Penning Thoughts

November 29, 2017

Mr. Speaker,

You took this position to represent the nation beyond Wisconsin, and on this 84th anniversary of the marriage of Howard Penning and Jean Hartley Penning, my parents, I would ask that you consider your obligation to the rest of us.

Imagine Dwight Eisenhower, today sending out an early morning personal statement that included a fraudulent newsreel, purporting to show Black men luridly attacking white women. Imagine him visiting dozens of cities that same day, projecting the newsreel before fans at local baseball stadiums at every stop.

My Dad came back from WWII, because of Ike. And in 1952 - despite being a Democrat and an Illinoisan - Dad gave Ike his vote. The man in the Executive Mansion doesn’t deserve to have his name listed anywhere close to Ike’s, or Abraham’s or Ronald’s.

He is a man who attacked us today, by sending out on our ‘cyber-waves’ the video propaganda of an immigrant hater in Britain. Millions of people read his ‘tweets’ and even more probably watched those fascist-tainted videos.

Children and families were most likely bullied, at best; or assaulted, at worst, because of what our President did today.

And you want a tax cut, more than anything else in the world.

Your kids, Mr. Speaker; think of your kids. If you’re lucky enough to have them, think of your grandkids.

What will they say about you, on the anniversary of the day we lose our democracy … because you didn’t speak up?

The day’s not over. Will you not call this man to account for doing something Ike - the hero of the Second World War - would abhor?