military news

RIP, Dick Cheney

I once thought Walter Mondale rewrote the vice-presidential book on service to the nation when he served for four years in the Carter administration.

Then came Al Gore, who was VP for eight years serving alongside Bill Clinton. Gore, too, added his mark on the vice presidency.

And then along came Dick Cheney. Republican presidential nominee George W. Bush tasked Chene with finding a suitable VP in 2000. Cheney, a senior campaign aide for the Texas governor, looked around and I guess he came up empty. So, Bush chose Cheney to run with him. They won the 2000 contest by the tiniest margin imaginable, then got re-elected in 2004 … after lying to Americans about intelligence data that said Saddam Hussein possessed weapons of mass destruction and then starting a fresh war against Iraq in Mach 2003.

Cheney died this week at age 84. And, yes, he has rewritten the entire book on serving as No. 2 in a presidential adminisration. He was a force for good at times. I am reluctant to say the “good Cheney” was present 100% of the time. He led the misinformation flow that suggested Saddam had those WMD. The war cost us thousands of American lives. Yes, we did capture the Iraqi dictator and he was executed almost immediately the Iraqi justice officials.

Cheney, though, never backed down from his statements about the WMD. I fear that misleading trail will taint his legacy forever.

However, he did join his daughter, former U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney, in rebuking the MAGA cult that shores up Donald Trump. I salute him, and his daughter, for standing firm and tall against the Trump effort to turn our democracy into an oligarchy.

Cheney did serve well over the course of many years. He was a Wyoming congressman; he served as White House chief of staff for President Ford; he served as defense secretary for President George H.W. Bush and was at the DoD helm during the Persian Gulf War of 1990-91.

He was strong in his belief in what he thought was right. I only wish his belief could have led him a different direction. He’s gone now. Dick Cheney gave all he had. It was plenty.

political news, State news

Amend the amendment process

Texans well might awaken Wednesday morning living in a state governed by a constitution that was amended 17 times at the ballot box the previous day.

Yep, the Texas Constitution could have 17 more amendments tacked onto it, making it a governing document that has been changed, well, countless times. The Legislature calls this “the will of the people at work.” I call it something different. It is government by ignorance and apathy … meaning that most Texans don’t care about the amendments they’re voting on and have no intention of learning about them.

This is a lousy way to run a state government.

I have written about this before, back when I was working for a living writing opinion pieces for the Beaumont Enterprise and the Amarillo Globe-News. I have called for a constitutional convention in Austin to change the manner in which we amend our state constitution.

We’ve tried this before. The Legislature convened a convention in the 1970s to change our system of constitutional government. The effort fell short.

The constitutional amendment process of governing occurs every legislative year, meaning every odd-numbered year when the Legislature meets ostensibly for 140 days in Austin. Issues they cannot resolve are sent to the ballot in the fall. This year we got 17 proposed amendments.

It sorta reminds me of the number of counties Texas has on the books. Not a chance of reducing the number of counties, as it would reduce the number of elected officials who set policy. I have to remind myself that the smallest of counties enjoys a seat at the power table in Texas. Those who created the state in 1845 wanted to diffuse as much power as possible from Austin. Which also explains the enormous number of counties scattered throughout the state. We’ve got 254 of them, some with tiny populations, such as Loving and Roberts counties, both of which are home to more livestock than human beings.

The federal way of governing is preferable to me. Yeah, I know what you’re thinking. Except for right now when we have nimrods shutting down the government because compromise isn’t in their legislative DNA.

I don’t expect the state to convene a constitutional convention anytime soon … if ever. I just felt like venting because the founders who created the national constitution gave me the right to seek “a redress of grievances.”

national news

Pols run close to ruining their own careers

Politicians dismiss public opinion polls all the time, especially those that tell them things they don’t want to hear.

They do so at considerable risk. Why say such a thing? Public opinion polls are speaking with one voice on this issue: the government shutdown. They are telling us that Americans are disgusted with Congress and the president over their refusal to reopen the government because Democrats insist on preserving elements of the Affordable Care Act that will provide insurance for millions of Americans.

Without the ACA — aka Obacare — tens of millions of Americans will lose their health coverage.

One party controls both congressional chambers; and the White House. No laws are being legislated. The House hasn’t even been in session. Speaker Mike Johnson decided to let ’em all go on vacation rather than stick around and do their job. Get this: All members of Congress are getting paid for their inaction. Listen up, gang: You and I are getting ripped off! None of us likes it.

I get that pollsters get a bum rap. They are right in many instances. Such as now. When they measure citizens’ angst over their government’s performance, Congress’ ratings head straight for the crapper.

We all know that members of Congress depend on their performance to guarantee they’ll continue their political careers. If they don’t get busy in a major hurry, my hunch is that voters in November 2026 will look for candidates who can step in and do the job for which the do-nothings are being paid.

media news

Boycott continues, no end in sight

My boycott of national broadcast and cable news is continuing and it is showing little signs of letting up.

Why am I shutting out the news media from my home? Because the talking heads tell me damn near nothing I don’t know and I am getting basically one side of the arguments that keep spring up like weeds in the spring.

I refuse to watch the Fox Propaganda Channel for reasons that are evident in the name I just hung on the Fox network. MSNBC, the left-leaning cable channel, almost never discusses issues with  pols who tilt right. When they have, and again, it’s a rare event, the discussion turns into a shouting/pissing match because the TV news host chooses to argue with his or her guest. I don’t need that spilling into my home.

About the only option left for me is public TV. The right wing has taken aim at the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, yanking money from it and sending my taxpayer money somewhere else; I am presuming some mega rich dudes are getting the dough.

It’s not that I am addicted necessarily to the news. I once was considered a news junkie. When we traveled I would scarf up local newspapers to see the news of the day in a community we were visiting. I don’t do that these days. Then again, I don’t travel as much these days as I used to do.

And when I am home, I am keeping the TVs quiet in all the rooms of my home that have them. I don’t miss the white noise. Frankly, the news and commentary that comes from the TV broadcast and cable channels does me as much good as elevator music.

political news, State news

Is this young man the one?

For a good while I have been yammering about the need for the major political parties to rally around an unknown politician, someone who emerges suddenly with a fresh voice, spoken from a fresh perspective.

I believe the Texas Democratic Party has a chance to bring such a young man to the foreftont of the political stage.

If you haven’t heard the name James Talarico, my hunch is that you will quite soon. Talarico brings a perspective to Democratic politics one likely didn’t see coming. He’s a deeply devoted and faithful Christian. He leans heavily on New Testament Scripture to illustrate his policy stances. Talarico taught school in San Antonio. He now serves in the Texas House of Representatives and is standing for general Democratic principles while waging fights with his Republican colleagues.

I like this young man’s approach to problem solving. I like it a lot!

My former favorite for the Democratic nomination to the U.S. Senate race in 2026 is former congressman Colin Allred, who boasted continually in 2024 about his strong polling against Sen. Ted Cruz … only to lose by double digits on Election Day. Allred is making another run at the U.S. Senate. I wish him well, but I am leaning heavily toward James Talarico.

I am not naive. It is going to take a monstrous effort by Talarico to overturn decades of GOP dominance in statewide elective public office. It seems to be his best course toward victory would be if Republicans nominate Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, a man with more political wounds than any politician I have ever seen. He’s been attacked by his own AG staff, impeached by the Texas House, divorced by his wife because he cheated on her. This guy is seriously damaged.

I cannot find that kind of blemish on Talarico’s record. I do see a young man who is unafraid to proclaim his religious faith … but he doesn’t support the Christian nationalist agenda of melding religion into government policy. He wants to keep religion where it belongs, in houses of worship, and away from public schools, county courthouses and city halls.

He has jumped out of the tall grass and will seek to do the seemingly impossible in a state where Republicans stand tall over the political landscape. I am going to do what I can to help James Talarico advance his message.

national news

Is it the truth …?

I have been a member of Rotary International for the past 30 years and I have sought to live according to the concepts espoused by what is arguably the world’s pre-eminent non-governmental organization.

Rotary has authored what it calls its “Four-Way Test of the things we think, say and do.” The first of those concepts asks, “Is it the truth?”

A Rotarian from Shelby, N.C., pitched a fascinating notion in a letter to the editor of Rotary magazine.

I am certain he is aiming his barbs at D.C. leadership, namely the president of the United States. “These are times that try the consciences of Rotarians in the United States,” writes Steve Nye. “In our world today, there is a concerted effort to prevent anyone from getting the truth. For years we have heard claims that are based on false assumptions and nonexistent evidence,” he writes.

Yeah. Ya think?

He implores Rotarians to reach out to those in power to get them to live by the rules espoused in the Four Way Test. Indeed, the demand for truth-telling carries an implied directive, which is that the truth must be demonstrable. There must be evidence to back up whatever assertion these people make.

“If we are to be true Rotarians,” Nye writes, “then it is imperative that we ask for the unvarnished truth, even if ithe facts prove to be contrarary to our own personal beliefs.” He continues: “There is a reason that ‘Is it the truth?’ is the first rule of the Four-Way Test. Without the truth, we are left with a situtation where chaos reigns over all we hold dear.”

This man’s cogent message must fall directly on the audience that hears the rubbish that comes from the White House these days. The man who utters is beyond redemption. He’ll never change. It becomes our responsibility to call him out whenever he bellows such blatant lies.

national news

One year down (almost), three more to go

Listen up, boys and girls, I have some good news to remind you about some news that might cause you some queasiness … as it does for me and I’ve just now thought about it.

The good news is that we’re closing in on the first year of Donald Trump’s second term as POTUS. He took the oath of office on Jan. 20, 2025, which means on that date next year — which is just around the corner! — he will have completed the first year of his Retribution Tour.

Now for the rest of it. Dude’s got three more years to wreak havoc on our democratic republic.

I shall qualify the bad news with a few glimmers of hope that we might be able to stem the damage this blowhard can inflict.

The midterm election is coming up next fall. A year from next week! It’ll be here in a flash. We have to prepare for a back-alley brawl with the MAGA cultists. It is winnable. The House of Reps is close to flipping to Democratic control. If the nation can elect a handful of Democrats, we can welcome Hakeen Jeffries as our next speaker. The Senate is a tougher climb, but there appears to be a GOP senator or two who might be vulnerable to defeat. I am not going to toss John Cornyn under that electoral bus … at least not yet.

Trump keeps yammering that he’s in the strongest public approval rating in history. Yeah, he actually has said it. He’s lying. His approval rating at this moment stands at around 41%. President George W. Bush’s rating peaked at around 90% right after 9/11. President Bush the Elder’s rating topped out at 91% when he declared that Saddam Hussein’s invasion of Kuwait in August 1990 “will not stand.” President Reagan won a 49-state re-election landslide victory in 1984, garnering 59% of the popular vote. President Nixon also won a 49-state re-election bid in 1972, and with a 62% popular vote.

Finally, Donald Trump said this week that he cannot seek a third term as president. The Constitution’s 22nd Amendment won’t allow it, he acknowledged. So, there … even the insurrectionist in chief has realized that amending the Constitution to allow him to run for a third term is out of the question.

What does all this mean for democracy’s future? It means that Trump is the lamest of ducks and that if he continues to blunder and bumble his way through the rest of his term that there well might be a candidate who can restore regular order to the way we govern this great country.

business news

Deal maker in chief is MIA

Someone will have to explain to me why the deal maker in chief, the guy who keeps bragging about his ability to cut deals with anyone is missing in action on any effort to broker an end to the government shutdown.

You’ve heard Donald Trump bellow and boast about his deal making skill. He yammers about how he can bring two sides together to strike deals that benefit everyone affected. How’s he doing on the shutdown?

He has shown virtually no interest in cutting a deal that would return hundreds of thousands of federal employees to their jobs. No interest in paying those who’ve still been working. Not a semblance of interest in seeking a long-term solution to this ongoing string of continuing resolutions that are good for only a few months before we return once again to the grandstanding we’re seeing in our nation’s capital.

Allow me this point of personal privilege. I am planning to board a jetliner for a flight back east in about 12 days. Air traffic controllers are on the job … but aren’t getting paid for keeping planes from crashing into each other. I believe I will hold my breath for the entire length of the length of the flight; that goes in both directions, too!

Trump has sent a healthy portion of his career in politics bragging about how crafty he is at the negotiating table. I’m ready to see if this know-nothing can deliver the goods. If he doesn’t, an entire country is going to continue to suffer.

Uncategorized

East Wing destruction so very galling

I am having difficulty getting past the notion of Donald Trump deploying the bulldozers and backhoes to knock down the East Wing of the White House.

This heartless bastard doesn’t give a rat’s ruby red rear end about history or how the building where he will live for the next three years holds so much of our nation’s rich history. Dude wants to build a gold-adorned ballroom. Never f***ing mind that the East Wing is part of the people’s house, that’s my house, your house. The guy who has moved in there on a temporary basis has taken it upon himself to knock a good part of it down.

It is an outrageous violation of what we normally think of as decent, graceful and normal.

Presidents of the United States just don’t have carte blanche to destroy valuable pieces of public property. However, Trump doesn’t give a crap on what is normal.

It’s going to take me a while to get past this disgraceful act of arrogance.

crime news

Waiting for the wake up call

I will not venture a guess on when it might occur, but I am waiting for the wake up call to ring in the ears of the Republicans who occupy most of the seats in both chambers of Congress.

The call will come from the coscience of a once-great political party. It will sound the alarm that GOP members I hope hear and take seriously.

The wake up call is bound to remind the GOP majority for who it is working. It isn’t the man who keeps the chair warm in the Oval Office. They work for rank and file Americans, even those of us who didn’t vote for them and those who detest the idea that Donald Trump is being paid 400 grand annually to serve as POTUS.

One must presume that Trump might do something that is so outrageous that most members of Congress no longer can support that dipshit. President Nixon found the drop-dead moment in 1974 when the Supreme Court ordered him to turn over the Watergate tapes that had him ordering the CIA to cover up the Watergate caper.

Is such a moment awaiting Donald Trump? The man appears to have buffaloed the political right wing.

But I will hold out hope.

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