Why are any of us surprised? For many years it’s been obvious that those with the money in America have been “buying” our leaders – most significantly members of Congress – for years. Those in the republican party are the main recipients of all this money (for example, the money coming from the Koch network of rich people) although democrats appear to be picking up the scraps from the same “trough.” When Wall Street feels threatened, or “big oil” feels threatened, those who would stand up to them get threatened – by funding of primary opponents and pulling campaign “donations” from anyone who would work for “we the people.”
I’ll talk about the difference between republicans and democrats later – but, the issue of “the day” is ANOTHER republican attempt to remove President Obama’s name from anything they have to deal with. AGAIN they’re trying to “repeal and replace” the Affordable Care Act which they named “Obamacare.” Their “replacement” is really a HUGE tax give away to those rich people I referred to above who have BOUGHT these republicans “hook. line, and sinker.”
And, to further thumb their noses to “we the people” in order to get the votes needed to pass their draconian legislation they are attempting to FURTHER buy off balking senators. It’s been reported that Senator Murkowski from Alaska has been. on the one hand, offered a “deal” for Alaska that’s (at least temporarily) better than the rest of us get, and, on the other hand, if she fails to support a bill that makes her “gag,” Alaska could face a republican backlash. And, of course, Alaska depends on the federal government, possibly, more than any other state. In other words – you do what we want, you get more money – you vote your conscience, well, your state could get………………… (Kind of like how you’d expect the mafia to act).
And, “we the people” face a media that, in too many instances, not only goes along with these type of “underworld” actions in Congress, but in some instances encourages it. Evidently, we’re so numbed by the rich buying our leaders that it’s just normal and we’re not going to do anything about it. In this instance over 30 MILLION Americans stand to lose their access to health insurance and, if republicans succeed in doing this, it will be DAMAGE (which I’ve talked about since Trump’s success last November with the help of the Russians) that will be incredibly hard to “fix.” This will be the most cynical example of the “power” of republican donors in history!
From everything I’ve read, this bill is the result of republican donors pushing for the so-called “repeal and replace” that’s been proffered for over 7 years. The FACT most republicans have NO IDEA what they’re actually voting for means little – because, the most important thing to them is the MONEY they get from their rich benefactors AND blocking any threat of being “primaried.” Senator Murkowski is one senator who claims to be actually reading the bill as the “money changers” are putting the pressure on her. She could end up being an American hero if she continues to vote against this TAX CUT in “health care’s clothing.”
The sad reality is that, prior to this latest fiasco, the Senate Health committee was working on a (grab your chest, I don’t want to give you a heart attack) bipartisan attempt to “fix” the parts of “Obamacare” that would make it even more accessible to “we the people” and could actually bring insurance rates DOWN. Of course, the reality republicans don’t like is that President Obama’s name would still be “attached” to the Affordable Care Act.
What republicans don’t seem to understand is that they can’t remove President Obama’s name from the push for health care as a “right” in America. Yes, they could create a temporary road block to providing health care to more Americans, but as this issue unfolds, no matter how long it takes to achieve “health care for all,” President Obama will ALWAYS be seen as the president who got past the first step – and, that was overcoming republican obstruction as the “Affordable Care Act” was initially passed. These republicans seem to be in a rush to place themselves in the dark pages of American History.
Here’s another thing republicans don’t understand. If they succeed in “repealing” the Affordable Care Act their “true colors” will soon become apparent to many voters who actually supported Trump in the past election. Of course, many of these republicans can’t stomach Trump any more than many of us “progressives” (liberals) but don’t have the courage to say so in public. As with the sucking up to the “money changers” they also are apparently sucking up to Trump’s “base.” There’s a reason Congress is less popular than the local dog catcher and it’s mostly due to the republican obstruction during Obama’s term and, now, their exposed incompetence during Trump’s first 9 months in office.
One more thing – Trump is likely to find a bad outcome when Robert Mueller’s report becomes public. The Russians associated with Vladimir Putin operate just as an American crime family would operate and Trump seems to be very comfortable in their “world.” There’s no doubt in my mind there was collusion (to me, that’s just another word for TREASON) – the June meeting last year with Donald Trump Jr., Paul Manafort, and Jared Kushner along with FIVE Russians directly connected to Putin who were offering damaging information on Hillary Clinton “seals the deal.” The emails associated with that meeting removes any doubt about “collusion.” And, obviously, what happened thereafter will only become known when our media “discovers” it.
If it were you or me and we committed actions similar to Trump Jr., Manafort, and Kushner, along with the actions of Mike Flynn we’d be looking at serious jail time. Flynn, Manafort, and Kushner have serious issues with federal forms they filled out to gain security clearance where they withheld incriminating information along with the normal LYING that goes along with being on the “Trump team.” They are, or should be, ALL in “hot water.” Of course, Trump has famously talked openly about his power to “pardon” and demonstrated it with an outrageous pardon of sheriff Joe Arpaio – who violated the rights of people in the Latino community of Arizona for years – and, ran his jail like a gulag. One has to wonder, have all these CRIMINALS been offered pardons already? (for example, what did Trump mean when he publicly called for Flynn to “stay strong?”)
If you remember, Trump waited 18 days after he was notified that comments from Mike Pense related to information Pense had received from Flynn were incorrect and that Flynn was vulnerable to Russian “blackmail.” Well, many people have wondered why it took Trump so long to fire Flynn and, at the same time they take for granted that everyone in the Trump “camp” was telling the truth when they said “Flynn lied to the Vice President.” (Of course, in my mind, members of the “Trump team” RARELY tell the truth)
Not for one minute did I believe that Flynn LIED to Pense. I’ve ALWAYS believed the one who was LYING was the Vice President. (and Pense has repeatedly proved his propensity to LIE since that date) To think that Mike Flynn was in a meeting with the Russian Ambassador and talking about the removal of sanctions once Trump was in office on his own would be laughable if all this wasn’t so serious. They would have us all believe Flynn had that meeting and then for the next month said nothing about it, or any thing said in the meeting, to anyone. And, I believe, the meeting took place in Trump Tower, so no one knew what was discussed, right? As many in the sports world have said at ridiculous things, “Come on man!”
To me, the 18 days gave the Trump “team” time to plan their strategy of evasion once the inevitable arrived – and, that was the day Flynn had to go. Of course, we all know that Flynn was “fired” because the media found out about this, not because of any “LIES,” but the Trump “team” knew the inevitable once Sally Yates communicated her concerns with Don McGahn – Trump’s “White House” counsel. And, don’t fool yourself about all of Flynn’s other baggage. It was no secret – President Obama even warned Trump about Flynn. That would point to one of Pense’s other LIES. I’ll explain to help clear your mind and, hopefully, help you understand the gravity of this situation.
Pense was in an interview on television shortly after Flynn’s activities with the Turkish government were made public (and, Pense and the rest of Trump’s “team” would also have to have known about Flynn’s activities in Russia at that point in time because EVERYONE else paying attention knew) and Pense’s response was “This is the first time I’ve heard this.” Well, Pense was the head of the transition team for Trump and Flynn informed him, and the rest of the “team,” approximately two weeks prior to the inauguration he was under investigation as a lobbyist for the Turkish government. This TV interview was in March. Is this all sinking in? It doesn’t seem plausible Pense would NOT have known about Turkey and/or Russia. As with most other “secrets” in the Trump world, they are only “owned” up to once the media exposes them. This is the reason I subscribed to the NY Times – to support the journalism that very possibly might prevent America from becoming a satellite of Russia and Vladimir Putin. We would know NONE of this without the investigative journalists that Trump continues to attack as providing “fake news.”
So, getting back to the republicans “repeal” of “Obamacare” in order to feed their benefactors BILLIONS in tax relief for health care labeled – going forward – as “Trump care” can you see my point? Those who think like myself are not surprised that republicans are bending to the will of those millionaires and billionaires who have BOUGHT them over the years. What is surprising is they don’t see the folly of being “connected” to “Trump care” and a president who should NEVER have spent a day in office and one who SHOULD be impeached for a plethora of reasons. Trump is potentially connected to the “underworld” but, he’s CERTAINLY connected to Vladimir Putin and Russia and it’s going to look really bad when Mueller’s report is completed. The question at that point will be, “do the republicans have the ‘stones” to impeach Trump?” Even if they lack the courage to do the right thing regarding impeachment, do they want to be attached with “Trump care” for the foreseeable future?
Some on the “right” have predicted Trump’s “White Nationalist” base will revolt with violence if he’s impeached. However, when the special counsel reports are final, if he’s NOT impeached the backlash from the overwhelming portion of Americans who will be sickened by the thought of having a president who committed TREASON – at worst, or at a minimum attempted to COVER UP treason by members of his campaign – sitting in the “White House.” Already, a majority of Americans are “embarrassed” to have a president who’s a “White Supremacist.” (If you think that’s a harsh criticism, check out Trump’s public history – starting with birtherism – as they say, “actions speak louder than words”)
Republicans may be thinking either progressives won’t vote in 2018 or they can suppress their vote in 2018. But, I believe the undoing of “Obamacare” for a bill that will give BILLIONS to the rich and cause MILLIONS of Americans to lose access to health insurance will create more “progressives” than republicans can imagine. Republicans have been enabling the “rich” in America to plunder “we the people” since the days of Reagan simply because it gets them LOTS of money. This bill could put the plunder of taxpayers on steroids – maybe that’s what it will take for “we the people” to realize FDR’s “New Deal” is what made us “great” and Trump’s motto “Make America Great Again” is simply “dog whistle” talk for “make America white again.” There’s nothing great about that. If republicans pass “Graham/Cassidy” November of 2018 can’t come soon enough!
Final though: America is greatest when government is working from the bottom up. Focusing on “the least of these” in the words of Jesus Christ. I believe even atheists can understand that principle. What I don’t understand is why so many so-called “conservative Christians” can’t. (for example, there are hundreds of thousands of homeless veterans in America. That is shameful and it’s something our government should be rectifying – sooner rather than later. And, the list goes on…………)