TOMORROW-VOTE

 

 When I was growing up one of my sandlot football friends/opponents was Harrison (Pete) Williams, the son of a Republican who was president of a burial vault company.        

 After an abortive attempt to practice law in New Hampshire where outsiders were shunned he returned to Practice in Plainfield and as a Democrat in this solid GOP land he was elected to Congress and several years later to the Senate where he was instrumental in passage of such landmark laws as the Employee Retirement Income Security Act, which protects worker pensions, and the 1969 Coal Mine Safety and Health Act.

  “Once known as ''senator for life,'' and the only New Jersey Democrat to be elected to four Senate terms, Senator Williams was convicted on May 1, 1981, on nine counts of bribery and conspiracy for promising to use his office to further a business venture in which he had a hidden interest. He was fined $50,000 and sentenced to three years in prison, which he served at a minimum-security federal prison in Allenwood, Pa.” (NYTimes).  
   He was the first Senator in 80 years to be sentenced to jail. It could have happened again but for a hung jury.

   On March 11, 1982, he resigned in the face of overwhelming indications that more than two-thirds of the Senate, where he had served for 23 years, were about to expel him.

   I mention this because it is 36 hours before the country sets its course for the next 2 years.

  For myself the issue is not “Blue or Red”. But one of ethical moralities. Accepting the fact that it is a rarity to find a Politician whose ethics are beyond questioning; the choice is too often between bad and “bader”.

  This year we have been bombarded with the most negative TV ads in my recollection.  Both the Senate race candidates have been to say the least, liberal with the truth. In their case  

  I feel that history of ethical transgressions and/or belief in campaign promises tip the scale.

  The other problem we have in New Jersey is the entrenched political machines who excel in joint cross locality jobs as well as patronage and nepotism.   

  These are strangleholds that it will take the participation of all voters especially the large unaffiliated group at the polls to loosen.

 I have cast my ballot and do not expect all to be for the winner, but Anon I feel that I have acted in the best interests of a Democracy.

  Please all of you exercise your privilege as a citizen and VOTE even if it is for the one I consider to be wrong.  

Sorry about the change in font size; although I tried many times to correct it always reverted to  a small print.

THE DANGER OF IMPEACHMENT

   The Republicans have made many inflammatory statements about the danger of electing Democrats and causing the loss of Congress. And the radical Democrats have claimed that if they controlled Congress they would impeach Trump .   A while back Trump commented on Fox and Friends that “impeachment would be a disaster for the country. “

   I do think that Trump is right that it would be a disaster, but for the wrong reason. When the President’s office is vacant he is succeeded by the Vice-President.

   That would be Pence a zealot ultra-right Christian who would try to impose a Theocracy. He has expressed his feelings on racial relations, abortions and the place of women in society. The Ayatollah of Iran could be an angel in comparison.

   Pence is the person who in as a  memorial to those killed in Pittsburg as Rabbi Harry Pell has written; ‘”In inviting Rabbi Loren Jacobs to the stage to address the crowd at his Michigan rally — and by referring to Jacobs as “a leader in the Jewish community” — Pence erred on many levels. First off, Pence was simply incorrect. Jacobs may (or may not) be a leader in the messianic Jewish community, which most Jews would consider a Christian community, but he is not now and has never been a leader in the Jewish community.

Even more offensive is the fact that Jacobs, like many if not most messianic Jews, believes that Jews who do not accept Jesus are destined for hell. Jews can only be saved by accepting Jesus as their lord and savior, according to Jacobs, and getting them to do so is the central mission of Jews for Jesus. In other words, the “rabbi” Pence asked to share a blessing for unity believes that the only way for Jews to reach heaven is to stop being Jews.

   To be clear, a messianic Jew has as much right to her or his beliefs as I have to mine. It is admittedly unsettling to many Jews that the observances of messianic Jews look so, well, Jewish, including Jewish ritual items and Hebrew prominently, while being so based in Christian theology. But unsettling is not in and of itself offensive. It is also worth stating that this discomfort with messianic Judaism is not a discomfort with Christianity. Christianity, which looks like Christianity, is simply a different religion from Judaism and to be respected as a fellow faith tradition. Where messianic Judaism becomes much more troubling is when it seems to pass itself off as authentic Judaism, and especially when this resemblance is used to evangelize to Jews and try to pull them away from Judaism

    Jews for Jesus was founded in 1973 at the urging of the Southern Baptist Convention as a missionary organization with a very specific purpose: to evangelize to Jews and recruit them to Christianity. Jews for Jesus paved the way for a variety of groups that today identify as messianic Jews, and resist the accusation that they exist to “lure Jews away from Judaism.” Instead, messianic Jews see themselves as offering Jews the opportunity to become “completed” Jews by accepting Jesus, without leaving Judaism.

   The problem is that this is theologically impossible. The belief that Jesus was the messiah is the defining core belief of Christianity, and completely outside the realm of Judaism, all of whose mainstream branches believe that the Mashiach has not yet come.”

    Fortunately, impeachment is a drastic step which must be first pass in the House and confirmed in the Senate.

Only two Presidents in history have been impeached, Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton. In both cases the Senate failed to confirm the House’s action. A third President, Richard Nixon, most likely would have been but he resigned before any vote.

   What would be better; stick with an egotistical incompetent or have a Pence for the next two years?

  I believe the answer is obvious. Also if the GOP controls the Senate the question is moot.

SENATE CANDIDATES

   Just a few days remain before the Nov. 6 mid term general elections.  As you know I have stated that between the horrible choice of incumbent Democrat Menendez and Republican Huggin I cannot visualize voting for a person who has been censured by the Senate for his ethics. True he was not convicted for his “crimes”, but a hung jury does not mean he was innocent.

   On the other hand, although Huggin would probably help the Republicans hold the Senate, that does not assure that he will support every one of Trump’s agendas. He claims he favors woman’s right of choice, Same sex marriages, Gay rights, etc. 

   But he is a politician and one is aware that words on the campaign trail are too often forgotten when elected.

   Alabama is a solid Trump Republican state. Yet its voters had the moral fortitude to reject Trump supported teen age sex seeker Roy Moore, and elect Democrat Doug Jones to the Senate.

   Do New Jersey Democrats have the same regard for morality and reject a tainted candidate ? Or, will they blindly vote a straight ticket?

  What say you Dan?