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Home Front: Politix
47 is better than 45
2025-03-17
[Substack:Don Surber]
This time he is a politician who dodged a bullet. Literally.
Carmine Sabia reported on Saturday, “Former Democrat Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi has joined the chorus of Democrats criticizing Senate Minority Leader and New York Senator Charles Schumer for allowing the government to be funded by a Republican crafted continuing resolution.

“Pelosi, a California Democrat, did not mention her Senate counterpart by name, but she shredded the legislation and those who supported it in a post on X.”

Nancy’s was a lengthy post that is best read in a drunken, sobbing voice: “Democrat senators should listen to the women. Appropriations leaders Rosa DeLauro and Patty Murray have eloquently presented the case that we must have a better choice: a four-week funding extension to keep government open and negotiate a bipartisan agreement.”

DeLauro is an octogenarian punk rocker who dyes her hair black and blue. Murray’s beautician sticks a bowl over head and cuts whatever hair is sticking out. Say what you want about Jasmine Swivelhead but at least she knows what makeup is.
Head to the link in SubStack by clicking on the title. It's a great link a friend found.
Link


-Short Attention Span Theater-
White House gives major update on the source of mysterious drones swarming over New Jersey - as the number of sightings reported reach staggering new levels
2024-12-17
[Daily Mail, where America gets its news] With a growing constellation of lawmakers demanding answers from the feds about mysterious drone sightings over New Jersey, the White House is now blaming hobbyists, planes and even the stars for what it describes as misidentifications.

The latest answer, after days of mounting pressure from Congress, comes amid repeat sightings over populated areas and even U.S. military facilities.

The federal response to date has left figures in both parties demanding more transparency and a plan to confront any possible threat.

Donald Trump joined the chorus of fed up critics Monday after posting about it over the weekend, saying 'something strange is going on.'

Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) is also demanding answers about the mysterious phenomenon and wants to know 'what the heck is going on.'

With public pressure growing and concerned citizens filing a skein reports to authorities, White House national security spokesman John Kirby attempted to confront the fury.

He began his remarks to reporters Monday at a briefing by pointing to the proliferation of hobbyist drones over the sky.

'There are more than 1 million drones that are lawfully registered with the Federal Aviation Administration here in the United States, and there are thousands of commercial hobbyists and law enforcement drones that are lawfully in the sky on any given day,' Kirby told reporters.

He said the FBI had received tips on 5,000 drone sightings in recent weeks of which 100 they 'felt needed to be followed up on.'

Then Kirby pointed to the array of explanations over what U.S. officials believe to be in the skies, having looked at the various tips – even saying misidentified stars were part of the problem.

'We assess that the sightings to date include a combination of lawful commercial drones, hobbyist drones, and law enforcement drones, as well as manned fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters and even stars that were mistakenly reported as drones.'

'We have not identified anything anomalous or any national security or public safety risk over the civilian airspace In New Jersey, or other states in the Northeast. The work continues.'

'But I want to stress again, our assessment at this stage is that the activity represents commercial, hobbyist law enforcement drones, all operating legally and lawful and or civilian aviation aircraft,' he underlined.

He cited federal 'resources and personnel' as supporting the efforts, including additional 'advanced detection technology' and trained observers.

His comments were similar to a joint statement later released by the DHS, FBI, FAA, and the Defense Department. His words came hours after Trump blasted the federal response as he made a comment, perhaps joking, that he was holding off on visiting his Bedminster, New Jersey golf course because of the situation.

'Something strange is going on,' Trump told reporters in response to a question about the drone sightings. 'For some reason, they don't want to tell the people.'

'They're very close to Bedminster. I think maybe I won't spend the weekend in Bedminster. I've decided to cancel my trip,' he said.

Kirby's comments come days after New Jersey Republican state lawmakers blasted his prior response as 'idiotic' even as they were followed by new sightings at Naval Air Station Earle in New Jersey.

Democratic lawmakers are demanding answers about the mysterious New Jersey drones that federal authorities and President Joe Biden have yet to explain.

The bizarre unidentified aerial phenomena (UAPs) were first noticed hovering over New Jersey over a month ago, yet neither local or federal authorities have offered an explanation behind the lights that dash across the sky from dusk to dawn - notably disappearing during daylight.

Biden has since tasked his agencies with finding out what is occurring over the Garden State, White House spokesman John Kirby said last week on Fox News.

In the same interview Kirby, the White House National Security Communications Advisor, did not have an explanation to offer as to what was behind the UAPs, saying the president's men are still searching for answers.

Related: America fights back: NY deploys 'state-of-the-art drone detection system' as DHS makes shock admission on foreign involvement
Related:
Drone sighting 12/14/2024 Biden admin says it doesn't have authority to shoot down mysterious drones as Trump offers action plan
Drone sighting 11/27/2024 US Air Force bases on alert as 60 British troops equipped with long-range anti-drone guns and GPS jammers hunt for drone pilot flying devices over bases
Drone sighting 10/31/2024 Hundreds of drone incursions reported at military installations over past few years: NORTHCOM

Link


Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia
Ukrainian Perspective: Invasion of Ukraine: December 11 2023
2023-12-12
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.

Worth noting, korrespondent.net has compiled its Invasion of Ukraine series into separate months, beginning May 9th, 2023. Linked in the title.

[Korrespondent] 21:44 Military experts compare conditions on the front line to the First World War and warn that dirt, damp, cold and rodents that prevent sleep can greatly affect the morale and performance of soldiers in battle. Read more in the article How the Armed Forces of Ukraine suffer from rats and dirt.

21:31 The EU announced new sanctions against Iran. The restrictions included Shakad Sanat Asmari and three other Iranian companies involved in the production of components for drones, as well as their managers and key employees.

21:27 According to Eurostat, there are currently 4.24 million Ukrainian refugees in the EU.

21:15 Leaders of the Hungarian communities of Transcarpathia appealed to the Chairman of the European Council Charles Michel and the Prime Minister of Hungary Viktor Orban with a request to support the start of negotiations on Ukraine’s accession to the EU. “The new bill adopted by the Ukrainian parliament significantly reflects the interests of national minorities and enjoys our full support,” they said.

20:36 Zelensky said that he began his visit to the United States with a meeting with Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Charles Brown at the US National Defense University. We discussed challenges to global security, developments at the front and further Ukrainian-American cooperation in the field of defense.

19:20 Borrell, following a meeting of the EU foreign ministers, said that funding for military assistance to Ukraine remains blocked. According to him, the foreign ministers did not agree on a new tranche for Kyiv from the European Peace Fund, but agreed on the need to continue supporting Ukraine.

18:58 Kuleba said that the meeting with Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjártó lasted an hour and was very sincere: “Of course, the main topic was the decision of the European Council to open negotiations on Ukraine’s membership in the EU. I understand that everyone is waiting for an answer: yes or no "Give me some time... Meanwhile, I want to give one signal. I clearly told Peter: we have a common future in Europe. We must get there as soon as possible. Together."

In turn, Szijjártó said that in a conversation with Kuleba he called the proposal to begin negotiations on Ukraine’s accession to the EU “undeveloped.”

18:35 The United States will announce new military assistance to Ukraine by the end of the month, the White House said.

18:04 Zelensky said in an interview with Latin American media that negotiations and compromise with Putin are impossible because he does not want to end the war: “First of all, he does not need peace. When we want to solve a problem, we must understand that it is necessary to all sides. We want to end the war."

The Ukrainian president also recalled that in 2014, after the Russian occupation of Crimea and part of Donbass, Putin stated that he was not going to go to a full-scale war against Ukraine. "Everything he says is not true. He is not interested in an independent Ukraine. He needs Ukraine as a part, an enclave of Russia... So what should he compromise on? Who is he? I cannot trade people. And with whom? With a person ", whose word is worth nothing. These are not guarantees," Zelensky concluded.

17:26 The “court” in the “DPR” sentenced Ruslan Shmidt, a technician of the 2nd company of the 503rd separate battalion of the 36th separate marine brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, to 25 years in a maximum security colony, allegedly “for the murder of a man in Mariupol.” Advisor to the mayor of Mariupol Pyotr Andryushchenko emphasized that in the last 16 days alone, 19 such “sentences” of varying terms of imprisonment were passed on trumped-up cases against the defenders of Mariupol.

16:38 Air defense forces destroyed a Russian X-59 guided missile in the Krivoy Rog region of the Dnepropetrovsk region, the Air Command reported.

16:00 Sweden has allocated 120 million euros to Ukraine for the purchase of equipment for heating and increasing the capacity of the electrical network, as well as for other measures that will help Ukrainians survive the winter (for example, the construction of shelters), the country's Foreign Ministry reported.

15:32 Kuleba said that EU member states have not yet decided to start accession negotiations with Ukraine. According to him, “the fight will continue” at the summit of EU leaders on December 14-15 and “until the last minute” at the meeting of the European Council. First of all, we will have to overcome the resistance of Hungary.

14:41 The commander of the Eastern Group of Forces, Alexander Syrsky, claims that in the East the losses of Russians in killed are approximately eight times higher than the losses of Ukrainian forces. According to him, Russian troops rely specifically on human resources, while Ukrainian troops “try to achieve success through successful tactical actions, accurate artillery fire, mortars, attack drones and small arms.”

14:27 The decision on the start of negotiations on Ukraine’s accession to the EU may be postponed to March due to Hungary’s position, Reuters writes, citing sources. Ahead of the EU summit on December 14-15, Budapest again said it would block the decision to start negotiations with Kiev.

14:02 The Russians shelled the Kherson territorial community for several hours, the regional prosecutor’s office reported. In one of the suburban villages, a shell hit a summer kitchen - one person was killed, one was wounded. Two more people were injured as a result of the shelling of Kherson.

13:56 Russian troops intensified their offensive in the Avdeevka direction. Over the past 24 hours, a significant escalation of the situation has been recorded, with a record number of military clashes, said Alexander Shtupun, spokesman for the Tauride Defense Forces. “Yesterday the enemy began massive offensive operations with the support of armored vehicles in the Avdeevsky and Maryinsky directions. He is actively using aviation and guided bombs. He carried out 15 airstrikes during the day,” he noted.

13:17 British intelligence reports that the Ukrainian Armed Forces carried out successful local counterattacks during the battles near Avdievka and could have driven the Russians out of Stepnoye. According to analysts, this is where the Russians are trying to carry out one of their pincer attacks to cordon off Avdeevka and its well-defended industrial zone. Intelligence notes that Avdeevka remains the scene of the most intense fighting at the front - on some days, about 40% of all military clashes probably took place in this small sector.

12:39 The Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation officially decided to conduct “voting” in the presidential elections in the occupied territories of Ukraine, where martial law has been introduced.

12:13 The maritime coalition of Britain and Norway, in addition to the minesweepers Chernigov (M310) and Cherkassy (M311), will transfer 20 Viking amphibians and 23 high-speed boats to Ukraine, the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense reported. The ceremony at which the creation of the coalition will be officially announced will take place today in London.

12:10 Representatives of the Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation, the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation and regional authorities came to the conclusion that holding presidential “elections” in the occupied territories of Ukraine is possible.

11:54 Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba will today for the first time during a full-scale war personally meet with his Hungarian counterpart Peter Szijjártó. “I think this fact speaks for itself: we continue to talk with Hungary. Ukraine has changed its legislation on the education and use of languages ​​of national minorities the way Hungary wanted it. And this fact must be respected,” the Ukrainian minister noted.

EU foreign ministers today will discuss, in particular, Ukraine's fulfillment of accession requirements.

11:48 Military exercises will be held in the Darnitsky district of Kiev from December 11 to 14 - troops will practice the defense of the city. The KGVA reminded that filming and publishing the movement of military personnel and equipment is strictly prohibited.

11:36 The Russian army fired eight ballistic missiles at the Ukrainian capital. This is the second incident in a month. What is known about the consequences and what is the danger from these missiles - in the material Secrets of Ballistics .

11:02 Ukrainian media, citing sources in the SBU, publish photos and videos from the scene of the liquidation of ex-People's Deputy Ilya Kiva in the Moscow region. One of the photos shows the body of the ex-people's deputy, and the video shows the observation post near which Kiva filmed anti-Ukrainian videos. The intelligence service reported that Kiva was one of the priority targets - they had been watching him for a long time.

10:52 Crimean publics will report a strong fire in Feodosia on the territory of an industrial zone. According to some reports, an explosion occurred first.

10:27 The alarm in Kiev during the night attack was announced after the first explosions, because Russia used ballistic missiles, said Air Force spokesman Yuri Ignat. Around four in the morning, Kiev residents began to write online that they heard explosions, but no alarm was declared. “This is not the first time this has happened, because ballistics flies very quickly. It literally takes a few minutes for the air defense to respond and destroy them,” explained Ignat.

09:38 Zelensky in the United States, in addition to meeting with Biden, will also speak to senators on December 12, The Washington Post writes. The President of Ukraine was invited by the leaders of the Senate factions Charles Schumer (Democrats) and Mitch McConnell (Republicans). He is also scheduled to meet with House Speaker Mike Johnson.

09:20 Great Britain and Norway have created a naval coalition to support Ukraine, the British Ministry of Defense reported. The new association of countries will supply ships and other equipment to the Ukrainian Armed Forces to strengthen the capabilities of conducting combat operations at sea. In the near future, London will transfer two mine clearance ships to Kyiv - Sandown class minesweepers.

08:39 The General Staff announced the estimated losses of the Russian Federation as of the morning of December 11:

  • personnel - about 339,850 (+1030) people,

  • tanks - 5655 (+19),

  • armored combat vehicles - 10,560 (+31),

  • artillery systems - 8070 (+6),

  • MLRS - 919 (+0),

  • air defense systems - 605 (+0),

  • aircraft - 324 (+0),

  • helicopters - 324 (+0),

  • UAV of operational-tactical level - 6154 (+18),

  • cruise missiles - 1586 (+0),

  • ships/boats - 22 (+0),

  • submarines - 1 (+0),

  • automotive equipment and tank trucks - 10,636 (+13),

  • special equipment - 1168 (+6).

08:26 Over the past 24 hours, 98 military clashes took place at the front, the Gestab reported in its morning report . In particular, the Defense Forces repelled 49 enemy attacks in the Avdeevsky direction (in the areas of Novobakhmutovka, Stepnoy, Avdeevka, south of Severny and Tonenky, Pervomaisky, Donetsk region), 18 attacks - in Maryinsky (in the areas of Maryinka and Novomikhailovka, Donetsk region), 13 attacks - on Bakhmutsky (in the districts of Grigoryevka, Bogdanovka, Ivanovsky, Kleshcheevka and Andreevka of the Donetsk region).

In addition, in the Kupyansk direction, Ukrainian forces repelled enemy attacks in the Sinkovka and Petropavlovka areas of the Kharkov region; on Limansky - in the districts of Ternov, Vesely, Donetsk region and Makeevka, Lugansk region; on Shakhtarsky - in the area southeast of Ugledar, Donetsk region; in Zaporozhye - in the Rabotino district of the Zaporozhye region. At the same time, the Ukrainian Defense Forces continue assault operations south of Bakhmut, Donetsk region, and in the Kherson direction they hold their positions on the left bank of the Dnieper.

08:09 In the Nikolaev region, 13 Shahed-131/136 attack UAVs were destroyed during a night attack, OVA reported. Debris from downed drones damaged a residential building in the city of Ochakov, a warehouse with agricultural equipment in the Kutsurubskaya community, and an empty warehouse on the territory of an agricultural enterprise in the town of Snigirevka. No people were hurt.

07:11 During a night attack, fragments of downed missiles fell in the Darnitsky district of Kiev, four residents of Bortnichi were injured, KGVA reported.

06:56 Air defense at night destroyed all 18 attack UAVs and eight of eight ballistic missiles , the Air Force command reported. Russia attacked Ukraine with Shahed-type drones from the occupied Crimea (Chauda, ​​Belbek), and with missiles from the Bryansk region. Most of the drones were shot down in the Nikolaev region, and all the missiles were shot down in the Kyiv region.

01:35 Zelensky said that on the sidelines of the inauguration of the President of Argentina he spoke with Prime Minister of Hungary Viktor Orban: “As frankly as possible - and it is clear that about our European affairs.”

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Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia
Douglas Macgregor, Col. (ret.): Playing War in Ukraine
2022-10-28
[American Conservative] As the astute author Hunter S. Thompson noted, "When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro." Weird is indisputably the condition in Great Britain, where Liz Truss, an arguably empty and talentless prime minister, is out—and was, it seemed for a moment, very nearly replaced by her vacuous predecessor, Boris Johnson.

Weirdness, however, is not foreign to American politics. An indicator of just how weird Washington is becoming is the apparent interest in General (ret.) David Petraeus’s recent suggestion that Washington and its allies may want to intervene in the ongoing conflict between Moscow and Kiev.

According to Petraeus, the military action he advocates would not be a NATO intervention, but "a multinational force led by the US and not as a NATO force." In other words, a U.S.-led Multi-National Force on the Iraq model composed of conventional ground, air, and naval forces.

Petraeus does not explain why U.S. military action is needed. But it’s not hard to guess. The intervention is designed to rescue Ukrainian forces from defeat and presumably compel Moscow to negotiate on Washington’s terms, whatever those terms might be.

Admittedly, the whole business seems weird, but Petraeus’s suggestion should not be dismissed. Not because Petraeus’s military expertise warrants consideration—it doesn’t.
Ouch.
Rather it merits attention because Petraeus would never make such a recommendation unless he was urged to do so by powerful figures in Washington and on Wall Street. And as Jeffrey Sachs tells Americans, globalist and neocon elites clearly want a direct armed confrontation with Russia.

For Petraeus, it is business as usual. He rose through the ranks by checking with everyone in a position of authority above him before doing anything. Seeking permission to ensure no one in authority is offended (like a "coalition of the willing") is key to promotion. It works well in peacetime, or during wars of choice against weak, incapable enemies that present no existential military threat to Western forces. But Ukraine is not Iraq nor is the Russian Army an Iraqi-like force, or mounted on "technicals"—pickup trucks with automatic cannon.
Related:
Douglas Macgregor: 2022-08-14 Totally a surprise: NY Times editor wanted to check with Sen. Charles Schumer before running an opinion piece.
Douglas Macgregor: 2022-07-05 Trump rips 'despicable' Liz Cheney after she suggests Jan. 6 charges for ex-president
Douglas Macgregor: 2022-06-22 Col Douglas Macgregor - Ukraine Russia War Update 21.06.2022 (video)
Related:
David Petraeus: 2022-10-26 American colonel called the detail that marks the defeat of the Armed Forces of Ukraine
David Petraeus: 2022-10-03 Petraeus predicts US would lead NATO response to ‘take out' Russian forces if Putin uses nuclear weapon
David Petraeus: 2022-08-27 Mourning a Lost War: Why Nation-Building Failed in Afghanistan. Many of the architects and cheerleaders of the twenty-year mission in Afghanistan refuse to accept that the United States lost the war. We lost. Full stop.

Link


-Great Cultural Revolution
'Not helping the community': George Floyd roommates, others slam BLM in new film
2022-10-15
[NYPOST] One year after the real-estate buying binge of its founder was exposed by The Post, a new documentary dives deep into the murky finances of the Black Lives Matter Global Foundation — and meets some of the people it allegedly harmed.

“The Greatest Lie Ever Sold,” a film spearheaded by controversial conservative commentator Candace Owens, premiered Wednesday in Nashville at a screening attended by Kanye West, Ray J and Kid Rock.

In the documentary, the Daily Wire host examines what Patrisse Cullors, BLM’s self-described ‘”trained Marxist” co-founder, did with the $90 million that her group amassed after the May 2020 slaying of George Floyd, the Black man whose cries of “I can’t breathe” set off global protests when he died under the knee of a white Minneapolis police officer.

Cullors resigned from the national non-profit in 2021, a month after The Post revealed she had spent millions on real estate in the previous months — and the organization has remained mired in financial scandal. Cullors said her departure was unrelated to those “attacks,” and that she was leaving to focus on a book and TV deal. BLM has denied that any wrongdoing occurred.
Related:
Candace Owens: 2022-10-13 Kanye West kicked out of JP Morgan Chase banking (they don't like his politics)
Candace Owens: 2022-10-05 'We should have put a White Lives Matter t-shirt on Lizzo': Candace Owens
Candace Owens: 2022-08-14 Totally a surprise: NY Times editor wanted to check with Sen. Charles Schumer before running an opinion piece.
Related:
Patrisse Cullors: 2022-10-09 BLM founder Patrisse Cullors spends thousands renovating backyard of posh $1.4M LA home
Patrisse Cullors: 2022-10-08 Black Lives Matter founder Patrisse Cullors has installed swanky new garden sauna and PLUNGE POOL at her $1.4m LA 'Marxist mansion', after Kanye slammed movement as 'scam'
Patrisse Cullors: 2022-09-03 Black Lives Matter leader accused of siphoning off $10 million
Link


Home Front: Politix
Tulsi Will Campaign for Republican Gen. Bolduc (Ret.) for NH Senator
2022-10-14
[Epoch Times] Former U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, a one-time presidential candidate who announced this week that she’s leaving the Democratic Party, will campaign for a Republican U.S. Senate candidate ahead of the 2022 midterms.

Retired Army Gen. Don Bolduc, who won the New Hampshire Republican primary and will face incumbent Sen. Maggie Hassan
...formerly NH governor...
(D-N.H.) in the Nov. 8 general election, confirmed in a statement on Oct. 12 that the former Hawaii congresswoman will be stumping for him.

"We don’t agree on every issue, but I am honored to have the support of Tulsi Gabbard who shares my view that the status quo is broken, and we need a change of direction," Bolduc said in a statement. "Tulsi is a fellow change agent and independent-minded outsider willing to speak truth to power."

Bolduc has been endorsed by former President Donald Trump.

He added, "I am going to spend every day between now and Election Day building a wide coalition of supporters that includes Republicans, independents, and even disaffected Democrats who know that Senator Hassan is a career politician and must be retired."

Related:
Tulsi Gabbard: 2022-10-12 FBI Officials Who Warned Facebook of ‘Russian Disinfo' Before Hunter Laptop Bombshell Are Democrat Donors
Tulsi Gabbard: 2022-10-12 Tulsi Gabbard's not the only one warning Democrats -- Bernie Sanders and Bill Clinton are, too
Tulsi Gabbard: 2022-10-12 Tulsi Pulls the Plug
Related:
Don Bolduc: 2022-08-14 Totally a surprise: NY Times editor wanted to check with Sen. Charles Schumer before running an opinion piece.
Don Bolduc: 2022-08-08 Gen. Don Bolduc: New Hampshire Needs ‘An Outsider Who's Not Bought and Paid For'
Don Bolduc: 2010-06-27 Marine SOC trains Afghan Special Police
Related:
Maggie Hassan: 2022-08-08 Gen. Don Bolduc: New Hampshire Needs ‘An Outsider Who's Not Bought and Paid For'
Maggie Hassan: 2022-07-29 Chuck Schumer Becomes Latest Reincarnation of 'Baghdad Bob'
Maggie Hassan: 2022-02-21 Pinkerton: Joke of the Day: ‘Vulnerable' Senate Dems Propose Cutting Gas Tax
Link


Home Front: Politix
Manchin Got Hoodwinked
2022-09-14
[HotAir] Earlier this year, both Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi were trumpeting their victory in getting the Democrats’ massive climate and tax hike bill passed into law. They were desperate for some sort of "win" to point to heading into the midterms and the opportunity to stop the collapse of Joe Biden’s approval numbers. But that deal came with a price tag. They had to agree to approve Joe Manchin’s bill allowing more oil and gas drilling permits as well as approval of a pipeline he wants, running from West Virginia to Virginia. That is supposed to happen as part of the "must-pass" stopgap spending bill scheduled for a vote this month. But now a revolt has broken out in the House, with an Arizona Democrat submitting a letter saying that Manchin’s bill needs to be dropped. And he’s gotten more than 70 House Democrats to sign onto his plan. This is going to leave both Pelosi and Schumer in a very precarious position.
He screwed up. He trusted them.
The deeper implication of such a turn of events will likely be the total inability of any deals to be struck in the future. The Democrats got their climate and tax bill, but only with the understanding that Manchin’s bill would go through. If they renege on that promise now, why would anyone in the GOP ever believe either Schumer or Pelosi again in the future? Their promises won’t be worth the paper they’re not printed on.
Why would anyone trust Schumer or Pelosi ever?
Perhaps the biggest loser in all of this will be Joe Manchin himself. He was being humorously referred to as "President Manchin" for quite a while, holding the position of deal-maker or breaker in the upper chamber. He gained the support of many of his Republican colleagues for putting the brakes on many of the Democrats’ worst impulses. At the same time, Democrats were afraid to offend him for fear of losing his vote on the next divisive issue to come down the pike.

But the aftermath of this debacle may leave Joe Manchin as a man without a country in Washington. The GOP is angry at him for caving and allowing the climate bill to pass. And now his own party is in open revolt against him both for siding with the Republicans and pushing a bill that they see as damaging to their climate agenda. The icing on the cake would be if Manchin has to drag himself back to West Virginia without the pipeline he promised his constituents and nothing to show for the huge gift he gave to the liberals. Joe Manchin is looking awfully lonely on his island at the moment, and if it leads to a government shutdown, many will be pointing the finger at him over that as well.
Manchin's credibility is gone. Schumer and Pelosi have finally neutralized him. Now they have to find a way to nuetralize Senema.
Sure, but their ability to deliver on promises is shown to be hollow as well, so who would bother to negotiate with them going forward?
Related:
Joe Manchin: 2022-08-14 Totally a surprise: NY Times editor wanted to check with Sen. Charles Schumer before running an opinion piece.
Joe Manchin: 2022-08-11 We May Have Dodged A Bullet In The Misnamed ‘Inflation Reduction Act’
Joe Manchin: 2022-08-10 Consumer prices rose 8.5% annually in July, as inflation remains stubborn
Link


Home Front: Politix
“No family should have to choose between heating their home or putting food on the table,” Sen. Charles Schumer says
2021-10-15
[PUBLISH.TWITTER] He's just expressing an opinion, not offering a solution. I should go to the gym at least every other day.
Standing atop the mass of laws, rules, regulation, taxes and policies you protect, which have caused catastrophic increases in the prices of everything, seeing Sen. Schumer like that, you have a visual display of what sanctimony looks like.
Link


Home Front: Politix
Leahy, not Roberts, to preside over impeachment trial
2021-01-26
[The Hill] Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts will not preside over former President Trump’s Senate impeachment trial, which is scheduled to begin in earnest on Feb. 8.

Instead, Senate President Pro Tempore Patrick Leahy (Vt.), the most senior member of the Senate Democratic Conference, will preside over the trial.

Leahy on Monday confirmed he would wield the gavel and promised to administer "impartial justice."

"The president pro tempore has historically presided over Senate impeachment trials of non-presidents. When presiding over an impeachment trial, the president pro tempore takes an additional special oath to do impartial justice according to the Constitution and its laws. It is an oath that I take extraordinarily seriously," he said in a statement.
then he burst into flames
Leahy vowed he would "not waver from my constitutional and sworn obligations to administer the trial with fairness, in accordance with the Constitution and the laws."

A spokesman for Leahy said the decision on presiding over the trial is up to Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.).
Related: Trump Impeachment DOA in Senate
Related:
Patrick Leahy: 2020-12-29 Ossoff Promoted Chinese Propaganda Outlet After Stint as ‘National Security Aide'
Patrick Leahy: 2020-11-26 It should be called "Let the Criminals Run the Country Act."
Patrick Leahy: 2020-06-12 War on Police roundup
Link


Home Front: Politix
Chief Justice Roberts will not preside over any Senate impeachment trial of President Trump
2021-01-24
[Powerline] Today comes word via Senator Rand Paul that Chief Justice Roberts will not preside over any Senate impeachment trial of President Trump: the text of the Constitution only requires the Chief Justice to preside over the trial of "the President." Trump is no longer "the President." Roberts’s presence is therefore not called for.

Trump is of course a private citizen at this point. The constitutional text does not appear to contemplate the impeachment or trial of a private citizen, although such impeachments took place once in the eighteenth century and once in the nineteenth. Former Fourth Circuit Judge Michael Luttig argues in this Washington Post column that a Senate trial of Trump would be unconstitutional.

Judge Luttig argues: "Once Trump's term ends on Jan. 20, Congress loses its constitutional authority to continue impeachment proceedings against him‐even if the House has already approved articles of impeachment." The Constitution's impeachment clauses presuppose that impeachment and removal of a president happen while in office.

As an example, Judge Luttig cites Article II, Section 4: "The president, vice president and all civil officers of the United States shall be removed from office on impeachment for, and conviction of, treason, bribery or other high crimes and misdemeanors."

He also cites Article I, Section 3, which reads in part: "Judgment in cases of impeachment shall not extend further than to removal from office, and disqualification to hold and enjoy any office of honor, trust or profit under the United States."

Note that "removal" accompanies "disqualification." If a private citizen can no longer be removed, can he simply be disqualified? Perhaps, but disqualification is conjoined with removal.

Judge Luttig concedes that some scholars argue that Congress can impeach a former president from two instances in which early Congresses impeached "civil officials" after they had resigned their public offices ‐ the impeachments of Sen. William Blount in 1797 and the impeachment of Secretary of War William Belknap in 1876. He further concedes that these cases "provide some backing for the argument that Congress can conclude that it has the power under the Constitution to impeach a former president." Please note that the case of William Blount ‐ summarized here by the Senate ‐ is ambiguous at best in relevant respects. (Alan Dershowitz rightly ignores it in his column quoted below.)
Related:
Rand Paul: 2020-12-29 Artificial Intelligence > Loo Identifies You - Regardez l'eau - Master Bog
Rand Paul: 2020-12-23 Rand Paul delivers blistering floor speech opposing ‘monster' COVID spending bill, says GOP ‘no better' than Dems
Rand Paul: 2020-12-18 Explosive Claim at Senate Hearing: 130,000 Fraudulent Votes in Nevada Election
Related:
Chief Justice Roberts: 2020-12-18 Texas Congressman Matt Patrick Stunning Claim, Supreme Court Chief Justice Worried About Riots
Chief Justice Roberts: 2020-04-05 Trump announces Justin Walker, former Kavanaugh clerk, as pick for DC Circuit Court
Chief Justice Roberts: 2020-03-07 Gun Owners of America Applies for a Red Flag Order for Senator Charles Schumer
Link


Home Front: Politix
Joan Swirsky: 'Heads-Up Jewish Americans‐Democrats Are Your Enemies'
2020-07-14
[News with Views] Montana has about 1,400 Jews, Mississippi about 1,500, South Dakota 250. If I lived in any one of those beautiful states, I would not be writing this article. But I live in New York——home to about one-million, 800-thousand Jews——so the politics of being Jewish affects me and my family in a very existential——life and death——way.

It’s quite simple for me, as it should be for all Jews, given the fact that in a world of about eight-billion people, we Jews are a miniscule 15 million, only about six-million in the United States, eight-million in Israel, and another one-million around the world. That is equivalent to the proverbial drop in the ocean.

A PRESSING IMPERATIVE
If we Jews and our supporters don’t aggressively address the pandemic of anti-Semitism that is galloping around the globe and exploding here in America, rampant on college campuses, aided and abetted by a craven media that gives credibility to career hate-mongers like Louis Farrakhan and his ilk, and even contaminating the hallowed halls of the U.S. Congress——with more floridly hate-Jews/hate-Israel Democrats than ever before in history——then we know from our tragic history that annihilation could be right around the corner.

Sadly the Democrat Party of old——of JFK, Sen. Henry "Scoop" Jackson, Senator and VP Walter Mondale, et al——has vanished, replaced by Democrats like "the squad" who spew their poisonous hatred of Jews and Israel from the House of Representatives itself. Then there are those who remain thunderously silent——including elected Democrat Jews like Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer, Jerrold Nadler, Eliot Engel, Adam Schiff, Richard Blumenthal, as well Democrat Representatives from Long Island——with a huge Jewish population——Tom Suozzi and Kathleen Rice.
Link


Home Front: Culture Wars
Trump announces Justin Walker, former Kavanaugh clerk, as pick for DC Circuit Court
2020-04-05
[FoxNews] Continuing to shape the post-coronavirus world. BLUF: age 37, strongly defended Mr. Kavanaugh during his Supreme Court hearing, originalist, member of the Federalist Society. Lots of red meat at the link.
Related:
Kavanaugh: 2020-03-08 'Go and do something productive': Melania Trump snaps back at trolls
Kavanaugh: 2020-03-07 Gun Owners of America Applies for a Red Flag Order for Senator Charles Schumer
Kavanaugh: 2020-03-05 Chief Justice Roberts issues rare rebuke to Schumer's 'dangerous' and 'irresponsible' comments; Schumer fires back
Link



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