Morning Coffee with Dan - Let's Fly Blindly and See How that Goes

As I sip my java this morning, I wasn't going to make any observations. Unfortunately, after reading the news, I can't sit and just savor my brew.

I read where this so called 'administration wants to block funds for additional coronavirus testing and contact tracing in the new relief bill. When history looks back on these events, if we survive long enough to write history, it will be recounted as a text book example of incredible mismanagement. It will likely be used as the playbook for morons and incompetents.

Does any sane person really believe we can improved diabetes rates by no longer testing blood glucose levels, and we can reduce pregnancies by eliminating pregnancy tests or we can reduce breast cancer in the U.S. by eliminating mammograms? If you do, please stop reading at this point since I will be using words over two syllables for the rest of my rant.

Off the top of my head I can't think of many problems that can be effectively addressed with less data. Generally speaking, the more data you have, the better you understand an issue and the array of options necessary to fix it. How can less testing be any different? I sure hope the pilot of my plane doesn't turn off the radar because he is worried about the dark clouds all around us.

As far as contract tracing goes, I think that train left the station a few weeks ago If you have uncontrolled growth in new cases, it is probably mathematically impossible do do timely contact tracing, and I might add, that if it takes 5 to 7 days to get the results, you are damn well doomed for timely contact tracing. However, if we move down the curve AKA flatten the curve, it would be nice to be able to reintroduce contact tracing to our arsenal to avoid a second (or third) wave. Having some budget in place would be a good thing.

I am moving on as I try not spill coffee while I am shaking my head. Is it a wonder we are out of control with the brilliant minds running this country?

Have a safe day and week while you 'enjoy' your morning brew.

Morning Coffee with Dan - Return of the Storm Troopers

I'm very angry and apprehensive this morning as I sip my first cup of coffee. The events involving the Department of Homeland Security in Portland, Oregon are reminiscent of the KGB in Russia or the events in Nazi Germany before WWII.

Without an invitation from the Governor of Oregon or the involvement of the mayor of Portland, the Federal Government has deployed agents heavily armed, in camouflaged uniforms, driving unmarked cars to unilaterally apprehend peaceful protesters off the streets. How scary is that? These agents, apparently from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Department, are deployed ostensibly to protect federal property. I would have to say that there may a major case of 'mission creep' here since the protesters apprehended were nowhere near Federal property.

In one case there is a video of an unarmed protester holding a speaker who is shot in the head by an agent and had to be rushed to the hospital. He later required reconstructive surgery where the bullet fractured bones in his skull. It is clear from the video that he is a single, unarmed protester exercising his constitutional rights. In another video, we see a young man snatched off the street by two agents and whisked into an unmarked car. The agents showed no identification nor told him what he had done - if anything. These are very heavy handed police-state tactics that have no place in a free society. Has Vlad given Cheeto a copy of the KGB playbook to use in this country?

As the governor said in an interview, during the demonstrations in Portland, their goal has been to defuse the situation and bring a peaceful resolution to the disturbances. The presence of Federal agents will do nothing but inflame the situation ever further. The only help she has asked from the Federal government is for Pandemic assistance with funding and additional PPE, neither of which has been forthcoming.

If you aren't alarmed by the authoritarian display by the DHS in Portland, you should be. This may well be stage one of a serious overreach by the Federal government in local affairs that impact our ability to exercise our constitutional rights. I wonder if this is how events started in Nazi Germany. I am appalled and very, very angry.

With indignation, I am making another pot of the black liquid.

Morning Coffee with Dan - Give Your Scientist a Hug

I think my train is back on the track after a quick injection of caffeine. I am now processing the 'administration's' latest assault on science.

I think Kayleigh McEnany's statement yesterday about not letting science stand in the way of school reopening says it all. This administration, and the Republican party in general, could not be any less friendly to science if they tried. This might be another case of patiently waiting for the pendulum to swing back the other way if the consequences of time weren't so significant. It is hard to be patient and wait for a new and considerably more enlightened administration to arrive when the clock is ticking on issues that have a dire impact on the health, welfare, and development of the country.

The administration's wanton disregard for environmental issues in favor of the industrial polluters is only fueling (excuse the play on words), of our continuing path to more climate catastrophes in the future. The administration's intent to block California's more stringent vehicle emission standards, restricting the public's access to climate change research, and reckless promotion of the fossil fuel industry are just a few examples of the priority, or lack thereof, they place on their role as stewards of the future.

The list of actions hostile to science is frightening for those committed to better living through science. Budgets cuts to the EPA, CDC, FDA, Interior Department, etc. will have a long lasting effect that extends well beyond this administration. Our withdrawal from the Paris Climate Accord is another visible examples of how we view the threat of climate change, and sends a chilling message to the rest of the world looking for a smidgen of leadership from the U.S.

So, am I surprised about Kayleigh's statement yesterday? Not a bit. Until we recognize that Trump's hostility, as well as the rest of his party, to science is setting us up for a very rocky road going forth, and we should grow accustomed to more asinine statements from the White House. The thought that science would actually play a role in our continuing battle with the Coaronavirus should probably be put in the category of sheer heresy along with wearing face masks.

On that note I am having more java this morning.

Morning Coffee with Dan - Can I Watch the View?

As I am sipping on my 'fair traded, environmentally friendly, and worker supported" coffee this morning I am thinking about boycotts and the complexity of being a consumer in today's politically explosive marketplace.

I actually got a chuckle out of Ivanka and Cheeto posing with Goya products proclaiming how great they are. I suspect Ivanka wouldn't know how to open the can, and if she did, what you use pinto beans for anyway. I kind of bet she doesn't have a card file of family recipes, especially ones that call for chick peas. Of course, Cheeto is probably a closet gourmet chef and uses Goya products all the time when he invites Vlad over for tacos. All this reminds me of how tough it is being a consumer today.

I think there is a market for a new app called "boycott bingo" or something like that. I need a list of the products and services that are currently being boycotted. Of course it must contain the date started and if it is still active. Who pushed the button, why we are boycotting it, and of course, do I have alternatives? I would hate to boycott Eli Lilly and go into diabetic shock because I can't get my Novolog. It might also rate effectiveness and when it is suppose to end. It would be cool if it listed "A- Listers" supporting the 'cott, because I like to be cool and get on board with Meryl Streep, but probably don't give a damn about the AFLAC duck. We need to sort the list by category, e.g., places, services, type of product, type of boycott, etc.

The truth is that I can't keep up anymore. Maybe it is this creaky brain, but it seems that almost everywhere I go, I need to avoid buying or acquiring the services of someone or something. Is it OK to buy Dixie Chick stuff? Can I watch the NFL again? Will I be laughed at with a Nike swoosh on my shirt? Can we watch The View anymore? Is it OK to book a trip to South Africa - after the pandemic, of course. How about Hobby Lobby? Crap, now that I think about it, I didn't shop there anyway. What about Brawny paper towels? Are their owners, the Koch Brothers still in the doghouse? Can I go to confession or is the RC church still on the religious services boycott list? Has BP paid their dues yet for the Gulf oil spill? Can I go to Tom Cruise movies yet? I could go on all day with my list, so you can see why I need a boycott app.

When I worked for a living, yo those many years ago, we had a computer list called the "Denied Parties List" or DPL for short. It listed all the companies/products we were not suppose to buy from or use. It was generally based on legal reason, e.g. export license violations, environmental infringement thingies, export license restrictions, etc. Sometimes it covered engineering or product performance issues. The point is that you always checked the DPL if you were negotiating a buy. Maybe my boycott bingo will be the new DPL for use haggard consumers and we will always be assured of being politically correct.

On that note, I'm having another cup of environmentally friendly coffee.

Morning Coffee with Dan - The Innocence Project

As I sip my first cup of java this morning, I am mulling over capital punishment after this week's execution of Daniel Lee Lewis.

Daniel Lee Lewis was the first Federal prisoner executed in 17 years on Tuesday. This, of course, signals a return to this process by the current AG. I'm not going to debate Lewis' guilt or innocence, specifically, for I have no idea, but I will comment on the death penalty in general. It is no secret that I have a long-standing opposition to the death penalty much to the chagrin of some of my "law and order" cohorts. Truth is that I have no issues with putting capital murderers to death on moral grounds. Most probably more than deserve to meet their maker. However, I do have a very strong distrust of the legal system that determined their "guilt." With a system with so many flaws which is full of legal maneuvers, and a stacked deck in favor of those with money to 'buy' their freedom, how can you not believe that some percentage of those put to death were not some trophy for an over zealous D.A. and, in fact, were not guilty?

The Innocence Project, founded in 1992 is a legal organization committed to exonerating individuals who it claims have been wrongly convicted. In the time since its founding, over 1500 convictions have been overturned with new evidence while over 156 death row inmates have been exonerated since 1973 - that's one in ten. Sadly, 70% of the wrongful convictions were minorities - another testimony to structural racism and racial bias in the legal system. The Innocence Project estimates that 2 to 5% of people behind bars are wrongful convictions. Get your head around that number. With 2 million people incarcerated in the U.S. that means that somewhere between 40,000 to 100,000 innocent people are behind bars. The fact that we have over 2,000,000 prisoners in this country warrants an entire discussion of its own.

Once you are executed there are no "mulligans." You don't get a 'do over' if you screwed up. There is no further appeal because they found the DNA of the actual murderer. I know our legal system is suppose to way better than most parts of the world, but 'better' isn't good enough. The wrongful execution of one innocent person is inexcusable, but we are probably talking way more than 'one' innocent person.

So, at the risk of being labeled a 'bleeding heart liberal,' I will remain opposed to the death penalty because the system which got to the death row end-point is far from perfect, and I am unhappy with snuffing out a life for judicial convenience.

On that note, I am making more coffee this morning.

Morning Coffee with Dan - Not so Many Checks and Balances

As I sip my DD coffee this morning the notion of checks and balances is creeping into my consciousness. I guess the commutation of Roger Stone has lead me into this cul de sac.

I have been troubled (aka pissed off) for the last three years by the abdication of constitutional responsibility of congress, specifically the Senate, to fulfill their role in the 'checks and balances' model designed by our founding fathers. The commutation of Roger Stones has once again put this on display. Only one senator, Mitt Romney, had the courage to speak out about the outrage of Cheeto's pardon of Stone solely done to protect himself from incriminating testimony downstream. Of course, Cheeto had the constitutional authority to pardon; all presidents have exercised this power, but I think the notion was to exercise it to correct or address judicial aberrations in the application of the law, not to protect your ass. It is clear from the lack of outcry in the Senate that party loyalty takes precedent over responsible governance.

We have seen time and time again how Mitch McConnell has manipulated the Senate to keep his senators in a Republican herd at the detriment of his constitutional responsibilities. One example is the notion of 'advise and consent.' The Senate has the responsibility to confirm presidential appointments for executive and judicial appointments. This is an obvious check on the executive branch to ensure its appointments are in the best interest of the country. Over the last three years, Cheeto's appointments have been rubber stamped with a 'herd' of unqualified appointees like Betsy DeVos, Rick Perry, Ben Carson, et. al., maybe good people ( open for debate), but clearly lacking the functional credentials to fulfill their roles as cabinet secretaries. I won't even go down the impeachment path except to say that the Senate Republicans as a body never intended to give the process a fair hearing but to align with the party and follow the herd to acquittal barn in spite of any evidence to the contrary.

We don't have to go too far back to see that the system can work if the players act responsibly. When Nixon was up to his eyeballs in Watergate, his own party came to him and told him to resign for the good of the country. He had lost his own party's support because of his egregious behavior. It can be done if you put country over party.

I could drag out this conversation into the judicial world and lament about Citizens United and the Voting Rights Act decisions, but my conclusions would lead me to the same end point. I think Checks and Balances has been a casualty to party loyalty and not good government.

On this note, I am making another pot of coffee.

Morning Coffee with Dan - What Might Have Been

As I sip a cup of freshly brewed DD medium roast coffee this morning, I think of what 'might have been.' I read Robert Mueller's Op Ed in the Washington Post with mixed emotions.

Mueller felt compelled to justify the integrity of the process and prosecution of Roger Stone in the light of Cheeto's commutation of Stone's sentence on Friday. A rare public comment from a normally 'invisible' guy. As I read his comments, I wondered (aka dreamed) about lost opportunities.

I was, as many of my friends, disappointed in the outcome of the Mueller investigation. I had high hopes that the misadventures (aka crimes) of Cheeto would be revealed and he would be subject to prosecution or at least a credible impeachment. Unfortunately, as we know, that was not the outcome. What is maddening is Mueller's own comments in his forced testimony to Congress. He said, "If we had had confidence that the president clearly did not commit a crime, we would have said so." In his convoluted way of addressing issues, this feels like another way of saying Trump was guilty of crimes. If as Justice Roberts said earlier this week, no man is above the law, why not finish the job?

Mueller was following long-standing DOJ policy against indicting a sitting president. Personally, I think the operative word here is "policy," not written law or case precedent, but I'm not a lawyer, just a pissed off voter who thinks Cheeto skated. I know all of the Mueller B.S. about a president not being able to defend himself if charged, so it is not 'fair' to charge him. This sure as hell doesn't feel like 'no one is above the law," but there I go repeating myself.

Sadly, it is water over the dam or water under the bridge - I never get that expression right. It is done, and we can't repeat what might have been. Unfortunately, Mueller's op ed brings back the whole saga which just didn't sit right for me and, in spite of Mueller's defense of the integrity of the process and the honesty of his team i feel it was incomplete. He punted the ball to Congress which has already demonstrated it is a body of invertebrates so we know how well that went.

I guess it is time for a second cup of coffee and another day of sheltering down.

Morning Coffee with Dan - I'd Love to be a Fly on the Wall on these Calls

As I enjoy my aged coffee this morning I re-read an extraordinary story from Carl Bernstein (All the President's Men) that seems to have gotten lost in all the other news of late.

The article written before July 4th talked about Trump's calls from the White House with world leaders. The lead-in is an amazing (and deeply embarrassing) summary:

"In hundreds of highly classified phone calls with foreign heads of state, President Donald Trump was so consistently unprepared for discussion of serious issues, so often outplayed in his conversations with powerful leaders like Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Erdogan, and so abusive to leaders of America's principal allies, that the calls helped convince some senior US officials -- including his former secretaries of state and defense, two national security advisers and his longest-serving chief of staff -- that the President himself posed a danger to the national security of the United States, according to White House and intelligence officials intimately familiar with the contents of the conversations."

He goes on to elaborate further, "The anonymous sources who spoke to Bernstein called Trump "delusional" and described his calls with foreign leaders as "abominations." They report that the president boasted "about his own wealth, genius, 'great' accomplishments as President, and the 'idiocy' of his Oval Office predecessors."

He apparently regularly bullied and disparaged allied leaders, but saved the worst for his female contemporaries, Angela Merkel and Teresa May - he even called the latter 'stupid." Of course, Merkel has a doctorate in Quantum Chemistry while Trump has hired hands take his entrance exams.

These stories are surfacing now because national security officials shutter to think about Trump getting elected to serve another term. Apparently, several believe that Trump "himself poses a danger to the national security of the United States," Interestingly, these call are recorded and transcribed so at some point their content will be revealed and hopefully, it won't be too late. These sources know that if they step forward publicly, they will be fired, al la Alexander Vindman so they remain in the shadows.

I thought Bernstein's comments were fascinating, if not scary beyond comprehension. I keep my fingers crossed that we make it in one piece until November.

I guess it is time for another cuppa.

Morning Coffee with Dan - Entitlements

As I guzzle my coffee this morning, I feel down as I reflect on our country.

It is very easy to blame Donald Trump for all of the issues going on right now. God knows, I'm no Trump fan, and I really think I can lay many of the problems at his feet. Perhaps my biggest issue with Cheeto is his unwillingness or inability to address the problems, most (many?) of which existed before he arrived to mismanage the Executive Branch and contaminate the other two branches of government. We have always had problems to address in our relatively short history, but we had leaders who grabbed the bull by the horn and tackled them with gusto. They didn't play golf in all their free time and watch FOX news all day.

However, as I contemplate our current condition and try to sort it out, I do believe blaming Cheeto for everything is another form of denial. To some extent it is the same technique he uses to deflect issues - play the "blame game." China conspired to use the Coronavirus as a weapon to gain economic superiority. It wasn't us mismanaging the pandemic. Not happy with the crime and unemployment? Blame the immigrants and people from "shit hole" countries. I'm sure it won't be hard to find new college graduates to pick the crops. Feel like we are mired down in an endless conflict in Afghanistan? Blame Obama and the liberals. I'm sure GW can get behind that one as he forgets his speech on the rubble of World Trade Center. The blame game has no end and is a convenient conduit for denial.

What are we denying? We are not looking at ourselves and the entitlement attitude and perhaps, personal arrogance that pervades our thinking on almost every issue. i probably won't win many converts to my assessment, but I really don't care. I looked at the pictures in today's news of people piled on the beaches in a bunch of states without any separation or masks "enjoying" the sun on a long July 4th weekend as if this were 2019 or any other year you want to remember. Why? Because nobody is going to tell them what to do. Why don't we have a better handle on gun control? Because nobody is going to screw with the 2nd amendment. How about the environment? I'll use all the plastic straws I want and dump my "last forever" waste in the garbage because "I can," and its too much trouble taking it to the recycle center anyway. I listened to fireworks blasting away all night yesterday, and I'm sure the people never thought about the thousands of pets hiding under beds or some Vet with PTSD reliving his horror of IEDs. I'll celebrate July 4th and don't get in my way. The list goes on and on.

The entitlement attitude and lack of social conscious has been developing long before Cheeto put on his 'man tan." He may be doing much to reinforce the attitudes, but he didn't create them. My fear is that until we come to grips with the notion that to make a better society requires sacrifices, we will not be able to stand-up and hold the flag high as a beacon to the world. I think we have a lot to learn from other countries, both allies and enemies, about their willingness to to trade-off personal freedom and rights for the societal needs and priorities. The list of the "happiest countries in the world" seem to suggest that these countries have learned a better balance and have not slanted their behavior to the far end of the personal freedom spectrum.

Enough of a sermon for today. I'm getting more java.

Morning Coffee with Dan - Not a Message of Love and Brotherhood

As I sip my freshly brewed coffee this morning, I was dismayed to read Cheeto's 'speech' last nigh night at Mt. Rushmore.

On the celebration of July 4th, he could have taken many different paths to address the nation. Most of which could have struck a positive and uniting tone of leadership, but of course, he was not 'addressing the nation,' but using the opportunity for another reckless campaign rally to appeal to an increasingly narrow segment of the population - generally referred to as his base.

His rhetoric was vintage Trump full of 'we's and they's' designed to use the strategy of divisiveness to carve out a divide and conquer approach to reelection. Instead of acknowledging the challenges the country faces, of which there are many, and how he will address them, he chose the event to talk about how the "left' is engaged in a "merciless campaign to wipe out our history, defame our heroes, erase our values, and indoctrinate our children." Not exactly a message designed to unite us under these stressful times.

He further went on, "we will expose this dangerous movement, protect our nation's children, end this radical assault and preserve our beloved American way of life." I find it ironic that at the site of one of this country's most egregious acts, the treatment of the indigenous people, aka Native Americans, that he fails to grasp or acknowledge that the "beloved American way of life,' is in need of major reexamination if we are true to our values of a government "of the people, by the people, and for the people - ALL the people, not just the privileged and well-off. I'm sure he thought long and hard about his speech as he played golf on Friday before flying to South Dakota to spread the gospel of love and brotherhood.

Sadly as I watched the reaction of his loyalists and read many of their comments on social media this morning, I fervently hope that this truly represents a shrinking minority of this country. For those who seek a better tomorrow and are willing to address the problems and confront our history, good and bad, this was not the message we needed to hear. This is a great country, but to remain great, we must not be willing to merely perpetuate the status quo.

Enough of my soapbox this morning. I need another injection of caffeine.

Morning Coffee with Dan - We Need More Humanity

As I sip my coffee this morning, I am tempted to comment on Cheeto's relationship with Vlad, but, today, I am more motivated by thoughts of humanity.

My sister-in-law posted a note from a Rabbi from Delaware about Joe Biden. In the Jewish faith there is an intimate ceremony known as a minyan in memory of the deceased which involves 10 elders of the temple. In this case, the deceased, a woman of modest means, lived in a very small apartment so they held the minyan in the laundry room of the rent controlled apartment building. As the ceremony began, a stranger quietly joined the gathering - all alone. The Rabbi recognized the stranger as Senator Joe Biden, and he talked to him after the service asking how it came about that he was there. Biden responded that the woman gave him $18, all she could afford, during his first run for Senate. In each subsequent campaign she gave him an additional $18, again all she could afford. Senator Biden wanted to show his gratitude and respect for the women's support knowing that her contribution was significant to him. There was no press, no publicity, no aides, just Joe Biden being a caring human being in the time of grief.

I got thinking about this story and it occurred to me that what is missing in our government today, especially at the highest level, is humanity - kindness, mercy, sympathy. I have had it up to my ears in name calling and nightly insults that Cheeto thinks are clever and attention getting. How often does the president pause an think about the human aspects of a situation? WHY is Kaepernick kneeling? How are the families doing after a mass shooting? How do I address racism in this country? Why is it always about protecting my Ass(ets), keeping the Dow Jones above 25000, or how do I look wearing a mask during the pandemic, and on and on.

I am always suspicious about a president who doesn't own a pet which I felt was a good barometer of humanity. I checked about Joe Biden, and as is so typical of his character, he and his wife, Jill, adopted a rescue dog called Major. These are the 'little things' that define the empathy and kindness inherent in a human being. The ability to reach out when the circumstances dictate is so much more important than responding to every story with which you disagree as 'fake.' How do you take the lessons of life and continue to grow, not react and go into rabid denial.

I am reminded of John Donne's most famous meditation, No Man is an Island. "No man is an island entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main; ... any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind. And therefore never send to know for whom
the bell tolls; it tolls for thee." I am sure Joe Biden's presence at the minyan is because he is involved in mankind and every (wo)man's death diminishes him.

The sad part of humanity is that you can't buy a book or sign-up for an online course on Humanity 101. It is born over a lifetime of experience and caring and is probably a reflection on how you were raised and you can throw in a few of the right genes. It is way too late to expect Cheeto to manifest a modest amount of humanity. If you believe, as I do, that humanity is a major element in leadership and oh so needed at this point in history, do your thing in November.

On this heavy note, I am making more java.

Morning Coffee with Dan - Say What? No Medical Care during a Pandemic?

To say I am incredulous as I sip this morning's coffee would go into the category of one of my greatest understatements. The Trump "administration" last night petitioned the Supreme Court to overturn the Affordable Care Act for over 20 million Americans during a deteriorating and mismanaged pandemic.

This is so wrong on so many levels that it is difficult to believe we could be having the conversation at this point in time. I can only echo Nancy Pelosi's comments, "It was wrong anytime," she said of the administration's stance. "Now, it's beyond stupid." The impact to the 122 million Americans with pre-existing conditions is incalculable.

Were the Republicans to have ever offered an alternative health care plan to the public, I could fathom a dialog on the merits of each. However, they continue to rail against the ACA without ever offering an alternative plan, except business as usual. Of course, such an act would, no doubt, offend the generous health care industry and their lobbyists who continue to pour millions into the right-wing reelection coffers.

Once again the U.S. stands out as the only developed country in the world without a viable and affordable health care program for its citizens, and the the Republicans continue to assault the only effort we have ever made to address this problem. Need I remind you that about 11.4 million people signed up for 2020 Obamacare polices on the exchanges, while nearly 12.7 million low-income adults have gained coverage through Medicaid expansion? It allows young adults up to age 26 to stay on their parents' policies and bans insurers from denying coverage to those who buy their own policies or charging them more because of pre-existing conditions,

I cannot believe that this action is being taken during the greatest medical emergency this country has seen since the pandemic of 1918. What the hell is this administration thinking? Oops, excuse me. "Thinking" and "this administration" are incompatible.'

On this note, I am going back to my coffee and revel in my anniversary.

Morning Coffee with Dan - What Leadership is Not About

As I am sipping my DD medium roast coffee this morning I am lamenting the so-called leadership in this country. Frankly, it is embarrassing.

Yesterday, the VP and nominal head of the White House Coronavirus task force gave an update after several weeks of silence. That, in itself, should have raised questions, like "where the hell have you been, while the numbers are surging in half the states, Mr. Chairman?" Another one might have been, "why don't you set an example for the country by social distancing AND wearing face covering, instead of sticking your head up your boss' ass?" I guess that's why I will never get an invitation to the a White House press briefing.

Let me skip to the meat of the update. Mr. Pence said, ""we flattened the curve." I realize it has probably been a few years since Mike has taken geometry, but the curve I saw yesterday has about a 45 degree angle for new cases in the U.S. This is after a decline in April and May. I think there is a reason the countries of the EC are considering a ban on travel from the U.S. I think it is safe to say, it ain't because "the curve has flattened." Need I remind the Chairman of the task force that we cruised through 127,000 deaths to date?

Another startling example of amazing leadership was on display yesterday when the other half of the Cheech and Chong Show was asked about his priorities for a second term at a FAUX News town hall meeting. This is a pretty standard softball question for an incumbent running for reelection, I would think. Unfortunately, Trujmp never answered the question - not one priority was ticked-off, but some rambling nonsensical answer about talent and experience and his initial arrival in DC. Wouldn't it have been enlightening to hear about taxes, the economy, conflict in the middle East, trade with China, missile development in North Korea, etc. I can't tell if he lost his train of thought (assuming he had one), or he never gave any thought to a platform, or maybe he figures he will never get a second term so the question is academic. In any event the lack of a crisp response is a scary view of leadership.

I need a second cup this morning worrying about the team running the executive branch of our government as my hope for November keeps me going.

Morning Coffee with Dan - Let's Not Minimize COVID-19

As I sip my fresh java this morning, I am puzzled by the Coronavirus minimalists.

Worldwide we have lost over 500,000 lives and in the U.S. we are over 128,000 deaths and climbing. Some of the minimalists I know say this is a very low percentage of the population so we may be overreacting. I suspect some of these apologists are probably part of the current administration in Washington trying to justify their lack of urgency and proactive programs or perhaps some are young and healthy and have few underlying health issues, including old age.

To keep this in perspective, in Vietnam we lost 58,220 in over 10 years of the conflict. In the Korean war we lost 33,000 military in three years of the war. In the 9/11 attack on the U.S. we lost 2,977 citizens. In total that accounts for almost 90,000 American lives lost. Fast forward to 2020, and we see In a matter of 4 months time, we have already lost 42% more, in total, than the tragic events noted above which, collectively, occurred over a span of 13 years.

During Vietnam we agonized over the nightly news as the flag draped coffins were unloaded in the Military mortuary at Dover AFB. Ultimately, tens of thousands demonstrated in the streets to end the senseless killing of our young soldiers. Korea, although less visible on the tail of WWII, resulted in similar pleas to get out of another senseless war. We have built monuments and tributes all over the country to the soldiers who gave their lives to these events. After 9/11 we invaded Afghanistan and, oh by the way, are still paying with American lives over 20 years later.

So, I say to the minimalists, 128,000 lives is a tragedy of monumental proportions that doesn't need to be minimized because you have to wear a mask to go shopping or sit too far from your dinner companion. I expect we will not build a Coronavirus monument in DC to the family members we lost, although we sure as hell should for the medical workers who were on the line every day. They deserve the same recognition as the soldiers who also put their lives out there for their fellow citizens. Time to ring the chimes of the minimalists in Washington to address this situation as the tragedy history will show to have been.

On that note, I am brewing more coffee.

Morning Coffee with Dan - The Poor Attorney General of the U.S.

As I sip my freshly brewed DD coffee this morning I am saddened to think about the subversion of the Office of the Attorney General of the United States.

Most institutions are proud of the success of their alumni, mainly as a reflection on the quality of the institution from which the alum graduated. This is why yesterday's bi-partisan statement signed by 65 faculty and professors from the George Washington Law School was so startling. The group wrote that Barr's actions as Attorney General "have undermined the rule of law, breached constitutional norms, and damaged the integrity and traditional independence of his office and of the Department of Justice." Not a ringing endorsement for one of their 'star graduates' i would say.

Barr's latest action to fire U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Berman of the Southern District of New York continues a record of partisan behavior that is an embarrassment to the office of the Attorney General. Maybe we will eventually find out that it was motivated by a number of factors, but high on my 'likely' list is Berman's investigation of Trump's favorite bag man, Rudy Giuiiani. I'm sure Cheeto gave (dis)Barr an earful about how he feels about the high-handed SDNY investigations. Add Berman's dismissal to a longer list that includes 'tampering' with the sentencing of Roger Stone and, of course, let's not forget similar shenanigans with twice-confessed purger Michael Flynn.

One has to wonder why so many previously successful pols like Bill Barr, Lindsey Graham, Mitch McConnell, Marco Rubio, et. al. seem so willing to throw their reputations under the bus for Cheeto? Is the lust for reelection or continuing incumbency by these guys so great that personal principles are so easily discarded? Although not generally the conspiratorial type, I also can't help wondering what kind of dossier does Trump possibly have that he uses to keep these invertebrates in line? Maybe his bosom buddy Vlad helps by passing along some old KGB goodies on their financial and personal transgression to use at opportune moments.

With that thought, I will continue to lament the decline of 'constitutional norms' in the Justice Department as I enjoy more coffee this morning.

Morning Coffee with Dan - Let's Slow Down the Testing

As I sip my coffee this morning, I am virtually speechless. How any rational person can support Trump is so beyond my comprehension that I need to get a grip on myself without kicking the walls.

"Slow down the testing," was not offered as a "joke" as the WH apologists suggested. It was an uncaring, thoughtless, and an astonishingly ignorant statement by an uncaring and thoughtless president. As the meme suggested, stop "pregnancy testing" and we won't have any more children. I'll also stop my glucose monitoring and I won't need any more insulin. Stop measuring the water level in the Titanic and it won't sink.

We are up to 122,000 Coronavirus deaths in the U.S. with about half the states showing a growth in new cases. Slow down the testing is really going to stem the growth. As I repeatedly hear, "Denial is more than a river in Egypt." Why do we not hear anything from the White House Coronavirus task force anymore? it is denial, denial denial.

I am moving on as I shake my head. The typical steps to fix any problem are usually facts. The more information you have, the more informed your actions are. Of course, if your objective is to look good and not fix the problem, slowing down testing fits this narrative very well. I cannot believe that this unadulterated bullshit keeps coming out of his mouth.

I'm having my next cup of Java as I remain astounded by the ignorance which grows worse every day.

Morning Coffee with Dan - The Tweets Just Get More Insane

I wasn't going to mull any thoughts over this morning as I sipped my day-old coffee, but Trump's tweet was just so over the top, that I couldn't hold back.

To refresh your memory, his tweet said:

Buffalo protester shoved by Police could be an ANTIFA provocateur. 75 year old Martin Gugino was pushed away after appearing to scan police communications in order to black out the equipment. @OANN I watched, he fell harder than was pushed. Was aiming scanner. Could be a set up?

There is much that this tweet says about the incompetent at the top that it is hard to get my hands around it. First of all that he is subscribing to OANN is, in itself, a scary notion. It is a far right, conservative news and opinion source that trades in conspiracy theories It is bad enough Cheeto uses FOX as a credible source, but OANN? Really? No wonder he sounds like he is on drugs most of the time.

Next, lets look at the content. "... he fell harder than was pushed." The dude is 75. I don't have the balance I had when I was younger. How the hell would Trump know this? We know. It is part of his amazing knowledge of the laws of physics.

"Could be a set up?" Good setup! He is lying on the ground bleeding from his ear as the police walk by and ignore him. Damn good setup, huh? Whoever planned this 'setup' should get bonus points for realism.

Lastly, "aiming a scanner"? Amazing technology, I would say the DoD should try to get the patent for what looked like a cell phone when fell from his hand as he lay in a pool of blood on the concrete. Block out the equipment? With what?

I'll skip over the ANTIFA provocateur bullshit except to say that it more of the divisive BS that this incompetent throws out everyday as he works in a mythical land of no facts.

With this said, I think I'll have another cup of Clorox. Oops, I mean coffee.

Morning Coffee with Dan - My "Pal" Vlad

As I savor my Gevalia this morning, I can't help wondering what Cheeto and Putin talked about on Monday. No, not the official BS, but what they really talked about. I somehow don't think they focused only on the G7 meeting which is at least 3 1/2 months away.

My well-hidden cynical side suggests that Cheeto was probably consulting with Vlad about how he would handle the protesters in Russia. You can kind of figure out how that conversation would go. I can't remember Putin every voicing his support for the first amendment or that he is even aware that they make bullets out of rubber. I'm sure he gave Cheeto the old pep talk about taking one for the Gipper by taking the streets back and its time to stop being a ninny. This probably mirrors what his special love friend in North Korea would tell him. Kim doesn't have any problem with demonstrators in his country. They are all buried on 'Boot Hill.'

As I watched the other news last night, I was struck by an interview with Michael Curry, presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church. He was being asked about Cheeto's photo op stunt. What struck me was his very articulate response about missed opportunities. He suggested that instead of holding up the bible as a prop and beating his chest, Cheeto could have stopped the side show and suggested that he would like to offer a prayer for peace and unity in country. It would have been a perfect time for a message of healing and calm instead of more divisive militarism. Maybe that's what happens when you talk to Putin instead of Michael Curry or any number of other calm and reasoned voices that are missing from his cell phone directory.

I'm relatively sure the Evangelical and Fundamentalist crowd that worships Cheeto would have been cheering him as he embraced the 'good book' and the notion offered by Bishop Curry would never enter their consciousness. How could it? When you spend your free time defending the indefensible, how can you suddenly embrace the notions of peace and reconciliation, besides it might slow down the flow of dollars that makes the "Christian life" so comfortable. How else can you earn enough to buy your wife a Maserati for her next birthday?

With that thought, I'll have my second cup of coffee.

Morning Coffee with Dan - Does George Will Have it Right?

As I reluctantly sip my day-old coffee this morning, I am nodding my head in agreement with George Will, the venerable, and very articulate conservative who was one of the first old establishment legends to have the courage and integrity to split with Trump.

His latest work of 'heresy' is to suggest that it is time to purge the Republicans from Washington, specifically the Senate,
and rebuild the thing into a viable party again. To quote from his column yesterday,
"Senate Republicans must be routed, as condign punishment for their Vichyite collaboration, leaving the Republican remnant to wonder: Was it sensible to sacrifice dignity, such as it ever was, and to shed principles, if convictions so easily jettisoned could be dignified as principles, for … what? Praying people should pray, and all others should hope: May I never crave anything as much as these people crave membership in the world’s most risible deliberative body."

His anger continues, "In 2016, the Republican Party gave its principal nomination to a vulgarian and then toiled to elect him. And to stock Congress with invertebrates whose unswerving abjectness has enabled his institutional vandalism, who have voiced no serious objections to his Niagara of lies..." I love the term "invertebrates" since many of us have been been pained by the absence of any backbone from his enablers that has resulted in a body under the thumb of Mitch McConnell who has his head so far up Cheeto's ass that we can see him coming out his nose.

Is the final indignity the removal of any checks and balances with the purge of five inspector generals? It is unimaginable that congress (the Senate) would sit silently as the executive branch rapes and pillages the landscape without independent audit of its behavior. Taxpayers should be enraged that this is happening while the Senate idly sits by and "sheds it principles."

Hear hear George Will.

Now that I did justice to yesterday's blend, it is time to make a fresh batch.

Morning Coffee with Dan - The Real Challenge of Police Reform

As I sip my coffee this morning, I am thinking about police reform and the challenges that will be in the path of genuine reform.

As I am becoming more focused on the problems of the disproportionate treatment of minorities by local law enforcement, I wondered about the impediments to addressing the problem. It seems logical to me that the 'good' police officers would want to purge the profession of those that overstep their boundaries and give the good officers a bad name. Unfortunately, that doesn't always seem to be the case. There apparently exists some structural impediments to reforming the system that are deeply entrenched.

Over 60% of the police in this country belong to police unions whose collective bargaining agreements have very restrictive terms protecting the actions of its members. Personally, I've never opposed 'reasonable' protection of workers against capricious actions by management which impinge on a workers rights. However, over time many of these agreements have been used as a shield against the reasonable investigation and corrective actions against police overreach. Interestingly one study reflected that less than 1% of the complaints resulted in any disciplinary action against the officers against whom the complaints were lodged. In many instances the investigations can't even begin for some period, like 48 hours, which the cynical person might attribute to the opportunity for the police to get their stories "straight" and their supporters inline.

Apparently, many (most?) of the police unions have aggressively opposed reform and continue to put considerable financial resources into the fray to defeat actions to eliminate potential abuses and defeat reform minded candidates in local elections. Most local governments take the path of least resistance in fighting the unions since they have little power to win the battle against the union backed police groups. It seems that only when particularly egregious behavior gets in the public domain and creates a visible outcry does anything get addressed.

So.. where does this leave us? It suggests that the path to reform which holds individual officers accountable for their behavior is going to be an uphill battle. I am encouraged by the notion that if enough citizens stand-up and highlight the problems, collective bargaining agreements can be modified to improve accountability, but let's not be naive and assume it is going to happen overnight.

Back to my second cup of coffee this morning.