US hits Iranian Island that dispaches mines in to Strait of Hormuz- Update

CNN: Reports " US strikes Iranian island where forces were preparing to launch mines, official says "

Let's Get Real:

The US has the air dominance over Iran, these strikes will prevent Iran from placing mines in the Strait of Hormuz, but the fear that Iran has the ability will frighten the tankers and their insurers against allowing transport of oil.  The US has to place ground troops on Kharg Island and take control of Iran's oil.  This is the only way to win the Iran War, otherwise Trump is a major loser, in the league of Hoover over the Great Depression, LBJ over the Vietnam War, and Carter over Iran hostage crisis.  Trump does not want to see himself as a loser.

Trump to release Dr Martin Luther King Jr Files

Sky News: Reports that the Trump Administration is to release the Files on the assassination of Dr Martin Luther King Jr.

Lets Get Real:

These files should never be released, as if previous reporting, the Files contain allegations that Dr King had affairs, so did JFK, but Dr King was hero to African Americans and his fight for civil rights in 1964 and for voting rights in 1965.   These having nothing to do with his personal life.   The US needs its heroes, JFK's affairs did not help with his political reputation later, some heroes have to be protected, thus case with Dr King.   This is a diversion by the Trump Administration.

President Biden on WHY he LEFT the Presidential race - 2024 Candidates/2024 General Election

Lets Get Real:

President Biden joins this CLUB, Presidents Hoover, LBJ, Carter, Bush41, Trump - in the eyes of the American people and history,  President who failed either to get re-elected or did not run for a 2nd term.  The liberal elite knifed Biden in back, know they say he was great, never trust politicians or the elite media.

The Trump Convention Speech - US Election 2020

BBC News: Reports " Trump's White House convention speech idea condemned "

Lets Get Real:

POTUS will break any rules to get a better poll numbers, let's recall that Jimmy Carter gave a convention speech in 1980 but then did the Rose Garden strategy when fighting Ronald Reagan for a 2nd term.  Those that decry Trump by saying its political are two faced, EVERYTHING in D.C is political, as when Carter did his campaign from the Rose Garden, giving the impression that affairs of state were to important to leave for a campaign, that did not work, Reagan won 44 States and become the 40th President.  Trump might think it would better to have a foreign policy crisis, do not be surprised if a conflict breaks out between the US and Iran, the bombing of Tehran might go down well the US voter.  There are many tricks that Trump can pull, its not over till the Fat Lady sings.   The Tehran Regime would be advised to keep quiet and not give Trump a REASON to bomb Iran.   They will get a better break from a future Biden Administration.

Is Trump toast in November ? - Part 2 - US Election 2020

BBC News: Reports " Joe Biden has been ahead of Donald Trump in national polls for most of the year. He has hovered around 50% in recent weeks and has had a 10-point lead on occasions but Mr Trump has recovered somewhat in the last few days.  "

Lets Get Real:

By the polls POTUS is a loser, his actions and interviews have been all over the place, he has not  helped himself and people are still under threat from COVID - 19.  On the other hand this blog's political gut is thinking it might be worth placing a £2.50 bet for Trump to win.  As I found in 2016 it was right, and I did win a £5 back.   Whatever the experts say and the polls we have to face the fact that a week is a long time in politics, also we have the debates to come, ,most people starting watching the news after Labour Day ( September 1st ) in the US.  Also Biden can not hide forever from Trump, the campaign experts are afraid that Biden will mess it up in the debates, that is a major concern.  Do not write off Trump yet, ( even if we all want too ) its a long road to the Oval Office. 

Is the US facing another GREAT DEPRESSION ? - US Election 2020

Sky News: Reports " Coronavirus: Economic cost and human suffering in US 'like 1930s Great Depression'....As the jobless total rockets, people who were recently working are suffering the "incredible shame" of having to use food banks. "

Lets Get Real:

The question in the 2020 Presidential Election who will be the new FDR, a President that promises hope to American workers.  The Democrats are pushing trillions of more spending, while Trump is going on about his fav drug of choice this week.   POTUS knows that he needs to get the economy going, if he can do that then he might win re-election.   The Biden Camp needs to impress on the voters that Biden is calm, and will spend whatever it takes to get the US out of this mess.  The problem is at some point the bond dealers will say NO to the US, that they are spending silly money that they will never pay back or if so hundred of years later.   The US States are starting to re-open, CNN acts as if its favourite toy has been taken away by the people, it almost telling the people that they are stupid and only the elite at CNN knows what is good for them.  That is why the mainstream media is not trusted by the people and FOX News is the channel of choice, you have to respect your viewers, telling them they are stupid does not work. 

20% of the American Workforce OUT OF WORK - US Election 2020

BBC News: Reports " Coronavirus: US unemployment claims hit 33.3 million amid virus "

Lets Get Real:

A recent approval poll had President Trump on 43% approval, in all his numbers have not gone down, ONE HAS TO ASK WHY.   The US is heading in to another Great Depression Part 2.  The Biden Campaign should be miles ahead of Trump, it leads in the battleground States but only by a few points.  The former VP must select the right VP choice, it has to be a woman, a fun persona, and ethnic.  If Biden selects the right candidate he has the White House in his hands, pick a wrong one and it could be a disaster.   Let's recall President Hoover was a one termer because it was seen that he had not done enough during the Great Depression, FDR bought with him hope, the US needs HOPE not WOKE.  If Biden losses this election, then it would be a disaster for the US, him winning might not be a great thing, at least he is not Trump.

US Economy and COVID - 19 - US Election 2020

Sky News: Reports the following on the unemployment in the US since Covid - 19 broke, " That brings the total number during the last five weeks to a scarcely-believable 26.5 million - about one million more than the entire population of Australia.  "

Lets Get Real:

No wonder POTUS is going slightly loopy at his press briefings with the press, he sees himself joining a very small club of one term Presidents in the modern ear, that is Hoover, Carter and Bush 41.  The No New Taxes pledge of Bush 41 was tested and he was seen to let down that pledge by agreeing to tax hikes.  Very un Reagan.  President Trump is his own worse enemy, when things are going good, he does not know when to STOP TALKING, very much like Bill Clinton.   At least Bill Clinton can say he was a two term President, while Trump looks like a bad one termer.  It is no wonder that Trump wants to re-open the US economy, he can see himself being trounced by VP Biden in November. 

US Unemployment and the November Election - Update 1 - 2020 Election

Sky News: Reports " The US recorded 5.2 million unemployment claims last week, taking the total over the past month to more than 20 million.  "

Lets Get Real:

It is up to the Democrats to LOSE the November Election, IF Trump was a great thinker he would think of his predecessor President Hoover, who lost re-election in 1932 due to his failure to deal with the Great Depression, at least the Trump Administration and the US Congress is trying to put some money in to the US economy to help small US business companies, the problem is that the money has run out, and Congress may need to add another 250 billion to the economy.   Also Trump wants to get the US out of the forthcoming recession/depression before it starts, he wants business to open around the US.   The Democrats have to be careful, they can not be seen as wanting to see people on welfare, and rooting for COVID - 19.  One only hopes that VP Biden is up to taking on Trump, the President is a political street fighters from NEW YORK.   The Democrats will not find it easy to remove him from the Oval Office. 

Ten Million Americans OUT OF WORK - US 2020 Election

Daily Mail: Reports " Ten million Americans are now jobless amid coronavirus pandemic after record 6.6million new unemployment claims are filed in one week - after 3.3million last week "

Lets Get Real:

The election in November should be a walk over for VP Biden and the Democrats, Trump will join the club of Presidents who were not elected to a 2nd term, in that club there is Hoover who failed to deal with the Great Depression, Carter who made the US a laughing stock around the World, Bush 41 who had a mild recession and did not seem to understand the problems of MAIN STREET.  The Democrats would have to be complete losers to lose the election, but the we have Joe Biden, who's grip on reality has been questioned, and that is the lesser of his bad aspects, to recall what former Secretary of Defence stated about Biden, he had not been right on any national security issue in four decades.   Let's recall that Trump is a dirty fighter, he will not go down without a dirty fight. 

The Martin Luther King Jr Tapes - Part 2 - Civil Rights ALSO covers Women

Guardian: Reports on the essay of the King Tapes " ....Standpoint, the magazine that agreed to publish the essay after it was rejected by publications including the Atlantic, Washington Post, New York Times and Guardian  "

Lets Get Real:

This blog did wonder how the liberal elite in the US would deal with issue of the Martin Luther King Jr Tapes, thus the above attack article, if you do not want to fight on the issue go after the sources.   Hoover really hated Martin Luther King Jr, that is no secret and did spy on him, the question is what do the tapes say, according the essay on them the transcripts showed that King watched a rape and had numerous affairs.   The Liberal left has a problem after the development of the #MeToo movement, do they rubbish King and take down his monument ( they are in to that ) or do they try to bury the story.   One is surprised that President Trump has not released the tapes, really force liberal Democrats to keep to their agenda.   The release of the tapes would clear up the story, did the FBI agents fake the transcript of the conversations, if so the tapes can been burned or released to show how the FBI tried to smear a Great American, on the other hand, what if they are REAL, liberal media elite would have nervous breakdown, one is almost daring Trump to release the tapes either way history would KNOW, and the truth shall set you fee!!

Is Trump another Nixon ? - Update 3 - Trump Era

Washington Post: Reports " Trump’s firing of FBI chief James B. Comey “is a very Nixonian move,” said John Dean, the White House counsel under Nixon. “This could have been a quiet resignation, but instead it was an angry dismissal.” "

Lets Get Real:

As the article notes even President Nixon was to scared to sack the first Director of the FBI, J. Edgar Hoover, in the Hoover period the Presidents knew he had the dirt on them and would release it if he become under threat.   It can be argued that is why President Kennedy did not sack Hoover, the Director had dirt on both the President and his father.  There is something to be said for a President being afraid of his FBI Director, of course if you place your brother as Attorney General as JFK did it is a controlled threat.   This blog has argued in other posts that since Comey has made plenty enemies with the Democratic ranks it would have been easier to keep him on, but when he asked for more money and staff to investigate the Trump Campaign of 2016 he become a THREAT, and thus the very public sacking.  One hopes the Republicans will be brave to support an independent investigation, if Trump is forced to resign then the Republicans get a real Conservative in the shape of VP Pence, not a bad result out of this mess. 

Republican House vs. Democratic Senate - 2nd Term Blues

Guardian - US Live: Reports the following from the Hill, " Senate majority leader Harry Reid spiked a sudden effort by House Republicans Tuesday morning to get back in the dealmaking game with a new legislative pitch. "They're attempting to torpedo us," Reid said. ".

Lets Get Real:

The Republican House should stick together, it is accepted if not by Democrats that the Republicans will hold the House next year after the 2014 Mid Terms, the one person that needs a legacy is President Obama, does he want to be the President that pushes the US over in to default, it would be the Obama default, does any one recall the name of the US House Speaker during the term of Hoover or FDR, its always the Presidents who either get the credit or blames if the US economy falls apart, thus the Republicans need to hold their nerve, and push hard, make it VERY clear to the Oval, either deal or your political agenda is DOA in the House, no matter what, if the Oval comes up with a solution to the all the problems of the World, the House will say GET LOST.   The Republicans should make it VERY frosty for President Obama, after 2014 he does not matter, its the Presidential cycle, and Democrats IF they find that Obama is big NEGATIVE, will  dump on him so fast, it will make the Windy City look like a sunny place for a holiday.   Thus Republicans HOLD THE LINE. 

Obama and a US Default - 2nd Term Blues

Guardian: Reports the following from Washington D.C., " Obama said he was against any stop-gap measures which would buy time but still leave the country under the shadow of a possible default... ".

Lets Get Real: 

Thus folks here we see the TRUTH, the Oval wants to break the Republican Party, he does not want to talk, he does not understand the meaning of the word, in less people are falling at his feet he does not understand them, thus the Republicans have only ONE choice, keep the US Government shutdown, and allow the Oval to default on its bonds.   Any other President, LBJ, Reagan, Clinton,  would understand if you are in talks you give and take, you never expect to get 100% of what you want, if you do you are in the wrong profession.  The art of politics is the DEAL, if you can not deal you are heading for disaster, if the US does default it will down to President Obama, as stated the Republicans have to hold their nerve, NOT GIVE AN INCH, then its down to the Oval, it will decide if the US defaults on its debts, does Obama = Hoover folks. 

Obama vs. Boehner - 2nd Term Blues

The White House: Readout of telephone call between President Obama and Speaker Boehner, “ Late this morning, the President telephoned Speaker John Boehner from the Oval Office and repeated what he told him when they met at the White House last week: the President is willing to negotiate with Republicans -- after the threat of government shutdown and default have been removed – over policies that Republicans think would strengthen the country. The President also repeated his willingness to negotiate on priorities that he has identified including policies that expand economic opportunity, support private sector job creation, enhance the competitiveness of American businesses, strengthen the Affordable Care Act and continue to reduce the nation’s deficit.

The President urged the Speaker to hold a vote in the House of Representatives on the Senate-passed measure that would re-open the federal government immediately. Citing the Senate’s intention to pass a clean, yearlong extension of the debt limit this week, the President also pressed the Speaker to allow a timely up-or-down vote in the House to raise the debt limit with no ideological strings attached. He noted that only Congress has the authority to raise the debt limit and failure to do so would have grave consequences for middle class families and the American economy as a whole. ”.

Lets Get Real: 

In other words folks NO breakthrough, it seems that the Oval would rather go over the financial cliff that deal with ObamaCare.   As stated my this blog and many others there is no way the US will default on its debts should it not pass the debt ceiling, the Oval is blowing smoke to use an all phrase, the US has tax money coming in, the Oval for once will have to do some work, pay the bond holders, and make sure the US Budget is reformed.  The Oval will have to deal with the Congress and DEAL, the US Presidency is not a Throne folks, even an egotist like President Obama has to deal or face the results, does he want to be another Hoover. 

Boehner on the US Government Shutdown - 2nd Term Blues

Guardian: Reports the following remarks by US House Speaker Boehner, " Boehner attempted to shift the blame, insisting there were not enough votes in the House. Speaking on ABC's This Week, he said: "There are not votes in the House to pass a clean CR." Boehner added that the House would not pass a bill raising the debt ceiling without a provision related to Obamacare. ".

Lets Get Real:

As stated many times in this blog the Republicans have to hold their nerve, NOT give an inch and play hardball with any moderates who want to bolt.  If the Congress does not pass a debt ceiling raise its not the end of the world folks.   The US voter is still paying TAX, the US Government is still getting the money, thus the President will have to make sure that US bond holders are paid, and that the money that does come it will be used to pay for different US Government Departments.   If Obama wants to be another Hoover, so be it folks, the choice if the US defaults will be in his hands, what is more important the US or the Obama ego?.

Obama's Playing Politics with the Shutdown - 2nd Term Blues

The White House: A Statement that President Obama will no be going to Asia due to the US Government shutdown, " Due to the government shut-down, President Obama’s travel to Indonesia and Brunei has been cancelled. The President made this decision based on the difficulty in moving forward with foreign travel in the face of a shutdown, and his determination to continue pressing his case that Republicans should immediately allow a vote to reopen the government.  Secretary Kerry will lead delegations to both countries in place of the President.

The cancellation of this trip is another consequence of the House Republicans forcing a shutdown of the government.   This completely avoidable shutdown is setting back our ability to create jobs through promotion of U.S. exports and advance U.S. leadership and interests in the largest emerging region in the world.  The President looks forward to continuing his work with our allies and partners in the Asia-Pacific and to returning to the region at a later date. ".

Lets Get Real:

The question that moderate and conservative Democrats in the House and the Senate have to ask would President Obama be loyal to them IF his political future was at stake, he does not have to run again, Democrats face a fight in 2014 and 2016.   This is not like the US Government shutdowns of the 80s and 90s. the elite media does not control the message, the growth of conservative talk radio, Fox News and blogs means that the ONE message of the liberal elite does not control what the rest of the voters see, now the American people see the failure of the ObamaCare websites, it is being taken down over the weekend because it does not work.    Thus the Republicans have to stick together, the should not give an inch on the CR or the debt ceiling, if the Oval wants to go Over the financial cliff so be it, he can join President Hoover as a failed President.   The Oval is listening to itself, a recent job approval poll on Gallup had Obama on 41% job approval, while 52% of Americans Disapprove of the job performance of the President Obama.   Lets recall folks President Clinton had a 52% job approval before and after his shutdown.   Thus folks the Republicans start at the bottom in approval, they have nowhere to go, while Obama can drop further, thus the Republicans should play Chicago hardball, and WIN folks, lets the Oval take the US over the cliff and deal with the results. 

Obama and the NSA Part 2 - 2nd Term Blues

Telegraph: Reports the following on the Amash defeat in the US House, " The White House succeeded in heading head off attempts by libertarian and liberal members of Congress to outlaw the blanket collection and trawling of phone data by US intelligence agencies, after warning the move would damage American security. ".

Lets Get Real:

There are two reasons folks why the Oval and the Leaders of both the Democratic and Republican Parties support the NSA, they do not want something to happen on their watch, the voters will not care what the mood of the Country was before, they will blame the Congress if they pass something that allows for a major terrorist attack, also at its most basic folks you do not mess about with the NSA, EVER, its like when Hoover was at the FBI, why take the risk, the NSA will be around after ANY Administration, do you really want them on your back, leaking stuff that makes you look bad, and if your the Oval you have no power after January 2oth 2017, so the Oval is doing the right thing when it comes to public policy and covering its base for after 2017.   Politics is still politics folks, it has it high ideals, but also its cynical base nature, that what makes it fun folks. 

The Financial Cliff - 72 HOURS to SAVE US

The Hill: Reports the following from the Republican House, " ..one party leader saying the “next 72 hours are critical” for President Obama to show he wants an agreement. ".

Lets Get Real:

The Republican House leadership have already show their hand, they will give the Oval tax hikes, the Oval's 1st plan was tough, it was not about compromise, the Republicans gave up without a fight.   In Chicago you bluff hard, then cut a deal, not give up your prized agenda at the first go, lets hope the Republican leadership for their family's sake do not play poker, they are terrible at the art of the deal.   Let the Oval own the recession after the US goes over the cliff, who recalls House leaders or members from the Great Depression, NO ONE, everyone recalls President Hoover.  Thus the Republican House leadership have let down their Country, Party and the agenda of the great US President Ronald Reagan.  SHAME ON THEM. 

Petraeus SEX Scandal - P2

Guardian: Reports the following on the Petraeus scandal and its effect in Washington D.C, " ..drip-feed of details concerning his clandestine affair mixes with serious questions over the timing of the resignation. ".

Lets Get Real:

That the FBI would investigate the Director of the CIA is no great surprise, these two Government Agencies can not stand each other, one has to ask does the General not know that the Director Hoover of the FBI blackmailed the Kennedy's so he could bug leading leaders of the Civil Rights movement in the 1960s.   Also the great TV mini series of the 1970s Washington Behind Closed Doors had a director with a mistress, also dealt with national security concerns, as the article notes the General was up for a Congressional grilling over Libyagate.  If the General is forced to attend these hearings he might decide to throw the Oval under the bus, he has nothing to lose.    The Oval should be worried folks, the General might think its better to throw the Oval under the bus than take any more rebukes, he has nothing to lose, a ex Director of CIA in the Cold should really worry the 2nd term Obama Administration.