Have We No Shame?

 

As the list of women who've accused Judge Roy Moore grows,

Some in Alabama's GOP have hit new lows.

They still plan to cast their ballots for a pedophile

Rather than a Democratic moderate...  How vile.

One guy used the Bible, claiming Mary was a teen,

Joseph was an adult...  Jesus Christ! I feel unclean.

Others tried to weasel out by saying that "if true"

Then Moore needs to step aside - which he's refused to do.

Have we really reached the point where people will excuse

Child abuse from Senate candidates who share their views?

Please tell me that there are still some standards that we keep...

If not, then we're truly lost and I can only weep.

#DNFTT

Knowing that the Russians have been weaponizing memes

With results that far exceeded Putin's wildest dreams

Leads me to a question that's been haunting me with doubt;

Is my opposition only helping Putin out?

Once I thought the worst damage had already been done -

On the morning I discovered Donald Trump had won;

Sowing seeds of bigotry, discord and discontent,

Which has only gotten worse since he's been President.

But, the fact that Trump has demonstrated he's a jerk

Doesn't mean that Russian trolls are not still hard at work

Judging by the Senate testimony from this week...

Ship of State is foundering - no paddle - up the creek.

Twitter couldn't tell our Senators how many "bots"

Might be on their service, echoing each others' thoughts.

Facebook isn't sure how many rubles Russia paid

Buying ads to influence decisions voters made.

Now we've gotten to the point where how somebody votes

Turns into a culture war aimed at each others' throats.

We all need to take a breath and find some common ground...

And remember Putin's Russian trolls are still around.

Trumpettes? Really?

How are there still women who would vote for Donald Trump?

That thought makes me want to tear my hair out in a clump.

He's a pompous, narcissistic, self-promoting pig...

Have these women missed the news? I'm gonna need a wig.

How could they support this guy? We've all known jerks like him:

Self-entitled SOBs who, when the lights are dim,

Grab or grope or whisper something vulgar in our ear.

Could it be The Trump is sounding...  Armageddon's here?

Otherwise, I can't explain how anyone at all

Still supports The Donald...  It's the middle of the Fall.

I'm not scared of Halloween but this Election Day

I'll be voting Hillary then go to church and pray. 

A Salute to Senator Lindsey Graham

 

Never thought that Lyndsey Graham and I would both agree;

Strange bedfellows brought together by the nominee

Of the party Graham's supported his entire life...

In the spirit of rapprochement, I won't twist the knife,

Lyndsey's said it well enough...  There's not much I could add:

GOP's gone "bat shit crazy," Donald Trump is bad

For the party, for the country.  Donald is unfit.

Graham will not support Trump.  I admire him for it. 

Lyndsey's love of country's trumped his hate for Hillary;

Too bad he's a lonely voice inside the GOP.

Most Republicans are falling neatly into line:

They support their candidate... Don't worry. He'll be fine.

Never mind his bigotry, the awful things he spouts.

They'll ignore his ignorance; they're swallowing their doubts,

Catering to angry voters yearning for the past,

Putting party first, ambition second, country - last.

FIFA Elections

I thought things were bad under Commissioner Goodell

(Not too happy with the way he leads the NFL)

But, another football league has got it even worse

Forcing some perspective on these grievances I nurse.

With Goodell it's just New England that is getting screwed.

FIFA leaders, with the massive fortunes they've accrued

Through manipulation, bribes, and voting purchase schemes

For the last 2 decades, screwed a myriad of teams.

Now the leader under whom corruption seemed to thrive

Faces re-election; it's predicted he'll survive.

(Makes you wonder what it is Sepp Blatter has to pay

To remain in power...)  Give me Roger any day.

Update

Blatter has been re-elected FIFA President;
Thus, a chance to vote against corruption came and went.
Africa and Asia felt that Sepp's their kinda guy...
(Pity future players at the World Cup in Dubai.)

Unsolicited Advice for Nigerian Voters

(Mr. Jones' artwork/Courtesy of www.cagle.com)

There is an election in Nigeria next week;

Yet another term that Goodluck Jonathan will seek.

Vote has been postponed for weeks 'cause fighting grew intense

When the army finally came to the North-east's defense.

Boko Haram's terrorized Nigeria for years.

Thousands died but only as this new election nears

Has the fight grown serious, 'cause controversy swirls

As the whole world questions why they can't Bring Back Our Girls.

General Buhari (the opposing candidate)

Stands a chance to make Goodluck a former Head of State.

Suddenly his war on terror has new urgency.

Jonathan's now interested in security.

It sure took him long enough...  And still more girls are gone.

6 years he's ignored the fighting that's been going on.

'though I'm glad he's ordered Boko Haram be attacked,

If I were Nigerian I'd vote to have him sacked.

Unsolicited Advice for Israel

Bibi Netanyahu's won a clear majority

Because most Israelis trust him with security.

Wants a coalition formed with parties to his right

Making any chance for peace with Palestine seem slight.

Bibi's withdrawn his support for the 2 state solution

Even though his new position could spark revolution...

Even though the world believes there's gotta be 2 states

Bibi wants to keep on building walls and closing gates.

'though I'm not from Israel and don't walk in their shoes,

I can't see how that improves security for Jews.

Killing hopes of Palestinians still talking peace

Seems to guarantee that fighting there will never cease.

Bibi's Bid To Congress

Bibi Netanyahu was invited to address

Congress by Republicans...  A diplomatic mess.

Many Democrats say they aren't planning to attend;

Partisan divides that may be difficult to mend.

President Obama isn't meeting with the man - 

Well aware of Netanyahu's feelings on Iran.

It's not some State secret that I'm telling out of school;

Saying the relationship between the 2 is cool.

Neither leader likes the other yet they have to work

With a guy that they're convinced is acting like a jerk.

This speech may help Bibi with elections in 2 weeks

But Israelis' cause gets damaged with each word he speaks.

I Respectfully Disagree

 A most excellent blog. (Photo: Courtesy of/Infidel753)

There's a blog I like to read; a recent topic: Greece

And how its new government announced that it will cease

Efforts at austerity imposed by the E.U.

Author felt that was the sanest thing the Greeks could do.

Mounting unemployment; their economy's a wreck...

Greeks feel like the E.U.'s hung a noose around their neck.

Article blames Germany (who finances the debt)

But, though I respect this blogger - whom I've never met,

That seems too simplistic to me; see the Germans' side.

Why are they responsible for stopping Greece's slide?

Germans work and save and squeeze a Deutschmark 'til it squeaks;

They don't want to finance better lifestyles for the Greeks.

Puts the German Chancellor, Frau Merkel, in a bind;

Can't ignore her voters or they'd fire her behind.

I agree austerity is not the way to go

But, do I believe it's fair to blame the Germans? No.

Tweets Don't Count

Polls are open, lines are short on this Election Day;

When the voters in this country get to have their say.

Notice I said "voters" not the person on the street,

Half of whom won't cast a vote...  Instead, they'll "Like" or tweet.

Even if their tweet is clever, it ain't gonna count.

Doesn't add a thing to any candidate's amount.

Only at the polling booth does anybody care...

That's where it will matter what opinions people share.

Get up off your buttocks, throw on sweat-pants, go and vote.

(Here in Massachusetts you won't even need a coat.)

Mr. S. and I will cancel out but, even so,

I have hopes my Democratic sisters plan to go.

Thank God for DVRs

Midterms are 5 days away - 'though not too many care.

Hard to miss the fact they're coming; ads are everywhere.

T.V. spots and mailings, phone calls; my in-box is full.

There is not a soul who isn't sick of all this bull...

Thank God for our D.V.R. or else I'd be insane.

These commercials for the candidates are such a pain.

They've become a running joke as we go zipping by;

Coakley hates our children, Baker's not our kind of guy.

Scott Brown is a carpet-bagger, Jean Shaheen's a stooge...

And the campaigns' advertising bills have gotten huge.

Still, I'd bet they haven't reached as many as they'd planned;

Voters without D.V.R.s have switched to On Demand.

Hong Kong and China's National Day

China's grown impatient with the island of Hong Kong

Where police gassed demonstrators who'd done nothing wrong...

In the streets to protest an abridgment of their rights;

Unaware that Beijing pulls no punches when it fights.

Hong Kong doesn't like that China's limiting their choice

In the next election; leaving half without a voice.

Demonstrators, mainly students, peaceful and polite,

Tried to make it very clear that they don't want a fight.

They just want a vote with meaning; one that's not a sham.

Candidates who'll stand for them and will not try to cram

Mainland China's policies down Hong Kong voters' throats...

Beijing doesn't like when people start demanding votes.

China's being patient - so far - hoping this will pass.

Thinking that these demonstrations will run out of gas.

If they keep on growing though, as others join the ranks,

Let's all pray that China won't, again, resort to tanks.

The Scottish Independence Vote

(Photo/Courtesy of theguardian.com)

Doesn't matter if you took the high road or the low;

Scots, in a secession referendum, voted No.

Meaning that they chose to stick with England and with Wales

And the Northern Irish...  From the Highlands to the dales

85% of those who registered took part.

Independence voters wound up trailing from the start.

Polls showed things much tighter in the race, but I would guess

Scotsmen didn't advertise if they were voting Yes.

Either that or England's last ditch effort at the Scots

(Letting Edinburgh  be the one to call the shots

On some local issues) may have paid off dividends.

As for this American; I'm glad the two stayed friends.

Glad the kingdom's still united; that it didn't split.

World is busy fracturing and I've grown sick of it.

Scotland's voters proved beyond the shadow of a doubt

People of good will can find a way to work things out.

The Massachusetts' Primaries

Yesterday I went to vote; there wasn't any line.

Only 3 were casting votes while I was casting mine.

(Turnout for a primary election's never great

Even though it helps decide who's gonna run the state.)

To the shock of no-one, after all was said and done,

Most of the front-running candidates for office won.

There is one incumbent shocked; a Congressman who's out.

Relatives' shenanigans brought Tierney's fall about.

Candidates for Governor were narrowed down to 5;

'though it's only 2 campaigns with any chance to thrive. 

Democrats chose Martha Coakley while the GOP

Cast their votes for Charlie Baker overwhelmingly.

I'm a likely Coakley voter with an open mind.

Need to do more research and assess the facts I find,

Watch debates and listen to what candidates will say...

There is still a lot of time before election day.

Voting in Afghanistan

Photo/Courtesy of payam-aftab.com)

Watching the election process in Afghanistan.

Not a lot that separates the candidates who ran;

Most would like a U.S. presence; all of them are men.

Even once they count the votes, won't know the winner then.

I get so embarrassed by the voters in those lines,

Knowing that they're facing more than people waving signs,

They are risking life and limb to go and cast their vote...

I know people who don't go if they can't find their coat.