Is Abortion What the Democratic Primary is About? Really?

Social media sites are buzzing about Bernie Sanders upcoming appearance at the Vatican, to speak on matters such as economic inequality and climate change.

The media, traditional and social, however, could care less about substance. Instead, the issue du jour is whether the invitation was unsolicited or one Sanders sought out. Pardon me, but in the words of Hillary Clinton: “What difference does it make?” I know one speaking invitation Sanders didn’t seek out: the annual AIPAC conference.

The denigration of Sanders for having perhaps asked to be invited has the Ready for Hillary crowd all giddy. To some extent, that’s just typical campaign bullshit. But there’s a more troublesome aspect to it, in terms of the battle for the heart and soul of the Democratic Party (a figure of speech one could question here, given the doubt that Debbie Wasserman-Schultz has a soul).

Consider this side note from a HRC supporter pushing the “Sanders solicited the invite” meme:

I personally could not care less what a male religious leader who believes women are walking baby machines thinks about our Presidential election but I can understand why either candidate would seek his favor.

Translation: “It’s all about abortion for me.”

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Book Review: Listen Liberal

Ever get the feeling the Democratic Party isn’t very deeply concerned about economic inequality? You have plenty of company. And in Thomas Frank’s Listen Liberal, you’ll find confirmation and an explanation.

In a blistering critique of the Democratic Party, Frank explains the metamorphosis that’s taken place since the 1972 election. The party of the working class has evolved into the party of the professional class. No longer does the party answer to workers and their unions. Instead, it caters to Silicon Valley geniuses, Wall Street money managers, lawyers, and others in the so-called “knowledge industry.”

Drawing on the Clinton and Obama presidencies, the experience in states and cities where Democrats are firmly in control, and Hillary Clinton’s candidacy, Frank makes a powerful case.

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That Son of a Bitch Trump Borrowed a Quarter and Never Paid Me Back

Why am I not surprised? The Day after I post about the clumsy, kitchen sink approach of the anti-Trump movement in Hey Republicans, Want to Stop Trump? Then Stop Attacking Him Indiscriminately, it gets far worse. Today’s “bombshell”: Donald Trump’s campaign manager pulled a reporter away from Trump. And he’s been charged with battery! Based on … Read more

Hey Republicans, Want to Stop Trump? Then Stop Attacking Him Indiscriminately

Most lawyers will tell you that if they have one or two good arguments, they don’t throw in all their bad ones, but if they don’t have any good arguments, they’ll make every bad argument they can.

By that standard, the Republicans trying to stop Trump would make pretty terrible lawyers.

They have great attack lines.

But to voters, finding those attack lines is like finding needles in a haystack, because the anti-Trumpers attack EVERYTHING.

They take his obviously hyperbolic statements literally. Newsflash: He doesn’t intend to shoot someone on 5th Avenue, and if you make believe he does, you don’t hurt him. You lose credibility.

This morning, on MSNBC, I saw a classic example of this. Trump claimed that Cruz was behind the widespread distribution of a GQ picture of Melania from years ago. Katie Tur, reporting on the campaign, explained the Republican attack line against Trump for this. The picture had been distributed by the Super PAC supporting Cruz, you see, and, of course, campaign finance rules prohibit coordination by Cruz with this Super PAC.

So, Trump was just making things up.

Really? 

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Genocide of Muslims: If, or When?

The warning signs all are there.

For anyone paying attention.

The real question is whether the massive slaughter of Muslims, particularly Middle Eastern Muslims, has evolved from possibility to likelihood. The trend, however, is indisputable.

There is one essential precursor to genocide: A widespread feeling the victim class is sub-human.  The more widespread the feeling, the more likely the genocide. The less human the victims are perceived to be, the more likely the genocide. At some point, the question becomes not one of if, but when.

A picture, they say, is worth a thousand words. Video footage is worth many times more. Observe the footage in this story, from Mondoweiss, The Israeli Military Should be Grateful for the New York Times. An injured Palestinian lies motionless on a Hebron street, while more medics than needed for the task load another person into an ambulance. Not one of them moves to assist him. Then, an Israeli soldier shoots the motionless man in the head at point blank range. The other soldiers do nothing.

If you possible can spare the time, click through to the piece and its embedded video. Words, at least my words, can’t describe it. 

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