The Era of rivalry, Biden vs. Trump and their respective parties

Discussion in 'Political Opinions & Beliefs' started by Sandy Shanks, Jul 31, 2022.

  1. Sandy Shanks

    Sandy Shanks Banned

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    CNN reports, "President Joe Biden on Thursday made a forceful argument against Republicans by highlighting his support for Social Security and Medicare, an appeal to the senior-rich Sunshine State as he makes moves toward a 2024 reelection announcement.

    "Biden took his State of the Union argument to the home state of GOP Sen. Rick Scott, seizing a political opportunity to go after Scott’s proposal to sunset federal legislation – including Social Security and Medicare – every five years, and poking at Floridian and former President Donald Trump, who has announced his 2024 candidacy.""

    "Joe Biden is confused… to suggest that this means I want to cut Social Security or Medicare is a lie, and is a dishonest move," Senator Scott.

    Scott is confused. Biden never said Scott wanted to cut SS or Medicare. This is the old, worn-out trick by Republicans. Invent what your opponent said, then criticize him based on what you created.

    White House aides placed a copy of Scott’s proposal on every seat for Biden’s Tampa event.

    “The very idea the senator from Florida wants to put Social Security and Medicare on the chopping block every five years I find to be somewhat outrageous. So outrageous that you might not even believe it,” he said, pulling out a pamphlet detailing Scott’s plan."

    ABC reports, "On Wednesday, Biden showed the crowd proposals and repeated comments from Republican Sens. Rick Scott, Ron Johnson and Mike Lee -- calling them out by name.

    "I remind you that Rick Scott from Florida, the guy who ran the U.S. Senate campaign, has a plan -- I got his brochure right here," Biden said, holding up Scott's brochure. "Here's what he says in his plan ... He says 'All federal legislation sunsets every five years. If a law is worth keeping Congress can pass it again.'"

    "Senator Ron Johnson on Social Security and Medicare, quote, 'We should transfer everything. So, we have to consider everything every year."

    "Biden provided a video from 2010, circulating on social media, in which he said Lee floats cuts to the programs."

    Former Vice President Mike Pence, a possible 2024 Republican presidential candidate, has voiced support for Social Security privatization.
     
  2. Sandy Shanks

    Sandy Shanks Banned

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    WOW! DOUBLE WOW!!

    CNN reports, "Former Vice President Mike Pence has been subpoenaed by the special counsel investigating Donald Trump and his role in January 6, 2021, a source familiar with the matter told CNN.

    "Special counsel Jack Smith’s office is seeking documents and testimony related to January 6, the source said. They want the former vice president to testify about his interactions with Trump leading up to the 2020 election and the day of the attack on the US Capitol.

    "The subpoena marks an important milestone in the Justice Department’s two-year criminal investigation, now led by the special counsel, into the efforts by Trump and allies to impede the transfer of power after he lost the 2020 election. Pence is an important witness who has detailed in a memoir some of his interactions with Trump in the weeks after the election, a move that likely opens the door for the Justice Department to override at least some of Trump’s claims of executive privilege."

    Imagine that! The Republicans voted for a President who is accused of insurrection, inciting an attack on our capitol, and obstruction, and the vice-president has been subpoenaed by the Department of Justice.

    Do we want Republicans to chose our leaders again?

    The forum's Republicans continue their silence.
     
  3. Sandy Shanks

    Sandy Shanks Banned

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    Florida governor Ron DeSantis and a leading figure for the Republican nomination for the Presidency in 2024 voiced support for the privatization of Social Security and Medicare.

    CNN reports, "A CNN KFile review of comments from DeSantis’ 2012 congressional campaign found he repeatedly said he supported plans to replace Medicare with a system in which the government paid for partial costs of private plans or a traditional Medicare plan. In one interview with a local newspaper, DeSantis said he supported “the same thing” for Social Security, citing the need for “market forces” to restructure the program."
     
    Last edited: Feb 10, 2023
  4. Sandy Shanks

    Sandy Shanks Banned

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    The Times reports, "The Pentagon shot down an unidentified object over frozen waters around Alaska on Friday at the order of President Biden, according to U.S. officials, less than a week after a U.S. fighter jet brought down a Chinese spy balloon over the Atlantic.

    "U.S. officials said they could not immediately confirm whether the object was a balloon, but it was traveling at an altitude that made it a potential threat to civilian aircraft.

    "At a news conference on Friday, John Kirby, a White House spokesman, said that Mr. Biden ordered the unidentified object near Alaska downed “out of an abundance of caution.”

    "Some Republican officials had called Mr. Biden weak for not shooting down the Chinese spy balloon as it hovered over Montana and then drifted southeast last week, a step that Pentagon generals had advised against for fear that debris could hurt people on the ground.

    “We think before we shoot and, in this case, we thought before we shot,” Army Lt. Gen. Douglas Sims, director of operations for the Joint Staff told the Senators.

    "The military detected the Chinese balloon on radar as it approached Alaska, and there was a decision that the balloon was “not a threat to U.S. citizens or aviation traffic,” and that it did not have the ability to “conduct significant intelligence collection,” Sims said. The balloon then flew over Canada before heading into the U.S. toward Montana and nearby states, raising the potential threat and prompting President Joe Biden to ask for military options, the general said," NBC reported.
     
  5. Sandy Shanks

    Sandy Shanks Banned

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    ABC reports, "Former Vice President Mike Pence said Friday he takes "full responsibility" for the classified documents found at his Indiana home.

    "While I was not aware that those classified documents were in our personal residence, let me be clear: Those classified documents should not have been at my personal residence," Pence said as he spoke at Florida International University.
    "Mistakes were made, and I take full responsibility," Pence said.

    "The classified documents were found in Pence's home in Indiana last week and turned over to the FBI, his attorney Greg Jacob wrote in letters to the National Archives.

    "The FBI found one more classified document in a consensual search of former Vice President Mike Pence's home in Indiana Friday following the discovery of several documents with classification markings last month, a spokesperson for the former vice president and sources familiar with the matter told ABC News.

    "After a five-hour search of Pence's home, federal agents recovered one document with classified markings and six additional pages without any markings, according to a spokesperson for the former vice president."

    What does it mean when a politician says he is responsible for an egregious error involving our nation's security? Is he indicted? Is he censured?
    Is he removed from consideration for public office like the Presidency?

    Answer: When a politician says he is responsible, it means nothing. Nothing happens. For a politician, saying he is responsible is just words, and quickly forgotten.
     
  6. Sandy Shanks

    Sandy Shanks Banned

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    What the hell is going on?!

    Well, I have a theory. First, some background.

    Politico reports, "The U.S. military has observed a number of high-altitude Chinese surveillance balloons flying over the Middle East and Afghanistan in recent years, a top general said Monday.

    "The news is the latest disclosure about what U.S. officials are calling China’s “fleet” of surveillance balloons that have recently flown over the U.S. and 40 countries.

    If the truth is out there, it certainly is not apparent yet.


    The Times Reports, "Pentagon and intelligence officials are trying to make sense of three unidentified flying objects over Alaska, Canada and Michigan that U.S. fighter jets shot down with missiles on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

    "The latest turn in the aerial show taking place in the skies above North America comes after a helter-skelter weekend involving what at times seemed like an invasion of unidentified flying objects.

    "What were the craft? American officials do not know what the objects were, much less their purpose or who sent them," the Times reports.

    Therein lies my point. Incredibly, the White House, days later, is saying they are still trying to find the downed objects. That the work is being delayed by bad weather.

    That is a remarkable story-line, and many are not buying it.

    Perhaps, the White House is embarrassed to tell the American people the truth.

    A more interesting question is this. Assuming the balloons -- or "objects" -- are Chinese in origin, why is China using 19th Century technology to spy on the U.S.? She has sophisticated satellites just as we do to accomplish the task. If the most recent "objects" are not Chinese, but some other adversary, the question still applies.

    Perhaps, it is because some adversary has decided to fight the U.S. in a very unique way. Shooting down balloons or "objects" with Sidewinder missiles is not very cost efficient.

    It is within the realm of possibility that an adversary of the United States -- most likely China-- is using balloons that cost a few hundred dollars to cause the U.S. to use Sidewinder missiles at a cost of $400,000 each for the shoot-down plus fuel costs to send up F-22's.

    The low budget tactic by an enemy makes perfect sense, and it would explain why the White House is so quiet. They are being snookered.

    We know this much. All we are getting from the politicians and the generals is B.S., and Americans want to know why.
     
  7. Sandy Shanks

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    The Times reports, "Former Vice President Mike Pence is planning to fight a federal grand jury subpoena compelling him to testify in the investigation into President Donald J. Trump’s actions leading up to the riot at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, according to a person familiar with Mr. Pence’s plans.

    "Mr. Pence is expected to argue that the vice president’s role as the president of the Senate means that he is protected from legal scrutiny of his official duties by the Constitution’s “speech or debate” clause, intended to protect the separation of powers.
    Such an approach would be novel and a departure from the more traditional argument that a vice president’s interactions with a president would be subject to executive privilege.

    "The “speech or debate” clause shields members of Congress from law enforcement scrutiny over their statements and actions related to their legislative responsibilities. It specifically states that lawmakers “shall not be questioned in any other place” about their legislative duties."

    Nice try, but this is only a delaying tactic, a tactic used often by Trump and his associates. The DOJ is not interested in Pence's legislative duties. They are interested in conversations he had with Trump concerning the alleged crime Trump committed on Jan. 6.

    Pence is trying to get around the fact that executive privilege cannot be used if the dialogue concerns a crime. Inciting a mob of far-right extremists to ransack our capitol, stop the business of Congress, and threaten the lives of our lawmakers and the vice-president is a crime. Therefore, executive privilege does not apply.

    Strangely enough, the media does not mention that factor. The media does not want to infer implied guilt by a former President.
     
  8. Sandy Shanks

    Sandy Shanks Banned

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    Now the White House is claiming they know something from nothing. Yeah, that doesn't make sense. What do you expect? The White House is filled with politicians.

    The Times reports, "A top White House official said on Tuesday that three unidentified flying objects shot down in the past several days might turn out to be harmless commercial or research efforts that posed no real threat to the United States.

    "John F. Kirby, a spokesman for the National Security Council, said investigators had not yet found any evidence that the three objects were connected to China’s program of balloon surveillance similar to the balloon shot down off South Carolina’s coast this month.

    "But he cautioned that officials had not yet been able to find and collect the debris from the three objects after they were shot down, and that a different conclusion could be reached if the debris was found and analyzed.

    "Mr. Kirby said that military and intelligence officials had also found nothing to suggest that the three objects were part of an intelligence collection effort by another country."

    Come on, now that's funny.

    Perhaps, it is dawning on the White House that we have shot down three weather balloons with three missiles each costing $400,000.
     
  9. Sandy Shanks

    Sandy Shanks Banned

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    Sorry, Republicans, there is still more good news on our economy.

    ABC reports, "Consumer prices rose 6.4% last month compared to a year ago, continuing a monthslong slowdown of price increases despite blockbuster job growth that revealed an economy running hotter than expected, government data on Tuesday showed.

    "The data marked the seventh consecutive month of smaller price hikes. In December, year-over-year inflation was 6.5%.
    Inflation has fallen significantly from a summer peak but is more than triple the Federal Reserve's target of 2%.

    "Despite the slowdown in price hikes, the costs for some items have skyrocketed over the past year. The price of eggs rose 70% in January compared to a year ago while the price of flour jumped 20%.

    "The price of some products have fallen. Televisions cost 15% less than they did a year ago and the price of smartphones has dropped nearly 24% over that time. The price of used cars and trucks has fallen nearly 12%.

    "So far, the economy has largely defied an anticipated slowdown. (Exactly what I have been saying for the past several months.)

    "The economy added a staggering 517,000 jobs in January, more than double the employment growth a month prior and well above the breakneck pace of some 400,000 monthly jobs added on average last year, according to government data released earlier this month.

    "In turn, the unemployment rate fell to 3.4%, the lowest figure since 1969."

    To Republican regret, our President is doing a terrific job.
     
  10. Sandy Shanks

    Sandy Shanks Banned

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    You've got to be kidding me.

    Now the White House is claiming this may all be an accident, and the Chinese may have tried to turn the accident to their advantage.

    CNN reports, "US intelligence officials are assessing the possibility that the suspected Chinese spy balloon was not deliberately maneuvered into the continental US by the Chinese government and are examining whether it was diverted off course by strong winds, multiple people briefed on the intelligence tell CNN.

    "After the balloon lifted off from Hainan, China last month, US officials monitored it as it made its way across the Pacific, sources said. After tracking the balloon for a little while, officials believed it would head towards Guam, where it would probably try to surveil military sites on the island.

    "But the balloon instead went north unexpectedly and crossed into Alaska, Canada, and then downward, reentering the US through northern Idaho and moving towards Montana – a path that US officials are not sure was purposeful, and may have been determined more by strong winds than deliberate, external maneuvering by Beijing.

    "China did maintain some ability to maneuver the balloon, however. Once the balloon was over Montana, officials believe China took advantage of its position to loiter over sensitive sites and try to collect intelligence.

    "The balloon then moved eastward over the US and was shot down off the coast of South Carolina on February 4 by US fighter jets. As CNN has reported, the US intelligence community last year developed a method of tracking what it says is a fleet of Chinese balloons operating across the globe.

    "Weather modeling done by CNN suggests it is plausible that the wind currents at the time diverted the balloon northward toward Alaska.

    "Any intelligence suggesting that the balloon’s path into the US may have been unintentional could ease tensions between Washington and Beijing and may offer both countries a way out of what has become an increasingly tense diplomatic crisis."

    That is mighty convenient. Has this been an American fiasco from the very beginning? Our President isn't saying a word.
     
  11. Sandy Shanks

    Sandy Shanks Banned

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    As for the three "objects" that were shot down by using $400,000 missiles on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, we still know nothing, according to officials. If these objects somehow landed on the moon, we would know more about them.

    Americans are getting concerned about the silence from Washington. Despite the party line from Washington, it is not that difficult to salvage the debris from the downed objects even in inclimate weather.
     
  12. Sandy Shanks

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    Easy to see why Republicans want nothing to do with this thread. The thread dramatically proves they chose the wrong side.

    ABC reports, "America's consumers rebounded last month from a weak holiday shopping season by boosting their spending at stores and restaurants at the fastest pace in nearly two years, underscoring the economy's resilience in the face of higher prices and multiple interest rate hikes by the Federal Reserve.

    "The government said Wednesday that retail sales jumped 3% in January, after having sunk the previous two months. It was the largest one-month increase since March 2021, when a round of stimulus checks gave a big boost to spending. Excluding the pandemic era, January's rise was the largest in more than two decades.

    "Driving the gain was a jump in auto sales, along with healthy spending at restaurants, electronics stores and furniture outlets. Some of the supply shortages that had slowed auto production have eased, and more cars are gradually moving onto dealer lots. The enlarged inventories have enabled dealers to meet more of the nation's pent-up demand for vehicles.

    "Wednesday's robust retail sales figures, along with a strong January job report, suggest that the economy remains durable, perhaps even strengthening, and at little risk of succumbing to a recession anytime soon. Earlier this week, economists at Goldman Sachs reduced the likelihood of a recession this year from 35% to just 25%."

    25%? That high?
     
  13. Sandy Shanks

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    There have been 68 shooting massacres in this country since this was written on Dec. 30.

    Republican-led Alabama joined predominately Republican-led states in allowing people to carry a concealed handgun without a state permit, which also eliminated the need for a background check.

    As the Republican intelligence challenged rural voters, mostly farmers and rural shopkeepers, buy guns without any checks to protect themselves from other farmers and rural shopkeepers the NRA is loving it. Business is good.

    ABC reports, "Alabama on Jan. 1 will become the latest state to allow people to carry a concealed handgun without a state permit that requires a background check.

    "The new state law ends the requirement for a person to get a permit to legally carry a concealed handgun in public.

    "The National Rifle Association Institute for Legislative Action, which lobbied for the Alabama legislation, said in April that 25 states now allow permitless carry."

    As mass murders have become a pandemic in the United States -- Uvalde, Texas, Buffalo, New York, Colorado Springs (twice in past 2 years, Boulder, Colorado, Sacramento, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, El Paso, Texas, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Santa Fe, Texas, Parkland, Florida, Plano, Texas, Dallas, Texas, Orlando, Florida (50 dead), Paradise, Nevada (Las Vegas 61 dead), Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting (28 dead), and hundreds more -- it just goes to prove there is no end to abject stupidity.

    To illustrate that stupidity, we have the solemn words of comfort from Rep. Shane Stringer, the legislation’s sponsor. “It’s going to be a big step to help the average law-abiding citizen to keep them from having to go through the hoops of getting a permit to carry their weapons. It's not going change who can and cannot carry a gun. People that are prohibited now are still prohibited.

    Stringer noted the law only impacts the permit requirement.

    This dumbass doesn't even know his law removes the need for a background check.

    But the rural voters of Alabama will believe every word. After all, they voted for him.

    As long as people continue to be stupid when it comes to guns, Americans are going to die.
     
  14. Sandy Shanks

    Sandy Shanks Banned

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    Trump said: “So look. All I want to do is this. I just want to find 11,780 votes, which is one more than we have (?. need?). Because we won the state.”

    ABC reports, "The Fulton County, Georgia, grand jury investigating efforts by former President Donald Trump and his allies to overturn the results of the 2020 election has recommended to prosecutors that they seek indictments against witnesses who they believe may have lied during their testimony, according to excerpts of the grand jury's report released Thursday.

    "A majority of the grand jury believes that perjury may have been committed by one or more witnesses testifying before it," the grand jury wrote in the report. "The Grand Jury recommends that the District Attorney seek appropriate indictments for such crimes where the evidence is compelling."

    "The excerpt from the report does not list any names of those who grand jury members believe may have committed perjury.

    "Separately, the grand jury also found "by a unanimous vote that no widespread fraud took place in the Georgia 2020 presidential election that could result in overturning that election.'"
     
  15. Sandy Shanks

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    CNN reports, "Special counsel Jack Smith is locked in at least eight secret court battles that aim to unearth some of the most closely held details about Donald Trump’s actions after the 2020 election and handling of classified material, according to sources and court records reviewed by CNN.

    "The outcome of these disputes could have far-reaching implications, as they revolve around a 2024 presidential candidate and could lead courts to shape the law around the presidency, separation of powers and attorney-client confidentiality in ways they’ve never done before.

    "Yet almost all of the proceedings are sealed, and filings and decisions aren’t public.

    "A key sealed case revealed Wednesday is an attempt to force more answers about direct conversations between Trump and his defense attorney Evan Corcoran, where the Justice Department is arguing the investigation found evidence the conversations may be part of furthering or covering up a crime related to the Mar-a-Lago document boxes."

    Trump inciting far right extremist mobs to raid the capitol, threaten the lives of lawmakers, and halt the business of government, took place over two years ago. Since then, the DOJ has been investigating Trump nearly all that time. Since then, it became evident that Trump stole hundreds of pages of classified documents.

    Yet, Trump has never been indicted. The DOJ investigates and investigates, but nothing else is done. It is as if investigations are an end onto themselves.

    Put another way, Trump is winning. His delaying tactics are a success. There are serious doubts Trump will ever be indicted for what he has done.

    A spokesman for Smith’s office declined to comment.

    Trump is a Republican candidate for President in 2024, and the leader of the Republican Party.

    No doubt Republicans will continue their silence on the issues.
     
  16. Sandy Shanks

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    Finally, the circle is closing on Trump. Hopefully, something will come of it.

    CNN reports, "Donald Trump’s former chief of staff Mark Meadows has been subpoenaed by the special counsel investigating the former president and his role in the January 6, 2021, insurrection.

    "Special counsel Jack Smith’s office is seeking documents and testimony related to January 6, and Meadows received the subpoena sometime in January, the source said. An attorney for Meadows declined to comment.

    "The move to subpoena one of Trump’s most senior aides – in addition to the recent subpoena of former Vice President Mike Pence, as CNN reported last week – marks the latest significant step in the special counsel’s investigation into Trump’s role in seeking to overturn the outcome of the 2020 election.

    "Smith also is simultaneously investigating Trump’s handling of classified documents after leaving office. While the subpoena is related to January 6, Meadows also may be of interest in the documents investigation. He was one of Trump’s designees to the National Archives and played a role in discussions around returning government records in his possession.

    "Meadows was involved in the infamous phone call between Trump and Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and in a December 2020 White House meeting about election fraud claims. Meadows also visited a site where an audit of Georgia’s election was underway and sent emails to Justice Department officials about unsubstantiated fraud allegations.

    "On January 6, Meadows was in and out of the Oval Office and witness to Trump’s actions as rioters overtook the US Capitol that day."

    How does Meadows feel about working for a President who tried to overthrow our elected government?


    Many would love to hear a direct answer to that question. We won't get one.
     
  17. Sandy Shanks

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    The Republican Parry is backing down again. They have been doing a lot of that lately. That is what happens when a political party has no meaningful programs of its own, but consistently criticizes the programs of the opposing party.

    As is their custom, there will be no response to this report. Educationally challenged Republicans have a hard time dealing with the issues.

    The Times reports, "Senator Rick Scott of Florida finally recognized this week what leading figures in his party had been telling him for a year: Most Republicans no longer wish to discuss cutting Social Security and Medicare as a way to balance the federal budget and bring down the soaring debt.

    "After decades of talk of scaling back the popular — and increasingly expensive — federal entitlement programs for older Americans, Republicans have for now abandoned that approach. It is an acknowledgment of the political risks of shrinking benefits relied on by millions of voters.

    "The capitulation by Mr. Scott, who on Friday relented and explicitly walled off Social Security and Medicare from his proposal to terminate all federal programs every five years and subject them to congressional review, was the latest evidence that Republicans would be looking elsewhere for savings in a coming showdown with the White House and congressional Democrats.

    "The hardening position of the party will significantly affect the dynamic around seeking spending cuts in exchange for raising the federal debt limit later this year by focusing much of the scrutiny instead on domestic spending, foreign aid and other safety-net programs such as Medicaid and food stamps."

    Republicans still have not decided which Americans are going to be hurt, which programs they want to cut. The South is the Republican base. Southern states have the highest poverty rate in the country. The people they hurt will be predominantly Republicans.

    Roll Call reports, "House Republicans have started downplaying their desire to cut spending in conjunction with lifting the debt limit, seeking to reframe their strategy as targeting “waste” and finding “efficiencies.”

    "Speaker Kevin McCarthy delivered a speech Monday evening, but not once did McCarthy say Republicans would “cut” spending. Instead, the speaker referenced “wasteful Washington spending” at least three times in his 10-minute remarks and reiterated his oft-used refrain about seeking a “responsible” solution to the need to lift the debt limit."

    Like any good politician, McCarthy spoke but didn't say a thing.
     
  18. Sandy Shanks

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    ABC reports, "The U.S. Navy has ended operations to recover parts of the Chinese spy balloon that was shot down earlier this month over the ocean off the South Carolina coast, the U.S. Northern Command said Friday.

    "Final pieces of debris are being transferred to the Federal Bureau of Investigation Laboratory in Virginia for counterintelligence exploitation, as has occurred with the previous surface and subsurface debris recovered," the statement said. "U.S. Navy and U.S. Coast Guard vessels have departed the area. Air and maritime safety perimeters have been lifted."

    "U.S. officials said Monday that a significant portion of the balloon's payload was recovered on Monday. The reconnaissance platform was estimated to be 30-feet-long and contained all of craft's tech gear and antennas.

    "In addition to the spy balloon, three other unidentified aerial objects were shot out of North American skies: one over Lake Huron, one over Canada and one over Alaska between Feb. 10 and Feb. 12.

    "Recovery operations have also ended for an object shot down over Lake Huron, according to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police."

    "After conducting an extensive search in the Lake Huron area with the assistance of the Canadian Coast Guard and other domestic and international partners, a decision was reached to suspend the search due to several factors including deteriorating weather and the low probability of recovery," the RCMP said on Thursday.

    Many have a hard time accepting all this.

    There have been many searches on the Titanic. The Titanic is at a depth of 12,600 feet in the Atlantic Ocean.

    The Titanic was first found and explored 37 years ago.


    We are being told that we cannot find and recover the debris from Lake Huron??? That's nuts.
     
  19. Sandy Shanks

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    On President's Day, our President in overcoat and shades, strolled through Kyiv in daylight, visiting a historic church as air raid sirens wailed and standing exposed alongside President Volodymyr Zelensky in the city’s vast, open and iconic St. Michael’s Square.

    "Biden’s visit instantly went down in history alongside two other defining trips, both to a divided Berlin by Presidents John Kennedy and Ronald Reagan that were flashpoints of the Cold War and each of which sent their own image of US resolve to the Kremlin," CNN.

    "Those events made clear that the United States stood with its Western allies for as long as it took to prevail over the Soviet Union. Biden’s visit was meant to give similar historic heft to his comment Washington is there for “as long as it takes,” CNN added.

    ABC reports, "Following President Joe Biden's surprise visit to the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv on Monday, senior members of his administration detailed the security discussions that led up to the decision to go on the trip and the content of the meetings Biden had with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy over the course of his roughly five hours in the city.

    "And while the officials remained tight-lipped about the precise security details required to manage the trip, including Biden's mode of transportation in and out of the war-torn country, they did say that the U.S. informed Russia of the visit shortly before Biden left for Ukraine.

    "We did notify the Russians that President Biden would be traveling to Kyiv. We did so some hours before his departure for deconfliction purposes," Jake Sullivan, the national security adviser to the president, told reporters.

    "Because of the sensitive nature of those communications, I won't get into how they responded or what the precise nature of our message was. But I can confirm that we provided that notification," Sullivan said.

    Note: Our President has balls. Visiting a war-torn country without an American military presence and without air superiority and in the face of Russian aggression is a first. It is a definite in-your-face, Vladimir.
     
  20. Sandy Shanks

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    Why is it prominent Republican leaders want to mess with Social Security and Medicare? Politically, that is the kiss of death. Seniors vote. 20 and 30 somethings don't.

    So, what does a possible Republican candidate for the Presidency do? He wants to change Social Security.

    CNN reports, "Former Vice President Mike Pence — possibly in preparation for a 2024 presidential run — is telling America he wants to replace Social Security with a “better deal.

    He sounds like a snake oil salesman.

    CNN continued, "Appearing Thursday on Fox News, Pence laid out his vision to end Social Security as it is currently administered in which all the funds are exclusively invested by the federal government. Instead, Pence proposed altering this program created in 1935 for our nation’s older adults by giving younger people the option “to invest a portion of their Social Security in a private savings account.”

    The last part of that statement is in quotes. Did Pence really say "private savings account?"

    I looked it up. The average savings account yields .23%. You read it right, point 23%.

    Pence made no mention of mutual funds or investing in any way.

    "He said the current system should be kept in place for those retiring in the next 20 years, but he declared with no ambiguity, “I think we can replace the New Deal programs with a better deal.” (Social Security was part of a series of programs known as the New Deal that Democratic President Franklin D. Roosevelt pushed through during the Depression.)," CNN added.
     
  21. Sandy Shanks

    Sandy Shanks Banned

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    Putin started a war that has caused enormous harm to his country and its people. It hasn't done much good for Ukraine and its people, either.

    In desperation, Putin is forced to make empty threats. He has made dozens, and they end up in the trash heap of forgotten speeches.

    CNN reports, "Russian President Vladimir Putin said he is suspending his country’s participation in the New START nuclear arms reduction treaty with the United States, imperiling the last remaining pact that regulates the world’s two largest nuclear arsenals.

    "Putin made the declaration in his much-delayed annual state of the nation address to Russia’s National Assembly on Tuesday."

    Putin has already started to backtrack from his foolish threat.

    "Hours after Putin’s speech, Russia’s Foreign Ministry said the decision to suspend participation in the treaty was “reversible,'” CNN.

    CNN continued, "The treaty puts limits on the number of deployed intercontinental-range nuclear weapons that both the US and Russia can have. It was last extended in early 2021 for five years, meaning the two sides would soon need to begin negotiating on another arms control agreement.

    "Under the key nuclear arms control treaty, both the United States and Russia are permitted to conduct inspections of each other’s weapons sites, though inspections had been halted since 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

    "US Secretary of State Antony Blinken called Putin’s decision “deeply unfortunate and irresponsible.”

    And virtually meaningless. Putin is desperate. He is quite aware of the damage he has caused his country. Military casualties are staggering, and the sanctions are crippling the Russian economy.
     
  22. Sandy Shanks

    Sandy Shanks Banned

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    In an unprecedented and desperate move, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) has provided exclusive access to 44,000 hours of U.S. Capitol surveillance footage from the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection to Fox News host Tucker Carlson.

    This is an incredibly foolish move, and it was done in secrecy. Republican leaders in the House were taken by surprise.

    The point being, McCarthy did not know what to do with the videos, and there is doubt Carlson will find much use for the videos. Americans are fully aware of the violence that took place on Jan. 6, and that violence will always be associated with the words of our President that day.

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

    Carlson has repeated baseless theories that the federal government instigated the attack, and he won't find much use for the videos. Recently, Americans found out he was a liar.

    Carlson pontificated that Trump was the true President, and he told his naive audience countless times that the election was stolen from Trump. Away from the cameras, he told the truth to his colleagues. In one instance, Carlson texted Ingraham, stating that Sidney Powell, an attorney who was representing Trump, was “lying.”

    There are serious doubts forum Republicans will respond to this report. They haven't yet. Why start now?
     
  23. Sandy Shanks

    Sandy Shanks Banned

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    First, the conservative Supreme Court to which Trump was allowed to appoint three judges voided Roe vs. Wade, essentially ruling governments can control a woman's health when a pregnancy is involved. Thus canceling out the role of the woman and her doctor.

    Now the court is considering a case that has the potential of throwing the internet into a tizzy. Theoretically, if the Court rules a certain way, I could be sued for writing this report if some Republican didn't like what I wrote.

    The reason it has gotten this far is because the plaintive has lost every court battle to this point, and now the Court is considering it.

    To be fair, the Court is concerned about the ramifications of this case.

    CNN reports, "Justices are worried about a wave of lawsuits and disruption to the internet: A big concern of the justices seems to be the waves of lawsuits that could happen if the court rules against Google.

    Let's start at the beginning.

    CNN continued, "Supreme Court justices appeared broadly concerned Tuesday about the potential unintended consequences of allowing websites to be sued for their automatic recommendations of user content, highlighting the challenges facing attorneys that want to hold Google accountable for suggesting YouTube videos created by terrorist groups.

    "For nearly three hours, the nine justices peppered attorneys representing Google, the US government and the family of Nohemi Gonzalez, an American student killed in a 2015 ISIS attack in Paris, with questions about how the court could design a ruling that exposes harmful content recommendations to liability while still protecting innocuous ones.

    "How – or if – the court draws that line could have significant implications for the way websites choose to rank, display and promote content to their users as they seek to avoid a litigation minefield."

    Let us hope the Court has learned its lesson. Ever since the conservative Court got into the business of lawmaking, its reputation has suffered greatly. They should drop the case. This is a matter for Congress and the President.

    Besides, the courts can't do anything about naivete. That is why the family of Nohemi Gonzalez has lost every time in court.
     
  24. Sandy Shanks

    Sandy Shanks Banned

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    The former Russian President attempted to force resolve into the minds of the Russian people. Of course, he does not bother explaining that Vladimir Putin started this war by invading Ukraine. The Russian leaders don't even call it a war. They say it is a "special military operation."

    The war is a year old, and the casualties have been high on both sides.

    CNN reports, "Former Russian President and Deputy Chair of the Security Council of the Russian Federation Dmitry Medvedev said Russia will "disappear" if it loses the war in Ukraine.

    “If Russia stops the special military operation without achieving victory, Russia will disappear, it will be torn to pieces,” Medvedev said in a Telegram post on Wednesday, using the euphemism for Russia's invasion of Ukraine. “If the US stops supplying weapons to the Kyiv regime, the war will end.”

    Russian leaders, including Putin, are forced to live in a fantasy world. They cannot tell the Russian people the truth even though mothers and fathers are seeing their sons come home in body bags.

    The truth is, if the U.S. stops supplying weapons to Ukraine, Ukraine will end.

    That is not going to happen.

    "If Russia stopped invading Ukraine, it would end the war. If Ukraine stopped defending itself against Russia, it would be the end of Ukraine," President Biden.
     
  25. Sandy Shanks

    Sandy Shanks Banned

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    Beijing may not be willing to provide Russia with lethal aid in Ukraine.

    CNN reports, "Even as it confronts Russia in Ukraine, the US is seeking to dampen its latest crisis with China – over what Washington says was a Chinese spy balloon that wafted over the continental US earlier this month. The two showdowns came closer to a linkage this week as the US warned China not to supply Russia with arms that it could use in the war in Ukraine and as Wang headed to Moscow.

    "Russia and China agreed on a friendship with “no limits” before Russia’s invasion last year, playing into long term US fears of a united front between Moscow and Beijing. The Chinese foreign ministry bristled that Washington, which has sent a stream of high-tech weaponry into Ukraine, was in no position to lecture China on the issue.

    "Any effort by China to supply arms for the Ukraine war would not shift the strategic balance of the battlefield – but it would be a grave and hostile new front for the US-China rivalry.

    "US Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield warned on CNN’s “State of the Union” Sunday that such a step would cross a US red line.

    "China, which has its own economic problems, may be unwilling to risk US sanctions that could result from sending arms to Moscow. Beijing may also have an interest in the war being prolonged in the belief that it could distract the US and its military resources from Biden’s growing efforts to respond to China’s dominance in Asia.

    "A long-dragging conflict could also drive divides between the US and Europe – further playing into China’s foreign policy goals. And it could further incite political dissent in Washington, weakening Biden’s capacity to fulfill his foreign policy goals on the global stage.

    "So, there are many reasons why China – which has long seen the war in Ukraine through the prism of its rivalry with the US – may not be in a hurry to see the war in Ukraine end."
     

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