Presidential Health

WAM-20160915.

I have to laugh at these liberal crazies that compare Obama to Trump to try and show Trump is just a fat ass who isn't physically able to be president.

Obama isn't running for president.

Physical appearance is not the final say on physical health.

Clinton passed out Sunday and spent the last few days "resting".

As usual, the delusional liberals lose this one.

These liberal crazies are only lucky they are against Trump. A guy who doesn't know how to shut up when he has won an issue.

Liberal stupidity, lies, and meanness is why this election is nearly tied and will be the main reason Clinton loses, if she does.

I'm rooting for Trump, if for no other reason than to shove it down the throats of these mean, hate filled, crazy liberals who think attacking with hate is the only way to win an election.

Copyright 2016 by Luke Spencer. All rights reserved. Plagiarism is strictly prohibited. LSHB-49.

Journalistic Integrity

WAM-20160909.

Chris Wallace of Fox News says it's not his job to discern the truth of responses given to him by a candidate for president when he asks a question to them. WOW!

Matt Lauer seemed to be working on the same policy when he got untrue responses from Trump and Clinton the other night, and never called them on their false responses. If seeking the truth is not a journalist job, whose job is it?

Walter Cronkite, Edward R. Murrow, Mike Wallace, and other honest journalists must be rolling over in their graves to hear such garbage.

The press has always been seeking the truth whether covering politics, police, government, or any other situation that affects the American people. The press has been the wall against the lies of those who seek power, or are in power. That includes private as well as public power movers and shakers.

If you think Trump as president is dangerous for America; a press willing to ignore lies and present false choices to Americans, will surely be the end of freedom and justice in America.

Seems the current policy of journalism is to simply allow people in power, or seeking power to say whatever they want and let the people decide. The people rely on the press to highlight lies, so they can make informed decisions based on true facts.

Of all the garbage I've heard during this election, this is the most disturbing and the most dangerous.

Copyright 2016 by Luke Spencer. All rights reserved. Plagiarism is strictly prohibited. LSHB-47.

A Message to Working People on Labor Day from a Former Labor Secretary

WAM-20160905.

The Economy Is Rigged Against Ordinary People by Robert Reich

Your typical wage is below what it was in the late 1970s, in terms of what it can buy. Two-thirds of you are living paycheck to paycheck. Almost 30 percent of you don't have steady employment: You're working part-time or on contract, with none of the labor protections created over the last 80 years – no unemployment insurance if you lose your job, no worker's compensation if you’re injured, no time-and-a-half pay for working more than 40 hours a week, no minimum wage, and you have to pay your own Social Security. Over 37 percent of you have dropped out of the workforce altogether because you've become too discouraged even to look for work. That's a near record. As if all this weren't enough, the schools and infrastructure on which you rely have been neglected, and the ravages of climate change – droughts, fires, and floods – are worsening.

Yet the American economy is twice as large as it was in the late 1970s. As a nation, we are richer than we've ever been. We could afford to do so much better.

None of this has happened by accident. Those with great wealth have translated it into political power. And with that power they've busted labor unions (to which a third of private-sector workers belonged in the 1950s but now fewer than 7 percent do), halved the taxes they pay (from a top marginal rate of 91 percent in the 1950s to 39 percent today, and from an effective rate of 52 percent then to 18 percent now), cut safety nets, deregulated Wall Street, privatized much of the economy, expanded bankruptcy protection for themselves while narrowing it for you, forced you into mandatory arbitration of employment disputes, expanded their patents and intellectual property, got trade deals that benefited them but squeezed your pay, and concentrated their market power so you pay more for pharmaceuticals, health insurance, airfare, food, internet service, and much else.

This is bad for everyone. Even those at the top would do better with a smaller share of an economy that was growing because the middle class was expanding. And they'd do better in a society that hadn't become so angry and susceptible to demagogues blaming immigrants and imports for what has happened.

But none of this will change unless we change it. No single person – not even Bernie Sanders, had he become president – can do what needs to be done, alone. You and I and others must continue to organize and mobilize. Do not find refuge in cynicism. Change is slow, and at times seems hopeless. But change is inevitable. Do not wait for politicians to take the lead. We are the leaders.

September 5, 2016. Share and Enjoy!

Copyright 2016 by Luke Spencer. All rights reserved. Plagiarism is strictly prohibited. LSHB-45.

Dervish Sanders The King Shithead

WAM-20160905. Screenshot.

Dervish Sanders, the King Shithead. Crowned that 3 years ago, and well deserved. This mentally ill criminal has sent me over 200 comments in only 2 days. That alone shows an unstable asshole, but those emails were about him murdering, which makes him a criminal. This sicko is supported by RN, Pam, Shaw, FJ, and many more assholes. Funny, they are all assholes who have stolen my work product and claimed it as their own. Nothing is more despicable. If this criminally insane asshole comes to your blog, call the police. They have a file on him and want more information.

0 Responses.

Copyright 2016 by Luke Spencer. All rights reserved. Plagiarism is strictly prohibited. LSHB-44.

Holiday Music Selections

WAM-20160903

This song "Spare Me A Little" is from the great "Fleetwood Mac". It's on the 1972 album "Bare Trees". Not one of their most famous, or commercial songs, but a great song from what I think is one of their best albums.

4 Responses.

01. September 5, 2016 at 11:42 AM.

Dervish Sanders: Ready for another 100 comments? I'll be back around 2am.

02. September 5, 2016 at 11:49 AM.

Luke: Drunk as usual PSYCHO KILLER?
Why do you love to write about killing PSYCHO KILLER?
Stop stealing my posts PSYCHO KILLER!
Typical for an insane PSYCH KILLER to think I'm 5 other people.
I have saved all your PSYCHO KILLER comments.
All your sick comments about killing have been forwarded to the authorities, not blogger.

03. September 6, 2016 at 10:05 AM.

Dervish Sanders: Enjoy the 200 comments I sent this morning? I really outdid myself this time. I promised 100 but delivered 200. And almost all of them concerned murder. Which you might expect, what with me being a "psycho killer". Although in my case a "psycho killer" who has never killed anyone. Maybe I should start with Luke? He seems to be begging to be murdered.

04. September 6, 2016 at 11:26 AM.

Luke: Thanks for threatening to kill me. that's all the authorities need.

Copyright 2016 by Luke Spencer. All rights reserved. Plagiarism is strictly prohibited. LSHB-43.

Who Are You Going To Vote For?

WAM-20160901.

Hillary is truly the stereotype of the dishonest politician who has gotten rich off of her contacts from government service and used taxpayer money to her personal advantage. Trump is truly the biggest liar to run for president, not to mention his fascist leanings.

My position remains the same. My State will go overwhelmingly for Clinton, so I won't vote. If it were close, I would vote for Hillary. A corrupt politician is typical in American politics. A fascist, dictator type is not.

Many times the debates help people make up their minds. I doubt that will be the case this time.

So who are you going to vote for and why?

Copyright 2016 by Luke Spencer. All rights reserved. Plagiarism is strictly prohibited. LSHB-38.

Real American?

WAM-20160828.

Inclusion (widening of rights) has always been a battle against the Constitution. The idea that the Constitution is so sacred that it should not be changed, is a false interpretation of the intentions of the founders who wrote the Constitution. The founders were well aware that the Constitution and its good words of equality and justice was not a reality of their day, and not even a reality of the way the founders lived their own lives. They were true leaders. Leading us away from the ugly part of humanity that oppressed just because they had the power.

Part of this crazy election is the last gasp of centuries old white power in politics. The false cry of, "We will make America great again" suggests that America was greater before all this progressive interference and race blending that created the "melting pot".

Immigration is the lifeblood of this country. To turn away from that is anti-American. The beacon of freedom and a better life was and still is the reason people want to come to America. The color and culture of those people is what has changed over the centuries. America is becoming a white minority country, because of immigration and the effects of the "melting pot". Every culture and people who have come to America have been discriminated against, like a rite of passage, or a college initiation.

A large minority would have us believe that racism no longer exists and certainly is not institutional. Hogwash. That same minority seems convinced that progressiveness and inclusion of rights to all is already achieved. Hogwash. And an even smaller minority thinks our freedoms don't apply to certain groups, because they are not real Americans. The Birther movement is certainly racist, but look at how many millions of Americans believe that false accusation. It can be proven false factually, but they just want to believe it. Just as they want to believe Obama is Muslim despite all the facts to prove that wrong.

What does Trump mean when he claims he is the candidate of law and order when the facts say that crime is highest in urban areas of large black populations? And what policies and laws backed by the white majority led to black poverty and crime in our cities?

Racism and bigotry are learned behaviors. Seems parents are keeping these traits alive. The final word on laws, thankfully the courts have struck down voter restriction laws that are racist, and abortion laws that restrict freedom.

Trump has proven he is a racist. His success has motivated racists and given them a voice greater than their numbers deserve. David Duke said last week that his decision to run for office was based on Trump's success. All the garbage Trump is spewing is splitting the Republican party ideologically, but Republican leaders refuse to condemn Trump and his racist statements, signalling that racism is preferable to a president Clinton.

So where do Republicans go after what appears to be a huge loss at the polls this election, at least for president? The Republican party will not die, but this split appears permanent. There will always be opposition to Democratic party progressiveness, but that is different from the minority of racist ideas. A third party, especially made of racists, will not win, but will change the election numbers. Americans will get used to the president being a minority winner of the majority of the American voters, just as Bill Clinton was.

Racism has reared its ugly head at different times in American history and this seems to be another time racist ideas have found a voice. America will be a white minority country by 2050 and that will be reflected by who gets elected to office, As usual, minorities suffer while the majority slowly embraces inclusion. The Teflon Don says, what have you got to lose black Americans, try Trump. Black America is smarter than that, but are white Americans ready to say no to to Trump's America?

It's an irony that white racists of Europe came to America and stole this land from real Americans, killed them at a genocidal rate, then even stole their identity as real Americans. The vestiges of our murderous act still live on in our "reservation" system and blight on the Native Americans. Americans were one of the last to make slavery illegal and a century later we still treat blacks as second class citizens. We totally ignore Native Americans.

The American character at its core, is racist. But we have had good leaders. Leaders who do what leaders should do, lead us away from what we know is wrong, even if we are still practicing that wrong. Leadership should lead to new directions, not just be the leader of old, ugly characteristics. Trump is just pandering to and trying to enlarge the old characteristics of hate, not lead us away from that negative character. That is not a leader, that is a demagogue.

Copyright 2016 by Luke Spencer. All rights reserved. Plagiarism is strictly prohibited. LSHB-36.

Congress: AWOL and Out of Control

WAM-20160824.

Congress: AWOL and Out of Control by Ralph Nader.

Taken as whole, with exceptions, the American people have the strangest attitude toward the Congress. Our national legislature spends nearly a quarter of our income and affects us one way or another every day of the year. Yet too many people withdraw in disgust instead of making Congress accountable to them. Warren Buffett once said, "It's time for 535 of America's citizens to remember what they owe to the 318 million who employ them".

People have a low regard for Capitol Hill. Polls show less than 20% of people approve of what Congress does and does not do. In April a poll registered a 14% approval rate. People know that Congress takes a lot of days off – all with pay. Senators and Representatives work over 100 fewer days than average Americans do. Specifically, members were in session 157 days in 2015 and 135 in 2014. This year the House is scheduled to be in session for only 111 days, with the August recess alone stretching nearly six weeks.

People also know that these politicians feather their own nests. At a minimum, members of Congress receive a $174,000 annual salary, plus a great pension, health and life insurance, assorted deductions and expenses. These are benefits that many Americans can only dream of getting.

Even when Senators and Representatives are in Washington, Congressional leaders expect them to spend about 20 to 30 hours per week dialing for campaign dollars – for their re-election and for their Party’s coffers. Asking for money in or from their office is illegal, so members of Congress trot out daily, on your nickel, to "call centers" in nearby office buildings.

Congressman David Jolly (R-Florida) was told at his party headquarters that he was expected to raise $18,000 per day as his “first responsibility". When not dialing for dollars, members of Congress go to fundraising parties at fancy restaurants or the homes of wealthy donors.

We've all heard a popular refrain from folks back home reacting to their absentee lawmakers. "It's good they’re not in Congress making government bigger, increasing taxes and causing mischief". The lawmakers, on their part, argue that time away from Congress is time with their constituents back home.

There is some useful truth to this claim, even though that time is also used to raise campaign money and schmooze with political backers and allies. Contact with the voters is becoming impersonal – over the internet instead of the diminishing public town meeting and its eye-to-eye contact.

But let’s be serious. Your Senators and Representatives have a job description. It is to move the country forward for the people by wisely enacting tax laws, spending programs, evaluating the president's nominees, empowering voters with clean elections, upholding their Constitutional duties, such as making foreign and military policy, and overseeing the sprawling executive branch, exposing waste, corruption, recklessness and obeisance to the powers-that-be by not fairly enforcing the laws of the land.

The Congressional oversight function requires logging hours and hours of public committee hearings scrutinizing the performance of federal agencies and departments on behalf of the people. Congressional staffers need to be investigating or following leads sent to them by citizens or government whistleblowers regarding the federal bureaucracy.

Members of Congress do not have time for this responsibility when they are spending so much of their workday asking for money and implying agreement with the demands of the "monied interests", to use Thomas Jefferson's phrase.

This is why Congressman Jolly introduced the "Stop Act", which would ban all federally-elected officials from directly soliciting donations. Members of Congress can attend fund-raisers but others would have to ask for the money. No more direct telephone calls to the "fat cats" for checks. So far he only has nine co-sponsors for his bill. Congressman Jolly says this is not "campaign finance reform", it is "Congressional reform", adding "members of Congress spend too much time raising money and not enough time doing their job. Get back to work. And do your job".

Hey America! No more withdrawal cynicism. Shaping up or shipping out your members of Congress can be our great national civic hobby! There are plenty of opportunities for improvement and it could be lots of fun. Don't forget there are only 535 of them and they put their shoes on every day like we do!

Start small and build. Announce to your lawmakers with a letterhead – "Congress Watchdogs from the xxx Congressional District. The people want you to do your jobs!" The benefits of this effort are better lives and livelihoods for all Americans".

Share and Enjoy.

Copyright 2016 by Luke Spencer. All rights reserved. Plagiarism is strictly prohibited. LSHB-34.

Any Good Republican Ideas Out There?

WAM-20160819.

It's misinformation to say the Teabaggers are a grassroots movement, given the people behind the movement are the likes of Dick Armey. Yet, it has stirred up an old traditional attitude among Americans; that all politicians are crooks and not to be trusted, especially with our tax money. There is a lot of truth in that thinking, which is why it is so easy to get millions to agree with it.

It's understandable to see why the conservatives of 40 years ago thought the generation of sex, drugs, peace, rock n' roll, and anti authority were loonies. There were many loonies in that crowd. It's one thing to say, all you need is love, but it's another thing to understand the reality of 7 billion people living together on one Earth, and all the good and bad that goes along with humanity.

It's harder to understand why conservatives of today are so willing to believe the ravings of uneducated talk show hosts, or ideas like birthers and shouts of the President being a Communist, a Fascist, or a Socialist. Of course their past behavior (McCarthyism) does bend towards paranoia, but even the uneducated could just use a dictionary to know their accusations are wrong.

It's understandable that conservatives have a more stubborn (unmovable) ideology, but their current political strategy is a failure, and could be dangerous for the country. I don't like to call my political opponents thinking as stupid, but there is no other way to explain the position of today's Republicans.

As a people, we allow way too much stupidity to be aired under the guise of freedom of speech. An idea does not deserve respect just because it is an idea. Can we no longer simply reject dumb ideas, especially those that have been proven to be a failure? At long last sir... have you no brains?

2 Responses.

01. August 26, 2016 at 6:47 PM.

Larry Stein: I miss the days of Jack Kemp. Trickle down is not a policy, but rather a money grab. There must be some conservative ideas that can generate an honest discussion of the nation's needs.

02. August 26, 2016 at 9:06 PM.

Luke: The Republicans are about to find out that extremism in the defense of liberty (or the Republican party) is a vice.
I predict the Democrats will win the White House and majority in the Senate. The Republicans aren't going to die, but they will be wounded for years. Thank you Teflon Don.
The only Republican ideas I see are in Ryan's budget plan. Which, to a liberal like me, is the same old tear down the FDR, JFK type government they have been fighting against for 85 years.
We should consider what the crash of 2007 would have been like without the safety nets installed since the Great Depression of the 1930's. There were no government safety nets then.
10's of millions of baby boomers are depending on government benefits for retirement with no other added income. High poverty is a national security issue. Thanks for stopping by Larry Stein.

---

Stay A While Version (An earlier version of this post from 7/8/2010).

SAW-20100301.

It's misinformation to say that the Teabaggers are a grass roots movement, given that the people behind the movement are the likes of Dick Army. Yet, it has stirred up an old traditional attitude among Americans, that all politicians are crooks and not to be trusted. There is a lot of truth in that statement, which is why it is so easy to get millions to agree with it.

It's understandable to see why the conservatives of 40 years ago thought the generation of sex, drugs, peace, rock n' roll, and anti authority were loonies. There were many loonies in that crowd. It's one thing to say, all you need is love, but it's another thing to understand the reality of 5 billion people living together on one Earth, and all the good and bad that goes along with humanity.

It's harder to understand why conservatives of today are so willing to believe the ravings of uneducated talk show hosts, or ideas like birthers and shouts of the President being a Communist, a Fascist, or a Socialist. Of course their past behavior (McCarthyism, racism) does bend towards paranoia, but even the uneducated could use a dictionary to know their accusations are wrong.

It's understandable that conservatives have a more stubborn (unmovable) ideology, but their current political strategy is a failure, and could be dangerous for the country. I have not over the last 45 years called my political opponents thinking as stupid, but there is no other way to explain the position of today's Republicans.

As a people, we allow way to much stupidity to be aired under the guise of freedom of speech. An idea does not deserve respect just because it is an idea. Can we no longer simply reject dumb ideas, especially those that have been proven, to be a failure?

At long last sir... have you no brains?

3 Responses (this commentary received 3 comments when published on Stay A While).

01. March 1, 2010 at 9:06 am.

TAO: They had ONE idea and they lived off of it for 30 years and that was tax cuts and supply side economics.That pretty much covers the smaller government, the individual, and everything else.Sadly, that ONE idea has been bankrupted by reality.That basically leaves them with nothing. When you have nothing the only other option you have is to make the political process dysfunctional so to buy yourself time to devise a new idea…They bankrupted supply side economics themselves because they could not deal with the reality of cutting government spending….their constitutents wanted government largresse just as much as the welfare queens wanted it.So now the Republicans and this country are bankrupt...

02. March 2, 2010 at 3:09 am.

TOM: Yes, but mistakes are no longer mistakes when facts prove that their policies are hurting America and have for decades.They want to kill (cut) government. They are happy to see the country broke, so it can no longer pay for the kind of programs Americans want, but they do not.

03. March 7, 2010 at 1:44 am.

Green Eagle: 30 years? It goes back way before that, and wasn't just here.As an example: In administering the British mandate in the middle east in the early 1920's, a conservative by the name of Winston Churchill decided his main goal was to cut government spending on maintaining the peace there, so he combined three Turkish provinces into a new single country and put a weak puppet king in charge. The name of that country? Iraq.

Copyright 2016 by Luke Spencer. All rights reserved. Plagiarism is strictly prohibited. LSHB-32.

The End of Trump?

WAM-20160813.

Like many people I was surprised Trump got away with his vulgar rhetoric and continuous lies, for so long. Having known about Trump since the 1980's I was totally against him from the start. Knowing more than a little about business, I knew he was a braggart, but he did know how to use other people's money. He also understood branding. He is also the stereotype of an idiot college graduate, not to mention a spoiled brat. The fact that Trump has gotten this far is a negative reflection on the Republican voter. He was the leader of the Republican pack from day one, and tied in the polls with Clinton before the conventions.

As I said before, I wasn't surprised (given Republicans history of electing people of questionable standards) about Trump's success, just depressed. I've lived through Americans electing demagogues before and Trump seemed like another example of American voters being suckers. P. T. Barnum was correct and infomercial products prove it. Trump is just another carnival barker, a salesman, with less success than the guy who made millions on spray on hair and the Chia Pet.

I call him the "Teflon Don". No matter how vulgar he got, his poll numbers went up. That reality showed me he could win. Trump got a 3 point boost after the Republican convention, but after the Democratic convention he dropped 12 points. He's about 7-10 points down now depending which poll you look at. But more, he has leveled off and the polls have been consistent for a little over two weeks. His momentum seems to have stalled, and more people are looking at him more negatively. The Republican leadership keeps disavowing what he says, but have not, yet, rescinded their endorsements.

As the "Teflon Don" deflates, that will leave the Republican party in a mess and badly wounded. Add to that the Democrats seem destined to get majority in the Senate, even McConnell said things don't look good for keeping majority in the Senate. Not only are things looking great for the Democrats, but at this rate Clinton could have a huge landslide against Trump. That would be great news for the country!

Republicans will still have majority in the House, which could affect the money Clinton needs for her programs. I expect judge Ginsberg will give her resignation if Clinton wins the presidency. I hope Obama will drop his Supreme Court nominee and allow Clinton to name two justices.

Seems Americans have had enough of Trump, which leaves me confused as to why it took them so long to come to the realization that Trump is a dangerous joke. It defines the old saying, any press is good press. Speaking of the press, they took a biased stance with Trump and gave him billions of dollars worth of free press. That free press gave Trump the lead in the Republican primaries from day one.

When Trump loses and is gone, he will be a footnote in history. Trump is not the Republican party and Trump has no party. Republicans can get back to being their do nothing selves and hopefully a more civilized politics. In my opinion the Republicans were not a civilized party even before Trump came along.

Copyright 2016 by Luke Spencer. All rights reserved. Plagiarism is strictly prohibited. LSHB-30.