Three Cheers for Congressional Democrats

I'm very proud of congressional Democrats, who staged a sit-in in the well of the House floor to protest inaction and call for a vote on urgent gun safety measures favored by super majorities of the American people. Led by civil rights icon John Lewis of Georgia, they refused to heed a "moment of silence" for the Orlando shooting victims, shouting "We will no longer be silent!"



Specifically, they demand a vote on two measures. The first is to require all gun purchasers to pass a background check. This is supported by 92% of Americans, including majorities of Republicans and even NRA members. The second would make it illegal to sell weapons to people on the terrorist "no-fly" watch list. This proposal is favored by 85% of the American  people.

33,000 Americans died last year from bullets shot by guns. It would be easy to take a few common sense steps to help stem the carnage, but congressional Republicans remain at the mercy of the extremist leadership of the gun lobby. With majorities like these, some time in the not too distant future I can foresee a tipping point on these gun questions like the one we've recently seen with respect to LGBT equality. And when the tide turns the groundswell will be just as great a pleasure to watch. 

Latest Outrages Renew Gun Safety Debate

With the terrible Orlando massacre on everyone's mind thoughts turn again to ideas for stemming the bloodshed. One of the finest explanations debunking gun-nut fears and in support of taking some common sense action was provided by President Obama when he fielded a gun control question at a PBS town hall in Elkhart, Indiana on June 1 of this year. You can watch it here. It lasts 5 minutes and 36 seconds.

General Stanley McChrystal ran an op-ed in the New York Times saying, among other things, that "Our communities should not feel like war zones" and that we must take action to keep guns out of the hands of "felons, domestic abusers and terrorists." A Democratic filibuster led by Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut has apparently forced a vote on a law banning the sale of guns to people on the FBI terrorist and "no fly" watch lists next week. Some Republican lawmakers are actually saying now they think terrorist shouldn't be able to legally get guns and ammunition in America, but this vote has been held before and Republicans voted it down then, so we'll see if they change their tune now. I wouldn't hold my breath.

Perhaps the most cogent appeal I've seen comes from retired Army officer M. Thomas Davis. He wrote a recent op-ed, "Strirct Military Gun Control Should Be Our Model." Read it in its entirety here. He holds  that we ought to take the same care in civilian life that the military does with respect to lethal weapons. He believes the intelligent steps would be to 1) renew the assault weapons ban, 2) ban magazines above eight rounds for pistols and five for rifles, 3) conduct thorough background checks of everyone seeking to purchase a gun. He feels "a heavy tax on arms and ammunition, particularly the latter" to discourage their purchase "serves a clear public good." "the revenue generated could be used to enhance background checks and hire more agents for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives."

Hillary Clinton's Fresno Rally

I went to the Hillary Clinton rally at Fresno's Edison High School yesterday with local friends Ruth McKee and Kathleen Dowling. We arrived about 3:15 and doors were to open at 5:00, so you can see from the picture we had an outstanding view. The temperature was 105 but thankfully most of our wait was under shade and the event was inside in the air conditioned gym. News organizations and the police estimated the crowd at 1500.

Hillary was dynamic, confident and on her game. She looks and sounds better in person than on television. As she approaches the finish line of the campaign season she seems to be having fun. Her 30-minute talk included plenty of progressive policy solutions, effective digs at presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump, and enough personal asides to keep it warm. This is a woman in command of the issues and ready for the challenges ahead.


Democratic Presidential Front Runner Hillary Clinton at Edison High in Fresno, June 4, 2016


She promised to work hard from inauguration day on a sane immigration law that will include a path to citizenship for the foreign workers and their families who are here. She proposes a massive infrastructure program across America, "We have been living on an investment made by our parents and grandparents, in highways, bridges, airports, communications and water systems." These need to be restored and brought up to twenty-first century standards. And, she exclaimed, "The millions of jobs this creates cannot be outsourced!" She said that either China, Germany or the United States will lead the world in clean energy production this century. "Why shouldn't it be us? she asked. "If I am so fortunate as to be your president, it will be." She called for raising the minimum wage to at least $12, and would encourage states to match California's $15. She was foursquare for women's rights and LGBT rights, and promised to only nominate judges who would protect a woman's right to choose, restore the Voting Rights Act, preserve marriage equality and overturn Citizens United. She supports community college "as close to free as possible" and "debt-free" public university education. The audience joined in on her now-famous line, "If insisting that women have control over their own bodies and that they get equal pay for equal work is playing the woman card, then deal me in!"

Secretary Clinton related a story about the Bin Laden raid to underscore some of her differences with Trump. She detailed the careful planning and frank discussion form all angles within the administration before presenting the final decision to the President. She contrasted that with Trump's rash, impatient style. She related that one of the two helicopters involved was damaged on the way in. After fighting their way past Bin Laden's bodyguards and getting the terror leader himself, they had to destroy the chopper to prevent its secrets from falling into foreign hands. Clinton told how before they demolished the helicopter, the SEALS moved all the women and children from the compound to safety from the explosives. She contrasted that with Trump's stated preference for killing the families of terrorists. She also went through the themes she had introduced two days before about the foolishness of Trump's more outrageous foreign policy "ideas" to good effect. See them described in my previous blog here.

All in all, it was a terrific week. I'd been to the Bernie Sanders rally on Sunday in Visalia and then got to see Hillary Clinton on Saturday. I'm more convinced than ever of being on the right side of the values and issues in question after hearing from the similar perspectives of these two fine candidates. It's also a great feeling for me, a history teacher, to be present for some of the making of that history. I'm pretty sure I've seen the next president of the United States. And there's never been anyone more ready for the job than she is.

Clinton Eviscerates Trump, Turns Campaign Corner

Hillary Clinton had a turning point moment in her presidential candidacy yesterday in San Diego. Abandoning the carefully controlled and reactive approach that's characterized her public persona too often up to now, she eviscerated presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump in a blistering tour-de-force of an address highlighting foreign policy. See the speech here. This is the Hillary Clinton--confident, competent, laser-focused and passionate--who can and will be elected America's forty-fifth president this November. She seemed to relish the chance to throw off the reins and go on the all-out offensive. She seemed to be having fun. It was the best speech of her campaign up to now by far. You really ought to go to the link and take a look at it.

Readers of this column have seen me say before that the way to destroy the Trump candidacy is to relentlessly repeat his own words. He must be made to own his remarks about such things as admiration for dictators, American wages being too high, intentionally proliferating nuclear weapons, leaving NATO and opening a global trade war. Mexicans, women, Muslims, the disabled, African-Americans and the others he has gratuitously insulted must be reminded over and over again of Trump's misogyny, xenophobia, racism and ignorance. At the very time Clinton was making her effectively scathing remarks, for instance, Trump was complaining to CNN's Jake Tapper in a live interview that the federal judge presiding over the case against defunct real estate school Trump University, Gonzalo Curiel, could not be trusted to handle the case impartially "because he is Mexican." See interview here. (Curiel is an American citizen born in Indiana of Mexican ancestry.)

Polls in the next few days will likely begin to show a widening of the margin between Clinton and Trump. The mogul is wily and resourceful, but this will be the beginning of his ultimate defeat. Racism and attitude can evidently take you all the way in a Republican primary contest, but will be unable to carry the day in this diverse nation as a whole, so long as his opponent doesn't give him a free pass, effectively takes him on, and presents a positive alternative. Clinton showed yesterday that she gets that.

I went to the Bernie Sanders rally in Visalia on Sunday, May 29. I'm also planning to attend the Clinton rally tomorrow in Fresno, and am really looking forward to it. I'll give you a synopsis and comparison afterward.