CWAA: Can We All Agree – 10/29/16 edition
October 29, 2016
Can we all agree the Republican glee 0ver the re-opening on the inquiry into Hillary Clinton’s email server may be short lived?
Can we all agree FBI director James Comey has gone from independent investigator to political hack?
Can we all agree the candidate’s reactions were predictable, but Rush Limbaugh was pretty creative?
FBI Director James Comey (Washington Post Photo)
Can we all agree Mrs. Clinton would have preferred stories from Wikileaks on her husband’s foundation over the FBI email probe?
Can we all agree that, until the email announcement, the week was filled with lists from Mr. Trump: potential conspirators, potential defendants, potential doners, and insults.
Can we all agree that we really don’t know if the FBI has found anything?
Can we all agree it’s probably not good for Mrs. Clinton that stories about potential cabinet choices have started to filter into the news?
Can we all agree Mrs. Clinton’s fundraising advantage will mean little if Mr. Trump continues to get free media via the news?
Can we all agree, it’s a bit ironic that the GOP, which is based on the principle of smaller government, is now controlled by a group of people who have been left behind economically, and want the government to bail them out?
Can we all agree it was hard to believe we were watching Fox News when Megan Kelly interviewed Newt Gingrich this week?
Can we all agree the best news of the week is the continued expansion of the nation’s GDP?
Can we all agree we are incredulous at the not-guilty verdict handed down in the Oregon wildlife refuge case?
Can we all agree the verdicts will probably be much different when the cases against Indian protestors in South Dakota are heard? Justice is apparently not blind any more.
Can we all agree the GOP has already undermined what little credibility they had left by promising continued inquiries if Mrs. Clinton wins the election?
Can we all agree, the idea that The Senate would simply refuse to consider any nominee for the Supreme Court for the next four years is just absurd – except that it seems perfectly rational to Ted Cruz?
Can we all agree that it is sad we have to rely on the Supreme Court to decide social issues?
Can we all agree, Justice Clarence Thomas is probably not a big fan of Mr. Trump now that the candidate’s actions have encouraged victims of sexual assault to come forward??
Can we all agree that anything the government can do to cut down on those fake IRS robo-calls is welcomed?
Can we all agree the FDA’s decision to test a lung cancer drug developed in Cuba is surprising, but the war on cancer can’t afford to snub any potential cures just because they were not developed in the US?
Can we all agree no-one is surprised that ISIS fighters are using civilians as human shields as they defend the City of Mosul?
Can we all agree the FCC’s decision to give us more control over personal data is the right move, although we’ll probably give it away when we routinely agree to the next service contract we approve with our internet providers?
Can we all agree it’s too bad it took election politics to get the Pentagon to suspend their demands that National Guard veterans repay bonuses? But what will happen to those who already struggled to repay the debt they didn’t know they had?
Can we all agree that every time we visit a pharmacy to pick up a prescription we should remember how much lobbying went in to keeping the price high?
Can we all agree removing the Calais camp, known as ‘The Jungle’ will not solve the EU’s migrant crises?
Can we all agree it’s about time someone looked at the effect of a soccer ball on player’s heads?
Can we all agree we should be encouraging people to vote, not thinking up ways to prevent it?
Can we all agree there might be a connection between the spate of early retirements from the NFL and the drop in TV ratings?
Can we all agree that even though premiums for insurance coverage under the Affordable Care Act are increasing most policy holders still think it’s a good deal?
And finally:
Make sure you watch Tom Hanks on last week’s Saturday Night Live Black Jeopardy skit.
It’s about time Marlowe got some credit for helping out Shakespeare.
And next time you’re at the beach, toss a message in a bottle into the water and wait 20 years to see what happens.
CWAA: Can We All Agree – 10/22/16 edition
October 22, 2016
Can we all agree that even Donald Trump has seen the writing on the wall, and knows he will be defeated on November 8?
Can we all agree, it’s amazing that Mr. Trump’s performance at Wednesday’s debate was not his worst of the week?
Can we all agree, speaking of performances, Melania’s attempt to defend her husband was pretty sad? Steven Colbert’s take was the best of the week.
Can we all agree Hillary Clinton seems intent on burying Mr. Trump so that his backers will have no choice but to accept the results?
Can we all agree President Obama’s admonition that Mr. Trump to ‘stop whining” may have been the quote off the week?
Cardinal Timothy Dolan seated between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump.
Can we all agree New York’s Cardinal Timothy Dolan, had the worst seat in the house at this week’s Alfred E. Smith Memorial Foundation Dinner in New York?
Can we all agree the real test el ration day, may be the Democrats’ push to recapture the Senate and reduce the margin in the House of Representatives?
Can we all agree that yesterday’s internet attack should be a warning to all those who see the internet as the solution to every problem?
Can we all agree Mr. Trump’s charges of voter fraud, which had no supporting evidence, was the logical conclusion to the GOP’s recent drive to restrict voting across the county?
Can we all agree, Trump may lose the election, but his rise to presidential nominee will be felt long after he has been buried by the Republican Party?
Can we all agree Mr. Trump has, among other things, made it acceptable to be openly racist?
Can we all agree The Arizona Republic’s answer to threats, hate mail and attempts at intimidation, after the newspaper endorsed Hillary Clinton, should be required reading for all Americans?
Can we all agree, we owe our Canadian neighbors a big ‘thank you’ for their words of encouragement?
Can we all agree the American public probably won’t pay too much attention to what’s happening in Iraq and the battle for Mosul, until a US soldier is killed or the fight is over?
Can we all agree, the National Football League, can make their players wear all the pink they want, but until they understand how to deal with domestic abuse, their slogans ring hollow to most women?
Can we all agree the latest recommendations for TV and internet access for children will have parents scratching their heads for years to come?
Can we all agree Wikileaks founder Julian Assange seems to have outlasted his welcome at the Ecuadorian Embassy in London? The big question is where will he go next?
Can we all agree we were heartened to hear that high school graduation rates are improving, but we’re not sure it’s Mr. Obama’s policies that can take all the credit?
Can we all agree that there has to be another solution to the National Guard’s mistake in making bonus payments to members 10 years ago?
Can we all agree the Census Bureau’s plan to create a new category for people of Middle Eastern descent is probably not a good idea because it could be meaningless and result in more discrimination?
Can we all agree the Chinese government’s plan to track all it’s citizens is a little too Orwellian?
Can we all agree it was about time some police organization realized they had a problem dealing with minorities and apologized?
Can we all agree this is the kind of police story we all want to see every week?
and finally:
This week’s good read is the New Yorker Magazine piece on GOP strategist Ana Navarro, unless you are a Trump supporter.
and I’m sure you don’t want to miss the annual Neiman Marcus catalogue of items you will never find under your Christmas tree.
#CWAA: Can We All Agree – 10/15/16 edition
October 15, 2016
Can we all agree, as the First Lady noted this week, no-one would have imagined that the presidential election would turn on crude ‘locker room’ comments by a candidate?
Can we all agree, it’s hard to believe that almost 200 nations can agree on action to combat climate change, but the Republican Party continues to deny that there is a problem?
Can we all agree, Donald Trump’s reaction to the latest charges that he sexually assaulted women over the last 30 years, typifies his reaction to most criticism? It’s also typical of many third graders.
Can we all agree President Obama has been surprisingly down to earth in his criticism of Mr. Trump?
Can we all agree Mr. Trump is a creation of the GOP, although they won’t admit it?
Can we all agree that once again, Mr. Trump has managed to bury any bad news about Hillary Clinton coming out of the latest batch of leaked emails?
Can we all agree, the real test of American Democracy will be the day after the election?
Can we all agree Mr. Trump really wants to see violence after his election loss?
Can we all agree Hurricane Matthew may not be the most powerful storm to hit the US this season?
Hurricane Matthew from above
Can we all agree, Maine Governor Paul LePage should be impeached?
Can we all agree, it was revealing to see the students at Liberty University standing up to the admonish the school’s administration and oppose Mr. Trump?
Can we all agree, barring something really bizarre (as if we haven’t seen enough bizarre events) Mr. Trump has lost the election, everyone seems to know it except him?
Can we all agree it won’t be long before there is a major brouhaha because a passenger didn’t know Samsung’s Galaxy 7 Note is no longer allowed on airplanes?
Can we all agree it was remarkable to see GOP leaders abandon Mr. Trump last weekend and make a quick U-turn by Wednesday morning?
Can we all agree the world’s reaction to Haiti’s latest natural disaster has been unbelievably low key?
Can we all agree most of us were a bit confused when we learned Bob Dylan won the Nobel Prize for literature, but eventually it made sense?
Can we all agree Wells Fargo chief John Stumpf had to go, but putting his chief lieutenant in charge hardly makes it seem that anything will change?
Can we all agree all of Southeast Asia is on edge now that the Thai king has passed away and left the country in the hands of his son?
Can we all agree the Wells Fargo case has done more for the consumer financial protection bureau that any lobbying by Sen. Elizabeth Warren?
Can we all agree it’s great to know Ronald McDonald is keeping a low profile because of the recent clown scare? Now if we could mke that permanent we’d all be better off.
Can we all agree, it was nice to see that, for a change, no one criticized the President for striking back at Yemeni rebels who fired on US warships?
Can we all agree it’s nice to know we have plans to go to Mars, but we don’t plan on buying tickets when they go on sale?
Can we all agree it’s about time Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio and NJ Governor Chris Christie face charges?
Can we all agree that Ken Bone is a pretty unlikely hero from last week’s debate?
Can we all agree Sunday’s Presidential debate seemed like an afterthought by the end of the week?
Can we all agree no-one seems to be crying for the NFL because their TV ratings have dropped?
Can we all agree we have reached the tipping point with US-Cuban relations – the limits on cigars and rum have been lifted?
Can we all agree, if we ever needed a story to prove our unconscious bias, this was it?
Can we all agree, we’re glad we never had to call 911 for help while we were in Houston?
Can we all agree, if you have ever driven through California’s Central Valley on Route 99, you can understand why it is called the nation’s deadliest highway?
This week’s good reads:
One out of Georgetown University and another from the aftermath of Hurricane Matthew.
CWAA: Can We All Agree – 10/8/16 edition
October 8, 2016
Can we all agree we’re not really that surprised by the latest tape revealing Donald Trump’s attitude toward women?
Can we all agree Mr. Trump’s non-apology, apology will become a classic in future public relations manuals?
Can we all agree Mr. Trump’s comments will easily bury the leaked details of Hillary Clinton’s paid speeches to Wall Street?
Can we all agree, the fact that the speech transcripts were taken from hacked emails, hurts their credibility, but adds to the US contention that Russia is trying to influence the election?
Can we all agree Sunday night’s debate is really Mr. Trump’s last, slim chance to show non-supporters that he has anything approaching a presidential temperament?
Can we all agree the latest revelations might derail Mr. Trump’s already derailed new focus on policy?
Can we all agree there was no shortage of outrageous statements this week even before the latest revelations?
Can we all agree that by the end of the week we didn’t even remember fundraising activities by Mr. Trump’s foundation were closed down by the New York Attorney General?
Can we all agree the makers of the Epipen may think their $465 settlement with Medicare is not a guilty finding, but given their previous actions, most folks know they are guilty of something?
Can we all agree 156,000 new jobs may be tepid growth, but at least it’s still growth?
Can we all agree no one really understands the sudden ‘scary clown’ epidemic but school administratrors all over they country have been forced to assure parents that the situation is under control?
Can we all agree it’s good news to see that the Paris climate accord will take effect, despite what the US Congress thinks about global warming?
Can we all agree it seems Vladimir Putin’s plan to take over Syria while we are occupied with our election seems to be succeeding and the people of Aleppo are paying the price?
Can we all agree it’s hard for the rest of the world to understand how a country can vote against peace, but the Colombian president still deserves the Nobel Peace Prize?
Can we all agree even The NSA seems a little confused about whether they have arrested a spy or just someone who likes to hoard information?
Can we all agree, at this point, no-one even cares what happened at the vice presidential debate earlier this week?
Can we all agree, Yahoo seems to be trying to commit business suicide but agreeing to scan its users’ emails for the government?
Can we all agree, just when you think the President of the Philippines has insulted every world leader, he finds a new way to prove he has no business leading a Democratic country?
Can we all agree we have a few of our own unqualified elected officials?
Can we all agree there doesn’t seem to be a whole lot of enthusiasm for Google’s newly announced smart phone?
Can we all agree Fox News’s attempt at humor by stereotyping Asian Americans was disturbing – mainly because no one at the network realized how insulting it was?
and finally, two feel-good stories:
One about a 113 year-old man having his bar mitzvah and another of heart felt appreciation during the most unimaginable tragedy.
CWAA: Can We All Agree – 10/1/16 edition
October 1, 2016
Can we all agree GOP leaders are really off base in blaming the President because they regret passing a bill allowing 9/11 families to sue Saudi Arabia?
Can we all agree that if avoiding a government shutdown by a simple compromise on a measure to provide funding for Flint, MI, was that easy – what took so long?
Arnie and his army at the Masters.
Can we all agree that every Baby Boomer was a recruit in Arnie’s Army?
Can we all agree Wells Fargo President John Stumpf seems incapable of accepting responsibility for the illegal acts that he incentivized?
Can we all agree the State of California did the right thing by cutting off their relationship with Wells Fargo even though the bank is headquartered in the state?
Can we all agree, it’s one thing for an orchestra to go on strike, but quite another to walk out on a performance – especially over perceived past injustices?
Can we all agree that just because science can create a baby from three sets of DNA, doesn’t mean we should?
Can we all agree Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore deserved to be suspended permanently? Wanna bet he gets re-elected anyway?
Can we all agree Shimon Peres death seemed to unite world leaders for at least one day?
Can we all agree no-one was surprised that Russia was responsible for the missile which downed a Malaysian Airline passenger plane over the Ukraine?
Can we all agree that the mismanagement issues at our national parks arethreatening to overshadow the 100th birthday celebrations?
Can we all agree that Elon Musk’s ideas, like colonizing Mars, seem far fetched until he succeeds?
Can we all agree that this week’s presidential debate was great TV?
Can we all agree Mr. Trump’s debate performance has already been overshadowed by his performance the rest of the week?
Can we all agree that major newspapers who endorse a third party candidate, who is obviously unqualified, are doing a disservice to their readers?
Can we all agree, in the same vein, Republican leaning newspapers, such as those in Cincinnati, Phoenix, Houston or Dallas, who back a Democrat for the first time in history, deserve a lot of credit?
Can we all agree, Wisconsin is a perfect example of why voter ID laws just don’t work?
Can we all agree every time Donald Trump tweets, he just proves Hillary Clinton’s point that he does not have the right temperament to be President?
Can we all agree that whether Mr. Trump is criticizing former beauty queens or Bill Clinton, he really doesn’t have a leg to stand on?
Michelle Obama campaigns for Hillary Clinton.
Can we all agree Mr. Trump would be better off trying to defend his foundations?
Can we all agree Michelle Obama may be the best weapon the Democrats have as they counter Mr. Trump’s irrationality?
Can we all agree that even if he gets a crowd of 10,000 people to a rally, it’s no where near the number of votes he needs to carry a state?
Can we all agree that even if Mr. Trump actually prepares for the next debate, he’s in a lot of trouble?
Can we all agree it was much too easy for Mrs. Clinton to bait Mr. Trump into a discussion about his own misogyny?
Can we all agree the only person who doesn’t think Mrs. Clinton ‘won’ the debate (annotated transcript here), was her opponent?
Can we all agree that there is considerable sentiment in the medical community that Mr. Trump’s symptoms – dry mouth, nasal stuffiness, dilated pupils, hyperactive behavior – are typical of patient being treated with Adderall for ADHD?
Can we all agree that amid all the stories of bad interactions between police and the public, it’s nice to have at least one ‘feel good’ story?
And finally:
The strangest story of the week might be the rescue of stranded boater off Massachsetts who is now suspected of two murders.
and:
Baseball fans who grew up listening to their favorite team on the radio (think Curt Gowdy) will understand these remembrances of sports broadcaster Vin Scully.