I wrote the other day about the inspiring speech Jeff Flake gave on the floor of the Senate announcing his retirement from the Senate because he could not envision “winning the primary without compromising his conservative principles” – or words to that affect. In the post, I pointed out how much I appreciated a republican speaking out about the bizarre behavior of the president who is a member of his own party. He and his cohort Bob Corker of Tennessee are the two most outspoken critics of Trump, who are republicans (and, in Congress – there’s MANY outside of Congress) In the post I mentioned I’d love to “have breakfast with Flake and discuss our differences, maybe we’d both grow.”
Both Flake and Corker will be in Congress for another year and a half – here’s the rub. Despite their criticism of Trump (well founded, and accurate) the reality is they vote for Trump’s “stuff” almost 100% of the time. So, while they are leaving Congress, apparently they’re not willing to help BLOCK his terrible agenda. Just yesterday, both Flake and Corker voted to repeal a regulation from the Consumer Financial Protection Agency that prohibits large banks from blocking consumers from suing them when they commit consumer fraud. These republicans are FORCING consumers to accept “forced arbitration” the next time they’re ripped off by a financial institution. I believe both Flake and Corker voted for the budget that cuts $1.5 TRILLION from Medicare and Medicaid in order to pave the way for another HUGE tax cut for the rich (that will be called “tax reform”) that republicans will claim will “balance the budget” – BUT, in reality, will increase the deficit by TRILLIONS. This happens EVERY time a republican makes it to the “White House.”
Recently, the House voted to repeal a large portion of the so-called “Dodd-Frank” legislation that was put in place after the financial meltdown of 2008-2009. Fortunately, I believe the Senate will be required to have 60 votes to get this one through. However, it’s appearing to me they’ve figured out a way to get their “tax reform” through with only 50 votes – which means, for people like me – MIDDLE CLASS – we’re going to be paying MORE while the republican benefactors will be paying MUCH less. The deficit will balloon and, in 2020, when some, at this time, unknown democrat retakes the White House republicans will be BLAMING that president and the democrats for the deficit and the national debt they’ve so masterfully given us since the days of Reagan. How many times will “we the people” repeat this stupid step before the TRUTH sinks in.
I’ve mentioned many times that there’s a plethora of “low information voters” in America and outlets like Fox “news,” Breitbart, the right wing radio talkers, etc. target them – just as the Russians targeted them in the 2016 election. The plan is to keep “we the people” arguing about stuff that is irrelevant to the administration of the country – which should focus on the economy, the infrastructure, education, public safety, the judicial system, and the military to name some of the stuff which is relevant. While “we the people” are arguing about “wedge issues” like abortion, gay rights, and “drill baby drill” the republicans are continually FLEECING us out of TRILLIONS of dollars. Their GREED is never ending. And, they ALWAYS couch it in words like – these rich people, or these rich corporations will reward all us minions with better jobs and higher salaries! Yikes, when will we learn?!
This time, Trump is claiming his tax cuts are aimed at the Middle Class. Well, from what I can tell, there is some truth to that. We in the middle class will be paying MORE. The percentage of our income going to federal taxes will stay about the same – but, especially, for those who live in states where there’s high sales taxes and property taxes – we’ll be paying federal tax on those taxes because that’s one of the “deductions” they want to eliminate. I’m still wondering if they have the nerve to eliminate the deduction for home mortgage interest charges??? When the smoke clears, republicans will own all this and Trump will claim “victory.” The question then will become, how soon till Trump’s own voters recognized what he’s doing to them? Unfortunately, many of them watch Fox – which, I’ve predicted will at some point be part of the dregs of American History.
Fox, along with the republicans, as I’ve stated many times, are strong proponents of the “Big Lie Theory” – where, if you tell a LIE over and over, eventually people will believe it’s true. (This theory was the work of Joseph Goebbels of the Nazi Third Reich) They’re in the process right now of a WHOPPER! I forced myself to listen to a couple minutes of Sean Hannity the other night – it was like TORTURE and a couple minutes was all I could handle – and he was proclaiming, essentially, the “greatest scandal of the century.” I’m not kidding when I say he was talking about the so-called “uranium deal.” Referring, of course, to a 2010 deal which was approved by the Obama administration while Hillary Clinton was Secretary of State and involved a Russian company buying a Canadian company that controlled approximately 10 – 20% of America’s uranium – which they could NOT sell outside the country.
As far as I’m concerned let the republicans investigate Hillary Clinton, Jim Comey, Eric Holder, and Robert Mueller (to name a few of their supposed “targets”) till the cows come home. I’m just hoping that, at some point, “we the people” wake up. Around the world the STUPIDITY of the American public is becoming well known – and disturbing to our allies. Of course, to the Russians, they’re all smiles. This latest effort by Fox and republicans to DEFLECT the attention of “we the people” from the REALITY that Russia ATTACKED the U.S. during the last election with the purpose of either helping Trump or damaging Mrs. Clinton – AND, for sure dividing “we the people” SHOULD be alarming to EVERY American – no matter their “politics.” The Russians are laughing at “we the people” – and, we continue to give them fodder!
They believe they succeeded in getting Trump elected – and, I’m certainly not one to doubt they’re correct. “We the people” still don’t know MUCH of what they were “up to” during the election – it’s coming out “drip, drip, drip” just as the COLLUSION with Trump and his campaign. Reports from people who actually stream Russian TV report something entirely different from what we in America see and hear on our media outlets – including the so-called “liberal” outlets like MSNBC and CNN. (I don’t know anything about CNN – I’m just going on hearsay that they have a “liberal bent” – personally, I doubt it) Here’s something I saw recently from a website that is clearly “anti-Trump” – but, claiming to be streaming Russian TV (and, I’ve heard this same “stuff” from others)
From: “The Resistance at “lockhimupnow.org”
Last month Vyacheslav Nikonov, a member of the Duma (the Russian Parliament), said on national TV that “Russian Intelligence stole the President of the United States.” He asked how the United States can claim to be a world power when it can’t even get elections right.
And last week, a Russian who worked for a government agency known as the “Internet Research Agency” (a/k/a the “troll factory”) said that he and his colleagues watch Netflix’s “House of Cards” TV series to learn how to corrupt the electoral system, and “set the Americans against their own government.”
Here, there are still some Americans who aren’t sure whether Donald Trump and his Russian allies stole the election. But in Russia, you’d be hard-pressed to find anyone who doubts it.
So, Fox and the republicans – to a degree, at least indirectly, including both Flake and Corker – are attempting to DEFLECT the attention of the American people from the likelihood that Trump conspired with Russians to win the election to the sale by a Canadian company that controlled a small percentage of America’s uranium mines – their interest to a Russian corporation (that, is undoubtedly indirectly connected to Putin – isn’t everything in Russia?) This happened about 6 years before “we the people” were concerned that the Russians were meddling in our elections. Trump and the republicans along with all the blowhards that spew right wing garbage on the airwaves will do whatever it takes to ALLOW the Russians to get away with this. Why wouldn’t they? There’s another election on the horizon in 2018 and many republicans will get a “vacation” from Congress UNLESS they can continue receiving this support from Putin.
What’s really scary is that the Russians are teaching republicans, who already were in the “end justifies the means” mentality how they did this. It’s called “divide and conquer.” I’m concerned that media outlets that are trying to figure out what’s going on will continually be one step behind due to their unwillingness to think outside the box or to really PUSH to investigate not only what happened, BUT what’s happening! I personally believe the Russians are STILL busy finding ways to intrude into our government – and, obviously, the Trump administration is and WILL do NOTHING to stop them. Why would they? Come on people, wake up!
So, while I do appreciate republicans like Corker and Flake speaking out, their continual support of the Trump agenda will just allow this NIGHTMARE to continue. Why would we allow ANYTHING Trump was “for” to pass – until it’s CLEAR whether or not he COLLUDED with the Russians. (of course, the meeting of June 9, 2016 answered that question didn’t it?) Flake’s speech was very well written and, as I said before, inspirational – but, his ACTIONS in the Senate, just like Corker’s, leave MUCH to be desired. In fact, Corker is supposed to be a “deficit hawk.” So, why – now that he doesn’t have to run for re-election – would he be voting for HUGE deficits? Courage in Congress comes in strange ways! I’m reminded of the saying, quite often these days, “Actions speak louder than words!”
Final thought: The Russians are laughing at us. Most Americans are unaware of that. I have to wonder how that will reflect on our media outlets as History is written? God HELP the United States of America!