An Open Letter to Hillary Clinton

FYI:  Wally is still insisting that he is ready for Hillary, but the real question: Is Hillary ready for him and those like him?

Dear Hillary,

I’m a lifelong Democrat, but of late, have been feeling betrayed by my leaders.   The hope and change I was looking for recently got snuffed out with the passage of a budget (CRominbus) through both houses of congress.  And it looks like the high testosterone folks on Wall Street and the financial services sector won again.  Granted, it cost them a lot of money but this upfront investment is what will make their long con work, and the fact that, unless we get a congress or administration both willing and able to stop to it, this is the kind of con that can go on until the end of time.   And although able, neither a Democratic Senate nor President were willing to stop it.

They did, however, express sincere distress and dismay over their decision to do nothing.

Despite it all, I’m pretty happy with what President Obama has accomplished, so far, during his time in office.  Being African-American and all, I really appreciate what he and the Attorney General have done as far as the killing of unarmed black men by police, civil rights, voter suppression and immigration are concerned.  And let’s not forget our recovering economy, unemployment, LGBT rights, a change in relations with Cuba and so much more.

On the other hand, Obama and other Democrats have allowed cuts in programs for the middle class and decreased pensions for workers, while cutting taxes for the top one percent and allowing speculators on Wall Street to continue making dangerous bets without fear of consequences.   If they win they keep all of their nearly tax free profits.  But if their gamble goes south, we cover Wall Street with our FDIC tax money.  Heads, Wall Street wins.  Tails, the rest of us loose.  This is one reason why folks on Wall Street always think of themselves as winners.  Wonder what they think of the rest of us?

And that, dear Hillary is the question.  What do you and your high end donors, think of the rest of us? 

Were you Madam President, would you have been in favor of that piece of crap, so full of special interest riders, the bill had to be edited in secret without anyone knowing its final contents.  What a victory for political transparency.  Would you have sat back and let that bill poison bill float through congress? 

And what about the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP)?  As I recall, Bill Clinton was total freak for free trade agreements.  Those free market commerce arrangements killed both American unions and jobs.  And instead of less financial regulation, consider holding the top one percent more accountable for what their greedy and destructive behavior wreaks upon the world.

Hillary, I am at a loss.  In so many ways I believe you’d make a great president.  More to the point, I truly believe in you.  You’ve got the experience and won’t make many of the mistakes Obama has made and continues to make.  It took Obama several years to realize how ruthless and deceptive his enemies really are.  Even now, he seems to have trouble believing what he sees.

Meanwhile, you’ll hit the ground running and already knowing how and whom to fight.  Better yet, you’ll be a quick study of foreign and security issues.  Question is, what are you going to do about the rip offs perpetrated by Wall Street, big banks and the continuation of economic inequality?

You, like Obama, seem very much tied to the culture of Wall Street and the financial sector.  And that is my main, if not only, reason to even think about a third party or look at alternative Democratic candidates.  Thus far, I would really like you to be my next president.  But if you’re strongly aligned with the Wall Street culture, then I need to start considering other options.  Where are you on economic inequality?

Please Madam Secretary, talk to us.   Tell us about your vision and let us know who you are.  We already know who Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders are.  And now it’s your turn.

Sincerely,

Wally 

For additional comments on this post, go to Daily Kos.

What Would Hillary Do (WWHD)?

https://buelahman.wordpress.com

Wally says that he doesn’t get it.  “They just gave Wall Street a gift that will keep on costing the givers.  And it’ll be like, never have so many done so much for so few, all over again.   Wall Street will throw a party, not invite the rest of us, but leave us with the bill.  Just like in 2008.”

There is a lot wrong with that budget bill that recently passed both houses of congress, but one thing seems certain, with the roll-back of regulations governing derivatives trading on Wall Street, it’ll keep happening until it becomes illegal and someone finally goes to jail.

But to make sure they can keep passing legislation which totally benefit the top one percent, the same unknown person, or persons, also slipped in a little something that increases the cap on political campaign contributions from $32,400 to $777,600 a year.  During a two year cycle, for instance, a single rich person can give up to $1,555,200 or $3,110,400 for couples. 

So that’s how it works.  Rich people buy politicians via political contributions, who then pass legislation which voters don’t like, so that the rich can easier rip off the rest of us.  Once the laws are in place for continued rip offs, the rich then make it possible for them to give more, and the more that rich are able to give, the less relevant the rest of us become.

And both Democrats and Republicans are voting to screw us.  Democrats are saying how they don’t like the new laws but have to vote for them in order to get concessions from the other side.  Republicans, so far, haven't had to say much of anything.  And although Democrats never quite explain what the rest of us got in exchange for their betrayal of us, we all know that we'll eventually pay.

What’s next for Democrats?

Obama didn’t bring the change we were looking for and it’s unlikely that Hillary is even up for it.  According to Wally, “When it comes to Wall Street regulations and campaign contributions, she’ll let the rich people continue writing the rules and the only difference between her administration and a Jeb Bush Administration, for instance, is that Hillary will use K-Y Jelly when slipping it to us.  Shit.  She may even kiss us first.

“Meanwhile, I’m changing my voter registration from Democrat to Independent and if Democratic politicians keep ignoring Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders,” Wally finally concluded, “I’ll be looking around for a third party by the time 2016 rolls around.”

Mitt Me Again, Mr. Romney

Weird Wally is telling anyone who’ll listen about waking up this morning in a cold sweat.   “I had a dream,” he insists.  “And it was horrible!  Mitt Romney was on all over my television trashing Obama, bad mouthing Hillary and, worse yet, beating her in the polls.

“The last election was bad enough, but another one with Mitt Romney as leading man is enough to make me puke.”  When he first learned of the possibility in a Washington Post article back in April, Wally said that he'd actually cringed.  “There’s something offensive about a top one percenter pretending that tax cuts for the wealthy and less regulation of their corporations, which are people, are good things for me.” 

But Wally also says, it’s getting more and more obvious that Romney will be the Republican candidate in 2016.  And Wally isn’t so sure that Hillary will actually be the leading lady.  “It’s quite possible that she may come to her senses,” Wally is rumored to have said on several occasions.

Besides being in the top one percent herself, Hillary will have to put a lot of distance between her and Obama.  “He’s a good president,” Wally wrote in a Reddit post, “but he didn’t see a lot of shit coming his way, and what little he did, seems to have gotten by him.  And Hillary shouldn't have to deal with it.”

If nothing else, Hillary is a fighter and Wally likes that about her.  Many times, he remembers having sighed in frustration when Obama, once again, caved to the other side.  “What part of ‘No’ don’t you understand, Mr. President?” he'd often ask.

Romney vs. Hillary would be nice enough, with Hillary the most likely winner.  She’s a take no enemies kind of politician, but has a lot of baggage.  But Romney vs. Warren, now that, Wally readily admits, “Is something I could get into.”

And although highly unlikely, if Hillary does come to her senses and decides not to rum, Wally says he is comforted by the fact that Elizabeth Warren is waiting in the wings.   But in Wally’s very weird minds’ eye, he is already affixing a “Clinton/Warren in 2016,” sticker to the bumper of his 94 pickup.  

3 Questions for Hillary

As far as Wally is concerned, one thing is certain; Hillary Clinton will never sit for an interview for his blog.  And it’s not his fair, bold and keen questioning that she fears so much as the fact, that even on a good day, Weird Wally’s Worldview may score only a handful of readers.  He also realizes that the mere title of his blog may be a bit off-putting to some people.

For now, at least, Wally is a Hillary fan and thinks she is kicking ass responding to the Benghazi bullshit put out by the Republicans.  On the other hand, Wally doesn’t really give a fuck about the Benghazi distraction and instead, would ask about Glass-Steigall, Free Trade Agreements and the current negations on the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP).  “Fuck a bunch of Benghazis!” he is rumored to have said.

Glass-Steigall:  Also known as The Banking Act of 1933, prevented commercial banks from acting like casinos and risking their clients’ money on risky and opaque investments.   This regulation, according to the New York Times was, “enacted as an emergency response to the failure of nearly 5,000 banks during the Great Depression.”  In 1999 Glass-Steigall was repealed and then President Clinton, was a champion for that bit of banking deregulation.  In April, 2010, the former president admitted he was wrong and made a public apology for his previous stance.

WW:  Madam Secretary, President Clinton was a major player in watering down regulations for Wall Street and banks.  Giving the current situation on both Wall Street and the banking industry, would you be in favor of changing monetary policy and banking rules under which these institutions operate?

In Wally’s mind, at least, that would be a good question to ask a possible future president.  But what about those fast track Free Trade Agreements?

WW:  During the Clinton Presidency, Free Trade Agreements seem to have flourished.  In retrospect it may have caused massive job losses in this country as well as making sovereign nations subject to laws imposed by multinational corporations, via the World Trade Organization (WTO)?

Although this isn’t meant to be a trick question, Wally is very aware that President Clinton was a big fan of these agreements.  But it was George H.W. Bush who actually started the ball rolling.  However, the 500 pound gorilla in the room right now is, The Trans-Pacific Partnership, and Weird Wally wants to know, what's up with that?

WW:  Many feel that the super-secret Trans-Pacific Partnership currently being negotiated will outsource more American middle-class jobs and even make us even more subject to laws imposed by the WTO.  Do you think this partnership is a good idea?

Who knows, maybe these kinds of questions will come later.  Meanwhile, we must be content with Republican distractions until they realize that we are a lot smarter then they think we are.

And remember, Weird Wally Sez:  Fuck a bunch of Benghazis!