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I say YES. YOU say NO....Numero Tre! Enjoy!

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  • illinoislady
    illinoislady Member Posts: 33,647

    Hmmm, did Kevin McCarthy just tell some truth bn himself.

  • illinoislady
    illinoislady Member Posts: 33,647

    So Pres. Biden tripped over a sandbag,

    but he didn't have toilet paper stuck to his shoe when he did it.

  • illinoislady
    illinoislady Member Posts: 33,647
  • illinoislady
    illinoislady Member Posts: 33,647

    FBI-Biden Documents GOP Is Demanding Likely Came From A Conspiracy Cooked Up By Rudy Giuliani: Report

    For weeks now, Republicans in the House and Senate have been demanding that FBI Director Christopher Wray “hand over” documents that allegedly mention a bribery scheme involving President Joe Biden that supposedly took place when he served as vice president in the Obama administration.

    But those documents — which Wray has refused to provide but made clear can be viewed at FBI headquarters in Washington, D.C. — appear to have a genesis in one of the most notorious liars on the planet: Former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani, who has also served as an attorney to failed former president Donald Trump, according to CNN.

    FBI Director Christopher Wray on Wednesday offered to let House Oversight Chair James Comer view an internal law enforcement document at FBI headquarters that Republicans believe will shed light on an allegation that then-Vice President Joe Biden was involved in a criminal scheme with a foreign national, the chairman said in a statement.

    The document has origins in a tranche of documents that Rudy Giuliani provided to the Justice Department in 2020, people briefed on the matter said.

    The allegations of wrongdoing by the then-vice president, many originating from sources in Ukraine, were dubious enough that Attorney General William Barr in early 2020 directed that they be reviewed by a US attorney in Pittsburgh, in part because Barr was concerned that Giuliani’s document tranche could taint the ongoing Hunter Biden investigation overseen by the Delaware US attorney.

    More specifically, the documents in question appear to be what are known as 1023s.

    A 1023 is standard among federal law enforcement. It lists whatever claims being made by an informant, but it doesn’t provide any evidence that the claims might be true or supported by evidence. It’s a bit like going to the police and telling them you think your neighbor is running a meth lab. Your report isn’t based on facts or evidence, so it’s just an allegation, the sort of thing that anyone can make, especially in order to harm someone they don’t like.

    You may recall that during the 2020 election, Giuliani freely admitted that he had traveled to Ukraine on numerous occasions in order to obtain dirt on Joe Biden in an effort to help Trump win reelection. Of course, Giuliani spews so much bullshit that he’s not taken seriously by anyone that isn’t willing to suspend disbelief when he starts talking, so his “proof” was little more than second-hand utterances from questionable characters, many of whom had ties to Russia.

    And then today we learned that Republicans aren’t even interested in determining if the accusations in the documents are real, with Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) admitting, “Let’s put it this way, there’s accusations in it. But it’s not for me to make a judgment about whether these accusations are accurate or not.”

    If Republicans think some document that originated with Rudy Giuliani is the proof they need to impeach President Biden, then they’re even more delusional than Rudy himself.

  • illinoislady
    illinoislady Member Posts: 33,647

    Both and to the hilt:

  • illinoislady
    illinoislady Member Posts: 33,647

    Good point.

  • illinoislady
    illinoislady Member Posts: 33,647

    Success is in the little things you do, and in the things you say. Success is not in getting rich, or rising high to fame. Success is being big of heart, and clean and broad in mind; it’s being faithful to your friends, and to the stranger, kind.     -unattributed

  • illinoislady
    illinoislady Member Posts: 33,647

    Wouldn't be sent there but he sure as heck deserves it.

  • illinoislady
    illinoislady Member Posts: 33,647
  • illinoislady
    illinoislady Member Posts: 33,647
    E. Jean Carroll’s Lawyer Has A Warning For Donald Trump, And It’s Guaranteed To Enrage Him

    Ever since a New York jury found that failed one-term, twice-impeached former president Donald Trump did indeed sexually assault and defame writer E. Jean Carroll and awarded her $5 million in damages, the disgraced ex-head of state has been lashing out on social media, and that could wind up leading to him being charged with defamation yet again.

    Carroll’s attorney, Roberta Kaplan, spoke with Dahlia Lithwick of Slate, and she made it clear that Trump had best shut his trap and stop making inflammatory postings.

    Lithwick asked Kaplan about Trump’s disgusting comments during his CNN town hall, where he called Carroll a “wack job,” said the trial had been a “rigged deal,” and asked the studio audience, “What kind of a woman meets somebody, and brings them up, and within minutes you’re playing hanky panky in a dressing room?”

    Kaplan replied, “I knew he would continue to deny it. But once the jury came back and the CNN Town Hall was on, we knew they were going to ask about it. And we knew he wasn’t going to say, ‘OK, now I admit it, I was wrong.”

    She added:

    “I’m so sorry E. Jean, that I did that to you. We knew that wasn’t gonna happen. I think I was a little stunned that he used exactly the same language. He basically repeated the defamation in ways that make it very easy for us to not have to prove a future case on the merits, because we’re gonna get what’s called collateral estoppel or issue preclusion. So that wasn’t maybe wisest thing for him to do.”

    “I’m watching to see if he keeps doing it, though. I mean, I think the threat of [losing] more and more money may ultimately tone down what he says at some point,” Kaplan explained.

    Though he’s clearly ignorant when it comes to the law, Kaplan noted, he understands what it means to be on the hook for a $5 million judgment.

    “I think he understands money. One thing Donald Trump understands is money, and $5 million for Donald Trump is not nothing. And there’s really no viable appellate argument. So he’s going to have to pay that $5 million with interest sooner than he thinks he’s gonna have to pay it. He’ll have to pay interest from the time of the judgment. Yeah. That’s 9 percent … I’m not even sure he’s got $5 million in liquidity. He may have to sell something to pay you the $5 million.”

  • illinoislady
    illinoislady Member Posts: 33,647
  • betrayal
    betrayal Member Posts: 2,040

    Seriously, does anyone think the Loon will every pay that judgment of $5 million? Plus he's opening himself up for additional charges because he can't keep his trap shut.

    The above meme says it all. I can remember being shunned because I befriended a gay male and would sit with him at the local hangout. We could talk for hours about everything and nothing. I lost contact when he went to a new job but he was a super person compared to the clowns who mocked him.

  • divinemrsm
    divinemrsm Member Posts: 5,973

    I absolutely, totally love love love the rainbow heart meme, so much so that I’m going to share it on FB and I don’t often post political statements there much these days. The meme really resonates with me because I’ve finally learned to insist on being accepted for who I am, which is what true “belonging” is all about, rather than be pressured to change in order to “fit in”. I’m actually so proud to stand up firmly for my beliefs even when I’m amidst a majority who think the opposite. It really helps to be a part of this thread, this group of women who are so open minded, sharing our liberal political beliefs! It’s helped me grow so much as a person!

  • ruthbru
    ruthbru Member Posts: 46,835

    I love the rainbow heart too! I taught in special education for 38 years; so the people I have always admired the most are those who treat EVERYONE with kindness & inclusion. If I had been the most die-hard republican in the world; the moment Trump mocked that disabled reporter….I would have been out!!! Of course, the list of people he has mocked & demeaned since then is so long that it could make up a very long book. The fact that there is a large group of people who ignore that behavior, or are turned on by it, is very concerning to me. Which is why those of us who do not share those sentiments need to speak up when we have a chance….and of course, practice what we preach.

  • betrayal
    betrayal Member Posts: 2,040

    At the hospital where I worked we had disabled volunteers who delivered packages, ran errands like bloods to the labs, etc. and 2 seemed to be BF. One had had a brain tumor and was left with some left sided paralysis but was mobile and the other had cerebral palsy. I got on the elevator with them one day and they were clearly arguing and calling each other names like "dummy" and "retard". I was shocked but knew they had probably been addressed like this for most of their lives. I asked why they were arguing, it was something minor, and told them that the name calling was upsetting to me because they were terms that were people used to hurt others. They were surprised, apologized to me but I told them they needed to apologize to each other. They looked at each other and mumbled "sorry". Never saw them name call again and they seemed to get their friendship back on an even keel.

    The Loon doing that was inexcusable and if anyone told me they agreed with him, made excuses for him or laughed would no longer be in my social circle.

    I have a niece who is socially awkward and people interpret this as low intellect. Well, she is a college grad who decided to become a vet tech and loves her job. My one Brother mocks her at times and I have made it crystal clear this behavior is unacceptable in my presence. He feels that sending her to college to get a BA was a waste of money and her time. She is the kindest person who is always looking out for others and has a passion for holiday celebrations where she spends months putting her ideas on to Pinterest. She could throw a party for me anytime. Her Halloween parties are legendary.

  • exbrnxgrl
    exbrnxgrl Member Posts: 4,690

    ruth,

    Having grown up in NYC, my view of Trump was never favorable and I certainly never entertained thoughts of supporting him in any way. However, when he mocked a disabled reporter (Serge Kovalesky?), I thought that no decent human being would support him. It makes me sick to think of how wrong I was.
    I subbed in a special day pre-K class yesterday (3-4 year olds). Few were toilet trained and most were non-verbal. After a career in general education, this was a whole new world for me despite the fact that I often had SPED students mainstreamed in my class. Thank goodness for the exceptional aides who knew the class so well. SPED teachers and aides are fabulous!

  • nkb
    nkb Member Posts: 1,561

    I did see a commentator on MSMBC that is an LGBTQ+ leader who said statistics have shown that over 90% of the public is very pro LGBTQ+ rights, marriage etc- so the anti camp is small and very noisy. corporations who cave to them will gain the wrath of a much higher number of people. I was calmed by this

    I live in a bubble and I still get very alarmed-

    Have a lovely weekend

  • cardplayer
    cardplayer Member Posts: 2,051
  • cardplayer
    cardplayer Member Posts: 2,051

    Boo hoo!

  • cardplayer
    cardplayer Member Posts: 2,051
  • illinoislady
    illinoislady Member Posts: 33,647

    Cardplayer, your Loon meme is so spot on. He thinks he should be fully exonerated. It is exactly why he is who he is. He walks around with a clear conscience. If he does it, it has to be okay to do — for him anyway. The last time I felt like that was I'm sure before I started school.

    His lies about Pres. Biden are just amazing. It is certainly quite scary that anyone believes him, but he is their Savior, cough! cough!

  • illinoislady
    illinoislady Member Posts: 33,647

    Just another little choke, choke!!

    Donald Trump Makes One Of His Most Inflated Claims Yet Involving The Mona Lisa

    Story by Lee Moran • 11h ago

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    Donald Trump, never one to shy away from self-promotion, likened himself to Leonardo da Vinci’s famed “Mona Lisa” in a new interview with Welsh channel S4C.

    The former president suggested he was just like the priceless masterpiece that hangs in the Louvre Museum in Paris because so many of his supporters keep coming back to see him at rallies.

    “You have people that follow the rock bands and they listen to the same songs over and over and over,” Trump told journalist Maxine Hughes in an interview S4C will broadcast on Jun. 11 as part of a documentary titled “Trump: Extreme World.”

    “You have people that go to the Mona Lisa,” the former president continued. “They love the Mona Lisa and they’ll see it hundreds and hundreds of times, and it gets better every time.”

    Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa.© Provided by HuffPost

    Trump also compared his campaign events ― where he customarily rants about political opponents and dog-whistles to the crowd ― to “a Broadway play where they will see it 20 times.”

    Trump confessed he limits his talking points, riffing on the “same 20 subjects” from the lectern.

    “You’re talking about the border, you’re talking about the military, you’re talking about low taxes, you’re talking about certain things,” he said. “I can’t just make new things up because I wanna make a speech. I can tell them in different ways and I do sometimes do that, a lot of times. But they just want to hear it again and again.”

  • betrayal
    betrayal Member Posts: 2,040

    His audience is as delusional as he is and all lack valuable IQ points. He is especially delusional when he "guestimates" the size of his audience and the real numbers are so low. Wasn't there an article about how they were going to pay audience participants to attend one of his rallies? Did he check the audience to see if they were wearing ear buds to drown out his same old rhetoric.

    I think the Mona Lisa is probably doing a eye roll in response to his claim and Leonardo is doing a flip flop in his grave. The Loon is only a master of spewing pure, unmitigated bull shit and that does not require any intellect, just a dummy who also serves as his own ventriloquist.

  • cardplayer
    cardplayer Member Posts: 2,051
  • cardplayer
    cardplayer Member Posts: 2,051
  • cardplayer
    cardplayer Member Posts: 2,051
  • cardplayer
    cardplayer Member Posts: 2,051
  • illinoislady
    illinoislady Member Posts: 33,647
    edited June 2023
    Can Fine Print Trump Bombast?

    Biden bets yes

    There’s an old piece of political wisdom attributed to the late New York Governor Mario Cuomo: “You campaign in poetry. You govern in prose.” Soaring rhetoric on the stump may get you elected, but effectiveness once in office is more about parsing dependent clauses. 

    Well, today we are coining a corollary (with a desperate attempt at matching Cuomo’s alliteration): “Demagoguery might dominate headlines, but details define history.”

    In the aftermath of the negotiations to avoid defaulting on the national debt, reporting is emerging that allows us to unpack what took place behind the scenes. As we previously wrote, the deal is being seen overall as a major accomplishment for Biden. (And, more importantly, overall a good thing for the country.) How did it happen?

    It is noteworthy that more Democrats voted for the bill in both the House and the Senate than Republicans, who created this false fiasco in the first place. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy is facing recriminations from a GOP caucus that thinks he got rolled by the White House. There are some Democrats who complain that Biden gave away too much. But most Democrats are wondering how terms that would have seemed unreasonably rosy a few weeks ago turned into the language Biden signed into law. 

    Biden’s Debt-Deal Strategy: Win in the Fine Print” is today’s New York Times headline. Describing the approaches of the major players in the negotiations, particularly from the White House side, reporter Jim Tankersley concludes:

    In pursuit of an agreement, the Biden team was willing to give Republicans victory after victory on political talking points, which they realized Mr. McCarthy needed to sell the bill to his conference. They let Mr. McCarthy’s team claim in the end that the deal included deep spending cuts, huge clawbacks of unspent federal coronavirus relief money and stringent work requirements for recipients of federal aid.

    But in the details of the text and the many side deals that accompanied it, the Biden team wanted to win on substance. With one large exception — a $20 billion cut in enforcement funding for the Internal Revenue Service — they believe they did.

    The way administration officials see it, the full final agreement’s spending cuts are nothing worse than they would have expected in regular appropriations bills passed by a divided Congress.

    “Political talking points” on the one hand and the “details of the text” on the other. Could there be a more accurate juxtaposition of the current state of the two major American political parties and their national leadership?

    There was a time in Washington, not too long ago, when each party contained a rich blend of sloganeers and technocrats. Both sides of the aisle had their share of bombast; both also knew how to horse trade their way to a backroom deal. 

    But today, Republican politics is characterized by exaggerated performance and petty rants personified by the previous president. It’s a mindset where you “win” with Fox News diatribes, set priorities through the divisive mantras of MAGA rallies, and quote unhinged conspiracy theories as evidence. 

    Sadly, on the national level and in many states, it is a party that has lost any real connection to coherent policy other than “owning the libs.” So it’s all about grievances and gerrymandering, stacking the courts and suing Disney. 

    As for the budget deficit, there was a time when Republicans wanted to gut entitlement programs. That wasn’t popular, but at least it was a position. Trump couldn’t care less about it, probably because his political instincts told him that it was a losing proposition. And any threat to Social Security and Medicare was off the table before this negotiation even started, in part because of Biden’s deft performance in his State of the Union address when he called out the GOP position. 

    In the end, you might be left to wonder what Republicans were even negotiating this time around. Sure, they wanted spending cuts, because that’s just their “conservative” instinct. But really they wanted Biden to lose and Democrats to lose, even if that meant a loss for the American public (including their own GOP voters). 

    When you consider the issues that animate the far right and most of the candidates running for the Republican presidential nomination, it is difficult to drill down to anything that qualifies as an actual policy position. There is immigration, but that’s treated as an existential threat perfect for ratcheting up divisiveness as opposed to a complicated economic, social, and moral issue. Think a photo-op of a so-called wall as a smoke screen for actual action. There’s a fear of crime, which leads to endless cell phone footage of supposedly scary people running rampant, but that doesn’t deal with complicated causes or data that points to a more nuanced reality. 

    To be sure, crime and immigration are serious issues on which many Democratic politicians struggle for answers. But there is no sense that these problems will be seriously addressed with legislation by Republicans. It’s all heated rhetoric meant to scare the base into going to the polls. Same for the lies about stolen elections, nonsensical conspiracy theories around Anthony Fauci, questioning Biden’s mental acuity, and on and on. 

    None of this noise is good for the country or the world. We would benefit from having politicians from a variety of viewpoints and backgrounds wrestling with the details of governance. No political party or point of view has a monopoly on wisdom. We can all learn from others. But running a country effectively means dealing in facts. It means getting into the weeds. It means understanding how to fashion the fine print. 

    President Biden has his weaknesses and makes his mistakes. But he has just demonstrated that at least he understands an important lesson of life in general and politics in particular: that you can be winning when many people say you are losing — if you are willing to cede what’s trending on Twitter for what's tucked in the text.

  • cardplayer
    cardplayer Member Posts: 2,051
  • illinoislady
    illinoislady Member Posts: 33,647

    Joy, sorrow, tears, lamentation, laughter--to all these music gives voice, but in such a way that we are transported from the world of unrest to a world of peace, and see reality in a new way, as if we were sitting by a mountain lake and contemplating hills and woods and clouds in the tranquil and fathomless water.    -Albert Schweitzer