NAFTA is Now USMCA

NYT New NAFTA is signed


The Hill DEMs resist new NAFTA


The partisanship never ends...  Just pass the thing...  Thoughts?

The Bell Tolls for Trump?

From Sean

"If this holds up, I don't know how anyone can claim there was "no collusion". Now, Republicans will have to try to explain it away. Manafort held secret talks with Assange in Ecuadorian embassy"

And then there is this.
CNN Alan Dershowitz says Mueller report will be 'devastating' to Trump

Trump is Bad for Business

VOX GM is closing plants and cutting jobs.
Here’s what it means for workers — and for Trump.
It’s not great.


FOX Trump Not Happy with GM after Job Cuts


Let's see...  Trump:

• raises the cost of steel and aluminum with big tariffs
• raises the cost of many components with big tariffs
• does not place tariffs on completed products
• destabilizes the US Healthcare system by picking away at ACA
• and he is unhappy that manufacturers are suffering?

This is an interesting Letter... (ie Trump is BAD for Business)


Tariffs Hurt the Heartland

4th National Climate Assessment

FOURTH NATIONAL CLIMATE ASSESSMENT

Volume II: Impacts, Risks, and Adaptation in the United States

Pay me now or pay me later. 😎

MN vs WI and IA

A Facebook friend linked to this exercise in selective comparisons with the comment. "Good information for those of you who think Minnesota is going in the wrong direction."

My thoughts are:

• What does our "current state" have to do with "where we are going"?
• I mean the DEMs only had control of the state for 2 years. During which they increased taxes significantly.
• Then in 2015 the GOP was able to reverse some of those excessive hikes that had created a huge surplus.
• My point being that MN is a great place to live, but I have a hard time giving significant credit to the recent DEM policies.
• I personally give a lot of the credit to our strong agricultural history that gave us General Mills, Cargill, Pillsbury, etc.  The fact that a lot of Northern European workaholics settled here, Then there was 3M, Daytons, Target, Best Buy, etc. And our good fortune to have Medtronic set up shop here, which attracted many other medical device firms.

Personally I think comparing IA, MN and WI is silly since they are all excellent states to live in.  And according to this US News Comparison...  IA is #1, MN is #2, ND is #4, NE is #7, WI is #11 and SD is #14...  We all very fortunate!!!

And don't forget that our State has a terrible academic achievement, even though we have a very strong Education Union...  Could those 2 things be related?

Trump on Deficits

It must be hard to be a President when one apparently has ADHD...

Happy Thanksgiving !!!

Earned Income Tax Credit

From Laurie

"New Study Says EITC Expansion Would Be 87% Self-Financed  by Kevin Drum  So would you support more money to poor people if it cost very little? "

I think increasing the EITC may be a good idea if we can reduce the welfare budgets by the same amount. Or are you think we should increase EITC and keep the welfare / Medicaid the same?

I support most programs that require the recipient to learn, work, improve, etc...  I disagree with most programs that provide services or money with little or no expectations of the recipient... The goals need to be:

• Promote fiscally responsible behavior
• Promote escaping government dependency
• Promote learning and improvement 
• Promote raising children well

EPI EITC and CTC History
TPC EITC
CBPP Reducing EITC Over Payments
CBPP EITC and CTC

Lock Her Up ! Lock Her Up !

CNN Ivanka Uses Personnel Email for Business

Then has nerve to say she did not know it was not allowed.

Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha !!!!

Fox News says House will Investigate

Press Pass Games

Thank heavens for Lawyers and Judges to block Trump's more foolish actions.

CNN WH Restores Pass

FOX News WH Restores Pass

The new rules seem somewhat common sense.  Thoughts?

• A journalist called upon to ask a question will ask a single question and then will yield the floor to other journalists.
• At the discretion of the President or other White House official taking questions, a follow-up question or questions may be permitted; and where a follow up has been allowed and asked, the questioner will then yield the floor.
• Yielding the floor” includes, when applicable, physically surrendering the microphone to White House staff for use by the next questioner.
• Failure to abide by any of rules may result in suspension or revocation of the journalist’s hard pass.

2 Republican Wings?

MinnPost Lessons from the past for the GOP to become a majority party

This was an interesting piece...  Probably not likely given the GOP's current rightward shift, however worth consideration. Since a Far Right party does not seem to be very popular.

Acosta Gets Press Badge Back

NPR Judge rules in favor of Acosta and CNN


What I found strange about this is that apparently there are no press pass written rules?

Trump's Racism is Showing

NPR Trump Is Reshaping The Judiciary. A Breakdown By Race, Gender And Qualification


The other day I was trying to give Trump the benefit of the doubt that he is not a true racist... Unfortunately it appears I was very wrong and this article pretty well confirms it.


I mean Obama found better qualified nominees from various races.  Where as Trump is picking White nominees that the Bar rate as less qualified.


I really can not think of another reason for Trump's behavior.


Then there is that very "White" White house.

Rasmussen Presents

MPR Scott Rasmussen says our tradition of pragmatic problem-solving still works today


I heard a little of this at noon and it was pretty interesting.

Trump The Manipulator

Trump sent 45 tweets about the caravan / invasion, and now...  None...

And the cost of the deployment is unknown yet...  But it is a LOT of money.

So he worked so hard to scare his True Believers, he spent many many millions on an unnecessary deployment stunt to scare them even further and the manipulation did not get him everything he wants...  So now he is skipping Presidential duties, moping and ranting... I sure wish he would grow up and start working with people instead of trying to manipulate them.

No Progressive Majority in America

"Frum says There Is No Progressive Majority in America. I think he is wrong and there is a progressive majority. The question is the distribution of these votes and will they amount to a win in the electoral college in 2020." Laurie

I agree with Frum as we have discussed before, especially if one considers Progressives to be Far Left.

G2A Hidden Tribes
G2A Where is G2A (ie John)?
G2A What would make Americans Happy?
G2A Nolan Diagram

Ironically, last night I watched Atlas Shrugged Part 1...  There is a good reminder to avoid Progressive policies. :-)

Women and the GOP

Vogue Why Do White Women Keep Voting for the GOP and Against Their Own Interests?

Rarely do I actually get angry when I read articles, however this one was so condescending to women that disagree with the author that it raised my blood pressure a bit.  This Tammy Bruce response describes my views pretty well.

FOX News 'Unsisterly': Vogue Asks Why White Women Keep Voting for GOP, 'Against Their Own Interests'  Must-see response from Tammy Bruce.

And Yahoo discussed the 2 above views..

More related pieces

The Hill: Get Women Back

CNN Women Defect

Now given Trump's behaviors and the failure of the GOP to control him, I can understand why women are leaving the GOP. (ie "grab pussies", separate families, supporting Kavanaugh, attacking Ford, etc...)

However the DEMs are going to have a hard time attracting more women as long as they keep supporting all abortions, weak borders, more welfare w/ few expectations, etc.  

Controls the Burbs, Control the Country

MinnPost Suburban voters didn’t just elect Democrats to Congress and the Minnesota Legislature — they drove DFL victories statewide

We often talk about Urban and Rural voters, when the real decision makers are the folks in the burbs and large towns. I mean they have a lot of people living there and often they are more affluent.

Of course Trump's coarse behaviors, lies, etc drove a lot of us burbers away from our beloved GOP party...  I keep wondering if that man is capable of learning and improving, or if will stick with the same destructive hateful playbook?  If he doesn't learn and the DEMs find a likable candidate, I think 2020 is going to be very painful for the GOP.

Did DEMs Win MidTerms

VOX The strange argument that Democrats actually lost the midterms, debunkedWhat centrists like Nick Kristof and Bret Stephens get wrong about the midterms.


CNN Who really won the midterm elections?


In my opinion it was the DEMs that won the mid-terms.  And when Trump said that he had won it, I knew I was correct... :-)  I mean every thing fell has predicted for the most part.  The Senate was a stretch from the start due to who was up for election.  Thoughts?


Some other topics:
Trump Threatens More Journalists
Trump Denies Knowing AG He Put in Charge...
Trump With No Evidence Claims Fraud
Trump Bashes Kellyanne's Husband


Well I am pretty sure that we can now say that Trump is not going start acting Presidential anytime soon.

Trump News Conf and More

Well he is off to a normal start...

NYT 7 Dubious Claims From Trump’s Post election News Conference

CNN Trump Pulls Acosta Press Pass

FOX News Trump Touts Success

VOX Sessions and Mueller

Anything I missed?

Thank Hevens: Grid Lock Again

Well I got most of my wishes... I mean both the Fed and State governments are split again. Unfortunately MN went too far DEM for my tastes. 


The questions on my mind:

• Will Trump change his style somewhat in response to this rebuke from the American people?  Or will he blame others for the failures, claim any successes and stay the same annoying person? (likely the latter)
• Will the US Dems waste the next 2 years trying to impeach Trump? (likely)
• Will that crackpot Ellison waste MN dollars suing the Feds, protecting illegal residents and fighting our police officers? (likely)

Thoughts or Questions?

CNN DEMs Ascendant
FOX News DEMs to Flex Muscles
MinnPost DEMs Win Most
MPR News Results

The Proof is in the Vote

Often folks here like to accuse me of being a Conservative, where as I see myself as a slightly right leaning moderate with slight libertarian leanings. Well today I voted across the board...  I voted for the DEMs in the National races, the GOPs in the State races,  Yes for the District 281 referendum and ignored all those local offices that I know NOTHING about...

My rationale was very simplistic:

• Why vote for people if I have ZERO knowledge
• MN is too Liberal for me, some years of GOP dominance could help the State.
• The national GOP has lost its mind and needs some DEM moderation

Now my GOP friends and family will likely disagree with me, however I think Trump is poisoning our party. Here is my evidence:

• Instead of rallying us around a great economy and jobs, he chose promoting fear of desperate immigrants.
• Under his leadership we passed a HUGE tax cut with no corresponding offsetting spending cuts.
• Instead of working with our world partners to fix our China trade issues, he chose to start a trade fight with pretty much everyone.
• His obsession with vilifying anyone who disagrees with him or calls him out for lying.

Until we find a way to get a Third Party in the Middle, I guess my goal is to keep the Far Left and Far Right balanced so neither can do too much damage.  Though that is going to create its own problems.

Election Thoughts?

Any election thoughts as the day approaches?
This SO EXCITING !!!
CNN Poll
Five Thirty Eight
FOX News

Emotional Tribal Members

I am going deer hunting...  I will leave you with this excellent FB Image a friend of mine posted...  It is simply darling and oh so true...

More Climate Change Info

Scientific American The Oceans Are Heating Up Faster Than Expected
Wiki History of climate change science


G2A Scientist Apparently Know All
G2A Climate Balance

We Need a Third Party?

Eric Black at MinnPost pointed me to this Gallup Perceived Need for Third Major Party Remains High in U.S. Eric is a big fan of countries with parliamentary systems.

Now I don't like either party since I am somewhat fiscal conservative and socially liberal... This interested me very much and I reviewed the Gallup piece linked above. Unfortunately their implications section did not fill me with hope.

"At various points since 2007, a majority of Americans have contended that a third major political party is needed in the U.S., while the minority have believed the two major parties adequately represent the American people. That pattern continues today with an unprecedented five-year stretch when demand for a third major party has been 57% or higher, including 71% or higher among independents. 

While this may seem promising for any group thinking about promoting such a party, it is one thing to say a third major party is needed and quite another to be willing to join or support it. Americans' backing of the idea could fall under a mentality of "the more, the merrier," in which they would be pleased to have more viable political choices even if they vote mainly for candidates from the two major parties. And that says nothing of the structural barriers third parties face in trying to get on the ballot. 

With most Republicans and Democrats viewing their own party favorably, the real constituency for a third party is likely to be political independents, meaning the party would have to be politically centrist. Thus far, the Green and Libertarian parties have succeeded in running national presidential campaigns but not in attracting big numbers of registered members. But with record numbers of Americans frustrated with the way the nation is being governed, the country could be inching closer to having enough people who want an alternative to the status quo to make it a reality, at least with the right candidate at the helm."

Well...  Maybe someday...