’t read books (and perhaps don’t read critically?) are members of the Trump Base?
We Have a Winner!
May 24, 2019
Competition for the coveted “Horse’s Patootie” award this week was fierce, almost resulting in a hung jury.
Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas), a member of the freshman congressional class of 2019, narrowly emerged as this week’s winner.
Following Senate passage (85 to 8) of a long-awaited $19+ billion disaster aid bill, Mr. Roy refused to grant his accord for the House to pass a unanimous consent resolution to move the bill to POTUS for his signature into law. (President Trump had already agreed to approve the bill as passed in the Senate.)
Although new to Congress, Roy served for several years as chief of staff to Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), including that period in 2013 when Cruz led a campaign which led to a 16-day government shutdown as a symbolic means to force repeal of the Affordable Care Act.
Most ironic, perhaps: Even Cruz voted in favor of this 2019 disaster aid bill citing its importance to Texas, as about 20% of the $19 Billion in aid is destined to parts of Texas prone to hurricane damage.
It has been reported that Mr. Roy will be staying in D.C. over the Memorial Day holiday to avoid a “Tar & Feathers” party promised by his Texas constituents.
I’m Not a Crook, and I Don’t do Cover ups!
May 22, 2019
President Trump threw a temper tantrum today in the White House Rose Garden, forever preserved in the digital media universe.
Through his actions and words today, President Trump has provided clear and irrefutable evidence that he is unable to separate questions about his personal character from the primary duty of his current and sworn role to “preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States” which I translate as an obligation to provide competent and impartial leadership for the entire population of the United States.
His public pronouncement that, “I don’t do cover ups” is clearly false.
Following that statement, the first image that flashed into my head was recorded for public record on Air Force One (early April, 2018) when President Trump responded to a reporter’s question about the cover-up payment(s) to Stormy Daniels that, ‘I know nothing about that’ further referring any questions to his then-Attorney, Michael Cohen.
Another indelible image again involves Air Force One and the infamous June 2016 Trump Tower meeting between Trump Jr., various Trump campaign people, and a Russian lawyer. In early July 2017, while flying home from Germany aboard Air Force One, President Trump personally dictated a statement on behalf of Trump Jr. which said that Trump Jr. and the Russian lawyer had “primarily discussed a program about the adoption of Russian children” in June 2016, further stating that the subject of the meeting was “not a campaign issue at the time.”
That meeting has continued to be a constant thorn. In late July 2018, following public testimony by Michael Cohen, President Donald Trump took to Twitter to respond to some negative press reports, “I did NOT know of the meeting with my son, Don Jr….”
He didn’t know? Cover up? I think yes.
The most egregious example of Trump cover ups is his obstinate refusal to allow the public release of bank records, tax returns or any relevant financial records pertaining to his personal and business activities. We know from public information that Donald Trump and the Trump Organization and/or entities controlled by him: (a) Declared bankruptcy 6 times; (b) Have been shunned by most traditional banking organizations; (c) Consistently sell condominiums and other developed properties in ‘all-cash’ transactions, often to anonymous entities connected to Russia or former Soviet republics.
I applaud Speaker Pelosi for her insistence on a thorough and methodical process to follow and identify all of the facts. Indeed, no one is above the law, including the President of the United States.
I strongly encourage our elected officials to stay the course and to demand full disclosure and independent comprehensive review of Trump family and Trump Organization financial records. The American People deserve nothing less.
walrus51 