http://thenewstalkers.com/thedoctorisinthehouse Mon, 09 Nov 2026 14:58:59 -0500 http://thenewstalkers.com/thedoctorisinthehouse/blog/2611/the-case-for-real-freedom-reactions-to-the-issues-of-the-new-american-fascism http://thenewstalkers.com/thedoctorisinthehouse/blog/2611
It has been months since my last blog. In that time frame, I sat and watched many sunsets {hence my visual image}. I was truly retired, but the last month or two has rekindled my concern for our nation and the increasingly ludicrous nature of our politics. Thus, this particular blog. 
I am probably going to get some on the right quite angry. Frankly, I'm past the point of caring whether or not there is anger among those who accept the nonsense that some of the media and elected representatives are spewing, rather than having intelligent discussion about the real issues of the day. Just a few examples prior to some in depth analysis.  First, there is no such thing as " the great replacement theory". It is a meme or the White supremacist right. We are a nation of immigrants and there must be equality among all Americans or future Americans. Second, there is no reason to believe that pro-choice individuals will force anti-choice people to have abortions. Third, there is no evidence of "Critical Race Theory being taught anywhere other than in selected graduate school programs where it is an appropriate course of study. Each of these are lunatic fringe ideas that have led to the rise of single issue voters. It may be to the Republican's credit or discredit that if they get enough single issue voters to their side, the underlying extremism of the party core can sneak in and remain in power. It has led to legislators and justices who are either simply incompetent and / or criminal. It is, quite simply, un-American and anti-democratic.
Let me start by emphatically stating that what is happening to our great nation is the polar opposite of American democracy. It is, and always has been, the basis for the rise of fascist and other totalitarian forms of government. The goal of this great nation has always been the movement towards equal rights for ALL Americans; the ability to practice what you believe while allowing others to practice their beliefs without impingement, as long as that practice is legal. It has been a long hard slog, but to paraphrase Dr. Martin Luther King, the arc of justice bends towards freedom.
This article will look at some of the most divisive issues and attempt to explain why the one issue voter is almost always working against their own interests.
ABORTION:
Realistically, no one on either side of this issue argues that any woman must have an abortion. It is, for those of us who believe in choice, a decision that must be made by the individual woman in consult with those she chooses to involve or be advised by. Roe v. Wade did exactly that. It did not take away any person's rights. It gave, however, an entire majority of Americans a right of privacy {yes, there are more women than men in our country}. The ability to make decisions based on both their and any potential offspring's well being is a private one.
I will agree with the anti-choice minority in this nation that abortion is not birth control and should not be used as such. The vast majority of abortions fall into one of the following categories: [1] a change in status that affects the economic viability of carrying a fetus to term {financial, divorce or separation}, [2] a change in the health status of the mother, [3] rape or incest, [4] catastrophic condition of the fetus, or [5] juvenile status of the prospective mother. Each of these are major life events and require the potential mother to make life altering decisions.
Women are not chattel who belong to a man. Outlawing abortion will not keep women who can afford to travel from having an abortion. It will only affect poor, basically minority women who will potentially have their lives destroyed by this ban.
For those who don't see that potential outcome, I advise that they should read Margaret Atwood's great dystopian novel, The Handmaid's Tale. Anti-choice legislation is a violation of freedom. This is everything that is opposite the American dream. This is what the repeal of Roe v. Wade will lead to. If you still want to hold onto your anti-choice views, think for a moment of the other freedoms that are based on the right to privacy. Do you and your loved one use contraception? Check out Connecticut, 381 U.S. 479 {1965} {known as Griswold v. Connecticut}. Without Roe, the government may end you right to decide when to have a child, since that ruling followed the same implied right to privacy as Roe v. Wade. If one right to privacy is not there, neither is another. Do any people you know have a spouse of a different skin color? Check out Loving v. Virginia, 388, U.S. 1 {1967}. Without Roe, the right to marry whomever you choose is in danger. How about Gay marriage? Check out Obergefell v. Hodges {2015}. That is another right to privacy. It is not unthinkable that even marriages between people of different faiths could have their right to marry threatened if Roe disappears.
If any one of the above rights are stricken, and they will be, all of our rights are in danger. We will all be in danger of the same realization that Martin Niemoller wrote during World War II. Niemoller was a Lutheran Minister in Germany prior to the war. Niemoller's quote is most prescient today:
" First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out----because I was not a socialist.
Then they came for the trade unionists and I did not speak out----because I was not a trade unionist.
Then they came for the Jews and I did not speak out----because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me---and there was no one left to speak for me."
Remember, Niemoller eventually spent seven years in a concentration camp because he believed that the fascists of his day would stop at step 1.
The real lesson is that fascists never stop while there is anyone left to persecute!
2nd AMENDMENT RIGHTS
Yes, the second amendment says that the right to bear arms shall not be infringed upon. Our Founding Fathers had this basically right. They wrote a document in the late eighteenth century that was unique and visionary. Their vision, however, was not that this or any of our rights are inviolate. If they believed that, there would never be a constitutional amendment process. We would have a perfvect society. We all know that isn't the case. Otherwise there wouldn't be 33 amendments that have modified the original document.
Our founders lived in a world of single shot rifles. They lived in a a country that had no standing, national military, no repeating or automatic weapons, and which relied on hunting for their food. It was a country that needed gun rights for all. Mass murders, school shootings, and gang violence were unknown occurrences. There was not way of doing background checks, mental health checks, or criminal history checks. If our visionary founders could have envisioned these problems, there is little doubt, that in their wisdom, the second amendment would read differently. 
Yes, we have a right to bear arms, but we also have a right to live without madmen and criminals killing thousands because, in their madness, they have the right to buy and use a gun without check. Freedom doesn't mean unfettered ability to something. Real freedom provides for safety. We must have second amendment rights, but temper those rights with 21st century logic and control. Poll after poll has shown that most gun owners have no problems with reasonable controls { 52-61% depending on the polling. There is little doubt that the percentage will increase with the massacre in Buffalo.
VOTING RIGHTS:
The following statistics are from Politico's 2022 poll on voting rights:
Access to early voting----65% support, 23% oppose
Prohibiting partisan gerrymandering----64% support, 19% oppose
Making it illegal to prevent someone from registering--- 62% support, 24% oppose
Expandiung same day voter registration----- 56% support, 30% oppose
Expanding automatic voter registration---- 52% support, 32% oppose.
These are the statistics, but they don't tell the whole story. As nations move from democracy to fascism or communism, one of the first things that are restricted is the right to vote freely. No one believes that Putin received 96% of the vote in his last election. The Libyans did not elect Khadaffi with 99.2% of the vote. Along with padded electoral totals, dissenting opinions are suppressed. Democracy requires universal voting, not attempts at suppression. What we are seeing in today's Republican dominated states are attempts at disenfranchisement. Take the vote away from those who oppose you, and power will be theirs forever. Every democracy loving American should be opposing this trend with everything in our power. We must vote these autocrats out of office if our American experiment is to succeed.
We can not take voting lightly. Our nation has, for too long denied people their right to vote. Women couldn't vote until the early 20th century. People of color were debnied their voting rights until the 1960s. People who did not own property were denied the right to vote in the constitution. We were wrong then, but can't afford to backslide into that wrong now.
RACIAL ANIMUS
Let's not even talk about "Black Lives Matter". They do, just as Brown Lives, White lives, and Native American lives. It is a truth, however, that as a privileged White man, I never had to warn my son about worrying that some misguided police officer could and would kill him just because he was White and drove a nice car. I never had to tell my daughter that shwe could be abused by the police solely because she is White. The truth is that we can't say that all lives matter until, Black, Brown, and Native American lives matter as much as mine. 
As a retired University professor with degrees in history, psychology, and education, the concept of Critical Race Theory being taught in our K-12 schools is both ludicrous and wrong. Children in a democracy should learn about both the positives and negatives of our history at appropriate times and at appropriate levels. In the words of the Spanish-American philosopher, George Santayana, "Those who ignore the lessons of history are doomed to repeat them." We should be encouraging schools to teach those lessons to help us become a "more perfect union".
For a nation that prides itself on progress, we are certainly learning to hate our citizens of color and our immigrant brethren. This will only reverse much of our progress made in the 20th century. It is an anti-democratic meme. If children can be taught to hate and fear others, there is no need to accept Irish, Italian, Asian, or any other group as worthy Americans. It is a recipe for a second civil war. It is a validation of systemic racism that can only be changed if we elect those who recognize our faults and build on our strengths. The Hebrew language has a saying that really should become an American credo----Am Echad---We are one. It is true that our strength lies in our diversity. We have to work together as one people so that we truly believe that we are the great melting pot. That stew is and should continue to be our greatest positive, not a weakness.
We must continue to move forward. To let people who are autocrats and fascists win the day will mark the end of our democracy.
]]> Mon, 16 May 2022 00:51:58 -0400 http://thenewstalkers.com/thedoctorisinthehouse/blog/2532/the-donald-trump-acolytes-these-are-the-people-who-are-leading-this-country-we-are-in-one-hell-of-a-mess http://thenewstalkers.com/thedoctorisinthehouse/blog/2532
This is the second in a series of articles that are talking about the craziest Republicans representing this country at this time. The first article dealt with my three worst people in Congress, Marjorie Taylor-Greene, Louis Goehmert, and Jim Jordan. Of course, the rankings that I am using are totally my opinion and are not based on any consensus opinion among journalists or political observers. This is what makes these types of lists so difficult. There seems to me that there is an active war being waged in the Republican Party for the most outrageous lawmaker. There are probably 75 people between the House of Representatives and the Senate who would love to be the heir apparent to the orange coiffed, disgraced former President, Donald Trump who continues to play to the big lie and the even bigger grift. The election was stolen, so stop the steal" and send us boatloads of money so I can rip off my contributors when I decide to not run again, and pocket the money to pay for my legal expenses, which will be massive as the criminal and civil cases move forward.
Today's article contains a partial list of the quotes and activities of the next 3 on my list of insane legislators. Mo Brooks, the retiring Congressman from Alabama, seems to be hell bent on going out with a bang, if his performance on January 6th is any example. Josh Hawley, the junior senator from Missouri, and would be Presidential candidate, has proven in his limited time in office that he is a loyal acolyte of Donald Trump and both the capitol insurrectionists and the most extreme of right wing Christians who believe that the nation is here for the Christian majority to rule over other religious or non-religious groups, who would probably be forced to bend the knee and genuflect at the hands of the religious zealots that Hawley eagerly courts. The final discussion today will be Lauren Boebert, the freshman representative from Colorado, who has, in her first eleven months in office, challenged Louie Goehmert for the right to be called the dumbest member of Congress, and has managed to annoy almost as many Republicans as she has Democrats with her mindless and vicious tweets and quotes.
Now, the truth is that any of these three {or for that matter, anyone on my list} could have been a contender for a top three spot. The most telling point is that each of them are toadying to Donald Trump for his respect and admiration, and in the case of Hawley, his endorsement for the Presidency. These are all people who have put aside any fairness and honesty in their beliefs to worship Trump. They are all, in their own way as responsible for the  January 6th insurrection as any of the far right toadies who have supported the big lie. Their actions and their comments speak to their conceit and anti-Americanism.
A few points that I want to make. As in the first article, the discussion is on the people who I took the time to research. I will not allow the discussion to veer off into name calling about politicians who are not part of this article. The comments are either quotes by the three legislators themselves or documented activities. They happened. I will only make passing comments about these quotes and actions. I reserve the right to be a bit snarky. All biographical information that I am sharing is from wikipedia, which I recognize may not always be accurate, and I apologize in advance for any errors that may be reported.
Finally, I just want to comment for a moment about governors. It seems that there is a group of governors who are trying to crash the Donald Trump acolyte party. After this series of articles are completed, I will write an article on the outrageous governor club. I am certain of at least three governors that will be on my list....the governors of Texas, Florida, and South Dakota will be there. I welcome recommendations about other governors I should research.
Time to start the parade of fools.
MO {MORRIS} BROOKS
Mo Brooks is an Alabama Congressman who was a judge prior to his election. As a congressperson, he has consistently leaned hard right, but went a bit further down the rabbit hole during the Trump Presidency. He was, and remains, on of Trump's favorites, and has led some of the most vile anti-immigrant rhetoric in congress.His initial election was as a devotee of the tea party. "Democratic policies are part of the war on whites." {Gee, if I'm at war, nobody told me.}
"Immigration reform is a plot by Democrats to delete the voting power of real Americans." {Has anyone told Representative Brooks that immigrants can't vote until they are citizens, and once that happens they are as 'real' Americans as Brooks}
"Illegal immigrants have murdered more Americans then the 6 to 7 thousand who have died fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq in this century."  {LIE....he cannot produce any evidence of that baseless claim.}
In response to the Pulse nightclub shootings...."....the Muslim community, which, if they had their way, would kill every homosexual in the United States of America."
"The National Guard should not just be deployed to the U.S./Mexico border, but they should be allowed to use whatever force necessary to hunt for border crossers." {I guess making women and children objects of the "hunt" is okay for this lunatic.}
On why the oceans are rising....."What about the White Cliffs of Dover and California, where you have the waves crashing against the shorelines, time after time again; you have the cliffs crashing into the sea? All of that displaces water, which forces the oceans to rise." {All I can say is thank the Lord that he didn't teach oceanography and weather to my kids.}
"There are plenty of studies that have come out that in respect to Antarctica that the total ice sheet, particularly that which is above land, is increasing, not decreasing." {BULL}
Voted against HR1112 which would have required universal background checks and close the gun show loophole.
Voted against HR118, a resolution condemning anti-Semitism.
Voted against the Violence Against Women Act.
Was one of 12 Congresspersons to vote against the Zadroga Act designed to provide healthcare to 9/11 first responders.
"Democrats are Socialists and the Mueller investigation is like the "big lie" that Hitler spoke about in Mein Kampf."
To the crowd on January 6....." Today is the day that American patriots start taking down names and kicking ass. That our ancestors sacrificed their blood, their sweat, their tears, their fortunes, and many of them their lives, to give us, their descendants, an America that is the greatest nation in world history. So I have a question for you. Are you ready to do the same? My answer is yes! Louder! Are you willing to do what it takes to fight for America?"
"I firmly believe that this election was stolen by the Socialist Democrats. I'm going to fight."
Also on January 6..."This is somewhat akin to the Alamo, although I hope we'll survive. But it was the Alamo where you had courageous people stand tall."
"....racism is over."
Criticism of Jeff Sessions is part of the war on whites."
" This is pretty much what happens in this country. In my judgement it rivals the election of 1860. We see what arose from that."
"The Republicans I know, or the conservatives I know disagree with what the Republicans in Washington are doing is compromising too much." {HUH- what country is he talking about?}


"I never would've thought in Homeland Security that you would see someone saying that we needed to have hearings on the radicalization of Christianity as a purported threat to America in the same way as the radicalization of Islam." {Has this man ever read anyone else's tweets other than his own? I guess he was out in the netherworld during Charlottesville.}
"Absolutely not! There is no question in my mind that if we were to count only lawful votes, cast by eligible American citizens, Donald Trump won the Electoral College. .Under those circumstances you should never concede, because you didn't lose, it was taken."
"So far the supply chain interruption has been an insignificant annoyance that has not reached a critical stage, except for the effect of the processing of goods that people are purchasing." {Not much of an economics student either.}.
JOSH HAWLEY
Senator Hawley is the Junior Senator from Missouri having defeated Claire McCaskill. Prior to coming to the Senate, Hawley was the Attorney General for the state of Missouri. He has been a strident voice for keeping this country in the hands of the Christian majority {his type of Christian} and became instantly famous when he gave the famous raised fist salute to the capitol insurrectionists. He was and remains one of Donald Trump's most ardent defenders. He is one of the youngest Senators currently serving. "Government exists to serve Christ's Kingdom and rule.This is it's purpose. And Christian's purpose in politics should be to advance the Kingdom of God. To make it more real, more tangible, more present." {That sure isn't the role of government to many millions of Americans. Sort of sounds like an American Taliban.}
"The Religious Freedom Restoration Act extends religious liberties to corporations whether they are public or private companies." {Has any company been praying in your pew on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday...I think not.}
"The Constitution authorizes Congress to tax Americans, to provide for the common defense and promote the general welfare. But in Washington, the professional political class has hijacked that authority to rig up a tax code that provides for the well being of Washington, not the citizens." {I guess more has to go to the rich, and the poor be damned.}
"Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, Evangelicals fought to turn back the forces of secularization. Groups like the Moral Majority and Christian Coalition pressed for laws recognizing Christianity's unique place in American life, including laws that would allow prayers in public schools and Christian displays in the public square." {I guess that school prayer thing would be a problem if there was a Rabbi, Imam, Wiccan, or other religionists leading the prayers, or if there were Islamic, Hindu, Jewish, or other religious displays in the public square.}
"Taxpayer funded abortion, particularly the devil's bargain with Planned Parenthood must cease immediately. To be clear, that means that Planned Parenthood should receive no funding of any kind." {That's just fine....take away Women's health care from those who rely on Planned Parenthood services. Just like other anti-woman slugs in Congress, Hawley doesn't know what 85% of Planned Parenthood does.}
"The left wants to describe traditional masculinity as toxic. They want to define the traditional masculine virtues ----like courage, independence, and assertiveness as a danger to society." {just keep 'em barefoot and pregnant}


"Millions of voters concerned about electoral integrity deserve to be heard. I will object on January 6 on their behalf."
Due to his actions on January 6th the largest newspapers in Missouri have called for Hawley's resignation. His publisher cancelled a contract for Hawley to write a book.
"Confederate names on military bases help educate the country about the Civil War, and their removal would sow divisiveness in our country." {Only with White Nationalists}
"Woke Big Tech like Google and Amazon have been coddled by Washington politicians for years. This treatment has allowed them to amass colossal amounts of power that they use to censor political opponents they don't agree with and shut out competitors who offer consumers an alternative to the status quo. It's past time to break up big tech companies and restore competition and give the power back to the American consumer." {Translation: We must break up companies whose politics I don't agree with and support companies whose politics I agree with......Don't they then become big tech?}
"This is Orwellian. Simon and Schuster is cancelling my book deal because I was representing my constituents, leading a debate about voter integrity which they now decide to redefine as sedition." {Has this guy watched what he was doing on January 6?}
LAUREN BOEBERT
Lauren Boebert is a gun obsessed, first term congressperson from Colorado. She is a former restaurant owner who became politically involved as she became more embroiled in Q-Anon conspiracy theories. She is a high school dropout who failed her GED exam twice. Her continuous twitter feed has earned her recognition as one of the least intelligent members of Congress. Judge for yourself. "I'm gonna carry my gun anywhere I want that there {sic} Constitution says I can."
"The Biden regime has punched our border patrol agents in the face."
"Critical Race Theory is now mainstreamed." { I wonder if she has any idea what CRT is, that it is taught only in University settings to mature learners, and that people are mainstreamed not abstractions.}
"Critical Race Theory is being taught everywhere and is distroying {sic} the minds of children in our country."
"This is the year that I am that person. Last year, as a member elect, I didn't get to enjoy my tree very long. I'm not going to let weeks on the road and traveling to DC get in the way of sitting in front of my fire with my Christmas tree again. Glory be to the newborn king." {At least we know where her priorities lie.}
"To the fools that think that this could be done inside the capitol, get a life. The metal detector areas are useless. The very first thing that Republicans are going to do in 2023 is trashing them." {More pearls of wisdom by the deep thinking Ms. Boebert.}
"A man in Norway just killed some people with a bow and arrow. Norway has some of the strictest gun laws around yet shootings still occur. Liberals need to understand that its not the gun it is a criminal that commits the act." {How much worse would the act have been if that criminal had an AK-47?}
"I woke up with a headache this morning. I took some tylenol. If everyone else could take some tylenol too so mine would start working. That would be great." {What the hell is she talking about?}
"Leave the mask, wear a smile."
"Senegal is in Africa. They can take an eight hour trip and be in the European Union. So why are they coming to America? Because they can. The entire world is passing through our southern borders as Joe Biden is encouraging it." {Planes aren't coming across our southern border and neither are the Senegalese.}
"Why is honorary Iranian Mullah John Kerry headed over to Russia when we still don't know who is responsible for recent covide {sic} attacks here." {Now those are great foreign policy chops.}
"The way to make the Delta variant go away is to turn off CNN and vote Republican."
"Rape victims need abortions. Wrong! They needed a Glock 19 when it happened."
"I delivered one of my four kids on the front seat of my truck. because as a mom of four, we got things to do. Ain't nobody got time for two and a half months of maternity leave." {I think she might get a different view from most new mothers.}


"My favorite pronoun is patriot." {Not bad from someone who failed her GED twice. Patriot is a noun, not a pronoun.}
"The Taliban is the only people benefitting from build back better."
"The left hates women and I am their number 1 target."
"Transhealthcare is grafting aborted babies onto lab rats." {there's a new conspiracy theory.}
Released campaign literature that said in bold letters "Imeach Biden}.
"I will not comply with Pelosi's anti-science mask mandate. She can kiss my mask." {I suppose she can tell us what science is saying about masks?}
"We're here to tell government....we don't want your benefits, we don't want your welfare, don't come knocking on my door with your Fauci-ouchies." {Tell that to your constituents on Social Security, Medicare, Aid for Dependent Children, etc.}
TTTTTTThat's all folks. {for now}

]]> Mon, 29 Nov 2021 23:22:51 -0500 http://thenewstalkers.com/thedoctorisinthehouse/blog/2529/and-these-people-want-to-rule-the-country-are-we-ever-in-trouble http://thenewstalkers.com/thedoctorisinthehouse/blog/2529
Even for the current incarnation of Congress, this has been one crazy week. The news from the House of Representatives has revolved primarily over the censure and committee stripping of Paul Gosar for posting an obnoxious anime with an avatar 
Gosar killing fellow congressperson Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. %The vote to censure was almost along a party line vote {Reps. Cheney and Kinzinger siding with the Democrats}.
It got me thinking about some of the lunacy that has come from the right over the past decade +, I started thinking that Paul Gosar, who was censured, was the worst member of the current Republican Party. Then I remembered an article I started to research after the January 6 insurrection and put aside after other events caught my eye at the beginning of July. I dug the research out of my files  and completed the preliminary information.
Lo and behold, I had a list of the  worst Republican lawmakers {in my opinion & as of 7/1/21}. Gosar was 14th on my list. Thus this article.
Tonight I'm going to list some of the most egregious statements and actions from numbers 1,2, and 3 on my list. They are documented statements and actions. I'm not going to comment on them {unless I have to}. That is the job of the reader. 
Granted, my list is my opinion. The statements, however, are facts. I'm certain that some of my Republican friends will want to turn this list into Democratic "crazies". I have no doubt that a somewhat shorter list can be developed for those lawmakers on my side of the aisle. That is your right and I would look forward to responding to your article when you write it. This particular article is about the Republicans who have gone over the top and landed in the lunatic fringe.
So let's go. Numbers 1/2/3 on my list are Marjorie Taylor-Greene, Louis Goehmert, and Jim Jordan. They will be the subjects of today's article. I hope to write three more articles on the other 12 who made my list. 
#!:  MARJORIE TAYLOR-GREENE
A former gym and physical fitness center owner, Taylor-Greene has a significant history of Q-Anon conspiracy theory beliefs. She has been such a firebrand and purveyor of political lies that she was stripped of her Congressional committee assignments even before Congressman Gosar. Taylor-Greene has been known to celebrate potential political assassinations, white supremacy, false flag theories, anti-Semitic and anti-Muslim beliefs, and, of course, blue space lasers.  Some of the best of Ms. Taylor-Greene include: "How do you get avid gun owners and people that support the Second Amendment to give up their guns and go along with anti-gun legislation? You make them scared, you make them victims, you change their mindset. Is that what happened in Las Vegas?"....talking about the concert massacre in Las Vegas and setting a false flag theory in motion.
In relation to Georgia electrical grid problems: ".....the fires could have started by lasers of blue light shot down from space by allies of Brown."
In regard to Representatives Omar and Tlaib using a Koran to be sworn into their seats in Congress:  " I really want to talk to theses ladies and ask them what they are thinking, and why they are serving in an American government. They really should go back to the Middle East."
On Speaker Pelosi: "She's a traitor to our country, she's guilty of treason. It's a crime punishable by death. It's what treason is. Nancy Pelosi is guilty of treason."
On 9/11:  "....the so called plane that crashed into the Pentagon. Its odd, there never any evidence shown for a plane in the Pentagon."
She violated Facebook rules for inciting violence when she posted a poster of her pointing an assault rifle next to the pictures of Representatives Omar, Ocasio-Cortez, and Tlaib with the comment "It's time to go on the offensive against these socialists."
She encouraged her supporters after her being stripped of committee assignments to "flood the capitol" and went on to support "political violence to defend freedom."
Believes that former President Trump is in a battle against a cabal of Satan worshipping, child abusing Democrats.
Became fully engaged in Frazzledrip which claims that Hillary Clinton and Huma Abedin were videotaped assaulting a child and then ripping off the child's face to wear as a mask in a Satanic blood sacrifice.
Called the Parkland School shooting a false flag and claimed that David Hogg {Parkland student and spokesperson} was a paid actor, not a student.
She was caught on video stalking Hogg {a teenager} and screamed at the young man that he was a coward, claimed he was working for George Soros. She demanded that Hogg speak to her about 2nd amendment rights.
There is a pattern of claiming false flags. Las Vegas, Parkland, and Kennesaw State shootings were all set up news events.
She was and remains one of the leaders in the "Stop the Steal" movement.
Claimed George Soros {who is Jewish} was bankrolling left wing movements worldwide who want to destroy Israel.
Compared members of Congress to people with Down Syndrome who she said were "retards" without common sense.
#2  LOUIS GOEHMERT
Louis Goehmert is a former dentist from Tyler, Texas. In some journalistic circles, he is referred to as crazy Louie. A staunch conservative, Goehmert frequently uses rhetoric that moves his positions from the conservative side of the spectrum into the lunatic fringe. His hyper-Christianity has led to remarks that have been considered anti-Semitic and anti-Muslim. He is virulently anti-immigrant. "We've got the NSA getting logs of every call you make. The IRS is weaponized like Richard Nixon could only have dreamed of."
"Benefit your friends; make sure your enemies suffer from being your enemies."
In as confusing a rant one can think of......"It does not help when an administration, in response to American attacks on American soil and American individuals, the administration ends up asking Americans to give up their First Amendment rights for which our service members are fighting."  I know I said no commentary but HUH? What was he talking about with this jibberish?
When people say----" Well, do you miss being a judge since you're in Congress? I go--Only when I want people to sit down and shut up."
"If nothing else came out of all of this debacle over Obamacare, one thing that should is a class-action lawsuit against the University of Chicago Law School for people that had Obama as their Constitutional Law professor."
"The dirty little secret on Wall Street, eighty percent of the Wall Street executives and their spouses donations go to Democrats. It's like they've got some kind of little sweet deal where we'll call you fat cats and demean you, and stuff, but you will get richer than your wildest dreams."
"The attorney general will not cast aspersions on my asparagus."
During an interview, Goehmert swore to the interviewer that America is being infiltrated by terror babies.
Argued in January, 2014...." In order to restore fairness, the poorest Americans should pay more taxes."
"Only guns can save America from Shariah law."
Implied when asked about immigrants coming to the southern border that child migrants are lying invaders trying to overthrow our government.
"There is no clear place to draw the line once you eliminate traditional marriage and its the same once you start putting limits on what guns can be used, then it's just really easy to have laws that make them all illegal."  Again, a small commentary. Does anyone see the subtle connection Louie makes between his two favorite topics? 
"Gay soldiers will give each other massages all day if allowed to serve openly."
"Islam is evil---we must shout this out loud."
"LGBT activists are Fascists, possibly even Nazis."
"Saddam definitely had nukes, but he gave them to Syria."
"Ebola is part of the Democrat's war on women."
"Recent lapses by the Secret Service were caused by political correctness, which kills."
"So when caribou want to go on a date, they invite each other to head over to the pipeline." He worries that if the oil stops flowing we will have to do studies on why caribou love the warm oil. {Yes he really said that....it's in the Congressional record.}
After the massacre in Aurora, Colorado, Gohmert concluded that the cause of James Holmes's rampage wasn't mental health issues, or some form of social trigger, but rather, that he didn't have enough fear of a vengeful, unforgiving God.
"The Supreme Court thinks it's Jesus because it legalized same sex marriage."
" Now Christians are the only people that it is politically correct to persecute."
On the southern border....."...we know that people are now being trained to come in and act like Hispanic {sic} when they are really radical Islamists."
#3  JIM JORDAN
Jim Jordan is a former comedian and television personality whose first foray into infamy were credible allegations that when he was graduate assistant wrestling coach in Ohio, he failed to report sexual abuse allegations against Doc Strauss, the head coach. In Congress, Jordan has made a name for himself as a devoted follower of Donald Trump. He has been, at least peripherally, linked to the January 6 insurrection. Jordan's tenure has been littered with hyperbole which have been shown to be untruths. There is talk that he wants to run against McCarthy for the Speaker of the House position, if the Republican party gets a Congressional majority in 2022. "Democrats won't let you go to work, but they'll let you riot." In response to COVID-19 restrictions.
"Democrats lock down the economy, pay people not to work, raise your taxes, and now want to give illegal immigrants $450.000.00 checks paid for by American taxpayers."
"Big tech is out to get conservatives."
"I will not answer questions that in any way get to the substance of these depositions."
"Democrats have been trying to impeach the President since the beginning of this Congress. Michael Cohen's testimony was a bust, John Dean's testimony was a waste of time, the Robert Mueller report did not live up to the hype."
"I am comfortable with the Commander-in-Chief having the sole authority to decide who has clearances and who doesn't."
"Conversations in a locker room are a lot different then people coming up and talking about abuse."
"It was as though he taught Larry Nasser what he did. Doc Strauss was even more prolific."
"I am the deputy attorney-general of the United States."
On 3/27/19 Jordan sent a letter to Trump's accountants, the Mazars, and instructs them to ignore any subpoenas they receive, including Congressional ones.
On 10/14/19 Jordan argues that testimony to a Congressional Committee doesn't count unless it is presented to the entire {435 members} Congress.
On 8/22/20 on the House floor, Jordan claimed that Democrats seek to create chaos in the 2020 elections using mail-in ballots.
On 9/17/20 on the House floor, Jordan says that Democrats are trying to jeopardize the security of the 2020 election.
on 9/23/20 on the House floor, Jordan implores the Senate to confirm a Supreme Court nominee quickly in case the Democrats rig the game and win the election.
On 10/19/20, Jordan tweets that Democrats are trying to steal the election and that Chief Justice John Roberts is assisting them in that effort.
On 12/21/20 Jordan joins a meeting with Trump at the White House to discuss a "last stand" attempt to overturn election results in Congress on January 6.
On 1/4/21 during a Fox Business Interview, Jordan calls for Republicans to "unite and fight" for President Trump on January 6.
On 1/12/21 Jordan claims he never said the election was stolen. There are at least four instances in the Congressional record where he said that.
On 5/30/21 Jordan appears to confirm that he spoke to Trump on 1/6, but doesn't remember how many times he spoke to him. He also indicated that he would object to testifying to the 1/6 Commission.
Okay, enough of the crazy for today. Even I can only deal with so much of this stuff. I look forward to responses, additional crazies by these three of the worst the Republicans have to offer, and defenses to some of these absurdities.
The next in this series will be a review of the sayings and actions of Mo Brooks, Josh Hawley, and Lauren Brobart. 

]]> Thu, 18 Nov 2021 21:17:35 -0500 http://thenewstalkers.com/thedoctorisinthehouse/blog/2524/the-die-is-cast-a-democratic-party-full-of-wimps-can-be-the-last-gasp-of-a-truly-democratic-society http://thenewstalkers.com/thedoctorisinthehouse/blog/2524
Partisanship aside, we are our own worst enemies. Sometimes I believe that I am living in the shadows of the great Will Rogers who famously said when asked about his choice of political party, "I belong to no organized political party, I'm a Democrat." His voice rings as true today as they did back in the 1930s and 1940s. Being a Democrat continues to be an exercise in political futility. Not because the ideas of the Democratic Party are bad, but we continue to destroy the good in search of the perfect. We pass an infrastructure bill with 8 progressives voting with the Trumpian right, not because they disagree with what is in the bill, but because they were unable to get a firm enough commitment to move forward on the social infrastructure bill. At the same time, Dick Durbin, the second in charge in the Senate, stated that he was unsure whether Joe Manchin would vote for the social infrastructure bill because Manchin has some on-going love affair with the coal and fossil fuel industry and thinks that the bill, though fully funded, costs too much money. 
The real pity here is that Manchin has taken the position of the Republican Party, when that party wanted to be a partner in governance. He is arguing for the special interests that controlled the Republican party and is seeking his own twisted version of "fiscal responsibility" in threatening to blow up the bill even after he has gotten most of the changes he wanted to see in that legislation, including bringing the price tag in at under 2 trillion dollars over ten years instead of 3.4 or even 6 trillion dollars.
If I didn't know better {and I don't}, I would think that Manchin is maneuvering to turn Republican and challenge Mitch McConnell for the leadership of the Republican Party. 
Yes, I'm being a bit facetious. Manchin generally votes in line with the Democratic Party. He couldn't become a Republican because he isn't Trumpian enough, and would face a Republican primary opponent even further to the "insane" than Mr. Trump. Manchin is "stuck", for all intent and purpose in the Democratic Party. Here, he insists on being a one man wrecking crew.
This has gotten me wondering {my mind actually does that occasionally} why the Democrats cannot bring Manchin and to a lesser extent Sinema back into the tent for major legislation while McConnell, who actually has a somewhat more diverse group to manage in the Republican Party {e.g. Collins, Murkowski, and a number of retiring Senators}, keeps his minions in the "I refuse to govern unless it is to appoint conservative justices" caucus.
The answer seems to be at least twofold. First, the Democrats are no where near as ruthless as their Republican colleagues. You never hear any discussion of banishing recalcitrant senators to the hinterlands of committee assignments. The Republican leadership has no qualms about doing that {see Lynne Cheyney in the House}. The leadership of the Republican Party is faithful to a person to the cult of Trumpism. They seem to have signed a blood oath to it and will destroy any Republican who does not show absolute fealty to the cult. The Democrats will do no such thing. You can be a progressive, moderate, or even a conservative and vote on major issues accordingly without any fear of reprisal from the leadership. There is an actual effort to open up a big tent for their caucus.
Second, we move back to the sacrifice of the good for the perfect. Those in the progressive wing will withhold votes if they don't have a perfect bill to meet their perception of perfection. Those in the moderate wing of the party will withhold votes if they don't get their idea of perfection. This ties the Democrats into knots and keeps them from passing legislation that will help all Americans. This happens while the Republicans sit back and laugh at these internal battles because they know that they can spin inaction, not on their unwillingness to govern, but on the intransience of one, two, or a small group of Democrats. They argue that the Democrats don't know how to govern. The Republicans won Virginia, almost won New Jersey, and made local gains all through the country arguing from the side of untruths and poking the fingers of blame on the inaction of Democrats. They are good at that argument and actually have a bit of truth to hang that accusation on.
The message to Democrats all over the country....... Get it through your heads.....we are losing the battle for the hearts and minds of the electorate. We have to force the elected officials in the Democratic Party to get off their collective rumps, lock themselves into a room and come out with a plan they all can vote yes on. That plan will be flawed. Nobody will get everything that they want, but everyone will get something. Most of all, the American people will get a government that provides them with some of the much needed assistance that is necessary for the country to grow and thrive.
If we fail to do that, the Republican Trumpists will take back the House and the Senate in 2022 and the Orange-topped Troll will be back in the White House in 2024. That will make the legacy of the 2020 Democratic class, the fall of American democracy and the laying of the framework by which the ball of Fascism will pick up speed while rolling downhill and crush the life out of a democratic America.
]]> Sat, 06 Nov 2021 23:03:28 -0400 http://thenewstalkers.com/thedoctorisinthehouse/blog/2516/an-open-letter-to-my-fellow-americans-part-ii-wheres-the-rage http://thenewstalkers.com/thedoctorisinthehouse/blog/2516
Although I think that most of the responses I will get to this letter will come from those who consider themselves to be on the political right, The target audience for this is actually the moderate and liberal members of society who are allowing themselves to be edged toward totalitarianism and social regression. I will not use the terminology Republican, Independent, or Democrat when describing what is happening in this country, but will frequently use the terms, radical, terrorist, patriotic, forward looking/thinking, repressive, progressive, along with other catch words or terms that will hopefully get individual's attention.
The question that I am asking is: "Where's the rage?". That question goes along with the follow up: "What are you going to do to keep this nation from becoming another nationalistic, repressive, bigoted failure of democracy?"
To me, there are core values which I hold dear. They are principles upon which our nation was founded, or ideals which we, as a nation, have strived for. We have never been perfect, but in the end our arc of history has always curved toward justice and what is right for the vast majority of Americans. Let me share a few of those core values. all men {and women} are created equal
we are a nation of immigrants {unless we are indigenous people} and should therefore welcome immigrants from across the globe to our country
we are equal under the law
we rule by majority {not an artificially created tyranny of the minority}, but always protect the rights of the minority
national interest comes before political expediency
we all contribute our fair share to the operation of our nation
people are more important, or at least equal } than corporations.
we all have the right to religion or no religion, and to practice those tenets as long as we do not infringe on the rights of others.
we all have the right to work toward being upwardly mobile, in work, living environments, education, etc.
the government has as its' primary responsibility, to help people meet the core values of America.
we have the right to be safe from foreign aggression and interference.
These are values that I believe in. As I sit here at my computer, I feel that many of those values which I have held through 74+ years of existence are under fire. Some are under fire because there are people who share contrary core values to me. That is their right. We are entitled to our own opinion. Those opinions should be voiced in the arena of thought and may the better ideas win. In many ways, our democracy might be better served if certain key, core issues are settled in a national referendum. This, however, isn't the way governing has been set up in our constitution. Regardless, however, the value of debate in the public square and a way to choose the prevailing sentiment is needed.
The second issue, to me, is much more vexing and difficult. We elect people to represent us. We actually don't elect a political party. An individual may identify with most {but hardly ever all} of the goals of a political party and files petitions to elect, often becoming one of many to do that for a political post}. Once petitions are validated, the individual runs in a primary and may win that primary with anything from 25 to 80+% of the primary vote. At that moment in time, the individual becomes the candidate of the party he/she ran on in the primary. That person already does not share the exact views of all the people who voted in that primary. They may be representative of a quarter to three quarters of the eligible electorate in that party, but not everyone. Add on the unfortunate reality that primaries are traditionally low turnout elections and you have to wonder how many people share that candidate's view, even in her/his own party. You then move on to a general election where the candidate opposes one or more {yes, there are minority parties in this country} candidates from other parties,. In most cases, the winning candidate is in the 50 to 60% range of the 60 to 70% of eligible voters who show up to vote. In many cases, particularly President, the winning candidate may get between 45 and 50% of the vote. The absurdity here, is that, by the time the person takes office, s/he might actually represent the vote of 20-25% of the electorate. A loser in any other race.
This makes what happens when the person takes office, a pathetic joke. It is, by the way, a joke on every side of the aisle. Individuals join a party caucus and then vote in lock step with what the presumptive leader of a party wants. When that leader is adamant about a vote, s/he whips the members of the caucus in voting 100% in lockstep with what is commanded. Not even the most ignorant person in the country, believes for one minute, that these 100% votes, by party line, is an honest representation of where the officials stand. They are nothing but automatons for the leader's inclination. Whenever I see a vote that every member of party votes aye or nay, I see my core value of democracy going down the drain. 
We forget that every representative in every voting body represents the entire constituency which elected that person to office. Every person, voter or non-voter, liberal, moderate, conservative is represented by that person.  In the view of democracy that our founding fathers had was a principle that we don't elect representatives for doing what others tell her/him to do, we elect representatives to use their best judgement and cast votes that guarantee the majority but protects the minority. 
Representation was always viewed by our founding fathers as a citizen's obligation. You served for a period of time and then you went home. You always represented the people. Not today. The mantra is power for power's sake. You vote to insure your own political survival rather than the people you represent. You vote to rig elections, not get more people to vote. You vote because you are in bed with a lobby that controls your political destiny. It makes no difference that you, as a representative, abhor and disagree with the vote you make. It makes you more electable. It ensures power.
Our nation is slipping away. It does not care about the people in it. It cares only for the rich and powerful, the movers and the shakers, those who want to keep the rest of us in their place. We will go the way of other failed democracies throughout recent history. Venezuela, Turkey, Hungary were all countries that were on their way to democratic ideals when autocrats, power hungry megalomaniacs, and anti-democratic factions took over rule. They are  now examples of major failures of democracy. 
We must make our collective voices and actions known. We have to point out these automatons in all political bodies and vote them out. We have to stop being influenced by money and fancy negative advertising. We have to vote for the candidates who are going to be independent in their thought and their actions. We have to follow a representative's voting record and get rid of the lock steppers and toadies who only crave their power and perks. In my mind, party is much less a requirement of a good candidate than independence. 
I want to see candidates who gives us the benefit of their intellect and experience. I want a candidate for whom the election isn't the end all and be all, but a public service for all. I want a candidate for any office to vote his/her true conscience and not kowtow to the will of a bully or leader. I want to fight for our democracy. What do you want to do?
]]> Thu, 21 Oct 2021 16:00:49 -0400 http://thenewstalkers.com/thedoctorisinthehouse/blog/2509/an-open-letter-to-my-fellow-americans-subject-voting-rights http://thenewstalkers.com/thedoctorisinthehouse/blog/2509
We are a nation in crisis. It doesn't matter whether you identify as a Democrat, Republican or Independent. It doesn't matter if you believe in conservative, middle of the road, or liberal policies. It doesn't make a whit of difference if you are White, Black, Brown, or any other shade of skin color. It matters not what your religious identification is or isn't. It doesn't even matter what level of education you have achieved. It only matters that we are all potential victims of the same crisis. As Americans we generally believe that what harms one of us, ultimately harms all of us. So for the purpose of this letter, place your political positions aside and attempt to see how some of these issues that you may support, can and will come back to bite you in the rear if we allow them to come to fruition through a "tyranny of the minority".
Our nation is splitting at the seams. We have lost our perspective and therefore have found roads that have led us down the road to tribalism. It is a road littered with the corpses of those who are not "true believers". It is a road that leads to oblivion for all of us. What used to be policy debates have become literal battlefields that seek to obliterate the opposition. All we have to do is look at the situation with Liz Cheney, one of the most conservative Republicans in the House of Representatives, when she dared to vote for the impeachment of the supreme leader of the Republican Party, now former President Trump. She had her leadership position stripped and has all but been banished from the party she has faithfully served. What has formerly been fodder for debate within the larger tent of our system has now become armed camps of zealots demanding absolute fealty to a party orthodoxy. There can be no spectrum of beliefs within the party hierarchy. This is a dangerous and negative turn for the American political system..
There was once a time, for instance, when the issue of voting rights was a somewhat esoteric, but evolving issue. Our nation has had a long, sordid path in this area. It began as a concerted effort to keep Caucasians as the dominant {and frequently only} block that could vote for people to represent them. We progressed through a period of slavery where only white men of property {no women} could vote. This led to a Civil War and then to a Jim Crow Reconstruction { where women still could not vote, and and sorts of tests were required to keep people of Color and whites without property from voting.}. There was vehement opposition to a one man/woman - one vote system. The arc of history, paraphrasing Dr. Martin Luther King, was long but leading to justice,  eventually allowed for suffrage for all Americans. The laws of the land have moved toward voting rights with over 85% of the country supporting full voting rights for American citizens. The truth is that on most issues, we couldn't get 55% concurrence. This has been truly an accomplishment.
What is happening now, however, is an attempt at the tyranny of the minority. In almost every state that has a majority of Republican legislators, there is an active effort to disenfranchise wide swaths of voters and move back to a Jim Crow era of politics. This effort is designed to make voting more difficult for Black, Brown, young and elderly voters, if for no other reason, than they are more likely to vote for the opposition. The reason is simple. Change the number of voters and win elections because the electorate will be smaller and consist of more of your supporters. Fewer days to vote, fewer locations to vote, less absentee balloting, restrictions on some types of identification {e.g. students not being able to use college ID cards as proof of residency}, etc. are all being tried in state after state. This will make voting more difficult in areas that have a significant concentration of "other" voters. This regulations are ostensibly designed to "even the playing field" when the minority's domination is threatened. When that tactic  is not enough, those same legislators are changing the way that votes are counted. Officials who are legally elected to count votes and certify elections are being displaced by partisan hacks who will do the bidding of the tyrannical minority.
The net result of these processes is disenfranchisement under the title of "voter reform". Unfortunately, reform that does not extend voting rights toward all eligible voters is actually voter restriction. This is a prime example of government by the tyrannical minority.
We are a nation of immigrants. There has been a common belief that as soon as these immigrants become citizens, they are fully entitled to the same rights and privileges as every other citizen. It is what makes America great. NO EXCEPTIONS! It is also a commonly accepted adage among almost all Americans that non-citizens citizens cannot vote. That would be voter fraud.
Every review, every investigation, every audit has resulted in the finding of NO voter fraud. Our elections are secure. Voter fraud is a non-problem searching for an artificial solution. That solution is disenfranchisement. All of these efforts to overthrow our election system are designed to frighten and keep voters away. It is un-American and a tactic used by fascists throughout history. As Americans, we should be working toward 100% voter participation for every adult American citizen. Elections should be referendums on the policies that voters support. They should not be using bait and switch, disenfranchisement, or voter intimidation to keep majoritarian politicians in office. If a political party finds that their views are so far out of the mainstream that they are constantly losing elections, the leadership of the party must either change the party's policies or resign themselves to minority party status. That is the American way.
I plan to write an entire series of articles in this open letter format. There are too many issues that have become combative and have divided our nation into tribal camps. This has to change if we are going to survive as the world's preeminent democracy. We must understand and discuss such disparate issues such as choice, climate changes, educational equity, health care access, just to name a few. Ultimately, the rights of all must by honored. We cannot be a nation of bullies and tyrants. We must continue to evolve into a nation that honors and respects the individual rights of all and and welcomes all whether their views are part of the majority or the minority.
]]> Tue, 12 Oct 2021 15:26:56 -0400 http://thenewstalkers.com/thedoctorisinthehouse/blog/2458/to-steal-our-democracy-and-what-we-can-do-to-get-it-back http://thenewstalkers.com/thedoctorisinthehouse/blog/2458
What is the single most important feature of the experiment that is the United States? For many, if not a majority of Americans, it is the notion that all are created equal. That equality is firmly rooted in our election process. The 18 year old finishing her high school course of study, living in her parent's home, and earning $8.00 an hour at her local bodega must have the same weight in her vote as the President of a Fortune 500 company or the President of the United States. One citizen equals one citizen without any caveats when it comes to governance.
I am a political liberal {as if most of you don't understand that by my writings}. My political beliefs about one person = one vote are not partisan. I say this because I want to see everone, democrat, republican, or independent, leftist, rightist, or centrist, living in the north, south, east or west, have the same right and even obligation to vote and be heard. I want people to be able to express their views through the ballot box and in the halls of legislation clearly and with equity. My mantra is voting and inclusion for all. That is not liberal or conservative. That is American.
If we were to ask all adult citizens a generic question such as "Should all American citizens be able to freely exercise their right to vote?", I would venture to guess that the public would poll at least 85% in the affirmative. The same percentages would probably hold true if the question was "Should voting be made as easy as possible for citizens?". These questions are softballs. The super majority of Americans would see these statements as truths that are self-evident. So what the hell has happened at both the state and national levels of government? Concepts that are more American than mom and apple pie are being turned inside out and upside down by elected {that makes them our employees} representatives who are more interested in the raw application of power over the activities that form their job descriptions.....to legislate laws that serve the best interests of our society.
This is not to say that legislators should all placidly fall into lockstep on any or all issues. There are huge numbers of policy issues that not only could be, but must be, debated, moderated, compromised, and voted on by our deliberative bodies. The right to vote and the ease of voting should not be among them. We need to place policy issues like tax laws, education, health care, foreign affairs, human and individual rights, crime and policing, wages, and infrastructure to name a few, back in front of the public, and have our lawmakers lay out their respective sides the arguments and then meet in a compromise that best serves all of us.
Let's look at voting rights, both in the context of who can or who cannot vote in elections and in the concept of one man = one vote. To me, a true democracy encourages, not discourages its citizens to vote. that would mean making voter registrations easy, allowing multiple methods to cast votes, extending the times voting can occur, and providing all voters equal access to the polls. The current restrictions being debated and voted on in republican led states are an attempt to convince us that we need to solve a "problem" that has no empirical evidence that it even exists. It is the antithesis of what we should be doing.....expanding voting rights to everyone who is not incarcerated and is constitutionally eligible to vote. The real problem is that we should never have a goal of voter restriction, but set a goal of universal registration.
How do we get there: Automatically register every citizen at the age of 18, either through the schools, the military, or through walk in locations.
Automatically register every naturalized citizen at the point of naturaliztion.
Have felons who have completed their sentences immediately have their voting rights restored.
Maintain registrations for 10 years with renewals able to be done by mail, in person, or at the renewal of driver's licenses or passports.
Use these initial or maintenance registrations to include a photo which then could be used as a voting ID.
The goal here is to provide universal registration and concurrent maintenance of registration.
Once we begin to move toward universal registration, the concurrent step will be to move toward universal voting. How do we get there? Laws should encourage not restrict voting. The first law should be simply stated..... "No legtilative body, either federal, state, or local shall make any rule or law that in any way restricts and. or  prevents citizens from exercising their right to vote."
Multiple ballot options should be given to all. Drop off centers or ballot boxes should be made available to all and in such a way that all voters are treated equally.
No excuse mail-in voting should be instituted nationwide.
Election day should be codified and made a national holiday.
A realistic determination should be made to require the equitable application of voting machines. No voting locality should have a machine available for every 200 voters while another precinct has a machine available for every 800 voters.
Interference with the individual right to vote should be a federal felony and prosecu5ted by federal authorities.
This brings us to the final question....that of protecting "one man, one vote." Here too, are a few suggestions. Do away with the Senate filibuster. This is a relic out of our racist past. There is no constitutional requirement for this over hyped and over used TACTIC. There should be no issue that can't be debated and brought up for a vote. When a legislator's position is extremely unpopular with a wide swath of Americans, it is critical that debate  and votes on that issue be done in the "sunshine" of open debate and votes. This should allow the citizens of this nation in general, and the citizens of that legislator's district in particular, to more effectively vote for good representation or at least majority representation..
There has to be a better way to draw electoral districts than the current system of gerrymandering. We must morph gerrymandering into a fairer redistricting model. A possible approach to this problem might be to have independent commissions {e.g. chaired and chosen by the League of Women Voters} whose job would be to create voting districts in line with the population of the locality. There should not be safe districts, but districts should generally be created to stay in line with the proportions of votes in the state. A state with 10 house seats and a 60-40 republican edge in registration should not have Congressional districts drawn that gives 4 republicans 80% of the vote and 6 democrats 60%of the vote. This is a true violation of one man, one vote. Fairness in the creation of voting districts is paramount.
Finally, the issue of fair representation. We live in a nation that has a bicameral legislature, a lower and an upper house. Our lower house is primarily a people's house with proportional representation by population. California has more representation than Montana. The upper house, however, is a remnant of the British House of Lords. There are two Senators from California and two from Montana. This gives a great advantage to smaller states. The reality is that the make up of the Senate will not change. I do not believe that in any of our lifetimes that number will change, other than the possible entry of new states {e.g. Washington D.C. and Puerto Rico}. The major change in the Senate must therefore be ending the filibuster. This would force Senators to work more collaboratively. People would see the workings of the body. If the electorate does not like the way a Senator votes, that can change the entire Senate and the dialogue that ensues {see Georgia run-offs}
These are in effect just a few thoughts and opinions about voting and the Senate. There are plenty of issues that we can and must debate in the halls of our legislators. This is the American way and it separates us from the Banana Republics of the world. Democracy is best served in the debate over policy and not culture. If we have learned anything in our 245 years as a nation, it is that we are a melting pot of cultures and those cultures have all found ways to survive and mostly thrive. Our policies, however, have evolved and morphed. They have changed and have been debated. The one constant in our great nation's history is that we have always moved to expand rights, not contract them. We all have the right to our individual positions. That does not give us the right to take away the rights of others. That is how nations fail. We are all brothers and sisters in the greatest national experiment of all time. Let's not destroy it.

]]> Tue, 06 Jul 2021 18:05:24 -0400 http://thenewstalkers.com/thedoctorisinthehouse/blog/2406/its-time-we-change-how-we-dialogue http://thenewstalkers.com/thedoctorisinthehouse/blog/2406
It's time! The political atmosphere is poisonous. People are attacking, killing, and maiming others, not because of war, famine, or pestilence, but because of the political views we hold. We have moved to the point of our politics defining who we will associate with rather than our humanity. We are becoming increasingly a society that is so divided by our political affiliations that the long term welfare and success of our nation is in danger. Repeated mass murder, political insurrection, obstructionism, and hatred of the other are everyday occurrences, rather than rare outrages.
We have to move past this nightmare and find some common ground where there can be productive dialogue. There have to be some areas where the chasm that divides us is not so wide that we can't bridge the gulf. There must be areas that we all can compromise to reach a consensus where we all feel like winners. It is only when the public is engaging in civil discussion that our politicians work toward a national consensus. If the public is at war with one another, our political representatives believe that they represent only those who voted for them. If the public is collegial, our politicians will be collegial. Change must start with us.
It isn't as if this is a novel idea. Most pieces of major legislation have moved forward because politicians on both sides of the aisle moved forward on a more centrist view. They didn't give up their liberal or conservative bona fides, but recognized that neither side had all the answers. They learned that a rising tide floats more ships and both sides found a tide that their ship could float on. That is when we have made national progress.
I will tell the reader that I am unabashedly liberal in my political viewpoints. I have many positions that would make my conservative counterparts have their hair stand on end. I am, however, a pragmatist. I believe that the role of both the left and the right is to debate their positions civilly and try to move the political scale a little more toward their way of thinking. We are a majority centrist nation that wavers from center-right to center-left based on the strength of the proposals from either side. Those discussions should start with us. 
I plan to write on topics of importance to me. I look forward to productive conversations with one another. I want to have civil discussions on difficult issues. I will defend my political view and welcome your defense of your view. It's time that we move toward real discussion without personal invective. Who knows? Maybe we can come to agreement, and maybe, just maybe one of us will be able to convince the other to change their viewpoint. Wouldn't that be a great change of pace?


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