#CWAA: Can We All Agree™ – 6/10/18 edition
June 10, 2018
Can we all agree, the only thing Donald Trump cares about is keeping the spotlight on himself – that’s the only reason he refused to sign the G-7 closing statement?
Can we all agree, Mr. Trump has no unified policy goals, can’t handle criticism and can only respond with name calling?

German Prime Minister Angela Merkel explains it all to Mr. Trump.
Can we all agree, it was quite a week in sports: a new Stanley Cup owner, repeat NBA champions and a Triple Crown winner?
Can we all agree, Melania’s ‘minor surgery’ suddenly got a lot more serious?
Can we all agree, The Pope seems to be the only world leader who can get the attention of the CEO’s who will ultimately change the world’s climate?
Can we all agree, Special Counsel Robert Mueller is using every charge he can muster to force Paul Manafort to flip on Mr. Trump?
Can we all agree, Mr. Trump delights in annoying Attorney General Jeff Sessions, by changing the nation’s marijuana policy with an off-hand comment?
Can we all agree, there will finally be a House vote on immigration policy?
Can we all agree, suicides byAnthony Bourdain and Kate Spade will force the nation to focus on the increase in the county’s suicide rate?
Can we all agree, the most ominous part of the arrest of former Senate aide for spying was the seizing of a reporter’s notes?
Can we all agree, by refusing to defend the Affordable Care Act’s very popular pre-existing condition provision, the AG has handed the Democrats a powerful campaign tool – even in red states?
Can we all agree, Muhammad Ali does not need a pardon – Mr. Trump is just pandering in a desperate attempt to win over African-American voters?
Can we all agree, separating families, whether they come here illegally or not, is just inhumane?
Can we all agree, Tuesday’s election results show that Democratic voters remain energized?
Can we all agree, the cancellation of the White House visit by the NFL Champion Philadelphia Eagles, probably ends the practice for all sports teams?
Can we all agree, Former President Bill Clinton, should just shut up?
Can we all agree, elimination of the Miss American swimsuit competition may have been the politically correct move, but if will not help the pageant’s TV ratings?
Can we all agree, while reporters focus on EPA administrator Scott Pruitt’s ethical lapses, he is working to allow chemical companies to poison us?
Can we all agree, Facebook continues to get bad press for selling information to anyone who wants it, but Americans don’t seem to care?
Can we all agree, Mr. Trump knows he will be charged with a crime in Mr. Mueller’s Russia investigation – why else would he protest so much?
and finally:
I can’t imagine what it must have been like for Washington Post columnist Charles Krauthammer to write this.
#CWAA: Can We All Agree™ – 6/3/18 edition
June 2, 2018
#CWAA: Can We All Agree™ – 4/29/18 edition
April 29, 2018
Can we all agree, if the historic meeting between the leaders of North and South Korea solve the major issues on the peninsula, there will be little need for a summit with the United States? Maybe that’s Kim Jong-Un’s end game.
Can we all agree, the annual Correspondents’ Dinner in Washington, is really just one big inside joke, that has little relevance to the average American?

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge with Prince Louis. How can she look this good? (AP Photo)
Can we all agree, until Mr. Trump decides to end his 2016 campaign and actually govern, there is little hope he will help Republicans in the 2018 mid-term elections?
Can we all agree, by using a public genealogy site to track a killer, police in California have given all of us second thoughts about searching our family history?
Can we all agree, Bill Cosby’s conviction, is just the beginning of the impact the #Metoo movement will have on American society?
Can we all agree, ICE agents can claim they are just doing their jobs, but arresting Americans and tearing families apart is not what this country is all about?
Can we all agree, firing the House Chaplain, because he represents the poor and oppressed, exposes Speaker Paul Ryan for who he really is – a cruel ideologue?
Can we all agree, The White House wants us to think, the nomination of Ronny Jackson to head the Veterans Administration, was derailed by a single senator even though it knows the pill-pushing alcoholic sycophant never should have been nominated?
Can we all agree, Kanye West and Donald Trump deserve each other?
Can we all agree, EPA chief Scott Pruitt’s testimony on Capitol Hill comes straight from the Trump playbook – deny everything and claim a conspiracy?
Can we all agree, while there is no chance the bill to protect Special Counsel Robert Mueller will ever get a hearing, the bipartisan committee vote approving the measure, is a warning to The President and a rebuke to Senate Leader Mitch McConnell?
Can we all agree, in a normal news week, say two years ago, Ford’s decision to end production of sedans, would be cause for major headlines and hand-wringing about what’s wrong in Detroit?
Can we all agree, ending public access to complaints filed with the Consumer Protection Bureau undermines the agency’s purpose?
Can we all agree, Housing Secretary Ben Carson’s plan to reduce housing subsidies for the poor, really makes you wonder if he really grew up in a housing project, as he claims?
Can we all agree, French President Emmanuel Macron won the PR battle with Donald Trump, with his pointed criticism of the administration during his speech to Congress?
Can we all agree, German President Angela Merkel wouldn’t put up with the false friendship pantomime of Trump and Macron, so her pointed message barely registered with the public?
Can we all agree, Mr. Trump knows that the case against his former lawyer Michael Cohen, could pose the biggest threat to his administration, but he’s having trouble distancing himself from his former ‘fixer’?
Can we all agree, Fox TV has become the PR department for the White House?
Can we all agree, there is probably a Las Vegas betting line on how long it will take before Mr.Trump undermines a statement from new Secretary of State Mike Pompeo?
Can we all agree, the new history of lynching museum will help the nation confront its past?
Can we all agree, Budget Director and Former Congressman Mick Mulvaney, admitted what we all knew – money buys access and power in Washington?
Can we all agree, Mr. Trump wants a new deal with Iran, but it’s clear the world will just move on without him?
Can we all agree, Facebook’s new rules, will make no difference to most of us and we’ll continue to let the tech company gather and sell our data?
Can we all agree, the EPA’s ‘transparency rules’ are designed to be just the opposite?
Can we all agree, Armenia’s path to Democracy is heartening, but don’t look for a repetition in other authoritarian countries?
Can we all agree, the GOP may have won an election this week, but a 5 point margin in a district Mr. Trump won by 20 points 18 months ago, is not good news for the Republicans?
Can we all agree, we are amazed that a woman who just had a baby can look this good as she leaves the hospital?
Can we all agree we all want to see more heroes who claim they were doing ‘what anyone else would do’?
and finally:
If Latinos are hired as border agents, will it help humanize the department?
#CWAA: Can We All Agree™ – 4/21/18 edition
April 21, 2018
#CWAA: Can We All Agree™ – 4/14/18 edition
April 14, 2018
Can we all agree, Mr. Trump will have a tough time convincing Americans that his missile attack on Syria was anything more than an attempt to distract attention from his troubles at home?
Can we all agree, the investigation of New York attorney Michael Cohen, could ensnare more people than the Russian investigation? Even Mr. Trump seems to agree.

Missiles in Syria
Can we all agree, Mr. Trump’s unhinged reaction to the Cohen investigation suggests he knows what’s coming?
Can we all agree, the war of words between former FBI director James Comey and Mr. Trump, favors Comey, if only because he knows more words?
Can we all agree, anyone who has raised children, knows Paul Ryan is lying when he says he’s leaving Congress to spend more time with his teenage children?
Can we all agree, Special Counsel Robert Mueller is probably happy to have the focus off his probe of the White House and on New York prosecutors – even for just a day or two?
Can we all agree, Mark Zuckerberg’s appearance before Congress proved one thing, elected officials have no idea how technology works?
Can we all agree, the legal pot industry can finally exhale, now that the administration has agreed not to prosecute marijuana users in states where it is legal?
Can we all agree, journalism is under assault from multiple forces determined to push a conservative agenda?
Can we all agree, the courts must continue to protect sanctuary states from the administration’s the vindictive policies?
Can we all agree, there was so much other news this week, no one noticed the continuing flood of ethical issues enveloping EPA chief Scott Pruitt?
Can we all agree, the decision to reconsider the Trans Pacific Partnership trade agreement, leaves no doubt Mr. Trump’s ‘policy decisions’ are based solely on his ever changing mood?
Can we all agree, the same could be said for his pardoning of Scooter Libby and his investigation into Postal Service contracts?
Can we all agree, whoever thought giving teachers small baseball bats, even as a symbol of defiance, really has no understanding of the mood in our schools after the Parkland tragedy?
Can we all agree, it’s comforting to see The Pope admit that he made a mistake in the Chilean sex abuse scandal?
Can we all agree, it won’t be long before climate science deniers find a way to put a positive spin on reduced ocean circulation?
Can we all agree, after years of railing against budget deficits, it’s pretty clear the GOP legacy will be trillion dollar deficits for years to come?
Can we all agree, no one is optimistic about the administration’s ability to negotiate with North Korea?
Can we all agree, as long as the White House zigzags from one policy crises to the next, there will be no coherent GOP message for their candidates in 2018 and Democrats will benefit?
Can we all agree, it’s ironic that this administration might be toppled by a former porn star and not Special Counsel Robert Mueller?
Can we all agree, travelers to LAX should be cheered by news that an elevated train system is planned to move visitors around the airport?
Can we all agree, the Governor of Missouri needs to resign?
Can we all agree, Budget Director Mick Mulvaney may not has wrecked the consumer watchdog agency, but it’s not because he hasn’t tried?
Can we all agree, there has never been a more unpopular winner of the Masters golf championship?
Can we all agree, the San Francisco 49ers’ response to the domestic violence charges against a player, was shocking – even in the misogynistic world of the NFL?
and finally:
If you attended a March for Our Lives protest, you participated in the third largest demonstration since Mr. Trump took office.
CWAA: Can We All Agree™ – 3/3/18 edition
March 3, 2018
Can We All Agree™ – 11/4/17 edition
November 4, 2017
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.