The LSU - Alabama Game

Two sports reporters for the New Orleans Advocate are calling it the game of the century, but this writer thinks not so since Alabama has won the past 8 games.  True, both teams are undefeated and regardless who wins both teams could still have a chance to make the playoffs if things fall in their favor.  One sports writer said it could be a repeat of the 2011game with a rematch of both teams playing for the national championship.  Hopefully that will never take place again because rematches are for losers and should never be allowed.

LSU fans, including this writer should be confident because for the first time LSU has an offense capable of moving the football and scoring points.  That was lacking under coach Miles and even lacking under Coach O for his first three seasons at LSU.  And of course LSU took a step backward last year when Alabama shut out LSU in Tiger stadium.  Coach O to his credit did something about improving the LSU offense this season and has taken the offense to a new LSU level.

The game on November 9 should be looked at objectively.  The road to the playoffs and a chance to play for the national championship leads thru Alabama.  So does a division and SEC title.  The game will not define the future of either team.  Alabama is already a consistent winning team in championships while LSU is not.  Past talk about LSU losing to Alabama because they have better players is a cop-out and should be laid to rest.

Alabama's defense presents the greatest challenge to LSU's offense so far this year and how LSU responds to that challenge will be interesting to watch.  Alabama also has a strong offense and the LSU defense will have to bring their best effort.  Coaching decisions have a tendency to play a large role in games such as this one.

This writer will not allow himself to get excited until LSU beats Alabama.  LSU is a confident team with a new offense that is working and Saban has the best defensive mind in college football, so something has to give.  We know from past game history the game could be either low or high scoring and that Alabama has made some big plays against LSU's defense.  Speculation will run rampant between now and game time but none of it matters.  Can LSU pull off a defensive performance like they did in 2011 when they allowed Alabama only two field goals?

The question, "can LSU finally beat Alabama" will remain the same until November 9.  And shame on those folks who believe the current story that LSU and Alabama are not thinking about the game during their off week.


This commentary written by Joe Lorio

Another First For PolitiDose

PolitiDose led the way once more with its commentary of October 13 concerning Steve Scalise, Louisiana's minority leader in the U.S. House who led a republication delegation to interrupt the House's impeachment inquiry of President Donald Trump.  Now comes a later report in two opinion columns concerning Scalise's violation of rules that govern the U.S. House.

One commentary comes via Stephanie Grace, local opinion writer for the new Orleans Advocate and one from national opinion writer Michael Gerson, also in a Advocate article.  Both articles demonstrate how Scalise, Trump's little wimp and the republicans are so tethered to Trump even though they knew their actions violated the rules of the U.S. House they swore to uphold and defend. Scalise's party controlled the U.S. House for 8 years until the democratic party took control in January 2019 and during those 8 years they have no positive record of accomplishments for the country and its people.  All they have is a do nothing record and that explains their extreme rhetoric and their willingness to violate House rules.

But all that describes the republican party since the Newt Gingrich era.  The news media  paid no attention and ran with republican talking points of their party being conservative and best at governing.   President Trump's corruption and the republican party's embrace of that corruption finally exposed Trump and his party as one and the same which was actually the subject of a PolitiDose commentary written during the 2016 Presidential campaign.

So stay tuned to PolitiDose, your daily dose of political commentary for more information on the cowrds, Trump and his party in congress and the little wimp Steve Scalise.


This commentary written by Joe Lorio

Hillary Clinton Cleared Once Again Concerning Her E-Mails.

"Lock her Up" Trump and the republicans chant went down in flames once again last week when another investigation of her emails was released by The State Department.  The report found no criminal activity by Clinton or no one else concerning Hillary's emails.  This State Department investigation was pushed by republican U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley, one of the many republicans who accused Hillary of criminal wrong doing and a cover up.  Trump picked up on the lies during the 2016 Presidential campaign, tried to use them against her as did Russia on social media.

Two previous republican controlled committees investigated Hillary's emails during President Obama's term in office ended the same way exposing the republican lies.  So all that is left is what was already known, that is, Hillary used a private email server for some of her emails instead of the state department's server.  But so did some cabinet members in President Bush and President Trump's administration that has been made public.

And once again, facts prove how Hillary Clinton is such a better person and a better public servant than the Trump-republican liars.  And after 33 months in office, the trumpet man is still afraid to make his tax returns public.  It speaks loud and clear about his corruption and his coward mentality.  Plus Trump has earned the chant, "Lock HIM Up."

Hillary Clinton contributions to the country and the people will  live on while Trump and his party's lies will die at the bottom of the sewer where they dwell.


This commentary written by Joe Lorio

Trump's Republican Cowards and Wimps Try To Shut Down The U.S. House's Impeachment Inquiry.

Steve Scalise, the republican U.S. House minority leader from Louisiana, gave this nation a peek at his cowardice and wimpy nature after meeting with Trump and led approximately two dozen republican in storming a hearing room where the witnesses were appearing to testify concerning the U.S. House's impeachment inquiry.  The disruption closed the hearing for several hours and was resumed later in the day where testimony could be taken.

Scalise and his ditto head republicans bowed to Trump's wished to try and cast doubt on the impeachment inquiry.  Like Trump, Scalise has no problem violating rules and regulations.  Under House rules only members of the three committees, Oversight and Reform, Intelligence and Foreign Affairs are authorized to attend.  And also under House rules no cell phones are allowed in the hearing room.  But Scalise and his republican wimps not only took their cell phones with them, they also used them.

This writer can not remember another elected official to be so much of a coward and wimp to a coward President.  But the two are so closely allied with each other they betray their oath of office and therule of law they swore to uphold.  And the republican ditto heads in congress support and are a part of that betrayal.

Louisiana has elected Scalise to his position and he is very familiar with the rules of the U.S. House.  He still violated those rules because conservatives think they are elite.  That is what binds Scalise, Trump and the republicans in congress and they are willing to sell out America for their own personal gain.

Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden are head and heels over those cowards and wimps in standing up for America and what America the Beautiful stands for.


This commentary written by Joe Lorio

An Honor For The City Of New Orleans

According to a news release published in the New Orleans Advocate of 10/9, Travel Magazine's Conde Nast Traveler in its 2019 readers choice awards named New Orleans the fourth best large city in the country.  New Orleans ranked only behind Chicago, Minneapolis and Boston.  The awards were based on the top travel experiences and destinations selected by nearly 430,000 Conde Nast Traveler readers this year.

Being the only city in the South to be ranked in the top four is a great honor for New Orleans, especially with Houston, Dallas and San Antonio located next door.  The city still has problems but is vital to the metro area and its neighbors.  And so many people come to the city to work, play, eat, be entertained and enjoying what the city has to offer.  The New Orleans economy is also a bright spot even with the slowing of the national economy.

The news release also noted and gave credit to the 87,000 people in the hospitality industry for their hard work, passion and their focus.  The City of New Orleans is well deserving of the honor and the people should be very proud.

The U.S. Economy, Job Creation and Unemployment For September

The U.S. Labor Department reported that the U.S. economy created 136,000 new jobs in September and that the unemployment rate came in at 3.5%.  The Department also reported excluding government hiring the private sector job gains over the past three months have slowed to an average of 119,000 a month, the weakest showing in seven years.  Wage growth also slipped in September.  In a separate statement the Department reported the average monthly job creation so far in 2019 is 161,000 while in the year 2018 it was 223,000.  The trend relates to a slower economy with weaker job numbers.

So for the first 32 months in office under Trump the economy has created 5,861,000 jobs for a monthly average of 183,156.  In President Obama's last 32 months in office the economy created 6,862,000 jobs for a monthly average of 214,438.  So job creation under the Trump economy continues to lag compared to the job creation under the Obama economy by over 1 million jobs.  The Trump economy is underperforming past democratic administrations but that is nothing new to the readers of PolitiDose.

President Trump is still trying to blame the federal reserve for the slowing economy and job creation because of the way they have handled the interest rates.  But the real answer is Trump's lack of a real plan or policy concerning the economy and in fact Trump does not govern by plans or policy.  His method of governing is a corrupted business ideology.  And by the way to those who believe the stock market will collapse if Trump is impeached like he continues to say, just remember the following facts.

The market's DJIA at the end of President Obama's first 32 months in office increased at a much greater percentage than it has at the end of Trump's first 32 months in office and by a wide margin. (which was covered by a previous article in PolitiDose)  And history tells us the market does better on the Democratic watch than on the republican watch, despite the republicans tax cuts that benefit Corporate America and the wealthy.

The story has been told many times in PolitiDose, your daily dose of political commentary.


This commentary written by Joe Lorio

Michael Gerson: A Conservative Journalist Who Is No Ditto Head For Donald Trump

Conservative journalist Michael Gerson of the Washington Post is no President Trump ditto head like most conservative journalists who see no wrong in President Trump's actions and are ready to support his lies and traitorous acts.  In a article that appeared in the New Orleans Advocate dated 10/1 titled Trump Is Guilty But will he pay for it?  Mr. Gerson writes in his first sentence as follows:  "For the first time in American history, the President has pleaded guilty to an impeachable offense."  Mr. Gerson relates that to Trump's telephone conversation with Ukraine's President on July 25 which is the subject of the U.S. House's impeachment inquiry.

Mr. Gerson is no Johnny come lately in his commentary about the President's conduct and like commentary in PolitiDose that began early on also, recognized the dangers that Trump presents for the country.  Gerson in his article says Trump's asking Ukraine's President to investigate Biden constitutes corruption of the first order  He then said Trump has spent so many years in the trash heap of corruption that he can no longer recognize the stench.  Readers of PolitiDose have read about Trump being corrupted to the core long ago.  It was also PolitiDose commentary in 2016 that recognized early on Trump's traitorous act when he asked Russia to hack into Hillary Clinton's emails.  That was a betrayal of America, but few in the news media took note of how serious Trump's actions were at the time, but PoitiDose was there to report it timely.

So commentary by Mr. Gerson and PolitiDose concerning President Trump's unAmerican actions have a similar tone and understanding just how damaging the trumpet man has been to our country and everything America stands for.  And both have commentary about those republicans and conservatives who have enabled Trump and in the process have become ditto heads who look the other way.  Republican and conservative journalists who continue to support the President's every day lies and traitorous acts, remain silent and give voice to the most extreme voices out there are not journalists.

But this writer and I feel sure Mr. Gerson will continue to report on what really matters and make a difference for our country and its people.


This commentary written by Joe Lorio

Federal Judge Strikes Down Another Attempt By President Trump To Restrict Immigration

President Trump's attempt to extend authority of immigration officers to deport people with out allowing them to appear before judges was blocked nationwide by U.S. District Judge Ketanji Jackson Friday.  The judge ruled the administrations expansion of expedited removal authority violated procedural requirements to first seek public comments and ignored flaws in how it has been used at the border.  The judge's order did not rule on the merits of the case but the decision prevents the administration from expanding fast track authority nationwide.

It is another sad example of an administration who still lacks a legislative agenda for immigration reform after 32 months in office and prefers to demagogue the issues with executive orders and administration procedures that end up being overturned by the courts.  And it was the trumpet man himself and his party during the 2016 Presidential election that said if they won the White House they would have an immigration legislation reform plan for the country.  Well, they did win, but all they have to show for it is immigration rhetoric, like Mexico will pay for the wall and etc, etc, etc.

The voters should remember that U.S. Senators Marco Rubio and Lindsay Graham were also running for the republican Presidential nomination in 2016 and indorsed that approach.  Both are still serving in the U.S. Senate that has been controlled by their party for the last four and half years but neither has introduced one piece of immigration reform in their own chamber.  They too, only have immigration rhetoric on the subject.

There is only one way to accomplish true immigration reform and that is by legislative action.  But Trump and his party has failed to embrace that approach because they do not care about the issue.  The democrats have always had a immigration legislative plan as explained in previous commentary in PolitiDose.  And if a democrat wins the White House in the 2020 elections they will act on the issue with legislation.


This commentary written by Joe Lorio