Blue Mass Group

Trump knows his days are numbered. Even Trump’s biggest defender admits the Mueller Report will be devastating politically, never mind what the US Attorney finds in NYC or the NY AG or the investigations by almost every committee in Congress.  The more this man melts down, the dangerous this country becomes. Now in an interview with Brietbart, the “paper of record” for the rightwing, Trump showed what he is capable of…

“So here’s the thing—it’s so terrible what’s happening,” Trump said when asked by Breitbart News Washington Political Editor Matthew Boyle about how the left is fighting hard. “You know, the left plays a tougher game, it’s very funny. I actually think that the people on the right are tougher, but they don’t play it tougher. Okay? I can tell you I have the support of the police, the support of the military, the support of the Bikers for Trump – I have the tough people, but they don’t play it tough — until they go to a certain point, and then it would be very bad, very bad. But the left plays it cuter and tougher. Like with all the nonsense that they do in Congress … with all this invest[igations]—that’s all they want to do is –you know, they do things that are nasty. Republicans never played this.”

How do you react to something like that? Should we be calling our local police chief and ask them if the President of the United States has emergency power over them to arrest those of us who are members of what is considered a “leftie” organization, like the Democratic Party? Should Congress pass a resolution telling the military to only obey legal orders. At the very least, Trump should face censure from Congress for issuing such threats.  But instead, it’s Thursday in Trumpland and I don’t know how to end this post, accept to say–as an agnostic–God help US.

Not a good sign for Massachusetts that the press conference for the (latest) college admission scandal was held in Boston.(https://commonwealthmagazine.org/education/feds-bust-up-side-door-route-into-college/)
As reported in Commonwealth Magazine “The prosecutor’s office has not charged any Massachusetts college administrators or coaches with wrongdoing, but Bay State connections surface repeatedly in the court papers.”
Harvard, Northeastern, Boston College and Boston University were not charged yesterday, but they were named. This raises the tantalizing possibility of a new Beanpot tournament featuring only pretend athletes from celebrity or otherwise well-connected families. We will have to wait for more details to emerge to determine the sport–water polo?, pole vaulting? photo shopping?.
Whatever the sport, it will provide a welcome source of revenue while the four schools are re-applying for tax-exempt status. (Of course they will have to re-apply. You don’t think bribery and racketeering qualify for a tax break, do you?)
No wonder the schools are already issuing statements. “We are not aware of any impropriety in connection with any Northeastern admissions decisions.” I think that’s supposed to be a denial. My advice is to stop issuing statements and start tweeting “NO ADMISSIONS COLLUSION, WITCH HUNT.” There’s a lot at stake.

6/15/15  Candidate Trump announces for president :  “Social Security…I’m not going to cut it at all…Save Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security without cuts.  Have to do it!”

3/11/19  President Trump releases 2020 budget proposal :  Cuts $25 billion from Social Security, $241 billion from Medicaid and $845 billion from Medicare.

He lied.

Why?  To pay for his obscene $1.9 trillion tax cut to millionaires and billionaires on the backs of our most vulnerable citizens; the old, poor workers and the sick.  A la Robin Hood in reverse.

Facts are stubborn things, indeed.  Remember that on Election Day, November 3, 2020 my fellow Americans.

The state party has posted the draft of the 2020 national convention delegate selection plan for public comment.  Also, the linked page mentions that the national convention site will be announced soon, but it was in fact announced today that the convention will be in Milwaukee.

I have submitted the following feedback regarding the plan:

I would like the state party to consider the following to the extent national rules allow (and communicate same to the DNC suggesting a change of rules if necessary):

Allowing for secret ballots at congressional district caucuses for delegates.  Attendees at these caucuses come of their own accord and do not represent anyone but themselves.  Therefore there is no need for the transparency of a signed ballot and this would eliminate a potential source of inappropriate political pressure.

Eliminate the gender division requirements at least at the district level as based on outdated assumptions.  There will almost certainly be relative parity without it, but could be redressed when at-large delegates are elected.  This eliminates awkward questions about how a person who identifies non-binary might participate and if there happen not to be enough of one gender the other gender could take the slots.  (I would advocate the same changes for our state convention rules as they apply to local caucuses as well.)

Do not allow presidential campaigns to veto the candidacies of would-be delegates.  This caused a lot of hard feelings in 2016.  I would, however, be OK with credential challenges for candidates for delegate who were supporting a candidate other than the one s/he is pledging to support at convention as well as with campaigns communicating the names of which persons they prefer to be elected delegate.

Finally I suggest making March 3rd, rather than February 12th the cutoff for turning 18.  If you can legally vote in our state primary you should be able to participate in the rest of the process as well, provided you are a registered Democrat.