Weekend Open Thread
[guest post by Dana]
Let’s go!
First news item
President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine has expressed frustration over what he has labeled unrealistic expectations for rapid success on the battlefield amid concerns that slow progress against entrenched Russian forces will discourage Kyiv’s allies from sustaining military aid.
“The modern world quickly gets accustomed to success,” Mr. Zelensky said in his nightly address on Tuesday, complaining that Ukrainian troops’ achievements “are perceived as a given.”
Mr. Zelensky’s comments came as the Biden administration seeks congressional approval for a $105 billion aid package that includes assistance for both Israel and Ukraine. But some Republicans oppose sending more aid to Ukraine — and have moved to separate the funding request from aid for Israel.
Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III warned American senators on Tuesday that if they cut off funding to Ukraine, as some Republicans have vowed to do, President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia would win the war.
It appears that a number of House Republicans still fail to grasp why it is imperative that Ukraine win this war and Putin’s imperialistic visions be bluntly cut off:
“…among many in my party, it seems that there’s a willingness to support Putin. We’ve begun to hear Republicans talking about America’s role in the world and they sound more like Jane Fonda than Ronald Reagan. And this idea that somehow America is agnostic as between Ukraine and Russia is a fundamental misunderstanding of how the threat that freedom is under and how America’s adversaries and those who would threaten us, those who believe in authoritarian rule, are very much working together. Our adversaries are allied against us. And if we don’t maintain our commitment for the people of Ukraine, it’s going to have a domino effect. Countries will see our weakness and they will be tempted to take steps elsewhere. I think the Chinese will watch what happens and make determinations about whether or not they should move now on Taiwan…
Second news item
Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. appears to pull more support from former President Trump than President Biden in a hypothetical general election matchup, according to a new poll.
A Quinnipiac University poll released Wednesday showed Biden narrowly ahead of Trump by 1 point — 47 percent to 46 percent, within the margin of error — in a head-to-head matchup. But with Kennedy in a three-way race, Biden is ahead with 39 percent to Trump’s 36 percent and Kennedy’s 22 percent.
Pollsters found independents are almost evenly split among the three candidates, with 36 percent supporting Kennedy, 31 percent backing Trump and 30 percent with Biden.
Third news item
A California State Bar Court judge on Thursday preliminarily found Trump attorney John Eastman culpable in the 11-count trial on moral and legal violations for allegedly conspiring to invalidate the 2020 presidential election.
After 32 days of testimony, Judge Yvette Roland made “a preliminary finding of culpability,” saying the case will “move forward with not only rebuttal testimony but aggravation.”
Fourth news item
That was then, this is now.
“We should have those hostages released and then we can talk,” Biden told reporters when asked about the potential for a ceasefire in exchange for Hamas releasing approximately 200 hostages, including Americans, believed to be in the Gaza Strip.
President Joe Biden said he thought there should be a humanitarian “pause” in the Israel-Hamas war, after his campaign speech Wednesday evening was interrupted by a protester calling for a cease-fire.
“I think we need a pause,” Biden said.
The AP adds:
The White House has refused to call for a cease-fire but has signaled that the Israelis should consider humanitarian pauses to allow civilians to receive aid and for foreign nationals trapped on the strip to leave Gaza.
However, Israel put the ball in Hamas’ court:
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his government opposes any temporary ceasefire in Gaza unless Hamas frees all the hostages it holds. Meanwhile, on the ground, Israel’s military said it is surrounding Gaza City as its bombardment of the enclave intensifies.
Meanwhile, the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah has entered the fray, with leader Hassan Nasrallah warning of an escalation of fighting in the region.
Q: According to the Biden administration, what is the difference between a “ceasefire” and a “pause”? Is it a matter of time? Because, while it’s very clear that humanitarian aid is desperately needed, why wouldn’t Hamas use a “pause” in the same way they would a “ceasefire”? In other words, it would be a gift to them to rearm and reorganize.
Which reminds me, Hillary Clinton came out with a firm statement against a ceasefire, saying that “People who are calling for a ceasefire now, don’t understand Hamas… It would be such a gift to Hamas because they would spend whatever time [that] there was a ceasefire in effect rebuilding their armaments… to be able to fend off an eventual assault by the Israelis.”
Fifth news item
High school students have had enough. Rightly so:
Students at a high school in Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS) walked out in protest of the district’s gender policy that allows non-binary, gender-fluid and transgender students to use whichever school bathrooms and locker rooms they want based on their chosen gender.
Around 50-100 students at Woodgrove High School participated in the walkout to protest Policy 8040, which the Loudoun County School Board implemented in 2021, ABC WJLA reported. The students said they wanted LCPS to revert to a policy that provided female and male-only spaces, including bathrooms, locker rooms and showers.
Students described their frustration with the policy:
“In the locker rooms in the morning it’s an invasion of privacy, as I said because when men and natural-born males are in our locker rooms, and they are showering in the morning, natural-born females can walk in there as they please,” one male high school student told WJLA. “And that is not OK…”
“We express these concerns and they ignore us and write us off as right-wing crazies,” [a female student] said. “We’re not crazy. We just don’t want to be in danger on a daily basis in this building. I think it’s people finally stepping up and just being sick of it. We’re sick of being here and just being completely ignored. I stopped using them [the bathrooms] because I don’t know what’s going to happen to me in there. And people can be like, ‘Oh, well, that’s paranoid’.”
“I’m telling you right now half the women in this building feel the same way,” she added. “We don’t use the bathrooms. We hold our pee until we can’t. I mean, there are girls in PE [Physical Education class] who still get changed in the bathroom stalls in there because they’re afraid of who might waltz in.”
Sixth news item
Resolution condemning support for Hamas and Hezbollah on campus passes with bipartisan vote:
House lawmakers approved a resolution condemning the support of terrorist organizations and antisemitism on college campuses on a 396-23 bipartisan vote Thursday.
The resolution — H. Res. 798 — is Congress’ latest response to the rise in pro-Palestinian student demonstrations on campuses around the Israel-Hamas conflict that started Oct. 7. Senators last week passed a similar resolution, S. Res. 418, by voice vote.
The resolution calls out college leaders for not speaking out in support of Jewish and pro-Israel students. It urges them to condemn all forms of antisemitism on their campuses and ensure Jewish faculty and students can exercise free speech without intimidation.
Rep. Thomas Massie was the only Republican to not vote for the resolution. He said that concerns about free speech and questions about who gets to determine what anti-Semitism prevented him from voting for the resolution.
The 22 Democrats who voted against it were:
Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass., Summer Lee, D-Pa., Jim McGovern, D-Mass., Delia Ramirez, D-Ill., Ritchie Torres, D-N.Y., Nydia Velázquez, D-N.Y., Maxine Waters, D-Calif., Bonnie Watson Coleman, D-N.J., Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., Lauren Underwood, D-Ill., Mark Takano, D-Calif., Jared Huffman, D-Calif., Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., Jesus Garcia, D-Ill., Jonathan Jackson, D-Ill., Maxwell Frost, D-Fla., André Carson, D-Ind., Cori Bush, D-Mo., Jamaal Bowman, D-N.Y., and Earl Blumenauer, D-Ore.
Seventh news item
A lovely “new” song by The Beatles:
Now and Then’s eventful journey to fruition took place over five decades…The long mythologised John Lennon demo was first worked on in February 1995 by Paul, George and Ringo as part of The Beatles Anthology project but it remained unfinished, partly because of the impossible technological challenges involved in working with the vocal John had recorded on tape in the 1970s…in 2022…software system developed by Peter Jackson and his team, used throughout the production of the documentary series Get Back, finally opened the way for the uncoupling of John’s vocal from his piano part. As a result, the original recording could be brought to life and worked on anew with contributions from all four Beatles…
Have a great weekend.
–Dana
Happy Friday!
Dana (932d71) — 11/3/2023 @ 10:22 amRe Second news item:
RFKJr’s national polling numbers are mostly theoretical, since he needs to separately qualify to appear each state’s ballot, and Democrats and Republicans will fight him tooth and nail to prevent that.
The Q poll also shows that Trump continues his domination of the Republican presidential race:
Rip Murdock (c5a0a1) — 11/3/2023 @ 12:29 pmDid Barbara Lee vote in favor of House Resolution 798? She’s not listed among the “no” votes. It would be so perfectly unprincipled of her to try to reinvent herself as a supporter of Israel now that she is running for the open California Senate seat.
JVW (b1cd29) — 11/3/2023 @ 12:52 pmThirteen idiot Democrat Senators are now calling for a ceasefire/pause in Gaza, under the guise of a “short term cessation of hostilities.” Perhaps they are trying to give President Biden some cover when he ultimately stabs Israel in the back in order to placate his far-left flank. The names of the Senators will come as no surprise to anyone: Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), and Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.).
Charlie Cooke nails the origin of this double-dealing by the Biden Administration: the President’s weak mind and weird obsession with placating the far-left activists of his party.
JVW (4f6817) — 11/3/2023 @ 1:09 pmA ceasefire, if it is like the previous ones with Hamas, is permanent until Hamas decides to violate it, not counting occasional rocket fire. It would enable them to re-arm (which was possibly done through bribed Egyptian border guards) and keep all the hostages.
What Biden is asking for a limited time and limited area, to satisfy complaints that international aid workers are afraid to deliver food and also possibly get some prisoners (hostages) out – which Qatar is pretending to negotiate, probably writing the script for Hamas..there was one idea earlier of Hamas releasing all female prisoners in exchange for 36 female members of Hamas in prison in Israel. You’ve got some family members of Israeli hostages calling for an all for all exchange – a very bad idea, but Israel is wiling to do some pauses in exchange for release of some prisoners. So far the only people released ave been females who also had American citizenship.
One female Israeli soldier, probably someone involved in monitoring border video and captured on Oct 7) was rescued and after her family was notified, was made public after two days, and the skull – without the torso – of a female taken alive from the music festival was recovered.
The number of people abducted alive (Israel is not going to say any of them were killed, certainly if there us any doubt about that) on October 7 is now given by Israel as 242, and the number of dead soldiers (most killed on October 7) is over 300. The ones killed on October 7 are included in the total of 1300 or 1400. There were around 1100 civilians of all ages. Almost two dozen sites were attacked, plus people killed on the highway. Around two dozen Israeli soldiers have been killed in the ground war in Gaza.
Sammy FInkelman (c5132f) — 11/3/2023 @ 1:21 pmShe did, as if it would help her. She is polling in the single digits and well behind Reps. Katie Porter and Adam Schiff.
Source
Regarding Garvey, Giants fans are holding a grudge (as would Dodger fans). 😉
Rip Murdock (c5a0a1) — 11/3/2023 @ 1:27 pmThis is what happens when you go wobbly:
https://www.newser.com/story/342219/hezbollah-leader-warns-fighting-could-escalate.html
Sammy FInkelman (c5132f) — 11/3/2023 @ 1:35 pmRe Second news item II:
The Messenger/Harris Poll has similar numbers:
Rip Murdock (c5a0a1) — 11/3/2023 @ 1:35 pmJVW:
All of this pandering and cringing to the base by Democratic Senators feels oh so very familiar. I wonder if the Democrats recognize that they are acting just like Republicans when Trump is having a social media spasm….
Appalled (da70fe) — 11/3/2023 @ 1:39 pmRegarding Hezbollah, if there is one thing we learned on September 11, 2001, it’s that when an adversary says that they desire to harm the United States we should take them at face value and be willing to preemptively attack them. But I have no faith that Team Biden has that much sand to them, just the usual empty rhetoric which is abandoned as soon as necessary.
JVW (f63708) — 11/3/2023 @ 1:43 pmRight now, Hezbollah is only threatening to unleash the rockets on Israel
Sammy FInkelman (c5132f) — 11/3/2023 @ 1:49 pmRight now, Hezbollah is only threatening to unleash the rockets on Israel
NRO quotes Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah as saying, “Let me be clear, the United States is just as responsible…Americans have to pay, they have to pay for Israel’s slaughter.” That’s enough of a threat for my tastes.
JVW (be4291) — 11/3/2023 @ 2:05 pmhttps://www.nationalreview.com/corner/mccarthy-it-turns-out-joe-biden-was-the-clandestine-agent-of-a-hostile-foreign-power/
I mean… I don’t see how you can innocuously spin this otherwise.
whembly (5f7596) — 11/3/2023 @ 2:11 pmMr. Charlie Cooke is a very smart man, even if he does not have an uncle at MIT, and if there was any justice he would have five or six Presidencies. But what he has, unfortunately, is a publishing deadline and a need to write something about some thing.
nk (1febb3) — 11/3/2023 @ 2:18 pmI’m looking forward to the House Oversight Committee (not some pundit with a podcast) making that case in public hearings. The American people deserve no less.
Rip Murdock (c5a0a1) — 11/3/2023 @ 2:51 pmAnd not to show my non-partisanship but I suspect that Judge Engoron, 74, in Trump’s New York trial is mentally impaired and his law clerk is the one actually conducting the trial. We had a situation like that in Chicago which I mentioned a while back. https://www.cnn.com/2023/11/03/politics/trump-gag-order-engoron-clerk/index.html
But it’s New York, the home of chutzpah:
nk (1febb3) — 11/3/2023 @ 3:01 pmBiden fears challenge from the left like now a muslim democrat not RFK from his right. RFK takes more votes from trump. I wish one of you lawyers would help me out on trumpster stephen millers reverse discrimination lawsuit against nascars diversity program. I think he will win because of supreme court decision and force nascar to put women drivers in cup and Indy car to prevent e.e.o.c. discrimination lawsuit.
asset (c34f60) — 11/3/2023 @ 3:46 pmhttps://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.cadc.40232/gov.uscourts.cadc.40232.1208568105.0_1.pdf
Unconstitutional gag order against Trump removed for the moment.
NJRob (eb56c3) — 11/3/2023 @ 5:51 pmHmmm…
BuDuh (4a2020) — 11/3/2023 @ 6:51 pmThe last sentence was from me and should not have been part of the blockquote.
BuDuh (4a2020) — 11/3/2023 @ 7:25 pmOnce you’ve been dead for 4 days and then brought back from the dead, you are no longer constrained by time and space
steveg (8049f1) — 11/3/2023 @ 8:35 pmMark Meadows is being sued by his publisher for lying in his book. He stated the election was stolen, but testified in court that he knew it was not and said so to Trump.
They want all of the $350k advance, $600k compensatory damages for expenses, plus $1mil for reputational damage.
SamG (4e6c22) — 11/3/2023 @ 8:37 pmI’m glad the Beatles tune doesn’t suck, and nice video. For anyone who hasn’t seen the Get Back film by Peter Jackson, I highly recommend it.
Biden is only slightly less muddled about Israel than with Ukraine. Bibi had it right, no “pause” until all the hostages are released. It’s as if Biden is afraid of victory and is intimidated by Putin and other bad actors, and Hard Left in his own party.
Paul Montagu (d52d7d) — 11/4/2023 @ 4:48 amHere’s a good (and brief) history on why Muslim-majority countries won’t take in Palestinians.
Paul Montagu (d52d7d) — 11/4/2023 @ 4:57 amLuke Coffey from the Hudson Institute has a message to Speaker Johnson and the other GOP naysayers in Congress…
** One of those lessons is the use of drones in warfare. Peter Zeihan has a clip on American drones, which have been high-cost and high-quality but low-volume. The Ukrainians are showing that high numbers of cheap drones can be decisive in battle, and the US has a launched the Replicator Initiative, which can launch a swarm of 1,000 drones at a target.
Paul Montagu (d52d7d) — 11/4/2023 @ 5:47 amGreat headline, considering it’s the AP.
Biden is dangling border security money to try to get billions more for Israel and Ukraine
Holding our border security hostage to secure the borders of other countries is exactly what this administration and its supporters are all about.
I hope the Republicans don’t fall for it. The funding for each should stand on its own. Let Biden nix our border security funding, as I’m sure he wants to.
lloyd (2fd4c9) — 11/4/2023 @ 7:44 am@24, Paul, good post about why no one wants the Palestinians because of the inevitable introduction of extremists and terrorists.
It leaves us with a Groundhog Day of Israel being attacked, responding, and then being pilloried. Can Israel kill off enough of the terrorists…or do we have to just wait one generation for them to be restocked? It’s horrible but why should Israel put up with it?
AJ_Liberty (444c04) — 11/4/2023 @ 8:15 amIt’s a one-candidate race — with two backups
Rip Murdock (c5a0a1) — 11/4/2023 @ 8:19 amMAGA voters would strongly object to denying Trump the nomination, whether convicted of a felony or not. They would just stay home and not vote for DeSantis or Haley.
Rip Murdock (c5a0a1) — 11/4/2023 @ 8:36 am@24 Informative and educational post. It clarified why Muslim nations are refusing Palestinian refugees. Thanks, Paul
Chris (3d25b0) — 11/4/2023 @ 10:46 amI’m curious about the dynamic of the 3rd GOP debate next Wednesday in Miami. So far, it’s just DeSantis, Haley, Christie, and Ramaswamy (that’s good, minus Rataswarmy as one commentator wrote). The moderators are Lester Holt, Kristen Welker, and Hugh Hewitt. I don’t expect waiting to the end of the debate to discuss the “Trump dilemma” or any gotcha hand votes. It’s fair to question whether Trump supporters will watch…they likely won’t….or whether any “Trump concerns” involving prosecutions and their inevitable impact on persuadable voters will meaningfully penetrate Trump-media. The absence of the Party’s leading candidate while important world affairs are being discussed will be noticeable…possibly even striking. Yes, Trump can have his alternative forum…but it will not be adversarial…..and it won’t test his interpretation of reality. It will be unserious.
This non-testing aspect of the GOP primary will start to come to a head. Yes, I get that MAGA hardliners are naturally defensive of their Trump, but eventually the reality of negative news will hit. I still have not seen the poll that suggests that all Republicans will be fine with voting for a convicted felon. One conviction….regardless of the appeal process that will take months to play out…will finish Trump’s re-election viability. Oh there will be hollering and theatrics…and maybe even violence…but none of that will actually help Trump…it will just make him look more desperate and unhinged. The fetid smell of a dying movement will spread. Even rats know to scurry.
It may be true that DeSantis and Haley are in a lose-lose position….and that Trump will take the GOP down one way or the other. From my perch, this has been his aim…along with making money (ahem, grifting off of granny). But, does the party die with Trump or give itself a gasping chance? Yes, this is about Trump more than policy…it is about personality…and a weird affinity for sociopathy, but it’s also about hating the other….and despising Biden far more than they could ever despise Haley…or DeSantis. A relative normy like Haley will also pull from the middle…which might create a bit of a bandwagon effect. That’s the great thing about this…polls are snapshots in time that are not designed to inform or put things in perspective. We don’t need just the reality of polls, we need the reality of nominating a felon…that’s seismic.
AJ_Liberty (5f05c3) — 11/4/2023 @ 11:27 amhttps://www.powerlineblog.com/ed-assets/2023/11/IMG_0839.jpg
100% correct.
NJRob (eb56c3) — 11/4/2023 @ 12:27 pmI was dismayed yesterday to see Congressman Ritchie Torres (D-NY) on the list of those who had voted against the resolution censuring pro-Hamas voices on campus that Dana mentioned in item six. I had blogged about Congressman Torres a couple of years ago, saluting him for avoiding the reflexive anti-Zionism. I had planned on perhaps investigating this gross inconsistency in his rhetoric and his voting record, but earlier today Congressman Torres released a statement explaining that his “no” vote was a mistake:
I’m willing to take Congressman Torres at his word that this was a mistake, mostly because he seems to me to be a pretty good guy, even if his overall progressivism is not to my delicate sensibilities. Cynics are already suggesting that he is trying to have it both ways: placate the radical side of his constituency with his “no” vote, then quietly seek to amend the record in order to provide cover with his more mainstream voters. I don’t find that to be a particularly persuasive allegation.
But I do think that members of Congress have an obligation to be far more careful in their voting, especially in heightened matters such as these. What really did cause the Congressman to initially vote “no”? Was he poorly briefed by his staff on the resolution? Did the Congressman himself fail to read the summary of the resolution and just default his vote to where he thought his fellow New York Democrats stood on the issue? The latter explanation seems far-fetched given that Congressman Torres has been careful not to associate himself with the malevolent leftist bloc known as The Squad. I hope this serves as a valuable lesson to Ritchie Torres that he needs to pay closer attention to his job.
JVW (1913a0) — 11/4/2023 @ 12:57 pmRussians (via Iran) and Ukraine are showing that drones are cheaper than precision 155mm artillery like Excalibur at $110,000 per unit. Russian/Iran Shahed is $20,000 per unit
steveg (e772ad) — 11/4/2023 @ 2:08 pmHi Paul
Let me guess without watching. Palestinians are terrible guests.
The response of their Arab supporters, neighbors when asked to take them in isn’t a simple hell no.
It’s a vehement, emphatic “Oh Hell no, f- no!”
Biden should call Erdogan’s bluff and ask him how many refugees he is willing to house.
I notice the Afghani’s are getting booted out of Pakistan (?) because of the uptick in car bombs.
The Swedes are going to deport immigrants that do not report earnings of at least 80% of the median
The Danes are cutting way back on the allowance of asylum seekers and declared the Syrian states of Tartous, Latakia, Damascus and Rif Damascus are safe and are preparing to send Syrians back there.
steveg (e772ad) — 11/4/2023 @ 2:34 pmAny immigrant with any type of criminal record may be deported
The Dutch have decided that people who first declared refugee status in Denmark before moving into Netherlands must return to Denmark
This article describe the dismaying success of Russian disinformation in Western Africa:
It’s almost as if “Czar” Putin doesn’t like elected governments that are friendly to the West.
(There was a lesson in the 2016 election that more of us should think about: In one case, Russian influencers were able to inspire two opposing demonstrations. “Czar” Putin loves it when we are fighting each other. As does “Emperor” Xi.)
Jim Miller (ac3118) — 11/4/2023 @ 3:03 pm@34 Meaningless gotcha vote to embarrass democrats. Democrats should ask for a vote wither they think netanyahu did anything wrong when he cashed in and pocketed deposits from Israeli government bottles. Or do you support trump no matter what!
asset (78bd4a) — 11/4/2023 @ 3:35 pmThis movie sounds worth seeing:
Jim Miller (ac3118) — 11/4/2023 @ 3:49 pmMeaningless gotcha vote to embarrass democrats. Democrats should ask for a vote wither they think netanyahu did anything wrong when he cashed in and pocketed deposits from Israeli government bottles.
Hey, yeah, they should! You know — if they had a House majority. It’s funny how ever since this January you have found yourself so piqued that House majorities tend to hold votes that make the minority uncomfortable.
JVW (8343c9) — 11/4/2023 @ 4:28 pmTrump Continues to Lead in South Carolina:
Rip Murdock (c5a0a1) — 11/4/2023 @ 4:35 pmPulling further on that idea, on the NRO The Editors podcast, one of the editors (Charlie Cooke or Rich Lowry or somebody, can’t remember which) pointed out that in the wake of the Charlottesville march every single Republican member of congress was called upon to explicitly declare what they thought of the groups of marchers. And of course, Trump’s admittedly convoluted answer was demagogued and held against him for four years.
So then if that’s the modern rules of public participation, why shouldn’t all Democrat congressfolks be required to declare where they stand on the various groups marching on college campuses and in city streets? What’s good for the goose is good for the gander. Are these apologists for terrorism, nasty antisemites who are looking for an excuse to engage in Jew-bashing, callow kids whose minds have been exploited by radical influencers but who will eventually be made to have a more complete understanding of a complicated situation, or something else? Time for Democrats to be put on the spot.
JVW (f4728f) — 11/4/2023 @ 4:36 pmAnd in Pennsylvania:
Rip Murdock (50ae20) — 11/4/2023 @ 4:44 pmThat assumes any of Trump’s trials occur before Election Day, which is looking increasingly unlikely. The Georgia case won’t happen until late next year, and the Espionage Act appears will delayed as well. Even the election subversion case could be delayed due to arguments over his gag order and other issues.
Rip Murdock (c5a0a1) — 11/4/2023 @ 5:12 pm@42 Put them on the spot only corporate establishment democrats who do the their bidding will have a problem. AOC and the squad don’t have a problem. Corporate establishment stooge democrats have the problem. That is why I was disappointed in the Tlaib vote so we could use it against the democrat squishes to force them to join in in cleaning the house of republicans when we take it back in 2024. Cut flesh to cut meat.
asset (7fd808) — 11/4/2023 @ 5:17 pmTrump seeks to derail election-subversion charges
Rip Murdock (c5a0a1) — 11/4/2023 @ 5:17 pmAs an old vietnam war protester I understand the anti-war protesters of today even though I disagree with ceasefire until Hamas is “delt” with. I support Israel’s right to defend itself even though netanyahu is a corrupt vile person interested in his political survival not whats good for Israel. During world war II we joined with stalin to defeat hitler. Attacking protesters for political gain instead of pointing out that Islam and hamas are not good just because netanyahu and likud are evil racists, the majority of Israeli’s are not. The deaths of 1400 innocent Israelis are not atoned by the 10,000 and counting deaths of innocent palestinian civilians. I saw what name calling got during the vietnam war for political gain. It hardened are positions. The campuses and big city left politics are a result today as we pay you back.
asset (7fd808) — 11/4/2023 @ 5:37 pmSpeaking of lunatic leftists and their anti-Semitism,
https://www.writersagainstthewarongaza.com/
Signed by the usual list of leftist fools and some of Jewish ancestry. They should be so proud to espouse their bigotry and Nazi inclinations to the world. Even got a NY Times writer who signed on fired. Need to keep that bigotry and bias hidden.
NJRob (eb56c3) — 11/4/2023 @ 5:37 pmYeah, that confused and bothered me too. I’m glad he straightened it out. The world (at least the Ritchie Torres corner of it) makes sense again.
That’s absurd. How could it placate anyone? He’s been stalwart on this, especially since 10/7. He attacks Hamas apologists every day, and now he’s disavowed the one thing they could possibly take as sympathy. Like you I’m troubled that such a mistake could happen, but attributing it to bad faith is implausible partisanship.
lurker (cd7cd4) — 11/4/2023 @ 5:44 pmHa, ha, ha! That’s the way to get what you want from the most powerful man in the world, cmrades. Keep it up!
Amazing!
nk (1606d9) — 11/4/2023 @ 6:09 pmI wonder. Are these so-called “pro-Palestinians” really pro-Trump agitators out to take Muslim votes away from Biden in key states?
I mean, if they could come up with that theory for Ray Epps regarding 1/6, why can’t they seize on it for their own use to help their citrus? And that “Let’s go Brandon” has a familiar ring to it, doesn’t it?
nk (1606d9) — 11/4/2023 @ 6:30 pmI follow Ritchie Torres on Twitter. I don’t know how a mistake can be made on a vote but he’s been against Hamas and strong supporter of Israel. He also has spoken out against the hate Jews are facing. I believe him.
Mattsky (9a86e3) — 11/4/2023 @ 6:37 pmA more cynical explanation is that Torres was for resolution but backed off when he saw the reaction.
Rip Murdock (c5a0a1) — 11/4/2023 @ 6:46 pm51, what a waste of what could have been a great line in a college football fight song.
urbanleftbehind (dfe9ec) — 11/4/2023 @ 6:48 pmSF> Right now, Hezbollah is only threatening to unleash the rockets on Israel
JVW (be4291) — 11/3/2023 @ 2:05 pm
Yes, you are right: He did threaten the United States. I was relying on only one news story.
Although, reading it more carefully, he didn’t say Hezbollah would attack the United States’ ships, aircraft and soldiers, “if all out war breaks out,” and I think he didn’t mean he could start it. He said that for those who say that Hezbollah should start a war in the entire region, he says wait. He warned against a pre-emptive strike by Israel in Lebanon and said that he’s helping Gaza by keeping the Israeli army tied down in the north.
I think he meant Iran (and all its proxies, but for this you need Iran itself) would shoot down U.S. aircraft, and sink U.S. ships – including aircraft carriers, whose only protection is to shoot down whatever is coming at them first) And Iran has a few surprises, they think. They may not work, but Iran may try it.
Of course, to minimize any response, Iran needs to set the stage for it first, and probably won’t order it unless its spies tell them the U.S. contingency plans are nothing for Iran to worry about – and maybe that Russia will protect them.
Nasrallah said the U.S. is controlling the war in Gaza. All the United States really did is counsel Israel, and ask it to refrain from some things – and ask penetrating questions, and say if Hamas is ISIS it should do things the way the United States did in Mosul and Raqqa and not like Fallujah, And U.S. drones are spying on Gaza looking for hostages because some of them are American citizens
Sammy Finkelman (30ebd8) — 11/4/2023 @ 7:04 pmKeeping It Classy
Rip Murdock (c5a0a1) — 11/4/2023 @ 7:07 pmAnd the US is providing direct military support to Israel.
Rip Murdock (c5a0a1) — 11/4/2023 @ 7:12 pmThe reaction to Christie and Hutchinson reminds me of my favorite moment so far in the campaign.
Rip Murdock (c5a0a1) — 11/4/2023 @ 7:18 pmI don’t buy that either — it’s contradicted by everything he’s said prior and subsequent to the vote — but it’s less implausible than “he’s trying to have it both ways.” There’s just no rational way to square that circle.
lurker (cd7cd4) — 11/4/2023 @ 7:31 pmAnother Tim Miller bullseye.
lurker (cd7cd4) — 11/4/2023 @ 7:53 pmHuskies came through, Paul…avoided the Pac-10 foot shoot. And John Larroquette as Dan Fielding had the best use of what Tim Miller was talking about.
urbanleftbehind (dfe9ec) — 11/4/2023 @ 8:11 pmThe mark levin/ fox news effect. I was surprised at the support for peace and palestinians among young people ;but the constant support for the netanyahu/likud corruption by right wing media and christo-fascists has had a bigger effect in turning people off of Israel then I thought. Over half of Israelis loathe netanyahu and his party which is similar to the effect trump has had both here and abroad. Supporters of Israel’s legitimate rights are being hurt by right wing media use to score political points and “own” the libs. Nobody wants or needs another history lesson about middle east 101. This is causing reasonable people in the democratic party to be marginalized as it is they and not the left who are being discredited by political point scoring and owning the libs like biden and establishment democrats. Do you really think a democrat party that is influenced by AOC and the squad will be more pro-Israel then a discredited marginalized Biden?
asset (508aac) — 11/4/2023 @ 9:39 pmAsset, the Jewish news viewer with no where to turn has become a lifeline to a network that was left for dead by real Magadonians.
urbanleftbehind (dfe9ec) — 11/4/2023 @ 9:44 pm@64 faux news does some news reporting ;but mostly panders to the prejudices of its audience a form of pornography. (msdnc does the same) I watch fox to get the dirt on the democratic party and everybody else to get dirt on the republicans. Cnn would give them the news from both sides. Fox just gives one side so they are watching a form of pornography Msdnc does the same for democrats.
asset (137b51) — 11/5/2023 @ 12:03 amMore from the Florida Freedom Summit:
Rip Murdock (c5a0a1) — 11/5/2023 @ 1:59 amhttps://www.ktvu.com/news/masks-required-in-certain-settings-again-in-california
Fanatics who will continue to believe no matter how much evidence is against them. Wall off California.
NJRob (eb56c3) — 11/5/2023 @ 7:08 amhttps://pjmedia.com/chris-queen/2023/11/03/kentucky-democrats-go-full-racist-against-daniel-cameron-n4923601
Says their priorities. Vote for the left, approve of racism.
NJRob (eb56c3) — 11/5/2023 @ 7:16 amhttps://nypost.com/2023/11/04/news/pro-palestinian-marchers-flood-dc-say-racist-state-israel-does-not-have-the-right-to-exist-long-live-the-intifada/
Lots of anti-Semites on the left. They say it loud and say it proud. And the “moderate” left is silent.
NJRob (eb56c3) — 11/5/2023 @ 7:20 amAgreed, and then Biden could ask if Erdogan envisions a two-state for Turks and Kurds, and how he’s handling Kurdish civilians in their attacks on that ethnic group.
Paul Montagu (d52d7d) — 11/5/2023 @ 7:36 amParagraph in italics should not have been block quoted.
Rip Murdock (106f43) — 11/5/2023 @ 7:59 amLooking at the details of the NY Times poll:
https://justthenews.com/politics-policy/polling/trump-leads-biden-5-critical-states-poll
NJRob (eb56c3) — 11/5/2023 @ 8:02 amhttps://www.njoag.gov/ag-platkin-announces-charges-against-former-plainfield-mayoral-candidate-after-garbage-bag-filled-with-fraudulent-voter-registrations-is-brought-to-elizabeth-post-office/
Voter fraud never happens.
NJRob (eb56c3) — 11/5/2023 @ 8:05 amThat game really scared me, ulb, us playing at USC, their ranked #20, and Caleb Williams at QB (who looks like the next Mahomes). It was an excellent game, a real shootout, and solid running game on both sides.
Paul Montagu (d52d7d) — 11/5/2023 @ 8:08 amThe Dawgs still have tough games to go, playing #18 Utah, at #16 Oregon State, and the Apple Cup (WSU), but if we go undefeated, we should have a shot at the championship.
No one who isn’t an idjit says that. There’s fraud in every election. What the Trump Donaldians have failed to do is prove serious fraud, an election-altering kind of fraud, and you don’t have it. You want illegal ballots in the thousands or tens of thousands, all going one for one person, in three or four battleground states, but all you’ve found are illegal ballots in the hundreds, going both ways.
Paul Montagu (d52d7d) — 11/5/2023 @ 8:21 amTo paraphrase that quote, hundreds of thousands of deaths is a statistic, but the death of one family is a tragedy.
The Palestinians have spent decades perfecting their play of the grievance-victim card to media worldwide, and while thousands of civilian deaths is unfortunate (and it sounds like the numbers are more or less legit), Hamas is responsible for those deaths for their embedding in civilian buildings.
More importantly, the number of Palestinian deaths pales to the hundreds of thousands Putin has murdered. The 10/7 terrorist attack, while awful and evil, pales to the thousands of terrorist attacks and torture, and tens of thousands of child abductions done by the terrorist Russian army. Zelenskyy has every right–more of a right–to take his case to the world, more than any group of Palestinian grievance mongers.
Paul Montagu (d52d7d) — 11/5/2023 @ 8:38 amThat NYT poll’d demographics are something else: 20% liberal and 38% conservative.
SamG (4e6c22) — 11/5/2023 @ 9:33 am“Former President Donald Trump is leading President Joe Biden in five of the six major swing states, according to new polls released Sunday, as voters largely express disapproval of the current president.”
One can be displeased with Bidenomics, yet still want a President who is better than Trump. The GOP is afraid to advertise the awfulness of Trump in its primary. Christie lays it out and gets boo’ed. The base no longer demands that its leader be honest, law-abiding, and dignified. The GOP is terrified of immoral morons.
AJ_Liberty (5f05c3) — 11/5/2023 @ 9:47 amOhio early voting for November election on track to exceed August
…………..
Through Oct. 26, the most recent date for which statewide numbers are available, 384,768 Ohioans had voted early, either in person or via mail-in absentee ballot, about 31,400 more than the number who had voted at the equivalent time ahead of the August election.
In addition, another 249,129 voters have received absentee ballots but have yet to return them, compared to 121,700 at the equivalent time before. ………..
Voters are casting ballots in a rare statewide off-year election to decide state Issue 1, which would enshrine abortion rights in the state constitution, and state Issue 2, a proposal to legalize recreational marijuana………..
The early vote for November also shows an increase in the number of rural voters casting early ballots, but not by enough to significantly offset increased mail-ballot requests by residents of large counties.……….
Rip Murdock (106f43) — 11/5/2023 @ 10:09 am………….
Post 80 should have been block quoted.
Rip Murdock (106f43) — 11/5/2023 @ 10:10 amNJRob (eb56c3) — 11/5/2023 @ 8:05 am
It didn’t in this case. He got caught before he could do it, because too many people knew about it. Which will happen in nearly every case, as long as there is some opposition. Notice also that this involved absent ee ballots where voter ID does not apply.
Votter fraud most often happens in small loow yurnout primary elections.
Sammy Finkelman (3e5bfa) — 11/5/2023 @ 10:19 amPaul Montagu (d52d7d) — 11/5/2023 @ 8:21 am
Unorganized fraud, usually committed by family members still living at the same address of a voter who moved or died, or who is unaware of the ballot.
That don’t have a single example of a guilty party, except people they falsely accused.
There’s a lot of double entry bookkeeping to prevent (undetected) fraud.
Sammy Finkelman (3e5bfa) — 11/5/2023 @ 10:27 am‘Paul Montagu (d52d7d) — 11/5/2023 @ 8:38 am
The PLO falsely claims that it is Israeli military doctrine to kill civilians in order that they should pressure the people attacking Israel to stop. That would be a pretty strange intent to have while never telling them that. Instead they tell them to get off the battlefield (which may be difficult to impossible and involves abandoning property.) This claim is made by the terrorist forces who also call it “collective punishment.” But it is not punishment at all..
Sammy Finkelman (3e5bfa) — 11/5/2023 @ 10:37 amIt’s not that uncommon for members of Congress to vote the wrong way because they don’t want to miss a vote (political organizations keep tabs on that) and they get called back to the floor and don;t know what the vote is about and have to find out quickly what does aye mean and what does nay mean.
Sammy Finkelman (3e5bfa) — 11/5/2023 @ 10:42 am58.
Rip Murdock (c5a0a1) — 11/4/2023 @ 7:12 pm
What I cited is more direct involvement.
The U.S. is even selecting targets in Gaza (in order that the Israelis should avoid civilians) Suggesting less destructive bombs be used.
The US doesn’t have that great a record in Syria.
https://nytimes.pressreader.com/article/281934547655378
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/05/us/us-army-marines-artillery-isis-pentagon.html
One concussion doesn’t cause so much damage and the brain healts, but iff it is injured again, it’s bad. Trump wanted very few troops in Syria and they were overworked.
Sammy Finkelman (3e5bfa) — 11/5/2023 @ 10:58 amSad!
Rip Murdock (106f43) — 11/5/2023 @ 11:55 amThen they shouldn’t vote if they don’t know what’s going on.
Rip Murdock (63923d) — 11/5/2023 @ 11:57 amEven more from the Florida Freedom Summit:
Rip Murdock (106f43) — 11/5/2023 @ 12:08 pmFlorida Freedom Summit speeches:
Donald Trump
Ron DeSantis
Chris Christie
Vivek Ramaswamy
Rip Murdock (106f43) — 11/5/2023 @ 1:04 pmIs there anything Donald Trump won’t say?
Sammy Finkelman (b434ee) — 11/5/2023 @ 3:17 pmI mean in terms of (im)plausbility.
Sammy Finkelman (b434ee) — 11/5/2023 @ 3:21 pmOh, come on, Sammy! This is a man who owns a $337 Million penthouse, now as his second home. How could he possibly be implausible?
nk (bb1548) — 11/5/2023 @ 3:40 pmRip Murdock (63923d) — 11/5/2023 @ 11:57 am
Well, they shouldn’t, but it s in their self-interest to vote because a lot of votes are minor and it’s a standard attack line to make a big deal of how many or what percentage of votes they missed.
And they can’t stay on the floor all the time – they have committees or political work etc. but people don’t understand and almost none of them want to bother to try to educate people, and they’re usually too stupid to even know how to try. So they all concede vote percentage is important – beause their political consultants use it when they can use it as a ccudgel. Their consultants are not going to destroy a perfectly serviceable attack line.
Sammy Finkelman (b434ee) — 11/5/2023 @ 3:48 pm#91 In answer to your question, here’s an example: “I lost.”
(I agree with your general point.)
Jim Miller (c5e90f) — 11/5/2023 @ 3:49 pmRip Murdock (63923d) — 11/5/2023 @ 11:57 am
Well, they shouldn’t, but it s in their self-interest to vote because a lot of votes are minor and it’s a standard attack line to make a big deal of how many or what percentage of votes they missed.
And they can’t stay on the floor all the time – they have committees or political work etc. but people don’t understand and almost none of them want to bother to try to educate people, because they are listening to their political consultants and they’re usually too stupid to even know how to try. So they all concede vote percentage is important – because their political consultants use it when they can use it as a ccudgel. Their consultants are not going to destroy a perfectly serviceable attack line.
Sammy Finkelman (b434ee) — 11/5/2023 @ 3:51 pmAnother nonsensical
standard attack line (cost per person)
standard attack line (cost per person)
FACT: US military aid to Uk
used over and over again. This one is used to attack policy positions.
Sammy Finkelman (b434ee) — 11/5/2023 @ 3:59 pmMath has never been my strong point, but back when minimum wage in CA was $1.65hr, I was making $2HR, $90 a week for 45hrs (no I did not get overtime) $4500 a year for my ability to use a shovel extremely well, they used to do similar calculations: “amounts to $900 per household”. I was well aware of what my take home pay was and how much was deducted. As I said, I am dumb with math, but even I was able to decipher that someone else had to be paying a lot more taxes than me, because if something was costing $900 per taxpayer, they weren’t getting that much from me.
steveg (71204d) — 11/5/2023 @ 4:46 pmI think the idea of a pause in exchange for the release of all hostages will get nowhere, Better would be a proposal of 1 hour of cessation of hostilities (with certain exceptions in case of violations) in exchange for the release of one hostage.
Hamas could get almost ten days if they released all, which they won’t, but they may wind up releasing more than they originally intended.
Sammy Finkelman (3e5bfa) — 11/5/2023 @ 5:33 pmOuch.
Paul Montagu (d52d7d) — 11/5/2023 @ 5:44 pmPaul- I know a bunch of evangelicals and this looks like one of those Father-Son accountability set ups. My guess is that this was set up so there would be no porn, and if there was, they’d pray about it, take away guilt and secrecy. Better than a porn addiction ,and communication between father and son on this isn’t a bad thing. Sure it is odd to Rolling Stone etc, but thousands of evangelicals do this kind of thing and it works fine for them.
steveg (71204d) — 11/5/2023 @ 7:42 pm@67-68-69 california, african-americans and democrats are not interested.
asset (9a973f) — 11/5/2023 @ 8:19 pm@74 voter fraud seldom happens. Election fraud which is what this is happens all to frequently like in 2018 in north carolina cd 9 where republicans stuff the ballot box to change the election.
asset (9a973f) — 11/5/2023 @ 8:26 pm@79 Vote early and often for curly! James curly elected to office from his jail cell. Person running for re-election in louisana said on his conviction I may be a crook ;but I am a anti-communist crook! Who do you want a crook or a commie democrat. He won.
asset (9a973f) — 11/5/2023 @ 8:33 pm@ 80 Ohio rethugs have been purging democrats from voting ;but they will lose anyway.
asset (9a973f) — 11/5/2023 @ 8:36 pmToday in lebenon a car carrying a reporter and his family was targeted and destroyed by Israel killing a woman and her 3 daughters. Killing innocent women and children that has nothing to do with incursion from gaza will evaporate any morality claims by netanyahu.
asset (9a973f) — 11/5/2023 @ 8:48 pmhttps://www.politico.com/news/2023/11/05/hunter-joe-biden-business-testimony-00125056
After lying to get Biden elected, Politico is finally reporting what others have… that Biden is corrupt. Guess they got their marching orders to push Biden out.
NJRob (eb56c3) — 11/6/2023 @ 6:25 amTrump’s testimony in NY civil trial live thread.
Rip Murdock (106f43) — 11/6/2023 @ 7:11 am@73
I’ve been trying find the underlining data for this poll, but to no avail… but, this has to be cooked.
whembly (5f7596) — 11/6/2023 @ 7:22 amBiden must be running a really lousy campaign.
nk (d8887a) — 11/6/2023 @ 8:08 am@110
When has he ever ran a decent campaign? He’s 2020 campaign was mainly orchestrated from a basement.
He won, imo, largely because of Trump. Not because he’d be a good President.
It’s easy to be the not-in-power candidate facing an extremely unpopular POTUS.
It’s hard to run for a 2nd term, because your last 4 years is your resume that you can’t spin.
That’s why DeSantis’ clobbering Democrats in his re-election in Florida that ended up a “down” GOP year is even more impressive and why I believe he’d be a steller POTUS nationally. Real, honest to god competency can do the heavy lifting in your re-election chances.
But, heyo… they only have DeSantis’ Bootgate™.
whembly (5f7596) — 11/6/2023 @ 8:24 amHere.
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 11/6/2023 @ 8:46 amIt’s really too early to poll the general election, as neither party has selected a candidate, nor do we know how many state ballots RFKJr. or No Labels be on.
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 11/6/2023 @ 8:48 am@112 Nice find Rip!
It’s going to take a minute to absorb this.
whembly (5f7596) — 11/6/2023 @ 8:48 am“We won, the last time, 50 states, think of it, 50 states,
On second thought, it looks like Trump was speaking about his campaign for the Republican nomination in 2020. Which is a meaningless achievement, Did he have any competition? Now he might get that in 2024, winning at least a plurality in every state.
Sammy Finkelman (3e5bfa) — 11/6/2023 @ 8:51 amTrump Civil Litigation Watch:
During his testimony, Trump is his own worst witness.
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 11/6/2023 @ 9:35 amAnd a Trump +46 lead over DeSantis.
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 11/6/2023 @ 9:40 am@115 even that is wrong because the GOP cancelled their primaries/caucuses in 5 of the states.
Sam G (8d2ed1) — 11/6/2023 @ 9:56 amThe last time DeSantis was within spitting distance of Trump was on on March 30, 2023, when Trump was polling 46% and DeSantis was at 30% (Trump +16). It’s been downhill (literally) for DeSantis ever since.
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 11/6/2023 @ 9:56 amSorry, might actually be more like 8 states…
Sam G (8d2ed1) — 11/6/2023 @ 9:56 am@117
So what happens if DeSantis wins despite those polls? Are you going to reassess you worship of these polling outfits?
Here’s the thing polls cannot measure:
whembly (5f7596) — 11/6/2023 @ 10:19 amDeSantis (and Haley for that matter), has massive grassroot ground game in both IA and NH. Trump’s infrastructure is bare that, and if he loses, it’s because he ignored fundmentals that even polls cannot capture.
Desantis can still win. That poll is if the election were held today. There’s a lot of time for things to change.
Polling is a useful measurement tool, but it’s one that often upsets people who don’t like the results.
Polling methodology is used extensively outside of the public policy space where the lack of partisan advocacy allows for a fairer understanding of it’s strengths and weaknesses.
Time123 (2a41cc) — 11/6/2023 @ 10:25 amWhembly; I think an honest researcher would tell you that campaign infrastructure, like a ground game, something the poll is intended to measure.
The poll measures opinion from respondents at a point in time.
Campaign resources like ground game, funding, unannounced endorsements are all things what will change respondent opinion and are apart from it. To RIPs comment earlier it’s still very early for polls to tell us much.
Time123 (2a41cc) — 11/6/2023 @ 10:44 am115: >i> Did he have any competition?
Trump did have some in his campaign for re-nomination in 2020: Bill Weld, Mark Sanford, and someone named Roque “Rocky” De La Fuente. Joe Walsh dropped out. Also, Bill Kasich was considered a possibility at some point.
https://qz.com/1696901/2020-republican-presidental-candidates
This is the indication that when Trump said he won all 50 states, he was talking about the primary in 2020:
By “the election he means the November election. And it’s based on the official figures although it’s more like 11 million more votes that he got in 2020 than in 2016. Of course, turnout was higher in 2020.
Sammy Finkelman (7a85f9) — 11/6/2023 @ 10:45 am118 120. Still delegates to the 2020 Republican National Convention must have been picked in some </i: fashion, so we can give him here a mostly true rating. (He didn't claim millions of stolen votes, although his subtext is that the Democratic Party added votes)
Sammy Finkelman (7a85f9) — 11/6/2023 @ 10:48 amAll other things being equal, I think a president running for re-election tends to get about 3% or 4% more in the popular vote, because certain voters’ apprehensions have not been fulfilled.
Sammy Finkelman (7a85f9) — 11/6/2023 @ 10:51 amBloomberg Business Week has almost nothing on the Gaza war. The November8 dated issue has mortgage rates on the cover, and this is not a minor story either.
The only mention is three paragraphs on page 6: One on the Jabaliya refugee camp being struck Oct 31; the second on 300 foreign nationals and about 80 severely wounded people being allowed to leave Gaza, and the third on the humanitarian crisis in Gaza
worsening with Egypt blaming Israel for obstructing aid trucks. It says in that paragraph that Hamas killed 1,400.people in southern Israel on October 7 and that “authorities in Gaza” say the death toll there has passed 8,500.
There are 60 pages altogether, with 4 pages on Ecuador. (which is an overlooked story.) Not too many ads.
Sammy Finkelman (7a85f9) — 11/6/2023 @ 11:09 amWhich consisted of the organized random murder of Jews.
I also encountered this description:
https://www.newser.com/story/342291/congresswoman-takes-flak-over-6-word-phrase-on-israel.html
Some say??
What else do they think it could mean?
It’s a call for the elimination of Israel – Hamas has at times compared Israel to French ruled Algeria. It’s a call for, at best, the expulsion of millions of Jews from Israel and in the meantime, they say anything they do is supposed to be justified.
Sammy Finkelman (7a85f9) — 11/6/2023 @ 11:17 am@125 I’m not gonna be charitable on that. State party officials just selecting their nominee for the GOP convention is not the same thing as winning a primary or caucus.
Sam G (8d2ed1) — 11/6/2023 @ 11:22 amOr people in Israel they hoped were Jews or liked Jews.
It’s not an accident that such phrases get used, and not something less extreme. The goal is to turn Israelis away from any idea that compromise is possible, and the ultimate reason for this is probably because those sponsoring that hate republics.
Sammy Finkelman (7a85f9) — 11/6/2023 @ 11:25 amSam G (8d2ed1) — 11/6/2023 @ 11:22 am
They probably had aconvention.
Sammy Finkelman (1d215a) — 11/6/2023 @ 11:26 amIf DeSantis wins the presidential nomination, it will be one of the greatest reversals of fortune in American politics, but if it happens, it happens.
If DeSantis or Haley have “massive” grassroot ground games in Iowa and NH it’s certainly not showing up in the polls. If they were convincing a massive number of voters to support their campaigns you would think the polls would capture some of that.
It’s not “worship of these polling outfits,” it’s just what they are reporting based what Republican voters are saying to date, anything else is simply faith. I am sure that polling will catch the DeSantis (or Haley) surge within the next 70 days (Iowa caucuses) or the NH primary (the date for which has not been set). Who knows-maybe Gov. Kim Reynolds endorsement of DeSantis will reverse his Iowa slide. DeSantis’s NH slide puts him behind Haley and barely above Christie.
Trump (or any other candidate) does not need to “win” in Iowa (Trump came in second in 2016), or any other primary. As most of the delegates will be awarded proportionally above a certain threshold, a candidate need only place in second or third. For example, in the 2016 Iowa caucuses, Ted Cruz won 8 delegates, while Trump and Marco Rubio won 7 each.
Trump’s polling margins are historic.
Footnotes omitted.
No doubt this analysis has changed, as at the time Trump only received 50% of Republican voters’ support, it now stands at 58% according to the RCP average.
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 11/6/2023 @ 12:33 pm@122 dream on.
asset (2036a9) — 11/6/2023 @ 1:50 pmOhio vote heavy going to give right to lifers a political post natal abortion despite purging democrat voters from voting.
asset (2036a9) — 11/6/2023 @ 1:53 pmSpeaker mike johnson and his son say they monitor each others porn watching ;but don’t masturbate while doing so. (DU)
asset (2036a9) — 11/6/2023 @ 1:55 pmFor the general election, I agree; for the primary elections, the “early” window is closing soon. I suspect the polls a month from now for Iowa and New Hampshire won’t be much different than today.
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 11/6/2023 @ 2:07 pm@136 people have already decided on trump. Never trumpers only hope is undecided voters in poll. If its large theirs a chance. If number is low for get about it.
asset (2036a9) — 11/6/2023 @ 2:34 pmExcept that the polls showed that Will Hurd or Mike Pence had no chance for the nomination.
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 11/6/2023 @ 2:49 pmMs. James.
Numbers do not lie, but people do lie about numbers.
$18M value for Mar a Lago was a lie. Why do I say that? Because single family residential sales prices in the area are much much higher than that for smaller properties.
People point to the restrictions on the property as a club as to why the property is only worth $18M, but overlook that it is always easier to back away from a special use than to try to amend it going and growing forward and they’ve probably never read the recorded Declaration of Use Agreement Article IX Liability and Abandonment of Club Use
Paragraph 3.
If the Club use is unintentionally abandoned for a period of one (1) year after the Club has been in operation, or is intentionally abandoned at any time, the use of the land shall revert to single family residence and the ownership of the Owner.
Rush Limbaugh’s smaller compound property sold for $155 million.
Billionaire Ken Griffin is building a $1B home for himself 1.4 mile south of Mar-a-Lago and he spent $500M to buy 27 acres of land. Mar a Lago has 20 Acres
https://nypost.com/2023/10/18/inside-ken-griffins-plans-to-build-a-1b-megalith-property/
I don’t know what Trump would have to pay to unwind the Club memberships, but that should be separate from the value of the property as a single family residential, which it could be by dissolving the Club
steveg (3d3cc9) — 11/6/2023 @ 2:50 pmSo the transgender Nashville shooter’s manifesto has finally leaked and we can see why the government run by the left demanded it be hidden. It’s delusional rantings attacked the children as being beneficiaries of “white privilege” and that it couldn’t wait to murder the children.
It hated rich, “privileged” children and ranted against their fancy clothes, schools and dad’s car.
It used racist terms against white people.
This type of hatred was taught and inculcated in this ill individual. How many other ticking time bombs are set to explode due to the hatred and lies espoused in our schools and government by the left?
NJRob (eb56c3) — 11/6/2023 @ 4:58 pmGreat question: What about Bob?
I await the sequel, What About George.
Paul Montagu (d52d7d) — 11/7/2023 @ 7:25 amNice catch by MKH. The guy puts the “k” in karen.
Paul Montagu (d52d7d) — 11/7/2023 @ 11:33 amThree years ago today, Rudy’s infamous Four Seasons press conference.
Paul Montagu (d52d7d) — 11/7/2023 @ 5:00 pmElection Day Results 2023:
Kentucky Governor (57% of votes counted)
Beshear (D) 53% (reelected)
Cameron (R) 47%
Ohio Issue 1 (Abortion constitutional amendment) (23% votes counted)
Yes 63
No 37
Issue 2 (Marijuana legalization)
Yes 57
No 43
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 11/7/2023 @ 5:36 pmLooks like we are giving the rethugs a post natal political abortion!
asset (40ba39) — 11/7/2023 @ 5:40 pmThe only polls that seem to matter are the ones regarding abortion. The massive overreach by the social conservatives may do more harm to the GOP than Donald Trump. Especially when Donald Trump is making more sense on the subject.
Kevin M (ed969f) — 11/7/2023 @ 10:17 pmI now expect a federal law that will override state abortion bans and put a floor under abortion limits.
Kevin M (ed969f) — 11/7/2023 @ 10:22 pmThe three big stories today.
Paul Montagu (d52d7d) — 11/8/2023 @ 7:10 am1. The fallout from yesterday’s election (Trumpism was basically rejected, except in Mississippi).
2. The debate tonite (where Trump will be one or more of the topics, most likely).
3. Ivanka…
I have to admit that I was surprised when the Court overturned Casey. I had not expected that since we were 50 years on since Roe and THREE generations of women had relied on the availability of abortion during their child-bearing years. Additionally, sexual behavior had become markedly more liberal during that time.
But they did. I am completely unsurprised that turnout by female voters, and their choices at the polls, is being driven by concerns about abortion rights. It may be a moral opinion by some, but to many women these absolute abortion bans (along with “limits” that are effective bans like that 6-week hoop-jumping crap in Florida) seem existential attacks that crosses political lines.
Which is sad, as there were plenty of reasons to limit abortion, but the absolutists and Bible-thumpers have made it so that soon there will be a restoration of Roe by federal statute, along with a Democrat lock on yet another constituency for the next decade or two.
I don’t really blame the Supreme Court, although I expected a less dramatic decisions. What I blame is those who, having God-bothered on this or 50 years, found it necessary to act on their pandering. A fatal overreach that will result in the loss of more than just abortion laws.
Kevin M (ed969f) — 11/8/2023 @ 7:36 amI think most pro-lifers are still resting on their laurels after Dobbs.
Pro-lifers need to really embrace now that the fight is in each of the 50 states.
National pro-lifers need to take a “federalist” position in advocating that abortion laws must be decided state-wide and make no push for any federal abortion laws.
whembly (5f7596) — 11/8/2023 @ 7:52 amAlso, regarding Kentucky Gov race… Beshear is actually somewhat popular and is held in check by Republican congress.
I don’t think it has anything to do with Trump or abortion or anything like that.
The fact that Gov. Beshear didn’t go hard progressive, due to necessity of congress checking him, and that he’s basically a political royalty who did a decent job help him more imo.
whembly (5f7596) — 11/8/2023 @ 7:56 amI think we use the term “congress” only to refer to the federal legislature; in states we say “the legislature.” I’ve only seen it that way,
Sammy Finkelman (c5806b) — 11/8/2023 @ 8:11 amKevin M (ed969f) — 11/7/2023 @ 10:22 pm
Nothing will pass, because a federal law regulating abortion is unconstitutional, although there aare ways to get at it,
Sammy Finkelman (c5806b) — 11/8/2023 @ 8:13 amPro-lifers need to really embrace now that the fight is in each of the 50 states.
No, it is not. It is now federal and they have lost through overreach in those states where politicians had to make good on their pandering.
Kevin M (ed969f) — 11/8/2023 @ 8:17 amNothing will pass, because a federal law regulating abortion is unconstitutional, although there aare ways to get at it,
Just like Obamacare is unconstitutional? Ship, sailed. Abortion “services” are interstate commerce.
Kevin M (ed969f) — 11/8/2023 @ 8:18 amThis also means that DeSantis, Scott and other hard-core “pro-life” candidates are unelectable nationally. In elections that hinge on turnout, having 20% of voters, who otherwise would be split or uninterested, crawling over ground glass to vote against you is fatal.
Kevin M (ed969f) — 11/8/2023 @ 8:22 amBoth Haley and Trump(!) have enough sense to back away from the absolutist positions on abortion.
I think that Haley is in better shape, because she’s female, and because she has made it part of her message that compromise is key — despite heat from the absolutists.
Trump, not being everywoman’s choice already, appointed the swing votes to the Court and will have a hard time overcoming that.
Kevin M (ed969f) — 11/8/2023 @ 8:26 amThe fact that Bashear waited till election day to shut down coal and push the Communist green agenda proves he’s another fraud.
NJRob (fad40b) — 11/8/2023 @ 8:34 amKevin,
the way you talk about Christians is insulting.
Don’t expect pro-life advocates to walk away because society lies to women and tells them the child growing inside them is a clump of cells no different than a tumor.
Need to destroy the leftist indoctrinational system and rebuild from the ground up.
The compromise would be a 12 week limitation, but the Moloch lobby wants to murder the unborn and call it healthcare.
NJRob (fad40b) — 11/8/2023 @ 8:37 amthe way you talk about Christians is insulting.
The way political Christians moralize is insulting.
The compromise would be a 12 week limitation
Thereabouts, but after all the 0-week limits and phony 6-week limits (with 10 weeks of prerequisites), interest has waned. The guy with the flame-thrower can never surrender.
Kevin M (ed969f) — 11/8/2023 @ 8:47 amRob,
You conflate Christians with people who quote the Bible as a political argument. Then you support a man who is neither.
Kevin M (ed969f) — 11/8/2023 @ 8:50 amUnlikely, at least during the current Congress. In fact, pro-life organizations are expecting the opposite:
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 11/8/2023 @ 8:57 amIn fact, pro-life organizations are expecting the opposite
Wish-casting. There has never been more than 25% wanting an abortion ban. But maybe Real Soon Now.
Kevin M (ed969f) — 11/8/2023 @ 9:07 am@154
Yes… it is.
That’s literally what Dobbs did.
There’s ZERO appetite to push a Federal ban of any sort, as pro-lifers can pragmatically understand that you’re not going to get 60+ prolife Senators AND have enough prolife Representative AND have a prolife President.
That’s not the battlespace.
The battlespace is in each of the individual 50 states and it will be a perpetual “fight”.
whembly (5f7596) — 11/8/2023 @ 9:17 amThat’s literally what Dobbs did.
Literally, yes. Actually, no. What it did was release the Kraken, and when several states outlawed abortion entirely other states moved to secure abortion rights against legislative overreach.
When the dust settles Congress will be under immense pressure to override the total bans, as they make life very difficult for many young women, even where there are no laws criminalizing interstate travel to get an abortion.
The problem, whembly, is that all that posturing in the 50 years under Roe turned into actual law. No one really expected to have to perform, and the voters never expected their legislators to act. When posturing became reality, lines got drawn differently than what was expected.
I fully expect that Florida and South Carolina are going to see dramatic Democratic gains in 2024.
Kevin M (ed969f) — 11/8/2023 @ 9:37 amThe battlespace is in each of the individual 50 states and it will be a perpetual “fight”.
It is no longer a “perpetual fight” in Ohio, Kansas or any other state where state constitutions have been amended. They are probably unrepealable, too, due to the “rights ratchet” argument.
Kevin M (ed969f) — 11/8/2023 @ 9:39 am@166
That’s what they said when Roe/Casey was decided.
This isn’t “the end” Kevin… just another front of the same battle.
whembly (5f7596) — 11/8/2023 @ 10:12 amKevin M (ed969f) — 11/8/2023 @ 8:18 am
The first argument
was that healthcare,gov ws never authorized by law. It was countered by what did Congress expect? The truth is that Congress assumed that every state fir pay for a marketplace for budgetary reasons and expected to fix that in the next Congress but the Democrats lost control of the House of Representatives in the 2010 election. There was also the claim that the individual mandate was unconstitutional, but the Supreme Court upheld it by saying it could be construed as a tax and Congress should not be construed so as to have acted unconstitutionally. Forcing states to expand Medicaid was ruled unconstitutional, and the provision severable. Later, in the 2017 tax bill the individual mandate was zeroed out before it could kick in.
I think the second case involved the question of the Obamacare bill not originating in the House of Representatives – or was it something else?
Abortion pills are. Abortion may be taxed but it caan be made illegal by a state
Sammy Finkelman (1430e2) — 11/8/2023 @ 10:16 amIt can still be a political issue in states with a constitution that has a right to abortion or prohibiting its illegalization, and the exact parameters of the constitution are things to fight over.
Sammy Finkelman (1430e2) — 11/8/2023 @ 10:19 amLive thread of Ivanka Trump’s testimony.
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 11/8/2023 @ 10:25 amObamacare was challenged on the mandate, which was found to act similar to a tax and would NOT be a valid regulation of commerce (you cannot generally force people to buy things).
Raich argues that activities that are largely local can be regulated if they are part of a bigger interstate regulatory plan. That is, marijuana is fungible and it’s tough to distinguish local marijuana grown for private use versus marijuana that could enter interstate commerce.
Wickard is looking for aggregation and a substantial effect on interstate commerce.
Lopez argues that the economic activity must have some interstate hook.
That’s getting a little bit closer to federal regulation of abortion. If abortion supplies are all produced locally, then the argument would have to be that leaving it unregulated will substantially affect the interstate travel to acquire abortion. I don’t think that’s a slam dunk. What other medical procedure could Congress similarly regulate? I don’t know.
AJ_Liberty (5f05c3) — 11/8/2023 @ 11:46 amFlashbacks:
Here is the legal argument for federal regulation of abortion under the Commerce Clause, and here is the political argument to do so.
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 11/8/2023 @ 12:20 pmThat’s the truth.
NJRob (fad40b) — 11/8/2023 @ 3:49 pmI take back everything nice I said about Biden and Ukraine.
steveg (ebb759) — 11/8/2023 @ 4:26 pmThe carefully calibrated approach has yielded a stalemate.
They sent 20 ATACM’s which is too little too late.
As far as territory goes, the Russians have almost everything they wanted
He’s now agreed to indefinitely continue the timeouts Israel has been giving the last several days: Every day from 10 am to 2 pm — in order for people to escape the battlefield I think tilll now they were limited partially to one road.
Hamas seems to have been trying to get some key people out or theurfamily membes.
First the list of people allowed to leave Gaza seems to have things wrong with it. Second they trued to smuggle some person (Israel heard) from the Al Shifa hospital (which sits above Hamas’s main military headquarters. Israel bombed that convoy or one of the ambulances last Friday (Hamas uses vehicles marked ambulances for any purpose) Hamas and the hospital claimed some patients ssid to be allowed to be evacuated into Egypt and some medical personnel were killed. Hamas then closed the border Saturday, saying in effect that if they couldn;t smuggle anyone out no one would get out of Gaza. n Monday they relented.
In a separate matter, Israel allowed Jordan to air drop supplies on to a field hospital Jordan has set up in Gaza.
I don’t know how Israel is going to trap the Hamas people protected by the main hospital in Gaza. (efforts to get the hospital to agree to move everyone out have failed) Maybe get close and entomb them? Israel has sown it knows where the entrances to the tunnels are. Israel has a “sponge bomb” that will seal the entrance. Of course to do that they will have to know that none of its own people are in that tunnel.
Sammy Finkelman (1d215a) — 11/9/2023 @ 4:41 pmThe pauses or time outs are more limited than I thought at first, They are restricted in area, and where they apply also only announced 3 hours before, The United States also atempted to provide escape routes out of the city f=of Raqqa in Stria when destroying ISIS,
Sammy Finkelman (10a31d) — 11/10/2023 @ 9:07 am