View Full Version : US Politics Thread 2021-24
Rockstar
10-03-23, 02:17 PM
Well you'll be hard pressed to get definitive honest responses by going back in time to the years of wrongdoing.
Yes there are years, decades and centuries old war crimes, robbery and holocausts committed by the British Empire. Time shouldn’t matter, history has shown it did happen, your museums are filled with the evidence. Why then are your politicians today telling those people who filled your coffers and spice cabinets they are owed nothing? It’s not like it was just trivial disagreements over words that were spoken.
Jeff-Groves
10-03-23, 02:27 PM
Don't worry about History. Another 20 years and it will all be erased anyway.
One could argue it's all the fault of people moving out of Africa (Which is said to be the cradle of Humans) that caused EVERYTHING!
I want reparations for all that ensued from that time!
I guess it is not what he has said, but how he have said it.
Markus
Or more accurately how a hostile media organization characterized how he said it.
Can understand, by reading the news here, that Kevin McCarthy has been voted out as speaker for the House of Rep.
Guess the Republican has to find a new speaker.
Markus
Can understand, by reading the news here, that Kevin McCarthy has been voted out as speaker for the House of Rep.
Guess the Republican has to find a new speaker.
Markus
Yep. I wonder how many votes it'll take this time.
Yep. I wonder how many votes it'll take this time.
Did he, as claimed, help the Dems ?
Here it is said that McCarthy was accused of helping the Dems more than helping his own side.
Markus
Skybird
10-03-23, 05:13 PM
https://images.weihnachtsmusik.fm/files/2018-11/kevin-allein-zuhaus-schrei-iuztf-thumb-960-retina.jpg?rect=0%2C0%2C1920%2C1080
Kevin jetzt wieder allein zuhaus!
Rockstar
10-03-23, 05:30 PM
Did he, as claimed, help the Dems ?
Here it is said that McCarthy was accused of helping the Dems more than helping his own side.
Markus
No, there’s no big MAGA, Blue-anon extremist petty war of words & trivial drama. You just have turn back the time dial to last January to see why McCarthy had such a hard time getting the votes to become speaker in the first place. The Republican rules package linked below includes all of the concessions McCarthy agreed to but didn’t keep. And now he got the boot.
https://rules.house.gov/sites/republicans.rules118.house.gov/files/118-Rules-of-the-House-of-Representatives-SxS-V2.pdf
Did he, as claimed, help the Dems ?
Here it is said that McCarthy was accused of helping the Dems more than helping his own side.
Markus
And it was the Dems who did him in. They voted as a bloc along with just 5 or so Repubs to oust him.
Rockstar
10-03-23, 05:46 PM
:D
https://i.postimg.cc/dQ5S2KpN/IMG-2889.jpg
Rockstar
10-03-23, 05:50 PM
Maybe Gaetz will nominate Trump as Speaker of the House. Wouldn’t that be a hoot :har::har::har:
Buddahaid
10-03-23, 07:29 PM
But he only says five different things all the time now.:Kaleun_Wink:
em2nought
10-03-23, 07:57 PM
Maybe Gaetz will nominate Trump as Speaker of the House. Wouldn’t that be a hoot :har::har::har:
That's exactly what he should do, fight fire with fire. :D Scorched earth!
Rockstar
10-03-23, 08:57 PM
Joking aside, the money printer needs to frickin’ stop were 33 plus trillion dollars in debt and it’s still rising. It’s causing inflation and we’re now using tax revenue to pay more in interest & fees on that 33 trillion than we are on our entire military budget. Add to that a war in Eastern Europe, cities are crumbling, crime running rampant, businesses closing, strategic oil reserves drained for political gain, oil and gas prices rising again, banks failing, inflation, wide open southern border, recession and migrants overloading cities services.
Rockstar
10-03-23, 10:08 PM
And it was the Dems who did him in. They voted as a bloc along with just 5 or so Repubs to oust him.
I think it was just yesterday someone here sounded pretty satisfied how McCarthy was reigning in those evil maga extremists.
And now today Democrats are siding with those evil maga extremists. :hmmm:
https://i.postimg.cc/dQ5S2KpN/IMG-2889.jpg
Ostfriese
10-03-23, 11:40 PM
Why would the dems want to keep someone in that position who from the start had been leashed by a small extremist group within his own block to do their bidding? Why do people expect them to support a speaker from the opposition who during his tenure hasn't done anything to convince them of being the right person for that job? On the contrary, McCarthy and his party did everything to widen the gap.
From the onset McCarthy's position was weak, always at the mercy of aforementioned small group, and everyone knew that he would be gone as soon as he loses their support.
If the situation had been the same with only the parties exchanged not a single republican would have come to McCarthy's aid, either.
Why would the dems want to keep someone in that position who from the start had been leashed by a small extremist group within his own block to do their bidding? Why do people expect them to support a speaker from the opposition who during his tenure hasn't done anything to convince them of being the right person for that job? On the contrary, McCarthy and his party did everything to widen the gap.
From the onset McCarthy's position was weak, always at the mercy of aforementioned small group, and everyone knew that he would be gone as soon as he loses their support.
If the situation had been the same with only the parties exchanged not a single republican would have come to McCarthy's aid, either.
Well they did more than not come to his aid, the actively voted against him. The ouster would have failed if not for them. Of course now they are going to have to deal with a replacement that will almost certainly be worse on them than McCarthy was so they may have shot themselves in the foot.
em2nought
10-04-23, 01:16 AM
From the onset McCarthy's position was weak, always at the mercy of aforementioned small group, and everyone knew that he would be gone as soon as he loses their support.
If the situation had been the same with only the parties exchanged not a single republican would have come to McCarthy's aid, either.
Which is exactly why President Trump should become Speaker of the House. All those RINOS are as scared of him(and his huge voting block of actual votes as opposed to magic votes) as they are scared of the democrats defacto banana republic. He'll force them to be republicans, and they can hide from the wrath of the democrat banana republic behind President Trump because the banana republic with direct all their "fire" at President Trump. :har: President Trump is only person who can lead the Republican party and all those Bushies ought to get onboard. They live or die with him.
Jimbuna
10-04-23, 03:34 AM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lx2jjpbv8Xs
I can't help thinking the ultimate loser in the short term will be Ukraine.
em2nought
10-04-23, 05:01 AM
oops
em2nought
10-04-23, 05:04 AM
Which is exactly why President Trump should become Speaker of the House.
texas republican will nominate trump for speaker of the house
:D
https://thehill.com/homenews/house/4237172-texas-republican-will-nominate-trump-for-speaker-of-the-house/
Rockstar
10-04-23, 05:12 AM
http://b.vimeocdn.com/ts/425/129/425129955_640.jpg
Ostfriese
10-04-23, 06:08 AM
President Trump is only person who can lead the Republican party and all those Bushies ought to get onboard. They live or die with him.
Follow the Führer or be gone. Where have I heard that before…?
Rockstar
10-04-23, 06:20 AM
Matt Gaetz calls Kevin McCarthy a “feature of the swamp” after reporter tells Gaetz that people think he is a narcissist.
“It's the benefit of this country that we have a better Speaker of the House than Kevin McCarthy.”
“Kevin McCarthy couldn't keep his word. He made an agreement in January regarding the way Washington would work, and he violated that agreement. We are $33 trillion in debt. We are facing $2.2 trillion annual deficits.”
“We face a de-dollarization globally that will crush Americans working class Americans. Kevin McCarthy is a feature of the swamp. He has risen to power by collecting special interest money and redistributing that money in exchange for favors.”
Ostfriese
10-04-23, 06:58 AM
Gaetz is the pot calling the kettle black.
Jimbuna
10-04-23, 08:01 AM
Just when you thought you'd seen it all before.
Putin, XI Jinping and Kim Jong Un must all have front row seats.
Rockstar
10-04-23, 08:17 AM
Just when you thought you'd seen it all before.
Putin, XI Jinping and Kim Jong Un must all have front row seats.
Seen what exactly? Wether all of the so-called enlightened Europeans agree with it or not everything done in the house has been constitutional and carried out by duly elected representatives in orderly fashion with a side talkin smack.
Those leaders you list are old school dictators and learned everything they know on how to oppress and massacre their populations from German and the British methods of exercising political will.
em2nought
10-04-23, 02:54 PM
Follow the Führer or be gone. Where have I heard that before…?
Ah, the tried and true comparison to a Nazi. Head down to the bedbug thread and call me a racist next why don't ya? :har:
Catfish
10-04-23, 03:31 PM
The USA seem to enjoy being populistic idiots. i wonder how long it will take until someone says enough and makes Matt Gaetz swallow his teeth.
em2nought
10-04-23, 03:45 PM
The USA seem to enjoy being populistic idiots. i wonder how long it will take until someone says enough and makes Matt Gaetz swallow his teeth.
Look I get it, President Trump wanted to kick Europe off the USA gravy train and you hate him for it. :har:
Rockstar
10-04-23, 03:50 PM
The USA seem to enjoy being populistic idiots. i wonder how long it will take until someone says enough and makes Matt Gaetz swallow his teeth.
Leave it to Germany to come up with if you don’t agree with me I’ll kick your teeth in. Spoken like a true …. never mind.
The question is can any country live by it own-No trade with other countries, so can USA survive by itself ?
Markus
Catfish
10-04-23, 04:00 PM
Ah calling other people nazis again eh? You think people like this Gaetz are serving the american people? Get real.
This.. something is a despiccable populist like Orban, just with less power. Yet.
I think that most american people have enough of egomanic career slimers bringing the country down with their populist bullsh!t.
God knows we have enough of these a$$holes in Germany.
The question is can any country live by it own-No trade with other countries, so can USA survive by itself ?
Markus
It seems nobody the uprising self-serving careerists do not care, in the US. China has begun to change its economy to become self-sufficient in a way that a shutoff and sanctions will not harm them as they are hitting Russia now; but I do not think a domestic market alone will alloow them to become what Xi Jin Ping obviously wants.
I do not think that domestic markets alone work in a global world. Maybe if all is in ruins ...
Rockstar
10-04-23, 04:06 PM
Ah calling other people nazis again eh? You think people like this Gaetz are serving the american people? Get real.
This.. something is a despiccable populist like Orban, just with less power. Yet.
I think that most american people have enough of egomanic career slimers bringing the country down with their populist bullsh!t.
God knows we have enough of these a$$holes in Germany.
If the shoe fits wear it. But, it’s no worse than calling people idiots and think others should have their teeth kicked in. As I said before what happened in the house was constitutional and in accordance with the laws of the country and rules of the house, the issue was voted on by both republican AND democrat elected representatives. Such is life living in a Federal Republic.
And to be honest Gaetz is the first rep I’ve heard make it loud and clear we have a major problem with spending and debt. Now wether he can do anything about it has yet to be seen.
Catfish
10-04-23, 04:11 PM
If the shoe fits wear it. [...]
I did not feel addressed. I just saw a documentary in the TV and got some additional information on the 'net; maybe all that happened recently made me a bit angry.
Better someone could tickle Gaetz out of this political circus, with velvet gloves.
Rockstar
10-04-23, 04:24 PM
Btw way I wasn’t thinking ‘nazi’ that’s so cliche. I was thinking of referencing those Ossie AfD
And if it’s any consolation poor innocent representative from California McCarthy was backed by the evil populist Trump. Heheh
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bUdDdLrp1P4
<O>
Catfish
10-04-23, 05:05 PM
[...] And if it’s any consolation poor innocent representative from California McCarthy was backed by the evil populist Trump. Heheh
The republicans are rather anti-Biden than anti-Putin. The US has never been more polarized since the American Civil War, that's what makes all this new and different. When Nixon was forced out he lost the support of even his own republican party. Trump somehow still has the support of the party and base, since a lot prefer to no longer share facts anymore.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Qzs8nKPoxI
<O>
Rockstar
10-04-23, 05:20 PM
The republicans are rather anti-Biden than anti-Putin. The US has never been more polarized since the American Civil War, that's what makes all this new and different. When Nixon was forced out he lost the support of even his own republican party. Trump somehow still has the support of the party and base, since a lot prefer to no longer share facts anymore.
Nixon actually committed a crime and his presidency ended rather quickly because of it. Trump on the other hand is in my opinion being jammed up with endless litigation to prevent him from running and though I wouldn’t vote for Trump I don’t like how he’s being railroaded, it’s really gotten out of hand. Nobody wants Biden to run either so they go after him thanks to the connections of his crackhead son’s business dealings. Which in my opinion “The Big Guy” also profited from.
Frankly I couldn’t care less about the party drama or who the fookin house speaker is or the petty he said/she said bickering and political soap operas, that crap has been going on since the inception of this country. What I actually really honestly give an shyte about is increasing national debt, unabated immigration, inflation, rampant crime. Hoping that in between the drama somebody takes the bull by the horns and makes the corrections.
Nixon actually committed a crime and his presidency ended rather quickly. Trump on the other hand is in my opinion jammed with endless litigation to keep him from running. Nobody wants Biden to run either so they go after him thanks to connections with his crackhead son’s business dealings. Which in my opinion Biden also profited from.
Actually his henchmen committed the crime, Misdemeanor Breaking and Entering IIRC, not Nixon himself. It was never proved that he authorized the break in or even knew of it until after the fact. Nixons "crime" was the attempted coverup and even then it was nothing criminal. The draft articles of impeachment that Congress was drafting before he resigned to avoid it were obstruction of justice, abuse of power, and contempt of Congress.
Rockstar
10-04-23, 06:09 PM
Actually his henchmen committed the crime, Misdemeanor Breaking and Entering IIRC, not Nixon himself. It was never proved that he authorized the break in or even knew of it until after the fact. Nixons "crime" was the attempted coverup and even then it was nothing criminal. The draft articles of impeachment that Congress was drafting before he resigned to avoid it were obstruction of justice, abuse of power, and contempt of Congress.
From what I understand based on the evidence the Senate was privy too it did not look good for the President so they convinced him to resign before the lower house dropped the hammer. I could be misinformed though, I was only 13 years old :)
I think it was also a time when people wore their big boy pants were civil and much more interested in protecting the institution and office of the presidency instead of the party. Thanks to the internet it’s all fooked up now. Now there’s European media, comedians and podcasters selling the drama.
From what I understand based on the evidence the Senate was privy too it did not look good for the President so they convinced him to resign before the lower house dropped the hammer. I could be misinformed though, I was only 13 years old :)
I think it was also a time when people wore their big boy pants were civil and were more interested in protecting the institution and office of the presidency instead of the party.
There was that, but I think he resigned primarily because he knew that the impeachment would be successful and he didn't want to be the first US president in history kicked out of office.
Otto Harkaman
10-04-23, 06:34 PM
NIxon and Johnson really cared about being popular (well liked) both their downfalls. If Nixon hadn't cared and been ruthless like Biden with a DOJ (Garland) in his pocket?
Rockstar
10-04-23, 06:58 PM
NIxon and Johnson really cared about being popular (well liked) both their downfalls. If Nixon hadn't cared and been ruthless like Biden with a DOJ (Garland) in his pocket?
Even today being well liked is what’s gets you elected, nothing wrong with that. What’s crazy is the bickering over the most petty arguments, name calling and all the other bullshyte that has nothing to do with economic reality people are living in. Then of course there’s those Germans getting all cozy with Putin again which doesn’t make things any easier either. :har:
Otto Harkaman
10-04-23, 07:13 PM
Nixon would have had a nervous breakdown if he had Biden's polls, he would have quit probably in the eight month of Biden's Presidency?
https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/sites/default/files/2023-10-02_updating_biden.png
https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/sites/default/files/nixon_graph.png
Rockstar
10-04-23, 07:15 PM
Hey Buddahaid, another Veteran disrespected. WhereÂ’s your political sadness and outrage? What does Stephan Colbert have to say about it?
https://www.yourcentralvalley.com/news/local-news/it-was-utter-shock-family-grieving-82-year-old-navy-veteran-killed-in-hanford-stabbing/
HANFORD, CALIFORNIA:
82-year-old Navy veteran Will Chartrand was stabbed to death yesterday while shopping for a birthday card
You didnÂ’t hear about this story because it doesnÂ’t fit the orange man bad narrative
In case you simpletons had a problem defining fascism. ItÂ’s democracy in its purest form a.k.a the people rule, a.k.a. populism, when others are ruled by the simple majority and will lock you down, jail you or kick your teeth in if you disagree. All the while patting themselves on the back as our saviors.
https://youtu.be/VrbP1rJQ7DE?feature=shared
https://i.postimg.cc/bvnrqxDc/IMG-2895.jpg
Biden while running for president in 2020: "There will not be another foot of wall constructed on my administration.” And the brain dead morons doth rejoice! Because, you know, Trump. :roll:
Today October 4th the Biden administration says there is an “immediate need” to wave regulations and build a border wall as the migrant crisis spirals out of control and brain dead remain silent hoping it goes away.
Remarkable. 4 years ago idiots proclaimed this was “racist.” Now they’re advocating for it.
"There is presently an acute and immediate need to construct physical barriers and roads in the vicinity of the border of the United States in order to prevent unlawful entries into the United States in the project areas pursuant to sections 102(a) and 102(b) of [the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996]," Mayorkas said in an announcement.
Gee, maybe they shouldnÂ’t have sold all the border wall parts.
Do any STUPID, IGNORANT, GULLIBLE, MORON, BRAINDEAD, LEFT WING DEMOCRAT PARTY FANBOYS care to comment? Of course you wonÂ’t, but the silence is deafening. Do you idiots and drunk Alzheimer's patients even care to explain your previous feigned reasons for outrage? The jokes on you yaÂ’ blithering idiots, once again tax payers have to cover the costs for your stupidity because you believed in some putz named Stephen Colbert.
https://youtu.be/6dZNl0xhFAg?feature=shared
CATHERINE HERRIDGE, CBS NEWS: The Republican-led House Ways & Means Committee has released hundreds of new documents from the Hunter Biden investigation, and I want to walk you through exhibits 202 and 203.
Exhibit 202 (https://gop-waysandmeans.house.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/T23-Exhibit-202-HWM-Email-BS-Warrant-08.07.2020_Redacted.pdf) is an email from Agusut 2020 sent by prosecutor Leslie Wolf to senior FBI and IRS investigators who are drafting a search warrant. Wolf tells them to keep the scope narrow and limited to potential violations of foreign lobbying laws, or FARA, and to remove references to "Political Figure 1."
So who is "Political Figure 1?" Well, that's explained in Exhibit 203 (https://gop-waysandmeans.house.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/T24-Exhibit-203-HWM-Draft-of-BS-Warrant_Redacted.pdf). It is heavily reacted, but this is the draft warrant and it lists "Political Figure 1" as former Vice President Joe Biden.
The IRS whistleblowers have alleged they were blocked from following evidence that may have led to President Biden. We reached out to special counsel David Weiss and the Justice Department, who declined to comment. Weiss says he is working independently from the Justice Department.
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2023/10/04/cbss_catherine_herridge_political_figure_1_in_hunt er_biden_documents_is_former_vp_joe_biden.html
Jimbuna
10-05-23, 01:46 PM
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Former President Donald Trump may meet next week with fellow Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives when they hear from candidates who hope to replace ousted Speaker Kevin McCarthy, several media outlets reported on Thursday.
Several media outlets reported that Trump was considering a trip to Washington on Tuesday to attend a closed-door forum for Republican speaker candidates.
A Trump spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Republican congressional leadership sources likewise did not respond, or declined to comment.
It would be his first visit to Capitol Hill since his supporters attacked the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, to try to prevent lawmakers from certifying his 2020 White House loss to Democrat Joe Biden.
It was unclear whether Trump, the frontrunner for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, would ask lawmakers to vote for him to lead the Republican-controlled chamber. At least two House Republicans have said they would back him.
Before entering the courtroom for his civil fraud trial on Wednesday, Trump acknowledged the calls for him to serve as speaker but said he remained focused on the 2024 election.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/trump-may-meet-with-house-republicans-on-leadership-race-us-media/ar-AA1hKKRX
I thought Trump had set his sights higher than that of a Speaker.
Jeff-Groves
10-05-23, 01:50 PM
How could he be Speaker of the hovel if not holding any office?
Then again? Nothing makes any kind of sense now days with the USA Government.
Replace a Retard with a Clown probably makes sense if one takes heavy doses of LSD.
Jimbuna
10-05-23, 02:01 PM
How could he be Speaker of the hovel if not holding any office?
Then again? Nothing makes any kind of sense now days with the USA Government.
Replace a Retard with a Clown probably makes sense if one takes heavy doses of LSD.
From the link above.
House rules do not require the speaker to actually be a member of Congress. However, Republicans require leaders to step aside if they are indicted for a felony that carries a prison sentence of at least two years.
Jeff-Groves
10-05-23, 02:02 PM
That is just feacked up!!!
I need massive doses of LSD now!
Catfish
10-05-23, 02:06 PM
I thought Trump had set his sights higher than that of a Speaker.
Trump: "Americans Who Died in War Are ‘Losers’ and ‘Suckers’"
This can easily be transferred to people respecting laws and such :O:
Jeff-Groves
10-05-23, 02:23 PM
Where EXACTLY is proof of this statement?
:hmmm:
I made search and found this article
https://www.vox.com/2020/9/4/21422733/atlantic-trump-military-suckers-losers-explained
Markus
Jeff-Groves
10-05-23, 02:40 PM
That's not proof just more Media BS.
Don't like Trump but PROVE that stuff or get over it.
That's not proof just more Media BS.
Don't like Trump but PROVE that stuff or get over it.
OH I'm like you I also wanted to know if he exactly said those words.
And according to those who was with him that day-They were four said he didn't say those words.
Edit
Found this article, which is 3 days old-Here John Kelly, his longest-serving chief of staff
https://www.axios.com/2023/10/02/trump-troops-fallen-soldiers-john-kelly
Claim he had said it.
So who are telling the truth ?
End edit
Markus
Catfish
10-05-23, 02:57 PM
Where EXACTLY is proof of this statement?
:hmmm:
Good question. I heard this first in 2020 and maybe I even wrote about this somewhere here.
When I looked for proof now I was astonished that a lot of websites' info were new from september/october 2023, apparently surfacing again for the new election "war".
Back then it was taken as a "fact", now in 2023 it is said that Trump never said it. He probably also never said "I never said what I said", but you know what people say.
And indeed I found no hint or real proof now anymore, apart from his general denigrating remarks about all he does not like. At least in the moment he says it.
He does not think before he says anything, and maybe he does not even really mean it in the long run.
Still, more publicity for him again. He'll like it :03:
em2nought
10-05-23, 03:07 PM
President Trump becomes Speaker of the House then runs for President and wins. Desantis runs for Congress and wins. Desantis becomes Speaker of the House. Everybody in the Federal Government gets fired starting with those 83,000 new IRS agents. Millions of heads explode as they run to their safe spaces. :up::har:
Buddahaid
10-05-23, 10:25 PM
Kelly speaks out on Trumps disrespect of our veterans.
https://youtu.be/NfVQcMM1fK4?si=G5xhVRuGwZ1wcEup
I pointed that out two days ago.
"Where EXACTLY is proof of this statement?"
Buddahaid
10-05-23, 10:38 PM
Fearless leader unserious prospect for Speaker Trump just chickened out and dropped his $500,000,000.00 defamation lawsuit against Cohen instead of facing a deposition on Monday. What a leader.
Kptlt. Neuerburg
10-05-23, 10:39 PM
Now that the "late night CREEPS" are back one of them had some tips for the DONALD'S future cell mates.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KY_jyN8W6_w
em2nought
10-06-23, 06:48 AM
I'm pretty sure President Trump is single handedly responsible for the end of the Hollywood writer's strike. :har: No way they could go much longer without making attacks on "Orange Man Bad" 24/7 :D
Jimbuna
10-06-23, 08:31 AM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i83al0BGYFA
em2nought
10-06-23, 08:49 AM
Now that sleepy joe is gonna build the wall to save NYC, I wonder if he'll be buying back all the border wall supplies that he sold for pennies on the dollar at full price? Maybe that was the plan all along? Maybe he sold all that stuff to Hunter? :hmmm:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c_M0Fz2ZjGk
https://www.yahoo.com/news/biden-stuns-allies-border-wall-090000307.html
Rockstar
10-07-23, 02:44 PM
https://youtu.be/HFgBIWg9vdU?feature=shared
Rockstar
10-07-23, 02:49 PM
@ 14:13. - “Right now Brandan Johnson and the Democrats are criminal”. My brother says he’s gonna sue’ em all! Seems like the voters want to burn down the democrats plantation. Lol
https://youtu.be/Za4Q3hCi3yM?feature=shared
Rockstar
10-07-23, 09:25 PM
Well what do you know, the U.S. Army round files it’s Diversity Equity and Inclusion program. Good riddance I say. :Kaleun_Applaud:
Hopefully they go back to teaching the old Duty Honor Country program
Jimbuna
10-08-23, 06:11 AM
Much depends on which side you favour but still food for thought.
More than 11 years ago, before Donald Trump emerged from the primordial ooze of the far-right fever swamp, before the aborted January 6 insurrection and before the latest spasm of Republican extremism felled House speaker Kevin McCarthy, two renowned political scientists, Thomas Mann, and Norman Ornstein, put their finger on the essence of increasingly dysfunctional US politics: the Republican party. Mann and Ornstein argued that the Grand Old Party (GOP) had become an “insurgent outlier” that was “ideologically extreme; scornful of compromise; and dismissive of the legitimacy of its political opposition”.
Eleven years later, the enfant terrible of American politics has somehow got unimaginably worse. The GOP today is less a political party and more an inchoate mass of cultural grievances, conspiracy theories and lowest common denominator political slogans. Trump, for all his toxicity, is a symptom of the GOP’s decades-long descent into madness. Legislating is not seen as a tool for bettering the plight of the American people but rather an opportunity to troll Democrats and play to the perceived slights of the party’s rank-and-file supporters.
But Republican indifference to governing is, perhaps, the least of the party’s pathologies. In slavishly supporting Trump and his Maga – Make America Great Again – supporters, they have empowered a political movement that is increasingly testing the limits of the US democratic experiment.
McCarthy’s political trajectory tells the sorry tale. After January 6, McCarthy, who, along with his political colleagues, was forced to hide from the marauding insurrectionists, turned against the man responsible for the day’s violence. Privately, he told fellow Republicans: “I’ve had it with this guy”. But within weeks, he travelled to the ex-president’s palatial digs in South Florida and, on bended knee, pledged loyalty to the GOP’s orange god. He tried to block a bipartisan congressional committee to investigate January 6 and allied himself with conspiracy theorists who continued to spread lies about the 2020 election. Earlier this year, he gave in to Republican extremists and announced an impeachment inquiry of Joe Biden, even though there is no evidence that the president has committed any impeachable offences.
McCarthy, like countless Republican supplicants over the past eight years, realised that his political aspirations were directly tied to his willingness to support Trump and the extremist forces within the party that have rallied around him. In a tale as old as time, he made a deal with the devil, only to be burned by the political forces he’d empowered. Trump’s hold over the Republican party is so complete that it borders on the pathological. Since March, he has been indicted four times and charged with 91 separate felonies. Yet his poll numbers among Republicans have dramatically improved. He enjoys a more than 45-point lead in the race for the party’s presidential nomination.
There simply is no future in the GOP for an elected official who refuses to prostate themselves to Trump. Liz Cheney was the most vocal and impassioned Republican in speaking out against him after January 6. Her reward: McCarthy engineered her removal from the GOP House leadership. Then, in 2022, a Maga Republican challenged Cheney in a GOP primary and defeated her by nearly 40 points. Another Republican apostate, former presidential candidate and current Utah senator Mitt Romney, who twice voted to convict Trump in his impeachment trials, recently announced that he wouldn’t run for re-election.
In a series of interviews with the Atlantic’s McKay Coppins, he recounted how, “in public”, his fellow Republican senators “played their parts as Trump loyalists, often contorting themselves rhetorically to defend the president’s most indefensible behaviour. But in private, they ridiculed his ignorance, rolled their eyes at his antics and made incisive observations about his warped, toddler-like psyche.”
For those hoping that a principled and mature Republican party will somehow emerge from this current mess, think again
Like other principled Republicans, Romney is choosing to walk away, and it’s hard to blame him. His criticisms of Trump have led to death threats and he is now spending an estimated $5,000 a day on private security. But the result is that the GOP’s ranks are now increasingly filled by those with bottomless reservoirs of ambition and empty cupboards of integrity. So for those hoping that a principled and mature Republican party will somehow emerge from this mess, think again. The political incentives in the GOP run in a singular direction – to the far right. If there is any silver lining, it is this: for all the Republican voters who love Trump, there is a larger mobilised group of voters who loathes him.
Indeed, what is perhaps most striking about Trump is the static nature of his political support. In fact, if one compares his approval ratings from February 2020 – before the Covid pandemic ravaged the nation – to those in November 2020, when he ran for re-election, they were largely unchanged. Since leaving office, his approval numbers have also largely stayed the same. Americans have, by and large, made up their minds about Trump – and the verdict is: “We don’t like him.”
The last three US elections prove the point. In what was largely seen as a rebuke to Trump, in the 2018 midterms, Democrats picked up more than 40 seats and control of the House of Representatives. In 2020, he lost re-election by at least 7m votes to Biden(4m more than he lost the popular vote to Hillary Clinton in 2016). In the 2022 midterms, the Democrats dramatically overperformed, picking up a seat in the Senate and barely losing the House of Representatives. So far this year, in dozens of special elections, Democrats are overperforming by a whopping 11 points. Part of this is a byproduct of the supreme court’s decision on abortion rights, but it’s also a backlash to the extremism that Trump has engendered.
Of course, elections are tricky things and there is no guarantee that the unpopular Biden will emerge victorious next November. But take his current lousy polling with a grain of salt. It’s one thing to want a different Democratic nominee, as many Democrats do, but elections are about choices. That the likely option for voters in November 2024 will be Biden, or a deeply unstable opponent who could be a multiple convicted felon, has a way of narrowing one’s focus. But even if Trump loses, the problem of the Republican party will still be with us long after he’s left the political scene.
• Michael Cohen is an Observer columnist. His most recent book, co-authored with Micah Zenko, is Clear and Present Safety
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/other/the-republican-party-is-at-last-paying-the-price-of-its-faustian-pact-with-trump/ar-AA1hRJZE?ocid=msedgntp&cvid=7fdd7b850f3d4a27bc6e1b84745d8ac6&ei=22
Jimbuna
10-08-23, 06:25 AM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j5IXGqo-aBo
Rockstar
10-08-23, 09:29 AM
Message to U.S. citizens: The Embassy is aware of reports of multiple foreign tourists killed in an attack in Alexandria, Egypt today, Oct 8, 2023. This incident may be related to ongoing hostilities in Gaza and Israel. U.S. citizens in Egypt should exercise increased security awareness and precautions.
For further information, U.S. citizens may call the Embassy’s American Citizens Services Unit at 2797-2301 during business hours, Sunday to Thursday from 8:00 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. For emergencies after business hours and on weekends and holidays, U.S. citizens can contact the Embassy Duty Officer via the Embassy switchboard at 2797-3300. More information is available at our website eg.usembassy.gov. The Embassy is located at 5 Tawfik Diab Street (formerly known as Latin America Street), Garden City, Cairo.
All U.S. citizens traveling abroad should enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive ongoing updates about emergency situations where they travel. Enroll now at step.state.gov
American Citizen Services
U.S. Embassy Cairo
Catfish
10-08-23, 11:57 AM
^ some useful information. +1
Jimbuna
10-08-23, 01:00 PM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hsM1-cEEBoc
Jeff-Groves
10-08-23, 01:03 PM
All U.S. citizens traveling abroad should enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive ongoing updates about emergency situations where they travel.
Here's a Clue.......
You hear gun shots? Freaking run!!! Don't wait for the US Government to send you a text!!!
Rockstar
10-08-23, 02:49 PM
^ some useful information. +1
Ya sure beats anti-Biden conspiracy theories doesn’t it? Oh and btw I wasn’t seeking your approval, don’t need it, don’t want it. :yeah:
Rockstar
10-08-23, 05:21 PM
America is now paying more in interest on its record $33 trillion debt than on national defense — here's who holds the IOUs
Serah Louis
Fri, October 6, 2023 at 7:30 AM EDT·5 min read
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/america-now-paying-more-interest-113000593.html
America’s gross national debt hit an eye-watering $33 trillion for the first time in September — mere months after eclipsing the $32 trillion mark earlier in the year.
The U.S. is also currently spending more to pay interest on the national debt than it does on national defense, according to the Treasury’s monthly statement.
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In the current fiscal year through August, the Treasury has shelled out $807.84 billion in interest on its debt securities, while the Department of Defense’s budget for military programs totaled just $695.44 billion in the same period.
This is particularly alarming when you consider how much of the federal budget goes into defense, with the U.S. outspending every other country.
The last few years have been expensive
A deficit is what happens when the government spends more money in a fiscal year than it brings in through taxes — and the last few years have been expensive for the U.S.
Several large bills with hefty price tags have been approved since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, including the American Rescue Plan Act, which cost $1.9 trillion.
The Congressional Budget Office estimates the debt ceiling package that was signed into law this summer to prevent a national default could result in a $1.5 trillion decrease to the deficit over the next decade. However, the Committee for a Responsible Budget (CRFB), a nonprofit that addresses federal budget and fiscal issues, says savings could fall to $1 trillion depending on “side deals” that fall outside the agreement.
“Getting the debt under control will require taking a serious look at health care, Social Security and the tax code,” CRFB president Maya MacGuineas said in a news release.
Much of the borrowing in the past couple of years happened while interest rates were historically low, but now that they’re not, with prices still climbing, the cost of this debt will be amplified.
Nearly $2 billion is spent every day just in interest on the national debt, according to the Peter G. Peterson Foundation.
And when the government owes a lot, it makes it harder for corporations to borrow money.
“The federal debt squeezes out other debts in the economy,” Phillip Braun, clinical professor of finance at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management, told Moneywise last year.
“There's only so much money in the economy. And so with the government borrowing such large amounts, there's only so much that people are willing to lend overall in the economy, so it pushes out other types of borrowing.”
The government could have refinanced its debt while interest rates were low, but it didn’t.
“Which means the borrowing costs today and into the future are unnecessarily higher because of that,” Braun said.
Read more: Thanks to Jeff Bezos, you can now use $100 to cash in on prime real estate — without the headache of being a landlord. Here's how
So who owns America’s national debt?
There are different kinds of national debt. Think about it like having a credit card, a mortgage and a car payment — all represent debt, but are different.
The U.S. Department of the Treasury manages the national debt by splitting it into two different types: debt that one government agency owes to another and debt that is held by the public.
Intragovernmental debt accounts for about $6.8 trillion of the national debt, according to the CRFB.
The much bigger piece of the debt is held by the public. Right now, that’s about $26.2 trillion.
Foreign governments, as well as banks and private investors, state and local governments and the Federal Reserve, own most of this debt, and it’s held in Treasury securities, bills and bonds.
Foreign governments and private investors are one of the biggest holders of the public debt, owning around $8 trillion.
About 50% of this debt is held by private and public domestic entities, while the Federal Reserve Bank holds roughly 20%. But there is good news when it comes to the debt the Federal Reserve owns.
“The Federal Reserve owns a lot of government debt,” Braun said. “The Treasury does pay interest payments to the Federal Reserve, but then the Federal Reserve turns around and gives it back to the Treasury — that alleviates some of the issues.”
A warning sign
Ultimately, rising interest rates will only exacerbate the national debt, making it harder for the government to respond to a slowing economy.
“As we have seen with recent growth in inflation and interest rates, the cost of debt can mount suddenly and rapidly,” Michael A. Peterson, CEO of the Peter G. Peterson Foundation, said in a statement.
“With more than $10 trillion of interest costs over the next decade, this compounding fiscal cycle will only continue to do damage to our kids and grandkids.”
Damn, If we could,we would.
Jimbuna
10-09-23, 06:16 AM
Not sure where this best fits, the Ukraine, Israel, Politics or even the Joke thread...
Donald Trump Calls Attack on Israel 'Horrible' and Claims It Would Not Have Happened If He Were President
Former President Donald Trump has commented on the recent attack by Hamas on civilians in Israel, blaming the incident on the current administration and claiming that it would've never happened under his watch, RadarOnline.com has learned.
In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump stated, "THE HORRIBLE ATTACK ON ISRAEL, MUCH LIKE THE ATTACK ON UKRAINE, WOULD NEVER HAVE HAPPENED IF I WERE PRESIDENT – ZERO CHANCE!"
During a rally in Iowa on Saturday, October 7, Trump further discussed the attack, which has resulted in over 600 deaths and the kidnapping of 100 individuals, mostly civilians.
He described the invasion of Israeli territory by Hamas as an act of savagery that must and will be crushed. Trump also shifted the blame onto the Democrats for the attack, claiming that American taxpayer dollars had funded it.
Trump's criticism of President Joe Biden continued, stating that the current administration's actions were "weak and ineffective."
"They didn't have that level of aggression with me. They didn't have it. This would have never happened with me either," Trump said.
Later in the day, he also declared during a Cedar Rapids rally that Biden had "betrayed Israel" by releasing $6 billion in funds to Iran in exchange for American prisoners.
However, the claim that Biden's prisoner exchange fueled the Hamas attack has been challenged, even by Fox News.
Jennifer Griffin from Fox News conducted a fact-check and revealed that none of the money returned to Iran had been spent.
Additionally, intelligence operatives have suggested that the attack was likely planned for months, given its high level of coordination.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/world/donald-trump-calls-attack-on-israel-horrible-and-claims-it-would-not-have-happened-if-he-were-president/ar-AA1hT40f?ocid=mailsignout&pc=U591&cvid=b104354dace0491c92df7bb786ec4603&ei=17
Two major conflicts are raging as I type this and the usual suspect fears he may lose the limelight.
Catfish
10-09-23, 10:37 AM
Ya sure beats anti-Biden conspiracy theories doesn’t it? Oh and btw I wasn’t seeking your approval, don’t need it, don’t want it. :yeah:
Just thought that the info was good, nothing personal :haha:
Rockstar
10-09-23, 10:45 AM
Conflict in the Middle East has caused oil prices to spike prior to the opening of markets on Monday morning, which will inevitably lead to an increase in gas prices that are already choking Americans. Bidenomics trashing the economy even further draining the strategic petroleum reserves for political clout. Which now has only give even more leverage to OPEC countries to take advantage of the Israel/Palestine conflict.
Some places in the US are already suffering from gas prices that are over $7 PER GALLON, and that number will do nothing but go up.
No more drilling, he says! Any bets that statement is going to bite him in the arse like ‘not another foot’ did?
https://youtu.be/ZiabnPrF-iA?si=YPLYGzquPQPHRL0i
https://youtu.be/Qd05p-bHos4?si=5ACdwmtEgDYsyBgU
Rockstar
10-10-23, 05:59 AM
For the trolls out there. I don’t know if Trump could have prevented this new war. Frankly I think it’s safe to say it’s almost impossible even for him to know, but his comments now are a start, because at least we now have an idea what his goals would be be.
What I do know is this, in four years;
1. We moved our embassy to Jerusalem. No war.
2. We withdrew from the JCPOA. No war.
3. We undertook the maximum economic pressure campaign and crippling, historic sanctions on Iran. No war and they stayed below 4% enrichment.
4. We recognized Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights. No war.
5. We eliminated Qassem Soleimani and Abu Mahdi al Muhandis (and Abu Bakr al Baghdadi). No war.
6. The results? Iran isolated under crippling sanctions reducing their capacity to threaten the region, and historic peace brokered between Israel and its neighbors via the Abraham Accords.
7. Two years after Biden took office Iran is enriching over 60%, they’re two weeks from sufficient material for a nuclear weapon, Sudan fell into a civil war, and Israel just experienced the greatest loss of life in a single day since the holocaust.
8. In seeking to avoid conflict, it is upon us. By embracing our enemy and spurning our friends it will not be easily contained.
(hat tip: Robert Greenway)
—————-
Biden has been in office for three years now anyone have a clue what his goals are and what may have lead to this predicament?
I’ll start with the following Biden appointments.
1. Reema Dodin as Deputy Director of the White House Office of Legislative Affairs. She will be the most senior Palestinian-American woman ever serving in the executive branch. Her past involvement as a Palestinian student activist alarmed some Israel supporters.
2. Hady Amr as Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs. He served as a Fellow at the Brookings’ Doha Center for Qatar.
Robert Malley as U.S. Special Envoy on Iran. He has been a frequent critic of Israel and a vocal supporter of the Iran nuclear deal. In 2023, he was suspended and investigated for misuse of classified documents.
3. Colin Kahl was appointed Undersecretary of Defense. He is another supporter of the Iran deal.
4. Samantha Power as head of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). Power was President Barack Obama’s ambassador to the UN and a harsh critic of Israel.
5. Wendy Sherman as Deputy Secretary of State. Sherman negotiated and continues to support the Iran deal.
6. Jake Sullivan as National Security Adviser. Sullivan was involved in initiating secret talks with the Iranians.
7. Avril Haines as Director of National Intelligence. She signed a letter urging the Democratic Party to change its platform to include language opposing settlement expansion and occupation and supporting Palestinian rights.
8. Maher Bitar as senior director for intelligence at the National Security Council. Bitar, a Palestinian American, was on the board of the anti-Zionist group Students for Justice for Palestine.
9. Former Secretary of State John Kerry as White House special envoy on climate. Though not directly involved in Israel-related issues, he was a vitriolic critic of Israel and negotiator of the Iran deal in the Obama administration.
10. In May 2022, Karine Jean-Pierre was appointed as press secretary. She raised concerns because of her 2019 call for Democratic Party presidential candidates to boycott the annual conference of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC).
It does appear the joke is on you again. :roll:
Jimbuna
10-10-23, 06:18 AM
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is not pleased about his exclusion from Forbes' annual list of the 400 richest people in America.
This marks the second time in three years that Trump has not made the cut.
Trump took to his social media platform, Truth Social, to express his dissatisfaction.
According to Business Insider, he criticized Forbes for employing "really dumb writers" tasked with targeting him. Trump also highlighted a poll indicating that 60% of Republicans would vote for him again and claimed he is far ahead of "Crooked Joe," referring to President Joe Biden.
Forbes releases its list of the 400 wealthiest Americans every year. To qualify this year, one needed a minimum fortune of $2.9 billion.
According to Forbes, Trump's estimated net worth stands at $2.6 billion, falling short by $300 million for a spot on the list.
One of the main reasons for Trump's exclusion, according to Forbes, is the significant loss in value of his social media company, Truth Social.
The platform has not gained the traction Trump had anticipated, with only about 6.5 million users so far, equivalent to roughly 1% of Twitter's total user base. Trump's 90% stake in Truth Social's parent company has plummeted from an estimated $730 million to less than $100 million.
Forbes also noted that Trump's equity has decreased by more than $600 million compared to last year, primarily due to the underperformance of Truth Social.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/world/furious-trump-lashes-out-at-forbes/ar-AA1hYa6i?ocid=msedgntp&cvid=8504ab77d4984a8c9d7b956105423bce&ei=11
Clearly not a happy chappy atm but when is he ever?
Rockstar
10-10-23, 04:51 PM
Before Biden there was no war in the middle east because the Iranian regime had been brought to its knees. After only two years since Trump reinstated sanctions Iran was down to a meager $4 billion in reserves. U.S. energy sanctions cut Iran’s oil exports by more than 2 million barrels per day, depriving the regime of $70 billion that typically funds its budget.. Iran’s central bank controlled more than $120 billion in foreign exchange reserves. U.S. sanctions locked tens of those billions away in escrow accounts, and financial pressure forced Iran to draw down the accounts that remained open.
With barely any economic options, the regime was forced to cut payments to its regional terror proxies. While Iran fended off collapse, much of the rest of the Middle East breathed a sigh of relief. Several countries in the region made historic peace with one another. Progress was made by the Abraham Accords which were struck in August 2020 by Israel, the United Arab Emirates, and the United States
But when Biden took office Iran fortunes changed and with an influx of cash again threatens to undo much of the progress made. How could this happen, just look at the list of Biden appointments I posted above.
How Biden’s Policy Enriched Iran
Failure to enforce oil sanctions has helped Tehran finance Hamas.
https://archive.ph/zMW8r
The Journal’s report that Iran signed off on the Hamas assault on Israel should jolt President Biden from his failed Iran strategy. A place to start would be honesty about how U.S. policy has financed Iran’s support for Hamas.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken insisted over the weekend that the $6 billion the Administration unfroze in exchange for the release of five American prisoners wasn’t used to attack Israel. That may be technically true, but there’s no question the U.S. decision to ease enforcement of oil sanctions against Iran has aided Israel’s enemies.
Speaking of the proceeds from the $6 billion in unfrozen assets, Mr. Blinken said on ABC’s This Week that “not a single dollar from that account has actually been spent to date,” adding that “it’s very carefully and closely regulated by the Treasury Department to make sure that it’s only used for food, for medicine, for medical equipment.”
But money is fungible, and Tehran doubtless anticipated the increased cash flow when it plotted the attack. News reports say Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps had been coordinating with Hamas since August, which is about when the U.S. agreed to the prisoner swap that would give Iran access to the $6 billion.
More important, the U.S. also throttled back enforcement of oil sanctions, which gave Tehran billions more dollars to finance Hamas, Hezbollah and other terrorist proxies. Iran’s oil production jumped to three million barrels a day in August from 2.6 million in April, according to Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries data.
Iran’s oil minister said in August the country’s oil production would hit 3.4 million barrels a day by the end of September, the highest since 2018 when the Trump Administration imposed sanctions. Its exports have increased even more—by about one million barrels a day this year—because it has also been shipping stored fuel, namely to China.
Fathom that: Iran has ramped up oil production at a faster rate than the U.S. as the Biden Administration turned a blind eye to its sanctions circumvention. Iran’s production surge occurred mostly over the summer as the Administration sought to strike a new nuclear deal with Tehran and counter rising U.S. gasoline prices.
The White House might say that this is necessary so Russia wouldn’t benefit from rising oil prices amid its agreement with Saudi Arabia to curtail production. But the Saudis scaled back production in part because of Iran’s growing exports, and Russia is benefiting anyway from higher oil prices by dodging the G-7’s price cap on its exports.
It’s fair to ask if the Administration has let Iran and Russia evade sanctions because it doesn’t want to be blamed for higher gas prices as it continues to add regulations to limit U.S. production. In any case, Tehran isn’t using the $30 billion to $40 billion it has generated from oil exports this year to buy food and medicine. It’s been arming Israel’s enemies and supporting Russia’s war machine as they seek to destroy America’s allies.
Otto Harkaman
10-10-23, 05:03 PM
Iran has made around $80 billion from its illicit oil sales since the Biden administration took office and relaxed sanctions on the hardline regime, cash that has helped Tehran keep its terror allies like Hamas afloat.
In April, a bipartisan group of senators led by Joni Ernst (R. Iowa) and Richard Blumenthal (D., Conn.) blasted the Biden administration for blocking federal agencies from seizing illicit Iranian oil tankers, arguing the policy choice was lining Tehran’s pockets.
A large portion of this oil is shipped into China, which counts Tehran as one of its top patrons.
https://freebeacon.com/national-security/iran-has-made-80-billion-in-illicit-oil-sales-since-biden-took-office/
Rockstar
10-10-23, 06:29 PM
Seems to me there are too many chiefs and not enough indians in the White House. Why we have no continuity in our foreign policy is because the guy elected to be in charge can barely string two words together or find his way off a stage. Leaving unelected bureaucrats running the show. Who really appointed those clowns I listed above that changed tack and gave Iran what they wanted. It pretty much destroyed the Abraham Accords.
On the other hand I did say years ago here I thought a good way for the west to remain relevant in the Middle East is to keep them fighting each other.
Who knows, it’s a mess that’s for sure and there stands a damn good chance it will spread.
As General Butler said: “War is a racket” Here is every US politician in Congress who currently holds stock positions that directly benefit from war in the Middle East:
Alan Lowenthal
Andrew Garbarino
Bill Hagerty
Blake Moore
Bob Gibbs
Carol Miller
Christopher Jacobs
Daniel Goldman
David McKinley
Dean Phillips
Debbie Schultz
Deborah Ross
Diana Harshbarger
Donald McEachin
Dwight Evans
Earl Blumenauer
Fred Upton
Garret Graves
Jerry Moran
Jerry Moran
John Curtis
John Yarmuth
Josh Gottheimer
Katherine Clark
Kathy Manning
Kevin Hern
Kurt Schrader
Lois Frankel
Maria Salazar
Marjorie Greene
Mark Green
Michael Guest
Michael McCaul
Mike Kelly
Mike Simpson
Mo Brooks
Patrick Fallon
Rick Allen
Ro Khanna
Robert Wittman
Roger Marshall
Scott Franklin
Shelley Capito
Steve Cohen
Susie Lee
Thomas Carper
Thomas Suozzi
Tommy Tuberville
Trey Hollingsworth
Virginia Foxx
William Keating
Zoe Lofgren
A bloody reminder.
https://youtu.be/xTitc_sMmaI?feature=shared
Well, with things heating up with Islamic murderers & terrorism again. I’m going out on the limb and say we should be prepared for Islamic terrorism & violence in our own countries.
Looking over the the latest Customs & Border Patrol statistics on Apprehensions by Citizenship. Seems there are more than just Central Americans trying to gain access. Keep in mind too the list only covers those that have been apprehended not the so called gottaways.
https://www.cbp.gov/document/stats/nationwide-encounters
https://www.cbp.gov/sites/default/files/assets/documents/2019-Mar/BP%20Apps%20by%20Sector%20and%20Citizenship%20FY07-FY18.pdf
https://i.postimg.cc/wTfNLMFg/IMG-2928.jpg
https://i.postimg.cc/Y21KvmrL/IMG-2920.jpg
Jimbuna
10-11-23, 12:11 PM
Donald Trump unleashed on the Forbes editor who he believes made the decision that he was not rich enough to make the annual list of richest Americans — and the ex-president demanded a full apology, RadarOnline.com has learned.
On Tuesday night, Trump continued his attack on the magazine over the list they released earlier this month.
Trump had been on the list for years but has been removed at times in the past. He made the list last year due to the estimated valuation of his social media company, Truth Social.
Trump has a 90% stake in the app but Truth Social’s parent company, once valued at $730 million, is only worth around an estimated $100 million currently.
Forbes estimated Trump was worth $2.6 billion but that was $300 million short of what was required to make the list.
After the list was released, Trump took to his social media account to trash the magazine.
He accused the magazine of conspiring with the New York Attorney General Letitia James.
Trump told his followers, “China owned (China Investment Corp, the Country’s Sovereign wealth Fund!), and very badly failing, Forbes ‘Magazine,’ which lost most of its relevance long ago, and which knows less about me than Stormy Daniels (who doesn’t know me at all!) or Rosie O’Donnell, took me off their Fake Forbes 400 list, just by a ‘whisker,’ even though they know that I should be high up on that now very dated and discredited ‘antique.’ They are working with the Racist and highly incompetent, job killing Attorney General of New York, Letitia ‘Peekaboo’ James, who has allowed Murder and Violent Crime in the State to hit epidemic levels.”
Last night, he decided to attack Forbes' editor personally.
“I hereby demand a full apology from the failing Forbes Magazine, and their third-rate psycho writer, Dan Alexander, for the many false and libelous articles they have written about me, and for the cooperation they have given to the Racist and Incompetent A.G. of New York State, Peekaboo James.”
“You see, Forbes is owned by the Communist Chinese Government, and China will do anything to stop MAGA. Forbes, a Globalist “Rag,” is a propaganda play against TRUMP. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/money/other/demand-a-full-apology-donald-trump-attacks-psycho-forbes-editor-after-being-cut-from-list-of-richest-americas/ar-AA1i2QAJ?ocid=msedgntp&cvid=199c41e9010b4e76ba24f7d68eee363b&ei=11
Jimbuna
10-12-23, 05:16 AM
^ In response to the above.
An editor at Forbes is calling Donald Trump's bluff after he posted a rant on his personal social media site Tuesday evening.
Trump had demanded an apology from the "Globalist Rag," specifically citing editor Dan Alexander.
"I hereby demand a full apology from the failing Forbes Magazine, and their third rate psycho writer, Dan Alexander, for the many false and libelous articles they have written about me, and for the cooperation they have given to the Racist and Incompetent A.G. of New York State, Peekaboo James," Trump posted on Truth Social.
"You see, Forbes is owned by the Communist Chinese Government, and China will do anything to stop MAGA. Forbes, a Globalist 'Rag,' is a propaganda play against TRUMP. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!"
In response to the rant on Wednesday morning, Alexander issued his own statement calling on Trump to back up his claims with evidence.
"Hey @realDonaldTrump, if you want to point out a single false fact in any of the articles I've published about you — or in the book I wrote about you — feel free. In the meantime, I'm going to keep reporting — and carefully fact-checking every word I publish," the editor said.
Trump has been at war with Forbes since he was dropped from its list of the nation's richest people due to years of his twisting financial facts. The former president's company is at the center of a fraud trial in Manhattan and the results will determine the future of Trump's real estate empire.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/world/forbes-editor-calls-trump-s-bluff-after-former-president-s-rich-list-tantrum/ar-AA1i3rYg?ocid=mailsignout&pc=U591&cvid=6ca1ef1160ac4a8196496526cd06207a&ei=17
em2nought
10-12-23, 06:46 AM
Stolen elections have a price to pay apparently. :D Biden et al is wrong at every turn. From now on whatever "they" plan to do, they should just do the opposite. He has so much in common with George Costanza. :har:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CizwH_T7pjg
Rockstar
10-12-23, 12:29 PM
https://youtu.be/lnm2Z1xwRCc?feature=shared
Rockstar
10-12-23, 05:16 PM
Like mentioned before education is not free. One way or another someone is going to pay for it. Unfortunately it turns the ones paying for it arenÂ’t in school and can least afford too.
https://youtu.be/zsPQejgrIJg?feature=shared
Democrats have alienated most of the population in a bud light moment with their Diversity, Equity and Inclusion woke agenda, accusing and categorizing white male population and majority of opposition voters as extremists and racists.
Now itÂ’s back to Duty Honor Country because it looks like they need fighters, US Army and US Marines are running ads featuring white males again all of a sudden.
Anyone want to bet this means weÂ’re going to war?
https://youtu.be/a0Pw_TxBe7w?si=GDNMBAemEgOlyed4
Jimbuna
10-13-23, 05:54 AM
If this is true I would be very surprised or shocked even.
(Reuters) - Israel and the White House on Thursday condemned remarks by Donald Trump in which he praised the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah and criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over an attack by Palestinian Hamas militants that killed more than 1,300 people in Israel.
Trump, a former Republican president who is the frontrunner to become the party's 2024 presidential nominee, called the Lebanese Hezbollah, a sworn enemy of Israel, "very smart" and accused Netanyahu of being "not prepared" for the Hamas attack, which also killed 22 Americans.
Israeli Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi said Trump's comments to supporters and in a television interview on Wednesday night showed he could not be relied on.
It is "shameful that a man like that, a former U.S. president, abets propaganda and disseminates things that wound the spirit of Israel's fighters and its citizens," Karhi told Israel's Channel 13.
White House deputy press secretary Andrew Bates called Trump's comments "dangerous and unhinged."
"It's completely lost on us why any American would ever praise an Iran-backed terrorist organization as 'smart'," Bates said.
Democratic President Joe Biden has condemned the Hamas attack as "an act of sheer evil" and declared his unwavering support for Israel.
"This is a time for all of us to stand shoulder to shoulder with Israel against 'unadulterated evil,'" Bates said on Thursday. "That's what the President is doing."
On Thursday evening, Trump released a statement, saying there had been "no better friend or ally of Israel" than when he was U.S. president.
Several of Trump's opponents in the Republican contest also criticized the former president.
"It is absurd that anyone, much less someone running for President, would choose now to attack our friend and ally, Israel, much less praise Hezbollah terrorists as 'very smart'," Florida Governor Ron DeSantis wrote on X social media.
Trump's former vice president, Mike Pence, another 2024 rival, said in New Hampshire: "This is no time for any former president or any other American leader to be sending any message other than America stands with Israel."
Asa Hutchinson, a former Arkansas governor and a Republican 2024 candidate, said on X that Trump was "out of his mind if he thinks that any candidate for President of the United States should praise the terrorists attacking one of our most important allies."
TRUMP-NETANYAHU RELATIONSHIP SOURS
Trump and Netanyahu had a close relationship during Trump's time as president, though cracks have appeared in their once ironclad rapport. Trump was annoyed when Netanyahu called to congratulate Biden on winning the 2020 presidential election against Trump, an election Trump still calls fraudulent.
Speaking to supporters in Florida on Wednesday, Trump said he was disclosing for the first time that Israel decided at the last minute not to take part in the U.S. assassination of Iranian general Qassem Soleimani, killed in Iraq in a drone strike on Jan. 3, 2020, which was ordered by Trump.
Trump said Israel relayed to the United States on the night before the operation that it had decided not to participate. Trump said Israel officials did not explain why they came to that decision.
"I'll never forget that Bibi Netanyahu let us down. That was a very terrible thing," Trump said, using Netanyahu's nickname.
Israel has vowed to annihilate the Hamas movement that rules the Gaza Strip, in retribution for the deadliest militant attack on civilians in Israeli history, when hundreds of gunmen crossed the barrier and rampaged through towns on Saturday.
Israeli officials say the death toll inside Israel has risen to more than 1,300. Most were civilians gunned down in their homes, on the streets or at a dance party. Scores of Israeli and foreign hostages, including Americans, were taken back to Gaza; Israel says it has identified 97 of them.
Gaza authorities said more than 1,500 Palestinians have been killed and more than 6,000 have been wounded in retaliatory air strikes by Israel.
(Reporting by Tim Reid, Nathan Layne, Doina Chiacu, Susan Heavey and Jeff Mason; Editing by Ross Colvin and Howard Goller)
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/world/israel-white-house-condemn-trump-for-remarks-about-hamas-attack-smart-hezbollah/ar-AA1i8Fcc?ocid=msedgntp&cvid=9af7db26f5ba4158ac4f0ee07e79e48e&ei=11
Rockstar
10-13-23, 08:44 PM
If this is true I would be very surprised or shocked even.
“If this is true”. :har::har::har: Just keep padding that post count.
I think he did touch on the truth, according to latest intel it’s said Hezbollah had been planing this for TWO years and days before the attacks we were informed by Egyptian and Saudi intelligence services something was afoot. So yes, leadership and Israeli and Western intelligence services should be called out and feel a little heat for not having a clue about the training and planning of an attack which took them, their citizens and everyone else by surprise.
Even some Israelis are questioning how intel services were ‘out smarted’ by a bunch of supposedly stupid primitive murderous religious asshats.
But we wouldn’t want anyone asking questions about that now would we? It’s better to just dismiss it out right or twist the argument into something about Trump to take the pressure off those responsible and hope it will all go away. It’s been hammered in your brain that to listen to Trump means you’re outcast, racist and should be ashamed and therefore your opinion doesn’t matter. The fools have been takin for a ride :har::har::har:
Enough about the orange man and his personal problems they’re just distractions from more pressing issues we should be telling our representatives we want fixed before it really hits the fan.
A troubled world economy points to global catastrophe
BY DESMOND LACHMAN, OPINION CONTRIBUTOR - 10/13/23 10:00 AM ET
https://thehill.com/opinion/finance/4252905-a-troubled-world-economy-points-to-global-catastrophe/
Troubles are coming to the world economy — not as single spies, but as battalions. They are doing so on multiple fronts, in the United States, China and Europe. Coupled with renewed geopolitical strains in the Middle East, those troubles heighten the chances of a full-blown world economic and financial market crisis by the middle of next year.
Among the greatest threats to the U.S. and world economic recoveries is the recent spike in U.S. Treasury bond yields, the key interest rate in the world economy. In the short space of two months, the 10-year Treasury bond yield spiked from less than 4 percent to over 4 ľ percent — a 16-year high. It did so in response to Federal Reserve warnings that interest rates would stay high for longer to contain inflation, as well as to growing market fears about how the U.S. government will fund its budget deficit, at 8 percent of gross domestic product.
The sharp rise in interest rates has already sent the 30-year mortgage rate toward 8 percent and substantially increased the interest rate cost for automobile purchases. This must be expected soon to constitute a major headwind for both home and automobile sales at the very time when most households have run through their pandemic savings and the government faces another shutdown.
It is also likely to exacerbate problems in the commercial property space where property developers are already struggling with low occupancy rates in a post-COVID world. The last thing that these developers needed was to have to pay higher interest rates on the more than $500 billion in commercial property loans that come due over the next few years.
Worse yet, the spike in Treasury bond yields must be expected to soon lead to a U.S. credit crunch. It is likely to do so by raising solvency questions in large swaths of the U.S. banking system in general and the regional banks in particular.
Even before the recent spike in bond yields, it was estimated that the U.S. banking system had more than $600 billion in mark-to-market losses on its bond portfolio. The further plunge in bond prices is going to add substantially to those losses. This puts the regional banks in a particularly poor position to absorb the expected wave of defaults on their commercial property loan portfolios, which constitute almost 20 percent of their balance sheet.
It would never be a good time for the world economy to have China, the world’s second largest economy and until recently its main engine of economic growth, move to a decidedly lower economic growth path. It would be a particularly inopportune time for such an occurrence when the United States appears to be on the cusp of a meaningful economic recession. Yet that is what now seems to be occurring in the wake of the bursting of that country’s outsized housing and credit market bubble. The bursting of that bubble, coupled with China’s very poor demographics, is now raising serious fears that China is well on its way to a Japanese-style lost economic decade.
Similarly, now would seem to be an inopportune time for Europe to succumb to an economic recession and to experience another round of its sovereign debt crisis centered on Italy, a country with an economy some 10 times the size of that of Greece. Yet that now seems to be very much in prospect as the European Central Bank continues to raise interest rates to regain inflation control at a time of economic weakness, and when the Italian government has introduced an expansionary budget while its public debt level is very much higher than it was in 2012. The German economy has now already experienced three consecutive quarters of negative economic growth, as the spread between Italian and German bond yields is increasing at a troubling rate.
All of this would seem to have clear implications for U.S. economic policymakers. The Federal Reserve should back off its high interest rates for longer mantra and start preparing for a world economic and financial system crisis. At the same, Congress should get its act together and start addressing in a meaningful way the country’s long-term budget deficit problem.
American Enterprise Institute senior fellow Desmond Lachman was a deputy director in the International Monetary Fund’s Policy Development and Review Department and the chief emerging-market economic strategist at Salomon Smith Barney.
Another US Congressman has traded stocks before the start of the Middle East Conflict, stocks that benefit directly from war.
Representative Markwayne Mullin disclosed purchasing up to $50,000 of Raytheon, $RTX, on Sept 13.
He sits on the Committee of Armed Services.
Let me guess, “ya but what about Trump!?” :cry:
Jimbuna
10-15-23, 07:21 AM
Morning Joe 6AM 10/15/23
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YyCuOS0xmTk
em2nought
10-15-23, 08:33 AM
We really really need to be energy independent again, and we could be at the drop of a hat. Since sleepy joe is falling and tripping all the time I don't see why he can't drop a hat or two. :D Hunter takes a different kind of trip. :D
Unlike President Trump, I'm sure the press would give brandon a bye if he said everything he thought out loud so he could mull it over, or just because he loved the sound of his own voice. Of course even if sleep joe said it out loud none of us would know what the hell gibberish he was spouting. :D
Rockstar
10-15-23, 02:28 PM
FBI Director Christopher Wray warns of terror attacks on United States soil in relation to the Hamas terror attacks on Israel.
Hopefully they will be taking a break from tracking down Trump supporters and political opposition to confront this.
Wray said the FBI has seen a large increase in reported threats since the attacks and said to be on the lookout for “lone actors”
‘In this heightened environment, there's no question we're seeing an increase in reported threats, and we've got to be on the lookout especially for lone actors who may take inspiration from recent events to commit violence of their own.”
A reported 1.2 million got-aways made it in since the ‘Big Guy’ took office because of a wide assed open uncontrolled southern border. It’s almost like it’s being allowed to happen so when some kook does strike, gubnent can create even more invasive laws and regulations. You know, to protect us.
Meet Jake Sullivan the Jim Kramer of foreign affairs the seemingly dim witted National Security Advisor who just 8 days before Hamas attacked said the middle east was the quietest he’d ever seen! He’s among those other Biden appointments I previously listed. The reason why we went from 4 years of peace and the Abraham accords. To giving Iran six billion dollars, 29 U.S. citizens killed, two carrier strike groups ordered to the Med, Israel invaded and the potential war for in the Middle East spreading uncontrolled like our own southern boarder.
https://youtu.be/eEieP-u_NL8?feature=shared
https://i.postimg.cc/Ls5bwC8y/IMG-2949.jpg
Morning Joe 6AM 10/15/23
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YyCuOS0xmTk
Boy, that video aged well huh? :har::har::har:
Rockstar
10-16-23, 07:02 AM
Interview was a month ago, said then he thought we’re beginning to see the effects of FED rate hikes. Get the feeling here no soft landing but rather a national recession is on the way.
https://youtu.be/zbaX6-8EXOY?feature=shared
Speaking of Jim Kramer, it’s been verified we are in for a National recession. If you ever watched Kramer you can bet your life savings that the exact opposite of what he says will happen :har:
https://youtu.be/cS_zPd38ods?feature=shared
Rockstar
10-16-23, 12:36 PM
She actually said this while we are running deficits over $2 trillion per year. :hmm2:
Janet Yellen: US Treasury secretary says 'We can certainly afford two wars' then proceeds to divert attention from increasing debts to Republicans not having a permanent Speaker. :roll:
We’re stuck with it anyhow that’s for sure. First comes the boom then the bust. And by the way legislation will still happen with or without a permanent Speaker she should know that. In fact the legislation she’s talking about has already been introduced on October 10th and has a 86 percent chance of passing.
Janet Yellen: America can certainly afford two wars, US Treasury secretary says
In an exclusive interview, Janet Yellen urges Republicans to appoint a new House of Representatives speaker to enable greater financial support to be agreed for both Israel and Ukraine.
James Sillars
Business reporter @SkyNewsBiz
Janet Yellen has told Sky News the United States can "certainly" afford wars on two fronts, as the conflict between Israel and Hamas threatens stability in the Middle East and the US continues to support Ukraine's fight against Russia.
Talking exclusively to Wilfred Frost ahead of a meeting of finance ministers in Luxembourg, the US Treasury secretary said the economy and public finances were in good shape to ensure backing for US interests abroad.
She said it remained too early to understand the economic ramifications of the latest conflict, with oil and natural gas prices remaining volatile amid growing concerns of a wider war in the Middle East.
Those elements were key factors behind the energy-driven cost of living crisis that started facing Western economies last year.
She pointed to a big easing in inflation but appealed for Republicans to fill the void left by the removal from office of House of Representatives speaker Kevin McCarthy, in order for greater financial support to flow.
"We do need to come up with funds, both for Israel and for Ukraine. This is a priority", Ms Yellen said.
"It's really up to the House to find, seat a speaker and to put us in a position where legislation can be passed."
She added: "We stand with Israel. America has also made clear to Israel, we're working very closely with the Israelis, that they have a right to defend themselves. But it's important to try to spare innocent civilian lives to the maximum extent possible.
"America can certainly afford to stand with Israel and to support Israel's military needs and we also can and must support Ukraine in its struggle against Russia."
Ms Yellen's remarks followed her visit to the IMF/World Bank conference in Morocco last week when the much-discussed topic was the potential ramifications of the Israel-Hamas conflict.
Iran has warned Israel against a full-scale ground operation in Gaza in response to the Hamas incursion over a week ago.
les green01
10-17-23, 12:35 AM
She actually said this while we are running deficits over $2 trillion per year. :hmm2:
Janet Yellen: US Treasury secretary says 'We can certainly afford two wars' then proceeds to divert attention from increasing debts to Republicans not having a permanent Speaker. :roll:
We’re stuck with it anyhow that’s for sure. First comes the boom then the bust. And by the way legislation will still happen with or without a permanent Speaker she should know that. In fact the legislation she’s talking about has already been introduced on October 10th and has a 86 percent chance of passing.
Janet Yellen: America can certainly afford two wars, US Treasury secretary says
In an exclusive interview, Janet Yellen urges Republicans to appoint a new House of Representatives speaker to enable greater financial support to be agreed for both Israel and Ukraine.
James Sillars
Business reporter @SkyNewsBiz
maybe she found a couple of money tree's if so she can send some our way
Otto Harkaman
10-17-23, 03:18 AM
https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2023/10/1920/1080/cartoon-101423.jpg
Rockstar
10-17-23, 08:50 AM
In 2006, a Green New Deal was created by the Green New Deal Task Force as a plan for one hundred percent clean, renewable energy by 2030 utilizing a carbon tax, a jobs guarantee, free college, single-payer healthcare, and a focus on using public programs
Ford, is laying off about 700 workers who built the F-150 Lightning, the electric version of its best-selling pickup truck, per CNN.
It’s what happens when government controls the means of production. Makes me wonder how Ford is going to pay Biden’s $9.2 billion hand out from the US Department of Energy as part of Biden’s push to bring more electric vehicle production to the United States.
Jimbuna
10-17-23, 12:51 PM
While Donald Trump's fundraising machine hasn't slowed down, he's spending tens of millions of dollars on attorneys who are defending him in the various criminal cases he's facing – and that could cause him more legal woes.
The Associated Press pointed out Tuesday that campaign finance experts say that campaign money going towards his legal troubles, and not campaign-related expenditures, may violate a federal ban on the personal use of donor money – "even though the Federal Election Commission has ruled the prohibition doesn’t apply to so-called leadership political action committees."
"Trump’s Save America political action committee has paid nearly $37 million to more than 60 law firms and individual attorneys since January 2022, Federal Election Commission records show," the AP's report stated. That amounts to more than half of the PAC’s total expenditures, according to an Associated Press analysis of campaign finance filings, and represents a staggering sum compared to other political organizations.
While most of Trump's PAC money went to law firms that defended him in his cases, the rest went to lawyers who represented his businesses, family, and other associates, which also raises legal questions.
“The way these cases get built is you persuade the little fish to testify against the big fish,” former federal prosecutor and criminal law professor Randall Eliason told the AP. “Well, if the little fish’s lawyer is being paid by the big fish, that’s less likely to happen potentially.”
Some donors who spoke to the AP don't have a problem with Trump using their money for legal expenses.
Stetson University College of Law professor Ciara Torres-Spelliscy says paying defense attorneys with contributions could come back to haunt Trump.
"After the Mar-a-Lago and January 6th cases are done, I would not be surprised to see a personal use case against Trump for using these millions in donations that are meant to go to his political campaign going instead for the personal use of keeping him out of prison,” Torres-Spelliscy said.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/money/other/trump-spent-37m-of-donor-money-on-legal-fees-and-that-could-be-a-big-problem-report/ar-AA1imTDu?ocid=msedgntp&pc=EDGEDSE&cvid=8cd396f204254fd1964121ef8e8281e1&ei=18
Rockstar
10-18-23, 11:02 AM
Trump Committed Egregious Intelligence Breach, Ex-UK Spy Tells Court
By Reuters
|
Oct. 17, 2023, at 11:46 a.m.
https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2023-10-17/trump-committed-egregious-intelligence-breach-ex-uk-spy-tells-court
By Sam Tobin
LONDON (Reuters) - Donald Trump's decision to declassify evidence given by ex-British spy Christopher Steele over the former U.S. president's alleged links with Russia led to the disappearance of two sources, Steele said in court documents made public on Tuesday.
Steele said in a witness statement that Trump's decision to declassify his 2017 testimony to Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation was "one of the most egregious breaches of intelligence rules and protocol by the US government in recent times".
The former intelligence officer also said: "Two of the named Russian sources have not been seen or heard of since."
His witness statement was made public on Tuesday, the day after Trump asked London's High Court to allow his data protection lawsuit against a British private investigations firm co-founded by Steele to continue.
Trump, the frontrunner for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, is suing Orbis Business Intelligence over the "Steele dossier" in order, he said in his own witness statement, to prove its claims were false.
The dossier, published by the BuzzFeed website in 2017, alleged ties between Trump's campaign and Russia, and said Trump engaged in sexual behaviour that gave Russian authorities material with which to blackmail him.
Many of the allegations were never substantiated and lawyers for Trump, 77, said in court filings the report was "egregiously inaccurate", while the former president said it contained "numerous false, phoney or made-up allegations".
Orbis, however, says Trump is bringing the claim simply to address his grievances against the company and Steele.
'UNTRUE AND DISGRACEFUL'
Steele had given evidence in an interview with two FBI agents as part of Mueller's probe into an alleged conspiracy between Trump's 2016 campaign and Russia.
Mueller concluded in 2019 that there was no evidence of a criminal conspiracy between Trump's 2016 campaign and Russia.
On the last day of his presidency, Trump declassified Steele's evidence and provided a copy of his testimony to a journalist, Steele said in his statement.
"The publication of this document did serious damage to the U.S. government's Russian operations and their ability to recruit new Russian sources," Steele said.
Steele also said in his witness statement that he believed Trump was "motivated by a personal vendetta against me and Orbis and a desire for revenge".
He suggested Trump's discovery of Steele's friendship with his daughter Ivanka had damaged their relationship and also "deepened his animus towards me and is one of the reasons for his vindictive and vexatious conduct towards me and Orbis".
In his witness statement, Trump said Ivanka was "completely irrelevant to this claim and any mention of her only serves to distract this court from (Orbis') and Mr Steele's reckless behavior".
"Any inference or allegation that Mr Steele makes about my relationship with my daughter is untrue and disgraceful," Trump added.
(Reporting by Sam Tobin; Editing by Emelia Sithole-Matarise)
Rockstar
10-18-23, 12:38 PM
Trump Says He’s Prepared to Give Evidence in UK Suit With Ex-Spy
Jonathan Browning
Mon, October 16, 2023 at 9:24 AM EDT·2 min read
(Bloomberg) -- Donald Trump said he is prepared to give evidence at a London trial as part of his legal fight over the notorious dossier that alleged ties between the Kremlin and the former US president’s successful run to the White House.
Trump kicked off his data collection suit in a London court against ex-MI6 agent Christopher Steele’s Orbis business intelligence firm on Monday, saying he’d suffered “significant damage and distress” from the publication of the dossier. He’s seeking a judge’s ruling that statements in the report were false.
“A judgment of the English court on this issue will be an immense relief to me as it will completely confirm the true position to the public at large,” Trump said in a witness statement prepared for the two-day hearing at the High Court.
The Steele dossier made headlines around the world when it was leaked to BuzzFeed in January 2017 with allegations that the presidential campaign had been compromised by the Russian security service.
With the London lawsuit, Trump is opening a new front in his already crowded legal calendar. In the US, he faces four prosecutions, on top of two civil trials, as he runs to regain the White House. He’s expected to attend the civil fraud trial against him in New York this week.
Trump has continued to reserve his ire for Steele. The dossier contains “shocking and scandalous claims about the conduct of President Trump,” his lawyer Hugh Tomlinson said. He said Trump wanted a “vindication of his legal rights.”
Steele, who Trump once called a “lowlife” was retained by a Washington-based research firm in June 2016 to examine Trump’s links to Russia. The Democratic National Committee and the campaign of Hillary Clinton hired Fusion GPS after Trump was headed for the nomination.
This week’s hearing will decide on Orbis’s bid to knock out the claim at an early date in the case. Lawyers for Steele’s firm argue the claim has no reasonable prospect of success and that Trump is merely pursuing a “vendetta.” Trump has a history of “harassing perceived enemies and others against whom he bears a grudge,” Orbis’s lawyers said.
“It’s uncontroversial for me to say that President Trump is a controversial figure,” Trump’s lawyer Tomlinson told the judge. “His interactions with the US legal system have been many and varied, but we say none of this is relevant.”
Russian billionaires Mikhail Fridman and Petr Aven previously successfully sued Steele in a data-protection suit but a libel claim brought by another wealthy Russian individual failed.
Orbis said the dossier was never intended to be made public and Trump couldn’t hold the firm responsible for the Buzzfeed publication itself.
(Updates throughout)
Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek
Jimbuna
10-18-23, 12:51 PM
Jim Jordan loses second vote for US House Speaker.
Ally of Donald Trump fails in new bid for gavel, as Republican party remains split 22 members of his own party rejected the firebrand Republican’s efforts to seize the gavel.
That was a worse result for Jordan than just a day earlier, when 20 Republicans voted against him in an initial ballot.
em2nought
10-18-23, 01:06 PM
The swamp is lovely dark and deep. :D
Jimbuna
10-18-23, 01:15 PM
I wonder if it's darker and deeper than Parliament :)
Rockstar
10-19-23, 05:23 AM
Trump Says He’s Prepared to Give Evidence in UK Suit With Ex-Spy
London data collection lawsuit over Kremlin dossier begins
Christopher Steele’s firm says Trump is pursuing “vendetta”
By Jonathan Browning
October 16, 2023 at 6:38 AM EDT
Updated on October 16, 2023 at 9:24 AM EDT
Donald Trump said he is prepared to give evidence at a London trial as part of his legal fight over the notorious dossier that alleged ties between the Kremlin and the former US president’s successful run to the White House.
Trump kicked off his data collection suit in a London court against ex-MI6 agent Christopher Steele’s Orbis business intelligence firm on Monday, saying he’d suffered “significant damage and distress” from the publication of the dossier. He’s seeking a judge’s ruling that statements in the report were false.
Onkel Neal
10-19-23, 08:08 AM
WTH is going on with this dude's chin? Better call in a new undertaker,
https://x.com/Travis_in_Flint/status/1714802847835963739?s=20
Original chin
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F8w0GbBX0AAGaHF?format=jpg&name=small
New chin
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F8w0GbBW8AAUl1f?format=jpg&name=small
Smiling vs non smiling. Changes how the skin droops. A sad reality of aging.
Rockstar
10-19-23, 11:46 AM
So there I was on the beach admiring the ocean this morning when I had this thought cross my mind.
Remembering when Trump said those years ago how he would build a wall and make Mexico pay for it. Hell even I laughed when he said it was pretty funny. But of course the media ran with it and the usual suspects mocked how dangerous he is.
Today listen to Biden and how similar he sounded to Trump. When confronted by the media about U.S. involvement on two and possibly a future third front he says the U.S, can fight two wars and protect its global interests and proudly says without even spilling American blood. Instead it appears he’s all for making Ukrainian, Israeli and Taiwanese pay with theirs. Just can’t find anything funny with that, I wonder what Stephan Colbert’s take is on it?
Rockstar
10-19-23, 12:50 PM
Trump aims to sue London firm over dossier alleging sexual perversions
Lawyers for former US president said reports of his alleged sexual activity in Russia were ‘false, phoney or made-up’
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/oct/16/donald-trump-damages-steele-dossier-high-court-london
Donald Trump has said that a dossier alleging that he engaged in “perverted sexual behaviour” and paid bribes to Russian officials to further his business interests is “false” and “phoney”, and is seeking to sue for damages in London.
The former US president indicated that he was willing to give evidence at the high court in his case alleging breach of data protection rights by Orbis Business Intelligence over the 2016 “Steele dossier”. The dossier, investigating Russian efforts to influence the 2016 US presidential campaign, was compiled by the Orbis co-founder Christopher Steele, who previously ran MI6’s Russia desk.
Trump was not present for the high court hearing, which will determine whether the case can go to trial. However, in a written witness statement, he said: “The only way that I can fully demonstrate the total inaccuracies of the personal data in the dossier is to bring these proceedings and to prove, by evidence at trial, that the data are false.
“A judgment of the English court on this issue will be an immense relief to me as it will completely confirm the true position to the public at large. Until there is such a judgment, I continue to suffer damage and distress as a result of people wrongfully believing that the data in the dossier is accurate.”
Trump is claiming reputational damage as a result of Orbis sharing the dossier, which he said contained “false, phoney or made-up allegations”, with three individuals.
In 2017, it was published by BuzzFeed. Although Trump accepts that Orbis was not legally responsible for this, he said: “If the dossier had not been compiled by Mr Steele on behalf of the defendant, it would never have entered the public domain.”
The document included allegations that Trump hired sex workers to urinate on each other in the presidential suite of a hotel in Moscow and took part in sex parties in St Petersburg.
His lawyer, Hugh Tomlinson KC, told the court that Trump knew he had the legal responsibility to prove that the allegations are false and that he “intends to discharge his burden by giving evidence in this court”.
He added: “It’s uncontroversial for me to say that President Trump is a controversial figure. His interactions with the American legal system have been many and varied and he has sometimes been subject to serious criticism by judges in the US … None of this is relevant to whether the personal data is accurate.”
Trump has been charged with 91 felony counts across criminal cases in New York, Florida, Washington and Georgia, while in the civil courts he has been found liable for sexually abusing and defaming the advice columnist E Jean Carroll, and is accused of inflating his net worth to secure more favourable loan terms and gain tax benefits.
Orbis is seeking to have the case against it struck out before it can go to trial, claiming it has no realistic prospect of success. It says the claim has been brought too late, that any damage to the former US president was caused by the BuzzFeed publication, and that it has been brought for “an improper purpose”.
In written arguments, Antony White KC, representing Orbis, said: “The claimant’s exceptional and unexplained delay in bringing the claim against Orbis, his pursuit of this case only after similar litigation against Orbis and Mr Steele in the US was dismissed and found to be a meritless, vexatious and politically motivated abuse of the court process, his numerous abusive personal attacks and slurs against Mr Steele, and his extensive track record of using legal proceedings to harass, bully and intimidate his perceived opponents, all lead inexorably to the conclusion that the present claims have been brought for an illegitimate purpose and are therefore an abuse of process.”
White said the current case was lodged weeks after the “abusive” US action against Orbis and Steele was found to be “completely frivolous” and “brought in bad faith” for “the settling of scores and grievances”.
Judgment will be given at a later date.
Jimbuna
10-19-23, 12:57 PM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GvlhsQXLXrA
...and, as part of her plea agreement (in addition to another defendant who also took a plea deal), she now must testify against her other co-defendants at their trials for the same offenses...
...and that includes Trump the Chump...
...should be rather interesting since she was very closely involved insider in some of the various machinations of the Trump camp...
<O>
em2nought
10-19-23, 04:10 PM
...and, as part of her plea agreement (in addition to another defendant who also took a plea deal), she now must testify against her other co-defendants at their trials for the same offenses...
...and that includes Trump the Chump...
...should be rather interesting since she was very closely involved insider in some of the various machinations of the Trump camp...
<O>
This banana republic will crush you and everyone you ever loved if you try to resist. Bahahaha! Just wait until President Trump isn't standing between them and the lowly taxpayers anymore. Resistance is futile. :D Hide your gold!
This banana republic will crush you and everyone you ever loved if you try to resist. Bahahaha! Just wait until President Trump isn't standing between them and the lowly taxpayers anymore. Resistance is futile. :D Hide your gold!
You really should cut back on the Whacky Tabaccky... :D
<O>
em2nought
10-19-23, 06:14 PM
You really should cut back on the Whacky Tabaccky... :D
<O>
I tried it once, for some reason no matter what I did I couldn't force myself to inhale.
Remember this thread when you're sifting around in a dumpster looking for leftover scraps of food. They've actually made a business of it in the Philippines. They call food from dumpsters Pagpag, they clean it, fry it, and resell it for $1 a bag. :o
...
HUD says homeless veterans in California represent 31% of the national homeless veteran population. Why don’t you ask them to see what makes them feel disrespected?
I had wanted to respond to the above statement for a bit of time, but didn't have the opportunity to assemble a comprehensive answer...
First, let's look at the numbers:
Estimated number of homeless veterans in the United States in 2022, by state -
https://www.statista.com/statistics/727819/number-of-homeless-veterans-in-the-us-by-state/
(HUD Report Released Feb 2023)
Did you ever ask yourself why California has such a very large homeless vet population? According to the report, CA has an estimated homeless vet population of 10,395, nearly 5X the number of vets in the second highest state, Florida at 2,279; CA does indeed have a whopping big homeless vet population, but it also has a very long and well documented history of caring for veterans in a fashion well above the standards followed by other states, even those states whose politicians make loud and generalized statements about how very much their states "care" about their vets. It would seem, just by the numbers, that the homeless vets are showing their preference by the way they migrate to CA to seek assistance they really can't seem to get in their own "caring" states; if home really was a hospitable, compassionate place , they would be there, but, apparently, their homes were not...
California history of veteran care goes way back; CA has had Veteran's Homes and facilities dating back to the 1880's when homes the first Veteran's Home was established in San Francisco; now, nearly 140 years later, there are home and facilities for vets across the state:
Welcome to the Veterans Homes of California -
https://www.calvet.ca.gov/calvet-programs/veteran-homes
In addition, there are a number of VA hospitals and other facilities, also across the state to offer support to vets; there really is no lack of support for the vets in CA, but the real problem has been getting the homeless vets to 'come in out of the cold' and take advantage of what is being offered; in a case in point, there is a huge VA facility in West Los Angeles, replete with a Veterans Hospital that is in partnership with the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) Medical Center Complies (one of the finest in the nation and home to the Ronald Reagan Medical Center), so the quality of care there is above the norm for most other VA hospitals; however, large group of homeless vets set up camp on the sidewalks outside the fences surrounding the VA land; the surrounding residential area was understandably concerned and an effort was made to find housing for the vets, but the vets refused to move; the City and County of Los Angeles, through their various social services agencies, did their best to provide services to assist the vets, but the vets would not budge and refused to be moved; resident of the surrounding communities started to question why the VA was not allowing the vets to move onto VA held land (it should be noted the West LA VA property is huge and sprawling; it even encompasses a very large National Military Cemetery); but use of the land for the purposes of housing the vets has hit several snags over the years; the VA land is Federal land and the City, County, and/or State have no real say over the land's use; aside from the Federal reluctance to cede lad for local use, there has been a very long and persistent clamor by real estate developers to try and get a portion of the VA land ceded to them by the VA so they can build luxury housing since the surrounding areas are pretty much fully built out; the developers have been lobbying the VA that if land is ceded for local use for homeless projects, the developers should also get land cede for their own use...
The battles went on for quite some time, but, finally, several yeas ago, a pilot program was proposed and pushed by the local and state governments that the VA finally agreed to accept: a small portion of V land was to be carved out and housing in the form of "tiny houses" were built to get the vets off the sidewalks and into some sort of housing; in addition to the new housing, onsite social services provide by City, County, and State agencies were put in place to offer assistance and counseling in an effort to provide the vets with a path to more permanent housing, employment, and any other needs they might have; it should be noted those services are funded by the local and state governments; well, the tiny houses were built and the Vets were given the offer to move in, but they balked; it seems there were rules put in place to assure the safety and well-being of the residents, and the rules were simple and reasonable: a curfew was set to ensure order, certain items were banned (weapons, alcohol, drugs, etc), and unruly conduct would not be tolerated for the protection of all;; a lot of the 'sidewalk' vets did take advantage of the offers and moved in, some even benefiting from the services and later moving on to permanent housing and finding a better life than on the streets, but a sizeable portion refused, for various reasons, often addiction, to comply with the requirements and remained homeless...
The vets in CA are, indeed, offered a wide number of services and opportunities in this state, but , to paraphrase an old saying goes, "you can lead a homeless vet to a home, but you can't make him live in it"; in addition to the various government agencies in CA, there are a very large number of private, noon-profit secular and religious entities who have outreach programs specifically dedicated to assist vets, homeless or not, to transition into civilian life; and that the main reason why so many homeless vets can be found in CA; the state has a very long history of caring for its residents and providing social services other states balk at extending; we don't have so many homeless vets because we don't care about them, rather it because so many of the other states don't care about them enough...
incidentally, 10,395 homeless veterans may seem like an awful lot, but, given that the total veteran population of CA is 1,525,746, having about .007% still unhoused is not that bad; now if we can only get those remaining vets to be reasonable and take advantage of what Ca is offering...
Veteran Population by State -
https://wisevoter.com/state-rankings/veteran-population-by-state/
One of the reasons I got to this today is I heard a news report on the local news radio about a delegation headed by the Mayor of Los Angeles, Karen Bass along wit some LA City Council members who went to Washington DC to see if they could pry loos some Federal funding to address some of the needs of the CITY of LA, the news station has a report traveling along with the delegation and he reported the delegation had met with a number of Cabinet secretaries and agency head and were making some progress; Karen Bass was a member of Congress for 10 years (five terms) and left to run for and win the office of LA mayor and she knows a lot of the DC crowd and knows where to go to get the attention of the right persons; in one of the reports yesterday, the reporter told of a meeting the delegation had with the Secretary of Veterans Affairs where the delegation was seeking more Federal funds for homeless veteran housing in LA; in the meeting, the delegation was told $100 million dollasr had already been allocated, but no one at Veterans Affairs had made LA aware of the potential loss of the funding:
L.A. could lose $100M of federal funding -
https://www.audacy.com/947thewave/news/l-a-could-lose-usd100m-of-federal-funding
I didn't vote for Bass; I instead voted for her opponent, a billionaire real estate developer (a real one) who left the Ca Sate GOP party when he got fed up the State GOP being overrun by far-right wingnuts, he had been an independent for many years and ran for mayor as a Democrat because he knew an Independent stood little chance of winning and running as GOP in the current CA political climate would have been suicidal; he lost but I still like him and his positions on many issues; however, I've got to give Bass credit for making a real effort to move forward with improving La and its resident's lives; unfortunately for the CA vets, since it would take Congressional action to loosen up that $100 million, as long as the wingnut jackasses are still squabbling amongst themselves and paralyzing the government, I don't see a path forward before the end of the year...
On an upbeat finish, here are examples of recent efforts in LA, in conjunction with the VA to ease homeless vets:
VA opens housing for 59 homeless and at-risk Veterans on West LA Campus -
https://www.va.gov/greater-los-angeles-health-care/news-releases/va-opens-housing-for-59-homeless-and-at-risk-veterans-on-west-la-campus/
Homeless Veterans Transitional Housing, VA Campus Los Angeles -
https://www.laconservancy.org/learn/historic-places/homeless-veterans-transitional-housing-va-campus-los-angeles/
...and this is about some of those "tiny homes' put in place on the VA West LA Campus...
From tents to tiny shelters, VA begins aggressive push in LA to end veteran homelessness -
https://www.stripes.com/veterans/2022-03-14/veterans-affairs-homeless-los-angeles-tiny-shelters-funding-5341053.html
Sorry to have been so lengthy, but its not a simple problem and there are no really simple answers; at least, here in CA, real efforts go on...
<O>
I tried it once, for some reason no matter what I did I couldn't force myself to inhale.
Remember this thread when you're sifting around in a dumpster looking for leftover scraps of food. They've actually made a business of it in the Philippines. They call food from dumpsters Pagpag, they clean it, fry it, and resell it for $1 a bag. :o
Ah, always such an optimist... :haha:
... and I bet you also didn't have sexual relations with that woman...
I think I've heard of something like Pagpag; I think the Scots call it "Haggis"...
<O>
em2nought
10-20-23, 05:55 AM
Ah, always such an optimist... :haha:
... and I bet you also didn't have sexual relations with that woman...
I think I've heard of something like Pagpag; I think the Scots call it "Haggis"...
<O>
She's a little too chunky for me said the fat man, and she has obvious bad taste. :D
Haggis ain't bad, but people would probably like Pagpag better until you told them it came out of a dumpster. Pennsylvania Dutch Pig's Stomach has Haggis beat though.
Jimbuna
10-20-23, 06:21 AM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=buDD5anBYkM
Jimbuna
10-20-23, 06:29 AM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-5jviYR1Ek
Rep. Jim Jordan's (R-OH) staff told Punchbowl early Thursday that he was pressing forward with another Speaker vote Thursday – but the site later reported that Jordan is out.
Jake Sherman said that Jordan isn't doing a third ballot and he will put his support behind Patrick McHenry as an interim speaker until January 2024. Thursday morning, he said, former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), Reps. Jordan, Tom Cole (R-OK) and Tom Emmer (R-MN) met briefly to discuss other options.
Over the past 48 hours, House Republican members revealed they were receiving threats for refusing to support Jordan.
Multiple officials are detailing death threats and other intimidation they've faced for opposing Jim Jordan's speakership bid.
There were also reports of pressure on members through their spouses, which angered other members.
Jordan has now gone through two bruising ballots for the speakership, with many Republicans voting against him.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/world/jim-jordan-bows-out-of-speaker-race-after-devastating-ballot-losses/ar-AA1iwhMQ?ocid=msedgntp&pc=EDGEDSE&cvid=921eec3fc3fe48238f5ab4094a14ab63&ei=11
Rockstar
10-20-23, 07:54 AM
5 things Donald Trump told Brits about Britain
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/donald-trump-nigel-farage/2021/12/01/828717a4-52cc-11ec-83d2-d9dab0e23b7e_story.html
LONDON — In his first British broadcast interview since leaving office, former president Donald Trump weighed in on a number of issues in the United Kingdom, ranging from the British royal family to the country’s climate change policies to British Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
Are you on Telegram? Subscribe to our channel for the latest updates on Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Trump spoke with his old mate Nigel Farage, the former leader of the Brexit Party who now hosts a show on GB News, a right-leaning television news channel that’s drawn comparisons to Fox News.
For years, Farage has offered commentary to Americans with frequent appearances on Fox News. And now Trump seems to be doing something similar in Britain.
The interview aired Wednesday night but was filmed Monday, meaning it didn’t take up the big question of the recent claim that Trump tested positive for the coronavirus in the fall of 2020 before an indoor news conference and a debate with Joe Biden.
But the two still covered much ground.
Here are five things Trump told Brits about Britain.
1. Wind turbines are bad.
The former president said wind turbines are “ridiculous” and “kill all the birds” and “start to rust” after a few years.
“I think wind is, I think it’s ridiculous,” he said. “Remember, every 10 years, you have to replace those monsters. And a lot of times they don’t bother. You know what they do? They just let them rot. They kill all the birds, they are so bad.”
Trump has long opposed wind farms in the U.K., which could be seen from the Trump International Golf Links course in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. In 2012, before he became president, he sued Scottish ministers after they authorized a wind farm near the course. Trump lost the case and the Trump Organization was ordered to pay the Scottish government’s legal bills. He also frequently discusses his opposition to wind energy in the United States.
2.Meghan is trouble. And “disrespectful” to the royal family.
Not for the first time, Trump said he was “not a fan” of Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex.
“I‘m not a fan of hers. I wasn’t from day one,” he said. Trump was asked about the duchess lobbying Congress on paid family leave, which she has said should be a “national right.” Her spokeswoman said the duchess was acting in a personal capacity.
Trump, the first president ever impeached twice, said of the duchess, “She is trying do things that I think are very inappropriate.”
“I think she‘s very disrespectful to the royal family and most importantly to the queen,” he said.
Farage has also made controversial remarks about the royal family. During a 2019 speech in Australia, he described the late Queen Mother as an “overweight, chain-smoking gin drinker” and mocked Prince Harry as “the prince of wokeness,” which he blamed on the influence of the duchess.
3. Queen Elizabeth II is a great person and Princes Charles isn’t boring.
Trump said that Queen Elizabeth II is a “historic person.” He spoke about how his mother, who was Scottish, had “great respect and love” for the British monarch, and said that he did, too. He said that during one visit to Windsor Castle, he was scheduled to have tea with the queen for 30 minutes but instead “I spent much more than an hour. . . . She liked it and I liked it, I’m not going to be rude.” He did not mention how, during the same visit, he was accused of disrespecting the queen when he walked in front of her at Windsor Castle when the two were inspecting troops. By walking in front of her, he breached protocol, causing a stir on social media.
He also denied reports that he was bored when he met Prince Charles, the queen’s son and heir, during a meeting on his 2019 state visit to the U.K.
“I wasn’t bored, I like Charles,” Trump said. “He’s an environmentalist. He talked about the environment most of the meeting, which was fine.”
4. Prince Harry has been played.
Trump told Farage, “I think Harry’s been used and been used terribly. I think it’s ruined his relationship with his family, and it hurts the queen.” In a March interview, Oprah Winfrey asked the Duke of Sussex if he would have “stepped back” from royal life on his own. The prince answered: “I would not have been able to. I myself was trapped as well. I didn’t see a way out. . . . I was trapped but I didn’t know I was trapped. But the moment I met Meg and our world collided in the most amazing of ways . . ..”
5. Boris Johnson is all right, but likes wind turbines, so . . .
Trump said he liked Johnson, but said he was “making a terrible mistake” by supporting wind energy. As part of the prime minister’s plan to reduce carbon emissions, Johnson has said offshore wind farms will generate enough electricity to power every home in the U.K. within a decade. His government has pledged hundreds of millions in new funding to upgrade ports and factories for making more turbines.
Trump worries about Johnson. “I’ve always gotten along with him” but “he’s gone a little bit on the more liberal side.”
Rockstar
10-20-23, 11:34 AM
Trump seeks 'vindication' in UK courts over ex-spy's dossier on alleged Russian sex bribes.
Donald Trump's lawyer says he wants to give evidence in the British courts as he sues over the "Steele Dossier" that alleged he bribed officials and took part in sex parties in Russia.
The former president's lawyers told the High Court he is seeking "vindication" for the false allegations from 2017.
They claim the document breaches UK data protection laws.
Mr Steele's company, Orbis Business Intelligence, says it did not make the document public.
The case stems from 2016, when a US political consultancy asked Mr Steele's company to produce a report into potential Russian interference in that year's US general election.
The project was reportedly paid for by Hillary Clinton's Democrats and other political opponents of Mr Trump.
Mr Steele, the former head of MI6's Russia desk, later sent his findings to the FBI, a British national security officer and an aide to a senior US senator.
The dossier, later obtained and published by BuzzFeed News, detailed uncorroborated intelligence claims that Mr Trump had a "compromising relationship with the Kremlin".
On Monday the High Court was told in written submissions that the dossier detailed untrue allegations that Mr Trump had "engaged in perverted sexual behaviour".
Hugh Tomlinson KC, for the 77-year-old former president, said the dossier also falsely claimed he had "paid bribes to Russian officials to further his business interests" and "took part in sex parties in St Petersburg".
"[He] intends to discharge his burden by giving evidence in this court," the lawyer said, should the case go to full trial in the future.
The allegations, the court heard, were at the heart of the claim for damages because they amounted to a breach of the UK's strict data protection laws that govern what can be done with personal information, even if the information is not true.
"The [dossier] contains shocking and scandalous claims about the personal conduct of President Trump," Mr Tomlinson said. "The defendant has never sought to qualify or withdraw the allegation."
He said that Mr Trump "often expresses himself in very strong language and his interactions with the US legal system have been many and varied."
"None of this is relevant to the question of whether the personal data is accurate."
He said Mr Trump "begins this case because he seeks a vindication of his legal rights… that the statements in these memoranda are false."
Trump's witness statement
In his witness statement, Mr Trump told the court he had not had time to sue in the UK before now because he had been busy being president.
"None of these things [in the Steele dossier] ever happened," the statement said.
"I can confirm that I did not, at any time engage in perverted sexual behaviour including the hiring of prostitutes to engage in 'golden showers' in the presidential suite of a hotel in Moscow.
He said the defendant "has made no attempt and provided no evidence to prove that the allegations I complain of are true".
Mr Trump said official investigations had debunked the dossier but it continued "to cause me significant damage and distress" because people still believed it.
"The only way that I can fully demonstrate the total inaccuracies … is to begin these proceedings. A judgment of the English court on this issue will be an immense relief to me."
Antony White KC, for Orbis, told the court that Mr Trump had accepted that the company was not responsible for BuzzFeed's publication of the document.
Watched on by Mr Steele, Mr White told Mrs Justice Steyn the case had no realistic prospect of winning and the former president had run out of time to even start it.
Orbis had never intended the dossier to become public and had long ago destroyed its own copies of the research.
"The claim for compensation is principally based on reputational damage allegedly suffered by the claimant," Mr White said.
"Any reputational damage, and any resulting distress, allegedly suffered will have been caused by the BuzzFeed publication, for which the claimant accepts Orbis is not liable."
The hearing before Mrs Justice Steyn concluded today. Judgment has been reserved.
Jimbuna
10-20-23, 11:54 AM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hSuRvDku7wQ
Rockstar
10-20-23, 03:17 PM
Russian sources disappeared after Trump declassified ex-spy’s evidence, UK court told.
Former MI6 officer’s witness statement criticises ‘reckless’ publication of testimony about ex-president’s Russia links
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/oct/17/russian-sources-disappeared-after-trump-declassified-ex-spys-evidence-uk-court-told
Donald Trump’s decision to declassify evidence given by a former British spy about the former US president’s alleged links with Russia led to the disappearance of two Russian sources, according to a court document.
Christopher Steele, who used to run MI6’s Russia desk, compiled the notorious “Steele dossier” investigating Trump’s connections to Russia. In a witness statement released on Tuesday, Steele said publication of his testimony to the Mueller investigation on the matter, originally classified secret, was an “egregious and reckless act” that “served no purpose other than to expose me and Orbis [Steele’s company], our sources and our methods”.
Trump is attempting to sue Orbis Business Intelligence in England over the dossier, which alleged that he engaged in “perverted sexual behaviour” and paid bribes to Russian officials to further his business interests. The former president is claiming breach of his data protection rights and says the dossier’s claims against him were “false” and “phoney” and caused him reputational damage and distress.
In his witness statement, Steele said the decision to declassify his testimony, taken on Trump’s last day in office, resulted in several Russian sources being exposed and suffering “varying consequences”.
He said: “Two of the named Russian sources have not been seen or heard of since. The publication of this document did serious damage to the US government’s Russian operations and their ability to recruit new Russian sources. The claimant’s [Trump’s] actions in this regard were truly shocking and arguably constitute one of the most egregious breaches of intelligence rules and protocol by the US government in recent times.”
The statement was released a day after a hearing at the high court, the result of which will determine whether Trump can proceed with his case against Orbis, which Steele co-founded.
In his witness statement released on Monday, Trump said bringing the lawsuit against Orbis was “the only way that I can fully demonstrate the total inaccuracies of the personal data in the dossier”. The dossier was published by BuzzFeed in 2017 but Trump accepts Orbis was not legally responsible for this and is suing over the company’s dissemination of it to three individuals.
Orbis, which is seeking to have the claim struck out before it goes to trial, argues it has been brought too late and for the “illegitimate” purpose “of harassing Orbis and Mr Steele and pursuing longstanding grievances”.
In his witness statement, Steele suggested Trump’s discovery of Steele’s friendship with Trump’s daughter Ivanka had damaged their father-daughter relationship, “deepened his animus towards me, and is one of the reasons for his vindictive and vexatious conduct towards me and Orbis”.
In his witness statement, Trump said Ivanka was “completely irrelevant” to the case, adding: “Any inference or allegation that Mr Steele makes about my relationship with my daughter is untrue and disgraceful.”
Orbis also argues that any damage to Trump was done by the BuzzFeed publication, for which it was not responsible, and highlights that Trump’s declassification of the Mueller investigation records led “to further public consideration of its [the dossier’s] contents”.
Robert Mueller’s report on Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election made clear that the Trump campaign was “receptive” to offers of assistance from the Russians but it did not find evidence of a criminal conspiracy.
The judge’s decision on whether Trump’s case against Orbis can go to trial will be made at a later date.
[I] I hope you appreciated this article. Before you move on, I was hoping you would consider choosing to support the Guardian’s journalism.
Rockstar
10-20-23, 06:33 PM
I had wanted to respond to the above statement for a bit of time, but didn't have the opportunity to assemble a comprehensive answer...
First, let's look at the numbers:
Estimated number of homeless veterans in the United States in 2022, by state -
https://www.statista.com/statistics/727819/number-of-homeless-veterans-in-the-us-by-state/
(HUD Report Released Feb 2023)
Did you ever ask yourself why California has such a very large homeless vet population? According to the report, CA has an estimated homeless vet population of 10,395, nearly 5X the number of vets in the second highest state, Florida at 2,279; CA does indeed have a whopping big homeless vet population, but it also has a very long and well documented history of caring for veterans in a fashion well above the standards followed by other states, even those states whose politicians make loud and generalized statements about how very much their states "care" about their vets. It would seem, just by the numbers, that the homeless vets are showing their preference by the way they migrate to CA to seek assistance they really can't seem to get in their own "caring" states; if home really was a hospitable, compassionate place , they would be there, but, apparently, their homes were not...
California history of veteran care goes way back; CA has had Veteran's Homes and facilities dating back to the 1880's when homes the first Veteran's Home was established in San Francisco; now, nearly 140 years later, there are home and facilities for vets across the state:
Welcome to the Veterans Homes of California -
https://www.calvet.ca.gov/calvet-programs/veteran-homes
In addition, there are a number of VA hospitals and other facilities, also across the state to offer support to vets; there really is no lack of support for the vets in CA, but the real problem has been getting the homeless vets to 'come in out of the cold' and take advantage of what is being offered; in a case in point, there is a huge VA facility in West Los Angeles, replete with a Veterans Hospital that is in partnership with the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) Medical Center Complies (one of the finest in the nation and home to the Ronald Reagan Medical Center), so the quality of care there is above the norm for most other VA hospitals; however, large group of homeless vets set up camp on the sidewalks outside the fences surrounding the VA land; the surrounding residential area was understandably concerned and an effort was made to find housing for the vets, but the vets refused to move; the City and County of Los Angeles, through their various social services agencies, did their best to provide services to assist the vets, but the vets would not budge and refused to be moved; resident of the surrounding communities started to question why the VA was not allowing the vets to move onto VA held land (it should be noted the West LA VA property is huge and sprawling; it even encompasses a very large National Military Cemetery); but use of the land for the purposes of housing the vets has hit several snags over the years; the VA land is Federal land and the City, County, and/or State have no real say over the land's use; aside from the Federal reluctance to cede lad for local use, there has been a very long and persistent clamor by real estate developers to try and get a portion of the VA land ceded to them by the VA so they can build luxury housing since the surrounding areas are pretty much fully built out; the developers have been lobbying the VA that if land is ceded for local use for homeless projects, the developers should also get land cede for their own use...
The battles went on for quite some time, but, finally, several yeas ago, a pilot program was proposed and pushed by the local and state governments that the VA finally agreed to accept: a small portion of V land was to be carved out and housing in the form of "tiny houses" were built to get the vets off the sidewalks and into some sort of housing; in addition to the new housing, onsite social services provide by City, County, and State agencies were put in place to offer assistance and counseling in an effort to provide the vets with a path to more permanent housing, employment, and any other needs they might have; it should be noted those services are funded by the local and state governments; well, the tiny houses were built and the Vets were given the offer to move in, but they balked; it seems there were rules put in place to assure the safety and well-being of the residents, and the rules were simple and reasonable: a curfew was set to ensure order, certain items were banned (weapons, alcohol, drugs, etc), and unruly conduct would not be tolerated for the protection of all;; a lot of the 'sidewalk' vets did take advantage of the offers and moved in, some even benefiting from the services and later moving on to permanent housing and finding a better life than on the streets, but a sizeable portion refused, for various reasons, often addiction, to comply with the requirements and remained homeless...
The vets in CA are, indeed, offered a wide number of services and opportunities in this state, but , to paraphrase an old saying goes, "you can lead a homeless vet to a home, but you can't make him live in it"; in addition to the various government agencies in CA, there are a very large number of private, noon-profit secular and religious entities who have outreach programs specifically dedicated to assist vets, homeless or not, to transition into civilian life; and that the main reason why so many homeless vets can be found in CA; the state has a very long history of caring for its residents and providing social services other states balk at extending; we don't have so many homeless vets because we don't care about them, rather it because so many of the other states don't care about them enough...
incidentally, 10,395 homeless veterans may seem like an awful lot, but, given that the total veteran population of CA is 1,525,746, having about .007% still unhoused is not that bad; now if we can only get those remaining vets to be reasonable and take advantage of what Ca is offering...
Veteran Population by State -
https://wisevoter.com/state-rankings/veteran-population-by-state/
One of the reasons I got to this today is I heard a news report on the local news radio about a delegation headed by the Mayor of Los Angeles, Karen Bass along wit some LA City Council members who went to Washington DC to see if they could pry loos some Federal funding to address some of the needs of the CITY of LA, the news station has a report traveling along with the delegation and he reported the delegation had met with a number of Cabinet secretaries and agency head and were making some progress; Karen Bass was a member of Congress for 10 years (five terms) and left to run for and win the office of LA mayor and she knows a lot of the DC crowd and knows where to go to get the attention of the right persons; in one of the reports yesterday, the reporter told of a meeting the delegation had with the Secretary of Veterans Affairs where the delegation was seeking more Federal funds for homeless veteran housing in LA; in the meeting, the delegation was told $100 million dollasr had already been allocated, but no one at Veterans Affairs had made LA aware of the potential loss of the funding:
L.A. could lose $100M of federal funding -
https://www.audacy.com/947thewave/news/l-a-could-lose-usd100m-of-federal-funding
I didn't vote for Bass; I instead voted for her opponent, a billionaire real estate developer (a real one) who left the Ca Sate GOP party when he got fed up the State GOP being overrun by far-right wingnuts, he had been an independent for many years and ran for mayor as a Democrat because he knew an Independent stood little chance of winning and running as GOP in the current CA political climate would have been suicidal; he lost but I still like him and his positions on many issues; however, I've got to give Bass credit for making a real effort to move forward with improving La and its resident's lives; unfortunately for the CA vets, since it would take Congressional action to loosen up that $100 million, as long as the wingnut jackasses are still squabbling amongst themselves and paralyzing the government, I don't see a path forward before the end of the year...
On an upbeat finish, here are examples of recent efforts in LA, in conjunction with the VA to ease homeless vets:
VA opens housing for 59 homeless and at-risk Veterans on West LA Campus -
https://www.va.gov/greater-los-angeles-health-care/news-releases/va-opens-housing-for-59-homeless-and-at-risk-veterans-on-west-la-campus/
Homeless Veterans Transitional Housing, VA Campus Los Angeles -
https://www.laconservancy.org/learn/historic-places/homeless-veterans-transitional-housing-va-campus-los-angeles/
...and this is about some of those "tiny homes' put in place on the VA West LA Campus...
From tents to tiny shelters, VA begins aggressive push in LA to end veteran homelessness -
https://www.stripes.com/veterans/2022-03-14/veterans-affairs-homeless-los-angeles-tiny-shelters-funding-5341053.html
Sorry to have been so lengthy, but its not a simple problem and there are no really simple answers; at least, here in CA, real efforts go on...
<O>
Oh I think every State does OK helping vets, I mean there’s just so much anyone can do to help people get back on their feet. Homelessness affects more than just vets too, but the reasons are much the same. Sometimes it’s lack of motivation or desire to work, depression, drug addiction, mental illness and physical disability, cost of living, dollar losing value, low wages, inflation, housing prices and mortgage rates rising. The list goes on and on, and like ya said there’s no easy answer. Neither can everyone be expected to live as kings either, but things do seem to be getting worse for a lot of people and I think much of it can be attributed to decades of government spending more than it takes in on tax revenue. Every congress and every president (except maybe Clinton) is guilty of borrowing and spending like irresponsible teenage girls.
$2.2 trillion of new debt in 4 months that’s almost $7 trillion annualized, and they keep saying we can definitely afford more wars! :yeah: The dollars keeps losing value and the cost of living keeps rising there’s going to be a helluva lot more homeless.
Jimbuna
10-21-23, 06:23 AM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_wzFSxOvHu4
Onkel Neal
10-21-23, 06:42 AM
Note: If a post is about Trump, it should be posted in this thread, US politics. Thank you.
Rockstar
10-21-23, 07:43 AM
What about spam padding post counts about some guys personal legal problems which add absolutely nothing to the current discussion. Or if the article origin is from U.K. government press and related to the U.K. government, courts, current or former officials? Three quarters of the crap generated about Trump comes from that podunk island’s government run news sources like BBC, Daily Mail, SkyNews. Then they come here spamming the board with it.
Jimbuna
10-21-23, 08:28 AM
Now this would be a turn up for the books if a Democrat ended up becoming the Speaker.
The nonstop chaos that is the Republican speakership battle could hit a new low for the party this weekend if they aren't careful, according to Punchbowl News' Jake Sherman.
The reason for this, writes Sherman, is that Rep. Jim Jordan is planning to pummel his opponents into submission this weekend by holding multiple votes with the hopes of finally achieving his dream of becoming speaker.
The problem, however, is that many Republicans have said they are not sticking around over the weekend, which means that "the GOP has to be very careful about holding speaker votes this weekend" because they "could end up inadvertently electing" Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) as speaker if they don't have an accurate count of which members are present and which have left.
In fact, one Jordan ally, Rep. Derrick Van Orden (R-WI) is already in Israel to conduct a "fact-finding mission," and he flatly said that he sees "no path" for Jordan's victory.
The House has now gone more than two weeks without a speaker after Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) led a rebellion that led to the ouster of Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) as speaker.
Since then, Republican infighting has only grown as the party has completely failed to coalesce around an alternative.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/other/gop-may-inadvertently-elect-hakeem-jeffries-as-speaker-if-they-aren-t-careful-reporter/ar-AA1izBnx?ocid=msedgntp&pc=EDGEDSE&cvid=0c40077471d149629f05a176a82af5b9&ei=19
Rockstar
10-22-23, 08:34 AM
I’ve heard said “you can’t time the markets”. Well, I have discovered the secret to making money on the stock market and you can too. :)
Just follow the trades of our elected officials privy to the best ever insider information and who also regulate the stock market. Only a small fraction of those billions and billions of dollars go to Ukraine. The rest goes into the military industrial complex, that’s where the money is at.
https://i.postimg.cc/Y99c9LWW/IMG-3013.jpg
https://i.postimg.cc/QMvPXYhR/IMG-3015.jpg
https://i.postimg.cc/hjxYh8Gh/IMG-3014.jpg
Jimbuna
10-22-23, 11:32 AM
Don't see Tom Emmer on the list above but apparently he is the latest to throw his hat into the ring to become Speaker.
Minnesota Congressman Tom Emmer has officially thrown his hat into the ring for Speaker of the House as the legislative branch heads into its third, leaderless week.
Representative Emmer announced his bid on Saturday to become the next Republican speaker in a lengthy statement on X, formerly Twitter.
“I will always be honest and direct with all of you, even if we disagree. I will never make a promise I cannot fulfill. I expect to be held accountable and you can expect that we will also keep you to your word,” Rep. Emmer wrote.
His announcement comes after Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan failed to obtain enough votes in his third attempt to grasp the speakership. The GOP conference held a secret vote determining they would no longer support the bid of Mr Jordan, a founder of the far-right House Freedom Caucus.
Mr Emmer, who serves as majority whip for the House GOP, will be the latest to attempt to secure 217 votes.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/world/who-is-tom-emmer-the-latest-house-speaker-hopeful-endorsed-by-mccarthy/ar-AA1iCO24?ocid=msedgntp&pc=EDGEDSE&cvid=ef6d69a87b6240009b7a0f8e5d490c12&ei=26
Last week, using Emmer's name was more like a "protest vote". :yep:
I smell a rat. :hmmm:
Rockstar
10-22-23, 01:47 PM
Glad to see Mitch is doing better, but I would like to emphasize that when he says rebuilding the industrial base. I’m fairly certain he really means [military] industrial base. Which of course ties into my post above alerting you to how elected officials profit from insider information and war.
https://youtu.be/jk-daoAtwO8?feature=shared
Rockstar
10-22-23, 03:17 PM
https://youtu.be/cU7SSxDXOH8?feature=shared
les green01
10-22-23, 03:56 PM
what i can't figure out is them antijewish protesters took over the capital where the arrest and threats of arrest
Rockstar
10-22-23, 04:58 PM
I’m sure if anyone broke the law they will be tracked down and either arrested or subpoenaed to appear. It makes no sense to politicize it because all that will do is motivate those Islamic terrorist sleeper cells who infiltrated our country through our southern border. :D
em2nought
10-22-23, 05:46 PM
what i can't figure out is them antijewish protesters took over the capital where the arrest and threats of arrest
Two words: Banana Republic :03:
Two words: Banana Republic :03:
The condition on these bananas ? Fresh or rotten ?
Markus
Jimbuna
10-23-23, 12:17 PM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cV9e2PJQ63c
I’m sure if anyone broke the law they will be tracked down and either arrested or subpoenaed to appear. It makes no sense to politicize it because all that will do is motivate those Islamic terrorist sleeper cells who infiltrated our country through our southern border. :D
Actually, in the past, almost all of the "sleeper" terrorists entered the US the old fashioned way: legally; taking advantage of US immigration laws giving visas willy-nilly to seemingly just about anybody, terrorists have entered easily through the airports of the US as tourists, students, etc, and set up camp before they have acted (a few even sauntered across the Canadian border); no need for them to dodge US ICE officials on the Southern Border or mix with the other immigrants; it is one of the great myths of the Far Right that terrorist are teeming across the Rio Grande: they just don't need to do it and they have the added advantage of seeming to be here on legitimate reasons; it has been one of my long time pet peeves that, while the Far Right yowls and whines about the Southern Border, they do next to nothing to address the gaping hole in the "legitimate" immigration schemes, such as giving long term visas to foreign businesspersons (the purported intent being to foster better 'business relationships'), allowing pregnant women to travel to the US specifically for the purpose of having their children become automatic US citizen (giving the parents and other near relatives the ability to also stay long term in the US without having to go through extensive measures used on other immigrants), and a host of other loopholes and exceptions woven into the current US immigration laws; the real existential danger to the US is not from some guy or gall illegal who wants to just get a job at minimum (or less) wage, its from the educated, intelligent agents of those organizations and nations seeking to cause havoc and destruction against the US and its interests...
Added to the terrorism threat, an awful lot of the imported highly dangerous illegal drugs coming into the US are being brought through the regular ports and airports across the US, and very little, relatively, by person trying to cross the Southern borders illegally; again, there is very little need for the illegal drug importers, who deal in rather high volumes of product, to jeopardize their shipment by having it split up into carry-able portion, parse that out to ground "mules" and risk having their product lost during crossing; the fewer persons involved in the actual transportation, the fewer persons to likely turn state's evidence against the wholesalers; if you are a Chinese drug exporter, it is a logistical pain in the butt to direct your shipments to Mexico, break it down, an then have to depend on a bunch of :coyotes" to some how get it across the Southern Border, especially not when you can just lump your product into, say, a shipping container loaded with knock of product or other such goods and pass it along through a very porous dock or airport; and as for the product coming up from or through Mexico, its again easier to have the product just piggyback on trucks carrying legitimate products being pretty much waved through the official boarder points...
Bottom line: you can build all the walls you want, as high and long as you want, but if you don's also address the sieve in the immigration enforcement for "legitimate" immigration, the real problems and danger will continue to exist...
As an example of the porousness of immigration laws an their enforcement other than at the Southern Border, here is the assessment by the official US National Commission on Terrorist Attacks detailing the pats of the 9/11 hijackers into the US:
Entry of the 9/11 Hijackers into the United States
Staff Statement No. 1 -
https://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/staff_statements/staff_statement_1.pdf
One more thing: as an example of how idiotic the existing 'legitimate' immigration policy really is, let's look at the O-1 Visa, commonly known as the "Genius Visa"; the purported intent was to facilitate the migration of highly specialized foreign individuals who may have the capability to contribute to the betterment of the US; here is the actual introductory text from the USCIS website describing the nature of the O-1 Visa:
The O-1 nonimmigrant visa is for the individual who possesses extraordinary ability in the sciences, arts, education, business, or athletics, or who has a demonstrated record of extraordinary achievement in the motion picture or television industry and has been recognized nationally or internationally for those achievements.
The visa can grant up to an initial three (3) years of stay in the country withe a possible open-ended extension after that period; however good the initial intentions of the O-1 Visa program, it has devolved into a sham individuals who either outright do not meet the criteria, or have very little of the requirements, are getting O-1 Visas mainly through political patronage, financial backing, or other means of circumvention, so basically the wealthy and/or the connected can pretty much get some undeserving people into the country; a case in point: a US billionaire got his foreign born fiance into the US (who would otherwise have had to stand in line like the rest of the law-abiding hopefuls seek legal residency in the US) by having her declared eligible under the provisions of the "Genius Visa", in spite of the fact she was totally lacking when it came to even remotely satisfying the criteria for an O-1 Visa; the name of the couple who used the husband's connections and perceived financial power to finagle the visa: Melania Knauss, and her future husband, Donald Trump...
Try as one might to finesse the language of the intent of the Law, it seems highly improbable Melania, or anyone else with her background, would really be an eligible candidate for an O-1 Visa...
Here is a link to USCIS web page specifically about the o-1 Visa
O-1 Visa: Individuals with Extraordinary Ability or Achievement -
https://www.uscis.gov/working-in-the-united-states/temporary-workers/o-1-visa-individuals-with-extraordinary-ability-or-achievement
<O>
Rockstar
10-23-23, 08:57 PM
Just in today :03: IMO I think everyone is starting a CYOA campaign of “see we told you so” so as to deflect blame when some terrorist who crossed an open border commits an act of terrorism. As for the 9-11 hijackers they pursued legal entry in order to get training and jobs here.
Feds warn Hamas terrorists may enter US through southern border, report says
https://americanmilitarynews.com/2023/10/feds-warn-hamas-terrorists-may-enter-us-through-southern-border-report-says/
Federal officials are increasingly concerned that members of Hamas could soon be entering the United States through the southern border.
Having a wall and a secure border would be really nice right about now.
According to an internal memo from the San Diego Field Office Intelligence Division of Customs and Border Protection, the Israel-Hamas war may cause terror-linked individuals to cross through the southern border into the United States.
The memo, which was obtained by the Daily Caller, specifically told agents to be on the lookout for "Hamas, Hezbollah, Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP)" and other groups.
"San Diego Field Office Intelligence Unit assesses that individuals inspired by, or reacting to the current Israel-Hamas conflict may attempt travel to or from the area of hostilities in the Middle East via circuitous transit across the Southwest border," the memo said.
"Foreign fighters motivated by ideology or mercenary soldiers of fortune may attempt to obfuscate travel to or from the US to or from countries in the Middle East through Mexico."
em2nought
10-23-23, 11:04 PM
Just in today :03: IMO I think everyone is starting a CYOA campaign of “see we told you so” so as to deflect blame when some terrorist who crossed an open border commits an act of terrorism. As for the 9-11 hijackers they pursued legal entry in order to get training and jobs here.
Feds warn Hamas terrorists may enter US through southern border, report says
I guess they're not so worried about us fat ol' Trump voters anymore. :har:
Rockstar
10-24-23, 09:47 AM
Inflation expectations jump the most since Biden's disastrous 2022. This means Americans are starting to "build in" higher prices to their future plans. Which becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. People raise prices to account for future inflation, and that leads to yet more inflation. It can become a feedback loop with the Fed losing all control.
https://youtu.be/LApAHYOzAIU?feature=shared
Jimbuna
10-24-23, 09:50 AM
Hopefully matters will soon come to a swift conclusion.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=inKf0LiGVOM
Rockstar
10-24-23, 09:56 AM
I guess they're not so worried about us fat ol' Trump voters anymore. :har:
No, because any conservative, Republican or independent voter wanting to strengthen a border with a good’ ol fashion wall in their state still makes them a racist, a fascist, and an extremist. Only states run by the saintly, caring, Democrats are allowed to have a wall built along their border. :03:
Once you make it on the ‘lookout list’ you stay on it. :D
Rockstar
10-24-23, 02:29 PM
Spending billions more to support military action in the Middle East will benefit the military industrial complex. It will harm most Americans by accelerating the growth of our government’s over $33 trillion in debt.
Spending billions supporting Sanctuary Cities isn’t much different. Somebody is making an awful lot of money from it and it ain’t you or the migrants.
You just foot the bill. GO TEAM D! GO TEAM R! Not much difference between them or their fanboys.
Buddahaid
10-25-23, 12:49 AM
Now Jenna Ellis has pled guilty making it three lawers and one other turning State’s evidence in the Georgia RICO case. Also it has been confirmed Mark Meadows has been given immunity for testimony in Jack Smith’s J6 case. The circle is getting tighter around Trump.
Jimbuna
10-25-23, 06:14 AM
Three key moments from Trump's court reunion with Michael Cohen
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-67212196
Rockstar
10-25-23, 08:54 AM
Progressives rebel against Biden’s handling of Israel-Gaza crisis
Story by Marisa Iati, Colby Itkowitz • 7h
Cordell Cox has volunteered for a Democrat in every presidential race since Barack Obama’s 2008 run. Next year, he might sit it out.
Cox, a 33-year-old in Michigan, said he’ll probably still cast a ballot for President Biden if he’s the Democratic nominee. But, Cox said, he won’t work to increase turnout and fears that some of his friends will choose a third-party candidate or decline to vote altogether.
To them, Biden’s handling of the violence in Israel and Gaza has been unacceptable. As the White House advocates for sending $14 billion in aid to Israel, Cox and his like-minded friends commiserate in a group text about their shared belief that, as Cox said in an interview, “we should stop sending money and bombs to other countries while we can’t fix the water crisis in Flint, [Mich.,] or feed our homeless.”
That sentiment reflects a surge of pro-Palestinian feelings on the part of progressives, especially younger ones, that could jeopardize the fragile alliance Biden has carefully nurtured with the left over the past three years. From climate change to student loans to labor activism, Biden’s policies and rhetoric have won over many liberals who have long been suspicious of him, and several prominent progressive leaders vowed last summer to back Biden for another term.
But in recent days, former staffers to congressional Democrats have criticized Biden’s refusal to call for a cease-fire in Gaza. Hundreds of demonstrators were arrested after protesting at the White House and the Capitol making the same demand. A State Department official and a staff member for Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) resigned. Crowd members booed a Muslim White House official who spoke at the funeral of a Palestinian American boy killed in what authorities say was a hate crime.
Former president Barack Obama released a statement on Monday that defended those on the left worried about the plight of Palestinians, writing, “it is possible for people of good will to champion Palestinian rights and oppose certain Israeli government policies in the West Bank and Gaza without being anti-semitic.”
The growing schism over Israel is especially evident as the war has been front-and-center in Biden’s public appearances since Oct. 7, when Hamas militants crossed the border and killed at least 1,400 Israelis, prompting Israel to respond with airstrikes. The debate threatens to complicate Biden’s bid for another term, especially since some younger Democrats are already expressing hesitation or anxiety about his candidacy.
With the election a year away, the war could well fade into the background by the time Americans cast their ballots. But in interviews, progressive voters and younger activists said they will not forget Biden’s full-throated support of Israel, and Arab and Muslim groups have also expressed anger about U.S. backing for Israel’s airstrikes on Gaza, which Palestinian officials say have killed about 5,800 people.
Democrats' unity starts to splinter on Israel-Gaza
“You can want Israel to be safe, you can condemn what Hamas did — and you can not want Palestinian civilians to be killed,” said a Democratic aide who signed a letter supporting a cease-fire, speaking on the condition of anonymity out of fear of a backlash. “All of those things aren’t in conflict. They aren’t morally in conflict. Yet the dynamic on the Hill has reached this place where those are in conflict and you have to pick a side.”
Josiah Wampfler, who worked for Sen. Bernie Sanders’s 2020 presidential campaign, said he reluctantly voted for Biden in the general election that year. A videographer in Wisconsin, Wampfler said he was pleasantly surprised by Biden’s foreign policy in office — until the president’s response to the Israel-Gaza violence, which he called “atrocious.”
Wampfler said he probably would still vote for Biden next year, especially if former president Donald Trump is the Republican nominee, but that he understands that others with his viewpoint might not. “To see the blatant destruction that is happening right now and to see my president fully supporting it … it’s unconscionable,” Wampfler said.
Biden’s initial reaction to the Hamas attacks was to call them “sheer evil” and emphasize that Israel had a right to defend itself against the militant group. Since then, he has also emphasized that Israel should abide by international law, urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu not to be “consumed by rage,” and repeatedly pushed for humanitarian aid to flow into Gaza.
“We can’t ignore the humanity of innocent Palestinians who only want to live in peace and have an opportunity,” Biden said Thursday in an Oval Office address, drawing a distinction between Hamas and innocent Palestinians.
Asked about the dissent, White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre said Biden supports Americans’ right to speak out if they feel the administration is missing the mark. “As it relates to protests, peaceful protests, people have the right to do that,” she said Monday.
Ammar Moussa, a spokesman for Biden’s campaign, said the president has been unequivocal in opposing Islamophobia. Moussa also sought to contrast Biden’s handling of issues affecting Muslim and Palestinian communities with that of Trump, who leads in polls for the Republican presidential nomination.
As president, Trump banned travel from several predominantly Muslim countries. Last week, he proposed restrictions on immigration for Hamas sympathizers and critics of Israel. Trump has vowed that if elected, he would expand his travel ban and reject refugees from Gaza.
“As MAGA Republicans continue to run on an openly [Islamophobic] platform — including renewed support for Donald Trump’s Muslim ban — the stakes of next year’s election could not be more consequential,” Moussa said in a statement. “President Biden continues to work closely and proudly with leaders in the Muslim and Palestinian communities in America, to listen to them, stand up for them, and fight back against hate.”
State Dept. official resigns, citing objection to Israel arms transfers
But some activists argue that Biden and other Democratic leaders are making a political miscalculation if they assume young liberals will support them regardless of their position on Israel.
“I think that they are taking all that for granted, believing that those people will inevitably vote for President Biden over anything else,” said Usamah Andrabi, a spokesman for Justice Democrats, an organization that seeks to elect liberals to Congress. “When that is actually a failure of Democratic leadership, to not actually listen to those voters and see what they are demanding.”
Polling on Israel and the U.S. response to the current crisis reveals a significant generational divide. In a Quinnipiac University poll released this month, about half of voters ages 18 to 34 expressed disapproval of the United States sending weapons to Israel. In contrast, 59 percent of voters ages 35 to 49 said they approve, with even stronger support among older age groups.
In part, those figures reflect an evolution of attitudes on Israel, especially in the Democratic Party. Many Democrats of Biden’s generation — who witnessed Israel’s early days, when it was a vulnerable and left-leaning country founded in the aftermath of the Holocaust — view it as an indispensable haven for Jews. (“I think without Israel, there’s not a Jew in the world who’s secure,” Biden said on his recent trip to Israel.)
Younger Democrats, in contrast, know Israel as a powerful country that has severely restricted the lives of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank, and visible solidarity with Palestinians has grown within the party. That is reflected in the 400 congressional staff members who anonymously signed a letter to their bosses appealing for a shift in the U.S. approach to the war.
The signatories asked the lawmakers to demand a cease-fire and cessation of hostilities, the safe return of nearly 200 Hamas-held hostages, and the provision of additional humanitarian aid to Gaza…
The U.S. economy is crashing, consumer prices inflating, people’s savings are being wiped out, deficit spending continues to add TRILLIONS of debt, no control over the southern border, supporting two proxy wars with no real clear objective AGAIN and adding even more debt, major metropolitan cities crumbling under the weight of unabated immigration, drug use, and crime.
And this is what Democrats and those padding post counts fear the most. vvv.
One Democratic aide who signed the letter said they feared that the White House and the Biden campaign were underestimating the “sea change” in public opinion toward the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Many young voters might sit out the election if they feel disappointed in Biden, said the aide, who spoke on the condition of anonymity out of fear of backlash.
“We’re worried the decisions are empowering Trump and making people leave the Democratic Party,” the aide said.
Calls for cease-fire divide Democrats
More than 250 people who worked on the 2020 presidential campaign of Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) sent a separate letter to their former boss expressing disappointment that she had not advocated for a cease-fire. A smaller group of people who worked on the campaign of Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) sent him a similar letter.
Progressive activist Max Berger, who worked on Warren’s campaign, said he signed the letter because elected Democrats’ response to the war has felt disconnected from many Democratic voters. He said he was disappointed that the White House castigated as “disgraceful” the statements of liberal Democratic lawmakers who called for a cease-fire without publicly supporting Israel.
“On the politics, I think they’re really messing this up,” said Berger, who co-founded IfNotNow, a group that organizes Jewish people to help “end U.S. support for Israel’s apartheid system.” He added that there are already many young voters that “Biden is already going to have trouble turning out in ’24 and really needs. He can’t afford to lose enthusiasm among marginal voters in that demographic.”
A spokesman for Warren, Alex Sarabia, pointed to a response she gave last week, when she said “I respect my former staffers, who are doing exactly what I have always encouraged them to do — stand up and fight for what they believe in.”
Marianela D’Aprile, a writer who previously volunteered with the Democratic Socialists of America, attributed the shift in opinion among younger Americans to a broader awareness of oppression in the United States. She said social media has made it particularly easy to see other people’s pain.
“I think that the kind of imagination leap that it might take for the average American to empathize and be kind of understanding of what’s going on with people and what’s happening to people in Gaza, that leap is a lot smaller than it was maybe 20 years ago,” D’Aprile said.
When are they going to finally figure it out that it is the above stupidity that gave us Trump in the first place. VOTERS are tired of a crap U.S. economy, consumer prices inflating, people’s savings are being wiped out, deficit spending continues to add TRILLIONS of debt, no control over the southern border, supporting two proxy wars with no real clear objective AGAIN and adding even more debt, major metropolitan cities crumbling under the weight of unabated immigration, drug use, and crime.
Rockstar
10-25-23, 01:44 PM
The last administration kicked out the terrorist and their office and Biden turns right around and hires them to positions in our own government. And people wonder how and why Trump was voted in. The below article is a prime example why.
The U.S. Gov’t Hired A Pro-Hamas PLO Spokeswoman To Handle Asylum Claims
"******* Israel, the government, and its military. Are you ready for your downfall?" Department of Homeland Security officer Nejwa Ali said.
By Luke Rosiak
•
Oct 18, 2023 DailyWire.com
https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-u-s-govt-hired-a-pro-hamas-plo-spokeswoman-to-handle-asylum-claims
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The U.S. immigration enforcement agency hired a former spokeswoman for the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) and put her in a position to determine who gets to come into the country as an immigrant or “asylum seeker.” Now the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officer is repeatedly posting pictures of Hamas terrorists parachuting in with guns and writing, “******* Israel and any Jew who supports Israel,” a Daily Wire investigation found.
Nejwa Ali worked in 2016 and 2017 as a public affairs officer for the Palestinian Delegation to the U.S., which according to its own website, served as the “PLO office in D.C.” That office was expelled from the country by the Trump administration, but Ali landed on her feet, according to a screenshot of her LinkedIn profile, securing a job at DHS as an “Asylum Officer,” where she was tasked with “applying immigration laws and regulations to asylum applications.”
This January, she moved over to being an Adjudication Officer for the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (CIS). People with that job, according to the agency, “analyze new or amended legislation and policy, prepare written reports of findings, and review and make determinations on cases for immigration benefits.”
Though Ali’s job at DHS included vetting people to make sure they were not a threat to the country before letting them in, it’s not clear that anyone from the agency vetted her. That her primary allegiance was to the Palestinians, not the United States, was evident from her social media profiles, where she posts as “Falastine Mi Amor.”
She has posted extremist rhetoric continuously to Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for years — rhetoric that intensified this month as Palestinian terrorists murdered over 1,000 Jews on October 7 and Ali cheered. “******* Israel, the government, and its military. Are you ready for your downfall?” she wrote on Instagram after the attacks.
According to her social media profiles — which say she is “American born, Palestinian @ heart” — Ali is from Dearborn, Michigan, a hotbed of unassimilated immigrants where thousands reportedly took to the streets in support of the Hamas terrorist attacks on Israel.
Ali has made several posts glorifying the terrorist attacks on Israel, including one depicting armed terrorists paragliding into the Jewish state with the caption, “Free PALESTINE.”
Several of Ali’s posts glorifying the terrorist attacks include the statement, “Respect our existence, or expect resistance. Simple. No Apologies,” a suggestion that as long as Israel exists on what she considers occupied land, attacks on civilians are acceptable.
Jews seeking to come to America might have a hard time if Ali were their immigration officer. “Israeli, American privilege is disgusting. When Israelis acknowledge the government and military are solely responsible for the attack. Period,” she wrote. “I hold every Israeli accountable for their governments [sic] actions, IF they do not speak against Israel.”
On October 9, she posted to Facebook: “How Nejwa wakes up,” accompanied by a video captioned “******* Israel and any Jew that supports Israel” and a photo that says “A nation that has nothing but Allah has everything it will ever need.” She also added an anti-Semitic cartoon of a Jewish nose.
She has also claimed that the media is pushing Israeli propaganda, mimicking a common anti-Semitic refrain that Jewish people control the press.
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“Palestine will be free one day. ******* APARTHEID Israel and any Israeli that supports that bulls***. ******* you, may Allah forgive you. and spare us the crocodile tears, I sure as hell give zero *******s,” she wrote on Instagram.
USCIS spokesman Matthew Bourke told The Daily Wire that “USCIS strongly condemns antisemitism and the use of violent rhetoric in any form.”
“USCIS employees are held to high ethical standards both on and off duty, including their presence on social media,” Bourke said. “Any violation of these standards is taken seriously by the agency.”
But a day after The Daily Wire asked the agency about Ali, she told The Daily Wire in a phone call that she still works for DHS, and was decidedly unchastened.
Asked if she disclosed her employment with the PLO to DHS, she said “That’s none of your *******ing business. Mind your business before I call the police. If I were you I’d respectfully hang up the phone right now.”
Asked if her views on Israel impacted her ability to work as an American government official, she said, “That does not affect the ability to do my job at all. You can mind your own business.”
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USCIS declined to say why it would hire someone who previously worked for a foreign quasi-government that was expelled from the United States and put them in position to determine who was allowed to come into the country.
It said, “applicants seeking employment with USCIS are thoroughly vetted and subject to extensive security and background checks before they can receive a permanent position with the agency.”
But it declined to shed light on the two apparent possibilities: that USCIS either knowingly hired a PLO employee who had demonstrated extremist views, or it was completely in the dark about its own employees’ recent employment and public records.
USCIS would not say whether it called PLO officials for a job reference — calling past employers is a standard part of the government vetting process. Ali has recently scrubbed her LinkedIn profile of her work with the PLO, as well as an internship with UNRWA, the United Nations agency tasked with helping Palestinians.
Ali’s extreme foreign policy views were evident long before she was hired by the government in 2019, during the Trump administration. Her clear animating force in life appears to be pushing the Islamic socialist message of the PLO.
During the Obama administration, on social media she lobbied for it to “BOYCOTT ISRAEL” and “End AID 2 ISRAEL,” and during the 2016 election, she complained that “Republicans OBSESS over Israel” and called for “decolonization.”
“******* APARTHEID Israel and any Israeli that supports that bulls***. ******* you, may allah forgive you,” she wrote, alongside pictures of violent leftist Americans Assata Shakur and Malcolm X. In 2017, she posted a picture of herself grinning in front of a statute of Che Guevara, the murderous Communist militant.
https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/10/18556398_10101359938584405_5812761505162818395_n.j pg
The United States is facing pressure from the political Left to welcome Palestinian refugees into the country amid Israel’s war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip. It is officers like Ali who would be tasked with advising the government whether or not it would be safe to grant entry to an applicant.
Ali’s position on Israel goes squarely against the policy of the United States. President Joe Biden has said that his administration stands firmly with Israel, and has pledged to support it in its war against terrorists.
Rockstar
10-25-23, 04:09 PM
The Pentagon confirms that 30 U.S. soldiers have been wounded in rocket and drone strikes against U.S. bases in Syria and Iraq in the past week.
Where’s the response? We’ve gone from four years of no new wars to this administration hiring terrorists and edging us closer to wwiii since ‘The Big Guy’ took office :har:
The Pentagon confirms that 30 U.S. soldiers have been wounded in rocket and drone strikes against U.S. bases in Syria and Iraq in the past week.
Where’s the response? We’ve gone from four years of no new wars to this administration hiring terrorists and edging us closer to wwiii since ‘The Big Guy’ took office :har:
The response will come when and where US army feel fit for doing so.
No doubt the collector of these bombs will be Iran.
Markus
Rockstar
10-25-23, 05:17 PM
It’s not up to the army deciding where and when, such things are determined by politicians.
em2nought
10-25-23, 05:22 PM
It’s not up to the army deciding where and when, such things are determined by politicians.
i.e. The lap dogs of the military industrial complex, except for Ike and he who must not be mentioned lest they throw you in a deep dark hole. :D
It’s not up to the army deciding where and when, such things are determined by politicians.
True, however they listen to the military before giving the go ahead order.
Markus
Rockstar
10-25-23, 06:23 PM
True, however they listen to the military before giving the go ahead order.
Markus
Oh most certainly ideas and plans are shared between the JCS and civilian officials. But in end our military gets its objective and marching orders from POTUS. Even how the military accomplishes the political goals of the president requires some measure of supervision from POTUS.
Sure it would get messy but, if the generals had their way they’d probably put an end to all our worldwide political problems within 24 hours. ;)
Oh most certainly ideas and plans are shared between the JCS and civilian officials. But in end our military gets its objective and marching orders from POTUS. Even how the military accomplishes the political goals of the president requires some measure of supervision from POTUS.
Sure it would get messy but, if the generals had their way they’d probably put an end to all our worldwide political problems within 24 hours. ;)
They made a movie about that I think. Dr. Strangelove (or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb). :03:
em2nought
10-25-23, 11:13 PM
But in end our military gets its objective and marching orders from POTUS
Unless they become woke like General Milley. :hmmm: Report: Gen. Milley secretly promised China he’d warn them before a US attackhttps://americanmilitarynews.com/2021/09/report-gen-milley-secretly-promised-china-hed-warn-them-before-a-us-attack/
Buddahaid
10-25-23, 11:49 PM
Unless they become woke like General Milley. :hmmm: https://americanmilitarynews.com/2021/09/report-gen-milley-secretly-promised-china-hed-warn-them-before-a-us-attack/
Yawn, blah, blah, blah...
Jimbuna
10-26-23, 05:46 AM
It took awhile but at long last.
After several unsuccessful candidacies and a chaotic three weeks, Louisiana Republican Mike Johnson has managed to unite his party behind him as the new Speaker of the House.
The social conservative lawmaker has allies among the most fiery right-wing figures in American politics, including former President Donald Trump.
But his reputation as well-liked House member who is respected by different factions of his party, from the most conservative to the more moderate, likely helped him secure the Speaker's gavel.
Mr Johnson, a lawyer and a former talk radio host, has represented the 4th district of Louisiana since 2017.
He is serving his fourth term as Vice Chairman of the House Republican Conference, and also holds positions on two influential House committees - Judiciary and Armed Services.
An evangelical Christian, Mr Johnson has previously defended Louisiana's ban on same-sex marriage in 2004.
In 2022, he introduced a bill that would have banned schools from promoting or discussing gender identity.
Mr Johnson also has been vocal in his opposition for abortion rights, calling the overturning of Roe v Wade "great, joyous occasion".
"I am a Christian, a husband, a father, a life-long conservative, constitutional law attorney and a small business owner in that order," he told the Louisiana Baptist Message newspaper in 2016.
By the hard right, Mr Johnson is viewed a loyalist of Mr Trump and a fellow staunch conservative. Moderate Republicans see him as a pragmatic and level-headed leader who can maintain conservative values while still passing legislation.
"He's one of those people who gets along with everybody and is well-respected," Colorado Republican Ken Buck told CNN.
Mr Trump, who has publicly spoken out against other Republican nominees for Speaker, praised Mr Johnson on Wednesday.
"I haven't heard one negative comment about him," Mr Trump said outside a Manhattan court on Wednesday, where he is attending his civil fraud trial.
"Everybody likes him, he's respected by all," he said.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-67201933
Rockstar
10-26-23, 08:51 AM
It took awhile but at long last.
Here’s something to help you get to know him. A little about what he and others in a Republican Study Committee proposed back in 2020. Paying particular attention to pages 29-38
https://rsc-hern.house.gov/sites/evo-subsites/republicanstudycommittee.house.gov/files/%5BFINAL%5D%20NSTF%20Report.pdf
And this…
https://youtu.be/Cj6TwtgsOrc?feature=shared
Jimbuna
10-27-23, 08:10 AM
Another Republican presidential candidate ends campaign and endorses Trump
Larry Elder is bowing out after his "We've got a country to save" mission didn't appear to resonate with voters and backers.
“As I look at the path forward, and after careful consideration and consultation with my campaign team, I have made the difficult decision to suspend my campaign,” he said, according to a statement posted on Twitter/X.
The conservative talk radio host made waves in the race when over the summer he'd kicked around suing the the Republican party (along with fellow candidate Perry Johnson) after being deemed unable to meet the debate requirements.
He said at the time: “I said from the beginning that it appeared the rules of the game were rigged, little did we know just how rigged it is...For some reason, the establishment leaders at the RNC are afraid of having my voice on the debate stage.”
Elder's bid for White House came only a couple years after he attempted to unseat California Gov. Gavin Newsom in a moribund 2021 recall election campaign. He said today that he was hanging up his bullhorn and backing Trump.
“Now that I am exiting the race, I am proud to announce my endorsement of Donald Trump for President of the United States,” he said. “His leadership has been instrumental in advancing conservative, America-first principles and policies that have benefited our great nation. We must unite behind Donald Trump to beat Joe Biden and fight back against Biden’s unprecedented election interference and the left’s destruction of America.”
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/world/another-republican-presidential-candidate-ends-campaign-and-endorses-trump/ar-AA1iViKt?ocid=msedgntp&pc=EDGEDSE&cvid=060cc34dd5d2420899ed032cc7542511&ei=10
Rockstar
10-27-23, 01:30 PM
https://youtu.be/xm8lyismRdU?feature=shared
https://i.postimg.cc/fTzHX7s2/IMG-3052.jpg
https://i.postimg.cc/rsJQ3s1N/IMG-3051.jpg
Jeff-Groves
10-27-23, 02:08 PM
https://i.postimg.cc/rsJQ3s1N/IMG-3051.jpg
And that would be where I say Taxation with Representation has the Founders of this Country rolling in their graves.
Jimbuna
10-28-23, 09:59 AM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JxKP1sKLC4s
les green01
10-28-23, 12:41 PM
i would almost rather vote for a turd in a toilet than anyone running or sitting in office now
em2nought
10-28-23, 12:52 PM
I can't think of anything that would be better than having a sitting President running our country from a jail cell. It's where our entire gov't belongs don't you know? :D
I've been reading up on the information whether a prisoner can run for office and if people can put their vote on this person.
Here is what i discovered:
1. It's up to the congress to remover a politicians protection
2. Yes Americans can put their vote on an inmate.
The question is-Would it still be possible to vote on an inmate, if the congress has removed their protection(not the correct word)
Markus
les green01
10-28-23, 01:38 PM
im no lawyer Markus but i would say depends on what they found them guilty of if treason and starting a overthrow of the government then the office would go to vp or should
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C__x_wuG8s8
<O>
Rockstar
10-28-23, 04:33 PM
With democrats you don’t need to listen to a comedian’s monologue for a chuckle. Just let them be themselves and they will put on display their own willful ignorance and stupidity for a good laugh and a cry. Unfortunately, the utter ignorance of Biden’s National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan has placed our troops in jeopardy again. Not the best of reasons to go to war if you ask me, I wonder what Colbert would say?
Jake wrote an essay for Foreign Affairs that went to print before Oct 7. For the online version that came out yesterday, they let him not just add new material but scrub the sections embarrassed by events. Some deleted gems from the original, not available online
“The Israeli-Palestinian situation is tense, particularly in the West Bank, but in the face of serious frictions, we have de-escalated crises in Gaza and restored direct diplomacy between the parties after years of its absence.”
When Biden became president, “US troops were under regular attack in Iraq and Syria…Such attacks, at least for now, have largely stopped.”
Biden’s “disciplined approach frees up resources for other global priorities, reduces the risk of new Middle Eastern conflicts, and ensures that US interests are protected on a far more sustainable basis.”
“We have acted militarily to protect US personnel, and we have enhanced deterrence, combined with diplomacy, to discourage further [Iranian] aggression.”
the region is quieter than it has been for decades. The progress is fragile, to be sure. But it is also not an accident... [Biden's] approach returns discipline to US policy. It emphasizes deterring aggression, de-escalating conflicts, and integrating the region...”
https://i.postimg.cc/wBnDwwrY/IMG-3035.jpg
https://i.postimg.cc/x1xvzfyC/IMG-3036.jpg
Jimbuna
10-29-23, 06:10 AM
Was surprised to learn Pence has dropped out of the running yesterday.
Rockstar
10-29-23, 12:44 PM
Federal Real Property:
Preliminary Results Show Federal Buildings Remain Underutilized Due to Longstanding Challenges and Increased Telework
GAO-23-106200
Published: Jul 13, 2023. Publicly Released: Jul 13, 2023.
https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-23-106200
The federal government's office spaces cost billions every year to lease, operate, and maintain. Even before the pandemic, agencies struggled to determine how much office space they actually needed.
In this testimony, we discuss the 21.5 million square feet of usable office space—conference rooms, team rooms, and offices—in the headquarters buildings of 24 agencies. During 3 weeks in January, February, and March of this year, 17 agencies' buildings were at 25% capacity or less.
We also discuss the financial, environmental, and opportunity costs of underused office space and the challenges to addressing this issue, according to agency officials.
What GAO Found
Federal agencies have long struggled to determine how much office space they needed to fulfill their missions efficiently. Retaining excess and underutilized space is one of the main reasons that federal real property management has remained on GAO's High-Risk List since 2003. Seventeen of the 24 federal agencies in GAO's review used an estimated average 25 percent or less of their headquarters buildings' capacity in a three-week sample period across January, February, and March of 2023. On the higher range, agencies used an estimated 39 to 49 percent of the capacity of their headquarters on average.
Quartile Weekly Utilization Estimated Averages of Federal Headquarters Buildings across Three-Week Sample (One week in each of January, February, and March 2023)
https://www.gao.gov/assets/extracts/28b4faf1e1ac419377a85a8fd3fcc169/rId14_image2.png
Underutilized office space has financial and environmental costs. Federal agencies spend about $2 billion a year to operate and maintain federal office buildings regardless of the buildings' utilization. In addition, agencies spend about $5 billion annually to lease office buildings. Any reduction in office space could reduce these costs. Office buildings also have environmental costs that could be lowered with better utilization. For example, GSA renovated and reduced its current agency real estate footprint, which helped reduce energy consumption and costs.
Agency real property officials identified challenges to increasing their headquarters building utilization.
Funding. Additional budget resources are needed to reconfigure existing space to increase utilization and support a hybrid work environment.
Potential policy changes. Concerns about the future of in-office attendance policies and habits have caused a reluctance to reduce headquarters space.
Standards. There are no standards for how federal agencies should measure utilization to guide agency efforts.
Culture. Agency leaders can be reluctant to share headquarters space among inner-agency components or other agencies.
Why GAO Did This Study
The federal government owns over 500 million square feet of office space that costs billions annually. As the country emerges from the pandemic, the federal government has a unique opportunity to reconsider how much and what type of office space it needs.
This testimony discusses the preliminary results of an ongoing GAO review that (1) assesses the extent to which agencies utilized their headquarters buildings in selected weeks of early 2023; (2) describes the costs of underutilized federal office space; and (3) discusses challenges agency officials identified to increasing the utilization of their headquarters buildings.
GAO collected building size and attendance data from 24 federal agencies for one week in January, February, and March of 2023. GAO calculated the capacity of each headquarters building by dividing the size of the building by a per-person benchmark used by the General Services Administration. GAO then calculated utilization for each building by dividing the in-office attendance for the sample period by the capacity for each building. The percentages in this testimony are preliminary estimates based on ongoing work and are subject to change.
The General Services Administration and the Department of Veterans Affairs provided comments, which are reprinted in the appendixes.
For more information, contact David Marroni at (202) 512-2834 or MarroniD@gao.gov.
Rockstar
10-29-23, 04:26 PM
Biden’s clueless National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan told Jake Tapper that Biden will speak to Netanyahu later today to stress the need for the IDF to do every possible effort to distinguish between terrorists and Palestinian civilians during the ground operation in Gaza.
Why? Simply because that’s what happens when Democrats pander to Islamic terrorists. Democrats are wishy washy, scared of losing voters and will bend like like a reed in the wind to those who see Biden as the source of genocide.
https://i.postimg.cc/yNmBwR3D/IMG-3081.jpg
Jimbuna
10-30-23, 08:08 AM
The House could turn into 'Lord of the Flies' under 'weak' Speaker Johnson: GOP insider.
The pressing need for a new budget deal to keep the government from shutting down, along with a caucus split on helping Ukraine, has all the hallmarks of handing newly-elected House Speaker Michael Johnson (R-LA) more than he can handle as he heads into his first full week in te top spot.
According to a report from Vox, there are some within the Republican Party who believe Johnson bit off more than he can chew by agreeing to replace Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) in the leadership position and more GOP chaos could be headed his way.
According to Ben Jacobs of Vox, one insider predicted the caucus will descend into "Lord of the Flies" state soon enough because the inexperienced Johnson is "weak."
As Jacobs wrote, "The challenge for Johnson is that he is going to face one tripwire with his conference even before he’s fully moved into his new office: the matter of Ukraine aid, opposition to which has become a shibboleth for many on the MAGA right. The Biden administration has proposed a major funding bill that would combine aid to Israel and Ukraine as well as funding for border security."
Reporting that Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) who led the GOP insurrection against McCarthy is, for the moment, giving Johnson some "breathing room," Jacobs suggested it could be a tenuous peace.
The report adds, "Gaetz cautioned that because a recent amendment on Ukraine aid did not receive the support of a majority of House Republicans, future legislation on aid to the Eastern European country should not receive any consideration in the House because it violated the Hastert Rule, the recent tradition among House Republicans that all legislation should have the support of 'a majority of the majority.' He noted that 'the last time Ukraine funding was on the floor of the House ... [a] majority of the majority voted against it. That usually ends a measure’s prospects for consideration.'"
Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE) suggested that Johnson will have to assert himself to maintain control when it comes to Ukraine funding and negotiating with President Joe Biden.
“I think he’s gonna do it,” explained Bacon. “But there’s gonna have to be some good take on the border. And I think the president just can’t say, ‘I want X amount of money.’ ... He’s got to say why he wants it and make the case.”
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/world/the-house-could-turn-into-lord-of-the-flies-under-weak-speaker-johnson-gop-insider/ar-AA1j3lxm?ocid=msedgntp&pc=EDGEDSE&cvid=d8d724c168014345b9df5142844b1ac4&ei=38
Rockstar
10-30-23, 08:56 AM
Poll finds almost half of Americans think our democracy is broken, that political opponents should be silenced, and that we should explore "alternative forms of government."
This is exactly what the woke left has been fighting for: to divide us into warring tribes.
https://youtu.be/fcs75VNCvAk?feature=shared
les green01
10-30-23, 09:25 AM
its not the form of government its the polition of today it use to be what was good for the country American people now its party line or whats good for them even people now vote for party not for the best person for the job
Rockstar
10-30-23, 12:18 PM
So true these days lol
https://i.postimg.cc/jSPr2MNg/IMG-3087.jpg
em2nought
10-30-23, 12:53 PM
Was surprised to learn Pence has dropped out of the running yesterday.
Pence would have stood a better chance by changing parties, and running as a democrat. :har:
VipertheSniper
10-30-23, 01:46 PM
Poll finds almost half of Americans think our democracy is broken, that political opponents should be silenced, and that we should explore "alternative forms of government."
This is exactly what the woke left has been fighting for: to divide us into warring tribes.
https://youtu.be/fcs75VNCvAk?feature=shared
I'm not gonna watch the video again to go through every single point he puts his spin on 1 by 1, by leaving out the other half of the political spectrum, but here's the poll he cites in the video for some added context, which he didn't bother to link:
https://centerforpolitics.org/crystalball/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/VoV-Presentation-FINAL.pdf
https://images.dailykos.com/images/1241508/story_image/TMW2023-10-30color.png?1698502990
:sunny:
Rockstar
10-30-23, 06:39 PM
I'm not gonna watch the video again to go through every single point he puts his spin on 1 by 1, by leaving out the other half of the political spectrum, but here's the poll he cites in the video for some added context, which he didn't bother to link:
https://centerforpolitics.org/crystalball/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/VoV-Presentation-FINAL.pdf
He didn’t bother to post a link, that’s your argument? That’s the first thing I looked at and I didn’t need your help finding it either as I understand the words coming out his mouth. He didn’t leave out the other side of the spectrum. He spoke of both spectrums in the poll extreme far right voters and extreme hard left voters and their reactions to each other. ET2SN is a good example of that. :sunny:
And by the way there is nothing in that poll which represents in any way shape or form my way of thinking either.
Rockstar
10-30-23, 07:01 PM
I’ll be interesting to see how the woke left and BLM explain this one. I already see one comment saying the blacks got what’s coming to them because they probably vote Republican. Whiskey Tango Foxtrot over :har:
Pro-Hamas protesters beat Black Hebrew Israelites with Palestinian flags — in Chicago
BY KYLE OLSON
OCTOBER 29, 2023
https://www.themidwesterner.news/2023/10/pro-hamas-protesters-beat-black-hebrew-israelites-with-palestinian-flags-in-chicago/
The Israel-Hamas war has come to America.
Black Hebrew Israelites and pro-Hamas Palestinians duked it out in the streets of Chicago this weekend.
Video captured by Yeshiva World News showed pro-Hamas protesters using their Palestinian flag poles as weapons as both sides fought in the roadway Sunday:
The wooden pole snapped in the process. Both sides lobbed bottles and sticks at each other while Chicago police struggled to keep them apart.
That was the story on Saturday, as well, when police failed to do so, resulting in tense times along Michigan Avenue.
The Black Israelites appeared to be outnumbered, but that didn’t deter them from wanting to get a piece of the Palestinians:
Jimbuna
10-31-23, 06:10 AM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nz6fxjitjQA
Rockstar
10-31-23, 08:22 AM
How are you going to become president and leave office with the country being less safe? Borders open, brink of war with the world strongest opponents, interest rates through the roof, homeless population rising by the day, stock market crashing, inflation through the roof, national debt through the roof, energy prices through the roof, mass shootings every week, crime skyrocketing and the list goes on. Let’s not forget the Green New Deal everyone knew it was going to be a problem...kind of like a restaurant where the owner/chef does not taste his food.
Then ask for our vote to sign up for another 4 years of it?
https://i.postimg.cc/CLHDYmXg/IMG-3091.gif
Rockstar
10-31-23, 08:37 AM
Just one week into his presidency, Donald Trump announced an executive order banning people from several Muslim-majority countries from entering the U.S.
On his first day in office, President Biden reversed the ban, made clueless Jake his National Security Adivsor and hired Nejwa Ali, a pro-Hamas and former spokeswoman for the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) to determine who gets to come into the U.S. Now the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officer is repeatedly posting pictures of Hamas terrorists parachuting in with guns and writing, “******* Israel and any Jew who supports Israel,”
Which leads us to today
Democrats Risk Long-Lasting Rift Over Israel-Hamas War
Pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian liberal factions now divided as ugly accusations fly in both directions
By
Molly Ball
Follow
Oct. 31, 2023 at 5:00 am ET
https://www.wsj.com/politics/democrats-risk-long-lasting-rift-over-israel-hamas-war-ec74044f
To many on the left, the Israel-Hamas war is spurring what feels like a permanent rupture, when previously sublimated differences become impossible to ignore and everyone must choose sides.
The weeks since the Hamas attacks have riven the liberal coalition, pitting erstwhile allies against each other as ugly accusations fly in both directions. From the halls of power in Washington to street protests and social media, progressives find themselves at odds with those they once saw as kindred spirits.
Both pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian advocates describe a feeling of disillusionment as relationships fracture and harsh words are exchanged. The result, many predict, could be a breach that splits Democrats for a generation with untold political consequences.
To liberal Jews devastated by scenes of the deadliest attack on Jews since the Holocaust, the ensuing weeks have shattered illusions of solidarity, says Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO and director of the Anti-Defamation League. College students and faculty, as well as local chapters of Black Lives Matter and the Democratic Socialists of America, have justified or even celebrated Hamas’s actions, while many others have emphasized the Palestinians’ plight and criticism of Israel over sympathy for the victims of the terrorist attacks.
“It has been an incredibly clarifying and terrifying moment at the same time for many progressive Jews,” Greenblatt said. “They’re calling me, tweeting, messaging, expressing shock and sadness that the people they marched with, the causes they marched for, have abandoned them in their hour of need.”
The feeling is mutual for many activists on the left who say President Biden and other Democratic officeholders have blindly sided with a right-aligned Israeli government bent on retribution that disproportionately harms innocent civilians.
“If you are Arab-American, Muslim-American or Palestinian, you feel like you don’t matter, you feel invisible,” said Waleed Shahid, a progressive strategist and former spokesman for the Justice Democrats, which has supported the progressive Congress members known as the squad in primaries against more centrist
Democrats. “If you are advocating at all that Palestinian and Israeli lives should be treated equally, there’s a feeling that the party doesn’t care about you at all,” he said.
The result, Shahid warned, might be that a president already struggling to ignite the enthusiasm of young and minority voters loses them completely—a recent Gallup poll found Biden losing 7 percentage points of support with voters under 35 in the past month, he noted—or that the party splinters as it did in the Vietnam War era. Others have drawn parallels to the left’s split over Soviet communism in the 1950s.
In a Wall Street Journal/Ipsos poll conducted Oct. 18-20, 48% of Democrats said the U.S. has a responsibility to support Israel in the conflict, versus 53% of independents and 64% of Republicans.
The split comes as Biden has expressed strong support for Israel and called on Congress to approve billions of dollars in new military assistance to the American-allied government. Israel on Monday sent tanks and infantry toward Gaza City in an intensification of its ground operation in the territory. Authorities say thousands have been killed in the fighting since Hamas’s Oct. 7 terrorist attack.
The conflict has spilled into the White House, where Biden on Thursday met with Muslim leaders who chided him for not showing more empathy for Palestinians in his remarks on the conflict. A top State Department official resigned Oct. 18 in protest of the administration’s approach, and Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Oct. 19 sent a letter to diplomatic staff seeking to quell internal dissent.
In Congress, a resolution condemning Hamas passed the House overwhelmingly with 412 votes on Wednesday, with nine left-wing Democrats voting against it and six voting “present.” (A lone Republican, Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, also voted against the resolution.)
Rep. Pramila Jayapal of Washington, who chairs the Congressional Progressive Caucus, explained her “present” vote in a statement that said, “While I still condemn Hamas’s attacks and the pain and suffering of the Jewish people everywhere, I also condemn the violations of international humanitarian law by Israel and the pain and suffering of Palestinian people everywhere that are not recognized anywhere in this resolution.”
On Thursday, Rep. Josh Gottheimer, a New Jersey centrist, said on X, formerly Twitter, that the 15 Democrats who didn’t vote for the resolution were “despicable and do not speak for our party.” In response, one of the 15, Rep. Andre Carson of Indiana, called Gottheimer a “coward” and a “punk,” and invited him to settle their differences physically.
A recent closed-door meeting of congressional Democrats erupted in recriminations when Gottheimer was heard to mutter, “they should feel guilty”—a remark that some progressives heard as directed at Muslims as a group, but which Gottheimer said was aimed at his colleagues who hadn’t sufficiently condemned Hamas. Gottheimer has faced protests and death threats over the comments.
Even progressive stalwarts such as Sen. John Fetterman (D., Pa.) and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I., Vt.) have drawn protests from the left for backing Israel. Jewish Democrats have reportedly complained to Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries about comments made by Reps. Ilhan Omar (D., Minn.) and Rashida Tlaib (D., Mich.), both of the squad, in the aftermath of the attacks. Squad members have received increased protection from Capitol Police because of a sharp escalation in threats against them in recent weeks.
Rep. Brad Schneider (D., Ill.) said that while Democrats have been mostly unified, he has been “incredibly disappointed” to see some people “who not only haven’t been able to condemn the horrific terror attack on Israel, but have celebrated it and called it resistance.” He singled out Tlaib for refusing to retract her statement blaming Israel for an explosion at a Gaza hospital that Israel and the U.S. say was caused by an errant rocket fired from Gaza (a Wall Street Journal video analysis supports that claim).
“She spread a claim by Hamas that is not true, that has led to threats to American military personnel and diplomats around the world, and continues to throw gasoline on that fire,” Schneider said in an interview. “It’s important that all of us call out evil. We may have differences of opinion, but we don’t get to have our own facts.”
Tlaib’s office didn’t respond to a request for comment.
Though the current conflict has brought it to the fore, the discord in the Democratic ranks has deep roots. In 2019, House Democrats struggled to pass a resolution disapproving of remarks by Omar that many saw as antisemitic, eventually uniting around a statement that condemned both antisemitism and anti-Muslim sentiment.
Democratic Majority for Israel, an advocacy group with ties to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, sprung up in 2020 to oppose progressive Democrats in primaries. The group’s political-action committee spent large amounts to counter Sanders’s 2020 presidential campaign and to stymie a further expansion of the squad, with mixed results.
While some progressives decry the machinations of the big-money Israel lobby, centrists see grim vindication in the ugly expressions from the illiberal left. Center-left thinkers have warned for years about the climate on many campuses, where an “anticolonialist” posture has become a litmus test for faculty hiring, and students embrace a radical chic that rationalizes or valorizes violence if it is committed by groups regarded as oppressed.
“I do worry that young people are increasingly indoctrinated with an ideology, an anti-Israel hatred, that is so virulent that it renders them indifferent to the coldblooded murder of Israeli civilians and children,” said Rep. Ritchie Torres, a New York Democrat.
Many New York progressives, including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, distanced themselves from the city’s DSA chapter after it promoted an Oct. 8 pro-Palestinian rally that blamed Israel for the attacks and included antisemitic displays. Torres, who has been decrying the organization’s anti-Israel stance for years, said too many fellow progressives previously played down such sentiments.
Omar last week attacked Torres for his pro-Israel statements, asking at a press conference, “How many more Palestinians would make you happy if they died?”. [typical democrat response]
Responding on X, Torres called Omar’s accusation a “vicious lie,” adding, “How many Israeli Jews, Israeli Arabs, and Palestinians must die from endless rocket fire and escalated conflict before she summons the moral decency to support Iron Dome?” referring to Israel’s air-defense system.
Progressive activists say the focus on what they characterize as a few nutty college kids is misguided and disproportionate at a time when some Republican politicians, including Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, have called for leveling Gaza. They see a march to war that echoes the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, when antiwar voices were marginalized and the result was decades of disastrous military entanglement in Afghanistan and Iraq.
“I’ve been heartbroken and disturbed by the lack of empathy altogether around the plight of Palestinians,” said Maurice Mitchell, national director of the leftist Working Families Party, which is pressuring the White House to back a cease-fire.
To others, however, the lack of sympathy for the suffering of Jews reflects a deeper split. “It really is, I think, a battle for the soul of our party,” says Joe Vogel, a Maryland state delegate who is seeking the open congressional seat to be vacated by Democratic Rep. David Trone.
As an undergraduate at George Washington University, Vogel was expelled from student government by activists for the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement. The same group came under fire this week for projecting antisemitic messages including “Glory to our martyrs” on the outer walls of a campus library.
“It shouldn’t be that hard to condemn the murder of innocent women and children and seniors, yet many have either said nothing or equivocated,” Vogel said. “We have a serious problem in our party right now.”
Write to Molly Ball at molly.ball@wsj.com
Rockstar
10-31-23, 03:02 PM
Oh look, IRS budget cuts will damage efforts to crack down on Hamas funding via fake charities, cryptocurrency and other schemes, per the Senate Finance Committee.
I'm not too sure even 6 months ago Hamas funding was a concern. :haha:
Jimbuna
11-01-23, 07:04 AM
Mike Johnson — who has run unopposed 3 times — once said democracy is 'not always a good thing'
Older comments from newly elected House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) have recently surfaced, showing the Republican lawmaker's disdain for democracy.
The New Republic unearthed a 2019 address Johnson gave to the First Baptist Church of Haughton, Louisiana. In that speech, the GOP congressman described the concept of democratic government as "two wolves and a sheep deciding what's for dinner."
"You don't want to be in a democracy," Johnson said at the time. "Majority rule: Not always a good thing."
Johnson's apparent disdain for democracy was also noted by scholar Jeff Sharlet, who is an expert on militias and the far-right. Sharlet retweeted what he called a "vital thread" in which another X user posted a series of tweets remarking on how Johnson has actually never once had to win a close election.
"[I]n [Johnson's] political career, he has not participated in a democracy," X user David Pepper wrote. "He is actually the perfect example of how in today’s gerrymandered world, people can ride to the highest levels of power without being in a real election their entire careers. Which means they can be complete extremists and never face accountability for it."
Publicly available election data on Ballotpedia backs up Pepper's claims: In 2015, Johnson was actually sworn in on February 3, weeks prior to the February 21 special election for a vacant seat in the Louisiana House of Representatives, as he ran unopposed. That fall, Johnson was once again unopposed in the October 24 blanket primary, giving Johnson a full term in the Louisiana House of Representatives without once facing any primary or general election opposition.
The closest election Johnson had was likely in 2016, in the Republican primary for Louisiana's 4th congressional district. But even then, he won with a remarkably low vote share. According to Ballotpedia, Johnson came in second place in an eight-way jungle primary with less than 25% of all votes cast), but then beat his Democratic opponent in the general election with more than 65% of the vote.
Johnson's lopsided victory in 2016, along with other similar one-sided routs of his Democratic opponents in 2018, 2020, and 2022 (in which he ran unopposed yet again) without even appearing on the ballot) could be attributed to Louisiana Republicans' gerrymandering of his district. In 2019, the University of Notre Dame conducted a study on gerrymandering in Louisiana, and found that the practice of "cracking" and "packing" — in which majority-Black communities are "cracked" apart to weaken their vote share and "packed" into heavily Republican areas — was most prominent in Johnson's district.
"Cracking is most evident in Districts 4 and 5, where the black and liberal vote in the northern corners of the state is diluted by districting these parishes together with those possessing a high percentage of Republican and white voters," the study read. "What results is a state with five Republican [districts] and one Democratic district."
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/other/mike-johnson-who-has-run-unopposed-3-times-once-said-democracy-is-not-always-a-good-thing/ar-AA1ja7p2?ocid=msedgntp&pc=EDGEDSE&cvid=9a747d78b6a24ad6a59e8b9e054c8b40&ei=36
Rockstar
11-01-23, 08:23 AM
Mike Johnson — who has run unopposed 3 times — once said democracy is 'not always a good thing'
He’s right, majority rule is not always a good thing. Populism is a core element of fascism making it a damn good reason reason why we don’t elect presidents by popular vote. Unlike the U.K. which has an inbred monacrchy that gets to be king, well, because.
What should be concerning is when so-called progressive Democrats like Hillary Clinton when after losing an election cry for years afterwards and work to remove the electoral college.
As for gerrymandering it has gotten bad in every state of the union Democrat and Republican alike. But as you’ll note in any article written about gerrymandering they’re just endless cycles of showing how bad it is only when the other guy does it.
Rockstar
11-01-23, 08:45 AM
Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) presses Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on an immigration officer's anti-Israel social media posts. Sec. Mayorkas says Sen. Hawley's questions are out of line, claiming that the employee's posts are not emblematic of the 260,000 DHS employees.
https://youtu.be/qD4PjPnxeas?feature=shared
Skybird
11-01-23, 09:45 AM
A right to vote needs to see a certain competence by the Voter for the matter or topic to be decided. Unfortunately most of the time that is not the case.
From what I red about him, the speaker they voted rings all alarm bells I have.
em2nought
11-01-23, 09:56 AM
It's pretty shocking to see all the hostility to and prejudice toward Jewish people in and created by our centers of supposedly higher learning. :o
Rockstar
11-01-23, 11:56 AM
It's pretty shocking to see all the hostility to and prejudice toward Jewish people in and created by our centers of supposedly higher learning. :o
Wasn't it the Biden administration that removed Houthi from the terrorist list, eased Iran sanction, when he and clueless Jake took office? Why are we surprised now by what is happening?
Seems the Houthi, Hamas, Hezbollah, Iran, Nejwa Ali and woke democrats all got the signal.
https://youtu.be/QtP5QSrZPPk?feature=shared
extreme hard left voters and their reactions to each other. ET2SN is a good example of that. :sunny:
If I'm hard left, then you're sincere. :O:
:har:
Jimbuna
11-02-23, 08:10 AM
Johnson 'surprised' GOP plan to defund IRS could cost US taxpayers up to $90 billion.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/world/johnson-surprised-gop-plan-to-defund-irs-could-cost-us-taxpayers-up-to-90-billion/ar-AA1jevKj?ocid=msedgntp&pc=EDGEDSE&cvid=fc198f5ff48e4e569c69e2d2e2f0cf67&ei=11
Rockstar
11-02-23, 11:31 AM
FBI says terrorism threat hits ‘a whole other level’ after Hamas attack
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2023/oct/31/fbi-says-terrorism-threat-hits-whole-other-level-a/
By Stephen Dinan - The Washington Times - Tuesday, October 31, 2023
Terrorist threats against the U.S. reached “a whole other level” after the Hamas attack on Israel, FBI Director Christopher A. Wray told Congress on Tuesday, saying the big players in terrorism have all renewed calls to attack America and its interests.
He said the level of threats has heightened since President Biden took office, though U.S. law enforcement is “better prepared to deal with them.”
“The reality is that the terrorism threat has been elevated throughout 2023, but the ongoing war in the Middle East has raised the threat of attack on Americans to a whole other level,” Mr. Wray said.
He said al Qaeda has issued its most specific call for attacks on the U.S. in years, Islamic State leaders have ordered followers to attack Jewish communities, and Hezbollah is eyeing U.S. targets in the Middle East.
Iran, meanwhile, has pushed proxy attacks on U.S. military bases.
https://youtu.be/DMUGVG9sp4s?feature=shared
Rockstar
11-02-23, 11:45 AM
Marine Corps Ball canceled due to ‘unforeseen operational commitments’
https://americanmilitarynews.com/2023/11/marine-corps-ball-canceled-due-to-unforeseen-operational-commitments/
United States Marine Corps Major Gen. Chris A. McPhillips reportedly announced Tuesday that the 248th Marine Corps Ball has been canceled by U.S. Central Command as a result of “unforeseen operational commitments.”
Announcing the cancelation of this year’s Marine Corps Ball, McPhillips wrote, “Regretfully and with a strong sense of duty, I write to inform you of a decision that I had to make regarding the Marine Corps 248th Ball, scheduled for 16 November 2023. Due to unforeseen operational commitments and the nature of our current mission, it is with great regret that we must cancel this year’s event.”
McPhillips explained that Central Command’s decision to cancel the 258th Marine Corps Ball stems from the “primary responsibility” the Marine Corps has to guarantee the defense and security of the United States. “It is this commitment to duty that has necessitated the cancellation of what would undoubtedly have been an exceptional evening of camaraderie and tradition,” he said.
According to U.S. Central Command’s website, CENTCOM’s area of responsibility includes over 4 million square miles with multiple opportunities for “tension and rivalry.”
“The central region is among the least secure and stable places of the world. Adversarial relationships among neighboring states, widespread ethnic and sectarian struggles, malign influence and destabilizing activities, cyber-based threats, and growing arsenals of sophisticated conventional weapons and weapons of mass destruction all combine to imperil enduring U.S. vital national interests, as well as those of our trusted partners and allies,” CENTCOM’s website states.
READ MORE: Video: Top Marine general hospitalized after heart attack: Report
The announcement of the Marine Corps Ball comes amid rising tensions in the Middle East, including the war between Israel and Hamas that started after Hamas terrorists brutally attacked Israel last month. Additionally, the Department of Defense has recorded 27 total attacks against U.S. forces in the Middle East since Oct. 17. On the same day as the cancelation announcement, the Pentagon announced the deployment of 300 additional U.S. troops to the Middle East.
In his announcement, McPhillips expressed his gratitude for the “immense effort” of those who spent significant time and effort to plan and prepare for the 248th Marine Corps Ball. The general noted that the cancelation of the Marine Corps Ball is a “reminder of the sacrifices” that U.S. service members, particularly the Marines, make on behalf of the nation.
McPhillips added, “Please know that this decision was not made lightly, and the chief consideration was the need to uphold the highest standards of readiness and the completion of our operational responsibilities.”
Rockstar
11-02-23, 07:09 PM
The FBI is investigating New York City Mayor Eric Adams' 2021 election campaign for corruption on whether they conspired with the Turkish government to receive illegal donations.
Adams was just minutes away from meeting with White House officials in D.C. when his top fundraiser had her home raided by the FBI.
Adams abruptly cancelled his meeting and flew back to New York City.
According to the New York Times, Adams' 2021 campaign is now under investigation.
"Investigators also sought to learn more about the potential involvement of a Brooklyn construction company with ties to Turkey, as well as a small university in Washington, D.C., that also has ties to the country and to Mr. Adams." (NYT)
Agents seized multiple iPhones and two laptops as well as “manila folder labeled Eric Adams” and seven “contribution card binders.”
It is unclear if Adams is personally targeted in this investigation.
Adams posted this video on social media right before he was set to meet at the White House.
What did Adams do to anger the Biden Regime? :hmm2:
I wonder if Biden found out Adams was thinking about running against him in 2024? Either that he was complaining too much about Biden’s open borders. :har:
Rockstar
11-02-23, 11:46 PM
Bleeding heart liberal Democrat DA Williams campaigned against cash bail and called for alternatives to prison. During his first few months in office, he dismissed 66% of all violent felony cases.
Bleeding heart liberal Democrat District Attorney Jason Williams of New Orleans was carjacked at gunpoint.
Suddenly there are harsh consequences! :yep:
The bail for those who attacked the hero of liberal tolerance DA Williams is for Ahmad Seals (18) set at $150,000. The bail for Raymond Rochon (18) is set at $120,000. A third underage suspect will be prosecuted as an adult (Louisiana AG).
Go figure
Jimbuna
11-03-23, 06:57 AM
The former commander in chief wants absolute immunity while leading the free world, but legal experts aren't buying it.
This week, Donald Trump's lawyers formally filed documents asking Judge Chutkan to stay "all proceedings" in the federal case in Washington D.C. that alleges he attempted to subvert the 2020 election after losing to President Joe Biden.
Trump maintains that as president he must be free to serve without the panic of prosecution from political rivals in response to special counsel Jack Smith's filing, which asserted that the 45th president is "not above the law."
The Constitution may be “hazy” on some of its interpretations, Justin Levitt, a professor at Loyola Marymount University Law School, tells Salon, but is crystal clear when it comes to the president's exposure to the rule of law.
Levitt calls the immunity argument “charitably, complete nonsense."
He noted how the riotous siege on the Capital back on Jan. 6, 2021, was “encouraged” by Trump.
And he told Salon that as the president and leader of the federal executive branch, Trump “may have been engaged in sedition” and failed to do anything to effectively suppress insurrection.
Levitt explained that the actions of Trump after the 2020 presidential contest commenced are beyond the duties of the president.
“Nothing that Trump was doing in 2020 was derived from any power that Congress gave, and therefore not in furtherance of any lawful presidential power; when he was in court, he was in court as Donald J. Trump and not as the United States (to the extent he was involved in any court cases after 2020, they were all filed by his campaign team, not by the DOJ), and when he was on phone calls looking to ‘find’ votes or conspiring to send in fake electors, that was entirely as a candidate and not as the President, because the President has no role in reviewing state election returns or sending in a state’s choice of electors,” he said.
“The indictments have been exceedingly clear about basing the charges only on private behavior, and not on anything legitimately governmental.”
Moreover, District Judge Tanya Chutkan agreeing to Trump's immunity request would purportedly cause the case to go haywire and set dangerous precedent for future presidents.
"While US District Judge Tanya Chutkan’s gag order has gotten more attention, her granting Trump’s request for immunity would not only derail the case, but also elevate future presidents above the law," wrote Norman Eisen in a recent CNN Op-ed.
“Derail the case,” it would also “elevate future presidents above the law,” they argued.
But granting Trump’s request for immunity would not only “derail the case,” it would also “elevate future presidents above the law,” they argued.
The merits of Trump's ask are venturing into what trial attorney Bernard Alexander calls “uncharted territory."
“Trump's basic claim, boiled down to its essence, is that he was above the law because he heads the branch responsible for enforcing election law,” Alexander reportedly told the outlet. “Under that logic, a president seeking to thwart the will of the electorate would never be subject to prosecution for sedition or insurrection.
"There would be no accountability.”
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/world/complete-nonsense-legal-experts-say-trump-s-immunity-claim-is-a-stall-tactic/ar-AA1jiEJC?ocid=msedgntp&pc=EDGEDSE&cvid=bd8d57ef531c41d9acc1667d00f0e815&ei=5
Rockstar
11-03-23, 08:24 AM
Turns out last week's "blockbuster" GDP numbers are driven by government spending and consumers running deeper into debt. Spending grows even as incomes shrink.
Meanwhile, the actual driver of growth -- private fixed investment -- has been flat for 5 quarters. Coincidentally starting last year when Biden's finest statisticians were denying the recession
https://youtu.be/JdsNH99VZ3E?feature=shared
Jimbuna
11-03-23, 01:23 PM
Judge Cannon issues testy response to special counsel's warning about Trump 'manipulation'
District judge Aileen Cannon issued a testy response to the special counsel's warning about Donald Trump.
A prosecutor on special counsel Jack Smith's team made a filing Thursday morning bringing to Cannon's attention a motion filed in Trump's case in Washington, D.C., case seeking a pause to all proceedings and warned the judge not to be "manipulated" by the former president's arguments – and she didn't seem to appreciate the suggestion.
"Except as authorized by Court order, the substantive content of any such notice (or response) may not exceed 200 words and may not be used as a surreply absent leave of court," Cannon wrote. "Future non-compliant notices or unauthorized filings will be stricken without further notice."
Cannon cited the Ninth District Court of Appeals rule on notices of supplemental authority to justify her "too long, didn't read" response to Bratt's two-page filing, which ran to 219 words, including citations.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/world/judge-cannon-issues-testy-response-to-special-counsel-s-warning-about-trump-manipulation/ar-AA1jlqLq?ocid=msedgntp&pc=EDGEDSE&cvid=5c49c13a546e4a5f8ca273feee906fa2&ei=9
em2nought
11-03-23, 02:03 PM
Turns out last week's "blockbuster" GDP numbers are driven by government spending and consumers running deeper into debt. Spending grows even as incomes shrink.
I'm loading up my zero interest credit cards with gold. :D If I can just time my escape correctly, selling my home, and getting it all transferred into gold before it's too late. :D Silver is just too heavy. :03:
Rockstar
11-03-23, 04:50 PM
Gold and silver will do you no good when government buys it all up or seizes it forcing you to use worthless paper. Oh wait they already have done that.
Our debt is an issue both parties’ presidents and Congresses have allowed to grow to a critical mass. Spending like drunken sailors and trading barbs on the House floor and on social media.
em2nought
11-03-23, 10:48 PM
Gold and silver will do you no good when government buys it all up or seizes it forcing you to use worthless paper. Oh wait they already have done that.
They didn't seize pre 1933 coins as they considered those to be numismatic. They also don't keep track of purchases of those old coins now. :03: Of course, they didn't spend more than drunken sailors way back then like they do now so maybe they'd take numismatics this time too.
They didn't seize pre 1933 coins as they considered those to be numismatic. They also don't keep track of purchases of those old coins now. :03: Of course, they didn't spend more than drunken sailors way back then like they do now so maybe they'd take numismatics this time too.
Government can't take what they don't know you have.
les green01
11-04-23, 03:47 AM
just go out find gold if the crap hits the fan they wont care if it coin,nuggets or dust and the feds wont know if nuggets or dust
Onkel Neal
11-04-23, 07:33 AM
I had a dream last night, Trump won the election next year. Wait, what happened to Ron DeSantis? Blast it, did my fellow republicans really dismiss a perfectly good conservative warrior for this blinking scam artist again?? :doh: Ahhrhhrg!
What a Donald Trump second term would look like
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-67272569
Some of his pronouncements border on the fantastical. His government will invest in flying cars and build "freedom cities" on empty federal land, where Americans can live and work without burdensome regulations.
Others are controversial, such as his plan to round up the homeless and move them to tent camps outside US cities until their "problems can be identified". Some lean directly into the culture wars - he wants state school teachers to be required to "embrace patriotic values".
He also doubles-down on protectionist policies, calling for a "universal baseline tariff" on all imports, which can be raised on countries that engage in "unfair" trade practices.
On immigration, he wants to reinstate the policy of making undocumented migrants stay in Mexico while they apply for asylum. He also calls for an end to automatic citizenship for the children of undocumented migrants born on US soil.
He pledges to cut "hundreds of billions" of dollars in US international aid and end the war in Ukraine in the process. According to media reports, he is contemplating a US withdrawal from Nato or, at the very least, scaling back American involvement with the trans-Atlantic defence pact.
"The greatest threat to Western civilisation today is not Russia," he says in a March video. "It's probably, more than anything else, ourselves and some of the horrible, USA-hating people that represent us."
Jimbuna
11-04-23, 07:44 AM
Are there any alternative Republican candidates or is it more or less a foregone conclusion it will be Trump?
Rockstar
11-04-23, 10:18 AM
Democratic House member accuses Biden of supporting Palestinian ‘genocide’
Story by Maegan Vazquez
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/democratic-house-member-accuses-biden-of-supporting-palestinian-genocide/ar-AA1jmosT
Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) accused President Biden of supporting the “genocide” of Palestinians amid Israel’s war with Hamas in Gaza, saying that Americans will remember his actions when he’s up for reelection in 2024.
Tlaib, the only Palestinian American in the House, posted a video on X, formerly Twitter, on Friday seemingly to pressure Biden to support a cease-fire in the conflict.
In the video, which begins with apparent footage of bombings and bloody scenes from the conflict, Tlaib says, “Mr. President, the American people are not with you on this one. … We will remember in 2024.”
“Joe Biden supported the genocide of the Palestinian people,” text at the end of the video states. “The American people won’t forget. … Biden, support a cease-fire now … or don’t count on us in 2024.”
The Genocide Convention of 1948 codified genocide as an international crime, defining it as “acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group.” Those acts include killings, inflicting serious harm on a group, making its living conditions impossible, preventing births within the group or forcibly transferring children to another group.
As the war rages, thousands of Gazans have been killed and the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees estimates that about 1.4 million people in Gaza are now internally displaced.
Biden, who has said the United States will stand with Israel in its fight against Hamas, last week stressed that Israel must minimize civilian casualties regardless of whether it poses a “burden.” He’s also called for a humanitarian “pause” in the war.
A spokesperson for the National Security Council reiterated that stance on Saturday morning.
"As you’ve heard us say, we support humanitarian pauses in the fighting in order to get life-saving humanitarian aid in and distributed to those in need in Gaza, and to get hostages out. What we do not support are calls for Israel to stop defending itself from Hamas terrorists, which is what a permanent ceasefire would be,” the spokesperson said.
Tlaib’s office didn’t respond to a request for comment Friday evening. Tlaib on Friday also posted to social media her defense of the phrase “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,” which has often been interpreted as a call for the eradication of Israel.
“From the river to the sea is an aspirational call for freedom, human rights, and peaceful coexistence, not death, destruction, or hate,” Tlaib wrote in the post. “My work and advocacy is always centered in justice and dignity for all people no matter faith or ethnicity.”
Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), who told CNN Friday night that he agreed with Biden on the need for a humanitarian pause of Israeli bombing in Gaza, said Tlaib’s claim of genocide was “shocking.”
“I don’t agree with that at all,” Merkley said.
Polls show that Americans are not in broad agreement over America’s role in the Israel-Gaza war or Biden’s handling of the conflict.
A poll by the Economist and YouGov found this week that 22 percent of Democrats want to increase military aid to Israel, compared with 48 percent of Republicans. In contrast, 45 percent of Democrats want to increase humanitarian aid to Palestinians, compared with 8 percent of Republicans. Biden has proposed more than $14 billion in emergency aid to Israel, a move that is broadly supported within the House Democratic caucus.
A separate national poll by Quinnipiac University found that 26 percent of Democrats disapprove of Biden’s response to the war between Israel and Hamas, slightly higher than the 17 percent of Democrats who disapprove of his job performance overall. Among all voters, 42 percent approve of Biden’s response to the conflict and 46 percent disapprove.
Tlaib’s social media posts come days after the House voted to table an effort to censure her over her comments and actions related to the Israel-Gaza war. More than 20 House Republicans voted to table the measure along with every Democratic lawmaker present in the chamber.
Rockstar
11-04-23, 10:21 AM
In other news. We’ve gone from Democrats chanting “as long as it takes” to little anonymous Democrat birds inside the beltway now changing their tune and suggesting Ukraine make concessions to put an end the war in. Considering Biden slow walking of military hardware, the lack of the word "win" or any stated plan. Then refusing to use the 35 billion dollars authorized by Democrats and Republicans in the house last year, the fact that Biden has not fired clueless Jake Sullivan.... all points to something bad coming for Ukraine.
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/us-european-officials-broach-topic-peace-negotiations-ukraine-sources-rcna123628
Meanwhile some on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee have some advice and ask why Biden has been so wishy washy.
PUBLISHED: NOVEMBER 02, 2023
Risch, Wicker, Rogers, McCaul to Biden: “Finish the Job on ATACMS”
https://www.foreign.senate.gov/press/rep/release/risch-wicker-rogers-mccaul-to-biden-finish-the-job-on-atacms
WASHINGTON?– U.S. Senators Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, and U.S. Representatives Mike Rogers (R-Ala.), chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, and Michael McCaul (R-Texas), chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, yesterday sent a letter to President Biden demanding that he send long-range Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) to Ukraine in addition to the full inventory of the shorter range anti-personnel variants of the same munition.
The legislators noted that ATACMS missiles featuring a unitary warhead have a capability to strike deeper at Russian targets in Crimea, including Black Sea fleet assets. Furthermore, the lawmakers pressed the president to send the remainder of U.S. stocks of the Anti-Personnel/Anti-Materiel (APAM) variant of the missile, which has no current use in the U.S. military and which has already been sent in limited quantities to Ukraine.
The full provisioning of these capabilities, the legislators argued, would help alter the balance in Ukraine’s counteroffensive.
“The job on ATACMS is only half-done,” the legislators wrote. “We urge you to provide the unitary warhead variant of ATACMS which has a substantially longer range than the APAMS…Ukraine's requirement for deep-strike capability remains urgent, particularly to range targets throughout Crimea. Recent successful strikes on Russian targets in Crimea, including on Black Sea Fleet assets, demonstrate the strategic significance of long-range strike options and the relevance of the longer range ATACMS.
Risch, Wicker, Rogers, and McCaul also requested an immediate update on domestic ATACMS inventory and our own military’s requirements.
“The bottom line is this: Ukraine has requested long-range ATACMS,” the legislators wrote. “The United States has an arsenal of long-range unitary warhead ATACMS, a hot production line to backfill them, and affordable and executable paths to speed up delivery of the Precision Strike Missile follow-on capability. Clearly, it is time for you to finish the job on ATACMS.”
Full text of the letter can be found here or below:
Dear President Biden:
We welcome reports that your administration has finally provided some limited range Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) to Ukraine. We remain concerned that the transfers of these shorter-range ATACMS occurred more than a year after Ukraine's public request for this capability, and we believe it demonstrates that your administration's reticence toward arming Ukraine continues.
Although this transfer is a positive step, the job on ATACMS is only half-done: the United States has only provided a small number of the Anti-Personnel/Anti-Materiel (APAM) variant of ATACMS and these have a shorter range. We urge you to provide the unitary warhead variant of ATACMS which has a substantially longer range than the APAMS. In addition, we call on you to deliver the balance of U.S. APAMs given the Department of Defense's repeated inability to articulate a clear, current requirement for this weapon.
Ukraine's requirement for deep-strike capability remains urgent, particularly to range targets throughout Crimea. Recent successful strikes on Russian targets in Crimea, including on Black Sea Fleet assets, demonstrate the strategic significance of long-range strike options and the relevance of the longer range ATACMS. It is a sad reflection that Ukraine had to rely, in part, on long-range missiles provided by allies to reach these targets in the face of your administration's continued self-deterrence. Ukraine must have the ability to break Russia's logistics network for Ukraine's offensive operations to truly be successful.
We also regret that the administration has yet to provide Congress with the definitive status of the ATACMS inventory and warfighting requirements. We have received at least three documents from the Pentagon with substantively different numbers. Given the bipartisan congressional support for providing long-range ATACMS, we cannot understand the Department of Defense's inability to articulate ATACMS requirements.
The bottom line is this: Ukraine has requested long-range ATACMS. Ukraine has demonstrated the ability to employ long-range missiles in a responsible and effective manner. Allies have already provided Ukraine with these capabilities, and Russia has clearly declined to escalate upon usage of deep-strike missiles. The United States has an arsenal of long-range unitary warhead ATACMS, a hot production line to backfill them, and affordable and executable paths to speed up delivery of the Precision Strike Missile follow-on capability. Clearly, it is time for you to finish the job on ATACMS. The costs of failing to do so not only risks stalemate on the battlefield and the further protraction of this war, but also threatens further global instability as our adversaries conduct influence operations around the globe.
Otto Harkaman
11-04-23, 05:53 PM
The destruction of the Democratic Party
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12710855/Pro-Palestine-march-Washington-DC.html
https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2023/11/04/20/77407449-12710855-image-a-21_1699130292340.jpg
em2nought
11-05-23, 04:18 AM
The destruction of the Democratic Party
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12710855/Pro-Palestine-march-Washington-DC.html
https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2023/11/04/20/77407449-12710855-image-a-21_1699130292340.jpg
Some fine folks the democrat party has populated what was our country with. Yes sir, fine folks indeed. :o
Jimbuna
11-05-23, 06:50 AM
Donald Trump's tactic for dealing with the numerous criminal charges he faces has largely been to rely on the fact that the Supreme Court will ultimately save him, but that prospect is uncertain and faces steep odds, a report showed on Saturday.
Trump, whom legal experts say has directed legal filings specifically with the conservative Supreme Court in mind, is facing criminal charges in D.C., Georgia, and in New York. With a conservative court including numerous Trump appointees, many have said they understand why the ex-president would take that route.
But his path through the Supreme Court may not be smooth sailing, the Messenger reports.
"Although he nominated one-third of its justices, former President Donald Trump faces uncertain prospects as he looks to the Supreme Court for help in his ongoing criminal cases," the outlet reported Saturday.
It continued:
"The Supreme Court’s conservative majority includes three jurists nominated by Trump: Justices Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, and Amy Coney Barrett. But they are still not shoe-ins to side with him. The high court has sided against Trump or failed to take up his arguments in recent cases involving Congressional efforts to obtain his tax returns, the 2020 election, and other topics. The Supreme Court on Monday declined to hear a case brought by his former 2020 election attorney, John Eastman stemming from a dispute with the Congressional panel investigating the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol."
The article further notes that legal experts have expressed doubt that Trump can win at the Supreme Court on the current issue he's litigating, which might reach the high court before others: his federal gag order.
"Former Trump White House lawyer Ty Cobb said he does not expect the gag order issue to get to the Supreme Court," the Messenger reported.
“I don't see the Supreme Court ever taking that up, as gag orders are routine and Trump’s status as a presidential candidate is not a legal defense to a gag order any more than if Jeffrey Dahmer had decided to run for president,” he said, according to the news report.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/world/trump-s-plan-for-supreme-court-salvation-in-criminal-cases-hits-a-snag/ar-AA1jouOb?ocid=msedgntp&pc=EDGEDSE&cvid=a1a8a8f794d744c18d86365b69751011&ei=8
Torvald Von Mansee
11-05-23, 09:31 AM
Johnson 'surprised' GOP plan to defund IRS could cost US taxpayers up to $90 billion.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/world/johnson-surprised-gop-plan-to-defund-irs-could-cost-us-taxpayers-up-to-90-billion/ar-AA1jevKj?ocid=msedgntp&pc=EDGEDSE&cvid=fc198f5ff48e4e569c69e2d2e2f0cf67&ei=11
I'm shocked that these people call themselves "Christians.". They just seem to want to make obscenely wealthy people wealthier at everyone else's expense. If there's a choice between a poor person's necessity, or a rich guy getting more money, I think we can guess who'd they choose, every time. Just like Jesus intended.
Jimbuna
11-05-23, 12:21 PM
I'm shocked that these people call themselves "Christians.". They just seem to want to make obscenely wealthy people wealthier at everyone else's expense. If there's a choice between a poor person's necessity, or a rich guy getting more money, I think we can guess who'd they choose, every time. Just like Jesus intended.
Same here in the UK unfortunately.
Rockstar
11-06-23, 05:12 PM
The Islamic Resistance group launched its first tactical ballistic missiles at U.S. military bases.
They cause much more powerful explosions than what has previously been launched against U.S. troops.
Count on the U.S. striking back?
Clueless Jake Sullivan says since Biden took office the Middle East is more peaceful than it’s ever been. :har:
les green01
11-06-23, 07:26 PM
Section 3 provides that:No person shall be a Senator or Representative in Congress, or elector for President and Vice President, or hold any office, civil or military, under the United States … who, having previously taken an oath, as a member of Congress, or as an officer of the United States … to support the Constitution of the United States, shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same … . But Congress may, by a vote of two-thirds of each House, remove such disability.Because Trump allegedly engaged in an insurrection, according to the challengers, he is disqualified by Section 3.
There are three major legal problems with that claim, however.
First of all, Section 3 only applies to individuals who were previously a “member of Congress,” an “officer of the United States,” or a state official. Trump has never been any of those. He has never held state office or been a U.S. senator or representative, and the U.S. Supreme Court held in 1888 in U.S. v. Mouat that “officers” are only those individuals who are appointed to positions within the federal government.Effort to bar Trump under 14th Amendment gains steamIndividuals who are elected—such as the president and vice president—are not officers within the meaning of Section 3. The Supreme Court reiterated that view in 2010 in Free Enterprise Fund v. Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, in which Chief Justice John Roberts concluded “the people do not vote for ‘Officers of the United States.’” They are appointed under Article II of the Constitution.It must also be noted that while Section 3 applies to an “elector for President or Vice President,” it does not specify that it applies to the president or vice president. This supports the argument that the drafters did not mean for Section 3 to apply to the president and vice president, which, again, is not surprising, since they are not “Officers of the United States.”Second, no federal court has convicted Trump of engaging in “insurrection or rebellion” in violation of 18 U.S.C. §2383, which makes it a crime to engage in “any rebellion or insurrection against the authority of the United States.”More importantly, in the second impeachment resolution of Trump on Jan. 11, 2021, he was charged by the House of Representatives in Article I with “Incitement of Insurrection.” Yet, he was acquitted by the Senate.Given our federal constitutional system, state and federal courts should not gainsay the findings of Congress on this issue. The risk of inconsistent rulings from state and county election officials, as well as from the many different courts hearing these challenges, could cause electoral chaos.Further, Congress has never passed a federal statute providing any type of enforcement mechanism in the courts for Section 3. While some argue that this provision is self-executing and no legislation is required, legal scholars such as Josh Blackman and Sett Tillman point to an 1869 decision of a federal circuit court presided over by U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice Salmon P. Chase, which held that “legislation by Congress is necessary to give effect to” Section 3.Under that holding, in the absence of such legislation, states do not have the ability to throw accused insurrectionists off a federal ballot, whether they are running for Congress or the presidency.Third, there is an argument that can be made—and which was already adopted by one federal court—that Section 3 doesn’t even exist anymore as a constitutional matter.Keep in mind that the 14th Amendment was ratified in 1868 after the end of the Civil War. It was aimed at the former members of the Confederate government and military who had previously been in Congress or held executive posts.All of the challengers filing lawsuits to try to remove Trump from their state ballots are ignoring the final sentence in Section 3, which is a unique provision found in no other amendment to the Constitution. It allows Congress to remove the disqualification clause “by a vote of two-thirds of each House.”Congress voted to remove the disqualification twice. The Amnesty Act of 1872 stated that the “political disabilities” imposed by Section 3 “are hereby removed from all persons whomsoever” except for members of the 36th and 37th Congresses and certain other military and foreign officials.Note that there is no time limit in this language.Congress even got rid of these remaining exceptions in the Amnesty Act of 1898, which stated that “the disability imposed by section 3 of the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States heretofore incurred is hereby removed.” There was no language preserving any of the disqualifications for future cases.In short, these anti-Trump ballot challenges are lawfare at its worst, trying to use the law and the courts as a political weapon. All of these lawsuits should be dismissed.sorry for such a long post
Jimbuna
11-07-23, 06:26 AM
I don't think Trump is doing himself any favours atm.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X3IMocu5ccY
Rockstar
11-07-23, 09:11 AM
Clueless Jake said it’s been the greatest time of peace in middle east since the “big guy” took office.
Like Obama, Biden keeps making empty threats and drawing more lines in the sand and Iran and Hamas just keep crossing them
Number of troops injured in Middle East drone attacks now at 46
By Meghann Myers
Nov 6 at 01:28 PM
https://www.militarytimes.com/news/your-military/2023/11/06/number-of-troops-injured-in-middle-east-drone-attacks-climbs-to-46/
Dozens of American troops sustained injuries following drone attacks on bases in Iraq and Syria on Oct. 17 and 18, a Pentagon spokesperson told reporters Monday.
The total number of injuries is now 46, Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder said, more than double the 21 the Pentagon initially reported on Oct. 25.
While the injuries are considered minor and the troops returned to duty soon after, according to Ryder, reports of traumatic brain injury tend to trickle in after a blast, as symptoms can sometimes take days or weeks to surface.
Though the Oct. 17 and 18 attacks are still the only incidents resulting in U.S. casualties, Ryder said the number of total attacks since Oct. 17 has risen to 38, with eight of those coming over the weekend.
Defense Department officials have warned of increasing attacks on troops in the Middle East amid the Israel-Hamas war, though officials have stopped short of saying the increase in attacks is directly related to U.S. support of Israel.
“I think that we are all sensitive to the fact that there are tensions in the region ... you are seeing, and we probably will continue to see, groups that may try to exploit the situation to benefit their own interests, to include Iranian proxy groups,” Ryder said during a briefing Nov. 2.
The Pentagon ordered two strikes on Iran-backed militia facilities in Syria on Oct. 26 in retaliation for the attacks.
In response to overall security concerns in the Middle East, including force protection of U.S. troops, the U.S. has positioned two carrier strike groups in the eastern Mediterranean, along with an amphibious ready group with an embarked Marine Expeditionary Unit, several Air Force fighter squadrons and multiple Army air defense units.
On Oct. 31, the Pentagon announced 300 U.S.-based support troops would deploy to an undisclosed location.
“These additional troops will provide capabilities and explosive ordnance disposal, communications and other support enablers for forces already in the region,” Ryder said.
em2nought
11-07-23, 11:44 PM
I can't believe republicans like to tie themselves to the great big anchor that is abortion, and then throw themselves into the deep end. So odd that it's mostly future democrats who are being aborted, and yet republicans are willing to let themselves sink for this one issue. Democrats are flooding over the southern border, let them reduce their own numbers in some manner if they're so inclined. :hmmm:
I still think they're cheating though.
Buddahaid
11-08-23, 12:02 AM
Did republican’s win anything anywhere?
Jimbuna
11-08-23, 05:57 AM
Democrat Andy Beshear easily wins re-election in deep-red Kentucky
Democrat Andy Beshear delivered the first piece of good news for his party on election night 2023 as he was swept back into office by voters in a state long considered a Republican stronghold.
Mr Beshear campaigned on his opponent’s support for abortion restrictions, a key theme that played out in many races Tuesday evening, as well as on his own record as governor. The Democrat has enjoyed a healthy state economy boosted by private investments under his term in office, which also saw him earn credit for his response to several natural disasters in the state.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/world/democrat-andy-beshear-easily-wins-re-election-in-deep-red-kentucky/ar-AA1jyYPe?ocid=msedgntp&pc=EDGEDSE&cvid=769bde98ae66434ebd8872fb566b5e65&ei=14
Rockstar
11-08-23, 08:01 AM
Did republican’s win anything anywhere?
They kept Mississippi and censured Democrat Rep. Rashida Tlaib over her traitorous and inciteful remarks and actions in support of Hamas terrorist attack on Israel
Rockstar
11-08-23, 08:31 AM
Hey on a more inclusive note look at what both parties have been able to accomplish together. The U.S. is by far the most indebted organization in world history, so go ahead give yourselves a pat on the back.
US Debt Interest Bill Rockets Past a Cool $1 Trillion a Year
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/us-debt-bill-rockets-past-065031377.html
Estimated annualized interest payments on the US government debt pile climbed past $1 trillion at the end of last month, Bloomberg analysis shows. That projected amount has doubled in the past 19 months from the equivalent figure forecast around the time.
The estimated interest expense is calculated using US Treasury data which state the government’s monthly outstanding debt balances and the average interest it pays.
Of course, the gauge of estimated interest costs is different than what the Treasury actually paid. Interest costs in the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30 ultimately totaled $879.3 billion, up from $717.6 billion the previous year and about 14% of total outlays.
But, looking forward, the rise in yields on long-term Treasuries in recent months suggests the government will continue to face an escalating interest bill.
The worsening metrics may reignite debate about the US fiscal path amid heavy borrowing from Washington. That dynamic has already helped drive up bond yields, threatened the return of the so-called bond vigilantes and led Fitch Ratings to downgrade US government debt in August.
“There will be further increases to Treasury coupon auctions and T-bills outstanding going forward,” Bloomberg Intelligence strategists Ira Jersey and Will Hoffman wrote in a research note. “Besides deficits of over $2 trillion in the foreseeable future, climbing maturities following the increase of issuance from March 2020 will also need to be refinanced.”
Jimbuna
11-08-23, 12:17 PM
Chris Christie blames Trump ‘poison’ for GOP election losses.
Former New Jersey governor and 2024 GOP hopeful Chris Christie has blamed Donald Trump’s “poison” for the Republican party’s disappointing results in the off-year elections.
Mr Christie, Mr Trump’s onetime staunch ally turned sworn nemesis, pointed out that the former president had endorsed Daniel Cameron in the Kentucky’s gubernatorial race – and that Mr Cameron then landed a major defeat in the red state.
“Cameron was a rising star in the Republican party until he decided to throw his lot in with Donald Trump,” he told CNN on Tuesday night.
“Let’s face it, Donald Trump is political and electoral poison down ballot.”
He added: “Any Republican who was overconfident about beating Joe Biden next year is a foolish Republican,” Christie said. “If he is the candidate for the Democratic Party, which it appears he will be, he will always be a difficult opponent.”
Mr Christie – the GOP presidential candidate who is most critical of Mr Trump – also hit out on social media and urged his party to see the race outcome as a wake-up call of the former president’s waning support.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/politics/chris-christie-blames-trump-poison-for-gop-election-losses/ar-AA1jAu4B?ocid=msedgntp&pc=EDGEDSE&cvid=7b93302abdc64a21b71ab604084b71dd&ei=14
Rockstar
11-08-23, 03:59 PM
Liberal woke Democrats, you know the ones wouldn’t dream of fighting themselves, have spent at least the last 20 years spinning trash like this and DEIing the hell out of the last institution where American men could improve their station.
https://youtu.be/MIYGFSONKbk?si=5-NWeRe7zpWy3EmZ
Now that we missed recruiting goals by over 25% and getting worse. Looks like accusations of white privilege is out and white men are back in Army recruiting ads instead of obese they/thems telling their story how the army helps them live their life as a poly cat family. Biden must be looking for bullet catchers no time for diversity now that it's wartime, huh guys?
https://youtu.be/m25KI4RAm4c?feature=shared
As a commenter says “100% percent more effective than Emma”
https://youtu.be/4KPBUdRufOE?feature=shared
em2nought
11-08-23, 04:24 PM
Hey on a more inclusive note look at what both parties have been able to accomplish together. The U.S. is by far the most indebted organization in world history, so go ahead give yourselves a pat on the back.
Yeah, those fools certainly put drunken sailors to shame. :dead:
Rockstar
11-08-23, 04:27 PM
You’ll thank us later :har:
https://i.postimg.cc/W14SqNyk/IMG-3133.jpg
Catfish
11-08-23, 05:34 PM
^ Just talked to a US guy today.
Honestly? I think you are all madmen.
Rockstar
11-08-23, 05:48 PM
Oh hell Catfish, there’s 352,000,000 people in this country. Several of our greater cities have populations larger than entire European countries. Opinions will vary. :03:
And btw, I’m the only normal one in this country everyone else is mad. :D
^ Just talked to a US guy today.
Honestly? I think you are all madmen.
Better not mess with us then. :yep:
les green01
11-08-23, 11:53 PM
^ Just talked to a US guy today.
Honestly? I think you are all madmen.
you better stay away from Rockstar then i heard he is way out there only time he is half normal is here at subsim :haha:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1omV43lzff8
:hmmm:
em2nought
11-09-23, 05:13 AM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1omV43lzff8
:hmmm:
President Trump needs to tell the republicans to STFU about abortion. Let the democrats abort all the little future democrats they want. What a stupid hill to die on. Sometimes I think it's a set up.
Dear republicans, if anyone asks you what your position on abortion is:
https://i.kym-cdn.com/entries/icons/facebook/000/000/157/itsatrap.jpg
FFS
Jimbuna
11-09-23, 06:55 AM
Trump lawyer Alina Habba objects to her own documents in courtroom stumble
Donald Trump's lawyers spent Wednesday morning objecting to the Attorney General's Office asking to enter several documents into evidence \-- but one of them was their own.
As witness Ivanka Trump took the stand, prosecutors asked her several questions about conversations she had or emails she exchanged with Trump Organization executives.
As "The Messenger's" Adam Klasfeld explained on Twitter, on several occasions, Ivanka said that she couldn't recall the conversations, so the AG's office entered documents into evidence to refresh her memory.
In one case, the prosecutors showed Ivanka an email from her to Allen Weisselberg and other Trump Org. executives dated Dec. 15, 2011.
“It doesn’t get better than this. lets (sic) discuss asap (sic),” Ivanka wrote.
Habba objected to the email being entered, claiming that it was never sent. The New York prosecutors contradicted it, saying that the email was sent, showing the date.
Prosecutor Kevin Wallace stepped in to address the authenticity, saying the document Habba objected to was one of their own documents.
Justice Arthur Engoron said that he would allow the questioning on the email to continue.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/world/trump-lawyer-alina-habba-objects-to-her-own-documents-in-courtroom-stumble/ar-AA1jBhR5?ocid=msedgntp&pc=EDGEDSE&cvid=cf6465ddac454406bea1c591b3e61fc7&ei=16
Rockstar
11-09-23, 08:25 AM
President Trump needs to tell the republicans to STFU about abortion. Let the democrats abort all the little future democrats they want. What a stupid hill to die on. Sometimes I think it's a set up.
There are people who are against abortion in every state and of every political persuasion. The politicians who speak up against it are simple representing those people who elected them. It’s how the system works. You can't have one person dictating terms and policy the people elect representatives to be heard.
Personally, I think abortion is sometimes necessary but there should be limits.
https://i.postimg.cc/3xP5kZGv/IMG-2886.jpg
There are people who are against abortion in every state and of every political persuasion. The politicians who speak up against it are simple representing those people who elected them. It how the system works. You can't have one person dictating terms and policy the people elect representatives to be heard.
Personally, I think abortion is sometimes necessary but there should be limits.
Thing is they're not electing those representatives, they are loosing to pro-choice opponents. The right to an abortion is like the top get-out-the-vote motivator for Democrats and they use it quite effectively as a political cudgel to defeat pro-life opponents.
Skybird
11-09-23, 09:43 AM
President Trump needs to tell the republicans to STFU about abortion. Let the democrats abort all the little future democrats they want. What a stupid hill to die on. Sometimes I think it's a set up.
Dear republicans, if anyone asks you what your position on abortion is:
https://i.kym-cdn.com/entries/icons/facebook/000/000/157/itsatrap.jpg
FFS
A trap it was not, because a trap is set up by an enemy or opponent. The Reps shot themselves in their very own foot, with their very own rifle and by their very own decision. Their misjudgement on this topic was and still is stellar.
les green01
11-09-23, 11:09 AM
abortion topic is like a preacher going to a adult strip joint and telling everyone they are sinning dems tells everyone they have no gender rep wants no abortion heck we have a better chance electing cats and dogs
Rockstar
11-09-23, 03:22 PM
Thing is they're not electing those representatives, they are loosing to pro-choice opponents. The right to an abortion is like the top get-out-the-vote motivator for Democrats and they use it quite effectively as a political cudgel to defeat pro-life opponents.
Yep, The topic is certainly a motivator for certain voters to glom on too. It’s probably the one subject they think they have control over. I post something about the deficit spending, national debt, this administrations monetary policy, foreign policy, attacks on our troops and it’s nothing but crickets. Mention abortion and they come out of wood work. I’ll say it again, I see it at times a necessity but ought to be limited. I also agree with RBG that Roe v Wade was a mistake and the current SCOTUS ruling making it a State issue.
However I’m horrified by some states, all democrat, who seem so eager and willing to abort a life no holds barred. Heartless, inhuman, monstrous, party fanboys who rejoice extinguishing a life late term. Laws like that have absolutely nothing to with women’s rights but everything to do with protecting the business of abortion and the sales of body parts.
Jimbuna
11-11-23, 06:46 AM
I and a great many others I suspect will find this article disturbing if it turns out to be true.
Trump is doubling down on his threat to take 'revenge' on 'critics and opponents'
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/world/trump-is-doubling-down-on-his-threat-to-take-revenge-on-critics-and-opponents-analysis/ar-AA1jIWBm?ocid=msedgntp&pc=EDGEDSE&cvid=0566ee604e7d42b6ab7fc8106703e567&ei=10
Rockstar
11-11-23, 08:08 AM
I and a great many others I suspect will find this article disturbing if it turns out to be true.
Let me guess all you Europeans wrap your phone in tinfoil too so you don’t get the 5G virus. You know, just in case it’s true. :har::har::har:
Stop spamming the U.S. politics board with crap like that to pad your post count. You’re a moderator start acting like one.
Rockstar
11-11-23, 05:46 PM
“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” – George Santayana, The Life of Reason, 1905. From the series Great Ideas of Western Man.
“You cannot own a child of god”
https://youtu.be/L3UNny8p4w8?feature=shared
Because they don’t care or don’t want to remember. The mentality of the confederate Democrat plantation owner never changes.
https://youtu.be/orpbKTEEnkc?feature=shared
The True Story of the ‘Free State of Jones’
A new Hollywood movie looks at the tale of the Mississippi farmer who led a revolt against the Confederacy
Richard Grant; Photographs by William Widmer
March 2016
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/true-story-free-state-jones-180958111/
Anyone notice how we’ve moved on from Fani Willis and Georgia to the New York court room drama?
Rockstar
11-11-23, 06:25 PM
Biden and his democrat plantation owners say: ‘I reject your reality and I substitute my own.” :har::har::har::har:
And say Biden officials reject Moody's shift to 'negative' outlook, point to Republican 'dysfunction'
Reuters
November 10, 20235:26 PM ESTUpdated a day ago
https://www.reuters.com/world/us/biden-officials-reject-moodys-shift-negative-outlook-point-republican-2023-11-10/
WASHINGTON, Nov 10 (Reuters) - Top Biden administration officials on Friday rejected a decision by Moody's ratings agency to downgrade its U.S. economic outlook to negative from stable, calling the shift a reflection of what they called "extremism and dysfunction" among congressional Republicans.
“While the statement by Moody’s maintains the United States’ AAA rating, we disagree with the shift to a negative outlook. The American economy remains strong, and Treasury securities are the world’s preeminent safe and liquid asset," Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo said in a statement.
White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre said the change was "yet another consequence of congressional Republican extremism and dysfunction.
MrMojok69
11-11-23, 09:59 PM
President Trump needs to tell the republicans to STFU about abortion. Let the democrats abort all the little future democrats they want. What a stupid hill to die on. Sometimes I think it's a set up.
Dear republicans, if anyone asks you what your position on abortion is:
They go soft on abortion, or try to stop talking about it, and they lose some of their precious evangelical vote.
They can no more separate themselves from abortion now, than they can separate themselves from Trump.
Any attempt to distance themselves from either results in people not voting at all, and in death threats to Republican lawmakers and their families.
They have bound themselves irrevocably to both things, and there is no escape/dodging either of them. It’s a situation the GOP has created and is going to have to live with for the foreseeable future.
Aktungbby
11-11-23, 11:46 PM
MrMojok69!:Kaleun_Salute:
Buddahaid
11-12-23, 02:05 AM
Let me guess all you Europeans wrap your phone in tinfoil too so you don’t get the 5G virus. You know, just in case it’s true. :har::har::har:
Stop spamming the U.S. politics board with crap like that to pad your post count. You’re a moderator start acting like one.
You first.
em2nought
11-12-23, 03:11 AM
Any attempt to distance themselves from either results in people not voting at all, and in death threats to Republican lawmakers and their families.
I agree with the first observation, but I question the second. The second observation sounds like democrats projecting their methods, particularly their methods coming from so called institutions of higher learning. :hmmm:
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