Thursday, May 4, 2017

THIS & THAT #23

WHAT’S WHITE AND WHITE?
WITH NO COLOR IN SIGHT?
If you watched the self-congratulatory ceremony in the White House Rose Garden today after the GOP narrowly passed their version of a health care reform bill, you may have noticed that many of those applauding themselves were white-skinned, white-haired males, and few were wearing visible female attire.

That’s not to say that some of the male majority attending weren’t wearing fishnet stockings or garter belts beneath their manly attire. All politicians know that it’s best to project a front that their constituents will feel good about. All the GOP representatives who were there, clapping, singing and taking selfies, had best enjoy the moment.

A SEVEN-YEAR ITCH
It took the GOP only seven years to pass their flawed health care bill, and when the voters in their districts read the fine print and discover that Trump-care or Ryan-care, is nothing to brag about, they might think a bit longer and stronger as to whom to vote for in 2018. That’s when 435 congressional seats are up for election, and Republicans currently occupy 246 of those seats.

MAKE AMERICA GRATEFUL, AGAIN
The GOP should be grateful that they would once again be dealing with an equally inept Democratic National Committee at election time, just as they had to do during the last self-imposed failure in 2016. Look at THIS & THAT #22 for more insight on that subject.

It should be noted that only seven of the 216 GOP representatives who voted for the new health plan, had enough guts to hold town hall meetings in the immediate future. The rest will wisely rest.


WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT ELECTED OFFICIALS RUNNING YOUR COUNTRY?
Fifty-one percent of the U.S. population is female, and 19.4% of the 114th House of Representatives are women, which include 21 Republicans and 62 Democrats. The Senate’s 100 seats have 21 women, with 16 being Democrats and five are Republicans.

The Junior Senator from Illinois, Democrat Tammy Duckworth is an Iraqi War Veteran, who served as an Army helicopter pilot, and lost both of her legs and damaged her right arm in combat. She retired as a Lieutenant Colonel in 2014.

State of the Senate Quiz:
What three states are each represented by two women in the U.S. Senate? In one state, the Senators last names are Hassan and Shaheen. In another state, the Senators first names are Maria and Patty, and they are not members of either the Andrew Sisters or the Osmond family. The third state is California, where Zora dislikes the elder Senator who has been in office since 1992.


Wednesday, May 3, 2017

THIS & THAT #22


WHOM DO YOU TRUST?

Hillary and Elizabeth are not on my “Yes I Really Trust” list; in fact there are only two women I do completely trust.

One is my wife and the other is my daughter. There are only two men on that list including the man who should have been president — Bernie — and our local supervisor, John Leopold.

A FREUD IN NEED
I have been told unconditionally to never contact one of my former far-right friends of some sixty-seven years, who believes that the current President is the greatest thing that happened to American Jews since Kraft began making low-fat Kosher Crème Cheese.

Our country is divided into many areas including by race, wealth, politics, religion, country-of-origin, sexual orientation, and sex. It is in the latter category that today I have been pestered by letters and news coverage from and about female want-to-be leaders, (or wanted-to-be leaders), who are neither my wife nor my daughter.

In today’s news, Hillary is placing most of the blame for her loss on either Putin’s people or on Comey’s belated pre-election pronouncements. There’s little reference to the inept DNC, Debby’s improper and biased actions, and Clinton’s advisors convoluted and misguided pre-election campaign activities.

ALPHABET SOUP
Yesterday’s mail brought in a financial request allegedly from the DSCC, but only after carefully examining the four-page pitch, was I able to discover that those initials represented the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. The letter described the group as a “grassroots network of fired-up progressives just like you,” which is an interesting assumption and presumption, since I never signed an oath to be one of them.

THE LIZ BIZ
In reality, the DSCC seems to be an organization primarily for and about Elizabeth. The addressee on the envelope is Elizabeth, ELIZABETH WARREN, DSCC. The letterhead reads “FROM THE DESK OF ELIZABETH WARREN,” and it is signed by Elizabeth, above the words “Senator Elizabeth Warren.” The enclosed pledge card has a photograph of a smiling Liz, with her arm raised in an acceptable winner’s pose, in front of a banner with a field of stars.

Come on Liz, you are campaigning for President, so why not be honest and say so?

TWO OUT OF THREE
Full Disclosure: I have overtly supported three candidates whom I once believed in: Eugene McCarthy in 1968, Bernie Sanders in 2016, and was totally misguided in 2008   when I sent moneys to support a dishonest John Edwards.

It is from what I learned in that latter experience, Liz, that you are not going to entrap me into supporting you or your DSCC, so please remove my name from your mailing list.

You have inspired me to send a check to John Leopold, and to finally sit in the sun and begin reading Bernie’s book, Our Revolution.

A SCARY DUO: SPRINGER AND SPICER
Where we are at today is personified by what is on television at this very moment. On one channel is the Jerry Springer Show, featuring three women who were convinced to see what they could do together in a bubble bath. The parallel is on another channel where Sean Spicer is bending the truth about three other entities; Donald, Chuck and the Democrats, and Mitch and the GOP. Perhaps those three would be able to make America Great Again, while sitting together in an oversized bathtub. They had better do so sooner than later, before Liz demands to be squeezed in.