The Impeachment of Barack Obama: 2014 campaign strategy for the Republicans.

I have been following the latest strategic moves by the Republican Party and I’ve got some interesting observations for this spanking new Monday morning.

It’s not secret that the Republicans are poised to make a big splash in the midterm elections, in less than a year. The Obama administration is mired in the usual second-term blues and the nation seems ready to throw anyone associated with that administration to the political wolves.

But, like Richard Nixon, who was on the cusp of a historic second-term victory in 1972, the Republicans just can’t seem to take their imminent victory for granted. They need something more, something big, something that will assure their history-making victory.

And that thing they need is called impeachment of the president. Many Republicans think that a big, public show–impeachment–will give them the edge they need to assure that victory. Look for more and more talk of impeachment as the election draws closer. And more and more talk of the present administration’s “impeachable offenses.”

This is, of course, nonsense. Obama may not be the greatest president in U.S. history but has he committed...impeachable offenses? Impeachment has become a political tool, not a stop-gap against criminal offenses. That’s not what the founding fathers intended it to be. And using it for political purposes is not only dangerous. It’s...silly. And it may backfire on those who decide to jump on the bandwagon.

Who was America’s Best President

If you ask me–that is one of the most ridiculous questions making the rounds of the TV politico-chat fests these days. That question is everywhere, as if things are so bad in this country that the only logical questions is: when, in our history, did we do so much better, when was our judgment so much better tuned to the times?

Washington? Check. Lincoln? Check? Reagan? Check, if you sit on the right side of the national divide. Clinton? Check if you sit on the left side of the national divide? Obama? This is probably a bad time to ask.

But that’s the problem, and that’s why the question is totally irrelevant. The times are the times, and the times are special to the times. One era’s president is another era’s disaster. If you take one of these supposedly great presidents and give them a whole other set of problems, their reactions might be altogether unsatisfactory. Wars, technology, culture–they all change with the times and presidents react to the times they’re serving in, and also to the people they served. Opinions change, outlooks change, politics certainly changes. We need to start looking at presidents in the context of their times and stop wondering what it would be like if they were still around to steer the wobbly ship of state.
It wouldn’t be that surprising to find that one of those “great” presidents from a hundred years ago would today be attacked and reviled for being ineffectual, confused, do-nothing, do too-much, socialist, communist, fascist etc.
President Obama, anyone?

Where is Hillary?

I have been wondering about this. There have been reams and reams of newsprint, and hours and hours of airtime spent dissecting the whereabouts of the President of the United States during the recent spate of world catastrophes. The polls have not been kind to President Obama, as he seems to put the war in the Middle East, the bombing of the Malaysian plane, and numerous other serious world events, on the back-burner, travelling the country from one end to another, raising funds for the Democratic Party and seeming oblivious the sound of Rome falling.

But another questions arises: where is Hillary Clinton, the presumed party nominee in 2016? Clinton was all over the map before all these word events took center state. Out in the field in what looked very much like a campaign offensive, Clinton was selling her new autobiography and sounding very much like a candidate. But now, the Clinton camp has gone seriously silent.

And that’s good news for the Clintons, and good news for the country. Because, at a time like this, candidates for president–presumed and not–should not be debasing the national and world conversation with selling points for a presidential campaign. Clinton is doing exactly the right thing by remaining quiet–in the same way that former president Bush has refused to comment publicly on controversial Obama administration decisions.

If Clinton really wants to be President of the United States she would be well advised to keep out of the fray for a while. Because, as they say in TV land, everything you say on the campaign trail can, and will be used against you.

Raising the minimum wage...?

America always prides itself on being a generous country. Americans are always willing to to do their best when people around the world need help. We're the first with supplies and manpower when disasters of all severity and variety come to foreign lands. Well, I have some news for you. When it comes to helping our own people? Not so much. The "debate" over raising the minimum wage has taken on a peculiarly nasty tone of late and Republicans, in particular seem to think that people should kind of appreciate working for starvation wages in this richest of nations. Maybe its time to reduce the Congressional pay down to minimum wage and see how the Representatives and Senators feel about the issue then?

Where are the Republican front runners?

The presidential campaign of 2016 is upon us  - I realize that this is hard to comprehend–when did presidential elections start three years in advance?) and the Democrats clearly have their candidate in place (barring the appearance of some “other” candidate, of course: place smiley, winky, lol here).

Where is the Republican who will lead the conservative charge into the next election? The Republicans would seem to be in a good position to challenge the Dems. They are poised to take control of both house of Congress in the next off-year election. The popularity of the president is at all time lows. The country appears to be in somewhat of a war-weary, economy-strained funk.

According to Republican-watchers, the time is right for a change in the White House. Yet there seems to be no serious contender for the throne. The party is fractured in a way that recalls the glory days of the Democrats. Dems are famous for fighting within their own ranks, but this “civil war” between Republicans is really something dramatic and new. With each passing day, it seems less likely that the Republicans are going to fall behind a single banner carrier. And their time is passing quickly. 2016 is around the corner, just three short years away. The Democrats are already drawing up the blueprints for eight fresh years at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

What makes Washington tick?

I have a proposal to make. I want to give a million dollars to the man or woman who can explain what makes Washington tick. I write about the upside down universe of D.C. politics. There’s never a shortage of things to skewer. D.C. is the most dysfunctional place in America, maybe the world. That million dollars will only be awarded if the man or woman who takes the challenge can explain to our liking exactly how things got so screwed up in the Capital. And the million will be awarded only if some super rich donor comes along and is willing to give me the big bucks so that I can pass it on to the worthy winner. All right, so all of the stuff you’ve just read it baloney, nonsense, untrue. There is no billion, there will be no million. I just made it all up, out of thin air.

Just like all the stuff you read about Washington and it’s pols. Wouldn’t it be nice if, just for one day, everything about the workings of D.C. became super transparent? If we were able to really understand the way the mechanisms work? If the politicians on Capital Hill acted like the grownups the nation so desperately needs?

Dream on. And don’t cash that million dollar check. It ain’t coming...

Israel is GUILTY!

Israel is guilty! This morning, I have something really important to say. Israel is guilty! It is past time to admit what we’ve all been thinking. Yes, it’s true that Hamas has been raining down bombs on the cities and civilians of Israel for years and years. And, yes, it’s true that they are responsible for the deaths of three innocent young Israeli boys. And, yes it is true that they have consistently refused to negotiate in good faith with Israel because, as they have stated again and again, their goal is the destruction and disappearance of the Israeli state.

Still...

Israel has no right to carry on a defensive war against Hamas. It has no right to engage in rude behavior with it’s supposed “enemy,” an enemy that does nothing but attack it on a daily and hourly basis. Israel has shown no inclination to let its cities be successfully attacked by Hamas bombs, which are, after all, nothing less than deeply-felt presents from Gaza. How incredibly nasty of Israel, and how very unappreciative these Israelis have proven to be. After all these years.

So now, as Secretary of State Kerry has said, after Israel has shown itself to be unwilling to carry on a TRUE pinpoint operation, it is time to face the fact that Israel is guilty. Think about that for a moment.

Israel, it is time to own up to your culpability. Lay down your weapons, bring back your troops, and nullify your Iron Dome against oncoming Hamas rockets. It’s the only decent thing to do. Everyone will feel a lot better when you do these things. The world will respect you more than it does now.

Putin and World War III

Ok...Oh no. Seems like Vladimir Putin is deeply afraid of the West. In the wake of increasing distaste from the civilized world over the downing of the Malaysian airliner last week, Putin has announced that he will increase the strength of the Russian military to “counter” the threat posed by the Nato Alliance.  I have been writing about Putin and his hysterics. Please visit us there.

Puhleeeze... Is Putin the most deluded leader on the world stage? Or is he speaking to his constituents? Or both? It is likely that this statement is designed to placate the Russian oligarchs, who have placed their dirty bets on Putin’s staying power (despite their recent queasiness over Vlad’s warmongering overtures). Putin needs the oligarchs to stay in power and if there’s one thing the world has learned, it’s that Putin will do anything within, or without of, the bounds of decency to keep his gold-leafed throne in the Kremlin.

Is Vlad really looking for World War Three, or is he more sensible than that? Look at history, folks. Sensibility might not be foremost in Putin’s mind.

Russia, Putin, and Malaysia Airlines MH17

Did you ever have the feeling that the trusted Uncle who told you he would “take care of all the details” wasn’t quite to be trusted with all those details? That’s the way I feel this morning, looking at the handling of the Ukraine crash site by the Russian-sympathizing “separatists.”

I’ve written about the crash of the commercial Malaysian airliner that took the lives of nearly three hundred innocent civilians from all over the world. It’s pretty clear who has his name on the rocket that killed all those people, and that very culpable leader is sitting pretty in the Kremlin, telling the world that everyone but he was to blame. Expected. Sad.

But now we have the ridiculous pictures of the cleanup being taken care of the very people whose hands are so soaked in the blood of three hundred people. Who’s kidding who? The international community is not being allowed to properly survey and investigate the crime scene; instead the perpetrators and their minions are taking charge, apparently, and the likelihood of getting the proof that Putin will soon be calling for, is getting slimmer by the hour.

Look for Vlad to insist on a “full and thorough investigation,” and to promise that “those responsible will be brought to justice.” Sounds pretty much like every other rank third-rate political hack. Vlad, seller of clichés in a time of terror and tragedy.

America 45 years after the first moonwalk...

The first moonwalk took place forty five years ago and I think it’s a perfect time to reflect on where America was four decades ago, and where it is now.

When the moon landing took place all those years ago, America was in the midst of the biggest upheaval since the Civil War–an unpopular war in Vietnam was raging, the struggle for civil rights was marred by assassinations of major black and white leaders, and the nation was on the verge of its own civil destruction.

In the midst of all that, Neil Armstrong focused the attention of the nation and the world on what seemed to be the most important moment in the life of our country. And for that moment, we forgot about the strife that was threatening to undermine and destroy everything we had fought for all those years.

Today, we find ourselves similarly separated by internal and political strife. Our divided nation yearns for that one moment when we can all set aside our differences and look to a common future. Where is that moment?

Increasingly, we look away from Washington D.C. for solutions to our problems. Politicians have disappointed us one time too often and we are unable any longer take their promises of a rosy future with any seriousness.

Years ago when Richard Nixon was running for president, a desperate citizen held up a placard, begging the presidential candidate to help the nation in its hour of challenge. “Bring us together,” the placard implored. We know what followed. If the political parties of this country intend to regain any of their viability, they’d best remember that placard and what it meant–and could mean–for the good of this country.

Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17

Vlad, Vlad, Vlad. Is this any way to run a country? I have some unpleasant things to say today.
So here we have three hundred innocent civilians killed today when a Malaysian Airlines jet is shot out of the sky by what seem at the moment to be Russian separatists in Ukraine. Immediately Russia claims to have nothing to do with the downing of the plane and Vladimir Putin is on the spot once again for behaving like...the tyrant we’ve come to know and love.

Even if it turns out that the whole thing was a terrible mistake, the onus for the three hundred deaths must sit squarely on Vlad’s well-oiled shoulders. Russia has been arming these separatists for a long time and anyone with any knowledge of these punks understands too well that these are not...brilliant minds with unlimited resources for training and military expertise. The chances of something going wrong, for example accidently blowing a civilian jet out of the sky, was always present.

Give these weapons to the untrained and overeager and this is what you have. Sleep well tonight, Vlad. Your finger is on yet another tragic, world-shaking atrocity.

 

Derek Jeter's last all-star game

The All-Star game has just taken place and finally, America has something to feel good about. Derek Jeter has played his final All-Star game and this may have marked his last appearance before a national gathering, unless the Yankees make it to the World Series (that would be Jeter’s sixth sojourn). I take off my hat off to Number 2.

Jeter is everything most of our politicians are not, and this has not escaped the attention of fans of baseball and fans of sportsmanship. In all the years of Jeter’s storied career he has never been caught with his pants down, his finger in the cookie jar or any of the other embarrassing pastimes so enjoyed by many of our national political figures. He’s human just like they are, but he has found a way to present a dignified persona to the public, and for this he has been honored with the unreserved enthusiasm of baseball fans across the nation.

Jeter will go on to a fabulous post-career, whatever that turns out to be. But we will be losing a real, true spokesman for the National Pastime. That’s baseball, not politics...

The Supreme Court's supreme f***-up

A few months ago the Supreme Court of the United States issued what was probably its most asinine, idiotic and downright troubling decision in a very, very long time. It allowed organizations and individuals to basically raise and distribute unlimited amounts of cash to any and all political causes.

Of course, this has, and will, open the floodgates of special interest money to all political parties and candidates in the future. Campaign reform? Forget about that. The Court has decided, for whatever reasons, that it is in the best interest of the country that powerful, moneyed and very activist individuals and groups be permitted to hold complete and unfettered sway over the political processes of this nation.

The reaction from “the little guy?” Silence, not a peep. The reaction from the nation’s media? Silence, not a peep. The media, in fact, couldn’t have been happier with the decision because the more money injected into the process, the more colorful the process, the more interest from the voters, the higher the ratings.

As for the people? The average Joe has no idea about how his politicians get where they are–he’s got his own problems to deal with. Washington sucks etc. etc. etc.

Want to run for office? Need cash? No problem anymore, thanks the to those terribly intelligent Supremes. It’s all there for the taking. And you count on this: there will be plenty of takers...

America and soccer

Why Has America resisted the lure of soccer for so long? Suddenly Americans appeared to embrace the sport that is the most popular in the world, and the reason for that is so very simple. The United States team seemed to have a realistic chance to give a performance that would not embarrass the nation. That hadn’t really happened before.

Of course, our patriotic fervor was quickly dashed, as the American team went home, the somewhat satisfied loser. It had performed admirably, even bravely, and come thisclose to showing the world that soccer was OUR sport, too. Thisclose but not Thatclose.

Why has it taken America so long to jump on the international soccer bandwagon? Well, I’ve taken this break to look at why America has been immune to the pleasures of soccer for all these decades. And I think it all comes down–as so many things do–to politics and nationalism. America loves all things American and soccer is just not an American thing, never was, never will be. Unless we’re real contenders. This year we seemed to be.

A lot of pundits speculate that we’ve finally joined the rest of the world in our love for the sport, but that’s wishful thinking. Unless Americans have a team to cheer for, the color and fascination with soccer will abate by next year. Swish, bam, dunk, gone. Baseball, football, basketball, hockey, anyone?

Vanilla campaigns and voter apathy

Why do political parties and politicians insist on running the same deadly vanilla kind of campaigns year after year, campaign after campaign? Why do they focus on the same “safe” issues, attack the same supposed enemies, say pretty much the same thing over and over again, even when it’s apparent that nobody is listening? And why is it that, with each election cycle, we find fewer and fewer people bothering to go to the polls on election day?

The answer is boredom. 

And that boredom is the result of a voting pool that no longer cares about the message and certainly, doesn’t care about the messenger. Everything we read tells us that the great center of interest is no longer where the interest of the public lies. People want answers the the issues of 2014 and beyond. They are not finding leadership in their politicians because their politicians are following a template that has been out of date for about twenty years.

People are interested in specific questions, not generalities, and today’s politicians are responding in exactly the way their predecessors did–with turgid, stock answers, and generalized pabulum. Voters are responding by decrying all parties and all present leadership, Democratic and Republican.

Until politicians recognize that voters are living in a digital world where information is easy to get and almost impossible to hide–and until they realize that engaged citizens want specifics, not fairytales–the numbers of registered party members will continue to decline, and voter apathy will continue to soar.

Scandal?! What Scandal?!

A lot of people are dithering about all the supposed “scandals” of the Obama administration but I think it is time to put all this scandal blather in perspective. I’ve never been a big fan of the Obama administration, to start. I think Obama is a bit in over his head and the people surrounding him seem to believe that the key to crisis management is one long siesta or, maybe, a few games of golf. Which isn’t to say that things would be better if the president were out bombing every country on the map, as some of his critics loudly and obnoxiously charge.

Blasting the president has become the national rage. When did this begin? To be precise, it began forty years ago, with the Nixon scandals and the threat of presidential impeachment. Well, dear readers, that was a REAL scandal and America, a scandal tha...t rocked the core of America and the truth is that we all got so used to the idea that the president might not be a knight in shining armor, that we began to suspect–in fact, EXPECT–that our Executive was filled with connivers, plotters and downright dishonest men and women. 

Today, the idea of an administration engaged in one scandal after another seems normal, but is it really? Sometimes, it might help to search back in history and reflect on what a real scandal looks like. Watergate was not Clinton, and it isn’t Obama, either. We all need a sharp dose of perspective–something we’re certainly not getting these days from Cable News.

John Boehner needs to get a life!

John Boehner is becoming the master of the Capitol Hill stunt. In recent days the Speaker of the House has suggested that President Obama had exceeded his charge and become a kind of democratic dictator, skirting the desires and intentions of the Republican House by resorting to “executive orders” to govern unilaterally. Now Boehner has announced plans to “sue” the president over these orders.

The truth for all to see, is that Boehner has an important off-year election coming up–perhaps the most important off-year election in fifty years, for the Republicans. For the first time in a very long while, it is entirely possible, even probable that the Republicans will take charge of the House AND Senate, formally putting the final nail in Obama’s lame duck presidency. 

So why is Boehner so anxious to go after the teetering Obama in such a public arena as the courts? Does he believe that a frivolous lawsuit like this is going to go anywhere at all? Of course he doesn’t. If he was so convinced of Obama’s culpability he would be calling for impeachment. But, of course, a controversial call like that would put the expected election surge in November in danger because the American people have had enough of impeachment for the moment.

No, a better road to walk down is the tried-and-true public relations play, and that alone accounts for Boehner’s silly, time-wasting and potentially harmful-to-the-public’s-interests ploy. Maybe the Speaker of the House needs to find something a bit more serious to do with all that time on his hands.

Midnight Express 2

Remember the movie “Midnight Express?” Remember the drug smuggling silly American who thought it would be a good idea to smuggle drugs out of Turkey? Remember the horrific story of the events that followed, as the young Billy Hayes was subjected to the terrors and travails of the Turkish prison system? Remember how the United States government, through then Senator Jim Buckley finally got on Hayes’ side?

A perfectly innocent American former decorated Marine finds himself sitting in a Mexican prison. THIS American citizen was NOT trying to smuggle drugs into Mexico. He simply got confused at the border and accidently found himself on the Mexican side of the checkpoint. He immediately volunteered to the Mexican authorities that he had three weapons (all legally registered in the U.S) and that he had accidently strayed across the border (this happened mere yards from the American side of things). He was arrested and sent to one of Mexico’s worst prisons, where he was threatened with rape and murder.

On top of all this, the American marine, Tahmooressi, suffers from PTSD and brain trauma because of his two year service in Afghanistan. He has been in prison for weeks now and the American government has done...exactly nothing to get him out. Even Hilary Clinton has said it is time to “turn up” the volume on the Tahmooressi affair.

Where is the president? Where is the Senate? Where is the House?

It’s time to write to your representatives and to POTUS and tell them all that it’s PAST time to get our POW out of Mexico. And its time to tell our neighbors to the south that kidnapping American citizens is not going to do much to increase that tourism they so depend on.

John Boehner is a closet democrat

Flash!! John Boehner is a closet Democrat. And what’s more? He has a secret plan to get Hilary Clinton elected President of the United States. Want the proof? Look no further than his “stance” on the subject of immigration reform. 

In the last few weeks Boehner and his Republican associates have made it clear that they have no intention of tackling any kind of immigration reform in the next few months...or years...or ever. The numbers of immigrants to this country (you know...”give me your tired etc. etc.) have swelled during the last decade and real problems have accompanied the benefits. The Republican answer? Send troops to the border and shoot to keep away.

Immigrants tend to favor the Democrats, anyway. So what is Boehner’s solution to this obvious problem for the Right? Offend the immigrants at every turn and make sure they understand that if it were up to the Republicans they’d be turned away at the gates.

Is that any way to run a caucus? You betcha it isn’t. Just ask Hilary Clinton, who is going to be the beneficiary of all this Republican largesse.

Money makes the world go around....

Not that your humble servants in Washington D.C. have ever made a point of being honest, sincere, incisive and helpful but I can’t help laughing when I see where the current thinking on Hillary Clinton is heading. What? Hillary is rich? Bill Clinton earned tens of millions on the lecture circuit?

Hillary Clinton got tens of millions for writing her autobiography (actually it was just around 13 million)? The Clintons have made over one hundred million over the last ten or so years? How can that be? I thought they were little people, just like us? The right wing blitz machine has had a good old time these last few weeks “bringing the Clintons down a peg,” as one of the subtle commentators put it, and now we must all face the fact that the Clintons are doing a lot better than we are.

Well, isn’t that just the shock of the year! Is Hillary still planning to run for president after this unsettling reveal? I could have guessed that all sorts of sticky mud would be thrown early on in the 2016 race, which, let’s all face facts, has already started. But this particular issue is just way beyond the pale. Sober up, ladies and gentlemen. The Clintons are rich. They’ve been rich for a very long time. You’ve always known they were rich. Now can we discuss whether or not Hillary Clinton is really suitable to be president? You know what I mean? Does she have the qualifications and temperament to lead the nation? Maybe yes, maybe no. Oh, do you find that a little too boring?