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

WWL Radio's Ditto Heat Reaction To A Non-existent Controversy

This week WWL's host Newell Normand asked his listeners to comment on the NFL's controversy.  He was referring to NFL players who took a knee or sat during the playing of the national anthem.  It was the usual ditto head reaction to use Donald Trump's remarks to blame the NFL for the so called controversy started by Trump himself and there fore it is the Trump controversy and not the NFL controversy.

We all know a small number of Americans through the years have used different ways to express their free speech and expressions in ways most Americans disagree with and would never do.  There is no controversy in that and in the case of the NFL the latest development is nothing new.  What has been added is the trumpet man's ruse to shore up his base by calling those who take a knee or sit SOB's.  That is the controversy and it is Trumps, not the NFL.

Later in the afternoon this week on sports talk, Bobby Hebert and company took up the same so called controversy and continued the ditto head conversation.  Even injected the owners and money matters into the conversation.  Its like the players protest is some thing new and people in sports and who follow sports are just now discovering  the financial wealth of the NFL franchise owners.

This writer is no friend of NFL owners and the corporate Welfare some receive from the states and on record in several past commentary here in PolitiDose on the subject matter.  But this latest controversy is on Donald Trump and sadly, done for political reasons.

The great majority of Americans still feel the goose bumps when the national anthem is played and our flag still fly's proudly above all others.  And yes, we still live proudly in America the Beautiful and always will, of that I am certain because those that want to divide us will fail.


This commentary written by Joe Lorio

Almost Nine Months In Office and Donald Trump Still Governs By Division and Dis-respect For The Presidency

The White House is a building where U.S. Presidents have served with dignity, honor and respect and through the years entertained Americans from all walks of life, is now a place occupied by a trumpet man who respects no one and lacks the basic values of civility.  The sickness that occupy the White House was born by an unstable person named Donald Trump.

The sickness is on-going in a deliberate scheme to destroy the fabric of America's democracy.  The trumpet man is a autocrat who believes in a one man dictatorial rule by trying to destroy people and our institutions by passing blame, personal attacks and division.  The news media has to be destroyed by autocratic rule to suppress the truth and that is what is behind the trumpet man's fake news.  He also likes to stir up a steady flow of accusations to keep the news media from reporting the trouble he is in and his failures as President.

U.S. Senator Bob Corker's recent comments that the White House operates like an adult day care center actually tells the story of a White House that is being transformed from a place of honor to a play thing toy for an autocrat.    The honor of the White House (which is the people's house) has to be destroyed so the autocrat can be given all the attention.

There is no real controversy concerning the NFL and the national anthem.  The controversy is between the trumpet man and freedom of speech and expression and his SOB remark.  It is another autocratic attempt in diverting attention of what the trumpet man is really up too.  We know he does not support veterans, especially those who were POW's like Senator John McCain because he told us he did not like people who get captured.  The trumpet man has no idea what veterans are all about.  But he did have the opportunity to be one since he was of prime age during his generations war.  It is just another scheme by an autocrat's talk like he supports veterans and then do everything to destroy America's institutions that veterans served to protect.

Donald Trump, the autocrat will make a serious attenpt to shut down the news media because the news media represents the first responders for the public to understand Donald Trump's desire for a totalitarian state.

This commentary written by Joe Lorio

Sense-less In America: Automatic Weapons In The Hands Of The Civilian Rank

Let me try and explain why automatic weapons and the means to modify a weapon into an automatic weapon ( called bump stock) should be banned.  In Combat, automatic weapons such as machine guns are the first weapon the infantry on the ground does its best to knock out.  Why?  Because of its fire power, an automatic weapon can pin down a whole company, stop its advances and inflict heavy casualties until it is knocked out.    If caught in the open like the people in Las Vegas, it can kill hundreds in less than a minute.

Banning automatic weapons is really a common sense thing and this writer believes if our forebears who wrote the second amendment were here today would say such a weapon have no place in civilian life.  Yes, innocent people who love guns and who would never use them to inflict harm on another person would have to do without.  But that happens in all walks of life in a civilized world where laws and regulations are what we live by.  Those of us who have any kind of insurance pay a higher rate for other people's accidents.  And higher taxes because taxes are not distributed fair and the list goes on and on.

The assault weapons ban put into place under the Clinton administration worked.  And it should never have been allowed to expire.  Australia passed a National Fire Arms agreement, a law banning automatic and semi automatic weapons after a mass shooting that killed 35 people in 1996.  The law included a buy back of such guns and more than 650,000 were bought back and destroyed by 2001 and there has not been a single mass shooting in the country since then.

America is a christian nation that prays, but prayers alone won't stop sense-less acts of mass murder when killing weapons can be acquired so easily.  The facts confirm that.  The NRA has managed to cancel out much prayer with their campaign contributions to enough members of congress who claim to offer prayers every time there is a mass shooting.

The time has come and in fact is over-due to knock out the automatic weapons that have pinned the country down far to long with its mass killings.


This commentary written by Joe Lorio

The U.S. Economy Lost 33,000 Net Jobs In September

The U.S. Labor Department announced that the U.S. economy lost 33,000 jobs in September.  That was the first negative jobs report since 2010 and ended the record of 83 straight months of positive job growth.  Unemployment came in at 4.2%.  The leisure and hospitality industry lost 111,000 jobs, the most since 1945.

One financial institution said the loss of jobs should be a temporary thing and some economist were expecting a job increase for September of 80.000 jobs even with hurricanes Irma and Harvey.  One month of negative job numbers standing alone is not a good measure as to where the economy is going or the ability of the economy to continue to create jobs.

But it is enough to call to mind that republican administrations have a poor record on the economy and job creation.  And Trump has yet to address the economy with any legislation, only his rhetoric and he has been in office over 8 months.   Another problem is Trumps recent executive order to undo parts of the ACA that he and his party failed to do through congressional actions.  It was pointed out by many economist long ago that the ACA created jobs.

The bottom line is the President is late in addressing the most important issue, the U.S. economy and jobs.  Every thing else flows from that and forms the basis of meeting the other challenges that face the country and its people.  President Obama faced a more difficult problem in his first 8 months in office and responded with policies that moved the country out of the great republican recession.

We will soon find out how concerned President Trump is with September's Job numbers.


This commentary written by Joe Lorio

Sean Payton Scores A Huge Touchdown With His Comment On President Trump

New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton has a coaching problem but understands the fundamentals of being an American and living in a free country.  He also understands that Trump used the NFL and some players for political reasons when the trumpet man called players who take a knee during the playing of the national anthem SOB's.

But unlike Trump, Payton has a healthy respect for politics and knew Trump, being President of the United States took the Presidency to a new low with his SOB comment.  Payton responded by saying the office (Presidency) could use more wisdom and that the President's comments were divisive for the country. Payton's mind obviously is not all about football and understands that America has other challenges that need to be addressed including politics.

The trumpet man deserved those comments because they fit him perfectly.  The man who put his hand on the bible and swore to uphold and defend the constitution (and therefore the people's right that go with it) had to try and act tough by calling some players SOB's.  Payton as a football coach, displayed wisdom lacking in the trumpet man.


This commentary written by Joe Lorio

Louisiana's Republican Representative in The U.S. House Steve Scalise and The Fox News Network Deserve Each Other

Steve Scalise told the host of Fox that people should be praying for the people in Las Vegas instead of making a political statement about gun control.  But there was Scalise making his own political statement concerning gun control and the second amendment and revealing his hypocrisy.  Scalise, the self proclaimed conservative just don't understand real people can pray and at the same time express their opinion on a subject matter important to the country and its people.

Scalise went on to say he supports the 2nd. amendment and then followed the same theme the NRA preaches that people need guns to protect themselves and its the best answer to a bad guy with a gun.  Well there were more police officers with guns in Las Vegas on Sunday but they did not stop the murder of 59 people and the wounding of 500 more.  The ditto head story about a good guy with a gun is as phony as Scalise's position.

Scalise and the republican party are in the pockets of the NRA and the gun lobby and the contributions they receive from both groups tell the sad story.  It was the republican administration of George W. Bush that allowed the assault weapons ban to expire even though it did the job it was supposed to do.

At the time of the Las Vegas shooting the republican controlled House was taking up a NRA proposal to ease regulations on gun silencers.  A republican House panel handling the proposal backed the bill and lawmakers were expected to move ahead on the bill according to the Associated Press.  After the carnage in Las Vegas republican speaker of the House Paul Ryan announced there's no plan for the House to act on the NRA's sponsored bill soon.

Hillary Clinton spoke out about the bill  and said just think how many more might have been killed in Las Vegas if the shooter had a silencer.  Like automatic weapons silencers have no place in the hands of civilians.  Unless pressure is applied to elected officials, the GOP will surely bring up the NRA backed silencer bill at a later date.

As this writer has expressed in previous commentary, congress has to pass a ban on all automatic and semi automatic weapons.  Its the right thing to do under the circumstances.  Those weapons do not belong in the hands of civilians, not even hunters because hunting is a sport and those weapons take the sport out of the sport.  Steve Scalise and the republican party represents the NRA and the gun lobby and not the safety of the American people.  And that really says it all.


This commentary written by Joe Lorio

Tough Talk From A Divisive President That Has Not Worked Well.

For the past two weekends, more NFL players took a knee during the playing of the national anthem than they did in the last few NFL seasons.  One player said he would continue to take a knee until the trumpet man apologizes for his SOB remark.  The trumpet mans so called tough talk made matters worse and those who have taken a knee are supported by their team mates and coaches.  The use of free speech has never tarnished America the beautiful and never will.  It was not a problem until the trumpet man made it one in an effort to shore up his poll numbers.

Then out of no where the carnage in Las Vegas that took 59 lives and injured over 500 people was a reminder how the trumpet man's loose tough talk is unbecoming a President.  Trump was quick to criticize and blame President Obama when domestic violence took place in America on Obama's watch and told the people it would not happen on his watch.  Well it did in Las Vegas and it was the worse domestic attack ever in the United States.  This writer looks forward to see if President Trump holds himself responsible for what happened in Las Vegas.

The trumpet man has always been a big supporter of the NRA and the gun lobby and now what happened in Las Vegas will start the debate all over again.  So we will soon find out what form of tough talk will the trumpet man take on the issue.  Some in congress have already said they intend to make it an issue.  The tough talk of Reagan, Bush and now Trump did not keep America safe and for obvious reasons.  It is a show off mentality with no policy and its their way of trying to disguise their own failures.


This commentary written by Joe Lorio