Phairness Doctrine

Question: Who, exactly, are the Republicans negotiating against in this debt ceiling hostage taking exercise they’re currently undertaking? When you negotiate with someone, it usually goes something like this: there’s something you want, and there’s something they want. And then you haggle back and forth, each side trying to get THEIR side of the deal done to their greatest benefit.  But, what is the Democrat’s “side” in this so-called negotiation? What is the thing they want, that the Republicans don’t? Consider these numbers from 1960 - 2023: 78 - debit limit raises, extensions or revisions 49 - under Republican presidents 29 - under Democratic presidents 0 - times defaulted Included in those numbers are the 3 times the debt ceiling was raised in just 4 years under Trump. Funny enough, no negotiations were necessary. The reason why the debt ceiling has been raised so many times with NO instances of default is because the debt ceiling is NOT a partisan issue.  It’s an America...

What’s so hard to believe that a generation of kids who grew up being subjected to Active Shooter drills as a regular part of their educational experience have finally gotten SICK AND TIRED of waiting on politicians beholden to NRA/gun manufacturer money to do something about it? We haven’t protected them like we should have, so they are going to stand up and do it themselves.  We shouldn’t be surprised.  One thing we know for sure, “more guns” as the solution hasn’t worked. It’s a complicated and layered issue and will need more than the tried and tested “Add Guns” approach that continues to allow guns to get into the wrong hands, far too easily.  It’s past time we explore the “well-regulated” powers of the 2nd Amendment. It’s there for a reason.  We can start by treating guns like we do our cars. 

With all the time and energy being spent by Republican politicians hell bent on eradicating drag show performers from the face of the earth, you’d think there would be a parade of stories documenting all the drag queens being arrested for nefarious behaviors with children.  And yet, time after time, the perpetrators come from the churches.  While no one seems to care. For instance, this story about hundreds of Baptist leaders and members accused and found guilty of sexual abuse of children came out last June.  Did you even see this story at the time? Where was the Republican’s moral outrage and demand for eradication of the church, or at the least some kind of oppressive government oversight that would make conducting church services untenable?  Where was the legislation, at any level, to crack down on this behavior in the church? House investigations looking at the habitual abuse? Senators visiting churches for photo ops? Nah, none of that happened. The story just ...

I spent (way) too much time on Twitter yesterday trying to get to the bottom of all the changes made to the PACT Act from the time the Senate first passed it 84-14, to voting it down two weeks later 55-42.  What happened to cause this turnabout face by Republicans on a bill that helps our veterans who have been damaged by working around burn pits? What dark magic did the Democrats add to the bill to create this Republican exodus? The answer?  Nothing.  Nothing was changed in the bill that affected "discretionary" vs "mandatory" spending, which is the claim we continue to hear from Republicans and their loyal following.  "The Democrats made last minute changes", they tell us.  "They changed the way the money is spent", they argue.  "It's an accounting gimmick!", they exclaim.   Except, none of that is true. It's the exact same bill they approved 84-14. Let's take a look at the timeline of this bill:  June 6th - the CBO releas...

Remember, in middle school, when a group of guys would (stupidly) pit two “lesser” guys against each other and goad them into fighting? They’d tell them to “play fight” in order to gather a crowd, perhaps even offer some kind of “reward”, knowing full well that once they got going, once the juices started to flow, one of them would go just a little too far, piss the other guy off, and off they’d spin into a full blown fight.  FIGHT! FIGHT!  They orchestrated those fights between their classmates. Often classmates they’d known since kindergarten. They weren’t taught to do that (as far as I could tell at the time), they just did it. Someone must have suggested it, and not one of us said, “Nah, guys, that’s not cool to do that to our classmates. Someone could really get hurt.”  Nope. By doing nothing, we all went along. And enjoyed it. Because, we were young and we were stupid.  Today, Republicans are the masters at using this technique of getting others to fight over t...

November 3, 2020  is not the finish line. Removing Trump isn’t the end goal.  Biden is not the prize. The prize is the chance to move in a new direction. The prize is controlling who ends up on the Supreme Court for the next four years.  The prize is knowing we have a president who cares for ALL of us, no matter our skin color, gender, sexual orientation, religion, or occupation.  The prize is a chance to watch our 2018 election class continue to grow their influence under a Biden Administration.  November 3, 2020 holds the key to a new direction. But, we have to get to the door first. Vote Blue for a chance at the prize.