The elections held last week in various states resulted in most races being won by Democrat-aligned candidates. That was no coincidence. Many of the television political pundits (but not likely Fox) chalked it up to a response/reaction to Donald Trump as president. Nowhere did I once hear about the actions (and inactions) of the Republicans in both houses of Congress as a cause.
As off-the-wall, unstable, inconsistent, dangerous, and self-serving as Trump is, let’s also give credit where due. How many Republicans have spoken out about Trump’s statements (Charlottesville, the devastation in Puerto Rico, about the four dead soldiers in Niger; the list goes on and on)? And just how did the Republicans in the House vote on their repeal and replace of “Obamacare” bill? Has that become law?
Seems that Americans are (finally) waking up to how little most Republicans care about them, care about standing up for what our country is and should be, what is right, how to get the job done. Those Republican candidates that aligned with Trump in the recent elections fell and most of those who continue to do so will join them. Trump is poison.
No doubt that the Democratic Party itself has plenty of issues, from its bias towards Hillary Clinton over Bernie Sanders in last year’s race, to its outdated lack of vision. The Democratic Party is not united but is still (and will) win the race over the much fractured (and continuing to crumble) Republican Party (those who make it up as its leadership, particularly in elected office).
I have said for many years now (and now it seems even worse now) that “The Republican Party is the Party of No! and Not Know.” Most of its leaders refuse to consider working with the Democrats, refuse to even consider their ideas (No!). And where that tapers off is their keen inability to have real answers to solve, or at least improve on, issues here at home, e.g. “Obamacare,” as the largest and most recent example of what their constituents need and want, how to make life better for the 99% (Not Know).
Let’s give credit where it is also due. It was the Republicans in the Senate who confirmed Neil Gorsuch, a highly biased to-the-right nominee, who will, in fact, hurt this nation on many future decisions. It was the Republicans who confirmed the likes of now former Secretary of Health and Human Services, Tom Price (“Hey, so what that I spent a lot of US tax dollars to fly around?”); and Attorney General Jeff Sessions (“Gee, I think I am in deeper trouble with the Special Counsel and the Senate for my moving target answers to my testimony under oath”); and Administrator of the EPA, Scott Pruitt (“How many times have I lied under oath, and how biased am I towards the energy industries? You say that I am a shill? Why, yes I am!”); and Secretary of Energy, Rick Perry (“Here’s a little economics lesson: supply and demand. You put the supply out there and the demand will follow,” and “From time to time there are going to be things that occur that are acts of God that cannot be prevented.”) Perry may be a pretty boy and managed to run Texas for 14 years, but that won’t cut it in D.C.; and Secretary of Education, Betsy DeVos (“I am so unqualified for this job, maybe I got this appointment as a political favor payback, and oh, I am here to destroy public education”); and Secretary of Commerce, Wilbur Ross (“Did I fabricate my net worth by a mere $2B?”); and Secretary of the Treasury, Steve Mnuchin (“Hey, I’m just another Goldman Sachs sack of sh_t who covers for Trump”); and Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, Ben Carson (“I am not qualified for this job”).* But enough on these capable and qualified individuals that head our federal government.
A major role of Congress is to write legislation to protect and improve the lives of its citizens. Just what have the Republicans accomplished in that role so far in 2017? But hey, the year is not out and they are hard at work at the tax cut, or tax reform, whatever it is. So maybe I (we) should give them a bit more time, right? My bet (and hope): they don’t pass a bill as they will not be able to assemble enough votes. When a group, a party, can’t agree on much of anything they are ineffective and unable to lead. To use football as the analogy, you have to have a quarterback to run and lead the team down the field to score. And you have to have a majority of players to agree to follow the plays to do so.
That is why I am going to make a bold prediction here and now that the Democrats are going to retake the House of Representatives in 2018. Then Trump will have to deal with a body that actually says “Yes! and Knows.”
*Some of the quotes are direct, some are my creation (but none are far off the mark).
Tedward Onward
The Independent
November 15, 2017 at 7:50 am
It’s true that the democrats won more seats in this past election. But that isn’t surprising. Even the politicos are careful not to claim this is going to set the pattern for the next election. It was an insignificant election.
But it is still a good sounding board to Trump. I hope he realizes his unpopularity.
Stevie B
November 16, 2017 at 2:45 am
Tedward,
You definitely hold the stereotypical democrat line. Your statements mimic what the majority media say — about how Trump’s year in office is a total failure. You do not see that his unpopular travel ban protected us from the onslaught of foreign terrorists coming in. You do not concede that his attack on Syria nipped the growing tension in the bud. You do not see how North Korea has been marginalized by all the world except China and Russia. Keep in mind that it was during Obama’s watch that their nuclear weapons advanced in rapid pace. Keep in mind that ISIS was born and spread during Obama (who miraculously won the Pulitzer Peace Prize winner after just a few months) and Kerry’s administration. It was Obama’s indecision for several weeks that allowed Russia to bully its way into the Ukraine resulting in the death of thousands of innocent lives. The reason he was more popular internationally than Trump is because he didn’t have the bones to defend his own country. Imagine, he apologized and made America look bad just so he would be liked. Talk about insecurity!
http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/obama-quotes/
And regarding the mid elections, the current President’s party historically loses. No surprise there.
Time will tell who will be elevated to greatness. Barak Obama? He will be remembered for cover ups, bitterness, deceptions, depression, etc. — the only distinction he will definitely be remembered for is his skin color. I was hoping so much more from him to represent the African American race with pride but he turned out to be one of the worst. Michelle has more balls than he does. I bet she wears the pants in the family.
Obamacare? Are you actually saying that this was good for us? We all know that if the Republicans left it on its own it will self destruct … the middle class would not be able to afford it. Is it a coincidence that Barak timed its failure to happen after he leaves office? What a selfish egotist! At least the Republicans are trying to fix it. Sure they are a bunch of kids in the playground but at least they aren’t rubber stamps like the democrats who signed it into law without fully reading nor understanding what it was. You’ve seen the videos of Nancy Pelosi saying how great it was even though she had never read it.
Donald Trump? Well, he’s still writing history but one major achievement he has already done was exposing Fake News. Even Google is now being sued for censoring conservative searches. Trump has his tweets — that’s always major news. It’s his opinion but it isn’t fake news. The big difference is one pretends to be unbiased and the other need not pretend.
I suggest you get out of the liberal corral and observe more. Keep an open mind. Maybe then you will stop becoming a liberal parrot and learn to formulate your own opinions and insights.
Tedward Onward
November 18, 2017 at 1:38 am
Replying to Steve B.’s rant (in detail) would require that I, too, begin to “drink the Kool-Aid” (regardless if the lower sugar variety or not).
Steve B., when you and others on the right (sorry, wrong) side of the aisle begin to operate on facts, then apply logic and critical thinking to them, then we can actually have an intelligent conversation. We actually do have some common interests and concerns, however, if Breitbart, Faux sNews and/or social media are your only sources of information, then you are operating your engine on half of the cylinders and (brain power) available.
tRump (and another Steve, Bannon) has used “Fake News” to his/their benefit, dragging you along with their notions of twisted grandeur and power. Most of the Fake News just does not exist, and likely much of it comes from those who employ that over-worked fantasy term.
You are correct that Barack Obama made mistakes (or however you want to describe them, as all presidents do/have) that all presidents need to be compared to those that came before (and after) them, HOWEVER, when the dust and official (independent) record is written on Donald J. Trump, the facts will show that he was completely unfit for office, that he caused enormous damage to our democracy and our standing in the world, and that what he offered (promised) to his supporters was not enacted.
Steve B., you made all sorts of assumptions (ah, that word, which merits dividing it up into its components) about me (“liberal democrat”) and my positions and representations (what I did NOT bring up, e.g. Nancy Pelosi, et al) in my last entry. As for IS/ISIS/ISIL, your observation that it began during the Obama years IGNORES who got the US into the messes of Afghanistan and Iraq, and why, George W. Bush (see Dick Cheney, the then actual president), who lied to the citizenry of the US and the Congress, an impeachable offense. How many American service personnel have died for what in those engagements? How many more are suffering from lifetime physical and emotional injuries/disabilities? And more than 20 post-2001 war veterans take their lives EVERY DAY. Yep, all that is Barack Obama’s fault, right?
Steve B., try staying on topic, ONLY what I addressed in my last piece, “Not Just Trump.”
So, for now, I have invested plenty of time with your indefensible positions. You would be best off to hold all your thoughts and comments about how effective Donald Trump and the Republicans in Congress are for a while.
Now that we are in the colder months of the year, are you drinking your Kool-Aid as a hot beverage?
Tedward Onward, OUT!
Stevie B
November 26, 2017 at 2:24 am
Your first few remarks already tell me that I may be talking to a wall. An assumption that your ideology is the only one based on facts and is therefore intelligent is already defective. How would you feel if I had said the same to you? Hurling insults and hiding behind “nervous” laughter is a common approach when one cannot defend one’s position.
As to your notion that there is no Fake News makes me wonder if you even read the news. How many of your left leaning media stars have lost credibility and their jobs because their “fake news” were found out?
And the hypocrisy of sanctimonious left wingers? Charlie Rose, Al Franken, Harvey Weinstein — lead the way guys!
Re: ISIS, — I do not defend GW Bush (and especially Dick “the sick” Cheney) for their erroneous reasons for going to war. One was too stupid and the other was too greedy. But if you watch Frontline’s episode on the subject (even coming from a left-leaning CBS organization) correctly pointed out that when Obama inherited the Iraq problem Bin Laden and his guerrillas were powerless. The description they had was the “the US army were stepping on Al Qaeda’s head.” It was when Obama stupidly announced the departure of the US from Iraq that started ISIS. You leave a vacuum and something will fill it up. Obama could have filled it up with something good instead of a cancer that spread across Europe and the rest of the world.
If you want to “stay on topic” stay on this one.
I’m not your enemy. Though we clearly have a difference on how to run things I’d like to believe that you are an American first and that you stand for truth, liberty and justice for ALL. I do too.