SundayMorningCoffee

Sunday Morning Coffee 7 February 2021

Welcome to the Sub-Zero Edition of Sunday Morning Coffee where the sun is not yet up and it's -4 degrees Fahrenheit. So, how about some hot coffee to get you all steamed up?  Let's go!

The Cost of Lying

The lie started well before the 2020 election as the man in the White House told America the election would be rigged. Following the Joe Biden win the lie became the daily drumbeat that has divided the nation and proved the former president simply quit doing the difficult task of...governing. Meanwhile the lie that misled millions of Americans, undermined the faith in our electoral system, sparked a deadly riot has also left you and I with a growing bill. The Washington Post calculates that the government has spent north of $519 million dollars on legal fees due to dozens of baseless lawsuits, protection for poll workers, costly repairs to the Capitol and thousands of National Guard troops still roaming Washington D.C. Thought you might like to know.

Loyalty

Many have claimed that the Republican Party is fractured and has no clear direction. Don't believe it. The GOP is firmly in the grasp of the former president and they continue to worship at his feet. The recent side-show of Rep. Marjorie Taylor-Green (R-GA) the condemnation of Sen. Ben Sasse (R-NE) and the censure of Cindy McCain of Arizona are all proof of that fact. It reminds me of The Godfather and, in a way, it truly is. Meanwhile the GOP isn't taking any chances as Republican controlled state houses have introduced close to 100 bills to make voting more difficult. If they learned anything from 2020 it is that when people are allowed to vote it's not good for their candidates especially in areas that have large numbers of non-white voters.

Impeachment 2.0

There is little doubt how the U.S. Senate will vote when it comes to the second trial of for former president. The only question is, how long will it take?  The trial is set to begin on Tuesday and there is no chance that two-thirds of the Senate will vote to convict. However, what will be on display will be a recounting of the incitement that led to destruction and murder.  The impeachment managers will lay bare the facts that should, under normal conditions, be a slam dunk for impeachment. However, rather than drag the trial on I suspect it will be done in less than a week. But...get the popcorn ready.  One interesting note, the attorney for the former president has requested the trial be paused from Friday evening until Saturday evening so that he may honor Shabbat. Well, at least he has that going for him.

Returning to Normal

A recent Gallup Poll shows that President Biden enjoys a 61% approval rating. While some of that may be due to the traditional "honeymoon bump" we haven't seen a number like that for years. One reason I believe is that, rather than "rage tweeting" in the middle of the night, President Biden is known to leave the White House living quarters to visit with the overnight staff.  Just poking his head in to ask about family and offer his gratitude for their efforts.

Meanwhile the White House is pitching the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan to...get this...Americans. The president has re-launched the weekly presidential address but it's not a stiff and formal event and it's been re-branded as "A Weekly Conversation". It's Joe calling regular folks who are hurting because of the pandemic and promising to help make their lives whole once again.  Here is the call from yesterday:

 

In case you are wondering the four minute call to Michele Voelkert, who lost her job due to COVID19  and wrote to President Biden, was tapped by her husband and then sent to the White House.  Jen Psaki, the White House Press Secretary (Who, by the way, is no stranger to Iowa), says this will become a regular event each week. Watch for it.

Speaking of Iowa

It's over. The long hard winter of COVID19 has left the Hawkeye State and we are free. Or, so Gov. Kim Reynolds (R-IA) would have you believe. Late Friday afternoon the governor proclaimed that Iowans could return to "normal" in bars and restaurants without masks and zero restrictions on capacity. That decision was met with an avalanche of head-scratching from everybody with an ounce of scientific sense. And it played to national news as Forbes noted last night that #CovidKim was trending on Social Media. Upcoming events such as the Iowa Deer Classic that will draw thousands to Des Moines no longer has to be bothered by masks, or hand washing or social distancing. The Iowa Restaurant Association is giddy over the decision as it's executive director Jessica Dunker said to the Des Moines Register that the new order comes just in time and, "...may well give us the lift we need to be able to see this thing to the other side." She went on to say,  "Quite frankly, it allows us to go back to doing business at a really critical time. We are … one day before the Super Bowl, which opens up a lot of businesses for crowds to come in and safely watch the big game."  (Image: Brian Duffy)

Huh?

Oh, but wait just a minute. Mayor Frank Cownie of Des Moines said in a release late yesterday that nope the mask mandate is still in place within the city. As the Des Moines Register reports:

"Cownie's mask mandate requires all people in Des Moines to wear face coverings such as cloth masks, surgical masks, plastic shields or other protections that cover the nose and mouth when in a public place and where social distancing is not possible.

This includes restaurants and bars when not seated at a table, fitness centers, retail stores, public transportation or private car services, and other businesses."

Memo to #CovidKim:  Same story in Iowa City.  Your move.

Meanwhile...

All of this at a time when Iowa can't get it's act together when it comes to vaccines and the death toll is now above 5,100. The state is ranked dead last in its vaccination response, 12th in hospitalizations and 49th in the death rate. (I'll have that interview this week on the Business News Hour with the annalists from Wallet Hub.) Here is that story if you want to read.

It's awful what is being done here...awful.

Right to Work

If you know me you know I support workers right to join and pay for union activities. And if you are a Methodist, Catholic, Jew or Southern Baptist your "discipline" also supports unionization. Doubt me?  Look it up and yes, I've written about this in the past. 

However, based on the responses I've received on my personal Facebook Page many of you don't know about where "Right to Work" came from and it's racist and anti-sematic origins:  It seems that one Vance Muse a wealthy conservative from Texas spawned the idea in the 1940's to (get this) combat the idea that, "From now on, white women and white men will be forced into organizations with black African apes whom they will have to call 'brother' or lose their jobs."  And, that is just one quote from the founder of The Christian American Association as he and they railed against workers, Jews, African Americans and others.  It's quite a story.

In other words Right to Work is simply a vestige of the Jim Crow South which has now invaded 26 states...including, sadly, Iowa.

It's Black History Month...and I thought you might like to know.

 

Oh, and this week some 9,000 workers at an Amazon Fulfillment Center in Alabama are voting on joining a union. I truly hope it is successful.

 

Partly Personal

 

Doing chores here at the Animal Farm takes a bit of time each morning. Reminds me of my days on the real farm but their are fewer critters and they are smaller.  Point is that all this week we're going to see below zero temps. Please, please bring your critters inside or make sure they have a safe place to get out of the cold.  At these temps it doesn't take long for them to freeze up. From blanketing your horses to coats for your dogs.  Just do it...

 

Thanks for reading and have a wonderful Sunday.  Oh yeah...there is that football game later.

 

 

 

 

 

 

    

 

Sunday Morning Coffee 8 December 2019

I know...if you are dialing up Sunday Morning Coffee and it's now lunch time...I take full responsibility. The past 24 hours are a blur from services in Mason City to bell ringing for the Salvation Army to a hockey game to getting our radio program out the door because of an early broadcast at 11:30...yikes.  Excuses...right? Let's go!

Disappointing

We have become so tribal and none of that is good for our nation. While members of the Republican Party continue to deny what "45" has done and seek to obfuscate the reality of a corrupt and dishonest president. His base continues to believe that what he has done to obstruct a co-equal branch of our federal government is just fine. We have seen this before friends and it is not that different to what we saw take place in Germany in the 1930's. For those of you who think things like that can not happen again...beware. It is on our doorstep.

Russian Bots?

As the Iowa caucuses heat up there has been a growing number of hateful remarks about various Democratic candidates. Usually those remarks have to do with ageism, sexism and homophobia. If I didn't know some of the people who are writing these insults, on Facebook or other platforms, I would think they were Russian Bots. 

The fact of the matter is that it is highly unlikely that your prefered candidate will become the nominee of the party. Then what do you do? Take your campaign lit with you to the basement and fail to work for the eventual nominee following the convention? 

Take a breath. You are not doing your candidate any favors. In fact, some of the comments made would embarrass your prefered candidate and my bet is they would disavow them and censure you in a heartbeat. We are better than that.  And, sure it's easy to click off a 20 word insult...but think before you send.  Are you really shedding a positive light on your candidate?  No...and it is more than disappointing.

Mayor of Des Moines

It was an expensive race. The two main candidates spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on the contest. In the end the incumbent, Mayor Frank Cownie squeaked out a narrow win over former state senator and developer Jack Hatch. It was not only expensive but also toxic. While nobody asked my advice...had they...I believe the outcome may have been different. Both are friends of mine and I truly hope fences will be mended. But, fear that may take some time.

We Have a Race

Last Sunday I attended a house party for Kimberly Graham one of four running to become the next United States Senator from Iowa. I have watched this contest and over the past several months and noted how Graham has grown as a candidate. While not the favored one by many in the establishment circle she has become a solid campaigner and speaker. I was impressed.

I also know the other candidates and I'm personal friends with two of the three. I've yet to meet Admiral Franken but look forward to that opportunity. One thing is certain Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA) is in trouble and that's more than me saying so...the polls also indicate she will fall in November.

Neighborhood Groups

Democrats all over the state are organizing what are being called "neighborhood groups". Geographical parts of the cities to rural towns are not only working with their county organization but are working at a more grass-roots level to encourage Democrats to mobilize. It's really refreshing and it's brought so many more people together.  Stunning.

Immigration

Last week, while campaigning, I heard a troubling story I'll share here. We have known for some time that the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers have been targeting hispanic folks and that has led to many staying out of sight. Even those in the country legally are avoiding community gatherings and events because they fear being caught up in the hysteria that has infected our nation. 

Imagine that you are an immigrant who is in the process of securing a Green Card. It's something that takes time and money. You have a job and you are doing everything right. But, one day, in a convenience store, you are confronted by ICE. Before you know it you are on a bus to Omaha and a detention center. There you are informed it will cost you $7,000 to be reunited with your family. No, you've not done anything wrong. You have been in the process but now you are told pay up of get shipped out. You call your family and they pony up the 7K and you are released.

Think it doesn't happen?  My sources tell me this is fairly common and that many immigrant families hord a stash of cash just in case.

Really?  Yes...really. What have we become?

The Jobs Report

It was a blockbuster. The U.S. added 266,000 jobs in November. That is nearly 100,000 more than what was projected. But, what kind of jobs are they? Yeah, you guessed it. Many are low pay jobs in health care, food service and hospitality. 45,000 jobs were GM workers going back on the job following their successful strike. 12,000 were government workers and a mere 1,000 in construction. 

Of the jobs created 80 out of 100 pay above average and while you might think that is pretty good consider that just ten years ago 94 out of 100 jobs created paid above average.

At the same time new data indicates that fully one-half of Americans are earning the median income of $18,000 a year.

One more stat for you. There is not one state in the United States where a person can work 40 hours a week and live "comfortably". Every state, based on numbers from the Labor Department for wages and then adding 20% for a "comfort factor", requires more hours of work. In Hawaii it is 91 hours a week. In Iowa a worker must log 48 hours a week to make $44,000 a year.

Yeah...but the economy is...booming.  For...who?

Partly Personal

It has been a busy weekend. Friday saw me driving to Mason City for my work at Adas Israel the Jewish Congregation of Northern Iowa. I go there once a month to do their services and to lead a two hour Torah (Bible) study session with folks from many religious backgrounds...and even several Jews.

Rolled back into town in time for Jovie and me to head to the Iowa Wild hockey game to raise money for the Salvation Army. What? Wait! A Jewish guy raising cash for a Christian group that many of my friends in the party don't much care for?  Yeah...it's what we do for each other.  We had a blast and a big thank you to my friend Tamyra Harrison for calling me and asking for some help.

From the campaign... I was able to speak at the Southeast Dallas County Democrats forum this past Tuesday. That was great fun and I'm grateful for that opportunity. This Tuesday I'll be speaking to the Clive Democrats for their December meeting. 

Between working, knocking doors, and "call time" it sorta keeps a person busy.  But, I've been encouraged by the number of people who sense that I have a solid message for working families and a solid background in working on behalf of others. Thank you. Here is the campaign website. 

Coming up on 21 December at the West Des Moines Library at 10:00AM I'll kick off the first of many "Listening Posts" that have to do with various issues confronting Iowans. This session will be about "Finding Common Ground with Common Sense on Gun Laws". 

Hey, sorry, once again this is so late...think of it as Sunday Morning (Brunch) Coffee.

Thanks for reading and have a great Sunday! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sunday Morning Coffee 1 December 2019

Snow...as I write this it's snowing in Central Iowa. Might have to brew a second pot and put a log on the fire.  Welcome to Sunday Morning Coffee my weekly look at the news stories you may have seen (or missed) all with my, often, acerbic commentary. Let's go:

He Will Say Anything

It really is astounding. "45" will say anything, mostly lies, and people swoon. I don't get it and suspect you don't either. But, beyond the lies and the dishonesty in business and government the Republicans stick with him. Perhaps out of fear. Perhaps out of ignorance. When faced by reality his supporters shrug and say silly things like, "He's doing what he promised to do."  If this person gets another term it will, I believe, sink our democracy. We've got to move on.

Voting for "45"

it's a fun new game here in Iowa where Sean Bagniewski, the chair of the Polk County Democrats, continues to ask, publically, if current elected officials are going to vote for "45" next November. So far, from what I'm told...crickets. It's fun to see then squirm.

And The Beat Goes On

The House Intelligence Committee will begin reviewing a report tomorrow on the committee’s investigation into "45's" dealings with Ukraine. The committee is then expected to consider and adopt the report Tuesday evening. The report and any minority views will be sent to the House Judiciary Committee, which could draft articles of impeachment against the president in the next few weeks.

Sixty-Four Days

We're just 64 days away from the Iowa Caucus. 64 days. Sixty-five days from now we'll be reviewing every aspect of the event. Campaign staff, many of whom we've gotten to know well, will be moving on to New Hampshire, South Carolina, Nevada and beyond. It's such an honor to live in a place where we get to experience this process and get so close to the candidates. If you live here you know what I'm talking about. 

Field organizing is going to be full on over the next two months. Our phones will light up with text messages...and that's OK with me. It's all going to be over way too soon.

Shooting in The Big Easy

Eleven people are reported injured in New Orleans early this morning. Eleven people. Meanwhile yesterday a man was shot in Dallas as he sat in his car. Some guy opened the passenger side door and just fired. And then in Chicago one person died and four others wounded in a shooting there. Remember, we don't have a gun violence issue in America.

Election in Des Moines

Voters in Des Moines, Iowa will, once again, head to the polls on Tuesday to select a mayor and two city council members. The runoff, which was required after none of the candidates received more than 50% of the vote back in November. If you want to listen to an interview I did for Mayor Frank Cownie you can do so here. If you would like to listen to my conversation with challenger Jack Hatch that is here.

The race has been really ugly with plenty of scrappy ads by Jack Hatch that surprised some. Meanwhile the TV time purchased, lately, by Frank Cownie have been upbeat. Sort of "stay the course" message. Whatever happens on Tuesday it will cost Des Moines about $85,000. It's the price of democracy.

Partly Personal

I know...not much today. I have an excuse and she is sitting on my lap. Her name is "Tinker" and the rescue tells us she is six. She is a "special needs" dog who, we are told, suffered a fever as a puppy which caused her to lose her balance. So when she walks she looks like somebody on Court Avenue at 2:00AM. Her former owner was told by family members that he had to get rid of her. They were going to take her out and shoot her but somebody thought of a rescue center. And now she is with us. She's pretty clingy but that's OK. It's what we do...

I spent several hours on Thanksgiving helping others prepare a dinner and then serve it to some people in a drug and alcohol recovery center here in Central Iowa. It was a humbling experience. The stories were both shocking and sad. I am grateful that they allowed me to join them. It made a huge impact.

This coming Wednesday evening I'll be at a Flip Senate District 22 event in Clive with the Southeast Dallas County Democrats. It takes place at  Rookies Sports Bar & Grill - 2180 Northwest 156th Street. It's a fund-raiser for the eventual candidate that will seek to "Chuck Chuck" in November. Should be a good time.

Later this afternoon I'm headed to a "Meet & Greet" for Kimberly Graham who is running to represent Iowa as our next United States Senator. She will be with Rep. Cindy Anxe (D-IA) and I'm looking forward to the visit.

Two quick reminders: I'll be speaking to the Clive Democrats on Tuesday the 10th at Wobbly Boots in Clive about my campaign and then on December 21st the first of several "Town Hall Events" where my goal is to bring people together to listen to issues of importance to Iowa and to my Senate District 22. That event will be in West Des Moines at the Public Library starting at 10:00AM. 

Sorry for a short cup today...but next I've got to finish my broadcast for News/Talk 1540 KXEL that airs this afternoon at 2pm. Yikes!

Have a wonderful Sunday and thanks for reading!