Ruminations on Our Politics

 

Ruminations on Our Politics

 After an unconventional, controversial, almost apolitical term as president, Donald Trump shot himself in the foot one last time, by becoming associated, with the help of the ever-derogatory media, with the destructive break-in at the capitol building on January 6^th.  Although acquitted of another impeachment attempt, this time for inciting insurrection, the popular perception, again fanned by his media enemies, is that Trump was at least partly responsible for the mob that broke into the capitol building. Even some of Trump’s backers, like Mitch McConnell, have opted for political expediency, and condemned Trump as being culpable for the capitol mob.  To add to the indignity, social media, like Twitter and others, have banned Trump from expressing his views to the American public.

 After many positive actions during his presidency, - good for the country, good for the people, but anathema to the left-wing political establishment and their media accomplices, Trump is deemed to have been defeated in a rigged, unconstitutional election, and discredited by not accepting and resisting the rigged results.  His enemies changed the election rules in the swing states, not by lawful state legislatures, but by various democrat party bosses and appointees.  And, a sad chapter in our history, - not only did they get away with it, they are perpetuating it, and persecuting anyone who challenges their illegal distortion of Covid-associated mail-in voting.

 Perhaps the biggest fraud perpetrated on the American people is the current president, Joe Biden, who is the definition of a corrupt, cynical, politician, with no core beliefs except self- aggrandizement.  Joe sat in his basement during the election campaign, while media propaganda portrayed him as a moderate, kindly, grandfatherly figure, who would bring stability to government after years of Trump’s turmoil and “in your face” presidency.  The media exalted Biden and actually hid and distorted news that would be detrimental to him.  In fact, voters said that they would not have voted for Biden if they knew that the scurrilous contents of Hunter’s laptop were true.  And, of course, the media continued to excoriate Trump, blaming him for the corona virus. Big pharma delayed vaccines until after the election so that Trump would not get credit for their “warp speed” development and availability.

 Unannounced and unbeknown to the American public, was the “devil’s bargain” entered into by Joe Biden and his minions with the Bernie Sanders, Sandy Cortez contingent, and the alt-left.  Rather than a moderate, the democrats elected a socialist and borderline communist, as shown by the nearly 60 executive orders that drop from Joe Biden’s dictatorial pen daily. At first these executive orders seemed to be vindictive actions to undo everything, good, bad, or indifferent, that President Trump had touched.  But it soon became evident that Biden’s and his puppeteer’s actions were much more insidious that that.  They are a systematic attempt to change our culture and our government forever, into a Marxist, identity politics, cancel culture based, one party system.

 The one big criticism of Donald Trump during his presidency is that he could not keep his mouth shut, - and it finally led to him being discredited, even by many of his former backers.  But the public, and politics, is fickle.  I’m old enough to remember Richard Nixon in 1962, after he lost the gubernatorial race in California, saying “you won’t have Nixon to kick around anymore”.  To all intents and purposes, Nixon was finished politically in 1962 at that point.  In 1968, Nixon was president of the U.S.

 Unfortunately, the few right-wing activists that attacked the capitol did irreparable harm to the questioners of the legality of the election and the opponents of encroaching socialism.  Scenes of the stars and bars in the rotunda, and that idiot’s feet on Pelosi’s desk are forever ingrained and associated with Trump, republicans and conservatives.  Eugene McCarthy style “witch hunts, and thousands of occupying troops and razor wire barricades in Washington, DC have been employed by the hysterical democrats.

 Informed consensus is that the democrats have swung too far left, and are pushing identity politics, cancel culture, distorted views of racial and gender “equity”, and other views against the grain of normal cultural mores.  Some say that this leftist, globalist, almost anti-American view will abate or expire, and that there will be a return to a more patriotic mien in the 2022 mid-terms.

 Trump is still a force of nature.  Jack Dorsey muzzles him on Twitter?  Trump can start his own social media outlets.  And its not only the old man.  Donald Junior is quite politically active and outspoken, as is Eric.  Lara Trump is considering a run for Congress from North Carolina.  Ivanka and Jared have been working in the West Wing for four years, and have accumulated a lot of valuable experience.  Jered orchestrated the recent Middle East peace agreements.  No, Trump and his patriotic, “America First” policies are not defunct.  74 million Americans voted for him this time, and after seeing the leftist, socialist, politically corrupt abuses of Biden and his handlers, more of the voters that constitute that one third in the middle will swing toward the right.

Ray Gruszecki

February 26, 2021

Changing America Forever

 

Changing America Forever

 

It is dis-spiriting to follow daily news how Biden, the strawman, and his puppet masters, are destroying our country.  It seems at first that these are just hate-filled and vindictive actions to undo everything, good, bad or indifferent, that former President Trump had ever touched.

 But it goes much deeper than that.  It is a systematic attempt to change our culture and our government forever, into a Marxist, identity politics, cancel culture based, one party system. 

 The link below conveniently lists and references all 55 of Biden’s executive orders and pronouncements to date, since taking office on January 20, 2021. This is truly a continuation of Obama’s “dictatorship by the pen”.  These are not laws passed by congress, but they have the weight of laws in practice.

 The one actual so-called “Covid legislative relief bill that the majority democrats threaten to pass with no republican participation, relates less to the pandemic, and more to bailing out democrat cities and states that have been corruptly and inefficiently governed by their democrat mayors and governors.  It is also loaded with other “pork” that has nothing to do with Covid relief, like support to kill more babies, and a transportation link in Silicon Valley.

 Woe our poor beleaguered country.  Opposition to the unconstitutional election, and the dictatorial posturing of increasingly alt-left, socialist, Biden and his minions is suppressed and called “insurrectionary activity”.  Is this our beloved United States of America, or is it some affiliate of dictatorial China or Vietnam, or some other thug-run banana republic?

 https://www.marketwatch.com/story/all-of-president-bidens-key-executive-orders-in-one-chart-2021-01-21

Ray Gruszecki

February 22, 2021

The “Nuclear” Senate Filibuster Option

 

The “Nuclear” Senate Filibuster Option

 Theoretically, the current democratic Senate majority of one Kamala Harris vote, could ram through whatever legislation the house gives them, including DC statehood, a packed Supreme Court, “Truth Commission”, or any other weird socialist bills the left can conceive.  Most likely they won’t, because there are, after all some responsible democratic senators (and representatives), that know that such actions would destroy our legislative process, and eventually, our Republic.  Don’t put it past Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer to try, though.

 Some background:

 The 60-vote rule and filibusters

Beginning with a rules change in 1806, the Senate did not restrict the total time allowed for debate. In 1917, Rule XXII was amended to allow for ending debate (invoking "cloture") with a two-thirds majority, later reduced in 1975 to three-fifths of all senators "duly chosen and sworn" (usually 60).                                                                                                                                                                                Thus, although a bill might have majority support, a minority of 41 or more senators can still prevent a final vote through endless debate, effectively defeating the bill. This tactic is known as a filibuster.

 Since the 1970s, the Senate has also used a "two-track" procedure whereby Senate business may continue on other topics while one item is filibustered. Since filibusters no longer required the minority to actually hold the floor and bring all other business to a halt, the mere threat of a filibuster has gradually become normalized. In the modern Senate, this means that any controversial item now typically requires 60 votes to advance, unless a specific exception limiting the time for debate applies.

 Changing Rule XXII to eliminate the 60-vote rule is made difficult by the rules themselves. Rule XXII sec. 2 states that to end debate on any proposal "to amend the Senate rules...the necessary affirmative vote shall be two-thirds of the Senators present and voting." This is typically 67 senators assuming all are voting. Meanwhile, Rule V states that "the rules of the Senate shall continue from one Congress to the next Congress unless they are changed as provided in these rules." These provisions, by themselves, mean that the general 60-vote cloture rule in Rule XXII cannot be modified without the approval of 67 senators.

 The nuclear option concerning filibuster and cloture.

Essentially, only simple majority required

Rule XX

Although rule XXII requires three-fifths of Senators to close debate, rule XX states that "A question of order may be raised at any stage of the proceedings" and "shall be decided by the Presiding Officer without debate, subject to an appeal to the Senate...and every appeal therefrom shall be decided at once, and without debate".[6]

 Procedure to invoke the option

The "nuclear option" is invoked when the presiding officer's enforcement of rule XXII is overruled by the full Senate without debate under rule XX. Without debate, there is no need for a three-fifths majority to end debate. The presiding officer is therefore overruled by a simple majority.

 Following a failed cloture vote, the majority leader raises a point of order that Rule XXII should be interpreted – or disregarded on constitutional grounds – to require only a simple majority to invoke cloture on a certain type of business, such as nominations. The presiding officer, relying on the advice of the Senate Parliamentarian, then denies the point of order based upon rules and precedent. But the ruling of the chair is then appealed, and is overturned by simple majority vote. For example, the option was invoked on November 21, 2013, as follows:

 Mr. REID. I raise a point of order that the vote on cloture under rule XXII for all nominations other than for the Supreme Court of the United States is by majority vote.

The PRESIDENT pro tempore. Under the rules, the point of order is not sustained.

Mr. REID. I appeal the ruling of the Chair and ask for the yeas and nays.

(48–52 vote on upholding ruling of the chair)

The PRESIDENT pro tempore. The decision of the Chair is not sustained.

The PRESIDENT pro tempore. *** Under the precedent set by the Senate today, November 21, 2013, the threshold for cloture on nominations, not including those to the Supreme Court of the United States, is now a majority. That is the ruling of the Chair.

 And that’s how it could work, to fundamentally change our two-party system, into an oligarchic, one party, socialist system, the first step on the path to a Venezuelan or Chinese style socialism, and all that that one can imagine that entails.

Ray Gruszecki

February 3, 2021

Buyers Remorse?

 

Buyers Remorse?

 Do you have buyer’s remorse yet, all you voters who (unconstitutionally) elected Joe Biden, thinking “we’ll replace that orange monster with this kindly, stable, grandfatherly type who will bring calm and serenity to the government”.  Well, what you got was a borderline communist regime, and an agenda being orchestrated by Biden’s handlers, who are about as left-wing and Marxist as we’ve ever seen in this country.

 You were sold a bill of goods, Biden voters.  Biden sat in his Delaware basement while the biased media hid news that would harm his chances for election, while continuing to excoriate President Trump for killing people with “his” corona virus.  Big tech and big pharma jumped on the bandwagon of lies and deceit and mendacity by censorship, and by withholding news of successful vaccines, and any other news favoring President Trump, until after the election.

 Trump overcame these massed forces before, but this time, coupled with the dubious efficacy of unconstitutionally altered voting laws in swing states, and the mail-in ballot process related to the pandemic, it was too much to overcome, and Trump lost to “Joe in the basement”.

 Biden and his minions glossed over exactly how far to the radical left this crop of democrats were.  Only a few of us took the time to read the Democratic Party Platform, and the Bernie-Biden manifesto upon which it was based, and warn about where the democrats were heading.  It is a pity that more of you Biden voters didn’t read the “manifesto” and get familiar with it, because it is serving as a blueprint for what Biden and his handlers are accomplishing, starting with the 45-odd executive orders Biden has signed thus far.  Here are the links, that have been out there since September, 2020, just for grins.

 https://joebiden.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/UNITY-TASK-FORCE-RECOMMENDATIONS.pdf

 https://www.demconvention.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/2020-07-31-Democratic-Party-Platform-For-Distribution.pdf

 We all should read these, because this is what the current crop of democrats, including Nancy Pelosi, Chuck Schumer, Bernie Sanders, AOC and the squad, envision will be our future.  Now, aren’t you all ecstatic that the orange monster is gone?

 So, as our country slips toward something resembling Jerry Brown’s and Gavin Newsome’s California, or Hugo Chavez’ Venezuela in the 1990’s, we can ask ourselves, and particularly we can ask the disenchanted Trump voters who voted for Joe Biden, is this what we expected and wanted?

 And, as an unexpected bonus, we have from the left, persecution, (now called “cancellation” by the “woke”), of republicans, resembling Putin’s Russia, or Eugene McCarthy, here, in the 1950’s.

Ray Gruszecki

February 2, 2021