The Struggle for the Soul of America: Democrats Must Strengthen Their Closing Argument to Win the November Elections

Posted on October 23, 2022 by Author: Bruce Berlin

We are in the home stretch of the November 8 mid-term elections. While Republican campaigns are keying in on inflation, the economy and rising crime rates, the Democrats are mainly focused on the threat to abortion rights. Though those rights are very important, there are other critical issues that the Democrats need to highlight in their closing argument to win this year’s elections.

In fact, the Democrats have a clear and compelling economic message for working Americans: We are on your side and much better for your pocketbook than the Republicans.

In less than two years of the Biden administration, the unemployment rate has fallen to just 3.5%, matching the level before the COVID pandemic.[1]
Since Biden became president, over 10 million jobs have been created, “…the most new jobs during the first 20 months of any U.S. presidential administration, ever.”[2]

Sen. Bernie Sanders is right, the Democrats must take the fight over the economy to the Republicans in these final weeks of the campaign. Sanders argues:

We have more income and wealth inequality than at any time in the modern history of this country. Is there one Republican prepared to raise taxes on billionaires, or do they want to make a bad situation worse by extending Trump’s tax breaks for the rich and repealing the estate tax?
Today, 60% of Americans are living paycheck to paycheck, and millions work for starvation wages. Is there one Republican in Congress who is prepared to raise the federal minimum wage to at least $15 an hour?
Corporations are charging Americans outrageously high prices, while enjoying record breaking profits. Republicans talk a lot about inflation. But what are they going to do about it? Does one of them have the courage to consider a windfall, profits tax? Absolutely not.[3]

To make matters even worse, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) is calling for cutting Social Security and Medicare benefits if the Republicans win control of Congress in next month’s election.[4] This should frighten all seniors and motivate them to get to the polls and vote Blue. Democrats need to make sure that all senior citizens are fully aware that their critical entitlements are endangered if the GOP wins the election.

At the same time, Republicans are indicating they want to make the 2017 Trump tax cuts permanent if they retake Congress. You may remember that these cuts “resulted in a massive windfall for large corporations and the wealthy.”[5] Once again, Republicans aim to make the rich richer at the expense of seniors on fixed incomes and middle- and working- class Americans.

Actually, it’s the Democrats that are the party of fiscal responsibility, not the Republicans. In the just completed 2022 fiscal year, the Biden administration oversaw the largest one-year decline in the federal deficit in American history.[6]

Meanwhile, the national debt rose “by almost $7.8 trillion during Trump’s time in office. That’s nearly twice as much as what Americans owe on student loans, car loans, credit cards and every other type of debt other than mortgages, combined…”[7]

Democrats must underscore that GOP tax cuts, including a sharp reduction in the corporate tax rate to 21% from 35%,[8] boost inflation just like the increased spending Republicans oppose.[9] While Republicans blame Democrats for inflation despite the fact it’s a global phenomenon and not the result of Biden’s policies,[10] they are fine with increasing inflation when it benefits their wealthy contributors.

Then there’s the issue of rising crime. Republicans have a much worse record on deadly crime than Democrats. A March 2022 report found:

In 2020, per capita murder rates were 40% higher in states won by Donald Trump than those won by Joe Biden.
8 of the 10 states with the highest murder rates in 2020 voted for the Republican presidential nominee in every election this century.[11]

And, finally, voting rights. A report by the Brookings Institute found that laws restricting the right to vote have largely passed in Republican states and laws expanding voting rights passed in Democratic states.[12] Again, the Democrats are on the side of the American voter and need to proclaim that they are the party that will protect voting rights and save our democracy.

Unfortunately, Republicans are much better at messaging than Democrats as they twist the truth. It’s up to all of us to help clarify what they are really about and who is truly on the side of the American people in these last weeks before election day. It’s not too late, but we must act now!

Bruce Berlin, J.D.

A retired, public sector ethics attorney, Berlin is the author of Breaking Big Money’s Grip on America (See breakingbigmoneysgrip.com.), the founder of New Mexicans for Money Out of Politics, a former U.S. Institute of Peace fellow, and the founder and former executive director of The Trinity Forum for International Security and Conflict Resolution. He can be reached at breakingbigmoneysgrip@gmail.com.

Subscribe to this blog at https://breakingbigmoneysgrip.com/my-blog-3/. Join the movement to revive our democracy. Together we can save the soul of America.

[1] https://www.npr.org/2022/08/05/1116036160/the-unemployment-rate-fell-to-3-5-matching-its-lowest-level-in-the-last-50-years

[2] https://finance.yahoo.com/news/for-biden-10-million-new-jobs-isnt-good-enough-182825191.html

[3] https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/commentisfree/2022/oct/10/democrats-midterms-victory-economy-bernie-sanders

[4] https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/10/18/mccarthy-gop-medicare-social-security/

[5] https://www.commondreams.org/news/2022/10/17/if-they-retake-congress-gop-plan-make-trump-tax-cuts-rich-permanent

[6] https://www.yahoo.com/news/biden-touts-federal-deficit-largest-170103774.html

[7] https://www.propublica.org/article/national-debt-trump

[8] https://www.propublica.org/article/national-debt-trump

[9] https://www.commondreams.org/news/2022/10/17/if-they-retake-congress-gop-plan-make-trump-tax-cuts-rich-permanent

[10] https://www.epi.org/blog/rising-inflation-is-a-global-problem-u-s-policy-choices-are-not-to-blame/

[11] https://www.thirdway.org/report/the-red-state-murder-problem

[12] https://www.brookings.edu/blog/fixgov/2021/10/26/voter-suppression-or-voter-expansion-whats-happening-and-does-it-matter/

The Struggle for the Soul of America: Trump Indictment Coming Soon Because No One Is Above the Law

Posted on October 15, 2022 by Author: Bruce Berlin

Donald J. Trump will be indicted before the spring of next year. Many of us, of course, believe he should already have been indicted and put on trial. But Attorney General Merrick Garland is a very deliberate man. He was not about to push for indicting Trump before the midterms and consequently be accused of playing politics with the indictment, not that he won’t get that pushback whenever an indictment does come.

Garland has made it very clear that he stands by the basic American principle that “no one is above the law.”[1] In the House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6^th Attack on the U.S. Capitol’s final public hearing this past Thursday, the Committee laid out a compelling case that Trump broke several federal laws.[2] Those include conspiracy to defraud the government, obstruction of justice and inciting a rebellion.[3] Now it is up to Garland and the Justice Department to act.

While a federal grand jury has been investigating allegations against Trump for many months, just recently the Department “issued over 30 more subpoenas to people within Trump’s orbit to appear before the federal grand jury.”[4] Then, on Thursday, the same day as the House Select Committee summed up its case against Trump, Chief U.S. District Judge Beryl A. Howell denied Trump’s claim of executive privilege, requiring that former Vice President Pence‘s chief of staff Marc Short testify before the grand jury.[5]

Judge Howell ruled that Short probably possessed information important to the Justice Department’s criminal investigation of the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol that was not available from other sources.[6] Howell’s decision opens the door for the testimony of the recipients of those 30 subpoenas, many of whom, if not all, would be claiming executive privilege if not for Howell’s ruling. Their testimony will likely give the DOJ a good deal more evidence to bolster its already strong case against Trump.

Still, the DOJ has to wrap up its inquiry and bring whatever formal charges it can against Trump sooner rather than later. The Department must realize that it’s window of opportunity is time limited. Once the 2024 presidential election cycle begins in earnest later next year, Trump will use every trick he can to make a political circus out of the Department’s prosecution, not that he won’t do that whenever he is indicted. In which case, the prosecution could drag on and public opinion could turn against the Department. Thus, the DOJ must move quickly in the new year to bring charges against Trump and proceed to trial as early as possible next summer.

Garland has no other choice since no one is above the law.

Bruce Berlin, J.D.

Subscribe to this blog at https://breakingbigmoneysgrip.com/my-blog-3/. Join the movement to revive our democracy. Together we can save the soul of America.

[1] https://www.c-span.org/video/?c5024451/ag-garland-charging-president-law

[2] https://www.npr.org/2022/10/13/1125333531/jan-6-hearing-recap-takeaways-trump-subpoena

[3] https://www.businessinsider.com/jan-6-panel-trump-broke-laws-riot-2020-election-lost-2022-6

[4] https://time.com/6212677/donald-trump-investigations-explained/

[5] https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2022/10/14/marc-short-grand-jury-testify-pence-trump/

[6] Ibid.

The Struggle for the Soul of America: A Vasquez Win in New Mexico Can Help the Democrats Keep the House Majority

Posted on October 11, 2022 by Author: Bruce Berlin

Next month’s midterm elections are now predicted to be much closer than anyone had thought they would be in early summer. Dave Wasserman of the nonpartisan Cook Political Report recently observed that the Democrats now could “stave off a Republican majority.”[1] In fact, according to USA Today, just 12 races will determine which party controls the House of Representatives in 2023.[2] (Go to https://www.yahoo.com/news/republicans-flip-house-midterm-elections-090020617.html to ascertain these 12 critical House contests.)

One of those contests is right here in New Mexico’s 2^nd Congressional District, which now includes some of Albuquerque’s westside as well as all of southern New Mexico. Democrat Gabe Vasquez is running to unseat Rep. Yvette Herrell, a first-term, MAGA Republican. A Vasquez campaign poll has its candidate in the lead by a mere one percentage point.[3]

While the economy and inflation are considered top issues around the country, a woman’s right to choose, voting rights and the threats to democracy are playing an important role in many undecided voters’ decisions. This is particularly true with the largest bloc of voters, women over 50 who comprised 30% of the 2020 electorate according to a recent AARP survey.[4]

Here’s where Congresswoman Herrell stands on these critical issues. She voted ‘NO’ on:

The John R Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2021 (HR 4), which protects our elections from voter suppression
The Protecting Our Democracy Act (HR 5314), which addresses issues involving abuses of presidential powers, checks and balances and accountability
The Freedom to Vote Act (HR 5746 ), which protects and expands voter registration efforts
The Right to Contraception Act (H.R.8373 ), protects a person’s ability to assess contraception
The Ensuring Access to Abortion Act of 2022 (H.R.8297), which prohibits interfering with a person’s ability to access out-of-state abortion services
The Women’s Health Protection Act of 2022 (H.R. 8296), which codifies Roe v. Wade into law[5]

Herrell is so radical that she even signed on to a national abortion ban that doesn’t offer exceptions for rape, incest, or the health of the woman.[6]

The two candidates could not be further apart on these key issues. Gabe Vasquez supports:

Ensuring safe, secure and fair elections
The right of every eligible American to vote and have his/her vote counted
Birth control
A woman’s right to choose[7]

If you want to support Gabe Vasquez’s campaign and the Democrats’ prospects of holding onto the House majority, go to his website (https://gabeforcongress.com/) and learn how you can help. Reach out to the people of NM District 2, especially women voters over 50. Let them know about these stark differences between the two candidates. Stress that their votes could determine whether a woman will have the right to choose as well as whether our democracy will even survive.

Bruce Berlin, J.D.

Subscribe to this blog at https://breakingbigmoneysgrip.com/my-blog-3/. Join the movement to revive our democracy. Together we can save the soul of America.

[1] https://www.cookpolitical.com/analysis/house/house-overview/house-overview-gop-control-no-longer-foregone-conclusion

[2] https://www.yahoo.com/news/republicans-flip-house-midterm-elections-090020617.html

[3] https://sourcenm.com/2022/10/05/in-the-redrawn-2nd-congressional-district-a-fierce-fight-is-underway/

[4] https://www.politico.com/newsletters/women-rule/2022/10/07/the-most-important-voting-bloc-is-still-undecided-00060947

[5] https://www.bluecd2nm.com/yvette-herrells-voting-record.html

[6] https://dccc.org/100-days-without-roe-yvette-herrell-wants-to-make-it-worse/

[7] https://gabeforcongress.com/issues/

The Struggle for the Soul of America: The Anti-American Republicans

Posted on October 2, 2022 by Author: Bruce Berlin

On Friday, Congress passed a last-minute Continuing Resolution to avert a partial government shutdown and keep the government running until December 16. That gives Congress 10 weeks of breathing room to forge together a budget for the new fiscal year, which just began on October 1.

While Democrats overwhelmingly supported the Resolution, 25 Republican senators and 201 Republican House members voted against it. In total, only 32 out of 261 Congressional Republicans decided it was more important to keep our government running than to shut it down because they objected to certain measures or omissions.[1] Without a budget resolution all non-essential discretionary functions would have stopped this past Friday at midnight.[2] Over 85% of Republicans responsible for enacting our laws were willing to throw thousands of federal employees out of work, halt many federal programs that millions of Americans depend on, and greatly disrupt our economy rather than give Congress just 10 more weeks to pass a budget for fiscal 2023.

The stopgap spending bill provides $18.8 billion for Hurricane Ian and other disaster relief,[3] including $2.5 billion for those adversely affected by the Hermit’s Peak/Calf Canyon fire in New Mexico.[4] Despite Hurricane Ian’s devastation of their state, all 16 Floridian GOP members of the House voted against the Resolution.[5] (Incredibly, Florida Sen. Rick Scott joined in the dissent while Sen. Rubio failed to cast a vote.[6]) Apparently party politics are more important to them than their own constituents’ extreme hardship and their state’s dire need for aid in the face of this major catastrophe.

With November election day fast approaching, what were they thinking? How will Florida’s voters respond to their Republican representatives turning their backs on them in their hour of need. It’s also very telling that Florida Republican Governor Ron DeSantis voted against relief for the Northeast in the wake of Hurricane Sandy a decade ago when he was in Congress.[7] Ironically, he is now welcoming federal disaster assistance for his home state.[8]

You have to wonder how Republicans sleep at night. Putting their party ahead of their constituents’ urgent needs. Welcoming federal aid only when they believe it will further their political ambitions. You’d hope that voters would see through Republican hypocrisy and lack of compassion and reject their candidates at the polls. We’ll know if that’s the case in just a few short weeks.

Bruce Berlin, J.D.

Subscribe to this blog at https://breakingbigmoneysgrip.com/my-blog-3/. Join the movement to revive our democracy. Together we can save the soul of America.

[1] https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/09/30/congress-continuing-resolution-jackson-investiture/

[2] https://www.crfb.org/papers/qa-everything-you-should-know-about-government-shutdowns#whatservicesaffected

[3] https://federalnewsnetwork.com/budget/2022/09/house-passes-continuing-resolution-averting-government-shutdown-fda-furloughs/; https://www.appropriations.senate.gov/news/leahy-statement-on-final-passage-of-the-continuing-resolution-

[4] https://apnews.com/article/wildfires-fires-new-mexico-business-congress-a1c482f16a2d306cb9edfd9612992273

[5] https://www.axios.com/2022/10/01/hurricane-ian-florida-gop-marco-rubio-funding

[6] https://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_votes/vote1172/vote_117_2_00351.htm

[7] https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/09/30/hurricane-relief-votes-hypocrisy/

[8] https://apnews.com/a09c2b89211fba1a55a9b26f05d26203; https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/desantis-dials-down-rhetoric-biden-210148402.html