GOP abandons working class voters for rich donor class...Trump takes them up.
December 9, 2015
The most recent polls give Donald Trump a huge double digit lead over his closest rivals nationally as well as in the early state races. The GOP establishment is frantic. It looks like this guy can, and probably will, win the early GOP primaries. The latest "Louisville Slugger" the Republican establishment has been swinging at Trump"s head is emblazoned with: "He wants to close the border to Muslims". Though the "talking heads" on TV and the print media are enraged, and seemingly mortified by his pronouncement, I can't find anyone in the real world locally who finds that idea too objectionable. So it is likely that "The Donald" will not suffer in the polls for this latest bid of anti-establishment rhetoric.
But what makes Mr. Trump so appealing?
Since the 2014 Supreme Court Citizens United decision, the GOP establishment has been firmly in the grip of the powerful and politically active "donor class" and their unlimited contributions. That change in the political dynamic has caused a lurch rightward for the party of Lincoln into a new role as specialty "service group" for the wealthy. The consequences of that major shift away from reality politics, has left a big vacancy in the political landscape for the entry of a man who can speak the language, feel the pulse, and nurse the resentment of the mostly white, male, middle class and worker-class voters of a major sector and critical mainstay of the Republican Party. That man is Mr. Trump. The modern GOP has abandoned the coalition of the Reagan 1980 landslide and taken on a new vastly more wealthy, but far fewer in numbers client group. That decision, it seems now, may turn out to be an existential threat.
But how and why is Mr. Trump so popular.
The GOP is in the grip of the big donor class. Focused like a laser on the needs and money of the Adelsons, Singers and Koch brothers, the Republicans have forgotten the lessons of Reagan. They left the door open for Donald Trump. Since the Reagan landslide election of 1980, the Republicans have had a hold (though a weakening one) on the votes of white, male, blue collar, average-guy workers..often by using wedge issues of race, religion, abortion, and economic resentment, as well as slogans like " a rising tide floats all boats", etc. etc. The truth and the actual economic manifestations of GOP policies have been far from successful for working class Republicans. So called "small" government, deregulation, shredding of our modest entitlement programs, and "low" taxes, targeted at mostly the wealthy and superwealthy often mean that government expenditures which serve the average American must be sacrificed. While for the workers, the policies of lax border control, heightened competition for jobs from immigrants, a struggling economy, increased burdens of more regressive taxes and declining opportunities for advancement in income and education for working class children, and massive wealth and income inequality all increased the simmering resentment of a critical class of supporters. Donald Trump has seized on to these voters without representation.
The GOP has made it crystal clear whom they serve...it is not the American workers, the middle class, or the small businessman. The GOP is firmly controlled by the one percenters.
Wednesday, December 9, 2015
Saturday, December 5, 2015
NEWTON'S 3rd, TERRORISM, & SAN BERNARDINO
Isaac Newton's Third Law states that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. I suggest here that in the realm of foreign relations and military actions Newton's laws of physics also apply.
Violent and tragic terrorist acts over the last decades in New York, and now most recently in Paris and now in San Bernardino leave our nation puzzling. Why do they hate us so? What motivates them? Why are they willing to die to kill us? Newton (1642-1727) one the the truly great geniuses of the scientific world, who among many other achievements postulated the laws of motion, may have seen our predicament in an entirely different light. Perhaps viewing them, as a scientist might in the form of a simple equation of forces.
After the fall of the Soviet Union, which left our nation as the sole world power, in a unipolar world, we embarked on a (perhaps unintended but sure) journey of imperial world domination. No other nation was strong enough to modulate our actions and keep our sometimes base motives in check. We determined to dominate the world with our powerful economy. When that faltered we used diplomacy. And when foiled there, we sent in the CIA to destabilize and eliminate regimes who did not play ball with us. Finally, and too often, we unsheaathed our weapons designed to protect us from oppression and resorted to military action to alter the world to suit our needs or impulses at the time.
Most people do not like change. The vast majority (Americans at the forefront of these) resent being forced to change or to submit to an invader or occupier at the end of a bayonet or gun barrel. But, having the world's most advanced and massive military, it was easy for us to fall back on its use. Sadly this has been our policy and behavior over the last decades. In our process of attempting to hubristically remaking the world in an image satisfying only to OUR leaders in Washington we have understandably made many enemies. Some of our actions, were, no doubt, necessary or unavoidable. But the vast majority of our foreign adventures since 9-11 were foolhardy and unnecessary.
Historians of the future will undoubtably see our wars in the Middle East over thes last decade and a half as a renewal of the Christian Crusades against the Moslem World--the western world's "Seventh Crusade". Many will be tempted to call it "George Bush's Crusade against the Muslim World" (But now after nearly eight years of Mr. Obama's complicity in these efforts it is probably more accurately termed the "Bush-Obama Crusade").
In the last fifteen years we have invaded and occupied a wide swath of the Middle East. Our leaders repeat over and over again assurances that our policies "are NOT a Crusade against the Muslim world", but actions speak louder than words. In our military efforts, ostensibly to exact revenge for 9-11, but more likely to expand influence, secure markets and control raw materials, we have killed more than half a million Muslims of all stripes-- Sunnis and Shia, in Iraq, Afghanistan, Yemen, Libya, Somalia, and now in Syria. In these nations our forces and those of our allies have literally bombed these countries back into the Stone Age. Our actions displaced and made refugees of many millions. We have left behind smouldering cities, broken and failed communities, devastated infrastructure, and social chaos--- as well angry and resentful populations.
In Newton's terms "actions" have "reactions". Our invasions and bombing campaigns have consequences. The results are, as predictable as the force diagram you may have solved in elementary physics. Just as we can not imagine the thrust of a jet engine NOT driving a rocket upward and airborne, we can NOT expect our political and military actions to have zero consequences. Our military campaigns, drone attacks and extra juridical executions generate terrorist responses. This is not to try to "excuse" the actions of vicious terrorists. It is the "why do they hate us?" Anser. It is oa logical and reasoned explanation of behavior. "Radicalization" of a our or French Muslim citizen need not come from some distant or foreign source. The history of our recent military adventures may be sufficient motivation. Listening to news radio, domestic television programs where constant visuals of destruction seen through aerial bomb sights is all too common may be all that is necessary to provide the impetus for a response. Actions beget reactions.
Our military bombing, death-dealing night raids, rogue acts of military personnel, cruise missile attacks, covert assassinations, drone attacks, torture, extra-juridical killings, etcetera, etcetera, all beget reaction responses. The responses of the Muslim reactors, such as: 9-11, Paris, San Bernardino, are not generated out of thin air.
And in a nation where there are millions of Muslims and more guns than people, what can one expect? The question we must debate is, do we all want to live...and die this way? Is this the America of our future? We must have a political reckoning in which we logically review the costs and benefits of our actions abroad. What are the benefits? To whom do they accrue? Our actions and the reactions of the enemies we have created around the Moslem world have costs. We can plainly see the drastic social and monetary impacts on our citizens, to our communities, to our nation, in the almost hysterical fear and insecurity manifested post-Paris and San Bernadino. That fear and hysterical reactions are more dangerous than the actual terrorist threat.
It does not have to be this way---unending war, reprisal attacks, increasing loss of freedoms, death and destruction and descent into despotism abroad and at home.
We have let the demons of war, fear and religious intolerance and divisiveness out of the bottle. It is now time that we found ways to put these false gods back and firmly plug the opening closed.
Violent and tragic terrorist acts over the last decades in New York, and now most recently in Paris and now in San Bernardino leave our nation puzzling. Why do they hate us so? What motivates them? Why are they willing to die to kill us? Newton (1642-1727) one the the truly great geniuses of the scientific world, who among many other achievements postulated the laws of motion, may have seen our predicament in an entirely different light. Perhaps viewing them, as a scientist might in the form of a simple equation of forces.
After the fall of the Soviet Union, which left our nation as the sole world power, in a unipolar world, we embarked on a (perhaps unintended but sure) journey of imperial world domination. No other nation was strong enough to modulate our actions and keep our sometimes base motives in check. We determined to dominate the world with our powerful economy. When that faltered we used diplomacy. And when foiled there, we sent in the CIA to destabilize and eliminate regimes who did not play ball with us. Finally, and too often, we unsheaathed our weapons designed to protect us from oppression and resorted to military action to alter the world to suit our needs or impulses at the time.
Most people do not like change. The vast majority (Americans at the forefront of these) resent being forced to change or to submit to an invader or occupier at the end of a bayonet or gun barrel. But, having the world's most advanced and massive military, it was easy for us to fall back on its use. Sadly this has been our policy and behavior over the last decades. In our process of attempting to hubristically remaking the world in an image satisfying only to OUR leaders in Washington we have understandably made many enemies. Some of our actions, were, no doubt, necessary or unavoidable. But the vast majority of our foreign adventures since 9-11 were foolhardy and unnecessary.
Historians of the future will undoubtably see our wars in the Middle East over thes last decade and a half as a renewal of the Christian Crusades against the Moslem World--the western world's "Seventh Crusade". Many will be tempted to call it "George Bush's Crusade against the Muslim World" (But now after nearly eight years of Mr. Obama's complicity in these efforts it is probably more accurately termed the "Bush-Obama Crusade").
In the last fifteen years we have invaded and occupied a wide swath of the Middle East. Our leaders repeat over and over again assurances that our policies "are NOT a Crusade against the Muslim world", but actions speak louder than words. In our military efforts, ostensibly to exact revenge for 9-11, but more likely to expand influence, secure markets and control raw materials, we have killed more than half a million Muslims of all stripes-- Sunnis and Shia, in Iraq, Afghanistan, Yemen, Libya, Somalia, and now in Syria. In these nations our forces and those of our allies have literally bombed these countries back into the Stone Age. Our actions displaced and made refugees of many millions. We have left behind smouldering cities, broken and failed communities, devastated infrastructure, and social chaos--- as well angry and resentful populations.
In Newton's terms "actions" have "reactions". Our invasions and bombing campaigns have consequences. The results are, as predictable as the force diagram you may have solved in elementary physics. Just as we can not imagine the thrust of a jet engine NOT driving a rocket upward and airborne, we can NOT expect our political and military actions to have zero consequences. Our military campaigns, drone attacks and extra juridical executions generate terrorist responses. This is not to try to "excuse" the actions of vicious terrorists. It is the "why do they hate us?" Anser. It is oa logical and reasoned explanation of behavior. "Radicalization" of a our or French Muslim citizen need not come from some distant or foreign source. The history of our recent military adventures may be sufficient motivation. Listening to news radio, domestic television programs where constant visuals of destruction seen through aerial bomb sights is all too common may be all that is necessary to provide the impetus for a response. Actions beget reactions.
Our military bombing, death-dealing night raids, rogue acts of military personnel, cruise missile attacks, covert assassinations, drone attacks, torture, extra-juridical killings, etcetera, etcetera, all beget reaction responses. The responses of the Muslim reactors, such as: 9-11, Paris, San Bernardino, are not generated out of thin air.
And in a nation where there are millions of Muslims and more guns than people, what can one expect? The question we must debate is, do we all want to live...and die this way? Is this the America of our future? We must have a political reckoning in which we logically review the costs and benefits of our actions abroad. What are the benefits? To whom do they accrue? Our actions and the reactions of the enemies we have created around the Moslem world have costs. We can plainly see the drastic social and monetary impacts on our citizens, to our communities, to our nation, in the almost hysterical fear and insecurity manifested post-Paris and San Bernadino. That fear and hysterical reactions are more dangerous than the actual terrorist threat.
It does not have to be this way---unending war, reprisal attacks, increasing loss of freedoms, death and destruction and descent into despotism abroad and at home.
We have let the demons of war, fear and religious intolerance and divisiveness out of the bottle. It is now time that we found ways to put these false gods back and firmly plug the opening closed.
Sunday, November 22, 2015
PARIS TRAGEDY EXPOSES GOP CANDIDATES..NONE READY FOR PRIME TIME
USA MASS HYSTERIA, YELLOW JOURNALISM, GOP JINGOISM
NO CANDIDATE PASSES "FLINCH TEST"
OBAMA KEEPS CALM AND LOGIC
CALL OFF ELECTION?
Since the tragic massacre of 130 innocents in Paris on November 13, 2015 mass hysteria has broken out in the USA. The terrible tragedy in Paris, has caused unimaginable fear to seep in to the US psyche. Fear is a powerful emotion with an uncanny ability to make idiots of our citizenry, and journalists, and to create actual raving maniacs out of the political class and especially our hyped-up, eager, controlled, venal and ill-informed presidential campaigners.
The US press has used the tragedy to avidly fear monger for market share. Too much of their reporting has been short on facts and long on exaggeration. Even more egregiously they have turned to yellow journalism...attempting to ratchet up emotions based on sensationalism while dredging up so called "military experts" to malign the president and urge the nation into amother senseless unnecessary and unwise war.
Much of the blather and nonsense one hears is just not based on facts and is too silly to recount here. But suffice it to say that all the GOP candidates have rushed to (irrational) judgement about refugees, about inserting US ground troops into a complex and convoluted civil war, initiating a new war, lifting rules against torture, expanding the spy state, closing mosques, internment of Moslems, instituting religious tests for those entering USA as refugees, and so forth. Most of these candidates do not sound at all like actual American politicians and leaders such as Jack Kennedy, Ike Eisenhower, and even Ronald Reagan. One wonders where and from under what rock some of them have arisen?
But one thing is clear...not one of them...left or right....have passed the "respond to disaster test". It is certain that our nation will be faced with severe problems in the future. Major storms, loss of life, natural disasters, yes, even terror attacks are the stuff of every president's term. We hope that our future leaders will respond to these exigencies with calm and level headedness that would soothe the fears of our citizenry and then calmly and logically turn to address the disaster at hand with maturity and common sense.
Only one man has demonstrated this capacity, our present President, Barack Obama! He alone has passed the "disaster test". He alone seems to be the adult in a room of kindergartners. Among the loud calls for excess...he has not flinched. He has kept his calm and remained true to his and our American values and his logical assessment of the problem.
Perhaps we should just call off this election if we can not come up with any better candidates?
NO CANDIDATE PASSES "FLINCH TEST"
OBAMA KEEPS CALM AND LOGIC
CALL OFF ELECTION?
Since the tragic massacre of 130 innocents in Paris on November 13, 2015 mass hysteria has broken out in the USA. The terrible tragedy in Paris, has caused unimaginable fear to seep in to the US psyche. Fear is a powerful emotion with an uncanny ability to make idiots of our citizenry, and journalists, and to create actual raving maniacs out of the political class and especially our hyped-up, eager, controlled, venal and ill-informed presidential campaigners.
The US press has used the tragedy to avidly fear monger for market share. Too much of their reporting has been short on facts and long on exaggeration. Even more egregiously they have turned to yellow journalism...attempting to ratchet up emotions based on sensationalism while dredging up so called "military experts" to malign the president and urge the nation into amother senseless unnecessary and unwise war.
Much of the blather and nonsense one hears is just not based on facts and is too silly to recount here. But suffice it to say that all the GOP candidates have rushed to (irrational) judgement about refugees, about inserting US ground troops into a complex and convoluted civil war, initiating a new war, lifting rules against torture, expanding the spy state, closing mosques, internment of Moslems, instituting religious tests for those entering USA as refugees, and so forth. Most of these candidates do not sound at all like actual American politicians and leaders such as Jack Kennedy, Ike Eisenhower, and even Ronald Reagan. One wonders where and from under what rock some of them have arisen?
But one thing is clear...not one of them...left or right....have passed the "respond to disaster test". It is certain that our nation will be faced with severe problems in the future. Major storms, loss of life, natural disasters, yes, even terror attacks are the stuff of every president's term. We hope that our future leaders will respond to these exigencies with calm and level headedness that would soothe the fears of our citizenry and then calmly and logically turn to address the disaster at hand with maturity and common sense.
Only one man has demonstrated this capacity, our present President, Barack Obama! He alone has passed the "disaster test". He alone seems to be the adult in a room of kindergartners. Among the loud calls for excess...he has not flinched. He has kept his calm and remained true to his and our American values and his logical assessment of the problem.
Perhaps we should just call off this election if we can not come up with any better candidates?
Monday, November 9, 2015
MARCO RUBIO'S TAX PLAN EXPOSED AS "CRAZY"
Marco has a tax plan. According to a piece in the NY Magazine (See: " The Math on Rubionomics Is Way Way Crazier Than You Think"by Jonathan Chait, NYMat, November 8, 2015).
It is a crazy plan. Citizens For Tax Justice (CFTJ) analyzed the Rubio Plan and found the plan to be "hostile to economic reality". Rubio, who is essentially in the "employ" of fat cats like the Adelsons, Koch brothers and most recently billionaire Mr. Paul Singer, so it is understandable that his plan will give the most to the few. The plan slots one-third of the tax breaks to the top ONE PERCENTERS. (This is one of the pay-backs billionaire donors get for supporting the Rubio candidacy.) It follows that the rest of us get only the remaining two-thirds of that tax windfall to share among the 99 percent. That does not seem so fair already.
But according to CFTJ that is not the most crazy part. It is the size of the plan that is troubling. Recall the massive George Bush tax roll back. The one that led into the housing bubble and then the Great Recession of 2007? Yes that one. Rubio's plan is almost four times that big. His plan will cut tax revnue to about $12 trillion over the next decade. That means that over those ten years Rubio plaN will reduce revenue from about $40 trillion down to about $30 trillion. According to the CFTJ analysis that amount is only just enough to pay for defense, social security and medicare and the interest on the debt. Rubio's government would be pared to the bone. With those funds he would have to cut Out all non requisite or mandated expenditures over those noted above....no border security, no emergency funds, no Medicaid, anti-poverty budget, veterans healt care, education, infrastructure projects, etcetera, etcetera. Is is probable? No not likely...that why it is crazy.
Oh and to add insult to injury, Rubio also plans to enlarge the defense budget. Yes that massive mill wheel we have hanging around our necks which keeps us all riding over potholed bridge roads, with lousy health care, and crumbling infrastructure will only expand with Rubio. Also based on his donor class and their published demands, his largess with our tiny and queztionalble ally in the Middle East, Israel, will also grow....whether they need the money or not.
The authors state that the "relationship between Rubio's tax plan and economic reality" is "deeply hostile".
So Rubio's plan will undermine the miserable social safety net we have in this nation, further, to third world standards, eliminate government support for needed investment in domestic infrastructure, and instead, shunt the funds into the pockets of the super wealthy, and enlarge our already massive overstuffed military. If that is where you believe the nation should be heading...
It is a crazy plan. Citizens For Tax Justice (CFTJ) analyzed the Rubio Plan and found the plan to be "hostile to economic reality". Rubio, who is essentially in the "employ" of fat cats like the Adelsons, Koch brothers and most recently billionaire Mr. Paul Singer, so it is understandable that his plan will give the most to the few. The plan slots one-third of the tax breaks to the top ONE PERCENTERS. (This is one of the pay-backs billionaire donors get for supporting the Rubio candidacy.) It follows that the rest of us get only the remaining two-thirds of that tax windfall to share among the 99 percent. That does not seem so fair already.
But according to CFTJ that is not the most crazy part. It is the size of the plan that is troubling. Recall the massive George Bush tax roll back. The one that led into the housing bubble and then the Great Recession of 2007? Yes that one. Rubio's plan is almost four times that big. His plan will cut tax revnue to about $12 trillion over the next decade. That means that over those ten years Rubio plaN will reduce revenue from about $40 trillion down to about $30 trillion. According to the CFTJ analysis that amount is only just enough to pay for defense, social security and medicare and the interest on the debt. Rubio's government would be pared to the bone. With those funds he would have to cut Out all non requisite or mandated expenditures over those noted above....no border security, no emergency funds, no Medicaid, anti-poverty budget, veterans healt care, education, infrastructure projects, etcetera, etcetera. Is is probable? No not likely...that why it is crazy.
Oh and to add insult to injury, Rubio also plans to enlarge the defense budget. Yes that massive mill wheel we have hanging around our necks which keeps us all riding over potholed bridge roads, with lousy health care, and crumbling infrastructure will only expand with Rubio. Also based on his donor class and their published demands, his largess with our tiny and queztionalble ally in the Middle East, Israel, will also grow....whether they need the money or not.
The authors state that the "relationship between Rubio's tax plan and economic reality" is "deeply hostile".
So Rubio's plan will undermine the miserable social safety net we have in this nation, further, to third world standards, eliminate government support for needed investment in domestic infrastructure, and instead, shunt the funds into the pockets of the super wealthy, and enlarge our already massive overstuffed military. If that is where you believe the nation should be heading...
NO $5 BILLION TO NETANYAHU- NOT WITH OUR DESPERATE NEEDS AT HOME
Utrustworthy ally, Bibi Netanyahu is back in Washington, hat in hand, to beg for money...again. He undermined his friendship rating and credibility after the recent acrimonious Iran deal, and should not be welcome again in the White House. We understand he is now reformed and promises that he is now (again) in favor of the "two state solution". Can we believe him? It is whispered he has also given up using the "N" word to refer to our President. But with our government and GOP so eager to cut expenses to the bone for our own citizenry..how can anyone imagine giving big piles of greenbacks to Netanyahu? For what purpose? To build more illegal settlemets in the territories? Or is it to beef up his massive military, already armed to the teeth so it can turn its might again on the outdoor Palestinian prison of Gaza?
Without doubt, that $5 billion should be spent here at home to rebuild our schools, crumbling infrastructure, our failing bridges, our slow or non existent broadband, and to attend to the desperate needs of our poor, high-school educated, white middle-aged citizenry who are dying and committing suicide faster than any other demographic here in the USA or in any other affluent western nation. (See: NYT Nov.2, 2015, "Death Rates Rising For Middle Aged White Americans" by Gina Kolata)
Sunday, November 8, 2015
Je ne suis pas Charlie!
THE CHARLIE HEBEO PLANE CRASH CARTOONS
Charlie Hebdo, the French satirical magazine just published two cartoons which have us all realize how much we are NO LONGER Charlie. The phrase "I am Charlie" became popular after the terrorist attack on that publication's offices in Paris. But the recent cartoons published by the weekly Paris magazine concerning the tragic Russian plane brought down in the Sinai Peninsula on October 31, 2015 with the loss of 224 innocent travelers, among them 17 children was a step too far. Who can find anything to satirize about such a terrible human tragedy? Charlie Hebdo does not do satire...Its crude ugliness has no purpose or positive effect to increase knowledge or improve humankind. It exposes no human frailty or stupidity, only the coarseness and lack of humanity of the authors. No these cartoons are not Satie. It is a form of literary pornography.
Our sympathies, here in my little corner of the USA where most know little of Charlie, are with the families and relatives of the victims of that awful tragedy and with all the Russians.
Saturday, October 31, 2015
PAUL SINGER BUYS GOP CANDIDATE
RUBIO A PUPPET CANDIDATE
Oct 30, 2015. After what appeared to many to be a strong showing in the Oct 28, GOP debate in Colorado, Paul Singer, billionaire, hedge fund CEO ( Elliott Management) investor, Republican activist, and political mega donor came out publicly with a big check for Republican (absentee) Senator from Florida, Marco Rubio. He is now the Geppetto controlling the puppet strings to Marco's Pinocchio. Singer has been a long time political activist especilly concerned with the Midle East and Israel and on foreign policy issues. He supported George Bush's campaigns and wars and the Swift Boat Veterans attack against John Kerry.
"When people donate to us, they buy into our agenda" bragged Rubio, in response to queries by reporters concerned about the "influence effect". Slick Rubio twisted his answer around a full 180 degrees. The truth is that Rubio by accepting a huge chunk of cash, in this obvious influence sale, just made a solemn promise to accept Paul Singer's agenda rather than the other way around. Rubio has just been bought, stock, lock and barrel and is now mega donor Paul Singer's property.
Fast talking and smart, Marco, has been tailoring and parsing his messages carefully for a long time to snag this investor. So from now on, if we really want to know what Rubio thinks or will support on some topic or other, or what actions he may take in the Oval Office, if, heaven forbid, he actually gets elected, ..just ask what Paul Singer wants, would like or is thinking.
This is not how the Founding Fathers envisioned we would select leaders in our nascent democracy when they wrote the Constitution.
My opinion is that this influence sale puts Rubio too much in the control of one powerful man. It underscores the fact that millions of American voters and supporters will have significantly less influence on any issues that this candidate supports. As a result, I put Rubio on my "do not vote for list".
Oct 30, 2015. After what appeared to many to be a strong showing in the Oct 28, GOP debate in Colorado, Paul Singer, billionaire, hedge fund CEO ( Elliott Management) investor, Republican activist, and political mega donor came out publicly with a big check for Republican (absentee) Senator from Florida, Marco Rubio. He is now the Geppetto controlling the puppet strings to Marco's Pinocchio. Singer has been a long time political activist especilly concerned with the Midle East and Israel and on foreign policy issues. He supported George Bush's campaigns and wars and the Swift Boat Veterans attack against John Kerry.
"When people donate to us, they buy into our agenda" bragged Rubio, in response to queries by reporters concerned about the "influence effect". Slick Rubio twisted his answer around a full 180 degrees. The truth is that Rubio by accepting a huge chunk of cash, in this obvious influence sale, just made a solemn promise to accept Paul Singer's agenda rather than the other way around. Rubio has just been bought, stock, lock and barrel and is now mega donor Paul Singer's property.
Fast talking and smart, Marco, has been tailoring and parsing his messages carefully for a long time to snag this investor. So from now on, if we really want to know what Rubio thinks or will support on some topic or other, or what actions he may take in the Oval Office, if, heaven forbid, he actually gets elected, ..just ask what Paul Singer wants, would like or is thinking.
This is not how the Founding Fathers envisioned we would select leaders in our nascent democracy when they wrote the Constitution.
My opinion is that this influence sale puts Rubio too much in the control of one powerful man. It underscores the fact that millions of American voters and supporters will have significantly less influence on any issues that this candidate supports. As a result, I put Rubio on my "do not vote for list".
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