No October Surprise: Trump still a fool

Donald Trump's much heralded "October Surprise", that he had news that could change the course of the presidential election, turned out to be vintage Trump braggadocio involving his twin obsessions of money and race baiting President Obama. Trump provided no new facts. He simply offered to donate five million dollars to Obama's favorite charity if the President would release his "passport information" along with college admission and grade records. This plays to the four year long effort to depict Obama as the un American "outsider", a black African hailing from Kenya. Trump, who toyed with running for President himself, is the last and most visible celebrity extremist continuing to ride this despicable racist ploy to end the administration of our first African American president.

A real "October Surprise" would be if Trump would look deep into his flawed character, have an epiphany, and announce his intention to dedicate the remainder of his life to being a decent actor on the national stage.

Short take on foreign policy presidential debate

War monger wannabe Romney auditions for Nobel Peace Prize: "We can't kill our way out of this mess".

Roskam goes to bat for middle class; whiffs on 10 straight

Since this election is about the Great American Middle Class, let's look at IL 6th District Congressman Peter Roskam's batting average when he gets a chance to swing mightily on its behalf:

First at bat: Voted for the GOP FY 2013 budget which slashes job creating domestic spending and proposes a mind numbing voucher program for Medicare

Second at bat: Voted to extend the Bush tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans which unconscionably bloats American indebtedness

Third at bat: Voted for H.R. 10 allowing Congress veto power over health, safety and environmental regulations the President has discretionary power to implement

Fourth at bat: Voted to gut ability of Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to protect consumers

Fifth at bat: Voted against House Resolution 112 which would reduce long term federal debt through short-term job-creation measures, such as increased spending on rebuilding roads and schools.

Sixth at bat: Voted to diminish rights of private sector workers to hold union elections

Seventh at bat: Voted for H.R. 3080 which lowers tariffs on US auto exports to S. Korea while maintaining incentives to outsource US jobs

Eighth at bat: Voted for H.R. 4348 which would weaken environmental protection efforts, fast-track the controversial Keystone XL pipeline and seriously delay vital transportation projects

Ninth at bat: Voted for H.R. 4628 which keeps student loan borrowing costs low for 7 million college students at the expense of ending a vital public health program

Tenth at bat: Voted to repeal Obamacare 31 times without offering any help for the forty million folks without any or inadequate health care insurance

The 200,000 likely 6th District voters, who overwhelmingly represent the middle class, are looking at Roskam's box score. Being good managers of their middle class values and aspirations, they may very well tell Congressman Roskam November 6th to "GRAB SOME BENCH".

McGovern's life one to celebrate far greater than Nixon's

Many hearing the news of 1972 presidential contender George Mcgovern's death today will say: "Who's that"? or "Was he still alive"?

I'm not among them because McGovern has been one of my progressive heroes since his quixotic presidential run on a peace in Vietnam platform against the truly flawed incumbent, Richard Nixon. The President was re-elected by the biggest landslide in US history, in part due to "dirty tricks", but also because he had a "secret" peace plan to end the Vietnam War. We know now that both were criminal enterprises; the later amounting to an international crime against humanity as Nixon's secret plan for peace was a secret plan for escalated war to avoid losing a lost and senseless war. Its also likely that Nixon's resignation for the domestic crimes, hastened the end of the Vietnam War, since funding was withdrawn under President Ford, who did not have the personal investment in avoiding its tragic end that Nixon did.

I heard McGovern speak in person once, sixteen years ago at the College of DuPage. His subject had nothing to do with politics and war, just the failed personal battle to save his daughter's life from an early death from alcoholism. As sad as McGovern's saga was, it was inspiring for his unconditional love and heroic efforts to save his daughter, and then his courage in sharing her story with the nation.

Just a week ago I received the last of many mail solicitations under McGovern's name, seeking funds for some humanitarian cause he was still championing, even as his long life ebbed away. I didn't shed a tear upon hearing of Nixon's passing. I sure did for McGovern.