The easiest conclusion to draw from the news this week is that Republicans are terrible, terrible people. President Trump wrapped up his first trip abroad during which he perpetuated the caricature of the ugly American. In Washington, the Trump administration budget was released and it reads like the story of Robin Hood with the premise reversed. In Montana, Republicans elected an ape to congress who is good with his fists and not so good with critical thinking. And in a nice reminder of GOP intolerance, the White House released a photo of the G7 spouses and failed to acknowledge First Gentleman of Luxembourg Gauthier Destenay who is gay.
While any of those stories warrant scrutiny there were other items in the news this week beyond the Trump national disgrace. One begs the following question:
When did it become universally acceptable that parenting choices should not be questioned?
Actually, hold that thought for a moment. Instead, lets start with a few facts. So far in 2017, six children have died nationwide after being left in a hot vehicle. During the 2016 the pace at which children were accidentally killed by guns in the home was one per day. Then there are the non-stop individual stories of parental stupidity from letting kids guzzle non-stop soft drinks into obesity to the famous "affluenza" case of Ethan Couch.
Raising children doesn't require a license or come with a manual. Some people are simply better at it than others much the same way that not everyone can play major league baseball. The idea that simply because a person is capable of procreating he or she is therefore capable of making acceptable parenting decisions is ridiculous. There is a blurry line between parental rights and the common good. This line is uncomfortable to talk about. Most parents recoil at the thought of interference with their child rearing. It's perfectly understandable and probably a good sign they are vested in the arrangement. None the less, government must sometimes step in to protect children from suffering through parental stupidity.
Republicans have again found themselves on the familiar side of stupid in trying to further define this blurry line. GOP lawmakers introduced a pair of bills in the Michigan legislature aimed at eliminating rules that require parents to get vaccination education if they don't want to get their children immunized. The fact that anti-vax is a thing to begin with is incredible but given the country pays little more than lip service to providing quality education it's not surprising that overwhelming scientific evidence is thrown out the window at the expense of baseless beliefs or religious zealotry.
Understanding science can be hard. Making things up is easy. The chronically stupid follow the path of least resistance with the GOP leading the way on the anti-vax front.
During hearings before the House Education Reform committee, Michigan Department of Health and Human Services Chief Medical Executive, Dr. Eden Wells, was interrupted by the Republican chair of the committee 30 seconds into her explanation of why the current rules are necessary. Had she been allowed to finish she likely would have cited the fact that data from 2015 showed that Michigan ranked 43rd lowest in the nation for immunizations covering kids from 19 to 35 months. That's not good for public health or for children.
Rep. Jeffrey Noble, R-Plymouth, one of the sponsors lamented the bills are about parental rights, "which have been taking a beating in recent years." Any perceived beating of parental rights pales in comparison to the actual beatings children endure at the hands of unfit parents. A report of child abuse is made every ten seconds and Republican lawmakers are not lining up with legislation to stop that. More importantly, this Republican hack completely ignored his duty to protect the public health. By siding with parents that willingly choose to put their kids at risk, he ignored the consequences that decision has on others. There is no excuse for gambling with the public health by sanctioning attendance of potential "Typhoid Mary" kids in classrooms and on playgrounds across the state.
In fairness, the anti-vax movement is bi-partisan and not all Republicans are supporters. Fortunately, it became apparent during the Michigan hearings the bills didn't have the votes to get out of committee. Four sane Republicans and all the Democrats on the committee indicated their opposition. Yet the episode is illustrative of how willing some lawmakers are to put ideology ahead of the common good.
The entire debacle is another example of how American society is willing to give credence to people that simply say they believe in something in the face of overwhelming evidence to the contrary. They offer no imperial research to support their position and lack any topical expertise in making the initial claim. People are free to believe whatever they want but are compelled to use logic and fact when it comes to drafting the letter of law. Legislating fiction into law is unacceptable as is the practice of accepting crackpots as mainstream.
Sunday, May 28, 2017
Sunday, May 21, 2017
Respite From The Storm
It wasn't a good week for the White House. It began with the revelation President Trump divulged classified information to Russian diplomats in what could best be described as a bragging moment and ended with former FBI Director Robert Mueller appointed as special counsel to oversee the investigation into ties between Trump's campaign and Russian officials.
Let's face it, any fan of the Trump resistance probably went through a range of emotions last week ranging from outrage over the revelations to giddiness about the consequences they may bring for the President. The outrage is warranted. Trump is essentially a low information voter that managed to become President. For that reason, his statements and actions are anywhere from amateurish to destructive. As to the giddiness, not so fast. Trump himself may be in a spiral but do not expect the rest of the GOP to stand on the principle of defending the Republic and abandon the President publically.
Despite the Mueller appointment, almost no Republicans have come forward with anything beyond tepid lip service expressing concern about the Presidential controversy. The GOP has been extremely successful in ignoring principle to game the system to their advantage. The textbook example is Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell's decision to ignore the spirit of the Constitution and sit on President Obama's Supreme Court nomination of Merrick Garland. McConnell's gamble to wait out the November election paid off and likely protected the conservative agenda for years to come. On an academic level, it's admittedly hard not to respect the audacity of the strategy despite the damaging precedent set. Technically, McConnell's action wasn't against the law nor was Trump's decision to declassify information on the fly for that matter; neither was principled.
Expect the Republicans to use the same unprincipled tactics to prop up the agenda as the Mueller investigation unfolds. They will go through the motions to support the perception of cooperation and at the same time defend the President's indefensible behavior at the expense of logic as long as it helps preserve the GOP majority in Washington.
Trump himself is irrelevant to most of the GOP leadership but his popularity with the base means his demise could jeopardize the agenda of lining their own pockets through tax cuts and legislation benefitting the interests of the rich. Supported by the likes of conservative media outlets which downplayed the Trump allegations, the plan to maintenance low information voters in an effort to retain their support is well underway.
Trump remains out of the country this week and is basking abroad in the adoration that he so craves at home. An authoritarian kingdom has carefully choreographed the experience for the wannabe authoritarian President's enjoyment. With Trump gone, the sky at home may seem a bit more blue and the sun a little bit brighter. It's merely a respite. The storm clouds will return the moment Air Force One touches down at Joint Base Andrews later this week.
Let's face it, any fan of the Trump resistance probably went through a range of emotions last week ranging from outrage over the revelations to giddiness about the consequences they may bring for the President. The outrage is warranted. Trump is essentially a low information voter that managed to become President. For that reason, his statements and actions are anywhere from amateurish to destructive. As to the giddiness, not so fast. Trump himself may be in a spiral but do not expect the rest of the GOP to stand on the principle of defending the Republic and abandon the President publically.
Despite the Mueller appointment, almost no Republicans have come forward with anything beyond tepid lip service expressing concern about the Presidential controversy. The GOP has been extremely successful in ignoring principle to game the system to their advantage. The textbook example is Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell's decision to ignore the spirit of the Constitution and sit on President Obama's Supreme Court nomination of Merrick Garland. McConnell's gamble to wait out the November election paid off and likely protected the conservative agenda for years to come. On an academic level, it's admittedly hard not to respect the audacity of the strategy despite the damaging precedent set. Technically, McConnell's action wasn't against the law nor was Trump's decision to declassify information on the fly for that matter; neither was principled.
Expect the Republicans to use the same unprincipled tactics to prop up the agenda as the Mueller investigation unfolds. They will go through the motions to support the perception of cooperation and at the same time defend the President's indefensible behavior at the expense of logic as long as it helps preserve the GOP majority in Washington.
Trump himself is irrelevant to most of the GOP leadership but his popularity with the base means his demise could jeopardize the agenda of lining their own pockets through tax cuts and legislation benefitting the interests of the rich. Supported by the likes of conservative media outlets which downplayed the Trump allegations, the plan to maintenance low information voters in an effort to retain their support is well underway.
Trump remains out of the country this week and is basking abroad in the adoration that he so craves at home. An authoritarian kingdom has carefully choreographed the experience for the wannabe authoritarian President's enjoyment. With Trump gone, the sky at home may seem a bit more blue and the sun a little bit brighter. It's merely a respite. The storm clouds will return the moment Air Force One touches down at Joint Base Andrews later this week.
Sunday, May 14, 2017
Celebrity Apprentice: White House
The axe has fallen again during the latest episode of Celebrity Apprentice: White House. Presidential apprentice Donald Trump this week said, "You're fired" to FBI Director James Comey.
The reasoning behind Comey's dismissal reads like a poorly written multiple choice test (choose one):
- An unsolicited recommendation from Deputy Attorney General Rod Rothstein over handling of the Clinton email release (Sean Spicer).
- A DOJ recommendation solicited by the President (Sarah Huckabee Sanders).
- Because Comey's "a showboat, he's a grandstander, the F.B.I. has been in turmoil." (Donald Trump)
- "This has nothing to do with Russia." (Kellyanne Conway)
- "The rank and file of the F.B.I. had lost confidence." (Sarah Huckabee Sanders).
- Comey has "broad support" and "still does to this day." (Andrew McCabe)
The reasons may be in dispute but the optics of Comey's removal are terrible. It certainly looks as if the President fired the FBI Director to derail the Russia investigation. That may be true. However, Trump almost daily demonstrates autocratic tendencies and a simplistic understanding of points of law (and the Constitution) making nearly everything he does look clumsy.
Democrats have been mad at Comey since he reopened an investigation into Hillary Clinton's leaked email days before the presidential election. They have only recently warmed up to the former Director once it became clear he was going to pursue the investigation into Russian ties to the Trump campaign. Republicans have the opposite love-hate relationship with the former Director. At this point, neither side has strong credibility when it comes to objective commentary over Comey's performance.
Using the word credibility in the same sentence with the name of either political party seems like an oxymoron but this matter now comes down to whether or not Congress actually believes in the rule of law. Evidence of Russia interfering with the election process has been confirmed. Trump's first Celebrity Apprentice: White House casualty Michael Flynn raised more flags over Russian influence or collusion within the campaign. Other Trump aids with connections to Russia from Jeff Sessions to Paul Manafort keep the questions mounting.
The important part here is not to get hung up on the fact Comey was fired but that the investigation into Russian ties and influence must continue to run its course. That investigative course must not turn into a partisan Ken Starr like sideshow. This matters; the implication goes beyond criminal business activities. It reeks of treason.
The ball is now in the court of congressional Republicans. Their actions around the investigation will demonstrate if they believe in the rule of law and the Constitution. If the investigation moves forward in a non-partisan manner and Trump is vindicated, good for all of us. If he is not, that will be tragic but not as dire an outcome as if Republicans go partisan or halt the investigation entirely.
A move in either of those directions is equivalent to Republicans toasting, "Na zdravie" in the Capitol building; a shot of Stolichnaya we'll all find hard to swallow.
The reasoning behind Comey's dismissal reads like a poorly written multiple choice test (choose one):
- An unsolicited recommendation from Deputy Attorney General Rod Rothstein over handling of the Clinton email release (Sean Spicer).
- A DOJ recommendation solicited by the President (Sarah Huckabee Sanders).
- Because Comey's "a showboat, he's a grandstander, the F.B.I. has been in turmoil." (Donald Trump)
- "This has nothing to do with Russia." (Kellyanne Conway)
- "The rank and file of the F.B.I. had lost confidence." (Sarah Huckabee Sanders).
- Comey has "broad support" and "still does to this day." (Andrew McCabe)
The reasons may be in dispute but the optics of Comey's removal are terrible. It certainly looks as if the President fired the FBI Director to derail the Russia investigation. That may be true. However, Trump almost daily demonstrates autocratic tendencies and a simplistic understanding of points of law (and the Constitution) making nearly everything he does look clumsy.
Democrats have been mad at Comey since he reopened an investigation into Hillary Clinton's leaked email days before the presidential election. They have only recently warmed up to the former Director once it became clear he was going to pursue the investigation into Russian ties to the Trump campaign. Republicans have the opposite love-hate relationship with the former Director. At this point, neither side has strong credibility when it comes to objective commentary over Comey's performance.
Using the word credibility in the same sentence with the name of either political party seems like an oxymoron but this matter now comes down to whether or not Congress actually believes in the rule of law. Evidence of Russia interfering with the election process has been confirmed. Trump's first Celebrity Apprentice: White House casualty Michael Flynn raised more flags over Russian influence or collusion within the campaign. Other Trump aids with connections to Russia from Jeff Sessions to Paul Manafort keep the questions mounting.
The important part here is not to get hung up on the fact Comey was fired but that the investigation into Russian ties and influence must continue to run its course. That investigative course must not turn into a partisan Ken Starr like sideshow. This matters; the implication goes beyond criminal business activities. It reeks of treason.
The ball is now in the court of congressional Republicans. Their actions around the investigation will demonstrate if they believe in the rule of law and the Constitution. If the investigation moves forward in a non-partisan manner and Trump is vindicated, good for all of us. If he is not, that will be tragic but not as dire an outcome as if Republicans go partisan or halt the investigation entirely.
A move in either of those directions is equivalent to Republicans toasting, "Na zdravie" in the Capitol building; a shot of Stolichnaya we'll all find hard to swallow.
Friday, May 5, 2017
The Republican Congress Voted To Kill You
During the fight to pass Obamacare, Republicans decried the legislation would result in "death panels" convened to mete out healthcare in some dystopian fashion. Guess what, the Republicans themselves happily became the death panel they once so feared on Thursday when they passed the AHCA that, if signed into law, would strip health care from millions and gut the coverage mandate for pre-existing conditions.
Short of calling it murder, there's little other way to spin this move. Depending on your income, employment status, and current state of health, House Republicans voted to kill you. They showed no remorse. To celebrate, they had carts of beer - that you likely paid for - brought into the Capitol after the vote. They ordered your murder and then had a beer. Nice.
The evidence at the crime scene is staggering. By 2020, the number of uninsured Americans will be back on the rise, premiums will go up across the board, and the grim reaper of pre-existing conditions will start claiming victims. President Trump stated Thursday, "What we have is something very, very incredibly well-crafted." It's not clear that Trump has actually read the bill as the AHCA is anything but "well-crafted" unless it's being compared to a Ford Pinto, Galaxy Note 7, or the Titanic. Trump also tweeted the bill was a "repeal and replace" of Obamacare. That statement alone signaled Trump is more interested in being able to defend his adoption of that tired and hollow GOP mantra rather than deliver meaningful improvement to healthcare in America.
Greed appears to be the motive behind the crime for the rest of the GOP. The original AHCA draft used cuts to Medicaid as part of a broader strategy to pay for tax cuts for the rich. The now passed version still includes $800 million in Medicaid cuts that will kill, literally, some low income Americans. The repeal of certain tax provisions within Obamacare under the new bill delivers tax cuts totaling $346 billion over 10 years to wealthy American taxpayers earning more than $200,000 a year.
The AHCA means higher premiums, fewer insured, removal of protections for pre-existing conditions, Congressional healthcare remains likely unchanged, and the rich white guys that wrote the law all get a big tax cut. If none of that seems like enough to convict here's one last gem. People with employer provided healthcare plans are not safe either. The AHCA contains a provision that could gut safeguards against catastrophic costs for people with coverage through large employer plans across several states.
The AHCA is universally horrific. The men that wrote it are guilty of premeditated murder. Those that voted for it are accomplices. Period.
The Senate gets a crack at the AHCA next. It's not yet clear whether Senators will join the Manson family-esqe House and vote to kill you or send a different bill back for reconciliation. Either way, the outcome is in the hands of the Republicans that control both chambers so odds are you're: dead man walking.
Maybe the AHCA vote will finally alienate the voters that repeatedly choose against their own interests by returning a Republican majority to Washington. Otherwise, the only solace will be in the less pleasant alternative of change through attrition since those voters will simply die off as a result of what their representatives delivered in the AHCA.
Short of calling it murder, there's little other way to spin this move. Depending on your income, employment status, and current state of health, House Republicans voted to kill you. They showed no remorse. To celebrate, they had carts of beer - that you likely paid for - brought into the Capitol after the vote. They ordered your murder and then had a beer. Nice.
The evidence at the crime scene is staggering. By 2020, the number of uninsured Americans will be back on the rise, premiums will go up across the board, and the grim reaper of pre-existing conditions will start claiming victims. President Trump stated Thursday, "What we have is something very, very incredibly well-crafted." It's not clear that Trump has actually read the bill as the AHCA is anything but "well-crafted" unless it's being compared to a Ford Pinto, Galaxy Note 7, or the Titanic. Trump also tweeted the bill was a "repeal and replace" of Obamacare. That statement alone signaled Trump is more interested in being able to defend his adoption of that tired and hollow GOP mantra rather than deliver meaningful improvement to healthcare in America.
Greed appears to be the motive behind the crime for the rest of the GOP. The original AHCA draft used cuts to Medicaid as part of a broader strategy to pay for tax cuts for the rich. The now passed version still includes $800 million in Medicaid cuts that will kill, literally, some low income Americans. The repeal of certain tax provisions within Obamacare under the new bill delivers tax cuts totaling $346 billion over 10 years to wealthy American taxpayers earning more than $200,000 a year.
The AHCA means higher premiums, fewer insured, removal of protections for pre-existing conditions, Congressional healthcare remains likely unchanged, and the rich white guys that wrote the law all get a big tax cut. If none of that seems like enough to convict here's one last gem. People with employer provided healthcare plans are not safe either. The AHCA contains a provision that could gut safeguards against catastrophic costs for people with coverage through large employer plans across several states.
The AHCA is universally horrific. The men that wrote it are guilty of premeditated murder. Those that voted for it are accomplices. Period.
The Senate gets a crack at the AHCA next. It's not yet clear whether Senators will join the Manson family-esqe House and vote to kill you or send a different bill back for reconciliation. Either way, the outcome is in the hands of the Republicans that control both chambers so odds are you're: dead man walking.
Maybe the AHCA vote will finally alienate the voters that repeatedly choose against their own interests by returning a Republican majority to Washington. Otherwise, the only solace will be in the less pleasant alternative of change through attrition since those voters will simply die off as a result of what their representatives delivered in the AHCA.
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