Philly the Bern

On 22nd and Catharine Streets in Philadelphia a mural now adorns the facade of the brick building . It is the work of 2 graffiti artists, and it is unlike anything else that you and I are likely to pass in our daily travels.

At 65 feet by 30 feet it is eye catching in its dimensions. But beyond that, it is an elaborately designed political statement. "Philly the Bern" is a very visual showing of support, by the artists and the owner of the building, for the candidacy of one Mr. Sanders.

we need your support! @old_broads and @distoart are painting this #berniesanders mural, curated by @streetsdept. There is link in my bio to their kickstarter. Show your support at PHILLYTHEBERN.com we'll be here all week! #bernie #berniemural #berniesanders #bernie2016 #berniesanders2016 #phillythebern #philly #phillyart #phillymade #philadelphia #phillystreetart #streetart #mural #oldbroads #distoart #streetsdept #teamnosleep

A video posted by LOTITS™ ~.((. )( . )( .)).~ (@lotitstagram) on Mar 9, 2016 at 1:10am PST

I remember being escorted into the basement of the home where one of the artists, Disto, resided in his youth. He was even then, probably before his teenage years, a budding graffiti artist. The walls of this room were not adorned with old photos of grandparents come and gone. Strewn about this place were not discarded toys or crumpled up clothes waiting their turn at a washing machine. Rather, here could be found the tools of the trade of a  young man in the incubation period of his craft. The walls spoke not in sterile gray or white but were alive with the colors and  images of a mind hard at work.

Now Disto, along with his fellow muralist, Old Broads, is in the bright light of day.  A five day project from March 7 to March 12, transformed a nondescript brick wall into this. Like the postman, neither rain, sleet or snow was to impede these two in reaching their appointed goal. Fortunately, Mother Nature must be a Bernie fan for the artists were able to bask in unbelievable late winter warmth for much of this period.

Like Bernie, this undertaking relied on the financial support of the community for its well being. While the candidate reminds us of his grassroots campaign, with its millions of contributors averaging (you know) $27 each, Philly the Bern is a Kickstarter project, the company whose mission statement is to be a crowdfunding platform designed to bring creative projects to life. What could be more creative a project than a 74 year old, perpetually slightly disheveled, avowed Socialist, Jewish man running for President of the United States, trying to face down the political machine behind Hillary Clinton. Or transforming a silent building into a living breathing endorsement.

I came very late to this party, only learning of the existence of the mural from a Facebook post yesterday. But what a party it must have been last night and into today. When the Kickstarter fundraising goal had been met, I received a message inviting me and the other 178 backers to a celebration on the roof of the building where the enormous image of Mr. Sanders was now on full display.

I know the work of Disto and Old Broads is attracting attention, not only from local TV crews but from nearby residents.  When word of the transformation of this building was passed on to a relative in Philly, she wrote back that she lived nearby and had spent the past two days taking photos of the mural in progress.

There are parallels in the careers of artist and politician, from the basement of a home to an enormous public display, from Bernie's tiny state of Vermont to center stage on the national platform. Two paths intersecting, if only for a moment, on their respective ways to who knows where.

Invulnerable

AN EDITED VERSION OF THIS POST IS SCHEDULED TO APPEAR IN THE RECORD,  A BERGEN COUNTY NEWSPAPER

Mr. Trump appears invulnerable to attack. The 2008 party nominee, Mr. McCain, is deemed no hero, but a loser for being captured.  Mr. Romney, the 2012 standard-bearer, blew the chance to dethrone a reviled President. Even the Pope should just mind his own business.

The slings and arrows of Mr. Cruz and Mr. Rubio are swatted away by Mr. Trump as if they were petty annoyances. The size of his hands. "Really", Mr. Trump seems to be saying, "is that the best you've got?" 

In this the year of the implosion of the political process, where the Republican party is in open defiance against the President, unwilling to concede his authority to even place before them a nominee for the Supreme Court, all our understood conventions have been cast asunder.

So while the elder statesmen of the party, like Mr. Romney may castigate Mr. Trump and warn of the pending apocalypse, their voices are drowned out by the sounds of the cheering throngs welcoming the man who will save them from those who have tried and failed. The weak, like Mr. Bush. The incapable, like Mr. Rubio. The vile, like Mr. Cruz. 

And the losers like Mr. McCain, and yes, Mr. Romney.

The Siren Call to the Minion

We are his minion, his opinion is all that we need

We want his guidance, inside us, driving our deeds

He has the answers, no cancers if we just believe

He is our master, our pastor and we are his seed

Don't McCain me, don't train me, don't Romney me to death

Don't huff me, don't puff me, don't waste your precious breath

Don't Cruz me, don't confuse me, don't talk til you snooze me

It's only the Donald I love

No Gentle Ben and Marco's no friend

Hillary I'll pillory, Bernie I'll gurney

No more denying, decrying, defying

It's only the Donald I love

He'll get them all twisted, don't try to resist him
You'll only get tied up in knots
The finest berater, the great master baiter
Don't hatch those nefarious plots

It's only the Donald I love

He's no OJ's hand in a glove

Kills all the misfits, and I must acquit

Public enemy number one

Prevaricator, pontificator, provocateur, for sure

Morally bankrupt, empty and corrupt, I've heard enough

Politically polluted, constitutionally convoluted, stop

It's only the Donald I love

Give me your tired, your humbled and poor

They'll be fired and bundled out the door

Give me your weary,  your masses yearning to be free

I'll show you the teary,  low classes, headed to sea (from shining sea)

Oh say can you see, over the wall that is

America the free, not for all that is

Don't look like me, taking the fall that is

Won't let you be, heed our call that is

Divided we stand, united in hate

Derided and damned, curse your fate

Decided by birth, defined your state

Diminished, you're finished, its too late

Mr. President, the residence in the big white house awaits
With no hesitation, no reservation, but plenty of guards at the gate
Its no Mara Lago, no eating at Spago, no Trump Towers for sure
Hope its ok, for a four year stay, and maybe then four more

It's Donald we love and his name we trumpet
Toot all the horns and ring all the bells
For those who resist, and on others insist
We welcome you all to hell

The Opening Statement of Donald Trump in His Debate with Jesus

Moderator:"Welcome to the final Republican debate before you, the voter, must decide whether Jesus Christ or Donald Trump is to be your choice as the party's nominee for the 2016 election. We begin with Mr. Trump's opening statement."

Donald Trump:

"First let me say that I don't believe my opponent has a right to appear before you tonight. On reliable information, I have been advised that he was not born in this country, nor is there any evidence that either of his parents (who have not revealed themselves to us) were born in the best nation in the world, the United States."

"While some of you have questioned my magnificent mass of  hair, I ask you to look at this leftover from Woodstock. He has refused to trim his beard, cut his locks or even take those stupid sandals off his feet. He wears a dress, I swear it is a dress, and he has never so much as given thought to putting on a tie and jacket. What kind of face is this? What is he hiding?"

"And he continually quotes his father, as though he does not have ideas of his own. He reminds me of Jeb! who tried to call upon his brother and his mommy and daddy to save him. That is not strength my friends.That is desperation."

"These are hard times requiring hard decisions by someone willing to stand strong. ISIS sticks a poke in our eye. The Chinese pilfer from us. The Mexicans rape our women and addict us to their drugs. And what would Jesus do to any of these jerks, to these low life scum? What would Jesus do? Turn the other cheek, that is what he would do."

"I may not be politically correct but these are not politically correct times. We can not allow weakness to be our calling card, we cannot be all nicey-nice with Assad, the North Koreans, with Iran. We cannot show signs of forgiveness, of tolerance of understanding. These animals do not respond to any of that. They will not listen until we put an American made nuclear weapon in their face.'

"And if you think Jesus is wrong on foreign policy, and believe me, he is very, very wrong, then look what he would do to us at home. He makes Bernie Sanders look like a conservative (not that there is anything wrong with being a conservative. I am, I swear, a true conservative). Socialist is too nice a word for him. Look, I am all for the poor, believe me, I care about them. I do not want any of them dying in the streets, at least not in front of any of  my many fantastic buildings, unbelievable residences or stupendous golf courses. But the rich are rich for a reason and it was not because we gave away a loaf of bread every time someone had a hand out begging for it. We are better than that in the United States."

"Don't get me wrong. I like Jesus. In fact, I really like the guy. He just doesn't have what it takes to do the job. This is too important a moment in the history of this nation to leave someone like Jesus in charge."

" Let's not give them four more years of Obama lite, of Jesus who says he understands others, forgives their trespasses. This is not who we are. I ask that you send a loud and clear message to the world that America is about to be great again. Send Jesus home to whatever country he came from. And for his sake, it better not be a place I will bomb my first day in office."

The Primary Battle - Jesus Versus Donald Trump

("What Wouldn't Jesus Do")

It can only be viewed as an ironic twist. Evangelicals as victims in need of a savior. 

So what if he shows disdain and contempt in ways decidedly ungodly. So what if he does not turn the other cheek. So what if he is faux religious.

Those who try to diminish Donald Trump are damned if they do and defeated if they don't. 

In this bizarre universe, Jesus would not make it out of the primaries. Too weak, too forgiving, too willing to overlook the fault in others, too willing to find fault in himself.

Even as many privately praise his unholy rants, Mr.Trump's legion of evangelical followers suggest they must turn a blind eye to his means to an end campaign.  Make America  great again, they say. Just don't tell us how you got there.

Not To Be TrusTed

There are strong echoes of Bridgegate in the series of grievous missteps taken by the Cruz underlings leading to the expulsion of the candidate's communications director Rick Tyler.

 

From the "misunderstanding" regarding the "suspension" of Dr. Carson's campaign to the fictitious image of Senator Rubio and President Obama in affectionate handshake, to the Bible boo-boo, there appears to be no means too crude, no action too unthinkable, to justify the ends.

And so it was for Governor Christie. Those under his command well understood the drill. Mayor Sokolich of Fort Lee was but one in a long line of the unfortunate and unknowing recipients of the bully's ire and payback. 

It is the expectation of dirty tricks that is at the diseased heart of these two politician's empires. If Senator Cruz or Governor Christie did not order these despicable acts, they were clearly fully consistent with implicit mandates. While Cruz and Christie deny any unethical intent, and attempt to portray themselves as beyond reproach, there is really no daylight between the wrongs committed by those in their employ and the puppeteers who control their every move.

Baseball, Barry Bonds and The Bigger Picture

("Why Baseball Still Needs Barry Bonds")

There may be myriad rationale why Mr.Bonds, Mr. Clemens and Mr. McGwire have found their way back into baseball's good graces. Maybe it is the power of mercy, or that time heals all wounds, While these reasons, or others, might resonate with those who love the game, the premise of the piece of Mr. Costa seems to be a three base error.

Who among us attended a Major League contest last year for the chance to see Mark McGwire emerge from the dugout? And while the sight of Barry Bonds in uniform, even that of the Miami Marlins, may pique some curiosity, it will not alter the attendance figures in any meaningful way. A blip on the radar screen at best. Mr. Clemens in the front office. So what.

If Mr. Costa feels that penance has been done by Mr. Bonds, Mr. Clemens and Mr. McGwire for their dalliances with steroids or that the punishment did not fit the crime, those are position well worth our contemplation. And if the long suffering Mr. Rose should be be given a reprieve by the baseball gods, I for one would consider this a welcome and long overdue response..

But Mr. Costa should not hide behind the fiction that baseball needs these gentlemen for its very survival. There is, and will always be, a new generation of superstars who will take center stage and shine brightly. The game endures not because of its past heroes or villains but because  there has always been, and always will be the next Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens or Mark McGwire. He is there in front of our eyes and if Mr. Costa can't see him, he is missing the point and the bigger picture.

Max Kellerman and the Republican Elite Donors - Slipping Away

("Cranks On Top")

Max Kellerman's "It feels like its all slipping away" could well be the mantra of today's donor class in the Republican party.

No longer was the Catskills the answer. Instead, "22 countries in 3 days" was what captured minds and hearts. It was now all flash and dazzle. The old ways were now just old.

There was resignation in Kellerman's voice, a recognition that nothing he could do would be enough to stop the inevitable from becoming reality. 

As Dirty Dancing closes, while Patrick Swayze ushers in a new world, loud, brash and bold,  Kellerman asks Tito the bandleader, "You have sheet music on this stuff".

Max Kellerman and the Republican elite donors both in the middle of the floor, dancing to the sounds of a different beat, looking a little uncomfortable and trying not to appear out of step and lost.

Never, Never, Never Land

Welcome to Never, Never, Never Land. It is the place where reality has vanished, where nothing has turned into everything, where an orange colored bird's nest rests atop a looking glass universe.

From here one peers out on an endless vista of pretend, on a paradise predicated on puffery, on a picture of perfection produced by fairy dust and the unbridled suspension of disbelief. 

Welcome to the land of ids and odds, of fakes and fools of fiction as function. A place where once upon a time sits on every plate and each meal consists of hot air and a large dollop of I scream.

It is a time in the distant future that is now and a place far away that is here. Here it is never dark though there is no light and never clear though one looks at forever. Here one is never wrong though never right and never speaks though always talks.

This is a place that doesn't exist but we can touch, doesn't have a mind but has a voice, doesn't know the way but leads. 

Is there a prayer we can make, a name we can invoke, a sign we can find, to turn this nightmare off? Is there a tomorrow or merely this? Is there some place to hide until the storm has passed?

Never, never, never is in our house and refuses to leave, in our heads and refuses to listen, in our hearts and refuses to lessen. Never, never, never is a a prognostication that is not, a panacea that never was.

It is a cancer not a cure, a cause with ill effect, a disease without end. It is nothing we are and everything we should not become. It is never, never, never going to happen. And yet it is here among us.

Is Bernie a One Note Wonder

('Bernie and the 'Lunatic of One Idea')

The contention that Mr. Sanders is a one note wonder is inaccurate. He is, like all those who aspire to the highest office in the land, merely looking for a message that sells, whether it be one note or a symphony.

We hear in Marco Rubio the constant attack on President Obama, in Donald Trump the endless articulation of great, great, great, win, win, win. Hillary Clinton is searching,as she did eight years earlier, for her hook. For now, it is building on the Obama legacy and taking the slow and steady course, but that is proving a tough mantra to stir the masses.

These candidates are all in a frantic search for the goose that lays the golden egg, the central message that will capture the minds and hearts of the electorate. Mr. Sanders has positions on all range of issues, from intervention in foreign conflicts to educational reform, to the disaster of mass incarceration, to the dilemma of the epidemic of drug related deaths, to all matters large and small. But what has given him traction, and what he will continue to beat like a dead horse until it proves unrewarding, is that Hillary Clinton is tied to Wall Street and Wall Street is the fundamental catalyst for what ails this nation.

These men and women who stand before us are politicians, and by their very nature, they will go wherever the votes are. To believe that Mr. Sanders is different from Ms. Clinton, Mr. Trump, Mr. Cruz, Mr. Kasich, Mr. Bush or Dr. Carson is to miss the essence of what a political campaign is all about.