Wednesday, May 25, 2016

Despicable Donald, Part One


     Donald Trump's blatant hypocrisy is downright fascinating... and perversely entertaining. Take notice of how Herr Trump repeatedly whines whenever a news outlet raises the specter of past failures or questionable antics. For example, he goes a little bonkers when he's reminded that he posed as his own publicist in 1991, but his orange hues turn bright red when mention is made of Trump business bankruptcies in 1991, 1992, 2004, and 2009. Duplicitous Donald strenuously objects to any journey through HIS past. And yet, he's decided that Hillary Clinton's past is fair game. Duplicitous Donald has determined that Whitewater is a relevant issue here in 2016! Not that anyone likely remembers--or cares--but there where allegations that President Bill Clinton (while serving as Governor of Arkansas in the mid 1980s) used his influence to arrange a $300,000 loan to the Clintons' partner in a real estate deal.  The Clintons actually lost tens of thousands of dollars in the deal; it was thoroughly investigated, and they were never indicted for anything.  Duplicitous Donald knows there's nothing to this, but he believes in repeating lies enough so that his supporters will believe him.
     Even more disturbing is Herr Trump's ill-advised decision to raise questions that have already been answered about the suicide of a Deputy White House Counsel, Vince Foster, in 1993 (during the first year of the Clinton presidency).  Multiple investigations concluded that Mr. Foster did indeed commit suicide:  the U.S. Park Police (with F.B.I. assistance) in 1993, independent Counsel Robert Fisk in 1994, and even Whitewater independent Counsel Ken Starr (who certainly disliked the Clintons) reached the same conclusion in 1997--after a three-year investigation.  Despicable Donald, however, has no decency or regard for the Foster family--instead, he and assorted talk radio conspiracy lunatics say or do anything to assault the Clintons.  Just a reminder:  this is the same Despicable Donald who touted a bogus National Enquirer photo to smear Ted Cruz; claiming that the photo showed Raul Cruz (Ted's father) with Lee Harvey Oswald.  Of course, we all know what Despicable Donald wanted everyone to think.
     As Herr Trump's campaign melts down into an orgy of bigotry, sexism, and hatred, be prepared for Desperate Donald.  He'll reveal that, among many other things, Hillary broke up the Beatles and staged the moon landing. 
     In the end, Despicable Donald has nothing.  He's a hot air balloon incapable of rational discussion of issues he's unable to understand... and the air is beginning to escape, but like a cornered cobra he'll strike out randomly and repeatedly.  He's dangerous, he's despicable... let's hope he's done.

    

Saturday, May 14, 2016

Trump-George Zimmerman 2016


The world must really wonder what the hell is going on in the United States of America. In the past few years we've embarrassed ourselves in multiple ways, and God knows we're continuing to do so on a daily basis. I'm reading headlines about Sheldon Adelson vowing to spend $100 million dollars to fund the "self-funding" Donald Trump's presidential campaign. It's billionaire to billionaire and racist to racist (check out Adelson's comments about Palestinians). This news accompanies a New York Times report on Donald Trump's decades-long history of inappropriate behavior toward women. A "rich" history of lewd and unwelcome advances... And yet, as a result of the hijacking and disemboweling of the old Republican party, this lunatic will be nominated for president.
Given the general insanity, I suppose it's entirely appropriate to see George Zimmerman back in the news. This thug who shot Trayvon Martin on 2/26/2012, and escaped justice on 7/13/2013 (when he was somehow acquitted of second degree murder)actually has the cojones to try and auction off the gun he used to commit the killing. Get this: he pledged that a portion of the sale (initial bid was $5,000)would be used to fight Black Lives Matter "violence" directed against law enforcement officers and to counter "Hillary Clinton's anti-firearms rhetoric". Disgusting... on so many levels. Trayvon Martin's family must feel as though this cretin is dancing on their son's grave. For George Zimmerman to have the audacity to talk about violence is astounding. One look at his lengthy arrest record--dating back to 2005--and it's obvious that this man should never have been allowed to own a weapon. A domestic violence arrest in 2005, plus another arrest that year for shoving and threatening an undercover alcohol control agent. After shooting Trayvon in 2013, he lied about his assets during bail hearings, but that was just the beginning. 9/9/2013 he threatened his estranged wife and her father with a gun (and punched the father in the face). 11/18/2013 he pointed a shotgun at a girlfriend and began destroying her possessions. 1/9/2015 he proved he didn't need a gun when he was arrested for aggravated assault for throwing a wine bottle at another girlfriend.
It makes perfect sense, in a perverse way, that George Zimmerman would crawl out from under his rock in the era of Donald Trump. I'd be willing to bet there are more than a few in that crowd who view him as some sort of persecuted hero, On the plus side, his "auction" has been subverted by numerous internet Gods and Goddesses who've pushed the winning bid up to $65 million last I checked. (Thank you "Racist McShootface" and others).
Don't give up on us yet... maybe Trump can be stopped and we can live up to our ideals and be our better selves. In the meantime, it would seem fitting that Trump capture this unique and deeply disturbing moment in our history by choosing George Zimmerman--the poster boy for Trumpism--as his running mate.

Sunday, May 8, 2016

Name the Donald


Donald Trump is notorious for many things. Among them is his childish and annoying need to try and assign a nickname to his many political opponents. We're all familiar with (and sick to death of hearing) "Lyin' Ted". Before that, when Trump was engaged in a size-of-penis war with Marco Rubio (a new low in American politics, I might add), we heard "Little Marco". Most of his Republican opponents escaped an actual nickname, but suffered a barrage of personal insults instead. Jasmine C. Lee and Kevin Quealy have compiled an interesting list (210) of the people, places, and things Trump has insulted on Twitter. If you're ever feeling insecure about your writing skills, or command of the English language, you might want to check it out--you'll walk away feeling so much better about yourself.
Lately, of course, Donnie is trying to develop a nickname for Hillary Clinton. He started out with "Crooked Hillary", but seems to have had second thoughts since he began trying out "Corrupt Hillary" instead.
I'd like to suggest that while he works overtime on solving that dilemma (as opposed to taking the time to learn about foreign or domestic policy), we ought to return the favor. Donald shouldn't be left out in the cold without a nickname of his own. Elizabeth Warren recently summed him up on Twitter ("weak"), but we need to give him something that reflects his persona: big, boorish, stupid.
I'm hoping people will help me out with this... let's have some fun!
"Trumpus Rumpus" seems a little silly...
"Deplorable Donald" has promise...
"vulgar" is too soft, "sleazy" is on the money, but it needs to be a catch phrase.
Come on people, he's given us so much to work with. Let's hear those names!

Thursday, May 5, 2016

Trumpus Interruptus


The presumptive nominee of what remains of the Republican Party (the tea-partiers and lunatic right-wring fringe have successfully carried out purges that might have made Pol Pot blush; not a moderate remains standing) has given new meaning to the term "whiplash".
Throughout the nomination process Mr. Trump has seen fit to engage in the most childish and nasty name-calling imaginable... usually late in the evening on Twitter. One look at the caliber of his tweets leads to the conclusion that alcohol was likely involved. The "New York Times" provided a public service in compiling a listing of the late-night rants (The Upshot, 4/4/2016) and it was disturbing, to say the least. To think that someone so unstable might be sitting in the Oval Office, or anywhere near the infamous "red button", is enough to make the skin crawl.
Let me state upfront that I am not a Republican, and I am certainly no fan of Ted Cruz. Yet throughout the campaign Mr. Trump saw fit to tweet: "a nasty guy", "world class liar", "biggest liar in politics", "dishonest", "deceptive", "cheater", "didn't win in Iowa, he stole it", "ultimate hypocrite", "says one thing for the money, does another for the votes", and my personal favorite--"doesn't have the temperament to be president" (!). These are but a few of the Trump tweets... what a statesman! To put the icing on the cake, he actively supported the "National Enquirer's" attack on Cruz's father--placing him in Dallas with Lee Harvey Oswald.
Yet, less than 48 hours later after his win in Indiana, Trump said: "Ted Cruz... I don't know if he likes me or doesn't like me, but he is one hell of a competitor. He is a tough, smart guy. And he has got an amazing future."
As I listened, my brain almost exploded and my neck suffered excruciating whiplash. It's what the Manson family would have sounded like had they returned to the scene of the Sharon Tate massacre the next morning: "We didn't really mean it, we're fans".
Words have consequences, Mr. Trump, or at least they used to. Hopefully all the lies, vitriol and negativity will come back to bite you before it's too late for the rest of us. "Instant Karma's gonna get you".

Monday, May 2, 2016

Enough with the Shtick, Bernie


It appears increasingly likely that a fanatical minority or Republicans will succeed in nominating Donald Trump as the party’s presidential candidate. In the world of politics it’s not unusual to hear dire warnings about the importance of “this” election versus “that” election; or the need to defeat candidate X because he or she represent(s) a threat to the very survival of our democracy. We’ve heard these claims so often now that it’s admittedly tempting to ignore the boy who cried “wolf!” entirely. However, given the number or racist, sexist, and just plain bat-s**t crazy rants emanating from the Donald, it’s plain to see that if he succeeds in getting anywhere near the White House, our homes may indeed collapse in the rush of hot air, and the republic may well be screwed.
It would seem that the sooner the Democratic Party is able to unite, the better off we’ll be. Given the lure of Justin Trudeau’s bold new visions and proposals, it’s certainly tempting to consider a mass emigration to Canada (if they haven’t built a wall), but we can’t afford to leave our country in the clutches of an intolerant, hateful minority.

Sen. Bernie Sanders has surprised almost everyone by running an inspirational and powerful campaign. His focus on issues such as income inequality, the influence of big money in politics, universal healthcare, free tuition at public colleges and universities, and offering a legal pathway to citizenship for illegal immigrants have resonated with millions across the country.
Unfortunately, he has recently veered off course and misses no opportunity to try and inflict damage on Hillary Clinton’s campaign. Setting aside the simple arithmetic, it’s simply disappointing to hear Senator Sanders resort to such tactics.

For example, it’s silly for Senator Sanders to try and claim the mantle of the “anti-establishment” candidate when he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1988, where he served until being elected to the U.S. Senate in 2006. These are among the most exclusive and powerful legislative bodies in the world. (It’s also worth noting that in every election campaign Sanders has benefitted greatly from the support of a Democratic party that he then attempts to keep at arm’s length.)
It’s absurd for Senator Sanders to attack Secretary Clinton (at the contentious Brooklyn debate) on the issue of global warming and then turn around and charter a private plane for a 8500 mile round-trip flight to Rome—for a conference on wealth inequality? The Mail Online calculated 33,193 gallons of fossil fuel were used for this jaunt. Now that’s some carbon footprint! Another moment at that debate was particularly striking. While Secretary Clinton clarified a comment she’d made regarding the proportion of guns from Vermont used to commit crimes in NYC, Senator Sanders almost chuckled. He seemed to find the topic amusing, until Secretary Clinton reminded him that “gun violence is not a laughing matter”. Unfortunately, Senator Sanders also passed up on an opportunity to apologize to the parents/families of the Sandy Hook massacre for his comments in an interview with the “N.Y. Daily News” maintaining those parents didn’t have the right to sue the gun manufacturers.

A few days ago, Jane Sanders sounded uncannily like Donald Trump in a recent interview with Fox Business Network’s “Cavuto Coast to Coast” as she complained that the delegate selection process “isn’t fair”. To make matters worse, in today’s headlines I’m seeing that Senator Sanders himself is promising a contested Democratic convention. I have no doubt this provided tremendous glee at Trump headquarters.
I can only hope that, in time, Senator Sanders and those supporters who’ve promised not to vote for Secretary Clinton, will look again at the danger posed by Donald Trump and think long and hard about what they’re doing.
I plan to vote for Hillary Clinton not as the “lesser of two evils”, but as a capable, experienced candidate whose time has come. I believe that the basis for much of the antipathy toward Hillary Clinton stems from one of the most brutal and disingenuous hatchet jobs ever to emerge from the world of public relations. In 1994, in response to President Clinton’s proposed health care plan (with Hillary taking point), insurance companies launched a year-long, multi-million dollar smear campaign (“Harry and Louise”) that seems to have shaped perceptions of Hillary Clinton ever since. I admire Secretary Clinton for her resilience and determination in facing down decades of uninformed vitriol, and look forward to her election as President of the United States.