Schumer’s elevation to leader spells trouble for Democrats

Taxpayers have nothing to celebrate with New York Sen. Charles Schumer’s recent birthday and elevation to Democratic Senate minority leader. He continues to raise millions of dollars from trial lawyers, Wall Street and other special-interest friends for his reelection campaign and both the Democratic National Committee and congressional campaign committees.  He proudly boasts of the billions in financial assistance “treats” he receives from Washington and brings back to New York, but he never tells voters where the money comes from.

Since 1981, under Schumer’s watch as both a Congress member and senator, our national debt went up by $18 trillion. It increased from $1 trillion in 1981 to $19.7 trillion today. Schumer never talks about this at his standard Sunday news conferences or campaign reelection commercials. It is nothing to be proud of.

{mosads}Like the cowardly lion from the Land of Oz, Schumer came out against the proposed treaty with Iran but, with a wink and nod to President Obama, refused to lobby his fellow senators in joining him to oppose the treaty. Many Jewish and non-Jewish friends of Israel were not happy with his abdication of leadership on this issue. His leadership appointments for the Senate Minority Conference include Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Democratic Senate Conference Deputy Chairman and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, also Outreach chair.  Along with supporting Minnesota Rep. Keith Ellison, who is the head of the Democratic Progressive Caucus, he is a past associate of the infamous Louis Farrakahn, clearly no friend of Israel or Jews. Schumer is supporting Ellison to become the next Democratic National Committee chairman. This speaks volumes.

These actions represent Schumer’s genuflecting to extremist left-wing elements of his party. Schumer and other liberal Democrats should practice what they preach when critiquing some appointments by President-elect Donald Trump as being out of the Republican Party mainstream and pandering to right-wing extremists.

From Larry Penner, Great Neck, N.Y.

Electoral College protects states

If you’re going to publish an article like “Dem introducing bill to abolish Electoral College,” you really ought to write an editor’s note like the following: The Constitution affords all states of the United States of America equalized representation when it comes to the election of the President of the United States of America, which he/she represents. Donald Trump won the tallied popular vote across 49 states. Only after California’s large population vote is added did Hillary Clinton squeak ahead. The U.S. cannot have the popular vote of California determine the next president for the entire country. That is what the Electoral College prevents by affording all states equal representation in the federal government.  People saying Clinton won the popular vote fail to recognize that she only won due to California, while Trump led across 49 states. That is also why Trump has 305 total electoral votes, because he won 49 states’ popular votes. Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) is politicizing this bill because it favors the Democrats, rather than thinking of the welfare and equal representation of all the states. Remember, sometimes Democrats win, sometimes Republicans win, and we do this peacefully through voting in America. The Electoral College is doing its proper job by affording equalized representation in the federal government to all states, large and small.  Without the Electoral College, you would not have the United States of America for very long.  

From Jon Braun, Newark, Del.