BloggeRhythms

There’s an article this morning @realclearpolitics.com by Ian Schwartz, regarding whether or not the outgoing POTUS will quietly stay on the sidelines as Trump establishes his administration and begins his term in office.

While the article itself is of very little interest, one of the quotes stood out quite starkly, said by Obama in Peru: “Look, I said before, President Bush could not have been more gracious to me when I came in and my intention is to certainly for the next two months, finish my job and after that to take Michelle on vacation, get some rest, spend time with my girls and do some writing, some thinking." 

So here’s a guy who spent eight years traveling at taxpayer’s expense, making speeches, meeting counterparts around the globe, and playing golf. Which naturally leads to the most obvious question: Vacation from what? 

And then, incoming Democrat leader Schumer provided a glaring example of why leftist politicians have forced their party into what may be an irreversible demise. Because, for some totally nonsensical reason, for them it’s all or nothing. Negotiation and compromise simply do not exist in their mantra.

One of the major, perhaps most significant, reasons for Trump’s win is the national rejection and outright abhorrence of the health care tax.

Nonetheless, he’s already stated that there are elements of the program that he’d keep intact, while trying to make coverage more affordable for all.     

What that means is that there’s room for negotiation and that Trump’s taking a logical, pragmatic approach to the solution. Yet, although the first step hasn’t even been taken, FoxNews.com reports: “Democratic Sen. Chuck Schumer of New York is threatening political payback if congressional Republicans and President-elect Donald Trump try to undo President Barack Obama's major legislative achievements. 

"They will rue the day" they repeal Obama's health care law, Senate Democrats' leader-in-waiting told The Associated Press in an interview in his office on Friday. "It's a political nightmare for them. They'll be like the dog that caught the bus." 

However, it might be in their best interests if Trump indeed catches that bus. Because stopping its forward motion would, in turn, save the lives of those Democrats who’ve thrown themselves under it by blindly fighting an issue before they even know what it is. 

On another subject, Trump’s beginning to demonstrate his intention to rebuild the nation’s position as a force to be dealt with at home and abroad.

AFP’s Don Emmert and Ivan Couronne write @yahoo.com/news: “US President-elect Donald Trump interviewed potential cabinet members at his New Jersey golf club for a second day Sunday, and signaled he may have found a defense chief in James "Mad Dog" Mattis."

Praising the retired military leader, Trump tweeted: "General James 'Mad Dog' Mattis, who is being considered for Secretary of Defense, was very impressive yesterday. A true General's General!"

“Trump called the 66-year-old "the real deal" after their meeting Saturday. Mattis is a retired Marine Corps general who led the US Central Command from 2010-2013, overseeing the US withdrawal from Iraq and a surge in Afghanistan.” 

An indicator of character types Trump wishes to surround him can be found in a description of Mattis in the article: “A colorful combat commander and voracious reader, he has been quoted as saying, "Be polite, be professional, but have a plan to kill everyone you meet."

At the same time, further indications of a quickly growing change in attitude by Trump detractors arose as Silicon Valley moguls reconsider their prior hostilities toward him.  
Ali Breland writes @thehill.com: “The two sides battled during the campaign, with prominent tech leaders backing Hillary Clinton and Trump struggling to raise money from the industry.

“Now with Trump's victory, many tech leaders in Silicon Valley are extending an olive branch.

"I for one give him my most open mind and wish him great success in his service to the country," Amazon CEO and Washington Post owner Jeff Bezos tweeted, two days after the election. 

“In August, prominent venture capitalist Chris Sacca knocked “Trump's erratic behavior, repeatedly demonstrated ignorance of economics, and reckless statements." 

Yet, that same Sacca wrote in an email to The Hill after the election: “We in the tech community are open to helping President Elect Trump in any way he needs to help those Americans who need it most. We are hopeful he will immediately reach out to the tech and startup sectors and start building relationships so we can all work together.” 

Then: “Safra Catz, the co-CEO of Oracle, also met with Trump on Thursday and there is speculation she could be tapped for a cabinet post. 

“On Monday, IBM CEO Ginni Rometty wrote an open letter congratulating Trump and offering policy ideas. 

“In her letter, Rometty highlighted creating a "national corps of skilled workers," and using technology to improve infrastructure and make government more efficient. 

“She also raised two big issues: healthcare and taxes. 

“Rometty noted that IBM operates one of the nation's largest employer-sponsored health plans and vowed to work with Congress and the new administration on lowering health costs. And she offered support for Trump's calls to reform the tax system.” 

Thus, here we have businesspeople demonstrating that unlike Democrat politicians, they tend to seek compromise, adaptation and common-sensical solutions to operational stumbling blocks and hurdles.

Democrat politicians on the other hand, seek an all or nothing capitulation from those in disagreement. Which, results in taking their constituency into oblivion right along with them.   

As Democrats employ their barely marginal IQ’s in seeking ways to disrupt Trump and undo all his plans for the future, Deutsche Bank AG. and Chief U.S. Equity Strategist David Bianco said this morning: “It's looking more likely that President-elect Donald Trump will preside over a continuing U.S. expansion that could take its place as the longest among American business cycles. He also predicts that “by the time the real estate mogul takes office in January, the S&P 500 Index will eclipse 2,250,” according to Luke Kawa @bloomberg.com. 

“Investors are under-appreciating the "much higher chance now of a long lasting economic expansion that rivals the 10 year U.S. record," the strategist writes "We're more confident now that the S&P will reach 2,500 in 2018 before suffering its next bear market." 

“The longest U.S. expansion on record stretched from 1991 until 2001, a span of 120 months. That streak will be broken if the American economy makes it until 2019 without a recession.”

After reading Mr. Bianco’s expectations for the nation’s economic future, and reflecting on the damage done to it by the health care tax, the dichotomy spurred a review of Schumer’s history, something I knew nothing about. 

According to Wikipedia: “Charles Ellis "Chuck" Schumer born November 23, 1950) is an American politician, the senior United States senator from New York and a member of the Democratic Party. First elected in 1998, he defeated three-term Republican incumbent Al D'Amato. 

“Before his election to the U.S. Senate, Schumer served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1981 to 1999, representing New York's 16th congressional district, later redistricted to the 10th congressional district in 1983 and to the 9th congressional district in 1993. A native of Brooklyn and graduate of Harvard College and Harvard Law School, he was a three-term member of the New York State Assembly, serving from 1975 to 1980. 

“Schumer was chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee from 2005 to 2009, in which post he oversaw a total of 14 Democratic gains in the Senate in the 2006 and 2008 elections. He is the third-ranking Democrat in the Senate, behind Senate minority leader Harry Reid and Senate minority whip Dick Durbin, elected vice chairman of the Democratic Caucus in the Senate in 2006. In November 2010, he was also chosen to hold the additional role of chairman of the Senate Democratic Policy Committee starting at the opening of the 112th Congress. 

“In 2015, Minority Leader Harry Reid, who retired after the 2016 elections, endorsed Schumer to succeed him as leader. Senate minority whip Dick Durbin also endorsed Schumer for the post.n 2016, Schumer was re-elected for New York Senator.” 

So, here’s a guy who’s lived his entire professional life as a politician, without one iota of experience as to how the economy really works, except from the viewpoint of one whose been supported by the public for the past 41 years. 

Which means there’s no way on Earth that this totally empty suit has an iota of a chance  of knowing just how badly the health care tax affects people having to work for a living.  
 
However, now that his history’s known, and having learned that his background contains absolutely nothing of real world, practical value, it certainly makes one feel far better.
Because in very short order, Trump will chew this cipher up and spit him out, like the bad tasting marshmallow he most assuredly is.

That’s it for today folks. 

Adios