Aug 22^nd

As everyone knows, last night was Donald Trump’s speech to the faithful, or at least to the curious, in Mobile, Alabama. There is some disagreement about the turnout. Fox News had it at well over 30 thousand people, but other networks had it closer to 20 thousand. However many it was, and it was surely many, it was many more than any other Republican has been able to attract. Trump is getting right up there with Bernie Sanders’ crowd appeal. Of course no one on Fox News mentioned that comparison and certainly no one mentioned it to Trump.

Trump once again showed that he was willing to manufacture facts as needed; specifically with regard to South Korea now much in the news. Trump claimed that we have 48.5 thousand troops there protecting that country. Unless we recently added 20 thousand the number is 28.5 thousand. Then Trump complained that we aren’t paid for this protection. Actually South Korea pays all of our expenses for keeping those troops there. That information wouldn’t fit well with Trump’s agenda which is that everyone takes advantage of poor us.

In his comments about how we defend other countries without charge he didn’t mention Israel, which receives 3 billion dollars a year of our tax money. The thanks we get are Israeli agents pushing our Congress to do what is in Israel’s best interests and TV ads trashing the Iran agreement. That would surely be something for Trump to complain about but not a word from Trump except for him to tell us that he will be a better friend of Israel than any other candidate.

Trump also tells his audience that he will be the greatest job creator ever; he will bring jobs back from China, from Mexico and from wherever else they might have gone. Unfortunately he says not one word about how he will bring this about, picky, picky. Trust the man; doesn’t he look trustworthy? How could you have amassed all that money, attracted three beautiful wives, fly around in a multimillion dollar airplane if you weren’t trustworthy?

One tiny inconsistency appears: Trump wants to deport all of 12 million or so illegal Latino immigrants and their families. (I’ve already commented on the problems with that.) Assuming it will cost about a thousand dollars for each deportee that will come to about 120 billion dollars, not counting the roundup and holding tank costs. (Maybe rounding up, building camps for, and then guarding 12 million illegals provides some of the jobs Trump promises to create.) But hasn’t Trump claimed that he would confiscate the money these immigrants are sending back to Mexico and use that money to build his wall? If he sends these immigrants out of the country where will he get the money to build that magnificent wall? I’m afraid we’ll have a very long wait to find out. Meanwhile folks, just enjoy the carnival; it will be something for your kids to tell their grandchildren about.

 

Aug 21^st

Cal Thomas provides some nonsense for me to disparage today. Good old Cal, whatever would I do without him? In his very first paragraph he says, “America appears in decline under a disengaged President.” This “disengaged President” has just negotiated an agreement between six nations, including Russia and China, to limit Iraq’s development of nuclear capability. Now he must fight against our “ally” Israel’s desperate attempts to sabotage it. He has also managed to get the Affordable Care Act passed and declared constitutional by SCOTUS. He has also managed to make same sex marriage possible in this country. He has reestablished a diplomatic relationship with Cuba in spite of screams from the right that the fifty year old boycott of Cuba had “just begun to work.” The result of his constant appearances to lobby the public for these and other programs, we have George Will claiming that he is “overexposed.” Can you be disengaged and overexposed at the same time? This is possible only for conservatives who are criticizing the President.

Moving right along to the next sentence Cal Thomas tells us that “We can’t seem to win wars, or know why we are fighting them.” Who started those wars Cal? Who claimed that Iraq had “weapons of mass destruction and then destroyed the careers of Ambassador Wilson and his CIA wife, Valerie Plame, when they didn’t find the required evidence? You might read “The war they wanted; the lies they needed” in Vanity Fair.

Then he claims that “People are afraid of losing their jobs or are unable to find one. While the treasury takes in record amounts of money from working people, it outspends its income.” Cal Thomas should know that the treasury can’t take in record amounts of money from people who aren’t employed. So of course Cal isn’t stupid enough to claim employment is low but he can claim people are “afraid of losing their jobs.” The evidence he gives for this assertion is what? Then he claims that some are unable to find jobs. That’s true and it has always been true even in Ronald Reagan’s administration.

Cal Thomas finally attacks liberal politicians whom he claims are “providing ‘benefits’ in exchange for votes.” My goodness Cal, what a cynic you’ve become. I’m sure your church has a pantry where indigent people can get food. Most churches are not big on allowing people to go hungry because they can’t find work that pays enough to pay the rent and to feed their families. So, would you subscribe to the notion that your church just supports their pantry to increase the church’s membership? Perhaps the pantry is there to increase membership enough to qualify for another pastor? Perhaps your cynicism about people wanting to help others only applies to those who don’t share your political views.

 

 

Aug 20^th

I surfed the web just now looking for Mona Charen’s most recent column; she has a number of mini-columns that probably won’t hit our local paper but are interesting nonetheless. I noticed that she had some comments on Jon Stewart’s decision to call it a day; in short, she was delighted. Mona does not believe Jon Stewart added much of anything to our culture. She claims that he was just snarky. She goes on to write this, “But when you picture the typical Stewart viewer, you probably imagine a white hipster looking like the pajama boy from the Obama ads, right?” This quote demonstrates clearly that Mona can be snarky with the best of them. Mona doesn’t realize that Stewart’s snarkiness was usually hilarious; her snarkiness isn’t. He also had some instructive but devilishly embarrassing questions for political guests. This might be why Mona is so happy to see him leave.

I also trolled Fox News this afternoon and there was Gretchen Carlson with two guests discussing politics. Gretchen, like most female Fox anchors, is blonde and attractive, indeed Gretchen is a former Miss America; perhaps this credential was a help getting your own show on Fox.

The guests were explaining that there were some interesting shifts in the recent polls. First, even though he isn’t officially running, Joe Biden would beat any of the Republican candidates in Florida, Pennsylvania and Ohio. (This Quinnipiac Poll results infuriated the next Fox Anchor, who claimed the poll wasn’t worth “spit” because no one had yet taken a shot at Biden who wasn’t really running yet.)

Then the guests pointed out to Gretchen Carlson how well Bernie Sanders was doing and the huge crowds he was drawing. (Donald Trump said he had several thousand in his auditorium but the auditorium only holds 800. Donald is lying more like a politician every day.) Sanders is now even with Clinton in Iowa. This news caused a volcanic reaction form Ms. Carlson; she couldn’t believe it!

Bernie Sanders says that he is a socialist. Gretchen Carlson simply does not believe that in this great country of ours anyone could vote for a (Gasp) socialist (Gasp). That’s what she said and I heard her say it. She was incredulous that anyone would vote for an avowed socialist! I believe that Gretchen Carlson ranks socialists a full rung below child pornographers. She went on to say that people would be voting for the kind of government they had in Denmark, or Sweden, or Norway. It is obvious that Ms. Carlson has no idea how the government of Sweden, or any other of the other Nordic countries works. They do produce the happiest people anywhere. Iceland is close to the top of the “happiest list” and in Iceland you must select your baby’s name from a list approved by the government. Even that degree of government supervision doesn’t make for unhappy Icelanders. It would surely make for a very unhappy Gretchen Carlson.

 

Aug 19^th

I can find nothing new to say today about Trump or any of the right wing talking heads. Trump’s absurd suggestion to deport some 15 million people is no less silly today than it was when he made it. We do have George Will who wants to chase Trump out of the Republican Party but his only suggestion as to method is to not invite him to debates. As I wrote, if the RNC cannot get rid of a homophobic bigot in their own ranks (David Agema of Michigan) how can they remove someone from their party? Clearly, they cannot. If they do remove Trump and declare him a “non-Republican” he will surely form his own party and hand any vertical Democrat the Presidency.

Then there is Hilary Clinton who continues to stub her toe on her private server. Unfair as the flood of accusations are, and they are, witness the number of “maybe classified” or “FBI looking into” statements that are hardly smoking guns. That doesn’t matter because there are enough people who are beginning to waver about her so that such remarks, hammered incessantly at the public by Fox News and the Wall Street Journal, will have an effect. I doubt that she will drop out but her popularity may decline to the point that other, more viable, candidates will come forward, specifically, Joe Biden.  

Fox News, just five minutes ago, declared that three (more) of Clinton’s emails were just classified “secret.” This special announcement, made in somber tones by a very serious looking official, also admits that these emails had just recently been so classified and were not classified this way when Clinton sent or received them. Clinton, we are assured, should have known that they would be classified “secret.”  The Fox News anchor, who relays this information, doesn’t bother to ask her informant just how Mrs. Clinton was supposed to know this when it has taken some days for FBI officialdom to decide it. Oh yes, and much has also been made of the fact that the server was physically kept in a closet in a condominium in Colorado. No information at all about who put it there, but that it was not stored in Fort Knox is surely Hilary Clinton’s fault. Don’t misunderstand me; I am not one of Hilary Clinton’s strongest supporters but these criticisms are beyond ridiculous.

It’s time to go and listen to Donald Trump who is even now on all the networks doing a town hall presentation in New Hampshire. At least with him the irrational is to be expected.

 

Aug 18^th

Donald Trump continues to make news, even though there was a brief hiatus when he was called to jury duty yesterday in New York City. Now we have politicians who have come forth to agree with his position on deporting illegal immigrants and all their children. The number of potential deportees is unknown but is estimated variously at between 10 and 15 million people. I mentioned yesterday that there is no reason to believe that the countries from whence these folks came will take them back, but that is a minor problem for Trump’s scheme. A major problem is that exporting the children of these folks, children born in this country, are, by the 14^th Amendment to the Constitution, United States citizens. No problem says Trump; just change the Constitution.

Who buys into the Trump plan? We begin with that stalwart conservative, the Governor of Louisiana, Bobby Jindal. Governor Jindal you may remember was in England not long ago where he endeared himself to officialdom there by insisting that Muslims had instituted their own Sharia law in some cities where even the police were afraid to go.  When faced with a “show me” from officials, Bobby didn’t back down but he didn’t produce the any evidence either. Now Bobby, and many other far right Republican candidates, is supporting Trump’s suggestions. Even Scott Walker has bought this “pot of message” and tries to convince everyone that he was there first.

Let’s face it, offering automatic citizenship to any child born here regardless of the status of that child’s parents is a magnet for pregnant women to get to this country before they deliver. A Rasmussen (perhaps right biased) poll found 61 percent of respondents believe the Constitution should be changed. Legislation is already on its way to do that; it won’t be easy though because simply passing legislation won’t do the job if SCOTUS declares the result unconstitutional, and that’s what they will do. There are businesses in this country devoted entirely to providing a safe and pleasant environment for foreign nationals coming here on tourist Visas specifically to have a child who will then be a U.S. citizen. This isn’t what those originally supporting the 14^th Amendment had in mind; the Amendment was meant to provide citizenship to former slaves.

Changing the Constitution will not be easy even for Trump. Moreover changing it now will not change the status of the children already born here; they are U.S. citizens whether Trump, Bobby Jindal or Scott Walker likes it or not. Deporting U.S. citizens, even if they are the children of people who came here illegally, may not be possible even for “very, very rich” Donald Trump.

Aug 17^th

Donald Trump, at last, has come out with a policy statement about immigration and immigrants. We know he will build a wall and we know he will get the Mexican government to pay for it and we know that he won’t tell anyone how he will get the Mexican government to do that¹. He told Chuck Todd that everyone would be “so pleased” after four years of his Presidency. Trump is the quintessential salesman. I can hear him now, under more modest circumstances of course, after selling the retired minister a five year old Chevy, “You will be so pleased.” And Reverend Roberts will be pleased too, just on the basis of the force and sincerity of that salesman’s hypnotic personality.

Setting aside the wall and how Trump will make Mexico pay for it, we have the problem with what to do with illegal immigrants who are already here. In some cases the immigrants have been here for years, have worked here and paid taxes here and have children who were born here. Trump tells Chuck Todd that he will send them all back. That will be quite an undertaking because there about 6 million of them and that might not count dependents; no matter, Trump will send them all back.

In spite of the obvious problems with this plan Trump does have some support: Senator Jefferson Beauregard Sessions, the junior Senator from Alabama, Selma Alabama in fact, thinks Trump’s plan is just fine. Perhaps the Senator has invested in air lines serving Mexico and Central America. (It is really hard not to be snarky with this nonsense.) Consider that Trump claims that he will not separate families; this means that he plans to deport children born in this country which clearly violates the 14^th Amendment to the Constitution. According to this amendment children born in this country are citizens. If Trump deports these families, a process now clearly illegal he will have to find and then pen up about 12 million people until he can find enough empty airplanes to transport them to the countries they came from.

Then he has another problem: Suppose the countries in question are in no mood to receive several hundred thousand people who will arrive without jobs, with many of their adolescent children no longer even speaking the language. Trump nowhere discusses what he will do if one of these countries tells a plane carrying emigrants it can’t land. That’s OK, I’m sure that Trump will just make these countries accept the people who left years ago for life in the United States.

¹Now comes an article from “Fortune” just today about Trumps plan to pay for the wall. Trump claims that Mexicans in this country remit 22 billion dollars to relatives in Mexico. He would confiscate that money. Unfortunately that includes the money sent to Mexico by all Mexicans both legals and illegals. Confiscating money sent by U.S. citizens to relatives in Mexico would hardly be legal. Then there is the likely shift from traceable wire transfers used now to untraceable digital and bitcoin transfers which cannot be traced and are cheaper. Oh Pshaw, maybe Donald will have to settle for a wall just three feet high.

Aug 16^th

Today it’s time to comment on the Clinton email epic. As you may know Hillary Clinton, while Secretary of State, maintained a server in her home for email purposes. This, she claims, was done for convenience. The move was problematical because she should have known that it would invite criticism from right wingers who would accuse her of hiding something. That’s exactly what happened. Then to add to her problems there is some evidence that “maybe” some (four) of her emails were labeled secret by the government. No one has demonstrated that Clinton knew this or that the documents were so labeled before Clinton got them. There is more, but this should be enough review. The right wing pundits are now all over this; the general public not so much.

Fox News has an anchor named Jeanine Pirro who has her own program on Saturday nights, titled “Justice with Judge Jeanine.” The woman is an attorney and was elected judge in Westchester County New York. This last Saturday Judge Jeanine decided to make a case against Hilary Clinton and her emails. After her show, those on the right concluded that Hilary was guilty as charged. My guess is that they were of that opinion before Judge Jeanine had even started her program.

There is a back story here: Judge Judy has an interesting past. Her husband (she is now divorced) is in the slammer for fleecing some folks out of a million dollars. There was no charge against Judge Judy, although there was some difficulty with her trying to record phone calls in order to get evidence of hanky-panky against hubby for divorce purposes. There is a record of her profanity-laced conversation with a police commissioner in which she is trying to get a recording device on her husband’s boat. Hubby seems to have been in the mob and Jeanine could play a mobster’s wife with no difficulty. She has the vocabulary down pat. None of this makes for an ideal Senate candidate but that is the office for which she decided to run, Senator from New York State.

Whatever negative things that might be said about her, lack of ambition is not among them. Unfortunately Jeanine Pirro picked the wrong time to run for the New York Senate seat; her opponent was Hillary Clinton. Before long a Quinnipiac poll showed Clinton getting 61 percent against Pirro’s 30 percent and Jeanine decided to drop out and take her talents elsewhere. Now she can roast Hillary Clinton to her heart’s content and no one will think she has an axe to grind; no one but those of us who know the back story.

There are also right wingers who delight in comparing Clinton’s imagined transgressions with those of General Petraeus. He presented his biographer and paramour Paula Broadwell, with, literally, books of military secrets. Donald Trump says that Hilary Clinton did what General Petraeus did and should get the same treatment. “She’s finished,” he says. Trump has accused Governor Perry of wearing glasses just so he would look smart. If Trump sees Secretary Clinton and General Petraeus as equivalent in their disclosing of military secrets he needs much better glasses than Perry wears.