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

Donald Trump wants to be our President again, and is the leading contender for the Republican nomination.

However, the fact remains, he is not very bright.

He has lost sight of the fact -- or didn't know it to begin with -- that one of the reasons the DOJ keeps its investigations close to the vest is to protect the accused.

The accused in the case of stolen classified documents is Donald Trump!

Every time the DOJ is forced by Trump's lawyers to reveal more information regarding the ongoing investigation of Donald Trump, it reveals more damaging evidence supporting Trump's guilt in the matter.

Little wonder as to why Trump can't get good lawyers. Trump is his own worst enemy. Lawyers do not like clients that have that peculiar characteristic.

 

Things keep looking up for our economy. Inflation is easing. Then there is the new jobs report.

ABCreports, "U.S. hiring slowed from its breakneck pace but remained robust in August, with the economy adding 315,000 jobs and the unemployment rate rising to 3.7%, according to data released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics on Friday.

"The report comes one week after Fed Chair Jerome Powell triggered a stock sell-off and stoked recession fears with his vow to fight inflation with interest rate hikes "until the job is done."

"The Fed has instituted a series of aggressive borrowing cost increases in recent months as it tries to slash near-historic inflation by slowing the economy and choking off demand. But the approach risks tipping the U.S. into an economic downturn."

The booming economy will not cooperate with the Fed.

"So far this year, however, employment has boomed. The robust hiring numbers have defied expectations and quieted fears of a major slowdown.

"U.S. hiring far outpaced expectations in July, as the economy added a blockbuster 528,000 jobs and the unemployment rate fell to 3.5%, according to data released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics last month.

"The jobs added in July exceeded the already-robust hiring sustained over the first half of 2022, during which the economy added an average of 461,000 jobs each month," ABC.

Why Americans are giving Biden poor marks on the economy is a mystery, particularly when it is known from a historical perspective that Republican administrations have a history of recessions.

The last Republican President had a recession. The Republican President before him had a recession. The Republican President during the eighties had a recession.

Do Americans really think the Republicans can do a better job on the economy? If so, what in the world is the basis for that belief?

 

CNN reports, 'It is extraordinary for a defeated ex-president to play a starring role in the first midterm election since he lost power. Yet Donald Trump’s decision to use the 2022 elections as a stage to avenge his 2020 defeat and President Joe Biden’s strategy of making the man he vanquished the focus of the Democratic campaign are shaking up conventional wisdom about November’s critical vote.

"A race expected to turn on Biden’s unpopularity and high inflation had already been shaken up by the overturning of a woman’s constitutional right to an abortion by the Supreme Court, whose conservative majority Trump had solidified. Now, the ex-President has roared back to center stage, powered by his inflammatory efforts to turn the midterms into a proving ground for his false claims the 2020 election was stolen and reverberations of the FBI search of his resort in Florida.

"History would suggest the Democrats – as the party of a first-term president – will face a drubbing in the midterms.

"But Trump has yet again shattered expectations and is turning what had been shaping up as a referendum on Biden and the economy into one on his own grievance-fueled politics.

Indeed, among the many issues being discussed involving Trump's theft of hundreds of pages of classified documents and the return of the Jan. 6 committee hearings this month, Trump was highly instrumental in the overturning of Roe vs. Wade. Without Trump's three picks for the Supreme Court that would not have happened.

The fact that Republican Party support for government control of a pregnant woman's health will likely turn every suburban and urban woman against the GOP is a definite edge for Democrats.

In a controlled environment, Democrats may even be thanking Donald Trump while Republicans may be cursing the horrible timing.

 

When the federal judge stopped the DOJ from investigating the classified documents Trump stole from the American people, this is what she got herself into!

The Post reports, "A document describing a foreign government’s military defenses, including its nuclear capabilities, was found by FBI agents who searched former president Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence and private club last month, underscoring concerns among U.S. intelligence officials about classified material stashed in the Florida property.

"Some of the seized documents detail top-secret U.S. operations so closely guarded that many senior national security officials are kept in the dark about them. Only the president, some members of his Cabinet or a near-Cabinet-level official could authorize other government officials to know details of these special-access programs."

"The [Republican] Senate Intelligence Committee reaffirmed its support for the U.S. intelligence community’s conclusion that the Russian government interfered in the 2016 presidential election with the goal of putting Donald Trump in the Oval Office." https://www.politico.com/news/2020/...rms-russia-aimed-to-help-trump-in-2016-198171

Trump still hasn't offered an explanation as to why he stole hundreds of pages of classified documents.

Not even a lie. That is very odd. Very much out of character. By now we should have received at least a lame excuse.

ABC continued, "Documents about such highly classified operations require special clearances on a need-to-know basis, not just top-secret clearance. Some special-access programs can have as few as a couple dozen government personnel authorized to know of an operation’s existence. Records that deal with such programs are kept under lock and key, almost always in a secure compartmented information facility, with a designated control officer to keep careful tabs on their location.

But such documents were stored at Mar-a-Lago, with uncertain security, for more than 18 months after Trump left the White House.

It is difficult to accept that a federal judge was foolish enough to get involved in all this and halt the DOJ's investigation of a national security threat.

 

CNN reports, "Ex-Attorney General William Barr’s scathing critique of a major court victory for Donald Trump in the Mar-a-Lago classified documents drama is escalating the scrutiny of the judge who put the brakes on the investigation."

The so-called "major court victory for Trump" causes about a 60-day delay for the DOJ to examine the classified documents Trump stole from the American people.

60 days before an election the DOJ does not provide any information that may affect the election. The November mid-terms are about 60 days from today.

Prior to the judge's biased decision, the DOJ had the classified documents for three weeks which they were busy analyzing.

Conclusion: it was an empty victory for Trump.

Anyway, back to the CNN story which concerns Trump's old friend. It is safe to say, however, they are no longer friends.

"On Tuesday, Barr took aim at a decision by Trump-appointed Judge Aileen Cannon to grant Trump’s request for a “special master” to vet for executive and legal privilege issues the material taken from his home in last month’s FBI search."

“The opinion, I think, was wrong, and I think the government should appeal it. It’s deeply flawed in a number of ways,” Barr said on Fox on Tuesday.

"It was the second time in just a few days that the former attorney general had taken to the network favored by conservatives (and Trump) to hammer Trump on the controversy.

"Barr’s outspokenness will have consequences. First, such comments by a longtime political and legal conservative will add credibility to growing questions not just about Cannon’s legal reasoning but also whether Monday’s ruling, which delivered several big wins to Trump (really?), was motivated by loyalty to the president who appointed her."

Pardon me, but isn't that obvious? Her decision violates both legal opinion and common sense in addition to blaming the DOJ for what Trump has done ... unleashing a political storm. The DOJ wants to keep its investigations quiet, but the federal judge didn't know that and blamed the DOJ for "bias and media leaks."

The naive judge was also completely unaware of political blow-back. Trump started a media frenzy. The DOJ complied.

Back to CNN, "Barr’s criticism added to that of many legal experts over the quality and potential consequences of Cannon’s legal opinion.

"After last week calling Trump’s demand for a “special master” a “red herring,” Barr on Tuesday argued that the fundamentals of the case against Trump and those around him in Florida were already set."

“The government has very strong evidence of what it really needs to determine whether charges are appropriate – which is government documents were taken, classified information was taken and not handled appropriately,” Barr told Fox.

The forum's Republicans will remain unresponsive to the issues of this report.

 

A federal judge in Florida appointed by Trump interjected herself into a national security matter, halting the DOJ's investigation of the classified documents stolen by Trump.

This is dangerous, very dangerous.

It seems apparent the overwhelmed judge did it for political reasons because her legal opinions for doing so were flawed. Trump's attorney general indicated that was the case (see above).

The DOJ intends to stop her.

The Post reports, "The Justice Department said it would appeal a federal judge’s decision to appoint a special master to sift through thousands of documents the FBI seized from Donald Trump’s Florida residence on Aug. 8, according to a Thursday court filing.

"The notice of appeal arrived three days after Judge Aileen M. Cannon ruled in favor of Trump and said she would appoint a special master, slowing — at least temporarily — an investigation into the possible mishandling of extremely sensitive classified information, as well as possible hiding, tampering or destruction of government records.

"In a separate, simultaneous court filing, prosecutors asked Cannon to stay her Sept. 5 decision on two key points: her order to temporarily halt a significant portion of the FBI investigation into the potential mishandling of classified information, and to allow a special master to review the classified material that is among the documents seized as part of a court-authorized search at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club on Aug. 8.

"Ultimately, the Justice Department said that a special master could be appointed, but argued that the judge should prohibit the special master from reviewing classified documents. The special master would be still able to sort through personal documents and other items the FBI also seized, setting aside materials as necessary, the filing says."

As further proof that Trump's judge had no idea what she was doing, the prosecutors were forced to point out to the judge "that allowing a special master to review the classified material would “cause the most immediate and serious harms to the government and the public,” noting that those documents have already been moved to a secure facility, separate from the rest of the seized Trump papers.

Put a different way, Trump's judge is a threat to our national security.

As can be readily seen, Trump is no stranger to providing threats to our national security.

The Jan. 6 committee hearings investigating Trump's attempt to overthrow our elected government will resume shortly.

It is no surprise to see that Trump's grassroots Republicans and Republican lawmakers are avoiding these issues entirely. The last one to speak out was a Republican Senator who threatened riots in the streets if Trump is indicted.

 

Is the Republican Party in trouble?

Julian Zelizer seems to think so.

He writes, "A public rift between Florida Sen. Rick Scott, who heads the National Republican Senatorial Committee, and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has highlighted the ongoing debate within the GOP about how far the party should go to cater to former President Donald Trump and promote his role as kingpin.

"Last month, McConnell acknowledged the Republican Party had a better chance of winning control of the House than the Senate, citing the quality of the candidates, some of whom Trump endorsed and Scott played a role in recruiting. “Senate races are just different — they’re statewide, candidate quality has a lot to do with the outcome,” McConnell said.

"Scott then published an op-ed in the Washington Examiner last week, slamming members of the GOP who were “trash-talking our Republican candidates.” He added, “It’s an amazing act of cowardice, and ultimately, it’s treasonous to the conservative cause.”

It is painfully obvious who Scott was talking about, and the Republican Party abandoned the conservative cause when Donald Trump became their leader. One of those conservative principles is respect for law and order. Trump is fending off multiple state and federal criminal charges, and grassroots Republicans -- as well as most Republican lawmakers -- are defending him.

Anyway, back to Zelizer. "Former President Donald Trump has inserted himself in the midterms and endorsed several inexperienced and unfit candidates who are now struggling to pull ahead. Mehmet Oz’s campaign against Lt. Governor John Fetterman in Pennsylvania is faltering, former football star Herschel Walker is locked in a dead heat with incumbent Sen. Raphael Warnock of Georgia and bestselling author JD Vance has been running a low-visibility campaign in Ohio.

"McConnell, a master tactician who criticized Trump during the 2016 campaign, surprised many onlookers by working closely with the former president once he was in the White House. But the truth is that McConnell has always been driven by the pursuit of partisan power, and his more recent decision to break with Trump may be fueled by the growing sense that the former president is a bigger liability than he’s worth."

Unfortunately for McConnell, against all logic, the education challenged, uninformed rural voter is staying with Trump in a cult-like manner.

They can't even respond to the issues contained in this thread. Reality is not their forte. They try to avoid it.

Which explains their undying loyalty to Trump.

 

(Commenting on highlighted in bold) The basis of our law and order rests upon the foundational principle of equal justice under the Constitution. Even Trump deserves the full protection provided under our jurisprudence system of law and order. Zelizer doesn't know what the hell he's talking about. Lawyers defend even the guilty, not because they oppose law and order, but because our system demands defending against those who would abuse their power.

 

New Georgia poll shows Walker leads Warnock 47-44



'The InsiderAdvantage/FOX 5 poll shows Walker now up over Warnock 47-44. Warnock lost four points as Walker picked up two points since July’s poll. The Libertarian candidate, Chase Oliver, polls at 4% and 5% of voters are undecided.'

Run Herschel Run!

 

A long time ago, in another century, I was the intelligence officer at regiment, the S-2 so to speak. Since I have heard it nearly all my adult life I am able to recognize propaganda when I hear it.

We are allied with Ukraine. We have spent billions in support of Ukraine in its fight against Russia, our decades old mortal enemy.

And, of course, we are winning. That is to say, Ukraine is winning.

Would it surprise anyone that there is a lot of Ukrainian propaganda going around in the American media?

Ukraine is outmanned and outgunned. We should treat any talk of Ukrainian victories with a grain of salt along with a wait-and-see attitude. Russia was surprised by the offensive. Russia will get un-surprised. Then we will see what happens.

That said, CNN reports, "The last week has seen a stunning transformation of the battlefield in eastern Ukraine, as a swift armored offensive by Ukrainian forces rolled through lines of Russian defenses and recaptured more than 3,000 square kilometers (more than 1,100 square miles) of territory.

"That is more territory than Russian forces have captured in all their operations in Ukraine since April.

"As much as the offensive was brilliantly conceived and executed, it also succeeded because of Russian inadequacies. Throughout swathes of the Kharkiv region, Russian units were poorly organized and equipped – and many offered little resistance.

Well, okay, yeah, what do I know?

 

Where is the "Ukrainian Propaganda" you spoke of?

 

The Republican Senator from South Carolina, Lindsey Graham, simply is not very bright.

A little while ago he threatened that if Trump is indicted there will be "riots in the streets." Imagine, a U.S. Senator saying something like that. Hard to imagine, but Graham said it.

Ever since Trump's Supreme Court overturned Roe vs. Wade" the Republican Party has been losing ground on the abortion issue. It seems that Americans do not like the idea of the government being in charge of a pregnant woman's health, which, of course, is the Republican position. A Republican President made it all possible with three Supreme Courts picks who were dedicated to reversing Roe.

So, what does Graham do? He introduces a bill that would ban abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy nationwide.

Just what the GOP needs with less than 60 days before the November mid-terms.

The Post reports, "Sen. Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.) on Tuesday introduced a bill that would ban abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy nationwide, the most prominent effort by Republicans to restrict the procedure since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June."

“I think we should have a law at the federal level that would say, after 15 weeks, no abortion on demand except in cases of rape, incest or to save the life of the mother,” Graham said at a news conference. “And that should be where America is at.”

His surprising and rather foolish announcement comes "just weeks after he and most Republicans defended the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe by arguing that allowing states to decide on abortion rights would be the most “constitutionally sound” way of handling the issue," the Post.

Adding to his stupidity -- if one is a Republican, that is -- "Graham vowed that if Republicans took back the House and the Senate in the midterm elections there would be a vote on his 15-week abortion bill."

 

I see the word "TRUMP" in nearly every reply. Man you guys must really miss him! I don't want him to run again. Can you democrats stop making him news every day? I mean, he does have a huge ego and the left keeps feeding it. I'm ready for some new blood in the Republican party. You guys should stop putting him in the spotlight. Every bad thing you say about him makes us like him more. IMO he is not worthy. He failed to stop an election from being cheated. He should not have another chance IMO

 

Politico reports, "A North Carolina-based GOP pollster is issuing a warning to Republican legislators: Voters are ready to punish the party for restricting access to abortion too much.

"In a poll of 800 likely North Carolina voters conducted by Paul Shumaker, a longtime GOP consultant who works on congressional and state races across the country, only a quarter of the respondents said that abortions should either not be legal in any circumstance or only be legal if the life of the mother is endangered.

"Even among Republicans, the poll found, only 40 percent support a near-total abortion ban.

"The data comes at a fraught moment for the Republican Party, which is split on how to proceed on abortion policy following the U.S. Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade in June. This week, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) introduced a 15-week national abortion ban, dividing the Senate GOP conference. State legislators around the country have pushed through even more stringent restrictions on abortion access. Last month, Tennessee passed a near-total abortion ban, providing no exemptions for cases of incest or rape, and other state legislatures continue to debate “heartbeat bills,” banning abortion at six weeks.

"Meanwhile, Democratic candidates in the midterms have seen an uptick in support in public and private polls, and the party has enjoyed a number of overperformances in House special elections this summer since the Supreme Court’s ruling came out."

 

With the November mid-terms just around the corner, the GOP seems to be going in the wrong direction.

That probably is a good thing as Chris Cillizza writes, "Don Bolduc, who put election denialism at the center of his campaign, defeated establishment favorite Chuck Morse in New Hampshire’s GOP Senate primary, the latest in a series of blows to Republicans’ hopes of winning back the majority in the chamber this fall.

"Bolduc now joins the likes of Herschel Walker in Georgia, J.D. Vance in Ohio, Mehmet Oz in Pennsylvania and Blake Masters in Arizona as Republican candidates who ran – and won – primary campaigns by aligning themselves with the coalition built by former President Donald Trump but who appear to have much work to do when it comes to courting a general election audience. (Sidebar: Trump did not endorse Bolduc – or any other candidate – in the New Hampshire primary.)

"Throughout the campaign, Bolduc embraced a series of controversial positions – most notably, contra facts, that the 2020 election was stolen from Trump. He has also called for the repeal of the 17th Amendment, which allows voters to directly elect their senators. After the FBI executed a search warrant on Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home, Bolduc questioned whether the agency was needed."

 

Without fanfare, without controversy, our President quietly goes about his job.

ABC reports, "The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits fell again last week to a four-month low even as the Federal Reserve continues its aggressive interest rate cuts to bring inflation under control.

"Applications for jobless aid for the week ending Sept. 10 fell by 5,000 to 213,000, the Labor Department reported Thursday. That's the fewest since late May.

"The four-week average for claims, which offsets some of the weekly volatility, fell by 8,000 to 224,000.

"Hiring in the U.S. in 2022 has been remarkably strong even in the midst of rising interest rates and weak economic growth. The Federal Reserve has aggressively raised interest rates in an effort to bring down inflation, which generally also slows job growth.

"Earlier this month, the Labor Department reported that employers added still-strong 315,000 jobs in August, though less than the average 487,000 a month over the past year. The unemployment rate ticked up to 3.7%, its highest level since February, but for a healthy reason: Hundreds of thousands of people returned to the job market, and some didn’t find work right away, so the government’s count of unemployed people rose."

Interesting that naysayers are dinging the President for his handling of the economy, particularly when one realizes that Republican administrations have a nasty habit of creating recessions during their run.

Then our President dealt with a severe threat to our economy.

ABC explains, "American railway companies and unions have reached a tentative labor agreement amid the threat of strikes.

U.S. Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh announced the news on Twitter early Thursday. He said the tentative agreement "balances the needs of workers, businesses, and our nation's economy."

"The Biden Administration applauds all parties for reaching this hard-fought, mutually beneficial deal," Walsh added. "Our rail system is integral to our supply chain, and a disruption would have had catastrophic impacts on industries, travelers and families across the country."

 

This is surreal! In a half-century of following American politics, this is a first. What this politician did also ranks first in stupidity.

During the Republican primary campaign, the politician emphatically staked out a certain position.

Following his victory, attaining the Republican nomination, the politician completely reversed himself.

CNN reports, "New Hampshire Senate candidate Don Bolduc won the Republican nomination on Tuesday after months campaigning on false claims that the 2020 election was stolen from former President Donald Trump.

“I signed a letter with 120 other generals and admirals saying Trump won the election, and damn it, I stand by [it],” Bolduc said during the mid-August debate.

Two days after his nomination, on Fox News, Bolduc change his mind.

“I’ve come to the conclusion, and I want to be definitive on this: The election was not stolen,” Bolduc said, adding that “Elections have consequences and, unfortunately, President Biden is the legitimate president of this country.”

The arrogance of Bolduc. He is convinced the people of New Hampshire are stupid.

Bolduc now joins the likes of Herschel Walker in Georgia, J.D. Vance in Ohio, Mehmet Oz in Pennsylvania and Blake Masters in Arizona as Republican candidates who ran – and won – primary campaigns by aligning themselves with the coalition built by former President Donald Trump.

“Senate races are just different — they’re statewide, candidate quality has a lot to do with the outcome,” Republican Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.

 

Trump's federal judge who is in the process of interfering in the DOJ investigation of national security matters has approved the special master and is effectively slowing down the investigation of Trump's theft of classified documents.

The Times reports, "A federal judge on Thursday rejected the Justice Department’s request to resume a key part of its inquiry into former President Donald J. Trump’s handling of sensitive government records and appointed an outside arbiter to review thousands of documents seized last month from his Florida residence.

"The judge, Aileen M. Cannon, declined to lift any part of an order she issued last week that barred the department from using the documents, including about 100 marked classified, in its investigation until the arbiter, known as a special master, had completed a review.

"In her 10-page decision, Judge Cannon appointed a special master suggested by the Trump legal team and agreed upon by the government: Raymond J. Dearie, a semiretired judge from the Federal District Court for the Eastern District of New York.

"Judge Dearie will now have the authority to sift through more than 11,000 records the F.B.I. carted away from Mr. Trump’s estate, Mar-a-Lago, on Aug. 8. The move was a blow to the Justice Department, almost certain to significantly delay its investigation into whether the former president unlawfully retained national defense records or obstructed repeated attempts by federal officials to retrieve them."

In her order, Trump appointed Judge Cannon took pains to describe herself as mindful of the traditional reluctance of the judicial branch to intrude on executive authority in national security matters.

Then she did exactly that.

The Times continued, "She said that Judge Dearie should first look at the classified documents and “thereafter consider prompt adjustments to the court’s orders as necessary.” That raised the possibility that Judge Dearie might quickly clear the items and the F.B.I. would then regain unrestricted use of them in its criminal inquiry. In her order, Judge Cannon said the special master should try to finish his review by Nov. 30.

She did exactly what Trump's lawyers wanted her to do. The November mid-terms take place on November 8th.

However, her effectiveness in slowing things down has been marginalized by two important factors. The DOJ had possession of the classified documents for over three weeks before the judge's initial order. Also, as a matter of policy, the DOJ does not make any significant pronouncements within the 60 days before a general election.

 

There is a burning question that no poll, no news correspondent, and no newspaper wants to consider.

It is important, too, because the November mid-terms are just around the corner.

With more and more states with Republican legislatures and Republican governors passing more and more laws restricting abortions, come election time will Republican women in these Republican states support the Republican position that the government is in control of a pregnant women's health?

I doubt forum Republicans will answer that question. They never do. As this thread attests, they don't talk much. It may be an intelligence issue.

Nevertheless, it would be nice to get some feedback on that question.

 

Dude that entire screed was wrong on almost every level and on every point. The Iranian Nuclear deal didn't prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon at all let alone forever.

The 9/11 counted as white wash or garbage at one time or the other by half the leftist in the country in their zeal to destroy GW Bush as they now seek to destroy DJ Trump. Now your bible is that same tale of how a bifurcated intelligence apparatus, with far too many moving parts failed to correctly assemble Bin Laden's plot in time to stop it.

 

The U.S. economy is on fire, and the Fed is trying to put it out without creating a recession. Needless to say, that is a bit tricky.

ABC reports, "Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell bluntly warned in a speech last month that the Fed’s drive to curb inflation by aggressively raising interest rates would “bring some pain." On Wednesday, Americans may get a better sense of how much pain could be in store.

"The Fed is expected at its latest meeting to raise its key short-term rate by a substantial three-quarters of a point for the third consecutive time. Another hike that large would lift its benchmark rate — which affects many consumer and business loans — to a range of 3% to 3.25%, the highest level in 14 years.

"In a further sign of the Fed's deepening concern about inflation, it will also likely signal that it plans to raise rates much higher by year's end than it had forecast three months ago — and to keep them higher for a longer period.

Our President is doing what he can. However, because inflation was brought about by factors beyond his control -- the pandemic resulting in supply shortages combined with full employment and robust consumer spending -- there is very little he can do. The Fed has more control over the problem than he does.

It doesn't hurt to be optimistic.

CNN reports, "President Joe Biden expressed optimism about the direction of the US economy Sunday, saying America will be able to rein in historically high inflation and that he’s hoping the Federal Reserve will achieve a “soft landing” by slowing economic growth without going into recession."

“I’m telling the American people that we’re going to get control of inflation,” Biden said in an interview with CBS’s “60 Minutes” that aired on Sunday night.

"The latest reading of the government’s widely followed inflation report, the Consumer Price Index, showed that the annual pace of inflation has started to tick down in recent months, measuring 8.3% for the year ending in August — the second month of declines.

"Biden touted his administration’s gains in the labor market, with 10 million new jobs added since he took office, and its investments in the semiconductor industry.

"Other inflation measures provide a glimmer of hope. The August Producer Price Index showed continued declines in the average change of prices paid to producers as supply chain troubles ease and the high energy prices finish filtering their way through the economy.

"Still, key contributing and detracting factors of inflation remain largely beyond the control of Biden, and even the Fed."

Republicans complain about inflation, but they have no suggestions as to what Biden should do about it, and they shy away from the causes of the inflation which began during the Republican administration.

 

Are Republicans ceding the election to the Democrats?

Sometimes it seems that way.

Donald Trump is the leader of the Republican Party, and those running for office in November have sought his endorsement. The qualifier is, they must affirm that the 2020 election was stolen from Trump.

CNN reports, "Donald Trump needs you to know that Republican candidates don’t just like him, they love him. And they need him. Badly.

"At a rally on Saturday night for Ohio GOP Senate nominee J.D. Vance, Trump made sure the crowd knew that Vance was subservient to him – big time.

“J.D. is kissing my ass he wants my support so bad,” Trump said.

"Trump was reacting to a New York Times story that reported Vance had not actually invited Trump to campaign with him in the state. Instead, Trump’s team had simply told Vance that they would be coming to Ohio for a rally.

"Trump’s campaign stops have always been, primarily, about Trump. You can tell that by the amount of time he spends talking about himself versus how much time he spends talking about the candidate for whom he is ostensibly campaigning."

It's not just Trump.

Dean Obeidallah writes, "Some leading Republicans gave Americans a master class on extremism this past week by repeatedly reminding us about the threat they pose to our freedoms and our democracy.

"Examples of this extremism run the gamut: From two majority-Republican states imposing draconian abortion bans, to voters picking an election denier to be New Hampshire’s GOP nominee for the US Senate, to GOP governors cruelly treating Latino human beings as anything but, to former President Donald Trump’s ominous warning about “big problems” the country will face if he is indicted.

"After imposing new bans on practically all abortions, Republicans in Indiana and West Virginia are saying that a woman’s uterus effectively becomes the property of the state from the moment of conception.

"Meanwhile, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott are trying to one-up each other with their callous shuttling of Latino migrants to distant blue state locales to score political points."

Then there is the former Republican President issuing a threat to the American people, stating that if he is charged with any crimes over keeping classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago home after leaving the White House, “I think you’d have problems in this country the likes of which perhaps we’ve never seen before.”

Obeidallah continued, "Election denier Dan Bolduc captured the New Hampshire GOP nomination for the US Senate in Tuesday’s primary. After the primary, Bolduc dropped his election denialism, making a conveniently timed realization that after having “done a lot of research” on the matter, “unfortunately, President (Joe) Biden is the legitimate president."

The Republican Party is expected to win control of Congress in November. If that happens we Americans deserve whatever happens to us.

 

The New York Attorney General filed a lawsuit Wednesday accusing former president Donald Trump, three of his grown children and executives at his company of flagrantly manipulating property valuations to deceive lenders, insurance brokers and tax authorities into giving them better bank-loan and insurance policy rates and to reduce their tax liability.

The DOJ is investigating Trump's theft of classified documents.

A House committee is investigating Trump's active role in a coup attempt to overthrow our elected government.

And the list on and on.

Do Trump Republicans who are contributing to Trump's causes know where their money is going?

Do Trump Republicans know their money is not contributing to Trump's campaigning? They are paying Trump's legal fees.

Of course, they don't know. They are too busy with phony far-right sites that hide Trump's activities and boneheaded statements.

ABC reports, "Former President Donald Trump's political action committees have paid over a million dollars to the firm of the attorney representing him in connection with the investigation by New York Attorney General Letitia James, which on Wednesday resulted in a sweeping, multimillion-dollar lawsuit against Trump and his family real estate business following years of probing.

"Together, two of Trump's PACs -- Save America and Make America Great Again PAC -- have paid $1.01 million to the firm of New Jersey-based attorney Alina Habba, according to new campaign disclosure filings."

 

Time to buy stocks! They are on sale! I am!

CNBC reports, "Stocks fell in volatile trading Wednesday after the Federal Reserve raised rates by 75 basis points and forecast more sizable rate hikes ahead in its fight to tame surging inflation.

"The Dow Jones Industrial Average slid 522.45 points, or 1.7%, to close at 30,183.78. The S&P 500 shed 1.71% to 3,789.93, and the Nasdaq Composite slumped 1.79% to 11,220.19.

"The S&P ended Wednesday’s session down more than 10% in the past month and 21% off its 52-week high. Even before the rate decision, stocks were pricing in an aggressive tightening campaign by the Fed that could tip the economy into a recession."

Many beg to differ with that last statement. We have full employment, substantial job growth, and robust spending. In other words, the economy is red hot.

Ironically, that is what is causing inflation. Inflation is a by-product of prosperous times.

If you want a recession to lower employment, consumer spending, and prices, vote Republican.

Every GOP administration since Reagan has overseen a recession while every Democratic administration since then has overseen a strong recovery and economic boom.

Under the Reagan-to-Trump timeline, the Republican presidencies had four recessions start in their terms: one each under Reagan and George H. W. Bush, and two under George W. Bush. By contrast, Democrats Bill Clinton and Barack Obama had zero.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news...versee-recessions-dems-recoveries/5235957002/

 

This idiot was our President! This fool is the leading Republican to be our President again! This clown doesn't know sixth grade civics!

This one will be hard to believe. What is even harder to believe is this former President thinks it is smart to make such moronic statements. In his mind, he is making headlines.

He sure is.

The Washington Post reports, "In his first TV appearance since a court-authorized search of his Florida home last month, Donald Trump reasserted Wednesday that any documents taken from the White House to Mar-a-Lago were declassified while he was in office, adding that a president can carry that out “even by thinking about it.”

“There doesn’t have to be a process, as I understand it,” Trump told Fox News host Sean Hannity. Prosecutors have said that about 100 of the documents taken from Mar-a-Lago were marked classified, including some labeled top secret.

“If you’re the president of the United States, you can declassify just by saying it’s declassified,” the former president added.

Again, this man was our President, elected with the aid of Vladimir Putin, Russia's dictator. He is strongly supported on the grassroots level by largely rural voters with limited education. They will remain unaware of what Trump said because their idea of relevant news is the Farm Report.

As is their custom, the forum's Republicans will remain silent on the issues in this report.