CWAA: Can We All Agree™ – 8/26/17 edition
August 26, 2017
Can we all agree, Donald Trump has perfected the art of making unpopular announcements on Friday afternoon. This week it’s banning transgender soldiers and pardoning former Arizona sheriff Joe Arpaio.
Can we all agree the country is watching the administration’s response to Hurricane Harvey – worried that politics will get in the way?
Can we all agree, presidential advisor Gary Cohn will be out of a job soon, now that he has publicly criticized his boss?
For a few minutes we were united this week. (NYT photo)
Can we all agree, the Pentagon deserves some credit for allowing California National Guard troops to keep the bonus money they were given by the government?
Can we all agree, imposing more sanctions on the Venezuelan government, just allows President Nicolás Maduro to position himself as a patriotic leader battling an imperialistic northern neighbor?
Can we all agree, Mr. Trump has managed to give himself an excuse in case his Afghan policy fails, by saying his decision “was not his original” idea? But, you have to wonder, has he ever had an ‘original’ idea?
Can we all agree the Bay Area is breathing a long sigh of relief that right-wing rallies scheduled for today and tomorrow, were cancelled by organizers – leaving the stage to counter protestors?
Can we all agree, it is unbelieveable that the Navy has now lost 17 sailors in non-combat situations over the last two months and our Commander and Chief has not made one comment?
Can we all agree, if the Secret Service had run out of money in the first six months of any other administration there would be a Congressional outcry and investigation?
Can we all agree, Boston anti-racism protestors showed the world how to make a point and protect free-speech, by being peaceful and non-confrontational?
Can we all agree, now that Steve Bannon and Sebastian Gorka, have left the White House, only one openly racist official remains?
Can we all agree, with all the craziness going on in the world it’s hard to get worked up about French President Emmanuel Macron’s $30,000 makeup scandal?
Can we all agree, Mr. Trump doesn’t seem to understand that attacking the senators you need to pass your agenda is really not the way to get anything done in Washington?
Can we all agree, threatening to shut down the government over a wall that no one wants, is just another empty rhetorical device to rally your supporters?
Can we all agree, watching Mr. Trump this week was like watching a sociopath with bipolar disorder? A truly dangerous combination?
Can we all agree, Energy Secretary Rick Perry has done a masterful job of issuing an energy report which simply ignores the facts, to promote an agenda?
Can we all agree, the resignation of science envoy, and Cal professor, Daniel Kammen, was a work of art?
Can we all agree, the Girl Scouts have already won their battle with the Boy Scouts?
Can we all agree, the Interior Department’s decision to shrink some landmarks, instead of eliminating them, will not keep them out of court?
Can we all agree, the single winner of this week’s near-record Powerball drawing, will keep us all buying tickets for a very long time?
Can we all agree, even if the prices at the soon-to-be-Amazon-owned Whole Foods, are lowered even slightly next week, Jeff Bezos has already won the PR battle for new shoppers?
Can we all agree, Janet Yellen has apparently decided she does not want to head of the Federal Reserve Board any longer? Speaking the truth to Trump, is not the way to get re-appointed.?
Can we all agree, with the addition of interfaith religious leaders, rabbis, and swing-state Republicans it’s tough to figure out who is left to support the President?
Can we all agree, anyone who was disappointed that they couldn’t hold an event at Mr. Trump’s Mar-A-Lago resort can have their pick of dates now?
Can we all agree, it’s too bad the courts can’t impose a financial penalty on legislators who create discriminatory congressional districts?
Can we all agree, Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin’s wife just doesn’t understand what it means to be married to a politician?
Can we all agree, newsroom editors at the Wall Street Journal showed their true pro-Trump colors this week?
Can we all agree, our President can’t even seem to watch an eclipse without creating controversy?
Can we all agree, its heartening to see that, despite Mr. Trump’d best efforts, Robert Mueller’s investigation, just keeps rolling along?
Can we all agree, the ‘Black Man for Trump’ looked like a sketch from Saturday Night Live?
Can we all agree, Jerry Lewis and Dick Gregory had very different styles but they were both defining figures of American comedy?
CWAA: Can We All Agree™ – 8/19/17 edition
August 19, 2017
Can we all agree, Steve Bannon had to leave the administration or there would probably have been a mass exodus of other officials who blame him for Mr. Trump’s racist stance earlier in the week?
Can we all agree, we will hear even more from Bannon now that he has a website to pressure the President?
Can we all agree, it’s unbelievable that the President of the United States was quicker to comment on a terrorist attack in Spain that he was to comment on an attack in Charlotesville?
Can we all agree, there is a big difference between the statues honoring Confederate heroes and the Boston street sign designating Yawkey Way in honor of former Red Sox owner Tom Yawkey? As a Boston native, I know Mr. Yawkey was racist, but since his death his foundation has made charitable contributions all over the city.
President Obama’s message after Charlottesville. Setting new Twitter records.
Can we all agree, the only reason right-wing racists plan protests in blue cities such as Boston or Berkeley is because they know they will get publicity from the local reaction?
Can we all agree, Tina Fey might be getting criticism for her reaction to Mr. Trump, but it was still pretty funny?
Can we all agree, the national magazine covers were less humorous. but captured the nation’s mood perfectly? But it may be the financial impact that gets the President’s attention?
Can we all agree, it’s good the Navy has disciplined two people for the tragic collision last month, but we still have no idea what happened?
Can we all agree Mr. Trump is skipping the Kennedy Center Honors because he knows what the entertainment community thinks about him and he couldn’t handle the criticism?
Can we all agree, Mr. Trump should not expect a visit from the NBA champion Golden State Warriors?
Can we all agree, Wells Fargo Bank is proof positive that we need a Consumer Finance Protection Bureau?
Can we all agree, Steve Bannon may have contradicted the message the administration wants to send, but he was right when he admitted there is no military solution to the North Korea crises? At least Kim Jung Un seems to agree, for now.
Can we all agree, the next major world hotspot may be the China-India border?
Can we all agree, there was no good reason for the administration to end protections for minors from South America?
Can we all agree, it’s easy to blame Mr. Bannon for the President’s racist views, but they have been pretty obvious for many years?
Can we all agree, it seems clear that Mr. Trump has no problem being the President of the people who elected him and alienating everyone else?
Can we all agree, we should all be appalled that children in India were allowed to die because of a hospital billing dispute with an oxygen supplier?
Can we all agree, an American tourist who offered a Nazi salute in downtown Dresden, Germany, deserved to get beat up?
Can we all agree, while everyone was pre-occupied with Charlottesville, special counsel Robert Mueller began the next phase of investigation by requesting interviews with current and former White House staffers?
Can we all agree, pardoning former Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio is among the worst ideas Mr. Trump has floated?
Can we all agree, The Department of Justice is overstepping it’s authority by requesting the computer IP addresses of anti-Trump protestors?
Can we all agree, the Congressional Budget Office is making it difficult for the administration to decline to pay ACA insurance subsidies?
Can we all agree, no one seems to take seriously Iran’s threats to restart its nuclear program?
Can we all agree, the Texas legislature has some work to do to convince a federal judge they can draw voting districts correctly?
Can we all agree, a group of former Trump officials trying to mount a voter registration effort is pretty ill timed?
Can we all agree, Mr. Trump’s decision to attack his own party leaders, for no reason, continues to mystify the political pundits on both sides of the aisle?
Can we all agree right-wing leader Chris Cantwell has no idea what he’s doing or the damage he is inflicting on the world?
And finally:
The good news story of the week about a WWII marine returning a Japanese flag to the family of a fallen soldier.
CWAA: Can We All Agree™ – 8/12/17 edition
August 12, 2017
Can we all agree, many of us never thought the Chinese president would be the grownup in the room, refereeing the war of words between a US President and the leader of North Korea?
Can we all agree, it’s tough to predict an outcome when you have two egomaniacal bullies hurling insults at each other?
Can we all agree the folks on Guam probably are not comforted by Mr. Trump’s promise of retaliation, if the island is attacked?
We all make mistakes, but Can we all agree we’d like to think this headline was printed on purpose.
Can we all agree, most of us have been so preoccupied with North Korea we hardly noticed that, despite the billions of dollars spent after Katrina, New Orleans flooded again this week after a severe thunderstorm?
Can we all agree, the longer we ignore climate change reports, the more stories like New Orleans, we will see?
Can we all agree, sometime in the next year the EPA will effectively cease to exist?
Can we all agree, while we should be concerned about what’s happening in Venezuela, we can’t invade every country, where we disagree with the government’s policies?
Can we all agree, the White House may not openly condone the activities of the alt-right, but the fact that an administration aide can pen a memo describing a leftist conspiracy, certainly provides support?
Can we all agree, Google made a bad situation worse this week, when they fired the author of a memo attacking women working in Silicon Valley? We may not agree with his comments, but he has every right to his opinion.
Can we all agree, it’s hard to tell if sports reporters are over-reacting to the cancellation of some high school football programs, or if we are really seeing the start of a death spiral?
Can we all agree, Major League Baseball deserves a pat on the back for their ‘nickname’ promotion later this month? Don’t expect to see anything like this in the NFL.
Can we all agree, it’s about time the highest levels of government admitted that we have an opioid crises in this country?
Can we all agree, the new twitter battle between Senate President Mitch McConnell and Mr. Trump, will do little to advance the GOP agenda?
Can we all agree, the FBI’s pre-dawn raid of former Trump campaign chief Paul Manafort, is very bad news for the President?
Can we all agree, despite all the rhetoric, it appears, the XL pipeline may be stymied by state regulations in Nebraska?
Can we all agree, state politicians, like those in Wisconsin, don’t care how much tax money they give away, as long as they can say they brought in new jobs?
Can we all agree, President Trump should take a close look at what’s happening to his good friend Benjamin Netanyahu, as he tries to downplay the special counsel’s investigation?
Can we all agree, Disney may be making the right business decision, by taking their movies off Netflix, but they are making it more difficult for the consumer?
Can we all agree, we should be very concerned that industry lobbyists are re-writing the nation’s regulatory framework?
Can we all agree, it’s been another tough trip home for many GOP politicians?
Can we all agree, coal mining should not be encouraged on public land?
Can we all agree, Vice President Mike Pence is running for his boss’s job? He just doesn’t like to have it made public.
Barbara Cook
Can we all agree, voting for Amy McGrath over Mitch McConnell is a pretty easy decision?
Can we all agree, the Democrat’s shift to the left will not help them in conservative states, even where voters are appalled by Donald Trump?
Can we all agree, it appears the only world leader Mr. Trump does not stand up to, is Vladimir Putin?
Can we all agree, White House aides should not be making news at speaking engagements? If they can’t take the criticism, they should not have agreed to appear.
Can we all agree, the world is just a little less lyrical this week with the passing of Glen Campbell and Broadway singer Barbara Cook.
and finally:
Only in America could Back to School shopping get combined with guns sales.
CWAA: Can We All Agree™ – 8/5/17 edition
August 5, 2017
Can we all agree, the August recess in Washington is really a much needed vacation for all of us?
Can we all agree, when a Republican Senate leaves town, but stays in session to prevent a Republican President from making any appointments, it’s not the Democrat’s fault?
Can we all agree, The President may soon be faced with signing a bill which effectively prevents him from firing Special Counsel Robert Mueller?
Can we all agree, Attorney General Jeff Sessions would have a much easier job if he didn’t have to waste time investigating leaks from the White House?
Can we all agree, it would be a disaster if the President fired his national security advisor, H. R. McMaster, since the Lt. General seems to be the only grownup in the White House?
This week’s Newsweek cover
Can we all agree, it’s no surprise the President’s cabinet would be led by a pastor who doesn’t think women belong in politics?
Can we all agree, Newsweek Magazine may have reached a new level of political commentary with this week’s cover?
Can we all agree, until this week, when Mr. Mueller impanelled a grand jury in Washington, many of us suspected the investigation was going nowhere?
Can we all agree, John Kelley deserves credit for bringing some discipline to the White House – at least for one week?
Can we all agree, as the economy continues to improve, it’s clear Wall Street could care less about the Russian investigation?
Can we all agree, the NAACP’s travel advisory for Missouri, will deter travel by more than just minorities or members of the LGBT community?
Can we all agree, The Pope is winning the PR battle with evangelical Christians?
Can we all agree, President Trump probably thinks what happened in the Venezuela election is the same thing that happened last November when Hillary Clinton won the popular vote?
Can we all agree, the transcripts of the President’s conversations with the leaders of Mexico and Australia, just proves the public Trump and private Trump are interchangeable – and both are embarrassing?
Can we all agree, whether we like it or not, may not be on the horizon, even if researchers have been able to edit the DNA in cells?
Can we all agree, the proposed bill to limit immigration, runs counter to the bedrock principles our country was built on?
Can we all agree, presidential advisor Stephen Miller should be deported?
Can we all agree, the senators behind the immigration bill should either read Joe Aaron’s post on this blog, or listen to any of a dozen economists saying the same thing?
Can we all agree, Chelsea Clinton spoke for many of us when she defended the White House against charges that it was “a dump.’
Can we all agree, what Arizona Senator Jeff Flake says in his new book needed to be said, but it’s doubtful he’ll be a senator after the next election? But, you can count on seeing him in 2020.
Can we all agree, Millennials are welcome to the title of most populous generation – now they can get blamed for everything ?
Can we all agree, Donald Trump is once again playing to his base, which has dwindled to just 33%, by asking the attorney general to probe discrimination against whites in college admissions?
Can we all agree, When the President and Congress return from vacation it appears there may be a lot of bipartisan cooperation, although the President may not be included?
Can we all agree, the Chicago Cubs made a great PR move by giving Steve Bartman a World Series ring?
Can we all agree, it would appear the judicial system may be the only way to get the EPA to do its job?
Can we all agree, the best story of the week might be the judge who took the FAA to task for allowing the airlines to reduce the seat sizes and leg room?
Can we all agree, no one needed to be found guilty more than Martin Shkreli?
Can we all agree, the Attorney General, needs to do a better job of laying the groundwork for his case to force communities to back ICE activities?
and finally:
As I’ve said before we seem to have reached the beginning of the end for the internal combustion engine – even the GOP cannot turn back the forces of the free market.