Democratic Ennui

Although Wally is getting over a cold that knocked him on his ass for several days, he still feels listless.  “It’s like walking through syrup,” he recently told friends over lunch.  But he was not alone.  Others expressed similar feelings of vague dissatisfaction.  No one present, however, could define the vagueness nor cause for the subtle weariness that had overtaken them for the past year or so.

And it wasn’t until Barb, a retired social worker who’d been fingering her iPhone for the past several minutes, loudly exclaimed, “We got ennui, that’s what we got.”

Consisting mostly of retired progressive Democrats, it was only naturel that they figured the root of their malaise lay in their disappointment and neglect by the very people whom they had voted for and counted on to lead the way out of the doom and darkness of the Bush/Cheney Years.

But the path out of political doom and darkness was becoming circular, “and we seem to be heading back in the same direction from which we came,” Wally asserted. 

“Wally, you really need to get a life,” a retired air force sergeant argued.  “It ain’t all about rollbacks of financial and environmental reforms.  You gotta realize that this too shall pass.”

In the end, however, Wally had to admit that the sergeant was right.  But right now, America is in search of its soul.  And for Wally, that means only one thing.   Now that the Christmas commercials are over, the political ones are already on their way and will be here soon.  And things will surely get ugly.

“Sometimes,” he posted to a friend, later that day, “this constant and never changing impermanence really sucks.  You never really know what’s coming next.”

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The Death Panel is Coming!

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 

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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.”

With Liberty and Justice for All?

And if you’re growing up black in America, would that headline be true or false?

Wally will be turning seventy in a few weeks and he is still confused about that part of the Pledge of Allegiance that says, “With liberty and justice for all.”

“I was in the third grade when I first thought about that phrase,” he said.  “Even back then, I knew that it didn’t apply to me.  And it was a very unsettling thing for a third grader to suddenly realize.”

As it turned out, Wally wasn’t the only kid on his block to wonder why such an untrue phrase was included in something as important as the Pledge of Allegiance, and he and his friends talked of it often.   But as third graders, they had no understanding of poetic license and spin.  For them, liberty and justice for all, was either true or it wasn’t.

“The things we remember are probably very different from what most white people remember,” Wally wrote in an email to an old friend.  “Back then, lynching’s and police dog attacks were what we paid attention to.  And now, black kids are probably thinking about being shot by a scared and angry cop.”

Later that same day, Wally found himself discussing the recent police shootings with a white friend from his college days in Minneapolis, “I know what liberty and justice for all, means to me”, he said.  “But what does it mean to you?”

Learn to Think Like a One Percenter

A rising tide lifts all boats, “But,” according to Wally, “if you’re among the very competitive top one percent, the less boats crowding the water, the more enjoyable and expansive your view.

“And fishing will always be fun.”

One percenters have a totally different view of the world than the rest of us.  And while the rising tide theory may make sense to the rest of us, the very wealthy have a different take.  “Not only is more for me better, less for others also works.” 

“I’d laugh in the face of Keynesian Economics,” Wally declared to friends, “and proudly let people know that my boats’ are already afloat and then ask, ‘and I should care about your boat because…?’”   

For toppers, economic inequality is a good thing.   More for them and less for the rest of us means that what they have is worth even more, simply because the rest of us have so much less.   Although things may eventually return to balance, it will be a while before that happens.  Meanwhile, the more inequality there is, the more vulnerable politicians become and more open to immense campaign contributions.  And the more politicians that toppers control, the more the laws, legislation and regulations will go their way.

“These days, were I in the top one percent,” Wally recently told fellow attendees at a Denver Inequality Teach-in, “my job wouldn’t be to create wealth like in the old days.  My job now days would be to snatch as much wealth as I can from people less clever than myself.  And that would mean most everybody else.”

Wally went on to explain to the horrified group how lifting all boats is probably a silly idea to a one percenter.  “Their idea is to keep as many boats as possible stuck in the mud and out of lake,” he said. 

Another attendee, having heard enough of Wally’s craziness, challenged him with, “Good thing you ain’t rich because you’d be a real dick.”

“To be in the top one percent, I’d have to be a sociopath,” Wally shot back.

“Ok.” the other attendee asked calmly, “suppose you actually had to look some of those people you fucked over in the eye.  What would you say to them?”

“Have a nice day and thanks for all the fish.”

Cops, Big Banks, Wall Street and the Rest of Us

So what do cops, big banks and Wall Street have in common?

“All three,” according to Wally, “can get away with most anything and never go to jail.”

Cops are, after all, our last best defense against total breakdown and chaos while big banks and Wall Street are the only things standing between us and total breakdown and chaos.  And because of their special status as our protectors and preservers, we tend to treat them like gods and allow them special favors and dispensations.   “In theory, that might be all well and good,” Wally recently texted to a friend, “but in reality, it is bullshit.”

Because their social roles are so important, we also tend to endow them with a kind of super human sense of wisdom and integrity.   But that is seldom the case.   Specifically, cops are charged with making our lives safe by going after the “bad guys” as they define them.   More often than not, being young and black is enough to make anyone a bad guy.  And, as we all know, bad guys get whatever they deserve.

And it a cop’s job, as they may see it, is to deal out righteous justice to bad guys.  The bankers and Wall Street traders, meanwhile, see their jobs as making a lot of money and to deal out righteous Karma to the rest of us non sociopaths who aren’t clever enough to make it big in the financial services sector.  In other words, they are rich, can hire lobbyist and lawyers and don’t have to give a shit.

“But the point is,” Wally said, during a recent indie TED event in Denver, “as long as the protectors and  preservers are never held accountable for the pain and suffering they cause, there is no reason for them to stop.”

People who have lost homes and savings and ended up declaring bankruptcy know how corrupt that system is.  But believe it or not, a lot of those barely legal and, in some cases, totally illegal financial schemes got started in black neighborhoods right after World War II.  Once perfected, spun and semi legalized, these schemes left the ghettos and are now are now feeding the fat financial and real estate sectors.  

But much like drugs, jazz and rock and roll, a lot of stuff makes it out of the ghetto and into the mainstream.   And since cops are getting away with cold blooded murder of black citizens now, might these unavenged behaviors escape the ghetto and become a scary part of your everyday life?  “It might sound a little crazy,” Wally said at the above mentioned event.  “But in a land where corporations can become people overnight, anything is possible.”

The St. Louis County Grand Jury: Once More with Feeling!

Wally vowed to neither write about nor discuss the St. Louis County Grand Jury’s decision not to indict Darren Wilson in the cold blooded killing of Michael Brown.  “It’s a waste of time,” he said.  “And if you disagree with me you’re likely to piss me off.”

Emotions are running high and, if truth be told, there is no real objective truth.   After listening to Bob McCulloch, the St. Louis County District Attorney, it was clear that, in his mind, the lack of an indictment is proof of Wilson’s innocence.   A few days later, five members of the Rams, ran onto the stadium with their hands up, as in “Hands Up, Don’t Shoot,” and expressed their opinion of the district attorney’s opinion.  “And although McCulloch has a right to his opinion,” said Wally, “it just goes to show that opinions are like assholes, everybody has one.”

Jeff Curry/USA Today Sports, via Reuters

Then, the local police union, St Louis Police Officers Association (SLPOA), demanded an apology from either the NFL or the Rams.  At some point, someone believed that the Rams had apologized, but the team’s management denied that they ever apologized.

But if a recent post by Think Progress has any truth to it, then the truth may yet be knowable. Or maybe something close.   Seems there is an obscure provision of Missouri Law which might bring some clarity to all the confusion.  According to a recent post on their website:

“There is a provision of Missouri Law — MO Rev Stat § 56.110 — that empowers “the court having criminal jurisdiction” to “appoint some other attorney to prosecute” if the prosecuting attorney “be interested.” (The term “be interested” is an awkward legal way to refer to conflict-of-interest or bias. The statute dates from the turn of the 20th century.) The court with jurisdiction over Darren Wilson’s case is the 21st Judicial Circuit Court of Missouri. That means the power to appoint a special prosecutor is held by Maura McShane, the Presiding Judge of the 21st Circuit.”

The only question now is, Will the Presiding Judge of the 21^st Circuit, appoint a Special Prosecutor and create a real grand jury?  “Or,” Wally asks, “Will she let the bullshit continue?”

Have a Happy Thanksgiving

Did Democrats and MSNBC Drop the Ball?

“I’m an old black man who votes Democrat and watches MSNBC a lot,” Wally recently told friends.  “But were I an old white man, I’d probably vote Republican and watch FOX News.  It’s not that Republicans and Fox news are all that great, but they do talk to America’s darker and most intolerant side.  And they do this by involving their viewers.

“I imagine that people who both hate and fear those of us who aren’t white, love their FOX News as much as I love my MSNBC.   Mostly what Republicans and FOX are doing right now, is ragging on our first black president and they seem to love calling him “incompetent” and insisting that he doesn’t have the same authority as his predecessors.  I don’t know what most white folk think of that kind of talk, but to me it’s obvious.”

Having said that, Wally admits that both Democrats and MSNBC are on a losing streak right now, “And it’s their own damn fault,” he said.  “And I can’t help but wonder if there is a correlation between progressive television’s loss of viewers and the failure Democrats to turn out their base.”

Wally says, both network and party took the easy way out.  When you don’t have a nest of hateful, fearful and angry viewers to depend on, you’ve got to find some relevant issues to stand on and make them interesting enough for people to understand and care about.  Democrats and MSNBC did neither.

Perhaps, if MSNBC did more investigative reporting and a lot less talking head stuff, they might manage to up their ratings.   Meanwhile, FOX News doesn’t have to do much of anything except be able to come as close as possible to using the N-word without actually using it.  “For a lot of older white people watching FOX is pretty much like attending a KKK rally in the privacy and comfort of their living rooms,” a close friend of Wally said.  “And they seem to find it very satisfying.”

Democrats and MSNBC, meanwhile, Instead of appealing to everyday middleclass “voters” who may have lost a home, seen their children’s education suffer, experienced wage stagnation or haveing to pay back high interest student loans, went for the low hanging fruit and pretty much left the big banks and Wall Street alone.

Right now, most everyone is pissed at big banks and Wall Street.  And if some of those corrupt bankers and big money people on Wall Street were actually charged and went to jail for their crimes, instead of paying huge, tax deductible and easily afforded fines, the Dems may have had a better turnout.  And imagine if MSNBC were able to report on the big bank/Wall Street corruption and how the Obama administration was kicking ass and taking names.  We may well be in a different place today.  "And not until the rest of us can deduct our traffic tickets and court imposed fines," said another of Wally's friends, "should J.P. Morgan Chase be able to deduct theirs.

“And while Democrats and MSNBC were telling and showing their base, FOX News and Republicans were involving their base, and that,” says Wally, “makes all the difference in the world.”

Tell me, I’ll forget

Show me, I’ll remember

Involve me, I’ll understand

Post Midterm Blues and Unhealthy Foods

https://www.youtube.com/user/auntyfee

With the midterms done, Wally has no choice but to get back to the life he’d put on pause about seven months ago.  Firstly, he turned off MSNBC and picked up a few paperbacks.  It's also time to finish his fall cleaning, do a little reading and look for new stuff to cook. 

And the gods of synchronicity saw fit to introduce him to Auntie Fee, via Facebook.  A friend had posted it to his newsfeed and he got hooked.  Auntie Fee (aka Felicia A. O’Dell) is like a Martha Stewart for the rest of us.  She has over 45 videos on YouTube, most of which, have gone viral.  When instructing on preparing her raisin sweet treats, for instance, she says, “It’s just something sweet for the fucking kids.”  And while prepping the ingredients for her culinary offerings, she passes along a lot of wisdom during her unscripted small talk.  “Fat people and kids like a lot of cheese,” she said, while preparing a cheap treat containing lots of cheese.

But there’s also a sense of exotic lifestyles which exist, often unseen, right in front of our very eyes.  One of Wally’s favorites, “How to Feed Seven people with just $3.35,” is also a pretty good commentary on society, not so much by what she says, but what she doesn’t say.

So with the midterms over and Blue Team Democrats having gotten their asses handed to them, Wally is looking forward to hanging in the kitchen with his laptop and Auntie Fee.  “I’m gonna try some of her shit,” he recently posted on his Facebook page.  “And look forward to the small pleasures in life since, with the possible exception of immigration, there probably won’t be any big ones for the next couple years.  And with Republicans running congress, learning how to feed 7 people on $3.35 might be a pretty handy skill to have in the near future."

Feeding 7 for $3.35

Sweet Treats for the kids

Income Inequality Means: We Get What We Pay For!

Blue Team Leaders: Listen Up!

It took Wally several days to recover from the dramatic ass-kicking that his blue team took in the midterms.  Initially, he was pissed at the people who didn’t bother to vote.  And the more he thought about it, the more pissed he became.  “I guess it’s an undisputed fact now,” he said.  “Poor folk and progressives don’t give enough of a shit to get up off their asses and vote.”

But as time passed and he got more of a grip on himself, he realized that it wasn’t the voters fault.  “Simply put,” he said, “poor folk and progressives had only two choices last election.  We could have voted either Republican or Republican-lite.”

It only makes sense that Republicans are better at being Republicans than are Democrats.  Somehow, the GOP always end up defining the situation and the Dems always end up buying into whatever the Republicans say is real.    And instead of running on their successes, Team Blue runs from them. 

“Worse yet,” according to Wally, “party leadership either doesn’t know or doesn’t care about the people who have close to an unconditional love for their blue team.”  Instead, our politicians go chasing after red team people who will never vote blue.  “As a result,” says Wally, “their friends lose interest and find better things to do then vote.  Why bother?”

But mainly, the Dems need to talk about the banks, Wall Street and hedge funds.  Most every citizen knows that paying a huge tax deductible fine, for cheating Middle America out of billions, just doesn’t cut it.  As long as no one ever goes to jail, there is no reasons for the perpetrators to do anything different.  Most of us already know that, in the end, big banks, Wall Street and hedge funders will somehow end up with our money.  “And while we’re at,” says Wally, “we may as will privatize social security and give what little we have left to them.  Make it a total wash.”

Are Upset Liberals Overthinking the Election?

By Matt Z

This article was first posted Nov. 5, 2014, on Daily Kos and is reposted here with the author’s permission.

___________________________________________________________________

Disclaimer:

I am on the spectrum. This is the first diary I have ever written that is going to be pretty much only political. But I need to let people know ahead of time that I am not trying to start a flame war. Because of my Asperger's anytime I get flamed I take it personally and usually wind up in a deep depression that last days. Please do not flame me for this diary.

But nobody is talking about the real reason we lost the election. And since nobody else is I'm going to have to be the one to do it. I might have a bad few days if I accidentally start a flame war. But since nobody seems to understand WHY we lost the election I have to be the one to point it out, even if I wind up hurt. I usually only write about mental illness, cartoons, and Muppets. Pure politics is out of my wheelhouse a bit. I am only doing so now because I am certain I am right. 

­­­­­­­­­­_____________________________________________________________________

Disclaimer out of the way? Good. Below the fold I'll tell you the REAL reason the Dems lost the election. And why both the activists and pundits trying to analyze the results and figure out what they mean are going about it all wrong.

Still with me?

Three words: "Two party system."

Yes, last night sucked. But it was SUPPOSED to suck. It is a two party system. If voters are unhappy with the status quo there is only one other game in town. It doesn't matter how abhorrent the GOP is, they are the only alternative. Like Chris Rock said: "Obama didn't cure cancer fast enough! I'm voting for cancer!"

We can blame the voters if we must. But blaming the Dems for not being progressive enough? That isn't it at all. For one thing, Obama has had more fight in him in these past two years than he did for the entirety of his first term. Every day after 2011, I was worried what he was going to capitulate to the GOP with next. There was a knot in my stomach every time he went up against them. These Past two years? Never happened once. Once Obama trounced Romney he stopped trying to work with the Republicans and started working around them. Obama is not the problem. If the media reported on his accomplishments fairly his approval rating would be in the high 60's.

You don't need to play the blame game and talk about how much the Democrats suck. That's what the Republicans WANT you to think. All you're doing is playing into their hands and accepting their tiresome version of the narrative. If we think the Dems are at fault the Republicans have done their job.

Democrats were always going to get creamed this year and there was nothing they could have done to prevent it. The GOP basically destroyed the country and then blamed it on the Dems. And it didn't take a political genius to do it. It was easy and it worked.

Last night wasn't the end of the world. It was normal. In 2016 when the voters realize the GOP HASN'T fixed their problems, and has wasted all their time on impeachment proceedings, we'll make gains and get back the Senate.

And then lose it again in 2018. Lather. Rinse. Repeat.

These wild swings from one party to the next between midterms and Presidential years are going to be the new normal as long as the country sucks. And since the GOP is MAKING it suck, it's not going to change. This back and forth is the new normal. Liberals need to understand that and stop trying to figure out what went wrong. We lost because that is what happens in a two-party system. There is no need to further analyze it beyond that.

The Friday Funny…

http://www.dailykos.com/blog/comics 

Wally is loudly insisting that this cartoon is not funny.   Meanwhile, he is having difficulty maintaining a straight face.

But sadly, this is gallows humor and, in times of feeling completely without power, finding a way to laugh about a painful situation is the only way to stay sane.

But the cartoon brings to mind a very sad event.   In early August, a young, unarmed black man was shot by police, as he shopped the aisles of an Ohio Walmart.  Ronald Ritchie, the individual who first called 911, said that a young black man was walking around Walmart while threatening and pointing a gun at children and adult shoppers.  After the shooting, Ritchie initially told reporters that he was an ex-marine.  Later, however, it was learned that he only served seven weeks and was booted out in 2008 for fraudulent enlistment.

“I can almost understand the cops thinking that they may've rolled up on a situation with an active shooter,” Wally wrote in one of his unpublished letters to the editor. “But there is no excuse for the actions of Mr. Ritchie. It was a cruel joke on his part and there must be some kind of law under which he can be prosecuted.”  

Sidewalk: The Lives of Women

Wally is the first to admit that he has absolutely no idea what it is like to be a woman.   And although he can never know via experience, he recently came across a short and brilliant video clip and article that he found helpful. 

But “Sidewalk” is more than just about the lives of women.  It is also about how we, as individuals, see ourselves as we get older and the self-pain and suffering we inflect as we travel through each of life’s phases.  It also reminds us of how nothing is permanent and, like it or not, we will go through changes.  And the changes never stop.  As soon as we get proficient in one phase of life, we’re already into the next, and the only thing we get to take to that next phase is the wisdom we’ve gained from having gone through the last one.  Mostly, it isn’t enough and we’ll always find ourselves totally unprepared.

Perhaps, that is why we should only take ourselves seriously when absolutely necessary.   Because no matter who or where we are, the only thing that’s ever guaranteed is that things, as we know them, will change. 

But best to watch this short video before reading the Think Progress article.  That way, you’ll form your own perceptions and reality before Celia Bullwinkel gets a chance to tell you about hers.

Democrats Get Bitch Slapped!

There’s no way around it, us Democrats got our asses kicked this past Election Day.  “And once again,” according to Wally, “our president forgot who his friends were and, as a result, his friends forgot about him.”

comicsmakenosense.blogspot.com

By stalling on a promised executive order relating to emigration and deportation, Obama pissed off his base and failed at ass kissing his adversaries.  “You think he would have stopped that shit by-now,” Wally asserted.  “And I’m starting to wonder if he’ll ever learn?” 

Had he signed the damn thing, it would have been over and done with by now and one less heartache yet to deal with.

But now, with all the kumbayas going around, it’s highly likely that in an attempt to show sincerity, Obama will make a deal and use immigration as a bargaining tool.  “Although he insists that he’s not going to, he’ll cave,” said Wally.  "But after all is said and done, Republicans won't do as they promised, anyway."

And then there’s the financial sector.  If the economy is doing so well, why aren’t most of us feeling the results?  Simple, all the fat and most of the lean goes to banks, Wall Street and hedge funders; rich people getting richer.

Worse yet, while those folks are gobbling up all the money and tax breaks, cutting no one any slack and foreclosing on mortgages, only a handful of politicians ever really speak of it.

Who knows what the political environment might be in 2016?  Likely, we 99 percenters may have figured a few things out by then, and it might be Elizabeth Warren vs. Ran Paul as opposed to Hillary Clinton vs. Jeb Bush.

And if that’s the case, hold onto your hats folks!

#DemocratsGetBitchSlapped

Did Democrats Blow It?

Although Wally took advantage of Colorado’s easy vote by mail system, were he not black, chances are he might have not cared enough to buy and affix the two postage stamps necessary to return his completed ballot. 

“Problem is,” he recently told friends, “the main reason I voted was that a Republican governor and legislator would start looking for ways to restrict the rights of African-Americans, Latinos and other people of color to cast our votes.”

So for Wally and others like him, voting was very personal.   “This is one of those times where us people of color either use it or lose it,” he said.  “So for me it was more a matter of desperation as opposed to enthusiasm.”

And although Attorney General Eric Holder made a valiant effort to push back on voter suppression, he let the big banks and Wall Street off with a mere slap on the hand and then a wink and a nod.  In other words, he didn’t do a damn thing of substance.  “Both Wall Street and big banks got off with meaningless fines that are nothing more than a mere business expense,” said Wally.  “Besides, everyone knows that it’s the stock holders and not the decision makers who pay the fines.”

Granted, unemployment is under six percent and economic growth is between 3.5 and 4.6 percent so far this year but, according to Wally, “most of us are still feeling like shit.”  And that is because the financial sector killed our economy and got clean away with it.  “Huge fines which they can easily afford don’t count,” he said.

But even as economic numbers get better, there’s an uneasy feeling about and everyone’s waiting for the other shoe to drop.  “And with both bankers and Wall Street having gone unpunished,” according to Wally, “it’s like having a serial killer loose in the neighborhood just after another murder.  Things may be quiet for now.” he said.  “But everyone knows he’ll kill again.  Meanwhile, all that the rest of us can do is shit our pants and live in fear."

Happy Halloween

Note to Democrats: What Goes Around Comes Around.

“If you’re a Democrat running for office and trying to figure out what Republicans are up to,” Wally suggested in a recent tweet, “you might give a listen to Undecided, an old Ella Fitzgerald song from back in the late 30s.”  And if the saying, “No good deed goes unpunished,” has any truth, according to Wally, “Democrats are being both screwed and betrayed.”  

As part of their Ryan budget, Republicans are in favor of cutting the social safety-net, and Social Security benefits are at the top of their list.  But if you watch their latest television ads, you’ll surely believe that it’s the Democrats who are out to screw over your grandmother and other seniors.  Take this ad, for instance, put out by Georgia Republicans saying that Rep. John Barrow wants to cut Social Security benefits and raise the retirement age to 69.  Another ad, put out by Karl Rove’s Cross Roads GPS accuses Kay Hagen (D), Arkansas of also wanting to cut benefits and raise the retirement age.   There are also a ton of other Republican ads accusing Democrats of wanting to do-away with mortgage deductions and other middleclass tax relief as well.  Meanwhile, Lori Montgomery’s article in The Washington Post, goes into this Republican flip-flop quite well and it is worth a read.

What Republicans say and what Republicans do are two very different things.  Back in the day when everyone was talking deficit, the Ryan Budget favored the slashing and eventual privatizing of Social Security.  And the free market was their answer.

Now, with the election only days away, the GOP still wants to cut and eventually privatize Social Security.  But you’d never know it if you only pay attention to their ads.  They’re trying to come off as champions of seniors and the middleclass, but they aren’t.   Worse yet, they are not even being honest about their beliefs on abortion and contraception.

Meanwhile, Wally wonders what’s up with Colorado’s candidate for U.S. Senate, Cory Gardner.  Although he is sponsoring the personhood bill,  the Life at Conception Act, Gardner denies that he is totally against birth control and shamelessly pro-life.  But that’s a story for another time.

What If Republicans Take Control?

Wally recently had lunch with several left leaning friends and every one of them, Wally included, were down in the dumps.  “There’s no getting around it,” said one.  “Republicans ran a better campaign and put the Dems on defense.”

“I’m starting to think that they’re just smarter than us,” said another.  “After the way she dissed Obama, I know a lot of my sisters and brothers back home won’t come out for Ms. Allison Lundergan Grimes, the bitch.”  Update, Kentucky’s two largest newspapers have recently endorsed Ms. Grimes, but that may not be enough.

Then there was the Bruce Braley campaign in Iowa.  If nothing else, they all agreed, you don’t tell folks in Iowa that they’re not capable of understanding something because they’re just farmers and not attorneys.  “And what’s up with Massachusetts Democrats and Martha Coakley,” Wally asked.  “She can’t relate yet they keep running her for office.  Shit, she was the one who created Scott Brown, the asshole.”

But all agreed, bad times are ahead for Democrats and others of the 99%.  And although, if Republicans win, they will not have the 60 votes needed for a veto proof  congress, but between the House and the Senate, they can create a lot of havoc and stalemates. 

And the Affordable Care Act (ACA), also known as Obamacare, will constantly be under attack in hopes of an eventual kill.  Consumer Protection, financial regulation and oversight, environmental protection, voting rights and that all makes this country what it is, will likely be diminished, if not totally taken out.

Meanwhile, every crazy idea that the Republican House tried to pass, might eventually pass the Senate, causing a Presidential veto and once again, there will be obstruction and blame.  “Only this time,” said Wally, “we’ll all be watching.  And better yet, we’ll know who all the players are and which team the're playing for.  Just in time for 2016”

The Louie Gohmert Page(s)

The initial plan was to include an “Asshole of the Day” page, but during a recent editorial meeting, Wally pointed out that there were enough Asshole of the Day blogs already on the internet.  “Besides.” he said, “That means someone would have to find and post a different asshole every day and since that someone would likely be me, I have a better idea.”

Thus, “The Louie Gohmert Page” was born.  After all, a man of his limited stature and lack of scruples deserves his own special page on Weird Wally’s Worldview.   “And if there’s one thing you can count on, Louie Gohmert is gonna be an asshole at least once a day, every day,” Wally exclaimed.  “So here’s how we do this…”

1.        The Louie Gohmert Page will be open to public submissions.  Like much of what Mr. Gohmert says, submissions need not have any bases in fact, can be totally made-up and sound as silly as duckshit.   As a matter of fact, the more bizarre, the better.  Click here for a perfect example.  Although this example is true, your submission doesn’t have to be.  Either way is fine with us.

2.       Like Louie Gohmert, we have no rules governing what appears on this page or its links.

3.       If your submission has any bases in fact, we need to know.  Our readers might want to follow-up.

Please send all submissions to zendance@aol.com

Meanwhile, our first post for the Louie Gohmert Page pretty much speaks for itself.  Kind of like words from the asshole’s mouth.  Can you top it?  Text, images, and videos are all welcome!

Go to Page 1 of the Louie Gohmert Pages

Economic Inequality: How it Got Here and How It Works.

If you believe people like the Koch brothers are here to help you, then you're really fucking stupid!

Christie wants GOP to “control voting mechanism.”

Chris Christie is a pretty scary, but what’s making Wally really paranoid is that Christie is telling us something we really need to hear.   But as usual, neither Democrats, progressives nor liberals are paying attention.  “While we’re busy counting senate seats,” Wally said, “the Republicans are trying to grab state governorships.”

The theory behind this GOP move to grab voting mechanisms in as many states as possible is to snatch away the voting rights of as many non-Republicans as possible.  And that is another thing Wally says is driving him crazy.  “Democrats are already strategizing for 2016 and they ain’t even done with 2014.”  Meanwhile, if Christie has his way, only white Republicans will still have the right to vote by then.

Seems as if the Democratic Party leadership has its head up its ass.  In 2008, they ignored state elections, according to Wally.  “And as a result we now have a gerrymandered congress that’s going to stay in Republican hands for decades.” 

This time, however, the GOP makes no secret of their devious plans for taking over a nation with dramatically shifting demographics and keeping it in the hands of rich old white men, like Dick Cheney?    

At a recent Chamber of Commerce event in Washington, Christie asked a series of questions:  “Would you rather have Rick Scott in Florida overseeing the voting mechanism, or Charlie Christ?  Would you rather have Scott Walker in Wisconsin overseeing the voting mechanism, or would you rather have Mary Burke?  Who would you rather have in Ohio, John Kasich, or Ed FitzGerald?”

It’s all pretty obvious to Wally.  “When an Italian-American with a Jersey accent tells you that he’s coming to get you, you’d best listen-up and choose a weapon, fast,” he said.  “And in this case, an ounce of 2014 may just be worth a pound of 2016.  Or better yet, a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush."

Seriously??? Weird Wally and Cliven Bundy Endorse Kamau Bakari for Congress Here's Why...

Is Louie Gohmert (R-TX) a Total Clown?

Wally’s philosophy is, “If he looks like a clown, walks like a clown and talks like a clown, then he’s a total clown.”  More to the point, how does a total clown actually get to be a congressperson?  “The fact that he represents a district in Texas,” Wally said, “pretty much answers that question.”

But there is something about a silly little man making silly little statements and being taken seriously that Wally finds highly annoying and he said, “The man gets on my last reserve nerve and then some.”

Most friends feel that Wally is being a bit weird in his extreme dislike of the Honorable Mr. Gohmert, but those old enough to remember, admit that there is a strong resemblance between Louie the Congressman and Clarabell the clown.   “But at least Clarabell kept his mouth shut until the very end,” Wally insisted.

Now Gohmert is saying that the nurses infected with Ebola are part of the "Democrats war on women..."

             

Sequesters and Budget Cuts. And We Eventually Learn that We Get What We Pay For.

 

Of late, Wally’s been mystified about how we American citizens can demand that our government do so  more with a heck-of-a-lot-less less.  “It worked for a while,” he recently said.  “But now we’re seeing the actual costs.”   Although it was fun to cut taxes, increase loopholes for the top 2% while cutting spending for programs aimed at poor and middle class citizens, most of the rest of us got no benefit and mostly pain from the sequestration and budget cuts. The Koch brothers and other billionaires, meanwhile, made out like the bandits that they are. 

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), for instance, had its budget cut nearly $600 million since 2010.  In addition, the National Institute of health has had its budget cut nearly $1 billion.   Back in 2010, some conservatives were screaming about a high deficit and insisting on cutting government while slashing taxes for the top 2% or, as they like to say, “The job creators.”

And now that the Ebola shit is about to hit the fan, deficits don’t seem all that important.   But Wally remembers what happened with Veterans Affairs back in May and “the same exact principles apply with this mess,” he said.

Wally’s been watching as Ebola has played out in the media.  “I’m confused,” he said.  “There are so many spokespeople, all contradicting each other.  In the old days, we would have had a single person telling us everything we needed to know, and that would have been the Surgeon General.  But thanks to the National Rifle Association (NRA), we don’t have a Surgeon General.    Not only would the SG be the face health and safety, this person would also help set medical policy during this emergency and perhaps, most of the many mistakes that were made, would have been prevented from the get-go. 

Fun with FoxNews:  First, Fox News smears theSurgeon General nominee for saying that guns were a public health issue and then smears Obama for not having a Surgeon General.  Actually, Republicans are doing something very similar.  First they refuse to confirm the nominee for SG, then complain about the fact that Obama does not have a Surgeon General.  Neat trick

Who is the Goddess Isis? Not the Army of ISIS

In the typical form of her myth, Isis was the first daughter of Geb, god of the Earth, and Nut, goddess of the Sky, and she was born on the fourth intercalary day. She married her brother, Osiris, and she conceived Horus with him. Isis was instrumental in the resurrection of Osiris when he was murdered by Set.

Isis - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isis

This is what you’re likely to get if you do a google search on “who is the goddess Isis,” but first things first.  The goddess Isis has absolutely no connection with the Islamic State: IS, ISIS or ISIL.   A lot of decent business are named after the goddess, many of them metaphysical and some, specifically for women.

Having always thought that people who used abbreviations like ISIL or IS were snobs, Wally used to cringe whenever he heard someone use the them.  “Why don’t they just say ISIS and do without the uppity attitude,” he'd often ask?

Recently, however, even Wally refers to the unholy warriors as IS.  The way he explains his linguistic conversion is, “I do it out of respect for a very old goddess and way of worshipping, as well as for modern business who have taken on that once sacred name.”

And when it comes to his choice of IS instead of ISIS, Wally finds himself agreeing with, at least, one aspect of the way in which the Obama Administration is dealing with the so-called Islamic State, albeit for different reasons.  

42 Senators You Need to Know About!

If you get a chance, please ask them why they did it.

Where’s Wally?

No one has seen him in almost a week and unfounded speculation is running rampant.   The Special Agent in Charge (SAC) of the Denver Field Office is insisting that Wally has run off to a foreign country in order to engage in “some kind of weird version of jihad,” Mr. Ravenelle is rumored to have said.  Detectives assigned to Denver’s police intelligence unit, however, dispute the feds’ assumption.  “Since Wally doesn’t believe in much of anything,” said one Denver detective, “he cannot possibly engage in any kind of jihad.”

Meanwhile, a CIA contract employee in North Kora reports that both Wally and Dennis Rodman are secretly vacationing in North Korea and partying-it-up with Kim Jong-Un. 

Although unable to confirm Wally’s current whereabouts, the CIA Station Chief in South Kora made unofficial note that both Weird Wally and Kim Jong-Un are missing at the same time.   Additionally, the station chief also noted that he has no interest in the current whereabouts of one Dennis Rodman.

Update:  Late Friday afternoon Wally is rumored to have tweeted, “#UniteBlue My Colorado friends, Vote No on 68 and Yes on 105."

What Will SCOTUS Pull Out Of Its Ass This Time?

For most of his life, Wally paid minimal attention to the Supreme Court.  After all, they were just a bunch of trusted old men and woman who always did the right thing.  “That’s what I learned in high school and until recently,” he said, “had no reason to doubt it.”

But Wally realizes how different things are now.  Although appointed by politicians, the justices were above politics and held those lofty positions because of their character and integrity.  “But lie down with dogs, you get up with fleas,” Wally said in a recent tweet.

And he is not alone, recent polls are showing that the decisions of SCOTUS are turning people off, big time.  Because of four prosperous old white men and one crazy black man, according to Wally, those of us who aren’t in the top 98 percent income bracket are going to get screwed.

According to Gallup, people started losing faith in the Supreme Court back in 2000, with their 5-4 decision to hand the presidency to George W. Bush.   And how they managed to declare that corporations are people is still a mystery.

Right now, the Court has already gutted the Voting RightsAct and will likely inflict more damage this session.  It is also looking to inflict damage to Fair Housing, Environmental Protection Agency, birth control, financial regulation, consumer protection and so much more.  Worse yet, they may succeed in gutting Obamacare, a Republican’s wet dream.

Wally is among many in his opinion that SCOTUS Justices are no better than politicians and term limits for them is a good idea.  Just watch and see as the US Supreme Court takes us back to the fabulous 1950s in full black and white with analog sound.

The Paul Ryan Budget Explained

What Does the GOP Think is Their Biggest Idea for 21st Century America?

 During a recent oral argument before the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit regarding North Carolina’s latest attempt to keep blacks and other potential Democrats from voting, Judge James A Wynn, the only member of the four judge panel who actually lives in North Carolina, asked, “Why does the state of North Carolina not want people to vote?”

The best answer to that question came from Dr. William Barber, who is president of the North Carolina chapter of the NAACP and organizer of the Moral Mondays protests, when he speculated that the GOP "must think we’re pretty powerful to go through all that trouble just to keep us from voting."

Subsequently, the Court halted most of the state’s voter suppression laws and in his opinion, Judge Wynn explains, “even one disenfranchised voter” who is denied the right to vote on account of race is “too many.”

Meanwhile, upon hearing the decision, Wally Tweeted out, “So many states, so little time.  So VOTE LAMF!”

Should You Believe Americans for Prosperity or Your Own Lying Eyes?

politicsusa.com

Although it’s been a few years since Wally was in college and he was never a member of any fraternity, he remembers reading about some of their “pranks” in the campus newspaper.  At most, they may have caused some minor inconveniences but were pretty harmless.  “In a few cases,” he said, “I was even amused and enjoyed their creativity.”  In the case of a recent election prank perpetrated by the Koch brothers’, Americans for Prosperity (AFP), however, the prank was neither amusing nor creative and Wally says he is highly pissed.

“It’s bad enough they think us Democrats are composed of stupid minorities and single young women who are easily fooled,” Wally wrote in another of his unpublished letters to the editor.  “But the fact that those arrogant Republican assholes think that they can trick us with a third-rate fraternity prank is pretty damn insulting.”

Recently, the Democratic Party of North Carolina filed a complaint with the State Board of Elections that AFP sent out mailers to targeted groups riddled with lies and misinformation.  In short, the mailers instructed people to wrong voting places, on wrong days and then, directed those with questions to an incorrect phone number and address.  Such actions are illegal and are currently being investigated by the North Carolina Board of Elections.   

Meanwhile, AFP is saying the mistakes are unintentional and Democrats are insisting that the mailers were a voter suppression tool.

“Seems like the Koch brothers think they’re cops and are probably expecting to get away with committing felony crimes by either taking the life or rights away from, what they seriously see as, lesser and undeserving people."