Art of the Spueal

Candidate Trump was going to repeal and replace Obamacare on day one with something awesome.  President Trump said, "No one understands how complicated healthcare is."  Actually Trump was the only simpleton in the room.  Everyone knows the sector that makes up 1/6th of the economy, and accounts for the mental and physical well being of 300 million Americans, is complex.

Going into final negotiations AHCA proponents giddily promised that Trump was the closer.  He would seal the deal.  Afterwards, Spicer and others explained that this was not a  one on one negotiation.  Many people and factions were in play.  In other words Trump is a master at checkers, but not the three dimensional chess, that is politics.

Always quick to accept credit, Trump is even quicker at deflecting blame.  The Democrats were at fault.  Not a single Democrat backed the bill.  Trump neglected to mention that no one asked Democrats for their input or their votes.  In the mad rush to a vote there were no witnesses called, no committee hearings, no meetings with medical groups, and no outreach to Democrats.

This stands in stark contrast to Obamacare.  The ACA passed without GOP votes, but not for want of trying.  Obama started with a super majority in the Senate and could have easily passed the bill on a straight party vote.  Instead he spent months, and made unilateral concessions, to garner support from moderate GOP senators.

The squealer in chief has no one to blame but himself.  Something he will never do.

Shame on Trump

Tragedies should unite us.  We all rallied around George W. Bush after 9/11.  But Trump has chosen to attack the sitting president.  If you parse his words carefully, he implies that Obama was involved or sympathetic to this act of terrorism.  Shame!

Time to set the record straight.  Obama is responsible for the death of Osama bin Laden as well as fatal drone strikes against 120 ISIS leaders.  He has done this while maintaining the working relationships with Muslim states, and the local Islamic community, that are so crucial in the fight against ISIS.

Now let's look at the other side of the ledger.  Shortly after the attack in Orlando the Republican Lieutenant Governor of Texas tweeted a biblical verse clearly expounding that the victims deserved to die because of their homosexuality.  Republican tolerance, of such intolerance, facilitates the all too common hate crimes against the LGBT community.

More pointedly, since 9/11 guns have been used in over 85% of terrorist killings.   Trump and his party are on bended knee before the NRA,  protecting and expanding loopholes in background checks, while supporting universal access to assault weapons.

Obama is Beating ISIS

With wall to wall news we know more, but remember less.  Lost in the 24 hour news cycle is the simple truth that the president's strategy is working.   Just a year ago, with only token opposition, ISIS was devouring land, just a bite or two away from Bagdad.  The blitzkrieg was unstoppable, and their caliphate within reach.

Large scale movement of men and machines is susceptible to air power.  The air strikes ended the advance.  Like a shark, when ISIS is not advancing it is dying.  The second part of the president's campaign was to arm and train locals.  Although not yet taking root in Syria,  the Kurds and to a lesser extent the Iraqi army, are reclaiming much of Iraq.

With the dream of the Caliphate fading, ISIS has turned to Al Qaeda style terrorism, albeit with a better media presence.   The Paris attacks are a sign of weakness.  The land war is morphing into a war of ideas.  ISIS depends on radicalizing western Muslims.

ISIS has been more successful with the marginalized Muslim community in Paris than with the more successful communities in America.   Unwittingly, Republicans are aiding and abetting ISIS.  Presidential candidates are falling all over one another trying to radicalize American Muslims.

Trump wants us to shut down mosques.  Cruz proposes only accepting Christian refugees from Syria. Even Kasich, who like most of the GOP wants to limit government and shut down agencies, proposes a new agency to spread Judeo Christian values.  Not to be out done, Republican governors are taking (unconstitutional) steps to preclude relocation of  Syrian refugees to their states.

Home grown terrorists are being fertilized with Republican bullshit.

Is Netanyahu Racist?

The jury is out on whether Netanyahu is a bigot, but the evidence is mounting.  The homophobic Home Party called a Gay Pride Parade a "parade of beasts," even after a religious extremist killed a 16 year old girl and stabbed 5 others.  Netanyahu is in bed with the Home Party, even if he claims it is platonic.  The Home Party is part of his governing coalition.

Closer to home, even than the Home Party, he has been sued for abuse and discrimination by two  house hold employees, a black maid and a  black (jewish) bodyguard.

He has been slow to protect the homes of others.  The extremist wing of the settler movement is like a psychotic landlord getting rid of tenants in a rent controlled building.  Believing they have a divine right to biblical land,  extremists have justified arson, theft and other acts of violence against Palestinian land owners.  Recently an infant was killed.  Although generally turning a blind eye, Netanyahu did condemn the killing.  Even he understands than infanticide is bad PR.

Finally, he has shown historic disdain for a sitting American President.  Never before has an Israeli Prime Minister all but enrolled in an American political party.  As a de facto Republican he has made Israel a partisan issue, which is bad for both countries.  Long before the Iran Treaty, Netanyahu  bit  the hand that has fed Mossad a buffet of intelligence and fattened up his military.    Has race played a role?  Fellow jurors, what is your verdict?

The Uncertainty Myth

Republicans have long shouted from the roof tops that businesses have failed to increase their workforces because the President has created uncertainty with with his legislation, proposals and regulations.  Fortunately most of us Democrats do not live on roof tops.  We are more grounded in the truth.

Today I will only focus on the respective tax proposals.   Obama was clear that he wanted to increase the top bracket for income in excess of $250,000 from 35% to 39.6%.  This is hardly a job killer.  Large corporations will not stop hiring because the tax rate for some executives will increase.  Small businesses taxed on the individual rate, that are making net profit in excess of 250,000, are unlikely to pass up a good business opportunity because of 4.6% increase in taxes over that amount.  At most it might be a slight consideration on the margins.

In contrast if business leaders believe the Ryan/Romney budget has a chance of passage there would be total paralysis.  The plan cuts taxes, primarily on upper bracket tax payers, by 5 trillion over the next 10 years.  Defense spending is to increase by 2 trillion.  But not only is the budget supposed to cover this loss of revenue, but the deficit is to be reduced.  This is to be achieved by cutting spending,  a thread bare safety net, and removing unspecified deductions.  Spending creates demand.  Businesses will be reluctant to expand until the impact can be quantified. 

Much business planning is designed to maximize deductions.  Moreover, some deductions are industry specific.  Without knowing whose ox will be gored, businesses will be on an economic diet, leading to an anorexic economy.

Can Romney win a fair fight?

In his two electoral successes, beating Shannon O'Brien for governor and winning the Republican nomination, Romney has had the same ring strategy.    He uses superior resources to out punch his opponent, with most of the blows at, or below, the belt.  He outspent O'Brien by 50%.  His advantage in the Republican primaries was far greater.

Obama is a prodigious fundraiser.  His campaign will probably raise more money than Mitt's.  Including Super Pacs, and other third parties,  Romney will have the cash advantage.  But campaign finance rules will negate part of this advantage (see my earlier post "Obama's October (and September) Surprise").  Obama also has the advantage of incumbency.  No campaign resources are used when he flies into the swing state of Colorado, to survey the fire damage and, to offer federal assistance.

Can Romney win a fair fight?  Looking at his protruding chin, I suspect he has a glass jaw.