NZ Tells NRA to 'Bugger off' - Americans Can Learn a Lesson From That

                                        Good Day World!

Today, I'm hanging my head in shame for the thousands of Americans who have been slaughtered by semi-automatic rifles with no consequences in this country.

I'm particularly angry with the role that the National Rifle Association (NRA) has played in recent decades. They've successfully stifled any safety gun laws from being enacted with their powerful lobby. 
That same NRA has recently stuck it's ugly nose into New Zealand's affairs and claimed it's residents have a right to have assault rifles. 

The response, from former Police Minister Judith Collins was to warn NRA lobbyists trying to interfere in the countries laws; "Bugger off!"

So how was New Zealand, a country of three million with over one million citizens bearing semi-automatic rifles, able to pass legislation so quickly after a white nationalist slaughtered 50 innocent Muslims in their mosques?

One big reason is New Zealand doesn't have the NRA and their politicians don't have to face the wrath of gun industry corporations acting under the guise of the NRA.

New Zealand's government felt empowered to do something to make the country safer, instead of what is least likely to elicit attack ads during the next re-election bid.

The NRA's lobbying power has so warped our conception of what is possible that to us, every instance of meaningful gun reform now seems astonishing.

What New Zealand did was not astonishing. It was a safe, rational, and sane thing to do.

It's really a pity that an organization (currently being investigated for accepting foreign funds (Russia) to help Trump win the 2016 election, has such a sway over our lawmakers.

New Zealand is a teaching moment for our republic. The question is, can we learn from it?

Related: Pew Research Poll Shows Majority of Americans Want Gun Safety Laws Enacted

Time for me to walk on down the road...

This Is Collusion: Trump Give's Embattled Netanyahu a Gift

Good Day World!

Let's set aside Trump's collusion case with Russia for a moment to take a look at another unfolding case of collusion.

This time with Israel's embattled Prime Minister Netanyahu.

Like Trump, Netanyahu is being investigated for corruption and abuse of power.

In three weeks Israel will hold national elections that will either boot him out of power, or will give him another term.

With this in mind, consider yesterday's surprise announcement by Trump that he was overturning a longstanding US policy (52 years) regarding the Israel-occupied Golan Heights.

This comes after a year of lobbying by Israel and some senators like Cruz who was drawing up a plan to legitimize driving the Palestinians out of the Golan Heights, despite the stance taken by the rest of the world.  

But there's more. Netanyahu is scheduled to join Trump at The White House just before April 9th, when his country's elections take place.

Why? It's kind of obvious. Because he wants to double down on getting Trump to formally recognize the Golan Heights as part of Israel prior to the vote. He needs something concrete to win the election. 

Netanyahu's counting on Trump's popularity in Israel to give him the edge it'll take to overcome his shady dealings on election day.

I agree with former US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta who recently said, "...the move raises a lot of concern, and it's difficult to not see this as an attempt to buttress Netanyahu's chances of remaining in power."

As Panetta noted, "It's hard not to put two and two together."

It's also not hard to see where all of this will end. Trump is colluding with another authoritarian leader for mutual benefits. The next question is what is Netanyahu giving Trump? A Trump tower in Jerusalem?

Some habits are just hard to break.

Time for me to walk on down the road...

Sideshow Trump Displays Art of the Dodge

Good Day World!

Here's a silly question to ask; Have you ever watched The Simpson's, a popular animated show on TV?

If you have, do you remember Sideshow Bob? 

He was a self-proclaimed genius, member of the Republican Party (is any of this sounding like someone else you know?), champion of high culture, and Bart Simson's archenemy. 

He was also a former children's entertainer (Trump was an entertainer in The Apprentice appealing to a childlike segment of the country) before turning into a criminal mastermind.

To change the conversation about the upcoming release of Mueller's report, Sideshow Trump put on a series of sideshows to distract Americans recently.

1) Ex-CIA Director Blasts Trump Over 'Temper Tantrums'

2.) Trump Blasts Kellyanne Conway's Husband George Conway: Husband From Hell, Conway says You.Are.Nuts.

3) Trump Using Stalinist Tactics To Discredit Climate Science 

4) Trump's Latest Deranged Rant Divorced From Reality

I could go on and list more examples, but I think you got the point by now.

Trump's recent twitterstorm and public statements are sideshows meant to distract us. To take the focus off his real fear...what the Mueller report is going to reveal.

Until that fateful day arrives we can expect more sideshows from the clown in the Oval Office.

Time for me to walk on down the road...

Mueller Report: It Could Be Released Any Day, Week, or Month Now

                                           Good Day World!

I admire Robert Mueller's delaying tactics for releasing the holy grail until it's finished.

It's not been easy. The Washington Post recently filed to unseal the redacted court record's in Mueller's case against Paul Manafort hoping to discover what further charges may be filed in the future.

Mueller's team was supposed to respond to that request tomorrow, but got the Post's lawyers to agree to April 1st instead, by teasing them with a mysterious note that his team was still working on a big project that will soon be over.

Lawyers and pundits have been predicting the release of Mueller's report for well over a year now. But here we are. Still no report. And the drama is increasing hourly.

It sounds like Mueller is stringing the Post along and when he does release the redacted information on the Manafort case it's going to be an April Fool's joke, because it won't reveal anything about the heart of the ongoing investigation.

I think it's safe to say Mueller's report will be coming out any day, week, or month now. Stay tuned.

Time for me to walk on down the road...

Poll Show's Trump's Mud-Slinging Strategy Is Working

                                        Good Day World!

One of Trump's favorite ways to deceive the public is his use of repetition.

Some pundits like to describe it as throwing mud (or shit) against a wall and seeing what sticks. This flinging strategy has been apparent since the Mueller investigation began.

What concerns me is that recent polls are showing the public is now evenly divided between calling the investigation a "witch hunt," and a legitimate effort to explain to Americans what happened in the 2016 election.

The same survey shows a nation that remains skeptical of Trump's honesty and deeply divided by his leadership.

According to the USA survey cited above, 52 percent of Americans say they have little or no trust in the president's denials that his 2016 campaign colluded with Moscow in the election that put him in the Oval Office.

This poll's findings will surely set the stage for a ferocious partisan battle when Mueller hands over his report to AG William Barr.

Trump's steady cascade of tweets and public lies show that the longer the investigation goes on, the more it's being discredited by Trump's simple strategy.

It's discouraging to see this obvious tactic gaining traction. I suspect part of the problem is people are tired of waiting for the report to come out. We're not a very patient society.

In the world of instant news, a story that drags on for nearly two years was bound to lose it's luster. 

Especially with all of the other breaking stories of Trump versus the Constitution and the conscience of America.

Time for me to walk on down the road...

White Nationalists Find Fertile Ground In USA and Abroad

Good Day World!

Unlike our pathetic racist, idiot-in-chief, who claims White Nationalism isn't a big problem, Americans and the rest of the world knows it is.

After the massacre of Muslim worshippers in Christchurch New Zealand, questions were asked about the role of social media promoting White Nationalism worldwide.  

In America:

The nation has witnessed what's considered one of the largest white supremacy marches in decades when hundreds of neo-Nazi demonstrators gathered in Charlottesville in August of 2017. 

According to recent FBI reports, hate crimes have increased nationally by more than 30 percent over the last three years and by 44 percent in California during the same period.

Related: The Rise of White Nationalism Is Creeping Onto Utah Campuses. What You Need To Know.

Related: Nationalism Is Trending, and Trump Isn't Doing Anything about it 

There's no longer any question that Trump's racist rhetoric is having a devastatingly divisive effect on our society. How could it not when the president of the United States won't call out white nationalists every time they're exposed in the news?

Time for me to walk on down the road...

'Mr. Bobblehead' Has Trump's Rump

Good Day World!

A Republican lawmaker, who didn't want his name mentioned, recently told a reporter that VP Mike Pence has a nickname on Capitol Hill, "Mr. Bobblehead."

The reason for it is because he's frequently seen alongside Trump enthusiastically bobbing his head in agreement with every word his master utters.

There's two theories about Pence's evolution from a stalwart Christian conservative to a Trump lackey: 
a) Pence has traded his sense of morality for power, or
b) He has somehow persuaded himself that this is consistent with some divine plan.

The bottom line is Pence made the decision to have a constituency of one person. His master Trump. His critics wonder if he stopped believing in the scripture when he began following Trump. 

There's a lot of strange things about Pence but the one that stands out the most is his fear of being alone in a room with a woman (or even eating alone with a female, unless it's his wife), which infuriates top female administration officials.

This curious habit extends to going to events featuring alcohol. 

He won't go unless his wife is by his side. 

I don't know about you, but that sure the hell seems like there's a hidden reason for these actions to me.

No male in modern politics has ever taken the position that they can't be alone with a female, whether at work, or eating.

Pence passes this odd behavior on as a religious choice. I sure would like to know the chapter and verse that proves his strange habit is based on the Bible's teachings.

What we do know about Pence is that he has chosen to show his affection and allegiance to a madman. 

Mr. Bobblehead has Trump's rump - for better or worse.

Time for me to walk on down the road...

Trump's Latest Book: The Art of Thinly Veiled Threats

Good Day World!

You may not have heard this, but Trump is coming out with a sequel to the Art of the Deal. 

This follow-up (also ghost-written) is titled, The Art of Thinly Veiled Threats.

While touting his latest addition of fiction, Trump said this:

"I can tell you I have the support of the police, the support of the military, the support of the Bikers for Trump - I have the tough people, but they don't play it tough - until they go to a certain point, and then it would be very bad, very bad." 

The response on social media was immediate, calling him out as a bully. His supporters, like crazy Kellyanne Conway, tried to defend his rant, but most people could see through her lies.

Apparently Trump felt pressure to delete his threatening tweet after news of the massacre of 49 people in a New Zealand Mosque was announced yesterday. 

Trump has put steroids into the presidential Bully Pulpit, taking the original meaning and twisting it into an attack platform against anyone who dares to defy him with any means possible.

That goes for thinly veiled threats of violence. 

He uses campaign rallies to encourage anger against the mainstream media and anyone who opposes him, encouraging followers to attack protestors, saying he'd pay for their legal bills.

I have a hunch his new book isn't going to be a best seller.

Time for me to walk on down the road...

Trump Enablers Forced to Face Lawmakers

Good Day World!

For two years Trump's enablers in the government have been able to protect him while he repeatedly assaults the Constitution and every law he comes across.

Now, the time has come for these devoted minions to face the music coming from House committees.

Starting with Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin. He's got some explaining to do on why Trump is refusing to let his tax returns be released to House committees.

From the start, Mnuchin promised his idol Trump that he would protect him from anyone seeking his tax returns. It's why Mnuchin got the job in the first place.

A host of other enablers are going to be faced with questions from lawmakers as new suspicions about dangled pardons, conflicting congressional testimony, implicit pleas form clemency and fresh suggestions of inappropriate presidential behavior are unraveled in the days, and weeks, ahead. 

Related: Trump's Acting AG 'Blatantly Lied to Congress' and Testified Again Because He Feared He Could Go to Prison 

Senate Republicans were faced with rebuking Trump's Emergency Resolution yesterday, which they did, setting it up for Trump's first veto. I suspect another is on the way too.

The Story - GOP Senators Voting Against Trump Try To placate the President: 'It's Not in Any Way A Slight On Him

The above story singles out how his enablers in the senate were forced to choose the Constitution over Trump's power grab for the Congressional purse. How pathetic is that after making doing the right thing they apologize to Trump and hope he's not mad at them.

Wow. I've only touched on some of Trump's enablers and it's enough to make a sane person's head spin. 

I'm somewhat consoled to know that historians will someday study how one man was able to corrupt every federal agency in the government.

His enablers will also have a place in Trump's Hall of Shame.

Time for me to walk on down the road...

A Mockery of Democracy: It's a Wealthy World After All

                                        Good Day World!

It's time for the majority of Americans to admit that the wealthy one percent of this country rule. It's a dirty little open-secret about our democracy, while our country still professes equal justice for all.

They've given corporations the same rights as humans (See Citizens United) and live at a different strata level than the average American.

We keep seeing evidence of the wealthy's tentacles throughout our society.

The most recent example is the wealthy families who were caught cheating to get their already privileged children placed in prestigious colleges.

The FBI is calling the college scandal the biggest admissions scam ever prosecuted in the United States. And get this, this scandal is just the tip of the iceberg authorities assert.

In yet another recent example, the public was outraged to hear how easily Paul Manafort got off in his first trial where he could have been sentenced to 20 years in prison and instead only got 47 months.

Related: What Manafort's Light Sentence says about Our Criminal Justice System 

When Manafort went to court the second time yesterday, he was once again given a lighter sentence than everyone expected considering his crimes.

The topper on this farce is Trump, who experts agree, will pardon Manafort before he leaves office.

Couple that with the Trump's wealthy minions in key government positions, and we have a mockery of democracy.

Time for me to walk on down the road...