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CHARLIE SYKES: Biden Is Old, But Trump Is Crazy (and Dangerous)
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DENNIS AFTERGUT: Shutdown Politics: What Trump Wants, Who Gets Blamed.
THE IMPENDING GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN is dĆ©jĆ vu all over againānot only because Republicans are yet again stopping federal government operations, but also because Donald Trump is once more wreaking havoc on the country to serve his own interests.
He did it catastrophically after the 2020 election, culminating in the insurrection of January 6th. Heās doing it again with the shutdown.
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KIMBERLY WEHLE: Kevin McCarthyās Sham Impeachment.
ON SEPTEMBER 12, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy told reporters, āI am directing our House committee to open a formal impeachment inquiry into President Joe Bidenā regarding āallegations of abuse of power, obstruction, and corruption,ā as well as the presidentās purported āknowledge of his familyās foreign business dealings.ā Citing zero evidence of specific wrongdoing by Joe Biden or his son, Hunter Biden, McCarthy emphasized that āan impeachment inquiry is the ability to get the information to answer the questions. Thatās all weāre doing.ā
Setting aside the lack of facts, McCarthyās announcement was a political snoozer for the simple reason that Americans are cynical of, and exhausted by, impeachment talk. After two failed impeachment trials of former President Donald Trump (the first for asking Ukraine to announce an investigation into Joe Biden, the second for inciting the January 6th insurrection), which were preceded two decades earlier by the failed impeachment trial of former President Bill Clinton (for lying under oath about his affair with White House intern Monica Lewinsky), we all know that the Constitutionās impeachment clause has become meaningless as a check on abuses of presidential power.
šØOVERTIMEšØ
Happy Monday! And if youāre observing Yom Kippur, Shanah Tovah. I hope you had a restful weekend. If we win Powerball, I nominate this as the new Bulwark Wisconsin retreat. Donāt forget to order your free COVID tests!
We have some questions⦠About Vivekās wealth.
Why cheap, obscure cologne is so hot right now: Nostalgia. My old Eddie Bauer collection could fetch hundreds on eBay.
Welcome home, Osiris-Rex! The ambitious asteroid mining project paid off with a resounding success. While I was out and about, NASA pride was in the air at a local mall. Watch a video about the mission here.
PTSD, Booze, and Me⦠Tim Mak on what he ālearned from a dark period in my life while covering this war.ā
Paul Gosar, everybody! He went off on a bizarre, offensive rant about General Mark Milley and why heās āa traitor.ā Just remember, the 9:30 show is completely different than the 7:30 show. Enjoy the veal!
āWhat does next look like?ā Inside the unfolding recovery of the Fetterman family.
āA bus rideā¦ā by Joey Votto, on what might be the end of his career in Cincinnati.
Editorial photos provided by Getty Images. For full credits, please consult the article.