When it comes to shutting down the government the Republican Party just can’t seem to get enough of it.  It is as if they somehow got caught up in the lyrics of that old song by the Staple Singers from back in the 1970s, ‘Let’s Do It Again’, and cannot break free.

“Sometimes the rain, groovin’ when I hear the sound; like you [government shutdown] and me, baby gettin’ down with the sounds around.  Oh, the smell of the mornin’ flower as we pass away the hour; I wanna do it again, do it again, do it, do it…” the lyrics say.

Obviously the Staple Singers were not referring to a government shutdown but to many of those who were young back in the 1970s, they could not help but to move  and swing and sway to the melodious sounds of this popular Motown song.  Too many Republicans seem to have this same problem when it comes to a government shutdown.  It matters not whether it is a partial or full shutdown; what matters is that it is a shutdown.  They can’t seem to help themselves.  And right now, it appears that once again they are saying, ‘let’s do it again!’

Operation Rubik’s Cube: watch the video then buy the book.

Here we are only a few days away from having funding for the Department of Homeland Security (D.H.S.) lapse and Republicans are continuing full speed ahead in allowing it to happen.  Many of them believe that if this does happen, the blame will fall squarely on the shoulders of the Democrats.

It does not matter that Democrats have refused to support the bill that would provide funding to the D.H.S. because it contains language placed into it by Republicans that would, in effect, reverse President Obama’s Executive Order (EO) on immigration.  Although this EO would only allow immigrants who meet special criteria to remain in this country and expire as soon as congress passes a comprehensive immigration law, Republicans find it unacceptable.

What about all of those employees who will not be paid, some of whom by law will have to work without pay, when these funds run out?  Is congress concerned about them or whether they will be able to support themselves and their families until a new funding bill is passed?  Maybe they should pass a law that says that anytime there is a partial or full government shutdown congress members will not be paid until the shutdown is over.  I’d bet that there would be a lot fewer government shutdowns then.

Since President Obama was elected, it seems that many of our elected officials have lost all sense of direction.  It seems that they no longer have the ability to empathize with those who are without a voice and are struggling to survive.  They might not have had a lot of sympathy for those constituents before President Obama was elected and even when they did, it might not have been overt; but now they seem to be so focused on projecting an anti-Obama visual of themselves that they have completely forgotten about anyone who is not rich and powerful.

My message to these politicians now is that they should stop playing politics and pandering and do their job, which is governance.  Stop taking away money from hard-working Americans who are struggling to make an honest living and survive while they continue to pay themselves for doing virtually nothing (the last few congresses are likely among the least productive in American history) and govern!  It can’t be any harder for them to do that than it has been for the Average American to survive over the past six years while they conduct their partisan fights!

Come the next election, my message and yours should be that we are tired of their antics and will no longer tolerate their unreasonable behavior by reflecting those feelings in our vote.  Politicians will be politicians but we all know that they can do better and they too know that they can do better.  But because they are politicians, they will not do better unless America demands it of them.  We must do that!

Whether you are a Democrat, Republican or Independent and no matter how many roadblocks may be placed in your path make sure that you surmount them, get registered and vote; and not just in presidential elections.  To vote is our responsibility as Americans and we should meet it.  And after that, “Let’s Do It Again.”

Eulus Dennis

It seems that Republicans just can’t get enough of bashing President Obama.  Twenty sixteen may still be a ways off but Republicans who are considering running for president, and some who are definitely not running, are focused like a laser beam on this president.

There’s the Fox News affiliate in San Diego that while reporting news on a rape suspect, showed a picture of President Obama over the shoulder of the reporter instead of that of the person they were reporting on.  The affiliate, San Diego’s Fox 5 News, said that this was a mistake and later apologized.  Was it a mistake?  Or were they simply trying to fire up the base?  Good questions but no definitive answers.  Each person is left to draw their own conclusions.

Then there is a tweet referencing the president that was sent out by Dinesh D’Souza – a political commentator and author – that said, “You can take the boy out of the ghetto…”  Mr. D’Souza is a conservative who is affiliated with conservative organizations like the American Enterprise institute and the Heritage Foundation.  It is no secret that the Heritage Foundation has spent significant time and resources fighting against a number of President Obama’s policies.

There is also former mayor Giuliani who – while at a dinner held in support of Governor Scott Walker of Wisconsin, questioned whether the president loves America.  According to an article in Politico by Darren Samuelsohn the former mayor said; “I do not believe, and I know this is a horrible thing to say, but I do not believe that the president loves America.  He doesn’t love you.  And he doesn’t love me.  He wasn’t brought up the way you were brought up and I was brought up through love of this country.”

I will not venture to say that I know exactly what is being implied in former mayor Giuliani’s statement but I do know that it smacks of things that were brought up in the past when some elected officials were saying that President Obama was not born in this country and therefore is not a legitimate president.  This is not the first controversial statement the former mayor has made; instead, it is only among the more recent ones.  Some of his most recent statements have been very divisive.

Governor Walker was present when ex-mayor Giuliani said that he does not believe that President Obama loves America but he remained silent.  Even when he was asked about it later while on Fox News, he chose not to distance himself from it.  As has happened in the past, too many Republicans are slow to condemn this kind of talk.  At this point, there is none that I am aware of who have come forward and said that this is unacceptable.

It is reasonable to assume that these candidates and potential candidates who say that they want to lead America want to be the president of all Americans and lead all Americans.  They don’t want to be the president of just the extreme right wing, right wing, or Republicans and lead them.  They do not want to be the president of just the big money constituents and White people and lead them.  They want to be the president of Democrats, Republicans and Independents: they want to be the president of rich people and poor people; White people, Black people, Latinos, Asians and Native Americans and lead all of us.

It is past time for the political pandering to stop!  For ex-mayor Giuliani to publicly say that he does not believe that President Obama loves America was the wrong thing to do and he should apologize.  For Governor Walker to remain silent after the ex-mayor said this was the wrong thing to do and he must decide whether he will continue to play politics or exemplify the qualities of a true leader by distancing himself from this kind of rhetoric.

There are too many problems that America is faced with for us to continue down this same old worn-out road.  The situation in the Middle East is a snarled mess and our elected officials are spending their time clashing with one another about whether or not America should refer to ISIS as simply terrorist or Islamic terrorist?

Most Americans who follow politics closely would probably much rather see congress and the administration working together to come up with a strategy as to how we can defeat ISIS than witness what they are doing now.  The White House and some in congress agree that we can’t kill our way to victory in this battle.  There are too many factions with different interests that are all but impossibly congruent to be successfully brought together to form a whole that will last.  Yet we must do exactly that if world interest – including our own, is to be served.

But in order to make the virtually impossible possible and implement a workable plan, our leaders will have to spend their time more productively.  They must, at least, suspend the political pandering and arguing among themselves long enough to come up with a solution to this ISIS problem that is plaguing America and the world.

Eulus Dennis

Senator Mitch McConnell has not been real visible or had much to say about actual governance since he became Senate Majority Leader.  Someone from the press should get a drink with him so that they could chat about all of the things that are going right and the few things that are going wrong since Republicans took control of congress: or maybe I should say all of the things that are going wrong and the few things that are going right.

Either way, maybe the conversation could start with President Obama’s “Why don’t you get a drink with Mitch McConnell?” joke.  That should break the ice.  After all, Senator McConnell didn’t just take it lying down; he struck back at the president with his own empty chair tweet, which showed him in a bar having a beer and a conversation with an empty chair with a glass of red wine on the bar in front of it.

These two men appear to be polar opposites but in order to effectively govern, they – along with Speaker Boehner, are going to have to be amenable to coming together and having reasonable, constructive and meaningful conversation if America is to move forward.  Apparently, no one has needed to get a drink with the Speaker to prod him to talk; he has had plenty to say.

Since Republicans took control of congress he has already talked about how the president does not understand that the House circumvented the Administration in inviting Prime Minister Netanyahu to address a joint session of congress in order to strengthen the president’s hand in his negotiations with Iran.  Further, according to an article in U.S. News & World Report, when asked about funding for the Department of Homeland Security he said “The House did its job…”  “Why don’t you go ask the Senate Democrats when they’re going to get off their ass and do something other than to vote no?”  And an article in The New York Times by Michael D. Shear and Ashley Parker said that on ‘Fox News Sunday’ Speaker Boehner “signaled that he was willing to let funding for [Department of Homeland Security] lapse – allowing for a shutdown – if the Senate was unable to pass the House’s bill.”

Indeed Speaker Boehner has certainly had plenty to say since Republicans took control of congress but his leadership from the time that he became Speaker has been weak and it still appears to be weak now.  Under his leadership the house has voted to repeal Obamacare more than 50 times, members – including him – continue to be condescending toward the president and many in congress continue to question his loyalty to America.

Under Speaker Boehner’s leadership Republicans continue to retrace their tracks and cover the same old ground again and again and again…  They seem to be unable to get untracked so that they can cover new ground; ground that badly needs to be covered and cries out for congress’ attention.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with Republicans having a difference of opinion with the president as to how the country should be run and loathing how he is conducting its affairs.  But to continuously make history by disrespecting him, let alone the office, by questioning his loyalty and right to run the country should be unacceptable to all Americans; it goes beyond the pale.

The question still remains as to who is actually running the House.  It is obvious that Speaker Boehner holds the gavel but things are somewhat opaque when it comes to who is in control.  Is it the Tea Party caucus or is it Speaker Boehner?

The speaker may still be tethered to establishment Republicans but that also is hard to decipher with the way that things are going.  Right now though, it appears that he is somewhat separated from the group and flailing in the wind like a lone flag which is precariously close to being ripped from its mooring, carried away and landing wherever the wind drops it.

If things continue to go the way that they are going now it would not surprise me if the tether line got cut.  As to who would be the cutter – Speaker Boehner or establishment Republicans, I don’t know.  But I do know who the cuttee (to coin a word) would be: Speaker Boehner!

Eulus Dennis

People were really angry when after the country was almost plunged into ruin by the financial industry and bailed out by taxpayers that no one went to jail.  We heard a lot from politicians about ‘too big to fail’ and after their rescue we heard some bankers crow about how they paid back all of the money that the government provided in order to bail them out.  After that, most of the banks tightened their grip on their money and all but refused to loan any to the Americans who so badly needed it.

Although there was a lot of talk about getting to the bottom of what brought about this near disaster and holding those responsible accountable, nothing ever really happened to anyone of consequence.  Those who were responsible probably knew all along that nothing would happen to them though some feigned some outward fear of punishment in order to placate us average Americans; the little people.

After all, everyone knows that all politicians who expect to be successful need the support of ‘big money’ to finance their expensive election campaigns.  And had bankers and Wall Street not even bothered to feign fear after authoring such a terrible deed surly the little people would have believed that the government was in cahoots with them all along.  Of course, what the average American thought about this unfortunate incident didn’t really matter but as with all politicians and political situations, visuals are important.

Whether or not you agree with the saying that ‘time heals all wounds’ people do tend to forget and those things that at one time may have made their blood boil become distant memories and much less disconcerting.  Although we may think about how bankers and Wall Street executives walked away from something that average Americans would have spent many years incarcerated for, we probably quickly dismiss the thought and move on with our lives.

But there is a problem bubbling just beneath the surface in the banking industry right now that could embroil a lot of rich and powerful people in a quagmire that will be hard to escape.  Again, even if they don’t escape it, the most they will likely suffer is a slap on the wrist, momentary embarrassment and a fine that to them would amount to the equivalent of the average American leaving a two dollar tip.

This problem first surfaced in 2010 and involves the HSBC.  Although the resolution was somewhat controversial, supposedly it was handled then.  However; according to an article in The Guardian by Paul Lewis, it has resurfaced because there is concern by some that the stipulations in that agreement are not being taken seriously.  This time though I doubt that we will hear the mantra ‘too big to fail’; only because it doesn’t fit.

We probably won’t hear anything like that because if we did, the most appropriate catch phrase would be ‘too above the law to fit under it.’  When the Department of Justice (DOJ) addressed and supposedly began to mitigate this problem, which first appeared in 2010, with the intension to ultimately totally correct it, the DOJ assigned an independent monitor as overseer.

In May of 2014 while continuing to work the HSBC problem the DOJ forced a company called Credit Suisse to pay a $2.6 bn. fine for its part as an organization suspected of involvement in tax evasion.  According to the article in ‘The Guardian’, at that time, Attorney General Holder said; “This case shows that no financial institution, no matter its size or global reach, is above the law.  Credit Suisse conspired to help US citizens hide assets in offshore accounts in order to evade paying taxes.  When a bank engages in misconduct this brazen, it should expect that the Justice Department will pursue criminal prosecution to the fullest extent possible, as has happened here.”

Unfortunately for him and the many others who crafted the HSBC solution and thought that their work was complete, it appears that much more still remains to be done.  And as to those customers that used HSBC for illegal purposes who could also find themselves trapped in this web of attempted deception in their effort to hide their personal assets, their problems may have just begun.

In showcasing the DOJ’s progress and accomplishment regarding the HSBC, the attorney general said that “this case shows that no financial institution… is above the law.”  The key operative words here are ‘financial institution.’  What about the high-level, powerful individuals who were involved in this tax evasion scheme; what will happen to them?

I have said before that there are some problems that arise whose complexities defy our ability to navigate them so we must leave it to our elected officials to address them and trust that they will do so in the best interest of America and our overall best interest.  Whether we cannot navigate these complex issues because there is certain information that politicians are privy to, which we are not or we simply don’t have the mental acumen is not the point.

The point is that if tossing all of these high-level crooks into jail and throwing away the key would put the American economy and possibly even the world economy into a tailspin which could only result in disaster, I would say don’t do it.  I think that most Americans would say the same thing.

Those billionaires and millionaires who participate in these tax evasion schemes know too that most sensible people will choose the common good and survival of America over their anger and abhorrence of the arrogance and greed of far too many of the rich.  It seems that the best – and maybe only – way to really get the attention of the rich is through their money.

So what the government needs to do to hold the rich accountable while at the same time making them think twice before they repeat their despicable acts while average Americans carry more than their fair share of the load is to charge them a fine that would to them amount to more than what the average American would leave as a tip.  They need to really make them feel it: make them hurt!  Most of the rich probably fear losing their money more than they do going to jail anyway.  Taking it from them in a significant (emphasis on significant) amount would be like raining fire down on them.

Governments from the federal level all the way down to the local level have no problem with going after people who are not rich and powerful; especially when it comes to taxes.  It is not unheard of for them to spend exponentially larger sums to collect what, in their overall budget, amounts to a pittance compared to what they are trying to collect.

Most people know that until we have a perfect world and America forms a perfect union – whether we like it or not, we are going to have those who, at all levels, are privileged and pampered.  Although Americans might realize and accept that government can’t throw these high-level crooks in jail, they also know that it could do a lot more than it currently does to make them truly feel the pain.  The fact that it has not yet done this is what really has citizens throughout the country suspicious about our government and angry with our politicians.

Bring the pain!  Government doesn’t seem to mind doing this to the average American, why not do it to the rich and powerful as well.

Eulus Dennis

Even if you do not usually follow politics or you are someone who avoids it altogether, there are some political issues that, by their very nature, command your attention.  There are those issues that have the potential of an immediate and direct impact on you and those that have the potential of a more distant and indirect impact.

Usually those that can have an immediate and direct impact are homegrown and those with the potential of a distant and indirect impact are world issues.  Many of the homegrown issues ebb and flow; normally as a result of politicians ‘kicking the can down the road’ because we as voters fail to hold them to account.

The world issues are a different story where voters are concerned.  Because most of us are unable to navigate the complexities of such issues, we leave the decisions associated with them up to our elected officials and trust that those decisions will be in the best interest of America and in our overall best interest.

Still, in order to have some degree of confidence that these officials will make informed and rational decisions on our behalf, we should want those who are representing us to be the best of the best.  That is why it is so important that we stay informed and always vote.  This applies to Democrats, Republicans and Independents: it also applies to those who closely follow politics and those who do not or usually avoid it altogether.

The problems that are occurring in the Middle East right now, especially the ISIS problem, are among those that are extremely complex and that we must rely on the wisdom and leadership of our elected officials to address.

There is no doubt that the majority of Americans do not want to be dragged into another war that would be extremely difficult to win.  But at the same time, this same majority knows that something has to be done to control ISIS, which is a deadly group whose agenda has the potential of an immediate negative impact on American interests in the Middle East and a distant – or even immediate – impact on America itself.

However, the more immediate problem that voters are faced with and the one that would likely be of more interest to those who eschew politics involves measles and guns.  Also, here is where we can likely draw a more clear line between red and blue; Republicans and Democrats.  Republicans are strong advocates of virtually uncontrolled gun rights.  And as to measles, two highly visible members of the Republican Party – Rand Paul and Chris Christie – who will likely run to become the 2016 nominee for president seem to be taking the need for children to be vaccinated lightly.

If you are a Republican – before you become too defensive, allow me to explain why I said these potential nominees for president are taking the need to vaccinate children lightly; I doubt that you are offended by the guns part of my statement.

It appears that measles is beginning to make a comeback since it was proclaimed eradicated in 2000 in the United States.  Although since its outbreak in Disneyland it has spread to at least 14 states around the country, these two Republican politicians have sidestepped vaccination questions.  When asked if parents should have their children vaccinated, they avoided providing a direct answer to this question.  Instead, they resorted to political pandering.  According to an article in The Hill by Peter Sullivan, Dr. Ben Carson – another highly visible Republican considering a run for president in 2016 blames the measles on immigrants.

With regards to guns, Republican controlled legislatures around the country have begun an effort to expand gun freedom by allowing guns in schools, official government meetings and various public places.  They have also begun efforts to rollback or repeal enacted laws that addressed issues like background checks, the allowed size of a gun’s magazine and control over how and if guns could be sold on the Internet.

Whether or not these new laws and rollback or repeal efforts are things that you agree with is not the primary issue.  What you must do before you can do anything either way about these issues is to make sure to register to vote.  Once you are a registered voter, make sure that you become informed on the issues then always vote.  Remember, your vote is the most important one of all…unless you don’t use it!

Eulus Dennis