Patterico's Pontifications

Hello.

Dana (f77190) — 9/20/2024 @ 7:47 am

Mitch Daniels has a suggestion for next year’s summer conferences:

Here’s a proposal for next summer’s program organizers: a conference devoted to preparing a plan for the collapse of the U.S. public debt market and the dollar’s world reserve status — and the economic and social consequences of such an event. With debts already about to surpass the nation’s entire GDP, and adding close to $2 trillion more this year, only a dwindling number of denialists doubt that a cataclysmic reckoning, including double-digit damage to Americans’ income growth, lies ahead. It’s past time to prepare.

An eye-catching, attendance-building title for the conference would come easily: “Preparing for Armageddon”; “Climbing Out of the Ashes”; “The Day the Dollar Died.”

More than one president is responsible for this looming disaster, among them Johnson, Nixon, the Loser, Biden. But only one of those four has six bankruptcies to his personal credit.

It isn’t hard to understand why he — and those he has conned — prefer to talk about immigrants eating pets.

Jim Miller (ca426a) — 9/20/2024 @ 8:02 am

Add the Intelligencer to Tenet Media as a Russian disinformation op, this one involving the infamous George Papadopolous. The Guardian piece is really good reporting and ties a whole bunch of Russian and Russia-friendly characters together. This paragraph caught my attention because it mentioned George Eliason, a pro-Russian troll, who’s a key figure in the Intelligencer operation.

Jennifer Squires, one of the station’s owners, explained in an interview that Intelligencer began as a way for TNT Radio to have a written publication to complement its radio station. To develop the new site, Squires said she turned to George Eliason, an American journalist who has lived in eastern Ukraine for more than 10 years. Eliason, who already had a show on TNT Radio at the time, has formerly appeared on RT and blames Kyiv for the war in Ukraine.

Eliason is no journalist, and it’s doubtful he’s an American. Before I was bounced out of Redstate, Eliason was a contributor there (under a slightly different name) and he wrote several pro-Russian anti-Ukrainian posts. I checked him out and found that he’s a Russian propagandist, contributing at such pro-Russian propaganda sites as The Saker (which is also harshly antisemitic).

IMO, Eliason is a Russian agent (more here). I wrote a post exposing him and, fortunately, streiff had the good sense to kick him out. Unfortunately, I can’t retrieve my exposé on the guy (at Redstate or the shuttered blog, the Forvm).

Russian operative Andreii Derkach, who literally attended a Moscow spy school, is also in the Guardian story. Here’s another paragraph…

Mangiante, along with fellow board member Igor Lopatonok, appears to have parlayed this work into a new documentary about the Hunter Biden laptop saga called Hunter’s Laptop: Requiem for Ukraine. According to social media posts, the documentary premiered on 5 September at the Trump International hotel in Chicago. Eliason wrote the script, which was filmed by Lopatonok, who has frequently collaborated with Oliver Stone on prior anti-Ukrainian documentaries and fawning films of dictators.

So, a Russian propaganda film–given that it was written by a Russian agent and produced by a Russian–on Hunter’s laptop premiered at one of Trump’s hotels. Classic.

As they say, we keep talking about Russia! Russia! Russia! because our enemies keep giving us reason to.

Paul Montagu (062117) — 9/20/2024 @ 8:48 am

To those advocating to vote for Democrats (ie, Harris and down ballots), I think its useful to articulate what exactly you’re voting for:

You’re voting for abortion not only is a constitutional right but one superior to all other rights. The federal government send protesters at abortion clinics to prison for years. Contrast and compare with the catch-and-release of illegal aliens.

You’re voting for liberals should be running the judiciary. President Trump’s appointment — and a Republican Senate’s confirmation — of three justices ended Roe, overturned Chevron and reined in the EPA. Without Trump winning the election, Merrick Garland would be a lifetime justice abusing his power for political purposes and we’d be seeing a more radicle, leftist court for generations.

You’re voting for censorship is constitutional because we must protect butt-hurt feelings and stop people from receiving disinformation — also known as the truth.

You’re voting for the government should be allowed to pay Twitter and other social media sites to block not only disfavored opinions from randos, but also a sitting president’s account to prevent him from communicating directly to the people.

You’re voting for that Elon Musk buying Twitter is bad because no one man should control the flow of information… only the deep state should.

You’re voting for foreign policies that lead to the surrender of Afghanistan, only to be made meaningless in the deaths and maiming of thousands of American soldiers, and desecrated the lives of thousands of U.S. allies.

You’re voting for that we should prioritize and protect the borders of Ukraine but not the borders of our own country.

You’re voting for unfettered illegal migration and it’s untold – unknown human cost.

You’re voting for Israel should stop killing terrorists but Ukraine should fight Russia until the last drop of blood.

You’re voting for that a small town in Ohio should be forced to accept 15,000 immigrants but Martha’s Vineyard should not take in any of the 52 illegal aliens sent there.

You’re voting for that taking out a loan to pay for college (including travel to Europe and elsewhere) and not paying it back constitutes victimhood and deserves to have the loan forgiven.

You’re voting for we should ban gas stoves, as well as gas-powered cars, as well as plastic straws, as well as pipelines, as well as drilling for oil not because of the debunked climate change myth but because the oil industry is too capitalistic for your tastes.

You’re voting for the only way to keep the economy afloat is by fudging unemployment numbers and flooding the nation with money that comes from thin air.

You’re voting for that men should enter the girls’ bathroom, shower with girls in the locker room, and take over girl’s sports.

You’re voting for that boys should be castrated and girls have their breasts removed in the name of transgenderism.

You’re voting for that people should be fired or jailed (or both) for calling a man sir or calling a woman ma’am.

You’re voting for in everything that Hillary, Biden and Kamala believe in because you worked to elect them over Trump.

Now then, as Democrat voters, may deny this. You may say that you’re only doing this to ensure Trump doesn’t win. You may say that you’re a true-to-the-blue believer and vote Democrats above all else. But, in any case, you cannot ignore policies that are advocated by today’s Democrats and handwaive it away because of Trump.

You voted for this.

They’re going to give it good and hard… and I’ll be here to say “I told you so”.

…I say this as I’m preparing myself mentally that Harris is going to win. I simply do not see a way Trump winning. At all.

whembly (477db6) — 9/20/2024 @ 8:58 am

https://www.cnbc.com/2024/09/05/layoffs-jump-in-august-while-hiring-in-2024-is-at-a-historic-low-challenger-reports-shows.html

Layoffs soared in August, hitting their highest total for the month in 15 years, while year-to-date hiring hit the lowest in the 19 years of a Challenger, Gray & Christmas survey.

More news on the economic front that actually affects Americans.

NJRob (9e34b5) — 9/20/2024 @ 9:15 am

Good proposal from Microsoft:

Pennsylvania’s dormant Three Mile Island nuclear plant would be brought back to life to feed the voracious energy needs of Microsoft under an unprecedented deal announced Friday in which the tech giant would buy 100 percent of its power for 20 years.

And from Larry Ellison

Oracle
chairman and co-founder Larry Ellison had a “bizarre” announcement to make this week.

The electricity demand from artificial intelligence is becoming so “crazy” that Oracle is looking to secure power from next-generation nuclear technology, Ellison told investors on the company’s earnings call Monday.

“Let me say something that’s going to sound really bizarre,” Ellison told analysts. “Well, you’d probably say, well, he says bizarre things all the time, so why is he announcing this one. It must be really bizarre.”

Oracle is designing a data center that will require more than a gigawatt of electricity, the company’s chairman said. The data center would be powered by three small nuclear reactors, he added.

For decades, I have been saying that, if you think global warming is a problem — and can do arithmetic — you will favor increased nuclear power. The increased demands for data centers only strengthens my argument.

But then I have always favored more power for the people.

Jim Miller (ca426a) — 9/20/2024 @ 9:28 am

Kamala is going to win North Carolina, 16 electoral votes, thanks to Trump-endorsed Mark Robinson, the epitome of MAGA morals, who didn’t withdraw and who’s name is indelibly etched on the November ballot, and that flip is going to change the electoral vote dynamics.
A win in PA for Kamala and it’s game over for the Chief MAGA Immoral.

Paul Montagu (062117) — 9/20/2024 @ 9:35 am

Jim, awesome news about Microsoft and nucular.

Paul Montagu (062117) — 9/20/2024 @ 9:36 am

Trump is only up by 0.1 in NC.

On another note, Elon is either a witting or unwitting Russian troll.

Looks like Elon Musk — at least 60 times — amplified content from Tenet Media, the now-defunct Tennessee-based right-wing media outlet funded covertly by Russia Today.

Paul Montagu (062117) — 9/20/2024 @ 9:42 am

Kamala is going to win North Carolina, 16 electoral votes, thanks to Trump-endorsed Mark Robinson, the epitome of MAGA morals, who didn’t withdraw and who’s name is indelibly etched on the November ballot, and that flip is going to change the electoral vote dynamics.

That CNN dropped their bomb on the eve of ballot finality says a lot about CNN. As for not being able to change candidates, a judge in NJ waived such laws when the Democrat Senate candidate dropped out late.

Kevin M (a9545f) — 9/20/2024 @ 9:52 am

My stock answer, Kevin, is that I question the timing of those who question the timing.

Paul Montagu (062117) — 9/20/2024 @ 9:54 am

Tomorrow’s news today:

Look for an outcry among some Medicare recipients over the large changes Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act made in the Part D (prescription drug) part of the program. It essentially caps costs for those who use a lot of expensive drugs (at $2000 OOP/year), but to make it work the plans (all offered by private companies) will have much higher premiums and copays. Those that use few, cheap, or no prescription drugs will pay much more than they did.

The way the system works you CAN opt out of prescription coverage, but will pay a huge penalty if you ever want back in. So healthy people get a placeholder plan for a few dollars a month to avoid that. Those cheap plans are going away. My wife just got a notice that her modest plan’s premium will triple next year.

Kevin M (a9545f) — 9/20/2024 @ 10:00 am

My stock answer, Kevin, is that I question the timing of those who question the timing.

Cute, however nonsensical.

Kevin M (a9545f) — 9/20/2024 @ 10:00 am

https://nypost.com/2024/09/19/us-news/another-biden-harris-border-official-alleges-cover-up-of-migrant-crisis/

The former Border Patrol official responsible for securing nearly 1,000 miles of America’s frontier has charged that the Biden-Harris administration intentionally covered up the ongoing migrant crisis.

Ex-San Diego Sector Chief Agent Aaron Heitke told members of the House Homeland Security Committee on Wednesday that the White House repeatedly tried to “quiet the border-wide crisis” by shielding information from the press and concealing crossings by dangerous migrants with terror ties.

“I had to release illegal aliens by the hundreds each day into communities who could not support them,” testified Heitke, who retired in summer 2023 and appeared voluntarily before the panel.
…
The chief agent also was barred from discussing the alarming spike in border crossings by so-called “Special Interest Aliens,” or SIAs, who were suspected of posing national security concerns based on their country of origin or ties to terror groups.

Before Biden and Harris took office, Heitke said, the San Diego sector “averaged 10 to 15 SIA arrests per year,” but that rose to “to over 100 SIAs in 2022, well over that in 2023, and even more than that registered this year.”

“These are only the ones we caught,” he added, with more than 1.7 million known “gotaways” whose terror affiliations or risks remain unknown having also entered the US without being apprehended.

Allowing an invasion and intentionally covering up and hiding the damage.

NJRob (9e34b5) — 9/20/2024 @ 10:07 am

Cute, however nonsensical.

Which is my point about timing questioners. It’s really a hangover from all the left-wingers who did this from my old blog haunts.

Paul Montagu (062117) — 9/20/2024 @ 10:11 am

Like Mark Robinson hasn’t had bombshell’s littering his campaign on a weekly basis. Two weeks ago it was that he liked to bring pizza to the porn store. Before that it was everything he said every day. Hence, he’s been behind in NC since day one, and will be the reason Trump loses NC. Well, that and Trump is also monumentally stupid too.

If there is anyone that is more Trump than Trump it’s him. Trump actually has a sick-o-fant that would be a worse public servant than him.

Colonel Klink (ret) (96f56a) — 9/20/2024 @ 10:12 am

Medicare will also be covering some weight-loss drugs for people with co-morbidities

“We estimate that roughly 1 in 4 Medicare beneficiaries with obesity or who are overweight could be eligible for Wegovy to reduce the risk of serious heart disease,” Neuman says. “On the one hand, Wegovy is likely to be subject to relatively high cost-sharing because of its high price, but on the other hand, Part D enrollees who take these drugs will benefit from having the new $2,000 cap on their drug expenses.”

Good recap of the changes

https://www.aarp.org/health/medicare-insurance/info-2024/medicare-changes-coming-in-2025.html.

Kevin M (a9545f) — 9/20/2024 @ 10:15 am

The thing is, “I am a Black Nazi” and his remarks about the Holocaust aren’t new. He’s about as contemptible as the GOP nominee who endorsed him.

Paul Montagu (062117) — 9/20/2024 @ 10:16 am

Which is my point about timing questioners.

So, you assert that the timing was just coincidence and not political gamesmanship? Rather credulous that.

Kevin M (a9545f) — 9/20/2024 @ 10:16 am

This isn’t to say that Robinson is someone I could vote for, but the ends do not justify the means.

Kevin M (a9545f) — 9/20/2024 @ 10:17 am

Mark Robinson’s Nazi bombshell this week, as it was reported a year ago.

Or 3 1/2 years ago.

Colonel Klink (ret) (96f56a) — 9/20/2024 @ 10:29 am

So, you assert that the timing was just coincidence and not political gamesmanship?

I think it’s overplayed and most times a lazy excuse, present company excepted.
There was already a lot of damaging information on Robinson that’s been out there for a long time but, like with Herschel, the guy got Trump’s stamp of approval, and it could cost the Trump the presidency, given his razor-thin lead in NC.
It wouldn’t be the first time Trump stepped on his own tiny d!ck and sabotaged or self-sabotaged a campaign.

Paul Montagu (062117) — 9/20/2024 @ 10:46 am

So… folks are trying to tell me that Mark Robinson said racist things 20 years ago after spending the last 20 years that it’s scientifically impossible for black people to be racists.

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

whembly (477db6) — 9/20/2024 @ 11:00 am

And today, and yesterday, and the day before that…

Are you claiming being a Nazi is a recoverable political failing?

Racist, sexist, anti semitic, pro slavery, just in the last 3 months. At what point do you believe these statements age out?

Colonel Klink (ret) (96f56a) — 9/20/2024 @ 11:09 am

Yet another moby posing as a Republican candidate. More evidence that Trump is a Democrat plant.

Kevin M (a9545f) — 9/20/2024 @ 11:23 am

https://x.com/monicacrowley/status/1837176662624006562?s=12&t=LbMzhpSB3yC2zvXzo7p_lA

Not that it matters to some of you, but this investigation shows that the J6 committee was a crock of sh!t and everyone advocating for that committee should be ashamed.

Classic “end justifies the means” and burying the truth.

whembly (477db6) — 9/20/2024 @ 11:28 am

Citation:
https://cha.house.gov/2024/9/transcripts-show-president-trump-s-directives-to-pentagon-leadership-to-keep-january-6-safe-were-deliberately-ignored

whembly (477db6) — 9/20/2024 @ 11:38 am

That CNN dropped their bomb on the eve of ballot finality says a lot about CNN. As for not being able to change candidates, a judge in NJ waived such laws when the Democrat Senate candidate dropped out late.

Kevin M (a9545f) — 9/20/2024 @ 9:52 am

As a game changing event in the governor’s race it’s pretty weak sauce-Stein has been leading the race since July, and it’s only has been getting wider; Stein now is +11 over Robinson. The only political benefit is to Harris, since Trump has tied himself to Robinson.

Hopefully a NC judge will show more fidelity to the law than a NJ judge.

Rip Murdock (a412b5) — 9/20/2024 @ 12:05 pm

When the Saving Democracy party is so busy saving democracy, mistakes are bound to happen.

Paperwork Mix-Up By Nevada Democrat Leads To Green Party Candidate Being Left Off Swing-State Ballot

The Supreme Court upheld the Nevada Supreme Court’s ruling Friday blocking Green Party candidate Jill Stein from appearing on the state’s ballot for the 2024 presidential election.

The Democratic Party originally sued to remove the Green Party from the presidential ballot for paperwork violations. They alleged that the Green Party included inappropriate language on its signature ballot petition making the signatures on that document void.

“The anti-democratic party has just gone on the attack,” Stein said. “The Green Party in Nevada and volunteers in Nevada collected 30,000 signatures, incredible, 30,000 signatures in Nevada, three times the number of signatures that’s required in the state.”

A state court ruled against the Democratic Party originally. The case then went to the Nevada Supreme Court, which found that the Nevada secretary of state’s office sent the Green Party the wrong paperwork, calling it “an unfortunate mistake.” The court also ruled that removing Stein’s name due to the error would not violate the Constitution.

Nevada’s secretary of state is Cisco Aguilar, a Democrat touted as an “election defender” by Time Magazine for championing a bill making it a felony to dox or “harass” election poll workers.

lloyd (3c82f3) — 9/20/2024 @ 12:31 pm

Paul Montagu (062117) — 9/20/2024 @ 9:35 am

Kamala is going to win North Carolina, 16 electoral votes, thanks to Trump-endorsed Mark Robinson, the epitome of MAGA morals, who didn’t withdraw and who’s name is indelibly etched on the November ballot, and that flip is going to change the electoral vote dynamics.

I don’t think so.

There is very little of a coattails, or reverse coattails effect these days, and Mark Robinson was going to lose anyway (probably because a person’s deficiencies comes through in many ways)

https://www.newsweek.com/josh-stein-chances-beating-mark-robinson-polls-1956683

b> Stein has held the lead for weeks in the race against Cooper,[sic *] including in a poll released Thursday by Emerson College and The Hill, which found that 48 percent of likely voters support the Democrat.

In comparison, Robison earned 40 percent of likely voters’ support, while 10 percent of the 1,000 respondents said they were undecided. The poll has a margin of error of 3 percentage points and was conducted between September 15 and 18.

* Should be “to succeed Cooper” or “against Robinson.”

Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09) — 9/20/2024 @ 12:32 pm

Or see here:

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2024/09/19/mark-robinson-polls-north-carolina-governor-election/75298484007

Polling from the last couple of weeks shows Robinson falling behind Stein. At times he has been polling more than 10 points behind the Democratic candidate

Of course Robinson could lose by a landslide, instead of just losing, but there have been 20 point differences between a Presidential and a Senatorial or Gubernatorial candidate on the same ticket before.

Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09) — 9/20/2024 @ 12:36 pm

Breaking: Rashida Tlaib Uninjured After Her Pager Mysteriously Explodes.

lloyd (3c82f3) — 9/20/2024 @ 12:36 pm

6. There may be power blackouts in Pennsylvania and other places in the future, thanks to foolish anti-climate-change policy, but Microsoft will get its electricity.

Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09) — 9/20/2024 @ 12:48 pm

I don’t trust a tiny excerpt from a partisan House committee that has previously misrepresented the J6 riots. I’ll await the full transcript.

Paul Montagu (062117) — 9/20/2024 @ 12:54 pm

Paul, if you look at the linked transcripts, the comments shown don’t seem to exist. Of course, they could be the redacted parts, but that would call into question why they redacted them, then clipped out of them.

Colonel Klink (ret) (96f56a) — 9/20/2024 @ 12:59 pm

@32 Lloyd that one made me laugh! Thank you for sharing.

Time123 (7ec2ae) — 9/20/2024 @ 1:00 pm

32.That;sthe Babylon Bee. People in Lebanon are afraid but if their electronic device has no connection to Hezbollah there should be danger.

The pagers were probably manufactured in Israel and their origin disguised. Not just tampered with but entirely manufactured. They weren’t made in Taiwan and they weren’t made in Hungary.

Some other harmless ones were sold to maintain cover.

Israel has good spies in Iran. Not so in some other places.

Some people wonder what’s the denouement here. Does Israel have a strategy?

Netanyahu seems to have rejected the two strategies proposed to end the Hezbollah war.

1) Settle the Gaza war on any terms Israel can get, and Hezbollah will automatically stop firing rockets at Israel also.

OR

2) Invade Lebanon, and take the risk of Iran throwing everything it’s got against Israel.

Now Netanyahu likes special operations, but it’s not clear if he has any better idea than hoping that Hezbollah will decide it’s deterred from further war and war crimes.

Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09) — 9/20/2024 @ 1:03 pm

Mark Robinson was an exploding pager planted by Trump as an object lesson to regular Republicans. “Give me all your loving, all your hugs and kisses too, or MAGA will elect a pile of pigsh!t in your primary, and I REALLY DON’T CARE if a Democrat takes the seat in the general. DO U?”

nk (b4cf5d) — 9/20/2024 @ 1:04 pm

The whole world should be afraid. If Israel can (as in has the ability to do so) do this to Hezbollah, how safe are we with our “supply chain” remote devices?

Will WWIII start not with Chinese ICBMs falling on our cities but with iPhones exploding in our faces? Alexa, will you warn me before my refrigerator blows up?

nk (b4cf5d) — 9/20/2024 @ 1:10 pm

@26, Whembly, can you help me understand what conclusion by the J6 committee that testimony refutes?

Time123 (7ec2ae) — 9/20/2024 @ 1:11 pm

nk, I think we’re way overdue for a remake of Maximum Overdrive (but keep the AC/DC soundtrack), with all the modern technology to make it convincing that my riding lawn mower is going to become self-aware and run me over.

Paul Montagu (062117) — 9/20/2024 @ 1:14 pm

Look, the Senate report revealed that there was a mysterious change in the intelligence assessment by the Capitol Police to say there was no danger and that even the rally at the Ellipse might not happen.

See page 45 here:

https://www.hsgac.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/HSGAC&RulesFullReport_ExaminingU.S.CapitolAttack.pdf

…In the days following the issuance of the January 3 Special Assessment, IICD issued three DIRs—none of which reflected the likelihood of violence described in the January 3 Special Assessment or more broadly known within IICD. In fact, the January 4, January 5, and January 6 DIRs assessed the probability of acts of civil disobedience from the planned protests across all of Washington, D.C. as “Remote” to “Improbable.”261 Regarding a “Million MAGA March/US Capitol,” the report assigned a probability of “Improbable,” adding as context, “it [is]
possible the Million Magi [sic] March folks could organize a demonstration on USCP grounds.
Women for America First has permitted on USCP grounds and Freedom Plaza parade permit
through MPD and has been the permitted portion of previous Million MAGA Marches.”262 The
Stop the Steal event was assigned a probability of “Highly Improbable” given that “no further information has been found to the exact actions planned by this group.”263 The Women for America First event planned for the Ellipse also received a “Highly Improbable” rating, but the report contained no explanation or context as to why this rating was assigned.264

But where the House Jan 6 committee really misrepresented things was in avoiding any mention of what Donald Trump’s real plans for the say were, which were undercut by the riot.

Not that those plans were going any place anyway.

He was not going to get both Houses, or even one House of Congress {a favorable to him ruling by Pence might have flipped the default} to reject the Electoral votes of Arizona [11] Georgia [16] Michigan [16] Nevada [6] Pennsylvania [20] and Wisconsin [10] with one possible result being the turning of a 232-306 defeat into a 232-227 victory, if Congress also decided that a majority of the Electoral votes counted was enough to elect a president.

Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09) — 9/20/2024 @ 1:21 pm

It would have been a historical anomaly if Robinson became governor of North Carolina anyway. Since 1851, there have been only seven Republicans elected governor.

Rip Murdock (a412b5) — 9/20/2024 @ 1:30 pm

Good one lloyd

“but this investigation shows that the J6 committee was a crock of sh!t and everyone advocating for that committee should be ashamed”

Bad one whembly. Trump got the faithful to come to DC, stirred them up, then watched as they pummeled, bear sprayed, and push their way through police. All in an effort to disrupt the vote counting and confront Nancy Pelosi and Mike Pence over their betrayal. There’s not a lot of confusion about this. Trolling us over it is unbecoming.

AJ_Liberty (5f05c3) — 9/20/2024 @ 1:31 pm

Mark Robinson was an exploding pager planted by Trump as an object lesson to regular Republicans.

👍

Rip Murdock (a412b5) — 9/20/2024 @ 1:32 pm

I say this as I’m preparing myself mentally that Harris is going to win. I simply do not see a way Trump winning. At all.

whembly (477db6) — 9/20/2024 @ 8:58 am

Crocodile tears.

Rip Murdock (a412b5) — 9/20/2024 @ 1:35 pm

Paul, if you look at the linked transcripts, the comments shown don’t seem to exist.

Correct, Klink.
In the download they presented, Milley said nothing of the sort, in either quote. I also searched through Milley’s 11-17-2021 transcript and same deal. I really don’t trust these House MAGA motherf–kers.

Paul Montagu (062117) — 9/20/2024 @ 1:35 pm

Hopefully a NC judge will show more fidelity to the law than a NJ judge.

It’s been my experience that judges show deference to the majority party in situations like these.

Kevin M (a9545f) — 9/20/2024 @ 1:37 pm

Will WWIII start not with Chinese ICBMs falling on our cities but with iPhones exploding in our faces? Alexa, will you warn me before my refrigerator blows up?

I suspect that Amazon Web Services’ supply chains got a memo yesterday about “Know Your Vendor.”

Kevin M (a9545f) — 9/20/2024 @ 1:41 pm

Kowtowing to the wokesters:

North Carolina Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson will not speak or appear at former President Donald Trump ‘s rally on Saturday in the eastern part of his state following a CNN report about his alleged posts on a pornography website’s message board, two people familiar with the matter said Friday.

Robinson is not expected to attend the event in Wilmington, according to a person on the Trump campaign and a second person familiar with the matter who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal planning.

Robinson has been a frequent presence at Trump’s North Carolina campaign stops. The Republican nominee has referred to Robinson, who is Black, as “Martin Luther King on steroids” and long praised him. But in the wake of Thursday’s CNN report, the Trump campaign issued a statement that didn’t mention Robinson and instead spoke generally about how North Carolina was key to the campaign’s efforts.
……………

It’s hard to believe that the Trump campaign didn’t originally invite “Martin Luther King on steroids” to the rally (at least until yesterday.)

Rip Murdock (a412b5) — 9/20/2024 @ 1:43 pm

It would have been a historical anomaly if Robinson became governor of North Carolina anyway. Since 1851, there have been only seven Republicans elected governor.

Since the end of Reconstruction there have been 26 Democrats, 4 Republicans and one Baptist.

Kevin M (a9545f) — 9/20/2024 @ 1:45 pm

“Martin Luther King on steroids”

Small testicles and mentally impaired.

Kevin M (a9545f) — 9/20/2024 @ 1:46 pm

It’s been my experience that judges show deference to the majority party in situations like these.

Kevin M (a9545f) — 9/20/2024 @ 1:37 pm

Why should the NC Republican Party disenfranchise their own voters? In any event, Robinson seems the type to dig in and not be a quitter.

Rip Murdock (a412b5) — 9/20/2024 @ 1:46 pm

Since the end of Reconstruction there have been 26 Democrats, 4 Republicans and one Baptist.

Kevin M (a9545f) — 9/20/2024 @ 1:45 pm

Your point?

Rip Murdock (a412b5) — 9/20/2024 @ 1:48 pm

Given the facts on MLK’s personal life and associations, I’m not sure why a Republican candidate would want to be compared with him.

Rip Murdock (a412b5) — 9/20/2024 @ 1:49 pm

Poll shows Colin Allred beating Ted Cruz in November

For the first time in their hotly contested campaign, a poll shows U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, trailing challenger U.S. Rep. Colin Allred.

The Morning Consult poll, conducted between Sept. 9 and 18, places Allred — a moderate North Texas Democrat — a point ahead of Cruz with likely voters, 45% to 44%. Allred’s lead is within the poll’s margin of error, however.

Cruz is running for a third term in the Senate after narrowly defeating former El Paso Congressman Beto O’Rourke in a closely watched 2018 race.

However, this time around, he’s been targeted by Democratic groups, who consider his seat one of the most flippable in the Senate. He’s also running with additional baggage, including taking a family trip to Cancun while hundreds of Texans died in Winter Storm Uri, one of state’s worst natural disasters.

Cruz losing would mean Democrat control of the Senate.

Kevin M (a9545f) — 9/20/2024 @ 1:50 pm

Given the facts on MLK’s personal life and associations, I’m not sure why a Republican candidate would want to be compared with him.

Washington, Jefferson and Lincoln had faults, too.

Kevin M (a9545f) — 9/20/2024 @ 1:51 pm

@40

@26, Whembly, can you help me understand what conclusion by the J6 committee that testimony refutes?

Time123 (7ec2ae) — 9/20/2024 @ 1:11 pm

Simply stated:
-the framing the J6 committee was such that to lie that Trump was the reason why security was so light.

-that Trump wanted more security there, including NG, waaay before j6 should forevermore kill the idea that Trump wanted the violence/riot that happened on j6.

-the DoD IG investigation was flawed.

-in short: it proves, once again, that democrats will willfully deprive the facts of the day in order to present a technically accurate “snippet” that “create stories” that can be distorted into their preferred shape. THAT is the outcome when you don’t have a bipartisan committee, and why any mono-partisan committees ought to be considered with hefty skeptictism and scrutiny.

whembly (477db6) — 9/20/2024 @ 1:53 pm

Will WWIII start not with Chinese ICBMs falling on our cities but with iPhones exploding in our faces?

The Biden Administration seems to be afraid of things spiraling out of control both with the Middle East and with Russia/

Trump, in the debate and also yesterday, seems to be saying that if Kamala Harris is elected president, she will so mismanage things (he actually says do it on purpose because he can’t avoid “strengthening” his point) so as to cause the destruction of Israel (and more)

https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/harris-trump-presidential-debate-transcript/story?id=113560542

… She hates Israel. If she’s president, I believe that Israel will not exist within two years from now. And I’ve been pretty good at predictions. And I hope I’m wrong about that one. She hates Israel. At the same time in her own way she hates the Arab population because the whole place is going to get blown up, Arabs, Jewish people, Israel. Israel will be gone…

He said it again yesterday:

https://www.newser.com/story/356602/trump-jews-would-have-a-lot-to-do-with-it-if-he-loses.html

At the second event before the IAC, Trump said that American Jews who voted “for the enemy” (i.e., Democrats) would be responsible for bringing on Israel’s destruction if he’s not elected in November

This is not entirely crazy, even if it is self-serving. (but he doesn’t have good advice – he advises that Israel finish its war fast)

Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09) — 9/20/2024 @ 1:53 pm

@46

I say this as I’m preparing myself mentally that Harris is going to win. I simply do not see a way Trump winning. At all.

whembly (477db6) — 9/20/2024 @ 8:58 am

Crocodile tears.

Rip Murdock (a412b5) — 9/20/2024 @ 1:35 pm

Don’t be a d!ck Rip.

whembly (477db6) — 9/20/2024 @ 1:54 pm

@47

Correct, Klink.
In the download they presented, Milley said nothing of the sort, in either quote. I also searched through Milley’s 11-17-2021 transcript and same deal. I really don’t trust these House MAGA motherf–kers.

Paul Montagu (062117) — 9/20/2024 @ 1:35 pm

Nothing stopping Milly from issuing any denials.

whembly (477db6) — 9/20/2024 @ 1:55 pm

Cruz losing would mean Democrat control of the Senate.

Kevin M (a9545f) — 9/20/2024 @ 1:50 pm

Not gonna happen. All the stars would need to align for Allred to win. My prediction is that Cruz wins by less than 5%, but a win is still a win. The only way for Allred to win is having Harris win Texas, that won’t happen (Trump +6). Harris won’t waste any time or money campaigning in Texas.

Rip Murdock (a412b5) — 9/20/2024 @ 1:56 pm

What Trump alluded to is not nonsense.

The peril is as follows:

Iran wants there to be no finish to this war. They want to use their nuclear bomb, when it’s ready, and they need an ongoing pre-existing war to have the best chances of getting away with it.

It depends on whether the Ayatollah takes the advice that’s coming to him from China.

So far he’s a bit cautious.

What advice do I think China has been giving Iran?

There’s a well known school of thought in China’s Peoples Liberation Army that Ronald Reagan was wrong when he said that “a nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought” and that a nuclear war can be fought successfully. If the Ayatollah didn’t think it might be so, he would not have devoted so much effort on creating a supply of highly enriched uranium.

Now the only thing is, China’s President Xi is not so certain that the advocates of actually using a nuclear bomb, or converting a Chinese threat to use it into something more than a paper tiger, are right.

So one aim of China’s foreign policy is to induce some other country to go first. To be the guinea pig.

There should be no question that China has been doing its level best to keep this war going even mediating between Hamas and Fatah.

An ongoing war presents the best chances for Iran to get away with the use of a nuclear bomb (or for a retaliation to be denounced which, from a Chinese point of view, although not an Iranian one, is almost just as good. Both put an end to the philosophy of nuclear deterrence

Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09) — 9/20/2024 @ 1:57 pm

whembly (477db6) — 9/20/2024 @ 1:54 pm

I just don’t believe you’re sincere in your prediction that Trump will lose.

Rip Murdock (a412b5) — 9/20/2024 @ 1:57 pm

Trump actually claims he can win New York.

Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09) — 9/20/2024 @ 1:58 pm

whembly (477db6) — 9/20/2024 @ 1:54 pm

Make the case that Trump will lose. The evidence really isn’t there.

Rip Murdock (a412b5) — 9/20/2024 @ 1:59 pm

They want to use their nuclear bomb, when it’s ready, and they need an ongoing pre-existing war to have the best chances of getting away with it.

National suicide. Israel will respond with 1 megaton bombs on a grid with 50-mile centers.

Kevin M (a9545f) — 9/20/2024 @ 2:01 pm

“If somebody breaks into my house, they’re getting shot,” she said, laughing.

By the Secret Service!

Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09) — 9/20/2024 @ 2:01 pm

There’s a well known school of thought in China’s Peoples Liberation Army that Ronald Reagan was wrong when he said that “a nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought” and that a nuclear war can be fought successfully.

There are people (and countries) around the world (including the US) that believe that, or they wouldn’t be building massive nuclear arsenals.

Rip Murdock (a412b5) — 9/20/2024 @ 2:08 pm

Israel will respond with 1 megaton bombs on a grid with 50-mile centers.

Almost as good from the Chinese point of view, if the United States intervenes diplomatically to prevent that, warning that Iran has more atom bombs, and also swears never to do such a thing itself, meanwhile imposing total sanctions on Iran and promises relief for Israel.

And the United Nations Security Council passes a unanimous resolution against and calls for a ceasefire in the nuclear war.

As I said, I don’t think the Ayatollah is quite convinced by what I think are the Chinese arguments, but his policy is to keep this war against Israel going in the meantime.

There’s a reason so many Iranians seem to helping Israel try to deter Iran.

Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09) — 9/20/2024 @ 2:12 pm

For asset:

The Green Party will not be on the Nevada ballot. The filed enough valid signatures, but they filed an affidavit that the SecState’s office sent them, and it was the wrong affidavit. Failing to file the correct affidavit disqualified them. USSC declined to review.

https://www.scotusblog.com/2024/09/supreme-court-rejects-green-party-bid-to-appear-on-2024-nevada-ballot/

Kevin M (a9545f) — 9/20/2024 @ 2:13 pm

First we got the bomb and that was good,
‘Cause we love peace and motherhood.
Then Russia got the bomb, but that’s O.K.,
‘Cause the balance of power’s maintained that way!
Who’s next?

France got the bomb, but don’t you grieve,
‘Cause they’re on our side (I believe).
China got the bomb, but have no fearst
They can’t wipe us out for at least five years!
Who’s next?

Then Indonesia claimed that they
Were gonna get one any day.
South Africa wants two, that’s right:
One for the black and one for the white!
Who’s next?

Egypt’s gonna get one, too,
Just to use on you know who.
So Israel’s getting tense,
Wants one in self defense.
“The Lord’s our shepherd, ” says the psalm,
But just in case, we better get a bomb!
Who’s next?

Luxembourg is next to go
And, who knows, maybe Monaco.
We’ll try to stay serene and calm
When Alabama gets the bomb!
Who’s next, who’s next, who’s next?

Who’s next?

Kevin M (a9545f) — 9/20/2024 @ 2:17 pm

@66

Make the case that Trump will lose. The evidence really isn’t there.

Rip Murdock (a412b5) — 9/20/2024 @ 1:59 pm

Apologies for being cranky.

The evidence was that strong either for Biden to win in 2020.

He won on a basement campaign that the Harris campaign is largely following. She can win, and easily.

whembly (477db6) — 9/20/2024 @ 2:18 pm

@65

Trump actually claims he can win New York.

Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09) — 9/20/2024 @ 1:58 pm

Yeah… no. Not even close.

It’d be BIG news if he was within 5-10%… but no, it’s not possible.

whembly (477db6) — 9/20/2024 @ 2:19 pm

This recent WAPO column gives one more reason for thinking Harris will win:

An AP-NORC poll released Thursday showed voters said by double digits (38-28) that they expect Harris to win. That’s reversed from shortly after her entry into the race in late July, when voters said by double digits (56-42) that Trump would win.

An Economist-YouGov poll released Wednesday showed much the same thing. Voters by double digits (42-32) expected Harris to win, after saying so by just three points in YouGov polling last month and saying by 19 points that Trump would win back in July.
…
A 2012 paper from economists David Rothschild of Microsoft Research and Justin Wolfers of the University of Michigan actually found that this question was more predictive of election outcomes than polls of voting intent.

Looking at 60 years of state polls that asked such questions, it found that the presidential candidates people expected to win won those states 81 percent of the time, while the polling leaders won 69 percent of the time.

(Links omitted.)

For the record: I have not read the paper, and am still thinking about the arguments in the column. But, if you are, in any way, betting on the outcome, you should think about them, seriously.

Jim Miller (ca426a) — 9/20/2024 @ 2:26 pm

The problem with the Secret Service is simple.

First, what they do as become routine. They don’t think any more.

Second, the weakness they don’t guard against enough is a rifle at a distance. This was also a problem in 1963. President Kennedy remarked on it and was fatalistic.

Third, the Secret Service is very good – in fact overprotective, within the perimeter of protection.

Fourth anything outside of it is an afterthought and not planned for seriously.

Fifth,one element ofprotection is awould be assassin not knowing where a protectee would be.

This did not apply in Butler, Pennsylvania where a rally was announced a week and a half in advance giving a would be assassin time and opportunity to plan how to avoid scrutiny.

And also did not apply in the case of the golf course, where Trump regularly went on Sundays when he was nearby – but it never was put on his schedule where the Secret Service was notified nor was it included in the areas permanently protected like his dwelling place.

Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09) — 9/20/2024 @ 2:28 pm

Jim Miller (ca426a) — 9/20/2024 @ 2:26

I have not read the paper, and am still thinking about the arguments in the column.

It make sense, as a general rule.

It’s like guessing the weight of an ox, or the number of jelly beans in a jar.

A poll of how people THINK an election will go is better than a poll of voters. Maybe it avoids response bias.

Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09) — 9/20/2024 @ 2:33 pm

The Morning Consult poll, conducted between Sept. 9 and 18, places Allred — a moderate North Texas Democrat — a point ahead of Cruz with likely voters, 45% to 44%. Allred’s lead is within the poll’s margin of error, however.

Cruz losing would mean Democrat control of the Senate.

Kevin M (a9545f) — 9/20/2024 @ 1:50 pm

And if that moderate North Texas Democrat turns out to be another Joe Manchin or Kyrsten Sinema, I’m fine with it.

norcal (01a0ae) — 9/20/2024 @ 2:38 pm

Pamela Paul’s column in today’s New York Times:

Doctors are wrong but many don’t want to admit they are wrong especially the regulators or the medical establishment because they want to maintain their credibility.

Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09) — 9/20/2024 @ 2:39 pm

I just love the pandermonium on offer from Trump. A 10% cap on credit card interest is neither conservative nor capitalist.

Trump is amoral. He would become a socialist if he thought it would earn him votes.

norcal (01a0ae) — 9/20/2024 @ 2:43 pm

The whole political landscape is a nightmare. Maybe extraterrestrials have sprinkled some mind virus over Earth to keep us bottled up here.

I mean, BHO says that marriage is defined as between a man and a woman. Four years later, without a hiccough, he changes his tune.

I really think that each “party” should define themselves. Each politician should define themselves. And each of us needs to define our ethos.

But the pressure to do a drug addled limbo in response to what social media bleats is seemingly overwhelming.

For the SF fans among us, remember “The Screwfly Solution,” by Racoona Sheldom (aka Alice Sheldon, also known as James Tiptree, Jr.)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Screwfly_Solution

Now look around. Kind of scary, isn’t it?

Simon Jester (0a8d58) — 9/20/2024 @ 2:53 pm

A 10 percent cap on credit card interest would make credit harder to get for millions. (Which might be good for many of them, but is not a free market solution.)

(Not that I am a fan of current systems. For example, I use a bank credit card far more purchases than I would otherwise because the bank offers me cash back on most purchases. Since I pay the card off every month, in effect they are paying me to borrow from them. Which is weird, to say the least.)

Jim Miller (ca426a) — 9/20/2024 @ 3:01 pm

A win by Harris would be another historic anomaly; of the 49 VPs, 29 sought their party’s nomination for president, and only ten have been successful. Two (Truman and LBJ) essentially ran as incumbents as they became President upon the death of FDR and JFK respectively. And another pair (Nixon and Biden) weren’t elected until several years after their VP terms.

From a historic perspective, the odds of Harris being elected are actually quite long.

Rip Murdock (a412b5) — 9/20/2024 @ 3:12 pm

Jim Miller (ca426a) — 9/20/2024 @ 3:01 pm

Likewise, a steep tax on soda would be good for many, many people, but it’s anti-freedom and anti-capitalist.

I also use a credit card because of the cash back (and the convenience). I’ve never carried a balance. Balance-carrying is for suckers, as is soda-guzzling.

norcal (01a0ae) — 9/20/2024 @ 3:31 pm

From a historic perspective, the odds of Harris being elected are actually quite long.

Rip Murdock (a412b5) — 9/20/2024 @ 3:12 pm

Long, but not unprecedented. On the other hand, we’ve never had a President try to pressure his VP into overturning an election.

norcal (01a0ae) — 9/20/2024 @ 3:35 pm

https://legalinsurrection.com/2024/09/158-democrats-oppose-bill-deporting-noncitizens-convicted-of-sex-crimes/

158 Democrats voted against a bill that would ensure “aliens who have been convicted of or who have committed sex offenses or domestic violence are inadmissible and deportable.”

Keep voting Democrat.

NJRob (9e34b5) — 9/20/2024 @ 3:37 pm

1st and 5th news items; and whembly (477db6) — 9/20/2024 @ 8:58 am:

If Trump loses the election, it won’t be because of Taylor Swift, “the Jews”, or any love for Kamala Harris’s policies. As Karl Rove pointed out this week in a WSJ op-ed, it will be because of Donald Trump himself:

………..
………….. Every day (Trump) focused on them—and on calling (Harris) a “Marxist, communist fascist” without concrete evidence—he neglected topics where he could inflict damage. He effectively buries what criticism he does make of her and Mr. Biden’s performance on the issues under mountains of minutiae and over-the-top rhetoric. If he pairs brief criticism on important points in a rally with a prolonged focus on weird things, what will get coverage? Weird every time.
…………..
Few presidential candidates have had a better environment to run in than Mr. Trump. Voters are in a foul mood. The incumbent administration is historically unpopular and there’s a tremendous yearning for change. All these points give Mr. Trump a huge advantage and Ms. Harris a large disadvantage. But his lack of discipline is epic, and his rallies increasingly sound like therapy sessions.
…………

Rip Murdock (a412b5) — 9/20/2024 @ 3:43 pm

I keep coming back to that, Rip.

“Few presidential candidates have had a better environment to run in than Mr. Trump. Voters are in a foul mood. The incumbent administration is historically unpopular and there’s a tremendous yearning for change. All these points give Mr. Trump a huge advantage and Ms. Harris a large disadvantage. But his lack of discipline is epic, and his rallies increasingly sound like therapy sessions.”

All DJT needs to do is control himself. I wish he could. Heck, I wish he was almost any other Team R candidate.

Hence my depression.

Simon Jester (0a8d58) — 9/20/2024 @ 4:09 pm

I really think that each “party” should define themselves. Each politician should define themselves. And each of us needs to define our ethos.

Which is why I find the parliamentary system attractive. The parties issue a manifesto, all their candidates support it, so the voters know what the next government will try to achieve. Party membership actually means something. Members can be booted out for failing to toe the line. And it is much easier to set up new parties.

But instead of centralizing party power, American political parties are so decentralized that anyone can call themselves a Republican or Democrat. Nobody bats an eye if individual politicians in the same party make contradictory proposals. There is absolutely no party discipline.

Rip Murdock (75d9b4) — 9/20/2024 @ 4:46 pm

Hence my depression.

“Oh, NO!! Mr Bill!!” sums it up nicely.

Kevin M (a9545f) — 9/20/2024 @ 5:03 pm

Nothing stopping Milly from issuing any denials.

He shouldn’t to. Neither quote was in either of the transcripts. I looked. The dishonest House MAGAs have met my expectations.

Paul Montagu (062117) — 9/20/2024 @ 5:04 pm

…shouldn’t have to.

Paul Montagu (062117) — 9/20/2024 @ 5:05 pm

All DJT needs to do is control himself. I wish he could.

Maybe it’s Tourettes, but it looks like advancing Alzheimer’s to me.

Kevin M (a9545f) — 9/20/2024 @ 5:36 pm

Regarding item one, where Trump says “I HATE TAYLOR SWIFT”, Trump supporters need to ask themselves how they can countenance a leader like that.

Imagine the outcry from MAGA these same folks if Harris said “I HATE LEE GREENWOOD”.

norcal (01a0ae) — 9/20/2024 @ 6:47 pm

Donnie likes the way he is. He doesn’t want to be different. He wants a cookie. NOW!

nk (b4cf5d) — 9/20/2024 @ 7:07 pm

SO UNFAIR!

nk (b4cf5d) — 9/20/2024 @ 7:07 pm

Heretofore, National Review was set to get a portion of my estate. No more. After “Senior Writer” Dan McLaughlin’s treatment of Patterico, I am going to alter my trust to leave out National Review. Trump has managed to corrupt even NR.

For those of you who missed it, go here: https://patterico.substack.com/p/david-french-is-voting-for-kamala.

Scroll down to the sub-heading “3. “Wrong About Writing a Column Pegged to his Vote Rather Than His Endorsement”)”.

norcal (01a0ae) — 9/20/2024 @ 7:22 pm

All I can say is that I miss Charles Krauthammer.

Simon Jester (0a8d58) — 9/20/2024 @ 7:50 pm

2. Jim Miller: LBJ wrecked the stable dollar by deficit spending for Vietnam and the Great Society at the same time. By 1969, inflation was easily 8%, the gold was pouring out of Ft Knox, and Nixon responsibly closed the gold window. He tried to balance the budget – -only to be excoriated by Democrats in the 1970 mid-terms. Nixon changed course and every president since then–except cheapo Carter and Ford–blew up the deficit. No one wants to end the party (PS: the only president that has ever run a business was DJT; yes his companies filed for BK, but so did a lot of companies in those periods; all the others either got rich in government service (LBJ, Biden) or made it on their family (Bush) or eked out a living on their profession (Carter, Nixon). Sorry but the co BK proceedings aren’t an indictment.

94. Norcal: you know, it would be nice if DJT self-regulated: and if LBJ hadn’t picked up a basset hound by its ears, and Nixon had been more social. But try to avoid falling for shiny distracting objects also called “twinkie facts” – -facts of little or no value–for those with short attention spans, like those belching forth from PEOPLE magazine. Someone posting a squib on the Great Tay-Tay is about as vital to know and as useful in assessing candidates as how Trump likes his steak, how Nixon brushed his teeth, and how Reagan danced with Thatcher, and how Trump ties his tie (A Stanford professor actually wrote such a piece for the WSJ). The issues are national debt, defense, the border, crime etc., –not whether someone posted a squib on the Great Taylor Swift. And please don’t respond by saying that “Oh, its so revealing.” Its not. Issues Norcal, issues.

Whembly is on target as always.

Harcourt Fenton Mudd (49454f) — 9/20/2024 @ 8:40 pm

Issues Norcal, issues.

Not this election. Given Trump’s unforgivable and criminal conduct from Election Day 2020 to 1/20/2021, and his criminal conduct with classified materials, this is a character election, an election about which candidate best preserves our democracy, and Trump undermined it. Issues come second.

Paul Montagu (062117) — 9/20/2024 @ 9:28 pm

cat accused by trumpsters of being eaten by haitians found hiding in basement. (DU)

asset (e6ab05) — 9/20/2024 @ 9:30 pm

Issues Norcal, issues.

Harcourt Fenton Mudd (49454f) — 9/20/2024 @ 8:40 pm

Acknowledging election results is the biggest issue of all. Everything else is a shiny object.

norcal (4f5434) — 9/20/2024 @ 10:39 pm

I’ll put it another way. Talking about the policies of someone who tried to subvert a legitimate election is like focusing on the Titanic’s deck chair arrangement.

norcal (4f5434) — 9/20/2024 @ 10:45 pm

So, I ran across this book by David Stockman today (Trump’s War on Capitalism). Anybody have a review?

The author of the Forward is ironic.

Kevin M (a9545f) — 9/20/2024 @ 10:46 pm

Talking about the policies of someone who tried to subvert a legitimate election is like focusing on the Titanic’s deck chair arrangement.

I suspect there might be someone in Upper Volta who has not hear this argument yet. It doesn’t move any needles any more. However, there are so many things wrong with Trump’s incoherent policies du jour that you don’t really need an argument.

Kevin M (a9545f) — 9/20/2024 @ 10:48 pm

Truth from Mitch McConnell:

Q: Russia’s army is 15% larger and they have reinforced the 20% of Ukrainian territory that they hold. Is the Republican Party responsible for those setbacks?

Mitch McConnell: Yeah, we took too long. All the Democrats were for Ukraine.

To which I’ll just add, this is also on Trump, without whose malign influence the GOP certainly would have been for Ukraine.

And no, I’m not denying Senate Republicans their own agency. On the contrary. Sell your soul, you own the consequences. I’m just saying, it didn’t have to be this way.

lurker (c23034) — 9/21/2024 @ 2:32 am

Thanks norcal for linking back to patterico’s substack piece as it gave me the opportunity to finally finish it. Patrick strongly agrees with AllahNick who argues that a political columnist should always tell the truth…and not simply give the audience what they can handle as the truth.

He also openly derides whembly’s argument that anyone who votes for Harris owns all of the progressive nonsense that she may push or get implemented. It is possible to genuinely arrive at the conclusion that Trump is the greater threat….and since only one of the two have a legitimate shot at winning….to then endorse Harris.

It is interesting to grapple with the question of persuasiveness. Does an endorsement of Harris increase or decrease a source’s capacity to persuade other conservatives or convincible Republicans? Should that outweigh telling the truth? Is the truth ambiguous and does it depend on an individual’s priorities and sensibilities? Can or should a single-issue voter responsibly prefer the greater threat because of that one issue?

Patterico was grappling with what significant influence dealers like David French or Jonah Goldberg ought to do. I clearly fall into the camp that Trump is unfit from numerous character defects….and that it’s not even close. Harris is horrible on social and economic views but those are arenas that we can battle her on and battle the Democrat Party on. Trump’s attack on norms, institutions, and reality go beyond the political. We cannot trust that a system based on goodwill and acceptance of some shared facts can constrain such an outlier. He cannot be near the nuclear button and be the decider. There’s nothing that insists that we gamble that much….

AJ_Liberty (3cae19) — 9/21/2024 @ 6:33 am

Not believable AJ. Nor is the voting for leftists for the House and Senate because the Republican isn’t NeverTrump.

It just shows that the parties have realigned and its about status and not policies. Some thought they were Republican as long as when Republicans were in office they didn’t rock the boat and advance conservative policies like repealing Roe or limiting illegal immigration.

This is what happens when we actually have politicians willing to advance policies rather than speak platitudes.

NJRob (3f1df7) — 9/21/2024 @ 7:36 am

#69 “the only president that has ever run a business was DJT”

Let’s be kind and assume the writer meant modern president. (Presumably he has heard of George Washington, who was a very successful businessman. And there were a few others, after him.)

Here are three modern presidents the writer may have heard of:

George W. Bush:

In April 1989, Bush arranged for a group of investors to purchase a controlling interest of Major League Baseball’s Texas Rangers for $89 million and invested $500,000 himself to start. He then was managing general partner for five years.[44] He actively led the team’s projects and regularly attended its games, often choosing to sit in the open stands with fans.[45] Bush’s sale of his shares in the Rangers in 1998 brought him over $15 million from his initial $800,000 investment.

(His earlier efforts in the oil business were not successful, because of declingin oil prices.)

George H. W. Bush:

With support from Mallon and Bush’s uncle, George Herbert Walker Jr., Bush and John Overbey launched the Bush-Overbey Oil Development Company in 1951.[48] In 1953, he co-founded the Zapata Petroleum Corporation, an oil company that drilled in the Permian Basin in Texas.[49] In 1954, he was named president of the Zapata Offshore Company, a subsidiary which specialized in offshore drilling.[50] Shortly after the subsidiary became independent in 1959, Bush moved the company and his family from Midland to Houston.[51] There, he befriended James Baker, a prominent attorney who later became an important political ally.[52] Bush remained involved with Zapata until the mid-1960s, when he sold his stock in the company for approximately $1 million.

Jimmy Carter:

After debt settlements and division of his father’s estate among its heirs, Jimmy inherited comparatively little.[46] For a year, he, Rosalynn, and their three sons lived in public housing in Plains.[b] Carter was knowledgeable in scientific and technological subjects, and he set out to expand the family’s peanut-growing business.[48] Transitioning from the Navy to an agri-businessman was difficult as his first-year harvest failed due to a drought, and Carter had to open several bank lines of credit to keep the farm afloat.[49] Meanwhile, he took classes and studied agriculture while Rosalynn learned accounting to manage the business’s books.[50] Though they barely broke even the first year, the Carters grew the business and became quite successful.

As I recall, the warehouse side of his business was more important than the peanut raising — but not as good politically, so he called himself a peanut farmer — which is true, sort of.

Jim Miller (a2afa0) — 9/21/2024 @ 7:45 am

#99, not #69.

Here’s the Loser’s role model, in a typical brilliant transaction.

I’ve found I can predict about 80 percent of what the Loser will do — just by asking myself what that boy “genius” would do.

Jim Miller (a2afa0) — 9/21/2024 @ 7:53 am

109, Miller: I’ll be kind and only gently remind you that we were referring to modern presidents responsible for blowing the deficit. You specifically referred to “four,” and I responded in kind. No need to consider George Washington, King George III, Queen Elizabeth II or Caligula when identifying what led inflation in 1964 (about 1.2%) to jump to 8% by 1969, and the endless deficits, cutbacks we have experienced since then. LBJ started it.

Aaaaannd, I mentioned the ones you implicitly claim I didn’t mention: come on: Bush (I and II) coasted on dad’s business, and a “lite” kind of business- sports teams- are not really manufacturing, housing, commercial buildings, etc. Even GB’s oil venture was a family affair. Great Man, but not a businessman.

Carter is a fair mention, and he was cheap, which no Democrat (or republican), has been since. But I gave and give Carter and Ford full credit for not blowing the deficit up worse than it was. My point was: Trump was not the problem: he did run a business. And the only one who really ran a business – – I’m sorry but a Plains, GA. peanut warehouse is not in the same league as NY construction and worldwide property mgt.

Salude.

Harcourt Fenton Mudd (db193d) — 9/21/2024 @ 9:19 am

@106:

Q: Russia’s army is 15% larger and they have reinforced the 20% of Ukrainian territory that they hold. Is the Republican Party responsible for those setbacks?

Mitch McConnell: Yeah, we took too long. All the Democrats were for Ukraine.

To which I’ll just add, this is also on Trump, without whose malign influence the GOP certainly would have been for Ukraine.

And no, I’m not denying Senate Republicans their own agency. On the contrary. Sell your soul, you own the consequences. I’m just saying, it didn’t have to be this way.

When a quote gets chopped up and intentionally isolated from context, that’s simply bad faith argumentation. That’s on French and anyone who repeats it. But that’s what the Left and its enablers do, just like with Trump’s “animals” and “bloodbath” quotes that were chopped up and divorced from context.

It’s not as if the transcript is hard to find. As part of the bad faith argument, it’s implied this is a recent quote by McConnell. It’s from April.

SEN. MCCONNELL: Well, one of the things I apologized for is it’s taken too long. If you go back to the beginning of this administration, even though I supported obviously the supplemental request and worked hard to get Republican votes for it, this all started with a precipitous withdrawal from Afghanistan. It’s like sending out a green light to all the rogue regimes around the world that the Americans are going home. Number two, not giving the Ukrainians what they need soon enough. Didn’t just start with this administration, I remember the Obama administration sent them meals ready to eat. It’s not exactly a way to defend yourself.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Following the 2014 partial invasion?

SEN. MCCONNELL: Yes, yeah. So, it’s gradually gotten better. The administration has still been self deterring themselves, with some fear that the Russians would be deterred by our lack of action. So my main complaint is let’s get the weapons there as quickly as possible. I apologized for how long it took Congress to do its part, but we finally did. And he was also impressed by the fact that Republican support grew in the Senate substantially, substantially.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Because you were whipping those votes, you convinced nine additional senators.

SEN. MCCONNELL: Well I tried- It wasn’t something I felt lightly about, let’s put it that way.

MARGARET BRENNAN: But who did you feel you were apologizing for?

SEN. MCCONNELL: The slowness of it.

MARGARET BRENNAN: But when- that wasn’t in the Senate?

SEN. MCCONNELL: I’m sorry?

MARGARET BRENNAN: The slowness was not in the Senate. Were you apologizing for House Republicans?

SEN. MCCONNELL: No, it was in the Senate. We spent about four months trying to- to agree to a deal to deal with our own border with Mexico, which is a disaster. And initially, obviously, to make a law you have to deal with the other side. They’ve got the White House, they got the Senate. We came up with a proposal. It was, my members felt many of them were not good enough. Our nominee for President seemed to be unenthusiastic about acting on that. And so that took three or four months. Once we realized we were not going to be able to legislate on the border, we bored in on the subject of the supplemental. And I think a number of my members focusing on that changed their mind, and we grew from 22 to actually 32. One member missed the last vote but would have voted for it.

… (skipping yada yada stuffy stuff about the border mess) …

MARGARET BRENNAN: So you worked with the Democratic leader to get this package through. But in the time of the delay that you acknowledged, Russia’s military land forces have grown back to where they were before the invasion. The Army is 15% larger, and they’ve reinforced the 20% of Ukrainian territory that they hold. These are all the words of the Supreme Allied Commander himself. Do you feel your party is responsible for those setbacks?

SEN. MCCONNELL: Many of them, yeah. We took too long. This issue was like a family reunion, if you will, with a lot of different points of view being expressed around the table. Chuck did a good job. But all the Democrats were for Ukraine. There is no question that the debate was in our family, on our side. And there was a lot of skepticism for a long time, but I think it got better. And I think we proved that earlier this week.

MARGARET BRENNAN: What do you think changed minds?

SEN. MCCONNELL: What do I think what?

MARGARET BRENNAN: What do you think changed that?

SEN. MCCONNELL: The actual facts. Once we realized we were not going to get a border result, I think our members really started focusing on the-the package. It was- it was clear that it was not going to have a border provision attached to it. And there are almost no good arguments against this. Almost no good ar- every argument that made it- made by the opponents is provably wrong. And the facts, I think, were convincing for a number of our members and they changed their minds.

lloyd (b44acd) — 9/21/2024 @ 9:53 am

@112 OK, looks like I messed up the formatting. Should be this from @106:

Q: Russia’s army is 15% larger and they have reinforced the 20% of Ukrainian territory that they hold. Is the Republican Party responsible for those setbacks?

Mitch McConnell: Yeah, we took too long. All the Democrats were for Ukraine.

To which I’ll just add, this is also on Trump, without whose malign influence the GOP certainly would have been for Ukraine.

And no, I’m not denying Senate Republicans their own agency. On the contrary. Sell your soul, you own the consequences. I’m just saying, it didn’t have to be this way.

The rest is what I wrote. Apologies.

lloyd (b44acd) — 9/21/2024 @ 9:55 am

And, apologies for the wall of text. Unfortunately, it becomes necessary when context gets nuked. I’m just saying, it didn’t have to be this way.

lloyd (b44acd) — 9/21/2024 @ 9:59 am

Trump ran not one but six (6) businesses into bankruptcy and as of 2016 was writing off nearly one billion dollars as Net Operating Loss on his taxes.

And some captious persons might even say that casinos and “modeling agencies” importing women from the Soviet Bloc are not “businesses” a President should have on his curriculum vitae. But those people don’t weawy wove Miste’ Twump.

nk (bb1548) — 9/21/2024 @ 10:00 am

As for French and Goldberg, one gets his checks signed by the Sulzberger’s and the other is independently wealthy. That’s pretty much it in a nutshell.

lloyd (b44acd) — 9/21/2024 @ 10:02 am

I’m not sure how much business sense plays into whether the government engages deficit spending and by how much. The Perot-phenomenon brought attention to the deficit, but with some moderation due to the end of the Cold War followed soon after by the War on Terror, the citizenry (and many economists) have adopted a casual attitude about it, only convenient when the other guy is in power.

Voters have no interest in raising middle class taxes, capping health or retirement benefits, reducing the scale of federal government jobs, or cutting benefits to help lower to middle income citizens. That means as a collective, we are content with deficits and mounting debt….up until the dollar crashes and we face a fiscal crisis…then whichever President is left standing without a chair will become the worst ever. Let’s face it, it’s our fault because we prefer playing partisan politics and have little to no interest in compromise or even engaging in fiscally responsible discussions.

That said, the federal budget is not controlled in any way similar to how a CFO/CEO operates. The Congress plays the lead role and if there is divided government, the can generally gets kicked down the road. We have too many congress people who are there as a career who understand the more they spend (generally), the happier their constituents. There is a perverse incentive to not ask for any sacrifice.

Trump just aggravates the system by adding yet one more voice to short-term thinking. He wants to stay out of prison. He does that by winning in 2024. He wants to promise as much as possible in hopes that people will be persuaded to overlook his character issues. His “business senses” is no where on display. His discussion of trade deficits and tariffs to a degree are illiterate.

We also over-reward Presidents who inherit economies that cyclically climb. Yes, Trump’s team cut regulations…especially with regards to energy production…and cut corporate tax rates, but it just avoided longer-term hard decisions in terms of reducing CO2 emissions and our growing debt. It’s short-termism all the way. We’ve chased all of the adults away….

AJ_Liberty (5f05c3) — 9/21/2024 @ 10:12 am

https://www.msn.com/en-us/music/other/kamala-harris-tweet-thanking-sean-diddy-combs-resurfaces-after-his-arrest-in-sex-trafficking-case-didn-t-age-well/ar-AA1qMZh9

That’s one way to spin Kamala Harris’s support of sex trafficker Sean Combs.

NJRob (3f1df7) — 9/21/2024 @ 10:34 am

Yeah, by being racist, sexist, pro sexual assault, and generally a scumbag.

Trademark MAGA.

Colonel Klink (ret) (96f56a) — 9/21/2024 @ 11:03 am

Lloyd, I’m always appreciative when people provide context. Thanks for providing it. Having read it, I’m not sure the full exchange changes the meaning of the excised quote here.

Can you expand on how you feel like that quote gets it wrong given the context?

Nate (cfb326) — 9/21/2024 @ 11:12 am

Donald Trump deleted his post of Harris.

I shall repeat, DONALD TRUMP DELETED A BLEAT.

That’s as close to an apology Trump will ever make.

Colonel Klink (ret) (96f56a) — 9/21/2024 @ 11:21 am

@120 Nate, here is how McConnell was quoted @106:

Mitch McConnell: Yeah, we took too long. All the Democrats were for Ukraine.

Here is what McConnell actually said:

SEN. MCCONNELL: Many of them, yeah. We took too long. This issue was like a family reunion, if you will, with a lot of different points of view being expressed around the table. Chuck did a good job. But all the Democrats were for Ukraine.

Do you think the heavy edits are really necessary? The “Democrats were for Ukraine” is simply a qualifier in reference to “Chuck did a good job.” That’s how I read it. Remove the “But” and have that sentence stand on its own and it’s a different meaning. Again, the fact that the quote requires butchering should offer a clue.

That’s all after McConnell provided the context of no movement on the border deal, other than pushing a bill that most Republicans didn’t want. (They didn’t want it before Trump didn’t want it. That’s just a fact.). If you read the whole thing (and I think you have) McConnell is taking credit for getting Republicans to give the Democrats what they wanted on Ukraine, and pointing out the Republicans didn’t get what they wanted on the border deal, resulting in the delay. That’s not what the butchered quote implies.

The folks blaming Republicans for the delay on Ukraine aid are the same folks giving Democrats credit for a border deal, that couldn’t be passed, crafted three years after the border mess got out of hand under a Democrat administration. Again, bad faith argumentation.

The prior paragraph is my own, not McConnell’s. Nate, I appreciate you asking. You are one of the very few commenters here who is all good faith.

lloyd (b44acd) — 9/21/2024 @ 11:51 am

I prefer the full quote, but the shorter version doesn’t materially change McConnell’s meaning, which is a backdoor way of saying his party took too long; he won’t directly condemn Trump and his party members for causing it.

Paul Montagu (de60e0) — 9/21/2024 @ 12:14 pm

Paul, like I said:

The folks blaming Republicans for the delay on Ukraine aid are the same folks giving Democrats credit for a border deal, that couldn’t be passed, crafted three years after the border mess got out of hand under a Democrat administration. Again, bad faith argumentation.

lloyd (b44acd) — 9/21/2024 @ 12:18 pm

It’s not “bad faith argumentation” if it’s true, lloyd.
There was a Lankford compromise border deal that Senate Republicans blew up, with Trump’s blessing.
There was a Ukraine aid bill that Republicans stonewalled for over half a year.

Paul Montagu (de60e0) — 9/21/2024 @ 12:29 pm

@125 Paul, the only reason — the ONLY reason — that border deal even happened is because Republicans linked Ukraine aid to the border mess. Because otherwise, the Democrats would do nothing about the border. In the end the Republicans budged, which McConnell takes credit for, giving Democrats what they wanted and the Democrats refused to budge on the border bill to make it a true compromise. Guess who gets blamed by you and other enablers of the Left.

lloyd (f79135) — 9/21/2024 @ 12:44 pm

And, just wrap your head around the fact that border security is a concession and a point of negotiation with the Democrats.

lloyd (b44acd) — 9/21/2024 @ 12:48 pm

That’s what happens when you demagogue an issue. Trump “solved” the border with his wall that was definitely completed. A multi thousand mile border doesn’t get “solved” with photo ops near an example wall not near the border. It’s expensive and complex.

Two things the GOP is currently incapable of addressing.

Colonel Klink (ret) (96f56a) — 9/21/2024 @ 12:58 pm

I am by no means a fan of Maureen Dowd. But this article has some painful truths for us all to consider:

https://www.wsj.com/opinion/kamala-harris-is-an-artless-dodger-she-evades-every-question-of-substance-7cd0d26b

This is the bit that struck me very hard.

“Failing to speak plainly and deeply now about illegal immigration is political malpractice on a grand scale. There are other large questions. What philosophical predilection does she bring to taxing, spending, regulation, to the national debt?

She owes us these answers. It is wrong that she can’t or won’t address them. It is disrespectful to the electorate.

If voters don’t get a sense of her deeper beliefs they will think of her as a construct, something other people built so they can run the country as she does photo-ops. Half of America wonders who’s really running things as the Biden years ebb. They won’t want to wonder for another four years.

Which gets us back to Awful vs. Empty. When Americans feel that’s the choice and neither side gives them reason to believe otherwise, they’ll likely start to think in ways they believe practical. Empty means trouble, a blur when we need a rudder, a national gamble based on insufficient information. It means a policy regime that would be unpredictable, perhaps extreme. You don’t want that.

Awful is—well, awful. But he was president for four years, we didn’t all explode, institutions held, the threatened Constitution maintained. So—maybe that’s their vote. “Close your eyes and think of England.”

Unless of course in the next six weeks somebody surprises them, and impresses them.”

I have made clear my own position: I cannot vote for either unacceptable candidate. Folks on the Left think #AnythingButTrump is the only choice (and some folks on the Right). Folks on the Right are in the #AnythingButTheLeft mode (and let’s face it, KH is just a figurehead…which given the “other side’s” figurehead may not be a bad thing).

I think we are closer and closer to a system with faceless unelected people running the show. The Climenoles of Laputa in “Gulliver’s Travels.” Swift knew his politics, didn’t he?

Maybe that is okay with folks. It worries me, since I teach young people and am painfully aware of how their sentiments impact critical thinking.

Basically, we are screwed either way, from my point of you. Your mileage may vary.

Simon Jester (0a8d58) — 9/21/2024 @ 12:59 pm

Not satire:

………
The LPNH (Libertarian Party of New Hampshire) posted on X on Sunday: “Anyone who murders Kamala Harris would be an American hero.” Amid backlash, the account deleted the post, citing the social media platform’s terms of service but asserting: “It’s a shame that even on a ‘free speech’ website that libertarians cannot speak freely” and “Libertarians are truly the most oppressed minority.” ………..

“The point of the second amendment is to shoot and kill tyrannous politicians,” reads another post from Sunday that is still up on the LPNH account.
………….
“We are aware of the tweet,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office for New Hampshire told NBC10 Boston on Monday, adding that “although the department generally will not confirm or deny any specific investigation, threatening violence is a crime and those who do this will be investigated, prosecuted, and held to account in a court of law.” ………..
………….
………….(The) LPNH account has come under fire on several occasions, including when it called for child labor to be legalized and compared former President Abraham Lincoln to 9/11 mastermind Osama bin Laden, and when it mocked the death of former Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.). ………

………… LPNH posted a lengthy statement claiming that the party would “never advocate for the assassination of a tyrannical President” but that it was “merely acknowledging how some members would react to one.”

“Libertarians are not pacifists,” the statement continued. “It is morally correct to use violence to stop aggression.” Assumingly addressing a like-minded audience, the statement explained: “If you celebrate the Pine Tree Riot, the War for American Independence, or the assassination of past tyrants like Abraham Lincoln, you believe that violence is sometimes necessary to advance or protect freedom.”
…………
………… “The LP of New Hampshire acts specifically in a way that makes libertarianism look like the shi!!tiest possible ideology, just a circle jerk of the worst people alive doing the stupidest sh!t ever and not doing anything else,” former libertarian journalist Jane Coaston posted on X on Sunday. “Like if the Libertarian Party of New Hampshire were a CIA plot to destroy the Libertarian Party writ large,” she wondered, “what would they be doing differently[?]”
…………….

Rip Murdock (5fc3ad) — 9/21/2024 @ 1:22 pm

Except that Trump is not a figurehead. It would be FAR better if he were.

Kevin M (a9545f) — 9/21/2024 @ 1:23 pm

What is terrible is that democracy loses when one side runs a crazy man and the other side puts up a mannequin. There are ways to attack the Republic that don’t involve mobs storming the Capitol. You just have to convince the electorate that it’s all a put-up job and they will stop caring.

They may already have.

Kevin M (a9545f) — 9/21/2024 @ 1:26 pm

The Libertarian Party has some fine points, but like any 3rd party attracts fringe elements. And there are fringe clusters like, apparently, New Hampshire’s LP. In the past, members have supported things like the Man Boy Love Association, the Confederacy, and the rights of 3yos to engage in sex work.

One can find such craziness in other 3rd party’s chapters, too.

Kevin M (a9545f) — 9/21/2024 @ 1:33 pm

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/poll-28-of-democrats-say-us-better-off-if-trump-were-assassinated/ar-AA1qN3Bw

What does this say about the left?

NJRob (3f1df7) — 9/21/2024 @ 1:47 pm

Rasmussen has a negative polling rating, and doesn’t score in the top 300 of pollsters. Did you know there were so many? Their polling methodology reportedly has a target number to achieve, and polls somewhere between 3X and 5X of “surveyed” subjects, and includes the ones that support the funding sources initial requirement.

5 out of 6 dentists recommend…6 of 7 nutritionists recommend McDonald’s…guess who paid for this poll.

Colonel Klink (ret) (96f56a) — 9/21/2024 @ 2:19 pm

It says that they agree with the 7% of Republicans who also said yes to the question “While it is always difficult to wish ill of another human being, would America be better off if Donald Trump had been killed last weekend?”

Nic (120c94) — 9/21/2024 @ 2:19 pm

https://x.com/Rasmussen_Poll/status/1799995560709267833

For years, Rasmussen’s results have been more favorable for Republican candidates and issues. During the Trump administration, though, the site’s public presence became more overtly partisan, with tracking polls sponsored by conservative authors and causes and a social media presence that embraced false claims that spread widely on the right. At times, Rasmussen’s polls actively promoted those debunked claims, including ones centered on voter fraud.

Last March, for example, Rasmussen released data purporting to show that Republican Senate candidate Kari Lake (R) had won her gubernatorial election in November 2022. The route it took to get to that determination was circuitous and, to put it mildly, atypical. On behalf of the group College Republicans United, Rasmussen asked Arizona voters who they voted for in Lake’s race and, after weighting the results to exit polls — which is unusual — declared that, contrary to the certified tally, Kari Lake had won her race by eight points.

An election of 2.5 million voters is a better indicator of an election outcome than a retrospective question offered to 1,000 Arizonans four months later from a Republican-leaning pollster that is adjusting its results to a metric, exit polls, that is itself weighted to the election results. But Rasmussen trumpeted this revisionist look at the race loudly — including on Stephen K. Bannon’s podcast — as did Trump allies.
…

A few weeks later, Rasmussen again published dubious poll results on behalf of a right-wing organization. This time, the findings alleged to have uncovered rampant fraud in 2020, including that 1 in 12 Americans had been offered “pay” or a “reward” for their vote. Trump and his allies celebrated the poll; again, the results do not comport with the reality of there being no demonstrable wide-scale vote-buying scheme at the state or national level.

Colonel Klink (ret) (96f56a) — 9/21/2024 @ 2:26 pm

So called conservatives love making excuses for bad news about leftists, but they never seem to post anything that speaks negatively of them.

Guess that’s how they prove how conservative they are. They aren’t moby’s. Of course not.

NJRob (3f1df7) — 9/21/2024 @ 2:55 pm

Notice they didn’t attack the methodology or the actually 28% of leftists that think the murder of the opposition is good.

NJRob (3f1df7) — 9/21/2024 @ 2:58 pm

Asset is going to love this one.

https://www.rgj.com/story/news/2024/09/21/us-supreme-court-declines-to-restore-green-party-to-nevada-ballot/75312085007/

Did the Nevada Secretary of State’s office make an innocent mistake, or did it purposely sabotage Green Party candidate Jill Stein’s effort to get on the Nevada ballot? You make the call.

(The Nevada Secretary of State is a Democrat.)

Even if it was an innocent mistake, what should the consequences be? Should a staffer be fired? Should the Secretary of State resign?

As a Nevada resident, I wonder about these questions, even though the outcome of this event will redound to the benefit of Harris, whom I prefer over Trump.

norcal (ac1b6a) — 9/21/2024 @ 3:00 pm

NJRob, 28% is really the same as 7%, because math is hard.

lloyd (b44acd) — 9/21/2024 @ 3:02 pm

@140 norcal, I posted about that @28, but I’m glad you’re bringing it up. Though I’m certain the reaction will be crickets again.

lloyd (b44acd) — 9/21/2024 @ 3:05 pm

It would have been a historical anomaly if Robinson became governor of North Carolina anyway. Since 1851, there have been only seven Republicans elected governor.

Rip Murdock (a412b5) — 9/20/2024 @ 1:30 pm

Not only has it been rare that Republican has been elected governor in North Carolina, only nine out of the 32 who ran for governor succeeded. So even if Robinson wasn’t as controversial as he is, he would still have faced an uphill fight to win.

Rip Murdock (5fc3ad) — 9/21/2024 @ 3:18 pm

Source for post 143.

Rip Murdock (5fc3ad) — 9/21/2024 @ 3:19 pm

Crickets about the New Hampshire Libertarian Party encouraging the assassination of a major political candidate.

Rip Murdock (5fc3ad) — 9/21/2024 @ 3:27 pm

While VP Harris agreed to a debate invitation from CNN, it was rejected by the Trump campaign, saying it was “too late” since early voting has already started (but not too late for those who vote on Election Day.)

This will allow JD Vance to have the last word in his debate with Gov. Tim Walz on October 1st. No doubt it will be dominated by cat-eating Haitians and the litany of comments Vance has made over past few years, including “childless cat ladies”; that school shootings are a “fact of life”; that parents should be able to have more votes than non-parents, etc.

A target rich environment.

Rip Murdock (bb60a6) — 9/21/2024 @ 3:53 pm

There are some who say assassinating Trump would be good. Other say NO, we don’t do things that way here. I think the real problem is that he would become a martyr and there would be no stopping MAGA achieving power, and with more effective leadership.

As for killing Harris, well, if you really want to see MAGA types in camps, that would be the way to go.

The country would react very poorly to this kind of thing, and rather than saving us from some bad result, it would be more likely to create exactly what is feared.

Kevin M (a9545f) — 9/21/2024 @ 3:54 pm

Rasmussen has a negative polling rating, and doesn’t score in the top 300 of pollsters. Did you know there were so many? Their polling methodology reportedly has a target number to achieve, and polls somewhere between 3X and 5X of “surveyed” subjects, and includes the ones that support the funding sources initial requirement.

Did you know that they no longer show a rightward tilt?

Kevin M (a9545f) — 9/21/2024 @ 3:55 pm

More and more I think NJRob is right and that Klink is a moby. He tries to be “even-handed” but his left hand is dominant.

Kevin M (a9545f) — 9/21/2024 @ 3:57 pm

Asset is going to love this one.

@71

Kevin M (a9545f) — 9/21/2024 @ 3:58 pm

Any couple or three tweaked-out vagabonds can call themselves a political party, Libertarian or otherwise. “Hi! I’m Larry, and this is my brother Darryl and this is my other brother Darryl.”

nk (17c47e) — 9/21/2024 @ 3:58 pm

Crickets about the New Hampshire Libertarian Party encouraging the assassination of a major political candidate.

Except for @133, 3 whole comments later.

Kevin M (a9545f) — 9/21/2024 @ 3:59 pm

More and more I think NJRob is right and that Klink is a moby. He tries to be “even-handed” but his left hand is dominant.

Me too, but it’s not my hand. Back in the day when I wore tailored suits, my tailor would ask me a certain question and I would answer “Left!”.

nk (17c47e) — 9/21/2024 @ 4:00 pm

This will allow JD Vance to have the last word in his debate with Gov. Tim Walz on October 1st. No doubt it will be dominated by cat-eating Haitians and the litany of comments Vance has made over past few years, including “childless cat ladies”; that school shootings are a “fact of life”; that parents should be able to have more votes than non-parents, etc.

Or, as Gingrich pointed out long ago, questions like “Senator Vance, why did you say…” and “Senator Walz, what did you think when Senator Vance said…”

Gotcha! beats substance every time.

Kevin M (a9545f) — 9/21/2024 @ 4:02 pm

*Governor Walz

Kevin M (a9545f) — 9/21/2024 @ 4:02 pm

@146 So Rip expects the other Democrats on the debate stage (let’s call them moderators) to gang up on Vance. What a shock.

lloyd (b44acd) — 9/21/2024 @ 4:05 pm

@112.

When a quote gets chopped up and intentionally isolated from context, that’s simply bad faith argumentation. That’s on French and anyone who repeats it.

More context is always better. Were time, space, and copyright not limiting factors, we’d ideally post every quote in full. But they are, so we edit. As nate suggested and Paul elaborated, French’s snippet captured the essence of McConnell’s quote.

You, on the other hand, in order to create your dopey AJ-lurker meme, stripped what I said of its context, making it appear I was parroting AJ_Liberty, when in reality I was disagreeing with him. Was that, not to mention your insinuation that one of both of us have mental problems, bad faith?

By the way, I picked up French’s tweet from Patterico’s twitter feed, where Pat retweeted it. Be sure to tell Pat you think he’s arguing in bad faith.

lurker (c23034) — 9/21/2024 @ 4:28 pm

@lloyd@142 I suppose I should’ve expected that I needed to be more pointed. When one is designing a sociological study, one has to be both very careful of how a question is asked and very careful about how it is interpreted. If the question is asked in the wrong way, it becomes a push poll, basically. Rasmussen, IMO did an excellent job of designing a question that was not a push-poll but that could be interpreted in the most extreme way possible. So, what you got was a question that could easily be interpreted as “would the country be better off if Trump were dead” which is probably why 7% of Republicans said yes, and media saying that people think he should’ve been assassinated. There is a difference between the idea that someone should be assassinated and the idea that the country would be better off if that person was dead.

Nic (120c94) — 9/21/2024 @ 4:34 pm

Former Republican Speaker of the House Paul Ryan says he will not be voting for Trump:

“Character is too important to me—and the presidency is a job that requires the kind of character that he just doesn’t have…I’m going to write in a Republican”

Ain’t it something how every living GOP ex-POTUS, VPOTUS, or candidate for either, except one, is a RINO moby groomer leftist?

lurker (c23034) — 9/21/2024 @ 4:39 pm

@157 That’s why you repeated it, because you were just parroting AJ. I see. The name calling and other grade school stuff that goes on almost effortlessly here is not a reflection on me, even though in the absence of anyone enforcing commenting rules here I do regrettably feel I must respond in kind. I’ll do better. As for anyone else, I’ll keep my expectations low.

lloyd (b44acd) — 9/21/2024 @ 4:47 pm

@158 Nic, the question was clear:

“While it is always difficult to wish ill of another human being, would America be better off if Donald Trump had been killed last weekend?”

Killed doesn’t mean dead from keeling over. It doesn’t mean choking on a Big Mac. It means being killed. And, the question refers to a period of time when the assassination attempt happened.

Any candidate being killed would be a terrible event for the country, no matter what you feel about the candidate. Anyone who thinks it would be a positive event is certifiable.

lloyd (b44acd) — 9/21/2024 @ 4:55 pm

@159 “Ain’t it something how every living GOP ex-POTUS, VPOTUS, or candidate for either, except one, is a RINO moby groomer leftist?”

He’s writing in a Republican, not voting for or endorsing a hard leftist. And the only GOP ex-POTUS W, to his credit, declined to get drawn in. So no, it’s not a something.

lloyd (b44acd) — 9/21/2024 @ 5:07 pm

I see the union that represents IRS agents endorsed Harris, which I find to be 100% on brand

steveg (59e159) — 9/21/2024 @ 5:11 pm

@160. Yes, lloyd, after you started calling me AJ_lurker, I made a joke about it. That’s totally the same as accusing you of something with which I repeatedly disagreed. Excellent point.

lurker (c23034) — 9/21/2024 @ 5:11 pm

And, apologies for the wall of text. Unfortunately, it becomes necessary when context gets nuked. I’m just saying, it didn’t have to be this way.

Lloyd, I appreciated it and read it all. Except for the yada yada stuffy stuff.

Kevin M (a9545f) — 9/21/2024 @ 5:14 pm

Former Republican Speaker of the House Paul Ryan says he will not be voting for Trump:

Old news

Kevin M (a9545f) — 9/21/2024 @ 5:19 pm

@164 I called you that a grand total of two times. Once, after you ~~echoed~~ humored AJ the first time and after you repeated the allegation, which you call a joke. Again, I’ll do better. It doesn’t look like you have the same commitment, but who cares. Nate, to his credit, called BS on it from the start rather than humor it.

lloyd (b44acd) — 9/21/2024 @ 5:22 pm

Starting with Whizzer Mitt, there are quite a few Republicans whose penchant has always been to piss into the tent rather than out. Ryan votes in a swing state and is not voting for Harris. I respect his decision and choice of action. I imagine he could not care less what I think- which I also respect
Up thread, McConnell studiously avoids pissing into the tent. McConnell really enjoyed pushing judges through under Trump, and I’m sure he realizes that in the next eight years, possibly four, 2-3 SCOTUS seats will be changed. He’ll vote for Trump for the chance to stick it in Schumers eye

steveg (59e159) — 9/21/2024 @ 5:24 pm

Crickets about the New Hampshire Libertarian Party encouraging the assassination of a major political candidate.

Except for @133, 3 whole comments later.

Kevin M (a9545f) — 9/21/2024 @ 3:59 pm

I wasn’t referring to you.

Rip Murdock (bb60a6) — 9/21/2024 @ 5:28 pm

@146 So Rip expects the other Democrats on the debate stage (let’s call them moderators) to gang up on Vance. What a shock.

lloyd (b44acd) — 9/21/2024 @ 4:05 pm

I think probably everyone thinks that the moderators will do so; l’d be really surprised if there was serious policy discussions among the VP candidates. VPs are not the policymakers (at best they’re “yes” men.. Setting (and debating) policies should be left to the presidential candidates, but Trump has declined to participate in another debate.

Rip Murdock (bb60a6) — 9/21/2024 @ 5:41 pm

OK, lloyd, keep telling yourself there’s nothing remarkable about, save one, every living GOP ex holder or candidate for POTUS or VPOTUS refusing to endorse the party’s current ticket, most promising to vote against it, one even endorsing the “hard leftist”. Nothing to see there.

lurker (c23034) — 9/21/2024 @ 5:49 pm

A good idea:

Former Representative Liz Cheney, who has emerged as perhaps the most vocal and visible conservative critic of former President Donald J. Trump, suggested on Friday night that a new political party might need to be created to replace the Republican Party if he is defeated.
…………
“Whether it’s organizing a new party — look, it’s hard for me to see how the Republican Party, given what it has done, can make the argument convincingly or credibly that people ought to vote for Republican candidates until it really recognizes what it’s done,” Ms. Cheney said at the Cap Times Idea Fest in Madison, Wis.

“There is certainly going to be a big shift, I think, in how our politics work,” she continued. “I don’t know exactly what that will look like. I don’t think it will just simply be, well, the Republican Party is going to put up a new slate of candidates and off to the races. I think far too much has happened that’s too damaging.”
…………
Ms. Cheney was not announcing the beginning of such an effort but instead ruminating on the implications of a Trump defeat. “The party itself really has rejected the Constitution in the name of supporting Trump,” she said.

That “may well” necessitate a new party, she added, “because, again, so much of the Republican Party today has allowed itself to become a tool for this really unstable man. It certainly has moved away from standing for anything of substance, anything of policy. We’re going to have to have some entity that actually can be making the case for the kind of conservative causes that I believe in.”
###########

Rip Murdock (bb60a6) — 9/21/2024 @ 6:05 pm

@171 Admirable goal post move. But “hard leftist” in scare quotes. Interesting. You don’t think someone with a voting record to the left of Bernie is a hard leftist? Has the Overton Window shifted that much?

lloyd (b44acd) — 9/21/2024 @ 6:05 pm

Item 3: Kentucky’s Letcher County is on the border with Virginia, so it looks to me as if it is part of “Appalachia”.

I wouldn’t make too much of that — but it doesn’t surprise me.

Jim Miller (6057cb) — 9/21/2024 @ 6:20 pm

Those interested in historical US inflation rates can find a useful table, here.

The further back you go, the less comparable are the numbers, because of quality changes (mostly improvements).

Jim Miller (6057cb) — 9/21/2024 @ 6:29 pm

…that border deal even happened is because Republicans linked Ukraine aid to the border mess.

Trump runs the party, lloyd. He literally said he didn’t want a border deal, for purely political reasons, so Senate Republicans dutifully fell in line, and of course they blew an aid deal, too.

Paul Montagu (de60e0) — 9/21/2024 @ 7:00 pm

What goal post did I move?

That’s right, I put “hard left” in scare quotes, because I don’t believe Kamala Harris has any hard ideological commitments. Like Trump, she’s entirely transactional. She panders to the woke left, as Trump panders to the white nationalist right. But like Trump, she’ll pivot on a dime if it serves her politically. Ask some actual hard leftists. They’ve reviled her since her days as CA Attorney General.

And no, I put zero stock in legislative scorecards. They have huge disparities between each other and even absurd inconsistencies within themselves. For example, IIRC, according to Heritage, Mitt Romney is also left of Bernie Sanders. C’mon. And JD Vance is right of Tommy Tuberville and Mike Lee. Does that make him hard right? Those things are gibberish.

lurker (c23034) — 9/21/2024 @ 7:02 pm

The New Hampshire Libertarian Party have been a claque of Trump-cultist psychos for a good while. There’s almost nothing those jagoffs could say that will surprise me.

Paul Montagu (de60e0) — 9/21/2024 @ 7:03 pm

Here. I saved you the trouble of finding that Heritage scorecard. I may have missed something, but a quick look seems to confirm my recollection.

Have fun.

lurker (c23034) — 9/21/2024 @ 7:05 pm

We’re going to have to have some entity that actually can be making the case for the kind of conservative causes that I believe in.”

Because the one thing a resurgent Republican Party will NOT do, is nominate Liz Cheney for anything.

Kevin M (a9545f) — 9/21/2024 @ 7:19 pm

Because the one thing a resurgent Republican Party will NOT do, is nominate Liz Cheney for anything.

Kevin M (a9545f) — 9/21/2024 @ 7:19 pm

Which is why she is musing about a new conservative party to replace the Republican Party.

Rip Murdock (bb60a6) — 9/21/2024 @ 7:28 pm

@lloyd@161 Like I said, Rasmussen did an excellent job of crafting that question. /cynicism re poll questions

Nic (120c94) — 9/21/2024 @ 7:42 pm

Ga. dumpsters order hand count of all ballots that will not meet electoral college dead lines. msdnc.

asset (db0eb8) — 9/21/2024 @ 7:53 pm

@107

He also openly derides whembly’s argument that anyone who votes for Harris owns all of the progressive nonsense that she may push or get implemented.

AJ_Liberty (3cae19) — 9/21/2024 @ 6:33 am

He can deride all he wants… but when the fit hits the shan in a Harris Administration, Harris’ voters owns it.

You. Voted. For. It.

Until we hold voters accountable for electing pieces of crap, suboptimal politicians will rule the roost.

whembly (a43e5a) — 9/22/2024 @ 5:02 am

When Trump gives Ukraine to Russia and Taiwan to China, Trump voters own that too.
When Trump quits NATO, Trump voters own that, too.
When Trump rounds up 17 million people into camps in the Arizona desert next summer, 10% of them American children, Trump voters own that, too.
When the West Coast secedes, and Trump orders San Francisco nuked, Trump voters own that, too.

I can come up with a parade of horribles, too.

Kevin M (a9545f) — 9/22/2024 @ 7:26 am

Worth Reading: Richard Dawkins’ article, Race Is a Spectrum. Sex Is Pretty Damn Binary.

Dawkins is an aggressive atheist, but he agrees with the male/female dichotomy described in the Old Testament, “male and female created he them”.

(Don’t miss the claim made in Note 2. I am not an expert in this controversial field, but I did some checking, and Dawkins may have a point.)

Jim Miller (8b4f64) — 9/22/2024 @ 8:40 am

@185

When Trump gives Ukraine to Russia and Taiwan to China, Trump voters own that too.

Objection! Assumes facts not in evidence, particularly it was Trump who green-lit more lethal aids than his predecessor.

When Trump quits NATO, Trump voters own that, too.

Objection! Assumes facts not in evidence, when it’s obvious to any rational observer that Trump won’t quite NATO, but willing to challenge members to meet their obligations.

When Trump rounds up 17 million people into camps in the Arizona desert next summer, 10% of them American children, Trump voters own that, too.

Yes, I’ll own that if he does that. Doubtful the he’d do that. (he’ll probably prioritize criminals first)

When the West Coast secedes, and Trump orders San Francisco nuked, Trump voters own that, too.

I can come up with a parade of horribles, too.

Kevin M (a9545f) — 9/22/2024 @ 7:26 am

Civil War Part Deux, the Electric Bugaloo!

whembly (a43e5a) — 9/22/2024 @ 8:56 am

Hillary Clinton defends Democracy and the Constitution:

It’s important to indict the Russians, just as [Robert] Mueller indicted a lot of Russians who were engaged in direct election interference and boosting Trump back in 2016,” Mrs. Clinton said.

“But I also think there are Americans who are engaged in this kind of propaganda, and whether they should be civilly, or even in some cases criminally, charged is something that would be a better deterrence, because the Russians are unlikely, except in a very few cases, to ever stand trial in the United States,” the former first lady added.

Kevin M (a9545f) — 9/22/2024 @ 9:07 am

When Trump gives Ukraine to Russia and Taiwan to China, Trump voters own that too.

Objection! Assumes facts not in evidence, particularly it was Trump who green-lit more lethal aids than his predecessor.

Past performance doesn’t guarantee future results. 😏

Rip Murdock (bb60a6) — 9/22/2024 @ 9:23 am

A bipartisan group of more than 700 former and nat-sec officials endorsed Harris – despite policy differences – because this election is a choice between “serious leadership and vengeful impulsiveness” that is also “ill-informed.”
The letter endorsing Harris consists of 741 former high-ranking national security officials, including 233 general and flag officers. Among those 741 officials are 15 four-star generals, 10 former cabinet secretaries and 10 service secretaries as well as leaders who served in Republican administrations.

The typical MAGA response is that all those people are “deep state operatives” who are just trying to “keep their jobs” and “keep the war machine going” and protect the “elites,” etc.

Except those are former officials. Plus, the Biden administration has not started any wars, and it’s quite unlikely that Harris would either. But MAGAs are overwhelmingly hostile to providing material support for Ukrainian resistance to Russian subjugation, and they call that support “warmongering,” in an effort to disguise their partiality to Russia – over U.S. interests.

MAGAs are hostile to the U.S. intelligence community, the U.S. military, the justice system (except the MAGA justices and Ailene Cannon), the election system, the education system, the free press … What is it about actually existing America that they like?

They would say they love the Constitution, but the MAGA justices made a mockery of their own “originalist” or “textualist” claims in order to protect and empower Trump.

In the end, MAGA “patriotism” is more about revering a psychopath – who loves only himself – than about loving America.

Radegunda (705a0d) — 9/22/2024 @ 9:43 am

Oops — I forgot the proper way to set a quotation.
This the quotation:
“The letter endorsing Harris consists of 741 former high-ranking national security officials, including 233 general and flag officers. Among those 741 officials are 15 four-star generals, 10 former cabinet secretaries and 10 service secretaries as well as leaders who served in Republican administrations.”
The rest is me

Radegunda (705a0d) — 9/22/2024 @ 9:46 am

You also forgot the link.

Kevin M (a9545f) — 9/22/2024 @ 10:00 am

Plus, the Biden administration has not started any wars

TBF, neither did Trump.

Kevin M (a9545f) — 9/22/2024 @ 10:01 am

the MAGA justices made a mockery of their own “originalist” or “textualist” claims in order to protect and empower Trump.

There is good evidence that the Executive was never indictable. No less a figure than Ben Franklin said at the Convention that the only other way to get a criminal executive out of office was assassination.

Friday, July 20, 1787:

Mr. Davie. If he be not impeachable whilst in office, he will spare no efforts or means whatever to get himself re-elected. He considered this as an essential security for the good behaviour of the Executive.

Mr Wilson concurred in the necessity of making the Executive impeachable whilst in office.

Mr. Govr. Morris. He can do no criminal act without Coadjutors who may be punished. In case he should be re-elected, that will be sufficient proof of his innocence. Besides who is to impeach? Is the impeachment to suspend his functions. If it is not the mischief will go on. If it is the impeachment will be nearly equivalent to a displacement, and will render the Executive dependent on those who are to impeach

Col. Mason. No point is of more importance than that the right of impeachment should be continued. Shall any man be above Justice? Above all shall that man be above it, who can commit the most extensive injustice? When great crimes were committed he was for punishing the principal as well as the Coadjutors. There had been much debate & difficulty as to the mode of chusing the Executive. He approved of that which had been adopted at first, namely of referring the appointment to the Natl. Legislature. One objection agst. Electors was the danger of their being corrupted by the Candidates: & this furnished a peculiar reason in favor of impeachments whilst in office. Shall the man who has practised corruption & by that means procured his appointment in the first instance, be suffered to escape punishment, by repeating his guilt?

Docr. Franklin was for retaining the clause as favorable to the executive. History furnishes one example only of a first Magistrate being formally brought to public Justice. Every body cried out agst this as unconstitutional. What was the practice before this in cases where the chief Magistrate rendered himself obnoxious? Why recourse was had to assassination in wch. he was not only deprived of his life but of the opportunity of vindicating his character. It wd. be the best way therefore to provide in the Constitution for the regular punishment of the Executive when his misconduct should deserve it, and for his honorable acquittal when he should be unjustly accused.

Kevin M (a9545f) — 9/22/2024 @ 10:08 am

As for pursuing a ex-President for his official acts, the real question is “what is an official act.” Obama ordering the extra-judicial killing of Osama bin Ladin? Yes. Trump conspiring with militia groups to raid the Capitol? There is at least an argument that it is not.

Kevin M (a9545f) — 9/22/2024 @ 10:12 am

Here’s a new take on Harris: She was only pretending to be a radical Leftist in 2020, she’s really quite conservative.

What’s striking is that Harris has never been the flaming lefty her positioning in the 2020 campaign would suggest, or some might impute from her grounding in the progressive climes of San Francisco, where Harris started her political career by winning election as district attorney.

“She’s center-left,” said Dan Morain, a former Times staff writer and author of the biography “Kamala’s Way: An American Life.”

Kevin M (a9545f) — 9/22/2024 @ 10:15 am

Obama ordering the extra-judicial killing of Osama bin Ladin? Yes.

The death of Osama bin Laden (or Anwar Al-Aulaqi, or any of the other nearly 4,000 terrorists killed in drone operations under the Obama administration) were not “extrajudicial killings.” It was self-defense.

Rip Murdock (bb60a6) — 9/22/2024 @ 10:43 am

If 9/11 wasn’t an act of war nothing is.

Rip Murdock (bb60a6) — 9/22/2024 @ 10:44 am

Radegunda (705a0d) — 9/22/2024 @ 9:46 am

Here is the Harris national security endorsement letter.

Rip Murdock (bb60a6) — 9/22/2024 @ 10:52 am

Obama ordering the extra-judicial killing of Osama bin Ladin? Yes. ……..

Kevin M (a9545f) — 9/22/2024 @ 10:12 am

Bin Laden was not a US citizen, so Constitutional guarantees would not apply to him. Further,the military operation to kill bin Laden was clearly authorized by the 2001 Authorization to Use Military Force, and not an “extrajudicial killing”:

………..
That the President is authorized to use all necessary and appropriate force against those nations, organizations, or persons he determines planned, authorized, committed, or aided the terrorist attacks that occurred on September 11, 2001, or harbored such organizations or persons, in order to prevent any future acts of international terrorism against the United States by such nations, organizations or persons.
…………..

Rip Murdock (bb60a6) — 9/22/2024 @ 11:16 am

Trump who green-lit more lethal aids than his predecessor.

So, Trump gave more than Nixon, cool, and? $47M vs $69.8B in lethal aid.

Also, what else happened between Trump and Ukraine, hmm, what happened, wait, there’s no actual memory whole.

WASHINGTON ― At the center of the latest scandal threatening to take down President Donald Trump is $391 million in military aid that the U.S. leader reportedly asked his staff to freeze for two months before dropping the hold a week ago, under pressure from lawmakers.

On Wednesday, Washington was consumed with a July 25 call between Trump and Ukraine’s new president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy. According to a memorandum of the call released by the White House, Zelenskiy asked to buy American-made Javelin anti-tank weapons, and Trump asked Zelenskiy to help him work with U.S. officials to investigate political rivals.

Congress then forced Trump to release the Javelins and then impeached him for tying foreign aid to to Zelenskiy for him to “investigate” Biden.

Wow, it’s like Trump has been in the bag for Putin from day one.

Colonel Klink (ret) (96f56a) — 9/22/2024 @ 11:30 am

whole, 2 meanings.

Colonel Klink (ret) (96f56a) — 9/22/2024 @ 11:31 am

Trumps decision making on Jan6 was horrible. Maybe if they’d given him the National Guard he asked for on Jan3 it would not have been so bad, but I have to own that I voted for Trump, who badly mishandled events on the date of Jan6

https://cha.house.gov/2024/9/transcripts-show-president-trump-s-directives-to-pentagon-leadership-to-keep-january-6-safe-were-deliberately-ignored

I think this shows that as of Jan3, Trump was not planning an insurrection. It also shows that many bad decisions were made leading up to the date of Jan6- “optics” is a word that seems to excuse a lot of stupidity these days. I think the people comparing Trump to Castro on Jan6 let their bias interfere with common sense. On the day of Jan6, Trump badly mishandled the situation, but if they’d have ignored optics and had National Guard there as per President’s request Jan3 maybe the situation would have been better controlled upfront. The optics people had National Guard sitting in buses for 3 hours while events were growing out of control, so I can safely assume the optics on their TV feed of a mob attacking Capitol Police were OK. Trump should have ordered the Secret Service to take him down there-security be damned- so he could stop it and didn’t.
Harris will do no better- if Harris’ decision making runs true to form, and it will, she’ll one up Trump, go online and raise bail money for the rioters

steveg (8b87b1) — 9/22/2024 @ 11:34 am

Bad decisions in a crisis are the best face you can put on it?

Kevin M (a9545f) — 9/22/2024 @ 11:48 am

Obama ordering the extra-judicial killing of Osama bin Ladin?

Extra-judicial how? Bin Laden wasn’t a US citizen, and Obama was protected by an AUMF.

Paul Montagu (de60e0) — 9/22/2024 @ 12:07 pm

Maybe if they’d given him the National Guard he asked for on Jan3…

Trump never asked for it, per under-oath testimony from the Acting SecDef.

Paul Montagu (de60e0) — 9/22/2024 @ 12:10 pm

@206

Trump never asked for it, per under-oath testimony from the Acting SecDef.

Paul Montagu (de60e0) — 9/22/2024 @ 12:10 pm

Gen. Milly, per under-oath testimony said he did.

whembly (a43e5a) — 9/22/2024 @ 12:14 pm

It’s not in the transcript, like they said it was, not the one on 4/16/2021 and not the one on 11/17/2021.

Paul Montagu (de60e0) — 9/22/2024 @ 12:31 pm

Paul, it doesn’t matter if it happened. It matters that MAGA says it happened.

Colonel Klink (ret) (96f56a) — 9/22/2024 @ 12:33 pm

Trump says the world was perfect in 2020. I wonder what was going on 4 years ago, nobody knows.

Colonel Klink (ret) (96f56a) — 9/22/2024 @ 12:42 pm

Wow, it’s like Trump has been in the bag for Putin from day one.

Colonel Klink (ret) (96f56a) — 9/22/2024 @ 11:30 am

That’s true.

Rip Murdock (bb60a6) — 9/22/2024 @ 1:01 pm

172 and 181, Rip: A great idea!

A new party for people who have been so useful, helpful, and important, so influential, that high school kids all want to be conservatives when they grow up.

Maybe you’ll do us the favor of listing 10 things –hey or just 5 if that’s all you have–that self-styled, “I’m too good to work with someone who isn’t perfect” “Conservatives” have ‘conserved’ since 1988.

Meanwhile check out this list of things that the “Waiting for Mr. Perfect” conservatives have not conserved (and won’t “conserve” by throwing an ideological temper tantrum and voting for someone who does not support anything “conservatives” support):

Since Reagan left office, our national debt exploded, spending exponentially increased, more and more colleges do not teach US history (but “we’ll tell you all about the Aztecs!”), high schools don’t teach civics, and federally guaranteed student loans support any course of study, no matter how useless.

But wait–there’s more! Respect for free speech among the young down, our ICBM’s are from the 1970’s, our navy is becoming the world’s 2d, the military is enmeshed in DEI, we do not have hypersonic misseles, (but the Russians and Chinese do!)!, and our border is no more than a line on a map.

“But January 6!” “Oh? How about the impressive calm in all of 2020 in any US city?” “Or how about indicting a US presidential candidate for the first time in 248 years–not once but in four cases? (one for a loan he repaid with interest?).

Anyway, having done such a bang-up job of persuading people to “conserve” things, “think like a conservative,” and value things, what do “conservatives” propose to do that shows why they have been so successful?

First, ignore, demean and eschew (I put in “eschew” because I know conservatives eschew words like “avoid” for “eschew,” and to show that I can talk like WFB too), someone who at least professes an interest in trying to reverse this. (hint: this is why “conservatives” are always bewailing what happened, while Democrats make things happen);

Second, conservatives are flinging off their bow ties, putting down their Manhattans, and voting for….someone who won’t try to conserve those things.

And now they want to form their own party, like Jill Stein! Shrewd. You all can meet on a zoom screen, so that’ll keep convention costs down.

Regards.
HFM

Harcourt Fenton Mudd (56e4c0) — 9/22/2024 @ 1:27 pm

The money race going into the final two months of the general election campaign:

………..
………….(A)ccording to a POLITICO analysis of campaign finance filings submitted to the Federal Election Commission late Friday. ……..… Harris has far more campaign cash available than Trump, and she has greater means to deploy it.

…………. Her campaign reported taking in $190 million; his, just shy of $45 million.

The vice president’s campaign outspent Trump $174 million to $61 million in August. But Harris’ preexisting cash advantage and superior fundraising mean that she ended the month with $235 million, $100 million more than Trump.

……….. Trump is getting substantial outside support from the Republican Party and super PACs that are doing both traditional ad buys and canvassing. But campaign money has several advantages. It is directly controlled by the candidates and their closest advisers, and campaigns get better TV ad rates than outside groups do — important as paid media is now the biggest expense category by far for both Trump and Harris.

For the Harris campaign, media production and ad buys accounted for $137 million of the campaign’s $174 million spending in August………..

For Trump, paid media accounted for $47 million of $61 million in August expenses, with another $10.1 million going toward direct mail and just $4.5 million in spending across all other expense categories.
……………
The Democratic campaign has significantly outraised and outspent Trump’s operation since Harris took over. The vice president quickly reversed the financial disadvantage that Democrats had faced with President Joe Biden at the top of the ticket, and remains in a better financial position as the election approaches.

A silver lining for Republicans might be the cash available to the RNC, which reported $40 million raised and $60 million spent over the month, with $79 million cash on hand at the end of the month. ………..
…………..
One pro-Trump super PAC, Make America Great Again Inc., reported $25 million newly raised in August, including $10 million from Wisconsin billionaire Diane Hendricks and $5 million from Paul Singer, (who formerly backed Nikki Haley).
……………
Two pro-Harris super PACs, FF PAC and American Bridge, respectively reported $36 million and $21 million raised in August. Much of that money came funneled through nonprofits, so the actual donors behind that money are not known. ………
……………

Rip Murdock (bb60a6) — 9/22/2024 @ 1:27 pm

Col. That assumes that Trump was leveraging Zelensky on behalf of Putin. My feeling from 8 years of watching how much Trump loves him some Trump, is that the leverage was for Trump.
Using Trump’s words to claim he was in the tank for Putin is only fair insofar as one also measures Trump’s actions.
Trump was much tougher on enforcing sanctions that the Europeans were. He undercut Putin’s energy cash cow by promoting US LNG to Europe.
Trump had the US vote to add Montenegro to NATO over Putin’s strong objections (on behalf of Russia client state Serbia)and greenlit the US obliteration of Wagner/Assad forces in Syria.
Trump, despite bluster about NATO and Putins warnings sent American troops to NATO war games in eastern Europe that had Ukrainian participation and allowed the US to conduct Naval exercises in the Black sea off the coast of Crimea (this has always pissed off Russia because it considers all of the Black Sea to be Russian)
Trump allowed military advisors to train Ukrainian military to specifically fight Russia

Trump did slow walk $500M in lethal aid, but they got the aid. Biden is slow walking aid so slowly that the aid is expiring. Most recently about $6 Billion.

It is interesting to me that no one ever believes what Putin says- except when he plays around and floats Trump. The running joke about Biden/Harris is that they are by far Russia’s best air defense.

The reason Russia did not conquer Ukraine on Biden’s watch was Russian Army arrogance and incompetence. Everyone wants to think it was NLAW’s and Javelins, but the NLAW’s and Javelins worked because the Russians ran an incompetent invasion plan doomed by logistical and supply failures, not enough air support and old fashioned Ukrainian artillery. “Despite the prominence of anti-tank guided weapons in the public narrative, Ukraine blunted Russia’s attempt to seize Kyiv using massed fires from two artillery brigades,” (Guardian)

Russian troops were said to have been selling off their diesel fuel on the black market in the week ahead of the attack. They assumed they would be welcomed as liberators in Kyiv and prioritized sending parade uniforms forward over fuel and ammunition. The Russians ran an air campaign of 7 hours when everyone had assumed it should/would go at a minimum 72 hours. The Russians thought Zelensky would fold, he did not. Biden offered to pull Zelensky and concede the fall of Kyiv and he rejected the Biden offer (imagine if Trump had been in this position “Putin’s c**kholster!!!) The Russians contacted Ukrainian leadership down to the level of Colonel and felt that the Ukrainian military would stand down, instead they fought (if Zelensky had left, they might have followed).

Bulk of the Kyiv area invasion troops were from Russia’s Eastern Military District, traditionally “the least capable part of the Russian military” (Guardian)
Russia’s air campaign was so feeble that Ukrainians were able to fly air support missions over the invasion route. The Russian pilots so poorly trained that even with 6:2 ration in dogfights, Ukrainians were able to win a few. The Russian had thought their air campaign was such a rousing success that the Russian started flying without their EW pods, and they told the ground troops that aircraft were to be presumed friendly. The ground troops were given maps so old, that some towns they encountered did not exist when the map was printed. Despite a 12:1 ration, the Russians were failing (Rusi.org)
The Russians did decide not to conduct a planned maritime landing in the south, much to the dismay of the US Marines who were deprived of the opportunity for comedy (the Russian routinely failed at simple river crossings, although they have improved)

Russian incompetence was found in targeting. They targeted Ukrainian military sites from farthest first and them moved in methodically, which meant the frontline units were able to simply move, and the Russians did not adjust to the new locations, hitting places long since vacated. For some unknown reason, the Russians did not adjust number of munitions to size of target, and when intelligence showed a unit had moved, the old location remained on the lists and was still hit first

Russians had trouble with battle damage assessment. their satellites were insufficient in numbers and probably not as good as they’d thought. They began buying images on the world market. Real time intel was lacking and Ukraine was able to ship “3-4 echelons a day” by rail unmolested.
On airfields, the Ukrainian simply copied battle damage photos onto sheets, cleaned up the rubble and put their aircraft under the sheets. They did the opposite with destroyed airfields, putting out old photos and claiming the field was still operational and the Russians would rehit the same field over and over trying to knock it out. The Russian were so perplexed by the “photo sheets” that they presumed that the Ukrainians had somehow built secret underground shelters for their aircraft.

I think the evidence shows that Biden/Harris is in the tank for Putin probably driven by fear, but who knows, could be Burisma dropped Hunter from their board, so Joe Biden is no longer beholden. Why else would he slow walk aid to expiration? Why else would Biden protect Putin’s military bases from long range weapons? The twin holsters appear to be in the WH and the Naval Observatory. Trump is being the most honest by saying he wants the war to end in a deal- while Biden/Harris are being forked wormtongued appeasers

steveg (8b87b1) — 9/22/2024 @ 1:59 pm

Harcourt Fenton Mudd (56e4c0) — 9/22/2024 @ 1:27 pm

There has never been a real “conservative” elected as President since 1945 (at best the Republican presidents, including Reagan, have been moderates), nor have “conservatives” ever had a majority in Congress. While controlling both Congress and the presidency during the first two years (2017-2019) of the Trump Administration, why did they fail to address most of the problems you mentioned?

Trump cannot be described as a “conservative” in any way, shape, or form, irrespective of his behavior during January 6th. No “conservative” would propose an expansion of Obamacare by creating a new government health mandate nor would they use the tax code as to bribe voters.

Rip Murdock (bb60a6) — 9/22/2024 @ 2:04 pm

Col. That assumes that Trump was leveraging Zelensky on behalf of Putin. My feeling from 8 years of watching how much Trump loves him some Trump, is that the leverage was for Trump.

Using Trump’s words to claim he was in the tank for Putin is only fair insofar as one also measures Trump’s actions.

Pressuring Zelenskyy was in both Trump’s and Putin’s interests. Anything that discredited Zelenskyy or Ukraine served both their interests.

Rip Murdock (bb60a6) — 9/22/2024 @ 2:08 pm

Trump, despite bluster about NATO and Putins warnings sent American troops to NATO war games in eastern Europe that had Ukrainian participation and allowed the US to conduct Naval exercises in the Black sea off the coast of Crimea (this has always pissed off Russia because it considers all of the Black Sea to be Russian).

No big deal. The issue isn’t training, but whether Trump would honor American obligations under Article 5, and he’s been pretty clear that he won’t.

Rip Murdock (bb60a6) — 9/22/2024 @ 2:18 pm

Radegunda (705a0d) — 9/22/2024 @ 9:43 am

Some names, just browsing up to the C’s:
John Brennan
James Clapper
Hillary Clinton
Wesley Clark

The usual appeal to authority, and it’s funny to see the sort of authority being appealed to.

lloyd (6a7b2c) — 9/22/2024 @ 2:26 pm

Radegunda (705a0d) — 9/22/2024 @ 9:43 am

These sorts of letters aren’t going to convince anyone who doesn’t already support Trump, as they see the signatories as members of the Deep State opposition to Trump (and probably who should be arrested on day one).

Rip Murdock (bb60a6) — 9/22/2024 @ 2:33 pm

72. That atomic bomb poem must date from the mid-1960s – because history veers off after that. And it left out he United Kingdom which ws third.

Sammy Finkelman (c2c77e) — 9/22/2024 @ 2:38 pm

@219 Rip projects almost effortlessly.

DOJ Warns If Trump Is Elected He Will Do To Them All The Stuff They’re Doing To Him

lloyd (6a7b2c) — 9/22/2024 @ 2:41 pm

We The Prosecutors …

What the founders intended, but autocorrect got in the way.

lloyd (6a7b2c) — 9/22/2024 @ 2:45 pm

@207, whembly, I couldn’t find that in his testimony. Just in the House summary. I’m beginning to think the summary isn’t accurate. Can you show me where he testified to that?

Time123 (ad6454) — 9/22/2024 @ 2:51 pm

The inflation of the 1960s and further was caused by the Federal Reserve Board raising interest rates to fight inflation. They thought they started just a little bit too late.

Sammy Finkelman (c2c77e) — 9/22/2024 @ 2:54 pm

Herbert Hoover was a businessman who became president.

Sammy Finkelman (c2c77e) — 9/22/2024 @ 2:57 pm

Try, try again:

………
The vote on the short-term funding bill was 202 in favor to 220 against, with more than a dozen holdout Republicans joining most Democrats in opposition. Two Republicans voted present.
…………..
Some GOP figures, including Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, are demanding that Republicans leverage the specter of a shutdown to strike a hard bargain with Democrats to tighten voter-ID rules, while others say such an effort would be futile and wrongheaded just ahead of the November elections.

Johnson’s initial proposal would have extended government funding levels for six months past the Sept. 30 end of the current fiscal year. ………..

After the measure failed, Johnson said he was disappointed and was talking with Republican colleagues about his next steps. He didn’t provide details.
………….
In a social-media post on Wednesday, Trump said if Republicans “don’t get the SAVE Act, and every ounce of it, they should not agree to a Continuing Resolution in any way, shape, or form,” reiterating a demand he made last week. He added: “A Vote must happen BEFORE the Election, not AFTER the Election when it is too late.”
…………..
Some Republicans criticized the proposal because it doesn’t include spending cuts for federal agencies. Many dislike short-term deals on principle, as they are seen as enabling lawmakers to regularly miss deadlines. Others said the U.S. military needs more money than what’s provided at current levels to confront global conflicts during the next six months.
………….
Despite Trump’s exhortation to hold the line, many House lawmakers said they didn’t anticipate a shutdown, particularly after the experience of recent years. During previous spending fights, Johnson got three funding extensions passed with Democratic support after fielding criticism from tough-on-spending conservatives.
………….

Speaker Bullwinkle J. Moose keeps thinking he will pull a rabbit out of his hat, but never does.

Rip Murdock (bb60a6) — 9/22/2024 @ 2:57 pm

Herbert Hoover was a businessman who became president.

Sammy Finkelman (c2c77e) — 9/22/2024 @ 2:57 pm

So?

Rip Murdock (bb60a6) — 9/22/2024 @ 2:58 pm

Trump wanted to go to the Capitol on January 6 because he didn’t know anything serious or anything at all was happening.

He wanted to address the crowd and then go into the offices of the leaders of Congress himself to lobby them for votes.

Sammy Finkelman (c2c77e) — 9/22/2024 @ 3:01 pm

But I do agree that failing to anticipate that many hundreds of Trump supporting republicans would assault the police and seize the US capitol on an effort to prevent the lawful transfer of power was a huge mistake. Trump’s inaction for a couple of hours, and praise for violent supporters does make one skeptical about him….

Time123 (ad6454) — 9/22/2024 @ 3:04 pm

Trump wanted to go to the Capitol on January 6 because he didn’t know anything serious or anything at all was happening.

He wanted to address the crowd and then go into the offices of the leaders of Congress himself to lobby them for votes.

Sammy Finkelman (c2c77e) — 9/22/2024 @ 3:01 pm

Per who’s testimony?

Rip Murdock (bb60a6) — 9/22/2024 @ 3:04 pm

Not good:

Four top operatives on Mark Robinson’s campaign for North Carolina governor have stepped down, the campaign announced on Sunday.

General consultant and senior advisor Conrad Pogorzelski III, campaign manager Chris Rodriguez, finance director Heather Whillier and deputy campaign manager Jason Rizk have stepped down from the campaign.
………….
In a statement announcing the departure Robinson reiterated his intention to stay in the race.

“My campaign will continue to focus on the substantive issues at stake in this election: building an economy that grows from Murphy to Manteo; cutting taxes and eliminating unnecessary red-tape; removing politics out of our classrooms; and cracking down on violent crime and dangerous drugs,” Robinson said in the statement.
………….

Rip Murdock (bb60a6) — 9/22/2024 @ 3:08 pm

lloyd (6a7b2c) — 9/22/2024 @ 2:41 pm

As President, Trump will certainly have the constitutional authority to order the DOJ (or any other government agency) to investigate anyone he pleases.

Rip Murdock (bb60a6) — 9/22/2024 @ 3:11 pm

Extra-judicial how? Bin Laden wasn’t a US citizen, and Obama was protected by an AUMF.

They were precisely extra-judicial. That isn’t the same as unlawful. And, as you point out, it was also clearly withing Obama’s duties as Commander-in-Chief.

This is a contrast between something the Trumpies throw up and Trump’s actions leading up to, and including, J6 which were not part of any recognized duties.

Kevin M (a9545f) — 9/22/2024 @ 3:11 pm

That atomic bomb poem must date from the mid-1960s

Tom Lehrer, TW3

Kevin M (a9545f) — 9/22/2024 @ 3:14 pm

Four top operatives on Mark Robinson’s campaign for North Carolina governor have stepped down, the campaign announced on Sunday.

There were shocked, SHOCKED!, to find out about Robinson’s past.

Kevin M (a9545f) — 9/22/2024 @ 3:15 pm

They were precisely extra-judicial. That isn’t the same as unlawful. And, as you point out, it was also clearly withing Obama’s duties as Commander-in-Chief.

Please explain how the killing “extrajudicial.”

Rip Murdock (bb60a6) — 9/22/2024 @ 3:19 pm

Extrajudicial: “not legally authorized.”
–Oxford Dictionary

Paul Montagu (de60e0) — 9/22/2024 @ 3:31 pm

They were precisely extra-judicial. That isn’t the same as unlawful. And, as you point out, it was also clearly withing Obama’s duties as Commander-in-Chief.

This is a contrast between something the Trumpies throw up and Trump’s actions leading up to, and including, J6 which were not part of any recognized duties.

Kevin M (a9545f) — 9/22/2024 @ 3:11 pm

Again, Obama ordering bin Laden’s wasn’t an “extrajudicial” action. Extrajudicial is defined as

An extrajudicial killing……..is the deliberate killing of a person without the lawful authority granted by a judicial proceeding.

In bin Laden’s case he wasn’t a US citizen nor was he located in American territory, so no judicial proceeding was necessary. The Constitution doesn’t cover non-US citizens who are overseas. And the AMUF gave Obama the authority to pursue those responsible for 9/11.

Your comparison between the death of bin Laden and January 6th in terms of presidential immunity is tenuous at best. I’m sure there are better examples.

Rip Murdock (bb60a6) — 9/22/2024 @ 3:35 pm

Please explain how the killing “extrajudicial.”

Extrajudicial refers to something that has occurred outside of or without the authorization of the judicial system. As such, it might not follow proper legal procedures or might not carry adequate legal authority.

https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/extrajudicial

Note the word “might”

The point is that there are acts which the president CAN order, but would be criminal for anyone else. The president has immunity for such acts and always has had such immunity. Note also that the fact that the citizenship of the decedent is immaterial, although it may weigh on the president’s decision.

Kevin M (a9545f) — 9/22/2024 @ 4:01 pm

In bin Laden’s case he wasn’t a US citizen nor was he located in American territory, so no judicial proceeding was necessary.

1) Obama order the killing of at least on American citizen.
2) You define “extrajudicial” then say it wasn’t extrajudicial because no judicial proceeding was needed. Circular logic. It was STILL extrajudicial. All you are showing is that it was not UNLAWFUL, which I never suggested it was.

Kevin M (a9545f) — 9/22/2024 @ 4:04 pm

Your comparison between the death of bin Laden and January 6th in terms of presidential immunity is tenuous at best. I’m sure there are better examples.

None starker.

Kevin M (a9545f) — 9/22/2024 @ 4:05 pm

Please explain how the killing “extrajudicial.”

Extrajudicial refers to something that has occurred outside of or without the authorization of the judicial system. As such, it might not follow proper legal procedures or might not carry adequate legal authority.

https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/extrajudicial

Note the word “might”

Kevin M (a9545f) — 9/22/2024 @ 4:01 pm

And bin Laden’s case no judicial review or authorization was required, again because he was 1) a non-citizen; 2) outside the jurisdiction of the United States; and 3) an enemy combatant (as the instigator of 9/11).

Citizenship does matter (apparently), as you noted the killing of Anwar Al-Aulaqi, was a US citizen. That would have been a better example for your argument comparing it with Trump’s actions on 1/6. The Al-Aulaqi case is much closer to an extrajudicial killing than bin Laden ever will be. I doubt you will find anyone criticizing bin Laden’s death as an extrajudicial act.

Rip Murdock (bb60a6) — 9/22/2024 @ 4:23 pm

Obama order the killing of at least on American citizen.

That’s goalpost-moving. You claimed that bin Laden was an extrajudicial killing. Get those heels undug.

Yes, Obama targeting and killing al-Awlaki (and his 16-year old son) were extra-judicial killings, but that’s a different story.

Paul Montagu (de60e0) — 9/22/2024 @ 4:25 pm

Given Anwar al-Awlaki’s role as an al-Qaeda planner and recruiter, his death was covered under the 2001 AUMF.

Rip Murdock (bb60a6) — 9/22/2024 @ 4:37 pm

I don’t accept that, Rip. American citizenship is a gold standard, and we all should get due process. Al-Awlaki wasn’t even indicted.

However, what I would’ve done is target al Qaeda operatives that were in close proximity to al-Awlaki and, well, them’s the breaks if he gets killed. His fault for palling around with terrorists.

Paul Montagu (de60e0) — 9/22/2024 @ 4:45 pm

Musk capitulates ito Brazil

Elon Musk backed down and decided to comply with court orders in Brazil, an attempt to end a monthslong clash that culminated in million-dollar fines and the banning of his social network X in Latin America’s largest economy.

X appointed a legal representative in the country on Friday, seeking to obey a deadline imposed by the Supreme Court and end the ban on the social-media platform in the country that began Aug. 30, according to a judicial filing.

The company formerly known as Twitter also informed the court that it followed previous orders and blocked accounts allegedly responsible for disseminating hate speech and fake news, two people familiar with the matter who can’t publicly discuss a case under seal said Saturday. The company had until now resisted abiding by orders from the court.
………….
In April, Musk pledged to defy orders from (Justice Alexandre de) Moraes, who is spearheading a judicial campaign against hate speech and fake news, to suspend certain accounts in the country. The world’s richest man accused the judge of censorship, while Moraes opened a criminal inquiry into Musk and accused him of spreading disinformation.
………….
Brazil last week withdrew 18.35 million reais from local bank accounts of X and the satellite internet provider Starlink to pay for fines imposed by the Supreme Court. Moraes had blocked Starlink’s accounts in a bid to force the US technology company to pay the penalties imposed for ignoring a previous order.
##########.

Rip Murdock (bb60a6) — 9/22/2024 @ 4:52 pm

I don’t accept that, Rip. American citizenship is a gold standard, and we all should get due process. Al-Awlaki wasn’t even indicted.

If you are senior associate of a terrorist organization like al-Qaeda, your citizenship shouldn’t protect you from punishment. As it was unlikely that he would either return to the US, or allow himself to be arrested, I wouldn’t want to see American special forces risking their lives to capture him.

Rip Murdock (bb60a6) — 9/22/2024 @ 4:59 pm

I just don’t want to give a special needs six-year old a can of gasoline and a box of matches.

nk (6c45b4) — 9/22/2024 @ 5:10 pm

Paul Montagu (de60e0) — 9/22/2024 @ 4:45 pm

If you lie down with dogs, you’re bound to catch fleas (or in Al-Awlaki‘s case, get droned).

Rip Murdock (4ad84b) — 9/22/2024 @ 5:29 pm

Rip Murdock (bb60a6) — 9/22/2024 @ 3:04 pm

Per who’s testimony?

Cassidy Hutchinson.

Sammy Finkelman (c2c77e) — 9/22/2024 @ 6:08 pm

Sammy Finkelman (c2c77e) — 9/22/2024 @ 6:08 pm

Link?

Rip Murdock (4ad84b) — 9/22/2024 @ 7:17 pm

Cassidy Hutchinson, said…

On events leading to January 6
During the June 28 sworn testimony, Hutchinson testified that she overheard mention of Oath Keepers and Proud Boys during the planning of the Save America March, when Trump’s personal attorney Rudy Giuliani was present. Several leaders of both groups were later indicted on seditious conspiracy charges for their alleged roles in the January 6 United States Capitol attack.

Hutchinson testified that both Meadows and Giuliani sought presidential pardons. She previously told the committee in depositions that congressmen Matt Gaetz, Andy Biggs, Scott Perry and Louie Gohmert had also requested pardons.

She testified that on January 3, 2021, White House counsel Pat Cipollone pulled her aside to express his concern upon hearing Trump planned to march to the Capitol with his supporters on January 6; Hutchinson recalled him saying, “We’re going to get charged with every crime imaginable if we make that movement happen.”

Hutchinson also revealed in her testimony that Trump threw his lunch plate against a wall in a White House dining room on December 1, 2020, when he learned that Attorney General William Barr had made a public statement that he had not discovered any evidence of election fraud. The wall was splashed with ketchup. On other occasions, he had “flip[ped] the tablecloth to let all the contents of the table go onto the floor and likely break or go everywhere”.

On January 6 events
Hutchinson testified that Trump and Meadows were told some individuals were carrying weapons, including firearms, and therefore could not clear magnetometers to enter the rally. Trump insisted that he didn’t care if his supporters had weapons and tried to order the magnetometers removed, saying “They’re not here to hurt me.”

Hutchinson testified she was told by then-White House deputy chief of staff Tony Ornato that after Trump got into the presidential SUV following his rally, hoping to drive to the Capitol as his supporters marched there, his lead Secret Service agent Robert Engel told him it was too dangerous and informed him they were returning to the White House. Hutchinson said Ornato told her Trump became irate and attempted to grab the steering wheel of the vehicle, and lunged at Engel’s clavicle. She testified Engel was present with Ornato as he related the incident but never contradicted the account. CNN reported three days after Hutchinson’s testimony that it had spoken with two Secret Service agents who had heard accounts of the incident from multiple other agents since February 2021, including Trump’s driver. Although details differed, agents confirmed there was an angry confrontation, with one agent relating that Trump “tried to lunge over the seat – for what reason, nobody had any idea,” but no one asserted Trump attacked Engel. A separate Secret Service official told CNN that Engel denied that Trump grabbed at the steering wheel or lunged toward an agent on his detail, and that Ornato denied telling Hutchinson such. Politico reported the same day that Engel told the committee during an early 2022 deposition that he had kept his full account of the incident from his Secret Service colleagues for at least fourteen months. On July 14, 2022, CNN published an account about the corroboration by a Metropolitan Police officer in the motorcade of the “heated exchange” Trump had with his Secret Service detail when they refused to take him to the Capitol following his rally on January 6. In March 2024, details of Hutchinson’s relaying of Ornato’s account were contradicted by the release of testimony from the driver of the vehicle. The unnamed driver testified that Trump did not reach for, lunge at, or grab the steering wheel, and that Trump did not scream or seem irate. The driver did corroborate that Trump sought to go the Capitol and had “irritation” in his voice.

As the events of the day unfolded, Hutchinson recalled Cipollone telling Meadows words to the effect of, “Mark, we need to do something more. They’re literally calling for the vice president to be f’ing hung. And Mark had responded something to the effect of, you heard him, Pat. He thinks Mike deserves it. He doesn’t think they’re doing anything wrong, to which Pat said something, this is f’ing crazy, we need to be doing something more.”

On events after January 6
An interview transcript released on December 22, 2022, revealed that Hutchinson gave additional testimony on September 14 and September 15, 2022. During part of this testimony, Hutchinson stated that she was pressured by Trump allies not to talk to the committee. She also claimed that with former White House aide Alyssa Farah Griffin acting as her backchannel, she was able to conduct the interview without Passantino’s knowledge, and that Passantino in fact wanted her to skirt around the committee questions. Hutchinson testified to the committee that Passantino told her, “We just want to focus on protecting the president” and “We all know you’re loyal” and he would help her get “a really good job in Trump world” because “We want to keep you in the family.” She also testified Meadows told her Trump knew he had lost the election.

Colonel Klink (ret) (96f56a) — 9/22/2024 @ 9:39 pm

The Al-Aulaqi case is much closer to an extrajudicial killing than bin Laden ever will be.

Except for your tortured semantics, they’re both extrajudicial, despite your attempt to pretend lawfulness is part of the definition.

Kevin M (a9545f) — 9/22/2024 @ 10:39 pm

I just don’t want to give a special needs six-year old a can of gasoline and a box of matches.

Have you ever MET Congress?

Kevin M (a9545f) — 9/22/2024 @ 10:40 pm

Boy, Drudge is in the tank for Harris.

Kevin M (a9545f) — 9/22/2024 @ 10:57 pm

@198 bombing people and over throwing their leaders around the world is too. 9-11 was a counter attack history did not start on that day.

asset (bcde13) — 9/22/2024 @ 11:21 pm

Lots of folks in the tank for not Trump.

Colonel Klink (ret) (96f56a) — 9/23/2024 @ 1:09 am

@223

whembly, I couldn’t find that in his testimony. Just in the House summary. I’m beginning to think the summary isn’t accurate. Can you show me where he testified to that?

Time123 (ad6454) — 9/22/2024 @ 2:51 pm

I saw an interview on twitter (looking for it, but can’t find it yet) from Loudmilk saying more info is forthcoming, so hopefully the exact quote should be there.

But, the DoDIG report is damning on it’s own, as the BIGGEST story, imo, is that it destroys the IG committee’s narrative that Trump planned and WANTED his protestors to riot and stop Congress from counting the electoral slates. Just read the IG’s transcript of the key people, and it’s clear Trump wanted robust security on capitol grounds. Not something you’d do in order to facilitate an “insurrection”.

The thing you must be aware of from all these afteraction transcript – Everyone is CYA mode. So, factor that in whenever doing an retrospective reviews.

The DoDIG has more:
https://media.defense.gov/2021/Nov/19/2002896088/-1/-1/1/DODIG-2022-039%20V2%20508.PDF

Such as:

Jan. 3, 2021 Mr. Miller and GEN Milley attend a White House meeting. At the end of the meeting, the President asks about election protest preparations and Mr. Miller tells him, “We’ve got a plan, and we’ve got it covered.”

Excerpt of the transcript:

Mr. Miller and GEN Milley met with the President at the White House at 5:30 p.m. The primary topic they discussed was unrelated to the scheduled rally. GEN Milley told us that at the end of the meeting, the President told Mr. Miller that there would be a large number of protestors on January 6, 2021, and Mr. Miller should ensure sufficient National Guard or Soldiers would be there to make sure it was a safe event. Gen Milley told us that Mr. Miller responded, “We’ve got a plan and we’ve got it covered.”

whembly (477db6) — 9/23/2024 @ 6:37 am

Dana: “I mean, this is who millions of Americans want to be making critical decisions on their behalf? This is the person they want to be responsible for the nuclear codes and to represent us before the world? A small, petty man-baby who has told us that retribution and revenge against his perceived enemies will be a part of his focus if he ends up in the Oval Office? This immature man-baby who gets his feelings hurt because…a pop star endorsed his opponent?”

Yet, whembly and lloyd will bend over backwards to rationalize it: the Democrat will ALWAYS be worse. Reading whembly is like Scooby Doo, within 1 minute you know who’s the villain. He confidently assures us that Trump won’t cut and run from Ukraine….he might not even knee-cap NATO….and the norms and institutions Trump regularly reviles will none-the-less protect us against any of his more basic illiberal instincts. The next Trump administration will apparently not be stocked with third-rate toadies and yes-men, but only the best. Ehhh, not likely.

A vote for Trump is a vote for lawlessness, lying, and narcissism. That friendly appointments trump character. I can’t disagree with that more….

AJ_Liberty (5f05c3) — 9/23/2024 @ 6:41 am

@259

the Democrat will ALWAYS be worse.

AJ_Liberty (5f05c3) — 9/23/2024 @ 6:41 am

This is the only true statement in your post.

Carry on.

whembly (477db6) — 9/23/2024 @ 7:08 am

whembly, that is still not evidence of Trump requesting National Guard to the Capitol, and doesn’t support steveg’s claim that “maybe if they’d given him the National Guard he asked for on Jan3…”, which is what started this.

Paul Montagu (de60e0) — 9/23/2024 @ 7:41 am

Whembly, thank you for the information. If, as you assert, Trump didn’t want his supporters to riot and assault the US capitol why did he wait so long to take action or even make a statement? Also, if you’re correct, why have his statements after the fact been supportive of the rioters?

Time123 (a25482) — 9/23/2024 @ 7:54 am

@262

Whembly, thank you for the information. If, as you assert, Trump didn’t want his supporters to riot and assault the US capitol why did he wait so long to take action or even make a statement?

Because it was utter chaos, and yes thats on him for not being more assertive earlier. There’s no excuse on his part for his tardy actions.

Also, if you’re correct, why have his statements after the fact been supportive of the rioters?

Time123 (a25482) — 9/23/2024 @ 7:54 am

Did he actually support the rioters? As in, the ones who where violent? Or, was he supportives of the non-violent protestors. It’s an important distinction….

whembly (477db6) — 9/23/2024 @ 8:15 am

@261

whembly, that is still not evidence of Trump requesting National Guard to the Capitol, and doesn’t support steveg’s claim that “maybe if they’d given him the National Guard he asked for on Jan3…”, which is what started this.

Paul Montagu (de60e0) — 9/23/2024 @ 7:41 am

…the President told Mr. Miller that there would be a large number of protestors on January 6, 2021, and Mr. Miller should ensure sufficient National Guard or Soldiers would be there to make sure it was a safe event.

Stop being dense.

whembly (477db6) — 9/23/2024 @ 8:17 am

Whembly, So we’re agreed that Trump’s actions (or lack thereof) on Jan 6 aren’t acceptable. I’m glad to find common ground.

His statements about the rioters have been generally very supportive. He’s not a particularly precise speaking as a politician and i don’t know if the occasional caveat about violent offenders changes his overall message about the Jan 6. Here are some of his statements from the Debate with Biden.

Your claim that this completely exonerates Trump or totally invalidates what the Jan 6 committee found doesn’t seem supported by this alone.

Time123 (4a6cef) — 9/23/2024 @ 8:30 am

@259, much of the good accomplished by the Trump administration came because he had some good people working for him. I’m not confident that his second administration will have that level of support. Will he have a Sessions or Barr as AG or will it be a Powell? Will he appoint a competent person to head the FBI? Or will it be Rudy? Are the 2nd and 3rd tier staffers going to be competent republicans or will those people stay away and leave us with the kooks, wierdo’s and conspiracy theorists whose primary loyalty is the Trump personally?

Trumps efforts to steal the 2020 election took a major blow when Barr not just refused to participate but made public statements that it hadn’t been determined by fraud. If AG Matt Gaets, was telling the world that it was fraud one of the major guardrails would have been missing.

Some (like Keven) believe that the system worked. He’s right. But Trump saw where the system stymied him and if he learns from his mistakes the outcome a 2nd time may be worse.

Also, for the TEAM GOP crew, Stacy Abram’s has thankfully failed as a politician. But a Quick Look at her MO shows you the narrative the Dems would use once the guardrails are gone.

Time123 (4a6cef) — 9/23/2024 @ 8:38 am

Cartoonist Wuerker makes the case against the Loser’s pal, Putin, clearly so anyone who wants to understand, will.

But too many don’t want to.

Jim Miller (0cc4e0) — 9/23/2024 @ 8:41 am

Stop being dense.

I agree, knock it off. The president didn’t order Miller to deploy NG. Miller said they had a plan and had it covered.

Paul Montagu (1888f5) — 9/23/2024 @ 8:46 am

Cartoonist Wuerker makes the case against the Loser’s pal, Putin, clearly so anyone who wants to understand, will.

The amount of influence that Putin has over our elections is insignificant compared to the screeds published daily in the mainstream media. It is merely a device used by losers to explain their loss.

Kevin M (a9545f) — 9/23/2024 @ 8:55 am

Question: Why hasn’t Tucker Carlson been charged with being an unregistered foreign agent?

Kevin M (a9545f) — 9/23/2024 @ 8:56 am

California sues ExxonMobil, accusing it of deceiving the public regarding plastics. Pretty much the tobacco-suit model. Will they sue the producers of “The Graduate” too?

Kevin M (a9545f) — 9/23/2024 @ 9:01 am

As of right now, Trump’s social media stock scam is at $12.73. A month ago today it was $22.81. Six months ago it was $58.
His falling stock price might be seen as a barometer of his electoral chances, and investors must’ve seen that the “Black Nazi” candidate he endorsed has become an unfolding disaster.

Paul Montagu (1888f5) — 9/23/2024 @ 9:12 am

investors must’ve seen that the “Black Nazi” candidate he endorsed has become an unfolding disaster.

Even Trump has seen that. And even Trump’s promise (HA!) not to sell off his DJT stock when the holdoff expires hasn’t helped. OTOH, it’s likely to pop quite a bit if he wins the election. Maybe some bet-hedging?

Kevin M (a9545f) — 9/23/2024 @ 9:27 am

The Al-Aulaqi case is much closer to an extrajudicial killing than bin Laden ever will be.

Except for your tortured semantics, they’re both extrajudicial, despite your attempt to pretend lawfulness is part of the definition.

Kevin M (a9545f) — 9/22/2024 @ 10:39 pm

Except it’s you with the tortured definition of “extrajudicial killing.” I doubt you could find any legal commentary supporting your position regarding bin Laden’s well deserved fate.

Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 9/23/2024 @ 9:34 am

A least Trump is consistent:

Donald Trump is facing calls both from his allies and from within his own campaign to pull his endorsement from scandal-plagued North Carolina gubernatorial candidate Mark Robinson, according to four people familiar with the discussions.

So far, however, there are no plans for the former president to formally drop him.
……….
In a statement, the Trump campaign did not directly address the underlying reporting about Robinson, whom the former president endorsed in March and has called “Martin Luther King on steroids.”

“President Trump’s campaign is focused on winning the White House and saving the country,” Trump campaign press secretary Karoline Leavitt said. “North Carolina is a vital part of that plan. We are confident that as voters compare the Trump record of a strong economy, low inflation, a secure border and safe streets, with the failure of Biden-Harris, then President Trump will win the Tarheel State once again.”

On Friday morning, she told NBC News that reports that Trump is considering pulling that endorsement are “false.”
………
A person close to the Trump campaign who has been involved in discussions around Robinson said Trump has been going back and forth on the matter and has been in close touch with Whatley, who also did not return a request for comment.

But if Trump does end up pulling his support, it would be a break from what he has done in the past. He rarely backtracks on endorsements publicly because he has long believed doing so would make him look weak — which is a part of the reason he is unlikely to formally withdraw his endorsement of Robinson.

“The problem with it is, while he may feel like that might be a smart move — and I don’t know that he does — there’s no way in hell he’s going to risk the base, which will go furious,” a former senior Trump official said.
……….
“Robinson could hurt Trump, but it is too late for him to drop now, and if Trump was going to weigh in, he should have done so before the clock struck 12 last night,” said a longtime Republican Senate strategist. “The ads are going to be brutal.”
……….
Robinson is not the only controversial candidate Trump has stood by.
……….

Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 9/23/2024 @ 9:46 am

It’s Nanny’s fault for letting Donnie play with that bad Robinson boy.

nk (e7980d) — 9/23/2024 @ 9:56 am

Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 9/23/2024 @ 9:46 am

As Kevin M would say, “until he does.” However, I think Trump hopes that Robinson will drop out so he doesn’t need to make that decision.

Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 9/23/2024 @ 10:01 am

What happens if Mark Robinson drops out of race for NC governor?
………
Ballots started going out Friday morning to overseas and military voters. So Thursday would’ve been the last chance for Republican officials to go to court to try stopping those ballots — potentially buying at least a few days to find a replacement. Robinson didn’t ask to be removed, nor did the party. The fact they didn’t take that step indicates GOP leaders take Robinson at his word that he will stay in the race.
………
……… Robinson still can technically drop out of the race if he chooses. Under state law, it would be up to the executive committee of the North Carolina Republican Party to pick a replacement candidate. Party insiders say that committee is made up of several hundred GOP leaders and activists from across the state.

If state Republican Party leaders name a new nominee, they’d find themselves needing to convince voters that casting a vote for Robinson on the ballot this year wouldn’t actually go to Robinson, but rather to the replacement candidate. ……..

In a case where the person named on the ballot is still alive but has dropped out and been replaced by their party, state law says that person couldn’t try to claim the votes for themselves after the election.
……….

Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 9/23/2024 @ 10:07 am

“The ads are going to be brutal.”

Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 9/23/2024 @ 9:46 am

They’ve only just begun.

Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 9/23/2024 @ 10:23 am

THere is this in reports on the CA vs ExxonMobil pastic lawsuit:

California said while Exxon “repeatedly suggests” most plastic waste processed by its advanced recycling technology is turned into new plastic, only 8% actually is. Most of the rest is turned into fuel.

1) Turning waste into fuel IS recycling, and is touted as such with biowaste.
2) Fuel is probably the most valuable recycled product, and only that which cannot be turned into fuel ends up as “recycled plastic.”

So, really quite a bit IS recycled and it isn’t that it cannot be turned into new plastic products, but that those are undesired. And, if you think that carbon sequestration is a good thing, putting all the plastic waste into landfills is better that recycling.

Kevin M (a9545f) — 9/23/2024 @ 10:36 am

Link to ExxonMobil article

Kevin M (a9545f) — 9/23/2024 @ 10:37 am

That’s a relief.

Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 9/23/2024 @ 10:58 am

I’m not sure if Paul quoted the J6 committee report above or not, but here’s a key snippet

“Now, as January 6th approached, the President again wanted to be there, on the ground, as his supporters marched on the U.S. Capitol. The President’s advisors tried to talk him out of it. White House Senior Advisor Max Miller “shot it down immediately” because of concerns about the President’s safety. Pierson agreed. But President Trump was persistent, and he floated the idea of having 10,000 National Guardsmen deployed to protect him and his supporters from any supposed threats by leftwing counter-protestors. Miller again rejected the President’s idea, saying that the National Guard was not necessary for the event. Miller testified that there was no further conversation on the matter. After the meeting, Miller texted Pierson, “Just glad we killed the national guard and a procession.” That is, President Trump briefly considered having the National Guard oversee his procession to the U.S. Capitol. The President did not order the National Guard to protect the U.S. Capitol, or to secure the joint session proceedings.“

It’s sad that we have to keep revisiting a dishonest spin of events. Sammy too traffics in the bizarre notion that Trump did not know what was even going on, despite testimony of multiple people urging him to act and that Trump was sitting and watching the riot on TV. But this is where the GOP is these days. The media that should be holding people to account have been compromised. Politicians know what their constituents want to hear and unfailingly deliver. The noise floor being raised keeps people ignorant with the goal being to either exhaust people or to give them a thread of doubt to cling to. Whembly has in the past acknowledged that Trump should have been impeached and removed for dereliction of duty. This is the correct conclusion. A conclusion that implies that Trump should be ineligible for the office. He just can’t own that implication because then the “fun” ends and the pants have to come off the head….and as Trump has shown for too many, it’s too much fun to be unconstrained by truth, logic, and accountability….

AJ_Liberty (5f05c3) — 9/23/2024 @ 11:00 am

Election intimidation:

Portage County’s (OH) sheriff appeared to call for the community to record the addresses of residents who publicly display support for Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris.
………..
“When people ask me…What’s gonna happen if the Flip – Flopping, Laughing Hyena Wins?? I say…write down all the addresses of the people who had her signs in their yards! Sooo…when the Illegal human “Locust” (which she supports!) Need places to live…We’ll already have the addresses of the their New families…who supported their arrival!” Zuchowski wrote.
……….

More:

An unspecified number of Harris supporters filed complaints with the federal Department of Justice, the Ohio Secretary of State, the Portage County Board of Elections, local police departments and the Portage County Prosecutor’s Office.
………
Zuchowski’s post was embraced by commenters, though the sheriff limits who can comment on his Facebook posts.

“I love it,” one woman said.

“Couldn’t have said it better,” a man commented.

“Absolutely!! Making a list and checking it twice,” another many said.

Others posted “thumbs up” emojis with American flags.

Others made comments that listed specific names and locations of people who had signs.

“Adding it to the list,” one person replied.
………..
The Portage County Tea Party, meanwhile, issued a statement backing Zuchowski.

“This is why we elected Bruce Zuchowski in the first place and why everyone in Portage County should vote for him again for Sheriff this election,” said Tom Zawistowski, executive director of the Portage County TEA Party. Zawistowski called Zuchowski a “true American Patriot” and claimed “all of America will look like Springfield” if they support Democrats.

“While we would suggest that Sheriff Zuchowski not call any humans ‘Locust,’ because they are humans like all of us just trying to get a better life, we would also suggest that everyone of you who think you can vote for Commie Kamala and Weirdo Walz , who is even more of a Communist, can continue to live your life without having it destroyed by their Anti-American policies.,” he added. “If YOU vote for Harris or Brown or any Democrat, YOU are voting to destroy American Society, the US Constitution and any rights you have now that they will take away from you. Like the Free Speech Sheriff Zuchowski used on Facebook and you’re right to post whatever you like on Facebook. If YOU vote for Illegals- YOU will get illegals – personally!”
……….

Official reaction:

A local Ohio elections board says the county sheriff’s department will not be used for election security following a social media post by the sheriff saying people with Kamala Harris yard signs should have their addresses recorded so that immigrants can be sent to live with them if the Democratic vice president wins the November election.
………
(County board of elections chair Randi Clites) cited public comments indicating “perceived intimidation by our sheriff against certain voters” and the need to “make sure every voter in Portage County feels safe casting their ballot for any candidate they choose.”
………
Zuchowski, a Republican supporter of former President Donald Trump, said in a follow-up post last week that his comments “may have been a little misinterpreted??” He said, however, that while voters can choose whomever they want for president, they “have to accept responsibility for their actions.”
……….

Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 9/23/2024 @ 11:40 am

Trump wanted to go to the Capitol on January 6 because he didn’t know anything serious or anything at all was happening.

He wanted to address the crowd and then go into the offices of the leaders of Congress himself to lobby them for votes.

Sammy Finkelman (c2c77e) — 9/22/2024 @ 3:01 pm

Rip Murdock (bb60a6) — 9/22/2024 @ 3:04 pm

Per who’s testimony?

Sammy Finkelman (c2c77e) — 9/22/2024 @ 6:08 pm

Cassidy Hutchinson.

Rip Murdock (4ad84b) — 9/22/2024 @ 7:17 pm

Link?

That he really wanted to address the crowd is in Trump’s speech (which during the second impeachment, they almost claimed was a lie) and in numerous other places.

That he wanted to go inside and lobby the leaders of Congress is here:

https://www.npr.org/2022/06/28/1108396692/jan-6-committee-hearing-transcript

LIZ CHENEY: ….

…Ms. Hutchinson, do you remember Mr. Giuliani meeting with Mr. Meadows on January 2, 2021?

CASSIDY HUTCHINSON: I do. He met with Mr. Meadows in the evening of January 2, 2021.

LIZ CHENEY: And we understand that you walked Mr. Giuliani out of the White House that night, and he talked to you about January 6th. What do you remember him saying?

CASSIDY HUTCHINSON: As Mr. Giuliani and I were walking to his vehicles that evening, he looked at me and said something to the effect of, Cass, are you excited for the 6th? It’s going to be a great day. I remember looking at him saying, Rudy, could you explain what’s happening on the 6th? He had responded something to the effect of, we’re going to the Capitol.

It’s going to be great. The President’s going to be there. He’s going to look powerful. He’s — he’s going to be with the members. He’s going to be with the Senators. Talk to the chief about it, talk to the chief about it. He knows about it.

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy knew about this idea:

LI CHENEY…..When Republican leader Kevin McCarthy heard the president say he was going to the Capitol, he called you, Ms. Hutchinson, isn’t that right?

CASSIDY HUTCHINSON: That’s correct.

LIZ CHENEY: And in this text message, you told Tony Ornato, “McCarthy just called me too. And do you guys think you’re coming to my office?”

Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09) — 9/23/2024 @ 11:42 am

So, Cassidy is quoting Rudy quoting someone in Trump’s orbit quoting Trump.

So Trump was eating cats.

Colonel Klink (ret) (96f56a) — 9/23/2024 @ 11:48 am

Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09) — 9/23/2024 @ 11:42 am

Double hearsay.

Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 9/23/2024 @ 11:53 am

Double hearsay.

Isn’t that triple hearsay?

Kevin M (a9545f) — 9/23/2024 @ 11:57 am

Now Mark Meadows and others knew there was a possibility of big trouble.

LIZ CHENEY: And did you go back then up to the West Wing and tell Mr. Meadows about your conversation with Mr. Giuliani?

CASSIDY HUTCHINSON: I did. After Mr. Giuliani had left the campus that evening, I went back up to our office and I found Mr. Meadows in his office on the couch. He was scrolling through his phone. I remember leaning against the doorway and saying, I just had an interesting conversation with Rudy, Mark. It sounds like we’re going to go to the Capitol.

He didn’t look up from his phone and said something to the effect of, there’s a lot going on, Cass, but I don’t know. Things might get real, real bad on January 6th.

But they did not level with Donald Trump.

Possibly they believed that Trump would not accept that his own supporters would be disorderly and stage a riot. The refusal to take him to the Capitol was surprise to Donald Trump.

They did not mention the Oath Keepers and Proud Boys to Donald Trump. Instead, in the excerpt quote by AJ_Liberty today @ 11:00 am, they raised the spectre with him of leftwing counter-protestors but Trump was having none of that. [H]e floated the idea of having 10,000 National Guardsmen deployed to protect him and his supporters But White House Senior Advisor Max Miller managed to dissuade him from further pursuing that idea, saying it wasn’t necessary.

So as things stood on the morning of January 6, White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows and others in the West Wing were worried about what the people planning the rally at the Capitol might do, and for that reason they at least did not want Donald Trump to go there, but they could not tell the truth to President Donald Trump because they assessed he would not believe them and instead they raised the spectre of leftwing counter-demonstrators who might try to attack him, and when Trump said bring in the National Gard, they reassured him there was no danger of anything happening.

Raised the spectre: See dictionary definition here

Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09) — 9/23/2024 @ 12:03 pm

AJ_Liberty (5f05c3) — 9/23/2024 @ 11:00 am

Sammy too traffics in the bizarre notion that Trump did not know what was even going on, despite testimony of multiple people urging him to act and that Trump was sitting and watching the riot on TV.

No, Trump did not know, at the conclusion of his speech when some disorder had already started, when he wanted to go to the Capitol and argued (but did not physically struggle) with his driver and his staff.

They continued to lie to him, giving excuses as to why they could not use the bulletproof car.

Later he would not have realized that anything important that wasn’t being handled was going on till television coverage of the proceedings in Congress – or the proceedings themselves – were interrupted.

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/01/15/us/trump-capitol-riot-timeline.html

2:13 p.m.

Senator James Lankford, Republican of Oklahoma, is interrupted on the floor of the Senate, which is called into recess. A minute later, a mob arrives steps from a door to the Senate chamber.

At 2:24 pm Trump defends )on Twitter) the people who said “Hang Mike Pence”

At 2:26, he telephones Senator Mike Lee, Republican of Utah, though he meant to call Senator Tommy Tuberville, Republican of Alabama, to ask him not to withdraw his objections to the Electoral votes. (Tuberville was the most committed)

The New York Times here does not have Trump’s first tweets about not attacking the police.

That first came at 2:38 pm, about 20 minutes after he had first discerned a problem.

https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/tweets-january-6-2021

Please support our Capitol Police and Law Enforcement. They are truly on the side of our Country. Stay peaceful!

He is told that is not enough, and 35 minutes later, he tries again:

I am asking for everyone at the U.S. Capitol to remain peaceful. No violence! Remember, WE are the Party of Law & Order – respect the Law and our great men and women in Blue. Thank you!

He is told that they wont listen to anyone but him, and it is not enough to ask them to be peaceful and he has to call upon them to leave the Capitol. And an hour after his second tweet at 4:17 (note he has to spend some time getting his speech written and recording it) he tweets a video:

https://t.co/Pm2PKV0Fp3 This has since been deleted and it was not restored by Elon Musk but the text is here:

https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/videotaped-remarks-during-the-insurrection-the-united-states-capitol

know your pain. I know you’re hurt.

We had an election that was stolen from us. It was a landslide election, and everyone knows it, especially the other side, but you have to go home now. We have to have peace. We have to have law and order. We have to respect our great people in law and order. We don’t want anybody hurt. It’s a very tough period of time. There’s never been a time like this where such a thing happened, where they could take it away from all of us, from me, from you, from our country.

This was a fraudulent election, but we can’t play into the hands of these people. We have to have peace.

So go home. We love you. You’re very special. You’ve seen what happens. You see the way others are treated that are so bad and so evil.

I know how you feel. But go home and go home at peace.

You can say well, this is like the mother of a hostage taker telling her son to surrender. She’s going to say she loves him.

At 6:01, Trump makes excuses for the riot, and tells them again to go home, although by that time they were probably mostly gone:

These are the things and events that happen when a sacred landslide election victory is so unceremoniously & viciously stripped away from great patriots who have been badly & unfairly treated for so long. Go home with love & in peace. Remember this day forever!

Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09) — 9/23/2024 @ 12:37 pm

From Trump’s 6:01 pm January 6, 2021 tweet:

It was a landslide election, and everyone knows it,

Here we see proof that Trump knew he was lying about the election because he not only says that he won the election, and adds that he won by a landslide, but that everybody knows it which he had to know was not true because even members of his family (meaning Ivanka at least) told him that he had lost.

Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09) — 9/23/2024 @ 12:43 pm

Link:

So, Cassidy is quoting Rudy quoting someone in Trump’s orbit quoting Trump.

Rudy Giuliani does not quote anyone specifically, but tells her on January 2 what he thinks is going to happen on January 6, based probably on a number of sources, not necessarily including Trump himself.

And there’s also Mark Meadows not denying that there’s some plan in the works for Trump to go to the Capitol and lobby members of Congress, and also Republican leader Kevin McCarthy contacting her on January 6, around the time of Trump’s speech at the Ellipse, saying he heard the president say he was going to the Capitol, and there’s even a text message from Cassidy Hutchison Tony Ornato, quoted by Liz Cheney and not disputed by Cassidy Hutchison that goes in part:

“McCarthy just called me too. And do you guys think you’re coming to my office?”

Now why would Kevin McCarthy say that (assuming that Cassidy Hutchison did not lie in her text message) unless there had been previously contemplated a visit by Donald Trump to his office, as more or less corroborated what she said Rudy Giuliani told her on January 2, except that Giuliani said “Senators?”

All told it sounds like McCarthy had been told by January 6 that a visit to his office by Donald Trump would not happen. But he had probably been told that by Mark Meadows who probably had not informed Donald Trump that he (Trump) wasn’t going.

And now Kevin McCarthy, hearing Trump indicate he would go the Capitol with the crowd, was thinking maybe that the visit by Trump to the Capitol and maybe to his office was on again.

Double hearsay.

It’s a little bit more than hearsay.

Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09) — 9/23/2024 @ 1:05 pm

So, Cassidy is quoting Rudy quoting someone in Trump’s orbit quoting Trump.

Just like any news reporter tells someone else about Trump or Biden’s plans.

Now this is a year and half later but it’s probably more accurate than anything in books about campaigns.

Cassidy Hutchison is under oath, and she can’t be saying what the Jan 6 committee wants her to say, because they don’t pick up on it.

Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09) — 9/23/2024 @ 1:12 pm

284. Standard anti-immigration nonsense, with people deliberately confusing someone supporting the right of people to come to a community, with a willingness to have them live rent free in their house.

A refusal to let other people rent to them or welcome them is like Sodom but what they are asking for is like Abraham.

They seem to be so happy with their argument.

Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09) — 9/23/2024 @ 1:15 pm

AJ_Liberty (5f05c3) — 9/23/2024 @ 11:00 am

Whembly has in the past acknowledged that Trump should have been impeached and removed for dereliction of duty. This is the correct conclusion.

What dereliction of duty?

Nobody asked him or wanted him to send the National Guard. And it is not true that he spent 3 hours just watching TV. He recognized that the riot created political problems for him, an could jeopardize his attempt to overturn the election results.

So, first he mad an excuse for something that had been reported some members of the crowd said. Second he tried to contact Tommy Tuberville. Third he denied to Kevin McCarthy that it was his people and then made an excuse for them. Fourth he asked them to be peaceful – twice, the second time reminding them that violence against the men and women in Blue contradicted Republican Party principles.

Finally, after much urging, he resorted to recording a message asking them to leave. This was posted on Twitter about two hours after it had come to his attention.

About two hours after that, he reiterated – this time in writing – that they should go home.

A conclusion that implies that Trump should be ineligible for the office. He just can’t own that implication because then the “fun” ends and the pants have to come off the head….and as Trump has shown for too many, it’s too much fun to be unconstrained by truth, logic, and accountability….

Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09) — 9/23/2024 @ 1:28 pm

A conclusion that implies that Trump should be ineligible for the office.

If he’d been impeached – say just for his persistent false claims to have won the election and his persistent to get people to ignore their constitutional duty for no good reason..

then he would be ineligible.

Now we are likely to get a repeat of this because Trump didn’t need to be president to do most of what he did after the election,

The turning point was his gaining the Republican nomination.

I think though we are more likely to get the peaceful part of the efforts after the election, rather than the violence, except for what Russia may contribute,

Russia and Iran, by the way, are probably on opposite sides in this election, as they are in the Sudanese civil war, with Iran supporting the military government and Russia supporting the Rapid Support Forces. (China is concentrating on down ballot races.)

.

Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09) — 9/23/2024 @ 1:36 pm

I’m thinking: When there is so much true that Mark Robinson wrote online, it would be easy enough to add some hoax messages too to the pile.

And that might make Mark Robinson more stubborn about not quitting.

After all, CNN’s latest reporting (that these messages existed years ago) is merely hearsay.

Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09) — 9/23/2024 @ 1:53 pm

Kevin M (a9545f) — 9/23/2024 @ 8:56 am

Why hasn’t Tucker Carlson been charged with being an unregistered foreign agent?

The FBI likes to baby along cases, and make them last years.

Except maybe when the target of an investigation suddenly gets appointed Police Commissioner of New York.

https://abc7ny.com/post/federal-authorities-execute-search-warrants-home-interim-police-commissioner-thomas-donlon/15337543

Donlon says authorities executed search warrants at his home on Friday. He says agents took materials that came into his possession 20 years ago.

Donlon says the materials are unrelated to his work with the NYPD.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_G._Donlon

Not to be confused with Thomas E. Donilon.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_E._Donilon

Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09) — 9/23/2024 @ 2:06 pm

@295

AJ_Liberty (5f05c3) — 9/23/2024 @ 11:00 am

Whembly has in the past acknowledged that Trump should have been impeached and removed for dereliction of duty. This is the correct conclusion.

What dereliction of duty?

Nobody asked him or wanted him to send the National Guard. And it is not true that he spent 3 hours just watching TV. He recognized that the riot created political problems for him, an could jeopardize his attempt to overturn the election results.

So, first he mad an excuse for something that had been reported some members of the crowd said. Second he tried to contact Tommy Tuberville. Third he denied to Kevin McCarthy that it was his people and then made an excuse for them. Fourth he asked them to be peaceful – twice, the second time reminding them that violence against the men and women in Blue contradicted Republican Party principles.

Finally, after much urging, he resorted to recording a message asking them to leave. This was posted on Twitter about two hours after it had come to his attention.

About two hours after that, he reiterated – this time in writing – that they should go home.

A conclusion that implies that Trump should be ineligible for the office. He just can’t own that implication because then the “fun” ends and the pants have to come off the head….and as Trump has shown for too many, it’s too much fun to be unconstrained by truth, logic, and accountability….

Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09) — 9/23/2024 @ 1:28 pm

It still say it was his responsibility to cut through the red-tape to deploy the necessary security to end the riot. Even though Capitol’s security not technically *his* responsibility, it’s the Speaker’s, he would’ve been more than justified to order any security forces to ensure the riot ended.

whembly (477db6) — 9/23/2024 @ 2:22 pm

woof…

Biden/Harris flying Zelensky out to a swing-state factory six weeks before Election Day with Bob Casey and Josh Shapiro is a lot further down that scale of purely political benefits than (genuinely appropriate) flying him to the White House or the U.N.

Pepperridge Farm ‘membas that when using taxpayer’s resources to obtain purely partisan domestic political benefits from Zelenskyy was an impeachable offense.

Now I want some pepperridge farm cookies….

whembly (477db6) — 9/23/2024 @ 2:36 pm

Shorter Sammy: “If only Trump knew!”

Kevin M (a9545f) — 9/23/2024 @ 4:26 pm

Even though Capitol’s security not technically *his* responsibility, it’s the Speaker’s,…….

Not quite, it’s the responsibility of the Capitol Police Board, which consists of the House and Senate Sergeants of Arms and the Capitol Architect. The responsibility for requesting National Guard assistance was with the Board, and the then Chief did not request NG assistance. From the Findings of Fact of the joint Senate Committees on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs and Rules and Administration investigation into the assault on the Capitol:

………
Capitol Police Board members in charge on January 6 did not fully understand the statutory or regulatory requirements for requesting assistance from Executive agencies and departments or declaring emergencies. Capitol Police Board members also disagreed as to whether unanimity was required to approve a request from USCP for assistance from the District of Columbia National Guard (“DCNG”).

Steven Sund (the then Capitol Police chief) never submitted a formal request to the Capitol Police Board for an emergency declaration and DCNG assistance before January 6. Steven Sund had informal conversations with the House and Senate Sergeants at Arms, but no request was ever provided to the full Board. In fact, no one ever informed the Architect of the Capitol, the third voting member of the Board, of a potential request for DCNG assistance.

As the attack unfolded, Steven Sund lacked the authority to request National Guard assistance unilaterally. Under the existing statute, the USCP Chief may obtain support from law enforcement and uniformed services only after the Capitol Police Board declares an emergency. This process constrained Steven Sund’s ability to act quickly during the attack and contributed to the delay in the provision of assistance.

The Department of Defense (“DOD”) confirmed with USCP on two separate occasions before January 6 that USCP was not requesting assistance from DCNG. According to DOD records, USCP confirmed on January 3 and January 4 that it did not need DCNG assistance. Meanwhile, DOD continued to communicate with the D.C. Mayor’s office regarding its request for unarmed DCNG personnel support.
……….
DOD imposed control measures on DCNG deployment, including requiring the Army Secretary’s approval before deploying a Quick Reaction Force (“QRF”) and doing so “only as a last resort.” DOD set forth requirements in a pair of memoranda issued on January 4 and January 5 that allowed William Walker, DCNG Commanding General, to deploy a QRF only as a last resort and upon the express approval of a concept of operations for any use of the QRF by the Secretary of the Army, Ryan McCarthy. General William Walker testified that, absent these requirements, he would have been able to immediately deploy the QRF to support USCP. DOD officials disputed that characterization and asserted that the memoranda simply memorialized longstanding policy. Christopher Miller, the Acting Secretary of Defense on January 6, was not aware that General William Walker wanted to deploy the QRF on January 6.

As the attack unfolded, DOD officials claimed they did not have a clear request for DCNG assistance until approximately 2:30 p.m. …….

DOD spent hours “mission planning.” Christopher Miller indicated that he gave all necessary approvals for deployment at 3:04 p.m. with the understanding that Ryan McCarthy would conduct mission analysis with General William Walker. Ryan McCarthy, by contrast, felt he needed to brief and receive Christopher Miller’s approval before DCNG personnel could leave the Armory. Ryan McCarthy colocated with D.C. officials and developed a concept of operations for DCNG personnel. The plan was approved and DCNG authorized to deploy by 4:35 p.m. All DOD officials who spoke with the Committees described the time spent on mission analysis as vital to DCNG’s effectiveness. By contrast, General William Walker believed DCNG was fully equipped and ready to respond to the Capitol much earlier.

DOD and DCNG have conflicting records of when orders and authorizations were given, and no one could explain why DCNG did not deploy until after 5:00 p.m. ……

Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 9/23/2024 @ 5:45 pm

Sad!

The Republican push to change how Nebraska awards its Electoral College votes and boost former President Donald Trump ran into political reality Monday as a key lawmaker, State Sen. Mike McDonnell, announced he won’t support the change.
……….
“Elections should be an opportunity for all voters to be heard, no matter who they are, where they live, or what party they support,” McDonnell said in a statement. “I have taken time to listen carefully to Nebraskans and national leaders on both sides of the issue. After deep consideration, it is clear to me that right now, 43 days from Election Day, is not the moment to make this change.”

McDonnell said he told Gov. Jim Pillen his stance and suggested that the Legislature put winner-take-all to a vote of the people, as a proposed constitutional amendment, so people can decide the issue “once and for all.”
………
Pillen had pledged to call a special session if he could secure the 33 votes needed to overcome a filibuster to change to winner-take-all. …….

………..People whipping votes for Pillen and the Trump campaign have told others they expected the remaining GOP holdouts to join the push for the change if McDonnell did.
…………
McDonnell’s no on winner-take-all leaves Republicans in Nebraska’s officially nonpartisan Legislature with no path to overcoming a promised filibuster unless a Democrat or nonpartisan senator defects. Thus far, none has opposed the status quo. Nebraska Democrats tweeted the list of 17 pledged no votes, including McDonnell.
…………

Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 9/23/2024 @ 6:08 pm

The Capitol Architect is appointed by the president, so it’s funny and wrong that Pelosi is blamed when McConnell and Trump share just as much blame as the Speaker, but that’s the false tale the MAGAs have been selling.

Also, the police chief is on the Board but his position is non-voting. According to this timeline, Sund called at least one of the Sergeants-at-Arms at 1:06pm, and then called the DCNG Commander at 1:39pm. It wasn’t until 3:04pm that the Secretary of the Army ordered the NG to deploy, but they didn’t show up until 5:40pm, hours after Trump told his MAGAs (at 3:13pm) to stand back and stand by.

Paul Montagu (de60e0) — 9/23/2024 @ 6:18 pm

Once we finish debating whether the Trump Sycophancy is lying about J6, can we debate whether Antarctica is cold?

nk (e7980d) — 9/23/2024 @ 6:23 pm

This is how I imagine Reagan’s reaction to Trump’s latest dumbassery on Russia-Ukraine.

Speaking of Reagan, Catoggio explores the possibility of a new Reagan Party, but I think us traditional conservatives would be better off with a Reagan Caucus that would try to influence a conservative agenda, but this caucus would have to be totally unified.

Paul Montagu (de60e0) — 9/23/2024 @ 9:44 pm

@306 would it be like Iran/contra or lebanon barraks? Connnally/casey deal with Iran to hold hostages?

asset (df5598) — 9/23/2024 @ 10:27 pm

Paul, either defeating Trump will diminish MAGA or it won’t. If it won’t, then maybe we need to give them the rope and let them hang themselves.

Kevin M (a9545f) — 9/23/2024 @ 10:51 pm

Once we finish debating whether the Trump Sycophancy is lying about J6, can we debate whether Antarctica is cold?

It is getting tiring.

Kevin M (a9545f) — 9/23/2024 @ 10:52 pm

“It’s our fault”

Trump is parroting Putin’s talking points that the war in Ukraine is America’s fault.

Traitor.

I’m old enough to remember when Blame America First was a left-wing thing. Now Code Pink’s got nothing on the GOP. Trump has appropriated the worst of the far left, both policies and people (e.g., RFK Jr., Greenwald, Taibbi) and made them MAGA.

lurker (c23034) — 9/24/2024 @ 12:58 am

I think Reagan would have a similar one-fingered reaction to this brainless tariff nonsense on John Deere. This isn’t campaigning, it’s bullying an American company, by a bully.

Paul Montagu (de60e0) — 9/24/2024 @ 3:08 am

Paul, either defeating Trump will diminish MAGA or it won’t.

Either way, I think a Reagan Caucus could be a place for traditional conservatives to go after the election, because at the very least it would provide a place where actual conservative issues can be advocated and perhaps levered into legislation.

Paul Montagu (de60e0) — 9/24/2024 @ 3:11 am

NYT Pitchbot, which kinda sounded like Bret Stephens on Bill Maher.

Opinion | No, I don’t like Trump’s call to suspend the Constitution. But Harris’s budget numbers don’t add up.

Paul Montagu (de60e0) — 9/24/2024 @ 3:18 am

311. Mr. Former President Donald Trump who was born a coal miner’s daughter assigned male at birth is not formulating trade policy, he is demonstrating that it may be hard to sell ice to Eskimos but easy to sell ignorance to the ignorant.

Heavy tariffs on agricultural machinery and heavy equipment will hurt the people who are ostensibly his core constituency. They’re not Ivanka’s line of Chinese-made schlock that people can choose to buy or pass by.

But the other side of that is that John Deere is is a 187-year old Fortune 500 company with $105 billion in assets and $22 billion in equity, making Trump Organization look like a popsicle stand and him like a street hawker with a tray hanging from his neck, and that’s got to be giving him more enviousness than a John Holmes movie.

nk (e7980d) — 9/24/2024 @ 5:18 am

John Deere should buy up DJT stock when it hits 4 and then close it.

Kevin M (a9545f) — 9/24/2024 @ 5:38 am

Anwar al-Awlaki was in a war zone controlled by al Qaeda – and on al Qaeda run property.

Sammy Finkelman (c2c77e) — 9/24/2024 @ 8:04 am

https://legalinsurrection.com/2024/09/harris-supports-ending-the-filibuster-for-abortion-legislation/

Anyone who claims that unborn life is the issue that motivates them, but then pushes Kamala Harris to be the president is a liar and a fraud.

Remember that the next time they push their propaganda .

NJRob (95c8d8) — 9/24/2024 @ 9:11 am

Fortunately Kamala Harris’s opinion counts for zilch when it comes to the filibuster. With the Senate very likely to flip to the Republicans, there is no way they would overturn the filibuster rule.

Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 9/24/2024 @ 9:28 am

Fortunately Kamala Harris’s opinion counts for zilch when it comes to the filibuster. With the Senate very likely to flip to the Republicans, there is no way they would overturn the filibuster rule.

Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 9/24/2024 @ 9:28 am

As president her opinion would count greatly, as would her coattails and those pushing to elect her and other Democrats to Congress.

But keep playing clown nose on when it comes to the pro-life movement.

NJRob (95c8d8) — 9/24/2024 @ 12:15 pm

I’m old enough to remember when Blame America First was a left-wing thing. Now Code Pink’s got nothing on the GOP. Trump has appropriated the worst of the far left, both policies and people (e.g., RFK Jr., Greenwald, Taibbi) and made them MAGA.
lurker (c23034) — 9/24/2024 @ 12:58 am

Trump blaming Biden for the war is different than blaming Congressional Republicans for the war not going well, in someone’s world.

lloyd (4bd832) — 9/24/2024 @ 12:44 pm

As president her opinion would count greatly, as would her coattails and those pushing to elect her and other Democrats to Congress.

But keep playing clown nose on when it comes to the pro-life movement.

NJRob (95c8d8) — 9/24/2024 @ 12:15 pm

In an election that will probably be won by 2-3 percentage points, there will be no coattails for Harris; heck, I expect her to be on the losing end. Given the fact the Republicans are practically guaranteed to flip both Montana and West Virginia, and there aren’t any Senate seats that are certain to flip the other way, the Republicans have a nearly mortal lock on winning the Senate. If that’s the case, then whatever Harris thinks about the filibuster is a nothingburger.

Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 9/24/2024 @ 1:34 pm

Kristi Noem, meet Kevin Roberts.

Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 9/24/2024 @ 1:59 pm

nk (e7980d) — 9/24/2024 @ 5:18 am

Well done, nk!

norcal (3c8ed0) — 9/24/2024 @ 2:26 pm

https://x.com/charliekirk11/status/1838629888317952390

Sen Manchin more honest and pro-life than the usual suspects.

NJRob (95c8d8) — 9/24/2024 @ 2:29 pm

Doomed:

Nebraska GOP Gov. Jim Pillen announced Tuesday he will not call a special legislative session to change how the state allocates its electoral votes, dashing Republican hopes that the switch could happen before November.

Former President Donald Trump and his allies have been pushing state lawmakers to switch to a winner-take-all system, in which the presidential candidate who carries the state receives all five of its electoral votes. Currently, three of the state’s votes are awarded to the candidate who wins each of its three congressional districts.
………
“Unfortunately, we could not persuade 33 state senators,” Pillen said, noting that GOP state Sen. Mike McDonnell, a former Democrat, confirmed Monday that he would not support the move so close to Election Day.

……….”Based on the lack of 33 votes, I have no plans to call a special session on this issue prior to the 2024 election. I am grateful to the many Nebraskans who made their voices heard during this process.”
……….
So far, Democrats have far outspent Republicans on the airwaves in Nebraska, according to the ad-tracking firm AdImpact. Since Vice President Kamala Harris took over at the top of the Democratic ticket in late July, Democrats have spent $6.7 million on ads in Nebraska, while Republicans have spent $170,000.
……….

Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 9/24/2024 @ 2:43 pm

Former President Donald Trump and his allies have been pushing state lawmakers to switch to a winner-take-all system, in which the presidential candidate who carries the state receives all five of its electoral votes.

Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 9/24/2024 @ 2:43 pm

State legislatures may be the only place to find Republicans who aren’t afraid of Trump. It makes sense, because being a state legislator is a far cry from riding the gravy train.

norcal (3c8ed0) — 9/24/2024 @ 2:49 pm

The watershed moment I’m looking for is Georgia’s local Republican politicians telling the State Elections Board which ordered a hand count of the ballots in the November election to go suck a peach. Tars and feathers optional.

This is not just giving Donnie a cookie. This will directly affect their own elections, not knowing for weeks or months whether they won or lost.

nk (3e1e8b) — 9/24/2024 @ 2:51 pm

nk (3e1e8b) — 9/24/2024 @ 2:51 pm

Donnie really has a thing for throwing a wrench into Georgia politics. First, he ensured that both its Senators were Democrats. Now this.

norcal (3c8ed0) — 9/24/2024 @ 2:57 pm

It’s not so bad. They only want to count the number of ballots not count the votes.

It would result in a delay of an hour or two and the count will be off by one or two – and then they repeat.

It could also allow for tampering with the ballot but probably won’t in most cases.

Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09) — 9/24/2024 @ 3:12 pm

Democrats in Maine threatened to retaliate if Nebraska did it but it’s too late in Maine.

Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09) — 9/24/2024 @ 3:13 pm

Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 9/24/2024 @ 1:34 pm

If that’s the case, then whatever Harris thinks about the filibuster is a nothingburger.

She doesn’t think anything. It’s all a political position with her. What she’s willing to endorse.

Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09) — 9/24/2024 @ 3:16 pm

We’ve seen Judge Cannon drag her feet and delay the documents case, now watch her courtroom be a rocket docket now that she’ll be presiding over Routh.

Paul Montagu (de60e0) — 9/24/2024 @ 3:34 pm

It’s not so bad. They only want to count the number of ballots not count the votes.

It would result in a delay of an hour or two and the count will be off by one or two – and then they repeat.

It could also allow for tampering with the ballot but probably won’t in most cases.

That’s comforting. The MAGA plan actually makes voter fraud more likely. But it just ensures that instead of a tiny number of fraudulent voters (last time, most voted R), it will be a not tiny number (still mostly voting R)

Cool.

Exactly what MAGA is all for; more crime, less freedom. Yay.

Colonel Klink (ret) (96f56a) — 9/24/2024 @ 3:55 pm

With the Senate very likely to flip to the Republicans, there is no way they would overturn the filibuster rule.

For small values of “very likely.”

Kevin M (896050) — 9/24/2024 @ 4:48 pm

It would result in a delay of an hour or two and the count will be off by one or two – and then they repeat.

Yeah, this happened instantly in the 2000 Florida hand-recount.

Kevin M (896050) — 9/24/2024 @ 4:51 pm

She doesn’t think anything. It’s all a political position with her. What she’s willing to endorse.

Not even that. It’s what her handlers decide.

Kevin M (896050) — 9/24/2024 @ 4:53 pm

Sen Manchin more honest and pro-life than the usual suspects.

NJRob (95c8d8) — 9/24/2024 @ 2:29 pm

For Manchin it was more about the process (overturning the filibuster) than the underlying issue (abortion). He has a D rating from Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America.

Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 9/24/2024 @ 5:34 pm

For Manchin it was more about the process (overturning the filibuster) than the underlying issue (abortion). He has a D rating from Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America.

Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 9/24/2024 @ 5:34 pm

That’s my thinking as well. I’m pro-Dobbs and pro-choice.

We all need to resist the urge to make federal cases out of everything. Get over it that states may approach things differently.

norcal (3c8ed0) — 9/24/2024 @ 5:55 pm

norcal (3c8ed0) — 9/24/2024 @ 5:55 pm

That wasn’t my point.

Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 9/24/2024 @ 6:12 pm

If they got rid of the filibuster “only on abortion” the next time the GOP had control, they’d change it all the other way.

One point of the filibuster is something us engineers call hysteresis; there needs to be a barrier to flipping the system back and forth. The other point (that Manchin mentions) is to require compromise to get things done.

But our politics is now fully into 3rd-party “one fell-swoop” extremism. It’s not just the “progressives”, it’s MAGA, too. If Trump returned to office with control of both houses, he would try to kill the filibuster and there are plenty of Republicans who would help.

Kevin M (a9545f) — 9/24/2024 @ 7:08 pm

Rule of thumb: anyone who wants to get rid of the filibuster is an extremist.

Kevin M (47a91c) — 9/24/2024 @ 7:11 pm

“Extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice.”

Rip Murdock (4ad84b) — 9/24/2024 @ 7:18 pm

The filibuster is a defense of liberty. The more laws that are passed, the less free we are.

norcal (3c8ed0) — 9/24/2024 @ 8:12 pm

If Trump returned to office with control of both houses, he would try to kill the filibuster and there are plenty of Republicans who would help.

Kevin M (a9545f) — 9/24/2024 @ 7:08 pm

They would help because they’re scared sh!tless of Trump. Mitt Romney can afford $5000 daily in private security for his family. Other Senators, not so much.

norcal (3c8ed0) — 9/24/2024 @ 8:15 pm

The filibuster is a defense of liberty. The more laws that are passed, the less free we are.

norcal (3c8ed0) — 9/24/2024 @ 8:12 pm

It depends on whose ox is being gored. For example, if a Republican House passed a bill to abolish the Department of Education, but was blocked by a Democrat filibuster in the Senate, I don’t have any doubt that Republicans would suspend the filibuster rule to pass it over their objections.

Rip Murdock (849603) — 9/24/2024 @ 8:44 pm

“Extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice.”

Hillary was a Goldwater fan, too.

Kevin M (a9545f) — 9/24/2024 @ 8:45 pm

I don’t have any doubt that Republicans would suspend the filibuster rule to pass it over their objections.

But just for that one thing, right?

And then two years later the Democrats recreate it.

Kevin M (a9545f) — 9/24/2024 @ 8:47 pm

Trump tried to get the GOP to kill the filibuster in 2017. McConnell refused.

Kevin M (a9545f) — 9/24/2024 @ 8:48 pm

If, every time a bill comes to the Senate, they say they are suspending the filibuster for “just this bill”, then there is no end to it.

norcal (3c8ed0) — 9/24/2024 @ 8:52 pm

Rip Murdock (849603) — 9/24/2024 @ 8:44 pm

Abolishing whole governmental departments is definitely a case of an exception proving the rule.

norcal (3c8ed0) — 9/24/2024 @ 8:54 pm

Trump tried to get the GOP to kill the filibuster in 2017. McConnell refused.

Kevin M (a9545f) — 9/24/2024 @ 8:48 pm

McConnell and the remaining old guard are yesterday’s news. The Senate up and comers, like Hawley, Vance, Ted Budd (NC), Eric Schmitt (MO), Markwayne Mullin (OK), Katie Britt (AL), etc. have no interest in procedural niceties (many of them are election deniers). They are there to get things done, and won’t let something old and arcane like the filibuster to get in their way.

Abolishing whole governmental departments is definitely a case of an exception proving the rule.

norcal (3c8ed0) — 9/24/2024 @ 8:54 pm

If a Republican House passed a bill repealing all federal gun laws, and prohibited the states from enacting their own, I suspect a majority of Republicans would gladly suspend the filibuster to achieve that goal.

Rip Murdock (cfd5ce) — 9/24/2024 @ 9:23 pm

The only change I want to see made to the filibuster is a return to the talking filibuster.

Rip Murdock (cfd5ce) — 9/24/2024 @ 9:37 pm

If the election were held today trump would win pa, az. nc. and ga. thanks to black men voting for trump. CNN. nv. and wi. to close to call.

asset (6c3c17) — 9/24/2024 @ 10:22 pm

“I just left my nail salon and my nail tech said their one cousin is in South Philly and she is getting paid $700 a week to go to wherever Kamala’s campaign tells them to go to,” said Samantha Gangewere, who goes by “thatboostedchick” on social media, in a TikTok video Trump posted to his Truth Social page. “She’s not even a citizen, she can’t vote, but she wants that extra money.”

A porn chick’s nail tech’s cousin. Maybe the press should get on this important story.

Colonel Klink (ret) (96f56a) — 9/24/2024 @ 11:19 pm

Actually, that has always been the case with the Trump campaign. The audience for his escalator announcement in 2015 were paid screen extras. And that’s how he fills the seats and pads his crowd size at his rallies and public appearances.

nk (cf40b4) — 9/25/2024 @ 2:36 am

Trump blaming Biden for the war is different than blaming Congressional Republicans for the war not going well, in someone’s world.

lloyd (4bd832) — 9/24/2024 @ 12:44 pm

Holy smoke. Could you pack more wrong into one sentence?

In my world, who’s to blame for starting a war and who’s to blame for withholding aid to our ally in that war are indeed morally and analytically distinct questions.

Blaming Biden for the former is arrant bullsh1t. Putin and only Putin started the war. Blaming it on Biden is as ignorant and scurrilous as blaming Bush for 9/11. Those are both textbook examples of what “blame America first” looks like.

Conversely, blaming the Congressional GOP for withholding aid to Ukraine is factually accurate. As Mitch McConnell admitted. But I suppose he’s a moby leftist now too.

Finally, even Trump didn’t try your “blaming Biden” sleight of hand. He said, “It’s our fault.” He didn’t say Biden’s. He said ours. Who do you think he meant by “our,” if not America?

Other than that, good talk.

lurker (c23034) — 9/25/2024 @ 3:00 am

lurker (c23034) — 9/25/2024 @ 3:00 am

Repeating snippets taken out of context seems to be your thing. The video conveniently cuts off when he starts saying “We have an incompetent leader…” He’s blaming Biden, but keep applying nuance to what Democrats say and keep butchering what Republicans say — just like anyone else broken by partisanship.

lloyd (c7d633) — 9/25/2024 @ 6:14 am

Democrats Invite Foreign Leader To Meddle In U.S. Elections.

lloyd (c7d633) — 9/25/2024 @ 6:25 am

“Trump blaming Biden for the war…” still comes down to Trump lying about who was responsible for the unprovoked, unjustified and unlawful invasion of Ukraine. That lie is irresponsible and un-American, especially after Trump was smearing the victim, Zelenskyy.

Paul Montagu (de60e0) — 9/25/2024 @ 6:32 am

For what he said, the allegation against Trump is treason. If that’s the bar, then what’s this?

Ukraine’s Zelensky Used U.S. Military Assets To Campaign For Harris in Pennsylvania

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky appeared to use U.S. military assets to campaign for Vice President Kamala Harris on a visit to battleground state Pennsylvania on Monday.

On another trip to ask the U.S. government for money and munitions, Zelensky toured a Pennsylvania ammunition plant with Gov. Josh Shapiro, a prominent Kamala Harris surrogate, and other Democrats, including Sen. Bob Casey. Zelensky arrived in Scranton, Pennsylvania (President Joe Biden’s oft-referenced birthplace), aboard a U.S. Air Force C-17, images of which he used to advertise his visit. In a message recorded from the inside the aircraft, Zelensky noted, “This fall will determine what’s next in this war.”

“Zelensky is in Pennsylvania today, signing bombs with Gov. Shapiro. Zelensky is also attacking J.D. Vance in the biggest, most important battleground state in the country during an election year,” Sean Parnell, former Pennsylvania Republican candidate for U.S. Senate, said at a Trump rally Monday. “Folks, if that ain’t foreign election interference, I don’t know what is.”

Notably, Zelensky’s trip came the day after The New Yorker published an interview in which he criticized former President Donald Trump and his running mate, Sen. J.D. Vance, R-Ohio. Zelensky took issue with Trump’s debate response about the war in Ukraine, in which the Republican said he wanted the war to end.

lloyd (c7d633) — 9/25/2024 @ 7:16 am

The usual suspects ignore Biden’s weakness when he gave permission for Putin to invade as long as it was a “small incursion.”

But that’s no surprise since Biden allows a large invasion to happen on a never ending basis in our own nation.

NJRob (52dfd4) — 9/25/2024 @ 7:26 am

Oh wow, Zelenskyy went to PA. The scandal! Talk about bogus equivalencies.

Rob, I’ll just note your ignoring the fact that Putin announced his intentions to conquer Ukraine in July 2021, per his infamous essay where he declared that Ukraine doesn’t exist and is all part of One Russia.
A few months later Putin started amassing 200k troops and weaponry along the Ukrainian border. A few months later, Putin invaded, which wasn’t a “minor incursion” that Biden gaffed about, which he said in the morning and retracted in the afternoon, but picked by all the Putinbots and MAGAs as an “ah hah!” to rationalize and tacitly approve Putin’s brutal and criminal act.

The other fact is there was nothing “minor” about Putin’s full-scale five-front invasion, but the MAGAs and Putinbots still repeat that stupidity.

The main mistake Biden made was his botched and ill-conceived withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021, and I’ve no doubt Putin saw that weakness as all the more reason for him conquer his neighbor, but that wasn’t “gave permission” to Putin, which is a lie, Rob. Do you ever not use hyperbole and gross exaggeration?

Paul Montagu (de60e0) — 9/25/2024 @ 7:55 am

When Comrade Trump eat borscht, everybody eat borscht!

What you say? Not borscht?

You eat!

nk (cf40b4) — 9/25/2024 @ 8:02 am

nk, Happyfeet did it better.

NJRob (52dfd4) — 9/25/2024 @ 8:25 am

that Biden gaffed about, which he said in the morning and retracted in the afternoon,

“There are good people on both sides…”

BuDuh (19bc15) — 9/25/2024 @ 8:28 am

NJRob (52dfd4) — 9/25/2024 @ 7:26 am

The usual suspects ignore Biden’s weakness when he gave permission for Putin to invade as long as it was a “small incursion.”

But Putin didn’t listen to him.

It was a last ditch effort by Biden to offer Putin a way out, in case he wanted to take it.

And I think everyone understood what Biden meant.

And it wasn’t exactly granting him “permission.”

Just more or less saying that he wouldn’t impose (significant) additional sanctions if that’s what Putin decided to do.

Sammy Finkelman (c2c77e) — 9/25/2024 @ 8:58 am

getting paid $700 a week to go to wherever Kamala’s campaign tells them to go to,”

Doing what?

Most likely knocking on doors, and/or doing other things permitted by Pennsylvania election law, not voting in person over and over again weeks before the election!

Sammy Finkelman (c2c77e) — 9/25/2024 @ 9:08 am

Off message:

Staunch Trump ally and businessman Vivek Ramaswamy said he didn’t see evidence of Haitian migrants eating cats and dogs in Springfield, Ohio – a debunked allegation that was pushed by former President Donald Trump during the presidential debate this month.

“Having gone to Springfield, I didn’t see that evidence,” Ramaswamy said on CNN Tuesday, before adding that “there are residents in the community that have pointed to that.”
………

Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 9/25/2024 @ 9:11 am

lloyd (c7d633) — 9/25/2024 @ 7:16 am

Don’t worry, James Comer is on the case.

Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 9/25/2024 @ 9:49 am

Is Donald Trump a great businessman? According to this book, he’s a Lucky Loser, who was bailed out, again and again, by his father:

The most important character in Donald Trump’s life was his father, Fred Trump, who seems to have regarded him as a golden child, incapable of wrongdoing or mistakes. Fred offered his son, but only this son, “almost endless collateral for loans, connections in banking and politics, and a reliable wellspring of cash to pursue dreams and fame.” He even paid for Donald’s flashy Cadillac.

In one incident, not mentioned in the review, Trump showed a guillible New York Times reporter his successful projects. All of them were owned by his father — as was the car he used to show her around.

Why some continue to believe he Loser is a great businessman, in spite of the publicly available evidence, is beyond me.

Jim Miller (ff03ae) — 9/25/2024 @ 10:02 am

Hapless:

………..
Diffuse and blurred (Secret Service) leadership roles for the (Trump rally on July 13, 2024) in Butler, Pa., led to communications breakdowns and security lapses, the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs committee found. There was confusion over who was supposed to secure the building from which the gunman opened fire. There were multiple plans in place, none of them definitive. There were urgent warnings that were picked up but then dropped.

The report painted a portrait of hapless on-site leadership unaware of potential threats to Mr. Trump’s safety and a culture within the agency of individuals unwilling to take responsibility for those failures. Even after many hours of testimony, the committee said that no one involved in the rally’s security plans could say who made the call to exclude from the security perimeter a set of nearby warehouses, one of which the gunman eventually climbed onto and used as a perch to shoot at Mr. Trump.
……….
The committee report also describes an agency struggling with the basics of operating technology to do its job, with agents who had faulty radios and nonfunctioning drone-detection devices. An agent with only three months’ training on the drone equipment could not get it to work and turned to calling a toll-free tech support hotline “to start troubleshooting with the company,” which took several hours.

………The interim report details multiple information requests that have yet to be answered.

The Secret Service had “credible intelligence” of a threat to Mr. Trump before he took the stage for the rally at the Butler Farm Show grounds, but the agency failed to take the necessary steps to stop an attempt on his life, the report found.
……….
……….Radio communications were hampered by technical failures that rendered some devices inoperable. One agent was so busy trying to fix his own radio that he failed to pick up the local police radio he had been offered. Had he grabbed that radio, he would have heard the local police traffic describing a suspicious person, who turned out to be Mr. Crooks, in real time.
……….
The lead counter sniper, identified by The Times as John Marciniak, conducted advance work for the event and also worked as part of the two-man counter-sniper team that ultimately shot and killed Mr. Crooks. He testified that the had been aware of a potentially serious security risk before Mr. Crooks fired shots. But he told the committee that he never considered sharing that information with the agents who were standing close to Mr. Trump.
……….
……….(I)t remains uncertain who was assigned with setting the inner perimeter for event security — a crucial designation that determines the area of responsibility for the Secret Service as well as for local law enforcement.
……….
“Key U.S.S.S. personnel responsible for planning, coordinating, communicating and securing the Butler, Pa. rally on July 13, declined to acknowledge individual areas of responsibility for planning or security as having contributed to the failure to prevent the shooting that day,” the report states. “U.S.S.S. Advance Agents told the Committee that planning and security decisions were made jointly, with no specific individual responsible for approval.”
……….
The supervisory agent — whom The Times has identified as Timothy Burke — described his duties this way: “I’m there just if something comes up and somebody needs help or if there’s something with our local or state partners or something else comes up — I’m there to help assist with that.”

Mr. Burke also noted that he had not been made aware of what the report describes as “credible intelligence” of potential violence against Mr. Trump — later identified as a state-sponsored assassination attempt from Iran — and might have pushed for either different security measures or a relocation of the event indoors had he known.
……….

Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 9/25/2024 @ 10:19 am

“Folks, if that ain’t foreign election interference, I don’t know what is.”

He doesn’t appear to know what is.

I know it makes some people angry that Zelensky might actually be grateful for US assistance in opposing Putin’s invasion and tragic abuse of human rights, but while visiting the UN and seeking more military assistance, is it really that extraordinary that he might make his case in a public way?

It’s more than sad that the GOP ticket seems unwilling to actively oppose Putin or express much desire in helping the Europeans give the Ukrainians a fighting chance. In fact it’s bizarre that the leadership of the Party of Reagan can’t seem to distinguish who are the bad guys or why opposing naked aggression is in the interest of the rules-based order.

Anything that points out that you are on the wrong side of history must be especially galling. I do feel your pain….

AJ_Liberty (5f05c3) — 9/25/2024 @ 10:24 am

McConnell and the remaining old guard are yesterday’s news.

Perhaps, but you need 51 votes.

Kevin M (13ff65) — 9/25/2024 @ 11:09 am

Abolishing whole governmental departments is definitely a case of an exception proving the rule.

If you abolish the filibuster for one thing, then there will be an endless string of next things. In the end you will have the filibuster only for banal bills that no one wants to filibuster.

Kevin M (13ff65) — 9/25/2024 @ 11:11 am

The only change I want to see made to the filibuster is a return to the talking filibuster.

This shows a misunderstanding of the way the Senate works and/or buying into some propaganda.

If you have 40 Senator willing to filibuster, you will have enough talkers for as long as you want to talk. If you insist that they talk, they will. The effect of the action is to hold the Senate hostage, blocking not only the bill in question but all other activity. The current method allows other activity to happen.

Both methods block the hated bill equally, one of them allows the Senate to function on other matters.

Kevin M (13ff65) — 9/25/2024 @ 11:16 am

The grand talking filibusters were not due to a large minority wanting to block a bill, but a single senator wanting to grandstand. If you make 42 senators do the same thing, they can, with little trouble to any one of them.

Kevin M (13ff65) — 9/25/2024 @ 11:19 am

“Trump blaming Biden for the war…”

I don’t blame Biden for the war, I blame Biden for losing the war.

Kevin M (13ff65) — 9/25/2024 @ 11:21 am

Is Donald Trump a great businessman?

Born on third base, talks endlessly about his triple.

Kevin M (13ff65) — 9/25/2024 @ 11:23 am

If you have 40 Senator willing to filibuster, you will have enough talkers for as long as you want to talk. If you insist that they talk, they will. The effect of the action is to hold the Senate hostage, blocking not only the bill in question but all other activity.

You say that as if it were a problem.

Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 9/25/2024 @ 11:25 am

It is to senators, which is why they don’t do it.

Kevin M (e74415) — 9/25/2024 @ 12:25 pm

nk #38

Mark Robinson was an exploding pager planted by Trump as an object lesson to regular Republicans.

I’ll tell you who was an “exploding pager” planted by people in law enforcement against New York City Mayor Eric Adams:

Interim Police Commissioner Thomas Donlon.

This is not only a logical thought it was even ion the newspaper Monday, even if it is the Daily Gerbil.

Starting on paragraph 3:

https://nypost.com/2024/09/22/us-news/timing-of-raid-on-nypd-interim-commishs-home-raises-questions

…Sources told The Post that agents had been searching for classified documents Donlon may have brought home during his years with the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security — but that explanation has left a lot of law enforcement officers scratching their heads.

“The same federal agencies that ‘recommended’ Donlon to Adams also executed the warrant — less than a week after Donlon’s appointment — to search his house for 20-year-old documents,” one source said, adding that Southern District of New York head Damian Williams actually backed Mayor Eric Adams’ commish choice before he announced it.

“I can hear the agents laughing while they’re torturing the mayor,” the source continued. “It’s open season on Adams at the SDNY and FBI.”

This has a friend of mine saying he’s considering voting for Trump, since this is being done at the federal level, and he blames Biden and Harris – just to stop this campaign against Harris (we both agree he would not be replaced by anyone better)

The Post’s source claimed the animus toward Donlon is personal but also says he was collateral damage.

Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09) — 9/25/2024 @ 1:19 pm

oops! just to stop this campaign against Adams.

It’s the anti-police people who would succeed him. My friend thinks the reason they are against Adams is because he complained about needing money for migrants but I think that’s just a story plated in the news media.

You see how it is.

You have to try to figure out what’s going on behind the scenes before you can cast an intelligent vote.

Adams is keeping Donlon by the way.

Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09) — 9/25/2024 @ 1:23 pm

Right wing talk radio reminds us of something that happened on January 6. The pipe bomb planted outside DNC headquarters (actually there were two – one outside the RNC too.)

The bombs were duds – wouldn’t have worked. The suspicion is that FBI informants or gents planted them. On January 6 it was thought by the Capital and DC police that they were intended as a diversion – to draw forces.

Kamala Harris actually passed by the undiscovered pipe bomb that day when she went into the DNC. (She was not in the Senate when the vote counting started)

Right wing talk radio says she never talks about it even though it would seem to be to her advantage to claim that the Jan 6 people had endangered her life.

Not really, since those pipe bombs are inconvenient facts that the Jan 6 committee avoided talking about – Trump cannot be blamed for inciting them, like he might be for the mob (although that isn’t accurate.) To speak about the pipe bombs undermines the narrative that Trump caused it all with his speech at the Ellipse.

The mystery of who planted them has never been solved and a lot of the DNC surveillance video (what? The hours after it was placed there?) has been deleted.

Today there is a House hearing about the pipe bombs: (explosive devices)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U4o3zBKfG6c

Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09) — 9/25/2024 @ 1:36 pm

“Their 845 page report only refers to the pipe bombs 5 times”

Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09) — 9/25/2024 @ 1:37 pm

@223

@207, whembly, I couldn’t find that in his testimony. Just in the House summary. I’m beginning to think the summary isn’t accurate. Can you show me where he testified to that?

Time123 (ad6454) — 9/22/2024 @ 2:51 pm

It’s accurate. Here’s the transcript (pages 23, 24):
https://justthenews.com/sites/default/files/2024-09/26%20-%20Milley%20-%204.8.21.pdf

whembly (477db6) — 9/25/2024 @ 1:46 pm

8th Circuit finalizes order striking down MN age restrictions on carry permits.

In July, a three-judge panel from the Eighth Circuit had unanimously affirmed the lower court’s ruling. Circuit Court Judge William Benton, who wrote the opinion, noted that the language of the Second Amendment does not specify an age limit. He highlighted that while the Founders included age restrictions in other areas, such as running for political office, no such limits were placed on the right to bear arms.

“In other words, the Founders considered age and knew how to set age requirements but placed no such restrictions on rights, including those protected by the Second Amendment,” Benton wrote in the decision.

Following the panel’s ruling, Minnesota sought to have the case reheard, either by the same three-judge panel or by the full bench of the Eighth Circuit. The appeals court rejected both requests in an August 21 order, effectively setting the stage for the mandate that was issued on Friday.

With the mandate now in place, M

innesota must either revise its laws to comply with the court’s decision or appeal the case to the U.S. Supreme Court. The Minnesota Attorney General’s office has not yet commented on whether it plans to pursue further legal action.

Kevin M (5fc3fa) — 9/25/2024 @ 1:47 pm

That last part should be in the quote

Kevin M (5fc3fa) — 9/25/2024 @ 1:47 pm

Is anyone else having trouble accessing this site with Firefox?

Kevin M (5fc3fa) — 9/25/2024 @ 1:48 pm

The suspicion is that FBI informants or gents planted them.

Only by wackadoos. I’m sure it wasn’t the guys that were literally parked there that were overrunning the Capital who got busted with guns and such. Nah, couldn’t possibly be the obvious ones, it must be the bestest spies, not just random wacko who were there by the thousands.

Colonel Klink (ret) (96f56a) — 9/25/2024 @ 1:54 pm

Should we complain about “election interference” when Viktor Orban visited Trump at Mar a Lado? After all, Orban is chums with Putin and has a direct line to the Russian thug-in-chief.
Maybe MAGA Mike and the rest of the MAGAs should stop emulating their Orangey Master Whiner.

Paul Montagu (de60e0) — 9/25/2024 @ 1:56 pm

Colonel Klink (ret) (96f56a) — 9/25/2024 @ 1:54 pm

Nah, couldn’t possibly be the obvious ones, it must be the bestest spies, not just random wacko who were there by the thousands.

It was probably people affiliated with one of the organizations at the Capitol.

But the fact that the devices (probably) would not have exploded adds weight to the theory that they were planted by someone on the side of law enforcement agencies.

Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09) — 9/25/2024 @ 2:09 pm

no such limits were placed on the right to bear arms.

The age limit was whatever the minimum that the militia they belonged to had. That’s why.

Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09) — 9/25/2024 @ 2:12 pm

But the fact that the devices (probably) would not have exploded adds weight to the theory that they were planted by someone on the side of law enforcement agencies.

No, it doesn’t, at all. Just because it’s a 1/1000 chance, “adding weight” is silly, an ounce vs 16ton isn’t a probability that matters, it’s as close to zero as no matter.

Colonel Klink (ret) (96f56a) — 9/25/2024 @ 2:13 pm

Why’d they not fact check Harris, UNFAIR, just because all I say are lies shouldn’t matter, they fact checked me 4 out of 33 lies, her only on 1. UNFAIR.

Fair is fair, fair and balanced is stupid doublespeak.

Colonel Klink (ret) (96f56a) — 9/25/2024 @ 2:15 pm

The age limit was whatever the minimum that the militia they belonged to had. That’s why.

Or, in many cases, race or gender. One of the huge problems with the militia interpretation was that blacks and women were generally excluded by those rules.

Kevin M (f8fd9d) — 9/25/2024 @ 2:31 pm

Klink, there were far more lies told by Trump than Harris, but that was not the reason they did not fact-check Harris and it is a utter lie to push that propaganda.

Kevin M (f8fd9d) — 9/25/2024 @ 2:32 pm

> The effect of the action is to hold the Senate hostage, blocking not only the bill in question but all other activity. The current method allows other activity to happen.

Sure.

And as activity gets blocked for long enough, there will be political pressure on Senators to drop the issue, and the filibuster will only get used for things which forty senators believe are so important that it’s worth not letting the Senate get anything done.

It *weakens* the filibuster so that it only gets used in very rare, extreme cases, rather than as a regular procedural tool.

aphrael (9c2ac5) — 9/25/2024 @ 3:38 pm

Last week end I met refugees from Russia, four Jehovah Witnesses, three middle-aged ladies who spoke little English, and a younger woman who spoke enough to translate for the other three. They were giving out their usual pamphlets, except they were in Russian instead of English.

I didn’t ask them about the persecution they had faced in Russia, but welcomed them to the United States.

(They may be getting some help from an earlier group of refugees. The Seattle area has a number of Russian Baptist churches. They were persecuted by the czars, by Stalin, and now by Putin.)

Jim Miller (63b128) — 9/25/2024 @ 3:47 pm

It *weakens* the filibuster so that it only gets used in very rare, extreme cases, rather than as a regular procedural tool.

I don’t want a weaker filibuster. As a procedural tool it forces people out of partisan stalemate. Get rid of it and you will have 51-49 seesaw battles instead. One year taxes are 20%, then 80%, then 20% again. Long-term CONSENSUS is what we should strive for, not “getting over” for near-term gain.

Kevin M (5ad5fc) — 9/25/2024 @ 3:54 pm

The only reason that we have this argument about the filibuster is because partisan fanatics do not want to listen to the other side. For every Rand Paul we have a Liz Warren. Our electoral system is broken.

Kevin M (5ad5fc) — 9/25/2024 @ 3:56 pm

How many of Trump’s lies did they NOT fact check? If Harris and Donnie got an equal number of passes, then Donnie has nothing to complain about.

nk (2c1882) — 9/25/2024 @ 3:58 pm

The effect of the action is to hold the Senate hostage, blocking not only the bill in question but all other activity.

I don’t see what the problem is with that.

Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 9/25/2024 @ 4:13 pm

Abandon ship, abandon ship!

Brian LiVecchi, a top adviser to North Carolina Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson, is resigning from his post as chief of staff and general counsel in the office of the lieutenant governor — the biggest move in a new wave of coming departures following allegations that Robinson made racist and lewd comments on a pornographic website more than a decade ago.

In addition to LiVecchi, Director of Communications John Wesley Waugh, Policy Director Jonathan Harris, and Director of Government Affairs Nathan Lewis have stated their intention to resign, people familiar with the matter told WRAL. The people spoke on the condition of anonymity because they feared professional retribution.

The resignations — which represent half of the office’s staff — are expected to become effective in the coming days, WRAL learned Wednesday.
………..
LiVecchi’s departure is particularly notable. He has served as Robinson’s right-hand man in the state office throughout his term, first as general counsel and then as chief of staff.
…………

Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 9/25/2024 @ 4:21 pm

How many of Trump’s lies did they NOT fact check? If Harris and Donnie got an equal number of passes, then Donnie has nothing to complain about.

Again, you are spewing propaganda. The moderators didn’t want to fact-check Harris. They would probably have been fired if they did.

Kevin M (bcb321) — 9/25/2024 @ 4:27 pm

News item: U.S. Works to Broker Cease-Fire Between Israel and Hezbollah

Why is the US so interested in a longer more brutal war?

Kevin M (bcb321) — 9/25/2024 @ 4:28 pm

News item: U.S. Works to Broker Cease-Fire Between Israel and Hezbollah

Why is the US so interested in a longer more brutal war?

Kevin M (bcb321) — 9/25/2024 @ 4:28 pm

Political grandstanding.

It’s the opposite of “Don’t just do something. Stand there.”

norcal (4b66b5) — 9/25/2024 @ 4:31 pm

News item: U.S. Works to Broker Cease-Fire Between Israel and Hezbollah

Why is the US so interested in a longer more brutal war?

Kevin M (bcb321) — 9/25/2024 @ 4:28 pm

Good for business?

Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 9/25/2024 @ 4:31 pm

LiVecchi’s departure is particularly notable.

Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 9/25/2024 @ 4:21 pm

Meh. He’s just a McCain Republican. Good riddance to anybody who’s not a true MAGA believer (at least until Trump tells me that Robinson is persona non grata, whatever that means).

norcal (4b66b5) — 9/25/2024 @ 4:35 pm

News item: U.S. Works to Broker Cease-Fire Between Israel and Hezbollah

Why is the US so interested in a longer more brutal war?

Kevin M (bcb321) — 9/25/2024 @ 4:28 pm

As long as we provide Israel the necessary weapons, I don’t see why the US should care what happens.

Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 9/25/2024 @ 4:36 pm

The only thing a cease-fire will do is to let Hezbollah recover from the haymakers they’ve been thrown. First, Israel destroys their command-and-control network, then they decapitate the leadership. Now they are blowing up the ammo stockpiles and missile sites. OF COURSE they are going to invade. The only thing a delay will do is to kill more IDF and more Lebanese civilians.

Kevin M (0557ca) — 9/25/2024 @ 4:36 pm

The resignations — which represent half of the office’s staff — are expected to become effective in the coming days,

Again, they are just SHOCKED at what they’ve found out about the guy they’ve been working closely with for years. Or at least they are shocked at what is happening to their future job prospects.

Rats. Ship.

Kevin M (0557ca) — 9/25/2024 @ 4:39 pm

Israel needs to invade and seize the southern portion of Lebanon for its own security.

Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 9/25/2024 @ 4:44 pm

When you lose AOC……

Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 9/25/2024 @ 4:56 pm

Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 9/25/2024 @ 4:56 pm

From your link, here is a quote from Mayor Adams:

For anyone who self-righteously claims people charged with serious crimes should not be in jail to now say that the second Black mayor of New York should resign because of rumors and innuendo—without even a single charge being filed—is the height of hypocrisy,” Adams said in a statement.

Playing the race card is a sure sign of a loser.

norcal (4b66b5) — 9/25/2024 @ 5:01 pm

norcal (4b66b5) — 9/25/2024 @ 5:01 pm

She probably wants his job.

Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 9/25/2024 @ 5:27 pm

She probably wants his job.

Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 9/25/2024 @ 5:27 pm

Oh, I don’t doubt that, but he shouldn’t be playing the race card regardless.

norcal (4b66b5) — 9/25/2024 @ 5:37 pm

> In an election that will probably be won by 2-3 percentage points, there will be no coattails for Harris; heck, I expect her to be on the losing end. Given the fact the Republicans are practically guaranteed to flip both Montana and West Virginia, and there aren’t any Senate seats that are certain to flip the other way, the Republicans have a nearly mortal lock on winning the Senate. If that’s the case, then whatever Harris thinks about the filibuster is a nothingburger.

At the moment, it seems very likely that the Dems will retake control of the House while the Reps will retake control of the Senate.

The Dems’ best hopes in the Senate at the moment seem to be Texas and Florida, which are *very much* long shots.

(Although, speaking as someone who voted for Ted Cruz in the presidential primary in 2016, I think the US, and Texas, would be better off to be rid of him.)

aphrael (8c9441) — 9/25/2024 @ 6:00 pm

> “The people of this city elected me to fight for them, and I will stay and fight no matter what.”

Where else have we heard this rhetoric, Mayor Adams?

aphrael (8c9441) — 9/25/2024 @ 6:01 pm

Again, you are spewing propaganda. The moderators didn’t want to fact-check Harris. They would probably have been fired if they did.

But since they did, and they they didn’t get fired, you’re argument evaporates like a mist in the desert.

Colonel Klink (ret) (96f56a) — 9/25/2024 @ 6:03 pm

They fact checked 5 things in total; 4 Trump, one Harris. At least in this reality, in a different reality a different thing may have occurred, but I live in this one.

Colonel Klink (ret) (96f56a) — 9/25/2024 @ 6:05 pm

Aphrael,

you didnt support Cruz. You voted to be a spoiler. Would mean more if you mentioned that.

Cruz is a valuable member of the Senate and would make a good Majority Leader. He’d make a better President.

NJRob (eb56c3) — 9/25/2024 @ 6:33 pm

They didn’t fact check Harris once. Honesty is not your strong point moby.

NJRob (eb56c3) — 9/25/2024 @ 6:34 pm

Furthermore, the moderators lied about their fact checks such as leftists states such as Minnesota that allow born babies to be left to die.

NJRob (eb56c3) — 9/25/2024 @ 6:36 pm

They never fact checked her once, not even the time when Davis did confronted Harris over her flip-flopping on key issues, including fracking and buyback programs for assault weapons. She also challenged her on why the Biden-Harris administration waited until six months before the election to issue executive actions on the border.

If you don’t/can’t count, then sure, zero and two are the same.

Colonel Klink (ret) (96f56a) — 9/25/2024 @ 6:46 pm

When you lose AOC……

Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 9/25/2024 @ 4:56 pm

The mayor ran as not-Progressive. AOC was never a fan.

Kevin M (fd9736) — 9/25/2024 @ 6:51 pm

You are absolutely full of complete sh!t. FRC posted the claim, it was a lie, like Trump’s lie that corrected because it was a lie, and lying about the lie just highlights all the other lies.

The post linked to the Family Research Council’s website and included a US map colour-coded according to what the activist organisation describes as the states’ “born alive protections”.

Perkins said in the post that this lack of protections means babies are “being left to die or gruesomely killed after being born alive following a failed abortion”. The Family Research Council also posted a similar claim on its Instagram account.

These posts were flagged as part of Meta’s efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed.

Infanticide, the crime of killing a child within a year of its birth, is illegal in all states, and every person who is born has legal protections under federal and state laws.

The Born-Alive Infants Protection Act of 2002, which both chambers of Congress passed and then-President George W Bush signed, established that federal legal protections that applied to “persons” also covered children born at any stage of development, including after an abortion.

But homicide laws in every state already make it illegal to kill a baby, regardless of whether the baby was just born or is a few months old, said Priscilla Smith, director of the Program for the Study of Reproductive Justice at Yale University’s Law School.

Colonel Klink (ret) (96f56a) — 9/25/2024 @ 6:53 pm

She probably wants his job.

No, she wants Biden’s job. Being mayor of NY hasn’t been a stepping-stone. Governor of NY is more likely to work.

Kevin M (fd9736) — 9/25/2024 @ 6:54 pm

“Ukraine is gone“. That’s Trump encouraging Zelenskyy to quit and accept cultural genocide. This GOP nominee is literally on the side of evil. He doesn’t demand that Putin stop his brutal criminal war, but instead harangues the victim to appease. I don’t know why Trump hates freedom and hates America, but he must lose.

Paul Montagu (86846e) — 9/25/2024 @ 6:54 pm

Cruz would be a disaster as majority leader; he doesn’t have the skill or the inclination to work with people to build consensus, and that’s the majority leader’s first job.

aphrael (d0457b) — 9/25/2024 @ 7:19 pm

Ukraine might not be gone, but it is badly wounded and it isn’t Trump that got it that way. Biden never wanted Ukraine to win, just cost the Russians so much they can’t do anything else for a generation.

Kevin M (fd9736) — 9/25/2024 @ 7:28 pm

Klink not even pretending anymore. That’s a start.

NJRob (eb56c3) — 9/25/2024 @ 7:31 pm

https://patch.com/minnesota/across-mn/tim-walz-repealed-mn-law-protecting-babies-born-after-failed-abortions

Continue lying.

NJRob (eb56c3) — 9/25/2024 @ 7:33 pm

Cruz would be a disaster as majority leader; he doesn’t have the skill or the inclination to work with people to build consensus, and that’s the majority leader’s first job.

aphrael (d0457b) — 9/25/2024 @ 7:19 pm

If I remember correctly, former Speaker John Boehner said the same thing in harsher language during the 2016 primaries.

I just think that he’s a bloated crapweasel without an ounce of pride, integrity or guts, but it took me a while to reach that conclusion.

nk (82108d) — 9/25/2024 @ 7:38 pm

@kevin@388 I haven’t ever had trouble.

Nic (120c94) — 9/25/2024 @ 8:00 pm

Hmm, the Born-Alive Infants Protection Act of 2002 exists. If a fetus is born alive anywhere in the US, all medical care is required to be performed.

It is true that humans die from time to time, maybe you should recognize this fact. Sometimes babies die, in the US it’s much more likely than places like Canada or Cuba, more in line with Slovakia and Uruguay, the US is 50th.

But cool, reality doesn’t to you. You can’t let live babies die in the US, it’s a crime in all states everywhere. Minnesota is also a state.

Where is a premature baby more likely to live, Texas or Minnesota. Maybe look it up, it may shock you, or not. If not then you’re just playing at being stupid, if it does, then consider yourself educated.

Colonel Klink (ret) (96f56a) — 9/25/2024 @ 8:02 pm

can’t just let live babies die.

Colonel Klink (ret) (96f56a) — 9/25/2024 @ 8:03 pm

It’s also odd that abortions tend to go down under certain party’s being in the White House, I wonder why that is?

Colonel Klink (ret) (96f56a) — 9/25/2024 @ 8:06 pm

It’s insane that the current MAGA led GOP is less conservative than Bill Clinton. Honesty literally has no value to MAGA.

Colonel Klink (ret) (96f56a) — 9/25/2024 @ 8:38 pm

There’s a leak tonight that Mayor Adams has actually been indicted, but the nature of the indictment is not known;it’s still sealed,

Note: This leak would be illegal.

presumably, this is about his campaign finances.

But I think he didn’t know what his fundraisers were doing.

Sammy Finkelman (c2c77e) — 9/25/2024 @ 8:55 pm

Sometimes babies die, in the US it’s much more likely than places like Canada or Cuba, more in line with Slovakia and Uruguay, the US is 50th.

In places like Cuba, I read once, babies who die shortly after birth are not recorded as live births. That accounts for some of the statistics.

Sammy Finkelman (c2c77e) — 9/25/2024 @ 8:58 pm

Well, if you read it once.

Colonel Klink (ret) (96f56a) — 9/25/2024 @ 9:11 pm

Going back to my previous comment about Trump wanting Ukraine to roll over, he doesn’t know sh-t about anything, including Russian military history, only what Putin whispers in his ear, and that’s what makes him dangerous and stupid.

Donald Trump on Tuesday praised Russia’s military record in historical conflicts and derided U.S. aid to Ukraine as he again insisted he would quickly end the war launched by Moscow’s invasion if elected president.

Phillips P. OBrien…

Amazing how poor people’s knowledge of history is. Russia has actually not won a war against a major power for 200 years—except for the Ottoman Empire.

Ok for a list covering much of the last 200 years
[Tsarist] Russia.
Crimean war (lost)
Russo-Japanese War (lost)
World War I (catastrophic loss)
Then USSR
Soviet-Polish (lost)
Winter War (partial victory over small power, sorry Finland)
World War II, wins as part of coalition
Cold War (lost)
Afghanistan (lost)
Then Russia again.
No victories over major powers.

Paul Montagu (86846e) — 9/25/2024 @ 10:19 pm

Because if Trump is going to betray Ukraine so easily, how so is Taiwan going to feel, and how is any of that going to deter Xi from his ambitions for controlling Taiwan and the chip industry.

Paul Montagu (86846e) — 9/25/2024 @ 10:23 pm

I just think that he’s a bloated crapweasel without an ounce of pride, integrity or guts, but it took me a while to reach that conclusion.

Nikki Haley saw it right off in 2016 btw. As did half the Senate. But it took Trump to bring out the real man.

Kevin M (7ee962) — 9/25/2024 @ 10:45 pm

@kevin@388 I haven’t ever had trouble.

Apparently, my Firefox is throwing “400” errors. This site (and only this site) eventually has enough of it and blocks my IP for a while.

I’ve tried all the suggested things (clear cache, clear cookies (both just patterico.com, then in desperation all of them), clear DNS cache, and turn off extensions. Nada. I downgraded to the esr version, both reinstalling and getting rid of the last few updates. Still no joy.

I can get it to work with a VPN, but that’s just because I’m hiding the IP, and other sites I frequent have a ban hammer for VPNs. Right now I’m using Edge, with its built-in per-site VPN feature. But only Firefox allows the customization I’m happy with (which hasn’t changed in ages).

Kevin M (7ee962) — 9/25/2024 @ 10:53 pm

Amazing how poor people’s knowledge of history is. Russia has actually not won a war against a major power for 200 years—except for the Ottoman Empire.

Yeah, I’m reading Barbara Tuchman’s The Guns of August, and she makes that point about Russia. Everyone was afraid of them, but they always lost. Corrupt and stupid leadership was a constant, even before the USSR.

Kevin M (7ee962) — 9/25/2024 @ 10:56 pm

It’s insane that the current MAGA led GOP is less conservative than Bill Clinton. Honesty literally has no value to MAGA.

My only quibble is that “conservative” is a useless term these days. MAGA is radical, and that is never conservative, so you’re right by default. Not sure what “conservative” means wrt Clinton though.

Kevin M (7ee962) — 9/25/2024 @ 11:01 pm

World War II, wins as part of coalition

Yes, but they crushed the bulk of the Nazi war machine pretty thoroughly, and almost completely unaided. I’d give them that as a win.

Kevin M (7ee962) — 9/25/2024 @ 11:03 pm

@kevin@445 That’s so strange. I’m on the most updated version, though I only run a couple of adblock/ublock extensions. maybe Patterico banned someone in your IP block?

Nic (120c94) — 9/25/2024 @ 11:20 pm

It would result in a delay of an hour or two and the count will be off by one or two – and then they repeat.

Yeah, this happened instantly in the 2000 Florida hand-recount.

Kevin M (896050) — 9/24/2024 @ 4:51 pm

In Florida then, they hand recounted the votes (just for president) not the number of ballots cast at that polling station.

Handling the ballots can make for mischief. Organized and undetected mischief, not so much.

Sammy Finkelman (c2c77e) — 9/26/2024 @ 3:02 am

Trump gaining in polls. Az back to trump. Donor class, DNC and democratic establishment worried of another 2016 where they were discredited. Only establishment democrats in power can keep the squad and berniecrats from taking over democrat party with angry democrats punishing the corporate democrats. Never trumpers worried about 2024 Democrat party elites worried about 2026/2028 with angry democrats punishing them.

asset (78d555) — 9/26/2024 @ 3:08 am

The report of an indictment of Mayor Adams (and two other named people and unleaked names) is real because last night the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Damien Williams, scheduled a press conference for about 12 pm, although the office has refused comment otherwise.

Sammy Finkelman (c2c77e) — 9/26/2024 @ 3:08 am

As for abortion The democratic donor class wants civility from pro-choice base and not rant and rave like anti-abortion side. Its bad for their business when democrat party base want direct action against anti-abortion side. They are worried about trump led republican party ;but fear their own left. By the way another corporate shill gets indicted in NY!

asset (78d555) — 9/26/2024 @ 3:19 am

Let it no longer be said in Gotham that Democratic federal administrations do not hold corrupt Democrat politicians accountable. Menendez, Adams, is there a troika?

nk (7da3b2) — 9/26/2024 @ 5:34 am

https://www.cnn.com/2024/09/22/politics/angela-alsobrooks-improper-tax-deductions/index.html

Shocking that the usual suspects who claim to be conservative missed this one. And it could help the squish

NJRob (399a3c) — 9/26/2024 @ 6:11 am

Rob, I’ve never heard of her before (hadn’t been following that senate race; probably should have been), but I don’t know that “Woman who was paying her elderly grandparents’ mortgage for them didn’t make appropriate tax accounting change when they recently died,” is the political killer you think it might be.

Nate (be5ee2) — 9/26/2024 @ 6:18 am

Of course you don’t Nate. Now if she was a Tepublican, then it would matter

NJRob (399a3c) — 9/26/2024 @ 6:29 am

https://www.foxbusiness.com/politics/nancy-pelosis-husband-sold-more-than-500k-visa-stock-ahead-doj-action

And more obvious criminal activity that would matter to all but those who are in the tank for leftists.

NJRob (399a3c) — 9/26/2024 @ 6:36 am

Another Pelosi story that got ignored. Must be nice to have government connections.

Nancy Pelosi’s Relative Snags Sweetheart Conflict Of Interest Waiver From Feds

The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) in January 2022 approved an ethics waiver for the wife of former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi’s nephew allowing for a potential financial conflict of interest to go unresolved, according to documents obtained exclusively by the Daily Caller News Foundation.

Laurence Pelosi, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s nephew, had a stake in a joint real estate venture with Goldman Sachs called Restore Utah, which benefits from HUD’s Section 8 housing vouchers, while his wife, Alexis Pelosi, was employed at the agency, according to a copy of the waiver approval released by watchdog group Protect the Public’s Trust.

While it would usually violate federal ethics rules for a beneficiary of HUD funds to have a spouse employed at the department, HUD found an exemption that allowed Laurence to retain his stake in the real estate project. Requiring him to divest, or his project to forgo HUD funds, would allegedly result in “undue hardship” for Alexis and her husband.

Part of HUD’s reasoning was that Restore Utah was Laurence Pelosi’s “primary profession,” however, Alexis Pelosi’s financial disclosures indicate that he had four other income streams around the time the conflict of interest waiver was approved. Laurence Pelosi collected salaries from two different law firms and consulting fees from two other law firms in 2022.

lloyd (11294e) — 9/26/2024 @ 7:11 am

Michael Flynn and Mayor Adams have something in common, they’re both foreign agents for Erdogan.

Paul Montagu (86846e) — 9/26/2024 @ 8:16 am

Before the indictment was unsealed it was leaked that money coming from 6 countries were involved, five of them named: Turkey, Qatar, China, Israel and South Korea. The charges are much more serious than violations of FARA. Bribery (which includes hotel and travel) soliciting bribes, wire fraud (a technical term) deleting records and other forms of cover up, like pretending to arrange to be billed.

The indictment is 57 pages long and goes back to events in 2017 or earlier,.

At 6 am they showed up at Gracie Mansion to grab his replacement or burner cell phones,

Adams spoke briefly at 11 am. US Attorney will spek at 11:30

Sammy Finkelman (c2c77e) — 9/26/2024 @ 8:34 am

https://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2024/09/tim-walz-appointee-calls-for-overthrow-of-us-government.php

The first tenet of critical race theory is that the United States as constructed is irreversibly racist. So if the nation-state as constructed is irreversibly racist, then it must be done with, it must be overthrown, right. And so we can’t be like, “Oh no, critical race theory is just about telling our stories and divers[ity].” It’s not about that. It’s about overthrow. It’s insurgent. And we, we need to be, I think, more honest with that. … You can’t be a critical race theorist and be pro-U.S. Okay, it is an anti-state theory that says, The United States needs to be deconstructed, period.

Tim Walz governance in action.

NJRob (eb56c3) — 9/26/2024 @ 8:48 am

Eric Adams indictment.

Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 9/26/2024 @ 9:38 am

maybe Patterico banned someone in your IP block?

He says not, and his tech guy said it was due to the repeated malformed “400” requests.

Kevin M (59be65) — 9/26/2024 @ 9:41 am

More weapons for Ukraine:

President Biden on Thursday directed that Ukraine receive the remaining $5.5 billion worth of American weapons and equipment previously authorized by Congress, underlining his commitment to Kyiv’s cause ahead of his meeting Thursday with President Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House.

The administration’s announcement includes separate funding of about $2.4 billion through what is known as the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, which will provide Ukraine with air defenses, drones and other weapons that over the long term will help to sustain its military needs.

The president also approved the transfer of the Joint Standoff Weapon, a long-range munition that will help Ukraine strike faraway Russian positions in its own territory and within Ukraine, as well as one Patriot missile-defense system to protect Ukrainian cities facing consistent Russian bombardment. The announcement included the expansion of the F-16 pilot-training program for 18 additional Ukrainian pilots.
………
The aid plan announced Thursday concludes a dispute between the White House and Congress that averts the possibility that previously authorized funding for Ukraine could be lost after the fiscal year ends Sept. 30. It assures funding for Ukraine at least through the end of Biden’s term but doesn’t give the administration the flexibility it sought to potentially use the money for any new programs, only existing ones.
……….
At his campaign rallies, Trump has pledged to end the war and jabbed at Zelensky.

“‘We will win, we will win,’” the former president said, mimicking Zelensky’s accent, at a rally in Pennsylvania this week. “He’s been saying that for three years. Every time Zelensky comes to the U.S., he walks away with $100 billion,” he said, to boos. “But we’re stuck in that war unless I’m president.”
……….
Supporters of Ukraine in Congress say they are expecting that Zelensky will need another aid package early next year, or potentially in the lame-duck period between Election Day and Jan. 3, when the new Congress will be sworn in.
……….

Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 9/26/2024 @ 9:46 am

Any new aid package needs to be approved during a lame duck session, as there is no chance that the House or the Senate will approve one in the new Congress.

Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 9/26/2024 @ 9:48 am

Trump’s got his new un”limited edition” coins, and watches. From $500 to $100k. All American made I assume…oh, China, Samey same. This is definitely all going to his campaign…no, huh, just into the rayon pockets.

Vote MAGA(getting suckers to buy cheap chinese knockoffs).

Colonel Klink (ret) (96f56a) — 9/26/2024 @ 11:18 am

Given that Trump is a conman and serial swindler, what does that say about our establishment politicians that so many prefer the conman? Do people prefer an open crook to closeted crooks?

Kevin M (f69257) — 9/26/2024 @ 11:34 am

Trump is just a ketchup-eating surrender monkey.

Kevin M (3abc6b) — 9/26/2024 @ 11:38 am

He puts ketchup on steak, that is disqualifying by itself.

Colonel Klink (ret) (96f56a) — 9/26/2024 @ 11:58 am

Oddly enough, Hunter’s paintings have been steeply discounted since July. Klink, you missed the chance to offload yours.

lloyd (e9d7ef) — 9/26/2024 @ 12:42 pm

He puts ketchup on steak, that is disqualifying by itself.

On well-done prime ribeye yet.

Kevin M (67699b) — 9/26/2024 @ 12:59 pm

One part of the indictment is the use of straw donors to conceal illegal foreign national campaign contributions, illegal over the maximum limit contributions, illegal corporate campaign contributions (legal – up to a certain amount – in state races but not in city or federal) and to commit fraud in the city’s matching campaign contributions program (eight times as much is matched but only up to a limit of $250 per individual donors, provided a minimum amount total is reached.)

I think this gets covered by federal law on the grounds this is wire fraud.

There is an accusation that, at least in some cases, Eric Adams was fully aware this was going on (although his agreement to it surprised someone working for him) and they didn’t seem to understand it was criminal, although you would think anyone involved in politics would know that, but only that if it came out it would cause a big stink.

a. On June 22, 2018-the same day as the fundraising event just described the Adams Staffer and the Promoter discussed by text message a possible trip by ADAMS to Turkey.

The Promoter stated, in part, “Fund Raising in Turkey is not legal, but I think I can raise
money for your campaign off the record.” The Adams Staffer inquired, “How will [ADAMS]
declare that money here?” The Promoter responded, “He won’t declare it … Or … We’ll make
the donation through an American citizen in the U.S …. A Turk … I’ll give cash to him in Turkey
… Or I’ll send it to an American … He will make a donation to you.” The Adams Staffer replied,
“I think he wouldn’t [who wouldn’t? The donor? ] get involved in such games. They might cause a big stink later on,” but “I’ll ask anyways.” The Adams Staffer then asked, “how much do you think would come from you?
$?” The Promoter responded, ”Max $100K.” The Adams Staffer wrote, “l00K? Do you have a chance to transfer that here? … We can’t do it while Eric is in Turkey,” to which the Promoter replied, ”Let’s think.” After this conversation, the Adams Staffer asked ADAMS whether the
Adams Staffer should pursue the unlawful foreign contributions offered by the Promoter, and
contrary to the Adams Staffer’s expectations, ADAMS directed that the Adams Staffer pursue the
Promoter’s illegal scheme.

b. In November 2018, Businessman-I-the wealthy Turkish national who
owned the Turkish University, a for-profit educational conglomerate in Turkey, and whom
ADAMS met there in 2015-visited New York City. ADAMS and the Adams Staffer met with Businessman-I at Brooklyn Borough Hall. At the close of the meeting, Businessman-I offered to contribute funds to the 2021 Campaign. Although ADAMS knew that Businessman-I was a
Turkish national who could not lawfully contribute to U.S. elections, ADAMS directed the Adams Staffer to obtain the illegal contributions offered by Businessman-I.

Following up on this directive, ADAMS wrote to the Adams Staffer that Businessman-I “is ready to help. I don’t want his willing to help be waisted [sic].” As ADAMS directed, the Adams Staffer maintained contact with Businessman-I through intermediaries, culminating in ADAMS accepting straw donations of
Businessman-I’s money, discussed below.

Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09) — 9/26/2024 @ 1:15 pm

398. Russia is pursuing ordinary Russian outside of Russia

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/09/23/opinion/russia-putin-kremlin.html

There are also the hundreds of thousands of Russians who left home because they did not want to have anything to do with Vladimir Putin’s war or were forced out, accused of not embracing it enough. These low-profile dissenters are subjected to surveillance and kidnappings, too. Yet their repression happens in silence, away from the spotlight and often with the tacit consent or inadequate prevention of the countries to which they have fled.

It’s a terrifying thing: The Kremlin is hunting down ordinary people across the world, and nobody seems to care.

I’ve been gathering information about Russia’s targeting of exiles since the start of the war in Ukraine. My sources range from people who survived abductions and surveillance to the leaders of Russian diasporas and the few human rights activists helping them. Many spoke to me on the condition of anonymity in order to discuss Russian repression without fear of reprisal. The Kremlin, of course, denies any involvement, mostly saying that it cannot comment on what is happening to people in other countries. But the evidence is piling up.

There’s a vocal coach arrested in Kazakhstan at Moscow’s request who went mad in a local jail. A caregiver for the elderly detained in Montenegro on Russian orders, carried out by Interpol. A schoolteacher detained by Armenian border guards after telling her students about Russia’s crimes in Bucha. A toy shop owner, an industrial climber, a punk rocker — these are some of the people caught in the Kremlin dragnet, all over the world.

And it is a truly global operation. In Britain exiles are being followed, and London opposition events are crawling with agents “who stick out like a sore thumb,” Ksenia Maximova, an anti-Kremlin activist there, told me. Russian intelligence officers have been sent to monitor the diasporas in Germany, Poland and Lithuania, according to Evgeny Smirnov, a lawyer who specializes in treason and espionage cases. Other emigrants have been stalked and threatened in Rome, Paris, Prague and Istanbul. The list goes on.

Some of the methods are especially insidious. Lev Gyammer, an exiled activist in Poland, has been receiving texts for two years, supposedly from his mother. “Levushka, son, I miss you so, when will you visit me?” Another reads, “Son, I’m waiting for you. Come back soon.” He ignores them: His mother, Olga, died five years ago. Another Russian expatriate — whose elderly parents are very sick — chose to believe it when his parents’ nurse of many years told him, over the phone, of a fire in their apartment. He rushed home from Finland and was immediately taken to prison and tortured, according to Mr. Smirnov. Of course, there never was a fire….

Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09) — 9/26/2024 @ 1:24 pm

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/09/21/world/africa/uae-sudan-civil-war.html

…The Emirates is playing a deadly double game in Sudan, a country shredded by one of the world’s most catastrophic civil wars.

Eager to cement its role as a regional kingmaker, the wealthy Persian Gulf petrostate is expanding its covert campaign to back a winner in Sudan, funneling money, weapons and, now, powerful drones to fighters rampaging across the country, according to officials, internal diplomatic memos and satellite images analyzed by The New York Times.`

Saying that this is just to back a winner is stupid. It’s because the military government (The Sudanese Armed Forces) is backed by Iran, and the Rapid Support Forces, who are the most brutal, are backed by Russia (and China)

This is one place where they are on opposite sides in a war.

Although

Vice President Kamala Harris confronted the leader of the Emirates, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, over his country’s support of the R.S.F. when the two met in December, according to officials briefed on the exchange.

President Biden, concerned about other places…

Nicolas Kristof column:

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/09/25/opinion/sudan-chad-orphan-refugee.html`

President Biden this week met the leader of the United Arab Emirates, the prime backer of the Rapid Support Forces as they commit atrocities. Biden praised the United Arab Emirates as a nation “always looking to the future” without offering a peep of public reproach for enabling a well-documented ethnic cleansing that at least one watchdog group has called a genocide.

There is a third force (The first two are Arab, the third one is black African)

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/08/08/magazine/sudan-nuba-war.html

Before the UAE the Rapid Support Forces had a connection with Russia (the Wagner Group) but this would have been after it split with the military government.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rapid_Support_Forces

According to a report by Al Araby TV, there are allegations of a connection between the Wagner Group, a Russian paramilitary organization, and Hemetti. Leaked documents and sources reportedly indicate that the Wagner Group has provided training and equipment, including armored vehicles and helicopter gunships, to Hemetti’s forces. The Russian company is alleged to have provided security services during Hemetti’s visit to Russia in 2018.[40]

Hemetti’s association with the Wagner Group may raise questions about his own involvement in human rights violations, particularly given his role in the crackdown on protesters during Sudan’s 2019 revolution and as the founder of the Rapid Support Forces, a paramilitary group accused of committing human rights abuses in Darfur and elsewhere in Sudan.[40] The Sudanese government has denied any connection to the Wagner Group, and the reports suggest that Hemetti may be using his position in the Sovereign Council to establish ties with the Russian company.[41] Both Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo and Sudan’s military leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan had ties to the Putin regime in Russia. According to Business Insider, “The two generals helped Russian President Vladimir Putin exploit Sudan’s gold resources to help buttress Russian finances against Western sanctions and fund his war in Ukraine.”[42]

Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09) — 9/26/2024 @ 1:53 pm

9/20/2024

Weekend Open Thread

526 Responses to “Weekend Open Thread”

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