Arguing with Zombies: Economics, Politics, and the Fight for a Better Future by Paul Krugman
The Nation City: Why Mayors Are Now Running the World by Rahm Emanuel
Saturday, February 29, 2020
Idea of the Week: The Coronavirus Showcases the Need for Universal Health Care and Paid Family Leave
While it is extremely important for people not to worry and panic as the Coronavirus spreads (four non-travel-related cases were reported in the United States on February 28,) it is important to note (as discussed on some media outlets like Overtime with Bill Maher) that the United States because it lacks both a national universal access to health care and a paid family leave programs, maybe at a disadvantage when patients will need to pay their unpaid medical bills at the Emergency Room and others will not be able to cover simple household expenses because they had to take unpaid time off work.
Local, State, and the National Government officials should immediately band together (as they are now to meet the needs to combat the coronavirus) and formulate a strategy to pay for the exploding medical costs people without insurance will not be able to pay and some sort of one time-stipend to compensate qualifying individuals who had to miss work because of the illness or if a quarantine is imposed.
This will be a necessary step to help people in their time of need and mitigate both the short and long term adverse effects on local, state, and national economies. It will also, more importantly, help reduce the spread of the virus, help speed up the recovery of those infected, and save lives.
The time to take proactive steps on this is now.
The time to discuss expanding Universal access to health care and implementing paid family leave should come after the Coronavirus spread has been addressed.
https://blogforarizona.net/the-coronavirus-showcases-the-need-for-universal-health-care-and-paid-family-leave/
Friday, February 28, 2020
Thursday, February 27, 2020
Wednesday, February 26, 2020
Tuesday, February 25, 2020
The best performers tonight were Klobuchar, Biden, and Buttigieg. Sanders held his own most of the time (the benefit of never having to change his position over the years) but was knocked off his game a couple of times (Cuba for example). Warren and Steyer were okay and got their five cents in. Bloomberg did better (he had nowhere to go but up) but still sounded like everyone else on the stage was beneath him. DISCUSS.
Sunday, February 23, 2020
Saturday, February 22, 2020
Donald Trump is the Mad King
Donald Trump, the 2016 Popular Vote Loser, the 2016 Endorsed Candidate of the KKK, an unindicted co-conspirator referenced as Individual One, the Liar in Chief who has uttered over 16,000 “misstatements,” the betrayer of his oath of office and promises to the American People, and third President in United States History to become impeached has become the Mad King.
History and Literature are filled with examples of rulers who have become unhinged. There were leaders like Joanna of Castille, Ivan the Terrible, George III, and Ludwig II of Bavaria who had bouts of insanity during parts or all their reigns.
There are the mad kings depicted in classics like Macbeth and Game of Thrones.
Richard Nixon was known to have kept enemies lists and wanted to take action to ensure they were not a threat to him.
Recent actions over the last week by Donald Trump, unrestrained by the conclusion of the impeachment process, further show that his leadership has deteriorated into deep paranoia and madness:
These actions, in addition to the others taken just after the end of the Impeachment Trial, are:
- Seeing himself as the sole arbiter on who should go to jail (his enemies) and who should not (his friends, Republican donors, and members of Trump resorts.)
- Claiming revelations by his own Intelligence Community Appointments that the Russians are working to interfere in the 2020 elections again in favor of Mr. Trump were a Democratic Hoax. Mr. Trump was especially irate that Adam Schiff was informed of this assessment. He is the Chair of the House Intelligence Committee. Of course, he has to be informed. At least when the Intelligence Community briefed Bernie Sanders that the Russians were acting to help him as well, the Vermont Senator did the right thing and told Putin not to interfere.
- Installing a fringe loyalist, Richard Grenell, with no intelligence experience as the Acting Director of National Intelligence. This Trumpist, while also retaining his current post as the Ambassador of Germany, has already started doing his Mad King masters bidding by firing the number two at the Directorate and bringing on a person from ethically challenged Trump ally Devin Nunes staff.
- Bringing back one of the worst and the dumbest by putting Johnny McEntee, his former body man at the White House (and who was fired in 2018 because of security clearance issues,) as the person in charge of personnel of the Executive Branch. He has been entrusted by the President to purge the government of all individuals that show the slightest disloyalty to the Mad King.
- Stating that former National Security Advisor John Bolton can not publish his book because most of everything the Mad King said to him was classified. Individual One also thinks of Bolton as a traitor.
These are not the actions of a rational individual.
These are not the behaviors of a person with a sound mind.
These are the actions and behaviors of an unchained paranoid mad demagogue brat who sees enemies everywhere (including the people he has appointed) and feels, thanks to Republican enabling, can rule unchallenged with no checks on what he does or says.
This is not a leader who should be entrusted heading a Republic.
The American People do not need a Mad King as their leader and on November 3 in 254 days they can do something about that.
https://blogforarizona.net/donald-trump-is-the-mad-king/
Books of the Week
The Ones We've Been Waiting For: How a New Generation of Leaders Will Transform America by Charlotte Alter
Un-Trumping America: A Plan to Make America a Democracy Again by Dan Pfeiffer
Election Meltdown: Dirty Tricks, Distrust, and the Threat to American Democracy by Richard Hasen
Un-Trumping America: A Plan to Make America a Democracy Again by Dan Pfeiffer
Election Meltdown: Dirty Tricks, Distrust, and the Threat to American Democracy by Richard Hasen
Wednesday, February 19, 2020
Hi Everyone I only saw the second hour of the debate but from what I saw: Sanders and Klobuchar did well. Buttigieg was a petty little person. Bloomberg knew what he was talking about but sounded condescending. Warren and Biden were fighting for their lives but Biden did not help himself by reading his closing statement from cards on the podium. DISCUSS
Sunday, February 16, 2020
Fancy a Trip to Antarctica for Spring Break: Idea of the Week
While Phoenix was experiencing a cold weather front with temperatures coming close to freezing a week ago, parts of Antarctica (the South Pole) had a higher warming trend, approaching 70 degrees in the same period.
During this high temperature, an iceberg roughly the size of the city of Atlanta or the small nation of Malta has broken off from the southern polar ice cap.
The effect is also most pronounced on the portion of Anaratctica closet to Argentina where a research base from that nation recently took a video showing the surrounding area virtually without any traces of ice.
According to the World Meteorological Organization, the amount of lost ice has “increased six-fold” from 1979 to 2017.
High Temperatures like these, which historically used to occur every millennium, then a century apart are now happening once a decade.
Before long, Antarctica may become more of a spring break tourist attraction than Lake Havasu and Rocky Point.
These climate-changing events, taken with the melting ice sheets in Greenland and the Alps along with the recent wildfires in California, Australia, and the Amazon Rain Forest should only intensify the urgency to combat human-made pollution activity and seek ways to prevent future decay of the planet’s environmental and ecological systems.
Public Servants do not have the luxury of denying this anymore.
Science has said there is a clear and present danger to the only planet we live on.
There is no Planet B.
The time to act is now.
https://blogforarizona.net/fancy-a-trip-to-antarctica-for-spring-break/
Saturday, February 15, 2020
Friday, February 14, 2020
This has been a Great Week for Mark Kelly and all the other Democratic Senate Candidates
In the week to ten days since Individual One was acquitted by the Coverup Republicans in the Senate, the electoral fortunes of the Democratic candidates seeking to defeat the most vulnerable of them have considerably improved.
How can this be?
Exhibit A: Has the 2016 Popular Vote Loser shown humility and remorse since his acquittal by the Coverup Republicans?
Hell No.
Within minutes of the acquittal, the Liar in Chief has acted like an unchained paranoid animal professing to be the victim of a deep state conspiracy, lashing out at everyone who sought to bring the betrayal of his oath of office to light and remove from office for it.
Exhibit B: Firing those who testified against him.
Colonel Alexander Vindman and European Union Ambassador Gordon Sondland were shown the door a little more than 48 hours after the end of the Senate Trial. They even threw Vindman’s twin brother out and he had nothing to do with the Impeachment. Apparently, some Senators, including Coverup McSally, intervened to prevent the firing of Republican donor Sondland but those pleas fell on deaf ears.
Exhibit C: His Proposed Budget.
The budget released by the Administration on February 10 is a walking campaign commercial for every Democratic candidate in the country with its draconian cuts in Children’s Health Insurance, Medicaid, Medicare, Food Stamps, the Environment, Student Loans, and Scientific Research.
The Budget, with the Pelosi, led House is already Dead on Arrival.
Exhibit D: His interference with the Roger Stone Case via tweet.
His tweet chastising the recommended sentence for his personal political consigliere Roger Stone which coincided with Attorney General Bill Barr (either coincidentally if you choose to believe him or otherwise) intervening to recommend a lesser sentence (which Individual One praised in another tweet) has caused resignations of career prosecutors and has confirmed to many in the country that the Justice Department is now the personal law firm for the Impeached Duce.
This has been compounded with the Administration pulling the nomination of Jessie Liu for Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Crimes.
What was her transgression?
She was the one in charge of overseeing the United States Attorney in Washington D.C. that had jurisdiction over the remnants of the Mueller Investigation including the Stone case.
She also resigned from the government on February 13, 2020.
Exhibit E: Fearing no consequences now that the Impeachment Trial, The Third Impeached President in United States History publicly admitted on February 13 that he sent Rudy Giuliani to Ukraine to dig up political dirt on the Bidens.
Right about now Coverup Republican Senators like Martha McSally, Susan Collins, Joni Ernst, Tom Tillis, and Lindsey Graham, some of whom said the President will learn a lesson from impeachment, are probably wondering if there is enough of a fringe base in the Trump Zone and Fox Island to make up for all the swing voters who are nauseated with the actions and behavior of the Third President in United States History to be impeached.
This has been a great week for Mark Kelly and all the other Democratic Senate Candidates who, along with the party’s Presidential, House, and Local contenders, are undoubtedly praying that Trump continues to be the gift that keeps on giving until election day which is 264 days away.
The Democrats do, however, also have to seal the deal by showing the American People that they have a better, inclusive, optimistic and forward vision to lead the country.
With Trump in the White House and the Republicans cowering to his every whim, this hopefully should not be difficult.
https://blogforarizona.net/this-has-been-a-great-week-for-mark-kelly-and-all-the-other-democratic-senate-candidates/
How can this be?
Exhibit A: Has the 2016 Popular Vote Loser shown humility and remorse since his acquittal by the Coverup Republicans?
Hell No.
Within minutes of the acquittal, the Liar in Chief has acted like an unchained paranoid animal professing to be the victim of a deep state conspiracy, lashing out at everyone who sought to bring the betrayal of his oath of office to light and remove from office for it.
Exhibit B: Firing those who testified against him.
Colonel Alexander Vindman and European Union Ambassador Gordon Sondland were shown the door a little more than 48 hours after the end of the Senate Trial. They even threw Vindman’s twin brother out and he had nothing to do with the Impeachment. Apparently, some Senators, including Coverup McSally, intervened to prevent the firing of Republican donor Sondland but those pleas fell on deaf ears.
Exhibit C: His Proposed Budget.
The budget released by the Administration on February 10 is a walking campaign commercial for every Democratic candidate in the country with its draconian cuts in Children’s Health Insurance, Medicaid, Medicare, Food Stamps, the Environment, Student Loans, and Scientific Research.
The Budget, with the Pelosi, led House is already Dead on Arrival.
Exhibit D: His interference with the Roger Stone Case via tweet.
His tweet chastising the recommended sentence for his personal political consigliere Roger Stone which coincided with Attorney General Bill Barr (either coincidentally if you choose to believe him or otherwise) intervening to recommend a lesser sentence (which Individual One praised in another tweet) has caused resignations of career prosecutors and has confirmed to many in the country that the Justice Department is now the personal law firm for the Impeached Duce.
This has been compounded with the Administration pulling the nomination of Jessie Liu for Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Crimes.
What was her transgression?
She was the one in charge of overseeing the United States Attorney in Washington D.C. that had jurisdiction over the remnants of the Mueller Investigation including the Stone case.
She also resigned from the government on February 13, 2020.
Exhibit E: Fearing no consequences now that the Impeachment Trial, The Third Impeached President in United States History publicly admitted on February 13 that he sent Rudy Giuliani to Ukraine to dig up political dirt on the Bidens.
Right about now Coverup Republican Senators like Martha McSally, Susan Collins, Joni Ernst, Tom Tillis, and Lindsey Graham, some of whom said the President will learn a lesson from impeachment, are probably wondering if there is enough of a fringe base in the Trump Zone and Fox Island to make up for all the swing voters who are nauseated with the actions and behavior of the Third President in United States History to be impeached.
This has been a great week for Mark Kelly and all the other Democratic Senate Candidates who, along with the party’s Presidential, House, and Local contenders, are undoubtedly praying that Trump continues to be the gift that keeps on giving until election day which is 264 days away.
The Democrats do, however, also have to seal the deal by showing the American People that they have a better, inclusive, optimistic and forward vision to lead the country.
With Trump in the White House and the Republicans cowering to his every whim, this hopefully should not be difficult.
https://blogforarizona.net/this-has-been-a-great-week-for-mark-kelly-and-all-the-other-democratic-senate-candidates/
Thursday, February 13, 2020
Yes Rush Limbaugh, Pete Buttigieg can Win the White House
Rush Limbaugh is quickly reminding the American People that his receiving the Medal of Freedom at the State of the Union was a sick farce.
Yesterday, the reactionary paragon of intolerance and hate blasted the candidacy of co Democratic Frontrunner Pete Buttigieg, saying on his talk show:
“Then they’re sitting there and they’re looking at Mayor Pete, a 37-year-old gay guy, mayor of South Bend, loves to kiss his husband on the debate stage. And they’re saying, ‘Okay. How’s that going to look, a 37-year-old gay guy kissing his husband on stage next to Mr. Man, Donald Trump? What’s gonna happen there? They gotta be looking at that. They’ve gotta be saying that despite all the great progress and despite all the great wokeness and despite all the great ground that’s been covered, America’s still not ready to elect a gay guy kissing his husband on the debate stage president. They have to be saying this, don’t they?”
America, despite the rants of Mr. Limbaugh and those Trump Zone residents that think like him, is ready to elect a Gay President.
The voters in reddish-purple Iowa and purple New Hampshire showed that being gay is not a roadblock to the Presidency.
It is a testament that at least the majority of the American People do not care about these things anymore.
As to the insinuation that Mayor Buttigieg is not the man next to the 2016 KKK Endorsed Candidate, it should be noted that:
- At least Mr. Buttigieg served in the military whereas bone spurs Donald and butt cystRush did not.
- Mr. Buttigieg is in a loving marriage. Trump has attempted three times to find that and, like Stormy Daniels, can attest, has probably not found it.
- Buttigieg knows policy and has not been caught lying over 16,000 times.
Who is the real man here Rush?
Mayor Buttigieg’s political rise has been inspirational and historic.
His story, win or lose, is what the American Ideal and Dream is supposed to be about.
Rush should go back into his hole, suck on his medal, and never open his mouth again.
https://blogforarizona.net/yes-rush-limbaugh-pete-buttigieg-can-win-the-white-house/
Wednesday, February 12, 2020
Trump’s Proposed Budget Betrays the American People
On Monday, February 10, 2020, the Trump Administration released its proposed budget for 2021.
If passed, it would launch a New Reactionary Dark Age for the American People by cutting vital programs for the countries most vulnerable and further exploding the national debt.
Among the proposals for cuts are:
- The Children’s Health Insurance Program. (C.H.I.P.)
- Medicaid.
- Medicare. (Remember when the Liar in Chief said he would not touch this)
- The Environmental Protection Agency.
- National Institute for Health.
- Center for Disease Control (a great idea with the Coronavirus running rampant)
- Student Loan Forgiveness Programs.
- Food Stamps.
- Scientific Research.
Overall, the Environmental Protection Agency would receive a 27 percent budget cut. Housing and Urban Development would be reduced by 15 percent. Health and Human Services would be lowered by nine percent. Agriculture, Energy, and Education would be brought down eight percent. State and United States Aid programs would be slashed 21 percent.
The only areas that would receive an increase are N.A.S.A. (which may actually be a good thing,) Defense, Veterans Affairs, and, thanks to the failed tax cuts, the Nation’s debt.
People should note that there is no inclusion of the large infrastructure program that Mr. Trump promised in his campaign in this budget.
This is not a budget that would take America forward. It is mean spirited, lacks a forward vision, betrays the American Dream and Ideal, and would plunge the country into stagnation.
What possible benefit to the country would result from starving children not getting proper health care from the proposed cuts in C.H.I.P. and the Food Stamp program?
How does the population live well when they are increasingly exposed to dirtier water and air?
How does the nation progress when cuts are made to scientific research?
How does the nation remain fiscally viable when the nation’s debt grows well beyond sustainable levels?
NEVER LET REPUBLICANS GET AWAY WITH SAYING AGAIN THEY CARE ABOUT THE DEFICIT.
The Arizona Democratic Party and candidates for Congress have voiced their concerns for this horrible budget proposal.
Brad Bainum of the Arizona Democratic Party issued a statement which read:
“While U.S. Sen. Martha McSally silently stands by Washington Republican’s push to cap and cut Medicaid funding, a report from KJZZ highlights how the proposal could lead to reduced care for Arizona patients, including limits on access to care and prescription drug coverage.”
“Republicans’ proposal to block grant Medicaid has been criticized by groups like the AARP, which has warned it “could lead to loss of services or coverage,” and by the American Medical Association, which has said the GOP plan “would increase the number of uninsured.”
“AHCCCS, Arizona’s Medicaid program, provides health care coverage for 2 in 5 kids, 1 in 3 people with a disability, and 3 in 5 nursing home residents in Arizona.”
The Democratic Candidate for Arizona Congressional District Four, Delina DiSanto, posted her thoughts on Facebook, stating:
“Maria Teresa Kumar did a tweet about these horrible cuts. Now I have been going around Congressional District 4 and I see people struggling. Arizona also has 100,000 abandoned mines. You notice every one of these cuts hurts AZ04, Arizona and our nation. I mean No and Low-income people and Native Americans. It hurts babies to seniors. What kind of future do we want? My opponent Rep. Paul Gosar
is not fighting against this. Why?”
is not fighting against this. Why?”
Joan Greene, the Democratic Candidate for Arizona Congressional District Five relayed:
“This is Trump’s and my opponent Andy Biggs’ plan. This isn’t a policy or combating fraud and corruption. This is a death sentence for our most vulnerable. This is stripping away opportunities for our families. This is wrong.”
Dr. Hiral Tipirneni, one of the candidates for Arizona Congressional District Six, posted her views of the budget on Facebook, writing:
“Proposed GOP budget cuts:
$500B in Medicare
$1T in Medicaid & CHIP
Social Security Disability Insurance”
$500B in Medicare$1T in Medicaid & CHIPSocial Security Disability Insurance”
“Budgets reflect priorities- Mine are the health, well-being, & financial security of #AZ06’s working families, seniors, children.”
“What’re your priorities, David Schweikert?”
Michael Muscato, one of the candidates for the Democratic Congressional District Eight Nomination stated:
“Arizona’s 8th District has historically prided itself on being a community of Christian values, the Constitution, and fiscal responsibility. Those three topics have for my entire life being the “pillars” of the Republican Party. One little problem though…the leadership of that Political party is locking people in cages, stomping all over our Constitution, and increasing our national debt and deficit faster than any other administration before it…during a “Huge” economy…”
“Cuts to Social Security, Medicare & Medicaid will be devastating to Arizonans, those living on fixed incomes, and Americans of ALL political parties. Entitlements are not social security, Medicare, & Medicaid. The only entitlements in our government are Trump, Lesko & the rest in power seeking to cut programs that support our most vulnerable Americans. More shockingly is how devastating this budget will be for members of the Republican Party who voted Lesko and Trump in under their promise not to touch Social Security and Medicare…”
“When someone tells you who they are, listen the first time.”
“The only solution now is to vote them out in November.”
The other Congressional District Eight Candidate Bob Musselwhite offered:
“The planned deficit is too high and will result in a further unacceptable increase to the national debt, and cuts can be found in other areas than the social safety net”
Fortunately, with a Democratically controlled House and enough Republicans in both chambers of Congress worrying about their uphill battle for reelection, this draconian budget from the President of Betrayal, like the others he has proposed, will never see final passage.
Its publication does provide a wonderful opportunity for Democrats (along with the inappropriate intervention of Bill (Roy Cohn) Barr into the Roger Stone case) to draw further contrasts with the 2016 Popular Vote Loser and his Trump Zone-Fox Island-Republican cult followers on how they would take the country in a different and more inclusive and forward direction.
The campaign ads really write themselves if the Democrats know what to do with this gift.
Remember, November 3 is only 266 days away.
There is not a moment to lose.
https://blogforarizona.net/trumps-proposed-budget-betrays-the-american-people-and-would-launch-a-new-reactionary-dark-age/
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