All About Politics: Statehood Con, Ryan’s Blarney, JTIII

**Norton & Carper: Con Artists**

Before I cover any other subject, I must start with the sham and charade that D.C. Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton and Sen. Tom Carper (D-Delaware) attempted to carry off Feb. 23.

Norton at a press conference announced the introduction of the D.C. statehood bill. She claimed to have 133 House co-sponsors, but no list was provided and not one of them appeared at the press conference.

Carper was introduced with great fanfare. He was hailed as D.C.’s “champion.” This is the same guy who in 2014 — when Democrats were in the majority — introduced the D.C. statehood bill and then did absolutely nothing with it. (I’ll describe more about this in my next print column.) Needless to say, Carper and Norton are perpetuating a “massive con” on the D.C. citizenry.

**Paul Ryan & GOP’s Affordable Care Repeal**

Twenty million Americans, who did not have health insurance, now do. That is a remarkable feat. The Republicans want to put those people at risk. The Affordable Care Act was the signature achievement of the Obama presidency. It took a party line vote of every Democrat to pass the bill.

House Speaker Paul Ryan is intent on destroying this achievement, which helps so many. As Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi rightly said, it brought “peace of mind” to so many. Now, Ryan, who wants to pass something and call it a health insurance bill, doesn’t even know how many people will lose their insurance. He is threatening the entire welfare of so many.

He is trying to placate the right wing crazies in his party, who believe in “survival of the fittest” above all and do not see any role for the national government in protecting those who are not well off.

The state of Kentucky had the greatest increase in insured people due to the ACA. They voted overwhelmingly for Trump. Makes no sense. What actually comes out will be a mishmash. Mostly bad, very bad.

Dems will definitely make this an issue in the midterms.

The Congressional Budget Office figures prove how much people will suffer. Will there be enough Republicans who will stop this proposed bill?

Paul Ryan is no moderate — and no leader. Paul Krugman of the New York Times has his number.

**JTIII & Georgetown University Basketball**

They started chanting, “Fire Thompson,” at the Verizon Center. Many Georgetown University students and alums have had it with men’s basketball coach John Thompson III. Two back-to-back losing seasons — that hasn’t happened since the early 1970s. The final result: getting beat by St. John’s at the Big East Tournament in the first round, embarrassed and humiliated at Madison Square Garden.

Most likely, old man Thompson won’t let Georgetown University fire him. The university is intimidated by its legendary NCAA championship coach, John Thompson, Jr. Any other school would give JTIII the heave-ho.

If they let him go, that would allow for a city series where George Washington, American, Howard and Georgetown universities could play in an annual tournament. That would be great for the city.

Old man Thompson is why this has never happened. At a minimum, the Ward 2 game could be a real event: GW vs. Georgetown. Don’t hold your breath. Georgetown University only cares about itself, not the city.