BULWORTH 2020

Tom Steyer pandering for his LIFE last night and doing his best BULWORTH at Allen University (an HBCU).

https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/ryancbrooks/tom-steyer-juvenile-south-carolina-yolanda-adams

Last Polling Out of SC…

Looks like Biden’s firewall will stand. What’s impressive, is Buttigieg sudden rise in the state. Klobuchar and Warren are in trouble — especially Warren. In a recent poll, she trails Sanders IN HER HOME STATE OF MASSACHUSSETS! More on that this weekend.

Bloomberg creeping up in Florida poll

A month ago, a St. Pete Poll had Mike Bloomberg surging into second place behind Uncle Joe 41% to 17%. The sample size of likely voters was 2,590, with a Margin of Error of 1.9%.

What a difference a month makes! The same pollster conducted a new poll over the last two days of 3, 047 likely Democratic voters. With an MOE of 1.8%

Florida votes two weeks after Super Tuesday (March 2nd), so there is still time for anything to happen. But one must admit that the trajectory for both are in opposite directions. I’m not writing off Uncle Joe…yet. Blacks in South Carolina are his firewall. And the Culinary Union in Vegas not endorsing anyone doesn’t help his campaign either. Let’s see how Klobuchar and Mayor Pete do in Nevada, which caucuses (minus the app!) next Saturday.

#ChewonThis: Lunchtime Links

A ‘very credible’ new study on Seattle’s $15 minimum wage has bad news for liberals
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2017/06/26/new-study-casts-doubt-on-whether-a-15-minimum-wage-really-helps-workers/

#FlashbackFriday – Higher Ground

This is a new idea I recently had to write a little about covers of popular and favorite songs of yesteryear. I’ll try to steer clear of obvious choices (I Will Always Love You, Nothing Compares 2 U, etc.), and focus on songs people didn’t know were covers or that a certain artist actually covered a song by X. Below is the first installment of #flashbackfriday.

Red Hot Chili Peppers (Stevie Wonder)

Before they were giving it away under the bridge, the Red Hot Chili Peppers reached for “Higher Ground,” a Stevie Wonder cover. Released in 1989 on their fourth studio album, Mother’s Milk, the George Clinton-inspired Chili Peppers saw their first cross over hit as they were paying homage to Stevie Wonder and the important role he played in popular music.

The original, was released in 1973 on Stevie Wonder’s Innervisons album (which also included Living for the City, All in Love is Fair, Don’t You Worry ‘bout a Thing). It reached #4 on the Billboard Hot 100. In an interview with the New York Times, Stevie said the song lyrics addressed the issue of reincarnation.

Rolling Stone ranked the original song #265 on their list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

Will the Real Corey Booker Please Stand Up!

Picture it. Summertime, 2018. Democrats beginning to line up for the chance to take on the incoming President. The liberal left – progressives, as they like to call themselves – can’t wait to find their next savior. Now that President Obama is riding off into the sun set (or is he?), who’s next to take up the mantle of hope and change?

The Democrat’s, err, the progressive’s bench is fairly old and predominately (lilly) white. There are few “stars and rising stars,” but each come with their own set of circumstances.

Deval Patrick, the former black Governor of Massachusetts was a strong supporter for Mr. Obama when he first ran in 2008, to the chagrin of the Clintons. But he’s been out of office for two years and needs to find a way to stay relevant to the Left.

Enter Senator Jeff Sessions’ nomination to head up the Justice Department. Having intimate history with Senator Sessions, per the Boston Globe, Mr. Patrick sent a sternly worded letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee, recommending against Sessions’ nomination as the U.S. attorney general. Back in 1985, then-federal prosecutor Sessions had brought voter fraud charges against three black civil rights leaders. Patrick and the NAACP fought the case and won.

Newly minted California Senator Kamala Harris is brand new and not well known outside of her state.

And then there’s New Jersey Senator Corey Booker.

Corey Booker is running for President. How else can you explain his actions today? Since his entry into the Senate mid-way through the 113th Congress, Senator Booker has advanced himself as someone who was willing to reach across the aisle to find bipartisan agreement. Mr. Bipartisan he’s called.

Today, that changed. Today, he became the first Senator to testify against another currently sitting Senator. While that in and of itself is astounding, an eleven-month-old quote popping up on the interwebs is even more so.

Less than one year ago – on February 27, 2016 – Booker heaped praise upon Senator Sessions, saying that he was “blessed and honored” to work with Sessions. While receiving an award for crafting legislation to award the Congressional Gold Medal to civil rights leaders:

“I am humbled to be able to participate here and pay tribute to some of the extraordinary Americans whose footsteps paved the way for me and my generation. I feel blessed and honored to have partnered with Senator Sessions in being the Senate sponsors of this important award.”

Will the real Corey Booker please stand up!

Cigar Review: Romeo y Julieta Tubos #3

It has been awhile since I’ve been on here. But this occasion, the celebration of the birth of our Nation is a good reason to return.  And yes, I get the irony of smoke a Cuban on Independence Day.

This medium corona is the smallest from the Tubos series. It was a gift from a friend who was traveling abroad. I smoked this Cuban RyJ as I tried to watch the fireworks at Meridian Hill Park near my home. But it was too overcast and there was too much fog which prevented me from a good viewing. Although it was cool for a DC July night, it was very humid and muggy, not to mention wet. It had been raining off and on all day, and there was still some scattered showers.

There is not a lot of bang in this cigar, as it is medium in strength. It is heavy on woody flavors, and offers other flavors such as herbs and nuts. Took about 25 minutes to smoke, which is a little on the short side for me. But overall, it was not a bad smoke.

I give it 3 out of 5 stars.                  

Katrina, 10 Years Later

With this weekend being the 10 year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, I thought I would reflect on my experience with the storm.  Though I have never lived in New Orleans or Louisiana for that matter, I have many dear friends who I’ve met while in DC who are from the area.  And I’ve befriended many of the locals who I see each time I return.  My annual sojourn down to NOLA for Mardi Gras gives me a different perspective.  While I was not physically or economically impacted by Hurricane Katrina, I was emotionally affected.

Between 1995 and 2005, I had travelled to New Orleans eleven times – 6 times for Mardi Gras, and 1 time each for New Year’s Eve, Southern Decadence, a wedding and a Congressional junket.

Most tourists, unfortunately, don’t venture much outside of the French Quarter.  Thankfully, I was taught by friends local to the area that New Orleans had so much more to offer than 78 square blocks that is the Vieux Carré.

My dear friend Monica had me visiting Uptown (which ironically is south of The Quarter) quite often.  Not only did I get to see some of the most beautiful grandiose mansions along St. Charles Ave., but along the 30 minute streetcar ride, I would get to pass Tulane University and come close to the Audubon Park Zoo.  We would end up at Cooter Brown’s Tavern & Oyster Bar, where I had my first taste of alligator.

On other trips, I would visit some of the jook joints in Treme, Marigny, and Chalmette, which were not necessarily the safest of neighborhoods, but a damn good time.  I have fond memories of Sweet Lorraine’s.  Then there were the many trips to visit the famous cemeteries at the end of Canal Street near City Park.

The photos above were taken in the lower Ninth Ward during our trip for MG06, six months after the storm.

In the months after the devastations of Katrina, me and my friends who’ve gotten so much joy from our trips down to the Crescent City, decided that we would return to New Orleans the next year for another Mardi Gras.  The city wasn’t going to recover solely from federal dollars, the economy had to rebound.  And that meant residents had to return and tourism had to continue.  The common mantra we heard that year from the locals was “thank you for coming back!”  For us, it wasn’t even a question.

Since the levees broke, we’ve been back to N’awlins seven times for Mardi Gras.  And who could forget the pouring rain mud-fest that was British Pat’s bachelor party for Jazz Fest in 2007.  And every time I return, I make new friends.  On our trip to Mardi Gras this year, we met Corey, who bartends at our favorite breakfast place – Deja Vue.  He makes a mean bloody mary and an absolute delicious French 75.

By the way, I was sitting at Deja Vu one morning, and a guy comes in, orders a drink, sits for a minute and then leaves.  When he left, I said to my bartender, he looks familiar.  He said to me, “that was Kermit Ruffins.  He comes in a lot.”  Kermit Ruffins is a local jazz trumpeter.  He’s quite well known nationwide in the jazz circuit.  He was also in the the HBO series, Treme, which is about New Orleans’ recovery after the storm.

I will continue to love this city and will visit it as often as I can.

Statement from the Keystone State

Statement Regarding the Opinion of Judge Jones in the Whitewood Case

​News for Immediate Release

May 21, 2014

Statement Regarding the Opinion of Judge Jones in the Whitewood Case

“I have thoroughly reviewed Judge Jones’ opinion in the Whitewood case. Given the high legal threshold set forth by Judge Jones in this case, the case is extremely unlikely to succeed on appeal. Therefore, after review of the opinion and on the advice of my Commonwealth legal team, I have decided not to appeal Judge Jones’ decision.

“As a Roman Catholic, the traditional teaching of my faith has not w​​avered. I continue to maintain the belief that marriage is between one man and one woman. My duties as Governor require that I follow the laws as interpreted by the Courts and make a judgment as to the likelihood of a successful appeal.

“Throughout the debate on this important and meaningful issue, I have maintained that Commonwealth officials and agencies would follow the provisions of Pennsylvania’s marriage law unless or until a court says otherwise. The court has spoken, and I will ensure that my administration follows the provisions of Judge Jones’ order with respect for all parties.

“It is my hope that as the important issue of same-sex relationships continues to be addressed in our society, that all involved be treated with respect.”

On Independence Day

As America celebrates her 237th Independence Day, we live in a land that’s a little more free.  Today, there is a little bit more to celebrate.  We’re not completely there yet, but we have and we will continue to persevere.

Last week, the Supreme Court struck down Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act, which takes us one step closer to full equality for the LGBT.  That section had barred the federal government from recognizing same-sex marriages in states where it was legal.

There are still questions and issues to sort out, but today, we can clearly say that we are moving in the right direction.

And in the words of former Vice President Dick Cheney, “Freedom means freedom for everyone.”