2025

Here’s a look at the hearings scheduled for Thursday, January 16, 2025.

10:00 a.m. – Scott Turner – Housing and Urban Development

Former NFL player, Turner ran the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council in Trump’s first term. He is a professional mentor, pastor and former Texas House member.

He will appear before the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee. HUD is charged with addressing the nation’s housing needs and fair housing laws, and oversees housing for the poorest Americans. Obviously, this is a critical spot, with housing being a big campaign issue.

10:00 a.m. – Lee Zeldin – Environmental Protection Agency

Former New York congressman. He will appear before the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee. The EPA is tasked with matters pertaining to environmental protection, conducting assessments, research, education and maintaining and enforcing national standards.

During his term in the House of Representatives, Mr. Zeldin voted against clean water legislation at least a dozen times and clean air legislation at least half a dozen times, according to the League of Conservation Voters.

10:15 a.m. – Bondi – Day 2

10:30 a.m. – Scott Bessent – Treasury Department

Billionaire hedge fund manager from South Carolina, Bessent would be the first openly LGBTQ Senate-confirmed Cabinet members in a Republican administration.

He will appear before the Senate Finance Committee. The treasury chief helps formulate financial, economic, and tax policy, and manage the public debt.

This could be a hearing worth watching. I’m still trying to figure out how a billionaire can fairly oversee the treasury.

Hearings not yet scheduled:

Lore Chavez-DeRemer – Labor Department

Tulsi Gabbord, Office of Director of National Intelligence

Robert F Kennedy, Jr – Health and Human Services

Howard Lutnick – Commerce Department

Linda McMahon – Education

Kash Patel – FBI

Brooke Rollins – Agriculture

Elise Stefanik – UC ambassador

While I suspect most of the hearings schedule for Thursday will not be overly contentious, I still would watch Zeldin and Bessent, as well as Bondi.

Some of the most contentious nominations are not yet scheduled, including Tulsi Gabbard, Robert Kennedy Jr and Linda McMahon.

I will be watching for updated schedules and will bring them to you when I find them.

Confirmation Hearing Schedule – 01/15/2025

The following confirmation hearings are scheduled for Wednesday, January 15, 2025.

9:00 a.m. – Kristi Noem – Homeland Security Department

Governor of South Dakota, rancher and former congresswoman. Her claim to fame lately has been her admitted shooting of her puppy because he wouldn’t do what he was asked. Hmmm – maybe Defense is better suited for the gun happy lady!

She will appear before the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs. This is one of the biggest governmental agencies and covers border security and immigration. Should be an interesting hearing.

9:30 a.m. – Pam Bondi – Justice Department (Attorney General)

Former Florida attorney general, she served on Trump’s legal team during his first impeachment and currently leads the legal arm of the America First Policy Institute.

Ms. Bondi will appear before the Senate Judiciary Committee. This position will be one of the most closely watched Cabinet members, given the concern that Trump will look to bend the Justice Department to his will. This hearing is currently scheduled over two days.

10:00 a.m. – Sean Duffy – Transportation

Former Wisconsin congressman who was also a co-host on Fox Business.

He will appear before the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee. The department oversees pipelines, railroads, cars, trucks, airlines and mass transit systesm, as well as funding for highways.

10:00 a.m. – John Ratcliffe – CIA

Ratcliffe was the director of national intelligence for the final months of Trump’s first term. He’s a former Texas congressman.

He goes before the Senate Intelligence Committee. He will lead the nation’s premier spy agency, responsible for foreign covert operations and collecting data on US adversaries.

10:00 a.m. – Marco Rubio – State Department

Florida senator has served on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, which is considering his nomination.

As head of the State Department, Rubio would oversee the US foreign service, advise Trump of diplomatic appointments and conduct negotiations with foreign leaders on behalf of the administration.

10:00 a.m. – Chris Wright – Energy Department

Fossil fuel executive, Wright has been one of the industry’s loudest voices against efforts to fight climate change.

He will appear before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. The secretary oversees energy generation and use in the US as well as the nation’s nuclear weapon stockpile. He would also join Burgum on the National Energy Council.

1:00 p.m. – Russell Vought, Office of Management and Budget

OMB director during Trump’s first administration. He goes before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.

Vought was closely involved with Project 2025, the conservative blueprint for Trump’s up-coming second term. Trump tried to distance himself from this plan during the presidential campaign.

The budget director oversees the building of the president’s budget and review of proposed regulations.

Of the hearings held on Wednesday, the easiest to pass should be Marco Rubio, who does bring experience to the role of Secretary of State.

The hearings that bear watching are possibly Pam Bondi’s, Chris Write, and Russell Vought. Will Pam Bondi be able to withstand Trump’s pressure to go after his political opponents? Wright brings a background adverse to environmental protection. With the background of the CA wildfires, this could present a contentious hearing. Mr. Vought brings his own problems, most notably his connection to Project 2025.

Again, Bondi’s hearing is schedule to last 2 days – Wednesday and Thursday. The others are not currently schedule over multiple days.

‘

Confirmation Hearing Schedule – 01/14/2025

Trump’s cabinet nominations will begin confirmation hearings this week. The hearings will be held from Tuesday, January 14th, through Thursday, January 16th. Apparently, the Senate doesn’t like to do serious work on Mondays or Fridays!?! Maybe those are travel days to and from their home states??

Article II is the section of the Constitution that deals with the executive branch. In Section II, it makes clear that while the president is the executive, he hires certain positions spelled out in the Constitution and others established by law with the “advice and consent” of senators. If the Senate is in recess, the president can make temporary appointments.

Article II, Section 2 of the Constitution states:

“He shall have Power, by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, to make Treaties, provided two thirds of the Senators present concur; and he shall nominate, and by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, shall appoint Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls, Judges of the supreme Court, and all other Officers of the United States, whose Appointments are not herein otherwise provided for, and which shall be established by Law: but the Congress may by Law vest the Appointment of such inferior Officers, as they think proper, in the President alone, in the Courts of Law, or in the Heads of Departments.

The President shall have Power to fill up all Vacancies that may happen during the Recess of the Senate, by granting Commissions which shall expire at the End of their next Session.”

In modern times, a president-elect nominates his picks for top officials ASAP after winning the election. Planning should ideally begin before Election Day.

Oversight committees in the Senate can conduct confirmation hearings before Inauguration Day on January 20. They can refer nominees to the full Senate or quick votes when the new president takes the oath of office. But things frequently take a lot longer.

For all the drama generated every four years by Cabinet appointments, defeat of a nominee by a vote in the Senate is extremely rare.

The only time a nominee by a new president was rejected by a Senate vote occurred in 1989, when George H.W. Bush nominated John Tower, a former senator from Texas, to be his secretary of defense.

Tower was undone by stories of his excessive drinking and what press reports at the time referred to as “womanizing,” and which Pentagon files back then documented as placing “special attention on the secretaries” as an arms negotiator in Geneva. [Perhaps Pete Hegseth should take note of this fact.]

So, without further ado, here is the list of scheduled confirmation hearings for this week:

9:00 a.m. – Doug Collins, Department of Veterans Affairs

A former congressman from Georgia, Mr. Collins is a Baptist minister and former US Navy chaplain and Air Force Reserve colonel. He was one of Trump’s most vocal supporters during the first impeachment hearing.

Mr. Collins will appear before the Senate Veteran’s Affairs Committee. The VA provides health care to former members of the US armed forces.

9:30 a.m. – Pete Hegseth – Department of Defense

Former “Fox & Friends” weekend host and Army National Guard combat veteran. His fitness for the cabinet position has come into question amid allegations of excessive drinking and sexual misconduct.

Mr. Hegseth will appear before the Senate Armed Services Committee. The Pentagon chief’s authority over the US military is second only to that of the president’s.

10:00 a.m. – Doug Burgum – Interior

Former governor of North Dakota and businessman, Mr. Burgum has also been tapped to lead the National Energy Council. Trump has said the council would seek to establish US energy dominance around the world.

Mr. Burgum will appear before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. The U.S. Department of the Interior protects and manages the Nation’s natural resources and cultural heritage; provides scientific and other information about those resources; and honors its trust responsibilities or special commitments to American Indians, Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians, and affiliated Island Communities. It is the chief steward of US public lands.

So tomorrow will have a fairly “light” schedule with only three confirmation hearings. At this time, it is not anticipated that any of the hearings will require multiple days. The most controversial of the three nominations is certainly Pete Hegseth. I suspect the hearing could be a bit contentious given allegations made to date. Certainly, there will be questions about the allegations that he will have to answer. I’m looking forward to watching some of it.

Happy New Year . . .

I hope everyone had a joyous, safe holiday season, regardless of what or how you celebrate!

I know I’ve been quite absent since the election. It doesn’t mean I haven’t had plenty to say. Rather, it means that I’ve had a lot going on.

I’ve read numerous posts on Twitter (won’t call it X just to bug the hell out of Musk!) about families that have been torn apart by the election. Parents forbid their children, or rather dis-invited them, to come for Christmas. I know how these family “squabbles” start – we have it in my family, too!

Yes, my son and his wife and kids are all Trump supporters. Obviously, I am not and neither is my sister. In case you didn’t know, my sister moved in with me when my mother passed away in 2022. I love my sister, but she does sometimes have a problem with boundaries! Her intentions are good, but she can push to try to “understand” the other person’s point of view. She can also “push” her beliefs too hard, trying to get you to understand why she’s right!

My philosophy regarding the situation is to just ignore the issue. In other words, don’t ask and don’t tell. I try to keep discussions off politics, not just with my son and his family but also with anyone I know who has opposite opinions. I hate confrontations and I don’t want to sever relationships – especially over “that man”!

So, before the holidays, my sister kept asking my son questions such as “why did you vote for him”, “what is it about him that makes you trust him”, etc. My son has repeatedly asked my sister to leave it alone – he does not want to engage in any conversation about Trump.

Well, my sister pushed once too often. She sent my son a text or email with a link to a discussion that she felt explained why she believes what she believes. Her intent? She wanted him to know what “made her tick” with the hope that he would reciprocate. It backfired spectacularly.

My son said he did not want to see her, talk to her, have anything to do with her, etc. You get the picture. I did not find out about this exchange until after the fact – one or two days after it happened. To her credit, my sister is the one who told me what happened, to which I had a minor meltdown on how this would negatively impact me and my relationship with my son.

As a side note, my sister had a similar experience a week later with my cousin (also a Trump fan). This time, however, my cousin hung up the phone on my sister. Boundaries are not big with my sister. We haven’t heard from Pat since, except for a text that merely read Merry Christmas.

I texted my son after a day or two and said that I hadn’t known anything about the situation and didn’t want to get in the middle. I did explain that his aunt loved him and was only trying to understand him. I also explained that she was seeing a therapist to help her with some things she’s processing, including working on boundaries! (I suspect I was the catalyst for that!)

Anyway, my son let me know that our relationship would not be impacted. That made me feel a bit better.

Bottom line was my son invited me to his home for Christmas day! Yippee! He extended the invitation to include my sister (I said I couldn’t abandon her) though he wanted to have a discussion with her about his boundaries. My sister didn’t go – she had previous plans for a pot luck dinner at the Church for people who didn’t have family in town.

I wound up spending five hours with my son and his wife. It was sublime! Yes, we did discuss the “thing” with my sister, but that did not drive the conversation for the whole day. I got all caught up on family goings on. It was very low key and a lot of fun.

I do not understand the severing ties over politics. I have always said Trump is very polarizing – you either love him or hate him. There doesn’t seem to be any middle ground. That being said, however, family is family! You only get one! I refuse to let “that man” interfere with mine.

I do not understand how/why my son supports Trump. But, I don’t need to. As long as he can love and respect me just for being me, I can do the same for him. I always told him I would love him no matter what he did. He asked me once “what if I robbed a store or killed someone?” I told him I’d be the one to turn him in to police but that I would still love him and stand by him.

I don’t have to agree with him and his beliefs to love him. He’s my son – he’s part of me and always will be. I can be confused by what he does or what he thinks while still loving him and being open to him.

That all being said, I still plan to resist for the next four years. I still plan to work like hell to get Democrats elected during the mid-terms in 2026 – it’s not too early to think about that!

In short, love your family. Don’t worry whether they have the same beliefs you do. Love them and accept them just as you want them to love and accept you! Life is too short!

Now it’s time to get to work!!

PS I can’t swear I’ll be here more often, though I suspect I will. But, I can promise to try to stay in touch more often. I think we’ll have plenty to talk about – starting with Elon Musk!! EEEWWWW! Don’t get me started!

A Bit Better

Okay, so I feel a bit better this morning. I’m halfway through my caffeine fix for the day. I hugged my fur babies all day and all night yesterday. I read some comforting articles and am listening to Morning Joe this morning. I’m feeling better.

Don’t misunderstand me. I’m still nauseated that I have to see “that man’s” face and hear his voice for four more years! But, I’m starting to feel hopeful again – I said starting. I’m not fully there but I’m on the way.

Yesterday, I read several posts on Twitter (I still refuse to call it X) that blamed white women for not showing up. These posts predictable came from black people, both men and women. I can only say I take exception to that statement.

Did 100% white women vote for Kamala? No, of course not. However, 100% of black women didn’t vote for Kamala; 100% of black men didn’t vote for Kamala. In fact, 100% of no voting block voted for either candidate.

Let’s take a look at the numbers – not just the percentages, but the raw numbers too!

In 2020, a total of 155.4 million votes were cast – 81.2 million for Biden vs 74.2 million for Trump. In 2024, a total of 138.5 million votes were cast – 66.8 million for Harris vs 71.7 million for Trump. So, in 2024 approximately 17 million people did not vote for either of the two major party candidates. Did they stay home? Did they vote third party? I suspect some of the elderly (and maybe some of the younger voters) passed away. My mother was one – I suspect she wasn’t the only one.

But, the fact is, we had a major decline in voter turnout. I find this very odd, especially considering how many early vote counts were so high they set new records! I don’t know how to explain this.

Moving on, while the Democratic candidate garnered between 14 and 15 million fewer votes in 2024, the Republican candidate garnered between 2 and 3 million fewer. Again, this highlights the fact that more Democrat voters either stayed home or voted third party or whatever. But, voters for both major parties were less enthusiastic than they were in 2020! Again, I don’t know how to explain this.

Let’s look at the gender gap:

Women favored Biden over Trump by 15 points in 2020, whereas women favored Harris over Trump by only 8 points in 2024. Of all the women voters, 53% voted for Harris, while 45% voted for Trump. Note this is all women, regardless of race. I think this surprises me the most. Is this based on gender bias? I have a hard time believing that women think a women is less qualified than a man in today’s world, but what do I know?

Men, on the other hand, favored Trump over Biden by 8 points in 2020, whereas men favored Trump over Harris by 13 points in 2024. Of all the men voters in 2024, 42% voted for Harris, while 55% voted for Trump. Again, this is all men, regardless of race. Gender bias? Yeah, it looks like it to me.

I think these two metrics clearly indicate a gender bias against a women in leadership. What the hell people!?! It’s 2024 for goodness sake – surely we’re past this crap! Women serve in combat these days!

Now comes the ethnic votes. White voters voted 41% for Harris and 57% for Trump. Black voters voted 85% for Harris and 13% for Trump. Latino/Hispanic voters voted 52% for Harris and 46% for Trump. Asian voters voted 54% for Harris and 39% for Trump. All other voters voted 42% for Harris and 54% for Trump. These represent ethnic voters in total, regardless of gender.

Black men favored Biden over Trump by 60 points in 2020, while they favored Harris over Trump by 56 points in 2024. Not sure I can call a 4 point drop gender bias. Black women favored Biden over Trump by 81 points in 2020, while favoring Harris over Trump by 84 points in 2024.

Here’s a biggie – Latino men favored Biden over Trump by 23 points in 2020, while favoring Trump over Harris by 12 points in 2024! That’s a huge 35 point swing in 4 years. Gender bias? If I were a betting person, I’d say hell yes! Latina women favored Biden over Trump by 39 points in 2020, while favoring Harris over Trump by only 22 points. Gender bias? Not sure. The 17 point decline could be as much because of unknown candidate as anything else.

I have to say I was very surprised by the Latino vote, especially after the horrible jokes made during the Madison Square Garden rally! I felt sure that rally would turn the Latino population towards Harris. Clearly, the Latino community thinks Trump’s immigration policy means all Latinos except them! Good luck on that score!

White men favored Trump over Biden by 23 points in 2020, which did not change in 2024. White men still favored Trump over Harris by 23 points in 2024. White women favored Trump over Biden by 11 points in 2020, while favoring Trump over Harris by 8 points in 2024.

As to age, voters 18-44 voted 51% for Harris and 46% for Trump, while those 45 and over voted 46% for Harris and 52% for Trump. I think this surprised me a lot. It surprises me that so many people approaching retirement voted for Trump. The GOP as a whole, and Rick Scott specifically, has indicated they want to seriously curtail both Social Security and Medicare, both of which affect seniors the most! So I fail to understand why seniors (or those approaching senior status) would vote Republican, regardless of the candidate!

I’m also surprised at the younger voters. I would have assumed (yea, hee haw) that younger voters would be extremely interested in climate change and progressive programs. Yet, nearly half voted for Trump who thinks climate change is a hoax and we should go back to the dark ages!

As to income, families making less than $50,000 a year voted 47% for Harris and 50% for Trump. Those making $50,000 or more voted 49% for Harris and 48% for Trump. This also surprised me. Those on the lower income scale are the most to be hurt by Trump’s policies. So, it boggles my mind why half of them would vote for Trump!

Please note the breakdown by age or income includes all voters, regardless of gender or ethnic backgrounds.

Most surprising to me are the results of first time voters. Of these, 43% voted for Harris and 56% voted for Trump. Again, this is all first time voters, regardless of gender or ethnic backgrounds. I would have thought first time voters were younger people and, again, I would have thought progressive policies and climate conditions would have been high on the list of important issues.

Of all voters, 35% say that America’s best days are in the past! What?!? Over 1/3 of Americans think we should live in the past??

Of all voters, 65% say abortion should be legal. The results of the election would indicate this issue was not a top priority, since clearly 65% did not vote for the candidate who favored restoring protections under Roe v Wade!

Of all voters, 73% said democracy is under threat. Again, the results would indicate this issues was not a top priority.

Finally, of all voters, 60% disapprove of the job the Supreme Court is doing. Count me among those voters! I think those of us that disapprove of SCOTUS’ job do so because we feel the Court has become partisan and is making decisions based on partisan bias rather than on the law! At least, that’s what I think. Again, it seems to me this was not an overriding concern in the long run.

So, there we have it. Are white women to blame for the results? I don’t think so – at least not entirely! I think there’s plenty of “blame” to go around. This was, by far, the oddest election cycle. We had the original Democratic candidate drop out late in the game in favor of the sitting VP, who most people didn’t really know. We had a spate of disinformation again (like in 2016) that, for whatever reason, was believed by many people.

You know, it’s always easy to quarterback on Monday morning. Hindsight is always 20/20! The fact is the Democratic party needs to regroup – figure out why we lost the working people’s votes and figure out how to get them back. Trump appealed to their dissatisfaction with their lives, whether he told the truth or not. People chose to believe him, which only emphasizes their dissatisfaction!

Get it together Democrats! We’ve got work to do! We can’t sit around and wallow in self-pity! Put your big boy/girl panties on and get to work!

Meanwhile, I’ll turn the volume down on the TV – I can’t stand listening to that man. I hate him and his whole grifting family! I’ll pray for forgiveness tonight!

IMHO . . .

It’s Over

I know it’s been a month since I was last here. I have been busy with many things – and, if I’m honest, I’ve been lazy with many things! Yeah, I admit it.

It’s the morning after the election and I am very deflated! The only thing I can think right now is the majority of people chose hate over unity!! I honestly don’t understand it. The man ran on hate, division, and anti-democracy rhetoric. Yet, they chose him anyway!

What’s even more surprising is he won not only the electoral college vote but also the popular vote! How insane is that?

People apparently have very short memories. Things weren’t that good under Trump the first time. It will be worse this time. There will be no “normal” people surrounding him to rein in his worse impulses. Heck, he’s already told us what he’ll do and it’s scary as s**t!!!

Robert Kennedy Jr will oversee all health related agencies? He’ll oversee women’s health?? He’s already said he will pull all fluoride from public water! And, as an anti-vaxer, what vaccines will be banned? What diseases will pop back up and make the rounds thanks to this idiot?

The Dept of Education will be gutted – for all intent purposes it will no longer exist. More books will be banned in addition to the already 2,000 banned! The true American history will not be taught. In fact, history will be rewritten to make life in early America rosy and white!

At the end of four years, what will happen? Will we have another election? In my mind there is real doubt! SCOTUS gave this guy a lot of power and he will in all likelihood use it to take ALL the power. Congress (now controlled entirely by GOP) will acquiesce to all of Trump’s demands.

Democracy is surely on its last gasp! Who will step up to save it because the American people sure didn’t!!

I don’t know if I’ll continue this blog. If I do, I don’t know when I’ll write again. I am so damned depressed over the lack of real thought yesterday that I can barely move!

All I do know is the people who voted for him will deserve whatever happens to them. The people who stayed home will deserve whatever happens to them. Those of us who did not vote for him, however, do not deserve it! But, we will pay along with the rest of them!

I know that’s a horrible thing to believe but I’m in a very black place right now. I’ll ask forgiveness later – maybe!

I can’t believe it!!

Second Assassination Attempt

So, Trump had a “scare” on Sunday while he was playing golf. A lone man had apparently set up a spot to try to assassinate the former president. Luckily, the Secret Service spotted the gun and the man before anything untoward could happen.

I glad Trump wasn’t shot or harmed. I don’t wish that on anyone – I abhor violence.

However, what I also abhor is people using an event like this to attack other people. Both JD Vance and Trump are claiming the rhetoric from the left is what has caused the two assassination attempts. I find that more than a little hypocritical!

Vance has pointed to the fact that no one has taken any shots at Biden or Harris. It’s almost like he’s asking someone to try it! Some of the fanatics on the right could certainly see it that way. Heck, even Elon Musk got into the act, saying on his twitter platform “has anyone noticed that no one’s taken a shot at Joe Biden or Kamala Harris?” After a lot of push back for such a remark, Musk deleted the post and basically alluded to it being a “joke”! Some joke! I assume the Secret Service is looking into the matter – they did acknowledge they were aware he made the comment.

But, back to Vance. He said when someone calls a candidate a fascist, a threat to democracy, of course it’s going to be perceived as a call to arms by those on the left. Apparently, Vance has forgotten just last week Trump called Harris a Marxist, a fascist, and if elected, she would make sure no future elections would be held!

I think Vance should worry more about his boss’s rhetoric. The first “assassin” was a registered Republican who supposedly supported Trump. As I mentioned in an earlier post, if this was not a staged event, I believe the shooter was committing suicide by cop.

In this second instance, it appears the man had voted for Trump in 2016 but may have become disillusioned with him after Jan 6th. From an interview with the son (who specifically said he was not speaking for his father), the man was very concerned with the war in Ukraine. He traveled to Ukraine and helped set up the international army that helped with the fighting. His son said he was very immersed in making sure Ukraine won the war.

It sounds like Routh (the shooter) might not have been too happy with Trump’s policy concerning Russia v Ukraine. Don’t forget the week before, Vance had been interviewed about how Trump proposed to end the Ukraine war in one day if he got re-elected. Vance said Ukraine would give up the territory that Russia already held and Ukraine would promise not to join NATO!

That plan/policy sounds pretty much antithesis to what Routh wanted. Could that have been the impetus to plan an assassination? Will we ever know what the reason was, why he wanted to shoot/kill Trump? I don’t know whether we will or not.

One thing I do know – I know there has been no rhetoric from Biden or Harris that would drive Routh or anyone else for that matter to such lengths. Harris is constantly saying there is so much more that unites us than what separates us!

Then, again, I suppose there will always be a few loonies out there that will take pot shots at politicians on any given day. Perhaps it would be better if we discussed how Routh was able to get an assault rifle in the first place. As a felon, he was not legally allowed to purchase a gun! Hmmm – was there a breakdown in background checks? Is it possible we need tougher background check laws??

Sorry, but to me, Vance blaming Democrats for the shooting is more like the pot calling the kettle black. Clean up your own house before you attack someone else’s!!

IMHO . . .

Enough Is Enough!

Just as a point of interest, Kamala Harris made two rally stops in North Carolina yesterday – Charlotte and Greensboro. My sister drove the 2.5 hours to Charlotte to attend that rally, admittedly smaller than the Greensboro venue. The entire round trip took her about 12 hours, due to tire pressure issues. [She had a small nail in one of the tires and had to stop every hour or so on the way home to refill with air. She made it home safely and got the tire fixed this morning!] She had a great time, despite the tire issue and being exhausted. Sadly, she went alone, but made some new friends while there! [I couldn’t go because of my mobility issues.]

But, back to the debate (in a way). One of the issues that came up during the Trump-Harris debate on Tuesday involved Trump’s claim that Haitian immigrants in Springfield, OH, eating dogs and cats of the local residents. I think I may have briefly mentioned that ridiculous claim.

Well, it’s gone from bad to worse. Since Tuesday, the city of Springfield has received bomb threats that required the evacuation of the Springfield City Hall, two schools and the local motor vehicle facility! Reports of threats to various immigrants in the city have also been received.

Enough already! When did we become a nation filled with so much hate and intolerance? Oh yeah, that would be roughly 2015 or 2016 when the Orange One decided to run for president. His first speech? He mentioned the rapists that were coming from Mexico! Then he quickly moved to all Muslims – the infamous Muslim ban! Remember all the “love”?

I suppose there has always been a sector – not sure how big, but certainly more quiet/under-ground – that was filled with hate for anyone who didn’t look like them. You know, the skin-heads, white supremacists, the KKK, etc. They were more secretive BT (“before Trump”), but they were there nonetheless. Now, they’re out in the open. Picketing in their white hoods or other “uniforms”. And they’re much more vocal with the hate speech.

I’m here to say “enough – cut it out”. Most of the Haitians in Springfield are legal immigrants. They are hard working and just want a better life for themselves and their families. As I’ve seen a lot on Facebook, if you don’t look like this (a Native American), then you are likely an immigrant.

Let’s face it, the vast majority of Americans come from immigrants. My father’s family came from Ireland in 1848 during the potato famine. My mother’s family came from Germany (Bavaria) in the early 19th century as well. While both sides claim some native ancestors, I kind of doubt it. I sent my DNA to Ancestry and the results did not reflect any native heritage.

So basically what it seems to be about is “race” rather than immigration status. I haven’t heard of much brouhaha over European immigrants (Danes, Swedes, etc.) – you know, the “white” immigrants. No, I hear almost exclusively the negatives of immigrants of color (Mexican or Latinos, Middle East, etc.). I guess that means the hate mongers only want immigrants that are white. This is not a huge surprise, I guess. But, considering we’re in the 21st century, it is very disappointing.

Enter Trump and Vance who both egg on the negativity and hate, and you’re left with a very unsettling situation! A dangerous situation!

I’ve said it before and I’ll probably say it again (and again and again) – we’re better than this! As my mother taught me, if you don’t have anything good to say, don’t say anything at all!

I think if I were on the city council of Springfield, OH, or the mayor or city manager, I think I’d look into what legal action could be taken against the Trump campaign, and Trump and Vance individually, for perpetuating and worsening a bad situation! Their rhetoric has cause a very unstable situation in the city, one that is becoming more dangerous.

I’m kind of surprised that some of the individual Haitians haven’t come together to file some type of class action regarding defamation. Again, the rhetoric coming from the campaign, not just Trump or Vance either, is putting the Haitians in danger. They are being threatened to the point that some parents are not sending their children to school for fear of their getting hurt!

Apparently, Trump and Vance only understand legal action! In a statement in an interview Wednesday or Thursday, Vance said that the “rumor” [his word, not mine] might prove to be false, BUT . . . then he went on to detail the snatching of pets in order to consume them!

I got a clue for you guys! If you don’t know it to be true, don’t repeat it! That’s something we teach our children at young ages – not to participate in gossip mills and spread falsehoods that can hurt people! You are supposed to be grown ups – act like it!

IMHO . . .

Roe v Wade – Debunking the Myth

A lot is being made about abortion and reproductive rights during the presidential election cycle. Most people think Roe v Wade gave women unfettered access to abortions. To some extent, I guess that’s true.

However, most people don’t realize Roe v Wade did contain some limitations in abortion access. I think it’s important that we revisit the decision to appreciate what the truth was/is.

In January 1973, the Supreme Court, in a 7-2 decision, legalized abortion nationwide. In the majority opinion, written by Justice Blackmun, the Court held a women’s right to an abortion was implicit in her right to privacy under the 14th Amendment.

Basically, the court divided a pregnancy into three trimesters, deciding the decision to terminate a pregnancy in the first trimester was solely at the discretion of the woman. In the second trimester, the government can regulate abortion, but it could not ban it, in order to protect the life of the mother.

During the third trimester, the state could ban abortion to protect a fetus that could live outside the womb on it own, except when a woman’s health was in danger.

Since Roe was overturned earlier this year, Democrats have campaigned on the promise to enact the precept of Roe v Wade. In other words, they have vowed to enact a law that would allow abortion access as outline in Roe v Wade.

Again, the Roe decision does not call for unfettered access to abortion at any time during a pregnancy. Only during the first trimester does a woman have the sole discretion whether to terminate the pregnancy. After that time, the government/state can regulate or ban abortion depending on the length of pregnancy up to that point.

Now, I want to be clear, Democrats have NOT encourage all women to have abortions! Show me one ad, either electronic or written, that shows a Democrat calling for women to have abortions! You know what? You can’t – because they don’t exist.

Instead, Democrats advocate for women to make such decisions for themselves. Democrats do not feel the government should interfere with such personal decisions. Thus, the term “pro choice” – the woman should be free to choose her own path.

For a party (the GOP) who advocates for smaller government and freedom of choice (mask mandates – remember that brouhaha?), it’s ironic they would insist on the right to interfere with medical decisions that have nothing to do with them!

The GOP in general, and Trump/Vance specifically, have totally misled the American people regarding the ramifications of overturning Roe. Trump continually touts that every Democrat, every Republican, everyone wanted Roe overturned and the abortion issue to be given to the states. That’s not true at all.

Initially, I do think the majority of Republicans hailed the Dobbs decision (that overturned Roe) as a victory. However, once the consequence became known – stories of real women traumatized by untreated miscarriages whose lives were endangered and whose reproductive possibilities were endangered – I think Republicans “saw the light”.

Suddenly, the old adage “Be careful what you wish for, you may just get it” had a whole new meaning! And it wasn’t pretty.

Current polls indicate most Americans, including most Republicans, now favor abortion access in certain instances. This is a no brainer for me. Abortions will continue one way or another. I’d prefer if they were not conducted in back alleys under less than ideal circumstances.

Yes, bring back Roe. The limitations within the decision were reasonable.

IMHO . . .

More On The Debate

Okay, I’m up and running – kind of! Let’s face it, I’m an early to bed type of person. I get up every morning at 6:00 regardless of what time I went to bed, primarily because my two fur babies jump in bed with me to remind me breakfast time is fast approaching! How can I forget??

Anyway, I’ve had half my coffee and am semi-conscious! So, here I sit ruminating more about the debate last night.

As I’ve been going through my morning routine, I’ve been listening to Morning Joe and its guests critique the debate. It’s hard to disagree with them.

I feel more strongly this morning that Harris won the debate last night. She was cool, calm, specific and on-point! Trump, meanwhile, was chaotic and lying. He looked like a sad old man on his last gasp!

Perhaps he was on his last gasp. With any luck at all, Trump will lose in November and he will retire to the golf course – unless he’s in jail first! Anyway, I digress – back to the debate.

I felt the moderators were good. They fact-checked Trump in real time three times – yes, only three! Had they fact-checked all his lies there would have been no time for any questions! But some of the more egregious lies had to be fact-checked:

Haitian migrants in Springfield, OH are eating the cats and dogs of people who live there.
Democrats favor abortion in the ninth month and even favor killing new born babies.
To be honest, I can’t remember the last lie that was fact-checked, but does it matter?

With respect to the pet eating story, I did find a news article that involved a Canton, OH (not Springfield) woman who is not an immigrant being charged for stomping on the head of a cat, killing it, and eating it. But, again, she is NOT an immigrant and she is not from Springfield. And it is a single incident not a rampant wide-spread event.

With respect to abortions in the ninth month or infanticide, there is no state that allows the killing of a baby. Trump has repeatedly said that Governor Walz allows babies to be killed in the state of Minnesota. Such a lie! Late term abortions were never allowed except under highly unusual circumstances, such as risk to the life of the mother.

I loved the part during the debate when Harris invited everyone to attend a Trump rally to see for themselves. Trump talks of fictional characters such as Hannibal Lector; people start to leave early because it becomes boring.

Clearly, this triggered Trump who stated that Harris rallies are not well-attended and that she pays for people to come to her rallies. In reality, the only paid attendees I’ve seen are for Trump rallies. I’ve seen a couple of different ads on Craig’s List for people to go to a Trump rally in a specific location and saying they would be paid for attending!

I think I said last night that Harris got a lot of her economic policy out within 8 minutes. She touted a $6,000 child tax credit for the first year of a child’s life to help parents buy a crib or car seat, a $50,000 tax deduction for start-up expenses for small businesses (currently the deduction is limited to $5,000) to help spur innovation and new businesses, a $25,000 assistance for first-time home buyers to help people achieve their dream of owning their home, and a goal of building 3,000,000 new homes to help with housing crisis.

Trump’s response to this? She’s had three and a half years, why hasn’t she done it already. I guess he’s forgotten that Harris is the vice president, not the president.

From this point on, Harris got points across at the same time she was pushing Trump’s buttons! She knew the phrases that would trigger him, turning him into an angry old man. He didn’t address most of the questions he was asked. We never heard if he regretted anything he did on January 6th. He merely bemoaned the shooting of Ashli Babbit by a police officer while no one on the “other side” was killed! I guess he forgot about the hundreds of police officers injured or the four that died!

In short, Kamala Harris clearly had a great night, while Trump floundered like a fish out of water!

IMHO . . .