Some Important Cornerstones May Have Been Laid

A Week of Important News with Long Term Implications

The Conundrum of Speaker Johnson

We have spoken in this space before that Johnson is a man with seriously disturbing personal and religious views and a part of the stolen election mafia, yet he did some important things correctly early in his term as Speaker. Now, he continues to do so.

The passage of the crucial foreign aid bills for Ukraine, Israel, the Palestinians, and Taiwan all are essential. Johnson delayed for two months, but in the end, he did the right thing, for the right reasons, perhaps at personal cost. Democrats disagree with him on most things but acknowledge he has worked with them on key issues and, completely unlike McCarthy is both transparent and honors his word.

Democrats may well give Johnson enough votes to stay in office if a recall vote is held. That would be a first but strikes me as both the right thing and the politically smart thing to do. It would underline the role of the Democrats as adults interested in government and put them in good position to foster bipartisan support if they take the House after the next election, which I think they are likely to accomplish. We might be seeing a new cornerstone for at least some bipartisanship being laid. And the Maga extremes being buried beneath that stone.

Lastly, all this brings back an old lesson. One has to acknowledge when the opposition does something right, just as one has to criticize their own team when they get it wrong. To say my side is always right and no one on the other side can ever be right is childish and a sure way to be taken as a not serious person. Call ‘em like they are.

The Foreign Aid Bills

In a surprisingly fast process, the key foreign aid bills that have been languishing for two months passed last Saturday, all by pretty healthy margins. Republican support for Ukraine was too little, but substantial and full-throated, so progress. The bill were not perfect, but more than good enough.

Supplies should be enroute to Ukraine in a matter of days. The vote shows Israel still has a lot of support in Congress, but had the war gone into Southern Gaza, I think the vote margin would have gone down noticeably. Every day that Netanyahu stays in office, US political and popular support declines.

For that and so many other reasons, Israel needs elections and a decent government, stripped of the extremists who have made such a mess of Gaza, the West Bank, and Jerusalem. For now, the cornerstone of US-Israel ties and that of Israeli society are both still in place, but badly cracked.

 The Beginning of the End for Trump?

Trump’s first criminal trial is underway. I was surprised at how fast jury selection went, although I worry that six alternates will not be enough. Interesting that some who were interviewed but not taken on as jurors noted that they were surprised at Trump’s presence without all the trappings – just a man cut down to size. We should  worry about threats or risk of threats to the jury members. This kind of thing is typical of organized crime trials. Of course, that fits as a description of this trial, doesn’t it?

No one knows, of course, but this trial strikes me as something of a reverse cornerstone – the beginning of the end of Trump as a national figure. As the trial progresses, correspondence is shown, witnesses testify, etc. Trump will be shown for what he is. He will lose support. If he is convicted, he will lose a lot. The national stain that is Trumpism is about to be cleaned. But as the next section of this blog notes, don’t relax yet. A lot of bad ideas have been encouraged for too long. Domestic violence is not an impossible element in our future, although not the civil war that the worst among us seem to want.

A Reminder on American Fascism

Fascism as an attractive option for some has always been present in our country. It surely preceded Trump, but he gave it a symbol, a face. The ugliness that once hid under rocks is now in full daylight, often in state legislatures, in some law enforcement offices, and behind some pulpits. has always been present. At the end of the day, I think we will defeat Trump and these folks, and that will give us some breathing room.

But note that too many have come out and have power in too many places. We have a generation of speaking out and calling out to be done. Getting rid of Trump is essential, but at this point, not enough. Your local elections, including for judges where that applies, are keys to our future. Get this done right all the way down the line.

Columbine 25 Years Later – Any Cornerstones Yet?

 I don’t know what is harder to understand. The fact that Columbine, the first school massacre had a 25^thanniversary this month, or that so many more, often even worse, school massacres have happened since, with no end in sight. Guns are now the leading cause of death of American children. Yet people still treat the Second Ammendment as something Moses brought down from the mountain. Fingers crossed for election results across the land in November. Then, perhaps, we could deal with this like a civilized nation. We are certainly not doing so yet. No cornerstone yet laid.

Less Than 200 Days To The Next Election

Pay attention, do the work, call out the BS.
See you next week,

Bill Clontz (& Bonnie)

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