Tag: Calamity Politics

The Free Press vs Donald Trump

  By

Constitutionally Protected
Adrian Walker writing in The Boston Globe said, “I can barely believe it needs to be said, but the free press is not the “enemy of the people.” The press is constitutionally protected, and it is their function in a free society to protect the society from a corrupt and incompetent government. In the case of Donald Trump the need is especially great.

Adrian Walker Writes For The Boston Globe

Editorial Campaign
350 newspapers have joined The Boston Globe in the #FreePress editorial campaign convincing the  commander-in-chief of paranoid narcissism that the press is out to get him. It has become part of the Trump rally routine to slander journalists. He relishes eliciting jeers when he points to journalists covering his rallies. The attack is relentless.

In His Cross-Hairs
Free speech is the biggest enemy to Trump and that is why journalists are in his cross-hairs. Facts and their messengers are Trump’s real enemies and he will do everything within his power to discredit and silence criticism. The need to silence the opposition has no place in a free society, and is the tactic of totalitarian regimes.

Jack Shafer Writes For Politico.com

An Avalanche Of Editorials
Jack Shafer, writing for Politico.com believes the coordinated editorial response is sure to backfire. He opines that for one thing, Trump supporter’s don’t read newspapers. So, in Jack’s opinion “an avalanche of editorials singing from the same script is unlikely to move the opinion needle or deter Trump from attacking journalists and news organizations.”

Media Disapproval
Sadly, I agree with Jack. The public opinion of the media has been below 30% for over a decade. A “national press cabal” convened to oppose Trump may seem to the public as proof that he is being unfairly attacked. OMG, the last thing we want for Donald Trump is to improve his approval rating by convincing the electorate that Trump is the victim of the “deep state” in a coordinated effort with the liberal left.

Calamity Is All About Shining A Light On The Vile & Evil

My Plan
My plan as a progressive “voice” is to continue to attack Trump and his policies. I will not join in any form of coordinated national editorial campaign against Trump. I detest every cell in Trump’s polluted body, but I refuse to give him “fresh material” to use in his anti-journalist attacks. So, as in the past you can expect www.CalamityPolitics.com to make fresh attacks on Trump for everything from his failed orange flop-over to his vile sexism, corruption, tariff policies, environmental policy, climate change and bigotry.

Darlene

 

25 Things That Totally Irritate Me

  By

25 Things That Totally Irritate Me

D. S. Mitchell

Frequently, I write about the things in my life that make me smile, but today I thought it would be more fun to list a few of the things that irritate and annoy me. See if you don’t agree. Here goes.
1.) People who blame gluten for all the evils in the world.
2.) The friend who seems to have no life outside of Facebook.
3.) Receiving a birthday gift from Mom that I know I gave her last Christmas.
4.) Knowing that Tonya Harding is the biggest name celebrity I will ever meet.
5.) Knowing that I can’t flip my pillow top mattress, and I continue to fret about it.
6.) Racist hatred and rhetoric coming from the president of the United States.
7.) Standing in the grocery line flipping through a magazine as subscription cards fall like snow at my feet.
8.) That mass murder is the quickest path to fame.
9.) Hearing the splash of liquid on liquid and then the flush of the toilet on the other end of the phone line.
10.) Having dinner with a couple that are close to a divorce.
11.) Childhood bullies who go on to great financial success.
12.) That all good things come to an end, but really lousy things seem to last an overly long time.
13.) When my 25 year old granddaughter insists I should let her post my profile on Match.com.
14.) The embarrassment that comes from having dozens of cars slow down to watch me get a ticket.
15.) When the gas icon appears on my dashboard and I’m at least fifty miles from civilization.
16.) After spending all Saturday afternoon re-arranging furniture, only to decide I liked it better the way it was.
17.) The vice-like grip that the 1% hold on the world’s wealth.
18.) When I e-mail a friend with a couple of questions and the return e-mail fails to answer any of the questions, causing me to re-ask the same questions in a follow-up e-mail.
19.) Crying when I’m so enraged I am close to going on a homicidal rampage.
20.) When I’ve covered an error with White-Out and then can’t write over the bumpy-lumpy layer of cover up.
21.) Knowing the only way I can get my dog to come when she is called is by hollering, “Come on Lilly, get a treat. Treat, Lilly. Treat time.” She won’t do anything without a reward.
22.) People continuing to lie to me, even when they know that I know, they are lying to me.
23.) Stepping out of my car into an ankle-deep puddle.
24.) Knowing my ex-mother-in-law thinks I am interested in hearing about my ex-husband, and his stupid new wife.
25.) That a reality TV has-been is manipulating and corrupting the democracy of the United States.

Wow. That was cathartic.

Calamity Politics is a Progressive online news magazine that offers opinion and comment on the issues of the day. Join the Resistance. We are Indivisible.

Dar

Can We End Hatred By A Mere Shift In Thinking?

  By

Can We End Hatred By A Mere Shift In Thinking?

D. S. Mitchell

Sharon Salzberg is a NY Times best-selling author and world-renowned Buddhist meditation expert. Check out a couple of her titles, available on Amazon, Lovingkindness, and Real Happiness in 28 Days. 

In a small filler piece in an old “O” magazine Sharon began by describing an uncomfortable confrontation she observed between a man and a woman during a train trip to New York City. In the tableau the man became more and more agitated at a woman who was engaged in a loud cell phone conversation. The man finally exploded, yelling at the woman, “You are making too much noise!”

Observing the scene Sharon reflected, “A saying I once heard came into my mind, ‘The problems we face cannot be solved by the same level of thinking that created them.’

It takes strong insight and often a good deal of courage to break away from our habitual ways of looking at things, to be able to respond from a different place. Imagine if we dropped our need to be right, our easy perpetuation of what we’re used to, our urge to go along with what others think, and instead, tried to practice what the Buddha taught: ‘Hatred does not cease by hatred at any time; hatred ceases by love.’

Shouting to drown out someone else’s noise, returning belligerence for belligerence may be automatic, but it tires us out. Rigidly categorizing people as good or bad or right or wrong, helps us feel secure; yet relating in that way doesn’t allow us to really connect to anyone, and we actually feel alone.

Risking a new level of ‘seeing’ enables us to try out new behaviors and find new ways to communicate that convey our feelings without damaging ourselves, or those around us.

That would kick off an enormous adventure of consciousness–a readiness to step into new terrain, redefine power, see patience as strength rather than as resignation. Instead of yelling at the woman on the train, the man might have made his request before his anger built to unmanageable proportions and he saw her only as an irritant, not as a person. He might have asked before insisting and spoken before shouting, just as he might like to be spoken to himself.”

As her fellow train riders settled down, Salzberg continues, “but we see elements of that ride every day; frustration, carelessness, an effort to be in control, rage, fear–AND the chance to be different. Can we “see” it all and seize the chance to operate from new levels of thinking?

Even in horrible circumstances, we have that opportunity–and the prospect for meaningful change. I saw it after the metro bombing in London in July 2005, when like most people, my initial response was sorrow for the lives lost and some anxiety about getting on a subway in New York. This was all natural and appropriate, but limited by ‘us versus them’ thinking.

Willa, the 7-year-old daughter of a friend had another perspective. On being told what had happened, her eyes filled with tears, her mother wrote me, and she said, ‘Mom, we should say a prayer.’ As she and her mother held hands, Willa asked to go first. Her mother was stunned to hear Willa begin with,  ‘May the bad guys remember the love in their hearts.’

Hearing that, my own heart leaped to another level altogether.”

Sharon’s insight is so simple, so straight forward, yet not so easy for me, or many others to embrace and implement into our daily lives, but I’m gonna try.

It is counterproductive to indulge in the US vs THEM thinking. One person is not better than any other, nor does any person or group have a lock on the truth. We must face our prejudices and work to minimize them.

Think about this “walking in the other guy’s shoes” and trying to “see” situations from a new perspective. First, I resolve to try to submerge my typical first reaction and think before I speak. I know that is a seemingly small goal, but I think it is a good place for me to start. Secondly, I promise to give a rattle before I am screaming mad. It is not polite to not say anything while on a slow boil.  I’ve decided I should at least give the other guy some warning.  How about you, are you ready to seize a chance at a new way to respond to personal interactions?

Calamity Politics is a Progressive online news magazine offering comment and opinion on various topics.  Join the Resistance. We are Indivisible.

Dar

Try These For Fun

  By

Try These For Fun

D. S. Mitchell

Yesterday I ranted and raved about the news of the last week and truthfully I need to step away from the horror of Trumpism and laugh. Here are a list of tongue twisters that should keep you giggling for a few minutes.

Try to say each of these sentences three times very fast

Lesser leather never weathered wetter weather better.
Which wristwatches are Swiss wristwatches.
The bootblack bought the black boot back.
The epitome of femininity.
Imagine an imaginary menagerie manager managing an imaginary menagerie.
Fred fed Ted bread, and Ted fed Fred bread.
Many an anemone sees an enemy.
Which wicked witch wished which wicked wish.

Okay you are on your own. Remember, you have to say each of the above at least three times very fast.  I am stumbling over my words the first time through. Good luck, most of all, take a moment and be silly.

Calamity Politics is an online news magazine focused on a progressive political agenda, hopefully with humor and thoughtfulness.

Join the Resistance.

Dar

Are Your Goals Getting In The Way Of Your Happiness?

  By

Are Your Goals Getting In The Way Of Your Happiness

D. S. Mitchell

The other day, I was pawing through a box of books I had stored in the garage and was trying to decide if they were something I should drop off at The Salvation Army when I came upon Stephen Shapiro’s 2006 self-help gem, “Goal Free Living: How To Have The Life You Want Now.”  It has been at least a decade since I read the book, but as I flipped through the pages I remembered it distinctly, and thought it would be a great reminder to pass on to my Calamity Politics readers to help them enjoy a healthy, happy 2018.

Taking A Few Minutes To Re-Read Parts Of “Goal Free Living”

Shapiro is the first person that I can remember that gave me permission to release the religion of goal making that permeates our culture, and try to live without the restrictions  of a set of goals.

I have been told since I was a kid, that goals of all kinds, big, small, wildly ambitious were all within my reach. I just had to want them bad enough. The rule seemed to be,  if you can visualize it, you can have it; if you don’t know what you want  (can’t visualize it), you might as well be lost at sea without a life preserver.

Shapiro disputes this American myth.  In fact, Shapiro argues that if you want to be happy in its most broad interpretation, you need to throw that “five-year plan,” and the “life-time to do list,” into the garbage can.

Originally Shapiro was a motivational researcher.  While doing interviews with business leaders for a book he discovered that after interviewing 150 of the country’s most successful people and traveling over 12,ooo miles the most fulfilled people were also the most spontaneous,  and believe it or not, the least goal oriented. What?  How could that be true?  It goes against everything he, or I, have been taught.

Shapiro Traveled 12,000 Miles And Interviewed 150 Top Achievers

After interviewing those 150 successful people in all fields of enterprise, from all parts of the country, Shapiro discovered that most of the successful people had taken a circuitous route to their eventual success, and it seems that the circuitous trip was what made the result, all the more satisfying.

Shapiro became convinced that the key to happiness comes from checking out the back roads and detours, both literally and figuratively, without fear of changing course. Shapiro is convinced that following goals may lead a person to financial wealth, but there is a good chance that if you follow the plan unquestioningly you will lose yourself and potential happiness.

First, “Ask yourself, whose goal is it, anyway?” According to Shapiro, “Most people’s goals aren’t their own. They tend to be driven by society and family pressure.” Second, when you focus on a goal he believes, it is like putting on a pair of blinders, you lose your peripheral vision, causing you to miss out on all kinds of great opportunities. Third, you will always be living for the future.  You sacrifice today in the hopes that something wonderful will happen tomorrow. Goals are like that, you are always chasing them. Four, you are “courting failure” because you become attached to one outcome, and even if you achieve it, reality seldom matches the dream, and worse, it closes other doors to exploration and opportunity.

But all this seems to go against every core principle that I have been taught since childhood.  How could all those books, seminars and teachers have been so wrong. I need those scraps of paper, those directions to success. I need my goals.  Or, do I? How can I achieve anything if I don’t have a goal, no matter how much fun wandering around in the wilderness having great moments may sound?

Shapiro counters with, “Goal-free living isn’t about aimless, or things are getting tough” and I’m going to bail out, but rather it is about “being passion-driven in the moment, while knowing you can change course.” It is also about “getting out, playing, and trying lots of new and different things.”

The central message here is that you can’t find out what you love by just sitting around thinking about it, you must get out and experience it.

I am a goal-aholic, I can’t just toss away all my goals. Or, can I? I think Shapiro is saying “do you have the right goals and are you relating to them the right way?”  Shapiro believes some people abuse goals, “as a way of escaping from being present in the here and now. They distract themselves by looking ahead. Life should be more into enjoying every single moment for what it is and allowing things to unfold.”

Hmmm, maybe I can do this.

I  have been an RN for nearly 4 decades and one of the foundations of nursing is the Nursing Care Plan. The care plan for a patient provides direction and continuity of  care. That mind-set is hard to just sweep away. However, I can see where a care plan to direct the care of a patient over a short-term period is not the same as the life time goal setting we do for ourselves. But, initially that professional methodology got in the way of me spreading my wings, and in fact still does in many ways. I wish I were better at this discarding everything I know.

A Nursing Care Plan Is A Short Goal Plan

Shapiro wants us to think about aspirations (working in government) versus goals such as (getting elected to congress on November 8th, 2018) because  a broader aspiration will give you pleasure today and “success” becomes more broadly defined.  The biggest complaint he has is with the institutionalization of SMART goals. In other words, Specific, Measurable, Achievable,  Results Oriented, and Time based. Sounds very similar to a Nursing Care Plan.  The idea that you will know right away whether you’ve succeeded or failed is misguided and crippling.

The cure to the pain of a failed goal is to step back and ask yourself whether you defined the desired outcome too narrowly and whether you tried to control the uncontrollable.  Shapiro reminds us, “Not only have you set yourself up for failure, but you’ve put a time limit on everything. Life is unpredictable, so give up control. Create many paths. And play hard.”

Above all, trash the idea that if you don’t succeed by Saturday morning at 11:30 you are a failure. Shapiro proclaims, “I’m not going to be done with what I’m doing till I’m dead. It is really about applying creativity to every aspect of your life.”

I  like that, “applying creativity.”

Don’t Be Afraid To Take A Detour

Shapiro’s eight guide posts for living a Goal-Free Life:

1.) Use a compass, not a map. Allow yourself to take the less traveled path, allow yourself to try new things.

2.) Trust that you are never lost–every seemingly wrong turn is an opportunity to learn and experience new things.

3.) Remember that opportunity knocks often, sometimes softly–while we are blindly pursuing our goals. Sadly, we often miss unexpected and wonderful potentials.

4.) Want what you have. Measure your life with your own ruler. Appreciate who you are, what you do, and what you have, now.

5.) Seek adventure-treat your life as the one time only journey it is, and revel in new and different experiences.

6.) Learn to be a people magnet. Constantly seek, build and nurture relationships with new people gaining support and comradeship of others.

Keep Up Relationships–Be A People Magnet

7.) Embrace your limits. Transform your shortcomings and perceived inadequacies into unique qualities that you can use to your advantage.

8.) Remain detached. Focus on the immediate. Act with a commitment to the future and stop fretting about how things will turn out.

I think Shapiro was on to something.  I think he is right. Goals are by their very nature, self limiting. So, with 2018 just hours away I am giving you permission to toss that goal list  and start living life.

Calamity Politics is a political news magazine with a Progressive agenda.  Join us for comment and opinion. Join the Resistance.

Darlene

10 Terrible Environmental Choices Of 2017

  By

10 Terrible Environmental Choices Of 2017

D. S. Mitchell

Greenpeace took a look at the actions of the Trump Administration in 2017 and listed the following as just plain terrible.

1.)Canceled rule to protect whales from fishing nets.
2.)Ordered review of National Monuments. *The recommendations from Ryan Zinke are hair-raising and I will discuss them in another post.*
3.)Revoked rule preventing coal mining companies from dumping in local streams.
4.)Rejected ban on potentially harmful insecticide which has been linked to lower IQ’s in children and colony collapse in bees.
5.)Overturned ban on hunting predators in the Alaskan Wildlife Refuge, allowing road building and the Tax bill opens 1.5 million acres to oil drilling.
6.)Withdrew guidance for federal agencies to include greenhouse gas emissions in environmental reviews.
7.)Ordered review and “elimination” of rule protecting tributaries and wetlands under the Clean Water Act.
8.)Rolled back limits on toxic discharge from power plants into public waterways.
9.)Roll back provisions of the Clean Power Plan with goal to repeal the Obama-era regulations many of which have been slashed by Trump agency heads.
10.)Delayed rule aiming to increase safety at facilities that use hazardous chemicals.

Regulations serve an important purpose, they save lives, they save wildlife, they save the water we drink, they save the air we breath. The damage that the Trump Administration is doing cannot be emphasized enough. The risks to our environment are terrifying. Keep your eyes open, they have a lot more damage and chaos on their agenda.

Calamity Politics is an on-line political news magazine with a Progressive Agenda. Join the Resistance.

Dar

Another Holiday Survival Plan

  By

Another Holiday Survival Plan

D. S. Mitchell

If you are becoming anxious about Christmas, you are not alone. The holiday season is a difficult time for many people. If you have mounting angst about Christmas and New Year’s I have gathered some tips to help you survive the season.

Most experts warn us not to make comparisons. Do not compare your life to a Hallmark movie. Life is what it is. We can enjoy the reality if we leave expectations behind. Expectations are often the basis of many unhappy holidays. Accepting life for what it is, and not allowing the fantasy world of social marketing and Hollywood to alter our reality. If you can escape the expectations you will have taken the first step to improve your holiday experience.

1.)How can I Limit self-criticism? Try a dose of self-compassion. What is self compassion? Self compassion is a combination of recognizing that all humans make mistakes and that life is not a script and life experience is often unfair, flawed and imperfect. If you accept that reality up front it may lessen those awkward or frustrating moments when a family member makes a painful, or thoughtless comment.

2.)Hurt or angry feelings? Do not engage. Walk away. Take a short drive. A few minutes at a local park or nearby viewpoint can do wonders. I live at the Oregon coast and am just a few minutes from staggeringly beautiful viewpoints. Watching the crashing waves as they slam against the shore and then float away can help calm anger. Or, get physical. Go bowl a couple of lines, the physical sensation of throwing something heavy and head shaped down a long wooden alley may be all you need to restore your emotional equilibrium. **In 4th century Germany bowling was viewed as a cleansing ritual to remove the participant of sin. In 16th century England commoners were prohibited from bowling except on Christmas. So, combining the two you may find a recipe for holiday relief**.

3.) How to avoid an awkward situations? Excuse yourself and take a walk. Exercise is proven to reduce anxiety and depression. If it is a situation requiring more than a short walk put on your sneakers and take a run.

4.)Feeling Tired? Excuse yourself and take a nap. Sleep is important. Taking a nap is good self-care and is regenerative. Being well rested has a significant impact on our sense of well-being and sense of happiness.

5.)Feeling Cranky? Sometimes our body tries to send us messages, but we have lost touch with its clues. Frequently, irritability is triggered by thirst. Go for the water. Re-hydrate and see if your mood isn’t improved.

6.)If you are challenged on your politics? Let it go. Change the subject, or exit gracefully from the conversation. From personal experience I have learned that the holidays are not the best time to work out relationship problems. The holidays are too emotionally charged to choose it as a time to resolve conflict. In fact, it is probably time to recognize that we can’t change people, especially those in our family, so don’t even try.

7.)Need to escape? You are trapped, without a car, or for other reasons can’t leave. Try headphones and escape, or, take a luxury bath, or start reading that book that has sat next to your bed.

8.)No gift? It all depends on the situation. I suggest that you buy several bottles of moderately priced wine at the beginning of the holiday season and put each of them in dressy wine sacks and if you have a surprise guest that drops by a gift, you are always ready. What you don’t give away you can always drink yourself. If you are away from home and are given an unexpected gift and have nothing to offer in return, be gracious and appreciative, you can always follow-up with a gift or a card later.

9.)Feeling offended? Meditate. Take a break from your incessant mind chatter.

10.)Feeling lonely? Get outside yourself. Go volunteer. Connect. Give a hand to people who are struggling.

11.)Feeling sad? Make a list of your blessings. Practice gratitude.

Yale University researchers discovered that friends influence your happiness, and vice versa. So, it sounds like we are responsible for the company we keep. Surround yourself with happy people as much as possible.

Remember, if you are experiencing an especially bad time, please call for help. Lines for Life hotline is there 24/7 at 1-800-273-8522.

Calamity Politics is a Progressive on-line news magazine offering irritable comment on the current administration. Join the Resistance.

Merry Christmas,

Dar

Santa Claus Is Coming To Town

  By

 

Our image of Santa is pretty much the result of an effective advertising campaign. Santa Claus wasn’t always a rotund omniscient gift-giver who circumvents the world on December 25th propelled by flying reindeer, assisted by an army of adorable elves. The Santa we know today, a jolly man in a red suit and full white beard was the vision of Haddon Sundblom. Sundblom was commissioned in 1930 to develop advertising images for Coca-Cola to use during the next Christmas season. Sundblom used the 1822 classic poem “A Visit From St. Nick” by Clement Clark Moore as his inspiration for his new image of Santa Claus. Previous images of St. Nicholas had ranged from a tall gaunt religious man to a tiny elf creature. Moore and Sundblom together created the image of our Santa as a warm, friendly, pleasantly plump humanoid.

The historical basis of Santa Claus is St. Nicholas. St. Nicholas was the renowned Bishop of Myra-a Roman town near Demire, Turkey, around 300 A.D.  St. Nicholas even before he was appointed Bishop was known for his generosity. A well told story was one in which he came to the assistance of a poor man who could not afford a proper dowry to marry off his three daughters. In those times, it would mean that the daughters would remain unmarried, making it likely they’d be forced into prostitution.  St. Nicholas wanted to spare the family any embarrassment yet wanting to help, he traveled to the man’s house in the dark of night, and threw three purses filled with gold coins through the peasant’s window.

After St. Nicholas died he became a beloved patron saint, but during the Protestant Reformation of the 16th century, the importance of Catholic saints was rejected and St. Nicholas’ popularity dwindled across Europe. However, in the Netherlands he remained popular, living on as a mythical figure, known as Sinterklass, who went from house to house on the eve of St. Nicholas’s name day, December 5th, leaving treats and gifts for children.  Sinterklaas traditionally wore red bishop’s clothes and employed elves, and he traveled with horses that could walk across rooftops.

When the Dutch emigrated in droves to America during the 17th and 18th centuries, they brought the kindly St. Nick to the new colonies, but it wasn’t until the 1930’s that Coke and Sundblom introduced today’s version of the beloved winter visitor.

Merry Christmas.

Calamity Politics is a Progressive on-line news magazine featuring news of the day accompanied by comment and opinion.

Dar

3 Million Children Die

  By

3 Million Children Die

D. S. Mitchell

Doctor’s Without Borders is a world recognized international medical humanitarian organization. The international medical relief organization was awarded the Nobel Peace in 1999. DWB delivers medical care to patients with NO political or religious agenda. The organization goal is to treat people where the need is the greatest. Helping people threatened by violence and social upheaval, neglect, natural disasters, epidemics or other health emergencies.

Worldwide, malnutrition accounts for 50% of deaths in children under 5 years old. Malnutrition claims 3 million children, making malnutrition the single greatest threat to child survival. Doctor’s Without Borders sends mobile clinics out into the most rural areas, where often conditions are untenable. Malnutrition in these regions is a huge problem. The DWB mobile teams have saved thousands of lives.

In the middle of emergency situations DWB medical teams work to break malnutrition’s cycle. Children under 2 years of age have small stomachs and very specific nutritional needs. If their diets are deficient in just one of the 40 essential nutrients they need, it weakens their young immune systems, and their chances of dying from even a minor infection or disease increases dramatically.

Continue reading

GOP’s Sneaky Tax Plan

  By

GOP’s Sneaky Tax Plan

D. S. Mitchell

The American tax system is not broken and it certainly does not need the type of disastrous overhaul being rammed down the throats of the 99.8% of the American tax payers all for the benefit of about five thousand people, and a boat load of international corporations. Trickle down economics was debunked 30 years ago and why we have allowed the Republicans to bring it back into the tax conversation is beyond me.

On December 2, 2017 at 2 a.m., in the dark of night, without a single public hearing, Senators passed a 479 page tax bill, which included several illegible hand written notes in the margins. GOP Senators passed what could become one of the most important legislative bills in recent history. If the Republicans actually maneuver this monstrosity through the congress it will revamp the national tax code, disrupt our national health care system, while adding trillions of dollars to the national debt, thereby impacting every person in the United States.

From personal experience, I know that 2 a.m. decisions are usually stupid decisions. Decisions, that when viewed from the light of the following morning are often regrettable. So, we ask, why are the Republicans so desperate to pass such important legislation in the middle of the night? Without public hearings, written seemingly by corporation lobbyists, and supported by almost no one, we keep asking, why?

Continue reading