A report card on the Biden administration

[Sandy Shanks]

Is Kevin McCarthy losing it?

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy said without citing any law -- because there isn't any -- that it would be illegal for technology companies to cooperate with the January 6 select committee inquiry. Congressional investigations have obtained phone records before, and it is a violation of federal law not to comply with Congressional inquiries.

Then came the almost childish threat.

He said that if his party won control of the House, it would use its power to punish any that did."

Then select committee had to refute a recent claim by McCarthy that former President Donald Trump has been cleared by the Justice Department of any role in the insurrection.

McCarthy's statement is weak, pathetic even.

"That's where law enforcement comes. The FBI has investigated this. The Senate had bipartisan committees come back. And you know what they've found -- that there's no involvement. But this is purely political in how Nancy Pelosi has handled this," McCarthy said in the interview with KGET.

The statement is awkward and passive. "... there's no involvement." Who is not involved? Trump? Himself? Certain members of the House who refused to accept the results of the election? We don't know who McCarthy is talking about because he doesn't have the balls to tell us.

A week after the insurrection, McCarthy said on the House floor that, "The President bears responsibility for Wednesday's attack on Congress by mob rioters. ... He should have immediately denounced the mob when he saw what was unfolding. These facts require immediate action by President Trump."

 

[bripat9643]

Is Kevin McCarthy losing it?

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy said without citing any law -- because there isn't any -- that it would be illegal for technology companies to cooperate with the January 6 select committee inquiry. Congressional investigations have obtained phone records before, and it is a violation of federal law not to comply with Congressional inquiries.

Then came the almost childish threat.

He said that if his party won control of the House, it would use its power to punish any that did."

Then select committee had to refute a recent claim by McCarthy that former President Donald Trump has been cleared by the Justice Department of any role in the insurrection.

McCarthy's statement is weak, pathetic even.

"That's where law enforcement comes. The FBI has investigated this. The Senate had bipartisan committees come back. And you know what they've found -- that there's no involvement. But this is purely political in how Nancy Pelosi has handled this," McCarthy said in the interview with KGET.

The statement is awkward and passive. "... there's no involvement." Who is not involved? Trump? Himself? Certain members of the House who refused to accept the results of the election? We don't know who McCarthy is talking about because he doesn't have the balls to tell us.

A week after the insurrection, McCarthy said on the House floor that, "The President bears responsibility for Wednesday's attack on Congress by mob rioters. ... He should have immediately denounced the mob when he saw what was unfolding. These facts require immediate action by President Trump."

It's called the 4th Amendment, dumbass.

 

[Sandy Shanks]

How stupid can Republicans be? Pretty stupid, especially the ones in Texas, but the Republican Party as a whole is responsible.

As can be seen from this thread, Republicans are so inept they are totally incapable of defending their party. Faced with criticism on the issues, they are completely silent.

Republicans in Texas passed a new abortion law in which every private citizen can become a vigilante where abortion is concerned. In the case of incest, the new law says it is okay for a young woman to be forced to carry her sibling to birth.

Then we have the new gun law in Texas, one of the most dangerous laws in the country ... in the world, actually.

ABC News explains. "Texas' new law allowing most people to carry handguns in public without a permit or training came in part from the belief by many Texans that the best way to prevent crime and stop an armed bad guy is to make sure an armed good guy is nearby.

"Gov. Greg Abbott and his Republican allies in the Legislature who this summer made Texas the largest state with a so-called permit-less carry law pitched it as a way to let people more easily defend themselves without government interference."

“Best case scenario, the police are minutes away. But you need protection right then and there if you’re in danger. So, it’s going to make us safe,” said Bethany Young, the legislative director for Texas Gun Rights.

That sounds great --- if one is into fantasy.

What is the reality? How often do we hear about a gun toting civilian saving the day by shooting the bad guy? Almost never? Never?

How often do hear of shootings, of mass murder in a school, mall, or work place?

Every freaking day!

Indeed, on the same day ABC News carried the story mentioned above, their website carried these two headlines.

Ex-Marine arrested in quadruple killing​

DC shooting leaves 3 dead, 3 wounded​

That explains the stupidity of the Republican Party. Worse, grassroots Republicans who voted for these idiots actually believe what GOP leaders say.

One-third of all Republicans still believe the election was stolen from Trump. 66% of all Republicans want Donald Trump, the worst President in modern American history and a prestigious liar, to run for President in 2024.

 

[Sandy Shanks]

Republicans in Texas passed a new abortion law in which every private citizen can become a vigilante where abortion is concerned. In the case of incest, the new law says it is okay for a young woman to be forced to carry her sibling to birth.

Republicans may have made a huge mistake.

The first clue is, no Republican on this forum is defending what the Republicans have done with respect to the new abortion law in Texas, but I will let Charlie Dent, a former Republican lawmaker explain the Texas size error.

First, Dent describes tragic case of Terri Schiavo, a Florida woman who was on a feeding tube and in a permanent, irreversible vegetative state. Sadly, she was brain dead. Schiavo's husband, Michael, wanted to remove the life support. Schiavo's parents, Robert and Mary Schindler, objected. The courts ruled with the husband over the parents at every turn.

Dent writes, "Some ardently anti-abortion members of Congress thoughtlessly took on this case as a way to burnish their pro-life credentials. A private bill, Terri's law, was enacted in record time. I was one of five House Republicans to vote against this invasive and egregious federal overreach. The optics of this debacle were manifest to the American people who were horrified that Congress would intervene in such a painful, personal family dispute which had been thoroughly litigated and settled in court."

Dent continued, "Approval ratings of Congressional Republicans suffered as a consequence and the Terri Schiavo case may have contributed to the GOP losing control of both the House and Senate in the 2006 midterm election.

"Which leads me to the Texas law that bans abortion at around six weeks, once a fetal heartbeat can be detected. Like the Terri Schiavo intervention, the Texas law is extreme and completely over the top. Banning abortion at six weeks, when most women don't know they're pregnant, with no exceptions for rape or incest, is problematic enough. But providing $10,000 awards to citizens if they successfully sue anyone who helps women access lawful medical services smacks of a sinister, Orwellian invasion of privacy.

"Congressional intervention in the Terri Schiavo case offended the sensibilities of many Americans. The Texas law will, too. When ideological zealotry trumps common sense, expect a backlash."

Forum Republicans will not respond to what their party is doing, but a current Republican member of Congress will ... in blunt, frank terms.

"I think if we're going to be in charge and pushing conspiracy and pushing division and pushing lies, then the Republican Party should not have the majority," Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill, stated.

 

[Sandy Shanks]

How stupid can Republicans be?

For members of this forum who are of the male persuasion, allow me to explain something. The new abortion law in Texas does allow abortions for those who are less than six weeks into pregnancy. But that window only provides a woman with a best-case scenario—someone obsessively tracking a regular menstrual cycle of 28 days—that leaves about two weeks after her first missed period to have an abortion. In other words, at six weeks most women have no idea they are pregnant.

That being said, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Tuesday offered a remarkable lack of knowledge about the way women’s bodies work. Acting like a typical male chauvinist pig who refuses to consult with women, he offered a disquieting defense of his state’s crushingly restrictive abortion law.

A reporter asked him a simple question. “Regarding the heartbeat bill, why force a rape or incest victim to carry a pregnancy to term?”

Abbott's reply was stunning in its abject ignorance. “It doesn’t require that at all,” Abbott said, adding “Because obviously, it provides at least six weeks for a person to be able to get an abortion.”

He didn't bother mentioning the unintended consequences of rape and incest after six weeks. Instead, he followed up on his bizarre statement with a strange pivot. “Let’s make something very clear,” he said. “Rape is a crime. And Texas will work tirelessly to make sure we eliminate all rapists from the streets of Texas by aggressively going out and arresting them, and prosecuting them, and getting them off the streets.”

So, according to Abbott, he is going to eliminate the rape problem by eliminating "all rapists from the streets of Texas."

He said no more about the issue of incest.

 

[Sandy Shanks]

It is likely that Republicans will be making a huge mistake.

According to one senior aide to Donald Trump, the former president is all but certain to run again.

"I would say somewhere between 99 and 100 percent," Jason Miller told Cheddar earlier this month when asked about the chances that Trump runs again. "I think he is definitely running in 2024."

If that is true, a Trump candidacy would be devastating to the Republican Party. With recent laws passed by Republicans in Texas -- a draconian abortion law, an election law designed to restrict voting, a gun law that will turn the streets of El Paso into the O.K. Corral -- faith in today's Republican Party is at an all-time low.

The Democrats are drooling over a Trump run in 2024. Trump got drilled by seven million votes in 2020. If the Republicans run Trump in 2024, it could be 15 million this time.

A Trumpian effort in 2024 seems likely. According to Chris Cillizza, "There's this from Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan during a stop in Iowa -- eyes emoji! -- last week. "I think he's gonna run," Jordan said of Trump. "I want him to run. He's proven he can take the heat.'"

"Now, Trump himself hasn't been as conclusive but he has made very clear he is leaning toward getting into the 2024 race. Trump was barely coy about his future plans in an interview with conservative pundit Candace Owens. "As you know, it's very early," Trump told Owens. "But I think people are going to be very, very happy when I make a certain announcement."

Trump has commitment issues, and he loves drama.

Politico wrote in May:
"Trump is confiding in allies that he intends to run again in 2024 with one contingency: that he still has a good bill of health, according to two sources close to the former president. That means Trump is going to hang over the Republican Party despite its attempts to rebrand during his exile and its blockade of a Trump-centric investigation into January's insurrection."

 

[Sandy Shanks]

Biden expressed optimism today as the top two Democrats in Congress seemed to leave the door open Wednesday to ultimately reducing the $3.5 trillion price tag of President Joe Biden’s plan to boost social and environment programs.

The A.P. reports, "The leaders seemed to suggest what many lawmakers and analysts have long predicted and progressives fear — satisfying moderates may well require shrinking the measure, perhaps by hundreds of billions of dollars. They spoke as 13 House committees have begun writing pieces of the bill, an initial step leaders hope to complete by next week."

Asked if he would back a less costly measure, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said, “We’re going to all come together to get something big done. And second, it’s our intention to have every part of the Biden plan in a big and robust way.”

The emerging, massive legislation is a cornerstone of Biden’s domestic agenda that would direct much of the government’s fiscal might at helping families and combating climate change. Democrats hope to finance much of it by increasing taxes on the wealthy and corporations, another sore point for moderates.

The irony is, seemingly violating common sense, Biden's approval rating is dropping dramatically.

No one, not American intelligence, not the Pentagon, no one foresaw the sudden collapse of the Afghan army, an army trained and equipped by the U.S. over the past two years. Sure, there are voices now, but not before the withdrawal of our troops. Monday morning quarterbacking does not count, and, yet, despite the most successful evacuation in American history, Americans are blaming Biden for the chaos caused by the sudden surrender of the Afghan army. It almost as though Americans thought that a withdrawal after 20 years of war combined with a massive evacuation would be a walk in the park. They blame Biden because it wasn't.

The sudden surge of the pandemic is being blamed on the delta variant. 95% of the dramatic increase in hospitalizations and deaths is among the unvaccinated. States with the highest number of unvaccinated citizens are Republican-led states. Who do Americans blame? Answer: Democratic President Biden.

The jobs report for August was disappointing, only 235,000. There is little doubt the relatively low number was caused by delta surge among the unvaccinated. The total job creation in the first seven months
of the Biden administration is nearly double any prior first-year President.

Biden is also being blamed for his managing of the economy.

Perhaps it is time to cut our President some slack.

 

[Sandy Shanks]

No one, not American intelligence, not the Pentagon, no one foresaw the sudden collapse of the Afghan army, an army trained and equipped by the U.S. over the past two years.

Another incredibly stupid error. the statement above should read, "No one, not American intelligence, not the Pentagon, no one foresaw the sudden collapse of the Afghan army, an army trained and equipped by the U.S. over the past twenty years.

 

[Sandy Shanks]

The jobs report for August was disappointing, only 235,000. There is little doubt the relatively low number was caused by delta surge among the unvaccinated. The total job creation in the first seven months
of the Biden administration is nearly double any prior first-year President.

The sudden surge of the pandemic is being blamed on the delta variant. 95% of the dramatic increase in hospitalizations and deaths is among the unvaccinated. States with the highest number of unvaccinated citizens are Republican-led states. Who do Americans blame? Answer: Democratic President Biden.

ABC News reports, "The number of Americans seeking unemployment benefits fell sharply last week to 310,000, a pandemic low and a sign that the surge in COVID-19 cases caused by the delta variant has yet to lead to widespread layoffs. At their current pace, weekly applications for benefits are edging toward their pre-pandemic figure of roughly 225,000.

"The ongoing drop in applications for unemployment aid — six declines in the past seven weeks — indicates that most companies are holding onto their workers despite the slowdown. That trend should help sustain the economic rebound through the current wave of infections."

Our President is aggressively attacking the delta inspired pandemic surge which is growing at an alarming rate. One quarter of all those affected are school kids.

The Times reports, "President Biden on Thursday used the full force of his presidency to push two-thirds of American workers to get vaccinated against the coronavirus, reaching into the private sector to mandate that all companies with more than 100 workers require vaccination or weekly testing. Mr. Biden also moved to mandate shots for health care workers, federal contractors and the vast majority of federal workers, who could face disciplinary measures if they refuse.

"The sweeping actions, which the president announced in a White House speech, are the most expansive actions he has taken to control the pandemic since he assumed the presidency in January, and will affect almost every aspect of Am?erican society. They also reflect Mr. Biden’s deep frustration with the roughly 80 million Americans who are eligible for the shots but have not been vaccinated."

Most of that 80 million can be found in Republican-led, and they will bellow loudly about the freedoms that are being taken from them.

No one will listen.

Why? 675,000 Americans have died from covid, and these Republicans view this as a political game. Those who yell the loudest about freedoms are only concerned about theirs. They don't give a rat's ass about the freedoms of others -- the freedom to stay healthy, the freedom to go to ballgame without contracting covid, the freedom to take steps to prevent their children from contracting covid.

The problem is, these Republicans are not listening. They are not fans of reality, and they do their best to avoid responsible news sources.

 

[Sandy Shanks]

Roughly 80 million Americans who are eligible for the shots but have not been vaccinated. Most of that 80 million can be found in Republican-led states.

People who are not vaccinated against Covid-19 are 11 times more likely to die from the disease and 10 times more likely to be hospitalized with the disease according to the CDC.

677,000 Americans have died from Covid-19. Today we are averaging over 150,000 cases and 1,550 deaths a day.

Yesterday, our President declared war on the pandemic.

Why is it forum Republicans largely refrain from discussing the Republican Party? There is one very good reason.

With the inclusion of Republican governors and lawmakers, the Republican leadership is siding with the virus.

The Times reports, "President Biden’s far-reaching assertion of executive authority to require Covid-19 vaccines for 100 million American workers relies on a set of complicated legal tools that will test the power — and the limits — of the federal government to compel personal health care decisions.

"To more aggressively confront the coronavirus pandemic, Mr. Biden is pulling several levers of presidential power: He is using an emergency provision in the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970; he is threatening to withhold federal funding from hospitals and other health care organizations; and he is embracing his authority as chief executive of the sprawling federal work force and its contractors.

"Together, the president’s actions are an assertive use of his jurisdiction over American life as the occupant of the Oval Office."

At least fifteen Republican governors say our President's attack on the malevolent virus amounts to government overreach, and that they plan to challenge it in court. The Republican National Committee has said it plans to sue the administration over the stringent new measures.

The President had a three-word reply to these threats from the Republican leadership.

"Have at it."

The irony is, Republicans are attacking the methods the President is using, but, if the pandemic gets worse, more deaths, months more of the suffering, these same Republicans will be first in line to blame the President.

In addition, Republicans have passed laws that restrict voting access, passed gun laws that can turn city streets into the O.K. Corral, while still another law dictates health decisions for women, and a Republican governor promises to remove all rapists in his state.

If one were a Republican, with this incongruity, would you want to discuss the Republican Party? The party has become downright embarrassing.

That explains the silence.

 

[Sandy Shanks]

For the most part forum Republicans refuse to discuss the Republican Party, and what it is doing. Under the circumstances, that seems perfectly reasonable.

679,000 Americans have died from Covid-19. People who are not vaccinated against Covid-19 are 11 times more likely to die from the disease. People who live in Republican-led states lead the nation in unvaccinated persons because the Republican leadership is fighting for the freedom of dying from the virus.

In other words, the Republican leadership is siding with the virus.

Republicans have passed laws that restrict voting access, passed gun laws that can turn city streets into the O.K. Corral, while still another law dictates health decisions for women, and a Republican governor promises to remove all rapists in his state.

Taking all this into account, who in the hell wants to talk about what the Republican Party is doing.

It gets worse for Republicans. According to a recent poll conducted by SSRS, Republicans and Republican-leaning independents say, 63% to 37%, that Trump should be the leader of the Republican Party.

Forum Republicans do not want to talk about Trump, either.

From that same poll, nearly half of Republicans do not trust him to win in 2024. "51% say that Republicans have a better chance of retaking the presidency if Trump is the nominee, with 49% saying the party would be better off with a different nominee."

Why is it Republicans do not want to talk about the leader of their party? Ironically, why is it 49% of Republicans think Trump is a loser?

There are at least hundred reasons, but this report is already too long. Here is one. I will let the Times tell the short version.

"Notably absent from the 9/11 memorial ceremonies on Saturday was former President Donald J. Trump, a native New Yorker."

The living President's club attended the ceremonies, sans Trump.

The Times continued, "President Biden, former President Barack Obama and former President Bill Clinton all attended the somber name-reading ceremony in Lower Manhattan. Former President George W. Bush spoke at a memorial near Shanksville, Pa., where Mr. Biden attended a wreath-laying ceremony.

"But instead of appearing at one of the ceremonies, Mr. Trump released a series of aggressive statements that criticized our President’s handling of the troop pullout in Afghanistan and praised his allies.

"Mr. Trump visited a police precinct and a neighboring firehouse in Midtown Manhattan. He briefly paid tribute to the heroism of the police and firefighters after the planes hit the twin towers, but spent most of his time treating the visit as a campaign-style rally, continuing his criticism of the Afghanistan pullout, complaining about crime in cities, commenting on how many police officers and firefighters supported him, and falsely claiming once again that he had won the election."

Many Americans saw the video from the firehouse. It was an obscene, narcissistic display by anyone, let alone a former President of the United States.

Trump embarrassed himself ... again. Little wonder as to why people don't want to talk about him.

After seeing the video, try imagining this man becoming our President again.

 

[Sandy Shanks]

680,000 Americans have died from Covid-19. People who are not vaccinated against Covid-19 are 11 times more likely to die from the disease. People who live in Republican-led states lead the nation in unvaccinated persons because the Republican leadership is fighting for the freedom of dying from the virus.

In other words, the Republican leadership is siding with the virus.

Kids are returning to school, and there are severe repercussions.

ABC News reports, "COVID-19 infections have risen "exponentially" among children in the US since July, according to data published Monday by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).

"The group reported 243,373 new cases among kids over the past week. While this is a decline from last week, when 251,781 cases were reported, it's about a 240% increase since early July, when kids accounted for 71,726 cases."

"After declining in early summer, child cases have increased exponentially with nearly 500,000 cases in the past two weeks," AAP said in a statement.

The Times reports, "To more aggressively confront the coronavirus pandemic, Mr. Biden is pulling several levers of presidential power: He is using an emergency provision in the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970; he is threatening to withhold federal funding from hospitals and other health care organizations; and he is embracing his authority as the chief executive."

The Republican leadership is fighting our President at every turn. At least fifteen Republican governors say our President's attack on the malevolent virus amounts to government overreach, and that they plan to challenge it in court. The Republican National Committee has said it plans to sue the administration over the stringent new measures.

Why Republicans want to encourage the spread of the pandemic -- especially among our kids -- is beyond comprehension.

In the meantime, forum Republicans are silent about what their party is doing.

 

[Sandy Shanks]

Many Americans saw the video from the firehouse. It was an obscene, narcissistic display by anyone, let alone a former President of the United States.

Trump embarrassed himself ... again. Little wonder as to why Republicans don't want to talk about him.

Once again, forum Republicans have proven my point. There is only silence from Trump's fans concerning my report.

I, along with countless others, have long maintained there is something off about Donald J. Trump. Turns out the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff agrees with us.

We are to be reminded that Vladimir Putin worked hard to get Trump elected in 2016. It can be argued, Putin is getting his money's worth even today. As the leader of a major political party, Trump and millions of his followers -- all of whom remain silent -- are threatening the sanctity of America's free elections.

Back to the chairman, General Mark A. Milley, the Times reports, "The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff twice called his Chinese counterpart in the final months of the Trump administration to reassure him, according to “Peril,” a new book by the Washington Post reporters Bob Woodward and Robert Costa.

“Things may look unsteady,” the chairman, Gen. Mark A. Milley, told Gen. Li Zuocheng of China on Jan. 8, two days after Mr. Trump’s supporters stormed the Capitol to try to stop the certification of his election loss. “But that’s the nature of democracy, General Li. Democracy can be sloppy sometimes.”

"Yet despite his assurances, General Milley was so concerned about Mr. Trump that later that day he convened a meeting with top commanders to remind them that the procedures for launching a nuclear weapon called for his involvement in such a decision.

"The book details how Mr. Trump’s presidency essentially collapsed in his final months in office, particularly after his election loss and the start of his campaign to deny the results. Top aides — including General Milley, Defense Secretary Mark T. Esper and Attorney General William P. Barr — became convinced that they needed to take drastic measures to stop him from trampling on American democracy or setting off an international conflict, and General Milley thought that Mr. Trump had declined mentally in the aftermath of the election."

 

[Sandy Shanks]

We are to be reminded that Vladimir Putin worked hard to get Trump elected in 2016. It can be argued, Putin is getting his money's worth even today. As the leader of a major political party, Trump and millions of his followers -- all of whom remain silent -- are threatening the sanctity of America's free elections.

As expected, forum Republicans remain silent about what their party is doing and what their party leader is doing.

Is it a question of intelligence? We know Republicans get their support from the rural areas of our country, farmers, ranchers, rural shop keepers. Because they are busy with the land, people who live in rural areas have limited time for education.

Trump Republicans often illustrate this phenomenon on other threads while avoiding this one.

 

[CrusaderFrank]

As expected, forum Republicans remain silent about what their party is doing and what their party leader is doing.

Is it a question of intelligence? We know Republicans get their support from the rural areas of our country, farmers, ranchers, rural shop keepers. Because they are busy with the land, people who live in rural areas have limited time for education.

Trump Republicans often illustrate this phenomenon on other threads while avoiding this one.

 

[Sandy Shanks]

We are to be reminded that Vladimir Putin worked hard to get Trump elected in 2016. It can be argued, Putin is getting his money's worth even today. As the leader of a major political party, Trump and millions of his followers -- all of whom remain silent -- are threatening the sanctity of America's free elections.

Trump and his Republican colleagues are now weakening the American chain of command.

Keep in mind, all Milley did was remind military leaders that he was to be in the loop in the case of an act of war being transmitted to the Pentagon. That is his job.

Also, Milley's concern about the President's mental health was justified and was shared by many others in the White House, including Defense Secretary Mark T. Esper (who Trump fired) and Attorney General William P. Barr (who quit).

The former President released a written statement through his office. "Dumbass’ General Mark Milley, I assume he would be tried for TREASON in that he would have been dealing with his Chinese counterpart behind the President’s back and telling China that he would be giving them notification of an attack [launched by the President]."

Senator Rand Paul, a Trump ally, offered this comment. “Milley wasn’t elected to be president. I can’t even tell you how incredibly dangerous this is."

"The Chairman of the JCOS working to subvert the military chain of command and collude with China is exactly what we do not accept from military leaders in our country," Paul wrote on Twitter. "He should be court martialed if true."

Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida called for the top general to be fired, writing in a letter to the White House arguing that Milley had set a "dangerous precedent" through his actions and had "contemplated a treasonous leak of classified information to the Chinese Communist Party."

Rubio is lying. There is no indication Milley did any such thing, and, usual for a Republican, Rubio gave no details regarding what he was talking about.

Other GOP senators such as Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming and Roger Marshall of Kansas also called for Milley's firing.

The Republican Party is lost. Its leader lost the last election by seven million votes. On Jan. 6, the Republican President led an insurrection against his own government, sparking concerns among many about his mental condition and what he would do next. Nearly eleven months later, Trump is still proclaiming he won the election. Now, he and other Republican leaders are attacking the American chain of command.

 

[Sandy Shanks]

The Republican Party is lost. Its leader lost the last election by seven million votes. On Jan. 6, the Republican President led an insurrection against his own government, sparking concerns among many about his mental condition and what he would do next. Nearly eleven months later, Trump is still proclaiming he won the election. Now, he and other Republican leaders are attacking the American chain of command.

Trump, after losing his reelection by over seven million votes, incited the Jan. 6 insurrection against his government with these words:

“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.”

According to Insider, 642 people have been arrested for the capital insurrection. A rally on Saturday has been organized by former Trump campaign staffer Matt Braynard to honor those who have been arrested on felony charges.

Former President Trump signified his support for the rally saying ...

“Our hearts and minds are with the people being persecuted so unfairly relating to the January 6th protest concerning the Rigged Presidential Election. In addition to everything else, it has proven conclusively that we are a two-tiered system of justice. In the end, however, JUSTICE WILL PREVAIL!”

The Republican leadership in Congress has not condemned the rally. Point of fact, they are not saying a thing.

The same is true about the party's leader and his Big Lie. Congressional Republicans do not want to anger Trump's supporters. Consequently, they are completely silent when their leader insists to this day that the election was stolen from him. According to a recent SSRS poll, 78% of Republicans do not believe Biden was elected President.

What does all this mean? Trump's support comes largely from rural counties, counties and towns with small populations. It means that the Republican leadership does not want to rile high school educated farmers and rural shopkeepers who think Trump is their hero.

Busy with the land, they don't have time to see the reality of what is happening around them. A very large percentage of Trump's followers have no idea any of this is happening. They don't know what happened on Jan. 6. They don't know what Trump said on Jan. 6, or today for that matter. All they know is that, for reason they can't say, Trump is their hero.

It means the Republican Party's new mantra is the Big Lie. Since the leadership won't deny it, the GOP will operate on the principle that the 2020 election was fraudulent.

 

[Sandy Shanks]

I found this piece interesting because the entire media has been taking potshots at our President ever since the chaotic withdrawal of our troops from Afghanistan along with approximately 124,000 Americans and approved Afghans. The criticism was made worse by an ill-timed drone strike that killed an innocent family of ten. Seven were children. Some are going so far as to blame Biden personally as if he alone targeted the unfortunate family.

Anyway, Stephen Collinson offers this because the President is facing more than one crisis.

"In Washington, sooner or later, everything comes down to China.

"The Biden administration justifies US policy on infrastructure, the economy and even on public services by the need to strengthen the country to better compete with China. America's foreign policy is increasingly organized as a bid to counter the rising great power. President Joe Biden keeps saying he had to get out of Afghanistan because China loved the US being bogged down there. Take some of the biggest issues rocking Washington -- the Covid-19 pandemic and the fight against climate change -- and China is at the center of them. The furor over the new book by Bob Woodward and Robert Costa about Donald Trump's final days in office was most heated over claims that the top US military officer called Chinese counterparts to reassure them the then-President wouldn't attack.

"It is perhaps a commentary about waning US prestige as the dominant global power after a tumultuous first two decades of the 21st century that so many leaders spend so much time defining the country against the next great US adversary.

"The United States is running to catch up. The hopes at the dawn of the 2000s that ushering China into the global economic system would inexorably promote internal political freedoms and a placid global partner foundered. Now Washington's response has to be built hurriedly on the fly by President Biden."

Consequently, Australia, the United States and Britain are expected to jointly announce a new trilateral security partnership that will see Australia scrap a multi-billion dollar program to build French-designed submarines and build a nuclear-powered fleet with U.S. and British technology instead.

Collinson continues, "The deal was announced suddenly, with no regard for France's global ambitions or self-image as an important power. "Speaking politely, it's a real stab in the back," French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said on French radio Thursday. "This is a decision that is unilateral, brutal, unpredictable. It really looks like something Mr. Trump would do," he added.

Ouch!

France then promptly recalled its ambassadors to the United States and Australia.

Aw, hell, it's only France.

 

[Sandy Shanks]

With slumping poll numbers, President Biden needs a win real bad. The logical way to get that win is the passage of the $1 trillion Senate-passed bipartisan infrastructure bill in the Democratically controlled House. The progressive wing of the Democratic party seem bent on denying the Democratic President that win.

True, that makes no sense.

CNN explains, "Tensions are reaching a boiling point for Democrats as intense divisions between liberals and moderates threaten to derail key pillars of President Joe Biden's agenda and factions within the party increasingly cast blame on one another.

"The Biden agenda has entered a pivotal stage on Capitol Hill as House Democrats run up against a looming September 27 deadline to vote on a $1 trillion Senate-passed bipartisan infrastructure bill. Progressives have vowed not to vote in favor of the bipartisan bill unless a far larger economic package with a price tag of up to $3.5 trillion moves in tandem. But that package has become bogged down over disputes among Democrats over the cost as well as policy details, leaving both priorities in jeopardy."

In other words, for the progressives, it is all or nothing, and, since Democrats in the Senate cannot agree on the enormous cost of the economic package, there is a good chance it will be nothing.

Progressives are a "no" on the $1 trillion infrastructure package on September 27 if the House and Senate have not approved the larger, Democratic-only economic package by then.

But there's virtually no chance the larger bill -- which progressives want pegged at $3.5 trillion -- can pass both chambers by next Monday, CNN.

So, unless the progressives change their minds, their position imperils their control of the House and Senate in the 2022 elections, possibly even the White House in 2024. If Democrats can't agree on getting something important done, what are the odds of a Republican Congress and a Democratic executive branch agreeing on anything? The result is do-nothing Democratic incumbent in 2024.

Progressives should think long and hard about what they are doing.

It wouldn't be the first time progressives did enormous harm to the Democratic Party.

Bernie Sanders voters helped Trump win and here's proof

 

[Sandy Shanks]

But there's virtually no chance the larger bill -- which progressives want pegged at $3.5 trillion -- can pass both chambers by next Monday, CNN.

So, unless the progressives change their minds, their position imperils their control of the House and Senate in the 2022 elections, possibly even the White House in 2024.

Biden has more problems than Democratic squabbling, and his lapse in not getting French approval of American foreign policy regarding China. The federal government may go broke.

The Post explains. "The United States could plunge into an immediate recession if Congress fails to raise the debt ceiling and the country defaults on its payment obligations this fall, according to one analysis released Tuesday.

"Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody’s Analytics, found that a prolonged impasse over the debt ceiling would cost the U.S. economy up to 6 million jobs, wipe out as much as $15 trillion in household wealth, and send the unemployment rate surging to roughly 9 percent from around 5 percent.

"Lawmakers in both parties agree that the debt ceiling must be raised to avoid economic calamity, but their standoff over how to do so has intensified. Despite the national debt increasing by close to $8 trillion under President Donald Trump, Republicans have been adamant that they will refuse to help Democrats increase the debt ceiling, in opposition to President Biden’s spending plans."

Once again, the Republicans are not making any sense.

The Post continued, "The Treasury Department has said it will exhaust its “extraordinary measures” to pay the U.S. obligations sometime in October, giving lawmakers little time to act to head off calamity.

Democrats unveil new plan to fund government, suspend debt ceiling as major showdown with GOP looms

“This economic scenario is cataclysmic. … The downturn would be comparable to that suffered during the financial crisis” of 2008, said the report, written by Zandi and Bernard Yaros, assistant director and economist at Moody’s Analytics."

Biden better get to work. His forte' is working with the loyal opposition.