Senate – The LCR

History Made in Georgia

January 20, 2021

by Mykel Greene with No Comment Culture Featured Politics

Last year, the United States descended into pure chaos. Systemic racism was thriving and it resulted in several untimely deaths. All the while, we were ill-equipped to handle the pandemic that seized the world due to inadequate leadership. So many civil uprisings, rallies, and rioting for change that was long overdue. Now, after the election in November 2021 is looking to be the start of that change.

When Biden and Harris won the election, I sighed with relief. While they might not be my number one pick for president and vice president, I think that they can get the ball rolling for the United States to improve for all of its people.

For some states it was time to elect new Senators, Georgia being one. What is so significant about Georgia is that it is a traditionally red state. It has been for a long time. And yet, for this election, Georgia flipped to blue, directly resulting in the White House, the Senate, and the House being blue.

The two new Senators, Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock, are not originally politicians. Ossoff was an investigative journalist and documentary film producer and Warnock a senior pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church. I believe that the more non-political people we elect into positions of power, the more likely legislature will be passed for all people due to the diversification of personal, academic, and professional experiences of the people in power.

Warnock is the first Black Senator of Georgia, and this can only mean great things moving forward for communities of color. He might be the catalyst for even more people of color obtaining positions in state and federal governments. While I’m not from Georgia nor do I live in Georgia, I am excited to see what Warnock will help make happen to address the racism that has been running rampant.

However, I think the short term implications are worth considering. With the diversification of the government, it has exacerbated the tyranny of President Trump and the radical actions of ‘the proud boys’.

On January 6th, an armed mob stormed the U.S. Capitol in retaliation to the federal government turning blue. This was an act of domestic terrorism and yet President Trump did nothing to get the mob to leave. He did nothing to ensure the sanctity of the White House. All he did was condone their actions and allow them the privilege of destroying government property. The only thing on my mind as I watched this on the news is how if this mob was predominantly people of color, they would be shot before they even made it to the lawn.

I saw on the news a few days later that the mob planned to attack not only the U.S. Capitol again, but also all fifty capitols in the United States. CNN also said that if President Trump was impeached before the inauguration on January 20th, they will attack. Of course, there were death threats towards Biden, Harris, and House representative Pelosi.

I don’t know if these threats are still a concern, especially now that the House has impeached President Trump for the second time. Yes, beautiful progress is being made, but I worry about whether there will be a safe transition of power, and about whether President Trump and his ‘proud boys’ will be held accountable for their transgressions.

My Reaction to the Storming of Capitol Hill

January 6, 2021

by Center Left HR with One Comment Featured Politics

One of the things I’ve found really interesting about the events of the last year is that feeling of “what now?” that seemed to be ever-present. Just when we thought things couldn’t get any worse or even in those brief moments when we got the opportunity to take a deep breath or a sigh of relief, there was a consistent dark cloud figuratively looming overhead.

Now, on a day when we’re finally starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel with the impending Senate flip, we’re reminded that it ain’t over yet. It’s infuriating to see people, who had their fingers pointed during the fight for Black and Brown lives, storm the Capitol in the name of being sore losers.

I am mind boggled at the fact that they were able to enter the walls of the Capitol building without even the threat of a rubber bullet or tear gas. Where was this calm when people were genuinely and peacefully seeking justice?

I’m appalled at the lax reaction from people watching this all unfold and I hope the actions of these thugs force those who have been silent to hold up a mirror to themselves and audit their inactions that have emboldened these domestic terrorists. These hooligans have identified themselves, and we as a country have to decide how we are going to proceed.

No more standing by idle. It is time for action. It is time to make our stance clear. We cannot continue to be passive. We must continue to disempower the system of bigotry and hate that has fueled this country for so long. Enough is enough!

GOP Hypocrisy Laid Bare

September 19, 2020

by Stoic Troubadour with No Comment Featured Politics

Mitch McConnell intends to have this Senate vote on Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s replacement for the Supreme Court. Trump is planning to announce a nominee as early as Monday before RBG is even laid to rest.

This is in direct opposition to statements that Senator McConnell and other Republicans made in their defense of the historic blocking of President Obama’s Supreme Court nominee, Merrick Garland.

Of the many statements made to justify their unprecedented (yet legal) stonewalling, only one needs to be brought forth as evidence of the clear hypocrisy, dishonesty, and inconsistency of the means the GOP used to attain its ends:

“The American people should have a voice in the selection of their next Supreme Court Justice. Therefore, this vacancy should not be filled until we have a new president,” McConnell said.

This was 11 months before the 2016 election. The 2020 election is already underway.

Many Republicans expressed dismay at the dangerous precedent it would set to not only block the nominee, but to refuse even a debate. Lindsay Graham said, “I want you to use my words against me. If there’s a Republican president in 2016 and a vacancy occurs in the last year of the first term, you can say Lindsey Graham said let’s let the next president, whoever it might be, make that nomination.”

There is bad faith here. There is deceit.

If McConnell and the GOP are more focused on war and victory than peace and compromise, they will be sad to learn that those who live by the sword also die by the sword.

Consequently, if a Trump Supreme Court pick is rushed through the confirmation process before the next Presidential inauguration, and the Democrats win back the Senate and Presidency…

The 2021 Democrats should balance the Supreme Court and appoint two additional Justices. They should also approve statehood for The District of Columbia and Puerto Rico to gain four more senators. These are legal maneuvers and turnabout is fair play.

The Woman for the Job

August 11, 2020

by DERONAE SMITH with One Comment Featured Politics

On August 11, 2020, in the midst of a pandemic and primary elections taking place in multiple states, Democratic Presidential Nominee Joe Biden selected California Senator Kamala Harris as his Vice President (VP) pick. This is a historic moment for women and Black women specifically, and no doubt a game-changer for the Biden campaign. She would be the first African-American woman, the first Asian-American woman, the first Howard University Alumni, and the first HBCU graduate to become the Vice President of the United States of America. Her background as a District Attorney and Prosecutor were very challenging for her as they are for many prosecutors. She made decisions at the time that many strongly disagree with; but like all of us, we try our best to make the best decisions at the time. While we have to admit that sometimes we miss the mark, we must get up and keep moving. And I believe the people want Harris to keep moving.

Harris’s record is impressive. She was the first African-American District Attorney in San Francisco. She is only the 2^nd African-American woman to serve in the US Senate and she is currently the only African-American woman currently serving in the US Senate. There have only been 11 African-American Senators elected since 1827 in both Republican and Democratic Parties, but only 10 were seated when Louisiana Republican Senator-Elect Pinckney B.S. Pinchback African-American Senator was elected but denied the seat. President Obama was only the 5^th African-American to serve in the US Senate. Corey Booker became the 9^th African-American US Senator to serve and Kamala Harris became the 10^th, and the only Black women currently serving.

Kamala Harris seems to be one of the women that President Trump is actually afraid of. He has minimized his attack on Harris thus far although we are expecting that to change rather quickly. There is no doubt that Biden could have chosen many great candidates out of this all-women selection pool. But Kamala Harris is definitely the toughest and the best woman for the job.

An Icon on the Hill & Beyond

July 19, 2020

by DERONAE SMITH with No Comment Culture Featured Politics

Georgia Representative John Lewis was labeled as the humble giant on the Hill. However, his colleagues referred to him as the Conciseness of Congress. He’ll be remembered for his continuous fight for Voter’s Right, his lifetime fight for all people.

At the 1963 March on Washington where Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his famous “I Have a Dream” address, Civil Rights leaders asked John Lewis to tone his speech down afraid that it would be too much and would cause controversy. Lewis was the last living speaker at the march on Washington.

On October 8, 2013, Lewis was arrested outside on Capitol Hill for civil disobedience while he was standing up with protestors for Immigration reform. Nothing new for Lewis… he had been arrested 40+ times for peacefully protesting when the stakes were just as high. On October June 12, 2016, the nation was shocked by another shooting. This time it was the Pulse Night Club, a gay night club that was personally targeted in Orlando, Florida. On June 22, Rep. Lewis held a floor sit-in on the floor of The US House of Representatives just ten days after the Shooting. The sit-in protest, which was to fight specifically for gun control, lasted for more than 12 hours with roughly 40 Democratic House Representatives by his side.

Lewis was not just an icon on the Hill, but beyond. In fact, he was mainly known for his work and legacy off the Hill. He was born the son of sharecroppers on February 21, 1940, outside of Troy, Alabama. He was inspired by the activism surrounding the Montgomery Bus Boycott and the words of the late Dr. Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., which he heard on radio broadcasts. He made a decision at a very young age to become a part of the Civil Rights Movement. While a student at Fisk University, John Lewis organized sit-in demonstrations at segregated lunch counters in Nashville, Tennessee. In 1961, he volunteered to participate in the Freedom Rides, which challenged segregation at interstate bus terminals in the Deep South.

From 1963 to 1966, Lewis was named Chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), which he helped form. John Lewis led over 600 peaceful, orderly protestors across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama on March 7, 1965. The marchers were attacked on that bridge by Alabama state troopers in a brutal confrontation that became known as “Bloody Sunday.” He suffered a skull fracture and was one of 58 people treated for injuries at the local hospital. Despite more than 40 arrests, physical attacks and serious injuries, Lewis remained a devoted advocate of the nonviolence philosophy.

In 1981, he was elected to the Atlanta City Council. And in November 1986, he was elected to Congress and served as U.S. Representative of Georgia’s Fifth Congressional District since then. Earlier this year, Lewis attended the 55th-anniversary of the march in Selma, which was a surprise appearance considering his illness. One of his last public appearances was in DC on Black Lives Matter Plaza (16^th Street) with Mayor Muriel Bowser. He not only was there to see the name change of 16^th Street, but also to witness in person the large display of Black Lives Matter painted in yellow. Such an iconic moment for one of the original fathers of the Black Lives Matter movement to witness.

In December 2019, Lewis presided over the House vote to restore voter’s rights. The House voted and passed this bill. The Senate never even brought the bill to the floor for a vote. That bill still remains on Kentucky Senator Mitch McConnell‘s desk still today. Lewis made his transition from this earth on Friday, July 17, 2020, after his battle with pancreatic cancer. Whenever I now hear the sound of the thunder it will remind me of his thunderous voice of advocacy. His legacy will live on.

Similar Read: You Are NOT Your Ancestors!

Debate Takeaways From An Unaffiliated Voter

February 28, 2020

by The LCR Editor with No Comment Featured Politics

Warren’s continuous attacks on Bloomberg seem to be excessive. Now, he may be all the slimeball a person can possibly be and if he is then he shouldn’t be running. I have zero tolerance for a slimeball presidential candidate. However, without knowing the details behind the attacks it just seems like a cheap shot because people are not going to look into it.

Sanders is consistent; not always right but he is consistent. If he wins, the debates with Trump will be nearly impossible to watch. Two advanced aged people stuck in their ways. Trump will win and people will be trying to get rid of the electoral college… again.

(Selfishly) Biden should’ve run in 2016. I think he’s losing his ability to make his points, and he needs to stop talking about how he wrote all the bills.

Steyer is good but he needs to drop out and endorse someone. Clearly, he doesn’t like Bernie. He’d be better off boosting Klobuchar or Pete.

Klobuchar is likely the best candidate but she’ll be out after Super Tuesday. I wish I could say more. I really like her.

Bloomberg looks annoyed with the process, his jokes are bad and he needs to get Warren to sign an NDA. ??‍♂️ He nearly said, “I bought the”… rather than “I donated to” the Democrats in the house.

Pete is gifted, but feels like he’s memorized talking points to court people of color. He seems very composed and I think he’ll be the best person to take on Trump attacks.

Gabbard (#NotPresent #PunIntended) will be the 3rd party candidate. Why else is she still running when she hasn’t been on a debate stage on 3 months?

Debate Winner: Trump. This debate was a mess due to the awful moderating by CBS.

Losers: CBS Moderators, clarity of points and the filibuster.

Look, I get that people want to get rid of the filibuster and go to a simple majority vote in the Senate. Put it this way, think about all of the laws that would’ve passed in the first 2 years of the Trump presidency if he only needed 50 votes. I would much rather have a rule law that states all bills passed in either chamber have to be voted on within 60 days. It’s time to put our elected officials on the record. If that doesn’t make you happy then reduce the super-majority to 57 votes, but don’t get rid of it altogether. I agree something has to change, but change can’t be as easy as getting a simple majority in both chambers.

Still don’t know who I’m voting for.

Bloomberg’s Move to Clear the Field

February 15, 2020

by Right Army Veteran with One Comment Featured Politics

(Roughly a year ago I suggested Bloomberg would probably run, and here we are…)

Former NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg fired the first shot over the bow this week in the Democratic Presidential Primary with his record $1.8Bn gift to Johns Hopkins – a gift designed to ensure that future JH students can be considered for admission with no regard for ability to pay.

In doing so, Bloomberg seals his legacy of philanthropy around education, gun violence, and equal opportunity, takes “first-mover advantage” and makes clear to other primary challengers that he’s backing this with his own money and all in. That’s a single step of “clearing the field” if I ever saw it.

For those who would say a NY billionaire who switched parties and is rife with complicated financial dealings would be unelectable, may I direct your attention to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

I have my own serious issues with Bloomberg, but at least by “checkmark” his issues and point on the spectrum are very closely aligned with most Americans. In many ways, he mirrors many of the issues President Trump highlights as his own qualities while being the anti-Trump in many others. Meanwhile, his history for being cantankerous and outright impetuous are at least reduced by comparison, and his all-out war with the NRA may be OK in an environment where the President has mostly locked up the heartland anyhow.

I dunno guys… he’s maybe not the one you’d thought would be the one to beat, but just from what I’ve seen watching the US Senate sessions these last couple years, he’s not a bad option.

This article was originally published on 20 November 2018.

Nobody Is Above The Law… Impeachment

December 17, 2019

by The LCR Editor with No Comment Featured Politics

The night before only the 3rd vote in US history to impeach a sitting president, New Yorkers gathered in Time Square to chant, “Nobody is above the law.” Nobody… surprisingly a point of contention considering some would argue that doesn’t include the highest office in the land, Commander-in-Chief, 45th president of the United States, Donald J. Trump.

Following the Civil War in 1868, Andrew Johnson became the first president in US history to be impeached. Nearly 150 years later, Bill Clinton become the second. And with the exception of some unforeseen wild event, Donald Trump will become the third. A shame for Donald Trump considering he survived the Mueller investigation, only to get caught up in a quid pro quo regarding his attempt to pressure Ukraine’s leaders to dig up dirt on Hunter Biden and his father, senior statesman and Democratic presidential nominee, Joe Biden.

(Sidenote: Hunter Biden sat on the board of directors for Burisma, a Ukraine-based energy holding company from 2014 to 2019 while his father, Joe Biden, who was Vice President at the time, oversaw policy regarding the Eastern European nation. Hunter had no experience in Ukraine nor did he have a background in the energy sector. While it’s not illegal, him having a paid board seat on the other side of the world is bizarre, it doesn’t add up, and should be questioned.)

I digress… back to US presidential history…

It’s important to note that while Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton have both been formally impeached, neither of them were removed from office through impeachment. And neither will Donald Trump. While the House of Representatives have more than enough votes to impeach him, the Senate does not. Nevertheless, Trump felt the need to write a 6-page rant disguised as a letter to Nancy Pelosi where he exclaimed, “More due process was afforded to those accused in the Salem Witch Trials.”

6 pages of that…

Nearly a year from the 2020 elections, how will this impact the electorate? Specifically independents and voters in Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania… three states which all went blue for the previous 6 presidential elections before 2016.

Will it even matter? Or more importantly, which Dem will capitalize on this historic moment, win the nomination and carry that momentum to the general election?

Why Deval?

November 16, 2019

by Left Women's Rights Advocate with No Comment Featured Politics

A new candidate has entered the Democratic primary for president. His name is Deval Patrick. A Chicago native, Patrick is notably a close friend of former President Barack Obama. While the Democratic Party primary is open to any candidate, there are already over 15 candidates still in the race. Thus, the question becomes why Deval and why now? One can only imagine that he has entered the race because the other candidates are dismal or he has entered because he believes he has the best chance at securing the Democratic nomination next year. We should also consider that Duval chose to enter the race rather than endorse one of the current candidates.

His entry into the Democratic primary for president leads some to believe that he doesn’t think any of the other candidates can secure the nomination. But why would he think this if there are viable candidates in the race, which includes two US senators, a former vice president, a former cabinet official from the last president, a congresswoman and other business people?

We must also examine if the Democratic Party put Patrick up to run for president. Is the Democratic Party so insecure that they would be willing to pull a Hail Mary, or find an “elite” candidate for whom big donors would be pleased? Patrick literally filed to run in the New Hampshire primary on Thursday (11/14) and will foreseeably continue throughout the rest of this campaign cycle. While he is a former governor of the state of Massachusetts and a seasoned statesman, his entry this late in the Democratic primary for President of the United States should raise some eyebrows. But alas, Patrick is not alone.

Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg has also said that he is considering entering the primary. Again one has to question, why? And one has to question, why so late? Many of the candidates who are actively running for president entered the race early this year. They have campaign offices and they’ve hired campaign staffs. These are not things that Patrick or other new entrants cannot do, but momentum is towards those who have been in the race longer. Or is it? Could it be the reason Patrick has entered and Bloomberg is considering entering the race is the current field of candidates is dismal? Patrick’s entry and Bloomberg’s question about entering says more about the Democratic Party then it does them. It also shows that the primary next year will be a tough race and the base consolidation that will have to be done after the candidate is decided will be even tougher. The Democratic Party can only hope that with all the candidates that are in the race the party will be able to unify behind the candidate who wins the primary.

Similar Read: Bloomberg’s Move to Clear the Field

Beto’s Stance on Guns and Churches Proved To Be Too Much For Liberals

November 6, 2019

by The LCR Editor with No Comment Featured Politics

Beto O’Rourke ended his campaign for Democratic presidential nominee last week. His run to win the nomination was a disappointment to say the least. Despite gracing the cover of Vanity Fair and tons of media coverage, he never did well enough in the debates to garner enough national support. His appeal in Texas, which was enough to make his 2018 Senate race against Republican Ted Cruz closer than anyone could imagine, never resonated on the national stage in regard to his presidential candidacy.

There’s probably a number of reasons why Beto was forced to end his race, but his stance on two issues, in particular, missed the mark and were probably the final straw for potential voters and donors.

Issue #1: GUNS

Very few reasonable lawmakers or voters on either side of the aisle will argue that we don’t have a gun violence issue in America. But the reasons why the issue exists and the solutions to fix it are all over the place. Beto proposed a mandatory gun buyback program for all AK-47s and AR-15s. It’s important to note that even liberals love their guns. While some applauded his bold proposal, it didn’t fall in line with Congressional Democrats and their goals for gun reform. In fact, Senate Democrats want nothing to do with mandatory buyback programs.

“I don’t know of any other Democrat who agrees with Beto O’Rourke, but it’s no excuse not to go forward.” – Minority Leader Chuck Schumer

In other words, if you want to commit political suicide, go right ahead… you will get no support in these congressional halls.

Issues #2: CHURCHES

In an “LGBTQ Equality” town hall on CNN, Beto called for all religious institutions to lose their tax-exempt status if they oppose same-sex marriage. Whether you believe in the true separation of Church and State, similar to guns, this was a mile too far. Upholding and protecting the rights and equality of every American is paramount, but forcing churches to get on board by threatening to remove their tax-exempt status might’ve even been too much for the left, mainly Democrats, who are the main party trying to make sure same-sex marriage is protected and upheld.

While Beto’s exit from the race for Democratic presidential nominee shouldn’t deter future candidates from proposing big and bold ideas, it should make them consider the details of such ideas and how best to roll them out.