CWAA: Can We All Agree™ – 9/23/17 edition
September 23, 2017
Happy 70th birthday to my brother, Joe. To many more.
Can we all agree, Sen. Mitch McConnell and President Trump never should have for pushed for a vote on the latest GOP bid to repeal the Affordable Care Act?
Can we all agree no one really expected John McCain to support the President and repeal the ACA? And Mr. Trump’s reaction was just as predictable.
Can we all agree, there’s no reason why the Department of Homeland Security waited two months to officially notify states that they were targets of Russian hackers during the last election?
Can we all agree, passing a relief bill to help Puerto Rico recover from Hurricane Maria will not be as easy as it was for the City of Houston? Bankruptcy and the fact that they have no voting members in Congress are sure to complicate things.
Can we all agree, “dotard” (for 8 points) was the clear winner in this week’s war of words between Mr. Trump and North Korean President Kim Jong-un?
Can we all agree the President’s pension for creating countries and words, continues to diminish his presidency?
Can we all agree, the world is watching public reaction to Uber’s license denial in London?
Can we all agree, HHS Secretary Tom Price, among others, just doesn’t seem to understand why the public is upset at his wasteful use of private jets?
Can we all agree, Mr. Trump’s latest attempt at a travel ban may not have the legal problems his previous edicts did, but it is no less distasteful?
Can we all agree, whether it’s taxes, repealing the ACA, or defense spending the Senate doesn’t seem to have any problem defying the President?
Can we all agree, the Alabama senate race, might be a referendum on Mr. Trump, but he’s not making the choice easier for Republicans?
Can we all agree, as you might expect, The National Rifle Association’s reaction to new laws banning gun ownership to domestic abusers was to propose legislation making it easier for victims to obtain their own gun permits faster?
Can we all agree, Mr. Trump’s call for assistance from allies in his battle against Iran, will fall on deaf ears?
Can we all agree, Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook’s leader, has learned the hard way, that you can’t avoid responsibility by blaming everything on an internet algorithm?
Can we all agree, despite White House spin, it’s clear that the President is a target in Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s probe into Russian interference in the 2016 election?
Can we all agree, for most of us, investigating environmental crimes is more important that protecting the head of the EPA – on so many levels?
Can we all agree, it might be important to have an ambassador in South Korea, since it appears Mr. Trump wants to start WWIII in that part of the world?
Can we all agree, TV host Jimmy Kimmel’s impact on the latest effort to undo the ACA, should not be underestimated?
Can we all agree, it’s embarrassing that, a week after a disastrous quake in Mexico City, Mr. Trump finds time to tweet about the NFL and NBA, but has not even bothered to express sympathy?
Can we all agree, that fact that the latest ACA repeal bill, cut funds to states who voted against Mr. Trump, was a rather transparent political move?
Can we all agree, even some politicians seem concerned that the RNC is paying so much of Mr. Trump’s legal bill?
Can we all agree, it’s not tough to figure out why US tourism is down in 2017? In the same vein, would you want to ‘grow up’ here?
Can we all agree, the drumbeat against repeated blows to the head, created by tackle football continues on multiple levels?
Can we all agree, Mr. Trump’s speech to the United Nations, gave North Korea every excuse it needed to justify making nuclear weapons?
Can we all agree, it’s horrifying to think a future July Fourth parade might become a military display?
Can we all agree, if Donald Trump Jr. does not want secret service protection, so he can embarrass himself quietly, he should be allowed to refuse it?
Can we all agree, the administration can try to hide the real contributions of immigrants to this country, but everyone knows the truth?
Can we all agree, Rep. Nancy Pelosi may be scoring political wins in Washington, but she’s no fan favorite on her home turf?
Can we all agree, the Emmy’s proved there simply is not enough time to watch all the great TV being broadcast? And a new season starts this week…
Can we all agree no one wanted to see Sean Spicer at the Emmy’s.
Can we all agree, shrinking our national monuments, to allow for more oil and gas production is simply the wrong message to send to the world?
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™ – 8/5/17 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.