Category: Uncategorized

Trump’s Cabinet Choices
To the tune of “Sweet Betsy of Pike”

Trump’s Cabinet choices leave much to desire
With many opposing what their charge requires
They’re scheduled for hearings all on the same day
That’s how the Republicans push through their way
Boodle dang fall de-die-doe, Democrats have no say

Rex Tillerson’s picked for Department of State
He ran Exxon Mobil, his life’s work to date
He’s buddies with Putin who hacked U.S. sites
To alter election results where they might
Boodle dang fall de-die-doe, Putin’s puppet all right

Scott Pruit’s been chosen to run E.P.A.
Denier of climate change, carbon’s okay
He’s suing his Agency as the AG
Of state Oklahoma where oil runs free
Boodle dang fall de-die-doe, climate change he won’t see

Rick Perry, Gov Texas, to lead Energy
“Oops” Perry in charge of our nukes industry
Perry’s an oil man, board member too
Of those piping oil through land that’s taboo
Boodle dang fall de-die-doe, Indian land that’s taboo

A. Puzder, Sec. Labor, who was CEO
Of rapid-food restaurants for those on the go
Disdainful of labor laws, it’s been his rage
And he’d like to abolish the minimum wage
Boodle dang fall de-die-doe, no minimum wage

Jeff Senator Sessions to run DOJ
It’s oxymoronic is all I can say
Put Justice and Sessions together, no way!
His history of racism causes dismay
Boodle dang fall de-die-doe, he causes dismay

Don Trump has named others to Cabinet posts
His appointees oppose what their Agencies boast
They’ll negate most our progress for the last hundred years
And the heart of our nation will dwell in their fears
Boodle dang fall de-die-doe, population in fear

1/5/17

 

Obama Care, Obama Care, we all oppose Obama Care
And even though we benefit
And can’t survive the end of it
Unless they mimic most of it
Which gets us to the crux of it
The ACA’s replacement is a there that really isn’t there

Republican,Republican, the Act was most Republican
Mit Romney pioneered it first
Obama copied chapter, verse
Some things were better, some things worse
The name, “Obama” was a curse
You’re damned if do, more so, if don’t; it’s tough to be Republican

Repeal, repeal, we must repeal; it was our pledge, that was the deal
Replacing it, we said we would
But would have done it, if we could
Soon voters will have understood
That they’ve been sold a bill of goods
‘Though we may kill the ACA; replacing it just isn’t real

1/4/17

 

People-power’s proven very powerful when exercised
As was the case to thwart the House’s Ethics Office exorcise
When people by the millions strongly disagreed with its demise
The Congress heard the people and chose not themselves to jeopardize

There is a lesson lurking here for Democrats to cogitate
A way that works when policies proposed they know they must negate
That Democrats at local levels organize, participate
Use social networks, telephones, join rallies, and go demonstrate

Do not partake of helplessness and sit there and commiserate
The time is now to fight against the bills you cannot tolerate
It’s people power all together that can save the county’s fate
By sending Trump a grassroots message: we will keep this country great

1/3/17

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Did you notice Putin’s ploy in putting off retaliation
For Obama’s retribution based on Russia’s cyber war
He, of course, will wait for Trump, based on Trump’s infatuation
Trump will, maybe, end the sanctions, something well worth waiting for

Kim Jon Un of North Korea likes to threaten us with nukes
They’re attempting to develop missiles labeled for the States
Trump has tweeted he’ll not sanction North Korea’s threat of nukes
While he’s tweeting tough on China who controls Korea’s fate

These are two examples of Trump’s spastic foreign policy
Tweeting his top-headed answers to the world’s happenings
Worrying our allies that we’ll be an idiotocracy
Cheering all our enemies who witness us as weakening

1/2/17

My grandson, Michael, recommended an article by Fukuyama in the Financial Review that placed the Trump phenomenon in the context of the Western World’s retreat from internationalism. He describes how neither political party in the U.S. recognized the impact of internationalism on the older white working class and how these people were drawn to Trump. Fukuyama also discusses what is happening to our democracy (which he calls a vetocracy). It is long, but very worth reading.

Enemies and Friends

In one tick-tock of the clock, on the twentieth, that day
When the swearing-in’s complete, at that moment all things change
But among those changes stark, prominent in many ways
Is the way we’ll view the Russians, full transformative and strange

For the last six years, we’re told, Putin has been grooming Trump
Subtly implying Trump should really run for President
‘Twas a Putin long shot, with Trump’s ratings being in the dumps,
Some assistance Trump would need to be the White House resident

And some assistance Trump received from Russia’s cyber bears
And Putin’s gamble Putin won beyond his wildest dreams
Where Russia and the U.S. were on terms quite less than fare,
Now with Donald Prexy, Putin’s hands are free, it seems

But sometimes getting what you ask for doesn’t work your way
With friends one must be careful not the bond to jeopardize
With enemies there are no bonds, just thresholds held at bay
There’s evidence already Putin this has realized

1/1/17

 

What, then, might we expect, the year of twenty seventeen
The atmosphere of politics has gone from mean to mean
There is no evidence so far that next year will be better
Political uncertainty, Trumpism full unfettered

Like Hyde and Jekyll Trump is double personalities
Tweetle Trump and Twistle Trump depending whom to please
Trump tweets most in the early morn, to please his base support
Then later twists his words around to please the Press reports

Uncertainty in world affairs, uncertainty at home
Since Truth and Trump don’t get along, there’s no one in the know
So buckle seat-belts tight next year, ’twill be a Trumpy ride
Be that as may, I wish you joy with politics aside

12/29/16

 

I know I’m on vacation but on this I can’t keep quiet
With Trump and Bebe in cahoots on Israel policies
This, in my opinion, will precipitate new riots
Another intifada caused by blatant fallacies

These fallacies involve the growth of settlements unchecked
Within the West Bank territory mostly Arabs dwell
These Arabs backed by Arab states will act, we might expect
But Israel can handle this; an intifada quell

The fallacy that larger looms is the two-state solution
Where Israel and Palestine exist as separate states
They posit this compatible with settlement expansion
It’s Netanyahu’s double-speak, the U.S. to placate

The policy Bebe supports apartheid it will be
A Greater Israel with Palestine included
Where Israel, the Jewish state, forfeits democracy
And Arabs become second class their voting rights denuded

12/28/16

 

It’s Chanukah and Christmas time
Plus finishing the year
It’s time for thinking thoughts sublime
To be with family dear
To put all politics aside, be one with far and near

So. I’ll not post again this year
Unless it’s something dire
I’ll celebrate with family cheer
Let my concerns retire
But Poelitics will be back to start the coming year

12/22/16

 

A trust that is half blind can’t ever exist
Like being half pregnant; trusts don’t work that way
No matter what Team Trump may strongly insist
Half knowing your business makes sense in no way

Trump’s problems are larger with his foreign firms
One hundred eleven in some eighteen states
He’s certain to violate, starting his term
The same Constitution he swore to that date

But Trump in his hubris won’t face opposition
Republicans fear him, newscasters are cowed
And those that oppose him will face retribution
With calumniation in tweets clear and loud

But as time goes on and Trump’s gluttony shows
His vulnerabilities will grow just as well
To being impeached as the people’s rage grows
Against Trump’s behavior, enriching himself

 

As I understand it from news on the street
The status of ISIS’s hold in Iraq
Is surely diminishing, nearing defeat
The Kurds and Iraqis are winning land back

In order to mask their defeats on the ground
And, too, to attract more recruits to their ranks
They’re fomenting terror the world all around
Desperately trying to shore up their ranks

They haven’t succeeded so far, so it seems
Desertion is rampant, recruits dwindling down
Now enter Trump’s people with dominance dreams
Trump’s “landslide” based mandate precedes him in town

Their bombastic rhetoric sullies the faith
Of billions of Muslims wherever they live
Among Muslim allies they’re fomenting hate
Against us in spite of protections we give

To ISIS this circumstance couldn’t be better:
With Christians crusading, all Muslims must stand
Unite under ISIS with forces unfettered
To conquer the Christians throughout every land

Trump’s blundering actions will alter the course
Of ISIS defeat there in Northern Iraq
New recruits will flood in, leaving us but remorse
For the lives lost to ISIS, all due to Trump’s acts

12/20/16