The Biden Era

[Sandy Shanks]

There is very little doubt. Donald J. Trump is working hard at being the biggest jerk on the planet!

With billions of dollars inherited from his fathers along with profitable properties and being a former President, Trump is well equipped to be a most extraordinary jerk.

As President, he destroyed an agreement that permanently barred Iran from making a nuke. He severely weakened NATO to the point that, in the end, NATO leaders refused to talk to him. Trump was impeached twice, exonerated by his own party by overlooking the evidence. He lost his reelection bid by seven million votes to a 78 year-old Democrat, then launched a coup attempt to overthrow the elected government.

Details of the coup attempt and Trump's involvement have been circulating over the past eighteen months, and the House committee has been conducting its hearing on live television for the past three weeks with more to come, including their final report just in time for the November mid-terms.

Anyone with half a brain and Trump's past history would logically think it is time to lie low. Besides, incredible as it may seem, Trump is serious about announcing his candidacy for President of the United States. Even more reason to be cool and keep your mouth shut.

But that is not Trump. He is ambitious He wants everyone to know he is the world's biggest asshole.

Fifteen of the 19 attackers on 9/11 were citizens of Saudi Arabia.

The Saudi leader, Mohammed bin Salman or MBS for short, ordered the killing and dismemberment of the US-based Saudi critic Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in October 2018. Trump supported and defended the Saudi leader even though American intelligence was convinced MBS ordered the hit.

The golfing world has been dominated by talk of the LIV Golf Invitational Series, the Saudi-backed venture fronted by Greg Norman and LIV Golf Investments.

So, what does Trump do? He agrees to hold the third LIV tournament at Trump National Golf Club Bedminster in New Jersey. In your face, world, Bedminster is 50 miles from the hallowed ground in New York.

The season-closing Team Championship will be held at Trump National Doral.

“Well, nobody’s gotten to the bottom of 9/11, unfortunately, and they should have as to the maniacs that did that horrible thing to our city, to our country, to our world. So nobody’s really been there. There are a lot of really great people that are out here today, and we’re gonna have a lot of fun,” Trump said.

The 9/11 Commission Report​

Is a huge volume that was three years in the making. It is sitting on one of my bookshelves.

So, in addition to everything else, Trump is just downright stupid and has no idea what he is talking about.

So, the only question is, what does that say about Trump's followers, recalling he did attempt to overthrow our government. Simply denying the reality of that while ignoring the factors involved says a lot about Trump's followers, particularly from an intelligence standpoint.

Recalling that Vladimir Putin wanted this man to be our President, how can Americans support such a man? As can be seen, Trump works hard at being a complete idiot and a total jerk, and there are some who want him to run for President?

 

[Sandy Shanks]

So, the only question is, what does that say about Trump's followers, recalling he did attempt to overthrow our government. Simply denying the reality of that while ignoring the factors involved says a lot about Trump's followers, particularly from an intelligence standpoint. Recalling that Vladimir Putin wanted this man to be our President, how can Americans support such a man? As can be seen, Trump works hard at being a complete idiot and a total jerk, and there are some who want him to run for President?

As expected, no response from Republicans. After all, what can they say?

 

[Sandy Shanks]

As expected during a media frenzy concerning Pelosi and Taiwan, the Biden administration insisted that the Chinese government cannot dictate to Americans where they cannot go.

CNN reports, "US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is expected to visit Taiwan as part of her tour of Asia, according to a senior Taiwanese government official and a US official.

"The stop – the first for a US House speaker in 25 years – is not currently on Pelosi’s public itinerary and comes at a time when US-China relations are already at a low point.

"She is expected to stay in Taiwan overnight. It is unclear when exactly Pelosi will land in Taipei."

The Chinese reaction to this is almost comical. Apparently, the Chinese government views Nancy as a military threat and a threat to their sovereignty. China said that its military “won’t sit by idly” if Beijing feels its “sovereignty and territorial integrity” is being threatened, CNN reported.

“We would like to tell the US once again that China is standing by, and the Chinese People’s Liberation Army will never sit idly by. China will take resolute responses and strong countermeasures to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian told reporters.

No doubt all of this is for the local audience. As a diplomatic position meant for foreign ears, the Chinese message is quite humorous.

 

[Sandy Shanks]

Jennifer Rubin writes, "Defying cynical critics who said no one would learn anything from its Jan. 6 hearings, the House select committee has made sure Americans learned plenty — presenting testimony that Donald Trump knew the crowd was armed when he invited them to march to the Capitol, for instance, and that he desperately wanted to join them. (Trump has disputed these claims.) But in addition to exploring the depths of Trump and the GOP’s depravity, the committee has taught House and Senate members how to run an effective, interesting and newsworthy hearing.

"Let’s hope members of Congress were paying attention.

"The Jan. 6 committee had many challenges. It had hundreds of witnesses and tens of thousands of documents; a complicated, multipart conspiracy to explain; and a press corps determined not to be impressed. The committee figured out that the normal style of hearings — five minutes of questioning per member, hours of rambling testimony, the presentation of impenetrable documents — would not accomplish its aims. It had to educate the public, lay out a compelling set of facts that might be the basis of criminal charges and make the case for reforms to prevent the next coup attempt.

"You might be thinking: “The reason the hearings were so helpful was that loony Republicans weren’t making a mockery of the whole thing.” Well, yes, Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), the House minority leader, did pull his members out in a fit of pique, leaving Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) to appoint the two responsible Republicans."

Please note Senate Republicans made a huge mistake. The Democrats wanted a bipartisan commission to investigate Jan. 6, and the Democratic-controlled House passed such a measure. Members of Congress would not be on the commission. Senate Republicans killed the bipartisan commission, and a partisan commission led by Democrats landed on Pelosi's desk.

How do we know the House select committee on the Presidential-led coup attempt is successful? Republican members of Congress and grassroots Republicans avoid the sedition attempt like the plaque. For proof, scan this thread.

 

[Sandy Shanks]

Wow! Double wow! This is a major achievement by the Democratic Party and the Biden administration. This is legislation that will help millions of people across the globe.

CNN reports, "Democrats this week have the chance to validate their monopoly on political power in Washington, create a legacy of true significance for President Joe Biden and even boost their hopes in daunting midterm elections in three months.

"But first they must push a back-from-the-dead climate and health care initiative through the Senate using their tiny majority, notably by locking in the crucial vote of moderate Arizona Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, who has yet to sign off on a bill that may not save Democrats in November but may at least give them a big new win to run on.

"Tensions are, meanwhile, soaring between the parties, especially over a Republican blockade of a bill that would fund health care for veterans sickened by exposure to burn pits during service in America’s foreign wars. The move opened up the GOP to accusations of cruelty – and, for once, Republican leader Mitch McConnell has looked outmaneuvered.

"But there remains at least one huge question mark – the vote of Sinema, whose support is just as critical as Manchin’s in the 50-50 Senate. Like Manchin, she has opposed dismantling the Senate filibuster to pass other Democratic priority bills. She did help remodel Biden’s larger Build Back Better bill before Manchin blocked it last year. But now there are questions over whether she will back tax changes affecting private equity investors in the Manchin-Schumer compromise. As the 50th Democrat needed to pass the measure with Vice President Kamala Harris’ tie-breaking vote, Sinema has huge leverage to seek changes that threaten the bill’s fragile foundation, and she has so far avoided giving her verdict on the deal."

Many are hopeful that Sinema will not destroy the Democrat's only chance in November. That she will do the right thing for the planet and the American people.

Republicans will oppose the measure, saying it is inflationary, screw what is right for the planet and Americans.

 

[skye]

Is the Turnip in Chief still breathing?

 

[Sandy Shanks]

The AP reports, "President Joe Biden on Monday confirmed that a U.S. drone strike in Afghanistan this weekend killed al-Qaida leader Ayman al-Zawahri, declaring “justice has been delivered.”

“This terrorist leader is no more,” Biden said in an evening speech from the White House.

"Biden said U.S. intelligence officials tracked al-Zawahri to a home in downtown Kabul where he was hiding out with his family. The president approved the operation last week and it was carried out on Sunday.

"A U.S. drone strike in Afghanistan this weekend killed Ayman al-Zawahri, who took over as al-Qaida leader after Osama bin Laden’s death in a U.S. raid. President Joe Biden was set to announce the killing Monday, delivering a significant counterterrorism win just 11 months after American troops left the country after a two-decade war.

"Al-Zawahri’s loss eliminates the figure who more than anyone shaped al-Qaida, first as Osama bin Laden’s deputy since 1998, then as his successor. Together, he and bin Laden turned the jihadi movement’s guns to target the United States, carrying out the deadliest attack ever on American soil — the Sept. 11, 2001, suicide hijackings."

 

[skye]

 

[Sandy Shanks]

As expected during a media frenzy concerning Pelosi and Taiwan, the Biden administration insisted that the Chinese government cannot dictate to Americans where they cannot go.

Reuters reports, "Speaker Nancy Pelosi arrived in Taiwan late on Tuesday on a trip she said shows an unwavering American commitment to the Chinese-claimed self-ruled island, but China condemned the highest-level U.S. visit in 25 years as a threat to peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait.

"Her arrival prompted a furious response from China at a time when international tensions already are elevated by Russia's invasion of Ukraine. China considers Taiwan part of its territory and has never renounced using force to bring it under its control. The United States warned China against using the visit as a pretext for military action against Taiwan.

"China's foreign ministry said it lodged a strong protest with the United States, saying Pelosi's visit seriously damages peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, "has a severe impact on the political foundation of China-U.S. relations, and seriously infringes upon China's sovereignty and territorial integrity."

"Chinese warplanes buzzed the line dividing the Taiwan Strait before her arrival, and the Chinese military announced joint air and sea drills near Taiwan starting on Tuesday night.

If China wasn't a major world power, this would be comical. The only reaction from China will be rhetoric.

Chinese leaders are businessmen now, and China is major economic power. War is bad for business.

China will do nothing. Why should she do otherwise?

 

[Nostra]

Recession? Check
Rampant inflation? Check
Sky high gas prices? Check
Begging other countries for oil? Check
Getting baby formula airlifted into the US to save babies lives? Check
Millions of illegals flooding into the country? Check.
Americans still left behind in Afghanistan? Check
Gave the Taliban Billions in arms? Check
Lowest approval rating in history? Check.

Welcome to the Veggie Joe Era.

 

[Sandy Shanks]

Arizona voters are going to the polls today to begin the process of selecting their next governor. Kari Lake is expected to win the Republican nomination.

Lake told a far-right group in Anthem that she was “already detecting some stealing going on” in the election. Then she repeated it on the radio.

“I’m telling you right now, anybody trying to steal this, first of all, we’re already detecting some stealing going on, but you guys know I’m a fighter, right?” she told the North Valley Constitutional Republicans. “You haven’t seen me when they try to steal something. I’m gonna go supernova radioactive. We’re not gonna let them steal an election.” https://www.azcentral.com/story/opi...back-up-her-claim-election-fraud/10215658002/

It is very strange that Americans would support such a candidate. Worse, she has the endorsement of a former President of the United States.

It would appear that Republicans are begging for an autocracy. Only an autocrat would say her loss would be the result of cheating.

Republicans should be aware. They just might get what they wish for ... an autocratic government that is totally unconcerned about the rights and freedoms of its citizens.

The problem is, many Trump Republicans would think that would be funny.

 

[Sandy Shanks]

Far more significant is unemployment, or lack thereof. Unemployment has been at or around 3.6%, or full employment, for several months.
Another significant factor is job growth. ABC reports, "The nation's June jobs report showed that hiring has remained healthy, with employers adding 372,000 jobs last month."

Most important of all, because the American economy is based on consumer spending, consumer spending is solid. Consumer spending is healthy. although consumers are being more discretionary due to inflation.

ABC reports, "American employers posted fewer job openings in June as the economy contends with raging inflation and rising interest rates.

"Job openings fell to a still-high 10.7 million in June from 11.3 million in May, the Labor Department said Tuesday. Job openings, which never exceeded 8 million in a month before last year, had topped 11 million every month from December through May before dipping in June."

Beats me what Americans are complaining about. Apparently, most are unaware that inflation is a by-product of prosperous times. Inflation would be licked by a recession, resulting in job losses and higher unemployment causing consumers to spend less. Recession is the only way inflation would subside. Is that what Americans want?

In the meantime, Biden gets poor marks for his handling of the economy. That is confusing as well.

ABC continued, "The job market has been resilient so far this year, and companies have complained that it is hard to fill open positions: Employers have added an average of 457,000 jobs a month in 2022; and unemployment is near a 50-year low. That is one reason many economists believe the economy is not yet in a recession."

“If the economy is rolling over, the labor market had apparently not gotten the memo yet as of the end of June,'' said Stephen Stanley, chief economist at Amherst Pierpont Securities. “A case could be made for slight moderation from an egregiously overheated state, but that is about as far as I would go in assessing labor market conditions.''

That is a proper assessment by an expert of our economic situation. Of course, it is the job of every Republican to be pessimistic about the American economy.

It is equally obvious that, under the circumstances, if Republicans were in charge, they would be clamoring about how great the American economy is.

 

[Sandy Shanks]

Republicans are substantial favorites to take over the U.S. House of Representatives following this November’s midterm elections, but the U.S. Senate is much more competitive, according to FiveThirtyEight’s 2022 midterm election forecast.

How ironic is that?

Republicans may win control of Congress in November by keeping their mouths shut about what their party stands for!

In the face of shooting massacres every week, the NRA sponsored Republican Party is strongly opposed to meaningful gun control and a ban on assault weapons.

The Republican Party supports a former Republican President who, after being defeated by seven million votes, led a coup attempt to overthrow the elected government.

Many Republicans running for office have gained Donald Trump's endorsement by claiming without evidence that the 2020 Presidential election was stolen from Trump. The endorsement was given to the favorites. So, many Trump endorsed candidates are winning. When running in the general, will these Republicans brag about Trump's endorsement and claim that Trump is our true President? We will see, but the Republican Party backs all of the fraudulent election candidates. They just don't talk about it.

Neither do the candidates.

Donald Trump is the leader of the Republican Party. He is expected to run for President in 2024. He is being investigated by a House committee for his actions in leading a coup attempt to overthrow our government.

The leader of the Republican Party is also being investigated by the DOJ for alleged sedition.

In the case of a pregnancy, the Republican Party supports government control of the woman's health.

A Republican President, Trump, made it possible with three appointees to the Supreme Court to overturn Roe vs.Wade which caused the whole issue of abortion to be thrown into a country-wide convulsion involving all three branches of the federal government and wide-spread involvement by every state government.

The Republican Party may win control of Congress by avoiding any mention of their positions on this important issues.

Instead, they will talk about Biden, inflation, Harris, inflation, Hunter, inflation, the Biden recession, and, lastly, inflation.

The difference is, Biden didn't cause the problems. It is equally obvious that, under the circumstances, if Republicans were in charge, they would be clamoring about how great the American economy is. (see post above)

The Republican Party is solely responsible for their positions which they choose to ignore.

It would be ironic if forum Republicans remain silent about the issues in this report. That has been their pattern on this thread.

 

[Sandy Shanks]

In the case of a pregnancy, the Republican Party supports government control of the woman's health.

Republicans are in trouble. The mid-terms could turn on one issue.

Will voters support a candidate who supports government control of a woman's health when pregnancy is involved?

The push to allow lawmakers to ban abortion in ruby-red Kansas backfired spectacularly.

ABC reports, "In putting the issue before voters on a mid-summer primary day, conservatives in Kansas were banking on a low-turnout affair that would pave the way for an abortion ban in a reliably red state.

"What they got instead was a lopsided loss that preserved the status quo yet also changed a whole swath of calculations about 2022.

"The push to allow lawmakers to ban abortion in Kansas backfired spectacularly. It woke up suburban voters and even those in conservative parts of the state who didn't want to pursue something that was initiated by the Supreme Court.

"It also brought an explosion of activism that Democrats hope carries them through to the fall -- in the few states where abortion will be directly on the ballot and the many more where the issue will be more indirectly at stake."

Our President made it clear where he stands on the issue. He strongly supports a woman's right to be in total control of her health, not the state.

It is surprising that independent minded Republicans favor state control of a woman's health in pregnancies. That seems very strange and inconsistent with conservative core beliefs.

At any rate, ABC continued, "President Joe Biden on Wednesday signed an executive order that his administration says will help low-income people pay for abortion services if they have to travel out of state to obtain them.

"The order, according to administration officials, paves the way for Medicaid to cover abortion-related costs for people who have traveled from states where their abortion is banned to states where it is not."

"Today, I'm signing the second executive order that responds to the health care crisis that has unfolded since the Supreme Court overturned Roe [v. Wade] and that women are facing all across America," the President said at a White House event.

 

[Sandy Shanks]

The conservative National Review reports, "The news that federal prosecutors are seeking the testimony of Trump’s former White House counsel suggests their investigation is ramping up.

"The Justice Department’s issuance of a grand-jury subpoena to former White House counsel Pat Cipollone signals that the criminal investigation of former President Trump is ramping up.

"The theory of executive immunity from congressional information demands is rooted in the Constitution’s separation-of-powers principles. Ordinarily, the immunity is aggressively defended by the Justice Department, an important executive-branch component. So it is notable that DOJ has substantially refrained from defending executive privilege in connection with the House January 6 committee’s investigation. (This is because President Biden, the incumbent, has not supported his predecessor’s attempts to invoke executive privilege in the committee’s investigation.)

The Justice Department is conducting a criminal investigation with an eye toward prosecuting penal offenses.

 

[Sandy Shanks]

CNN reports, "President Joe Biden is scheduled to sign into law two major pieces of legislation on boosting US semiconductor production and expanding health care benefits for veterans exposed to toxic burn pits next week at the White House.

"The passage of the two bills were big wins for the President, who has been isolating at the White House for the second time since testing positive on Saturday for a rebound case of Covid-19.

"The two bill signings are currently scheduled to take place in person Monday and Tuesday in the White House Rose Garden. The President is scheduled to deliver remarks at both events.

"The CHIPS and Science Act will subsidize US-made semiconductor chips, which are used to make cars, household appliances and computers. There has been a shortage of semiconductor chips in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic and global supply chain disruptions.

"The bill will help the US compete with China and make the nation less reliant on foreign manufacturing, as well as lower the cost of goods at a time when inflation is reaching record highs.

"Twenty-four House Republicans crossed over to join Democrats in backing the bill. It previously passed the Senate with broad bipartisan support. (Did they grow weary of being the party of NO?)

"The Honoring our PACT Act widely expands health care resources and benefits to veterans exposed to burn pits during their military service. It adds conditions related to burn pit and toxic exposure, including hypertension, to the Department of Veterans Affairs list of illnesses that have been incurred or exacerbated during military service."

 

[struth]

the xiden era is nothing but recession, inflation, poverty, human rights abuse, pandemics, and global chaos

 

[Sandy Shanks]

The Republican Party may win control of Congress by avoiding any mention of their positions on these important issues.

Instead, they will talk about Biden, inflation, Harris, inflation, Hunter, inflation, the Biden recession, and, lastly, inflation.

The difference is, Biden didn't cause the problems. It is equally obvious that, under the circumstances, if Republicans were in charge, they would be clamoring about how great the American economy is. (see post above)

The Republican Party is solely responsible for their positions which they choose to ignore.

See post 253.

As expected, as proof of my contention, Republicans kept their silence on the issues contained in that report.

 

[Sandy Shanks]

Have Republicans lost their minds? What has Trump done to the Republican Party?

NPR reports, "When Hungary's prime minister, Viktor Orbán, arrived in the U.S. this week, he bypassed the White House and President Biden to pay a visit to a more admiring U.S. president. He caught up with former President Donald Trump at his golf course in Bedminster, N.J.

"That was on the way to the Conservative Political Action Conference's annual gathering in Dallas, where Orbán gave the kickoff address on Thursday afternoon.

"Don't worry, a Christian politician cannot be racist, so we should never hesitate to heavily challenge our opponents on these issues," Orbán told his Texan audience. "Be sure: Christian values protect us from going too far."

"To many in the right wing of the Republican party, Orbán offers a model for electoral success. His endurance — he won his fourth straight term as prime minister in April — relies on an unrepentant appeal to a white and Christian heritage for Hungary. It has also depended on rounds of crackdowns on civil liberties and dissenting voices inside the country."

To many in the right wing of the Republican party, Orbán offers a model for electoral success.

I was once a member of the Republican Party due to my adherence to conservative core beliefs. All that ended with Trump and the GOP's abandonment of conservative principles.

It is readily apparent that true American conservatives would not embrace a Hungarian dictator and allow him to be a guest speaker at a Conservative Political Action Conference.

The Republican Party believes that the state should control a woman's health in the case of a pregnancy. It is readily apparent that the Religious Right has superseded conservative principles within the Republican Party. True conservatives believe in less government control, not more, and a woman's body -- and a man's -- is sacrosanct, meaning the absence of government interference.

True American conservatives would come down hard on any President who gave approval to upend a Presidential election without offering proof the election was fraudulent. The Republican Party embraces Trump's baseless claim. He is the leader of the party, and most Republican candidates state without proof that the election was stolen from Trump.

So, I left the Republican Party during the summer of 2020 because of the GOP's complete abandonment of conservative principles.

I don't expect forum Republicans to respond to this message.

After all, what can they say? The truth shall set you free!

 

[Sandy Shanks]

It is conceivable that the Democrats are gaining ground on Republicans, who are favored to win in the November mid-terms.

President Biden is scheduled to sign into law two major pieces of legislation on boosting US semiconductor production and expanding health care benefits for veterans exposed to toxic burn pits next week at the White House.

President Biden authorized a U.S. drone strike in Afghanistan that took out al-Qaida leader Ayman al-Zawahri.

“This terrorist leader is no more,” Biden said in an evening speech from the White House.

Sen. Joe Manchin (D., W.Va.) and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.) said they had agreed to a deal to support a legislative package that would spend hundreds of billions of dollars and affect a swath of climate, healthcare, prescription-drug and tax policies, providing the Senator from Arizona doesn't mess it up.

Then there is Kansas.

CNN reports, "It isn’t often that Democrats look to deep-red Kansas for resounding affirmation. But on Tuesday night, when Kansans overwhelmingly voted to keep protections for abortion rights in their state constitution, that is exactly what happened.

"The size and scope of the result were a shock to even the most optimistic Democrats. Not only did voters reject a proposed constitutional amendment that would have opened the door to strict abortion laws in the Republican state, but they did it by turning out in huge numbers, dwarfing turnout in more recent primary elections and signaling that the issue can motivate even Republican-leaning voters in a state former President Donald Trump won by 15 points in 2020.

"The political impact of what happened in Kansas will be most directly felt in the November midterm elections – particularly in races for governor and attorney general after the US Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, throwing the issue of abortion to the states.

"The June ruling has led to bans on the procedure being enforced in several states while opening the door to more restrictions in others."

Did the Republican Party miscalculate? Even Republicans do not want the state to interfere in a notable personal matter -- a person's health and circumstances.

That is none of the state's business, particularly when the state is asserting that its religious views supersede that of its citizens.

But that is exactly what Republican governors and legislatures are doing, and that could cost them.

Ruby red Kansas proved it.