Well, lawmakers did their job and passed legislation to avert another shutdown of the federal government only to see Trump’s temper tantrum continue when he declared a national emergency at the U.S. Mexico border.
“Trump declares a national emergency on a wall he promised Mexico would pay for and now is leaving D.C. for his country club,” said NDP Chair Jane Kleeb. “Sounds more like a campaign stunt to feed red meat to his base than responsible governing.”
Trump’s evolutionary obsession with our Southern Border and his demand that we secure it with a wall, steel slats, barrier or “Whatever You Want to Call It” was detailed by The New York Times in a jaw-dropping interactive graphic.
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Before becoming the Republican nominee, Trump rarely got into specifics when saying Mexico would pay for a wall; he simply assured his supporters that it would. No issue was more associated with his candidacy than immigration, and the border wall was the centerpiece of that issue.
After the election, Trump continued to insist that Mexico would pay for the wall, but began to qualify that it would do so “in the end,” “ultimately,” “indirectly” or through reimbursement.
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Disturbing news this week that a BBC cameraman was attacked at Trump’s “Finish the Wall” rally in El Paso, Texas.
The ugly incident caught the eye of the venerable Charles Pierce of Esquire, who wrote:
“Nobody who has attended one of these angry wankfests can be surprised this happened. This is especially true of anyone who’s spent time in the press pens that are placed strategically in the back so the president* can direct the wrath of his followers at them easily. Hell, Katy Tur of NBC News had to have the Secret Service walk her out of the building at one of these. The obvious potential for violence is one of the things that fill the arenas, and the members of the media are the obvious (and perennial) targets.”
***
KETV did a nice piece on NDP 2nd Associate Chair Preston Love Jr., a well-known UNO professor and community activist who is recovering after suffering a stroke last month. “I have a lot of residual tingling, numbness and lack of coordination,” Love said. He was driving when he began experiencing symptoms. The left side of his body began feeling numb. By the time he arrived home, he could barely walk.
Good to see he’s on the mend.
***
The federal debt hit $22 TRILLION this week, which is horrifying.
GOP Reps. Bacon, Fortenberry and Smith along with Sens. Sasse and Fischer voted for the Republican Tax Scam that made this mess worse.
Next time you see them, say thanks. For nothing.
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An inspiring campaign video from former NASA astronaut Mark Kelly, who’s running as a Democrat for U.S. Senate in Arizona.
Kelly, 54, is the husband of former Rep. Gabby Giffords, D-Arizona, who survived a shooting in 2011. The two appeared together in Kelly’s announcement video, recounting that difficult period in their lives and Giffords’ rehabilitation from the gunshot wound.
Well worth watching.
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Leave it to Republican Gov. Pete “Gosh my Dad’s Rich” Ricketts to try to inject his views on abortion into the state budget bill.
The Lincoln Journal Star reported that when the Nebraska Legislature Appropriations Committee writes its budget bill this session, it will not include a provision related to Title X funding of family planning clinics that perform or refer patients for abortions.
The majority of the committee voted against a motion Tuesday to include the language Gov. Pete Ricketts put into his budget proposal. Ricketts responded Tuesday night that given what is happening in other states with legislation to loosen restrictions on late-term abortions, “the decision to strip the pro-life language out of this year’s budget is especially appalling.”
What’s appalling, Pete, is that you put it in the budget in the first place.
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In case you missed it, the DNC released details of the 2020 Democratic Presidential Primary Debates.
DNC Chair Tom Perez said the goals for the debates are to (1) give the grassroots a bigger voice than ever before; (2) showcase our candidates on an array of media platforms; (3) present an opportunity for vigorous discussion about issues, ideas and solutions; and (4) reach as many potential voters as possible.
Perez announced 12 presidential primary debates to be held over the course of the 2020 cycle, with the first two occurring in June and July of 2019.
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We close this week with the reassuring thought that Special Counsel Robert Mueller III is marching along dutifully doing his job, as we were reminded by Julia Suits of The New Yorker.
–By Kevin O’Hanlon/NDP Communications Director
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IMPORTANT DATES
Feb. 23: NDP Training:Voter Registration, Voter Education, Vote By Mail
March 9: NDP Training: Candidate Interest Training
March 10: NDP Training: Block Captain Training
March 29-31: State Central Committee Meeting, Trainings and Caucus Meetings
April 8: NDP Salute to State Senators
April 9: City of Lincoln Primary Election
May 7: City of Lincoln General Election
