The coffee has been brewing all week and now, in many places across the country, we begin the march toward November. Welcome to Sunday Morning Coffee my weekly (some say weakly) look at politics all laced with personal commentary. This week, I should remind you we have two holidays on Thursday. The first is Flag Day in the United States. In our community on each national holiday the fire department delivers flags and flag poles placed at the curb. A slight annual charge gets the flag in front of your home. Then on Thursday evening begins Eid al-Fitr the end of fasting for the holy month of Ramadan. World wide Muslims fast during the daylight hours and this holiday breaks that fast. Enjoy. OK, let's get to it!
Our National Nightmare Continues
The conference in Canada was to have been about equality. Equal rights for women, minorities and the LGBTQ Community. Also on the docket was dealing with climate change. Much of that changed when "45" decided, just a day in advance of the G7 Conference, he wanted to lay down more economic sanctions (tariffs) against our allies. So, once again, things were derailed. For those of you applauding this "America First" agenda please understand it is going to cost you thousands. But, I get it...you don't care if what you are buying costs more. "It's all about America first!" I get it, if you are a farmer and can't find a buyer for soybeans, apples, pork that's OK because we'll eat it all ourselves and it is "America First". Or let's say you make Jack Daniels and you've been slapped with a 20% tariff for product going to Mexico into a market that in one quarter had seen a 15% bump up in sales. Forget about it. Lay some of those people in Tennessee off...it's "America First"!
It's just economics kids...just economics.
In Late Out Early
I found this interesting and totally on point. It seems that as late as Thursday "45" was asking his staff if it was really necessary for him to attend the G7 Conference in Canada. They pressed him, it is reported, that it was sorta important. So he went...but like the total self-absorbed person he is...arrived late. Then suggested that his buddy in Russia should once again become a member state at the conference (Russia was kicked out of the G7 when they invaded and annexed Crimea.) and then left early before the conversation on climate change. Why? This was simply economics and equality in business. Something that this president has no time for. There are bigger headlines in Singapore. Oh and "45" said the U.S. would not sign off on the official communique coming out of G7 and then insulted Justin Trudeau by calling him "weak".
Meanwhile Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) delivered this stinging rebuke of "45" and these crazy policies tweeting late on Saturday, "To our allies: bipartisan majorities of Americans remain pro-free trade, pro-globalization & supportive of alliances based on 70 years of shared values. Americans stand with you, even if our president doesn't."
Canada
I grew up next door to Canada. Detroit was just minutes away from Windsor, Ontario and our family would visit often. I remember the fear so many in America had when Canada decided in 1965 to change their flag. I'm not making this up. Many saw this flag change as a symbol of support for the Soviet Union...those "dirty commie bastards!" "After all," the conspiracy theory went, "the primary color is RED and we all know what THAT means!"
And you think things today are crazy. You should have been around then when we were practicing ducking under school desks during drills in fear of an atomic bomb attack.
Canada is a proud and beautiful country. It is clearly more progressive than the United States unless you venture "out west" where things get a bit more conservative. The point is that while Canada protects its dairy farmers (just like the U.S. does with minimum price controls) this president feels empowered to insult their leader and their nation. In substance Justin Trudeau runs circles around "45" and because of that the "Bully in Chief" thinks it is necessary to degrade one of our strongest allies. Our next president is going to have to make the rounds in a "Forgiveness Tour".
Want a Cake and Eat it Too?
Last week the Supreme Court sided with Colorado baker Jack Phillips who denied a same sex couple a wedding cake saying it was against his deeply religious belief to support, in any way, a same sex wedding. Meanwhile this is the same court that finds against, what are called, Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity laws...you know...bathroom bills and the like. So the question must be asked, "Does the SCOTUS want their cake and eat it too?" Thinking that is going to become a problem moving forward.
Kidnapping in the United States
And it continues. The "Zero-Tolerance" program of "45" and his crowd where children are removed from their parents and sent to camps in far-flung parts of the United States should be an outrage for us all. But it's not. Sure there are some, but very few, that are pointing out this human rights violation. Just this weekend Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash) spent hours at a detention center near Seattle with women who have "no idea" where their children are being kept. “A huge number of them are mothers whose children were taken away from them when they were apprehended at the border or when they turned themselves in,” Jayapal said. “They literally never had a chance to say goodbye to their children. Some of the children are as young as 6, perhaps younger. These women have no idea, in the vast majority of these cases, where their children are,” she added.
The image is of Rep. Jayapal getting arrested during a protest of civil disobedience in Seattle. Imagine...somebody that truly gets involved...
Meanwhile those of you who voted for "45" see no problem with this and besides, "Who in the hell is this Pramila Jayapal? She don't sound American!"
Ahhhh....America.
Meanwhile in Iowa
The stage is set and the voters have spoken. Early on the race for the Democratic nomination for Governor was pretty clear. The fear that the decision would go to convention turned out to be baseless. In the end Fred Hubbell received the overwhelming support of the majority of the voters. Some, who had voted for Nate Boulton, would, perhaps, have liked to have their early vote back. But, now it is time to gear up for a bruising campaign. Gov. Kim Reynolds (R-IA) and her ilk will double down on her "likability factor" while ignoring how fiscally incompetent she and her party are. Nobody will dare bring up the past dalliances or the deaf ear of this current governor...or will they? You can bet the GOP will attempt to paint Fred as "out of touch" with rural voters however the numbers from the primary tell a different story.
Needless to say I'm all in...let's go. To fail to elect Fred and a Democratic legislature would be devastating to the vast majority of Iowans no matter how "likable" you find the current occupant of Terrace Hill.
Juneteenth
It's nearly here. Coming up on Thursday evening the 14th will be the Iowa Juneteenth Community Builders Appreciation Banquet with keynote speaker Soledad O'Brien. The event will be held at the Olmsted Center at Drake University. Tickets are $50 and you can get your ticket here. See you on Thursday evening as we celebrate and engage and work to build a better community for us all.
Partly Personal
Several years ago when I started to become more active in politics in and around the Greater Des Moines Metro I was told that Urbandale was a "no go zone" when it comes to Democrats. After all the vast majority of political leaders in that community are Republicans. But, over the years things have been changing. It started when State Rep. John Forbes (D-Urbandale) was elected to the Iowa House. John, a former president of the Urbandale Chamber of Commerce and business owner would "seem" to be cut from the GOP cloth. But his sense of business, fairness and progressive values won the day. Much of that boosted the emerging group of activists now known as the Urbandale Democrats. Their numbers have swelled, as have the number of Democratic Neighborhood Groups across the Metro.
So, why the buildup?
Today the Urbandale Democrats are holding their Annual Flag Day Event and I'm hoping you'll join me there. There will be food and fun, candidates and an interesting guest. The Metro will welcome Congressman Joaquin Castro (D-TX) to Iowa. I've had the opportunity to meet both he and his older brother (by a minute) Julian Castro the former mayor of San Antonio and the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development under the Obama Administration.
This will be the first large gathering in the Metro post primary. Tickets are just $20 and you can get yours at the door. Hope to see you later this afternoon at the UAW Local 450 Hall starting at 4PM. BTW - Tickets are FREE for Veterans.
Thanks for reading and have a great Sunday!
Comments