Another Big First For PolitiDose

In a commentary dated 6/12/15 titled "The Ugly Side Of Technology" this writer explained the perils associated with technology and how security is not keeping up with the ability of hackers to use that same technology to invade personal information on the world wide web.  We now lean that Yahoo just announced that over 550 million of its user accounts had been hacked into and a massive security breakdown took place.

Yahoo reported the stolen data includes users names, email addresses, telephone numbers, birthdates, hashed passwords and the security questions and answers used to verify an account holders identity.  The story was reported in the Times Picayune of 9/23/16.  When a technology company like Yahoo can not protect the privacy of its users that should reinforce the fact that no system is safe.

We know that the federal government's highest security systems have been breached by foreign governments, wikileaks and individuals who obtained secret information and released it to the public.  What has happened renders Hillary Clinton's email issue moot.  The FBI has said there is no indication or evidence hackers broke into her private email server and obtained any information.  If that proves to be false at a later date it won't be near as bad as what has happened on government secured servers.

Everyone knows from published reports and books that have been written that the NSA (National Security Agency) has been tapping into the American people's emails and telephones for years.  The same is done to foreign countries.  Does any one think NSA is the only organization who has technology experts who have that capability.  They exist in civilian life also.

Technology theft has not yet reached its highest level.  The only safe way to use technology is to restrict the use by all concerned.  The personal information that can be obtained from social media is astounding.  As far as government goes, all governments spy on each other from the beginning of time and the use of technology is just another avenue to do so.  Does that really surprise any one?


This commentary written by Joe Lorio

Congress Fails To Provide The Funds To Fight The Zika Virus

The republican controlled congress tried to debate a Zika funding bill with amendments concerning Planned Parenthood and other issues which President Obama said he would veto if passed and the democrats in congress would not let the bill advance.  A stand alone bill to fund Zika should be the priority of the republican controlled congress but once again they seek to attach amendments opposed by the President.  They can not even act on an issue that is an emergency.

And to top it off Louisiana's representatives in congress support the party's position like a bunch of ditto heads.  Mary Landrieu's leadership is missed in congress and it shows.  Steve Scalise is the republicans number three man in the U.S. House and is a major factor why there has been a lack of accomplishments since his party took control of congress almost 2 years ago.

Louisiana's lawmakers in congress can't even get that body to agree on the $2.6 billion package that Governor Edwards asked for the recent flood and that President Obama supported.  Bill Cassidy who defeated Mary Landrieu is lost in the Senate.  He will go with the republican flow of ideology at the expense of the state and its people.

The republican party's inability to draft a stand alone funding bill for Zika which the democrats will support and the President will sign, is a vivid example of how they continue to obstruct needed legislation.  And do not be surprised if they support another government shut down.


This commentary written by Joe Lorio

Louisiana Govrnor Edwards Stands Behind Suit Against The Oil and Gas Industry

In a Times Picayune article of 9/23 Governor Edwards said Louisiana will not shy away from suing oil and gas companies over the damage they have done to the Louisiana coast regardless of Attorney General Jeff Landry's attempts to slow or block the efforts.  The Governor made sense when he said, "when Louisiana goes before congress and ask for taxpayer's money to help fund Louisiana's coastal restoration while at home we do nothing to hold the oil and gas industry accountable for their actions."

Jeff Landry is a republican and  was on the side of the Tea Party's extreme agenda.  The Times Picayune article points out that Landry has strong ties to the oil and gas industry and has taken significant political contributions from them over the years.  The Attorney General needs to think of Louisiana and do the job he was elected to do.  He should be leading the charge against the industry because the facts are already known how oil and gas operations in Louisiana have damaged the environment.

Governor Edwards made another common sense statement when saying, "the oil and gas industry should pay for a portion of the master plan to restore the coast given their role in coastal erosion."  I believe everyone in Louisiana can relate to the governor's statement.  President Obama set the right tone and made the right decision to hold BP accountable for the damage done to Louisiana property and the personal loss due to the BP offshore blow out.  And Governor Edwards approach to allow the suits to go forward against the oil and gas industry is the right thing to do.

Jeff Landry is committed to the oil and gas industry while Governor Edwards is committed to the state and its people.  And that really says it all.


This commentary written by Joe Lorio

Economic Progress Continues To Take Place On President Obama's Watch.

The good news continues for the country and its people as the President's term in office comes to an end in the next several months.  The opposite took place on President Bush's watch as he was leaving office.  The U.S. Labor Department announced that median family income increased 5.2% in 2015, the largest increase since 2007.  The U.S. Census announced that the poverty rate at the end of 2015 was 13.5%, down 1.3% from 2014 which was 14.8%.

At the same time during President George W. Bush's administration, the poverty rate was up and median family income was down.  The federal deficit was still soaring and record job losses continued to take place.  And to think President Bush inherited a cadillac economy while President Obama inherited a jalopy economy.  The next President will inherit a much better economy than President Obama did which is the way it should be with the right policies.

Understanding the past is still the key to a better future and democratic administrations have a better grasp of the past and that is why the country and its people do better under democratic administrations.  The country can not afford to experiment with a republican candidate who lacks political understanding, arithmetic and common decency.  Hillary Clinton is the most experienced candidate that has plans and the policy to improve and expand on the progress made during the present administration.


This commentary written by Joe Lorio

A Thought To Keep In Mind For The November Presidential Election

The state of New York and its people will reject Donald Trump on November 8 and vote for Hillary Clinton as their choice for President of the United States.  The people that know Trump the best, where he lives, works and has his business headquarters will send a strong message with their vote that Trump is not qualified to be President.  The people of New York, the state that lived through the worst foreign terror attack in the United States remembers President George W. Bush's so called tough talk against terrorists that had no affect on that tragic day on 9/11/01.

Now the people of New York and the nation are being exposed once again to the so called tough talk by Trump against terrorists and his self proclaimed ability to defeat terror overnight.  And like Bush, Trump is doing his best to have America think it should live in fear.  The people of New York refused to live in fear even after the tragedy and their vote against Trump on November 8 will confirm they understand Trump's bragging will do nothing to keep America safe.

In the Presidential election of 2012 the people of Massachusetts rejected Mitt Romney and voted for President Obama.  Romney was a governor of Massachusetts, lived there and the people who knew him best rejected him on election day.  The 2012 and 2016 elections are not related of course but it showed the people of Massachusetts made the right choice in 2012 and now the stakes are even greater in 2016.  Trump is on record as saying he will reverse the progress made under President Obama if elected.  The people of New York will not accept that deplorable talk and cast their vote for Hillary Clinton.  

The American people should do the same on November 8, reject Donald Trump and cast their votes for Hillary Clinton as President of the United States.

This commentary written by Joe Lorio

The New York Giants 16 The New Orleans Saints 13

The Saints took their second straight loss of the regular season losing on a Giant field goal as time expired on the clock.  The game was more than just a reversal of what happened last year when the two teams met in New Orleans.  The Giants defense held the Saints offense to one touchdown and rarely did the Saints convert on 3rd down or take advantage of 3 Giant turnovers.

The Payton-Brees so called prolific offense failed to put the team in position to win on their last possession and had to punt, turn the ball over to the Giants who then drove to the Saints 3 yard line and kicked the game winning field goal.  And all the Saints could do was watch from the sidelines.  Manning did a better job for his team than Brees did for his on their final drives.  The Payton-Brees combo also failed last week on their final possession.

Bounty gate continues to be the albatross around the Saints neck.  Continuity was lost, players departed, Payton sat out the season and bounty gate year was a disaster with two head coaches splitting the season.  The sad results of bounty gate have not been reversed and the Saints continue their poor performance starting their 4th season since bounty gate.  This is not a united Saints team and Payton is not the coach many though he was.  New England has not missed a beat in its first two games and Tom Brady is sitting on the bench.

The Giants defensive coordinator Spagnuole, who was hired and then fired by Payton and trashed by some sports writers had his defense prepared for the Saints and Brees.  Any thoughts of a Saints advantage disappeared early in the first quarter.  Can the Saints turn it around and become a consistent winner under Payton and Brees?  This writer does not think so as bounty gate exposed a major flaw in Payton's coaching and management of the team.


This commentary written by Joe Lorio

Donald Trump: The Deplorable Birther and Presidential Candidate Has No Character or Courage

On Friday, after over 5 years of deplorable comments and lies concerning President Obama's birth place, Trump admitted the President was born in the United States.  But like the coward he is, before making the statement he tried to blame Hillary Clinton as the person who started the birther rumor.  It was just another lie that rolls out of his  mouth because lies are a part of Trump's life.  It is how he runs his business, his personal life and his campaign.

To top his statement off he lacked the character and courage to stand on his own two feet and used Veterans in the back ground on the stage to try and look credible.  The Donald always has to use some one as a prop and he used Veterans who served their country (something Trump  never did) and exposed them to his ongoing lies.  It was a deplorable act by a deplorable Presidential candidate who lacks respect for Veterans and the President.

Hillary Clinton was right when she said some of Trump's supporters were in a basket of deplorables.  The latest poll report only 27% of republicans believe Obama was born in the United States.  The news media, especially cable news lacks rational understanding and showed their ignorance in reporting Hillary's comment about Trump's deplorable supporters.  Donald Trump actually used the definition of deplorable first long before Clinton's remark when at his campaign rally when he said he could shoot some one and his supporters would still support him.  That was a deplorable statement and if thinking his supporters would still support him after shooting some one that would describe those supporters as being deplorable.  But the media, because of their love affair with Trump, missed the real story.  It is not to late to report that and I give them permission to use this commentary.

Trump is not qualified to be President and Commander in Chief.  His life of lies and the circle he lives in is not fit to occupy the White House.  His birther statement on Friday, his failure to release his tax returns will not go away and his extremism has been unmasked.  So has the out right lies that define his cowardly character.

This writer is a Veteran who would never stand on the same stage with Donald Trump.


This commentary written by Joe Lorio

Part IV: The 2016 Presidential Election: One Candidate and Party Has No Record To Run On

In the 2012 Presidential election, republican party nominee Mitt Romney went out of his way to dodge President George W. Bush's failed administration and could not articulate any accomplishments by the republic party on Bush's watch.  As a result Romney could not run a positive campaign and settled on personal attacks against President Obama.  And now, almost 4 years later, republican Presidential candidate Donald Trump, who also supported Bush's failed policies including the Iraq war is taking the same approach, only this time his personal attacks are against Hillary Clinton also.

In the mean time Hillary Clinton is on the campaign and often cites the accomplishments of President Obama and his administration and articulates her determination to improve on those accomplishments and her own plans to make that happen and to make things better.  Her story for America is about the future.  Trump and the republican party are all about the failed past.  The media has taken up sides with Trump and last week made a point of telling the people that Hillary held her first press conference in 270 days.  But they failed to say that 365 days has past and Trump still has not made his tax returns public.

Democratic administrations have a positive record of accomplishments they can talk about and relate too.  Republicans do not and as a result all they have left are personal attacks.  The November elections are about the future and that disqualifies Donald Trump and the republican party.


This commentary written by Joe Lorio

The Oakland Raiders 35 - The New Orleans Saints 34

Bounty gate continues to take its toll as the Raiders beat the Saints in the Dome on Sunday afternoon.  The Saints loss was typical of past seasons in the last four years.  Beyond the loss lies the same problems the Saints had last year.  A questionable defense and a offense that seems to think all they have to do is show up and a head coach who lost credibility with Bounty gate.

Brees passed for 400 yards again against a defense that seemed to have as many penalties as plays, especially defensive holding which gave the Saints an automatic first down every time and allowed the Saints to continue their drive.  But in the end the Saints could not deliver on their final possession and put the field goal kicker out of range that field goals have become routine.  Not many 61 yard field goals are attempted every week in the NFL.  The prolific offense of Payton and Brees (N.O. sports writers signature saying) took place against a Raider defense in need of help but was not prolific on the final drive of the game.

After the game the New Orleans sports writers were up to their same old cliches and hype.  One said the fans should expect the game to be a norm for the Saints this year.  Their analysis after the game was different than what they wrote about all during spring season.  Which shows they still can not be objective in their reporting.  The most glaring problem that this writer observed while watching the game at home was the coaches and players actions on the sidelines.  They though they had the game won but forgot you have to play the full 60 minutes.

But hey, Brees will still receive the $30 million signing bonus that was reported in the Times Picayune.  His first quarter turn over that resulted in a Raider field goal made a difference in the outcome of the game.

This commentary written by Joe Lorio

Congressional Republicans Say They Will Censure President Obama

The Obama administration paid Iran $1.7 billion to settle claims related to the incomplete sale of military weapons before the Iranian Revolution in 1979.  The Treasury Department with held $400 million of that payment to make sure Iran released the four American hostages they were holding.  Republicans in congress said that was a ransom payment and that the republican controlled U.S. House would vote to censure the President this week.

Of course, with holding the $400 million was a reasonable and smart move by the administration to make sure Iran complied on their release of the hostages.  It was also the American thing to do and not ransom.  There are 3 reasons why the republicans want to call it ransom.  (1)  It is an election year and they will try to damage the President and Clinton any way they can.  (2)  President Reagan sold arms to Iran in exchange for hostages in the Iran-Contra scandal while Iran was on the list as a sponsor of terror.  It is the republican way of trying to redeem Reagan's decision because Reagan told the people he would never negotiate with terrorists, denied he did and then had to admit the truth.  (3)  Republicans still want to create an issue to scuttle the treaty with Iran which is working.  That ticks them off because they know President George W. Bush did nothing to stop the advance of N. Korea or Iran's nuclear programs.

The republican controlled congress is still a do nothing congress so they think filling up time with a censure vote of the President is an accomplishment.  The November elections need to return congress to democratic control and bring back a congress that is a working congress for all the people and the country.


This commentary written by Joe Lorio