THE MAN IS NO PATRIOT

Mitch McConnell is a U.S. Senator from Kentucky and Majority Leader of the U.S. Senate. As Majority Leader, no bill reaches the Senate floor for debate or vote without his blessing. He rarely exercises that blessing. He has refused to present for a vote almost all bills passed by the Democratic House of Representatives.

The issue of Russia playing dirty tricks with U.S. elections became apparent in 2016. Since that time, McConnell has blocked all bills intended to protect U.S. elections from Russian interference. In spite of overwhelming evidence of the same.

McConnell recently was tagged with the name “Moscow Mitch” because of his actions. A name he does not like. Especially since he is running for reelection next year.

Washington Post columnist Dana Milbank in a column published this morning commented on McConnell. He wrote, “…..McConnell has no shame. He is aiding and abetting Putin’s dismantling of Americas’ self-governance. A leader who won’t protect our country from attack is no patriot.”

Milbank’s last sentence says it all.

McDonnell has done quite well in his 37 years as a U.S. Senator.

His wife is Elaine Chao. Born in China. A resident of the U.S. since age 8. They married in 1993. She has had a distinguished career.

She served as Secretary of Labor under Bush 2 and is serving as Secretary of Transportation under Trump.

In her present position, she controls the distribution of significant federal dollars. In the 2 1/2 years she has served as Secretary of Transportation, Kentucky has received $78 million in federal grants.

Some consider the grants “murky.”

Elaine’s parents operate a large shipping business. Their firm has benefited also.

I make no representation nor suggest any wrongdoing. However it is interesting to note that in the last 20 years, the McConnell fortune has increased by the tens of millions of dollars.

My interest in politics kept me in last night. Trump was speaking at a political rally in Cincinnati. I could not find it on any channel. It became an early to bed evening.

The USS Billings is a new U.S. Navy vessel. A 369 foot littoral combat ship.

The Billings will be commissioned tomorrow. Key West has been designated as the port of its commission.

A big day for Key West!

Many American companies have gone out of business or cut back since Trump’s election. More so since the trade wars began.

The most recent major corporation to announce a cut back is Lowe’s. Management describes the number to be let go as “many.” Lowe’s plan is to outsource its maintenance and assembly worker jobs.

Some stores will be closed.

Lowe’s advises the reason for the cutbacks is to reduce costs.

Lowe’s is a major employer. Full time employees number 190,000. Part time, 110,000.

Some Trump observations.

Trump threatened yesterday to increase U.S. imposed tariffs on China by another $300 billion. China says it will retaliate.

Donald, it is no way to do business.

China is rated #2 in the world economically and militarily. They may be #1. Who really knows.

China will retaliate at this point again by imposing tariffs also. Such cannot go on forever. At some point China is going to say enough. Then a shooting war.

During this time of economic belligerency, I recall Trump’s statements during the 2016 campaign: I love tariff wars!….I understand tariff wars!…..I win tariff wars!

China did not want a tariff war. Trump did. He grossly over estimated his ability to win one.

No one wins a tariff war. Both the U.S. and China are being hurt. China has resiliency however. They will not submit in any fashion.

Trump announced yesterday the U.S. was pulling out of its Cold War nuclear treaty with Russia. An intermediate nuclear missile pact. Trump claims Russia has made no effort to comply.

The pact was signed during the Reagan years. Trump leaves me confused. Why did the U.S. wait so long to get out of the agreement? I question the truthfulness of the President’s representation. Difficult to believe anything he says.

What happened to Trump’s relationship with Putin? I thought they were friends.

This past week North Korea tested its third short range missiles again. Trump says he is not concerned. Two years ago, Trump was ready to go to war over the missile testing.

I suspect the real reason is that Trump is gearing up with everything the U.S. has to go to war with Iran. The U.S.cannot handle 2 major wars at one time. Especially when in one fashion or another, it is engaged in so many other conflicts world wide.

Two items Trump spoke about in Cincinnati last night involved the “end of the AIDS epidemic” and a “cure for childhood cancer.” The childhood cancer also referred to in the speech as pediatric cancer.

Trump claimed the “end of the AIDS” epidemic would come shortly. The “cure for childhood cancer” very shortly.

The ending of both would be a blessing. Trump however has under estimated the time yet involved in accomplishing either.

Re AIDS, the U.S. is on the way. Except the end of AIDS transmissions is not expected till 2030 at the earliest. A major AIDS scientist said even 2030 will not be easy. “Doable but daunting.”

I assume Trump mentioned the AIDS item in Cincinnati because Cincinnati has one of the highest number of AIDS victims. An epidemic. One brought on because of needle-drug use. Gay and bisexual men of color between the ages of 25 and 34 at the highest risk.

Re childhood cancers, the “very shortly” sounds encouraging. Does not hold up fact wise, however. Eighty percent of childhood cancers are curable because they involve leukemia. Leukemia is under control. Other childhood cancers are not. There lies the problem. The cure rate for pediatric cancers, except for leukemia,  has not changed in 20 years.

Children’s cancers tough! I recall when Robert was born 15 years ago. He was born with cancer of the liver. Airlifted immediately to Miami Children’s Hospital. Two major surgeries in the first 8 days of his life.

Children’s Hospital was something. Many buildings, many floors. The corridors wide and long. Each for a different cancer. Each had a sign indicating the cancer. Walking up and down the corridors where kids 2-3, 7-8, any age. Most pushing a stand with an intravenous bottle on it. Chatting with each other like nothing was wrong.

We spoke with the operating doctor following the first surgery. How did it go? How will he be? The doctor’s response chilling. We don’t know. This is the first time we’ve seen this type cancer.

Tough.

Robert is 15 today. A high school sophomore, a top student, and #1 on the high school tennis team.

Enjoy your day!

 

18 comments on “THE MAN IS NO PATRIOT

  1. Moscow Mitch isn’t alone in having no shame…. nearly the entire GOP fits the bill. There are a few standouts however….Graham comes to mind. How will they do when Trump takes the walk in 2021? Time will tell.

  2. And the corruption about Mitch McConnel is even worse.

    Russian aluminum giant ‘Rusal’ spent most of last year under US sanctions. Now it’s pumping $200 million into a new project in Kentucky with McConnell’s help. Rusal took a 40% stake in a US ‘startup’ Braidy Industries to build a 2.5 million sq ft metal plant in Kentucky to supply the auto industry. The deal came after the US Treasury Department lifted sanctions in January, on Rusal and and another firm with links to Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska. Guess who got those sanctions lifted?

    The swamp is bigger than it has ever been and Mitch McConnell, along with his wife the lobbyist are some of the biggest swamp rats.

    • Once the sanctions were lifted Rusal is going to get approval to build an Aluminum plant in Kentucky after Putin divested himself of most of his involvement in the company. Whether that should be allowed is debatable.
      There are now 3 Aluminum plants in this country, which rely on all the bauxite being imported, are having trouble keeping up with demand.

  3. The interests of Trump’s “base” lie mostly in sending a few Congress people back to where they came from, keeping their guns, and locking up Hillary. Beyond that they haven’t a clue about World happenings.

  4. A leader who won’t protect our country from attack is no patriot.” But Obama did nothing to warn Trump of the Russian attacks in 2016. Is this who you are talking about? OR was it HRC and her server?

    • But Obama DID warn about the Russian attacks, including Obama himself telling Putin not to interfere. He also told the press that Russian intelligence operatives were behind the cyber attacks and Homeland security formally blamed the Russians in an Official statement. Not only that but Russian interference was talked about during the debates themselves.

      The idea that Obama did nothing to warn Trump of the 2016 attacks is not just false, but a right wing talking point that makes NO sense, other than to use as a smear, a false smear at that.

  5. “No one wins a tariff war. Both the U.S. and China are being hurt. China has resiliency however. They will not submit in any fashion.” Since Nixon Day we have been lousing to China. China has not been lousing to us. What we have been doing has not worked so why not try a different way to stop Americans from buying goods made in China were labor is cheep and people do not even own their thoughts. Which is better China to win and we lose our way of life, Or both, us and them to louse and to retain in a diminished way our way of life.

  6. Will Trump’s tariffs make stuff so expensive at Home Depot that folks will finally say, “oh well, I might as well buy those American made pliers.”

    • No, because nobody is making pliers in America. There are American branded pliers (Milwaukee) at Home Depot, but they’re not made in America, they’re made in China. So Americans will keep on doing the same thing, just at higher prices with part of the cost going to the US government in what is actually a tax (even if it IS called a tariff). So who’s raising taxes? REPUBLICANS

  7. Not made in America ? Where do people get their information. Oh, from MSM. How about
    Mac, Channellock,Cornwell,Wright, Armstrong,Proto,SK, Willaims, just to name a few.

  8. Free Trade and a global economy used to be one of the major pillars of Republicanism, right up there with guns for everyone and a trickle down economy. But like most Republican idealism and policy, it didn’t and doesn’t work. So now they embrace the opposite, total nationalism.

    Nowadays being a Republican is all about America first and killing those people you don’t like – ironic that Walmart turns out to be a twofer !

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