Sunday, June 28, 2015

BloggeRhythms

Today’s subjects originate from items presenting a different slant on current events than that presented in the mainstream media or knee-jerk reactions from the majority among politically biased audiences. 
 
To begin, Adam B. Lerner wrote @politico.com that Republican House Speaker, John Boehner, took his first trip with the president on Air Force One. They were “headed to Charleston, South Carolina, to mourn the nine African-American men and women killed at their church last week.”
 
Mr. Lerner opines that, “The change in Air Force One hangouts following the midterms provided a marked contrast to the middle of the Obama presidency; from September 2011 until February 2013 not a single Republican lawmaker joined the commander in chief aboard the plane, despite a litany of possible trips.”
 
Scanning reader comments following the article shows a significant number of apparent Republicans to be quite upset with the speaker. Calling him a sellout, turncoat, RINO, typical self-serving politician, and any number of similarly disparaging appellation's.
 
Nonetheless, above all, Speaker Boehner’s known as a seasoned, well-versed politician who may very well be taking the sage advice of Michael Corleone in The Godfather Part II (1974). Michael said, "My father taught me many things here — he taught me in this room. He taught me — keep your friends close but your enemies closer."
 
The president himself may be doing the very same thing, whereas farther along in the article, Mr. Lerner noted that, “Obama has never been known as much of a schmoozer, but in recent months he has treated fellow lawmakers from both parties to trips aboard Air Force One with him as a way of currying favor and engaging in discussions with a captive audience.”
 
So, here as usual, we have two opposing politicians very likely being totally dishonest with each other.
 
Then, as the smoke continues to clear after the SCOTUS decisions on gay marriage and the health care tax, it appears that while court justices are supposed to be far above all others in fairness, honesty and integrity, they too may simply be following the money like everyone else in government.
 
Lawrence Hurley @reuters.com reports that, “A total of 379 businesses and groups representing employers across various sectors signed on to a friend-of-the-court brief backing gay marriage. In the healthcare case, trade groups representing hospitals and health insurance companies filed court papers backing the Obama administration over the healthcare law. 
 
“In the marriage case, some of the nation's biggest companies, including Procter & Gamble Co , American Airlines Group Inc and Johnson & Johnson, joined the brief urging the court to rule in favor of gay marriage. Wall Street's biggest names, including Goldman Sachs Group Inc and Morgan Stanley, also signed on.”
 
Furthermore, in his majority opinion in the marriage case, Justice Anthony Kennedy “echoed some of the concerns raised by employers about how same-sex marriage bans meant that gay employees in committed relationships are treated differently from opposite-sex couples on issues such as workers' compensation benefits and health insurance.”
 
In the Obamacare ruling, Chief Justice John Roberts explained in detail how the law was intended, as he said, to "improve health insurance markets, not destroy them."
 
He then went so far as to cite a brief filed by America's Health Insurance Plans, a trade group representing companies such as Aetna Inc and Anthem Inc .
 
Additionally, “The American Hospital Association, which represents more than 5,000 hospitals and other healthcare providers, also signed a brief backing the law. Shares in various hospital operators, including HCA Holdings Inc and Community Health Systems Inc, surged on news of the ruling.”
 
Therefore, forgetting the party politics, considering the lobbying power and immense wealth of American big business, what chance at judicial fairness could the average taxpaying citizen possibly have? 
 
Obviously, the answer is “zero.“ 
 
Reader, der kritiker, put it this way: “Of course, we have the best politicians and government big business can buy! 
 
While all the hubbub took place regarding the SCOTUS decisions, another issue quietly missed its calendar target and is headed back to further negotiation. 
 
George Jahn, @Associated Press.com reports that, “A senior U.S. official acknowledged Sunday that Iran nuclear talks will go past their June 30 target date, as Iran's foreign minister prepared to head home for consultations before returning to push for a breakthrough.”
 
Therefore, the increasingly unpopular efforts to curb Iran’s nuclear capabilities continue to fail, despite top administration representatives trying to paint a far rosier picture.Which goes to illustrate how today’s access to information among the general public is far greater than ever before in the nation’s history. 
 
People now have the capability to learn about practically anything they choose to inform themselves about, such as today’s update on Bill Clinton’s wife.
 
Sarah Westwood, @washingtonexaminer.com, writes that, “Secretary Clinton's failure to turn over all Benghazi and Libya documents is the reason why we have been calling for an independent, third party review of her server," Rep. Lynn Westmoreland, R-Ga., a member of the House Select Committee on Benghazi, told the Washington Examiner.
 
"Her unusual email arrangement with herself allowed for Secretary Clinton to pick and choose which emails she deemed work related, and now we know that she failed to be honest and forthcoming with those emails to both the Select Committee and the State Department that were subpoenaed," Westmoreland added.”
 
So, despite significant efforts by those supporting Bill Clinton’s wife to downplay investigation into her actions as Secretary of State, the attention and scrutiny isn’t going to go away any time soon. Which leads to the continuing question: “Mayor Bloomberg, are you reading this?
 
That's it for today folks.
 
Adios

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