No Holiday From Scandal

English: Logo for the University of Minnesota (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Once again, the University of Minnesota's athletic department is the subject of scandal involving questionable sexual behavior.  This time around, it almost cost them a bowl game appearance.

Ten players from the football team were suspended by the University for allegedly taking part in the sexual assault of a young woman at a post-game party in early September.  Neither Minneapolis police nor Hennepin County attorneys could find enough evidence to charge anyone with a crime.  But the University's Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action report--acquired by KSTP-TV in Minneapolis and published on its website -- described what happened in great and sordid detail.

Because University officials, including President Eric Kaler and athletic director Mark Coyle (who had only been hired a few months after the last AD resigned due to a sex scandal), chose to hide behind state privacy laws to avoid talking about the case, the football team decided to take matters into their own hands.  They announced a work stoppage in support of their teammates, meaning they would refuse to participate in any football-related activities unless their demands were met, which included due process for the suspended players.  That meant not playing in the Holiday Bowl football game against Washington State, scheduled for December 27 in San Diego, California.

Now why on Earth would they give up a chance to play in a nationally-televised bowl game, the University of Minnesota's first in the state of California since 1962?

Then the players started reading the EOAA report, and to check the temperature of public support.  Once they found out the details, they also discovered that support was growing colder than the below-zero temperatures.  So the team ended its work stoppage just hours before the University had to give its answer to the Holiday Bowl committee, which is that they're going west.  After all, who wants to be seen as supporting violence against women?

Football coach Tracy Claeys, whose job status is already shaky because his team had an unimpressive 8-4 record this past season and has two years left on his contract, upped the ante with his tweet about how proud he was of his players taking a stand.  What happens in San Diego will go a long way toward whether Claeys coaches next season or not.

But enough about football.  Sexual assault is a big problem not just at the University of Minnesota, but at campuses across the country as well.  Young women who came to college to earn their degrees, and to experience life away from their parents, sometimes end up getting more than they bargained for.  They have to watch their backs when it comes to every man they come into contact with.  And when the worst happens, good luck trying to get anyone to believe your story if the man has a different view of what happened.  Especially if your attacker happens to be a star athlete who's bound for the pros, and the institute of higher learning you're part of is protecting him at all costs.

In announcing the end of their work stoppage, the Minnesota football players solemnly pledged to not only demand justice for their accused colleagues, but to also take a stand to reject sexual violence against women.  Now let's win the big game!

Well, the football team came to their senses before it was too late.  When are University of Minnesota officials going to come to theirs?

Transitioning Into Chaos

English: Donald Trump's signature. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Since we last left you, President-elect Donald Trump has been holed up inside his Trump Tower office in New York, preparing to downscale to the White House come January 20, 2017.  He's been meeting with his transition team, ironing out who's going to be in his Cabinet (more on that later), and what happens to his business interests.

Meanwhile, questions have been raised about the legitimacy of Trump's victory.  While he may have won the Electoral College's vote, Democrat Hillary Clinton leads the popular vote by nearly two million.  Court-ordered recounts have been made in Wisconsin and Michigan, and they both show that Trump won by slight margins.  And the CIA concluded that the Russians might have interfered with the election to make sure Trump won.

But Trump doesn't care about any of this, and why should he?  This is the same man who hollered during the campaign that the election was being rigged.  Well, it was rigged all right--in his favor.

Trump's most notable accomplishment thus far was to convince Carrier, an air conditioner manufacturer, to keep some of its jobs from moving to Mexico from its plant in Indiana.  That's great, but it still means half of the jobs are going south of the border.  And Carrier, which has many government contracts, can't afford to offend the future President.  Trump has to learn that he can't save every job that's either being automated or going overseas.

While Trump has been trashing Alec Baldwin's portrayal of him on "Saturday Night Live" on Twitter, taking phone calls from the President of Taiwan that sets off diplomatic alarm bells in Beijing, and telling the world he isn't all that interested in getting a daily intelligence briefing because he says he's a smart guy, he's been packing his Cabinet nominees with corporate types, retired generals, far-right ideologues and former rivals.  They all seem to share Trump's disdain for climate change, trade policy, immigration and the Affordable Care Act.

Sometimes Trump makes a show out of his nominations, just like he used to do on TV's "The Celebrity Apprentice"  Take Secretary of State, for example.  The list of candidates read like a Who's Who of conservative politics--Rudy Giuliani, Mitt Romney, David Petraeus and John Bolton.  Instead of those guys, Trump is reported to have chosen Rex Tillerson, the CEO of ExxonMobil.  His being pals with Russian president Vladimir Putin is qualification enough for Trump, even if it scares the living daylights out of the rest of Washington.

At least Trump had the sense to hire women who aren't beauty queens to fill important positions in his administration  Nikki Haley, the Governor of South Carolina, has been named United Nations ambassador.  Betsy DeVos, charter school advocate and philanthropist, was picked to be Education secretary.  (Isn't this the Cabinet position Republicans always want to get rid of?)  Elaine Chao, who was Labor secretary under President George W. Bush, has been nominated to lead the Transportation department.  Mitch McConnell, the Senate majority leader, is her husband.

All of these nominations have to be approved by Congress.  Some of the nominees raise questions about their stands on social issues, and how to implement Trump's most controversial policies here and abroad.  The hearings will also be a good test for how much push-back a Republican Congress gives the new President before ultimately caving in to him.

Barring an Electoral College miracle, Donald Trump will be sworn in as President in less than two months.  He will not have the mandate to do whatever it is he wants, but it doesn't really matter.  He could be the best President we've ever had, or he could be the worst.  He could also be the last, as far as anyone knows.  Our freedom and our future depends on it.

John Glenn (1921-2016): Space Pioneer

John Herschel Glenn Jr. (born July 18, 1921, in Cambridge, Ohio,) is a former American astronaut, Marine Corps fighter pilot, and United States Senator. He was the third American to fly in space and the first American to orbit the earth. This photo for his second space flight on October 29, 1998, on Space Shuttle Discovery's STS-95. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

In the early 1960s, the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union showed signs of boiling over.  Spy planes were shot down.  A dispute over control of Berlin led to a wall that divided the Communist East from the capitalist West.  And the presence of Soviet weapons in Cuba nearly caused a nuclear war.

There were also high stakes being played by the two countries above Earth.  The USSR launched the first satellite, and Yuri Gagarin became the first man in space.  President John F. Kennedy issued his call for man to land on the moon before the end of the '60s.  NASA responded by naming seven astronauts to represent the new Mercury space program.

One of those astronauts was John Glenn, a former marine test pilot who had flown missions in World War II and Korea.  On February 20, 1962, Glenn became the first American to orbit the Earth aboard the Friendship 7 capsule.  The trip took nearly five hours, and he orbited Earth three times. Upon his return, most of what was then called the Free World hailed his achievement, throwing him ticker tape parades and such.  Eventually, before the decade ended, the crew of Apollo 11 fulfilled Kennedy's challenge.

Glenn parlayed his space-hero image into a political career, representing his home state of Ohio as a U.S. Senator from 1974-99.  In 1984, he ran for President as a Democrat, but lost out to Walter Mondale.  Glenn also got caught up in the savings and loan scandal of the late 1980s, having accepted a bribe from financier Charles Keating.  Glenn and John McCain of Arizona were the only Senators exonerated as part of what became known as the Keating Five.

Glenn returned to space in 1998 as part of the crew aboard the shuttle Discovery at the age of 77, the oldest person to do so.  Once again he was celebrated for his achievement, although some grumbled that he got this opportunity as a political favor.

With the Cold War over and the moon having been conquered, there's talk of sending humans to Mars and possibly other planets by 2040.  This would not have been possible without the efforts of Glenn and the other Mercury and Apollo astronauts who helped pioneer space exploration.

John Glenn died Thursday.  He spent 95 years on this planet, and a few hours above it.  Now he'll be in permanent orbit.

Fidel Castro (1926-2016): The Dictator Next Door

English: The Cuban leader Fidel Castro. Español: El líder cubano Fidel Castro. Italiano: Il leader cubano Fidel Castro Français : Le dirigeant cubain Fidel Castro. 日本語: キューバの最高指導者であるフィデル・カストロ Português: O líder cubano Fidel Castro. ‪Norsk (bokmål)‬: Cubas statsoverhode Fidel Castro. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Since New Year's Day 1959, the Cuban people had known only one leader.  A former baseball pitcher who once tried out for the Washington Senators, he threw curve balls at the United States by bringing his own brand of Communism to the Western Hemisphere.  He had been a thorn in the side of eleven U.S. presidents from Dwight Eisenhower to Barack Obama, blamed his neighbor to the north for an ongoing embargo, and nearly brought the world to nuclear war with the presence of Soviet missiles on Cuban soil.

Fidel Castro's run as Maximum Leader ended this past weekend at the age of 90.  While he was mourned in Havana, Cubans who long ago risked their lives to escape his regime to settle in the United States were celebrating in the streets of Miami.  The rest of the world's reaction was mixed at best.

Castro's lasting legacy depends on who you ask.  For some, he was a worldwide force for change against capitalist imperialism, seeking to export his ideas to places like Africa and Latin America.  For others, Castro was just another despot whose "revolution" devolved into extreme poverty for his people, jails and prisons filled with dissidents (if they weren't already killed), and using the Soviet Union to keep the Americans at bay.

The United States government did everything they could do to get rid of Castro, whether it was done clandestinely or not.  They tried to kill him, poison him, invade his country, etc., all to no discernible effect.  Castro would respond by using his lengthy nationally-televised addresses to denounce American aggression.  Meanwhile, his country was stuck in a time warp, as characterized by those well-maintained (because they had to be) 1950s-era cars made in Detroit.

Lately, though, there's been a warming of relations between the two countries.  Embassies have been reopened, and travel restrictions for Americans have been eased.  But economic sanctions have yet to be lifted.  And they won't be if President-elect Donald Trump and an anti-Castro Republican Congress roll back reforms as they have promised.

Castro gave up his presidency in 2008 due to declining health, turning it over to brother Raoul.  He now runs Cuba at age 85 with plans to step down in 2018.  Then what?  Will Communism survive the Castros, or is there another strongman (which the U.S. hopes is more to their liking) ready to take over?

What happened to Cuba under Fidel Castro's regime is for history to decide.  What happens after brother Raoul leaves is a matter of speculation.  Whatever happens, the Cuban people deserve a better fate.

Trump, The Week After

speaking at CPAC in Washington D.C. on February 10, 2011. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

In the week following the election of Donald Trump as President of the United States, a divided country is still trying to deal with it.  One half is still cheering the results, while the other is severely bummed and taking it to the streets.

President Barack Obama, in what must have been an awkward situation considering that he supported Democrat Hillary Clinton during the campaign, welcomed Republican Trump to the White House last Thursday to begin the transfer of power.  Both seemed to be on good terms, if photo-ops can be believed.  The President later expressed hope that the weight of responsibilities that come with this office might mellow Trump a bit.

Trump, despite the ugly rhetoric he had been dishing out during the campaign, did his best to soften his tone.  The President-elect now says he might keep some of the provisions of the Affordable Care Act, such as prohibiting insurers from excluding those with pre-existing conditions, instead of blowing it up.  As for that wall across the Mexican border?  Some of it might be just a higher fence.

But then Trump had to undo all that by naming Steve Bannon, a hero of the alt-right and white supremecist groups who ran the conservative Breitbart News site, to be his chief adviser.  This move justifies fears that the new administration will be catering to the more racist among us.  Calls for Bannon's removal will undoubtedly go unheeded.  Also Reince Preibus, who ran the Republican National Committee, will serve as chief of staff.

Despite promises of "draining the swamp", it looks like some members of Trump's Cabinet might be coming from the Washington establishment, as in names you never thought you'd hear from again:
Newt Gingrich, Rudy Giuliani and John Bolton (who was United Nations ambassador under President George W. Bush) are all reportedly in the running for Secretary of State.

It also sounds like, despite nepotism laws, Trump's children are going to have a role in the White House. Already daughter Ivanka's been using valuable network TV time to subtly promote her $10,000 jewelry on CBS' "60 Minutes".  Besides turning over the family business to them, their father is pushing to let his adult children have a peek at some state secrets.

As for the Democrats, now's the time for soul searching.  Clinton lost the election despite winning the popular vote because:  (1) She and her party took the base for granted, failing to fully grasp the discontent among white voters and Bernie Sanders supporters.  (2) As Clinton herself admitted, FBI director James Comey's decision 11 days before the election to reopen the inquiry into her private e-mails was a big factor in her defeat.

It might not be until at least 2020 or 2022 before the Democrats regain power in Washington.  Unless Trump screws up big-time, he has the makings of a two-term President.

Trump has promised to be a president for all the people, and that there is nothing to fear.  Clinton and Obama have also said as much.  So why are we seeing demonstrations all over the country?  They may or may not be "professional protesters" egged on by the media, as Trump once tweeted, but they seem to believe they have the most to lose in the new administration.  Immigrants from other countries, Muslims, women, LGBTQs, African Americans, Latinos and anyone else who has been offended by Trump in the past have been marching down streets and blocking freeways to express their displeasure.

Meanwhile on social media, Trump supporters have been gloating over the devastation among Clinton supporters, calling them "crybabies", "welfare suckers" and other terms not worth repeating.  Offline, there have been incidents of intimidation, bullying and swastika sightings aimed at minorities.  If these supposedly mature adults could understand what the other side is going through, , maybe they wouldn't be so quick to commit this abuse of the First Amendment.

President-elect Donald Trump has been charged with the task of bringing the country together.  We'll believe it when we see it, and it's going to take more than saying "stop it" on TV to the bigots who are acting in his name.  As the Dixie Chicks would put it, we're not ready to make nice just yet.

America, Trumped

English: Donald Trump at a press conference announcing David Blaine's latest feat in New York City at the Trump Tower. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

President Donald Trump.

Let that sink in for a moment.

You just elected a man who has never held office, said horrible things about women and minorities, pledged to build a wall across the southern border to keep out Mexicans and other undesirables, alienated his own Republican party and world leaders (except maybe Russia's Vladimir Putin) to be the next President of the United States.

The votes haven't all been counted as of this writing, but Trump won enough states with significant electoral votes to defeat Democrat Hillary Clinton.  The GOP also took control of both houses of Congress.

For Clinton, the Democrats and all those who didn't care for Trump's misogyny, xenophobia and distrust of the political process, this was a complete blindside.  The former First Lady and Secretary of State won the popular vote but lost the election, just like Al Gore did in 2000.  But there will be no recount.  No 'hanging chads'.  And no last-ditch Supreme Court decision.  Clinton conceded Wednesday morning.

Trump won this election because of all the Howard Beales out there who were mad as hell and wouldn't take it any more.  They were angry at partisan gridlock in Washington, the rising cost and unpopularity of Obamacare, the jobs that had been lost to what they believe were bad trade deals with other countries, and their weariness with a quarter-century of all things Clinton.

Mrs. Clinton lost this election not just because of those pesky private e-mails that made her the focus of FBI investigations, but she also failed to take care of business in some of the states where she was favored.  Not only did she lose battleground states Ohio and Florida to Trump, but she also saw Wisconsin and Pennsylvania change from blue to red.  In her quest to become the first female president, no one seemed to realize that, after eight years of an African-American in the White House, people might not have been ready for a woman taking charge.

The media also shares the blame for Clinton's defeat.  Constant coverage of Trump along with his mistrust for polls that repeatedly gave Clinton the lead gave them a bad name.  It seems they didn't take into account the folks who voted for Trump despite their misgivings, but knew better than to share them with pollsters.

President-elect Trump will soon be taking the reins from President Barack Obama, who was once accused of not being a U.S. citizen by Trump.  He will be inheriting a divided country that believes he is unfit to serve, and is likely to undo nearly every bit of legislation Obama signed into law.  He will also pick a new justice for the Supreme Court.

Other than repudiating all the progress Obama made during his two terms, Trump's agenda is more or less a blank slate.  We don't know where he's taking us.  And we sure as hell don't know if the country's going to survive him.

Remember, America, you voted for Donald Trump to be your next President.  Now we must suffer the consequences.

Election '16: Familiarity Breeds Contempt

Señalización de lugar de votación en California. 2008. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

On the eve of the most important presidential election in our lifetimes--they say that every four years, but some elections stand out more than others--we have two candidates we have known about for decades via the almighty boob tube.  In the course of the last year or so, the more we've seen of them this campaign, the less we like.

Donald Trump, the real estate mogul whose brash talk and TV reality show skills won him the Republican nomination, is loud and obnoxious about his causes while most party regulars are bailing or can't be seen with him.  Women can't stand him because of his unflattering comments about them.  But he has his fans among mostly white males who are sick and tired of being passed over in the name of political correctness, and seeing their jobs moved overseas.

Trump has taken so many potshots at so many targets--women, minorities, the media--and responded to crises such as the release of the "Access Hollywood" sex tapes and his declining to release his income tax returns in such a way that would sink any other politician.  Because Trump is not a politician and has mostly self-funded his campaign, he can say anything he wants with the media lapping up every word.  And there's nothing the Republican Party can do about it.

Hillary Clinton, the Democratic nominee who has been First Lady, U.S. Senator and Secretary of State, has been a polarizing figure in and out of Washington for the past quarter century.  Yet she's managed to survive every political and personal scandal involving her and her husband, former President Bill Clinton.  She's been the subject of an FBI investigation into whether her private e-mails contained any classified information.  Twice.  And both times the FBI has chosen not to prosecute her because they couldn't find anything incriminating.

Still, the timing of the latest investigation--just days before the election--has eaten away at Clinton's once-huge lead over Trump, which is now down to a few points (though the networks tell us she has a comfortable advantage in the Electoral College).  Clinton's biggest challenge, besides the trust issue, is in not taking the states where she's leading for granted.  Why else is Trump and his running mate Mike Pence making last-minute stops in Blue states like Minnesota and Michigan if he doesn't think he has a chance to pull an upset?  Maybe the election results won't be as "rigged" as he thinks it might be if he wins.

Issues?  Are you kidding?  Give us more about Trump's alleged relationship with Russian president Vladimir Putin, building a wall to keep the Mexicans out and forcing them to pay for it, disputes with past beauty pageant contestants and others about his alleged treatment of them, and his grand plans to "Make America Great Again".  Give us more about what's in Clinton's hacked e-mails, Bill's talking out of turn at campaign appearances, and alleged financial improprieties at their "charitable" foundation.  The Islamic State and the economy can wait.

It's all too much for the average voter to take in.  But this is what happens when big money and brand name candidates come together, because no sane person wants to run for President.

Some of you who do not wish to see either Trump or Clinton in the White House will probably be voting for either Libertarian candidate Gary Johnson, or Jill Stein of the Green Party.  Good luck with that.  Just don't be surprised if you end up getting blamed if the wrong person gets elected.

Now that everything's almost said and done, there's only one thing to do if you haven't done so already:  Go out to your polling place and vote for the one person you can tolerate the most for the next four years.