Patterico's Pontifications

10/7/2022

Weekend Open Thread

Filed under: General — Dana @ 11:16 am



[guest post by Dana]

Let’s go!

First news item

As Iranians continue to courageously push back against the oppressive regime, the U.S. issued new sanctions:

Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the new US sanctions announced Thursday were due to Iran continuing to crack down on “the right to freedom of expression and right of peaceful assembly, including by shutting down access to the Internet” following the death of Amini…“Today’s action follows the September 22 designation of the Morality Police, its senior leadership, and other senior security officials, and the release of Iran-related General License D-2…” The new sanctions target Iran’s Minister of the Interior, Ahmad Vahidi…the sanctions also target Eisa Zarepour, the Minister of Communications, who is “responsible for the shameful attempt to block the internet access of millions of Iranians in the hopes of slowing down the protests,” the release from the Treasury Department states…Five other Iranian officials are also being sanctioned.

Meanwhile, Tehran blocked access to the last two uncensored social media outlets, WhatsApp and Instagram. Frustrated protesters have turned to using VPNs.

Also, don’t miss a look at two decades of Iranian women’s street protests in photos at The Guardian.

Second news item

President Biden, who is scheduled to be home in Wilmington this weekend, warned Democratic donors at a fundraiser last night that we now face a risk of ‘armageddon’ because of Putin’s threat to use nuclear weapons. He also said that we need to find a way to end the conflict which would allow Putin to save face:

“For the first time since the Cuban missile crisis, we have the direct threat of the use of a nuclear weapon if in fact things continue down the path that they are going. That’s a different deal.”

“We have not faced the prospect of Armageddon since Kennedy and the Cuban missile crisis,” he said. “I don’t think there’s any such thing as the ability to easily (use) a tactical nuclear weapon and not end up with Armageddon.”

“He is not joking when he talks about potential use of tactical nuclear weapons, or biological, or chemical weapons because his military is, you might say, significantly underperforming.”

“There’s a lot at stake,” Biden said. “We are trying to figure out what is Putin’s off-ramp? Where does he get off? Where does he find a way out? Where does he find himself in a position that he does not – not only lose face but lose significant power within Russia?”

Thoughts: Given that he said this at a Democratic fundraiser in Manhattan seems to diminish the dire risk he conveys. Because, if we really were facing a risk of Armageddon (he used the word twice in his speech), wouldn’t the President of the United States have announced it via a special announcement that broke into all other television programming so that every American could be alerted, and not just a select wealthy few who opened their checkbooks for him? Because if it is indeed as serious as the President of the United States said, then shame on him for choosing to reveal it to only an elite few.

P.S. This too:

The president — the lone American official with the authority to launch nuclear weapons — isn’t supposed to just casually mention that the world could be headed to a world-ending nuclear exchange, in between requests for donations at a party fundraiser.

Finland’s prime minister cut to the chase and said there is only one way out of the “conflict”:

President Zelensky’s ‘preventative actions’ clarified:

In an address to the Lowy Institute, a nonpartisan international policy think tank in Australia, Zelensky underscored the importance of “preventive strikes, preventive action” so that Russia can get a better picture of the potential consequences if they move to use nuclear weapons.

Preemptive steps are crucial to deterrence, Zelensky said. He cautioned against “waiting for the nuclear strikes first.”

The Ukrainian president’s press secretary, Sergii Nykyforov, later clarified Zelensky’s comments after some media interpreted the suggestion to include preemptive nuclear strikes, rather than nonnuclear steps like sanctions.

“You will never hear such calls from Ukraine,” Nykyforov said in a translated Facebook post, asserting that only Russia would resort to “blackmail the world” with nuclear threats.

Zelensky has long called upon the international community to take preventative measures to deter Russia from escalating the conflict, which has waged on for more than seven months.

Third news item

No surprise here:

A top official at the Department of Justice communicated to Donald Trump’s attorneys that they don’t believe the former president has returned all the government records he held onto after leaving office

Efforts by senior official Jay Bratt, chief of the department’s counterintelligence and export-control section, have presented a problem for Trump’s team:

Bratt’s outreach sowed discord among Trump’s team, with some of his attorneys set on cooperating and others intent on resisting. The latter camp won the day, the Times reported. “The weaponized Department of Justice and the politicized FBI are spending millions and millions of American tax dollars to perpetuate witch hunt after witch hunt,” a Trump spokesperson told the newspaper.

Fourth news item

Via the New York Times, Abstract from a new study looking at excess death rates for Republicans and Democrats during the COVID-19 pandemic:

Political affiliation has emerged as a potential risk factor for COVID-19, amid evidence that Republican-leaning counties have had higher COVID-19 death rates than Democrat- leaning counties and evidence of a link between political party affiliation and vaccination views. This study constructs an individual-level dataset with political affiliation and excess death rates during the COVID-19 pandemic via a linkage of 2017 voter registration in Ohio and Florida to mortality data from 2018 to 2021. We estimate substantially higher excess death rates for registered Republicans when compared to registered Democrats, with almost all of the difference concentrated in the period after vaccines were widely available in our study states. Overall, the excess death rate for Republicans was 5.4 percentage points (pp), or 76%, higher than the excess death rate for Democrats. Post- vaccines, the excess death rate gap between Republicans and Democrats widened from 1.6 pp (22% of the Democrat excess death rate) to 10.4 pp (153% of the Democrat excess death rate). The gap in excess death rates between Republicans and Democrats is concentrated in counties with low vaccination rates and only materializes after vaccines became widely available.

Fifth news item

President Biden issues pardons for ‘simple’ marijuana possession:

President Joe Biden on Thursday granted a pardon to all people convicted of simple marijuana possession under federal law, in what amounts to the most extensive White House action taken to date on U.S. drug policy.

The president also urged governors to take similar action for state offenses of civil possession of marijuana. In addition, he called on the Secretary of Health and Human Services and the Attorney General to “expeditiously” review how marijuana is scheduled under federal law. Currently, marijuana is classified as a Schedule I narcotic, meaning it’s deemed to have no medical use and a high potential for abuse.

Popehat shoots down concerns floating around the internet:

Read the whole thread.

Sixth news item

Little victories:

…Cornell, had removed from display at Kroch Library a bust of Abraham Lincoln, as well as a handwritten manuscript of the Gettysburg Address. A professor who noticed the removal was told by librarians that the display had been removed pursuant to a complaint. Cornell administration, on the other hand, claimed that the display was intended to be temporary. But the “temporary” display had been up for nine years.

Cornell’s new chief librarian has ordered reinstatement of the bust — this time in Uris Library, the university’s main library.

Seventh news item

There are just no words:

Photos taken by first responders showed the school’s floor littered with the tiny bodies of children still on their blankets, where they had been taking an afternoon nap. The images showed slashes to their faces and gunshots to their heads and pools of blood.

May these sweet little ones rest in quiet peace

Eighth news item

Texas and Arizona to Mayor Adams: The humanitarian crisis isn’t limited to NYC:

Mayor Eric Adams has declared a state of emergency to help respond to the city’s migrant crisis, which he told reporters Friday will cost the city $1 billion this fiscal year.

“We now have a situation where more people are arriving in New York City than we can immediately accommodate, including families with babies and young children,” Adams said. “Once the asylum seekers from today’s buses are provided shelter, we would surpass the highest number of people in recorded history in our city’s shelter system.”

The mayor called for emergency federal and state aid to handle the continued influx of asylum seekers.

MISCELLANEOUS

As a former Deadhead from way back when, I was surprised to see that the Grateful Dead (and Company) is still up and running – at least for a little while longer:

The band had formally announced that the forthcoming tour would be its last…“As we put the finishing touches on booking venues, and understanding that word travels fast, we wanted to be the first to let you know that Dead & Company will be hitting the road next summer for what will be our final tour,” the September statement read.

Speaking to my heart: Fat Bear Week is here!

Finally, the beautiful coal miner’s daughter has passed away:

Have a great weekend.

–Dana

349 Responses to “Weekend Open Thread”

  1. Hello.

    Dana (1225fc)

  2. Preemptive steps are crucial to deterrence, Zelensky said. He cautioned against “waiting for the nuclear strikes first.”

    Pffft. And for tonight’s performance, the role of Fidel Castro will be played by… Bugs Moran.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZruHfeUcNys

    DCSCA (4236e5)

  3. RIP, Loretta Lynn…

    I challenge any viewers of the following to go through your day without humming or singing this tune (music starts at :40 mark):

    https://youtu.be/GchgAvD1fxA

    dat honey sauce!!!

    Colonel Haiku (2601c0)

  4. President Biden issues pardons for ‘simple’ marijuana possession…

    ‘Toke’n pardons.’

    Does this, in any way, make Hunter breathe easier?

    DCSCA (4236e5)

  5. Caught a vid of Trudeau in his natchul habitat…

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ib4_ZxHBUOU

    Colonel Haiku (2601c0)

  6. “You know, now that I think about it, ‘Armageddon is coming’ probably isn’t a great message for Democrats in the midterm elections.”

    —- Jim Geraghty

    Colonel Haiku (2601c0)

  7. “There’s a lot at stake,” Biden said. “We are trying to figure out what is Putin’s off-ramp? Where does he get off? Where does he find a way out? Where does he find himself in a position that he does not – not only lose face but lose significant power within Russia?”

    Not everything is a possible thing. Putin’s best move is to broker a deal with a successor and retire to his whores and his dacha. Maybe they’ll give him a Peace Prize, too.

    Kevin M (eeb9e9)

  8. @7: This isn’t the way for the elite to win back the trust of the voters.

    Kevin M (eeb9e9)

  9. Remember Uvalde?

    ……..
    Hours later (after the announcement of the suspension of the school district police force), Uvalde school district Superintendent Hal Harrell announced he would be retiring. There was no timeframe given for Harrell’s retirement, but the transition will be discussed in a closed session of the school board on Monday.

    The district said it’s requested more Texas Department of Public Safety troopers to be stationed on campuses and at extracurricular activities amid the police department suspension, adding, “We are confident that staff and student safety will not be compromised during this transition.”

    Lt. Miguel Hernandez, who was tasked with leading the department in the fallout from the shooting that killed 19 students and two teachers, and Ken Mueller, the UCISD’s director of student services, were placed on administrative leave.
    ………
    The department suspension comes one day after the firing of Crimson Elizondo, the officer who was hired by Uvalde’s school district despite being under investigation for her conduct as a DPS trooper during the massacre.

    Elizondo was the first DPS member to enter the hallway at Robb after the shooter gained entry. The trooper did not bring her rifle or vest into the school, according to the results of an internal review by DPS that was detailed to ABC News.

    As a result of potential failure to follow standard procedures, the trooper was among seven DPS personnel whose conduct is now being investigated by the agency’s inspector general. …….
    ……..

    Rip Murdock (4dff28)

  10. 9… the image of the stalwart, tireless and courageous Texas lawman took a near fatal hit that day. May the Lord bring comfort to the families of the victims and watch over surviving classmates.

    Colonel Haiku (2601c0)

  11. I’ve got nothing good to say about Biden’s “Armageddon” comments.
    They were weak-willed and fear-laden words, and it doesn’t matter where he says it, he is the POTUS 24/7 and he was speaking to Americans representing its office.

    A real president would condemn Putin’s nuclear threats and tell the little sputnik to take the nuclear option off the table.

    Paul Montagu (753b42)

  12. “Top Five Revelations From Tucker Carlson’s Interview With Former Business Partner of Joe and Hunter Biden, Tony Bobulinski…”

    http://ace.mu.nu/archives/401293.php#401293

    Colonel Haiku (2601c0)

  13. “Top Five Revelations Not Under Oath From Tucker Carlson’s Interview With Former Business Partner of Joe and Hunter Biden, Tony Bobulinski…”

    FIFY

    Rip Murdock (4dff28)

  14. Re: Item 3-Oops!

    The Justice Department’s detailed lists of seized materials from former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence were inadvertently published online on Tuesday.

    A judge ordered that the logs stay under seal, but they appeared to be inadvertently posted to the public court docket, according to Bloomberg, which first reported on the documents. The filing, which is no longer publicly visible, included a combination of government, business and personal documents. Some of these records included analysis of who should get a pardon, retainer agreements for lawyers and accountants as well as legal bills.

    …….. The (Privilege Review) filter team found 520 pages that needed a closer look but later determined few of those documents fell under any legal privileges.

    The first set of 137 documents included government records, public documents and communications with outside parties. A 39-page document, in which a “majority of pages are titled ‘The President’s Calls’ and include the Presidential Seal” contain handwritten names, numbers and notes that appear to be messages and notes.

    The other list included documents that the team identified should be returned to Trump, including a “medical letter” from a doctor, legal complaints and information about legal fees to lawyers.
    ……..
    More than 300 pages were flagged to be returned to the former president, including IRS forms and other tax-related documents, a letter from Trump campaign legal advisor, an insurance benefits letter, a confidential settlement agreement between PGA and Trump Golf, a civil complaint and a nondisclosure agreement and contract agreement regarding Trump’s Save America political action committee.
    ………

    Rip Murdock (4dff28)

  15. 12. 13.

    Revelations, assuming that he told the truth – and he’d get caught out in some lies. And there’s the matter of whether he told he same story consistently.

    And whether it makes sense.

    And the question of who could have imagined it, if false.

    And if there was a situation where there was something that sounded implausible, but later, with more information became more plausible, ad fit.

    Sammy Finkelman (1d215a)

  16. President Biden calls out rethugliKKKan hypocrites who voted against infrastructure bill as socialism and are now demanding their share of the money! Just like desatan voted aginst aid for victims of hurricane sandy in 2013. Cancun ted cruz did the same. Hey I’m not freezing in cancun and the power grid isn’t down here.

    asset (636850)

  17. https://justthenews.com/government/white-house/tony-bobulinski-claims-hunter-biden-defrauded-him

    The important point here is that Joe Biden personally approved Bobuliknski to watch over Hunter’s dealings and make sure it was legal — but Hunter and Joe’s brother Jim cut him out without Joe Biden knowing anything about this.

    Sammy Finkelman (1d215a)

  18. Somebody wrote in a newspaper column that infrastructure requires asphalt and asphalt requires drilling for oil.

    Sammy Finkelman (1d215a)

  19. The sanctions on Iran are carefully calibrated so they will always have more without getting too serious. They’re more intended for domestic U.S. consumption than to affect Iran.

    Biden wants a nuclear deal, mostly because there are no other ideas besides what Menachem Begin did with regard to Iraq’s nuclear program in June 1981, except it’s much harder and probably would require US assistance and be incomplete. he top secret document at Mar-a-Lago probably was an analysis of an attack, which we know was being contemplated by Trump in late 2020 after the election.

    Sammy Finkelman (1d215a)

  20. I’ve never seen a federal case pleaded down from possession with intent to distribute (let alone a violent crime) to simple possession. Federal plea bargain guidelines would prevent it without high-level approval.

    This only happens in state courts? What about DC?

    He says cases don’t get pleas bargained – they get handed off to state courts.

    He says people charged with simple possession (usually people who went with marijuana to the wrong location) rarely get sentenced to jail. (So Biden is mainly pardoning people not currently in prison? Why doesn’t he say so??)

    Sammy Finkelman (1d215a)

  21. State practice is different, but even there the “dealer pleads down to simple possession” is exaggerated. It may happen with bottom-level dealers but very rarely with anyone with a significant role.

    The whole “these pardons are releasing bad guys” narrative is cynical garbage.

    Cynical because they, or someone, should know better?

    Also from Popehat:

    /7 CODA: A smart person pointed out one exception to this rule that the feds don’t plead down to simple possession of marijuana: a few border districts have programs where people importing marijuana get prosecuted through an accelerated program.

    8 So, in some border districts, some marijuana smugglers without a criminal history have been permitted to plead to the misdemeanor in exchange for a quick plea. They were generally carrying much more than personal use but much less than what would draw prosecution if they weren’t smuggling. This is an example of some border-districts have programs allowing unusually lenient sentences in exchange for fast pleas by people without records, as a method of dealing with high case volume (same with some illegal entry cases).

    Sammy Finkelman (1d215a)

  22. 8. Kevin M (eeb9e9) — 10/7/2022 @ 11:56 am

    Putin’s best move is to broker a deal with a successor and retire to his whores and his dacha. Maybe they’ll give him a Peace Prize, too.

    He cold try to become agovernor or mayor, but how can he guarantee it.

    Besides, hes’s amurderer.

    Sammy Finkelman (1d215a)

  23. Putin won’t use nuclear weapons. Someone so afraid as he is of Covid is surely afraid of fallout.

    Chemical weapons are more likely, but he has no target (historically, targets are places where civilian control by the dictatorship has broken down abut the population there has no military capabilities. It is simply a case of politicide.)

    and he’d be burning his bridges

    Sammy Finkelman (1d215a)

  24. “We have not faced the prospect of Armageddon since Kennedy and the Cuban missile crisis,” [Biden] said. “I don’t think there’s any such thing as the ability to easily (use) a tactical nuclear weapon and not end up with Armageddon.”

    https://www.therichest.com/most-shocking/top-10-events-that-nearly-caused-nuclear-war/

    Idiot. Imbecile. Incompetent. Incontinent. Joe, you don’t think at all. And what did Catholic hero JFK preach in those actual, genuine, really, truly near Armageddon 13 days, 60 years ago this month?

    ‘It’s better to light a candle than to curse the darkness.”

    Long past time for you to strike a match- and have a face to face with Corn Pop wielding a Louisville Slugger behind the gymnasium– and God.

    DCSCA (877bd8)

  25. In the 23 years since Columbine, school police have never stopped a school shooting. Fun li’l bit of trivia for ya.

    Davethulhu (204c9e)

  26. On what planet did Dr. Oz think it was a good idea to pose in front of Hitler’s car at a fundraiser. Doesn’t matter if it’s a private fundraiser.

    The bald, stroke-addled guy in a hoodie is already 4.3% ahead.

    Paul Montagu (753b42)

  27. I know Dana has another thread for ‘childhood memories’ but given Biden’s atomic idiocy it’s worth recalling a dark memory from 1962. We were living all of 20 miles from Manhattan- target X for nukes from Cuba during the missile crisis. Mom was chain-smoking like a bat out of hell for those 13 days– often burstin into tears as she kissed my Dad goodbye as he went off to work in NYC. Our neighbors flocked into the house for coffee and snacks, and worriedly gathered in front of the b/w TV andwatched JFK’s missile crisis speech. The grim silence in the room was deafening. The neighbor who lived across the street- who worked at Bell Labs- swore out loud and stormed out of the house, startling everyone. He knew what was up. All of the neighbors went to the grocery stores the next morning to try to get as many canned goods as possible– the shelves emptied fast and Mom ended up with cans of beets and peaches. At school, the ‘duck and cover’ drills occurred twice a day; reminders of what the siren blast meant; Civil Defense shelter markers were pointed out and we all had to practice where to go when Joe’s Armageddon actually occurred. Mom tried to set up a bomb shelter in the basement- with cots, walls of shelving and boxes of canned goods– even the bathtub was filled with water for several nights… of course, being that close to a prime target, it was a waste of time; just nervous make work. But mostly I remember the chain smoking, the stink of apprehension emanating from the adults- which the kids looked to for guidence… and those bouts od worrisome tears.

    Cavalier prattle for fundraising about ‘Armageddon’ by Joey the Jackass is beyond the pail of responsible talk by a POTUS who is clearly not hitting on all cylinders and has a finger on the nuclear button. This guy needs a hard slap across the face from reality.

    ‘Nobody fvcks with a Biden.’ – Squinty McBraindamaged

    President Rice had better; he’s a thermonuclear accident waiting to happen.

    DCSCA (877bd8)

  28. 14… yeah, RIP… maybe the FBI/DOJ will have enough interest, if for no more than continuing to protect Dementia Joe and the third 0bama term.

    Colonel Haiku (2601c0)

  29. Herschel Walker Urged Woman to Have a 2nd Abortion, She Says

    A woman who has said Herschel Walker, the Republican Senate nominee in Georgia, paid for her abortion in 2009 told The New York Times that he urged her to terminate a second pregnancy two years later. They ended their relationship after she refused.
    ………
    The woman disclosed the new details about her relationship with Mr. Walker, who has anchored his campaign on an appeal to social conservatives as an unwavering opponent of abortion even in cases of rape and incest, after the former football star publicly denied that he knew her. He called her “some alleged woman” in a radio interview on Thursday.
    ………
    She said she wanted Georgia voters to know what kind of man Mr. Walker was to her.
    ……..
    The interviews and documents provided to The Times together corroborate and expand upon an account about her abortion first published on Monday in The Daily Beast. The Times also independently confirmed details with custody records filed in family court in New York and interviewed a friend of the woman to whom she had described the abortion and her eventual breakup with Mr. Walker as those events occurred.

    Repeated messages left Friday afternoon with Mr. Walker’s spokesman and campaign manager were not returned.

    …….. She provided to The Times a $575 receipt she was given after paying for the procedure at an Atlanta women’s clinic, and a deposit slip showing a copy of a $700 check that she said Mr. Walker gave her as reimbursement. She also shared a “get well” card with a handwritten message — “Pray you are feeling better” — and signed simply, “H.”
    ……….
    ……….

    Rip Murdock (4dff28)

  30. 14… yeah, RIP… maybe the FBI/DOJ will have enough interest, if for no more than continuing to protect Dementia Joe and the third 0bama term.

    Colonel Haiku (2601c0) — 10/7/2022 @ 3:22 pm

    I’m sure Tony will have no trouble repeating his story under oath to any House or Senate committee investigating the Bidens after the Republicans take control (especially the Biden impeachment committee). Should be a snap.

    Rip Murdock (4dff28)

  31. Putin won’t use nuclear weapons. Someone so afraid as he is of Covid is surely afraid of fallout.

    The explosion of a low yield nuclear weapon (5 kilotons) could cause massive death and damage within a 2.5 mile radius, so this would have no impact on Moscow. The Hiroshima bomb (16 kt) for comparison, was 5 miles.

    Besides, Putin reportedly has a bunker in Siberia, located in the district of Ongudaysky, close to the borders of Russia with Mongolia, China and Kazakhstan, 3,200 km from Moscow, and it probably isn’t the only one.

    Rip Murdock (4dff28)

  32. <blockquoteDr. Oz-puppy killer:

    In a scandal that will surely make Mitt Romney—who famously strapped his family dog atop the roof of his car for a road trip—look like a PETA activist, a review of 75 studies published by Mehmet Oz between 1989 and 2010 reveals the Republican Senate candidate’s research killed over 300 dogs and inflicted significant suffering on them and the other animals used in experiments.
    ……….
    In the early 2000s, testimony from a whistleblower and veterinarian named Catherine Dell’Orto about Oz’s research detailed extensive suffering inflicted on his team’s canine test subjects, including multiple violations of the Animal Welfare Act, which sets minimum standards of care for dogs, cats, primates, rabbits, and other animals in the possession of animal dealers and laboratories. ……..
    ………..

    Pretty grim reading.

    Rip Murdock (4dff28)

  33. Seattle Mariners, 4-0. Granted, their chances of winning it all are still slim, but it’s a start — and that’s their first playoff win since 2001.

    Jim Miller (85fd03)

  34. It really is a novel ploy to raise campaign funds: “We’re all gonna die in a cluclear holocaust, so you bight as well give me your money!”

    Trump is kicking himself for not thinking of it.

    Kevin M (eeb9e9)

  35. um, nuclear

    Kevin M (eeb9e9)

  36. and that’s their first playoff win since 2001.

    They won more games in 2001.

    Kevin M (eeb9e9)

  37. Seattle was a bust in 2001, won 111 games and couldn’t advance, even with a juiced Bret Boone.

    Paul Montagu (753b42)

  38. Somebody wrote in a newspaper column that infrastructure requires asphalt and asphalt requires drilling for oil.

    Asphalt is one of those miracles. After they started using petroleum in earnest, someone said “what are we going to do with all this sticky gunk that doesn’t burn well?”

    Kevin M (eeb9e9)

  39. Besides, he’s a murderer.

    Imagine the crimes the Soviet politicians could have been tried for, or the KGB for that matter. Heck, Putin’s already skated once on mere murder. They cut a deal that allowed them to walk away.

    Kevin M (eeb9e9)

  40. #38 Paul – True enough, but they did win one playoff game in 2001. Which is not great, but is better than being swept.

    Jim Miller (85fd03)

  41. Seattle was a bust in 2001, won 111 games

    116, tied for the major league record. The Dodgers won 111 this year, after losing 3 of their last 4.

    Kevin M (eeb9e9)

  42. The other 116-game winning team, the 1906 Chicago Cubs, also did not win the Series. They only played 155 games, too.

    Kevin M (eeb9e9)

  43. Now you’re just makin’ it worse, Kevin.
    It was a long journey, but we locked up Julio and Castillo. After a 21-year drought, things are finally looking up.

    Paul Montagu (753b42)

  44. Man gets prison for threatening Colorado election official

    A Nebraska man was sentenced Thursday to 18 months in prison for making online threats against Colorado’s top elections official, one of the first cases brought by a federal task force devoted to protecting elections workers nationwide from rising threats.
    ………
    ……… Travis Ford was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Lincoln, where he lives. He pleaded guilty earlier this year to sending threats to Secretary of State Jena Griswold on social media.…….
    ………
    Ford told the court Thursday he accepts responsibility for his actions and understands they were wrong. “I’m ashamed, and I’m embarrassed for not only putting myself but my family through this,” he said.

    Griswold said violent threats cannot become an accepted norm.

    “People who threaten election officials must be held accountable,” her statement said. “Threats are being used to try to intimidate election officials from doing their jobs in an effort to destabilize democracy.
    ………..
    His attorney, Jason Troia, had sought a shorter sentence. He said Ford had a favorable employment record, the threats were out of character and that Ford made them under duress because COVID-19 vaccine mandates fueled his antigovernment sentiment.

    U.S. District Judge John M. Gerrard rejected those pleas, saying there’s “nothing special” about being steadily employed and noting Ford made 18 serious threats over three months. He called arguments over vaccine mandates “complete nonsense.”

    Prosecutors said Ford sent Griswold a series of threatening messages over Instagram in August. One read, “Do you feel safe? You shouldn’t.” Another read: “Your security detail is far too thin and incompetent to protect you. This world is unpredictable these days … anything can happen to anyone.”
    ……….
    The judge said he reduced Ford’s sentence to 18 months (from 24 months) only because he has no criminal history and his remorse appears genuine.
    ………

    Sad. Now he has lost (presumably) his job, thousands of dollars, and his voting and Second Amendment rights for what? For believing the Big Lie.

    Rip Murdock (f43475)

  45. Man Arrested for Making Threats to Maricopa County Election Official and to Official with Office of Arizona Attorney General


    ……..
    Mark A. Rissi, 64, of Hiawatha, is expected to make his initial appearance today at the federal courthouse in Cedar Rapids.

    According to the indictment, on or about Sept. 27, 2021, Rissi allegedly left the following voicemail for the election official with the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors: “Hello Mr. [VICTIM], I am glad that you are standing up for democracy and want to place your hand on the Bible and say that the election was honest and fair. I really appreciate that. When we come to lynch your stupid lying Commie [expletive], you’ll remember that you lied on the [expletive] Bible, you piece of [expletive]. You’re gonna die, you piece of [expletive]. We’re going to hang you. We’re going to hang you.”

    Additionally, on or about Dec. 8, 2021, Rissi allegedly said the following in a voicemail message he left for an official with the Office of the Arizona Attorney General: “I’m a victim of a crime. My family is a victim of a crime. My extended family is a victim of a crime. That crime was the theft of the 2020 election. The election that was fraudulent across the state of Arizona, that [VICTIM] knows was fraudulent, that [VICTIM] has images of the conspirators deleting election fraud data from the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors computer system. Do your job, [VICTIM], or you will hang with those [expletive] in the end. We will see to it. Torches and pitchforks. That’s your future, [expletive]. Do your job.”

    Rissi is charged with two counts of making a threatening interstate communication and one count of making a threatening telephone call. If convicted, Rissi faces a maximum penalty of up to five years in prison for each count of making a threatening interstate communication and up to two years in prison for making a threatening telephone call. ……
    ……….

    Dumber than rocks.

    Rip Murdock (f43475)

  46. I am sooooo disappointed…….

    Rip Murdock (f43475)

  47. Pretty grim reading.

    And how:

    https://www.abaa.org/book/1489185822

    DCSCA (bd6c14)

  48. I keep see commercials from rethugs saying 87,000 new IRS agent will be added from the bill passed by congress. Where in the bill does it add 87,000 new IRS agent to go after rich tax cheats. Anyone know?

    asset (23f7d1)

  49. I keep see commercials from rethugs saying 87,000 new IRS agent will be added from the bill passed by congress. Where in the bill does it add 87,000 new IRS agent to go after rich tax cheats. Anyone know?

    asset (23f7d1) — 10/7/2022 @ 5:57 pm

    Fake news:

    ……….
    VOX reported that the commonly quoted 87,000 number appears to come from a May 2021 report by the Department of Treasury (here), which estimated that the IRS could hire 86,852 employees with almost $80 million more funding by 2031. The exact number of employees to be hired is not yet known.

    A Treasury official told Reuters that most of the new hires would go toward filling positions for 50,000 IRS employees who are on the verge of retirement and that the majority of net new hires would serve in customer service roles like upgrading IT systems or answering calls.
    ………
    ………(O)n Aug. 4, 2022, IRS Commissioner Charles P. Rettig sent a letter to members of the U.S. Senate saying: “These resources are absolutely not about increasing audit scrutiny on small businesses or middle-income Americans. As we’ve been planning, our investment of these enforcement resources is designed around the Department of the Treasury’s directive that audit rates will not rise relative to recent years for households making under $400,000.”

    Rettig added: “Other resources will be invested in employees and IT systems that will allow us to better serve all taxpayers, including small businesses and middle-income taxpayers. Enhanced IT systems and taxpayer service will actually mean that honest taxpayers will be better able to comply with the tax laws, resulting in a lower likelihood of being audited and a reduced burden on them.”
    ………

    Rip Murdock (f43475)

  50. So with Mayor Adams crying about overtaxed social services due to illegals shipped from Texas, can we do away with the lie about what an economic blessing illegal aliens are and how they don’t use taxpayer benefits.

    NJRob (ba8f28)

  51. Who’ll mow Trump’s golf courses? It’s the ricos, of both parties, who want the illegals. But only the ones who’ll work cheap and in the shadows. No union, no OSHA, no workmens comp, no unemployment insurance, no FICA and FUTA contributions.

    But chickens come home to roost.

    nk (c4349c)

  52. From the link in the Fourth News Item:

    Our study has several limitations. First, our mortality data, while detailed and recent, only includes approximately 80% of deaths in the US. However, excess death patterns in our data are similar to those in other reliable sources. Second, because we did not have information on an individual’s vaccination status, analyses of the association between vaccination rates and excess deaths relied on county-level vaccination rates. Third, our study is based on data from the only states where we could obtain voter registration information (Florida and Ohio); hence, our results may not generalize to other states

    Oh.

    BuDuh (a9f42f)

  53. Anyone worried about the IRS hiring more people is telling on themselves.

    Davethulhu (204c9e)

  54. Anyone worried about the IRS hiring more people is telling on themselves.
    Davethulhu (204c9e) — 10/7/2022 @ 6:30 pm

    how about anyone complaining about school police?

    JF (555d72)

  55. Cliffside Park man gains ground in Monmouth poll

    Related:

    Monmouth University Poll: Oz makes small gains but Fetterman support solidifies
    ………
    A majority of Pennsylvania voters say Fetterman understands the day-to-day concerns of people like them either a great deal (34%) or some (23%). Only 4 in 10 say the same about Oz (15% great deal and 24% some).
    ……..
    Nearly 9 in 10 Pennsylvania voters say jobs, the economy and cost of living concerns are either extremely (39%) or very (48%) important in deciding who to support for U.S. Senate. This ranks as the most important concern among seven issue areas asked about in the poll. ……

    The poll finds Fetterman holds the advantage on key issues. Currently, 45% of voters say they trust the Democrat more on jobs, the economy, and cost of living while 36% trust Oz. Last month, Fetterman had a 41% to 36% advantage over his opponent on this issue. Fetterman also has an advantage when it comes to handling crime – 45% trust him more on this issue to 38% for Oz. The widest gap is on the issue of abortion, where 48% trust Fetterman and just 29% trust Oz.
    ……..
    Although Oz has less solid support than Fetterman, he does maintain a small edge in voter motivation. …….

    The poll also finds that 4% of registered voters say they definitely will vote for one of the third party candidates running for U.S. Senate this year, and 13% say they will probably support one of these candidates. ………Among this group of potential third party supporters, similar numbers say they could vote for Oz (37%) or Fetterman (34%).
    ……..

    Questions and results at link.

    Rip Murdock (f43475)

  56. I keep see commercials from rethugs saying 87,000 new IRS agent will be added from the bill passed by congress. Where in the bill does it add 87,000 new IRS agent to go after rich tax cheats. Anyone know?

    Mark Kelly doesn’t go full “Fake News” in his rebuttal. He seems pretty proud that he has equipped the IRS to go after big players that pay armies of lawyers and accountants to “cheat” on their taxes:

    https://www.c-span.org/video/?522999-1/arizona-us-senate-debate

    I am assuming following the exact letter of tax law by utilizing experts is “cheating” and that is how Kelly justifies whatever he is blathering about.

    BuDuh (a9f42f)

  57. Sure is ‘thulu. We learned from Obama how he liked to weaponize the IRS to sic them on conservatives.

    NJRob (ba8f28)

  58. @35/36. We’re all gonna die in a cluclear holocaust…

    Of covfefe poisoning…

    Trump has already thought of that! 😉

    DCSCA (8baf48)

  59. We are trying to figure out what is Putin’s off-ramp? Where does he get off? Where does he find a way out? Where does he find himself in a position that he does not – not only lose face but lose significant power within Russia?” -Squinty McUnionbum

    Well, Infrastructure Joe, YOU GIVE HIM ONE. you know, like you give crap to Ukraine. Build him an off ramp, imbecile. Savvy, expreienced statesmen do that. Windbag senators who fart in windstorms do not. What did JFK do in ’62, you incredibly useless pile of steaming pig excrement? He manufactured an out for his adversary. That’s what savvy chief executives with smart, experienced people around him do. God help us.

    “We” are such a better people than this brain-damaged pile of crap. Time we start proving it in November.

    DCSCA (8baf48)

  60. Surrender monkey:

    Billionaire Elon Musk, days after floating a possible deal to end the war between Russia and Ukraine that drew condemnation in Ukraine, suggested that tensions between China and Taiwan could be resolved by handing over some control of Taiwan to Beijing.

    “My recommendation . . . would be to figure out a special administrative zone for Taiwan that is reasonably palatable, probably won’t make everyone happy,” Musk, the world’s richest person, told the Financial Times in an interview published on Friday. Musk made the remarks when asked by the newspaper about China, where his Tesla electric car company operates a large factory in Shanghai.
    ………
    “And it’s possible, and I think probably, in fact, that they could have an arrangement that’s more lenient than Hong Kong,” Musk, was quoted as saying by the newspaper.

    ……..Musk also said China has sought assurances that he would not offer the Starlink internet service of his SpaceX rocket company there.
    ………

    Xinjiang Province might be a good model.

    Rip Murdock (d892c0)

  61. Kremlin, shifting blame for war failures, axes military commanders

    Russian Ground Forces Gen. Alexander Dvornikov, who over a 44-year military career was best-known for scorched-earth tactics in campaigns he led in Syria and Chechnya, was named overall operational commander of the war in Ukraine in April. He lasted about seven weeks before being dismissed …….

    Around the same time, Col. Gen. Andrey Serdyukov, another four-decade serviceman, the commander in chief of the elite airborne troops, was stripped of his post after nearly all divisions of the airborne forces suffered major losses.

    And just last week Col. Gen. Alexander Zhuravlev, the head of the Western Military District responsible for Kharkiv, where Russian forces lost huge swaths of territory in early September, was removed after four years on the job, according to Russian business daily RBC.

    Far from bestowing glory on Russia’s military brass, the war in Ukraine is proving toxic for top commanders, with at least eight generals fired, reassigned or otherwise sidelined since the start of the invasion on Feb. 24. Western governments have said that at least 10 others were killed in battle, a remarkably high number that military analysts say is evidence of grievous strategic errors.
    ………
    …….Col. Gen. Gennady Zhidko took over from Dvornikov in May as the overall commander of the Russian war.

    Dvornikov’s dismissal may been linked to the destruction of the 58th Combined Arms Army, normally stationed in the southern Vladikavkaz, which was lauded as one the most combat-ready Russian armies and key to the invasion of Georgia in 2008, BBC’s Russian service reported.

    But Zhidko, who also held the title of deputy defense minister, in what appears to be a damning trend for generals in Ukraine, was in charge for about a month before more problems emerged, and he was demoted to the head of the Eastern Military District.

    It is not clear which general currently runs the overarching Russian war operation.
    ########

    The Peter Principle in action, with fatal consequences.

    Rip Murdock (d892c0)

  62. “I am assuming following the exact letter of tax law by utilizing experts is “cheating” and that is how Kelly justifies whatever he is blathering about.”

    Imagine believing that everyone is scrupulously honest in their tax filings.

    “how about anyone complaining about school police?”

    Imagine defending school police.

    Davethulhu (204c9e)

  63. Davethulhu (204c9e) — 10/7/2022 @ 8:06 pm

    Imagine distrusting law enforcement except when directed at taxpayers

    JF (555d72)

  64. “Imagine distrusting law enforcement except when directed at taxpayers”

    All law enforcement is directed at taxpayers.

    Davethulhu (204c9e)

  65. The knives are out:

    Georgia’s GOP Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan has criticized how Herschel Walker became the Republican Party’s pick in the state’s Senate race.

    During a CNN appearance on Thursday, Duncan said Republicans needed a representative in the Senate to gain control of the upper chamber. However, he slammed the choice of Walker as a GOP Senate candidate.

    “We didn’t ask who was the best leader. We didn’t ask who had the best resume. Unfortunately, Republicans looked around to see who Donald Trump supported,” Duncan said. “And he was a famous football player, and so he became our nominee, and now we’re paying the price for that.”

    When asked by CNN anchor Anderson Cooper if he would vote for Walker, Duncan said he would not despite having spent the last decade “championing some of the most conservative policies.”

    “I’m not voting for Raphael Warnock, and Herschel Walker hasn’t earned my respect or my vote,” Duncan said, referring to Walker’s Democratic opponent.

    “And, you know, I’m like hundreds of thousands of other Republicans here in Georgia. We’re confused. We don’t — we don’t really have anywhere to go right now,” he added.
    ……..
    “If we want the American public to take us seriously, we need to take the first step by nominating candidates they should take seriously,” Duncan wrote (in an opinion piece for CNN). “That process goes beyond celebrity or fame. It requires leaders capable of winning elections by articulating a conservative vision for governing.”
    #########

    Rip Murdock (d892c0)

  66. The important point here is that Joe Biden personally approved Bobuliknski to watch over Hunter’s dealings and make sure it was legal — but Hunter and Joe’s brother Jim cut him out without Joe Biden knowing anything about this.

    Sammy Finkelman (1d215a) — 10/7/2022 @ 2:03 pm

    Bobuliknski’s self-serving statements aren’t evidence of anything without being made under oath and backed up with documentation.

    I look forward to the new Congress convening and the Republicans investigating the Bidens. Tony will then have that opportunity.

    Rip Murdock (d892c0)

  67. The Peter Principle in action, with fatal consequences…

    Joseph Robinette Biden, Jr. See Afghanistan for details.

    =mike-drop=

    DCSCA (6000e9)

  68. Explosion hits Crimea Bridge, damaging Russian supply route to Ukraine

    A giant explosion ripped across the Crimea Bridge, a strategic link between mainland Russia and Crimea, in what appeared to be a stunning blow early Saturday morning to a symbol of President Vladimir Putin’s ambitions to control Ukraine.
    ……..
    Russia’s Investigative Committee, a top law enforcement body, said a truck explosion had ignited fuel tankers as a freight train crossed the bridge. The cause of the truck blast was not immediately clear. After the explosion, thick plumes of smoke and flames could be seen from a distance.

    Putin personally opened the $4 billion bridge, also known as the Kerch Bridge because it spans the Kerch Strait between the Black and Azov seas, in 2018 — a move intended to symbolize Russia’s ownership of Crimea.
    ……..
    The blast was being celebrated in Kyiv, where government officials hailed the incident and posted images on social media of collapsed concrete spans of the bridge and footage of the apparent moment of the blast, showing vehicles driving across the bridge just seconds before a giant fireball consumed the area.
    ……….
    ……….(I)f the bridge explosion was intentionally planned, it would mark the most stunning strike yet by Ukraine, which has been under invasion by Russia’s far larger and better equipped military.

    Russian officials have warned of severe retaliation for strikes on Russian territory, and in recent days have reiterated a view that Russia would be entitled to use nuclear weapons.
    ………..

    Peremoha Ukrayini!

    Rip Murdock (d892c0)

  69. Peremoha Ukrayini!

    Rip Murdock (d892c0) — 10/8/2022 @ 2:00 am

    Beautiful.

    Rip Murdock (d892c0)

  70. <blockquote>Rip Murdock (d892c0) — 10/8/2022 @ 2:00 am

    Z dnem ​​narodzhennya, prezydent Putin!

    Peremoha Ukrayini!

    (Happy Birthday, President Putin!)

    (Victory to Ukraine!)

    Rip Murdock (d892c0)

  71. Anyone worried about the IRS hiring more people is telling on themselves.

    Because only the guilty fear a police state, eh?

    Kevin M (eeb9e9)

  72. Anybody who thinks that governments are created among men for any other reason than the collection of taxes lives in Cloudckoockooland.

    nk (6ca685)

  73. Cloudckoockooland

    SNORTED MY COFFEE – lets make bumper sticker and put them on all the EV’s

    EPWJ (650a62)

  74. It’s a Greek thing. They wouldn’t understand.

    nk (6ca685)

  75. https://redstate.com/bonchie/2022/10/07/blake-masters-decimates-mark-kelly-at-debate-libertarian-candidate-goes-full-libertarian-n639071

    Mark Kelly was bludgeoned beyond recognition in the debate and it showed how radical a leftist he truly is. He had no defense for his radical positions. How anyone could support him and politicians like him is beyond reason.

    NJRob (eb56c3)

  76. Knifeman who stabbed Las Vegas showgirl, 30, and man, 47, to death outside Wynn hotel ‘is ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT who has criminal record in California’: Female victim died in co-worker’s arms

    A man accused of stabbing to death two people – including a Las Vegas showgirl and a 47-year-old man – as well as injuring several others, is an illegal immigrant with a criminal record, it has been claimed.

    The harrowing mass stabbing on the Las Vegas strip was laid bare in a police arrest report released on Friday.

    Yoni Christian Barrios, 32, who is charged with murdering two and attempting to kill six more on Thursday, told detectives that he is a Guatemalan immigrant and that he stabbed eight people so he could ‘let the anger out.’

    Fox News says Barrios was in the US illegally at the time, and that he had a criminal record in California for unknown offenses. He was not known to ICE prior to the stabbing, the outlet added.

    Maris Mareen Digiovanni, 30, and Brent Allan Hallett, 47, both died after being stabbed in the attack that happened in broad daylight.

    On Friday, a co-worker of showgirl Digiovanni also revealed that she bled out in a co-worker’s arms after being fatally-knifed.

    innocent people paying the ultimate price for anti-ICE and sanctuary policies

    but other than Fox, NYPost, Daily Mail, the suspect’s illegal status is subject to a news blackout

    JF (1b9bbf)

  77. Another strong job report:

    The unemployment rate edged down to 3.5 percent in September, returning to its July level.
    The number of unemployed persons edged down to 5.8 million in September. (See table A-1.)

    Among the major worker groups, the unemployment rate for Hispanics decreased to 3.8 percent
    in September. The jobless rates for adult men (3.3 percent), adult women (3.1 percent),
    teenagers (11.4 percent), Whites (3.1 percent), Blacks (5.8 percent), and Asians (2.5
    percent) showed little change over the month.

    (Full disclosure: Like most on fixed incomes, I am better off when inflation is low, and jobs are scarce. But, if I have to choose, I prefer higher inflation and a stronger job market, because that is better for the nation. So all those help-wanted signs make me smile, even as I shop a little more carefully.)

    Jim Miller (85fd03)

  78. But, if I have to choose, I prefer higher inflation and a stronger job market, because that is better for the nation.
    Jim Miller (85fd03) — 10/8/2022 @ 7:34 am

    the Fed differs, emphatically, as does the stock market

    and an unusually low unemployment rate means employers are less able to fill open positions, fueling more wage robbing inflation

    but you didn’t have to choose between the two until demented joe took charge

    JF (1b9bbf)

  79. GWB is backing Joe O’Dea:

    Former President George W. Bush will campaign with Colorado Republican Senate candidate Joe O’Dea, his campaign manager Zack Roday confirmed to The Hill on Tuesday.

    The former president will appear at a Texas campaign event in about two weeks’ time to fundraise for O’Dea, who is running to unseat incumbent Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.).

    From what I have learned about O’Dea, I would say that Bush is backing a good man, who would be a good senator.

    (Joe O’Dea)

    Chuck Schumer fears O’Dea enough so that he backed a Trumpista in the Republican primary.)

    Jim Miller (85fd03)

  80. Here’s a reason why Trump whines incessantly about Haberman: She’s got the goods.

    Late last year, as the National Archives ratcheted up the pressure on former President Donald J. Trump to return boxes of records he had taken from the White House to his Mar-a-Lago club, he came up with an idea to resolve the looming showdown: cut a deal.

    Mr. Trump, still determined to show he had been wronged by the F.B.I. investigation into his 2016 campaign’s ties to Russia, was angry with the National Archives and Records Administration for its unwillingness to hand over a batch of sensitive documents that he thought proved his claims.

    In exchange for those documents, Mr. Trump told advisers, he would return to the National Archives the boxes of material he had taken to Mar-a-Lago, in Palm Beach, Fla.

    Dude is always transactional.

    The path began well before Mr. Trump left office.

    Concern about Mr. Trump’s habit of bringing documents to his White House bedroom began not long after he took office. By the second year of his administration, tracking the material he had in the residence had become a familiar obstacle, according to people familiar with his practices, and by the third year, there were specific documents that West Wing officials knew were not where they should be.

    In the closing weeks of his presidency, the White House counsel, Pat A. Cipollone, flagged the need for Mr. Trump to return documents that had piled up in boxes in the White House residence, according to archives officials.

    “It is also our understanding that roughly two dozen boxes of original presidential records were kept in the residence of the White House over the course of President Trump’s last year in office and have not been transferred to NARA, despite a determination by Pat Cipollone in the final days of the administration that they need to be,” Gary M. Stern, the top lawyer for the National Archives, told Mr. Trump’s representatives in a 2021 letter, using an abbreviation for the agency’s name.

    Just because he took them out of the Oval Office and stuck them in his residence, doesn’t mean they’re personal records. Oh, and little things like laws don’t matter. In his mind, if he claims they’re his, they’re his.

    Finally, after telling advisers repeatedly that the boxes were “mine,” Mr. Trump consented to go through them, which his associates said he did in December. Mr. Stern was alerted that the boxes were ready for retrieval.

    But neither Mr. Trump nor any of his representatives informed Mr. Stern that they contained classified information.

    It reminds me of what I said last August: If only his mother would’ve smacked him on the nose and told him, “Now listen, Donny, the Ken doll is not yours, it belongs to your sister. Give it back to her right now.”

    Paul Montagu (753b42)

  81. Paul Montagu (753b42) — 10/8/2022 @ 8:24 am

    maybe Trump is whining about Habermann cuz she’s always been a partisan democrat hack

    but she’ll get respect from Republicans with a Trump fixation

    JF (1b9bbf)

  82. Rip, the irony about Geoff Duncan is that he displayed “disloyalty” to Trump and his election fraud hoax in GA, and decided to not run for reelection because of it.
    The bottom line is that Trump will trounce the career of a good smart Republican representative and anoint a complete liar and nutjob like Herschel.

    Paul Montagu (753b42)

  83. Georgia’s GOP Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan has criticized how Herschel Walker became the Republican Party’s pick in the state’s Senate race.

    here’s how: Walker ran for the nomination against five opponents, republicans voted, and he won 68% of the vote

    what a scandal

    JF (1b9bbf)

  84. Good for Tulsi Gabbard.

    NJRob (ebe88a)

  85. Paul Montagu (753b42) — 10/8/2022 @ 8:24 am

    Hmm! I’ve always figured that Trump’s edifice complex stems from finding out that his mommy loved his daddy more than she loved him.

    nk (6ca685)

  86. Jim Miller (85fd03) — 10/8/2022 @ 7:34 am

    I may have a wrong impression, but it’s my understanding that, if your denominator (the “labor force participation rate”) is decreasing, a lower unemployment rate is not necessarily indicative of a “strong” job market.”

    Note the chart and data (as of 9/2022) here:

    The labor force participation rate in the United States edged down to 62.3 percent in September 2022 from 62.4 percent in the previous month. It remained 1.1 percentage points below its value in February 2020, prior to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

    https://tradingeconomics.com/united-states/labor-force-participation-rate

    ColoComment (323987)

  87. 82… along with Rupar and a host of other far-lefties. Common denominators are derangement
    and hatred for the former prez and, of course, shilling for the DNC.

    Colonel Haiku (2601c0)

  88. ColoComment (323987) — 10/8/2022 @ 9:24 am

    I may have phrased that wrong, but I hope you get my gist?

    ColoComment (323987)

  89. Tucker Carlson: “Putin is making nuclear threats, Whatever the reason he is making them, the fact he is making them . . . is enough for any responsible person to say, ‘Now we stop.’”

    Gutfeld: “There is no way Putin is going to give in,”

    Will Cain accused Biden of “deliberately provoking Russia” merely by suggesting that Putin sabotaged the pipeline.

    Dan Bongino warned viewers that “the U.S. is slow-walking its way directly into World War III.”

    On Laura Ingraham, Glenn Greenwald praised Republicans who “step up and say, we don’t think billions and billions of dollars should be sent to a war in Ukraine, where we have no vital interests at stake, while Americans are suffering at home.”

    Tulsi Gabbard on Tucker Carlson: “Our leaders and European leaders are the ones fueling and funding this war…pushing for more destruction, more war,” she proposed, we should “fight for peace” by using our leverage to “push for . . . a negotiated ceasefire.”

    Will Cain: “Sanctions don’t deter,” he asserted. “They provoke.”

    Gutfeld: “Picking sides” between Ukraine and Russia is “folly,”

    Greenwald: The stakes aren’t “even Ukraine,” They’re just “the Donbas, the eastern region in Ukraine, where a majority of people actually identify as ethnic Russians and want to be part of Russia.”

    Carlson: “Biden’s advisers wanted a total regime-change war against Russia, apparently to avenge the election of Donald Trump,”

    Carlson asserted last week, the United States “could end this war tonight” by securing a deal to which Putin would readily agree: “Russian troops leave. Ukraine promises not to join NATO. Everything is at it was in January of this year. And everything’s fine.”

    Greenwald: NATO’s “escalating” aggression in Ukraine, “right across [Russia’s] border,” is turning the conflict into an “existential war” for Russia, he alleged.

    Ingraham: “Ukraine feels entitled to endless support from the West, mostly the United States,”

    Carlson: “Zelensky is not the independent leader of a democratic nation. Zelensky is a client of the Biden administration, which runs his country.”

    Russia has its propaganda…..apparently primetime Fox News…blame America, mislead their viewers, help Putin…embarrassing

    AJ_Liberty (242c56)

  90. It’s an amusingly poignant affliction shared by many, this obsession and obvious fear of an alleged “loser”.

    Colonel Haiku (2601c0)

  91. Russia has its propaganda…..apparently primetime Fox News…blame America, mislead their viewers, help Putin…embarrassing

    It’s what happens when we let rootles cosmopolitans, and in this instance I mean the Rupert Murdoch family, buy green cards and American citizenship.

    nk (6ca685)

  92. @76. How anyone could support him [Mark Kelly] and politicians like him is beyond reason.

    Yeah, you tell’em- decorated veterans, astronauts – especially from New Jersey- and the like are dumb scum, aren’t they… =sarc=

    “Mark Edward Kelly (born February 21, 1964) is an American politician, businessman, retired astronaut, and U.S. Navy captain serving as the junior United States senator from Arizona since December 2020. A member of the Democratic Party, he was elected in the special election triggered by the death of Senator John McCain, defeating incumbent Republican Martha McSally.

    Kelly flew combat missions during the Gulf War as a naval aviator before being selected as a NASA Space Shuttle pilot in 1996. He flew his first space mission in 2001 as pilot of STS-108, piloted STS-121 in 2006, and commanded STS-124 in 2008 and STS-134 in 2011, the final mission of Space Shuttle Endeavour. His identical twin Scott Kelly is also a retired astronaut; they are the only siblings to have both traveled in space.

    Kelly’s wife, then-Arizona Congresswoman Gabby Giffords, was shot and nearly killed in an assassination attempt on January 8, 2011. Six people died in the Tucson shooting. After the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting the following year, Giffords and Kelly founded the nonprofit Americans for Responsible Solutions, later renamed Giffords, which campaigns for gun control measures like universal background checks and red flag laws.

    Kelly announced his candidacy for Arizona’s Class 3 U.S. Senate seat in the 2020 special election on February 12, 2019. He won the Democratic primary on August 4, 2020, and defeated incumbent Republican Martha McSally in the November 3, 2020, general election, becoming the first Democrat to win this seat since 1962. Kelly was sworn in on December 2, 2020. His opponent in the 2022 United States Senate election in Arizona is Republican Blake Masters, a venture capitalist and author.

    Kelly was born on February 21, 1964, in Orange, New Jersey, and raised in West Orange, New Jersey. Kelly graduated from Mountain High School in 1982. He received a Bachelor of Science in marine engineering and nautical science from the United States Merchant Marine Academy, graduating with highest honors in 1986. In 1994, he received a Master of Science in aeronautical engineering from the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School.

    In December 1987, Kelly became a naval aviator and received initial training on the A-6E Intruder attack aircraft. He was then assigned to Attack Squadron 115 (VA-115) in Atsugi, Japan, and made two deployments to the Persian Gulf on the aircraft carrier USS Midway, flying 39 combat missions in Operation Desert Storm. After receiving his master’s degree, Kelly attended the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School from 1993 to 1994. He has logged more than 5,000 hours in more than 50 different aircraft and has over 375 carrier landings.

    Kelly has received two Defense Superior Service Medals; one Legion of Merit; two Distinguished Flying Crosses; four Air Medals (two individual/two strike flight) with Combat “V”; two Navy Commendation Medals, (one with combat “V”); one Navy Achievement Medal; two Southwest Asia Service Medals; one Navy Expeditionary Medal; two Sea Service Deployment Ribbons; a NASA Distinguished Service Medal; and an Overseas Service Ribbon.

    Kelly’s first trip into space was as pilot of STS-108… [later spaceflights:] STS-121; STS-124; STS-134…

    In January 2013, Kelly and Giffords started a political action committee, Americans for Responsible Solutions. The organization’s mission is to promote solutions to gun violence with elected officials and the general public. The couple say it supports the Second Amendment while promoting responsible gun ownership and “keeping guns out of the hands of dangerous people like criminals, terrorists, and the mentally ill.” The group claims that “current gun laws allow private sellers to sell guns without a background check, creating a loophole that provides criminals and the mentally ill easy access to guns”. On March 31, 2013, Kelly said, “any bill that does not include a universal background check is a mistake. It’s the most common-sense thing we can do to prevent criminals and the mentally ill from having access to weapons.” In 2016, Americans for Responsible Solutions joined the Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence and launched a joint organization known as “Giffords.”

    On February 12, 2019, Kelly announced that he would run as a Democrat in the 2020 United States Senate special election in Arizona. Kelly looked to unseat incumbent Republican Martha McSally, a fellow veteran who was appointed to the position shortly after losing the 2018 Senate election to Democrat Kyrsten Sinema. The seat was vacated upon John McCain’s death on August 25, 2018, and held by Governor Doug Ducey’s appointee Jon Kyl until Kyl resigned on December 31, 2018. Kelly declined to accept campaign contributions from corporate political action committees (PACs), but did accept thousands of dollars in campaign contributions from corporate executives and lobbyists.

    On December 2, 2020, Kelly cast his first Senate vote, a “no” vote on the nomination of Kathryn C. Davis to the United States Court of Federal Claims.On December 9, Kelly voted “no” on a resolution blocking President Donald Trump from selling $23 billion in drones to the United Arab Emirates. Kelly split his vote by voting yes on another resolution blocking F-35 sales to the UAE. Both resolutions failed.

    In the wake of the 2021 storming of the United States Capitol, Kelly expressed support for Vice President Mike Pence and Trump’s cabinet invoking the Twenty-fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution to remove Trump from office. He voted to convict in Trump’s second impeachment trial, along with 56 other senators.

    Kelly is co-founder and strategic advisor of Tucson-based near-space exploration company World View Enterprises. On March 28, 2012, SpaceX announced that Kelly would be part of an independent safety advisory panel composed of leading human spaceflight safety experts.

    [Attention Marco Rubio] From December 2020 to November 2021, Kelly had missed [only] 2 of 517 roll call votes.

    “The Space Shuttle’s a very complex machine. It’s got a lot of moving parts that move and operate at pretty much the limit of what we’ve been able to engineer. Spaceflight is risky. I think with regards to the tank, we’ve reduced some of the risk there. We’ve changed the design a little bit and we’ve made some pretty big strides in trying to get foam not to shed from the tank anymore. So there is some risk reduction there and I guess overall the risk is probably a little less. But this is a risky business, but it’s got a big reward. Everybody on board Discovery and the space station here thinks it’s worthwhile… Words cannot convey my deep gratitude for the opportunities I have been given to serve our great nation. From the day I entered the United States Merchant Marine Academy in the summer of 1982 to the moment I landed the Space Shuttle Endeavour three weeks ago, it has been my privilege to advance the ideals that define the United States of America.” – Mark Kelly

    As of September 2022, Kelly had voted in line with President Joe Biden’s stated position 94.4% of the time.” – source, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Kelly

    Ignorance is bliss. Stay happy, NJ…

    “Well, nobody’s perfect.” – Osgood Fielding [Joe E. Brown] – ‘Some Like It Hot’ 1959

    DCSCA (193374)

  93. AJ_Liberty (242c56) — 10/8/2022 @ 9:38 am

    where’s the nearest keyboard commando recruiting office?

    JF (1b9bbf)

  94. @94. At the corner of Tab Ave., and Caplock St.

    DCSCA (193374)

  95. where’s the nearest keyboard commando recruiting office?

    Is is part of your assignment to find out, Putin-bot?

    nk (6ca685)

  96. New Jersey is the urban Selective Enrollment Public School of states. You can learn a lot on top of your natural ability, but need to get the eff out eventually.

    urbanleftbehind (42dc7c)

  97. If Putin wants an off-ramp from his war of aggression, there’s still a lane or two left on his illegally constructed Kerch bridge.

    Paul Montagu (753b42)

  98. You understand you are now in bed with the congenitally and reflexively anti-war far left, right? How’s it spooning a hippie? I guess Noam Chomskey must finally have gotten it right, eh? Ilhan Omar, AOC, and JF are now running buddies. We’ve gone from “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!” to “picking sides is folly”. Strange.

    AJ_Liberty (242c56)

  99. AJ_Liberty (242c56) — 10/8/2022 @ 10:25 am

    yeah, as long as you admit to being in bed with the congenitally and reflexively anti-Trump far left

    i don’t think a fellow traveler pissing contest will work in your favor, but go ahead

    i have more than a few comments here in the archives where I advocate militarily supporting taiwan and SE Asian interests, cuz that’s actually in our strategic best interests

    but, “you’re either with us or against us” worked so well in the past, it got us a “mission accomplished” banner, and you can find that sort of mentality on any 3rd grade playground during recess

    serious question for you AJ, which I know you won’t dodge: now nine months into this, what would have to happen in the next nine months for you to concede you were batsh*t wrong?

    cuz anything short of russia giving up all conquered territory, paying massive reparations, and ukraine joining nato will be a tough sell compared to the billions spent, destruction, and lives lost

    JF (1b9bbf)

  100. “Mr. President, we have good news and bad news…”

    Paul Montagu (753b42)

  101. here’s how: Walker ran for the nomination against five opponents, republicans voted, and he won 68% of the vote

    what a scandal

    JF (1b9bbf) — 10/8/2022 @ 8:59 am

    Winning 2/3 of the primary vote proves nothing on how a candidate will perform in the general election. And Walker is proving that right now: per RCP, Walker is currently -3.8 behind Warnock; Brett Masters is -4.1 behind Kelly; and Oz is -4.3 behind Fetterman.

    Rip Murdock (d892c0)

  102. I would respect “picking sides is folly”. But that’s not what the Trumpolators are saying. They’re saying that Russia’s murders, rapes, looting, and destruction in Ukraine is our and Ukraine’s fault. They’re beneath contempt.

    nk (6ca685)

  103. ……anything short of russia giving up all conquered territory, paying massive reparations, and ukraine joining nato……

    It’s a start.

    Rip Murdock (054285)

  104. Interesting……

    ……..
    …….. Some demolition experts who analyzed footage of the blast questioned the Russian version and said that the explosion must have come from under the bridge, caused either by an explosives-laden boat, manned or unmanned, or by shaped charges placed by divers.

    Tony Spamer, a former British Army expert on bridge demolitions, said a truck bomb would have created a hole in the middle of bridge but wouldn’t have been sufficient to cut the reinforcing bar and cause the structure to collapse. “You’ve got to attack the whole width of the bridge. Looking at it, it looks like it was attacked from underneath. It’s a monster job,” he said.
    ……….
    David MacKenzie, a senior technical director at COWI Holding A/S, a Denmark-based company that designs and builds some of the world’s largest and longest bridges, said it would take several months for Russia to be able to fully restore the destroyed spans of the bridge, and that the ban on truck traffic is caused by concerns that the bridge’s substructure has also been damaged. Weight restrictions are also likely to be imposed on the railway bridge should it reopen, he said.
    ………

    Peremoha Ukrayini!

    Rip Murdock (d892c0)

  105. @99. “We’ve gone from “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!” to “We have not faced the prospect of Armageddon since Kennedy and the Cuban missile crisis… I don’t think there’s any such thing as the ability to easily (use) a tactical nuclear weapon and not end up with Armageddon.”

    FIFY.

    Strange? No,

    IDIOTIC? Yes.

    DCSCA (f4c5e5)

  106. #89 ColoComment – Here is a more instructive chart. (I think the best picture of current trends comes from the five-year version.)

    The labor participation rate fell from 63.4 to 60.2 during the COVID recession, rose sharply in the first half of 2020, and has been rising slowly, since then.

    This cautionary note is important:

    Note that long-run changes in labor force participation may reflect secular economic trends that are unrelated to the overall health of the economy. For instance, demographic changes such as the aging of population can lead to a secular increase of exits from the labor force, shrinking the labor force and decreasing the labor force participation rate.

    (Incidentally, I disagree with both chart makers for cutting off the bottoms of the charts, since that exaggerates the apparent changes. I would add some measure of the sampling error in any discussion of the numbers. And I would prefer two sets of numbers, adding a series before seasonal adjustments.)

    Jim Miller (85fd03)

  107. In a perfectly just world, “Czar” Putin would be arrested by Russian officials, given a quick trial, and hanged for treason. And then his followers would face legal consequences.

    Since we do not live in such a world, I would be willing to see him go into exile, if that would end his aggressive war. In fact, I would even be willing to pay some nation, Cuba for example, to take him — if we could disguise the payments. (Cuba is asking for our help to recover from Hurricane Ian, so that would be one way to do it.)

    Jim Miller (85fd03)

  108. It appears that the destruction of the Kerch Bridge not only took Moscow by surprise, but given that it’s not just very real hit to Russia’s ability to easily transport anything to and from Crimea, it has also been a significant humiliation for Putin and deflated already low troop morale. So much so that Putin has changed leadership:

    Russia has appointed a notorious general who opened fire on pro-democracy protesters in the 1990s as its first overall commander for the war in Ukraine, as the Kremlin struggles to halt a Ukrainian counteroffensive that has left its forces in disarray.

    The appointment of Gen Sergei Surovikin came on the same day as Vladimir Putin was dealt a humiliating blow after an explosion on the Kerch bridge sank a section of the motorway into the Kerch Strait and caused a major fire on the railway.

    Surovikin is a veteran commander who led the Russian military expedition in Syria in 2017, where he was accused of using “controversial” tactics including indiscriminate bombing against anti-government fighters.

    His appointment is the first of an overall battlefield commander for Russian troops in Ukraine. It may indicate that Moscow now understands that its military is in danger of collapse in Ukraine, with Kyiv’s forces advancing in all four of the regions that Putin claims to have “annexed”.

    Dana (1225fc)

  109. It’s what happens when we let rootles cosmopolitans, and in this instance I mean the Rupert Murdoch family, buy green cards and American citizenship.

    Pfft. Reaganomics. Free market capitalism and such.

    If there wasn’t a market for the product content, production would cease and format would change– or do you drive an Edsel. Ratings and all that matter. You’d do better to ask yourself why the market for such content is actually growing on multiple platforms– not to mention the creation of rivals like Newsmax.

    DCSCA (f4c5e5)

  110. ……
    i have more than a few comments here in the archives where I advocate militarily supporting taiwan and SE Asian interests, cuz that’s actually in our strategic best interests
    ……..

    JF (1b9bbf) — 10/8/2022 @ 10:46 am

    Supporting Ukraine and helping them defeat Russia will go a long way to demonstrating to the CCP that the West’s commitment to defending Taiwan is serious and the cost of attacking would be too high.

    Of course, if China takes this advice then the whole thing is moot.

    Rip Murdock (d892c0)

  111. “what would have to happen in the next nine months for you to concede you were batsh*t wrong?”

    Over 2,000 Russian tanks destroyed, 100,000 Russian casualties, dozens of top Russian commanders killed, Russian logistics and supply in continual disarray, the life expectancy of Russian oligarchs dropping to mid forties, steady stream of young Russian men voting with their feet, opposition growing in the Moscow streets, Putin fatigue setting in, and no American soldiers in combat. Even a cynic would say that’s pretty good return on $80B. Virtually no one is calling for the introduction of US combat forces and Putin’s military is not exactly well poised to attack NATO at any foreseeable point.

    It’s also pretty low likelihood that Putin would then start lobbing nuclear bombs at Ukraine as that only spells negatives for Putin. China could drop all support as international condemnation would be overwhelming and China gains nothing in siding with Putin. I don’t see the Russian military wanting to die for Putin’s miscalculation with the inevitable pushback that would happen. Could it happen? Sure. But it could also happen with Latvia, Finland, and Poland. I’m not sure it’s great policy to give in to nuclear blackmail.

    “and lives lost”

    I would stop saying that. I don’t see you caring a lick about Russian or Ukrainian lives….you seem fine with Russia killing as many Ukrainians as needed….but maybe I’m wrong

    AJ_Liberty (5f05c3)

  112. Dana (1225fc) — 10/8/2022 @ 11:22 am

    We’ll see if he is any more successful than his ex-colleagues.

    Rip Murdock (d892c0)

  113. Even a cynic would say that’s pretty good return on $80B.

    Estimated costs of Ian: $100 billion.

    Estimated cost of Afghanistan War; ‘The U.S. has spent a stunning total of $2.26 trillion on a dizzying array of expenses, according to the Costs of War project.’ – ABCNews.com [That went well =sarc=]

    And what date did Congress declare war on Russia, Agarn? Asking for 333 million taxpayers. 😉

    “Everybody has to pay taxes!- Even businessmen, that rob and steal and cheat from people everyday, even *they* have to pay taxes!” – Lennie Pike [Jonathan Winters] ‘It’s A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World’ 1963

    DCSCA (f4c5e5)

  114. “Because only the guilty fear a police state, eh?”

    The IRS are not police. No IRS agent has ever raided the wrong house and killed an innocent person. No IRS agent has stood around while a shooter killed kids. No IRS agent has ever kneeled on someone’s neck until they died.

    Davethulhu (204c9e)

  115. I would stop saying that. I don’t see you caring a lick about Russian or Ukrainian lives….you seem fine with Russia killing as many Ukrainians as needed….but maybe I’m wrong
    AJ_Liberty (5f05c3) — 10/8/2022 @ 11:25 am

    having dodged my question entirely, baseless/juvenile insults are what you’d cling to

    JF (1b9bbf)

  116. Oh, and little things like laws don’t matter. In his mind, if he claims they’re his, they’re his.

    And whenever any institution of government attempts to hold him to the law, he just calls it “radical left.” That works on his cult followers, who claim they’re not just protecting a lawless person from the consequences of his actions. They’re fighting the good fight against “the left” that’s out to get him because he’s “exposing” their “corruption.” So now the National Archives is a “radical left” organization.

    Radegunda (aea5af)

  117. @109. One of the lanes has apparently been reopened already. Seems a truck blew up. Odd way to try to disable a bridge. Guess the proxy underwater demo teams were “tuckered out” from disabling the pipeline. 😉

    DCSCA (f4c5e5)

  118. Supporting Ukraine and helping them defeat Russia will go a long way to demonstrating to the CCP that the West’s commitment to defending Taiwan is serious and the cost of attacking would be too high.

    Pfft.

    October 19, 1950: MacArthur’s Greatest Blunder, China Invades Korea

    “[D]espite General Douglas MacArthur’s confident assessment [to President Truman] that the Chinese would not cross the Yalu River and interfere with the Korean War, 200,000 Chinese soldiers streamed across the river and attacked UN/South Korean forces. Even after initial fighting with Chinese, MacArthur did not grasp the scope of the disaster.”

    https://www.historyandheadlines.com/history-october-19-1950-macarthurs-greatest-blunder-china-invades-korea/

    Ignorance is bliss; stay happy.

    DCSCA (f4c5e5)

  119. It took several attempts to destroy Antonovsky bridge, DC.
    The Russian squatters on the peninsula have to be freaking out, and they’ll freak out even more if/when Ukraine reclaims Kherson and Melitopol from the rashists.

    Paul Montagu (753b42)

  120. maybe Trump is whining about Habermann cuz she’s always been a partisan democrat hack

    Is that why he has willingly granted her interviews? And said she’s like his “psychiatrist”?

    When Haberman plays tape of Trump contradicting himself and incriminating himself in his own words and his own voice, does it prove that she’s a “partisan democrat hack”?

    In Trump’s mind, and in MAGA-land generally, a lifelong conservative Republican who criticizes or opposes Trump in any way suddenly becomes a “democrat” or a “hack.”

    Radegunda (aea5af)

  121. But that’s not what the Trumpolators are saying. They’re saying that Russia’s murders, rapes, looting, and destruction in Ukraine is our and Ukraine’s fault. They’re beneath contempt.

    Some have claimed that Putin is defending Christianity and tradition from threats posed by the “American imperium’ and the scourge of woke liberalism. The moral obtuseness is breathtaking.

    Radegunda (aea5af)

  122. Here’s what also happens when a one-term loser persists in the delusion that possession is ten-tenths of the law when stolen documents are kept at his country club: At every opportunity, he fights against the government from retaining records that are owned by the government.

    Donald Trump is seeking to withhold from the justice department two folders marked as containing correspondence with the National Archives and signing sheets that the FBI seized from his Mar-a-Lago resort, according to court filings in the special master review of the confiscated documents.

    The former US president’s privilege assertions over the folders, which appear to have direct relevance to the criminal investigation into whether he retained national defense information and obstructed justice, are significant as they represent an effort to exclude the items from the inquiry and keep them confidential.

    There’s a reason why Trump’s legal counsel resisted his proposal to trade documents he doesn’t own in exchange for other documents he doesn’t own: Such an offer can be construed as bribing or extorting federal officials.
    I’ve asked this before and I’ll keep asking…please GOP, don’t nominate this clown.

    Paul Montagu (753b42)

  123. I’ve asked this before and I’ll keep asking…please GOP, don’t nominate this clown.

    Paul Montagu (753b42) — 10/8/2022 @ 12:07 pm

    Falling on deaf ears.

    Rip Murdock (d892c0)

  124. @121. Lest you forget- even pre-invasion, they contruct bridges over there- permanent and temporary- PDQ, per satellite imagery; albeit pontoon, etc. In Pittsburgh, not so much. Florida, a much better record. It’s more a psychological thing in the immediate.

    DCSCA (b404fb)

  125. ^120.

    DCSCA (b404fb)

  126. “having dodged my question entirely”

    The problem is that your concern here carries much higher risks when you apply it to Taiwan, where you seem ready to commit not just money but U.S. combat forces. You’re not concerned about escalation, WW3, and nuclear Armageddon there. But with Ukraine, we have to play a game of “what would it take”. There’s just something about Russia, huh?

    AJ_Liberty (5f05c3)

  127. @Colocomment@87 The labor force participation rate often ticks slightly up or slightly down from month to month over or under the over-all average trend. The over-all average trend of labor force participation has been steadily increasing since the low of summer 2020.

    Nic (896fdf)

  128. Speaking of the IRS……

    Texas National Guard troops deployed to the border by Gov. Greg Abbott could be stuck paying hundreds or even thousands of dollars in unexpected federal taxes for their work on Operation Lone Star because of a payroll error made by state officials.

    On Thursday, officials with the Texas Military Department acknowledged that the payroll system they used for the mission has withheld too little in federal taxes from service members’ paychecks since October 2021, when Abbott ramped up the number of troops on the mission from 2,500 to a peak of 6,500 in November. …….

    Officials said they became aware of the issue in July 2022.
    ………
    The tax blunder is the latest strike against a state bureaucracy that has been strained under the weight and haste of Abbott’s border mission. Previous missteps in 2021 included widespread problems in which soldiers were paid late, too little or not at all for months. Guardsmen have also complained about financial strains due to the unprecedented length of the deployment, which has prevented some members from being able to keep their civilian jobs.
    ………
    ……… (O)fficials explained that the payroll system was set up to pay service members twice a month, rather than once a month, to mirror federal pay periods. Doing so led to the tax withholding error, which may affect 96% of service members on the mission who are paid twice a month, according to documents obtained by the Tribune and Army Times.

    Officials said all service members on Operation Lone Star will be returned to once-a-month paychecks starting in January to fix the problem.
    ……..
    “[We] basically got told it’s on the individual soldier to figure it out ……..” (a service member said).
    ………
    Estimating what each member owes is complicated due to the different tax rates for different portions of their pay, which itself varies based on rank, experience, marital status and what kind of duty the Guard member is performing.
    ………
    Texas Military Department officials built a spreadsheet to help troops calculate their tax liability.
    ………
    But some already know what their bills will be (several troops’ names are being withheld for fear of retaliation):

    Spc. Hunter Schuler, who was a leading voice among the troops who tried to unionize in the spring, said he will have to pay around $2,500 to the IRS.

    A junior soldier who recently returned home from the Laredo area revealed that the error will cost him $1,300.
    ……….

    Rip Murdock (054285)

  129. Many thanks to Jim and Nic for helping me out with the labor participation rate….
    What I take from their excellent information is that solely examining the unemployment rate may lead to some degree of misinterpretation of its indications, given the constant change in the labor participation rate. Accordingly, both sets of data should be reviewed in concert to determine whether they represent an overall positive or negative employment report.

    Is that a fair reading?

    ColoComment (323987)

  130. Anybody who thinks that governments are created among men for any other reason than the collection of taxes lives in Cloudckoockooland.

    The ironic thing about Franklin’s quip about “death and taxes” is we will probably defeat death someday.

    Kevin M (eeb9e9)

  131. The IRS are not police. No IRS agent has ever raided the wrong house and killed an innocent person. No IRS agent has stood around while a shooter killed kids. No IRS agent has ever kneeled on someone’s neck until they died.

    I don’t need tough guys. I need more lawyers.
    Michael Corleone, Godfather III

    Kevin M (eeb9e9)

  132. @ColoComment@131 probably, though with labor force participation, you can also drill down into the percentage of the population is between 60-64, so may be in the middle of retirement and the percentage of the population between 18-24 and college attendance rates. Frex, labor force participation rates my have been slightly skewed by boomers retiring over the last 10 or so years because they had been such a high percentage of the adult working population.

    Nic (896fdf)

  133. >> “Because only the guilty fear a police state, eh?”

    The IRS are not police.

    IRS Special Agents are duly sworn law enforcement officers. Most of the field agents have guns. They have the power to levy accounts, garnish wages, to seize assets, to assess forfeitures, to arrest persons in furtherance of tax investigations. In doing this they may destroy lives, even in error.

    But no, they don’t have the power to stand on your neck until you die. But neither do actual police.

    Kevin M (eeb9e9)

  134. Winning 2/3 of the primary vote proves nothing on how a candidate will perform in the general election. And Walker is proving that right now: per RCP, Walker is currently -3.8 behind Warnock;

    And the “I’ll vote for any Democrat instead of a impure Republican” crown of erstwhile Republicans will make sure of it. Then spend the next 6 years blaming all the terrible legislation on they guy they would not vote for, and not on themselves where the blame belongs.

    (Note: Kevin’s Law: Any result to “Trump” automatically means you lose the argument)

    Kevin M (eeb9e9)

  135. *resort

    Kevin M (eeb9e9)

  136. AJ_Liberty (5f05c3) — 10/8/2022 @ 12:25 pm

    i didn’t think it was a tough question

    you’re certainly making a meal out of not answering it

    JF (89ce9f)

  137. Kevin, describe for me one qualification (other than age) that Walker has for being a Senator? Describe one policy arena that Walker appears especially knowledgeable about? The gun to his wife’s head, the children out of wedlock, and now the abortion denials do not help the case for Walker. Yes, the vote matters for the GOP and Georgia should have a Republican in that seat, but this is not exactly just an impure Republican. I’m guessing that a fair number of moderates don’t want to be embarrassed for 6 years. The process of the base shoving marginally qualified candidates forward principally because of their fealty is a losing proposition.

    AJ_Liberty (5f05c3)

  138. Rip

    Nothing “costed” the soldiers, they were fully paid. The notion that the taxes were not their property first is why we have the rampant out of control taxation we have today.

    If people had to write monthly checks to the governments we would be a vastly different country than we are today

    EPWJ (650a62)

  139. @138, or maybe you get what you deserve

    AJ_Liberty (5f05c3)

  140. AJ_Liberty (5f05c3) — 10/8/2022 @ 1:58 pm

    I’m sorry you were bullied in the 2nd grade

    JF (89ce9f)

  141. Los Angeles City Mayor’s Race Poll

    Rick Caruso has made significant progress in the race for mayor, closing a large part of the gap with Rep. Karen Bass since August, but the billionaire businessman still trails by double digits among the people who are likeliest to vote.
    ……..
    Among all registered voters, he’s now behind by just 3 percentage points, 34%-31% — within the (latest UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies poll) margin of error. That’s down from a 12-point gap in August.

    Among likely voters, however, Bass continues to lead by 15 points, 46%-31%, down from a 21-point lead a month ago.
    ……..
    Working against (Caruso) is a history of fairly low turnout in municipal elections and a lack of other compelling races on the ballot. ……
    Latino voters show a stark gap between those who are engaged in the race and those who are not. Bass leads 36%-29% and is viewed more favorably among Latino likely voters; with the broader pool of all registered Latino voters, Caruso leads 34%-25% and has a slightly higher favorability.
    ………
    Across the city, Bass is viewed favorably by 53% of likely voters and 40% of registered voters. Just a quarter of voters in either category have an unfavorable view of her.
    ……..
    Despite the drop in favorability, the survey found that voters perceived Bass to be more honest, ethical and experienced than Caruso, while the businessman was thought to be more fiscally responsible.
    ……..
    Even with Caruso’s $62-million outlay on this campaign and deep investments in turning out the vote, the composition and demographics of who shows up on election day or mails in ballots heavily favor Bass.

    Among registered voters who are Democrats, Bass leads by about 25 percentage points, and among likely voters who are registered Democrats, she leads by nearly 40 points. This advantage among the city’s largest voting bloc has been in place since the primary.
    ………
    The poll found that voters feel homelessness has an effect on their lives and believe the mayor is capable of doing something about the crisis. Among likely voters, 91% said that homelessness affects their life directly or indirectly, and 55% said that the mayor can have a major effect in solving the crisis. Another 30% said the mayor can play only a minor role in solving Los Angeles’ homelessness problem.
    ………

    Top lines and cross tabs not available.

    Rip Murdock (d892c0)

  142. Working against (Caruso) is a history of fairly low turnout in municipal elections and a lack of other compelling races on the ballot. ……

    working against Caruso is a history of sane voters making an exodus out of LA

    JF (89ce9f)

  143. Doesn’t matter to me, I live in one of the Beach cities.

    Rip Murdock (d892c0)

  144. @76 He is running against a trumpster anti-abortion freak. Reason enough.

    asset (c2c9e1)

  145. But with Ukraine, we have to play a game of “what would it take”.

    We??? WTF.

    Ukraine is NOT an American problem.

    An incompetent, incontinent, imbecilic, idiotic chief executive is.

    DCSCA (4d2fba)

  146. @147, well that’s not unhinged….most Americans disagree with you about Ukraine for reasons you apparently refuse to acknowledge

    AJ_Liberty (5f05c3)

  147. Lacey, Gascon, what’s the difference?

    Illegal immigrant who killed two in attack on Vegas showgirls escaped violent crime charge last year after DA failed to prosecute in time – would have faced up to four years in jail if convicted of domestic violence charge

    The man accused of stabbing eight and killing two in Las Vegas on Thursday walked free from another violent crime charge last year after the district attorney failed to prosecute in time.

    Court documents exclusively obtained by DailyMail.com reveal that Guatemalan alleged undocumented migrant Yoni Barrios, 32, was charged in 2019 with criminal domestic violence by Los Angeles district attorney Jackie Lacey, who has since stepped down.

    Had he been convicted, Barrios would likely have been imprisoned and deported and would not have been free to commit the senseless slaughter on the Vegas strip this week.

    But then Lacey failed to bring the case to court in time, and after 90 days elapsed the judge was forced to dismiss the case under California speedy trial laws.

    Barrios was also prosecuted for driving dangerously and without a license in Riverside, California in 2016.

    the lack of a conviction is hardly an excuse for not deporting Barrios, but this is inexcusable

    JF (89ce9f)

  148. ‘…describe for me one qualification (other than age) that Walker has for being a Senator?’

    The Constitution sets three qualifications for service in the U.S. Senate: age (at least thirty years of age); U.S. citizenship (at least nine years); and residency in the state a senator represents at time of election. The details of these qualifications were hammered out by the Constitution’s framers during the Constitutional Convention in 1787.

    That Constitution thingy… such a PITA, eh.

    DCSCA (4d2fba)

  149. @148. =sigh= Still waiting for you to inform us when Congress declared war…

    Ukraine is NOT an American problem.

    Americans’ Strong Support for Ukraine Aid Is Slipping, Polls Suggest

    https://www.newsweek.com/americans-strong-support-ukraine-aid-slipping-polls-suggest-1706361

    Is American support for Ukraine on borrowed time?

    https://thehill.com/opinion/campaign/3673208-is-american-support-for-ukraine-on-borrowed-time/

    Congress can’t keep funding Ukraine forever without Biden telling us his strategy to end the war

    https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/congress-cant-keep-funding-ukraine-forever-without-biden-telling-us-his-strategy-to-end-war

    A war, BTW, that is NOT AN AMERICAN WAR.

    DCSCA (4d2fba)

  150. More trumpster rethugliKKKans facing charges of voter machine tampering in michigan primary election! The rethugs are planning to sabotage voting in the mid terms by infiltrating agents to poll workers. (DU)

    asset (c2c9e1)

  151. @151 isolationists said the same thing in 1940 and opposed lend lease. America refused to help in the spanish civil war and the abraham lincoln brigade went instead. The russian people don’t support putin. Why are you being a 5th columinist?

    asset (c2c9e1)

  152. U.S. Money Committed to Ukraine Has Already Exceeded Cost of First 5 Years Afghan War

    In the roughly four months since Russia invaded Ukraine, the United States spent more money keeping Russia at bay than it did in the first five years of the Afghan conflict.

    https://www.westernjournal.com/us-money-committed-ukraine-already-exceeded-cost-first-5-years-afghan-war/

    DCSCA (4d2fba)

  153. @153. False analogy: This is not 1940, when the tendrils of the Great Depression remained and the wounds to an entire generation were still raw from the pain, suffering, waste, death and debts of WW1.

    DCSCA (4d2fba)

  154. asset (c2c9e1) — 10/8/2022 @ 2:40 pm

    asset, the nazi-soviet pact of 1939 was a good reason to be wary of the russians and oppose lend lease

    the Spanish civil war, as the name implies, was a Spanish concern

    you didn’t mention US isolationism during WW1 — is that cuz it was likely the smart play and Wilson effed it up?

    JF (89ce9f)

  155. @153. It is NOT the responsibility of the USA to manage the problems of wealthy, modern Europe dealing with the third land war on the European continent in 110 years. But if you wanna join Moran’s gang, nobody’s stopping you from camoing-up.

    DCSCA (4d2fba)

  156. Correction to this guy: Herschel should‘ve pulled out.

    Paul Montagu (753b42)

  157. Highlights of LA Times/UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies September Poll-Part 1

    Gavin Newsom leads Brian Dahle 53-32

    Battling online gambling propositions headed for defeat (26 (31-52) & 27 (27-53));

    Proposition 30 (tax millionaires to fund air pollution reduction) struggling (49-37)

    Proposition 31 (uphold ban on flavored tobacco products) passing 57-31

    Top lines and cross tabs at link

    Rip Murdock (d892c0)

  158. Highlights of UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies September Poll-Part 2

    Californians are divided about whether Trump will face criminal charges but feel he should be if enough evidence is found/
    President Biden job performance

    Poll

    Tabulations

    Majority support for the state’s all-electric car mandate – New vehicle buying intentions align with views about the mandate

    Poll

    Tabulations

    Rip Murdock (d892c0)

  159. @Paul@158 That advice would’ve helped him in so many of his life situations.

    Nic (896fdf)

  160. Unless it’s a sumo takedown, don’t bother – you’ll just get in the way of your whiny paisan

    urbanleftbehind (42dc7c)

  161. Two Americans were fighting for Ukraine, and were captured.

    What followed was an excruciating, often terrifying 104 days in captivity. They were interrogated, subjected to physical and psychological abuse, and given little food or clean water, Drueke and Huynh recalled. Initially, they were taken into Russia, to a detention complex dotted with tents and ringed by barbed wire, they said. Their captors later moved them, first to a “black site” where the beatings worsened, Drueke said, and then to what they called a more traditional prison run by Russian-backed separatists in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine.

    I’m no expert on such things, but I don’t believe that kind of treatment is allowed by the Geneva conventions. Fans of Putin will probably approve, though. And I suspect that Ukrainian captives have gotten even worse treatment.

    (As far as I know, the Ukrainians are treating their Russian captives decently, even allowing them one phone call home, a week.)

    Jim Miller (85fd03)

  162. International law about foreign “volunteers” is not kind. They should have listened to our State Department. They’re back home alive, and that’s a win.

    BTW, aseet, did you know that the majority of the Lincoln Brigade’s casualties in the Spanish Civil War were executions by the NKVD, you know, Stalin’s secret police?

    nk (e84f5e)

  163. “Little food or clean water” was also the initial phase of interrogations at Gitmo. It seems to be standard practice. The Chinese and Koreans did it to our captured troops too.

    nk (e84f5e)

  164. Even if foreign fighters aren’t technically POWs (and I’m not sure either way), the GC still require that detainees be treated humanely.

    Paul Montagu (753b42)

  165. I was ready to turn the channel when the M’s were down 8-1, and glad I didn’t.
    Now it’s tied at nine, top of the ninth.

    Paul Montagu (753b42)

  166. I’m guessing that a fair number of moderates don’t want to be embarrassed for 6 years.

    What makes you believe that; moderate Delawareans embarrassed themselves for 36 years– from January, 1973 to January, 2009.

    DCSCA (f6883a)

  167. MARINERS WIN IT!!
    MARINERS WIN IT!!
    On to the Astros.

    Paul Montagu (753b42)

  168. After Putin: 12 people ready to ruin Russia next-Part 1

    Vladimir Putin’s disastrous military adventure in Ukraine has raised the prospect that his 22-year rule could be nearing its end. But will he go, or will he have to be pushed?
    …….
    ……..The chances of his leaving anytime soon are still remote, but it’s clear that the escalating fallout from his military gamble is already loosening his viselike grip on power.
    ……..
    OPERATION SUCCESSOR-Putin gets to choose
    …….. The chance that he will make way voluntarily for a new leader is tiny, but it’s no longer negligible. Here’s who the Russian leader might make way for:

    The Superspy — Nikolai Patrushev
    ……… The former head of the FSB spy agency, now secretary of the Security Council of Russia, has the advantage of sharing a worldview with Putin — one that is shot through with hostility toward the West in general, and toward the United States in particular

    If anything, Patrushev’s views are more extreme: …….

    ……At 71, he is two years older than Putin, and should he become president would likely only be a transitional figure.

    Likelihood: 3 out of 5 Kremlins

    Scariness: 3 out of 5 nuclear explosions

    The Lackey — Dmitry Medvedev

    If there’s anyone Putin can trust, it’s Dmitry Medvedev……… War has been unkind to Medvedev, whose attempts to shed his image as Putin’s less-evil twin by posing as a nuclear madman have been drowned out by outbursts of hysterical laughter from readers of his Telegram channel. At 57, Medvedev is still young enough to rule Russia again but his own fate is inseparably tied to Putin’s.

    Likelihood: 2 out of 5 Kremlins

    Scariness: 2 out of 5 nuclear explosions

    The Bodyguard — Alexei Dyumin
    ………
    Dyumin is, by some accounts, a Putin favorite but his preferred status would make him vulnerable should a power struggle break out in the Kremlin.

    Likelihood: 2 out of 5 Kremlins

    Scariness: 3 out of 5 nuclear explosions

    The Princeling — Dmitry Patrushev
    ………
    However remote the prospect, a princeling president could ease fears in the wider world that Russia, facing defeat in Ukraine, would launch a suicidal nuclear escalation. A hereditary ruler would, by definition, have a stronger instinct for survival than a crazed dictator holed up in an underground bunker.

    Likelihood: 1 out of 5 Kremlins

    Scariness: 1 out of 5 nuclear explosions
    ………

    Rip Murdock (d892c0)

  169. After Putin: 12 people ready to ruin Russia next-Part 2

    A KREMLIN PLOT-Putin is ousted, incapacitated or assassinated
    ………
    ………As often as not, the struggle for succession has been fought out among Kremlin insiders — famously compared by British wartime leader Winston Churchill to “a bulldog fight under a rug.”

    The Troika
    ……..
    Regime change in autocracies typically comes from within, observes Gould-Davies, who rates the probability of a managed transition at “zero.” Putin missed the chance to orchestrate his succession when he rewrote the constitution two years ago, he adds: “Now his position is in greater jeopardy — there is no guarantee of a peaceful after-life.”

    Speculating on who might conspire to oust Putin is a fool’s errand but, if history is anything to go by, the representatives of the “power ministries” on the Security Council would be in the mix — however loyal to Putin they may now seem. Watch out for Patrushev Sr., FSB boss Alexander Bortnikov, Interior Minister Vladimir Kolokoltsev, and Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu (a wily survivor who has, however, had a terrible war).

    Likelihood: 4 Kremlins

    Scariness: 2 nuclear explosions

    The Premier — Mikhail Mishustin

    Article 92.3 of the Russian constitution states that, in all cases where the president is incapable of carrying out his duties, “they shall be temporarily fulfilled” by the prime minister. That puts Mikhail Mishustin in pole position to take over as acting head of state should Putin fall seriously ill or be assassinated. ……
    ……..
    Likelihood: 1 Kremlins

    Scariness: 2 nuclear explosions

    The Muscovite — Sergei Sobyanin

    The quintessential insider, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin could emerge as a contender to succeed Putin if protests in the capital escalate to the point where repression is no longer viable and constructive engagement is needed to complete an orderly transition.……
    ………
    Likelihood: 1 Kremlins

    Scariness: 2 nuclear explosions

    COLOR REVOLUTION-Russians rise up against Putin

    Putin’s pathological resolve to wipe Ukraine off the map stems from his terror that it could export a people-power “color” revolution to Russia. Ukrainians have not once, but twice, removed their leaders through peaceful protest……..

    Could it happen?

    The Prisoner — Alexei Navalny

    ……… Alexei Navalny would be the prime candidate to lead a Russian color revolution, having helped organize protests against Putin’s return to the presidency a decade ago. Those demonstrations — the largest in post-Soviet Russia — ultimately failed.

    …….. But his chances of following Nelson Mandela from a prison cell to the presidency are slight……..

    Likelihood: 1 Kremlins

    Scariness: 1 nuclear explosions

    The Exile — Mikhail Khodorkovsky

    ……. Khodorkovsky himself displays no obvious ambition to stage a triumphant return and play a leadership role in a post-Putin Russia. …… Yet his history as a ruthless businessman has not been forgotten by older Russians who still harbor bitter memories of the chaotic Yeltsin years, when an oligarch cabal amassed vast assets through corrupt privatizations that stripped the nation of its Soviet industrial patrimony.

    Likelihood: 1 Kremlins

    Scariness: 1 nuclear explosions
    ………..

    Rip Murdock (d892c0)

  170. @156 lend lease was for the british russia only got lend lease after hitler invaded in june of 1941.

    asset (ea8254)

  171. After Putin: 12 people ready to ruin Russia next-Part 3

    TIME OF TROUBLE-Putin is overthrown militarily

    …….. Here are some key players to watch out for if Russia’s next ruler is chosen at the point of a gun:

    The Butcher — Mikhail Mizintsev

    …….. there is one general who is thriving after earning a reputation for shocking brutality: Mikhail Mizintsev, the “butcher of Mariupol.” Mizintsev led the devastating siege in which more than 20,000 civilians died before the port city fell in May. He has just been promoted to deputy defense minister in charge of logistics, …….

    Likelihood: 1 Kremlin

    Scariness: 3 nuclear explosions

    The Warlord — Ramzan Kadyrov
    ………
    Kadyrov is a brilliant, if crude, regime propagandist — his Telegram channel counts more than 2.6 million followers. Yet any attempt to exploit Putin’s weakness to further his own political cause would put him at personal risk, argues Paris-based economist Sergei Guriev. “Kadyrov’s people are dangerous, but hated,” says Guriev, co-author of “Spin Dictators,” a book on modern-day tyranny. It’s more likely, argues Guriev, that Kadyrov would seek more autonomy or independence for Chechnya if there is political upheaval in Russia.

    Likelihood: 1 Kremlin

    Scariness: 5 nuclear explosions

    The Mercenary — Yevgeny Prigozhin

    If anyone looks like Russia’s commander in chief right now, it’s Yevgeny Prigozhin, a business oligarch known as Putin’s “chef” who runs the secretive Wagner mercenary army. ……..

    It would, however, require a stunning reversal on the battlefield — in which much of the territory claimed by Russia since 2014 is lost and hordes of disgruntled troops return home to roam the streets — for a warlord like Prigozhin even to have the remotest shot at power. “You would have to have an absolutely catastrophic collapse of the state,” says author Mark Galeotti, who has written books on Russian history, warfare, espionage and organized crime.

    There is no such precedent in late-imperial, Soviet and contemporary history: ……

    Likelihood: 1 Kremlin

    Scariness: 5 nuclear explosions +1 nuclear ☢️

    Rip Murdock (d892c0)

  172. @157 We have a difference of opinion on what should be done about ukraine. I have opposed almost all interventions by the US since korean war. As churchill said when the facts change I change. what do you do? In all are previous interventions starting with chaing kai shek we were propping up people who wouldn’t fight. Ukrainians are doing the fighting. Dcsca My asking you if you were a 5th columnist was inappropriate and I apologize. You are entitled to your view. we just disagree.

    asset (ea8254)

  173. Kevin, describe for me one qualification (other than age) that Walker has for being a Senator? Describe one policy arena that Walker appears especially knowledgeable about? The gun to his wife’s head, the children out of wedlock, and now the abortion denials do not help the case for Walker. Yes, the vote matters for the GOP and Georgia should have a Republican in that seat, but this is not exactly just an impure Republican. I’m guessing that a fair number of moderates don’t want to be embarrassed for 6 years. The process of the base shoving marginally qualified candidates forward principally because of their fealty is a losing proposition.

    AJ_Liberty (5f05c3) — 10/8/2022 @ 1:55 pm

    Now do Warnock. You won’t… because moby.

    NJRob (eb56c3)

  174. @174. No sweat. Just don’t believe it is the responsibility of the U.S. and its taxpayers to be borrowing billions and freely giving those resources
    to finance and supply a hot, regional European conflict- little more than a gang war- and the third hot war there in 110 years- amongst two of the most corrupt countries in the region– especially w/a wealthy modern defensive NATO Europe on their doorstep- complete with modern infrastructures, national healthcare systems and vibrant, modern, strong militaries of their own. Let Europe carry the whole fiscal load. Rambo Joe can try to sell war bonds or ask Congress for a declaration of war but this executive thievery is wholly unacceptable– and only serves to fuel the populist movement to storm the castle.

    DCSCA (c7faba)

  175. “When it’s dark enough you can see the stars.” – Charles A. Beard

    Too bad it’s always cloudy in Wilmington; or is it Scranton this week.

    DCSCA (c7faba)

  176. @175, What a stupid comment.

    AJ_Liberty (242c56)

  177. AJ

    Yes I agree you cowardly dodged the question because you have nothing but insults

    EPWJ (650a62)

  178. The labor participation rate fell from 63.4 to 60.2 during the COVID recession, rose sharply in the first half of 2020, and has been rising slowly, since then.

    Take a look at 55+ though. Older workers are not being hired back at the same rates. And no, retiring at 55 is not a great option for most people.

    Kevin M (eeb9e9)

  179. If Satan flew on a NASA mission, DCSCA would be for Satan.

    Kevin M (eeb9e9)

  180. Kevin, describe for me one qualification (other than age) that Walker has for being a Senator?

    Much the same qualification that black Georgians had in 1866. And much the same opposition.

    But if we are going to get into qualifications, in my book about 10 Senators are qualified to be there. First, they can’t be liars or crooks, and must have an IQ over 150. There might be zero….

    But failing such a perfect world, I will vote for they guy who votes my way and I don’t particularly care if he gets a cheat sheet to do it.

    Kevin M (eeb9e9)

  181. Take a look at 55+ though. Older workers are not being hired back at the same rates. And no, retiring at 55 is not a great option for most people.

    Kevin M (eeb9e9) — 10/8/2022 @ 11:15 pm

    nice people in management… hope they dont get transferred to Chicago or NYC

    EPWJ (650a62)

  182. Working against (Caruso) is a history of fairly low turnout in municipal elections

    This is actually moronic. It’s the November general election you double-dumbass (The LA Times writer, not you Rip). Up until a few years ago, LA had municipal elections in February or March of odd years and few showed up. Then the mayor and city council got the idea that they could extend their terms by 18 months by moving the election date, and they did so. The turnout will be over 50%.

    I expect they’ll see the error of their ways, since their usual swarm of activists, city workers and trustifarians (“the likely voters”) won’t carry the day as they usually do.

    I very much doubt that the GOP will make any inroads in CA, especially after that idiot Larry Elder made everyone thing the GOP was about Trump and abortion in a state that is dying from Democrat misrule. But there will be some surprises, especially when people start talking about crime, the madman DA, no water, heavy traffic and infill.

    Kevin M (eeb9e9)

  183. I am amazed at all the pretend Republicans who are far more concerned about the flaws of their candidates than the far greater sins that are the PLATFORM of the opponents.

    Kevin M (eeb9e9)

  184. Doesn’t matter to me, I live in one of the Beach cities.

    Sanity has to start somewhere. Even Santa Monica people are upset with what’s going on.

    Kevin M (eeb9e9)

  185. Rip Murdock (d892c0) — 10/8/2022 @ 5:58 pm

    You’re not big on copyright law, are you?

    Kevin M (eeb9e9)

  186. latest UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies poll

    You lost me right there.

    Kevin M (eeb9e9)

  187. If Satan flew on a NASA mission, DCSCA would be for Satan.

    Silly wabbit; he wouldn’t pass the physical; but he’s already served in several guises in the Cabinet of your hero, The Big Dick.

    DCSCA (f4c5e5)

  188. @Kevin@184 Republicans in California won’t win unless they start to run like they remember they are in California and talk about issues they can win on in California. Frankly they should basically ignore the national party as much as possible.

    Nic (896fdf)

  189. California is losing population and lost a house seat. These are conservatives leaving for az, nv. and texas.

    asset (ea8254)

  190. yeah, as long as you admit to being in bed with the congenitally and reflexively anti-Trump far left

    JF (1b9bbf) — 10/8/2022 @ 10:46 am

    Lol. You don’t get it. The far left isn’t anti-Trump. The far left is Glenn Greenwald, Jill Stein, Susan Sarandon, Ralph Nader, Michael Tracey (Google him)… many of them darlings of Fox News. Like you, they don’t give a crap about Trump, and their wrath is reserved for Biden, Hillary, Obama, Pelosi…. That’s right, they hate the same people you do! And shocker, they’re cozy as a comforter with Putin. Find Jimmy Dore on your local Pacifica station. You’ll love him. That’s your far left. NeverTrumps are mostly center-right, and the far left wants nothing to do with us, nor we them. If you want to know who’s in bed with the far left, look in the mirror.

    lurker (cd7cd4)

  191. I am amazed at all the pretend Republicans who are far more concerned about the flaws of their candidates than the far greater sins that are the PLATFORM of the opponents.

    Kevin M (eeb9e9) — 10/8/2022 @ 11:34 pm

    I am tired of it. They don’t mean to debate. They just want to demoralize.

    NJRob (eb56c3)

  192. https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/FLDOH/bulletins/3312697

    Finally a government taking a stand against mass injection for those that aren’t at risk from the virus, but do have a much higher risk of side effects from the shot.

    NJRob (eb56c3)

  193. https://redstate.com/alexparker/2022/10/09/professor-claims-there-are-two-sexes-all-but-one-of-her-graduate-students-walk-out-n639925

    No different than Mao’s Red Guard being created in our institutions of indoctrination. The rare professor that speaks the truth is ostracized and eventually fired. For more examples see..

    https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/nyu-fires-chemistry-professor-after-students-sign-petition-complaining-that-his-class-is-too-difficult/ar-AA12BKgs

    NJRob (eb56c3)

  194. Kevin: “But failing such a perfect world, I will vote for they guy who votes my way and I don’t particularly care if he gets a cheat sheet to do it.”

    Character, intelligence, and experience. It used to be the trifecta of politics and how we would measure candidates and decide who we would trust to lead and be our collective voice to the world. Now we replace it all by charisma and some loosely-defined terms like populism or MAGA. For the stoic philosophers of ancient Greece and Rome, nothing mattered as much as character. It was the one thing we controlled. Character cultivates courage, wisdom, discipline, modesty, honesty, and a commitment to justice. So when Kevin dismisses it all as holier-than-thou surplusage, I cringe.

    Herschel Walker’s ascendancy tells me we now value fame, status, good looks, and pedigree — not political pedigree, but who are your friends. It’s awful, because Kevin my rationalize it as a vote is a vote, but character matters most when crises and complexity emerge, when there are no great answers, and when events get decidedly bigger than politics. I want representatives that can choose country over party if required, and certainly country over personal interest.

    Our current politics is ghastly. Kevin rightly denounces the Democrat platform, but fails to acknowledge that the GOP failed to even put one forward in 2020 and is now running on principally being “not Democrat”. We really have no substantive ideas on inflation, China, and replacing Obamacare, but elect us because we’ll steal the next election if necessary and, of course, own the libs. Isn’t Kari Lake cute! Yeah!

    We used to admire people for how well they would treat others, especially their opponents and ideological competitors. This was a sign of character. It was a sign of respect and a recognition that more bound us together than divided us. Our current thinking is uninspiring. Just read DCCCP’s puerile ramblings (or save your time and don’t). We apparently can’t question the fitness of Walker for office. It’s a luxury in these supposed “existential” times when character and intelligence can be out-sourced to someone who can simply tell him how to vote. Maybe too he can google it or just ask his good buddy Don…

    AJ_Liberty (30343e)

  195. TrumpWatch: 2,161 days and counting…

    Colonel Haiku (2601c0)

  196. Our current politics is ghastly. Kevin rightly denounces the Democrat platform, but fails to acknowledge that the GOP failed to even put one forward in 2020 and is now running on principally being “not Democrat”.

    “Not Democrat” sounds like a perfectly acceptable platform these days. In fact, anything the Democrats propose is probably a good reverse barometer for having stable, high-trust, societies, as opposed to those crippled by overeducation, rapidly increasing mental illness, and pathological altruism.

    We apparently can’t question the fitness of Walker for office. It’s a luxury in these supposed “existential” times when character and intelligence can be out-sourced to someone who can simply tell him how to vote. Maybe too he can google it or just ask his good buddy Don…

    AJ_Liberty (30343e) — 10/9/2022 @ 6:13 am

    Yes, the “fitness” of candidates are largely irrelevant these days. What matters is who will help push the party’s agenda. That’s why the Democrats continued to run a stroke-addled sasquatch like Fetterman for Senate, because it’s irrelevant whether he can string together a coherent sentence or not. All that matters is if he’ll vote the way Chuck Schumer tells him to vote. Kyrsten Sinema’s become a pariah in the party not because she’s “moderate,” as she got her slot in the first place because she was an absolute bomb-thrower during her time in the state legislature. She’s a pariah because she has enough future-time orientation to not give up long-standing Senate rules for short-term gain, when she knows those same rules will benefit her party in the long run when they aren’t in charge.

    That’s why the “country over party” mantra rings so hollow, especially coming from Democrats–look how they treat those members of their own party who do exactly that. It’s only Republicans who are supposed to put country over party; the Democrats should be allowed to do whatever they want, regardless of whether it’s intellectually consistent, while castigating the GOP for supposedly not living up to principle.

    You’re not going to maintain any kind of political comity when one side is allowed to do whatever they wish, because they know the media will never hold them to account for it, while the other side is scrutinized down to the atomic level for any kind of deviation.

    Factory Working Orphan (bce27d)

  197. Funny, that Putin complains that blowing up an illegal bridge in Ukrainian territory, a bridge that he uses to transport weapons and military vehicles (therefore a legitimate military target) is a “terrorist attack“, killing three, but then shortly after launches a terrorist attack, firing a missile on a residential building in Zaporizhzhia, killing thirteen.

    Paul Montagu (753b42)

  198. What matters is who will help push the party’s agenda.

    The party’s agenda is whatever Trump blurts at any moment, hence the problem.

    I just saw Tapper interview Youngkin this AM, a guy who is actually smart and actually articulated conservative common sense prescriptions. But instead, Trump anointed brainless in GA. If the party wants a future, it’s with the Youngkins in the party, not with the unhinged carnival barkers.

    Paul Montagu (753b42)

  199. The party’s agenda is whatever Trump blurts at any moment, hence the problem.

    I thought the party’s agenda was “not Democrats.” Wish you guys would make up your minds.

    I just saw Tapper interview Youngkin this AM, a guy who is actually smart and actually articulated conservative common sense prescriptions. But instead, Trump anointed brainless in GA. If the party wants a future, it’s with the Youngkins in the party, not with the unhinged carnival barkers.

    Paul Montagu (753b42) — 10/9/2022 @ 7:39 am

    The party also nominated Kemp in the same damn state, who isn’t a “carnival barker.” If the choice is between Tank Abrams and Brian Kemp, I’m taking Kemp. If the choice is between “brainless” and Warnock, I’m taking “brainless.” If the choice is between Youngkin and a swamp creature like Terry McCauliffe, I’m taking Youngkin.

    Factory Working Orphan (bce27d)

  200. 26. Davethulhu (204c9e) — 10/7/2022 @ 2:38 pm

    In the 23 years since Columbine, school police have never stopped a school shooting. Fun li’l bit of trivia for ya.

    How do you know they didn’t stop one? If they did you probably would not have heard about ii. And sometimes the policeman wouldn;t even know because he deterred it.

    Maybe it means stop one afte=er it started, but if it started it e=means the gunman got oast the school policeman maybe by shooting him.

    t andidn;t stop one.

    Sammy Finkelman (c7b90c)

  201. lurker (cd7cd4) — 10/9/2022 @ 3:16 am

    2008 called and they want their lefties back

    how about janeane garofalo?

    being pro Maduro, pro Castro, pro Palestinian doesn’t necessarily make you pro Putin, it just makes these nobodies reflexively anti American

    just as sitting on your hands when actual policy issues get discussed, popping in when triggered by conservative commenters, and voting for demented joe, doesn’t make you center right

    JF (a673ef)

  202. Wish you guys would make up your minds.

    I wish that my party would nominate credible candidates.
    This may be a surprise to you, but AJ and lurker and Miller and Rip and nk and I don’t go to Patterico Commenter Club meetings to harmonize our messaging.

    Kemp was the Republican nominee despite Trump, and he’s going to beat the granny panties right off Abrams.
    Trump didn’t endorse Kemp because he was “disloyal”, because the sitting governor wouldn’t accept Trump’s election fraud hoax and, like with Cheney, he was near fully aligned with Trump on policy and in dealing with the pandemic.
    Instead, Trump anointed a Senate loser, Perdue, a guy who Abrams had a better chance of beating. Like I said, it’s Trump over party and Trump over country.

    Paul Montagu (753b42)

  203. I wish that my party would nominate credible candidates.
    This may be a surprise to you, but AJ and lurker and Miller and Rip and nk and I don’t go to Patterico Commenter Club meetings to harmonize our messaging.

    The party nominates plenty of credible candidates. You guys are just mad your faction isn’t the one calling the shots anymore. And that was entirely self-inflicted on your part, because you’re so arrogant that you don’t think you need to listen to the people who actually vote.

    Kemp was the Republican nominee despite Trump, and he’s going to beat the granny panties right off Abrams.
    Trump didn’t endorse Kemp because he was “disloyal”, because the sitting governor wouldn’t accept Trump’s election fraud hoax and, like with Cheney, he was near fully aligned with Trump on policy and in dealing with the pandemic.
    Instead, Trump anointed a Senate loser, Perdue, a guy who Abrams had a better chance of beating. Like I said, it’s Trump over party and Trump over country.

    Paul Montagu (753b42) — 10/9/2022 @ 8:05 am

    All of which refutes your contention that the party agenda is whatever Trump says it is. Same with Youngkin’s nomination.

    Factory Working Orphan (bce27d)

  204. Missing the point, FWO. If Trump got his way, there would be a Governor Abrams in GA. Trump over party.

    Paul Montagu (753b42)

  205. Here’s how Putin sells America to Russians. It has a distinct Soviet smell.

    Paul Montagu (753b42)

  206. Last Friday’s Politico cartoons included two that I like, a Ramirez cartoon on Florida’s recovery, and a Wuerker cartoon mocking Putin.

    Jim Miller (85fd03)

  207. Missing the point, FWO. If Trump got his way, there would be a Governor Abrams in GA. Trump over party.

    Paul Montagu (753b42) — 10/9/2022 @ 8:20 am

    ::The party’s agenda is whatever Trump blurts at any moment::
    ::If Trump got his way::

    Like I said, I wish you guys would make up your minds.

    Factory Working Orphan (bce27d)

  208. FWO, you’re denying that Trump not only leads but controls the GOP. You can tell by the political careers he ruined and the ones he bolstered, and it’s all about himself.

    Paul Montagu (753b42)

  209. Missing the point, FWO. If Trump got his way, there would be a Governor Abrams in GA. Trump over party.
    Paul Montagu (753b42) — 10/9/2022 @ 8:20 am

    if nevertrump got their way, there would be a president Biden

    JF (a673ef)

  210. I don’t think so that warm water on our legs is rain, compadres. I don’t think so either that it is our fault that Mr. Señor Trump revolts and disgusts us.

    Mr. Señor Trump is undeniably capable of being a spoiler. A heckler. A trickle of cow urine in the leche. So to the dumb, he is … how you say … admirable. To the hacks and opportunists, he is someone to suck up to. But he is no winner.

    nk (9d8e51)

  211. Doesn’t matter to me, I live in one of the Beach cities.

    Sanity has to start somewhere. Even Santa Monica people are upset with what’s going on.

    Kevin M (eeb9e9) — 10/8/2022 @ 11:37 pm

    I live in one of the cities with Beach in its name, not the People’s Republic of Santa Monica.

    Rip Murdock (d892c0)

  212. FWO: “That’s why the “country over party” mantra rings so hollow, especially coming from Democrats”

    I’m not going to argue that the Democrat party is somehow much more healthy than the Republican party. They are equally susceptible to the tribalism virus that infects the country. They will lie about Kavanaugh, rationalize BLM violence, lie about veteran spending bills, and wash assiduously in identity politics. They have some work to do. But despite NJRob’s assertion (slander?), I’m not a Democrat-moby. I’m a life-long Republican who, at times, has worked in the trenches getting more Republicans registered and recruiting electable candidates. This is a conservative web site that mainly attracts right-leaning individuals (dave and asset are exceptions and I don’t know what DCCCP is but he’s not Right….ever). I would like to see the GOP return to sanity. Yelling about liberals here just doesn’t seem very productive, though obviously righting the country’s political ship will take both sides.

    I don’t believe raising the bar on character, intelligence, and experience for GOP candidates in any way gives in to the Left. I also think that carving out policy that is less extreme grows the tent and allows us to compete for moderates looking for a home…and ultimately building a governing majority. I think trying to do it to them before they do it to us exacerbates our problems. It’s not clear that we can revive the center Left or the center Right because of how social media now has us wired, but declaring defeat and living in a world of existential hate for half of the country is unsustainable…and alarmingly not Christian. It also operates against the spirit of compromise that the founder’s built into our democracy. I don’t want to dump that structure given that everything else out there seems inferior, especially authoritarianism.

    I get that you disagree and want more direct confrontation and smash-mouth politics. I’m probably not persuasive enough to have you look inward and critically critique that. Unlike some, I don’t come here to be surly, pick fights, or troll. I state what I think is important and why. Inexperienced candidates who push dubious election-denial theories are corrosive to the GOP and democracy. We can do better, but step 1 is to want to do better…

    AJ_Liberty (30343e)

  213. That bridge demo was done by a special op putting explosives under the bridge, then blowing it up as a supply train crossed. It’s the kind of thing that Seal Teams do. Just saying…

    Kevin M (eeb9e9)

  214. Things that are important:

    1. Encourage the vigorous promotion of peace in the current war
    2. Take back Senate and House from Dims in November
    3. Taste the Biscuit!

    Colonel Haiku (2601c0)

  215. AJ, why would you vote for a candidate who professes many thing you think are immoral because you think his opponent is “unqualified”? Isn’t a sack of hammers better than a sack of smart snakes?

    Kevin M (eeb9e9)

  216. I don’t believe raising the bar on character, intelligence, and experience for GOP candidates in any way gives in to the Left.

    There is a time and place for everything, and the time and place for this is the primary. If you lose there, suck it up.

    Kevin M (eeb9e9)

  217. Encourage the vigorous promotion of peace in the current war

    On whose terms? Russia has always said they are open to peace negotiations, on their terms. And how can Ukraine negotiate with a country that has annexed a large chunk of the country (not to mention the atrocities committed by Russian troops discovered after they have retreated)?

    The only peace solution is removal of Putin (by any means necessary); Russian withdrawal from all occupied territories (including Crimea); and payment of reparations.

    Rip Murdock (d892c0)

  218. For starters, stop talking up nuclear war… Armageddon. Our media seems to think it will happen on a different planet, that it’s winnable.

    A good start.

    Colonel Haiku (2601c0)

  219. For starters, stop talking up nuclear war… Armageddon.

    You should direct this to Comrade Putin. He and his government and media (all one and the same) have been threatening to use nuclear weapons since his war started.

    Rip Murdock (d892c0)

  220. Great response, rip!

    WTF…

    Colonel Haiku (2601c0)

  221. Nothing like a little war as a selling point…..

    ……..
    (BAE Systems) said several countries had expressed an interest in buying M777 (howitzers), production of which is currently being wound down. The inquiries come after Ukrainian forces have been using the artillery piece to deadly effect against Russian troops in recent months.
    ………
    The M777’s potential resurrection exemplifies how the war in Ukraine could reshape the global armaments industry. High-profile weaponry including the U.S. M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System, or Himars, and the Anglo-Swedish NLAW portable antitank missile, which have proven very effective against Russian forces, are likely to win new orders, analysts say. Meanwhile, the poor performance of many Russian arms is expected to dent their sales on global markets.
    …….
    The performance of the M777 in particular has been enhanced by the increasing use of precision GPS-guided shells, rather than traditional unguided shells. The M777 is also one of the most plentiful pieces in Ukraine’s Western-supplied artillery……
    ……….
    BAE said that if inquiries from prospective M777 buyers, which include countries in Central Europe, turned into actual orders, it could lead to up to 500 new howitzers.
    ……..
    The U.S. Army isn’t expected to add to its stockpile of M777s. The Army and Marines have purchased more than 1,000 of the guns, which entered service in 2005.
    ………
    BAE estimates that it would take some 30 to 36 months to restart full production of the M777, not least because the company needs a new supplier of titanium material and suppliers to produce the weapon’s lightweight components.
    #########

    Rip Murdock (d892c0)

  222. @210. …Trump not only leads but controls the GOP.

    75 million Americans voted for Trump in the last cycle. An increase over the previous cycle. THEY control and lead the party. The ideological fleas, brushed aside and out of the tail, no longer wag the dog.

    DCSCA (f02a69)

  223. “why would you vote for a candidate…”

    My first priority is competence. Then I’m looking at policy positions. This generally eliminates Democrats. The days of Sam Nunn like options are over. If the Republican is incompetent and the Democrat advocates things I don’t share, then that means that office is left blank on my ballot. The GOP loses a dependable vote. One might argue that they pick up 3 more crazy votes and bring out 4 more votes for the other side. That’s fine, we’ll see how well this strategy works. Losing is the best antiseptic.

    “There is a time and place for everything, and the time and place for this is the primary.”

    Again, I’m not the death cult kind of guy. Nothing changes if we reward parties and the base for selecting terrible candidates. Hey I was no big fan of Bob Dole but he was competent and better than Clinton. Some of these candidates have one qualification: they’re willing to say absolutely crazy stuff. 15 QAnon-linked candidates have won primaries. You can’t win the party back by rewarding idiocy….

    AJ_Liberty (30343e)

  224. Great response, rip!

    WTF…

    Colonel Haiku (2601c0) — 10/9/2022 @ 11:01 am

    See here for the most recent threats.

    An example of Russian media threats.

    Rip Murdock (d892c0)

  225. @221. [Putin] and his government and media (all one and the same) have been threatening to use nuclear weapons since his war started.

    If you’re going to try to call the play-by-play, best you know not only the players on the field, but the game you are calling– or stay in the stands peddling popcorn. U.S. nuke policy exists to deter; with Russia, nuke use is part of Russian defense strategy. Essentially, their ‘NATO’ so to speak. They’re different:

    Today, nuclear weapons have retained not only their pride of place but an actual role in Russian military planning. Unlike the Americans, who see little use for nuclear weapons in the absence of the Soviet threat, the Russians—wisely or not—continue to think about nuclear arms as though they are useful in military conflicts, even the smallest. -source, https://nationalinterest.org/blog/reboot/inside-russia%E2%80%99s-nuclear-weapons-strategy-revealed-172112

    Ignorance is bliss. Stay happy.

    DCSCA (f02a69)

  226. Public Policy Institute of Institute of California September 2022 Poll

    Californians name the economy and inflation as the top issue facing the state. …….

    Among California likely voters, 58 percent would vote for Gavin Newsom and 31 percent would vote for Brian Dahle if the election were held today. ……..

    When likely voters are read the ballot title and labels, 69 percent would vote yes on Proposition 1 (constitutional abortion rights), 55 percent would vote yes on Proposition 30 (reducing greenhouse gases), and 34 percent would vote yes on Proposition 27 (online sports gambling). …….
    ………
    Californians are slightly more likely to be optimistic than pessimistic about the direction of the state. (likely voters-49% wrong/48% right; all adults 44% wrong/50% right)
    ………

    Poll top lines, cross tabs, and questions at link.

    Rip Murdock (d892c0)

  227. It’s funny how so many in the Putin wing of my party refuse to condemn Putin for his nuclear threats. Or his illegal unprovoked invasion. Or his war crimes. Or his cyber-propaganda attack on America.

    Equally pathetic was Trump yesterday. He had a prime opportunity to condemn Putin for his threats and his criminal war, and to call out the sputnik to lay down arms and end the war. Instead, Trump blamed America first for “almost forcing” Putin to invade.
    Unpatriotic, un-American, Trump over country.

    Paul Montagu (753b42)

  228. @226. You and Armageddon Joe keep playing in Putin’s ball park w/immature nuke chatter. Joe uses the scare tactic on weary, inflation riddled Americans unfamiliar w/standard Russian defense policy to distract from his disastrous domestic failings– and you’re helping both Squinty and Vlad as well with it. It’s as viable a weapon as a column of tanks for Vlad. Attaboy, Rip.

    “Such paranoia, where are your from? New York?” – Ben Woodward [Kevin Anderson] ‘Sleeping With The Enemy’ 1991

    DCSCA (f02a69)

  229. “It’s funny how so many in the Putin wing of my party refuse to condemn Putin for his nuclear threats. Or his illegal unprovoked invasion. Or his war crimes. Or his cyber-propaganda attack on America.”

    You can’t state the obvious enough. All of that about Putin’s actions is true and that – and $2.75 – will get you a good cup of coffee.

    Stop talking like nuclear war’s survivable. Stop ratcheting it up, stop the bullsh*t and bluster.

    Colonel Haiku (2601c0)

  230. Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, October 8


    ………
    The Kremlin is likely continuing to frame the Russian Ministry of Defense (MoD) as the scapegoat for the Kerch Bridge explosion and other Russian military failures to deflect the blame from Putin. ……. Russian opposition outlet Meduza reported that the Russian Presidential Administration sent out a guide to Russian mass media on the appropriate way to downplay the severity of the damage to the bridge, and it is possible that the Kremlin has ordered the Russian MoD to remain quiet regarding the situation. Russian propagandist Vladimir Solovyov stated that Russia must initiate a strike campaign on critical Ukrainian infrastructure instead of listening to Russian MoD promises.

    Some nationalist voices noted that Putin and his close circle are failing to immediately address the attack on the symbolic bridge, voicing direct criticism of Putin for the first time. A milblogger warned that if Putin fails to undertake retaliatory actions it “will be mistaken for the weakness of the president himself.” Another milblogger noted that it is hypocritical for the Kremlin to call on Russians to rally behind Putin if he is unable to comment on significant events such as the Moskva sinking, prisoner exchanges including Azovstal fighters, or the collapse of the Kharkiv frontline. Others criticized the silence of Russian Deputy Chairman of the Security Council Dmitry Medvedev regarding the explosion, given that Medvedev had made several statements defining any attacks on the Kerch Bridge as a violation of Russian ”red lines.” Russian milbloggers and propagandists alike called on the Kremlin to resume strikes on Ukrainian infrastructure and notably did not make any calls for Russia to use tactical nuclear weapons against Ukraine.
    ……..
    Russian and occupation administration officials continued measures to remove Ukrainian children from their homes in Russian-occupied territories.
    ……….
    Russian and occupation administration officials continued measures to remove Ukrainian children from their homes in Russian-occupied territories on October 8. The Head of the Kherson Occupation Administration Vladimir Saldo reported that Russian-occupied Crimea agreed to take over 5,000 children from Kherson Oblast “on vacation” and that 1,500 of those children have already arrived in Crimea. Vladimir Saldo also announced that the governors of Krasnodar Krai and Stavropol Krai stated that their administrations are ready to accept up to 10,000 children from Kherson Oblast. Saldo did not specify a duration for such offers or “vacations.” Vladimir Saldo stated that the children’s parents would be able to join their children in the territories to which they are sent.
    ………
    Bold headings in original. Footnotes omitted.

    Rip Murdock (d892c0)

  231. @231. … and Putin smiled.

    DCSCA (f02a69)

  232. “It’s funny how so many in the Putin wing of my party refuse to condemn Putin for his nuclear threats. Or his illegal unprovoked invasion. Or his war crimes. Or his cyber-propaganda attack on America.”

    You can’t state the obvious enough. All of that about Putin’s actions is true and that – and $2.75 – will get you a good cup of coffee.

    Stop talking like nuclear war’s survivable. Stop ratcheting it up, stop the bullsh*t and bluster. Start leading the world in the right direction.

    Colonel Haiku (2601c0)

  233. @234. … and Putin is still smiling.

    DCSCA (f02a69)

  234. Stop talking like nuclear war’s survivable. Stop ratcheting it up, stop the bullsh*t and bluster.

    When did I say “nuclear war’s survivable”. Never mind, you won’t find me saying it because I never said it.

    And you cultists keep getting it arse backward. The person who’s “ratcheting it up” with “bullsh*t and bluster” is your pal, Putin.

    Paul Montagu (753b42)

  235. It’s funny how those in the Democrat wing of the GOP find fault so easily with GOP candidates.

    Kevin M (eeb9e9)

  236. @236. Ignorance is bliss. Stay hsappy.

    DCSCA (f02a69)

  237. @190: OF course. But they seem hellbent on being a third party. Someone ought to start an actual center-right party and ignore the religious fringe.

    Kevin M (eeb9e9)

  238. One: but do have a much higher risk of side effects from the shot

    Two: I am tired of it. They don’t mean to debate.

    Asked and answered.

    Kevin M (eeb9e9)

  239. Factory Working Orphan (bce27d) — 10/9/2022 @ 7:12 am

    In fact, anything the Democrats propose is probably a good reverse barometer

    Not everything, but ther has been quite an accretion of assorted crazy positions, not necessarily all related to ech other,’

    In the Republican Party too, the latest being stolen election claims.

    It’s like single cell breeding. There’s nothing to get rid o f these mutations.

    for having stable, high-trust, societies, as opposed to those crippled by overeducation, rapidly increasing mental illness, and pathological altruism.

    It’s true that high trust is related to similar background, but it’s more related to crime because people from vastly different backgr=ounds can be worthy of trust and things can deteriorate in a society where all you have is parents and their children.

    Overeducation is a real problem. This is becas=use there is no independent ce=heck on wa=hat is being taught. Errors and lies accumulate — and there is a premium on saying something new and a one-way ratchet on errors.

    I wouldn;t want to say there is such a thing s pathologival altruism. There;s more thinking that there is harm when there is not. There;s allot of imppracticality but thatmay be mostlt because some people are collecting “rent” from laws – enormous waste.

    Sammy Finkelman (c7b90c)

  240. And you cultists keep getting it arse backward. The person who’s “ratcheting it up” with “bullsh*t and bluster” is your pal, Putin.
    Paul Montagu (753b42) — 10/9/2022 @ 12:03 pm

    another commenter who knows he’ll never get moderated

    JF (5b0bec)

  241. @196: There is a GOP platform. Several of them, actually. They’re quite apparent, even if they aren’t written down. There’s also several Democrat platforms, some of the written down (e.g. the New Green Deal and Biden’s weekly update). There are some clear points of departure.

    I have no trouble choosing. I also have no trouble voting LP when I cannot in good conscience vote for the POLICIES that a candidate represents. But that would not include Mr Walker — he’s not bright enough to have policies other than what McConnell tells him they are.

    Perhaps you misunderstand the point of political parties. Hint: It’s not a smorgasbord.

    Kevin M (eeb9e9)

  242. I think Biden (and/or company) wants people to think he’s freeing people ujustly imprisonned. He’s not mostly because he’s not freeing many people from prison.

    Sammy Finkelman (c7b90c)

  243. Make that undeservebly imprisoned

    Sammy Finkelman (c7b90c)

  244. The person who’s “ratcheting it up” with “bullsh*t and bluster” is your pal, Putin.

    Actually, it’s you- because the out-of-favor-ideologues keep taking the bait- and using it in a vain attempt to regain traction in a party that has rejected them.

    As the rejected ideologues know very, very well: U.S. nuke policy exists to deter; with Russia, nuke use policy is part of standard Russian defense strategy. They’re different. And the rejected, bottom-of-the-deck-crowd is playing that card on weary, inflation-riddled Americans unfamiliar w/t differing policies approaches and actually helping Vlad by doing so- and Joe at the same time– for their own discredited, cynical gains.

    DCSCA (f02a69)

  245. Kevin M (eeb9e9) — 10/9/2022 @ 12:14

    . But that would not include Mr Walker — he’s not bright enough to have policies other than what McConnell tells him they are.

    Trump thinks he would listen to him, not McConnell, but you may be right (if he stays Leader)

    Sammy Finkelman (c7b90c)

  246. Stop talking like nuclear war’s survivable.

    It depends on the type of nuclear weapons used. If Putin used a small nuclear weapon in Ukraine (less than 1 kiloton), the blast and radiation impact would be to a much smaller area in Ukraine (a radius less than 5 miles) than a strategic weapon (which would be pointless). Or Putin could use a weapon as an EMP device to disrupt electronic systems in Europe. Or launch a demonstration shot over the Atlantic as a warning.

    Russian nuclear strategy includes the use of small nuclear weapons to “escalate to de-escalate” situations with nuclear weapons:

    …….the (Russian) doctrine released in 2000—and all subsequent versions—allows for nuclear weapons use “in response to large-scale aggression utilizing conventional weapons in situations critical to the national security of the Russian Federation.”

    Something like the Kerch Bridge.

    I agree Biden’s speech was histrionic, but a number of commentators believe there is a nonzero chance that Putin (or one o his generals or successors would use such a weapon to destroy Ukraine if Russia could not defeat them.

    Rip Murdock (d892c0)

  247. 236… I’m not writing about YOU, Paul, I’m writing about US… our leaders and our media. WE shouldn’t expect rational thoughts or behavior from a madman.

    Colonel Haiku (2601c0)

  248. two races to watch:

    Believe it or not, a Republican has a decent shot to become Oregon’s next governor.

    And, remember the hero who foiled a terrorist attack on a train in France, depicted in the Clint Eastwood film 15:17 to Paris? He’s running for Congress in a democrat gerrymandered district, but has a chance.

    JF (5b0bec)

  249. @248. It depends on the type of nuclear weapons used.

    Ignorance is bliss. Stay happy.

    “Once those bombs start to drop, you won’t be able to limit a thing.” – General Black [Dan O’Herlihy] ‘Fail-Safe’ 1964

    DCSCA (f02a69)

  250. My first priority is competence. Then I’m looking at policy positions.

    That’s nice. So if you thought Stalin was more competent than Reagan, you’d vote for Stalin?

    Nothing changes if we reward parties and the base for selecting terrible candidates.

    Things DO change if we vote for people whose policies we abhor because they are (good God) more competent than those who will vote reliably our way. They just change for the worse.

    Kevin M (eeb9e9)

  251. Trump thinks he would listen to him, not McConnell, but you may be right (if he stays Leader)

    Trump thinks a lot of things. But even if he votes for what Trump wants, it will be better than voting for what Schumer wants.

    Kevin M (eeb9e9)

  252. QAnon-linked candidates

    What does that even mean? They once visited a city that has a QAnon member? I note you DON’T say “QAnon candidates” so I just wonder what this “linkage” is. Often we find that the candidate endorsed someone that a QAnon member endorsed, or they spoke to the same group on different days, or some such.

    Kevin M (eeb9e9)

  253. Europe’s new ‘Iron Lady’ Kaja Kallas says the West mustn’t negotiate with Putin

    Kaja Kallas’s mother was just six months old when Soviet Union guards loaded her onto a cattle car and deported her to a prison camp in Siberia. She would not return home to Estonia until she was ten years old.

    Today, her daughter is the prime minister of Estonia…….
    ………
    “Ukraine must win this war,” Ms Kallas told The Telegraph in Prague, Czech Republic during a European summit where she renewed her demands for more sanctions on Moscow and more weapons for Kyiv

    No other country in the world has sent more military equipment to Ukraine as a proportion of GDP per capita than Estonia…….
    ………
    “Russia is terrorising us so that we will back away from our decisions,” she said, referring to Putin’s threats of nuclear war.

    “When it comes to Putin then, of course he is a war criminal and must be prosecuted for the crimes of aggression he has committed,” she said in the immaculate gardens of Prague Castle during a break in the talks.

    “And you shouldn’t be negotiating with terrorists because it pays off for them. We will pay a higher price in the long term.”
    ………
    She admits she is still “worried” that Ukraine could be pushed into “some premature peace that they are not really ready to go into” by Western allies.

    The West had a “very different understanding” of what peace can mean to the former Iron Curtain countries, she said.

    “For half of Europe, the end of the Second World War meant peace, meant prosperity,” she said, “On the other side of Europe, peace meant atrocities, torture and mass deportations.”
    ………
    “The dictator only understands strength,” she said, “These are the lessons we have learned from our history and what we are seeing unfolding right now.”
    ………
    “I think (British PM Liz Truss and I) have similar views; that the only way to end this is that Ukraine wins and Russia is pushed back to its borders,” she said.
    ……..
    Must Putin fall for there to be peace in Europe?

    “It is up to people in Russia to really put the pressure on and say whether he falls or not,” she said.
    ……,,,

    Any peace is a European and Ukrainian issue, as they need to live with Russia on their borders.

    Related:

    ……….
    Behind this reflexive assistance lies moral obligation wedded to utilitarianism wedded to a unique form of survivor’s guilt: Ukraine’s profound misfortune, and dramatic battlefield success, has unintentionally bolstered Estonia’s security. Putin’s war is flailing so badly that few observers think he could invade another neighbor anytime soon, let alone a NATO member. He recently yanked as many as 24,000 of the 30,000 soldiers formerly stationed along Russia’s western flank to replenish crippling personnel losses in Ukraine, losses that Kyiv estimates to be in excess of 60,000. …….
    ………
    On Ukraine, Välisluureamet (the Estonian foreign intelligence service) has been more bullish from the outset on Kyiv’s chances to withstand a Russian war of conquest than were many other intelligence services in NATO, which anticipated the collapse of Ukraine’s conventional army, the loss of its air force and a recourse to partisan warfare. That assessment fed directly into policymaking — namely, the reluctance of the Biden administration to equip Ukraine with the heavy offensive Western firepower it now sends in waves of billion-dollar security assistance packages. But even now the White House has its limits; it has refused to directly dispatch long-range artillery missiles out of fear that they might be used to hit targets inside Russian territory and escalate the war.

    (Mikk Marran, the retiring head of the Välisluureamet) believes this U.S. barrier is misguided. “I think the West should kind of get over this self-limitation that we should limit the weapons systems or ammunition to 80 kilometers or 40 kilometers. Keep in mind, all the NATO arms sent there are now being tested in wartime. So we have a self-interest in giving Ukraine what they ask for. But I’m convinced we’ll get there, eventually. We are light years from where we were on Feb. 24.”
    ………

    Rip Murdock (d892c0)

  254. Stop talking like nuclear war’s survivable.

    The only people talking about this are Putin and Biden, and Biden only to people who he wants to give him a money dump. “The End of the World” is a good message if you want people to write checks.

    Kevin M (eeb9e9)

  255. He’s running for Congress in a democrat gerrymandered district, but has a chance.

    A district gerrymandered for the party doing the gerrymandering is generally no worse than 60-40. It’s the other party they put in 95-5 districts, to burn a lot of their votes with overkill victories. So, a gerrymandered Dem district is often a good shot for the GOP. Happened in 1994 and 2010 — the last two times a new Democrat president had overreached in his first term.

    Kevin M (eeb9e9)

  256. Often we find that the candidate endorsed someone that a QAnon member endorsed, or they spoke to the same group on different days, or some such.
    Kevin M (eeb9e9) — 10/9/2022 @ 1:02 pm

    here’s an example of this sort of nonsense

    JF (199f4d)

  257. “It’s funny how those in the Democrat wing of the GOP find fault so easily with GOP candidates.”

    I guess that’s me? Yes, I like my candidates to not put a gun to their wife’s head and speak incoherently about most topics, like China effecting our air quality….I guess those are just quibbles…

    “I note you DON’T say “QAnon candidates” so I just wonder what this “linkage” is.”

    Boebert, Green, Mayra Flores, Sam Peters, Doug Mastriano, Dan Cox, Jim Marchant,…and the list goes on. Some may have used it initially to get visibility then backed away but they all have connections via retweets and whack-a-doodle comments. Maryland GOP could have followed Hogan’s lead, but no, go with the goof.

    “That’s nice. So if you thought Stalin was more competent than Reagan, you’d vote for Stalin?”

    That’s what you took from what I wrote?! Kind of pathetic Kevin. Maybe take a break.

    AJ_Liberty (5f05c3)

  258. Putin’s war economy headed for the rocks…….

    ………
    As what has now become abundantly clear is that Putin will not have sufficient budget to maintain, equip, and supply the newly mobilized troops.

    (The report) for the first time, allows us to see the scale of the increase in military spending in connection with Putin’s aggression against Ukraine. Its main conclusion is hard-hitting: Putin will not have enough money for further financing of the war and mobilization. All of his efforts are doomed, primarily financially.

    …….(M)ilitary spending in 2022-2024 (the government does not have plans for a later period, and we want to believe that a different government will be deciding this question in the future) is supposed to increase from the previously approved about 3 trillion rubles per year to about 5 trillion rubles per year…….
    ………
    To put it simply, according to the peacetime military budget approved earlier, of the 3.5 trillion rubles approximately 1.2-1.5 trillion rubles was spent on maintaining the army itself (salaries and supplies) ……… It’s way too little for the second largest army in the world ………
    ………
    However, in addition to the active troops Putin wants to mobilize a second army, comparable in size, officially equating the newly mobilized with contract servicemen. It is obvious that even the increased 5 trillion-ruble annual military budget will not be enough for these purposes. It seems that Putin and the Ministry of Finance are preparing for “cheating” military servicemen out of their salaries en masse (show these figures to your relatives and friends and warn them about it).

    ……..We can see this miserable “supply (situation)” on the battlefield in all its glory. In order to ensure a normal supply of the army, Putin would have to allocate funds for this purpose of a completely different order of magnitude: several trillion rubles per year. No one is going to do that. Apparently, the government counts on the military obtaining food and uniforms “by themselves.”
    ……..
    …….(M)ost likely no additional money will go to the army itself.

    It turns out that nobody is going to finance or supply this enormous newly recruited 300,000-strong (or whatever) force. Leaving aside other aspects, we shall make only a single point – the army which is not paid and which is not provided with any supplies will not be able to fight. The fact is that the newly mobilized troops are being literally marched to certain death, because insufficient money has been allocated for their gear and supplies. ……

    Sad!

    Rip Murdock (d892c0)

  259. Am not confident that Russia’s nuclear arsenal is in tip top condition. Some will simply fail, they will probably launch a few that will turn left or right and then hit the town next door. Am not confident in anything Russian operated by Russians because the level of competency ranges from “absolute precision” to “drunken slapstick”.
    Nuclear weapons are perfect for Russia. They really just have to hit anywhere in NATO Europe and/or anywhere in North America to get their point across. Their best option would be a small nuke to some mid sized Ukrainian city east of the Dnieper, but with the way things are going, the Russians would probably hit the “Rotunda of Peoples Friendship” in Poltova with a dud

    steveg (d3e903)

  260. Last week, the Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded for proving that the rules by which the universe is run are not self-executing. Some things can be deduced from other things (if one thing is measured you know the other) but iit is not determined in advance and information would have to travel faster than light. In other words, it proves not only that God created everything but is involved in running it.

    Sammy Finkelman (c7b90c)

  261. The whole Herschel Walker thing is just another thing that convinces me that anti-abortion people don’t really think abortion is murder. Would you really be voting for someone who had, say, strangled or shot his own babies? No, no you wouldn’t, even if you really really agreed with his political positions.

    Nic (896fdf)

  262. 263… using your characterization of others to make you feel better about your beliefs?

    Colonel Haiku (2601c0)

  263. 260… so is ours, rip.

    Colonel Haiku (2601c0)

  264. Unfortunately

    Colonel Haiku (2601c0)

  265. 262… that’s good stuff, Sammy!

    Colonel Haiku (2601c0)

  266. There is a time and place for everything, and the time and place for this is the primary. If you lose there, suck it up.

    Is like time dominatrix in Moscow hotel room urinate on floor and hand lover straw, eh, comrade?

    You can also tell both of them to go suck a rubber chicken. Maybe one of them will get his snout in the public trough, but it won’t be with your help.

    nk (da5296)

  267. @Haiku@264 So you think that people should not vote for Herschel Walker then?

    Nic (896fdf)

  268. That’s for the people of Georgia to decide, Nic.

    Colonel Haiku (2601c0)

  269. 260… so is ours, rip.

    Colonel Haiku (2601c0) — 10/9/2022 @ 2:51 pm

    Agreed.

    Rip Murdock (d892c0)

  270. Would you really be voting for someone who had, say, strangled or shot his own babies? No, no you wouldn’t, even if you really really agreed with his political positions.
    Nic (896fdf) — 10/9/2022 @ 2:30 pm

    umm… if he were running against someone advocating for a parent’s right to strangle or shoot their own babies, yeah absolutely

    how about you?

    JF (4eceb5)

  271. Having doubts about the morality – let alone ethics – of destroying a young life can bring out some very aberrant thinking, JF. Internal struggles.

    Colonel Haiku (2601c0)

  272. That’s what you took from what I wrote?! Kind of pathetic Kevin. Maybe take a break.

    You’re the one who puts competence before policy. But yeah, maybe that’s harsh. For all that I abhor Joe Biden, I could not vote for Trump, so I guess there are limits for everyone. But it wasn’t competence OR policy that I based my decision on, it was the UNIQUE powers of that office and that I expected Biden to behave rationally in that regard.

    Senators? Meh. Who cares about one senator being a boob? He’ll be lost in the mix on that score. But I care about the balance there. Fifty-one R’s are far better than fifty, no matter who they are. On their own, they have a lot of power over judges in their state but they can’t get us in a war that we shouldn’t be in. Again, Walker isn’t the best choice but the choice has been made and his ascendancy isn’t existential like the presidency is.

    Kevin M (eeb9e9)

  273. Would you really be voting for someone who had, say, strangled or shot his own babies?

    Well, did the babies agree that the 2020 election was rigged and stolen?

    nk (da5296)

  274. National Constitution Center Project Offers Constitutional Amendment Proposals with Broad Cross-Ideological Support

    In 2020, the National Constitution Center sponsored a constitution-drafting project in which it named three groups to produce their own revised versions of the Constitution: a conservative team, a libertarian team, and a progressive one—each composed of prominent academics and other experts on constitutional law issues. ……This year, NCC reconvened the three teams and asked them to come up with a list of constitutional amendments they could jointly agree on.

    This, they have now done, and the resulting consensus amendments are available here…….

    Their list of proposed amendments is as follows:

    1. Term limits for Supreme Court justices
    …….

    2. Making impeachment easier

    This proposal would allow impeachment of the president and other high officials for “serious abuse of the public trust” as well as for “criminal acts” and would reduce the number of votes needed for a conviction in the Senate to a three-fifths majority (from the currently required two-thirds majority). ……

    3. Legislative veto

    This amendment would reverse INS v. Chadha (1983) and give Congress the power to negate most executive branch actions by a majority vote of both houses……

    4. Eliminating the requirement that the president be a natural-born citizen
    ………

    5. Making the Constitution easier to amend in the future
    ………

    ………

    Rip Murdock (e70331)

  275. @Haiku@270 You are allowed to have an opinion, though.

    @JF@272 I’m pro-choice, I don’t think abortion is murder.

    Nic (896fdf)

  276. “In other words, it proves not only that God created everything but is involved in running it.”

    Gosh… food for thought, pro-abortion people?

    Colonel Haiku (2601c0)

  277. JF (a673ef) — 10/9/2022 @ 8:04 am

    I don’t know what 2008 has to do with Pro-Putin leftists like Greenwald, Taibbi, Tracey and Dore who are favorites of Fox News today. Those are your peeps. Why not own it?

    As for your apparent belief that my voting against Trump and calling out the tribalism of his defenders means I’m a leftist, thanks for making my point. I’ve said it here before: I identify as neither left nor right. I’m a registered independent and I consider myself a non-ideological pragmatist. FWIW, the people who know me best and longest, people from across the ideological spectrum, tell me I’m right of center. The quick and dirty online political typology tests I’ve taken, e.g., this one, say the same thing. I consider that neither compliment nor insult. I’d feel no different if they said I’m center-left. But they don’t. And I take their word for it. But hey, I’m sure your assessment is better informed, more objective, and with fewer axes to grind than those of my friends, my family and Pew Research.

    lurker (cd7cd4)

  278. It usually helps if you link (or at least cite) what you are quoting.

    Nic (896fdf)

  279. The whole Herschel Walker thing is just another thing that convinces me that anti-abortion people don’t really think abortion is murder. Would you really be voting for someone who had, say, strangled or shot his own babies? No, no you wouldn’t, even if you really really agreed with his political positions.

    Nic (896fdf) — 10/9/2022 @ 2:30 pm

    I’m perfectly fine with abortion through the first trimester, and am open to it through the rest of it depending on the circumstances other than mere convenience. I realize there’s this need by the abortion maximalists in the media and the Democratic party to frame opposition to it as total opposition, but that’s because their own position is so extreme itself, and like typical Marcusians they need to portray it as an all or nothing issue.

    Factory Working Orphan (bce27d)

  280. 277…

    “Last week, the Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded for proving that the rules by which the universe is run are not self-executing. Some things can be deduced from other things (if one thing is measured you know the other) but iit is not determined in advance and information would have to travel faster than light. In other words, it proves not only that God created everything but is involved in running it.

    Sammy Finkelman (c7b90c) — 10/9/2022 @ 2:23 pm

    Colonel Haiku (2601c0)

  281. Make that the snippy little 280…

    Colonel Haiku (2601c0)

  282. @FWO@281 I was required to attend Operation Rescue recruitment functions in high school. My up-close experience with serious anti-abortion people is of the nearly (maybe more than nearly) domestic terrorist variety.

    @Haiku@282 Ah, the question of the motivating force of the universe. Always a fun metaphysical discussion.

    Nic (896fdf)

  283. Ah, the question of the motivating force of the universe. Always a fun metaphysical discussion.

    Heh! I read Sammy’s comment on it. Here we have people who know The Rules Of The Universe and we’re talking about Herschel Walker. My, oh, my! Such embarrassed!

    Here’s the Nobel Prize press release.

    nk (da5296)

  284. @nk@285 Thanks for the link.

    Even at the art museum, sometimes you have to visit the plumbing. 😛

    Nic (896fdf)

  285. Russian Media Watch:

    ………
    During his Saturday broadcast on Solovyov Live, Russian state TV host Sergey Mardan opened his show with heavy sighs. He noted, “All day long we’ll be talking about how this (the Kerch Bridge attack) happened and what will come of it. I can tell you right now that nothing good will come of it, that’s for sure.” Mardan grimly concluded: “They’ve achieved an enormous propagandistic effect.”

    Repeatedly referring to Ukrainians with an often-used slur, Mardan complained that Russia apparently underestimated not only them, but also the Americans. ……

    Mardan noted: “There was no shock that they would try to attack the Crimean bridge, but there was an initial shock that they managed to pull it off, especially in the early morning hours.” He explained that—as usual—the West is to blame: ……

    Mardan urged the Russians to stop underestimating the Ukrainian Armed Forces…….He asserted: “… ……Ukraine has it all. Ukraine is a cruel, motivated, well-prepared enemy. This is an enemy nation that has been waging a full-fledged war against us for at least seven and a half months. We keep calling it a special military operation, but they are waging war… …… it’s time to stop talking about the peace process and the collective West. This rhetoric doesn’t look good—in fact, it’s harmful. Since the mobilization has been announced, we’re talking about war, a people’s war.”

    Mardan predicted an escalation, quoted Vladimir Lenin and urged a harsh response: “We stand on the precipice of another escalation. It’s unavoidable… A war should be waged for real or not at all. Now we don’t have any other options……

    ……..(S)tate TV propagandists have been tasked with convincing the public that unless Russia wins, its citizens would be locked “in concentration camps,” enslaved by the West or killed. …….
    ……..
    Mardan invited his guest, political commentator Evgeny Norin, to specify what Russia’s defeat would look like. Norin ushered in the historical memories of Russia’s distant past. He opined: “Russia’s defeat would resemble the Mongol yoke, with a modern technological twist… Crimea, Donbas and other contested regions would be taken away, just to put us in our place. From the standpoint of national humiliation, we would be forced to give up Sevastopol. ………Naturally, we’d also be forced to pay an enormous amount of reparations, huge amounts would be taken.”
    ………
    During the same show, State Duma member Alexander Kazakov offered a cheerful imperialistic prediction of what will happen if Russia perseveres and prevails: “If we win, we’ll take back what’s ours and whatever is theirs as well.”
    #########

    Rip Murdock (d892c0)

  286. @FWO@281 I was required to attend Operation Rescue recruitment functions in high school. My up-close experience with serious anti-abortion people is of the nearly (maybe more than nearly) domestic terrorist variety.

    Which doesn’t change the fact that “abortion on demand up until the infant’s feet exit the magic birth canal trip” is a minority, extremist position, one that’s so extreme its supporters are firebombing pregnancy clinics–which would actual domestic terrorism, not “nearly.”

    Factory Working Orphan (bce27d)

  287. @FWO@288 Try looking up operation rescue, lambs of Christ, and the Army of God some time. You said that pro-choice people needed “to frame opposition to it as total opposition”. They don’t need to frame something that already framed itself.

    Nic (896fdf)

  288. This is yet another reason why we’re still talking about the one-term loser.

    “Trump: I had a small number of boxes in storage…”[you had over three dozen boxes at your country club]

    “There is no crime.” [yes, it’s a crime keep “national defense” records and it’s a crime to obstruct their return]

    “They should give me immediately back everything they have taken from me because it’s mine.” [no, they should not give them back, most or all of them belong to the United States, not you]

    Paul Montagu (753b42)

  289. @FWO@288 Try looking up operation rescue, lambs of Christ, and the Army of God some time. You said that pro-choice people needed “to frame opposition to it as total opposition”. They don’t need to frame something that already framed itself.

    Nic (896fdf) — 10/9/2022 @ 6:01 pm

    This is nothing more than a variant of “I know you are, but what am I.”

    Your position is a minority position. You don’t have to like it, but accept it, because that’s the reality.

    Factory Working Orphan (bce27d)

  290. Where are the demands for peace?

    ……..
    Alluding to an enemy within, (pro-Kremlin propagandist Vladimir Solovyov) called for a return of the notorious Stalin-era SMERSH counter-intelligence to crush all internal opposition to a full-scale war against Ukraine.

    SMERSH, whose motto was ‘Death to Spies’, was a conglomeration of counterintelligence agencies used by Stalin to root out and obliterate those trying to subvert his regime during and after World War II.
    ……..
    ‘Not responding to the enemy’s actions, but breaking their plans, striking unexpected blows in directions where the enemy is not expecting them.

    ‘Ukraine should be plunged into dark times. Bridges, dams, railways, thermal power plants and other infrastructure facilities should be destroyed throughout Ukraine.

    ‘The country should switch to a military mode – entirely. ……. Solovyov declared. ‘Everything for the front, everything for victory.’

    Meanwhile, a pair of Russian governors spoke of their desire for revenge following the attack on the Kerch bridge connecting Crimea to mainland Russia, with one deputy claiming that devastating Sarmat missiles will target Ukrainian cities.

    The deputy governor of Russia’s southern Stavropol region Valery Chernitsov exclaimed: ‘Ukrainians, leave your cities, especially the large ones. Because a big surprise is waiting for you. Sarmat missiles are ready to strike,’ in a menacing video posted on Twitter.

    Crimea’s Russian-installed governor Sergei Aksyonov declared there is a ‘healthy desire to seek revenge’ following the explosion which destroyed parts of the Kerch bridge yesterday morning and killed three people.

    ‘The situation is manageable – it’s unpleasant, but not fatal,’ Aksyonov said of the bridge which constitutes a prestigious symbol of Moscow’s annexation of the peninsula and a key supply route to forces battling in southern Ukraine.

    ‘Of course, emotions have been triggered and there is a healthy desire to seek revenge.’
    ……….

    Rip Murdock (d892c0)

  291. “In other words, it proves not only that God created everything but is involved in running it.”

    All I’ll say is that this conclusion might require a bit more investigation….and quantum entanglement is not exactly light reading that lends itself to internet blogging. That certainly would be quite the news….

    AJ_Liberty (30343e)

  292. The law may make long spokes of the short stakes of men, but i’s a piker compared to a Sabbath sermon.

    nk (da5296)

  293. https://legalinsurrection.com/2022/10/providence-ri-schools-bow-to-radical-mob-remove-whistleblower-ramona-bessinger-from-teaching-position/

    Yes, I am speaking about the controversial critical race theory that has infiltrated our public schools here in Rhode Island under the umbrella of Cuturally Responsive learning and teaching, which includes a focus on identities. You won’t see the words “critical race theory” on the materials, but those are the concepts taught. The new, racialized curriculum and materials focuses almost exclusively on an oppressor-oppressed narrative, and have created racial tensions among students and staff where none existed before….

    We did not need a new curriculum for students to learn about slavery and racism. We already did that, in great depth, relying in part on the writings of great African-American authors….

    What saddened me most was that I would not be teaching the Holocaust any longer. The Holocaust unit included one of the following: either Anne Frank, The Boy In The Striped Pajamas, and depending on reading level, Elie Weisel’s Night When I asked the school reading coach where all the Holocaust books were, she said “we do not teach the Holocaust because kids can’t relate to the story.” …

    Teachers were encouraged to participate in “white educator affinity groups” where we would be given essays on how not to be a white supremacist in the classroom.

    This was a system-wide directive to separate white and non-white teachers for training….

    Finally, for some students, standing for The Pledge of Allegiance was no longer something they did. We are not allowed to question why, and the truth is, I knew why. Already these young people were beginning to hate America. I was the only person standing and the only person that could be heard saying “liberty and justice for all”.

    Midway through the academic year, some students started calling me “America” because I was white. These students, whom I love, were turning against me because of my skin color. I don’t blame them, I blame the racial narratives being forced upon them in school….

    The Maoist indoctrination starts at an early age. Teaching children to hate their nation is the easiest way to topple it.

    NJRob (eb56c3)

  294. @FWO Nope, it’s an example of over 30 years of anti-abortion terroristic extremism. Also, you clearly haven’t paid any attention to any of the discussions I’ve been involved in on the topic. And my point on Herschel Walker still stands.

    Nic (896fdf)

  295. lurker (cd7cd4) — 10/9/2022 @ 4:10 pm

    sorry to disappoint, but i haven’t watched Fox News in at least ten years

    of those names, I only know who greenwald is from his intercept days, and he’s not my peep

    As for your apparent belief that my voting against Trump and calling out the tribalism of his defenders means I’m a leftist

    i didn’t say you were a leftist — I simply said you don’t chip in on policy issues here, and instead generally restrict yourself to pouncing on conservative commenters who trigger you

    given that, expecting someone to conclude you’re really center right is weird

    and, I’ve never been a member of any party

    it looks like the only one making assumptions is you

    JF (89fb4f)

  296. @JF@272 I’m pro-choice, I don’t think abortion is murder.
    Nic (896fdf) — 10/9/2022 @ 3:54 pm

    Nic, I’m sorry you don’t like your own analogy.

    JF (89fb4f)

  297. @FWO Nope, it’s an example of over 30 years of anti-abortion terroristic extremism.

    Doesn’t change the fact that pregnancy clinics are being firebombed by people on your side, and that abortion on demand is a minority position.

    Also, you clearly haven’t paid any attention to any of the discussions I’ve been involved in on the topic.

    I’ve paid attention to plenty.

    And my point on Herschel Walker still stands.

    Nic (896fdf) — 10/9/2022 @ 7:28 pm

    Your point is a generalization that falsely attempts to paint all opponents of abortion as “every sperm is sacred” types. Lunatics like Katie Hobbs and her supporters in the media might be okay with abortion when the infant is halfway out of the birth canal, but that doesn’t make it a popular position.

    Factory Working Orphan (bce27d)

  298. The Maoist indoctrination starts at an early age. Teaching children to hate their nation is the easiest way to topple it.

    NJRob (eb56c3) — 10/9/2022 @ 7:14 pm

    Yes, but you stop that by getting involved in the PTA and school board meetings, and making sure the superintendent and school boards are either brought to heel, or removed if they continue to support these kinds of curriculums. Adopting the “I’m not corrupt enough to be involved in any kind of government (a phrase I actually heard at local town council meeting by some ding-dong who didn’t do anything except complain about how poorly the town was run)” pretense is what got us here in the first place. Give these people an inch, and they won’t just take a mile, they’ll take the whole highway.

    Don’t expect the local party apparatus to do the heavy lifting, either. All politics is local, and if the left wants to act as if “the personal is political,” you better be sure you’re not fighting with one hand tied behind your back.

    Factory Working Orphan (bce27d)

  299. @JF@298 I believe there is a third candidate on the Georgia Ballot for Senator.

    Nic (896fdf)

  300. @Rob@295 According to her students Ramona Bessinger spent an entire class ranting against the idea of white privilege for no apparent reason. She teaches English. She also lied about the curriculum. It still contains many of the texts she said it didn’t contain any more.

    (people haven’t been required to stand for the Pledge of Allegiance in any forum for decades. Free speech.)

    Nic (896fdf)

  301. Finally, for some students, standing for The Pledge of Allegiance was no longer something they did. We are not allowed to question why, and the truth is, I knew why. Already these young people were beginning to hate America. I was the only person standing and the only person that could be heard saying “liberty and justice for all”.

    Students haven’t been required to recite the Pledge of Allegiance since 1943 (West Virginia Board of Education v. Barnette).

    Rip Murdock (2b4e42)

  302. Rip’s homework assignment for tonight:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZcRqkObP2U

    DCSCA (6f8efb)

  303. I pledge allegiance to the flag (especially at manzannar concentration camp) and to the oligarchy for which it stands one nation under money $$$ with liberty and justice for the rich and the powerful. As O.J. Simpson said aint america great you can get all the justice you can afford! Rodney King just couldn’t afford much.

    asset (c26577)

  304. https://nypost.com/2022/10/09/after-the-shooting-outside-his-home-rep-lee-zeldins-fight-is-now-clearer-than-ever/

    If you were making a movie about the underdog politician campaigning on soaring crime rates, you couldn’t have scripted it better than the shooting right in front of Lee Zeldin’s Long Island home Sunday afternoon.
    Of course, it’s the last thing the Republican gubernatorial candidate and his wife, Diana, could ever have wanted.

    Their twin 16-year-old daughters, Mikayla and Arianna, were home alone studying in the rear kitchen of the modest two-story house in the town of Shirley when they heard gunshots and screams right outside their front door.

    The quick-thinking girls raced upstairs, locked themselves in a bathroom and called 911, and police soon found two unidentified shooting victims lying injured in the bushes below the front porch. A bullet was found nearby, just 30 feet from where Mikayla and Arianna had been sitting. . .

    . . . Zeldin’s campaign already was focused on crime, but with problems in New York fast spiraling out of control — and now on his doorstep — the issue has taken on outsize significance a month before election day.

    He closed the gap with Gov. Hochul last week to just two points, according to a Trafalgar poll. Even less bullish polls show he has the momentum against his better-funded opponent.

    After The Post spent Saturday with him and his family, it’s easy to see why he could be headed for an unlikely victory in a fed-up state that hasn’t elected a Republican governor for 20 years.

    Gubernatorial candidate Lee Zeldin’s family almost because victims of the very policies his political opponent and Democrat policies create. There could not be a better example of the difference between voting for a leftist candidate versus a Republican one.

    NJRob (eb56c3)

  305. AllahNick offers some thorough analysis about Putin’s nuclear options over at the Dispatch
    https://boilingfrogs.thedispatch.com/p/pop-goes-the-weasel

    The bottom line is “you never know with 100% certainty”, but logic and reason suggest it just isn’t in Putin’s strategic interest to go there for many of the arguments I outlined upthread. Further, feeding recruits into the Ukrainian meat grinder will likely not turn the war, though it may buy Putin a few more months of terrorizing “his people”….or at least the ones not hustling over to Kazakhstan.

    So what is left for Putin? A pull-out would look bad, unless it could be negotiated to include a serious reduction in sanctions and no meaningful reparations….so Putin can market improved economic conditions to the average Russian. He can still sell the propaganda that victory was close against those nazified Ukrainians except for those darn meddling Americans.

    Putin loses but he lives to fight another day. He’s still in existential trouble because scapegoating the Americans and his advisors, who he selected, can only go so far as the dead come home to be buried….and for what? But it still puts Putin in a position to influence his successor and setup a trajectory to try to stick-it-to-America for another generation. Oh and he also gets the joy of fingering our 2024 election and scheming to get that Manchurian guy a second term…..

    AJ_Liberty (30343e)

  306. Gubernatorial candidate Lee Zeldin’s family almost become victims of the very policies his political opponent and Democrat policies create. There could not be a better example of the difference between voting for a leftist candidate versus a Republican one.

    NJRob (eb56c3)

  307. Oh and he also gets the joy of fingering our 2024 election and scheming to get that Manchurian guy a second term…..
    AJ_Liberty (30343e) — 10/10/2022 @ 5:55 am

    AllahNick, election denier

    JF (89fb4f)

  308. …teh old man keeps shouting at the sky…

    “President Joe Biden was outraged on October 5 when the oil-and-gas cartel OPEC+ announced that it would cut production by two million barrels of oil per day. He had reason to be angry. The dis was personal. And the move has global implications. OPEC+ includes Russia, and rising oil prices will help Vladimir Putin, undermine Europe’s ability to keep the lights on, and reduce food supply in the Global South. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan and National Economic Council director Brian Deese released a joint statement slamming the decision as “shortsighted” and harmful for “lower- and middle-income countries that are already reeling from elevated energy prices.”

    Yet the White House’s true worry is domestic. Here is how you can tell: Sullivan and Deese mentioned Ukraine only once in their 311-word missive. But they brought up the proverbial gas “pump” twice and U.S. “gas prices” three times. President Biden has been around long enough to understand the special relationship between fuel prices and presidential job approval. He’s incensed that OPEC+ may have helped the Republican opposition weeks before the midterm election.

    Biden really ought to look in the mirror. The OPEC+ embarrassment was the latest reminder that he, not Putin nor Saudi Arabia, is the chief author of the Democratic Party’s current woes. On issue after issue, the instructions that Biden gave at the outset of his presidency have made America less prosperous, less independent, and less secure.

    Energy and immigration tell the tale. Biden signed 17 executive orders on his first day in office, and two of them dealt with U.S. oil and gas production. One order pledged that America would rejoin the Paris climate accords and commit to the deal’s targeted reductions in carbon dioxide emissions. The other order blocked oil and gas exploration in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, forbade drilling in large parts of Utah, and canceled the Keystone XL pipeline between the United States and Canada. One week later, Biden stopped issuing new oil and gas leases on public lands.”

    https://freebeacon.com/columns/bidens-day-one-actions-haunt-him-still/

    Colonel Haiku (2601c0)

  309. @307 “logic and reason suggest it just isn’t in Putin’s strategic interest“

    putin, the evil mad man and wanton butcher, suddenly becomes rational and strategic when the nuclear option is on the table

    why don’t you warmongers believe your own BS?

    JF (89fb4f)

  310. So, PayPal sent out an updated “Acceptable Use Policy” (now retconned) that included a ban on misinformation, and said:

    “Violation of this Acceptable Use Policy constitutes a violation of the PayPal User Agreement and may subject you to damages, including liquidated damages of 2,500.00 U.S. dollars per violation, which may be debited directly from your PayPal account(s)”

    After severe criticism, including from the founders, they removed the proposed AUP and said:

    “An AUP [Acceptable Use Policy] notice recently went out in error that included incorrect information,” a PayPal spokesperson said in an emailed statement. “PayPal is not fining people for misinformation and this language was never intended to be inserted in our policy. Our teams are working to correct our policy pages.”

    So, how much money does PayPal owe for the misinformation THEY posted?

    Kevin M (eeb9e9)

  311. putin, the evil mad man and wanton butcher, suddenly becomes rational and strategic when the nuclear option is on the table

    Someone needs to deal with Dr No.

    Kevin M (eeb9e9)

  312. “the evil mad man and wanton butcher, suddenly becomes rational and strategic”

    Of course Putin is not a mad man and the savagery of his military is part of a rational calculation to break Ukraine’s resistance. He also rationally calculated that following Afghanistan and Iraq and with a post-pandemic economic slowdown, the U.S. would be weary of getting in the middle of yet another European spat. He miscalculated that opposing Russian imperialism was still a U.S. national interest.

    Putin thought he had the EU by the energy-balls, and he still does to some extent, but his hold was looser than he wagered. Putin thought his war machine could overwhelm lowly Ukraine, but he underestimated the harm a kleptocracy has on the logistics and morale of an army.

    Putin is a former KGB officer and FSB head who has always been a strategic thinker who is obsessed with maintaining his own power and securing a glorious legacy for mother Russia. He isn’t a religious nutjob commanding other religious nutjobs to go out in a Butch Cassidy blaze of glory. Oligarchs are dropping like flies precisely because eveyone sees the writing on the wall and Putin’s only play left is for the West to cut the Ukraine lifeline….otherwise, it’s inevitable that absent retreat, there will be a coup. Why give him an out?

    AJ_Liberty (30343e)

  313. “A leader I have long defined as a Mafia godfather is looking less and less like Michael Corleone and more and more like Tony Montana in the last scenes of ‘Scarface.’”

    —- Niall Ferguson

    Colonel Haiku (2601c0)

  314. putin, the evil mad man and wanton butcher, suddenly becomes rational and strategic when the nuclear option is on the table

    A nuclear bomb can ruin your whole dacha. What are we keeping the damn things around for, anyway, if not for the Putins of the world?

    why don’t you warmongers believe your own BS?

    Okay, you learned that at Patrice Lumumba University. Well done!

    nk (01186a)

  315. Their list of proposed amendments is as follows:

    1. Term limits for Supreme Court justices

    No, this is partisan. I would, however, like an Amendment fixing the size of the Court.

    2. Making impeachment easier

    This proposal would allow impeachment of the president and other high officials for “serious abuse of the public trust” as well as for “criminal acts” and would reduce the number of votes needed for a conviction in the Senate to a three-fifths majority (from the currently required two-thirds majority).

    Well, “Misdemeanor” actually meant “misbehavior” in 1789, and “high crimes and misdemeanor” was a catch-all term of art at the time. It wasn’t until much later that “misdemeanor” became a statutory category of offenses.

    As for 3/5ths … I dunno. Should it be easier? Andrew Johnson would have been turfed under this provision (replaced by Senate President Pro Tem Benjamin Wade, an issue that cost the super-majority Republicans several votes). They had 3/4s of the Senate yet could not convict. Nixon would have been convicted by 2/3rds or more and Trump by 3/5ths the second time (but not getting to 2/3rds made several Senators back off).

    3. Legislative veto

    This amendment would reverse INS v. Chadha (1983) and give Congress the power to negate most executive branch actions by a majority vote of both houses…

    Indeed. I may have mentioned this from time to time. TERRIBLE decision. I think there is some chance this Court might revisit this, given the right case, but new law has ignored the possibility of such a veto and Amendment creating a Congressional Veto over all regulations would be very helpful in reducing the Imperial Executive.

    4. Eliminating the requirement that the president be a natural-born citizen

    No, but the term should be clarified to mean “citizen by right of birth” or similar. The racist Grandfather Clause interpretation needs a spike driven through its heart.

    5. Making the Constitution easier to amend in the future

    The only change I would suggest is one that bypasses Congress, gives move power to the states, and reduces the need for a Convention:

    New Article V:

    Article. V.

    Amendments may be proposed by a two thirds vote of both Houses of Congress, or the passage of identical Resolutions by the legislatures of two thirds of the several states, or by a Convention convened following the Application of the legislatures of two thirds of the several states (subject to Procedure established by Congress), which, in any Case, shall be valid to all Intents and Purposes, as Part of this Constitution, when ratified by the Legislatures of three fourths of the several States, or by Conventions in three fourths thereof, as the one or the other Mode of Ratification may be proposed by the Congress; Provided that no State, without its Consent, shall be deprived of its equal Suffrage in the Senate.

    I would not add a initiative procedure.

    Kevin M (eeb9e9)

  316. This amendment would reverse INS v. Chadha (1983) and give Congress the power to negate most executive branch actions by a majority vote of both houses

    I missed this. It should be a single House (as before) as a single house can block any Law and Regulations should not have more weight.

    Kevin M (eeb9e9)

  317. I would also like to see a provision somehow limiting the plenary powers that Congress grants the Executive, such as when they gave Nixon the power to impose Wage and Price Controls.

    Kevin M (eeb9e9)

  318. Oligarchs are dropping like flies

    I hear that defenestration has become a leading cause of death in Moscow, at least among the rich and powerful.

    Kevin M (eeb9e9)

  319. Russia’s Small Nuclear Arms: A Risky Option for Putin and Ukraine Alike
    ………
    The primary utility (of Russian tactical nuclear weapons) many U.S. officials say, would be as part of a last-ditch effort by Mr. Putin to halt the Ukrainian counteroffensive, by threatening to make parts of Ukraine uninhabitable. …….

    The scenarios of how the Russians might do it vary widely. They could fire a shell six inches wide from an artillery gun on Ukrainian soil, or a half-ton warhead from a missile located over the border in Russia. The targets could be a Ukrainian military base or a small city. How much destruction — and lingering radiation — would result depends on factors including the size of the weapon and the winds. But even a small nuclear explosion could cause thousands of deaths and render a base or a downtown area uninhabitable for years.

    Still, the risks for Mr. Putin could easily outweigh any gains.………

    For months now, computer simulations from the Pentagon, American nuclear labs and intelligence agencies have been trying to model what might happen and how the United States could respond. It is no easy task because tactical weapons come in many sizes and varieties, most with a small fraction of the destructive power of the bombs the United States dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945.
    ………
    The modeling results, one official familiar with the effort said, vary dramatically — depending on whether Mr. Putin’s target is a remote Ukrainian military base, a small city or a “demonstration” blast over the Black Sea.

    Great secrecy surrounds Russia’s arsenal of tactical arms, but they vary in size and power. …….

    Much more is known about the tactical weapons designed for the American arsenal back in the Cold War. …….
    ……….
    On land, the radiation effects “would be very persistent,” said Michael G. Vickers, the Pentagon’s former top civilian official for counterinsurgency strategy. ……..

    Russia’s tactical arms “would most likely be used against enemy force concentrations to stave off a conventional defeat,” Mr. Vickers added. …….
    ………
    In some respects, Mr. Putin is following a playbook written by the United States nearly 70 years ago, as it planned how to defend Germany and the rest of Europe in case of a large-scale Soviet invasion.

    The idea was to use the tactical weapons to slow an invasion force. Colin L. Powell, the former secretary of state and chairman of the Joint Chiefs of staff, recalled being sent to Germany in 1958 as a young platoon leader, where his primary responsibility was tending to what he described in his memoir as “a 280-millimeter atomic cannon carried on twin truck-tractors, looking like a World War I Big Bertha.”
    ………
    As the Cold War ended NATO…..(s)lowly removed most of its tactical nuclear weapons, determining they were of little military value.

    Roughly a hundred are still kept in Europe, mostly to appease NATO nations that worry about Russia’s arsenal, estimated at 2,000 or so weapons.

    Now the question is whether Mr. Putin would actually use them.
    ……….

    Rip Murdock (2b4e42)

  320. “I don’t know that I have ever voted for a Democrat,” she continued. “But if I lived in Arizona now, I absolutely would … for governor and for secretary of state.”

    https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2022-election/liz-cheney-urges-voters-reject-kari-lake-mark-finchem-rcna50960

    This democrat?

    Arizona Dem gov nominee Katie Hobbs appears to support abortion up to birth

    https://finance.yahoo.com/news/arizona-dem-gov-nominee-katie-002955423.html

    You have given me a lot to think about, Liz.

    BuDuh (d36cc2)

  321. Biden should’ve pulled out before they had Hunter.

    Colonel Haiku (2601c0)

  322. @324. OTOH, both are stellar poster children for abortion. 😉

    DCSCA (b8edf4)

  323. @307. Someday you’ll figure out why the out-of-favor, bottom of the deck ideologues are figuratively and literally selling such chatter. Your homework assignment, Agarn:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZcRqkObP2U

    DCSCA (b8edf4)

  324. Interesting perspective from Chris Stirewalt at the Dispatch on the GOP brain-drain from the Senate
    https://thedispatch.com/p/senate-brain-drain-set-to-continue

    Sasse has Harvard and Yale degrees and taught at the Univ. of Texas in addition to running a university in Nebraska. He’s a smart guy who won re-election, but likely sees little hope of actually accomplishing much substantive in the Senate. If you don’t have 60 votes, and polling suggests neither party is poised to win a filibuster-proof majority any time soon, then there will be the occasional reconciliation bill and confirmation hearing that might be interesting. Otherwise the current environment penalizes anyone who tries to find common-cause across the aisle and find ways to move matters forward. Sasse also has the albatross of daring to vote for impeachment which means for team-dysfunction, he’s a traitor who is better off at UF (or is it FU?). With Toomey, Portman, and Blunt each calling it quits and with more partisan candidates moving forward, the body is likely going to get even less deliberative. Stirewalt echoes my concern that this will continue to have the corrosive effect of compelling an even more imperial President. The cynic will say good riddance, but voluntarily losing smart talented people is never a good sign for an organization…

    AJ_Liberty (5f05c3)

  325. John Durham’s Last Gasp:
    ………
    ……… (T)he trial of the analyst, Igor Danchenko, which opens Tuesday with jury selection in federal court in Alexandria, Virginia, now appears likely to be shorter and less politically salient than the sprawling narrative in Durham’s indictment had suggested the proceeding would be.

    In an 18-page order last week, the judge overseeing the case, Anthony J. Trenga of the Eastern District of Virginia, excluded from the trial large amounts of information that Durham had wanted to showcase — including material that undercuts the credibility of the dossier’s notorious rumor that Russia had a blackmail tape of Trump with prostitutes.

    Certain facts Durham dug up related to that rumor “do not qualify as direct evidence as they are not ‘inextricably intertwined’ or ‘necessary to provide context’ to the relevant charge,” Trenga wrote, adding that they “were substantially outweighed by the danger of confusion and unfair prejudice.”

    In that and other disputes over evidence, Trenga, a George W. Bush appointee, almost always sided with Danchenko’s defense lawyers. …….

    Trenga’s ruling has pared down the larger significance of the trial, which is likely to be Durham’s final courtroom act before he retires as a longtime prosecutor. The grand jury that Durham has used to hear evidence has expired, suggesting he will bring no further indictments.
    ………

    ……… Trump and his supporters frequently try to conflate (the dossier) with the official Russia inquiry or falsely claim that it was the basis for the FBI’s investigation.

    But the FBI did not open the investigation based on the dossier, and the final report by the special counsel, Robert Mueller, did not cite anything in it as evidence. ……..
    ……..
    At the trial, Danchenko’s defense will apparently be that the FBI asked him whether he had ever “talked” to Dolan about information in the dossier and that his somewhat equivocal denial was true: They had instead communicated by writing about that topic.
    ……..
    After Durham was assigned to investigate the Russia investigation in the spring of 2019, Trump and his supporters stoked expectations that Durham would uncover a “deep state” conspiracy against him and charge high-level FBI and intelligence officials with crimes.

    But instead, Durham developed two cases on narrow charges of false statements involving outside efforts to uncover links between Trump and Russia. …….

    Durham filled court filings with copious amounts of information seemingly extraneous to the charges, while insinuating that Democrats had conspired to frame Trump for colluding with Russia.

    ……..Durham’s filings provided fodder for them to stoke grievances about the Russia investigation. But judges in both cases have proved skeptical about putting much of that material before a jury.
    ………

    My prediction: this trial will end with same verdict as the Sussman trial: not guilty.

    TrumpWorld not happy.

    Rip Murdock (2b4e42)

  326. Sorry for the lack of blockquotes. My comments are in italics.

    Rip Murdock (2b4e42)

  327. A substantial minority of Americans think election fraud could be the reason why their party doesn’t win control of Congress
    ………
    Ahead of the midterms, the (Axios/Ipsos Two Americas Index) finds that a substantial minority of Americans on both sides of the aisle feel that if their party does not win enough seats to take control of Congress, its likely because of election fraud.
    ……..
    More Republicans (39%) than Democrats (25%) feel that if their side doesn’t win enough seats to control Congress, it is likely because of election fraud. About twice as many Republicans (19%) as Democrats (11%) feel it is highly likely that this could be the case.

    On the other hand, a majority (60%) of Democrats feel it is unlikely that their parties’ loss of Congress could be explained through election fraud. Just over one in three (36%) Republicans feel it is unlikely.

    One in four Republicans (26%) and 15% of Democrats aren’t sure what to think on the issue.

    Americans are split on whether they will vote for Democratic (35%) or Republican (31%) candidates in November.
    …….
    At the same time, three in ten Americans (30%) say they feel hope when thinking about the 2022 congressional election, and 17% feel dread, the next most frequently cited emotion.

    Republicans (37%) and Democrats (35%) are equally likely to say they feel hope and dread (19% for Democrats and 14% for Republicans).
    ……..

    Rip Murdock (2b4e42)

  328. You have given me a lot to think about, Liz.

    Liz is a single-issue voter.

    Kevin M (eeb9e9)

  329. A substantial minority of Americans think election fraud could be the reason why their party doesn’t win control of Congress

    Define fraud. Are gerrymanders fraud? If so, this cuts both ways as both parties do it. Is running ads for your most unlikable opponents fraud. It seems like it is. Is changing election rules by judicial decree to benefit one party fraud? Pretty sure it isn’t kosher, but fraud?

    The real problem is running candidates who are 3 standard deviations to the right of the electorate. It’s not fraud if you can’t win anyway.

    Kevin M (eeb9e9)

  330. Other Axios/Ipsos Two Americas Index findings:

    ……..
    Half of Americans (48%) disagree that is it is better to have a strong, unelected leader than a weak leader who is elected by the people, while one third agree (33%). Republicans are more likely to agree (42%) with this than Democrats (31%).

    Americans are split on whether the government should comply with interests of the majority, even if it comes at the expense of ethnic and religious minority groups’ civil rights (38% agree, 41% disagree and 21% are unsure).
    …….
    A majority of Americans (51%) disagreed that the government of the United States should be empowered to prosecute members of the news media who make offensive or unpatriotic statements, including 53% of Democrats and 55% of Republicans.
    ……..
    Additionally, the index explored student loan forgiveness this month……
    …….

    I don’t favor prosecuting the news media for “offensive or unpatriotic statements“ but I do favor prosecuting them for publishing classified information. A few trials (or long stints in jail for refusing to testify) would stop the leaks ASAP.

    Rip Murdock (2b4e42)

  331. A substantial minority of Americans think election fraud could be the reason why their party doesn’t win control of Congress
    …….
    Kevin M (eeb9e9) — 10/10/2022 @ 12:37 pm

    TrumpWorld agrees.

    Rip Murdock (2b4e42)

  332. @306 and yet zelden is against more gun control laws.

    asset (691cc6)

  333. Which gun control law would have prevented the incident in front of his house?

    BuDuh (d36cc2)

  334. ….,yet zelden is against more gun control laws.

    asset (691cc6) — 10/10/2022 @ 1:07 pm

    As are the courts:

    In a 53-page order, U.S. District Court Judge Glenn Suddaby paused a (New York state) requirement that concealed carry applicants prove “good moral character” and submit years of social media for review. He also blocked implementation of some gun-free zones — including city subways and Times Square — established under the new measures.
    ……..
    The ruling temporarily blocked several gun-free zones created under the new law, but left in place restrictions on some locations — including schools, courts and polling places.
    ……..

    Rip Murdock (2b4e42)

  335. Supreme Court vacates Massachusetts gun control ruling in another 2A victory
    ……….
    This week, the Supreme Court ordered a lower court in Massachusetts to vacate its ruling on the state’s gun control law and reconsider the case Morin v. Lyver. At issue is a state law imposing a lifetime ban on purchasing handguns on anyone convicted of nonviolent misdemeanors involving the possession or use of guns……. Massachusetts law imposes a need for a license in order to carry a pistol.
    ………
    The remanding of the Massachusetts case signals that the high court is eager to see state laws correspond to the new Bruen standard established this summer. The Supreme Court has ordered the revisitation in other gun-related cases related to magazine limits, AR-15 bans, and open carry permitting.
    ………..

    Rip Murdock (2b4e42)

  336. Supreme Court rejects bump stock ban cases

    The Supreme Court said (last) Monday it won’t take up two cases that involved challenges to a ban enacted during the Trump administration on bump stocks, the gun attachments that allow semi-automatic weapons to fire rapidly like machine guns.
    ………
    The Trump administration’s ban on bump stocks took effect in 2019 and came about as a result of the 2017 mass shooting in Las Vegas. …….

    The Trump administration’s move was an about-face for the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. In 2010, under the Obama administration, the agency found that bump stocks should not be classified as a “machinegun” and therefore should not be banned under federal law. Under the Trump administration, officials revisited that determination and found it incorrect.
    ……..

    The Trump ban was a purely cynical move to appear as if they were doing something on gun control. It’s a shock that the Obama ATF got the decision right the first time.

    Rip Murdock (2b4e42)

  337. No mail today
    teh Feds are on vacay

    h/t Peter Noone

    Colonel Haiku (2601c0)

  338. As long as the democrat party runs corporate establishment stooges to appease the donor class who refuse to retaliate for newtown and uvalde the nra will continue.

    asset (691cc6)

  339. After seeing the NY Post.com article on the shooting .. That would have been a true waste, NJ Rob. A true waste. Zeldin got game and he’d need a shotgun in the nicest of neighborhoods!

    urbanleftbehind (153056)

  340. Justice was served today in the Alex Jones defamation trial.
    Here’s a powerful thread by the daughter of one of the Sandy Hook murder victims, and she says it all.
    Alex Jones can go to hell.

    Paul Montagu (753b42)

  341. The WA Post piece on Trump aides moving boxes, before and after the May subpoena, and the NYT piece on aide Walt Nauta only solidifies the obstruction case against the one-term loser.
    I’ll be surprised if there isn’t an indictment before year end.

    Paul Montagu (753b42)

  342. Other outstanding questions are (1) did he move presidential records to one or more of his other properties and (2) were there classified materials in those empty folders and, if so, what did Trump do with them. Trump has a very close relationship with the Saudi royal family.

    Paul Montagu (753b42)

  343. The folders could have been emptied in the White House. They were left with him so he could return material he took out to the files.

    Trump may have assorted government record at his other properties, particular Bedminster, New Jersey, but he probably didn’t move them from Mar-a-Lago

    Sammy Finkelman (63a266)

  344. The last hearing oof the January 6 committee will be today, scheduled for 1 pm.

    The heai=ring will focus on Roger Stone (whom they presume was acting on Donald Trump’s instructions, but which isn’t necessarily so) and Stone’s contscts with groups like the Oath Keepers. One point they aim to get at is that the riot wwas plannnned. And it was. They want to connect Trump to it. (Exceept he had a different plan to stall)

    And the speech was not part of a plan to start a riot.

    Sammy Finkelman (63a266)

  345. They are going to use text messages from the Secret Service to prove that Trump wanted to go the Capitol.

    In the second Trump impeachment trial it was argued that Trump lied when he said he would be there — because obvously, if he expected a riot, he would not want to be in the middle of it.

    Text messages also show there as some attempt to let him go there.https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/12/us/politics/house-jan-6-panel-final-hearing.html

    To bolster its case, the committee has obtained more than 1.5 million pages of documents and communications from the Secret Service that include details of how agents blocked Mr. Trump’s attempts to join his supporters at the Capitol even after they had begun the assault.

    The communications lay out how Secret Service personnel attempted to find a route to take Mr. Trump to the Capitol in a presidential S.U.V., and how those plans were ultimately rebuffed amid the chaos.

    I think Trump didn’t know or understand what was going on there. This also shows that it was not necessary or Trump to grab the steering wheel to get the Secret Service to drive him there, or that before the confrontation (which did nit involve Trump, inside the car, reaching for the steering wheel) there was sme attemo=pt to plan a route.

    Secret Service staff initially attempted to accommodate Mr. Trump’s wishes, but supervisors at the agency expressed alarm, and District of Columbia police declined to block off intersections for his motorcade as a mob of his supporters began attacking and injuring dozens of police officers, according to the communications, which were described by two people familiar with their contents.

    Robert Engel, Mr. Trump’s lead agent, broke the news to Mr. Trump inside the vehicle, prompting an angry outburst. Afterward, a Secret Service supervisor followed up to ensure Mr. Trump would not be joining the mob at the Capitol, the communications show.

    The panel is attempting to refocus the country’s attention on Mr. Trump’s central role in attemptin

    Sammy Finkelman (63a266)

  346. The folders could have been emptied in the White House. They were left with him so he could return material he took out to the files.

    I doubt it, Sammy, because from what I understand, the documents and their folders have matching reference numbers, and we don’t know whether they put were put somewhere else, flushed down a toilet, etc. Also, there is no indication that folderless classified documents were found in the WH after Trump’s departure.

    As for documents at other locations, there is video last May of aides loading eight boxes of papers onto his private jet in Palm Beach, destined for NJ.

    Paul Montagu (753b42)


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