The Theology of the Texas Senate Race Between Talarico and Paxton

The attacks being levelled against Texas Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico are sending a couple of loud and clear messages from Paxton and his supporters.  One, they know that they cannot campaign on Paxton's record, or on his character.  Those are both losing propositions.  And the other message?  They see the numbers and they know that Talarico is poised to win.  In the past couple of weeks, his polling averages in several of the more reliable national polls with a reputation for accuracy has slipped above the 50% threshold.  He's picking up the lion's share of undecided, independent voters. 

Paxton is desperate.  So instead of campaigning on the issues, none of which go in Paxton's favor, they are attacking Talarico's character, his masculinity, and more specifically, his Christian faith.  None of those are things which have anything to do with what kind of Senator he will be and how he will represent Texas.  But they focus attention away from Paxton's moral bankruptcy and corruption, which led his own fellow Republicans in the state legislature to impeach him and attempt to remove him from office.  He survived the removal attempt because of the partisan makeup of the Texas legislature, though there were Republicans who voted in favor of his removal as Texas Attorney General.  

It's somewhat hypocritical to me for a man with the baggage of corruption that Paxton carries, including having had at least one well publicized affair, which a divorce court labelled adultery and considered as legitimate grounds for his divorce, to be championed by the majority of church members as qualified for any kind of public office.  Men getting away with adulterous affairs, and being warmly welcomed in Evangelical congregations, and sometimes treated as heroes as a result, is common, especially among Southern Baptists, one of whose churches Paxton attends regularly and holds membership. 

[Paxton Lets Sexual Abuser Adam Hoffman Off the Hook]

[Evangelical Church Elder and Youth Leader Arrested on Allegations of Sexual Assault of a Foster Daughter]

So when Talarico is attacked, mostly in social media, for making statements which are reflective of his theology and personal convictions as a clergyman in the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America (PCUSA), known as the more liberal branch of Presbyterianism, it reflects a disgraceful and dishonest hypocrisy on the part of conservatives.  Clearly, this is getting a significant amount of backlash as the same polling data that shows Talarico trending toward the 50% threshold also shows that voters disapprove of this particular tactic of Paxton, by more than a 2 to 1 margin.  The criticism of Talarico's theology and faith by the Paxton campaign is hurting his chances with voters.   

The Theological Battle at the Core of This Campaign, Liberal vs. Conservative Christian

For those outside the very confusing tangle of what lies behind the high, thick walls American Protestants have built around a patchwork of unbiblical denominations build on specific doctrines of reformation-era theology, Conservative Evangelicalism is a Johnny-come-lately splattering of doctrine based on faulty theories of the inspiration of the Biblical text, and on a very distorted and falsely skewed literal interpretation and application of the text.  

American Evangelicals are split between the Fundamentalists, who are hard liners when it comes to being anti-education and separatist when it comes to their attitude toward anyone claiming to be Christian who doesn't believe exactly what they believe,  Charismatics and Pentecostals, who have added emotionalist and spiritualist error to the practice of the Christian gospel, and the Restorationists, who focus on "getting back to the original interpretation of the text," and take a literalist interpretation of the Bible to extremes.  

All three of these Evangelical traditions are relatively new on the scene when it comes to the history of the Christian church and they have several things in common.  They emerged from the anti-intellectual, anti-educational bias of the frontier revivals of the Second Great Awakening, when churches did not have access to very many educated pastors and ministers, and developed beliefs influenced by superstition and fear of the unknown.  Their lack of education prevented them from knowing or understanding the whole context of the history of the Christian church, its origins, and the language, history and cultural influences, the understanding of which is absolutely essential to a correct interpretation of the scripture.  

The primary error in interpretation that American Evangelicals make is found in their theories of the inspiration of scripture.  Evangelicals claim to believe that, because of God's presence in inspiring the writing of every word of the scripture, the whole 66 book Protestant Bible is inerrant in its original manuscripts, and infallible in practice.  The terms "verbal and plenary," applied to the expression of this belief, mean that every word of the Bible is inspired, and the whole of the text of the 66 books in the Protestant Bible is equally inspired.  

This is false doctrine, and a grievous error leading to all kinds of misinterpretations and faith practice that is essentially meaningless.  And it is diametrically opposed to the core doctrine of the Christian faith, which is the divinity, humanity and supremacy of Jesus the Christ.  

The life examples and teachings of Jesus, recorded in the four gospel accounts in the New Testament, form the criterion by which all other scripture is to be interpreted.  The person of Jesus as the son of God, one of three persons of the trinitarian view of God, is, in Christian doctrine, the only perfect revelation of the Christian gospel.  Any theories of interpreting scripture which lead to stand-alone interpretations of statements without filtering them through the thoughts and ideas of Jesus is contrary to true Christianity and to the gospel message of Jesus Christ. 

Nor can the words of any of the Bible's authors be equated in their inspiration or truth with those of Jesus Christ.  In Christian doctrine, Jesus was God, and the gospel he revealed, perfect.  And while it is legitimate to consider the other authors, such as Paul, John, Peter, and whoever wrote Hebrews, as being inspired by God, their words are subject to interpretation that filters them through the gospel of Jesus Christ before determining what they mean.  They do not stand alone in their interpretation, which produces obvious conflicts when they are incorrectly interpreted in the literal context used by most Evangelicals. 

No Christian denomination or church has a corner on correct doctrine and theology.  However, those who have been labelled as "liberal" for not accepting the literalist premises of conservative Evangelicals actually have a much better handle on the kind of faith practice that the gospel of Jesus Christ establishes.  What Evangelicals practice is salvation by works, which include making wise decision and following the rules, while abstaining and avoiding things that have been judged to be breaking them.  The Christian faith begins with the ten commandments, in their view, obedience is the key to true faith according to their doctrine and theology.  So if you do enough good works and you properly judge and condemn evil, you can add up enough points for God to let you into heaven.  This is exactly what their theology teaches, in spite of protests to the contrary. 

For the so-called "Liberal" Christians, like the PCUSA, to which James Talarico belongs, the Christian gospel begins with the Beatitudes, and it carries through the theme of forgiveness and restoration, according to scripture.  Following the example of Jesus and correct interpretation and practice of the principles he taught and modelled leads to salvation that comes from God's grace, and the serving of his creation, in the "liberal" view. The emphasis on the human end is the receiving of grace and living in gratitude as a result, with judgment and condemnation left up to God.  Jesus focused the core principle of the Christian gospel on loving God with all one's heart, soul, strength and mind, and loving one's neighbor.  The outcome and practice of the Christian gospel is quite different from the Evangelical Fundamentalist perspective. 

 Texas Has a Large Number of Moderate to Liberal Christians

Talarico has an M.A. in theological studies from Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary.  There's a reason why the Presbyterian Church USA, which is the largest and most liberal branch of the Presbyterian church, has a theological seminary in Austin, Texas.  That's because there are a large number of members of the Presbyterian Church USA in Texas.  The seminary is  known for social justice-oriented curriculum which is drawn directly from the Christian gospel.  The membership of the Synod of the Sun, which includes Texas, dwarfs the more conservative Presbyterian Church in America membership in the state.  

Texas also has the largest number of the very progressive Episcopal Church among its population, as well as the largest number of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, which is its most progressive branch.  And after the great schism among the Methodists, the more progressive United Methodist Church also has its largest number of adherents in Texas, with more than three times as many members as those who left to form more conservative churches.   

Then there are the Southern Baptists.  Yes, the Southern Baptists. 

Following the Fundamentalist takeover of the Southern Baptist Convention, which started in 1979, the majority of its churches and members across the country supported the ultra-conservative domination of the national body.  But the exact opposite happened in Texas.  

The state convention affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention in Texas, known as the Baptist General Convention of Texas, also split with conservatives forming the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention (SBCT) and the more moderate to liberal members retaining control of the BGCT.  The majority of churches and members in the 2.3 million member body have remained in the more progressive group, which has also affiliated with the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, the more progressive group which formed on the national level.  

The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, and the Baptist General Convention of Texas, are both very active when it comes to social justice, and they both reject the literalist interpretations of the Bible that ignore or downplay the principles of the Christian gospel.  And while that might not mean they will vote for Talarico, it certainly means that they do not disagree with his theology and doctrine, which is being attacked by conservatives.  In spite of the split, the more progressive Baptist General Convention of Texas remains the state's single largest religious group.  

Take These Attacks for What They Are:  Republican Desperation

We wouldn't see these attacks on Christian theology and doctrine happening if Talarico were not a serious threat to the Republican retention of this Texas senate seat.  It's pretty desperate that a morally bankrupt politician, who attends church only when it suits his public image, and whose lifestyle reflects the exact kind of worldliness that conservatives and fundamentalists reject, would attack some of the terminology and concepts of an ordained minister who demonstrates a thorough grasp of biblical theology.  

Paxton hangs around with Evangelicals enough to know that many of them are theologically and doctrinally ignorant of their Christian faith, and he knows the buzz words and superstitions and where the lines are drawn in the sand.  So he's got people who are trying to distract voters from his record, on which he cannot win, so he has to scare voters into thinking that the evil bugaboo that conservative Evangelicals must rely on to set up their straw man arguments has infected Talarico, too.  

But there might just be enough Christians in Texas who have already been through the battle over the hearts and souls of their church members to know that Talarico speaks truth when he talks Christian faith and that it's the Evangelicals and Paxton who are the liars.  That. and the sinking popularity of an incompetent boob of a President are making Talarico's chances at winning this election excellent.

In a Trade War With Canada, Trump Loses His Ever-Loving Mind

He's gone over Niagara Falls in a barrel. 

The President of the United States lost his mind and his composure, and threw a tantrum when the Canadian prime minister, who understands exactly what kind of absolute craziness and insanity he is dealing with in Trump, dared fight back after his senseless, pointless and ridiculous tariffs on Canada exacerbated the growing trade war between the two closest allies in the world.  

--And I'm going to interrupt my own train of thought here to point out to the mindless and stupid conservatives who can't explain or define either socialism or communism, that their inamorata in the White House is trashing US relationships to other free, democratic allies in exchange for friendships with communists like Kim Jong Un or fascists like Vladimir Putin, and therefore are hypocrites--

That being said, this President's gross unfitness for office is on display in his use of an executive order to throw a genuine child's tantrum.  The executive branch of this nation is behaving like a spoiled child, demonstrating his unfitness for this office and his total lack of real leadership ability by issuing an executive order renaming Lake Ontario as Lake America.  

That's going to solve all of our economic problems, isn't it?  It not only fixes the economic problems, but in one fell swoop it has prospered the middle class and made the working class happy.  

There are some benefits to this embarrassing and ridiculously stupid tantrum result.  In any conversation referencing Lake Ontario, when someone refers to it as "Lake America," knowing looks will be exchanged and stupid people can identify other stupid people.  

What's next?  What will we tolerate and how long will we put up with it?  

"Blue Tsunami" is the Correct Term to Describe How the Mid-Term Elections Seem to be Shaping Up

Watching political poll numbers in the United States can be a full time occupation.  There are now a plethora of polls, covering every possible angle and opinion in politics.  It's still true that it takes four or five different polling averages on the same question to get a solid read on public opinion but there is now enough data being recorded to the point where it is possible to determine, down to the precinct level--almost--how an election is going to turn out.  

There is a lot of polling data out there on this coming mid-term election at every level.  Taken as a whole, the predicted result is that the Democratic party is very likely to gain control of the House, and less likely to gain control of the senate.  That's because polls are still based on the outcomes and turnouts of the 2024 election which are used as part of the way raw data is factored.  Predictions take into consideration how voters cast their ballots previously, and then factor in things like the typical lower turnout in a mid-term, and how shifts and swings in previous elections have gone to determine their guess.  

What seems to be happening in the current set of polling data is that information being gathered and sorted isn't always matching up with the level of voter enthusiasm for a particular candidate, or the actual outcome of the election.  The primaries have been particularly difficult to pick with some surprise results going well outside the margin of error of the polling data.  Angie Nixon's win over Alexander Vindman in Florida was, perhaps, the biggest shock.  Not only did he outspend her 20 to 1, she focused on progressive issues normally not a popular position to take in Florida, and had endorsements from the far left wing of the party.  But she focused on the issues that the polling data shows are big in people's minds, namely affordability, health care, housing and food assistance, and she pulled some publicity stunts which got a lot of media attention.  

She won big.  And she is the favorite in the general election.  

Her win mirrors other similar victories for candidates from the left side of the Democratic party who have, for the most part, been at the forefront of the "No Kings!" rallies, marches and protests.  This is a very large and very active and enthusiastic group of potential voters who are committing to turning out at the polls, and following through.  Their presence, which is starting to show up in polling data everywhere, is going to be a major influence in which Democrats get into which office.  And it is a big factor, not only in the fact that Democrats are favored to win control of the House, but in getting enough voters to the polls everywhere to also gain a Senate majority for the party.  

It's Looking More and More Like Democrats Will Take Control of the Senate

As things have turned out, the "most vulnerable Democrat" in the Senate seems to be becoming the most likely Democrat to get re-elected.  Jon Ossoff is running away with his race in Georgia, which Republicans once thought of as the best place to flip a seat.  That possibility has travelled north to Michigan, where Gary Peters is stepping down, but following their late-in-the-season, highly contested primary, as that race shapes up, Abdul El-Sayed, the Democratic nominee, is edging out Mike Rogers, the MAGA backed candidate.  It looks to be close, but it is interesting to note that since the primary, El-Sayed's support is inching forward, while Rogers is slowly losing points.  

As far as potential flips go, no one could have predicted that Texas and Iowa would be Senate battlegrounds with Republicans clinging on for dear life to try and hold seats.  James Talarico, the Democratic nominee in Texas, has held a slight one to two percentage point lead ever since he won the nomination, in spite of polling stalwarts like Cook Political not changing their factoring based on previous outcomes.  And as more recent polling data piles up, we are now seeing several polls where Talarico is crossing the 50% threshold, which is a milestone in a race as close, and as ugly, as this one.  

Trump unpopularity is definitely a factor in this one, while Paxton carries baggage of his own, including a highly publicized affair and divorce.  The liberal religious perspective of Talarico, who is a United Presbyterian clergyman, has been used to attack him, even though the religious points have nothing to do with the issues.  But even that seems to favor Talarico, who responds by simply asserting his beliefs, not by backing down.  

In fact, over the past couple of weeks, it is starting to look like the Democrats may actually flip all of the Republican seats where they were considered legitimate challengers, including Maine, Ohio, Iowa, Texas, Alaska, North Carolina and Michigan.  Mary Peltola, the Democratic party nominee in Alaska, won a straight up primary against her Republican opponent a couple of weeks ago, causing many pollsters to name Alaska as the Democratic tipping point.  North Carolina looks like a sure thing for Roy Cooper, and Maine is starting to look that way as well.  Sherrod Brown is pulling ahead in Ohio.  

It might be a bold prediction, but I think Democrats may actually take all seven of those states, and get control of the Senate.  As we get closer to the election, the vast majority of polling data coming in reflects mostly declining numbers, especially for MAGA Republicans, and growing support for Democrats.  

Trump-Instigated Redistricting Has Lost It's Punch

The gains that Republicans hoped to make in states where they redrew district lines last spring have faded and dissipated in the most recent polling data.  Hoping to save up to as many as 17 seats, not enough to stop a Democratic majority from winning, but enough to mute the overall effect of a blue tsunami, the redistricting Republicans tried in several states has fallen kind of flat.  I've seen three recent polls, including an Emerson, which indicate the possibility that Republicans may not actually win any of those seats.  Well, the drop in support and approval of Trump has been staggering and none of the districts they redrew gave them a significant enough majority to overcome a 10 point drop in support.  And the drop for most MAGA candidates across the board has been about 14%.  

So it does indeed look like we are going to see an even more overwhelming blue tsunami than we did in 2018.  History does have a tendency to repeat itself, and it seems that we needed a reminder of just how bad Trump has been as President, and how bad Republican leadership has failed, to get to this point.  All that corporate money has been matched on the Democratic side by individual contributions, in spite of some whining and complaining.  And the advantage Progressive Democrats are giving the party is a clear and concise message that is well delivered.  That goes a lot further than slick advertising does.

This wave will surprise most of the pundits.

Some Bold Speculation About the Coming Blue Tsunami 

240.  

Keep your eyes on that number, because I think that's how many Democrats will find themselves elected to the House after November.  That's ten more than the pollsters are cautiously predicting now, using their 2024 voter data.  But it looks like the progressive side of the Democratic party is going to produce the most enthusiastic voters this time around, along with the almost 70% of independents who are fed up with Trump.  So I think that's going to be bigger than the pundits and pollsters are predicting.  

I am also going out on a limb and saying that the seven current GOP held seats that are considered the challenges--Maine, Ohio, Texas, Michigan, North Carolina, Alaska and Iowa, will all fall to the Democratic party.  That's how it's trending now, and I think it will be a close, but firm win for the Democrats come November, when things "tighten up."  And I think there might be a "pick one off" among what the GOP has left.  Darlene Graham was just nominated by the South Carolina GOP, and I think that's not going to turn out too well.  She's even more loony toons than her brother was, and that can be an appeal in a state like South Carolina, but I think there's going to be enough of a fall off in support to allow a Democrat to slip in.  

I also wish the Democrats had taken a closer look at West Virginia, and put some money behind Rachel Fetty Anderson. They might have made their "do nothing for decades" Senator Shelly Moore Capito get out and try and run on a record of having done nothing for the people of West Virginia for 12 years in the Senate.  I'm not sure they could have won the seat, but the Republicans there weren't all that excited about Capito this time around.  No wonder.  The sheet listing her accomplishments and benefits for her state as a senator is blank.  

I'm usually pretty good at this.  I underestimated the Democrats in 2018, and overestimated Trump.  Everything this guy touches eventually rusts and crumbles, including his political support.  And I think the second term, for Republicans, will be a disaster that will be hard from which to recover.  

Old School Politics Must Go! That Doesn't Work Any More

Personally, I like Hakeem Jeffries.  I thought his management of the Trump impeachment trial was impeccable and professional.  It is unfortunate that partisan loyalty prevented justice from being done, but that wasn't Jeffries fault.  

But I'm having trouble with his position on some issues, and I'm baffled by this recent meeting he took with Jared Kushner, "to determine where there can be cooperation between the two parties."  

I'm sorry, Congressman Jeffries, but that ship sailed a long time ago.  Rush Limbaugh helped the GOP weigh anchor and it's only been made worse under Trump.  There can't be any meaningful cooperation with a political party that has enabled the destruction of American Democracy.  

It Might Be a Good Idea For Democratic Establishment Leadership to Pay Attention to Their Constituency

Defeating Trumpism and removing any vestige of its influence or existence from American government is the priority of the Trump opposition.  You know, this massive group of Democrats, Independents and even some Republicans who have marched and rallied and pointed to the grievous mistake this country made when it elected Donald Trump, worse the second time than the first.  These are the same people who have energized the candidacies of dozens of Democrats running for current Republican-held seats in Congress and in the Senate, and in state legislatures and for governorships and have flipped the polling data on its ears in the past eight or nine months.  They are the reason why Democrats are going to win the midterms, not some long narrative on political reform.  

They are the reason why the polls have been virtually stymied and stunned when primary elections have gone fifteen points outside the Emerson or Quinnipiac or ABC prediction in favor of some of the younger, progressive candidates over establishment Democrats.  It hasn't caught on everywhere, but it is clearly the definition of a movement that so many progressive, Democratic Socialists are the party's nominees for seats in Congress.  And in most cases, the enthusiasm they carried into their primary election is going to win them the seat, because their message is on target with a mass of voters who are just finally and gloriously fed up with the orange headed buffoon in the White House.  

I'm a lifelong Democrat, the son of a Union member, who can count on one hand the times I haven't voted straight ticket.  I'll be less than a year away from starting my seventh decade on this planet on election day.  What do I want to see?  Well, the last thing I want to see is a meeting between the House Minority Leader, soon to be Speaker, and of all people Jared Kushner.  If that's the guy the Republicans have representing some kind of deal to find places where the two parties can cooperate, then there isn't anything good that I see coming out of that for Democrats.  The fact that Jeffries could even sit in the same room without vomiting is concerning.  

This is NOT what we want.  So remember that, because we're going to be voting soon.  And this isn't "bashing" or attacking or discrediting a Democrat.  It's expressing a legitimate disagreement in the hopes that the leader is mature and open minded enough to accept it and be open to debate and discussion.

It's Legitimate to Question This

We will not fix or repair what is wrong with the nation at this point by negotiating and cooperating with the very people who are bent on destroying it.  What will be the basis of cooperation?  Will they trash the hateful, arrogant, misguided Heritage Foundation?  That would have to happen for any meaningful cooperation to come from Democrats.  Will they force Trump to resign and then back off as he is brought to trial for his crimes in office and sent to prison, which is, as far as I am concerned, a non-negotiable position for Democrats after the mid-terms?  

Those would be the starting points for any kind of cooperative attitude or position from Democrats as far as I am concerned.  

And ultimately, then, if this is how Jeffries feels, who else is involved in this move?  Schumer? And do I want them to be in the leadership of the Democratic party at this point?  I've expressed it before, and I think the terms are accurate.  I want leadership that will kick ass and take no prisoners.  That is the only acceptable position for the Democratic party now, after more than thirty years of any kind of cooperation between parties being trashed and abandoned by the GOP.  And that makes me think that someone like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez needs to be speaker, and someone like Jon Ossoff needs to be Senate Majority Leader.  

Which Matters to the Democratic Party Leadership?  Corporate Influence or Voters?  

I don't want to fill this whole piece with cliches, but I certainly do smell a rat here.  It has all of the characteristics of big corporate PAC money buying influence.  It's an attempt to sabotage what has shaped up to be a massive blue tsunami that is even flooding the shores of places like Texas, Florida, Ohio, Iowa, Maine, and apparently is reaching into South Carolina.  The GOP hasn't even tried to hide its fear, and its open plans to try and steal as much of this election as they can in whatever way they can.  

Democrats do not need to appear to be "cooperative" to try and pick up votes from some wavering conservatives.  For one thing, we're not going to get those votes anyway and for another, there aren't enough of them to make a difference at this point.  Democrats are going to win based on the turnout and energy of the party's left, which has combined with the almost 70% of independent voters who are sick of Trump and done with MAGA.  So looking "cooperative" is not only not necessary, but it can be interpreted as a sign of weakness.  

Democrats who are interested in holding on to their leadership positions on committees and in Congress when the tsunami rolls over the GOP had better take notice and get out of the failure of the old school practices of the past, or they will drown in the blue wave too.  

Issues of Importance to Progressive Democrats

The most important political issue in America at this moment is finding a way to neutralize Trump's political power and for Congress to be made up of enough patriotic Americans to shut down his agenda and remove his political power and influence.  The possibility of getting enough Democrats elected to the Senate to follow through by removing him from office following an impeachment is a remote one, not impossible, but not likely either.  But a Congress in which both houses are controlled by Democrats would be able to effectively end the madness and significantly limit his power.  

And that is the most important thing I believe the new Congress in 2027 will have on their agenda.  Democrats have said repeatedly that Trump is the greatest threat to American Democracy since World War 2, and I agree.  Now I'm going to expect them to live up to their statements.  I want to see visible results of Democrats leading the effor to do all that is constitutionally possible, with a majority in both houses, to end MAGA Trumpism and bring the man to justice.  

I've supported the more progressive wing of the Democratic party since George H. W. Bush was President.  I've listened to the lengthy political agenda that Democrats claim is important to the safety, welfare and prosperity of the United States.  I've been disappointed when that agenda wasn't enacted when Democrats had the power to do so, or when it was put on the back burner by Republicans.  The time is coming when the votes of those who are all united on the side against Trump need to start counting for more than just temporary shifts in who controls Congress.  

They need to start achieving the goals they set out for the benefit of the average, working class, paycheck to paycheck American, the people on whose back the prosperity and security of this country now rests. 

Agenda Item No. 1:  Repudiation of MAGA Trumpism and Restoration of Justice

Restoring the trust that was once part of what made the American Republic work will require more than just defeating Trump and then putting a different agenda in place.  Our values have been challenged, opposed and trashed.  Justice has been mocked and ridiculed, abused and distorted.  Repairing the damage from eight years of MAGA Trumpism will require repudiation of it, not merely winning over it at the polls.  

Trump committed crimes against the American people for which he must be brought to justice, he and everyone who enabled him.  There must be consequences for threatening our democracy and damaging the public trust in government.  In order to put up a defense against this kind of abberation ever happening again, and to discourage anyone who thinks they can try and get away with it because Trump did, justice needs to make sure that Trump gets away with nothing.  

This is an absolutely necessary step in restoring this country and repairing the damage.  Trump incited a seditious insurrection against the United States government and that must not be overlooked, and he must be brought to justice.  Evidence needs to be laid out which shows Trump has been lying through his teeth about election fraud.  This is a completely made up lie and whatever it takes to communicate this to the American people, like another highly publicized Congressional investigation, needs to take place.  People make up their own minds, but flooding the media with factual information about these crimes committed against the American people goes on the record, and consequences need to follow.

Constitutional free speech protects even the most anti-American ideology, but committing crimes to remain in power is a much different matter, and the American people need to see the difference, and they need to see that a nation of laws doesn't tolerate lawlessness.  The rest of the world needs to see this as well.  Every constitutional violation needs to be brought to justice, and if that means the Supreme Court needs to be packed with justices who will rule according to the law, then the list of qualified jurists who know, understand and respect the Constitution and who can overturn the injustices of the current court needs to be compiled.

The Democratic Party Needs to Become the Party of Working Class Americans Again

Where do we start with getting this done, noting that these are long term progressive goals, not necessarily what we will be able to accomplish over the next two years with a lame duck Republican still in the White House, and a highly corrupt and partisan Supreme Court.  Ultimately, taking back the White House and then neutralizing the massive corruption on the court are two long term goals.

The first thing will be to get corporate money out of elections.  Getting the Citizens United decision overturned in the Supreme Court will be a very tough proposition, but that needs to be the focus, and that means that the filibuster must be done away with in order to give a Democratic senate majority the ability to amend the judiciary act to add seats to the Supreme Court.  Then, the Democratic President who is elected in 2028 can make getting this done his or her priority.  

Using wealth to influence politics needs to be turned into a criminal act and enforced.  These are long term goals, since as long as there is a Republican in the White House, there will be limits on what can be done. 

In the meantime, on top of the mid-term victory that Democrats seem to be headed for in 2026, popular opinion has already made affordability the top issue for the next two years.  And there are a lot of things that Democrats can do to improve the current situation for middle class Americans, starting with ending the Iran War, and restoring the nuclear deal that was in place under President Obama.  

It's time for a Franklin D. Roosevelt kind of New Deal.  

Democrats need to be seen as actively pursuing the kind of reform that will benefit the working class.  There is a lot that can be achieved by simply blocking everything that Trump wants to do, and that's going to be how the next two years will go, unless the Democratic senate majority gets to the 60 vote margin, or Democrats decide to blow up the filibuster.  But the eighties are over, and so is the age of compromise and negotiation with the Republicans.  They have refused to cooperate, and so it is long past time for Democrats to adopt the same kick ass, take no prisoners kind of approach to their politics.  

Socialized Health Care

This is a big one.  

We've been talking about this for decades, but the fact of the matter is the current corporate dominated system of health care cartels and insurance monopolies in the practice of American medicine must be completely dismantled and rebuilt into a single payer, Medicare-for-all kind of system.  I don't think that private ownership or involvement in either health care provision or insurance must be completely eliminated, but it must be heavily regulated in order to prevent the massive overcharging and profiteering that costs Americans more than any other country in the world.  

There are multiple sources and studies which show that half of every dollar Americans spend on health insurance or health care goes to profit, and not to the actual services they receive.  The amount that would be required to make Medicare for all work would be a far smaller payroll deduction than current monthly insurance premiums, and it would benefit everyone involved by providing more resources for health care professionals and institutions, top to bottom, while saving patients money.  The only ones who wouldn't benefit are the one percenters who provide no services but only collect dividends.  

Think about it.  Instead of an individual or their employer paying a $595 a month insurance premium, the monthly payment for Medicare for all would be about $280, a savings of $315 a month, $3780 a year instead of over $7,000. As far as medical services to be received, nothing would change.  There would be a $500 annual deductible, and co-pays for some services, under the current Medicare configuration, with an additional amount for prescription drug coverage and perhaps, for what is currently referred to as "medigap." And these are just general figures, drawn from various proposals.  There's a lot more that could be done with some creative thinking. 

If Democrats could succeed in doing this, and there is absolutely no reason for this not to work, considering the multiple models for socialized medicine that exist in Europe, Canada, and other parts of the world, it might bring about an era of political success that would open the door to decades of political dominance and economic prosperity.  

In the Words of Senator Bernie Sanders, "Corporations and Billionaires Need to Pay Their Fair Share of Taxes

The tax burden on the middle class is unacceptable.  

Closing loopholes and favor granting needs to end.  I've read various proposals for what would be fair, and of course, I have my own idea.  "Fair" is that corporations and billionaires pay a percentage of the tax burden proportionate to the overall benefit that they receive.  All of what government has provided for them to make it possible to earn a profit costs something.  Transportation infrastructure, military protection and security, especially for those who operate internationally, local police and fire protection, all of that is paid for by tax dollars.  And in most cases, the lion's share of the expense is borne by the working class, the paycheck to paycheck people who are also, in many cases, underpaid and lack acceptable benefits. 

The difficulty here is that Democrats have had tax proposals on the floor before, and couldn't get them passed.  That's because not everyone is on board with this, and they haven't felt the pressure to get it done.  Senator Sanders has been talking about this ever since he ran for the Democratic nomination in 2016.  It hasn't been done yet.  It's a political win for Democrats, because this is something that, if it is done right, will be immediately felt and appreciated by the working class.  

That's Not All

The recognition of organized labor as a political force and as agents of change needs to be legislated back to effectiveness.  American business is among the most profitable and prosperous in the world, and those benefits need to do more than trickle down to the employees who make it possible for executives to become billionaires off of their labor.  This is one of the keys to Democrats becoming the party of the working class again.  

The question is, will the support exist among the party members who find their way into Congress after the mid-terms, and beyond, to get this done?  Among everything that was accomplished during the Biden administration, and during the two years when we had control of both houses and the White House, the party didn't really move in this direction.  But the primaries, especially this election season, have changed the narrative quite a bit.  Will those who return catch that message, and stop the bickering and infighting to bring Democrats back to their roots?  

I certainly hope so.  

 

My Hometown is An Example of How Democratic Socialism Works

So-cial-ism [soSHElizem] noun  A political and economic theory of social organization which advocates that the means of production, distribution and exchange should be owned or regulated by the community as a whole.  

So, if we add the term "Democratic" to this word, we are putting a double emphasis on the involvement and responsibility of the community in whatever business is being owned and regulated.  Let me share some examples from the community in which I grew up that were of benefit to its members in providing services that would be difficult to acquire in the community if profit were the sole motivation behind the operation of the business.  That's because in the small Arizona town where I grew up, there would not have been enough business to make a profit if that were the motivation behind providing some of the services.  

The Hospital District

The local hospital, an essential part of health care in this community, because it had a large retired population, and was located next to a busy interstate, was especially necessary because it provided an emergency room and a level 4 trauma center, operated the local general practice clinic with three physicians and a couple of NP's, and provided acute inpatient services and care.  It's a 26 bed facility that basically follows up on patients who enter through the ER.  

It started out as a private hospital, operated by the local medical clinic doctors, but when a new facility was needed in the late 1960's, a hospital district was formed that included the city limits and a radius of about ten miles into the surrounding rural area, a total population of about 10,000. The hospital district's income comes from property taxes that are assessed within the boundaries of the district and it covers everything related to the operation of the building, maintenance, custodial service, utilities, purchase of equipment and any staff other than medical personnel, so that these operational costs do not have to come from income derived from patient care.  

Medical services are provided on a contract basis with a non-profit, rural health care organization that provides nurses, nurse practitioners, physicians assistants, certified nursing assistants, doctors and clerical personnel.  The same organization also has contracts with two other small town hospitals in the same county, and some of the personnel, mainly the doctors who are specialists, are shared with the other two.  Because the tax dollars cover the other expenses, the prices of medical services are much lower than they are in a private, corporate owned hospital.  And there is a big advantage in being able to provide specialists available in the community instead of patients having to drive 50 miles or more to see one.  

This fits the definition of socialism.  It is a government operated business which takes tax dollars and spreads out the cost of operation to provide a full service, rural hospital that would not exist if the hospital district and tax dollars were not available.  

The Electric Cooperative

The electricity provider to this community, as well as to several other nearby towns and rural areas, is a rural electric cooperative.  Everyone who gets their electric power from the cooperative is considered a member of the cooperative, and have the privilege of attending an annual meeting and voting for the board of directors, and the budget.  There are about 70,000 total customers, representing about 21,000 electrical hook ups in the area served by the cooperative.  

The cooperative collectively owns the infrastructure needed to distribute electricity.  It employs about a half dozen dispatchers who sit in their computer room and purchase electricity off the grid at the best prices they can negotiate.  The power is generated and distributed by a cooperative which owns its own generating plant and distributes what it produces on the grid.  So the rate that the cooperative's customers pay is the rate that it has negotiated with the provider, plus its operating cost.  Any amount over and above the budgeted cost of operation is divided up and credited to every member's January electric bill.  

What makes this socialism is that the customers own the cooperative, and determine its business operation by electing the board that runs it.  Because of operational costs and the fact that this mostly rural area doesn't have a large number of customers, the member-owned cooperative provides electricity at relatively low cost.  Had it not been for the cooperative, there would be areas of the county where development would not be possible because electric service would not be available. 

Of course, within the area of the cooperative's operation, there is no other choice of electricity providers.  But, the average electric bill in the cooperative area is 10% less than what customers of the private, for-profit electric providers in other parts of the state charge, since the cooperative does not make a profit or pay stockholder dividends.  And I've seen bonus credits on those January bills add up to as much as $150 at times.  

The Farmer's and Rancher's Cooperative

The rural area around the community where I grew up is primarily agricultural in nature.  It is a big beef, poultry and pork producing area, with a lot of traditional ranches, and there are a lot of family-owned dairies in the area, along with several big hydroponic tomato farms and poultry farms with egg production.  Back in the 1970's, as big corporations began buying up these kinds of family owned businesses, and then cutting their prices to undercut the family owners and force them to sell out at a lower price, the farmers and ranchers in the area formed a cooperative for the purpose of pooling their resources and then being able to sell their products in higher volume to compete with the corporate food producers.  

The cooperative members elect a board of directors to represent them and the board then calculates the amount of produce or milk or eggs that are potentially being produced and then sets a competitive wholesale price which it uses to negotiate contracts directly with the major grocery store chains.  This eliminates the "middle man," and increases the profits to the farmers and ranchers who are the producers.  

There are those who would say that this isn't socialism, because participation is voluntary, but the fact of the matter is that virtually all of the private farm and ranch owners in the area are members of the coop because they get more money for their products than they would if they sold to a middle man distributor.  But it fits the definition of business owned and regulated by the community as a whole.  And one of the benefits of the cooperative to the people in the community that are not in the agriculture business is that surplus goods are sold directly to the public through a coop-owned store, eliminating much of the cost of distribution.  The selection is limited, but the price is very reasonable.  

Most People Wouldn't Think of This as Socialism 

But, it is socialism.  By definition, in its purest form. 

If not for socialism, this community would probably not have a hospital, not even an emergency room, and perhaps one or two general practice doctors, if they had some kind of loyalty to the community.  And while it would have electric service without the cooperative, the cost of providing it to the area would make the electric bills of residents much higher.  The family-owned dairies and farms are slowly being bought out, or disappearing, as each succeeding generation is able to go off to college and they frequently don't take over the family business, so the culture there is changing as it is all over the country.  But it provided some cost effective alternatives for the entire community for decades.  

It's a conservative community.  It has, in the past, seen vote totals in elections for Republicans go as high as 55%, though in 2020 and 2024 those totals were slightly lower.  They just see this as the way to have necessary services, but they wouldn't call it or identify it as socialism.  But it is.  It is socialism, brought about by the will of the people.  Democratic socialism, if you will. 

This is how Democratic Socialism works.  It requires looking at the humanity that is involved, rather than simply relying on a profit motive, understanding that some human values cannot be measured by monetary value.  What does it say about people, and their patriotism and pride, when they are willing to let a rural hospital close, not because there is no longer a need for it, but because it can no longer generate a profit?  

Democratic Socialism is about placing the higher value of our society and our country and its communities on its people, rather than on profit.  It's not about eliminating private enterprise, it is about stepping in where private enterprise is not willing to invest, and providing for what we, as Americans, believe are basic human rights.  

We, as Americans, believe in some fundamental rights and core values that transcend a transactional existence.  Our founders believed that government was created to protect the unalienable rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.  It is not to guarantee that everyone who invests in society will profit from it.  

Are there Democratic Socialists who would like to see a much larger segment of our culture become socialist?  Of course.  But I think the basic values and principles here are to ensure that those who have benefitted from the collective labor and effort of the nation's people and have become wealthy from profit that they earned because of the security and the opportunity that everyone contributes to providing should contribute in proportion to how much they have benefitted from it.  And that does require some redistribution of the wealth, via a fair and equitable taxation.  

It would not be accurate, or fair, to call these folks in rural Arizona, who are using socialist principles to provide for needs in their community, communists.  Nor is it accurate or fair to call those members of the Democratic party who are progressives advocating for Democratic Socialism communists, either.

 

It's Long Past Time to be Tired of This

The aberration of Trump's re-election to the White House after a first term loaded with criminal activity, major corruption, bad politics and general incompetence is not yet even through the second year of the second term, and it has already been a disaster.  We are fortunate that his mistakes and his inability to carry out even the simplest duties of the Presidency puts us in increasing danger, not only from our enemies, who are now doing things behind our back and taking full advantage of the inept and demented commander in chief, but from potential economic collapse due to economic policy that makes the rich richer, and which has run up $20 trillion of a $40 trillion dollar national debt. 

There are so many things with which to lose patience, that it is impossible to even think about where to start.  

One of our political parties now rests on the absence of any kind of moral or ethical values.  The GOP works on behalf of the 1% who hold 99% of the nation's wealth in their hands, and on behalf of those white Americans who still mistakenly and shamefully hold on to white Christian nationalism as some kind of legitimate answer to the world's, and nation's problems. The Republican party has pushed to keep power in the hands of Americans who are white and wealthy over the course of my lifetime.  But with the presence of Trump's MAGA movement as the primary party control and influence, it has become nothing but the enemy of the common, working class American.  

 

This didn't just start with Trump.  Dubya's administration got us well along the road where the government was being slowly swallowed up by corporate interests which bought elections with PAC campaign contributions.  And let's not just slide by the fact that a lot of Democrats are obligated to the corporate interests that finance their campaigns.  How else do we explain the lack of resolution to problems that were created during Trump's first term, the slow-walking and foot dragging of a justice department that seemed loathe to follow through with his indictments and allowed a few legal maneuvers to short circuit justice and not only let him slide, but nothing happened during the two years the Democrats controlled Congress to prevent this travesty from happening again, so ultimately, we are now much worse off than we were before. 

So that's one good reason to be tired of all of this.  Tired of it to the point that I'm way beyond ready to get this midterm election over.  

But I Have a Feeling My Frustration Isn't Going to be Resolved After the Midterms

Trump's incompetence and his inept handling of every single aspect of the Presidency, something we saw the first time he was in office but which so many Americans ignored, forgot, or were just too stupid to notice, has caused him to be a colossal failure as President.  It has also put Democrats back in position to win control of both houses of Congress.  Our bought-and-paid-for news media is toning down the rhetoric, and the facts that support the coming blue tsunami, but the fact of the matter is that Democrats are going to win the midterm elections, not on the merits of some complicated political narrative that meticulously explains their plans, and bores most voters to tears, but because Trump has become so unpopular.  

But it seems that Democrats, handed this good fortune without having to make any real effort to earn it, and in spite of failing to handle the mistake this country made when it elected Trump in the first place, are trying their dead level best to keep the victory that is coming from being as large as it has the potential to be.  It's not because Democrats are still being political wonks that have trouble communicating the message they want voters to support, it's because they can't seem to figure out that this is not the 1980's, and politics have changed.  

So, instead of maintaining focus on the most important job at hand, neutralizing Trump and winning as much of a percentage of Congress as possible, Democrats are bickering and fighting and criticizing each other.  I mean, seriously?  With a little over two months left until the November elections, Democrats are sniping at each other because there's just too much turf protecting and nest feathering going on, and the greater good, which is being the party of working class people once again, is being ignored.  

Or is this a Republican strategy, to use the media, which is no longer a free press, to make a mountain  out of a mole hill, and push Democrats into bickering with each other, instead of attacking their vulnerabilities and making this into an even bigger landslide than it has the potential of becoming as it is now.  

I used my primary vote to help elect candidates who are closer to my own perspective of what Democrats stand for, and what should be our agenda.  I'll admit it, I'm a progressive Democrat, and there are things that are high on my list of priorities, though nothing is more important than neutralizing the threat that Trump poses to American Democracy, something that most Democrats claim they are also supporting, though actions sometimes speak louder than words.  I see few establishment Democrats on the front lines of the Trump opposition.  

And I'm tired of the bickering, the infighting, the foolish statements and the threats that will do absolutely nothing except help some Republican candidates win elections they shouldn't win, or couldn't win unless Democrats stay home because of this divisiveness.  

I voted in the primary election and cast my ballot for those candidates who had a kick-ass, take-no-prisoners kind of attitude when it came to fighting Republicans.  There were several candidates on the ballot here in Illinois, supported by Leaders We Deserve who articulated the danger that Trump continues to pose to American Democracy and who don't think Democrats need to court a few scattered conservative voters that won't make a difference anyway, but instead realize where the enthustiastic center of Trump opposition exists in the electorate, and will work to motivate them to turn out.  And many of them won the party's nomination, including for the senate seat Dick Durban is vacating.  

Now, heading into the general election, I will enter the voting booth, and click on the one box that I believe is the key to America freeing itself from Republican oppression and the threat of white, racist Christian Nationalism, and that is "straight ticket Democrat."  

I'm a progressive Democrat, and I would describe my political views as leaning toward a Democratic Socialist perspective.  The enthusiasm that is being generated going into this election is coming from the left of center, not from the moderate establishment, of the Democratic party and they have been joined by the scads of independent voters who are fed up with Trump.  I have a list of specific issues that I, as a financially supporting member of the Democratic party, will expect those who get my vote to support.  That includes undoing every Trump administration initiative of the past two years, and bringing Trump to justice, impeachment and removal from office.  

Can we see that this is where the focus needs to be?  If we want to fight with each other and bicker over how liberal the Democratic party should be, let's save that for after the midterm elections are over.  I'll be ready.  But right now, the priority is pushing the Republicans out of power, and after that, it should be bringing Trump to justice and making sure they never get their hands on Congressional power again.

Ever.  

White, Christian Nationalism needs to be stomped out, and the Heritage Foundation needs to be defeated and neutralized.  The constitutional way to achieve this is at the ballot box, and afterward, and that means a surprisingly large margin and a decisive win in the midterm elections in November.

Vote Blue, No Matter Who!

There have been some primary season surprises on the Democratic side of American politics during this primary season.  Yet another one happened last night in Florida as Angie Nixon, a left wing Democratic socialist, defeated Alex Vindman, who outraised and outspent her by almost 10 times more, won a surprisingly big 56-44% victory.  This one is difficult to figure, except considering it's a statewide race, and independent voters can't vote in a partisan primary in Florida.  Democratic party turnout was high, equalling the Republican turnout in a state that is more red than purple.  

Vindman, whom I like personally, billed himself as the candidate who had a chance to win the general election.  He does have name recognition, and a reputation as a never Trumper, as well as being somewhat of a centrist who leans a little bit more to the right.  And that turned out to be fatal to his primary nomination hopes.  

What's happening to cause these surprising election results is, as it almost always is with Democrats, in the messaging.  The realization that the sitting President is an incompetent boob is something that more than 60% of voters accept as fact.  Democrats are very likely to flip both houses, the senate side looking particularly promising over the past few months, and that will effectively stop Trump and make him a genuine lame duck with two years left to go, if he sticks it out.  The biggest issue is affordability as prices of everything have soared because of his stupid decisions.  

And while the Democratic party establishment is still feathering its nests, protecting its turf, and taking corporate campaign contributions, the message of Democratic socialists is resonating with voters, and they are responding to it.  And where there are candidates who are pushing that strong, working class narrative in clear, understandable terms, without all of the party gobbletygook, they are winning primary elections.  They have limited resources, because they won't take corporate money or accept AIPAC funds, so there are limits on their ability to get the narrative out there to the voters.  

But they are right on target with the message that is appealing to working class Americans, and as it spreads and grows, more and more of the candidates who wear the Democratic Socialist tag are winning primary elections.  And frankly, because that message resonates with so many independent voters, they are the better choices for winning in November.  

It's that narrative and messaging thing that Democrats seem to have so much trouble with that is pulling in this unusual coalition of liberal Democrats, the vast majority of independent voters turned off by partisan pushiness, the resistance to Trump showing up in No Kings rallies and literally now all over the place, and disaffected Republicans who realize that Trump must go or they lose.  That is going to produce a large enough coalition to win elections.  Establishment Democrats must get on board, not that they have to change their messaging or narrative, but that they must turn out and help every candidate with a D beside their name win their general election.  

You know, "Vote blue, no matter who."  That's been the Democratic mantra since Trump started running.  It has been the establishment's mantra during those times when there wasn't a lot of bold risk taking going on when we did have power to bring Trump to justice and stop this madness.  So now, the establishment needs to take its own advice and its own slogan, and put it to use.  

Vote blue, no matter who, even if the candidate is a Democratic Socialist.  

The Agenda is Very Simple

For those who have paid attention, and are waking up to why this message is appealing, it's pretty much what the average, working American who lives paycheck to paycheck would like to see.  

• Opening up the housing market by eliminating the ability of corporate entities to buy up housing and control the supply and demand to drive up prices. 
• Making the top 1% and the multi-billion dollar corporations pay their fair share of taxes.  No loopholes, exemptions or government favor granting.  Windfall profits tax on the worst abuses.
• Socialization and government intervention in areas where the profiteering has been the worst, most notably in health care.  Many Democratic Socialists are 100% in favor of a government owned, single payer health care system like most of our European allies, and Canada, now have.  
• Immigration reform that reflects American idealism. 
• No offensive, aggressive wars.  Turn the War Department back to the Department of Defense. 
• Increased government control in the energy industry, utilities, water supply.  
• Increasing the resources to provide for more infrastructure expansion and improvement to resolve supply issues and work to bring retail prices down, especially on supplies of food which are abundant in this country.  
• Major reform in agricultural development, so that farmers are not risking losing everything or being bought out by corporate interests.  

Let me point out that these issues are all in the common interest of Americans, there is nothing remotely communist about it, and in terms of being consistent with the Constitution, they are all designed to protect the American people from exploitation, which is the job of government.  

Vote Blue No Matter Who!

Let's be clear that there is no Democrat running for election during this cycle who would be worse than their Republican opponent.  Not one.  Focus on the issue, which is stopping the single worst President we have ever had in American history from doing any more damage to our country.  

That's the message, and the political interest and focus of Democrats now.  This needs to be as big a victory as possible, and I tend to think that the polling data, comprised by people who are mostly afraid of Trump, is significantly underestimating what is going to happen in November.   If this doesn't happen, and there's still a risk of that, given all of the bickering and infighting that is going on, a foot-shooting contest that could still turn into disaster, then we will lose the America that we know permanently.  

So, you know what to do.  Go out and do it. 

"I am pledging to vote for Democratic party candidates up and down the ballot in November.  If my state permits it, I will check the box for "Democratic Party Straight Ticket," if not, I will cast a vote for every Democrat who is on the ballot.  I will not, under any circumstances, vote for a Republican."  

This is Why Trump and Hegseth's Incompetence is So Dangerous

Joe Conason on Alternet: Trump Just Handed America's Enemies Everything They Wanted 

Thomas Kika on Alternet: Trump Handing His Fiercest Enemy a Huge Victory

Even if Donald Trump had actually written 'The Art of the Deal' (he didn't write a single word of that bestseller, his first big fraud) it would be foolish to expect that the President or his hapless envoys can deliver a viable agreement with the Iranians anytime soon.  Taken together, they lack all the qualities required to achieve the complex diplomatic resolution required in this crisis--like the nuclear agreement that Trump so cavalierly discarded in 2017...

The problem isn't only that Trump and his team of morons neglected to fashion any plan for their sudden urge to attack a faraway country with a million men under arms, a big weapons arsenal and a long history of ideological resiliance.  That was a historic and particularly stupid mistake, characteristic of Trump's shallow intellect--but now, after inflicting massive damage on Iran, the world and our own economy, he and his government are evidently stuck in the quagmire they created.  --Joe Conason, Alterned, April 2026

And so on it goes.  

The United States attack on Iran will go down in history as another lost war.  Trump launched the attack at the urging and behest of Benjamin Netanyahu, because Iran is Israel's most dangerous enemy and they do not have the military capability to deal with Iran while they are bogged down in the Gaza war.  When Trump scuttled the nuclear deal with Iran that was negotiated during the Obama Administration, he put Israel, and our other allies in the region, in much greater danger.  

Attacking Iran did not remove the ongoing threat to Israel.  It may have temporarily degraded Iran's ability to be a threat to their security, though the missile attacks on Israel have been worse than anything they've experienced from the Iranians before.  In spite of lies that pour forth from this President's administration on a daily basis about everything they do, especially this war and the effect it is having on the American people, it doesn't appear that anything has actually changed.  The Straits of Hormuz remain closed, choking off oil supplies and other kinds of shipping, driving prices up on all kinds of goods, but also depleting America's strategic oil reserve by dangerously high percentages, and depleting a military stockpile of weapons that will take years to replace.  

Iran remains a threat to Israel, and to the United States.  The attitude they are displaying, flaunting defiance and letting Trump open his mouth and make statements which they immediately contradict and defy, is a clear message to the world that they do not feel defeated.  Their ability to fire off clusters of missiles at Israel, and at our allies just across the narrow waterway between them, and to continue to vex traffic in the Straits would indicate that this is a long way from being over, and that Trump's threatening approach is not working at all.  They have gained the upper hand. 

And if that's not enough diplomatic stupidity, Trump uses social media to send a message to his "Secretary of War" to back down and substantially reduce joint military exercises with South Korea.  Let me repeat that, in case the significance of that statement hasn't yet sunk in.  He used social media to tell the Secretary of War to "substantially reduce" joint military exercises with one of our closest and most loyal Asian allies, South Korea.  

I do not understand why that announcement, and the way it was done, did not cause a media firestorm in this country.  That is the equivalent of handing China, who is one of the biggest threats to the United States in just about every way, a blank check.  The strategic importance of South Korea to the security of the United States should be one of our highest military and diplomatic priorities, but the sitting President uses his social media account to degrade its strategic importance and announce a backdown from activity that supports this priority.  

What's more frightening than the danger this puts us in is the fact that there are still too many Americans who have absolutely no idea about any of this, and are ignorant to the significance of these actions which demonstrate an intolerable level of incompetence from this President and his advisors.  Along with that is the fact that there won't be anyone in the Republican party who will stand up for the United States and defend us against our enemies.  

And there will still be plenty of ignorance and stupidity that will show up at the ballot boxes across this country on election day, even after all of this.  

 

 

Priority For Democrats Down the Road, In 2028 is Expanding the Supreme Court

The Washington Post reported today that Democrats have at least five different plans for a future overhaul of the Supreme Court, including expanding the number of justices from nine to thirteen, cutting lifetime terms to 18 years at the most, creating and enforcing an ethics code, and placing standards on how the court rules from its "shadow docket."  [WP, August 16, 2026]

[The story, by Julian Mark, appears in today's Post.  I an citing it for reference, rather than providing a link to a story which is behind a paywall.] 

According to the Post, Rhode Island Senator Sheldon Whitehouse said, "There's constant and building dismay about the increasingly appalling record of the court.  And I think the continuing interest in reform springs from continued dismay and concern about the court's misbehavior." [WP, August 16, 2026] 

Such moves are considered to be turning the court "political," according to many Republicans.  What they fail to see is that the court they've created is very political and partisan, and Senator Mitch McConnell used some very disgusting and dishonest statements to justify unethical, if not illegal, acts in which he manipulated the judicial approval process to the benefit of the GOP.  And the justices who benefitted from it have amply rewarded both him and his party.  

And what has happened as a result is that the Republican Presidents who have had the ability to appoint justices, namely Trump, and his GOP predecessor, Dubya, have pointed political idealogues, rather than actual judges, to the vacancies they've been able to fill.  So they are the ones who are responsible for turning the court into a political body, rather than a judicial one.  And since they are willing to live with that, and benefit from it as well, then I think going to 13 seats when Democrats have the power to do it after 2028 is just fine.  I hope whichever Democrat wins that Presidential race will find the four most liberal jurists in the country, all under 40 years of age, and appoint them to the court.  Then start overturning prior decisions until the Republican-appointed justices damage is eliminated. 

We Had the Power to Do This During the First Two Years of Biden's Term

The Democratic party theme during the entire 2020 election campaign was the very real threat that Trump posed to American Democracy.  And as the expression goes, "we had him, dead to rights."  When the Supreme Court moved to protect him from prosecution by their very unconstitutional and unAmerican immunity ruling, that should have been the signal for Democrats to get started on amending the judiciary act to give President Biden four new seats to fill with left wing judges.  

There were several Democrats who were on board with that and said so, among them Senator Bernie Sanders, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and New York Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, among others.  And while it certainly was a theme for the progressive side of the party, it was an idea which, matched with the federal indictments he received, would have brought the criminal to justice and knocked down the barricades of delays he used to get out of it.  

While the current conservative-biased court rules against the spirit of the law, a court more constitutionally centered, which means it would be made up of a majority of liberal justices, would have knocked down the immunity ruling, overturned Citizens United, and eliminated the Dobbs decision in one short session.  That would have opened the door to Trump's "speedy" prosecution on the criminal charges for which he was indicted, and landed him in prison where he belongs.  

The congressional investigation into Trump's seditious attempt to overturn the 2020 election, and subsequently, his theft of classified documents, discovered at Mar-a-Lago, would have then moved forward, especially if Biden had appointed a more aggressive and savvy attorney general.  It's even likely that the case in the hands of Aileen Cannon would have been removed and given to someone who could be more fair in judgment.  

But apparently, there are a lot of Democrats who don't really see Trump as the threat to American Democracy that he is.  Even after an almost year-long investigation into the January 6th sedition laid down a mountain of evidence of his tampering with and involvement in election results, there was fear that any further push might "look political."  There were an awful lot of frustrated Democratic voters, myself included, with the failure to prosecute that will be a black mark on the Biden Administration's legacy.  We would not now have to endure what we are enduring if the effort had been made to add those four seats in 2021 or 2022.

So This Topic, Which Isn't New, Is Now Finally Getting Some Traction

Two years into the second term of America's most inept, incompetent, and absolutely worst President, we are now finally seeing a movement among Democrats to, as the saying goes, "pack the court."  It's as if no one remembers that this came up in 2020, and no one wants to acknowledge that it was an idea that got floated around, and shelved.  But now, the process is made much more difficult by the fact that we no longer have a majority in Congress, nor the White House, and therefore have to wait, and hope and dream that we will be in charge following the election of 2028, so we can get this done.  

Not surprisingly, it is the more progressive wing of the party who is now picking up this theme and waiving the banner.  This can't be done in time to save us from Trump, though I hope the Congress we elect in 2026 puts an end to his ability to do much more than be ceremonial, if that.  But the immediate effect of a liberal court would be getting corporate money out of elections and returing that power to the people.  It would also restore the rule of law, to which the President would be subject equally, and make him an ordinary citizen when it comes to his desires to commit criminal acts.  

We need this.  

The other ideas put forth should all be added to the Judiciary Act.  Ethics rules should be in writing, reflecting the consensus of the will of the people when it comes to the behavior of members of the nation's highest court.  And that includes the kind of behavior that slipped by Congress when Clarence Thomas and Brett Kavanaugh were confirmed.  Justices who say one thing during their confirmation, but rule another way when on the bench should be subject to review, probation or removal from the bench for lying and misrepresenting their position.   

Term limits should also be imposed, and while 18 years was mentioned, I'm in favor of limiting justices to 10 year terms, all up and down and through the federal court system.  That's staggered enough to give Presidents an equal number of justices to replace during any four year term.  

Justices should have to divest their investments, and their business holdings before they can be nominated.  If they are not willing to do that, then it is time to move on to the next candidate.  

I'd also be in favor of establishing a citizens review board, empowered to recommend justices for impeachment, in the event that decisions start getting out of line.  Having to answer directly to American citizens and voters might cause some real reform to break out spontaneously.  

If Any Politician Wants to Earn My Vote...

Then support for judicial reform should be part of the Democratic party platform.  If the belief that Trump is an existential threat to Democracy is as much a democratic party ideal as anything, then this should become a campaign theme, and voters need to hold the politicians accountable for their level of support.  

No excuses.  If we gain the majority and have a Democratic House and Senate, and White House following 2028, the prospects of which look absolutely rosey right now, there will be no reason not to do this, except for those Democrats who still dip their hand in the corporate cookie jar and let them finance their campaigns.  The first two years should be a rush to get all kinds of anti-Trump legislation passed, and figure out how to make most of it stick.  

When It Becomes Real For Me, Personally

We paid for Medicare benefits all of our working lives.  The deductions started from my paycheck when I was sixteen years old, working at Bowlin's, a chain of tourist stores along the interstates in Arizona and New Mexico, and they came out of every single paycheck I ever received, a lifetime of spreading out payments for health insurance coverage during my senior years.  Over the years, it was a political football, with benefits waning and then increasing, depending on which party was in power.  The Republicans always had an angle on trying to figure out how to put mechanisms in  place so that a good chunk of the benefits, and some of the premiums, would go to pay profits.  To their credit, most of the time the Democrats are in power they spend looking for ways to strengthen and sustain what some claim is unsustainable, and to make sure that collections and distributions are fair. 

But when the Republicans are in power, watch out!  It may appear, on the surface, that not much is going on.  Don't kid yourself.  When they cut the budget, there are those who feel it, and I happen to be one of those.  

Actually, it's my wife who is feeling it.  

She fell in the bathroom, due to leg weakness caused by spinal stenosis.  That was the diagnosis, and the remedy, after five days in the hospital, was physical and occupational therapy in a skilled nursing facility, covered by Medicare.  Actually, Medicare provides full coverage for 20 days, and then 80% coverage for 80 more days, but we were prepared when the time came to go on Medicare, and we purchased the "gap" policy that covers the 20% Medicare doesn't cover.  We're caught up, deductible-wise, and so the transition from hospital to rehab facility went smoothly, at least at first. 

The physical and occupational therapy has turned out to be less than satisfactory.  The understaffed facility provides just one hour, combining both.  Looking into moving to a facility that might be better, I couldn't find one that either had better reviews or ratings.  When I asked the doctor who is in charge of her therapy routine, I got the standard, corporate-owned facility song and dance, that there was never a guarantee of more than she is getting (even though their representative told us she would get an hour a day each of OT and PT) and that her therapy is based on her own response to the treatment.  

Now it's been more than a month, there has been what I would call little improvement and the main goal, of her returning to being able to walk again, hasn't been met.  But they are telling us she is on the verge of discharge.  There is no way she could function at home without more assistance than is available, at least, not without looming danger of a fall.  

"It's the insurance," we're told.  They are the ones who are making all of the medical decisions, not the doctors and nurses who have this expertise. 

Just to make sure, I looked it up from two different sources.  She's entitled to 100 days, with an hour a day each for OT and PT, but it appears budget cuts have rolled back the number of hours of therapy patients on Medicare can get.  

So, after all of the caterwauling and whining that Republicans did when President Obama first proposed major health care reform, we still don't have it, but all of the problems and issues that the Republicans claimed would come from "socialized medicine" are materializing in our capitalist-driven health care system.  We are at this point in the first place because we were unable to get an appointment with a specialist in this specific field for more than three months.  Three months.  

When a major medical care corporation bought out the small, Catholic hospital system where we go to see the doctor, about a third of the doctors on their medical staff decided it was time to retire.  This created a shortage of doctors, especially those in general practice.  Those positions have not been replaced, and that has caused lines to back up go get in to see doctors.  So my wife had to endure her increasing pain, and run the risk of a fall, until she could see someone.  Unfortunately, the fall came first and she remains confined to a wheel chair, facing being relegated to home health care that won't provide anywhere near the level of help she needs. 

And did I mention, the home health agency has had to lay off staff, including some of the professionals like nurses and nurse practitioners, because of budget cuts in their Medicare allocation.  

I just don't understand why Americans are incapable of looking at what other countries, who have considered health care as a basic human right, have done for their people.  We've had this informal discussion on more than one occasion with neighbors in our building who are citizens of countries that have socialized medicine, and they can't fathom how, in this country, half of the revenue that is paid for health care by its citizens goes to pay stock dividents and profits, not medical care.  That explains, they say, why care is so difficult to come by in this country, and why we face situations like ours.  

So for any politicians who may be reading this, and I know there are several who do, health care reform now tops the list of my voting priorities, along with getting rid of Trump and bringing him to justice.  And I am not alone in this, there are millions who are having these same experiences.  

So are you listening?

 

A Feeling That I'm Having Trouble Shaking

The issue that is facing the American people at the ballot box in November is the existential threat posed to American Democracy by the criminal Trump.  That, and the fact that the man is an adjudicated felon, a mysogynistic rapist, alleged pedophile with plenty of evidence to prove it, and a mentally crippled egomaniac, and American voters put him in the White House, and now must correct their mistake, is the pressing issue of the mid-term elections. 

His own policies have created the issues that have plunged his poll numbers into depths never before achieved by a sitting President.  We voted him out in 2020, and that opened the door to several opportunities for Democrats to step up and protect the country from ever having to deal with the man  again.  There were indictments for crimes accompanied by a full Congressional investigation and mountains of evidence.  But prosecuting him was not a priority of the justice department, which was slow walking any potential action against him.  And no one wanted to talk about the bold risk that would have to be taken to neutralize the Supreme Court's ridiculous presidential immunity ruling by packing it with liberal justices, something that was within the realm of possibilities up to 2022. 

Yeah, I've heard all of the excuses about why that couldn't be done.  But if the man is the threat to democracy that he has proven himself to be, the risks would have been worth it to make sure that he couldn't ever get back in the White House.  We now see how seriously that threat was taken and how well the Democratic party establishment's plan worked.  It was, frankly, a huge disappointment and must be considered a political failure.

And now, as the economy tanks and prices soar and we are in a seemingly endless and unwinnable war, and the country is going to hell in a handbasket, the Democrats are apparently being given another chance.  The polling data, which skews heavily conservative, especially since Trump has a lot of influence over the corporate media that owns the polling services, is showing a blue tsunami forming up.  The primary elections have provided hints that the polls are probably underestimating the size of the blue tsunami, and from my perspective, I think we'll see Democrats take both houses of Congress this November.  And it won't really be all that close, though some of the races might be tight.  But when it's all counted, I fully expect to see Abdul El-Sayed, James Talarico and Troy Jackson in the Senate, along with Roy Cooper, Sherrod Brown, Josh Turek and Mary Peltola joining Jon Ossoff, who is going to win easily.  

That is, if the party can calm itself down, get focused on the real issue and stop fighting over who is and isn't a Democrat, and what are they going to do, and who is going to call the shots, and who is next in line for the handing out of privilege and prestige.  

Here we go again.  

This has some unpleasant resemblances to what started happening prior to the 2024 Presidential election, when Biden's debate performance sent the party into a frenzy that led to trying to replace him as the nominee just a hundred days before the election.  Yeah, that's the feeling that is creeping back in, as Democrats snipe and spat at each other over how much influence the left side of the party should have, as it wins primaries and displaces the centrists, moderates and slight to the right candidates that represent the Democratic party establishment.  

Yes, the same establishment that lost the 2024 election to the man who is arguably the worst President in American history.  The party fell victim, once again, to allowing the GOP to determine the narrative and create controversy.  The same party establishment that frittered away every single opportunity to stop Trump from being the greatest existential threat to American Democracy since the British sacked Washington in the War of 1812 lost the 2024 election because it panicked, spent too many weeks running around like headless chickens and then, tried to make up for it when it was way too late to make much of a difference. 

The Democrats are not going to win the midterms on the merits of their political perspectives or plans, they are going to win it because Trump has done such a poor job as President, and the Republicans in Congress have been his willing sycophants right down into the abyss.  The Democrats are also not going to win this on their own strength, within the moderate to centrist part of the party.  They are going to need the support of a wide variety of independent voters, and they are going to need every vote from the progressive wing of the party.  If they want the Presidency back in 2028, then after the midterms are over, they will need to come up with something to keep the younger voters, progressive voters and working class voters engaged and interested.  

And they must bring Trump to justice. 

I get it.  I understand when someone who thought that a particular senate or house nomination was their personal entitlement got swallowed up in the energy of that woke left side of the party, and lost a primary they thought they were entitled to win to a young, aggressive progressive pushing a Democratic Socialist agenda.  Well, Democrats have been warned for years now that they need to figure out how to get the votes of the working class back, and frankly, it's difficult for me to sympathize with candidates who lost in a primary when they thought they were entitled to the nomintation because of who they were or whose influence on which they depended.  This is about putting forth the best candidate who can win in the general election and the progressive Democrats focusing on affordability, jobs, a thriving economy and best use of resources are winning primaries and leading polls for the general election. 

And of course, that makes some establishment Democrats angry.  But if the establishment had acted with the kind of bold risk taking that would have kept Trump out of the White House, then they might not be having such a hard time convincing primary voters to support them.  

And if the party's leadership is not careful, they will once again fritter away the political opportunity of the century, that is within their grasp right now.  

A Lesson in Civics and Economics For Uninformed Republicans

Socialism isn't taking over the Democratic party.  And Socialism, especially the Democratic Socialism that exists in the United States, isn't communism.  It's the diametric opposite of communism.  

It is sometimes frustrating to use the term "Democratic Socialist," and have people turn up their noses, not knowing exactly what that means, but thinking it's the same thing as communism, and then turn around and say that they are 100% behind some political statement or plan that is pure Democratic Socialism.  Ah, the sad and painful result is this, of the dumbing down of the few social studies requirements for students in school left after most of them have been eliminated from public school curriculum.  When I taught high school civics, we distinguished between the economics and politics of Marxist Communism, Democratic Socialism, Capitalism and the American Constitutional Republic, which is a form of Democracy.  I doubt that's even a college requirement now. 

And here's some additional news.  Considering the political atmosphere in this country right now, it would not matter very much if it actually did.  We've seen Trump's true colors for a long time now, and while it is an embarassment to this country that it has taken so long for its people to realize this, there is now a solid core of Americans, about 60% of those who plan to go to the polls and vote in November, who realize electing Trump was a huge mistake.  

That has opened the door for more consideration of candidates for office who self-describe as Democratic socialists to campaign and win in primaries, since the pressure to try and generate more support from more conservative voters, which didn't ever really work anyway, is not as intense.  In fact, the wing of the Democratic party that seems to be most enthusiastic and is drawing people in and raising the percentages of potential voters is the side that leans toward Democratic Socialism.  

Democratic Socialism is Franklin Roosevelt

Franklin Roosevelt, arguably one of the best Presidents in American history, and singularly the most popular, won his first two terms on his economic plan, The New Deal, which was the most innovative economic, social and political reform programs in American history.  The New Deal is still one of the best examples of Democratic Socialism, because so much of what was instituted by government to help provide relief for the unemployed, recovery for the economy and which reformed the financial and banking system to safeguard against future economic downturns has survived to the present day.  And it was successful in achieving its ends, in that it laid a framework down for continued reforms, based on the learning experience where there were failures.  

So this is nothing new.  Take away the edge that has been placed on terms like "socialist," and it becomes pretty clear that the things on which current American Democratic Socialists are focusing are popular with voters.  Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez have invested a lot of time articulating the agenda for Democratic Socialists.  They want to break up the corporate monopolies, something which we have a legal and constitutional basis for doing, but which has been unenforced by recent Republican administrations, put in a system of fair and equitable taxation, "making corporations pay their fair share" when it comes to taxes, which they don't do now, and get the government involved in a much bigger way in areas where there is a demonstrated need for reform, such as health insurance and health care.  

The aim of their agenda is to help the American working class by providing an economy that focuses on affordability.  They want to raise taxes on the wealthiest Americans, many of who pay next to nothing now, and well below the percentages of income that middle class taxpayers now pay.  And they want to make major reforms to the Affordable Care Act, in ways that eliminate the profiteering on health insurance coverage, and gets the insurance companies out of the business of determining patient care.  

It's been the left side of the Democratic party that has provided the energy and momentum that has produced the massive turnouts in the No Kings marches and rallies, and has pushed voter enthusiasm to near-record polling levels three and a half months before the midterms.  And I'll also say that it is not going to be necessary to try and walk some kind of middle-of-the-road position to attempt to attract more conservative voters.  Those whose ignorance and stupidity include racist prejudice against candidates like Abdul El-Sayed, the Democratic nominee for the Senate seat in Michigan, and Francesca Hong, the Demoncratic nominee for Governor of Wisconsin, wouldn't be convinced to vote for them anyway.  There will be plenty of more progressive minded voters to make up the difference.  

The Main Objective of This Civics and Economic Lesson

We've had laws regulating economic practices in this country since the very beginning.  They are based on the founding American principle that a government of, by and for the people is responsible for the collective protection of its citizens from all enemies, foreign and domestic.  As a result, when it has become the practice of business to organize itself in such a way as to take advantage of Americans by profiteering tactics, such as forming trusts, or monopolies to control every aspect of supply and demand of goods and services, government has stepped in.  That, for most of those who call themselves Democratic Socialists, is the essence of government protecting its citizens.

I've had a front seat to the monopolies and trusts being formed in health care over the last 20 years as I have prepared for retirement.  My current health care provider, a non-profit, religious based corporation, was bought out by a major medical conglomorate about four years ago.  The effects of this have been immediate.  There was a rush, among some of the older doctors and medical staff, to the retirement exit.  Appointments that used to be easy to get within a couple of weeks, now require more than a month's wait, and in the case of my general practice physician, three months is not unusual.  During the three hospitalizations I've had over the past eight years, there has been a noticeable decline in the quality of nursing care, as the number of patients assigned to each nurse in the hospital has doubled and nursing staffs have been cut.  

Of course, the most noticeable change was the increase in costs, as my insurance provider raised premiums because the costs went up.  I went on Medicare three years ago, just before my employer-provided insurance premium topped $1,000 a month.  But the gap insurance that I have now is double the monthly cost from the original contract.  

Communication, even through their online app, has become far more difficult and time consuming following a major change to a different provider for online medical records.  Shortly after having a major problem retrieving my own online account through the app I found out that the corporation that now owns the provider also owns the company that operates the online records system.  The average wait to see a specialist now is 6 weeks.  

My Support For Democratic Socialists Starts With Their Support of Medicare For All

I've seen "socialized medicine" up close.  When my Dad remarried at 80, it brought a stepbrother and his wife into the family who are Canadian citizens.  They are in their 70's so I've seen how their medical care works, compared to ours.  They live less than an hour's drive from Toronto, so of course, they have access to the best that Canadian Medicare has to offer.  There is a cost to the program, like Americans and medicare, Canadians pay the medical tax as a payroll deduction.  That, of course, spreads the cost of medical care out over a lifetime.  

But the bottom line is that most of the money paid in, about 90% of it, actually pays for the care, while in the United States, half of what we pay for medical "costs" go to pay the dividends for stockholders who own the hospital corporations and insurance companies.  They seem to be very satisfied with the quality of care they receive, and while there are some procedures and regulations that seem designed to test patience, overall, from my perspective, they are much better off than I am, even though I've finally reached medicare eligibility.  Their actual cost, out of pocket, for the premiums is less than half of what private insurance costs in the US.  

The trade off is that the difference between what most Americans, or their employers, now pay for health insurance is twice as much as the payroll deduction would be for a Medicare-for-all kind of program.  For me, the last two or three years that I worked, that would have meant a savings of over $500 a month.  That's a huge benefit for middle class Americans, the 99% of us who work for a living.  

And that's what Democratic Socialism is all about.  It's about helping the middle class get more out of the dollars they work hard to earn.