February 7-8, 2020
Feb 07 00:21 The Democrats' legislative history Feb 07 00:33 Great decision, St. Cloud State Feb 07 02:13 Too stupid by three-fourths Feb 07 08:25 More jobs, excellent wage growth Feb 07 17:05 David Axelrod isn't serious Feb 08 09:38 This week's winners & losers
Prior Months: Jan
Prior Years:
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
The Democrats' legislative history
Shortly after President Trump's well-deserved victory celebration, media outlets started asking whether President Trump could work with Democrats the rest of the year. The short answer is no. The extended version is 'Are you out of your flipping mind?'
This isn't a difficult question to respond to. Since Pelosi (I'm not using the title of Speaker because she didn't use the traditional greeting for the president at the SOTU Tuesday night.) retook the Speaker's gavel, House Democrats have a single legislative accomplishment. Right after illegitimately impeaching President Trump on Dec. 18, 2019, the House ratified the USMCA trade agreement that President Trump and Ambassador Lighthizer negotiated.
A more thorough review of the Democrats' legislative accomplishments over the past decade doesn't inspire confidence. In January, 2014, Barack Obama made this statement (threat?):
[Video no longer available]
The solitary legislative accomplishment on the Democrats' side since 2010 is Obamacare. That happened in March, 2010. Considering the Democrats' thin history of legislative accomplishments, why would people think that Democrats are interested in legislative accomplishments? In 2014, Democrats lost the majority in the US Senate by losing 9 net Senate seats. Republicans picked up seats in Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Iowa, Louisiana, Montana, North Carolina, South Dakota and West Virginia. That year, the incumbents that lost (Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Louisiana and North Carolina) lost because their opponents ran ads saying that Sen. fill-in-the-blank voted with Harry Reid 97% of the time.
The Senate Democrats' only accomplishment this year is lending support in ratifying the USMCA trade agreement.
In the past decade, Democrats' accomplishments are passing Obamacare and ratifying the USMCA trade agreement. Let's not forget that every Democrat in the House and Senate voted against the Trump-GOP tax cuts. Democrats also voted against removing most of the regulations hindering the energy industry. Those regulations were removed when the House and Senate used the Congressional Review Act to eliminate those regulations.
The people shouldn't count on Democrats to pass legislation that fixes problems or improves people's lives. That isn't their identity.
By comparison, when people had unified government with President Trump in the White House and Republican majorities in the House and Senate, things got done that made our nation safer, more prosperous and made us energy independent. Middle class families are feeling the improvements. Small business start-ups are lifting people from the middle class into creating wealth. Income inequality is shrinking, too.
People need to ask themselves if they'd prefer continuing this path of prosperity or whether they'd rather elect a Democrat who wants to kill this recovery. People also need to ask themselves if they're willing to guns to the Democrats' knife fights. Democrats just showed how vicious they are. Think of how vindictive Pelosi is. Then think of how dishonest Schiff is. Finally, think of how air-headed AOC is. That's the 'leadership' team in the House under the Democrats.
Posted Friday, February 7, 2020 12:21 AM
Comment 1 by eric z at 07-Feb-20 09:29 AM
Whining aside, Strib online this morning carries an NYTimes item, "Republicans in Senate turn their sights to Joe Biden's son Hunter -- Unlike the impeachment investigation, requests to the Treasury Department for documents were not refused."
What took you guys so long? Bribe taking, if that really is what went on, is wrong no matter who does it. Both parties should examine the speeches for exorbitant fees -/- book publishing scam within their ranks, and close it off. The real problem? Those who buy the book crap. It takes a very special mind to decide to want to read something John Bolton wrote. That kind of special mind, unfortunately, is too prevalent.
Last, Pelosi saw the acquittal as inevitable, given your people, and was hounded into the circus. By ill-advised caucus members. Let the people decide at the ballot box.
Or was it her aim to strengthen Trump's hand by the half-assed effort put forth, knowing Bernie would be the nominee and her part of the Dem establishment - Clintons, Third Way, et al. - wanting to torpedo Bernie at any cost, even four more years?
Response 1.1 by Gary Gross at 07-Feb-20 09:46 PM
Republicans couldn't investigate Hunter while the impeachment trial was ongoing. The impeachment trial is the only thing on the schedule until it's resolved because it's a privileged resolution.
Everybody knew that Bolton & Trump weren't a good fit together. That there's bad blood between them now is as surprising as finding out that Mike Bloomberg is rich.
Third, Pelosi wants to hold onto her speaker's gavel. If not for that, she would've told AOC & others to take a hike.
Finally, it's astonishing to see how badly Democrats want to torpedo Bernie. They've been out to get him longer than the FBI has been out to get Trump. Yes, I'm serious about that.
If Bernie is the nominee, it'll be an electoral nightmare because the DNC Establishment will sabotage him. If Bloomberg is the nominee, it'll be a bigger electoral nightmare because a big percentage of Bernie's supporters will sit things out.
Great decision, St. Cloud State
Of all the decisions that St. Cloud State has made in the past decade, closing the Aviation program is the worst. While St. Cloud State suffers through another year of enrollment decline, United Airlines bought a flight training academy to build a pipeline for the 10,000 new pilots they'll need.
According to the Chicago Tribune article, "United Airlines is buying an Arizona flight training academy to help train the more than 10,000 pilots the airline expects to hire within a decade. The academy, currently operating as Westwind School of Aeronautics in Phoenix, will be part of a recruiting program United announced last year, called Aviate, that lets pilots join a pipeline to United with a conditional job offer early in their careers rather than waiting until they rise through the ranks at regional carriers or complete military service."
Had St. Cloud State kept its Aviation program open, it likely would've gotten approached by Delta or some other airline to supply pilots to the airline. It's fairly common for these airlines to offer bonuses to graduates from these flight academies if they stay with the company 2-3 years. It's even more common for these airlines to fast-track these pilots through the regional airlines to the major airlines.
That's before talking about expanding the Aviation program to train people in aerial firefighting for the western states. That's before expanding the program to train students on drone operations. I'd guarantee that each of these program expansions would increase SCSU enrollment dramatically. That means a new energy for the University. That means a reinvigoration of SCSU, which is essential to the school's survival.
What's required is leadership from our local politicians, starting with Dan Wolgamott. Rep. Wolgamott is a member of the House Higher Education Finance and Policy Division . Wolgamott and Sen. Relph are working together on extending NorthStar to St. Cloud, which might create a dozen jobs while costing the state millions of dollars in operational subsidies over the next decade. (Yes, I'm being slightly sarcastic about the jobs number. I'm not sarcastic about the subsidies.) Why can't they work on something that revitalizes St. Cloud's economy?
Building a world-class aviation training center in St. Cloud as part of a new and improved SCSU Aviation program would reinvigorate the University and the city of St. Cloud. After losing major employers like Electrolux and Herbergers, St. Cloud needs an industrial-strength shot in the arm economically.
Without legislative leadership, this vision won't happen. It won't happen if left up to Gov. Walz. I'm being polite in say that his economic growth vision for Minnesota is lackluster. Thus far, the jury is still out on the St. Cloud legislative delegation. As for our mayor, he's had the opportunities to reinvigorate the city and failed. Companies are leaving town or going out of business. The University has shrunk during his time in office.
Professor Emeritus John Palmer noted this:
United said last year it expects nearly half of its 12,500 pilots to retire within a decade . Over the next 20 years, Boeing estimates that airlines will need to recruit about 131,000 commercial pilots in North America and 514,000 more throughout the rest of the world.
It is not just United that will need pilots in the next 20 years. After subtracting the 10,000, a 1,000 a year on average, 55,000 new pilots will be needed for the rest of domestic airlines. Worldwide, 240,000 will be needed. Why would SCSU not want to explore how it could re-enter the aviation training market?
Even if it could only attract .25% of the annual market for new pilots that would be over 130 new entering freshman a year and in four years would result in an increase of 500 FTE each year. When the aviation program closed during the Great Recession 100 entering freshman intended to major in aviation and over 180 were admitted to an aviation major. With the strong recovery in the aviation industry, SCSU could serve a societal need and help address it's enrollment decline by re-entering the aviation training market.
This is from later in the article:
United said the academy, which will be renamed United Aviate Academy in September, will initially produce about 300 graduates each year, but it hopes to expand that to 500 . Graduates would be able to work as instructors at flight schools United has partnered with to rack up hours of flying time required to qualify for entry-level jobs with regional carriers, such as ExpressJet, Air Wisconsin or Mesa Airlines. Pilots in the Aviate program hired by the regional carriers would be then eligible for jobs with United.
With industrial demands like this, why isn't SCSU interested in supplying these needs while rebuilding the University? Better yet, why aren't our legislators (Relph, Theis and especially Wolgamott) pushing this blueprint?
Posted Friday, February 7, 2020 12:33 AM
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Too stupid by three-fourths
We've all heard the cliche "too clever by half." That applies to people who overthink things. What happens when people are too stupid to realize that they're destroying themselves? There aren't any cliches to fall back on so I created one. Democrats are too stupid by three-fourths.
Fresh off their thumping at the hands of President Trump's legal team, Democrats Jerry Nadler, Nancy Pelosi and Adam Schiff are thinking about the self-immolation option by subpoenaing John Bolton to testify. What smart person thinks that's a good idea? Apparently, there aren't any smart Democrats in the House.
Let's be blunt about something obvious. It's been a terrible week for Democrats. Democrats failed at basic math when they couldn't count after wrapping up the Iowa Caucuses. (They still haven't gotten it right and it's Friday.) During President Trump's SOTU Address, Democrats couldn't cheer for unprecedented prosperity for women and minority communities. What's worst is that Ms. Pelosi thought it'd play well to rip up her copy of President Trump's SOTU speech in front of the cameras:
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I introduce you to the personification of too stupid by three-fourths. Her name is Nancy Pelosi. It could've just as easily have been Adam Schiff. Why think that Pelosi's Democrats or Sen. Schumer's shills are capable of anything beyond 2+2 = 4?
Senate Democrats aren't any better. There wasn't a Senate Democrat who voted against Article 2. Here's what Article 2 says :
"In the history of the republic," it reads, "no president has ever ordered the complete defiance of an impeachment inquiry or sought to obstruct and impede so comprehensively the ability of the House of Representatives to investigate 'high crimes and misdemeanors.'"
The first set of compulsory subpoenas were sent out without House authorization. That's why they were contested in court. President Trump doesn't lose his right to contest subpoenas just because the House is intent on impeaching him. In other words, Senate Democrats, including many who are lawyers, think that following the Constitution's path is unconstitutional. How stupid is that? These Democrats aren't too bright. That's why we need to throw them out en masse this November.
Posted Friday, February 7, 2020 2:13 AM
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More jobs, excellent wage growth
President Trump's excellent week continues. Tuesday, he delivered a positive, uplifting SOTU Address. Wednesday, President Trump was acquitted of the Democrats' anti-constitutional impeachment charges. Thursday, he held a victory celebration with a couple hundred of his closest friends in the East Room of the White House.
Today's January jobs report came up roses, too. CNBC reports that 225,000 jobs were created last month, much better than the expected 158,000. The unemployment rate rose to 3.6% but, according to the article, "for the right reason as the labor force participation rate increased 0.2 percentage points to 63.4%."
There's more good news:
There was more good news for workers: Average hourly earnings rose 3.1% over a year ago to $28.44, ahead of estimates for 3% growth. That marked 18 consecutive months of wage gains above 3%, as the initially reported 2.9% for December was revised up to 3%.
The Democrats' myth that this economy isn't working for everyone is getting difficult to say with a straight face. That said, there are some things worth monitoring:
The unemployment rate for African Americans rose one-tenth of a percentage point to 6%, while the rate for Asians leaped from 2.5% to 3% and the Hispanic level edged higher to 4.3%.
That's hardly a trend but it's worth monitoring.
Posted Friday, February 7, 2020 8:25 AM
Comment 1 by eric z at 08-Feb-20 01:13 PM
Real jobs, 40 hr full time with medical plans and retirement benefits, or piecework via Amazon Mechanical Turk? Mayor Pete creates "jobs" - if you google = mayor pete amazon turk --- you will see him using low-pay gig economy campaign stiffs, so that his billionaires' money spreads further. Gary, there is a difference, real jobs vs. being jobbed, and the mayor should know better. Anyone calling that AMT stuff a "job" should be keelhauled. It is like confusing a horse chestnut with a chestnut horse. Gary, would you or any reader take "employment" of that kind? Bezos should be ashamed for having instigating the nonsense. One might argue that every Uber ride is a "separate job." So, what level and kind of job are you focusing upon?
Response 1.1 by Gary Gross at 08-Feb-20 11:00 PM
Eric, hourly wages are rising. Ditto with hours worked. Further, wages are increasing fastest for blue collar workers. Over the past year, their wages increased by 4.5%, whereas their supervisors' wages increased by just under 3%. Income inequality is shrinking under Trump. That isn't opinion. That's according to the BLS, aka the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
I'd take a job like that any day of the week & twice on Sundays. This doom-and-gloom economy that you're talking about ended when Trump signed the Tax Cuts & Jobs Act. They're the tax cuts that included middle class tax cuts and corporate tax cuts. Since Christmas, 2017, wages have increased, benefits have improved & bonuses have gotten paid. The doom-and-gloom economy doesn't exist anymore.
Meanwhile, Democrats are doing everything they can to stop construction jobs or any jobs performed by blue collar workers. They're the party of elitists now. Bernie is the only candidate that thinks about blue collar workers.
David Axelrod isn't serious
In this unserious op-ed , David Axelrod complained that "For all the righteous indignation about the outcome of Wednesday's vote, I understand the reluctance of any senator to convict an elected president and forever ban them from the ballot. And if Donald Trump truly were "chastened" by impeachment, as several of the Republican senators who voted against removing him argued, it might have made their "let the people decide" argument more compelling."
Democrats and some swampy Republicans aren't the brightest people. President Trump wasn't convicted because he shouldn't have ever gotten impeached. The process in the House will forever be part of Nancy Pelosi's, Adam Schiff's and, to a somewhat lesser extent, Jerry Nadler's tarnished legacies. Let's remember what happened in the House. Let's start with the most disgusting part first.
Impeachment Article 2 is the product of an infantile temper tantrum. On Sept. 24, Nancy Pelosi announced that the House was starting an official impeachment inquiry. That's a bald-faced lie. Article I, Section 2, Clause 5 of the Constitution says "The House of Representatives shall choose their Speaker and other Officers; and shall have the sole Power of Impeachment." It gives impeachment authority to "the House of Representatives" alone, not to the speaker, not to a committee. Madison, Jefferson and Hamilton didn't want that authority resting in the hands of a Representative or a committee of representatives. They wanted everyone to share in the accountability.
When Democrats sent out the first set of what Democrats called "compulsory subpoenas", the House hadn't voted to authorize any committee to initiate an impeachment inquiry. In fact, the White House Counsel's letter to House Democrats was sent 3 weeks before the vote authorizing impeachment. Ignoring long-settled precedent, which apparently is his specialty, Adam Schiff said that any delay in complying with the subpoenas would be considered an impeachable offense. The judiciary is there to settle privilege disputes between the legislative and executive branches.
Apparently, Mr. Schiff thinks that he's the exception to that ruling. He's wrong about that. He isn't the exception. Patrick Philbin laid out this reasoning in response to a question.
As for Impeachment Article 1, Abuse of Power, no high crime was alleged. In fact, no crime was alleged. What's worse, most of the testimony provided to Mr. Schiff's committee wasn't provided by witnesses. Most of the testimony provided was provided by people who didn't witness anything. That's why I consistently called them testifiers, not witnesses.
The transcript of President Trump's July 25 call with Ukrainian President Zelenskiy is the best evidence of what was said during the call. Lt. Col. Vindman listened in on the call. He testified, reluctantly, that the transcript was "essentially correct." The only fact witness called during the public HPSCI hearings was US Ambassador to the EU Gordon Sondland. Here's his testimony:
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Adam Schiff and Jerry Nadler totally ignored this exculpatory evidence. They ignored this and other exculpatory evidence multiple times each. In a real court with rules of evidence, this wouldn't have gotten to trial because the Democrats' case had more holes than Swiss cheese. It would've gotten no-billed at the grand jury.
This isn't surprising. Adam Schiff couldn't tell the truth if his life depended on it. Here's the first of Schiff's 'golden oldies':
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When the Mueller Report came out, the evidence that Schiff allegedly saw wasn't found. Here's another of his biggest lies:
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Axelrod also wrote this:
Even without the witnesses and documents Trump denied them, the House managers delivered a devastating circumstantial case that the President used the levers of his office to pressure Ukraine.
Hearsay testimony isn't admissible in a real court, with a few exceptions, and Axelrod knows it. Then Axelrod said this:
He was, as Sen. Mitt Romney said in his courageous dissent from partisan orthodoxy, "guilty of an appalling abuse of public trust."
This is the Mitt Romney that Axelrod accused of being a sexist who hated women. This is the Mitt Romney that the Obama campaign accused of tying the family pet to the roof of their vehicle. Forgive me if I don't get a sense of sincerity with his statements about Romney.
President Trump isn't chastened. "He's triumphant." He's triumphant because a team of liars accused him of abusing his power. He's triumphant because Democrats didn't present evidence proving that allegation. Democrats lost because 30 allegations still doesn't equal 1 piece of proof. Democrats lost because 5 allegations repeated 20 times each isn't proof either.
Axelrod is still the same corrupt weasel that worked for President Obama. Good riddance.
Posted Friday, February 7, 2020 5:05 PM
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This week's winners & losers
This week's events have produced a multitude of winners and some distinct losers. Let's start with the losers.
Mitt Romney- Mitt Romney sided with Chuck Schumer, Adam Schiff and Nancy Pelosi when he voted to convict President Trump on Impeachment Article 1. Mitt's constituents in Utah want him censured.
Nancy Pelosi- In a planned attack, Pelosi ripped up her personal copy of President Trump's SOTU Address. In ripping up her copy, Pelosi played into President Trump's hand by looking like a petulant school child. Here's the scene:
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Iowa Democratic Party- We're almost a week removed from the Iowa Caucuses and we still don't know who won the Caucuses. The chairman of the party apologized on Tuesday. The chairman of the DNC called for a recanvas of the results. That's the personification of humiliation.
Biden, Klobuchar and Warren- This trio is essentially a trio of zombie candidates. Biden isn't attracting any positive attention. What he's missing in positive attention, he's making up for in negative attention. According to her allies, Klobuchar keeps gaining ground on the leaders. Unfortunately, she finished in 5th place in Iowa and looks likely to repeat that performance in New Hampshire. Back-to-back 5th place finishes will seal Sen. Klobuchar's fate. Warren finished third in Iowa, which is decent enough but she's got race relations problems. Stick a fork in her. She's finished.
Winners
Mitch McConnell- Despite what CNN, MSDNC and the Washington Post say, he's the true DC master tactician. Pelosi isn't the master tactician.
Devin Nunes- The Democrats' impeachment trial showed that Devin Nunes got virtually everything right on the FBI scandal and with FISA abuse. Everything he got right, Schiff got wrong. Literally.
Iain Lanphier and Charles McGee- Iain was mentioned in President Trump's State of the Union Address this way:
Iain has always dreamed of going to space. He was the first in his class and among the youngest at an aviation academy. He aspires to go to the Air Force Academy and then he has his eye on the Space Force. As Iain says, "Most people look up at space. I want to look down on the world."
President Trump then told the rest of the story:
But sitting behind Iain tonight is his greatest hero of them all, Charles McGee, who was born in Cleveland Ohio, one century ago. Charles is one of the last surviving Tuskegee airman, the first black fighter pilots and he also happens to be Ian's great grandfather. On December 7th Charles celebrated his 100th birthday. A few weeks ago, I signed a bill promoting Charles McGee to Brigadier General. And earlier today I pinned the stars on his shoulders in the Oval Office. General McGee, our nation salutes you. Thank you sir.
That's what I call a history lesson!
Jenaya Davis- "The next step forward and building an inclusive society is making sure that every young American gets a great education and the opportunity to achieve the American dream. Yet, for too long, countless American children have been trapped in failing government schools. To rescue these students 18 States have created school choice in the form of opportunity scholarships. The programs are so popular that tens of thousands of students remain on a waiting list. One of those students is Jenaya Davis, a fourth grader from Philadelphia, Jenaya. Jenaya's mom Stephanie is a single parent. She would do anything to give her daughter a better future, but last year that future was put further out of reach when Pennsylvania's governor vetoed legislation to expand school choice to 50,000 children. Jenaya and Stephanie are in the gallery. Stephanie, thank you so much for being here with your beautiful daughter. Thank you very much. But Jenaya I have some good news for you because I am pleased to inform you that your long wait is over. I can proudly announced tonight that an opportunity scholarship has become available. It's going to you and you will soon be heading to the school of your choice. Now I call on Congress to give one million American children the same opportunity, Jenaya has just received. Pass the Education Freedom Scholarships and Opportunity Act because no parents should be forced to send their child to a failing government school."
President Trump reminded the politicians in the House chamber what it's all about when he said "Members of Congress we must never forget that the only victories that matter in Washington are victories that deliver for the American people."
Delivering for the American people has become President Trump's legacy. That's what makes him this week's biggest winner. Despite all of the unrighteous fights he's had to fight, despite all of the criticism he's taken, despite the lies that've gotten told about him (Think Adam Schiff's parody), President Trump kept his eyes on what's important. He's rebuilt the military. He's killed the nastiest of terrorists. He's built the strongest economy. He's put young people like Iain and Jenaya first.
That's the definition of a winner. He isn't perfect but his priorities are fantastic.
Posted Saturday, February 8, 2020 9:38 AM
Comment 1 by eric z at 08-Feb-20 01:19 PM
Warren will do well in New Hampshire. Wait and see. Why prematurely dis the two women left in the Dem contest?
Of the three right wingers, Biden, the mayor, and Klobuchar, Amy is honest and capable, traits that should count more than they seem to, given her poll numbers.
And, Gary, no kind words for the Bloomberg effort; or is that viewed as a zombie campaign too?
Response 1.1 by Gary Gross at 08-Feb-20 10:49 PM
I'm not a Bloomberg fan whatsoever. Period. Amy is likely the most competent but Democrats aren't interested in that thus far. That's on the Democrats, not me.
Comment 2 by John Palmer at 08-Feb-20 05:01 PM
Eric, Gary is simply looking at caucus and polling results and stating the obvious. The fact the only women left in the race are lagging behind two old men and a former mayor of a third tie college town is because democrats are not voting for the women. Bloomberg's candidacy, like every candidate, is in the hands of the democratic voters and super delegates. Time will tell if democrats will support the best funded candidate..
Comment 3 by Chad Q at 09-Feb-20 09:12 AM
"Amy is honest and capable, traits that should count more than they seem to, given her poll number"
The "progressive" voters don't want honest (Amy who raised her hand when asked if anyone was worried about a socialist at the top of the ticket) and capable, they want radicle and free everything and Amy is only willing to give away 1 or 2 generations of freedom to win the nomination, not an eternity like Bernie, Warren, and mayor Pete.
If the progressives nominate Bloomberg, they're dumber than I thought.
