I’m having a hard time motivating myself to write because it’s so hard for me to watch – and believe – what’s actually going on in this nation (USA) I love.  I’ve been voting since the late 1960’s and I clearly remember my Mother and Father debating over President Eisenhower (my Dad) vs Adlai Stevenson (my Mom) in the 1950’s.  Over the course of the many books I’ve read since I got so upset with GW Bush and his flagrant invasion of Iraq  that I felt I needed to “reeducate” myself, I’ve discovered that I would be in my father’s “camp” and probably could be called and “Eisenhower republican.”  However, that would – today – and does, put me in the “flaming liberal” category.  In fact, if you read the earlier posts in this “blog” my frustrations with our president Barrack Obama has been that, to me, he’s been too cozy with republicans and their ideas – evidently failing to understand their number one credo – “If Obama’s for it – we’re against it” – PERIOD!  The part that brings my frustration home to me is that the republicans could do no better than Mitt Romney – and, now all the “Romney haters” (like Newt Gingrich, Rick Santorum, Rush Limbaugh, etc., etc.) are falling in line because they HATE Obama more.  What America is going to have to face after this election – no matter how it turns out – is the severity of the population who believe (strongly) the “White House” is ONLY for “white people.”  Mitt Romney should be the “poster child” for ALL that is wrong with America – not just the racism – and, yet – by most polls – he has a chance to win the presidency.

Romney has a republican establishment that has fallen totally in line with his candidacy and they are clearly willing to throw “EVERYTHING but the kitchen sink” at the electorate in order to win in November.  There are the deep pocketed “Super PAC” funders – Sheldon Adleson, David and Charles Koch (they’ve promised to spend upwards of $400 million on this election), Donald Trump, the DeVoss family, the Coors family, the Walmart family, etc. – and these Super PAC’s will spend over a BILLION dollars to unseat Obama (what do you think their motivation is?  Really, the stock market has doubled in his term in office, corporations are hoarding record amounts of cash, Wall Street continues to get away with GAMBLING America’s wealth on “creative” financial “bets” with little to no push back from the Justice Department – really, there must be an explanation why they HATE him so).  Additionally, republicans have been conspiring to suppress the vote for several years now and their efforts are “coming to a head” as we approach November.  In fact, one republican congressman in Pennsylvania BRAGGED that the voter suppression law which got passed there should be enough to help Romney carry the state.  What the hell is going on in America? that this kind of stuff is being allowed to happen right before our eyes.  The whole world looks to us to be an example of government of “we the people” and the republicans are attempting to make a mockery of that thought.

Back to Romney – and I could go on and on about this guy.  Honestly, I’ve never seen a politician who comes close to him in regards to a willingness to say whatever the group in front of him wants to hear.  I remember when he was the republican champion of Planned Parenthood (when he was campaigning in Massachusetts) – supporting “A Woman’s right to choose” and other issues that, I believe got him close to a 100% rating by them.  He is now trying to get that rating down to ZERO with a reversal of VIRTUALLY ALL of his important positions (in fact, I’ve come to the conclusion that Romney has NO POSITIONS when it comes to public policy).  The level of his lying during this year’s campaign (including the republican primaries) has pushed the bar, as I’ve seen it, for all the politicians I’ve witnessed in my lifetime. (Did you know that Mormonism justifies lying if it gets you the desired results – that is “the end justifies the means” so, in Romney’s eyes, I’m sure this lying is “all good” – you know, “I approve this message”)  Romney has taken this part of his religion to heart – FOR SURE.  Then there’s the issue that won’t go away – Romney’s taxes.  I for one believe the reason he won’t release his tax returns is because there is potentially incriminating evidence there should they be scrutinized in detail by the democratic “hit squads.”  I’m not just talking about the embarrassment he’d like to avoid regarding all the foreign accounts that, at the bare minimum, would show someone who’s using every legal maneuver to avoid ALL the taxes he can.  My understanding is there’s accounts in Swiss Banks, Bermuda, The Bahamas, and the Cayman Islands.  I’m not going to go into detail here, but every book I’ve read that talks about these tax havens points out how this is where the wealthy of America “stash” their “cash” in order to avoid paying taxes on it.  Many of the “schemes” are “legal” but many prove to be “shot down” by the IRS when detected.  Do you get the feeling Romney is REALLY HIDING SOMETHING?

Of course he is – in fact, I believe that if he is forced to publicize returns prior to the republican convention he could jeopardize his standing in the nominating process.  I hope the democrats keep up the pressure for him to disclose his returns.  If there’s nothing to hide – then this campaign can get onto other issues that are more important to every day Americans.  I believe republican insiders are going to increase the pressure for Romney to do this – because, in my view, he will be unelectable if he continues to refuse.  At first, I was thinking the returns would just be embarrassing for Romney, but I’ve now come to the conclusion there’s a lot more to them – including more details about how Romney got so rich and who suffered because of his actions at Bain Capital.  I have even heard reports that suggest Bain received Capital from some REALLY shady sources that Romney is probably also trying to HIDE.  Romney is CLEARLY part of the so-called 1% and he stands for everything that will make things even better for them – at the expense of “you people” as Romney’s wife refers to us “commoners.”  You know what – I’m perfectly OK with him having all his money (assuming it was gained legally), but I don’t want a president who represents the interests of what people like me might refer to as “you people” – the “other” you people – those who control almost 50% of America’s wealth as it is (we’re talking about a few thousand people here) and who have been benefiting from our “trickle down” economy since the 1980’s.  The curious thing then is why do a large portion of the 99% apparently feel that “Romney’s the man.”

I will pull no punches here – let’s start with racism.  I can’t even bring myself to listen to Limbaugh anymore – but, I’ve done it enough to understand that his racist attitude is very deep.  Did you watch any of the “tea party” rallies during the 2010 election?  It was like racists crawling out from under their rocks all over America.  John McCain even got away with calling Obama “That one” during one of the presidential debates in 2008 – it’s just the topic on one wants to talk about – but, it’s VERY REAL!  A Black president was just more than the “RIGHT WING” could stomach – and, I have to tell you, many of these people are “blue dog democrats.”  Then there’s the so-called “liberal media.”  That’s a good one – as the “right wing” was taking a stranglehold on America’s media conglomerates they made sure that they brainwashed America’s unsuspecting “subjects” into believing their media outlets were “liberal.”  Of course there’s the Fox “news”  which is “fair and balanced.”  This all makes me sick to my stomach as I’m writing  because the reality is the “right wing” is very good at what they are planning to pull off and, if “we the people” don’t get excited about stopping them the USA is going to have the “permanent republican majority” that will give people like Karl Rove, the Koch Brothers, and the rest of the right wing a “wet dream” that could last for years.  If Romney somehow manages to win in November just the reality of him adding one or two more right wing Supreme Court Justices will have a serious impact on my children AND grandchildren – these are lifetime appointments and there will be little to nothing “we the people” will be able to do to reverse this.  Just consider the effect Citizen’s United is having on the process – it unfortunately took democrats three years to realize how devastating that decision would have on our electoral process (again, I believe we’re talking about a ONE BILLION dollar advantage for the GOP in the upcoming election – they are not only going to spend whatever it takes to get the “White House” but they’re going after Congress as well).   You’re talking about a Court which appointed GW Bush and passed Citizens United with the makeup it now has – what do you think will be the result with a couple more right wing Justices? – that will give the court SEVEN “conservative” justices!

Should the republicans manage the trifecta –  the “White House,” the House, and the Senate – in November, those of us who call ourselves “progressives” or “liberals” will be in the same “boat” we’ve been in for the past few years, and that’s depending on democrats to reverse this trend toward a total corporate/government partnership (yes, that’s the definition of fascism).  Unfortunately, 2006 is still clear in my mind.  The Democrats were voted into office to end the “war” in Iraq – and we ended up with the “surge” (we lost another 2000 troops AFTER the democrats regained control of congress).  The democrats didn’t even have the courage to CONSIDER impeachment of GW Bush and Dick Cheney for their war crimes and other assorted “misdemeanors.”  Once Obama took over the “White House” democrats continued to allow the republicans to control the agenda through the OBSCENE overuse of the filibuster rule in the senate and Obama’s pandering for republican votes.  My point here is that I don’t have a lot of confidence that the democrats will have what it takes to confront the abuses that are likely to occur in a “Romney” administration.  The other thing I’m sure of:  after totally ABUSING the filibuster rule – if the republicans regain control of the senate they will CHANGE THE RULES so that the democrats will be unable to block their agenda.

There’s an old saying – “be careful what you wish for” – and, I believe it applies in “spades” to the republicans nominating Mitt Romney as their “leader.”  Republicans have unleashed unprecedented attacks on this democratic president and the one who preceded him (Bill Clinton) when, in fact – based on the statistics I’ve seen, they have enjoyed unbelievable growth in their wealth under these two presidents.  That gets me back to my questioning why they are so adamant about wanting to defeat President Obama (remember, according to Mitch McConnell and others – it’s been their NUMBER ONE GOAL!): The stock market’s doubled since Obama took office, General Motors and Chrysler are thriving (do you remember Romney suggesting they NOT be “bailed out?”), Osama bin Laden is DEAD (I suppose republicans have found a way to give Bush credit for this – you know, the president who so famously said: I don’t know where he is, I just don’t spend that much time on it). the economy has produced OVER 4 MILLION jobs despite the republican intransigence, the Iraq “war” is over (although, I didn’t like how Obama did it – the fact is – HE DID IT – republicans wanted to keep our troop presence there indefinitely as in Korea) Do “We the People” really want to relive republican rule – in a more extreme form – in the aftermath of Bush/Cheney?  PPPLLLLLeeeeeeeaase!

I do not doubt that republicans understand what a poor choice Romney is – but, I believe they’ve become so consumed with gaining unbelievable control of our system – control our founders attempted to make almost impossible – that it matters little to them who’s representing the party in the “White House.”  In fact, Romney’s penchant for saying what his audience wants to hear, I’m beginning to think, makes him an ideal candidate for those who are pulling the “strings’ behind the scene (ie the Kochs, Adleson, etc.).  All they need is someone who will “toe the company line,” say what he’s told to say,  and sign the documents they are planning to put on his desk from congress.  That leads me to my final thought of the evening – I continue to believe the best course anyone who lives in America can take if they do not want the so-called “permanent republican majority” is to revisit in their minds what the Bush/Cheney administration did to this nation – and, then just realize the “forces” behind them have actually “doubled down” because of our president from “Kenya.”  The only reasonable course I can see is to VOTE AGAINST every republican that shows up on your ballot until that party is purged of these right wing “whackos” who have managed to take over America’s “Grand Ole Party.”  There’s a lot of work to be done in “pushing” the democrats back in the “other direction,” but the first order of business, in my view, is to turn today’s republican party into a “bad memory.”  Really, what has become of the Eisenhower republicans????