Smoke Meet Gun

Click here to watch Luft's recorded testimony.

Could you provide a link to support what you said, OOPS, because most people who pay attention actually don't believe what they're told, regardless of who's telling it ... especially those who choose to remain anonymous?  It's pretty easy to look at a long list of evidence and listen to a growing group of reputable whistle blowers who tell us what the "criminal" is telling us and have reason to think there's substance to it. 

On the other hand, it's not surprising to find that there are those who will believe people they don't know that have a track record of fabricating facts and regurgitating outright mendacity rather than researching alternative views and applying simple logic to form an opinion.  You know, burning buildings and death is mostly peaceful and fifty-some high ranking intelligence officials signing a letter supporting Russian collusion.

You are anonymous, but I appreciate that we're being civil.

First, I hope you recognize that the U.S. Attorney's office in the Southern District of New York is not necessarily unbiased, as evidenced by reports of many other offices not to mention the AG himself.  Regardless, I'm not claiming that all of what you and they allege is untrue.  I am saying that what they say is easily brought into question.  You say you've vetted it, but you link to a questionable source for evidence.  It seems you're giving credence to allegations made by people who have shown they are not always objective and at times display preferential treatment to certain classes.  In this case, towards those who are either holding office or family of them.

For instance, it's my understanding that count one is something he does not dispute, but is essentially the same thing that evidence shows Hunter Biden has done with both the knowledge and participation of his father and something he likely continues doing.  To my knowledge, Hunter has not been charged.  I understand that all of what the Republicans are claiming may be no more than partisan propaganda, but there is also mounting evidence which supports their allegations.  

Counts two - five have been disputed by Luft.  Are we still a country which assumes innocence until guilt has been proven, or are we to march to the gallows on the word of those who's integrity is becoming dubious?  If we're to believe these charges without his day in court, do we also believe the charges leveled against Joe Biden, i.e. influence peddling while VP and violation of the Foreign Agents Registration Act?  I do, but I also recognize that evidence doesn't always equal proof.

So, yes, I think you are blindly believing what people of questionable intentions are telling you, and I wonder why you're anonymous.

Hello Gentlemen, remember me? I left the board during the early days of the COVID debate, when only Mike was taking it seriously as a pandemic. I walked about the same time as Pila, remember him? I came onto this board from the same place you did in the very beginning, TOB. The reason I came back as anonymous was I wanted to see if you could remain ‘civil’ if you faced an opposing viewpoint, and One was polite, but there was a condescending tone too. First off, I am neither liberal nor conservative, not on board with either party, I am a moderate pragmatist. I also don’t believe in any specific dogma, political agenda, or most importantly, anything coming from organized religions. I accept that change is inevitable, and I evolve to adapt to the cycles of life, therefore I have no strict belief that I adhere to, except for some basic moral guidelines. Those I take from Jesus words, not the interpretations that have perverted many of his teachings. I keep it simple, so to speak.
This thread drew me in because Mike started it and that surprised me. This obsession with Hunter’s antics shows how hard it is to find dirt on Joe, so attack his drug addicted son. While he is not an upstanding guy, it is a stretch to lay that at Joe’s feet. As far as the evidence attaching any of this supposed money that actually went to Joe is absent so far, and seems to me to be a way to distract you from the avalanche of shit about to explode when Jack Smith releases his indictments.
I will say this as simply as possible, Trump tried to overthrow the government to stay in power, seven different ways that ended with the violence and destruction that occurred on Jan 6, 2021. Trouble is coming for the GOP, and it is all self-inflicted, mainly because they play the politics of fear, anger, and hatred. They want you upset and thinking emotionally, rather than rationally. From Trump to Santos, corruption abounds in the GOP, and no, the dems aren’t immune, but the most destructive rhetoric comes from the right. And that has translated to a lot of violence, and threats of it. Thousands of Asian Americans were assaulted after COVID because red blooded Americans blamed them for it, as if they had anything to do with it! Jews are under attack again, always by white supremacist fascists. Now the LGBTQ folks are again under assault by the right, another scapegoat group that will suffer to keep you angry. Moms for Liberty is out there making sure we ban books to prevent indoctrination of children. I always thought that was how you indoctrinate, by withholding information, and teaching a narrow view rather than a wider one.
I’m just saying that your party is playing a dangerous game, veering too hard right, not looking for anyway to draw in moderates, which you need. The electorate is not what it used to be, registered GOP and Dem voters are both around 28%, while the rest is independent. Similarly, about equal amount lean left or right, but fully 2/3 will lean wherever the deem their personal interests lie. The Freedom caucus is trying to turn house hearings into conservative media soundbites. Their attack on Chris Wray yesterday was new low, somehow trying to make him seem like a liberal shill, he’s a card carrying member of the Federalist Society for God’s sake. The lunatics are running the show, and they are handing 2024 to the dems, and you guys are focusing on Hunter Biden.
Well, there I got that off my chest, don’t hate me for it, this country was built on healthy debate. This side of the board has become a conservative coffee klatch. A place to come and talk with those that think like you, in the past it became rather contentious when there was opposition in the room. I was called names, attacked just because I disagreed with some of you. One, you even said to me once, I thought you were a real American, or something close. It was one of the reasons I walked, because I truly liked you, and never pictured you saying something like that. Who are any of us to judge what a ‘real’ American is, but what you really meant was that I was not like you. You also asked me if I thought Americans are stupid, and the answer is no, but I have seen very intelligent people do very stupid things, the two aren’t mutually exclusive.
On a final note, Jalen Hurts helped save my life last year. In mid-August I was rushed to the hospital, had emergency surgery, spent a couple of weeks in ICU, and did not get home until late September, not in great shape, and it is still on ongoing process. But watching that kid shine on the field gave me incentive to recover, because I want to watch him for years to come, I don’t think he is anywhere close to peaking, and that is the best part. It not about the destination as much as it is about the journey, and I expect his is going to be a sight to see.

Thanks for the welcome MD, I knew my medical dilemma would resonate with you, I know you have had a history of cardio issues if I remember. I appreciate your advice, and I have a strong family unit that made recovery easier than it could have been. I had three separate issues, starting with a gastric problem, but the testing before the surgery revealed bladder and kidney issues. So my ongoing process is less about straight line recovery and more about managing the subsequent surgeries, and a short stint on Dialysis since the surgery nearly shut down my one good kidney. I still have two more procedures to go, but by year end most of this will be behind me. Hope all is well with you, I'm doing incredibly well given the road I've been down, planning to be around for a long while. The main difference I feel after all this, is a renewed appreciation for how good I actually have it, and I enjoy every day far more than I did before this. As far as wisdom goes, if that means that the more you know really reveals how little you know, then yeah I am wiser. The older I get, the more questions I have, and I have come to accept that none of them will ever have a definitive answer. And that's just fine with me.

I'll second the welcome, birdwatcher.  Two things in your thread bother me, that I was perceived as being condescending and that I'm attributed to the "I thought you were a real American" comment. 

I apologize for coming across as being condescending, it wasn't my intent.  I find there is such a disconnect between those who rely on news sources reporting only one perspective that I get frustrated.  I don't mean to attribute that to you, but there are many who openly admit that they believe alternative news sources which present a completely opposite perspective on happenings are right wing lunatics.  Not meaning to be insulting, but your arguments appear to ignore the possibility that those you disagree with may be presenting accurate facts.

I don't remember making the "real American" comment and honestly don't think it sounds like me.  Maybe I did, but I'd honestly be surprised.  I'm sorry if I did because I agree that would be out of line.  That's one of the pitfalls of online discussions.  I'm sure I'm an asshole, I just don't think I'm that kind of asshole.

I'm continually shocked that so many good, intelligent and honest people so quickly discount the abundance of evidence which incriminates the left.  It's not that it's indisputable proof of anything, but so many have provided testimony and offered documentation of wrong doings that objectivity would seem to dictate at least investigations.  I get frustrated when, during the course of a discussion indisputable evidence is presented and ignored - "indisputable" being those times when allegations offered up as facts are later revealed to have been untrue by those who originally presented them.  

I believe we've shared a table and had beers and food together.  I enjoyed your company and I still enjoy interaction with you because we have different opinions.  I mostly get bored of discussion with those who share my views.  More than anything I want to be right and I recognize that everything I "know" about these things comes from someone I don't know.  Someone who very possibly has an agenda and at best may be omitting information from their "facts."  I don't trust those who have been shown to have lied to me and I don't understand why others believe them.  I engage in discussion not to be right, but to be educated.

Anyway, welcome back and I hope you regain your health.  

There was a right-wing poster back then, in the early months of the pandemic . . . I can't remember what he called himself. He was pretty aggressive/offensive. He almost seemed to play the part of the caricature that leftists believe conservatives to be. Made me wonder on at least one occasion whether he was having fun mocking conservatives by pretending to be one. Who knows. I think Aquila kicked him out - but maybe he just left on his own. Anyone else remember that?

Thanks for the detailed reply One, it gives me much insight into what you think. It is too late today, and I have a busy weekend ahead, but I promise to respond to all you shared by early next week. I was surprised by that last paragraph, interesting that you see yourself as a liberal, but hey, I am not questioning it. I need some time to dig up some info that I can use to properly address some of your assertions, just a bit of a counterpoint, I'm not out to tell you that you are wrong. You can believe what you want, I just want to give you some additional info, how you take it will be wholly up to you. Thanks again and I'll be back soon.

Thanks for the great post. I've copied your first Birdwatcher post below with breaks in it for my comments:

Hello Gentlemen, remember me? I left the board during the early days of the COVID debate, when only Mike was taking it seriously as a pandemic. I walked about the same time as Pila, remember him? I came onto this board from the same place you did in the very beginning, TOB. The reason I came back as anonymous was I wanted to see if you could remain ‘civil’ if you faced an opposing viewpoint, and One was polite, but there was a condescending tone too. First off, I am neither liberal nor conservative, not on board with either party, I am a moderate pragmatist. I also don’t believe in any specific dogma, political agenda, or most importantly, anything coming from organized religions. I accept that change is inevitable, and I evolve to adapt to the cycles of life, therefore I have no strict belief that I adhere to, except for some basic moral guidelines. Those I take from Jesus words, not the interpretations that have perverted many of his teachings. I keep it simple, so to speak.

This thread drew me in because Mike started it and that surprised me. This obsession with Hunter’s antics shows how hard it is to find dirt on Joe, so attack his drug addicted son. While he is not an upstanding guy, it is a stretch to lay that at Joe’s feet. As far as the evidence attaching any of this supposed money that actually went to Joe is absent so far, and seems to me to be a way to distract you from the avalanche of shit about to explode when Jack Smith releases his indictments.

>>>> do you think they have tried to find dirt on Joe? There was a reason that everyone but the NY Post hid the laptop story for over a year. Look at all of the news outfits that over a year later gave validity to the laptop story that they hid for over a year. Squash a story when it can harm you and then release its validity after the storm has passed, quietly with very little fanfare from the media. Move along. Nothing to see here.... What all of those news outlets did was criminal. Anyone interested in responsible government and real journalism and free speech should be all over this story. Same with Twitter gate which we would have never known if Musk didn't buy it. Very little coverage by the mainstream media, where anyone who values free speech should have demanded accountability. I have no fear of Smith's finding. IMO Trump blatantly obstructed justice in the documents case in the easiest to prosecute way. Most people don't subscribe to my guess as to why he did what he did. Christie recently said it was so that he could still act presidential. "Look how important I am." I think it is simple. He was holding onto that info as his get out of jail card. Fuck him and the horse he rode in on. Back to the Bidens, I agree the father isn't responsible for what the son did. However, why don't we spend a little time kicking the tires of Joe's multi million net profit S corps along with that of his wife Jill? Any CPA can get in the know real quick. I volunteer if nobody else is interested! And those rumors about the sudden wealth of the Biden relatives? Again real easy to find out. As far as healthy skepticism, let's throw half of the "healthy skepticism" doled out to the asshole to Biden. Investigate, publicize and prosecute. Trump had it right. Clean up the swamp. The only problem was that he'd be thrown out in the same trash bin as Biden and Hillary. We need to insist on our leaders be of high character. And even if they are creeps, if they break the law, lock them up! Make it known that if you are in high office and break the law that there are grave consequences.


I will say this as simply as possible, Trump tried to overthrow the government to stay in power, seven different ways that ended with the violence and destruction that occurred on Jan 6, 2021.

>>> I generally agree. Not sure about the seven ways, but dude has never been responsible for any of his mistakes. It's always someone else's fault. Never admit a mistake or loss. The thing not harped on enough was what he did during that January 6th. Where was he/ What did he do? Other than calling Pence a pussy, what did he say? I'm amazed that Pence didn't have a closed door meeting with Trump upon return to the White House and kick the shit out of him for endangering his life with his bull shit. I guess punching the President is an offense somewhere in the laws, but he was justified and could find a sympathetic jury. The fact Pence has handled it all with kid gloves discredits his credentials for the highest office IMO. But about the Jan 6th hearings, why not have real hearings where you have dissenting opinions and cross examination? Why the TV production? Both "sides" should have been equally heard IMO and let the public decide what was the real story? How did the violence and destruction of January 6th compare to the post Floyd riots and looting? There has to be that information somewhere, that compares lives lost, injuries, property destroyed, police men injured, prosecutions. Sure, an attempt to prevent a ratification of an election holds a greater weight for sure (Understatement),but let's report the fact equally and at least show some outrage of what happened in May of that year.

Trouble is coming for the GOP, and it is all self-inflicted, mainly because they play the politics of fear, anger, and hatred. They want you upset and thinking emotionally, rather than rationally. From Trump to Santos, corruption abounds in the GOP, and no, the dems aren’t immune, but the most destructive rhetoric comes from the right. And that has translated to a lot of violence, and threats of it. Thousands of Asian Americans were assaulted after COVID because red blooded Americans blamed them for it, as if they had anything to do with it! Jews are under attack again, always by white supremacist fascists. Now the LGBTQ folks are again under assault by the right, another scapegoat group that will suffer to keep you angry. Moms for Liberty is out there making sure we ban books to prevent indoctrination of children. I always thought that was how you indoctrinate, by withholding information, and teaching a narrow view rather than a wider one.

>>>>I agree that the Republicans do seem to shoot themselves in the foot. Tuberville. Really? But I see the far sides of both parties being equally destructive. I have it on my "to do" to research the "don't say gay" law in Florida to see what everyone is up in arms about. No doubt it is being portrayed in the media as being evil, but I have some very moderate conservatives relatives in Florida who think otherwise. As far as the hot buzz word of the day, "fascism", it would be interesting to see some research about what that term means and how it pertains to our political persuasions these days


I’m just saying that your party is playing a dangerous game, veering too hard right, not looking for anyway to draw in moderates, which you need. The electorate is not what it used to be, registered GOP and Dem voters are both around 28%, while the rest is independent. Similarly, about equal amount lean left or right, but fully 2/3 will lean wherever the deem their personal interests lie.

>>> agree about your breakdown of the electorate. The party that can get most of the center will win. The Republicans gave the Democrats the gift that will keep on giving. The post overturn of Roe vs Wade on abortion. I'm an adopted Catholic, so my personal opinion is obviously for the overturn of that law that was an overstep. But if they just said it was up to the states and gave more reasonable abortion dates and allow certain exceptions for incest and rape, it would have been less of an ongoing issue. Had they done that, people would be focused on how unhappy they are with the DEI mandates and the other forced cultural changes that are going on these last few years. They turned what should be a solid Republican victory to a likely Democratic in in 2024.

The Freedom caucus is trying to turn house hearings into conservative media soundbites. Their attack on Chris Wray yesterday was new low, somehow trying to make him seem like a liberal shill, he’s a card carrying member of the Federalist Society for God’s sake. The lunatics are running the show, and they are handing 2024 to the dems, and you guys are focusing on Hunter Biden.

>>> somewhat agree with this. However, Hunter Biden could be the lead to a bigger issue. One of my college roommates is a big time Dem and a big wig with the IRS. The fact that Hunter got a wrist slap for non filing is not that unusual. However, when he reviewed the procedures and delays, that was way out of the ordinary and resulted in statutes of limitations expiring on a few years that would never have happened. Another of my to do's. Take a look at Biden's tax returns to see what is unusual. Two huge advantages that the Democrats have is the media and the universities. Even though there are conservative talk shows and conservative websites and magazines, 80% of the population gets there news from the Democratic left leaning media. When I was in college many years ago, healthy debates of different points of view was welcomed and promoted. Now, conservative speech is squashed on campus. It's a circle jerk. My generation had the benefit of debate and critical thinking. Not so anymore. I was involved in a project with my alma mater in the recent past and the change was startling. I know you like debate as we corresponded many times over the years which I've enjoyed very much. I would hope that you would see the hiding of big stories by the media, the suppression of free speech on Twitter and the removal of healthy debate on college campuses as huge obstacles to prolonging our democracy.

Well, there I got that off my chest, don’t hate me for it, this country was built on healthy debate. This side of the board has become a conservative coffee klatch. A place to come and talk with those that think like you, in the past it became rather contentious when there was opposition in the room. I was called names, attacked just because I disagreed with some of you. One, you even said to me once, I thought you were a real American, or something close. It was one of the reasons I walked, because I truly liked you, and never pictured you saying something like that. Who are any of us to judge what a ‘real’ American is, but what you really meant was that I was not like you. You also asked me if I thought Americans are stupid, and the answer is no, but I have seen very intelligent people do very stupid things, the two aren’t mutually exclusive.

On a final note, Jalen Hurts helped save my life last year. In mid-August I was rushed to the hospital, had emergency surgery, spent a couple of weeks in ICU, and did not get home until late September, not in great shape, and it is still on ongoing process. But watching that kid shine on the field gave me incentive to recover, because I want to watch him for years to come, I don’t think he is anywhere close to peaking, and that is the best part. It not about the destination as much as it is about the journey, and I expect his is going to be a sight to see.

>>> That's great news that he helped. He does seem very special and I love his "get to work" attitude. I am a little reserved because most of us felt the same about Wentz after his second year as starter. Hurts seems to have none of those character flaws so I am looking forward to it.

BW,

Interesting.  Thanks for sharing.

While some of the charges are concerning for sure, there have been many criminals in the past that have incriminated other criminals.  His history could make him more informed than others that don't travel in those circles.


Subpoena Gal and Hunter.


Let's have a chat.


BYOB (bring your own bible).

Let's see who knows what.  And let's not have a staged production.  Real hearings trial with cross examinations and such.  

I'll bring the popcorn, you bring the soda.

J6 is another interesting case.  The hearings were a sham, literally a kangaroo court.  The protestors were largely invited into the building and were dumb enough to accept.  Dozens of instigators displayed on video were never charged, those who were identified have been alleged to be plants - again, no investigations.  Security was ignored.  Trump, being Trump, aggravated the situation with poor speech.  Most of those arrested were charged with misdemeanors yet are locked up in a third world gulag and are treated worse than convicted terrorists.  Miles of security video was hidden from evidence because it contradicted much of the narrative.  The only deaths were not inflicted by the protestors.  The violence and destruction was laughable when compared to months of George Floyd, mostly peaceful, protests or Michael Brown.  

This isn't condoning anything, only pointing out yet another disparity is the way "news" is presented to us and the affect it has on us.  This was not a riot and was peaceful until the police responded.  It was not an insurrection!

I see the argument that Trump tried to overthrow the government.  I don't agree, but the discussion should be focused on why that argument sticks to the wall while discussion of all the other things I mentioned earlier is verboten.

OK, I embedded my reply inside the original post from ONE, and I did it in italics with Word, and NONE of it translated when I pasted this! Forgive me for not wanting to edit it AGAIN, but you should be able to see where my comments diverge from One's. I wanted it to be neater and more apparent, but that is not how it shook out.

Malfeasance. Although not the beginning, can we start with Hillary Clinton blatantly and arrogantly destroying evidence in a federal investigation with no punishment?
I have no idea why Comey did not at least give it to a prosecutor to investigate, but regardless, even if it went to court, a server full of emails would not likely land her in jail.
Follow that with VP Joe Biden publicly stating, in fact bragging, that he extorted the Ukrainian government to fire the man who was investigating the company which was enriching his son - a man who had no experience or expertise in the field he was hired in. Joe went to Ukraine with a delegation from the WH, and the backing of European leaders to force the new post Putin friendly regime to oust his corrupt cronies from the prior government. Shokin was the prosecutor you refer to, and one of the targets, not because he was investigating Burisma, but because he was opening investigations, but not…investigating. After he was ousted Burisma was investigated by the guy who took over. Did you know Hunter was a lawyer? Honestly, I didn’t until I started reading old articles about this to give you an informed reply. From several articles I read from back then, he was hired as a consultant to help them expand into the global market, something a lawyer might do. But this was a stupid ploy by HB to make easy money, unethical yes, illegal, no. We also know that Trump was impeached for something very similar even though Zelensky publicly stated he didn't do what he was being accused of. OK, I heard the ‘perfect’ phone call myself, Trump released it. I also heard Col. Vindman and Fiona Hill testify about it, I think they were both in the room. Trump wanted Zelensky to announce an investigation into the Bidens, and he threatened their aid to get it. Of course, Zelensky denied he did that, he needed our help and he in no way was dumb enough to piss off his benefactor, Trump was still President at the time. There's the FBI malfeasance with FISA courts. Happened twice to my knowledge, not exactly a rampant problem. Adam Schiff swearing he had evidence that showed Trump colluded with Russia and 50 some high ranking intelligence officials telling the world the Hunter Biden computer story was Russian disinformation. I respectfully request you read the first half of the actual Mueller report, 119 meetings between the Trump campaign and verified Russian operatives. They even shared polling data with them, I’m sorry, but a lot of smoke there. The report said they could not ‘prove’ it, but there was still a lot of evidence that they were actively working with Russians. A quick hit on the laptop, the computer shop guy decided that he should give it to Rudy Guiliani, if he thought it had something illegal on it, he should have delivered it to the FBI directly. By the time the FBI got it, they had to shelve it, as it had passed through multiple hands and could never be used in court since the chain of evidence was broken, badly. And you mention the NY Post, but they're the one's who broke the story, were closed out of Twitter yet were later proven to be right even though the FBI has been working on the investigation for a few years. The Post story was held up for a whopping 24 hours before Twitter released it. The freedom of speech protects us from the government abridging it, Twitter isn’t the gov and has every right to hold back what they want, especially since they are ad driven and know their advertisers don’t want to be associated with certain types of discourse that may reflect poorly upon them. That entire story was and continues to be steeped in malfeasance. And, of course, the Twitter files exposed by heretofore liberal journalists. Why were renowned scientists, doctors and virologists silenced and punished for taking a professional stance against the "accepted" explanations and policies of COVID? Reports of counting deaths with COVID being added to deaths from (because of) the virus which fueled panic and business closures that in large part precipitated the near collapse of our economy. Children kept from school and their friends even though they had almost zero probability of contracting the virus. It's an extensive list, bw, I'm not sure how most of it can be missed. I missed none of it, I just have a broader view of what you said. The last few things you said, I would need more specifics to properly address. I watched the hearing with the Twitter execs, and it sounded to me that they did not agree with your assertions about it. But again, the freedom of speech thing, as it pertains to Twitter is not a 1st amendment issue. I worked in corporate America as a manager for better than 20 years, their ain’t no Freedom of speech in corporate America, at least if you want to keep your job.

Do you question the credibility of the NYT or WaPo? I’d give them I high rating on credibility, but I also have seen them make mistakes, we all do. I generally look for 3 to 4 sources for any story, and I always check AP and Reuters first, they mainly report facts with little commentary. Pro Publica, the Hill, and a couple of others are pretty good too, as I always look for receipts, not just wild speculation, or worse, single source stories.

I believe the 2020 election was rigged. Hunter's story was intentionally squashed, his father's history of plagiarism, racism and misogyny were ignored by the same media outlets that at one time trumpeted all of it - the news videos still exist on the internet if the search engines will cooperate. A lot to unpack here, bottom line, there is a robust conservative media machine out there, and to suggest that the ‘left’ media ignored all Joe’s hidden demons is iffy. Blame your media outlets for not proclaiming it loud enough. If you have to dig decades back into a man’s life to dig up dirt, maybe that means that currently there is not that much to dwell upon. We have had 46 Presidents, and I can give you dirt on every one of them. There are no angels in politics, but I weigh the palatable against the unpalatable aspects of all of them. I find the older Biden more palatable than the younger version, far less of an arrogant demeanor, and that counts to me. I despise arrogance. And of course we all know how Trump has been treated for seven years (please don't take that as an endorsement) in contrast to how a man who supposedly received the most votes in any election, ever, all while either not campaigning, campaigning from his home, stumbling on stage and referring to his wife as his sister. Trump got what he gave, he was acerbic, rude, arrogant, and petty. That’s American politics, act like an ass and you get called on the carpet for it. Biden’s campaign was genius, he sensed that America had soured on Trump and his bombastic style, so he let him bloviate himself to defeat with a simple message delivered with what you perceive as incompetence. If you are sick of the insanity, join this quiet old man and we will restore sanity. You also have this dual impression of Biden, doddering old fool on one hand, and some kind of criminal genius with sketchy finances on the other. He can’t be both. It may be legal, but the Democrats spent four years in key swing states changing laws, sometimes illegally, to favor their party. Pennsylvania is a prime example. Alternate news sites outside of the mainstream continue to report on irregularities and potentially fraudulent behavior in several key locations across the country - in addition to the thousands of affidavits and expert testimonies that came out right after the election. We have expert testimony that states electronic voting machines are easily hacked and locations that belatedly find that there were more votes counted than there are eligible voters. Can I say unequivocally that the election was illegally stolen? No, but I have to seriously question why with so much evidence there hasn't been a major investigation and why investigative reporters from the mainstream outlets aren't doing their jobs and following leads to either prove or disprove the claims. What I get from this, first, the rule changes made it too easy to vote? Should it be hard? If I remember correctly, most of these changes were challenged by the GOP, they won a couple, but lost most. The 2020 election was the most scrutinized I can ever remember, and most of the scrutiny was by the GOP! Three audits in Georgia, Arizona had the Cyber Ninjas! Wisconsin audited it too, same result, no fraud. Sure, there were pockets of it, but in this day and age, the ability to commit massive voter fraud is pretty much impossible.

I submit that it depends on the courtroom as to the potential for twisting the facts. Jurors in a court in D.C. will show a very high probability to be predisposed to be politically progressive. Steve Bannon didn't stand a chance - also not an endorsement. Judges appointed by a Democrat president are often partisan and I'm sure its the same for judges appointed by Republicans. The same holds true with DAs and prosecutors. I do believe you are off the mark on this, Steve Bannon stood no chance because they had solid proof of his crimes, and that got him convicted. Look at Judge Aileen Cannon, she did something she shouldn’t have to help Trump delay the Mar A Lago case. However, the 11th circuit court, one of the most conservative circuits, shot her down and made her withdraw the order and admit she did not have standing to make that ruling. What makes a lot of what you would like adjudicated unlikely is a lack of corroborating evidence, you have the whistleblower, the FBI tip document, and Hunter’s laptop, but you need more than any of those things to make any case in court. Look, I see all this as a massive exercise in futility, engineered to keep us upset and agitated.
There is a certain faction in this country that wants us divided and at each other’s throat, they are the ones we should be focusing our attention on, and they are called the 1%. They now own 50% of the wealth in this country, and they want more. The Trump tax cuts worked effectively like this, we cut their taxes, they gave the windfall to their investors and enjoyed an artificial bump in valuations, since profits grew from subtraction rather than addition. Finally, our debt shot up as it entered their coffers. Conservatives call them the ‘job creators’ and I say that is a load of cow turds, the market itself is the job creator. When the demand rises, companies hire to fill it, plain and simple. Tax cuts don’t work, but incentives to actually develop and open companies that can fill a need do. Look at the CHIPS act, companies are now building factories to manufacture computer chips here, among other things. That results in multiple levels of employment, from construction, to functioning, and all the adjacent businesses that will sprout around these places.
You seem intent on hanging Biden on his past, but I am looking at what he is doing now, and it is more than you think. Tens of millions of diabetic seniors are no longer getting gouged for insulin, and with Medicare now able to negotiate RX prices, it will help Americans that need the help. I got a surprise this year when my ACA medical insurance plan came in, and considering the year I had last year, it was very welcome. Last year my deductible was 3K and max out of pocket was 6.5K, and believe me I maxed out with over 1M in medical bills. But the point, this year, on the same plan, my deductible became 1500, and the max was only 3k. Ya think the insurance company did that out of the kindness of their hearts? The once imminent threat of a recession is fading fast, as last month’s inflation rate dropped to 3% and with unemployment historically low, the indicators are pointing up for the future. Anything can happen in the next year, but the clouds on the horizon do look brighter.
Finally, because I know I’m going on too much, there is the Ukraine. You may want to think that Putin would have stayed out if Trump was president, but I am positive he was going after Ukraine no matter what, Crimea was just the first step. If Trump were in office I fear Ukraine would have fallen, but like Iraq, Russia would be facing a guerilla war like we did. And given the size of the Ukrainian territory and population, Russia never had enough troops to take and then maintain control. What Biden may ultimately be remembered for is the fall of Putin, which now seems inevitable. Without a boot on the ground, Biden helped the Ukrainians keep Russia on its heels and now they are pushing back hard. Conservative estimates suggest Russia has lost over 100K soldiers, and their army is now mainly untrained recruits that are flailing badly on the battlefield. My father, God rest his soul, grew up as an adolescent in a Nazi occupied country, and he was obsessed with the history of WWII and the Soviet Union. In 2000 he and I started discussing Putin, he saw him for the threat he was before he even began consolidating his power. He told me he thought he could be more dangerous than Stalin, who was basically an uneducated peasant, while Putin was well-educated. Dad was a lifelong conservative, for many reasons, and I think he would have reluctantly got on the Trump train, even though he did lot like him a little bit. But, the first time he kissed Putin’s ass, dad would have dumped him like a bad habit. Anyone who supported Trump’s opinion that Putin was a great and powerful leader, should take a look at how barbarically he has waged this war and think about that again.

I see a big disparity on how the news is reported between the liberal side and the conservative side. I'm a life long liberal, not a nuevo liberal, not a progressive, but a classic liberal - a Kennedy liberal. What most people think of now as a righty. I want reporters to tell me what happened and columnists to give me their views. I don't see much separation between fact and opinion these days other than in the sub-stack type sources. When I mention Trump, it's not so much that I don't approve of showing his bad side, but that the treatment of the Democrats is almost invariably completely different. Mainstream sources appear to protect Democrats from criticism and overreact to Republican faults. I don't think there's much difference between most Republicans and Democrats other than what they say.
With all I just said, I really don’t expect to change anyone’s mind. I suspect that the Tea Party and MAGA have done serious damage to the GOP, and I don’t think you realize how bad just yet. Those 74 million votes came before the post-election antics. I doubt any GOP candidate, in the current climate of revenge politics, and who adheres to the MAGA way, has any chance of winning popular votes except in the deepest red areas. SCOTUS, the one you wanted, is not making it any easier. People can’t vote out Justices, but with their rulings skewing heavily conservative, more so than any GOP politician would like, many people will vote just to oust the politicians who put them there. OK, enough for now, just remember, I am one person and there are a few of you, so it may take me a while to respond to whatever counter arguments you offer, so please be patient with me.
GO EAGLES! 4 weeks until the preseason starts!

Good to have you around again.

My daughter is doing well. Still teaching, getting married soon. Still firmly on the left side of the playing field and has told my wife she hates it when I try to bring up politics with her. Since I only see her a few times a month, I stay away from the confrontational stuff. Being a teacher, she has a few weeks off. I did the soft sell and asked her to promise me to read some articles from Realclearpolitics.com and she said she would. At least that site is great for having articles of opposing views so maybe broaden the horizons a little. Id highly recommend that site. If Trump was out of the picture, she’d be more tolerant of considering “ the other side”. I think she’d be ok with the overturn of Roe if the states didn’t go so far and if they had emergency exceptions. 

Kansas should have been an eye opener for the Repubs, but it won’t be. We’ll be crying in our beer wondering what went wrong and Kansas won’t even be in the post game analysis.

The will of the people is interesting with regards to recent SC rulings.

Went against the will with Dobbs, but like I said, moderation at the state level would have sealed the deal. The majority of America was for choice but limited deadline dates. 

went with the will of the public with affirmative action and student loans.

Im guessing with the will on the baker and the LGBTQ but that’s probably close

Not sure where the public stands on the win for Biden’s immigration issue and I didn’t follow that so can’t speak intelligently on it.

Id be interested in your take on the NEPM plan in the other post.