(#4685) Reaching across the ether

      I caught myself smiling from a post I made earlier on Facebook. It was just a simple thank you for a birthday wish I gave to someone. It hit me that someone from not anywhere near me responded in a kind and upbeat way. What this format of connecting to others from around the world is, is amazing and should be something everyone of us has as a utility. Not an expensive utility but an inexpensive one. The reason is that learning from each other is more a requirement than it is a luxury. Like all utilities that have become essential in our lives being at the ready to know and understand others from all parts of our globe is necessary.
     I know that costs to supply the infrastructure for an internet that connects us to each other across borders, languages, and cultures is real and substantial but not to do so would set us back into a place where we are not evolving nor moving toward our manifest destiny. Fortunately the just passed infrastructure law will begin to alleviate our incomplete internet connections. We must also have the equipment to utilize the broadband that is coming. These are all tools like a pencil was necessary when I was at school and a calculator was needed for advanced math/algebra/geometry/trigonometry/calculus learning. Laptop computers and smart phones are not a luxury for the wealthy, they are a necessity for even the poor.
     The more of us who can participate in the genius of learning to create and innovate the better it is for our societies and governments. Our human species needs all of us to get to where we need to be but we have to begin with having what is necessary to start the learning process. This is where the intelligent design of tools for that purpose need to be readily devised and available. Laptop computers, tablets, smart phones should not be only capitalized for profit, they need to be easily available for schools and home studies. Nurturing our minds will help all of us not just some of us. When we all participate in the amazing process of life then who knows who will be the next critical person(s) who will keep the enlightened system of society on a positive upward and outward trajectory.

(#4684) The 2 senators that are destroying our democratic party

      It is beyond me how irrational and ignorant manchin and sinema are. These two idiots are claiming to have staked out some illusionary non constitutional high ground and will hear nothing to change their minds about the danger to our constitution itself. All they are doing is being puppets for moscow mitch and they cannot even recognize that! I am beside myself over this display of utter contempt for their own party while hugging closely the republican destruction of our democracy. It is beyond belief how they both lie to us about their reasons for maintaining the onslaught of our voting rights and the inequality in our society on whole. They are demented to the point of insanity and that is the nicest thing I can say about them.
     I would get them both in a rhetorical headlock and not let go until they spoke the truth about why they want to kill our democracy and make American citizens suffer. I have no kind words for them at all because both of them are beyond redeeming. They will do nothing on voting rights protections nor are they going to embrace the human infrastructure bill. They got what they wanted, a watered down bipartisan hard infrastructure law that has many benefits for corporations and large businesses. What they don't want is for the everyday average American citizen to have the freedom to vote nor compete in a fair economic system.
     I am tired of both of them and the sooner we turn our backs on them after we somehow gain more seats in the senate in 2022, the better. Both are a scourge to our democratic party. If you watch C-span2 at all when the senate is in session you will see both manchin and sinema spend more time cajoling and enjoying time with republicans than they do with democrats there on the senate floor. It is as if they are allied with the republicans while being in the democratic camp. In a just world these two would get their deserves in an exponential way so as to remind all who would hold public office that there is a duty to the party you are affiliated, not with the one that is trying to destroy our democracy.

(#4683) Doing yardwork today

     I need a slight break from bashing manchinema so I am going out to the backyard and weed eat, push mow, ride mow, and then sweep the yard of clippings and leaves. Not sweep with a conventional broom per se... but with a rotating brush that hooks up to my riding lawnmower with a big catch bag on the back. The yard sweep gets about 85% of the leaves up and for that I am very grateful, https://brinly.com/brinlyu/what-is-a-lawn-sweeper/. This is not my brand but the idea is the same. First thing though I need to get out and do the weed eating around the edges that cannot be gotten by the motor powered push mower or the riding mower.
     Then I need to get the push mower out with the catch bag on it so I can get the spots where the riding lawn mower and the sweep on back have a difficult time maneuvering. Once I have the weed eating and the push mowing done then the easy last 2 parts begin. Riding on the riding lawn mower is a bit of a chore as it doesn't have power steering but for the most part, once the weed eating and push mowing has sculpted the lawn on the edges of the yard the pathway is just a long sweeping turns. Finally the sweep of the clippings and leaves from the area that was not already gleaned by the push mower with bag on. this part is a bit more trying as I need to empty the big bag several times by pulling a rope that is attached to the bag. It is a strain to pull but I can do it without help.
     Finally it is filling up the green waste bin of the piles of clippings and leaves and if there is some left I keep a pile out in the very back of the yard for next week. All in all it will be done today and I will be tired as hell like usual. But what I have learned is that taking my time and sitting down several times during the process I am quite able to finish the job and get some good exercise in. Like all of us who are older our backs can only take so much work and that is where I have to be careful. I still work like I am 20 so slowing down helps keep me from overdoing it. I will check later when I am done but for now it is out into the yard and get things going.

(#4682) I wish I could take a day of from demanding voting rights protections, but I can't!

      One of these days I will have a post about the simple life I live. But that day has not arrived yet. But I can tell what would instigate that day's arrival. The day after Joe Biden signs into law voting rights protections. Until that day I have to be in a mode of screaming from the top of my lungs that our democracy is being undermined and destroyed by republicans who would have none of we the American working middle poor class vote at all! So the manchins and sinemas of the world are going to never get any rest from me until they decide that democracy is a greater value than an arcane and diabolical senate rule.
     It is down to manchin and sinema to make a move away from protecting the senate rule more than they protect democracy itself. Because not one of the 50 republican senators will change their minds and protect democracy. So because republicans are all about denying the legal vote of eligible citizens they won't be punished like they should be instead they will be rewarded with the complete takeover of our government. I never thought I would see the day when the obvious denial of democratic norms would be rewarded here in America. Yes, third world countries maybe, but not in the enlightened states of America.
     It is dawning on me that no matter how much pride I have in our amazing constitution, there are too many out there who long for the days of dictatorships or monarchies. Our populace has not been getting smarter over the decades I have been alive, on the contrary it has been getting dumber. Now myself, an avid learner, who enjoys being advanced in my thinking is now the underdog in the battle for an enlightened society. It seems that there are less of my type of individuals and more of the type that don't care as much for thinking for themselves when they can have someone else do it for them. How else can fake, hoax news be taken as fact? How else can science and logic become a scourge while bold ignorance is heralded as rightful power?

(#4681) Voting rights protections!

      The single most important piece of legislation that is needed for our future is the salvation of our voting rights. That anyone, including every republican, would oppose the protections to our democracy is unthinkable as a form of logic. When everyone has the direct access to vote then everyone is included as a democracy demands. When one party, the republican party, is all about restricting and denying voting rights then we are in real danger of losing our democracy. Our shared future is defined by how we view the success of our society. That shared view cannot be conveyed if many of us are not allowed to speak through our vote.
     Yes, our vote is our speech, not money, not power, but our vote. It is how we tell our representatives what our will is to be. Those representatives are our voice as well and if we cannot elect our representatives due to gerrymandering, dark money, and every other form of obstruction republicans have devised as a weapon to those who are underserved by them then we are in real danger of losing our democracy. When you hear republicans talk about money being speech and corporations being people then you know that real speech is not their concern nor are real people being people. The republican party has sold its soul to the wealthy and there is no getting it back from the wealthy.
     So the only real option we have is to protect our voting rights through legislation and the ballot box. If the idea that protecting our voting rights does not rise to the level of an archaic senate rule, then we have already lost our democracy. No amount of explaining by those who would deny voting rights protections will ever suffice to explain their treachery and collusion to undermine and destroy our democracy. The choice is clear here and if any free thinking individual who loves democracy cannot see through the republican veil of double crossing and back stabbing then the only thing missing from the republican strategy of power at all costs is the death of those of us who won't allow it!

(#4680) The manchinema must carve out for the filibuster now!

      Enough! these two democrats in the senate had better stop defending a rule that is keeping our democracy from being fixed! Enough! It is bad enough that the republican party is against fixing our democracy it is even worse that they are the ones who are trying to destroy it! Enough! The manchinema ignorance is just too much to bear and although we cannot do anything to force them to vote for a voting rights protection bill, we can make the rest of their lives miserable. Enough of them trying to dictate the policies that President Biden was elected to solve. These are national issues that should not be decided by those who are not the president.
     A full onslaught against the manchinema must begin in earnest in every corner of their lives. Nonstop until they come to realize that we the people are demanding voting rights protections above every thing else. Nothing in existence is more important at this moment. The reason I have to offer is that the republican party is poising itself to regain control of our democracy so that they can continue to dismantle it. If our democracy goes then all of civil society will begin to turn into chaos. If you think that democrats, liberals and progressives, will allow the republican party to steal our elections and then dismantle our democracy then you are dim as the republican party!
     As patriots fought against the British rule over 200 years ago expect the same from we democrats who are not going to give into the lying, cheating, thieves who now occupy the republican party. Democracy is under assault and if the manchinema doesn't help our democratic party, of which they are members, then they will have shown which side they stand on when the chaos of stolen elections come. It is on them to stop the looming chaos and if they choose to do so they will be heralded as part of the great democratic party that thwarted the traitorous intent of the republican party. If not then the shame of manchinema will be just the beginning of their self created worries.

(#4679) When torture should be legal

      I have tried to be civil about torture and in most instances, not all, torture should not be allowed. However there are circumstances that to me are the exception. Mainly with the placing of stocks in public squares to punish those who have committed treason should be allowed. I know it is inhumane to put someone in stocks and have them stay there for ridicule from the citizenry but we must as a society place our allegiance to our democracy above all things. There is only one form of government that is worthy of being hailed as the most precious and fair, that would be a true democracy. So in order to protect that democracy we must have laws that humiliate offenses to it and then reinforces that humiliation as an example.
     Now having to stand with one's head collared in some wood for all to see is not necessarily the most heinous form of torture but it does qualify as a torture so that is why I am trying to describe it's necessity. Embarrassment used to be a form of deterrence and could be again with the proper humiliation added. Being singled out in the public square as a traitor before going to prison to serve a life long sentence may seem a bit too much but I see it differently. When all can see through the media a person being displayed in stocks out in the open for all who could be there to ridicule them serves our society not so much as a tool for enlightenment but a tool for discouragement.
     I am sure many will disagree with me and that is not unintelligent. But I would argue that too many now can get away with murder and still be hailed as a hero. Well let us take those who don't get away with it and hail them as villains who will be punished harshly. Deterrence is the key here so as to thwart the easily available path toward doing bad with no real humiliation involved. If anything, if we would just think what we are becoming because we refuse to punish those who do our society harm. Protocols could be devised to keep from disabusing public stock usage. We need to stop the ignorance and ease at which too many would turn our democracy into dust and we can never allow that to happen!

(#4678) The republican party doesn't want to solve problems

      The shiftless republican party is all about ignoring problems, certainly not about solving them. So their supporters are the same, lazy minded and insufficient as human beings. What doesn't affect them personally is of no concern to them. Even when it does concern them they would still rather deny the concern than address it. Most likely because they are more sheep than human beings and are easily led to deny their own betterment in order to placate their mind controllers. I suppose the adage about ignorance being bliss is really a thing with them because that is how cowards respond.
     I share the same species with many of them yet I am not one of them. I would never allow myself to be a tool of a group of reprobates like republican leaders. I find that my principles for living are far above their understanding and because of that support the only other major political party that reflects my interests. The Democratic party is not by any means perfect but it is far and away closer to my curiosity and compassion than republicans could ever hope for. The Democratic party actually debates within it's own ranks the degree by which government should help all people instead of like what republicans do to kneejerk deny help to the most vulnerable within our society.
     If a problem exists that is not directly related to the wealthy and powerful then it gets nothing except ignoring. Because with republicans, they strategize that ignoring problems is easier than solving them. So it begs the question, how can republicans keep power when they are not serving the American electorate on whole? Well they lie, cheat, and steal within our politics and media to make themselves appear to be somewhat normal. When the truth of it is that they are the most abnormally diseased political party of our age. Nothing they do is logical nor worthy of human design. They are the scourge to all societies who would ever want to see the best of what humanity has to offer.

(#4677) We need that voting rights protection bill to combat republican gerrymandering!

      It would seem like a no brainer to most all sensible people that we should have congressional districts that are drawn fairly. Giving our electorate a true representation of how we think and act. But no, the republican party is hell bent on distorting the congressional districts so that they can elect more republicans. The fact that this is their objective should be enough for fair minded souls to make them pay for being manipulative and dishonest. But when it comes to republicans, especially their base, they have no shame in doing whatever they need to do to capture and maintain power.
     Being in power for them is not about helping their constituents, it is about having the power to stop any help that democrats would like to give to the working middle poor class. Plus they get the added bonus of helping the wealthy who fund their power grabbing ways. When you ask republicans what they will do for the working middle poor class they end up condescending about how they know what is best and trying to explain it to us is a bridge too far for our ability to understand. They are a paternal party that thinks they are our daddy and we should just shut up and do what they say, not as they do!
     Many are glad for the fathering because they are so busy in their lives that they just don't care about their democracy or their freedom and liberty within it. Instead they want a safe harbor from that difficult process of having to think for themselves. So all that to get to calling them sheep, herded by the republican dog to a place they don't mind going. But like all things herded, the herder is the only one who is living a life of freedom and liberty, the rest are living a life of illusion. Well we democrats are not sheep to be herded. We are a force unto our own who despite having occasional disagreements with ourselves, have a view toward the future which actually expands freedom and liberty for all.

(#4676) Make Manchin and Sinema actually vote no on voting rights protections

      I keep hearing that Manchin and Sinema will not do away with the filibuster to pass voting rights protections. Well I am sick and tired of hearing them say they won't do something without making them prove that they won't do it. We have nothing to lose because if they don't do it then they have only kept their word. But if they do vote for a carve out for voting rights protections then we have moved them from their no. We have nothing to lose by forcing them to vote when they have been lucky so far just to get away with saying so. It needs to be on record as an albatross around their necks. Once they actually have to cast a vote that will effectively allow or not allow republicans to deny voting rights to millions of citizens then we will know.
     Words are just words but deeds are actions that are definable as factual reality. I suspect that being a person who would vote to keep millions from voting is not going to sit well with most all Americans. I know this much, if they do vote no on a voting rights protection bill then neither of them will ever see public office again and will be like little killer boy in Wisconsin, a plague on society for the rest of their lives. Who would want to vote in a way that would tarnish and destroy their own reputation and future? This would also affect those who are related to them and those who have been their close friends. I cannot see how Manchin and Sinema would vote no when they are up against a monumental choice.
     That is just me but if I was a betting man I would think that voting to preserve voting rights protections would be a higher calling than voting to deny voting rights protections. If it does come to this then at least make the Manchin and Sinema prove their disloyalty to democracy. Because they cannot have it both ways just by saying what they would do without making them prove it. There is no sense in not forcing them to record their vote for all time when they are already trying to tank the most basic foundational aspect of democracy. This is not hyperbole or an embellishment. This is factual and making Manchin and Sinema prove that they are against democracy is what we must do.

(#4675) When democrats are in charge good things follow!

      You want to know how to feel better about how our American society is actually living within it? Then quit voting for republicans! The only ones who are making life miserable are the republican party. From politicians to judges, everywhere you turn a republican inspired leader is messing with justice and equality. Nowhere is there to be found a republican politician who can be reliably known as a champion of the people. Even Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger voted against the human infrastructure bill that will make the lives of the working middle poor class so much better after nearly half a century of neglect. Like I said, nowhere can be found a republican who is beloved by the working middle poor class.
     Now let me tell you that the working middle poor class is the largest group of any socioeconomic persuasion. We are by far a huge majority of the voting electorate and the greatest single driving force for change and modernization. Our ability to come together to force the agenda has yet to be realized but with Joe Biden and democrats leading the way I see a pathway for it to become reality. Both, the hard infrastructure law/human infrastructure bill, along with federal voting rights protections legislation would do what is needed for the many of us to realize that as a force we are to be reckoned with. No longer will the wealthy be using us as pawns in their global game of shrinking wages, smaller government, and less democracy.
     The time is now for the next evolutionary step in the burgeoning new America where the will of the people is only matched by our ability to reimagine the values of our precious democracy. With the democrats in control of all branches of government, the executive, the legislative, and the courts, the possibilities are expanded beyond for a true democracy where politicians answer to the will of the people and not the other way around such as with the republican party who only want what the wealthy want and not the working middle poor class. This next election in 2022 will go along way toward cementing our democratic ranks as majorities in Congress and give us more opportunities to fill the federal courts.
     
     

(#4674) The CBO score is in and the human infrastructure bill is ready to be passed in the House

      Yesterday afternoon the much anticipated CBO score on the human infrastructure bill was reported and was a well satisfying score for Democrats. It means that those hesitant moderate Democrats in the House were relieved and ready to back the Build Back Better bill. Last night the strategy was for the voting to take place but the minority republican speaker decided that he needed to vent about everything under the sun, which those who have no good and correct argument about the underlying bill are prone to do. So instead of having votes last evening we were subjected to his rambling incoherent discourse of much ado about nothing.
     So here we are this morning picking back up where we were before mccarthy decided to delay and deflect from this bill moving forward. Now, at this very moment the House is voting to deny a recommitment amendment that was offered by republicans in order to delay again and the next vote immediately following this current one will be the vote to pass the human infrastructure bill. Nothing is left in the bag of rotten tricks for the republican party to use to delay this inevitability. The House will pass this legislation within the next hour and then the bill will head to the Senate for it's consideration.
     In short order the House will have done it's job and then the Senate will have its turn to either pass the bill as is and then send it to President Biden or the Senate will make some changes to the bill and if they do the bill goes back to the House for a concurring vote. All of this should get done before December 25th and be signed into law at that time. The historic nature of this bill is astounding and all young families should be delighted. Their future will automatically improve and as well the health and viability of our planet will start to improve. I am excited for this bill and in conjunction with the hard infrastructure law will create a new imagining for our citizenry going forward. Now let's get the voting protection bills signed into law in however process is necessary!

(#4673) Waiting on the CBO score for the human infrastructure bill

      So much is riding on this score from the Congressional Budget Office for this progressive bill that will reshape our society for the next century. Yes, for the next century. It has taken all of my lifetime to get to this point and I am 2/3rds of a century old. So what is in it that has such a profound effect on how our society will become? Mainly it is the climate change policies that will turn us from the last vestiges of dirty energy that is polluting our atmosphere and creating the greenhouse effect. Simply put, the greenhouse effect is the trapping of warmth from our sun in our atmosphere causing temperatures to rise.
     This effect makes the oceans rise, gobbling up our land space, and causing unnatural extreme weather occurrences. The human infrastructure bill will start to reverse this climate phenomenon and get us back into a more livable earthly environment. However we must find a way to pass this bill and get it to Joe Biden's desk. The effect of the rest of the bill on families with children is so needed. Child care help, early schooling, a tax credit for middle class families, lower prescription medication prices, etcetera... This bill will give families the extra help they need to be more productive outside their homes. It is just as necessary that our children begin schooling at a younger age so as to keep up with the rest of the world and even lead the world in educational advancements.
     The coming CBO score will likely follow the lead of the already released report by the Committee On Taxation, a highly valued committee, that has said this bill is well more than paid for, thus lessening any anxiety about it being inflationary. On the contrary, this bill will actually lessen inflationary triggers because it will bring about more competition for goods and services, which will lower prices. So either today, or tomorrow the CBO will release their numbers on the human infrastructure bill and then the bill can get its vote in the House and move on to the Senate where it will be tweaked. Once passed in the Senate it will go back to the House for its final vote and then on to the President for it to become law.

(#4672) America, full of sheep or full of eagles?

      If you had asked me this question when I was young I would definitely have said full of eagles. But now, no, we are not full of eagles we are full of sheep. Just look at how well a treasonous traitorous republican party is doing and you can see why I see more sheep than eagles. I don't know what happened to my generation and those who came up after me but it isn't good. I suppose I can link it all the way back to the Kennedy assassination and the soon to be nixon years but that is just putting a timeline on it. The cause is more complex to describe. From a booming middle class in the 50's and 60's to the beginning of the end of our middle class with the reagan years.
     Both reagan and nixon were of course republicans which goes a long way in helping to explain the downfall of our once burgeoning middle class. The republicans have for as long as I can remember been attached at the hip of the wealthy and their demands that the middle working class be undercut. So since my early childhood through my teens and then into my mature adulthood I have seen little to nothing of value from republican policies and instead have seen their negative effect on the working middle poor class. Yet there are too many who still vote for them that will never get the benefits of being wealthy.
     So it is considerable that not only can too many of us not see the damage to our lives and the lives of our children but we have also lost the ability to be courageous. You know what I mean correct? That moment in time when you stand up and fight if necessary for values that we hold as ideal, instead of shrinking into the depths of fear and lowering your head when the cruel and hateful come to take the best years of your life away. There are still a lot of courageous people out there but they are the fewer than than the many cowards. If this is how America will respond on whole then the time for our demise won't be if, it will be how soon!

(#4671) The republican party is turning America into a weakling country

     The agenda of the republican party is to destroy democrats in every possible way. What this is causing as a side effect is a deterioration of democratic norms. No longer, excepting the recent bipartisan infrastructure bill, are the 2 parties able to meet in the middle on legislation that is critical to our democracy. Sure the infrastructure bill passed with some republican support, remember, 31 of the 50 republican senators voted against it and 199 of 212 republican house members voted against it. So only 32 total republicans actually voted for the infrastructure bill, (19 senators + 13 house representatives = 32) out of a total of 262 republican congressional representatives (50 republican senators + 212 republican house representatives = 262).
     So even though it is touted as a bipartisan bill, only 12% of republicans voted for the infrastructure bill. Which means that 88% of republicans wouldn't vote for something so necessary and non political as repairing and replacing, roads, bridges, lead pipes, etc... while adding broadband to every non internet served area of our nation. These things help all Americans in our ability to live a better and more opportunistic life. Yet the republican party by a margin of 88% of them decided that it was not to be allowed! You cannot run from the facts and truths of how republicans are systematically undermining our economy by making the pandemic stay longer, through fighting mask mandates and vaccinations, while cheering on bad economic news they are allied in creating.
     The republican megaphone being used to blame democrats for it is never ending in the hopes of making everyone gullible believe that democrats are not able to govern, while behind the scenes republicans are destroying the pillars of our democracy. The most nefarious political party in history, the republican party, is being funded by the wealthy and protected by the corporate media is on a mission to maintain and reacquire political power. If we Americans are to survive this onslaught from the conservative treasonous republican party then we have to be aware of what they are doing and vote against them at every turn, which is why I spend so much of my time railing against republicans here instead of trying highlight the nature of our human species.

(#4670) Fighting against the republican propaganda message machine

      I have a real simple solution to this complicated battle. I ignore anything to do with republicans. I just don't listen to them because they have for many decades had little to say that is positive and helpful. Most all of their messaging now is about tearing down the working middle poor class through our democratic representatives. They cannot be allowed to enter my sphere of thinking because they are never accurate in their accusations and policies. So I just don't listen, which is what the rest of us should also be doing. If they ever did have anything to say that was relevant or consequential they gave that up well before shrub, reagan and nixon.
     Now that we are all mostly aware that the corporate media is also not filtering the republican propaganda we must be vigilant to ignore the corporate media as well. It is easy to do. Once you hear attacks on democrats listen for the reasoning and if it is a result of previous republican policies then just tune it out. What republican messaging hopes to accomplish is to pin the failures of republican policies on democrats so that republicans can skate out of the blame for most all our societal ills. It is what they do, try to shirk their responsibility. Any sane citizen who sees the dishonorable trick that republicans work as a narrative against democrats should immediately stop listening and go on to highlighting democratic policies.
     The best way to handle republican lies is to rebut them with the truth, stop listening to them lie, and then vote them out of office wherever and whenever they are trying to steal elections. Remember this, republicans try to act normal when it suits them but they are not normal, They are false and only present a good face forward when it is to their advantage. Now I am not saying that we democrats are perfect because we are not but given the alternative we democrats are light years ahead of the conning sniveling republican party that has no moral compass except to rule with impunity. Stop listening to and stop voting for anyone in the republican party and then watch your life improve immensely.
     
     

(#4669) If you want to keep separation of church and state then vote for Democrats!

      If you are a peace loving atheist, Muslim, Buddhist, Hindi, Islamist then you had better beware. The republican party wants America to become a Christian nation. If you listen at all to the republican messaging this idea of a Christian nation reverberates through all their propaganda. It isn't the Christianity of old either. It is the new found republican Jesus who would scold the working middle poor as irrelevant and lift on high the wealthy and cunning. So how you vote in the next election will go a long ways toward what you want as a democracy loving American or toward the bastardization of Christianity that republicans will do to undermine our democracy.
     Your choice. If you do decide that democracy isn't as important to you as being ruled by usurpers who will lie, cheat, and steal to fool you into giving them power over you then there is little I can do from here to convince you otherwise. I can tell you that for the 66 plus years I have been alive I have found it amazing to control my own life and lead it with the liberty and freedom democracy affords. Which extends well out beyond the constriction of any man made religious dogmatic interpretation. Now if you want to keep your particular religious beliefs in your own life as a guide to life you will find that state sanctioned republican Jesus will hinder that.
     Like what the Taliban is doing and other cruel religious leaders in our world, the idea of having differing religious options is dangerous and could well end with your death. When the state sanctions it's form of religious indoctrination there is no room for any religious alternatives. Especially atheists will feel the brunt of forced religious indoctrination because someone like me who is an atheist that lives to learn and advance my knowledge through science and logic, the alternative is unacceptable, which leaves me vulnerable to an nonconforming grave sentencing. This is the republican Jesus utopia so vote wisely when the voting time comes.

(#4668) President Biden has done amazing things yet the corporate media is trying to hurt him

      2 major pieces of legislation, the American rescue package and the hard infrastructure bill would be huge successes if a republican had done it. But not a democrat as we are seeing with the corporate media finding only the few things wrong to report about to the exclusion of everything right. The Corona virus got us all in this horrible pandemic and that is squarely on the trump administration. The after effects are his as well as all President Biden can do is try to clean up the huge mess and suffering it has caused but does the corporate media explain this to the American public? Hell no they don't. They just want to pile on President Biden for not being able to quickly solve everything that was disgusting and treacherous with the trump cabal.
     This is why I always say you shouldn't be swayed by what you hear or see from corporate reporting. Just know this much and you will be on the right side of history, always vote for the Democrat on the ballot. Because the media will make it sound like democrats are the problem and say nothing about how republicans are the ones who make the messes and hurt people doing it. I have learned over the decades that the wealthy own most all the news sources out there so their ability to slant and change the narrative of the truth is as easy as telling the editors what to do or else. This is the world we live in and if we who are not wealthy or stupid enough to vote for republicans don't get that into our heads and always vote for Democrats then the wealthy and republicans will soon have our democracy as their prize!
     The wealthy and republicans don't want equality or equity for all. That is why practically no republican support has come for vital needs like voting rights protections, immigration reform, police reform, protections for women, health reform, child care needs, or any other social need that is long overdue for the American working middle poor class. the only thing republicans will vote unanimously to do is to lower taxes on the wealthy who already have to much of the limited resource we have. President Biden isn't done doing great things for our working middle poor class and the corporate whore media isn't done finding anything wrong with him that they can advance as the only reality. So like I said earlier, only vote for Democrats and dismiss the media negativity toward democrats who only want to help the majority of us.

(#4667) The closer we get to normal the further from our minds were the trump years

      This is what I have been waiting for since the President Biden election, a return to normal. However, trump being trump is blocking the path forward at every opportunity. So it is taking us longer to get to normal and that is trump's strategy. Keep us in these abnormal trump induced times and then propagandize it as Biden's fault. This way trump gets another attempt at ruining our nation even more. There is no doubt in my mind that trump will try to run for president in 2024, unless of course he is convicted and sentenced to prison. But if he can avoid that to the runup of the 2024 election he will see himself as cleared of all charges if he is elected or appointed again.
     Which is why it is so important that the civil and criminal charges against him move forward swiftly so as not to run out of time before the 2024 election. Already the house January 6th commission is in jeopardy of being halted if the republicans retake the house next November 8, 2022. To stave off this from happening the voting rights protection bills must pass Congress. So that gerrymandering and voter suppression laws are not allowed in the states. When we have free and fair elections we majority minded democrats and independents are more prone to voice the direction of our nation through voting.
     Getting federal voting rights protections enacted will also allow us the opportunity to move beyond trump and his coldly calculated attempts to dismantle our democracy. We will see what happens in the next month or two as to whether we democrats, all of us in the senate, can make our democracy stronger and not weaker through inaction. President Biden has already said that inaction on voting rights protections is not to be allowed. So beginning with him and then down to the manchinema, the process must go forward with at least a carve out of the filibuster. We are so close to normal but we have to push through to get past the obstacles that keep us from getting back to normal.

(#4666) If you want to free up new hiring pass the human infrastructure bill!

      The inflation factor is fueled by not enough workers in the work force. We need to get more people working making things and offering services. That way competition for our products and services will become more competitive and thus lower prices. How do we do that? We pass the human infrastructure bill because it has universal pre kindergarten and day care options. Thus allowing moms and dads to go to work instead of staying home to manage the family during the day. As well there is another option that increases in home services for out elderly physically compromised parents. Pass the human infrastructure bill and the workforce will increase by the millions.
     So all this republican crying about inflation is a by product of their inability to one, control the virus when it first hit our shores and two, their generational intentional lack of care for the problems of working middle poor class families. So them complaining about the effect of their lack of concern is like watching kyle rittenhouse force tears out of his eyes, excruciatingly repugnant! No doubt though the manchinema will cling onto the republican phony narrative of being concerned about inflation. The republican party was never concerned about raising the minimum wage to help workers so why would they be concerned about inflation hurting workers? The republican party is only concerned about keeping power and regaining it. Nothing else!
     So how you do two things at once is get the human infrastructure bill passed and let its effects reenergize our economy and our society while stifling the crybaby noise from the diseased republican party. The current inflation is about to drop back down anyway because a solution to the problems of the supply chain and recognizing the need to shop more particularly is coming about. As the virus is abated further more people will be joining back into the workforce as well so all this hullaballoo over inflation is just the latest strategy republicans are using to divide our nation from fixing our problems and making them more irrelevant if that is even possible anymore.

(#4665) Remove these 3 trump appointees from federal government

      What comes to mind for me are Chris Wray the director of the FBI; Jerome Powell head of the Federal Reserve; and Louis DeJoy Postmaster General of the US. These 3 were appointed by trump and to me are less than ideal candidates to be blunt. Even a blind squirrel finds a nut now and then logic cannot be applied to these 3 because they are not in tune with democratic ideals. Let us begin with Wray. He has a tendency to not go after the wealthy and powerful when they are accused by minorities and women. He also did little to investigate the actions of January 6th 2021 republican fueled insurrection. As far as I am concerned a leader of our most powerful federal investigative service needs to be a bulldog not a person of indifference or worse. Wray needs to go!
     As for Jerome Powell the Fed Chairman, he is out of touch with the reality on the ground. His process is less than effective when he stills sees our economy through an outdated lens. For example, his attempts to bring about 3 to 5 million folks back into the workforce at the expense of more than 100 million folks seeing rising prices is absurd. He has also been lessening rules on banks. The problem with Powell is that he is not able to think out ahead of potential situations with enough clarity to be able to adjust on the fly. We need someone who has a better handle there and someone who will not allow insider trading like what Powell has allowed. He needs to go!
     As to DeJoy, the complaints are numerous. He is protected at the moment from being removed because only the Postal Service Board of Governors can remove him. If for no other reason, DeJoy needs to be out as he tried to help trump during the last election by slowing down the mail and removing sorting machines. That alone is reason to kick him out but there are many more conflicts of interest that DeJoy is involved in. As well there are campaign finance charges swirling around DeJoy and his former company, New Breed. As DeJoy continues to implement his 10 year plan to slow down delivery and raise postage costs there is no doubt that he is in need of a swift kick out of our Federal Postal Service.

(#4664) Why isn't the media breaking down the good in the hard infrastructure bill?

      Why does the media fail to report on the overwhelming effort to revitalize and upgrade our national infrastructure? I am not seeing much reporting on the effect of the many aspects that are about to happen to our national grids and waterways? Nothing like this has ever happened in the past on this scale since the national highway system was introduced and accomplished in the 1950's. Yet the reporting on daily news channels seems to have been minimal. It is like the national media is complicit in keeping a tremendous democratic agenda item from getting it's deserves and appreciation.
     Instead I keep seeing constant reporting about how republicans are primed to take over Congress in 2022. Even though barely 32 republicans of the 262 republican members overall in Congress, or only a little over 12%, voted for the hard infrastructure bill. Which means that nearly 88% of congressional republicans voted against the hard infrastructure bill. It astounds me that the baseline for the media in predicting who is will win Congress a year from now is small sample size from Virginia and New Jersey that is a bit muddled than the passing of historic legislation that will improve the living environment of all Americans. When the media decides what the narrative will be and pushes it beyond how logic should dictate it then we are truly up against a corrupt media.
     The Virginia and New Jersey results were, for the most part, indicative of our democratic political wrestling to provide much needed relief to the American people. So any result would be a positive one once the final product is unveiled. Compare that to the hurt and pain that republicans are motivated to produce and the idea that republicans should be getting positive promotion from the media tells me that the media is being manipulated by those who are not for the working middle poor class and are instead using their influence to control the narrative to denigrate democrats while ignoring and burying a republican insurrection/attempted coup just 10 months ago, and the constant failures of the republican party.

(#4663) This is what is in the hard infrastructure bill waiting for President Biden's signature

      $110 billion for roads, bridges, and major projects, plus surface transportation with climate change innovations. $11 billion in road safety programs to address reducing crashes and fatalities. $39 billion toward modernizing repair and replacement of railcar and track in transit infrastructure plus improving accessibility for people with disabilities. Passenger and freight rail will get $66 billion for repair, modernization and expansion. Electric Vehicle (EV) infrastructure will get $75 billion to build out a national network of electric chargers. $7.5 billion total equally invested in zero emission buses, low emission buses, particularly aimed at replacing our current national fleet of yellow school buses, and our water ferry network.
     $1 billion for reconnecting communities that have been separated by our transportation system. Airports, ports, and waterways will get $45 billion to repair, increase efficiency, and modernize toward low carbon technologies. Western water infrastructure will get $50 billion to abate effects of climate change and cyber attacks. Clean drinking water will get $55 billion to replace all lead pipes and service lines. High speed internet (Broadband) will get $65 billion to bring broadband to every American at a low cost pricing. Environmental remediation will get $21 billion to clean up toxic dumps and cap abandoned gas wells. Power infrastructure will get $73 billion to upgrade, repair and promote clean energy alternatives to keep our national grid modernizing.
     Paying for these programs comes from unspent emergency relief funds, corporate user fees, crypto currencies tax enforcement, Also offset by new revenue income from the impact of the infrastructure enactment. Other smaller offsets from various governmental revenue sources. This is basically a generalized account of what the $1.2 trillion hard infrastructure bill will begin to address. This bill is an ambitious reaction to decades of needs. When combined with the soon to be passed human infrastructure bill, both bills in tandem should be a major pivotal turning point in the positive reimaging of our American society.

(#4662) manchinema must carve out of the filibuster for voting rights proetections

      It is coming to me that manchin and sinema would rather drag out the human infrastructure debate in order to not have to deal with the filibuster and it's necessary reform. I cannot tell you what is behind their implacable stance of defending the filibuster though. Some have said that they are trying to protect democratic policies from when the republicans take over but their logic hinges on the republicans not blowing up the filibuster if they take power. That is a fool's belief. The thief mcconnnell will do anything to get his way and his acolytes in the republican party will follow along like the lemmings they are.
     So that reasoning is flawed. What other reason could it be? The donors that don't want voting rights protections advanced? Seems a bit far fetched for manchinema to be bribed like that when they could just as easily find different donors who want the filibuster carve out to support them. So that seems unlikely as well. So what is it that has manchinema so tied to doing nothing with the filibuster when the filibuster carve out is the only way forward other than abolishing the filibuster altogether? A mind greater than mine needs to answer that question correctly because my mind cannot. Every time I try to imagine a scenario where it makes sense for manchinema to protect the filibuster I keep coming up with nothing.
     So the only other possible answer must lie in the minds of each of these individuals I call manchinema. Their egos must play some role in their reasoning because that is the only other possibility that has some sense to it. They cannot have the filibuster change because they would lose status with their republican colleagues. Which if you think about it after watching them on the senate floor day after day cajoling and enjoying conversations mostly with republicans, makes some sense. It is as if the republicans in the senate are the cool kids in the senate to them and manchinema want to hang out with them. But first the manchinema must be initiated and do what the republicans require of them to be acceptable. Keeping the filibuster in tact is the request by republicans and the manchinema is doing their bidding.

(#4661) Finally on the hard infrastructure bill

      Just waiting on the news that Joe Biden has signed the bipartisan infrastructure bill into law because it has been on his desk since early this morning. Sometime just before midnight the bill passed the House and was available for President Biden to sign into law. Well done  democrats and some republicans. Most all the democrats in the House voted for the bill and most all republicans voted against the bill. It seems that there is little that is completely agreeable but that is due to the toxic nature that the previous trump administration hyped up to a discouraging level.
     Listening to Joe speak now about the benefits of the bill he is about to sign is comforting. He got his second big bill in the 10 months he has been in office and the third big bill is about to become a reality. Nothing Joe has done belies the fact that he is delivering on his campaign promises despite the intransigence of the republican party and a few ego driven confounding democrats. We will get more done with the greatest bit that needs to become law is the voting rights protections bills. Immigration reform and police reform being close seconds. The point is that we are moving forward.
     The pundits that have been harping about how democrats can't get anything done can just go back to their dark places and shut the fuck up! I have been so tired of the corporate media being so anti democratic while giving the insurrectionists and traitorous republicans a pass. The wealthy are the ones who are fueling the republican party and all their corruptible efforts to keep and usurp power. They must be held to account as well as the figureheads of the republican party. Destroying the trumps and their influence on our society is just the tip of the iceberg because those who prodded them along in the shadows need their deserves as well. So we will take the hard infrastructure bill becoming law and keep pressing forward with modern generational changes to our society.

(#4660) Votes on the both infrastructure bills today in the House

      Big day on the economic front with the House likely to pass the 2 infrastructure bills. In the midst of that we got a huge jobs gain from the monthly report by Bureau of Labor Statistics. 531,000 jobs were added to our economy in October while the unemployment rate dropped .2% to 4.6% from 4.8%. As well the jobs numbers that were posted in August, were revised up 117,000 to 483,000 from 366,00; and the jobs numbers for September, were revised up 118,000 to 312,000 from 194,000. All around very good news this morning about our economy and the decline of Covid-19 being a huge factor in keeping jobs from being filled.
     But the biggest news this morning is that the hard infrastructure bill will be passed in the House and then the human infrastructure bill will follow later this morning/afternoon. Not bad for a Friday which in politics is usually a very slow day. Not today though. I have C-span on right now and for the rest of the day will be watching our House pass these crucial bills, the hard infrastructure bill has already cleared the Senate so it will go directly to President Joe Biden's desk for signing into law. The human infrastructure bill needs to go back to the Senate where it will receive further inspection for passage.
     The takeaway here is that the democratic party has been delivering for the American people even though we have only been in power for less that 10 months. The foolishness and impatience of the vote in Virginia notwithstanding. I see a clearing of debate and obstinance on the side of our democratic party and maybe that loss in the Virginia election helped clarify to all democrats that our hold on political power is not only fleeting but it could be rapidly replaced in 2022 by a republican majority in both Houses. Getting the will done of the American electorate is our saving grace and silver lining. We badly need these infrastructure bills but we also need to move onto voting rights protections and meaningful immigration reform. It really begins again today.

(#4659) Our blue wave took a hit but it can be rectified

      Not since 2017 has our blue wave been lessened. On Tuesday evening it was just that, lessened. Sure we lost and we won but the overall effect was not a happy one. The disinformation machine of the republican party once again proved it's worth through the filthy propaganda of social and economic issues. Telling lies to make points for your campaign should be a non starter with average American voters but it seems if you salt in some old wounds of race and fear, the effect diminishes common sense thinking. The republican agenda and conservative political viewpoint is what is crapping all over our modern progress. I would have hoped that the propaganda would not cement into negative democratic votes but instead here we are.
     How do we reverse the negative and out right lies of propaganda coming from the republican party? Well we have to shout from the rooftops the truth of our mission and define the amount it is being stifled by the snake oil salesmen of the republican party. What also would help is the passage of bills into law that prove our commitments to an egalitarian society that has the wherewithal to not only save humanity from democracy killing republicans but to save our planet from those very same insolent republican actors. The republican party has a goal of doing everything to salvage their advantages and privileges even if it means destroying democracy and our habitable planet.
     Why would republicans care about our planet or our form of government when they can only see what is best for them in their lives? When they die they don't care what happens to our planet or everyone else who is still alive. They want all they can get while they are alive and the hell with what happens after they are gone. Not good stewards of our planet and our society yet they can baffle with bullshit to make people think that they are good stewards. Well we democrats need to dazzle with brilliance in order to counteract the republican bullshit artists. Our democratic brilliance is our care and curiosity for our species and our environment. We must display our brilliance for all to see!

(#4658) I was wrong, McAuliffe didn't prevail in Virginia

     Much like President Biden who said before the votes were counted that McAuliffe would prevail, he and I were both wrong like millions of like minded democrats who are somewhat taken aback by this outcome in Virginia. It seems that the republican party is immune to awful previous behavior. The centrists voters in Virginia gave this win to the republicans and for that I am embarrassed for our nation. Women in Virginia it seems were the main drivers of bringing a trumpian lite republican back into power. I am still having a hard time getting my head around this. Not only that but the makeup of the state legislature is about to go back into republican control.
     What that means is abortion, voting rights, gender equality, etcetera will now be in jeopardy of being diminished and constricted. I just don't get how voters can be so narrowly focused on the shiny object and lose sight of the big picture. But here we have it in Virginia. As to New Jersey a bullet was likely dodged because not as many voters were fooled into thinking the republican party is still a viable entity for sustainability and improvement. That situation is still being determined but the signs look better for the democrat Phil Murphy to hold onto his seat as governor. Which is a relief given the outcome that is looking highly likely in Virginia.
     If I have one flaw that is a continuum in my character it is that I keep thinking the the American electorate is intelligent enough to understand their role in American democracy. Every time a republican is elected to a public office another opportunity for them to overthrow our democracy is made available to them. The voters who keep voting for republicans are in need it seems of some education about how democracy is supposed to work because they are not good defenders of it. If they did know that defending our democracy is greater than their own narrowly focused reasons for not defending it then they would never vote for a republican and instead would tell the democratic party that problems exist that we all need to fight to correct. Voting for republicans will only make those problems worse!

(#4657) McAuliffe will prevail in Virginia

      The polls notwithstanding, the democrat Terry McAuliffe will win today's governor's race in Virginia. How do I know this? Simple, republicans are crap and no amount of polishing their turd will get them a majority in this election. The republicans cannot get 50% of the vote no matter how much they finesse the polls. All we democrats have to do is show up at the polls and this could well turn into an easy victory. But I don't expect we democrats will do the easy thing so the race will be tight for the most part but McAuliffe will keep a lead all night long and then end this before tomorrow comes after midnight.
     Of course that is my opinion but I get a sense that our American psyche is still bruised and abused by the trumps and no amount of salve through snake oil salesmen will change that. McAuliffe should not have had to fight this hard to preserve his victory in Virginia but it seems that the media is still real good at protecting it's viewership from advancing the truth about republican politics. The republican party has nothing but talking points that are disingenuous to promote and the media is letting them do it without calling them out. After a while people start to believe the manufactured talking points as real because they are not rebutted every time they appear.
     Sadly, people should be doing their own form of fact checking but all too often people find excuses to offshore their thinking to the loudest voice. If there is one fact about republicans it is that they have no humility and because of that they shout their nonsense so loud that it drowns out rational thought. So our fast food society slurps up the nonsense as if it is real all the while forgetting just how horrible the republican party continues to be. As if denying reality is a benefit. But one thing that has broken through to the masses in Virginia is that the republican party is still lock step with trump and no amount of denying that will get the republicans the votes they need to steal another election through massive disinformation, false claims of fraud, and outright lies.

(#4656) Today the human infrastructure bill goes before committees for votes

     I am hoping to catch some Cspan time of the differing committees do their duty today and turn over a finished product to the full House tomorrow for an up or down vote on the full human infrastructure bill. No doubt an up vote by the way. After that full House vote it will go over to the Senate for it's up or down vote. Which at the moment I am slightly more positive than negative that it will eventually pass. I say slightly more positive than negative because the manchinema has actually been in negotiation with House members on how to craft the bill. We will see if they do their part when it gets to the Senate but I feel like we have finally gotten to the point where both Houses will pass both bills.
     Which order each is passed is still a work in progress but I do believe that the manchinema will not undercut the passage of the human infrastructure bill. As well as the manchinema being in consultations with the House so has been Bernie Sanders. So when all the outstanding players left in crafting this bill are doing their due diligence it makes for a good sign that an agreement will be had. All of this intrigue because the manchinema was recalcitrant on social spending when the need was great and their obstinance made no sense. Be that as it may be the past now is past and the present is where we are at. What doesn't make it into the human infrastructure bill this time will in my judgment get another shot next year.
     So my hope is we get these bills to President Biden for his signature and then laser focus on voting rights protection bills that will give democracy a chance to survive. To me the voting rights protection bills are the single greatest need of our time. Without the right to vote for all eligible citizens the will of our nation will be depressed and ignored. Denying our vote is something I would go to war to prevent and so should every American who honors democracy and human rights. This war against democracy that the republican party is promoting is abominable and should be squashed at every advancement. No republican should hold office when they are trying to stop our democracy from thriving.

(#4655) The republican party and their knee to neck of the working middle poor class!

     If the republican party could control the working middle poor class by keeping us quiet and obedient they would do it right this second! The fact that we are human and expect to be treated as human must gall them to no end. Such is the foundation of how the republican party sees the working middle poor class. We are irrelevant to them in the big picture, which is why they vote against any legislation that would make life better for all Americans instead of just the wealthy Americans. While all the rigmarole over our democratic party trying to provide a human infrastructure law is mostly portrayed as negative by the media, the media are suspiciously silent about the nothing but reprimands republicans are contributing to the effort.
     If the media were honest and had an ounce of objectivity, they would be demanding that the republican party explain why they are so against the working middle poor class. While not letting them off the hook until they actually answer that question! But no. It is as if the republican party owns the media, by the way the media is owned by the wealthy, so that seems to be why the republican party gets a pass on doing nothing for the vast majority of us Americans. So it can only fall to we the people, through the democratic party, to make the republican party and the national media pay for their dismissal of our working middle poor class needs.
     For my part I am a never ending siren call to the universe that the republican party is the enemy of democracy and people who are not wealthy. When the rest of our nation catches on to this fact then maybe we will be able to root out the last of the republican party from our politics and replace them with liberals and moderates within our democratic party. I don't mind that our democratic party has liberal and moderate ends of our spectrum because they both serve to help the working middle poor class within reason to reimagine what life can be like when all Americans have the opportunity to live and succeed without the republican knee on our neck.

(#4654) Manchinema must pay for their treachery!

      Both manchin and sinema must be held to account for trying to blow up President Biden's agenda for we the American electorate. Both manchin and sinema have been disingenuous in their facade of negotiating. They are only doing what they are doing now because they are too cowardly to admit they side more with republicans than democrats. They were elected by democrats so apparently they must try to toe the line with the democratic party but not vote for substantial legislation even though they committed to that legislation. So they bob and weave but are never held to account for their ever changing positions.
     It was correct for progressives to not give in to the demands of the manchinema to vote for the hard infrastructure bill until the human infrastructure bill is also voted on. Because the manchinema would have found another excuse not to vote for the human infrastructure bill if the hard infrastructure bill were already passed into law. The deals manchin and sinema made with republicans and their donors will eventually come out and then they will be dealt their full share of disrespect and dishonor. But in the meantime do not take either manchin nor sinema at their lying words. Soon we will have another election and then we can have more democratic senators so that manchinema becomes moot.
     Once we do that, add more senators in 2022, manchin and sinema will not be counted on for anything important ever again. We will be beyond their influence and able to then eliminate the filibuster along with pass legislation that only requires the rest of the democrats in the senate minus manchinema and all the traitorous to democracy republicans. I long for that period in time in just about exactly one year when we have at least 2 or 3 more democratic senators who actually are practicing democrats and not like manchinema who are a scourge to democratic politics. Their time will come and for that I am also excited to think about because when karma comes knocking on their doors they will be meted out an appropriate justice for their treachery and arrogance.

(#4653) House progressives are correct not to trust manchinema

      When you are Lucy and holding the football for Charlie Brown to kick, it would be wise not to try and kick the football with Lucy holding it. Why? Because she always moves the ball before Charlie's foot can kick it. This is the same rationale with manchinema. Yesterday the House progressives were asked to give up their leverage on the manchinema without any concrete assurance that the manchinema would hold up their end of the bargain. How did we get here? Well the manchinema agreed and voted to pass a 3.5 trillion dollar human infrastructure bill the House sent them a couple of months ago. With the agreement that if the House passed the hard infrastructure bill the human infrastructure bill would be passed as well.
     Since then the manchinema has held the human infrastructure bill that returned to them for another vote hostage by either refusing to acknowledge they would vote for it, meanwhile whittling it down to it's current 1.75 trillion price tag. So not only has the human infrastructure bill been depleted it is still not settled with the manchinema that it has their votes. Meanwhile the manchinema expect that the hard infrastructure bill they sponsored and has not been altered one iota, should be passed into law immediately by the House. Which won't happen now until the backstabbing manchinema agree or vote for the human infrastructure bill thanks to progressives standing their ground.
     I know we need to get both these bills passed into law but the onus has always been on the manchinema and those who are decrying progressives for stopping the hard infrastructure bill are just missing the point or are disingenuous. If it isn't clear to all that the manchinema would kill the human infrastructure bill if the hard infrastructure bill is voted on then I have a bridge to sell you. The only way to get the manchinema to vote and pass the human infrastructure bill is to wait to pass the hard infrastructure bill, period! So put the pressure on the manchinema to uphold their part of the bargain and quit laying blame on progressives who are just defending President Biden's agenda!

(#4652) No human infrastructure bill yesterday

      I refuse to believe my own doubts that the manchinema is only dragging this out to kill it. That is a republican tactic and although very successful for their republican agenda it is a death knell to American democracy and the working middle poor class. I refuse to accept that reality because the manchinema only needed to switch parties if that was their agenda. They didn't and still vote yes for all the other democratic agenda items. So it is down to their egos within the policy offerings and that has been the confounding part. They are not the final arbiters of what our society is demanding, President Biden and Vice President Harris are.
     We the people voted in 2020 to give our president that mandate to accomplish and it is up to them to decide how it is produced, not the manchinema! There will be a cost to pay for the manchinema for what they have and are still doing to us but we democrats will not mete out that payment until the time is right and advantageous for us, not them. As a solution to the manchinema going forward we democrats have one clear way of solving it. In about 12 months time we organize our voters so that there is no doubt to what must be done. Elect at least 2 but more likely 3 or more senators to the senate. As well add to our numbers in the house.
     Adding members to both the senate and house will not be easy but if our voters come out and vote everywhere in 2022 it damn will come about. With at least 52 senators in the senate after next years elections the filibuster will likely become a thing of the past, no matter how the manchinema votes. Overcoming the manchinema is our goal and it is easily done by adding two progressive leaning senators. Then the adding of DC as a state will automatically give us 2 more senators to help buttress our already solid majority. The house will be ready to advance all the bills that are currently being stalled by the manchinema and our society will truly be representative of our populace.

(#4651) I am hoping today is the day for the breakthrough on the human infrastructure bill

      Everything has been leading to this week being the week where the Biden infrastructure bills get done. I have a better feel for them getting done now then ever before. That this week will be the week where it gets done is understandable. Yet I am hopeful today is the day when the dam breaks and all sides agree on the framework. So much is going on right now and with this crunch of needed legislation coming to a head the differing sides are as close as they have been so far. So with little room left to negotiate I expect to hear an announcement that the human infrastructure bill is ready to rock and roll.
     Again, it is all about timing and the timing is just right for this to be done. The hard work it has taken to overcome the obstacles of democrats Manchin and Sinema has been frustrating and exasperating but the obstructions have been smoothed out and the ready to agree time is upon us. Today would be the ideal day for it to happen as it would give our president some good crowing to do at the world climate summit and as well get our Congress onto other pressing issues that are immediately coming to a head. Voting rights protections, the debt limit debate, as well as the annual budget. More if you include immigration reform and gun rights so today would be perfect to moving onto those proposals.
     We democrats have it within us to make our nation much more amenable to all of us and now is the time to get going on that. We have wasted precious months in limbo thanks to two recalcitrant democratic senators but it appears we have finally wore them down. That they needed to be worn down to do the correct thing for the American electorate is disappointing but after this session of Congress is over they will have to be reckoned with but until then we have to fight tough to get them to where the rest of us are. It isn't over with those two and moving forward is going to be difficult but in the end we will get there in time to save our democracy and improve on our majorities going forward.

(#4650) Infrastructure bills coming by weeks end

      I know I am sticking my neck out but not that much really. With Joe Biden going to the climate summit next week and the state elections in New Jersey and Virginia next week as well, the bills couldn't be more crucial as to timing. We have been hearing over the last several weeks that the deal on the human infrastructure bill is nearly complete with few obstacles left to surmount. I know the details are important but once an agreement on principle is made the passage of both bills will be imminent. Possibly by this Friday if not then by Monday. Perfect timing for the climate summit and the elections.
     The whole process has been a struggle despite being a mandate from the 2020 election. But even though we have the slimmest majorities in both Houses of Congress the actual achievement of what will be at least 3 trillion in spending and as well being paid for is amazing. I along with many others feel that we could have done better but that is not possible at this moment and will take a good election showing for our democratic party in 2022 to again try. Getting 3 more filibuster ending democratic senators will do the trick to finally end the filibuster and allow us to pass legislation that will actually reimagine our society.
     To get to that reimagining of our society we will need to pass these infrastructure bills and then do a carve out for voting rights protections. If these actions become reality then we democrats will be able to deliver for the American people like at no other time in history. Yes, even greater impacts on our society than the FDR reforms of the 1930's. Defending the democratic majority in the Congress is an imperative as well as adding to it. Getting a larger majority will only happen if we can pass these infrastructure bills and most importantly protect voting rights. The future is bright for our nation but we need to take on more huge step to get it done.

(#4649) The end of the storm

      Saturday evening, yesterday, last night, and into this morning I was reminded of the Movie "The longest Day". Of course I am not equating the two but yesterday for me was one hell of a long day. The storm began Saturday night and was coming down hard and fast into the early morning hours of Sunday and continued hard and fast all through the day and night on Sunday and into the early morning hours of Monday. For my part over the last 48 hours I have been in a proactive remediation mode. Like the old axiom, "Hope for the best but expect the worst". So putting preventative measures in place for the worst case as the storm was dictating. On another note, we here in Sacramento broke the all time record of rainfall for one day surpassing the total from 1880 that was 5.28 inches. As of 11:30 pm. last night we were at 5.35 and counting.
     There wasn't much time in there for me to get much sleep but I did slip in an hour or so a couple of times. I went through about 5 changes of clothes as the rain soaked me because of it's intensity and my monitoring of it. My Facebook page is littered with photos taken before, during, and after the storm as evidence of my attention to it. I cannot tell you how many times I checked several online weather sites specifically aimed at this storm and it's influence on my hometown Sacramento, California. As with all things weather, nothing can be taken as fact but only as likely. So being on edge to adapt to whatever was to come was my constant modus operandi.
     Nothing caught me off guard and luckily I avoided the internal house flooding I was always concerned about. No water got into my garage either but still came within a few inches of height of actually flooding my garage. With all the weather, the loss of power last night at about 11:00 pm. added to my anxiety when a huge tree branch fell in my next door neighbor's yard on several power lines. The flooding began receding at about 2 am. this morning just before the electrical workers came in force to do the repair. The power lines fell into my flooded yard and I was just able to recognize that before venturing out to check out the flooding. Blocking my animals from going out back as well. Long day yesterday and very stressful past 48 hours. But all is good as power was restored at about 5 am. and I got to sleep for about an hour before typing this up.

(#4648) The storm is here

     We did some late day repair yesterday on the flat roof here and the patches seem to be holding for now. The brunt of the storm hit about an hour ago so if leaking inside the house was going to happen it would have already begun. But as with the old flat roof on this house, after being beaten on by a steady onslaught of rain new gaps appear and new leaks show up. I will deal with those when they likely will happen but for now the roof is still holding up fine. As to the flooding issue, I just checked the creek out back and it is still low and flowing. But the low will not last long as the surface water from the east starts to accumulate and begin it's momentum towards me.
     I actually love the sound of the rain and whipping winds since I live in Sacramento, California where the sun and it's drought is my usual accompaniment. For a couple of decades I lived up north in Alaska and Washington state and while there came to enjoy the effects of constant rain and snow. I, when I was younger was fortunate to be raised in the hot climate of Sacramento that had all the nearby wonders of lakes, rivers and an ocean. Being young and vibrant I spent my youth in a paradise made for the young. As I have gotten older I am less excited about hot days and cool water to employ and would like a less hot climate and the sound of rain instead.
    I am married to the land here at my current home and until such a time I cannot keep up with the chores and repairs here, I will remain. So when I get a day or two of rain and wind it reminds me of where I would really like to be living. Back up north, with the more frequent wind and rain and where there is sun but not the heat of a drought stricken environment. Despite that hoped for scenario I am right now in the beginning of a huge storm that is sweeping our region and putting people like me who reside in a flood plain in an older home a bit on edge as to how this will end Monday morning. I will survive no matter the outcome but the silver linings will be enjoyed no matter what I will eventually endure because of them.

(#4647) A big storm coming

      I have been mostly preoccupied with a nearly 6 inch of rain storm that is about to hit our Sacramento California area and as I share 125 foot border with the creek behind my house with a chain link fence I will get first hand knowledge if a flood is coming. Arcade Creek is a tributary from the eastern part of our city and county that serves as the last channel that flows into the Sacramento River. So much of that rain from the east will filter into Arcade Creek which borders my property. In the past I have seen several days of rain raise to the top of the creek and the bottom of the chain link fence in my backyard so this heavy rain that is coming could well go higher than that.
     I scaled the distance from my back patio to the bottom of the back chain link fence and the elevation is only approximately 24 inches. So if the flow coming down the creek exceeds its banks I am in danger of having water come into my house and garage. We will see if that happens and I am mildly prepared for that as far as getting items to higher ground. For the next 40 hours I doubt I will sleep much as I will be monitoring the growing height to the creek as the heavy rain pours down on our Sacramento county. I am of little doubt that the runoff from everywhere that flows into our creek will find it's way to us since the drought here has hardened our soil and makes it difficult for the water to absorb into the ground.
     I try to keep my mind on politics and when not that then sports of whatever variety. Yet this storm that is coming is going to consume me to the utmost since not only is my patched flat roof going to get a huge test as to its water seal the creek and its possible overflow into my yard and possibly into my house is half expected. Mother nature is going to have me by the short hairs beginning very shortly. I love that we are getting rain but I just wish the rain wasn't coming like a typhoon. I suppose this weather is similar to what those on the south and east coast must deal with every year with flooding and high winds but since we have wildfires and earthquakes I wasn't expecting heavy flooding as well.

(#4646) The republican party is abhorrent!

      Yesterday, watching the House vote to charge Bannon with criminal contempt I was once again reminded just how low life the republican party has become. Sure, 9 of the 212 house republicans voted to charge Bannon but 203 of them did not. To me the republican party is full of wastrels who have no spine nor honor in their bodies. They may offer excuses for not voting for the criminal contempt charge but they are as ludicrous as humorous. The House has a duty to legislate and investigate and both have been staples of fact throughout the entire history of our United States democracy.
     So for the republicans to say that the House investigative committee into the January 6th insurrection is not a function of the House is hypocrisy at it's core and as well a big fucking whopper of a lie. The leadership of the republican party in the House had a chance to be an equal partner in the committee and choose not to join in. For several reasons some of which is akin to investigating oneself. so for republicans to cry foul after not joining the committee, although 2 republicans were added by Speaker Pelsoi, is laughable. Even one of the original picks to be on the committee by the republican leader has been caught trying to represent himself as being on the committee.
     I cannot explain in this post just how insufferable and mentally diseased the republican party is but if anyone ever really wanted to know the evidence is aplenty everywhere. The whole agenda of the republican party is to just stay in power. Now that doesn't mean through you liking their polices because they have none. What they do try to do is to disenfranchise voters who are not likely to vote for them and to control elections at the state level in order to manipulate the overall count to their favor. In other words that are as correct and clear as possible, they will and expect to CHEAT! Now I don't now about you but I would never vote for a cheater who would rather destroy our democracy than to protect it!

(#4645) Keep pressure on Manchin and Sinema to carve out voting rights from filibuster rule

      The idea that a carve out for voting rights protections is controversial in the democratic party is mind baffling. Not so much most of the democratic senate caucus but for the two, Manchin and Sinema. How can they not understand the significance of passing legislation that will help Americans all over our country and as well insure that we democrats get a shot at keeping our majorities? This is one of the most simple no brainers that will ever come down the legislative pike. Yet both Manchin and Sinema are playing at not understanding how vital the voting rights protection bills are.
     I cannot fathom their thinking other than to suggest that they made promises to their republican colleagues that they are trying to keep. If so, then their promises to republicans to not get in their way to obstruct and deny voting rights to American citizens is akin to treason to democracy. If Manchin and Sinema do not allow for a passage vote through a carve out for voting protection rights then they are branding themselves as despicable and traitors. I don't care how else they look at it the bottom line is the effect we conclude from and if the bottom line is no filibuster carve out for the voting protection bills then Manchin and Sinema will both wear the stench of a dead albatross around their necks!
     If they think that there will be no repercussion from their dereliction of duty to our constitution then they are not playing with a full deck of cards. These type of grave harms are not easily forgotten nor ignored. The penalties will play out much larger than they think is possible and for that others will be caught up in their lack of fidelity to our national constitution. Manchin and Sinema had better hope that they find their logic before the clock runs out on us who are counting on them. If they do they will not only save our democracy from the treasonous republicans but they will also salvage their own reputations that will be irreparably harmed if they don't.

(#4644) Looks like the infrastructure bills will get done

      After yesterday's flurry of activity and soul crushing realization the human infrastructure bill will get a framework that will be depressingly modified. The size and scope of the bill will be reduced to a bare bones scenario but it will still be a formidable achievement despite the self inflicted wounds two democrats inflicted on it. I will get over my bitterness aimed at Senators Manchin and Sinema eventually but for now the anger is palpable with me. The American people deserve better when we can do better and this ain't it! However, the fact that it appears likely now that both infrastructure bills will become law makes for a glimmer of hope that eventually, in the coming couple of years we can do better.
     There is still the police reform bill, the voting rights protections bill, and immigration reform that need immediate attention and once these infrastructure bills are accomplished the next phase of getting more legislation done becomes imperative. Foremost above anything President Biden can pass into law is the voter protection bill. Nothing is more important than securing the rights of all eligible citizens the right to vote. The multiple state republican barrage against vulnerable voters is disgusting and disgraceful so a national voting rights protection law is paramount. Nothing in a democracy is more important than the right to vote, nothing!
     This coming election in 2022 is so vital to America if we want to make possible the Biden agenda. What we don't get done this year in the human infrastructure bill will surely be addressed after we grow our majorities in the House and Senate. Eliminating the filibuster and hopefully addressing the rigged imbalance on the supreme court will become major topics of discussion and action. Our modern society with democratic values cemented into law has to be our goal for the long term future. There is nothing that republicans would offer to help our society; instead they would misinform and divert from including all of us to the promise of the pursuit of happiness.

(#4643) Life has to be greater than letting republicans steal our democracy!

      What is democracy? Why is it important to our lives? First, democracy is self rule. We the citizens of our group or nation are the ones who decide the makeup of our society through either direct and/or representative decision making. The hallmark of democracy is majority rule. Without majority rule the idea that democracy is the best form of government is deemed illogical. The importance of democracy is that all decisions about how we live is decided by us the citizenry, not by some authoritarian or monarchial figurehead. We the majority of us decide how we should make our society more perfect.
     So when we have a minority party trying to act like a majority one we have a conflict of foundational differences. The trump republicans have given up hope of being a majority and instead are now trying to usurp the power of the majority through illegal and immoral means. Using some of the more archaic rules we have within our political architecture the republican party has a vehicle to do just that. It isn't just our politics that are being manipulated by republicans to nullify our current majority rule, it is the media which is controlled by too few who benefit from the republican agenda.
     As we go about our daily lives we have an expectation that our system of government is solid and will prevail over any attempt, foreign and/or domestic to destabilize it. Yet we would be wrong in that expectation. There is a real effort being forwarded by the trump republicans who are a large minority viewpoint to take our democracy out of our hands and change it to one that is controlled by only a handful of the wealthy and powerful. It is happening before our eyes and if we don't stop to take a look and see it, then it will happen and then we will find out about it after it is too late to stop it.

(#4642) Joe and Kamala need to put a stop to Manchin and Sinema

      Whatever it takes to get the two obstructionist democrats in the senate to a consensus with the rest of our senate democratic caucus must be done. There is no clear path for this to happen other than President Biden and Vice President Harris to use any and all measures to bring it about. Whatever it takes means doing everything under the sun to force those two to stop their gamesmanship and start behaving like team players. There are some things that must be done and there is no time for delaying them for selfish reasons. The planet and our citizenry are in peril and no amount of tunnel vision is going to save us.
     Which is why the bigger picture must be made to be critical in both Manchin and Sinema's orbit. They have decided that they want to manipulate their agendas as greater than our nations. Which is why hardball tactics are needed now that all softball tactics have failed. There are several ways to make sure that Manchin and Sinema understand the gravity of their ploys and for them to learn that consequences in real terms are necessary. Politics is a muscle event and whoever has the bigger muscles when decision time comes must flex them in no uncertain terms. If Manchin and Sinema think they can outmuscle our current president and vice president and are not otherwise persuaded we are all in trouble.
     No agenda of two people is greater than the danger to all because of greed and selfishness. There is a way to reform them because I know that those who initially manipulate are not pure. So finding their pressure points of equal or greater value is required. The nefarious route Manchin and Sinema have taken provides us with a blueprint as to how to turn them around. As has been publicized over the years as how to start, look no further than the old saying, follow the money. Joe and Kamala have the principled outlook on all of this and have given those two all chances to redeem themselves. It appears they won't so it is incumbent upon Joe and Kamala to redeem them themselves.

(#4641) Do both hard and human infrastructure through reconciliation

      I know this is a hard stance to take here but it seems that the republicans in the senate struck a deal with Manchin and Sinema to pass the hard infrastructure bill with conditions. We don't need those conditions if they exclude climate change and fair drug pricing. Those seem to be the items that republicans won't let us have through Manchin and Sinema. Well we really didn't need to pass both bills separately anyway and instead should pass them together as one bill so we democrats can get what America needs and not what republicans want. This is my take on it but since no one in the mainstream media is reporting on the possibility of it then most likely it is true.
     The mainstream media seems to have lost all of it's investigative journalism moxie and that is not surprising since most national media is owned by the wealthy. Who we know love republicans because they do the bidding of the wealthy despite their democratic treason, which should tell you all you need to know about the wealthy. I say we should just shit can the existing deals we are working on for individual passage and start over with an all encompassing bill that goes reconciliation and then the pressure will be on Manchin and Sinema as to whether they vote for the final product. That is how it should be and not what it is with Manchin and Sinema calling the shots.
     The idea that bipartisanship is doable with this current iteration of republicanism is a fools errand and we are seeing it play out in real time with them doing more obstruction than agreeing. We democrats are the future of America if we want a better America than what is our current dismal form. We don't need republicans for anything and the sooner we understand and do that the better our society will become. Anyone who votes for a republican is either a fool or an enemy of democracy. There is no middle ground here. So either associate with the treason party or hang out with fools. Neither is recommended for the sake of our nation and neither should be any negotiated deal that helps destroy our working middle poor class people and our planet!

(#4640) Why won't Manchin and Sinema help our working middle poor class?

      I don't get it. Really, it is outside my ability to rationalize. There has to be a good reason for them to discard the ideas and values of the democratic party. They are democrats and as such should be in somewhat agreement that the policies in the human infrastructure bill that begin to address the needs of the working middle poor class and our planet should become law. Yet they don't for whatever narrowly focused reason. They are putting the many in harms way in order to satisfy the few who don't need the pacification. It really is a mind numbing reality we are faced with here.
     These progressive liberal policies are not just for progressives and liberals. They are for all Americans, even the wealthy if they could ever take their view off the bottom line of their unfair accumulations. The constitution wishes us all a pursuit of happiness which is well and good yet unachievable in the current makeup of our society. The economic direction of our nation is full steam ahead no matter who gets run over and know this that it won't be the wealthy who get run over. Capitalism is a good thing when it is bracketed with democratic values. When it is not then the whole idea of capitalism becomes privileged dog eat underprivileged dog instead of healthy competition.
     What Manchin and Sinema are doing is taking the best chance we democrats have of course correcting our society away from the disaster that is looming in the future. Not only are more of our citizens being marginalized without the human infrastructure bill but our planet is getting to the point of becoming uninhabitable. That we are not all on the same page to protect and return our planet to it's more natural and safe harbor state is perplexing especially since we have the technology to do so. It is the greed and ignorance of the wealthy and their last gasp hold upon the dirty energy and selfishness for all resources and capital that has us in this dilemma that Manchin and Sinema along with the other 48 democratic senators could put an end to.

(#4639) Within the rules

      The game last night between the Dodgers and Giants showed us how our democracy works. First of all it was played within the rules even when the rules are subjective. A winner and a loser was determined without chaos ensuing. Unlike our current political situation where republicans were handily defeated and as of yet the ringleader of the republican party refuses to concede. Instead of accepting that the rules are how we are guided to conclusions the republican party is instead intent on overturning the rules and playing by their rules only. The sport that was played out is important but nowhere near as important as our democracy.
     The passions on both sides are the same but at least in sport we move on to the next event. If our season is over then the disappointment eventually fades into optimism for the next season. It used to be this way in our politics but not anymore. With republicans claiming that they were robbed and then not being able to produce any facts that prove robbery they still claim to be robbed. In fact they attempted an insurrection on our national capitol building while our nationally elected representatives were in the building certifying the results of the just concluded 2020 election results. The republican insurrectionists failed to overturn our election while causing the deaths of those who would not let them.
     Sporting events are satisfactory entertainment events that fuel our passions and allow us to unite when both sides play exceptionally like last night. However there is no uniting after what republicans tried and are still trying to pull against our democracy. Every republican voter should be outraged at the behavior and strategy of the national and state republican parties that are not playing by the rules and instead are trying to circumvent the intent of our national constitution. It is a shameful and deadly attempt they are trying and the result is not going to be a hearty well played applause. Instead it is going to be the end of our democracy if republicans succeed at overthrowing our government.