TORRANCE TRIBUNE November 9, 2017 Page 7
Pasta With Grapes, Blue Cheese And Spinach
Politically Speaking
One Man’s Opinion Another Man’s Opinion
Brazile’s DNC Allegations Indicate
More Than Unethical Agreements
By Cristian Vasquez
Excerpts released from former Democratic
National Committee interim chair Donna
Brazile claim that an unethical agreement
between the DNC and Hillary Clinton’s
2016 presidential campaign was reached in
an attempt to keep the DNC alive financially.
While it is no surprise to hear that Clinton is
being accused of something unethical, it is
alarming that the DNC would resort to such
actions, for any reason, and to the degree that
Brazile claims. These actions are more than
just a shakeup within the Democratic Party’s
establishment--and lifelong supporters of the
party should be angered and need to either
clean house or abandon ship.
In all fairness, it was announced in 2015
that a joint fundraising effort between the
DNC and Clinton’s campaign was in place.
Furthermore, by 2016 the two had signed an
agreement to fundraise together under the
guise that the agreement was no different
from the ones President Obama’s campaign
used in 2008 and 2012. Yet, Brazile’s claims
that Clinton’s campaign pumped money into
the DNC for control of its finances one year
prior to Clinton becoming the official nominee
shows a level of corruption that justifies the
President’s “Crooked Hillary” chant. The writing
is on the wall is clear: Clinton dangled
the carrot in front of the DNC for her power
pursuit. The DNC took the carrot and at the
end of the day, they both got what they deserved:
a failed campaign. Unfortunately, the
American people will pay for their mistake
for the next four years, if not eight.
Based on Brazile’s claims, Clinton and
her campaign had the blessing of the DNC
and at least a one-year advantage over every
Democratic Party candidate and still failed
miserably. Will people now accept how horrible
of a candidate she was? Her supporters
probably won’t, and many will likely resort
to Russian interference or dirty campaigning
to justify the loss. The reality is that Clinton
and the DNC personify what the Democratic
establishment has evolved into: a movement
without structure, without leaders and without
substance. We can point to Democrats
who are considered the future of the party
(Newsom, Harris, Castro or Kennedy III), but
what kind of future can registered Democrats
expect when the DNC leases its powers to
one candidate to pay off massive debts?
One of two things will happen: the young
Democrats climbing the ranks will either
cooperate with the DNC playbook, hence
becoming part of the problem…or, they will
simply never shake off the label of potential
leaders and get stonewalled by their party.
Politics is a dirty game and learning about
these accusations comes as no surprise, but
Democrats need to be more than outraged--if
not by the lack of ethics behind this agreement,
then at least by the lack of coherent
leadership from the party. At the end of the
day, it was Clinton and the DNC that lost an
election to a candidate who had never held
public office, despite all the advantages granted
to Clinton via an unethical agreement. •
House of Cards Continues to
Crumble in Libcentric Hollyweird
By Duane Plank
Shocked to see a push-back last week
against the latest Plank diatribe in the letters
section. Egads!
Did you fill up your gas tank in the last
week? If so, say thank you to the extra
money that you forked over to the soon-tobe
termed out Cali Governor Jerry Brown,
whom I pretty much like, by the way. The
guise is that they will take the billions that
they are lifting from our wallets and fix the
crappy roads and remedy other transportation
issues that have plagued the great state of
California for more than a few years. Sure.
Not that the extorted money will be used
to help fund the Brown-backed boondoggle
of a bullet train, right? A bullet train that
is headed god knows where and will cost
tens of billions. Or maybe the Dems and the
next Governor, who undoubtedly will be a
Dem, will funnel the extra gas tax and car
registration fees that were rammed through
by the Dems who run the sanctuary state of
California into trying to lessen the incredible
pension funding problem that has plagued
our state as politicians have continued to
kowtow to unions in their effort to win election
after election.
And kowtowing to the unions has worked,
if working is jamming the political positions
in this state with left-leaning pols. Who were/
are trying to enforce some kind of insanity
that was termed the “Road Diet.” Choking
off the commute in our neighborhoods as
we steam to and fro from work every day.
Hoping that we will bike to work, walk to
work, or take the very inconvenient public
transportation options to work, or to our
other destinations of commerce or recreation.
That is a great thought--biking to work.
Save the environment, save this, save that.
Climate change and all. Do you think the
corpulent Al Gore, alleged mastermind of
the global warming diatribe, or the sweaty,
somewhat chubby actor Leo De Caprio-
-another alleged protect the environment
wacko--have ever biked to work? Or taken
public transportation?
For me, that would mean biking to the See’s
Candies distribution center on Alameda Street
in Carson. Yeah, that would be a great idea.
At 5:30 in the morning, I will jump on my
crummy bike, ride it 20 miles to Carson and
feel good because I have saved the planet. I
am sure that my co-workers would love to
sit next to a guy who just sweated his way
through a 20-mile bike ride.
No showers at See’s Candies, at least that
I am privy to, so I can arrive drenched in
sweat…if I don’t get killed on the way, riding
my tricycle in the dark. And then--after
putting in an incredibly tough day of working
with our fundraising and business partners,
cajoling them and utilizing my incredible
sales talents--hop back on my crummy bike
and navigate my way back to the safety and
sanctity of El Segundo.
Yeah, that seems like a great option. I am
starting to warm up to the option of being
taxed even more and saving this planet. •
Recipe content provided by BPT
Preparation
1. Cook the pasta in boiling salted water in a large
pot until al dente. Drain and reserve.
2. While the pasta is cooking, whisk together the
blue cheese, Parmesan cheese, lemon juice,
vinegar, zest, honey, garlic, olive oil and salt
and pepper in a medium bowl.
3. In a large bowl, combine the pasta, grapes, scallions
and blue cheese mixture. Toss to mix, add the
spinach and toss again. Serve with additional
blue cheese sprinkled on top.
Ingredients
• 12 ounces fusilli or other short pasta
• 1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese plus
additional for garnish
• 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1 small clove garlic, minced
• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon each kosher salt and finely
ground black pepper
• 3 cups halved red California grapes
• 3 scallions, thinly sliced
• 4 cups baby spinach
Serving Suggestions
Add 2 cups diced cooked chicken if desired, for a
heartier entree.
Nutritional Information
Per serving: Calories 430; Protein 10 g; Carbohydrate
60 g; Fat 17 g (36% Calories from Fat); Sat Fat
4 g (8% Calories from Saturated Fat); Cholesterol
10 mg; Sodium 220 mg; Fiber 3g.