Our sympathies to the families of the victims of today's terrorist act in New York. The people of our country are with you.

http://www.cnn.com/2017/10/31/us/new-york-shots-fired/index.html

C.H.I.P. for children before Tax Cuts for the Rich: Why the hell are not Democrats pouncing on Republicans for not renewing C.H.I.P.? This is a Call to Action.

Why are not the Democrats pouncing on the Republicans for not renewing C.H.I.P. and focusing on tax cuts for the one percent. This is a Call to Action. Every Democrat office holder from the local dog catcher to the Democratic Governors and Congressional Leaders should shout in Unison: C.H.I.P. for children before Tax Cuts for the filthy rich. Even our former Democratic Presidents should get in on the act. THIS IS NOT A HARD MESSAGE TO BROADCAST. If Democratic Leadership can not get this right, then maybe new blood is needed to lead the part  because impoverished parents of poor children should not have to wait a day let alone a month for the security of knowing that their child can get health care. This is the issue that is supposed to epitomize what being a Democrat is all about. Tell your leaders to get with the program.

Another Day in the Unfortunate Reality that is the United States Political System.

It was another day in the unfortunate reality that is the United States Political System.

You have the White House Chief of Staff making allowances for the bad acts of historical figures like Christopher Columbus and Robert E. Lee. That those men had admirable traits and accomplished historical feats is secondary to the poor decisions they made with one (Columbus) helping instigate the European semi genocide of the Native Americans and the other (Lee) betraying his country so his state and other Southern ones could preserve the right to maintain slavery.

You have Mitch McConnell, the arch obstructionist of the Obama Presidency, having the gall to whine about Democratic obstructionism on judicial nominations. You think Merrick Garland is laughing.

You have the same Mitch McConnell with Paul Ryan desperately trying to focus attention on tax reform rather than commenting on the potential disaster that is the imploding of the Trump Presidency thanks to their potential bad acts during the 2016 election.

While these Republicans are trying to secure tax cuts to benefit the top one percent, they have been remiss in renewing the C.H.I.P. health program for children and they have poured salt on the wound by proposing to fund it with cuts in Obamacare. FUND C.H.I.P. first before giving the Trump kids tax cuts.

Finally, it has been six weeks since the hurricane that has devastated Puerto Rico. Power has been restored to only 30 percent of the island. With ineptitude like that, we would have never have won two World Wars and put humanity on the Moon ahead of schedule.

Our public servants, especially in the Party of Lincoln need to get their act together.


https://www.facebook.com/bridgeproject21/videos/1446540578734289/

http://thehill.com/business-a-lobbying/357767-mcconnell-vows-confirmation-of-judicial-nominees

https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2017/10/31/16579016/paul-ryan-mitch-mcconnell-cowardice-trump

https://www.facebook.com/ABetterMN/videos/10156395591405476/

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-puertorico-power-prepa/puerto-ricos-path-to-restore-power-shifts-after-whitefish-exit-idUSKBN1CZ2T0

Editorial Cartoon courtesy of Phil Hands

Editorial Cartoon courtesy of Steve Benson

Editorial Cartoon courtesy of Gary Varvel

Editorial Cartoon courtesy of Adam Zyglis

Editorial Cartoon courtesy of Pat Bagley

Editorial Cartoon courtesy of Jimmy Marguiles

Editorial Cartoon courtesy of Jack Ohman

In appealing to all voters, should Democrats sacrifice far reaching policy proposals?

Below is a very interesting article from Tyler Jones, a South Carolina Democratic Strategist who worked on the Martin O' Malley campaign in 2016.

In it he rightfully contends that Democrats and Progressives need to reestablish positive links with  rural communities that feel the Democrats have abandoned them. He also rightfully feels that the Democrats should have a Big Tent approach that attracts centrists and conservatives as well as progressives. Where there is disagreement with Mr. Jones is that he thinks the Democrats should focus on three themes: balancing the budget, eliminating the debt, and investing in the future. Essentially this is the Clinton and Obama Programs. While these programs were instrumental in creating solid economic foundations that were and are currently being dismantled by the succeeding Republican administrations that followed them,  they, largely because of Republican obstructionism, did not go far enough in investing in the future for the very people Mr. Jones contends we should re embrace. The very people that Mr. Jones says we should connect with are those that rewarded Republican obstructionism by falling for the snake oil prescriptions of two Republican Popular Vote Losers/Electoral College Winners in 2000 and 2016. Why did these people connect with George W. Bush and Donald Trump? Because they both promised to invest in the future by programs like compassionate conservatism, rebuilding our country, making Washington work, and getting health care that is better and cheaper than Obamacare. That the reason Washington did not work was because Republicans in Washington obstructed everything remotely designed to move the country forward like raising the minimum wage, infrastructure programs, and a public option in the Affordable Care Act should have occurred to our people in the heartland. Frankly, our fellow citizens in this part of the country need to make a better effort to become informed so they could make good decisions. That is not condemnation, That is what needs to be done so they are not perpetually conned by the likes of Trump. That said, these people are yearning for solutions to help them lead better lives and move our country forward. They are not looking for handouts. It is not a handout to want a living wage. It is not a handout to want your children to attend college for a reasonable tuition. It is not a handout to want clean water in your community. It is not a handout to want accessible and affordable health care. This is not some left wing liberal fantasy echoed by Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren. This is what  people all over the country want. They want our policy makers to work within the  financial constraints of a balanced budget but they feel that all things that can move the country forward can be achieved with a balanced check book. Mr. Jones is correct that Democrats should have a big tent for people from all regions, occupations, and viewpoints. However, we should all remember that the people want us to aim high when we plan for investing for tomorrow.


http://thehill.com/opinion/campaign/357677-to-win-in-2018-democrats-must-resist-moving-further-left

More reason to be against Republican Tax Cuts

The below links illustrate why the Republican Tax Plans are the latest version of fools gold and the American People would be the fools if we gave blind support to these ideas that have failed time and again in recent history. Special thanks to Susan Collins who has said the tax cut proposals, in its current forms, are unacceptable. Please watch the video links that show how the members of the President's cabinet will bilk this nation if the tax plan passes. Please also watch former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers, take apart the alleged merits of these tax proposals, while he appeared on the Fareed Zakaria GPS show yesterday.


https://www.facebook.com/ATTNVideo/videos/1769324520039168/

http://thehill.com/homenews/senate/357896-gop-senator-susan-collins-details-her-demands-for-tax-proposal

http://www.cnn.com/videos/tv/2017/10/28/exp-gps-1029-summers-sot-tax.cnn

Editorial Poster courtesy of Occupy Democrats

Editorial Poster courtesy of Occupy Democrats

Editorial Poster courtesy of Phd Comics

Editorial Cartoon courtesy of Jim Morin

Editorial Cartoon courtesy of David Fitzsimmons

Editorial Cartoon courtesy of Jim Morin

Editorial Cartoon courtesy of Boston Globe

Editorial Cartoon courtesy of David Fitzsimmons

Editorial Cartoon courtesy of Pat Bagley

Editorial Cartoon courtesy of Tom Toles

Must read article from VICE on the War on Terror being conducted in Africa

https://news.vice.com/story/the-u-s-is-waging-a-massive-shadow-war-in-africa-exclusive-documents-reveal?utm_source=vicenewsfb

Time is running out for our nations poor children: RESTORE C.H.I.P. NOW

https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2017/10/26/16554682/voxcare-childrens-health-insurance-program-nightmare

http://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/357568-states-running-out-of-cash-for-childrens-health-insurance

While the Environment went crazy, The EPA silenced environmentalists and invited industrialists to join the agency

While glaciers are shedding melting ice into our global seas, California was ablaze, powerful hurricanes virtually destroyed Puerto Rico, and the world's forests have apparently been reduced by ten percent, Scott Pruitt's EPA is ostracizing scientists and environmentalists and recruiting industrialists who have no qualifications to usher in a new era of green technology. The Trump Administration is also looking to shrink public lands so mining can proceed. But look on the bright side, China is emerging as the new global leader in green energy by partly closing 40 % of its industrial plants that generate the most pollution. I hope those trade name licenses the Trumps received are a good enough trade off for making our country less environmentally safe and ceding our green energy leadership to countries like China and Germany. This is just another reason Progressives and Democrats need to band together and work to come back to power.


https://www.vox.com/energy-and-environment/2017/10/27/16552766/epa-science-advisory-board-scientific-counselors

https://futurism.com/in-just-25-years-we-have-destroyed-10-of-the-earths-wilderness/

https://futurism.com/china-shut-40-factories-stand-pollution/

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/10/26/climate/antarctica-glaciers-melt.html?_r=0

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-monument/trump-to-shrink-utah-national-monuments-in-bid-to-boost-drilling-mining-idUSKBN1CW2PY

This week in Science and Technology courtesy of Futurism

https://futurism.com/images/this-week-in-tech-oct-21-27-2017/

https://futurism.com/images/this-week-in-science-oct-21-27-2017/

Editorial Poster of No Labels

Editorial Poster courtesy of No Labels

Editorial Poster courtesy of Middle American Democrat

Editorial Cartoon courtesy of Adam Zyglis

Editorial Cartoon courtesy of Rob Rogers

Editorial Cartoon courtesy of David Horsey

Editorial Cartoon courtesy of Patrick Chappatte

Editorial Cartoon courtesy of Tom Stiglich

This is not a time to rejoice

It appears that the first person or persons are about to be arrested in reference to the investigations regarding Russian involvement in the 2016 elections. While this development is welcome, it is not a time to rejoice. American citizens may have openly colluded with a foreign power to alter the outcome of an election. There are no motives or reasons that excuse this potentially treasonous activity.  Let us hope the Mueller Investigation uncovers all the participants in this conspiracy and brings them to justice no matter how high this may go.


http://www.cnn.com/2017/10/27/politics/first-charges-mueller-investigation/index.html

Shields and Brooks from 10/27

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/tag/shields-and-brooks

New Rules from the 10/27 episode of Real Time with Bill Maher

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l6PT3RqJhe0&list=PLAF22812129BFCD50

Editorial Poster courtesy of Occupy Democrats

Editorial Poster of American Reformers

Editorial Poster courtesy of Progressive Democrats: Moving Forward, not Backward

Editorial Cartoon courtesy of Scott Stanis

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Editorial Cartoon courtesy of Dan Wasserman

Editorial Cartoon courtesy of Drew Sheneman

Editorial Cartoon courtesy of Nick Anderson

Editorial Cartoon courtesy of Gary Markstein

Editorial Cartoon courtesy of Lisa Benson

Idea of the Week: Progressives should launch a War on Inequality.

Building on the War on Poverty which contrary to right wing dogma, did make lives better for all Americans, Progressives should sift through all the ideas on combatting poverty, infrastructure deterioration, neglect of consumer rights, and political and campaign finance reform and launch a war on inequality and tell the American People every day what they are fighting for in this war be it a higher minimum wage, tax policies that help the middle and lower classes, infrastructure and school building modernization, a green energy environmental program,  safer neighborhoods, cleaner air, affordable and accessible health care for all, strong labor rights, term limits and campaign financial limits, and equality for all. People, if properly informed, will flock to this banner. Progressives just need to reach out to everyone and get their message across to all parts of the country and deliver when they come into power with a filibuster proof majority.

DVD's of the Week

Steven Spielberg's Lincoln, based on the Doris Kearns Book, Team of Rivals, which tells of what it took, mostly, in passing the 13th Amendment. Lincoln is played by Oscar Winner Daniel Day Lewis.

Jay Roach's All the Way, based on the Robert Schenkkan play that portrays the first year and leadership skills of the Johnson Presidency. Johnson is played very well by Bryan Cranston.

Books of the Week

This weeks Books of the Week were written by Doris Kearns Goodwin. One has already been cited before. It is about President Johnson and is called Lyndon Johnson and the American Dream. The other is about the Lincoln Presidency and is called Team of Rivals.  Both books delve into what possibilities are there for the taking for the United States domestically when strong leaders pursue policies for the good of the people.

Editorial Poster courtesy of No Labels

Editorial Cartoon courtesy of Matt Wuerker

Editorial Cartoon courtesy of Adam Zyglis

Editorial Cartoon courtesy of Clay Bennett

Editorial Cartoon courtesy of Gary Varvel

Editorial Cartoon courtesy of Patrick Chappatte

Editorial Cartoon courtesy of Rob Rogers

Editorial Cartoon courtesy of Jimmy Marguiles

Editorial Cartoon courtesy of Steve Sack

Editorial Cartoon courtesy of Steve Benson

Editorial Cartoon courtesy of Chip Bok

Editorial Cartoon courtesy of Jack Ohman

Editorial Cartoon courtesy of Jimmy Marguiles

Editorial Cartoon courtesy of Andy Marlette