Thoughts for Today

1. The Orlando massacre was not a terrorist act. It was a hate crime. The Republicans are trying to deflect the issue away from the need to reinstitute the assault weapons ban, the need to introduce sensible gun regulations and the need to diminish the influence of the gun lobby.

2. Climate change is real. There is nothing called “climate skepticism.” There is only climate science and climate science denial. The latter represent a cohort bought and wholly owned by the fossil-fuel industry. Denying climate change is like denying evolution — oh, wait a minute ….

3. Washington DC should become the 51st state. It has more people than either Wyoming or Vermont. It currently lacks representation in the US Congress (its House member has voice but no vote) which, in my head, isn’t what representative democracy is all about.

3a. It ain’t gonna happen until the Democrats take back the House and Senate.

4. The ACA has to be amended to allow for the public option. The insurance companies are starting to ratchet up rates and many are going to find their policies unaffordable. It feels like an effort to undermine the success of the legislation. It’s important that this not be allowed to happen.

5. Sanders’s people will come ‘round. A month or two of Trump and even the most recalcitrant among them will realize that a Trump presidency would make Bush II look good — and don’t forget it was Dubya who made Nixon look good. See how that works?

6. Moderate, sensible conservatives, independents and Republicans will vote for Hillary. They won’t like it. They won’t tell anyone. They will hold their noses and punch that chad.

7. Trump may be under indictment when the election is held. Eric Schneiderman, New York State Attorney General, is currently ascertaining whether Trump’s actions while head of Trump University (sic) violated RICO guidelines. And that “biased” “Mexican” judge is still on the bench in the class-action suit.

8. And FWIW, I have a title for the world’s shortest book: “A Compendium of Sensible Proposals Put Forward by Donald J. Trump.” It’s a quick read. Trump won’t even need a ghost writer this time.