It always amazes me how far the Republican Party will go to protect themselves from their misdeeds and the exposure to them. In the past 35 years, they have been pushed so far to the right of reality that there is nowhere else to go.
Since Ronald Reagan started the slide into the swamp, with his Reaganomics and "trickle down theory", we have amassed a debt so large we will never pay it off, at this time close to $20,000,000,000,000, (yes, 20 TRILLION dollars). He tripled the debt during his tenure on, you guessed it, THE MILITARY. Next came Bill Clinton, who got impeached because he lied about a blowjob. Didn't get convicted, but impeached nevertheless. He left office with a massive surplus and a booming economy.
So along comes GW BUSH and his trusty sidekick Dick Cheney and there went that surplus, in a heartbeat!  9/11, the Patriot Act, Medicare Part D, (unpaid for) 2 unnecessary wars, (unpaid for) and still going on 17 years later, with Cheney's Halliburton and Eric Prince's Blackwater making billions in profit (unpaid for), and the banking industry, because of criminal behavior, decides to collapse because they made so many greedy and stupid moves to take advantage of people who knew no better.
So we get through that disaster and elect Obama. A young, intelligent constitutional lawyer, an eloquent speaker with a bright thinking mind and an intelligence to match. And what do the Republicans do? Demonize him, accuse him of everything that they can think of, (none of it true), attempt to block anything he tries to accomplish, question his birthplace, call his family monkeys and other disgusting names, yet he maintains his and his family's dignity throughout the whole time he is in office. He saves the banking industry, the auto industry, the entire country from depression, and what does he get for it? More derision and ridicule!
You have been and are being played, by a political party whose sole and entire purpose is to subjugate, divide, and dumb down an entire population so that they can maintain their wealth and power over the masses. And 30% of you are falling for it!
I am proud to be among the 70% who aren't falling for it, and I will fight you the rest of my days to prevent you from accomplishing what you want, the complete and utter takeover of MY country!

It still amazes me how a populace can be so driven by ignorance. I really try not to condemn 45 voters in the sense that they have been sold a bill of goods that they are going to come out better off than they were. The problem with that is that as long as they feel like someone is going to make their lives better, they will continue to vote against their own best interests. What they can't come to terms with is that each time they do that, they get screwed and don't learn, and quite frankly this is the fault of both parties. It has to stop! Some of these people have been in Congress for so many years, they have no idea what the real world is dealing with.
Unfortunately for us, there are a great many ignorant, low information voters that are biased against whoever they are told is against them. We need a turnout like never before in this next election, people who are demonstrating, marching, calling their reps in Congress. people who are informed. I know everyone is saying vote Blue, and to a degree I agree, but there are many good people who may not have the backing of a particular party apparatus, who may not have the money to run ads and such. I know, because I am one of them. Do not overlook us, as we have the ability to compromise not only for the good of the people who elect us, but the good of the country as a whole. We must stop the division or we will not survive. #Resist2018 dennismoconnor.com

That again is what they offered to the parents and families of the dead in another school shooting. Shove it, Trump!
I attended the Womens March in Philadelphia this past weekend, and for that day I was thankful to be among people who care about our country and it's path forward. Tonight I watched Fiddler on the Roof. When I see the evil that is done to the Jews, in that film, by the Russians, it reminds me of the disgusting things they are doing to OUR people.
We march and we protest the inhumane things that are done to our people by our government and it brings me back to reality. Our Congress is rotten to the core, and it is all in pursuit of money and power.
The evil that persists in the minds of men of power is killing humanity, and it is on a rapidly escalating pace. Trump and his sycophants are complicit. The entire Republican side of Congress is intent on destroying anything and everything that has EVER been accomplished to help the less fortunate among us. I'm talking of the poor, the uneducated, the elderly, the sick, the homeless. They could not care less about any of them. All they seek is wealth and power and control over others. Trump is dismantling America, agency by agency, and the Congress is complicit in helping him. This is the most corrupt government I have ever seen in my lifetime, and quite frankly, I am done being quiet!
Women, they control your bodies and what you can do with them, yet you still continue to vote for these idiots! WHY? Seniors, they are now threatening your Social Security and Medicare, yet you continue to vote for these idiots. WHY?
Younger people, you are starting to wake up and realize that they can't be trusted. Bravo, maybe someone can still save us.
I could go on and on, but it will do no good unless a lot more wake up and take to the voting booth and rid this country of it's cancer.
I personally am running for Congress, because I believe it is within my power to maybe leave this place a little better than what it has become. All of you have a decision to make, do I let this continue or do I stop it! At this point, it is up to you!
#Resist2018 dennismoconnor.com

I don't know how many people were there for the March, but it was a great day for protest. There must have been at least 25 to 30 thousand, no incidents, happy people and happy police! We have not seen any reports of the rest of the world, but if it was like Philly, it was a great day. We're tired but feel good. With Congress shutting down the government for no good reason, it's time to shut down the Congress. Register and vote, the life you save may be mine!

Dennis O'Connor
January 5, 2017
Republican, Republican, what is your game
Why can you not, treat us the same
You have plenty, we have none
When it comes to my Medicare, it comes to my gun
You don't care if people will die
You simply care that you're living a lie
Honesty
Decency
You have none
As long as you sit there, just having fun
Well let me tell you, right here and now
Quit sucking the teat of a big fat sow
You owe us your loyalty
To one and to all
Deny us this and you surely will fall
Because you have awakened a beast from within
And it's not going away until you give in
Damn you, damn you, you have no brains
Just money and power and ill-gotten gains
Hear me now, and hear me clear
The one thing I'm sure of is that I do not fear
I have nothing to lose, I'm 70 years old
I simply know this, you won't get my gold
So suck it up, Buttercup, we're watching you
Do what's right or we'll throw you out too!

Pretty much everyone who knows me knows that I am a deep thinker, that my mind is seldom at rest. I obviously have lately been thinking of our government and how it functions, (or doesn't function).
Our government is comprised of 435 members of the House, 100 Senators, and 1 President and 1 Vice President. Consider for a moment what we pay these people to represent us and make decisions supposedly for the benefit of all equally.
Now consider how our government has functioned for the past 8 years. Pure Gridlock! Very little accomplished to benefit the public in general, because the Republican Party made a conscious decision to block or stymie everything that President Obama proposed, even if they proposed it first and he decided to back it.
Now, back to my point. We probably spend nearly 1.5 million dollars per Representative with staff and all, and more for Senators. Which probably amounts to over a billion dollars a year just for the Congress. What have we gotten for that money?
A totally dysfunctional body of people who cannot see their way clear to compromise on anything, which means that we have wasted $8,000,000,000 to gain nothing. And somehow they all leave Congress as millionaires. Get the picture?
We have a do-nothing person in the Oval Office whose chief goal is to travel to his golf courses and play golf, which by the way has already cost us over $140,000,000. If I were spending that kind of money to play golf, I sure as hell wouldn't be doing it at a Trump property.
If you think for a moment that you are getting something in return for all that money, you are sadly mistaken.
Don't you think it's time to say I've had enough and say that this experiment with allowing the Republicans to be in charge of all 3 branches of government has failed, for about the second or third time. TRICKLE DOWN DOES NOT WORK! It never has and it never will! Lock that in your brain and repeat it every day.
TRICKLE. DOWN. DOES. NOT. WORK.

We in this country talk quite a bit about human rights. We are quick to criticize others for human rights violations, yet are willing to deny basic rights to our own people because you believe you are protecting them from themselves and the foolish decisions they may make.
 We deny women the right to make their own decisions about their lives and health because you feel "God" would not want them to make decisions contrary to your beliefs. Yet by doing so, you inject your "opinions" into a place we do not belong.
Therefore any woman who, by circumstances beyond her control such as poverty, rape, age, inability to raise a child, should be denied the right to terminate that pregnancy because you know better. Bullshit! Until it directly affects you, you have no right to determine another's life.
We talk about gun control, yet are unwilling to make any substantive decisions about background checks or the allowance of military hardware in the hands of people who use those weapons to carry out wholesale slaughter of our fellow citizens. Hail the NRA! Kill all you want, we'll stand up for your rights!
We talk about healthcare and the availability of access to basic services, yet we deny that coverage so we can prop up a broken system of drug companies and insurance middlemen taking 20% to 30% of premiums for shareholders, yet people die every day of illnesses that could be prevented by basic care and early intervention.
We talk about the militarization of our police forces, supply them with military hardware, hire soldiers just back from a war zone and wonder why a person of color is terrified of being stopped for a routine traffic stop, wondering if they will still be alive afterwards!
We can TALK all we want. If we as a people do not come to terms with our prejudices and biases and do something more than talk, we are not going to survive as a republic.
The government as we think it should be is badly broken, and the only way we are going to repair it is to listen to your legislators, and if they do not conform to basic human rights regardless of their biases, get them out of control of our lives! Don't just blindly vote Republican or Democrat, educate yourselves and make decisions based on that education. Vote for people who will use logic and common sense in their decisions, because there are a lot of new people seeking office, and some of them fit that profile.

Since I started this episode in my life many months ago, I have come to realize that the anger that I held from the day of the election was harming me. I was internalizing my anger and lashing out in my posts. So I have now backed off and realized that the only way I am going to change anything is to somehow find common ground with detractors and opponents. We are a country that has gone through major failures in our past and we have somehow managed to overcome them. We were born out of conflict, yet overcame . So now it is time to overcome again.
We must overcome ignorance, hatred, fear of others differences, greed, arrogance, and most of all not thinking that others opinions don't matter. Because they do, just like ours do.
I have found myself smiling at people I don't know, wishing them a good day. I have straightened the grocery carts that others refuse to put in the correct place, just because it makes me feel better and helps someone who has to corral those carts. Letting people out of side streets into traffic. Small steps make someone else's life just a little better.
But by doing so, it makes my life a little better each time.
I care about this planet and it's people! I want to end the incivility and hatred. I know I won't be able to change many, but if I can change a few along the way, I will feel good about myself and my place in society.
Think about that for yourselves and look at others in a different light. I think you will enjoy it.
We have a long and difficult road ahead to correct the damage that has been done and is being done to our country. But I believe there are enough good people left that we can get it done, one step at a time.
ONWARD AND UPWARD #Resist2018

I have been around for a long enough time to have seen the tenures of 12 Presidents. It seems to be a recurring theme that the country flourishes under Democratic presidents and falters under Republican leadership, primarily because of the completely opposite philosophies of the two parties, which has become much more distinct since Ronald Reagan.
Reagan started this philosophy that tax cuts stimulated growth because of "trickle down economics", when in fact it did just the opposite. Think about it. The tax rate on the wealthy during Eisenhower's terms was 70%. We built the interstate system, passed Civil rights legislation, and brought the Korean war to a peace agreement. We had the most stable economy we ever had. John Kennedy, while not perfect, was one of the most loved politicians of his time. He and Bobby stood up to the Soviet Union in Cuba and probably prevented a nuclear holocaust. Together they stood up to bigots in the south who did not want integration.
Sadly, he was assassinated before his time. "Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country" I will never forget that, as I was only 16 when he said that.
Statesmanship! That is what is missing from politics today, the ability to see another's viewpoint and agree to disagree peacefully. Today it's all out war for the almighty buck and the citizen be damned!
Many of you, myself included, did not approve of Bill Clinton's sexual pecadillo's, but he was still a good president as far as the country and our finances were concerned. The Republicans today feel that it is in the best interest of it's citizens to starve the country financially to the point of collapse. Look what happened under Bush and Cheney, war and privacy invasions in the name of security. Cheney's Halliburton making billions off of war in Iraq.
President Obama then came along, charismatic, intelligent, prepared to get things done and what happened to him? Mitch McConnell on his inauguration day along with other high Republican officials swore they would make him a one-time President, and fought him the entire way, even though he saved this country from total financial disaster and saved the automakers thus saving tens of thousands of jobs. What did he get in return ? Constant character assassination.
#45, through his rhetoric has already cost the American farmer billions in lost productivity and sales to Mexico, and now through immigration policy has driven Mexican crop laborers into hiding in fear of deportation, therefore leaving crops unpicked and rotting on the ground. Ask Georgia!
Now he is attacking NAFTA and Canada and Mexico will respond accordingly. He has embarrassed us in the eyes of the world to a point where diplomacy is non-existent. The State Dept. has lost most of it's good people and they are not being replaced because he either won't appoint any or they will not work for him. His bluster and arrogance are dangerous. All the top Republican leadership must be replaced or this republic will die. They have outlived their time. This is a new world and the old ways will not work. We must change for the good of our country!
,

Yesterday our president again insulted more countries by calling them "Shithole Countries " yet you still stand up for him by not speaking up against this vulgar and racist attack. YOU are partly to blame for this monstrosity of an administration, by your lack of reining him in. Quite frankly, he should have been removed long before now, much less ever being allowed to take the office in the first place. You continue on a daily basis to demonstrate that you care for little other than stripping this country of it's wealth and fairness.
It is no longer a case of wait and see what happens next. We are in serious trouble here and you simply don't care! McConnell and Ryan, you are both either bought off (pretty sure of that ) or you are just hoping it will all go away before they find the smoking gun!
Well, guess what? I believe they have you both in the cross hairs and you are going down with the remainder of the people who will not stand up and denounce what he says. All of you are useless to the average citizen. Your ideas are backwards and your viewpoint of America and it's people is wrong. We are angry, we are upset, we are fighting mad, and we are going to take you down in November. So bail now because you fear defeat or prison, or go down in November when people vote you out of our House. And I personally would like to escort you out the door!

As I sit here tonight, 2 things come to mind.
#1 is Forrest Gump and how he just decided to run, and didn't stop until he felt it was the right time, then he went home. This is my right time, and I'll go home when I think it's the right time!
#2 is that most politicians are afraid of their own shadows, that they are perpetually running for office instead of caring for the peoples needs. I am a firm believer in a few sayings that come to mind, one of which is " If you can't walk the walk, don't talk the talk". The other is " Money talks, bullshit walks". I intend to "Walk The Walk" and "Talk the Talk" about the BS along the way, because today's politics are mostly that, BS.
Of course, my philosophy is just the opposite of that, because I don't have a lot of money but I can walk really well. And of course I can talk, but I'm not a bullshitter. What you get from me is my true feelings. We may not always agree, but at least it's truth! I sleep well.
I have to believe that there are many of you who feel the same, and I hope some of you will join me in my Walk Across Maine in the spring, like they did with Forrest.

#Resist2018 As I sit here perusing my different pages, and reading the daily articles about DC and what is going on, I see that Darrell Issa is retiring from Congress. He knows he will not be re-elected, so he is bailing like a lot of other Republicans. And now we get the "Darth Vader" from Arizona deciding that "I've been pardoned for my crimes, I may as well see if I can screw up Washington as bad as I screwed Arizona" Joe Arpaio!
Are Republicans really that foolish, or do they really think they are getting something over on the people and we're just going to sit back and let them do it. I sincerely don't get it. And I'm talking about the voting public, not the politicians, because politicians know exactly what they are doing, making millions off your dime!
I personally am fed up with their lies and conniving ways. We can no longer afford to let them do it. They are stealing our countries future and our children's future. I am running for Congress , not because I want to join that cesspool in DC, but because I hope to be a voice of the average Joe just trying to make a living.
I hope to have at least another 20 good years left in me before I go, and I would like to put that time towards a decent and clean future for myself and those coming up behind me. So much has changed in the past 50 years, and not for the good.
We are constantly at war with someone, we are constantly sticking our nose in places we don't belong, our people are dying daily through gun violence, drug overdoses, police violence because of the mindset towards minorities and militarization of our police forces. We continue because of organizations like the NRA, Fox "NEWS", the military-industrial complex that Dwight Eisenhower warned about in 1960, and most of the fringe right groups that were formerly the "Tea Party". MONEY, MONEY, MONEY. It's all about the money!
We have a lunatic in the White House, surrounded by other lunatics trying to keep him from blowing up the world, yet helping him destroy our democracy. Think about this. President Obama had massive crowds cheering him in Germany and now Germany doesn't even want Trump in their country. I don't know about you, but I've had enough! It's time to fight and in the proper way, through the ballot box. If we can stop them from stealing this upcoming election, we might stand a chance. Are you with me?