Month: June 2016

Since I enjoy patterning after famous poems (see ‘When I Was a Lad’, ‘I Am The Perfect Pattern’ and ‘She’s a Liiier’), a blog contributor challenged me to pattern a poelitic after Vachel Lindsay’s ‘The Congo’.  I don’t subscribe to the poem’s racism, but the rhyme and rhythm are marvelous.  

The political news these days is about Republican pledged delegates voting their conscience.  

Big, fat lies over cable news
Foxy views where facts are fables
Words were heard, reported over cable
…Shouted over cable
…Loud as he was able
Like a broken record, he repeated o’er

Trust me! Trust me! Trust me! Trust!

Then I heard supporters mired in the muck
Screaming o’er the airwaves how that they were stuck
Soon at the convention on the saddest note
All the Trumple delegates must cast their vote

…Ugh! Vote for Trumple
…Ugh! Vote for Trumple
…Ugh!

6/18/16

This week of tragedy has indelibly impacted politics.  Mourning was genuine on both sides of the isle.  The Democrats were emboldened to do something about guns, while Republicans doubled down against terrorism.  On this last score it is interesting to note that they did not rally behind their presumptive nominee.  This is nothing short of dire for his campaign.  Juliette, a contributor to this blog, suggested the following article in the Political Scrapbook:  A JOURNALIST WENT TO A DONALD TRUMP RALLY YESTERDAY AND CAME BACK SHOCKED. HERE ARE HIS TWEETS

Don’t you feel sorry for those GOP’s
Who boarded the Trumpledee wagon back when
His party presumed him to be nominee
Who polled pretty even with Hillary then?

That was then, this is now; things have transpired
Things said and done causing backers to fidget
Trumpledee’s tirades, it seems, have backfired
The poll separation is near double digits

Thus, most Republicans are disavowing
Aspersions he recklessly scatters about
While Trumpledee’s tried and true he still is wowing
Other supporters are drowning in doubt

“Be strong and support me, or shut your damn lips!”
That’s the new mantra in Trumpledee fort
“It’s my way or highway; who cares if you flip?”
“I’ll go it alone; I don’t need your support!”

6/17/16

Senator Chris Murphy filibustered, talking on his feet for 15 hours with no breaks even to attend the rest room.  Furthermore, he stayed on topic, gun regulation, throughout his vigil.  Throughout the filibuster other senators (40 all told) joined him in the Senate chamber.  The history making result is that he won.  The Senate will vote on four measures on Monday, two for which he filibustered and two approved by the NRA.

Utah Lt. Gov. Spencer Cox posted his speech on the Orlando shooting on YouTube:        GovSpencer

Filibusted

Chris Murphy, you’ve pulled off a miracle
Convincing the Senate’s implacable
…..Your filibuster of note
…..Shamed the Senate to vote
Now the NRA lobby’s hysterical

Senator John McCain, in a fit of pique said that President Obama was “directly responsible” for the Orlando massacre, since he, Obama, pulled our troops out of Iraq, which allowed ISIS to be formed.  His “facts” are not what I remember.

The Honorable Senator McCain

The Honorable Sen JohnMcCain
Has problems recalling, it’s plain:
…..Who started the war with Iraq?
…..Who gave their top generals the sack
…..Which triggered the ISSL formation
…..And spread terror throughout the nations?
…..And who signed the time-table track
…..To withdraw our troops from Iraq?
I’ll tell you the truth, if you please
Obama’s not guilty of these

6/16/16

This morning at 11:21 in Washington Senator Chris Murphy (D. Connecticut) started a filibuster in the Senate in favor of gun legislation.  Thirty five other senators joined him, including one Republican.  It is now, as I type, 11:30 PM in Washington and the filibuster is still going strong.  To my knowledge, this is the first filibuster that favors legislation, rather than opposing legislation.

Senator Chris Murphy

Chris Murphy, a man of the Nation
We’re with you on gun regulation
…While you filibuster
…The Senate to muster
The votes that would pass legislation

You may wonder how Hillary became so unpopular in the views of so many people, especially checking her actual phenomenal record of accomplishments.  The following article by Michael Arnovitz is “the most thorough, profound and moving defense of Hillary Clinton I have ever seen”.  I picked it up on The Daily Kos:     Michael Arnovitz

Unpopularity

Although Hillary’s margin is gaining
While Trumpledee’s numbers are waning
…Her unpopularity
…With some regularity
Over fifty percent is remaining

6/15/16

One of the participants, Ken, suggested the following relevant Washington Post articles by authors:  Jenna Johnson and Dana Milbank.

I wouldn’t claim Trumple ever offends-o
Nor would I mention his flaws without end-o
But, at one talent he needn’t pretend-o
He’s a past master at sly innuendo:

Kenya’s the country Obama loves staying
Mosques make him welcome for kneeling and praying
Secrets he’s hiding? Three words he’s not saying?
Me? I’m not questioning, simply conveying

6/14/16

Yesterday in Tucson we stood with the LGBT community, at an LGBT performance, for a Moment of Silence, honoring the Orlando victims and their loved ones.  Today Representative Jim Hines (D, Connecticut) boycotted the House’s Moment of Silence.  It was and is significantly symbolic.

We honor lost loved ones with prayers and obits
And when they are subjects of mass-killing fits
We honor such victims with Moments of Silence
But when will we honor them, voicing defiance?

All bills on war weapons go down to defeat
Our G O P reps maintain silence replete
Their Moments have stretched to forever, it’s clear
Their gun-lobby masters have dumbed them with fear

It’s time now to honor these victims, their ghosts
By voting said Congressmen out of their posts
And voting in worthies who’ll pass legislation
Restricting such war guns without hesitation

6/13/16

I originally intended this to be my main posting for today.  But events in Orlando this morning overtook my sense of priority and captured my poelitical endeavors (See “AR-15 Assault Rifle”).  Be that as it may, I seriously recommend Barbara Boxer’s book, “The Art of Tough”.

As politiholic, I read books political
Ups my systolic when some leave me critical
I’m hyperbolic with those hypocritical
Then there are those that are gems in the rough
And one of those writings is “The Art of Tough”

Senator Boxer’s new autobiography
Thoughtful reporting, historic photography
Poems political crafted delightfully
I recommend it; it’s full of great stuff
Five stars: Barbara Boxer’s book, “The Art of Tough”

6/12/16

We are sickened and saddened by the massacre that took place in Orlando early this morning.  It apparently was both an act of hate against the LGBT community and an act of domestic terror for which ISIS claims credit.  Prayers of condolence to the victim’s loved ones are in order, but that’s not enough.  Vigilance against terror is necessary, but that’s not enough.  Key associated culprits in this tragedy are the members of the House and Senate who have refused to ban such assault weapons as the AR-15 from being publicly available for purchase.

And why buy a weapon intended for murder?
Not hunting, not sporting, not defense, just death
And why do we sanction the sale of these guns?
Where are the rights of their victims to life?

A weapon designed for the Army to use
Should not be for people to buy as they choose

And who really needs thirty rounds in a clip?
Not to hunt, nor to sport, nor defend, just to kill
To kill just as many the killer can do
Mindlessly murdering all those in sight

A weapon designed for the Army to use
Should not be for people to buy as they choose

Don’t give me this claim about rights to bear arms
Obama won’t confiscate all of your guns
Go tell all your Congressmen you’ve had enough
If they’re too afraid, then just vote them all out

A weapon designed for the Army to use
Should not be for people to buy as they choose

6/12/16

A mindful conundrum
My having to choose
The facts and the falsehoods
Each day in the news
Are hard to distinguish
They all just confuse
I know my beliefs
But what are their views?

On each of the issues
I know where I stand
On Social, on finance,
Defense of the land,
On just immigration,
On women’s rights, and
On justice and freedom
My head’s not in sand

So which candidate
Is with me, most in sync?
And how can I measure
How close we both think?
My duty’s important
To vote I won’t shrink
The answer’s the internet
     And here’s the link:
           iSideWith

6/11/16

We’re down to the two main candidates running for President and the public perceptions about the two are sobering. This led me to draft this poelitic. My biases are obvious, but the voting public seems to be split almost evenly between the two candidates. Even so, I came across this new website detailing one of the candidate’s numerous prevarications.

Twenty one hopefuls all campaigned within
Their Party’s state primaries, vying to win
The coveted goal of these jousting events
To be Party Nominee for President

After ten months, or so, we’re down to two
The two most unpopular, in voters’ view
Both plagued by perceptions of deeds wrongly done
Each claiming the other is unfit to run

So how is a citizen smartly to choose
Between bad-mouth-bigot and sly-Email-ruse
Where one distorts history to meet his needs
And one ignores questioned accounts of past deeds?

The candidate choice is quite simple for me
I’ll choose the most qualified; ready to be
The President next of these United States
And that choice is Clinton, no room for debate

6/10/16