(#4533) As a species we will never evolve to our potential until we stop looking for a god

      The drawback of our species is our fear. In most cases fear is a good thing as it is a warning to beware around situations that can cause us physical and emotional harm. These are the good qualities of fear. The not good qualities of fear are our failure to take control of our destinies because we have become cowards. I am referring to needing a god symbol in order for us to live our lives. So we take from antiquity a concept that was written by men who say they were inspired by a god. Look around you today, there are men and women who say they are inspired by a god and have some of the most hellacious things to offer from that.
     We don't need people who are more carnival barkers, hucksters, and con artists telling us how to live our lives and what we should think about our lives. A moral code is what we all need but not one that is tied to a story that is even more unbelievable that the most insane fairy tales ever spun. When I was a child I accepted that fairy tales were stories about possibilities. Not actual facts. So for too many in our nation who rely on some belief system that is not provable is beyond my understanding of what it is to be an enlightened human being. Which is what all of us are if we could just cut the chord to religious fantasy and the fear it embellishes.
     I myself am not devoid of holding onto a concept of spiritualism within our universe. But in no way can I read about it in a book of do's and don'ts. It is a feeling within me that connects me to all time and space as it exists in our environment. I am no believer in the mysticism nor dogma of any organized religion and no respecter of them either. If anything, organized religion has become such a crutch to our species that we are unable to arrange or assemble our abilities to join forces as we advance into an unknown of physical places that require our minds and thoughts to be open to changing existential circumstances. Not to belief systems that are more pacifier than tools.

(#4532) Why does profit for some outweigh the safety of most?

      I have always appreciated the value of capitalism but not this type of capitalism. The dynamic between capitalism and labor should be on an equal footing so that all within any venture can become enriched through innovation and merit. Yet what we have is capitalism so overly weighed against labor as to nullify labor as a fair partner. We also have capital on a higher footing by itself when it comes to safety and not causing harm. I can only assume that the greed that is inherent within capitalism is driving many too many of us to disregard fairness, safety and equity as principles for living.
     As long as they have theirs the wealthy don't care about the principle of cause and effect. Look at the current crop of ultra billionaires. They, the 1%, a handful of people and corporations, have 15 times more wealth than the bottom 50% of us, https://www.forbes.com/sites/tommybeer/2020/10/08/top-1-of-us-households-hold-15-times-more-wealth-than-bottom-50-combined/?sh=2477c8695179. The end of our society in a capitalistic one is the uneven balance of wealth at the top compared with the bottom. When the wealthy can fly around in space as entertainment while the many of us cannot get clean drinking water or afford decent meals to eat the evidence is clear that we are near or at that point where our society is diseased and not functioning healthily.
     This is because the wealthy are now in control of the levers of power within our democracy. You and I cannot run for elected office without having a boatload of money to finance our attempt. Thus big money wants our allegiance if we are to partner up with them, perpetuating the wealthy as in control of our democracy. The republican party is the most corrupt when compiling the evidence but neither are democrats completely innocent. There has to be election reform in our nation at the national level and when we have removed big money from the equation is when we will have a democracy that is actually represented by the many of us and not just the wealthy.

(#4531) I woke so tired this morning but soon remembered that trump isn't gone yet

     So the hot mess that is trump gave a rally this last weekend and I didn't hear much about it at all. Which is a good sign that he isn't in the spotlight like he was anymore. Of course what I heard was that his message is the same about how he is still president and he got cheated. Which is getting to be quite old now and rather boring. So although he is still around stirring the embers of discontent he has been relegated to a lesser stage and much like his followers often ignored and shunned. That is the good news about him this morning and for that I am grateful. Joe Biden has done a masterful job of leading our nation and allowing us time to move on and allow to fade that trump was no such good leader.
     Yet in my soul and body I was reminded once again just how much trump took from me and many others. He tried to wear us down with his constant barrage of mind numbing statements and with his policies that shook the foundation of democracy. When I awoke this morning I was not refreshed from a good night sleep I was weary as if I had been awake all night with worry. The trumps did that to me and I do more than suspect that he did that to most intelligent Americans over the last 4 years. I don't know how long it will take me to bounce back from the trauma of trump but I am older so I expect that I may never bounce back fully.
     The era of trump will be remembered for his nearly successful overthrow of our democracy but lesser know will be the weight of his nefarious agenda that crushed the soul of many a good person who pushed back against him. I for one am tired in my soul and body from the constant attention I had to give to standing firm against his attacks on our nation. He took from me the joy of being alive and in it's place is a caution now that he may or one of his minions may come back at us with greater intensity to destroy what he couldn't. I am weary for sure but I am not done fighting against the forces that would make us lackeys to those who do not hold dear the concept of democracy.

(#4530) If republicans don't back the bipartisan infrastructure agreement they will have nothing to take back home to crow about

      The calculus is as simple as it gets here. So naturally republicans don't understand what to do. They at first agreed to the bipartisan infrastructure bill they negotiated, then hedged on it after they fake realized that it wouldn't be the only infrastructure bill that would be passed into law. First, I am unbelieving that they didn't know about the 2 track process and the need to bring progressives into passing the bipartisan bill. For weeks progressives have been saying that without a reconciliation bill to accompany the bipartisan bill there would be no bipartisan bill that would pass through a democratic led Senate. So for republican to now feign ignorance is ludicrous and shameful on their heads.
     Second is since President Biden was elected progressives have been calling for a reconciliation process for passing historic infrastructure needs. So again for republicans to just now say that they weren't aware of this is beyond stupidity of a claim by them. This latest outcry by republicans claiming that they didn't know about a second infrastructure go alone bill is all bluff and inept strategy. They know they got the best deal they were going to get through the bipartisan bill and that hasn't changed. So for them now to be threatening to subvert the bipartisan bill is typical and actually expected. thus the two track system.
     Like all republican maneuvers to infiltrate themselves into a bipartisan relationship, the goal isn't to forge a bipartisan bill, the goal is to run out the clock and then let the bipartisan work fall apart. But in this case republicans had better fall through on their bipartisan work less we democrats pass all we want through reconciliation. So no matter how much republicans whine over the next several weeks they will vote for the bipartisan infrastructure bill and then cringe when we democrats also pass a reconciliation bill. Steady on the wheel democrats the choppy seas that republican are creating are not persuasive enough for us to change anything about our course.

(#4529) Even if the compromise infrastructure bill goes away...

      The beauty of the compromise infrastructure bill is that they had an agreement. Everyone on the select 20 person bipartisan committee agreed to vote for the bill if it came up in regular order. Even 11 republicans agreed to the bill. Well now that the republicans have seen their agreement get snubbed by other republicans over the two track system the bickering about passing the compromise bill is making some of the original 11 republicans backtrack their support for the bipartisan bill. Be that as it may be the cat is out of the bag so to speak about the original agreement between the bipartisan committee.
     So even if the republicans pull their support of the bipartisan bill, not for what is in it but for the dual track legislation that is also being arranged, the fact that President Biden got the initial deal on the merits of the deal makes for a go alone bill even more necessary. In the bipartisan bill there was compromise on the democratic side, so if republicans squash the bipartisan bill, democrats are not going to be held to those compromises and can now pass a bill that has less to do with what republicans wanted and more to do with what democrats know we need. Again, a win/win. No matter now how republicans shoot themselves in the foot the pain is always going to be on them.
     I expect that if anyone with any wisdom left in the republican party can get a handle on this one aspect of the infrastructure bipartisan bill and make sure that it passes will be the best outcome for the republican party. If not we democrats will pass a go alone reconciliation bill that will likely have little or no republican input. With the reconciliation bill getting all the needs of infrastructure policy in it. I know our progressive wing of the democratic party will be much happier and even the moderate democrats who tried to get a bipartisan bill will be onboard because of the republican sabotage of their effort after they had secured a bipartisan agreement that now republicans are blowing up.

(#4528) The compromise infrastructure bill is a good thing

      I hear pundits on the news trying to make the compromise infrastructure bill sound like it is a betrayal to democratic politics. I call bullshit! The compromise bill is actually a gift to us democrats in that we get to appease our moderate democratic senators while giving the progressive democratic senators the power now to pass an infrastructure bill that has all the other non compromisable policies that they crave with moderate democratic support. By achieving the moderate half of the infrastructure bill with traditional infrastructure needs we will now also use reconciliation to pass the newly defined infrastructure policies that are demanded of by our progressive base. A win/win!
     Joe Biden has played this out masterfully and should get the lion's share of the credit for his strategy of a two track approach to achieve real infrastructure advancement. I am more than pleasantly pleased that the mcconnells of the world are left holding a bag of shit as their prize while we the American people we begin to see real change to our society. With Biden pulling support from at least 10 republican senators without mcconnells approval is deft to say the least. As well those 10 republicans are now able to go home and crow about their compromised victory.
     What this does as well if not even more so is that Joe Biden is now showing the way forward for our whole democratic party when it comes to elections. He shows we can work together with any other political party and as well deliver amazing progress to our working middle poor class. After the last four years of a hateful idiot running our federal government it is nice to be back to an intelligent crafty politician of Joe Biden's magnitude. I expect after this infrastructure victory the path forward on voting rights will also happen with some form of filibuster carve out. It is the only way it can happen and given Joe Biden and his persuasions at full bore I expect that the democratic party will find itself authoring a voting rights bill that protects and defends the right of all citizens to vote.

(#4527) I have no sympathy for republican voters who will not use their own brains

      I am getting real good at dismissing from my mindset anyone who is still voting for republicans. I have a hard and fast rule, you vote for republicans you do not exist to me anymore. You really do become a non entity to me. Like space that is taken up by a rock or a rotted pile of debris. I have no time for those who are not about helping all of us to make a better world. Those who are not capable of choosing to do the correct thing in life get nothing from me but dismissal of existence. Now it is much easier to do this to people that are more strangers than not and that is absolutely true. But it becomes harder when family and friends are to be forgotten.
     Yet I have been keeping this principle in my life for so long now that I don't care if you are a sibling or parent, you vote for republicans you fail to exist in my world. I have lost about half my family and only have a few friends anymore that are like me and wish to help the world and not hurt it. But this is my life and for me I get to make the rules. I do not adhere to the traditions of family when it comes to our democracy and how we perceive life if not valued equally. The only action I have to show my utter contempt for those who would be racist, sexist and anti democratic is to remove association and memory of those who were previously in my life.
     It may not matter to many including those family members who have been removed from my life and that is not my concern. My concern is to let them know that a price is paid for being an asshole person. Whether they care or not is irrelevant. What matters to me is to set an example that no one is allowed to hurt our society with their personal deviousness and still be in my life. I do not suffer fools much at all so if their ignorance is at the root of their choice then so much more do I not care a whit about them. We all have a choice to know or not know and not knowing because that is the easier path for them is a disgrace for them and a no brainer for me to blank them out of my life.

(#4526) Talk about a battle for the soul of our nation!

      The antiquated filibuster rule that was used primarily to subvert the rights of minorities in our nation by unscrupulous politicians is now being used to subvert the rights of not only minorities but of poor folks of all color by a couple of politicians who think they are being noble to democracy. Just because they think they are being noble to democracy however doesn't diminish their wrong assessment. They are not being noble to democracy and are actually helping along its demise. The power that the senate filibuster gives to the minority, in this case insurrectionist anti-democratic republican politicians is an extinction level event for democracy.
     The republican party has shown that they are not about protecting the values of what makes a democracy and are instead trying to build a system that is devoid of democracy. Most would call it an authoritarian type system of rule and that may well be the most accurate definition. So for our few senators on the democratic side who are still clinging to a rule in the senate that has a dubious and hurtful origin is not only a blaspheme to democracy it is an unearthing of our cherished democratic form of government. The republican party is not one that wants the good of democracy, they want the power they can steal from democracy!
     Steve Benen accurately describes the narrative that drives the republican party today. They are "post policy". In another way of putting it, they quit trying to win over the voters with policies and have been and still are doing now the traitorous work of denying voters the right to vote. Don't get me wrong, not all voters, only voters who mostly do not vote for them. They are selecting who they want to vote not allowing the voters to select who they want for leaders. If you are not paying attention then you are part of the problem and will become democracy less because of your inattention. So pay attention and try helping the rest of us to stop the republican coup right before your eyes by getting rid of the filibuster or at least carving out a piece of it especially for voting rights protections.

(#4525) The battle intensifies today in the Senate

      If you are not tuned into the senate today on C-span2 then you are going to miss out on watching the republican party squirm in their shorts over voting against voting rights. It is one of the most important votes that will show just how much republicans are against democracy. They don't want every eligible voter to vote and democracy is such that all eligible citizens are rightfully allowed to vote. So denying the vote to Americans will be what republicans will be doing today in a unanimous vote. So anyone who has a small amount of reason in their mental toolbox will know that democrats want everyone who is eligible to vote and republicans want to deny those who are eligible who would vote against them from voting.
     This has been a republican strategy for decades now. Picking their voters to fit their agenda. Not voters picking their candidates to fit the will of the majority of people. The majority is what makes democracy work, not the minority of voters deciding what the majority of voters should accept. The republican party is the minority party in America, behind Independents and democrats, https://news.gallup.com/poll/15370/party-affiliation.aspx. So for the arrogant republican party to be trying to call all the shots as to how we are governed is just another example of their dirty condescension of the rest of us.
     Today, as I am now watching the senate open its daily business, will be a day that highlights the complete destruction of the republican myth that they care about our democracy. Of course the business of the day is about more than the cowardice and authoritarian stance the republican party has adopted. It is also about the daily progress to fill openings in our federal agencies but make no mistake, today is the day when republicans vote unanimously to deny voting rights. It is a shame that they are doing so and they were even elected seats in our government when they are working to end our government from within. You make your own judgements but don't waste too much time as little is left to save our democracy!

(#4524) Big week ahead for legislation in the senate

      If you wanted to watch the senate this week on C-span2 it may be worth it. Not for the outcome because the republicans in the senate are absolutely going to vote against all legislation that President Biden hopes to get to his desk for his signature. But the revealing part of that voting down process is that Joe Manchin will get to see right in his face just how insincere his friends on the republican side are. He will have to come to the realization where all the rest of us are that the republican party is building it's next election platform on blocking any and all that democrats propose for the betterment of the working middle poor class and our planet.
     But all the action isn't solely in the senate as behind the scenes work is being done to align the house bills with what will come out of the senate after reconciliation is finally invoked. This week is the week for refining legislative product and it is going to be a bit confusing. But when the final product is agreed upon we will know whether the senate will pass it either with reconciliation or if Joe Manchin et al. will finally relent and give some carveout space for other legislation not in compliance with existing reconciliation rules. More clarity will begin to form and the fog of uncertainty will start to clear.
     I find comfort in the fact that it is still June and we are almost at the point of deciding whether Joe Biden and his vision for America will prevail or if the obstructionist republican party will once again nullify a democratic majority who has a mandate to reimagine existing processes and create new paradigms that reflect a modern and thoughtful society. We are at a tipping point with what Covid-19 made us aware and if we democrats don't step up and push our nation to a track that has climate and equity at it's core then the hopeful opportunity for our future becomes grim and unlikely. This week will give us a glimpse as to who will triumph, we the people, or the hateful selfish bastards!

(#4523) Late but not lost

     I have had a very busy last 36 hours so not even time to post a blog post this morning. But I am now back in my chair at my desk ready to post about something. I have been out of the loop I am usually in so I have no clue what to even consider so I will take a moment and educate myself about whatever first strikes me. This is happening in real time so good luck to me and all of you brave souls who read my opinions. I will be right back. In that short little interval I didn't see anything that struck me as needing some added discussion. It is appropriate that I did decide to miss my Sunday morning blog post when it is Father's day coming off of Juneteenth yesterday.
     There is one thing I will say about our new national holiday, Juneteenth. As republicans all over the country are trying to deny the teaching of critical race theory the rest of us are celebrating the delivering of a message of freedom from slavery to the black race. It isn't out of sorts for this contradiction to be so blatant as the republican party cannot seem to find itself capable of either telling the truth nor of being good stewards to the human race. The only thing republicans seem to be good at is opposing anything that would help the working middle poor class. So not really good at anything but surely bad at most everything.
     So nothing more to report that has a significant bearing on our nation except maybe the Manchin/Klobuchar/Markey voting rights bill that hopefully will be done Monday so that there is actually a bill that can be voted on in the senate come this week. I expect it to be more than what Manchin has outlined already but how much more remains to be seen. Like I have said before, I expect the republicans in the senate to unanimously vote it down which in my mind forces Manchin to do a carve out from the filibuster specifically for voting rights. It really is the smart move by Manchin since he will see first hand how impossible it is to get republicans into a bipartisan bill when all they want is for every democrat politician to die or leave office.

(#4522) The republican party is imploding

      I have tried long and hard to figure out why moscow mitch would come out and immediately denounce the Manchin voting rights proposition. I mean, come on man, at least fake some interest in it so as to keep Manchin hanging on the "protect the filibuster at all costs" line for as long as possible correct? lol. But no. The republican party and it's policy of trying to run out the clock on Joe Biden's first term for legislation is being undercut by republicans themselves. Go figure! So anyway, by immediately kicking Manchin in the nuts because of his attempt at bipartisanship republicans have once again vividly shown that they are never going to be good faith partners, which most of us knew anyway. So Joe Manchin needs not worry about preserving anything that would embrace bipartisanship with this ridiculous and dangerous republican party.
     What is surprising to me is that I couldn't for the life of me see a simple solution for getting Manchin to stop blocking legislation. I mean I was at my ropes end and nothing was working. But then along comes the republican party, by which they would most benefit from Manchin keeping to his protect the filibuster stance the most. The republican party singlehandedly gave all of us a solution to our Manchin problem in less than a New York second. I am very happy about it because if stupid had a face right now it would be mcconnells. Well I am not one to turn down a gift that will keep on giving so thanks republicans and do carry on. The future is coming in a good way and thanks to republicans screwing over the republican agenda of denying Biden legislation by kneeing Manchin in the nuts.
     Now that is almost a two-fer given my frustration with Manchin over the last 4 months but even I kind of feel sorry for him being nard hurt by those he thought he was helping. Be whatever it may be however, the effect of mcconnell saying no to Manchin is a likely Manchin saying yes to us. Which in the real real is what should have been from the get go. So yeah, today is the beginning of a new hope in America and how it plays out now is much brighter than it was just 2 days ago. So much for mcconnell being remembered as a man of wisdom. lol.

(#4521) Joe Manchin is finally coming around

      The biggest vote we democrats will have this year is not the infrastructure bill, nor the police reform bill. It is the voting rights bill and Joe Manchin is getting onboard with a good chunk of it. In fact Senators Ed Markey and Amy Klobuchar are going to work with Manchin to get an outline for a bill that all 50 liberal senators can get behind. This is important because if a voting rights bill is not passable in the regular order with the filibuster then it may be easier at that point to get all 50 liberal senators to carve out of the filibuster an exception that deals specifically with voting rights issues.
     It is almost a certainty at this point that the republicans in the senate will cast no votes for a voting rights bill because if they do they will be certain to lose in the midterm elections coming in 18 moths if the bill is passed. So the need for all 50 liberal senators to at least agree on a bill will make it far easier for them to then move for a carve out of the filibuster, which is the compromise to actually eliminating the filibuster. I am anxiously awaiting to see the outcome of the weekend work product that Klobuchar, Markey, and Manchin produce. I have no doubt that it will be close to the House/Senate-1 bill and that is encouraging.
     I had hoped to see Manchin come around earlier but in retrospect, it seems that the strategy of negotiating with the unnegotiable was needed and Manchin coming around is perfectly timed. There are no more excuses to be used about the effort for bipartisanship. There will be no bipartisanship from republicans and Manchin is now well versed in it. The problem with republicans is that they still think they are the majority and they can't seem to grapple with the fact that they are not in control. So their position on negotiating is that they want their demands met despite the fact that their demands are not in line with the majority position and can be dismissed altogether.

(#4520) Expect to see the 2 businessmen being held in Russia to be released

     The summit in Geneva was a perfect opportunity for both America and Russia to reset their relations with each other. Given that there is much to work on I expect that one of the earliest moves by Russia to show that they are willing to at least give the appearance of cooperation is to release the 2 Americans being held. For several reasons in my mind. First that it is an emotional victory for Russia as the families of the men and Americans generally will be grateful for the gesture and secondly the signal that Russia will be sending is that businessmen are now welcome again to come to Russia and invest in Russian products and other opportunities.
     Now I know it is a simple gesture Russia would be making to show a willingness but it is also a step in the correct direction and will bring a lot of good will their way. If putin is any kind of strategist he will know that good will is something that his authoritarian government desperately needs. The Russian goal of being a world player is best served by them ingratiating themselves back into the world community especially since they were horrible actors in many areas of civilized behavior. What President Biden has given Russia is a do over and Russia would be wise to take the opportunity and stop being the belligerent liars they have been up to this moment.
     We will see but at any moment I expect to see the 2 men on a plane back home to America. What this will do for Joe Biden is also significant as he will then have a real tangible accomplishment and important gift from the autocrat putin. Both countries returning their ambassadors to their respect foreign posts is a big deal but not a huge deal like the return of the 2 businessmen to America. We will see and I may be reading this all wrong but I don't think I am as an opportunity for both nations is available if putin is serious about repairing his relations with the West. The smart move on his part is to release the 2 men immediately and begin to step back into civilized society.

(#4519) Vice President Kamala Harris and matriarchal societies

      It was appropriate for me to see that Vice President Kamala Harris made her first visit to Mexico and Central America. This region has been known for its matriarchal leadership. As a side note, I had come to the conclusion decades ago that women at the top of leadership in society was a kinder and more civil approach to how society should be. Although not perfect it was and still is less dangerous and more complimentary to democratic principles. Women are mothers and as such much more prone to nurture than the dictates of nature which can be harsh and cruel when men have the levers of power. This isn't absolute as some men are better at kindness than women but that is the exception not the rule.
     For me the optic is perfect in that a woman of immense power now, Kamala Harris showed grace and humility for the most part and that disarmed those who were maybe expecting confrontation and demands. Veep Harris is a smart and engaging woman who is also willing to extend America out into new friendships and partnerships. Her visit went extremely well and we Americans may come away with the knowledge that Kamala Harris is a mature and serious leader who showed she can command the office of president if needed. I am well pleased with her efforts to stabilize existing problems with foresight to the long lingering systemic reasons for those very problems.
     President Joe Biden has showed his administration is willing to solve problems that have long been ignored while defining the overall narrative to them for we the American electorate to better understand. Joe Biden has also shown that he is willing to put the money to problems that needed just such a solution. He is FDR like FDR was when he got us out of the Great Depression and guided us to victory in World War 2. Joe Biden and Kamala Harris are a refreshing antidote to the long suffering problems we as a nation had not yet addressed. With Joe leading the way and Kamala shoring up his flanks we Americans are now prepared to look more like a matriarchal society that treats all of its citizens as loving children and that is centuries overdue!

(#4518) The pressure is ramping up on Manchin

     Yesterday there was a march in Charleston, West Virginia to highlight the fact that West Virginians want bills passed into law regardless of the rules of the Senate. Joe Manchin keeps saying that he wants to honor the filibuster rule even though the filibuster rule came from a dishonorable birth. Not only that but the filibuster rule has morphed into a tool for those who would deny democracy in America. So protecting it now in the face of allowing republicans to call the shots from the minority is ludicrous and idiotic to say the least of what I could have said.
     Not only are democratic lawmakers from all over our democratic party being forward in their attempt to bring Manchin into the party line but now the people of our nation are speaking up with one voice, change the filibuster and pass vitally needed legislation into law. There will be a march in Washington D.C, this coming week also focused on putting pressure on Manchin and in my opinion the pressure should never be lessened. It should only be increased until we get our votes on saving our society and saving our democracy. The question of D.C, statehood should not leave the conversation neither as that is an example of the grave injustice of taxation without representation.
     Two states, Wyoming and Vermont actually have lower populations than D.C. while Alaska and North Dakota only having marginally more. So the concept that D.C. is not worthy of representation is ridiculous and anti democratic. Also, arguing that the size of the land mass of D.C. is too small is basing the area of land over the rights of people. A failed argument as to placing dirt over the rights of American citizens. But that isn't the priority at the moment. The priority is to get Manchin off his position so that all these other issues of voting rights and societal repair can become possible as well as proper representation for over 700,000 American citizens.

(#4517) The era of trump made us all a bit stupider

     I see otherwise intelligent folks who are now talking in gibberish as far as I am concerned. Anyone who would believe a republican would tell the truth after being exposed for some criminality is delusional. Which is why too many are having a hard time coming to grips with the reality of it. Here, let me explain it so that you can move on from it. The republican party is doing horrible things all the time and they never apologize for it. Never. It is a rule in their party that if you get caught doing underhanded things either deny it or blame a democrat for it. So thinking that a republican would tell the truth is like believing in Unicorns.
     Stop it! There are no Unicorns just like there are no honest republicans. Now for sure some republicans are struggling with their identity and occasionally tell the truth about something not criminal behavior but when it comes to being caught in a lie they never admit the truth nor apologize. The better course of action is to blame them for their failures and then let them lie with their answers so we can all see how low they have become. Which is difficult because they were already very low. The better course of things if you have to talk about something is to take a democratic policy and highlight it with all it's positives.
     We democrats can be pretty smart when we choose to ignore the republican trap of letting them define our world. They only see one thing, gaining power and whatever nuance they can use to detract from reality they will bring about at the ready. So stop listening or even acknowledging their existence and instead keep a focus on what helps our society and not on what confuses it. Let us remember that the current republican party is blocking and mocking everything that we democrats are trying to accomplish so treat the republican party as a pariah that only can harm without any good benefit. Leave it to it's floundering and move on with the most of us to making our world better for now and the future.

(#4516) To forge the future we must adjudicate the past

      Never again do I want to hear about moving forward without dealing with the past. Too many said back when President Obama came in as President that the crimes of shrub should be let go and focus on the future instead. Well that is not how it should have been done. All crimes by those in trust positions need to be adjudicated without prejudice. I believe we got the antics and crimes of trump because we didn't hold shrub accountable for his crimes. Once a nefarious precedent is set it makes future actions by the unscrupulous more likely. There can be no leniency to the trump cabal because of what they did to us was real and harmful to us and democracy.
     So despite the fact that a lot of trump supporters will be butt hurt if trump is held to account for his criminality their butt hurt is just too bad! There is no restoration of faith and justice to democracy if those who had the greatest trust are not punished for violating that trust. As those of us in the working middle poor class know oh so well it is that when we violate a law or even a social more we are almost always punished with the concept of "do the crime do the time". We don't get some magical dispensation because we are special or advantaged. If justice is to prevail in our democracy then even those who are famous and/or wealthy need the same principles of criminality applied to them.
     We do justice in our society as a punishment for the offenders and also as a reminder to any who would commit the same type of crimes that there is no leniency. A sufficient barrier to repeat crimes that are punishable through the harsh but fair lens of justice. We don't want another trump type to step into the White House knowing that he/she will get away with what amounts to murder and be absolved of such action. The duty of public office is to maintain societal trust and advance the modern concepts of democracy. There is no room for those who are only in public office to enrich or otherwise empower themselves. Those that do, need to know that the full weight of justice is hanging over the top of their heads waiting to come down swiftly.

(#4515) The republican party is trying to run out the clock on democrats

      Well over a year now since the death of George Floyd and still no federal police reform bill. It would seem to me that the issues surrounding police reform are not that complicated as opposed to other issues. But it seems it is to republicans because they cannot seem to grasp the concept of solving problems instead of creating them. We democrats under President Joe Biden have been honest about bipartisanship since the beginning and the only thing republicans have been honest about is that they don't want bipartisanship to work. They put on a show that they do but their actions speak louder than their dishonest words.
     As the republican playbook of obstruction from 2009 is being redone by republicans they also seem to think that we are not smart enough to see them doing it. Well Joe Biden is patient to a point and his strategy to win over reluctant democratic senators is in full swing. Now as the republican party continues to overplay their hand Joe will call their bluff shortly. We all know it is coming and none of us who have been through this before with republicans is the least bit surprised. The republican party wants power and they know they cannot get power if they allow we democrats to give the American people what they want and need. So the little dance of bipartisanship is beginning to conclude and then we can get after making laws that work for all of us.
     It is well into June now so it has only been under 5 months since Joe took the presidents office so we are not behind any curve yet. But that will shortly become our reality if we don't very soon force the republican party to put up or shut up as it were. The Joe Manchin's of the world cannot argue that bipartisanship was not given it's chance to come to fruition. So when it is time, they must find a new argument for not supporting filibuster reform or reconciliation. I have thought long and hard about this and I cannot perceive of any logical excuse for keeping their opposition in place. When Joe Biden does force a vote of high priority legislation then those who initially opposed will likely be forced off of their previous positions.

(#4514) Fact checking the lies and the bullshit

      Over the last four previous years we got a heavy dose of lies and bullshit from the trump cabal so we the United States of America citizenry have learned to filter out the crap and call it out as well. So now that the trump cabal has been neutered mostly we are not getting as much of the lies and bullshit from before. But when we do get it we are ready since we had years to hone our detecting and calling it out skills. What the republican party doesn't seem to get is that we are now experts at recognizing their crap. Because they keep trying to feed it to us in full shovel amounts.
     What the republican party also doesn't get is that their usual pile of crap they try to pass off as fact or truth is not working. Because most of us are aware of it now as a rule, not an exception. That old saw of If a republican is talking he is lying is a given not just an embellishment. I had been concerned earlier this year that given the historical off year election swing to the party out of power that we might have trouble keeping our majorities in the House and Senate. But as time keeps moving forward I am less worried about that now because of the never ending lies from republicans and the keen awareness we the majority seem to have about them.
     I do believe that when the numbers that are counted from votes at the end of the 2022 election will be closer than the 2020 election I now think that we democrats will hold our majorities and actually increase them albeit by little more so than greatly. The reason is that despite trump not being on the ballot his influence is largely there and with that come the lies and bullshit. Of which the majority of Americans here in the US are keenly aware. The fact that the Biden administration is strong and moving forward rapidly is also helpful. As Joe Biden keeps advocating for US citizens, people are attracted to his message. Leaving republicans fighting over the divisions in their ranks and not adding new potential voters.

(#4513) Because of republican voter restrictions in Georgia democrats may well lose a senate seat in 2022

      The Georgia republican party that is currently in power attached itself to the big lie of trump that said there was massive voter fraud. Without showing any examples of that claim the republican controlled state legislature passed a law that essentially makes it harder for people of color to vote. From changing rules governing mail in ballots to eliminating outside drop boxes to denying non election officials from giving water or food to people waiting in long lines. Long lines will be the new normal again as the republicans are cutting back on voting hours. These are but a few of the obstacles that many people of color will have to contend with on top of the already difficult obstacles that were in place before this law.
     Which is why other states in America are following this republican think tank strategy. Make voting harder for people, especially democratic voters, and that gives republicans a better chance at winning. Now in normal societies such outrageous behavior would never be tolerated and these types of republican politicians would be voted out of office and shamed for their attempt to undercut democracy. But not in this current era in America where at least a third of republicans still believe trump is the real president. So what is to be done to stop the voter suppression tactic by republicans in states they control? Well the best defense of democracy would happen through federal legislation.
     But federal legislation would be a mighty lift since the Senate at the moment require a 60 vote threshold, less filibuster reform, to pass voter protection laws. There are not 10 republican senators who would vote to preserve the right to vote for all Americans. Let me say that again. There are not 10 republican senators in their current 50 Senate caucus that would vote to preserve voting rights for all. Again, because republicans know that if all vote the republican party cannot win. So the fact that republicans have as their strategy an agenda to deny votes to win should and must be the last nail in their coffin, as the republican party is not worthy of being alive in our United States American political society.

(#4512) The heat is building on Manchin now!

     A lot is going on at the moment around "taking rights away" voting laws that are being passed in republican dominated legislatures. The outrage that is being expressed from democratic and independent voters is growing louder and louder. There have been some federal politicians who could help solve these oppressive voter denying and restrictive state laws but they are not acting in good faith on behalf of the US American electorate. So what is happening is that the few who are democrats are starting to get the focus of some very angry voting rights advocates. In Manchin's case a rally is forming to go to West Virginia and march against Manchin in order to show him just how unpopular his stance is on denying federal voting rights legislation.
     I find this to be just what is needed. We the people taking to the streets in order to show Manchin that we are not about to accept his faulty logic on the filibuster as an excuse for making voting in our nation more difficult and impossible for many. Manchin works for the people of our country and especially West Virginians. So getting some protesting going in West Virginia is what is needed so that Manchin can see that his constituents are not happy and are spitting mad that he is ignoring the will of the people in order to help the infamous mitch mcconnell and republicans attempt to steal another election in 2022. Because if federal laws are not passed to thwart odious state voting restrictive laws then a steal of 2022 will be exactly what happens.
     There is not time to waste as to getting Manchin to reverse his stance on filibuster reform. We must protect our voting rights and the only way to effectively and positively do that is to pass federal legislation into law that spells out a national standard that has at its core the right to vote for all American citizens. The republican party cannot win on its ideas so their strategy here is to deny democratic and independent voters from voting. They are cheating and it is their only chance to keep or regain power. If we allow the cheaters to claim victory over us because we cannot nor will not defend ourselves then we do not deserve this democracy. So whoever can go to West Virginia and help with protesting against Manchin and his undemocratic filibuster stance then gear up and have a great time defending democracy.

(#4511) Prepare for the worst case scenario

      We cannot say at this moment whether the new voting restricting laws passed by republican in several states will be countered effectively through federal legislation. Plus we see the obstructive forces within the democratic party of the Joe Manchin's and with a razor thin majority in the senate the likelihood of a bill passing the senate to nullify those voting restrictive measures is remote. There is only one real responsible course of action to follow. We democrats and independents must make sure that we are registered to vote and that we have a plan for voting in the 2022 midterm general election. Those republicans who are making our franchise to vote become a real chore must not win in denying us our voice in being governed.
     The coming election must not come down to us being inconvenienced so we just don't vote. That is the republican hope and we as those who are affected by voter restrictions must rise above their anti-democratic actions. They, republicans, must be held to account for trying to diminish our role in our own government. The republican party would be delighted to deny all of us our votes as long as they can come out on top in the election. That is not leadership it is more like theft and condescension. I have been saying this for far too long, republicans are more likely to support right wing authoritarianism than they are to support actual democracy. So giving in to their power play to keep us from voting is to cry defeat before the battle has even begun.
     Which is why each and every one of us must make sure we are registered to vote and then once that is accomplished, make a plan to vote at the earliest possible opportunity. That way if something comes to up hinder our earliest possible opportunity we have more opportunities before the voting deadline arrives. There is nothing at this moment in time more important than the right to vote for each of us so no matter what, voting has to be our greatest priority. The republican party can try to finagle voting laws to their favor but that can only be successful if we who are affected by their dirty dealing don't do all we can to overcome their anti-democratic efforts.

(#4510) Joe Manchin is actually killing bipartisanship

      Why ever would republicans need to compromise with democrats if all they have to do is vote no on the Biden agenda? Manchin by his refusal to adjust the filibuster rules has taken any incentive republicans would have been forced to accept off the table, thus making the need to compromise with President Biden moot. Now if Manchin had come out and said the he would go to adjusting the filibuster route if a compromise between republicans and President Biden proved impossible then that would have put pressure on republicans to act in good faith as the threat of an all democratic passed bill would be over their heads. But no, Joe Manchin did the opposite and actually has now harmed the bipartisan effort he has used as an excuse not to change the filibuster rules.
     What is going on with Manchin and Sinema will be an investigation in the future to dig out the real cause for their obstinate stance that defies reality. In any reasonable book, when something defies reality there is a nefarious action that is beneath it. The struggle is not over yet though as to getting the filibuster out of the way and all eyes are on that struggle so there will be little to no wiggle room for obfuscation of the reasoning of Manchin and Sinema. Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer will start to force votes and put those two democratic senators on the record to make fact out of their threats to vote against needed legislation. Meanwhile President Biden will continue to work with a few republicans to try to hammer out a compromise bill that meets his expectations.
     Whatever happens going forward with Manchin and Sinema, they are casting their lot with an argument that has no valid logic. For that they will pay a heavy price both politically and personally as their legacies will be shameful and held to a derogatory light. The anger that is building out in our society with all the hard fought work put in by our democratic party to only have it sabotaged by two democratic senators is on the same level with the treasonous acts committed by the trump administration. The two democratic senators who are adamantly opposed to changing the filibuster will be treated as pariahs in their own party and their futures are going to be ones of no easy living!

(#4509) Another drought year here out west!

      Water that is clean and usable is now more a scarcity than ever. Out west here it is anyway. We here in Sacramento are gearing up for another year of water restrictions and a lot of brown dried ground. Not so much the wealthy, corporations, and the golf courses of course. Their properties will get all the water they want because water here is apportioned as a cost, not so much a need. Hopefully that calculation will come to an end so that money doesn't decide who gets the Lion's share of our public natural resource. We all need water to survive and those that play games for no other activity other than to entertain themselves need to be halted until we can get a water sharing plan that helps to preserve the water resource while giving farmers, fishers, and ranchers a chance to save their livelihoods.
     One way to do this is to have a federal program that paid certain water dependent industries in tough drought years to abandon attempts at their normal production and then taper that production to meet lower water resource allocation. So less water used in some industries makes more water available for some others on a priority scale that doesn't have privilege and advantage built into it. It can be done as this idea of paying industries not to produce as much during drought years has been around for decades. There are other options with water than can increase wildlife which increases life cycles for many species. Intelligent legislating in the arena of water allocation is needed and should be a priority as the drought years are not going away any time soon.
     We, each individual here in the west, needs to be responsible about our water usage as well. I gave up watering the "lawn" nearly a decade ago. I don't care if the ground is brown 7-8 months a year. I water my necessary bushes, trees and plants sparingly so as to keep them hearty but yearning as that is how we all should be during this water crisis. Global warming has much to do with this and on that front much needs to happen before we see relief from low yearly rainfall water levels. The drought is just another example of what will happen if we don't become better stewards of our planet. Our right to manage this planet is our destiny and if we don't do it effectively that right will be taken from us by the forces of nature we are ignoring.
     

(#4508) Biden's dual approach on legislating

      What Joe Biden is doing is very intelligent given the obstructive nature of his own democratic members. With Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema holding onto the idea that bipartisanship is still alive, Joe Biden is making sure that he has another option besides bipartisanship moving forward. I know that Biden wants bipartisanship also but the difference between him and the likes of Manchin and Sinema is that Biden will not take inaction as an outcome. He is purposefully moving forward with plans to go it alone with only democratic votes if needed, whereas neither Manchin nor Sinema have made the same commitment. So when the most likely outcome is the republican party once again playing Lucy while we democrats are Charlie Brown, the football will be moved before Charlie can kick it.
     Joe Biden knows this so that is why the dual track. Either republicans negotiate in good faith, highly unlikely, or he is teed up for the reconciliation route. At that time Manchin and Sinema will face their worst fears, either deny the Biden agenda or help fulfill it. If they don't help the democratic agenda then their legacies within the democratic party will become smoldering ash. As will the hopes and dreams of the majority of us citizens. If they do acquiesce to voting for the reconciliation route then they will have reclaimed most of their dignity and futures within the democratic party and with the majority of Americans.
     It would be my guess that the filibuster will remain as it is and the reconciliation route will pass with a lot of the Biden administration policies passing. However the bigger problem is the voting rights bill which at this point looks to be blocked from passing in time for the 2022 election. The hardcore stance of Manchin and Sinema on keeping the legislative filibuster from further erosion is the likely outcome but the expense may well be the larger picture of democracy which the filibuster works within. Losing our democracy will kill the filibuster as well so the calculation by the two senators should be this; either kill the filibuster in some way to pass voter protection laws or don't do that and then watch the whole of the filibuster and our democracy die at the hands of the republicans. Their choice!

(#4507) End the filibuster!

      I know all the arguments for keeping the filibuster. Yet those arguments only hold sway if you have two parties that are fighting to legislate for the American people. Well we don't have that and instead we have one party, democrats, who are fighting for all the American people and the other party, republicans, who are only fighting for the wealthy and themselves. So what the existence of the filibuster accomplishes is to let the minority party, republicans, block any and all legislation that is aimed at helping the US American populace. With gerrymandering in place, the republican party is mostly assured of never being punished at the ballot box for denying the American electorate fairness and equality.
     Such is the nature of our politics where the other major party, republicans, are not in sync with working middle poor class values at all. Instead their agenda is to stop any good legislation and then blame democrats for getting nothing done. That will be the republican battle cry come the midterms in November of next year. The republican playbook for decades has been to cause the damage and then do every thing possible to not get it fixed. That way they can always blame democrats for failing to fix the mess republicans made. However republicans don't frame it that way, they say that the mess was a by product of liberal and progressive handout policies.
     How republicans do this is to lie about what is the truth. They have already created a false narrative in many ways within our society about not trusting the media or democrats. They have about a third of the nation who stand by their false claims. Just enough people to put pressure on more moderate republican politicians so that they toe the trump line that is now being forwarded. Regardless of how insane the trumpian line is. The republican minority leader in the Senate is all about stalling and obstructing in any way possible the Biden plans for our shared future. So thinking that the republicans in the House and Senate are going to negotiate in good faith is a failure of some crucial members of our own political party to recognize the obvious.

(#4506) What is still on my mind? Ending the filibuster in the senate

      I do believe soon we will get some movement on the filibuster as it is now, but when will that be? Not sure but within the next 2 months I am certain we will know. Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema have got to find their courage and intelligence to do the correct thing and vote to pass certain legislation without any republican votes. Because the republican party is not going to vote for anything that Joe Biden is proposing. I know Joe Biden expected that republicans would debate proposals in good faith but that is not how this republican party works. This republican party only wants to stop every thing democrats propose so that the republican party can try to take back power. Power is their goal not the needs of the American people.
     So Manchin and Sinema will have to come around after being subjected to such pressure that they either give in and join in the democratic effort to correct societal disfunctions or they decide to not support societal solutions that effect the vast majority of us. If not then the end of the democratic rule will be imminent. Both Manchin and Sinema will lose their next Senate races and both will be blackballed from further democratic party influence. Plus, when the 2022 elections are done Manchin will find himself in a Senate minority and not a chairman of any subcommittee. As well the vast majority of the public will see both as traitors to the democratic ideal of equality and fairness.
     The lack of a federal voting rights law will only benefit republicans and make for certain that the republicans regain the majorities in both the Senate and the House. Joe Biden will be able to get very little done if anything and we will once again be a society that has major problems and no one in rule who is willing to help. Unlike right now where if Manchin and Sinema were for the end of the filibuster we would be legislating solutions unlike at any time in our American history except for the FDR years. I hope Manchin and Sinema realize the historical nature of their current opposition and just what kind of stain on their legacies opposing filibuster reform will have on them and theirs.

(#4505) Joe Biden is expressing all of our frustration with Manchin

      I don't include Sinema in this because she is more a follower and not as adamant publicly as Manchin. I have no doubt that when Manchin does vote for either reconciliation or a filibuster cut out for voting rights that Sinema will do the same. But in the meantime we are now into June and working with republicans to try to find bipartisanship is fruitless. No serious consideration by republicans are coming so the time to end the attempt to include them in legislation is over. It is now time to put the most pressure possible on Manchin and force a vote on several fronts. There has been enough frustration now built up that even Manchin is at a point where if forced to he may well vote with the rest of us democrats.
      My point about all of this is that the republican party is counting on Manchin to stop the Biden agenda. They know how much Manchin wants to keep the integrity of the filibuster in tact even though I am sure that he fails to comprehend the historical nature of the filibuster and why it was implemented. Manchin's take on the filibuster has its roots in the idea that it gives the senate an appearance of gravitas, where the more intellectual of the legislative branches, the Senate, filters the legislation proposed by the less intelligent House of Representatives. That is my opinion on the Manchin concept and for me it makes sense. Yet, just look at some of the characters in the Senate on the republican side as a rebuttal to the more intelligent premise.
     Guys like paul and cruz automatically come to mind but then there is tuberville and blackburn to book end the first two fools. None of the republican Senators can claim to be intellectually superior to much of anything let alone other people. So keeping the filibuster in the Senate as an offset for what the snobbish would call foolery of the House bills is illogical and actually harmful. The Biden agenda is an honest attempt to adjust the imbalance in our society and no one with a lick of sense is unaware of that. Ending the filibuster or at minimum adjusting it so that the threshold isn't insurmountable is required and Manchin and Sinema had better get with the program now so that little to no more time is wasted getting needed and proper relief to our society.

A new affirmation vote to our constitution in both chambers of Congress is needed (#4504)

      As a show of respect to our democracy a new affirmation of their oaths should be required by Schemer and Pelosi to see who is on the side of our democracy! Making all sitting Congress people vote to affirm their oaths would go a long way toward holding them to it and weeding out those who cannot go that far anymore. I doubt that they would go against a new oath being made since all will be watching to see who are the bad apples in our Congress. Most if not all will vote to reaffirm their oaths and that goes a long way toward showing unity for our government even if it is not exactly true.
     Being on the record for democracy is a valuable tool to show our electorate that fealty to those who would and are still trying an insurrection in our country is not to be allowed. The breaking of the oath for purposes that align with treason should have punishments that reflect the seriousness of their acts. Each Congressperson must choose between the treasonous rhetoric of the trump clan or the democratic ideals instilled in our national constitution. Because we cannot have both and if there are insurrectionists embedded in our Congress we need to flush them out and then appropriately deal with them.
     Make no mistake here either. Our constitution is under assault by those who vote with the republican party so watching how each republican deals with having to give a vote on the record that they hold their oaths of office in higher regard than the fealty to trump is worth having the vote. Democracy must never be weakened it must always be strengthened. So any legislative bill that at its core does not improve democracy then it is to be called out as such and hung around the neck of those who proposed it. Keeping the manifest destiny of the principle of democracy alive and well moving forward is all our charge and any and all who get in the way of that charge will be in the least, exposed and expelled from ever administering our democracy in the future.