Political Puppetry by Thomas M. Kelly, © 2016

Wobble Heads on stage: 

Chuck Schumer and Bernie Sanders, Liberals both.  

Paul Ryan and Mitch McConnell, Conservatives both.

WHAMor:  (v.o.)   Good evening ladies and gentlemen and welcome to the KWOS, Kelly’s Word on the Street Digital Radio and his Super POLITICAL ACTION COMEDY...  presents (with great gusto)  “Politics of the Day Forum”.   Yes, this is where the news is sometimes comical but most of the time... well, it's not.  Tonight is no exception.  Our guests tonight are leading Democrats, Chuck Schumer   (ovation)   and Bernie Sanders   (ovation), and Paul Ryan, and Mitch McConnell: Whom the Democrats like to call the real "whack jobs or whackos of the Republican Party". (ovation)

To tell you the truth, I don't see the difference between the right and the left anymore.   They have both become unhinged and are apparently trading insane tit-for-tat conspiracy theories.   In my humble opinion, both parties need to stop, take deep breaths, and start thinking clearly here.

Topic #One:   Political Puppetry.   The mainstream media think the CEO of ExxonMobil, Rex Tillerson, President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for secretary of state, is a puppet of Russian President Vladimir Putin and that Trump, himself, is a puppet of Putin.

Bernie Sanders:   We all know that if this was Obama, that the Alt-right would be ready to call out the militias and that Obama should be looked at before any electoral college votes were cast.   And there would be a great number of people on the Left saying that the hacking, and misinformation, from Russia, was wrong.   Both are happy to bend over and capitulate.

Paul Ryan:   President Trump ... I mean President-elect Trump is ready to accept Russia hacking report if FBI and CIA can agree, but he still doesn't think their meddling swayed the election.

Mitch McConnell:   Reince Priebus appeared on Fox news on Sunday when he made those remarks, he said the FBI and CIA should create a joint report to remove ambig.... .   

Chuck Schumer:   I’d like to interrupt the Senator from Kentucky and to have his remarks stricken.   Everyone has their right to an opinion, sir, but your past opinions call into question your current opinion.   During his candidacy and after President Obama was elected you stated and I quote, “The single most important thing we want to achieve is for President Obama to be a one-term president.”   You stonewalled his every attempt further the rights of the minorities; black, brown, red, LGBT, women’s rights, gun control, education, ... .   

Mitch McConnell:  As Senate Majority Leader I am ...

Bernie Sanders:   Come now, you are standing in the way of investigating the interference in our election by Russia.   You shared your thoughts in a quiet interview that hid a very significant announcement.   You made it clear that you are not on our side and you have no intention of finding out just how a foreign power interfered in our election on behalf of the Republican Party.

Mitch McConnell:  We have a Senate Intelligence Committee and a House Intelligence Committee, run by knowledgeable, responsible people.   (dismissively)   There’s no question that the Russians were messing around in our election.   It is a matter of genuine concern and it needs to be investigated.   In the Senate, we’re gonna investigate that in what we call regular order, the Senate Intelligence Committee is fully capable of handling this.

Chuck Schumer:   Mitch, you have no legs to stand on here.   There is no way you can defend your decision to block the creation of a bipartisan special committee to find out the truth of what happened during the national election.   The Senate and the House have no intention of devoting any attention to this issue either, except lip service.   As long as Republicans come out on top, the ends always justify the means, even if it’s at the expense of the American people.

Bernie Sanders:   You can see the game Trump is playing: continue to divide and to conquer.    Everyone on the hill knows that Mr. Obama has officially ordered an investigation.   The only one person who seriously has dug himself into a big hole now, with no way out is Trump, who now comes up with his usual pile of nonsense.   He is not privy to any of the intelligence briefings.  The ranking member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, Democrat Senator Adam Schiff said yesterday that Trump is surely damaging America.

Chuck Schumer:   The media at large bears a huge responsibility in this silent coup.  We can't blame capitulation to the Russians on the GOP alone.   Their constant fawning over Trump and giving him all the free airtime he (and Putin) required, proves that they were willing co-conspirators.   Of course, there isn't one person in any position of authority in the Congress that wants to lose their job, so the coup is perfected by the acquiescence of Congress.   

Bernie Sanders:   The Department of Justice won't even lift a finger, and since they are supposed to prosecute for treasonous acts then the people have no defense.   Like the big banks, America was not too big to fail, after all, it just took some passiveness from our own government.

Chuck Schumer:   Now, that we have enough suspicion to conclude that Trump was probably in collusion with Putin to interfere in our elections, why isn't Trump being subpoenaed to show his tax returns?   Maybe we would see how indebted Trump is to Putin, and that would be more evidence that he is Putin's puppet (including being in cahoots with Putin about this election)!

WHAMor:  (v.o.)   During the campaigning we all remember when Donald Trump proclaimed that maybe there was no hacking by Russia, against the consensus of the American intelligence community and that worried Senator Adam Schiff, who stated, “If he was willing to disregard the intelligence community and contradict it to his benefit during the campaign, will he do so as president?   Time alone will tell, but there are, I think, Schiff continued, grave concerns about that and note Director of National Intelligence James Clapper reiterated that the Intelligence Community believes that Russia meddled in the recent American election.   “There is substantial concern about whether he respects the process and the personnel of the Intelligence Community, especially when they tell him things that he doesn’t want to hear,” the lawmaker said.   “As Director of National Intelligence James Clapper said, there is truly no question that Russia meddled.”   It is strange that Trump doesn't seem to want to concern himself with his country’s national security and listen to briefings.

Bernie Sanders:   Why don't we subpoena his returns? Because Trump said he wouldn't provide them, and nobody cared.   The media stopped asking for them and the people voted for him.

Paul Ryan:   I seriously doubt Putin interfered with our elections to get even with Hillary but instead he wanted to weaken the US and NATO.   We aren't the King or Queen on this chess board, just a pawn.   Russia's real goal is in competing with China, a country with few "natural enemies." To do this effectively Russia has to unshackle itself from the policing powers of NATO.   

Bernie Sanders:   Putin found the perfect puppet in Trump, a man so shallow he could drown in an inch of water.   With Trump, the price for compliance is a simple compliment.   And lacking any real intellectual capacity, curiosity, or integrity Trump will simply parrot what the last person to whisper in his ear says, as long as you also tell him how wonderful he is.   So we will lose our superpower status, maybe it's a good thing.   But what is without question is we will lose it because of one massively insecure man who knows little about anything and refuses to learn anything about himself.

The FBI had no problem 'playing politics' a week before the election when Comey dangled more emails out there then retracted the charges.   This is no evidence.   Nothing.

My Favorite political cartoonist... Nick Anderson.

Seamus:   My Favorite political cartoonist... Nick Anderson.   But I think he made Trump's lips and hands too big... and besides he has not yet saved those jobs. 

Welcome ladies and gentlemen... We are here... just outside the Carrier Corporation entrance in Indianapolis, Indiana to interview employees as they arrive for work.

Seamus:   You sir.  Your first name?   What do you think victory or defeat for your fellow workers?

Tom.   Yeah, I know why you’re here.   As soon as your microphones and cameras are turned off,  I suspect those jobs, including mine, will be headed across the border at minimum wage,......Probably with Trump's blessings.

Seamus:   What do you think?   Victory or defeat for your fellow workers?   Your first name, miss?

Jan.   If what I am reading is correct there are plans to automate the remaining jobs.   Big victory for the workers, right?

Seamus:   What do you think?   Victory or defeat for your fellow workers?   Your first name, sir?

Jacob.   From the looks of your Facebook page you have a stiffy for Trump as much as you talk about him.   When are you coming out bud?

Seamus:   Thank you, sir.   What do you think?   Victory or defeat for your fellow workers?   Your first name, sir?

Paul.   Jan is correct...  Some jobs saved but others lost to automation... robots.

Seamus:   You, sir.   Victory or defeat for your fellow workers?   Your first name, sir?

Tim.   Typical response from Paul.   He believes them propaganda lies.   Also a typical response from Jacob the FB watchdog!   Haha!    Right Jacob?   Poking fun at lefties is hilarious.   He is so distressed that the Dummies lost the election... too bad, so sad, your dad.

Seamus:   What do you think?   Victory or defeat for your fellow workers?   Your first name, miss?

Christine.   President-Elect Trump has not even been sworn in and has saved these jobs, just think what he will be able to do once he is actually President.   Not even in office yet and already being ridiculed and poked fun at as a loser.   How very sad to see so many poor sports at the loss of their candidate!

Seamus:   Victory or defeat for your fellow workers?   What do you think?   Your first name, sir?  

Owen.   You look pretty good on your knees, there Christine!  He saved those jobs by offering tax cuts.   That sets a horrible precedent for other corporations.   Now they’ll line up for their hand-jobs and lap dances.   Either way, we get screwed.   Many more jobs are going to Mexico.   I hope yours goes!   So although I agree with the idea of saving jobs, that’s a horrible way to save jobs.

Seamus:   Let’s try to keep the discussion clean, please.   What do you think?   Victory or defeat for your fellow workers?   Your first name, sir? 

Brandon.   How very sad to see someone completely fooled by this news.   First; he lied about the number of jobs saved: 730 jobs, not 1,100 and he essentially paid a ransom to Carrier of over $7,000,000 before they would even agree to it.   Yeah.   He’s a great negotiator, my ass.   Every country in America will be signing up for that deal at the expense of the taxpayer.

Seamus:   Please, folks.   Let’s try to keep the discussion clean.  What do you think?   Victory or defeat for your fellow workers?   Your first name, miss?

Aquila.   I look at it a differently:   We lost 1000 jobs, and we the taxpayers paid 7 million to do it.   Good job?   I don’t think so.   The Carrier Corporation could have offered those people who were laid off job training...

Seamus:   What do you think?   Victory or defeat for your fellow workers?   Your first name, miss?

Kim.   Cover yourself, Aquila, your ignorance is showing.

Aquila.   You’re a loser honey.   Not surprising from a Hillary supporter.

Seamus:   Let’s try to keep the discussion civil, please.   What do you think?   Victory or defeat for your fellow workers?   Your first name, sir?

Derek.   He has cost taxpayers millions of dollars with this deal!   That's ok with you, Kim?   Every corporation in this country will simply have to threaten to leave and he will give them millions of tax dollars to stay.   Why are people ok with millions going to corporations and mad about paying $36 a year to food stamps so hungry people can eat?

Seamus:   What do you think?   Victory or defeat for your fellow workers?   Your first name, sir?

Pat.   It's his total lack of knowledge of how anything but how a bait and switch salesman operates.   A loser refers to something that is not tight, like a loose screw or a nut, which trump has more than a few of...

Seamus:   What do you think?   Victory or defeat for your fellow workers?   Your first name, sir?

Joshua.   Yea just as sad as the last 8 years with your bigotry towards Obama.   Huh!   Last I heard Trump was a board member for Carrier's parent company, United Technology.

What do you think?   Victory or defeat for your fellow workers?   Your first name, sir? 

Jodi.   He hasn't done one positive thing yet.   He's broken all his campaign promises and hasn't even been inaugurated yet.   Wake up, he's on course to destroy our country.   You Trumpettes got screwed! Now everybody gets screwed!

Seamus:   What do you think?   Victory or defeat for your fellow workers?   Your first name, miss?

Joyce.   I look forward to criticizing this orange pig for as long as he’s in the White House... if he get’s there.   Obama was treated very badly for 8 years and I intend to get even.   Revenge is mine sayeth Joyce.

Seamus:   What do you think?   Victory or defeat for your fellow workers?   Your first name, miss?

Janice.   Carrier will be using part of the tax breaks to automate jobs.   That’s assuming he keeps his promise.      I'd say Carrier was complicit in T rump's plan.

Seamus:   What do you think?   Victory or defeat for your fellow workers?   Your first name, sir? 

Oscar.   We've been duped by a crafty, slimy snake oil salesman. He hasn't done nothin’ but squat and blow gas all over this country.   Read the small print and you'll discover the scary details of this flimflam deal.   Don't be so naive.

Seamus:   What do you think?   Victory or defeat for your fellow workers?   Your first name, miss?

Alma.   Politics is not a freaking team sport!   In fact, everyone in America lost with this dummy’s election.   Continue wearing your rose colored glasses.   He's going to screw everyone and smile while doing it.   I really wish you ignorant a’ho's would wake up.

Seamus:   OK folks.   Let’s keep it clean.   What do you think, sir?   Victory or defeat for your fellow workers?   Your first name, sir?

Charlie.   Alma one wants to be technical.   Politics is a team sport that's the point of having political parties to back you up and lend support when you're running for an election or trying to advance an agenda. 

Seamus:   What do you think, sir?   Victory or defeat for your fellow workers?   Your first name, sir?

Cameron.   Obviously, for the sake of our country, we want Trump to be successful. But at the same time, we know any success is just going to inflate his ego even further.   I'm already so annoyed...

Seamus:   What do you think, sir?   Victory or defeat for your fellow workers?   Your first name, sir?

Tukufu.   The idea that any politician like Trump or otherwise "created" any jobs, other than government positions, is ludicrous.   It is We the People who create the jobs and workforce in this country.   We are not a communist nation.

Seamus:   What do you think, sir?   Victory or defeat for your fellow workers?   Your first name, sir?

Bryan.   I'm wondering when even political cartoonists will start noticing it was more like 600 jobs, and the number keeps shrinking.

Seamus:   What do you think, miss?   Victory or defeat for your fellow workers?   Your first name, miss?

Dominique.   I believe that the unemployment rate is larger than reported because it only counts those actively seeking a job.   

Meanwhile, GM has thrown money during the bailout, which actually harmed them.   Carrier was saved by talk, not money.

Seamus:   We have a Voice from the crowd.   

...Where do you get your news?  

Seamus:   What do you think, sir?   Victory or defeat for your fellow workers?   Your first name, sir?

Khalid.   I think she gets her news from the lying Fox News.   It is the same unemployment model that Republican presidents use.   It's a grading system for a metric in employment.   Based upon that metric Obama did very well compared to his predecessor.   We will see how Trump does vs Obama soon enough.

Dominique.   So you admit it's a flawed system and thus not an accurate representation of the real unemployment rate especially since the number on welfare skyrocketed and all the prerequisites of having to either be in school and actively looking for a job has been debunked.

Seamus:   Ladies and gentlemen, it sounds as if we have a real debate going on here.

Khalid.   It's a metric that is used to show an unemployment rate based on certain criteria.   You are saying it doesn't include criteria that are important to you.   You can make the case that unemployment should show as higher, but then you have to apply that to every other President whose unemployment numbers Obama's administrations are being compared to are false.

Dominique.   Actually, ... Are you Muslim?   If you are... Oh, well...   I'm saying that unemployment and welfare recipients have a correlating relationship and in order to show how many are really out of a job you have to look at both.   It shows how lazy we have become.

Seamus:   What do you think, sir?   Victory or defeat for your fellow workers?   Your first name, sir?

Mark.   Trump created more jobs before being inaugurated than President Obama and just announced the Japanese company that will be bringing tech jobs to the US.   We also have more people on assistance than we ever had with a "low" unemployment rate which may suggest that many quit looking or are taking jobs for far less than what they once made.

Seamus:   What do you think, miss?   Victory or defeat for your fellow workers?   Your first name?

Elaine.   SoftBank already invests millions in the US none of which is intended to create more jobs.   And no jobs have been created.   This is just a PR play.

Aquila.   Hi!   I’m back.   Grasping at straws, huh, Mark?   I understand the resentment and guilt you must feel for supporting such a candidate.   Healing happens much faster when you admit to yourself that you made a horrible mistake by supporting this man.   So goodbye to your paycheck, Donald needs that money to bribe companies to stay in America.

Seamus:   What do you think, miss?   Victory or defeat for your fellow workers?   Your first name, miss?

Natalia.   Really?   Because last I checked, Obama saved GM from going under.  What was that?   Two-hundred-fifty-thousand jobs?    So no, Trump hasn't done anything but line his own pockets.   He owns stock in carrier's parent company, but I'm sure that has nothing to do with his saving like 700 jobs at the cost of 7 million dollars that will cost the rest of us.   Where does he think the money is coming from?

Aquila.   Careful Natalia, facts trigger Trump supporters.   They can’t cope with facts.

Seamus:   What do you think, sir?   Victory or defeat for your fellow workers?   Your first name, sir?

Mark.   No resentment or guilt.   I had no other candidate to support.   Is it true that he has created more jobs than Obama?   I don’t think anyone will equal Barack’s record.   Is that 7 million coming out of his pocket?   And how is that health care debacle working?   And the money and tax abatement that was given to the solar industry?   It’s working!

Derek.   Mark?   Don’t leave yet... you’re my ride home remember?   Health care debacle?   Is that what you call the lowest uninsured rate in history?   I wouldn't have coverage for my MS without Obamacare.   And do you think the Donald will actually repeal this healthcare plan?   He's already said he won't. 

Jodi.   Mark stop watching Faux News.   Get some real news.   He's screwing everything up.   He should start attending security briefings before he gets us involved in an international incident!

Aquila.   You guys stop picking on Mark, he is obviously digging through some pretty hardened crap right now.   How would you feel if you doomed your entire country because you were not intelligent enough to realize that a conman was lying to you so he could profit off of your own ignorance?   Please.   Take pity on this man.

Mark.   Interesting, I don't get my news from FOX, along with the other mainstream media that fills heads with unintelligible garbage that many here seem to believe.   I do not follow Mr. Trump or any other individuals as I am an educated man.   

Seamus:   What do you think, miss?   Victory or defeat for your fellow workers?   Your first name, miss?

Melissa.    Wow, Mark assumes that anyone who disagrees with him works at McDonald's.   Very "educated" and mature of you, Mark.   There is nothing wrong with working.   Work is work, and it is admirable.   Your superiority complex is showing.   Have some grace and humility.

Seamus:   What do you think, sir?   Victory or defeat for your fellow workers?   Your first name, sir?

Oscar.   Mr. Educated man.   Do you think that people don't deserve a living wage? 

Seamus:   Thank you, ladies and gentlemen.   That’s all the time we have for today.   Back to you Maggie.   Yes.   Maggie.   We were getting way off subject.   I had to cut it off.

The Shaming of Corporate America by the Twitter in Chief... To Be

Word on the Street by Seamus O’Shea.
Thank you, ladies and gentlemen!  My name is Seamus O'Shea. 

President-elect Donald Trump made this statement today via Twitter:
“Boeing is building a brand new 747 Air Force One for future presidents, but costs are out of control, more than $4 billion.   Cancel order!”   Later he added, “We want Boeing to make a lot of money but not that much money.”
Query to the street:   Do you think he has overstepped his boundaries?   What do you think?
Please answer with your first name.
The Crowd:   NOT MY PRESIDENT!
You sir.  Your first name?
Tom
Seamus:   Tom.   What do you think?
Well...It has to shock.   Someone, some government body in control has to do something besides talk about this idiot...   before he destroys everything with his tiny little twitter fingers.     After all, according to our beloved Supremes, Corporations are people and they "voted' him in with their newfound right to vote!
Seamus:   What do you think, miss?   Your first name?
Alice:    Boeing was a large donor to the Clinton campaign...   this is punishment, no doubt about it.
Seamus:   What do you think, miss?  Your first name?
Mika:   I think Washington didn't vote for him so he doesn't give a shit what happens to jobs/companies there.   He's a vengeful child.
Seamus:   What do you think, sir?
Jeffery.     I think you're exactly right, Alice.   My bet is that blue states will see contracts canceled and other delays.   If he starts doing this in California, I wouldn’t be surprised.
Seamus:   What do you think, sir?   Dan.  I think he has serious projection issues.   He melts down over sketch comedy and Broadway plays.
Seamus:   What do you think, miss?
Mary Ann.   Boeing has facilities in Kansas and South Carolina though.   It would hit them hard.   I think he just wants to continue his battle against the poor middle class.   Notice What I said?   The middle class is now so poor.   I imagine Trump just heard the price and got sticker shock.   All this for me?   No, Donald it’s for the next president... you are not going to last.
Seamus:   What do you think, sir?
Dave.   It's funny the Repugnant Party call people snowflakes, but then have epic meltdowns over just about anything.
Seamus:   What do you think, sir?
Eddy.   Happy Holidays everyone.
Seamus:   Thank you, Eddy.   What do you think, miss?
Laura.   Doesn't Boeing also have jobs in Oklahoma that would be affected?
Seamus:   What do you think, miss?
Emma.   It’s called collateral damage.   Like he gives a shit.
Seamus:   What do you think, sir?
Daniel.   He’d make his daddy proud.   But, make his mom embarrassed grabbing all them crotches.
Thank you, Daniel was it?
Seamus:   What do you think, sir?
It’s ‘miss’.   Miss Susan.
Seamus:   Sorry, Susan.
I'm not sorry.
Seamus:   What do you think, Miss Susan?
He is always set on bringing someone or some company's down that doesn't support him.   I will say you are correct, Alice.   Pay Back by the Con Man!
Seamus:   What do you think, miss?
Harriet.   What a way to run a country.
Seamus:   What do you think, sir?
Edward.   Go to hell, troll.   Tell your troll master, Putin, that you earned your rubles.   Time to pay up.
Seamus:   What do you think, sir?
Doug.   That is an understatement, Edward!
Seamus:   What do you think, sir?
Joe.   Did he even consider that it may be a bad deal?   He’s the big deal guy.   Government contracts are notorious for being bloated.   4 billion dollars for two planes seems excessive to me.   But then I never bought a 747, let alone a fleet of the most advanced jets in the world.
Seamus:   What do you think, sir?
Shannon.   He doesn't give a shit, period.   His sole purpose is to increase his own riches, regardless if the cost to everyone else.   He is a liar and a cheat and a con artist.   Everyone who voted for him should be ashamed of themselves.
Seamus:   What do you think, sir?
Doug.   That possibility certainly exists, but is this the correct way to deal with it?   With blathering tweets?   Where's his outrage and solution for the trillion dollar Zumwalt disaster?
Seamus:   What do you think, sir?
Donny Joe.   Trump is awesome.
Seamus:   Thank you, sir.   What do you think, sir?
Samuel.   I agree with you Emma, I think that’s her name.   She looks awesome.   Yeah.   Trump has lived a life on making fast easy money by lying, conning and misleading people and when his bets went wrong his filing for Bankruptcy protection to protect his assets.   Now Trump will have the Federal Treasury at his disposal and the American people will suffer tremendously by the mismanagement of the executive branch.
Seamus:   What do you think, miss?
Linda.   We don't actually know that Washington did not vote for him.   What happens in the ballot box is private.   I think many who were for him were afraid to say it out loud for fear of losing some votes.   Maybe when we see how Congress acts, we get some insight into how they voted.
Seamus:   What do you think, sir?
Jodie.    Boeing is in Washington State, and Washington State most definitely did not vote for him.   Pay back!
Seamus:   What do you think, miss?
Willow.   Boeing has received plenty of State-funded welfare from the State of Washington which has done no good.   They are going to do another big layoff soon and have moved production both out of the country and to other states in order to bust their Unions.
Seamus:   What do you think, sir?
Turner.   You don’t know that, Willow.   More fake news.   We want Trump to make money, but not that much money.   So make him pay taxes.   BTW where are those tax returns that he promised if elected?
Seamus:   What do you think, miss?
Jane.   Brian Grogan is correct.   I'm a proud Washingtonian (home of Boeing) and we went for Hillary all the way.   No room for hate in our state.
Seamus:   What do you think, miss?
Jessica.   The tweet certainly got people’s attention.   Definitely got their attention.   They responded almost immediately.   I agree.   There needs to be... Yeah...   There needs to be some accountability somewhere for that one.
Seamus:   What do you think, sir?
Harry.   I'm not sure where Boeing planned on manufacturing this plane, as they do have plants in other states.   But ultimately I thought the same thing as Emma when I heard about the Boeing deal.
Thank you, ladies and gentlemen, for taking time out of your busy day to respond to our "Query to the street.
The Crowd:  NOT MY PRESIDENT!