GUNS - WHAT WILL IT TAKE?

Another day another shooting - and nothing budges. Guns are a metaphor for all that is wrong with America. The sick statistics from Oregon Community College are matter of a factly announced - 10 dead, 9 injured  and an arsenal of 14 firearms. According to the organization, Gun Violence Archive, this is the 265, yes 265th, and the 45th in schools, mass shooting this year! (The Gun Violence Archive formed in 2013 to record the sickly scores while Washington fiddles). The total number of gun related incidents this year to date is close on 40,000. The number of children under 17 dead from guns is 2,500. Five thousand parents and 10,000 grandparents and their siblings, relatives, friends, acquaintances have houses of mourning for their loss in this senseless slaughter. Society is generally shielded from nearly all of the mayhem as a shooting not involving several deaths barely merits a mention in the media. The 24 hour news cycle just cannot fit it in. The “minor” tragedy is no longer “sensational” and it is impossible to get ratings reporting on just one or a few dead. 

GUN CONTROL - A SICKLY PARTISAN ISSUE BOLSTERED BY SICK PEOPLE, SICK ARGUMENTS AND BLOOD STAINED CAMPAIGN FUNDS

Gun control, like abortion, contraception, welfare, income inequality and the death penalty is a partisan issue. The same party that tears the world apart with blood dripping forceps fighting for the sanctity of unborn life while simultaneously fighting to the death for the death penalty, go to the ends of the earth to protect the rights of slaughterers to buy as many A. K. 47’s as they like. The enabling Congressmen rationalize their bargain with the sick NRA gun lobby that hold sway over them like grim reapers. They justify their indifference to their pact with the devil by a distorted interpretation of the second amendment that in 1791 allowed guns in conjunction with a “well regulated” militia to be in the hands of private citizens. So to perpetuate this insane holocaust there is no pretense at rational debate but rather reliance on an arcane amendment written 225 years ago for an entirely different circumstance - to protect us against the English. Not because it is not right or wrong to allow virtually anyone to create an arsenal that would have made Al Capone blush, rather the Constitution says we can!

 IF IT IS THE MENTALLY ILL WHY DON’T YOU DO SOMETHING!!

Then the mentally ill are used as a scapegoat for employing a far more easily obtainable agent than heroin, death machines, to act out their insanity. The partisans believe blaming the mentally ill is a more palatable solution to the anarchy than eliminating the killing contraptions. However the same protagonists are not in the forefront campaigning for the sums needed to fund the hopelessly inadequate mental services in the country. (Any ER Physician will tell you that they board psychotics who have threatened to harm themselves or others for days in the ER as there are no psychiatric beds available for their admission).

 They are not only not in the forefront for lobbying for resources for mental health but rather these self same intrepid Congressmen oppose any additional appropriations  to treat the epidemic of mental illness in this country. It is forgotten that Ronald Reagan emptied the mental institutions to let the inmates roam homeless or reside in jail. The figures of incarcerated mentally ill are as astounding as those on gun deaths. In 2012 there were over 350,000 diagnosed mentally ill in prison - ten times the number in State psychiatric hospitals in the whole of America. The reason for this is put down to hopelessly inadequate psychiatric facilities. In 1955 there were over a half a million institutionalized psychiatric patients and now there are only 35,000. Fifteen percent of prison inmates and 24 percent of jail inmates exhibit psychotic symptoms according to a Department of Justice Report. That is amazing as those that commit homicide and suicide largely come out of the psychotic pool in addition to the mass murderers. It is obvious where these psychotics are now billotted - the prisons that are not designed to effect psychiatric care. 

So there really is a mental health problem and it does contribute to gun deaths in far greater numbers in suicides and homicides in addition to the insane carnages,  So don’t just stand there do something! 

CARRY ON RATIONALIZATION

Then the partisans argue that it is not the guns that do the killing but the “people”. Guns sure help especially those that have scores of rounds that can be fired in a second mowing the innocents that fall like wheat in their wake. 

Then there is the ultimate cynical intellectualization  - sell more of these rat tat tat automatons of carnage. Let everyone be armed to the teeth so that when the “bad guys” unleash their liquidation “the good guys” can mow them down. What a way to live or die as the case may be. Arm the teachers, the attendants at all places of sport and entertainment, restaurant servers, nurses, and all the other areas where citizens congregate. 

If there is an argument as to who are the bad guys there is a precedent from the Wild West, as to where the blame belongs. The guy who draws first is the “baddy.” So if the “goody” shoots first the “baddy” can argue that he was just carrying around all that stuff for protection. This is not just funny. There were ex military personnel in the Umpqua Community College who had licensed concealed weaponry. When asked why they didn’t intervene they argued that they had discussed this among themselves and as the SWAT team was en route they did not want to be mistakenly shot at. 

Extensive research has conclusively shown that wherever there are guns, regardless of why they were purchased there is more likely to be death - suicide, homicide or accident. There is no research that shows that having guns helped  prevent death. 

This  arming and allowing society to be vigilantes is unbelievably irresponsible. A well known Police Chief in Florida argued that it was difficult enough to train his policeman when to shoot now literally ill trained people of all walks of life are being given the green light to duel it out with a maniac. His remarks were apropos of the Jeb Bush “Stand Your Ground” legislation which gave anyone the cart blanche to shoot.

NRA POSITION

The NRA keep scorecards, not of the death of innocents, but how the elected representatives of society, Congressmen vote to guard the NRA's right to rain down hell on society. Those who obey their master’s voice are rewarded with blood soaked campaign funds but more significantly, those that don’t are actively ostracized and every ounce of influence is effected to replace them. The threats are not so veiled either. The NRA are the main reason that guns are a partisan issue.

To illustrate just how powerful the NRA are, Congress stopped the Center of Disease Control from keeping statistics on gun violence in the mid nineties at their behest. When President Obama issued an Executive Order for this to restart Congress would not fund the operation.

After the Sandy Hook disaster - 20 children and 6 adults cold - the shocked nation was treated to the NRA with its usual sanctimonious and self righteous statement - “Joining in horror, outrage and grief with earnest prayers for the families who suffered such an incomprehensible loss at such an unspeakable crime”, followed by an astonishing rant by their President, Wayne La Pierre, who blamed everyone excepting themselves. 

La Pierre harangued that the nation brags about its gun free zones leaving the children at school vulnerable to monsters and predators. (Untrue as was seen in Umpqua Community College catastrophe). The children needed to be protected like the banks and the President he rambled on. He blabbered that society is populated by an unknown number of genuine monsters… that are possessed by demons. He wailed that society had no national database of the mentally ill and that Federal gun prosecutions had dropped by forty percent. (His criticism of no database for the mentally ill comes strangely from the NRA who axed gun violence databases). He spluttered on about the callous and corrupt who sold deadly video games that poisoned the minds and offended every standard of a civilized society. The media, he continued, rather than face their moral failings, demonize lawful, (sic), gun owners. 

His final message was good guys with guns to fight the bad guys - police in every school. (Actually you need them in every class room not to mention the library and the gym). Wayne called upon Congress to introduce just that and use the money used for foreign aid to fund it all. La Pierre sagely argued that if the children were prized more than money than Congress would put into effect his strategy. 

The President of the NRA had no suggestion for the cinemas the malls and the rest of the 33,000 souls that depart annually from the American soil by gun shots.

WHAT WILL PERSUADE CONGRESS?

Ninety percent of society wants background checks and no guns for the mental disabled. In addition seventy percent want a national data base. While there is a preponderance of society that wants stricter gun laws there is a GOP Democratic split on the subject. However, the NRA members are not as divided. In a poll commissioned by Mayors Against Illegal Guns nearly 90% of gun owners believed that second amendment rights went hand in hand with keeping the guns out of criminal hands. 

Obama to his credit has tried and tried and tried. He has called on the electorate to consider the election a one issue election. The GOP candidates seem ready and willing to choose sides. Trump is already into the good guy bad guy answer. Jeb not expectedly maintained that “stuff happens”. As Governor he signed into law written by the NRA. Hillary would happily sign on - gun control has always been one of her things and Bill had a law passed limiting sales of the heavy duty stuff only to be repealed by the GOP Congress. Bernie Sanders, the angel from heaven is in a bit of trouble here as he has been at kindest wishy washy on the subject. This circumstance is as much reflection of the tentacles of the NRA. as it is to his belief system. However he has choice.. …

So it needs a massively concerted effort by the media, who should once and for all forget about ratings and lead in this regard. They should just not drop the issue after the last funeral in Oregon. Then there are the big money guys like ex Mayor Bloomberg and The Mayors for Illegal Guns, the Brady crowd, and Gabby Giffords and Mark Kelly who are battling night and day. Yet they are being outspent 6 to 1 by the pro gun crowd. They need a Bloomberg to rally the team and at least pony up enough money to take this on. To quote Hillary, “You need a movement”.

WHAT CAN BE DONE?

The time for pussy footing around has to be over.

1. Every gun in this country needs to be registered to an owner with a name and finger prints. Every owner needs a background check and those that don’t cut it need their guns confiscated. Every gun that is not reasonably used for hunting or protection needs to be handed in in a period of amnesty. No - one needs guns that can shoot screeds of bullets - the police don’t use them. Those that have guns need training  - you need a license to drive a car. (The NRA has thousands of trained gun handlers who Jay H. Ell believes would be only to willing to help). Their licenses should be renewed periodically.   

The English threat of invasion that evinced the Second Amendment has passed. 

2. Then the second plank to this platform should be addressed - psychiatric care for the mentally challenged. There is little doubt that the mass murder phenomenon is largely dictated  to societal neglect of the care of these people. This needs to be done with a vengeance as it would also result in a profound decrease in suicidal and other homicidal deaths. 

The cost of all of this is in the billions as Jay H. Ell has pointed out in one of his innumerable blogs on the gun death subject, (Tennessee, Colorado and All the Shootings - No Hope to Stop Them). One needs to consider this as a Public Health Problem and how we might prevent 33.000 deaths a year. (About the same number as are diagnosed with breast and prostate cancer). Using Cancer as a yardstick 124 billion is spent on research alone a year let alone treatment. Now almost nothing is spent on research into gun deaths - you don’t need too much research where there are obvious solutions. According to Mother Jones, the prestigious on line investigative site, gun violence costs society 229 billion a year which is the equivalent of the total bill for Medicaid nationwide. So probably, just guessing, a 10th of that is needed to get psychiatric care back to speed. 

3. To achieve any of this the stranglehold of the NRA hierarchy in controlling the agenda for society, patently against its wishes, needs to be broken. If this is achieved it can set a precedent for taking America back from the special interest groups and returning it to its peoples.

COME ON HILLARY

This is a natural issue for Hillary Clinton and so near to the hearts of her and Bill. This is an area which she has an unblemished record and Bill’s positive action to trade on. She is water treading at the moment and in a situation that calls for her just not making a mistake. This is an unnatural state for a Clinton. She can thump the tub and lead. She has already mooted an agenda. She needs to spearhead the movement she advocated. She has been able to go on attack now that the GOP presumptive Speaker of the House has admitted that the Benghazi hearings were political.

ALTERNATIVE

If none of this happens we can wince with slaughter house after slaughter house. In-between there will be the silent legions of suicides and homicides that will all add up to over 30,000 gun deaths annually with endless emotional and financial costs. The bad news is that the wait won’t be too long. The words of John Donne rung in my ears as I saw a young mother rush her two little babbling girls to the school bus:

“Ask not for whom the bell tolls for the bell tolls for thee” - 

PLANNED PARENTHOOD - AMERICA’S NEWEST NUMBER ONE SOCIETAL THREAT

Had it not been for Speaker Boehner’s epiphany, (Blog: Francis, Religion, Politics and Speaker Boehner), the House of Representatives would have voted for the shutting down of the United States Government unless Planned Parenthood had been defunded. (The fact that the Government does not directly fund PP was not considered relevant to the proceedings.) One of the last times such a drastic shut down for an alleged threat to society was perpetrated was in an effort to halt Obamacare, (ACA), which too was identified as the then worst threat in living memory to America. 

Planned Parenthood, (PP), is a not for profit organization that provides over 10 million health care services for 3 million, mainly women, patients a year. The reason for the intended action on PP is that the organization, allegedly, illegally, sells the fetal body parts that they have harvested from legally performed abortions. As a deterrent to this alleged activity the GOP Tea Party faction moved that Government funding for the organization should be shut down forthwith. 

What strikes Jay H. Ell is the fact that this issue has become the cause celebre of the Tea Party GOP and a main policy thrust for the 2016 elections.... that and Hillary’s e mails of course. 

LAST TIME OUT THEY SHUT THE GOVERNMENT OVER THREAT OF OBAMACARE

The fact that the selfsame naysayers have been proved wrong with Obamacare, (ACA), does not fuzz them. Notwithstanding their prophesies on Obamacare, the number of uninsured Americans has decreased by approximately 15 million citizens as reflected in the decrease of the percentage of uninsured from 18% to 11%. The bureaucratic process of enrolling patients is rolling along smoothly and Pew, Kaiser and other studies show tens of millions of dollar savings to States.  One rarely hears anything about the ACA from this crowd anymore as they are concentrating on their newest biggest threat - Planned Parenthood. And they are giving the PP threat a full go with Congress Committee Meetings and the like. 

While to date this Republican Tea Party crowd, who set the agenda and define who and what are the greatest threats, have not exactly been spot on, they are heavily into the bogeyman of Planned Parenthood as a delineating winning strategy for the next election. Jay H. Ell has spent much time attempting to clarify what this is all about and the possible outcomes of this tactic.

THE PROBLEM IN A NUTSHELL  AS SEEN BY THE PROTAGONISTS OF DEATH TO THE PP.

An anti abortion organization entitled the Center for Medical Programs, (CMP), spent a number of years creating a dummy front organization, Biomax Procurement Services, that ostensibly wished to purchase discarded fetal body parts for research.This organization then spent a large chunk of time ostensibly discussing and negotiating the purchase of such material with the Medical Director of PP recording their discussions. They then produced highly edited videos to which they added damning graphic of the trauma of abortion. They fervently believed that their sting operation would set the world on fire. They alleged that the PP was trading in fetal body parts and their whole operation was to do abortions in such a way as to preserve and sell these body parts. They portrayed PP as venal, illegal and homicidal in order “to set up a black market in body parts”. They called upon Congress to defund the PP. 

THE FACTS AS PP SEES THEM

PP  deny the CMP interpretations of their own videos maintaining that they were heavily edited and that nowhere is there any evidence that body parts are sold for profit.  They add that their activities have been investigated by several law agencies in several States and no wrong doing has ever been found. The only fact that they conceded was that it was inappropriate to have clinical conversations in non confidential public places with individuals who purported to be involved in bona fide activities. They further point out that the harvesting of this tissue for research was made law under Ronald Reagan.

The PP further maintain that just 3% of their services relate to abortion and none of these could be funded by the Federal Government or its agencies as the latter do not pay for abortion services. The moneys paid by the Government agencies to PP are for woman services such as for sexually transmitted diseases treatment and prevention, cancer screening, contraception and other women health issues. The PP bill for the services and are paid from Medicaid and Title X agencies which pay for set services. This amounts to $518 million dollars a year. So the money isn’t a handout or a lump sum grant it is for services rendered. The PP collects a similar amount from other sources and from there the abortions are funded. 

So to say that the government funds PP is a gross mischaracterization - The Feds indirectly pays bills, through Federally funded programs, for medical services rendered. The GOP thus wish to fire PP as a Health Care Provider to 3, 000, 000 women because it alleges, without proof that it is acting illegally - an extraordinary action for a crowd that is heavily into deregulation and belief that the market sorts out everything without clumsy intervention from the legislators. 

Put another way and taking this argument to its logical conclusion the hospital, health care system or doctor you attend is also funded by the Government as they too bill Medicare, Medicaid and Title X. Some of these health care entities do activities that are considered abortions by these folk such as inserting Intra uterine devices let alone the occasional one that allows its physicians to perform abortions. Should the Committee hold hearings on these health care entities and strip them of “Government funding”? Health care would grind to a halt. 

CONGRESSIONAL HEARING

The first of many planned Congressional Meetings was convened by the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform and they had Ms. Cecile Richards, President of PP, on the stand for 5 hours. She was unruffled by the abuse, talking over of her answers and interruptions to her responses to questions asked. As Republican Congressman John Duncan opined, “Surely you don’t want us to be easier on you because you are a woman”. She was questioned again and again by Republican Representative Jordan as to why she initially apologized for the tone and statements of the original video. She repeated again and again that she believed that the setting for these discussions was wrong - a public place. Jordan refused to accept her reply. She was then challenged, “How much money does the organization makes from abortions”. She was hammered as to her salary which incidentally is on the lower end of CEO salaries for non profit organizations. She remained unfazed and dignified.

THE TONE OF THE HEARING SET BY THE CHAIRMAN

Ms Richards failed to recognize and explain a graph, presented by Chairman Jason Chaffetz.  It depicted information that showed, over the most recent period, a percentage increase in abortion activity as compared to other female services. Chaffetz,mercilessly demanded an explanation of the graphic which he claimed was derived from PP data. Finally, Ms. Richards countered that the figures for Chaffetz’s audiovisual came from an anti abortion group not Planned Parenthood. Chaffetz did not bat an eyelid at his grossly misleading presentation. The Chairman’s introductory speech was even more off the charts. He was tearful and appeared to blame Planned Parenthood for his mother’s death. He argued that the money spent on Planned Parenthood, (that is women’s health care), should be spent on cancer research. 

The Democratic Congress members countered that this so called investigation was part of the GOP war on women. Congressmen Gerald Connolly said he hoped the American women were watching. The audio and visuals tell it all he argued.  Connolly continued that the GOP believed in rugged individualism and personal liberties except when it came to women controlling their own bodies and making their own health decisions. 

THE IMPACT OF VIDEOS OUT THERE IN THE WORLD

There is little doubt that the videos were disturbing to anyone who watched them. Nobody likes the idea of abortions including those who support the women’s right to choose. The clinical discussions, particularly on such a sensitive topic such as fetal parts that are crushed or not crushed make even the most sanguine shudder. This particularly so when added ultrasound pictures by the Center for Medical Programs are presented of the abortion procedure….  Most lay people cannot even watch an intra abdominal operation on TV let alone seeing a minuscule bean sized fetus, blown up to fill the screen, being crushed. 

In the context of a doctor talking to those who need as perfect a tissue as possible to do research to cure disease the matter of factness is understandable. Remember too that in a way there is nothing in it for PP. All that videotaping over all that time with all that editing could not prove that PP recovered anything but their costs. Signed consent was obtained from the mother before tissue was harvested. 

Jay H. Ell worked in a busy South African Hospital when abortions were illegal and scores of women presented every week with incomplete back street abortions that on occasion resulted in sepsis, death and untoward sequela. These were not evil women but desperate and often poor. As a physician he was privy to the desolation and angst they felt when they believed that termination of their pregnancy was their only option. Representative Brenda Lawrence struck a chord when she lamented, “Men have no idea what women go through with health care.” This discussion reminded him of a story his father, an old time general practitioner, told him of a young woman patient who came to see him “for help” which he couldn’t provide. The next day he was called to her home. She was dead. She had poisoned herself. 

This whole scam begs the question, if PP stopped its fetal tissue donation program would the Center for Medical Progress and their supporters recognize their right to perform legal abortions? No they wouldn’t. Some of them even extend their opposition to contraception as well. But what should be a sensitive bipartisan debate has been cast as a key wedge issue in an election. This is an issue for respect and empathy from both sides as many opponents of choice have deep religious beliefs in the sanctity of life which they believe starts at the creation of the fertilized egg. Even preventing the egg from being fertilized to some represents abortion.

 RESPONSE TO THE GOP CAMPAIGN

The fact that the whole issue of Planned Parenthood’s existence is now a central focus means that the GOP Tea Party, believe that the issue is a vote getter in the upcoming elections. Not one of the Republican Presidential hopefuls has materially disagreed with the strategy and Carly Fiorina has made it the central plank of her campaign. Even milksop Jeb has countered that PP is not essential as other existing facilities could provide the care. (Jeb has lost it. Has he given a second’s thought at the infrastructure needed to provide 10,000,000 services a year, at Medicaid rates and for free. This in a health care system that is woefully short of Primary Care providers and Obstetricians and Gynecologists, many of whom who won’t even accept low paying Medicaid patients.)  

Now the GOP would not be giving it this priority on principle as they have bigger fiscal principles which they ignore because of lack of public support. They do not recognize Social Security or Medicare as sound GOP financial doctrine at all and would substitute these “entitlements” for self managed pension plans and tax credits or whatever in a heartbeat. But no-one attacks these cardinal pillars in campaigns anymore because society would reject the attacks out of hand. So how does society feel about this sustained attack on PP which has been spearheaded with blood dripping forceps, and crushed fetal heads?

Society is largely unmoved. The backing of Planned Parenthood is favored by 2 to 1 in the most recent poll conducted by USA Today. An even bigger majority were against shutting off the Government as a result of this issue - 73% - 19%. If the Government did get shut down the same poll would blame the GOP - 4 to 1- rather than Obama or the Democrats for “funding” PP. These results are indicative of previous samplings of the body politic and if anything show a hardening against Republican attempts to make this their key issue. And remember there are more and more Congressional hearings scheduled.

Representative Steve King (R -Iowa) cannot comprehend why the electorate has not responded to this barrage of gory revelations that have been non stop for the past two months. The GOP has used female spokespersons, to no avail, in this drive to “defund’ PP. Carly Fiorina has doubled down on her assertion of what she saw on the Center for Medical Progress’s video and was virtually called a liar on the influential “Meet the Press” program. 

While this campaign rallies the hard core base it makes the GOP chances of winning the Presidency even more remote than they already are. Boehner resigned because he finally had enough of it but the new retreaded Tea Party GOP are determined to go like lemmings to the ocean. 

It is interesting to note the Democratic National Committee used this attack on PP as a spur to its fundraising drive ending at the end of September. They noted that the “Republican sexist rampage” turned the last day of the quarter’s campaign into a record fundraising day. Also they  broadcast that this anti woman GOP assault on Planned Parenthood had backfired and helped them receive a million grassroots donations that quarter.  

AT THE END OF THE DAY

If they carry on like this the GOP will be hard put to retain the Senate let alone win back the Presidency. Remember you heard it here first!

FRANCIS, POLITICS, RELIGION AND SPEAKER BOEHNER

Pope Francis’s, (Catholicism is the largest religion in America with 25% of the population being adherents), short, hectic, sensational visit to the United States, which was punctuated by the shocking unexpected resignation of Republican House Speaker Boehner, came at a time of political turmoil at home and abroad. In the USA there is a tearing apart of the traditional two party system trashing its tradition of consensus politics resulting in a polarization of the body politic not seen in generations. Further, there is frustration and disgust at endemic corruption, corporate greed, giant lay offs, massive executive salaries and government bail outs. A large section of the body politic, both to the left and the right, are totally disillusioned with the status quo and are searching other avenues. 

So what could the Pontiff offer?

THE SHAMBOLIC CHURCH

Pope Francis is the head of the Church to which one of five people on the planet is affiliated, (1.2 billion people). The church is suffering from its lowest attendances in history - in certain East European countries the congregations are non existent, a monumental shortage in priests drifts on, a savage scandal of pedophilia still lingers with continuing revelations of the hierarchy covering it up, the Vatican bank  as yet unresolved scandals still sullies the Holy See's name and the social tensions that arise out of its male exclusivity, contraception policy, unbending stand on divorce and the LGBT community are being exacerbated as society marches on. All the latter in a world where female equality is the accepted goal, divorce and children out of wedlock are running at over 50% and society is more accepting of non heterosexual relationships. 

So who was the Pontiff to say anything?

WHY FRANCIS WAS SUCH A SENSATION

To answer the question as to why Francis created such an aura of excitement, hope and exultation one has to recognize that he represents an authenticity, a moral authority, a sincerity that society craves. There is literally nothing in it for him other than the good of mankind and his persona is like a breath of fresh air in a smoke filled caucus room. He connects with everyone and has a credibility and a humility that resonates - his spontaneous halting of his unostentatious Fiat motor car to bless a paraplegic in the crowd brought a tear to the most cynical of eyes. 

There is the naked anger at political and religious figures and their institutions which are regarded as self serving, phony, greedy and corrupt that he taps into and offers an alternative. He recognizes that both in religion and in politics there is a growing culture of intolerance that needs addressing. There are them and us, the good and the evil, the righteous and the sinners, the unGodly or uncaring versus the Godly and caring. So both in religion and in politics there is a belief that there is not any good in the other side. There is no attempt to emphasize with the “other”. They are all bad. As a result you can kill in the name of God - what Ex Chief Rabbi Jonathan Sacks calls altruistic murder. This phenomenon is called dualism and both Sacks and Francis recognize this as the scourge of our time. We have to see and accommodate the other person’s point of view, there is some good in everyone and in political terms we have to compromise. 

So in Pope Francis there is a figure who walks the walk and has taken on every possible institution on including his own.  Just a word on that, he has antagonized his highly Conservative establishment who resent his pastoral approach and believe that the doctrine is being neglected.  He is in sync with the key issues of our time such as poverty, income distribution and climate change and is hoping those that differ with him on the social issues will bear with him while to the Vatican Establishment’s chagrin he keeps relegating the social doctrines to the back burner.

CONGRESS SPEECH 

The Argentinian born nuncio’s visit has been a non stop tour de force drawing record crowds, accolades, admiration and support. His visit is yet another blessing for the media who have given him the full treatment. Nowhere would his words and message be more parsed than they would be in his address to Congress. The Holy See does not run his ideas and themes through focus groups and the US Congress got the whole nine yards. There are prominent members who are Catholics on both sides of the isle. The House Speaker John Boehner and the Leader of the Democratic opposition are both Catholics as are more than a quarter of the Senators. 

 He spoke of climate change, wealth disparity, immigrants - he was the son of an Italian immigrant to Argentine -, the poor, the elderly and significantly the role of politics in society. He interwove the need for social and political equality with four icons of American history, Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King and two lesser known radical Catholic activists Dorothy Day and Thomas Mertom. 

He reminded that religious denominations have greatly contributed to building and strengthening society. He argued, “That it was important that today as in the past, the voice of faith continue to be heard … which tries to bring out the best in each person in society.” He recognized the growing menace of religious violence where you can kill in God’s name.

However it is the legate’s political comments that Jay H. Ell would like to focus on and its relevance and impact to current day America.

 THE AMERICAN POLITICAL SYTEM

Just a word of background - America has not a Westminster model democracy and it is largely dependent on consensus. There are 3 independent arms of government and in this context, Jay H. Ell wishes to just refer to one of these - Congress. The latter consists of the House of Representatives and the Senate. To cut to the chase simple majorities are just not good enough to legislate as several checks and balances exist. The system is more complicated in that on multiple issues there is no uniformity within a party and voting, if allowed, can then take place across party lines. In these instances a majority for a legislative initiative may be obtained where one Party alone might not have been able to garner the necessary support. For such a vote to eventuate the Speaker of the House and Leader of the Senate have dictatorial powers as to what issues can come to the floor. The latter are appointed by the majority party which in 2015 is the Republican Party. 

In large part America’s transformative legislation has relied on bipartisan support. From Lincoln’s vote to abolish slavery, to modern day examples of Lyndon Johnson civil rights legislation, Reagan’s economic changes and Clinton’s economic and entitlement changes there has been co operation between the President and the House Speaker and or the opposition party itself. The compromise which when brought to the floor passed with a majority vote made up of members of both parties. 

AND THE SPEAKER…

So the Speaker of the House is a very powerful figure and constitutionally is next in line for the Presidency should the President and Vice President be removed in one way or another. John Boehner has occupied this position for five years. In the early years of his term, in the true tradition, he had extensive discussions with Obama on compromise legislation to meet the priorities of the GOP - decreasing government spending - and the Democrats - a fairer tax code. All reports affirm that the two parties reached an accommodation and it was all systems go but for the intervention of the Tea Party with their winner takes all policy and for the next five years the American legislative approach all but ground to a halt. 

The Tea Party faction would not allow anything to hit the floor and when they couldn’t get their own way they forced the government to shut down by not passing the Federal Budget. And Boehner stood by more often than not. In fact even in the wake of the address of His Excellency to Congress, Boehner had not been unable to persuade his Tea Party caucus not to shut down the government. They refused to vote for a Federal Budget unless Planned Parenthood which provides care for 3,000,000 women a year was defunded. All this was happening to the sound of the unravelling of the GOP and a Tea Party takeover. (Blog: The  GOP Unravels as Trump Triumphs).

So with this as a background Pope Francis entered the hallowed Congress Chamber to an applauding but apprehensive audience.

FRANCIS ON POLITICIANS’ ROLE.

The Pontiff solemnly maintained that the responsibility of the members of Congress was to satisfy the needs of society especially its vulnerable members. He continued that legislative activity is always based on care for the people. He harkened back to Moses who “Symbolizes the need of peoples to keep alive their sense of unity by means of legislation”. He saw politics as a holy mission arguing that, “Politics is an expression of our compelling need to live as one, in order to build the greatest community”. This involved sacrifice by a community to share its goods, its interests, its social life.

Pope Francis stressed that simple reductionism which sees only good and evil in effect makes us inhumane. He believed in the Golden Rule - Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

BOEHNER’S RESPONSE

John Boehner, who was highly emotional throughout the Pontiff’s address, was almost in a fugue like state after the talk. Boehner confessed to reporters, “He grabbed me by the arm and asked me to pray for him. Who am I to pray for the Pope?”

The next morning Boehner announced his resignation from Congress and The Speakership to a flabbergasted world and a shattered GOP Establishment still reeling after the abdication of Governor Walker from the Republican Residential Race. The reasons a relaxed Speaker gave made no sense. - he was going to resign sooner or later and a prolonged leadership turmoil would do irreparable to the institution. How he believed he was preventing it only he, God and perhaps Francis knew. What made far more sense was his interpretation of his job definition. 

“My first job as Speaker is to protect the institution”, he argued. He believed in the Pontiff's "Golden Rule". How his resignation could be seen outside of the context of the role and tradition of the institution and the Nuncio’s testament is not fathomable. Jay H. Ell interpreted that he had seen the light and had a holy duty to fulfill his political obligation to meet society’s needs. There was very little doubt that he would now allow an open vote on to pass the Federal Budget so the Government would not shut down. In addition as the institution functioned there could be no way that Planned Parenthood would be defunded. Whatever anyone would read into his action “society’s goods” would be continued to be shared. In case anyone had any doubt as to where he was coming from he repeatedly stated that, “My first job is to protect the institution”.

In a subsequent interview on CBS, remaining in a biblical vein Boehner stated that, “There are false prophets out there.. in the town, in the House and Senate, who whip people into a frenzy believing they can accomplish things they know — they know! — are never going to happen.” He continued, spelling out his frustration, “Our founders didn’t want some parliamentary system where if you won the majority you got to do whatever you wanted,” he added. “They wanted this long, slow process. And so change comes slowly. And obviously too slowly for some.”

AFTERMATH

The Conservative Tea Party faction declared victory at the House Leader's departure.  But the abdication created a dilemma for the GOP Presidential hopefuls - they were going to be left with answering questions they would have preferred to ignore. Carly Fiorini, who to date has made the death of Planned Parenthood a center piece of her campaign, suddenly was not so sure if she would close the Government because of its funding. It would have been a lot easier to criticize punchbag Boehner for not doing enough. 

Contemporaneously with the announcement a conservative Value Voters’ Summit was in full swing. The Speaker’s impending departure was greeted with rapturous applause. Marc Rubio who has crept up in the polls greeted the news as if there had been one giant step for mankind. The next day on public radio he could not be pinned down as to whether he, Marc Rubio, would have shut the Government down. He hummed and he hawed but in the end he accepted that it could not happen but at least Boehner should have put up a fight. The Donald, in tune with his new role cheered at Boehner’s decision and nobody asked him why.

While Boehner’s side kick Congressman McCarthy will probably temporarily take over there is going to be a brutal battle between an even more right wing Boehner look alike,  (incidentally John Boehner is no bleeding liberal himself and was originally regarded as a Conservative upstart), and some gent/lady from the Tea Party.  This will be one of the more bloody brutal last stands and the Establishment have about as much hope to turn the tide as the Jewish Sicarii at Masada had of expelling the Romans from Palestine. 

It was left mainly to the Democrats to say what a fine fellow old John really was. President Obama was exceedingly gracious in his tribute because he knew more than anyone else that the outgoing speaker had tried to "protect the institution". 

AT THE END OF THE DAY.

It appears as if the dye is cast. Trump, Carson and Fiorini are polling a combined 50% in the polls. None of these have had any legislative experience. Behind them are Ted Cruz, the standard bearer in Congress of the Tea Party’s take no prisoners brigade, and Marc Rubio. They in sum represent nearly 70% of the  GOP and thet all shouted hurray. The Establishment is still praying, not so silently, for Jeb to make his move and for this nightmare to come to an end. 

Jay H. Ell is coming round to the belief that maybe these guys should get their own way. As matters stand at the moment it is inconceivable that any of them could triumph in a national election. After that maybe just maybe, if there are any adults left in the GOP war room, they will get their act together.

Just by the way the Pope in one of his parting statements reflected on how ephemeral power was…….

Or as Jon Stewart might have said at this time of year, "Good Yomtov to the Pontiff"

THE GOP UNRAVELS FAST AS TRUMP TRIUMPHS

All the money in the world could not put Humpty Dumpty or the Republican Party together again. With the disintegration of Scott Walker, who was one of the last GOP Establishment white hopes, the end is nigh and they must face the final curtain. Just in case the enormity of the former GOP frontrunner’s melt down is being underestimated Jay H. Ell will lay it on a line and examine where things stand after that tsunami.

HE WAS A BIG MAN YESTERDAY BUT BOY YOU OUGHT TO SEE HIM NOW

Scott Walker twice elected Governor of Wisconsin and withstanding one recall vote in a state that voted twice for Obama, a destroyer of Trade Union rights and a darling of the establishment, in fact their second choice after Jeb Bush, is politically dead. He leaves with twenty million dollars in his Political Action Committee and more to the point he was anointed by the Koch brothers who undertook to spend a billion dollars on the 2016 presidential campaign. However having plummeted in the polls from being its leader to less than 1 percent support he has declared his campaign dead. 

The GOP apologists, who were backing Walker to the hilt up until yesterday, as a standard bearer of what the GOP stood for, now maintain that his fall from grace was because he was a flawed candidate. The real reason that he is out is because of the likes of Trump, Carson, Cruz, Huckabee and Fiorina. He could not match their Tea Party credentials even though he had initial Tea Party support versus Jeb back in the good old days when Jeb headed the polls in New Hampshire and his good self in Iowa. (Blog: Governor Walker - The Tea Party’s and Media’s Last White Hope). Walker is no more flawed and limited then when he started on this endeavor he just has had to deal with those who are far more articulate and committed to the Tea Party agenda. He is the metaphor for the last rites of the GOP.

So Scott Walker has been unceremoniously been thrown out of the GOP Presidential Reality Show.

JUST WAITING FOR A DONALD

The writing has been on the wall since the emergence of the Tea Party following the election of Bush 43. The Tea Party was established as a revolt to the GOP Establishment who rather than take them on pandered to them. Their eventual emergence to prime time was just a question of finding a credible, (sic), leader. The burlesque and caraciture Sarah Palins, Michelle Bachmanns and the Herman Cains never quite cut it. The Santorums and the Huckabees just weren't the right fit. So along came the Donald who is a mixture of media savyness, entertainment skills, holder of the “I am the American Dream” award, money - “I am rich very very rich” - and most importantly an ability to unashamedly embrace the raw unedited emotions of the Republican Base from the David Duke’s Klu Klux Klan, to the birthers, the social and fiscal conservatives, the “Don’t mess with America crowd”, we hate the Bush's and their spendthrift policies and the like. He has resonated and connected with their frustration, anger, prejudices, xenophobia and their desire to “Make America Great Again” - whatever that means. Laughed off in the beginning as he unbowed took them all on exhibiting the basest of sexist attitudes to boot. He has come through and now they are eating humble pie.

ESTABLISHMENT ASKED FOR THIS

The establishment should not be shocked - they created this monster by allowing it to grow, pretending it didn’t exist in the phony belief that they could have it both ways - the Tea Party votes coupled with an establishment candidate. According to the script the crazies that represented the Tea Party types would inevitably implode with their lunacy and the party would step in with a Romney look alike. Even this thinking is awry as whatever candidate that emerged could not counter the demographic composition of the electorate that has been ignored and abused in the run up to the nomination. As Jeb Bush put it in order to win the Presidency he would have to lose the nomination. And as things are panning out he is about to prove himself right. If he ignored his own advice perhaps he should have listened to his mother who said, “Read my lips, no more Bushes”.

SO WHERE ARE WE NOW? ASK THE MEDIA

We are one step nearer to the passing of the old GOP, may its dear soul rest in peace. However, Jay H. Ell has little doubt that it will not lie down and die. They will be like the liver of the little old lady who took two liver pills every day of her life and when she died they had to beat her liver to death. The GOP death will be a retrospective diagnosis in the meantime the relative merits of the candidates will be discussed in a vacuum and the media will carry on with their horse race even though a frontrunner has broken his leg. 

The immediate beneficiary of Walker’s exit is The Donald. He is up to 32% in the poll with Carson around about 12%. and Carly Fiorina 14%. His retirement should have benefited Jeb but everyone loves a winner. Trump is about to become a target deluxe as what started off as a joke becomes the central message. The last thing the media want is a no contest GOP race. The establishment candidates are faring so badly because, to quote Morning Joe, the widely followed media man of the sane Republicans, “They have no balls”. The reason the establishment supporters are not bothering to come out is they have no tough strong principled candidates. Jay H. Ell believes Jeb should be ranting “If you support Trump’s bigotry you will have Hillary” and “If you blow off the Hispanics we cannot win”. 

Come on the GOP is better than this. Do we really want a racist frontrunner? We all know that we can’t deport 12 million Mexicans and backing this lot will get us nowhere… Instead the Republican contenders cower and compromise in the wake of The Donald. 

WHERE THERE IS LIFE THERE IS HOPE

There will still be those that stand and hope for a miracle. It has to be possible. Let us take a chance with Bridgegate Christie who every so often shows flashes of sanity. He cleans up well and looks good in a suit. But Christie loses it far too often to be a real President and Bridgegate cannot really go away. Jay H. Ell's favorite the GOP Governor John Kasish, of another swing state that Obama won, Ohio, hasn't a prayer. And now there is Carly for those who don’t mind going down the Romney path again. At least Romney was successful. Her career was high - lighted by firing tens of thousands employees before being unceremoniously fired herself. Besides the fact that she is all over the show she is ready to expand the military in every direction that she is questioned about. Her credibility is in tatters having been shown to outright lie on her version of the anti Planned Parenthood video and reinventing her perceptions of Putin following her meeting with him a number of years ago. Spare us even though the Donald now says since the Prince kissed her she has turned from a frog into a Princess. To show how bad Jay H. Ell feels about phony Carly he prefers the Donald! The only other candidate with balls, other than The Donald, Jay H. Ell has to admit is Carly Fiorina and hence her appeal. Rubio? He just doesn’t pass Morning Joe Scarborough’s balls test. 

So we have to get back to Jeb who doesn’t look vaguely interested. He has to fight and stand toe to toe with The Donald and call him a windbag megalomaniac even at the risk of being told he is also ugly.

COME ON REPUBLICANS

Now there are a substantial group of the GOP media establishment that are making the new reality the mother of invention. They refer to The Donald by his first name. They pontificate with a smugness, like where is the problem? He is not so bad…. He or anyone else can easily beat Hillary. She is useless. Talk about lala land. The demographics are forgotten. Jeb if you are serious tell the immigration story as it is. Do you really want to defund Planned Parenthood? Just quote Pope Francis and as a Catholic his message has to resonate. 

Come on. Let us have a serious debate this is the US Presidential election not the convention of the flat earthers. Nor is it a meeting of the armed crazies on horses shooting their guns in the air and waving the Confederate flag, where they support the democratic right of the Clansmen to ride along even though they don’t fully support them…..

The world has to marvel at these pyrotechnics and wonder if their minds are playing tricks on them. As the Europeans grapple seriously with the emotionally charged Syrian refugee problem where everybody tells as it is we shuffle deck chairs on the Titanic. As the Pope challenges Congress to take on the issues the inanities continue. While the Middle East is in the middle of a paradigm shift the GOP front runners’ solution is to take them all out! The Donald will probably build a wall between Iran and the rest and make The Ayatollah pay for it. 

THE HAPPY DEMOCRATS

The Dems cannot believe their luck. In fact they are at a loss as to what to do when everything is going so swell. While the Republicans are acting as if their Primary is the Presidential election one of them eventually will have to run against someone who will automatically have all the key demographics on his or her side. According to the Pew Research group only 27% of the electorate are seriously taking notice of the present events, the rest are just enjoying the entertainment. So even if the majority of those are Republicans it probably means that The Donald has the backing of a third of about 18% which is 6% of the American voters and Carly half of that. So the Dems just need to plod along because all the negativity is going the GOP way and that is what the eventual winner will bring along as established baggage in the real contest. 

For their part all the Dem contenders are not fighting with one other or falling off the table to grab center stage. Bernie tours America just behind Billie Joel so he dosn’t have to put up his own stage, video screens and microphones, the two no name Governors mutter almost under their breath about the direction the country is going, Joe Biden agonizes whether to run again and Hillary potters about producing position papers. No one but no one is calling anyone ugly or not having energy or attacking them as beltway contenders, they are all just going about their business offering an alternate policy.

Also they have to be basking in Fox News’s frustration with the candidates. The Donald still believes he is powerful enough to ignore Fox. Bill O’Reilly, Fox’s number one, says he is nothing but pure theater. Megyn Kelly is still being shunned even though the powerful Fox CEO Roger Ailes is backing her to the hilt. The channel also questioned and requestioned Carly about what she claimed she saw on the Planned Parenthood video and to their frustration she stood strong, just likeThe Donald, and said it is what it is because she say it is! What are Fox going to do if one of these beauts get the nomination? Mean time they are spending their energy attacking “pitiful” Hillary which for the moment is not selling much soap. So the Dems have everything to be happy about.

IT IS ABOUT TO HIT THE FAN

For occupational therapy the Dems are the only ones focussing on what the GOP are trying to do in Congress. For those that read and watch the main media and don’t receive the Democratic Party e mails, Jay H. Ell wishes to broadcast to the world that the Tea Party faction, over the heads of the GOP leaders McConnell and Boehner, are trying to defund Planned Parenthood and or close down the Government. When the news gets out this is just not going to go down well and The Donald and the like are going to be asked what they think about it. The Donald and the like then have to choose between what the GOP Head Office want, McConnell and Boehner or what the Tea Party have done. This is what the establishment GOP need like a hole in the head. 

THE MEDIA 

Don’t expect any perspective or direction from the media. Other than Fox marking time with all Hillary’s weaknesses they are giving the Dems a bye and this coverage cannot compete with the reality GOP Primary. So no one is asking Bernie about his non existent foreign policy or Hillary or Joe where they disagree with Barak or with each other for that matter. Or does Joe think he will be Obama’s third term? They are all just being allowed to tootle along. Every now and then, so as to let you know that they haven’t forgotten the odds on favourite to won the Presidency they make the vague statement, “Can she get over her e mails.” Apparently she has obviously gotten over Benghazi. The don’t really know what to say about Joe so they discuss the tragedy of the death of his son and whether or not that will influence him running… You see the Dems are not slaughtering each other so their sober reflections don’t sell soap. The entrance of Biden into the race would not help the Republicans as in the unlikely event he can beat Hillary in the Primary all the polls show that he can beat all the Republican front runners. ( The demographics are the same). So the media should stop pretending that Biden in the race gives the GOP a better chance. 

Meanwhile Fox can’t wait for Trump to kiss and make up so the counterproductive feud with him can stop. It is just gulping all the oxygen. 

When the Republicans are down to one candidate, and who knows how long that may take, the media will have to focus on the real race and will have one objective in mind - keeping at is close as possible because the show must go on. This will do as they did in the last two elections forgeting about the reality of the demographics and focusing on the personalities in their reality show. (Blog: Trump, The Media, Ratings and Reality).