State of the Union 2023: "Let's Finish the Job"

By Jeralyn, Section Other Politics
Posted on Tue Feb 07, 2023 at 06:36:05 PM EST
Tags: SOTU (all tags)

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Update: I think this might have been Biden's best speech. I watched almost all of it, changing the channel only when he started talking about crime, fentanyl and the border, to keep my blood pressure in check. He actually seemed real, likeable, and sincere for minutes at a time.

He was so energized. At first I wondered if he had received a B-12 shot this afternoon, but he seemed as happy as he was energized, so I decided probably not. I think he practiced a lot, had a very good speechwriter, stuck to the script with a minimum of ad-libbing, and was enthused talking about his accomplishments. After he got away with his trick of baiting the handful of radical far-right Congresspersons in the audience over Medicare and Social Security, there was no stopping him. It was like watching a comedian who is tickled pink when he makes his audience laugh for the first time.

*Original Post*:

Joe Biden will deliver his State of the Union address tonight. You can watch everywhere. This is the transcript of his speech as prepared. [More...]

I'm interested in how Biden will differentiate his border wall building, as announced last week with a big grin by former Senator from Colorado Ken Salazar, from that of the former occupant of the oval office. From what I can tell from my quick perusal of Salazar's comments at the announcement, the U.S. is going to spend $4.3 billion on "modernizing" and "strengthening" the wall along the border in Baja, MX and that Mexico has agreed to be our "partner" in this.

Modernizing and strengthening are words that mean the same thing as "rebuilding", "enhancing" or "reconstructing", to make something functional that is dysfunctional, or at a minimum, more functional than the presently existing level.

Salazar says the new wall will make us safer. It sounds to me like the real purpose of the project is to support law enforcement in its efforts to catch drug traffickers. Is this Biden's response to Republicans who have labeled him weak and ineffective in responding to the increased quantities of fentanyl that are being seized in the U.S.? If Mexico really is partnering up, is it because increased border security is also in its interest as it wants to stop the flow of weapons coming in from the U.S. , or because it fears Biden will put the brakes on foreign aid by claiming it is being an ineffective link in the chain of the never-ending war on drugs?

In my view, we didn't need more walls when Trump had a desk in the oval office and we don't need them now. Walls can be physical or electronic (like the one now planned to cost us $4.3 billion) but they all have one thing in common: they are all meant to obstruct.

We need a humanitarian approach to problems with immigration and substance use, not a law enforcement approach. The law enforcement approach allows corruption to permeate the system and exacerbates the problem. The paucity of news coverage in both the U.S. and Mexico over the bribery trial of Genaro García Luna, "the highest-ranking Mexican official ever to stand trial in an American courtroom on drug trafficking charges", is pretty stunning.

Back to SOTU: What did you think?

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State of the Union 2023: "Let's Finish the Job" | 101 comments (101 topical)

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Baiting the Rs on no cuts to (5.00 / 3) (#1)
by Peter G on Tue Feb 07, 2023 at 09:33:02 PM EST

Social Security or Medicare was brilliant, and I loved how they fell for it. So did Biden, considering how he milked that point three or four times. "Let's Finish the Job" sounds like a slogan for running for re-election. Why does this guy have such a low approval rating? He's way better than I expected.

: Agreed (none / 0) (#4)
by KeysDan on Tue Feb 07, 2023 at 10:10:21 PM EST

President Biden set a trap and the Republicans step in it. The State of the Union stressed delivery more as a town hall than an oration.---playing to his strengths. He was certainly on his A game, and should allay "worries" of age by some Democrats. Indeed, the Republicans seem to have come to believe their own claims that President Biden is doddering only to their peril.
Marjorie Taylor Greene is too dim to recognize that her outbursts only confirmed, if need be, that the fascists are in control of the House and McCarthy is just along for the ride. This troll was trolled on prime time.

: Maybe the (none / 0) (#8)
by Ga6thDem on Wed Feb 08, 2023 at 09:21:11 AM EST

polls are just wrong these days as evidenced by last fall. Maybe the polls are only finding old people to answer the phone. I honestly don't know but I don't completely trust the polls.

My woke fantasy is (5.00 / 2) (#2)
by Chuck0 on Tue Feb 07, 2023 at 09:41:41 PM EST

For my knees to work again.

: If only, we could (5.00 / 2) (#100)
by MO Blue on Wed Feb 22, 2023 at 09:46:11 AM EST

turn that fantasy into reality.

Kamala is always smiling, (5.00 / 1) (#29)
by fishcamp on Wed Feb 08, 2023 at 06:27:32 PM EST

or looks like she is about to smile. I like that. Our host Jeralyn is like that too, always about to smile.

It's hard to see how this is not a very big (5.00 / 1) (#64)
by CaptHowdy on Thu Feb 16, 2023 at 07:16:22 AM EST

problem for Meatball Rhonda.

He has literally made people of color his primary enemy. Not a great strategy IMO.

Black Leaders Mobilize to Oppose DeSantis
February 16, 2023 at 6:52 am EST By Taegan Goddard 12 Comments
Washington Post: "As DeSantis gears up for a potential presidential run in 2024, Black activists and political strategists around the country are organizing, protesting and preparing to highlight the particular danger they say he and his anti-"woke" movement pose to civil rights and to their push to tackle racism as a systemic issue. Some say they are determined not to repeat what they consider a tepid and belated response to former president Donald Trump's rise in 2016, and argue that DeSantis's political strategy is even more rooted in racial division than Trump's."
"These Black leaders view Florida's recent rejection of an Advanced Placement African American history course as part of a pattern of dismissing their community's concerns and enacting policy that threatens their rights."

: I mean (5.00 / 1) (#65)
by CaptHowdy on Thu Feb 16, 2023 at 07:20:50 AM EST

it's not hard or risky to bully trans children but this is a whole other thing.

A recent story broke that Florida has held 176 books 'under review' for over a year, some of which include stories on Pittsburgh Pirates' legend Roberto Clemente, as well as Jackie Robinson, and Hank Aaron.

: Rhonda's political (none / 0) (#67)
by KeysDan on Thu Feb 16, 2023 at 10:42:33 AM EST

strategy seems to be rooted in division--divide and conquer deploying the convenient umbrella of opposition to "wokeness".
If wokeness is the belief that social injustice in society is systemic and needs to be addressed, DeSantis sees it as a despotic opportunity to carve out oppressed and vulnerable minorities as threatening white Christo-nationalists, who are the real victims of the injustice of equality. All these "others" need to be put in their place and Rhonda will do it.
Black people, trans kids, drag queens and those whose livelihoods can be jeopardized if they do not toe the line, such as public school teachers and librarians. The plan being that each oppressed group will have its own interests to fight for, but this is clearly a case of hanging together or hanging separately.

The Supreme Court Hearing- (5.00 / 1) (#101)
by KeysDan on Tue Feb 28, 2023 at 05:34:18 PM EST

On theBiden plan where student borrowers get a one-time cancellation of $10,000 (or $20,000 if Pell Grant), for those making less than $125,000/year. And, a re-start of the present "pause" (since the start of the pandemic, paused by DeVos and the present Secretary).

The Biden plan is based on the "emergency" provision, as set forth in the HERO's Act of 2003. The Covid pandemic emergency has been called by both TFG and Biden, and was not directly challenged.

The Court was considering two related student loan cases (l) Biden v Nebraska and (2) DOE v Brown. The first involved several red states, the second, two individuals. The individuals of the second case wanted MORE debt relief than the Biden plan and therefore, demanded, NO debt relief for themselves or anyone else.

On the merits, the textual reading of the statute should have given short shrift to the cases since the statute reads so as to give the Secretary of Education the right to "modify or waive" and, essentially, remodel in the case of an emergency.

On the threshold notion of "standing", the plaintiffs seemed hard-pressed to show harm. In the instance of Missouri's standing, the state had to rely on an arms-length entity it created (a servicer of loans) that, itself, can sue or be sued, is financially separate, but wanted no part of this suit.

In fact, the state of Missouri had to use the equivalent of FOIA to get the necessary information from that servicer entity. Justice Coney Barrett questioned as to why the Missouri servicing entity was not here today.

Chief Justice Roberts clearly does not like the policy, mentioning "fairness" and allowing the so-called doctrine of "major questions" to arise---striking down a policy that has major questions.

It seemed to me that the Chief Justice and several of the reactionary justices disliked the Biden policy (if not Biden) and were searching for a legal basis to strike it down.

My guess is that the Court will uphold the Biden plan by 5/4. Kagan, Sotomayor, Jackson--- plus Barrett and Kavanaugh. Alito, Thomas and Gorsuch are hopeless. Roberts really disliked the plan on a policy basis and will likely find legal cover for it. Hopefully, he will not bring Kavanaugh along with him!

Does Huckabee have point to make? (none / 0) (#3)
by Chuck0 on Tue Feb 07, 2023 at 09:47:47 PM EST

she is droning on about nothing.

A weird (none / 0) (#5)
by KeysDan on Tue Feb 07, 2023 at 10:50:19 PM EST

and dark presentation. It was as if she did not think we just saw the President's speech. Worse than Bobby Jindall's but better than Marco Rubio's water bottle moment.


It was American Carnage 2.0 (none / 0) (#6)
by CaptHowdy on Wed Feb 08, 2023 at 08:30:20 AM EST

It was for the base and they loved it. I've been reading their giddy reactions this morning.


She was Trumps mouthpiece (none / 0) (#7)
by CaptHowdy on Wed Feb 08, 2023 at 08:33:48 AM EST

and possibly the only Trumper that was not damaged by the association. That's worth noting.


Morning Joe (none / 0) (#9)
by Ga6thDem on Wed Feb 08, 2023 at 09:22:38 AM EST

called it "The Handmaid's Tale" and honestly there could not be a better sour faced fundamentalist face for the GOP than Sarah.


Were Huckadaughter's repeated references (none / 0) (#10)
by Peter G on Wed Feb 08, 2023 at 09:32:22 AM EST

to "a new generation of Republican leaders" meant to be understood as code for "Dump Tr*mp"?


Whatever she meant, it conveyed the following: (5.00 / 2) (#30)
by Donald from Hawaii on Wed Feb 08, 2023 at 07:21:41 PM EST

LINK.


Personally (none / 0) (#11)
by CaptHowdy on Wed Feb 08, 2023 at 09:39:25 AM EST

If that was the idea IMO they should not have featured Trumps spokesperson and Trumps standard message of fear and despairing.

I think the idea was more like a new generation of Trumper.

But she is probably smart enough to not say that.


For republicans (none / 0) (#12)
by CaptHowdy on Wed Feb 08, 2023 at 09:49:27 AM EST

A new generation of leader means Biden is old.


Yes, (none / 0) (#13)
by Ga6thDem on Wed Feb 08, 2023 at 10:13:12 AM EST

but apparently Trump isn't old.

To me it was thinly veiled anti-Republican establishment like anti-McConnell among others.


Yes, my sense (none / 0) (#14)
by KeysDan on Wed Feb 08, 2023 at 11:28:28 AM EST

is that Huckabee was selected, at least in part, because she is the youngest governor at age 40, and she told us her age right off the bat. Half the age of President Biden.

But, it didn't work as well as the Republican leadership might have hoped. Huckabee looked matronly, and more germane, her ideas and plans were old. She told her war story but never mentioned Trump--the lout that dare not speak its name.

A return to the good old days was her theme. May work very well for the reactionary base, but not a rousing call to arms for those living in the 21st. Century.


I agree (5.00 / 1) (#15)
by CaptHowdy on Wed Feb 08, 2023 at 11:40:10 AM EST

But that was meant for the base. Only. Another indicator of just how out of touch they are.

Any black man can get black votes. Any woman, even Aunt Lydia, can make women think they have a voice.

All in all I think last night could hardly have gone better for the forces of good.


Also, about the new generation thing (none / 0) (#16)
by CaptHowdy on Wed Feb 08, 2023 at 11:49:12 AM EST

Huckelberry Sanders has refused to endorse Trump. IMO she will be behind DeSanctimonious.

Biden might not have been the only one testing 2024 slogans.

"Finish the job" is workable.

But "a new generation of leadership" doesn't suck. It will resonate with many.


This could be fun (none / 0) (#17)
by CaptHowdy on Wed Feb 08, 2023 at 12:03:41 PM EST

If you have not seen Trumps p€do accusations against DeSanctimonious google it. Worth the time.

Florida Gov. Ron Desantis (R) responded to Donald Trump's sharing of photos showing him partying with high school girls: "I spend my time delivering results for the people of FL .. that's how I spend my time. I don't spend my time trying to smear other Republicans."

DeSantis (none / 0) (#18)
by Ga6thDem on Wed Feb 08, 2023 at 05:08:36 PM EST

has no idea how to handle Trump. He is going to get run over in short order. I listened to a podcast with Charlie Sykes and Rick Wilson. They said it's a repeat of 2015/16. The other candidates all think they are going to be the "last man standing" and will get the nomination by default. The GOP has done nothing to fix their primary.

Honestly though if anybody deserved the "groomer" tag it's DeSantis simply because of his accusations of almost everybody being a "groomer". If reading a book to chiildren is "grooming" you have to admit that drinking with underage girls definitely meets or exceeds the DeSantis standards for "grooming". That picture may be enough to end his campaign and if there is 1 there may be more.


I would not count Rhonda out so quickly (5.00 / 1) (#20)
by CaptHowdy on Wed Feb 08, 2023 at 05:22:35 PM EST

I think he might be the right dog for this fight.

The establishment is falling over themselves hoping he is the one. If money will help he will have it.

It will split the party.


The (none / 0) (#22)
by FlJoe on Wed Feb 08, 2023 at 05:50:19 PM EST

"establishment" is clueless in case you haven't noticed. I agree the press love them some Rhonda but it's early and they are nothing but fickle.

I am still of the mind that the rubes want to be entertained and I don't think Rhonda can bring it.


All true (none / 0) (#23)
by CaptHowdy on Wed Feb 08, 2023 at 05:56:58 PM EST

I think the money has decided it's not Trump. The base has not. I think High Noon has arrived for the republicans. They can not allow Trump to be the nominee . Trump will run. With them or without them.

Like I said. Could be fun.


In (none / 0) (#24)
by FlJoe on Wed Feb 08, 2023 at 06:12:45 PM EST

2016 the early money was also on not tRump, maybe they are smarter this time.


It's literally (none / 0) (#25)
by CaptHowdy on Wed Feb 08, 2023 at 06:14:58 PM EST

a different world than it was in 2016

IMO


OMG (none / 0) (#26)
by CaptHowdy on Wed Feb 08, 2023 at 06:16:45 PM EST

I so hope I'm wrong

If Trump is the nominee we will sweep.


Foul and scary or not (none / 0) (#27)
by CaptHowdy on Wed Feb 08, 2023 at 06:18:25 PM EST

Rhonda scares me.

In the electoral sense.


: Him (5.00 / 3) (#28)
by FlJoe on Wed Feb 08, 2023 at 06:23:23 PM EST

becoming president is the absolute worse case scenario.

: Maybe (none / 0) (#33)
by Ga6thDem on Wed Feb 08, 2023 at 07:56:05 PM EST

I'm wrong but in the electoral sense DeSantis doesn't seem to be the wwc magnet that Trump is.

Well (none / 0) (#31)
by Ga6thDem on Wed Feb 08, 2023 at 07:53:29 PM EST

so far at least I'm seeing him doing the Ted Cruz 2016 strategy where Trump attacks and Cruz ignores.

Jeb Bush had a ton of money. DeSantis will have a ton of money. I'm not sure it matters much with the GOP base these days.

DeSantis also has a congressional voting record that has yet to be examined. Trump is feral. He will go for the jugular time and again.


Yes, and (none / 0) (#34)
by KeysDan on Wed Feb 08, 2023 at 08:55:55 PM EST

Rhonda's relationship with Giuliani associate, felon Lev Parnas and associate Igor Fruman needs to be investigated further. DeSantis needed to return $50, 000 to the US government provided by Lev and Igor.


It seems ths could actually become an issue (5.00 / 1) (#35)
by CaptHowdy on Thu Feb 09, 2023 at 06:26:53 PM EST

in the Republican primary

DeSantis Once Backed Privatizing Social Security
February 9, 2023 at 5:33 pm EST By Taegan Goddard 132 Comments
"Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis expressed support for privatizing Medicare and Social Security during his first campaign for Congress in 2012, giving political rivals who have pledged to protect the programs an opening to attack him ahead of DeSantis' expected run for president in 2024," CNN reports.

It's (5.00 / 1) (#36)
by FlJoe on Thu Feb 09, 2023 at 07:10:12 PM EST

hilarious watching Republicans falling all over themselves pretending to be protectors of SS.

They are lying of course, even CNN ain't buying it, they have been absolutely shredding Rick Scott.

A beautiful political Ju-Jitsu move by Biden, frankly one of the best I have ever seen.


: Biden knows how the sausage is made (5.00 / 1) (#43)
by Jack E Lope on Fri Feb 10, 2023 at 11:58:54 AM EST

...after 36 years as a Senator and 8 years as ex officio President of the Senate.
I think he got the Republicans to make a lot of noise about "deeming" the ACA to have passed, while Obama and Pelosi quietly worked on gathering the votes to pass it.
If Congressional Republicans allowed principles that they have stated-in-the-past to apply to themselves, all those things they said about deeming might come back to haunt them.
But Congressional Republicans (and their voters) keep proving that they apply principles only to others.

Rhonda Santis' (5.00 / 2) (#37)
by KeysDan on Thu Feb 09, 2023 at 07:40:57 PM EST

past positions, such as privatizing SS, a Medicare voucher system, relationships with Lev and Igor, and support by Phyllis Schalfy, need to be brought to.the fore right away to discourage support from donors and the media as that "new leadership."

The media may be happy to throw trans kids, gays, and librarians under the bus, but Ron's earlier TeaParty record may be another story.


Bully (none / 0) (#19)
by FlJoe on Wed Feb 08, 2023 at 05:18:13 PM EST

vs Bully is always popcorn worthy, root for injuries.

Most likely the biggest bully wins the nom, right now tRump is still the champ.

Decent human beings need not apply.

: Cheeto (none / 0) (#21)
by CaptHowdy on Wed Feb 08, 2023 at 05:24:18 PM EST

will burn it all down without a second thought

: Yeah (none / 0) (#32)
by Ga6thDem on Wed Feb 08, 2023 at 07:55:02 PM EST

i agree. DeSantis seems only to be the kind of bully that attacks people who can't fight back. Trump is feral and will go after the defenseless and the powerful to get what he wants. You know he collected kompromat on DeSantis along with a lot of other Republicans when he was in the white house.

As their attempts to use the committee process (none / 0) (#38)
by CaptHowdy on Fri Feb 10, 2023 at 08:14:07 AM EST

face plants again and again republicans are starting to understand what a bad decision it was to boycott the J6 hearings.

It's just the same ole same ole. Bickering and nonsense no one cares about but their looney base.

Such a difference from the tight focused presentations they were able to do without Gym Jordan getting in the way.

AHH (none / 0) (#40)
by jmacWA on Fri Feb 10, 2023 at 08:54:09 AM EST

But based on all the pictures of the hearings I have seen Gym has not gotten serious yet. He has still not rolled up his shirt sleeves.


: "republicans are starting to understand" (5.00 / 1) (#41)
by CaptHowdy on Fri Feb 10, 2023 at 09:17:51 AM EST

was not meant to include Gym.

They are really worried about this (none / 0) (#39)
by CaptHowdy on Fri Feb 10, 2023 at 08:18:16 AM EST

"This is a bad idea. I think it will be a challenge for him to deal with this in his own reelection in Florida, a state with more elderly people than any other state in America."
-- Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY), quoted by the AP, slamming Sen. Rick Scott's (R-FL) plan to sunset all laws, including Social Security and Medicare.

The problem they are going to have is all the examples of them saying this on video. It ain't jus Scott. It Rhonda and Mike Lee and so many others.

I recommend (none / 0) (#42)
by CaptHowdy on Fri Feb 10, 2023 at 09:21:25 AM EST

giving them a few months of saying it's all just ole crazy eyes Rick Scott and then create a presentation, a collection if you will - a compilation, of the greatest hits of republicans attacking SS and Medicare.


: And they (none / 0) (#44)
by Ga6thDem on Sun Feb 12, 2023 at 03:42:06 PM EST

say Trump will not be the nominee. For all his awfulness the one thing he understands 100% is the Republican voting base.

Niki jumps in (none / 0) (#45)
by CaptHowdy on Sun Feb 12, 2023 at 04:26:33 PM EST

I think Trump might not go after her hard because he wants a bunch of candidates.

The Week Ahead
February 12, 2023 at 5:00 pm EST By Peter Orvetti 11 Comments
On Wednesday, Nikki Haley will join Donald Trump as an officially declared Republican presidential candidate, and will spend the next days in New Hampshire before heading to Iowa next weekend. By daring to be the first to formally challenge Trump, Haley makes it easier for Ron DeSantis to continue to lie low and hope Haley deflects some of Trump's fire. But will her entry spur other contenders with longer odds to get in soon to grab the spotlight, or to continue to delay and let Haley take all the hits?

Haley is (none / 0) (#46)
by Ga6thDem on Mon Feb 13, 2023 at 02:57:47 PM EST

not a threat. She will do nothing to help Desantis.


I feel (none / 0) (#47)
by KeysDan on Mon Feb 13, 2023 at 03:46:30 PM EST

comfortable in predicting that she will not be the Republican nominee.


I give her better odds than Vivek Ramaswamy (none / 0) (#48)
by CaptHowdy on Mon Feb 13, 2023 at 04:26:49 PM EST

Vivek Ramaswamy (R) is exploring a dark horse bid for president, "testing, among other things, whether his warnings about the dangers of `wokeism' and socially-responsible investing -- in business vernacular what's called environmental, social and governance investing -- has political currency with Republican politicians, business leaders and, yes, farmers," Politico reports.

Or (none / 0) (#49)
by CaptHowdy on Mon Feb 13, 2023 at 04:28:29 PM EST

Marianne Williamson


My (none / 0) (#50)
by FlJoe on Mon Feb 13, 2023 at 05:54:31 PM EST

dark horse is Pompeo, he is extremely power hungry a a-hole bully and he knows where the bodies are buried.

Rhonda Sandtits has gone "noun,verb and woke" 24-7, that show is getting old already and won't sustain him for another 12 months.

It's still probably tRumps to lose but he probably needs to up his game with some new material, I guess some snappy nicknames for his opponents as they announce will help.


Meatball Ron (none / 0) (#51)
by CaptHowdy on Mon Feb 13, 2023 at 06:19:27 PM EST

is working for me


Heard Rev.Al Sharpton (none / 0) (#57)
by KeysDan on Wed Feb 15, 2023 at 04:58:07 PM EST

call Rhonda, Baby Trump (Trump being Daddy Trump). Claims DeSantis is following Trump's racist, anti-immigrant playbook, and upping the anti-LGBTQ attacks. I would add, Rhonda's plan to destroy public education.

It's fundamental: the fascist boot requires a face to stomp on.


: I saw (none / 0) (#93)
by Ga6thDem on Mon Feb 20, 2023 at 02:34:16 PM EST

Rhonda described as Dollar Store Donald. That was the best IMO I have seen.

If I had a dark horse it would be this guy (none / 0) (#52)
by CaptHowdy on Tue Feb 14, 2023 at 12:22:49 PM EST

Former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson (R) ramped his Facebook ad spending to $85,000 -- more than every other possible GOP contender put together, FWIW reports.

: I can (none / 0) (#54)
by Ga6thDem on Wed Feb 15, 2023 at 07:34:13 AM EST

see that. The problem that I see is the GOP voting base. They want someone who is going to play their games 24/7.

"Glad" (none / 0) (#56)
by CaptHowdy on Wed Feb 15, 2023 at 04:46:32 PM EST

Donald Trump told Fox News that he is "glad" Nikki Haley is running for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination.
Said Trump: "I'm glad she's running. I want her to follow her heart -- even though she made a commitment that she would never run against who she called the greatest president of her lifetime."
He added: "She should do what she wants to do and not be bound by the fact that she said she would never do it."

Senator Dianne Feinstein (D.CA) (none / 0) (#53)
by KeysDan on Tue Feb 14, 2023 at 02:00:26 PM EST

will not seek re-election in 2024. Senator Feinstein was initially elected in 1992 defeating Republican Pete Wilson. She planned to finish her present term

Representative Katie Porter has previously announced her candidacy as has Representative Adam Schiff.

How about a mental competency test to get a gun? (none / 0) (#55)
by CaptHowdy on Wed Feb 15, 2023 at 01:22:50 PM EST

At any age.

Nikki Haley, the newly minted Republican presidential candidate, called on Wednesday for mandatory "mental competency tests" for politicians over the age of 75, an implied dig at President Biden and her one-time boss, former President Donald Trump, The Hill reports.

I'd prefer a mandatory competency test ... (none / 0) (#58)
by Donald from Hawaii on Wed Feb 15, 2023 at 07:07:51 PM EST

... for all present and former GOP public officials who live in the South.


Lay off the South (5.00 / 2) (#59)
by CaptHowdy on Wed Feb 15, 2023 at 07:27:35 PM EST

it's not a regional problem.


Not regional (none / 0) (#60)
by CaptHowdy on Wed Feb 15, 2023 at 07:53:13 PM EST

Republican lawmakers in Hawaii and Oregon -- both states controlled by Democrats -- have also introduced bills that seek to prohibit and criminalize gender reassignment surgeries on minors, despite the fact that these procedures are not commonly performed on minors, according to Reuters.

Utah just banned gender-affirming healthcare for transgender kids. These 21 other states are considering similar bills in 2023.

It has South in the name. (5.00 / 1) (#62)
by Chuck0 on Wed Feb 15, 2023 at 08:58:10 PM EST

But you're right. South Dakota is run by nuts. See Noem, Kristi.


: Iowa is another (none / 0) (#63)
by KeysDan on Wed Feb 15, 2023 at 09:52:17 PM EST

Non-Southern state to go off the rails. The governor, Kim Reynolds, ushered into law a "school choice" program. A voucher is given to parents for each school-aged child to be used at a school of choice--public or religious (private).

That said (none / 0) (#61)
by CaptHowdy on Wed Feb 15, 2023 at 07:54:59 PM EST

sigh

Arkansas lawmaker, at a hearing, asks transgender woman if she has a penis

Admittedly, we have a few island crackpots. (none / 0) (#84)
by Donald from Hawaii on Sun Feb 19, 2023 at 03:58:29 PM EST

But here's the difference: We don't put them in charge. There are only eight Republican legislators in the entire 76-member Hawaii State Legislature and unlike your elected legislature in Arkansas, they don't set and control the agenda. Further, there are no Republicans holding either statewide office or countywide office out here.

Still further, our new governor, Josh Green, M.D., is an emergency room physician who as lieutenant governor in December 2019 organized and led a Hawaii Health Dept. mission to the Republic of Samoa, which was credited with quelling a nationwide measles outbreak that had killed dozens of children. He also led us through the COVID epidemic, and we had the lowest infection / mortality rates in the entire country.

On the other hand, I believe your own governor's first official acts in office last month were a couple of executive orders banning the adjective "Latinx" from public use and the teaching of critical race theory in public school, were they not?

Par for the course, I'd say, since Sarah Huckabee Sanders spent nearly two years running interference for the Trump White House with the Beltway press corps and defending Stephen Miller's White House policy of forcible separation of young children from their immigrant parents.

I'll also note that Trump received 30% of the statewide vote in Hawaii in both the 2016 and 2020 presidential elections, which was the exact opposite of the same vote in the South, save for Georgia in 2020.

Now, I'll grant you that South Dakota, Nebraska, Wyoming and even eastern Oregon and California's Shasta County aren't the South, and that the prevailing noxious social attitudes in those places can often rival if not surpass what we see coming out of Dixie. And in that regard, I'd also concede that Indiana remains the only state in the union where the Ku Klux Klan actually controlled state government at one time, back in the 1920s.

But that said, you can hardly deny that the South has long been a cornucopia for so many of our nation's past and present social ills, so much so that the region was Ground Zero for the abolition movement, the U.S. Civil War and the civil rights movement and further, was the primary focal point for both the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

That's certainly not your fault as an Arkansas resident and native son, and I'm sorry if my generalization about the South offended you. But there's a well-documented historical basis upon which I based that admittedly cavalier observation.

Aloha.


So I am announcing my candidacy.... (none / 0) (#66)
by CaptHowdy on Thu Feb 16, 2023 at 09:51:26 AM EST

Mitt Romney Warns GOP That Trump Will Win Nomination
February 16, 2023 at 10:27 am EST By Taegan Goddard 60 Comments
Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT) "is warning his fellow Republicans that former President Donald Trump is best-positioned to emerge from a crowded primary as the party's presidential nominee in 2024, and that the only way to stop him is to ultimately shrink the field to a one-on-one contest against a viable alternative," NBC News reports.
Said Romney: "I think President Trump is by far the most likely to become our nominee. If there's an alternative to that, it would be only realistic if it narrows down to a two-person race at some point."

: I can't (none / 0) (#68)
by Ga6thDem on Thu Feb 16, 2023 at 04:34:31 PM EST

believe a REpublican actually came out and said this because almost all of them have been saying in interviews that Trump will not be the nominee. Romney seems to have learned something from 2016 while the others seemed to have been sleeping.

Wonder if this will change anything? (none / 0) (#69)
by CaptHowdy on Fri Feb 17, 2023 at 09:09:42 AM EST

That's a LOT of money. 1.6 billion.

Fox News hosts and executives privately mocked pro-Trump election conspiracy theories after he lost, internal texts show

Red handed (none / 0) (#70)
by CaptHowdy on Fri Feb 17, 2023 at 10:13:41 AM EST

Fox Anchors Tried to Get Reporter Fired
February 17, 2023 at 10:06 am EST By Taegan Goddard 106 Comments
Politico: "Hannity and Carlson tried to get Fox News reporter Jacqui Heinrich fired for fact-checking a Trump tweet about Dominion and noting that there was no evidence of votes being destroyed."
Texted Carlson to Hannity and Ingraham: "Please get her fired. Seriously... What the fvck? It's measurably hurting the company. The stock price is down. Not a joke.

There is no redeeming social value ... (none / 0) (#79)
by Donald from Hawaii on Sun Feb 19, 2023 at 06:11:31 AM EST

... for anyone in Fox News' willful peddling of known lies. And that is exactly what Dominion has accused that network of doing, and it's got the goods to prove it.

Old Rupert Murdoch himself weighed in on the subject, thoughtfully reminding everyone in late November 2020 that Trump had lost and Fox News' immediate priority was to protect those two then-GOP-held Senate seats in Georgia. I believe that's an admission of an undisclosed in-kind campaign contribution, just in case anyone at the FEC and DOJ are interested.

Fox News is staring at a potentially lethal blow. Its relatively small news operation had in fact covered the vote count accurately and Fox News political correspondent Jacqui Heinrich had initially pushed back on the conspiracy theories. Emails further show that the network's prime-time hosts Sean Hannity and Tucker Carlson reacted furiously to Ms. Heinrich's fact-checking and tried to get her fired.

Fox News brass didn't necessarily disagree. Ron Mitchell, Fox News Vice Pres. for Primetime Programming, complained to network CEO Suzanne Scott (Nov. 18, 2022) that Ms. Heinrich's reporting was driving away network viewers who were taking their cues from Donald Trump. "Viewers are watching less. [Trump's] type of conspiratorial reporting might be exactly what the disgruntled FNC viewer is looking for. Do not ever give viewers a reason to turn us off."

For her part, CEO Scott then complained via email to Fox News President Jay Wallace and Fox News Senior Executive Vice President of Corporate Communications Irena Briganti that "Heinrich has serious nerve doing this and if this gets picked up, viewers are going to be further disgusted."

Reportedly, both Heinrich and colleague Bret Baier were "blindsided" and shaken by the evidence that network honchos had actually sought to fire her for the cardinal sin of committing journalism on a propaganda channel.

So, it's not just the lies about a stolen election. It's also about the lengths to which Fox News' brass and prime-time hosts were prepared to go to appease their base of crackpot snowflake viewers who refused to accept the truth about Trump's electoral defeat, up to and including kneecapping the network's already weakened news division.

Time to make some more popcorn.


Hopefully (none / 0) (#94)
by FlJoe on Tue Feb 21, 2023 at 05:28:07 AM EST

Fox will take a hit but most likely the players will suffer no punishment, on the contrary they will we rewarded and allowed to continue with their lies

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, who owes his speakership to deals struck with House Republican allies of the Jan. 6 coup attempt, has given "exclusive access" to "41,000 hours" of U.S. Capitol surveillance footage from that day to ... Fox News' Tucker Carlson and his producers.

An officer, employee or agency of the U.S. Govt (5.00 / 1) (#95)
by Peter G on Tue Feb 21, 2023 at 02:49:06 PM EST

cannot give "exclusive access" to official records to a hand-picked private media outlet. Either the records are disclosable, and available to anyone, or they are not disclosable. Or so it seems to me.


I assume the point (5.00 / 1) (#96)
by CaptHowdy on Tue Feb 21, 2023 at 03:24:55 PM EST

is to have FOX put together lots of video of people wandering around. NOT destroying property or defecating in the hallways.

There is really not much need to put together video of the rampaging and destroying stuff. That's been done.

But Tucker can show it and say, see, just taxpayers having a little walk-around.

Which is ridiculous on it's face of course. But perfect for Tucker.


The Democrats (none / 0) (#97)
by KeysDan on Tue Feb 21, 2023 at 04:23:11 PM EST

on the J6 Committee should release those videos to all the media---broadcast and cable. Of course, it would be preferable for Merrick Garland to seek an injunction but he has smaller fish to fry.


I think the approach is misguided (none / 0) (#98)
by CaptHowdy on Tue Feb 21, 2023 at 04:41:18 PM EST

Which could be just media coverage, but I would support the release. Hooray for full disclosure.

And make the point they can't just be released to Tucker Carlson.


: I mean (none / 0) (#99)
by CaptHowdy on Tue Feb 21, 2023 at 04:45:42 PM EST

There are cameras everywhere right?
There's got to be video of somebody pooping.
You want full disclosure? Okey dokey.

Michael Isikoff (none / 0) (#71)
by CaptHowdy on Fri Feb 17, 2023 at 10:40:18 AM EST

says
What if Trump decides to ignore the Atlanta prosecutor?

Totally possible I would say.

What next? She goes to the governor of the state of residence and asks to have him extradited? Meatball.

Is this correct?

Could be some great theater

Trump stonewalling (none / 0) (#72)
by KeysDan on Fri Feb 17, 2023 at 11:08:36 AM EST

an indictment, as he would a subpoena is very possible. Certainly, Baby Trump Meatball would be loath to extradite his Daddy for fear of the base.

However, even an attempt to stiff a criminal indictment in Georgia would be politically devastating. And, that reality may be the best to hope for.


Or maybe Meatball (none / 0) (#73)
by CaptHowdy on Fri Feb 17, 2023 at 11:15:16 AM EST

would seize the day and rise to the moment.

It would get fawning cable coverage.


: Would be (none / 0) (#74)
by KeysDan on Fri Feb 17, 2023 at 11:39:22 AM EST

so Woke. Law and order and such. More in character for Meatball to descend to an occasion than to rise to the moment.

would (none / 0) (#80)
by Ga6thDem on Sun Feb 19, 2023 at 10:22:28 AM EST

Kemp have a role to play in this scenario? Would an extradition request have to be approved by him?

Rhonda is in a lose/lose position with any Trump extradition.


Article IV Extradition Clause, US Constitution (5.00 / 1) (#81)
by KeysDan on Sun Feb 19, 2023 at 01:21:54 PM EST

"A person charged with treason, felony, or other crime who shall flee from justice and be found in another State, shall on Demand of the executive Authority of the State from which he fled, be delivered up, to be removed to the State having Jurisdiction of the Crime".

It appears that Brian Kemp,, as governor of Georgia, would, in keeping with the prosecuting authority, request extradition.

There was a SC case where an Iowa resident hit pedestrians in Puerto Rico and fled back home. The Iowa governor refused the extradition Demand but the SC upheld the Demand of the Puerto Rico governor.


Seems like Kemp might do it (none / 0) (#82)
by CaptHowdy on Sun Feb 19, 2023 at 02:37:32 PM EST

At least to me.

Rhonda not so much.


Yeah (5.00 / 1) (#83)
by Ga6thDem on Sun Feb 19, 2023 at 02:58:49 PM EST

kemp is a better bet on obeying the law than Rhonda but it will again roil the GOP here in the state. The state GOP head, Shafer, has resigned his position. Politicos seem to think it is because he knows he will be indicted.

Here in GA this case is even bigger than it is nationally. I know Jack Smith is also looking into the fake electors scheme. I guess they could get both federal and state indictments. The lt. gov. fake elector crimes have been moved to another prosecutor but I imagine if Fani indicts the others he will get an indictment from his prosecutor too. A friend in politics in the Gold Dome who is a Republican lamented about how bad last week was. I guess the news must have gotten out to some of the legislators on indictments but it seems nobody else knows.


The chatter is mostly (5.00 / 3) (#86)
by CaptHowdy on Sun Feb 19, 2023 at 05:57:24 PM EST

about what happens with a Trump indictment but there are a whole bunch of other high profile folks that she could go after

Rudy is the top of my wish list


I (5.00 / 2) (#88)
by FlJoe on Sun Feb 19, 2023 at 06:33:53 PM EST

would like to see Michael Flynn go down.


: You know (5.00 / 1) (#90)
by Ga6thDem on Sun Feb 19, 2023 at 06:39:31 PM EST

he sat there and claimed the 5th over and over. I would be surprised if the GA case nails him. However I would not be surprised to see Flynn indicted by Jack Smith.

Locals (5.00 / 1) (#89)
by Ga6thDem on Sun Feb 19, 2023 at 06:38:26 PM EST

seem to be thinking Rudy is one of the ones that was named in the section about lying to the grand jury.


Lindsey (none / 0) (#91)
by CaptHowdy on Sun Feb 19, 2023 at 07:14:00 PM EST

has sure been talking a lot about how NOT worried he is

That would also be awsum. But he is probably to slippery


: IMO (none / 0) (#92)
by Ga6thDem on Mon Feb 20, 2023 at 09:19:39 AM EST

Lindsay claimed the 5th, was given immunity and spilled the beans. After all when faced with jail time you know Lindsay is going to talk. All these criminals put in that position will do anything to save themselves.

I don't think that's Gov. Brian Kemp's call. (none / 0) (#85)
by Donald from Hawaii on Sun Feb 19, 2023 at 04:19:35 PM EST

As the lead prosecuting official, Fulton County DA Fani Willis would have to file a request for extradition with the Florida district court in Palm Beach County, and that request would be subject to a public proceeding down there. The chief legal officer in Georgia is State Attorney General Chris Carr and I can't imagine him wasting precious political capital on behalf of Donald Trump.

I believe Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis could block Trump's extradition, and I certainly wouldn't put it past him given his prior interference in county law enforcement matters. But as is the case with Georgia AG Carr, I can't imagine what the upside for DeSantis would be, particularly if he harbors national political aspirations as so many pundits speculate. He might just as well write off half the country if he did.

: Carr (none / 0) (#87)
by Ga6thDem on Sun Feb 19, 2023 at 06:33:26 PM EST

was head of the Republican AG committe and was instrumental in paying for robocalls about a "stolen election". So don't give him any credit being smart with political capital. However this is proably out of his control, Ironically Carr is the one that shold be prosectuing this case because it's a crime against the entire state.

More (none / 0) (#75)
by FlJoe on Fri Feb 17, 2023 at 04:20:11 PM EST

evidence that Biden is a big fat liar

Former Vice President Mike Pence became the latest prominent Republican to propose sunsetting Social Security and Medicare on Thursday, telling Fox News that "we can replace the New Deal with a better deal." ... Pence said it was time to talk "about reforming entitlements" during the current debt ceiling negotiations. "I think we can replace the New Deal programs with a better deal," he declared.

: Also (none / 0) (#76)
by CaptHowdy on Fri Feb 17, 2023 at 04:33:55 PM EST

Former Vice President Mike Pence said "we need to" ban abortion pills in audio obtained by Jezebel.
The comments came during a book signing event on Monday in Houston, Texas.

Sad face :( (none / 0) (#77)
by CaptHowdy on Sat Feb 18, 2023 at 03:43:25 PM EST

Trump Won't Call DeSantis `Meatball Ron'
February 18, 2023 at 2:10 pm EST By Taegan Goddard 143 Comments
"Donald Trump on Saturday said he wouldn't use the nickname `Meatball Ron' to describe Ron DeSantis, a likely rival for the Republican presidential nomination in 2024," Politico reports.
"In a Truth Social post, the former president said it would be `inappropriate' to use the word "meatball as a moniker, which has been described as referring to DeSantis' appearance and carries connotations to his Italian lineage."

: no reason for the rest of us (none / 0) (#78)
by leap2 on Sat Feb 18, 2023 at 06:58:04 PM EST

not to call him Meatball.