#CWAA: Can We All Agree™ – 6/3/18 edition
June 2, 2018
Can we all agree, lawyers are paid to tell the opposition, their client can’t be prosecuted, it’s up to the courts to decide, even if the client is The President?
Can we all agree, despite the headlines, most us of are skeptical that Mr. Trump’s meeting with North Korea’s Kim Jong-Un will take place – especially if we have to pay his hotel bill?
Can we all agree, EPA chief Scott Pruitt may be the most ethically challenged cabinet secretary this country has ever seen?
Why does anyone need a personal flame thrower?
Can we all agree, with his pardon this week, The President is making it clear a criminal conviction will be erased as long as you support him?
Can we all agree, supporting aging and inefficient power plants is not the way to help the economy or the environment?
Can we all agree, only time will tell if our robust economy can survive the administration’s new trade war with countries that used to be our strongest allies?
Can we all agree, Kim Kardashian visiting the White House to discuss prison reform, should be a contradiction in so many ways, but in the Trump world, it’s just normal?
Can we all agree, the world does not need Elon Musk’s personal flame throwers?
Can we all agree, when any group, like the congregation at this church in Oakland, CA., decides they are safer not calling police for help, it supports the thesis that our system is racist?
Can we all agree, most of us already assume that our phone calls and texts are being monitored, so if spies are also listening in, it doesn’t make much difference?
Can we all agree, Virginia’s decision to expand medicare, after the GOP almost lost control of their state legislature, shows that at least some politicians pay attention to voters?
Can we all agree, Roseanne Barr and Samantha Bee both had bad weeks, but equating their transgressions is your typical apples and oranges: one was vulgar, the other was racist?
Can we all agree, the best quote of the week came from the makers on Ambien, after Ms Barr blamed her tweet on the medication?
Can we all agree, the resignation of Missouri Governor Eric Greitens, shows that the “Trump strategy” or continual denials, despite the facts, will only go so far?
Can we all agree, the documentary featuring Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, should be seen by everyone?
Can we all agree, the real death toll in Puerto Rico from Hurricane Maria (well over 4,500) should be an embarrassment to every American, including Mr. Trump?
Can we all agree, if the administration refuses to consider immigration reform, and reign in the efforts of ICE, the issue will continue to spur Democratic voters in the November elections?
Can we all agree, most of us don’t even recognize some of the words used in this year’s national spelling bee?
Can we all agree, 3251 false claims or outright lies by the President in 500 days is a record we hope will never be broken?
Can we all agree, we barely blinked this week when the Federal Reserve suggested rolling back some of the rules designed to prevent a repeat of the banking crises of 2008?
Can we all agree, a video game which features gunmen shooting up a school, should never have made it past the initial pitch stage?
Can we all agree, House Republicans, deserve credit for their inventive rationales, in deciding not to seek re-election?
Can we all agree, an immigrant in France, who won his own citizenship for scaling a building to rescue a child, seems to fly in the face of what the anti-immigration forces want us all to believe
Can we all agree, Republican Senator John McCain and Democratic Congressman Adam Schiff seem to have a lot in common?
Can we all agree, it’s incredible that Italy seems to think Trumpism is working so well here they should give it a try and the EU?
Can we all agree, if you can’t convince a GOP Congressman that your attacks on the special counsel are warranted, you should probably give up?
Can we all agree, this video by the the alleged Parkland, FL shooter is chilling?
Can we all agree, It seems pretty clear the administration never really wanted a new NAFTA agreement?
Can we all agree, $16.7million to clean the Trump swamp and send him back to Mar-a-lago is a small price to pay?
and finally:
For the last 18 months, every writer, English teacher and journalist has wanted to red-line a Trump letter, like this teacher did.
#CWAA: Can We All Agree™ – 5/20/18 edition
May 20, 2018
Can we all agree, the muted moral outrage at the shootings in a Texas school, guarantees the NRA doesn’t have to worry about any new gun control legislation – even though this year more students have died in schools than soldiers on the battlefield?
Can we all agree, even a Texas school that was prepared was no match for one determined student with a gun?
The new Duke and Duchess – a welcome respite from politics. (BBC photo)
Can we all agree, yesterday’s royal wedding was great escapist entertainment?
Can we all agree, the new Duchess’s half family makes our own families seem almost normal?
Can we all agree, China’s commitment to ‘buy American’ with no specifics, is not a win for the administration?
Can we all agree, the latest theories about the fate of Malaysian Airlines flight 370, make a lot of sense?
Can we all agree, sports gambling has always been present, but it will now become accepted, thanks to the Supreme Court?
Can we all agree, Mr. Trump seems to have agreed to help the Chinese tech firm ZTE, but has gotten little in return?
Can we all agree, one way or another, there will be more women in government after the midterm elections?
Can we all agree, the real news, after the tragic Cuban plane crash, is that 3 people actually survived?
Can we all agree, the Special Counsel’s investigation has really become a PR battle to wear down the American public?
Can we all agree, 400 consecutive months of warming temperatures is more than a trend – it’s a fact?
Can we all agree, with so much news this week, few have noticed that Congress has rejected Mr. Trump’s farm bill, his net neutrality plan, his budget blueprint and his House committee’s bogus report on Russian interference in the 2016 election? The list doesn’t include the primary results on Tuesday)
Can we all agree, Nobel Peace Prize and Trump, should not appear in the same sentence?
Can we all agree, this week’s failure of the farm bill, just proves that the immigration debate will continue right up to the 2018 mid-term elections?
Can we all agree, the new director of the Veterans Administration will not last much longer than the last, unless he bends to the will of the President’s henchmen?
Can we all agree, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos would love to end his contract with the USPS and Mr. Trump is giving him the excuse he needs?
Can we all agree, the fact that the EPA is running its San Francisco regional office from Santa Barbara, speaks volumes about the department’s policies?
Can we all agree, after this video went viral, Mr. Trump probably wishes he never met Bill Gates?
Can we all agree, if the US birth rate continues to decline, we’ll be forced to open our borders?
Can we all agree, Gina Haspel, the new director of the CIA, will probably, do a good job, but that won’t please Mr. Trump?
Can we all agree, the deaths of hundreds of Palestinians is just another sad chapter in the intractable story of the Mideast and will not change anything?
Can we all agree, EPA secretary Scott Pruitt, showed, once again, that he has no problem lying to Congress?
Can we all agree, the EPA continues to do more damage to the planet than any other White House policy?
Can we all agree, White House advisor John Bolton, probably should not have used the phrase ‘the Libya model’ in referring to North Korea since 8 years after US intervention Libya is now a failed state with no central administrative functions?
Can we all agree, Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf, had a pretty good response to Mr. Trump’s suggestion that she be charged with obstruction of justice? (Do we need to point out that he’s an expert in the topic)
Just for fun: write your own caption.
Can we all agree, The New Yorker story on presidential Lawyer Michael Cohen, paints a vivid portrait of someone with no scruples, trying to profit from near-celebrity?
Can we all agree, if former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, was so upset about the Trump Administration, he should not have stayed so long?
Can we all agree, if US health spending is rising faster than any other Western Country, shouldn’t our life expectancy be increasing at the same rate? (hint: It’s not.)
Can we all agree, Tom Wolfe was a great writer, who loved being controversial?
Can we all agree, Mr. Trump didn’t have much choice about admitting that he paid to buy the silence of an adult film star?
Can we all agree, we’re all wondering what Mr. Trump said, if anything, to welcome Melania home from the hospital?
Can we all agree, the $500 million settlement Michigan State University signed with victims of Larry Nassar, will do little to rebuild the emotional damage he inflicted?
Can we all agree, the same can be said for the gynecologist at University of Southern California who is now suspected of inappropriate behavior?
and finally:
A heartwarming story about a baby rescued at birth and how he met his savior 20 years later.
CWAA: Can We All Agree™ – 1/6/18 edition
January 6, 2018
Can we all agree, anyone who needs to tell the world they are “a very stable genius” is not?
Can we all agree, Democrats think they will finally have a smoking gun to impeach Mr. Trump, if they just adopt the Watergate era mantra and ‘follow the money?’
Can we all agree, $18 billion for a wall no one wants will be tough pill for Congress to swallow while trying to avoid a government shutdown and allowing “Dreamers” to stay in the country?
The Northeast digs out. (Boston Globe photo)
Can we all agree, The GOP is trying to distract the public’s attention from the Mueller investigation by reviving an investigation of the Clinton Foundation and seeking an indictment against the folks who collected the Russian dossier on the President? I doubt it will work.
Can we all agree, residents in the Northeast are more concerned about the snow and cold, than anything going on in Washington?
Can we all agree, Michael Wolf’f’s book “Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House,” is just the first of many ‘tell-all’ books about the current administration– given the way they have burned through staffers in their first year?
Can we all agree, Mr. Wolff was quite magnanimous in thanking Mr. Trump for the extra press, but we wonder if his ‘box of chocolates’ comment was a reference to Forrest Gump?
Can we all agree, Mr. Bannon might make up with Mr. Trump, but he may have permanently lost the support of his right-wing base?
Can we all agree, Attorney General Jeff Sessions badly underestimated the support the marijuana industry has in many states?
Can we all agree, the chances of increased oil drilling off the US coast is slim and none, given the reaction of GOP governors and congressmen?
Can we all agree, Trump has no use for s state’s rights unless they suit his purposes?
Can we all agree, with Silicon Valley aligned against the FCC, it could be a while before ‘net neutrality’ actually ends – if ever?
Can we all agree, despite adding 148,000 new jobs, and Dow Jones closing above 25,000 most Americans have not seen much improvement in their standard of living?
Can we all agree, Intel may face a raft of lawsuits because of the flaw in their computer chips, but most Americans have no idea what they need to do?
Can we all agree, replacing the artificial coloring in Dunkin Donuts will not make them healthy?
Can we all agree, Mr. Trump thinks that weilding US assistance as a lever to force countries to do what we want is the only way to conduct foreign policy?
Can we all agree, North Korea has won the latest round of verbal sparring by separating the US from South Korea?
Can we all agree, trying to figure out what’s going on in Iran is just impossible?
Can we all agree, the cynical actions taken by the administration and the EPA, while most Americans were celebrating the holidays, are the hallmark of an administration which has no moral compass?
Can we all agree, Orin Hatch’s departure from the Senate might add another Trump critic to the Senate, but it’s doubtful it will change the vote totals? But Doug Jones’ election will force changes.
Can we all agree, Judge Roy Moore’s supporters have taken politics to a new low by setting fire to the home of a woman who accused him of impropriety?
Can we all agree, the more Mr. Trump tweets the more trouble he creates for himself?
Can we all agree, this administration cannot even organize our annual census without creating controversy?
Can we all agree, the voter fraud panel should never have been created and referring their responsibilities to Homeland Security is absurd?
Can we all agree, appointing the wife of a powerful Congressman to a government job is a bribe? The same could be said by foreign government’s treatment of Trump’s projects around the world.
Can we all agree, talk of controversy with the New England Patriots football organization, may cheer the haters around the country, but it won’t prevent the team from another trip to the Superbowl
and finally:
If you really want an explanation of what might happen in the Mueller investigation, listen to this segment 0f Fresh Air on NPR.
and:
If you’re heading to NYC in the Spring to visit the Metropolitan Museum, be aware that it might cost you $25 per person unless you can prove you live in New York.
Can We All Agree™ – 10/21/17 edition
October 21, 2017
Can we all agree, Mr. Trump’s ability to create controversy out of routine presidential tasks, such as calling the families of fallen soldiers, is unmatched in the nation’s history?
Can we all agree, he managed to make a liar and racist out of a four-star Marine general?
Downtown Sonoma, CA: Open for business and saying thanks
Can we all agree, the administration’s attempt to force changes to the bipartisan Senate agreement to fund healthcare subsidies, is a last-ditch effort to make it seem like the President is in charge?
Can we all agree, Speaker Paul Ryan’s attempts to roast Mr. Trump would be funny if they weren’t true?
Can we all agree, if it weren’t for the racist in the White House, we could all ignore Richard Spencer and he would crawl back into his cave?
Can we all agree, if the Pentagon cannot figure out what happened in Niger, it might be time for a Congressional inquiry?
Can we all agree, few Senators actually know what was in the budget passed this week and even fewer know what will be in the tax plan that will follow?
Can we all agree, it took two former Presidents to remind us how a President is supposed to act? Who thought we would long for the days of George Bush?
Can we all agree, ISIS may have been pushed out of its self-declared capital, but that doesn’t diminish their threat?
Can we all agree the Scott Pruitt EPA is putting us all in danger?
Can we all agree, Jeff Sessions is a poor excuse for an Attorney General?
Can we all agree, every time a moderate Republican leaves Congress the chances for bipartisan compromise lessen?
Can we all agree, the North Carolina Republicans are making a mockery out of governance?
Can we all agree, The NFL did not really have a choice when they decided they could not penalize players who declined to stand during the National Anthem?
Can we all agree, any report linking increased spousal abuse to the NAFTA agreement, doesn’t deserve consideration in serious trade negotiations?
Can we all agree, federal judges and Trump’s tweets will force the President to either widen his travel ban until it’s unworkable or abandon the idea altogether?
Can we all agree, after nine months in office the administration still has no idea how to vet candidates for important posts?
Can we all agree, watching Sen. Mitch McConnell pose for photos with Mr. Trump was beyond painful?
Can we all agree, calling the White House an “Adult Day Care Center” was pretty much stating the obvious?
Can we all agree, we may not understand the science, but neutron stars colliding to create gravitational waves, sounds like a big deal?
Can we all agree, North Korea seems to have figured out they can accomplish more with cyber attacks than with nuclear attacks?
Can we all agree, California Governor Jerry Brown may have saved himself some legal headaches by vetoing a bill requiring candidates to release tax returns, but most of the state’s Democartic voters wanted him to sign the measure?
Can we all agree, the #MeToo campaign just shows that Harvey Weinstein’s conduct has become institutionalized in the US?
Can we all agree, Theresa May, might not be around for the final Brexit agreement?
Can we all agree, the best story of the week was the conspiracy theory about the Melania Trump “stand in?”
Can we all agree, Spain will never allow Catalonia to become a separate country?
And finally;
This week’s good read – how low our society has sunk.
and a tale of heroism during the fires that ravaged California last week.
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.
CWAA: Can We All Agree™ – 6/24/17 edition
June 24, 2017
Can we all agree, Republican senators who have voiced opposition to the new Senate health care plan, sound like they just want something in exchange for their votes?
Can we all agree, Senator McConnell’s plan has nothing to do with what might be best for Americans but everything to do with politics?
Can we all agree taking money from poor people, who don’t vote, and giving it to rich people who do, is not what we should be doing?
The damage to the USS Fitzgerald, where 7 sailors died. (AP photo)
Can we all agree, it’s unbelievable that a week after the collision of a Navy destroyer and a cargo ship cost the lives of 7 sailors, we still have no rational explanation of why it happened?
Can we all agree, the Obama administration’s handling of the Russian attacks on our electoral system, shows that the former President’s trademark caution was a liability?
Can we all agree, by prohibiting video or audio recordings of the daily press briefings the administration has managed to create the impression they are actually running a functioning government? Nice try.
Can we all agree, if California adds many more jurisdictions to the list of states whose policies we don’t like, Golden State public servants may not be attending any out-of-state conventions?
Can we all agree, most other administrations would object to calls from foreign governments trying to close down a news outlet, but Mr. Trump’s silence is pretty deafening?
Can we all agree, Mr. Trump has once again revealed himself as nothing more than a schoolyard bully when he claimed to have tapes of his meetings with former FBI Director James Comey?
Can we all agree, threats to fire Special Counsel Robert Mueller fall in the same category?
Can we all agree, as long as the drip, drip, drip of Russia related headlines continues, Mr. Trump will not be able to move ahead with the rest of his political agenda?
Can we all agree, the American public deserves to know which state election systems were attacked by Russian hackers?
Can we all agree, Attorney General Jeff Session’s decision to hire a private attorney, doesn’t help?
Can we all agree, now that grizzly bears outside of national parks, are being delisted as endangered species, it won’t be long before one of the Trump sons makes headlines for shooting one?
Can we all agree, Democrats, who failed to capitalize on Anti-Trump sentiment in a Georgia election this week, have a lot of work to do if they want to take back the House in 2018?
Can we all agree, their first step might be to get minority leader Nancy Pelosi to step down?
Can we all agree, it’s hard to know what a ‘shake up’ in a totalitarian government, such as Saudi Arabia, really means?
Can we all agree, The Environmental Protection Agency, is no longer an agency that we can count on to protect the environment?
Can we all agree, Energy Secretary Rick Perry, proves every day that he is unqualified for the job he holds?
Can we all agree, the qualifications of the latest round of nominees for federal posts are simply embarrassing? And it doesn’t look like the talent pool will get any deeper, just ask the folks in New York where a wedding planner now heads the housing office.
Can we all agree, we are heading for large scale wars in Syria and Afghanistan?
Can we all agree, Mr. Trump’s housing policy, which seems to involve cutbacks in everything except programs that benefit him, is pretty transparent?
Can we all agree, the Supreme Court’s decision to hear a case on political gerrymandering of congressional districts, may have more significance than anything Congress does in the next year?
Can we all agree, offensive trademarks may be protected as free speech, but they have no place in a civilized society?
Can we all agree, the award for the most awkward moment of the week has to go to Marco Rubio and Ivanka Trump?
Can we all agree, the high school principal who tried to shut down a critical speech by the class valedictorian, probably wishes he hadn’t?
Can we all agree, the forced resignation of Uber CEO Travis Kalanick should be a lesson for every new CEO trying too disrupt the status quo – there are still rules?
Can we all agree, we can hope that Mr. Trump will run out of friendly places to campaign, but Johnny Depp’s suggestion that the President should be assassinated, just invigorates Mr. Trump’s base?
and finally:
American food icon Alice Waters on what the Whole Foods purchase by Amazon could mean for the US food supply.
CWAA: Can We All Agree™ – 5/20/17 edition
May 20, 2017
Can we all agree if there’s one person who should be able to recognize, a nut job it’s Donald Trump? Unfortunately, James Comey is not one.
Can we all agree revelations that the probe into Russian influence in our election, has now reached the White House, is only a surprise to one person?
The President and Melania Trump arrive in Saudi Arabia. (NYT photo)
Can we all agree Mr. Trump’s Thursday characterization of the investigation as a ‘witch hunt’ ring a bit hollow this weekend? Especially since it appears he knew Michael Flynn was under investigation before he was appointed to a top White House post.
Can we all agree Robert Mueller’s appointment to lead the Russian influence investigation seems to have bi-partisan support, but is worrying to observers who are more concerned with fact finding than criminal prosecution?
Can we all agree, many Baby Boomers will have a sense of deja vu when Mr. Comey testifies before Congress, as we remember the start of the Watergate hearings, which began this past week in 1973?
Can we all agree Mr. Trump’s arrival in Saudi Arabia has the nation on edge, as we wait to see how he will embarrass us on the world stage?
Can we all agree, only Mr. Trump can ban Muslims from entering the US and then flip-flop by claiming to be their strongest supporters when he visits their countries?
Can we all agree the victory by ‘moderates’ in the Iranian election proves there may be some semblance of Democracy in that ancient civilization?
Can we all agree Trump has managed, once again, to prove President Obama right, when he signed the nuclear deal with Iran?
Can we all agree instability in Brazil, destabilizes all of South America?
Can we all agree the removal of Confederate statues in New Orleans may mark the end of an era for some, but it’s really only another step along the long road to racial equality?
Can we all agree as soon as the GOP figures out the Trump Presidency cannot be saved they will push to have him removed as soon as possible to avert the disaster that will be the 2018 elections?
Can we all agree the fact that security guards working for a foreign country can attack US citizens exercising their rights to free speech, without a word of condemnation for our own government is unbelievable?
Can we all agree Mr. Comey and Hillary Clinton appear to have at least one thing in common – a desire to avoid a Trump hug?
Can we all agree, news that foreign diplomats are providing special favors to Ivanka Trump in an attempt to reach her father, are exactly why she should not be an advisor?
Can we all agree. internet providers are reacting cautiously to the FCC’s decision to relax net neutrality regulations because they know the rules can be overturned by the next administration?
Can we all agree Emmanuel Macron is disappointing those on the left with his conservative cabinet appointments in France?
Can we all agree the choreographed praise for the late Roger Ailes cannot overcome the more popular characterization of him as a sexual predator responsible for perverting US journalism and giving us Donald Trump?
Can we all agree one response to changes Education Secretary Betsy Devoss seeks, might be to make every public school a charter school?
Can we all agree, news that at least one high-level GOP congressman thinks Trump and one other politician may be on the Putin payroll, should be a major story, but these days its barely a ripple?’
Can we all agree it’s easy to see why Mr. Trump finds such comfort in meeting with foreign dictators since he longs for the kind of power they wield – such as arresting journalists?
Can we all agree, It would be nice to think the EPA will pay attention to the outpouring of public support for enviromentail regulations, but it’s doubtful Scott Pruitt will even care?
Can we all agree the most entertaining story of the week was either Mr. Putin’s offer to supply his own account of the Russian Foreign Minister’s meeting with Mr. Trump or the details of how the session was arranged?
Can we all agree when they write the eventual history of the Trump administration, the last two weeks will be a major focus?
Can we all agree, you know health care is an issue when it reaches the Miss USA Pageant?
Can we all agree the world is eager to believe this week’s cyber- attack on the world’s computers, came from North Korea?
Can we all agree Mr. Trump’s incompetence is making it possible for North Korea to continue nuclear and missile testing?
And finally:
Can we all agree New York Times writer David Brooks had a great week of columns, including this quote:
“We’ve got this perverse situation in which the vast analytic powers of the entire world are being spent trying to understand a guy whose thoughts are often just six fireflies beeping randomly in a jar.”
CWAA: Can We All Agree™ – 3/11/17 edition
March 11, 2017
Can we all agree Speaker Paul Ryan’s replacement for the Affordable Care Act is DOA unless he agrees to some changes?
Can we all agree the future of health care in the United States has more to do with politics and tax cuts for the wealthy, than with actually getting people medical care?
Can we all agree, that despite attempts to malign the credibility of the Congressional Budget Office, their estimate of the cost of the new health care program may seal its fate?
Can we all agree most uninsured Americans wish their health care was as easy to purchase as an iPhone?
Wall Street’s newest statue: The Fearless Girl
Can we all agree the ‘Fearless Girl’ statue on Wall Street should become permanent?
Can we all agree job growth numbers suddenly don’t look so phony when you’re in the White House?
Can we all agree Mr. Trump is not going to stop making unsupported accusations about Mr. Obama or anyone else, until he is forced to pay a price, like an impeachment investigation?
Can we all agree Donald Trump deserves criticism for taking credit for economic improvements that really happened during the Obama administration?
Can we all agree, Marines would not have been able to post nude photos of female comrades without the tacit approval of their commanding officers?
Can we all agree the major news of the week might be the GOP’s proposed restrictions on class action lawsuits?
Can we all agree no-one is really surprised that the National Football League forces its players to abuse drugs?
Can we all agree many Republicans show how little they understand the insurance business, when they question why men should pay for pre-natal coverage?
Can we all agree the North Koreans are trying to take advantage of Mr. Trump and the impeachment of the South Korean President?
Can we all agree the Wikileaks revelations about CIA espionage really have no impact on most Americans? No, they are not watching you through your TV: Others might be, but not the CIA.
Can we all agree the new head of the EPA may not believe in climate change but a lawsuit filed by 1o-year-olds may force him to change his attitude?
Can we all agree, the thought of additional US troops on the ground in Syria is exactly what the American public does not want?
Can we all agree Mr. Trump’s new immigration policy still looks like a ban on Muslims?
Can we all agree separating families when they cross the US border is just mean spirited?
Can we all agree trading the Coast Guard and TSA for a wall on the Mexican border does not make the country safer?
Can we all agree the more Attorney General Jeff Sessions tries too explain away his lies to Congress, the worse he looks?
Can we all agree Ben Carson has no business running a federal department that many minorities count on? Maybe his budget deserves to be cut 14%.
Can we all agree the satirical columns of Andy Borowitz would not be mistaken for real news, if members of the administration did not make such outrageous comments?
Can we all agree the thought of a campaign official being paid by a foreign government would be outrageous for any politician except Donald Trump?
Can we all agree, speaking of fake news, could the GOP media mouthpieces get any more outrageous in their attempts to explain away the Russian connection to the Trump campaign?
Can we all agree the Trump administration’s reaction to the plea by all 100 senators for action on the threats made to Jewish Centers across the country, was deafening in its silence?
Can we all agree it is no longer entertaining to laugh at White House aides trying to defend Mr. Trump’s tweets to TV talk show hosts, or his weekend temper tantrums?
Can we all agree , whether its the Chinese government or the US candy industry, Mr. Trump’s conflicts of interest will keep piling up until someone files a lawsuit and the courts force some action?
And finally this week’s good reads:
The tragic story of two 97-year-old sisters who lost their lives on a cold night in New England.
Plus:
The California drought is over, but anyone who has visited our state and taken the breathtaking drive along Route 1 through Big Sur, should pause to see what the winter storms have done to that area.
CWAA: Can We All Agree ™- 3/4/17 edition
March 4, 2017
Can we all agree even the biggest supporters of Donald Trump are starting to get a bit nervous about the number of contacts between Trump associates and Russia?
Can we all agree Mr. Trump’s vacation from Twitter, and his attempts to ‘act Presidential,’ only lasted 3 days? He’s obsessed with Mr. Obama and Mr. Schwarznegger.
Can we all agree the best story of the week is the Mountain View, CA school which made a killing when Snapchat went public? Only in Silicon Valley.
Can we all agree our new Interior Secretary knows how to make an entrance?
Can we all agree universities need to figure out a way to insure free speech, even for people with controversial views?
Can we all agree Uber has created a real public relations nightmare for itself, which seems to get worse by the day, and is really a reflection of its CEO?
Can we all agree the advertising phrase ‘He got it at Jared’s’ took on a whole new meaning this week, as the company and it’s sister firm, Kay Jewelers, were accused of encouraging sexual harrassment?
Can we all agree, Oprah Winfrey might make a good president, but I doubt she has the stomach, or ego, for the campaign? Besides would the voters really elect a TV personality…again?
Can we all agree it’s pretty amazing that Vice President Mike Pence thought he could criticize Hillary Clinton for using a private email server, and not think his use of a private server would be discovered?
Can we all agree making Flint Michigan residents pay for water they still cannot drink without a filter is just absurd? Yossarian would be proud.
Can we all agree Mr. Trump’s steps to completely gut the EPA and virtually every other agency involved in climate science, have nothing to do with satisfying his base, unless you mean industry donors?
Can we all agree the Russian ambassador must have been the busiest man in Washington, given all the meetings and phone calls, he’s had with the Trump campaign?
Can we all agree the assistant US attorney who will oversee the probe into the Russian contacts, provides some hope that the inquiry might actually be balanced?
Can we all agree the probe shouldn’t be too difficult with both the Trump and Obama administrations trying to help, sort of?
Can we all agree Attorney General Jeff Sessions didn’t have much choice but to recuse himself? It was that or quit after three weeks on the job.
Can we all agree, it won’t be long before someone on trial for perjury cites the AG’s actions as justification for lying?
Can we all agree it’s pretty amazing that California public officials would think that their emails would not be public just because they did not use a government server?
Can we all agree it’s hard to believe that a string of bomb threats against Jewish community centers across the country apparently had more to do with a lover’s quarrel than anti-semitism? You can’t make this up.
Can we all agree the new office of immigrant crime has a decidedly Orwellian ring to it? Kind of like Homeland Security.
Can we all agree Kellyanne Conway finds a way to stay in the news even when she’s barred from TV?
Can we all agree the real message of that Oval Office meeting seems to have gotten lost?
Can we all agree Mr. Trump’s speech to Congress marked a temporary change in tone but not in policy?
Can we all agree the ‘bad hombre’ immigrants who were taken into custody this week, probably haven’t noticed any policy changes?
Can we all agree Mr. Trump’s real priorities can be seen in his budget?
Can we all agree his use of a dead Navy Seal, which he declined to accept responsibility for, was simply a cynical ploy? I didn’t see William Owens’s dad watching from the gallery, wonder why?
Can we all agree Mr. Trump can complain all he wants about delays in approving his cabinet nominees, but the process might have gone more smoothly if two had not voluntarily withdrawn?
Can we all agree that when both of the Obama’s books are published they will be instant best sellers?
Can we all agree, it’s a good bet that many golfers don’t even know some of the rules that are being changed?
Can we all agree the new baseball rule changes will do little to speed up the game? How many intentional walks are there in a game, really.
Can we all agree, the North Korean’s seem to have taken a page from the Trump playbook, by proposing alternate facts to explain the death of their leader’s half brother?
Can we all agree it seems likely there might be environmental causes for the rise of colorectal cancer among young people?
Can we all agree the medical community might need to rethink their approach, if they believe new drugs are the way to kill bacteria who have developed resistance to existing drugs?
Can we all agree, Mr. Trump has to be the last person to figure out that reforming health care is complicated?
Can we all agree Mr. Trump officially found a way to drain the swamp although it probably wan’t what most of his supporters had in mind?
Can we all agree those of you who are worried about the health of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, might want to try her daily workout?
Can we all agree there will probably be a pretty long list of folks who want to book a ride on the Space X flight around the moon?
Can we all agree the ending to this year’s Oscar broadcast probably brought more viewers to both movies? Too bad the mixup overshadowed Viola Davis’s speech.
Can we all agree the Democrats can do whatever they want to reform their party, but it won’t make any difference if they don’t have a good candidate in 2016?
and finally:
The tragic story of an Ebola fighter who died because medical staffers were afraid to treat her when she suffered complications from child birth.
and RIP Bill Paxton.