Action

I have been blogging to present my political point of view in this incredibly tense time of real chaos in domestic and foreign policy as well as the Russian manipulation of democracy, both American and other Western democracies. 
Further, I truly believe that Trump has contributed to the destabilizing of the American democratic process - from his initial claim that Obama was foreign born to the well publicized comment tht America is  "not so innocent" in response to the observation about Russia's brutal political suppression.  I won't presume to attribute motives to trump - could be selfish political goals, selfish personal financial goals, blackmail from Putin, an effort to ingratiate Putin.  Who knows.  But trump is not stupid - Trump's behavior is so consistent and pervasive that it is no accident.
Trump' cabinet selections are equally radical and destabilizing, going beyond general conservative mainstream choices.
Put all the Trump generated chaos on top of the Republican Party's past obstruction of any efforts of the Obama Presidency and the GOP's current effort to destroy any legacy of any Obama action.

In the future, I will be expressing my views primarily from my twitter account, @quiltsbyliz.  I will only blog when I need to express issues requiring more general narratives. 

I also maintain an email group to communicate Resistance actions - demonstrations, rallies and phone campaigns.  I send emails as blind cc's so that news doesn't get lost in posts of opinions.  If anyone wishes to join, send me a tweet at @quiltsbyliz.

GOP Chaos

Paul Ryan drafted his healthcare bill in secret, even hiding it on Capital Hill.  Why?  First, he must have had the go ahead from Trump to create the bill that Ryan himself wanted. After all, we know that Trump is no policy wonk - and to this date hasn't shown any reason for us to believe that he knew what was in the bill.  So, next step, Paul Ryan drafted his "dream" bill.  Paul Ryan didn't care about healthcare deliver one bit - Paul Ryan just wanted to end a major entitlement (Medicaid) as we know it.  His "healthcare" AHCA was just window dressing to gut Medicaid.
Funny thing happened.  People noticed that there was no healthcare in the healthcare bill!  And a grass roots movement was born tht will live well beyond the defeat of the AHCA.
Proof that Paul Ryan didn't care about healthcare came when his solution to difficulty in getting his bill passed was to pander to the hard right by removing any semblance of ehalthtcare form the bill.  No longer would insurers be required to provide benefits like materity, mental health, emergency room, outpatient, pediatric services.  A race to the bottom was on!  What insurance company would provide anything except a profit stream for their executives and stock holders?  None.
Funny thing.  Even more center Republicans couldn't stomach this, especially with the grass roots movement growing stronger and wider by the day.
Meanwhile, Trump's idle threats meant nothing to a GOP  Representative who realized that Trump didn't know what he was talking and didn't care.  also, given the criminal investigation about Russian collusion into Trump's campaign, it is possible that trump wn't be office by the midterms.  What "power" does Trump have?
And just to prove it, Trump quit after a couple days trying to pass the Paul Ryan bill.
So,net effect? GOP chaos and a strong grass roots movement that will not go away anytime soon.
Next up, Neil Gorsuch

Second Story of the Day

The main story of the day is, of course, that the Republican (no) healthcare bill went down in flames and that trump is blaming the Democrats in congress for the loss, despite the fact that Ryan never created this bill in secret, never consulted Democrats and proceeded to remove more and more aspects of care as he drove the content of the bill further away from providing actual care. 

The task of the supporters of Obamacare now must monitor what Tom Price, Secretary of HHS, will try to do to it by changing regulations of Obamacare in his control.

However, it is important to make note of the latest bizarre action by Devan Nunes, Chair of the House Intelligence Committee.  A public hearing was scheduled for next week, bringing FBI Director James Comey, NSA Director rogers AND Sally Yates, who trump fired, back for more testimony.  Nunes actually cancelled the hearing and announced such in a press conference before telling the members of the committee.  And, incidentally, he has not yet details of his allegation, revealed in two press conferences, about monitoring of Trump to members of his committee.  but he told Trump.

Unless Nunes is replaced, the House Intelligence Committee has become a branch of the Executive Branch, breaching the sacred Constiutional concept of separation of powers.  Maybe Speaker Ryan, who can't get his bills passed, can at least change the chairman of a critical committee.  Maybe he cn take care of that.  If not, a different vehicle for investigation must be developed.

Quoting

A former deputy to former Attorney General Eric Holder, whose name escapes me, said that Devan Nunes, Chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, did the equivalent of pouring gasoline on himself and lighting himself on fire.  Why? Nunes held two press conferences and took some info directly to trump without taking it to his committee, nor even the ranking member of his committee, a Democrat. 
So much for the separation of powers and the US Constitution. 
The House healthcare bill and the revelation that Paul Manafort has been under contract to a Russian to the tune of $10million a year.  Then Nunes not only poured gasoline on himself, but also did so to the Republican Party.  Did he think he was helping Trump?  Or was he warning Trump that there is another ticking time bomb there?
As I wrote in my last post, these events are now all post scripts.  We are just waiting for Republicans in the House of Representatives to begin impeachment proceedings unless Trump resigns.

My Guess

Paul Ryan miscalculated.  He thought he could ram a bill through the House.  That is obvious.  He hid the bill, and set it up for a quick vote with no budget scoring and no public hearing.  Paul Ryan is not stupid.  He knew that Trump would not read any bill, so his support was pretty much assured.  He didn't know that the actual impact (the higher costs of insurance, the loss of Medicaid for millions, plus huge tax breaks for the wealthy) of the bill's features on actual healthcare would be noticed by voters and healthcare providers.  He didn't know that the Trump administration would be under criminal investigation for involvement in Russian hacking of the recent election, diminishing the power and influence of the administration. 
There you have it.  We will find out tomorrow where Paul Ryan winds up.
As for the Trump Presidency, in sixty-some days, it is on the ropes.  If the lying tweets about Obama's wire tapping didn't do it, then the images from Trump's meeting with Angela Merkel finished any sense of hope for a legitimate presidency.  Secretary of State Rex Tillerson's choice to visit Russia and blow off a NATO meeting, as outrageous as this is in the real world, is merely a post script to a ruined presidency since now the question is simply how and when Trump will be out of office.

Only One Answer

Every day there is new evidence of how unfit Trump I for the office of the President.  His lack of knowledge or skill for international diplomacy, as on full view during Angela Merkel's visit.  His cabinet with problems ranging from HHS Secretary's probably illegal stock purchases to cabinet members who oppose the work of their departments and crowned by a Secretary of State who has no staff, will loose a major portion of his department's budget and appears to be fine with foreign policy run out of the ignorant White House.
Then there is Trump' staff selections.  Which is worse? Bannon, the right winger who wants to "deconstruct' government? Or Flynn, the agent of a foreign government, Turkey, plus getting paid by Russia, appointed as National Security Advisor.
With Paul Ryan taking advantage of the opportunity of an idiot President to ram through a healthcare bill, more an evisceration of healthcare bill, a long standing aim of his political career to screw the middle class and poor while enriching the wealthy.  Trump is so stupid that he expressed his perspective on the bill as incredulity - who knew healthcare was so complicated.  Duh.
Mr James Walker, 31, of Tennesee, carried a sign declaring that he had made a "Huge Mistake".  I wanted to cry - for his public honesty and probably much despair.  But Mr Walker may be the vanguard of the solution.  The Republican Party will not act responsibly until some hard core Trump supporters join Mr Walker. Mr Walker may be our true hero.
There is no point ranting on a regular basis about this or that additional bit of evidence of Trump's stupidity, ego, lies, ignorance or hate.  I will only post when Trump's behavior is so egregious I cannot bear to let it go ignored.
Impeachment or resignation.  It must be done.  It is that simple and the Republican Party holds all the cards.

AHCA GOP Wreckage

The Republicans are selling the Brooklyn Bridge.  But if Paul Ryan can shrink government give the rich tax guts, he has fulfilled his goals.  So he smiles his giddy smile and resorts to lies that his bill is a mercy act for Obamacare.  The only death spiral talk came from two companies, Aetna and Humana when they were denied the right to merge (and thereby reduce coverage choices).
A tidbit that I heard last night - AHCA ends coverage for black lung, even if one is able to afford insurance. There are also reductions in treatment for opioid addiction and mental health.  If you have coverage at all.
The worst features of the bill are:

•  the change to Medicaid block grants, first time ever an entitlement program is demolished (perhaps the cause for Paul Ryan's smile),
• the increased premiums coupled with less coverage, the change from large subsidies to tax credits that will mean nothing to low income folks who barely pay taxes
• the inability to reimburse Planned Parenthood for cancer screenings and birth control pills, alleging that nonexistent community health clinics will fulfill the role that Planned Parenthood does now
• the premium increases to the older Americans aged 50-something to 65, when Medicare kicks in
• the huge penalty that someone will incur if they try to enroll after having dropped or lapsed their coverage

But the advocates of the bill - the few who speak publicly about their support - say what makes it great is CHOICE.  Fantastic.  But over 8 years, 24 million loose coverage and the rich get a tax cut.  My projection is that the saving in the projected deficit will be spent on Trump's increased military spending plans or the ridiculous wall.

Speaking of cost -A little aside - I learned that Trump's vow to not accept the Presidential salary is not accurate.  But then nothing he says ever is.  He will accept the salary and then donate it to charity.  So, the government will pay him $400,000 and then he will take a tax deduction for the charitable donation calculated at $158,400.  Not what I call a savings to the federal government.  (Thanks you, Lawrence O'Donnell.)  Not to mention what it is costing for protection for Melania and Barron Trump to live in NYC and the frequent trips to Mar-Lago.  So Trump milks the government.  And we have yet to see his tax returns.

The Trump Administration is  bunch of old white men cashing in - who will hopefully be seen for what they are.  The only salvation may be the 2018 mid-terms.  If we Democrats can communicate the truth.

All this without even mentioning the Trump Russia problem!

Rest in Peace, Republican Party

How far we have come.  Time to remember.  I'm a hard core Democrat but I respected the points of view and actions of some Republicans.  Many have recalled Senator John McCain's gentle reply to the audience member who called Obama an Arab.  McCain gently refuted that characterization.  Then there was President George W Bush who visited a mosque after 9/11 and spoke urging respect for women who wear Moslem head coverings.  The same President bush who supported Medicare expansion to include prescription drug coverage through Part D.
Senator McCain is still there, along with Senator Lynsday Graham, who sometimes step forward on concerns with Russia.

But the Republican Party is otherwise gone.  Vanished into the past.  Sarah Palin gave legitimacy to the so-called Tea Party, fueled by right wing media and internet, often with lies - not alternate facts, just plain lies.  The original Tea Party were patriots who dumped tea in the Boston Harbor.  The current remake has no such foundation. 

Republican Congresspersons have legitimate fears, some having been primaried by Tea Party rightists.  And I cannot forget  Joe Walsh he shouted "you lie" at President Obama during his speech to Congress.  Yes, the Republican Party has been in disarray.  Their primary process with seventeen candidates set them up for a crazy result and they got it.

Now the Congress has devised a healthcare plan that rewards the rich with tax reductions, reduces the ability of the middle class to afford health insurance and removes the poor from health insurance altogether.  They do this because they share Humana and Aetna's lie, that "Obamacaare" is in a "death spiral" and their plan is an act of mercy.  The supporters of the new bill smirk as they talk aobut it - that should tell you something.

Now all semblance of sanity is gone.  They have a leader in the White House who has no clear objectives, except for magnifying his own image to the maximum, and who has no understanding of governing principles, except for maintaining power, and does not care about American history and the continuity it gives our institutional leadership.  Since he is an empty self absorbed vessel, he listens to those who feed his crazy notions.  No ethics are left.  A National Security Advisor who is a foreign agent.  A Secretary of state who is unable to speak in public.  Threats of loss of funding for an array of programs - CDC, FEMA, even Homeland security and the Coast Guard - so a useless wall can be built at tax payers' expense.

Republicans gerrymandered Congressional districts after the 2010 census and impose voter id laws furthering their power.  Well they got the power and we got a Steve Bannon Presidency. 

It is up to the Republican Party to fix it.

Flynn Plus

So the National Security Advisor in the White House was a foreign agent for Turkey.  He filed the paperwork retroactively.  Hmm.  Maybe because he has to file his taxes which will show income of $530,000 from Turkey.
And just a couple days after this revelation, Attorney General Jeff Sessions fired the remaining US attorneys subject to the administration's wishes.  Hmmm.  I wonder if these firings might be to assure that the Flynn revelation isn't investigated. 
Or maybe the firing of 46 federal attorneys - clean out your desk by the end of the day type firings - is a smoke screen.  Maybe Trump realized that the US Attorney for the Southern District of NY - a particularly dogged investigator who has brought many a New York state politician - is a major risk to Trump himself.  Not to mention that such a sudden transition will ruin or at best severely delay current investigations, since Trump doesn't have any replacements lined up.
My personal guess is that Trump wants to make sure his own skin is safe and getting rid of the one zealous Attorney for the Southern District of NY will help that wish along.

Why Rush the AHCA ? Ah Ha!

The Trump Russia connection becomes clearer - Michel Flynn was acting as a foreign agent; top 3 foreign service staff have been removed by Trump Administration with no under secretaries or deputies in plce.  Hmmm.
Paul Ryan wants to get the repeal and replace disaster bill through before the trump Administration implodes maybe to Impeachment.  Ryan says this is their "last chance".
There's a reason Trump accused Obama - probably incorrectly - of the wire tap/.  Trump knows it's coming or out there.
Something is coming and they all know it

You're KIdding Me - NOT !

Trump was awarded more than 27 trademark uses for his name - in and by CHINA !  So much for distancing himself from his business interests.  But, need I say, worst of all, is Trump's public criticism of China on the trade front.  Plus, the need to involve China in addressing the increasingly aggressive posture of North Korea.  Perfect! Just what is in the interest of the USA - complicating the relationship with China.
Impeach him now

AHCA

Critical Point: House of Representatives is scheduled to vote on this bill BEFORE the Congressional budget Office determines what the bill will cost.  So representatives will vote before they know the impact of their votes.  But hey! What does it matter?  What they know is that taxes on wealthy will be reduced and Medicaid recipients will be reduced.  What more do they need to know?

Ryan Lies.  He says Obamacare is in a death spiral and he and his Republican colleagues are on a rescue mission.  WRONG!  Even national actuarial societies dispute Ryan's claims.  Obamacare is not failing.  Gosh - just like Palin spoke about death panels, now Ryan claims death spirals.  Republicans seem to have a problem claiming death fake outs.  How low can the Republicans go?

 Meanwhile, the following OPPOSE Trumpcare:
AARP
American Hospital Association
American medical Association

Here's what Trumpcare  (AHCA) would do:

Take the money no longer paid to Planned Parenthood for medical services to women and give it to community health centers - that either do not exist or do not have the capacity to provide screening and medical services to women.

Allow people to buy policies cross state lines - allowing people to buy the cheapest policy with the least amount of services, thereby dumbing down the availability of good quality health insurance plans.

Older Americans, aged 55 to 65, would have their policies increase by about $5,000 per year.
People who let their policy to lapse will be charged 30% more when they re-enroll.  We can only guess that people letting their policy lapse probably would do so because they might be short of funds, like maybe a job loss.

Medicaid would be paid by grants to the individual states and would freeze the number of people receiving Medicaid.
People will be allowed to put more money into a health savings account - but of course the person must have the money available in their personal budget to do that.

The budget deductions for health corporations allowed under the law will be removed, allowing health providers to include any payments to their CEO's in their income tax deductions.

If 10 million people loose their healthcare coverage, community hospitals will return to serving people with o coverage.

Six pages of the 66 page bill addresses how people who win sizable lotteries should loose their Medicaid benefits -I cant' imagine why they need 6 pages for this minor point, but there it is.

It's getting clearer for me.  The Obamacare bill includes a couple taxes on the wealthy - a higher tax on investments for the wealthy and a surtax on "Cadillac" healthcare plans - that will be repealed by the new AHCA bill.  This will be accompanied by reductions in subsidies - one case study showed that someone getting  $10,000 subsidy to buy insurance under Obamcre would get a $4,000 subsidy under the new bill.  THAT'S how this bill benefits the rich over the middle class and poor.

The AHCA bill has not been scored for its costs.  Normally, the budget office will do that before a bill is released.  We have no idea what this bill does to finances.

Republican comments really tell the story of the AHCA: The Utah Congressman who says people should choose between buying an Iphone ($399) and health insurance (costis thousands).  When criticized, the Congressman said he had been "inartful".  Then there's the Kansas Congressman who says the poor "will always be with us", don't want healthcare and don't take care of themselves AND cited Jesus.  These comments tell you what Republican Congressmen truly want from their healthcare plan.


I will continue to update this  post as I learn more.

Wrong Again

Trump tweets that Obama released 122 vicious Gitmo detainees who were released re-entered the terroristic fight.  As usual, reporters fact checked his tweet for accuracy.  trump was wrong again - yes, 122 released Gitmo detainees reentered the fray but only 9 were released by Obama - the other 113 were released by Bush.
I guess Trump can only read one sentence in a report or listen to the first sentence of a briefing.
Just sayin'

Hidden Provision

Howard Dean, physician and Former Vermont Governor, just described a little discussed provision of  repeal and replace.  That is, in Obamacare there was a tax on high salaries (did Gov Dean say over $26 million?) of healthcare corporate CEO's (I'm not clear about whether it effects other CEO's).  .  That tax is repealed and ended in the GOP bill.
Gov Dean also says - and this is obvious - that the thousands (he said 50 million - that would include Medicaid recipient losses) who will loose their health insurance (through the change in Medicaid and subsidies) are in the poor states that voted for trump - like Kentucky and West Virginia.
One more thing - the new bill prohibits funding to Planned Parenthood for anything.  That is payment to Planned Parenthood for women's healthcare -cancer screenings and birth control - among other things.  Who uses these services?  young women, rural women, poor women, women who do not have a gynecologist. 
Maybe the Obmacare ACA needs refinement.  The GOP bill hurts healthcare delivery in the USA, doesn't help.  Interesting - no GOP legislator is talking about it today.  Hmm. I wonder why.

Post script - I'm hearing that the provision ending state lines for writing policies is in the bill.  Great (that's sarcasm).  The result will be that states like Mississippi will allow simple bills at low cost that offer limited services while state like New York, New Jersey, California will insist on policies with good provisions for the insured but at higher cost.  Naturally, most people will go for the Mississippi policy and eventually put the NY NJ CA policies out of business.  The perfect formula for dumbing down healthcare to crap.

Chasing Hot Air

That's all Trump is - hot air.  Does anyone realize how ridiculous this is?  Not to mention how dangerous.  Does it matter whether he is trying to distract or just lashing out his uncontrollable anger?  Not one bit.  It is obvious to any sane person that he is not capable of doing the job of President.  It is that simple, not complicated at all.
The Republicans are in control.  They continue to put party and their ideas.-not held by the majority of the electorate - head of country.  They know it's their last chance at imposing their will on the majority - what they don't realize, apparently, is that this is their only chance to salvage democracy as we know it.

My Ah Ha Moment

Now I think I understand Trump's motivation.  Scary.  He has been taking actions that make the Western world hate the USA.  Like fighting with Mexico, even Australia, comments about Merkel and dismissing NATO is outdated while American partners who don't do their fair share.  Not to mention his disparagement of the Moslem world.  While he praises Putin and Russia.

Rachel Maddow revealed how a Russian fertilizer oligark's private jet was seen at many airport locations next to the Trump plane during the campaign.  Suggesting that this oligark is a logical conduit to bring Putin's communication to trump in person. 

WHY?  It is in Putin's Russia best interest to diminish USA and foster international dislike/hatred of the USA.  Thereby enhancing Russia's international position.  Trump is acting like a Russian "asset", as in spy-talk.

Insight

Andrea Mitchell interviewed former Russian foreign minister, Andrei Kozyrev.  He left Russian government because he opposed Putin's policies.  Here's his great insight.  With all these meetings with Russians and Trump people, why wasn't the first sentence to the Russian, "stop the hacking into our election"?  Not a one of the Trump-ers have recounted that they stated their opposition to hacking whne speaking to the Russians.  Now, the Russians will have sent the content of these meetings back to Russia.  Will we ever find out what was really said?

Screwed Up

Congressional Republicans have locked up their healthcare - maybe repeal and release or maybe repeal - somewhere in Capital Hill's basement.  Even Rand Paul has been able to see it.  Of course, Paul wants to simply repeal separately and vote on replacement on the same day, even though they don't agree on replacement.  Nancy Pelosi says the secret bill hasn't been scored, ie., assessed for its budgetary impact.  Paul fears the secret bill will be presented as take it or leave it.

Russian contacts have extended to the Attorney General - more on that later - and now include Donald Trump Jr's trip to Russia and meetings with Jared Kushner.  Leaks are the way these facts some to light and the Trump administration calls leaks fake news and the news media "the enemy of the American people".  Wilbur Ross, Commerce Secretary, owns half the Cypress Bank that launders Russian oligarks money.  What more do you need to say?  And there is always the Trump comments all over the map on whether he has or has not had connections to Russia.  I get a feeling like roaches infecting our federal government.

Trump says the military spending increase is really a jobs program.  Gosh.  Didn't Hitler do that?  Why not solar energy, improved infrastructure and other ecological related improvements? 

Now Jeff Sessions has wisely recused himself on issues "during the campaign".  Smart move.  He tries to cut off the problems - his lying under oath and whatever has gone on regarding Russia after the election.  Slick.  He ahs not begun to take appropriate action for what we already know.

Just where is James Comey, FBI Director?  Intelligence Committee says Comey is refusing to give them answers to their questions.  Comey pursues criminal actions, Congress explores the safety of the country. 

This spiral is terrifying.  Impeachment cannot come soon enough

Priceless

Sessions lied under oath, but Republicans parse it, well, he was in a different role as a senator on the Armed Services Committee.  This is no excuse. The most generous spin would be to say, he could have answered honestly and iven n explanation, for example, the Senate Committee was considering this or that in Russian relations, etc.  But other committee members say they have not spoken to Russian ambssadors. Perhaps his fellow committee members could not support that story.  Or, he just chose to not get into the issue and thought he could get away with it.
Whatever.  He lied under oath.  Bill Clinton was impeached for a lie that had nothing to do with his job performance, let alone international relations with our country's major adversary.
An interesting side note that I am hearing.  The Obama Administration knew that there was a lot of stuff going on but they felt that they were in a no win position.  They could not appear to take sides in the election and they thought they could address the issue when Hillary Clinton was President.  After Trump won, members of the Obama Administration made every effort to preserve evidence.
We will learn more as the layers peel away. 
The serious issue is just how closely attached is the Trump administration to Russia.  Trump's tax returns must be made public.  How were his debts paid off?  It is beyond the election hacking, as bad as that was.  It is about our current relations with this adversarial country.
Trump has lied about issues large and small.  His pro-Russian sttements are legend.  Hard evidence must be presented to refute that this administration does not have affiliation to Russia.

Thank You, Washington Post

Jeff Sessions spoke to the Russian Ambassador twice during the Trump campaign in July and Sessions did not revel this when questioned during his confirmation hearings.  According to the Washington Post.  I didn't read far enough to find out if that involves perjured testimony under oath.  Sessions ahs still not recused himself from Russian investigations.
We are getting closer to an independent prosecutor and closer to Trump.
Thank you, Washington Post.