Monday, March 18, 2024

The Albatross Around The GOP's Neck

 

Faith In The Economy Is Still Low But Slowly Increasing

 

The charts above are from the CBS News / YouGov Poll -- done between February 28th and March 1st of a nationwide sample of 2,159 adults, with a 2.8 point margin of error.

The Incredible Shrinking GOP Tent

Political Cartoon is by Marshall Ramsey in Mississippi Today.
 

Trump Threatens Violence If He's Not Elected


From Robert Reich

At a rally today outside the Dayton International Airport in Vandalia, Ohio, Trump warned that “if I don’t get elected, it’s going to be a blood bath … for the country.”


He also warned that if he didn’t win, “I don’t think you’re going to have another election, or certainly not an election that’s meaningful.”


In the rest of the speech he repeated his false claims that the 2020 election was stolen, which have been utterly discredited. 


He praised the people serving sentences in connection with the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the Capitol — calling them “hostages” and “unbelievable patriots,” commending their spirit, and promising to help them if elected in November. 


He cast migrants as threats to American citizens — claiming without evidence that other countries were emptying their prisons of “young people” and sending them across the border. “I don’t know if you call them ‘people,’ in some cases,” he said. “They’re not people, in my opinion.” He later referred to them as “animals.”


Trump is clearly desperate. He knows that his future freedom and his fortune both depend on winning in November. He has no qualms about turning Americans against Americans to achieve this goal. Apparently he is even willing to fuel violence, a second civil war. 


Yesterday, Trump’s own former Vice President, Mike Pence, showed enough integrity to refuse to endorse Trump. If other current and former Republican officials had an ounce of integrity, they would do the same. Today’s disgraceful performance should be a wakeup call, if they still need one. 


The rest of us must do everything in our power to ensure that this monster never again comes close to the Oval Office.

New RNC Budget Wheel

Political Cartoon is by Clay Jones at claytoonz.com.
 

Thousands Of Russians Protest Putin's Fake Election


 

Sunday, March 17, 2024

jobsanger Turned 18 Years Old Today


This blog turns 18 today. I have enjoyed writing it since March 17 of 2006, and I'm not done yet. Currently, it has received 11,237,926 page views.

I want to thank all of my readers -- especially those who drop by on a regular basis. I will do my best to keep your interest.

It's No Surprise That He's A Trumper


 

80% Say Religion's Influence Is Declining In The U.S.

 



The charts above are from a Pew Research Center survey - done between February 13th and 25th of a nationwide sample of 12,693 adults, with a 1.5 point margin of error.

Not An Improvement!

Political Cartoon is by Bill Bramhall in the New York Daily News.
 

Media Should Report Trump's Growing Dementia/Paranoia


The media loves to report on President Biden's age. But they need to report more on Donald Trump increasing dementia and paranoia (which is far more dangerous to this country's future). Here is part of what Robert Reich has to say about it:

What if Trump really thinks he’s being persecuted? What if he has a persecution complex? What if he believes his paranoid fantasies?

 

Trump is not facing nearly the same scrutiny for his age as is Joe Biden, yet Trump should be — especially as to increasing signs of dementia.

 

Biden is sane. He’s getting major bills passed. He’s negotiating with world leaders.


But Trump — who has a family history of dementia — is increasingly incoherent and unhinged. 


He has confused Biden with Obama so often that he’s had to put out a statement that the slips have been intentional.

 

In September, Trump suggested that the way to prevent wildfires in California’s forest lands is to keep them damp. Here are his exact words

“They say that there’s so much water up north that I want to have the overflow areas go into your forests and dampen your forests, because if you dampen your forests you're not gonna have these forest fires that are burning at levels that nobody’s ever seen.”

Hello?. . .


In October, Trump warned his supporters that Biden will lead America into World War Two.


He has also claimed that Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed militant group, is “very smart.” That whales are being killed by windmills. That he won all 50 states in 2020. That he defeated Barack Obama in 2016. That the outgoing chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff should be executed. That MSNBC’s parent company is guilty of treason, and will “pay.” And that he will only be a dictator on “Day 1” of a new term.


The most telling evidence of Trump’s growing dementia is found in his paranoid thirst for revenge, on which he is now centering his entire campaign.


On November 11, he pledged to a crowd of supporters in Claremont, New Hampshire, that: 

“We will root out the communists, Marxists, fascists and the radical left thugs that live like vermin within the confines of our country, that lie and steal and cheat on elections and will do anything possible — they’ll do anything, whether legally or illegally, to destroy America and to destroy the American dream.”

Are these the words of a sane person? Or of an aging paranoid megalomaniac? Even if it’s unclear to which category Trump belongs, shouldn’t this question be central to the coverage of his campaign for reelection? 


When I’ve asked members of the media why they’re not covering the increasing signs of Trump’s dementia, they say it’s “old news.”. . .


But just because Trump has shown mental instability in the past doesn’t make his mental problems any less relevant now that he is seeking reelection. They’re more relevant. He appears even more delusional and unhinged than before. 


If Biden’s age is fair game, why aren’t Trump’s age and apparent mental decline? 


Biden may appear frail at times, but he’s rational. The growing evidence of Trump’s dementia and paranoia, on the other hand, poses a potential danger to the future of America — if he’s reelected. At the least, the media should be investigating and reporting on it.

Casting Call For A Trump Vice-President

Political Cartoon is by Matt Wuerker at Politico.com.
 

Would You trust A Billionaire More Than China Owning TikTok?


 

Saturday, March 16, 2024

Social Security & Medicare Are On The November Ballot


 

Are You Better Off?

 Political Cartoon is by Clay Jones at claytoonz.com.

Many Are Blaming The Wrong Party For The Unfair Economy

 

Many workers are unhappy with the economy - especially rural workers. They see the rich getting richer while they struggle with an inadequate wage that isn't keeping up with inflation. And they are right. We have a very unfair economy!

But too many of them don't understand why the economy has become so unfair. They believe the lies Republicans are telling them.

Republicans tell them that undocumented immigrants are stealing their jobs. Not true. Those immigrants are taking the dangerous, no benefits, low-paying jobs that Americans don't want. And those immigrants have actually helped the economy by taking those jobs and spending much of the money they earn in this country - boosting the economy. They also pay sales, property, and income taxes (and don't get refunds like citizens).

Republicans tell them that inflation is caused by the budget deficit. Even Republican officials don't believe this, because during the Trump administration they added more to the deficit than during any other administration.

The biggest lie of all is the economic theory Republicans have followed (Trickle-Down economics). Republicans say the answer to our economy is to make sure the corporations and the rich have low taxes and are allowed to make more money. They claim if the rich have more the extra money they have will "trickle down" to the rest of Americans, and everyone will benefit.

But that has never worked, and won't work in the future! While it has been successful in fattening the bank accounts of the rich and the profits of corporations, almost nothing trickles down to anyone else.

In fact, this economic theory is the reason our economy has become so unfair. It has caused a massive redistribution of wealth from the working and middle classes to the rich. The rich now hog all of rising productivity. Before the GOP was able to institute the "trickle-down" theory, rising productivity was shared by all, giving workers a decent living and creating a large and vibrant middle class.

But thanks to the GOP economics, the working class is struggling to keep up with inflation and the middle class is shrinking.

We can fix the economy and make it fair again, but not as long as the GOP has the power to keep their flawed economic theory in place.

Another Dysfunctional Family Photo

Political Cartoon is by Ann Telnaes in The Washington Post.
 

Stupefyingly Stupid


 

Friday, March 15, 2024

Hur's Report Was Intentionally Misleading!


 

Abortion Access Now A Factor In Choosing A College



Results for the Lumina-Gallup study are based on web surveys conducted from Oct. 9-Nov.16, 2023, with samples of 6,015 students who are currently enrolled in a postsecondary education program (certificate, associate or bachelor's degree), 5,012 adults who were previously enrolled in a postsecondary education program but had not completed an associate or bachelor's degree, and 2,943 adults who had never enrolled in a postsecondary education program.

All respondents were between the ages of 18 and 59 and had a high school diploma or equivalent but not an associate or bachelor's degree.

For analysis conducted in the report, the population of respondents was limited to the 6,934 who are currently enrolled in an associate or bachelor's degree program or who have considered pursuing either an associate or bachelor's degree within the past two years. Of these respondents, 2,532 are enrolled in a bachelor's degree program, 1,636 are enrolled in an associate degree program, 1,456 have considered a bachelor's degree program, and 1,968 have considered an associate degree program; respondents may be included in multiple categories.

Property Of The State?

Political Cartoon is by Ann Telnaes in The Washington Post.
 

About 209,000 Workers Filed For Unemployment Last Week


The Labor Department released its weekly unemployment report on Thursday. It showed that about 209,000 workers filed for unemployment benefits in the week ending on March 9th. Here is the official Labor Department statement:

In the week ending March 9, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 209,000, a decrease of 1,000 from the previous week's revised level. The previous week's level was revised down by 7,000 from 217,000 to 210,000. The 4-week moving average was 208,000, a decrease of 500 from the previous week's revised average. The previous week's average was revised down by 3,750 from 212,250 to 208,500.

He's Peeing On Our Lawn

Political Cartoon is by Bob Englehart at Cagle.com.
 

Biden's Budget Cuts Trillions From Deficit - GOP Plan Doesn't


The Republicans in Congress love to whine about the deficit. But their plan for new tax cuts for the rich will just increase the deficit. President Biden has revealed his budget plan. It's a plan that will accomplish some needed things and will cut over $3 trillion from the deficit over the next 10 years.

Here's what Jennifer Rubin says about Biden's budget (and the GOP's lack of one) in The Washington Post:

President Biden’s budget, like all administrations’ budget proposals, will not become law. But it achieves two important goals: It makes several policy proposals whose times have come. And it reveals GOP hypocrisy on deficit control.

A favorite Biden expression is, “Don’t tell me what you value. Show me your budget, and I’ll tell you what you value.” And that certainly applies here. In particular, his tax proposals evince a commitment to narrowing income inequality. He also advances several innovative programs to address the housing crisis.

For starters, Biden’s tax proposals seek to bolster the working poor. “The President’s Budget would restore the expanded Child Tax Credit, lifting 3 million children out of poverty and cutting taxes by an average of $2,600 for 39 million low- and middle-income families that include 66 million children,” the administration’s fact sheet explains. “This includes 18 million children in low-income families who would be newly eligible for the full credit, and 2 million children living with a caregiver who is at least 60 years old.”

At the other end of the spectrum, Biden tackles one of the most regressive aspects of our tax system: the cap on earnings subject to Medicare taxes. His plan would lift the cap on earnings subject to these payroll taxes and hike the rate to 5 percent on those with incomes over $400,000. It would also end the payroll tax exemption for some earnings from “pass-through businesses.”

The proposal comes at the point in the calendar in which people who make $1 million a year have already capped out on payroll taxes. “Most Americans can expect to pay Social Security payroll taxes throughout 2024,” CNBC reported. “But for top earners with gross annual wage income of $1 million, March 2 marks the date at which they will stop paying into the program, according to the Center for Economic and Policy Research.” With the income cap presently set at $168,600, they’ll enjoy the rest of the year without payroll tax deductions.

Frankly, there is no policy reason not to simply lift the $168,600 cap for everyone. However, Biden is sticking with his promise not to raise taxes on anyone making less than $400,000. That means his new proposal would create a sort of “doughnut” where earnings between $168,600 and $400,000 still are not subject to Medicare taxes, but those above $400,000 start paying more. Despite the awkward nod to politics, the concept remains strong. So long as the very well-to-do continue to draw Social Security paid for through the earnings of much less affluent taxpayers, the wealthy can and should pay more.

With a House Republican majority, Biden’s Medicare tax proposal will go nowhere. But it should begin a robust discussion. Why is there a cap? And why not lift the cap for Social Security as well as Medicare taxes?

Coupled with a refusal to renew the costly Donald Trump tax cuts for the richest Americans and increases in the corporate tax rate, the Biden tax proposals fulfill his promise of making the tax code more progressive while giving a specific boost to poor parents. Those changes allow Biden to lay claim to cutting $3.3 trillion from the deficit over 10 years. . . .

In response to this array of proposals, Republicans will holler that tax hikes will crash the economy and spending will balloon the debt. But Biden’s budget, which cuts the deficit, now stands as a challenge: What is their plan?

We already know Republicans want to extend the Trump tax cuts, expanding the pool of red ink. Trump’s incoherent rambling about entitlements suggests … well … we don’t know exactly what he meant. But it sure sounds like he is open to cutting Social Security and Medicare. (“There is a lot you can do in terms of entitlements in terms of cutting and in terms of also the theft and the bad management of entitlements, tremendous bad management of entitlements. There’s tremendous amounts of things and numbers of things you can do.”If such a word salad came out of Biden’s mouth, the press would be apoplectic.) Forcing the Republicans to explain what spending they want to cut and whose taxes they want to lower should be part of Biden’s budget rollout.

Republicans talk a good game, but so far we have seen nothing of their “economic populism” or any realistic deficit-cutting plan, even one acceptable to their own House and Senate members. Biden has showed his hand. Now it’s time for them show theirs.

You Don't Get To Pick Who rescues You

Political Cartoon is by David Horsey in The Seattle Times.
 

Over 1800 Police Have Been Charged With Child Sex Abuse



From The Washington Post 

Thursday, March 14, 2024

A National Security Nightmare


 

Americans Support Biden's Plan To Increase Taxes On Rich

 

The chart above reflects the results of the new Economist / YouGov Poll -- done between March 10th and 12th of a nationwide sample of 1,559 adults (including 1,367 registered voters). The margin of error for both groups is 3.5 points.

Putin's Disinformation Instrument

Political Cartoon is by R.J. Matson at Cagle.com.
 

It's Too Early To Be Depressed Or Buoyed By The Polls


This chart is from the USA Today / Suffolk University Poll -- done between March 8th and 11th of a nationwide sample of 1,000 registered voters, with a 3.1 point margin of error.

This is just one more poll showing Donald Trump with a small lead over President Biden. And it has the talking heads on cable news ready to hand the election to Trump. 

But it is far too early to give up. Polls this early in the campaign season are rarely correct. Trump's lead is smaller than the margin of error of 3.1% (which means it might not be a lead at all), and the percentage of undecideds (5.2%) is even larger. Add to this the factor that a full 25% say they could change their mind before it's time to vote in November.

Trump may have 40% of the vote, but I believe that is the most he can expect. The undecided and many of the third party voters will be unlikely to change to Trump. He scares them. They are far more likely to break for Biden - if for no other reason than to keep Trump out of the White House.

Trump is becoming unhinged, and will be even more so as the campaign continues. 

There's also the story of campaign spending. Biden has a ton of money in the bank, and after a great SOTU speech, added another $10 million in just 24 hours (a campaign record). On the other hand, Trump's campaign fundraising is less that in 2020, and much of that money is being spent on lawyers and court fees (such as the bonds he has to put up for cases he lost). He's not going to be able to equal Biden in campaign ad spending.

Even if the Supreme Court delays Trump's immunity decision until June, that would still leave time for one or more of his legal cases to at least start (if not be completed) by Election Day. That's not going to help Trump with the voters - a significant portion of which have said they would not vote for a criminal.

Add to this the fact that Trump is mostly responsible for the destruction of Roe vs. Wade, and would sign a bill banning abortion in all 50 states. While Biden supports the right of women to control their own bodies (including choosing an abortion in consultation with the doctor). It's a powerful factor that favors Biden.

The race is far from over! It will take some work, but I believe the race actually favors the re-election of President Biden.

The Job He Wants

 Political Cartoon is by Gary Huck at huckkonopackicartoons.com.

Netanyahu Is Turning World Opinion Against Israel


 

Wednesday, March 13, 2024

The Global Anti-Democracy Movement

 

Government Would Improve With More Women In Office



The charts above are from the Gallup Poll -- done between February 1st and 20th of a nationwide sample of 1,016 adults, with a 4 point margin of error.

Not For Adults

Political Cartoon is by Mike Stanfill at ragingpencils.com.
 

Trickle-Down Economics Is A Scam That Only Helps The Rich


 Republicans continue to cling to their "trickle-down" economic theory. They claim that giving more to the rich will trickle down and help everyone. It has never worked. It just fattens the bank accounts of the rich, who do their best to make sure nothing trickles down.

Jennifer Rubin (in The Washington Post) calls it a scam - and she is right. Here's some of what she writes:

The claimed economic benefits of tax cuts for the rich don’t hold up under scrutiny. When Democrats deride tax cuts for the wealthiest as a budget buster and a vehicle for allowing the rich to get richer, Republicans often reply: “But look at the growth and jobs!” Actually, we have seen a steady stream of evidence debunking this rationale. . . .

Last July, NEC Director Lael Brainard laid out the overwhelming evidence that “trickle-down” economics — defined as “cutting taxes for big businesses and those at the top” — has been a bust.

“Economic inequality increased, many communities suffered from sustained disinvestment, and earnings growth for many Americans failed to keep pace with the cost of necessities like health care, housing, and education,” she said. “Investments in infrastructure and vital industries stagnated.”

This isn’t new evidence, either. A 2020 paper by David Hope of the London School of Economics and Julian Limberg of King’s College London examined “18 developed countries — from Australia to the United States — over a 50-year period from 1965 to 2015,” CBS News reported. “The study compared countries that passed tax cuts in a specific year, such as the U.S. in 1982 when President Ronald Reagan slashed taxes on the wealthy, with those that didn’t, and then examined their economic outcomes.” It turns out that “per capita gross domestic product and unemployment rates were nearly identical after five years in countries that slashed taxes on the rich and in those that didn’t, the study found.”

But there was one significant difference: “The incomes of the rich grew much faster in countries where tax rates were lowered. Instead of trickling down to the middle class, tax cuts for the rich may not accomplish much more than help the rich keep more of their riches and exacerbate income inequality, the research indicates.” Oops.

Well, what about the huge tax cuts passed by MAGA Republicans in 2017? Were those any different? “Mr. Trump’s tax cuts have lifted the fortunes of the ultra-rich,” the report found. “For the first time in a century, the 400 richest American families paid lower taxes in 2018 than people in the middle class, the economists found.”

But economic growth made up for this handout, right?! Not so fast. Wages for average Americans did not keep up with the cost of living. Worse, “Even before the pandemic, income inequality had reached its highest point in 50 years, according to Census data,” as CBS News reported. And, before Biden came into office, income inequality worsened as the pandemic hurt the less-well-off more severely than it did the rich.

A 2022 update by Hope and Limberg reiterated, “Our findings on the effects of growth and unemployment provide evidence against supply side theories that suggest lower taxes on the rich will induce labor supply responses from high-income individuals (more hours of work, more effort, etc.) that boost economic activity.” Instead, they confirmed there is “strong evidence that cutting taxes on the rich increases income inequality but has no effect on growth or unemployment.”. . .

Sold as a prosperity booster, trickle-down tax cuts for the very rich do not increase prosperity, growth or employment for the average American. This sop to the rich does increase the deficit and income disparity. By contrast, restoring the child tax credit and enacting a billionaire’s tax would continue to narrow the gulf between the very rich and everyone else.

Trickle-down economics is a scam. Renewing tax cuts for the rich that are due to expire at the end of 2025 would do about as much for you as a degree from Trump University.