Kudos to Dicks Sporting Goods and Walmart: The Free Market at work.

Kudos to Dicks Sporting Goods and Walmart for heeding the great majority of the countries populace that is calling for a ban on assault weapons and an increase in the minimum age a person can purchase one. Thank you from all the people that want our citizens to be safe from maniacs and criminals who in some cases can purchase a weapon easier than a car.

https://www.azcentral.com/story/opinion/op-ed/ej-montini/2018/02/28/dicks-sporting-goods-president-please/382738002/

http://money.cnn.com/2018/02/28/news/companies/walmart-guns/index.html

We have seen this movie before

The President has a meeting with a bipartisan group of Senators and Representatives to discuss a controversial issue. The President seems receptive to serious reform and open to compromise. We have seen this movie before. This happened when the President spoke about being willing to embrace immigration reform. Today, it was about gun control reform. Let us hope the ending of this movie is not the same as the fiasco/limbo that is immigration reform.


https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/28/us/politics/trump-gun-control.html?smid=fb-share

More turnover than some McDonalds?

Hope Hicks must have told too many truths when she did talk at the Congressional Hearings yesterday. Apparently admitting to telling the American People that "white lies" was an okay thing was actually enough to get her resignation as the White House Communications Director. Not that she was exceptionally qualified for the job as she was one of the poster children for the overall ineptness of most of the Trump Team.  Remember when the President said he would staff his administration with the best people. Another fact check burning the PolitiFact site. What is also striking about this Administration is the turnover compared to its immediate predecessors. Generally, administrations do not see this type of turnover until after the midterms. There are probably McDonald's restaurants that have had less turnover over a 13 month period. This is not good for the country. Even a conservative Republican Administration can do less damage to the country by having a stable staff that stays longer than one year.


https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/28/us/politics/hope-hicks-resign-communications-director.html?smid=fb-share

Another Election Night on Tuesday, more good news for Progressives and Democrats

https://www.vox.com/2018/2/27/17060358/new-hampshire-special-election-results

Third Party Editorial Courtesy of Thomas Friedman

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/27/opinion/trump-strongmen-democracy.html?smid=fb-share

Editorial Cartoon courtesy of Patrick Chappatte

Editorial Cartoon courtesy of RJ Matson

Editorial Cartoon courtesy of Jimmy Marguiles

Editorial Cartoon courtesy of Dave Granlund

Editorial Cartoon courtesy of Mike Luckovich

Editorial Cartoon courtesy of Clay Bennett

Editorial Cartoon courtesy of Steve Benson

Editorial Cartoon courtesy of Dave Granlund

Third Party editorial courtesy of Paul Krugman

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/26/opinion/the-force-of-decency-awakens.html?smid=fb-share

Very good video courtesy of Robert Reich on what is wrong with Right to Work Laws

https://www.facebook.com/RBReich/videos/1874540772558510/

Getting Closer and not a Moment too Soon

The independent counsel team led by Robert Mueller appear to be getting closer to the President and his inner circle by starting to investigate the early stages of the Presidents 2016 campaign and its connections to Russian business interests.

This is not a moment too soon as family members and close Trump Confidantes are losing their security clearances left and right and committing questionable acts with each passing day. Allegations reported by the Washington Post about the President's son in law being potentially compromised by at least four nations (a mix of allies and adversaries)  is the latest pitfall for an administration that still has approximately 100 employees without permanent and appropriate security clearance. The refusal of the White House Communications Director to answer questions before a Congressional Committee regarding the events around a press release involving a meeting the Presidents son had with Russian representatives during the campaign is another example of the nefarious behavior among members of this administration.

It is also not a moment too soon because Admiral Mike Rogers, the head of the National Security Agency, has not received the go-ahead to institute countermeasures to combat potential Russian or other enemy cyber attacks. AS AMERICANS WE HAVE TO ASK THE QUESTION: WHAT THE HELL IS THE PRESIDENT WAITING FOR?




https://www.cnn.com/2018/02/27/politics/trump-russia-investigation/index.html

https://www.cnn.com/videos/politics/2018/02/28/wapo-foreign-countries-discussed-exploiting-jared-kushner-sitroom.cnn/video/playlists/top-news-videos/

https://www.cnn.com/2018/02/27/politics/cybercom-rogers-trump-russian-cyber-threat/index.html

https://www.washingtonpost.com/powerpost/house-russia-probe-investigators-set-to-question-hope-hicks-but-will-she-answer/2018/02/27/3b2c5dfe-1b78-11e8-9de1-147dd2df3829_story.html?utm_term=.1112c7a3e69d

Good News and Bad News for DACA recipients

There is good and bad news for the DACA recipients with yesterdays Supreme Court Decision to intercede for the Trump Administration and remove a lower court injunction against the President's Executive order ending the program next week. It is good news because there will be several months of breathing room before the lower courts make their ruling and likely more months after that until the Supreme Court hears it. It is bad news because it lets Congress off the hook in looking for a permanent solution to DACA although this may be overstated because the minority nut jobs on the right like Senator Cotton and Representative McCarthy seem to hold the leverage in stopping any mainstream deals from passing both houses. Another reason why Democrats and Progressives need to keep up the pressure until November and afterward.


https://www.npr.org/2018/02/26/588813001/supreme-court-declines-to-take-up-key-daca-case-for-now

Editorial Cartoon courtesy of Steve Sack

Editorial Cartoon courtesy of RJ Matson

Editorial Cartoon courtesy of Stephen Benson

Editorial Cartoon courtesy of Rob Rogers

Editorial Cartoon courtesy of Mike Luckovich

Editorial Cartoon courtesy of Phil Hands

Editorial Cartoon courtesy of Jack Ohman

An interesting new Progressive Organization

This morning on Morning Joe, I noticed Professor Jeffrey Sach's promoting a new organization he has co-founded. It is called Future Now. The website link is below. The program they advocate is clearly progressive. It includes positions for clean energy, investing in children, campaign and political reform, and affordable healthcare. What makes this organization potentially unique is that it appears to take the long game, planning to adopt strategies by 2030 by building from the local level on up. This is a very wise strategy. That is partially how Republicans were able to take over state houses over the last ten years. Progressives and Democrats need to continue to play the long as well as the short game. It is the key to lasting influence and forward progress.


https://www.futurenowusa.org/about/

Editorial Cartoon courtesy of Patrick Chappatte

Editorial Cartoon courtesy of Stephen Benson

Editorial Cartoon courtesy of RJ Matson

Editorial Cartoon courtesy of Kevin Kalluagher

Editorial Cartoon courtesy of Steve Sack

Editorial Cartoon courtesy of Mike Luckovich

Editorial Cartoon courtesy of Clay Bennett

Editorial Cartoon courtesy of Rob Rogers

Editorial Cartoon courtesy of Patrick Chappatte

Warning Signs for the Democratic way

There are more warning signs for the Democratic way in the world in countries either striving to become democratic or in full-fledged democracies.

Twice in the last 16 years, the person with the most popular votes in the United States did not become President and the person who won the electoral college adopted policies and positions that took the country backward and in the wrong direction. These Presidents and their advisors were also not known for a high degree of competence.

China, a country not to be confused in any way, shape, or form, as democratic, maybe dropping any pretense of it by allowing its current leader, Xi Jinping to rule past the expiration of his two terms. Vladimir Putin has already done this in Russia.

In countries like Italy, Poland, Hungary, Turkey, Israel, and Kenya, right-wing parties are using the electoral process along with the machinations of government when in charge along with good old-fashioned nativist populism to trample on the meaning of democratic government.

The world and its citizens need to continue to combat this right-wing populist-authoritarian- nativist-fascist threat.

One example of recent successful attempts to thwart this right wing trend is the coalition government the German Christian Democrats and Social Democrats are making. Clearly, their leaders paid attention to the lessons of history. The last time mainstream German political parties failed to unify helped pave the way for the Nazi's to gain influence.

Another example is the increased political activism of women, minorities, and the left in the United States as Democrats and Progressives have been increasingly competitive and victorious in local and state races. A lot of those races have been in areas Democrats have not competed in for decades. Imagine what will happen once the Progressives unite with a viable progressive program.

Other examples of stopping this right-wing insurgency have also occurred in France, Belgium, and France.

These efforts at stopping the right-wing inroads all have one thing in common. They are people rising and uniting to preserve democracy and promote a better way for all people no matter what race, creed, or religion. People need to continue to rise and participate in the democratic process. That and promoting a pragmatic progressive program is the key to moving forward and putting down the right-wing populist-authoritarian- nativist-fascist threat.


https://www.cnn.com/2018/02/25/asia/china-communist-party-xi-jinping-intl/index.html

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/05/world/europe/italy-election-northern-league-populists-migrants.html?smid=fb-share

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/democracy-is-decaying-worldwide-america-isnt-immune/2018/02/22/ff670f88-1813-11e8-92c9-376b4fe57ff7_story.html?utm_term=.a6af71adcb2b

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-germany-politics/senior-german-conservatives-urge-shift-to-right-as-merkel-picks-cabinet-idUSKCN1G80MW

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-germany-politics/weakened-merkel-offers-job-to-arch-critic-in-young-new-german-cabinet-idUSKCN1G90D3

https://www.npr.org/2018/02/20/585542531/more-than-twice-as-many-women-are-running-for-congress-in-2018-compared-to-2016?utm_campaign=storyshare&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=social

https://www.usnews.com/news/the-report/articles/2018-02-23/angry-voters-got-trump-elected-now-anger-may-help-democrats?src=usn_fb

The inaction of Broward Deputies at Parkland does not take away the need for sensible Gun Control Reform

The Deputies of the Broward Sheriff's Department apparently did not do enough to mitigate the severity of the horrible events at Parkland High ten days ago. If true, this is a serious dereliction of duty that needs to be corrected in the Department's ranks. While the deputies may not have been able to save everyone's lives, they probably would have been able to save some. The deputies who did not act will have to live with that the rest of their lives.

That written, the inaction of the Broward Deputies at Parkland does not take away the need for sensible gun control reform such as banning assault weapons like the AR-15 and the increasing of the age to purchase certain weapons. The warning signs that all levels of law enforcement inexplicably ignored regarding the shooter does not take away the need for increased security at our schools or greater resources towards mental health care.

Law Enforcement needs to definitely get its act together but that does not mean there is no need for reasonable gun control reform.


https://www.cnn.com/videos/us/2018/02/25/broward-county-sheriff-scott-israel-sotu-responsibility-sot.cnn

https://www.cnn.com/2018/02/25/politics/broward-county-scott-israel-parkland-cnntv/index.html

https://www.cnn.com/2018/02/23/politics/parkland-school-shooting-broward-deputies/index.html

This Week in Science and Technology courtesy of Futurism

https://futurism.com/images/this-week-in-tech-feb-17-feb-23-2018/

Editorial Cartoon courtesy of Blog of Arizona

Editorial Cartoon courtesy of Joe Heller

Editorial Cartoon courtesy of Jim Morin

Editorial Cartoon courtesy of Joe Heller

Editorial Cartoon courtesy of Jones

Editorial Cartoon courtesy of Jack Ohman

Editorial Cartoon courtesy of Paresh

Editorial Cartoon courtesy of David Wayne Fitzsimmons

Editorial Cartoon courtesy of Weyanto

Editorial Cartoon courtesy of Joe Heller

Editorial Cartoon courtesy of Pat Bagley

Editorial Cartoon courtesy of David Wayne Fitzsimmons

Editorial Cartoon courtesy of Bob Englehart

Editorial Cartoon courtesy of Phil Hands

Editorial Cartoon courtesy of Rob Rogers

Editorial Cartoon courtesy of Kevin Siers

Editorial Cartoon courtesy of Matt Wuerker

Editorial Cartoon courtesy of Joe Heller

Editorial Cartoon courtesy of David Wayne Fitzsimmons

Editorial Cartoon courtesy of Steve Sack

The Power of the Next Generation in action. BRAVO.

The public outcry among the next generation of voters in the aftermath of the tragic events associated with the 18 school shootings that have taken place in the first two months of this year has been remarkable and inspiring. Through their reactions, the first cracks in the armor of the National Rifle Association have appeared. This is evidenced by the reforms called for by Florida's Governor and the President followed by organizations like Delta and United Airlines, Alamo Rent a Car, and the Bank of Omaha adjusting discount and credit card relationships with the second amendment supporting group. Thanks to the next generation, the National Rifle Association may finally have to step off the absolutist pedestal of gun rights and embrace reasonable gun control legislation. It is important not to lose the momentum and continue to push on. It is also important to build on the civic-mindedness of our high school students and institute permanent fixes to how we instruct our students on civics and active citizenship so we never have to worry about having uniformed high school graduates enter the public arena again. 


https://www.thenation.com/article/has-the-nra-finally-met-its-match/

http://fortune.com/2018/02/24/delta-united-nra-boycott/

https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/education-k-12/reports/2018/02/21/446857/state-civics-education/?elqTrackId=9c7f0f5c9ea14d618fac406fbe7fb50f&elq=20e2fd7ed4d644c1a5249fc602dcbdf7&elqaid=37079&elqat=1&elqCampaignId=9610

At least the Courts realize that the President's Environmental Policies are not totally sound.

The President's Environmental Policies, carried out by Environmental Protection Agency head Scott Pruitt and Secretary of Energy Rick Perry, mostly reflect a combined alternative universe and back in time approach to making sure the air we breathe and the water we drink is as humanly unsafe as possible. This is evidenced by articles cited below that illustrate that the Trump Administration does not seem to care about fining pollution transgressions. At least the courts seem to realize that some of the President's environmental policies, like suspending rules on methane, are not prudent. Thank goodness. Until the next Presidential election, those that believe in clean energy, clean air,  clean communities, and clean water have to rely on local and state officials and the courts to make sure the current Administration does not get away with its reactionary environmental and energy policies.



https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/02/23/new-study-air-pollution-shows-how-environmental-injustice-runs-rampant-across-nation?utm_campaign=shareaholic&utm_medium=facebook&utm_source=socialnetwork

https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/02/23/tremendous-victory-taxpayers-public-health-and-planet-federal-court-rejects-trump?utm_campaign=shareaholic&utm_medium=facebook&utm_source=socialnetwork

https://www.vox.com/energy-and-environment/2018/2/22/17036114/pollution-fines-trump-pruitt-epa

Marcus and Brooks from 2/23/18

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/brooks-and-marcus-on-florida-school-shooting-rage-rick-gates-guilty-plea

Editorial Cartoon courtesy of Patrick Chappatte

Editorial Cartoon courtesy of Adam Zyglis

Editorial Cartoon courtesy of Chris Britt

Editorial Cartoon courtesy of Signe Wilkinison

Editorial Cartoon courtesy of Mike Luckovich

Editorial Cartoon courtesy of Gary Varvel