Democrats

Conservatives Have Made A Mockery Of The Supreme Court, So …

July 13, 2022 By John DeProspo Leave a Comment

The highest court in the land has lost the right to be called “Supreme.” It has earned a new name, which, if Democrats are smart, they’ll start using ASAP when referring to the Court. The new name? The United States Extreme Court.

Why not go full Trumpian name-calling on today’s radical bunch of black-robed ayatollahs sitting on the high court in Washington D.C., passing judgement on how we are to live our lives, democracy and the Constitution be damned?

The current right-wing Supreme Court has lost all legitimacy after a string of appalling decisions they have handed down recently on abortion rights, gun rights and the separation of church and state. And, as many observers have suggested, they are just getting started!

The six “conservative jurists” have all earned the right to be derided, mocked and hounded wherever they show their faces. If that means frat boy Kavanaugh has to leave a restaurant, through the back door, before having his dessert, so be it.

Is calling the Supreme Court the “Extreme Court” disrespectful? It is not disrespectful enough!

For a good summary on why the label “Extreme Court” is appropriate, read Elie Mystal’s great piece in The Nation, “How The Supreme Court Became The Extreme Court.“

Democrats need to do what Republicans would do under similar circumstances. Get nasty, and on message, fast.

Photo: supremecourt.gov

Maybe What Democrats Need Is A Mitch McConnell?

February 14, 2021 By John DeProspo 6 Comments

I can’t stand the guy. Yet, I’m in awe of his genius … his evil genius. Machiavelli has nothing on old Mitch McConnell.

There he was yesterday accusing Donald Trump of being guilty as sin just moments after voting to acquit him of what Liz Cheney called the greatest “betrayal by a President of the United States of his office and his oath to the Constitution.”

In a devastating takedown rivaling the closing arguments made by the House impeachment managers, McConnell tore into Trump for his “disgraceful dereliction of duty” saying, “There is no question — none — that President Trump is practically and morally responsible for provoking the events of the day.”

So how could McConnell not vote to convict Trump?

Here is where the evil mastermind’s cleverness comes in. Mitch voted to acquit Trump because he didn’t believe the Senate had the power to convict a president out of office. Of course, we all know that scenario came about only because McConnell refused to hold the Senate impeachment trial while Trump was still in office. Sheer brilliance!

McConnell knew that the only way his Republican colleagues could vote against convicting Trump was on technical grounds, no matter how phony, as the facts of the January 6 Capitol riot were never really in dispute. So, McConnell provided the cover … and 42 of his fellow Republican comrades, voting to give Trump a pass, wrapped themselves in the warm blanket of Mitch’s duplicity.

But McConnell’s speech after the Senate’s acquittal vote showed even more of his shrewdness.

It has been reported that McConnell wants Trump gone and out of the way. But he could not let his fellow Republicans do the job for fear of angering Trump’s loyal base.

“President Trump is still liable for everything he did while in office,” McConnell said. “He didn’t get away with anything yet. We have a criminal justice system in this country.”

There you have it. Let someone else (state attorneys general, the Justice Dept) do the dirty work!

While Trump might be the most corrupt president in U.S. history, can there be any doubt Mitch McConnell is among the more cunning, devious political leaders ever to hold public office?

Photo | AP Photo/Susan Walsh/dcist.com

Dems Need To Adopt New Governing Maxim – WWRD (What Would Republicans Do)

November 22, 2020 By John DeProspo 6 Comments

If you’re like me, you’ve had it with Democrats allowing Republicans to walk all over them. You’ve had enough of them always wanting to play nice-nice. You’ve had it with them continually bringing a knife to a gun fight. You’ve had it with all that feel good, bipartisan, reaching-across- the-aisle malarkey.

As the canonized former president (Ronald Reagan) once said, “we don’t negotiate with terrorists.” Republicans have long shown us who they are and, as Maya Angelou would say, you need to “believe them.”

Already there are signs that Democrats will go soft on Trump and his cronies once they regain power. Sources are reporting that Biden, forever the institutionalist, is not in favor of investigating and possibly prosecuting Trump for his many proven and alleged crimes.

“He’s going to be more oriented toward fixing the problems and moving forward than prosecuting them,” said one Biden adviser, drawing comparisons to former President Barack Obama’s refusal to prosecute the Bush-era architects and perpetrators of CIA and U.S. military torture.

If the tables were reversed, could you ever imagine Republicans letting bygones be bygones? Could you ever dream of them doing the right thing, even if it meant going against their political self-interest? Never. Well, that’s exactly what Biden seems to want to do. Some unnamed sources are saying Biden believes that pursuing charges against Trump would further divide a deeply divided nation and distract from his administration’s agenda.

Joe, if you go easy on Trump and let him off the hook, you’ll be riling up another base … yours! Polls have consistently shown that a majority of Americans want Trump criminally investigated. They don’t want retribution. They simply want justice. Fail to investigate Trump and his cronies, and you will lose a good chunk of those who voted for you.

As Matt Ford, writing for The New Republic, put it, “If Biden truly wants to move the country forward, he needs to show that there are consequences for the misdeeds perpetrated under Trump. Only by revisiting this grim chapter in American history, and by penalizing those who broke the law, can this country move forward.”

So I’m with Rep. Bill Pascrell, chairman of the Oversight Subcommittee of the House Ways and Means Committee.

“In 2021 the entire Trump administration must be fully investigated by the Department of Justice and any other relevant offices,” Pascrell said. “Trump along with his worst enablers must be tried for their crimes against our nation and Constitution. Importantly, any further abuse of the sacred pardon power to shield criminals would itself be obstruction of justice, and any self-pardons would be illegal.”

Look, we either are a nation bound by the rule of law or we’re not. If Trump’s crimes are simply swept under the rug, forgiven for the “good of the country,” we wouldn’t have much of a country, would we?

Yes, it goes against their very nature for Democrats to play hardball. They would rather “go high” when others “go low.” And maybe, in a more perfect world, one ruled by decency and honor, it might be best to turn the other cheek.

But we don’t live in such a world … and haven’t lived there in quite some time.

So, it is high time for Democrats to abandon WWJD (what would Jesus do) and adopt WWRD (what would Republicans do). Sometimes you just have to listen to Trump when he once described his favorite Bible passage (Exodus 21-24): “an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.”

Photo | thehill.com

Dems Mocking Move To Shore Up Italian Vote

August 22, 2020 By John DeProspo 4 Comments

Reprint from moronmajority.com

Republicans are not the only ones intentionally mispronouncing the name of the Democratic VP candidate, Kamala Harris. It seems that Democrats themselves have gotten into the act.

In their outreach to Italian American voters, who lean heavily to Trump and the GOP, Democrats are calling Kamala … Carmela!

The effort appears to be paying off as many Italian Americans have a positive reaction to the very Italian name, Carmela.

“My mother’s name is Carmela, as was her mother’s and her mother’s mother,” said Vinny Scappaticci, owner of Vinny’s Humungo Pizzeria and Donut Shop in the swing state of Pennsylvania.

“How could I not vote for a Carmela?” asked Mr. Scappaticci.

But won’t those same Italian voters who are looking to support “Carmela” Harris get confused once they see her correct name on the ballot?

“No,” said a Biden/Harris campaign strategist who chose to remain anonymous. “They will think it’s a typo, most likely. In any event, our research has shown most Italian Americans are not the greatest spellers.”

Oh snap!

Photo | bigpieinthesky.com

moronmajority.com is a satirical site … seriously!

Maybe Trump And The Kremlin Are Betting On The Wrong Horse?

February 24, 2020 By John DeProspo 1 Comment

We found out last week Russia is at it again … interfering in our upcoming elections. U.S. intelligence agencies not only warned that Russia is trying to get Trump reelected, they are also trying to swing the Democratic presidential nomination to Bernie Sanders.

For his part, Trump appears to agree with his Russian handlers. He seems to want to face off against Bernie, the democratic socialist, in November.

“Looks like Crazy Bernie is doing well in the Great State of Nevada. Biden & the rest look weak, & no way Mini Mike can restart his campaign after the worst debate performance in the history of Presidential Debates,” Trump tweeted last Saturday. “Congratulations Bernie, & don’t let them take it away from you!”

The thinking is simple. Once Bernie becomes the Democratic nominee, both Trump and Putin’s cyber-warfare machine will smear him as a dangerous socialist, a Marxist, a Castro sympathizer. Funny how all this election interference is being brought to you by the former Union of Soviet Socialist Republics!

However, a close look at Sanders’ landslide victory in Nevada should give both Trump and Putin pause. Bernie won with an amazing across-the-board coalition … “men and women, whites and Latinos, voters 17-29, 30-44 and 45-65, those with college degrees and those without, liberal Democrats (by a lot) and moderate/conservatives (narrowly), union and non-union households.”

Yet the Democratic establishment is fearful of a Sanders candidacy. How could a socialist win the presidency, even against a complete horror show like Trump, they worry? But for all the concern over Bernie’s “radicalism,” are his signature policies such as a national healthcare program, a living wage, free public college education, and a serious green energy investment plan really that far out of the mainstream?

As Nathan Robinson of the Guardian writes, “It’s shocking that there is such opposition to such sensible plans. On what planet are these things so politically toxic that Democrats are afraid to run on them? Voters like these ideas, and so long as Democrats unify behind Bernie rather than continuing to try to tear him down, they will have a very good shot at defeating a radical and unhinged president like Donald Trump.”

I am certain Democrats will rally around whoever is their presidential nominee. But if it looks like the Democratic Party establishment is trying to tip the scales against a Sanders nomination, you can be sure of two things … a civil war within the Party, and another four years of Trump.

Don and Vlad, be careful what you wish for.

Photo | abcnews.go.com

Trump’s Support For Bernie Is A Win-Win … For Trump

February 18, 2020 By John DeProspo 2 Comments

Donald Trump wants to run against Bernie Sanders. How do we know? Just consider what he said last week during an Oval Office rant. “Frankly, I would rather run against Bloomberg than Bernie Sanders,” Trump told reporters, “because Sanders has real followers, whether you like them or not, whether you agree with them or not — I happen to think it’s terrible what [Sanders] says.”

For anyone who’s been following Trump’s pronouncements, you know he usually says the opposite of what he truly believes. So, Trump wants to run against Bernie Sanders, not Mike Bloomberg. Unlike Trump, Bloomberg is a real self-made billionaire who could, and would, outspend him big time. He has stated he is willing to “spend whatever it takes” to defeat Trump. This is very appealing to many Democratic voters.

You just know Trump is salivating at the chance of running against a self-described democratic socialist. The word “socialist” is such a toxic, and misunderstood, word, that many political pundits do not think it would play well with swing voters in crucial states that would reject the radicalism of Sanders’ background and ideas.

So, in Trump’s mind, he gets re-elected if Sanders is the Democratic nominee. A win.

Then there’s this pro-Bernie tweet today:

The Crooked DNC is working overtime to take the Democrat Nomination away from Bernie, AGAIN! Watch what happens to the Super Delegates in Round Two. A Rigged Convention!

Like his own cultish followers, Trump knows Bernie supporters are fiercely loyal. If there is a brokered convention, which looks quite possible, and it appears to Sanders’ die-hard army of supporters that they have been cheated out of the nomination by the Democratic establishment … again … many will protest by not voting for the eventual nominee.

You could call it the ultimate voter suppression … but totally legal and brought to you courtesy of the Democratic Party.

So, in Trump’s calculation, if a good chunk of Bernie backers stay home and do not vote for the Democratic nominee, or vote for a third-party candidate …. like last time … again he wins.

There you have it. Whether or not Bernie is the Democratic presidential nominee, it’s a win-win … for Trump.

Photo | commondreams.org

The Case For Michael R. Bloomberg – Opinion

February 9, 2020 By John DeProspo 8 Comments

Democrats are divided over which candidate is best suited to take on Donald Trump in the upcoming election. They can’t seem to decide, or coalesce around, who is the most electable.

Here’s a good way to pick Trump’s challenger … choose the one most unlike Trump. Select the candidate who is closest to the polar opposite of the man currently occupying the White House.

So, is it the progressive firebrand Bernie Sanders? Or the equally progressive Elizabeth Warren? Is it Andrew Yang?

No, it’s none of the above.

The 2020 Democratic presidential candidate closest to being the anti-Trump is Mike Bloomberg.

Okay, okay, hear me out.

Unlike Trump, Bloomberg is a real billionaire. He will get under the skin of our fake billionaire “president” like no other. The man who Forbes estimates is worth $62 billion has promised to spend “whatever it takes,” of his own money, to defeat Trump. So, what’s a billion or two to Mike? And you can almost hear this line coming from Bloomberg’s mouth, “A real billionaire has no problem releasing his tax returns. What are you so afraid of, Donald. What are you hiding?”

Bloomberg is a Republican-turned-Democrat. He is the opposite of the former Democrat, Trump, turned Republican. This could be very appealing to Republicans who might want to follow Bloomberg’s lead.

Bloomberg has actual experience running a large organization. While many New Yorkers were calling Trump an obnoxious buffoon, all New Yorkers were calling Bloomberg, Mayor.

Bloomberg is Jewish. He is well suited to put our racist, white supremacist president in his place. Bloomberg could put Florida into play like no other.

Bloomberg wants to raise taxes on the rich. He has proposed a $5 trillion-dollar tax increase to pay for what Democrats want most … expanded health care, improvement of the nation’s infrastructure, more affordable housing and investments in clean energy. Other Democratic candidates also want to increase taxes on the wealthy but only Bloomberg can go there without being labeled a “socialist” engaged in “class warfare.”

Yes, it’s a longshot for the man who got into the race too late to compete in the early states of Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina but, if the race remains divided, and we have a brokered convention, who knows?

And sure, Bloomberg is running an unconventional race … but so did the candidate who succeeded the last time around!

Don’t get me wrong, I am not necessarily endorsing Bloomberg but I do know that desperate times often call for desperate measures. These are desperate times for Democrats … and the nation.

So, as unlikely as his nomination may seem, I’m just saying Democrats might want to refocus some of that attention away from Mayor Pete to that other mayor, Mayor Mike.

Photo | townandcountrymag.com

Has The Eventual Democratic Presidential Nominee Even Entered the Race Yet?

December 31, 2019 By John DeProspo 3 Comments

As many Democrats take stock in the current field of presidential hopefuls, there is a growing sense of dread. Filmmaker Michael Moore put it bluntly in a recent interview with “Democracy Now!” predicting Trump will get reelected in 2020.

Most of my friends (well, the Democrats) feel anxious about the upcoming presidential election. There is little excitement, let alone agreement, over the current cast of players.

We have:

A candidate who is intelligent, well-spoken and ideologically “safe,” but who’s only 37 years old and has never been elected to statewide office (Pete Buttigieg);
A candidate with lots of political experience, perhaps lacking energy, who is also ideologically “safe,” but at 76 years old may have outlived his political shelf life (Joe Biden);
Two candidates with plenty of political experience, vigor and clear appeal, but who are far more liberal than most past nominees (Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders — also, Sanders is 78 years old).

“If only Obama could run again,” I hear my friends sigh. But the 22^nd amendment to the Constitution took care of that!

But wait, an Obama can run for president … Michelle!

A growing number of Democrats, including Michael Moore, have begged Michelle Obama to run for president but the former First Lady has repeatedly closed the door on any type of political future.

And yet it does not escape many big Democratic donors that Barack Obama’s wife is the most admired woman in the country, according to Gallup polls. Meanwhile, a survey from YouGov revealed that she is the most admired woman in the world, displacing actress Angelina Jolie and even the United Kingdom’s monarch, Queen Elizabeth II.

OK, Michelle changing her mind and throwing her hat into the ring is as likely as Trump developing a moral compass. Yet it’s an interesting prospect and a wonderful dream nevertheless.

But wait again, Michelle Obama running for president may not be as farfetched as you might think. Tucker Carlson, that soothsayer of Fox News, remains positive Michelle will be the official nominee of the Democratic Party!

“Now, last week, the former first lady issued a statement saying that she has no interest in being president. That’s what she claimed. But there are signs that that’s not true,” Carlson said on his show.

Here’s my prediction for 2020… some new, excitement-inducing Democrat will enter the presidential race and become the party’s nominee, making it all the way to the White House or we will have President Elizabeth Warren!

Happy New Year!

Photo | wired.com

A D.C. Christmas Poem

December 21, 2019 By John DeProspo Leave a Comment

‘Twas the night before Christmas and all through the House

Not a representative was stirring, having gone home to a spouse

The votes had been taken and counted with care

To impeach “the imposter,” the pretend billionaire

They returned to their districts to explain what they’d done

Said Nancy to members, “no gloating, no fun”

While Democrats performed their mandated duty

Republicans trashed the Dems, acting all snooty

They defended their leader with passion and glee

Facts be damned for the Reps from Tennessee

They asked, “So what if he asked Zelensky a favor?”

That certainly didn’t rise to impeachable behavior!

His protectors insisted no “quid pro quo”

Even as Trump asked, “Do us a favor, though”

It was a “perfect call” they in unison said

While visions of McConnell danced in their heads

The “Grim Reaper” would save them, of this they all knew

It didn’t matter what high crimes and misdemeanors the Dems did pursue

The fix in the Senate was made oh so clear

Not only by old Mitch but Miss Lindsey, oh dear!

So now we must wait for the start of 2020

To hold a Senate trial, or maybe not any

One thing’s for certain as we look to next year

The ride will be bumpier than we can imagine, I fear

If there’s one hope for all of us Dems

It’s that some patriotic Republican senators will in fact Trump condemn

And even though he might remain in his office

A majority of the Senate may denounce Trump as lawless.

So do not fear, Dems, for having done what was right

Your conscience is clear

“Happy Christmas to all and to all a good night!”

By John DeProspo

Photo | rd.com

Democrats Should Embrace, Not Run Away From, “Socialism”

December 8, 2019 By John DeProspo 2 Comments

It has been made abundantly clear by Donald Trump that if he is up for reelection in 2020 (as it appears, in spite of impeachment), he will attack the Democratic nominee as a “socialist.” It won’t matter if it’s a progressive like Sanders or Warren or a moderate like Biden or Buttigieg; the “s” word will be repeatedly flung around like a pizza at your favorite Italian restaurant.

Trump tweeted this not too long ago:

We will never be a Socialist or Communist Country. IF YOU ARE NOT HAPPY HERE, YOU CAN LEAVE! It is your choice, and your choice alone. This is about love for America. Certain people HATE our Country….

All Democratic presidential candidates should welcome the label “socialist” … as long as they get to define it.

Bernie Sanders perhaps did this best when he defined democratic socialism in a recent speech:

Now, we must take the next step forward and guarantee every man, woman and child in our country basic economic rights — the right to quality health care, the right to as much education as one needs to succeed in our society, the right to a good job that pays a living wage, the right to affordable housing, the right to a secure retirement, and the right to live in a clean environment. We must recognize that in the 21st century, in the wealthiest country in the history of the world, economic rights are human rights. That is what I mean by democratic socialism.

Who could possibly be opposed to such “socialism?” It is certainly not an intimidating or scary platform. In fact, it is one supported by the vast majority of Democratic voters, and many Republican voters as well.

Democratic candidates need to explain to voters that democratic socialism is not anti-capitalism. It simply wants to reign in the worst excesses of capitalism.

As put forth by Julie Wittes Schlack, writer for wbur.org, “Indeed, what Sanders and Warren are calling for is capitalism with guardrails, and a social safety net to ensure that the people of this country aren’t scrambling on a daily basis for food, shelter and safety.”

So, eventual Democratic presidential nominee, whoever you may be, when Trump hits you with the “socialist” label,” embrace it … explain it…. don’t run away from it.

As Wittes Schlack notes, “The key for Democrats will be to ridicule red-baiting for what it is and offer policies that stress the “social” over the “ism;” to clearly articulate a vision in which the broad social good enables, not opposes, the individual good.”

Photo | aljazeera.com