A poem for our time, from our time, for the State of the Union, and 2019, from Houston poet Leah McElrath.
(Untitled)
I have threaded
the balls
that were on
your bodyonto
this special necklace
crafted
for tonightForgive me
but they are mine now
so small
and orange
Special tip of the old scrub brush to Leah McElrath, on Twitter.
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History, Nancy Pelosi, Poetry, Politics, State of the Union | Tagged: Donald Trump, History, Nancy Pelosi, Poetry, Politics, State of the Union | 
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Posted by Ed Darrell
The Trump doll doesn’t fit into the Putin doll, and vice versa; but that doesn’t mean Trump’s destructive anti-U.S./pro-Russia policies are good, nor that Russia didn’t illegally interfere in U.S. elections, nor that illegally activities on both sides didn’t tip the election, even if not formally coordinated. Christian Science Monitor image, From Dmitri Lovetsky/AP, dolls in a St. Petersburg, Russia, souvenir shop.
This is a couple of weeks old, which means investigators and reporters have even more damning evidence that the Trump campaign and Donald Trump himself worked with the Russian government and Russian agents to foul up our 2016 presidential election, succeeding beyond the wildest hopes of Vladimir Putin.
But in the end, two years down the road from 2016 our best hopes for putting America back on the right track lie in the ballots Americans will cast in 2018. We have the power to make things better.
How are you going to vote in November 2018? Will you vote Democratic, to save the U.S? Or will you vote Republican?
Am I putting the stakes too severely? Have you read this investigative piece from Scott Shane and Mark Mazzetti in the New York Times, which newspaper itself played an ugly role of journalistic failure in 2016?
Everything we know about the Trump-Russia story
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5 Comments | 2016 Elections, Elections, foreign affairs, Russia, Vladimir Putin | Tagged: Corruption, Donald Trump, Elections, Foreign Policy, Russia | Permalink
Posted by Ed Darrell
One story says Queen Victoria commented that Millard Fillmore was the handsomest man she’d ever met; true or not, imposing Trump’s face on Fillmore doesn’t improve anything. Illustration from BBC
Millard Fillmore was a self-educated man, an ardent reader, the founder of the White House library.
Millard Fillmore understood the strategic geography of Japan, an opened Japan up to the world.
Has Trump done anything beneficial? Logical? Based on good, accurate information?
We may have a bone to pick with BBC.
BBC’s article, by Jude Sheerin from the Washington bureau, actually is quite well done. The article compares the nativism in Fillmore’s time, to which Fillmore fell victim, with Trump’s nativism — and the comparison is troubling.
In the end, the Whigs refused to nominate Fillmore to run for his own term in 1852 (he had succeeded President Zachary Taylor on Taylor’s death, remember); Fillmore was courted by the American Party, better known to school kids as the Know-Nothings. Fillmore led the Know-Nothings to a crushing defeat in 1852 (they did get Maryland), but the Whigs never recovered either. In 1856, partly in the ashes of the Whigs, rose the Republican Party to run John C. Fremont for President.
And in 1860, the new Republican Party managed to knock a homerun, getting Abraham Lincoln elected to the presidency on the party’s second try.
“What is past is prologue,” the wall of the National Archives tells us, and Santayana warns that those who do not remember history will repeat it. What lessons can we learn from comparing Donald Trump to Millard Fillmore?
Other than the fact that Fillmore was actually quite a bit better looking, that is.
5 Comments | History | Tagged: Donald Trump, geography, History, Millard Fillmore, Politics, Science | Permalink
Posted by Ed Darrell
How is the transition coming?
Cartoon by . . . um, can you read that name? Trump and the User’s Manual
Sure, in comments, tell us the instruction manual is the Constitution.
Trump hasn’t read that, either, I wager. In any case, he’s unprepared to put together an administration. Our republic really is in danger. It’s going to take all of us to hold it together, to have any chance of success in the next four years.
In the interim, I don’t recognize the style, and I don’t recognize the signature; can you help discover who is the cartoonist?
Cartoon by Matt Davies, Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist for Newsday.
https://twitter.com/MatttDavies/status/797860046017282048
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3 Comments | Cartoons, Donald Trump, Political cartoons, Politics, Presidents | Tagged: Cartoons, Donald Trump, History, Matt Davies, Political cartoons, Politics, Presidency | Permalink
Posted by Ed Darrell
First Lady Michelle Obama. DCCC image
President Barack Obama maybe told us. We need to listen to first Lady Michelle Obama.
Some wag said back at the convention, think about it this way: How would you like to be Barack Obama, and realize you’re not even the best orator in your own home?
Listen to what Michelle Obama said about the election, today, October 13, in Manchester, New Hampshire. Here I start just over five minutes in, at the serious stuff that goes for about 9:30 minutes:
Mrs. Obama had some good things to say about the future for girls, and women, in the first five minutes, too, you may want to see. Full 24-minute speech here:
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3 Comments | 2016 Elections, Campaigns, Donald Trump, Elections, Hillary Clinton, Voting | Tagged: 2016 Elections, Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton, Michelle Obama, Politics, voting | Permalink
Posted by Ed Darrell
Russian-built UAZ 469 is one of the few, almost-successful vehicles to come out of Russia. This model cover illustrates it in military mode, familiar to NATO forces opposing these vehicles in Bosnia and Eastern Europe. American voters worry that Trump will work to bring these vehicles to the U.S., either as competition to U.S. car makers, or in some enforcement action by his friend Vladimir Putin. Details to be found in Trump’s tax returns, which unfittingly are 469 days overdue today. Mac Distribution image
Wednesday, September 28 is the 469th day of Republican candidate for president Donald Trump’s hiding of his tax returns from American voters.
What does he have to hide from voters? There are several possibilities.
It’s astounding Republicans did not check Trump out better during the primary season, an indication of the poor quality of the field of candidates fielded on the GOP side.
Tell Donald Trump to come clean, to confess, to stop hiding from the American people essential information we need to decide for whom to vote.
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NASA’s secret X37-B spent 469 days on a secret space mission. But it ended after 469 days. It’s time for Trump to end his 469-days of secrecy, hiding crimes and wrongdoing in his taxes. Release the taxes, Trump. NASA image
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3 Comments | 2016 Elections, Campaigns, Rampant stupidity, Taxes | Tagged: Campaigns, Donald Trump, Elections 2016, Taxes, Transparency | Permalink
Posted by Ed Darrell
Husqvarna Rancher 465 chain saw, an appropriate symbol of Trump’s chainsaw disregard for voters.:Trump Chainsaw Massacre of facts, transparency, and voter trust. Husqvarna image.
Saturday, September 25, marks 465 Days since Donald Trump entered the race for the presidency with a promise to release his taxes so voters could tell he’s honest.
465 days of Trump breaking that promise. He’s stiffed voters so hard and so long, he’d probably like to have a chainsaw to scare reporters and voters away from his taxes, perhaps a Husqvarna Rancher 465.
Road sign for U.S. Interstate 465. I-465 rings the city of Indianapolis, Indiana, Loop 465, the USS Indianapolis Memorial Highway. The loop has a perimeter of 53 miles; at a mile a day, one could have walked Loop 465 nearly nine times contemplating each day of Trump’s broken promise, since he started his campaign.
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Leave a Comment » | 2016 Elections, Elections | Tagged: 465, Campaigns, Donald Trump, Election 2016, Transparency | Permalink
Posted by Ed Darrell
Donald Trump has stiff-armed American voters on releasing his taxes for 463 days since he announced his candidacy. It’s a long-simmering scandal.
A sign for Arkansas Route 463. Rt 463 will carry a voter 20.59 miles from Payneway to Jonesboro, about 20.58 miles farther than Donald Trump’s policies will carry America. Wikipedia image
Should we be concerned? Sure. Careful investigation by reporters such as David Fahrenthold at The Washington Post reveal uncomfortable, immoral and illegal shenanigans in transferring funds from Trump’s various foundations to cover Trump business fines and buy trophies for Trump properties, screwing charities out of much needed money.
Can Trump’s taxes show he’s not a grifter? Either way, America needs to know. The last national candidate who didn’t reveal his taxes was Maryland Gov. Spiro T. Agnew. It was later discovered he’d accepted bribes for issuing state contracts. In place of trial and prison, Agnew agreed to resign as Vice President. The entire affair tied up national government for many days, contributing to the fall of President Richard Nixon.
We cannot afford not to be sure Trump is not a crook.
463 was a powerful K-27 “Mudhen” locomotive for the old Denver & Rio Grande Railroad in Colorado, pulling loads that pushed America’s economy. Trump shouldn’t sully that image of 463. He should release his taxes today.
A Trump foundation gave $100,000 to Fisher House, a charity. Will Trump’s tax returns reveal he illegally deducted this as a contribution from his own bank account? Is that why he won’t release his taxes? Washington Post image
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463 puts you at Madrid Plaza on the Madrid Intercity Buses. 463 puts you up Vote Feces Creek if you’re a U.S. citizen trying to figure out just how corrupt Donald Trump really is.
3 Comments | 2016 Elections, Campaigns, Crime, Elections, Taxes | Tagged: Campaign 2016, character, Corruption, Donald Trump, Elections, Presidency, Taxes | Permalink
Posted by Ed Darrell
Apologies to Disney, Lewis Carroll, and especially the White Rabbit, none of whom deserve to be affiliated with Donald Trump, each of whom has more character than Trump and strives to do the right thing. Image: sandragravesisisrising.blogspot.com
At least the White Rabbit had enough sense to feel embarrassed by being late.
Donald Trump is not the man Mitt Romney is — not the candidate, not the businessman, not so honest.
Wholly apart from Romney’s being an Eagle Scout while Trump was a Bad-Boot-Camp-Sergeant wannabe, Romney released his taxes on September 21, 2012. They showed Romney was rich, and honest.
Betting is, Trump’s taxes won’t show either.
What evil and embarrassing stuff is Trump trying to hide? It’s probably worse than we can imagine.
It’s a test of character, and Trump is failing.
Trump isn’t the man the White Rabbit is.
1 Comment | 2016 Elections, Campaigns, Elections, Taxes | Tagged: "I'm Late", Campaigns, Donald Trump, Taxes | Permalink
Posted by Ed Darrell
Would it help if we sent out the bloodhounds?
Bloodhounds track criminals with great results. Tax scofflaws, too? 461 days into his campaign, Donald Trump has failed once again to release his taxes. Must we call Holly the Bloodhound to the job? (PBS NOVA image)
Though he had said no one should run for president without releasing income taxes, and though he had said he would, then promised he would, Trump the Candidate refuses so far to let American voters see how he makes his money, or how he might spend it to benefit others.
461 days since he said he would, 49 days from Election Day November 8, Trump’s taxes remain mostly a mystery.
Why should we trust a man as president, who refuses to demonstrate a reason for that trust?
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2 Comments | 2016 Elections, Campaigns, Elections, Taxes | Tagged: Campaigns, Donald Trump, Election 2016, Taxes | Permalink
Posted by Ed Darrell
Couldn’t believe the Germans were so upset about Trump not releasing his taxes for 456 days! Oh, Bundesstraße 456. Wikipedia image
Today September 15 is the 456th day since Donald Trump announced his candidacy for president, having promised to release his tax returns so American voters could discern and judge his openness, that Trump failed to deliver on that promise.
Word out of the Trump campaign today is Trump doesn’t want to release his taxes because he’s afraid people will look at them.
Sadly, that is not made up.
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Don’t give us that garbage, Don! New Mexico Highway 456. Wikimedia Commons photo; By Scott5114 – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0
3 Comments | 2016 Elections, Campaigns, Democracy, Elections, Politics, Presidents | Tagged: 2016 Elections, Campaigns, Chris Kro, Democracy, Donald Trump, Rocket 455, Taxes | Permalink
Posted by Ed Darrell
Rocket 455, an obscure band whose record cover reminds American voters Donald Trump failed to release his taxes for a world record 455th day. Did his dog eat them? (If only Trump were “safe, harmless.”) (Image from Amoeba Records)
Today is the 455th day since Donald Trump announced his candidacy for president, having promised to release his tax returns so American voters could discern and judge his openness, that Trump failed to deliver on that promise.
We may have clear indications of why Trump does not want Americans to see his taxes. Newsweek today published a story detailing Trump’s business dealings with crooked Russian oligarchs and other shady people, foreign interests which would probably scare away honest American voters, and quite a few in his handbasket of deplorable supporters as well. Trump’s foreign businesses pose threats to U.S. national security.
Trump makes the “cover” of electronic Newsweek, but he’s not happy. See the blurb, lower right, saying Trump’s business dealings threaten U.S. national security. BoingBoing image
So, American voters, you know now WHY Trump doesn’t want to release his taxes, and why it’s more important than ever to get him to release them. A man who wishes to follow the footsteps of FDR, Truman, Eisenhower, Reagan and Obama, needs to be transparent in dealings with foreign powers.
In contrast with Rocket 455, Trump is a complete cipher. Rocket 455 are better qualified to be president than Donald Trump, from their tax returns.
Poster for a concert by Rocket 455 and others; they lay out their souls in public. Trump should at least release his taxes. (His soul might darken the day; let’s not go there.) Chris*Kro image
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4 Comments | 2016 Elections, Campaigns, Democracy, Elections, Politics, Presidents | Tagged: 2016 Elections, Campaigns, Chris Kro, Democracy, Donald Trump, Rocket 455, Taxes | Permalink
Posted by Ed Darrell
New York State Highway 454 sign. Donald Trump hasn’t released his taxes in 454 days since he started his campaign. Wikimedia image
Donald Trump entered the race to be U.S. President on June 16, 2015.
Before he joined the race, Trump himself said that a candidate should release her or his taxes, so Americans can see their candidates are honest taxpayers.
But Trump has not released his taxes since that day. 454 days Trump has refused to show his honesty to America.
Should we vote for a guy who won’t come clean that he’s an honest taxpayer?
Donald Trump hopes to keep his secrets glued up in some vault, with Loctite 454. But if you agitate, dear reader, you can make 454 a lubricant, for the truth.
Trump promised to release his taxes years ago; we count from the day he declared his candidacy. Alas, Trump appears used to shanking on promises.
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5 Comments | 2016 Elections, Campaigns, Taxes | Tagged: 2016 Elections, Campaigns, Crooked Donald., Donald Trump, Taxes | Permalink
Posted by Ed Darrell
Donald Trump entered the race to be U.S. President on June 16, 2015.
Before he joined the race, Trump himself said that a candidate should release her or his taxes, so Americans can see their candidates are honest taxpayers.
But Trump has not released his taxes since that day. 453 days Trump has refused to show his honesty to America.
Should we vote for a guy who won’t come clean that he’s an honest taxpayer?
Despite past promises, Donald Trump now says his taxes are “none of your business.”
If he were applying to the U.S. to be a refugee from ISIS, he could not qualify, due to his lack of candor. Should he be president if he can’t be a refugee?
Update: Trump promised a Cadillac campaign; but we got a Smart 453 instead. 453-day delay in releasing his taxes.
2 Comments | 2016 Elections, Campaigns, Taxes | Tagged: Campaigns, Donald Trump, Election 2016, Taxes, Transparency | Permalink
Posted by Ed Darrell
How does the 2016 GOP campaign shape our children? Trees misshapen by constant wind or cold are known as krummholz in German. A reminder of the old saw that, as a twig is bent, so the tree grows. This is a Banner tree, in Torres del Paine National Park, Chile, bent by prevailing winds from the west. Photo by John Spooner – flickr.com, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=5007578
What examples do our children take from our quadrennial elections? What lessons have they learned in 2016?
Do our kids adopt these attitudes into their daily lives?
What do your kids’ teachers say they see? What do you see?
7 Comments | 2016 Elections, Advertising, Campaigns, children, Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton | Tagged: advertising, Campaign 2016, children, Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton | Permalink
Posted by Ed Darrell
Ed Darrell on Texas's Colorado River
Come on in, the water's fine. Come often: Cleanliness is next to godliness.
Millard Fillmore's Bathtub 