The Biden Era

[Sandy Shanks]

CNN reports, "Within minutes of the US Capitol breach on January 6, 2021, messages began pouring into the cell phone of White House chief of staff Mark Meadows. Among those texting were Republican members of Congress, former members of the Trump administration, GOP activists, Fox personalities – even the President’s son. Their texts all carried the same urgent plea: President Donald Trump needed to immediately denounce the violence and tell the mob to go home."

“He’s got to condem (sic) this shit. Asap,” Donald Trump Jr. texted at 2:53 p.m.

“POTUS needs to calm this shit down,” GOP Rep. Jeff Duncan of South Carolina wrote at 3:04 p.m.

“Fix this now,” wrote GOP Rep. Chip Roy of Texas at 3:15 p.m.

“I thought the President could stop it and was the only person who could stop it,” said Alyssa Farah Griffin, who was Trump’s director of strategic communications until she left the White House in December 2020.

CNN continued, "One of the key questions the January 6 House committee is expected to raise in its June hearings is why Trump failed to publicly condemn the attack for hours, and whether that failure is proof of “dereliction of duty” and evidence that Trump tried to obstruct Congress’ certification of the election.

"CNN obtained the 2,319 text messages that Meadows selectively handed over to the January 6 committee in December before he stopped cooperating with the investigation."

Meadows isn't the only one who refuses to explain their role in the Jan. 6 insurrection, a coup attempt to overthrow the elected government. Rather than coming forward to explain their innocence, nearly all of Trump's close associates are refusing to appear before the committee.

The list includes Four House Republicans, Representative Kevin McCarthy, the minority leader, Representatives Jim Jordan of Ohio, Scott Perry of Pennsylvania and Andy Biggs of Arizona.

It is fair to assume that only the guilty would react in that way.

Republicans are expected to win control of Congress in the November mid-terms. Go figure.

 

[Sandy Shanks]

Actually, there have been 233 mass shootings this year, 20 mass shootings since the slaughter of children and teachers in Uvalde.

That statement was made yesterday. No doubt the figures have been updated.

As police officers stood outside a locked fourth-grade classroom, a student trapped inside with the man shooting at her classmates dialed 911. She was in Room 112, she whispered to the dispatcher. Seven minutes later, she called again. There were multiple students dead, she said. The child hung up and called several more times, her words growing increasingly desperate and grim. “Please send police now,” she said in one of the final 911 recordings — over 40 minutes after her initial call. -- The Post

CNN Reports, "President Joe Biden tried to turn a string of horrific mass shootings into momentum Thursday night, imploring 10 Republican senators to join Democrats on some – any – new gun-related legislation.

"The speech, which compared dead American children to US casualties in war, came on a night when fellow Democrats on a House committee passed a string of proposals that most Americans might support but have no chance of passing through a GOP blockade in the Senate. The National Rifle Association immediately rejected his proposals,

"Biden made clear he’s willing to accept far less than the measures he prefers – an assault weapons ban – in exchange for real federal action. In the speech, he laid out some main proposals: banning assault weapons and high-capacity magazines or raising the age to purchase them to 21, strengthening background checks, enacting safe storage and red flag laws, repealing the immunity that protects gun manufacturers from liability and addressing the mental health crisis."

This is all in vain and our President knows it.

The forum's Republicans remain completely silent on the issue.

 

[Sandy Shanks]

The Guardian reports, "Peter Navarro, a top former White House adviser to Donald Trump, was taken into custody after being indicted by a federal grand jury on Friday on two counts of contempt of Congress for defying a subpoena issued by the House select committee investigating the January 6 Capitol attack.

"The indictment against Navarro marks the first time that the justice department has pursued charges against a Trump White House official who worked in the administration on January 6 and participated in efforts to overturn the 2020 election results.

"Navarro is facing one count of contempt of Congress for his refusal to appear at a deposition and a second count for his refusal to turn over documents as demanded by the select committee’s subpoena, the justice department announced in a news release.

"The former Trump White House adviser, who was involved in the former president’s unlawful scheme to have the then-vice president, Mike Pence, refuse to certify Joe Biden’s election win on January 6, was taken into custody at the airport."

"The former president’s unlawful scheme?" That brings up an interesting question. Trump is heard cheering on his mob, urging them to enter Congress and do the "right thing" by not allowing the certification of the Presidential election. His associates are doing his bidding. A number of Trump's close associates have been indicted or will be indicted, and some have gone to prison.

Yet nothing ever happens to the mastermind behind the coup attempt on Jan. 6, 2021. Donald Trump has never been charged with a crime. Why is that?

 

[Sandy Shanks]

"The former president’s unlawful scheme?" That brings up an interesting question. Trump is heard cheering on his mob, urging them to enter Congress and do the "right thing" by not allowing the certification of the Presidential election. His associates are doing his bidding. A number of Trump's close associates have been indicted or will be indicted, and some have gone to prison.

Yet nothing ever happens to the mastermind behind the coup attempt on Jan. 6, 2021. Donald Trump has never been charged with a crime. Why is that?

Donald Trump is the leader of the Republican Party, the king maker. Nearly every Republican running for office in November and the primaries before that ae seeking his endorsement.

And the Republicans are expected to win Congress in the November mid-terms.

On a related topic, Dean Obeidallah writes, "'Top Gun: Maverick” is summer’s first blockbuster, boasting breathless reviews and what will likely be the biggest box office in Tom Cruise’s storied, 35-plus-year Hollywood career.

"But there’s another potential blockbuster coming that I hope eclipses the audience for “Top Gun”: I’m talking about the January 6 committee public hearings, set to premiere on June 9. Just look at the advance buzz:

"And while “Top Gun” was just one film, the January 6 committee hearings are expected to be an eight-episode extravaganza. Some installments are even scheduled to air in prime time."

“The story of the worst presidential political offense against the Union in American history,” US Rep. Jamie Raskin.

How is it possible that this man is the leader of a major American political party? The answer lies in the current make-up of the GOP.

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.

At the heart of their rudimentary political beliefs -- for some reason they are unaware of -- Donald Trump is their savior. How that occurred is a mystery, and Republicans are unable to tell us because of their limited awareness. Moreover, they lack communication skills. The proof is their posts or lack thereof when it comes to defending their party's actions.

 

[Lesh]

According to FiveThirtyEight, which is a poll that averages several leading polls, our President's current approval number is 42%. That's not very good, and it is somewhat of a mystery.

CNN reports, "The United States is rapidly approaching a major jobs milestone that highlights the historically strong economic recovery from Covid-19.

The axiom is true. Presidents, unless they do something drastic, have very little control over the economy. Nonetheless, if the economy is good, they get the credit, as in the case of Trump. If there are serious problems with the economy, the President gets the blame, as in the case of Biden.

ABC reports, "Employers posted a record 11.5 million job openings in March, meaning the United States now has an unprecedented two job openings for every person who is unemployed.

"The latest data released Tuesday by the the Bureau of Labor Statistics further reveals an extraordinarily tight labor market that has emboldened millions of Americans to seek better paying jobs, while also contributing to the biggest inflation surge in four decades."

According to CNN, 66% of Americans disapprove of Biden's handling of the economy.

The AP reports, "President Joe Biden on Wednesday highlighted new figures showing the government’s red ink will grow less than expected this year and the national debt will shrink this quarter as he tried to counter criticism of his economic leadership amid growing dismay over inflation going into midterm elections that will decide control of Congress.

"Biden, embracing deficit reduction as a way to fight inflation, stressed that the dip in the national debt would be the first in six years, an achievement that eluded former President Donald Trump despite his promises to improve the federal balance sheet."

Stocks rallied on Wednesday after the Federal Reserve raised interest rates by half a percentage point.

"The Dow ended the day up by more than 900 points, and the S&P 500 gained almost 3 percent," NPR.

When it comes to the economy, Americans are naive.

And yes, the economy is doing pretty well. But Republicans NEED to claim otherwise I’m order to gain political power.

They did the same thing during the second Obama administration.

The economy then was recovering from the 2008 meltdown in SPITE of GOP foot dragging but they fairly successfully argued the opposite.

Then when Trump won, despite the fact that the economy simply continued on the same track it had been on, they gave all credit to Trump

 

[Sandy Shanks]

Then when Trump won, despite the fact that the economy simply continued on the same track it had been on, they gave all credit to Trump

When it comes to the economy, Americans are naive. Currently they are blaming our President for inflation, high gas prices, supply problems, and the baby formula shortage. Of course our President's policies did not cause those problems. In fact, most of President Biden's wish list can get by the Senate. How could his policies be at fault?

But Americans don't think that deeply about our economy. If we have the problems noted earlier, then the President is responsible for them.

In truth, the President has very little control over the economy.

 

[boedicca]

Everything about this is wrong!

It is, indeed, our misfortune as Americans that we must endure Trump's legacy. How cruel is fate when the worst President in our history was granted the privilege of appointing three Supreme Court Justices.

It would appear that the Republican dominated Supreme Court will issue a minority decision sometime in June, minority meaning an unpopular decision with respect to the American people.

ABC reports, "Amid reports of a draft Supreme Court opinion that would overturn Roe v. Wade, an ABC News/Washington Post poll finds that majorities of Americans support upholding Roe, say abortion should be legal in all or most cases and -- by a wide margin -- see abortion as a decision to be made by a woman and her doctor, not by lawmakers.

"In this poll 57% of Americans oppose a ban after 15 weeks; 58% say abortion should be legal in all or most cases; and 54% say the court should uphold Roe, compared with 28% who say the ruling should be overturned.

In other words, 28% think the state should dictate health issues for pregnant women, not the woman and her doctor. This belief is commonly held in the Republican South, where harsh restriction laws have already been passed.

This begs a question. Many wonder how Republican women in the South feel about old, white men dictating health decisions for them ... in so doing bypassing their doctors.

We will never find out. Republicans never talk about the repercussions of decisions made by Republican leaders, and this applies to the judges chosen by Republicans.

Raising a child is no small task. It becomes far more difficult if the mother is a child, a 16-year old girl who hasn't finished school yet. Then, of course, there are other issues to consider, a pregnancy the product of rape or incest for instance.

That said, it is safe to say that poor women will die if the conservative judges void Roe.

CNN reports, "President Joe Biden on Tuesday urged Congress to pass legislation codifying Roe v. Wade and said a woman’s right to have an abortion is “fundamental,” but said he wasn’t ready to call for an end to the filibuster to push for abortion rights legislation."

ABC reports, "Amid fallout from a leaked draft Supreme Court opinion, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said the conservative justices “lied” to the Senate during confirmation hearings when they assured senators the case that since 1973 has allowed abortion access was settled law."

Republican Senator Susan Collins agreed, saying the testimonies of Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaug were “completely inconsistent,” meaning they lied.

We know Trump led a coup attempt based on lies to overthrow our elected government. Has he also marginalized the Supreme Court?

"Leaking a draft SCOTUS ruling is worse than January 6th. The Court was the one institution where conservatives and liberals lived in peace and trust," wrote right-wing commentator Mike Cernovich. "You disagreed but the trust was sacred. This completely destroys the Court's inner workings. Totally in shock right now."

Vladimir Putin helped Trump become President in 2016. Is he now getting his wish? Has Trump, the leader of the Republican Party, done serious damage to the American government, a dream come true in Putin's mind?

Republicans expect to win control of Congress in November.

The majority of Americans do not support abortion on demand up until the time the baby is in the birth canal.

 

[boedicca]

When it comes to the economy, Americans are naive. Currently they are blaming our President for inflation, high gas prices, supply problems, and the baby formula shortage. Of course our President's policies did not cause those problems. In fact, most of President Biden's wish list can get by the Senate. How could his policies be at fault?

But Americans don't think that deeply about our economy. If we have the problems noted earlier, then the President is responsible for them.

In truth, the President has very little control over the economy.

Are you on drugs?

Things Joe Biden has done to hurt the economy:
1. Cancelled the Keystone pipeline
2. Cancelled oil leases
3. Pushed the insanely destructive Green New Deal via executive order
4. Kept the economy shut down due to the Covid Scamdemic
5. Wasted Trillions of dollars using the Scamdemic as an excuse
6. Paid people to stay out of the work force
7. Another Neo-Con war in Ukraine
8. Pushed vaccine mandates which caused able bodied people to be fire or quit
9. Appointed Alfred E. Buttplug as his Secretary of Transportation

For starters

 

[Sandy Shanks]

Things Joe Biden has done to hurt the economy:
1. Cancelled the Keystone pipeline
2. Cancelled oil leases
3. Pushed the insanely destructive Green New Deal via executive order
4. Kept the economy shut down due to the Covid Scamdemic
5. Wasted Trillions of dollars using the Scamdemic as an excuse
6. Paid people to stay out of the work force
7. Another Neo-Con war in Ukraine
8. Pushed vaccine mandates which caused able bodied people to be fire or quit
9. Appointed Alfred E. Buttplug as his Secretary of Transportation

What was your far right source for that misinformation?

I don't have time to deal with all that B.S.

You believe what you want to believe ... even if they are lies. It's a free country.

Bear in mind, though, the economy and the oil industry are extremely complicated issues.

 

[basquebromance]

The country is pulling itself apart, pandemic infections keep coming, inflation keeps rising, a new crisis on top of new crisis arrives daily and Biden can't see a way to address that while also being the looser, happier, more sympathetic, lovingly Onion-parody inspiring, aviator-wearing, vanilla chip cone-licking guy: an image that was the core of why he got elected in the first place.

 

[Sandy Shanks]

The country is pulling itself apart, pandemic infections keep coming, inflation keeps rising, a new crisis on top of new crisis arrives daily and Biden can't see a way to address that

We have been through a lot worse.

What do you suggest Biden do? No one, and that includes Republican members of Congress, have suggested steps Biden could take.

You are critical of Biden. For what? He didn't cause the problems you listed. I will ask again. What should Biden do about the problems you listed?

Don't strain yourself. Presidents have very little control over the economy. GM and Standard Oil have more of an impact on the economy then the President.

 

[Sandy Shanks]

Texas Rep. Louie Gohmert was trying to make the point that the scales of justice are tilted against Republicans these days. He did it in the worst possible way.

“If you’re a Republican, you can’t even lie to Congress or lie to an FBI agent or they’re coming after you,” Gohmert said in a Friday interview on NewsMax. “They’re going to bury you, they’re going to put you in the DC jail and terrorize and torture you and not live up to the Constitution there.”

Huh! I have no words.

 

[Sandy Shanks]

The [Republican] Senate Intelligence Committee reaffirmed its support for the U.S. intelligence community’s conclusion that the Russian government interfered in the 2016 presidential election with the goal of putting Donald Trump in the Oval Office.
Senate Intel report confirms Russia aimed to help Trump in 2016

Putin could not be more pleased with his choice as history is repeating itself.

In 1861 the southern states attempted to overthrow the elected government. They initiated the bloodiest war in American history, the Civil War. It lasted for four grueling years, and it took decades for our country to recover.

The heart of the Republican Party lies in the southern states. Virtually all of them have Republican governments.

Led by their leader, former President Donald Trump who led a coup attempt on Jan. 6, 2021, to overthrow the elected government, Republicans are attacking the very basis of American democracy. They are attacking the legitimacy of America's free elections. To this day their leader is claiming the 2020 Presidential election was stolen for him despite the fact that 60 court cases, the Supreme Court, all 50 states, and Trump's own A.G. have made it clear there was no theft.

So, the basis for their attack on our elections is a lie, but Republicans continue their assault on American democracy.

Is it any wonder why Putin is happy with what his acolyte and the Republican Party are doing.

But Americans are fighting back.

The Guardian reports, "The House select committee investigating the Capitol attack will unveil new evidence at Watergate-style public hearings this week showing Donald Trump and top aides acted with corrupt intent to stop Joe Biden’s certification, according to sources close to the inquiry.

"The panel intends to use the hearings as its principal method of revealing potential crimes by Trump as he sought to overturn the 2020 election results, the sources said, in what could be a treacherous legal and political moment for the former president."

As the justice department mounts parallel investigations into the Capitol attack, the select committee is hoping that the previously unseen evidence will leave an indelible mark on the American public about the extent to which Trump went in trying to return himself to the Oval Office.

 

[Sandy Shanks]

The [Republican] Senate Intelligence Committee reaffirmed its support for the U.S. intelligence community’s conclusion that the Russian government interfered in the 2016 presidential election with the goal of putting Donald Trump in the Oval Office.
Senate Intel report confirms Russia aimed to help Trump in 2016

Putin could not be more pleased with his choice.

Led by their leader, former President Donald Trump who led a coup attempt on Jan. 6, 2021, to overthrow the elected government, Republicans are attacking the very basis of American democracy. They are attacking the legitimacy of America's free elections.

A CNN analysis writes, "As the January 6 hearings hit prime time, the ex-President’s thunderous demands for loyalty and the hunger for power of his acolytes in the House mean that’s not an option.

"Trump’s demand for, and the GOP’s willingness to offer, a robust defense into what are expected to be damaging details of his complicity in a coup attempt are deeply revealing about his future political intentions and the former President’s control over his party. The evolving plan to hit back against the committee on behalf of Trump also exposes the hypocrisy and the ambition of key House Republican leaders who whitewash Trump’s role in the history of the January 6, 2021, insurrection to advance their own careers.

"It offers a foreboding reality check 17 months after the Capitol insurrection about how House Republicans have chosen the promise of future political advancement over the protection of American democracy.

"The committee is expected to mount a devastating case about Trump’s behavior as he tried to steal the 2020 election in the run-up to and during the January 6 assault on the Capitol, which he incited and didn’t act to stop as lawmakers ran for their lives.

"There are potential pitfalls for Republicans who stand with Trump as the lurid tale of violence, lies and autocratic power grabs is told again for the American people and for the benefit of history. The evidence could be so damning that those who seek to discredit the hearings will find themselves defending the indefensible – a dark moment of the American story that is so heinous it will live in infamy."

Republicans are limited in their choices. They have only one.

Lie like hell.

 

[Sandy Shanks]

"There are potential pitfalls for Republicans who stand with Trump as the lurid tale of violence, lies and autocratic power grabs is told again for the American people and for the benefit of history. The evidence could be so damning that those who seek to discredit the hearings will find themselves defending the indefensible – a dark moment of the American story that is so heinous it will live in infamy."

CNN reports, "The long-awaited hearings by the House select committee investigating the January 6 insurrection of the US Capitol kick off Thursday in prime time.

"The proceedings intend to “provide the American people with a summary of our findings about the coordinated, multi-step effort to overturn the 2020 presidential election.”

Committee member Rep. Jamie Raskin predicts these hearings will deliver “the story of the worst presidential political offense against the Union in American history.”

CNN continued, "Trump and his allies are desperately trying to provide “counterprogramming” to distract from the hearings.

"On Saturday, Rep. Elise Stefanik – the third-ranking member of the House GOP leadership – revealed part of their plan in an interview with Breitbart News."

Interesting, not a major network. Instead, the notice was given on a network friendly to Trump.

“We’re working very closely with President Trump and his team” on a counter-messaging effort, Stefanik said, adding that House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, Rep. Jim Jordan “and really all of the House Republicans will be pushing back in a rapid response fashion.”

“You will see us all over the airwaves, we will be setting the record straight,” Stefanik promised, as they will argue that the bipartisan committee’s work is “illegitimate.” And they plan to assert the panel’s true goal will be to punish political opponents and target “patriotic Trump supporters.”

"FBI Director Christopher Wray testified before Congress that the federal investigators view January 6 as an act of “domestic terrorism.” Without Trump’s lies that the 2020 election was stolen, there would have been no attempt to overturn the election, warranting the investigation," CNN.

Are Republicans going to argue the FBI is "illegitimate," too? The Jan. 6 committee will be passing on evidence to Americans, not creating it.

If Trump had accepted his defeat, as other one-term presidents had, he would not have engaged in a behind-the-scenes attempt to overturn the election.

If Trump had recognized his loss, he wouldn’t have radicalized supporters with a barrage of lies about the election.

Sixty court cases, the Supreme Court, all 50 states, even Trump's attorney general all found there was no significant fraud. Trump and those who support his lies cannot find sufficient fraud to overturn the Presidential election results.

Vladimir Putin is loving this. Americans attacking the legitimacy of their own free elections. It doesn't get better than this.

 

[Sandy Shanks]

Stephen Collinson writes, "It was never clearer than on Wednesday that the Senate’s paltry ambition on gun reform is overwhelmed by the horrific reality of America’s regular massacres and the unbearable agony of family members left behind.

"But, as an 11-year old survivor of the terror in Uvalde – who smeared the blood of a classmate on herself to play dead during the rampage – testified to Congress, and a pediatrician told of decapitated bodies of children hit by bullets from a high velocity rifle, Democrats on Capitol Hill pledged to accept even a narrow, incremental bill if it is offered by pro-gun Republicans just to do something – anything.

"A familiar political dynamic is beginning to unfold. As days pass after the latest act of terror, the momentum for a quick and meaningful political response to change gun laws slows, as Capitol Hill Republicans – some with presidential ambitions that depend on" millions from the gun lobby, meaning the NRA."

As CNN reports, Republican gun reform is essentially useless or pro forma. "A narrow set of changes to gun laws is still under consideration, including hardening school security, providing more funding for mental health care, ensuring that juvenile records can be considered when a person between ages 18 and 21 wants to buy a high-powered semi-automatic weapon like an AR-15 and providing federal incentives for states to pass so-called red flag laws."

The Republican solution, as expected borders on being ludicrous. How much money would be needed to provide security for every school in the country? The shooters in Buffalo and Uvalde had no history of mental illness. Senate Republicans want the states to pass red flag laws, not the U.S. Senate.

The Republican proposals would be laughable if they were not so tragic. They simply don't care how many die from the shooting massacres as long as the NRA is forthcoming with its millions.

The forum's Republicans have nothing to say about all this.

 

[Sandy Shanks]

Just how dumb are Republicans?

“If you’re a Republican, you can’t even lie to Congress or lie to an FBI agent or they’re coming after you,” Gohmert said in a Friday interview on NewsMax. “They’re going to bury you, they’re going to put you in the DC jail and terrorize and torture you and not live up to the Constitution there,” Texas Rep. Louie Gohmert.

“Don’t we suspect that like one-third of the people outside of the Capitol complex on January 6 were actual FBI agents hanging out,” Blake Masters, the Republican Senate candidate from Arizona.

CNN reports, "In a manner of hours, the House select committee investigating the January 6, 2021, riot at the US Capitol will officially unveil its first findings in a primetime hearing that is expected to be carried live on all broadcast and cable news channels, save Fox News.

"And House Republican leaders have no idea – or, at least, a decidedly incomplete view – exactly what the committee will be presenting, flying blind into what could be one of the turning points in the 2022 midterm elections."

How could this happen to the Republicans? Answer; It was a matter of abject stupidity on the part of the House Minority Leader.

Here is the short version.

Legislation to form a bipartisan independent commission to understand how the January 6 insurrection happened passed the House with 35 Republican votes in May 2021.

That bill went to the upper chamber, where Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell killed it.

Mistake number one: Instead of a bipartisan independent commission, the investigation would be conducted by a House committee dominated by Democrats.

On July 1, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi named eight members of the committee: seven Democrats and Wyoming Republican Rep. Liz Cheney, who had voted to impeach then-President Donald Trump over his role on January 6. Later she appointed Illinois Rep. Adam Kinzinger.

Later that month, McCarthy announced his five selections for the committee – including firebrand Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio and Rep. Jim Banks of Indiana.

Since Jordan and Banks were likely to be called as witnesses before the committee, Pelosi rejected them. Jordan, in particular, played an important role in the events of Jan. 6.

In retaliation, McCarthy pulled all five GOP nominees. “Unless Speaker Pelosi reverses course and seats all five Republican nominees, Republicans will not be party to their sham process and will instead pursue our own investigation of the facts,” said McCarthy.

Mistake number two: Republicans have absolutely no idea what is going to happen when the committee opens its investigation into the Republican-led revolt to the public.

It is anticipated the forum's Republicans will have nothing to contribute. They are all hiding.

 

[boedicca]

What was your far right source for that misinformation?

I don't have time to deal with all that B.S.

You believe what you want to believe ... even if they are lies. It's a free country.

Bear in mind, though, the economy and the oil industry are extremely complicated issues.

Translation: ^^^ Cannot refute actual facts, so replies with the dreaded "misinformation" smear ^^^

Are you a Twitter censor?

 

[Sandy Shanks]

The [Republican] Senate Intelligence Committee reaffirmed its support for the U.S. intelligence community’s conclusion that the Russian government interfered in the 2016 presidential election with the goal of putting Donald Trump in the Oval Office.
Senate Intel report confirms Russia aimed to help Trump in 2016

"The House select committee on the Capitol insurrection has a duty far beyond investigating one of the most traumatic days in US history. Its wider mission is to expose and catalog an assault on democracy that is still going on.

The panel holds its first prime-time televised hearing Thursday in a bid to imprint the implications of this national nightmare – when a mob incited by then-President Donald Trump tried to prevent the certification of 2020 election results," CNN

What to watch for at the House's first prime-time hearing​

CNN reports, "The House select committee investigating January 6 will use its first prime-time public hearing on Thursday to make the case that former President Donald Trump was at the center of a conspiracy to overturn the 2020 election and prevent the transition of power, according to the committee.

"The panel will reveal new evidence that aides say will help “connect the dots” between Trump’s election lies, his attempts to overturn Joe Biden’s 2020 election win and the violence that unfolded on January 6, 2021, when rioters stormed the US Capitol in an effort to stop the counting of electoral votes.

"Aides outlined the first public hearing, which will take place in prime time, as the committee’s opening salvo – previewing what’s to come in the month’s worth of planned hearings.

"Thursday’s hearing is the first in a series planned this month to illustrate what the panel’s months-long investigation into January 6 has uncovered. Aides said that the opening hearing would serve to lay out a summary of the committee’s findings, which all points back to Trump himself."

 

[Sandy Shanks]

This is something Republicans seem to be unaware of as they critique Biden on his possible visit to Saudi Arabia.

Diplomacy was not invented to communicate with our friends. Diplomacy was created so that we can deal with our enemies.

ABC reports, "The United States is restoring a line of communication for the Palestinians that had been canceled by the Trump administration.

"The move was announced Thursday before a possible visit by President Joe Biden to Israel and the occupied West Bank. It means the Palestinians will deal directly with the U.S. State Department in Washington rather than first go through the American ambassador to Israel.

"The department has changed the name of the Palestinian Affairs Unit to the U.S. Office of Palestinian Affairs. In a statement, the newly renamed office said the move was meant to “strengthen our diplomatic reporting and public diplomacy engagement.”

"The U.S. was reinstating a system in place for decades before President Donald Trump's decision."