When I listened to Paul Rand on CBS Morning News on Thursday AM 5/11 it reminded me that, in politics, politicians must chose between:

a. Compromise between competing interest groups.

b. Political activities characterized by artful practices.

c. Political activities characterized by dishonest practices.

If they chose a. and b. while keeping a close eye on those who chose c. they can go down famously in the history books. If they mix all three they achieve mediocrity and occasional scandal.  If they choose a. and b. without watch out for those who choose c. they commit naive ineffective legislation.  And, if they chose c. they either achieve infamy or go to prison.

The last 30 years Congress has lost faith in the rules of congressional decorum:

http://www.pointoforder.com/2014/04/30/house-rules-on-decorum-and-debate-are-there-words-you-can-never-say-on-the-floor/

http://www.purduereview.com/campus/civility-in-the-us-congress/

But the best legislation and political work is achieved when decorum is respected and followed while choosing artful compromise while guarding against dishonest practices.

https://www.senate.gov/reference/resources/pdf/Traditions.pdf

https://wiki.erepublik.com/index.php/Congressional_Rules_of_Order_and_Rules_of_Decorum

In its rules and practices, the Senate always has emphasized the importance of maintaining decorum in its proceedings. "At no stage of the Senate's proceedings may a senator "refer offensively to any State of the Union." "No Senator in debate shall, directly or indirectly, by any form of words impute to another Senator or to other Senators any conduct or motive unworthy or unbecoming a Senator."

https://www.senate.gov/legislative/common/briefing/Enactment_law.htm

Obviously nearly all Congressional Members have either forgotten or chosen to spurn these rules created by our founding fathers for very good reasons.  For that matter successful spouses follow similar but simpler rules because they know that cuts leave scars even if they heal and too many scars will destroy what they have.  Congress you should know this too.  Paul be a man and practice Congressional Decorum if you truly want what’s best for the US, for all of us, for yourself!

Reply To Jeff S.'s Comment About the Hawaiian Judge

It's amazing how easily an ignorant, racist senator from some backwater state can be appointed as US Attorney General where he can push his Jim Crow policies on the whole United States.

SSA Entitlement: Your Right We're Entitled, Its Our Damn Money!

The GOP makes Entitlement sound like a dirty word, like the song lyrics "Money for nuthin and your" chickschecks "for free."  But nothing is further from the truth.  We earn a decreasing amount of interest from the Federal government (high of 11.6% in 1984 to 3.2% in 2016) who takes our FICA/SECA reserve funds and replaces it with Treasury Bonds (loans to the Feds) which the SSA cashes in each year to pay out benefits.  So what's the whining about by the GOP member's of Congress who are using our money at a bargain basement interest rate?  Who %^&* know!!!
https://www.ssa.gov/oact/progdata/effectiveRates.html

And now T-rump wants to eliminate FICA/SECA OASDI which makes up 50% of the average retiree's income.  Boy Howdee I'm glad you sensible farmers and factory workers in the Red States elected Tyrannosaurus-RUMP for President!  Nothing like tossing your ethics and self respect out the window for a racist, misogynist ASS HOLE for President.

Rex Tillerson (King Farmer's Son?) current Secretary of State

Salary	$205,700 (2017)[1]
Net worth	$245 million (2016)

Mar 31, 2017 - U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson says Washington will ease sanctions against Russia over the conflict in Ukraine only when Moscow ..

(http://www.businessinsider.com/after-much-speculation-tillerson-declares-us-will-keep-sanctions-on-russia-over-ukraine-2017-3Apr

Apr 10, 2017 - He (Rex Tillerson) said the United States will 'hold to account' all who implement atrocities against innocent people in different countries)

http://uk.blastingnews.com/politics/2017/04/rex-tillerson-declares-america-will-fight-crimes-against-innocents-everywhere-001608629.html

Perhaps Rex should look at Amnesty International's web page (http://www.amnestyusa.org/research/reports/amnesty-international-state-of-the-world-2015-2016?page=show)

Which lists 19 Countries (including the US) in their current report on HR abuses.  Rex is going to commit the US to reigning in coutnries that represent about 2 - 3 Billion people, from committing Human Rights Abuses.  Yet in numerous statements in just the last two weeks he has not been able to pin down whether, Syria's Asad, or North Korea's Kim as violaters of human rights for which the US will take any action:

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/05/us/politics/rex-tillersons-reticence-on-north-korea-leaves-allies-confused.html

https://www.pressreader.com/usa/chicago-tribune/20170410/281698319606941

Perhaps Rex should go back to pumping petrol gas vice political gas.

Can T-rump Actually Learn?!

I am impressed!  No tweet, no mouth, just action.  T-rump LISTENED to his military advisers and NSA analysts and struck th base where Assad launched his chemical weapons attack.  Although I still think Obama was a great President he sucked when it came to knowing when to drop the diplomacy and take action.  Like when he said, "Chemical weapons were the bright line that could not be crossed," and Assad did and Obama sat their impotently wary of the Russians.

Maybe T-rump is getting the idea; less mouth, less tweets, more diplomacy and when needed action.  I hope Putin is PO'd!  If T-rump can start acting like a President and less like a Buffoon it will take the wind out of the Putin-T-rump Campaign investigation.

Now if T-rump has real balls he'll stand up to the oil magnates (e.g., Koch Bros) fire Rick Perry and Rex Tillerson then he won't look like the Oil Magnates' pet dog.  And, T-rump won't go down in history as the President that Raped America's Natural Resources.

Assad mustn't go!?

So now the GOP Administation and the GOP Congress has decided (without Kremlin influence mind you) to go with what Putin has been preaching regarding Syria, "Let Assad stay."  While the Russians are bombing the living hell out of the Syrian Rebels, remember them?  Let me refresh your memory, just think of them as the
Mujahideen (Afghan-Russian War 1979-1989) of Syria, since we encouraged, then abandoned, both groups of rebels to the Russians (except for Arnold Schwarznegger 'Rambo III' and Tom Hanks 'Charlie Wilson's War', of course this is real, not make believe).  Oh and before you point out that Charlie Wilson's War was based on fact, remember in the end the Congress abandoned both Charlie and the Afghans.

I never imagined that GOP would stand for Go Over to Putin.  No Russian influence in our government, no siree!  Anyone can display a flag, patriotism is supporting individual rights and freedoms including race and religion by word and deed.  And courage is being able to reach out and extend the hand of friendship to people whose race, ethnicity or religion is foriegn to yours knowing that your fellow countrymen have served, fought and sometimes died, so you can.

https://www.rt.com/usa/382869-un-haley-assad-syria/

Collateral Damage

In WWII Between February 13th and February 14th 1945, between 35,000 and 135,000 people were killed by Allied bombing in Dresden.
https://www.google.com/search?q=civlian+casualties+in+the+Dresden+bombings+in+WWII&rlz=1CAHPZZ_enUS733&oq=civlian+casualties+in+the+Dresden+bombings+in+WWII&aqs=chrome..69i57.31325j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

What exactly do you support?

Environment?
Right to Privacy?
Healthcare Coverage?  For you, your family, or your parents?
Right to travel?
Social Security?
Medicare?
Medicaid?
A government for the people, by the people?
Or, for the weathy and Mr. Putin.
A middleclass that is middleclass or that is soon upper poverty class?
National Parks that are pristine or overrun by miners, forresters, and cattlemen?
A country whose oil is depleted and finding what true energy dependance is like.

Well T-rump has attacked the clean water program, blocked travel, and took a run at the ACA.  He's pulling the teeth out of the EPA.

He working on legislatiuon to make exploitation of Federal lands easy for anyone to exploit.

He's already ensured equal opportunity for white males in the White House.

He almost put millions out of healthcare.

Can't wait for his and the GOP attack on SSA, Medicare, Medicaid etc.

Will dead bodies lying in the street like in India be enough.

Strategic Natural Resources Reserves

When I was growing up in the 1950's and 1960's (yea that old) there was constant talk about the limits of natural resources and how the US needs to secure rare resources around the world and set aside resources within the US for the time when the rest of the world's resource becomes scarce.

http://web.mit.edu/12.000/www/m2016/finalwebsite/
https://www.nationalcenter.org/NPA581.html

It was good common sense then and now, especially now.  Saudi oil reserves are est. at 268 B barrels,
Venezuela oil reserves are est. at 297 B barrels.  The Saudi's are pumping 10 B barrels per year which will deplete their known reserves in about 27 years. Venezuelans are pumping 434 M barrels which if they don't increase their production (highly unlikely) their supply would last 684 years but when the Saudi supply runs low in 27 years, you can bet the Venezuelans will have increased production to fill the void and their supply may last another 27 to 50 years beyond the Saudi's.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oil_reserves_in_Saudi_Arabia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oil_reserves_in_Venezuela

Do we want to use their reserves for the next 50 years of ours?  T-rump what do you think?  I know what the US oil barons think, they think in $$$$$ and don't give a damn about what occurs beyond their life spans.  $ound$ like the GOP think$ only about the almighty dollar too.  The US has fallen woefully behind the Chinese and the Russians in securing rare resources and now we're squandering out oil, gas, coal and other critical resources rather than securing other global resources and keeping ours in the ground until we must access them.  Energy independence sounds patriotic but how patriotic will it be when we are at the mercy of other countries that still have energy resources when ours are exhausted?  Renewable energy is critical to keep our dependence on others low enough to keep the price affordable.

T-rump this is not next quarter's profitability we're talking about this is our kids and their kids' viability.
Sec. Zinke, you continue in the vein that you're following you will doom you grand kids and ours.  You two think about that!  No Global Warming, no sea level rise?  The West Coast rises perhaps 11 inches per century but sea level rise is occurring at 12 inches per century at the current rate which has been accelerating.  A large percentage of the beaches on the West Coast will disappear because just one or two inches of sea level rise changes the system of littoral transport (movement of sand) and beach nourishment will be reduced, starving the beaches of sand.  Gentlemen your ignorance and greed will cost this country Trillions in the next few decades.  And your squandering of our resources could cost this country its sovereignty.

Senator Lindsey Graham is half (fill in the blank, mine is "assed')

Obamacare if fixable (regional exchanges vice state exchanges, looking at the other 36 countries with successful healthcare systems):
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&sqi=2&ved=0ahUKEwiiup2jkfLSAhVP7mMKHf6pD6gQFggaMAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.businessinsider.com%2Fbest-healthcare-systems-in-the-world-2012-6&usg=AFQjCNGPY9aMk_Bni_sqSoZmqavKxZTh8A&sig2=pYolmoSW30UYiocoRnVbWA&bvm=bv.150729734,d.cGc

Sen. Graham did tell the truth about Gorsuch as a qualified "Conservative" judge:
Senator Graham would be more honest if he and his GOP (Greedy Old Patronizers) had treated Merrick Garland fairly and held a vote:
http://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2017/01/03/Nomination-expires-for-Obama-Supreme-Court-appointee-Merrick-Garland/4841483472115/

He's right that if you attack one party you attack both until one party cheats (gerrymandering, passing unconstitutional registration laws, closing polls in non GOP districts etc.) and lies (Obama Care is collapsing).
1. Cheating:
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwiN_p3jjvLSAhUNzWMKHcCjDUoQFggaMAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpresidential-candidates.insidegov.com%2F&usg=AFQjCNGkwoW_YP-ceDmTS_22TUnKP_mMmg&sig2=dcN4A-In075iX-qUDazZQA
2. Cheating:
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=2&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwiN_p3jjvLSAhUNzWMKHcCjDUoQFgggMAE&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.salon.com%2F2014%2F10%2F25%2Fthe_republican_partys_electoral_philosophy_cheating_wins%2F&usg=AFQjCNGTaM32BR9oqCyCYvK8-Or-H-YzQw&sig2=DyAIwwKdvAGUfVdz-blO5w
3. Cheating:
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=3&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwiN_p3jjvLSAhUNzWMKHcCjDUoQFggnMAI&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theatlantic.com%2Fpolitics%2Farchive%2F2016%2F08%2F2016-election%2F384828%2F&usg=AFQjCNGfuPKV9OrU4hlAMaaBZniCgw3UFA&sig2=jtjqRHI0ZgvbYzlrvELdOg
4. Trustees Report Summary - Social Security:
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=2&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwjO8MypkPLSAhVB7GMKHTv7BZgQFggjMAE&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ssa.gov%2Foact%2Ftrsum%2F&usg=AFQjCNEmm8k7jvvUgMzAddkA0nhjz3dkjQ&sig2=WZX6__bhaJtaYe7Nw5lpEQ

And dear Lindsey lies 67% of the time based on PolitiFact's record keeping (3% less lies than T-rump):
http://www.politifact.com/personalities/lindsey-graham/

To Have Spine or Not to Have Spine That is the Question?

Tis it nobler to be a GOP Sheep or to stand up for your IDEALS (such as they are).  King Rump's bill screws fewer serfs than we Greedy Old Partiers wanted so should be send the Dumb Nitwit-Crats (DNC) or do we stand up to the King and tell him, "Potuisti ad populum!"
Ney, I say, "Ad populum have no clothes (Money) so we represent them not!  Let us confer with the BC and MMC (Billionaire and MegaMillionaire Clubs) and create an AHCA bill that will really make us MONEY! and really screw ad populum, heh heh heh heh.

Besides what do members of Congress or the White House care, we have our own healthcare plan:
https://fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R43194.pdf
http://www.insuranceqna.com/health-insurance/president-and-congress-health-insurance.html

In all fairness it does say on the 2nd link, "If a federal employee chooses to get a "good" plan, then they will also pay for this. (But their portion of the premiums could reach as little as 25% of the total premiums.) What is interesting is that some of those in congress opt to be covered under the insurance plans of their spouses - for the reason that these may offer an even more comprehensive cover or that it may be more cost-effective."

I believe that in 2009 the "Gold Plated" WH & Congress plans came under scrutiny when the debates over the ACA began and they retreated to the Federal Employees Health Insurance Program, to deflect criticism, still a very good HC plan as plans go.  BUT IT WOULD BE INTERESTING TO KNOW how members of congress will come out of this if the AHCA is passed.

Calling All GOP Sheep! Calling All GOP Sheep!

BAAAAAA!  Come on into to Chambers, Paul Ryan's shoes are dusty, so get down and start licking!  Then follow the leader and cast your vote for the crude, rushed, bill, the AHCA (Awful Health Care Alluvia).  Go for it, screw your own supporters, T-rump does.  Oh I mean contractors,constituents with <$100M and anyone who has a vocabulary greater than, "Yes sir.".

Small Bus. hates ACA, But Is There Ire Valid? Not Based on SBA Performance Stats

BHL Speaks Out

March 10 at 10:50am · 

360K/yr Healthcare for his employees. At $15/hr Hu is clearing over $2M (minus labor and ACA costs). Hu might have to finance his yacht and his Ferrari instead of paying cash. On balance the ACA makes it possible for small businesses to provide healthcare at rates similar to corporations they just hate being required to do so. The biggest downside is that healthcare is complicated adding a administrative burden to SBOs. A search on SBO failures doesn't reveal a significant change pre/post ACA. Except for one chart from a right-wing source, and they write such gems as Breitbart's report about Obama's wiretap of Trump Tower.

Link 6. Note that the heavily GOP favored false banking economy that collapsed in 2008 had a huge deleterious effect on Small Bus. but in 2010 when the ACA went into effect new small business jobs grew and small bus. ob losses leveled off.  The ACA did not damage Small Bus.!
1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/boo…/NBK221653/table/ttt00003/…
2. obamacarefacts.com/obamacare-small-business/
3. http://www.marketwatch.com/…/entrepreneurs-and-small-busine…
4. http://www.inc.com/…/small-business-week-affordable-care-ac…

5. https://www.sba.gov/offices/district/mo/st-louis/resources/affordable-care-act-facts-vs-fiction

6. https://www.bls.gov/bdm/entrepreneurship/entrepreneurship.htm

Majority of "Seniors" Voted for T-rump, get their reward!

Well you majority of seniors that voted for T-rump.  For your lack of respect for the facts, honesty ("crooked" Hillary 70% truth vs T-rumps 70% lies) and willingness to vote for a bigoted misogynist your rewarded with higher healthcare premiums (59-64 yr olds) with fewer benefits, no gov't support of Meals on Wheels and a lot more.  Enjoy!
https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2016/10/trumps-graying-army/505274/
"The CBO's estimate makes clear that Trumpcare will cause serious harm to millions of American families," a statement from Schumer said. "Tens of millions will lose their coverage, and millions more, particularly seniors, will have to pay more for healthcare.
http://www.businessinsider.com/cbo-congressional-budget-office-score-ahca-trumpcare-2017-3
Watching Paul Ryan trying to make it sound like the plan does the opposite of what CBO says and at the same time trying to reinterpret the CBO report into something palatable for participants is just awe inspiring!  He's the hero of the GOP Liars club:
http://www.attn.com/stories/10483/chart-compares-presidential-candidates-honesty

Medicare is Not Broke!

When Paul Ryan says Obamacare (ACA) is in a death spiral what he means has nothing to do with the ACA's solvency, but that he and the GOP plan to kill it.
http://www.politico.com/…/paul-ryan-favorite-obamacare-talk…

Medicare is funded primarily from three sources: general revenues (41%), payroll taxes (38%), and beneficiary premiums (13%) (Figure 6). Part A is financed primarily through a 2.9% tax on earnings paid by employers and employees (1.45% each) (accounting for 87% of Part A revenue).Jul 24, 2015
http://kff.org/…/medicare-spending-and-financing-fact-sheet/

Medicare’s financing challenges would be much greater without the health reform law (the Affordable Care Act, or ACA), which substantially improved the program’s financial outlook.

http://www.cbpp.org/research/health/medicare-is-not-bankrupt