national news

Don’t get ahead of yourself, Mr. Speaker

Kevin McCarthy, the newly installed speaker of the U.S. House, no doubt is feeling smug this morning as he begins his first week in Congress’s most powerful political office.

I mean, the Republican congressman was able to take the gavel after 15 votes among his colleagues in the House. He set a record for the number of tries he needed to cross the finish line. Is this the beginning of a new era in Congress? I doubt it … seriously!

Therefore, I feel compelled to warn the speaker against getting too far ahead of himself as he seeks to organize the legislative chamber. He gave away a lot — too much, in my view — to the right-wing radical wing of the Republican Party House conference to attain the office he coveted.

The most startling concession allows just one House member to call for a vote to remove the speaker. What, then, could happen if McCarthy pisses off one of the House members who held out until the last minute to approve his nomination? Could they call for a vote within the House to boot him?

Moreover, it should be obvious to Speaker McCarthy that voters sent a clear message to Congress in the November 2022 midterm election: They want Congress to govern, not obstruct; voters aren’t interested in these “investigations” into Hunter Biden’s laptop. Maybe most GOPers have such an interest, but they don’t comprise the bulk of the voting population.

I couldn’t help but think of the classic definition of insanity as McCarthy kept bringing the speakership up for a vote time and again. It is that insanity is doing the same thing and expecting a different result.

To be fair, Speaker McCarthy eventually got the “different result” he sought … but it was on the 15th try.

Wow! What a sh** show!

johnkanelis_92@hotmail.com

State news

It’s not just Biden’s ‘crisis’

President Biden clearly needs to face what is a crisis on our southern border, with illegal immigrants continuing to seek asylum into the Land of Opportunity, Freedom and Liberty.

However … to suggest that this is a crisis that Biden created is to ignore what I believe is quite obvious.

Which is that the crisis predates this president by several administrations. Whether they were led by Donald Trump, Barack Obama, George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George H.W. Bush or Ronald Reagan — presidents of both parties — this nation’s administrations have dealt with issues along the southern border.

Joe Biden came today to South Texas to get a look at what is happening there. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott greeted him, shook hands, exchanged some conservation and then handed Biden a letter. The letter says this crisis is of President Biden’s making.

No! It is not! It is a situation that has been festering for as long as I can remember. Here again, Abbott referred to Biden’s alleged desire to support “open borders.” Someone has to show me where the president has declared any desire for an open border. If he said something to that effect, I am willing to consider taking back everything I have said in support of the president.

The demagogues are out in force.

johnkanelis_92@hotmail.com

medical news

Life teaches stern lessons

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To be candid, my bride and I have not envisioned ourselves sitting on easy chairs at the beach, watching the tide roll in and out as we march on through our retired life.

Our plan always has been to travel hither and yon. We sold our RV recently, but our travel plans remain intact.

But … first things first.

We have a health issue to battle and to whip. You see, my bride was diagnosed with a malignant tumor in her brain. The doctor removed most of it. The plan now is to blast the rest of it out of there through an aggressive treatment of radiation and chemotherapy. The docs are clear about the intent of this therapy: to shrink what’s left of the tumor … with the aim of eliminating it altogether!

My optimism is high. More importantly, so is hers. This challenge has taught us many valuable lessons. We are receiving love from family and friends. It’s even coming from people we don’t know well. The lesson has been to accept it with open arms and hearts.

The next lesson has been that no matter how smoothly your journey through life has been, one should always expect to encounter the occasional shock to one’s system. My wife’s shock arrived the day after Christmas when she received the diagnosis of a mass in her brain.

The journey, though, continues along a different path than what we had envisioned. The destination remains the same and for that I will stay focused. More importantly, so will my bride.

Our blessings mount even as we embark on the effort to face down this challenge. They provide us with optimism looking ahead. They are coming in the form of the love that is pouring forth. I can state with absolute certainty that the love will sustain us.

johnkanelis_92@hotmail.com

national news

Can they work together?

Hakeen Jefferies says he and Kevin McCarthy can work together when it matters. Count me as a skeptic … for the time being at least.

Jefferies is the newly minted U.S. House Democratic leader is the equally newly minted speaker of the House. Oh … McCarthy also is a Republican who had to fight through 15 floor-vote ballots before eking out enough support to get the speaker’s gavel.

Jefferies says he and McCarthy get along just fine, that they can “agree to disagree without being disagreeable.” Indeed, McCarthy said some pretty angry things about former speaker Nancy Pelosi, who in turn fired some nastiness at McCarthy.

Jefferies and McCarthy need to work together to craft legislation that President Biden can agree to sign into law. I fear that the task might be hampered by the MAGA crowd within the GOP House caucus that is intent on impeaching everyone who carries the title of Democrat.

Well, I will hold out a sliver of hope that the party leaders can forge a working relationship that puts country ahead of partisan concerns.

Many of us are watching you, gentleman.

johnkanelis_92@hotmail.com

national news

Speaker McCarthy? Let’s get busy!

I find it strange and a bit discomfiting to refer to Kevin McCarthy as speaker of the U.S. House, but sure enough, he’s got the title and the gavel.

Now comes the test to see if he has the skill to manage a sharply divided legislative chamber that required 15 floor votes to decide on whether McCarthy should succeed one of the greater speakers in U.S. history, Nancy Pelosi.

The only thing these two individuals have in common is that they represent California in the House. Pelosi serves the people of San Francisco, while McCarthy hails from Bakersfield.

Furthermore, I am trying to imagine — and I can’t get close to realizing it — Pelosi getting herself trapped in the embarrassing spectacle that unfolded as McCarthy battled the MAGA wing of his party in trying to secure enough votes to become speaker.

I would not have occurred during Pelosi’s two runs as speaker.

Yet here we are. Speaker McCarthy has suffered heavy injury to his reputation by giving away damn near the whole power structure to the MAGA cult cabal in the House.Ā  Hey, didn’t Pelosi once scold the Democrats’ progressive caucus by ordering its members to back off and let her run the House? Yep. She did!

McCarthy squeaked — or perhaps slithered — his way into the speaker’s chair by the narrowest margin possible. He is de-fanged, de-clawed and de-balledĀ as he seeks to get the House apparatus lined up.

The MAGA clowns will take seats on key committees. Good luck with that … Mr. Speaker.

It’s a new day in Congress. May the forces of good government eclipse the morons who wrangled all those concessions from the gutless coward who now serves as speaker of the House.

johnkanelis_92@hotmail.com

national news

Democracy is damn ugly

Winston Churchill had it exactly right when he described democracy as the most awkward form government, but better than any other form of governance ever created.

He said in a 1947 speech before the British House of Commons: Indeed, it has been saidĀ that democracy is the worst form of Government except for all those other forms that have been tried from time to time.

The world witnessed an example of it with the election of Kevin McCarthy as speaker of the U.S. House early today.

Ugghh! I couldn’t stand watching it. I am not happy with the result, either … but I’ll accept that it’s what we have. So, let’s move forward and hope the House and Senate can get something done for you and me.

To be candid, I don’t expect much from the House. McCarthy gave away a lot of the real power the speaker is supposed to have. He surrendered it to the right-wing, MAGA cabal within the GOP House conference.

The cultists hate McCarthy for reasons I don’t quite grasp. He’s one of ’em, for criminy sakes! Anyone who would be critical of the treasonous moron who incited the 1/6 insurrection and then venture to his glitzy estate for a photo op cannot be trusted? Give me a break!

Well, we have a House speaker. At least the lower chamber can start its work. That’s some semblance of progress … even though it developed from the ugliest start in the history of the republic.

Oh, and thanks for the wisdom, Mr. British Prime Minister. You were so correct as always.

johnkanelis_92@hotmail.com

medical news

Health care heroes abound

Forgive me if I am repeating myself, but the hospital staff caring for my bride deserves a word of thanks from me.

I intend to give it to them with this brief blog post.

My wife is recovering from brain surgery. The doctor took most of a malignant tumor out of her skull. She now is in rehab at Medical City/McKinney hospital. She is getting marvelous care from a staff of compassionate nurses, techs, doctors, aides and therapists.

Why mention this? Oh, it’s just because I am in the mood to share some good will for those who get criticized when the health care they deliver at times falls short. Not this time.

I want them to know that this North Texas family — starting with me, my sons, my daughter-in-law — appreciates the TLC that these medical pros are delivering every day.

It is seeing us through this challenging leg of our life journey.

johnkanelis_92@hotmail.com

national news

How can he govern?

For the life of me I am trying to grasp how in the name of good government Kevin McCarthy can hope to function as speaker of the House when he keeps capitulating to the right-wing nut job caucus of the Republican congressional conference.

I mean, holy yellow-belly coward, the dude is making deal after deal with MAGA lovers who don’t trust him as far as they can throw him.

And he still can’t get enough votes to be selected as House speaker!

He’s gone through 13 failed attempts at garnering the needed 218 votes to become speaker. Each time it goes to the floor for a vote he gives something else away.

He’s promised to put the election deniers on key committees, he has agreed to let a single House member call for a vote to remove the speaker, he is promising to open up investigations into every Democrat within spitting distance of Capitol Hill.

If he is able to be elected speaker, McCarthy is likely to learn in short order — as in immediately — that the prize he has coveted for years ain’t worth the effort.

The late Texan, former VP John Nance Garner, once said the vice presidency “ain’t worth a bucket of warm piss.” If he is able to seize the gavel as House speaker — and that remains an open question — I intend to wait for a similar description from McCarthy about the office he fought like hell to inherit.

johnkanelis_92@hotmail.com

national news

Two years on, it still hurts

This is no day to ” celebrate” with vacuous expressions of “happy anniversary.” It is, rather, a day to commemorate with observations about how dangerously close this event came to unraveling our cherished democratic system of government.

Two years ago today the mob of traitors stormed the Capitol Building intending to overturn the 2020 presidential election results. I won’t go into the details of who ignited it or assess blame for the chaos that ensued.

All I want to do in this moment is note that the traitors who committed the insurrection came too damn close to succeeding in their failed effort.

The House select committee assigned to study the event and recommend ways to prevent a recurrence has finished its job. It was thorough and meticulous in its effort. I commend that. It has recommended criminal referrals to the former president. I comment that, too.

Let’s just today take note of what could have happened that day. Let’s also cling tightly to the love we express about our liberties and the benefits of living in this great nation.

johnkanelis_92@hotmail.com

local news

Have they lost their mind?

Has the right-wing, nut job, MAGA-worshiping wing of the congressional Republican conference lost what passes for its collective mind?

They have denied the U.S. House of Representatives the ability to organize under the leadership of a new speaker. They have rendered the people’s House a legislative body in name only. Except that it doesn’t legislate a damn thing. It cannot function without a speaker.

The GOP nut job cabal continues to deny the party’s congressional leader Kevin McCarthy the job he says he deserves. That’s a highly debatable point. The point of this blog, though, is to underscore the low-brow idiocy that is driving this impasse.

I guess I should point out that the fellow elected from my congressional district — the 3rd District of Texas, Keth Self — is among those who are blocking the selection of a speaker. Nice going, dude!

The MAGA lovers think nothing of the consequence of having a House that is not functioning. The Senate is ready to go. The president is set to propose legislation.

The House is set to, um, do nothing. If American voters delivered any sort of message in the 2022 midterm election is that they want Congress to get to work. The nation is tired of the posturing, preening and prancing of right-wingers intent on making spectacles of themselves and embarrassing their political foes.

The only embarrassment belongs to the right-wing nut jobs.

johnkanelis_92@hotmail.com

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