The Politics of Unifying and Dividing and other stuff
At the celebration of the life of Senator John McCain in Washington, D.C., he invited two of his political rivals to deliver eulogies. George W. Bush and Barrack Obama. Men who kept him from achieving his ultimate goal, to be president of these United States. One more demonstration that he was interested in uniting rather than dividing the American people.
Donald Trump has no interest in uniting all of the American people. He is solely concerned with unifying those who are willing to allow him to not just perpetuate the inequality of wealth and income; but those who will sit silently as he widens the gulf between the haves and have-nots. As long as he supports their xenophobia, their pseudo-religious fervor and the ignorance of the historical fact that we are a nation of immigrants, they will allow him to make the rich richer and the poor poorer.
The only way to address this is to get out and vote in November. Vote Republicans out to limit the damage that Trump can do during what needs to be his limited remaining time in office.
* * *
Speaking of damage caused by the #LiarInChief, there is this:
He is referring to the investigations and indictments of Chris Collins, and Duncan Hunter, the first two members of the House to support his campaign.
Describing these two investigations as "...long-running, Obama era, investigations..." is a baldfaced lie. The criminal acts allegedly committed by Mr. Collins did not occur until AFTER the inauguration of Donald Trump. The investigation into the acts allegedly committed by Mr. Hunter and his wife was not opened by the Justice Department until AFTER the inauguration of Donald Trump. That investigation was opened in March of 2017.
In the indictment of Mr. and Mrs. Hunter, 200 separate instances of the misuse of campaign funds are laid out in detail. There is no way that spending nearly $250 for luggage for a personal vacation to Italy is a proper campaign expenditure. They spent $14,261.33 for that vacation itself.
A plane ticket for a family pet (rabbit)?? The indictment claims Mr. Hunter spent $399.06 at Best Buy to purchase a camera to photograph a family vacation in Idaho. Then, the indictment alleges, he told his campaign treasurer that he actually bought ink, paper and computer software.
This is not a politically motivated witch-hunt. Both of these cases involve alleged violations of federal law.
Donald Trump's notion of delaying investigations and/or indictments so as not to influence elections rings hollow given the renewed inquiries into the Clinton email "scandal" back in 2016. The people who are going to send someone to Washington, D.C. to represent them have the right to know what that individual stands accused of.
* * *
Random Ponderings:
Nike's decision to make Colin Kaepernick the face of their "Just Do It" ad is causing controversy. If people want to burn their Nikes, or go out and buy some, they should just do that. Me, I might even go buy a pair of Nikes since I'm in need of a new pair, although I usually choose ASICS. This issue reminded me of another Nike commercial with a tagline I like better than Just Do It.
If Wiz Khalifa wants to let his son ride the bus to school, that's his choice. He isn't riding the public busses, but a private bus service to the private school where Wiz is paying more than $30,000 for tuition. I think the kid is safe on that bus.
Update: James P. Baldwin continues to top the list of the California Franchise Tax Board's Top 500 delinquent taxpayers with an unpaid balance of $266.4 million. Interestingly, the FTB list shows Mr. Baldwin's contractor license as still active, but the Contractor License Board's website shows it suspended due to failure to pay taxes...and failure to provide proof of workers compensation insurance. Wonder if he's still in business.
I'd love to see billboards in Texas displaying Trump's comments about "lying Ted Cruz" during the next few weeks before the election.
If I were given the opportunity to interview Monica Lewinsky in front of an audience, I'd have taken the time beforehand to ask if there were any off-limits topics. An interviewer in Israel asked her if she felt Bill Clinton owed her a personal apology and she walked off the stage without answering. Then again, the interviewer was told beforehand the question was off-limits and still asked it.
It was vandals who changed the marquee sign at an Arby's in Minnesota. I won't repeat the message, but I hope the people who changed it are caught.
There is a gun store/range in Hawaii that says 70% of the people who come in to shoot are from Japan and China, nations with extremely tight gun-control laws. Sounds like a good business to be in.
Donald Trump has no interest in uniting all of the American people. He is solely concerned with unifying those who are willing to allow him to not just perpetuate the inequality of wealth and income; but those who will sit silently as he widens the gulf between the haves and have-nots. As long as he supports their xenophobia, their pseudo-religious fervor and the ignorance of the historical fact that we are a nation of immigrants, they will allow him to make the rich richer and the poor poorer.
The only way to address this is to get out and vote in November. Vote Republicans out to limit the damage that Trump can do during what needs to be his limited remaining time in office.
* * *
Speaking of damage caused by the #LiarInChief, there is this:
Two long running, Obama era, investigations of two very popular Republican Congressmen were brought to a well publicized charge, just ahead of the Mid-Terms, by the Jeff Sessions Justice Department. Two easy wins now in doubt because there is not enough time. Good job Jeff......— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 3, 2018
He is referring to the investigations and indictments of Chris Collins, and Duncan Hunter, the first two members of the House to support his campaign.
Describing these two investigations as "...long-running, Obama era, investigations..." is a baldfaced lie. The criminal acts allegedly committed by Mr. Collins did not occur until AFTER the inauguration of Donald Trump. The investigation into the acts allegedly committed by Mr. Hunter and his wife was not opened by the Justice Department until AFTER the inauguration of Donald Trump. That investigation was opened in March of 2017.
In the indictment of Mr. and Mrs. Hunter, 200 separate instances of the misuse of campaign funds are laid out in detail. There is no way that spending nearly $250 for luggage for a personal vacation to Italy is a proper campaign expenditure. They spent $14,261.33 for that vacation itself.
A plane ticket for a family pet (rabbit)?? The indictment claims Mr. Hunter spent $399.06 at Best Buy to purchase a camera to photograph a family vacation in Idaho. Then, the indictment alleges, he told his campaign treasurer that he actually bought ink, paper and computer software.
This is not a politically motivated witch-hunt. Both of these cases involve alleged violations of federal law.
Donald Trump's notion of delaying investigations and/or indictments so as not to influence elections rings hollow given the renewed inquiries into the Clinton email "scandal" back in 2016. The people who are going to send someone to Washington, D.C. to represent them have the right to know what that individual stands accused of.
* * *
Random Ponderings:
Nike's decision to make Colin Kaepernick the face of their "Just Do It" ad is causing controversy. If people want to burn their Nikes, or go out and buy some, they should just do that. Me, I might even go buy a pair of Nikes since I'm in need of a new pair, although I usually choose ASICS. This issue reminded me of another Nike commercial with a tagline I like better than Just Do It.
If Wiz Khalifa wants to let his son ride the bus to school, that's his choice. He isn't riding the public busses, but a private bus service to the private school where Wiz is paying more than $30,000 for tuition. I think the kid is safe on that bus.
Update: James P. Baldwin continues to top the list of the California Franchise Tax Board's Top 500 delinquent taxpayers with an unpaid balance of $266.4 million. Interestingly, the FTB list shows Mr. Baldwin's contractor license as still active, but the Contractor License Board's website shows it suspended due to failure to pay taxes...and failure to provide proof of workers compensation insurance. Wonder if he's still in business.
I'd love to see billboards in Texas displaying Trump's comments about "lying Ted Cruz" during the next few weeks before the election.
If I were given the opportunity to interview Monica Lewinsky in front of an audience, I'd have taken the time beforehand to ask if there were any off-limits topics. An interviewer in Israel asked her if she felt Bill Clinton owed her a personal apology and she walked off the stage without answering. Then again, the interviewer was told beforehand the question was off-limits and still asked it.
It was vandals who changed the marquee sign at an Arby's in Minnesota. I won't repeat the message, but I hope the people who changed it are caught.
There is a gun store/range in Hawaii that says 70% of the people who come in to shoot are from Japan and China, nations with extremely tight gun-control laws. Sounds like a good business to be in.
posted by me at 8:20 AM
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