Why NOT to vote Republican [Archive] - Page 10

jp1

11-28-23, 11:28pm

I suppose if you're interested in the details of a public official benefiting from the sale of political influence, you have to question the middleman doing the promoting and selling. I'd say that rather than his father being mentioned in relation to questions about Hunter, it's actually the other way around.

Weird that you say that since absolutely none of the republicans like comer have indicated that they have any evidence of joe biden committing wrongdoing.

But I still wonder why comer doesn’t want this to be public if he actually thinks Hunter did anything wrong. The only logical reason he wants a private deposition would be that he wants to be able to spin it to his benefit rather than have the truth come out. If he had proof of wrongdoing surely he’d be willing to let the public judge for themselves based on public questioning under oath as Hunter has offered.

Alan

11-28-23, 11:45pm

But I still wonder why comer doesn’t want this to be public if he actually thinks Hunter did anything wrong. The only logical reason he wants a private deposition would be that he wants to be able to spin it to his benefit rather than have the truth come out.
Do you think that's why the Democrats insisted that Steve Bannon be subjected to the same closed door deposition before appearing publicly?

jp1

11-29-23, 7:14am

I guess for some people it’s really complicated to understand that bannon was one of hundreds of people involved in a major crime whereas that simply isn’t the case with Hunter. Everyone testifying publicly in a large investigation has a high likelihood of influencing the potential testimony of anyone coming later in the investigation.

But I give you props for your deflection andd whataboutism Alan. You are truly a star at that skill. But I’ll ask again. Why is Comer afraid to have hunter’s testimony in public? It’s not as if Comer is planning to also get testimony of the people who were involved in setting Hunter up such as Lev Parnas or Rudy Giuliani. Or even other presidential children who potentially benefitted from their daddy’s presidency, as one would expect if this were actually a legitimate investigation for legislative purposes.

But whatever. Hunter’s lawyer is smarter than comer and now comer looks like a stupid effing fool. The only people impressed with his efforts to smear Hunter and somehow find Joe Biden impeachable by association are people who have drunk gallons of red Republican koolaid.

Rogar

11-29-23, 7:51am

Reminds me. Wasn't Bannon convicted of contempt for ignoring a subpoena. I suppose his lawyers have tied up his jail sentence in the courts and he's probably hoping Trump will pardon him some day along with a host of other political criminals.

Alan

11-29-23, 1:51pm

But I give you props for your deflection andd whataboutism Alan. You are truly a star at that skill. But I’ll ask again. Why is Comer afraid to have hunter’s testimony in public?
That wasn't whataboutism JP, you seem to be implying that closed door depositions are uncommon when they obviously are not. I asked you earlier to correct me if I was wrong on that point and you haven't done so.
I get it that you and the OP of this thread and perhaps a few others have a need to diminish, ridicule and generally hate on your political opposition but if you want to be considered credible, you need to focus on what's real rather than what's not.

iris lilies

11-29-23, 3:12pm

… but if you want to be considered credible, you need to focus on what's real rather than what's not.
I was wondering about the “impeach Hunter Biden “charge, but I was busy doing some thing else and couldn’t devote time to rereading what JP had said even tho it made me go “ huh?”

As for referencing investigation into Hunter Biden’s shenanigans, and how they relate to his father, and calling that
“a fishing expedition” well yeah. One can call it whatever one likes, but it is reasonable to investigate something to see if it really is a problem. How do you know if it’s a problem if you don’t establish facts about the issue at hand?

Rogar

11-29-23, 6:34pm

How do you know if it’s a problem if you don’t establish facts about the issue at hand?

Isn't that sort of backwards, like you need a certain degree of evidence before you investigate someone on criminal charges. Otherwise, I might be under suspicion for masterminding a new world order of vegetarians.

iris lilies

11-29-23, 6:54pm

Isn't that sort of backwards, like you need a certain degree of evidence before you investigate someone on criminal charges. Otherwise, I might be under suspicion for masterminding a new world order of vegetarians.
I don’t know what the legal definitions are for these kinds of congressional inquiries.

I saw enough to think there’ssome thing there worth investigating. Perhaps you did not. Poe-taaa-toe vs Pot-tah-toe.

Rogar

11-29-23, 7:09pm

I don’t know what the legal definitions are for these kinds of congressional inquiries.

I saw enough to think there’s some thing there worth investigating. Perhaps you did not. Poe-taaa-toe vs Pot-tah-toe.

The liberal media I see is saying there is no evidence connecting Hunter to some sort of influence pedaling with Joe or other impeachable activity, although these days empty conspiracy theories abound. You say potato, I say fishing trip. Of course I'm a bit biased as I think anything Gym Jordan is behind is something worth investigating him over. He's in the "end justifies the means" crowd of election deniers. I guess we will see what happens.

Pressed by CNN’s Jake Tapper on “The Lead” Thursday, Committee Chairman James Comer went as far as to say he believed that Joe Biden has been “compromised” because of his son’s business dealings even though nothing in the panel’s investigation has turned up evidence that the president has done anything wrong. Comer also dodged Tapper’s question when presented with the fact that he has failed to meet the bar that he had set for his investigation, as Comer has long said his probe is about the president specifically.

jp1

11-29-23, 9:47pm

Considering how Comer lied about Devon Archer's testimony behind closed doors it's perfectly reasonable that Hunter would insist on public testimony. Again, since there isn't a risk here of Hunter tipping off another defendant about what he might say in testimony on the same matter as was the case with the various J6 people who were compelled to testify before congress (including Gym Jordan, who didn't bother showing up since to republicans congressional subpeonas are apparently optional) I ask what is Comer afraid of with public testimony other than being even more embarrassed than he already is (or at least should be but since republicans lack the capacity for shame I suppose he probably isn't emotionally intelligent enough to realize that he should be feeling shame at this time).

And I'm curious Iris, what exactly have you seen to make you suspicious about hunter's influence on his father. I'm also curious how any of this differs from the baby trumps who all notoriously benefited financially bigly from trump's time in the oval office. Weird that the house oversight committee has most decidedly chosen not to look into any of that corruption that we all actually saw.

iris lilies

11-29-23, 10:25pm

What exactly: There was a phone call where Hunter with his business partners got his dad on the phone to chat. I’m not saying they chatted about the business. From what I recall, Hunter wanted to demonstrate how quickly he could access Joe Biden. Are you saying this didn’t happen?

As far as how it is all different from Trump chicanery, you can figure that out if it’s important to you, why would I know? Why would I care? Why do you think I care?

jp1

11-29-23, 11:11pm

iris lilies

11-29-23, 11:37pm

Are you saying it’s weird that Hunter can get his dad on the phone? No one has given any indication that his dad did anything inappropriate on that call.

Why do you not care that the trump babies made tens (hundreds?) of millions off the trump presidency?

yes, JP, I think it is “weird “ that Hunter gets his dad on the phone when he’s talking to his business partners. What is the point of that I wonder.

bae

11-29-23, 11:57pm

Well, my Mom attended my very first Board of Fire Commissioners meeting tonight, that I called yesterday after the ink wasn't quite dry on my election certification, where I was elected Chair, and then ran through a brutal agenda list in the two hours allotted, which normally would have taken the previous regime two months.

So I understand "take your parent to work day" :-)

jp1

11-30-23, 12:19am

yes, JP, I think it is “weird “ that Hunter gets his dad on the phone when he’s talking to his business partners. What is the point of that I wonder.

Probably that he wants to show that he actually does know the president. But there is zero indication that the president is willing to do inappropriate things for him.

I'll continue to await your response regarding the trump babies. I won't hold my breath since it's clear that you and Alan don't give a flying eff about what they did during the fat turd's presidency, but nonetheless I'll continue to await your response. (It's also clear that neither of you give a flying eff about what that shitbag intends to do if he, god forbid, wins reelection, but whatever. You "savers of freedom" will be irrelevant soon enough.)

iris lilies

11-30-23, 12:56am

Oh the Trump kids and any other Trump shenanigans. Why do you think I’m OK with any of that? Seriously?

I truly cannot understand why you think Hunter would need to prove he. “knows “ Joe Biden. Do you honestly think his business partners haven’t vetted him as Joe Biden son?

jp1

11-30-23, 2:11am

Oh the Trump kids and any other Trump shenanigans. Why do you think I’m OK with any of that? Seriously?

because you completely don't express that you have a problem with it? Seriously? But whatever. Simultaneously pretend that you have a problem with that while also never EVER mentioning that you have a problem with it. And continue wondering why non MAGA people think you're a two faced idiot. At least you don't play the "I'm super dumb and clueless" routine that Alan does. I'll at least give you that.

Rogar

11-30-23, 9:14am

I've not had any basic objection to Alan or IL expressing their opinions. Even when they are so obviously wrong in my eye, fact is that maybe a little less than half of the voters probably think the same things. It's interesting to see where these people come up with such things. Conservative voters probably fall into the definition of fewer welfare programs, less taxation, deregulations, and smaller governments with powers shifted to state and local levels. That's probably the GOP that we once knew. In some respects I could join in their ranks.

The GOP we once knew is gone. Even if you take away the MAGA core you are left with politicians with no respect for the constitution, as in the peaceful transfer of legitimate power. Little or no respect for the environment, science, or public health, and willing to gain power by subscribing and encouraging gross misrepresentations of the truth through the amplification of conspiracy theory. And then we get into things like racism, sexism, and the promotion of hatred and violence. And I'm not so sure they want to continue the separation of church and state. If you can really call a few as "good republicans" they are jumping the ship in disgust. Our regional representative Ken Buck has been in the news as a prime example. I saw where Mitt said he would vote for about any democrat over Trump. Liz Cheney. Even Christy has been calling the kettle black, but people don't seem to want to hear it. I suspect Alan and IL may be stuck in the tradition of the old GOP. Hanging on and under the illusion that it's still there.

Alan

11-30-23, 1:15pm

And continue wondering why non MAGA people think you're a two faced idiot. At least you don't play the "I'm super dumb and clueless" routine that Alan does. I'll at least give you that.Well, one of the moderators on the old site always enjoyed telling me that I wasn't bright enough to know my own self interest so you're not alone in questioning my intellect. At least now no one can send me to time out for causing you to be rude and condescending, so that's an improvement.

I've not had any basic objection to Alan or IL expressing their opinions. Even when they are so obviously wrong in my eye.....Out of curiosity, can you name one opinion I've expressed that's "wrong in your eye"? I'm asking because I generally stick with providing another outlook on something or sussing out context rather than offer opinions so I'm a little bit curious on where I went further than that.

littlebittybobby

11-30-23, 1:29pm

Okay,okay,okay,okayy---I can answer that. See---AL and Faux are not Conservative enough to really count as REAL Republicans Nope. Consuming large cuts of meat and tanks of motor fuel don't make you conservative, like mee No, not hardly. So, yeah--hiding g behind a platform with the corresponding label is fake. Hope that helps you kids some. Thankk me.

iris lilies

11-30-23, 2:02pm

because you completely don't express that you have a problem with it? Seriously? But whatever. Simultaneously pretend that you have a problem with that while also never EVER mentioning that you have a problem with it…..

You are funny. If I carried that same logic to you, I could say “ because you completely don’t express that you have a problem with beheading Jewish babies” you must be ok with it because you “never EVER mention that you have a problem with it.”

But see, I do not make that argument because it is silly.

It would be nice if you would stop ascribing opinions to me that I do not have.

Rogar

11-30-23, 2:02pm

Out of curiosity, can you name one opinion I've expressed that's "wrong in your eye"? I'm asking because I generally stick with providing another outlook on something rather than offer opinions so I'm a little bit curious on where I went further than that.

How far back is relevant and do I recall your a human cause climate change denier and and some opinions with charts indicating we could be coming into a global ice age? Maybe that's just my imagination? The labeling of the left as fascists as in post #200 of trans days, you general vies on abortion, more recently, post #148 under "a Palestinian State", post #131 under thwarts to intellectual freedom. That's about as far back as I cared to look and I probably missed some. My thinking is somewhat inline with JP! who has offered a number of rebuttals, but could practice on his polite discussion manners.

Alan

11-30-23, 2:22pm

How far back is relevant and do I recall your a human cause climate change denier and and some opinions with charts indicating we could be coming into a global ice age? Maybe that's just my imagination? The labeling of the left as fascists as in post #200 of trans days, you general vies on abortion, more recently, post #148 under "a Palestinian State", post #131 under thwarts to intellectual freedom. That's about as far back as I cared to look and I probably missed some. My thinking is somewhat inline with JP! who has offered a number of rebuttals, but could practice on his polite discussion manners.
Thank you, I'll take a look at those later and consider how to discuss those issues without offending anyone.

Rogar

11-30-23, 2:45pm

Thank you, I'll take a look at those later and consider how to discuss those issues without offending anyone.

You don't offend me. We just disagree on some things. I generally find your views entertaining or interesting, and fairly moderate compared to some folks I know from Iowa or Missouri and a few from around here.

I think it's good to hear why and what others think and occasionally drop by Breitbart News comments or listen to Hannity (as much as I can stand). Now there's some offense people!

littlebittybobby

11-30-23, 3:37pm

Okay---If elected, I will solve the homeless problem, by sending them to Ellesmere Island, to c o ntinue their lifestyle. Since global warming is taking place, it might stay above zero and the man-eating polar bears may flee. Yup.

LDAHL

11-30-23, 6:41pm

jp1

12-1-23, 12:14am

jp1

12-1-23, 12:15am

I always thought the “silence is complicity” formulation was silly. Sort of like the “words are violence” thing.

A lot of people who witnessed (or have since learned about it if they weren't alive yet) what happened in Germany during the 30s/40s would probably disagree with you.

jp1

12-1-23, 12:26am

You are funny. If I carried that same logic to you, I could say “ because you completely don’t express that you have a problem with beheading Jewish babies” you must be ok with it because you “never EVER mention that you have a problem with it.”

But see, I do not make that argument because it is silly.

It would be nice if you would stop ascribing opinions to me that I do not have.

And for the record, even though it's not a thing, at least as far as I know since we've never discussed it here and I've not seen a news article about it, I'm absolutely against the idea of beheading Jewish babies. I want to make that clear just in case it is actually a thing, now that you've brought it up. There. Now that we've gotten that out of the way will you unequivocally state that you do not think trump is at all suitable to be reelected to the presidency given what we know about his past presidency, his attempt to overthrow the government, and his terrify statements about what a second trump administration would look like? Or are you going to remain silent like so many Germans back in the 30s/40s? And then whine and complain that I'm ascribing opinions to you that you don't hold.

iris lilies

12-1-23, 12:42am

Who the **** is suggesting that anyone should be beheading Jewish babies? Talk about presenting a damn strawman to try and make a point.
The discussion taking place some days ago on the national stage was about the extreme violence done to Jewish babies, the act of beheading.

Alan

12-1-23, 12:47am

And for the record, even though it's not a thing, at least as far as I know since we've never discussed it here and I've not seen a news article about it....
Careful JP, you're treading on "I'm super dumb and clueless" territory. I'm kidding of course, I really don't expect you to be aware of anything not related to Trump, DeSantis, Republicans in general or absence of pornography in elementary school libraries, even if it dominates the news for days and weeks.

jp1

12-1-23, 1:19am

Careful JP, you're treading on "I'm super dumb and clueless" territory. I'm kidding of course, I really don't expect you to be aware of anything not related to Trump, DeSantis, Republicans in general or absence of pornography in elementary school libraries, even if it dominates the news for days and weeks.

Unlike you if I've missed out on what's going on the world I'll acknowledge it instead of poo poo'ing it and saying that it doesn't matter.

Is this what all the hubbub is about? https://www.cnn.com/2023/10/12/middleeast/israel-hamas-beheading-claims-intl/index.html

jp1

12-1-23, 1:22am

And I note that Iris still won't acknowledge that trump is completely unfit for the presidency. I won't even bother asking you about that since you are completely not capable of acknowledging any problems with anyone team red. You guys really do outdo yourselves on a daily basis.

Tiam

12-1-23, 2:38am

IF you are not Republican and don't want T, I suggest one way to be pro active if perhaps not terribly effective: Register Republican so you can vote in the Primaries.

rosarugosa

12-1-23, 7:30am

You don't offend me. We just disagree on some things. I generally find your views entertaining or interesting, and fairly moderate compared to some folks I know from Iowa or Missouri and a few from around here.

I think it's good to hear why and what others think and occasionally drop by Breitbart News comments or listen to Hannity (as much as I can stand). Now there's some offense people!

Rogar: You are the rock star of the Public Policy Forum. :cool:

LDAHL

12-1-23, 9:55am

A lot of people who witnessed (or have since learned about it if they weren't alive yet) what happened in Germany during the 30s/40s would probably disagree with you.

ItÂ’s funny how perspectives differ. I see the concept of Â“unless you loudly agree with me you must favor the enemyÂ” as pretty much a Nazi-adjacent viewpoint. Sort of like Kramer and the ribbon.

iris lilies

12-1-23, 10:05am

And I note that Iris still won't acknowledge that trump is completely unfit for the presidency.

Your premise that I owe you any sort of explanation for anything is flawed. But that said, apparently you haven’t been reading carefully, because I have already said I will be voting for Biden in a Trump vs Biden standoff, if those ancient oldsters are our choices on the major tickets.

I won't even bother asking you about that since you are completely not capable of acknowledging any problems with anyone team red. You guys really do outdo yourselves on a daily basis.

But yet you ARE asking, bothering, agitating…over and over.

Why don’t you give it a rest.

iris lilies

12-1-23, 10:32am

A lot of people who witnessed (or have since learned about it if they weren't alive yet) what happened in Germany during the 30s/40s would probably disagree with you.
Hmmm, and I could find your complacency about Hamas and the support they have from your buddies in the leftie space very upsetting, as someone who is, if not Jewish, Jewish adjacent. (Or “Jew-ish.” As always, I find word play amusing.)

So —is your lack of a loud declaration finding all Hamas atrocities unacceptable ( other than the babies thing you only declared today, and when pressed) a moral failing on your part? Hmmm, maybe. You are ideologically marching with Harvard and Columbia students in their antisemitic demonstrations. You’ve not declared harassing Jewish students to be wrong, so that must mean you are ok with it.

There are so many things you are ok with as we all can see from your silence!

But not really, I am just playing your game. It isn’t a good game for sincere communication, is it?

Simone

12-1-23, 10:48pm

jp1

12-1-23, 11:57pm

Why don’t you give it a rest.

Because I don’t get the sense that you give a **** that the leader of your party tried to overthrow the government.

jp1

12-2-23, 12:06am

Hmmm, and I could find your complacency about Hamas and the support they have from your buddies in the leftie space very upsetting, as someone who is, if not Jewish, Jewish adjacent. (Or “Jew-ish.” As always, I find word play amusing.)

So —is your lack of a loud declaration finding all Hamas atrocities unacceptable ( other than the babies thing you only declared today, and when pressed) a moral failing on your part? Hmmm, maybe. You are ideologically marching with Harvard and Columbia students in their antisemitic demonstrations. You’ve not declared harassing Jewish students to be wrong, so that must mean you are ok with it.

There are so many things you are ok with as we all can see from your silence!

But not really, I am just playing your game. It isn’t a good game for sincere communication, is it?

I’ll scream loud declarations of how wrong/bad hamas is if you agree to do the same regarding trump. Since I’m not a supporter of hamas (not sure why you think I am) I imagine that my offer is less stressful than my ask of you. And I’m sure Alan will remain silent since he most undoubtedly won’t want to participate since he’s a likely trump voter in 2024.

iris lilies

12-2-23, 12:28am

I’ll scream loud declarations of how wrong/bad hamas is if you agree to do the same regarding trump. Since I’m not a supporter of hamas (not sure why you think I am) I imagine that my offer is less stressful than my ask of you. And I’m sure Alan will remain silent since he most undoubtedly won’t want to participate since he’s a likely trump voter in 2024.

JP, I’m not your performing monkey and as much as I love you, I won’t respond to your commands. If you really were sincere, you would remember I’ve spoken more than once about the problematic attempted overthrow of the United States government. But in this case the way back search machine is your friend.

jp1

12-8-23, 7:29am

I see that the latest reason that the republicans are impeaching joe and Hunter biden is that Joe bought Hunter a truck and Hunter paid him back. Oh the horror.

LDAHL

12-8-23, 12:42pm

I see that America’s most reluctant prosecutor has obtained nine more indictments on various tax charges for young Biden.

Rogar

12-8-23, 6:52pm

I hope Hunter and Donald will get the equal treatment as other citizens trying to cheat the government, if convicted.

jp1

12-9-23, 9:46am

It’s fascinating to me that some people are actually interested in the story of an unremarkable drug addict tax cheat just because his dad is a successful politician. But I suppose it isn’t surprising. People are also interested in the Kardashians and Hilton Paris for reasons I’ll never understand.

LDAHL

12-9-23, 12:39pm

Not every unremarkable drug addict tax cheat can count on being caressed so lovingly by his Dad’s Justice Department.

jp1

12-9-23, 1:26pm

Not every unremarkable drug addict tax cheat can count on being caressed so lovingly by his Dad’s Justice Department.

If his last name wasn't biden the plea deal would've been finalized. Tax cheats who have paid the back taxes and don't have a prior record are not typically prosecuted for felonies.

Rogar

12-9-23, 2:29pm

Not every unremarkable drug addict tax cheat can count on being caressed so lovingly by his Dad’s Justice Department.

I get confused over who the justice department is weaponized against. I’ve been told it’s against the GOP.

Alan

12-9-23, 3:56pm

If his last name wasn't biden the plea deal would've been finalized.
If his last name weren't Biden, would his plea agreement include the promise of immunity from prosecution for any additional crimes which may come to light from the DOJ's admittedly "ongoing investigation"?

If I recall correctly, and I'm pretty sure I do, that promise was included in the diversion section of the agreement, a section that normally is not required to be approved by a judge approving or denying the Plea Agreement section. It was only when the Judge questioned whether or not the prosecution had ever seen that sort of thing happen before, and they were forced to admit that No, they had not, did the entire agreement fall apart.

Now, I'm not a legal scholar but it sure appeared to me that the prosecution attempted to shield Mr Biden from any additional crimes which may come up by memorializing that caveat in a section of a favorable plea agreement they did not expect the Judge to review. Is that the sort of thing anyone not named Biden can expect?

gimmethesimplelife

12-10-23, 8:56pm

Voting Republican, after the recent Hitlerian rhetoric spewed by the presumed GOP candidate, in reality amounts to nothing more nor less than voting for a Third World Authoritarian Dictatorship, no better than a Banana Republic - and without the family values, slower pace of life, and colorful marketplaces. That simple, really. Rob

LDAHL

12-11-23, 12:04pm

I get confused over who the justice department is weaponized against. I’ve been told it’s against the GOP.

I think in Hunter's case the DoJ chose to beat their swords into plowshares.

jp1

12-11-23, 11:13pm

It seems weird that a prosecutor would offer a plea deal before the prosecutorial investigation was done. Why would a prosecutor do that, or a defendant accept a plea in that situation? That’s just not logical.

For a prosecutor to rescind a plea deal one would assume that they have dramatic new evidence that they did t have before. Hunter’s attorney seems to be good at his job. I assume he’ll find out what that new evidence is.

Alan

12-12-23, 12:12am

It seems weird that a prosecutor would offer a plea deal before the prosecutorial investigation was done. Why would a prosecutor do that, or a defendant accept a plea in that situation? That’s just not logical.

As David Harsanyi has pointed out, that plea agreement was not about Hunter, it was about Joe. https://thefederalist.com/2023/12/11/lets-be-clear-this-is-about-joe-biden-not-hunter-biden/

"Let’s not forget, either, that without the IRS whistleblowers coming forward, Hunter would probably have escaped (https://nypost.com/2023/08/20/weiss-wasnt-going-to-charge-hunter-biden-until-whistleblowers-came-forward-report/) any charges. And let’s also not forget that without U.S. District Court Judge Maryellen Noreika putting the kibosh on it, Weiss would have allowed Hunter’s lawyers to write an extraordinary plea agreement that not only would have ensured the president’s name wouldn’t be dragged into the investigation, but it would have let Hunter plead out to two of the least consequential charges — with virtually no punishment — in exchange for blanket immunity for a slew of serious potential offenses, including tax, gun, and drug crimes."

jp1

12-12-23, 1:22am

As David Harsanyi has pointed out, that plea agreement was not about Hunter, it was about Joe. https://thefederalist.com/2023/12/11/lets-be-clear-this-is-about-joe-biden-not-hunter-biden/

"Let’s not forget, either, that without the IRS whistleblowers coming forward, Hunter would probably have escaped (https://nypost.com/2023/08/20/weiss-wasnt-going-to-charge-hunter-biden-until-whistleblowers-came-forward-report/) any charges. And let’s also not forget that without U.S. District Court Judge Maryellen Noreika putting the kibosh on it, Weiss would have allowed Hunter’s lawyers to write an extraordinary plea agreement that not only would have ensured the president’s name wouldn’t be dragged into the investigation, but it would have let Hunter plead out to two of the least consequential charges — with virtually no punishment — in exchange for blanket immunity for a slew of serious potential offenses, including tax, gun, and drug crimes."

So the entire thing was not logical? It will be interesting to see how David Weiss, trump appointee, tries to justify this shitshow.

frugal-one

12-12-23, 9:47am

iris lilies

12-12-23, 10:45am

Supposedly the possibility of trump being prosecuted for Jan 6 is being sent to the supreme court therefore bypassing the lower courts. If this is true, we all know the outcome since he packed the supreme court. No doubt the hitler-wannabe will get away with his transgressions again.

Is this what you are talking about?

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/supreme-court/supreme-court-weighs-hearing-jan-6-cases-affect-trump-prosecution-rcna127519

LDAHL

12-12-23, 12:04pm

So the entire thing was not logical? It will be interesting to see how David Weiss, trump appointee, tries to justify this shitshow.

Given that Weiss was one of the very few US Attorneys not fired by the Biden Administration, and his subsequent appointment as Special Counsel, I find it hard to believe the implication that he’s some sort of Trump operative.

Alan

12-12-23, 12:18pm

Given that Weiss was one of the very few US Attorneys not fired by the Biden Administration, and his subsequent appointment as Special Counsel, I find it hard to believe the implication that he’s some sort of Trump operative.
Yes, especially considering that he was recommended for the position by both of Delaware's Democratic Senators who enjoyed a long standing veto power over appointments within their state.

iris lilies

12-12-23, 12:24pm

Yes, especially considering that he was recommended for the position by both of Delaware's Democratic Senators who enjoyed a long standing veto power over appointments within their state.
These appear to be inconvenient facts, Alan.

Tamp that down, sir! Haha

Tradd

12-13-23, 2:49pm

This BS going on in TX with the woman pregnant with the fetus having a condition that it will not survive has put me over the edge. I wonder if the TX authorities are going to prosecute her for going out of state for an abortion.

I’m moderately pro-life. I knew several women in college who used abortion as a form of birth control. I’ve always been in favor of abortions in for fetuses that won’t survive, the physical/mental health of the mother, etc. I joke about Illinois pushing abortion tourism. But this TX stuff may just push me back to the Dems. I grew up a moderate Dem family as were pretty much everyone I grew up with in the Detroit area.

EFF - the Electronic Freedom Foundation - which is a big advocate for digital/online privacy even has a section of their website for digital stuff for people involved in pro-choice activities or those seeking abortions.

catherine

12-13-23, 2:55pm

iris lilies

12-13-23, 3:53pm

I, like you, am able to find nuance in the abortion issues. I am personally pro-life, but politically pro-choice. I think the TX hard line on abortion, and their interference in this woman's tragic situation, is terrible.
Assuming all facts we have been presented with are correct, and I have no reason to believe they’re not, yes, this situation is awful.

nswef

12-13-23, 4:26pm

What infuriates me is that abortion is NO ONE"S BUSINESS!!!!!! Only the woman and her medical people should be involved. What about HIPPA? What about sex discrimination? Only women are affected by this insane interference in women's lives. An old T shirt says: "If men could be pregnant abortion would be a sacrament."

jp1

12-28-23, 10:49pm

I'm intrigued to see that Nicki Haley apparently doesn't know what caused the civil war. Or at least doesn't want to admit to knowing. Surely she knew that that question might come up and could have come up with a better evasion. Oh well. I guess she won't be getting the vice presidential nod this time around.

And Boehbert. That lady thinks Colorado farmers are going to trust a carpetbagger that doesn't live anywhere near the Colorado plains to represent their interests in congress? I can't wait to see how that plays out.

jp1

1-31-24, 7:31am

So I’ve been reading that the republicans in the house of reps have decided that rather than work on legislation to deal with the perceived issues at our southern border they’ve decided that a) they should leave that problem in place because the leader of the Republican Party wants it as an election issue and b) they should impeach the DHS secretary for reasons they haven’t yet discovered or explained.

Will trump be convicted and sent to prison before the politicians of the party he leads completely destroys this country in their efforts to stick their noses up his sad orange butt?

Rogar

1-31-24, 11:59am

I see that elements of the GOP are now using their tactics of conspiracy theory and intimidation on poor Taylor Swift.

jp1

2-11-24, 1:12pm

And now trump, in one of his rare coherent moments, has stated that if elected he would encourage Russia to attack our NATO allies. It's weird how he's managed to turn the entire Republican party into the pro-russia party.

iris lilies

2-11-24, 1:23pm

I see that elements of the GOP are now using their tactics of conspiracy theory and intimidation on poor Taylor Swift.
What is going on with Taylor Swift, honorary citizen of my state of Missouri? Taylor has been hanging around here due to the boyfriend.

LDAHL

2-11-24, 2:07pm

I see that elements of the GOP are now using their tactics of conspiracy theory and intimidation on poor Taylor Swift.

If by “elements of the GOP” you mean a small pizza-gatey fringe, I suppose that’s true. I’m not sure why any group of conspirators would make such an effort for a small market NFL franchise in flyover country. I’m sure Swift will eventually get a song out of it.

Rogar

2-11-24, 10:03pm

If by “elements of the GOP” you mean a small pizza-gatey fringe, I suppose that’s true. I’m not sure why any group of conspirators would make such an effort for a small market NFL franchise in flyover country. I’m sure Swift will eventually get a song out of it.

Perhaps better stated that "right wing media influencers" were behind the theory. No idea and probably don't care specifics about whose behind it, but it seemed to make the mainstream media as a conspiracy theory. She supposedly has asked for extra security Three months ago I didn't know who Taylor Swift is.

Of course Donald has to get his two bits in, not to be upstaged.

"There's no way she could endorse Crooked Joe Biden, the worst and most corrupt President in the History of our Country, and be disloyal to the man who made her so much money," Trump

jp1

2-12-24, 12:38pm

Perhaps better stated that "right wing media influencers" were behind the theory. No idea and probably don't care specifics about whose behind it, but it seemed to make the mainstream media as a conspiracy theory. She supposedly has asked for extra security Three months ago I didn't know who Taylor Swift is.

Of course Donald has to get his two bits in, not to be upstaged.

"There's no way she could endorse Crooked Joe Biden, the worst and most corrupt President in the History of our Country, and be disloyal to the man who made her so much money," Trump

I'm surprised he hasn't gotten her confused with Nancy Pelosi and Nicki Haley yet since he views all powerful women as interchangable. But I'm curious which man Trump thinks made her so much money? I was under the impression that she made her money by being popular with young women and teenage girls.

iris lilies

2-12-24, 3:21pm

If by “elements of the GOP” you mean a small pizza-gatey fringe, I suppose that’s true. I’m not sure why any group of conspirators would make such an effort for a small market NFL franchise in flyover country. I’m sure Swift will eventually get a song out of it.

Donald is just doing what he always does, placing himself front and center in the news, aligning himself with one of the biggest news stories of the year:Taylor Swift’s Eras tour and her Kansas City Chiefs boyfriend.

It is excellent promotion as always for DJT. It doesn't matter to The Donald what people say about him, it is important that they are talking about him. And they are, look at the Taylor Swift/DJT talk here on this lowly forum!

LDAHL

2-12-24, 9:06pm

Donald is just doing what he always does, placing himself front and center in the news, aligning himself with one of the biggest news stories of the year:Taylor Swift’s Eras tour and her Kansas City Chiefs boyfriend.

It is excellent promotion as always for DJT. It doesn't matter to The Donald what people say about him, it is important that they are talking about him. And they are, look at the Taylor Swift/DJT talk here on this lowly forum!

Some years ago, I was driving my kid and some friends to a movie, and one said something about some huge donation Taylor Swift made. I said something like “sounds like a nice guy”. Now, to punish me for my kid’s embarrassment, there is nowhere I can go to escape her. Even the fever swamps of conspiracy theories aren’t safe.

jp1

2-12-24, 10:51pm

Imagine if the press held trump to even remotely the same standards they do for biden and his utterances? And yet the pathetic magas wail about fake liberal media bias. I’m actually surprised that those media are reporting at all on the horrified response from non magas on both sides of the political spectrum to his call to Russia to attack our NATO allies.

LDAHL

2-13-24, 8:49am

jp1

2-13-24, 5:26pm

So you feel the media is too biased in favor of Trump?

Yup. Biden says one word out of place and the medi is all over it. Trump says he would blatantly violate the constitution by ignoring our duties under a treaty and it’s a ho hum regular day for them.

LDAHL

2-13-24, 10:08pm

Yup. Biden says one word out of place and the medi is all over it. Trump says he would blatantly violate the constitution by ignoring our duties under a treaty and it’s a ho hum regular day for them.

I saw plenty of coverage of what one pundit called “Trump’s view of NATO as a protection racket”. Is your complaint that there was insufficient outrage and handwringing? Nor did I see much by way of media types rushing to defend Trump the way they did Biden. I especially liked that neuroscientist the NYT rolled out to explain to us that being unable to retrieve memories was not the same as forgetting.

As the President might say, denial isn’t just a river in Mexico.

jp1

2-13-24, 11:01pm

My complaint is there wasn’t any outrage until more than a day later after democratic politicians had pointed out the importance of what he’d said. I’m tired of the media portraying this election as just another boring horse race rather than something that will dramatically effect how the US operates in the world.

jp1

2-13-24, 11:02pm

As the President might say, denial isn’t just a river in Mexico.

The current president wouldn’t say such a stupid thing. The past and potential future president on the other hand…

Rogar

2-14-24, 9:19am

I especially liked that neuroscientist the NYT rolled out to explain to us that being unable to retrieve memories was not the same as forgetting.

As the President might say, denial isn’t just a river in Mexico.

I saw that article, but declined reading the details. I was reminded of how difficult it could be to remember my home address while having a proctological exam, so there may be something to it.

LDAHL

2-14-24, 12:26pm

The current president wouldn’t say such a stupid thing. The past and potential future president on the other hand…

Well, at his damage control presser Biden claimed that he convinced the President of Mexico to “open the gate” into Gaza.

The “both have pyramids” jokes commenced almost immediately.

bae

2-14-24, 3:56pm

The mandatory federal retirement age for air traffic controllers is 56. For firefighters it is 57.

Rogar

2-14-24, 4:59pm

Ages of the last few presidents when leaving office. They probably don't require a fast reaction speed or physical agility in most instances.

Trump, 74
Obama, 55
GW, 62
Clinton, 54
HW, 68
Reagan, 77
Ford, 63
Nixon, 61

ApatheticNoMore

2-14-24, 5:40pm

I'm all for lowering the social security and medicare ages to 56/57. Seriously though that REALY should have happened by now with Medicare. But as long as we expect most people to work till 70 we can't complain too much if politicians do, of course they are older than 70.

jp1

2-15-24, 7:38am

Well, at his damage control presser Biden claimed that he convinced the President of Mexico to “open the gate” into Gaza.

The “both have pyramids” jokes commenced almost immediately.

Ah. I get it now. We’ve finally seen what Republican humor looks like. Trump tried to be funny with his anti trans joke the other day too when he told a crowd in Pennsylvania that democrats would rename the state theythemselvania. His joke might have actually been funny if he had finished it with ‘I hear that they chose that name because Transylvania was already taken.’

But in any case thanks for proving my point about the media obsessing over biden’s minor gaffes.

iris lilies

2-15-24, 10:34am

Ah. I get it now. We’ve finally seen what Republican humor looks like. Trump tried to be funny with his anti trans joke the other day too when he told a crowd in Pennsylvania that democrats would rename the state theythemselvania. His joke might have actually been funny if he had finished it with ‘I hear that they chose that name because Transylvania was already taken.’

But in any case thanks for proving my point about the media obsessing over biden’s minor gaffes.

If you don’t think the White House is lying about the sorry state of Joe Biden’s brain, I have a bridge to sell you. “The Media” is too damn late in taking up this “narrative” which is actually presenting facts.

Two seemingly opposite things (to you anyway) can be true at the same time: Biden is too damn old and he is visibly failing.

DJT is too damn old, but is more spry than Biden. Age is not DJT’s main problem, however.

Tradd

2-15-24, 12:29pm

I know many life long dedicated Democrats who are extremely concerned about Biden’s mental decline. They don’t like Kamala. I agree with Iris. Trump is also too damned old, but he’s more spry than Biden, but he has many other issues.

LDAHL

2-15-24, 1:32pm

Rogar

2-15-24, 5:55pm

Biden is old. Trump is old. Biden may be loosing some memory and Trump is jolly well off his rocker. Biden looks frail and Trump probably has a diet equivalent of Whopper Buffet with fries. I don't see the media playing favorites but they certainly jump on small bits of sensationalism. Trump has something like 91 felony charges in four states and that gets in the news most days and there a good chance he's guilty of at least some of those. So one guy, who has no medical experience, says Biden has memory issues. Does he get a chance for second opinions maybe from some sort of expert. He talks slow due to his speech problems and hasn't made any more public memory glitches than Trump.

Tradd

2-15-24, 6:09pm

Then why is Biden kept away from the press and the public? Damned suspicious appearing. Looks like they’re trying to hide something.

Rogar

2-15-24, 8:48pm

Then why is Biden kept away from the press and the public? Damned suspicious appearing. Looks like they’re trying to hide something.

Maybe it's because the press would get more mileage from reporting on Trump's court cases. Maybe he's meeting the public or with government officials all along and no one picks it up as news. Maybe it's strategically wise to keep him out of the public eye until the memory storms blows over. Maybe he's losing it and their hiding it, just like Reagan.

Which of the two has refused to debate? Is Trump worried about his ability to have a cohesive discussion? Biden seemed willing at last check. That would be a brave move for someone knowingly having mental issues.

Alan

2-15-24, 10:19pm

Maybe it's because the press would get more mileage from reporting on Trump's court cases. Maybe he's meeting the public or with government officials all along and no one picks it up as news. Maybe it's strategically wise to keep him out of the public eye until the memory storms blows over. Maybe he's losing it and their hiding it, just like Reagan.

Which of the two has refused to debate? Is Trump worried about his ability to have a cohesive discussion? Biden seemed willing at last check. That would be a brave move for someone knowingly having mental issues.
I got a kick of your take on this. Reminds me of a Babylon Bee piece (https://babylonbee.com/news/devout-catholic-joe-biden-gives-up-cognitive-tests-for-lent).

"In a moving show of piety and devotion, President Joe Biden announced this week he will be foregoing any and all cognitive tests for the Catholic observance of Lent."I love being Catholic, I've been a devout member of the church my entire life, from when I was a boy and my dad used to take me to mass and the guys were there, you know…the guys?" Biden commented to reporters this week. "Anyway, I've decided for Lent I'm going to give up taking those tests…uhhhh….you know the ones…the tests that help tell if I'm…cognithurbitubathghhhhh…you know the ones."
Devout Catholics celebrate Lent to remember the 40 days Jesus fasted in the wilderness as told in the Bible. The Biden Administration told the press the President's commitment to honoring these holy days by giving up something so important shows his dedication and devotion to his faith.
"No president in the history of the country has loved his faith more than President Joe Biden," White House Spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre told the press. "His commitment to giving up cognitive tests for the next 40 days, and perhaps even forever, shows how deeply devoted he is to his religion and to the people of the United States."

Rogar

2-15-24, 10:24pm

I got some humor out of Biden's lent resolve, too. Maybe one of his staff had the idea in order to convince the public he still had a sharp sense of humor.

Alan

2-15-24, 11:04pm

I got some humor out of Biden's lent resolve, too. Maybe one of his staff had the idea in order to convince the public he still had a sharp sense of humor.
I'll probably not sleep tonight wondering if satire and parody is beyond a particular groups ability to comprehend or if they've simply mastered it.

jp1

2-15-24, 11:45pm

I think the complaint that the media is persecuting Biden while treating Trump with kid gloves is truly funny.

I’m not the least bit surprised that you feel this way.

But in any case, the undecided voters who actually care about issues that are important to them likely care more about the fact that the republicans have stated that they want border security to be an issue they can run on rather than something to be solved now. The ‘Biden is old’ thing is just a sideshow to them. That republicans tanked a bipartisan deal to help fix the border problems is of more concern to them. Both candidates in the election this week to replace santos talked a good game about the border. One, the democrat, was able to point to things he’d actually done regarding the border. The other was saddled with Mike Johnson’s statements basically saying that the issue shouldn’t be fixed until trump is back in the White House because they need it for something to run on.

iris lilies

2-16-24, 12:11am

I’m not the least bit surprised that you feel this way.

But in any case, the undecided voters who actually care about issues that are important to them likely care more about the fact that the republicans have stated that they want border security to be an issue they can run on rather than something to be solved now. The ‘Biden is old’ thing is just a sideshow to them. That republicans tanked a bipartisan deal to help fix the border problems is of more concern to them. Both candidates in the election this week to replace santos talked a good game about the border. One, the democrat, was able to point to things he’d actually done regarding the border. The other was saddled with Mike Johnson’s statements basically saying that the issue shouldn’t be fixed until trump is back in the White House because they need it for something to run on.

or,

Or, the President of the United States could take action that is entirely within his current authority to do something about the border. I don’t think he can solve it, but he could do a whole lot more than he’s doing. I don’t know what Congress is going to do to solve it. The president has power to use at the border. The fact that he’s not doing it and it is somehow Republicans’ and Congress’ fault is a strange point of view.

Also the bill that they’re failing to act on apparently has billions of dollars going for settling the undocumented folks come across the border. I learned this listening to the New York Times reporter on NPR who covers New York City. His main focus was how overwhelmed New York City is from the southern immigrants. The main problem is housing. Eric Adams has made trips south of the border to try to convince people not to come to New York City. I didn’t know any of this since I don’t follow that closely. Pretty interesting.

jp1

2-16-24, 1:17am

or,

Or, the President of the United States could take action that is entirely within his current authority to do something about the border. I don’t think he can solve it, but he could do a whole lot more than he’s doing. I don’t know what Congress is going to do to solve it. The president has power to use at the border. The fact that he’s not doing it and it is somehow Republicans’ and Congress’ fault is a strange point of view.

Also the bill that they’re failing to act on apparently has billions of dollars going for settling the undocumented folks come across the border. I learned this listening to the New York Times reporter on NPR who covers New York City. His main focus was how overwhelmed New York City is from the southern immigrants. The main problem is housing. Eric Adams has made trip self of the border to try to convince people not to come to New York City. I had now didn’t know any of this since I don’t follow that closely. Pretty interesting.

Actually the main problem is job permits. So many of the people arriving want to work but can't because they have to wait through the bureaucracy before they can get a job and support themselves. Since they can't work and support themselves then yes the problem is housing. But it's a manufactured problem because they aren't allowed to work for months and months and months after they arrive. The bipartisan border bill that the leader of the republican party blew up had provisions that would have fixed that.

Rogar

2-16-24, 8:16am

Actually the main problem is job permits. So many of the people arriving want to work but can't because they have to wait through the bureaucracy before they can get a job and support themselves. Since they can't work and support themselves then yes the problem is housing. But it's a manufactured problem because they aren't allowed to work for months and months and months after they arrive. The bipartisan border bill that the leader of the republican party blew up had provisions that would have fixed that.

That's part of the problem. Denver is a sanctuary city so maybe the problems are worse there, but they also spill over to the outlying areas. Who in the "bureaucracy" is in charge of fixing these problems. There is an overload to both the schools and the health system. One recent news item said Denver hospitals are on the verge of collapse due to the increase in migrants. The city has tried to find temporary housing but has had to reduce services to places like planting flowers and seasonal workers for city parks, DMV and recreation center operating hours, etc. due to budget problems. Plus homeless camps. Just in the last few weeks out here in the outlier areas there has been an increase in pan handlers, young nice looking families with kids rather than the usual dirty shiftless homeless. And people on street corners washing car windshields. There is probably a better way to process these people into the system with some sort of "bureaucracy" changes, but also there has been a big wave of new immigrants that have ove loaded the available public services. The way I see it, there are two problems and one is the huge increase immigration.

or,

Or, the President of the United States could take action that is entirely within his current authority to do something about the border. I don’t think he can solve it, but he could do a whole lot more than he’s doing. I don’t know what Congress is going to do to solve it. The president has power to use at the border. The fact that he’s not doing it and it is somehow Republicans’ and Congress’ fault is a strange point of view.

What presidential action would you suggest? Whatever Trump did, including his medieval wall, doesn't seem to have had a lasting effect. I am unfamiliar with presidential powers in this case. What will Trump be able to do, legally, of elected? Abbott's razor wire seems to be illegal according to the Supreme Court? It's a major whining pint for the GOP, but I've not heard of how they propose to fix things.

Failure to pass lasting legislation was a huge missed opportunity and I have my idea about who prevented it..

Tradd

2-16-24, 9:45am

LDAHL

2-16-24, 12:34pm

Feds still won’t cough up any money for states to help take care of the influx. Hell, NY was reducing the NYPD budget because of the migrants.

Chicago residents are upset because their after school, weekend, and senior citizens programs have been moved or stopped because the park facilities are being used to house migrants. The poor neighborhoods seem to have the worst of it. They’ve been asking for increased services for years and now what they do have is being cut.

I see the Mayor is following through on a campaign promise to cancel the Shotspotter program in Chicago. Apparently, police being able to quickly locate gunshots is racist and unjust.

Tradd

2-16-24, 1:22pm

I see the Mayor is following through on a campaign promise to cancel the Shotspotter program in Chicago. Apparently, police being able to quickly locate gunshots is racist and unjust.

Actually it doesn’t work.

iris lilies

2-16-24, 2:36pm

Actually it doesn’t work.
We have those devices in St Louis but I don’t know their current status.

Some big tech companies made bank around a decade ago, proposing these tech solutions for crime. All kinds of tech fixes were proposed and installed: red light cameras, gunshot sound systems, video cameras.

Our city fathers were gearing up to have integrated video camera systems trained on key street corners, monitored by humans, much like they have in the UK. It never came to pass as far as I know because a new city administration and budget restraints killed it. My neighborhood was chomping at the bit to buy cameras to tie into the city’s system, and hours of meetings took place about cameras.

OMG the HOURS of human endeavor spent on talking about camera systems!!! So many generations of tech bros living in my neighborhood were all heated up about cameras cameras cameras.

I lived here long enough to experience what I count as 4 generations of crime fighting cameras:

1st gen: rich tech bros buy equipment out of their own funds to work with safety committee of my neighborhood. Constant puttering, adjustments, bulletins to the ‘nabe about porgress yet I see no practical application. Those tech bros get bored and move on to other tech bro interests.

2nd gen: safety committee of my ‘nabe thinks in a more wholistic way, wanting to engage police department in systems and services, looking for partnerships. We buy a few cameras out of neighborhood funds, endless reports at meetings about their operation. so very boring, so very ineffective. Those people move on and out of neighborhood.

3rd gen: our neighborhood safety committee talks endlessly about programs to encourage homeowners to buy their own individual cameras with some sort of pie-in-the-sky linking system, leaving the police department out of it. Those plans all talk, no execution.

4th gen: oldsters in the neighborhood express interest in having a FEW cameras trained at strategic spots in our neighborhoid with NO PLANS to tie into police department’s camera system (if it even exists) but with hopes snd dreams of somehow catching criminal activity. Endless yammering and reporting on plans. When I got on the neighborhood board the last time I pushed for funding for one of these stupid cameras to be trained on our business district. I pushed, not because I thought it would do any good, but because I was sick and tired of the latest generation of yammering. Camera purchased, endless fussing with the technology ensued. Lots and lots of fussing, but ineffective results.

TLDR: tech bros like their toys and these crime cameras provide endless hours of entertainment for them.

these are videos cameras I am talking about, but I see them as part of the same idea as gunshot recorders in “technology will solve our crime problems.” Ummmm, no.

Simone

2-17-24, 1:22am

I especially liked that neuroscientist the NYT rolled out to explain to us that being unable to retrieve memories was not the same as forgetting.

As the President might say, denial isn’t just a river in Mexico.

And Nikki and Nancy are two-syllable names starting with "N."

In case you forgot the distinction Dr. Ranganath made between retrieving words/dates and Forgetting (caps are his),
this is what he wrote in the "roll out and what I remember he said on PBS recently:

If you’re over the age of 40, you’ve most likely experienced the frustration of trying to grasp that slippery word on the tip of your tongue. Colloquially, this might be described as forgetting, but most memory scientists would call this retrieval failure, meaning that the memory is there but we just can’t pull it up when we need it. On the other hand, Forgetting (with a capital F) is when a memory is seemingly lost or gone altogether. Inattentively conflating the names of the leaders of two countries would fall in the first category, whereas being unable to remember that you had ever met the president of Egypt would fall into the second.

Over the course of typical aging, we see changes in the functioning of the prefrontal cortex, a brain area that plays a starring role in many of our day-to-day memory successes and failures. These changes mean that as we get older, we tend to be more distractible and often struggle to pull up words or names we’re looking for. Remembering events takes longer, and it requires more effort, and we can’t catch errors as quickly as we used to. This translates to a lot more forgetting and a little more Forgetting.

Many of the special counsel’s observations about Mr. Biden’s memory seem to fall in the category of forgetting, meaning that they are more indicative of a problem with finding the right information from memory than Forgetting. Calling up the date that an event occurred, like the last year of Mr. Biden’s vice presidency or the year of his son’s death, is a complex measure of memory. Remembering that an event took place is different from being able to put a date on when it happened, which is more challenging with increased age. The president very likely has many memories, even though he could not immediately pull up dates in the stressful (and more immediately pressing) context of the Oct. 7 attack on Israel.

Other “memory” issues highlighted in the media are not so much cases of forgetting as they are of difficulties in the articulation of facts and knowledge. For instance, in July 2023, Mr. Biden mistakenly stated in a speech that “we have over 100 people dead,” when he should have said, “over one million.” He has struggled with a stutter since childhood, and research suggests that managing a stutter demands prefrontal resources that would normally enable people to find the right word or at least quickly correct errors after the fact.

I quote from Dr. Ranganath "Opinion" article in the New York Times on 2.12.24

jp1

2-17-24, 8:06am

Feds still won’t cough up any money for states to help take care of the influx. Hell, NY was reducing the NYPD budget because of the migrants.

Chicago residents are upset because their after school, weekend, and senior citizens programs have been moved or stopped because the park facilities are being used to house migrants. The poor neighborhoods seem to have the worst of it. They’ve been asking for increased services for years and now what they do have is being cut.

There was a bipartisan immigration bill that would have dealt with a lot of those issues. Now there isn’t because the Maga party was told that it would be better for their likely presidential candidate if they had this issue to run on rather than actually trying to fix the problem.

Tradd

2-17-24, 8:33am

iris lilies

2-17-24, 4:30pm

I want a link. I’ve been watching the news myself and haven’t heard a thing about aid to states to take care of the influx. Politicians here are still lamenting lack of $$ and there has been zilch mention of “if only the bill would get passed then we wouks get funds.”

here’s a link. $ 1.4 billion to “border communities” so who knows what the actual wording is. Chicago and New York City don’t seem very much like a “border communities” to me. California might be.

I do not know anything about this source, Cronkite news.

https://cronkitenews.azpbs.org/2024/02/05/border-bill-includes-funds-for-local-communities-along-with-ukraine-israel/

Tradd

2-17-24, 5:46pm

here’s a link. $ 1.4 billion to “border communities” so who knows what the actual wording is. Chicago and New York City don’t seem very much like a “border communities” to me. California might be.

I do not know anything about this source, Cronkite news.

https://cronkitenews.azpbs.org/2024/02/05/border-bill-includes-funds-for-local-communities-along-with-ukraine-israel/

Nothing for cities not on the border.

jp1

2-17-24, 6:51pm

A big part of the failed bill was funding and changes to dramatically speed up the asylum adjudication process, largely ending the ‘catch and release’ process currently in place. That would have significantly reduced the burden that border states and other cities face from undocumented immigrants.

jp1

2-28-24, 8:18am

It’s been fascinating watching the Republican politician freak out since the ridiculous Alabama Supreme Court decision about embryos. They are truly making ‘big lie’ their sole reason for existence. Anyone who believes their new stance on IVF or when they say they won’t be coming for your birth control if they have the chance is a fool.

Rogar

2-28-24, 11:30am

catherine

2-28-24, 6:39pm

jp1

2-29-24, 12:07am

Colorado is circulating a petition to add abortion rights as an amendment to the state constitution. I signed it recently and it seems to have enough signatures to go on the November ballot. I imagine as long as these things are left up to the states and the state officials are elected by a majority of the residents, people can determine their own fates, unfortunately at the expense of the minority.

It will remain up to the states up to the point that republicans control the house/senate/white house all at once again at the federal level. If, god forbid, that ever happens again we can expect national bans on abortion, IVF, birth control and basically any female medical care that involves reproduction other than "MAKE THE BABY COME OUT". Hopefully democrats will do an effective job of explaining that to the less involved voters. Because if they do republicans won't hold a majority ever again for anything more important than local dog catcher jobs.

Rogar

2-29-24, 8:01pm

Even in an alignment of the political stars my imagine can't picture people putting up with nation wide strict abortion bans. I think there would be significant civil disobedience in my blue state.

iris lilies

2-29-24, 8:28pm

Even in an alignment of the political stars my imagine can't picture people putting up with nation wide strict abortion bans. I think there would be significant civil disobedience in my blue state.
It isn’t a good issue for winning Republican seats. The ballot issue here in my state is spearheaded by a pro-life activist organization that wants to hit a happy medium. They are going against their usual conservative political bedfellows.

I have, for a long time, been very interested in all of the reproductive law issues now being touched by the overturning of Roe vs. Wade. Very soon after that Supreme Court ruling I heard a radio interview with a local fertility clinic representative who assured the audience her clinic did not, generally, implant multiple embryos only to scrape out some of them later.

I had the distinct impression she was on a damage control media tour, getting out ahead of any protests coming the way of her clinic.

There are dozens of ethical, moral, and legal issues surrounding abortion laws that are seldom talked about at the mainstream level. The discussion always seems to come down to “ My body my choice” vs “ baby killing.”

I do not intend to start up yet another tiresome discussion here about abortion, but to suggest the whole world of human reproduction in society has thorny, thorny issues to contend with as technology marches on.

Rogar

3-1-24, 3:54pm

Not to debate the right or wrong of the abortion issue, but given the right circumstances that JP1 pointed out, the GOP faction could theoretically impose restrictions on distinct regions that are pretty vehemently opposed to. I don't think it would go over well.

Tybee

3-1-24, 5:57pm

iris lilies

3-1-24, 8:25pm

I just realized that Vermont is an open primary state. So on March 5, I think I'm going to get a Republican ballot and vote for Nikki Haley. Not because I like her politics, but because the more people that stand up to Trump the better.
Hunh. sure you could do that. But you could also show the Democratic leaders that Joe Biden is note going to get your vote by voting for any name on the Democratic ticket besides Joe Biden. I have no idea who’s on the ticket. ( Edited to add: Dean Phillips is on the ticket.)

You are doing your part to keep Joe Biden on the November ticket by not voting against him in primaries. I’m not sure why the Democrats don’t want to win the presidential election in 2024, I haven’t figured that one out. If enough people show their displeasure with the ancient person in the White House, it could cause Democratic Party leaders to stage a coup at July’s Democratic convention.

why don’t you vote for that nice chappy from the Twin Cities? I sent him a campaign contribution.

catherine

3-2-24, 12:04am

Hunh. sure you could do that. But you could also show the Democratic leaders that Joe Biden is note going to get your vote by voting for any name on the Democratic ticket besides Joe Biden. I have no idea who’s on the ticket. ( Edited to add: Dean Phillips is on the ticket.)

You are doing your part to keep Joe Biden on the November ticket by not voting against him in primaries. I’m not sure why the Democrats don’t want to win the presidential election in 2024, I haven’t figured that one out. If enough people show their displeasure with the ancient person in the White House, it could cause Democratic Party leaders to stage a coup at July’s Democratic convention.

why don’t you vote for that nice chappy from the Twin Cities? I sent him a campaign contribution.

I don't know much about him. I'd rather make a statement against Trump than against Biden.

BTW, speaking of politicians, has Jeppy left the forum? I saw she asked to be removed and I see she's no longer in the membership list--am I reading it right? I know she had some controversial views, but I enjoyed many of her posts. If she really is gone, I'm bummed.

iris lilies

3-2-24, 12:20am

I don't know much about him. I'd rather make a statement against Trump than against Biden.

BTW, speaking of politicians, has Jeppy left the forum? I saw she asked to be removed and I see she's no longer in the membership list--am I reading it right? I know she had some controversial views, but I enjoyed many of her posts. If she really is gone, I'm bummed.
Jeppy is gone.

my state was an open primary state until 2022. I just read the rules from the Democratic Party of Missouri, and they will allow anyone to vote in their primary, unless you are a registered Republican:

Voters registered by February 21, 2024, with the Missouri Secretary of State’s office will be eligible to vote in the Missouri Democratic presidential preference primary election, so long the voter is not registered as a Republican.

Simone

3-2-24, 12:57am

I'm torn about voting for Nikki Haley as a way of shrinking the Trump stats. It's a foregone conclusion that he will be the nominee, and a friend I respect says it's a loss of integrity to declare that "my Party preference is the Republican Party" when in fact it is not. I suppose if our votes for Haley could really change the results, I would have a stronger argument for lying.

I may choose to vote for Marianne Williamson. I'm angry with Biden for his failure to endorse a UN vote for an immediate cease fire in Gaza. Even if one doesn't view this as a moral issue, Biden lost 100K votes in the Michigan primary. If that happens in the general, he'll likely lose Michigan and get that much closer to handing the country to Trump.

iris lilies

3-2-24, 9:36am

gimmethesimplelife

3-2-24, 4:20pm

I can think of a good reason many would not want to vote Republican. Assuming DJT assumes the role of the GOP candidate - a vote for Donald Trump is a vote to split up the United States faster. Though I personally am all for this country splitting up - many are not. I would politely advise to think of the longer term consequences of your vote.

If unlike me, you don't want this country split up, don't vote GOP - especially if DJT is the candidate. After January 6th, 2021, I no longer believe the United States has the social cohesion required - not even the basic minimum amount - to remain intact over the long haul. That day was a wakeup call to me. I don't claim to read the future - but the required social cohesion for the United States to remain intact no longer exists. Personally, I don't find this to be such a bad thing - but the lack of social cohesion begs, literally begs, for a period of intense turmoil. This I don't look forward to and I place the blame exactly where it belongs - with the GOP and the upper level of elites.

Regardless, I am 57 years old. I believe I will live to see this country split up. This faith, along with my husband and religious beliefs I hold - are what keep me going these days. That and the fact that I am banking cash from my job, which is going quite well thus far. And I'm getting too verbose.

The main point? After 01/06/2021 I'd rethink any vote for the GOP - unless like me you wish this country to split apart. This choice is yours as an adult. Choose well as per your future wishes for this country, whatever they may be - even if they are a 180 from mine. Rob

gimmethesimplelife

3-2-24, 4:44pm

I am getting a perverse pleasure this morning thinking about you all signing a loyalty oath to the Republican Party.

i sincerely would have voted in the Democratic Party primary for Dean Phillips because I will be voting for the Democratic candidate in November and I want anyone but Biden on the ticket.We agree on something once again, IL. I don't want Biden on the ticket, either. Seriously.....he has a lot of money and I believe a nice beach house on the Delaware coast. Given his cognitive decline, why can't he just spend the rest of his time on this earth relaxing and watching the waves roll in? I'll never understand this need to cling to power regardless of which political party one is affiliated with. Rob

jp1

3-2-24, 11:09pm

ApatheticNoMore

3-3-24, 1:27am

I will consider a protest vote for Marianne Williamson.

California is not an open primary state for Republicans for the presidential race (it basically is for ALL OTHER races), no party preference can request a Dem or many 3rd party ballots for President. But to vote in the Republican PRESIDENTIAL primary you need to be a registered Republican.

Alan

3-3-24, 12:54pm

I am getting a perverse pleasure this morning thinking about you all signing a loyalty oath to the Republican Party.

I did this, I think it was 1984 when I asked for a Democratic ballot during the primaries and for idealistic reasons which now escape me voted for Jesse Jackson. I've regretted that ever since because I eventually realized that crossing that line had no effect on anything other than my ability to say I'd done so. Since then, I've maintained that elections are serious business and shouldn't be gamed, and I stand by that belief.

iris lilies

3-3-24, 1:43pm

We agree on something once again, IL. I don't want Biden on the ticket, either. …Rob
So, what concrete thing have you done to keep him off the ticket? I mean, other than yammering on social media.

Here’s what I’ve done for my country:

1.sent $100 to Dean Phillip’s campaign, probably the only political donation I will make this year. Let’s encourage non-Biden candidates, shall we?

2.Spent 4 freekin hours, yes FOUR, at the Republican caucus yesterday, lining up for Nikki Haley which of course was a useless effort but my personal ethos is: I don’t have to win, I just have to show up and be counted.

gimmethesimplelife

3-4-24, 11:38am

So, what concrete thing have you done to keep him off the ticket? I mean, other than yammering on social media.

Here’s what I’ve done for my country:

1.sent $100 to Dean Phillip’s campaign, probably the only political donation I will make this year. Let’s encourage non-Biden candidates, shall we?

2.Spent 4 freekin hours, yes FOUR, at the Republican caucus yesterday, lining up for Nikki Haley which of course was a useless effort but my personal ethos is: I don’t have to win, I just have to show up and be counted.IL, it's great that you have time like I once did when I was waiting tables to get involved - right now I am working 60 to 70 hour weeks which is why I am not here as often as I once was.

On what time I do have off, I am very tired and am playing catch up with the rest of my life. Since it's true that I am banking cash I am grateful and I am keeping my mouth shut and not complaining for once - but it's also true that I just don't have time to do the kinds of activism I once did. Rob

iris lilies

3-4-24, 11:46am

IL, it's great that you have time like I once did when I was waiting tables to get involved - right now I am working 60 to 70 hour weeks which is why I am not here as often as I once was.

On what time I do have off, I am very tired and am playing catch up with the rest of my life. Since it's true that I am banking cash I am grateful and I am keeping my mouth shut and not complaining for once - but it's also true that I just don't have time to do the kinds of activism I once did. Rob

Working 70 hours is a LOT.

As for “activism” that takes many forms (I like to call it just being a good citizen of my community)

If you don’t have time, you have money. That’s how it is among the middle class—either time or money is our capital.

gimmethesimplelife

3-4-24, 12:01pm

Working 70 hours is a LOT.

As for “activism” that takes many forms (I like to call it just being a good citizen of my community)

If you don’t have time, you have money. That’s how it is among the middle class—either time or money is our capital.Yes. It seems as if you can have time or money but not BOTH. Sometimes I wonder if I made the right choice - and then I realize that at my age I had no other choice (if I want any real money saved as I push 60). Rob

PS OMG!!! Did you just refer to me as a citizen of the middle class? And it's true from an income perspective but the very idea takes ALOT of getting used to. I'm not saying this is bad - not at all - all I am saying is that the idea takes a lot of getting used to. Rob

Tradd

3-4-24, 12:14pm

Yes. It seems as if you can have time or money but not BOTH. Sometimes I wonder if I made the right choice - and then I realize that at my age I had no other choice (if I want any real money saved as I push 60). Rob

PS OMG!!! Did you just refer to me as a citizen of the middle class? And it's true from an income perspective but the very idea takes ALOT of getting used to. I'm not saying this is bad - not at all - all I am saying is that the idea takes a lot of getting used to. Rob

Would you prefer we refer to you as a “well-off peasant”? And I’m just kidding. You have to get over the mindset that being middle class is betraying your neighborhood or whatever you think along those lines.

gimmethesimplelife

3-4-24, 12:15pm

Would you prefer we refer to you as a “well-off peasant”? And I’m just kidding. You have to get over the mindset that being middle class is betraying your neighborhood or whatever you think along those lines.Don't drop dead of shock, Tradd.....I think you are right here - at least in the sense that there are adjustments involved for myself. I'm not saying this is bad, mind you, I'm just saying this is part of the deal for me. Rob

Tradd

3-4-24, 12:19pm

Don't drop dead of shock, Tradd.....I think you are right here - at least in the sense that there are adjustments involved for myself. I'm not saying this is bad, mind you, I'm just saying this is part of the deal for me. Rob

OMG, LOL. :D

jp1

3-16-24, 7:13am

I see that trump’s previous Vice president has decided not to endorse him for the upcoming election. Apparently he doesn’t like the fact that trump tried to have him killed last time.

jp1

3-20-24, 7:05am

And now trump promises a bloodbath if he loses. How every single voter in the nation doesn’t find that disqualifying is beyond me.

Rogar

3-20-24, 7:51am

I think it was the same rally where he had a prison choir of the terrorists from the Jan. 6th assault on the Capitol sing the Star Spangled Banner while he recited the pledge of allegiance. That was rather disturbing. The, if I got it correctly, he promised a 100% tariff on all auto imports.

Alan

3-20-24, 10:07am

And now trump promises a bloodbath if he loses. How every single voter in the nation doesn’t find that disqualifying is beyond me.
That's why you should never trust your favorite news sources or online commentators. He was talking about the possibility of Chinese EV's flooding the US market creating an economic "bloodbath" for US manufacturers and auto workers.

Personally, I was very disappointed in the way virtually all US media reported this as if it were a literal call to arms and invitation to violence when it clearly was not. I've pointed out before and I'll mention again that this is the sort of blatant media and party manipulation that drives Trump's popularity among every day Americans. When he is elected in November, everyone participating in this sort of nonsense will be complicit.

iris lilies

3-20-24, 12:01pm

That's why you should never trust your favorite news sources or online commentators. He was talking about the possibility of Chinese EV's flooding the US market creating an economic "bloodbath" for US manufacturers and auto workers.

Personally, I was very disappointed in the way virtually all US media reported this as if it were a literal call to arms and invitation to violence when it clearly was not. I've pointed out before and I'll mention again that this is the sort of blatant media and party manipulation that drives Trump's popularity among every day Americans. When he is elected in November, everyone participating in this sort of nonsense will be complicit.

you know, I was going to mention this, but then it just makes me angry that I have to defend Trump. If the Jp’s of the world would be less strident in their ridiculous accusations of Trump, I would not be so conflicted.

it is all about me. Haha.

God knows there’s plenty to address about Donald J Trump and his inappropriate-ness to be President of the United States.

And you and I know that legacy media beating the “bloodbath “ narrative will be contributing to the election of Donald J Trump in November 2024. Same shit, different day.

catherine

3-20-24, 1:06pm

you know, I was going to mention this, but then it just makes me angry that I have to defend Trump. If the Jp’s of the world would be less strident in their ridiculous accusations of Trump, I would not be so conflicted.

it is all about me. Haha.

God knows there’s plenty to address about Donald J Trump and his inappropriate-ness to be President of the United States.

And you and I know that legacy media beating the “bloodbath “ narrative will be contributing to the election of Donald J Trump in November 2024. Same shit, different day.

I agree with Alan and iris. But of course the ridiculousness of the media hyperbole, fear tactic and vitriol cuts both ways. The state of "journalism" today is very, very sad.

But if the "left of center" folks think that adding another transgression to Trump's long list of outrageousness is going to somehow make people say, "Oh!! I tolerated his mysogyny and lies and fraud, and racism and cruelty and impeachments and indictments, but THIS has changed my mind!"---well, it's not. It's important to instead, seek to understand WHY he is still up there in the polls, threatening the re-election of a much saner human being. Listen to the people who adore him, even though he really isn't worthy to shine their shoes. Liberals have to get off their high horse.

LDAHL

3-20-24, 3:16pm

I find myself in violent agreement with the last few posts. In this distinctly unheroic time, too many people seem to want to spice up their lives by pretending they’re part of an existential struggle between good and evil. I think this, more than anything else, has driven our stupid and dishonest politics. I believe both major parties and their supporters in and out of the media are guilty of this.

Whoever wins in November, there is no plausible pathway to dictatorship. There will be a lot of overwrought rhetoric. There will be ongoing lawfare. There will be constitutionally dubious executive actions. But the folks looking for a civil war will be disappointed. Our wonderfully cynical founders have seen to that.

Rogar

3-20-24, 5:39pm

I was actually surprised the media or politicians took his bloodbath statement so far out of context. The first time I heard it, it didn't seem to leave much ambiguity. However, starting his rally with the J6 Prison Choir sort of shaded the direction his talk would take and he walked his rhetoric up to the edge within that context.

In the end, it probably changes nothing we didn't already know.

jp1

3-21-24, 12:08am

That's why you should never trust your favorite news sources or online commentators. He was talking about the possibility of Chinese EV's flooding the US market creating an economic "bloodbath" for US manufacturers and auto workers.

Personally, I was very disappointed in the way virtually all US media reported this as if it were a literal call to arms and invitation to violence when it clearly was not. I've pointed out before and I'll mention again that this is the sort of blatant media and party manipulation that drives Trump's popularity among every day Americans. When he is elected in November, everyone participating in this sort of nonsense will be complicit.

Weird that at best the media were like "not entirely sure what he meant since he was semi-incoherrant as usual..." and somehow you have certainty of what he was trying to say. Either way, a presidential candidate threatening a bloodbath of any sort if he doesn't get elected is effing chitty. But apparently that's the republican style these days because their voters lap it up with feverish delight. Much easier than actually presenting a policy platform which they haven't done since 2016 and undoubtedly won't do this time around either since they don't have one.

LDAHL

3-21-24, 9:34am

All the frantic, hysterical exegesis of Trump’s comment puzzles me.

If the truth is bad enough, why waste all that energy lying?

iris lilies

3-21-24, 10:51am

Weird that at best the media were like "not entirely sure what he meant since he was semi-incoherrant as usual..." and somehow you have certainty of what he was trying to say. Either way, a presidential candidate threatening a bloodbath of any sort if he doesn't get elected is effing chitty. But apparently that's the republican style these days because their voters lap it up with feverish delight. Much easier than actually presenting a policy platform which they haven't done since 2016 and undoubtedly won't do this time around either since they don't have one.

President Joe Biden threatened “bloodbath” when he was trying to oust Bernie Sanders from the ticket. But I guess that’s OK because it’s a bloodbath among Democrats? I don’t know, that’s your call JP.

https://www.newsweek.com/joe-biden-bloodbath-remarks-resurface-after-trump-speech-fury-1880181

Rogar

3-21-24, 11:37am

President Joe Biden threatened “bloodbath” when he was trying to oust Bernie Sanders from the ticket. But I guess that’s OK because it’s a bloodbath among Democrats? I don’t know, that’s your call JP.

https://www.newsweek.com/joe-biden-bloodbath-remarks-resurface-after-trump-speech-fury-1880181

The fact that Trump was involved in an insurrection against the government and his unrelated comments hinting at some sort of violence, intimidation, or just outright harassment, like his former top general should be executed, might lead someone in the media to default to a different meaning than the way it seems to have been presented. Fact is that Trump rambles incoherently and leaves some things hanging at the edge of what is right or wrong.

Unlike Biden.

Alan

3-22-24, 1:26pm

https://media.townhall.com/cdn/hodl/cartoons/sk031824dAPC-800x0.jpg

Rogar

3-22-24, 4:00pm

In other news, our GOP representative, Ken Buck, resigned this week. He has always been your run if the mill Tea Party conservative. His primary statement has been that he no longer wanted to be a part of a party that endorses "false narrative", with specific references to the big election lie and the J6 Terrorists as close to tourists or patriots. And also, runaway spending. I believe he has refused to endorse Trump and has been reserved about who he will vote for. He might have also gotten tired of the death threats after he refused to endorse Jim Jordan as speaker. The media has said this has reduced Boebert's re-elected chances in a way I've not quite connected the dots. Speaking of Boebert, you don't hear much about QAnon anymore?

jp1

3-22-24, 5:56pm

Apparently due to the timing of the primary for the november election and the special election happening on the same day Boehbert would have to resign to run for the special election, whereas if she doesn't run in the special she can continue to serve her district while running in the primary. The thinking being that someone is unlikely to win the primary but not the special and vice versa.

I see that some congressdude from WI has also announced his upcoming resignation. Effective just after the deadline in WI law that requires a special election to fill his seat, so instead it will remain empty until January. That's about as much of a middle finger to the maga party as someone in his position can do.

And now MTG has brought a motion to vacate against speaker Johnson. The democrats appear to have two options. One, find a couple of republican congresspeople who are planning to retire and convince them to vote for a speaker Jeffries, or two, agree to stick with Johnson, but only with him agreeing to things like Ukraine aid.

It certainly is amusing to watch what happens when the majority party in the house's leadership is as incredibly weak as is currently the case.

LDAHL

3-26-24, 1:31pm

With the latest couple of announcements, one wag at National Review said the House majority has lost the will to live. It’s down to what, 1-2 votes? The 2024 prospects for the GOP seem much better for the Senate than the House.

jp1

5-3-24, 6:18am

I sure hope Kristi Noem doesn’t have other dogs.

LDAHL

5-3-24, 10:26am

Years ago, I was the Controller for a county government about 50 miles north of Madison, WI. One of the stormiest board meetings I ever attended was a debate on building an animal shelter. On one side, we had farmers who took an unsentimental view about the way to deal with sick, destructive or superfluous animals. On the other, we had members of our little arts and boutiques community, and university types from Madison, some of whom actually wept during the debate. It was quite the dramatic evening.

As for myself, if I had a dog that attacked people and killed my neighbors’ chickens, I would have no problem putting it down. That would seem to be the responsible thing to do. But I wouldn’t brag about it in a campaign biography. That strikes me as politically tone deaf.

jp1

5-3-24, 1:37pm

Besides being politically tome deaf it also strikes me that it’s an admission that one has no clue how to train a dog.

iris lilies

5-3-24, 2:28pm

Besides being politically tome deaf it also strikes me that it’s an admission that one has no clue how to train a dog.
Yeah, I don’t think it is that simple in the world of hunting dogs.

jp1

5-3-24, 3:33pm

Leashes and muzzles are a thing that can be used if someone knows their dog is poorly trained.

bae

5-3-24, 3:44pm

Yeah, I don’t think it is that simple in the world of hunting dogs.

For decades now, I have adopted "troublesome" dogs. Usually large scent hounds that some halfwit purchased, who had no idea how to properly train and work such animals. Generally with focused training I have been able to turn the dogs into productive members of society. This is not a project for the inept.

I grew up around such dogs. When I was a child my grandparents took care of me during the day, and my grandfather maintained a pack of black & tan Coonhounds, and a pack of beagles. He *never* let those dogs inside the house, though he was very kind and caring and attentive to the animals. He used them for their purpose, and spent a lot of time and effort training them and breeding them to his requirements.

I have a 150lb Bloodhound sleeping on my feet as I type this. A neighbor got the cute little male puppy. She was a first-time dog owner, and a single Mom of two toddlers. Living in a two story home with wooden floors. She came to me when the dog was about 1.5 years old begging me to take the dog - it was knocking over the children, eating the food off their dinner table, dancing on the kitchen counters and furniture, and resource-guarding. And was about 120 lbs and still growing. It took me months of work to turn him into a perfect gentleman (for a Bloodhound(*)). This dog was well on his way to being destroyed, but now he's both a great working dog, and a fine companion for my life. I use him for search and rescue work, and one day he arguably saved a few dozen lives when he alerted to a fire in the village in our senior housing apartment building as I was walking him nearby. After I called it in, we went in and knocked down the fire with a water extinguisher before the fire truck managed to arrive from the station down the street. Good dog.

https://i.imgur.com/pEV8yjS.png

(*) Some of the scent hounds are the hardest dogs to "train" to perform traditional tasks, they aren't quite like regular dogs. A "smart" dog may be able to learn a new behaviour with a handful of repetitions. These hounds may take hundreds and hundreds of trials, and constant reinforcement will be required ongoing.

iris lilies

5-3-24, 4:03pm

that’s great, bae. Those houndDogs are so silly looking, they are like cartoon dogs, but I know they’re not silly dogs.

100s of repetitions? I am inept for sure.

this is why we’ve had foster dogs who were so well-behaved we took them on vacation, and we put our own dogs in the kennel because our dogs would not behave in a hotel.

bae

5-3-24, 4:11pm

that’s great, bae. Those houndDogs are so silly looking, they are like cartoon dogs, but I know they’re not silly dogs.

I think that's how I end up with them. They look so cute, especially as puppies, that people get them as pets and don't realize what they are getting into. I had Bassets for years and years, nearly everyone had the same origin story "We got this cute puppy, now it is a monster". A Basset, cute and cartoonlike as it is, is just a dwarf-form Bloodhound, but with extra deviousness thrown in. My last 3 at full adulthood weighed 80lbs, 75lbs, and 65lbs. I usually try to have at least a pair of hounds (they work better in the field that way), and the Bassets were capable of coming up with complex schemes to accomplish their evil ends. I had a pair that would move several pieces of furniture around in my kitchen so that they could end up atop the counters and kitchen pass-through, working as a team. Devils.

100s of repetitions? I am inept for sure.

I think a lot of people give up early because they don't know that success is quite likely, as long as you commit to consistency and the correct sort of reinforcement. (Negative conditioning doesn't seem to work well at all with the sorts of dogs I end up with, for example).

I am of the opinion that most people should not have dogs. I shudder when I hear people baby-talking their "fur babies" and see them letting the dogs run the household.

pinkytoe

5-3-24, 5:35pm

iris lilies

5-3-24, 9:13pm

Son-in-law has an obsession with a certain breed - Cane Corso - and they are now on their third one. First was a gentle giant and died from cancer, second was a terror that attacked DD unprovoked several times and having small children, they were advised by their vet to have it put down which they begrudgingly did. They learned later that had it been bred and raised by a woman later arrested for animal cruelty. The third - we shall see. I wish they would just get a sweet-natured mutt.

Cane Corsos are trendy and have been for the past few years. I put them in the same trend category as Dobermans were 30+ years ago,, then Rottweilers followed, then pitbulls. But I remember your daughter had a big dog before the cane Corso so maybe they’re just attracted to very large dogs.

bae

5-3-24, 9:41pm

Cane Corsos are trendy and have been for the past few years.

I enjoy large dogs, and had always hoped to have a Cane Corso, but once a dog becomes "trendy", problems appear. Wow - I just looked, they are #18 on the list of breed popularity in the USA!

I had a great pair of Portuguese Water Dogs some years ago. It took me quite a while to source the pair, the breed was pretty obscure and in short supply in the USA. Then Obama got elected, and was given one as First Dog. The breed suffered as a result as less-skillful breeders started cranking up the production line.

I have things to say about the current "doodle" trend too, but...

I'm planning ahead for the next dog(s), and am leaning towards the Otterhound or the Grand Griffon Vendéen, both of which are tricky to source.

pinkytoe

5-3-24, 9:48pm

We have had several neighbors acquire doodle dogs and all have come down with cancer and passed at young ages. Funny how political talk turned to dog talk:)

bae

5-3-24, 9:57pm

We have had several neighbors acquire doodle dogs and all have come down with cancer and passed at young ages. Funny how political talk turned to dog talk:)

My sister and her husband spent $6k on a "doodle" puppy a few years ago. They both work during the day. It is a very high-drive dog, and they treat it as if it were their child. It has never received any significant training, and is a total handful.

Hilariously, they live here within walking distance of a very very good full-size poodle breeder, who breeds working poodles. They could have had one of his puppies for less money, and with more guarantee of long-term success. But he likely wouldn't have sold them a puppy, he carefully places each one.

Anyways, see above, most people shouldn't have dogs.

bae

5-3-24, 9:59pm

Funny how political talk turned to dog talk:)

Well, politics is going to the dogs, so it seems oddly appropriate :-)

iris lilies

5-3-24, 10:29pm

I enjoy large dogs, and had always hoped to have a Cane Corso, but once a dog becomes "trendy", problems appear. Wow - I just looked, they are #18 on the list of breed popularity in the USA!

I had a great pair of Portuguese Water Dogs some years ago. It took me quite a while to source the pair, the breed was pretty obscure and in short supply in the USA. Then Obama got elected, and was given one as First Dog. The breed suffered as a result as less-skillful breeders started cranking up the production line.

I have things to say about the current "doodle" trend too, but...

I'm planning ahead for the next dog(s), and am leaning towards the Otterhound or the Grand Griffon Vendéen, both of which are tricky to source.

oh yeah, try Frenchies, number one on the AKC list. I have had eight French bulldogs in the past 15 years. I’m sure you all remember when I got a clump of them all at once on the same day. I got them for free because they were in need of a home. God, are they dumb and that was back in the day when ours were from Champion stock from respected hobby breeders, and a couple of them were out and out champions. I can’t imagine how dumb the over produced French Bulldogs are these days a decade later.

doodles aren’t even worth talking about. As my friend in dogs points out, people who have quality poodles are not going to breed them to goldens, it’s just not going to happen. So you’re going to get…stuff… in poodle x golden breeding.

I’m famous in our old neighborhood for causing a ruckus at a dinner party when I told our friends I would shun them if they bred their stupid idiotic doodles. Only I left out the phrase “stupid, idiotic.”

LDAHL

5-4-24, 11:20am

Besides being politically tome deaf it also strikes me that it’s an admission that one has no clue how to train a dog.

One wag said that Gov Noem’s dog is still biting her from beyond the grave.

Rogar

5-21-24, 9:44pm

I caught a news feature bringing up the point that if Trump were elected there is a good possibility he would have 2 more Supreme Court picks. Elections come and go, but Supreme Court picks are a gift that keeps on giving.

iris lilies

5-22-24, 11:12am

jp1

5-24-24, 10:33am

And in the latest on pathetic republican politicians I see that they now consider the FBI doing it's job to be an assassination attempt. The ridiculousness of these people is more bottomless than the mimosas at Sunday brunch.

LDAHL

5-25-24, 7:07pm

jp1

5-26-24, 12:00pm

And now Jack Smith is requesting an equally absurd gag order prohibiting Trump from uttering his absurd claims about the 2020 election.

We are engaged in a race to the bottom.

https://www.nationalreview.com/corner/smith-responds-to-trumps-absurd-lethal-force-rant-with-absurd-gag-order-motion/

So you think trump should be able to encourage violence against law enforcement agents?

The author of the piece lost me in the two free paragraphs for nonsubscribers. The only reason all trump's trials are coming up so close to the election is trump's delay delay delay efforts. To try to pin the blame of that timing on anyone other than the head of the republican party, trump himself, is dishonest and makes the rest of the article suspect.

Since I couldn't read the article I'm going to take a guess that it had to do with Smith's most recent motion in Florida? Did the author also point out that trump's lawyers lied by selective omission about what the FBI's directive said? Or did he gloss over that as well as a good little shill for the traitor in chief?

catherine

5-27-24, 8:44am

Honestly, I'm willing to bet that at least 80% of the population doesn't care about this trial, or all the minutiae that almost no one is going to take the time to consider. It's a non-issue to most.

I am more and more convinced, unfortunately, that Trump is going to win. I see that RFK is, so far, likely to be a spoiler. I am more and more convinced that swing states are going to go for Trump. Biden's messages are not getting through to a lot of people. Trumps transgressions are completely dismissed by his base. My own DH, who is neither dummy nor "deplorable," sees Trump as a victim of the left with this trial circus.

I think we need to buckle our seat belts, folks. It's going to be a bumpy ride.

iris lilies

5-27-24, 12:10pm

Hmmm, I would argue that Biden’s messages ARE getting through. ;)

jp1

5-27-24, 11:14pm

Alan

5-28-24, 10:03am

Most voters are low information. If Biden can get them to pay attention for five minutes they will remember why they hated the orange dirtbag and his entire party four years ago. If not then it will be time to move to another country while the American experiment implodes spectacularly.
Of course when you base your political future on hate you risk alienating a huge segment of the population. The unending hate Democrats have felt towards Republicans for at least the last 8 years has pretty much guaranteed they're going to be really miserable for the next 4 or so.

As a parent, I've watched children work themselves into an emotional frenzy many times and learned that it's best to hug them, speak calming words and help them transition back to normalcy. I don't have much experience dealing with adults in that state, I think for now I'll just watch and be amused.

early morning

5-28-24, 10:57am

The unending hate Democrats have felt towards Republicans for at least the last 8 years Really?? this is just silly. What are Republicans, then, the Love Party?? Republicans are flush with hatred, and thrilled to brandish threats, not to mention guns. To be clear, I believe that the spewing of hatred and working into emotional frenzy is endemic on the fringes of BOTH parties, but I sure see it much more in the right wingers. I have a friend with whom I've agreed that political talk is off limits, because I'm really concerned he's going to stroke out. He believes - really!- that Biden is the devil. He fired his VA therapist for pointing out that his VA benefits come from the "evil government" and that such programs are, in fact, socialistic in nature. He tolerates me because, in his words - he knew me as a person "before Obama tried to make us all Black Socialists". (He is one of many, but he's the only one I continue to communicate with.) Our neighbors, Republicans who don't particularly like Trump, have said they are afraid to say so aloud, and are not putting up yard signs for their candidate of choice any longer. And it's not those of us on the left they are afraid of.

catherine

5-28-24, 1:43pm

Our neighbors, Republicans who don't particularly like Trump, have said they are afraid to say so aloud, and are not putting up yard signs for their candidate of choice any longer. And it's not those of us on the left they are afraid of.

DH received a MAGA hat back in 2016 from one of my DILs (the only other Republican family member)--and he won't wear it because he fears how people will view him. Honestly, I think intolerance is a bipartisan emotion. Both sides suffer from intolerance to the opposite party's ideologies.

As a bleeding heart liberal and Democratic Socialist, I am ashamed that my husband is afraid to wear his hat in public (even as I cringe at the thought of it--and I personally feel he doesn't want to identify with the true Trump fans. He simply doesn't like Biden and he has this crazy idea that we were better off under Trump--haha).

But the GOP definitely has the same disgust for what has become the left wing caricature--people in ivory towers passing moral judgement. If anyone believes the GOP is less "emotional" than the Democrats over their distaste for what the liberal elite class has come to represent.. well..

I do not like Trump because he has way too many "character flaws" for my taste for a leader of the free world. I cannot respect one inch of him. In fact when I think of my Trump-fan friends, I want to tell them, "You guys are GOOD PEOPLE. This guy doesn't deserve to lick the soles of your shoes." (Did anyone see that Memorial Day text that Eric Trump posted about how his family "has sacrificed everything"?)

But we are never going to get anywhere by attacking the people he is hoodwinking who truly think he is best for this country. I think most Republicans will vote for him because of his GOP policies--not because they would want him as a family member.

I watched Ken Burns' Brandeis commencement speech, which was excellent until he got to the part where he warned us against voting for Trump. I later learned that he has been called a "yellow dog" Democrat, meaning that he would vote for a yellow dog before voting Republican. I don't think that that kind of ideological fervor is healthy in either camp. We need to learn to ask more questions of each other.

early morning

5-28-24, 3:03pm

Catherine, your DH could wear his MAGA hat here and fit right in. :~) I don't mind MAGA hat wearing per se. If people believe THEY have the right to wear political attire, then they need to extend that right to all OTHER groups. MAGA hats do not trump Pride flags or BLM shirts, or vice-versa. I do believe that's what the US is supposed to stand for. Equal rights for all (and leave whatever god anyone may wish to invoke out of it). And I agree with you, Catherine, that we need to ask more questions of each other. Just be careful who you ask what, because lots of people have really thin skins. And some of them carry. Just sayin'. But all this inspires me to go dig out my big "I Hate Elvis" button and see if I can tick off boomers on all sides, lol.

catherine

5-28-24, 3:08pm

But all this inspires me to go dig out my big "I Hate Elvis" button and see if I can tick off boomers on all sides, lol.

You can say what you want about The King. Just don't wear an "I hate the Beatles" button around me. I might just beat you up regardless of all that peace and love stuff they sang about! :)

early morning

5-28-24, 3:18pm

Ah, I don't mind the Beatles, although I'm more of a Stones/Zeppelin/Floyd fan, personally. I got the button when I was a teenager, to tick off a rabid-Elvis-fan cousin. It's been great fun for many years now! She still cries on his death-versary. To each their own!

jp1

5-30-24, 5:21am

Alan, I’m curious what emotion you feel is appropriate towards a former president that attempted to overthrow the government of the country I love in an attempt to stay in power who still has the support of 40% of voters, many of whom wish he had succeeded in overthrowing the government?

Rogar

5-30-24, 6:37pm

Guilty times 34.

Alan

5-30-24, 6:56pm

Guilty times 34.
Does anyone know what the crime was that elevated a possible misdemeanor to a definite felony?

iris lilies

5-30-24, 7:07pm

Does anyone know what the crime was that elevated a possible misdemeanor to a definite felony?
An NBC headline calls it “falsification of business records a class E felony”

Rogar

5-30-24, 7:15pm

Does anyone know what the crime was that elevated a possible misdemeanor to a definite felony?

Here's what fact check says and the official charges. My interpretation is that he he used to coverup (a crime) to influence the American public in an election. I would assume the judge explained this to the jury and they agreed.

Or answer "B", it's Biden's witch hunt and a politically motivated national disgrace.

In New York, in order for the charge of falsifying business records to be bumped up to a felony, one must commit the crime of falsifying business records when the “intent to defraud includes an intent to commit another crime or to aid or conceal the commission thereof.”

“The defendant DONALD J. TRUMP repeatedly and fraudulently falsified New York business records to conceal criminal conduct that hid damaging information from the voting public during the 2016 presidential election,” the statement reads.

“From August 2015 to December 2017, the Defendant [Trump] orchestrated a scheme with others to influence the 2016 presidential election by identifying and purchasing negative information about him to suppress its publication and benefit the Defendant’s electoral prospects,” according to the statement. “In order to execute the unlawful scheme, the participants violated election laws and made and caused false entries in the business records of various entities in New York. The participants also took steps that mischaracterized, for tax purposes, the true nature of the payments made in furtherance of the scheme.”

Alan

5-30-24, 7:52pm

In New York, in order for the charge of falsifying business records to be bumped up to a felony, one must commit the crime of falsifying business records when the “intent to defraud includes an intent to commit another crime or to aid or conceal the commission thereof.”

That's my question, what was the other crime? As I understand it, since there were no charges in this case relating to another crime the judge gave the jurors a list of possible crimes not charged to the defendant in any jurisdictions anywhere and allowed them to choose independently which ones they'd like to apply to the expired misdemeanor in order to achieve the desired result.

Rogar

5-30-24, 8:49pm

That's my question, what was the other crime? As I understand it, since there were no charges in this case relating to another crime the judge gave the jurors a list of possible crimes not charged to the defendant in any jurisdictions anywhere and allowed them to choose independently which ones they'd like to apply to the expired misdemeanor in order to achieve the desired result.

I suppose if us common citizens would just take a plea deal for a reduced charge.

I'm not a legal authority, but I'm just guessing the intended use of the illegal coverups to influence an election were part of what elevated the charges and what specifically the jury convicted him of. Does a second conviction of a crime actually have to have existed previously? Is intention sufficient? Did the brilliant Trump attorneys argue that aspect or is it just a social media talking point without any legal backing? He has a right to an appeal.

gimmethesimplelife

5-30-24, 8:57pm

Ummm.....a real reason to not vote Republican? The presumed Standard Bearer is as of this afternoon a convicted Felon. Isn't that reason enough for a sane person? I rest my case. Rob

Alan

5-30-24, 9:09pm

I suppose if us common citizens would just take a plea deal for a reduced charge.

I'm not a legal authority, but I'm just guessing the intended use of the illegal coverups to influence an election were part of what elevated the charges and what specifically the jury convicted him of.
What illegal coverups would that be? The charge against him was claiming monies paid to his lawyer as a legal expense. Of course those monies were then used to purchase a non-disclosure agreement with a porn star, but there's nothing illegal about that.

If the claim is that it is illegal to do legal things to influence an election, I'm curious to see what type of Pandora's box we've opened. Our current President constantly lies about things such as the rate of inflation when he took office any how many jobs he's created, all in an effort to influence an upcoming election. Do you think we should charge him for that?

Rogar

5-30-24, 9:41pm

What illegal coverups would that be? The charge against him was claiming monies paid to his lawyer as a legal expense. Of course those monies were then used to purchase a non-disclosure agreement with a porn star, but there's nothing illegal about that.

If the claim is that it is illegal to do legal things to influence an election, I'm curious to see what type of Pandora's box we've opened. Our current President constantly lies about things such as the rate of inflation when he took office any how many jobs he's created, all in an effort to influence an upcoming election. Do you think we should charge him for that?

I suppose the question might be, is it legal to use criminal activities to determine an election outcome. I think a jury of our peers has spoken. Both sides had a chance to argue their case. Perhaps you re aware of campaign finance laws?

The question of inflation is opinion and not a legal issue. I know of a Nobel prize winning economist that disagrees with your media feeds. It would seem he has presidential immunity regardless, as some would claim. After all inflation started with Trump.

That underlying crime, prosecutors argued, was a violation of a New York state election law that prohibits conspiring to promote a candidate by “unlawful means.” The hush money to Daniels, prosecutors said, was unlawful because it violated campaign finance laws.

Alan

5-30-24, 10:13pm

I suppose the question might be, is it legal to use criminal activities to determine an election outcome. I think a jury of our peers has spoken.
Yes they have, but my original question remains. What criminal activity elevated a possible misdemeanor bookkeeping dispute to a felony?

The question of inflation is opinion and not a legal issue. I know of a Nobel prize winning economist that disagrees with your media feeds. After all it started with Trump.Inflation is an opinion? OK, the Bureau of Labor Statistics opinion is that inflation was at 1.4% when Biden took office. Biden claims it was 9% although the BLS says it didn't reach 9% until 3 quarters after he took office. The BLS is my media feed on that subject so your economist apparently disagrees with them rather than me.

You're right that the rate of inflation is not a legal issue, but we seem to now be in a state where people are defending punishment for anyone involved with influencing an election, even if they've never been convicted or even charged with doing so. Biden's well documented mis-statements are clearly designed to do just that so should we assume those same people will hold him to the same standard?

gimmethesimplelife

5-30-24, 10:35pm

I'm utterly exhausted this evening and have to get up at 4 AM tomorrow - but this day is historic and calls for Spicy Chickpea Stew. It'll be ready at 8 PM my time. I'll pass some to my immediate neighbors, take a few pics, and continue the grind tomorrow. What a gift today has been!!! Rob

bae

5-30-24, 10:49pm

I missed the big announcement. I was in a closed meeting of a governmental body all day, working with attorneys to figure out how to get rid of a corrupt local official (a Democrat). Problem solved, and the solution relied on a state supreme court decision that the ink is barely dry on.

I admit, I haven't followed the current Trump Trial in detail much at all. Too much work to keep the garden tidy even at the local level.

Rogar

5-31-24, 7:10am

Inflation is an opinion? OK, the Bureau of Labor Statistics opinion is that inflation was at 1.4% when Biden took office. Biden claims it was 9% although the BLS says it didn't reach 9% until 3 quarters after he took office. The BLS is my media feed on that subject so your economist apparently disagrees with them rather than me.

You're right that the rate of inflation is not a legal issue, but we seem to now be in a state where people are defending punishment for anyone involved with influencing an election, even if they've never been convicted or even charged with doing so. Biden's well documented mis-statements are clearly designed to do just that so should we assume those same people will hold him to the same standard?

No doubt there is or has been inflation. Whether Biden has lied about it or caused it, possibly in a criminal manner to deceive the public and influence and election as you have intimated, is a separate matter entirely. I don't think the BLS has judgement on that, but some interesting information showing how wage growth has outpaced inflation. People don't talk about that.

https://fred.stlouisfed.org/graph/fredgraph.png?g=1oevf

iris lilies

5-31-24, 10:24am

No doubt there is or has been inflation. Whether Biden has lied about it or caused it, possibly in a criminal manner to deceive the public and influence and election as you have intimated, is a separate matter entirely. I don't think the BLS has judgement on that, but some interesting information showing how wage growth has outpaced inflation. People don't talk about that.

https://fred.stlouisfed.org/graph/fredgraph.png?g=1oevf

Roger, that is an interesting graph,and by our own St. Louis Federal Reserve, no less.

I would use it to combat all the complainers who moan “ things are so expensive/I can’t afford to live/how does anybody afford rent or house buying? “ but facts are not part of their worldview.

On the other hand, it is undeniable that real estate in many places (most?) has skyrocketed. I Google skimmed the methodology of the Consumer Price Index in including housing costs. They certainly make an effort to address housing costs by including that cost in their “market basket.” There is methodology. I guess it is decent?
Some of their data reflect a lag time, tho.

Alan

5-31-24, 10:30am

No doubt there is or has been inflation. Whether Biden has lied about it or caused it, possibly in a criminal manner to deceive the public and influence and election as you have intimated, is a separate matter entirely.
Inflation isn't the issue at hand, it's the new standard we've just established where partisan legal and political actors attempt to criminalize anything that may be seen as negatively influencing an election. Think the current administration and intelligence communities efforts to discredit the Hunter Biden laptop in order to diminish its contents effect on the 2020 election, or consider the eventually discredited Steele Dossier the Clinton campaign used to attempt to influence the 2016 election.

Those very obvious examples now seem like fair play in the new reality we've created.

Rogar

5-31-24, 11:37am

I can respect that viewpoint Alan, but we are coming from different perspectives. I've lost rack of the litany of Trump's minions who have been charged and convicted of criminal activates. Not to mention the big lie and it's proponents. I just don't have much faith in a contingency of conservatives that are not to be trusted and are involved in conspiracy theory and possibly illegal activities. They've lowered the bar of political ethics. And it's not a political bias of the courts, the laws, or the legal system, although I could say so much of congress. Of course we can bring up instances like Hunter's fictitious laptop, but it's all in a perspective of degrees of severity.

Rogar

5-31-24, 11:50am

On the other hand, it is undeniable that real estate in many places (most?) has skyrocketed. I Google skimmed the methodology of the Consumer Price Index in including housing costs. They certainly make an effort to address housing costs by including that cost in their “market basket.” There is methodology. I guess it is decent?
Some of their data reflect a lag time, tho.

I did a bit of self education on how housing costs are included in the CPI, also. It's an interesting way of estimating a "rental cost equivalent" for home ownership. I guess it's OK, too. My finances are pretty much in order, but I took early retirement and a smaller sized pension from my corporate daddy. It doesn't adjust for inflation and I may be able to buy a few minutes in a parking meter with it one of these days. I think seniors depend on certain fixed incomes could be a group that inflation has affected more.

jp1

5-31-24, 11:53am

It’s weird that we’ve come to the point where republicans think it’s acceptable for their party’s leader to falsify business records for the purpose of preventing relevant information from getting out during an election. I guess the ‘law and order’ party has given up on that the same way they’ve abandoned the ‘family values’ shtick as the felon leader’s situation leading to his conviction so amply shows.

jp1

5-31-24, 3:37pm

And now House Speaker Mikey Johnson claims to have been speaking to federal Supreme Court justices about their dear leader’s felony conviction problem. Apparently the Republican Party has also abandoned the concept of separation of powers and federalism both at once? Un-freaking- believable.

Alan

5-31-24, 4:25pm

And now House Speaker Mikey Johnson claims to have been speaking to federal Supreme Court justices about their dear leader’s felony conviction problem.
I've seen several sources report that Speaker Johnson stated the Supreme Court should look into the appeal process on this case but I cannot find any suggestion that he has been speaking to justices. Exactly who do you claim he's been in contact with?

befree

5-31-24, 6:06pm

Johnson didnt name names, but he told Fox he knows several justices personally and thinks they will want to "look into this." Regardless, I knew Trump would appeal all the way up to the Supreme Court, as he always does as long as others foot the bill. But I don't think the Supreme Court could or would do anything at this point; appeals have to go thru the system to the next court up, and appeals have to have some actual legal grounds.

jp1

5-31-24, 6:12pm

"I think that the justices on the court,I know many of them personally,I think they're deeply concerned about that as we are. So I think they'll set this straight"

Maybe he’s just speculating. Or maybe he already had conversations previously along the lines of ‘what if he’s convicted?’ Either way, he shouldn’t be talking to them about matters that may come before the court.

Rogar

5-31-24, 6:43pm

gimmethesimplelife

5-31-24, 8:40pm

My spicy chickpea stew went over well, I had the chance to speak to people I hadn't in some time, and of course I was (and still am) very much pleased with the outcome of the trial. I'm thinking something more formal when I have time (good luck with that) is in order. It's just been such a happy and historic event. Rob

jp1

5-31-24, 9:04pm

I’m still learning about such things, but am I correct in thinking since this was a state jury trial an appeal can only go as high as the highest state court. I suppose a charge could be filed against ny state in a federal court that could eventually become a Supreme Court case, but it would have to first go through the lower courts. Johnston obviously knows more than me, but I think it’s just bluster. Whatever it is I only picture it as a long torturous path to his pals in the Supreme Court?

From what I’ve read on the topic it would be a tough thing to get the federal courts involved. Trump’s lawyers would have to make a convincing argument that somehow his federal constitutional rights were harmed by this. And then yeah, it wouldn’t go straight to the supremes, it’d start at the bottom and take well beyond the election to get to his supporters at the fancy building on the east end of the DC mall. Johnson is probably bluster at this point. The Maga base demands it and he’s on thin ice already since he acted all RINO by working with the democrats on Ukraine aid and such recently.

iris lilies

6-1-24, 10:09am

jp1

6-1-24, 12:55pm

I don’t think it’s “acceptable “so much as a yawn issue.

I guess it isn't so much about "Sleepy Joe" as it is "Sleepy Iris".

But whatever, at least I'm not the one who doesn't care that their political party is about to nominate a convicted felon for president. The idea that one of our political parties thinks that a convicted felon would be a perfectly acceptable person to be in charge of upholding the laws of the United States would be laughable if it weren't incredibly tragic.

nswef

6-1-24, 1:27pm

I'm very concerned that this person will be getting access to classified documents, when he has disregarded the safety measures in place to keep them classified.

Alan

6-1-24, 2:14pm

But whatever, at least I'm not the one who doesn't care that their political party is about to nominate a convicted felon for president.
That's a quandary isn't it? Our only viable options seem to be the felon and the guy deemed to be too incompetent to stand trial.

jp1

6-1-24, 10:42pm

That's a quandary isn't it? Our only viable options seem to be the felon and the guy deemed to be too incompetent to stand trial.

Who exactly deemed him incompetent? I seem to remember your laughable review of his state of the union where you couldn’t conceive the fact that he’s not incompetent. People in the reality based world don’t share your absurd viewpoint.

jp1

6-1-24, 10:46pm

But by all means continue to explain to us how a convicted felon would be a better president. You really aren’t that much of a dumbf#ck are you?

Alan

6-1-24, 10:59pm

Who exactly deemed him incompetent? I seem to remember your laughable review of his state of the union where you couldn’t conceive the fact that he’s not incompetent. People in the reality based world don’t share your absurd viewpoint.
Lighten up JP, it was a joke based on Robert Hur's rationale for not recommending prosecution due to Biden being an "elderly man with a poor memory".

As for my review of Biden's State of the Union address, I don't recall saying he was incompetent, although I did suggest that he was high as a kite and probably mentioned that he lied a lot. He actually lies very competently.

Alan

6-1-24, 11:10pm

You really aren’t that much of a dumbf#ck are you?
That's uncalled for JP. I'll be happy to discuss, debate or provide additional viewpoints to whatever subject you like but you have to engage civilly. If you can't abide by that requirement you don't deserve a response.

iris lilies

6-2-24, 10:40am

There were debates about how much Donald Trump really was worth, but Truth Social public stock puts his net worth in the multi billions range. That’s just crazy to me. Sure, it has lost some value since the Trump conviction, but still, multi billions? Truth Social was started by two people who were kicked off The Apprentice in the second season. I watched The Apprentice for a couple of seasons because it was great reality TV.

This is all such a clown show, but I’ve got to hand it to DJ Trump, the Truth Social thing has made him a lot of money. He’s going to need it.

Rogar

6-2-24, 11:39am

iris lilies

6-2-24, 4:53pm

Of all of Trump's transgressions, illegal or unethical, this doesn't rate all that highly with me. I doesn't compare with the Big Lie, or leaving classified documents scattered in his bathroom and hampering the FBI investigation, or over valuing his NY properties by millions, his habit of grossly lying about many things, or his election rigging in Georgia. He's not the first presidential type who's had an affair and attempted to cover it up. His was just more grievous, more illegal, and he was stupid enough to get caught.

I am guessing the average American cares as much about Donald J Trump “falsifying business records” as they do about Hunter Biden lying about using drugs when buying a gun.

It’s all the shenanigans surrounding these felonious acts that are the real problem.

I guess there’s some momentum building about Prince Harry lying on his visa application about using illegal drugs. THAT could get interesting.

jp1

6-2-24, 8:13pm

That's uncalled for JP. I'll be happy to discuss, debate or provide additional viewpoints to whatever subject you like but you have to engage civilly. If you can't abide by that requirement you don't deserve a response.

If you agree to not throw this country in the trash by supporting a corrupt convicted felon for president I’ll agree to be more civil.

Alan

6-2-24, 10:19pm

https://media.townhall.com/cdn/hodl/ha/images/2024/153/ae006cf3-1b82-4f88-8b05-648831bae58a-650x0.jpeg

gimmethesimplelife

6-2-24, 10:30pm

iris lilies

6-2-24, 11:36pm

I've read that given DJT's new status as s convicted Felon, he is now unable to enter 37 countries including Canada. How is he supposed to be President if he can't enter various other developed countries?

Regardless, I'm off tonight and am perusing recipes to celebrate Thursday's long overdue justice. So far I'm thinking lamb chili or jambalaya. Rob

come now, Rob, be practical. If YOU were a convicted felon, you couldn’t enter 37 countries, but the president of the United States could enter if those countries thought it would be useful to let him enter and more importantly, wanted some thing from the United States, which most countries do.

Rogar

6-3-24, 7:57am

I am guessing the average American cares as much about Donald J Trump “falsifying business records” as they do about Hunter Biden lying about using drugs when buying a gun.

Probably so, although the media is certainly taking the news for a front page ride. I saw a poll saying something liked 15% of republicans think Don should drop out of the race. But the polls have been all over the place. (Of course we know that Hunter's trial is a politically motivated witch hunt and Trump is behind it. Actually the Trump bootlickers sucking up for VP like Rubio and Vance who say Biden is behind the Donald's trial is about as ridiculous as it gets.)

jp1

6-5-24, 7:16am

https://media.townhall.com/cdn/hodl/ha/images/2024/153/ae006cf3-1b82-4f88-8b05-648831bae58a-650x0.jpeg

Why? If the republicans are going to put up a traitor who tried to overthrow the government and is now a convicted felon it’s relevant. Just because you would prefer that people forget those points doesn’t mean you get to set the rules. It’s the Republican party’s own fault for picking such a bad candidate but their voters seem to really want a criming jackass as president.

jp1

6-5-24, 7:21am

Republican logic:

https://x.com/mrbenwexler/status/1797710376651649356?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

(During impeachment)

This should be decided at the ballot box!

(He loses at the ballot box)

(incites a violent mob to storm the capitol)

If he broke any laws, that’s up to a jury to decide!

(A jury decides he broke a ton of laws)

This should be decided at the ballot box!

Rogar

6-5-24, 3:21pm

Suddenly, Trump has nothing to say about Hunter Biden (per Politico headline).

frugal-one

11-4-24, 7:56pm

https://www.thebulwark.com/p/101-more-reasons-trump-is-unfit-to

iris lilies

12-28-24, 12:50pm

I don’t know if RFK Junior will end up as head of Health and Human Services, we shall see. But to that end I forced myself to listen to four hours of an interview Megyn Kelly did with RFK Junior. The interview took place several years ago. I suffered through four hours of RFK Junior so that you don’t have to, ha ha.

I was curious about a couple of conflicting views I had heard about his point of view, and I wanted to hear his direct words about these issues.

One of those issues was that he claims to not be anti-VAX, even though he’s known as the anti-VAX candidate. After hearing him expound I can assure you he is “anti-VAX” as it exists today. I do not trust the facts he uses to get to his conclusions. I do think it’s likely that kids as he says are given far too many inoculations in too short of a time. But he is cherry picking his data, it appears to me.

I do absolutely believe National Institute of Health agencies are behold to pharmaceutical and medical research companies way too much. I absolutely believe there’s way too much pandering which I would consider corruption within that organization so I agree with him there.

I have heard people I respect say RFK Jr.is not an honest debater. I believe that just seeing how a somewhat friendly interview went with him. He jumped around, answering some questions and dodging others and changing the topic.

overall he was very reliant on the legacy of his father and his uncle John F. Kennedy and blah blah blah blah about what those Kennedys wanted for our country and how great that was blah, blah, blah.

I think he is a sincere individual whose heart is in the right place, but in the end, he is a fringey unreliable person as his family makes him out to be.

Rogar

12-28-24, 7:57pm

iris lilies

12-28-24, 8:33pm

I wrote our governor, Jared Polis, after he said some complimentary things, for a democrat about RFK jr. I think his repeated support of documentable or poor science conspiracy theories are dangerous. I haven't written a politician in a long time. Today read his bio on wiki. After his heroin, cocaine and marijuana years he seemed to be involved in a number of clean water and clean air issues. He had some endorsements for Al Gore and John Kerri. Being the hard core environmentalist as I am, it made sense, but another might claim conspiracy. Wiki did not comment on any bogus claims then. Sometime after 2012 and coincidentally about the time he pulled a worm from his brain he switched channels and started to focus on vaccines. Wiki cited several examples of unsubstantiated or false claims based on current best science. His attacks on Fauci were unfounded, out of line, and probably in part resulted in threats to Fauci and his family.

He might be on track for improving the structure of our national healthcare systems. I think even the dems are in agreement that they could be due for an overhaul. And he talks about food safety and is probably onto something. We are an unhealthy country relative to other first world countries and some of that is related to ultra processed foods and food additives. Food products we export overseas sometimes have to be modified to meet minimum European standards. And that might just be a start. In his walk back and clarifying remarks I think that is what Polis was getting at.

Like Trump, what he says and what he does may be totally different. Of the various poor actors selected for Trump's cabinet, he's not in the top five for me as players in a circus, but a close runner up. I could no way listen to a four hour interview, so I could be corrected or enlightened.

well like I said, I took one for the simple living team in that four hour extravaganza.Tips and condolence cards will be accepted. :~)

I think he’s on the right track about Fauci welding outsize powers. Let us remember that Tony Fauci is the highest paid government employee in our country, making more than the President, although his salary is peanuts to him compared to his other sources of income. Fauci controls what medical research is done in this country and more importantly, he throttles research that does not don’t work favorably for his pharmaceutical buddies. The wrong topics get squashed.

My guess is Fauci is not the only one who’s doing that kind of thing but he’s the name we all know. RFK Jr. also painted a path leading to Fauci being responsible for the Covid vaccine escaping at the Wuhan lab, starting with Fauci actually funding a very particular study or set of studies that allowed this particular mutation to occur.

There is no way I can verify any of this because I don’t have knowledge, background or even the right vocabulary. But just based on what I’ve seen RFK jr. do in areas where I have some familiarity, I think he finds facts that fit his narratives even though I think there’s a great deal of truth in his view of Dr. Fauci’s work and influence at NIH.

RFK made some startling and seemingly crazy accusations that I suppose are not new to anyone who follows him, but they were new to me. You had already mentioned the Sirhan Sirhan problem where RFK Junior doesn’t think Sirhan’s bullet killed his father. I suppose that’s possible given the weirdness of the time.

he also claims Bill Gates funded vaccines that sterilized women in India, never fessed up to it, and it was discovered by scientists of the Catholic Church. that sounds crazy to me.

Rogar

12-28-24, 10:06pm

i will defend Fauci as some one who was thrown into a totally new disaster, made understandable mistakes, but on the whole was a net positive player. But I agree that there are certain things we may never know absolutely. There is plenty of good opinion out there that seems easily accessible and reviews of the Fauci book, yea and nay. With regard to RFK, Jr., it's sort of like, if a person's view point is 25% false or unsubstantiated, anything they say is to be questioned or doubted.

It's conceivable that there will be a new virus and epidemic sometime, like maybe it's the bird flu or maybe something new, where it comes down to having an effective vaccine. There is a lot on the person's shoulders who decides how that message and expedited research gets done. Hopefully we've learned something from the mistakes and right things we did with covid.