Month: April 2019

Chabad of Poway

The last day of Pesach, of Passover freedom
The words of the Yiskor, the Rev. did not read them
His hand had been shot by a radical gunman
Intent to kill Jews, all the Jews, lesser humans

A congregant, Lori, was killed by John Earnest
The gunman, while Lori was trying her hardest
To shield Rabbi Goldstein, his hand strongly bleeding
Two fingers blown off, who, himself was then leading

The numerous children to regions of safety
John’s rifle then jammed and he fled in a hurry
He was apprehended and taken to jail
His plan was to kill all but, thank God, he failed

This was just the latest attack on such houses
Of worship both here and as well foreign places
All by white supremacists claiming the white race
Is truly superior, others they hate

That’s Jews, blacks and browns and that’s Muslims as well
That’s LBTQ plus the gays send to Hell
The fit shall survive purifying the race
Of superior whites to rule over all space

It’s their manifesto, their reason for being
It’s their way of masking inadequate feelings
They scorn all religions, God doesn’t exist
It’s kill all believers, all those who resist

The houses of worship as targets are natural
They’re largely unguarded; their openness actual
Where congregants frequently there congregate
A near perfect set up for gunmen with hate

Supremacists now are a terrorist threat
That’s global in reach and are fast growing yet
But President Trump has done nothing so far
It’s time to treat them as the threat that they are

4/29/19

Joe Biden

We welcome Joe Biden, who’s entered the race
It now counts to twenty who’ll vie twenty twenty
Joe may have his warts, other time, other place
In time intervening Joe’s learning’s been plenty

It’s easy self righteously for some detractors
To judge past behaviors against modern mores
The juniors among us unable to factor
Political climate in judging past stories

So let’s look at Joe who has learned from his past
Who’s had more experience than all of the others
In government justly, judiciously cast
Who’d rebuild our standing within the world order

Some worry that Joe’s not progressive about
Free healthcare for all, college classes, too, free
But Joe is a pragmatist, socialist not
Women’s rights, climate change, a more just economy

One characteristic above all to note
Joe Biden can beat Trump come election day
Most middle America would for him vote
It would be a rout, my prediction I’d say

4/26/19

 

Much of book one of the Mueller Report
I’ve already read; there is more to digest
But what I have learned is there is no resort
That Russia won’t stoop to at Donald’s behest

They flooded the media, hacked into servers
Millions of Emails they stole and then dumped
They organized rallies fake news to deliver
Derisive of Clinton, supportive of Trump

So what are we doing to counter this threat
The answer is nothing. Pres.Trump won’t admit
The problem exists. In the sand is his head
It’s okay; it helps Trump; he most welcomes each bit

And where is the Senate; this threat they don’t note
Our chief adversary, our number one foe
Destroying democracy’s basis, its vote
Profiles in cowardice, sad but it’s so

And, too, House committees on Pres. oversight
Have issued subpoenas to gain information
Pres. Trump in defiance believed ‘‘twas his right
To turn them all down, thwarting our Constitution

And where is the Senate, this gross abrogation
Of our Constitution they’ve sworn to uphold
Their silence is deafening, Trump subjugation
Profiles in cowardice, sad but it’s so

4/24/19

Dilemma

The horns of dilemma the Dems are now facing
Impeach Trump or not to impeach is the question
A question the Democrats don’t like embracing
Detracting, as such, from campaigns for elections

Some opine impeachment is largely political
The House is political, so is the Pres.
As such, an impeachment would redound inimical
Harmful to beating Trump; their logic says

It’s clear that the Mueller report did recite
Infractions of law by Don Trump manifold
But Mueller by policy could not indict
Don Trump while the office of Pres. he did hold

That clearly is Congress’s task to decide
The guilt of the President: vote yea or nay
Responsible oversight can’t be denied
Our land’s Constitution they’re called to obey

If the House Democrats cite as excuses
That they need more data, Bob’s text, no redactions
Since that could take years as Barr staunchly refuses
Their purpose political, House’s inaction

But isn’t that how we claim Reps. are behaving
Dodging their oversight duties as such
In desperate attempts Senate seats to be saving
And never the President ever to buck?

My faith’s with the people. I may be naive
With time they will learn what is in the report
About Trump, his obstructive attempts to deceive
Infractions of law to which Trump did resort

And though people worry on health care, I’m told
Low wages and mounting debts , butter and bread
The’ll recognize Congress’s oversight role
And fully anticipate what lies ahead

House member’s sworn duty to uphold the law
Not just when convenient but when duty calls
Trump’s team will respond fighting forth tooth and claw
But Dems. on the high road can win over all

4/21/19

Walk and Chew Gum

Well, Barr had his day; he was all full of spin
At his morning news conference before the release
Of Mueller’s report telling what was therein
It’s clear that his purpose was Donald to please

Since what he recited had low correlation
With what Mueller wrote; it was not Mueller’s vision
But Donald was pleased; it reduced his frustration
He felt he could claim he was free of collusion

But Bob, on collusion found plenty of cases
Between Trump’s campaigners and high level Russians
And, too, on obstruction there is a strong basis
But by Justice edict Trump’s safe through this session

In spite of Barr’s faux claim of exoneration
Of Trump by the Mueller Report, it appears
That Mueller left Congress that evaluation:
Impeachment proceedings among the House peers

Although it is clear there are many offenses
Reported by Mueller that do justify
A move for impeachment, there is no consensus
That Congress will act and their pledge satisfy

If impeachment movements are not, now, forthcoming
And President Trump gets away free and clear
It’ll set a strong precedence, really mind numbing
That law-wise the Pres. has but little to fear

I opine that impeachment must be on the table
And investigations get well underway
While at the same time pass new laws as we’re able
And campaign like hell so that we’ll win the day

4/19/19

 

Notre Dame was aflame and the nave spire’s gone
The foundation remains and some structures are strong
Much precious has perished; old art gone to ashes
This holy cathedral’s withstood many clashes
It now is symbolic of Catholic division
The clashes of popes having differing visions

The hoary Pope Benedict, silence he broke
Upset with Pope Frances, quite clearly he wrote
His reign’s been too liberal, his edicts to tame
The rampant sex scandal, on this he laid blame
Although such depravity has deeper causes
The papal dispute’s part of much larger forces

The ethos is changing, the me generation,
The boomers are leaving; extended vacations
The new discontent-ers want backward to move
It’s liberal progressiveness they don’t approve
And keep nation’s borders closed to immigration
Don’t let all those lesser folks enter the nation

And like Notre Dame all the West World still smolders
The ethos emerging depends on beholders
The new Notre Dame will appear like the old
But with modern elements throughout its fold
Eventually, too, a new ethos as such
Will likewise congeal; its facade, the same touch

But beneath the surface new strength will emerge
As into the future new elements merge

4/17/19

Perfidy

Pres. Trump is obsessed over staff loyalty
Including his cabinet and his A.G.
Derived from conviction that he’s royalty
In lack of agreement he sees perfidy

‘Twas under Bush senior Bill Barr was A.G.
In doing this function he learned all the ropes
To be independent’s a necessity
Immune from the President’s wishes and hopes

Bill Barr’s reputation was solid I’m told
Perhaps he was feeling his life was a bore
A memo he wrote on the views that he holds
On Presidents’ powers: the better, the more

It got him the job he was angling for
We know Trump was looking to find a Roy Cohn
An A.G. who’d shield him from what was in store
From Mueller, from Congress, from acts of his own

Pres. Trump was successful in finding his man
Who’d pass confirmation remaining in tact
And look like an A,G. while doing Trump’s plan
Bill Barr fit the bill in what others all lacked

Five weeks have gone by since the Mueller report
Was released to the A.G. still hidden from Congress
I’ll get it out next week was, Bill Barr’s retort,
With colored redactions; you’ll just have to guess

But Barr wrote a letter then with his reactions
Purporting to summarize Mueller’s conclusions
Within which he judged Trump home free on obstruction
Opposing what Mueller wrote, causing confusion

The ACA health-care law’s fighting in court
To keep its existence. But Trump wants it closed
Barr, as the A.G., its defense should support
Instead, at Trump’s bidding, Bill Barr is opposed

And then, at a hearing in Senate, Barr claimed
Without any evidence; quoting no facts
That Intel. had spied on the Trumpean campaign
Then afterwards Barr tried to walk it all back

This was unprofessional to say the least
To quote from conspiracies proven untrue
For Trump and supporters it gave them a theme
For Trump twenty twenty to hammer the blue

When adding it up it’s become crystal clear
That Barr is Trump’s puppet; his actions aren’t free
When our chief enforcer of laws we revere
Commits such malpractice it’s true perfidy

4/12/19

Predictions

Since Barr’s rosy reading of Muller’s report
We’re witnessing Trump in his favorite sport
Not golfing, where he cheats his hours away,
But unfettered nastiness in what he says

It really has spooked the Republican men
Of the House and the Senate who worry of when
They might face a challenge at primaries time
From Right Trump supporters’ attacks from behind

So up until primaries they’ll meekly be
Obsequious members of Trump’s coterie
But as politicians they surely can see
That Trump’s not persuaded a majority

Then after the primaries those still in play
Will alter their tactics: from Trump move away
Implying they’re G.O.P. like days of old
Ignoring their prior stance deep in Trump’s fold

And as, in the meantime, Trump’s venom grows worse
His Congressmen followers will feel the curse
Of having to brown nose their President, dear
There’ll be no escaping; it’s what they all fear

That’s good for the Democrats, things looking better
If only they get, finally, their act together
Campaign twenty-twenty, as nasty as sin
But with luck and fortitude surely we’ll win

4/7/19

Continue reading “So What?”

Drip, drip, drippy, drip – it’s the Mueller Team leaking
For twenty two months not a one of them speaking
But since their report’s in the hands of Bill Barr
They feel a bit freer to tell how things are

As you know by now what the A.G. had done
Was bypass Team’s summaries, drafting his own
Which didn’t sit well with the Mueller Team members
It didn’t convey what the team had intended

So, drip, drippy, drip – little droplets of truth
Coming out in the news, facts that Barr can’t refute
It’s clear Barr engaged in some creative writing
Implying that’s what Mueller’s findings were citing

These driblets of truth counter Trump’s understanding
Of exoneration of all charges standing
But hint of quite serious deeds of obstruction
And targets of Soviet manipulation

I truly expect that the leaks will continue
And increase in frequency as well as volume
Thus forcing Bill Barr his obstruction to cease
And finally the Mueller report to release

4/4/19