Tag Archives: Barack Obama

national news, political news, religious news

How about this response to birthers?

No-religious-test-of-office-320x1241

” … no religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States.”

This passage comes from Article VI of the Constitution of the United States of America.

Why mention it here? Because Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump did not shut down a questioner in a town hall audience this week who said he believes President Obama is a foreign-born Muslim.

I’ve been waiting for a long time — during the length of the president’s time in office — for a politician to tell an ignoramus like the fellow at the Trump campaign event that a politician’s religion has no bearing on his or her qualifications to hold public office.

Trump not only did go there, he didn’t even tell the fellow that the president is, in fact, a Christian who was born in Hawaii in August 1961.

Oh, I almost forgot: Trump himself has been questioning the president’s birth and his constitutional qualifications to serve the office to which he’s been elected twice.

Well, whatever. The issue keeps presenting itself. The president’s place of birth isn’t an issue either, given that his late mother was a U.S. citizen, which granted young Barack “birthright citizenship.”

As for a politician’s religion, I keep referring to Article VI.

There should be “no religious test.”

If only that would end this ridiculous talking point.

If only …

 

national news, political news, religious news

That’s how you encourage hatred, Donald

donald

Donald Trump was handed a gold-braided chance last night to declare once and for all that President Barack Obama is as American as he is.

He didn’t. Instead, Trump — who was fielding questions at a so-called “town hall” meeting in New Hampshire — chose to allow a questioner to level a hateful attack on the president … and on Muslims.

Think, then, about this man — Trump — becoming president of the United States.

He fluffed the question not because of some careless inattention, but — I happen to believe — he actually believes the nonsense that continues to fly around out there, that the president really isn’t “one of us.”

This is just one more in a lengthening list of disgraces that Donald Trump has brought to the Republican Party primary presidential campaign.

The exchange went like this:

“We have a problem in this country. It’s called Muslims,” the man began. “We know our current president is one.”

“Right,” Trump said.

“You know, he’s not even an American. Birth certificate, man,” the man continued.

Trump laughed and said, “We need this question?”

Then came the clincher:

The man in the audience said: “But anyway, we have training camps growing where they want to kill us. That’s my question: When can we get rid of them?”

Trump’s hideous answer? “We’re going to be looking at a lot of different things,” Trump responded. “And you know, a lot of people are saying that, and a lot of people are saying that bad things are happening out there. We’re going to be looking at that and plenty of other things.”

Looking at what? Finding ways to get rid of Muslims? Is this entertainer/politician considering ways to rid the nation of millions of American citizens who happen to belief in a faith other than Christianity?

What the … ?

Sen. John McCain, while running for president in 2008 against then-Sen. Obama, got the same kind of question during a town hall. His response was to shut the questioner down and declare flat out that his opponent is a “patriotic American” and a fine public servant.

Donald Trump has disgraced himself yet again.

 

 

national news

Stereotyping can pose major problems

Ahmed%20Mohamed_jpg_CROP_promo-xlarge2

Ahmed Mohamed is a 14-year-old high school student who lives in the Dallas suburb of Irving.

He brought a homemade clock to school the other day as part of some classroom project.

The reaction from school officials? They called the cops, who then slapped handcuffs on the boy in front of his classmates. They thought he’d brought a bomb into school.

Ahmed was taken to a juvenile detention center and then released to the custody of his parents.

And why all the fuss?

Was it because he’s a practicing Muslim? Irving police and school officials, quite naturally, insist his faith had nothing to do with the overreaction. They insist they’d have reacted the same way with any student who brought a “suspicious-looking” device into school.

Well, I don’t know about you, but I am having a little difficulty believing that. I guess it’s best just to take them at their word.

Clock was not a bomb

President Obama, of course, entered the fray by tweeting something about Ahmed’s “cool clock,” while inviting the youngster to the White House to show the device off. He said the boy’s innovation is a big part of what “makes America great.”

The overreaction in one American city to this youngster’s attempt at creativity sends quite another message.

There is good news to report. Irving police won’t press charges against Ahmed.

Now, how about a public apology to the boy and his parents?

 

military news

Jade Helm has ended … we’re still free!

jade helm

They’ve sounded the all clear in central Texas.

Jade Helm has ended. President Obama’s allegedly threatened takeover of Texas didn’t materialize.

We can sleep better tonight.

If there ever was a moment in which the governor of our great state couldn’t embarrass himself more, it was when Gov. Greg Abbott responded to that idiotic Internet gossip that Jade Helm — a long-planned military exercise — was some kind of harbinger of a federal takeover of Texas.

What did the governor do? He ordered the Texas National Guard to “monitor” the activities of the Army, Marine Corps and Navy special forces that were conducting exercises in Texas.

Jade Helm concludes

It’s what they do. They practice military maneuvers to prepare them for actual combat.

But some right-wing freaks decided to launch a conspiracy in cyberspace that contended that it was all part of some plot to declare martial law or some such nonsense.

Can you say “black helicopters”?

Well, the exercise has ended. The Texas National Guard can go home. The governor can concern himself with actual threats to the state, such as, oh, illegal immigrants or red tide on the Gulf Coast.

 

business news, International news

State visit in peril? So what?

hacked1

Chinese President Xi Jinping wants to pay a state visit to President Obama.

He might back out if the United States punishes China over its computer hacking of U.S. companies.

My reaction? Big deal.

The possible cancellation of the state visit, that is.

Chinese hackers have been bedeviling U.S. government and business interests for too long already. The Obama administration is considering leveling some economic sanctions against the People’s Republic of China in retaliation for the hacking.

It creates “bad optics” for President Xi to visit at a time when the United States is lowering the boom on the world’s No. 2 economic power.

“The Chinese right now are getting very concerned because they understand this will create embarrassing optics around the visit for them,” said Samm Sacks, China analyst at the Eurasia Group, a political risk consulting firm, who has advised government agencies on Chinese tech policy.

While I don’t care particularly if China’s head of state cancels his visit over possible punishment, a private meeting between the Chinese leader and President Obama might be fruitful if the two leaders can have — as it’s called in diplomatic parlance — a “frank discussion” about why this hacking behavior cannot be tolerated.

Perhaps the president could ask his Chinese counterpart: What would your government’s response if the roles were reversed?

 

International news

Iran deal is ‘approved’ by Senate … sort of

obama and kerry

It’s quite clear that President Obama cannot call his “victory” in securing the Iran nuclear deal a “mandate.”

It is, instead, a technical victory. Senate Democrats gathered up enough votes to head off a Republican-sponsored resolution opposing the deal. Thus, the president won’t have to veto the resolution.

GOP senator say they’ll keep bringing the deal up for a vote. Good luck with that.

Deal gets approved

I’m glad the deal is headed for “ratification,” if you want to call it that.

I’ll fall back to this notion in defense of the deal.

Israel is Iran’s target were it to build a nuclear weapon. The deal prevents Iran from obtaining a nuke. The United States has pledged repeatedly since the founding of Israel in 1948 to stand behind our nation’s most dependable Middle East ally. The pledges have come from presidents of both parties.

Whatever intention Iran has to wipe Israel off the planet would be met with severe force by any president who comes along in the future, regardless of political party.

It is better to talk our enemies out of doing something foolish than it is to bomb them into oblivion.

And, yes, you trigger-happy foes of this deal: Diplomacy always has its place.

national news, political news

Don’t hold your breath on Gohmert’s pledge

gohmert

U.S. Rep. Louie Gohmert, R-Loony Bin, says he’s going to quit Congress.

His reason? He’ll await the pending approval of the Iran nuclear deal brokered by the Obama administration and then he’ll wait for the pending “nuclear holocaust” he believes will be the inevitable result.

The East Texas Republican has said plenty of goofy things in the past. He’s a big-time Barack Obama “birther,” suggesting the president isn’t constitutionally qualified for the office he’s held for nearly two full terms.

Gohmert to quit

I am not going to hold my breath waiting for Gohmert to bail.

Other politicians and celebrities have made similar pledges. Do you remember what actor/left-wing activist Alec Baldwin said upon the election in 2000 of Texas Gov. George W. Bush as president? He said he would leave the country.

Baldwin’s still here. Fifteen years later.

Gohmert, also is quite an expert at saying provocative things.

This sounds like one of those times.

 

International news

Powell endorses Iran nuclear deal

colin-powell

In another era, an endorsement of a controversial foreign policy agreement by Colin Powell might carry some weight among other members of Powell’s political party.

It won’t this time. In fact, and you might have to wait for it, you well could hear someone suggest that Powell’s endorsement doesn’t matter at all because he endorsed Barack Obama’s two successful elections as president of the United States.

Does it matter, though, that the former secretary of state remains a loyal Republican? Oh … maybe. Then again, maybe not.

Powell said today on “Meet the Press”: “The great concern from the opposition is that we’re leaving open a lane for Iran to create a nuclear weapon in 10 to 15 years. The reality is that they have been on a super highway for the last 10 years to create a nuclear weapon … with no speed limit.”

He said he’s studied the deal in detail, pored over it thoroughly and has concluded that this agreement is better than what we had before, which was nothing.

The retired four-star U.S. Army general and former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, calls the agreement brokered by the Obama administration a “pretty good deal.”

It’s not perfect, he said. But he’ll settle gladly for a diplomatic solution over a military one.

Given that he’s endured combat — serving two tours of duty as an infantry officer during the Vietnam War — I’ll accept his endorsement.

national news, political news

Palin criticizes Obama visit? Shocking!

Palin

The least surprising criticism of President Obama’s recent visit to Alaska came from, that’s right, the state’s former half-term governor and one-time Republican vice-presidential nominee.

Sarah Palin said Obama spent too much time on “touristy” attractions.

Palin, known as “Denali” back when she ran for VP on the 2008 GOP ticket led by John McCain, chided and jabbed at the president, I guess, for coming to Alaska to announce changing the name of Mount McKinley to its ancient native Alaskan name, Denali, which was the Secret Service code name assigned to her when she ran with McCain against Obama and Joe Biden.

There’s just no pleasing some folks.

OK, Palin and the president disagree on the effects of climate change, which Obama also wanted to highlight on his trip way up north. She wrote an essay in which she invited him to see a glacier that, according to Palin, is actually growing.

She also encouraged him to visit military personnel stationed in Alaska.

That’s all fine and dandy.

My own wish would be for Sarah Barracuda to stick to matters she knows best. Like reality TV.

I mean, come on. Barack Obama was the first sitting president in U.S. history to venture north of the Arctic Circle. That’s got to be worth at least a little bit of a shout-out.

 

national news

Emergencies often build lifetime friendships

airman

This picture speaks volumes to me, and I’m sure it does to others.

The young man is Michael Maroney, who in 2005 was serving as an Air Force pararescue jumper.

The little girl is LaShay Brown. She’s hugging Maroney’s neck because the jumper had just saved LaShay and her family from Hurricane Katrina’s savage onslaught in New Orleans.

A decade later, Maroney and LaShay have hooked up again. He found the girl who’s now a teenager living in Mississippi.

“I was a single father trying to raise two boys. I had just gotten back from Afghanistan, and New Orleans was under water,” Maroney, now 40, told The Washington Post. “When she hugged me, everything went away. There were no problems in that moment. That meant everything to me.”

Little girl hugs with joy

As it should.

These are the kinds of stories that have been told and retold in the decade since the Katrina disaster. President Obama went to New Orleans this past week to salute the city’s return. Former President Bush went there as well to pay his tribute to the strength of the residents who endured nature’s wrath.

Yes, we have talked in recent days about some of the failures of government at all levels to do right by those who suffered.

But an Air Force serviceman, Michael Maroney, did his part to deliver a little girl and her family from the storm. “I can’t wait to meet her to tell her how important she is,” Maroney told People magazine. “In my line of work, it doesn’t usually turn out happily. This hug, this moment, was like — everybody I’ve ever saved, that was the thank you.”

They have become friends for life.

It doesn’t get any better than that.