Category: Humor and Weird Wilson-isms Page 2 of 29

In the spirit of her full-length book “Laughing through Life” that featured humorous stories of child-rearing and general life, Connie has written humor columns for a variety of newspapers, which Erma Bombeck’s widower described as being very much like her columns when presented with a book at an Ohio writing festival.

Harris/Walz Sit for CNN Interview on August 29, 2024

By Connie Wilson

On August 29, 2024

In Essays on Politics: Best Political Essays & Ideology, Interviews, Politics, Television

Presidential nominee Kamala Harris.

Kamala Harris and Tim Walz sat for a joint interview at Kim’s Cafe in Savannah, Georgia on August 29, 2024. It was Harris’ 7th trip to Georgia and it is 68 day from the presidential election.

The Republicans have been making a Big Deal out of the fact that Harris (and Walz) had done no sit-down interviews, despite the fact that she just spoke about her vision for America from the DNC stage in Chicago and has been vocal about her views for a long time. One might point to the fact that Donald J. Trump goes off-script and offers bromides about windmills and toilets when he is onstage, which is not particularly helpful in trying to determine his true mind-set about a second term. It appears that his policy playbook would be “All Retribution All the Time.” He has grudges against a lot of people and is still proclaiming the untenable position that the 2000 election was stolen from him, Only his most loyal and blind-to-the-truth supporters even attempt to repeat that falsehood—the Kari Lakes of the party.

For the rest, it is a given that Trump lost in 2020 and Joe Biden has been President of the United States ever since. Only his decision to step away from the Oval Office at the end of his term and pass the torch to a new generation has vaulted Harris to the national prominence that she now enjoys, but she has been the acting Vice President (and the pivotal key vote in the Senate to break ties) ever since 2020. The GOP seems intent on painting a gloomy picture of the future and of being personally insulting to the woman who once served as Attorney General of the State of California. Trump has even gone so far as to say his 78-year-old orange out-of-shape self is “better looking” than the attractive Democratic candidate.

CNN’s Dana Bash asked Kamala Harris:

ON DAY ONE?

Tim Walz at the DNC in Chicago

If you are elected, what would you do on Day One in the White House? (Some of her answer is paraphrased below):

“I would do what I can support the American middle class….People are ready for a new way forward. .People are fueled by hope and optimism, but the former President is pushing an agenda that is about diminishing the character and strength of Americans. I would be implementing my plan for an opportunity economy (bring down the cost of daily goods, invest in families, extend family tax credit to $6,000, investing in the American family on affordable housing.)

Walz, asked about his agenda for a term as Vice President said his goal would be: “Inspiring Americans to what can be. We did it in Minnesota and diminished childhood poverty by 1/3.”

WE’RE NOT GOING BACK

“We’re not going back.” What if some of the Americans want to go back to DJT’s presidency when things were cheaper? (Bash’s second question.)

“When Joe and I came in our highest priority was to rescue America. Inflation is now under 3%. I have been dealing with price gouging. We need to bring down the cost of housing. (Credit of $25,000 for first-time home buyers.) First of all, we needed to recover as an economy (which is why, she says, she has not done more of this program previously). We capped insulin at $35 a month. When we do the work of bringing down the cost of prescription medication in the first year of being in office, cut child poverty down by as much as 50% this will benefit the American middle class. There’s more to do, but that’s good work.”

FRACKING

Banning fracking. Energy. “Do you still want to ban fracking.” Harris’ answer: I made that clear on the debate stage.” In 2020 she was against fracking. However, in 2024, she says, ” I will not ban fracking.” She also spoke out about the need for work on climate change:
“We have a clear crisis in terms of the climate. We created over 300,000 new energy bans.”

THE BORDER

Governor Tim Walz of Minnesota, the Vice Presidential candidate of the Democratic party.

Why did the Biden/Harris wait 3 and ½ years to enforce sweeping border restrictions?

A: “The number of immigrants coming from that region (Central America, Kamala’s chief job as VP to negotiate with leaders of those countries to reduce the flow) has actually been reduced. Joe Biden and I worked with members of the United States Congress and a bill was crafted by some of the most Conservative members of Congress. The bill would have put 1500 new border agents on the border. That bill would have allowed us to seize more shipments of fentanyl. I will make sure it comes to my desk and I will sign it.”

Decriminalizing the border? “We have laws that have to be followed and enforced. I’m the only person in this race who actually served a border state as Attorney General.”

CHANGES ON POLICIES

How did you come to change your mind on policies?

A: “The most significant part of my policies is that my viewpoints and values have not changed. Climate change: Set deadlines and goals. We need to set certain goals and meet them. My values have not changed and 4 years of being VP…traveling the country…I believe it is important to build consensus and to find a common point on which we can build agreement. …I would put a Republican in my administration.” (*This is not particularly revolutionary. After all, Ray LaHood—my former neighbor—served as Secretary of Transportation in Obama’s administration and has endorsed the Harris/Walz ticket, although his son, Darren, spoke glowingly of DJT.”)

TO TIM WALZ:

Hope, Gus and Tim Walz at the DNC.

Service in the National Guard: “I’m incredibly proud of my 24 years in uniform. ..I’ll never demean another member’s service. I never have and I never will.” Walz spoke of his son Gus’ emotional outburst at the DNC in a positive way and only GOP nay-sayers have demeaned the 17-year-old who proudly declared “That’s my Dad” when Walz was onstage.

Walz was asked about his 1995 arrest for DUI: “I’ve been very public. My students come out and vouch for me. I think people know who I am. I’ve taught thousands of students. The contrast could not be clearer between us and our opponents.”

When Kamala Harris was asked about the non-issue of whether she had identified as Black before now, she simply dismissed the comment as being “Same old tired playbook.”

GAZA ISSUE

Gaza: would you do anything differently. “I am unequivocal in Israel’s defense and its ability to defend itself. 1200 people were massacred. Women were horribly raped. Israel has a right to defend itself and so would we. How they do so matters. We have to get a deal done about getting the hostages out, get the cease fire done. We have to get a deal done…the significance to the families, to the people living in this area. I remain committed to a two-state solution.”

JOE BIDEN’S CALL TO HARRIS

Just 39 days ago that Joe Biden dropped out of the race. Before he told the world, he called his VP as she was making pancakes and bacon for her nieces. She spoke very positively of President Biden.

CNN Discussion Post-Interview:

DAVID AXELROD (DNC STRATEGIST)

David Axelrod. (Photo by Lauren Gerson.)

“Kamala exuded a sense of confidence and calm. She was very connected to her words She seemed like someone who could be President of the United States. She handled the issue of her changes or perceived changes in policy pretty well. The idea that her values were the thing that has remained constant was a good one. As she spoke, I thought it showed a certain character. She didn’t run away from Joe Biden. She gave him his due. It was elevating to me in a way that was unexpected. Today, it showed that she can really do it. Hers is a consistent story of growth.

I think Biden deserves a lot more credit for guiding the country through the pandemic and the economic disaster he walked into,. To the degree that they are saying that she is going to continue to do exactly the same thing that Biden did, it is going to be a challenge for her. (But. he noted, it is the President who has the final say on policies, not the VP.)

If I were advising her, I would say make him (Trump) seem small. We know what his habits are. She should have a conversation with the American people about the way forward she sees, not engage with DJT.”

SCOTT JENNINGS (GOP STRATEGIST)

Scott Jennings,

Scott Jennings, Columnist, LA Times, Daily Mail, Gannett: “If I were the Trump people I would be salivating over her failure to show remorse” (for things she and Biden achieved or in Jennings’ opinion, botched.) (*He was critical of the Afghanistan withdrawal, but, finally, a President got us OUT of Afghanistan after many years of hearing it as a goal from others.)

Jennings claimed Harris said she was the last person in the room on Afghanistan. A disagreement arose between Axelrod and Jennings on what that meant. Axelrod pointed out that Harris was the Vice President, not the President, and the policy decisions were ultimately the President’s, not hers.

Others, such as Astead Herndon of the Podcast “The Run-Up” commented that Harris “is a homework do-er. You can see this in her preparation” and, also, that she is ready to be on the defense. Trump is preparing using Tulsi Gabbard who has debated against Kamala Harris.

Did Trump Take A Bribe from Egypt?

By Connie Wilson

On August 26, 2024

In Editorial, Essays on Politics: Best Political Essays & Ideology, Politics

Donald J. Trump

According to Will Bunch, “It’s the most serious bribery allegation in American history.” What is it? Courtesy of the “Philadelphia Inquirer” and “The Week” magazine (Aug. 15, 2024, p.12) it is bribery of a U.S. President. In its details, it is the bombshell that does not surprise anyone who has a low (but accurate) opinion of former Trump Attorney General William Barr. Barr once said of DJT that Trump should not be allowed anywhere near the Oval Office, but now says he will vote for him in November. It was Barr who released the Cliff’s Notes version of the Mueller Report, leading the public astray as to what that lengthy report really said.

Remember: it is Egypt that bribed the recently convicted Robert Menendez (D, NJ) with gold bars, cash and autos.

So, here’s the scoop.

“The Washington Post” revealed that 5 days before Donald Trump took office in 2017 the state-run National Bank of Egypt got a request from a government source to “kindly withdraw” almost $10 million in U.S. currency. Federal investigtors found out about this suspicious withdrawal in 2019 and began examining whether Egyptian dictator Abdel-Fattah el -Sissi illegally gave Trump the cash. Trump put $10 million of his own money into his campaign shortly before the Egyptian withdrawal. The only thing missing was “the smoking gun that could tie in Trump’s unexamined bank records.” Then Attorney General Bill Barr blocked the investigation.

As president, Trump called el-Sissi “my favorite dictator” and released $1.4 billion in military aid to Egypt.

Congress should open a full-blown investigation into why Barr shut down the original probe.

Trump Team Dusts Off Old “Dog-Whistle” Politics Dirty Tricks Campaigning

By Connie Wilson

On August 24, 2024

In Editorial, Essays on Politics: Best Political Essays & Ideology, Politics

Presidential nominee Kamala Harris.

In my recent fact-check of the Trump call-in to Fox News, after Kamala Harris’ speech to the DNC Convention, I mentioned the Willie Horton “dog whistle” attack on Dukakis in 1988 and predicted something similar would occur as Trump uses old techniques to try to drag down his opponent—the dirtier the better, as far as the Trump campaign strategy goes. It wasn’t even more than a day later that the “Washington Post” ran a story on Trump’s attack on Harris for the release of a Willie-Horton-esque criminal named Shawn Tillman.

Talk about predictable tactics from the unscrupulous candidate in the field!

Let’s not forget that Hitler rose to power after claiming that the Reichstag was burned down by his opponents, when history has shown that it was much more likely that Hitler’s supporters committed the arson in order to blame it on his opponents.

And so it goes.

8:50 p.m. EDT

Trump attacks Harris for 2020 tweet supporting Minnesota bail fund

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By Isaac Arnsdorf

National political reporter for the “Washington Post”

“Trump misleadingly blamed Harris for releasing a man from jail who went on to commit murder.

The allegation comes from a bail fund that Harris tweeted support for in 2020, during the protests that followed George Floyd’s killing. Almost two years later, the fund provided bail for a man named Shawn Tillman, who was charged with misdemeanor indecent exposure.

A judge decided to release Tillman on bail, and that charge was ultimately dismissed. In a separate case, Tillman was later charged and convicted of murder and sentenced to life.

The Trump campaign has attacked Harris’s connection to the bail fund as part of a tactic widely viewed by scholars and other experts as playing on old racist tropes and exploiting stereotypes about crime and people of color.”

Kamala Harris Accepts Democratic Presidential Nomination; DJT Phones In on Fox

By Connie Wilson

On August 23, 2024

In Books, Editorial, Essays on Politics: Best Political Essays & Ideology, News, Of Local (Quad Cities') Interest, Politics, Television

I had planned to write a piece commenting on Kamala Harris’ acceptance speech on the final night of the DNC in Chicago, Then, (following the dry cycle of my laundry), I moved to the bedroom to change the now clean sheets and put them back on the king-sized bed. In the bedroom, Fox News was carrying the DNC.

While I changed the sheets, I listened to Donald J. Trump phone in and rebut Kamala Harris’ speech. I will insert the complete 37-minute content of Kamala’s acceptance speech (in case you missed it), but I have to assume that most of you were watching it, so suit yourself. Unlike Trump, who rambled his way through a basically unlistenable litany of untruths at the RNC, Harris hit most of the issues and delivered her speech with sincerity and enthusiasm. She looked and sounded presidential (because she IS presidential.)

Then I watched 8 voters in Allentown, Pennsylvania say that her speech had sold her to them (auto workers all) and they would be voting for her (they had been unsure in a previous meeting). One woman retained the right to decide later. One Black male (in real estate) said he’d vote for Trump. Listen to Trump’s remarks about how the auto workers are all supporting him in the phone call above. [*Apparently not the 8 that just spoke to a reporter in Allentown, PA.]

Trump’s illusion that he is “strong” (Macho Macho Man) was consistent with why Black males were supporting DJT over Biden before July 21st. It also explains why Black males find it difficult to get behind the idea of a female president, even if she is half Black (and half Asian).

CHANGE

People want change for the better. This was emphasized by John King, Chief National Correspondent for CNN, who has been traveling the country gauging the temperature of the nation. Coming into the convention, Trump had 55% of voters selecting him on the economy versus 43% for Harris and 53% on the immigration issue versus 44% for Harris. Harris led only on the abortion issue (55% to 40%.) [This was from the New York Times Siena Poll. ] In the next 75 days Harris and Walz must change these perceptions.

CONVENTION BUMP

There are 75 days during which Kamala has to convince voters that she, the current vice president, represents change for the better. That will not be simple, since Harris has been in office as Vice President for 4 years and the GOP will attack her on that basis. (as DJT already did in the phone call above).

The Siena poll showed that 56% of voters disapproved of Biden. Only 41% approved of Biden in Arizona, Georgia, Nevada and the other swing states. Now, the Republicans are going to try to give Kamala “Biden Baggage.” It started tonight with DJT phoning in to Fox & Friends. (*Did Fox & Friends, who claim to be so “fair and balanced” offer Kamala Harris the opportunity to phone in and rebut DJT’s RNC acceptance speech? No.)

John King, who has been doing political reporting for 40 years, says that Kamala did well. I agree. He pointed out, however, that in 1988: Bush won over Dukakis, but Dukakis had left the convention enjoying a convention bump that put him 17 points ahead in the polls. Despite the post-convention bump, Dukakis lost “bigly” to George Herbert Bush. This was partially because people wanted change and partially because of the Willie Horton dirty tricks that depicted Horton as practically Dukakis’ running mate. (*For those of you who don’t remember Willie Horton, he was a convicted murderer and rapist, who was released on a weekend furlough from a Massachusetts prison in a trial program and committed a rape and murder while temporarily free. Dukakis was the Governor of Massachusetts. The Bush campaign used Horton’s case to tar and feather Dukakis in a textbook example of what is known as “dog whistle politics,” which is what Harris and Walz are about to encounter, if I were to take an un-wild guess.)

John King was born in 1963, which means he is 61. I haven’t followed politics for as long as John King, but I am close to 20 years older. I go back to every President since Truman. I’ve also written 3 books on politics (the campaign of 2008) and was named the Content Producer of the Year for Politics by Yahoo in the wake of my coverage of the 2008 election of Barack Obama. (See my books on that topic, “Obama’s Odyssey: The 2008 Race for the White House.”)

Taken during a McCain rally at the Cedar Rapids Municipal Airport during the 2008 presidential campaign. Cover of Volume II of “Obama’s Odyssey: The 2008 Race for the White House.” (Available on Amazon in paperback and e-book).

LIKEABILITY

I agree with the white-haired CNN commentator with the 40 years following campaigns, and I agreed with Geraldo (whom I watched on News Nation) who stressed that “likeability” was key to electing anyone. It was likeability that doomed Hillary Clinton and, to a certain extent, John Kerry, who always seemed a little bit too patrician. We’ve all heard the remarks about how “W” seemed like a guy you would enjoy sitting down and having a beer with (*I don’t drink beer, so that’s a no for me.)

TAX INCREASES

Bogus. Tax increases on the rich, yes. On the middle class, not so much. Trump’s point on companies taking their business to another country (increasingly Mexico, not China) is fair, but THAT HAS BEEN HAPPENING FOR DECADES. Companies moving to cheaper countries is not a Kamala Harris thing; to say it is is unfair. It is far likelier that DJT will raise taxes on the middle class to give tax breaks to people like himself.

BORDER

Trump said, of the bi-partisan border bill, “It was a horrible bill. It was a joke.” It was a bi-partisan bill that was said by those who worked on it long and hard to be quite good. Trump told his allies not to vote for the bill, because it was to be his border issue. If you really don’t know what was in the bill, click on the link above and it will tell you. Don’t just trumpet things that either candidate says; research it. (Anthony Fatone: that is for you, Dear Heart. And thanks for saying I’m “smart as a whip” because that should tell you that, if I’m saying you need to do more “reading up” on these things, maybe I’m right.)

MARXIST ACCUSATIONS

First of all, as our old friend Wikipedia tells us, “There is no single, definitive Marxist theory.^[1]

It is likely that the “Marxist” accusations are a legacy from Kamala’s economics professor father, who taught at both Stanford and the University of Wisconsin in Madison. He has advised his country (Jamaica) on economic issues and some aspects were derived from Marxist writings of various sorts, but her father has remained completely out of Kamala’s career, refusing to be involved in her 2020 campaign and making a rather brusque rebuttal to a lighthearted comment that Kamala herself made (about smoking pot) on a radio show. She said something about smoking pot to the effect of, “Are you kidding? Half of my relatives are Jamaican.” Dad did not like it much, issued a rather public reprimand (Kamala did not respond) and has not had much involvement in his daughter’s career (or her life before that) since the couple split when she was in elementary school.

Jamal Simmons, political commentator on CNN, compared DJT to Midnight Elvis, calling in to talk shows, rambling around in Mar-A-Lago. Jamal mentioned Trump’s recent appearance in Howell, Michigan. White supremacists held a march there recently and voiced support for Trump, Hitler, Nazis and the Ku Klux Klan. So, Trump’s strategy is to cater to THAT demographic. Roger Stone, a big Trump supporter, has a yearslong relationship with Proud Boys leaders, Enrique Tarrio in particular, and would regularly use members of the group as his personal security detail at political events.

Roger Stone.

I seriously doubt that DJT has much of an idea what Marxism is (and, quite frankly, it is difficult to pin it down as there are many offshoots.) There is actually a book on Amazon entitled “Marxism in Plain and Simple English.” It’s 62 pages. If Donald J. Trump really thinks that Kamala Harris is a Marxist simply because of her estranged father (a professor of economics), that is really reaching. I think The Donald needs a copy of that book. (*After all, Steve Bannon, his brain trust, is currently in jail until 2 days before the election, so the Wizard of Odd is having to rely on people like The Mad Hatter, Roger Stone, for intellectual guidance.) Another thing that his insult brings to mind are recent put-downs that DJT has made about Kamala Harris’ intelligence; she is quite obviously the child of two very bright people (while Trump’s own intelligence is often questioned, despite the supposed expertise and education that led to multiple bankruptcies.)

Here’s a snippet from “How to Compare Marxism to Capitalism.” It is quite clear that Kamala Harris is no Marxist. To wit: “Marxism, oftentimes interchangeable with communism, emerged from the writings of Karl Marx and Fredrick Engels in the 19th century, and is based on the theory that class conflict will eventually result in the establishment of a society where the public owns the means of production. The two theories are historic enemies, and their differences are most acute when examining their attitudes toward individualism, private property and profits.”

At no time has Kamala Harris sounded like she is not supportive of capitalism simply because she has argued for everyone in our society having a fair shake and an equal chance at making a life where they each of us has the freedom to make choices for themselves (as, for instance, in reproductive rights.) Trying to paint Harris as a Marxist or Communist is a page right out of the “dirty tricks” playbook of the GOP going back to 1988.

REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS

Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham (D. New Mexico), commenting after Harris’ speech, said she “showed us tonight what leadership looks like.” It is up to every woman of voting age in America to ask themselves whether they want the freedom to decide about their own health care and to decide if they do (or do not) want to have a child. Women need to mobilize like our grandmothers to gain us the right to vote. Only, this time, it is the right to live free (and not die) under an autocratic ruler who simply wants power for himself and his cronies.

IN CONCLUSION

As D.L. Hughley said at the convention, “The only way that Trump can keep Kamala out of the White House is if he buys it and refuses to rent to Black people.”

Tim Walz: VP Nominee Radiates Good Will & “Minnesota Nice” at the DNC on 8/21/2024

By Connie Wilson

On August 22, 2024

In Essays on Politics: Best Political Essays & Ideology, Politics, Television

Governor Tim Walz of Minnesota, the Vice Presidential candidate of the Democratic party.

I’m watching Governor Tim Walz of Minnesota accept his nomination for Vice President of the United States and I can’t help but think of “the happy warrior,” aka Humbert Humphrey—also from Minnesota.

So far, Tim Walz has called the campaign “incredible” and has thanked both Kamala Harris and Joe Biden. It IS pretty incredible to think that a high school coach from Mankato, Minnesota can potentially become the Vice President of the United States, but—at least on the Democratic side—stories like Barack Obama’s and Kamala Harris’ and Tim Walz’s do occur “only in America.”

He has proclaimed this moment as “the honor of my life” and his wife and son are blubbering in the audience, which is heartwarming, but also kind of out-of-sync with John Legend’s “Let’s Go Crazy” rendition that preceded him. No less a judge of superficiality than Geraldo Rivera (on NewsNation) has proclaimed the entire schtick “kind of great” and “genuine.” “The whole thing smacked of sincerity, to me,” said Geraldo.

WALZ’S BACKGROUND

Tim and Gwen Walz.

Butte, Nebraska is where Tim Walz grew up, he said from the dais, and there were 24 students in his class. Earlier I had read that he was born in West Point, Nebraska. He also lived in Valentine, Nebraska. Butte, Nebraska came in after his Superintendent of Schools father, a life-long smoker, was diagnosed with lung cancer and they moved. Tim’ dad died in 1984, when Walz was 20. Courtesy of Wikipedia, here are a few other states that Walz can lay claim to: “Walz’s father died in January 1984, which left his mother and younger brother dependent on social security survivor benefits for support. He moved to Texas and took courses at the University of Houston in East Asian studies while being enlisted in the Texas Army National Guard. Afterward he went to Arkansas, where he built tanning beds in a factory and was an instructor in the Arkansas Army National Guard. In 1987, Walz returned to Nebraska and continued his education at Chadron State College, where he earned a bachelor of science degree in social science education in 1989.”

Wikipedia also has this to say about Tim Walz’s career trajectory: “After graduating from Chadron State College in 1989, Walz accepted a one-year teaching position with WorldTeach in Foshan No.1 High School in Guangdong, China. He described the Tiananmen Square massacre that happened right before he arrived as an important moment in his life. He has said that the problem with China is not the people but the government, and that with the right leadership the Chinese people could accomplish anything. After returning, he took a job teaching and coaching in Alliance, a town of ten thousand in western Nebraska, and in 1993 was named Outstanding Young Nebraskan by the Nebraska Junior Chamber of Commerce.^”

NATIONAL GUARD SERVICE

Hope, Gus and Tim Walz at the DNC.

Walz served in the National Guard for 24 years after enlisting in 1981.^] During his military career, he had postings in Arkansas, Texas, the Arctic Circle, New Ulm, Minnesota, Italy, and elsewhere. He trained in heavy artillery, In 1989, he earned the title of Nebraska Citizen-Soldier of the Year.

After Walz completed 20 years of service needed for retirement from the Guard, he reenlisted instead of retiring, and later cited the September 11, 2001 attacks as the reason for his reenlistment. In August 2003, Walz deployed with the Minnesota National Guard to Vicenza, Italy, for nine months to serve with the European Security Force as part of Operation Enduring Freedom. Walz attained the rank of command sergeant major near the end of his service and briefly was the senior enlisted soldier of 1st Battalion, 125th Field Artillery Regiment. His decorations included the Army Commendation Medal, two Army Achievement Medals, and an Army Reserve Components Achievement Medal with five oakleaf clusters. “ The GOP campaign has been busy attempting to “swiftboat” Walz’s decades of service, much as they did to John Kerry when Kerry ran for President in 2004.

SMALL-TOWN ROOTS

Hope and Gus Walz.

As someone who graduated from a class of only 110, I can relate to Tim Walz’s town of origin. “Everybody belongs, and everybody has a responsibility to contribute.” Walz talks about joining the National Guard at 17. His father was a Korean War veteran. When his dad died, he left a lot of debts. (“Thank God for Social Security benefits.”) As Tim has said, “There were 24 of us in my high school graduating class and none of them went to Harvard.” He coached and taught in Mankato and is talking about being a 40-something high school teacher whose students urged him to run for Governor.

DRAFTED BY HIS STUDENTS TO RUN

As someone whose own students urged her to run for the City Council race in East Moline, Illinois, I can relate to Tim Walz’s story. My run for office ended with a cheating scandal that even made its way into the Orange County, California newspapers, when I went door to door, documenting the cheating of the opposition. https://www.weeklywilson.com/helen-heiland-sets-the-record-straight-in-letter-to-moline-il-daily-dispatch/

GUS WALZ, TIM’S SON

Gus Walz at the DNC.

At tonight’s third night of the DNC in Chicago 17-year-old Gus Walz, son of VP nominee Tim Walz, was a welcome blast of fresh air.

The youngster was literally overcome with emotion at his father’s nomination, tears streaming down his face. He was ebullient and animated and hugged both his father and his sister onstage after Walz’s humanizing speech. It was heartwarming. It lifted my heart.

The Walz family told “People” magazine that young Gus has ADHD and anxiety issues, but described him as “brilliant.” I would point out how Gus reacted with joy and love towards his parents and sibling, Hope (born in 2001). The Walz family spent 7 years undergoing fertility treatments at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, New York, in order to have their daughter, Hope (2001) and their son, Gus (2006). The family obviously has a lot of love for one another. Young Gus reminded me so much of so many youngsters I taught, especially during my years (1985-2003) as CEO and owner/operator of Sylvan Learning Center #3301 in Bettendorf, Iowa. I also taught for 18 years at the 7^th and 8^th grade levels and have taught many students who would be described as on the spectrum.

THE TOVA TEST

We used to give the TOVA test—Test of Variable Attention—which was 90% effective in diagnosing Attention Deficit Disorder, with or without Hyperactivity. I used to have my entire staff take the test, since it only ran 22 minutes on a computer, and it was not unusual for the Special Education teachers that I employed to score high on the test. Basically, the test-taker had to click a button when a certain form appeared onscreen and the degree of hyperactivity they demonstrated during the clicking exercise would indicate those with problems focusing and staying on message. (I did not score as high on it as some of you would assume, but special education teachers, in particular, did.)

Gus Walz, overcome with emotion as his father accepts the VP nomination at the DNC.

We paid $50 as a credit in a machine to give this test and absorbed it into our operating expenses if the child was our regular student, but, over time, we had more and more local residents who were bringing their sons and daughters in for the testing, in which case we charged them what it cost us to administer ($50). The test had been developed by a physician at the University of Minnesota in collaboration with his teenaged son. I learned about it at a Sylvan National Convention. It was very helpful in establishing whether or not some of our students would benefit from a variety of learning techniques and approaches.

It was not long before the local psychologists got wind of the TOVA. They began charging would-be test takers for an office visit first (over $100) and, if the psychologist felt it was merited, their office would administer the exact same test that we charged $50 for (but charge the test taker considerably more for the privilege.)

SINCERITY SPECIAL AT DNC ON 8/21/2024

It was a real treat to see someone as obviously overcome with emotion as young Gus Walz, who radiated good will towards all. When I saw young Gus Walz—-absolutely overjoyed—point to the stage and mouth the words, “That’s my Dad!” my heart melted a little bit. [If I remember correctly, we didn’t even see Barron Trump at the RNC and I would rather I had not seen Eric and Donald Trump, Jr.]

What a welcome sight. I felt like I had just been licked by a rambunctious, over-friendly puppy. It was great. YOU GO, GUS!

I liked it.

The Obamas Rock the United Center at DNC: The Gloves Come Off (8/20/2024)

By Connie Wilson

On August 21, 2024

In Editorial, Essays on Politics: Best Political Essays & Ideology, Politics, Television

Michelle and Barack Obama both spoke tonight at the DNC in Chicago. I haven’t been as moved by a speech since I stood in a field in the Village of East Davenport during the 2012 Obama re-election campaign and listened to the pair say to the crowd, “Stand with me again once more, Iowa.” It was Iowa that gave Barack Obama his ticket to ride to the DNC in Denver, where I was present, and his gratitude for the state’s support never waivered. Iowa’s contingent (and Illinois’) were right down front, honoring them for having honored him. I was overcome with a nostalgic wave of emotion as the former First Lady of the United States spoke then, and I was overwhelmed again tonight, when she spoke in Chicago.

As is my custom, I made every effort to get as much of the speech down as I could. It is not a word-for-word recitation of what was said, but I’m going to try to break it down for you a bit, (as I watched from my Texas living room).

Michelle was brilliant. As Leah Wright-Rigueur, a Political Historian said, “We are living through history.” I felt that in my bones when I began following the campaign of 2008 in Iowa, and I felt that it again, tonight, comfortably ensconced in my living room, watching it like I hope the rest of America was watching it.

So, what did Michelle Obama say that so inspired me?

REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS

She asked that we “not squander the sense of hope our elders gave us.” She was referencing women like me, who campaigned (unsuccesfully) for the ERA and fought for the right to decide our own reproductive futures. I appreciated the fact that Michelle Obama gave credit to those of us who worked hard to ensure a better future for our daughters. (Why should a panel of old white men or the Supreme Court decide whether my daughter and I do or do not have the right to decide about giving birth?)

VALUES

“In America we have the belief that if you do unto others, that if you work and scrape and sacrifice it will pay off, if not for you, for your children and grandchildren. Those were the values that my mother poured into me until her very last breath. Kamala Harris and I built our lives on those same foundational values. Our mothers shared that same belief in the promise of this country. …The obligation to lift others up…Mom used to say, ‘Don’t sit around and complain about things: do something.’ From a middle-class household Kamala worked her way up to become the Vice President of America. Kamala Harris is more than ready for this moment. She is one of the most qualified people ever to seek the office of the Presidency. And she is one of the most dignified…a tribute to her mother and your mother, too.”

Michelle went on about Kamala Harris’ background:

“Her story is our story…Kamala knows that, regardless of where you come from, we all deserve the opportunity to build a decent life. All of our contributions deserve to be accepted and valued. No one has a monopoly on what it means to be an American: no one. Kamala has shown her allegiance to this nation, not by spewing anger and bitterness, but by service.”

TRUMP TAKE-DOWNS

Bee Gone: A Political Parable

Harris “understands that most of us will never be afforded the grace of failing forward,” Obama said. “We will never benefit from the affirmative action of generational wealth. If we bankrupt a business or choke in a crisis, we don’t get a second, third or fourth chance. If things don’t go our way, we don’t have the luxury of whining or cheating others to get further ahead. No.We don’t have the luxury of whining. If we see a mountain in front of us, we don’t see an escalator waiting to take us to the top. We put our heads down. We go to work. In America, we do something.. Throughout her entire year, that’s what we’ve seen from Kamala. We’ve seen the joy of her laughter and her life. It couldn’t be more obvious: of the 2 major candidates in this race, only Kamala understands the true work ethic that has always made America great.”

“We don’t get to change the rules so we always win,” she continued. “If we see a mountain in front of us, we don’t expect there to be an escalator waiting to take us to the top. We put our heads down. We get to work.”

BE AWARE OF OPPOSITION TACTICS:

“We know that folks are going to do everything they can to distort her truth. For years, DJT did everything he could to make people fear us. He tried to make you fear two highly educated, hard-working, successful people who happened to be Black. Who’s gonna’ tell him that the job he is currently seeking might just be one of those Black jobs? It’s his same old con: doubling down on ugly, misogynistic lies instead of creating ideas that will actually make our lives better.”

Michelle then went on to list some of the Project 2025 goals, such as shutting down the Department of Education and demonizing our children for being who they are and loving who they love. She mentioned (again) shutting down our right to reproductive health care and said, “It only makes us small. It is never the answer. It is petty, unhealthy, and, quite frankly, it’s un-Presidential. Why would any of us accept this from anyone seeking our highest office? Why would we accept this from a candidate? America: our parents taught us better than that and we deserve so much better than that. There is no other choice but Kamala Harris and Tim Walz. But as we embrace this renewed sense of hope, let us not forget the despair we have felt.”

“Remember there are still so many people who are desperate for a different outcome. People who are going to prioritize building their own wealth over building a better tomorrow. We cannot be our own worst enemies. The minute a lie takes hold, we cannot get a Goldilocks complex over whether everything is just right. We cannot indulge our anxieties. We must do everything we can to get someone like Kamala elected.”

Michelle Obama’s line about how Trump tried to get Americans to fear the Obamas in office, even though they were highly-educated, hard-working people who happened to be Black is right. There are many analysts who cite Obama’s election to the Presidency as the match that lit the racism of White Supremacists. They are right.

KAMALA & TIM

“Kamala and Tim have lived amazing lives. I am confident that they will lead with compassion, grace and dignity. It is up to us to be the solution that we seek. It is up to all of us to be the anecdote to darkness and division. I don’t care how you identify politically. This is the time to stand up for what we know in our hearts is right. To stand up not just for our basic freedoms but for basic trust, dignity and empathy. For the values at the very foundation of our democracy.”

CALL TO ACTION

“If they lie about her—and they will–we have to do something. Only 11 weeks to make sure everyone has a voting plan. We cannot afford for anyone to sit on their hands and wait to be called. Our fate is in our hands. In 77 days we have the power to turn our country away from the fear, division and smallness of the past.”

The talking heads in the room testified that the mood during Michelle Obama’s speech was electric. Although they gave props to Barack Obama for his good speech, hers was brilliant. I teared up at her remarks. She was that good.

So, following on the heels of that brilliance, “one of the most powerful and blistering speeches against Donald Trump” (a quote from one of the talking heads), we heard ex-President Barack Obama and I wished, again, that he was still our President. I found his remarks equally entertaining, (but she was better.)

BARACK OBAMA’S REMARKS:

First, Barack paid tribute to Joe Biden, mentioning their “common Irish blood.” To wit:”His empathy and his decency and his hard-earned belief that everyone in this country deserves a fair shot impressed me. And over the past 4 years those are the values that America has needed the most. At the time when Americans were dying, we needed a leader with empathy and a leader who led the strongest economic recovery in the world. At a time when the other party had turned into a cult of personality we needed a leader who did the rarest thing in politics: putting his own ambition aside for the good of the country. History will remember Joe Biden as a man who, in a moment of peril for this country, did the right thing.”

“The torch has been passed. Now it is up to all of us to fight for the America we believe in. For all the incredible energy, for all the rallies and the memes, this will still be a tight race in a closely divided country—a country where too many Americans are still struggling. The people who will decide this election are asking a very short question: who will fight for me? One thing is for certain, Donald Trump is not losing sleep over that question.”

Light-hearted Remarks:

Leaf blower neighbor (DJT): annoying.

“Here’s a 78-year-old billionaire who has not stopped whining about his problems since he rode down that escalator 8 years ago.

“Childish nicknames. Weird obsession with crowd size. It just goes on and on and on. Someone compared Trump to the neighbor who keeps running his leaf blower outside your window every minute of every day. From a neighbor that’s exhausting. From a President that’s dangerous.”

“DJT sees power as nothing more than a means to his end. He wants the middle class to pay for his ambitions.”

When Obama mentioned how DJT had killed the bi-partisan border bill the crowd booed. Obama said, “Do not boo: vote.”

“He doesn’t seem to care if more women lose their reproductive freedom, since it won’t affect his life.”

“He wants us to think this country is hopelessly divided between the real Americans and the outsiders who don’t. He wants you to think that if we will just give him the power to put those outsiders back in place things will be great.”

Presidential nominee Kamala Harris.

“Bluster, bumbling, chaos…We know these movies; the sequel is usually worse. (We have seen that movie before.) America is ready for a new chapter. We are ready for a better story. We are ready for a President Kamala Harris.”

“This is a person who has spent her life fighting on behalf of people who need a voice. She was not born into privilege. She has had to work for what she’s got. She’s the neighbor rushing over to help when you need a hand, not the neighbor running the leaf blower.”

At this point, Obama mentioned some of Kamala’s fights: Homeowners….fight to get as much relief as possible for the families that deserved it. As VP helped take on the drug companies to cap the cost of insulin. “She is running for President to guarantee every woman’s right to make their own health care decisions. She won’t be focused on her problems; she’ll be focused on yours. She’ll work on behalf of every American. In the White House she will have an outstanding partner in Governor Tim Walz.”

Barack made this comment about Obamacare: “I noticed that since it got popular they quit calling it that,” True that.

First Gentleman Doug Emhoff.

On the border issue, Obama said, “We can secure our borders without tearing kids away from their parents” (*In re-reading my own book, “Obama’s Odyssey: The 2008 Race for the White House” I was struck at how the border was a hot button issue for candidates way back then, including Fred Thompson, whom I interviewed after his speech in Davenport.)

The Obamas stressed that the Democratic ticket wants to “make it better for everybody.”

“Donald Trump…for him, one’s group’s gains is necessarily another group’s losses. For the GOP, power means that those in charge can do pretty much what they want. (taxes; firing people). We want the freedom to breathe clean air and drink clean water. Freedom for each of us to run our own lives. Freedom requires us to recognize that freedom requires us to let other people make decisions that are different from ours. That’s the America that Tim Walz and Kamala Harris believe in. ‘We the people includes everyone.’ Despite what our politics might suggest, democracy is not just a bunch of abstract principles and dusty laws. It’s the values we live by and how we treat each other, including those who don’t look like us or pray like us or see the world exactly like we do. That sense of mutual respect has to be part of it. We seem so quick to believe the worst of the other side. After a while, regular folk just tune out or they don’t bother to vote. This might work on those who thrive on division, but it won’t work for us who want to make progress on the things that matter.”

“Our fellow citizens deserve the same grace we hope they’ll extend to us.”

“That does not just matter to the U.S. The rest of the world is watching to see if we can actually pull this off. No society has ever tried to build a society as diverse as ours. Our allegiance and our community are not defined by race and creed . We shouldn’t be the world’s policeman but American can be and must be a force for good. (Climate change, promoting peace,) I know these ideas can feel pretty naïve right now. We live in a time of such confusion and rancor with a culture that puts a premium on things that don’t last. We chase the approval of strangers on our phones. We don’t trust each other as much, because we don’t take the time to learn about each other.”

“Here’s the good news, Chicago: all across America in big cities and small towns, the ties that bind us together are still there. We still feed the hungry and coach the Little League and feel the same pride when our Olympic athletes compete for the gold.”

“We want something better. We want to BE better.”

Barack and Michelle Obama paid tribute to her recently deceased Mom, who lived in the White House with them, saying,“My mother-in-law reminded me of my Grandmother. (stressing the hard work of his grandmother and mother-in-law). They knew what was true. They knew what mattered: honesty, integrity, kindness and hard work. They weren’t impressed with braggarts and bullies. They didn’t think that putting other people down or lifting themselves up made them strong. They found pleasure in simple things: a good meal and laughter around the kitchen table. Most of all, seeing their children and grandchildren going places and doing things that they never would have imagined for themselves.”

“Kamala’s parents crossed the ocean because they believed in the power of America. They weren’t important or powerful—they were good, hard-working people. A return to America where we work together and look out for one another. Bonds of affection. The better angels of our nature. That is what this election is about. If we each do our part over the next 77 days. We will elect leaders who will fight for hope. Together we will build a country that is more secure and more just. So let’s get to work. And God bless you and the United States of America.”

Those were the remarks from the 44th President of the United States, who rose to prominence 20 years and 3 weeks ago when making a 2004 speech at the DNC convention that nominated John Kerry (a presidential race that I also followed.)

Barack Obama—one of the most gifted orators to ever hold the office—and his wife Michelle held the audience within the United Center in rapt attention tonight. They made a plea to be patient with voters who might be on the other side and summed up the choice by saying, “Trump’s act has gotten pretty stale.”

My Excellent Adventures Between July 15th and August 15th, 2024

By Connie Wilson

On August 18, 2024

In Editorial, Health/Medicine, Humor and Weird Wilson-isms, Of Local (Quad Cities') Interest, Science and Medicine, Texas, travel

The offending tree.

My “weekly” vow for WeeklyWilson has now collapsed under the weight of a series of random events.

First, there was the tornado, an EF1 that hit our court street in East Moline, Illinois on Monday, July 15^th.

My spouse had just made an ice cream run to Whitey’s in Moline, which was closing down because of the bad weather. He went to the Dairy Queen and secured 2 Blizzards and was just in time to enter our court as a huge tree went down, taking with it all the power to about 30 houses. It was 7:37 pm. We would not have power again until late Thursday, July 18th.

I went outside to take pictures of the 6 trucks that showed up to try to restore power to our court street (there were 8,000 people without power). The heat index was 106.

One truck broke and another had to be sent. Soon, six were there. Then the tree people managed to pull all of the wires out of the house 2 doors down while cutting up the large tree.

My neighbor, Norma, saw me outside and came outside to chat, which was a good idea until I passed out on her driveway because of the heat (see article about the Gold Coast Art Fair). She went to get my spouse (who was taking a nap and not fully dressed) and I struggled to my feet USING MY FRAIL KNEES, made it into our garage, and promptly passed out a second time.

The house, which had been without power since 7:37 p.m. on Monday night, was fairly hot, so I went to the basement and drank water and was fine thereafter, except that we had no power and it was HOT inside our house. This was only Tuesday, July 16th.

Tuesday night we tried sleeping in the basement. The hide-a-bed in the basement is very old and it was very uncomfortable. It was also very difficult to get out of it and make it to the bathroom in the middle of the night, wielding only my trusty flashlight and winding my way through laundry baskets.

By Wednesday, July 17, we both agreed that we would seek out a motel.

In getting up from the driveway and the garage concrete as quickly as I could, to save face (if not knees), I had done a number on my osteo-arthritic knees. We sought out a motel with a jacuzzi/hot tub and I spent the entire evening soaking my sore knees in the hot water while my spouse enjoyed having TV again.

So, that was the week of July 15th.

We then traveled to Chicago to celebrate my July 23^rd birthday in style with dinner at the Firehouse,

On the 25^th, Thursday, having bought a ticket to Texas so that I could be seen for elevated liver enzymes sooner than November 22^nd, I arrived 2 days after my birthday, and awaited pick-up by son Scott and the twins.

This is where things begin to go downhill, as I attempted to get a luggage cart and pilot error caused the thumb nail on my right hand to be ripped off by a machine in charge of renting the luggage carts.

I know. You’re saying, “How did THAT happen!?”

How, indeed.

That will be a story for another entry.

Suffice it to say that it has given me a newfound appreciation for all those movies where the bad guys torture someone by ripping off their fingernails.

Since the fingernail-ripping “Welcome to Austin” arrival, I found myself locked in the Buda Urgent Care (with 3 other patients) when 2 doctors could not get the locked front door open (they closed at 8 p.m and it was 9 p.m.on Friday night, July 26th) by the time Dr. McIntosh wrapped my injured finger in tape and tried to send me (us) on my (our) way.

Then, while picking up 2 wedge salads at the Buda Main Street Pizzeria, I got stuck in one of their two primitive rest rooms for 40 minutes.

Although I kicked the door and screamed HELP! a lot, nobody could hear me over the music. When I called, all I got was a recording. It was truly not what I needed right about then.

More details on the avulsion incident to follow

Similarities (Coincidences?) Between the Presidential Races of 1968 and 2024.

By Connie Wilson

On August 7, 2024

In Editorial, Essays on Politics: Best Political Essays & Ideology, Politics

Joseph Biden, when running for President.

I can’t believe that I am the first to write this column, nor will I be the last. But, in the wake of Kamala Harris selecting Tim Walz, Governor of Minnesota, to be her Vice Presidential running mate in 2024, I feel the echo of one of those pieces from yesteryear. You know the one I mean. Courtesy of Wikipedia, here is the folklore list of coincidences that were pointed out back in 1964 between JFK and Lincoln.

I wanted to include the factoid that Tim Walz was born in West Point, Nebraska, while the only President ever born in Iowa was born in West Branch, Iowa, but it didn’t fit very neatly. For me, Walz—while supposedly very likable and personable— was not as outstanding a candidate for VP as a former astronaut from a border state that is in play (and one whose wife survived a serious assassination attempt). But I defer to the greater wisdom of the candidate herself on who will be the best partner for her in this race. After all, she only had two weeks to vet all the candidates.

I had hoped for Mark Kelly, who is from a swing state, or someone younger, but the Dems don’t want to be seen as too liberal and have selected someone who used to be endorsed by the National Rifle Association (until he changed his opinion after several massacres involving automatic weapons). Apparently the chemistry, for Kamala Harris, was just best with Walz. I just pray she is not making the mistake that Hillary Clinton did in selecting a relatively unmemorable partner for her ill-fated run.

Others had been touting Pennsylvania’s Josh Shapiro until the GOP started calling him “Genocide Josh” based on some of his pronouncements about the Palestinian/Israeli conflict. Andy Beshears of Kentucky was hot for a while. The powers-that-be must think that the Midwest, with its many MAGA faithful, is going to be more important than Pennsylvania? DJT selected an Ohio native (J.D. Vance) possibly for that Midwestern reason.

I have been told that Kelly is not the most inspiring speaker, but…hey! He was an ASTRONAUT!!! My awe at that will date me, since the Cape Canaveral facility has been outsourced to the likes of Elon Musk and it’s kind of sad to visit it now after its days of glory during JFK and the moon landing. This, too, will mark me as someone who has been around for every President back to Truman.

Tim Walz, Governor of Minnesota and Vice-Presidential candidate.

Among the following list of “coincidences,” some, according to Wikipedia, are not completely accurate statements:

“Lincoln” and “Kennedy” each have seven letters.^[5]
Both presidents were elected to Congress in ’46 and later to the presidency in ’60.^[5]
Both assassins, John Wilkes Boothand Lee Harvey Oswald, were born in ’39 and were known by their three names, composed of fifteen letters.^[5]
Booth ran from a theater and was caught in a warehouse; Oswald ran from a warehouse and was caught in a theater.^[5]
The assassins were both Southerners.^[5]
Both of the presidents’ successors were Democrats named Johnson with six-letter first names and born in ’08.^[5]
Both Lincoln and Kennedy were particularly concerned with civil rights^[5]and made their views strongly known.
Both presidents were shot in the head on a Friday and in the presence of their wives.^[5]
Lincoln had a secretary named Kennedy who told him not to go to Ford’s Theatre. Kennedy had a secretary
President Abraham Lincoln.
named Evelyn Lincoln who warned him not to go to Dallas.^[5]
Both Oswald and Booth were killed before they could be put on trial.^[5]
Both Lincoln and Kennedy were succeeded as President by Southerners named Johnson.
Both Johnsons were succeeded as President in ’69 by Republicans (Ulysses S. Grant, Richard M. Nixon) whose mothers were both named Hannah. ^[

^,You are either very young or you have been living under a rock since 1964 if you’ve never seen this list—some of which seem to be reaching and some of which are among those “things that make you go hmmmmm” that Arsenio Hall used to talk about when he had a late-night talk show (which also tells you how long I’ve been doing this.)

RFK, Jr. today.

I cannot come up with as lengthy a list of the coincidences between this year’s election and that of 1968, but here’s a start:

In 1968 sitting President Lyndon Baines Johnson told the world in a television address that he was not going to run for re-election. Sitting President Joseph Biden told us that he was not going to run for re-election on July 21^st, 2024.
When LBJ announced his decision not to run on March 31, 1968, it was the day after my wedding. When Biden announced that he was not going to run in 2024, it was 2 days before my birthday on July 23^rd’ [This virtually guarantees that I will remember each historic date, especially when playing the game where you are to make up something that occurred on a certain date and then be able to identify which of the submitted events from the game’s players actually happened on that date.]
When LBJ stepped down, his Vice President was selected to run in his place. LBJ’s vice president at the time was Hubert Humphrey. (LBJ had no veep for the 2 years left in JFK’s term because that rule did not exist at that time; the position was simply left unfilled until the next election.) Hubert Humphrey was from Minnesota, just as Tim Walz, the Democratic nominee for Vice President with Kamala Harris in 2024, is the two-time Governor of Minnesota.
In 1968, the Democratic National Convention was being held in Chicago. In 2024, the Democratic National Convention is being held in Chicago. (August 19-22.)
Robert F. Kennedy was running in 1968. Robert F. Kennedy, Jr,, is running in 2024.
LBJ stepped down as the nominee largely because of the virulent anti-war sentiment against the Vietnam War. (“Hey, hey, LBJ, How many kids did you kill today?”) Biden stepped down largely because of the intense criticism of the influx of illegal immigrants at the border with Mexico. Each man also faced unrest, violence and riots in large cities. (I remember being in Europe and seeing the headline, in French, “America on the Edge of the Abyss.”)
Lyndon Baines Johnson’s 1964 official portrait.
When LBJ stepped down, he ascribed part of the reason for his decision to his health. All the men in LBJ’s family had heart issues. LBJ secretly commissioned an actuarial study of his life span in 1967; it accurately predicted that he would die at 64.. Johnson had already had a near-fatal heart attack in 1955. Johnson retired to his Texas ranch and died in 1973, 5 years later, aged 64, in somewhat of a self-destructive spiral where he resumed smoking and refused to follow dietary restrictions. Biden’s health at age 81 was a constant source of fodder for the GOP during the run-up to July 21^st. Joe’s frail appearance and inability to perform well during an early Trump/Biden debate that his own camp had sought sealed his fate. Democratic party faithful urged Biden to fall on his sword for the good of the party. Biden also had brain bleeds (aneurysms) and surgery in the eighties. At 81, the Republicans cast him as senile, often exaggerating the verbal gaffes for which he had always been known. (Remember the plagiarism scandal of his run for office in 1988, when Biden was accused of ripping off a speech by British Labour Party leader Neil Kinnock? Although Biden had attributed it properly several times before August of 1988, his failure to do so at one campaign stop was capitalized on. The scandal—unlike today’s “anything goes from the podium” Trumpisms—caused Biden to withdraw from the race.)
Johnson initially sought to run for re-election. Following disappointing results in the New Hampshire primary, LBJ packed it in, keeping nearly everyone except his closest family members and two close advisors in the dark about his decision. (LBJ secretly hoped that the convention might draft him, anyway, until the very end.) Biden initially sought to run for re-election and agreed to a disastrous early debate against Trump where Biden performed poorly, causing the party to urge him to reconsider his 2024 run. His decision to withdraw was slow; some felt it would not happen at all.
Both LBJ and Biden served as Vice President before becoming President.
LBJ was the 36^th President of the United States. Biden was the 46^th President.
Both LBJ and Biden had lengthy careers in government and were experts at shepherding legislation through Congress. In 2024, Biden is the 19^th longest-serving legislator in history. (1972-2024). LBJ also had a lengthy run beginning in 1931 and continuing until 1968.
Both LBJ and Biden had wives who were very active and involved First Ladies, in the mold of Eleanor Roosevelt. Lady Bird Johnson was very active in helping promote LBJ’s legislative aims (and her own) and Jill Biden was considered, like Lady Bird, to be Joe’s closest advisor and helpmate. [The contrast with Melania Trump’s First Lady style is great.]
From 1991 to 2008, as an adjunct professor, Biden co-taught a seminar on constitutional law at Widener University School of Law.^[70][71] He sometimes flew back from overseas to teach the class. (Tim Walz, this year’s VP Democratic pick, was also a teacher for many years) Lyndon Baines Johnson taught school from 1928 to 1929, pausing his studies to teach Mexican–American children at the segregated Welhausen School in Cotulla, 90 miles south of San Antonio.
Johnson appointed Thurgood Marshall the first Black Supreme Court Justice in 1967. Biden appointed Ketanji Brown Jackson as the first Black female Supreme Court Justice in February of 2022.
Both LBJ and Biden came from humble families, not from wealth.
Both LBJ and Biden will go down as great promoters of civil rights and as Presidents who accomplished the most significant legislation during their time(s) in office of any President of either party over the past 100 years.
Both will be viewed much more positively after stepping down than they were viewed when in office.

Biden Sees the Writing on the Wall; Passes Torch to a New Generation

By Connie Wilson

On July 21, 2024

In Editorial, Essays on Politics: Best Political Essays & Ideology, Politics

President of the United States Joe Biden in Independence, Iowa, on the 4th of July.

Among other measures, Joe Biden pushed through a $1.7 trillion Covid-19 relief package; a $1 trillion program to rebuild the nation’s roads, highways, airports and other infrastructure; and major investments to combat climate change, lower prescription drug costs for seniors, treat veterans exposed to toxic burn pits and build up the nation’s semiconductor industry.

He also signed legislation meant to protect same-sex marriage in case the Supreme Court ever reversed its decision legalizing it. He has unfailingly supported a woman’s right to decide her own reproductive fate, despite his strong Catholic faith, and helped students buried under college debt to dig their way out of that bottomless pit. And his selection of Kamala Harris as his running mate opened the door to a female candidate for the future, and one with an ethnic heritage that shows genuine inclusiveness.

Biden is a religious man who routinely attended his Catholic church (whereas DJT was on the Lolita Express 7 times) and has been an honorable—if gaffe-prone—candidate since the70s. My heart goes out to the Biden family, whom I have met numerous times, and I thank Joe Biden for falling on his sword to save us from a would-be dictator whose own mental fitness for office (or anything else) is unclear.

I remember how stunned I was when LBJ stepped down the day after I was married in 1968, never telling anyone but his family in advance. One of the reasons for LBJ’s decision was that most of the men in his family had died of heart disease at about the age he was then. It is also true that he did not live long after he stepped down. The Vietnam War was LBJ’s nemesis, as the border and Gaza were Joe’s.

Joe Biden and me, 2008 campaign.

This is the second time that a President who did great things for his country has, once again, made the hardest choice of all. Joe Biden has done the selfless thing, although I’m sure it was extremely difficult. Joe Biden is a man of good character, not a convicted felon, and he has always known how to behave as our nation’s representative. I have no doubt that whomever the Democrats select will carry on the tradition of making the United States proud of its representative.

I hope that the stress this period of time must have put on President Biden will abate so that he can heal physically. I would also mention that this is not unlike taking the keys away from your grandfather; it is not an easy thing for either side. Joe Biden promised us that he was going to pass the torch to a new generation, and now he has.

It was the Biden campaign that set up the June 27th debate with Trump that ended his lengthy and honorable career, so “blaming” donors or former supporters or others must always pivot to that fact, which is undeniable.

Gabby Gifford and husband (and former astronaut) Mark Kelly (D, AZ).

Of the names being bandied about to run with Kamala Harris I think that Mark Kelly of Arizona will be a major one mentioned. Beshears of Kentucky, Shapiro of Pennsylvania, the Governor of Maryland, all are worthy, but Kelly has a national profile as a former astronaut and his wife (Gabby Giffords) was the target of an assassination attempt that was considerably more successful than the attack on DJT, which left him with a mark the size of a penny.

“It wasn’t about the donors, it was about Joe Biden’s patriotism,” (Van Jones, Senior Political Correspondent). “This is a moment in time to honor someone who, for 50 years, put his country first. He always put his country first.”

EF1 Tornado Overshadows RNC Convention for Me (7/19/2024)

By Connie Wilson

On July 19, 2024

In Essays on Politics: Best Political Essays & Ideology, Local, Of Local (Quad Cities') Interest, Politics, Television

The offending tree.

An EF1 tornado swept through our East Moline court on Monday night at 7:37 p.m. It took out a large tree, which, in turn, took out all of the power. A picture of the 6 trucks that showed up to try to restore power would have been nice, but when I went outside to get one I stayed outside in the 105 heat index too long and ended up passing out on the neighbor’s driveway, (much like my story about the Gold Coast Art Fair.)

This will teach me to start talking while standing around in the blazing sun on any concrete surface! My slump down the side of a red truck with a flat tire that is parked in their driveway (not really a “fall”) was brief and surprising, especially for neighbor Norma, with whom I had obviously spent too long chatting in the sun.

All’s well that ends well, since my “fall” was me feeling dizzy for a few seconds and slumping to the driveway without incident. I can accurately report that the most damage was to my bony arthritic knees when I regained my feet. I had to put pressure on my bum left knee AND my “good” right knee to get to my feet quickly so I would not die of embarrassment. (*Note: I regained my feet without any assistance in each case, but I definitely needed to cool down. Our house was a hot box, which means that we ended up in a local motel where I spent the evening in the hot tub soaking my now very sore arthritic knees while surrounded by very young girls on some kind of party.)

The young girls were sharing stories about how ill-behaved the students in some local high schools have become. One girl—who looked about 14—turned out to be a teacher in Perry, Iowa. She said she would never go above teaching students in 5^th grade after being told by her companion that 2 high school students were tasered in the hallways of a local school, their alma mater. Guess I’ll quit telling people who are unemployed but have degrees to re-train as teachers, since it sounds considerably more confrontational in today’s schools than in years of yore. (And I’ve seen some pretty dramatic cat-fights between Silvis Junior High School girls, which easily would give you a black eye if you got in too close while trying to break it up! )

Electricians working on the power for our court on 7/18/2024.

One truck broke and another had to be sent. Soon, six were there. Then the tree people managed to pull all of the wires out of the house 2 doors down while cutting up the large tree.

So, we came back to our house after checking out of Stony Creek Hotel and I have been catching up on the lengthy RNC convention on television. The only part of the RNC I was able to take in before the power failed involved a lot of unknown Black legislators who were also veterans. None were people any of us had heard of, but the message was very definitely an attempt to appeal to young Black males. I know, from chatting with the young Black jocks who run L.A. Fitness in Austin that they were keen on Trump, because he has inaccurately portrayed himself as “strong” and “macho,” even though, to me, he looks like I could take him one-on-one (and I am ridiculously weak and frail.)

Having missed most of the lead-up to Donald J. Trump’s big appearance on this last night of the convention I ended up listening to Stephen Colbert dissect some of the weirder aspects of the night. Aside from Tucker Carlson’s remarks, apparently Congressman Matt Gaetz had some work done on his face. Colbert’s remarks regarding Gaetz’s new look were:

Gaetz looks like a flame-broiled Donnie Osmond .
Gaetz looks like a wax drag queen from Whoville.
Gaetz looks like he is appearing in a business school production of “Cats.”
This is what it would look like if the Joker worked at Sephora.
This is what it would look like if Pennywise went to law school.
Gaetz looks like his plastic surgeon went to med school on a riverboa t.

So, what did I notice about small amount of the RNC that I saw, other than a deranged, red-faced guy chanting and sweating in the crowd? Well, I noticed that Barron Trump was nowhere to be seen (and you’d see this tall lad easily) and Melanie Trump appeared but did not speak, which apparently broke a tradition that had gone on for something like 32 years.

First, I noticed that, just like he tried to engineer a photo op on the steps of the White House when he returned from being treated for Covid. This time, Trump had a mock-up of a firefighter’s outfit set up to represent the firefighter who died at his rally. At 9:45 p.m. in Milwaukee, DJT strolled over and kissed the helmet of firefighter Cory Compertore, referring to the poor guy as “our friend Cory.” He also mentioned the two others who were wounded, David Cutch and James Copenhaver. This is known as milking the moment.

Trumpth on Jan. 6

Trump also made several remarks about the crowd’s behavior after the shooting attempt, saying this at 9:45 p.m. in Milwaukee. Trump claimed that the crowd (which he vastly over-estimated at “tens of thousands”) automatically stood up looking for the sniper and pointing at him. “Most thought I was dead. They thought it was a shot to the head. This beautiful crowd didn’t want to leave me. You could see that love written all over their faces. Bullets were flying all over us, and yet I felt serene. Bullets were flying right over them.” I wasn’t there; I think all of us have seen the video of the crowd, who were obviously shocked and frozen and ducking in most instances (as well they should have been.)

Trump went on in his historically longest acceptance speech in history (93 minutes) and recounted how, “The sniper with one bullet took the assassin’s life. “I’m not supposed to be here tonight.” Also part of Trump’s normal meandering remarks: “The crowd roared with pride for our country like no crowd I have ever heard before.” (Also unable to be determined from the replay.) Trump referenced the crowd as “A giant audience of patriots” and referred to the Butler (PA) rally as “a fateful evening.”

January 6th.

To quote one thing that DJT said on the last night of the RNC with which I actually agree: “This election should be about the issues facing our country and how to make America safe and free again.”

This is true. So, where was the discussion of the issues that really matter? I mainly heard “the border” (over and over again), a lot of anti-immigrant rhetoric alleging that immigrants are taking the jobs of Black people, and remarks that don’t bode well for anyone who is not a straight heterosexual American.

Following on the heels of Trump’s own remark about how the election should be about issues, Stephen Colbert had Senator Bernie Sanders as a guest on his Thursday night show. Here are some of Bernie’s comments regarding what we had all just seen, prefaced by his off-the-cuff remark, “Two o’clock in the morning. Who’s listening?” Hopefully thoughtful voters who recognize that the speeches up to that point had been all style and no substance. (The Screaming Mimi fiancee of Don, Jr., was at it again, screaming at the crowd. Hard to believe she was once married to Governor Newsom of California.)

Bernie was alarmed at how little the real problems of the world were addressed. One that he stressed, which certainly concerns me after hearing chants of “Drill, baby, drill” and realizing that nothing will be done to alleviate climate change if Republicans take control of government: Climate change has cost more than $25 billion dollars so far this year, with the most expensive season yet to come. There is worry that FEMA may run out of money before the end of the summer. Said Bernie: “If we don’t get our act together, the planet we are going to be leaving our kids and our grandfathers is going to be increasingly unhabitable… Think about the future of this planet if we don’t get our act together. Just on the basis of that fact alone nobody should be voting for Trump.” Do you enjoy going almost a week without power? I did not. Insurance has soared 20% from 2021 to 2023 because of the natural disasters everywhere and insurance companies are abandoning some states, if the risk is growing quickly in certain areas. Do you worry about attending any event where, thanks to Trump’s flouting of the normal rules of polite society, we are no longer safe? Are you a gun enthusiast who wants everyone to have automatic weapons? Then don’t attend concerts, parades, rallies, or any other gathering where someone with one a weapon could shoot at you, as they did at Donald J. Trump. The rest of us who are not gun enthusiasts would like some reasonable restraint on things like bump stocks and AR15s.

Insurrection of Jan. 6th.

Bernie went on to say, “Anyone who has any illusion that the GOP will do anything to benefit the working man is sorely mistaken.” Concerning Elon Musk giving money to Trump, “Thank Musk for making this issue so obvious. What we have in America now is a corrupt political system. We live in a semi-democracy. We have the right to vote, but a billionaire has the right to spend hundreds of millions of dollars to further their aims because the billionaires know that they’ll get tax breaks. ..To Biden’s credit, he knows that we have to overturn this disastrous Supreme Court decision Citizens’ United that allowed large corporations to give big amounts of money to control the political process.

In continuing his remarks after a commercial break, Bernie Sanders told Democrats to “stop the bickering.” Of Biden he said, “I am aware that he has been the strongest, most progressive president in my lifetime.” Bernie mentioned the picket line, prescription drugs, rebuilding the country’s crumbling infrastructure, debt relief for students, and recently his 100-day agenda. “You’ve got half of the people on Social Security trying to make it on $30,000 a year or less and you’ve got Republicans talking about cutting Social Security,” said Bernie Sanders. He then praised Biden’s attempts to initiate a rent hike revision. He commented that banks are buying up housing all over the place and that Biden is in favor of building millions of affordable houses. Bernie specifically mentioned housing in Las Vegas, but houses are bought up in Austin, as well.

Donald Trump

In regards to the proposal to institute a code of conduct and ethics for the Supreme Court, he agrees. “If you’re an elderly person today you can’t afford medical care, dental or vision care.” Bernie pointed out that Biden has managed to get the cost of insulin down and that he proposes that Social Security pick up dental and vision care, while the Republicans want to cut Social Security in some way.

Bernie said, “Our medical system is broken. A quarter of the people who get cancer end up going broken and losing their homes because of the expense. Biden is in favor of eliminating all medical debt. “That’s the right thing to do.” I’m not sure how, exactly, this could be instituted, but it is worth noting that NONE of the things that Trump has proposed and said would happen nearly immediately were promised in a logical way that makes one think there is any real concrete plan to achieve same. I would say the same critical thing about Bernie’s off-the-cuff remark. Many of us remember how hard it was to get the Affordable Care Act passed and how relentlessly the GOP has worked to try to eliminate it ever since. I don’t think that the idea is a bad idea, when expressed by either party, but talk is cheap and this plan would not be.

Senator Bernie Sanders

Bernie spoke of the elderly in this richest country on Earth and decried 60% of people living paycheck to paycheck. “People are hurting and they are looking to Washington and they are not getting much of a response. We need a nonviolent political revolution in getting billionaires out of politics. Our job right now is to defeat Trump. We need to transform the Democratic party so that ordinary people can come in and drive a new agenda so that we get income equality. We’re not going to have housing and college unaffordable. Our job is to make government work for everybody and not just the billionaire class.” On another positive front, Sanders mentioned the successful fights against homophobia, sexism and racism that have come a long way. He did not mention how many steps backwards we will take if Trump and company, with Stephen Miller and Steve Bannon as advisors, regain power, but any DJT administration will almost certainly be kinder to the rich and do little for the poor. Plus, a woman’s right to control her own reproductive system will be seriously compromised as, indeed, it already has been by the reversal of Roe v. Wade.

I would add that the GOP programs sound like a giant step backward in being a welcoming country with promise for all that has always defined us. Project 2025 from the Heritage Foundation, widely considered to be the platform that Trump will be adopting if elected, does many things; most of them are horrible for veterans (cutting benefits, etc,) and very anti-immigrant. It moves in the direction of forcing Christianity into the public schools, which has always been one of our Constitutional foundations, separation of church and state. Louisiana has already gone so far as to insist that the Ten Commandments be displayed in schools, which the founding fathers would probably not approve of at all.

Senator Bernie Sanders

We all saw the big chart about border crossings that Trump says saved his life when he did not turn completely to view it. It was about border crossings being lower back in the Trump era when the Trump administration was separating small children from their parents and not keeping good records of where the youngsters ended up. It was totally inhumane in so many ways. Where was the chart about the climate crisis, which experts say we can only avert by cutting down on carbon emissions? (And this must be a world-wide effort.) As the experts have said, if we all hit the guidelines that were adopted long ago the best we could do would be to stop the weather anomalies where they are now. Our weather cannot return to “the way it was.” It can, however, get much much worse. We had 10 tornadoes in our area just 4 days ago. In August of 2020 we had the first “derecho” of my entire nearly 80 years on the planet. I am seriously lobbying for the purchase of a generator after the week we just spent without lights or air conditioning.

Tucker Carlson showed up at the RNC and said, “I do think the entire point of the escalator ride has been to remind us of one fact.” That fact should be that Donald J. Trump was the worst president in history, inherited a good Obama economy (which he rode to relative prosperity), and totally bungled the Covid crisis. He is going to make all of the valid charges against himself disappear and probably pardon everyone he incited to storm the Capitol and threaten his vice president and other elected lawmakers. His flouting of decorum (refused to attend a ceremony at Normandy) and rude remarks (military personnel are “losers” and “suckers,” a remark he made within earshot of Four-Star General Kelly) are the absolute worst example of someone we want representing our nation abroad.

Donald J. Trump

Presidents Biden & Trump

Please, people. Substance over style. Let’s get it together and avoid this con-man like the plague that he presided over. Our nation will not be the same if we don’t and—unlike the crowd that wants to leave Ukraine in the lurch, abandon NATO, and let the planet burn without attempting to solve the very real problem of climate change that DJT has decried for years–. we must think rationally about what DJT really represents and what kind of man he has demonstrated himself to be.

Instead of doing a sexist smear job on our current Vice President, (which was about as fair as insisting that Hilary Clinton was running a sex ring out of a pizza parlor), let’s really think about the “platforms” that currently face us under the two main political powers. A Screaming Mimi telling us to “fight” and shouting slogans is not a platform. Last time out, Trump had NO platform. This time he is expected to follow the Project 2025 manifesto, especially since 31 of the 38 people who put this 900 page document together worked under him in the Trump administration. Get a copy and think long and hard about what Project 2025 says before you vote.