We Hear You: Democrats Take the House, Republicans Hold the Senate, Trump Declares Victory
Ken McIntyre /
Editor’s note: Election Day brought some surprises, if not as many as either party anticipated. Here’s a sampling of our audience’s initial reactions to the midterm election results. Be sure to write us at letters@dailysignal.com.—Ken McIntyre
Dear Daily Signal: Take heart, my friends. Whether it was Democrats or Republicans, they were going to continue to do deficit-spending anyway (“7 of Pelosi’s Priorities as Democrats Take Back the House“).
But now, for the first time in our lifetimes, we have a conservative Supreme Court. This is big. They can cut off the House at the knees. The Supreme Court can declare Obamacare, Social Security, the FDA, and all sorts of other things unconstitutional—which they are.
This looks to be the most likely way to stop Congress from spending massive amounts of money they don’t have.—Joey Smith
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Looking forward to a massive win by President Trump in 2020 and some real Republicans supporting him. We got rid of Paul Ryan. Now we need to purge a few more and elect people who will fully support Trump.—Sam Browne
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It’s nice to know that the House Dems will be open and transparent as they try to raise taxes and start overspending again. They are going to screw us all.—Robert Zraick
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I just don’t get why people gave the House back to the Democrats. They are not going to do one darn thing to help this country. I heard that perhaps some voters did it because they wanted less divisiveness. That’s a hoot. The Democrats are all about pitting us against each other.—Mary Larsen
"Democrats’ success Tuesday in retaking the House majority appeared to put Nancy Pelosi of California at the top of a short list for the speakership."https://t.co/hpo3PKn1zS @DailySignal
— Jennifer Rush (@JennRush) November 7, 2018
The liberal courts essentially are passing legislation by saying the right to carry a firearm does not extend outside the home. Well, what’s next on the agenda? The right to free speech seems to be in the spotlight now, does it also not extend beyond the confines of the home?
It would seem the country is being converted to socialism and communist dictates by means of the leftists’ favorite tools, ignorance and greed. Free stuff always dominates in the end, especially other people’s stuff.—Pat Wells
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Democrats have prepared more liberal approaches, proposing detailed plans in a $1 trillion infrastructure package resisted by Republicans who are concerned about federal spending and looming deficits.
Why is it that military retirees with a lower than 50 percent service-related disability have to fund their disability payments out of their own retirement? Retirement is for service rendered, while disability is for service-related health issues.
I have a 40 percent service-related disability along with two 10 percent rated disabilities. Every month, my retirement is reduced by $666.90 and given back to me by the VA. My net gain is that the VA payment is tax-free.
Congress has struggled time after time to correct this so retirees would get their full retirement plus any service-related disability payment. They are unable to do so without “offsets,” meaning some other program has to be cut or eliminated to free up funds. No such restriction exists for retired federal civilians.
This brings up the question: How is it possible for the government to fund $1 trillion in infrastructure out of the blue without requiring some “offset”? It’s funny how money is always available for welfare programs and food stamps and housing programs, but not for people who have risked their lives for the country.—Ken Marx
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I personally don’t think Democrats should impeach Trump, if for no other reason than that they’d never get him convicted in the Senate (“House Democratic Majority Will Face Pressure to Impeach Trump”). More importantly, they don’t have a reason to impeach him.
However, Democrats must and should begin investigating the Russia thing for real, give special counsel Robert Mueller any support they can, and, as part of all that, order a review of Trump’s tax returns to look for streams of income from foreign powers. In addition to holding him accountable for emoluments.—Edward Buatois
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Ha! Go ahead and impeach him. Republicans control the Senate. They will never vote to convict him. Democrats will pay in 2020.—Joel G. Wood
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Congratulations, Congressman-elect Greg Pence! Your brother is a good man (“Mike Pence’s Brother Wins House Seat From Indiana the Vice President Once Held”). We will appreciate you in the House.—J.C. Smith
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So the commie Democrats in Virginia’s 7th District elected a former officer at the CIA, an intel organization that’s as corrupt as all the rest in D.C. (“Conservative Favorite Dave Brat Trails Challenger in Squeaker”). Evidence of collusion between Russia, Obama, and Hillary Clinton all over the place and no one sees it.—Dick Belmont, Minnesota
“I thought it was very close to complete victory,” @POTUS says. https://t.co/MzXBghVzdY via @FredLucasWH @DailySignal
— Genevieve Wood (@genevievewood) November 7, 2018
The President’s Post-Midterm Presser
Dear Daily Signal: CNN, MSNBC, The Washington Post, The New York Times and others in the media have an agenda, and that is to push the Democrat Party line and to spin everything about Trump or Republicans as bad (“6 Big Moments From Trump’s Epic Press Conference on Midterms“).
Ninety percent of their swill is negative toward the president. They truly are the propaganda wing of the Democratic National Committee. They have no interest in being reporters and reporting facts, but only want to spin and editorialize.—Timothy Dayton
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It has been noted on numerous media shows by White House journalists that CNN’s Jim Acosta is a grandstander and takes up too much of the time needed by others to ask their questions. That, taken with his continual display of disrespect for President Trump and press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders, makes it inevitable he was going to be thrown out.
Since I like to hear reporters’ questions and the president’s answers, I hope Acosta is not allowed to return to the press briefings. Time for CNN to put a real journalist in his place. Acosta was not elected, Trump was.—William Nokes
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I don’t know CNN’s Jim Acosta personally. Refusing to surrender the microphone, however, is pretty strong evidence that he regarded his questions as more important than the questions of other reporters. Right?
In my neighborhood, we call that arrogance and egotism. I think Acosta should be allowed to stay with all the privileges all the reporters have. He is his own worst enemy. Unless he changes, he is bound to make a fool of himself again, giving Trump another opportunity to point out the tyranny of the left.
They really don’t want to negotiate anything. They just want their way. Period. We all should stop resisting the superior wisdom of the left and just give up.—Ken Gray
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Jim Acosta and April Ryan are always attacking this administration. At these press conferences they shouldn’t be acknowledged or given a microphone, because when they speak it’s always derogatory and demeaning.—Wes Potts
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Acosta should be permanently banned. There are endless real, hard questions a reporter can ask, but at this point it is obvious that Acosta is there to attack Trump.
So Trump calls the caravan an invasion and that makes Acosta nuts. But if Acosta took a few seconds to look up the definition, he would see that Trump is correct: “An unwelcome intrusion into another’s domain.” Exactly what this is.
The White House press conference is a place where journalists get to ask questions, and they have every right to ask tough ones. Acosta stands and makes an anti-Trump hate speech, and Trump refuses to take it. That is why I voted for him. He is not a willing victim, and those who pick a fight with him usually come out worse than him.—Anthony Alafero
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Once special counsel Robert Mueller ends his illegal investigation, there will be no room for Nancy Pelosi, Adam (Shifty) Schiff, and Maxine Waters to start another fake, illegal Russiagate investigation. That will take the wind completely out of the far left communist Democrats’ sails.—Bob Shoemaker
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A press conference by a man-child who fancies himself as some sort of intellect. In reality, a tinhorn dictator wannabe. Gone soon and good riddance.
It will probably take a Democrat president two terms to clean up the mess. Again. I suppose the golfer-in-chief will retire to Mar-a-Lago, if it isn’t bankrupt.—Jason Johnson
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That’s dumb, Jason Johnson. A dictator takes total control. You won’t find a dictator removing the chains from business, reducing the power of government agencies, and fighting to restore the freedom and rights of the people.
So you are just yapping nonsense. The last guy was 100 percent about increasing control over the people.—Anthony Alafero
So Much for a 'Blue Wave'-4 of the Biggest Midterm Takeaways https://t.co/CtRIPn5BMd @DailySignal #AAG
— All American Girl (@AIIAmericanGirI) November 7, 2018
The Blue Wave Turns Into a Ripple
Dear Daily Signal: Count on Nancy Pelosi and the Democrats in the House to continue to do everything they can to obstruct, resist, and impeach Trump (“So Much for a ‘Blue Wave’—4 of the Biggest Midterm Takeaways”). Little, if anything, proposed by Republicans in the House will be passed.
Hopefully, now that the midterms are over, Trump will fire Jeff Sessions and Rod Rosenstein and install a new attorney general, one who is interested in doing the job. He needs to do it before the Democrats take over all of the House committees.
Count on the Democrats to call for more investigations into “collusion” and “obstruction” by Trump and to refuse to investigate any of the former FBI officials who abused their authority, obstructed justice, and committed perjury.
We can also thank Paul (lame duck) Ryan for doing nothing to keep dozens of Republican congressmen from resigning prior to the midterms. And we can thank all those Republican congressmen who decided to retire at the same time.
This is how they thanked their constituencies, who gave them their jobs, and turned the House over to the Democrats.—Drew Page
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While the wins are great, there were too many losses to socialist liberal Democrats. I cannot help but wonder how many criminal illegal aliens and dead people voted, and how many times each. We need a national citizen-only voter ID.—Maud St. James
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The Dems and their media will just blame Trump for any recession. Right or wrong, the president usually is the fall guy for the economy.—Rick Shack
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We conservatives have a 5-4 majority on the Supreme Court. Appeal Obamatax. Challenge the constitutionality of Social Security and welfare. Then, with a little luck, Trump will appoint another one soon, making it 6-3.
The Supreme Court is the best chance we have in reigning in the deficit-spending. Neither the Republicans nor the Democrats will do it. Proven fact.—Joey Smith
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President Trump no longer can act gung-ho with the Democrats in control of the House. Get your judicial nominations confirmed by the Senate, but continue to look over your shoulder.—Sam Omekara
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Now let’s hope Ruth Bader Ginsburg retires before 2020. Fill the federal courts with constitutional judges, finish building the wall, finish fixing the unfair, job-killing trade tariffs, and keep removing job-killing regulations. Make peace with North Korea and Russia, put Obama’s Iran out of business, and who cares what Pelosi and the mob-controlled House rant about for two years? Then on to Keep America Great in 2020.—Redigo Gubernatio
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House Democrats will concentrate their firepower on destroying Trump instead of doing the nation’s business. The public will eventually realize this, to the profound detriment of congressional liberals.—Charles Roy
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House Democrats, even though they won, will be viewed as obstructionist if they do not work with Trump. It may backfire on them much like what happened with Justice Kavanaugh.—Sharon Melvin
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I don’t know if the election was bad news for progressives, as the podcast suggested (“Podcast: Divided Government Is Back”). Florida leans red and Texas bleeds red, yet both races were close.
There’s no reason why Rafael “Ted” Cruz couldn’t have cake-walked to victory, but he had the fight of his life against an unapologetic progressive who raised $38 million in three months. Cruz is still there, but the fact that he had to fight at all to keep a seat in Texas is a bad sign for Trump-brand “conservatism.”
That’s not to mention that Stacey McAdams, a liberal black woman, came within striking distance of winning the governorship in a former Confederate state. That’s huge, and not exactly a victory for Trump’s unapologetic white nationalism.—Edward Buatois
Liberals angry at white women for re-electing Ted Cruz, a Hispanic https://t.co/ATmQLkI54X via @GinnyMontalbano @DailySignal pic.twitter.com/e9YmZD5NK6
— Heidi Cady (@hgcady) November 11, 2018
White Women Not Allowed to Vote for Hispanic
Dear Daily Signal: Can the left be any more intolerant and bigoted (“Liberals Angry at White Women for Re-Electing Ted Cruz, a Hispanic“)? They nauseate me with their stupidity and hypocrisy.
What kind of “feminist” thinks she can tell me how to vote? Feminism is about women making their own choices. I made mine, and it wasn’t for the white delegate from the patriarchy, Mr. Robert Francis O’Rourke.
Oh, and another fun story: My husband and I don’t always vote the same way. It’s almost as though I make my own choices.—Tonya Acre Merrill
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Beto O’Rourke’s grooming is a carbon copy of Obama’s. However, he is still a few French fries short of a Happy Meal with his impeachment rhetoric and open-borders persona. It shocks me that very few Texas voters knew his stance on those two issues. But many voters usually get their news on CNN.—Christina Paul
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So leftists think they can tell white women how to vote? Seems hypocritical.
They obviously don’t always vote the same as their husbands, given the difference between white men and women. So you want to tell them how to vote? Stick it.—Richard Franklin
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Roibeárd Ó Ruairc is whiter than Elizabeth Warren.—David Gillies
The @heritage election fraud database just grew by another 20 cases. Voters heading to the polls have a right to expect elections that are fair and free of #VoterFraud. Here's my piece describing some of the new case https://t.co/eqtGlt0QQG @DailySignal
— Jason Snead (@jasonwsnead) November 1, 2018
On the Hunt for Voter Fraud
Dear Daily Signal: Regarding Jason Snead’s commentary, “New Voter Fraud Cases Show Need to Secure Our Elections“: When I lived in Kentucky, I know I was registered to vote in three different precincts. Whenever I moved, I registered in my new precinct, but I was never removed from the voter rolls in the prior ones. I’ve lived in Indiana for nearly 30 years now, but I would bet that if I went back to Kentucky I would find that I am still registered in those precincts.
For two years while I lived in Kentucky I worked as a expurgation officer. It was my job to track down people who should no longer be on the rolls in a given precinct. I gave it up after the second year because I learned that they were taking my reports, dumping them in the trash and leaving those people on the rolls.—Michael Schmidt
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Studies show that something like .0014 percent of votes cast are due to voter fraud.
Yet efforts to stop that–efforts that lead to 2 to 4 percent of legitimate voters being prevented from voting—are enough to swing close elections, and that is easily provable.
It’s called voter suppression, and “vote fraud” is the excuse.—Edward Buatois
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Democrats beware, and Republicans too. The citizens of the U.S. are not going to allow voter fraud any more. Try it at your own risk. We no longer are going to stand for it. The penalties are going to be severe.
The leftists don’t seem to understand that we are now a political movement with just as much popular support as the communist “progressive” movement.
To use a couple of phrases from pop culture “We are mad as hell, and we are not going to take it anymore.” And “It’s clobberin’ time.” More seriously: “Give me liberty or give me death.”—Robert Zraick
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Jason Snead writes: “They also want to deflect attention away from the bitter truth that each illegal ballot that is cast essentially disenfranchises a lawful voter. That is something no American should tolerate.”
Lawful voter disenfranchisement is the No. 1 reason we cannot allow voter fraud. Voting is a right and not a privilege. As such, fraud that denies anyone their rights should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.—David Lisk
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In a nation of 300 million plus, there are bound to be errors of omission or commission in voting, even among the 120 million who voted in 2016. This is still 1/100 of one percent of votes cast, clearly not a problem to warrant voter suppression measures proposed by Republicans, who are losing party membership due to policies, demographics, and bonehead acts they commit in office.
Any loss of voter freedom is a travesty and insult to those in the military who have sacrificed their lives to perpetuate our voter oriented democracy. Pity it’s highly military-oriented red states that do the worst damage whatever the excuse.—Bill Lemoine
The 3 big differences between conservatives and progressives https://t.co/QsMlDzXoPA via @genevievewood @DailySignal
— Steve McCormick (@Steve_McCormick) November 10, 2018
How Progressives and Conservatives Differ
Dear Daily Signal: Progressives constitute the class of the perpetually offended, is my comment on Genevieve Wood’s commentary, “The 3 Big Differences Between Conservatives and Progressives.”
Progressives love being “offended.” They aren’t happy until they are miserable. When they aren’t offended by something at one moment, give them another moment and they will find something that offends them.—Drew Page
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The sad part some progressives miss is that individual rights for everyone actually are very special rights. They are designed for everyone to be treated equally and fairly, and allow each individual to choose his own beliefs and where and how to live without forcing his own beliefs on others or having to submit to something he doesn’t believe in.
It may not be a perfect system, but that is because people are involved and sometimes as people (me included), we sin and become selfish. Not everyone or every belief will be accepted, and it should not become forced compliance.—Scotty Moore
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Completely spot on! Just a small portion but a very valid observation. Kudos.—Tonya Acre Merrill
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I’d add this: Progressives live life in permanent protest mode, whereas conservatives want to enjoy life and are willing to live and let live (up to a reasonable and lawful point). It must be exhausting to be always protesting and outraged.—Greg Cook
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Marsha Blackburn will work well for the president (“With Her Win, Marsha Blackburn Could Become ‘Most Conservative Woman in Senate’”). I really like her.—Sharon Melvin
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In his report, “7 of the Most Epic Midterm Elections in American History,” Fred Lucas quotes Gary Rose, chairman of the political science department at Sacred Heart University, as saying: “And, you can’t discount, for some, there was a backlash against the first African-American president.”
For probably a very, very, very small minority. The rest of us weren’t too happy with his policies and/or his character.—James Krych
.@DanCrenshawTX, whose war wounds @nbcsnl mocked, gains a House seat https://t.co/y89QrLDxcv via @GinnyMontalbano @DailySignal
— Joey Wills (@JoeyWills7) November 7, 2018
When ‘SNL’ Jokes About a War Hero’s Wounds
Dear Daily Signal: “Saturday Night Live” should fire cast member Pete Davidson (“Dan Crenshaw, Whose War Wounds ‘SNL’ Mocked, Gains House Seat“). Until comedians, actors, and such are made to realize that there could be serious consequences to their disgusting “comedy,” they’re going to continue to produce this garbage.
It’s not funny to make fun of someone who was wounded while defending our country. It’s being a bully. It’s being hateful. It’s being divisive.—Marion E. Daniels-Price
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Thank you, Dan Crenshaw, for your military service and now for your service to the entire nation. God bless you and keep you under his wings.—Karin Callaway, Florida
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Thanks for your service. Now you have new challenges. Let’s see if you can be as good in Congress as you were with the SEALs. Good luck.—Joey Smith
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Thank you, sir, for your service to our great nation. Congratulations on your seat in the House. May you be blessed in all that you do!—Stephen Kinford
7 staggering quotes made by progressive Democrats’ new star @Ocasio2018 https://t.co/sd3L3asiQZ @DailySignal
— DarJackson (@DarJackson63) November 10, 2018
Some of What a Progressive It Girl Has Had to Say
Dear Daily Signal: It is a sad day and a direct comment on the people of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s New York district who could actually vote for a person who dislikes America and has no clue of what America is about (“7 Staggering Quotes Made by Progressive Democrats’ New Star”).
But we are a free country, and this proves that anyone can be elected to higher office, even with silly and ridiculous ideas like hers. May we the people become more educated on the original idea of America, and get off our lazy butts and vote our consciences and morals.
Oh, I guess we did. Let’s pray for this woman and the other leaders, especially our president.—Scotty Moore
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I love that Ocasio-Cortez brings up a comparison to the last time the U.S. faced a crisis of the magnitude she “feels” about health care and the environment was WWII.
She says the days of capitalism are numbered. Really? Think about this: Had the USA not been a capitalist manufacturing powerhouse in the 1940s, we would not have been able and equipped to sweep in and save the day in Europe. The EU would not exist, and everyone there (and probably here too) would be speaking German.
We would be faced with a true fascist world (not just the homegrown irony Antifa version of it) with possibly small pockets of resistance, ruthlessly hunted down and eliminated Terminator-style. Watch television’s “The Man in the High Castle.” It’s frightening and a pretty fair representation of what Ocasio-Cortez and her ideals would have brought back in WWII.
How about now? Health care for all on the government dime? Sounds good. I could use some free health care. Oh … it will cost around $30 trillion over 10 years. Well, that’s not free.
Abolish ICE? Open borders? Sounds good for swelling the roles of Dem voters, but sounds like future horror in the form of a welcome mat rolled out for more terrorism like 9/11. Swelled welfare rolls for those coming not to give themselves to the glory of the USA, but to take from its taxpaying citizens. Sounds like a huge uptick in human trafficking.
Why are all these refugees fleeing socialism coming to America? For more socialism? I thought not.—Jonathan Freed
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Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has never had her views challenged. She thinks she can say anything and get away with it. And she does, at least within her congressional district. All of us outside her district would love to have the simplest of debates with her, and hope she has an open mind.—Joey Smith
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“Those who don’t know their history … ” A price will have to be paid. It’s political cosmic karma. Stupidity should be painful.—Charles Williams
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Ocasio-Cortez is scary stupid, and for that reason we the people will have to listen and watch her closely. There will be extreme nonsense coming from this girl.—Kathleen J. Chansley
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Reality is not in this woman’s playbook. “The last time we had a really major existential threat to this country was around World War II … ,” Ocasio-Cortez says.
I guess she is too young to remember potential worldwide nuclear annihilation under Mutual assured destruction during the Cold War. Now, there would have been some climate change!—Curtis Conway
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I can only say that the same type of voters who re-elected Elizabeth Warren after her face slam on the Native American pavement are the ones who voted this real “genius” into office. What grinds me is that Ocasio-Cortez will be earning good money from taxpayers far over the welfare she would probably get for being otherwise unemployable.—Kevin Dougherty
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So will I be getting cheaper Medicare in this Medicare for All?—Terry Shields Sr.
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Best reason I can think of for not sending your kids to indoctrination centers called college.—Dick Belmont, Minnesota
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I’m sure that Ocasio-Cortez got in a limo or SUV after her fundraiser and drove off, burning fossil fuel to propel her to her home, where her natural gas furnace keeps her at a comfortable 70 degrees. All because she’s upper middle class. I don’t like to call people names so I won’t … but wow.—Bruce Brooks
Troy Worden helped to compiled this edition of “We Hear You.”