Sunday, September 29, 2019

Another Fine Mess

finemess


From January 21, 2017, that's "Another Fine Mess."  C.I. noted:

Isaiah's latest comic THE WORLD TODAY JUST NUTS "Another Fine Mess."  Barack commiserates with Hillary, "Benghazi, e-mails, rigging the primary, your family foundation, now Donald Trump.  Another fine mess you've gotten us into."  Isaiah archives his comics at The World Today Just Nuts.


Hillary has still not taken accountability for her own actions.

Here's C.I.'s "Iraq snapshot:"


Friday, September 27, 2019.. Ethics.

In the United States, the race for the Democratic Party's presidential nomination continues.  Jim Newall (SLATE) notes:

While most of the news focus this week pertained to certain goings-on in the House of Representatives—goings-on that of course Elizabeth Warren was the first candidate to call for, in April—Warren has started to take Joe Biden’s lead. She led Biden narrowly, for the first time, in two national polls released this week, and she has taken the lead in the Iowa polling average as well. She took the lead in a New Hampshire poll. She is nearing the lead in Nevada. She is drawing healthy shares from supporters of both Clinton and Sanders in the 2016 primary contest. She is starting to see some movement among black voters. Democrats are the most enthusiastic about her candidacy. There is … nothing going wrong right now? Nothing! This newsletter likes to make jokes about how politicians are failing at politics, and she’s just not giving us anything.


So while Elizabeth is up, Joe is down, dragged down by his own actions.  Over at US NEWS AND WORLD REPORTS, Susan Milligan speaks with University of New Hampshire's Dante Scala:


Biden, in fact, might have some vulnerability on the Ukraine matter with voters, Scala says, because voters might wonder how and why the younger Biden went to work for a Ukrainian firm while his father was in the White House.
"It's not a great look, even though there's not any evidence of wrongdoing," Scala says.

There is absolutely the evidence of wrong doing.

This lowering of our standards is how we end up with presidents unfit to serve.

Joe Biden's son Hunter gets employed by a firm and that's the wrong doing.  Yes, Hunter needed a job.   Three months prior the US military had kicked him out of the reserves because of his use of cocaine.  They should have referred it over to a court, he should have been arrested.  Instead, they just kicked him out.  Three months later, with no experience to speak of, he's brought on and paid $50,000 a month.

That is unethical.  And his father at the time was vice president.  Joe then has interactions with the government of Ukraine.  That is unethical.

Hunter never should have taken the job to begin with.  Once he did, Joe should have been removed from any and all dealings with Ukraine.

It is unethical.  And as vice president, Joe insisting, "I didn't do anything wrong," isn't enough.  Joe has to avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest.  He was the Vice President.  He has to be held to a higher standard while in that office.




It was Joe Biden’s family that almost kept him from running. Now, it could help drag him down. 
Why it matters: The former vice president has to answer questions about family controversies just as Elizabeth Warren is catching him in the polls.
  • Hunter Biden was a paid board member of a Ukrainian gas company while his father was in the White House.
Top Democrats tell us they worry the Ukraine fracas winds up being an albatross for Biden because he'll be associated with an unpopular issue and process, and won't be able to shake questions about Hunter Biden.

No, wrong doing?  Corruption in office is wrong doing.  There is ample public knowledge that suggest wrong doing without any investigation.

Joe did not do his job as vice president because that job included avoiding even the appearance of a conflict of interest.  Joe did not do his job.

His actions look smarmy, his actions appear unethical.  And that's without any probe taking place.

The usual idiots of the faux left are refusing to look seriously at what is right before their eyes.  In some cases, they're afraid of 'helping' Donald Trump.  Try helping yourselves, you idiots.  This is about democracy, this is about fairness, this is about basic expectations of those in public office.

I can understand the press being leery to go into too much detail after the verbal attacks on THE NEW YORK TIMES.  I don't like THE TIMES.  I'm not a fan.  That was long ago established.  But they published an article -- this one -- that I've read over and over trying to understand the need to attack the paper for it.

Didn't REUTERS already report that the whistle-blower or 'whistle-blower' was CIA?

I don't understand the anger at NYT.  The person is of public interest.  The news report -- fairly bland to begin with -- serves the public interest.

But you have all these idiots claiming on Twitter that NYT did something wrong.  Then claiming that they've cancelled their subscriptions -- most never subscribed.  Some even bigger idiots insisting that they're going to subscribe to the physical paper of THE WASHINGTON POST -- who's going to deliver that to most of your homes?  Lots of luck with that.

How could NYT do this!!!! They insist the paper was wrong and you protect a source and -- The person who filed the complaint is not a source to the paper.  People don't even understand journalism.  It's not -- REPORT WHAT I LIKE!!!!!

The immaturity is just astounding.

On impeachment . . .

One person wrote a lengthy e-mail to the public account stating that the snapshot was brief because I was avoiding the topic of impeachment?

No, that’s not why it was brief.  I’ve explained why it was brief.  I will probably note a hearing in Monday’s snapshot.  I went back and forth over including it today but wanted to just focus on ethics.

The e-mail informs me that I was wrong (wouldn’t be the first time) when I stated that I didn’t believe Donald Trump broke a law as it was being described in press reports.  I still don’t.  Based on the latest details.  If you want to say it was unethical, I’ll hop on board that.  But the Justice Dept was correct not to prosecute.  If Congress wants to pass a law, they can do so.  Whether or not the Court would uphold it is a big if, but they can pass a law on this.  Currently, there is no law.

The e-mailer, like Nancy Pelosi yesterday, wants to insist that Donald was attempting to ensure that he won the 2020 election.

You’re ascribing motive.

On someone you don’t even know.

As noted here many times over the years, and at THIRD, I do not like Donald Trump and that’s based upon my knowing him.

As someone who has known him over the years, I don’t think he was trying to get re-elected.

I think he’s on a kamikaze mission.  I’m ascribing motive but I’m basing it on my personal interaction with him in the past.  (And that’s limited, I’ve noted before that I would walk away if I saw him approaching.)

Bob Somerby and others have done crazy lunatic talk.  Donald’s not going to leave!!!! He’s going to lose the election and he’s not going to leave!!!!

First, there’s a good chance he will win the election.

Second, if he loses, he’ll leave and he’ll leave playing the victim and spend the rest of his life saying how the US screwed up and how every president after him screwed up.  That’s Donald.

You know what else is Donald? Thinking the world is against him.  “He didn’t even want to win!”  That’s what some said as the 2016 election approached and after.  Yes, he did.  But he didn’t think he would and he didn't want to be seen as wanting it as much as he did because he felt the world would then laugh if he lost.  That’s his low self-esteem.  That same low self-esteem tells him he probably won’t be re-elected.  As such, he’s out to destroy now.  This was about punishing others.  It was not, “Joe could beat me!”  It was, “Democrats have been corrupt and I’ll take out any I can on my way out the door.”  That’s Donald.

To be clear, I have not stated he will lose in 2020.  There’s a good chance he’ll win.  Especially if impeachment is pursued.  Especially if No-Enthusiasm Joe is the nominee.

But he has low self-esteem and that’s what he operates from.

“He has a huge ego!!!!”  He has bravado that covers (for some) his low self-esteem.

So I think he’s on a kamikaze mission to take out as many as he can before January 2021 when he fears/suspects/believes he will be leaving the White House.

That’s me ascribing motive.  I don’t deny it.  But I’d argue my insight is a little greater than some speaking on his possible motives.

Donald has low self-esteem.  If he lost the election, he would see it as part of the world victimizing him and would leave the White House.  I do not get the crazy that Bob Somerby has repeatedly preached on Donald locking himself in the White House after losing the election and refusing to go.

But I also don’t get the nonsense Bob preaches about Donald being crazy.  His actions do not surprise me, they do not mystify me.  I do not believe he’s insane.  I do believe he is the wounded child who never recovered.

--------------
Note, the snapshot this morning included Stan's "PRODIGAL SON" -- I don't know how that happened but it was in here twice.  To be clear, Stan wrote that.  It also included the impeachment section 3 times.  That's been reduced to one.  Stan did a strong review of "PRODIGAL SON" and I want to be sure he gets credited for that.  Ava and I do our TV pieces at THIRD.  -- C.I., 9/27/19 12:37 pm EST.
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Saturday, September 21, 2019

Recount


hillarydonald

From November 29, 2016, that's "Recount."  C.I. noted:

Isaiah's latest THE WORLD TODAY "Recount."  Hillary explains, "I'm doing the recount because I don't think we've been shoved down America's threat enough."  Donald insists, "If you only count those who were voting drunk, I won the popular vote!"  Hillary counters, "Wanna bet?"   Isaiah archives his comics at The World Today Just Nuts.



2016 has to be one of the worst years for politics.  

C.I. saw it.  Back on January 1, 2016, she wrote her year in review "2015: The Year of the Ass."  That concluded with:

2015 will lead into 2016.  So is it any surprise that, as the year ends, it appears very likely that the two major party candidates who'll be competing next year will be Hillary and Donald Trump?

What else, honestly, what else could The Year of the Ass produce but a match off between each major party's biggest ass?


Here's C.I.'s "Iraq snapshot:"


Friday, September 20, 2019.

In the United States, the race for the Democratic Party's presidential nomination continues.


Younger Black Voters to Their Parents: Break Up With Joe Biden, I’m Bored. An organic effort by black millennials and Gen Z-ers to influence older family members against Mr. Biden may be important in the Democratic primary.
 
 


He's referring to Astead W. Herndon's report for THE NEW YORK TIMES.  The report fails to note that similar efforts took place in previous elections, including in 2008.  There was, for instance, "the great schlep" where voters were encouraged to get their Jewish grandparents in Florida to vote for Barack Obama.  THE NEW YORK TIMES' own reporting of that effort ran October 5, 2008 and was entitled "Sarah Silverman's Message to Your Grandma: Vote Obama."

From Herndon's article:

For Mr. Biden, though, students carried mixed feelings. They respected his tenure as Barack Obama’s vice president, but implicitly rejected his campaign’s central premise, that the primary goal of Democrats in the 2020 election should be defeating President Trump.
They pointed to systemic problems they said the country must address, such as inequality, climate change and gun violence. The Democratic nominee, they said, should embrace progressive proposals like canceling student loan debt, the Green New Deal and gun buyback programs. 


Most News Now: Younger Black Voters to Their Parents: Break Up With Joe Biden, I’m Bored
 
 



As a voter, you are much more likely to be influenced by someone you know and face-to-face contact is always stronger than any other.  The efforts these activists are undertaking will have some success.  It could be a huge success depending upon how much effort is put into the action.

Joe Biden wants to lead.  But when has his leadership ever been a good thing?  In last week's debate, Bernie Sanders noted the reality of Joe's 'wisdom.'


Sen. Bernie Sanders to Joe Biden: "The big mistake, the huge mistake, and one of the big differences between you and me: I never believed what Cheney and Bush said about Iraq." "I voted against the war in Iraq, and helped lead the opposition."  

1:39
 
 


. "One of the big differences between you (Joe Biden) and me. I never believed Bush and Cheney on Iraq."
 
 
"Iraq is the biggest foreign policy disaster of at least the past 45 years. Bernie Sanders was completely right about it. Joe Biden was completely wrong. That is something to hammer him over and over again."
 
 
The YUGE difference between Bernie Sanders and Joe Biden: Bernie led the fight against the Iraq War. Biden followed Bush and Cheney.
 
 
WATCH THIS: In just one minute defines the difference between his vision & Joe Biden’s on: the Iraq war, disastrous trade deals, Wall St. bailout, the bankruptcy bill, & healthcare as a right. It’s clear, concise, & brilliant. Thank you
 
 
Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders went back and forth on Biden's support for the war in Iraq.
 
 
: I never believed Cheney and Bush. Unlike Joe Biden, not only did I vote against the Iraq War, I led the fight to prevent it.
 
 


Joe's never shown real leadership.  But now, at 76, Joe swears, if you give him a chance, he's finally ready to show leadership.


Biden is Clinton 2.0. Elite uber wealthy politicians who voted for the Iraq war & sat for . If truly cared about Americans, he’d drop out. You had your time. Pass the torch to someone who can lead us out of this darkness.
 
 

Yesterday on KPFA's FLASHPOINTS, host Dennis Bernstein and guest Norman Solomon discussed Joe's corporate ties.

On Iraq, Qassim Abdul-Zahra and Zeina Karam (AP) report:

It is wedged between Saudi Arabia to the south and Iran to the east and hosts thousands of U.S. troops on its soil. At the same time, powerful Shiite paramilitary forces linked to Iran pose a growing challenge to the authority of the central government.
As the pressure mounts, divisions within Iraq’s pro-Iranian factions have burst into the open, threatening to collapse a fragile government coalition and end a rare reprieve from the violence that has plagued the country for years.
“Regional challenges facing Iraq will make it even more difficult for Adel Abdel-Mahdi to bring the (militias) under control,” said Randa Slim, a senior fellow at the Washington-based Middle East Institute, referring to Iraq’s prime minister.
The divisions among Iran’s Shiite allies in Iraq have been spurred by a spate of airstrikes blamed on Israel that have hit weapons depots and bases belonging to the Iran-backed militias, known collectively as the Popular Mobilization Forces, or PMF.

Why isn't Joe asked every day about how to address Iraq?  He voted for the war that destroyed the country.  That alone should make him responsible for coming up with solutions.  He can't stop bragging that Barack Obama tasked him, as vice president, to deal with Iraq.  If he wants to brag about that, he needs to be asked about that.

He claims today that Bully Boy Bush tricked him into supporting the Iraq War.  Is Bush still tricking him?  Is he tricking Joe into silence?

Joe needs to stop his folklore stories and start addressing reality.  If the press isn't up to demanding that from him, they just need to admit that they're worthless.


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