Friday, June 1, 2018

The United States and North Korea Summit

If it happens on June 12 like it was originally planned then it was never cancelled like President Trump said it was.  So what else is new?  If it does take place and both sides say it was successful, then you will know North Korea will come out with the advantage.  Why?  Well, because North Korea like Iraq was never a threat to the national security of the United States or South Korea.

So the United States will give up something big while North Korea will reduce its nuclear capacity that it would never use any way against the U.S. and as a result will surrender very little.  North Korea sits on half a peninsula and would be a sitting duck if they launched a war against any one.  North Korea also has a kicker in South Korea whose leader would like to normalize relations with the North and both sides can do so without any outside interference.  They could also agree that the U.S. must remove its military forces from the Korean peninsula.

North Korea, a poor country unlike the South developed a nuclear capacity to have a bargaining chip in dealing with the U.S. and the west and to obtain respect and a opportunity to sit at the same table.  George W. Bush was the last President who sold the U.S. on a war with Iraq over WMD that did not exist.  Fifteen years later we are still in Iraq after losing over 4000 troops killed and over 30,000 wounded.  Now we have another President by the name of Trump who threatened a war with N. Korea with fire and fury while he kisses up to Russia who is the real enemy of the U.S. with a developed nuclear capacity.

When it comes to nuclear weapons on the Korean peninsula it is necessary to remember it was the U.S. who first introduced nuclear weapons in South Korea early on and then withdrew them in 1991.  Also, it was the trumpet man himself who said during the 2016 campaign South Korea should build its own nuclear weapons.  There is one thing you can take to the bank.  That is as long as the U.S. and other nuclear powers have the attitude that they can keep their nuclear weapons but no one else can develop their own, as sure as the night follows the day, there will be some country and its leader who takes that as blackmail and will develop a nuclear capacity of their own.

The spread of nuclear weapons is a never ending story with the conditions the world lives under today.  We just do not know what nation will be the next to seek those WMD.


This commentary written by Joe Lorio


Saturday, May 26, 2018

Trump's So Called Tough Talk On North Korea Backfires

The President's tough talk on North Korea caught up to him and as a result Trump cancelled the summit between the two countries.  The President said it was a set back for North Korea and the world, but it was a setback to a President who has no political understanding or policy on the subject of North Korea.  And it was the trumpet man and his supporters who were bragging that it was Trump's tough talk that was responsible for Kim Jong to agree to the talks.  Yeah, right, only in their dreams.

Kim Jong kept a low profile, released 3 Americans from captivity and followed through of refraining from testing any more missiles before the summit.  Trump responded by allowing the U.S. joint military exercise with South Korea take place and Trump's national security adviser, John Bolton said the U.S. would apply the Libya standard on North Korea's nuclear capacity.  Those issues should be handled with at the summit but Trump and Bolton tried to bully Kim Jong and he replied forcefully to the suggestion by Bolton.  After Trump cancelled the summit, he changed his tune and said the Libya standard would not apply.  So much for tough talk.

Trump's administration is in chaos no matter what it touches and Trump's ego is so dependent on adulation a commemorative coin was prematurely issued concerning the summit before the fact.  There is no real policy plan or thought by this President concerning North Korea and no preparations and it came to the forefront.  Plus there are those in the administration who would like to see another Iraq operation in North Korea.

Make no mistake, if and when a summit ever takes place, North Korea will emerge as the country who achieved all its goals while giving up very little and its nuclear capacity will be the vehicle to their success.  PolitiDose will state the reasons why in a future commentary coming up soon.


This commentary written by Joe Lorio

Friday, May 25, 2018

Another Huge First For PolitiDose

Bob Marshall in a Times Picayune article dated 5/20 titled, Our Elected Officials Are Putting Health and Safety At Risk" is a great commentary concerning issues written and reported on in PolitiDose over a period of time.  Marshall outlines the issues in a list of those rules or regulations that have been rolled back or repealed by the Trump administration and supported by Louisiana's six GOP congressional delegation.

Those rules and or regulation changes have a direct and negative impact on Louisiana and the country in general and are part of the extreme republican ideology that PolitiDose has talked about for years.  Bob Marshall is a credible reporter and Louisiana can be thankful for his timely thoughts.  His editorial confirms PolitiDose's position that Louisiana is poorly represented in congress by its republican representatives and that the state deserves better.


This commentary written by Joe Lorio

Thursday, May 24, 2018

The Propaganda Of Conservative Journalist Cal Thomas Continues

In his editorial of 5/23 published in the Times Picayune, Thomas continues his ditto head propaganda that PolitiDose has exposed long ago in many of its commentaries.  Thomas tries to tie the GOP's failure to balance the federal budget to democratic spending and the growth of the federal government.  He complains that Trump was right during the campaign when he criticized the increase in the national debt during the Obama administration.

The national debt increased 70% during President Obama's 8 fiscal years.  But it increased a whopping 186% during Ronald Reagan's 8 fiscal years and 106% during the 8 fiscal years of George W. Bush.  So President Obama did a better job than both Reagan and Bush in slowing the growth of the national debt.  But Thomas was not man enough to even mention that.  He talks about republican senator Rand Paul's attempt to pass a balance budget amendment that the republican controlled senate rejected and says Paul introduced the amendment to point out the republicans hypocrisy on the matter.  Of course, those that follow politics know that Paul was talking about himself as he voted for Trump's tax cut that will add $1.5 trillion to the national debt per the CBO's report.  Thomas was silent about that also.

The whole point of Thomas' editorial was to try and paint the republican's failure on fiscal matters to adopting democratic policies but nothing could be farther from the truth.  Like Trump, republicans and conservatives have to blame democrats for everything negative that happens on their watch even when they control the Presidency and both houses of congress.  Thomas would like to make the republicans position on their fiscal failures as something new, but it won't wash with the facts or his fake news.

Because, (1)  No republicans President has balanced the federal budget since Eisenhower in 1960.  That is over 50 years ago, but two democratic Presidents balanced five federal budgets in that same time period.  (Lyndon Johnson and Bill Clinton)  (2)  No republican President has left office in the last 50 years with a smaller deficit than when he took office.  But President Clinton and Obama did.  (3)  The smallest increase in total federal spending in the past 38 years took place on the watch of Presidents Clinton and Obama.  The largest increase took place on the watch of Presidents Reagan and Bush 43.  (4)  The largest increase in the national debt took place on the watch of Presidents Reagan, 186% and George W. Bush, 105% in the last 50 years.

Thomas and the republicans dislike of Democrats and the fact that democratic administrations out perform republican administrations is their motivation for not telling the American people the truth.  And when you can't admit the truth to your own base and supporters, there is no character or courage.  And when one becomes a Trump ditto head you have hit the bottom of the gutter.

The one important fiscal matter missing from Thomas's editorial was the fact of the CBO's report that says the Trump tax cuts will reduce federal revenue, bring back single year budget deficits in the trillion dollar range and add dramatically to the national debt.  It will also have an overall negative impact on the economy.  Thomas had nothing to say about that, he just gave Trump a pass.





Monday, May 21, 2018

Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards Vetoes The State's Budget

The republican controlled state legislature was up to their same old tricks after a special and regular session ended and approved a budget that did nothing to deal with the states fiscal problems they created during former governor Jindal's terms in office.  As a result, Governor Edwards refused to sign what he called "a pretend budget" and vetoed it.

The budget failed to address the expiring tax revenue loss that will sunset June 30, made major cuts to the medical field, higher education and the TOPS program.  The same old republican story that has made the states fiscal problems worse.  And the $28.5 billion budget did  not address the projected deficit of the next fiscal year beginning July 1.  It is a rerun of past republican budgets.

For those who follow PolitiDose and the facts, one realizes budgets can not be balanced with budget cuts of the magnitude and areas that are cut when the state doles out $8 billion in tax breaks annually to business.  That is $8billion of lost revenue plus other goodies given to business which  results in more lost revenue for the state.  The republicans have tried the same formula in congress with their failed ideology and have not balanced one federal budget since President Eisenhower's administration in 1960.  That is over 50 years ago.

Does any one remember the stage budget was $34.3 billion for fiscal year 2007-08?  So large cuts have been made over the years to the budget but the budgets are still our of balance because it is out of kilter on the revenue side.  The  republicans never want to talk about that.  In fact, governor Edwards is more conservative on fiscal and money matters than the republicans and that is why he will not accept the republican's failed ideology.  They are conservative in rhetoric only.  Governor Edwards has the right approach for a long term solution to the budget problem and it is a balanced one of revenue and cuts that are fair, sustaining and will move the state's economy forward which will benefit all the people.

The second special session starts Tuesday.  The ball is in the republicans court one more time.(the third time this year)  Will they do the right thing or adopt their failed positions of the past once again.  They want to make Edwards a one term governor and so far have rejected a chance to work with him for the good of the state and its people.  The people of Louisiana elected Edwards because of the failed leadership of his republican opponents.  If the republicans are truly interested in helping the state and its people they should go with a budget of Edwards choice.  Are they afraid the governor has the right plan to finally bring Louisiana's fiscal house credibility?

The second special session that starts Tuesday will tell the story.


Friday, May 18, 2018

The Republican Party Continues To Fail At Governing

May 20 will mark 16 months that Trump and the republican party have controlled the federal government and their signature issue, immigration reform has no policy on the table to take up and debate even though the President cancelled DACA (which was stayed by the courts) without himself or his party having a plan to replace it.  Much like they had no legitimate pan or policy to replace the Affordable Care Act.

Trump and his party's rhetoric on immigration is just that and the republican party also failed on the issue the two years before Trump became President when they controlled both houses of congress.  They completely avoided the issue during the 2016 Presidential campaign and they are avoiding it now because of the November elections.  A small band of so called conservatives in the republican house said this week they would bring up DACA for debate.  However, their "speaker of the House" Paul Ryan shot that down immediately and said there is no rush to do so.  I guess years of inaction by the republicans is considered a rush.  What a bunch of failed elected public servants.

Trump's rhetoric about Mexico paying for a security wall and his lack of a coordinated immigration reform plan to address the total problem is a fraud and part of his ongoing fake news.  He did not have the character, courage or honesty on the campaign and tell the American people they should pay for the wall.  And this guy says he keeps his word.  Yeah, right.  The real story is Trump and the republican party do not won't immigration reform.  If they did, a plan and policy would have already been debated in congress.  The democratic party would have been glad to add their input.

Sixteen months and only tax legislation to show for it.  Scandal, division, appointees leaving in record numbers, conflicts of interest, doing business with the Russians, perpetual lies and fake news, regression and a disrespect for our institutions and people in general.  Never in our lifetime has America and its people been treated so un-American by a President and his lack of respect towards everyone.  And the trumpet man still passes the buck.  What a shame.


This commentary written by Joe Lorio

Tuesday, May 15, 2018

Trump's Nominee To Be CIA Director Can Not Answer A Simple Question

Like Trump's decision not to release his tax returns, a simple decision by political standards, his appointee to be CIA director Gena Haspel could not answer a simple question before the U.S. Senate hearing for her confirmation.  The question she was asked before the senate hearing:  "Do you believe torture is immoral?  Haspel would not answer and danced around the subject.  It was truly a simple question and Haspel was and is very familiar with torture.

Haspel's lack of an answer to a simple but important question led Senator John McCain, a victim of torture himself during the Viet Nam war to say he could not support or vote for her confirmation.  Our adversaries would take Haspel's non answer to mean she would not take their torture of Americans as immoral.  And of course, President Trump's position is he would not rule out torture  Just another reason to put Americans a risk.

Trump's 15 months in office reflects actions that continue to disrespect our institutions and those things that have made America great.  The Bush administration took a step backwards when torture was allowed during the war on terror and Haspel was involved with that program.  And John Bolton, President Trump' new national security adviser was one of Bush's neocon supporters of the war and occupation of Iraq over WMD that did not exist.

Everything is coming full circle with Trump's appointee John Bolton and his nomination of Haspel for Director of CIA.  President Obama's policies changed our country's course in Iraq, kept America safe, brought Bin Laden to justice, defeated ISIS and did not appoint people with extreme ideologies and still did his job without damaging our institutions.  President Obama knew the awesome responsibility of the Presidency and what the office and America stood for.  But now, America has Trump, a malignant President whose ditto heads are willing to allow themselves to be pushed as low as the President stoops.

Fifty four percent of the voting public who voted against Donald Trump in the 2016 election understood Trump was the least qualified to lead America.  They also knew from the campaign, Trump was a perpetual  liar and his corrupted attitude would infect America's political process.  The 54% also understood who was the real crooked candidate.


This  commentary written by Joe Lorio




Saturday, May 12, 2018

Trump's Malignancy Continues To Poison The Presidency and Every Thing He Touches, Especially His Own Appointees

PolitiDose called the shots on Trump way back during the campaign concerning his un-American behavior, lack of character, corruptive attitude and his traitorous acts.  Carl Bernstein a respected journalist said Trump' Presidency was malignant.  And as President Trump continues to operate in the gutter, his appointees are happy to follow Trump's lead with their support and related rhetoric.

This week the malignancy reached a new low at a White House meeting where the subject of Senator John McCain's opposition to Gene Haspel's nomination to be director of the CIA came up and one of Trump's aides Kelly Sadler remarked, "he's dying anyway."  The disgraceful remark made the head lines all day in the news media and former V.P Joe Biden and others rightfully let their feelings be known.  President Trump was silent, never apologized and the republican party in general had nothing to say.  Sadler's disrespect of Senator McCain fits in with Trump's own disgraceful remark during the campaign when he said he did not like people who were captured in reference to McCain.

Candidate Trump and President Trump are no friend of Veterans.  There were thousands of American POW's during America's wars who suffered greatly and many who died in captivity. The nation and especially the commander in chief should acknowledge and honor their service instead of being told they were not liked by the commander in chief because they were captured.

Trump and his ditto heads have stooped so low,, there is no bottom.  He and his party  do not belong any where near America's table and as time goes on it gets worse.  Trump has infected everyone in his cabinet all his appointments and the republican party in congress.  The infection travels from the top down and no one infected has the character, courage or the American spirit to stand up to the trumpet man and be counted.


This commentary written by Joe Lorio



Wednesday, May 9, 2018

Trump Trys To Act Tough On Iran

The President of the United States, Donald Trump, better known as the trumpet man walked the U.S. away from the nuclear agreement with Iran that was signed by the U.S.  with American allies in 2015.  And in his announcement tried to talk tough but failed the test of being Presidential.  Iran has not only complied with the provisions of the treaty, the inspectors who have to certify such compliance reported no violations and that Iran was living up to its obligations under the treaty since the very beginning.

Trump's excuse was that he wanted to link the treaty to other issues related to Iran and that Israel's leader Netanyahu told him Iran attempted to produce a nuclear bomb prior to 2003.  Netanyahu, like Trump     is a creator of fake news and said years ago that Iran was within 6 months of acquiring a nuclear bomb.  Of course it never happened.  The U.S. is a friend of Israel but Israel is no friend of the United States and Trump has become Netanyahu yes man.  Because of Trump's corrupt nature, he can not accept any treaty or agreement that works and does what it is meant to do.

So now U.S. sanctions will go into effect against Iran.  However, that is a Trump ploy as he also announced that the big money sanctions against Iran will not become effective until 90-160 days depending on the sanction.  In other words if Iran and the other parties to the agreement stay with the agreement, the sanctions will have a minor affect on Iran.

The Iran agreement allowed the U.S., its allies and the world the opportunity to learn about Iran's nuclear capabilities thanks to the inspection requirements in the agreement and that is huge.  Yet, the U.S., its allies and the world know nothing about Israel, India or Pakistan's nuclear operations because their facilities are closed to the outside world.  Is it not ironic that it was Israel who introduced nuclear weapons to the middle east many, many years ago and not Iraq, Iran or Syria.

Trump's decision and action will not make the U.S. any safer than it was under former President Obama.  And his tough talk against domestic gun violence has not made America safer.  In fact we now know 2017 was the worst year of such violence and it happened on Trump's watch as previously reported in PolitiDose.  Israel and the United States both have the creators of fake news and it will only become worse.


This commentary written by Joe Lorio

Monday, May 7, 2018

Job Creation: President Trump and President Obama

The major news media, Television, Printing and Radio have lost sight of political accomplishments and or failure to produce and in the case of President Trump, they are occupied by Trump's scandals and lies.  In the case of President Obama, they never acknowledged his success on the economy, job creation, lowering the unemployment rate, reducing deficit spending or keeping America safe.  They really did not want to talk about the terrible economic recession that he inherited.

The media does not even care about an informed public but PolitiDose does and has written commentary since 2008 concerning the records of democratic and republican administrations.  President Trump is still trying to convince everyone how good he is at creating jobs and of course the news media just accepts his hype.  They are too tied up reporting on Trump's lies.  So PolitiDose will offer its readers the following information on job creation.  From February 2017 through April of 2018, a period of 15 months, 2,704,000 jobs were created on Trump's watch which averages 180,000 jobs per month.

In President Obama's last 15 months in office from November 2015 through January 2017, 2,983,000 jobs were created on Obama's watch which averaged 198,000 jobs per month.  So for all the bragging Trump has done concerning creating jobs he lags behind President Obama's record of job creation.  That information is nothing new to those who read and follow PolitiDose even though President Trump inherited an economy in its 9th year of expansion and April 2018 marked the 91st straight month of positive job growth.

And to think Trump criticized job creation under the Obama administration as anemic.  The news media in general does not believe the people should be informed of the failure of republican claims of being the best at everything.   As Trump's Presidency continues along more problems will be exposed, the real problem will be that the people will be the ones that will be hurt.

NOTE:  Job numbers taken from U.S. Labor Department job numbers they release every month.


This commentary written by Joe Lorio