WTF Joe Manchin?

At the end of the end, voters want our politicians to represent us. We rely on them to take care of the macro details of running the country so we can deal with the micro issues that come up in our daily lives.

Last week, Senator Joe Manchin publicly rejected the Build Back Better bill, leaving the White House in shock and this once-in-a-lifetime piece of legislation hanging in the balance.

What I don’t get is why he said no. His home state of West Virginia ranks at the bottom or near the bottom of the various rankings when compared to other states. If I was him, I would do everything in my power to raise those numbers.

As I understand it, this bill is supposed to address kitchen table issues that affect all of us. It’s making sure that parents can both put a roof over their children’s heads and feed them properly. It’s helping senior citizens living on a fixed income to pay for their medication while being able to afford their other bills. This is not a hard concept to understand.

Adding insult to injury, he claimed that low-income parents would use the money from the child tax credits to buy drugs. This statement is both offensive and wrong, in addition to a generalization that condemns an entire group of Americans simply based on their paychecks.

I know that I have no stake in how the people of West Virginia vote. But I am deeply concerned that this one individual is holding the nation hostage and preventing the government from supporting the people as it ought to.

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In Trump’s Shadow: The Battle for 2024 and the Future of the GOP Book Review

Just as in life, there are lessons to be learned in politics. Both the 2016 Presidential election and the 2020 Presidential election, were if nothing else, an eye-opening experience.

In Trump’s Shadow: The Battle for 2024 and the Future of the GOP, by David M. Drucker, was published last month. With you know who finally out of power (thank G-d), the question among members of the GOP is who will replace him? Will it be someone who is a die-hard and will potentially repeat the last four years? Or will it be another person who is a little more particular about the policy decisions they make?

If nothing else, this is a playbook for the 2022 Midterm elections, the 2024 Presidential election, and beyond. This book should be a must-read for every Democrat, both on the individual level and at the highest levels of power. If they are to retain control of both branches of Congress and the White House, they must not only know the other side inside out, but come together. Only then will the rule of law and some version of decency return to this nation.

Do I recommend it? Absolutely.

The Irony of Covid-19 Entering the White House

The boundaries created by human beings are just that. They mean nothing to droplets that are invisible to the human eye. That includes Covid-19.

According to news reports, Covid-19 has entered the White House. One of those who have tested positive is Katie Miller, press secretary for Vice President Mike Pence.

I wouldn’t wish this disease on anyone.

That being said, it feels like karma that White House staffers have tested positive for the virus. Had the administration acted when the Covid-19 was small, none of us would be in this situation. But because their actions were careless and foolish, the economy is a mess, millions are out of work and the projected numbers of Americans who will die may reach 100,000.

Good luck on getting their boss re-elected in the fall. His incompetency has forever changed this country and not in a good way.

Under Fire: Reporting from the Front Lines of the Trump White House Book Review

I think that it’s pretty safe to say that this current Presidential administration breaks any and all political precedents that have been accepted as the norm for many years.

In her new book, Under Fire: Reporting from the Front Lines of the Trump White House, journalist April Ryan writes about how unlike other Presidential administrations, chaos, misinformation and the revolving door of staff is the new normal as a White House reporter.

Journalists and reporters are not supposed to be the news, their job is to report the news to the public. But with this administration, the spotlight has been turned on said journalists and reporters. Ms. Ryan provides her reader with a first person perspective of how difficult it is to be a journalist whose job it is to cover politics.

I’ve been reading a lot of books over the past years or so about the current state of American politics. But for some reason, this book was not as good as some of the other books about American politics. It was a bit dry, especially toward the end of the book.

Do I recommend it? Maybe.

 

Yes We (Still) Can: Politics in the Age of Obama, Twitter, and Trump Book Review

In the history of humanity, the game of politics has never been clean. It has been dirtied by ego, money, greed, etc. But even among the dirt, there still a bit of clean optimism that exists.

Dan Pfeiffer was the White House Communications Director under President Barack Obama from 2013-2015. Having an insider’s view of the game of American politics in our modern era gave him a unique perspective. He chronicles his experiences and observations about his boss and you know who into the new book Yes We (Still) Can: Politics in the Age of Obama, Twitter, and Trump.

Pulling no punches, Mr. Pfeiffer gives the reader not only the first person experience of working in The White House, but also gives those who still believe in the American democracy hope that it will survive beyond the orange snake oil salesman who is President.

I recommend it.

STAND BY YOUR MAN (Donald Trump) – A Randy Rainbow Song Parody

The new normal in America is almost daily controversy coming out of Washington D.C and the White House in particular.

The latest controversy is former aide Rob Porter, who has been accused of domestic violence by both of his ex-wives.

Randy Rainbow’s latest video, a satire of the Patsy Cline song, Stand By Your Man, is just one more reason why Trump should not be in office.  Known for publicly defending powerful men who has been accused of sexual assault and/or sexual harassment (and denying the accusations coming his way about similar acts), it is not surprising that he is defending Rob Porter instead of doing what right for his office and the country.

The Post Movie Review

Freedom of the press is one of our core freedoms. Without that freedom, our democracy is not a democracy.

The new movie, The Post, takes place in 1971. Kay Graham (Meryl Streep), is the owner/publisher of The Washington Post. The Vietnam War is raging on and the country is split down an ideological divide that looks impossible to cross. Kay is dealing with two equally troubling the issues: the newspaper’s financial issues and the fact that she is not just one of the few women in the newsroom, but one of the few women running a newspaper. The men around her are not exactly pleased to have to deal with on a professional level. Ben Bradlee (Tom Hanks) is her editor who is not afraid to tell the truth. After the New York Times publishes the Pentagon Papers and is called by the government for the printing, the documents get into the hands of the Washington Post. The question is, do Kay and Ben publish the papers and is freedom of the press more important than the security of the nation?

Directed by Steven Spielberg, this movie is a must see for every American citizen. It is a must see because the same arguments that the real life versions of the characters were having 46 years ago, we are still having the same arguments today. Especially with you know who in the White House. It is also a must see because without knowing it, Kay Graham was one of the women who helped to break the glass ceiling.  She is still remembered today for her contributions in the arenas of both supporting the right of a free press and for the thousands of female journalists who have careers because of her.

I absolutely recommend it.

Devil’s Bargain: Steve Bannon, Donald Trump, and the Storming of the Presidency Book Review

To those who politics are to the left or vote on the Democratic ticket, the one-two punch of Donald Trump and Steve Bannon was unnerving and terrifying. Donald Trump, the political neophyte who somehow won the 2016 Presidential Election was previously known as a reality show star and a real estate business mogul with a big ego, a big mouth and a very thin skin. Steve Bannon was previously known as the executive at Breitbart News who was and is still open and unapologetic in his right-wing and racist beliefs.

How these men came together to create a new era in American politics and history is detailed in Joshua Green’s new book, Devil’s Bargain: Steve Bannon, Donald Trump, and the Storming of the Presidency.Based upon six years of interviews and research, the book details how these came together to take down Hillary Clinton and ensure that they would be in The White House.

This book is a must read for any modern student of politics and history. Exceptionally researched and easily read, this book tells the story of a hijacked Democracy and how two men conspired to use the basic democratic principles to claw their way to the top.

I absolutely recommend it.

New Randy Rainbow Video- “Yes, We Have No Steve Bannon”

Randy Rainbow (the genius that he is) has done it again.

In the wake of Steve Bannon‘s ouster from the White House last weekend, Randy Rainbow has created the perfect musical satire.

Enjoy!

Randy Rainbow, Donald Trump & The Day After Tommorow

Once again, Randy Rainbow has released another brilliant video about the man who should not be in The White House, but is.

Speaking of Donald Trump, he announced yesterday that the US would withdraw from the Paris Climate Agreement.

I could state the obvious reasons why this a huge mistake, but I think the scene in The Day After Tomorrow when New York City is destroyed by a tsunami says it all.

While many scientists agree that the abrupt climate change depicted in the film is not quite accurate, the nugget of the idea is very much based in reality.

This man needs to get out of The White House, like yesterday.