Weekend Open Thread
[guest post by Dana]
Let’s go!
First news item
President-elect Donald Trump makes a joke floats a trial ballon:
President-elect Trump floated the prospect of seeking a third term in an apparent joke to House Republicans on Wednesday as they met ahead of internal leadership elections.
“I suspect I won’t be running again, unless you do something,” Trump said, according to pool reports and audio shared with The Hill. “Unless you say, ‘He’s so good, we have to just figure it out.’”
Raise your hand if you think he’s just joking.
Obviously the Constitution prohibits anyone being elected to the office of the President more than twice, yet Trump is not known for his respect or adherence to the Constitution. When he has his hands on the levers of power and Republicans control the House and Senate, I’m just saying, it would be foolish to assume this is only a joke.
Second news item
Ed Whelan’s warning about Trump and recess appointments:
President-elect Donald Trump is threatening to turn the Constitution’s appointment process for Cabinet officers on its head. If what I’m hearing through the conservative legal grapevine is correct, he might resort to a cockamamie scheme that would require House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) to play a critical role. Johnson can and should immediately put an end to this scheme.
. . .
It appears that the Trump team is working on a scheme to allow Trump to recess-appoint his Cabinet officers. This scheme would exploit an obscure and never-before-used provision of the Constitution (part of Article II, Section 3) stating that “in Case of Disagreement” between the houses of Congress, “with Respect to the Time of Adjournment,” the president “may adjourn them to such Time as he shall think proper.”
Third news item
Republican members want to see the details of the the House Ethics investigation into Matt Gaetz:
Republican senators are preparing for a robust vetting of Matt Gaetz, President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Justice Department, with a keen interest in details from a House Ethics Committee investigation into the former congressman from Florida.
The ethics panel has been investigating Gaetz off and on since 2021, most recently focusing on alleged sexual misconduct, illicit drug use, accepting improper gifts, obstruction and other allegations. But the results of that probe may not become public because Gaetz resigned from the House at noon on Thursday. The Ethics Committee has jurisdiction only over sitting House members.
. . .
Many Republican senators, including members of the GOP-led Judiciary Committee that will oversee Gaetz’s nomination for attorney general, said they’ll want to see the details of the House Ethics investigation into Gaetz.
There’s a lot of talk from Republicans that Gaetz is not a good candidate for attorney general, but I’m laying down a marker here: Gaetz will still be approved because Republicans are not willing to go against Trump. My goodness, they were afraid to go against him when he wasn’t in office, how much less willing will they be now that he is in power. As reported this morning, and for example:
“It’s a given Trump’s going to beat us into submission,” said one House Republican.
.
.
.The soon-to-be president, who vowed to shake up Washington, this week tapped several highly unconventional candidates for his Cabinet, pressured Senate leadership candidates to back his plans for recess appointments, and is pushing lawmakers to back policy positions that violate traditional Republican orthodoxy, such as tariffs.
Early signs point to a House and Senate largely unwilling to buck his will, at least publicly.
And yet behind closed doors:
One person familiar with the conversations among Republican senators said “significantly more than four” of them are opposed, which would be enough to tank Gaetz’s chances. “People are pissed,” the person said.
Other estimates ranged from more than a dozen Republican “no” votes to more than 30. “It won’t even be close,” another person said.
P.S. Also announced this morning:
The House Ethics Committee won’t be meeting after all on Friday as pressure builds to release the findings of its report on Rep. Matt Gaetz.
Anticipation was high for the closed-door meeting after Donald Trump announced he was picking the Florida member of Congress to be attorney general. . .
No reason was given for the “abrupt” cancellation.
Ah, okay, here we go:
House Speaker Mike Johnson said on Friday that he does not think a House Ethics Committee report on allegations related to Matt Gaetz should be released and is “going to strongly request that the Ethics Committee not issue the report.”
Johnson called on the ethics panel to withhold the report shortly after returning from visiting with President-elect Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago on Thursday, and said he plans to speak with the panel’s chairman, GOP Rep. Michael Guest. . .
“I’m going to strongly request that the Ethics Committee not issue the report because that is not the way we do things in the House, and I think that would be a terrible precedent to set,” Johnson told reporters on Friday.
Raise your hand if you are surprised.
Fourth news item
How is this *not* seriously problematic:
The Times—citing two unnamed Iranian officials—reported Musk met with the ambassador, Amir Saeid Iravani, for more than an hour at a secret location in New York on Monday.
The two Iranian officials said Musk and Iravani discussed how to defuse tensions between the U.S. and Iran and that the meeting was “positive” and “good news.”
Since Trump became the president-elect last week, Musk—who was one of Trump’s most prolific supporters, donating more than $118 million toward Trump election efforts after endorsing him in July—reportedly has taken on a significant role in Cabinet appointments and conversations with other world leaders.
A civilian meeting with a member of a terrorist state? What’s the problem, eh?
Have a good weekend.
—Dana
Hello.
Dana (3b057c) — 11/15/2024 @ 8:53 amAs terrible as I think the Gaetz appointment is, I do want to point out something that has been overlooked everywhere I have been reading. How did the “anonymous sources,” “sources familiar with Trump’s thinking,” “people who know people who know people,” crowd get so blindsided by this?
To me it means that any “leak” from this incoming administration is completely controlled. Don’t always trust anonymous sources.
Have a great weekend, Dana.
BuDuh (227f7c) — 11/15/2024 @ 9:36 amHere’s the scenario where Trump gets all this nominees…
Paul Montagu (271b15) — 11/15/2024 @ 9:37 amTrump submits all his nominees except for the Gabbard-Gaetz-Kennedy Triad, where they’ll fly through, including Hegseth. Then, Thune and Speaker Johnson will do a little wink-and-a-nod and declare that they’re hopelessly deadlocked, that they can’t agree on adjournment. Trump will then come in and “save the day” by invoking Article II, Section 3, and then he’ll recess-appoint the Triad.
Such an act isn’t unconstitutional but it’s anti-constitutional, because Thune & Co. abdicated the spirit of Advise & Consent, in obeisance to their Bully-in-Chief.
“ Traditional Republican orthodoxy” ended on January 20, 2016 and this was confirmed during the last Republican primary season, when “traditional” Republicans lost bigley.
Rip Murdock (a8f7fb) — 11/15/2024 @ 9:43 amI’m just saying, it would be foolish to assume this is only a joke.
It’s perfectly fine for him to suggest they amend the Constitution to allow him to run again.
Good luck with that.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 11/15/2024 @ 9:43 amDecember 2008:
BuDuh (227f7c) — 11/15/2024 @ 9:49 amTrump floated the adjournment thing in his first term, but neither McConnell or Pelosi was interested. We aren’t talking about a recess here, but about adjournment of the SESSION, which is generally scheduled for Jan 3rd of odd-numbered years.
Both House and Senate would have to agree to disagree on the date for this to work. It hasn’t happened yet and I doubt that Senators are willing to give up that much power to a man who wants to appoint whackjobs to important positions. There will be no recess appointments before the midterms.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 11/15/2024 @ 9:49 amThe sanewashing doesn’t just apply to Trump, because it’s happening with RFK Jr.
RFK Jr.’s allegations about the MMR vaccine were discredited in 2005, when The Lancet retracted its piece on the vaccine causing autism, but he kept that lie going, unretracted and unamended, just like Trump will never retract his lie about the “stolen” 2020 election. In such a position of power, RFK Jr.’s stubborn crackpottery could endanger American lives.
Paul Montagu (271b15) — 11/15/2024 @ 9:51 amOr the simpler thing is for Thune-Johnson to agree on a recess that would last longer than ten days. Trump could then recess-appoint his rogues gallery of nominees on Day 11.
Paul Montagu (271b15) — 11/15/2024 @ 10:00 amThe new SecDef loves war criminals, and he’s only Trump’s fourth or fifth most odious secretariat nominee. To everyone who assured me Trump would be restrained and competent this time, kudos. You really nailed it.
lurker (c23034) — 11/15/2024 @ 10:14 amPaul Mirengoff on Trump’s Nominees, via Volokh.
lurker (c23034) — 11/15/2024 @ 10:16 amOr the simpler thing is for Thune-Johnson to agree on a recess that would last longer than ten days.
Again, the Senate majority would have to agree to surrendering a major power. Not bloody likely.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 11/15/2024 @ 10:32 amKash Patel in charge of the FBI would be just as bad as the Gabbard-Gaetz-RFK Jr. Triad.
For all the complaining by Trump & Co. about Biden “weaponizing the DOJ”, Trump would be weaponizing the DOJ with Gaetz-Patel in charge, in spades, because Trump would have his own Roy Cohn in Gaetz and ultimate yes-man in Patel.
Paul Montagu (271b15) — 11/15/2024 @ 10:38 amlurker (c23034) — 11/15/2024 @ 10:14 am
I think I said Senate confirmation would prevent some things, and that’s what we will see happening.
Sammy Finkelman (c2c77e) — 11/15/2024 @ 10:53 amBuDuh (227f7c) — 11/15/2024 @ 9:36 am
Trump didn’t consult his transition team. Also, he probably decided this relatively quickly, after being personally lobbied for the job by Gaetz.
This is a political misjudgement by Trump, just like he misjudged how the Democrats would react to the firing of FBI Director James Comey in 2017 (if he used a criticism of Comey Democrats had made as the reason)
Sammy Finkelman (c2c77e) — 11/15/2024 @ 11:02 amThe DoJ is already weaponized. This is about purging the poison within it.
NJRob (f1071b) — 11/15/2024 @ 11:07 amI’ve updated news item 3 with the latest from Speaker Johnson regarding the ethics investigation into Matt Gaetz. It’s just what I would expect. . . that Gaetz is no longer a member of Congress, viewing details of the investigation findings are now unnecessary.
Dana (6b5470) — 11/15/2024 @ 11:09 amFrom the RFKJr. Named HHS Secretary thread:
Source.
As far as I know there is no constitutional or legal bar that would prohibit Trump from naming Gaetz, Kennedy or, Gabbard as a recess appointment, even if they were initially rejected by the Senate.
Rip Murdock (0ac1db) — 11/15/2024 @ 11:13 amOn the contrary, he is the perfect AG for Trump: he will follow Trump’s orders to pursue his enemies inside and outside of government. And if the nomination fails, Trump (and MAGAWorld) will blame the Deep State.
Rip Murdock (0ac1db) — 11/15/2024 @ 11:18 amThe GOP is full of barely qualified wack jobs loyal to Trump. It’s too bad he picked one that appears to have also paid a minor for sex and is friends with a pimp/convicted sex trafficker. But maybe that’s part of what Trump likes about him, the way he harms teen girls on a personal level.
Evangelical party of Jesus at work.
Time123 (a77f6f) — 11/15/2024 @ 11:21 amI was surprised to read here that releasing the report today was even a possibility.
But the Senate Judiciary Committee will have away of forcing the report out or causing the nomination of Gaetz to be withdrawn.
Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09) — 11/15/2024 @ 11:34 amRip Murdock (0ac1db) — 11/15/2024 @ 11:18 am
I don’t think so.
Trump will attempt to forget he ever made the nomination.
Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09) — 11/15/2024 @ 11:37 amlurker (c23034) — 11/15/2024 @ 10:14 am
Only American war criminals, and there aren’t many of them, and he doesn’t describe them that way I am sure.
And Nixon half favored Lt. William Calley, so we’ve had this before.
Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09) — 11/15/2024 @ 11:41 amMAGAWorld won’t.
Rip Murdock (0ac1db) — 11/15/2024 @ 11:41 amNo, I think being voted down kills the appointment.
And there are no more recess appointments since the Senate in 2007 devised the system of continuous session – and there were not many short recess appointments before; it was a new tactic in the Bush 43 Administration I think. John Bolton as Ambassador to the United Nations was a famous one.
https://www.npr.org/2006/12/04/6577615/bolton-resigns-as-u-n-ambassador-avoiding-battle
Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09) — 11/15/2024 @ 11:47 amMAGAWorld won’t attack half the Republican members of the Senate
Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09) — 11/15/2024 @ 11:48 amMy guess is that somehow does not not include any entity that is actually plotting to bring about worldwide totalitarianism – you know, Putin’s Russia, The Chinese Communist Party, Iran, Cuba and North Korea.
Because they probably came up with these conspiracy theories,
Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09) — 11/15/2024 @ 11:52 amHe could never say that noe.
He’d have to say ‘Land of the enslaved.’
Because to use the word “slave” implies hat slavery is legitimate.
Just look at Quincy Jones’ obituary in the New York Times:
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/11/04/arts/music/quincy-jones-dead.html
Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09) — 11/15/2024 @ 12:01 pmWhenever somebody holds to a crazy theory there may be a little something that doesn’t fit that keeps him that way. In the case of vaccines and autism there is copious anecdotal evidence.
They keep on saying that the connection between vaccines and autism was disproven. What was disproven was a theory of causation useful to lawyers (who probably promoted it because they felt there really was a connection. Only they couldn’t use it because vaccines had immunity from big judgements by by law. Only causation by contaminants was useful to them. So they invented a false theory hoping they would win.
But there is an extremely logical way that vaccines could cause or at least trigger the manifestation of autism.
Autism is an auto immune disease.
Vaccines (and also some infections and even some foods) may cause the immune system to target something it shouldn’t.
One example is the way juvenile diabetes is caused by drinking cow’s milk (in people with the right DNA) before the age of six months (when the stomach gets less absorbent)
The seeds are planted and years later something stimulates he immune system and the body begins targeting insulin producing cells.
But RFK Jr is a fool (and probably also a liar) who can’t distinguish what’s true or not or solve a puzzle. And doesn’t try to be accurate. he just tries to be activist and be praised..
Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09) — 11/15/2024 @ 12:13 pmhttps://www.cnn.com/2024/11/14/politics/cabinet-confirmation-recess-what-matters/index.html
Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09) — 11/15/2024 @ 12:18 pmElon Musk can’t be president or vice president, but he can be Chief Buddy or Head of the Kitchen Cabinet.
Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09) — 11/15/2024 @ 12:20 pmLink. Usually, when I see “Ashkenazi Jews” in a comment thread sentence, it’s from the keyboard of a Jew hater.
Paul Montagu (271b15) — 11/15/2024 @ 12:29 pmTo those who graced this site with Nazi equivalencies and End of the Republic fear-mongering, kudos. You really nailed it.
lloyd (119c28) — 11/15/2024 @ 12:40 pmThis is better news than I thought…
Not only did IDF communicate that they could Iran at will, but also that they could take out their nuclear program as well, without losing a single jet.
Paul Montagu (271b15) — 11/15/2024 @ 12:41 pmThe folks who cheered weaponizing the DOJ against political opponents and giving sweetheart deals to political allies are very deeply concerned about the Gaetz pick.
lloyd (119c28) — 11/15/2024 @ 12:52 pmIn Trump’s New World, FBI background checks are now optional, which is especially convenient for Ms. Gabbard, who would have unfettered access to every scrap of intel the US has.
Paul Montagu (271b15) — 11/15/2024 @ 12:54 pmSince this is an open thread and because good commenting involves clear and concise writing, here’s a helpful nugget…
Paul Montagu (271b15) — 11/15/2024 @ 12:57 pmRFK Jr. believes that Fauci and Gates are members of a “vaccine cartel” trying to kill patients by denying them hydroxychloroquine and ivermectin.
Most people would think twice before slandering someone with $100 billion. Sure, he’s a public figure, but he can break you just in discovery.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 11/15/2024 @ 1:00 pmAs far as I know there is no constitutional or legal bar that would prohibit Trump from naming Gaetz, Kennedy or, Gabbard as a recess appointment, even if they were initially rejected by the Senate.
As far as I know, you’re right. Unless you consider that these appointments are for when the Senate is unable to give advice and consent. If they have already given that advice, and withheld their consent, the premise is faulty.
Further, if you actually read the bit in Art II, Section 2…
… a textualist could argue that a preexisting vacancy does not qualify in any case. I guess the ship may have sailed there, but I would be remiss if I did not parse the actual text.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 11/15/2024 @ 1:10 pmThe GOP is full of barely qualified wack jobs loyal to Trump
I disagree. It contains such whackjobs, of course, but it is not the majority of the party. Note that Trump wanted Scott, not Thune, but got Thune.
Further, I would argue that the Democrat Party is no less full of whackjobs, and that determination was evident on November 5th.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 11/15/2024 @ 1:14 pmThe folks who dismissed wild-ass crackpot theories about weaponizing the DOJ against political opponents … are very deeply concerned about the Gaetz pick.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 11/15/2024 @ 1:17 pmBut there is an extremely logical way that vaccines could cause or at least trigger the manifestation of autism.
Except there is not a single study that even shows correlation, let alone causation.
You have to understand that the original Lancet article by then-Doctor Andrew Wakefield (now retracted) was a fraud from the beginning. Wakefield wanted to leverage the article into a series of lawsuits — with him as the $tar witne$$ — against the manufacturers and providers of the MMR vaccine. But the data in his paper was a complete fraud, was completely and repeatedly irreproducible, and just generally a lie.
But, like Marxism, it refuses to die despite utter and complete failure.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 11/15/2024 @ 1:24 pmA textualist would only argue what the plain text says, and not propose something that isn’t there.
Rip Murdock (0ac1db) — 11/15/2024 @ 3:12 pmOnly those that don’t vote for Trump’s nominees.
Rip Murdock (0ac1db) — 11/15/2024 @ 3:17 pmI’m shocked!
Rip Murdock (0ac1db) — 11/15/2024 @ 4:18 pmNext sexual assaulter up! pete hegseth was investigated for sexual assault in 2017. Alleged victim threatened if she talks to media. (cnn msnbc vanity fair ap cbs news nbc news wapo daily breast others)
asset (daf30f) — 11/15/2024 @ 4:19 pmQAnon wanted pedophiles brought to justice. Trump is just fulfilling their wishes.
Davethulhu (b39c18) — 11/15/2024 @ 4:28 pmThis Nike ad is something else, really something else.
Paul Montagu (271b15) — 11/15/2024 @ 5:07 pmfill up all Vacancies that may happen DURING the Recess of the Senate
Kevin M (a9545f) — 11/15/2024 @ 5:35 pmMore accurately, abdicating a Constitutional responsibility (which they can un-abdicate if they grew a pair), but Trump has all the political leverage. Patterico…
Paul Montagu (271b15) — 11/15/2024 @ 5:47 pmThe bottle deposit crook’s chief of staff t. braverman arrested and questioned about tampering and doctoring records to whitewash bibi’s negligent behavior on oct. 7 2023. ( J.Post, times of Israel, BBC, Guardian and many more)
asset (daf30f) — 11/15/2024 @ 6:46 pmThe truth trickles in. So much for this being a “one off.”
Fired FEMA worker says agency also avoided pro-Trump homes in Carolinas
Fortunately, Trump won, so it won’t be swept under the rug like some want it to.
lloyd (c216c8) — 11/15/2024 @ 6:46 pmTrump told them to chose Rick Scott as majority leader. They picked Thune, McConnell’s right hand man. I guess they forgot to roll over.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 11/15/2024 @ 6:50 pmFitting that Alvin Bragg is a Nevertrump hero.
The bombshell truth about Daniel Penny’s chokehold trial that brainwashed liberals will refuse to believe
lloyd (c216c8) — 11/15/2024 @ 7:32 pmTrump never endorsed Rick Scott, but he is clearly the biggest suck-up to Trump.
Paul Montagu (271b15) — 11/15/2024 @ 8:12 pm1. I’d be disappointed if you didn’t respond with whatabouts and false equivalences, so kudos. You really nailed it.
2. I’ve never called Trump a Nazi. He has, however, been called a fascist and/or other descriptors that render him unfit for office, by a significant number of the highest office holders in his own administration.
3. Trump did try to end the Republic.
4. Not sure what the point of your link was. That Biden respects civic norms, even when they benefit a$$holes like Trump who do everything in their power to undermine them?
lurker (c23034) — 11/16/2024 @ 4:12 amWho could have seen that coming?
lurker (c23034) — 11/16/2024 @ 4:14 am@56 “I’ve never called Trump a Nazi.”
Well, sure you did.
You even tagged Klink, because his twentieth “stupid Hitler” at that point in the thread impressed you?
Oh, but it was a joke. If folks don’t understand your Hitler humor, that’s on them.
lloyd (d006b9) — 11/16/2024 @ 7:35 am@57 For every Putin stooge happy about Tulsi, there’s a mullah and CCP apparatchik sad that Harris lost.
lloyd (d006b9) — 11/16/2024 @ 7:38 amReading all this, and pointing the finger at no one in particular, I get the sense that some #nevertrumps are having problems accepting the reality of the election — and some #forevertrumps unable to see the stupidity of some of Trump’s recent choices.
This could get tiring.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 11/16/2024 @ 8:18 amI’ve been as neverTrump as they come, but given the overwhelming Republican victory I think those voters deserve to have Trump’s tax, tariff, and immigration policies fully implemented.
Rip Murdock (0ac1db) — 11/16/2024 @ 9:18 amKevin,
I cannot get myself worked up over people hyperventilating about these nominations who were silent regarding the abuses by the Biden administration over the past 4 years.
NJRob (eb56c3) — 11/16/2024 @ 10:11 amGranted, he didn’t say so, but Trump has been largely absent the last few days, and may be in poor health.
His astroturf campaign absolutely is in full throated demand that Rick Scott be majority leader, Matt Gaetz be the most powerful law enforcement officer in the world, and Lara Trump be one of the most important representatives of Florida.
Trump’s mandate is failing in the first few days. Picking a fight with his own Senate over appointing Gaetz is the most obvious fail, but the fails are more widespread. The stock market cooling quickly, partly because of inflation, but also because Trump doesn’t seem to be in control as much as it appeared on election day.
For all the excitement about his comeback, Trump’s mandate is less than Bush’s in 2004. Bush got most of the vote. Trump did not. Bush was re-elected. Trump was not. Bush was capable of getting legislation passed. I hope Trump is too because I want the border secured, and I want deportations, and I want an end to birthright citizenship via a constitutional amendment. I want Voter ID laws, I want some kind of control on mailed or absentee ballots, and I want reform to election counting (granting this is a state issue). Trump would need tremendous mandate and clout with both parties to get this done. He doesn’t even have the GOP right now. While everyone in office is afraid of the astroturf attacks, and they should be – they ruined the potential of the country’s best governor, that isn’t actually getting that many people elected.
I was wrong on the election outcome, and frankly I misread the Rubio appointment for Secretary of State as a sign Trump was a more serious leader this time around. I hope I’m wrong here, and Trump can get some real reforms. The people want many of these reforms. But the emperor has no clothes on, and people openly say so. Beating Kamala, whose campaign was feverishly and desperately expensive for someone who didn’t even tell us what she would do differently, is a big win, an amazing comeback, but Trump has to do the work. If his argument is ‘bend the knee because I said so, or else trolls will call you a RINO’ what do y’all think will happen? Not much.
Dustin (4b502c) — 11/16/2024 @ 10:16 amThis is a natural reaction. HHS’s director was terrible. That weirdo running nuclear waste was selected to be disturbing. Biden’s campaign was mysterious and we can all tell Biden is simply not the real president.
But Tulsi endorsed Bernie for president. She is a big government liberal. RFK is also a liberal, albeit he’s too erratic to pin down, he is going to control the largest abortionist in the world – an entity that spends over a billion dollars on abortions every year with a budget well over one trillion a year, and RFK is as far from pro-life as they come. I don’t like food coloring or kids eating too much candy either, but RFK is going to have profound power going way outside mandating vaccines. And Gaetz is not defensible. I want the DOJ to be above the fray and above reproach, and simply wear the white hat and seek out public safety and end corruption no one else can stop. Gaetz?
The only way to make these guys palatable is to think of the worst, most ineffective appointments you can, and compare these to them. That is not good!
Dustin (4b502c) — 11/16/2024 @ 10:21 amProudly breaking the law and cheating in the election process
https://video.twimg.com/amplify_video/1857128781900636160/vid/avc1/474×270/Jn_euxWfp3CYiGqp.mp4?tag=16
steveg (50fccd) — 11/16/2024 @ 10:47 am
Rip Murdock (0ac1db) — 11/16/2024 @ 11:06 amGiven that a proposed amendment requires approval of 2/3 of both the House and Senate, that is something unlikely to happen.
RFKJr. also supports government regulation of drug pricing, which will kill innovation.
Rip Murdock (0ac1db) — 11/16/2024 @ 11:10 amWell said. I think some reasons why Rick Scott never got off the ground is because (1) he still hasn’t finished his first term, and I doubt his colleagues want someone who’s unproven and would have to learn on the job, and (2) it wasn’t an organized effort, but more a seat-of-the-pants last moment thing. Typical Trumpist one-dimensional
Paul Montagu (271b15) — 11/16/2024 @ 11:13 amchesscheckers.@Rip@61 jeez, you might as well have wished that they live in interesting times. Mean.
😛
Nic (120c94) — 11/16/2024 @ 11:25 amI’m sincere. The election choices were clear, and the voters made their choice. If the voters didn’t want to see Trump’s policies implemented, why did they vote for not only him, but for a Republican Congress?
Rip Murdock (0ac1db) — 11/16/2024 @ 11:35 amGiven that a proposed amendment requires approval of 2/3 of both the House and Senate, that is something unlikely to happen.
And the gets 3/4ths of the state legislatures to agree.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 11/16/2024 @ 11:54 amI decided to look at these appointments in another way: suppose I wanted to close large parts of the government. Wouldn’t picking people hostile to the mission of those sections be a way to do that? Either break them directly or make people realize just how dangerous they can be in the wrong hands.
Further choices:
FBI Director: Radley Balko
Kevin M (a9545f) — 11/16/2024 @ 12:10 pmUSPTO: Pamela Samuelson
Secretary of Labor: Jeff Bezos
Secretary of Commerce: Shawn Fain
CFPB Director: Scott Tucker
If there’s a Constitutional amendment to be passed, it’s to make it a little easier to pass Constitutional amendments.
Paul Montagu (271b15) — 11/16/2024 @ 12:12 pmI think it would be easier to meet the 3/4 state threshold once an amendment passes Congress than the congressional threshold. In 23 states Republicans control the governorships and legislatures; 12 are divided; and Democrats control 15.
Rip Murdock (0ac1db) — 11/16/2024 @ 12:20 pmShe’s focused on copyright law, not patents. Maybe the Librarian of Congress, where she would oversee the Copyright Office?
Rip Murdock (0ac1db) — 11/16/2024 @ 12:27 pmJonah’s perspective, from 7,500 miles away in the Indian subcontinent, and I agree about all four of Trump’s most controversial nominees.
Bold font mine. I depart a little from Jonah because I think RFK Jr. and Gaetz are tied for worst, because if RFK Jr. had his way on vaccines alone, countless Americans could die for lack of getting safe, proven vaccines.
Paul Montagu (271b15) — 11/16/2024 @ 12:31 pmGaetz couldn’t hold a candle to Roy Cohn. Cohn would eat him for lunch.
Rip Murdock (0ac1db) — 11/16/2024 @ 12:35 pmKevin, you’re correct. I shouldn’t have said “full of” I should have said something like “plenty of”.
Also, You’ve been on fire in this open thread and I’m enjoying a lot of your comments. Well done sir
Time123 (81aef9) — 11/16/2024 @ 12:40 pmDustin, well said as usual.
Time123 (81aef9) — 11/16/2024 @ 12:42 pmGaetz is a defensive pick. There are easily hundreds of much better candidates. But, I wasn’t elected and I didn’t go through two years of the Weissmann nonsense where the legitimacy of his election was questioned. If he feels Gaetz is the best guarantee against a repeat of that crap, that’s the bed Jonah and the Democrats made for themselves. Suddenly, it’s Trump’s job to lend integrity to a department that tried so hard to dump what integrity it had in the loo.
But yeah, if you think the DOJ is about investigating parents at school board meetings, sweetheart deals, blocking their own investigations by tipping off the Secret Service, panty raids at an ex-president’s residence, assisting local DAs with politically motivated prosecutions, blocking Congressional subpoenas, enforcing subpoenas they like with jail time, Stzrok and Page and McCabe, Steele Dossier — yeah, you’re going to be very disappointed.
lloyd (5fdef8) — 11/16/2024 @ 12:45 pmIt doesn’t attack Trump or weaken the right so the usual suspects have zero interest in discussing it
NJRob (5f0c0a) — 11/16/2024 @ 1:33 pmSome years ago,seeing all the ethical problems in Pelosi’s choices to head House committees, I jokingly suggested that she make ethical problems a requirement for committee chairs.
In somewhat the same spirit I am almost ready to suggest that the Loser make ethical problems (of a certain type) a requirement for his remaining Cabinet picks.
Jim Miller (fc2a31) — 11/16/2024 @ 2:05 pmDoes the Loser know what happened after the 1930 House elections?
“While the Democrats gained 52 seats in the 1930 midterm elections, Republicans retained a narrow one-seat majority of 218 seats after the polls closed versus the Democrats’ 216 seats; however, during the 13 months between these elections and the end of the 72nd Congress,[4] 14 members-elect died (including incumbent Speaker Nicholas Longworth), and the Democrats gained an additional three seats in the special elections called to fill these vacancies, thus gaining control of the House (they held a 219–212 advantage over the Republicans when the new Congress convened)”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1930_United_States_House_of_Representatives_elections
Probably not.
(Note that the Republicans won a large majority of the popular vote in 1930, even while losing control of the House. Few blacks voted in the South, and poor whites were less likely to vote in the Sout than the rest of the nation.)
Jim Miller (fc2a31) — 11/16/2024 @ 2:20 pmR.I.P. Thomas E Kurtz, computer scientist, 96
Inventor of the BASIC language and co-developer of computer time-sharing, at Dartmouth.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 11/16/2024 @ 2:43 pmR.I.P. Ted Olson, former Solicitor General, 84
Bush v Gore and Hollingsworth v Perry
Kevin M (a9545f) — 11/16/2024 @ 2:52 pmShe’s focused on copyright law, not patents. Maybe the Librarian of Congress, where she would oversee the Copyright Office?
https://www.uspto.gov/ip-policy/copyright-policy
But sure, the Copyright Office after we merge it all.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 11/16/2024 @ 3:03 pmTrump lead in popular vote shrinking as california vote comes in. 3 more congressional races called for democrats today so far. For somme reasonit is getting harder to find latest popular vote totals. Over at msDNC they are trying hard to not have fun over trump’s picks. As for never trumpers whining what else have they got left? Looking more likely billion dollars spent by dnc was a money laundering scheme to scam donors. Watch lindy li on youtube.
asset (eda18b) — 11/16/2024 @ 3:41 pmAs far as I can tell Samuelson has written anything about patent law, so despite the tenuous connection between the Patent Office and copyright, she would better suited at the L of C.
Rip Murdock (0ac1db) — 11/16/2024 @ 3:53 pmPost 88 correction:
As far as I can tell Samuelson hasn’t written anything about patent law…….
Rip Murdock (0ac1db) — 11/16/2024 @ 3:56 pmshe would better suited at the L of C.
Close enough for Trump.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 11/16/2024 @ 5:17 pmTrump lead in popular vote shrinking as california vote comes in.
Harris might gain 200,000 votes on Trump when CA is done counting. Not enough to have a plurality, but maybe enough to deny Trump an actual majority.
3 more congressional races called for democrats today so far.
Those 3 seats were always going Dem. Three seats left, currently 219-213.
The AK seat is probably GOP. 3% up with most of the votes counted, but there is a ranked-choice round yet to come. The 3rd place candidate is on the Right, so those votes are not ALL going to the Democrat.
CA 13 seems to be going GOP 50.5 – 49.5
CA 45 is tied. Dem has 36 vote advantage out of 300,000 votes cast. Lots of votes left to count. This will take a while.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 11/16/2024 @ 5:34 pmAsset —
Votes are still in flux, but after it settles down, the place to go for presidential election results is Dave Leip’s Election Atlas
Kevin M (a9545f) — 11/16/2024 @ 5:45 pm@92 thanks
asset (158544) — 11/16/2024 @ 7:35 pmI was unaware she was a Trump supporter.
Rip Murdock (0ac1db) — 11/17/2024 @ 10:15 amToo late and too slow Joe and his dumb discredited Escalation Management, finally lifting a restriction that should never have happened.
Paul Montagu (271b15) — 11/17/2024 @ 10:33 amhis dumb discredited Escalation Management
A day late and a dollar short.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 11/17/2024 @ 10:36 amI hope they put one inside the Kremlin Wall.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 11/17/2024 @ 10:37 amOh, wait. Only 190 miles. Just one click on the Biden ratchet.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 11/17/2024 @ 10:38 amlloyd (c216c8) — 11/15/2024 @ 7:32 pm
Neely didn’t have the strength or the skills necessary to harm people after Daniel Penny had grabbed him and was squeezing his neck. And Daniel Penny was warned he could kill him, if he didn’t let go.
What Neely was saying before was crazy – which also means likely ineffective. He was in a world of his own, possibly caused by taking some kind of drugs over an extended period of time.
Sammy Finkelman (c2c77e) — 11/17/2024 @ 10:46 amPaul Montagu (271b15) — 11/17/2024 @ 10:33 am
They are the most highly trained North Korean troops — and they are being used as cannon fodder, Dispersed among RUssian troops from Siberia and places like that, so they can be disguised as Russians, Putin seems afraid of being accused of using mercenaries, or maybe his army just doesn’t trust North Korean led units.
Meanwhile North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un has gotten interested in drones, and is deliberately irritating some South Korean villages neaar the DMZ with oudspeakers,
Sammy Finkelman (c2c77e) — 11/17/2024 @ 10:52 amSenate confirmations used to take a lot less long than they do now. Nominees were voted up or down almost instantly. As late as 1950, New York City mayor William O’Dwyer was confirmed as Ambassador to Mexico three days after President Harry S Truman had nominated him.
FBI background checks (before nomination) came later and then Senate investigations of financial records for conflict of interest (started I think by Senator William Proxmire)
Sammy Finkelman (c2c77e) — 11/17/2024 @ 10:59 am72. How about George Santos as Director of the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) called formally the “Archivist of the United States?
Sammy Finkelman (c2c77e) — 11/17/2024 @ 11:07 amLOL! His off-site workplace will be his prison cell.
Rip Murdock (0ac1db) — 11/17/2024 @ 11:11 amMe: But there is an extremely logical way that vaccines could cause or at least trigger the manifestation of autism.
Kevin M @42:
How could there be a study? ”
The vast majority of children get many vaccines.
The control group could be the past or other countries.
I heard Deborah Birx say on Face the Nation today that when her children were growing up, thee incidence of autism was 1 n a 1m,000aand now it is 3% (1 in 30)
Now the reason could be that autism was underdiagnosed in the past or is overdiagnosed now (for instance the idea that it is really mental retardation) or there is some other factor (which could be asingle vaccine, or an infectious disease that has no vaccine ora poison. Nobody is looking at it.
It would be imporrtat to examine the timing so we could see where if anywhere there is a correlation, The big rises in autism and in vaccinations probably oid not rise in lockstep – not even a particular vaccination – and then it is confounded by a possible delay in the appearance of autism fro the key exposure – which could be correlated with an “innocent” vaccine
Oh I understand that all right. I was saying that lawyers could have noticed aa correlation but the truth was not useful to them owing to a 1986 law, so they NEEDED to find a false cause related to vaccine contamination, not ANY vaccine, as approved, itself. But they hoped to win their lawsuits because they believed there was areal connection.
Sammy Finkelman (c2c77e) — 11/17/2024 @ 11:27 amI heard Deborah Birx say on Face the Nation today that when her children were growing up, thee incidence of autism was 1 in a 1,000 and now it is 3% (1 in 30)
And nobody knows the cause,
Sammy Finkelman (c2c77e) — 11/17/2024 @ 11:30 amSomething is triggering moderation on autism posts.
Sammy Finkelman (c2c77e) — 11/17/2024 @ 11:35 amIt’s too bad that Bernie Madhoff is dead; he’d make a perfect Treasury Secretary or SEC Chair.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 11/17/2024 @ 12:44 pmBut Michael Milken is available.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 11/17/2024 @ 12:45 pmthe incidence of autism was 1 in a 1,000 and now it is 3% (1 in 30)
increased awareness, misdiagnosis, overdiagnosism etc. In 1950 it was called “shyness”
Kevin M (a9545f) — 11/17/2024 @ 12:47 pm@Sammy@104 What Kevin said. Also, they used to think it didn’t effect girls, so no one was even looking in girls.
In addition, one of the bigger correlations for autism is age of the father and people are having kids later in life now.
Nic (120c94) — 11/17/2024 @ 1:27 pmThe S is capitalized. Army Tactical Missile System. A-TAC-MS. A long time ago, I helped test this platform and fired a few of them myself. My first job in the Army was maintaining them, hidden deep in a mountain (it was close to North Korea, though they have long since revealed and abandoned this facility for some reason). The US Army has (or had) a ton of expired ones that still worked, so surplussing them to Ukraine opened us up to replenish with fresh ones. I wonder if the very missiles I worked on, intended for use on North Korea soldiers approaching Seoul, are now on the other side of the planet, and will be used against North Korean soldiers after all.
The motors on these things are extremely powerful. They aren’t hypersonic if launched from a HIMARS (they still reach 2,500 mph if fired from the ground), but if you launch them high in the air, at a high speed, they are a hypersonic missile. When russia launched their hypersonic missile, and the Air Force needed to show they had that capability quickly, all they did was replace some parts on an ATACMS (particularly the nose) and launch it from a plane. We just handed those over to a country that we’re not really allied with, and does not share basic western civ ideals.
We are proliferating incredibly powerful secrets with the Ukraine war. Some of these folks aren’t our friends. They are the enemy of our enemy, but at one point in time, Osama Bin Laden was the enemy of our enemy. We need to stop using war the way we have for the past 40 years. I’ve lost too many friends, and the things they fought for were abandoned by partisan presidents who refuse to carry the baton for the Bush administration. I am sure, one day, our own soldiers will defend themselves from an ATACMS or something derived from them. That’s hard to do, btw. I suppose the sale of new missile defense that can pull it off will be good for someone’s stock portfolio.
And yes, I realize Russia is worse than Ukraine. Obviously. But let’s think a few moves ahead. Don’t we wish we had done that before putting nuclear weapons in Turkey?
Biden was/is profoundly clumsy on foreign policy. This makes sense, as his administration is run by unserious activists. Trump inherits an even less stable world than he left.
Dustin (4b502c) — 11/17/2024 @ 2:29 pmI don’t accept that. They’d rather be a regular European nation, in the EU and NATO, than anything, and they showed that in 2014 when they rejected Yanukovych and his puppet master, Putin.
Paul Montagu (271b15) — 11/17/2024 @ 3:06 pmI think there’s a reasonable debate to be had over how westernized Ukraine is, and how friendly they are to the USA.
I guess we’ll see next year.
My sense is that the USA got a great value by using Ukraine for a proxy that tore up Russia’s military (And proved the relative merits of our weapons systems). Not that Ukraine values freedom of speech or democracy the way I think our allies (like Israel) do. They are Russia’s enemy (and Russia is the aggressor, and is worse, obviously).
However, I also think Biden should respect the will of the people over the next couple of months on foreign policy at this level.
We didn’t hand ATACMS to Iraq. I hope we didn’t leave any in Afghanistan as they are easy to destroy.
Dustin (4b502c) — 11/17/2024 @ 3:12 pmLOL i guess I should say the Biden administration. Joe Biden has no idea that this decision was made. The people making this decision are utterly unaccountable for it, or the contempt it shows to democracy.
Dustin (4b502c) — 11/17/2024 @ 3:13 pmTrump lying were not about his core message. Illegal aliens invading the country, crime and its the economy not benefiting the working class like industry sending jobs out of the country with free trade. Illegal aliens lowering wages. Democrat party had the 3 biggest lies and were their message. 1 Biden is great can out think and out work his younger staff! 2. The border is closed! Crime and homelessness ignored. 3. The economy is doing great and inflation is not a problem. Wall street and are donor class is doing great! Working class can’t afford rent and food. Damn you Bernie always talking about working class pissing off our donors! Thats why voters held their nose and voted trump. Democrat party had lies instead of answers!
asset (285222) — 11/17/2024 @ 3:24 pm@113 You mean like interning japanese americans and attacking anti- vietnam war protesters and muslims after 9-11? Among numerous others like civil rights leaders: Fred Hampton and Mark Clark to just name two.
asset (285222) — 11/17/2024 @ 3:30 pmNot that Ukraine values freedom of speech or democracy the way I think our allies (like Israel) do.
In the middle of an existential war? Don’t be stupid. You have no idea how much the US government leaned on the “free press” in 1942.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 11/17/2024 @ 3:42 pmI also think Biden should respect the will of the people
We have one president at a time, and right now that’s Joe Biden. He only needs to respect the will of the voters in 2020.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 11/17/2024 @ 3:43 pmFirst, that’s a profoundly poor argument for someone throwing ‘stupid’ around. USA 1942 is not my civil rights baseline, nor did you actually show that Ukraine is superior to that. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_of_the_press_in_Ukraine Ukraine does not have a good record on freedom or democracy (or corruption). It has an atrocious record. The idea that this started in the last couple of years is simply untrue.
Second, I did not say that to start with (like 90% of lame responses, they go something like ‘so what you’re really saying is x? omg’ Press critical of the government
His representatives running the administration are amping up a war they have no plan for. That’s irresponsible. The American people just rejected their foreign policy. So they have contempt for the American people.
It’s not unusual for the losers to say the voters just plain were wrong so we don’t really care. But why amp up a war you know will not be backed up in a few weeks? What is the point? There is a point, btw. Just not an honorable one.
The biden admin presided over some tremendous military failures and should sit down at this point.
Dustin (4b502c) — 11/17/2024 @ 4:08 pmDustin, Reporters Without Borders ranks Ukraine 61st in press freedom, which isn’t great, but they also faced a unique challenge because multiple press outlets were openly pro-Russian during a time when Putin has been literally at war against Ukraine since 2014.
The most egregious example is Medvedchuk, whose daughter has Putin for a godfather, and he had an influential media empire to transmit Russian propaganda.
Regarding corruption, they’re struggling but improving, again not helped by Putin and his puppet, Yanukovych. Nevertheless, they’re less corrupt than Russia and 60 other nations, so it’s not fair that they get singled out for this. Zelenskyy was literally elected on an anti-corruption platform, after he played an anti-corruption president for three seasons on his TV show, which I recommend everyone watch.
Paul Montagu (271b15) — 11/17/2024 @ 4:55 pmAs for “amping up a war”, the person who did the amping was Putin, who no legitimate casus belli to invade, when he invaded. Ukraine has every right to defend itself, and self-defense isn’t an escalation.
Paul Montagu (271b15) — 11/17/2024 @ 4:57 pmDustin, ant country with half their nation occupied by a foreign invader would have a martial-law government. As for press that was on the other side, what would you expect to have happen?
I’m sorry that you don’t think the USA is a bastion of press freedom, even 80 years ago. It was. Just not in the middle of a major war. Had WW2 been fought on US territory, the newspapers would all have been under state control.
Comparing “civil liberties” in a 1st world peacetime country to a emerging nation in the middle of a horrific war is asinine. Sorry if you can’t accept that.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 11/17/2024 @ 5:21 pmI still say that NATO should have got involved. A lot more reason in Ukraine than in Kosovo.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 11/17/2024 @ 5:22 pmRegarding corruption, they’re struggling but improving, again not helped by Putin and his puppet
They’re doing better than Lincoln did.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 11/17/2024 @ 5:25 pm@119 none of this addresses my point on this country’s record. Ever here about operation wetback, wounded knee. cherokee resettlement, jim crow or slavery?
asset (f423be) — 11/17/2024 @ 6:33 pmAnother rapist for the cabinet! Pete hegseth’s lawyer admits he paid off woman he raped in 2017. No wonder he doesn’t want women in combat he thinks rape is consensual sex! I don’t think Tulsi Gabbard has raped anybody ;but the rest?
asset (f423be) — 11/17/2024 @ 6:39 pmThe USA has succeeded in overcoming problems. Whether you forgive for what others have done before us, it would make no sense at all to use the worst sins as the baseline to compare everyone to in 2024.
If we’re giving some of the most powerful weapons ever made to a country because ‘Abraham Lincoln did something bad’ and ‘screw that the voters said no, Biden is still president for two months and can ramp up the war if he wants’ then I disagree.
Yes, sigh, obviously Russia is bad. That is far from a justification to give some of the most powerful weapons in the world to a military that has many members who have trained to kill Americans long before the current war happened. They are not our friends. Stopping Russia is great for world stability and Putin is about as bad as they come, but what is the purpose in going 180 degrees from what the voters want, as the lamest of ducks, with no accountability? What is the specific reason to amp this up?
It’s to make peace more difficult to achieve. It is to set the USA up for failure in the next administration.
Perhaps? NATO is currently housing Hamas, if you count Turkey as NATO. Therefore NATO is colluding with a country holding Americans hostage. I think NATO has to be preserved somehow, despite stupid decisions over the years to dillute it far away from traditional western values. Turkey is a good example of why we have to ask Ukraine to get its behavior together if it wants to be in NATO. A lot of people don’t seem to care about that. Foolish.
Dustin (4b502c) — 11/17/2024 @ 6:47 pmA couple of other things about Ukraine.
One, before Putin escalated in Feb-2022, Russia occupied around 7% of the country but, for the last two years, has conquered occupied only 17% to 18% (but closer to 18% today, not half). That is not a success on Putin’s part, considering the damage he’s caused to his economy and the over 600,000 dead or disabled Russian men. Of course, Ukraine has taken serious losses, too, but Putin has taken more, and he needs to import Iranian drones and North Korean cannon fodder to keep it going.
Two, Ukraine is under martial law, voted so by their parliament and, per their constitution, cannot hold elections while under martial law. The person to blame for this predicament is none other than Putin.
Paul Montagu (271b15) — 11/17/2024 @ 6:57 pmThe point, Dustin, is that your opinions about Ukraine are misplaced, IMO.
They’re not Russia, they’re not hostile to American interests. They’ve had the unfortunate history of being under Soviet communist control, of being mass-murdered in the millions by Stalin, of finally getting out from under the Russian yolk when they voted for their independence. And here they are, resisting Putin’s meddling for the last 20 years and trying to join the West as a free sovereign state. They’re not the enemy. More the opposite.
Also, there is no “amp up”. Putin is the aggressor. Always was. Ukraine now only has more freedom to defend itself more assertively than before. They already had clearance to send missiles into Russia, they’ve only been given more military targets to strike than they had before.
Paul Montagu (271b15) — 11/17/2024 @ 7:08 pmThis is irrational. Yes, sigh, I get it, Russia is the bad guy. That doesn’t mean it’s logically impossible for the USA to escalate.
Beyond being the enemy of an enemy, these soldiers have literally trained to kill you, Paul.
This is a repeat of Kevin’s non-sequitur. You’re conflating what happened in years before, with what happened after the invasion, to blame it all on Russia. That’s propaganda. And we all agree Russia is bad. Blaming them for bad weather is not productive.
What happens if you own a TV station and criticize the government in this free state?
I would like Russia’s invasion to fail. It’s certainly been very bad for Russia. Russia successfully gaining an inch of ground in the way it has here would be terrible in a number of ways. Nevertheless, this is none of Biden’s business. He needs to stop failing on the world stage. Ukraine is a total disaster with a horrific human cost, as well as proliferating weapons of profound lethality that will one day kill Americans (mark my words). Elections have consequences. Biden’s role is to transition power as he’s been told by his boss (the voter) to. It’s not to ramp up the war.
Whether or not you really wish Kamala/Biden had won, they didn’t. Jumping hard one way, knowing we will not follow through, is cruel. And stupid. If we’re going to engage and escalate, we need to win. If we are not going to win, we do not need to engage in the first place.
Note that you and Kevin provided no reason, no argument, nothing at all. I did the opposite.
Dustin (4b502c) — 11/17/2024 @ 8:13 pm@130 I will let the boss give you a reason from born in the USA. “He’s all gone their still their!” Vietnam/afganistan their still their. Ukranians have know place to go. On the week of russia’s invasion I said and posted what the boss sang: “their still their!” If ukraine does not lose it wins and if russia doesn’t win it loses. North koreans look up “hessians.” 1776 trenton/princeton/yorktown. I can give plenty more as a military historian. Look up hannah arendt.
asset (f423be) — 11/17/2024 @ 10:01 pmEscalate how? We’re not the invading aggressor. Nor is Ukraine. Zelenskyy & Co. are literally fighting for their right to exist.
No, they’re trained to kill the Russian enemy, trained by the US and other NATO members. Last I checked, we’re not Russian.
You’re telling me that I’ve “provided no reason, no argument, nothing at all”, yet you’ve provided no reason, no reason, nothing at all to support your claim that Ukraine is our adversary.
That’s because the blame is all on Russia, Dustin. This isn’t the same situation as the US media situation during WW2 or the Cold War. It’s not like Rupert Murdoch’s son is Putin’s godfather, and who faithfully ordered his talking head stable at FoxNews to faithfully parrot whatever putrescence Putin wanted “reported”, under a scenario where Putin’s Russia is next door to the US and has been in a hot war against the US for 8 years running.
That claim has utterly no basis in fact, whatsoever.
Paul Montagu (271b15) — 11/17/2024 @ 10:09 pmDustin, Ukraine has been independent for 33 years. There’s almost no one left of military age who even personally really remembers the cold war, much less trained to fight it.
Nic (120c94) — 11/17/2024 @ 10:56 pmHegseth’s lawyer says her bruises don’t count when he sexually assaulted her because it was consensual! Other women at republican event said hegseth tried to grope them and called on rape victim for help. )wapo.cbs, nbc and others.
asset (f423be) — 11/17/2024 @ 11:28 pmThe will of the voters in 2020.
https://x.com/JoeBiden/status/1217270827873460226
SaveFarris (8940bf) — 11/18/2024 @ 6:11 amhttps://thepostmillennial.com/legendary-us-gymnastics-coach-bela-karolyi-dead-at-82
Started American dominance in gymnastics.
NJRob (eb56c3) — 11/18/2024 @ 7:33 amLeftists keep trying to steal a Senate seat in Pennsylvania. Crickets.
https://x.com/jimgeraghty/status/1858526844460429789
NJRob (eb56c3) — 11/18/2024 @ 9:19 amOn November 15th, The Washington Post published this editorial:
McCormick has changed his position:
You should not expect your opponents not to copy your bad behavior. One of the consequences of the Loser’s lies about elections will be to encourage leftist Democrats to copy him. Making all of us worse off.
Jim Miller (fd3b49) — 11/18/2024 @ 9:43 amThe Senate won’t seat Casey if he wins under the different-rules-in-different-counties standard, but it can’t seat McCormack if he doesn’t have a certification.
Or maybe election lawyer Marc Elias may cause a winner not to be declared by the state of Pennsylvania.
The practical goal of election lawyer Marc Elias may be to cause a rerun of the election.
Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09) — 11/18/2024 @ 10:02 amThey used to say something like that Tip O’Neill and Ronald Reagan or maybe Democrats and Republicans in the House (really this was said earlier of other people) could make the most vitriolic arguments against each other and then later have a friendly chat.
https://www.newsnationnow.com/politics/ronald-reagan-tip-oneill-forged-friendship-amid-rivalry/
This is the way like Biden spoke about Trump after the election.
This is illustrated by the following political cartoon (which appears in today’s New York Post – I found this online elsewhere)
https://www.washingtontimes.com/cartoons/leave-it-to-kamala/look-forward-peaceful-transfer-power
It depicts Harris and Biden and other Democrats making all kinds of statements about Trump (which are close to what was really said) and then suddenly has Harris saying (actually this was more Biden)
Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09) — 11/18/2024 @ 10:14 amNo, it is to make it easier – to ensure that Ukraine will have some territory to exchange.
I don’t know what Trump’s plans are. But I think he sees this – or Putin/Russia at least – like a Mafia war. Mafia and gang wars come to an end, if the gangsters have any sense. He intends to knock some sense into Putin.
I think Biden and Trump are actually in agreement (or trump agreed not to disagree) on this “escalation” and that’s why Biden did this.
Trump is concerned that the United States be “respected” which means that its power is respected and that it be somewhat feared.
He can say that he doesn’t want war – but the reason he will give to Putin that he doesn’t want war is that it will interfere with his agenda.
To get to the point: Russia has to have a stopping point. And it must reach agreement with Ukraine. Russia doesn’t have a stopping point now. It hasn’t offered any deal to Ukraine, even one it will not keep; i.e. it isn’t even pretending to want a deal – Russian propaganda throws out ideas but nothing has been put on the table)
He will tell Russia maybe: “End this war, or I will end it for you!” At least that is the only policy that makes any sense.
Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09) — 11/18/2024 @ 10:34 amTrump has said that it is easier to end the war in the Middle East but more complicated.
There. he sees his best hope as having Iran make a decision to end all these wars before he is inaugurated, the way Iran released the hostages before Reagan became president. If that doesn’t happen Trump (and Rubio) will consider his policy a failure.
We are seeing Hamas and Hezbollah talk of being ready to agree to a ceasefire and Iran seems to not be doing a retaliation for the most recent Israeli bombing if Iran. All that needs to happen id that the Ayatollah must copy his predecessor Khomeini in ending the Iran-Iran war in 1988.
Till now Iran’s policy has been that Israel (and the world) should not have a single day of peace for the next 15 years. (Iran has got a digital clock counting down the number of days till Israel’s destruction. It reaches 0 in 2040, which must be Khamenei’s maximum expectation of how long he will live)
Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09) — 11/18/2024 @ 10:48 amBut Biden thought he could end a war without the informed consent of the American people and did so in Afghanistan in August, 2021.
Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09) — 11/18/2024 @ 10:50 amI think it is possible that the Russian military doesn’t think much of the North Korean military – even their best trained forces – and that’s why they are mixing them into Russian units. I don’t know if that’s what Kim Jong Un expected.
He did expect many of them to die or be disabled because before he sent them there he separated the families of those troops from the families of other North Korean troops so they should not spread word of the casualties.
Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09) — 11/18/2024 @ 10:55 amSaturday Night Live cold open (said by some to be the only good part of the show) and Weekend update and two other (Democratic leading) post election comedy bits: (mostly about Cabinet picks)
I just discovered by accident, by the way, that hitting the space bar pauses the You Tube video. I don’t know if it is only You Tube videos.
Cold Open Nov 16:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V-bBL0303Kw
Weekend Update:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AwJOeAXASj0 (Nov 9)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2Oe1j1DPiI (Nov 16)
Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09) — 11/18/2024 @ 12:37 pmToo many links in first attempt. Here is the rest”
I never heard of this one, but it seems high quality although biased: (seems to be mostly black players, I don’t know on what network this is)
It’s called: Have I Got News for You US
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V-Vw3AyGCpY
And the Daily Show with Jon Stewart:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RaWfrvQ8Zq0
Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09) — 11/18/2024 @ 12:38 pmNaturally, Jim fails to note that two years ago McCormick’s opponent and the RNC both opposed the counting of undated and misdated mail in ballots. And BTW, that opponent was endorsed by the Winner.
lloyd (1754f3) — 11/18/2024 @ 12:47 pmTo Pay Back $20 Million Campaign Debt, Kamala Harris Agrees To Fight Jake Paul.
lloyd (1754f3) — 11/18/2024 @ 12:49 pmNic (120c94) — 11/17/2024 @ 1:27 pm
I think “autism” is an amalgamation of up to a dozen different conditions.
https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/autism-rates-rising-more-prevalent-versus-more-screening-rcna67408
Tripled? Deborah Birx said it went up 30 times.
Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09) — 11/18/2024 @ 1:09 pmAn increase in autism cases can also be a result of more children (and adults) being properly diagnosed.
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 11/18/2024 @ 1:37 pmTurkey is a good example of why we have to ask Ukraine to get its behavior together if it wants to be in NATO. A lot of people don’t seem to care about that. Foolish.
Turkey is a member of NATO because they control Russia’s access to the oceans. See also Crimea and the various wars in that region involving Russia trying to get over on Turkey (or the Ottomans before them). Ask yourself why Britain fought to stop them in the 1850s.
Some day Erdogan will be gone and Turkey will still be there and Russia will still not have passage for their warships through the Dardanelles. Even Greece understands why Turkey is in NATO.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 11/18/2024 @ 1:47 pmThis is a repeat of Kevin’s non-sequitur. You’re conflating what happened in years before, with what happened after the invasion, to blame it all on Russia. That’s propaganda. And we all agree Russia is bad. Blaming them for bad weather is not productive.
And you are blissfully ignoring all of history to make a case that ONLY works with the blinders you choose to wear.
This is similar to your insistence on judging the civil rights in a state that is trying to maintain its independence from a country that Holocausted them in living memory, to somewhere like Sweden.
Again you have to ignore all the facts that bother your case in order to make it. Facts you call “non sequitur”, but are deeply held in the memory of the Ukrainian people.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 11/18/2024 @ 1:52 pmOf course, as far as we know none of the generals involved in the withdrawal from Afghanistan committed “treason,” at least as defined by the Constitution. Even Admiral Husband Kimmel and Army General Walter Short weren’t court martialed after the much more significant command failures that led to the attack on Pearl Harbor. It will be interesting to see what charges could be made for following lawful orders from President Biden. It’s a surprise that the House impeachment investigation didn’t include this in their inquiry.
This fits in nicely with the proposed “warriors board” to review flag officers on their
The problem is that Trump will have no power to ask anyone to resign before 12 noon on January 20, 2025.
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 11/18/2024 @ 2:05 pmThe Trump transition team is compiling a list of senior current and former U.S. military officers who were directly involved in the withdrawal from Afghanistan and exploring whether they could be court-martialed for their involvement, according to a U.S. official and a person familiar with the plan.
They can claim they were following lawful orders. There may be individual officers who could be tried for malfeasance, such as carelessness in target selection, but flag officers who issued general withdrawal orders would seem immune to an specific charge.
Rip may be right about Biden’s culpability and impeachment, even now, would be appropriate. But there’s not much penalty that could be applied as he is unlikely to seek office again.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 11/18/2024 @ 2:24 pmAnd, really, nothing in Afghanistan was as bad as Vietnam. Westmoreland might have been tied, but wasn’t, and McNamara’s crimes (e.g. orchestrating a war he knew we would lose) deserved execution, but nothing happened.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 11/18/2024 @ 2:27 pmBesides, Biden’s orders to the military are within his enumerated Article II responsibilities and those carrying out his orders have a penumbra of immunity.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 11/18/2024 @ 2:29 pmTrump can, however, relieve any serving officer without charges or trial. (“You’re FIRED!!!!”)
Kevin M (a9545f) — 11/18/2024 @ 2:30 pmOnly flag officers.
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 11/18/2024 @ 2:40 pmSince impeachment is not a legal proceeding, it is an open question as to any Presidential immunity.
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 11/18/2024 @ 2:42 pmThey didn’t do anything wrong. The people who made the bad predictions were the civilians. The military did wrongly estimate how long the Afghan government would hold out, but they failed to take into account the panic and they were using the assumptions given to them by their civilian superiors.
Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09) — 11/18/2024 @ 2:43 pmHe was just carrying out Johnson’s orders to fight the war. I doubt anything McNamara did was criminal in the legal, not moral, sense of the word. His Living with his decisions was its own punishment.
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 11/18/2024 @ 2:46 pm@Sammy@149 There isn’t any medical test for diagnosis, for sure. It’s mostly diagnosed via symptomology and there is a wide range of ability levels, but there tend to be certain commonalities between people who have autism.
Nic (120c94) — 11/18/2024 @ 5:00 pmMild autism isn’t necessarily a disability. An awful lot of engineers could be called “autistic” with their ability to focus on a problem to the exclusion of all distractions. Not very good if your job requires multi-tasking, but for designing circuitry or software it’s a handy skill.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 11/18/2024 @ 5:31 pmGov. Shapiro shoulda been Kamala’s running mate, because he has mental and moral clarity. Good on him for calling out his fellow party members for flouting election law.
Paul Montagu (271b15) — 11/18/2024 @ 5:33 pmThere is one thing I like about Trump’s cabinet choices, in a general way. They seem like they will be more in tune with the public. The objection to them seems mostly that they aren’t from the elite groups that normally get these jobs, and well, what did you expect?
Kevin M (a9545f) — 11/18/2024 @ 5:40 pmGood on him for calling out his fellow party members for flouting election law.
Paul, as someone who cannot navigate
Kevin M (a9545f) — 11/18/2024 @ 5:42 pmTwitterX to find the underlying facts in the stream of “consciousness” that exists there, what exactly is this all about?Miffed:
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 11/18/2024 @ 5:44 pm@165:
I am, for example, tired of Transportation experts who are chauffeured everywhere and don’t even own a car. They say things like “We need some more traffic-calming measures” such as removing right-turn pockets to “slow the traffic down.”
Kevin M (a9545f) — 11/18/2024 @ 5:45 pmHegsteth, Gaetz, Gabbard, and Kennedy Jr. have no compelling qualifications other than loyalty to Trump, and with the exception of Gabbard, accusations of sexual assault.
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 11/18/2024 @ 5:50 pmI’m tired of, for example, internet experts referring to transportation experts being chauffeured and not owning cars.
I’d like to learn some more about these experts, name three.
Colonel Klink (ret) (96f56a) — 11/18/2024 @ 6:01 pmAhh, the eliteness of competence and basic qualifications.
Should the fry cook be made CEO?
Should this major run the military?
Should someone who’s only practiced law for under a year, has no prosecution or defense expertise, no law enforcement credentials at all, in any any way other than being prosecuted for drugs and child rape, run the DOJ?
Should the head of HHS have zero background in healthcare, other than conspiracy theories?
etc…
Colonel Klink (ret) (96f56a) — 11/18/2024 @ 6:09 pmHegsteth, Gaetz, Gabbard, and Kennedy Jr. have no compelling qualifications other than loyalty to Trump, and with the exception of Gabbard, accusations of sexual assault.
I did not say I liked them, just that the “experts” seem to be out of touch.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 11/18/2024 @ 6:52 pmIt’s not the experts who are out of touch, they’re solidly grounded in this reality.
The “public” who voted for this are out of touch with the reality that actually exists.
Colonel Klink (ret) (96f56a) — 11/18/2024 @ 7:22 pmCovid came from a wet market. The laptop is Russian. Biden is mentally fit. Lockdowns won’t harm kids. Trump is trailing Harris in Iowa. Experts told me.
lloyd (bb8c9f) — 11/18/2024 @ 7:32 pmNot going to go to Google to find 3 names, but the West coast transportation committees have people like traffic expert Anne Zivarts who don’t own cars. Lots of them are militant cyclists
steveg (50fccd) — 11/18/2024 @ 7:32 pmWould not be shocked to find that Portland has 3 experts with no cars
I’m assuming they get chauffeured to the airport and again as they go from convention to convention. They are not riding their bicycle to that traffic calming symposium in Sun Valley
Let’s see.
Colonel Klink (ret) (96f56a) — 11/18/2024 @ 7:40 pm1–yep, experts told you
2–yep, experts told you
3–no, I don’t think experts told you, at least not medical experts.
4–yep, always compared the harm of development delay versus dead.
5–yep, and the expert quit in response to being wrong.
So, not 1, not 2, not 3.
A blind lady driving would really be a story. A blind lady that wants community development to take her seriously, still should be a story, but not the way you seem to think it works.
Colonel Klink (ret) (96f56a) — 11/18/2024 @ 7:45 pm169 Rip M: That is not quite true: even NPR, which loathes Trump and would happily cede Florida to Cuba if it would get rid of Mar Lago, interviewed a guest today who acknowledged that Hegeseth or whatever his name is, had military experience on the round in Iraq and Afghanistan, and many thought that he would bring a “perspective” that is often missed. No kidding.
Do you happen to recall how LONG it took for the army to approve and use vehicles armored against IED’s?
And in the past 10 years while the “highly experienced” kids at Defense were announcing PRIDE celebrations at Ramstein, closing down the Afghanistan airbase BEFORE completing the with drawl, leaving $8B in equipment, taking 8 YEARS to refit 2 cruisers (the Chinese BUILT 8 in that time), the Russkies developed and deployed hypersonic missiles. Hypersonics!
When the most experienced of Sec Def ever took charge, Robert MacNamara in 1963, he distorted the army by demanding statistical reports that were inaccurate, botched the TFX fighter, made the JFK carrier an oil burner for “efficiency” and generally made a mess it took years to clean up.
The US needs someone that loves the country, does not think like an insider, and has no loyalty debt to pay off to contractors.
OTOH, Mr Outsider, Don Rumsfeld, overruled the Pentagon’s choice for a down gunned 90MM gun tank, and went for the 120mm M1 Abrams, a choice that roiled all the insiders.
Harcourt Fenton Mudd (711b74) — 11/18/2024 @ 8:13 pmShapiro waited till after the Supreme Court smacked them down for a 2nd time .
NJRob (7ec21c) — 11/18/2024 @ 8:20 pmSo the solution is to put a weekend TV talk show host in charge? Not even a career active duty soldier, a master sergeant maybe.
Nope, put the fry cook in charge of McDonalds.
OK, the leader of the fry team at a franchise, straight to CEO.
Colonel Klink (ret) (96f56a) — 11/18/2024 @ 8:52 pmWorried for Tulsi with all these rapists around her I guess Kristi can shoot them!
asset (2f0c5f) — 11/18/2024 @ 8:57 pmThe worm turns now democrats are claiming musk’s starlink fixed the election for trump! 2016 all over again with russia/trump collusion. I guess blaming Bernie/AOC/left isn’t working.
asset (2f0c5f) — 11/18/2024 @ 9:01 pm@Kevin@163 Bill Gates probably 😛
I would love it if cabinet members had some practical knowledge and ability in whatever department they were in charge of, but too often it’s ideologues and purely political appointments. Burgum seems good though?
Nic (120c94) — 11/18/2024 @ 9:14 pmIt’s not the experts who are out of touch, they’re solidly grounded in this reality.
The “public” who voted for this are out of touch with the reality that actually exists.
You are just unwilling to accept the results of the election, in which the People said they were so unsatisfied with the last 30 years of “Experts” that they would pick Donald effing Trump instead.
Populism is a terrible blunt instrument. And you only get it when the powers that be have their heads so far up their ass that the people put down the remotes and their bowling balls and organize to remove the fools. WHo they replace them with is less important than that they do replace them.
etc
Kevin M (a9545f) — 11/18/2024 @ 10:18 pm@184 The popular vote is down to under 3 million with california still counting, trump has less then 50% Electoral collage is not an actual representation of the country as small states have outside influence like 2000 and 2016. 10,000,000+ mostly democrats didn’t vote over 2020. The democrat party establishment is worried far more about their left base taking over then they are about trump.
asset (2f0c5f) — 11/18/2024 @ 11:24 pm180: Co: he has tours in 2 combat zones; 2 bronze stars; Princeton and Harvard no less.
But we currently seem to have the same crack people who denuded us of 155mm artillery shells, so much so that supplying Ukraine has drawn down our supply and we don’t have the ability to manufacture more rapidly (but we do have pronouns); the same kind of people that gave the US Navy its deficient torpedo in WWII, that were caught flat-footed at Pearl Harbor, and ran the Vietnam War so well, so well, they evacuated Afghanistan like a renter running out pel mel at night to avoid encountering the landlord.
I can’t think of a single reason NOT to appoint someone outside the current food chain.
Harcourt Fenton Mudd (bfa183) — 11/19/2024 @ 6:25 amOver half of Ukrainians want a negotiated end to the war.
https://news.gallup.com/poll/653495/half-ukrainians-quick-negotiated-end-war.aspx
We should oblige them.
SaveFarris (8940bf) — 11/19/2024 @ 7:16 amPutin hasn’t signaled his support of a quick, negotiated end to his invasion, Farris, and he’s the one person who has the actual power to end the war he started. His previous “negotiations” were a set of demands, not compromises.
The WSJ weighed in on Her Hotness, Tulsi Gabbard, and they’re not supportive, mostly on foreign policy grounds, but they did address her parroting Kremlin talking points when she said, “This war and suffering could have easily been avoided if Biden admin/NATO had simply acknowledged Russia’s legitimate security concerns regarding Ukraine’s becoming a member of NATO.”
Putin’s excuses about NATO are just that, and she conveniently ignored that NATO wasn’t an issue when he first invaded in 2014, and she also ignored Putin’s July 2021 essay where he declared that all of Ukraine doesn’t exist and is actually OneRussia.
Paul Montagu (271b15) — 11/19/2024 @ 8:20 am@185:
I wonder how long until you pull out the old “and 100 million Americans didn’t even vote, so Trump really one got 30%” chestnut.
Bill Clinton got 43% of the vote in 1992. Abraham fkn Lincoln only got 39% of the vote. But both won and treated it as a mandate.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 11/19/2024 @ 9:20 amSo the solution is to put a weekend TV talk show host in charge?
At least he knows what the public wants. Populism isn’t pretty. What the “experts” ought to consider is not “how bad their replacement is”, but how they got between the dog and the hydrant in the first place.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 11/19/2024 @ 9:23 amSo, not 1, not 2, not 3.
Name 3 state transportation directors that are NASCAR fans. As long as we are playing the trollish “name 3” game.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 11/19/2024 @ 9:25 amHere is my negotiated end to the war: Russia withdraws from eastern Ukraine. Ukraine cedes Crimea to Russia. Ukraine joins the EU and NATO. The US promises not to station troops or weapons in Ukraine.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 11/19/2024 @ 9:27 amNic,
Thank you for your comments about autism. I think you work in education. If so, that explains your knowledge about autism. Doctors have largely abandoned autism identification and treatment to educators, viewing it as a behavioral disorder instead of the medical problem it is.
Permit me to add my thoughts to you database:
Children have less developed immune systems so they are more prone to infections.
Also, https://www.aafp.org/pubs/afp/issues/2013/0601/p773.htmlhref=“https://www.aafp.org/pubs/afp/issues/2013/0601/p773.html”>One in 2000 Children.
Persons with immunocompetence can have severe complications, especially to live/attenuated vaccines like the mmr and chickenpox.
Newborn screening for immune system problems started in Wisconsin and Massachusetts in 2012. In the past 12 years, all States now screen for this. The number if newborns that were identified with severe immune system problems (like SCID) were higher than expected. Early treatment has helped them and they are not vaccinated like other children.
My experience has been that sick children were not tested for immune problems or identified. Instead, they were vaccinated earlier to try to protect them from diseases — a well-meaning response but the opposite of the recommendations for immunocompromised children.
IMO newborn screening for immune problems will help avoid immune-based autism by getting appropriate early medical treatment and avoiding live vaccines. I can’t add more links here so I will do so in the next comment.
DRJ (df5ffc) — 11/19/2024 @ 10:21 amThe role of the immune system in autism spectrum disorder.
https://www.nature.com/articles/npp2016158
DRJ (df5ffc) — 11/19/2024 @ 10:22 amFixing my link in 193:
One One in 2,000 children younger than 18 years is thought to have a primary immunodeficiency disease, but these were rarely identified until newborn screening in the last decade.
DRJ (df5ffc) — 11/19/2024 @ 10:27 amChildren:
Children have more contact with others, and they have less developed immune systems to fight off infections. This means they are more likely to catch an illness that can spread from person to person.
DRJ (df5ffc) — 11/19/2024 @ 10:30 amSorry for not previewing my links before posting. It is harder to do now.
DRJ (df5ffc) — 11/19/2024 @ 10:31 amCol.
My point was that there are people who don’t drive who are on transportation boards. Clearly people like Anne Zivarts should have a seat at the table, as should cyclists.
I used to live on a street where they put in 2 traffic calming circles within 3 blocks designed with extensive input from cyclists, pedestrians, Vision Zero zealots. The Fire Station 1 block away was called for a car fire in front of my neighbors home- FD turns away from car fire and takes 4 right hand turns instead of 1 left because the design was constrictive. Circle #2 was on a downhill cantilevered dogleg left that tended to deflect cars into the right hand shrubbery. The 3rd calming device was bulb out pedestrian area and new center bulb shaped plantings. The old folks coming into town from uphill tended to opt for straight lines. The palm trees in the center got wiped out in the first week.
All of these were perfectly and easily navigable during the 2-3 bicycle trips a day, and were only difficult for the hundreds of cars.
“Wonderful Moments in Social Engineering” brought to you by Art’s Body Shop
(I had the 1 circle Fire Dept. stymie 1/2 block away and the other was 2.5 away. I was alternatively lectured and ignored at the public hearings)
I don’t think the local Ford dealer should have the loudest voice at the bike path design meeting. I think the blind need special consideration.
steveg (50fccd) — 11/19/2024 @ 10:38 amBack when Vision Zero was all the rage here, it was also a big deal to add unicorns to the boards. Afro lesbian blind cyclist? Perfect!
The bottom line is that children have different immune systems. They may not respond to vaccines the way adults do. That is why you are given a booklet of warnings to read at the pediatricians office before vaccinating your child.
Fortunately, most do fine and that helps protect them and everyone.
Another positive is that we are taking steps to screen for the children that don’t have good immune systems. That will help those children have better lives and help their doctors make better vaccination decisions.
Finally, like aitism, males are more likely to have poor immune systems than females.
DRJ (df5ffc) — 11/19/2024 @ 10:39 amHere’s the home page for the Santa Monica DOT
The picture is a perfect example of what has happened to most of the wider streets in SM. And to quote the DOT mission statement:
Cars come last in Santa Monica. No word on whether the DOT director drives, but nothing suggests he does. A previous director did not.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 11/19/2024 @ 10:58 amDRJ,
I should point out that I can be VERY self-contained and always have been, and while they didn’t diagnose people like me with “autism” in the 1950s, I exhibit a number of the behavior modes. Coincidentally, I was a very successful R&D engineer before I retired.
I will also observe that the 12 Steps have been a great help in overcoming those symptoms that were socially awkward, so I’m not sure that they were entirely medical.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 11/19/2024 @ 11:39 amIt wasn’t me who claimed that “transportation experts” don’t own cars, and used a blind lady as a supporting person.
If you’re going to claim a thing is a problem, having an example of the problem, even one, would be helpful. If it’s a chronic problem, as “projected”, then there would have to be at least a couple of these “experts”.
Or, the OP is full of sh-t and just making things up.
Colonel Klink (ret) (96f56a) — 11/19/2024 @ 12:00 pmOr you could just have a “transportation expert” who was the mayor of a midsized town that couldn’t fix the roads unless they were by his home, but was an expert on screaming racism if a highway cut too close to an urban neighborhood.
NJRob (2393b0) — 11/19/2024 @ 1:26 pmAgain, hypothetical people vs actual human people.
Suppose someone ran for president while spouting the dumbest parts of the Nazi’s and Hitler’s speech. Wait, we don’t have too suppose, an actual man did it.
If you’re going to use someone as evidence of a thing, you should be able to find one before you suppose them.
Colonel Klink (ret) (96f56a) — 11/19/2024 @ 1:31 pmOh, brother:
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 11/19/2024 @ 2:07 pmY’know, I realize the focus is on Matt Gaetz when it comes to finding the manifestly unfit Trump appointee. But RFK Jr and Dr Oz in tandem sound like they could do genuine hard to fix or reverse damage to this country. I’m not sure why opposition to those characters isn’t louder.
Appalled (e1e5b7) — 11/19/2024 @ 2:14 pmBecause for the second time a celebrity has been elected President.
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 11/19/2024 @ 2:29 pmMatt Gaetz hacked:
Related:
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 11/19/2024 @ 2:41 pmGaetz has said, possibly in response to something like that, that he helped out his girlfriends. The Justice Department may have chosen not to pursue charges because maybe they were caught lied in interviews.
There were two possible charges: Paying prostitutes, and that one of the girls Gaetz interacted with was still 17 years old at the time (2017) Not knowing the age of the woman is not a defense.
There was also the possibility of Gaetz taking illegal drugs (or at least drugs without a prescription) but probably no specific evidence of that involving Gaetz.
Gaetz, separately, also reportedly showed some of his colleagues on the House floor (presumably displaying that on a cell phone) nude pictures (or was it video?) of women he said he had conjugal relations with – like they would be impressed and be more friendly with him..
Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09) — 11/19/2024 @ 3:46 pm198. DRJ (df5ffc) — 11/19/2024 @ 10:30 am
Children, unless they were very very young, and even then still, were not particularly vulnerable to Covid.
Covid was a novel virus for practically anyone (with the possibility of there existing some partical immunity because of infections by other coronaviruses, something tat was never fully investigated ) and children had the advantage of being able to churn out many different antibodies more quickly.
Another factor in Covid-19 spread was how many virus particles a person got exposed to, which meant that as time went on after a population was exposed, more and more people got exposed to higher and higher initial doses.
In the beginning it would tend to circulate underground. But then cases reached higher and higher viral loads before recovery so that what I can call an A case (mild virtually unnoticeable case) could lead to a B case which could lead to a C case and then to a D case. (a very small exposure could almost act as vaccine)
The CDC ignored this – it even almost ignored the very concept of naturally acquired immunity.
Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09) — 11/19/2024 @ 4:01 pmAppalled (e1e5b7) — 11/19/2024 @ 2:14 pm
They are going to examine their thinking, and whether or not they will go off half cocked during conformation hearings. They seem to think there is a possibility they can be tamed, so to speak.
Both the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times had editorials that were somewhat equivocal, going on as to how there could be good things coming out of RFK Jr getting that job, and bad things, with some hope that only the good would happen: (more in the New York Times)
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/rfk-jr-health-and-human-services-secretary-donald-trump-3df2b039
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/11/15/opinion/rfk-jr-trump-health-agenda.html
Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09) — 11/19/2024 @ 4:31 pmSmallpox vaccination is no longer given, and the only reason polio still exists is because of vaccination.
In the United States we have gone back to the Salk vaccine, but the oral live Sabin vaccine is still administered in other parts of the world.
Both viruses have been sequenced, and could be recreated. Someone on Long Island, of German background, created a polio virus (already over 20 years ago!) using genetic engineering, but because he wanted to show that he did it, he made some changes and it was much less dangerous.
https://www.science.org/content/article/poliovirus-baked-scratch
So far nobody as been known to recreate smallpox.
Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09) — 11/19/2024 @ 4:40 pmDonald Trump solved a problem he created for himself by giving Howard Lutnick a Cabinet position – only Secretary of Commerce rather than the Treasury
Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09) — 11/19/2024 @ 4:42 pmCovid is a virus, Sammy. Primary immune deficiency is almost always a defect that impairs the body’s ability to fight bacterial infections.
Kevin: We all know high-functioning autistics, even if we don’t realize it. It may even be an advantage in some professions like accounting and engineering. But severely immune compromised children can suffer severe neurological damage from vaccines, medicines, and even the illnesses the vaccines are designed to prevent because their immune systems are unpredictable.
DRJ (df5ffc) — 11/19/2024 @ 5:17 pmTo clarify, there are viral immune disorders, Sammy, like AIDS and EBV. But typically Primary Immune disorders involve bacterial infections.
DRJ (df5ffc) — 11/19/2024 @ 5:22 pmNeither of which is a federal crime. The feds were looking at sex trafficking and obstruction of justice.
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 11/19/2024 @ 5:22 pmRip seems interested in the Gaetz accusations which went unprosecuted as much as he was uninterested in the Biden/Hunter accusations which went unprosecuted.
lloyd (1754f3) — 11/19/2024 @ 6:37 pm“Rip seems interested in the Gaetz accusations which went unprosecuted as much as he was uninterested in the Biden/Hunter accusations which went unprosecuted.”
How about you, Lloyd? Are you pro or anti pedophile? Sounds like you’re a fan.
Davethulhu (b39c18) — 11/19/2024 @ 6:51 pm@DRJ I am in education, yes. Our kids with autism are really lucky because there’s a really good neuro-atypicality research center in Sacramento called the MIND institute, which works with a lot of our regional medical programs which do consulting with a lot of Nor Cal school districts. Thanks for the link to the meta-analysis especially, I had read that the people with autism also tended to have immunology issues, but that analysis seems to go into a number of factors (it will take me a bit of time to read, it’s very long, but it looks interesting)
My own fun experience with vaccine oddities: I was one of the kids in the mid 70s who was given the MMR at the wrong time so that it didn’t take right. I also had a big reaction to it, which they decided was probably a reaction to the growth medium. Because of the timing, I had to have the vaccine AGAIN in order to go to grad school and because of the reaction I had to have it in 10 micro-shots just under the skin across a 3.5 hr period. It was a very long and boring afternoon of itchiness. I do not recommend.
Nic (120c94) — 11/19/2024 @ 7:21 pmAren’t you late for your Antifa struggle session?
lloyd (db8928) — 11/19/2024 @ 7:21 pmLloyd is the pedophan.
Colonel Klink (ret) (96f56a) — 11/19/2024 @ 7:43 pmLloyd,
Nobody proposed Hunter for Attorney General.
Appalled (47edda) — 11/19/2024 @ 7:45 pmIt wasn’t me who claimed that “transportation experts” don’t own cars, and used a blind lady as a supporting person.
It wasn’t me who gave that example. Nor was it me who played the troll’s “name 3” card.
I was thinking of a past Santa Monica DOT official, but they’ve moved on. But their legacy hasn’t — see @200.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 11/19/2024 @ 7:46 pmRFK Jr and Dr Oz in tandem sound like they could do genuine hard to fix or reverse damage to this country. I’m not sure why opposition to those characters isn’t louder.
Don’t look at me, I’m not on board with those loons. I can understand having someone who isn’t an expert, but those two are “experts” of a perverse sort. Advocates of Wrong.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 11/19/2024 @ 7:49 pmLloyd is the pedophan.
One day back and already into the ad hominums.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 11/19/2024 @ 7:50 pmAppalled, Biden was only president.
lloyd (003f13) — 11/19/2024 @ 7:51 pmNeither of which is a federal crime.
Only if someone crosses a state line to do it.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 11/19/2024 @ 7:52 pm@225 That’s ok. It’s a given the commenting rules cut one way here.
lloyd (003f13) — 11/19/2024 @ 7:52 pm218: Davethulhu: some people want a consistent set of rules, and fairly wonder why so many have a recent and conveniently timed fixation on Gaetz, who was investigated but not pursued, but have cooled on getting Epstein’s client list, the manifests of passengers to Pedo Island, and that French Director extradicted. How about you Dave? Or do you have one of those “selective” curiosities?
Harcourt Fenton Mudd (668845) — 11/19/2024 @ 7:53 pmLike Klink, Davethulhu is here just to fling poo.
lloyd (003f13) — 11/19/2024 @ 7:59 pm@189 trump can do what he wants. Others on the other side will do the same. Corporate establishment liberals joined by morning joe and mika don’t want to do anything but whine.
asset (6901dd) — 11/19/2024 @ 8:17 pmDr Oz?
Paul Montagu (8fe1eb) — 11/19/2024 @ 8:20 pmThere has to be an enterprising journalist out there who will tabulate all the nominees and how many times they appeared on FoxNews, because that appears to be a real basis for Trump’s picks.
Don Jr. not for drug czar.
Paul Montagu (8fe1eb) — 11/19/2024 @ 8:21 pm“Davethulhu: some people want a consistent set of rules”
If one person gets away with it, everyone should get away with it.
Davethulhu (b39c18) — 11/19/2024 @ 8:32 pmI’d love for everyone in Epstein’s black book to be fired into the sun and yes this includes Clinton. The FBI is sitting on the information, for what reason I can only guess, but I suspect that it’s for political pressure. None of this is going to change with Trump’s ascension, as what little has leaked out has showed that he was close friends with Epstein.
So, I’ll take what I can get rather than hoping for lightning to strike.
Davethulhu (b39c18) — 11/19/2024 @ 8:46 pmGaetz has a financial trail of his payments to prostitutes, one of them with “tuition reimbursement” on the memo line of a personal check. What a humanitarian, caring about the education of a young woman who sells her hoo-haw for money.
Paul Montagu (8fe1eb) — 11/19/2024 @ 9:14 pmThe FBI is sitting on the information, for what reason I can only guess, but I suspect that it’s for political pressure.
J Edgar dined out for 50 years on that kind of stuff.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 11/19/2024 @ 9:27 pmWhat a humanitarian, caring about the education of a young woman who sells her hoo-haw for money.
There’s rather a lot more of that going on that you realize. College is EXPENSIVE. They should take out loans?
Kevin M (a9545f) — 11/19/2024 @ 9:29 pmArticle in the WSJ about how Science getting in bed with Politics led directly to clowns like RFK Jr.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 11/19/2024 @ 9:31 pmIt’s really the Matt Gaetz Scholarship Fund. No BJs, don’t bother applying.
Paul Montagu (8fe1eb) — 11/19/2024 @ 10:15 pmThis time it wasn’t Russia Russia Russia, because the ChiComs were busted for severing telecom cables and gas pipelines in the Baltic.
Paul Montagu (8fe1eb) — 11/19/2024 @ 10:39 pmYou’re right.
https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51XxDU4SESL._AC_UF894,1000_QL80_.jpg
SaveFarris (8940bf) — 11/20/2024 @ 5:41 amThe biggest redflag in the Gaetz bruhaha is that the Biden DOJ didn’t indict Gaetz.
The same DOJ that went after parents who went to school boards… the same DOJ who sent SWAT to pro-life protestors and sent them to jail… the same DOJ that threw EVERY investigative tools and resources to identify J6er… the same DOJ that prosecuted a presidential candidate.
We know that this DOJ wasn’t shy about “looking bad” for going after instances that are deemed political.
Yet, they chose NOT to indict Gaetz?
You’d think, with the absolute thinnest of margins of the House, that if this DOJ had a scintilla of some evidence, they would pursue it with the same vigor as the school board parents/pro-lifer/J6ers/Trump prosecutions.
What gives?
whembly (477db6) — 11/20/2024 @ 7:05 amHowever, Gaetz and Trump transition team are not stupid. (as much as some of ya’ll believe).
I think it’s:
1) Trump wants Gaetz as AG if he can get pass confirmation.
2) If it looks like Gaetz is not going to be confirmed, then there will be a switcharoo: I think it’s Kash Patel or one of the red state’s AG (Ken Paxon or Andrew Bailey).
I believe there’s genuine desires to get these picks through, but I’m sure there are back up plans as well. Part me thinks putting the most controversial picks up first, in a fire hose strategy to overwhelm opposition.
whembly (477db6) — 11/20/2024 @ 7:22 am#244
If we go for Trump as genius:
1. Listen to Mike Johnson complain about his fractious house majority. Gaetz’s name is mentioned.
2. Johnson’s inability to control his caucus provies real problems for Trump when he tries to govern. Gaetz is a sore point.
3. Trump proposes Gaetz as AG. He will serve Trump’s purposes in that job, draws outrage from other candidates.
4. Somebody suggests Gaetz quit the house to avoid embarassment with the ethics report. He does. Mike Johnson wins. Trump wins — he has a less fractious house.
5. Trump still wants Gaetz, but Paxton or Patel will do. For now, he’s a convenient distraction from the media focusing on other nominees. (Say RFK, Jr, who is going to get people killed)
If we go for Trump as impulsive mess:
1. Gaetz reminds Trump of what he was like and what he did at age 37 and the bond is tight…
One note. Trump governs his party through fear. That works great as long as you keep winning the battles. If Senators feel like they have a chance against one nominee, they may feel emboldened to take on others.
Caveat. This is the second time I thought Trump was going to lose. I have no functional crystal ball.
Appalled (1a3831) — 11/20/2024 @ 7:54 amThe Gaetz nomination is a troll, and cover for Gabbard, RFK Jr, etc. Judging by the words expended here on this non-starter, it seems to be working, too.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 11/20/2024 @ 8:02 amJohnson’s inability to control his caucus provies real problems for Trump when he tries to govern. Gaetz is a sore point.
To be fair, he had a 30-seat majority in 2017 and the House was just as fractious. I think there’s a need for backbenchers to act out, limited only by the size of the majority.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 11/20/2024 @ 8:05 am#246
It might be a troll. The problem is Trump has an inevitability strategy — he will get what he wants from the GOP in all cases. If cracks appear in that, we may be back to the disarray in term 1.
Appalled (1a3831) — 11/20/2024 @ 8:12 amhttps://archive.ph/3HK6F
Here’s the archive of the WashPost…
If we go by this news reporting… at best, it’s a he said/she said type of thing.
I don’t know what to think.
It’s obvious that he’s a CAD and likes to party. The allegation could be true. Or, it could be another attempt to “Blasey Ford” Gaetz too.
But, the mere fact that this DOJ couldn’t hang anything on Gaetz, while absolutely nailing his colleagues has to mean something, I think.
whembly (477db6) — 11/20/2024 @ 8:23 amHere’s why I bring up that this potentially could be a “Blasey Ford” setup:
The central witness said another person was there (Dorworth) and watched.
Dorworth denied it.
whembly (477db6) — 11/20/2024 @ 8:28 amWhembly, thank you for the important details that have been ignored in the run up to the attacks on Gaetz.
NJRob (cf4eee) — 11/20/2024 @ 9:22 amSure, no reliable folks willing to say he was showing videos of his conquests on the house floor.
Colonel Klink (ret) (96f56a) — 11/20/2024 @ 9:53 amThere is a tendency among Trumpworld folks to be confronted by some scandal. The Trumpworld person scrambles to keep the scandal very very secret, and make a lot of noise. Then when it all comes out, it’s a very trivial thing that quickly gets dismissed and forgotten, or it isn’t very different from what was out there. See, for example, Jack Smith’s last filing on 1/6.
Brer Rabbit used to do this to great effect, IIRC.
I think it’s best to assume Trumpworld is that smart, because it keeps happening.
Appalled (d7b998) — 11/20/2024 @ 9:59 amI’m shocked!
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 11/20/2024 @ 10:19 amThank you for helping these families, Nic.
DRJ (df5ffc) — 11/20/2024 @ 10:28 amPaul Montagu (8fe1eb) — 11/19/2024 @ 8:20 pm
It’s like this:
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/11/16/us/politics/trump-transition-picks.html
So he assesses their ideas, and their ability to speak coherently, (and make sense, or seem to?) by viewing YouTube like videos that his transition team has prepared for him.
These should often be snippets he hasn’t seen before, He probably hasn’t watched that much Fox News, especially during the campaign, and there must be appearances on other networks, and stray TV shows.
Sammy Finkelman (c2c77e) — 11/20/2024 @ 10:53 amMarkwayne Mullin seems to have been the only named source who spoke about Gaetz showing videos,or attempting to show videos, of nude women while on the House floor (during a boring roll call or quorum call?)
He is now a Senator but he was in the House until the election of 2022.
Sammy Finkelman (c2c77e) — 11/20/2024 @ 11:02 am@255
Like I said… at best it’s a “she said/he said” situation.
whembly (477db6) — 11/20/2024 @ 11:05 amI’m (not) shocked Dorworth denied the allegation that he was there; I doubt he would have admitted it even it was true.
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 11/20/2024 @ 11:12 am@260
What other evidence exists that you know of beside a “she said” allegation?
Do you have any?
whembly (477db6) — 11/20/2024 @ 11:16 amRip, who mocked every allegation against “The Big Guy” and all the whistleblower testimony is all in on the Graetz allegations.
Comedy gold!
lloyd (4672a9) — 11/20/2024 @ 12:19 pmwhembly (477db6) — 11/20/2024 @ 11:05 am
They could have taken something that was true – and then made it worse with lies.
For DOJ it would be enough that they couldn’t vouch for the witnesses or that they might not be believed even if they believed what they were saying now.
I think he means to say you do not need to speculate about this. Of course he’s not speculating about whether other people are lying about him.
Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09) — 11/20/2024 @ 1:15 pmasset (f423be) — 11/17/2024 @ 11:28 pm
Where did you hear about bruises?
I found this:
https://nymag.com/intelligencer/article/trump-cabinet-pete-hegseth-sexual-assault-allegation-what-we-know.html
We don’t know what kind of bruises, but we know:
Hegseth was a philanderer who got divorced twice and had an illegitimate child.
The woman first reported something 4 days later when she came in with her husband and children.
Hegseth says that he was drunk and she was sober and that she initiated the encounter.
There seems to be an agreement that he was harassing two women and she took him away.
A person claiming to be a friend of the woman claims that she had a vague memory later – suggesting a date rape drug, but there are no other accusations that he was familiar with them or ad used them before (like with Bill Cosby) or had anything like that on him. That sounds like an excuse for reporting it late that doesn’t fit the facts..
Hegseth is most likely telling the truth here.
I don’t think he would necessarily have been fired had he let his network know. But maybe yes, maybe they opposed all non disclosure agreements at that time.
Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09) — 11/20/2024 @ 1:33 pmYesterday, November 19. 2024, if I understood this correctly, marked 1,000 days since the intensified Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022.
Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09) — 11/20/2024 @ 2:26 pmAbout the new weapons to Ukraine. Someone in te Ukrainian military said they only needed to destroy Russian aircraft and ammunition and then the difference in manpower wouldn’t matter.
Russia may have been led to believe that targets would only be in Kursk. Instead they were in the next province west bordering Ukraine. After that Russia changed its announced doctrine to any help in an attack by a nuclear power would be considered an attack by that nuclear power.
Meanwhile the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv has been closed and embassy personnel told to shelter in place because the U.S. received word that the embassy could be the target of an attack. (as if Russia could aim that well, or that they could guide a drone or whatever unhampered or that they would do it)
In fact, all western embassies were closed:
https://www.npr.org/2024/11/20/nx-s1-5197501/ukraine-russia-embassy-closes
Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09) — 11/20/2024 @ 2:35 pmmsDNC now on its own to promote democrat party establishment and donor class shilling. In desperation msDNC is no longer ignoring Bernie Sanders, AOC and the squad.
asset (e61f2c) — 11/20/2024 @ 2:59 pmJK Rowling is fearless in confronting the trans activists, and bully for her.
Paul Montagu (8fe1eb) — 11/21/2024 @ 7:54 amIt shouldn’t be controversial that a person should go to a bathroom based on the genitalia said person was born with.
Same goes for participating in mens’ or womens’ sports.
Russia launched an ICBM (with conventional warhead) at Dnipro in Ukraine. This is apparently intended as a warning to the West regarding Ukraine’s use of longer-range missiles.
Two questions:
1. If Russia used a nuclear weapon in Ukraine, would Biden respond with a direct attack on Russian assets in the Ukrainian theater?
2. Would the US and/or NATO go to war?
Kevin M (a9545f) — 11/21/2024 @ 8:31 amiCBM use is a false alarm.
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/russia-launched-icbm-ukraine-war-putin-rcna181131
Sammy Finkelman (c2c77e) — 11/21/2024 @ 8:37 amMaybe it was a modified (or cannibalized) ICBM, so both reports could be right. I don’t think the same rocket could be targeted at such different distances.
Sammy Finkelman (c2c77e) — 11/21/2024 @ 8:58 amNone of which implicated President Biden directly, it was all hearsay.
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 11/21/2024 @ 9:04 amVenmo payments?
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 11/21/2024 @ 9:06 amThere were also PayPal payments, which they found out about after the chart was prepared.
This opens up a line of attack to determine the truth about Gaetz doing something with a girl who was still only 17-year old. (he was with her later, after her 18th birthday)
Gaetz (and others) regularly made $250 to $500 payments to women after they had done something.. So did he send a payment to the 17-year old (whom everybody says there is no reason to suppose he knew her age) around the time in question? Caveat – he may have sometimes paid them indirectly, through the organizer of these parties.
Sammy Finkelman (c2c77e) — 11/21/2024 @ 9:19 amIf the whistleblower testimony against President Biden was so compelling, why did the House fail to impeach him?
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 11/21/2024 @ 9:24 amFIFY. I think the answer to both questions would be no.
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 11/21/2024 @ 9:27 amSince NATO operates by consensus, NATO wouldn’t go to war with Russia as the US would object to any intervention, and the Europe wouldn’t do it on their own without assurances the US would defend them from Russian retaliation.
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 11/21/2024 @ 9:32 amGood news, Gaetz is out.
Paul Montagu (8fe1eb) — 11/21/2024 @ 9:33 amRFK Jr. and Gabbard next.
Europe wouldn’t do it on their own without assurances the US would defend them from Russian retaliation.
1) Europe can beat Russia all by itself. Heck, Ukraine nearly did that alone.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 11/21/2024 @ 9:52 am2) France and Britain have enough nukes to destroy Russia, should it come to that.
Gaetz is out.
What makes you think the next one will be better?
Kevin M (a9545f) — 11/21/2024 @ 9:53 amAfter the election, Trump warned Putin not to escalate, noting that the US had lots of troops in Europe. Putin then introduced Nork troops into the theater and engaged in massive missile strikes, now including an ICBM. Does this make Trump look like a pussy?
Kevin M (a9545f) — 11/21/2024 @ 9:58 amMy guess it will be Pete Hegseth, based on the police report that was just released.
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 11/21/2024 @ 9:59 amYes. Trump has no credibility when it comes to threatening foreign intervention. It’s America First.
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 11/21/2024 @ 10:03 am1) LOL! The internal political divisions within Europe will prevent any intervention. Ukraine has never come close to defeating Russia on its own; if the West hadn’t armed Ukraine the war would have been over in weeks.
2) I wouldn’t bet on it.
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 11/21/2024 @ 10:06 amI’m sure Russia would preemptively destroy the British and French nuclear weapons before any attack on Europe proper.
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 11/21/2024 @ 10:09 amPresumably the next nominee won’t be accused of having sex with a minor or sex trafficking.
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 11/21/2024 @ 10:12 amWhat makes you think that I would think that?
Paul Montagu (8fe1eb) — 11/21/2024 @ 10:25 amGaetz was categorically unqualified, on competency and character grounds.
What makes you think that I would think that?
“Good news!”
Kevin M (a9545f) — 11/21/2024 @ 10:49 amSenior North Korean general wounded in Ukrainian missile strike.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 11/21/2024 @ 10:50 amNext up: Jeffrey Clark?
Kevin M (a9545f) — 11/21/2024 @ 10:53 amIt is good news that he’s gone. I offered exactly no opinion or thoughts about his replacement.
Paul Montagu (8fe1eb) — 11/21/2024 @ 11:05 amAnother tough one, since the DC Bar recommended his law license be suspended for two years and he is charged in the Georgia election fraud case.
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 11/21/2024 @ 11:16 amIt is good news that he’s gone. I offered exactly no opinion or thoughts about his replacement.
Fair enough. My statement in 279 didn’t really say that you did.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 11/21/2024 @ 5:52 pmOhtani MVP, to no one’s surprise.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 11/21/2024 @ 5:52 pmBTW, saw “Wicked!” at my local theater, which for some reason had the sound turned down to kiddie mode. That wasn’t great for this movie. The movie itself is worth seeing, but you want the best sound system you can find.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 11/21/2024 @ 5:55 pmMcCormick wins PA Senate seat. 53-47
Two CA House seats (13 & 45) are within 0.1% and will need to be recounted several times before the Democrat wins.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 11/21/2024 @ 6:16 pmNorks in Russia are being sent home in body bags. Illegitimate terrorist invasions have consequences.
Paul Montagu (8fe1eb) — 11/21/2024 @ 8:03 pmWhy wasn’t Gaetz expelled or in jail, hypocrite?
lloyd (ae5eff) — 11/21/2024 @ 8:38 pmIn Last-Ditch Attempt To Prevent Trump From Taking Office, Democrats Start World War 3.
lloyd (ae5eff) — 11/21/2024 @ 8:43 pmMike Rogers is a better choice for FBI Director than a hyperpartisan whackjob like Kash Patel.
Paul Montagu (8fe1eb) — 11/21/2024 @ 8:46 pmOver a commercial (As Good As It Gets reference)
Paul Montagu (8fe1eb) — 11/21/2024 @ 9:41 pmHighly contagious whooping cough rises in California to highest levels in years
Unlike many illnesses, this appears to be a disease of the affluent. Rates are 30 times higher in Marin County than Los Angeles County. Some people are too smart to need vaccines.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 11/22/2024 @ 6:54 amPertussis increases every 3-4 years, despite vaccination rates. The last Marin County outbreak was in 2018. The CDC has seen a return to normal trends in pertussis cases, after a lull that it attributed to social distancing during Covid.
Marin County had one of the nation’s highest Covid vaccine rates, contrary to its vaccine hesitancy before Covid.
DRJ (df5ffc) — 11/22/2024 @ 9:33 amWhy is MAGA opposing Rogers for FBI?
DRJ (df5ffc) — 11/22/2024 @ 9:34 am