Lazy, apathetic Democratic voters enabled Trump's frightening swing to the far right

Cartoonist Daryl Cagle says he drew "Heartless Trumps" after the separation of children from their parents who tried to enter the United States illegally. Ivanka Trump, right, didn't say anything publicly about the controversy, and Melania Trump wore a jacket imprinted with the words, "I REALLY DON'T CARE DO U?"

By VICTOR E. SASSON
EDITOR

HACKENSACK, N.J. -- The news media have peddled a million reasons why Donald J. Trump was elected president in the little-understood Electoral College.

Even though Democratic voters gave Hillary Clinton the edge in the popular vote of nearly 3 million in November 2016, Trump somehow stole the election under a system created as a compromise between election of the president by Congress and by the popular vote.

But the sad truth is that millions of lazy or apathetic Democrats stayed home and didn't vote for Clinton, enabling the frightening swing to the far right we've seen in the White House, Congress and the Supreme Court. 

Trump's approval ratings have been going up among Republicans, but they still are a minority and can be outvoted by Democrats, if the latter would just get off their asses, and not bother with such quaint notions that you have to "like" the presidential candidate to vote for her.

No. You have to like the issues and values she stands for, not her.

'A dark moment'

On Wednesday, The New York Times Editorial Board said the only place tens of millions of Americans can turn "for the vindication of many of their most cherished rights and protections" is the ballot box.

"So show up and vote. In the absence of a Supreme Court majority that will reliably protect human dignity, universal equality and women's rights to control their own bodies, it is up to Americans who cherish those values to elect politicians at every level of government who share them....

"It is a dark moment in the history of the court and the nation, and it's about to get a lot darker:

"Once President Trump names his second pick, and the Senate confirms that person, you can forget about new or enhanced protections for gay and lesbians, or saving the last shreds of affirmative action at public universities.

"Foremost among these is a woman's right to choose to have an abortion under Roe V. Wade, which as preserved solely on the strength of Justice Kennedy's vote."

We have a 'clear duty'

The Times went on to set out a "clear duty" now that Kennedy is retiring, and is likely to be replaced by a more conservative justice.

"Do not for a moment underestimate the importance of getting out and voting in November: Four years ago, only 36 percent of Americans cast ballots in the midterm elections.

"Had more people showed up, the Senate may well have remained in Democratic control, Mitch McConnell would not be the majority leader and Judge Merrick Garland [Barack Obama's nominee] would now be Justice Garland.

"In the days and months ahead, remember this."

From 2017: How to beat Trump and clones

Costco comes through with wild seafood: Fresh Sockeye, King Crab + Lobster Tails

Fresh, wild Sockeye Salmon Fillets, grilled on the stovetop and topped with organic diced tomatoes and fresh herbs from my garden, above and below.

By VICTOR E. SASSON
EDITOR

HACKENSACK, N.J. -- Tonight, I'm planning to make a big dinner of fresh, wild Sockeye Salmon grilled with ripe peaches and topped with pesto and garden herbs.

My wife just called from Costco Wholesale in Teterboro, where the skin-on fillets are $14.99 a pound -- $2 less than when the first-of-the season sockeye appeared on June 16.

I grill serving portions of the wild salmon on a stovetop grill, skin side down for about 4 minutes, then flipping them for an additional 3 to 4 minutes for medium.

On my wife's last visit to Costco six days ago, there was very little fresh sockeye to choose from -- only two trays, each weighing more than 2 pounds, and I asked her to buy another wild fish instead. 

On Tuesday, I saw fresh, wild sockeye at Whole Foods Market in Paramus for about $29 a pound.

More than $550 cash back

Meanwhile, I received and cashed my 2% reward certificate from Costco on renewal of my Executive Membership, which now cost $120 a year.

The certificate was for $192.56, covering purchases in the Teterboro warehouse and the Costco Business Center in Hackensack. 

That was in addition to the $365 in cash rebates I received in February by using Costco's no-fee Visa credit card to buy gasoline (4% back), restaurant meals (3% back) and travel, plus food and other items at Costco.

Shrink-wrapped trays of fresh, wild Sockeye Salmon Fillets showed up at the Costco Wholesale in the Teterboro Landing Shopping Center off of Route 46 for the first time this year on June 16.

Costco's Seafood Road Show also was visiting the Teterboro warehouse on June 16, a Saturday. Wild Cooked Red King Crab Legs and Claws ($22.99 a pound), above, and Wild Cold-Water Lobster Tails ($21.99 a pound) were among the frozen seafood available.

On June 17, Father's Day, I used the one Red King Crab Leg and one Claw I bought to make a salad with chopped sweet pepper, onion and celery, dressed with Dijon mustard, fresh lime juice and cumin, and added fresh mint and other herbs from my garden.

I also made a dressing for the Cold-Water Lobster Tail from herbs combined with more Dijon mustard, fresh lemon juice, extra-virgin olive oil, bread crumbs and sesame seeds. The tail weighed 1.29 pounds, as much as a small lobster. I removed the meat from the shell and baked the tail in the oven at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes until it was cooked through but tender. The tail served 3 with Red King Crab Salad and other food.

My wife returned to the Teterboro Costco on June 20, but found only two trays of Fresh, Wild  Sockeye Salmon, both with more than 2 pounds of fish. So, I asked her to buy Fresh Wild Haddock from Iceland ($8.99 a pound), which I baked in a preheated 400-degree oven for 15 minutes with Organic Spinach, Campari Tomatoes, pitted black olives, leftover herb dressing from the lobster tail, grated cheese, fresh lemon juice and extra-virgin olive oil.

Trump expected to keep the perfect record of GOP presidents who triggered recession

Satirist Bill Maher is hoping we can get rid of Donald J. Trump when the president's economic policies trigger a recession -- in a Republican tradition that dates to the early 1900s.

By VICTOR E. SASSON
EDITOR

HACKENSACK, N.J. -- Since the presidency of Theodore Roosevelt, who left office in 1909, every Republican president has seen a recession take hold in his first term, MarketWatch.com reported in May.

Now, satirist Bill Maher is hoping Donald J. Trump's massive, trillion-dollar tax cut for the wealthy, trade wars and other economic policies will trigger another recession and doom his presidency. 

"A recession is a survivable event; what Trump is doing to this country is not," the satirist said on HBO's "Real Time with Bill Maher."

"We survive one every time a Republican is in the White House, it's true," Maher said on Friday night. "Every Republican president since Teddy Roosevelt has presided over a recession."

"Four Republican presidents had two of them and Eisenhower had three," he said, adding:

"The United States has survived 47 recessions in all and since the Great Depression, we've never gone more than 10 years without one. Another recession is coming. Not because I'm rooting for it, because someone [Donald Trump] passed a giant tax giveaway to the rich that added trillions to the debt and started a trade war for no reason, and deliberately sabotaged the Affordable Care Act, and rolled back the rules for banks so they can once again gamble with our money. Those are actual policies for men with real power as opposed to me who just made a wish. I just made a wish! What am I, a genie?"

'I don't really care'

Maher also addressed the mixed message first lady Melania Trump sent when, on an unannounced humanitarian visit to a children's shelter in Texas, she wore a jacket with these words scrawled on the back:

"I REALLY DON'T CARE. DO U?"

Maher said she has other clothing in her wardrobe with messages that are just as provocative, including:

"That's Mrs. Hitler to You."

"I VOTED FOR HILLARY."

N.J. bill hopes to revive local journalism, community information, civic engagement

HONEY, THEY SHRUNK THE NEWSPAPER: The weekly Hackensack Chronicle, part of the USA Today Network, once had its own staff. Now, it is smaller and just re-prints news stories written by reporters at The Record of Woodland Park, one of the eight New Jersey dailies owned by Gannett. 

By VICTOR E. SASSON
EDITOR

HACKENSACK, N.J. -- The Civic Info Bill would create a public fund to "invest millions of dollars in ... projects designed to strengthen local news coverage" in New Jersey, according to FreePress.net.

That certainly would resonate with long-suffering readers of The Record, the Woodland Park daily that has drastically reduced local news since Gannett took over in July 2016.

The bill is backed by 14 state lawmakers -- including the Democratic leaders of both legislative houses  -- and thousands of New Jersey residents who have participated in public forums.

If passed and signed into law by Governor Murphy, the bill would create the New Jersey Civic Information Consortium, a nonprofit "that would provide funding to support quality journalism in New Jersey, promote promising media startups and other efforts meant to better inform communities," according to Free Press.

All funds would be donated.

See: Why the Civic Info Bill is such a big deal

See: Gannett admits circulation

 of The Record dropped dramatically

Check first for excessive salt and sugar, then enjoy the poetry of some food labels

Kirkland Signature Wild Alaskan Smoked Sockeye Salmon from Costco Wholesale with organic sunny side up eggs, also from Costco, and brown rice.

Along with organic salsa and low-fat Swiss cheese, the same smoked wild salmon makes a delicious filling in an egg-white omelet.

By VICTOR E. SASSON
EDITOR

HACKENSACK, N.J. -- Did you know those silken, pleasantly salty slices of smoked wild salmon from Costco Wholesale were previously frozen?

Or that the wedge of crumbly Parmigiano Reggiano, which is cut and packed in Italy for Costco, is a hard cheese "made today as it was centuries ago"?

You can find this and other information about some of the best items at Costco on the same labels that list sugar and sodium content.

And all of the Kirkland Signature items I discuss today are a much better value than national brands sold in supermarkets.

Frozen whole

The Kirkland Signature Wild Alaskan Smoked Sockeye Salmon, for example, is from fish that are immediately frozen whole after they are caught "in the ice-cold waters off the coast of Alaska."

Then, the salmon are "cold smoked using time-honored traditions and minimal ingredients: salt, brown sugar and natural wood smoke." 

"Sockeye Salmon are a natural source of healthy Omega-3 fatty acids."

A 2-ounce serving of the smoked salmon, which is sliced, contains 650 milligrams of sodium or 27% of the recommended daily limit.

I usually use about that or less with eggs or in an omelet or sandwich. 

I also like to roll up slices of salmon and reduced fat-Swiss cheese with organic mixed greens and a little Dijon mustard for a breadless snack.

Avoid smoked salmon from farmed fish, which are usually raised with harmful antibiotics and colored artificially.

See: Look for high-fructose corn syrup

 in processed food

Costco Wholesale's price of $18.89 for 1 pound of Wild Alaskan Smoked Sockeye Salmon is lower than at any other store in northern New Jersey.

Italian geography

The wrapper for the Parmigiano Reggiano -- often called "the King of Cheeses" -- offers a geography lesson:

The cheese "uses the highest quality milk from provinces located between the Po River and Apennine Mountains" in the north of Italy.

"Only premium wheels are selected and aged for 24 months, allowing the intense, fruity, nutty flavor and grainy hard texture to develop.

"Each wedge of Kirkland Signature Parmigiano Reggiano is carved from a wheel that has passed Italy's rigorous maturation standards...."

And the wrapper offers tips on how to enjoy this wonderful cheese, which has less fat because it's made from part-skimmed cow's milk:

"Freshly grate, shred or shave on traditional pasta dishes, salads and rustic soups. 

"Chunk and serve with fresh pear slices and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar. Use the rind when cooking to add a burst of flavor to stews, stocks and risotto.

"Pair with a Chianti Classico or Chardonnay."

A 1-inch cube contains 180 milligrams of sodium or  7% of the recommended daily limit for an individual.

Formaggi Zanetti in Italy supplies the cheese to Costco, which pledges:

"Every Kirkland Signature product is guaranteed to meet or exceed the quality standards of the leading national brands.

"If you are not completely satisfied, your money will be refunded."

Kirkland Signature Organic Quinoa is grown in the mountains of Peru.

Say "keen-wah"

With fewer carbs than rice or pasta, Kirkland Signature Organic Quinoa is one of my favorite weight-watching bread substitutes.

"From Andean farmers to your table" is the message on the front of the 4.5-pound bag.

On the back, you can read the story of this easy to cook, gluten-free quinoa, which is pronounced "keen-wah."

"Quinoa -- known as the 'Mother Grain' in South American culture -- dates back to the Incan Empire and is actually a seed, not a grain.

"Today, we enjoy quinoa for its great taste and nutritional properties. Quinoa is one of nature's complete plant proteins.

"Our quinoa is cultivated by small-holder farmers in the Andean Mountains, who remain committed to sustainably grown, organic quinoa and continue to honor the farming techniques of their ancestors."

How to cook

You'll also find cooking instructions for this pre-washed quinoa from Peru (no need to rinse):

Listed as optional: "Toast quinoa in a dry skillet before cooking for an authentic South American flavor."

I'll have to try that. 

I prepare mine in an electric rice cooker, adding 2 cups of organic chicken broth for each cup of quinoa.

I also add whole garlic cloves or a can of organic diced tomatoes or chickpeas or all three, plus some olive oil and salt, and cook them on the "white rice" setting.

Costco's Organic Quinoa contains no salt. 

A quarter cup dry has 3 grams of "sugars," 3 grams of dietary fiber and 6 grams of protein.

Kirkland Signature Basil Pesto used as a spread on Dave's Killer Bread, an organic loaf with 21 grains or seeds that also is available at Costco.

Red wine, pesto

Kirkland Signature's delicious Cabernet Sauvignon from California in the 1.5-liter bottle ($7.99) offers great value. Check out the tasting notes on the label:

"...Vibrant, juicy flavors of black currant with broad, red fruit notes that linger on the palate, and are surrounded by hints of spice and sweet smoke with a graceful finish of cherry and mocha."

So, both the wine and the label are a mouthful.

Kirkland Signature's wonderful Basil Pesto is a refrigerated product that doesn't need to be heated when dressing pasta or when used as a sandwich spread.

You also can try it with scrambled eggs.

According to the label, the Basil Pesto contains only Genovese basil grown "in the Liguria region of Italy, which is a narrow strip of mountainous land bordering the Mediterranean Sea and surrounding the city of Genoa" [where pesto originated].

"Liguria is the only approved D.O.P. [an Italian acronym for Protected Designation of Origin] basil-growing region in Italy, because its unique soil, sea air, mild climate and soft spring ran create a pure, sweet basil."

However, a quarter-cup contains 26% of the recommended daily limit of sodium for an individual.

Of course, you wouldn't find that much pesto on a portion of pasta or if you use it as a sandwich spread.

Trump admits he fears nuclear attack if he brings up rights violations in North Korea

In "Summit," a biting cartoon from David Fitzsimmons of The Arizona Daily Star, President Trump wears blinders as he wades into a pool of blood to shake the hand of North Korea's brutal dictator, Kim Jong Un.

In "Seat of Power," cartoonist Pat Bagley of The Salt Lake Tribune satirizes Trump's habit of tweeting early in the day, reportedly from his toilet. Thus, the expression about Trump, "Brain farts."

By VICTOR E. SASSON
EDITOR

HACKENSACK, N.J. -- What is Donald J. Trump doing for Father's Day? 

Lying, as usual.

Meanwhile, on Saturday, a TV reporter asked President Trump how he can defend Kim Jong Un's human-rights record after speaking "passionately" about the death of an American detained for 17 months in North Korea.

"You know why? Because I don't want to see a nuclear weapon destroy you and your family," Trump told CBS Correspondent Weijia Jiang.

So, even after the summit in Singapore, Trump actually fears a nuclear attack from North Korea unless he continues to play nice with the brutal North Korean dictator and salute his generals, as he did last week.

Later, he told the female CBS reporter to be "quiet" more than once, and referred to her as "so obnoxious."

'Justin and Donald'

On Friday night, in a bit called "Justin and Donald," comedian Bill Maher showed illustrations, contrasting the behavior of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Trump:

"Justin waits politely for women to get on the elevator first.

"Donald grabs their pussies," the satirist said on HBO's "Real Time with Bill Maher."

"Justin separates paper and glass. Donald separates parents and children.

"Justin researches an issue and consults experts before making a decision.

"Donald vomits brain farts and leaves his staff to clean up the mess."

A North Korean general puts his hand out in Singapore, but President Trump salutes him, as Kim Jong Un looks on, in this image from state media. 

Cartoonist Dave Granlund refers to Trump's treatment of Canadian Prime Minister and other allies during the G7 summit when he quotes Kim Jong Un: "My biggest worry is that Trump will treat North Korea the way he treats U.S. allies." Below, in "MAGA Double Standard," Adam Zyglis of The Buffalo News notes Trump supporters were outraged when Barack Obama negotiated with Iran ["our enemies"], but have been silent on the president saluting a North Korean general.

Images of Trump and Un wearing the other's hair style appeared on the Internet months ago, when a possible meeting between the two dictators was first announced.

An ethnic-food run for fish tacos, ceviche, yuca, spinach pies and stuffed grape leaves

An order of Fish Tacos at Taqueria Los Gueros on Main Avenue and Jefferson Street in the city of Passaic. The grilled fish, on two warm corn tortillas, was topped with Pico de Gallo (chopped tomatoes, onions, cilantro, chile pepper and lime juice) and avocado ($8.49).

Two salsas, lime sections and a tangle of spicy onions came with the tacos. The green salsa, bottom, is mildly spicy, but the red is tongue-searing hot and obliterates the taste of the taco.

By VICTOR E. SASSON
EDITOR

HACKENSACK, N.J. -- Northern New Jersey is a rich stew of ethnic groups.

And each one of them offers an array of specialities that lure food lovers into their cars for an ethnic-food run to one or more towns or cities in Passaic,  Bergen and Hudson counties.

This past Saturday we stopped for Fish Tacos on Main Avenue in Passaic, then walked a block or so to a Peruvian restaurant on Washington Street for rotisserie chicken, ceviche, empanadas and other takeout.

On the trip home -- when we found ourselves taking local streets to avoid Route 20 traffic congestion -- we made a quick stop in Paterson to pick up Syrian food at Fattal's.

Driving and parking

Driving in Passaic and Paterson has always been a challenge, and you'll find drivers on side streets with stop signs like to play chicken with you, if you are on the main street and have the right of way.

You can find parking in Passaic on Main Avenue's median, where you pay at a central meter, and then walk to Taqueria Los Gueros and Pollos El Chevere.

Fattal's, an emporium of Syrian food and spices at 975 Main St. in Paterson, has its own parking lot.

At Taqueria Los Gueros, my wife loved the taste of her Tacos al Pastor, but we had to send them back for pieces of fresh pineapple. And for some reason, they were made with only one corn tortilla instead of two, as they are in Mexico City ($6.49).

The pork for her Tacos al Pastor was roasted on a vertical spit, which was inspired by Lebanese Christian immigrants to Mexico. At one taqueria in Mexico City, a whole peeled pineapple is placed on top of the skewered pork, and the taco maker shaves the meat and fruit onto tortillas in one motion.

Taqueria Los Gueros is at 692 Main Ave. (Jefferson Street) in Passaic; 1-973-377-0755. Open 7 days.

A folksy saying appears on the Jefferson Street side of Taqueria Los Gueros: "A taco a day brings pure happiness."

A second Taqueria Los Gueros is at 231 Monroe St. in Passaic, but doesn't look as welcoming as the one on Main Avenue. You can also find a Taqueria Los Gueros at 46 W. Palisade Ave. in Englewood. The chain's website: Taqueria Los Gueros

See: Lost and found: A great Taco al Pastor

Pollos El Chevere

When we walked into Pollos El Chevere on Washington Street in Passaic, the Peruvian restaurant appeared much the same as it did on our last visit 5 long years ago.

We grabbed a takeout menu and ordered a Pollo Entero Solo, a whole rotisserie chicken, which comes with either french fries, rice, tostones, maduros or yuca ($12, only $2 more than in 2013).

Our choice, the tostones -- twice-smashed and fried green plantain sections -- were enormous. 

You also get a surprisingly spicy, pale-green chili-cheese sauce to use as a dip or to pour over everything.

We also ordered two Empanadas de Carne, patties stuffed with ground beef and half of a hard-boiled egg ($3 each); Yuca a la Huancaina, a starchy root vegetable with a milder chili-cheese sauce ($7); and Ceviche Mixto, a lime-marinated fish and seafood medley ($16).

Pollos El Chevere has a full menu of soups, pork chops and steaks, spaghettis, and rice and seafood dishes at moderate prices.

The Tallarin Verde I've had in the past reminded me of spaghetti dressed with basil pesto.

The restaurant was opened more than a dozen year ago by two Japanese-Peruvian men, but I don't know whether they still own and operate this and another El Chevere on Monroe Street in Passaic.

The counter where you order and pay for takeout was unchanged from our visit 5 years ago, but the wooden benches where customers wait have been replaced by metal seating. 

Pollos El Chevere is at 228 Washington Place, steps from Main Avenue, in Passaic; 1-973-249-6330. Open 7 days.

We loved the mildly spicy chili-cheese sauce with the Yuca a la Huancaina, but the we prefer the yuca much softer than it was.

A whole rotisserie chicken with tostones is $12, only $2 more than 5 years ago. The bonus is a pale green but spicy chili-cheese sauce that comes with the chicken. Photos below, plating the Mixed Seafood Ceviche with sweet potato, red onion and popped corn kernels, and Fattal's Vegetable Grape Leaves for a light dinner at home.

Fattal's

Fattal's -- a baker, grocer and butcher with a cafe serving the Syrian specialties I ate growing up in Brooklyn -- makes it easy to stop for takeout by having a parking lot right in front of the building, which is set back from Main Street.

I picked up eight fat Grape Leaves, stuffed with rice and vegetables ($7.99 a pound); and 6 Spinach & Cheese Pies wrapped in dough ($10.19 for 2 pounds).

Ingredients in the latter include spinach, feta cheese, onions, lemon juice, sumac and sesame seeds. 

See: 

From June 2013: 

The ethnic-food run

 is alive and well

Store-made items at Fatal's include both savory and sweet items. Besides Spinach & Cheese Pies, you can get Date Bread, Fig & Walnut Roll and Mini Vegetable Pies.

At Fattal's you'll also find jewelry, including 24-karat gold; a wide array of spices and such store-made pastry as baklava. The store is at 975-77 Main St., Paterson, in the heart of the city's bustling Middle Eastern shopping district, and not far from the Farmers Market on the border with Clifton.