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™ – 7/29/17 edition
July 29, 2017
Can we all agree, John McCain saved the Republican party from itself, when he cast the deciding vote against the so called ‘skinny repeal’ of the Affordable Care Act?
Can we all agree, Senator McCain clearly never forgave the President for the slights he was forced to endure during the 2016 campaign and seemed to relish his role?
Can we all agree it was McCain who got the pivotal vote, but it was Senators Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski who took most of the heat?
Senators McCain, Collins and Murkowski: This week’s healthcare heroes.
Can we all agree, Mr. Trump erred badly when he tried to bully Senator Murkowski into supporting the measure?
Can we all agree, GOP lawmakers who turned to sexist rhetoric in an attempt to pressure the female senators were an embarrassment?
Can we all agree, someone in the GOP has to grow up and make a concerted effort to ensure the existing health insurance system will continue to work?
Can we all agree, it was heartening to some degree to see the GOP stand up to the President this week by defending the attorney general, passing tougher Russian sanctions and rejecting calls to ban transgender Americans in the military ?
Can we all agree the White House didn’t have much choice but to sign the sanctions bill?
Can we all agree, Russia’s retaliation for the increased sanctions has been relatively mild so far?
Can we all agree, Reince Priebus, has been a dead man walking since he took the job as White House chief of staff?
Can we all agree, when the nation’s chief executive jokingly condones police violence of any type, he displays a profound disregard for civil rights and insults the majority of the nation’s law enforcement officers who observe professional standards?
Can we all agree, Anthony Scaramucci has no business running a communications team if he can’t even communicate without being vulgar?
Can we all agree, the White House announced policies on gay rights, is simply out of touch with the attitudes of most Americans?
Can we all agree, House passage of a budget bill that has no chance of winning Senate approval shows that Speaker Paul Ryan has no ability to deal with conservative ideologues in his caucus?
Can we all agree, North Korea’s test of a missile that could reach Denver, Colorado should make it clear that they are the number one threat to our country?
Can we all agree, the removal of the Pakistani Prime Minister by that nation’s highest court would normally leave us shaking our collective heads in disbelief, but these days we just wonder if the US is next?
Can we all agree, the Boy Scouts really had no control over what the President would say at their annual event, but at least they realized an apology was necessary?
Can we all agree, the Vice President’s voter fraud commission has no idea how to conduct a legitimate study of the alleged problem?
Can we all agree, the fact that Secretary of State Rex Tlllerson was forced to deny rumors that he wanted to quit, suggests he may be on his way out?
Can we all agree, now that both Britain and France have passed laws banning vehicles with internal combustion engines, we may have reached a tipping point?
Can we all agree, normally when a TV commentator has a private dinner at the White House, it would damage his credibility, but with Sean Hannity, no one even blinked an eye?
Can we all agree, allowing your employer to place a chip in your body for identification purposes sends chills down the spine of many people?
Can we all agree, translating Foxconn’s employment practices in China to the US could be difficult?
Can we all agree, the results of a study of deceased football player’s brains should make parents think twice before allowing their children to play football?
Can we all agree, it’s hard to believe that the only person the Department of Justice could find to run their criminal division was someone with ties to a Russian bank?
Can we all agree, the Democrats new image message was less than inspiring?
Can we all agree, the Polish President’s veto of legislation taking over that nation’s courts, avoided a European crises?
Can we all agree, Jared Kushner’s private testimony before a Senate panel, suggests he’s either stupid or involved in issues way over his head?
Can we all agree, another silver lining to California’s wet winter is a new gold rush?
Can we all agree, the new TSA rules for screening electronics are going to make security lines even longer?
Can we all agree, Kansas Governor Sam Brownback, who is taking a job as a religious ambassador, is a poster child for the dangers of refusing to compromise in politics?
and finally:
RIP:
June Foray–the voice of our youth from “Rocky and Bullwinkle” to “Dudley Do-Right,” “Bugs Bunny” and “The Flintstones.”
and
Now you can ask a psychologist to find out if the President really is crazy.
CWAA: Can We All Agree™ – 6/17/17 edition
June 17, 2017
Can we all agree, we should all applaud the administration’s decision to allow the so-called ‘dreamers’ to stay in the United States without fear of deportation? Unfortunately their parents will still live in fear.
Can we all agree, Amazon’s purchase of Whole Foods has nothing to do with organic food but everything to do with competing with Walmart?
Offering prayers at this week’s Congressional baseball game. (Roll Call Photo)
Can we all agree, Senator Mitch McConnell obviously learned a lot from House Speaker Paul Ryan, who was able to get a healthcare bill passed by keeping it secret until the last minute?
Can we all agree, the investigation by special counsel Robert Mueller got a lot more serious this week with the news that Mr. Trump may face charges that he impeded a federal investigation in firing FBI director James Comey?
Can we all agree, Mr. Trump continues to make his own situation worse with his tweets and rants?
Can we all agree, Mr. Trump is governing ‘like the leader of 35% of the country‘?
Can we all agree, it would be nice to think the shooting of a Congressman, practicing for a charity baseball game could bring the political parties together for more than one day, but it’s doubtful given the rhetoric?
Can we all agree, news that Fox News is dropping its trademark “fair and balanced” slogan, has allowed everyone to admit that it was really just a marketing tool and never true?
Can we all agree, the only person who thinks Mr. Trump’s most recent financial statement clarifies anything, is Mr. Trump?
Can we all agree, news that Mr. Trump’s attorney and the Vice President have both hired attorneys could set off hiring frenzy by White House staffers who know Mr. Trump’s lawyer is not defending them?
Can we all agree, Trump supporters would probably not have objected to the revival of Shakespeare’ s Julius Caesar if the lead character was a woman in pant suit?
Can we all agree, the tragic fire in London may be a bigger test for Prime minister Theresa May, than either of the two recent terrorist attacks?
Can we all agree, those of us who are not sailors have a hard time figuring out how two ships can collide 12 miles from shore?
Can we all agree, Mr. Trump conveniently forgot to tell his adoring supporters in Miami that the rollback of travel to Cuba could take three years?
Can we all agree, the manslaughter conviction of a young woman, over the carbon monoxide suicide of her boyfriend hung on just three words -“get back in?”
Can we all agree, the acquittal of a Minnesota police officer in the shooting death of a motorist suggests that there will always be some doubt about what really happens when African-American motorists are stopped by police?
Can we all agree, lottery players in Illinois may be the group that forces a state budget compromise when they find out they can no longer buy Powerball and Megamillion tickets?
Can we all agree, the City of Los Angeles deserved to lose a huge gamble this week, when a sanitation worker won a $17.4 million lawsuit against his supervisors who harassed him into disability by falsely claiming he was gay?
Can we all agree, it’s pretty clear there are very few world leaders who have much respect for Mr. Trump?
Can we all agree, it’s pretty clear the lawsuits brought against 12 Turkish body guards accused of assault, when they attacked protesters in New York, is pretty meaningless, since the men are out of the country and probably are not planning a return trip?
Can we all agree, the Senate surprised everyone this week by voting to impose more sanctions on Iran and Russia and restricting the President’s power to make changes?
Can we all agree, Kamala Harris’ standing as a Democratic star of the future was cemented this week by her prosecutorial performance against Attorney General Jeff Sessions?
Can we all agree, Australia finally made the right move by paying $53 million dollars and closing their prison-like facilities holding refugees awaiting approval to enter the country?
Can we all agree, the Democrat’s lawsuit against Mr. Trump didn’t get much press coverage, given the other events of the week, but it could be the key to the eventual release of Mr. Trump’s tax returns?
Can we all agree, despite the Republican’s best effort to lob softball questions, AG Jeff Session’s showed that he is unqualified to be the top law enforcement official in the country?
Can we all agree, it’s tragic that a now brain-damaged American has become a pawn in the egomaniacal three way chess match between former basketball player Dennis Rodman and the leaders of North Korea and the the United States?
Can we all agree, this week’s first full cabinet meeting was a sickening display of orchestrated ego-stroking?
Can we all agree, it was great to see Melania and Baron move into the White House? But the real question is will Mr. Trump let her leave the building?:
and finally this week’s good reads:
Ann Killions column on Warrior coach Steve Kerr’s reaction to his team’s NBA championship.
and
The Washington Post’s Fact Checking video on all Mr. Trump’s flip flops since the day, exactly two years ago, when he came down the escalator at Trump Tower to declare his candidacy.
CWAA: Can We All Agree™ – 4/8/17 edition
April 8, 2017
Can we all agree, now that Donald Trump has launched himself into the middle of the Syrian civil war, the real test will be his long term strategy?
Can we all agree, like so many other campaign slogans, ‘America First’ seems to have fallen by the wayside?
Can we all agree the Republicans wasted no time leaving Washington to avoid a debate on the legality of Mr. Trump’s actions?
Can we all agree Russia’s rather muted reaction suggests they at least gave tacit approval to Mr. Trump?
First Lady Malania Trump’s official portrait has caused a bit of a stir.
Can we all agree Mr. Trump’s timing made sure no one was paying attention to the Senate’s approval of Neil Gorsuch as a Supreme Court Justice or Mr. Trump’s summit with the Chinese President?
Can we all agree, unless Mr. Trump can end the infighting among his White House staff, he has little chance of scoring any more domestic victories?
Can we all agree, we may have no choice but to believe Ivanka Trump when she asks us to ‘trust her’ to keep her father in check?
Can we all agree Mr. Trump seems to have convinced his supporters that nepotism and corruption are just what the country needs to advance his agenda? Luckily the rest of the nation doesn’t seem to be buying it.
Can we all agree someone needs to explain to Mr. Trump some basic facts about how his own government collects statistics?
Can we all agree he will need a unified team if the economy continues to lose steam as the most recent jobs report suggests?
Can we all agree, now that the GOP health care plan remains stalled, many supporters are wondering if he can pass an infrastructure bill?
Can we all agree Senate Majority leader Mitch McConnell does not care about governing, just about winning?
Can we all agree when GOP lawmakers hear about their new healthcare plan to eliminate coverage for pre-existing conditions last month’s town hall protests will seem tame?
Can we all agree, speaking of road work, the California legislature gave Governor Jerry Brown a nice birthday present passing a $52 billion tax package to fix the states roads and bridges? It appears they think no one will notice when the gasoline tax jumps 12 cents per gallon.
Can we all agree Gov. Brown was stating the obvious when he declared the state’s drought over?
Can we all agree the spectacular pace of news has also overshadowed more of Mr. Trump’s false claims against the Obama administration and more details about when the Russians began their attacks on our political system?
Can we all agree Rep. Devin Nunes has made himself a footnote to the House and Senate probes into the Russian meddling?
Can we all agree AG Jeff Sessions seems to having some problem getting the courts to back up his plan to undo consent decrees with police departments around the country?
Can we all agree Mr. Sessions bears a strong resemblance to former Laugh-In actor Arte Johnson?
Can we all agree the tentacles of the scandal never seems to end? This week even Education Secretary Betsy DeVoss and her brother were caught in the act.
Can we all agree Mr. Trump’s plan for extreme vetting of visitors to the US, by searching their cell phones and tablets will have a major impact of tourism?
Can we all agree no country can be really protect itself from terror attacks when trucks become weapons?
Can we all agree it’s really hard to believe how tone deaf some marketing folks can be when they create major ad campaigns that have to be scrapped as soon as they are unveiled?
Can we all agree it’s incredible that no matter how many lawsuits Mr. Trump settles, there’s always another one to deal with?
Can we all agree Fox News star Bill O’Reilly has been remarkably restrained as advertisers abandon his sinking ship over reports that the network has paid millions to settle sexual harassment suits against him?
Can we all agree Mr. Trump’s well publicized gesture to donate his first paycheck to the National Park Service is pretty empty when you consider the $1.5 billion budget cut the Interior Department is facing?
Can we all agree Mr. Trump’s support of Egyptian strongman Abdel Fattah el-Sisi was pretty repulsive, but it’s really no different than the legions of dictators the US has supported in the past, if it served our purpose?
Can we all agree it seems a bit shortsighted for the NHL to skip next year’s Winter Olympics in South Korea and miss an opportunity to introduce the best hockey players in the world to the Far East?
Can we all agree Don Rickles will never be duplicated?
And:
Take a look at the NCAA Trump-quotation brackets and see if you agree with the most remarkable Trump quote…so far.
Finally:
The unbelievable story go a young girl found living with monkeys.
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 – 2/25/edition
February 25, 2017
Can we all agree Donald Trump’s battle with the media is a war we cannot let him win?
Can we all agree, it’s encouraging to see polls suggesting more people trust the media that trust Mr. Trump and that a great majority are simply embarrassed by him?
Can we all agree, if any other president, tried to cover up his actions by recruiting federal agencies and public officials, we’d be discussing how much longer he could stay in office?
Can we all agree the fight over which companies, do, or do not, support Mr. Trump has given new meaning to the phrase “retail politics”?
Mexican newspapers commenting on Trump’s attempts to keep some journalists out of the White House press briefing. (Rick Wynne Photo)
Can we all agree our President doesn’t seem to realize that angering the FBI, could be a bit counter-productive?
Can we all agree the financial connection between Brietbart News and Mr. Trump is hardly surprising?
Can we all agree Jeff Sessions, our new attorney general, has wasted little time imposing his political agenda on the country?
Can we all agree, the inconsistency in his belief in states rights is pretty obvious: states should decide school LGBT policies but not marijuana policy.
Can we all agree, even Mr. Obama must have known his decision on the Dakota Access pipeline was really only a temporary delay?
Can we all agree our new EPA administrator should be known as the ‘cut and paste’ chief after his emails revealed his close relationship with the oil and gas industry?
Can we all agree politicians who are refusing to meet face to face with constituents deserve the scorn they are receiving from Gabby Giffords?
Can we all agree the reps who faced their voters should not win praise for simply doing their jobs?
Can we all agree, if this is this is best the GOP can do to answer voter’s questions, the Democrats may have a shot to take back both branches of Congress in 2018?
Can we all agree Mr. Trump’s appearance before congress next week will probably rival the Super Bowl in viewership at least until the first Democrat calls him a liar, in the middle of his speech?
Can we all agree his speech to Congress should be a great warmup for the reception he’s sure to get in England?
Can we all agree Mr. Trump cannot escape at least some of the responsibility for the racist and deadly xenophobic attacks being reported around the country?
Can we all agree, having a son and daughter who practice the Jewish faith, does not mean Mr. Trump cannot be anti-semitic?
Can we all agree it’s nice to know we’ve seen the last of Milo Yiannopoulos?
Can we all agree most Americans cannot even imagine the kind of fear migrants living here must feel on a daily basis because of the announced changes in immigration policy?
Can we all agree even the most ardent Trump supporter did not envision the draconian immigration rules being enforced?
Can we all agree the 7 newly discovered dwarf planets, which could sustain life, have to be named Bashful, Doc, Dopey, Happy, Sleepy, Sneezy and Grumpy?
Can we all agree our new national security chief may be a breath of fresh air, but it’s doubtful his voice will be heard above the shouts of other Trump advisors?
Can we all agree, it may not be long before our president tries out the tactics of the Philippine President and starts arresting his opponents? Or maybe he’ll take a page from the North Korean playbook?
Can we all agree, it would be easy to see the Pope’s latest comments on what constitutes a good Catholic as another blast to the Trump administration?
Can we all agree, we sort of miss Kellyanne Conway’s clown act, now that she’s been sidelined by the White House?
and finally:
If you’re thinking about seeing a therapist to deal with our new political environment, think of what the therapists are going through.