These days nothing should surprise us, so I just took it with “a grain of salt” when I heard it reported Moscow Mitch McConnell is encouraging older “conservative” judges to retire ASAP so he and the rest of the republican Senate can continue their right wing assault on our courts before they’re all voted out of office this November. What was Moscow Mitch doing this past weekend instead of keeping the Senate in session so they could pass the bill which came out of the House Saturday morning? Yup, he was in Kentucky with (the accused sexual assaulter) Brett Kavanaugh “christening” one more YOUNG right wing judge into the judiciary. We’re talking about the word YOUNG being more important to these republicans than “qualified” because these are all LIFETIME appointments.
While McConnell is focused on judges and everyone else is stuck at home (or in the hospital) because of covid-19 it’s not a surprise to me republicans are getting more bad publicity because many of them still believe covid-19 is a “hoax” – in the words of individual 1. I can still guarantee you there are likely MOST republicans who are seeing “rescue packages” right now as money which should go to the HUGE corporate interests who have been funding them for years. Well, that’s just not going to work, first of all, and secondly, I think even republicans are realizing this disaster is something they’ve never seen before. Yesterday, in America, there were around 4400 cases of covid-19 and today the number went past 6000 before my wife said, “dinner’s ready.” (OK, that’s correct, I don’t cook)
There are MILLIONS of low income workers who spend virtually EVERY penny they earn who aren’t earning ANYTHING right now. For those of them living in an apartment they don’t have an extra week waiting for Congress to pass a bill strengthening unemployment insurance so they will be paid while waiting to go back to work. My son is a server in a restaurant and he’s basically without work until this pandemic has passed by. Yes, there are openings in other areas for jobs in other businesses (ie stocking shelves overnight at local grocery stores) but the reality for so many people is they are screwed unless “we the people” DEMAND our “leaders” in Washington take care of OUR people FIRST! (I did hear Mitt Romney suggest every adult should receive a stipend to help stimulate the economy. That may or may not be a good idea, but those without work need to continue being paid)
We’ve witnessed one example of INCOMPETENCE after another coming from our IMPEACHED so-called president since day one of his administration. I’ve (along with many others) been saying for over three years that when individual 1 is finally facing a true “crisis” “we the people” are, likely, in a “heap” of trouble. Well, at this point, unless you’re still listening to Rush Limbaugh or watching Fox “news,” (Limbaugh’s still calling this a “hoax” apparently even blaming it on George Soros – yikes! – he should have to give his “medal” back) you know the actions of our IMPEACHED so-called president has made this much worse. In fact, it continues to make it worse because with so many republicans believing this is a “hoax” they’re still operating as usual and, likely, helping to spread this disease.
Tonight there are reports of three primaries which were all won by Joe Biden who is now presumably the democratic nominee. So, the November election is (at least unofficially) on and we’ll likely see an ever larger MOUNTAIN of LIES coming from individual 1. He is UNABLE to admit making any mistake let alone the TERRIBLE series of MISTAKES which have made this covid-19 likely much worse than it could be had they taken this seriously back in January when all the “clues” were clear as to what we were facing. The “graphs” which are representing the spread of the pandemic are looking almost identical to Italy – which SHOULD give EVERYONE (including republicans) pause. Two weeks from now it is appearing the “you know what” is going to be “hitting the fan.”
It wouldn’t surprise me if we started hearing about Hunter Biden again. Today, individual 1 tried to convince “we the people” to believe him when he says something like “I always knew this was going to be a pandemic before most people understood this.” It just keeps getting more offensive in my opinion. As much as I loathe our IMPEACHED so-called president and look forward to the day he’s VOTED out of office I would love to see him actually take responsibility for his blunders and move forward in a way which doesn’t just continue turning off those Americans who actually have the capability to think for themselves. (And, that doesn’t make them “elitist” it just means they’re smart enough to realize when they’re the victims of pure propaganda) We need individual 1 to actually lead!
Covid-19 is getting worse rapidly and it’s true around 80% of people who contract the virus will get minimal symptoms if they have any symptoms at all, but what our leaders who have been taking this seriously from the outset are attempting to do is to minimize those who are the other 20% which have the possibility (at this point, now, the likelihood) of over running our hospital system with critically ill patients. I have a friend who contracted a severe version of H1N1 about 10 years ago and the doctors still don’t understand how he survived (he was in intensive care for a couple weeks – I still believe it was all the prayer from our church – just sayin….) as his case evolved to “SARS” (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) where it appeared to be a severe case of pneumonia. If covid-19 continues following the “Italy graph” this crisis will make the reality of having individual 1 as our IMPEACHED so-called president even more of a serious issue. It appears he’s beginning to realize what is actually happening, but……..
I’ve heard reports individual 1 has been relying on Jared Kushner and Steven Miller for advice as this crisis has emerged as a freight train coming with people chained to the tracks and him not knowing how to operate bolt cutters and getting advice from people who don’t know what a bolt cutter is. The refusal to accept what seemed obvious to so many back in January and remaining in denial until – well, hopefully, he’s figured out by now this is a problem – and, not simply with the issue with the stock market and the “numbers” which “make me look bad.” His son, back sometime in January was on Fox “news” claiming “democrats are wishing for this virus to kill millions of Americans in order to stop all the winning.” I remember hearing that and thinking “the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.”
Well, all these people Don Jr. was referring to were actually trying to get “through” to his father and those around him in order for them to see the danger which was coming in order to actually give individual 1 the opportunity to act like an actual president. Today, on a day when the number of identified cases of covid-19, when individual 1 said “I knew this was a pandemic well before others realized it was a pandemic” – or words to that effect. People are actually getting even more ANGRY at what they’re seeing coming from the “White House” and our IMPEACHED so-called president worrying more about his own situation than that of the MILLIONS of Americans who are bracing for dealing with this virus – and almost ALL of us dealing with it at least indirectly.
I haven’t been one to be giving individual 1 direct advice, but here’s the reality of his situation. There was a MAJORITY of Americans committed to voting AGAINST him in the November election based on his first three years in office. This crisis was actually an opportunity for him to show he has the ability to act “presidential” and, as usual, he’s failed miserably. And, the continuation of all the LYING is simply going to make matters worse for him. He should have understood the need for transparency. listening to the scientists, and the importance of making reasoned decisions with the benefit of “we the people” as the focus. He has FAILED miserably on all accounts. That being said, he’s going to be our IMPEACHED so-called president at least until next January so “we the people” need to hope he can figure out he’d better start listening to the experts soon. And, as many people have been encouraging him “shut up” and “stop tweeting.”
Not only should he listen to the scientists going forward but also to – well, the “progressives” (OK, liberals) among us who are saying the money the government invests in saving this economy SHOULD work from the bottom up. Essentially, the ONLY legislative act of significance since individual 1 took the oath of office was a tax cut (scam) which funneled TRILLIONS into the “coffers” of major corporations (who are now asking for immediate “bailouts”) and the top “1%” who were already flush with money. The result of that SCAM was corporations and wealthy Americans investing even more in the stock market. It was reported today the airline industry invested 96% of their profits in stock buy backs – and, now, of course, they want government grants and ZERO percent loans to get them through this crisis.
Well, the financial crisis of 2008 is still fresh in my mind and, personally, I’m not opposed to our government INVESTING in corporations who may be in trouble during this time but if they’re going to “do the right thing” providing relief to people like my son who is a server in a restaurant is more likely to boost this economy. People in minimum wage jobs are likely to spend virtually every cent they receive and, beyond that, it’s the right thing to do to put our people FIRST. Maybe, if the republicans are intent on bailing out their donors, it should come in the form of buying stock – like a “public offering” which would allow the money to be recouped after this crisis abates. For sure, in my mind, any money going to the airline industry or other corporate interests should have “strings” attached to it.
It still bothers me thinking back to the major Wall Street banks giving out multi million dollar bonuses to the very people who created the financial crisis with their reckless behavior with taxpayer bailout money – coming from the “free market” republicans. If I remember correctly, when the Obama administration “bailed out” the auto industry (which, by the way, I supported because it saved several thousand jobs in the industry and its “pipeline”) there were strings attached and some of the executives lost their jobs. In other words, there were consequences for the poor decisions which got the industry to that point. I believe the same should be the “plan” going forward in this crisis.
Not surprisingly, to me, we still have around 40% of Americans continuing to support the most inept (IMPEACHED so-called) president, certainly, in my lifetime and, maybe, ever. I’m guessing the next few weeks as this virus continues to “peak” (it went from 4400 confirmed cases to over 6000 in the last 24 hours) there may be even some republicans who realize their party needs to change its priorities. (It’s the next morning and the total number of cases is well over 7000) For heaven’s sake, not only has individual 1 been downplaying this (and, of course, continuing his pathological LYING) but, the idea Moscow Mitch was gone for four days when he could have been showing some serious leadership is not surprising, sadly. And, now it’s reported that one of the U.S. Senators who is always causing me to wonder what is happening in Kentucky (I know they have great basketball teams, but…….), Rand Paul, from reports I’ve heard, is blocking the Senate from passing the House bill which has the first phase of help for those negatively impacted by the pandemic. Yikes!!!
One more thing: It’s really interesting to me watching republicans in this situation when one of their own is in the “White House.” If you remember, the Stimulus bill passed by democrats (with, I believe, a couple republicans with one of them “run out” of the party for his support of the package) amid the 2008 financial crisis which was on the “table” the day Barack Obama took office was at least $400 BILLION less than they wanted and included unnecessary tax cuts to get the 2 or 3 republicans to support it and now, listening to what republicans are saying is, well, how do you spell hypocrisy? (Well, there’s spell check) Individual 1 and his republican sycophants are going to be throwing money everywhere and hoping it “sticks.”
The Fed has already “infused” almost $2 TRILLION into Wall Street, which did almost NOTHING to stop the “tanking,” and they’re chomping at the bit to give almost “free money” to the Wall Street entities which pretty much “own” the republican party. Individual 1 has finally realized his “you know what” is “on the line” here and he’s guessing we’ll all forget his incompetence once this is over if he can figure out how to give out a bunch of money. Personally, I simply believe “paid leave” for workers who are sick and full unemployment benefits for ALL workers who have been furloughed in any way (with a cap of maybe $60,000 per year salary) is where they should start. The idea of the payroll tax “holiday” (which, simply put, is an underhanded way to further the right wing attack on Social Security) made no sense and I’m thankful democrats nixed that idea almost immediately. (That was likely Jared Kushner advice to his father-in-law)
Final Thought: It appears to me Nancy Pelosi is the “adult in the room” during this crisis – up to this point in time. I just hope democrats stick to their values as this all is played out. As I said above, Mitt Romney, again was the republican who stood out – he was the first republican to suggest sending money to every adult American. Now, the question is what will the size of the stimulus be. I’m not sure individual 1 still realizes what we’re all looking at in the next couple of months (at least). His LYING, the LYING coming from outlets like Fox “news” and the other right wing media outlets (which, sadly means MOST of them) along with “talkers” like Limbaugh calling it a democratic or George Soros “hoax” has made this pandemic far worse than it should have been.
“Conservatives” are bumping into each other as they’re trying to figure out how much MONEY to “throw” at this problem. Suddenly the government has become important to them. Well, come to think of it, they’ve always viewed government as a mechanism to pilfer taxpayer dollars and, without a democratically controlled House I don’t think this would be any different. I just listened to Anthony Scaramucci (former “White House” communications director for 10 days until he had an F bomb laced interview on the radio) suggest the government stimulus plan should be about $3 TRILLION. I still can’t forget 2009 when republicans tried to block the stimulus plan of President Obama!
I have to add this: I don’t do “Twitter” but I just saw some “Tweets” individual 1 published today March 18 – right in the middle of this pandemic. He referred to the pandemic as the “Chinese flu” in three different “Tweets.” I’ve also heard him call it the “Kung flu.” Additionally, as he’s been LYING he suggested he reacted early to this and, therefore, “saved many lives.” Well, while I understand the importance of people “coming together” I, for one, am not going to allow individual 1 to get away with his constant LYING and overt RACISM! As I said above, I’m holding out hope he can somehow become honest and transparent but, the reality is, people who are as delusional as he is almost have no hope of changing. Sadly, he’s a racist and pathological LIAR and, apparently, he will never “get” that. (I had pathological LIARS as students and this doesn’t surprise me) The bottom line, for me, is when I read stuff like these “Tweets” I, again, get ANGRY! To me this is unacceptable under any circumstance! I’ve been saying this for 3 years now – November 2020 can’t come soon enough for me!
OMG: The new “plan” is for individual 1 to portray himself as a “wartime” president! Thank God this isn’t a real war!