Democrat Presidential Candidates Debate The Issues Straightforwardly, Pull Punches

DES MOINES, IOWA – With the exception of an increased focus on foreign policy, brought to the forefront from the escalating tensions with Iran, it was business as usual in Tuesday night’s CNN Democrat presidential debate, the final televised debate before the Feb. 3 Iowa Caucus.

While some fireworks were expected between the top progressive candidates, Sen. Bernie Sanders and Sen. Elizabeth Warren, after CNN reported on Monday that Sanders allegedly told Warren in a private meeting a couple years ago that a woman could not be elected president, none took place (at least publicly). Sanders denied he made that comment, and Warren went so far as to say that “Bernie is my friend and I’m not here to attack Bernie.”

After addressing it briefly, they and the rest of the candidates stuck with the pressing issues.

The candidates — who made up the smallest field yet after several other candidates either dropped out or failed to meet minimal eligibility requirements for the debate — were united in saying Iran must be prevented from having a nuclear weapon. They all called for more negotiations and greater diplomacy.  

Iran

Candidates were asked on how best to diffuse the current situation with Iran, which has long had an adversarial relationship with the United States, dating back to at least the 1979 embassy hostage crisis

Tensions ramped up more after President Donald Trump ordered the killing of a popular Irani general, Qasem Soleimani, who has been linked to the killing of hundreds of American troops during the Iraq War and was believed to have been plotting more attacks when he was killed by a drone near Baghdad Airport in neighboring Iraq.

Some Democrats have criticized the Trump Administration, questioning if the killing (Sanders previously labeled it an “assassination”) was necessary at the risk of adding proverbial fuel to the fire, and if the general posed an “imminent” threat. At least two Republican senators, Rand Paul of Kentucky and Mike Lee of Utah, have also questioned the administration’s rationale.

Many of the presidential candidates called for re-entering the United States into the 2015 Iran nuclear agreement, which was negotiated under former President Barack Obama and helped restrict the Iran’s nuclear capability through inspections and various carrots and sticks.

President Trump pulled out of the agreement shortly after entering office, and Iran announced shortly after Soleimani’s death that it has restarted its uranium enrichment program. The U.S. responded by applying additional sanctions, which are believed to have already constricted much of Iran’s economy.

“It was working,” former Vice President Joe Biden said about the agreement. “We have lost our standing in the region.”

“By gutting that, they have made the region more unstable,” said former South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg about Trump’s pullout from the Iran nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). “Our security depends on Iran not having a nuclear (weapon).”

Troop Levels

Both Biden and Sen. Amy Klobuchar have called on leaving a limited number of troops in Middle East for security purposes.

However, Sen. Elizabeth Warren said it’s time for combat troops to come home, adding that the defense industry must stop “calling the shots” on the military interventions.

“No one has a solution and an end point,” she said about military strategy in the Middle East.

Sanders said he was current concerned the current crisis with Iran is a product of Trump’s lies. He added that the last two prolonged wars the United had been involved in Vietnam and Iraq were based on lies.

“The American people are sick and tired of endless wars,” he said.

All of the candidates agreed the president must seeking Congressional approval before taking military action. Both Trump and former President Barack Obama have signed off on various military actions without getting the green light from the legislative branch.

Trade

Trump had pledged to scrap the controversial North American Free Trade Agreement, which he, among others, have claimed caused many good-paying manufacturing jobs to be outsourced. His administration negotiated with House Democrats a replacement treaty, the United States Mexico-Canada Agreement. It enjoys bipartisan support and Congress is expected to pass it.

However, Sanders said he won’t support it because it does little to address environmental protection.

But many other candidates said it makes modest improvements over NAFTA, which is better than nothing.

Warren added that if elected president, she would repeal Trump’s tariffs that he imposed via executive order, which she said has devastated many Iowa farmers’ income.

Electability

Not surprisingly, all of the candidates believed they were the most electable. Sanders said he has the strongest grassroots movement. Biden said he has the “broadest coalition.” Buttigieg and Klobuchar both said they understand the needs of voters in the industrial Midwest, a region that helped deliver Trump the presidency.

Health Care

On the subject of health care, the candidates repeated stances from prior debates. Both Sanders and Warren support a single-payer, Medicare-for-All plan that calls for ending private health insurance and is projected to cost trillions of dollars.

The other candidates called for strengthening the Affordable Care Act (ACA) by adding a non-profit public option, or a government-run health plan. They also said the individual mandate, which was scrapped under the 2017 Tax and Jobs Act, should be restored.

Sanders was pressed about the specific cost of his plan. Outside of one detail — that a 4 percent tax would be applied on all income outside of the first $29,000 — he stuck to his general answer (it would cost less than the deductibles, co-payments and premiums policyholders currently pay).

“Health care is a human right. The time is long overdue.”

But Biden said Sanders’ s proposal “doesn’t even come close” to the actual cost of Medicare-for-All.

Klobuchar, who also favors an incremental approach, called for health insurance to cover long-term care, which most medical insurance polices don’t presently cover.

Warren added that she would reduce the cost of insulin, something that a president could do unilaterally.

Many of the candidates also called for the federal government to negotiate drug prices.

Tom Steyer, a billionaire climate change activist, opined on the current problem with the U.S. health care system.

“We’re spending too much because corporations own the system. This is cruelty for money.”

Other takeaways from the debate:

*Candidates agreed more action is needed to provide affordable childcare. Warren mentioned her 2 percent wealth tax for those with at least $50 million in wealth and providing higher salaries to child care workers. Biden proposed an $8,000 child tax credit and spending more on afterschool programs.

*Free college is not a concept that’s popular outside of the progressive circles. Buttigieg said the proposal would unintentionally benefit kids from wealthy families at the expense of kids from lower-income households. Klobuchar said it’s more important to make education compatible with the jobs that are out there or in demand, particularly those in the trades.

*Several candidates are U.S. senators and are expected to participate in the U.S. Senate impeachment trial focusing on Trump’s alleged collusion with Ukraine. That is expected to take them off the campaign trail. Just about all the affected candidates said that it was worth having the trial, even if the Republican-led Senate is not expected to vote to impeach and remove the president.

“Some things are important than politics,” Warren said.

Klobuchar added that if Republicans don’t allow witnesses to be called, they “might as well hand Trump a scepter and a crown.”

“Last I checked, the American people did not want a king.”  

With The Mid-Term Elections Over, Mystery Awaits For Both Parties

A divided government is the ultimate result of the long-awaited, long-promoted 2018 mid-term elections that mostly concluded on Tuesday, November 6 (a few races are still undecided).

Come January, Democrats will have majority control of the House of Representatives, after winning 25-plus seats. And, Republicans will continue leading the Senate, though with a bigger margin.

Sounds like a recipe for gridlock, right? In these hyper-partisan times, sure. That would be the conventional wisdom. But there could be some proverbial wrenches that can be thrown in the mix. Here are a few takeaways from the competitive, hard-fought mid-term elections.

Florida remains an albatross for Democrats:

While former Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum, a Democrat, put up a spirited campaign against the far-right victor, former Rep. Ron DeSantis, Gillum falling short of winning proved to be a major disappointment. This is the same state that ultimately cost Al Gore the 2000 presidential election, due to a handful of votes and “hanging chads.” Both DeSantis and GOP Senate candidate, Rick Scott, a former governor, appear to have eked out wins (Scott’s is still technically too close to call in his race against Democrat Sen. Bill Nelson). Even the passionate advocacy from survivors of the mass shooting at a Parkland high school failed to help Democrats sufficiently on Election Day.

Mitch McConnell’s A Genius: 

When Barack Obama became president, the Kentucky senator’s single-minded goal was to make Obama a one-term president. He ultimately failed on that front, but he succeeded in putting up a nearly impenetrable GOP firewall that limited many legislative and political gets for much of Obama’s term, including getting Merrick Garland, a moderate Republican, a hearing for the Supreme Court vacancy left by the death of Antonin Scalia. Looking back, it looks like McConnell had incredible foresight. After Trump got elected, McConnell’s other main goal of getting more conservative judges on the bench has worked, with the ultimate prizes of Neil Gorsuch and most recently, Brett Kavenaugh, appointed to the country’s highest court, not to mention a bunch of federal judges in the lower courts. With a bigger GOP cushion in the Senate, there will be less need to negotiate or dicker, weakening the power of Democrats further in the Upper House and leaving such moderates as the Tuesday Group and Blue Dog lawmakers less influential.

Opportunism Works: 

Whether it was Ted Cruz embracing former foe Trump, Joe Manchin voting for Kavenaugh, Trump’s incessant demagogury, or seemingly misleading ads about immigrant caravans posing a threat, integrity is a value best left for a bygone era. Now, it’s all about results and expediency, and if that means having no shame, so be it. Those who voted their conscience on Kavanaugh’s nomination, particularly Democratic North Dakota Sen. Heidi Heitenkemp, ultimately suffered the consequences.

Democrats Regain in the Rust Belt and in Governor’s Offices:

The big example here was in Wisconsin, where it looks like Gov. Scott Walker, a once-rising conservative hero, will be unseated. Also, Democrat Tammy Baldwin won the Senate seat. Wisconsin was one of the the so-called Rust Belt states that went Republican in the last presidential election, something it hadn’t done since Ronald Reagan’s re-election landslide way back in 1984. Also, Connor Lamb, a conservative Democrat was able to secure a redrawn Congressional seat in Pennsylvania, a state that hadn’t gone red in the presidential election since 1988. Democrats also enjoyed other nice victories, winning some unlikely governorships in Kansas, Colorado and in Maine, which most recently was led by conservative Gov. Paul LePage.

Republicans, however, made their own stands in being elected chief executives in reliably blue states, such as Vermont, home to Bernie Sanders, and Connecticut, where residents had grown exhausted with tax-and-spend Gov. Dannel Malloy and the Nutmeg State’s ailing economy. Perennial Connecticut office seeker Ned Lamont falls short…again.

Trump Could Be The Ultimate Dealmaker

There were hints he could be an unlikely ally for Democrats early in his presidency, when Republicans were all over the place on immigration, and Sen. Chuck Schumer and Rep. Nancy Pelosi provided a somewhat sensible plan. Trump ultimately balked, but now with the Democrats having real powers, and Trump ultimately being more pragmatic than ideological, the trite phrase of politics makes strange bedfellows may be reinforced….again.

Tariffs Didn’t Hurt 

 

For months, media have been focusing how Trump’s protectionist-like trade policies, particularly in the form of higher tariffs on everything from soybeans to Chinese-made steel, were driving up their operational costs. But as with most things involving Trump, conventional wisdom need not apply. Rural America embraced Trump’s Republicanism overwhelmingly. The $12 billion bailout for farmers who were negatively impacted by his trade policies probably helped the decision-making process.

Ultimately…This WASN’T a wave election

Unlike in 1994, when a huge tax increase by Democrats under then-President Bill Clinton brought about Newt Gingrich and the Contract of America, and in 2006, when Democrats took over both houses of Congress after voters became exhausted with George W. Bush’s cowboy diplomacy and the war in Iraq, Democrats only gained partial power this time around. Yes, it’s a big victory taking over the House, which will supply them with subpoena and investigative powers. But Trump’s loyal constituency, coupled with his ability to dwarf the rudimentary news cycle with his Wag-The-Dog like Tweets and dog whistles, remain alive and well. He might be slightly dinged, but the armor is still strong enough to withstand whatever is thrown at him. Democrats have to be careful with not getting too immersed in things that future voters could deem as self-serving fishing expeditions.

Here starts a two-year campaign for the 2020 presidency ….for both sides.

Trump Demands Congress to Embrace Immigration Reform in Primetime Speech

In his first State of the Union speech, President Donald Trump sounded more restrained than usual, but no less different in his determination to see major policy changes. That was particularly the case in regards to the long-standing, controversial issue of immigration, a subject that helped him win the presidency but also contributed to the recent, short-lived government shutdown.

 

In his nearly 90-minute primetime address, which also included the usual laundry list of self-congratulatory accomplishments similar to past speeches from other presidents, Trump eventually touched on the hot-button immigration issue, saying that “glaring loopholes” had led to dangerous undocumented immigrants, including members of the notorious Latino MS-13 gang, to cross the American border, bringing along with them violence and drugs. The president used this example as the rationale to change immigration laws.

 

“My duty is to defend Americans, to protect their safety and families….because Americans are dreamers, too,” Trump said, appearing to use the word dreamers in a different way than how it’s been used by many Congressional lawmakers.

 

In the current political lexicon, “dreamers” is the shorthand for children of undocumented immigrants who came to the United States at a very young age and have practically lived much of their whole lives in America, working and going to school here.

 

Many of these dreamers are facing deportation unless Congress can enact comprehensive immigration reform legislation. That’s because one of the programs that was implemented by former President Barack Obama, the Deferred Action Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, is set to expire shortly. DACA is estimated to be protecting some 800,000 people.

 

Democrats and some moderate Republicans have been debating legislation and scenarios where many or all of the dreamers, among other young undocumented immigrants, can remain in the states.

 

Trump last week introduced immigration reform legislation and reiterated it during his speech, describing it as “a down-the middle compromise.” Along with providing a “path to citizenship” to some 1.8 million dreamers over a 12-year period, contingent on them completing various education and work requirements, Trump’s plan also calls for his signature proposal of a full-length wall on the Mexican border, ending the visa lottery program, and accepting more immigrants based on skills and professional qualifications rather than family connections (derisively referred to in some circles as chain migration).

 

The president said that the present “outdated immigration rules,” particularly the visa lottery program, have outlived their usefulness, and oftentimes counterproductive, given some recent domestic attacks.

 

“In the age of terrorism, these programs present risk,” Trump said.

 

He implored Congress to finally pass comprehensive immigration reform, something that last happened some 30 years ago, when Republican President Ronald Reagan signed legislation that provided amnesty to some three million undocumented aliens.

 

“This Congress can be the one that finally makes it happen…that puts America first,” Trump said.

 

In presenting a human face on the dangers of immigration laws remaining unchanged, Trump mentioned and introduced a Long Island family whose kids were brutally murdered by MS-13.

 

“Three-hundred-and-twenty-million hearts are breaking for you,” he said.

 

Trump then implored Congress to “close the deadly loopholes, fix our immigration laws” and provide more reinforcements to border guards and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

 

While immigration illicited some of the strongest responses from both sides of the aisle, GOP lawmakers enthusiastically applauded the litany of accomplishments that Trump citied.

 

Among the things Trump mentioned include:

 

*Creation of 2.4 million new jobs, including 200,000 in the manufacturing sector.

 

*Passage of the $1.5-trillion Tax Reform and Jobs Act that will yield to bigger paychecks starting in February and has already lead many employers to issue bonuses to employees (no Democrats voted for the bill, citing that it would add considerably to the deficit and federal debt)

 

*Relocation of corporate funds to the United States, from companies like Apple and Exxon, which enables the federal government to collect tax repatriations;

 

*Record-low unemployment rates among the African-American and Hispanic populations;

 

*The up-until-recently red-hot performance of the Stock Market, which has increased the value of many retirement and investment portfolios;

 

*Deregulation;

 

*Appointment of conservative judges on Circuit Courts and the U.S. Supreme Court Justice Norman Gorsuch;

 

Still, Trump pointed out some other areas where he wants to see results. They include:

 

• a $1.5-trillion infrastructure bill

 

• Streamlining the permitting process to move forward on construction projects

 

• More vocational education, workforce development, and job training programs

 

• Paid Family Leave

 

In the meantime, Congress faces a Feb. 8 deadline to adopt a budget. If both parties don’t come to an agreement, the federal government could shut down again.

Building strong relationships and faith are the keys to combatting the ‘fire’ of bigotry, hatred and racism

PISCATAWAY, NJ – Speakers delivered the themes of unity, greater interfaith dialogue, and taking action with great conviction and passion at Muslim’s For Peace’s 1o^th annual Prophet Muhammad Day, held on Sunday afternoon at the Busch Campus of Rutgers University.

However, not everyone in the audience shared the sentiments of this year’s keynote speaker, Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawaii), who apparently raised more than just eyebrows when she met last month with Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad, whose country has descended into chaos during the last six years of a bloody civil war that has included extremist groups like ISIS and Al Nusra. More than a half-million people have been killed and millions more displaced.

Shortly after she took the podium, a few protestors from the crowd of some 800 people who packed the multipurpose room yelled “Shame on you!” and “Is it OK to see 500,000 individuals killed?” Others claimed that al-Assad’s brutal regime killed some of their own relatives.

It didn’t take long, though, before several other individuals stood up and started chanting “Tulsi!” “Tulsi!,” Tulsi!” The protestors were quickly escorted out by Rutgers Police and others who volunteered in the event’s security operations.

Not all Syrians were opposed to Gabbard, though. After he remarks, one Syrian family in the audience approached the three-term congresswoman and thanked her for her efforts in ending funding for ISIS. The family said they had lost four of their cousins to ISIS.

During the brief protests, Gabbard remained resolute. Later in the program, she said that the United States, financially and principle-wise, cannot afford to fight additional “counterproductive regime-change wars.”

Rather, she said the United States must be serious about devoting its resources to strengthening and rebuilding its own communities.”

She said “the dark cloud of religious bigotry” can only be eradicated through love and great respect and tolerance among different faith communities. Gabbard, who is Hindu, said that it’s only through that mutual respect that people who value peace can defeat the extremist groups, who are driven by fear and insecurity.

“Anyone who does not know love does not know God because God is love,” she said. “God is one, no matter what we call him.”

“Everyone has a right to follow their own spiritual path. If not, there can’t be a foundation for peace,” she added. “Religious leaders must stress that a loving relationship with God can only happen by freedom of choice.”

Gabbard said that when societies fail to cultivate the idea of love, they descend into great darkness and suffering. She cautioned though that even in a free society, people are not immune to religious bigotry. She called for embracing the concept of “Aloha!”

“The dark cloud of religious bigotry can only be eradicated by love,” she said. “We must act. We must stand with these brave souls for peace.”

“Let us be inspired, and live in peace and freedom from fear. Let us truly be aloha, with our words and actions.

“Your gathering here today bolsters this effort!”

Her remarks received great applause and adulation, as they started chanting her name again.

PRESIDENT GABBARD?

When a question came up about rather she’d run for president, Gabbard was coy, saying only, “I’m so grateful to the people of Hawaii, to be their voice in Washington.”

However, a reporter spotted a few “Tulsi 2020” bumper stickers in the lounge area outside the Multipurpose Room.

She also opposed Donald Trump’s executive order of a Travel Ban from six predominantly Muslim countries.

“We should be looking at whether they share the commitment to the principle of religious freedom. We should denounce a blanket ban.”

She said it’s more important than ever to have an “interfaith unity based on intrinsic respect for one another.

“It’s powerful and necessary, especially in these challenging times we are facing.”

MEHDI HASAN

Another speaker at the event, Al Jazeera journalist Mehdi Hasan provided a powerful pep talk to the community, urging them to not become complacent or demoralized with President Donald Trump in power.

The harshly critical views of Muslims by Trump, members of his Cabinet and his supporters have become known in recent months. Embattled Attorney General Jeff Session called Islam “a toxic ideology.” State Department Secretary Rex Tillerson was on record for saying that he has no problem with creating a registry that would track Muslims, something Trump had called for in his campaign. And, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich called for testing every person who’s Muslim and have him or her deported if they believe in Sharia, or the system of Islamic laws.

Earlier this month, Oklahoma lawmaker John Bennett, a Republican, handed out a questionnaire, asking Muslims, “Do you beat your wife?” He distributed the questionnaire after a Muslim group asked to meet with him at his district office.

Hasan said it’s during these difficult times that the community must rise up and recognize this as an opportunity to inform or enlighten the skeptics and cynics.

“It is in our darkest moments we must work hardest to see the light,” Hasan said, citing similar quotes from Martin Luther King Jr., Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Prime Minister Winston Churchill.

“We have a chance to explain what Muslims really believe. People want to know more about Islam,” Hasan said. “It’s our job to show them the real Islam…to stand with truth, equality and justice.”

BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS

The most effective way in instilling greater tolerance and broadening the views of skeptics is not by unleashing a series of facts and figures. Rather, Hasan advocated for fostering and nurturing strong personal relationships. It is what sociologists call “the Contact Theory,” he said.

“I’m not saying it’s going to be easy, but don’t despair.”

Another speaker, Imam Mustafa El-Amin, urged a similar approach.

“Build good loving relationships,” he said, adding that relationships and a strong faith in God are the only ways to extinguish the “fire of bigotry, hatred and racism.”

Hasan quoted Mahatmas Gandhi, who once said “the way you make a difference is to engage in the world around you.”

“SPHERE OF INFLUENCE”

While journalists can play a role in shaping views and opinions, Hasan believes that for the part, they’re not as influential as some many think.

He believes the bigger sources of influence are arts and culture, areas which few Muslims in general pursue, and are often discouraged to do so by their parents. He called for instilling a greater appreciation for the liberal arts.

“We don’t have enough novelists, architects and playwrights.”

Hasan said there have been some bright spots during this seemingly discouraging period. There was greater voter turnout among Muslims. There have been signs of greater tolerance and respect for different faiths, such as when the Jewish community helped Muslims in Texas whose mosque was torched. He also mentioned progress in politics and government, such as the ascension of Rep. Keith Ellison and a Somali state lawmaker, both from Minnesota.

Before we expect the world to respect Muslims in general, Hasan cautioned we must work on ourselves to make sure we don’t prejudice or discriminate against others and that we don’t just blindly support one group of people over another for sectarian purposes.

“We demonize other people. We need to check our biases.”

Another speaker, Rabbi Marc Aaron Klein, also called for continuing dialogue amongst the different faiths.

“We share one soul and that’s why we’re here today,” Klein said.

“We believe in the power of prophecy. If one is in need, it is in our need to give.”

He was grateful for the support the Muslim community has shown toward the Jewish community in the wake of the desecrations of several Jewish cemeteries.

“You can’t have peace for one unless you have peace for all.”

Time to rethink U.S. relationship with Saudi Arabia, activist says

SOMERSET – On the 15th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, a prominent peace activist speaking at a Muslims For Peace Interfaith event called on the United States to end military interventions and reevaluate its relationship with Saudi Arabia, a country whose repressive policies and support for terrorism is antithetical to American values and interests.

“There was a deal made with the devil,” said Medea Benjamin, who recently wrote a book entitled “Kingdom of the Unjust: Behind the U.S.- Saudi Connection,” and is a co-founder of Code Pink, a women’s peace organization. “What kind of ally is this that the U.S. has?”

Benjamin spoke at an interfaith event at Masjid-e-Ali in the Somerset section of Franklin Township. The event was organized by Muslims 4 Peace. Some 150 guests attended, hearing thoughts and ideas from leaders of the major faiths.

Benjamin, who is Jewish, said that throughout much of its history, the United States has, and continues to, turn a blind eye toward Saudi Arabia. The U.S. has yet to strongly condemn the Middle Eastern kingdom for its apparent support of, or at the very least, its duplicity toward, terrorism networks. This remains the norm, even though 15 of the 19 individuals involved in the jetliner attack on the World Trade Center Twin Towers on Sept. 11, 2001, were Saudis.

“We don’t question why they’re a U.S. ally with a repressive form of Islam…We should go after the people who attacked us. Instead, we were talking about invading another country,” Benjamin said, referring to the invasion of Iraq in 2003.

She said Wahabbism, a strict interpretation of Sunni Islam, is the basis of the Saudi state and described the sect as dangerous. Wahabbis, or a similar group known as Salafis, have attacked Shia mosques and gatherings in several countries, such as Iraq. In Saudi Arabia, Shias, along with women and migrant workers, are frequent targets of repression and persecution. Gross human rights violations are common, and the kingdom leads the world in the number of executions, many of which are done through beheadings.

Even though Congress passed a law in 1998 that would place sanctions on nations that openly practice religious intolerance, Saudi Arabia was issued an “indefinite waiver” from that law in 2004, according to Benjamin.

On top of that, the U.S. continues to sell weapons to the kingdom, some of which were used to repress uprisings in countries like Bahrain, a Shia-majority country ruled by a Sunni royal family, and Yemen, an impoverished country where the Houthis, an offshoot of Shia Islam, are fighting for power. Saudi Arabia also funds several Sunni rebel groups opposed to the Syrian regime led by Bashar al-Assad, a Shia Alawite.

“They are propping up the military industrial complex of our country,” Benjamin said.

Recently, two senators, Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Connecticut) and Sen. Rand Paul (R-Kentucky), sponsored a resolution opposing a proposal to sell $1.15 billion worth of weapons to Saudi Arabia. Sixty-four members of the House of Representatives also support a similar resolution. Yet, President Barack Obama threatens to go ahead with the sale, and he also intends to veto a bill that would allow families of 9/11 victims to sue the kingdom.

Benjamin, who supports Green Party candidate Jill Stein for president, said she believes the dynamics of the U.S.-Saudi Arabia relationship will remain unchanged if either of the two major party presidential candidates – Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Hillary Clinton – is elected. Both candidates continue supporting massive militarization, she said.

“We need to cut the military budget. (We need) a massive reorientation of how we spend the money and how we act internationally,” she said.

The longtime peace activist and author said countries are liberated not through bombing campaigns, but by the will of the people and them rising up to autocratic regimes. She said Tunisia, which launched the promising but largely unsuccessful Arab Spring, is a relatively successful example of a country that did just that. And, Benjamin pointed out, the United States wasn’t involved a lick in that fight

In countries where the U.S. has intervened in some military capacity – Iraq, Libya, Syria, Yemen, etc, – the results have been chaotic.

“Look where we are today,” she said.

The U.S. military interventions have only bred new terrorist networks, according to Benjamin. “It’s only grown. The U.S. military response is not the solution. When are we going to learn?”

Other guests at the event also stressed that spreading peace and hope, not bombs, is the solution.

Rabbi Debra Smith, or “Reb Deb” as she is known, recalled how Sept. 11, 2001, started out as a cloudless morning that was abruptly disturbed and humanity was shaken.

“The blow was sudden, swift, and beyond understanding”

Still, Smith was optimistic. “People will gain strength through prayers. Your suffering will heal, your prosperity will return.”

She then said her own prayer: “Eternal One, we call out to you…Let them play where bullets don’t fall like rain…Stop the rivers of blood in our street.”

Franklin Mayor Phil Kramer said he had a simple reason for attending the Muslims for Peace event.

“I wanted to spend the day with loyal patriotic Americans. So, I chose to be here,” he said before taking his seat. His remark was met with thunderous applause.

Rev. Robert Moore, who heads the Coalition for Peace Action, said the terrorist groups fighting in the name of Islam are anything but Islamic.

“They were motivated by ideology and hatred. Their actions should not be construed as Islamic,” he said.

He said the best antidote to such groups and their dark way of thinking is to have groups that counter such thinking, such as Muslims for Peace.

“That’s what authentic Islam is about,” he said.

Moore added: “We are all precious…Muslim, Christian, Jew, gay, straight. Every human being is precious. Pray for unity and love and peace.”

Dr. Pervez Hamdani, president of MFI, urged people to “pray to God for those who’re misguided” since “they are also the victims of what they’re practicing.”

“Ideologies do not have boundaries…They’re just like viruses,” the physician added.

Hamdani said the solution is to provide education to people around the world. He expressed disappointment at President Obama for not being more aggressive in holding Saudi Arabia accountable.

“Mr. President, with all due respect, you knew who was doing all this. I wish you would have stopped this. ”

All of the speakers extended condolences to families of the victims of the 9/11 attacks.

As Dr. Alex Khirazi said: “Victims’ pain is our pain. Let us pray there’s peace and brotherhood in the world.”

Super Tuesday: Super for some, disaster for others

Its seems like the cable news outlets are labeling every third day of the week Super Tuesday. But it doesn’t always make for super powerful news, as it becomes more obvious who the winners will most likely be for the presidential nominations in their respective parties. Republican (on paper anyway) Donald Trump continues to live up to his last name and Democrat Hillary Clinton seems to be viewed as more of a realist and practical, despite heavy baggage, regularly getting trounced in public opinion polls by her Democratic opponent, Sen. Bernie Sanders, on trustworthiness.

Here are five takeaways from the third version of Super Tuesday:

Competition continues to be Trumped: It’s hard to see how Donald Trump can be denied the nomination after winning big states like Florida and Illinois. The Florida victory was significant, dealing a crushing blow to Sen. Marco Rubio, who suspended his freefalling  campaign after losing his home state. And as he cuts into the evangelical constituency that was supposed to vote overwhelmingly for Sen. Ted Cruz (who didn’t win any states yesterday), Trump remains dominant and even more importantly – to the frustration of a all his opponents – impervious to a non-stop barrage of attacks. The billionaire real-estate developer has a following among the Everyman. And the so-called establishment has to accept that fact. Also, the idea of a brokered convention seems downright silly, more oligarchic than democratic with a small d. It’s best to be avoided.

Kasich, Finally, Can Win: Yesterday could have been Ted Cruz’s big night if his long-running request to go mano a mano against Trump went heeded. That would have happened if Ohio Gov. John Kasich lost Ohio. With Rubio having already suspended his presidential quest, Kasich had said he would drop out of the race if he didn’t win his home state, where he’s been a largely popular and effective governor. But that didn’t happen. Kasich prevailed comfortably and graciously thanked the voters with his homespun charm and humility. The win allows him to stay in the race, although it remains difficult to see how he gets the ultimate prize. Mathematically, it’s impossible. He is counting on a brokered convention and making an impression in states with more mainstream Republicans, such as Pennsylvania, where he will campaign next. While it’s doubtful anything consequential will happen, it will at least be interesting for viewers to observe a study in contrasts between Trump and Kasich and Cruz.

What Michigan Momentum: Sen. Bernie Sanders probably had his most disappointing night in the campaign. While he did put up a fight in Illinois and Missouri, his loss in Florida was nearly as lopsided as his failures in generating even a modicum of support in the Deep South. The hope was that a nice win in Michigan last week would have generated some buzz in neighboring Midwestern states. Illinois was close, but Ohio was hardly competitive. So, the quest remains uphill, if not elusive, for Sanders to break even. His appeal remains strong among progressives and college students, but it’s just not enough. He needs to broaden his appeal and time is running out. Meanwhile, Sen. Hillary Clinton continues to pad her lead. Also, a running mate ticket with Trump is not impossible.

Rubio support not easily transferrable: The question now is who the Rubio voters will go to. There are indications some may just sit out, as some of Rubio’s support was driven more by his personality and personal story than policy prescriptions. He called Trump a con-artist and got in a long-running spat with Cruz on immigration reform. And, somewhat ironically, Rubio supporters may consider Kasich a lightweight, a charge constantly thrown at Rubio by Trump. If Rubio makes an endorsement, that should at least provide his supporters some guidance. There’s little doubt some people who voted for Ben Carson pushed the levers for Trump, after Dr. Carson endorsed Trump.

Hard to see Which of Trump’s Skeletons Could Bring Him Down: CNN analyst David Gergen said the Fourth Estate will sharpen their pencils and come out with more investigative reports and long-form pieces that could potentially derail Trump’s pursuit of the presidency. And he said that a month ago. Before and after, we have seen stories about Trump’s infidelities, criticisms of women and POWs, alleged ties to the mob, the embattled Trump University and working the system to his financial benefit.Trump is still standing and he’s been pummeled daily to little effect at anything sticking. Maybe the “disgusting” reporters, as Trump called them last night in his Florida mansion, are waiting closer to the general election.

Foreign policy, ISIS dominates latest GOP debate

The war on Islamic State, and how specifically to fight the terrorist group, among other national security  and foreign policy issues – domestic terrorism and mass shootings, Syria, Iran, immigration –  took center stage at the Republican presidential primary debate Tuesday evening.

The CNN debate displayed two starkly different foreign policy philosophies. One is characterized by giving law enforcement organizations enhanced surveillance tools, military interventions designed to topple evil anti-U.S. regimes and instill democracy, which was a hallmark of the first term of former President George W. Bush. The other is marked by relative avoidance of military actions and addressing the root, but often complicated, causes that have arguably created the various problems and brutal enemies abroad.

The debate was spirited, and while long (two hours), it flowed relatively smoothly with moderators Wolf Blitzer, Dana Bash and Hugh Hewitt at the helm, effectively following up with questions that the candidates failed to answer sufficiently on the first attempt. Many candidates gave solid performances. Here is an assessment:

Donald Trump

The longtime front-runner, Trump remained his outspoken, confident self, refusing to back down on his controversial proposals of banning all future Muslims from entering the United States, shutting down Inernet access in parts of the world and hardline immigration policy. He didn’t make the big waves as he had in prior debates, as another candidate, Ted Cruz, has recently siphoned some of the attention. Trump’s big declaration yesterday evening was that he intends to remain in the Republiclan Party primary and not run as a third-party cndiate. He didn’t hog the limelight as the questionsing was better spread than in other primetime debates. He did seemed to lose it toward the end, when he said the billions of dollars that were spent on the wars in Iraq and elsewhere could have better been spent on a modernized New Deal-like (or Great Society, depending who you ask) program that would fix U.S. infrastructure and services. Another presidential candidate said he sounded more like Barack Obama than a Republican.

Jeb Bush

Desperate for a positive performance, the meek former Florida governor finally got one with a steadfast performance where he panned Trump’s policies, particularly the one on banning the entry of Muslims. He stated that ISIS needs to be defeated in Iraq and Syria, and wants a stronger U.S. military force,  a no-fly zone inserted in Syria and arming the Kurds (a move that is doubtful to be supported by Turks). Bush also delivered an effective one-liner against his biggest rival/critic by telling Trump that “you’re not going to insult your way into the presidency.” Still, with all the media attention on his campaign virtually non-existent in the past few weeks, and with one poll having him down to a lowly 3 percent, a third Bush presidency appears a pipe dream at this point.

Rand Paul

Clearly stating that regime change hasn’t worked, and that it has only strengthened terrorist groups who pose a much bigger threat to the United States than the brutal secular dictators ( Saddam, Qaddafi, Mubarak) that were essentially bulwarks, Paul made clear he doesn’t believe Syrian dictator Basher al-Assad should be removed. If he is, Islamic State will control Syria, as it already controls large swaths of it. He chided the other candidates for wanting to “start World War III.” He called for a more realistic foreign policy, and less of a Woodrow Wilsonian-utopian one. As another prescription, Paul said under his administration, the U.S. would no longer provide weapons to “the allies of ISIS,” although he didn’t say specifically who they are. It’s believed some of those allies are Saudi Arabia and Qatar. Paul also wants to beef up border security.

Ted Cruz

Like Paul, Cruz also believes the United States would have been better off leaving former Middle Eastern dictators in place, as the vacuum created by their removals has given Islamic State literal ground to plan and attack the U.S. Still, that doesn’t mean he would be hesitant to use military might. He called for ratcheting up the air bombing campaign to wipe out ISIS. He slammed President Barack Obama’s current approach as nothing more than a “photo-op foreign policy.” Cruz also called for suspending all refugees form nations where terror groups are in control, which undoubtedly are ones populated with Muslims. He insisted though that it’s not a war on the Islamic faith. “It’s a war on a theocratic ideology that seeks to murder us.”

He seemed indifferent to the perception that his policies lack compassion, stating simply that “political correctness is killing people.” He also defended his vote against reauthorizing the controversial phone metadata program, saying it was too invasive on privacy rights.

Marco Rubio

Rubio remained polished and gave detailed answers, sounding very much like the policy wonk that he is. He went after Ted Cruz at length on his vote against reauthorizing the phone meta data program, saying it hampers law enforcement organizations’ abilities to readily access data that could assist in thwarting future  attacks, similar to the ones that took place in San Bernadino and at the Boston Marathon. He refused to dismiss ISIS as a gang of thugs, calling it “the most sophisticated terror group” that’s effectively used social media to recruit disaffected individuals. He called for a ground force to defeat ISIS, predominantly made up of Sunni Arabs, but with American special operations officers embedded. He also called for modernizing, and spending more, on the military, particularly the Air Force. Rubio was hit hard for his involvement in the bipartisan, but unsuccessful Gang of Eight immigration reform legislation from two years ago. Still, Rubio reminded potential voters he policy proposals include adding 20,000 border agents and more fencing.

Chris Christie

Impassioned, if not angrier than ever, Christie slammed Obama and in conjunction, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton for their “reckless” approach to foreign policy. He called Obama a “feckless weakling.” He said the U.S should keep a close eye on the growing influence of Iran, and making sure it doesn’t become too powerful, especially in the wake of the nuclear deal.  He said he’d have no hesitation in shooting down Russian planes that enter a no-fly zone in Syria, similar to Turkey a few weeks ago. He said it would be “a stupid move” on Russia’s part to take such an action. Reminding again and again that he is a former U.S. attorney who prosecuted war criminals following the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Christie said he would restore portions of the National Surveillance Act  and the Patriot Act in order to have more actionable intelligence to prevent future attacks.

John Kasich

Sticking with his adult-in-the-room, Reagan Republican image, this fading throwback candidate provided some details on preventing future attacks. He said the U.S. intel agencies need better capabilities of de-encrypting phones and other technology to stamp out potential terror threats. He called for a massive military build up, similar to the first Persian Gulf war, in order to prevent Iranian influence in the region and to prevent the creation of what he called a “a Shia crescent’ He called for toppling the Assad regime, saying he’s the incubator for ISIS. Despite the spectacular failure of arming rebel groups that could have theoretically taken down the Syrian regime, Kasich believes the U.S. could still identify moderate forces in Syria willing to take over a post-Assad Syria.

Ben Carson and Carly Fiorina

Nothing earth shattering by either and too few turns at bat to have much of an impact.

GOP Primary Debate lively on style, limp on substance

The much ballyhooed Fox News Republican Primary Debate featuring the 10 highest polling candidates promised fireworks and entertainment. It looked like it lived up to the billing.

The participants duked it out at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio, home to the NBA’s Cavaliers. They included: real estate mogul Donald Trump, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), former neurosurgeon Ben Carson, U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Florida), former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, U.S. Sen. Rand Paul (R-Kentucky), New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, and Ohio Gov. John Kasich.

While none of them delivered a Lebron James-esque slam dunk in getting one to commit a gaffe or presenting some innovative proposal, the candidates were on message and stayed civil throughout the two-hour primetime debate. It was more a series of occasional pokes than an outright food fight.

Trump, who’s dominated the top spot in many public opinion polls on the strength of his pugnaciousness and celebrity, appeared to dinge himself from the get-go by refusing to take a pledge that he would support whatever candidate wins the nomination and not split form the GOP to seek the presidency as an independent candidate.

It was one of many blunt assessments/responses the Donald revealed. He was unapologetic about previous, disparaging remarks he made about women, using words like fat, ugly and disgusting.

“What I say is what I say,” he declared.

Trump’s refusal to take the pledge was slammed by struggling candidate, U.S. Sen. Rand Paul (R-Kentucky), who accused the real-estate mogul of buying and selling politicians and “already hedging his bets.”

Paul attempted to bring greater focus to his libertarian Republican brand. Part of that attempt involved taking on Christie on the issue of legal tools used by the National Security Agency, such as collecting phone data of people in this country. Christie has called for giving the NSA more tools to spot and apprehend possible suspects, whereas Paul has called for scaling them back, citing possible civil liberties violations.

In perhaps the only heated exchange, Christie accused Paul of “blowing a lot of hot air” about the subject in subcommittee hearings. Paul accused Christie of “misunderstanding the Bill of Rights,” and giving “big hugs” to President Obama, referring to Christie’s infamous embrace during the president’s visit to a severely-battered New Jersey following Superstorm Sandy in late 2012, just days before the presidential election. Christie has been blamed by some Republicans for helping Obama win re-election, following his praise of Obama on his quick response during the storm devastation.

Christie shot back, saying his more meaningful hugs were the ones that involved the families of Sept. 11 terrorist attack victims. Christie served as U.S. attorney at the time.

While Trump was expected to be bombastic, the other candidates adopted a mostly civil tone often finding themselves having to defend their records and statements that were brought up in a series of pointed questions by debate moderators Megyn Kelly, Brett Baier and Chris Wallace.

Carson defended himself from a perceived lack of experience in foreign affairs and scant knowledge of Washington power players, saying the candidates are capable of picking up that knowledge. “The most important thing is having a brain and learning things rapidly.”

Walker defended his pro-life credentials. He has said abortion shouldn’t be allowed even in instances of rape, incest or to protect the life of the mother. “I’ve got a position that’s in line with the American people,” Walker said, even after Kelly pointed out data suggesting otherwise.

Kasich, who many pundits believed performed well given his late entry into the field and striking a tone reminiscent of former President George W. Bush’s “compassionate conservatism,” defended his expansion of Medicaid. He said it helped reduce emergency room visits by poor people seeking routine medical care, and helped many mentally ill patients and drug addicts gain access to care they needed.

And, Christie defended his record in New Jersey, despite the Garden State seeing numerous credit down grades, slow job recovery, and an ever-growing pension funding crisis. Despite the middling setbacks, Christie said it was still an improvement, given the challenges he said he inherited.

“If you think it is bad now, you should’ve seen it when I got there,” he said.

While the styles of the different candidates to answering the questions was what made the debate an often compelling telecast, they did delve occasionally into policy prescriptions. Few of them were anything groundbreaking, with the candidates pitching mostly typical conservative red meat.

Immigration

On the issue of immigration, candidates Jeb Bush, a former Florida governor, Trump and Rubio all agreed greater border enforcement was needed. Trump called for building a wall, but with a “door” that would allow legal immigrants to enter. But Bush called for “earned legal status,” which he said was different from amnesty. Sen. Ted Cruz, like Bush, called for eliminating “sanctuary cities,” which provide safe haven to illegal aliens.

While amnesty is considered anathema in Republican circles these days, President Ronald Reagan, still a hero for many modern-day GOP establishment politicos, approved amnesty for 5 million immigrants in 1987. Currently, there are an estimated 12 million illegal immigrants.

Rubio described illegal immigration as a “serious problem that needs to be addressed.” Otherwise, he said, it’ll remain a topic of discussion for decades to come.

Entitlements

Christie called for increasing the eligibility age and making high-earning senior ineligible for Social Security, providing it just for those who truly need it, such as those living in poverty or have few other retirement income options. He said such changes are needed because such a big chunk of federal government budget (by his estimate, upwards of 70 percent) is used to pay for that safety-net program.

Huckabee however, said that plan is unfair because so many wage earners who paid into Social Security through their payroll taxes would miss out on a nest egg they paid into. He called on expanding the revenue stream for Social Security by making sure all people who earn money are paying their share of taxes, including pimps and prostitutes.

Economic Growth

All called for reducing burdensome regulations, replacing Obamacare (formally known as the Affordable Care Act)  and reforming the tax code. Huckabee called for putting in place his “fair tax” based on consumption and replacing employment taxes. Rubio also called for lowering taxes for small businesses, saying they are currently at a disadvantage against bigger businesses.

Rubio said the changing trends in the economy must be factored for effective policies. He mentioned the “disruptive” change that has taken place in recent years, where many middle-class jobs have been wiped out due to automation and outsourcing.

“This can’t be a resume competition,” Rubio said. “This election is about the future, not the past.”

The Donald had summed up this way on how the United States can stop being a perennial loser in commerce to countries like China and Mexico. He called this nation’s current political leaders “stupid.”

“This country is in big trouble. We don’t win anymore,” Trump said. “We need strength We need energy. We need quick ness. We need brains to to turn around this country.”

Foreign Policy

Virtually all the candidates said the proposed deal with Iran to reduce its nuclear weapon making capabilities was bad for national security that could cause further destabilization in the region and put allies like Israel at greater risk. They called for stronger relationships with Arabian Gulf states to create a bulwark against Iran, and Syria, where Basheer Al-Assad remains in power despite crossing Obama’s own “red line” by using chemical weapons on his own countrymen.

Fox News reported last night that Qasseem Soleimani, general of Iran’s elite Quds force, secretly visited with Vladimir Putin in Moscow, a violation of the international sanctions.

Cruz called for stepping up the pressure on Islamic State (ISIS), which has remained impervious despite a bombardment of air strikes.

“If you join ISIS, you are signing your death warrant.”