Some US bishops let their politics get in the way during visits with the pope
The headline is misleading. I doubt that these bishops were anything but obsequious in their meetings with Francis. That they publicly lied about them afterwards is par for the course. They will never get red hats. In a way, they are correct about abortion being preeminent. The only way to fight it is social democracy. If they think otherwise, they are drinking Republican Kool-Ade. The Pope probably discussed sexual abuse instead. They probably don't talk about how sexually immature asexuals are the more likely abusers. Pity.
Friday, February 28, 2020
Thursday, February 27, 2020
Links for 2/27/20
Links for 2/27/20
The common belief in the Sanders political revolution is that they are democratic socialists. This is not really the case. Democratic Socialism's main feature is centralized planning in partnership with the industrial and/or financial sector. Sanders offers social democracy. A better cage within capitalism, aka free stuff for Millenials.
The original team of rivals led us to the Johnson impeachment. Friedman over estimates the power of the show horses in the Cabinet. It is the Deputy Secretaries, under the direction of the White House Deputy Chief of Staff that actually run (or under Trump, fail to run) the Executive Branch.
Trump's approval rating is the least of his worries. He has to suspect that the Court will rule for Cy Vance. He will lose all of his toys. As for the market, it is an indicator of asset inflation, not real investment. Rookie mistake.
Money did not save John Connolly from defeat and a $6 million delegate when that was real money. Campaigns end when the media stops covering you. We will know who is out in a week.
Schumer should have been less of an ideologue before the impeachment. Converting four Republicans by promising no electoral opposition would have gotten Bolton's testimony rather than turning a constitutional crisis into a cheap political stunt.
The born alive bill is a stunt as well. Extraordinary measures can never be required under law. That would be both unconstitutional and against Catholic doctrine. The bishops have prostituted themselves to the Republican Party (again).
The common belief in the Sanders political revolution is that they are democratic socialists. This is not really the case. Democratic Socialism's main feature is centralized planning in partnership with the industrial and/or financial sector. Sanders offers social democracy. A better cage within capitalism, aka free stuff for Millenials.
The original team of rivals led us to the Johnson impeachment. Friedman over estimates the power of the show horses in the Cabinet. It is the Deputy Secretaries, under the direction of the White House Deputy Chief of Staff that actually run (or under Trump, fail to run) the Executive Branch.
Trump's approval rating is the least of his worries. He has to suspect that the Court will rule for Cy Vance. He will lose all of his toys. As for the market, it is an indicator of asset inflation, not real investment. Rookie mistake.
Money did not save John Connolly from defeat and a $6 million delegate when that was real money. Campaigns end when the media stops covering you. We will know who is out in a week.
Schumer should have been less of an ideologue before the impeachment. Converting four Republicans by promising no electoral opposition would have gotten Bolton's testimony rather than turning a constitutional crisis into a cheap political stunt.
The born alive bill is a stunt as well. Extraordinary measures can never be required under law. That would be both unconstitutional and against Catholic doctrine. The bishops have prostituted themselves to the Republican Party (again).
Wednesday, February 26, 2020
EJ Dionne's 'Code Red' offers a map to navigate divides of US politics
EJ Dionne's 'Code Red' offers a map to navigate divides of US politics
Moderation in pursuit of justice is no virtue. Neither is winning at all costs. The latter is why the Clintons and Carville sought Wall Street money and accepted Wall Street values in government. Ending big government and welfare reform pushed the stereotypical welfare queens of Reagan's imagination into the modern slavery of low wage work. It made compassionate conservatism look good. Lee Atwater made identity politics possible.
Identity politics works on both sides. White workers being exploited as the useful idiots of capitalism is a feature, not a flaw. So is the link between racial and economic justice. The reason Carville and the Wall Street liberals decry social democracy is because it is an undoing and an indictment of their governing strategy.
Obama's moderation simply brought identity politics along with Wall Street. The fusion of the two allows the Democrats to indulge in their meritocratic sin, nominating candidates based on who gets the next turn. What worked for Obama, however, did not work for Hillary, giving us Trump and leading to Sanders. My only objection to him is his advanced age. Bloomberg and Biden have the same issue. It is time for them to leave the stage and to take Mayor Pete and his anti-Washington memes with him.
Identity politics will give us the competence of Warren or Klobuchar, possibly with Booker or Harris for good measure. The waking up of social democracy will put basic economic reform back on the agenda, although real cooperative socialism is not yet ready for prime time. It needs to succeed in the private sector first. There is no other way forward from the neoliberalism of the center.
Tuesday, February 25, 2020
Links for 2/25/20
Links for 2/25/20
The donors and the voters will decide who leaves by a week from Friday. There could be more than two. Amy will likely stay in regardless. If Warren leaves, Amy will get much of her support. Her support on the far left are already with Bernie.
It is the Federation that needs to go away and be replaced by one controlled by the players and former players. Including college and pros.
Until the EU has a single independent executive (not a rotating one), a common income tax and debt, it is only to be pitied. The UN, American Confederation and the Confederate States of America all used the current EU governance models. I rest my case.
Everyone below the 90th percentile has lost purchasing power. Not a new thing - nor is the upper-middle class whining about how much they cannot make ends meet because they cannot hit their numbers while leasing that second BMW.
In the Catholic hospitals of a prior era, the Sisters who owned the building also worked there. Being a nonprofit should never be a thing - all employers should have the same tax system. Employee ownership and control should be the new ideal, especially for hospitals, with nurses and doctors having the same voting power. One voting share each and preferred shares given monthly with equal dollar distribution. Socialism? Of course. More so than Sanders on his best day.
The unique thing about Rachel is that she is independent, which means she does not manipulate the data to please clients who want to make elections look close for ratings or GOTV.
Bishops, who are almost all asexuals, cannot handle the thought that many gay priests are holier on their worst days than the bishops are in their best. Episcopal Aces think they are better, rather than just different. They don't like lay sexuality either. This is why the bishops cannot handle Marxian critical thinking, which questions everything - especially them.
The donors and the voters will decide who leaves by a week from Friday. There could be more than two. Amy will likely stay in regardless. If Warren leaves, Amy will get much of her support. Her support on the far left are already with Bernie.
It is the Federation that needs to go away and be replaced by one controlled by the players and former players. Including college and pros.
Until the EU has a single independent executive (not a rotating one), a common income tax and debt, it is only to be pitied. The UN, American Confederation and the Confederate States of America all used the current EU governance models. I rest my case.
Everyone below the 90th percentile has lost purchasing power. Not a new thing - nor is the upper-middle class whining about how much they cannot make ends meet because they cannot hit their numbers while leasing that second BMW.
In the Catholic hospitals of a prior era, the Sisters who owned the building also worked there. Being a nonprofit should never be a thing - all employers should have the same tax system. Employee ownership and control should be the new ideal, especially for hospitals, with nurses and doctors having the same voting power. One voting share each and preferred shares given monthly with equal dollar distribution. Socialism? Of course. More so than Sanders on his best day.
The unique thing about Rachel is that she is independent, which means she does not manipulate the data to please clients who want to make elections look close for ratings or GOTV.
Bishops, who are almost all asexuals, cannot handle the thought that many gay priests are holier on their worst days than the bishops are in their best. Episcopal Aces think they are better, rather than just different. They don't like lay sexuality either. This is why the bishops cannot handle Marxian critical thinking, which questions everything - especially them.
Monday, February 24, 2020
Can anyone beat Trump?
Can anyone beat Trump
Everyone can beat Trump. The question is, who do we want as President. The geriatrics should leave the race. The purpose of polls paid for by media is to concoct a story, not explore reality.
If winning is the only thing, Sanders will bring enough young voters out to trounce Trump. Pence might have an easier road. Treatment of abortion should happen now. Debate it now, not in October, and discuss what banning abortion would do legally. The vast majority would balk at investigating all list pregnancies or giving states the last word on the question.
Everyone can beat Trump. The question is, who do we want as President. The geriatrics should leave the race. The purpose of polls paid for by media is to concoct a story, not explore reality.
If winning is the only thing, Sanders will bring enough young voters out to trounce Trump. Pence might have an easier road. Treatment of abortion should happen now. Debate it now, not in October, and discuss what banning abortion would do legally. The vast majority would balk at investigating all list pregnancies or giving states the last word on the question.
Friday, February 21, 2020
Bloomberg bombs, Warren starts uniting: highlights from the Nevada debate
Bloomberg bombs, Warren starts uniting: highlights from the Nevada debate
I did my debate comments on my main blog last night and will repeat them here. First, I have two points to emphasize. There is no Catholic angle apart from increasing social democracy, which Warren and Sanders propose. It is not socialism and Bernie's remark on socialism from Washington to the rich is not socialist.
Socialism is about who controls and should control product prices, the workplace, finance, resources and government. Capitalists do that. That this gives them influence over government is redundant. Nothing that Sanders proposes undies the nature of capitalism. Warren is better on that, albeit without calling it socialism.
Bloomberg is not able to think on his feet and he is clueless about the job of President. President's are moral leaders, not managers. We tried the manager thing with Trump. Insanity is repeating a mistake.
Some think that nominating another woman is repeating that mistake. I disagree. Nominating the person who is taking their turn is the disaster. Sorry, Bernie.
If one candidate is half of the age of three (or four) of the others - all on both ends need to get off of the stage.
Elizabeth had a great night. I am still concerned about the ability of her staff to think outside of their own box - then again, I have the same kind of box.
Amy needs to get dirtier. You cannot be too Minnesota nice - although former staff members assure us that she is not.
I simply cannot see how Sanders can be taken seriously on defense issues. Unless he condemns Putin in short order and in no uncertain terms, I cannot see how we can trust him.
That none of them have condemned Mike Pence on not invoking the 25th Amendment shows a great failure of imagination among the entire field.
I did my debate comments on my main blog last night and will repeat them here. First, I have two points to emphasize. There is no Catholic angle apart from increasing social democracy, which Warren and Sanders propose. It is not socialism and Bernie's remark on socialism from Washington to the rich is not socialist.
Socialism is about who controls and should control product prices, the workplace, finance, resources and government. Capitalists do that. That this gives them influence over government is redundant. Nothing that Sanders proposes undies the nature of capitalism. Warren is better on that, albeit without calling it socialism.
Bloomberg is not able to think on his feet and he is clueless about the job of President. President's are moral leaders, not managers. We tried the manager thing with Trump. Insanity is repeating a mistake.
Some think that nominating another woman is repeating that mistake. I disagree. Nominating the person who is taking their turn is the disaster. Sorry, Bernie.
If one candidate is half of the age of three (or four) of the others - all on both ends need to get off of the stage.
Elizabeth had a great night. I am still concerned about the ability of her staff to think outside of their own box - then again, I have the same kind of box.
Amy needs to get dirtier. You cannot be too Minnesota nice - although former staff members assure us that she is not.
I simply cannot see how Sanders can be taken seriously on defense issues. Unless he condemns Putin in short order and in no uncertain terms, I cannot see how we can trust him.
That none of them have condemned Mike Pence on not invoking the 25th Amendment shows a great failure of imagination among the entire field.
Thursday, February 20, 2020
Links for 2/20/20
Links for 2/20/20
I missed Rachel that night. It is unpredictable when MSW watches her and I don't. Sadly, being unpredictable and out of the box is also a great way to be ignored.
Gerson misses the boat. Evangelicals and Catholics are both concerned about sex as part of the issue, but Catholics favor more social services and Evangelicals call this socialism. Second, it is time to get clear about what being pro-life is. The movement is not about giving rights to puppies (who would be against puppies?). It is about whether the Congress should create governmental power to investigate the end of any and all pregnancies for the benefit of the unborn and punish those who violate it (including those who procure murder). If we are clear, there is no justification for doing so. Not being clear is a lie. The only reasonable avenue is to enact economic benefits for families so that all children, regardless of parental income, receive an income at lower middle class levels - mostly at the expense of the upper middle and the childless.
Unless they put Tulsi Gabbard on the debate stage, there is nothing that the GOP can do that would be very disruptive. If Carolina Republicans want to spend the rest of their lives on Democratic mailing lists, they will pay for their trouble. By giving Trump a pass on being an idiot authoritarian, they are giving themselves Mike Pence (aka, Mr. Charisma) the nomination once SDNY goes to Schiff with proof that Trump is Rudi's agent. Maybe they should run Tulsi in the GOP. Putin loves her.
The wealth tax is a sin tax on wealth that will never pass. A 24% asset VAT on all capital income with a zero rating for ESOP sales would be truly progressive. It simply makes capital gains taxes enforceable. Not enacting such a tax proves that cheating is the true GOP value. The reality is that any of the candidates will sign what Schiff and Schumer send them. My concern is what Sanders would do about Russia and the military. I don't see him being credible debating Pence on this.
At some point, the choice is about who should get the job. If it is between two billionaires, I will vote for the one who is not an idiot. Between Pence and Sanders, I need to hear about foreign policy. Abolishing ICE is Democratic debate bait. No one expects it. As for Trump, he won because the Russians or his oppo research told him that Clinton was soft on partial birth abortion and would pander to her base rather than calling Trump an idiot for not knowing that it is already illegal. That the Midwestern Catholic bishops were ready for this does not bode well for the Church. Nothing is hidden will not be revealed.
The new moral center is marriage equality and acceptance of early abortion, but not partial birth abortion. Racial and sexual issues are always, and have always been, a chief tool of the monied class to keep the peasants in their camp. This is not a new thing.
Bloomberg's claim to be a manger shows he has no idea what the job of a president is. He is an amoral Capitalist. The nation needs a moral leader with vision and the ability to think on her feet when tested by our enemies. I want to see Amy and Elizabeth talk about defense some time soon. Everyone else is either too old or too young.
The modern family is about no one being in charge. Any explanation that does not stress this is out of date, at least if it assumes that it is always the man. Anyone with a Jewish grandmother knows who is in charge. Oy!
What an America it would be if we considered all offenders (except the untreated sociopaths) as ill and not evil. The question is how to identify the latter so that they do not harm the former (or the rest of us.
I missed Rachel that night. It is unpredictable when MSW watches her and I don't. Sadly, being unpredictable and out of the box is also a great way to be ignored.
Gerson misses the boat. Evangelicals and Catholics are both concerned about sex as part of the issue, but Catholics favor more social services and Evangelicals call this socialism. Second, it is time to get clear about what being pro-life is. The movement is not about giving rights to puppies (who would be against puppies?). It is about whether the Congress should create governmental power to investigate the end of any and all pregnancies for the benefit of the unborn and punish those who violate it (including those who procure murder). If we are clear, there is no justification for doing so. Not being clear is a lie. The only reasonable avenue is to enact economic benefits for families so that all children, regardless of parental income, receive an income at lower middle class levels - mostly at the expense of the upper middle and the childless.
Unless they put Tulsi Gabbard on the debate stage, there is nothing that the GOP can do that would be very disruptive. If Carolina Republicans want to spend the rest of their lives on Democratic mailing lists, they will pay for their trouble. By giving Trump a pass on being an idiot authoritarian, they are giving themselves Mike Pence (aka, Mr. Charisma) the nomination once SDNY goes to Schiff with proof that Trump is Rudi's agent. Maybe they should run Tulsi in the GOP. Putin loves her.
The wealth tax is a sin tax on wealth that will never pass. A 24% asset VAT on all capital income with a zero rating for ESOP sales would be truly progressive. It simply makes capital gains taxes enforceable. Not enacting such a tax proves that cheating is the true GOP value. The reality is that any of the candidates will sign what Schiff and Schumer send them. My concern is what Sanders would do about Russia and the military. I don't see him being credible debating Pence on this.
At some point, the choice is about who should get the job. If it is between two billionaires, I will vote for the one who is not an idiot. Between Pence and Sanders, I need to hear about foreign policy. Abolishing ICE is Democratic debate bait. No one expects it. As for Trump, he won because the Russians or his oppo research told him that Clinton was soft on partial birth abortion and would pander to her base rather than calling Trump an idiot for not knowing that it is already illegal. That the Midwestern Catholic bishops were ready for this does not bode well for the Church. Nothing is hidden will not be revealed.
The new moral center is marriage equality and acceptance of early abortion, but not partial birth abortion. Racial and sexual issues are always, and have always been, a chief tool of the monied class to keep the peasants in their camp. This is not a new thing.
Bloomberg's claim to be a manger shows he has no idea what the job of a president is. He is an amoral Capitalist. The nation needs a moral leader with vision and the ability to think on her feet when tested by our enemies. I want to see Amy and Elizabeth talk about defense some time soon. Everyone else is either too old or too young.
The modern family is about no one being in charge. Any explanation that does not stress this is out of date, at least if it assumes that it is always the man. Anyone with a Jewish grandmother knows who is in charge. Oy!
What an America it would be if we considered all offenders (except the untreated sociopaths) as ill and not evil. The question is how to identify the latter so that they do not harm the former (or the rest of us.
Wednesday, February 19, 2020
We need to say 'no' to the dominance of money in politics, philanthropy, culture
We need to say 'no' to the dominance of money in politics, philanthropy, culture
The problem is not the money. It is capitalism itself. That rich people get more and better stuff is not the problem. It is who the money buys. Capitalism is and always has been about controlling labor, politics, style and customers. This is true of everyone who sits on a throne (including bishops). The Democratic brand is about building a better cage to get people to work. The Republican brand is about fouling the nest to force them to work. Socialism is about opening the cage and putting the capitalists. Bernie is not a socialist, he is a social democrat. So were Benedict, Pius and Leo. Not sure about Francis, who is a communist in his personal life, even though as a bishop he is released from his vow. That is why conservatives fear (and loath) Francis.
As luck would have it, there was a conference yesterday at the Tax Policy Center on the tax treatment of philanthropy since the passage of the Ryan-Brady tax bill. I passed on it, but my comment on theit Facebook page and Twitter feed was that they should look up how philanthropy worked before the income tax. I suggested (as MSW says) that they go to a Carnegie Public Library or CMU to see. Tax benefits are not needed for the wealthy to build monuments to themselves.
Tax reform is needed to increase the existing child tax credit to middle class levels (while raising the minimum wage so people don't live off the child credit). A subtraction value added tax on employers to channel tax benefits through pay or paid education is how to do charity and social justice. It can also be used to fund retirement savings, shifting ownership from the rich to the workers. as well as a vehicle to shift stock ownership. A portion of shares can be pooled among such firms so that no one loses their retirements to bad management. That is what socialism looks like and neither Bernie nor Elizabeth are going there. Unions used to be the socialist vanguard, but they have been tamed into making the cage better.
The problem is not the money. It is capitalism itself. That rich people get more and better stuff is not the problem. It is who the money buys. Capitalism is and always has been about controlling labor, politics, style and customers. This is true of everyone who sits on a throne (including bishops). The Democratic brand is about building a better cage to get people to work. The Republican brand is about fouling the nest to force them to work. Socialism is about opening the cage and putting the capitalists. Bernie is not a socialist, he is a social democrat. So were Benedict, Pius and Leo. Not sure about Francis, who is a communist in his personal life, even though as a bishop he is released from his vow. That is why conservatives fear (and loath) Francis.
As luck would have it, there was a conference yesterday at the Tax Policy Center on the tax treatment of philanthropy since the passage of the Ryan-Brady tax bill. I passed on it, but my comment on theit Facebook page and Twitter feed was that they should look up how philanthropy worked before the income tax. I suggested (as MSW says) that they go to a Carnegie Public Library or CMU to see. Tax benefits are not needed for the wealthy to build monuments to themselves.
Tax reform is needed to increase the existing child tax credit to middle class levels (while raising the minimum wage so people don't live off the child credit). A subtraction value added tax on employers to channel tax benefits through pay or paid education is how to do charity and social justice. It can also be used to fund retirement savings, shifting ownership from the rich to the workers. as well as a vehicle to shift stock ownership. A portion of shares can be pooled among such firms so that no one loses their retirements to bad management. That is what socialism looks like and neither Bernie nor Elizabeth are going there. Unions used to be the socialist vanguard, but they have been tamed into making the cage better.
Tuesday, February 18, 2020
Links for 2/18/20
Links for 2/18/20
Running billionaires is the ultimate in pandering to capitalism. It is the ultimate result of Clintonism. The lesson learned was getting the money, but the true lesson of Clinton, Obama and the Russian hack is that the Dems lose when they nominate based on whose turn it is (Mondale, Kerry, Hillary).
No billionaire is going to blame Larry Summers (or Clinton) for 2008. They certainly will not blame the NYMEX oil floor for sparking the panic (or the Bush tax cuts).
Roy is simply wrong about party switching. Rachel Bitecofer found record voting because Trump supporters came out more too. Obama won because young people showed up. 2018 happened because they showed up again. This had more to do with attitudes about the Trump cult than being part of the Sanders cult.
The question of Warren has nothing to do with sex. Progressives went with Sanders and in New Hampshire, women went for Amy in a way they could not in Iowa because of caucus rules. Older women voting for women is really a thing. Warren could have drawn heavily from both progressives and women. She has not so far. Her staff is more professional than populist. I follow one of her economic brain trust on Twitter and he is unshakeable in pursuing his reality.
Vatican II and resistance to it by the St. John Paul Curia defined recent Church history. That pastoral bishops agree with the Vatican II Fathers is the obvious truth that no one saw coming. Francis diminishing the Curia should be no shock.
There is no gay gene. The best research is that men become gay because of epigenesis in the womb. Maternal DNA may indicate a greater occurance of this, but not letting them reproduce would be the most horrible form of eugenics. By the time you can tell if children could be gay, childbearing is over. Prohibiting their siblings from reproducing would have meant my daughter and godson could not have been born, especially because my ex-wife and I both have gay siblings. The take away must instead be that gays really are born, not made. Denying them civil rights and family rights, including a Catholic wedding Mass, is pure bigotry. Denying ordination to women is of the same class. Maybe Dawkins is not so wrong after all.
Discrimination comes from fear. Note how Black youth are treated by police. It has become law enforcement doctrine that they are all armed gang members. The reality is that police are more likely to die at their own hands.
Running billionaires is the ultimate in pandering to capitalism. It is the ultimate result of Clintonism. The lesson learned was getting the money, but the true lesson of Clinton, Obama and the Russian hack is that the Dems lose when they nominate based on whose turn it is (Mondale, Kerry, Hillary).
No billionaire is going to blame Larry Summers (or Clinton) for 2008. They certainly will not blame the NYMEX oil floor for sparking the panic (or the Bush tax cuts).
Roy is simply wrong about party switching. Rachel Bitecofer found record voting because Trump supporters came out more too. Obama won because young people showed up. 2018 happened because they showed up again. This had more to do with attitudes about the Trump cult than being part of the Sanders cult.
The question of Warren has nothing to do with sex. Progressives went with Sanders and in New Hampshire, women went for Amy in a way they could not in Iowa because of caucus rules. Older women voting for women is really a thing. Warren could have drawn heavily from both progressives and women. She has not so far. Her staff is more professional than populist. I follow one of her economic brain trust on Twitter and he is unshakeable in pursuing his reality.
Vatican II and resistance to it by the St. John Paul Curia defined recent Church history. That pastoral bishops agree with the Vatican II Fathers is the obvious truth that no one saw coming. Francis diminishing the Curia should be no shock.
There is no gay gene. The best research is that men become gay because of epigenesis in the womb. Maternal DNA may indicate a greater occurance of this, but not letting them reproduce would be the most horrible form of eugenics. By the time you can tell if children could be gay, childbearing is over. Prohibiting their siblings from reproducing would have meant my daughter and godson could not have been born, especially because my ex-wife and I both have gay siblings. The take away must instead be that gays really are born, not made. Denying them civil rights and family rights, including a Catholic wedding Mass, is pure bigotry. Denying ordination to women is of the same class. Maybe Dawkins is not so wrong after all.
Discrimination comes from fear. Note how Black youth are treated by police. It has become law enforcement doctrine that they are all armed gang members. The reality is that police are more likely to die at their own hands.
Monday, February 17, 2020
Buying the nomination is exactly what Bloomberg is trying to do
Buying the nomination is exactly what Bloomberg is trying to do
The question is age. Mike is long of tooth, as are Bernie, Joe and Elizabeth. Pete's teeth have not grown in. It is Amy's time. Any liberal ideas will come from Congress. A wealth tax won't be on the menu. Maybe an Asset VAT will.
Mike and Tom needed to run as Republicans. The GOP will slavishly follow any billionaire, even on climate change. Trump will be in jail once the Supreme Court rejects presidential immunity and SDNY arrests him. The first candidate who attacks Pence as a moral coward and calls GRUdi Trump's handler deserves to win.
The question is age. Mike is long of tooth, as are Bernie, Joe and Elizabeth. Pete's teeth have not grown in. It is Amy's time. Any liberal ideas will come from Congress. A wealth tax won't be on the menu. Maybe an Asset VAT will.
Mike and Tom needed to run as Republicans. The GOP will slavishly follow any billionaire, even on climate change. Trump will be in jail once the Supreme Court rejects presidential immunity and SDNY arrests him. The first candidate who attacks Pence as a moral coward and calls GRUdi Trump's handler deserves to win.
Friday, February 14, 2020
Links for 2/14/20
Links for 2/14/20
Trump is simply insane. Pence is his sin eater for that reason. He simply has no moral courage, but he and his party like the money Trump can raise from Oligarchs and the wealthy (who can buy loyal voters). His Fox News viewers are also old and angry Republicans. Being White is part of the deal. Stay off of the grass of their retirement condos.
Regarding baseball, the military and the Church - hierarchies and despotisms tend to suppress bad news. They also lie, like Fox.
Do Latino Catholics follow the Pope or does he simply share their values? The question for politics is, do they vote enough to make a difference. It is the Midwestern Catholics who are in the middle on abortion that are the concern. On that, they can be manipulated.
The rise of Amy is not about splitting the middle, it is about taking it over. Give her time. The big news is that Biden and Warren are likely done. Pity, because Bernie is too old to survive a term. I hope he picks a good VP. How do the numbers look for Sanders v. Pence?
Warren can do well if Bernie dies and his tribe of Millenials look to her. She would be a great White House Chief or Deputy Chief of Staff.
Bernie voters want free stuff. They think they know everything - but don't even get that their Hero is a Social Democrat rather than a Socialist. If he wins, he deserves them when he can't deliver.
Trump is simply insane. Pence is his sin eater for that reason. He simply has no moral courage, but he and his party like the money Trump can raise from Oligarchs and the wealthy (who can buy loyal voters). His Fox News viewers are also old and angry Republicans. Being White is part of the deal. Stay off of the grass of their retirement condos.
Regarding baseball, the military and the Church - hierarchies and despotisms tend to suppress bad news. They also lie, like Fox.
Do Latino Catholics follow the Pope or does he simply share their values? The question for politics is, do they vote enough to make a difference. It is the Midwestern Catholics who are in the middle on abortion that are the concern. On that, they can be manipulated.
The rise of Amy is not about splitting the middle, it is about taking it over. Give her time. The big news is that Biden and Warren are likely done. Pity, because Bernie is too old to survive a term. I hope he picks a good VP. How do the numbers look for Sanders v. Pence?
Warren can do well if Bernie dies and his tribe of Millenials look to her. She would be a great White House Chief or Deputy Chief of Staff.
Bernie voters want free stuff. They think they know everything - but don't even get that their Hero is a Social Democrat rather than a Socialist. If he wins, he deserves them when he can't deliver.
Thursday, February 13, 2020
'Querida Amazonia' shows how Francis is looking for deeper change
'Querida Amazonia' shows how Francis is looking for deeper change
That he uses I instead of the royal we speaks volumes. Ownership if the Church and spirituality are just nice words while Francis, rather the people, select bishops. Our bishops would ordain women. He does not appreciate or see that a misogynist background of asexuality in the sex life of the Church is its original sin. Until there is repentance, there can be no change.
That he uses I instead of the royal we speaks volumes. Ownership if the Church and spirituality are just nice words while Francis, rather the people, select bishops. Our bishops would ordain women. He does not appreciate or see that a misogynist background of asexuality in the sex life of the Church is its original sin. Until there is repentance, there can be no change.
Wednesday, February 12, 2020
NH primary clarified the Democratic race, but contest is still fluid
NH primary clarified the Democratic race, but contest is still fluid
Both Amy and Pete need an infusion if Biden cash and volunteers. Warren will loose her female support to Amy as well. Age may take out Sanders. If Mayor Mike stays in, Sanders will be the nominee. If he is smart enough to back Amy instead, she wins. It is time for the Baby Boom candidates to leave the stage.
Both Amy and Pete need an infusion if Biden cash and volunteers. Warren will loose her female support to Amy as well. Age may take out Sanders. If Mayor Mike stays in, Sanders will be the nominee. If he is smart enough to back Amy instead, she wins. It is time for the Baby Boom candidates to leave the stage.
Links for 2/11/20
Links for 2/11/20
As I write, the New Hampshire polls have closed. Amy has leapt forward, which I expected. I did not expect Mayor Pete to survive. He may not much longer. Biden is the big loser (and anyone placing lower).
The Clio is the advertising award. It is an annual thing and it's too early to judge this year's entries. I agree that there should be political categories (both for nomination and general elections).
I am sure Jonathan Swift would appreciate George Conway's article. The reality is that the call was perfect, as a diversion from the fact that Trump was serving Putin in withholding aid and in much else. If Pelosi, Schumer and Schiff did not know that, they are not as smart as we think they are. If they did know and focused on election meddling anyway (or if they could prove a pattern of presidential insanity), then they took a dive for electoral purposes. Which side is worse?
The Supreme Court will like hear the DC Appeals case - although CUA should not be concerned with what they can do, which is different than what they must do. These are very different questions.
No parent should have to pay for education. Public, charter and religious chartered primary, secondary, remedial and ESL schools should be unionized and publicly funded up to grade 14, with students over 16 paid for their time. Employers should pay for Vocational/Technical School and higher level academics.
Rachel "The Doc" Bitecoffer is right where everyone else is wrong. Kudos for MSW for mentioning her. She thinks out of the box. Everyone, including Rachel, is assuming Trump and not Pence in November. Everyone has their blinders.
The logic of the Arizona decision is that faithful action cannot be obstructed. Civil rights are about restricting government from acting - not empowering their leaders control the choices of their members.
The fixes for the nomination and the electoral college are the same: allocate votes by congressional district rather than by state, with 2 at large for each state. This is not because we let land vote but because the Senate represents governments. We have gone from congressional selection of nominees to machine caucuses and conventions toward primaries. It is time to go full circle.
Presidential contenders can recruit congressional and senatorial candidates in each district and state to serve as delegates. After a national primary in September (using instant runoff voting), nominees and senators not facing election will caucus to select the presidential nominee. If no candidate gets a majority, the nominees supporting the candidate with the least number of votes are bound to support the next place finisher from among the remaining candidates in their district. This process continues until there is a majority nominee. The other option is to free nominees to vote for the candidate of their choice once their candidate is eliminated or to allow the candidate to pledge those nominees to another candidate (or at least encourage them to do so).
Funding would come from the bottom up. Donors would contribute to a central blind trust, with matching public funds. No funds may be added after the primary. Sixty percent of the funds raised by Independence Day will be allocated to the primaries. A caucus would be held in each congressional district. To qualify for public funding, a congressional candidates must have a 12.5% share of caucusers in their party and their party must have a congressional candidate in 219 districts. The primary pot will be divided equally among all qualified congressional candidates in any qualified party. Unfunded candidates will be taken off of their party's ballot.
As I write, the New Hampshire polls have closed. Amy has leapt forward, which I expected. I did not expect Mayor Pete to survive. He may not much longer. Biden is the big loser (and anyone placing lower).
The Clio is the advertising award. It is an annual thing and it's too early to judge this year's entries. I agree that there should be political categories (both for nomination and general elections).
I am sure Jonathan Swift would appreciate George Conway's article. The reality is that the call was perfect, as a diversion from the fact that Trump was serving Putin in withholding aid and in much else. If Pelosi, Schumer and Schiff did not know that, they are not as smart as we think they are. If they did know and focused on election meddling anyway (or if they could prove a pattern of presidential insanity), then they took a dive for electoral purposes. Which side is worse?
The Supreme Court will like hear the DC Appeals case - although CUA should not be concerned with what they can do, which is different than what they must do. These are very different questions.
No parent should have to pay for education. Public, charter and religious chartered primary, secondary, remedial and ESL schools should be unionized and publicly funded up to grade 14, with students over 16 paid for their time. Employers should pay for Vocational/Technical School and higher level academics.
Rachel "The Doc" Bitecoffer is right where everyone else is wrong. Kudos for MSW for mentioning her. She thinks out of the box. Everyone, including Rachel, is assuming Trump and not Pence in November. Everyone has their blinders.
The logic of the Arizona decision is that faithful action cannot be obstructed. Civil rights are about restricting government from acting - not empowering their leaders control the choices of their members.
The fixes for the nomination and the electoral college are the same: allocate votes by congressional district rather than by state, with 2 at large for each state. This is not because we let land vote but because the Senate represents governments. We have gone from congressional selection of nominees to machine caucuses and conventions toward primaries. It is time to go full circle.
Presidential contenders can recruit congressional and senatorial candidates in each district and state to serve as delegates. After a national primary in September (using instant runoff voting), nominees and senators not facing election will caucus to select the presidential nominee. If no candidate gets a majority, the nominees supporting the candidate with the least number of votes are bound to support the next place finisher from among the remaining candidates in their district. This process continues until there is a majority nominee. The other option is to free nominees to vote for the candidate of their choice once their candidate is eliminated or to allow the candidate to pledge those nominees to another candidate (or at least encourage them to do so).
Funding would come from the bottom up. Donors would contribute to a central blind trust, with matching public funds. No funds may be added after the primary. Sixty percent of the funds raised by Independence Day will be allocated to the primaries. A caucus would be held in each congressional district. To qualify for public funding, a congressional candidates must have a 12.5% share of caucusers in their party and their party must have a congressional candidate in 219 districts. The primary pot will be divided equally among all qualified congressional candidates in any qualified party. Unfunded candidates will be taken off of their party's ballot.
Monday, February 10, 2020
Democrats' Friday debate may not sway many New Hampshire voters
Democrats' Friday debate may not sway many New Hampshire voters
The only thing that will stop Sanders, who is more social democrat than socialist, is the Grim Reaper. His supporters will go to Warren, even if she gets out. Biden is out and Pete will be wounded. Amy will do well. Amy does have momentum. The question is what percentage of the Clinton voters (and donors) will she win? We will know inside of 36 hours.
The only thing that will stop Sanders, who is more social democrat than socialist, is the Grim Reaper. His supporters will go to Warren, even if she gets out. Biden is out and Pete will be wounded. Amy will do well. Amy does have momentum. The question is what percentage of the Clinton voters (and donors) will she win? We will know inside of 36 hours.
Friday, February 7, 2020
Amid Trump's shameful address and breakfast remarks, Romney restores some faith
Amid Trump's shameful address and breakfast remarks, Romney restores some faith
The best way to know that Mr. Trump is a fascist is to turn off the sound and watch his body language. He should have been sidelined by Michael Pence long ago (as soon as he fired Comey and bragged about it to Russian envoys). From then on, Pence became Trump's sin eater. He is to moral cowardice what Romney is to courage - which is the most necessary quality in exercising your conscience. This is true in disagreeing with your party and your bishop.
The best way to know that Mr. Trump is a fascist is to turn off the sound and watch his body language. He should have been sidelined by Michael Pence long ago (as soon as he fired Comey and bragged about it to Russian envoys). From then on, Pence became Trump's sin eater. He is to moral cowardice what Romney is to courage - which is the most necessary quality in exercising your conscience. This is true in disagreeing with your party and your bishop.
Thursday, February 6, 2020
Links for 2/6/20
Links for 2/6/20
If Unions also took employee-ownership to the next level (including union proxy voting) and lost their fear of personal accounts (as long as they owned 2/3rds primarily employer voting and preferred stock and 1/3rd of the same traded to an insurance fund of similarly owned firms).
Social and economic liberalism are both about change and empowerment. Neither can exist without the other. There is no chance any Democrat will credit Trump for growth (other than his signing of the two recent budget acts). Higher tax rates on the wealthy and higher minimum wages are both essential for the care and feeding of the working class.
NH is a make or break moment for Biden and Klobuchar. The issue for Sanders is his health. Let us hope he picks a good VP. Warren checks all of the boxes. If she does well among the Bay State expats, she will over-perform. Mayor Pete was also Navy Lt. Pete - which is good, but not great, experience to be President. Where is Wes Clark when we need him? Carville and all Clinton retainers need to exit, stage left. Biden too.
If Amy is the nominee, she will go to Iowa. Winning IA, WI, MI, OH, PA means talking about abortion now in terms of law, not identity politics, to show what is possible and impossible in the debate and then commit to a decent wage for families (not just a poverty subsidy). Doing so ends the problem of endless students. Will Amy go that far?
Bishops investigating bishops is not the issue as much as who selects them. The Spirit speaks from below as clearly as from above, if not more so.
If Unions also took employee-ownership to the next level (including union proxy voting) and lost their fear of personal accounts (as long as they owned 2/3rds primarily employer voting and preferred stock and 1/3rd of the same traded to an insurance fund of similarly owned firms).
Social and economic liberalism are both about change and empowerment. Neither can exist without the other. There is no chance any Democrat will credit Trump for growth (other than his signing of the two recent budget acts). Higher tax rates on the wealthy and higher minimum wages are both essential for the care and feeding of the working class.
NH is a make or break moment for Biden and Klobuchar. The issue for Sanders is his health. Let us hope he picks a good VP. Warren checks all of the boxes. If she does well among the Bay State expats, she will over-perform. Mayor Pete was also Navy Lt. Pete - which is good, but not great, experience to be President. Where is Wes Clark when we need him? Carville and all Clinton retainers need to exit, stage left. Biden too.
If Amy is the nominee, she will go to Iowa. Winning IA, WI, MI, OH, PA means talking about abortion now in terms of law, not identity politics, to show what is possible and impossible in the debate and then commit to a decent wage for families (not just a poverty subsidy). Doing so ends the problem of endless students. Will Amy go that far?
Bishops investigating bishops is not the issue as much as who selects them. The Spirit speaks from below as clearly as from above, if not more so.
Wednesday, February 5, 2020
No one candidate truly won the Iowa caucuses
No one candidate truly won the Iowa caucuses
I identify Murphy, not Augustine, on Iowa. The real joke is on the media. Iowa (and other caucus states) make their final decisions at state conventions after the presumptive nominee is identified. In 2008, the perception had Superdelagates crown Obama to put him over the line. If Hillary understood how caucuses worked, she might have won at the last minute.
New Hampshire is so face to face state. Mayor Pete has not been there. Iowa voters held Biden's age against him. Joe is fighting back by hitting Pete for only being a Mayor. Only the Millenual vote keeps Sanders immune from the same fate. There are three colleges in Dubuque, which inflated his totals. He and Mayor Pete won't have that advantage everywhere.
Amy has the best ground game in New Hampshire. If Joe and Pete cannot dodge their negatives, the question is whether she can get the middle if Sanders and Warren split the left. If she and Warren split the women, Sanders will be hard to beat if his health holds.
South Carolina is Biden's last stand. His dominance with Black voters was because he was leading. He is not now.
Pro-Life Catholics are no factor in the primaries. Unless abortion is dealt with now, it could be another October surprise for Trump. Shame on the Movement if Trump or Pence win on this non-issue. The Dem winner needs to run against Pence on the issue.
The SDNY will take care of Trump. This is not good for the Democrats, because being Trump is more toxic than being a social democrat. Bernie is not really a socialist. He promised cheap stuff and a better cage. It is not real socialism.
I identify Murphy, not Augustine, on Iowa. The real joke is on the media. Iowa (and other caucus states) make their final decisions at state conventions after the presumptive nominee is identified. In 2008, the perception had Superdelagates crown Obama to put him over the line. If Hillary understood how caucuses worked, she might have won at the last minute.
New Hampshire is so face to face state. Mayor Pete has not been there. Iowa voters held Biden's age against him. Joe is fighting back by hitting Pete for only being a Mayor. Only the Millenual vote keeps Sanders immune from the same fate. There are three colleges in Dubuque, which inflated his totals. He and Mayor Pete won't have that advantage everywhere.
Amy has the best ground game in New Hampshire. If Joe and Pete cannot dodge their negatives, the question is whether she can get the middle if Sanders and Warren split the left. If she and Warren split the women, Sanders will be hard to beat if his health holds.
South Carolina is Biden's last stand. His dominance with Black voters was because he was leading. He is not now.
Pro-Life Catholics are no factor in the primaries. Unless abortion is dealt with now, it could be another October surprise for Trump. Shame on the Movement if Trump or Pence win on this non-issue. The Dem winner needs to run against Pence on the issue.
The SDNY will take care of Trump. This is not good for the Democrats, because being Trump is more toxic than being a social democrat. Bernie is not really a socialist. He promised cheap stuff and a better cage. It is not real socialism.
Tuesday, February 4, 2020
Links for 2/4/20
Links for 2/4/20
Today was not a good time to post about Biden's campaign. It seems to be over. As for a Trans Education Secretary, unless Warren has someone in mind, finding such a person would not be very likely unless she knows someone. The question is now whether Mayor Pete has NH legs (he might also pick the same Trans Ed Secretary) and whether Warren wins the women's and/or leftist vote there. If she gets both, then she may as well pick Booker as VP now and start running against Pence, thus showing that she has learned something about politics in the last few years. Probably too much to ask from a committed finance wonk or her staff.
Pro-life Democrats need to face the question of whether they would give the unborn the legal right to a claim to a criminal law solution against their mother's and their doctors. In the criminal law, the mother must be prosecuted for contracting murder. If not, abortion is not murder nor is regulating it possible without violating her privacy rights. If they can't face that question, no one will trust them. They need to chose between being RINO or DINO, based on their answer. Pick a side.
The smart move for Warren or Klobuchar and NARAL on life issues is jujitsu. Say absolutely nothing. Any pro-choice or mushy-middle woman will be voting against Trump anyway. If they want to make the election a referendum about abortion, either kiss Catholics on the fence about abortion rights goodbye or explain why Dems for Life must be DINO or RINO and offer an economic solution instead (a robust, refundable, child tax credit with pay).
Note to E.J., Pelosi, Schumar and Schiff are taking a dive for electoral purposes. The play on ousting Trump was as an agent of Putin or as having an insane fixation on the Bidens, not in pulling an election prank on CNN. They are either craven or stupid.
Shifting from vouchers to charters was the best thing to happen to urban Catholic schools and the neighborhoods they anchor. If only they would unionize and quit fighting the NEA. See above.
The object of Weigel's affection is long gone and his cult is 20 funerals away from vanishing. So is an all-male clergy (starting with deacons and South America). Francis is being gracious by not noting this.
Today was not a good time to post about Biden's campaign. It seems to be over. As for a Trans Education Secretary, unless Warren has someone in mind, finding such a person would not be very likely unless she knows someone. The question is now whether Mayor Pete has NH legs (he might also pick the same Trans Ed Secretary) and whether Warren wins the women's and/or leftist vote there. If she gets both, then she may as well pick Booker as VP now and start running against Pence, thus showing that she has learned something about politics in the last few years. Probably too much to ask from a committed finance wonk or her staff.
Pro-life Democrats need to face the question of whether they would give the unborn the legal right to a claim to a criminal law solution against their mother's and their doctors. In the criminal law, the mother must be prosecuted for contracting murder. If not, abortion is not murder nor is regulating it possible without violating her privacy rights. If they can't face that question, no one will trust them. They need to chose between being RINO or DINO, based on their answer. Pick a side.
The smart move for Warren or Klobuchar and NARAL on life issues is jujitsu. Say absolutely nothing. Any pro-choice or mushy-middle woman will be voting against Trump anyway. If they want to make the election a referendum about abortion, either kiss Catholics on the fence about abortion rights goodbye or explain why Dems for Life must be DINO or RINO and offer an economic solution instead (a robust, refundable, child tax credit with pay).
Note to E.J., Pelosi, Schumar and Schiff are taking a dive for electoral purposes. The play on ousting Trump was as an agent of Putin or as having an insane fixation on the Bidens, not in pulling an election prank on CNN. They are either craven or stupid.
Shifting from vouchers to charters was the best thing to happen to urban Catholic schools and the neighborhoods they anchor. If only they would unionize and quit fighting the NEA. See above.
The object of Weigel's affection is long gone and his cult is 20 funerals away from vanishing. So is an all-male clergy (starting with deacons and South America). Francis is being gracious by not noting this.
Monday, February 3, 2020
Ivereigh's 'Wounded Shepherd' documents Francis' first seven years with clarity, color, skill
Ivereigh's 'Wounded Shepherd' documents Francis' first seven years with clarity, color, skill
Francis' bypassing the Curia in dealing with local bishops directly and creating the Council of 8 are radical reforms. They will likely evolve, but gently. We may have this Pope in office longer than those who resist him. There is more to come because once he sees a problem, he attacks it. Looking at ordainining women to the diaconate is step one. If he realizes that the Church's teachings on sex are warped by unreality, God will give him courage to act and he will respond. Most would not.
Francis' bypassing the Curia in dealing with local bishops directly and creating the Council of 8 are radical reforms. They will likely evolve, but gently. We may have this Pope in office longer than those who resist him. There is more to come because once he sees a problem, he attacks it. Looking at ordainining women to the diaconate is step one. If he realizes that the Church's teachings on sex are warped by unreality, God will give him courage to act and he will respond. Most would not.
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