See Ya Paul Ryan!

     In the era of make-believe-President Donald Trump, any good news is a welcome event, so the announcement by Paul Ryan that he’ll be retiring in January of 2019 is fantastic!  The phrase “Good riddance” has rarely seemed more appropriate.

     However, listening to a few of the news reports and reading several opinion pieces has been disconcerting.  They paint the picture of a guy who “struggled” to hold onto his principles while wrestling with Donald Trump for the soul (?) of the Republican Party. 

     While it’s true that Ryan occasionally objected to a few of Trump’s more outrageous comments throughout the Republican primary season in 2016, and he called him out during the fall campaign following the release of the infamous “Access Hollywood” video (“I am not going to defend Donald Trump.  Not now, not ever”), he was quick to change his tune after Trump’s Electoral College victory.

     Paul Ryan saw a golden opportunity to pursue his long-cherished agenda:  destruction of Obamacare, privatization of so-called entitlement programs, and re-shaping the tax code to benefit the wealthy and corporations.  In order to attain these goals, he willingly sold his soul (?) to the Antichrist.  He refrained from additional criticism, and instead praised Trump’s “leadership” (???).  He enthusiastically embraced Trump’s use of identity politics--playing on white privilege and resentment.  It became difficult to distinguish the lackey (Mike Pence would be the handmaiden) from the Antichrist himself.

     As he prepares his slow departure, Ryan touts his accomplishments--in particular pointing to the tax bill.  Several days ago, the Congressional Budget Office estimated that the deficit is expected to reach $1 trillion in 2019, courtesy of the Republican “tax cut”.  That’s a nice legacy to leave the next generation, Mr. Ryan.  This piece of legislation passed (last December) without a single Democratic vote.  It locks in permanent tax cuts... to corporations (down from 35% to 21%).  By contrast, middle class tax cuts were given an expiration date of 2026!  And though most middle-class Americans were projected to receive an average payout of $930 (tantamount to 1.6% of their average income), the real bonanza will be enjoyed by the top 0.1%, who’ll receive an after-tax gain of $193,380.  You’ve performed your duties for the privileged few well, Mr. Ryan, but you’re leaving behind a country that has never been more polarized--economically or politically.  You should be ashamed of your behavior--though given the fact that you were barely able to keep your racism in check during the eight years of the Obama presidency, nothing you do is all that surprising.

     Yours is a sad story, as well as a cautionary tale, though I’m certain you’ll be raking in tons of cash by spinning it otherwise.  Don’t let the door hit you on the way out... see ya Paul!

Donald Trump Screws the Base

Much as he gloated about grabbing women by the p***y, Donald Trump is now assuming he can bend his base over the proverbial “Apprentice” casting couch, and expect them to take it while still singing his praises.  The question is... will they?  Or, is there a chance that at least some of them will wake up and realize they’ve been conned by a lesser Oz?

Throughout the campaign last fall, Trump liked to throw red meat to the tens of thousands of his supporters who craved blood, baring their fangs at every opportunity.  I believe the chant was “lock her up”, in reference of course, to former Frist Lady, Senator, and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.  Guess what?  Trump made it clear in the first days of his (pseudo) presidency that he has no plans whatsoever to pursue the matter.

Trump promised to “drain the swamp”.  Well, he pretty much acknowledged that was just a campaign slogan, and he had no intention of drastically altering the status quo.  In fact, he’s appointed a cabinet of billionaires:  anti-labor, pro-corporate establishment who have absolutely nothing in common with the average American.  

Trump claimed he was beholden to no one, but his Russian ties continue to raise questions and keep him tied in knots of his own creation.  While the world condemns Putin’s second attempt to poison a political opponent (Vladimir Kara-Murza), Trump remains silent.  Trump appointed Putin ally and patsy Rex Tillerson (former Exxon CEO) as his Secretary of State.  Tillerson is an advocate of lifting sanctions on Putin and his circle of thugs.  The questions remain about Putin’s efforts to get Trump elected--just how deep was his involvement?  Were the constant Wikileaks drips piped out of the Kremlin?  Just as Trump has no interest in releasing his taxes due to the revelations they contain (perhaps he’s not really a billionaire, perhaps he owes millions to Russian banks...) he constantly attempts to divert attention from investigations into the “Russian connection”.  His latest break with reality came when he accused President Obama of wiretapping Mordor (Trump Tower).  No proof whatsoever, but Trump has a close relationship with fantasy.  Does his base really want the image of the United States of America tarnished by a close relationship with a murderous band of thugs?  We’ve unfortunately ventured down this road before; it wasn’t pretty.

Finally, there’s healthcare.  Wow... candidate Trump promised that when he repealed Obamacare he would “take care of everybody”-- his replacement would be cheaper & better.  Now, suddenly, he is claiming that “nobody knew healthcare could be so complicated”.  Wrong.  He may have been the only one who didn’t realize the complexity of the issue.  His response to this shocking discovery has been to take refuge in Paul Ryan’s plan.  Well, the CBO (a nonpartisan group designed to provide Congress with independent analysis & estimates of the cost of proposed legislation) has reported that 24 million people will likely lose insurance in the next decade under this “plan”--with 14 million losing their insurance in 2018 alone!  I hate to break it to the base, but there’s every indication that this will hit you hard.

There are so many other reasons to open your eyes.  U.S. taxpayers are paying for Trump's wall folly, not Mexico. Coal is not coming back.  He has not divested from his businesses.  He slept through the Yemen raid (in which a Navy SEAL and an 8 year old American girl were killed--along with numerous other civilians.  The raid produced no useful intel.  He touts the same jobs reports he once labeled as “phony”.  He invented “fake news”, and continues to create more of it than any other person, living or dead.

Stop allowing this man to abuse you, and don’t believe his promises (once a liar, always a liar).  Remember, all abusers have a weakness... some fatal flaw that allows victims the opportunity to break free.  In Trump's case it's his massive ego.  Just remind him that he lost the popular vote by almost 3 million votes, and that John Lewis was right, Donald will never be a legitimate president.

Trump-Free Zones, January 20th... and Beyond

     Many years ago, Richard Nixon proclaimed that he had the support of a “silent majority”.  Years later, Jerry Falwell and extreme right-wing allies in the Republican Party touted their so-called “moral majority”.  Well, my friends, the cold hard truth is that we are an actual majority.  Donald Trump received only 46.1 % of the popular vote.  That means that the majority of Americans (53.9%) voted for someone else.  In fact, if we remove the votes cast for Jill Stein and Gary Johnson, Trump lost to Hillary Clinton by almost three million votes.  Contrary to his rants and tweets, his victory in the Electoral College does not constitute a mandate, but rather a mishap; a national tragedy.  And, as evidence continues to come to light regarding Russian tampering on Trump’s behalf, along with the deliberate timing of James Comey’s letter, the very legitimacy of any Trump presidency is called into question.

     This leaves us with the question of how best to deal with January 20th... and beyond.  I would suggest that we initially celebrate the many “Trump-free zones” already in existence, and endeavor to create many more.  Certain locations automatically qualify as TFZs:  institutions of higher learning, and every public school across the country (along with any number of private schools), for example.  Anywhere where healing is practiced:  hospitals, clinics, doctor’s offices, birthing centers, rehabilitation facilities... all of these would automatically be “Trump-free zones”.  Then, of course, places of beauty, art, culture, etc... all of these would also be regarded as TFZs:  museums, theaters, concert venues, galleries, public gardens, parks, etc.  Finally, our churches, temples, and mosques--anywhere that welcomes faith and contemplation--these would also be TFZs. 

     Based on the popular vote, it’s certainly reasonable to conclude that most homes across our great country (and it never stopped being great), are Trump-free zones.  We must nourish the TFZ within each of us, and support it in others.  We are called to cultivate more and more Trump-free zones, thereby creating a brighter world based on justice and respect.  It may take time, but we have to believe that in the end love and decency will indeed trump hate.  If TFZs flourish throughout the land, the roots of racism and fascism will be choked--and those weeds will dry up, crumble, and the ashes will be blown into the darkest recesses of history.

     Beyond January 20th, it will be up to each of us to speak up and act out.  Talk to your friends and neighbors, use every facet of social media, and even go “old school” by writing letters to the editor of any newspaper or magazine you may read.  Because, one thing is for certain:  virtually every Trump proposal or policy will require determined and constant opposition.  We must take a page from the Republican playbook of 2008 wherein McConnell famously (infamously) stated that the primary Republican achievement had to be that of insuring that President Obama would be a one-term President (sorry Mitch, you failed).  Democrats should remember McConnell’s obstructionist tactics, minus one key component.  While McConnell, Ryan, Boehner, and Cantor (remember him?) could scarcely conceal the racism at the heart of their hatred for Obama, we’ll be battling Trump on the basis of truth, social justice, and a genuine concern for the future of our country.  That, my friends, is genuine patriotism.

Paul Ryan's Smirk or Scowl

In a few short hours, millions of Americans will be subjected to Paul Ryan's supposed "poker face". The only real question is: will he be smirking, or scowling? As Speaker of the House, Ryan will be seated next to Vice President Biden and behind President Obama as he delivers his final State of the Union address. Ryan’s dark suit will undoubtedly be festooned with his usual American flag pin. Unfortunately, Ryan is unable to grasp or appreciate the incredible strength in the diversity of our nation, so the pin is quite meaningless. If he truly understood, then there’d be no excuse for either his voting record, or for what I’m convinced is the racist manner in which he, Mitch McConnell, and countless other Republican “luminaries” in Congress have consistently interacted with President Obama throughout his two terms. Frankly, their behavior has been so blatant I’m shocked that the word “uppity” hasn’t escaped their lips. Ryan’s disdain of the President has long been palpable, but it’s hardly surprising.
Ryan, who is actually considered a “policy wonk” by some, demonstrated his racist proclivities this past year when he linked poverty to “this tailspin of culture in our inner cities in particular, of men not working and just generations of men not even thinking about working or learning the value and the culture of work”. Rep. Barbara Lee of California immediately (and quite correctly) took him to the proverbial woodshed. Noting his use of “inner city” as code for “black”, Rep. Lee pegged it as a racist attack.
Ryan is a part of the mindset that would find such statements/views acceptable. Today, nine out of ten Republican supporters are white; and 98% of elected Republican officials are white. Ryan continues to fly in the face of diversity. It’s ironic, then, that he actually held a poverty “forum” in South Carolina last week. Given the fact that Ryan has voted against raising the minimum wage ten times since coming to the Congress, and that he envisions one of the “solutions” to poverty as being slashing proven/effective Federal anti-poverty programs and putting them in the hands of the states, it’s hard to take him seriously. Unfortunately, he’s just so dangerous…
As he glowers or glares behind the President this evening, consider the respective messages each man represents. I’m certain President Obama’s will accentuate the positive, while Ryan will embody the party of opposition-with-no-plan. Ryan will undoubtedly make every effort to ensure his flag lapel is in full view, but Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine (a band Ryan claimed to be a big fan of) summarized it best several years ago when he called Ryan out for “his rage against women, immigrants, workers, the poor, gays, and the environment”. We’d all best beware of Paul Ryan, smirk or scowl.

Romneys, Ryans and Bears, Oh My!

     Conventional wisdom has always dictated that a presidential candidate strives to bring a certain balance (either geographic or ideological) to the ticket in selecting a running mate. Striking an ideological balance in Mitt Romney’s case would be next to impossible, given his numerous flip flops and somersaults on virtually every major issue. How do you propose to balance anything when Mitt’s in perpetual mid-flight? Geographically, it’s a stretch to say that Wisconsin offers balance to Massachusetts—though there are certainly plenty of folks on the right who’d maintain that anything provides balance to Massachusetts.
     So, that leaves one possible explanation for Mr. Romney’s selection of Mr. Ryan: pandering to the far right. Mitt has never recovered from the trauma of arguably being the most moderate of all the Republican presidential candidates (again, it’s actually hard to tell but that seemed to be the consensus). Mitt cannot abide being unpopular, and the Tea Partiers and other lost souls of the far right said some harsh things about him. Even some of his fellow candidates for the nomination offered some tough criticism. Of course neither Newt Gingrich, Rick Perry or Ron Paul will have any significant role at the Republican National Convention later this month, and one can safely assume Rick Santorum will be speaking in anything but prime time. Summus ultio,eh Mitt?
     It’s possible Romney may have succeeded in finally solidifying his conservative base, but where does the selection of Ryan leave him with the moderates and independents who will likely decide the election’s outcome? One close look at Mr. Ryan’s track record and recent proposals and you’d have to assume these folks will be breaking for President Obama, whether they really want to or not.
     Like his new boss, Ryan will only release two years worth of his tax records. He is an ardent opponent of Romneycare, er… Obamacare. He has previously advocated for the privatization of social security and favors morphing medicare into a voucher system.  He is fiercely anti-union (pro Scott Walker), anti-choice, and pro guns. It’s his budget proposals that engender the most fear amongst the thinking public, however. In addition to extending the Bush tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans, Ryan favors further massive tax breaks for billionaires and millionaires, which he theoretically intends to pay for (though in fact he won’t even come close) by increasing taxes on the middle class and implementing massive cuts to education, health care, energy and medical & scientific research. In his wildest Romneyhood dreams Mitt can’t even begin to come close to redistributing the wealth to the wealthy like this guy proposes to do. Paul Ryan may well be the answer to Donald Trump’s prayers, but he does nothing for America.