A report card on the Biden administration

[Bootney Lee Farnsworth]

This thread aged well.

 

[Sandy Shanks]

Throughout this entire Ukraine thing, the Biden White House has never seriously consider the lies coming out of the Kremlin or from the lips of Russia's dictator. They are not about to start now as the Russians are talking about a "good faith" gesture.

ABC reports, "After holding talks with Ukrainian negotiators in Turkey, Russia's defense ministry said it was withdrawing forces from around Kyiv and Chernihiv as "a good faith" measure in the talks."

The "measure" coincided with the Russian military's lack of success in its moves on the two northern cities.

ABC continued, "The Pentagon is seeing "small numbers" of Russian troops repositioning to the north of Kyiv but is not labeling it a withdrawal as Russia has characterized it. Instead, it believes the troops might be used in an offensive elsewhere in Ukraine, possibly into the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine."

"We're seeing a small number now that appears to be moving away from Kyiv," John Kirby, the Pentagon's top spokesman, told reporters Tuesday. "This on the same day that the Russians say they're withdrawing, but we're not prepared to call this a retreat, or even a withdrawal. What they probably have in mind is a repositioning to prioritize elsewhere."

"It's certainly not a significant chunk of the multiple battalion tactical groups that Russia has arrayed against Kyiv," Kirby said. "It's not anywhere near a majority of what they have arrayed" around Ukraine's capital.

It is what SecState Antony Blinken said. It's not what Russia says that matters. It's what Russia does.

 

[Sandy Shanks]

There is a reason why the Russian dictator, Vladimir Putin, helped Donald Trump become President in 2016.

The man has lost it. What he is saying makes no political sense.

At the worst possible moment in history, the former President is embracing the Russian dictator, Vladimir Putin.

“The smartest one gets to the top,” Donald Trump recently told a crowd in Georgia. “That didn’t work so well recently in our country. But they ask me, ‘Is Putin smart?’ Yes, Putin was smart. And I actually thought he was going to be negotiating. I said, ‘That’s a hell of a way to negotiate, put 200,000 soldiers on the border.'”

Now he is asking Putin for help. I mean this is off the charts. This is nuts.

Former President Donald Trump said in an interview with the conservative TV show JustTheNews published Tuesday, “I would think [Russian President Vladimir] Putin would know the answer to that. I think he should release it. I think we should know that answer,” pushing an unproven claim about Hunter Biden’s business dealings in Russia.

The former President is openly asking an adversarial world power to help him dig up dirt on the son of the current President of the United States. That world power launched an invasion against her neighbor and is in the process of destroying cities while targeting civilians.

It isn't the first time. In July 2016, Trump said this of emails sent by Hillary Clinton during her time as secretary of state: “Russia, if you’re listening, I hope you’re able to find the 30,000 emails that are missing, I think you will probably be rewarded mightily by our press.

Chris Cillizza writes, "Now, imagine for just a minute, if any other politician did anything remotely like this: Asking on more than one occasion for an adversary to help find damaging information about a political opponent. (And let’s not forget this important context: We know Russia actively meddled in the 2016 election to help Trump and hurt Clinton.)

"Such a request by a Democrat about a Republican president would bring cascades of condemnations, with some within the GOP likely suggesting that the request was unpatriotic, right? Right.

"But Trump has so moved the goalposts of acceptable conduct as it relates to what he says and does that the chances of his appeal to Russia to find dirt on Hunter Biden barely makes a ripple in the political world.

"This is both wrong and dangerous. Trump’s four years in office, culminating with the US Capitol riot on January 6, 2021, reveal that simply rolling your eyes – or as so many Republicans have done (and continue to do), sticking your head in the sand – has real-world consequences."

And he gets away with it. No agency has touched him. He walks the streets like you and I. He is the leader of the Republican Party, and Republican candidates for office clamor for his endorsement. He is the leading Republican candidate for the Presidency in 2024.

 

[Sandy Shanks]

And he gets away with it. No agency has touched him. He walks the streets like you and I. He is the leader of the Republican Party, and Republican candidates for office clamor for his endorsement. He is the leading Republican candidate for the Presidency in 2024.

How does Trump get away with it? Why does this man without a lick of common sense have so much power and influence?

The answer lies with the Republican Party as a whole.

The Republican Party has captured the minds of those who live in the rural counties of America. Those voters are mostly farmers and rural shopkeepers. They lack education and they are not well-informed. Most of what they know about politics is by word of mouth, otherwise known as gossip.

Most of them do not have a computer. Some do not have a television, and, if they do, they don't spend much time watching it. Farming and ranching is not a eight hour job. It's more like an 18-hour job. The shopkeeper spends nearly all of his waking hours in his store because he doesn't have enough business to do otherwise.

They are quite gullible. If a politician they like says something, they take as gospel. Trump won their hearts because he is good at that kind of thing and he doesn't let truth or reality interfere with what he wants to say.
Trump's strength is mostly in the South, and somehow he captured the support of the evangelicals. Sorry, I can't explain that one.

Even the leaders in the South have issues when it comes to awareness, or so it seems sometimes. The Florida Republican governor recently signed a bill that puts a muzzle on teachers, K through 3rd grade, and he launched a verbal assault on Disneyland.

 

[Sandy Shanks]

And he gets away with it. No agency has touched him. He walks the streets like you and I. He is the leader of the Republican Party, and Republican candidates for office clamor for his endorsement. He is the leading Republican candidate for the Presidency in 2024.

Well, maybe not. First, we have a federal judge stating that Trump "more likely than not" broke the law.

Now we have this.

ABC reports, "The Department of Justice is expanding its criminal probe into the events of Jan. 6 to include preparations for the rally that preceded the storming of the U.S. Capitol, as well as the financing for the event, multiple sources familiar with the matter tell ABC News.

"Over the past two months, grand jury subpoenas have been sent to those who assisted in the organizing and planning of former President Donald Trump's "Save America" rally on the Ellipse near the White House.

"The subpoenas to individuals with knowledge of the event are expansive, the sources said. Prosecutors are seeking multiple records and documents related to the rally, including text messages and emails, as well as potential communications with other individuals regarding the logistics of the event."

On a different front, Trump continued his assault on American democracy. On two occasions recently Trump praised Vladimir Putin. The former President asserted that the war criminal who has viciously assaulted Ukraine is a "savvy genius" and "smart." Just other day he asked Putin for help to dig up dirt on the President's son (See post #1023).

Stephen Collinson writes, "Trump’s latest appeal offers a window into his twisted morality as he lines up again alongside Putin. This may be the ex-President’s most twisted and pathological attempt yet to corruptly advance his own political career ahead of a possible 2024 White House bid. His thinking seems to be clear. Putin might be raining atrocities on Ukrainian citizens, bombing hospitals, apartment blocks, razing entire cities and sending 4 million refugees west into Europe. But Trump seems willing to overlook all of that in service of his own perceived interests.

"Not only is Trump seeking to cook up a self-serving conspiracy with a Russian President much of the world now regards as a war criminal. He’s also asking an enemy of the United States, who has threatened nuclear war, to damage the American commander-in-chief who is leading the West in an effort to aid an innocent, invaded nation and to save democracy."

As is their custom, Republicans will remain silent when it concerns their party's leader (See post #1024).

 

[Sandy Shanks]

London/Paris CNN Business — Russia has doubled down on its threat to cut off natural gas supplies to Western countries that refuse to pay in rubles, raising new concerns about an energy supply crunch and rationing in Europe.

CNN continued, "Moscow said last week it wanted to be paid in rubles, rather than US dollars or euros, and senior Russian lawmakers said supplies could be cut if customers refused. Germany, Russia’s biggest energy customer in Europe, had described the plan as “blackmail” and a breach of contract.

"President Vladimir Putin signed a decree Thursday that requires buyers of natural gas from “unfriendly countries” to hold accounts at Gazprombank — Russia’s third-largest bank — and settle contracts in rubles. It takes effect on Friday."

“If these payments are not made, we shall deem this as non-performance on the part of the buyers and that will lead to consequences,” Putin said in a televised address. “Nobody gives us anything for free and we’re not about to be charitable,” he added.

The Russian economy is completely dependent upon energy exports. Putin is bluffing. Is he going to turn away badly needed revenue? There are serious doubts.

We will soon see.

In the meantime our President is doing what he can to provide relief for Americans at the pump, but his options are limited.

The Times reports, "Under growing pressure to bring down high energy prices, President Biden announced on Thursday that the United States would release up to 180 million barrels of oil from a strategic reserve to counteract the economic impact of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

"With midterm elections just months away, gasoline prices have risen nearly $1.50 a gallon over the last year, undercutting consumer confidence. And the cost of diesel, the fuel used by most farmers and shippers, has climbed even faster, threatening to push up already high inflation on all manner of goods and services.

"Mr. Biden has few tools to control commodity prices that are set on global markets, so he is turning to the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, ordering the largest release since that emergency stockpile was established in the early 1970s. But the move will most likely have a modest impact because it cannot make up for all the oil, diesel and other fuels that Russia used to sell to the world but is no longer able to."

 

[Sandy Shanks]

“If these payments are not made, we shall deem this as non-performance on the part of the buyers and that will lead to consequences,” Putin said in a televised address. “Nobody gives us anything for free and we’re not about to be charitable,” he added.

The Russian economy is completely dependent upon energy exports. Putin is bluffing. Is he going to turn away badly needed revenue? There are serious doubts.

Putin was bluffing, or lying again whichever one prefers.

At the same time Putin made his ominous threat, he also said Russia will comply with its “obligations” in its contracts with energy buyers and “continue to supply gas in the established volumes.”

The two statements are mutually exclusive. It is possible the pressure is getting to him. Maybe Putin is losing it.

Anyway, the Times reports, "European leaders on Thursday pushed back against President Vladimir V. Putin’s latest threat that all natural gas imported from Russia must be paid for in rubles starting Friday — or risk having the supplies shut off. Mr. Putin said in a TV address that companies purchasing gas from Russia would need to open ruble accounts in Russian banks, effective Friday, and pay for the gas through those accounts.

"Mr. Putin’s insistence on being paid in rubles — instead of taking dollars or euros and converting them to rubles on his end — has been rejected by European leaders. It has also raised questions about his real motives. The Russian government and central bank have already taken several measures to increase the demand for rubles and prop up the currency, which plunged in value after sanctions froze the Russian central bank’s foreign assets.

"The heads of state of two of Russia’s largest gas customers in Europe — Chancellor Olaf Scholz of Germany and Prime Minister Mario Draghi of Italy — refused the call for payments in rubles, saying it was not part of the terms of existing contracts."

“It remains the case that companies want, can and will pay in euros,” Mr. Scholz told reporters in Berlin on Thursday, a day after he spoke with Mr. Putin by telephone about the impending decree.

In the meantime the Ukrainian air force attacked a Russian fuel depot in Russia.

Reuters reports, "Russia accused Ukraine of carrying out an air strike against a fuel depot in the Russian city of Belgorod on Friday, an incident the Kremlin said could affect peace talks, but a top Kyiv security official denied responsibility.

"Russia's defence ministry said two Ukrainian helicopters struck the facility in Belgorod, some 35 km (22 miles) from the border with Ukraine, after entering Russia at extremely low altitude at around 5 a.m. Moscow time (0200 GMT).

"Defence ministry spokesman Oleksandr Motuzyanyk said he would neither confirm nor deny a Ukrainian role."

"Ukraine is currently conducting a defensive operation against Russian aggression on the territory of Ukraine, and this does not mean that Ukraine is responsible for every catastrophe on Russia's territory," he said.

 

[Sandy Shanks]

The March jobs report is outstanding.

The Post reports. "The U.S. labor market extended its streak of unprecedented growth, adding 431,000 jobs in March and sending the unemployment rate to a new pandemic low of 3.6 percent."

Less than 4% unemployment is considered full employment. Good job Mr. President.

Of course, economists have to put a damper on the remarkable jobs report.

The Post continued, "Economic uncertainty, including about rising interest rates and elevated gas prices, has led some economists to warn that job growth may soon slow to more modest levels. There are other warning signs, too: The number of Americans who have jobs or are actively looking for work is still lower than it was before the crisis. And although wages have risen 5.6 percent in the past year, they have not kept up with inflation of 7.9 percent."

The fact remains the American economy is roaring. However, the number one issue with Americans is inflation, and they blame our President for it. No one can explain how Biden is responsible for inflation, but they blame him anyway.

Actually, the truth is, Presidents have very little control over the economy.

 

[Sandy Shanks]

Just how dumb are today's Republicans?

This dumb. The Republican governor of Florida and the Republican legislature are attacking Disneyland.

It all began when Governor DeSantis signed into law a provision that put a muzzle on K through 3 teachers, forbidding them to teach sex to the little tykes.

All of this was caused by Disney’s opposition to Florida House Bill 1557, dubbed the “Don’t Say Gay” bill by critics, which restricts the teaching of sexual orientation or gender identity. Disney has a special relationship with children.

"When asked about the unique arrangement during a public appearance on Thursday, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis indicated Disney had long received special treatment that it may no longer merit," NBC

“Someone said Disney has all these special perks," DeSantis said. "Should you retaliate against them for them coming out and demagoguing this bill? I don’t believe you 'retaliate,' but I think what I would say is, as a matter of first principle, I don’t support special privileges in law just because a company is powerful, and they’ve been able to wield a lot of power."

There you have it. The Republicans in Florida are going after Disneyland.

 

[Sandy Shanks]

Just how dumb are today's Republicans?

Someone please explain to me how Republicans in Michigan elected Rep. Lisa McClain.

She was apparently so desperate to suck up to Donald Trump at his Michigan rally this past weekend that she falsely boasted to the crowd of adoring Trump fans that the former President had “caught Osama bin Laden.”

CNN reports, "In reality, bin Laden was killed on May 2, 2011, when President Barack Obama was in the White House and Trump was hosting the season of “The Celebrity Apprentice” featuring Gary Busey and Meat Loaf."

Dean Obeidallah writes, "But in reality, why would facts matter to McClain – a first-term member of Congress who voted to reject the 2020 election results after the January 6 attack – when speaking at a Trump rally? Neither she nor Trump was there to educate voters but rather to spew pro-Trump propaganda designed to bolster the former President at the expense of our democratic republic.

"After all, the star attraction of Saturday’s rally was Trump, who peddled even more lies about the 2020 election, claiming, “We did win. We did win.” No, Trump lost. But McClain clearly was not troubled by Trump’s very lies that gave us the January 6 insurrecton."

Then McClain made this startling comment. “Under President Trump, if my memory serves me correctly, I don’t believe we had any wars. We got a war in Ukraine right now.”

Republicans elected this woman to Congress?! Well, yes, they did.

Memory, such as it is, did not serve the congresswoman well. Of course, Americans fought in wars during the Trump administration. US ground troops fought under Trump in Afghanistan, Syria and Iraq, though Trump did reduce the US military presence in all three countries. A Navy SEAL was killed in a 2017 raid against al Qaeda during Yemen’s civil war. The US conducted Trump-era airstrikes on ISIS in Libya amid the civil war there. In Somalia, the US conducted airstrikes and was involved in raids against Al-Shabaab, an al Qaeda affiliate.

At one point, McClain criticized Biden by citing the war in Ukraine. US troops are not involved in Ukraine.

Republicans like McClain and the people who voted for her are expected to win control of Congress in the November mid-terms.

Really!

 

[Sandy Shanks]

Our President is making Putin pay dearly for his bloody invasion of Ukraine. Thanks to President Biden and our NATO allies, Putin's Russia is rapidly becoming a shell of itself.

The Times reports, "The United States has started blocking Russia from making debt payments using dollars held in American banks, a move designed to deplete its international currency reserves and potentially push Russia toward its first foreign currency debt default in a century.

"A Treasury Department spokeswoman said the action was taken on Monday. It was the same day that more than half a billion dollars in Russian sovereign debt payments came due.

"Additional punitive measures are expected. Jen Psaki, the White House press secretary, said on Tuesday that more sanctions were expected to be announced on Wednesday in coordination with the European Union and the Group of 7 nations. The sanctions will target Russian financial institutions, government officials and their family members, and state-owned enterprises."

 

[Sandy Shanks]

Now this should prove interesting. Trump's oldest daughter and one of his senior (?) advisors is appearing before the Jan.6 committee that is looking into Trump's attempt to overthrow the elected government. Last week Ivanka's husband, Jared Kushner, testified before the committee. Kushner was another one of Trump's senior advisors. Trump liked to keep it all in the family.

And now the family is testifying.

ABC reports, "Ivanka Trump, the eldest daughter and former senior adviser to former President Donald Trump, will meet today with the House Jan. 6 committee investigating the Capitol attack.

"Ivanka Trump was one of a small handful of aides who was with President Trump inside the White House's West Wing as the Capitol was under attack following his speech to supporters on the morning of Jan. 6, 2021, ABC News has previously reported.

MORE: Ivanka Trump in discussions with Jan. 6 committee for voluntary interview

"Retired General Keith Kellogg, who served as Vice President Mike Pence's national security adviser, testified before the committee that he was with Ivanka Trump in the Oval Office when President Trump called Pence and attempted to persuade him to overturn the election results, according to a letter sent to Ivanka Trump from the committee.

 

[Sandy Shanks]

“We’re going to walk down to the Capitol, and we’re going to cheer on our brave senators and congressmen and women. You have to show strength, and you have to be strong.”
“When you catch somebody in a fraud, you are allowed to go by very different rules."
“We fight like hell and if you don’t fight like hell, you’re not going to have a country anymore.”
"Now it is up to Congress to confront this egregious assault on our democracy. And after this, we’re going to walk down, and I’ll be there with you. We are going to try and give them the kind of pride and boldness that they need to take back our country.”
****************************************************************************Donald J. Trump, Jan. 6, 2021

147 Republicans voted to overturn the 2020 Presidential election results.

The 147 Republicans Who Voted to Overturn Election Results (Published 2021)

Republican lawmakers raised objections to the official certification of electoral votes in a joint session of Congress that went into the wee hours of Thursday morning, in a futile effort to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. See who supported the objections.

www.nytimes.com

Following the Republican attempt to overthrow the elected government, the party is continuing its assault on American democracy and our Constitution.

Our Constitution states clearly that the federal government is supreme over state governments. It is called the Supremacy Clause, and it means, among other things, that states cannot pass laws that violate federal law.

Article VI, paragraph 2 clearly states, "This Constitution, and the Laws of the United States which shall be made in Pursuance thereof; and all Treaties made, or which shall be made, under the Authority of the United States, shall be the supreme Law of the Land; and the Judges in every State shall be bound thereby.

Roe v. Wade is the law of the land according to the Supreme Court. The court ruled (7–2) in 1973 that unduly restrictive state regulation of abortion is unconstitutional.

Republicans in Oklahoma violated the Constitution.

ABC reports, "The Oklahoma House gave final legislative approval on Tuesday to a bill that would make performing an abortion a felony, punishable by up to 10 years in prison.

"With little discussion and no debate, the Republican-controlled House voted 70-14 to send the bill to Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt, who has previously said he'd sign any anti-abortion bill that comes to his desk."

Obviously, we have the Religious Right involved in all of this. So, now, in addition to the problems created by Trump and his allies in Congress, we have religious extremists from the rural counties of Oklahoma attempting to re-write our Constitution.

Once again the Republican Party challenges American democracy. Oddly enough, the GOP is expected to gain control of Congress in the November mid-terms. Go figure. Does our country have a problem here?

How do Republicans on this forum handle all this and countless other issues seen here?

They don't. They simply ignore the many issues that plague the Republican Party.

Want proof? Scan this thread. There is not a peep from Republicans concerning the issues laid out here.

 

[Sandy Shanks]

Americans are being fed a boatload of crap by politicians and the media. The latter is acting like the propaganda arm of the Ukraine government.

ABC reports, "Attorney General Merrick Garland on Wednesday expressed outrage over the "horrible images" of killed civilians in Ukraine and said the U.S. is working with international partners to identify those responsible."

Okay, well that is reasonable. Determining who is responsible for the atrocities in Ukraine is logical even if it doesn't go anywhere.

But then Garland said, "This Department has a long history of helping to hold accountable those who perpetrate war crimes."

Hold accountable? How?

Garland then added for emphasis, "We have seen the dead bodies of civilians, some with bound hands, scattered in the streets. We have seen the mass graves. We have seen the bombed hospital, theater, and residential apartment buildings. The world sees what is happening in Ukraine. The Justice Department sees what is happening in Ukraine."

Garland is not alone. The media, to make us all feel good, is constantly suggesting that the perpetrators will be facing some kind of trial. They never bother to explain how or where the trial would take place or who has jurisdiction.

Then there is President Biden who on Monday called for Russian President Putin to face a war crimes trial.

"You saw what happened in Bucha," Biden said. "He is a war criminal. But we have to gather the information. And we have to gather all the details, so this can be an actual ... have a war crime trial," he said.

Okay, I will ask again. How is Garland going to hold Putin and his henchmen accountable? The courts, a trial?

Similar to other politicians he never answers the question he created. Instead, Garland gives us a bunch of B.S.

"Garland said investigators are in the "collection of evidence" stage of any war crime prosecution and he is not calling for anything similar to the Nuremberg Trials at this point, but he notably said the Justice Department has a "long history" of helping to hold accountable those who perpetrate war crimes," ABC.

He never did explain how Justice Department is going to hold Putin and his cronies accountable.

That is because he can't. You won't hear this during your television news segment.

NPR reports, "An array of international judicial institutions have jurisdiction over abuses that Putin's military is accused of carrying out in Ukraine. But those courts differ in how they work and how their rulings are enforced — and few have any leverage over Russia.

The U.N.'s highest court -- The International Court of Justice at The Hague -- was created to resolve inter-state disputes, not to rule on cases involving individuals. Any decisions it makes are implemented by the U.N. Security Council — but Russia holds a critical veto vote on that panel.

Moreover, the ICJ has no enforcement arm, no one to arrest Putin and his crew. The Russians would have to hand him over to The Haque ... not likely.

There are other options according to NPR, but they all lead nowhere.

Sorry, Mr. President, there will be no war crimes trial involving Putin.

 

[Sandy Shanks]

This report is uniquely disturbing. Why is the Attorney General interfering in a Congressional investigation?

NBC reports, "House Oversight Committee Chair Carolyn Maloney, D-N.Y., is alleging that the Department of Justice is "obstructing" the panel's investigation into former President Donald Trump by blocking the National Archives from handing over relevant documents.

"In a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland Thursday, Maloney said the DOJ is "preventing" the National Archives from cooperating with the committee's request for documents and information, “including an inventory of 15 boxes of documents recovered from the former president’s Mar-a-Lago residence.”

"The committee is conducting the investigation, Maloney said, because it has jurisdiction over the Presidential Records Act and is trying to determine the full scope of Trump's potential violations of that law."

Garland's response, as is his custom, was weak, basically a non-responsive response.

U.S, News tells us "The attorney general has acknowledged that the department received the referral from the Archives, but it is longstanding Justice Department policy not to comment on investigations."

Garland has not commenting down to a science.

No one is asking Garland to comment on any investigation. Is Garland investigating Trump? He won't comment. Congress simply wants the documents to which it is legally entitled, according to the Supreme Court.

U.S. News then states, "Generally, under Justice Department guidelines, details of investigations are supposed to remain out of the public view until charges are filed or warrants are filed. And, if grand juries are convened, the Justice Department is precluded under federal law from discussing specifics of a grand jury investigation before an indictment is handed down."

What investigation applies here? Again, Garland won't comment. In fact, he doesn't comment much. As shown, he simply obstructs.

Congress doesn't want to interfere in any DOJ investigation. Congress is requesting that the DOJ not interfere in their investigation.

It is time for our President to replace Garland with someone who does more than obstruct Congress in their duties.

 

[Sandy Shanks]

It is, indeed, America's regrettable misfortune that, historically speaking, the worst President this country has ever experienced had the unique opportunity to nominate three Supreme Court justices.

Donald Trump was so bad his own followers avoid him as this thread attests. He was and is so bad his own followers are unable to defend him.

As a consequence of Trump's three conservative appointees, the Supreme Court has lost a tremendous amount of its prestige. It is making law, not overseeing law.

The Atlantic explains, "The conservative Court majority is moving at an accelerating pace to impose that coalition’s preferences on issues such as abortion, voting rights, and affirmative action.

"On all of these fronts, and others, the Republican justices are siding with what America has been—a mostly white, Christian, and heavily rural nation—over the urbanized, racially and religiously diverse country America is becoming."

“It is about almost trying to maintain a 1940s, 1950s view of what the United States is and what its obligations are to its citizens,” Sarah Warbelow, the legal director for the Human Rights Campaign.

Prior to the Trump administration, Presidential appointments to the Supreme Court were a shoe-in once the political give and take was over and the voting took place. Beginning with Trump, the vote became very close and along party lines. Before Trump, the parties talked to one another, and countless bills became law on a bi-partisan basis. Beginning with Trump the parties rarely interacted and bi-partisan legislation has largely become a thing of the past.

Supreme Court justices are appointed for life.

It is unlikely that Republicans will respond to the issues in this thread. They avoid talking about what their party is doing. Could be a question of awareness.

 

[Sandy Shanks]

Those who follow such matters are asking a question.

Is Donald Trump losing his hold on the Republican Party?

Many think that would be a good thing. They are Republicans. As this thread shows, Trump has already lost grassroots Republicans. Their silence is deafening.

ABC reports, "A former president who famously claimed he would win so much that his followers would be "sick and tired of winning" faces the prospect of something new within normally friendly terrain: a losing streak.

"Starting next month, in states from Georgia and North Carolina to Arizona and Alaska, former President Donald Trump will see his influence tested in a series of high-stakes GOP primaries."

The major problem Trump has is he takes things personal. If a Republican governor, legislator, or staffer in high places (secretary of state) didn't play Trump's game -- "the election was stolen from me" -- then Trump endorses that candidate's rival. The problem for Trump is that Republican may be entrenched within the party and the role he is playing.

A good example of this is Governor Brian Kemp of Georgia. Kemp refused to declare Trump the winner in Georgia's election, and he is up for reelection this year. Trump tapped former US Sen. David Perdue to run against Kemp in the Georgia primary, which many presumed would catapult Purdue ahead of Kemp in the polls. Polling for the past few months has steadily shown Perdue trailing Kemp by about 10 percentage points.

ABC continued, "Trump has placed himself in the middle of a wide range of races in which his chosen candidates have struggled or where he is at sharp odds with other prominent Republican voices -- including former Cabinet members, close aides and potential rivals who hope bad calls by Trump prove a point."

"Trump is trying to insert himself in races all across the country where people he's supporting are crazy," Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, a Republican, told ABC News.

"In one recent sign of how little some Republicans now fear Trump's wrath, New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu appeared at Washington's Gridiron Club dinner over the weekend and labeled Trump "f---ing crazy." Sununu, who later called his speech "all in fun" and "all a joke," is up for reelection in a state that delivered Trump his first primary win of 2016.

"Trump is still widely seen as the loudest and most powerful force in Republican politics. Candidates and potential candidates have been parading to Mar-a-Lago virtually since Trump left office in search of what the former president bills as his "complete and total endorsement,'" ABC.

 

[Sandy Shanks]

“We’re going to walk down to the Capitol, and we’re going to cheer on our brave senators and congressmen and women. You have to show strength, and you have to be strong.”
“When you catch somebody in a fraud, you are allowed to go by very different rules."
“We fight like hell and if you don’t fight like hell, you’re not going to have a country anymore.”
"Now it is up to Congress to confront this egregious assault on our democracy. And after this, we’re going to walk down, and I’ll be there with you. We are going to try and give them the kind of pride and boldness that they need to take back our country.”
*****************************************************************************Donald J. Trump, Jan. 6, 2021

The Times reports, "The leaders of the House committee investigating the Capitol attack have grown divided over whether to make a criminal referral to the Justice Department of former President Donald J. Trump, even though they have concluded that they have enough evidence to do so, people involved in the discussions said.

"The debate centers on whether making a referral — a largely symbolic act — would backfire by politically tainting the Justice Department’s expanding investigation into the Jan. 6 assault and what led up to it.

"Since last summer, a team of former federal prosecutors working for the committee has focused on documenting the attack and the preceding efforts by Mr. Trump and his allies to reverse his defeat in the 2020 election. The panel plans to issue a detailed report on its findings, but in recent months it has regularly signaled that it was also weighing a criminal referral that would pressure Attorney General Merrick B. Garland to open a criminal investigation into Mr. Trump.

"Despite concluding that they have enough evidence to refer Mr. Trump for obstructing a congressional proceeding and conspiring to defraud the American people, some on the committee are questioning whether there is any need to make a referral. The Justice Department appears to be ramping up a wide-ranging investigation, and making a referral could saddle a criminal case with further partisan baggage at a time when Mr. Trump is openly flirting with running again in 2024."

 

[Sandy Shanks]

The Times reports, "The leaders of the House committee investigating the Capitol attack have grown divided over whether to make a criminal referral to the Justice Department of former President Donald J. Trump, even though they have concluded that they have enough evidence to do so, people involved in the discussions said.

"The debate centers on whether making a referral — a largely symbolic act — would backfire by politically tainting the Justice Department’s expanding investigation into the Jan. 6 assault and what led up to it.

Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) differs with the Times assessment.

Cheney on Sunday "rejected a report that there is a dispute among members of the Jan. 6 House select committee regarding whether to make a criminal referral for former President Trump," The Hill

The Hill continued, "The information the committee has reportedly justifies referring Trump for obstructing a congressional proceeding and conspiring to defraud the American people.

“The committee is working in a really collaborative way to discuss these issues, as we are with all of the issues we’re addressing, and we’ll continue to work together to do so. So I wouldn’t characterize that as being a dispute on the committee,” Cheney said.

She called the panel, made up of seven Democrats and two Republicans, “the single most collaborative committee on which I’ve ever served.”

Forbes opines, "Members of the committee are unsure of whether a criminal referral is necessary: The DOJ is already conducting a wide-ranging investigation into the Capitol riot and can bring charges without an explicit referral from lawmakers, and a referral could be viewed as a partisan move by the panel, which is made up of seven Democrats and two Republicans."

Conclusion: When the findings from the panel become public, A.G. Merrick Garland and DOJ investigators can read it along with everyone else. If they determine that Trump led a coup attempt to overthrow the elected government, they can bring charges against the former President.

“We fight like hell and if you don’t fight like hell, you’re not going to have a country anymore. Now it is up to Congress to confront this egregious assault on our democracy. We are going to try and give them the kind of pride and boldness that they need to take back our country,” Donald J. Trump, Jan. 6, 2021, to members of right wing extremist groups who participated in the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol to include The Three Percenters, The Oath Keepers, Proud Boys, and the Texas Freedom Force.

 

[Sandy Shanks]

It's going to be a long war.

CNN reports, "Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday that peace talks with Ukraine had hit "a dead end."

"Now, security requirements are one thing, and the issues of regulating relations over Crimea, Sevastopol and Donbas are taken out of the scope of these agreements. That is, we have again returned to a dead-end situation for ourselves and for all of us," he added, speaking alongside his Belarusian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko at a news conference.

"Putin vowed that he "will not stop military operations" in Ukraine until Moscow succeeds.

"The Russian leader also dismissed the reports of atrocities in the Ukrainian town of Bucha as “fake” and compared them to “fake” reports about the use of chemical weapons in Syria by the Assad regime."

"There were provocations in Syria, when the use of chemical weapons by the Assad government was planted. Then it turned out that it was fake, the same fake is in Bucha,” he said.

Can one trust a leader who signed a law that states use of words like "war" and "invasion" gets one prison time. The internet notwithstanding, the only media in Russia is state-run media. All others have been banned.

How long can Putin keep the truth from the Russian people?