A Pen Pal for Cesar Sayoc

Good timing getting this letter printed on the same day that the MAGA terrorist bomber's arrest hits the papers.

Link

We are in the middle of a serious insurrection and it is growing daily. It must be stopped immediately. If the election goes to the Democratic (insurrection) Party next month, then there will be a very short period to declare martial law. This is the only way justice can be done and our way of life preserved.

Yes, that's how it starts, and no, it doesn't get better. 

Letter Without a Title

This is in response to Sue Ward's letter accusing Tedra Cobb of "blanket statements" on affordable healthcare. Not sure if it qualifies as blanket or not, but Donald Trump said his replacement for ACA would be "terrific" and there would be "insurance for everybody." Progress seems as slow as that on the Great Wall of Mexico. There certainly was no improvement in AHCA that Rep. Stefanik voted to send to the Senate. It was estimated that would've cost over 64,000 of her constituents their health insurance. Not terrific, nor insurance for everyone. Since that Keystone Kops attempt at repeal and replace, Mr. Trump has just sought to continually undermine ACA. Rep. Stefanik has done nothing to stanch that.

Aside from the order killing the individual mandate, pushing short-term and association health plans is probably his most destructive actions. These are exempt from consumer protections required under ACA. There seems to be a theme under the Trump administration when it comes to protecting consumers. Anyone not familiar with caveat emptor likely should become so. Quoting a New York Times fact check on the recent Trump editorial in USA Today: "The Justice Department ... would no longer defend provisions in the Affordable Care Act that protect patients with pre-existing conditions."

Tedra Cobb has years of experience in the healthcare field and will work to ensure that folks in the North Country have access to insurance. Elise Stefanik spent two years voting ACA repeal bills to be sent to Barack Obama for veto. She has spent another two years as a bystander while it's been systematically crippled.  

Letter to Maggie

In response to this: Link

I'm a naive follower of the Democratic Party responding to Maggie Alitz's letter accusing the Democrats of slandering Brett Kavanaugh. They didn't slander Neil Gorsuch, so there must be something different about Kavanaugh. We don't know if he's truthful about sexual abuse. He paints himself as a drinker, but never to excess. "In denying the possibility that he ever blacked out from drinking, and in downplaying the degree and frequency of his drinking, Brett has not told the truth." That's Chad Ludington who was present when Kavanaugh began a brawl that ended with Chris Dudley's arrest. He was aggressive when drinking as a youth and still seems belligerent today as evidenced by his attitude toward questioning by Senator Klobuchar. Further evidence of his lack of judicial temperament is his blaming questioning of him on "revenge on behalf of the Clintons."  Advice and consent by Congress isn't slander or conspiracy. Questioning his honesty and disposition is allowed.

Yes Ms. Alitz, Abraham Lincoln was a Republican and responsible for the emancipation of slaves. But Donald Trump is the sad culmination of the devolution of the party that began with the Southern Strategy put forth by Richard Nixon. That was a plan to win over southern Democrats who were angry about Lyndon Johnson's actions to advance civil rights. Lincoln would not have approved. You've left the Democratic Party and joined the Republicans, for whatever reason. Great! So did Strom Thurmond (in 1964 over civil rights) and Donald Trump. It was not a Democrat who found "fine people" among the neo-Nazis, Klansmen, white supremacists and other assorted racists in Charlottesville. It was Mr. Trump.