Secretary Clinton shows world leadership at Democrat debate in Charleston SC

Democrats are justifiably impressed by the excellent trio of candidates running for the 2016, nomination to be president of the United States. Compared to the chaos in the Republican line up of free for all "right and righter-wing" candidates, the trio of Secretary Hillary Clinton, Governor Martin O'Malley and Senator Bernie Sanders look like a triumverate of judicial scholars.   Secretary Clinton demonstrated experience and leadership in the fourth Democratic debate on January 19th, in Charleston, SC.

Although the three Democratic candidates are well spoken, intelligent, progressive and experienced, the world class leadership of Secretary Hillary Clinton rises to the top of the triumverate.

In fact, at the debate, Senator Sanders of Vermont was expert at promoting his vision of how to resolve income inequality, wealth re-distribution and protection of the middle class safety net programs like Social Security and Medicare. In fact, the Vermont senator denounced a "corrupt" political system and cast himself as a break from it, while Hillary Clinton tied herself tightly with President Barack Obama
On the other hand, Governor O'Malley was eloquent when speaking about traditional liberal values and how he was successful as Maryland's governor.  

By a short read of her impressive resume, the former first lady of Arkansas, former First Lady of the Free World, former Senator of New York State and former Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton is the best qualified of any of the presidential candidates to lead the free world. Her domestic and international leadership  experiences are exemplary. America is abolutely fortunate to have Mrs. Clinton running to be the first woman to be elected leader of the free world.

In my opinion, the following is the Q & A exchange that gave the January 18th Charleston SC debate to Secretary Clinton; and exemplified her international experience over the other two Democratic opponents, from The Washington Post- it's a short discourse, but to  the point and demonstrates extraordinary insight:

NBC Moderator Lester Holt asked about Mrs. Clinton's experience with Russia.

"As president, would you hand Vladimir Putin a reset button?"

CLINTON: Well, it would depend on what I got for it and I can tell you what we got in the first term, we got a new start treaty to reduce nuclear weapons between the United States and Russia. We got permission to resupply our troops in Afghanistan by traveling across Russia.

We got Russia to sign on to our sanctions against Iran and other very important commitments. So look, in diplomacy, you are always trying to see how you can figure out the interest of the other to see if there isn't some way you can advance your security and your values.

When Putin came back in the fall of 2011, it was very clear he came back with a mission. And I began speaking out as soon as that happened because there were some fraudulent elections held, and Russians poured out into the streets to demand their freedom, and he cracked down. And in fact, accused me of fomenting it. So we now know that he has a mixed record to say the least and we have to figure out how to deal with him.

HOLT follow up: What's your relationship with him (Putin)?

CLINTON: Well, my relationship with him, it's -- it's interesting.

(LAUGHTER)

It's one, I think, of respect. We've had some very tough dealings with one another. And I know that he's someone that you have to continuingly stand up to because, like many bullies, he is somebody who will take as much as he possibly can unless you do.

And we need to get the Europeans to be more willing to stand up, I was pleased they put sanctions on after Crimea and eastern Ukraine and the downing of the airliner, but we've got to be more united in preventing Putin from taking a more aggressive stance in Europe and the Middle East.

Maine Writer summary- Americans can't wait to train another leader of the free world.  Secretary Clinton has the experience to begin leading the free world on day one of her administration. America will benefit from seamless and experienced leadership by a well vetted world respected stateswoman.  

Americans must elect Hillary Clinton 2016 to be president. By the way, in the process of electing her, we must also rid our nation of right wing extremists, so to protect the Democratic progressive policies advocated for by Senator Bernie Sanders.  

Democratic forum-debate and why is the South so Republican?

At the November 6, presidential "debate-forum", nicely hosted/moderated by Rachel Maddow, in South Carolina, the former Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley was why Republicans are so dominent throughout the Southern states?  In other words, it's hard for a person to identify as a Democrat in Southern states and, consequently, more difficult to win elections, unless the candidates are registered Republicans.

Governor O'Malley represented a "southern state", said Maddow. Obviously, Maryland is geographically on the southern side of the dividing US Mason Dixon line. 

As a native, I grew up in Maryland and lived for most of my formative years in Baltimore and Baltimore County, so I was unhappy to see my home state identified with the political demographics of the American south. When I grew up, Maryland was considered to be a "border" state meaning it was neither northern or southern. Also, Maryland was one of the original 13 American colonies and the first Catholic settlement established by the influence of Britian's Lord Baltimore. 
Nevertheless, it was posed to Governor O'Malley to explain how it is the American South has become so overwhelmingly Republican.

At one time, prior to the Civil Rights Movement against segregation in the 1950s and 1960's, the American southern states were predominantly Democrat. It's been reported, when President Lyndon Johnson signed The Civil Rights Act in 1964, he knew the political consequencesof the law, but he underestimated the generational impact.  

"We have lost the South for a generation,” is what Johnson was reported to say. Unfortunately, the Southern political response has gone on for much longer than Johnson could've imagined. Here we are in 2015, and the South is entrenched in fundamentalist right wing Republican politics. Regardless if the story about Johnson's quote is true or not, the fact is, a reaction to Johnson’s act of courage, turned the south Republican.

Perhaps, Maryland 40 years longer than the others to join the South because Governor Martin O'Malley's successor turned the state's leadership Republican.

But, I've seen Maryland go briefly Republican in the past. Governor Spiro Agnew was a prime example.  Governor Robert L. Ehrlich was a one term Republican.  Now, the recently elected Republican Governor Hogan appears to be a one termer as well, because he's been diagnosed with a malignant illness. After issuing an executive order, reducing the toll on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge, it appears Governor Hogan hasn't been well enough to launch much political momentum.

I believe the South is predominantly Republican because our nation abandoned these states after the Civil Rights Act became law.  

In fact, few if any had the political gutzpah to create an environment where the civil liberties of Negroes was protected and their social institutions were supported.  In fact, the Civil Rights Act was a band aid to a help heal a terrible racial divide in the South; but after the scab was ripped off the wound, there were few interventions to create confidence and trust among those who were highly skeptical of the US governmnents' enforcement of this law.  

It may be too late in our generation to turn the South around and create confidence in the government's Civil Rights inverventions on behalf of protecting people against racial discrimination.  

Yet, we must applaud Rachel Maddow for asking the salient quesiton and for giving this important issue a forum for discussion at the wonderfully moderated Democratic forum/debate. There were a lot of supportive people in the South Carolina debate audience. Indeed, "hope springs eternal".

Democrats enjoy tremendous depth in the political list of qualified presidential candidates

Democrats should be justifiably proud of the candidates running for 2016 President of the United States.  

On the other hand, Republicans are struggling to support even one qualified presidential candidate.

News media, and others who're focused on politically damaging Hillary Clinton's 2016 "electability", with the trumped up email brouhaha, can't offer an alternative candidate. In fact, Republicans have completely failed to demonstrate a qualified choice for President and leader of the free world.

Republicans have only a few qualified candidates and none of them seem to be conservative enough to meet the purity criteria of the radical right wingers. Governor Chris Christie of New Jersey, is one qualified candidate, but he sounds more like a man campaigning for the role of Tony Soprano, in a remake of the popular TV series, than a presidential candidate. Another qualified candidate is Jeb! "Bushy Boy", son of George '41. Unfortunately, Jeb! has been unimpressive on the campaign circuit. He seems to wait for the front runner circus performer, Donald Trump the Chump, to make a serious mistake, rather than risk showing Americans his questionable leadership skills. Jeb! Bushy Boy believes speaking fluent Spanish, now and then, somehow makes him a world leader. (I don't think so!)

Governor John Kasick of Ohio is another qualified presidential candidate, but he recently seems lost in the maddening crowd. 

Meanwhile, while disorganized Republicans are struggling to find the "right enough" candidate, the Democrats are proudly supporting several highly qualified presidential candidates. 

This line up is a masterful and impressive list:

1.  Hillary Clinton:  world humanitarian, first lady of Arkansas, first lady of the United States, a US Senator and Secretary of State.

Secretary Hillary Clinton

2.  Senator Bernie Sanders- the US Senator from Vermont.

Senator Bernie Sanders

3.  Governor Martin O'Malley - former mayor of Baltimore and two times elected Governor of Maryland.

Governor Martin O'Malley

4.  Vice President Joseph Biden - former US Senator from Delaware and current Vice President of the United States.

Vice President Joe Biden former Senator from Delaware

All four Democratic candidates have the qualifications to be President of the United States. 

Obviously, Secretary Hillary Clinton and Vice President Joe Biden are the most qualified on the list of four.  

Indeed, Democrats are deservedly proud to have such depth in the quality of presidential candidates.  Republicans are most concerned about having to run a candidate from their political clown car against Hillary Clinton. Therefore, the Republicans are doing everything in their collective power to drive up Mrs. Clinton's negatives.  Moreover, the news media has completely ignored Mrs. Clinton's attributes and presidential qualifications. 

Instead, the media is obsessed with the politically driven Clinton "non" email news, by looking at every morsel of private and professional messages, to scoop something terrifyingly awful. Nothing gripping yet and I doubt anything of substance will be discovered.

Frankly, I'm completely confident the Clinton email news, being muckraked by Republicans, is less controversial than the poor qualifications of candidates like Carley Fiorina (she's the failed leader of Hewlett Packard) or Donald Trump "the chump" (a showman, rather than a politician). Dr. Ben Carson is running a campaign obsessed with our nation's deficit, but he has little understanding of world markets and economic theories.  Rather, Carson is a surgeon. As a nurse, I can tell blog readers, without reservation, that a surgeon knows how to run a surgical suite extremely well. Yet, Dr. Carson is acting like his expertise in brain surgery will somehow translate into being an expert leader of the free world.  (Hmmmm....yet another, "I don't think so".)

It's about time for news media to recognize the depth of the Democratic presidential leadership. At the same time, the media should be comparing the qualifications of the Republicans with those of the Democrats. Seems like a "no brainer" comparison.  Democrat candidates have stature and experience. Most of the Republican craving the Presidential 2016 office are on an ego trip.

Thoughtful Americans will pay attention to the qualifications of who we elect to be President of the United States and fire all those wanna-bees who clearly do not have the right stuff. 

Baltimore in Chaos - Marilyn Mosby takes charge

"To the people of Baltimore and demonstrators across America, I heard your call for 'No Justice, No peace,' " Mosby said. "Your peace is sincerely needed as I work to deliver justice on behalf of this young man." Marilyn Mosby

Marilyn Mosby Baltimore prosecutor

Finally! Somebody has taken charge of the chaos in Baltimore following the murder of the young black man, Freddie Gray. Somebody had to step up!  Thankfully, it took the guts of a young 
and Black city prosecutor to rise to this challenge. 

Marilyn Mosby has taken the reigns from Baltimore City's Mayor Stephanie  Rawlings-Blake. The mayor, sadly, has been as ineffective as a proverbial deer caught in he headlights, by her lack of emotion and lethargic response to the growing racial crises, post the police brutality killing of Freddie Gray. Meanwhile, Maryland's Governor Larry Hogan has behaved like a used car salesman, waiting for the bank to call him with a customer's loan approval. He talks a lot, but has nothing to contribute to the crises, except rhetoric.  Obviously, Rawlings Blake and Hogan do not communicate.

So, how's Maryland's Republican Governor going to fulfill his campaign promise to Maryland's voters, now that the state's largest city and economic engine is in a meltdown? Who's going to present the Woodlawn Trophy at the Preakness Race, the second leg of the Triple Crown?  Who's going to build Baltimore back to become the state's economic engine, when at least 20 percent of the city is trashed and burned?

Moreover, Governor Hogan hid in the equivalent of an emergency bomb shelter when he told the news media how he waited for Rawlings-Blake to call him before enacting the state's National Guard. Otherwise, if he'd waited any longer to declare the emergency, the burning of Baltimore would've turned the city into matchsticks. Then, like a rerun of the movie "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World", former Governor and Baltimore Mayor Martin O'Malley shows, up after cancelling speeches in Europe, because he wanted to walk the streets of the burned out city.....and do what? It's like Rawlings-Blake, Hogan and O'Malley are all looking for two "big W's", meaning "who is responsible for this chaos?" and "what happened that I can blame on somebody else?".

Except, this Baltimore tragedy isn't a parody. Rather, it's frighteningly real.  

For a fact, Freddie Gray did not deserve to die. 

There's nothing in the universe of possibilities that caused Gray to deserve to have his neck broken and his spine severed during an arrest, without cause.

So, here's what the Baltimore City Attorney Marilyn Mosby said:

Freddie Gray death ruled homicide; officers charged

By Michael Pearson, Ben Brumfield and Eliott C. McLaughlin, CNN
Six Baltimore police officers will face charges in the death of Freddie Gray, the city's prosecutor said Friday in an unexpected announcement that brought cheers from protesters and words of protest from the police union.

The announcement by Baltimore City State's Attorney Marilyn Mosby left no doubt about what she thinks happened April 12, when Gray was arrested: The 25-year-old died, she said, after suffering "a severe and critical neck injury" while being transported "handcuffed, shackled by his feet and unrestrained" inside a police van. It is against police policy to transport a prisoner without proper restraints such as a seat belt.

BALTIMORE — Baltimore’s chief prosecutor (Marilyn Mosby) charged six police officers on Friday with crimes including murder and manslaughter in the arrest and fatal injury of Freddie Gray, a striking and surprisingly swift turn in a case that has drawn national attention to police conduct.

The state’s attorney for Baltimore, Marilyn J. Mosby, filed the charges almost as soon as she received a medical examiner’s report that ruled Mr. Gray’s death a homicide, and a day after the police concluded their initial investigation and handed over their findings. Officials had cautioned that it could take considerable time for her office to complete its own investigation and decide whether to prosecute.

Five of the six officers are in custody, Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake said later.

Mosby said Gray suffered fatal spinal injuries on April 12,while being transported in a police van, where he was taken because he was somehow involved in a yet to be fully explained incident.

The most serious charges were brought against Officer Caesar Goodson, who was driving the transport van that brought Mr. Gray to the Western District police station after his April 12, arrest. Mr. Goodson, 45 years old, was charged with second-degree murder, involuntary manslaughter and other charges.

Officers William Porter, 25, Lt. Brian Rice, 41, and Sgt. Alicia White, 30, were each charged with involuntary manslaughter, second-degree assault and misconduct in office. Officers Edward Nero, 29, and Garrett Miller, 26, were charged with second-degree assault and misconduct in office. (News is reporting the charged police officers were released on bail on Saturday May 2nd).

It's unclear how Mosby's firm response to the homicide of Freddie Gray will impact Baltimore's violence and demonstrations, but she certainly has put a sense of awe into the city.  

Who could have guessed that a young Black woman (35 years old) would be so decisive? She's especially riveting, when contrasted against Rawlings-Blake, Hogan and O'Malley, who acted like movie stars in a grade B-movie rehearsal. Thankfully, Mosby finally took charge of the entire saga.  

By "throwing the book" at the six police involved in the killing, Mosby knows the charges must be given due process and those officers have seen their jobs disappear, forever.