The Blue Sentry

Politics From A Progressive Viewpoint

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Texas Execution To Go Ahead Dispite Problems

Another Texas execution is set to go ahead despite many problems with the drugs used.  This past fall Texas sent a purchase order to a company called Pharmacy Innovations to try and buy a number of drugs that the state wanted to use for lethal injection to kill prisoners.  On the purchase order sent to the pharmacy it said the order was being made by  The Huntsville Unit Hospital.   The problem with is that that is not a hospital but a penitentiary called The Huntsville Unit Texas State Penitentiary.    When Pharmacy Innovations found out where they had really sent their drugs in regards to the purchase order and how those drugs were going to be used the company was shocked.    They stated that “Pharmacy Innovations was completely unaware that the drugs were purchased with the intent to use them for lethal injections.”      The drugs ordered by Texas were Midazolam and Hydromorphone.    Having no shame Texas tried to fool the pharmacy a second time with an order for Phenobarbital.    This time the pharmacy canceled the order and refused to send it because it was going to be used for executions. 

The problem Texas and many other states have is that a few years ago the supply of drugs states use for lethal injection started to dry up.   First they lost the supply of the main drug Sodium Thiopental and then the other main drug Phenobarbital.  Manufacturers of the drugs did not want their drugs being used to kill people.  Since then things have not gone well for states wanting to conduct executions.    In order to continue killing prisoners some states have started to mix and match different drugs they think will produce a lethal result.     They are inventing their own drug combinations to see what will work.  The problem is what happens when it does not work.   In our constitution there is a ban on cruel and unusual punishment.    The Supreme Court ruled that “the courts would be justified in intervening only if an inmate could show that a method of execution presents a substantial risk of severe pain. 

The drugs that Texas tricked Pharmacy Innovations into sending them were a combination of a sedative and a pain killer.  In spite of the objections of the pharmacy Texas never sent the drugs back and are keeping them with the intent to use them to kill prisoners.   In January Ohio became the first state to use that combination of drugs in an execution.   That did not go well at all.   It took more then 25 minutes  of the prisoner gasping and snorting for him to die.   People witnessing the execution said it was slow and inhumane.      In South Dakota that execution did not go as planned.  The prisoner’s heart continued to beat for 10 min after he stopped breathing.  The coroner tried to close the prisoner’s eyes after he thought he had died but they popped back open.     In Oklahoma the prisoner stated as his last words  “I feel my whole body burning.”     In Texas a prisoner stated as his last words “It does kind of burn.” 

“I feel my whole body burning.”

Then in Oklahoma they did not use Phenobarbital they used an experimental combination of three other drugs.  After the prisoner was declared unconscious he began to mumble, kick , strain, speak and appeared to be in great pain.   They tried to call the execution off , pulled the curtain so witnesses could not see what was happening.  The prisoner then died of a heart attack 40 min after the execution started.      On May 13th Texas plans on carrying out another execution using compounded drugs but they will not say where they are getting the drugs from.    Is our country really going to allow prisoners to be used as test subjects for testing lethal injection drugs?    Does that not fall under the cruel and unusual punishment ban?

Texas Execution To Go Ahead Dispite Problems was originally published on The Blue Sentry

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Rep. Michael Grimm Indicted on 20 Federal Charges

In 2010 Staten Island Republicans took back their seat after loosing it in 2008 when Rep. Vito Fossella was arrested for drunk driving and it was then uncovered that he a mistress and a child that he fathered with her.      Democrat Michael McMann took over the seat but held it for only one term when he lost it to Rep.  Michael Grimm in 2010.     Yesterday Michael Grimm showed up in federal court and pleaded not guilty to 20 separate federal charges.  The indictment includes charges of:

 Obstructing and impeding the due administration of the IRS Conspiracy to defraud the United States. Aiding and assisting in the preparation of false and fraudulent tax returns. Health Care Fraud Wire Fraud Mail Fraud Perjury Obstruction of official proceeding Unlawful employment of alien

The charges all come from his ownership of a restaurant before being elected to Congress.  Prosecutors say Michael Grimm two sets of books and paied his employees in cash to avoid payroll taxes and then lied about it under oath. 

Last year, the House Ethics Committee announced that Michael Grimm was under investigation for possible campaign finance violations. That news escalated after a reporter, Michael Scotto, asked Grimm questions about the long-running FBI investigation into his campaign finances. Grimm threatened the reporter, saying, “Let me be clear to you. If you ever do that to me again, I’ll throw you off this (expletive) balcony.” The confrontation was caught on tape:

Michale Grimm responded to the new  charges by saying that he is going to fight until he is exonerated and that he will not resign his seat.  He further stated that he “has an election to win.”  Seems the GOP is stuck with Grimm because he has already been designated by the state Republican Party as the nominee.    The only way he can be removed from the ballot is by moving out of the district or if he gets convicted.    Waiting in the wings to take Grimm’s place on the ballot is former Rep. Fossella again.   Staten Island deserves better in their representation then these two.  

Rep. Michael Grimm Indicted on 20 Federal Charges was originally published on The Blue Sentry

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President Obama Speaks Out On Foreign Policy

While President Obama was in Manila giving a press conference a reporter for FOX News asked him about his  foreign policy decisions which got a rise out of the president.    The reporter asked “As you end this trip I don’t think I have to remind you there have been a lot of unflattering portraits of your foreign policy right now … I would like to give you a chance to lay out what your vision is more then five years into office, what you think the Obama doctrine is in terms of what your guiding principle is on all of these problems and how you answer those critics  who think the doctrine is weakness.”  

They have not really learned the lessons of the last decade.

The president responded.  “Typically criticism of our foreign policy has been directed at the failure to use military force.  And the question I think I would have is why is it that everyone is so eager to use military force after we have just gone through a decade of war at enormous costs to our troops and to our budget.  And what is it exactly these critics think would have been accomplished?  The point is that many who were proponents of what I consider to be a disastrous decision to go into Iraq have not really learned the lessons of the last decade.  And they keep on playing the same note over and over again.  Why I don’t know?  My job as commander and chief is to look at what is it that is going to advance our security interests over the long term.  To keep our military in reserve for when we absolutely need it.  And that may not always be sexy.”   These are some of the most extensive off the cuff remarks he has ever made about his approach to American foreign policy and why no war is generally preferable to war.    He made these remarks as his administration announced more sanctions against Russia for what the White House called “Russia’s illegal intervention and provocative actions in Ukraine.  

President Obama Speaks Out On Foreign Policy was originally published on The Blue Sentry

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Rand Paul Has A Problem In 2016

Kentucky Senator Rand Paul has a problem brewing for 2016.  Rand Paul would like to run for two separate offices in 2016 but Kentucky will not let him run for two seats at the same time.     There are lots of states where you can be on the ballot for two different seats at the same time like Joe Biden did in Delaware where he ran for both Vice President and U.S. Senate in 2008.   In the state of Kentucky it is illegal for a person to be on the ballot in the same year for two different offices.    Rand Paul is up for reelection in Kentucky in 2016 but would also maybe like to make a run for President or Vice President also. 

We kind of take the position over here that a man who can’t decide which office he wants to run for isn’t fit to hold either office.

In order to solve this looming problem Rand Paul approached the state legislature in Kentucky and asked them to please change that state law so he could run for two offices at the same time.    Kentucky democrats said “no” to Rand Paul.    The Republican controlled senate in Kentucky passed the measure but the assembly controlled by the Democrats did not pass it.    They just let the clock run out on the legislative session without voting on it.  When asked about it State Rep. Greg Stumbo said they were “still reading it. We can’t decide what it says.”  He was clear that they would not be changing state law for Rand Paul.    He said “ We kind of take the position over here that a man who can’t decide which office he wants to run for isn’t fit to hold either office.”  

Rand Paul Has A Problem In 2016 was originally published on The Blue Sentry

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Republican Party Wants To Abolish The IRS- Again

On tax day the RNC announced that it’s suing the IRS (Internal Revenue Service) over withholding records involved in the agency’s targeting of conservative groups.  RNC Chairman Reince Priebus said his group filed suit on Tuesday against the IRS over its legal obligation to fulfill the RNC’s request to review documents in the IRS used in its criteria for determining tax-exempt organizations.  

Of course the RNC would really like to just abolish the IRS all together.   Ted Cruz tweated – “#AbolishtheIRS #Taxdayin3words.”    Congressman Steve King said “Abolishing the IRS would not only remove the burden on taxpayers to fund their services, but also end the IRS’s reign of political witch-hunting.”  Many conservative politicians over the years have called for the end of the IRS.    Most people do not feel that warmly towards the IRS and hate having to write a check on April 15th.  However without the IRS we would not have a government.  It is the cornerstone on which our entire federal system is built.   

Conservatives have repeatedly tried to tear it down.    In the 1990’s Newt Gingrich spent most of his time as House Speaker trying to abolish the agency on his national “scrap the tax tour”.   In 1998 house republicans voted on the tax code termination act which aimed to terminate the IRS.  Republicans called it to large and to complex.  Under President Bush republicans tried again to get rid of the tax code with the Fair Tax Act of 2003, 2005, 2007, 2011 and 2013.     The act would abolish the IRS, the income tax code and calls for the repeal of the 16th amendment which allows for the income tax in the first place.  

Since they have been unable to get rid of the IRS they have worked hard over the years to hamstring it.   President George W. Bush slashed the number of Tax auditors who audited wealthy Americans.    The house has slashed the IRS’s budget by 950 million.     Former Congressman Barney Frank points out that Republicans in Congress loath and hate the IRS but the IRS enforces the laws that Congress makes.    Barney Frank points out that for six years in 2001 through 2006 The Republican party controlled the Presidency and had a majority in the house and a majority in the senate.    During all that time they did not abolish the IRS when they could have so they should drop the bluff of wanting to get rid of the IRS.    He also points out that a lot of the provisions of the tax code that are complex and protect special interests were put there by the Republican Party.     Barney Frank points out that the everyday wage earner who has taxes taken from their paycheck has no chance to evade taxes through all the complex codes.    The Republican party wants to complain about the tax code and benefit from it at the same time.    

  Republican Party Wants To Abolish The IRS- Again was originally published on The Blue Sentry

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Obamacare Is Working As Planned

Obamacare is succeeding even if the Republican party does not want to admit it.   Yes the roll out of the health exchange web sites was a problem but that has been fixed.   Yes  U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius resigned but she did not resign in failure.  She resigned after the signups had proven to be a success.   

 Mitch McConnell put his own spin on it “Obamacare has been a rolling disaster and her resignation is cold comfort to the millions of Americans who were deceived about what it would mean for them and their families.”    The Republican party would like to use what they portray as the failures of Obamacare as their rallying cry for the midterm elections.  The problem is Obamacare is a real thing now.  Its not just a stack of papers sitting on a desk anymore.   It is now a real program with real people signed up with real measurable results.  

 Some of those results:  Health care spending has slowed dramatically and health care inflation is at its lowest  point in 50 years,  the congressional budget office announced that the affordable care act (Obamacare) would cost less then they had originally expected, the commence dept. noted that people’s income had showed a gain something they attributed to the new health care plans, the Gallup poll showed that the nations uninsured rate is at its lowest rate in five years,  and signups came in at 7.5 million signed up with an additional 3 million signed up under Medicare.    Now today the congregational budget office announced that the affordable health care act will actually cost 5  billion dollars less then expected.    The cost is down because the premiums through the exchange marketplace will be lower then anticipated.    The law is now in place and working.    The longer its in effect and the more people who use it the better it will become.  The Republican party needs to wake up to the reality of Obamacare working as planned. 

Obamacare Is Working As Planned was originally published on The Blue Sentry

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Nevada Republicans Drop Opposition to Marriage Equality

Nevada State G.O.P. is making changes in order to try and appeal to a less conservative national electorate.    The G.O.P. is having an active struggle within itself nationally and in the individual states on what to do to attract and keep younger voters.   This week the Nevada State GOP voted to drop their opposition against abortions and marriage equality from their official platform.   Nevada State Republican Chairman Mcdonald  said  “I think it was about the inclusion, not exclusion.  This is where the party is going.”    The move comes after many in the party found the GOP’s focus on opposing marriage equality and access to reproductive healthcare to be divisive within its own party. 

The RNC’s report after the 2012 election stated “There is a generational difference within the conservative movement about issues involving the treatment and the rights of gays and for many younger voters, these issues are a gateway into whether the party is a place they want to be.”   The RNC’s report indicated that the RNC had to take some of these issues off the table in order to attract younger voters.    There is not much evidence that the National Republican Party is following that advice but the Nevada State Republican Party just did.    They decided to open up its platform and to be more inclusive on cultural issues such as marriage equality.   We will see if this is an isolated case or if the larger party as a whole will follow suit to try and save itself. 

Nevada Republicans Drop Opposition to Marriage Equality was originally published on The Blue Sentry

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North Carolina Republicans Change History Of Dinosaurs

North Carolina Republicans Change History Of Dinosaurs

A young lady named Olivia McConnell noticed that the great state of South Carolina was one of only a few states who did not have an official state fossil.   In fact out of 50 states 43 states have designated official state fossils.     Olivia who is 8 years old wrote a letter to the North Carolina law makers asking them to sponsor a bill to make the woolly mammoth the official state fossil of South Carolina.  She gave three reason that the woolly mammoth should be the official fossil. 

1.       It was first discovered in North America on a South Carolina plantation in 1725 when slaves dug up teeth in a swamp.   

2.       All but seven states have an official state fossil.

3.       Fossils tell us about our past

She ended the letter “Please work on this for me.”       The lawmakers did in fact work on it for her and introduced a bill to the South Carolina Legislature to make the mammoth the official state fossil.    The bill passed in the house 94 to 3.  The bill was then sent to the South Carolina Senate where it was not so well received.    Senator Kevin Bryant said that the fossil bill was offensive to him.   He proposed amending the bill by adding  three verses from the book of Genesis in the bible to indicate that God had created the mammoth on the 6th day.    Senator Bryant’s  proposal took his faith and what he believes in and tried to inject that into state law.   The problem is the mammoth became extinct about 10,000 years ago according to scientists putting it at odds with some religious faiths that say the Earth is only 6000 years old.    The amendment with the three verses from the bible was pulled but a very similar amendment was put in the bill with revised wording stating  “The Mammoth , which was created on the sixth day with the other beasts in the field…..”.    The bill with this wording passed The Senate .   So a young girl interested in science and wanting to make the woolly mammoth the official state fossil instead got legislators who took the opportunity to enshrine into state law their religious beliefs.     

    North Carolina Republicans Change History Of Dinosaurs was originally published on The Blue Sentry

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Scott Brown Would Like To Be A U.S. Senator Again.

Scott Brown would like to be a U.S. Senator again.    In 2010 Scott Brown was elected to the  Senate in MA.       He has always been a little off center in what he says.    In 2012 during a radio interview Sen. Brown stated “ Each and every day that I’ve been a U.S. Senator, I’ve been either discussing issues. Meeting on issues, in secret meetings with kings and queens.”     His office later clarified that Sen. Brown had not actually had secret meetings with kings and queens.    Then in May 2011 he claimed to have seen the photos of  Osama bin Laden after he had been killed when in fact he had never seen those photos.   In 2012 he told CNN that The President, Vice President and Secretary Of State were calling him all the time asking him for his vote.   His office later said that  Hillary Clinton spoke with Sen. Brown only twice during his time in the Senate.      

In 2012 he had to run again to hold onto his seat.    During his campaign for reelection he said some more very strange things.  First he claimed that Rachel Maddow from MSNBC was after his senate seat.  In an email he said that “The Democratic Party was trying to get Rachel Maddow to challenge him for the seat.”  His real opponent that year was Elizabeth Warren .    Scott Brown decided to run against her based on her ethnic background.     He made it a point in his campaign to mock her for being Native American.     He said that he could tell by looking at her that he just didn’t think she was.   He said in an interview  “She had checked the box on college applications that she was Native American and clearly she is not.”    Elizabeth Warren is in fact Native American and won that election by a large margin.

 “ Do I have the best credentials?  Probably not.  Cause, you know, whatever.”

So now Scott Brown wants to go back to the Senate.     So he moved to New Hampshire to run against Democrat Jeanne Shaheen .     Of course the sudden urge to run in a different state left him a bit confused about where he was running.  In interviews he kept referring to the great people of  Massachusetts.    At a Republican fundraiser in New Hampshire he used the N.H. State motto to make a point except he didn’t quite get it right.      Talking about the right to live our lives free from government intrusion he proclaimed “ Live free and die.”   This is what happens when you try and run in a state where you have never lived before and only move there so you can run for office.        In a response to an AP reporter who asked if his just now moving into the state was going to hurt his campaign he replied “ Do I have the best credentials?  Probably not.  Cause, you know, whatever.”

       Scott Brown Would Like To Be A U.S. Senator Again. was originally published on The Blue Sentry

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Honey Maid Strikes Back At Opponents Of Same Sex Marriage Add

Honey Maid made an advertisement that showcased all different kinds of wholesome families.   A few of the families happen to be headed by same sex couples.    One million moms decided that this add was not wholesome and urged their members to email and tweet the company and tell Honey Maid that the add offends them.     Instead of shrinking away, apologizing or making excuses Honey Maid pushed back with a response video that has become viral.   opponents   

       In the response video two ladies took all the negative hateful messages and rolled them up one by one and then used the rolled messages to spell out the word love.    Then they took all the positive messages they had received over ten times as many and rolled thos up and surrounded the negative messages to make one large work of art.    The video says there is only one thing that counts when it comes to family and that is love.      The response video has over three million views.      The change in public opinion about same sex marriage has changed so swiftly in the last five years that those still against it are now the minority.   Five years ago 54% opposed it while 37% support same sex marriage.  Today 54% support it while  39% oppose it.  

Honey Maid Strikes Back At Opponents Of Same Sex Marriage Add was originally published on The Blue Sentry

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Cardinal And Bishops Ask For Immigration Reform

Last year Pope Francis visited a tiny island of Lampedusa where many immigrants have died trying to get to Europe from Africa.  He held mass there for the many immigrants on the island and threw a wreath into the ocean to recognize those that died. 

This year in an effort to follow in Pope Francis’s footsteps a Cardinal Sean O’Malley and 8 Bishops of the Catholic Church traveled to the border with Mexico in Arizona.  They walked the trails where immigrants have died trying to cross the border, they left a wreath next to the border fence and then held a mass for people on both sides of the border fence.    The mass was held in both English and Spanish.  The bishops themselves gave communion to people in Mexico through the fence.    The Bishops have asked the Department of Homeland Security to limit the number of people who are deported.  The bishops are asking for immigration reform and to make the laws more humane.   In the meeting with President Obama Pope Francis asked the President to work on immigration reform.    President Obama told Pope Francis that he believes there is still a chance that Congress will still pass immigration reform legislation.  It has already passed the Senate and just needs to come up for a vote in The House.  However John Boehner shows no signs of letting the bill come up for a vote.   Of course President Obama could act alone through executive action to effect immigration reform

Cardinal And Bishops Ask For Immigration Reform was originally published on The Blue Sentry