WOW JEB BUSH IS AWFUL...WHAT GAIL COLLINS LEFT OUT
In an opinion piece published in the NYT by Gail Collins on May 14, 2015, "Wow Jeb Bush is Awful," Ms Collins rightfully skewers Jeb Bush as an "awful" candidate. She listed his recent fumbles and stumbles. She goes on to bewail the fact that concerned voting citizens who were rightly repelled by some of the other GOP hopefuls and hoped for Bush as an alternate might have no other choice but to vote for one of these even more repulsive candidate. She does not name these candidates but her list of their major faux pas makes clear who they are. She is right on this score. I was pleased to read the piece, agreeing whole heartedly with her conclusions. But coming to the end I was left disappointed and dispirited, like a professor reading a blue paper final test and finding the student did not answer the last and crucial part of the question.
What Gail left out was the frightening similarity we are faced with as a nation with "awful" candidates on BOTH sides of the political spectrum. The only (so far) viable, candidate on the left is even more "awful". Ms. Collins fails her "final" by not even bothering to mention the barrage of poisonous revelations about Ms Clinton and her "Foundation". Revelations which should make a voter pinch their nose and turn away.
Ms Collins did not bother to characterize the candidate on the left. Perhaps the task was too daunting. Recent revelations about candidate Clinton would have gone well beyond the limits of her 1000 word column. So let me just finish her "blue book" for her.
The blunders, faux pas and illegalities of Mrs. Clinton revealed since she finally "admitted" to her candidacy are legion. Her suspicious and off-the-legal-spectrum use of a personal email server as Secretary of State , her personally editing her emails ( then wiping clean the server) before passing them on to the Administration, the probes of shady dealing of the Clinton Foundation, and headlines from all stripes of the political spectrum were a battering that Ms Collins ignores. A few examples of news while Ms Collins was writing her piece:° Britebart News, May 7, 2015, "Revealed Four Clinton Foundation Trustees Charged or Convicted...", USA Today, "Man this Clinton Foundation Seems Shady", May 5, 2015; "The Soft Corruption of Clinton Inc." Huffington Post, May 5, 2015, and many many more like that.
But most damaging and which should certainly eliminate the Democrat candidate from consideration is the revelations published yesterday by International Business Times, (IBT) "Clinton Foundation Donors Got Weapons Deals From Hillary" May 26, 2015. (This last piece of news of course post dated Ms Collins Op Ed piece.)
IBT staff writers David Sirota and Andrew Prez document the fact that under Hillary Clinton the State Department approved $165 billion dollars worth of arms sales to 20 nations whose governments had given millions to the Clinton Foundation. They characterize the case of the arms deals to Saudi Arabia as: "this one was enormous." During Clinton's term, "a consortium of American defense contractors led by Boeing would deliver $29 billion worth of advanced fighter jets" to SA. The IBT authors report that, though the State Department had documented "concerns" over the sale, in late 2011 staff at State Department revealed that the deal was "a personal top priority" for Secretary of State Clinton. The author's note that it was well documented that the Saudi family had contributed at least $10 million to the Clinton Foundation just prior to Hillary assuming control over the State Department and then, just two months before the jet sale deal was finalized, Boeing, the manufacturer of the planes contributed $900,000 to the Clinton Foundation. The authors delved further to discover that under Clinton's leadership the State Department approved $165 billion dollars in commercial arms sales to 20 nations the government's of which also gave money to the Clinton Foundation. An interesting and seeming incriminating fact is that during the three year tenure of Clinton at State the value of arms sales to those countries was nearly double the amount approved by the State Department during the same period of George Bush's second term.
Thus Ms Collins' "blue book" might have ended with the conclusion that our nation is faced with a terrible dilemma..on one hand a group of radical ideologues too far to the right for the mass of American voter, and a self proclaimed "populist" centrist who has so much baggage, and evidence of "soft"corruption to make the outlook for her presidency a horror of constant investigations and gridlock that she can not be seriously considered for the post.
Perhaps Ms Collins might have also asked..."how did we get our nation to such a juncture?" And how can we possibly extricate ourselves from looming political and electoral disaster?
Wednesday, May 27, 2015
Thursday, May 21, 2015
SUPPORT SEN. RAND PAUL
SUPPORT SENATOR PAUL-DO NOT REAUTHORIZE THE PATRIOT ACT
Senator Rand Paul (R Ky) has taken to the Senate floor to announce his intention to try and stop Congress from extending the egregious spying powers incorporated in the U.S. Patriot Act. He is planning a filibuster. The so -called "Patriot Act" is due to expire at the end of this month (May 2015). Paul is dead right in opposing it. We as a nation, our allies, and our reputation as the world's premier democracy have suffered enough as a consequence of this misguided law, passed without sufficient thought or mature oversight in the chaotic, frought days right after the September 11, 2001 attack. There is not a scintilla of proof that any of its provisions have increased our security or prevented another terrorist attack. It has served the ingrained, powerful military-industrial complex well, however, being used overseas to function as an industrial spy on our allies and others (Germany comes to mind.) I say let the entire structure collapse on the 31st.
Provisions of the law have already been undermined by an appeals-court ruling which indicated that a critical part of the Bill, Section 215, has been misinterpreted by he government. As written, it does NOT authorize the NSA to collect BULK DATA as the government does now, routinely collecting electronic information, emails, telephone calls, social security data, etc. etc. etc. on every man woman and child in the USA. WERE IT NOT FOR THE REVELATIONS OF EDWARD SNOWDON, the true patriot in this story, we would not even have know about these illegal transgressions of the law and overreach by our government. As interpreted by the present government, the NSA has no need for oversight by Congrees, a warrant, or a hint of suspicious behavior, or even a far fetched "George Bush" type reason to pry into a citizen's private life, the NSA, read BIG GOVERMENT, can listen in and collect data on everyone, then store the data secretly and indefinitely, as these faceless beureaucrats trample with impunity on our sacred Bill of Rights.
I give kudos to Senator Paul for his patriotism and courage to oppose the majority of the robots in his Party who are all marching in the same direction...over the cliff as they oppose him. All thinking Americans should stand shoulder to shoulder with Senator Paul and those few others of like mind to stop the Senate from re-authorizing this mis-named unpatriotic bill.
Senator Rand Paul (R Ky) has taken to the Senate floor to announce his intention to try and stop Congress from extending the egregious spying powers incorporated in the U.S. Patriot Act. He is planning a filibuster. The so -called "Patriot Act" is due to expire at the end of this month (May 2015). Paul is dead right in opposing it. We as a nation, our allies, and our reputation as the world's premier democracy have suffered enough as a consequence of this misguided law, passed without sufficient thought or mature oversight in the chaotic, frought days right after the September 11, 2001 attack. There is not a scintilla of proof that any of its provisions have increased our security or prevented another terrorist attack. It has served the ingrained, powerful military-industrial complex well, however, being used overseas to function as an industrial spy on our allies and others (Germany comes to mind.) I say let the entire structure collapse on the 31st.
Provisions of the law have already been undermined by an appeals-court ruling which indicated that a critical part of the Bill, Section 215, has been misinterpreted by he government. As written, it does NOT authorize the NSA to collect BULK DATA as the government does now, routinely collecting electronic information, emails, telephone calls, social security data, etc. etc. etc. on every man woman and child in the USA. WERE IT NOT FOR THE REVELATIONS OF EDWARD SNOWDON, the true patriot in this story, we would not even have know about these illegal transgressions of the law and overreach by our government. As interpreted by the present government, the NSA has no need for oversight by Congrees, a warrant, or a hint of suspicious behavior, or even a far fetched "George Bush" type reason to pry into a citizen's private life, the NSA, read BIG GOVERMENT, can listen in and collect data on everyone, then store the data secretly and indefinitely, as these faceless beureaucrats trample with impunity on our sacred Bill of Rights.
I give kudos to Senator Paul for his patriotism and courage to oppose the majority of the robots in his Party who are all marching in the same direction...over the cliff as they oppose him. All thinking Americans should stand shoulder to shoulder with Senator Paul and those few others of like mind to stop the Senate from re-authorizing this mis-named unpatriotic bill.
Tuesday, May 19, 2015
LET'S CALL OFF 2016 ELECTIONS: NO GOOD CANDIDATES
LET'S CALL OFF THE 2016 ELECTIONS: LOUSEY CHOICES ONLY DISASTER AHEAD FOR OUR NATION
The presidential election is still a year an a half off and all the people I talk to up here in the Central Greens are fearful and depressed about the coming election. The current crop of potential Presidential candidates and the need to pick a winner from this motley group have them concerned. The candidates who on the Republican side keep poping up like moles in the village green, are almost all lacking in one way or another. On the Democrat side there is only one choice (sorry to say worthy Vermoter Bernie Sanders..he is just blowing wind) she has plotted and schemed to make it that way for a long time and the poor Dems are stuck with her. But she is old, loaded with unsavory baggage and most see her as untrustworthy. Where can a voter go? One of my neighbors had a solution.
On my daily walk down the road by the brook, yesterday, I passed old man Morrisey's place. It was a warm spring day and the old guy, a retired linesman and Vietnam vet who worked for many years for Vermont Power and Light, was perched on his porch in a rocker chair. I called to him from the edge of the roadside, and he waved me in closer.
"Nice weather," I said, resting my hand on his picket fence.
"Ain't so good, that it'll change things much," replied Morrisey grumpily.
Thinking I'd stir the old mans blood circulation a bit, I asked him what he thought about the current crop of candidates getting ready to replace Obama...a man Morrisey always had plenty to complain about.
My query had its desired effect and then some. The old guy struggled up out of the wicker chair and lumbered over to the balustrade close to where I stood.
"Be best for us all if we jest called off them comin' 'lections." he said firmly.
"Call off the elections?"
"Yeah. That's right sonny. And you can tell them in your writin' that you heard it first right her from Jim Morrisey."
"I don't think that a possibility"...I began, but Jim just ignored me, as he ran on with his resoning for this radical skip-election proposal.
"All we got runnin' fer the job are a bunch of far-right kids, still damp from their momma's birthin', who are determined to take the nation back into the 1800s. They jest ain't up to the job. They ain't Presidential". Then its darn embarrassing how they're all beggin' fer bundles of cash from some of these super rich guys and makin' secret promises to these donors too. Who knows what they are givin' away? Then too the lot of 'em run off out west to bow down before that Las Vegas gambling guy and toe his line fer cash. But worse than that, that kid-Wisconsin governor, he even flew out to Israel and bow down to that Netanyahu fella. And what has that guy to do with anythin in the US of A? He ain't even an American!"
Old JM, pUsed to take a deep breath, and looked up to watch a pair of cackling ravens fly by over head.
He began again. "Then, believe it or not, we even got them Bushes in there again. Jeb Bush,he's runnin' now too. Would you belive it? Ain't he got a nerve? He's the guy, who as Florida governor at the time, schemed to give the Florida vote to his idiot brother. That was some kick in the ass for this nation. GW he got 'lected. Then gol darned he wasn't in there long when he when he started this God awful mess in the Middle East! Look what a mess that turned out to be. I read today that them ISIS fellas jest took the city of Remadi from the Iraqis. That was where my young nephew died in 2005 fightin' for no good reason. That JEB is still tight as a clam with the Bush clan. I heard it on TV that he still claims that his brother George did the right thing, invadin' Iraq, killin' half a million innocent Iraqis, sacrifin' nearly five thousand of our kids and costin' us so much we're still repayin' war loans. JEB is now claimin' his bro jest had bad info. But thing is the info was George's info...he made it all up. He made up the whole WMD story and fed it to the American people. and that's not all."
"Hold it, hold on there, JM." I hollered up to him. He was turning as red as a fresh cooked beet. I was afraid he was going to succumb to apoplexy right there on his porch. I warned him. " JM I ain't got all day here, the sun is hot! Is there an end to this story?"
"I jest gotta finish this", he insisted.
"OK, but...."
Jim ignored me again and carried on wheezing a bit. "Bud, that was only one side of the story. On the other side of the political divide in Washington, we got an old hag, who has been takin' money from another bunch of foreign types that want to get the Presidential ear. She and her man, ole "Slick Willy", claim the payouts and donations to the "Clinton Foundaton" are for good deeds and only "speaking fees". But we all know that the dough is for access to her, to power, like when she was Secretary of State. And now that she's a candidate and its a good bet that she might be President one day the powerful and wan'na bes are lining up to throw money at Bill for "speakin' fees". Hey, they cant fool me, those two."
So on the Democrat side we only have "Shillery" Clinton. The Dems just coronated her--no contest. And sure as GOD made little apples, I don't trust that one. She and her husband, if they got a chance, they would be sellin' off the Nation's treasures to the highest bidders. Liddy (my wife) she says ole lady Clinton will sell off the White House silverware if she gets in there. Oh yeah, and if she's elected, how would she control that husband of hers? He'd be sellin' access to the lady President , like a carnival ticket man, to pour money into that phony slush fund "Foundation" of his. What will they possibly do with him to keep him out of the US Treasury (and the panties of every young female in the White House)?"
Every which way I look at it this is a disaster year comin' up. I worried about the nation. My solution is to put off the election till some of them Republican kids grow up and in a year or two old lady Clinton will be dribblin' her oatmeal and be way too old to run for President."
"You finished?" I asked
"Yeah, I guess so," said JM. He appeared exhausted but happy to get that off his chest.
"But we can't wait too long" I said with a wink.
"Why?"
"Chelsea."
The presidential election is still a year an a half off and all the people I talk to up here in the Central Greens are fearful and depressed about the coming election. The current crop of potential Presidential candidates and the need to pick a winner from this motley group have them concerned. The candidates who on the Republican side keep poping up like moles in the village green, are almost all lacking in one way or another. On the Democrat side there is only one choice (sorry to say worthy Vermoter Bernie Sanders..he is just blowing wind) she has plotted and schemed to make it that way for a long time and the poor Dems are stuck with her. But she is old, loaded with unsavory baggage and most see her as untrustworthy. Where can a voter go? One of my neighbors had a solution.
On my daily walk down the road by the brook, yesterday, I passed old man Morrisey's place. It was a warm spring day and the old guy, a retired linesman and Vietnam vet who worked for many years for Vermont Power and Light, was perched on his porch in a rocker chair. I called to him from the edge of the roadside, and he waved me in closer.
"Nice weather," I said, resting my hand on his picket fence.
"Ain't so good, that it'll change things much," replied Morrisey grumpily.
Thinking I'd stir the old mans blood circulation a bit, I asked him what he thought about the current crop of candidates getting ready to replace Obama...a man Morrisey always had plenty to complain about.
My query had its desired effect and then some. The old guy struggled up out of the wicker chair and lumbered over to the balustrade close to where I stood.
"Be best for us all if we jest called off them comin' 'lections." he said firmly.
"Call off the elections?"
"Yeah. That's right sonny. And you can tell them in your writin' that you heard it first right her from Jim Morrisey."
"I don't think that a possibility"...I began, but Jim just ignored me, as he ran on with his resoning for this radical skip-election proposal.
"All we got runnin' fer the job are a bunch of far-right kids, still damp from their momma's birthin', who are determined to take the nation back into the 1800s. They jest ain't up to the job. They ain't Presidential". Then its darn embarrassing how they're all beggin' fer bundles of cash from some of these super rich guys and makin' secret promises to these donors too. Who knows what they are givin' away? Then too the lot of 'em run off out west to bow down before that Las Vegas gambling guy and toe his line fer cash. But worse than that, that kid-Wisconsin governor, he even flew out to Israel and bow down to that Netanyahu fella. And what has that guy to do with anythin in the US of A? He ain't even an American!"
Old JM, pUsed to take a deep breath, and looked up to watch a pair of cackling ravens fly by over head.
He began again. "Then, believe it or not, we even got them Bushes in there again. Jeb Bush,he's runnin' now too. Would you belive it? Ain't he got a nerve? He's the guy, who as Florida governor at the time, schemed to give the Florida vote to his idiot brother. That was some kick in the ass for this nation. GW he got 'lected. Then gol darned he wasn't in there long when he when he started this God awful mess in the Middle East! Look what a mess that turned out to be. I read today that them ISIS fellas jest took the city of Remadi from the Iraqis. That was where my young nephew died in 2005 fightin' for no good reason. That JEB is still tight as a clam with the Bush clan. I heard it on TV that he still claims that his brother George did the right thing, invadin' Iraq, killin' half a million innocent Iraqis, sacrifin' nearly five thousand of our kids and costin' us so much we're still repayin' war loans. JEB is now claimin' his bro jest had bad info. But thing is the info was George's info...he made it all up. He made up the whole WMD story and fed it to the American people. and that's not all."
"Hold it, hold on there, JM." I hollered up to him. He was turning as red as a fresh cooked beet. I was afraid he was going to succumb to apoplexy right there on his porch. I warned him. " JM I ain't got all day here, the sun is hot! Is there an end to this story?"
"I jest gotta finish this", he insisted.
"OK, but...."
Jim ignored me again and carried on wheezing a bit. "Bud, that was only one side of the story. On the other side of the political divide in Washington, we got an old hag, who has been takin' money from another bunch of foreign types that want to get the Presidential ear. She and her man, ole "Slick Willy", claim the payouts and donations to the "Clinton Foundaton" are for good deeds and only "speaking fees". But we all know that the dough is for access to her, to power, like when she was Secretary of State. And now that she's a candidate and its a good bet that she might be President one day the powerful and wan'na bes are lining up to throw money at Bill for "speakin' fees". Hey, they cant fool me, those two."
So on the Democrat side we only have "Shillery" Clinton. The Dems just coronated her--no contest. And sure as GOD made little apples, I don't trust that one. She and her husband, if they got a chance, they would be sellin' off the Nation's treasures to the highest bidders. Liddy (my wife) she says ole lady Clinton will sell off the White House silverware if she gets in there. Oh yeah, and if she's elected, how would she control that husband of hers? He'd be sellin' access to the lady President , like a carnival ticket man, to pour money into that phony slush fund "Foundation" of his. What will they possibly do with him to keep him out of the US Treasury (and the panties of every young female in the White House)?"
Every which way I look at it this is a disaster year comin' up. I worried about the nation. My solution is to put off the election till some of them Republican kids grow up and in a year or two old lady Clinton will be dribblin' her oatmeal and be way too old to run for President."
"You finished?" I asked
"Yeah, I guess so," said JM. He appeared exhausted but happy to get that off his chest.
"But we can't wait too long" I said with a wink.
"Why?"
"Chelsea."
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)