The Indictments Start Dropping

President Trump's former campaign manger Paul Manafort, Richard Gates (Manafort's assistant) and George Papadopoulos were indicted by a federal grand jury on Monday on various charges including lying to the FBI and money laundering.   President Trump tried to up stage the coming indictments a few days before the announcement by claiming the investigation was a witch hunt and fake news.  The usual pronouncements by the President who knows he is in trouble.  The republicans in congress followed Trump's lead and was critical of the investigation also.  It has become the ditto heads religion of Trump and his party.

After the indictments were made public, Trump and his press secretary tried to down play the indictments and Trump said Papadopoulos was a low level guy.  However, he told the Washington Post in 2016 that he was an excellent guy and even appointed him to his foreign policy advisory council.  Trumps appointment of Manafort and Papadopoulos to important positions and their relationships with Russia is un-raveling.

And now Twitter and Facebook are admitting that ads and commentary published over their social networks by Russian operatives in thousands of tweets and commentary were slanted to promote Trump and discredit Hillary Clinton.  It is all coming together, the cooperation or Russia (the U.S. major adversary) and the Trump Presidential campaign to manipulate our country's democratic elections.  More and more we can understand why Trump will not make his tax returns public.

As the investigation continues and more indictments are handed down the web of deceit between Russia and the Trump campaign will be exposed.  And the trumpet man will continue to try and corrupt our political system with his lies and fake news. Make no mistake, Hillary Clinton is still a better woman than Trump is a man.  Trump knows it and that is why he still tries to blame her for what ever comes to mind.  How sad for a President of the United States.

NOTE:  When Facebook and Twitter executives testified before congress concerning Russian use of their social network to influence the 2016 Presidential election it was disclosed that Fox News and other conservative news media outlets republished and used the Russian slander articles against Hillary Clinton even though they knew the source of the slander.  And of course, individuals who support Trump repeated that on their Facebook page and Twitter accounts.  And we are talking about thousands of ads and commentary that were designed to damage Clinton and support Trump's campaign for election.  The lies and fake news did not matter to those who supported the trumpet man.


This commentary written by Joe Lorio

A Worthwhile Partnership For Louisiana, Its Workers and Industry

The New Orleans Advocate of 10/30 carried a story concerning the introduction of a work program between Delgado Community College and Entergy New Orleans called The Louisiana Certified Line Worker Training Program.  Entergy contributed $50,000 to Delgado to support the new program which was developed through a partnership between the Louisiana Energy Workplace Consortium and the Louisiana Community and Technical College System.

With the need of skilled trained line workers in the future the consortium came together and was instrumental in developing the programs's curriculum and designing the training facilities.  The 26 week evening program at Delgado and Fletcher Community College will begin in January.  Graduates of the 26 week program will receive certification, be qualified for employment as a line helper and receive job placement assistance.

The partnership between industry and Louisiana's education system should be given top priority so our citizens can be trained to fill the jobs that are necessary to keep up with the skills needed in today's business world.  It is money well spent by business and the state especially since Louisiana is ranked so low on the job skill ladder, pay and the economy.  It is one of the best avenue for big time progress and for those who can not attend a four year college.

The state of California has been involved in this type partnership for many years and the state and its people have been on the cutting edge of economic progress, job creation and good paying jobs.  It is a proven economic tool for the future and Louisiana's elected officials should embrace the partnership as an ongoing program.


This commentary written by Joe Lorio

The GOP Ideology: Their Commitment To Corporate America and Greed Continue Unabated.

After the great republican economic recession of 2008 caused by Bush's policies and a lack of regulation of the financial institutions, the democratic controlled congress under President Obama passed legislation known as Dodd-Frank that brought new regulations to prevent a future occurence and made the Wall Street Banks and other financial institutions more accountable.

But now with Trump striking down one regulation after another for business and the financial institutions, the GOP controlled congress voted to over turn a Consumer Financial Protection Rule that allowed class action lawsuits against banks.  The action by the GOP will further loosen regulation of the Wall Street Banks.  Little by little Trump and the GOP are dismantling the effects of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.  All democrats in the U.S. House and Senate voted against the rule change.  Louisiana's Senator Bill Cassidy voted for the bill while Senator John Kennedy (R) voted with the democrats in the Senate.  In the U.S. House Louisiana's republican reps. Ralph Abraham Garret Graves, Clay Higgins and Mike Johnson voted for the bill change while Louisiana's democratic rep. Cedric Richmond voted against the change.  Louisiana's republican rep. Steve Scalise did not vote.

Trump and the GOP continue their antiAmerican ideology with corporate America and the big banks after costing the federal government billions of dollars, ruining the economy, record job losses and huge deficit spending.  Those are the one per-centers of greed who orchestrated the transfer of wealth from the middle class to the wealthy.  The Trump-GOP swamp has been growing ever since the trumpet man took office.

America has witnessed three great bank failures, all on the republican watch (Hoover, Reagan and Bush 43) and those failures were the worst.  Ditto the worst economic depression and the worst economic recession on the republican watch (Hoover and Bush 43).  It was a time when the GOP looked the other way on enforcement.  Reagan and Bush failed to learn what the Sumerians taught almost 6000 years ago when they believed that understanding the mistakes of the past, was the key to a better future.

Trump and the GOP are now following in Reagan and Bush's footsteps and could care less about governing, the people or the country.  They made their decision long ago.  Money, greed, power and ego.  They are traitors to the natural order of life itself.


This commentary written by Joe Lorio

Will The GOP Have Enough Votes In Congress To Reject Trump's Tax Reform scheme and Fraudulent Proposal?

All the GOP needs is three or four of their U.S.Senators to vote no along with the democrats to defeat the tax scheme that benefits corporate America and the wealthy.  A majority of 51 votes is needed instead of the usual 60 because the GOP is handling the issue under their budget reconciliation process which favors the GOP as they control the Senate.

A lot more republicans in the U.S. House would have to vote no with the democrats to defeat the measure so the best chance for defeat would be the U.S. Senate.  This writer believes the GOP will pass the bill because like Trump, they are committed to the swamp of corporate America and the wealthy.  With out their campaign contributions, there would be no swamp.  And remember, during the campaign, Trump said he contributed to members of congress because when he needed a favor, he called them.  In other words the trumpet man was part of the swamp in politics before he decided to run for President.

The scheme and fraud of Trump's tax plan is "trickle down economics" that will create jobs, bring back jobs to America, make corporate America more competitive, raise the wages of the middle class and a hundred other lies like the ones told about Trumps and the GOP health care plans.  And just last week Trump added another lie when the stock market hit a new high which he contributed to his tax plan.  The fact of the matter tells us that the stock market tripled on President Obama's watch and corporate America"s taxes were not reduced 15% like Trump wants to do.

The record is clear.  Reagan and Bush 43 tried trickle down economics and the Clinton administration's economy did better in every category, and much better, including balanced budgets with surpluses.  Reagan and Bush never even came close.  All they did was create debt.  Trump's tax plan like Reagan and Bush will take trillions of dollars out of the federal treasury and distribute that to corporate America and the wealthy.  The Reagan administration also gave the country the Homestead Savings and Loan meltdown which cost the federal government one Billion dollars to bail out.  And of course the Bush administration gave the country the collapse of the Wall Street Banks that cost the government over %800 billion and the worst economic recession since the great depression.  I often wonder what those financial institutions did with the Reagan and Bush tax cuts.

President Obama, taking office with the great recession left by Bush, the economy and every thing that goes with it did much better and the President allowed the Bush tax cuts to expire for those making over $550,000.00 a year.  Corporate America and the wealthy has done well under the present tax rates.


True tax reform would be the elimination of all the special interest tax breaks and a fair tax code where every one pays his or her fair share, even the poor.  The GOP long ago identified who they cater to and Trump has done the same as President.  There's also a special motivation for Trump and the GOP to pass their tax scheme.  Both have failed to pass any positive legislation in Trump's 9 months in office and they are hungry for any victory, even if it cost the country and the people dearly.

There were three or four republicans in the U.S. Senate who stood up and said they would not support their party's health care plan introduced by Graham-Cassidy and the GOP pulled the bill as a result.  Will there be three or four more who will stand up and oppose the latest GOP lie called tax reform?  Go ahead, make this writers day.


This commentary written by Joe Lorio

Lets Talk About The Second Amendment From The Perspective of A Former Supreme Court Chief Justice

Warren Burger was appointed chief justice of the Supreme Court by President Richard Nixon in 1969 and was the longest serving Supreme Court Chief Justice of the 20th century serving 17 years in that position.  Burger's BIO reports he played an important role in several republican gubernatorial campaigns in the 1930's and 1940's and played a key role in the republican nomination of Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1952.  After Ike became President, he appointed Burger U.S. Attorney General for the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division and in 1955 nominated him to the U.S. Court of Appeals where he served for 13 years.  In 1988 Burger was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Nixon and many republicans were not happy that the Burger court did not reverse some of the previous supreme court decisions they disagreed with, especially the Miranda decision.  In 1991 Burger was interviewed on the MacNeil/Lehrer news hour where he took aim at the NRA and said the following according to his BIO and I quote.

THE SECOND AMENDMENT HAS BEEN THE SUBJECT OF ONE OF THE GREATEST PIECES OF FRAUD, I REPEAT THE WORD FRAUD, ON THE AMERICAN PUBLIC BY SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS THAT I HAVE EVER SEEN IN MY LIFETIME.  THE FOLLOWING YEAR, HE STIRRED THE GUN LOBBY'S IRE EVEN FURTHER STATING THAT THE SECOND AMENDMENT DOESN'T GUARANTEE THE RIGHT TO HAVE FIREARMS AT ALL.  IN HIS OPINION THE SECOND AMENDMENT'S PURPOSE WAS BEING DISTORTED FROM ITS ORIGINAL INTENT OF ENSURING THAT THE STATE ARMIES --THE MILITIA WOULD BE MAINTAINED FOR THE DEFENSE OF THE STATE.

This writer believes that the former chief Justice knows just a little bit more about the second amendment than the NRA and the republican party in congress.  The second amendment reads as follows:  A WELL REGULATED MILITIA BEING NECESSARY TO THE SECURITY OF A FREE STATE, THE RIGHT OF THE PEOPLE TO KEEP AND BEAR ARMS SHALL NOT BE INFRINGED.

Note:  Militia's have to be authorized by the government.


This commentary written by Joe Lorio

The President In The White House Lacks The Character and Courage To Being A Man

A real man, especially a President does not have to invoke another person's name to try and justify his own actions like President Trump did this week concerning the issue of the four deaths of the U.S. Green Berets ambushed and killed in Niger.  But there he was while questioned about what he said to the wife of one of the soldiers that was killed.  He could not explain to the press or the public his statement so he invoked the names of a few past Presidents and their responses of what happened on their watch.

Then on Thursday he sent his Chief of Staff General Kelly before the press to give a long rambling statement of what the President did and the procedures that take place when a service member is killed in action.  The AWOL President used other people because he himself is incapable of rational thought and has no feelings of empathy towards any one, that includes the military and veterans.

Nine months in office and Trump is still a disgrace to the Presidency and his office.  And the disgrace is wide spread on almost every issue.  To make matters worse, his appointees, cabinet members and the Vice President are willing to enable him and so are most republicans in congress. He can not even do the simple manly task of releasing his tax returns.  America and its citizens deserve better.

Fifty four percent of the voters who voted for someone other than Donald Trump last November understood what was at stake.


This commentary was written by Joe Lorio

The Republican Party's Conservative Extremism and Ideology Mistake

Republican Presidents and those in congress like to support so called strict constitutional judges to the supreme court, especially the chief justice for his swaying power over the eight other justices.  Republicans have a tendency to forget conservative judges are not all into ideology and are more inclined to follow the law and the constitution instead of an opinion based on ideology.  The democrats don't have that problem when appointing judges to the federal court.

The republicans have spent more time on the issue of abortion and the ACA in the last 40 years than any other issue and those two issues are still on top of their to do list.  Yet, both of those issues were decided by a conservative leaning supreme court with a chief justice that was appointed by two republican Presidents.  Chief justice Warren Burger who was appointed by President Richard Nixon voted with the majority in Roe v. Wade on the abortion issue.  Chief justice John Roberts who was appointed by President George W. Bush voted with the majority to up hold the ACA.  Both chief justices were appointed because of their conservative views.  Those two major cases turned the republican party's conservative ideology on its head because the courts recognized the constitution and facts over ideology.  And the republicans have failed to overturn both decisions because they are still using ideology and lies to do so.

And now America has the trumpet man leading the party who has added more lies to the two issues and are trying to undo both, especially the ACA with executive orders backed by lies and sabotage.  Working Americans are paying a heavy price for the republicans failure to govern in a democratic manner and the rule of law and the trumpet man has taken the country to a new low in governing.  The courts will have to be relied on more and more to keep Trump and the republicans in check.


This commentary written by Joe Lorio  

President Obama's Legacy On The National Debt

In past PolitiDose commentary this writer explains with numbers complied by the Congressional Budget Office to show how democratic administrations have done a much better job for the country and its people concerning the economy, job creation, reducing deficit spending, balancing the federal budget and smaller increases in the national debt compared to republican administrations.  And it does not stop there.

Beginning with the Reagan administration was the attitude that conservatives were better at achieving all of the above but the simple facts tell a very different story.  The latest story on the national debt shows that President Obama's last fiscal year ended on 9/30/17 and on that date the national debt stood at $20.2 trillion.  That was a 70% increase in the national debt since George W. Bush's last fiscal year which ended 9/30/09.  The national debt under President George W. Bush increased 105% in his eight fiscal years, 35% higher than Obama's eight fiscal years.

The national debt in Reagan's eight fiscal years increased 186% and in Bill Clinton's eight fiscal years increased 31%.  In George H.W. Bush's four fiscal years it increased 54%.   The myth of those republican Presidents being conservative and best at fiscal matters is just that, pure myth.  And when one realizes the fiscal and economic mess President Obama inherited that none of those republicans had to deal with, Obama's accomplishments should end once and for all the myth of conservatism.  Talk is cheap and the republican talk is the cheapest.

And the myth was exposed long ago here in PolitiDose, your daily dose of political commentary while the news media was given credibility to the republican pronouncements.  Even they forgot to check the facts.  A more definitive report on the national debt can be found in a previous commentary dated 12/6/09 titled, The National Debt:  Betrayal and Devastation.


This commentary written by Joe Lorio

A Pass The Buck President and Another First For PolitiDose

True to past commentary in PolitiDose, President Trump is still passing the buck and playing the blame game.  Four American troops were killed in Niger by an ISIS ambush on October 4 and this week Gold Star mothers and parents who lost their sons and daughters in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan took the President to task for not contacting the parents of those 4 troops who were killed.  The news media also asked Trump about the issue and his tardiness in the matter.  It was pointed out by both that past Presidents called parents timely when such deaths took place.

The trumpet man responded by trying to pass the buck saying past Presidents did not always contact the deceased parents and made a point of mentioning President Obama.  One of Obama's assistants immediately responded that was false.  The reason Trump never talked about the four deaths until he was challenged is because it would remind the public of his bragging that all the killing would stop when he became President.  Yet it happened on his watch along with the record shooting in Las Vegas that killed 58 and wounded over 300.  In that case the trumpet man placed blame on President Obama for the shooter having a bump stock.  Several of the Gold Star mothers reported how President Obama and President Bush called when they lost their son in action.

Trump also passed the buck to congress when he cancelled the insurance subsidy to the ACA and threatened Senator John McCain for a speech he gave and for voting against the senate's phony health care bill.  After 9 months in office the trumpet man is still not close to being Presidential.  To some of the people in his cabinet, he is a moron.  But PolitiDose stands behind previous commentary, Trump is not qualified and is unfit for office.  He is also a traitor for reasons offered, unstable and enjoys lying to the public.  And yes, the only cure is impeachment.  And in the near future there will be more first for PolitiDose.


This commentary written by Joe Lorio

President Trump Will Finally Start Saying Merry Christmas Again

In a speech before the Values Voter Summit, President Trump told the audience we're saying Merry Christmas again.  He also told the crowd, we don't use the word Christmas any more.  The trumpet man lives in his own corrupt world and surely was describing his own lack of the Christmas spirit during the holidays.  

Using the word Christmas and wishing family, friends and others Merry Christmas has never gone out of style during the holiday season but Trump would not know about that.  And in fact is a practice tradition in keeping Christ in CHRISTmas.  We were taught that so long ago.  What has taken place with the right wing conservatives, Fox News, many conservative organizations and Trump is their attempt to divide the country with the lie, "we don't say Merry Christmas any more."  That is what the trumpet man tried to do with his remarks to the so called Values Voter Summit (which is an anti LGBT organization according to an article in the Huffington Post) who trys to push their corrupt values on other people.

The trumpet man will say anything to play to his base.  That is all he has left.  He and his crowd that preach values do so because they have something to hide.  And yes, they are the same crowd who supported taking health care away from millions of those now insured by the ACA and were willing to lie in the process.

The conservative right and those that use the word "values" in the name of their organizations dislike the separation of church and state and the wisdom of our fore fathers.  They use religion to divide like those in the middle east and would like to see a United States of the middle east.  This writer thinks our fore fathers knew what they were doing and had the wisdom to understand everyone has a right to worship and not be harassed by others who would like to force their religious beliefs on society.

Donald Trump makes a mockery of what the spirit of Christmas stands for and the happiness and joy it brings to so many families, children and those in every walk of life.  It is a day of giving, sharing and love which has escaped the trumpet man.  But he did give himself the permission to say Merry Christmas again.  So join in what the American people do best and have always done Mr. President.  You may enjoy it.


This commentary written by Joe Lorio