Democrats

Start Packing, Mr. President

/ softballpolitics / Leave a comment

Everyone, including the writer, has been very critical of actions, and inaction, of President Biden in recent weeks. Perhaps we should be focusing on positive steps that the leader can take to benefit America and Americans even if they mark the end of the insane power play by liberals in Congress.

The first thing that comes to mind is the infrastructure deal that nearly every legislator said would be good for the country. Our infrastructure needs an upgrade lest we watch our bridges and roads become more dangerous and crumble before our eyes. Democrats are currently using the $1.5 trillion deal as a bargaining chip to do another $3.5 trillion or more of entitlement giveaways. Virtually every Republican is against the latter deal, and most would vote for the first infrastructure proposal without any hesitation.

Democrats need to be amenable to deferring conversations about borrowing a spectacularly large amount of money for social and environmental improvements. Getting something done would really help Democrats at this moment. And they could assign blame to Republicans for not supporting the follow up legislation. This could have a meaningful and beneficial impact on Democrat political standing in both 2022 and 2024 elections.

Trying to add $5 to 6 trillion to our national debt at this moment is really a terrible idea. And to attempt it without any support from the minority is political suicide for Democrats. Loudmouth progressive crazies in the liberal fold will just have to wait and see and how the chips fall in the coming elections to implement the biggest entitlement program in history. I don’t think the large new legislation is doable in the foreseeable future. Democrats should attempt to push through pieces of the larger deal that would attract Republicans, especially some things relating to climate change.

It may be too late, but Biden really needs to take drastic action along the southern border and stifle illegal immigration. He and Kamala, who is supposed to be managing the process, are just ignoring the despicable refugee conditions that have developed. The suffering at the location is not acceptable. Biden should support “the wall” that most Democrats mocked a few years ago and flood the area with troops that will be needed to stop more illegals from entering the country.

At this point, there will be dramatic and horrific human suffering regardless of what direction the federal government takes. It should opt to end the migration even if the use of force is necessary. It has become nothing less than an invasion.

Biden’s approval ratings are dropping precipitously each day as he dodges questions from the media, and his progressive colleagues continue to talk up unrealistic expectations. Biden’s administration was doomed right from the start by the likes of Sanders, AOC, Pelosi, Warren and all the fashionable progressives in Congress.

Promises were made and no one except the opposition bothered to count votes to see if the razor thin margins in the House and Senate could accommodate such drastic changes in our social programs, much less adding another $6 trillion to the deficit. Biden was snookered into supporting outrageous changes built on a vicious attack by progressives on Republicans and conservatives.

The time is coming when Democrats are going to have to back off and let Biden’s term fritter away. He will be remembered as a dismal president, one who didn’t have the energy, courage or skill to do the to do things demanded of him by power-grabbing progressives.

The least Biden should do is end efforts affiliated with changing our society and economic systems in one presidential cycle. Democrats made promises that were impossible to keep and should be prepared to lose big in 2022. Maybe that will encourage them to work on projects and goals with Republicans that are attainable.

Biden’s Impending Demise

/ softballpolitics / Leave a comment

The most important issue for Democrats is recognition that their majority in Congress is paper-thin. A few votes in the House and only one in the Senate may prevent them from overhauling entitlements, governance, taxation, voting, environmental issues, immigration and so on.

This paper-thin margin is already giving the likes of Pelosi, AOC, send Sanders, Warren and all the rest of the ultra-progressives a fit. Sen. Joe Manchin and Sen. Kyrsten Sinema are not in lockstep with their Democratic colleagues in the Senate. Without both of their votes, liberal initiatives will fail.

What are Manchin and Sinema’s concerns? For one, they don’t believe the country should try to change itself drastically with without bi-partisan support. Why don’t Democrats appreciate how much sense this makes? The partisan divide in Congress, fostered by really aggressive rhetoric by Democrats, is going to completely destroy any effort by our lawmakers to address the needed reforms in the areas mentioned above. Our entitlement system, taxation and relationship with the environment need fixing. But borrowing 4 or 5 trillion dollars coupled with frivolous spending across the American landscape is not the answer.

A second overhanging disaster is the potential of financial instability within the American economy. Today, the US is able to borrow all the money it needs to fund the growing annual shortfall between tax receipts and expenditures. However, the gap has widened to epic proportions, and some may begin to question the strength of the American dollar. Our national debt is $28 trillion and growing at a feverish pace. The only source of relief for Democrats is to raise taxes on one class of people. But affluent taxation will not be enough to pay for new entitlements being discussed at this moment.

Too many Americans don’t pay taxes because they are below the minimum threshold. Our government (US taxpayers) subsidizes these Americans, but with no quid pro quo in almost any case. Assistance during COVID and for the loss of jobs is justifiable and noble. It’s something that the federal government should do. But paying people to stay home (and not work) is a recipe for disaster. Entitlements should not be perpetual support, except for those who cannot work for legitimate reasons. Entitlements should be available to people in temporary need. Every able-bodied person should have a job guaranteed to them by the federal or state governments. Only then can we reduce the stress that entitlements have put on our economy.

Why are Democrats so anxious to give entree and citizenship to illegal immigrants? Why reward foreigners for breaking our laws? Who are these immigrants? Do they do anything for our economy besides use our resources? Are they disease free? Did they break the law in other ways? Why do hardworking Americans have to pay for the shelter, food, schooling and medical bills of these illegal interlopers? Is it because these individuals will ultimately vote for Democrats? Are Democrats so sinister? Our immigration policies need to be fixed before the migration problem really gets out of hand. Efforts by Biden and Harris have been pitiful regarding this matter.

Currently, legislation in the Senate is subjected to a filibuster by the minority party. Certain issues such as confirmation of judges and justices are done with the majority votes.

The filibuster protects the minority from frivolous proposals by the majority. It is the only source of redress during times of stress and government misdirection. The majority always wants to eliminate the filibuster to make legislation easier. This is the case even though the filibuster will protect those who lose their majority in the future. Sens. Manchin and Sinema recognize the importance of the filibuster and are prepared to prevent any changes. They are patriots for demanding good government.

Joe Biden is really struggling to develop a consistent foreign policy network. Our enemies are the same regardless of whether a Democrat or a Republican is sitting in the White House. Biden has decided that every issue addressed by Trump was improper including his handling of Europe, Iran, China and Russia. This visceral approach makes no sense. The positive things done by former administrations should not be abandoned for political reasons. Of note are the botched Afghanistan withdrawal and a stated desire to work with the rogue ayatollahs in Iran. The diminished status of Israel in the eyes of the Biden administration is also a huge mistake.

The list goes on. Biden is being overwhelmed by progressives in every area of government. Our country is not prepared to become socialistic. We are capitalists, and we demand the federal government solve our problems and deal with the evil and horrific actions of others around the world.

Coincidentally, in yesterday’s New York Times, Charles M. Blow discusses the fact that Democrats are in danger of losing the support of many Americans based upon Biden’s performance. Even a diehard liberal commentator like Blow recognizes that Joe is failing in many areas as he tries to govern the United States. I won’t repeat the things mentioned in Blow’s article, but many are discussed in this essay.

Biden Promised Unity?

/ softballpolitics / Leave a comment

Not surprisingly, the animosity between politicians in the nation’s capital has not receded in the least. The promises of unity made by the new president to work with the opposition were abandoned during the first few months of his tenure. Many Americans of all persuasions had hoped that Biden would introduce a new, and more inclusive way to govern after four years of hardship and a dearth of comity.

Joe Biden’s vows are almost laughable. As a signal of his disdain for conservatives, he issued many mandates on his first day in office that virtually negated Trump’s mandates during his time in office. Trump did the same thing four years ago to Obama’s legacies. Nothing was discussed or negotiated with the other side.

It must elate Trump haters when Biden is disrespectful to the other side. After all, Trump deserves to be treated in such a manner after his reign of terror. But, keep in mind, 70 million people voted for the loser last November. Democrat’s actions and rhetoric are also aimed at conservatives who are in a position to make life miserable for the Democratic controlled Congress.

What’s really unfortunate is that the Biden administration is already taking credit for progress relating to Covid. It really doesn’t make any difference who’s responsible, so long as it gets done safely and quickly. Covid should be above politics. Biden’s statements and actions aren’t going to make any friends on the other side of the aisle. It’s not popular to give Trump credit for anything, but he got the vaccine produced in record time, although his distribution plan was abominable.

The progressive Democrats are already at odds with their more peaceful and sensible colleagues. Doling out trillion-dollar security packages feels good to Americans and the sponsors of such legislation, but it can have a fateful impact on our economy. Is anybody in Washington concerned about the impact of such actions on our money supply and inflation?

Border problems continue to plague the country and divide many members of Congress. Is it possible that Democrats want to open borders because all illegals that ultimately get citizenship will probably vote for liberal candidates? Are progressives OK with destroying the financial condition of border states and even some states up north by inundating these places with thousands of new mouths to feed, health care and education?

I’m for giving individuals already in the country a path to citizenship. But they must obey our laws and earn this great honor. US citizenship is the most valuable treasure for a person who lives elsewhere in the world. We are eroding the prestige of this gift if we grant it without unconditionally.

Donald Trump is once again spewing his venom and claiming the election was a fraud. Talk about a bad loser. Many Americans were hoping that the former president would retire, tend to his personal business and confront a wide array of agencies that want to punish him. To think Trump would be silent was naïve, as he addressed CPAC and was as aggressive as he always has been.

It’s very important that the media and Trump’s opponents ignore the rantings of this madman and focus on the policies of the new government.

Someone characterized Joe Biden as a Trojan Horse for ultra-progressives in his party. This scenario is frightening from a number of different perspectives.

It is possible that Biden’s colleagues on the far left will propose a diverse and far reaching menu of liberal aspirations. Some of these could include a restructuring of society and wealth redistribution. Other items of great concern include the importance of capitalism to our economy and the ability to be successful beyond others though hard work.

One final thought is the tsunami of political correctness overwhelming our country. It is a great time for minorities including women, people of color and those of different sexual persuasion to make meaningful gains. As humans, we tend to push very hard and move quickly. Oftentimes haste results in bad policy and resentment on the part of those who are in opposition. It’s time to regroup and determine what’s really important in the short, medium and long term. The leaders of these movements must work closely with all members of Congress to ultimately achieve their most important objectives.  

Bloomberg Can Save The Democratic Party

/ softballpolitics / 1 Comment

The Democratic primaries are in full throttle. Already some of the players are being weeded out. The choices, perhaps, include a self-proclaimed socialist, a mayor from a small Midwestern city and a senator that I never heard of a few months ago. To make matters direr, the names of two of these aspirants are very difficult to spell and pronounce.

Do liberals really believe that a 78-year-old man who recently had a heart attack and is hell-bent on bankrupting our country can beat Donald Trump? Sanders admits that he does not know how he will pay for all the entitlements and giveaways he intends to bestow on poor Americans, although we know the affluent are going to take a beating. The main criticism of his main foil, Buttigieg (I had to look up the spelling), is exactly that concern- where will the money come from.

Would America be comfortable with a leader who espouses a system that has failed repeatedly throughout history? Sanders intends to tear down our capitalist state. If elected, he will eviscerate our greatest corporations that employ millions as he tries to resolve income inequality.

Everything in Sanders America will be free- food, shelter, medicine, education, childcare and Social Security. More and more of our neighbors will become wards of the state, slaves to an economic and social system that Americans have fought against repeatedly. Trump is not the most dangerous politician in the land, Sanders, Warren and all the radical left-wing advocates are.

And then there is Butt (I’m abbreviating so I don’t have to look up the spelling again.) How can we have a president whose name is impossible to pronounce and spell? Elementary school children will spend hours as the try to memorize Butt’s name.

Seriously, the man’s credentials are his B- performance running South Bend, Indiana. As a Notre Dame graduate who spent four years in South Bend, I know the job does not qualify a person to be president. Butt should wait and learn for ten more years and then run for the top job.

Klobuchar (I think the spelling is correct) is also an unknown quantity. She needs more seasoning than just her experience as senator of Minnesota. She also could be a factor in years to come, especially if she gives up the socialistic shtick.

Biden has proven once again that he hit his peak decades ago when he was elected senator from the smallest state in the union. For years, he has bumbled his way around Washington. It appears that his colleagues knew he would go no further. And, along came Obama who needed a subservient VP. This is all Biden brings to today’s electorate, working for a C+ president that could not achieve his destiny as modern day FDR. And by the way, Biden still has to deal with his and his son’s corrupt relationship with Ukraine.

Warren is more like a court jester dancing around the stage. Her proposals are moronic and her persona is offensive to many Americans. Plus she has a propensity to fib (and get caught in the act). Democrats will be better served with Warren out of the race. It’s a miracle that she was able to win a senatorial race. I suspect Warren will be defeated if she again runs for the Senate.

You are probably asking yourself what this middle of the road blogger thinks about 2020. The answer is one word- Bloomberg. He is the wild card. I’m not blinded by the man’s money and success running New York City (disregarding his flip flop on stop and frisk). He has the cash to finance his own campaign, and he would be a great leader for the country.

The only problem is that Bloomberg is really, really wealthy, white, male and not many people know of him in the heartland. In a contested Democratic convention where the aforementioned trio try to out liberal each other, Bloomberg could make a move and save the day for the party. Then voters could feel that they are saving the country from Trump without destroying it economically.

Democratic Monkey Business

/ softballpolitics / Leave a comment

The impeachment stage is thankfully coming to an end. Articles should be delivered to the House of Representatives soon, and Democrats, with their majority will impeach Donald Trump. The Senate will then convene and acquit making the whole process a colossal waste of time.

There are a number of important takeaways that can be drawn from this horrid experience, none of which are positive things for our country or the people we elected to represent us.

The process to impeach the president has completely disregarded the rule of law. It is defined as “a principle of governance in which all persons, institutions and entities, public and private, including the State itself, are accountable to laws that are publicly promulgated, equally enforced and independently adjudicated.”

The law has not been fairly applied by Democrats during the impeachment of Trump. They kept the whistleblower’s identity a secret for reasons unknown. How can the person who initiated this process not be questioned? Customarily the accused have the ability to face their accusers.

Defendants are supposed to be able to call witnesses. This was not permitted in the House proceedings. And hearsay is typically not admissible. Democrats have not presented one witness who saw or heard with his or her own eyes or ears the commission of an impeachable offense.

There have been multiple accusations against Adam Schiff, the Chairman of the impeachment brigade. Republicans objected to the aforementioned rule of law violations and the way the congressman has scornfully led the process.

In the future any majority in the House will not hesitate to impeach a future president based upon current events. The problem with impeachment is that it costs millions of dollars of taxpayer money and completely paralyzes Congress. Our lawmakers cannot effectively conduct the business of the country while attempting to destroy a presidency.

But most important thing about impeachment is the animosity it engenders. Republicans and Democrats in a two-party democracy must serve as a check and balance against corruption, obstruction and misuse of taxpayer money by the other party. But the venom existing between the parties will likely change the way that lawmakers negotiate with each other in Congress in a bad way.

Democrats moved forward with impeachment despite the fact that another presidential election is right around the corner. Sixty-something million Americans voted for Trump, and he collected 304 electoral votes in 2016. Why wouldn’t Democrats defer to the electorate, rather than defying the will of the voters with such laughable evidence?

The answer is obvious. Democrats do not have a candidate that moves the country. The only way for Dems to beat Trump is to remove him legislatively from office before the 2020 election. Moreover, Dems think that rapid-fire accusations- Trump is a traitor, he colluded with Russia to win in 2016, he obstructed justice, he bribed Ukraine into helping him in 2020 and so on- will denigrate Trump and enable a liberal to win next November.

Things in Washington have never been worse. Yet, the country is chugging along nicely economically, and most Americans are benefiting by high employment, higher wages, low energy prices, etc. There are major foreign affairs issues that threaten our peace and prosperity, but Trump seems to be doing quite well dealing with them.

It’s amazing that conservative and liberal perspectives about the impeachment are so different. Frankly, I think Democrats have struck out during the proceedings. They are not going to be able to throw Trump out of office with hearsay. They have already struck out twice before trying to prove collusion and obstruction.

I hope that voters punish Democrat lawmakers for damaging our country in 2020.

And, of course, there is Trump, the man that Obama installed into the Oval office. He’s a menace, but he’s going to be leading the country for another five years. So, everybody, get over it.

Pathetic Witnesses: Impeachment Doomed

/ softballpolitics / Leave a comment

The US is on the verge of a great miscarriage of justice. Referencing second, third and fourth hand evidence, the House of Representatives is preparing to impeach the president of our country.

It’s difficult to be moved by the accounts of testimony given by two State Department hacks. Both tried to make Americans believe that they were at the epicenter of American policy relating to Ukraine. And their gossip mongering was factual and reliable.

The truth is that neither of these men ever spoke with the president, his chief of staff or any significant decision makers. They merely heard and reported dirt and opinions of others from around the water cooler. As many critics have already said, their testimony would be banished from any legitimate court of law, if, in fact, the Democratic investigation were not a kangaroo court.

Despite their fancy titles, long-term careers in public service and fashionable bow ties, neither Taylor nor Kent participated in creating policy (they admitted it). Their job is to execute policies that begins with the president.

Several times Taylor said he wasn’t testifying to take sides in the impeachment of Trump. Really? Rather he was reporting what he heard. More than once Taylor opined about what Trump was trying to do during conversations he was not a party to. Unless Taylor and Kent are psychics, neither could have possibly known whether Trump was rooting out corruption in Ukraine, or looking for dirt on a political opponent.

And what status do Taylor and Kent have to officially criticize their president? None. In fact their opinions about Trump’s Ukraine policies never reached the Oval Office.

Both men were so tickled and thrilled that they were getting attention, and members of Congress acted like they cared about what they do. Their jobs are to accumulate information from superiors and try to keep Ukraine officials on track. And, in an attempt to get Ukraine to be a little less corrupt, Taylor was able to dangle javelin tank missiles in the faces of Ukraine leaders. Taylor and Kent are nothing more than political yentas.

If this is the best Democrats can do to convince the Senate to convict Trump, I can’t wait to see what happens next. Americans should be ashamed of Schiff and Pelosi for trying to destroy a presidency with so little evidence. And by the way we already know Trump’s not a nice guy. But this is not an impeachable offense.

Just a few words about Ambassador Marie Yanovitch. The big question is what did her appearance before the Intelligence Committee have to do with Trump’s impeachment?

Yanovitch was fired by Trump prior to the phone calls and alleged actions that are being showcased by House Democrats. If the Dems wanted to question a sympathetic character, they were successful.

Please remember that ambassadors serve at the pleasure of the president. He doesn’t have to provide any reasons why he dismissed Yanovitch. If she was unhappy with her fate at Trump’s hands, she should have quit and wrote a book like so many others. She could have told the world that Trump is a lousy boss.

Am I The Only American Disgusted With Trump And House Democrats?

/ softballpolitics / Leave a comment

Millions of Americans are fed up with the current state of the federal government.

For three years Donald Trump has been trying to convince us that he is the greatest American president. His arguments are not convincing considering that about half of the country would like to see him impeached. At the same time Trump’s opponents have been trying unsuccessfully to dig up dirt on the president since his first day in office. Both parties have failed dismally to win over new supporters and most Americans are furious that Congress has been unable to do the people’s business.

Every time I read the New York Times or watch CNN, I want to pull the hair from my head. Can a president actually be as horrible as both of these news outlets portray Trump? But the big question is did the president commit high crimes and misdemeanors? We lived through the Mueller investigation for two years and it was a total bust. No evidence was uncovered to prove Trump colluded with Russia or obstructed justice.

At the same time Trump is lambasting the liberal press and do-nothing Democrats. “Fake news!” is the president’s mantra. In over 11,000 tweets since being elected, he makes fools out of those who criticize him and a fool out of himself. He repeatedly says House Democrats are incompetent, liars, and dangerous to our country.

To make matters worse, many Democrat presidential candidates are trying to convince the electorate that the US should morph into a socialistic state. In particular Sanders and Warren are attempting to buy the loyalty of voters by telling them they will overtax successful people in our country. What a bad plan. Even Bill Gates criticized this ploy. These geniuses say they will provide one-payer health care for all Americans that is projected to cost between $20 and $40 trillion (our current level of debt is about $20 trillion). Even Democrats are attacking Warren for her ridiculous entitlement promises. How does she intend to pay for all of her giveaways without bankrupting the country?

Trump is sashaying across America and every day unleashes a string of offensive tweets like a schoolboy. He says horrible things about anyone who criticizes him. He proclaims that the economy is the best in history. In the meantime a setback in Chinese trade negotiations would reduce the Dow Jones by several thousand points in a heartbeat. It’s true that employment is up, unemployment is down (even for minority groups) and Trump continues to ride roughshod on Iran, Europe, Mexico, Canada and many more countries in an effort to negotiate fair deals.

A disgraceful situation occurred a few days ago when Trump took credit for the assassination of al-Baghdadi, the former terrorist leader of ISIS. From his bunker in the basement of the White House, our Commander-in-Chief “orchestrated” the operation. Trump was not part of the mission, other than giving his approval to move ahead (to which he deserves some credit). I wonder if the president dressed up in camouflage as he directed his special operators.

I’ve had it with the investigations of every move by Trump. In a short year voters will have a chance to change leaders. Democrats believe that they can denigrate Trump so one of their pathetic candidates will win. It’s not going to happen. Voters will resent the obvious outcome of the impeachment- Trump will stay in office because the Senate will acquit. Why are Democrats acting like there is any chance to convince 20 or 25 Republican senators to join them and convict Trump of a high crime?

In the meantime the country is going to hell and a hand basket. Budgets are not being approved, infrastructure is crumbling, LGBTQ rights are being violated, health care is deteriorating, immigration is unsettled and trade agreements are not being signed. I want a government that does its job. I abhor sanctimonious legislators who break the law every day by leaking confidential information and lying to the public.

Obama and Democrats are responsible for setting the stage for a person like Trump. We are stuck with him at least until next November when he will likely defeat an incompetent Democrat, unless Bloomberg jumps into the fray.

Warren Is The Last Socialist Standing

/ softballpolitics / Leave a comment

The three-ring Democratic presidential circus is about to end. Sanders is too frail to be the next president, so he’s out. Biden has not been able to explain away collusion with his son and the Ukraine government, either because he’s lying or can’t remember what happened. That leaves Dems with Elizabeth Warren, the screaming, radical, progressive darling of liberal America. By the way she just got caught in another lie, something about being fired when she was a teacher because she was pregnant. Will the drama queen drive us bonkers from the White House?

I’m not saying you’d be out of your mind to vote for Warren, but really you would be if the traditions, history and the strength of America are important to you. I suggest all those enamored with this candidate take the time to consider carefully her outrageous and inane proposals.

Warren wants a one-payer health care system and the end of private insurance. That means that every American will pay nothing for insurance or for seeing a doctor or checking into a hospital (this does not take into account increased taxation to pay for it all). It’s a ridiculously expensive proposal even if those with private health insurance could keep theirs. But what will it cost to pay for 350 million people to have unlimited medical care? If every American needs an average of $10,000 of health services each year, it would cost 350 million times $10,000 or $3.5 trillion annually.

The situation becomes even direr if you consider that there would be no limit on the value of services any individual might incur. And, how about the ability of doctors and hospitals to handle this unbridled demand for care? They would be overrun on a daily basis. Conclusion: This type of health care would bankrupt the country, so it’s a dumb idea.

Warren also wants to forgive $2 trillion or so of student debt. Even as president, would she even have the authority to do this? And who’s going to pay for it? I’ll bet you know where Warren’s looking. It’s the wealthy, stupid.

Why should individuals who ran up their debt by taking courses that don’t help them find high paying jobs (that would have helped these individuals pay back their loans), have their debt assumed by others (US tax payers)? If you examine this closely you will discover that middle class individuals, not needy people will be the biggest beneficiaries of this entitlement.

What responsibility do colleges with billion dollar endowments have in this affair? They are the ones jacking up tuitions. Apparently none as far as Warren is concerned. Conclusion: Stupid proposal, although needy students should be given relief.

The issue is one of fairness. High earners should pay high taxes, but there’s a point where excessive taxation is bad for the country. Consumption will decrease as well as overall purchases and consumer confidence. The government will essentially be establishing a maximum level of income for all Americans, a level that discourages exceptionalism and the capitalistic spirit.

But even more disconcerting is that the justification of higher taxes for successful people is “that they don’t pay their fair share.” Hasn’t the government established “fair taxation?” Of course it has, it’s the current tax tables. When you consider the outsized percentage of taxes paid by the 1% versus the rest of the country, this tired philosophy of political progressives is misleading and detrimental to our financial well-being.

Furthermore the proposal to reach back and tax Americans for wealth that they accumulated over the years is the height of financial insanity. Money earned through hard work, entrepreneurship and creativity should be protected not attacked. The death tax is already eating into the money earned in years past.

Elizabeth Warren is a menace trying to spread her populist and socialistic dogma on our eternal capitalistic society. As most of the world aspires to become more like the US, Warren wants to take us backwards. She wants everybody to earn the same income, not because she’s a true socialist, but because she thinks she can dupe Americans into believing in a new system that has been disastrous for those who practiced it historically, while stealing the presidency. She refuses to accept that America is the greatest country in the world in large part because of our capitalistic instincts.

Finally, I have not torpedoed several other Warren tax boondoggles. They are equally destructive as the ones mentioned earlier and should be disregarded and denigrated by all Americans.

 

Trump And Progressives Are Creating Chaos In Washington

/ softballpolitics / Leave a comment

How did the federal government become so dysfunctional? Who’s responsible for making our leaders completely ineffective? There are two parties that share the blame- Donald Trump and the radical, progressive congressional Democrats.

From the day he was elected, America knew that having Trump as president was going to be challenging. He’s a neophyte who thinks he’s a master dealmaker and a negotiator. These might be true in the real estate business, but governing the most powerful nation in the world is something else.

In any case Trump is not a great politician, and he really needs help navigating through the complexities of Washington, even more than his predecessors. At first Trump seemed enthusiastic about recruiting qualified aides to advise him, but few have lasted. Most found it impossible to work for the man and were either fired or just walked off the job.

Trump concluded that the only people he could trust were his family and some close friends. This is not to say that Ivanka and Jared are not bright young people. Fact is they are equally unqualified for the governmental roles they play, and brought nothing to the political battlefield that suffocates the White House. Frankly to think that Kushner would be able to make peace between Israel and Palestine is laughable.

Never in recent history has a president fought so brutally with his counterparts in Congress. Every minor squabble immediately morphs into a death match that includes threats, name-calling, lies, innuendo, exaggeration and distrust.

Trump wants to be his own man with the press, a terrible idea for too many reasons to delineate in this essay. None of his press secretaries have survived for very long because Trump is uncontrollable, with his tweets and otherwise. He doesn’t listen to sage counsel, and too often mundane issues blow up and become major confrontations that dominate the news cycle. Additionally Trump is unable to allow snide commentary to roll off his back. The most insignificant comments ultimately become childish name-calling contests.

And finally the president needs to be surrounded with a legion of attorneys. He’s always defying tradition and interpretation of everything from the Constitution to existing laws. Using attack dog lawyers to intimidate others has not endeared the president to the people he must work with to effectively govern the country. And since when do presidents “ignore” requests from Congress.

Trump’s lousy disposition only serves to make his opponents despise him even more. He thinks he’s smarter than everybody, but it’s not true. It should be noted that Trump’s aggressiveness has been an asset when dealing with certain foreign leaders. Many despots only understand and respond to one thing, military might along with hardball negotiations.

For years presidents have debated with, fought with, denigrated, cajoled and crucified congress people. In most cases, after the debate is ended, everyone sits down and has an adult beverage. All the harsh rhetoric is forgiven. Not with Trump and the current crop of liberal crazies in the Democratic caucus.

Politicians grow to hate and resent each other for many reasons, but very few have let bad feeling get to the current level of distrust and disrespect.

It’s hard not to attribute an equal amount of blame for the current level of venom to social media and the blinding liberalism in the press today. From the moment Trump was elected, his political enemies and the radical left wing news have attempted to destroy his presidency. Not for one second did Trump‘s detractors give him an opportunity to prove he loves America. Every situation involving Trump was labeled evil, immoral, racist, misogynist, xenophobic, illegal or a lie.

Democrats have been seduced by a destructive bunch of misfits that can’t add one expense to another and are blinded in their efforts to bestow freebies even if they bankrupts the country. It should come as no surprise that these initiatives will be recognized by voters for what they are: socialistic.

Progressives will not be given a mandate to drain the resources of successful people. Nor will they be able to transform our country into a social state that eschews exceptionalism. Every American wants to earn more money and have a better life. Nearly everybody wants a shot at the brass ring. Radical liberals want to take money earned over the years and redistribute it. They constantly blame the most successful among us for the travails of those less fortunate.

But the most irksome liberal crime would be stealing the 2016 election from the victors with political chicanery and sleight of hand. Congress should not attempt to unseat a duly elected president without overwhelming proof of crimes and misdemeanors. For nearly three years radical left wing politicians have been twisting the truth and investigating the investigators. It has been a waste of both time and money

The latest brouhaha over Ukraine relations is a continuation of the Democratic ploy to oust Trump. It will not work because most of America has stipulated two things.

  1. Trump is not a nice guy or a great president, but that does not mean he should be thrown out of office.
  2. Trump has not done anything that rises to an impeachable offense.

 

I hope that all of the politicians that are taking Americans for fools lose their seats in 2020. I wish Trump were not president, but Democrat incompetence is going to give him another four years. I’m not looking forward to continuing investigations and dream of the day that our government once again is motivated to solve problems that afflict the poor, the unhealthy, the aged and our veterans.

Four Things That Will Hurt Democrats In 2020

/ softballpolitics / Leave a comment

Democrat candidates for president are saying quite a few things that are alienating voters. As discussed many times, presidential aspirants, in the primaries, must personify progressive ideologies to win. The theory goes that when the nomination is won, the candidate must then pivot to a more tolerant perspective to lure independents and moderate voters.

I’m going to give Democrats some free advice and outline four areas that will help Donald Trump win in 2020. Rest assured the most radical elements in the party will not listen. They certainly will try to win votes by denigrating Trump, calling him names and saying he is bad for America. These strategies will fail.

The four issues to be discussed are:

 

  • Russian collusion and obstruction of justice involving Donald Trump
  • The US relationship with Saudi Arabia
  • The US relationship with Israel
  • Trump’s terrible persona

 

  1. Russia and collusion. Nobody wants to rehash these issues any further except the liberal chairmen of several congressional committees in the House. The charges have been investigated by far too many politicians and investigators hired by them.

Mueller’s two-year odyssey was a colossal waste of time and money. The Special Counsel worked very hard along with his sycophants to dig up dirt that would be grounds to impeach, but he and his soldiers were unable to do so. Mueller even admitted this fact.

Notwithstanding the costs involved, Democrats investigate onward. My favorite comment was that Democrats stipulated that none of Trump’s specific actions, behavior and rhetoric were sufficient alone to justify impeachment, but taken as a whole, they do provide a path to oust the president. I didn’t know that you could add up crimes to make one big one.

I sincerely hope their constituencies will punish the diehards who are unable to give up their fruitless crusade, in 2020. Their sanctimonious attitude has resulted in very little action taken by Congress to “fix” the country. I’m referring to bridges and tunnels, schools, veteran affairs, bad treaties, health care, immigration, gun control and so on.

  1. The US relationship with Saudi Arabia. It was inevitable that a president would at some point choose to take the side of Saudi Arabia or Iran. Wisely, Trump selected the Saudis in spite of the unfortunate murder of a dissident that was allegedly orchestrated by the Crowned Prince.

Over the years Sunni radicals in Saudi Arabia have created havoc in the Middle East. These terrorists are blinded by their religious fervor. They have paid for and encouraged terrorism that has resulted in many deaths. Moreover, their country, notwithstanding its great wealth, is not interested in encouraging religious and personal freedom.

But Saudi Arabia is the sworn enemy of Iran and all states and groups that are Shiite. Iran is the most vicious member of this group and a fomenter of senseless, religious-driven, violence.

For some reason the Obama administration believed it could negotiate with Iran, make a deal to stem the tide of nuclear proliferation in the area and become buddies with the ayatollahs. All Obama accomplished was a delay in Iran’s dream to have nukes. It was an inane and dangerous legacy ploy by the former president. And, along with Obamacare, the deal fell flat on its face.

Most importantly, Obama disregarded the US policy of no nuclear armaments for Iran that was in place since the early 1980s. He thought Iran would act responsibly with a nuclear bomb in their arsenal. Iran does not act diplomatically without a WMD, why would anyone think it would do otherwise with much greater military power?

The world is safer, although tensions between Iran the US have escalated. Trump is trying to renegotiate the nuke deal by imposing greater sanctions on the Iran regime. It seems to be having great effect.

Democrats have turned against the regime in Saudi Arabia. For the stability of the region, Trump must continue to look away from the distasteful actions by the Saudis. American voters are beginning to understand the importance of Saudi Arabia as a close ally of the US, in spite of recent unfortunate events.

  1. The relationship with Israel. The State of Israel is the most important ally of the US. Israel serves as a watchdog and outpost for the US, as the region becomes more dangerous every day. Since the establishment of the nation, the US has unequivocally supported and protected Israel’s right to exist. This has become a more difficult endeavor every year.

Most Jews in the US, even those that believe the current regime is too aggressive towards Palestine, want Israel to persevere and be available to those that are persecuted. Democratic antagonism towards the Israelis will hurt their chances in the national election. In the end, many Jews will support Trump because of this issue alone.

  1. Trump’s lousy attitude. Many Americans detest Trump’s personality. Yet he’s been getting results. Perhaps this aggressive demeanor is what America needed to stop the unfair arrangements that past president agreed to for diplomatic reasons. Trade deals, nuclear pacts, etc. need renegotiation even if we hurt some feelings along the way. Our determination to protect others is recognized sooner or later when nations are under distress and need a friend. Democrats are wasting their time criticizing Trump personally because a. he doesn’t care what they say, b. Trump’s base is with him to the bitter end and c. criticizing Trump’s personality is not going to turn the election.

Democrats, I know you won’t heed my warnings. After the 2020 elections you will be licking your wounds and wondering why you lost the presidency and so many congressional seats.