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

Is It Unthinkable, Or Could It Really Happen.

Could the chance exist that between now and the November election former President George W. Bush will call a news conference and announce he is supporting Hillary Clinton for President and urge his fellow Texans and the American people to do the same.  The former President, now a civilian would be in a good position to do so and restore at least some sense of responsibility in his retired life.

Bush, like Donald Trump could not admit to any mistakes while serving as President and in fact said he made the right decision in invading Iraq.  Trump's economic policy and foreign policy is the same as Bush pushed.  The big difference with Trump is he can not admit to any mistake in his personal or business life and would act the same as President.

Bush's personal and business life was and is different than Trumps.  Bush was not ego driven or looked for the spotlight nor was he married three times.  This writer believes that Bush knows very well how wrong his foreign and economic policies were for the country and its people and even knows and understands that Iraq was indeed an unnecessary war that did so much damage.  He also knows Trump's Presidency if elected would do the same damage to the country.

So Bush the civilian and former President could step up to the plate, make such an announcement and spare the country another sad chapter in its history.  It would also be something good for the former President's piece of mind in his retirement years.


This commentary written by Joe Lorio

ISIS Pushed Out Of More Territory

Turkey announced that they and the free Syrian rebels have defeated ISIS along the Syria-Turkey border and that ISIS has lost all areas along that border.  ISIS used the border area to infiltrate both Syria and Turkey and move military supplies.  It is another major defeat for ISIS and Turkey's border with Syria is once again secured of the terrorists.

The fact that Turkey's military and the free Syrian rebels did the job is another piece of good news because they are defending their own countries and that has more significance and sends a more powerful message to the Islamic state.  ISIS has not only lost much territory they once captured they have also lost a number of their top leaders in Iraq and Syria to U.S. drone strikes.

Yes, progress continues to be made against ISIS but don't look for any of the Obama haters to admit it.


This commentary written by Joe Lorio

NBC's "Commander in Chiefs Forum" Was A Major Failure

NBC's "forum" program failed the test thanks to Host Matt Lauer's non "Commander in Chiefs questions.  It was a continuation of the news media in general and their corrupt reporting on this years Presidential campaign.  Elections are no longer respected by the news media and that was exhibited at the "forum" last night when Lauer tried to rush up the candidates answers.  That alone showed the networks disrespect for the subject matter.  After all it was billed as a "Commander in Chiefs" forum so was rushing the answers in line with the subject matter which one would think was important.

The one positive aspect of the program was Hillary Clintons willingness to answer all the questions asked by Lauer and members of the audience.  And that is what Clinton has done all through the campaign.  Her actions show she is a better woman than Frump is a man.  Trump did not answer any question at all that Lauer or the audience asked.  He skirted all around the questions.

Of course, NBC was the network that aired Trump's television show and its affiliate MSNBC continues its love affair with Trump every day on its shows.  The "Commander in Chiefs" forum added another layer of tarnish to a news media that is out of control at a very important time of a national election.


This commentary written by Joe Lorio

Part III The 2016 Presidential Election: Donald Trump Emulating George W. Bush

The comparison can be made but it is not very flattering.  Like Bush, Trump has no political understanding of the economy, foreign affairs or the country, and its people paid the price big time and our veterans paid the ultimate price in an unnecessary war in Iraq over WMD that did not exist.  Trump also tries to talk tough like Bush, and fails the real test of being tough.  Their tax plans of trickle down economics lacks the understanding of arithmetic and in Bush's case reversed the economic progress made during the Clinton administration.  Trump's tax plan would do the same to the economic progress taking place in the Obama administration.  Trumps go it alone in foreign policy and shameful talk about our allies would once again trigger a larger American burden in world affairs and make the United States less secure.

Bush learned nothing from his political experience as governor of Texas because his family name won the election as governor.  He came to Washington lacking political understanding and conspired with Cheney and other neocons to rule like a king with no checks and balances.  Trump has that same attitude but he learned it from the business world where money can buy a lot of things and also destroy a lot of things.  Both Bush and Trump's background was business and business leaders are the worst at running government because the government can not be run like a business.  Business are only concerned with the bottom line and not people.  People are the government.  Business leaders sacrifice their employees every day in favor of their executives.  CEOs and executives earn between 300-400 times what the average worker makes and trickle down economics is a business paradise.

Bush left office as one of the worst Presidents in the nation's history after reversing all the good things Clinton accomplished for the country and its people.  His lack of political understanding and attitude domestically and in foreign affairs set the country back and some of the effects are still a burden to the people.  Now Trump would like to be President at a time the Obama administration has turned the country around for the better.  That must not happen because Trump would ape the Bush doctrine and repeat the same mistakes.

The country and its people can not afford that history to repeat itself.  A word to the wise should be sufficient.


This commentary written by Joe Lorio