Orange Duce

[Seacoaster(1)]

They're all just toadies who aren't interested in governing:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions ... rd-senate/

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions ... rd-senate/

"Pity poor Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.), who on Thursday was humiliated into voting against his own border security bill.

Last fall, you might recall, Republican lawmakers refused to pass funding for Ukraine and Israel unless Democrats agreed to “tough” border security measures. Lankford, one of the Senate’s more conservative members, negotiated on the GOP conference’s behalf, and he drove a hard bargain.

Lankford got President Biden and Democrats to agree to revive a version of the controversial Title 42 border expulsion policy, which would shut down much of the asylum system without even the fig leaf of needing a “public health emergency.” It also included more personnel for Customs and Border Protection and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (one reason the major Border Patrol union endorsed it) and a stricter, faster process for adjudicating asylum claims. Progressives decried many of the asylum measures as inhumane.

Notably, the deal contained none of Democrats’ standard immigration priorities, such as providing permanent legal status for “dreamers,” the young undocumented immigrants brought to the United States as children. So it was pretty much a clean sweep for Republican priorities in exchange for aid to Ukraine and Israel.

We all know what happened next: Former president Donald Trump realized the bill might be too effective at addressing border issues, which the presumed Republican presidential nominee hoped to continue exploiting for political gain heading into the election. So he told his followers to kill their own deal.

Sometimes, alas, a problem is more valuable than its cure.

When Senate Democrats tried to force a vote on the legislation back in February, Republicans blocked it from proceeding. Lankford was one of a handful of Republicans to vote to move the legislation forward at the time and made an impassioned plea for his colleagues to reconsider. He decried misinformation that right-wing pundits had spread about the legislation. He reiterated that a change in law was necessary for dealing with strain on the border and reminded his fellow Republican lawmakers that they had all been sent to Washington to “solve problems.”

As a reward for these problem-solving efforts, Lankford was subsequently censured by party leaders back in his home state.

Later on, Congress passed the Israel and Ukraine aid, unbundled from Republicans’ border demands. So Democrats decided to call Republicans’ bluff, again: On Thursday, Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) held another vote on the border deal, this time with no Democratic quids offered for the Republican quo. Astoundingly, only one Republican senator (Lisa Murkowski of Alaska) voted to advance the bill, despite continued protestations that the border remains in “crisis.”

Ahead of the vote, Republicans explained their objections.

Democrats “own this issue,” said Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), the minority whip, of ongoing border problems. “I think it’s very clear in people’s minds, this is a Biden problem enabled by Senate Democrats, and therefore [voters are] going to hold Senate Democrats accountable.”

In other words: It’s Democrats’ problem to fix, but I’ll be damned if they try.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), who a few months ago had backed the Lankford-negotiated deal and told his conference to vote for it, voiced similarly cynical opposition. He said he told Biden, “You caused this problem. There is no legislation that allowed the problem to be fixed. Why don’t you just do what the previous administration was doing?”

McConnell neglected to mention, of course, that unlawful border crossings had also spiked under Trump. In 2019, they reached their highest levels in more than a decade, a surge that receded only when a pandemic temporarily disrupted global migration patterns.

More importantly, Biden can’t “just do what the previous administration was doing” on immigration. That’s because Trump’s immigration policies were often illegal.

This is not my own legal judgment. As a regulatory challenge database from the New York University’s Institute for Policy Integrity shows, 94 percent of major Trump-era immigration agency actions that faced legal challenges ultimately did not survive litigation (that is, in 33 out of 35 cases). Either a judge ruled against the agency responsible for the policy, or the agency withdrew the policy after being sued.

In any event, even Lankford voted against advancing his own problem-solving legislation this time. Bizarrely, he blamed Democrats for allegedly forcing his hand, even though it was his own party who had despoiled his bill’s chances of passing.

“It’s trying to score political points rather than actually trying to solve a problem,” Lankford said of Democrats’ attempt to turn his own proposals into law.

You know you’re a great negotiator when you wring concessions out of your opponent and then refuse to accept them."

[CU88a]

Al Bundy on 2x IMPOTUS o d

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r8_lvlBqlh0


https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/donal ... -monument/

[MDlaxfan76]

Al Bundy on 2x IMPOTUS o d

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r8_lvlBqlh0


https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/donal ... -monument/

Thanks. Pretty remarkable audacity to make something like that up from whole cloth, create an actual monument that's based on an entire falsehood.

And, of course, that's what his supporters like about him, his willingness to go to any length, including blatant lying, to indicate his support of their "issues" and to outrage, shove it in the faces, of those who recognize truth from fiction and actually care about truth.

[MDlaxfan76]

Watched Hotel Portofino's two seasons (English) and Seaside Hotel 7-8 seasons (Danish with subtitles) on PBS...recommend them for similar approaches to understanding the insidiousness of creeping fascism. Also very entertaining.

Now watching A Gentleman in Moscow...about the ramifications of a different form of authoritarian takeover run wildly amuck. Same basic thing in terms of man's capacities except Lenin led an outright revolution whereas Hitler initially came to power through an election.

Either way, mankind is capable of great horrors when populist authoritarians gain control of power.

The "Other" and "elites" of all types summarily put to death, making room for a new power structure.

Yesterday we were looking at some homes in the Florida community we're about to buy in. These were in one of the patio home groupings of the gated community, not the highest price homes or condos. We're not likely to buy the particular property, but it's at such a good deal price, we wanted to see it for comparison purposes. Two neighboring homeowners happened to be outside and we talked to each in turn. Both nice fellows, small business owners. Guys who'd be good neighbors.

There's a $50mm proposed master plan of upgrading the docks and major redo of the clubhouse as well as other capital improvements. For a long time, the Club had been run on a 'pay as you go' basis, with little or no reserving for depreciation. That's been changing and those at the lower end of the economic scale (by comparison, as these are wealthy people living in an upscale, two golf course, tennis, pickle, yachting, on the river, 850 door gated community. Distinguished Clubs of America, Audubon awards, etc...nobody's poor.) There are legit concerns about the way the Club apportions assessments and dues etc equally to all Club Members (by door), while POA does vary a bit within specific neighborhood associations...again, until recently those at the lower end not good at reserving for depreciation. The lower end members (and no one is actually 'low') are largely opposed to the master plan. Some have been here a long time and are at the end of their tenure (so understandable that they won't see much of the benefits of the planned improvements), but both of these guys bought in when home/condo prices at the lower end went to near zero back in 2008 which persisted though improving through 2019, pre Covid huge increase. So, bought in cheap then improved their properties either a little or a lot. The Club BD is going to make it easier on the oldest long tenured owners, but not more recent and whose homes are now valued at multiples of what they have in them.

Both mentioned that the BD of the community is now controlled by "elites". Interesting choice of words.

Each also mentioned "We have a good Governor", so low taxes, and made other comments that indicated their political preference and viewing habits. One mentioned that he hadn't finished college but had great common sense as he claimed the improvements weren't necessary or could be done for $10 mm instead of $50mm.

Elites.

Again, these guys are business owners, successful by most any standard, but clearly resentful of "elites" both in the Club and at large.

These are the sorts of folks that would welcome a fascist strong man who promised to "stand up to" the "elites.

[DMac]

Al Bundy on 2x IMPOTUS o d

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r8_lvlBqlh0


https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/donal ... -monument/

Unbelievable......and millions upon millions see this guy as the man they want for their president. They'll buy his every word of justification for the monument.

[Typical Lax Dad]

Al Bundy on 2x IMPOTUS o d

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r8_lvlBqlh0


https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/donal ... -monument/

Unbelievable......and millions upon millions see this guy as the man they want for their president. They'll buy his every word of justification for the monument.

Plenty of people that post here support him. It does not take long for a few to add up to millions upon millions really.

[a fan]

Al Bundy on 2x IMPOTUS o d

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r8_lvlBqlh0


https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/donal ... -monument/

Unbelievable......and millions upon millions see this guy as the man they want for their president. They'll buy his every word of justification for the monument.

Plenty of people that post here support him. It does not take long for a few to add up to millions upon millions really.

He says the same thing I said from the word go: Trump's a guy who's success came entirely from Daddy. Never worked a day in his life, yet pretends to. Doesn't know business or finance. He's a BS artist, and America's Conservatives USED to laugh guys like this out of the room, and see him coming from a mile away. He's a carpet bagger mixed with a snake oil salesman.

Difference is? FoxNews backed him 100%, and it worked. Sad to see conservatives fall for it, and destroy their party.

[JoeMauer89]

Al Bundy on 2x IMPOTUS o d

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r8_lvlBqlh0


https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/donal ... -monument/

Unbelievable......and millions upon millions see this guy as the man they want for their president. They'll buy his every word of justification for the monument.

Plenty of people that post here support him. It does not take long for a few to add up to millions upon millions really.

Just curious, can you name those posters? I just want to quantify plenty. Thanks, go Irish tomorrow!

Joe

[Typical Lax Dad]

Al Bundy on 2x IMPOTUS o d

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r8_lvlBqlh0


https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/donal ... -monument/

Unbelievable......and millions upon millions see this guy as the man they want for their president. They'll buy his every word of justification for the monument.

Plenty of people that post here support him. It does not take long for a few to add up to millions upon millions really.

Just curious, can you name those posters? I just want to quantify plenty. Thanks, go Irish tomorrow!

Joe

Not you.

[cradleandshoot]

They're all just toadies who aren't interested in governing:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions ... rd-senate/

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions ... rd-senate/

"Pity poor Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.), who on Thursday was humiliated into voting against his own border security bill.

Last fall, you might recall, Republican lawmakers refused to pass funding for Ukraine and Israel unless Democrats agreed to “tough” border security measures. Lankford, one of the Senate’s more conservative members, negotiated on the GOP conference’s behalf, and he drove a hard bargain.

Lankford got President Biden and Democrats to agree to revive a version of the controversial Title 42 border expulsion policy, which would shut down much of the asylum system without even the fig leaf of needing a “public health emergency.” It also included more personnel for Customs and Border Protection and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (one reason the major Border Patrol union endorsed it) and a stricter, faster process for adjudicating asylum claims. Progressives decried many of the asylum measures as inhumane.

Notably, the deal contained none of Democrats’ standard immigration priorities, such as providing permanent legal status for “dreamers,” the young undocumented immigrants brought to the United States as children. So it was pretty much a clean sweep for Republican priorities in exchange for aid to Ukraine and Israel.

We all know what happened next: Former president Donald Trump realized the bill might be too effective at addressing border issues, which the presumed Republican presidential nominee hoped to continue exploiting for political gain heading into the election. So he told his followers to kill their own deal.

Sometimes, alas, a problem is more valuable than its cure.

When Senate Democrats tried to force a vote on the legislation back in February, Republicans blocked it from proceeding. Lankford was one of a handful of Republicans to vote to move the legislation forward at the time and made an impassioned plea for his colleagues to reconsider. He decried misinformation that right-wing pundits had spread about the legislation. He reiterated that a change in law was necessary for dealing with strain on the border and reminded his fellow Republican lawmakers that they had all been sent to Washington to “solve problems.”

As a reward for these problem-solving efforts, Lankford was subsequently censured by party leaders back in his home state.

Later on, Congress passed the Israel and Ukraine aid, unbundled from Republicans’ border demands. So Democrats decided to call Republicans’ bluff, again: On Thursday, Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) held another vote on the border deal, this time with no Democratic quids offered for the Republican quo. Astoundingly, only one Republican senator (Lisa Murkowski of Alaska) voted to advance the bill, despite continued protestations that the border remains in “crisis.”

Ahead of the vote, Republicans explained their objections.

Democrats “own this issue,” said Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), the minority whip, of ongoing border problems. “I think it’s very clear in people’s minds, this is a Biden problem enabled by Senate Democrats, and therefore [voters are] going to hold Senate Democrats accountable.”

In other words: It’s Democrats’ problem to fix, but I’ll be damned if they try.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), who a few months ago had backed the Lankford-negotiated deal and told his conference to vote for it, voiced similarly cynical opposition. He said he told Biden, “You caused this problem. There is no legislation that allowed the problem to be fixed. Why don’t you just do what the previous administration was doing?”

McConnell neglected to mention, of course, that unlawful border crossings had also spiked under Trump. In 2019, they reached their highest levels in more than a decade, a surge that receded only when a pandemic temporarily disrupted global migration patterns.

More importantly, Biden can’t “just do what the previous administration was doing” on immigration. That’s because Trump’s immigration policies were often illegal.

This is not my own legal judgment. As a regulatory challenge database from the New York University’s Institute for Policy Integrity shows, 94 percent of major Trump-era immigration agency actions that faced legal challenges ultimately did not survive litigation (that is, in 33 out of 35 cases). Either a judge ruled against the agency responsible for the policy, or the agency withdrew the policy after being sued.

In any event, even Lankford voted against advancing his own problem-solving legislation this time. Bizarrely, he blamed Democrats for allegedly forcing his hand, even though it was his own party who had despoiled his bill’s chances of passing.

“It’s trying to score political points rather than actually trying to solve a problem,” Lankford said of Democrats’ attempt to turn his own proposals into law.

You know you’re a great negotiator when you wring concessions out of your opponent and then refuse to accept them."

Funny that Biden effed up the situation at the southern border because in his eyes, if you can see past his aviators it was more important to him to eff trump. Give me a freaking break. Joe Biden and his administration could have addressed the situation when he took office. Now that the southern border has turned into a festering hemorrhoid only now with the November election fast approaching does anybody want to even go back to the half ass solution voted down a few months ago. The logic being put forth as said by Chuck Schumer is that even a half assed solution is better than no solution. I've never been a fan of half assed solutions especially when they are trying to be jammed through in an election year just so both parties can take a victory lap while strutting their feathers claiming they fixed the southern border...vote for me.

[Typical Lax Dad]

Saw a couple of posters…..

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C4iVbjgu ... BiNWFlZA==

[CU88a]

Saw a couple of posters…..

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C4iVbjgu ... BiNWFlZA==

DEPLORABLE

[Typical Lax Dad]

Saw a couple of posters…..

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C4iVbjgu ... BiNWFlZA==

DEPLORABLE

Hey!! You are going to make those guys vote for Trump!!

[Brooklyn]

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/9iD8o7MaN8E


FAKE photos of tRump with black voters. No surprise given how fake the right wing always is.

[njbill]

Judgment day very likely is coming for Trump later in the week.

My odds:

50% conviction
45% hung jury
5% acquittal.

This assumes there is no Trump plant on the jury. I don’t think there is, but it is possible.

I think the most important factor is how strong willed will any hold outs for acquittal be. Sometimes holdouts eventually knuckle. Other times they stick to their guns and force a mistrial.

[ggait]

I’d say 70% convict, 30% hung, 0% acquittal.

Juror #2 most likely to be the hanger. Gets his news from Truth Social and Twitter.

[cradleandshoot]

So if it's a hung jury what is plan B for the prosecution? Have they even contemplated the need for a plan B? I don't think they thought that far ahead of the game.

[DMac]

100% hung jury.

[cradleandshoot]

100% hung jury.

I agree, and what is plan B for the prosecution?

[njbill]

Retry his fat ass. Of course. Can’t let the criminal walk.