Capitol Hill Blue Forums Thread Like Summary - Round Table for Fall 2022

Yesterday, Michael Cohen was interviewed by Nicole Wallace about the whole Stormy Daniels matter for which Michael went to prison for. Here’s the thing: Michael mortgaged his house to pay Stormy the $150K and Trump was to pay Michael back. As you probably have aleady speculated correctly, cheap and chintzy Trump never did - because Trump never pays his bills.

…but here's the kicker: Trump took the tax deduction for paying off Stormy as a ”legal fee.” Michael sourced the $150K and Trump took the deduction. THAT is such a Donald Trump move.

He's never forgotten it, or when he dropped his ice cream and mommy wouldn't buy him another.

Hey kids! I've been away again, vacationing at Disney World, then central Washington, and am only now getting back into the swing of things. I have when gotten all my wine purchases sorted yet!

Boy, so much has happened:a Special Counsel appointed; the fall of Kherson; weather extremities; an election! I got some serious catching up to do!

It certainly shows how many bots and sockpuppet accounts there are on Twitter, as Donald Trump has never won a popular vote in his life.

Now that Elon has restored the orange menace’s Twitter account. What could possibly go wrong with THAT?!?

Best wishes for a Happy Thanksgiving to all in ReaderRant from me, my wife Amy, and Capitol Hill Blue. We're thankful that our democracy has survived another year and for the thoughts, participation, and help to keep this forum online for the past 28 years.

Again, Happy Turkey Day. Have a good dinner and don't be careful if you head out for Black Friday.

Doug

Stevie sang the anthems but Christine sang the LOVE SONGS because she had a voice like HONEY.

Raphael Cruz asking for privacy when he's all for taking a woman's privacy away over her own body is rich.

This will be a busy week, for reasons that have nothing to do with politics or health issues. On Thursday, my wife Amy and I will celebrate 43 years of marriage, a surprise for both of us since we both had failed first unions with our spouses. Next, I will turn 75 on Saturday, another surprise for someone who never expected to reach age 30, much less 43 more years over that age.

Our thanks to Jerry Garcia for writing and singing "What a long, strange trip it's been."

This a good time to also remember and thank each of you for your support of ReaderRant, the reader forum for the oldest political news site on the Internet. A year ago, I was shutting RR down, but the support and help from many of you kept it going on a new server with much-appreciated help and financial support. I can never repay you properly for your belief and aid.

Thank you and Amy and I will raise our glasses of non-alcoholic wine to you. Without you, we would not be here today.

Doug

We both have much in common. Karen and I both had one bad marriage each before rediscovering each other and we're on the cusp of our own 25th in a few months. Happy Birthday!
I'm ten years your junior and I find myself humming that Dead song to myself as well.

God Bless you and your lovely wife, Doug.
We're all lucky to know you.

Trump's anti-immigration policies have hurt America:

Labor Shortage

I've been posting about this for a while. Looks like some economists agree.

Hear! Hear!

Except for it being chilly at night, I had neglected to think about the official change of season. My air conditioner was finally started when fall arrived, although it had been installed in June - we were waiting for "electrical components" for the entire Summer, before it could actually be used. Now, of course, I don't need it.

The Seahawks, although officially 1-1, have been abysmal, but then, so has Russell Wilson. The divorce has not been kind to either side. But, both the UW Huskies and WSU Cougars are - as of this morning - undefeated, with 3-0 records. Still, seasons change, and so do records. The Mariners are surprisingly still expected to clinch a playoff berth for the first time in 22 years, but they have managed to go 3-7 over the last 10 games, and keep fears of the playoff drought intact. It doesn't help that their best bats are disabled at the worst possible moment.

The Dobbs decision has also changed the electoral season's forecast - only 47 days to the midterms! - as women have been registering at a torrid pace, and Republicans have been slumping in the polls. Dems Can't Count on More Good News (Cook Political Report) Trump, of course, is upsetting the applecart and Republican pols. Speaking of which, I think this will be the Winter of his Discontent, with no Glorious Summer to follow.

But at least next Summer, I'll have A/C.

Thanks for doing the opener, Rick!

Nice Job!

I really REALLY HATE that even Mediaite can't get this straight!
It's not an insult to imply that Graham is gay, the INSULT is that, if he IS gay, he's a closeted self-loathing gay man which is a danger to EVERYONE gay and straight alike.
The whole reason the "OUT" movement exists is because self-loathing closeted gay men do some pretty awful and vicious things to innocent people (gay AND straight) to compensate for their self-loathing.

Witness J. Edgar Hoover, just as one example.

Lindsey Graham's constituents are mostly the type who thought Liberace was straight.
To be fair:

So did my mom!
She had a canned response: "He's not homosexual, he's just very mild mannered!" (which always elicited HOWLS of laughter)

I wonder what the Alameda County HR thought “D. Not suited” meant? The guy didn’t wear a suit and the tie to the evaluation? And there were 48 of them with failed psyche evals and they were hired anyway and given a badge and gun?!? Incredible!

Residents of Florida's Lee County now know what it's like when their leader "tosses rolls of paper towels" at them for relief. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis didn't even acknowledge them, lying outright about how Lee wasn't even in the cone of Ian's path.
https://twitter.com/DWUhlfelderLaw/status/1576647571417669633

Why did Ron DeSantis start his own hurricane relief fund charity and put his wife in charge? Is the Red Cross, United Way not good enough? Sounds really grifty to me.

…or Ron sees Trump’s grifting and getting away with it and wants in on the action.

Forty-eight million in two days even with a 1% management fee (I have no idea how much Ron’s charity is actually passing on), THAT is a lot of money for a two-day haul of $480K. Not bad work if you can get it.

Ron DeSantis feels he is above the law and cannot possibly be found guilty of grift, graft or corruption.

Of course Republicans want to control the Senate, and by extension government, on their march towards American Fascism where they are in control.

Trumpists and Republican-fascists of the MAGAverse have constructed an alternate reality in which the basic understanding of facts and truth - and also the meaning of democracy and freedom - have been debased and distorted. Fascism is fueled by such "alternative facts," and malignant realities. This fracture is something that Republicans aim to exploit and to further advance in the future.

Turns out Russia has gifted Ukraine more military equipment than the U.S. has.

Russia keeps abandoning their equipment and running away.

DeSantis is a primary reason why I seldom visit the state of my birth. Talked with a cousin last night. She said their house in Gibsonton had some damage but it is fixable. I was born in Tampa and spend my early childhood in Gibsonton, which was called "Gibtown" back when it was the home of the carnies, but my father died in an industrial accident when I was 9 months old and she left the state with me in tow when I was five. I need to get down there to visit relatives. Long overdue.

Doug

I suspect most of their party feel the same way!!

Dark Brandon name-checks Republicans who voted AGAINST the infrastructure bill as socialism, who are now begging for some of that sweet, sweet government money for projects in their state. CNN

* Dark Brandon - an explainer.

This Twitter meme in the link below is hilarious. The Ukarinians are so on-point with their memes:

BACKGROUND: After the Russian Federation illegally occupied Crimea in 2014, an 11-mile sea bridge was built between Crimea and Russia in 2018. Vlad Putin attended the ceremony for its opening. To say the bridge is a pride to Putin is an understatement. Yesterday, October 7, 2022 was Vlad Putin's 70th birthday.

via Twitter

This morning birthday boy Pooty said that the bridge would be repaired and operational in three days, as if he thinks the Ukrainian military will never target the bridge again.
Yeah right, keep dreaming, Pooty-boy.

Kruschev gave Crimea BACK TO Ukraine sixty-some years ago.
I guess Putin doesn't remember that because it happened when he was a little boy.

That’s no straw man…that’s the Burning Man effigy. Dennis thinks he’s cool.

Here’s the thing about Dennis. He’s has three kids from three different baby mama. The Bible documents incest in Genesis 19:30-36. Lott’s daughters got him drunk, them molested him and both daughters got preggers. Let’s not even start with Caine, Able, and Eve.

Incest seems to be big in the Duggar family as well. Some people say that incest is a game the entire Duggar family can play.

And over in PragerU land, Dennis appears to have constructed a straw man so large it can be seen from space.

PRAGER: NO Secular Argument Against Incest


Bearing in mind that every Far Right accusation is a mini-confession, try to imagine Prager's internet porn search history.

WWJD?
"I dunno, does he have a hot sister? Okay then!"

Ms. Jean-Pierre has a valid point.

Mebbe these folks should stop watching Fox News?

¯\_(: / )_/¯

Hey NW_P…don’t be such a stranger.

I have been obsessing lately about two topics: Ukraine and the 2022 midterms. In a way, they are related topics, both wars of democracy against autocracy. I know Ukraine is an emerging democracy, but I think its progress has been genuine.

80 years ago we were in an existential fight to preserve the liberal democratic order - the free world - from 3, related, forms of totalitarianism. After the war, the fight continued against a fourth. The struggle hasn't really changed in the intervening years, although the forms have evolved.

I think I'm going to start a couple of related threads: one comparing Ukraine's existential fight and our own; the other discussing the forms of totalitarian autocracy and how silly it is to distinguish between communist and fascist forms.

I just read something hilarious: When the transcontinental railway was being built, the Western company (Central Pacific) and the Eastern company(Union Pacific) were offered incentives for laying track from Sacramento and Omaha. Congress never specified where they should meet, to make it competitive. So they both kept on going and laid about 250 miles of tracks in parallel, never meeting! Finally, the issue was settled, and they ran tracks to meet at Promontory Summit, Utah and drove the Golden Spike.

The Golden Spike was of course removed after the ceremony, and is now on display at Stanford University, founded by Leland Stanford, one of the original investors in Central Pacific. There was a LOT of skullduggery involved with both companies, common for those times. And the incentives were huge: 6,400 acres of land (later doubled to 12,800) and $48,000 in government bonds for every mile of track built. Kind of unfair that the Western guys had to get through the Sierras, so the Eastern guys laid a lot more miles.

Interesting fact: The bill authorizing it was signed by Abraham Lincoln. Almost all the Eastern workers were Irish immigrants and Civil War vets. Almost all the Western workers were Chinese immigrants. The head guys of each company took a swing at The Spike, and missed, probably because they were both hung over from the previous night's party. Railway workers had to drive it in, and later pull it out.

It’s not just Ginny’s beliefs…it’s her actions. Not only was she in on the planning…she was in contact with Mark Meadows on J6. Then in the Trump documents.access request by the J6 Committee, Clarence was the “1” in the 8-1 decision that Trump sought to injunct the J6 Committee’s request access to Trump documents. In those docs was Ginni Thomas’ emails to the planners of J6. Clearance swears up and down that he and Ginni never discussed J6. Uh…huh. .

--Don't forget the PERSECUTION part.
'Lefties want to scrap religion!'

Explain to us how that works, Mikey.
Seem to me your own people were trying to scrap you, hanging you by the neck till you were dead.
Who is responsible for the outcry, Mike?

Paul Pelosi violently attacked in the Pelosi home by a man identified as David Depape.
Depape beat Mr. Pelosi with a hammer while screaming "Where is Nancy? Where is Nancy?"

SUSPECT IN CUSTODY

https://apnews.com/article/paul-pelosi-assaulted-156ece77186eb11b97260af3c5122f67

both sides are equally bad... both sides are equally bad... both sides are equally bad... both sides are equally bad... both sides are equally bad... both sides are equally bad... both sides are equally bad... both sides are equally bad... both sides are equally bad... both sides are equally bad... both sides are equally bad... nam yo ho reng ge kyo

#TwitterLayoffs reminder: Republicans call rich people who buy companies "Job Creators." That's the excuse they use for not taxing them.

Interesting story:

Disposing of Embryos in Tennesee

When asked, Tennessee AG wrote that the state's trigger law makes it murder to dispose of fertilized embryos never implanted in a woman, because "human life begins at conception". It would also make removing extra embryos from a woman's uterus abortion as well, after IVF implantation. When somebody pointed out how stupid that was, he changed his mind. But why? If their current abortion law makes all ending of a one day old embryo illegal, why wouldn't these acts also be illegal?

This shows how ridiculous their abortion law is, when their fantasies meet reality head-on. I think somebody is bound to sue, on behalf of all those poor murdered babies! Then they either change the law, or just outlaw IVF in Tennessee. And perhaps for Tennessee residents going out of state for IVF.

Welcome back PuttyTAT

Interesting paper discussed on TWEVO today: Some researchers figured out four immune system genes that had different allele frequencies in English and Danish populations around 1350 AD. One allele was present in about 40% of the population before the big Black Death pandemic, and then about 70% afterwards! This is yet another real life example of Natural Selection: People without that allele tended to die before reproduction. And yes, this was the gene allele responsible for plague and HIV immunity. But interestingly, it's not really specific to Yersinia pestis or HIV, since one is a bacteria and one a retrovirus. Instead this is a gene for an enzyme that snips fragments off a pathogen protein, so they can be presented to CD8 lymphocytes for antibody production. And guess what? It seems to work for SARS-COV2 as well! Which could help explain why some people seem to never get Covid-19 and never develop antibodies.

It actually "supercharges" the immune system, but in doing that may increase susceptibility to autoimmune problems like Crohn's Disease. Of course, evolution doesn't care what goes wrong when you get beyond reproduction age!

That tired orange thing running for POTUS again is completely laughable. Trump loves losing doesn’t he?

¯\_(: /)_/¯

Here’s what Senator Sanders had to say.

“As an American, the idea of another Trump campaign and all of his lies and divisiveness and his efforts to undermine American democracy is an absolute horror show. … On the other hand, I got to say that as a politician who wants to see that no Republican is elected to the White House in 2024, from that perspective, his candidacy is probably a good thing.”
— Sen. Bernie Sanders, quoted by the New York Times.

https://www.pensito.com/2022/11/14/sanders-welcomes-another-trump-prez-run/


I’m of the same mind as Sanders. Trump running for the presidency again in 2024 would almost guarantee the Democrat wins. Independents don’t like Trump and they aren’t about to vote for him. Even this year, while independents vote for republican non-Trump chosen candidates over Democrats, they voted for the democrat in races which involved a Trump chosen or MAGA Trump candidates.

Examples how independents voted, here in Georgia they went to Kemp over Abrams, but for Warnock over Walker. In NH independents voted for R Sununu but voted for D Hassan over Bolduc, OH, independents went big for DeWine, by 25 points, but went to Ryan by 1.

Unlike you, I’m not worried one bit about Trump. I’d be more worried about who replaces him if I were you. Trump's obnoxious, uncouth, rude personality along with his childish antics like name calling and throwing of temper tantrums, his 3rd grade schoolyard bulling tactics won't fly among independents. Too many dislikes him and history has shown one usually doesn't vote for someone you dislike.

Welcome back.

Twitter's IT infrastructure is currently in Payne Stewart mode, and it will either encounter an insurmountable glitch or its load balancing servers will crash.
And it will end with a whimper of 404.

Elon Musk is not a tech guru. He is not a "people person". He's a dysfunctional child with a hell of a lot of money.

Too blunt a tool.
It's not accurate to just say: "Because AUTISM".

I am on the spectrum as an Aspie and I'm very much an outgoing and gregarious person.
I'm a bit on the dorky side but I try to take pride in being outgoing.

It's a very minor point because overall the assessment of Musk may be accurate, so all I am saying is, it's important to look at autism spectrum disorder not AS a "disorder" so much as a very individual case by case issue where each person on the spectrum is a bit different.

There are a few common traits shared by many but the way it works on them is often very different from person to person.

Case in point: Both Dan Aykroyd and Elon Musk are on the spectrum but would you say it's safe to cast them as having a lot of similar behavior patterns?
Nope.

I think the folks who publish the DSM made a mistake when they removed the Asperger sub-type.

Not finished yet. We still have to drive a stake through the still beating heart of fascism.
Happy Turkey Day to all of you.

It's the twenty-first century and we can do almost anything except figure out how to stop killing whales when fishing for large tasty water bugs?
Yeah, the world might have to learn how to live without the tasty water bugs until the industry decides it can figure out how to avoid killing whales as "just the cost of doing business".

The health of the world's oceans is taking a major step in a very bad direction because losing the largest ocean mammal on the planet is bound to have serious consequences.

Too bad Thuglikkkans can't understand that.

Trump posted on Truth Social “give me freedom or give me death”. I say, if you insist.

It’s Ironic that Trump brought back the firing squad during his tenure for some reason. I think a firing squad is a fitting punishment for a former POTUS committing espionage and treason against the United States.

When life imitates art...



Calling Chuck Jones...

Kristen Sinema quit the Dem party and now is an "Independent." (Read: Whichever lobbyists gives her the most money.) The woman is a 100% lobbyist money whoar - she is beholden to lobbyists, not constituents.

She was going to be primaried anyway in two years.

Yes Rudy, "people need to be held accountable." I agree. Let's start with YOU.

I knew your wedding anniversary was coming up as I know its around Christmas. Did not know December was your Bday too, Doug.

Happy Anniversary and Happy Birthday!

I am happy for my children, but I don't think I'll ever see it in action.

We may be entering another decade of "the great fraud": FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried charged with fraud ; Danske Bank pleads guilty to resolve long-running Estonia money-laundering probe; Elon Musk’s Big Twitter Adventure Will End in Disaster

Each of these is a MULTI-billion-dollar scam, as big, or bigger than Enron, WorldCom, Bernie Madoff, Charles Ponzi...

Breakthrough on the fusion energy front:

Fusion Breakeven Surpassed

Scientists at Lawrence Livermore lab in California ran a fusion experiment that used 2 megajoules of laser energy to ignite and got 3 megajoules out. That far exceeds breakeven.

It's coming!

I responded to your thread to see if that changed its status.