Presumptuous Politics

Thursday, July 28, 2016

Black DNC Cartoons

VA spent $20M on art as ailing veterans languished, report finds

The Veterans Affairs administration spent $20 million on expensive artwork and sculptures amidst the healthcare scandal, where thousands of veterans died waiting to see doctors.
The taxpayer watchdog group Open the Books teamed up with COX Media Washington, D.C., for an oversight report on spending at the VA, finding numerous frivolous expenditures on artwork, including six-figure dollar sculptures at facilities for the blind.
“In the now-infamous VA scandal of 2012-2015, the nation was appalled to learn that 1,000 veterans died while waiting to see a doctor,” wrote Adam Andrzejewski, the founder and CEO of Open the Books, in an editorial for Forbes. “Tragically, many calls to the suicide assistance hotline were answered by voicemail. The health claim appeals process was known as ‘the hamster wheel’ and the appointment books were cooked in seven of every ten clinics.”
“Yet, in the midst of these horrific failings the VA managed to spend $20 million on high-end art over the last ten years—with $16 million spent during the Obama years,” Andrzejewski said.
The VA spent $21,000 for a 27 foot fake Christmas tree; $32,000 for 62 “local image” pictures for the San Francisco VA; and $115,600 for “art consultants” for the Palo Alto facility.
A “rock sculpture” cost taxpayers $482,960, and more than a half a million dollars were spent for sculptures for veterans that could not see them.
“In an ironic vignette, at a healthcare facility dedicated to serving blind veterans—the new Palo Alto Polytrauma and Blind Rehabilitation Center—the agency wasted $670,000 on two sculptures no blind veteran can even see,” Andrzejewski said. “The ‘Helmick Sculpture’ cost $385,000 (2014) and a parking garage exterior wall façade by King Ray Studio for the ‘design, fabrication, and installation of the public artwork’ cost $285,000 (2014).”
“Blind veterans can’t see fancy sculptures, and all veterans would be happier if they could just see a doctor,” he said.

Black DNC protest tells crowd: "White people to the back"


Racist Idiots.

Whites ordered to the back of black DNC protest march

Organizers of the Black DNC Resistance March in Philadelphia were seen Wednesday on video segregating their protest by ordering white people to the back of the line.
“I need all white people to move to the back – make space because this is a Black Resistance March,” one of the leaders yelled from the bed of a pickup truck. “I need all white people to move to the back and make room for the black and brown brothers and sisters.”
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Local media reports the march was organized by a coalition of neighborhood groups including Black Lives Matter Philadelphia.
A Fox News colleague who was reporting on the march said as much as half of the crowd was white.
“What if white people were in Ferguson,” one older white activist could be heard asking.
The unidentified woman with the megaphone repeatedly told all Caucasian protesters to move.
“You will appropriately take your place in the back of this march because it will be truly led by the black and brown community and that’s it,” she roared.
The edict even applied to journalists covering the demonstration.
“Make room for black media,” she yelled. “White media get to the back. Black media come to the front.”
We apparently live in a nation where one’s place in a protest march is determined by the color of their skin and not the content of their character.
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Later that evening, other demonstrators caused mayhem outside the DNC convention hall. Protestors dragged the Israeli flag through the streets – some of the flags were burned.
They even desecrated the Star-Spangled Banner.
Anti-American protesters threw Old Glory on the ground. They stomped on the flag and then set it ablaze.
I can't even begin to imagine the anti-American hatred they harbor in their hearts. I can’t begin to comprehend their contempt for those who fought and died for the stars and stripes.
How incredibly sad it was to witness such hatred and racism on full display in the City of Brotherly Love.
“White people to the back -- Black people to the front.”
I wonder what Rosa Parks would’ve done?

Wikileaks releases hacked DNC voicemail messages

WikiLeaks released 29 voicemail messages late Wednesday that were hacked from the Democratic National Committee and appeared to show several donors expressing discomfort with the influence of Bernie Sanders on the party's members.
In one of the more than two dozen leaked messages, a donor expressed their anger about the support Sanders was getting during the primaries. According to the Dallas Morning News, the caller, who appeared to be a Hillary Clinton supporter, threatened to leave the Democratic Party if members continued to “coddle” the Vermont senator.
"I'm furious about what you are doing for Bernie Sanders, he's getting way too much influence," the woman said. "I'm on a fixed income. I spend over $300 donated to Hillary and what I see is the DNC bending over backwards for Bernie."
Another caller questioned the DNC over its decision to allow Sanders to have Cornel West serve on the platform committee despite being outspoken against President Barack Obama.
“He’s not a democrat, please stop this man now.”
Two other calls asked about how to reach Michelle Obama and another was from a woman asking for a favor.
The release comes days after WikiLeaks released internal DNC emails which forced the resignation of chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz and sent the convention into a frenzy earlier this week.
The emails showed an apparent collusion on the committee to help Clinton get the party’s presidential nomination. Sanders, a self-proclaimed democratic socialist, had argued all along that Washington Democrats favored Clinton. Among other decisions, he pointed to Wasserman Schultz’s decision to limit the number of primary debates, which he argued was meant to protect Clinton.
Sanders -- who railed against what he called a “rigged” system throughout his campaign -- has since endorsed Wasserman Schultz’s primary rival in her re-election bid, in another sign of the acrimony between them.

Obama, Kaine pile on Trump in scorching warm-up for closing night

PHILADELPHIA – President Obama and Tim Kaine tag-teamed to deliver a scorching warm-up Wednesday for Hillary Clinton to accept the party’s nomination for president at the Democratic convention, with the president accusing Republican Donald Trump of only offering “slogans” and “fear” – and Clinton’s newly tapped running mate almost upstaging the commander-in-chief with his gusty impression of the billionaire’s New Yawk bravado.
Framing the election as a choice between pessimism and optimism, Obama endorsed Clinton as a tough and tenacious leader, saying “she is fit” and “ready” to be the next commander-in-chief – while rejecting Trump’s claim that only he can cure the nation’s ills.
“America is already great. America is already strong,” Obama said. “And I promise you, our strength, our greatness, does not depend on Donald Trump.”
Of Clinton, he said: “There has never been a man or a woman – not me, not Bill, nobody – more qualified than Hillary Clinton to serve as president of the United States of America.”
As the kicker, Clinton surprised the crowd by showing up onstage with Obama at the end of his speech, the two of them hugging and waving to delegates who were holding up "thank you" signs.
The president’s convention embrace of his one-time political rival is sure to fuel a central charge of Republicans in the general election – that Clinton represents a third Obama term, and the status quo. Without question, the sitting president depends on his former secretary of state to help preserve his legacy, and fend off recurring Republican attempts to repeal ObamaCare, upend environmental regulations and more.
To that end, Obama and a host of speakers on the convention’s third night intensified their attacks on Trump, as they talked up Clinton’s qualifications.
“The Donald is not really a plans guy. He’s not really a facts guy, either,” Obama said. “He calls himself a business guy, which is true, but I have to say, I know plenty of businessmen and women who’ve achieved remarkable success without leaving a trail of lawsuits, and unpaid workers, and people feeling like they got cheated.”
Obama also used the platform to defend his record in office, declaring he’s “more optimistic about the future of America than ever before.”
Trump countered on Twitter: “Our country does not feel 'great already' to the millions of wonderful people living in poverty, violence and despair.”
The night in Philadelphia was replete with barbed insults even as the musical acts kept returning to themes of “love” and understanding. Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid lit into Trump earlier in the night, calling him a “hateful con man” and “egomaniac.” Former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley, an ex-Clinton primary rival, gave a fiery speech calling Trump a “bully racist.”
Obama’s address, marking a passing of the torch to the woman he defeated for the nomination eight years ago, was delivered shortly after delegates finalized the party’s 2016 ticket. In an overwhelming voice vote, they nominated Virginia Sen. Kaine for vice president.
Kaine himself, after starting off talking family and faith, shifted gears in the second half and shelved his nice-guy persona to deliver a broadside against Trump, as he accepted the VP nomination from his party.
“Hillary has a passion for kids and families. … Donald Trump has a passion too: It's himself,” Kaine said. The senator was merciless after that. He went on to mock Trump, imitating his Queens accent when he says, “Believe me.”
“We're gonna destroy ISIS so fast -- believe me! There's nothing suspicious in my tax returns -- believe me!” Kaine bellowed, as the crowd roared with laughter. “Here's the thing. Most people, when they run for president, they don't just say ‘believe me.’ They respect you enough to tell you how they will get things done. … You cannot believe one word that comes out of Donald Trump's mouth.”
The senator also delivered several lines in Spanish as he recalled his long-ago work with Jesuit missionaries in Honduras.
While he was speaking, the Trump campaign was firing out press releases ripping Kaine as a “job killer” and part of the Washington establishment.
The sitting vice president, Joe Biden, also went after Trump on all fronts, saying the billionaire businessman would endanger national security – and lacks compassion.
“He’s trying to tell us he cares about the middle class. Give me a break. That’s a bunch of malarkey,” Biden said.
Remnants of the noisy factions that have disrupted proceedings since the week’s start flared up again during the Kaine voice vote – with a large section of the California delegation chanting, “Roll call! Roll call!” – and during ex-Defense Secretary Leon Panetta’s remarks. But some of the unrest has subsided, as party elders have methodically worked since Sunday – when they ousted party Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz over a leaked email scandal – to convince Bernie Sanders’ soldiers to lay down their arms.
Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who had considered an independent presidential run before ruling it out, made a late appearance Wednesday – with an endorsement that could help Clinton reach out to vital independents whom Trump also is courting, and a bagful of zingers aimed squarely at his fellow billionaire.
“Trump says he wants to run the nation like he’s run his business. God help us!” Bloomberg said, calling him a “dangerous demagogue” and claiming it’s “imperative” to elect Clinton.
The focus of the third convention night was heavy on gun control, global warming and even national security, an issue largely absent from the first two nights.
Obama delivered his address just weeks after his Justice Department closed the books on its investigation into Clinton’s improper use of a private server and email while secretary of state, opting to pursue no charges. Despite allegations from Republicans of political favoritism, the decision helped clear away one of the last major hurdles to her nomination going into the Philadelphia convention.
Together, the speakers Wednesday set the stage for Clinton to deliver her nomination acceptance speech and close out the convention Thursday night, after becoming Tuesday the first woman in U.S. history nominated for president by a major party.
The president’s speech Wednesday effectively kicks off Obama’s general election role as a chief Clinton surrogate. The New York Times reported that aides mostly have cleared his calendar for October and expect him to be on the trail regularly for Clinton until the election.

Wednesday, July 27, 2016

Bill Clinton Cartoons

Weiner says he would beat Trump Jr. like 'rented mule' in mayoral race

Former congressman Anthony Weiner, who resigned in disgrace amid a sexting scandal, said Tuesday he would only come out of political retirement to run against Donald Trump Jr. in a race for the mayor of New York City and said he would beat him “like a rented mule.”
Trump Jr., the son of Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, has been floated as a possible challenger to Democratic Mayor Bill de Blasio in 2017 since his well-received speech in support of his father at the Republican National Convention last week in Cleveland.
Weiner, a Democrat, was attending his party’s national convention in Philadelphia and was asked about the rumored Trump Jr. candidacy. Weiner suggested that he would return from political exile to take on the son of the billionaire real estate mogul.
"The only thing that could make me come out of retirement and run for mayor again is if anyone named Trump ran," Weiner told WNYW-TV. "I would come out of retirement just to beat him like a rented mule, and then I'd turn the keys back over to de Blasio."
Trump Jr. retorted on Twitter that Weiner, who resigned his congressional seat after admitting he sent sexually explicit messages to women who weren't his wife, should get lost.
Trump Jr., an active campaigner who also is helping to run his father's business, has pointedly not ruled out entering politics. But Trump has made clear that Trump Jr. won't be running for mayor next year.
"Donald Trump Jr. has no intention of running for mayor of New York, but I was the one who predicted that Anthony Weiner would flame out and not be able to run for mayor," Trump said in a statement. "People were amazed at how insightful I was."
Weiner unsuccessfully ran for mayor in 2005. He resigned his congressional seat in 2011. He made another bid for mayor in 2013 and was leading several polls until it was revealed he had continued the questionable behavior after his resignation. He now works as a pundit and consultant.
Weiner's wife, Huma Abedin, is a top adviser to Hillary Clinton, the first woman to win the convention votes needed to claim the presidential nomination of a major U.S. political party.

Wasserman Schultz left to defend House seat, $$ pours in for primary foe

Another Idiot.

Just two days after an email scandal forced her resignation as head of the Democratic Party, Florida Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz could be on her own in a suddenly tough re-election battle, as fellow House Democrats turn their back — and withhold their money — while contributions pour in for her primary opponent.
Soon after Wasserman Schultz was booed Monday during a Florida delegation breakfast in Philadelphia, Democratic primary foe Tim Canova wrote to his 20,000 Twitter followers, "It's time to end her political career for good," and shared a link to his campaign fundraising webpage.
The tactic appears to be working. He said he's raised about $100,000 in the 72 hours since the scandal erupted, all without leaving south Florida or picking up a phone to dial for dollars.
Yet officials with the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee made clear Monday they have no plans to spend money to save her. Top committee leaders told reporters that they do not spend money on safe Democratic seats, which hers is, because they need to save resources for states they are trying to save or flip.
While the seat may be safe in the fall from Republicans, that doesn’t mean she’s a lock in the primary.
It’s just the latest example of how Bernie Sanders, who has endorsed Canova, has been able to twist the political knife even further – after leaked emails that indicated an anti-Sanders bias in the chairwoman’s DNC operation led to her ouster.
"In some ways it feels like we've won the lottery," Canova said. "There's been a natural donor base for someone willing to take on a person with a national profile who is seen as a failed leader."
Sanders, who has already sent fundraising pleas on Canova's behalf, said he also may campaign for him. At a round-table interview Tuesday with Bloomberg Politics, he said he'd be doing so not because of "some kind of personal vendetta against Debbie," but because Canova is a "good candidate."
Privately, some Democratic officials think Wasserman Schultz is at risk of losing her Aug. 30 primary to Canova.
The Washington Post reported that the congresswoman was now planning to return to Florida, from the Philadelphia convention, amid concerns over her reelection bid.
That she even has to think about her House race is a turnaround for the congresswoman who was considered among the most powerful Democrats in Washington, in large part for her post at the DNC and unwavering support for President Obama, who appointed her.
However, accusations by Sanders and fellow Democratic primary challenger Martin O’Malley that she and others in the DNC were partial to front-runner Clinton were bolstered by the email leak.
The backlash among Democrats and others was almost immediate, with protesters around the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia condemning her actions, including Code Pink demonstrators wearing signs that reading “Resign Debbie.”
The respected, non-partisan Cook Political Report still shows Wasserman Schultz as a “solid” pick to win reelection. But her Democratic primary and potential GOP challengers are making political hay of the roughly 20,000 hacked emails released by WikiLeaks, including one in which she suggested Sanders’ vow to take away her DNC post was “silly.”
Nathan Gonzales, who analyzes House races for the non-partisan Rothenberg and Gonzales Political Report, said Tuesday that Wasserman Schultz’s recent travails “raise the natural question” about whether she could lose her primary- or general-election race. However, he downplayed the idea of a drastic or immediate turnabout.
“In such a high-profile situation, it’s easy to image an (upset.) But it’s extremely difficult to beat an incumbent in a primary,” he said. “She has her share of problems, but I don’t know if that’s going to hit her in her district.”
Gonzales said there’s no plans to downgrade the seat from “safe,” saying, “I’d have to see more information … new polling.”
“The emails just point out what so many of us believed, that the process was rigged for Hillary Clinton,” said Joe Kaufman, one of two Republican primary candidates in Wasserman Schultz’s 23rd Congressional District, west of Fort Lauderdale, in southern Florida.
“It looks a little like Debbie is getting a payback for her helping get Hillary Clinton elected. … My campaign believes that people who wanted to vote for her just shouldn’t vote at all because a vote for her is a vote for the rigged process.”
Democratic strategist Douglas Smith suggested Monday that party leaders are correctly trying to keep the email story from continuing for days and months, which would further damage Wasserman Schultz.
However, Smith thinks Wasserman Schultz’s political capital will help her prevail.
“I think she’ll win,” he said. “She’s got the heavy support of voters, families."
In her written statement announcing her DNC resignation, the congresswoman said, "My first priority has always been serving the people of the 23rd district of Florida and I look forward to continuing to do that as their member of Congress for years to come."