The Era of rivalry, Biden vs. Trump and their respective parties

Discussion in 'Political Opinions & Beliefs' started by Sandy Shanks, Jul 31, 2022.

  1. Sandy Shanks

    Sandy Shanks Banned

    Joined:
    Jun 27, 2016
    Messages:
    26,679
    Likes Received:
    6,470
    Trophy Points:
    113
    DeSantis will soon announce his candidacy for the Presidency. He is ducking the major networks and the general audience.

    The Times reports, "Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida is planning to announce the start of his 2024 presidential campaign on Wednesday in a live audio (no video) conversation on Twitter with Elon Musk.

    "DeSantis’s first impression as a presidential candidate will be aligning himself with Mr. Musk, an eccentric businessman who has ranked at times as the world’s richest man.

    "In addition to his Twitter event, Mr. DeSantis is expected to appear on Wednesday evening on Fox News in an interview with Trey Gowdy, a former congressman from South Carolina, according to the network."

    While his government has been busy banning books in libraries and classrooms, DeSantis has declared war on transgenders, and he okayed a bill banning abortions after six weeks. While he has been busy nailing down government control of pregnant women, DeSantis has essentially banned abortions in Florida.

    Has DeSantis lost before the race even starts? He has virtually admitted his weakness is with the general audience (read election).
     
  2. Sandy Shanks

    Sandy Shanks Banned

    Joined:
    Jun 27, 2016
    Messages:
    26,679
    Likes Received:
    6,470
    Trophy Points:
    113
    And Donald Trump is facing a criminal trial!

    The AP reports, "Donald Trump threw up his hands in frustration Tuesday as a judge scheduled his criminal trial for March 25, putting the former president and current candidate in a Manhattan courtroom in the heat of next year’s presidential primary season.

    Trump, appearing by video conference at a pretrial hearing in the hush-money case, glowered at the camera as Judge Juan Manuel Merchan advised him to cancel all other obligations for the duration of the trial, which could last several weeks.

    Democrats are overjoyed that the best Republicans can offer for the Presidency in 2024 is Trump and DeSantis.

    Through it all, the forum's Republicans remain totally silent. Evidently, they don't have the background to respond.
     
  3. Sandy Shanks

    Sandy Shanks Banned

    Joined:
    Jun 27, 2016
    Messages:
    26,679
    Likes Received:
    6,470
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Today, a 61% majority of U.S. adults say abortion should be legal in all or most cases, while 37% think abortion should be illegal in all or most cases.

    Of all the major issues facing Americans today, there is very little voters can do about any of them.

    One of the exceptions is abortion.

    Politicians and voters cannot do anything about the economy. Politicians and voters cannot do anything about inflation. Politicians and voters can do very little about the invasion of thousands of illegal immigrants from Mexico and Central America. Over the past seventy years, many have tried to no avail.

    The reader gets the point. There really is very little the voter can do.

    But by choosing politicians with whom they agree, voters can do something about abortion, and a solid majority of voters prefer pregnant women have control over their bodies, not the government.

    However, a significant number of Republicans support government control of a pregnant woman's health.

    President Trump is directly responsible for the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe vs. Wade, which allowed for government control of pregnant women's health. Today, as a Presidential candidate, he will not discuss his position on abortions.

    Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley on Wednesday pledged to sign a federal ban on abortion but noted that passing one would be highly unlikely without more Republicans in Congress.

    Republican presidential candidate Ron DeSantis, as governor, signed a bill that banned abortions after six weeks.
    Republican presidential candidate Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) voiced his support for a six-week abortion ban.

    Republican presidential candidate and former Vice President Mike Pence commended DeSantis for signing the state's six-week abortion ban into law.

    The South Carolina Republican legislature passed a six-week abortion ban.

    Can Americans do something about this?

    They sure can!
     
  4. Sandy Shanks

    Sandy Shanks Banned

    Joined:
    Jun 27, 2016
    Messages:
    26,679
    Likes Received:
    6,470
    Trophy Points:
    113
    More good news for Democrats!

    John Avlon writes, "The Republican presidential field is getting more crowded this week. South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott entered the race on Monday and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is set to announce his candidacy on Wednesday night, while a handful of other hopefuls wait in the wings.

    "The presence of a half-dozen challengers to former President Donald Trump reflects a Republican Party that seems to be finding its spine, unwilling to simply roll over for a man who could have destroyed our democracy on the basis of a self-serving lie.

    "Unfortunately, the robust field is heading into a trap of Trump’s making, courtesy of his loyalists in the state parties as well as the Republican National Committee.

    "Republicans could try to stop Trump from seizing their presidential nomination with one simple reform – increasing proportional representation in the primary process. But to date, they have done the opposite. In fact, the number of GOP primary states that are winner take all increased from seven to 17 between the 2016 and 2020 election, according to an analysis by Gregory Korte at Bloomberg.

    "Here’s how it works. Let’s say Trump wins 35% of the primary vote in South Carolina – with home staters Scott and former Gov. Nikki Haley coming in at 32% and 30% respectively – with the remaining candidates splitting the difference. A supermajority of South Carolina Republican primary voters in this scenario would have voted for someone other than Trump to be their party’s nominee.

    "But in a winner-take-all-state, Trump takes home all the delegates."

    Democrats think that is just great! Moderate Republicans, not so much.
     
  5. Sandy Shanks

    Sandy Shanks Banned

    Joined:
    Jun 27, 2016
    Messages:
    26,679
    Likes Received:
    6,470
    Trophy Points:
    113
    ABC reports, "If the United States defaults on its financial obligations, millions of Americans might not be able to pay their bills as well.

    "With Social Security and other government benefits at risk amid a political stalemate over the government's debt ceiling, experts and older Americans told ABC News that the consequences of the impasse in Washington could be dire, including for older Americans who need the money to pay for basic needs such as food, housing or health care costs.

    A quarter of Americans over age 65 rely on Social Security to provide at least 90% of their family incom
    e, according to the Social Security Administration.

    "I paid into Social Security, and I paid into Medicare," 80-year-old Lynda Fisher said. "And now they're trying to take it away. It's not their money, it's my money that I paid into."
     
  6. Sandy Shanks

    Sandy Shanks Banned

    Joined:
    Jun 27, 2016
    Messages:
    26,679
    Likes Received:
    6,470
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Sandy Shanks said:
    All the Democratic President wants to do is be able to pay our bills. Spending is not involved. Paying our bills is money already spent, much like a credit card statement.

    Who will American voters blame for the grief we are experiencing now?

    Who will American voters blame if the U.S. defaults?


    You get my point. McConnell wants nothing to do with what House Republicans are doing.
    *******************************************************************************************************************************************************

    Are Republicans really this stupid? Well, they said it, so, yes.


    CNBC reports, "Debt ceiling negotiations between the White House and congressional Republicans took on a new, harder tone this week after House Speaker Kevin McCarthy signaled that he was not willing to compromise with Democrats over a list of GOP demands.

    "McCarthy’s deputies say they view a vote to raise the debt ceiling — and to avoid a potentially catastrophic U.S. debt default — as a concession!

    "Rep. Patrick McHenry, of North Carolina, a chief GOP negotiator, was asked Tuesday night what concessions Democrats were getting as part of a potential compromise'

    “The debt ceiling,” he replied.

    “That’s what they’re getting,” added Rep. Garret Graves, of Louisiana, another GOP negotiator.

    That position is beyond stupid, remarkably insensitive to the needs of the American people, and contrary to the goals of their own party.

    Who do these Republicans think they are? Have they forgotten? They work for us. Well, for them, not much longer.

    It is not surprising the forum's Republicans are staying out of this. But, then, that is what they do.
     
  7. Sandy Shanks

    Sandy Shanks Banned

    Joined:
    Jun 27, 2016
    Messages:
    26,679
    Likes Received:
    6,470
    Trophy Points:
    113
    It is painfully obvious that Republican negotiators don't give a rat's ass about the people they are supposed to represent.

    So, if they get out of the way, things may go better. We are running out of time.

    Reuters reports, "U.S. President Joe Biden and top congressional Republican Kevin McCarthy on Thursday appeared to be nearing a deal to cut spending and raise the government's $31.4 trillion debt ceiling, with little time to spare to head off the risk of default.

    "The deal would specify the total amount the government could spend on discretionary programs like housing and education, according to a person familiar with the talks, but not break that down into individual categories. The two sides are just $70 billion apart on a total figure that would be well over $1 trillion, according to another source."
     
  8. Sandy Shanks

    Sandy Shanks Banned

    Joined:
    Jun 27, 2016
    Messages:
    26,679
    Likes Received:
    6,470
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Amateur night in Florida. DeSantis looked like an idiot.

    The Hill reports, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' presidential campaign got off to a rocky start Wednesday when his announcement event on Twitter was plagued by technical difficulties, which persisted for more than 20 minutes before the governor was able to deliver his speech and participate in a question-and-answer session.

    Even if things went right, DeSantis was making his earthshaking announcement on right-wing Twitter owned by a super-rich looney tunes. Following that, he was interviewed by right-wing Fox.

    Obviously, DeSantis was avoiding the general audience. That is a serious miscalculation on his part. The general audience elects the President.

    Stephen Collinson writes, "Ron DeSantis’ campaign launch fizzled like one of Elon Musk’s early rocket prototypes.

    "The Florida governor has been preparing for months to run for president, but his official campaign launch committed a cardinal political sin – offering his opponents, especially ex-President Donald Trump, an opening to turn him into an object of ridicule.

    "First, DeSantis made the unorthodox choice to make his long-awaited run official not among regular voters, but on a Twitter Spaces audio stream alongside Musk, the billionaire owner of the social media platform, which meant the biggest moment in his political career played out through a disembodied voice.

    "If DeSantis is to beat Trump, who roughly doubled him up 53% to 26% in a new CNN poll of the GOP race released on Wednesday, he will have to run an almost perfect campaign. So his halting launch was hardly a promising start, especially since it undermined his core message that he has the kind of discipline and focus that could make his presidency far more successful than Trump’s term.

    "Worse, the launch interview was delayed and plagued by glitches. The cliche that the best day of any presidential candidate’s campaign is when they first announce will not apply to DeSantis, who managed to obliterate his own message. And even when the event got up and running, it felt more like a fan fest for Musk, as various conservative opinion leaders called in to boost DeSantis but seemed more effusive about his host."

    In conclusion, DeSantis' judgment is seriously being questioned.
     
  9. Sandy Shanks

    Sandy Shanks Banned

    Joined:
    Jun 27, 2016
    Messages:
    26,679
    Likes Received:
    6,470
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Sandy Shanks said:
    All the Democratic President wants to do is be able to pay our bills. Spending is not involved. Paying our bills is money already spent, much like a credit card statement.

    Who will American voters blame for the grief we are experiencing now?

    Who will American voters blame if the U.S. defaults?


    You get my point. McConnell wants nothing to do with what House Republicans are doing.
    ********************************************************************************************************************************************************

    We are running out of time. Are you prepared for a financial crisis in your household?

    ABC reports, "Gridlock in Washington over raising the debt ceiling threatens to disrupt payments to millions of Americans who rely on government benefits each month.

    "Seniors, veterans and Americans living with disabilities could be the first to suffer if the federal government is unable to pay its bills as soon as June 1. Payments totaling about $100 billion are scheduled to go out June 1 and June 2, with more scheduled throughout the month.

    "In Washington, we're being treated like numbers, or just totally figures on a page. We're human beings and we're doing the best we can with what we've got," Susan Prahl Meachum, a 64-year-old living in rural Virginia, said.'

    Meachum is disabled. There are millions of Americans like her. House Republicans only have their unrealistic demands on their minds (delivering serious harm to the Democratic administration), and they don't care about Mrs. Meachum and the others.

    Forum Republicans, if you disagree, prove it. Naw, they aren't talking.

    Mrs. Meachum and millions of America may get a small break, tiny, actually.

    The Times reports, "Treasury Secretary Janet L. Yellen said on Friday that the United States will run out of money to pay its bills on time by June 5, moving the goal posts back slightly while maintaining the urgency for congressional leaders to reach a deal to raise or suspend the debt limit.

    "The letter provided the most precise date yet for when the United States is expected to run out of cash. Ms. Yellen had previously said the United States could hit the so-called X-date — the moment when it does not have enough money to pay all of its bills on time — as soon as June 1.

    "The federal government is required to make more than $130 billion in scheduled payments during the first two days of June — including money to veterans and Social Security and Medicare recipients. Those payments will leave the Treasury Department with “an extremely low level of resources.” Ms. Yellen said."
     
  10. Sandy Shanks

    Sandy Shanks Banned

    Joined:
    Jun 27, 2016
    Messages:
    26,679
    Likes Received:
    6,470
    Trophy Points:
    113
    The Republican President unfortunately was allowed to appoint three very conservative Supreme Court judges.

    Unfortunately, this conservative Court then overturned Roe vs. Wade, which allowed state control of the health of pregnant women. Consequently, nearly all, if not all, Republican states passed laws that exerted that control over women's bodies. Republican legislators and governors are delighted.

    A large majority of Americans are not. There is mass confusion. There are 50 different sets of rules to go by. The Supremes wanted to take the abortion matter out of the courts. The enormous effect of their rueful decision was the very opposite. The courts seem to be ruling on abortion in all 50 states.

    Thank you, Republicans. Geez, what a mess, and there is no end in sight. There could be a federal law governing abortions, but Republicans won't permit it. They like the idea of government control, and they want to expand on it.

    The confusion? Oh, yeah, that.

    A South Carolina judge has temporarily blocked the state’s new abortion restrictions from going into effect, just one day after Gov. Henry McMaster signed them into law. For now, abortions in the state remain legal up until around 20 weeks until the Supreme Court makes a decision or takes other action to allow implementation of the law.

    An Indianapolis doctor who publicly revealed she provided abortion services to a 10-year-old Ohio rape victim last year has been reprimanded and fined by Indiana’s medical licensing board after it determined the disclosure violated federal and state patient privacy laws. However, the board dismissed two other allegations in the complaint, determining she did not violate laws requiring physicians to immediately report suspected child abuse and keep abreast of mandatory reporting and patient privacy laws.

    A woman in Georgia nearly died after suffering a miscarriage. She says her doctor did not prescribe mifepristone despite it being a standard drug used in miscarriage care. CNN reported Melissa Novak's near-death experience and the consequences that could come for some women if courts ban this drug nationwide.

    Mifepristone has been in use for over 20 years. It is safer than penicillin and Viagra. As shown, it can save lives. A religiously conservative judge in Texas appointed by Republican President Trump banned the drug nationwide. The Appeals court overruled the judge. The Supreme Court overruled the Appeals Court.

    This is what happens when Republicans are allowed to govern. Their incompetence is magnified by the silence of their followers.

    Those followers chose our President in 2016!
     
  11. Sandy Shanks

    Sandy Shanks Banned

    Joined:
    Jun 27, 2016
    Messages:
    26,679
    Likes Received:
    6,470
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Congress has increased or suspended the debt limit unconditionally 78 times since 1960 under both Republican and Democratic administrations, three times under Trump. Without experiencing a war or a recession. Republicans thus allowed the Republican administration of Donald Trump to add $7.8 trillion to the National Debt.

    Today Republicans are holding Americans hostage by demanding a ransom of budgetary matters, meaning future spending, be tied to their approval to raise the debt so that the treasury can pay past obligations such as Social Security, Medicare, and veteran's benefits.

    The last is particularly demeaning. Veterans fought for our country. Today Republicans are holding them hostage. This is their idea of leadership.

    Budgetary matters have absolutely nothing to do with raising the debt limit so America can remain solvent.

    For the past several weeks, who has been doing all the talking? Answer, the Republicans. It is a sure sign they know they are wrong, and they are on the defensive.

    Who is not talking? the forum's Republicans. They, too, know their party is wrong, and they prefer not talking about it.
     
  12. Sandy Shanks

    Sandy Shanks Banned

    Joined:
    Jun 27, 2016
    Messages:
    26,679
    Likes Received:
    6,470
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Caution: It is not over yet. Raising the debt ceiling must be approved by the House and the Senate.

    The Republicans backed down on most of their demands, and the House bill to raise the debt ceiling, but gutted the Biden administration was forgotten. This is not a surprise. They were wrong to hold the American economy and the American people hostage for demands they could not obtain through ordinary means.

    The Guardian reports, "Joe Biden and Kevin McCarthy have reached an agreement to lift the US debt ceiling and avoid a disastrous and unprecedented default. Prior to the details being presented to lawmakers, ahead of an expected vote on Wednesday, here is what sources familiar with negotiations have revealed:
    Cap on discretionary spending
    The deal would suspend the $31.4tn debt ceiling until January 2025, allowing the government to pay its bills. In exchange, non-defense discretionary spending would be “roughly flat” at current year levels in 2024. It would increase by only 1% in 2025.
    What about the 2024 presidential election?
    The debt limit extension schedule means Congress would not need to address the deeply polarizing issue again until after the November 2024 election. Note: In other words, a two-year deal.
    Increased defense spending
    The deal is expected to boost defense spending to around $885bn, in line with Biden’s 2024 budget spending proposal, an 11% increase from the $800bn allocated in the current budget.
    Special IRS funding for federal tax authorities
    Biden and Democrats secured $80bn in new funding for a decade to help the Internal Revenue Service enforce the tax code for wealthy Americans in last year’s Inflation Reduction Act.
    Covid clawback, cuts for the CDC
    Biden and McCarthy are expected to agree to claw back unused Covid-19 relief funds as part of the budget deal.
    Work requirements
    Biden and McCarthy battled fiercely over imposing stricter work requirements on low-income Americans who benefit from federal food and healthcare programs. No changes were made to Medicaid health insurance in the deal, but the agreement would impose new work requirements on low-income people who receive food assistance, up to age 54, instead of 50.
     
  13. Sandy Shanks

    Sandy Shanks Banned

    Joined:
    Jun 27, 2016
    Messages:
    26,679
    Likes Received:
    6,470
    Trophy Points:
    113
    As our President has successfully negotiated a deal to avoid a catastrophic default, Democrats are overwhelmingly pleased that the two leading Republican candidates for President are Trump and Desantis.

    Trump thinks a default is not a big deal!

    Reuters reports, "In a televised CNN town hall appearance, Trump said Congress should claw back money allocated in Biden's domestic spending legislation. "If they don't ... you'll have to default," causing "a bad week or a bad day."

    DeSantis says Republicans were wrong in avoiding a catastrophic default!

    The Hill reports, "Prior to this deal … our country was careening towards bankruptcy. And after this deal, our country will still be careening towards bankruptcy,” DeSantis said on “Fox & Friends.”

    DeSantis speaks only to friendly media. He avoids the respected news media, ABC, NBC, CBS, and the like.

    Trump and Desantis seem challenged by stark reality.

    The forum's Republicans seem equally challenged as their silence toward their party and their party's leader continues.
     
  14. Sandy Shanks

    Sandy Shanks Banned

    Joined:
    Jun 27, 2016
    Messages:
    26,679
    Likes Received:
    6,470
    Trophy Points:
    113
    ABC reports. "The reviews are starting to come in as details emerge about the debt ceiling agreement reached by President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.

    "Some of the earliest objections are coming from Republicans, the most conservative members of Congress, particularly members of the hardline House Freedom Caucus.

    “I think it's a disaster!” tweeted Matt Rosendale, R-Mont.

    “Fake conservatives agree to fake spending cuts,” tweeted Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky.

    "This ‘deal’ is insanity," tweeted Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C.

    "Some Democrats dislike what is roughly a spending freeze on non-defense programs next year and chafe at work requirements.

    "Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., called it terrible policy Sunday on CNN's "State of the Union."

    “However, it is bad policy. I told the president that directly, when he called me last week on Wednesday, that this is saying to poor people and people who are in need that we don’t trust them,” Jayapal.

    Conclusion: When the extreme right is complaining and the extreme left is complaining, it has to one hell of a good piece of legislation.
     
  15. Sandy Shanks

    Sandy Shanks Banned

    Joined:
    Jun 27, 2016
    Messages:
    26,679
    Likes Received:
    6,470
    Trophy Points:
    113
    ABC reports, "With the nation roughly a week away from the risk of a default that could roil the global economy, major business groups have been urging Washington to act quickly on a debt-ceiling increase.

    "The Business Roundtable, a group of more than 200 chief executive officers, called on Congress to pass the bill as soon as possible.

    "The (Republican-leaning) U.S. Chamber of Commerce also urged a yes vote and noted that the vote will be included when the group rates or“scorecards” members of Congress based on how they vote on business priorities.

    "The agreement is a two-year budget deal that would also raise the debt limit (by temporary suspension) until the beginning of 2025 while keeping non-defense spending roughly flat with current levels in fiscal year 2024 and increasing by 1% in 2025. That amounts to a cut in light of inflation but is less major than some of the reductions sought by conservatives.

    "The agreement would suspend the debt limit through Jan. 1, 2025 -- taking away the threat of default until then.

    "While the treasury secretary has cautioned that estimates of the so-called "X-date" for default can vary, she most recently predicted the deadline to be June 5, "based on the most recent available data."

    "Speaker Kevin McCarthy has said the House would vote on the bill on Wednesday. The Senate, which returns to Washington on Tuesday, would then begin processing the legislation on Wednesday night, Majority Leader Chuck Schumer told Democrats in a letter.

    "But under the chamber's rules, it would only take one lawmaker to possibly delay approval for up to a week -- past the X-date. (Republican) Sen. Mike Lee, Utah, has threatened just that unless he feels the deal has "substantial spending and budgetary reforms."
     
  16. Sandy Shanks

    Sandy Shanks Banned

    Joined:
    Jun 27, 2016
    Messages:
    26,679
    Likes Received:
    6,470
    Trophy Points:
    113
    There is little wonder as to why the forum's Republicans remain silent about their party's activities. Members of their party want our country to default on its obligations, causing nationwide and global economic chaos. Also, these Republicans want to rid themselves of the Republican leader who made the deal with the White House.

    Fox News reports, "House Freedom Caucus members on Tuesday said they would oppose the debt ceiling agreement reached by President Biden House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, and called on McCarthy to scrap the weekend deal to work on something that would more aggressively cut back on government spending.

    "Ten members of the caucus told reporters that the deal allows for unlimited borrowing, includes cuts that mostly reflect emergency COVID spending that should be ending anyway, and fails to include measures for border security. House Freedom Caucus Chairman Scott Perry, R-Penn., described the deal as "absolutely and completely unacceptable."

    After today, there are six days left before we descend into economic hell.

    The deal needs to be approved by both the Republican-controlled House and the Senate, which is controlled by the Democrats.

    Politico reports, "Conservative angst over the debt deal is threatening to trigger Kevin McCarthy’s biggest fear — a push to oust him from the speakership.

    "Rep. Dan Bishop (R-N.C.) on Tuesday became the first House conservative to explicitly state he is considering a push to strip McCarthy of the gavel over his recent deal with President Joe Biden."

    After all, what can the forum's Republicans say? This is their party. This is their party's idea of leadership.
     
  17. Sandy Shanks

    Sandy Shanks Banned

    Joined:
    Jun 27, 2016
    Messages:
    26,679
    Likes Received:
    6,470
    Trophy Points:
    113
    ABC reports, "The debt ceiling deal brokered by President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy faces its first major test Tuesday, just days before a potential default.

    "With little time for delay, the powerful House Rules Committee, which controls how, when and whether a measure will be handled on the House floor, convened Tuesday afternoon to consider the Fiscal Responsibility Act.

    "Today's bill is a product of compromise and reflects the realities of a divided government," Rep. Tom Cole, R-Okla., said as he began the meeting.

    "After debate, the committee will decide whether to advance the legislation so the full House can hold a planned vote on Wednesday and send it to the Senate ahead of Monday's default deadline.

    "House Freedom Caucus members on the committee, Reps. Chip Roy of Texas and Ralph Norman of North Carolina, vowed to try to block the bill from moving forward. Roy issued a veiled threat that there could be consequences if the deal goes through.

    "Not one Republican should vote for this deal. It is a bad deal," Roy said at a House Freedom Caucus press conference on Tuesday.

    "Rep. Scott Perry, the chairman of the House Freedom Caucus, dodged questions on whether he'd support a motion to vacate -- a rule that would allow any House member to force a vote to attempt to remove the speaker.

    "I'll let each member speak for themselves. For me, I am focused on defeating this bill. What happens post that, and the agreements we have, we will decide once we determine the disposition of the bill in its finality," he said.
     
  18. Sandy Shanks

    Sandy Shanks Banned

    Joined:
    Jun 27, 2016
    Messages:
    26,679
    Likes Received:
    6,470
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Ordinarily, I don't believe a thing from either Ukraine or Russia regarding Russia's invasion of Ukraine. That said, there is every reason to believe Moscow was attacked.

    NBC reports, "Moscow was hit by drones Tuesday morning, in what appeared to be the first attack on residential areas of the Russian capital since the invasion of Ukraine.

    "It comes weeks after an alleged drone attack on the Kremlin itself and following days of deadly Russian bombardment against civilians in Kyiv, as events far from the front lines take the spotlight ahead of Ukraine’s planned counteroffensive.

    "Tuesday's incident caused damage to some buildings in Moscow and forced residents to evacuate homes, officials said, though the Kremlin largely shrugged off the dramatic display that its war was increasingly coming home."

    Putin didn't have much to say. He commended Moscow's air defenses.

    Ukraine denied direct responsibility.

    I don't believe it for a minute. Who else would attack Russia? Finland?
     
  19. Sandy Shanks

    Sandy Shanks Banned

    Joined:
    Jun 27, 2016
    Messages:
    26,679
    Likes Received:
    6,470
    Trophy Points:
    113
    ABC reports, "The debt ceiling deal brokered by President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy cleared a major procedural hurdle on Tuesday night, just days before a potential default by the U.S. government.

    "The House Rules Committee gave the green light for the Fiscal Responsibility Act to advance to the full House so members can hold a planned vote on Wednesday night before sending the legislation to the Senate ahead of Monday’s default deadline.

    "The panel advanced the bill to the floor for debate in a narrow 7-6 vote.

    "A deal to raise the nation's debt ceiling is heading to a crucial vote in the House on Wednesday night, the next step in averting a potential default now just days away.

    "A subsequent vote to begin debate on the bill, on Wednesday afternoon, was approved by the House 241-187 when about three dozen Democrats joined a majority of Republicans in voting yes.

    "A full floor vote is scheduled to start at 8:30 p.m. Eastern and the legislation is expected to pass then as well, but frustration in both parties has seen leaders working around the clock to shore up enough support among their members. The Treasury Department has estimated that the government will run out of cash to pay all of its bills by Monday."
     
  20. Sandy Shanks

    Sandy Shanks Banned

    Joined:
    Jun 27, 2016
    Messages:
    26,679
    Likes Received:
    6,470
    Trophy Points:
    113
    CNN reports, "Russia saw the effects of its war on Ukraine dramatically reverberate back onto its own territory on Wednesday, after a “massive” shelling attack injured four people in Belgorod and preliminary information indicated a drone crashed and sparked a fire at an oil refinery further south.

    "Eight apartment buildings, four homes, a school and two administrative buildings were damaged during the shelling in Shebekino, a village in the border region of Belgorod, its governor said, as the oblast increasingly becomes a hotbed of straying violence.

    "The governor of Russia’s Belgorod region Vyacheslav Gladkov said there was more shelling of a border area later on Wednesday, which he blamed on Ukrainian forces.

    "Speaking in a live broadcast, he said an industrial plant close to the city of Shebekino had been struck. “The situation in Shebekino is not getting better,” Gladkov said in a live broadcast. “There is shelling of Shebekino, there is a fire at one of the industrial enterprises.”

    "And a drone struck the Ilsky oil refinery in the Krasnodar region, east of the annexed territory of Crimea, starting a fire in the early hours of Wednesday morning, local officials there said. The blaze was put out soon after.

    "Elsewhere on Wednesday, a drone attack was launched on Russia’s Bryansk region, state news agency RIA Novosti reported. About 10 drones tried to attack the Klimovsky district and were shot down or intercepted, RIA reported.

    "The string of events – following last week’s incursion on Belgorod by anti-Putin Russians who had been fighting alongside the Ukrainian military – mark a new turn in a conflict that is increasingly coming home to Russian people."
     
  21. Sandy Shanks

    Sandy Shanks Banned

    Joined:
    Jun 27, 2016
    Messages:
    26,679
    Likes Received:
    6,470
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Trump is extremely stupid. He is a loud-mouth narcissist incapable of learning from the many mistakes caused by his own big mouth.

    The irony is, this is why his fans adore him. In a note of pure irony, while Trump is the party leader and the leading Republican candidate for President, his fans never discuss him. Note: See thread titles by Republicans.

    Trump's mouth got him in trouble again this week. His ignorance defense in the classified documents case is in shatters by his own doing.

    CNN reports, "Former President Donald Trump’s history of making inappropriate or questionable comments on tape got another chapter on Wednesday with fresh revelations from his post-White House life.

    "The latest example emerged from CNN’s exclusive reporting that federal prosecutors have an audio recording of Trump acknowledging he held onto a classified Pentagon document after leaving office. The tape seems unlikely to dent his political position as the frontrunner for the GOP nomination in 2024. But it could have real consequences in the legal limbo where he lives.

    "This latest tape could also end up as part of a criminal case. The recording is in the possession of the Department of Justice special counsel Jack Smith, who’s investigating the retention of national defense information. Smith’s investigation has shown signs of nearing its end.

    "The recording of the July 2021 meeting seriously undercuts Trump’s longstanding argument that he mentally declassified material he took with him from the White House. It also adds his Bedminster club to the potential locations where Trump had classified documents after leaving office.

    "Trump causes questions about the exposure of the document since attendees at the meeting included people who did not have security clearances.

    "Smith has focused on the meeting as part of the criminal investigation into Trump’s handling of national security secrets, and prosecutors have asked witnesses about the recording and the document before a federal grand jury.

    At the July meeting, "Trump points to a classified Pentagon document to try to refute the idea that Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley had been trying to stop him from starting a war with Iran. Note: The document is a contingency plan for a U.S. ground assault of Iran.

    "On the tape, he mentions the document, which he said came from Milley."

    Trump was clueless!

    "The Joint Chiefs of Staff has a directorate focused on developing and proposing strategies and plans for the chairman, and another that provides guidance about current plans and operations to commanders throughout the force," CNN.

    They are called contingency plans, and there are contingency plans involving various scenarios for every American rival. The former President did not know that!

    In a chronic need to brag about himself, Trump discussed Top Secret Pentagon contingency plans with a group of reporters!

    It is really difficult to accept that this intellectual weakling was once our President. It is equally difficult to accept that 55% of Republican voters want this mental midget to be our President again.
     
  22. Sandy Shanks

    Sandy Shanks Banned

    Joined:
    Jun 27, 2016
    Messages:
    26,679
    Likes Received:
    6,470
    Trophy Points:
    113
    House Republicans attempted to hold our economy and the global economy hostage by passing a debt ceiling package that gutted our President's administration. The President, however, forced the Republicans to back down, and he succeeded in overcoming the threat of economic chaos of catastrophic proportions.

    Thanks to President Biden, we have good news today.

    The Times reports, "After weeks of political impasse, tense negotiations and mounting economic anxiety, the Senate gave final approval on Thursday night to bipartisan legislation suspending the debt limit and imposing new spending caps, sending it to President Biden and ending the possibility of a calamitous government default.

    "The approval by the Senate on a 63-to-36 vote brought to a close a political showdown that began brewing as soon as Republicans narrowly won the House in November, promising to use their new majority and the threat of a default to try to extract spending and policy concessions from Mr. Biden."

    President Biden promised to sign it as soon as possible and address the nation from the Oval Office on Friday evening.
     
  23. Sandy Shanks

    Sandy Shanks Banned

    Joined:
    Jun 27, 2016
    Messages:
    26,679
    Likes Received:
    6,470
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Biden's approval numbers are in the toilet, and I do not understand why. Members of this forum who think our President is doing a bad job do not explain why they feel that way. They bring up the President's son, his age, fables about his senility, and the fact that he tripped over a sandbag.

    Our President also gets bad marks for how he is handling the economy. That really throws me for a loop. The only explanation is, Americans do not know beans about how an economy works.

    Those who disagree with what I have said so far are invited to explain why.

    ABC reports, "The nation’s employers stepped up their hiring in May, adding a robust 339,000 jobs, well above expectations and evidence of enduring strength in an economy that the Federal Reserve is desperately trying to cool.

    "Friday's report from the government reflected the job market's resilience after more than a year of aggressive interest rate increases by the Fed. Many industries, from construction to restaurants to health care, are still adding jobs to keep up with consumer demand and restore their workforces to pre-pandemic levels.

    "Overall, the report painted a mostly encouraging picture of the job market. The unemployment rate rose slightly to 3.7%. That is still a five-decade low and amounts to full employment."

    Those complaining about the economy generally cite inflation as a basis for their complaint.

    With full employment, spending is robust. Here is what most Americans do not know about how economics works.

    When an economy has full employment, people are spending money. The hearty spending caused by full employment causes inflation. With prosperity, you get inflation. That is simply a fact of economic life.

    How does inflation decrease? When employment decreases, there is less spending. The economy sinks into a recession.

    Question: Do those who are giving our President bad marks for his handling of the economy want a recession?

    Anyone questioning this analysis must deal with those statements.
     
  24. Sandy Shanks

    Sandy Shanks Banned

    Joined:
    Jun 27, 2016
    Messages:
    26,679
    Likes Received:
    6,470
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Trump has lost every election he has been in, and most of his endorsed candidates have lost. Under his leadership, the GOP lost both the House and the Senate.

    Despite the fact that the Democrats chose the worst possible candidate in 2016 --Hillary Clinton -- and Trump was helped along by the FBI director who opened an investigation of Clinton ten days before the election, Trump still lost the popular vote.

    Trump is a loser, but his fans adore him for some unknown reason they cannot explain. They say they like Trump's policies, but they never explain what policies they are talking about.

    Trump's domestic and foreign policies were a disaster. That is why he lost his reelection by seven million votes.

    Today, he is facing a criminal indictment, lost a $5 million sexual assault lawsuit, and is facing multiple DOJ indictments for his role in inciting an attack on our capitol and stealing hundreds of pages of classified documents.

    Through it all, his fans still adore him. The more trouble Trump has with the law, the more they like him. They blame the FBI for Trump's criminal activities, and the "liberal" media for reporting those illegal activities.
     
  25. Sandy Shanks

    Sandy Shanks Banned

    Joined:
    Jun 27, 2016
    Messages:
    26,679
    Likes Received:
    6,470
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Oh, what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive.

    The Trump Eulogy
     

Share This Page