PMA...Dems...PMA!

Positive Mental Attitude, PMA, is the way to go after a disappointing election outcome. Instead of trying to recreate the wheel, stop and evaluate all that Democrats have accomplished throughout the years. All roads leading to human rights were mostly fought for by those brave leaders, Democrats, including Martin Luther King fighting to end segregation, Harvey Milk fighting and losing his life, for gay rights,  Gloria Steinem fighting for equality for women, with a list that can go on forever. Re-evaluate who you are and tell the message loud and clear! I think when the leaders in the Democratic Party became too wealthy, they lost their message. When money becomes the biggest issue, then, you are really Republicans in Democrat's clothing! Think about what was spent in the Georgia campaign; 30 million Dollars for more dumb ads on TV. Take that money and do something great in the State you are running and you will have millions of people seeing results along with loads of free advertising much less endorsements. Actions speak louder than words, and we can really use some action! Education in rural communities, feeding the hungry as there are plenty of people out there that need help, tell what you would do with healthcare without being afraid someone will steal your ideas, just a few of the many things you could be doing with all that money you raise! I am personally tired of donating for things we never see! 

Published in the Sun Sentinel
Thursday, June 21
Linda Gefen
Boca Raton, FL

President Trump will speak under oath?

Why in the world would anyone believe that Trump would speak under oath when 90% of what he says daily are alternative facts or lies? Even that statement that he made saying he would, 100% no less, does not really convince me that he would. Releasing his tax returns has a better chance than that, and you know how quickly that is happening. Trump has an army of enablers, people who are only there for the taking. They must live in houses without mirrors because if they ever looked at themselves real close, they would see right through this charade. 

Paul Ryan told the world that President Trump doesn’t know any better like he was speaking about a four-year-old who lied to his teacher, or someone who really didn’t know any better as in mentally challenged. What did Paul Ryan really mean when he said these words? Did he think that we would say, Oh, I forgot, he knows nothing? Is this the person you want leading our country? C’mon Paul, you will have to do better than that! Admit it; you are only there to pass one of your ultra right wing legislations, like the new Unaffordable Health Care Act! Shame on all of you when you have an opportunity to make good and rebuff the ill words of a man who is desperately trying to protect something shady by calling everyone around him the liar that he, himself is. Democrat, Republican, Independent or anyone with half a brain, call this what it is and help Make America Born Again!

He thinks we’re stupid!

It’s Saturday night and a break is needed for sure, just to digest last week’s political circus! But, one must remember the weekend mantra…”He thinks we are all stupid!” Just keep saying that to yourself and don’t let disappointment get the best of you. You must see that Trump works the room by repeating his lies over and over again making you feel that you haven’t a chance, but, the truth will tell the final story. I really do believe that James Comey did not confront the President early on because he wanted more evidence and that he knew once he said something to him, he would have been fired earlier. He knew that Trump would keep hounding him until he couldn’t take it anymore, but only after realizing he was beating a dead horse, When Trump saw his ship sinking, he had to make a decision and deal with the consequences Ultimately, Trump fired Comey and now discredits him, so much the same as he did with his political opponents during the Campaign as in Lying Ted, Low Energy Bush, Crooked Hillary, and now it is Nutty Comey and much worse! It’s working for him until it doesn’t work anymore. Could make quite a novel…only it is really happening and many scenarios are evolving. Trump’s behavior is closing in on Trump! Keep saying it, “He thinks we are all stupid!” and hold on because we are in for a giant roller coaster ride never to the likes of anything we could have imagined! Happy Sunday!

There’s a Sucker Born Every Day!

After watching a group of people being interviewed about the James Comey testimony today, I realized that PT Barnum was correct. There really is a sucker born every day. They were Trump supporters who really believed that Comey lied and Donald J Trump was still their idol. James Comey may not be everything to everyone, but a liar, he is not. Even with all that Trump has shown with his bizarre behavior and outright lies during and after his contentious campaign, which obviously appealed to enough people to win a presidential election, they still revere him. Who wouldn’t want such unconditional love

We all know that the Republicans on the Hill are keeping silent because of their agenda, but once the first sign of a change of heart from Trump’s diehard supporters shows in the polls, all hell will break loose. The silence will suddenly be broken, and their spineless support will fade away. Every time a con man gets caught we always say it will never happen again, that we know better. Look at Bernie Madoff. It took 48 years (1960-2008) to find out he was heading a giant Ponzi Scheme, the oldest trick in the book. Trump is a different kind of Madoff. Ironically, he is a man who is consumed with money and power but preys off of the person who needs government aid the most and appeals to their greatest fears, promoting it through lies and propaganda. It seems he can do no wrong! I, for one, hope that the ongoing investigation sheds the light needed to make this wrong… a right!

A Man without a Country…Soon!

All the markings of guilt are leading to serious irrational behavior by our President, Donald J Trump. The more threatened he feels, the more he will fight back with any ammunition he can get his hands on to promote his agenda or get out of the hole he is digging deeper every day. His past will come back to haunt him because through the ongoing investigations more will come out than even he bargained for. This is not Trump University, a scam at best, where a settlement was made and all went away. Although there are still many other lawsuits for various accusations against Trump, he is President of the USA. However, our Democracy is at work right now making sure that even a President has to be held responsible and abide by the law of the land. If he is found innocent of any foul acts, so be it and life will go on. Lucky for him, that one is innocent until proven guilty, unlike the governments he seems to revere. His actions, however, do not give you a sense of innocence.

Think about it, not producing his tax returns alone gives me the feeling that he is truly hiding secrets that might even reveal the answers to this whole investigation. Maybe he is being blackmailed because of his financial involvements with Russia. There are others that would be exposed as well, I am pretty sure of that. Thursday will be a telling story, not just by James Comey’s testimony, but by the reaction Trump has during that day.

I really do feel that he will soon be a man without a country, even though he is President.

“No Man is an island”… except for Trump!

When all of the world should be coming together, Donald Trump exhibits behavior that seems to be pulling us apart or at least from our Allies. Focusing on fear, embellished with lies, he tweets his nonsensical statements, almost sounding as though the words just flowed without thinking. Each time he does it he diminishes his credibility, until one day he will just be the little boy who cried wolf. When he finally does give a credible statement, if ever, no one will be there to believe it. Flexing his muscles has only accomplished “Make America Great Again” closer to being “Making America Alone” and we all know that as humans, we don’t do well without communication with others, as so with countries. Our Alliances since WWII have grown and given the dark side of the World a sense that we are stronger together both militarily and economically. Deals between countries are not decided by one person, but by the needs and advice of others. Plowing into NATO and pulling out of a voluntary agreement, The Paris Accord,  established for the betterment of the air we breathe and the longevity of our planet are just two more steps to loneliness for the USA.

“No Man is an Island,” a poem written by John Donne, meaning that human beings do not thrive when isolated from others. These words are also taken from the Bible, expressing the need for others. Whether it be humans, animals, or countries existing side by side, the need for communication is necessary for a nurturing existence. Trump, alone in his office or bedroom, being that his tweets are usually at some ungodly hour, sets off the tone of our country.  The world is listening, not just his base, and soon they will have a deaf ear.

Ignorance-Power-Blackmail…One, Two or all Three!

Those three words keep swirling around in my mind, thinking it is so simple to figure out the answer to this bad dream more than half of our country is experiencing on a daily basis. I know we, the so-called “Liberal Dems,”  are being blamed for having a “Sour Grapes” attitude ever since the surprise outcome of the 2016 presidential election declaring Donald J Trump 45^th President of the USA. That, however, is the excuse Republicans or Trump supporters use to overcome their own guilt of electing a man who has clearly shown behaviors depicting ignorance, abuse of power or even so far as one who is being blackmailed. 

Maybe all three reasons are contributing to his bizarre actions most recently displayed on his trip abroad when meeting our European Allies. First, the push and shove of the Prime Minister of Montenegro just to get up in front, turning, fixing himself and smiling, not realizing his bully style behavior was caught on camera clear as day. I was sickened when I saw this, but not as much as when I heard him speak to our allies in a condescending manner. Again, those three words keep popping up. Could it be ignorance, power, or just appeasing our adversaries, as in Russia, because of something they have on him or his administration, also called blackmail? 

 These are not the feelings of a “Liberal Dem,” rather the feelings of a concerned citizen who sees our Democracy slowly being dismantled, a word used frequently by Steve Bannon, Trump’s Chief Political Strategist. Scary stuff is happening every day with news coming from everywhere, but that does not seem to matter with this diehard group that simply supports, unwaveringly, an administration that has played with a continuously growing book of lies, led by a President who has a limited vocabulary at best, a weird relationship with Russia, a hidden income tax agenda, shaded business dealings filled with lawsuits up the kazoo, questionable belief in climate change, being that he is considering cutting us off from the Paris Agreement, a catastrophic decision if finally made. Republicans had better face the facts, the real facts; that this storybook romance they have is going to end, but not happily ever after! 

Trump Stew…Old Family Recipe!

Trump Stew…Old Family Recipe!

235 lbs. (approximate) Donald J Trump

1 whole Steve Bannon (a little tough)

1 whole Jared Kushner (no added taste)

1 whole Michael Flynn (sour)

1 whole Sean Spicer (nothing to speak of)

Dash of:  Jeff Sessions-Eric Trump-Donald Trump Jr. (just more of the same)

A pinch of Ivanka (for looks)

Optional – Melania Trump (for style)

Big League Brand / Bag of Lies (can be generic)

Most Important: Dressing must be Russian (thickens the Stew)

Preparation time can vary; 130 days to 4 years!

Mix all ingredients together making sure nothing escapes!

Chef Trump requests a Teflon Pan so that nothing will stick… with high heat …a must!

Not to worry, it doesn't matter how long it cooks…it will never get overdone…or done!

He says none of the ingredients are fake…and that is really news to me!

Trump Stew will stick together with tastes always changing!

Serve, preferably, with a liquid to wash it down because it may be difficult to swallow!

Enjoy!

Linda Gefen  

Undermining Democracy…with Lies!

It’s sad to see the opportunities President Donald J. Trump has let slip through his fingers. President of the United of America as of January 20, 2017, he had the chance to prove himself to both his base and his opposition. He just could not do that. Trump has demons within him, a personality disorder that does not allow him to do what people thought he was capable of doing once elected. They thought he was a genius of sorts because he told them so, through bullying and strong words exemplifying the most unacceptable behavior. I for one was waiting for that pivot everyone spoke about. That Presidential moment when “a man” becomes “the man,” but it never happened. The downward spiral is only the beginning for this President. When a man thinks everyone else is wrong other than him and tries to prove it with lies and more lies, implicating people who have exemplary past history, the sham becomes evident and talk of impeachment becomes real.

I still have hope in our democracy to overcome the cancer that is chipping away at its existence. Time is of the essence, and as it goes, he is digging fast and furious soon to reach China, as I used to think when I dug a hole at the beach as a child. My mother used to say, “You are digging so deep, soon you'll reach China.” Maybe he will!!

The Secret Life of….President Trump!!

In the book, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, the main character is living in a world of fantasy, only seen through his eyes. In his mind, everyday happenings become embellished with elements far different than what everyone else is experiencing.  Of course, being a novel, the author can change or decide on what is next. Donald J. Trump is the author of his very own book, only it is a non-fiction playbook continuously rolling out various versions of his very own fantasies or what the world may consider downright lies. His daily telling tales are getting more bizarre and implicating even to those close to him. Our Whitehouse is living in his secret world!

Unfortunately, our lives are real, and we just can’t stop the days and months from moving forward so we have to take responsible action to make the changes before the changes take us all down a road we cannot recover from. Hearing and seeing the news today is like listening to myself repeat what I have written as well as the words of others as in scholars, authors, doctors, just about anyone who knew Trump in his life before being elected, I am sorry to say, President of the United States of America. His web of lies has grown to a level of total disbelief. He is like quicksand; waiting to gobble everyone up just to keeping the truth about his unscrupulous life both in business and private from becoming public

Faster than the speed of light...

I guess Trump is running the government like he runs his businesses. Get away with as much as you can under the law, legal, but close to the wire. Pushing through a so called "New and Improved" Healthcare Act without scoring, as we usually do, is beyond reproach. Those who approve it will have to live with the consequences for a very long time, as well as the public who are the recipients of this probable abomination of legislation. They couldn't wait to do it, just to give a pumped up high, like that of a druggie, to our President. Surely it will lead to the falling of the Republican Party. I should be happy, as I am a proclaimed Democrat, but on the contrary, I am saddened by this debacle. 

They say it is a done deal. Shame on them if it is!

Time Flies...with a little help!

Although it feels like an eternity, Donald J. Trump is already into his 6th #Monthaversary, a word made up to celebrate the anniversary of every month that goes by during the Trump Administration. We have to celebrate eight 6-Monthaversaries, equaling a 4-year presidential term. Now that seems to sound better than 3 1/2 more years. We only have seven more 6 #Monthaversaries to go! Confusing? Anything to make it sound shorter!

The Race to Disgrace!

How did we get to where we are? We can say all sorts of things to give reason for our state of affairs, but there is really only one answer. Donald J. Trump won the 2016 Presidential Election because enough people voted for him to win the Electoral vote he needed. Even though he clearly did not win the popular vote, in our democracy, the rules are the rules, and we follow them. Until proven otherwise, Trump is here to stay.

Think about why and who you voted for. Every signal was given to shun you away from voting for Trump. His past business history revealed many self-orchestrated bankruptcies which left working people in the lurch, as well as his unsavory views on women, immigration, and healthcare. His negative rhetoric during a contentious campaign filled with lies and ignorance leaning on the edge of racism. The blame, in my opinion, is on you, the voter. Did you really believe that everyone was wrong? Tony Schwartz, author of the Art of the Deal, warned you that he was a narcissist having the temperament of an eight-year-old. Credible people from all over came out with factual information showing his inadequacies. Many women from his past came forward and claimed his behavior towards them was in the category of sexual harassment. His very words told it all. The negative ads against him, during the campaign, were actually starring Trump. What more did you need? The last, almost, 100 days have proven that voting someone into any office, much less the President of the United States might have repercussions unlike we have ever seen before. So far, he has managed to insult our allies, lie about almost anything, probably because of his lack of knowledge and understanding or just disinterest in learning. Just the other day I heard what I thought was Alec Baldwin making fun of Donald Trump, but when I entered the room, it was actually Trump being interviewed. I cringed, thinking this is my President! His instability and buffoon behavior is clearly the sign of someone you don’t want making important decisions, especially those pertaining to world affairs and the safety of our nation and those allies around us.

I don’t quite understand when someone says to me, “Don’t you wish the President success?” I find it hard to answer, especially when I know the “Cow is not going to jump over the Moon” because that would be a fairytale. I hope and pray that those who voted for Trump can look in the mirror and say, “I made a mistake.” That is all I can ask for. Everyone is entitled to make a mistake as long as they don’t perpetuate this disaster. Know how much damage has been done because this is only going to be 100 days. It is not about Republican or Democrat; it is about our lives, all of our lives, for a long road ahead. Our Democracy goes beyond Politics. Our President has to be held accountable for everything he does, as is everyone else. His Taxes should be released and the Nepotism stopped in its tracks. We are living in dangerous times, not just from outside, but from within. I can wish and hope for the best, but it is not good enough. Trump people have to understand that they are playing with a fire they may not be able to put out. This race to disgrace must be recognized and dealt with in our best democratic ways. Recognizing failure and accountability is a good start!

Sometimes “Less is better” is not!

When designing a room, I always tend to use the statement, “Less is better.”  However, in our government, we need the checks and balances that are required so that many different opinions are heard in order to come to conclusions or decisions that affect our entire country. Filling cabinet positions are needed for our government to perform correctly, especially in these tenuous times. Why are they not filled as of yet? Believe it or not, the number is about 2,000. For some people, keeping a tight rein on decision making can only come from having fewer people to contend with. Control instead of delegating is definitely the road that the Trump Administration seems to be taking. It is disconcerting to me, especially being that his closest advisors in the loop are his family depicting nepotism as well as being unqualified for these positions.  

Looking for Jared Kushner…or… A Monarchy in the Making…or… A Family Affair!

Have you heard Jared Kushner speak? I have not and I suppose most people haven’t as well. We hear his name mentioned in numerous times being the son in law of President Donald J Trump as well as the husband of Ivanka Trump, Trump’s daughter. Both son-in-law and daughter have become the most well known unpaid, unofficial members of the White House staff, having positions that are far beyond their expertise. Nepotism is clearly at its highest level in this untraditional administration. A Monarchy in the making!'

We know Ivanka as Trump’s beautiful, successful business woman daughter, who he frequently said he would date if she were not his daughter. I do find that a little weird or a lot weird! She is married to Jared Kushner, Harvard graduate and also successful in his own right. A real estate tycoon, as they say in the press. Both are from controversial families, Jared’s father, Charles having served a jail sentence for admitting to submit false campaign finance reports and tax returns. We have yet to see Jared’s father in law’s tax returns, that being our President, Donald J Trump.

Jared Kushner is now spending much of his time as a “psychiatrist” and advisor to Trump, the most powerful person in the world! He has so much on his agenda that he is literally “speechless” because he hasn’t spoken, at least in a public setting. Has anyone out there besides those within the doors of the White House, actually heard his voice? Is it a high pitch, or a low pitch? Is Jared Kushner allowed to speak in public? I am sure he is one of the most sought after personalities for TV news commentators to interview. Why isn’t he out there? Maybe he can’t put two words together; after all, it is said even with Kushner’s low grades, he got into Harvard with a huge $2.5 million donation by his father to the university. Author, Daniel Golden wrote that in his book, The Price of Admissions: How America’s Ruling Class Buys Its Way Into Elite Colleges. With or without Harvard, Kushner could be brilliant, but right now he is only a “Poster Child”. I, and probably millions more, are looking for Jared Kushner to come out of hiding!

Who done it?

 It’s really amazing that during the last few days there has been no focus on the investigation of Trump and his administration with regards to their possible involvement with Russia during the 2016 presidential election, or at least very little. The news shifted to another major world event. What a tragedy that happened in Syria, with photos and videos of civilians, adults and innocent children, being assaulted with chemical warfare from their villainous leader, Assad. The question is why suddenly now? Things are bad enough, but somehow the need for a sudden jolt to divert attention once again was an instant success for those who might be complicit and responsible for such a heinous crime. Certainly not to say that Trump is responsible, but someone or some leaders, perhaps Putin himself, might have encouraged this to happen in order to get a cause and effect with our new unknowledgeable and unpredictable administration. If they wanted to push Trump’s buttons, which does not take much to do, they succeeded. Trump, the man who said never to go into Syria, who is also against allowing Syrian refugees to come to our shores, suddenly, without Congress, decides to perform air strikes in Syria. Bravado he needed dearly.

There are many thoughts about this decision to act unilaterally. First reactions are usually followed by more thoughtful rhetoric as to whether it was, and still going on, the right thing to do, especially without a strategic plan. It is scary to think that another Government might be pulling the strings and luring us into something that has no real good ending. Almost like the old Budd Abbot and Lou Costello joke of “Who’s on first?”  In this case, it is a “Who done it?”

Majority doesn’t always rule!

As we clearly saw, sometimes having a majority does not necessarily lead to success in trying to pass legislation. In an odd way, our democracy showed us signs that it is still alive and well, thanks to people sticking to their convictions or following their conscience. On the right, the Freedom Caucus or better known as the former Tea Party, stuck to their convictions of an ultra right wing agenda of as little or no government as possible when it comes to health care, really meaning, no universal health care! I would like to know how many of these constituents have given up their Social Security or Medicare benefits whether they need it or not. Then you have the Republicans who fit into a more moderate mode who have a conscience and are willing to say that although Obamacare needs help, they cannot repeal it without a new program that will not take away the healthcare benefits that are already in place. 

Whether it is for their own political careers or for their constituents, their choice to vote no was a sign that progress may move forward. They had the Majority but even within, they were split because our world today is much broader than the extreme right or perhaps even the extreme left. A more moderate view of life in America is the way to work things out to benefit the masses. Our two-party political system works best when we have compromise on both ends of the spectrum. Too far to the right means abandonment of rules as well as too far to the left means abuse of rules. 

An Independent Investigation…The Plan!

A great conspiracy theory could be that Devon Nunes, Republican Chairman of the Congressional Investigation, on his own or complicit with others intentionally did what he did just to divert attention and purposely make it seem that they really do need an Independent Investigation. Sounds crazy? Well, think of how much longer it would take picking the right people making it a fair and unbiased group. Their goal, Trump and his cohorts, is always delay to avoid the truth. I hope Adam Schiff, Democratic Chairman, will insist that Nunes recuses himself, giving them a fair path to get to the bottom of this. Pivoting at this point will just dilute the seriousness of the issue.

I, a citizen of the USA, want to know if we have a legitimate sitting President. Let truth be known!

image: salon.com

Universal Health Care for EVERYONE!

The Republicans lost their magic moment to repeal The Affordable Health Care Act, named Obamacare, because they really did not have a replacement that even worked for their own party. Truth be it, there will never be an equitable Health Care System unless those fighting for it shared the same system. What does this entail? We all know that our Congressmen and Senators along with their families enjoy a robust healthcare program that most people would “kill” to get. Why is this? Are they any different than all of us working people? This is where our efforts should be heading, a perfect moment to start writing to our Congressman, Republican or Democrat and use indelible ink and paper that cannot be shredded.

Leaving a Legacy…Fix or Repeal!

I would rather leave a legacy of being the leader who finally got the right to universal healthcare on the map for all Americans than a legacy of repealing it and replacing it with nothing more than a scam, destined to hurt most of the population. This ploy to repeal was the dream of Speaker of the House, Paul Ryan, from the day The Affordable Health Care Act, Obama Care, was enacted. Just get rid of it! They had 8 years to work on a so called better system but that was not the goal at all, otherwise it would have been done.

The political arena is showing its worst possible moment in history. The AFS, as I named Alternative Fact Syndrome, is rampant among leaders in the Republican Party, starting at the top with President Donald J Trump. He sold a bill of goods to his constituents and they fell for it hook, line and sinker. Why? They were vulnerable and angry or just plain hated President Obama and would do anything to deface him, even by inadvertently hurting themselves.

Let it happen and the Legacy of the Republican Party will be one that will carry them through a failing Administration, especially when they have to face midterm elections in 2018. At best, it will be difficult enough to deal with all of the other lies, but healthcare is way up there and certainly speaks out to the masses.
In or out, I am personally proud that President Obama was able to get the attention of Universal Healthcare on the map so that these issues could be brought to the surface. Medicare is one of the most successful Government assisted programs, so why not bring something that works to meet all of the population. By tonight, we will know what we are in store for. It would be so much easier to fix that part which is not working than to just steamroller over it. Which Legacy would you want to go down in history? America First or Politics!