many Senate Democrats are concerned about whether their Republican colleagues are genuinely seeking a deal or deliberately trying to derail the process.
I believe this is indeed the case, as I believe Biden will take just about anything while house republicans are not really offering but asking what Biden will give them, in other words "bring me a rock" and it will never be the right rock. Republicans are going all in with Putin and he is cheering them on.
Biden and Dem leadership need to stop kowtowing to the left wing of the Party. Most Americans - including Hispanics - support humane, effective border controls. Take the best deal you can get on immigration, get funding for Ukraine, and score a big win toward Joe's re-election.
Biden and Dem leadership need to stop kowtowing to the left wing of the Party. Most Americans, including Hispanics, support humane, effective border controls. Take the best deal you can get on immigration, get funding for Ukraine, and score a big win toward Joe's re-election.
1) The only positive spin that I can give to Comer’s rantings is this: how glib could anyone be when defending the indefensible? Trump has demanded that Comer say something to imply/claim that Biden is guilty. Trump doesn’t care if there is nothing to back it up. So Comer has an impossible task. But really the only two options open to interpretation on Comer’s character are these: (1) he believes what he is saying and is therefore delusional, or (2) he knows that he is lying and is therefore a craven, power-hungry politician with zero sense of decency or morality (you know, like most of today’s GOP). If I had to bet, I know where I would put my money.
2) Let’s parse Comer’s response:
a) “And the fact that you indict Hunter Biden for the obvious—he didn’t pay taxes on the things that he had a W-2 on”. Exactly what does that have to do with a possible FARA violation?
b) “But all these loans, if you had a loan on the books for five, six, seven years, you’ve never made a principal payment, much less than interest payment.” Same question – what does this have to do with a possible FARA violation?
c) “At what point does that loan become revenue?” My understanding is when the loan is officially forgiven or the loaner has given up trying to get his/her money and writes it off. Another non-FARA accusation.
d) “Are you hiding? Was it ever alone?” What does this even mean? Who is “you”? And why were “you” alone? And why should I care if “you” was every alone?
e) “Or was it always revenue just listed as loans are you will not pay taxes on it?” Ignoring the garbled syntax it seems that he is accusing someone of tax evasion. Interesting but not related to FARA.
f) “And then you take—how did you get that money? You’re lobbying.” I assume he is asking how Hunter Biden got his money? A fair question, but not one related to Joe Biden.
g) “Lobbying China, you’re lobbying uranium? It’s hard to see how anyone named Biden could run afoul of FARA if they are lobbying China. It doesn’t work that way. And who exactly is “uranium”?
f) “And who are you lobbying? You’re lobbying Joe Biden, and Joe, you flew on the plane with Joe Biden.” As JP has clearly pointed out, whatever lobbying Hunter Biden did and whatever FARA liability he has, it has nothing to do with Joe Biden and FARA.
This response reminds me of many of Trump’s responses. They kind of vaguely sound plausible until you actually think about what has been said. Then you realize it’s not only nonresponsive to the question at hand, but it often is truly nonsensical.
3) “But if you’re going to lob accusations of FARA-related lawbreaking, you should be able to clearly and specifically describe how the law was broken.” This is certainly true, but the rot goes much deeper. As I have said many times, not only has the GOP failed to produce any evidence of Biden wrongdoing, they can’t even articulate exactly what they think that Biden has done (remember last week he was accused of money laundering).
4) JP’s comment that “Hunter Biden could end up with a FARA violation if more information about his work for various foreign clients is uncovered” is the right way to phrase it and only highlights (again) the uneven playing field. What are the odds that any Trumplicant would ever say that Trump “might” be guilty of something? And, of course, the other aspect of this is that no one (to my knowledge) on the Dem side is claiming that Hunter Biden is a victim of a witch hunt (and that includes Joe Biden).
5) I, for one, was hopeful that the GOP could force the Dems to do something about border security in exchange for the Ukraine aid. That to me sounded like a win-win. The border is a mess and we need to fund Ukraine. But it sure sounds like the GOP isn’t bargaining in good faith (perhaps I am being naïve, but I really hoped that both sides could get to a compromise). It sounds like the GOP is dead set against Ukraine aid and will keep moving the goal posts until the Dems just give up. But I will try to remain hopeful.
Also, as the Bulwark pointed out yesterday, in three months the GOP will officially be led by a pro-Putin toddler, and a vote on Ukraine will be something they need to justify to him.
"DLLAL" looks like she's been taking 'roids for years.
I'm surprised that her "guns" are not more pronounced since she had ben hitting the gym for many years "religiously" (certainly more time than actually understanding the New Testament).
To all our Putin Republicans. What happens when Ukraine falls? Because Putin wants to reclaim the old USSR he'll head for Poland next, then Germany. And all the good Putin Republicans will blame the Democrats and cheer Putin because he's paying for their campaigns.
Yes the border needs attention but holding it hostage with nut jar demands is a separate issue.
Lately, I've received several calls from individuals claiming to be representatives of one or another finance company or broker who informed me that my request has been approved up to $50,000! Remarkable, considering that I've never applied for a loan from any of these so-called finance companies. All I needed to do was to call a number (helpfully provided by the caller) to complete the application.
Of course I hung up and blocked the numbers reputedly used by the fraudsters.
Using Comer's "analytical logic", am I also guilty of attempted loan fraud?
Because some poor people from latin america are such a threat to us security. Well eff off Lindsay you fake How much of this bs are we supposed to take?
Comer is so full of shit he's liable to burst, and I hope Perticone is nowhere near him when it happens. How can you live with yourself and maintain a straight face when you constantly spew bullshit in front of television cameras? Is he an Academy Award winning level actor? Is he so stupid that he believes what he's saying? Or is he malevolently lying to his voters to sow hatred and paranoia into the body politic? I get really sick of this garbage. I get sick of the credulity of the voters and I get sick of the pandering of Republican politicians.
"[H]e was lobbying his father. So that makes Joe Biden liable in Foreign Agents Registration Act liability. So we’ve got a lot of concerns here. This is the tip of the iceberg."
It's always the tip of the damned iceberg. Except no one ever finds the iceberg, and icebergs are pretty big, so they should be able to find it.
He's a also a woman beater who has never been held accountable for it. He is a man of low character all around and should not be trusted or relied upon for anything.
"You also have the obvious violation of the Foreign Agents Registration Act. And who was he lobbying for? He was lobbying for China, Russia, and some of the worst countries in the world. But also, he was lobbying his father. So that makes Joe Biden liable in Foreign Agents Registration Act liability. So we’ve got a lot of concerns here. This is the tip of the iceberg."
Since the New GOP is holding the sins of the son against his father I have one question that I asked before:
When are the Repubs going to hold Kevin Cramer (R-ND) liable for his 41 year old son Ian's alleged manslaughter of a Sheriff's Deputy while in a high speed chase? If you are going to hold Hunter's actions *as an adult* against Pres Biden -- when he was a private citizen, not VPOTUS or POTUS -- then in all fairness (a word unknown to most of the New GOP Congresspeople) Sen Cramer should be investigated to see if he had any part in Ian's trouble while he *is* in office. (I know, ain't gonna happen.)
-----
"Graham also chided Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), another negotiator on the potential agreement, for being “very unhelpful,” adding, “His attitude about what's going on, it’s all face. We’re not holding the border hostage. We’re trying to protect the American people.”"
I call bovine scat on Karen Graham. His actions since he bent his knee and kissed the Amber Australopithecus' ass have been the epitome of being "very unhelpful[.]" Furthermore, it is truly a case of the pot calling the kettle black when Graham talks about Murphy taking part in political theater; Graham has not been a serious legislator since John McCain passed. And, if you're *not* using the border as a bargaining chip then what exactly are you doing? You are most certainly not trying to protect us with your crap about a porous border letting untold numbers of terrorists and an unfathomable amount of illicit drugs crossing the southern border unchallenged (while showing no interest on who might be crossing our northern border, which is a much easier route with a larger swath being uncovered). It is only a very small minority of illegal border crossings being attempted by terrorists, most are looking to improve their lot in life in "the land of milk and honey." A vast majority of the drugs being smuggled into the US occurs at official Ports of Entry, and not across unprotected stretches of the border:
"CBP data indicates most illicit drug substances are smuggled through POEs, contrary to common belief that they are smuggled between ports of entry, particularly in areas without fencing or other physical barriers. The data also indicates that most illicit fentanyl encountered by CBP is smuggled through POEs at the southern border." https://immigrationforum.org/article/illicit-fentanyl-and-drug-smuggling-at-the-u-s-mexico-border-an-overview/
Mr Graham, while I know you won't do it, maybe you should cut back on your doomcasting to try and scare the voting public into giving the New GOP the WH, a Senate majority and retain the House majority. It's time to wake up to the fact that a majority of Americans no longer view your party as the Law And Order Party. A true politician (which obviously you are not) sees what's good for the entire country and moves in that direction; retaining power should not enter into the equation.
Reading the quoted statement from James Comer, I noticed that if you replace Joe Biden with Clarence Thomas, you would get a statement that actually applies to a government official. A failure to repay a loan is revenue and that can be construed as influence. Is that not Comer's claim?
"Ukraine will fight to the last man". Really, is Linsday Graham and the rest of the GOP fine with this? It will really be to the last man, given the current state of the party of foreign policy.
Per Comer: "He (Hunter) was lobbying for China, Russia, and some of the worst countries in the world." And yet the Republican party want to be like them. Trump admires Xi and Putin. So exactly what is Comer's complaint?
Also, per Comer's definition, a lot of Congress will need to be held liable per FARA requirements. Lots of work for the DOJ to take on.
The way congress treated Zelensky was sickening! The gqp make ashamed to be an American...
many Senate Democrats are concerned about whether their Republican colleagues are genuinely seeking a deal or deliberately trying to derail the process.
I believe this is indeed the case, as I believe Biden will take just about anything while house republicans are not really offering but asking what Biden will give them, in other words "bring me a rock" and it will never be the right rock. Republicans are going all in with Putin and he is cheering them on.
Biden and Dem leadership need to stop kowtowing to the left wing of the Party. Most Americans - including Hispanics - support humane, effective border controls. Take the best deal you can get on immigration, get funding for Ukraine, and score a big win toward Joe's re-election.
Can you be more specific? "humane. effective border controls" is a political term not a policy one. What specific changes should Biden take or offer?
Biden and Dem leadership need to stop kowtowing to the left wing of the Party. Most Americans, including Hispanics, support humane, effective border controls. Take the best deal you can get on immigration, get funding for Ukraine, and score a big win toward Joe's re-election.
A few comments….
1) The only positive spin that I can give to Comer’s rantings is this: how glib could anyone be when defending the indefensible? Trump has demanded that Comer say something to imply/claim that Biden is guilty. Trump doesn’t care if there is nothing to back it up. So Comer has an impossible task. But really the only two options open to interpretation on Comer’s character are these: (1) he believes what he is saying and is therefore delusional, or (2) he knows that he is lying and is therefore a craven, power-hungry politician with zero sense of decency or morality (you know, like most of today’s GOP). If I had to bet, I know where I would put my money.
2) Let’s parse Comer’s response:
a) “And the fact that you indict Hunter Biden for the obvious—he didn’t pay taxes on the things that he had a W-2 on”. Exactly what does that have to do with a possible FARA violation?
b) “But all these loans, if you had a loan on the books for five, six, seven years, you’ve never made a principal payment, much less than interest payment.” Same question – what does this have to do with a possible FARA violation?
c) “At what point does that loan become revenue?” My understanding is when the loan is officially forgiven or the loaner has given up trying to get his/her money and writes it off. Another non-FARA accusation.
d) “Are you hiding? Was it ever alone?” What does this even mean? Who is “you”? And why were “you” alone? And why should I care if “you” was every alone?
e) “Or was it always revenue just listed as loans are you will not pay taxes on it?” Ignoring the garbled syntax it seems that he is accusing someone of tax evasion. Interesting but not related to FARA.
f) “And then you take—how did you get that money? You’re lobbying.” I assume he is asking how Hunter Biden got his money? A fair question, but not one related to Joe Biden.
g) “Lobbying China, you’re lobbying uranium? It’s hard to see how anyone named Biden could run afoul of FARA if they are lobbying China. It doesn’t work that way. And who exactly is “uranium”?
f) “And who are you lobbying? You’re lobbying Joe Biden, and Joe, you flew on the plane with Joe Biden.” As JP has clearly pointed out, whatever lobbying Hunter Biden did and whatever FARA liability he has, it has nothing to do with Joe Biden and FARA.
This response reminds me of many of Trump’s responses. They kind of vaguely sound plausible until you actually think about what has been said. Then you realize it’s not only nonresponsive to the question at hand, but it often is truly nonsensical.
3) “But if you’re going to lob accusations of FARA-related lawbreaking, you should be able to clearly and specifically describe how the law was broken.” This is certainly true, but the rot goes much deeper. As I have said many times, not only has the GOP failed to produce any evidence of Biden wrongdoing, they can’t even articulate exactly what they think that Biden has done (remember last week he was accused of money laundering).
4) JP’s comment that “Hunter Biden could end up with a FARA violation if more information about his work for various foreign clients is uncovered” is the right way to phrase it and only highlights (again) the uneven playing field. What are the odds that any Trumplicant would ever say that Trump “might” be guilty of something? And, of course, the other aspect of this is that no one (to my knowledge) on the Dem side is claiming that Hunter Biden is a victim of a witch hunt (and that includes Joe Biden).
5) I, for one, was hopeful that the GOP could force the Dems to do something about border security in exchange for the Ukraine aid. That to me sounded like a win-win. The border is a mess and we need to fund Ukraine. But it sure sounds like the GOP isn’t bargaining in good faith (perhaps I am being naïve, but I really hoped that both sides could get to a compromise). It sounds like the GOP is dead set against Ukraine aid and will keep moving the goal posts until the Dems just give up. But I will try to remain hopeful.
Also, as the Bulwark pointed out yesterday, in three months the GOP will officially be led by a pro-Putin toddler, and a vote on Ukraine will be something they need to justify to him.
This is my read too. Republicans don't want to win, because actual governning doesn't feed the rage that moves their base.
Love the picture of ReTrumplican't brainstorming..."Dude Looks Like A Lady" Greene and "Cain't Get It Right" Commer.
Add up their IQ scores and it might hit 100.
MTG strikes me more as clone of Vicki Gunvalson--same hair, similar face, same propensity towards screaming...she's Vicki minus the boob job.
"DLLAL" looks like she's been taking 'roids for years.
I'm surprised that her "guns" are not more pronounced since she had ben hitting the gym for many years "religiously" (certainly more time than actually understanding the New Testament).
Awww, that photo of MTG & Comer is so sweet. Dumb & Dumber.
To all our Putin Republicans. What happens when Ukraine falls? Because Putin wants to reclaim the old USSR he'll head for Poland next, then Germany. And all the good Putin Republicans will blame the Democrats and cheer Putin because he's paying for their campaigns.
Yes the border needs attention but holding it hostage with nut jar demands is a separate issue.
Lately, I've received several calls from individuals claiming to be representatives of one or another finance company or broker who informed me that my request has been approved up to $50,000! Remarkable, considering that I've never applied for a loan from any of these so-called finance companies. All I needed to do was to call a number (helpfully provided by the caller) to complete the application.
Of course I hung up and blocked the numbers reputedly used by the fraudsters.
Using Comer's "analytical logic", am I also guilty of attempted loan fraud?
I doubt it.
Well, not under the current administration you aren't...
Because some poor people from latin america are such a threat to us security. Well eff off Lindsay you fake How much of this bs are we supposed to take?
Comer is so full of shit he's liable to burst, and I hope Perticone is nowhere near him when it happens. How can you live with yourself and maintain a straight face when you constantly spew bullshit in front of television cameras? Is he an Academy Award winning level actor? Is he so stupid that he believes what he's saying? Or is he malevolently lying to his voters to sow hatred and paranoia into the body politic? I get really sick of this garbage. I get sick of the credulity of the voters and I get sick of the pandering of Republican politicians.
"[H]e was lobbying his father. So that makes Joe Biden liable in Foreign Agents Registration Act liability. So we’ve got a lot of concerns here. This is the tip of the iceberg."
It's always the tip of the damned iceberg. Except no one ever finds the iceberg, and icebergs are pretty big, so they should be able to find it.
As Jon Fetterman said, “We aren’t sending our best and brightest to Congress”. A magnificent understatement.
Comer is working hard behind the scenes.
He's a also a woman beater who has never been held accountable for it. He is a man of low character all around and should not be trusted or relied upon for anything.
And apparently paid for an abortion. Anyone surprised?
They seem to be hunting for that iceberg in their own personal Titanic. I personally hope they find it. I'd help them move the deck chairs.
Love your newsletters!
"You also have the obvious violation of the Foreign Agents Registration Act. And who was he lobbying for? He was lobbying for China, Russia, and some of the worst countries in the world. But also, he was lobbying his father. So that makes Joe Biden liable in Foreign Agents Registration Act liability. So we’ve got a lot of concerns here. This is the tip of the iceberg."
Since the New GOP is holding the sins of the son against his father I have one question that I asked before:
When are the Repubs going to hold Kevin Cramer (R-ND) liable for his 41 year old son Ian's alleged manslaughter of a Sheriff's Deputy while in a high speed chase? If you are going to hold Hunter's actions *as an adult* against Pres Biden -- when he was a private citizen, not VPOTUS or POTUS -- then in all fairness (a word unknown to most of the New GOP Congresspeople) Sen Cramer should be investigated to see if he had any part in Ian's trouble while he *is* in office. (I know, ain't gonna happen.)
-----
"Graham also chided Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), another negotiator on the potential agreement, for being “very unhelpful,” adding, “His attitude about what's going on, it’s all face. We’re not holding the border hostage. We’re trying to protect the American people.”"
I call bovine scat on Karen Graham. His actions since he bent his knee and kissed the Amber Australopithecus' ass have been the epitome of being "very unhelpful[.]" Furthermore, it is truly a case of the pot calling the kettle black when Graham talks about Murphy taking part in political theater; Graham has not been a serious legislator since John McCain passed. And, if you're *not* using the border as a bargaining chip then what exactly are you doing? You are most certainly not trying to protect us with your crap about a porous border letting untold numbers of terrorists and an unfathomable amount of illicit drugs crossing the southern border unchallenged (while showing no interest on who might be crossing our northern border, which is a much easier route with a larger swath being uncovered). It is only a very small minority of illegal border crossings being attempted by terrorists, most are looking to improve their lot in life in "the land of milk and honey." A vast majority of the drugs being smuggled into the US occurs at official Ports of Entry, and not across unprotected stretches of the border:
"CBP data indicates most illicit drug substances are smuggled through POEs, contrary to common belief that they are smuggled between ports of entry, particularly in areas without fencing or other physical barriers. The data also indicates that most illicit fentanyl encountered by CBP is smuggled through POEs at the southern border." https://immigrationforum.org/article/illicit-fentanyl-and-drug-smuggling-at-the-u-s-mexico-border-an-overview/
Mr Graham, while I know you won't do it, maybe you should cut back on your doomcasting to try and scare the voting public into giving the New GOP the WH, a Senate majority and retain the House majority. It's time to wake up to the fact that a majority of Americans no longer view your party as the Law And Order Party. A true politician (which obviously you are not) sees what's good for the entire country and moves in that direction; retaining power should not enter into the equation.
fnord
Reading the quoted statement from James Comer, I noticed that if you replace Joe Biden with Clarence Thomas, you would get a statement that actually applies to a government official. A failure to repay a loan is revenue and that can be construed as influence. Is that not Comer's claim?
I'd go with Jared Kushner for FARA violations and almost free loans from UAE and Saudi Arabia.
"Ukraine will fight to the last man". Really, is Linsday Graham and the rest of the GOP fine with this? It will really be to the last man, given the current state of the party of foreign policy.
Per Comer: "He (Hunter) was lobbying for China, Russia, and some of the worst countries in the world." And yet the Republican party want to be like them. Trump admires Xi and Putin. So exactly what is Comer's complaint?
Also, per Comer's definition, a lot of Congress will need to be held liable per FARA requirements. Lots of work for the DOJ to take on.