Weekend Open Thread
[guest post by Dana]
Here we go!
First news item
Putz:
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) withheld support for a joint statement condemning last weekend’s protests against Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) because it also wouldn’t include a rebuke of her political views, Axios has learned.
I assumed that there was a consensus that public restrooms were a no-go for harassing politicians. Instead I’m told that being harassed in a public restroom is just “part of the process”. Anyway, I look forward to seeing even more Democrats confront and call out their heathen colleagues in public restrooms.
The Vermont independent on Friday shot down the idea of negotiating with Sens. Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona face-to-face, telling reporters on Capitol Hill,”It’s not a movie. I don’t know if you are a movie writer. This is not a movie.”
He labeled Manchin and Sen. Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona as a pair of obstructionists holding up the bulk of President Joe Biden’s domestic agenda.
“My criticism of Senators Manchin and Sinema is not their views, but my strong criticism is when the American people, President and 90% of your colleagues want to go forward, it is wrong to obstruct,” he added, per the Associated Press’s Farnoush Amiri…
“Two people do not have the right to sabotage what 48 want, what the president of the United States wants. That, to me, is wrong,” Sanders said, echoing Biden’s remarks from earlier in the week.
How silly is Bernie’s argument? This silly:
[T]his tweet conveniently leaves out the 50 Republican senators. Followed to its conclusion, this would suggest that 52 senators should not be able to block what a minority of 48 senators want.
Second news item
The White House on Friday formally blocked an attempt by former President Donald Trump to withhold documents from Congress related to the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, setting up a legal showdown between the current and former presidents over executive privilege.
In a letter to the National Archives obtained by NBC News, White House Counsel Dana Remus rejected an attempt by Trump’s attorneys to withhold documents requested by the House Select Committee regarding the then-president’s activities on Jan. 6, writing that “President Biden has determined that an assertion of executive privilege is not in the best interests of the United States, and therefore is not justified as to any of the documents.”
Third news item
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio unveiled a plan Friday to phase out the gifted and talented programs for elementary school students that many educators say discriminate against Black and Hispanic children enrolled in the nation’s largest public school system.
It will be replaced by a program called “Brilliant NYC” that will expand the pool of students being offered accelerated learning, and not limit it to just the incoming kindergarteners who scored well on an optional exam that put them on a path to attend the city’s elite middle schools and high schools.
“The era of judging 4-year-olds based on a single test is over,” de Blasio said in a statement. “Brilliant NYC will deliver accelerated instruction for tens of thousands of children, as opposed to a select few. Every New York City child deserves to reach their full potential, and this new, equitable model gives them that chance.”
Fourth news item
From gassing sleeping towns and bombing hospitals, schools, and bakeries to employing yearslong starvation sieges and using crematoriums to conceal the mass murder of prison populations, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s regime has spared nothing in its brutal pursuit of survival over the past decade.
When men, women, and children took to the streets in the spring of 2011 to call for political reform—many holding roses in the air to represent peace—Assad labeled them “germs.” Ten years later, at least half a million Syrians are dead, 100,000 more individuals have disappeared, and more than half the population remains displaced. More prosecutable evidence of war crimes has amassed against Assad’s regime than against the Nazis at Nuremberg…
Indeed, the world seems to be gradually accepting Assad back into the global community—and thereby helping to normalize the atrocities his regime has committed…
U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration has also adopted a largely hands-off approach to Syria. And although the Biden administration itself may not be welcoming Assad back into the fold with open arms, it has clearly left open the door for others to do so—shattering international norms and rewarding the 21st century’s most notorious war criminal with a rebirth. One official, speaking anonymously, even admitted the Biden administration will not act to prevent or reverse U.S. allies reengaging with and normalizing Assad’s regime.
Fifth news item
Having made a thorough case that Trump’s tariffs had failed, Tai might have been expected to say that President Joe Biden’s administration is therefore junking them and trying something new. The fact that she neither did that nor explained why the tariffs are staying suggests that its inaction stems from considerations of domestic politics rather than of foreign or economic policy. Unions that support Biden have also supported the tariffs. In the end, the president would rather avoid giving Republicans another rationale for saying that he is soft on China.
The price of not looking soft, unfortunately, is to continue to inflict damage on the U.S. economy in return for nothing.
Sixth news item
Executive privilege held by a *former* president?
Steve Bannon will not cooperate with the House select committee investigating January 6, his lawyer said in an email obtained by CNN that cites former President Donald Trump’s claim of executive privilege. Bannon’s attorney told the committee that “the executive privileges belong to President Trump” and “we must accept his direction and honor his invocation of executive privilege.” The letter from Bannon’s legal team goes on to say it may be up to the courts to decide whether he is ultimately forced to cooperate — essentially daring the House to sue or hold him in criminal contempt. “As such, until these issues are resolved, we are unable to respond to your request for documents and testimony,” wrote the lawyer, Robert Costello.
“Though the Select Committee welcomes good-faith engagement with witnesses seeking to cooperate with our investigation, we will not allow any witness to defy a lawful subpoena or attempt to run out the clock, and we will swiftly consider advancing a criminal contempt of Congress referral,” Thompson and Cheney said.
Seventh news item
Ouch:
The U.S. economy added 194,000 jobs in September, after economists predicted employers would hire roughly 500,000 new workers, the Bureau of Labor Statistics announced on Friday.
This month is the second in a row in which job growth fell short of expectations, with the U.S. adding 366,000 jobs in August despite economists’ predictions of 728,000 new jobs.
…
There are currently 5 million fewer people on payrolls than there were in February 2020, just before the coronavirus pandemic forced shutdowns of businesses across the country, according to the Bureau. The shortage of workers coincides with high numbers of job openings, with almost 11 million job openings towards the end of July this year.
So, Covid money is running out, eviction moratoriums are decreasing, and with this negative report out, one wonders exactly what are Americans living on? This, as businesses are desperate for employees (see: Help Wanted signs everywhere).
Smart comment from JVW as we discussed this subject this morning: Economists expected 500,000 hires last month and we got fewer than 200,000. How long before the Biden Team tells us that *next* summer will be “recovery summer”??
Eighth news item
Pushing back against cancel culture:
“If this is what being canceled is like, I love it,” the 48-year-old [Dave Chappelle] said in response to a standing ovation. The line, and many more like it, was greeted by rapturous applause from the crowd… At another point, he was more blunt: “Fuck Twitter. Fuck NBC News, ABC News, all these stupid ass networks. I’m not talking to them. I’m talking to you. This is real life.”
But that is precisely what the LGBTQ community, and in particular trans women, have objected to after Chappelle used their real lives, bodies and gender identity as punchlines in The Closer. “Gender is a fact. Every human being in this room, every human being on Earth, had to pass through the legs of a woman to be on Earth. That is a fact,” he says in the special, his last of a string of Netflix specials
California students will soon be required to take ethnic studies to graduate high school.
Gov. Gavin Newsom signed AB 101 into law on Friday afternoon, requiring California high school students to take ethnic studies to graduate, starting with the class of 2030. Educators and recent studies attest to the benefits of students learning the histories and cultures of marginalized communities, but a few parents still worry the requirement could create more tensions between students.
Criticism of the requirement:
The editorial board at the Los Angeles Times opposed the bill because it provides too much flexibility for local districts to design their own curricula that could deviate from the state’s own model curriculum. Thousands from California’s Jewish community signed a petition opposing the bill because it would allow districts to use a previous draft of the model curriculum that has been criticized for containing anti-Semitic content.
Victoria Samper, a parent volunteer for Latinx for Quality Education, said she and her organization opposed the requirement because, she said, these conversations about oppression cultivates a “victim mentality” for students. Samper said ethnic studies should focus primarily on the historical figures who overcame adversity.
Have a nice weekend.
–Dana
Hello.
Dana (174549) — 10/8/2021 @ 3:45 pmThe much better looking Dana wrote:
The left have no problem with such, because the only instances of this have been left-wing idiots confronting sensible people in restaurants, meetings and the like. The left only have problems with sensible people protesting at school board meetings when public schools have continued teaching far left propaganda. For that, the thankfully never-Justice Merrick Garland wants to sic the FBI and United States Marshalls on the protesters.
The libertarian, but not Libertarian, Dana (19ac30) — 10/8/2021 @ 3:51 pm“The left have no problem with such, because the only instances of this have been left-wing idiots confronting sensible people in restaurants, meetings and the like. The left only have problems with sensible people protesting at school board meetings when public schools have continued teaching far left propaganda. For that, the thankfully never-Justice Merrick Garland wants to sic the FBI and United States Marshalls on the protesters.”
Don’t sprain your arm patting yourself on the back.
https://www.newsweek.com/masks-are-child-abuse-anti-maskers-target-kids-outside-elementary-school-1586025
Davethulhu (017f04) — 10/8/2021 @ 4:03 pmAnother grim milestone:
From what I can tell, the death totals have peaked, and are declining week by week, slowly.
Follow the link to see which states are doing well, and which poorly, especially now.
(One of the intriguing things about the 1918 flu epidemic is how quickly Americans tried to shut it out of their minds. I think we are seeing something similar with this virus.)
Jim Miller (edcec1) — 10/8/2021 @ 4:26 pmI doubt very much that the security organs need, or have needed since at least the time of J. Edgar Hoover, any new directives to investigate potential threats to members of the Politburo and the anti-social elements who might pose such threats.
— The Stalinist but not Communist nk
nk (1d9030) — 10/8/2021 @ 4:49 pm“Gov. Gavin Newsom signed (almost meaningless gesture) into law on Friday afternoon, requiring California high school students to take (class with no real defined standards) to graduate, starting with the class of (2 administrations in the future)”
Fixed it for everyone.
Want to know what the education policy is? So do the people making laws about it and the people attempting to implement it.
Nic (896fdf) — 10/8/2021 @ 5:21 pmSpirit Airlines flight 3044 engine fire and evacuation after a bird strike.
VASAviation pilot and air traffic controller communications
Purple Haze (848fb6) — 10/8/2021 @ 5:25 pmAddressing a serious problem in California: https://www.foxnews.com/politics/california-gov-newsom-condom-consent-sex-stealthing
nk (1d9030) — 10/8/2021 @ 6:12 pmAlso making its way through the California Assembly: A bill making it illegal for a man to tell a woman he is dating that he is married when he is not.
nk (1d9030) — 10/8/2021 @ 6:16 pmFactCheck has some final Trump numbers. Two samples:
(I glanced though the list and did not find any obvious mistakes — but some of the numbers would need evaluating by spcialists.)
Jim Miller (edcec1) — 10/8/2021 @ 6:18 pmMisery for all.
“quickly consider” is another way of saying “immediately assess.”
felipe (484255) — 10/8/2021 @ 6:31 pmIt often becomes incumbent on the state to apportion misery as well as benefits.
— The Stalinist but not Communist nk
nk (1d9030) — 10/8/2021 @ 7:11 pmMore Americans have Died of Covid under Biden than Trump: Johns Hopkins
JF (e1156d) — 10/8/2021 @ 7:32 pmParents group: AG Garland has conflict of interest with Facebook, critical race theory
Attorney General Merrick Garland is under scrutiny after a parents group revealed that his daughter is married to the co-founder of an education company funded by Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg that allegedly employs critical race theory in its work, according to a report.
The disclosure comes as the attorney general announced on Monday that the FBI will help investigate increasing accounts of alleged threats against teachers and school board members in response to critical race theory being taught in schools — an action that critics slammed as a “declaration of war” on parents and intimidation of political opponents.
JF (e1156d) — 10/8/2021 @ 7:36 pmUPI: Biden administration lifts sanctions against two Iranian missile producers
Something you left out of the jobs report news, Biden’s brilliant quote from yesterday:
“When you see headlines and reports of mass firings, and hundreds of people losing their jobs, look at the bigger story….United went from 59% of their employees to 99% of their employees in less than two months…”
Also left out, a lot more people have stopped looking for work.
Obudman (86020d) — 10/8/2021 @ 7:58 pm“Also left out, a lot more people have stopped looking for work.”
I was assured that cutting unemployment benefits over the last few months would increase employment.
Davethulhu (017f04) — 10/8/2021 @ 8:01 pm“allegedly employs critical race theory in its work, according to a report.”
From your article:
What controversial ideas? What critics?
Davethulhu (017f04) — 10/8/2021 @ 8:05 pmNot an issue for Eric Holder to be defiant of his subpoena.
mg (8cbc69) — 10/8/2021 @ 8:15 pm@JF SCANDAL under New firechief! more trees burned under big fire than under small fire, even though old firechief did nothing to put it out when small, letting it get big, and new firechief is doing many things to put it out.
SCANDAL under FBI director! FBI director’s daughter married to co-founder of frozen cuisine company that may or may not make snozberry flavored popsicles (none of their popsicles are labeled snozberry). Scandal when he directs investigation of reported threats against people suspected of being snozberry popsicle eaters. Intimidation of ANTI-SNOZBERRIERS! No consensus on what snozberry flavor is.
(social emotional learning has not a d@mn thing to do with anything anti-CRT people even vaguely articulate as something that might possibly be a practical example of CRT. Is the icky feeling hurt or anger? OH NOES CRT! Wait, no, it isn’t.)
Nic (896fdf) — 10/8/2021 @ 8:25 pm@17 @19
cuz your position hinges on whether it is or is not crt
lmao
JF (e1156d) — 10/8/2021 @ 8:48 pm“cuz your position hinges on whether it is or is not crt”
You need to work on your reading comprehension.
Davethulhu (017f04) — 10/8/2021 @ 9:26 pm@JF@20 Are you saying that people who threaten violence against snozberry popsicle eaters should get away with it just because the director of the FBI might be connected to someone who might or might not make snozberry popsicles? How is that justice for the popsicle eaters?
Nic (896fdf) — 10/8/2021 @ 10:21 pmIf you want to watch a classic film this weekend, here’s a little gem from 1952, set in postwar Britain. It was Bogarde’s first above-the-title role, and I think it’s one of his most spellbinding performances. Black-and-white puts a sharper focus on psychological drama than color does, and Bogarde here is masterly in projecting emotions. He also helped draw out a convincing performance from little Jon Whitely, and the dynamics between them are fascinating. Both were rather less convincing in a subsequent film they did together, The Spanish Gardener, where Jon does a lot more talking.
Bogarde is fascinating in a more sinister way in The Servant, and he did some other creepy roles, as well as his slightly disturbing role in Visconti’s Death in Venice. Here you can see fine acting in a wholesome and charming story.
Radegunda (237245) — 10/8/2021 @ 10:23 pmRadegunda,
I saw Libel not too long ago, and enjoyed Bogarde’s performance in it.
norcal (b9a35f) — 10/8/2021 @ 11:13 pm“President Biden has determined that an assertion of executive privilege is not in the best interests of the United States, and therefore is not justified as to any of the documents.”
I think this is his perfect right since those documents are the government’s, not Trump’s. I also think that Biden expects to die before this comes back at him, but future presidents will have a dumpster fire on their way out the door.
Kevin M (ab1c11) — 10/8/2021 @ 11:14 pmI’m guessing that Bernie will be staying out of public restrooms for the foreseeable future, as difficult as that might be for a man his age.
Kevin M (ab1c11) — 10/8/2021 @ 11:17 pmIndeed, the world seems to be gradually accepting Assad back into the global community—and thereby helping to normalize the atrocities his regime has committed…
I doubt he will travel much.
Kevin M (ab1c11) — 10/8/2021 @ 11:19 pm@26 Good one!
norcal (b9a35f) — 10/8/2021 @ 11:22 pmThe problem with Bernie is that he’s studied too much philosophy, and not enough economics.
norcal (b9a35f) — 10/8/2021 @ 11:23 pmIf Bannon is claiming executive privilege about testifying about his interactions with President Trump (as opposed to former-president Trump), I think he’s on solid ground. The privilege does not only protect Trump but also his advisors, in perpetuity, and for good reason. I don’t think that Biden can waive this and he might not be able to waive privilege regarding written communications of the same sort.
Only if there is criminal activity (as with the lawyer-client privilege) should the confidentialty be breached.
Kevin M (ab1c11) — 10/8/2021 @ 11:24 pm@28: I suspect that if a Trumpist cornered Bernie in a GA restroom, he’d be arrested and charged with a felony.
Kevin M (ab1c11) — 10/8/2021 @ 11:26 pmCovid money is running out
Fun fact: So far, and not counting anything currently pending, the US has spent over $5 trillion to combat the effects of Covid-19. We’ve committed to spending almost $7 trillion. ANd that’s not counting the $4 trillion the federal reserve has kicked in.
https://www.covidmoneytracker.org/
And Bernie and the Gang of 48 want to spend another $4.5 trillion (much of it as starters on new entitlements with on-going costs).
Kevin M (ab1c11) — 10/8/2021 @ 11:32 pmThe problem with Bernie is that he’s studied too much philosophy, and not enough economics.
Well, he considers Marx to be economics. Remember, this is a man who took his new bride to Brezhnev’s Soviet Union for their honeymoon.
Kevin M (ab1c11) — 10/8/2021 @ 11:34 pmMarx knew as much about economics as Bill Clinton knows about fidelity.
norcal (b9a35f) — 10/8/2021 @ 11:43 pmThe problem with Bernie is worse than Trump voters gave him what he wanted.
mg (8cbc69) — 10/9/2021 @ 3:54 amYou People…..
It’s a Hunter Biden original – just rolls off the tongue.
mg (8cbc69) — 10/9/2021 @ 4:27 amThe Stalinist but not Communist nk quoted:
One wonders how such a thing could be proved.
Obviously “Erotic Service Providers” will now have to keep meticulous records, including names, addresses and driver’s license numbers concerning their “clients.” Kind of difficult to sue a guy known only as John.
The libertarian, but not Libertarian, Dana (577408) — 10/9/2021 @ 4:58 amHere’s a horrifying story about the juvenile justice system in Rutherford County, Tennessee. The beginning:
The juvenile court judge referred 48% of the kids arrested to juvenile court, compared to the 5% statewide average. The story is worth a full read.
Paul Montagu (5de684) — 10/9/2021 @ 6:12 amNic @22: acts of violence or threats are against the law, have been for a really really long time, and if you’re doubting that i’ll bet we could find any number of cops to confirm it
here, I’ll give you an example
what’s kind of new is using vast federal power to protect government officials against views they don’t like
granted that’s certainly not new in what we broadly would call sh!thole countries, but it’s new here
the fbi needs to get involved, cuz why?
surely you can explain in detail without popsicle analogies
JF (e1156d) — 10/9/2021 @ 7:55 amThank you for the link, Paul. Putting my objections to the writing style of the Author aside, it was worth reading.
One of my siblings, before retiring, had a long career in the Juvenal detention system, starting in an intake position and ending in an administrative position. My sibling expressed astonishment that the vast majority of children being admitted to detention were of color. There were two prevalent opinions among the intake staff about what this meant; children of color were at greater risk of detention because of parental dysfunction within communities of color, or because of economic challenges in obtaining counsel.
Later, my sibling realized that the intake staff saw only a part of the “process.” Engagement in the Administrative part put a new, but still insufficient, light on the entire “process” that gave new meaning to the phrase “justice is blind.” There was much more going on than a blind man can gleen from touching an elephant.
The linked story shares some elements (portrayal/perception vs truth) of what our esteemed host took great pains to illuminate in his recent posts on the legal system. I leave it to subscribers of the Vanguard to edify us with their thoughtful analysis.
felipe (484255) — 10/9/2021 @ 8:22 am“the fbi needs to get involved, cuz why?”
Because it can lead to violence and death. Now obviously not all threats are equal and there is an important line between citizens organizing and objecting to policy…..and those citizens presenting an imminent threat to elected officials. So investigating doesn’t necessarily mean squelching 1A rights…it may simply mean seeing if there is any additional evidence that suggests escalation or erratic behavior. We would want that done with James Hodgkinson who attacked the GOP softball game and for those in the Trump-Stop-The-Steal mob who pushed their way into the Capitol.
The problem is that as rhetoric goes to 11 and people are getting increasingly angry…..as manifested by what is normalized on social media, blog posts, and ideological cable TV…the result is predictable….more violence….and increasingly more high-value violence and intrusion into public officials lives….as perpetrators feel justified by their rage and anger….because it’s a perceived existential threat (CRT is coming for you!!). I see it coming as many out there are all out of words to express their disdain….and they want someone to be punched in the mouth. Once we start rationalizing that, not only will we lose good people willing to serve….we will be ungovernable…and a tyrant will emerge. You may chortle….but that’s the danger of Trump….someone probing how far people are willing to go. You have to ask yourself….how far are you willing to go?
AJ_Liberty (a4ff25) — 10/9/2021 @ 8:30 amMembers of my family are enjoying game day between UT and OU, and report an average crowd compared to pre-pandemic attendance.
Sign seen among the throng: YOU can go to h3ll, I’ll go to Texas!
Obvious, but new to me.
felipe (484255) — 10/9/2021 @ 8:33 amMr Liberty wrote:
Assault and homicide are state crimes, and if law enforcement needs to provide security at school board meetings, it should be provided by local or state police.
The libertarian, but not Libertarian, Dana (577408) — 10/9/2021 @ 8:39 amProjection? Donald Trump has criticized Ben Sasse as a loser and a sleazebag
Ben Sasse earned a PhD from Yale, was a professor at the University of Texas, served honorably in the George W. Bush administration, revived Midland University, and has won every election he has run in.
If there are any Ben Sasse scandals, I’ve missed them.
(And he hasn’t inherited a fortune.)
Jim Miller (edcec1) — 10/9/2021 @ 9:06 amOh, and I should have mentioned that, unlike Trump, Sasse has actually written two serious books, “The Vanishing American Adult” and “Them”.
(I have never been able to rid myself of the suspicion that Trump has not read the books that he supposedly wrote. Oh, I assume he may have read parts of them — but all of the books? His attention span isn’t that long.)
Jim Miller (edcec1) — 10/9/2021 @ 9:22 am43, how strong in decibels will the “Let’s Go Brandon” get?
urbanleftbehind (c073c9) — 10/9/2021 @ 9:25 amGoing back to the first item, it would be easier to take Bernie Sanders’ arguments seriously, if the millionaire would give up one of his three homes.
Jim Miller (edcec1) — 10/9/2021 @ 9:30 am#43, please review: https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/over-300-people-facing-federal-charges-crimes-committed-during-nationwide-demonstrations
There’s always a federal hook. Now I tend to agree that states should handle state matters….and the existential crisis of wearing masks in school or even mentioning race in the curriculum…..certainly are quintessential state matters (there is only a very limited federal police power)….matters of high dudgeon that merit oblique physical threats. Yet are we really going back to Hoover’s FBI….muscling civil rights groups….and now muscling parents who just want to exercise their right to give a Nazi salute to those horribly masking their and all kids. Or is the FBI just providing advice on how to manage increasingly out-of-control events? Will the FBI get sicced on parents needing to publicly unload about CRT and its diabolical threat? I guess we’ll see. I would rather see people step back and think these things through…and for both sides to de-escalate….but social media demands drama….and I guess we have to keep making our own drama
AJ_Liberty (a4ff25) — 10/9/2021 @ 9:44 amAJ – It sounds as if you might be interested in Sasse’s book, “Them”. (I would be too, if I weren’t so far behind on my reading.)
Jim Miller (edcec1) — 10/9/2021 @ 9:48 amPeople who have spent 9 years going through the LEGAL process of immigration are being denied citizenship if they aren’t vaxxed.
Meanwhile thousands pouring in across the border illegally are not checked before being bussed to city centers to be dumped.
https://twitter.com/emily_burns_v/status/1446563783246237700?s=21
Some conservatives voted for this.
Obudman (b995d7) — 10/9/2021 @ 9:59 am@JF@39 I mean, I could, but the letters CRT seems to cause you to focus only on the political argument of thing-you-don’t like (“cuz your position hinges on whether it is or is not crt”) instead of looking at the actual argument of whether or not a law enforcement agency should enforce the law where-as substituting a different product with similar circumstances might help make the situation more clear and less crowded by politics. Had your original answer to my post been something like “it doesn’t matter if it’s about CRT or not, the FBI director should not be issuing investigations outside his realm of responsibility that might benefit a family member.” that might have been a different story, though it’s still a pretty far reach, since it doesn’t seem clear if his son-in-law might benefit from investigations into people threatening people who may or may not use a product that the son-in-law doesn’t seem to really be producing AND it doesn’t seem clear that the investigations are outside his realm of responsibility.
@AJ Occassionally we do get threatened with physical violence (or one of them will key the principal’s car). Mostly really angry parents threaten to fing sue us (they almost never go through with it) but CRT and vaccine mandates seem to have brought out the worst in people who are mostly only marginally paranoid about the education system (no, no one is demonstrating gay sex acts to your kids in sex ed.)
Nic (896fdf) — 10/9/2021 @ 10:08 amJM, yeah I’m still trying to get to Apocalypse Never and The Grid…but “Why We Hate Each Other” does seem to focus in on my enduring point. The problem is that the message gets little traction when the media is invested financially in the discord. That’s why I found the recent Facebook whistleblower release so fascinating…..they know their model is creating harm…but it’s how they make money….and the drama is individually addictive…..it’s like we’re trapped. Sasse for President in 2024…..Sasse and Haley would make a pretty good ticket.
AJ_Liberty (a4ff25) — 10/9/2021 @ 10:12 amThe big danger I see from MAGA world now is how they’re setting up a permission structure for violence when they don’t get their way, by claiming that the system is rigged against them, aka “the American people,” and that perfidious “elites” won’t allow “the people” to put their preferred candidate in office. In this way of thinking, the “elites” failed to add enough phony votes in 2016 because they underestimated DJT, but “they” were ready this time! (Though for some reason, the elites manipulating the system allowed Madison Cawthorn and Lauren Boebert and Marjorie Taylor Greene into Congress. Was that just to fake us out?)
Never mind that there aren’t enough “elites” to give a popular-vote majority, or even a close second place, to a Dem candidate. The framing of “powerful elites” vs. “the American people” is useful to give MAGAland permission to use extraordinary means to get their way.
Never mind that the Trump campaign’s own internal polling showed him likely to lose, as did nearly every other poll, consistently, for months. Never mind that even Bill Barr and other Republican officials who voted for Trump and donated to his campaign looked at the evidence and concluded that he legitimately lost. MAGAland chooses to believe that those people now speak for a corrupt system. MAGA world adopted Trump’s own position, born of deep narcissism, that he couldn’t possibly lose a fair contest, and now it’s their own philosophy: their side (aka “the American people”) can’t lose unless the other side (or “the elites”) cheat them. And because the elites will probably cheat, it’s now “by any means necessary” for “real America.”
Another cool trick is to claim that a majority of U.S. citizens are “not Americans in any meaningful sense,” so even a mathematically legitimate victory for the other side can be cast as morally illegitimate — which is an even stronger permission slip for violence.
MAGA voices are ascribing deep perfidy to people who disagree with them, and thereby giving themselves justification to do whatever it takes to get their way. That used to be what conservatives (often fairly) accused the left of doing. Now they paint it as heroic patriotism.
Radegunda (237245) — 10/9/2021 @ 10:28 amFor a long time I wasn’t particularly interested in politics. Eventually I became quite absorbed in political questions, and the main hook was the sense that bad people were trying to do bad things and we needed to stop them. Us vs. Them was a sort of narcotic. I aligned with a team and always defended that team against the other team. And I basically ignored thoughtful voices making a case for another viewpoint.
Us vs. Them politics became less compelling when “Us” came to be defined mostly by allegiance to one person, and when many people who had been making the case for “our side” started trashing what our side had been up to that point. They now boast of how they’ve refashioned “our side,” and then they portray everyone who didn’t go along with the change as a villain — as part of “them,” however much they still disagree with the people who were always “them” in the past.
Radegunda (237245) — 10/9/2021 @ 10:52 amNic @51 i was being sarcastic, thus the lmao — and still lmao
whether it is or is not crt is irrelevant to any justification for a fbi investigation, but you insisted on making crt the issue — or was it popsicles?
if it were in fact crt, you wouldn’t change your stance one iota
JF (e1156d) — 10/9/2021 @ 11:59 amBiden has done a better job with Putin’s economy than ours, and has also done a better job with Putin’s foreign policy than ours.
steveg (e81d76) — 10/9/2021 @ 12:15 pmBut Trump was Putin’s puppet because he spoke about Putin in blandishments
AJ @41: well i certainly hope we quell the scourge of concerned parent violence that’s sweeping the nation
i doubt there are many parents who want to risk getting sucked into a federal investigation, and that of course is the whole point of the directive
we know that when parents were sucked into an amateur hour investigation, it was roundly condemned— maybe not by you
do you think the goal there was to protect the school board and teachers, or just raw low grade sh!thole intimidation?
out sourcing that hand dirtying task to the feds, with all their vast resources and partisan intent, seems like the better move — which is all we need to know about your dismissal of 1A concerns
certainly it got your pom poms shaking
and, just a tip, hodgkinson references don’t really work to your favor seeing as how the fbi comically classified his actions as suicide by cop
JF (e1156d) — 10/9/2021 @ 12:19 pmCovid death rates are higher in states with low vaccination rates. Nearly all Covid deaths are now among the unvaccinated. Various hospitals have recently reported that all their Covid ICU patients are unvaccinated.
Vaccination rates are lowest among Republicans and Trump supporters. Overt resistance to vaccination is highest among Republicans/Trumpers. Vaccine rejection is encouraged by MAGA media. Same goes for resistance to all other measures to slow the spread of Covid.
Consequently, Covid death rates rise along with MAGA attachment. In Washington State, for example, “after COVID-19 policies were put into place, the number of deaths per county increased more rapidly in counties with higher levels of Trump support than in counties with lower levels of Trump support.”
Last year, MAGA world treated Covid like a terrible plot against poor poor Donald, and insisted that death rates were being grossly inflated just to hurt him, and rebelled against public policies to stop the spread.
Now, much of MAGA world is still resistant to the simple measure that is most effective at preventing a deadly case of Covid — and then painting all the preventable deaths as Biden’s fault. It’s almost like some of them want more Covid deaths so they can throw around the numbers as a political weapon.
Radegunda (f9af1b) — 10/9/2021 @ 12:38 pm“ MSNBC’s Joy Reid: Conservative parents “took our school boards hostage like a bunch of screaming maniacs. This is still 2021, the year a MAGA mob defecated in our Capitol, hurled obscenities & racist slurs at police & even brought their own noose like an old-fashioned lynch mob”
Comment: “five minutes ago looting businesses and burning down buildings was the voice of the unheard”
Obudman (b995d7) — 10/9/2021 @ 12:39 pm@58 the buck stops somewhere over there
JF (e1156d) — 10/9/2021 @ 12:51 pmJF,
To some people the narrative is all they have. It’s holding together their world as reality crumbles around them.
NJRob (d7bf53) — 10/9/2021 @ 1:27 pmFelipe, that was a great game. Terrible meltdown, but I’m used to that.
Dustin (4c5ad4) — 10/9/2021 @ 1:44 pmOle Miss/Arkansas was good.
steveg (e81d76) — 10/9/2021 @ 2:24 pmGive Arkansas credit for going for the 2 pt conversion with no time on the clock even if it didn’t work out
The problem with Bernie is worse than Trump voters gave him what he wanted.
The mistake you make is thinking Trump is any different. Except for the lack of manners, he’s just another statist.
Kevin M (ab1c11) — 10/9/2021 @ 3:21 pmif the millionaire would give up one of his three homes.
I suspect that all three were built and furnished as cheaply as possible. “What, you want HOW MUCH to run a gas line to the kitchen?! Screw you, you capitalist dog, we’ll use propane!”
Kevin M (ab1c11) — 10/9/2021 @ 3:24 pmFor some time I have been musing over the possibility that Donald Trump is, at heart, a monarchist.
And then a few days ago, I saw that Fiona Hill has been thinking along the
Jim Miller (edcec1) — 10/9/2021 @ 3:30 pmThe price of not looking soft, unfortunately, is to continue to inflict damage on the U.S. economy in return for nothing.
If tariffs returned nothing, why would countries continually use them, and why would the tariffed country always be upset? If, for example, they are used to counter export subsidies aimed at driving competitors out of business in the importing countries, are they a sop to those competitors or are they a leveling of the playing field.
China, for example, allows solar manufacturers to trash their local environment in ways that we would never permit. They dig up rare earths with no thought to the environment, making them the worldwide low-cost producer. In both cases doing nothing allows them to make the world dependent on them.
I guess that instead of imposing tariffs on them, the US could subsidize our own manufacturers. But that is ALSO a tax.
Kevin M (ab1c11) — 10/9/2021 @ 3:32 pmsame lines:
(Emphasis added.)
Consider three leaders that Trump has gotten along well with:
Kim Jong-un
Salman bin Abdulaziz
Queen Elizabeth II
What do these three have in common? Approximately nothing, except all are heads of state — and all of them inherited their positions. Just as Trump inherited his money, and hopes to pass it on to his children, just as those three hope to pass on their positions to their children.
That Trump attraction to monarchy is so unusual in American politicians that most of our journalists seem to have missed it. But it would be interesting if one of them asked Trump for his opinion on George III.
If Trump sees himself as a king, then his reaction to his election loss is entirely understandable.
(Sorry about the break.)
Jim Miller (edcec1) — 10/9/2021 @ 3:51 pmWith this victim mentality, they not only justify violence if they suffer an election loss but they have established that any loss can only be due to a rigged election. IOW, in this delusional world, MAGA candidates never would/could legitimately lose an election. They’ve all but removed that as a possibility. It’s staggering when one considers the level of delusion involved, especially as more than 60 challenges were thrown out by the courts, and there has not been any evidence of widespread cheating with regard to the 2020 election. And yet, even as recently as yesterday, Trump was complaining about the “rigged election”:
Dana (174549) — 10/9/2021 @ 4:43 pmAbout twenty years ago, I was at a party and got cornered by a person who would not stop whining about an Asian country that was “dumping” solar panels in the US market because their nation so heavily subsidized their manufacturers (according to the whiner). So I said “Why whine about them? Why don’t you lobby our government for the same subsidies? Would that make you happy? They finally left me alone.
felipe (484255) — 10/9/2021 @ 4:55 pmDustin (4c5ad4) — 10/9/2021 @ 1:44 pm
Yeah, man. I’m used to it as well. Good to hear from you – I hope your family is doing well during this interesting time.
felipe (484255) — 10/9/2021 @ 5:08 pm#50 Let’s see if I have this right: An unnamed husband is saying that his unnamed wife, in an unnamed location, is being denied American citizenship, because of an unnamed law or regulation, which requires her to be vaccinated — which she is refusing to do for unnamed reasons.
A certain amount of skepticism seems in order. And perhaps even some speculation that the story originated from those busy folks in St. Petersburg, where so much anti-vaccination and anti-illegal immigrant propaganda originates.
Perhaps Obudman has some evidence for this story to share with us, and just hasn’t gotten around to doing so.
Jim Miller (edcec1) — 10/9/2021 @ 5:14 pmhttps://www.axios.com/democrats-youngkin-virginia-pac-14c70252-56ff-455e-b7a6-6afbdc570332.html
So the left constantly lies and acts as mobys to try and win elections. Should anyone be surprised?
NJRob (eb56c3) — 10/9/2021 @ 5:38 pmhttps://www.msn.com/en-in/news/world/iceland-suspends-use-of-modernas-covid-vaccine-due-to-heart-inflammation-fears/ar-AAPiwLg
Ok.
NJRob (eb56c3) — 10/9/2021 @ 5:48 pm72, saw that same post on Instatoilet, Jim. I also noticed a lot of the under-tweets were from Commonwealth nations (not the kind that Dana-KY or mg have laid his head in). Maybe the Ulsterites are getting into the bot game.
urbanleftbehind (fa612f) — 10/9/2021 @ 5:54 pmIf Bannon is claiming executive privilege about testifying about his interactions with President Trump (as opposed to former-president Trump), I think he’s on solid ground. The privilege does not only protect Trump but also his advisors, in perpetuity, and for good reason. I don’t think that Biden can waive this and he might not be able to waive privilege regarding written communications of the same sort.
Only if there is criminal activity (as with the lawyer-client privilege) should the confidentialty be breached.
Kevin M (ab1c11) — 10/8/2021 @ 11:24 pm
Bannon can’t claim executive privilege (EP), the privilege can be claimed only by incumbent President, not former presidents or people who believe they are still president, which is why President Biden had the final say on whether Trump Administration documents would shared with Congress. See Nixon v. Administrator of General Services, 433 U.S. 425 (1977). Bannon wasn’t part of the Administration in the run up to January 6th, so his assertion is particularly weak.
EP cannot be used to cover up misconduct:
Rip Murdock (c30142) — 10/9/2021 @ 6:23 pmMore Americans have Died of Covid under Biden than Trump: Johns Hopkins
JF (e1156d) — 10/8/2021 @ 7:32 pm
Mission accomplished? Trump supporters can now stop killing themselves and others?
nk (1d9030) — 10/9/2021 @ 7:16 pm@72 great scoop, Jim Miller!!
the USCIS site has been hacked by those pesky russian bots!!!!
https://www.uscis.gov/tools/designated-civil-surgeons/vaccination-requirements
Under the immigration laws of the United States, a foreign national who applies for an immigrant visa abroad, or who seeks to adjust status to a permanent resident while in the United States, is required to receive vaccinations to prevent
Mumps
Measles
etc….
Hepatitis B
COVID-19
it took all of ten seconds of basic google skills to fetch this
my god, the stupid news-i-don’t-like-must-be-russian-propaganda narrative is the biggest piece of lazy azz crap
it is you Jim Miller who’s spewing misinformation like a drunk russian bot
JF (e1156d) — 10/9/2021 @ 7:29 pm“People who have spent 9 years going through the LEGAL process of immigration are being denied citizenship if they aren’t vaxxed”,
what Obudman wrote,
is not
“Under the immigration laws of the United States, a foreign national who applies for an immigrant visa abroad, or who seeks to adjust status to a permanent resident while in the United States, is required to receive vaccinations to prevent ….”
Honest, it’s not. If you don’t believe me, it will take maybe all of ten seconds of Googling skills to find a Merriam-Webster Dictionary.
nk (1d9030) — 10/9/2021 @ 7:38 pm@79 we’ll no, nk, it is the same
really
how do you become a naturalized citizen?
hint: either you know or you don’t and a dictionary won’t help you if it’s the latter
JF (e1156d) — 10/9/2021 @ 7:59 pmUnvaxxed Allen West Has COVID, Pneumonia, and Low Oxygen
…….
The details came in a Twitter thread several hours after West announced he had COVID symptoms and was suspending in-person events for his Texas gubernatorial campaign.
……..
“There’s a concern about my oxygen saturation levels, which are at 89 and they should be at 95,” West wrote.
“My chest X-rays do show COVID pneumonia, not serious. I am probably going to be admitted to the hospital.”
Earlier in the day, West had tweeted that after his wife tested positive on Friday he developed “a low grade fever and light body aches” and added that he was “already taking Hydroxychloroquine and Ivermectin protocols”—two ineffective drugs popular with the anti-vaxxer crowd.
………
There is no approved “protocol” for either drug.
After the initial tweet, the Twitter account posted a clarification to make clear that while his wife had gotten the vaccine, he had refused it. “West has publicly stated he supports individual choice and this is reflected in his own family.”
The revelation that he was feeling poorly after exposure to an infected person came a day-and-a-half after he spoke at the gala for Mission Generation, an evangelical organization. A tweet about his appearance noted the event was “packed”—and a photo showed West and the crowd were unmasked.
Rip Murdock (c30142) — 10/9/2021 @ 8:44 pm………
Pew: Two-thirds of Republicans want Trump to retain major political role; 44% want him to run again in 2024
………
About one-in-five Republicans (22%) say that while they would like Trump to continue to be a major political figure in the United States, they would prefer he use his stature to support another presidential candidate who shares his views in the 2024 election rather than run for office himself. About a third of Republicans (32%) say they would not like Trump to remain a national political figure for many years to come.
The share of Republicans who say Trump should continue to be a major national figure has grown 10 percentage points – from 57% to 67% – since a January survey that was conducted in the waning days of his administration and in the immediate wake of the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol.
………72% of Republicans with some college experience or less (who make up a clear majority of Republicans) say Trump should be a major figure, with half saying he should run for president in 2024. By contrast, a narrower majority (54%) of Republicans with a college degree or more say Trump should remain a prominent figure, including just 28% who say he should run for office in the next presidential election.
……..
A 63% majority of Republicans say their party should be not too (32%) or not at all (30%) accepting of elected officials who openly criticize Trump, according to the new survey. Just 36% of Republicans say the GOP should be very (11%) or somewhat (26%) accepting of officials who do so.
By contrast, about six-in-ten Democrats say the Democratic Party should be very (17%) or somewhat accepting (40%) of Democratic elected officials who openly criticize President Joe Biden.
………
The survey also asked about the acceptability of elected officials from one party calling their counterparts in the other party “evil.” A majority of Democrats (57%) and about half of Republicans (52%) say their parties should be not too or not at all accepting of officials who do this.
…….. Among Republicans, 46% say their party should be accepting of officials who call their Democratic counterparts evil, including 18% who say the party should be very accepting of these officials.
The share of Republicans who say their party should be accepting of elected officials who openly criticize Trump has declined since March. Today, 36% of Republicans say it is at least somewhat acceptable for Republican elected officials to openly criticize Trump, down from 43% earlier this year.
Rip Murdock (c30142) — 10/9/2021 @ 9:51 pm……….
Poll top lines.
@80 Former immigration officer here. People always get confused when it comes to immigration terminology. A permanent resident is not a U.S. citizen.
Permanent residents are the ones who hold green cards. They can live and work in the U.S. on a permanent basis, provided they don’t do anything to make themselves removable. They cannot vote (except in some local elections, such as in San Francisco) or have a U.S. passport. Before they become permanent residents, they must undergo a medical exam and have the appropriate vaccinations.
Many permanent residents choose to apply for U.S. citizenship. In the vast majority of cases, they must have three to five years of permanent residency before they are eligible to apply for naturalization.
Requiring vaccination before an alien can obtain a green card is perfectly reasonable. Unless something has changed since I retired five years ago (which I highly doubt), there is no medical exam or vaccination requirement to apply for naturalization.
norcal (b9a35f) — 10/9/2021 @ 10:08 pmFormer (WI) Supreme Court Justice Gableman, head of Republican review of Wisconsin election, says he does not understand how elections work
……..
(Assembly Speaker Robin Vos of Rochester) this summer hired Gableman and gave him a $676,000 budget to review the election. In the interview, Gableman said he planned to write a report that started by comparing what happened in 2020 with what should have happened.
Section one: What should have occurred during the election? How do these things work? Most people don’t know about that,” he said. “Election laws are unlike, say, laws about don’t kill me — they’re not intuitive. No one can call elections laws common sense. Once you understand them, it may be common sense but it’s not intuitive. And so most people, myself included, do not have a comprehensive understanding or even any understanding of how elections work.”
A spokeswoman for Vos did not say why the speaker hired someone who does not know the ins and outs of elections, rather than an expert on the issue.
……..
Election officials for weeks have questioned Gableman’s competence to handle an election review, noting he has associated with conspiracy theorists, suggested clerks must prove their innocence and sent a subpoena to Milwaukee City Clerk Jim Owczarski, who has no election duties.
Gableman this summer met with officials conducting a partisan review of the Arizona election and attended a South Dakota forum hosted by MyPillow executive Mike Lindell, who has baselessly claimed China hacked the election. More recently, he has been in touch with Shiva Ayyadurai, who falsely stated Massachusetts destroyed a million ballots and claimed without evidence that votes were taken away from Trump based on the science-fiction novel “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.”
………
Gableman said he plans to also review voting machines, but he did not provide specifics about that part of his work. Voting machines have no information on them because election data is kept on memory cards, not the machines. Ballots and voting data are retained for at least 22 months after each election.
…….
……… Gableman said those who talk to him will be granted immunity from criminal prosecution.
……….
……… Vos, who hired Gableman, said in the New York Times that he did not know whether Biden had legitimately won the election.
Vos in May told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that he recognized Biden’s win and was not trying to change the result.
Rip Murdock (c30142) — 10/9/2021 @ 10:10 pm………
@83 the point being, going through the process legally requires the vaccine
getting into the country illegally through catch and release, no vaccine required
getting permanent residency is part of the process of getting naturalized citizenship
i’ve been through the process from visa to citizenship, so i also know how it works firsthand
JF (e1156d) — 10/9/2021 @ 10:28 pm@JF@55 It was in fact popsicles that were my analogy. And you are right, regardless of what the issue is, I don’t think people should threaten other people with violence and therefore my stance of “law enforcement investigating threats of violence is not a scandal” would remain the same.
Nic (896fdf) — 10/9/2021 @ 11:24 pmhttps://pjmedia.com/culture/kevindowneyjr/2021/10/09/are-you-a-commie-or-a-patriot-take-the-test-before-the-war-begins-n1522733
mg (8cbc69) — 10/10/2021 @ 2:49 amA will be the answer for most of you people.
https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2021/10/green_policies_return_the_world_to_coal.html
mg (8cbc69) — 10/10/2021 @ 2:53 amYou people make me want to puke.
how do you become a naturalized citizen?
First and foremost, with no exceptions, you must be born in a foreign country to non-U.S. citizen parents, I believe. Or does that come second, the first and foremost requirement being a bipedal carbon-based lifeform with 46 chromosomes? Well, anyway, whatever. Either one is a necessary but not sufficient condition. A Merriam-Webster’s will help you with the difference with the difference between necessary and sufficient.
nk (1d9030) — 10/10/2021 @ 3:02 amIts not that the gop cant win elections its that nothing happens when they do
mg (8cbc69) — 10/10/2021 @ 3:13 amWhy won’t these NeverTrumpers not stop talking about Trump’s Big Lie about election fraud.
Paul Montagu (5de684) — 10/10/2021 @ 7:52 amCalifornia first state to mandate gender-neutral toy aisles for large retailers
https://www.axios.com/california-gender-neutral-toy-aisles-large-retailers-372e29cc-b530-4a6d-9406-40cf183e6179.html
Obudman (b995d7) — 10/10/2021 @ 8:02 amIt takes seconds to find evidence that Russia is manufacturing anti-vax propaganda in order to undermine the United States. Here’s a relatively comprehensive article, with links.
The whole article is worth reading.
(The Russian anti-vax propaganda is only part of their cyber attacks on the United States. Recently Microsoft concluded that most nation state attacks originated from Russia:
Those who don’t know about the Russian anti-vax propaganda, and their other attacks, haven’t been paying attention.
(For the record: As far as I know, Henry Miller is not a relative of mine.)
Jim Miller (edcec1) — 10/10/2021 @ 8:12 am#78 That response reminds me of an old joke:
(For the historical record: As far as I know, the joke was originally told as an example of “Jesuitical sophistry”. I don’t know of any reason to think Jesuits are especially prone to sophistry, but they did have a certain reputation, in the past.)
Jim Miller (edcec1) — 10/10/2021 @ 8:19 amI like the P. G. Wodehouse version. The accused claimed that he had an alibi. At the time of the crime, he was taking a nap on his couch. He offered to show them the couch.
nk (1d9030) — 10/10/2021 @ 8:24 am#95 nk – That’s a version I hadn’t heard. Thanks!
Jim Miller (edcec1) — 10/10/2021 @ 8:34 amLawyers for ‘Apprentice’ Contestant Summer Zervos and Donald Trump Expected to Have Deposition Showdown Before Christmas Following First Hearing of His Post-Presidency
……..
Zervos’s lawyer Moira Kim Penza signaled her intention to move things quickly, confirming she would try to depose Trump.
Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Jennifer Schecter’s law clerk Michael Rand said that there was no more reason for delay, now that a prior stay on the case has been lifted during Trump’s post-presidency. Before Trump left office, the court had to accommodate the time demands involving a sitting president.
“Now, he’s a private citizen,” Rand noted, setting a deadline to end all fact discovery—including depositions—by Dec. 23.
According to the complaint, Zervos said Trump “ambushed” her, forcing himself on her in his hotel room against her will……
The lawsuit, however, springs less from the allegations themselves than Trump’s reaction to them.
After Zervos accused Trump in the wake of the “Access Hollywood” disclosure, the then-candidate insisted: “To be clear, I never met her at a hotel or greeted her inappropriately a decade ago.” Trump later tweeted on his then-active Twitter account that the parade of women accusing him of sexual misconduct “made up” claims that “never happened.”
Rip Murdock (c30142) — 10/10/2021 @ 8:35 am………
My prediction: Either just before or just after Trump’s deposition, the case will be settled with mutual non-disclosure agreements. Happy holidays!
Democratic Spending Bills Retain Majority Support, Quinnipiac University National Poll Finds; But Democrats In Congress Lose Ground
Americans say 62 – 34 percent that they support a roughly $1 trillion spending bill to improve the nation’s roads, bridges, broadband, and other infrastructure projects. This compares to 65 – 28 percent support in August. In today’s poll, Democrats support the bill 85 – 11 percent, independents support it 62 – 35 percent, and Republicans oppose it 58 – 38 percent.
Americans say 57 – 40 percent that they support a $3.5 trillion spending bill on social programs such as child care, education, family tax breaks, and expanding Medicare for seniors, compared to 62 – 32 percent support in August. In today’s poll, Democrats support the bill 92 – 5 percent, independents are split with 50 percent supporting it and 48 percent opposing it, and Republicans oppose it 68 – 28 percent.
………
33 percent say the federal government should be doing a lot more to help Americans, regardless of the cost;
40 percent say the federal government should be doing more to help Americans, but shouldn’t spend too much;
24 percent say the federal government doesn’t need to do more to help Americans
……….
Democrats in Congress: 30 percent approve, while 63 percent disapprove;
Republicans in Congress: 28 percent approve, while 63 percent disapprove;
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi: 33 percent approve, while 61 percent disapprove;
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer: 32 percent approve, while 54 percent disapprove;
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy: 27 percent approve, while 47 percent disapprove;
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell: 23 percent approve, while 65 percent disapprove.
Rip Murdock (c30142) — 10/10/2021 @ 8:44 am……….
Americans were asked, if the election were held today, would they rather see the Republican Party or the Democratic Party win control of the United States House of Representatives. Forty-six percent say they would rather see the Republican Party win control, while 43 percent say the Democratic Party, with 11 percent not offering an opinion. …….
……….
Poll cross tabs.
Anger in U.S. Customs and Border Protection as Biden administration’s vaccine mandate looms
The coronavirus took an immediate toll on U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and in the first months of the outbreak, the agency’s memorial pages highlighted the sacrifices of those killed through “diligent service to country during a worldwide pandemic.”
Dozens more names have been added to the memorial since then, marking the deadliest span in the agency’s history. But in recent months, CBP has not called attention to the deadly pathogen that killed them, leaving out any mention of the virus.
………With immigration arrests along the Mexican border soaring to the highest levels in decades, Republican lawmakers blame the Biden administration’s policies for exposing U.S. agents to greater risk, even as they denounce vaccine mandates that would help protect them.
………
At least 47 CBP employees have died of covid-19 as of Tuesday , according to the agency, including one Border Patrol agent last month who was days from retirement. More than 11,400 have been infected with the deadly pathogen, about 19 percent of the workforce. ……. [The] most dramatic spike in deaths this year appears to have been in the Border Patrol. The death toll in that agency has risen from three agents in 2020 to 11 so far in 2021, according to the (National Border Patrol Council (NBPC)) union, media reports and online memorials.
Five Border Patrol agents died of covid-19 in September alone. The dead include two men in the San Diego sector, each with a wife and three children, according to the sector’s posting on Facebook, which said only that they died “after struggling with a short term illness.”
………
………[T]he union confirmed they died of covid-19.
The NBPC does not encourage members to get vaccinated and has said it would like to file a legal challenge to Biden’s mandate that all federal employees be immunized by Nov. 22, but it has not yet found lawyers willing to take the case.
The union president said the rising deaths saddened him but that the vaccines remain a “personal choice.”
………
………At least 28 Customs officers have died of covid-19, according to online memorials and obituaries, including about a dozen this year.
The agency has not said how many of the dead were unvaccinated. They include decorated military veterans, the parents of young children, and grandparents nearing retirement themselves. Most are men. They were special agents, agriculture inspectors, senior officers and members of tactical units.
Rip Murdock (c30142) — 10/10/2021 @ 9:03 am………..
It’s sad that an entire workforce that is in constant contact with strangers is so unwilling to take basic precautions, and so accepting of anti-vax propaganda. The price of personal choice and freedom is truly high.
One-year Risks and Burdens of Incident Cardiovascular Disease in COVID-19: Cardiovascular Manifestations of Long COVID-Preprint Study
ABSTRACT: The cardiovascular complications of acute COVID-19 are well described; however, a comprehensive characterization of the post-acute cardiovascular manifestations of COVID-19 at one year has not been undertaken. Here we use the US Department of Veterans Affairs national healthcare databases to build a cohort of 151,195 people with COVID-19, 3,670,087 contemporary and 3,656,337 historical controls to estimate risks and 1-year burdens of a set of pre-specified incident cardiovascular outcomes.
We show that beyond the first 30 days of infection, people with COVID-19 are at increased risk of incident cardiovascular disease spanning several categories including cerebrovascular disorders, dysrhythmias, ischemic and non-ischemic heart disease, pericarditis, myocarditis, heart failure, and thromboembolic disease. The risks and burdens were evident among those who were non-hospitalized during the acute phase of the infection and increased in a graded fashion according to care setting of the acute infection (non-hospitalized, hospitalized, and admitted to intensive care).
Taken together, our results provide evidence that risk and 1-year burden of cardiovascular disease in survivors of acute COVID-19 are substantial. Care pathways of people who survived the acute episode of COVID-19 should include attention to cardiovascular health and disease.
Rip Murdock (c30142) — 10/10/2021 @ 9:12 am………..
No RIP for Abdul Qadeer Khan, father of Pakistan’s nuclear bomb, died Sunday of COVID-19 (85).
Rip Murdock (c30142) — 10/10/2021 @ 9:17 am#81 We can all hope that Allen West and his wife recover soon, and completely.
But we can also learn — again — that following Trump is often bad for one’s health.
Jim Miller (edcec1) — 10/10/2021 @ 9:20 amAh, so you must be in favor of a national policy of forced vaccination, because vaccination is the most effective way of preventing Covid deaths. Biden is at fault for not rounding up every vaccine resister and sticking a needle in them!
MAGAheads have been shouting “Personal responsibility! My choice! No Fauci ouchie!” But if they get Covid and die … well, then it’s Biden’s fault. Whereas all the Covid deaths under Trump — who assured us it would quickly go away like magic, and who was more concerned about his poll numbers than public health — were a hoax and/or a devious attack on poor Donald.
Some bloviator was more creative with the pretzel logic, claiming that Democrats were trying to kill Trump supporters by encouraging them to get vaccinated, because Trump supporters would naturally oppose whatever Democrats and “RINOS” say they should do. So apparently there should have been a targeted message: “Hey, everyone should get vaccinated, except for Trump supporters!” Then Trumpers would all rebel against the “elites” by getting vaccinated. Brilliant!
Radegunda (237245) — 10/10/2021 @ 9:24 am@99 you’re assuming the deceased agents weren’t vaccinated, cuz the vaccinated don’t die of covid
“even as they denounce vaccine mandates that would help protect them.”
nobody is denouncing a vaccine mandate on the border other than the biden administration and friends
in fact, curiously, it’s the only exception to their vaccine mandate push
you knew this, right Rip?
JF (e1156d) — 10/10/2021 @ 9:29 am@102
Trump Tells Followers to Get Vaccinated Against Coronavirus
‘The vaccines do work:’ Trump says he’s proud of the coronavirus vaccines but rejects any mandates
russian bot misinformation in 3, 2, 1…
JF (e1156d) — 10/10/2021 @ 9:37 am“the vaccinated don’t die of covid”
Paul Montagu (5de684) — 10/10/2021 @ 9:45 am–No one, 2020-2021
Rules for your kids, but not theirs.
NJRob (eb56c3) — 10/10/2021 @ 9:51 am@107 french laundry values, Rob
JF (e1156d) — 10/10/2021 @ 9:53 am@95 nk, i like carl sandburg’s version:
“If the facts are against you, argue the law. If the law is against you, argue the facts. If the law and the facts are against you, tell a lawyer joke.”
JF (e1156d) — 10/10/2021 @ 10:03 amWhen I was young, the government came and took young men, against their will, and sent them to Vietnam to fight and maybe die. Because “freedom.”
I have little of no patience for people who won’t bare their arm for a GD shot, when the government, with much better and honest reasons that Vietnam, declares it necessary for the common good.
Kevin M (ab1c11) — 10/10/2021 @ 10:33 am*
Kevin M (ab1c11) — 10/10/2021 @ 10:33 amoforIt’s pretty easy to connect the dots here. This is perfectly consistent with Trump’s victim mentality with regard to his loss of the election and subsequent new paradigm that any lost election for MAGA can only be due to a rigged election. There is no such thing as self-responsibility with him, and thus he does not really advocate for it because he always finds someone else to blame it on. Basically, he’s just like the people Republicans lambast for a lack of self-responsibility and instead blame social woes on everyone else. So I guess with that mentality, he’s giving all of his followers an excuse and someone else to blame.
Dana (174549) — 10/10/2021 @ 10:38 amJF: “i certainly hope we quell the scourge of concerned parent violence that’s sweeping the nation”
It’s simple, do you believe that it’s appropriate to threaten, intimidate, or harass members of school boards in person or on-line? If your answer is “what-about xyz being done on social media against dissenters”, both can be wrong and inappropriate. Social media has gotten out of control…parents have learned from their kids how to be bullies….how to let their emotions get the best of them….how to be steered by fringe media….and how to exaggerate perceived threats. And the assuage your confirmation bias, yes, both side are guilty and acting badly. Step 1, don’t excuse either side. Step 2, understand that in a democracy, you don’t always get your way. Step 3, strive to really understand the issue…both sides….and see the good faith arguments on the other side. Test your sources and seek the most objective reporting. Step 4, take a breath…go for a run…put things in perspective. Do we really want people throwing punches at School Board meetings because of requirements for students to wear masks…to impede the spread of an infectious disease? The answer shouldn’t be more persecution complex…but how do we oppose policies without threats, intimidation, and harassment. If we don’t understand that, we get what we deserve….
AJ_Liberty (ec7f74) — 10/10/2021 @ 10:46 amIn the report cited at 107, not mentioned in the comment is Newsom’s staff said that his 12-year old was getting vaccinated against Covid in the next few days.
More troubling to me is this obvious capitulation to unions:
Dana (174549) — 10/10/2021 @ 10:49 am@113: “both sides”
even if that were true, the problem is that only one side has the power of the federal government to strong arm the intimidation
you mean that if i oppose the fbi’s intimidation of concerned parents, i’m sanctioning threats, violence, etc.?
huh — how does that logic work?
there are laws against all that, which i think are awesome, and did you know they get enforced daily?
JF (e1156d) — 10/10/2021 @ 11:04 am@13:
Bullsh1t. Utter rubbish. The Washington Times confuses the end of 2020 with the end of Trump’s term. On Jan 20th, 2021 there had been 413,689 deaths*. The curve had been rising more rapidly since Thanksgiving and did not bend down again until vaccines were widely available to older Americans in March. The latest number (October 9, 2021) is 712,000 and deaths have been rising faster than before since August, no doubt due to Delta.
While Biden’s performance is not noticeably better than Trump’s, given that he had the vaccine and Trump did not, in the 9-month, 20 day periods compared (3/1/2020-1/20/2021) and 1/20/21-10/9/2021) Biden is doing less badly by over 100,000 fewer deaths.
—————————
Kevin M (ab1c11) — 10/10/2021 @ 11:05 am* You may have to adjust the graph to confirmed deaths, cumulative, US only, not relative to population).
JF —
Refusal to get vaccinated is strongly correlated with love of Trump. That’s a fact.
He and his cheerleaders set the message early on that Covid was something the “elites” and leftists were exaggerating just to hurt him. (My Trump-supporting neighbor has expressed that view along with vaccine refusal.) Fox News is still heavily pushing vaccine resistance.
Of course Trump takes credit for Alex Azar’s idea that led to Operation War Speed, and even for the actual development of the vaccines. He has ludicrously claimed that the vaccines would not have been developed at all if he hadn’t been president. And his cult-followers parrot his narcissistic delusions.
But he has not been a strong voice encouraging his loyalists to get vaccinated.
Some central themes of Trumpism are: The system is rigged against us. Elites always lie to us. The experts are wrong. Science is unreliable. Scientists and public health experts encourage vaccination; therefore Trumpism points to vaccine rejection. It is largely a matter of political defiance.
Radegunda (237245) — 10/10/2021 @ 11:08 am“must be presumed that the incumbent President is vitally concerned with and in the best position to assess the present and future needs of the Executive Branch,”
A patently false analysis. Biden’s decision has nothing to do with the interests of the executive branch. While documents are the government’s property (and this includes taped recordings), forcing advisors to recapitulate private advice they gave at the time should be covered. If it were not, all such advice would be shaded and less-than frank. Only if the discussion involved criminality should the privilege be void.
Kevin M (ab1c11) — 10/10/2021 @ 11:20 amRadegunda and others,
So you really believe that most minorities love Trump. Especially in NYC. That’s a fascinating opinion. Care to cite your evidence?
NJRob (eb56c3) — 10/10/2021 @ 11:23 amhttps://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10076755/California-law-eventually-ban-gas-powered-lawn-equipment.html
More stupidity from Commiefornia.
NJRob (eb56c3) — 10/10/2021 @ 11:34 amDid you know that Covid deaths are increasing in younger cohorts and decreasing or holding steady among the elderly?
In August 2020, Americans over 75 were dying at 6 times the rate of those 35-54 (16172 to 2367). In August 2021 the ratio was less than 2 to 1 (16,153 to 8349). Deaths in the younger cohort have quadrupled in the 35-54 age group while the oldsters have held their own despite Delta. This may be do to higher vaccine uptake in the 75+ group (90% by some estimates)
Raw data here: https://data.cdc.gov/NCHS/Provisional-COVID-19-Deaths-by-Sex-and-Age/9bhg-hcku
Kevin M (ab1c11) — 10/10/2021 @ 11:36 amhttps://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10076755/California-law-eventually-ban-gas-powered-lawn-equipment.html
It is stupid, as it conflates the needs of homeowners with those of landscaping professionals. Those battery-operated devices generally run for an hour, maybe two, on a battery. They are also less capable, rugged and druable since they are marked to homeowners and not to the heavy users.
For a gardener to operate these tools for 6 hours/person/day he would need to charge quite a few batteries for his crew, daily. Charging dozens of batteries each evening is not only a chore, but a fire hazard — batteries sometimes catch fire when overcharged, which happens overnight. Batteries used daily to depletion do not last all that long, so increased toxic waste.
These costs will be passed along to the homeowners, of course, but the state of CA doesn’t mind since they are at war with single-family homeowners anyway.
Kevin M (ab1c11) — 10/10/2021 @ 11:45 amI should clarify that it is the law that is stupid, not NJRob’s take.
Kevin M (ab1c11) — 10/10/2021 @ 11:47 amRip Murdock (c30142)
I am going to bet that the poll did not ask questions like:
“Would your support change if your taxes were increased to pay for this?”
“Would your support change if we borrowed $3.5 trillion from the Chinese to pay for this?”
“Would your support change if it meant more people would be dependent on government checks and not a job?”
“Do you really think that all this money can come from taxing “the rich?”
Kevin M (ab1c11) — 10/10/2021 @ 11:53 amThere is a reason that our government relies on representatives, who are changed at looking at proposals in depth, rather than baseless polls influenced by froth and lies.
Kevin M (ab1c11) — 10/10/2021 @ 11:55 am38. 40. It would seem the whole thing got started because somebody took, and then posted on YouTube, a video of the fight and then somebody gave orders to take action, but there was no action to take, and the whole effort got mis-targeted. This article doesn;t seem interestung in exploring what went on here in their lead case.
The underlying problem is that when you skip steps in due process, as the juvenile justice system does, you get injustice, particularly when somebody involved doesn’t have good judgment, and there’s nothing working to see that they do.
Also bad is “child protection” and removing children from their parents, yet all the publicity is of cases where they didn’t. There’s another story like that today in the New York Post. But Type I and Type II errors increase together.
But this article is only interested in the issue of jailing kids, not in removing them from homes.
The only reason you see only one type of story (death after failure to remove) in the case of the latter because all these cases are kept private and confidential – except when a child dies. (This is usually at the hands of a mother’s boyfriend who is not the father of the child. If she is living with the biological father, it doesn’t, and if a stepfather parent is married to the mother of the child it doesn’t or if she’s married to the father of the child it doesn’t. Caveat: The way things work now.)
With crime, there;s a problem if there are no consequences.
Sammy Finkelman (c49738) — 10/10/2021 @ 12:08 pm“BREAKING: Air Traffic Controllers In Jacksonville, FL Staged A Walkout Yesterday In Response To The Vaccine Mandate (Apparently Pilots Too).
It’s Being Reported That All Flights In & Out Of FL Were Cancelled As A Result
Mainstream Media Mostly Describing It As ‘Weather And Staffing Issues’”.
Obudman (b995d7) — 10/10/2021 @ 12:11 pmThe CBS poll basically said:
o That only 10% feel they are very familiar with the provisions of the bill
o That people know better the cost (many have heard this $3.5 trillion dollar figure) than any of the details of what is in it.
o That they like many of the ideas when asked (pre-K, child care, free 2 year college, dental and hearing coverage by Medicare, paid family leave, enhanced child tax credit etc.)
o That they don’t think they would personally benefit from (any particular provision? Polled one at a time?)
o That they don;t think the economy as a whole would benefit from the bill.
Sammy Finkelman (c49738) — 10/10/2021 @ 12:16 pmSo the left constantly lies and acts as mobys to try and win elections. Should anyone be surprised?
Youngkin, while a lifetime member of the NRA, has declined to seek the NRA’s endorsement and therefore did not get a rating from them. He probably thinks that it does not help him with swing voters who, if they do care about gun rights are not voting for McAluiffe anyway.
Still, Axios makes quite clear that those are Democrat “dirty trick” ads that would make Donald Segretti proud.
Kevin M (ab1c11) — 10/10/2021 @ 12:22 pmAir Traffic Controllers In Jacksonville, FL Staged A Walkout Yesterday In Response To The Vaccine Mandat
WWRD?
Kevin M (ab1c11) — 10/10/2021 @ 12:23 pmI get the feeling that something abut the way we’re handling Covid is making whatever infections do occur, more serious. We seem to be preventing mild, immunizing infections. I can’t quite figure out why this should be so. (Could it be that almost no infected people are wearing masks?)
Sammy Finkelman (c49738) — 10/10/2021 @ 12:23 pmBTW, the dental coverage proposed for Medicare is basic coverage: teeth cleaning mostly. It may cover some filings but old people are usually long past the cavity stage. But to hear people talk about it, you’d think it would cover implants, which only government employee dental insurance usually does in any meaningful way.
Kevin M (ab1c11) — 10/10/2021 @ 12:35 pm“free” pre-K: wipe out most of the private day care while creating 100,000 jobs for unionized government employees. Add two years of indoctrination (“get ’em while they’re young”).
“free” 2-year college. Yet another sop to the NEA. Why not just add 2 years to high school to make up for the dumbing down.
Kevin M (ab1c11) — 10/10/2021 @ 12:38 pmCounter-proposal: create strong wall between school and state. As it is, schools are used to instill the secular humanist belief system in a way that the Founders would have recognized as religious instruction.
Kevin M (ab1c11) — 10/10/2021 @ 12:39 pmmandate is necessary to prevent major outbreaks and deaths.
“That’s not a bug, that’s a feature.”
Kevin M (ab1c11) — 10/10/2021 @ 12:41 pmMainstream Media Mostly Describing It As ‘Weather And Staffing Issues’”.
Whackjob media reporting it as you say. Such as:
https://welovetrump.com/2021/10/09/breaking-jacksonville-air-traffic-controller-walkout-due-to-covid-19-jab-mandate-rumors-of-all-flights-in-out-of-florida-cancelled/
Kevin M (ab1c11) — 10/10/2021 @ 12:46 pmUnnamed sources reporting rumors. That damn MSM won’t act as if it’s true!
Kevin M (ab1c11) — 10/10/2021 @ 12:47 pmSay what you will about Pakistan and AQ Khan. Unlike Iran and North Korea, Pakistan never signed the NNPT and never used the technology that signature would bring to build a nuclear industry before reneging.
India (also an NNPT non-signer), hostile to Pakistan since forever, tested a nuclear device in 1974. Pakistan did not test one until 1998, 2 weeks after India detonated what they claimed to be a hydrogen bomb. At which point Pakistan detonated 5 bombs in quick succession, indicating they had an ample strategic response.
I do not fault Pakistan or AQ Khan for their creation of a nuclear deterrent. I have other bones to pick with Pakistan, but this isn’t one of them.
Kevin M (ab1c11) — 10/10/2021 @ 1:00 pmObudman @ 127,
If you would like people to engage with you and your comments it would be very helpful to provide a link.
Dana (174549) — 10/10/2021 @ 1:45 pmThe California vaccination mandate doesn’t go into effect until:
A) A vaccine is authorized by the FDA for those 12 and older, which hasn’t happened yet; and
B) Students will have until the start of the following academic term, either January 1st or July 1st, to be fully vaccinated.
So Newsom is not obligated to have his 12?year old vaccinated immediately.
Rip Murdock (c30142) — 10/10/2021 @ 1:49 pm@RipMurdock@140 They are telling us probably for the 22-23 school year at the earliest. Many of our 1st semesters end in 10 weeks/11 weeks (some districts are early/mid Jan). Newsom’s kid probably also needs their TDAP and possibly varicella.
Nic (896fdf) — 10/10/2021 @ 2:03 pm@141 kids who don’t need the vaccine are forced to, while teachers who should get vaccinated are given a pass
french laundry values
JF (e1156d) — 10/10/2021 @ 2:39 pmThere is a reason that our government relies on representatives, who are changed at looking at proposals in depth, rather than baseless polls influenced by froth and lies.
Kevin M (ab1c11) — 10/10/2021 @ 11:55 am
Great comment. Trying to govern based on polls would result in more dizziness than the most violent ride at Six Flags.
norcal (b9a35f) — 10/10/2021 @ 4:32 pm#113
steveg (e81d76) — 10/10/2021 @ 4:50 pmTo answer your question, No.
But parents tend to be protective of their kids and their rights as parents.
It’s the way parents communicate in no uncertain terms that you’ve over reached.
@JF@142 I told you this the other day: Teachers have to get vaccinated too. “teachers will now need to be vaccinated by the same deadline as students.” (sacbee) The previous mandate was that teachers either had to be vaccinated or test weekly, but with the new mandate, teachers as well as students are required to be vaccinated.
Nic (896fdf) — 10/10/2021 @ 4:52 pmTry breaking up a fight sometime between jr hi kids. When parents show up, they’ll be mad at you for touching their kid
steveg (e81d76) — 10/10/2021 @ 4:57 pmTry breaking up a fight sometime between jr hi kids. When parents show up, they’ll be mad at you for touching their kid
Long, long ago in the last century, I had a teacher who told of a kid who had, some years earlier, pulled a knife on the teacher. Teacher, a veteran, took the knife away, breaking the kid’s arm while doing it. Imagine the kerfuffle today.
Kevin M (ab1c11) — 10/10/2021 @ 5:01 pm“Virginia School Board Association issued statement saying they never requested DOJ or FBI be turned on parents who are protesting CRT curriculum, was not consulted on the letter from the NSBA nor did they provide any input.”
https://twitter.com/asranomani/status/1447225921908400135?s=21
Obudman (b995d7) — 10/10/2021 @ 6:22 pmJF: “even if that were true, the problem is that only one side has the power of the federal government to strong arm the intimidation”
So where is the evidence that this has happened…..you should at least be able to reference one mask-phobic tough guy getting rolled by the feds. Of course you’ll just whine that Facebook tough guys are just too afraid of them G-men….and they just need to slink back to Hannity for a refill on persecution. Bullies generally aren’t the most courageous.
” you mean that if i oppose the fbi’s intimidation of concerned parents, i’m sanctioning threats, violence, etc.?”
Again, the only FBI intimidation is in your imagination. You’re just ok with a$$holes monopolizing public meetings and harassing people based on a tenuous understanding of statistics and probability. There’s a difference between bringing concerns…and launching threats. That’s the problem. You don’t seem to understand the difference….or care.
AJ_Liberty (a4ff25) — 10/10/2021 @ 6:30 pmConnecticut lawmaker rejects calls to apologize after comparing Gov. Ned Lamont to Hitler over COVID-19 vaccine mandate
……..
State Rep. Anne Dauphinais made the comment on a CTNewsJunkie Facebook post sharing an article on the firing of 12 Connecticut state employees who refused to get the vaccine or submit to weekly coronavirus testing.……
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………Dauphinais insisted her “comments were neither anti-Semitic nor factually inaccurate,” and clarified that “I meant that he was acting like Hitler in the early 1930′s — to date, he has not called for putting the unvaccinated in camps.”
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“This Governor is dividing us, calling on those that are vaccinated to discriminate against those that are unvaccinated. Segregating us from our work places coercing people to make unwanted medical choices in order to keep their jobs, pay their mortgages and feed their families. This is no longer land of the free,” she wrote.
CT Dems condemned Dauphinais’s rhetoric and state Republicans for not pushing her to retract it.
“The CT Republican leadership’s hollow attempt to excuse their state Rep’s use of Adolph Hitler’s name to criticize vaccination requirements is sad,” CT Dems said on Twitter. “Their implicit embrace of anti-Semitism is morally corrupt. The party across the aisle is now eager to go that low.”
Rip Murdock (c30142) — 10/10/2021 @ 7:04 pm……….
@149 the bullies you speak of aren’t the courageous ones running to the feds
and sorry, cheering on partisan fbi overreach doesn’t mean you care about violence and threats
it just means you don’t care about partisan fbi overreach
as for evidence, that’s probably something most would expect garland to present first but clearly you don’t
Starting with the facts: What is this “rise in criminal conduct” against school officials? You won’t find any evidence cited in Garland’s memo. You won’t find any evidence in the FBI’s crime data either.
This claim is parroted from a letter sent to President Joe Biden by the National School Boards Association—a powerful leftist group representing many of the school boards around the country pushing critical race theory curricula. That letter made vague claims about “threats and acts of violence” against school board members from parents who oppose critical race theory.
The letter complained about “disruptions” by angry parents but managed to find only one example of violence against a school official (likely a security guard), which was handled by local law enforcement.
JF (e1156d) — 10/10/2021 @ 8:32 pmhttps://redstate.com/nick-arama/2021/10/10/southwest-airlines-cancels-even-more-flights-as-issues-worsen-n454918
Staffing issues worsen.
NJRob (eb56c3) — 10/10/2021 @ 9:56 pmIf there are no federal violations, then there doesn’t seem to be much to be concerned about. The locals can take care of state law. If there are civil rights violations found in the intimidation and harassment, then the feds would have jurisdiction. The DoJ seems to be responding to a complaint. That usually initiates an investigation. If you’re right, then it’s likely that the FBI will not find any cause to make arrests or intrude upon local perogatives. It might also result in local authorities seeking advice on how to manage raucous situations…or not. I don’t recall great fears from the Trumpian-GOP when Trump ordered the feds into Portland….that it would chill free speech….that it would invade local control…..am I misremembering your principled opposition? If the FBI violates rights, they will lose…..and they will lose in the court of public opinion. To this point no protester is claiming that they cannot lodge complaints or freely attend school board meetings open to the public. Probably the only ones chilled at this point are the bullies that probably understand that they did go too far….in person or on social media. I have no problem with authorities looking at the line…and investigating. It’s a good reminder that if states are ineffective at protecting rights, the federal government offers another avenue. Let’s hope that it doesn’t come to that….and people can start behaving more civilly….
AJ_Liberty (a4ff25) — 10/10/2021 @ 10:25 pmGag me with a spoon: Monopoly goes woke.
The new Community Chest cards
Stupid or just condescending? You decide.
Kevin M (ab1c11) — 10/11/2021 @ 12:00 amStaffing issues worsen.
Someone on Fox says they heard that this was a protest against vaccines. So does the WeloveTrump website. Everyone else calls BS. But we know, right? It’s the Deep State.
As if anyone would complain if Biden fired ATC controllers for striking. “Please, please” says Biden.
Kevin M (ab1c11) — 10/11/2021 @ 12:04 amTrump-backed candidates face scrutiny after minimal vetting
One has been accused of assaulting another White House aide. Another allegedly threatened his ex-wife’s life, exaggerated claims of financial success and alarmed business associates with his erratic behavior. A third has asked a judge to keep past protection-from-abuse orders sealed.
As former President Donald Trump wades into contested primaries across the country, he’s trying to exact revenge and remake the Republican Party in his image. In doing so, he has endorsed a series of candidates involved in allegations of wrongdoing, especially concerning their treatment of women.
………..
“There is no vetting process — at least not on policy and electability,” said Dan Eberhart, a GOP donor and Trump supporter who said the concerns extend to many corners of the party. “The endorsement process comes down to how much a candidate supports the former president and is willing to have the Trump machine run their campaign and fundraising. … Whether they are the most viable candidate in a given race is secondary.”
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In her new book, “I’ll Take Your Questions Now: What I Saw at the Trump White House,” Stephanie Grisham, the former White House press secretary and chief of staff to first lady Melania Trump, accuses her ex-boyfriend of growing abusive as their relationship deteriorated. The ex-boyfriend, Max Miller, was a fellow White House aide and is now running for Congress in Ohio with Trump’s enthusiastic blessing.
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Grisham says she told the former president and first lady before Miller announced his candidacy about the abuse but wrote in a Washington Post op-ed that they “didn’t seem to care.” Trump endorsed Miller as an act of revenge against Rep. Anthony Gonzalez, one of 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach him over the Jan. 6 insurrection.
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Trump last month threw his support behind football great Herschel Walker, a longtime friend, for an open Senate seat in Georgia, a race the former president had urged Walker to enter. That endorsement came more than a month after an Associated Press review of hundreds of pages of public records tied to Walker’s business ventures and his divorce uncovered accusations that Walker repeatedly threatened to kill his ex-wife and her new boyfriend and exaggerated his business success, among other things.
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And in Pennsylvania, Trump’s chosen candidate for an open Senate seat, Sean Parnell, has faced questions from rival Jeff Bartos over restraining orders sought by his wife in 2017 and 2018 during divorce proceedings. The Philadelphia Inquirer reported Wednesday that he had asked a judge “to ban his wife and her attorney from talking publicly about past protection-from-abuse orders against him.”
Parnell notes the orders are not evidence of wrongdoing. But Bartos has tried to make the issue a liability and warned it could damage Parnell in a general election, potentially costing Republicans the seat.
Trump spokesperson Taylor Budowich did not respond to specific questions about what Trump knew of the allegations, but defended the former president’s choices and instead blamed journalists.
“President Trump continues to pick strong fighters who will advance his America First agenda,” he said. “However, we are no strangers to the depths the fake news is willing to fall in order to smear honorable patriots with false allegations.”
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Candidates can make contact with Trump’s team via an email address that was set up to sift through incoming endorsement requests. Trump interviews the candidates personally, and aides check up on their past statements and try to determine whether they share his policy priorities, which have come to include their position on election audits and how vigorously they supported the baseless effort to overturn the 2020 results.
But there is no system in place that would, for instance, turn up arrest records for drunk driving or property tax liens. And, as always with Trump, decisions are often shaped by what he sees on TV, by gossip, and by those who have his ear at the time, including some who may be working for endorsement-seeking candidates.
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……… which have come to include their position on election audits and how vigorously they supported the baseless effort to overturn the 2020 results.
Trump’s endorsees have a lot in common (personally and politically) with Trump. Miller has denied Grisham’s charges and sued her for defamation.
Rip Murdock (c30142) — 10/11/2021 @ 4:18 amYou go do a good deed so you get $100? The cards make no sense. And part of the charm of the game was that it’s from an older era. I am sure it’s impossible to sell these things to the Tik Tok age. I am sure my monopoly board is 40 years old.
Dustin (150498) — 10/11/2021 @ 5:38 amThe cards were changed to reflect the interests and inclinations of the people who buy games today. Kind of a capitalist thing to do.
I swear, I saw the original post and thought we’d get something goofy like pronouns.
When they change the Chance cards to something like “Zoning board says your hotel plans are racist, move your Hotel from Boardwalk to Vernon Ave”, wake me up.
Appalled (1a17de) — 10/11/2021 @ 6:05 am“Lets go Brandon “making its way around the world :
“Demonstrators chant “ Forza Brandon!” as they move past the US embassy in Italy.”
The entire world is sniffing out the BS.
Not knowing the difference between federal employees holding out for more $$$ and private employees making a stand against vaccine mandates…..
Obudman (b995d7) — 10/11/2021 @ 6:17 amhttps://www.cnn.com/2021/10/11/health/molnupiravir-covid-19-antiviral-merck-request/index.html
This is fantastic news. I hope the medicine works and I hope it’s approved quickly.
Another piece of news is that massive impact vaccination has on reducing your chances being hospitalized or dying from Covid. In Texas for example the death rate is 85x higher for unvaccinated people then vaccinated. Utah shows the least benefit from vaccination, with unvaccinated people having a death rate only 15 times higher.
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/08/10/us/covid-breakthrough-infections-vaccines.html
Using these numbers the Merck pill as best 1/7th as effective e as the vaccine.
Time123 (9f42ee) — 10/11/2021 @ 6:38 amI think the best explanation for this is that he knows it is a bad idea, and will be reversed by the next mayor, but he wanted to fulfill a campaign promise he made in 2013.
Why does he want to fulfill, or appear to fulfill, a campaign promise? Because he wants to run for
another office, right now Governor in 2022.
Long ago, advanced classes in most schools were eliminated, on the grounds that this disproportionately did not benefit blacks. Of ccorse, even fewer blacks are getting a good education that way, because <i? some were benefiting and some were able t ass the test for the specialized high schools.
There are only 2,5000 children in the “gifted and talented” program, ad there is a strict cap on it right now, and it’s all done on the basis of a test administered to 4-year olds, meaning it helps educated parents who want good free schooling and who know what to do to raise the probability.
Sammy Finkelman (b434ee) — 10/11/2021 @ 6:40 amLast week Sunday I saw a television show on CBS that appeared to be called “Star Trek” with no no subtitle.
It looked like a prequel. They had different actors playing Kirk, Spock, “Bones” Scott, Uhura (who didn’t seem to be from Africa) etc.
They were all together in thee Starfleet academy. But there was nothing in the original Star Trek indicating that they all knew each other from way back when.
In that movie Vulcan was destroyed.
But the planet Vulcan existed in the Star Trek universe!.
It appeared to have the voice of the original Spock – Leonard Nimoy. But Leonard Nimoy died!
It turned out that this movie was released in 2009. I didn’t know about it. Also, the producers had incorporated a time travel subplot, in order so they wouldn’t have to deal with continuity issues.
The original Spock came back 129 years from the future following a man who blamed him for letting Romulus get destroyed but didn’t succeed in stopping “Nero.”.
In this movie Kirk’s father died before he was born and Kirk was somewhat of a juvenile delinquent.. Why you should expect the rest of the history of James T. Kirk should closely track the original Star Trek I don’t know.
Sammy Finkelman (b434ee) — 10/11/2021 @ 6:54 amAJ @153 “I don’t recall great fears from the Trumpian-GOP when Trump ordered the feds into Portland”
that you think this is analogous reveals a bit too much
the protesters were attacking federal property, making it a federal matter
they had attacked an ICE facility months earlier, trapping ICE employees inside, and local law enforcement did nothing, even ignoring 911 calls from inside
only later when they tried to set a federal courthouse on fire multiple times, and again local law enforcement did nothing, were the feds brought in.
this is about as far removed an example as you could probably come up with
JF (e1156d) — 10/11/2021 @ 7:04 amLast Thursday I saw the premiere of “Ghosts” on CBS – two half shows starting at 9 pm EDT.
It resembled Beetle Juice (the original movie, not the later cartoon adaptations that hanged the plot) except that it’s the young couple who is alive and there are 6 or 7 ghosts living in the old house.
The young woman falls down some stairs, , and goes into a coma for two weeks, and after that she can see and hear the ghosts.
Each ghost has a small ability to affect the world. One can affect electricity. The most recently dead is an approximately 40 year old womanizing stockbroker or something with short pants from 1998. He describes the Internet to other ghosts s something to see stock prices and porn. They could have used a joke here – him describing the most famous website as GoOgle and a web address Tony Soprano couldn’t buy. But then he wouldn’t have known about it – it just got started in 1998.
The oldest ghost, and the only one who has a pre-death connection with the house is the woman;s great grandmother. The ghosts sleep? There are also construction worker or building repair ghosts.
Sammy Finkelman (b434ee) — 10/11/2021 @ 7:08 am@162, there’s actually been two more films since…in what are considered a reboot of the series. See https://screenrant.com/star-trek-movies-chronological-order/ . Welcome to 2009!
AJ_Liberty (a4ff25) — 10/11/2021 @ 7:12 am@153, AJ, there’s been scant evidence that MAGA feels bound by principles, federalism or any other. If memory serves they’ve repeatedly mocked the idea that principles should limit them as ‘muh principles’. They’ll ape the form of the argument if it severs them in the moment but looking for some sort of underlying philosophy beyond owning the libs or getting retribution for perceived cultural slights is digging a dry well.
Time123 (9f42ee) — 10/11/2021 @ 7:16 amThere was an Op-ed article that says we already have proof that the virus originated in a lab. |There’s no need for further study (what it doesn’t say is that that is not the most important question. We don’t know exactly how or where, and what we know can’t be used to punish anybody or as an object lesson.)
https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-science-suggests-a-wuhan-lab-leak-11622995184
https://www.wsj.com/articles/covid-19-coronavirus-lab-leak-virology-origins-pandemic-11633462827
It’s the simple fact that no intermediate animal host has been found. (except maybe where they didn’t look – humanized mice kept at a lab in Wuhan)
And there’s a data set.
If it originated in as a natural zoonotic infection, there should first be many people infected by an animal before the virus further mutated so that there could be significant human-to-human transmission. This didn’t happen.
Sammy Finkelman (b434ee) — 10/11/2021 @ 7:26 amAJ_Liberty @165.
I read there were two more, but it’s not 100% clear to me that they follow the alternate Star Trek timeline (with only 10,000 surviving Vulcans and no planet) Vulcan\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\)
Sammy Finkelman (b434ee) — 10/11/2021 @ 7:29 amhttps://www.wsj.com/articles/covid-remedy-antiviral-government-funding-merck-molnupiravir-11633897174
A la the preventing an no “October Surprise” accusation against regarding the 1980 presidential election Ronald Reagan that was made in the late 1980s, but for real.
His complaints actually preceded Covid,
The whole drug development process is a snakepit.
Sammy Finkelman (b434ee) — 10/11/2021 @ 7:40 am@163, the point wasn’t that the feds couldn’t go to Portland to protect federal buildings, it was did they exceed their jurisdiction? Yes, federal police had a legal mandate to protect the federal courthouse. The question is, were they authorized to pull civilians off the street and put them into unmarked vans? Were local misdemeanors being policed by federal agents? Without invoking the Insurrection Act, was it constitutional for the federal government to create a “militarized” presence without local/state approval? JF doesn’t struggle with this because the “right” people were getting detained.
Federal agents operate in most if not all states (customs, immigration, etc). We usually wait to see what they do before sounding an alarm. You still have not pointed to an actual abuse by a federal agent….probably because none have occurred. It’s more Chicken Little….1A rights are being squelched…..yet no specifics. It’s more Trumpian persecution complex cheering the bullies….
AJ_Liberty (a4ff25) — 10/11/2021 @ 7:40 amhttps://www.wsj.com/articles/covid-aids-public-health-pandemic-11633554718
Sammy Finkelman (b434ee) — 10/11/2021 @ 7:46 amhttps://nypost.com/2021/10/07/joe-biden-could-solve-mystery-of-covids-origins-but-he-wont
Hudson Institute senior fellow David Asher tells me. He has spent years working with the feds to disrupt terrorism financing, sanctions evasion and money laundering and investigated COVID for the State Department last year.
“If we could break into the Iranian nuclear-weapons program with our allies, including our Israeli partners, if we could break into . . . North Korea’s missile and space and nuclear programs multiple times,” he says, “can’t we get inside the bloody Wuhan Institute of Virology? Seriously? I think I could do it in about a month. I just would need sort of significant power.” I don;t think it’s so easy. here is probably almost an underground opposition in Iran and with the help of the |Israelis, it is possible to find informants. The U.S. is good at finding agents. But he writes there are Americans </I. who might know what went on with Chinese virology research.
BTW I think the impetus for Xi taking more control of Hong Kong and threatening Taiwan may be to prevent the truth about Covid from getting out. He may also want to create the appearance of danger of nuclear war in order to smoke out informants. The real story about how Covid got stated is probably bad, bad bad.
Sammy Finkelman (b434ee) — 10/11/2021 @ 7:59 amDeBlasio wants to get rid of people like me. I grew up in a bad area of NYC, qualified for gifted and talented programs, excelled on all required examinations, got into the top high school in NYC and became a conservative. He wants to stop that from happening.
NJRob (eb56c3) — 10/11/2021 @ 8:06 amAJ @170 forgive me if i read your comment as written
you were comparing to trump ordering the feds into portland
now you’re saying that was actually fine and appropriate, but the point you were really making was they behaved badly
garland’s directive came down just last week, so i doubt they’ve had time to behave badly
if that’s what you really want to focus on, now, it’s still a ridiculous comparison at this point
no, i have no evidence of constitutional violations for you today
if garland announced days ago that blog commentary was getting too heated and he wanted staff to monitor it more closely, and do something about all the threats, I doubt I could find constitutional violations happening right now
i guess that makes it okay
JF (e1156d) — 10/11/2021 @ 8:06 amWhite Tiger and Cheetah Furs: A Mess of Trump Gift Exchanges
The Saudi royal family showered Donald J. Trump and his entourage on his first trip abroad as president with dozens of presents, including three robes made with white tiger and cheetah fur, and a dagger with a handle that appeared to be ivory.
Little that followed went right.
A White House lawyer determined that possession of the furs and dagger most likely violated the Endangered Species Act, but the Trump administration held onto them and failed to disclose them as gifts received from a foreign government.
On the last full day of Mr. Trump’s presidency, the White House handed them over to the General Services Administration — the wrong agency — rather than the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which seized the gifts this summer.
At that point, there was a surprise.
The furs, from an oil-rich family worth billions of dollars, were fake.
………..
The State Department’s inspector general is investigating allegations that Mr. Trump’s political appointees walked off with gift bags worth thousands of dollars that were meant for foreign leaders at the Group of 7 summit planned for Camp David in 2020, which was canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic. The bags contained dozens of items purchased with government funds, including leather portfolios, pewter trays and marble trinket boxes emblazoned with the presidential seal or the signatures of Mr. Trump and his wife, Melania Trump.
The inspector general continues to pursue the whereabouts of a $5,800 bottle of Japanese whiskey given to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo — Mr. Pompeo said he never received it — and a 22-karat gold coin given to another State Department official.
There is also a question about whether the former second lady, Karen Pence, wrongly took two gold-toned place card holders from the prime minister of Singapore without paying for them.
In addition, the Trump administration never disclosed that Jared Kushner, Mr. Trump’s son-in-law and a top White House adviser, received two swords and a dagger from the Saudis, although he paid $47,920 for them along with three other gifts in February, after he left office.
……….
“Whether this was indifference, sloppiness or the Great Train Robbery, it shows such a cavalier attitude to the law and the regular process of government,” said Stanley M. Brand, a criminal defense lawyer, ethics expert and former top lawyer for the House of Representatives.
This article is based on public documents and others produced by the federal government under the Freedom of Information Act, interviews with current and former government officials, and on-the-record responses to questions from several government departments and agencies. The documents include an index of gifts that Mr. Trump and his family received in Saudi Arabia in 2017 that the National Archives provided to two Democratic senators, Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island and Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut.
Rip Murdock (c30142) — 10/11/2021 @ 8:19 am………..
“no, i have no evidence of constitutional violations for you today”
Now was that so hard?
AJ_Liberty (a4ff25) — 10/11/2021 @ 8:35 am1. The FBI has been monitoring internet conversation for threats for years. Where have you been?
Time123 (9f42ee) — 10/11/2021 @ 8:35 am2. You’re mischaracterizing what his memo directed. The only actions directed were to meet with local officials and make sure they had a way to report threats. You need to misstate what they’re doing because if you didn’t it would make your position seem silly.
@176, family of grifters steals stuff…shocking.
Time123 (9f42ee) — 10/11/2021 @ 8:38 amMore cancel culture down the street from where I used to live.
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/texas-school-district-pulls-books-acclaimed-children-s-author-n1280956
This time an award winning author’s virtual visit was canceled and his books temporarily pulled from the shelves because a parent is concerned that it might make children feel bad. As usual for this flavor of cancel culture the people complaining admit that there’s nothing specific in the book they object to, they just don’t like this type of topic being discussed at all.
Time123 (9f42ee) — 10/11/2021 @ 8:49 am10, 9, 8 … “But what about Hillary and the White House silverware?”
nk (1d9030) — 10/11/2021 @ 8:50 am@177 good
to save time, now i know to just go to your most ridiculous question and answer that first
JF (e1156d) — 10/11/2021 @ 8:51 amRip, I find Trump getting millions of dollars from foreign governments through his hotel and trying to hide it much more concerning then the efforts to steal gifts.
https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trump-organization-hid-payments-foreign-governments-us-house-panel-alleges-2021-10-08/
Time123 (9f42ee) — 10/11/2021 @ 8:56 amWhat’s happened to Trump’s wealth in recent years (according to Forbes)? It’s been declining:
This isn’t a secret — except, perhaps, from Trumpistas.
But it is a helpful reminder of just how pathetic Trump’s efforts to get on that list have been.
(Allen Sloan is honest enough to admit that the Forbes list, which at one time he helped compile, is, at best, approximate.)
Jim Miller (edcec1) — 10/11/2021 @ 8:56 am“You need to misstate what they’re doing because if you didn’t it would make your position seem silly.”
Exactly
AJ_Liberty (ec7f74) — 10/11/2021 @ 9:18 am#162 So, Sammy, read any good books lately?
Besides Apocalypse Never, I can recommend John McWhorter’s Our Magnificent Bastard Tongue, which I finished some months ago, and Edward Jay Epstein’s How America Lost It Secrets, which I am reading, slowly, now.
I would love to see one of the lawyers here, especially one of the California lawyers, tackle Apocalypse Never, considering the allegations Shellenberger makes against prominent Democrats.
(I bought a copy of When Harry Became Sally, after Amazon banned it, intending to donate it to my local library, but they are, at least temporarily, not accepting donations.)
Jim Miller (edcec1) — 10/11/2021 @ 9:19 am@184 i can only imagine what you’d be saying if his wealth had increased
great businessman!! i’m sure
i don’t know how you keep all these conflicting narratives straight in your head
JF (e1156d) — 10/11/2021 @ 9:19 am@187, you’re criticizing RIP for being inconsistent with a version of him that exists only in your head….
Time123 (9f42ee) — 10/11/2021 @ 9:21 amhttps://apnews.com/press-release/pr-newswire/joe-biden-881f345cc3b398ac0e21cbe4d5b29b19
Bigot and racist Joe Biden renames Columbus Day as indigenous peoples day.
NJRob (eb56c3) — 10/11/2021 @ 9:31 am@188 as usual, you have reading comprehension problems
i was responding to Jim Miller
don’t bother apologizing
JF (e1156d) — 10/11/2021 @ 9:32 amAJ @185 i misstated nothing
i presented a hypothetical for comparison, infinitely less ridiculous than your portland whatabout
really odd what you consider comparable examples
JF (e1156d) — 10/11/2021 @ 9:38 amIt’s not the wokeness that I’m referring to. It’s that it’s silly to get $100 for various volunteer acts. It’s sappier than Sesame Street.
Also, I think the historical aspect of monopoly is charming. the flat iron, the old race car, the monocled real estate tycoon buying up all available housing to win by attrition. It’s just my preference.
Definitely the most important issue of our time.
Dustin (150498) — 10/11/2021 @ 9:40 amMore Nosy Busybody Grievance Theater from the usual suspects…
Colonel Haiku (2601c0) — 10/11/2021 @ 9:41 amThat so many Trumpistas treat any criticism of their leader as an act of Lèse-majesté shows, I believe, that they have accepted Trump’s belief that he should be treated as a monarch, not as an ordinary democratic politician.
And so they attack anyone who criticizes the man, regardless of how accurate that criticism is.
Jim Miller (edcec1) — 10/11/2021 @ 9:43 amwhen do we make chess gender neutral? king? queen?
and bishops, but no imams?
and why does white move first?
JF (e1156d) — 10/11/2021 @ 9:44 amJF, you’re correct. I should have written Jim and Not RIP. But the rest of the comment stands.
Time123 (9f42ee) — 10/11/2021 @ 9:44 am@194 well thanks for answering, Jim
any attack on nevertrump inconsistencies is trump worship
that’s how you keep all these jumbled narratives straight in your head
JF (e1156d) — 10/11/2021 @ 9:49 amCovid’s path is clear.
Released (somehow) from lab in 3rd quarter 2019. Growing infections in Wuhan,with a combination of internal controls and public denial. Government claiming it there was no human-to-human transmission well into 2020, while doctors knew different and some dared to say so.
Travel within China restricted from Wuhan in late 2019, but not overseas travel from Wuhan. Jan 2020 saw massive travel from East Asia, Europe, NYC and hi-tech areas of US to Las Vegas for the 2020 CES. Shortly thereafter cases start showing up in Japan, Korea, Seattle, NYC, Silicon Valley, Germany, Italy, etc.
End of January, Trump attempts so shut the door a little bit, while not interfering with tourism, which is his bread and butter. Plays it down like the mayor in Jaws.
Tragedy ensues.
Kevin M (ab1c11) — 10/11/2021 @ 9:50 amKURT SCHLICHTER: There Are A Lot of Brandons. “Everyone hates Joe Biden, and this spontaneous chant is a symptom of the disease infecting his poll numbers. Move over mere COVID – Biden’s numbers have leprosy with some scabies and chlamydia mixed in. And there’s no cure.”
Related: Politico: Dems warn that “the president’s decline is alarming.”
Reminder: The political establishment — virtually all of the Democrats and a large chunk of the GOPe — foisted Biden off on us despite knowing that he was unqualified in the extreme, and that his running mate was no better. When they pose as the responsible adults in the room, remember that they were happy to saddle America with a dysfunctional president at a dangerous time in history, out of a combination of pique and corruption.
https://pjmedia.com/instapundit/478689/
Colonel Haiku (2601c0) — 10/11/2021 @ 9:51 amWhat exactly was Jim inconsistent about? You’re still faulting him for not being consistent with the version that lives in your head.
Time123 (9f42ee) — 10/11/2021 @ 9:52 am$5,800 bottle of Japanese whiskey
How is that? Have you ever tasted Japanese “whiskey”? Gah! I guess if it was signed by Tojo or something.
Kevin M (ab1c11) — 10/11/2021 @ 9:55 amhttps://whyevolutionistrue.com/2021/10/09/the-art-institute-of-chicago-fires-all-122-of-its-unpaid-and-volunteer-docents-because-they-arent-sufficiently-diverse/
Fire the capable and qualified people because they are white. About as racist as you can get.
From nk’s Chicago. What say you?
NJRob (eb56c3) — 10/11/2021 @ 9:56 amWhile many other players have added substantially to their wealth, Forbes says Trump’s wealth has stayed stagnant.
Trump was president and his ability to leverage his wealth was extremely restricted. Even so, people were trying to conflate the renting of hotel rooms with foreign bribes (“emoluments”). Image what they would be saying if he’d been heavily invested in Zoom or something that went way up during the pandemic.
As it was, given that Trump is basically in the travel and tourism business, it’s wonder he didn’t go broke. I dislike Trump intensely, but it’s really a cheap shot to point out that he didn’t make tons of money like Bezos did, profiteering on the pandemic. Imagine the outcry if he had.
Kevin M (ab1c11) — 10/11/2021 @ 10:01 amhttps://spectator.org/va-dems-want-last-minute-voting-rule-change/
Changing the rules in the middle of an election? Again? Now why would they do that?
NJRob (eb56c3) — 10/11/2021 @ 10:02 amhired volunteers
And the language degrades just a little bit more.
Kevin M (ab1c11) — 10/11/2021 @ 10:03 amChanging the rules in the middle of an election? Again? Now why would they do that?
Waiving rules that protect the integrity of absentee ballots, after early voting has started, is just one of those things that will be use my those crazy Republicans to claim that the vote is rigged. Without any basis or proof, of course, as all right-thinking talking-heads will assert.
(some sarcasm)
Kevin M (ab1c11) — 10/11/2021 @ 10:06 am(some misspelling, too)
Kevin M (ab1c11) — 10/11/2021 @ 10:07 amDefinitely the most important issue of our time.
New rule: If you get wiped out, you can camp out on Free Parking and ask for money as people pass.
Kevin M (ab1c11) — 10/11/2021 @ 10:09 amhttps://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2021/10/there-will-soon-be-no-more-ads-denying-climate-change-on-google/
You will love big brother as they will not allow alternative beliefs to exist.
NJRob (eb56c3) — 10/11/2021 @ 10:13 amBigot and racist Joe Biden renames Columbus Day as indigenous peoples day.
He’s just sad there will never be a Joe Biden Day.
Kevin M (ab1c11) — 10/11/2021 @ 10:19 amFrom nk’s Chicago. What say you?
I say $5 for three chocolate eclairs and $7.49 for an 8″ apple pie at the Jewel is a disgrace, and only partially made up for by Vienna Beef Polish Sausage at $4.99 and six Hershey bar at $3.99, that’s what I say.
We are talking about an art institute, right? Whose product’s sole value is how it looks? If they think old white ladies clash with the Impressionists, that’s their call.
nk (1d9030) — 10/11/2021 @ 10:20 amFor those of you who live in cities where rent is a lot, and they blame homelessness on that, there is plenty of homelessness here in ABQ, and it is unlikely that any of it is economic.
There are 225 1-bedroom apartment ads listed today for $500-$800/month; well within the reach of someone making minimum wage. There are also 70 2-bedroom apartments advertised in the same range if people need to share.
Added to that is high demand for low-skilled jobs in the $10-20/month range that remains unfilled.
Note that the ABQ mayoral race is between those who think that providing more help for the “growing homeless population” is the way out, and those who think it’s the lure.
Kevin M (ab1c11) — 10/11/2021 @ 10:35 am@192: JF: “i misstated nothing”
Really? Let’s go back to your early upthread comments
@39: JF: “using vast federal power to protect government officials against views they don’t like”
Is that really what the DoJ memo states…..eliminate all complaints and public opposition from the government officials?! Of course not….your comment is an exaggeration and a misstatement of intent. How about more?
@57: JF: “i doubt there are many parents who want to risk getting sucked into a federal investigation”
Again, this gives the impression that the FBI is planning to tear into people’s lives to silence their opposition. That even if you politely state objections to masks or CRT, you are in legal jeopardy (rather than just people who are making threats). Where is any of that in the DoJ memo? Of course your take will get other people excited and outraged…but what’s it really based on? It’s a fundamental misstatement of what the DoJ memo called for. You’re unfairly conflating monitoring threats with monitoring opposition. That’s misleading.
AJ_Liberty (ec7f74) — 10/11/2021 @ 10:36 am$10-20/month range
oops. per hour of course.
Kevin M (ab1c11) — 10/11/2021 @ 10:36 amAccording to Forbes, Trump is worth $2.5 billion
Trump supporter, Peter Thiel, has twice that much in his Roth IRA alone.
Kevin M (ab1c11) — 10/11/2021 @ 10:41 amYou’re implying that there is some hidden proof that’s being denied. There’s not.
Time123 (9f42ee) — 10/11/2021 @ 10:42 amSmart investing:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Thiel#Roth_IRA
Kevin M (ab1c11) — 10/11/2021 @ 10:43 amYou’re implying that there is some hidden proof that’s being denied. There’s not.
In the current case when Democrat-controlled counties are attempting to remove statutory restrictions that ensure the provenance of mail votes, the proof is right there in the open. You don’t change rules DURING an election for any minor reason. And deciding NOW that Delta is a problem, when it was a bigger one in August and September, doesn’t pass the laugh test. It can reasonably be called a pretext for fraud.
Kevin M (ab1c11) — 10/11/2021 @ 10:48 am@213 as you stated yourself, and has been reported elsewhere in links i pasted, the directive was in response to a complaint in which “domestic terrorism” was referenced
if you’d rather characterize the complaint from the school boards group as an earnest request to protect their safety, then i’ll gladly match up my characterization of intent against yours all day long
again, your standard of evidence of a real chilling effect here doesn’t seem to apply to the memo itself which offers no evidence of a violence and threat problem that needs fixing
for someone with liberty in his handle, you have a really strange stance on where the burden of evidence should apply
JF (e1156d) — 10/11/2021 @ 10:55 am@218, The rule doesn’t seem particularly important to me. Not every state requires a witness signature and there’s zero evidence that has resulted in any significant fraud.
It’s a tiny bit of friction that can be overcome. One party wants the friction because they think lower turnout benefits them. The other party doesn’t because they think they’re helped by higher turnout. But there’s no evidence that step is actually preventing fraud.
Time123 (9f42ee) — 10/11/2021 @ 11:02 am@219, the letter had several specific examples of threats ad violence.
-Threatening letters
-Thrown objects
-screaming obscenity and banging on windows
-shoving
-blocking a car to prevent one member from leaving.
The DOJ response is
1. Meet with them to discuss safety measures
2. Make sure they have a means to report threats
So you’re wrong twice, first about the basis and then about the response.
I will credit you with backing your claim down from one of persecution to a ‘chilling impact’. Thank you for walking it back.
Time123 (9f42ee) — 10/11/2021 @ 11:07 am@221 your reading comprehension issues are becoming the stuff of legend here
frosty was better at calling it out
JF (e1156d) — 10/11/2021 @ 11:19 amIt’s a tiny bit of friction that can be overcome. One party wants the friction because they think lower turnout benefits them. The other party doesn’t because they think they’re helped by higher turnout. But there’s no evidence that step is actually preventing fraud.
Changing the election rules to help one’s side (and only one side is trying to change them, your attempt at equivalence is faulty) IS fraud, by any layman’s understanding of the term. It is an attempt to add votes to one’s side by flouting established rules MID-ELECTION, using a transparent pretext. That it doesn’t involve actual box-stuffing isn’t important, nor is the degree to which it pads the vote. It is still an attempt to alter the outcome unlawfully.
Kevin M (ab1c11) — 10/11/2021 @ 11:35 amIt is still an attempt to alter the outcome unlawfully.
Or more exactly, It is still an attempt to alter the outcome by suborning the rules established by the legislature.
Kevin M (ab1c11) — 10/11/2021 @ 11:38 amJF, so you’re still holding to the assertion that they’re “using vast federal power to protect government officials against views they don’t like”
I guess I gave you too much credit.
Time123 (9f42ee) — 10/11/2021 @ 11:39 amFighting over what rules apply isn’t fraud. Fraud are votes that don’t represent the true will of a lawful voter.
I’m sure the courts will weigh in on if this procedure change is lawful or not. If it’s not it shouldn’t be allowed. But conflating a dispute over the procedure with actual fraud is hyperbole at best.
Time123 (9f42ee) — 10/11/2021 @ 11:43 amThis would be the legal matter under dispute. Is this change within the power delegated by the legislature or not.
To be clear I’m not asserting that it is. I don’t have any opinion on that. I’m asserting that trying to do this doesn’t constitute fraud.
Time123 (9f42ee) — 10/11/2021 @ 11:52 am… while simultaneously claiming that they are the true voice of “the American people,” up against a cabal of perfidious elites.
It’s amazing how easily some people have switched between “We need a wise and informed electorate, and we shouldn’t be encouraging everyone to vote no matter how ignorant,” and “We are the American People, the real majority, and the other side, i.e. the Liberal Establishment Elites, can’t possibly win unless they cheat!”
MAGA-heads usually don’t explain how changes in election procedure are intrinsically disadvantageous to their side. They simply assume that people who disagree with them are dishonest and devious. And then they given themselves permission to take extraordinary measures to win.
Radegunda (7879d0) — 10/11/2021 @ 12:02 pm174. NJRob (eb56c3) — 10/11/2021 @ 8:06 am
He has supporters who do.
De Blasio himself has no intention of doing that.
Or else he wouldn’t have waited until the last school year of his term as mayor had started, when he has less than three months left, and made it effective for the 2022-23 school year, knowing full well that both of the major candidates to succeed him – the person who is a virtual shoo-in, Eric Adams, and the extreme long shot, Curtis Sliwa, are opposed to that intend to undo that and instead expand it.
Sammy Finkelman (c49738) — 10/11/2021 @ 12:18 pmWhat specific election rules are intrinsically, exclusively beneficial to one political party and harmful to the other?
MAGA-heads like to complain about ease of mail-in voting. But leading up to the election, Republicans expressed far less inclination to vote by mail than Democrats did. If easier mail-in voting meant that more Democrat-leaners voted than would otherwise have been the case — during a pandemic that Trumpy Republicans were not taking very seriously — it was by the choice of voters themselves.
Besides, the fact that one side is more inclined to use an easier voting procedure doesn’t mean their votes are less legitimate. Efforts to prove widespread fraud in mailed-in ballots have come up short — though some investigations have turned up Republicans who tried to vote twice. Maybe they were following Trump’s encouragement to vote by mail and in person … ostensibly to test the system.
Radegunda (7879d0) — 10/11/2021 @ 12:18 pmRadegunda, In democracy the government derives it’s authority from the consent of the governed. That’s a big part of why I push back on the fraud narrative. We measure that consent through elections and for people to have faith in them several things need to be present. Among them are;
Belief that everyone eligible to vote can do so.
Belief that the outcome reflects eligible votes.
Belief that the process is fair and transparent.
Kevin’s complaint gets to the last one. We have a process to set up the rules. If one side is allowed to make a rule change to their benefit that’s ‘out of process’ with no good reason it’s not a fair, even if I don’t think it’s fraud.
I think he’s right about that in general. I haven’t looked at the specifics of this case but from what little I know I expect the courts rule against this change as either an excessive use of executive discretion, or one not justified by the facts.
Time123 (9f42ee) — 10/11/2021 @ 1:03 pm#203 Kevin – Sloan makes the argument that Trump was doing poorly, before he became president.
And Sloan goes on to point out that Trump could have divested, after he was elected, probably without paying capital gains, put the money in an index fund — and made billions.
Trump’s mediocre performance as a businessman isn’t important to me, except for two things: His pathetic desire to be thought a great business success, and his endless lying about his failures. (He actually made calls under a false name, “John Barron”, telling the magazine how rich he was.)
Foreign leaders understood his obsessive need for praise — and used it to manipulate him. Gullible Trumpistas believed his lies, just like the victims of Trump University.
(I would have quoted more, originally, but I try to follow the vague “fair use” copyright rules.)
Jim Miller (edcec1) — 10/11/2021 @ 1:22 pmI love those who are trying to prevent all verification procedures for voting then claiming there’s no proof of fraud.
At least we know where you stand.
NJRob (4ff5fe) — 10/11/2021 @ 1:29 pmKevin – Are there any homeless numbers available for Albuquerque, and, if so, are they any good? (In the Seattle area, there is a once-a-year count. I don’t know how good the numbers are from those counts — and don’t know if anyone else knows — but I think they are consistent enough so we can recognize broad trends. And homelessness has been rising here, along with rents, and housing costs generally.)
Jim Miller (edcec1) — 10/11/2021 @ 1:34 pm176, The furs, from an oil-rich family worth billions of dollars, were fake.
What about the ivory? )the dagger handle)
Sammy Finkelman (c49738) — 10/11/2021 @ 1:42 pmI stand with the facts. You stand with conspiracy theories and paranoia.
Time123 (9f42ee) — 10/11/2021 @ 1:47 pm172: This part is from the New York Post pinion article: (it got formatted badly)
I said that Iran is not roof that the same thing could be done in China.
But there;s a good argument that there are Americans who know.
198:
I don;t think they did that till after the Chinese new year. The government of China wanted to keep the whole outbreak a secret – till it came out on December 31, 2019 – and then they said it was not contagious from person to person.
They didn’t want people to think quarantining would be way to contain it. They told countries like Thailand that restricting travel from China would be an unfriendly act.
Sammy Finkelman (c49738) — 10/11/2021 @ 2:15 pmI know there’s been some discussion of requiring covid vaccine for transplant recipients. Seattle times has a good article about the situation.
https://khn.org/news/article/organ-centers-to-transplant-patients-get-a-covid-shot-or-move-down-on-waitlist/
I know some of the Magasphere sees this as another attack on them for political reasons. But the article makes 3 things clear
Time123 (9f42ee) — 10/11/2021 @ 2:54 pm1. There’s a lot of debate about the right way to do this.
2. Mandating vaccines was an established and accepted criteria.
3. There’s medical and outcome based justification for it.
There is zero justification for requiring someone with natural immunity to take a shot that doesn’t even work against the dominant variant.
NJRob (537f71) — 10/11/2021 @ 3:38 pmYou’re incorrect even though natural antibodies do provide the best protection in the short term.
From the CDC
Link to the study for your convenience.
Time123 (9f42ee) — 10/11/2021 @ 3:56 pmhttps://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/70/wr/mm7032e1.htm
It’s all about having more people die from Covid on Biden’s watch than have died on Trump’s watch. For Trump’s sake and for Russia’s sake (but I repeat myself).
“Make America Great Again” is now “Whitewash Trump’s Wrinkled Old Orange Ass”. But I don’t think that any number of coats will do the job.
nk (1d9030) — 10/11/2021 @ 4:09 pmDo the rules apply differently to voters of different political persuasion? In what way is “we’ll make it safer and more convenient for everyone to vote during a pandemic” politically biased? MAGAland likes to claim that rule changes must have been unfair to their side, but they don’t provide a satisfactory explanation as to how.
Someone I know recently sputtered that “They sent me three ballots!” — which to his mind was an indication of fraudulent purpose. It was probably three application forms for a mail-in ballot. Trump has claimed that certain individuals received many more ballots in the mail, which is probably not true. But my acquaintance couldn’t explain how “they” could rig the vote in “their” favor by sending multiple ballots if they didn’t know how he was going to vote. He was simply inclined to believe that “they” must have been trying to pull off a scam.
I recall how the authorities in Texas chose to be extremely parsimonious on how they distributed ballot drop-boxes. If this was done mostly in Democrat-leaning areas, that would be a politically biased policy. But would any MAGA-heads complain about it?
Radegunda (7879d0) — 10/11/2021 @ 4:22 pmI recall how the authorities in Texas chose to be extremely parsimonious on how they distributed ballot drop-boxes. If this was done mostly in Democrat-leaning areas, that would be a politically biased policy. But would any MAGA-heads complain about it?
Heh! That’s putting charitably Radegunda!
No, no, it is not hard at all to see what Abbott and Paxton were after.
nk (1d9030) — 10/11/2021 @ 4:29 pmFor years I have tried to think of an election rule change that would not benefit one major party, and hurt the other. Since our major parties are supported by such different coalitions, it has always seemed obvious that any rule change would affect the voting balance, however slightly.
(That doesn’t mean that one set of rules will always have the same effect. Decades ago, the rules allowing mail balloting usually helped Republicans; now the same rules may, in some places, help Democrats.)
That makes it difficult, especially in our increasingly partisan and tribal society, to consider rules changes in an objective way, to ask ourselves what the right thing to do is, rather than what might help our tribes win.
But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try — if we believe in democracy.
Jim Miller (edcec1) — 10/11/2021 @ 4:47 pmIn Texas for example the death rate is 85x higher for unvaccinated people then vaccinated. Utah shows the least benefit from vaccination, with unvaccinated people having a death rate only 15 times higher.
Time123 (9f42ee) — 10/11/2021 @ 6:38 am
That’s because of all the Utahns who insist on de-caffeinated vaccine.
norcal (b9a35f) — 10/11/2021 @ 4:57 pmTime123,
I’d link back to the Israeli study that is the preeminent one out there, but you’ve ignored it every time so why bother.
NJRob (729361) — 10/11/2021 @ 4:58 pmJim Miller (edcec1) — 10/11/2021 @ 4:47 pm
Only because Trump was discouraging voting by mail, creating a great disparity in the two party vote according to the method of voting..
It also helps Democrats if someone on the side of the Democrats is collecting ail ballots.
Sammy Finkelman (c49738) — 10/11/2021 @ 5:00 pmRob, you’re still wrong. The data out of Israel also shows getting vaccinated improves upon natural immunity alone.
https://www.science.org/content/article/having-sars-cov-2-once-confers-much-greater-immunity-vaccine-vaccination-remains-vital
The natural immune protection that develops after a SARS-CoV-2 infection offers considerably more of a shield against the Delta variant of the pandemic coronavirus than two doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, according to a large Israeli study that some scientists wish came with a “Don’t try this at home” label. The newly released data show people who once had a SARS-CoV-2 infection were much less likely than never-infected, vaccinated people to get Delta, develop symptoms from it, or become hospitalized with serious COVID-19.
The study demonstrates the power of the human immune system, but infectious disease experts emphasized that this vaccine and others for COVID-19 nonetheless remain highly protective against severe disease and death. And they caution that intentional infection among unvaccinated people would be extremely
. “What we don’t want people to say is: ‘All right, I should go out and get infected, I should have an infection party,’” says Michel Nussenzweig, an immunologist at Rockefeller University who researches the immune response to SARS-CoV-2 and was not involved in the study. “Because somebody could die.”
The researchers also found that people who had SARS-CoV-2 previously and received one dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccine were more highly protected against reinfection than those who once had the virus and were still unvaccinated.
Time123 (9f42ee) — 10/11/2021 @ 5:06 pmIt doesn’t say they need to be vaccinated. It doesn’t say they are at higher risk than the vaccinated.
Your goal posts are on another planet.
NJRob (729361) — 10/11/2021 @ 5:11 pmThis is nonsense. On stilts. Why is this even a question? What should be the default assumption?
But is this (minor) extra measure of protection valuable? And the maximum benefit is already gained from one shot.
By get, do they mean merely test positive? And what qualifies as had Covid-19?
A possible reason is that vaccination causes the body to target the spike protein.
Sammy Finkelman (c49738) — 10/11/2021 @ 5:12 pmBut adding a second dose of Pfizer on the usual time scale added nothing at all. You don’t need one booster shot within 3 or 4 weeks of another.
Sammy Finkelman (c49738) — 10/11/2021 @ 5:17 pmBut we’re getting off topic from the point I wanted to make in in 238, which is that the claims that transplants are being denied for political reasons is nonsense and fear mongering. Nothing your’ve presented disputes that. You haven’t even engaged with the article i sited to support that.
Even if your (currently disproved) claims about the vaccines efficacy on someone previously infected turn out to be correct it doesn’t change the fact that there’s good reason *today* to believe there is an effect and that effect forms a reasonable basis to require this vaccine for transplant candidates.
Time123 (9f42ee) — 10/11/2021 @ 5:28 pmNot clear what you mean or what ‘goalposts’ you’re talking about. But i didn’t see this when wrote 252.
Time123 (9f42ee) — 10/11/2021 @ 5:31 pmSammy, I put up the link to the study which I think has the info you’re asking about. Sorry I I don’t have time to pull it out.
Time123 (9f42ee) — 10/11/2021 @ 5:32 pmHappy Indigenous day to Elizebeth Warren.
mg (8cbc69) — 10/11/2021 @ 5:33 pmhttps://babylonbee.com/news/southwest-airlines-offering-free-flights-to-all-passengers-who-are-vaccinated-and-can-fly-a-plane
Well played.
NJRob (92d62e) — 10/11/2021 @ 5:50 pmBreaking: Jon Gruden canceled
JF (e1156d) — 10/11/2021 @ 6:18 pmJon Gruden canceled himself.
Rip Murdock (c30142) — 10/11/2021 @ 6:25 pmBreaking: Jon Gruden canceled
Jennifer Lopez Wore a Matching Cape and Skirt Ensemble While in New York With Ben Affleck
nk (1d9030) — 10/11/2021 @ 6:25 pmSuper Bowl 2022 Halftime Performers Revealed: Dr. Dre, Kendrick Lamar, Eminem, Mary J. Blige and Snoop Dogg
ummm….
JF (e1156d) — 10/11/2021 @ 6:26 pmNever put in writing anything you wouldn’t want see published.
Rip Murdock (c30142) — 10/11/2021 @ 6:27 pm@261 yeah, good advice, cuz you might end up getting a super bowl halftime gig
I just wanna f**k bad b!tches
All them nights I never had b!tches
Now I’m all up in that a$$, b!tches
Mad at your boyfriend, ain’t ‘cha?
You’se a bad girl, gotta spank you
And gotta thank ya for that head clinic
Explicit, hella photogenic
And tell your friends where the dick’s at
Song by Devin The Dude, Dr. Dre, and Snoop Dogg
JF (e1156d) — 10/11/2021 @ 6:40 pmFor those interested in the protest prosecutions in Minneapolis:
Texas Boogaloo Boy Admits In Court He Traveled to Minneapolis After George Floyd Died, Fired 13 Shots In Police Precinct Building to Sow Chaos
……..
Ivan Harrison Hunter, 24, admitted he traveled from the San Antonio area to Minneapolis after Floyd’s death and fired 13 shots from an AK-47 style semiautomatic rifle into the Minneapolis Police Department’s Third Precinct building on May 28, 2020.
……..
Footage taken that night shows Hunter, in a skull mask, give someone a high-five after firing the shots and yell, “Justice for Floyd!”
……..
Ivan is a self-proclaimed member of the Boogaloo Bois, a far-right, anti-government extremist group. Members of the movement appeared at Black Lives Matter protests across the country in 2020, carrying weapons and wearing Hawaiian shirts and tactical gear.
……..
Federal agents identified Hunter as the shooter after spotting him wearing the same skull mask in a Facebook photo. After the protest, Hunter bragged on social media about his actions, saying he’d “helped the community burn down that police station in Minneapolis.”
Hunter was the third Boogaloo Boi to be charged in connection with the Minneapolis protests.
Rip Murdock (c30142) — 10/11/2021 @ 6:41 pm……..
From the DOJ press release:
JF @262:
Or get fired/forced out. It all depends on who your audience is.
Rip Murdock (c30142) — 10/11/2021 @ 6:50 pm@260, that should be a pretty sweet show.
Time123 (9f42ee) — 10/11/2021 @ 6:53 pmTo their credit, the Washington Post has a long article on where the COVID virus may have originated, wildlife in Enshi, China.
Unfortunately, as the reporters admit, there is no way to choose between direct transmission, and a lab leak, since the ChiComs won’t let outside scientists look at the data. (It is not impossible that it was an intended weapon, but I would put that probability at less than 1 percent.) Right now I am leaning toward the lab leak theory, because the ChiComs have been so uncooperative.
Which leaves me where I was at the beginning of the pandemic, uncertain as to its origin, but nearly certain the ChiComs will never let us know for sure. Which is unsatisfactory.
(It’s possible, of course, that the CIA or the NSA, could find out — or even have already found out — but, if so, it is unlikely they could say anything, publicly, without revealing sources and/or methods. Post-Snowden, we have fewer of both.)
Jim Miller (edcec1) — 10/11/2021 @ 7:16 pm#265 Time123 – And a show that emphasizes family values. It’s too bad R. Kelly is unable to be part of it.
Jim Miller (edcec1) — 10/11/2021 @ 7:50 pmThe virus came from one of the labs. To pretend otherwise at this point is to aid and abet Communist China’s cover up.
NJRob (3ce011) — 10/11/2021 @ 8:52 pmRemarkable escalation about Gruden. I would challenge most of these league executives to release their work emails as a good faith solidarity gesture…..if the language police are correct, all emails should be vetted for inappropriateness and potential rudeness. How much sexist, homophobic, and raunchy language would you expect? How about from the players? What surprises me is that none of this supposedly disturbing language was found in public…..not that it should be applauded…..but does the NFL want football men or choir boys. Yeah there’s a lot in between…..but it’s just feels like a witch hunt. My public impression of Gruden was that he was a good guy…certainly I could be wrong….but most of his colleagues who knew him well tended to agree….
AJ_Liberty (a4ff25) — 10/11/2021 @ 9:16 pmhttps://twitter.com/amber_athey/status/1447776938152574979
Just a reminder that the Washington Post is an enemy of the United States. They desire to tear us apart and destroy our history.
NJRob (eb56c3) — 10/11/2021 @ 9:40 pmhttps://www.dailywire.com/news/loudoun-county-schools-tried-to-conceal-sexual-assault-against-daughter-in-bathroom-father-says
He’s one of the father’s that the media has used to attack people for speaking out against their school boards.
I wonder why they’ve covered up the story.
NJRob (eb56c3) — 10/11/2021 @ 9:44 pmThe Gipper as usual got it right.
NJRob (eb56c3) — 10/11/2021 @ 10:24 pmFighting over what rules apply isn’t fraud. Fraud are votes that don’t represent the true will of a lawful voter.
PoTAYto, PoTAHto. If you game the rules for counting the votes, or for which votes you allow to be counted, to get more votes for your side all you are doing is stuffing the box a more complicated way.
Kevin M (ab1c11) — 10/11/2021 @ 11:39 pmKevin – Are there any homeless numbers available for Albuquerque
Well, it’s a big deal in the mayoral campaign. Are they all talking out of their ass? Maybe. They’re politicians.
https://www.abqjournal.com/2436584/contrasting-views-on-homeless-issue.html
And there are the usual park occupations and the judges who rule the city can’t do anything.
Kevin M (ab1c11) — 10/11/2021 @ 11:44 pmFraud are votes that don’t represent the true will of a lawful voter.
What about votes that represent the true will of an unlawful voter?
Kevin M (ab1c11) — 10/11/2021 @ 11:46 pmANd of course the problem with all this “let’s ease the rules a bit” thing “just in this one county” means that that county’s voters get slightly more votes unless the other counties ALSO “ease the rules a little bit” and the race to the bottom begins.
Counties that insist on following the law lose clout and the Rule of Law gets just that much weaker.
Kevin M (ab1c11) — 10/11/2021 @ 11:49 pmJon Gruden canceled himself.
That depends on whether he still gets paid. Pretty sure he didn’t say “keep your stinking $100 million.”
Kevin M (ab1c11) — 10/11/2021 @ 11:51 pm@273, this is the Stacy Abrams definition of fraud, which I disagree is fraud. But I do think is a fairness problem. Apparently we disagree.
Time123 (9f42ee) — 10/12/2021 @ 3:44 am“Family values” doesn’t really have a strong constituency anymore. Politically or otherwise. I think it’s unfortunate, but that’s where we are ever since we let the Presley boy shake his hips on the television.I expect the NFL will ask them to stick to their radio edited playlists but that’s about the best we’re going to get.
Time123 (9f42ee) — 10/12/2021 @ 4:30 amI agree with you that this is a problem. We need to ensure equal access to the vote for all lawful voters regardless of where they live. I don’t think that increasing / decreasing access constitutes fraud. I think fraud is a serious thing and calling issues around fairness of access ‘fraud’ is just using the word wrong, usually on purpose to build extra outrage.
Time123 (9f42ee) — 10/12/2021 @ 4:41 amIf he’d just complied with the officer’s directions he wouldn’t have been arrested. Violent protestors really need to learn to work within the system and follow direction from the police.
Time123 (9f42ee) — 10/12/2021 @ 4:59 am@281 this comment reminds me of dukakis’s response in the debate about his wife getting murdered
JF (e1156d) — 10/12/2021 @ 6:32 amTime123,
You support telling him to sit down and shut up like these people told him at the meeting:
NJRob (eb56c3) — 10/12/2021 @ 6:34 amYes
Dustin (150498) — 10/12/2021 @ 6:37 amnevertrumpers gonna resist
Navy engineer’s wife arrested with her husband for ‘selling nuclear sub secrets’ to an unknown foreign power posted pro-BLM rants, raged against Trump and praised Hillary
the poor kids are going to need a permanent babysitter from now on
JF (e1156d) — 10/12/2021 @ 6:41 am@283 #BelieveWomen
JF (e1156d) — 10/12/2021 @ 6:52 amnevertrumpers gonna resist
Heh! I read that story. It’s more, a lot more, like “The FBI only solves crimes it commits”.
nk (1d9030) — 10/12/2021 @ 6:53 am@283, If he’d just complied with the officers direction none of the rest of it would have happened. When will these
Time123 (9f42ee) — 10/12/2021 @ 6:55 amAntifaProtestors learn that if they complied with the police they could have prevented these problems.@286 #Don’tBelieveGrudgebloids (Gossipy half-truth peddlers to the grudge-hungry, such as the Dailywire.)
nk (1d9030) — 10/12/2021 @ 6:56 am@288 to think that floyd died for nothing
JF (e1156d) — 10/12/2021 @ 7:01 amNk, I read about that story in some reliable news sites.
I feel bad for the man. I believe his daughter was assaulted. But that doesn’t have anything to do with “CRT” or justify him threatening other parents at a school board meeting, even if people like Rob and JF. want to excuse political violence when they agree with the perpetrators.
Time123 (9f42ee) — 10/12/2021 @ 7:06 amI’m on the dad’s side, Time. A boy wearing a skirt (allegedly) walked into a girls’ bathroom and raped his daughter, and the school board pretended like it never happened.
Paul Montagu (5de684) — 10/12/2021 @ 7:08 amPaul, do you feel that justifies him physically threatening another parent or resisting an officer who attempted to defuse the situation?
Time123 (9f42ee) — 10/12/2021 @ 7:09 amAlso, do you disagree that he wouldn’t have been arrested if he’d complied with the officer’s instruction?
Time123 (9f42ee) — 10/12/2021 @ 7:11 amThat’s from Twitchy, hardly a left-leaning source.
And, yes, I do believe that sexual predators do dress up as women to assault both girls and boys, and that GLBTQ and its well-wishers downplay it, cover it up, and outright lie about it.
nk (1d9030) — 10/12/2021 @ 7:31 amAnd then, there’s also a recall effort against members of the Loudoun School Board.
nk (1d9030) — 10/12/2021 @ 7:38 am#268 and #284 Those reactions remind me of Lord Melbourne’s famous quip: “I wish I were as cocksure of anything as Tom Macaulay is of everything.”
If the origins of COVID were certain, then there would be no need for outside scientists to investigate. Interestingly, according to the article, at the beginning of the pandemic, the ChiComs shut down much of the wildlife trade in that province, closing many farms that had been raising delicacies such as civets.
(What am I absolutely sure of? Some mathematical relationships and some scientific findings.)
Jim Miller (edcec1) — 10/12/2021 @ 7:48 am@295 arrested? i say give the man a super bowl halftime gig
here’s how he should’ve handled it
He ain’t so hot now, is he, little punk?!
JF (e1156d) — 10/12/2021 @ 7:51 am(Why are you doing this?!) Shut the f**k up! (You’re drunk!
You’re never gonna get away with this!) You think I give a f**k?!
Come on! We’re going for a ride, b!tch! (No!) Sit up front!
(We can’t just leave Hailie alone, what if she wakes up?)
We’ll be right back, well, I will, you’ll be in the trunk!
@297 if covid really originated naturally, china has no reason to stifle an investigation
JF (e1156d) — 10/12/2021 @ 8:00 amLike the US, the UK could have done better in its response to COVID. So says a House of Commons committee.
In May, Prime Minister Boris Johnson did take some responsibility for the mistakes, and apologized.
I would place more blame, both there and here, on politicians who erred after there was months of data, than those who erred at the beginning. So I think — and thought so at the time — that Boris Johnson refusal to keep Britain closed during the Christmas season was a worse error than the mistake in March.
And the politicians who are erring now deserve even more.
Jim Miller (edcec1) — 10/12/2021 @ 8:11 amhttps://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2021/10/loudoun_county_schools_are_worse_even_than_you_imagined.html
NJRob (eb56c3) — 10/12/2021 @ 8:13 amHe was arguing loudly and he resisted arrest, the former of which is not illegal and the latter of which he pled guilty for. This was a school that initially attempted to “handle this internally” instead of take it to the police. I’m on the dad’s side.
Paul Montagu (5de684) — 10/12/2021 @ 8:27 am#274 Kevin – Thanks. I see from Wikipedia that city of Albuquerque has population of about 565,000, and that the metropolitan population is about 917,000.
Only in the last few years have the homeless spread, in large numbers to Seattle suburbs, including mine. (Seattle’s population is about 737,000, and the metropolitan is more than 4 million.)
Jim Miller (edcec1) — 10/12/2021 @ 8:35 am#270 Among the regular Washington Post columnists are: Radley Balko, Max Boot, Sonny Bunch, Mitch Daniels, Michael Gerson, Hugh Hewitt, David Ignatius, Megan McArdle, Kathleen Parker, Marc Thiessen, and George Will.
Yesterday, in their lead editorial, the Post said that China’s stonewalling on COVID was unacceptable. Today their lead editorial is titled: “How the U.S. government can deter China’s threat in Taiwan”.
Jim Miller (edcec1) — 10/12/2021 @ 8:52 am#299 JF – The ChiComs have been pushing propaganda that the virus came from outside of China, and even that it was created at a US military base. An investigation could spoil that propaganda effort.
If you want sources, use this search phrase: “China + COVID + propaganda”. There’s even a Wikipedia page on the subject.
Jim Miller (edcec1) — 10/12/2021 @ 9:06 amJust a reminder that the Washington Post is an enemy of the
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 10/12/2021 @ 9:13 amUnited StatesItaly. ……If Gruden wasn’t a coward he would have defended his statements.
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 10/12/2021 @ 9:16 am@307 yeah, there’s being a coward and then there’s having the brains to read the room
know the difference
JF (e1156d) — 10/12/2021 @ 9:31 am@307 yeah, there’s being a coward and then there’s having the brains to read the room
know the difference
Based on his on the record emails, Gruden lacks the brains.
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 10/12/2021 @ 9:45 amI think we agree that had he followed the officers direction to de-escalate the situation he would never have been arrested (nor should he have been)
Time123 (9f42ee) — 10/12/2021 @ 9:53 amTo me, every football game looks like a couple of hours of retakes of the opening scene of a gay orgy movie, and I imagine that that alone accounts for half of the NFL’s fans. Making Gruden’s firing a sound business decision. Can’t have an extra insulting half the audience like that.
nk (1d9030) — 10/12/2021 @ 9:55 amRip, I think Gruden couldn’t imagine those emails being put in public….and being used against him. He probably foolishly didn’t appreciate separating “personal emails” from “work emails” that could be archived and used in this manner. But it’s also important to recognize that as horrible as people are trying to paint him, there are no actual reported actions that he took that reflect him as a misogynist, homophobe, or racist…in fact, if I recall, the only openly gay football player plays for the Raiders! For me, this is Gruden talking smack….certainly not high brow….certainly coarse….but it was not intended for public consumption. Just as players engaged in locker-room banter aren’t expecting that language to be recorded and used against them…heck even Lamar Jackson almost let the B-word slip in his post-game interview last night. Yes, Gruden made fun of a black guy’s big lips. Dumb? Probably. Dumb to create a record of it? Definitely. Should it lead to losing his job and career? I question that…especially based on the fact that there were no such public comments or actions where he acted in a discriminatory fashion. Reprimand…and make him take some sensitivity training….fine. I just think there are a lot of hypocrites out there who also make highly-charged private comments that are equally offensive….this is a slippery slope of political correctness….
AJ_Liberty (ec7f74) — 10/12/2021 @ 9:59 am305.
But why should they be pushing that story if it arose naturally? The truth would not be so bad, and they’d get along better with the rest of the world. Of corse even the natural origin in China theory is not wanted by them.
Sammy Finkelman (c49738) — 10/12/2021 @ 10:00 am312. AJ_Liberty (ec7f74) — 10/12/2021 @ 9:59 am
If so, all the more reason for them to be the first or the loudest in denouncing him. Not honest though, and contemptible.
It’s not the slippery slope, It’s the start once people become afraid of saying things. Not the slope.
They are not reflecting their true feelings once people want to force other people to be politically correct, and do it ex post facto too.
Whoever gets to decide what is improper is in a very good position. The so-called catbird’s seat.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catbird_seat
It probably makes them some money, too.
Sammy Finkelman (c49738) — 10/12/2021 @ 10:22 amNJRob (eb56c3) — 10/12/2021 @ 8:13 am
Wait a second. Legally, he wasn’t a boy.
Sammy Finkelman (c49738) — 10/12/2021 @ 10:31 amAnd they’ve got doctors and psychiatrists to back them up. (now maybe actually he was still legally a boy, but nobody can argue that he didn’t have a right to be in the girls’ bathroom. That is outside the Overton window.
Of course, not being a boy, he couldn’t rape a girl. Even if he legally could, it would imply something was wrong with his diagnosis and treatment so they avoided that.
Sammy Finkelman (c49738) — 10/12/2021 @ 10:36 amGruden called Biden a “nervous, clueless, p*ssyhat”
steveg (e81d76) — 10/12/2021 @ 10:44 amThat sort of truth must not go unpunished
Sounds like he’s got a bad case of the gender fluids
steveg (e81d76) — 10/12/2021 @ 10:46 amFrom the Wikipedia page linked too @305
These cases were maybe real, because I think there were probably two lab leaks, the first one less serious. The raging outbreak in Wuhan came from the second lab leak.
https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3076792/italian-professor-repeats-warning-coronavirus-may-have-spread
I think there were two separate lab leaks, ad the first one was both less serious and more contained.
Sammy Finkelman (c49738) — 10/12/2021 @ 10:59 amThe truth is though, that he was probably the grandchild or great grandchild of Jews who were forced to convert in Spain in 1391, who later left Spain for Italy. He was named Christopher to avert suspicion. He did not keep Judaism – he certainly did not know much – and he may even not have actually been Jewish, depending on his exact ancestry, but he knew he was descended from Jews.
https://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/fl-xpm-1991-11-04-9102140771-story.html
Sammy Finkelman (c49738) — 10/12/2021 @ 11:13 amThe worst plots it prevents are often originally incipient plots to commit crimes that it makes more serious.
This whole thing here now got started when the couple tried to sell secrets to a foreign country, (not France) that was a U.S. ally. They didn’t want to commit treason or close.
The ally got in touch with the U.S government. The FBI decided to see how serious a case they could make. They were not content too stop them. They wanted to create a very prosecutable case (lots of incriminating evidence) that was subject to as severe a sentence as possible (which means violating the most serious laws).
It was the FBI probably that wanted ths to specifically be nuclear secrets, or secrets that fell under that law.
The couple was suspicious that their communications could have been intercepted and so they demanded a signal be broadcast from the country’s embassy, and it was.
A somewhat similar case was when they had an informant who worked for a Mexican drug cartel. His handlers wanted to get him off, so when they heard that Iran wanted to assassinate the Saudi Arabian Ambassador to the United States they put Iran in touch with him. The news reports didn;t say the FBI put the Iranian in touch with him, but it doesn’t say either how he came t know it. The FBI informant said the Mexican cartel could do it. Then, really just to make the crime worse and not so much to see how far Iran was willing to go, he told them they could do it, but they would have to kill 100 people with him (which is similar to the way Rafik Hariri, the rime Minister of Lebanon, was assassinated early in 2005. They couldn’t get close to him because of his security, so they exploded giant bomb that killed many more people also.)
Should they go ahead, (or maybe wait for another opportunity?)
Iran (or specifically Mansour J. Arbabsiar, an Iranian-American used-car salesman from Texas) said they didn’t care how many other people were killed, just kill the Ambassador.
He was sentenced to 25 years in prison after pleading guilty.
Now this wasn’t really a bad thing to do — Iran should suspect its long running plots are actually penetrated all the time (Putin worries about this thing too) and they should be worried about being tested to see how far they are willing to go in order to damage Iran;s relations with other countries so long as it countries with its current foreign policy..
It seems to have scared off Iran from trying again in the United States for quite some time.
But I think they chose to use this particular informant to give him something to inform upon that would not bother the drug cartel.
Sammy Finkelman (c49738) — 10/12/2021 @ 12:24 pmI liked this link, which someone posted when Joe Biden was reported as saying (again) he had oce driven an 18 wheeler. He could tell it as a true story.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XeZJ6WSVVAk
Sammy Finkelman (c49738) — 10/12/2021 @ 2:02 pm186, Jim Miller (edcec1) — 10/11/2021 @ 9:19 am
I;kk get back to later about books. Two books by Jeff Greenfield (really one book slit in two, I think) are good. Collections of pieces, or things that can be read a bit at a time, are good. I like McWorter a bit. He wrote an article in the NYT the other day in which he seemed t think of “they” as something other than politically correct.
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/21/opinion/gender-pronouns-they.html
Letters in response:
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/09/opinion/letters/gender-neutral-pronouns.html
I don’t like (agree with) what Edward Jay Epstein writes.
Sammy Finkelman (c49738) — 10/13/2021 @ 1:55 am¿Es La Mala peor que Gerald Ford?
nk (1d9030) — 10/13/2021 @ 4:26 amI might throw this into next week’s open thread, but another theory about the 2020 presidential election has been disproven. This makes it 0 and a bajillion for Team Fraud.
https://www.ajc.com/politics/no-counterfeit-ballots-found-by-georgia-election-investigators/OFRHJDGKOJH7BMKCH77VMR63NM/
Time123 (9f42ee) — 10/13/2021 @ 6:18 amYou can;t count ballots that are not assigned to voters. They are not assigned individually but they are assigned to a precinct That is bunches no greater than about 200 or 300. These alleged frauds are half or less of a fraud.
Sammy Finkelman (c49738) — 10/13/2021 @ 6:55 amWilliam Shatner is scheduled to blast off in a few minutes.
https://www.cnn.com/business/live-news/william-shatner-blue-origin-space-flight/index.html
Sammy Finkelman (c49738) — 10/13/2021 @ 6:58 am