Tag: Republicans

Thank You ADAPT And All The Resistance Protesters

  By

Thank You ADAPT And All The Resistance Protesters

D. S. Mitchell

I haven’t written much about health care for awhile, not because I haven’t had plenty to say, but there have been a lot of other people speaking up and saying it probably better than I could, so I let them take the lead. But, now after the Republican attack on health care has been stymied for a short time at least, I think it is time that we thank all the individuals and groups that came together to stop the Repeal and Replace train.

Who could ever forget the images of disabled protesters being pulled from their wheelchairs and zip tied and carted off to jail. Absolutely riveting. Horrific images that labeled the Republican lawmakers as heartless and unresponsive to the needs of the American public.

The protests by the grassroots disability rights organization ADAPT I think were what turned the tide in favor of the protesters. The ADAPT protesters set the stage for the subsequent heroic votes cast by three Republican Senators, John McCain, Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski.

In 1974 a non-disabled former nursing home recreational director and several disabled associates formed the Atlantis Community. The mission of the group was to assist disabled persons to escape institutionalization and live in the community at large. On 7/5/1978 a historic protest for wheelchair access to public buses was initiated by the group. The protest took place at a Denver intersection where protesters stopped buses and disabled individuals placed themselves in front and behind the buses and then others would leave their wheelchairs and dramatically crawl up the bus steps to bring attention to their plight.

In 1984 after several years of bus protests, as the group struggled to obtain wheel chair access lifts to Denver city buses, the campaign went national. ADAPT became the designated  arm of the Atlantis group to form protests and civil disobedience. ADAPT became the militant wing of the disability rights movement and is well known for its non-violent direct action with a mission to bring public awareness to the civil rights violations of the disabled.

The group has successfully used Twitter and Facebook to dramatize their issues. ADAPT strategies used so effectively in the health care fight include using civil disobedience as a tool to gain public attention to direct change in laws, policies and services affecting the disabled and those strategies were used effectively to bring attention to the drastic Medicaid cuts proposed under the TrumpCare plan.

Also important to note were the hundreds of thousands of people who marched, went to town halls, visited lawmakers offices, wrote letters, sent emails and faxes and called their congressional representatives. It was each of these people as individuals and as organized groups that stopped the Republicans from erasing health care for a projected 20-30 million people over the next decade.

Thank you. For whatever you did, large or small, your participation in the resistance changed the direction of this callous legislation.

Join the Resistance

Dar

80 Reasons To Smile

  By , ,

80 Reasons To Smile

D. S. Mitchell

The last two days have been full of drama and emotion. Jared Kushner is on Capitol Hill and talking to members and staffers from the Senate and House Intelligence Committees, behind closed doors. @POTUS spent 35 minutes last night giving a rambling disgusting speech to 40,000 boy scouts at their annual Jamboree. New Tweets from the president attacking Sessions hit the internet today, which brought significant push back from the conservative branch of the Republican party, including Rush Limbaugh and Breitbart News. The Senate is voting to bring TrumpCare out of committee today and I worry for the possible 30 million people that will lose health care.

I am jumping up and down and I am about to self-combust. But, I know that will not help. I know I need to keep up my efforts to derail TrumpCare. I have made twelve calls to Senators this morning asking a certain few Republican Senators to resist the White House and do what is best for the American people.

Calamity Politics is a political blog with a progressive leaning agenda. Calamity Politics intends to present relevant and engaging political conversation on a daily basis. Usually once a week I try to find something to smile about and share those thoughts with my readers.
As agitated as I am, I thought the best thing for my attitude and my blood pressure was to think of a substantially large number of reasons to smile. So, here are 80 Reasons to Smile, even on a day as disturbing day as today.

1.) Being part of a team 2.) Sunrises 3.) Sunsets 4.) Watching the turntable as an old vinyl plays 5.) Dimples 6.) Warm Apple Fritters 7.) Night games 8.) A checklist 9.) Arched doorways 10.) Search lights 11.) A day at the museum 12.) Finding a 4 leaf clover 13.) A loft for the little ones 14.) Antique claw foot tubs 15.) Sprinklers 16.) Popping bubble wrap 17.) Seeing a dream come true 18.) Baked potato “loaded” 19.) A “free month” of anything 20.) The sweetness of fresh corn on the cob 21.) Flipping pancakes 22.) Paper Airplanes 23.) Tic Tac Toe games 24.) Nervous energy 25.) Homemade onion rings the size of bracelets 26.) Cutting my own bangs 27.) Old perfume bottles 28.) Last nights spaghetti reheated 29.) Shari Lewis’ Lambchop 30.) Old things re-used and re-purposed 31.) Mozart 32.) Holding hands 33.) Salt water aquariums 34.) The caverns and mesas of Arizona, Utah and New Mexico 35.) A reading corner 36.) A secret admirer 37.) A talking parakeet 38.) Lingering over coffee with the Crossword Puzzle 39.) Persistence 40.) Celery filled with crunchy peanut butter 41.) Knowing you are appreciated 42.) Yes or No answers 43.) Floor to ceiling views 44.) Marinas and harbors 45.) Beachcombing 46.) Honeysuckle 47.) Ancient ruins 48.) History 49.) Jazz 50.) A window box garden 51.) Barge homes 52.) Potluck with family and friends 53.) A winning basket scored at the buzzer 54.) A weekly play break 55.) Sunday afternoon poker 56.) A lake cabin 57.) Black licorice 58.) Cobbled streets and tiled roofs 59.) Cast iron skillets 60.) Six layer cakes 61.) Magnolia trees 62.) The buddy system 63.) Old dolls and Teddies 64.) Caramel apples 65.) The Fusion of Tex-Mex 66.)Bead board ceilings 67.) Watching my grand daughter play hop scotch 68.) Loving what you do 69.) Koala bears 70.) Corner cabinets 71.) Elvis music 72.) The ability to change 73.) Tongue twisters 74.) Garden benches 75.) Losing weight 76.) Molasses cookies 77.) Nasturtiums 78.) Afternoon Croquet at the beach house 79.) Clean countertops 80.) Essential oils

Well by the time I got to the number eighty John McCain strode in to the Senate chamber, and cast a deciding vote to bring the Repeal the ACA bill out of committee. Some Republican Senator that I didn’t recognize came on Hardball and said he thought Kushner had been “open and straight forward and appeared to answer all questions thoroughly and honestly.”

I’m not in the mood to add a couple more reasons to smile, cuz I’m really angry and I think I need to take the dog for a walk.

Join the Resistance

Darlene

Trump Threatens Country’s Top Lawmen

  By , , ,

Trump Threatens Country’s Top Lawmen

D. S. Mitchell

The New York Times evening edition for 7/19/2017 bi-lined by Peter Baker, Michael S. Schmidt and Maggie Haherman published an angry, rambling, nonsensical interview with President Donald Trump.  The President does not seem to fully understand how serious the investigation in to the Russian activity during the 2016 election had become.

Trump told the interviewers that he would never have hired Sessions for the job of Attorney General if he had known that Sessions would recuse himself from the Russian investigation. Ignoring the fact that Sessions had a perceived conflict of interest and as such, was basically forced by law and tradition to recuse himself.

Sessions was deeply involved in the Trump campaign.  How could he not recuse himself when there was such obvious conflict of interest?  The rule of law?  Does the president even understand the role of his  appointees? Does he understand that these people are supposed to be working for the people of the United States, not Donald Trump personally.

I’m beginning to wonder if Trump has any concept of the law, or the restraint that the law imposes on government officials, not just disregard the law, but even understand it’s basic constraints.

The Russia inquiry has in Trump’s words,” cast a dark cloud” over his floundering administration, calling Session’s recusal “very unfair to the president”.  Oddly, Trump speaking of the Presidency in the third person.  “The president” feels it was Sessions decision to recuse himself that led directly to the appointment of a special counsel, “that never should have happened.”

Wow.

From then on the President sent volley after volley aimed at the top law enforcement officials in the country.  First it was his own chosen Attorney General, Jeff Sessions, then he attacked the Deputy AG, Rod Rosenstein.  Trump wasn’t finished however.  In a wandering interview he took potshots at the acting FBI Director, Andrew McCabe and then before moving on to other topics, Trump slammed Robert Mueller and warned that he would be stopped in his tracks if Trump felt the investigation was moving away from anything that wasn’t directly Russian related, telling the Times reporters there “was a red line.”

Apparently he blamed Rod Rosenstein for appointing Mueller as special counsel, furthermore he seemed to blame Rosenstein for recommending the dismissal of then FBI Director, James Comey, although Trump has  previously said the recommendation from Rosenstein was unimportant because he had already decided to fire Comey because of the ongoing Russian investigation.  And, in fact told then Russian Ambassabor Kisylak in an unprecedented Oval Office meeting , that he thought that firing Comey would shut down the investigation, or at least reduce the heat.

That is why, Mr. President they are looking at you for obstruction of justice.   Mr. President, we have audio and video of this stuff.  We can fact check you.  Jesus, man, not everyone is so in love with your ass that we ignore what you say.

I seriously wonder if this president has any memory of what he said 30 minutes ago.  The most recent press blurb indicated you have been documented making 836 separate public lies and misleading statements just since taking office.

On the subject of Comey, the President extended his complaints, insisting that Comey had perjured himself during the congressional hearings, stating again, “I never asked him for a loyalty oath.” Furthermore, Trump further claims he never asked Comey to end the investigation into former NSA, General Michael Flynn.

He further bullied the now private citizen, Comey, indicating he felt Comey had attempted to leverage FBI information detrimental to the President to hold on to his job.

Trump said that Comey had taken him aside and described a secret dossier containing multiple salacious allegations against the president, including sexual escapades in Moscow.  Trump called the dossier a bunch of “junk–a phony deal.”

Trump continued, stating he believes that Comey told him about the negative information and his intention, according to Trump, was to hold it over his head. Previously Comey has stated he told Trump of the dossier’s existence to warn him of the potential fall out if the information was published.

Reporters summarized Trump’s attack against Mueller  for, “running an office rife with conflicts of interest and warned investigators against delving into matters too far afield from Russia.”

Continue reading

Heartbreaking

  By

Heartbreaking

D. S. Mitchell

Calamity politics woke up early this morning to more health care debate on the the cable news channels. I have been making my calls to Senators and voicing my disgust for the emerging  disaster identified by many as, “TrumpCare”.

I have written several posts recently about the health care subject and again this morning Calamity Politics is urging political action by everyone.  If you’re reading this post don’t forget to write, call, protest, run for office, anything to further the Resistance.

One of the things that never gets people excited is organizing.  But, grassroots organizing is essential. Knock on doors, talk to people, ask them what they are looking for in a candidate, and find a candidate that matches what that community is talking about.  Whatever you do, don’t lose faith.  If you take a hammer and you hit it against a concrete wall, over and over again, that wall will breach.  We are that hammer.

The secret writing of the Republican health care bill was enough to convince many people of its dubious underpinnings. The opposition to the pending legislation by hospitals, nurses and doctors, American Cancer Society, Diabetes Foundation,  and reportedly 76% of the U.S. population is unprecedented.  Those factors alone should be enough for the Republicans to sense the way the wind is blowing, but they cannot get past the “Repeal ObamaCare” thinking.  If the Republicans are allowed to pass the TrumpCare bill many American citizens will suffer, maybe you, maybe your mother, or an uncle, a friend from work. Someone you know will be negatively effected if this bill passes.

Paul Ryan (R. WI) said he had dreamed of this bill, this moment, “since he used to talk policy at kegger parties, in college.”  Are you fucking kidding me? Someone who is still holding on to dumb ass, drunk ‘college kid’ ideas is drawing up national health care policy that potentially effects everyone in America either directly, or indirectly, makes me furious.

These folks are so removed from everyday life that they don’t even realize what they sound like. The other day Senator Lindsey Graham (R. S.C.) made the comment, “If we don’t pass a bill, we”ll  just wait until ObamaCare collapses.  Maybe then we can get something passed.”

Speaker of the House Paul Ryan and Senator Graham’s comments are both heartlessness and offensive.  Somebody has cancer, guess we’ll watch his treatment interrupted, his life turned up side down, and most likely his hastened death.  Why, when we have the technology to save his life? Because, some guy in college fell in love with the Ayn Rand idea of ‘me’ over everyone else, or an old guy that acts as if no action is acceptable. That’s like watching someone drown and you standing on the dock ignoring the event, and it’s potential.

Maybe you guys, back there in Washington, D.C. need a reality check.  Sometimes a bad ‘promise’ should be broken, and the Republicans have made some really bad promises over the last eight years., without any regard to the negative effect, those promises will have on a large portion of the American population.

Dar

Join the Resistance

Senate Death Panel: Thirteen, Old, White, Men

  By

Senate Death Panel: 13 Old White Men

D. S. Mitchell

It’s nice to say, “Hi,” when you pass a person in the hall, or when seated next to each other at a luncheon, but what would really be a good thing is for the Democrats and the Republicans to stop the bullshit, and hold their noses if they have to, and come together for the benefit of this country.

If it is a big piece of legislation such as the health care law, let’s take our time, let’s have some hearings, let’s find out who will feel the brunt of this new proposed bill.  The looming behemoth TrumpCare legislation will effect 1/6 of the United States economy and reportedly force 24,000,000 or more people completely off of health care.

The Republicans screamed that the Dems shoved the ACA down their throats.  That is an absolute lie. There were months and months of hearings, all the while President Obama and his surrogates stumped the country selling the program. So, if you don’t believe me, go back and check the records yourself. With the 24 hour news cycle, we often forget what happened just a few days ago, much less 7 years ago. In fact, I truly believe a little less conversation would have been beneficial for the ACA.  There was fatigue, overwhelming fatigue, by the time it was all said and done. Hell, it wasn’t until the Republicans threatened to repeal ObamaCare that people even figured out what a great deal it was.

Now that the Republicans are in power, Mitch McConnell has picked 13 old, white, men to his own secret Death Panel. I use that term with caution. But, quite honestly, I can think of no more appropriate name.  If you collapse in the street they will haul you to the hospital and they will do emergency care. Period.

I worked as an RN for thirty five years and have seen the situation pre-Obama and post-Obama, and I would not be able to work, ever again, in a system that tells people their cancer won’t be treated because they have no insurance. Or, to know that a child’s broken leg could literally be the straw that sends an uninsured family that is already financially challenged toward a spiral of bankruptcy.

Continue reading

Flag Day shootings

  By

Flag Day Shootings

D. S. Mitchell

Calamity Politics is a political blog where we try to post relevant political news, tart commentary, engaging analysis, focusing on progressive opinions and speculations primarily written by me, Darlene Mitchell, a life long agitator and troublemaker.  Due to some recent health issues I have been silent for several days.  I’m doing fine, but I have a few tests and doctors visits in my near future.  So, enough on my medical condition, let’s get to what’s going on in the United States political news scene.

Flag Day, June 14, 2017, ironically is my son’s birthday and the birthday of Donald J. Trump, President of the United States.  June 14, 2017 was also another day of gun violence in the United States.

In an upscale Alexandria, Virginia neighborhood, a well armed lone gunman, opened fire at a Republican baseball team practice, wounding 4. Three Capital Police officers, assigned to Majority House Whip Stephen Scalise returned gunfire, by witness accounts, saving multiple lives.  The legislators and aides had been practicing for the last several weeks for their up coming annual benefit game against the Democrats.

Within minutes, officers from local police departments converged on the site in response to numerous 911 calls.  The arriving officers immediately engaged the shooter. Two of  Scalise’s security detail, Capital Police officers, were wounded in the gunfire. Crystal Griner  was wounded in the ankle and another Capital Police officer, David Bailey was wounded in the leg. Bailey was treated and released, while Griner remained hospitalized for her injuries.

Representative Scalise was shot in the hip.  The rifle bullet tore through internal organs and left the Louisiana House Rep, near death.  Also critically wounded was Matt Mika. Mika was shot multiple times and was at last report on a respirator. Mika is a former congressional staffer, now working as a lobbyist for Tyson Foods.

A staffer for Representative Roger Williams, Zachary Barth, was also shot and is hospitalized with undisclosed injuries.  Roger Williams (R. Tx) was also injured in the melee, spraining his ankle as he ran for cover from the hail of gunfire. Roger Williams, was treated and released on crutches.

The shooter has been identified as 66 year old, caucasian, James T. Hodgkinson from Belleville, Illinois. Hodgkinson was shot multiple times and was pronounced dead on arrival at a local hospital.  Hodgkinson, a former home inspector, who had sold his business and allowed his Illinois contractor license to expire last November was identified by his Illinois driver’s license. His wife told reporters that “he sold everything and went to Washington, to work on taxes.”

Neighbors state that Hodgkinson has been visible in the Alexandria, Virginia up scale enclave for the last 4-5 months.  Hodgkinson, who was described as “quiet, but a bit gruff,” had been seen daily at the local YMCA, and appears to have been living in his white cargo van.

Hodgkinson’s motives are unclear. Multiple anti-Republican and anti-Trump postings were found on his Facebook page.  Posts condemning Clinton were also noted, however not to the extent of his rants and ravings on social media against the Republicans. Hodgkinson claimed to have worked for the Bernie Sander’s campaign, however Sander’s quickly came out denying any connection with the shooter after reviewing volunteer records from Illinois.

Additionally, the names of six Republican law makers along with their Capitol Hill office numbers were discovered among the shooter’s personal effects. And, at least one bystander reported the shooter asking, “Who’s playing, Republican or Democrat?”  Early information seems to support the theory that Hodgkinson may have been specifically targeting Republican office holders.

Statements from President Trump, and both Democratic and Republican leadership, stress a need for folks on both sides of the political argument to turn down the heated rhetoric and focus on getting the people’s work done.  It looked like a real Kumbayah moment for everybody. Paul Ryan and Nancy Pelosi took to the House floor and spoke of a unified voice against violence.  I guess when gunshots are flying by your ear, it might be a ‘Pass Jesus in front of you moment’.

Grab hands; forget that we have had knives at each others throats for nearly a generation.  Since the time of the divisive, combative and disgraced former Speaker, Newt Gingrich, the tone has been hot and nasty. Very nasty.

Speaking of the divisive Mr. Gingrich he has been making the rounds of the cable news networks, working to gin up the right wing base with attacks against any and all “liberals,” “lefties,” and the “Democrats” specifically, because these groups are “inciting radical violence” against President Trump, and the GOP. Citing the Alexandria shooting on “liberals.”

The Republicans have sunk so low that a SuperPac promoting the Republican candidate for congress Karen Handel in Georgia’s 6th District is using attack ads against Democrat Jon Ossoff showing pictures of wounded Rep. Scalise being carried from the field alleging it to be a “liberal attack” against the Republican baseball team. Mind blowing.

Cynic that I am, I think any moderation in tone is a momentary thing.  It can’t and won’t be sustainable.  But, I’m willing to watch and comment along the way.

I must mention that firebrand musician Ted Nugent is calling for a cool down of the rhetoric. Thank you, Ted.

Lastly, I want to say that I am appalled at the second mass shooting on Flag Day, in San Francisco, where three people were killed and two wounded by a disgruntled UPS worker at a packaging center, where after shooting his co-workers, the gunmen turned the gun on himself, committing suicide.

At some point, we as a country need to decide if the killing of thousands of people in this country annually by gun violence is worth examining.

Dar

Join the Resistance

Gorsuch Hearing

  By , ,

                     

Gorsuch Hearing

D. S. Mitchell

Gorsuch Hearings

I watched the Senators question 10th Circuit Judge, Neil Gorsuch, for about 4 hours this morning.  Although interested, I couldn’t watch any longer.  I had to get a few things done, so I shut off the TV so I could run some errands. I replayed the proceedings in my head. Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY) definitely has a point when he questions whether we should be considering appointing a judge that was nominated by President Trump. After all Trump is under FBI investigation for conspiring with the Russians to win the 2016 election.

Life-Time Appointment

Schumer reminded us this was a life-time appointment.  Why such a big hurry, he asked? Merrick Garland was held off for over a year while the Republicans prayed for a Republican President in 2016. So, I’m kinda like Schumer, it’s not really Gorsuch, it’s Trump, he may not have a year left in office.  Maybe we should hold off a bit.

I’m Back

Errands run I’m back and I immediately turn the TV on. The Gorsuch hearing is still going. I had my back to the TV so I didn’t see who was asking the questions, but I heard a man ask, “Who’s paying for all your TV ads?” Good question I thought. For at least two weeks every time there was a break in regular programming there was a commercial featuring Gorsuch.

“I don’t know,” Gorsuch answered flatly.

I say to myself, “Really?”

Who Pays For The Ads

There certainly are a lot of support ads for Neil Gorsuch. Why?  Since when do you see 100’s of millions of dollars being spent on television ads for a Supreme Court nominee? I’ve never seen anything like it. I want to know who and why is spending all the green.  It’s probably the NRA, or another gun advocates group. I can’t imagine who else it would be. From what I know about Gorsuch, besides being blindly conservative, he is a do or die 2nd Amendment guy.

What I Missed

Who knows what I missed in the two hours I was running errands, but from what I saw, I think the Democrats did a decent job keeping Gorsuch’s feet to the fire. If it comes to it they might as well confirm him. As conservative judges go, I think we could get a lot worse nominee than Neil Gorsuch. I hope I’m not wrong. But, like every thing else in politics, only time will give us the answer.

Join the Resistance