David Guilbault

LITTLE DONNY LOSER

LITTLE DONNY LOSER
‪#‎LittleDonnyLoser‬
by David Guilbault

Little Donny Loser,
Such a sad, small man,
Wants to run a country
But he really has no plan.

He likes to brag and bully,
And mock and slap and slam.
Little Donny Loser.
Such a sad, small man.

Little Donny Loser
Says he's really rich,
Living in his gilded halls
That really are just kitsch.

Little Donny Loser
Has pumped himself so big,
He's bluster and he's bombast.
And he acts just like a pig.

He's primped and preened, a branded scheme.
He lives on self-applause.
Little Donny Loser
Is a huckster and a fraud

He calls himself, The King of Deals,
Though he's always going bust.
He lies and cheats and sometimes steals.
He's not a man to trust.

Little Donny Loser
Such a sad, small man.
He wants to be a bruiser
And pick on those he can.

His skin is thin if he doesn't win,
And he doesn't win too much.
'Cause Little Donny Loser
Really is a putz.

ONLY SANDERS CAN BEAT TRUMP

I have always said that the policies proposed by Senator Bernie Sanders are very close to my societal ideals of equality and justice.  I believe his views on what should be done in this country are right and righteous.

Please allow me to posit, develop and support an argument that only Senator Bernie Sanders can beat Donald Trump on the debate stage and in the general election.

I believe in the uniqueness of our American democracy.  We are a representative democratic republic with three separate but equal branches of government, keeping checks and balance on each other.  It is a sublime yet exquisite system when it works as it was intended.  This system has brought about effective social change, albeit slowly, for the history of our nation.  That is, until recent times.

Both our system of government and our electoral process have been corrupted and subverted.  These are dangerous days for our country.  We are facing, in some manner, a constitutional crisis.  We are slipping from a government of "We, the People" to an oligarchy.

President Barack Hussein Obama was twice elected by the people of the United States on a platform of hope and change.  President Obama's moderate agenda called for bi-partisan cooperation.  Throughout his presidency Mr. Obama consistently and repeatedly pledged to work with anyone, from either party, who had reasonable solutions to the nation's problems.  But, from the first day of his presidency the Republican opposition's agenda was to obstruct any and all progress from this Democratic president, regardless of the merits of Mr. Obama's proposals.

This unprecedented un-American partisanship and the obscene influence of large financial contributions to political office-holders has crippled our once-exemplary form of government.  Exacerbating our governmental crisis is the increasing factionalization of the American electorate into a myriad of single-issue constituencies.  A principled position used to mean one held in good conscience, but one that could be changed by reasoned persuasion.  Now it means to hold ground without compromise.  Seeking consensus, as president Obama has attempted for eight years, has become demeaned, labeled as unprincipled.

Up to now I have been arguing for candidates who will bring the nation and our government back to the center.  I have called on my fellow voters to find candidates on the Left and the Right to come together on common ground.  In that spirit I have supported the candidacy of Hillary Clinton because I believed she had the best chance of putting together an effective governing coalition of the Washington establishment, Wall Street and a growing roster of disparate interest groups, all for the common good.  I no longer see that as a likely outcome. 

Too often President Obama began his negotiations with the belief that the best, most progressive option was unattainable in a Congress shackled by partisan gridlock.  So, he accepted defeat before even mounting a battle.  That meant that people supporting those options would never get the chance to make their argument, to persuade others to join their cause. 

Hillary Clinton is taking the same approach.  She has already dismissed such Sanders' goals as universal health care and free public college as unattainable.  I understand her thinking, that they are "dead on arrival" in a Republican Congress.  But, frankly, everything she would propose as president would be DOA on a Republican Hill, as they despise her as much as they despise President Obama.  Regardless of which party winds up controlling either house of Congress, there will continue to be entrenched opposition to liberal or progressive ideas.

Conversely, a debate on the socialist/liberal agenda in the public square is overdue.  Let the American people decide.  Let this agenda be the centerpiece of the conversation in the presidential campaign and a referendum in the general election.  Polices that hew to the Left, and are generally supported by a large segment of the electorate, deserve to be proposed, challenged, debated and amended.  They deserve to be written into legislation that can be given a vote in Congress.   To that end, I support progressive candidates who have practical, workable plans for achieving peace and prosperity, regardless of whether or not their plans will be met with radical, politically-motivated objection.

Up to now, I have argued that a progressive presidential candidate, especially an avowed Democratic Socialist, can not win the general election.  That belief was predicated on the supposition that the Republican candidate for the presidency would be a former or sitting governor or senator.  In that scenario a battle between the GOP candidate and Hillary Clinton would hinge on a debate over who had the best policies and experience.

But, the likelihood that Donald Trump will be the Republican presidential candidate changes that calculus.  The appeal of Donald Trump to his supporters does not rely on any of his vague policy positions.  He is the epitome of a charismatic leader, in the worst way.  His supporters don't look to him for solutions.  He, himself, is the solution.  His supporters see him as a winner, who can "Make America Great Again."  That makes them winners.  That makes them great again.

Trump's supporters and a large part of the Republican electorate are angry, particularly with the government, the establishment.  They blame "the other" for their loss of power and pride.  They see Donald Trump as delivering them back to their rightful place on the economic, social and religious ladder.  No rational debate will turn them from Trump.  They are immune to reason.

Hillary Clinton can not defeat Donald J. Trump.  Trump is the master of insult and attack.  He will blister Clinton on her ties to Wall Street, Bill Clinton's philandering, her so-called scandals, her ties to the political establishment.  If Ms. Clinton was running against Jeb Bush or Marco Rubio or John Kasich the debate would be mostly about policy.  They would, of course, try and capitalize on Ms. Clinton's tarnished reputation.  But that would only get them so far, as they are all part of the same political establishment.

Donald Trump has no policies to debate or record to defend.  So his campaign would turn on vitriol.  Clinton would have to be brutal, in kind, forever on the defensive.  A Clinton vs. Trump match-up would be a cage fight.  I don't believe Hillary Clinton could survive a campaign of pure negativity, especially as she starts with a large segment of both Republicans and Democrats holding deep animus towards her.

On the other hand, Senator Bernie Sanders would not have to endure a Trump onslaught.  Trump has only two insults to launch against Sanders - his age and his avowed allegiance to democratic socialism.  Attacks on his age are silly, as he is gaining a growing number of young supporters.  And Mr. Sanders has done an effective job of informing the voting public that many of this nation's programs are, in all practicality, steeped in democratic socialism.  Americans still need and support Social Security and Medicare.

Senator Sanders would continue to bring the conversation back to policy.  He does not waver from the drumbeat of his political tune, that our political system and the Washington establishment are corrupt.  He speaks eloquently, passionately and authentically about social justice, economic equality and peaceful prosperity.  Trump would be forced to debate policy and record, neither of which would hold up to reasoned challenge by an enlightened electorate.

Sanders, like Trump, is an outsider leading a political revolution.  Sanders, like Trump, is not beholden to special interests for financial support.  But, most importantly, Sanders, unlike Trump, has specific plans to "Make America Great Again."

Today I contributed $27 to the presidential campaign of Senator Bernie Sanders and will be caucusing on his behalf in Washington state on March 26th.

DEFENDING THE CONSTITUTION

The Constitution of the United States is under assault.  It must be defended. 

Republican members of the Senate have launched an attack on the very foundation of the Constitution - the integrity of the three equal but separate branches of the federal government.  Their declaration that they will not vote on any nominee from President Obama to fill the vacancy of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia is a criminal offense that must be met immediately with vigorous legal challenge.

The President of the United States has a constitutional duty to nominate candidates for the Supreme Court.  The Senate of the United States has a constitutional duty to affirm those Supreme Court appointments.  There is no lawful procedure to prevent a presidential appointment.

President Obama has pledged to fulfill his duties and nominate a candidate.  Senate Republican Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Senate Republican Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley have declared they will block any and all presidential nominations until after the 2016 presidential election.   That declaration is unprecedented and unconstitutional.

The Republican party, immediately after Barack Obama was elected president in 2008, declared that their number one mission was to obstruct Obama's presidential agenda, regardless of what he proposed or how it would benefit the nation.  That obstruction was also unprecedented.  It was a declaration of a party that they had no intention of actually governing, but of only thwarting liberal/progressive policies.

It is one thing to decimate the agenda of an opposing party with political maneuverings.  It is quite another to actually thwart the Constitution by refusing to carry out one's constitutional duties.

Republican Senators, in refusing to honor their oaths of office, have abdicated their positions and abused their power.  At the very least, this anti-American action is grounds for impeachment.  At its worst, it borders on treason.

President Obama will put forth a qualified candidate for the Supreme Court.  At the first moment of obstruction by the Republican-controlled Senate, the Constitution needs to be defended in the halls of Congress and federal courts of law.

A coalition of voters, perhaps led by the American Civil Liberties Union, must bring a lawsuit against the Republican party in the appropriate federal court, calling for the resignation of any and all Senators declining to carry out their duties to affirm Obama's Supreme Court nominee.

House Democrats should begin impeachment proceedings against McConnell, Grassley and any other Republican Senator refusing "to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States."

President Obama should petition the Supreme Court to immediately consider and redress the constitutional crisis predicated by this Republican-controlled Congress.

What Senate Republicans have pledged to do, prevent a sitting president of the United States to carry out his duties, is unlawful, unconstitutional and just plain un-American.  The Constitution of the United States is under assault.  It must be defended. 

HILLARY THE FIGHTER

In 2008 I wrote a long blog post articulating the reasons why I was supporting Barack Obama and opposing Hillary Clinton. One of my main reasons was that Hillary kept portraying herself as a fighter. Obama came across as a gentleman who could lead with reasoned argument and persuasion. He won me over with his non-combative message of hope and change.

Well, Obama indeed was a thoughtful, accommodating president. And I believe he tried with all of his abilities to find honest common ground in Washington. His heart was always in the right place. And we all know what happened.

The Republicans in Congress and in statehouses and legislatures across the nation banded together to obstruct Obama's perceived liberal agenda for eight long years. Over and over Obama said he could and would work with Republicans to compromise. He played nice. For the most part, he fell far short of what he had hoped to change. You can not play nice with those who are committed to your political downfall no matter the consequences to the nation.

A common criticism of President Obama from his Left is that he didn't fight hard enough. Especially against leaders of a radical Right who were forcing showdowns over entrenched positions at the far extremes of American mainstream thought.

Hillary is a fighter.  Throughout her public career she has been falsely accused and cynically reviled. No criminal charges have ever been filed against her. No allegations have ever been corroborated. She has been the victim of a sustained, organized campaign of character-assassination. She has been investigated and castigated, but never subjugated. What did she do? She fought back. She endured.

Hillary Clinton has been named as the most admired woman of the world in Gallup polls a record 20 times. She was been twice elected to the Senate of the United States. She has represented the nation as Secretary of State, helping to heal a world reputation tarnished by the misadventures of Bush/Cheney/Rumsfeld/Wolfowitz.

Hillary Clinton is a fighter. She has fought for improved health care coverage for Americans her entire life, as a lawyer for the Children's Defense Fund, as a First Lady, as a Senator and now, again, as a presidential candidate. Having been deep in the trenches, she knows what battles can and can not be won to reform our broken system. She knows the combatants. She understands the tactics and strategies. Her fight for better health care for all Americans has not been abandoned. It is a battle she intends to keep waging.

Hillary Clinton is a fighter. Again, throughout her public life, she has directly confronted the deprivation of women around the world, declaring women's rights as human rights. And she made those declarations in the presence of some of the world's worst abusers. Hillary Clinton does not shrink in the face of uncomfortable confrontation. She has spoken truth to power.

Hillary Clinton is a fighter. In a dangerous world, traveling extensively as Secretary of State, she sat mano a mano with some of our most dangerous adversaries. And, as a representative of President Obama, she had the courage to seek diplomacy before bluster. She had the knowledge and foresight to make peace-inducing agreements instead of terrorist-creating invasions. But, she is not hesitant to use military force if that is the only solution to protecting our national interests.

I rejected Hillary Clinton in 2008 because I thought she was too combative. Now, I think, Right-Wing anger, fear and ignorance is leading us towards a dangerous demagoguery. We are becoming an arrogant, intolerant nation.

We have also become a plutocracy. As Bernie Sanders continues to decry, the influence of money has corrupted our electoral, political, financial, educational, judicial and corporate systems.

We need a seasoned fighter, who understands all the fields of battle, who knows the motivations of the combatants and has the emotional and political skills to fight the just fights.

I am looking for a righteous fighter for justice, equality, tolerance, reform, peace and prosperity.

Hillary Clinton is a fighter. I believe her when she says she will fight for equal rights, affordable health care, fair wages, criminal justice reform, financial regulation, diplomatic solutions, environmental protection, energy innovation, reasonable immigration policies and a workable system of government.

I think the next president will most likely inherit a Congress controlled by Republicans. I think only Hillary Clinton, of the current roster of presidential candidates, would be an effective parter with the new Congress.

I believe that Hillary Clinton is a liberal at heart. But she is likely to govern as a so-called moderate, from the center. She knows how the presidency works. She knows how Congress works. She knows how to use political capital to get things done.

She clearly has support from many powerful establishment players in Washington and on Wall Street. That is not, in and of itself, nefarious. Every interest is a special interest - yours and mine. If she holds true to what she claims she wants to accomplish for the American people, then those relationships will be beneficial in negotiations.

We have a representative democracy. In modern times, the President outlines an agenda and submits a budget. That budget is a declaration of priorities, a call to action. The Founding Fathers sought to have the three branches of government work together, moderating the extremes of each, but never obstructing the progress of any.

Congress is supposed to deliberate and legislate, listening to the concerns of all interests. They hold hearings to understand the viewpoints of the citizenry - industry, labor, educators, researchers, activists, social scientists - We, the People.

Hillary Clinton is a fighter. She is also a negotiator and a listener. I think that the progressive wing of the Democratic party, stronger because of the candidacy of Bernie Sanders and the advocacy of Elizabeth Warren, will have an influence on her agenda and governing abilities. Their voices would be heard and heeded in a Clinton administration.  Ignoring them would be folly.  Hillary Clinton is nothing if she is not a savvy politician.

Now, there are lots of people in the electorate who simply hate Hillary Clinton. I honestly believe they have been conditioned to see her as untrustworthy from years of trumped-up charges of wrong-doing. None of those charges have ever been justified or verified. So, Hillary will never be able to change the minds of those who have already closed them for good, regardless of the truth.  But, any Democrat who does not vote for her if she is the nominee of the party is doing the nation a disservice.

What Hillary Clinton could have in this presidential campaign is a growing coalition of support. If her candidacy is portrayed honestly, she could gather strong voter support from women, African-Americans, Hispanics and liberal moderates. She is seeking to represent all of America.

Clinton's agenda is liberal and progressive, based on protecting and strengthening human rights and improving the lives of those suffering from the ills of society, the clashes of cultures, the exploitation of the the greedy and the ravages of the world.

Hillary Clinton is a fighter. As president, I believe, she has the best chance of all the current candidates of putting together a functioning White House administration that could and would work effectively with Congress, Wall Street, corporate America, labor unions, trade groups. social reformers and community activists for the betterment of our nation.

Bernie Sanders is an honest, reform-minded progressive calling for a political revolution that would move the country into his form of so-called Democratic Socialism. I agree with Bernie Sanders' goals on almost every issue. I support providing universal health care, breaking up the too-big-to-fail financial institutions, reforming our campaign financing system, investing in our infrastructure, increasing scientific research and educational opportunities. Wealth inequality is indeed a driving force in the decline of this nation, tarnishing our country's mantle as a land of equal opportunity and justice.

Bernie Sanders has noble goals. But, I believe, they can only be reached if and when we have a Congress controlled by progressive liberals. I don't see any chance of that happening in the near or even not-so-near future. This only happens if every Democrat in the land comes out and votes.  I hope they do.

So, most of Sanders' policy proposals as president would be dead-on-arrival with a likely Republican controlled Congress.

Likewise, any policies of a President Ted Cruz would be dismissed as too radical by a congressional establishment that loathes the Senator.

Since Donald Trump needs to be liked, and is perceived by establishment Washington as someone who could make deals, he could be an effective, ready-to-compromise president, albeit, for a Right-leaning agenda.

Hillary Clinton is a fighter. This nation can not endure another eight years of partisan gridlock in Washington. We have to have a president and members of Congress who want to work together to steady the ship of state.

We need a President Hillary Rodham Clinton working well with a majority Democrat Congress. Together they can find the legislative sweet spot on the progressive-liberal-moderate agenda scale.

ALBUM RELEASE: "HERE"

True as Blue Music announces the digital release of "Here" by David Guilbault, an Americana music album produced by Matthew Brown, who brings a toe-tapping country-rock sound to this collection of stories of romance.

The songs on "Here" take a look at fleeting love. When love is here it can make life easy and shake up the elements. When love moves away, to somewhere else, to someone else, it can be confusing and dispiriting.

In addition to producing, arranging and engineering the album, Matthew Emerson Brown plays guitar, lap steel, bass, organ, & Rhodes. Julian Jacob Heinemann provides additional arrangements and production, while playing guitar and drums (Tracks 2,3,4,6). Jacco Herhaus play bass on four of the tracks (2,3,4,6). Jacob Evans plays drums on two (1,5). And Anika Reichert does backing vocal on "Anymore." Rebekah Ann Curtis engineered the vocals on tracks 2, 3, 4 & 6.

This is the fourth in a series of repertoire-spanning albums David expects to release in 2015, joining "True" (Alt-Country - Producer Chris Klimecky), "Bare" ( Baritone Ballads - Producer Jason Goessl) and "Open" (Parlor Guitar Roots - Producer Jeremy Serwer). Each album will have a different theme, both lyrically and musically.

Currently in production are two more, "Gone" (Folk - Producer Paul Beaudry) and "Over" (Indie-pop - Producer Colin J Nelson).

At this time, "Here" is available exclusively as a free digital download on BandCamp (https://davidguilbault.bandcamp.com/album/here-americana)

David Guilbault writes, records and performs soulful music of life, love and loss - heartfelt songs that live in the truth. Mr. Guilbault spent a rewarding career producing news for ABC News, CNN, PBS and MSNBC.com. As a journalist, in pursuit of the credible truth, Mr. Guilbault reported stories as objectively as possible. Now, as a performing songwriter, pursing more universal truths, David can tell stories with a more subjective eye.

David truly appreciates your generous support and hopes you will continue helping his songs find their way into the world.

"Easy to Be" © 2007 David Guilbault
"Anymore" © 2001 David Guilbault
"Here, Alone" © 2007 David Guilbault
"Don't Ask Me Why"© 1997 David & Brent Guilbault
"All the Heavens" © 1997 David Guilbault
"Hard Like That" © 1998 David Guilbault

NEW ALBUM RELEASE: "OPEN" by DAVID GUILBAULT

NEW ALBUM RELEASE:  "Open" by David Guilbault

True as Blue Music announces the release of "Open" by David Guilbault, a roots music album imbued with the sound of vintage parlor guitars.

In 2014 David acquired a few vintage parlor guitars from the Thirties and Forties.  These old guitars were manufactured in Chicago, typically out of solid birch wood.  Made by Regal, Kay, Slingerland and Richter, these blues machines have a distinctive old-timey sound.

Using open tunings for the first time, the sounds of these guitars inspired David to write some bare-bones tunes, the kinds of songs you might write on the front porch of a rural farm.  But the subject matter is very much about the travails of today.  These are truthful songs about greed, power, life choices, acceptance and rejection.

David finger-picks the guitars, while producer Jeremy Serwer adds some sweet accompaniment on a Regal resonator guitar.

This is the third in a series of repertoire-spanning EP's David expects to release in 2015.  Each album will have a different theme, both lyrically and musically - "True" (Country-Rock - Producer Chris Klimecky), "Bare" (Ballads - Producer Jason Goessl), "Open" (Roots - Producer Jeremy Serwer), "Gone" (Folk - Producer Paul Beaudry), "Over" (Indie-pop - Producer Colin J Nelson) and "Hard" (Americana - Producer Matthew Brown).

At this time, "Open" is available exclusively as a free digital download on BandCamp (https://davidguilbault.bandcamp.com/album/open)

David Guilbault writes, records and performs soulful music of life, love and loss - heartfelt songs that live in the truth. Mr. Guilbault spent a rewarding career producing news for ABC News, CNN, PBS and MSNBC.com. As a journalist, in pursuit of the credible truth, Mr. Guilbault reported stories as objectively as possible.  Now, as a performing songwriter, pursing more universal truths, David can tell stories with a more subjective eye.

David truly appreciates your generous support and hopes you will continue helping his songs find their way into the world.

"Love Me Just Like That" © 2014 David Guilbault
"Enough's Enough" © 2015 David Guilbault
"The Final Blow" © 2014 David Guilbault
"I Belong"© 2014 David Guilbault
"Down a Broken Road" © 2014 David Guilbault
"The Last Time" © 2014 David Guilbault

PARLOUR TRICK

True as Blue Music is thrilled to announce the addition of its artist, David Guilbault, to the Parlour Trick roster (http://parlourtrick.com/artists/).

Parlour Trick, curated by the talented Jason Goessl, is home to such stellar artists as The Pornadoes, Sundae + Mr. Goessl, Trimtab, Prom Queen, Kate Voss, Sunday Evening Whiskey Club, Michel Navedo, Brazil Novo, Colin J Nelson and Jessica Lynne & the Cousins.

David's recent album "Bare" was produced, arranged & engineered by Jason Goessl and features Jason's baritone guitar and Steve Norman's pedal steel guitar.  It can be found on BandCamp (http://davidguilbault.bandcamp.com/album/bare).

NEW ALBUM RELEASE - "True"

NEW ALBUM RELEASE:  "True" by David Guilbault

True as Blue Music announces the re-release of "True" by David Guilbault.  Newly mixed and mastered, "True" is a guitar-driven county rock album.

The story woven through the six-song EP speaks honestly and courageously about romantic relationships, political malfeasance, gender manipulations, selfish dreams, poetic inspirations and karmic justice.

Singer-songwriter David Guilbault wrote and sang the songs, while producer Chris Klimecky did all the arrangement, instrumentation, production and engineering.  Blake Bickel of Seattle's Dynamic Sound Service did the mastering.

This is the second in a series of six repertoire-spanning EP's David expects to release in 2015.  Each album will have a different theme, both lyrically and musically.  The first was a collection of spare ballads called "Bare," released in March.   Upcoming releases will be "Open" (roots), "Gone" (bluegrass), "Over" (indie-pop) and "Here" (americana).

At this time, "True" is available exclusively as a free digital download on BandCamp (https://davidguilbault.bandcamp.com/album/true).

David Guilbault writes, records and performs soulful music of life, love and loss - heartfelt songs that live in the truth. Mr. Guilbault spent a rewarding career producing news for ABC News, CNN, PBS and MSNBC. As a journalist, in pursuit of the credible truth, Mr. Guilbault reported stories as objectively as possible.

Now, as a performing songwriter, pursing more universal truths, David can tell stories with a more subjective eye.

David truly appreciates your generous support and hopes you will continue helping his songs find their way into the world.

"Better Look Both Ways" © 2010 David Guilbault
"Just a Man" © 1996 David Guilbault
"When She Got That Ring" © 2010 David Guilbault
"Dirty Money" © 2007 David Guilbault
"Where I See" © 1999 David Guilbault
"That Punishing Rain" © 2009 David Guilbault

 

 

HILLARY FOR AMERICA

WHY I AM FOR HILLARY:

SUPREME COURT: First and foremost, we will need a Democrat in the White House over the next eight years to nominate new Supreme Court justices. We can not allow a Republican president to unbalance the court even further to the Right.

MIDEAST WARS: I believe a Republican president will undeniably get us into more Mideast wars, particularly with Iran. President Obama has been extracting us from Iraq & Afghanistan. He has, for the most part, kept us out of Libya & Syria. And he is calming the sabre-rattling over Iran. I believe Hillary will continue to choose discretion over aggression.

WOMEN'S RIGHTS: Hillary has been a champion for women's' rights around the world. She will be the same for women and children here in the United States - fighting for equal pay, reproductive rights, affordable child care and family economic assistance.

THE HAVES AND THE HAVE NOTS: A fundamental pillar of Hillary's campaign will be to address the fundamental problem of economic inequality. While folks like Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders make stronger statements against the out-sized influence of Wall Street, I believe neither can win the presidency. Though Hillary has intimate bonds with banks and financial institutions, she also has a firm commitment to increase opportunity and prosperity for working families and the poor. Economic equality will be one of the core concerns of her candidacy and presidency.

DIPLOMACY: President Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton took us out of an age of bluster and threat and into substantive dialogue with our enemies and allies. Right now the world is highly volatile, with sectarian religious conflicts around the globe. Terrorism knows no boundaries. It is critical that we continue to have a president and administration unafraid to engage our adversaries across a negotiating table instead of on a battlefield.

CONTROVERSY: Throughout her public life, Hillary Clinton has been accused of wrongdoing, supposedly tainted by scandal. These false accusations have all been brought by her detractors and enemies. We live in an age where all you need are bold, repeated lies and accusations to tarnish a reputation. When the media and Hillary-haters use the phrase scandal-ridden, they are perpetuating a falsehood. Hillary Clinton has never been found guilty of any nasty charge against her, because she is the innocent victim of an orchestrated campaign of misinformation. Anyone who can survive that kind of false, malicious attack and scrutiny certainly has the strength and fortitude to tackle the great challenges of a presidency.

PUBLIC SERVICE: Hillary Clinton has lived a life of public service. She worked as an attorney running legal clinics for the poor in Arkansas. She worked for the Children's Defense Fund on schooling for children with disabilities. As First Lady of Arkansas, she championed education. As First Lady of the nation, she fought for health care reform and helped create the successful Children's Health Insurance Program. As a senator she helped New York farmers and businesses get their goods to market. As Secretary of State she engaged world leaders over women's rights and economic exploitation and built a coalition for tough sanctions against Iran.

CONGRESS: No candidate is perfect. Hillary has been accused by the Left as being too far to the Right. That can be mitigated by changes in Congress. I think President Obama has been the best president of my lifetime. I believed in him, his intentions and his policies. Yet, an obstructionist Republican congressional opposition was able to thwart much of what Obama could have accomplished. The same is going to happen to Hillary Clinton, should she become president. Which means, it is perhaps more important that we change the balance of power in Congress. We must elect reformers, liberals and progressives. They will help move Hillary more to the Left, which is where, I believe, she is inclined to be.

DREAM TICKET: My dream ticket is Clinton/Warren. A ticket like that would show the voters that Hillary is serious about her core campaign message of rebuilding the middle class. For this to happen, Warren needs to moderate her challenges to Hillary's message during the primaries and caucuses, leaving an opening for them to join forces in common cause for the election campaign.

REPUBLICANS: The Republican party is in the process of destroying itself. After the presidential defeat of so-called moderates McCain and Romney, the base will be looking for a radical conservative - like Cruz. The establishment Republicans will be looking for someone who can take votes from Hillary - like Bush. The anti-Washington Republicans will be looking for a governor to challenge Beltway cronyism - like Walker or Christie. Religious fundamentalists will be looking for anyone who loves and serves Jesus - like Huckabee. The Tea Party will be looking for bomb throwers - again, Cruz.

EXPERIENCE: Hillary has deep presidential experience. She was a fundamental partner in the White House with president Bill Clinton, working on domestic issues. As a senator she has worked with a president from the opposing party on behalf of her constituency and the nation. As Secretary of State, she has a deep understanding of foreign policy. Not a single one of her potential Republican opponents can claim a more presidential record.

OBSTRUCTIONISM: Consider the potential Republican presidential candidates and tally all the things they are AGAINST - workers' bargaining rights, reproductive rights, universal health care, Social Security, aid to the impoverished, veterans' benefits, gay rights, diplomatic negotiations, campaign finance reform, infrastructure building, Wall Street reform, immigration reform, fair taxes, fair wages, economic equality, clean energy, gun safety. Not a single one of the GOP candidates cares one whit about working Americans. The Republicans are bought and owned - lock, stock and barrel - by corporate interests.

SCARY AS FUCK: Just listing the potential Republican presidential candidates scares the fuck out of me - Bush, Christie, Jindal, Paul, Cruz, Rubio, Huckabee, Santorum, Walker, Carson, Trump, Graham, Perry, Bolton, Fiorina, Kasich, Pence. I have watched them pander to audiences at CPAC and the NRA. The far-Right views they espouse in order to win primaries and garner a nomination is enough to make me feel reassured by the inevitability of a Hillary Clinton presidency.

DYNASTY:  Some influential American family names are associated with public service - Kennedy, Rockefeller, Roosevelt.  That's not a bad thing.  It depends on what values those families and their public servants advocate.  Hillary Clinton has earned her place in American society and in political power, not from her name, but from her work, her intentions and her achievements.  By contrast, when a stream of powerful Republicans went on pilgrimages to George W. Bush's ranch in Crawford, Texas, they weren't going to get the measure of the man they wanted to run for the presidency.  They went to give him his marching orders.  The Bush dynasty is run by dangerous neo-Cons like Dick Cheney, Paul Wolfowitz, Stephen Hadley, Michael Hayden & Michael Chertoff.  These same men, who dragged us into two horrific wars, are the advisers to Jeb Bush.

THE REAL DEBATE: We make a painful spectacle of presidential campaigns in this country. We make our candidates for our highest, most important office endure months of gut-wrenching scrutiny and attack. The media salivates for "gotcha" moments. National political campaigns rely on negative opposition research and disinformation funded by wealthy and powerful donors. In some ways I am happy that Hillary is not going to have to face withering criticism from within her own party to gain the nomination. Free of that primary/caucus burden, she can focus on the real debate, differentiating herself from the real opposition - the corporate puppet-masters, the religious "Wrong," the government haters, the bigots, the war mongers and the obstructionist demagogues.

NEW ALBUM RELEASE - "Bare"

True as Blue Music is proud to announce the release of "Bare" by David Guilbault.  Newly mixed and mastered, "Bare" tells an unapologetic story of loneliness, isolation, hurt and heartbreak.

Singer-songwriter David Guilbault sings low and sad, backed by the soulful baritone guitar of Jason Goessl and the tearful pedal steel guitar of Steve Norman. The lyrics are raw. The music is spare. The recording is intimate. This is the truth laid bare.

The six-song EP is produced by Jason Goessl of Parlour Trick Studio and mastered by Blake Bickel of Dynamic Sound Service, both in Seattle.  At this time, it is available exclusively as a free digital download on BandCamp (https://davidguilbault.bandcamp.com/album/bare).

David Guilbault writes, records and performs soulful music of life, love and loss - heartfelt songs that live in the truth. Mr. Guilbault spent a rewarding career producing news for ABC News, CNN, PBS and MSNBC. As a journalist, in pursuit of the credible truth, Mr. Guilbault reported stories as objectively as possible. Now, as a performing songwriter, pursing more universal truths, he can tell stories with a more subjective eye.

David hopes you will help his songs find their way into the world.

"Scar" © 1997 David Guilbault
"Words, They Fail" © 1998 David Guilbault
"When I'm With You" © 2006 David Guilbault
"Don't You Even" © 2008 David Guilbault
"I Never Thought" © 2007 David Guilbault
"On My Fingertips" © 2013 David Guilbault