ChrisWeigant.com

The Pile Of Evidence Grows Higher By The Day

[ Posted Tuesday, March 29th, 2022 – 15:30 UTC ]

When Donald Trump was president, he came up with a rather fantastical reading of the United States Constitution. Perhaps "reading" is too strong a word, since it has always been plainly obvious that he's never bothered to read the document at all, in whole or in part. But someone planted and germinated an idea in him and his articulation of it was: "I can do anything I want as president." Sometimes he'd attempt to point to "Article II" of the Constitution (which, for the record, most definitely does not say the president can do anything he or she wants to do). For Trump, the non-existence of the "anything I want" power within the Constitution didn't matter one whit, since he had already convinced the only person that ever mattered to him (himself) that it just had to be true, so he took it as his personal North Star. Which is why this week's developments in uncovering his culpability for the events of January 6th should really come as no surprise. The only question that remains is whether he'll be allowed to get away with his blatant disregard for what the Constitution actually does say, or whether there will be any consequences at all for such behavior.

Conservatives have long believed the president should be allowed to "do anything he wants," period. They have a fancy name for this: the "unitary executive." They argue that the Founding Fathers must surely have really meant for the executive to have kinglike powers and essentially be answerable to no one ("checks and balances" be damned!). But dressing it up in a fancy term doesn't make it any more real (it's always surprised me that they didn't go whole-hog and argue for a "plenipotentiary president," which at least has alliteration going for it, but I digress...).

The president, as the current nominee to the Supreme Court once wrote in an opinion, is not a king. He just isn't. Or, at least, he shouldn't be. The lofty ideal is supposed to be: "In America, no one is above the law." But is that really true, or just something we piously tell schoolchildren? Again, this remains to be seen.

Two things have already happened this week which reverberate across this debate. The first was a decision handed down by a federal judge who had to decide whether John Eastman could claim "attorney-client privilege" and by doing so withhold documents from the House Select Committee investigating the January 6th insurrection. The judge ruled that almost all of the documents in question should be released to the committee. But while the ruling is important to the committee's work, it was the reasoning contained within the judge's ruling that made the news; in particular the following passage:

The illegality of the plan was obvious. Our nation was founded on the peaceful transition of power, epitomized by George Washington laying down his sword to make way for democratic elections. Ignoring this history, President Trump vigorously campaigned for the Vice President to single-handedly determine the results of the 2020 election. As Vice President Pence stated, "no Vice President in American history has ever asserted such authority." Every American -- and certainly the President of the United States -- knows that in a democracy, leaders are elected, not installed. With a plan this "BOLD," President Trump knowingly tried to subvert this fundamental principle.

Based on the evidence, the Court finds it more likely than not that President Trump corruptly attempted to obstruct the Joint Session of Congress on January 6, 2021.

This was reinforced in a later section:

Based on the evidence, the Court finds that it is more likely than not that President Trump and Dr. Eastman dishonestly conspired to obstruct the Joint Session of Congress on January 6, 2021.

The final conclusion is worth quoting almost in its entirety (the only thing removed was the final paragraph, which describes a handful of documents which were still privileged and didn't need to be disclosed):

Dr. Eastman and President Trump launched a campaign to overturn a democratic election, an action unprecedented in American history. Their campaign was not confined to the ivory tower -- it was a coup in search of a legal theory. The plan spurred violent attacks on the seat of our nation's government, led to the deaths of several law enforcement officers, and deepened public distrust in our political process.

More than a year after the attack on our Capitol, the public is still searching for accountability. This case cannot provide it. The Court is tasked only with deciding a dispute over a handful of emails. This is not a criminal prosecution; this is not even a civil liability suit. At most, this case is a warning about the dangers of "legal theories" gone wrong, the powerful abusing public platforms, and desperation to win at all costs. If Dr. Eastman and President Trump's plan had worked, it would have permanently ended the peaceful transition of power, undermining American democracy and the Constitution. If the country does not commit to investigating and pursuing accountability for those responsible, the Court fears January 6 will repeat itself.

That is a stark warning to end on. And it is the first time in American history that a federal judge found that a president of the United States "more likely than not" broke the law and tried to stage a coup.

Added to this bombshell was the news that broke today -- that the White House call logs for January 6th have an astounding seven-plus-hour gap in them. The Washington Post published two pages of this log, showing where the gap appears. The first page lists all the outgoing and incoming calls to the president over a period from 9:50 to 11:06 AM. The last call listed came from Senator David Perdue and lasted two minutes, from 11:04 to 11:06.

The next page begins with a call at 6:54 PM, where Trump talked to the White House switchboard and asked them to get Dan Scavino on the phone. At 7:01 PM, Trump took a call from Pat Cipollone. The last call on this page happened between 7:40 and 7:50 PM, showing that each page on this eventful day seems to contain roughly an hour's worth of calls.

Between 11:06 and 6:54 however, there is no record of any calls at all, either incoming or outgoing. This is absolutely and literally unbelievable. It is already public knowledge that Trump talked to several people throughout the events of the day, but none of these calls are listed.

There are only two possible explanations for what happened, and neither of them are very good for Trump. Either he just suddenly stopped using the White House phones and pulled a secret "burner phone" out of his pocket and then used it to talk to people for over seven hours, or the call logs are incomplete because someone has removed crucial pages from them. Going on the one-page-per-hour yardstick, that would mean at least seven and possibly eight or more pages have somehow gone missing.

Comparisons are being made to the 18-minute gap on Richard Nixon's secret tapes, and for good reason. There is obviously some sort of coverup that either happened back then or has happened since then. And it is illegal. Presidential records are not the personal property of the president, they are the property of the United States of America, period. Tampering with them or destroying them is a crime, plain and simple.

It has been almost 15 months since the insurrection took place. The House committee keeps saying it is on the brink of public hearings which will reveal what they have uncovered. The attorney general keeps saying the Department of Justice will follow any criminal activity surrounding January 6th as high as it goes, without regard to politics. But the attorney general also has never indicated that an investigation into Donald Trump's actions has even begun. And the House committee hasn't even begun to really roll out what they've learned yet, nor have they worked their way up to the highest level in the testimony they've gotten (although they are making progress in this regard -- it is being reported that Jared Kushner will sit for testimony soon, perhaps even this week).

During and after last week's confirmation hearings for Ketanji Brown Jackson, there was a lot of pontificating about how the American public viewed our judicial system and the supposed sanctity of the Supreme Court. But there's an even more fundamental question facing the system of American justice, and so far it remains unanswered. Donald Trump shows every indication he's going to run for president again in 2024. If he is allowed to get away with criminal activity scot-free, he will have a much easier time doing so, obviously. In fact, he will be somewhat vindicated in his sincerely-held belief that there is some magical article or clause in the United States Constitution that says presidents can "do whatever they want." The evidence of Trump's crimes -- both technical and foundational -- is mounting by the day. This trickle of revelations may become a flood when the House committee finally decides to let the public in on what it has discovered. But the question remains: will Trump ever face the music for his actions in a court of law? Is the president truly above the law in America, or can he be held accountable when he breaks it? As the judge wrote: "More than a year after the attack on our Capitol, the public is still searching for accountability."

To me, this seems a much more fundamental question as to the legitimacy of the American justice system than one Supreme Court justice's judicial philosophy. And I don't think I'm the only one who shares that belief.

-- Chris Weigant

 

Follow Chris on Twitter: @ChrisWeigant

 

97 Comments on “The Pile Of Evidence Grows Higher By The Day”

  1. [1] 
    andygaus wrote:

    Everything may depend on whether Merrick Garland clings to the notion that it's a bad precedent for one administration to lodge criminal charges against a previous administration. "After all, we need to preserve the presidency, don't we?"

  2. [2] 
    Elizabeth Miller wrote:

    Trump is beating Biden by 6 points and Harris by 11!

    I'm just sayin' ...

  3. [3] 
    MtnCaddy wrote:

    [2]

    In what? Extramarital affairs?

  4. [4] 
    MtnCaddy wrote:

    Elizabeth, did you read today's column?

    Are Ye of such little faith in our system that you doubt Trump will be indicted and tried?

    I, too, wanted Trump on trial a year ago! But DOJ doesn't get any mulligans so they have to get it right. Don't forget that if Trump and his goons weren't fighting every last subpoena we'd likely be closer to the finish line, so you can't blame DOJ for that.

  5. [5] 
    MtnCaddy wrote:

    [2]

    In the fluid situation we find ourselves in there are still only two upcoming polls that matter...November and 2024. So much can and will be different before you know it.

  6. [6] 
    Elizabeth Miller wrote:

    If Trump was going to indicted and convicted, it would have happened by now.

    But, keep on keeping on, MtnCaddy! :)

  7. [7] 
    nypoet22 wrote:

    i know it seems centuries ago, but director comey once addressed a similar issue regarding the clinton e-mail scandal. that being, there's a vast difference between what the statute technically says is a crime and what the government can realistically prosecute. i'm not necessarily saying that the two cases are equivalent - they're apples and aliens - but the same principle holds. what kind of appearance would it give if merrick garland, during the presidency of joe biden, indicts donald trump for crimes during his presidency? i'd like to see an indictment as much as the next liberal, but that's just flat not likely to happen. anyhow, a trump re-run might be biden's . hope of re-election...

    JL

  8. [8] 
    nypoet22 wrote:

    best hope of re-election. dang keyboard.

  9. [9] 
    MtnCaddy wrote:

    [7]

    What makes you think so, Liz? What part about "no mulligans" and lots of moving parts did I fail to enunciated clearly?

    Remember, Trump was so hated that he motivated 80 million Americans to vote for Joe Effing Biden! He was nearly at the bottom of my Primary list.

    IN LIGHT OF THIS FACT do you really think that DOJ will just let Trump walk away from trying to overthrow America?

    SURE, anything is possible. But mark my words, Trump will be eventually almost as fucked as the soon-to-be late Vladimir Putin.

    I want Putin dead -- as they say in the Army safety first!

    But I want #PutinsBitch to live long enough to fully reap the harvest he has sown.

  10. [10] 
    MtnCaddy wrote:

    So, Weigantia...

    ChillBabyBabyChill!

  11. [11] 
    MtnCaddy wrote:

    So, Weigantia...

    ChillBabyBabyChill!

    It'll be worth the wait.

  12. [12] 
    Elizabeth Miller wrote:

    Joshua,

    a trump re-run might be biden's best hope of re-election...

    Absolutely, positively, unequivocally.

  13. [13] 
    Chris Weigant wrote:

    Be careful what you wish for.

    I seem to recall writing a column celebrating Trump's entry in the 2016 race because it would assure easy victory for the Dems...

    (sigh)

    -CW

  14. [14] 
    Elizabeth Miller wrote:

    You're siging an awful lot, hope everything is okay ...

  15. [15] 
    Elizabeth Miller wrote:

    I meant that sincerely, I'm not trying to be facetious. :)

  16. [16] 
    BashiBazouk wrote:

    I'm curious who runs in 2024. My wife did some political activism the last couple of cycles and as no good deed goes unpunished, we now receive a good cross section of Republican political drivel. Not fliers mind you but thick envelopes packed to the gills with what basically amounts to begging for money and Michale posts. The really weird thing is nothing from Oregon. It's all Senators or better from the nationally known GOP. Nikki Haley, Rand Paul, DeSantis, even a couple of texts from one of the Trump kids, boy those were sleazy. I had read they were bad, but DAM, like a cross between snake oil sales man and megachurch pastor behind on his yacht payment. Anyway, the DeSantis envelope had written on it: DeSantis vs Biden. He intends to run. Has he kissed the ring or will he have to criticize the Don to have any chance? Got to win that primary to get the shot at Biden...

  17. [17] 
    MtnCaddy wrote:

    [13]

    OMG, a Chris Weigant sighting!

    Pinch me, am I dreaming?

  18. [18] 
    Mezzomamma wrote:

    Conservatives believe that Republican presidents should be allowed to do anything they want, but Democratic presidents are essentially illegitimate and shouldn't be allowed to do anything at all.

  19. [19] 
    Michale wrote:

    MC

    }}}Do you think often about President Trump's sex life, MC???{{{

    No,

    The facts say otherwise.. :^/

    As for the prediction game, I didn't believe Putin would make the colossal mistake of invading Ukraine.

    So I predicted wrongly, but now that Putin and Russia are so vastly fucked

    Putin and Russia are now fucked. I sure did predict wrongly

    And I predicted wrongly.. I couldn't possibly dream that Democrats' cheating and fraud would be so successful..

    K sara sara...

    Predictions:

    THE MIDTERMS:

    Most media began predicting disaster for the Dems the moment the dust settled in 2020. But I think the political environment in a couple-three months will be vastly different than right now:

    That's called 'wishcasting', MC.. :D

    We're going to have a long, hot summer of J6 Committee public hearings. Must-see TV!

    Speaking of 'nothing burgers'.. :D

    DOJ will indict their way up the ladder, flip sufficient underlings (loyalty? Haha!) and thence indict Cheetogod. Alas, you cannot slip out of the country when you've got a Secret Service detail.

    NOW yer just having a wet dream.. You won't find ANYONE rational or sane who actually believes President Trump will be indicted..

    Inflation may well cool down.

    Another wet dream... Every economist with more than 2 brain cells to rub together will tell you that inflation will be with us until at LEAST 2023..

    Zelensky and the whole world (outside of Russia) know that Putin has lost. The Ukrainians know that they are negotiating from a position of strength and the only concession I can imagine them making would be letting the Rooskies keep Crimea. Donbass will be liberated from occupation. Putin cannot launch without two other high ranking officials and if he tries that's when he'll get the bullet.

    Well, THIS prediction has already been proven false..

    Zelensky has already ceded all of Russia's gains to Putin.. And Zelensky also has given up NATO membership..

    So, Ukraine has ALREADY lost and Putin is the definitive winner..

    There's the logical and rational and factual rebuttal to your predictions.. :D

  20. [20] 
    Michale wrote:

    Mezzo,

    Conservatives believe that Republican presidents should be allowed to do anything they want, but Democratic presidents are essentially illegitimate and shouldn't be allowed to do anything at all.

    And Democrats believe that Democrat presidents should be allowed to do anything they want, but Republican presidents are essentially illegitimate and shouldn't be allowed to do anything at all.

    So, what's yer point??

  21. [21] 
    Michale wrote:

    Liz,

    If Trump was going to indicted and convicted, it would have happened by now.

    Exactly...

  22. [22] 
    Michale wrote:

    i'd like to see an indictment as much as the next liberal, but that's just flat not likely to happen.

    Once again, exactly..

    A President Trump indictment is simply another wet dream of Democrats and Trump/America haters...

    It simply will not ever happen..

    Having said that, I would LOVE for Democrats to try..

    “If you strike me down, I shall become more powerful than you can possibly imagine.”
    -Obi Wan Kenobi

    anyhow, a trump re-run might be biden's . hope of re-election...

    Yea?? I do believe ya'all also said Hillary was a shoe-in.. 98% chance of winning the election.. President Trump can't POSSIBLY win..

    Remind me again.. How did THAT work out for ya'all?? :D

    I would have thought YOU of all people would be wary of underestimating President Trump... AGAIN... :D

  23. [23] 
    Michale wrote:

    MC,

    Remember, Trump was so hated that he motivated 80 million Americans to vote for Joe Effing Biden!

    Considering how utterly crappy Biden and the Democrats have done, the vast majority of those 80 million regret that choice..

    And, since there won't be any Pandemic Protocols in 2024 and the American people are on to Democrats and how they cheat and commit election fraud... AND add to that the fact that Democrats don't have a SINGLE viable candidate to run in 2024 (think Clinton v Dole) ya'all really need to prepare for President Trump's return to the Oval Office..

    IN LIGHT OF THIS FACT do you really think that DOJ will just let Trump walk away from trying to overthrow America?

    "It doesn't matter what I think!! It only matters what I can prove!!"
    -Tom Cruise, A FEW GOOD MEN

    You are living in a dreamworld, MC...

    It's the Russia Collusion Delusion all over again.. Ya are building it up and hyping it up and then??

    There are NO FACTS to prove your claims in a court of law..

    NONE.. ZERO... ZILCH.... NADA.....

    President Trump is COMPLETELY innocent of ALL of ya'all's accusations..

    This is 1000% FACT...

    You'll meet your maker before President Trump is indicted... As will I...

    Like Liz, JL and I have told you...

    President Trump being indicted simply AIN'T going to happen..

  24. [24] 
    Michale wrote:

    Liz,

    Trump is beating Biden by 6 points and Harris by 11!

    I'm just sayin' ...

    Yep yep yep...

    Biden will not run in 2024.. This is fact.. Biden will be lucky to even MAKE it to 2024...

    Harris?? Shirley, you jest. She has a worse approval rating than VP Dick 'Darth Vader' Cheney..

    And THAT says something.. All bad...

    So who will Democrats run in 2024?? Hillary???

    BBBWWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

    Oh please PLEASE have Hillary run again!!! I would LOVE to see President Trump wipe the floor with Hillary... AGAIN.. :D

    The facts are clear people...

    Democrats simply don't have a viable candidate... Think Dole v Clinton or Romney v Odumbo..

    Where President Trump is Clinton/Odumbo...

    Ya'all will do yer mental health a world of good if you accept the fact now that President Trump will return to the Oval Office in '25..

    Barring a major health problem such as lead-poisoning that is..

  25. [25] 
    Michale wrote:

    "Don’t say gay? Don’t say? As the first two words in a sentence spoken by a political leader of a state in the United States of America. Don’t say? Don’t fucking say you fucking Nazi pig? Say! First Amendment. Read about it. Then run for office. You piece of shit."
    -Ron Perlman

    WOW.....

    What IS it about Democrats that they can't address FACTS but rather just go on a hysterical profanity laced bender??

    To explain why Democrats are going to be the Minority Party for the next few decades??

    Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you Ron Perlman as Exhibit A.. :^/

    The guy has read likely HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS of pages of scripts for his job..

    But he can't bother to read a 7-page Florida Law before displaying his ignorance for all to see??

    I really don't understand why Democrats are so hysterical about this Parental Rights In Education law..

    Do you people WANT to teach sexual activity and gender bender issues to K-3 children???

    Why on earth would ANYONE want to do that!??

  26. [26] 
    Michale wrote:

    It's from DRUDGE so take it with a grain of salt... But...

    Putin and cronies 'flee to secret bunkers' in alarming sign war might turn nuclear

    It's claimed that Vladimir Putin and his top Kremlin cronies are cowering in top secret rural bunkers while they direct their invasion of Ukraine - an alarming signal the war could be about to escalate

    New evidence has emerged suggesting that Vladimir Putin and his high command are based some or all the time in top-secret nuclear bunkers as the bloody war unfolds in Ukraine.

    Since Putin launched his ruthless invasion of Ukraine last month (February 24), his whereabouts have been unknown.

    But movements of planes used by top Kremlin officials show Putin may be in a hideaway near Surgut in western Siberia, it is claimed.
    https://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/world-news/putin-cowering-in-bunkers-amid-26579925

    Biden made ALL kinds of STOOPID mistakes by stating that Putin will be removed from power...

    Putin has absolutely NOTHING to lose now...

  27. [27] 
    Michale wrote:


    NATO Allies Are Split on Whether They Should Talk to Putin

    (Bloomberg) -- As NATO allies discuss the terms of any potential peace deal to be struck between Russia and Ukraine, signs of strategic splits are emerging from within their ranks. With the war now in its second month, a series of dilemmas are coming into sharp focus over which conditions could be deemed acceptable by Ukraine for any accord, especially as regards the security guarantees alliance

    There are also divergences over what further weapons to send Ukraine, and on the question of whether talking to President Vladimir Putin is helpful or not, according to people familiar with discussions that have taken place in the past week between leaders on both sides of the Atlantic and documents seen by Bloomberg.
    https://www.bloombergquint.com/politics/nato-allies-are-split-on-whether-they-should-talk-to-putin

    So much for the claim of unity at NATO...

    US wants regime change.. NATO allies want to deal with Putin... :^/

    Unity my ass...

  28. [28] 
    Michale wrote:

    The incoherence at the heart of NATO

    It spent years stoking a conflict with Russia it had no intention of fighting.

    Some seem to believe that the war in Ukraine has galvanised Western alliances. In particular, they argue that Russia’s act of aggression has given that hoary old Cold War institution, NATO, a renewed sense of purpose, reversing decades of drift and division. As US president Joe Biden declared after last week’s NATO summit, ‘Putin was banking on NATO being split – NATO has never, never been more united than it is today’.

    Yet appearances can be deceptive. Unnamed Western sources at the summit briefed reporters with messages that ran contrary to the official line. It was ‘highly unlikely’ that NATO would intervene further if Russia used chemical weapons, said one. There was a real ‘fear of Russian retaliation’, said another.

    NATO’s position really wasn’t as clear as it looked. Johnson said this approach was one of ‘constructive ambiguity’ – in other words, keep the enemy guessing. But he was giving it too much credit. For what was on display at the summit, and then during Biden’s whistlestop tour of NATO’s East European outposts, was not so much NATO’s unity and purpose as something else – its profound incoherence.
    https://www.spiked-online.com/2022/03/29/the-incoherence-at-the-heart-of-nato/

    Like I said.. Biden wants us to believe that NATO is all unified..

    But the FACTS paint a completely different picture..

  29. [29] 
    Michale wrote:

    Crunch Time for Europe's Economic Sanctions

    Virtually any additional sanctions against Russia would entail an economic cost for Europe, which is why the European Union is dithering. As the economic conflict with Russia enters a hazardous new phase, can Europe’s leaders hold their nerve?

    A worrying sign is that after the EU’s decision on March 15 to ban imports of steel and exports of luxury goods to Russia, there were no further announcements at the leaders’ meeting on March 24. Europe will not force Russian President Vladimir Putin to back down by depriving Russian oligarchs of the latest Ferraris and Louis Vuitton handbags.

    EU leaders cannot evade the question of possible further sanctions. On March 7, a few days after Russia’s reserves were frozen, 100 rubles were worth just $0.72, down from $1.30 in early February. But by March 27, the ruble had recovered to $0.99. As Robin Brooks of the Institute of International Finance has emphasized, Russia is accumulating massive current-account surpluses and is thus en route to rebuilding both its reserves and its import capacity.
    https://www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/crunch-time-for-eu-economic-sanctions-against-russia-by-jean-pisani-ferry-2022-03

    Germany opposes further sanctions.. So does France...

    Sure.. Biden puts on a good show about unity and such..

    But the facts are clear for anyone who cares about facts...

    The alliance won't hold because the EU's interests conflicts with the US's interests...

    Add to that European leaders scorn and disgust with Biden and you get a fractured alliance that Putin can manipulate, divide and conquer...

  30. [30] 
    Michale wrote:

    As far as inflation??

    Inflation may last through 2023 even if pandemic, supply chain bottlenecks end

    C-suite executives have elevated inflation to their No. 2 external threat from the 22nd ranking a year ago, the Conference Board found in a survey during October and November of 1,614 C-suite executives worldwide, including 917 CEOs.

    "Inflation concerns are skyrocketing," the Conference Board said. More than half (55%) of CEOs worldwide predict that high price pressures will persist until at least mid-2023.

    Inflation is also at center stage in many fourth quarter earnings calls so far this month.

    "Rising consumer inflation levels are putting pressure on restaurant economics," McDonald’s CEO Christopher Kempczinski said Thursday during the company’s earnings call.

    Food and paper costs rose about 4% for McDonald’s in 2021 and may surge as much as 10% this year, CFO Kevin Ozan said during the call.

    "Most of that pressure, or more of that pressure, will be in the first half of the year, and as the year progresses, we expect that to ease somewhat," he said, adding that increasing prices probably will not wipe out gains in profits and cash flow during last year.
    https://www.supplychaindive.com/news/inflation-persist-2023-pandemic-fades-conference-board/618155/

    Anyone who believes that inflation will cool in time to help Democrats in November is living in a dream world..

    According to ANY economist worth their salt, inflation is going to be with us for AT LEAST a year and will get a LOT worse before it gets better..

    In other words, rather than having inflation fade away to HELP Democrats in November, inflation is going to get WORSE and make November even WORSE for Democrats...

    It's called KARMA and it's a bitch.. :D

    Cheaters never prosper...

  31. [31] 
    Michale wrote:

    Need more facts???

    Grant Thornton’s Swonk Sees High U.S. Inflation Lasting to 2023

    Swonk warns that the Fed may risk inflation getting entrenched
    ‘If I was the Fed I’d be worried’ given the tough task: Swonk
    Grant Thornton’s Diane Swonk said she doesn’t expect inflation in the U.S. to slow down significantly until 2023, showing the risks the Federal Reserve faces if it moves too slowly in removing the pandemic-era stimulus from the economy.

    “We’re not likely to see inflation really cool down to a level where everyone feels it’s insignificant until we get into 2023,” Swonk, chief economist at Grant Thornton, said in a Thursday interview on Bloomberg TV. “The risk is that they’re going to have to hedge against it not getting entrenched, which could mean an even sooner and more aggressive move by the Fed. But that also has a lot of risk with it as well.”

    “This is not an easy call within the Fed either but knowing where the Fed stands and how they hedge risk, it’s going to be very hard if we’re still seeing inflation above a three percent rate well into 2022 to not do something that’s a little more aggressive,” said Swonk

    “We’re talking about this resolving itself in 2023-2024. I don’t think the Fed can wait that long,” she added. “If I was the Fed I’d be worried.”
    https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-10-14/grant-thornton-s-swonk-sees-high-u-s-inflation-lasting-to-2023

    You won't find ANYONE with more than 2 brain cells to rub together who will tell you that inflation is going to fade away in the next few months..

    Ya'all may have other 'rational' (meh) arguments to support Democrats doing good in the coming mid-terms..

    But inflation getting better is definitely not one of those arguments... It's a pipe dream.. It's wishcasting, pure and simple..

  32. [32] 
    Michale wrote:

    I gots PLENTY of facts for ya'all.. :D

  33. [33] 
    Michale wrote:

    In the fluid situation we find ourselves in there are still only two upcoming polls that matter...November and 2024. So much can and will be different before you know it.

    That sounds like a prayer, MC... :D

  34. [34] 
    Michale wrote:

    Going back to yesterday's theme of Democrats lacking common sense..

    3. Discrimination and racism are bad but they are not the cause of all disparities in American society.

    It’s truly amazing the extent to which Democrats have become associated with the view that disparities in American society can only be attributed to oppression and discrimination, particularly when it comes to race. No other explanation need apply.

    But this defies common sense and is not the way normal voters see it, including normal nonwhite voters. In the Massachusetts poll, the statement above generates overwhelming 72 to 20 percent agreement, with 63 percent of blacks, 70 percent of Asians and 65 percent of Hispanics concurring.

    It may be easy to convince left-leaning academics and progressive activists that the mere existence of disparities is proof of discrimination and racism. But the American people are a harder sell.

    This is one of the biggest problems Democrats have..

    They are so convinced (deluded??) that their position is the ONLY possible position to take.. Nowhere is this more prevalent than in their racist attitudes..

    Take the Criminal Justice system, because it's a PERFECT example of myopic tunnel vision..

    More black Americans are incarcerated and for longer sentences..

    It MUST be racism..

    But the FACTS tell a different story... Black Americans commit a larger proportion of violent crimes when one takes into account population disparity..

    For every claim of racism and the "facts" to back it up, I can point to alternative explanations for the disparity that are MORE supported.. By REAL facts...

    When one is a hammer, everything looks like a nail..

    When one is a racist, EVERYTHING looks like racism...

    It's gotten so bad that Democrats have resorted to actually changing definitions to fit their agenda..

    As with the global warming con where Democrats change the data to fit the theory.. That's Democrat "science"...

    When it comes to their racist attitudes, Democrats change established definitions of words to fit the racist agenda..

  35. [35] 
    Michale wrote:

    Continuing the theme that Democrats lack common sense..

    6. Police misconduct and brutality against people of any race is wrong and we need to reform police conduct and recruitment. More and better policing is needed for public safety and that cannot be provided by “defunding the police”.

    Nowhere is the departure of Democrats from the common sense of ordinary voters more evident than on the issue of crime and policing. Democrats are associated with a wave of progressive public prosecutors who seem quite hesitant about keeping criminals off the street, even as a spike in violent crimes like murders and carjacking sweeps the nation. This is twinned to a climate of tolerance and non-prosecution for lesser crimes that is degrading the quality of life in many cities under Democratic control.

    This is, without ANY doubt, the STOOPIDEST agenda that Democrats could POSSIBLY have ever had in the history of the world..

    Democrats claim that police need more training... So the Democrat solution??

    DEFUND the police.. Take MORE money away from police so they have LESS to train with..

    I mean, honestly people.. Has ANYONE ever heard of such a completely DUMBASS move as that???

    "We think cops need more training so we're going to take MILLIONS away from the cops!!"
    -The Democrat Party

    On WHAT planet is that ANYTHING but *THE* bonehead move of ALL bonehead moves??

    That alone proves that Democrats are simply INCAPABLE of logical or rational governance...

    And THEN Democrats get all shocked and defensive when violent crimes and crimes against cops skyrocket!!

    W T F!!!????

    What did ya'all THINK would happen when ya'all have a policy of DEFUND, DEMORALIZE, DEMONIZE THE POLICE!!??

    I mean... honestly... Did you Democrats think that, once you take valuable funding from LEOs that, all of the sudden, the crooks and scumbags would just pack it in and go home??

    I would ask, "What were you Democrats thinking!??" but it's clear to the most dullard American that Democrats WEREN'T thinking... They were simply pushing their normal everyday Anti-Cops Anti-America agenda...

  36. [36] 
    Michale wrote:

    Of course, there will be those here who claim, "Well, I NEVER supported that!!"

    Yes ya did.. By not opposing it, you de-facto supported it..

    "SILENCE GIVES ASSENT"

    That's not ME saying that..

    That's the Democrat Party saying that..

    NO ONE here condemned Democrats and their DEFUND, DEMORALIZE, DEMONIZE THE POLICE policies..

    Surely not of ya'all's own volition and not even when I tee'ed it up perfectly so ya'all COULD condemn it..

    The response to such a tee-up??

    {{{cccchhhhiiiirrrrpppp}}} {{{ccchhhiiirrrrppppp}}}

    Of course, things are changing a bit.. Slowly... Democrat leaders are starting to think, "hmmmmm Maybe defunding the police was NOT such a great idea... Maybe taking BILLIONS from LEOs might have emboldened crime just a smidge.." :^/

    Too bad this burst of decency and common sense had to come at the expense of HUNDREDS of lives lost and BILLIONS in property and personal damages...

  37. [37] 
    Michale wrote:

    In what? Extramarital affairs?

    Says the guy who supports Bill Clinton.... :^/

  38. [38] 
    Michale wrote:

    So....

    Let's take a poll..

    Who here believes that Will Smith should lose his Oscar???

  39. [39] 
    Michale wrote:

    Federal investigation of Hunter Biden heats up

    A Justice Department investigation into Hunter Biden's business activities has gained steam in recent months, with a flurry of witnesses providing testimony to federal investigators and more expected to provide interviews in the coming weeks, according to multiple sources familiar with the matter.

    The probe, led by the US Attorney in Wilmington, Delaware, began as early as 2018 and concerns multiple financial and business activities in foreign countries dating to when Biden's father was vice president. Investigators have examined whether Hunter Biden and some of his associates violated money laundering, tax and foreign lobbying laws, as well as firearm and other regulations, multiple sources said.

    But in recent months, investigative activity in the Biden probe has intensified along with discussions among Justice Department officials about the strength of the case, and whether more work is needed before seeking a decision on possible charges, according to people briefed on the matter who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the ongoing investigation.
    Those discussions have involved investigators from the FBI and IRS Criminal Investigation agency and prosecutors in Delaware and at Justice Department headquarters, one person briefed on the matter said. Hunter Biden has publicly discussed his own substance abuse struggles, and some Justice officials have debated whether his open discussions of his past drug use could potentially weaken their case should they bring one.
    https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/30/politics/hunter-biden-federal-investigation-heats-up/index.html

    Of course, Russ will respond with his usual "IT WASN'T HUNTER BIDEN'S LAPTOP!!!" non-factual BS..

    But one has to ask.. If it wasn't Hunter Biden's laptop, why did the FBI subpoena it and confiscate it from the supposedly "blind" computer repair guy??

    If it's not Hunter Biden's laptop, why are all the documents and facts being gleaned from it being used in the investigation of Hunter Biden???

    If it's not Hunter Biden's laptop why did the unholy trinity of Democrats, Big Media and Big Tech go to such lengths to HIDE information about the laptop from the American people??

    While it's true that there MIGHT be some logical and rational rebuttals with the Hunter Biden laptop story..

    The claim that it wasn't Hunter Biden's laptop is NOT one of those logical and rational rebuttals..

  40. [40] 
    Michale wrote:

    You have just admitted that Biden is so pitiful .

    That's not much of an admission..

    The FACTS prove it conclusively..

  41. [41] 
    Michale wrote:

    The FACTS also prove the rest of the sentence conclusively.

    Not factually accurate..

    It's well documented all the good things that President Trump did for this country.. Compared to Biden, President Trump is Abraham Lincoln/George Washington/Ronald Reagan all rolled into one..

    Your failure to acknowledge the good that President Trump has done for this country puts you in the irrational Trump/America hate category...

    "Which puts him in the CRAZY but not STUPID section.."
    -Mac, SPEED

  42. [42] 
    nypoet22 wrote:

    @m,

    i'm not saying a biden re-election is likely, just that running against trump would make it more likely. and this is not because i think biden is bad (i don't) or trump is bad (i do), but because biden is uniquely equipped to counter trump's bombast in a way that no other politician successfully has - basically stand back and let him self-destruct.

    far be it from me to underestimate donald - at the time of the 2020 election i still thought he was likelier than not to win. but whatever else people think, biden still draws a favorable contrast with trump, in a way most democratic politicians don't.

    JL

  43. [43] 
    nypoet22 wrote:

    You have just admitted that Biden is so pitiful .

    That's not much of an admission..

    The FACTS prove it conclusively..

    it is no admission at all, and there is no conclusive proof because the facts aren't all in yet. biden is who he's always been, straightforward and moderate with a periodic foot-in-mouth moment. perhaps not "best ever," but pretty damn far from "pitiful."

    JL

  44. [44] 
    Michale wrote:

    I have seen your list of all the good things Trump did and it was bullshit.

    Yet you cannot factually dispute the facts, can you? :D

    Anything Trump did that was good was dwarfed by what he did that was not good.

    Like I said.. Nothing but Trump/America hate..

    To not acknowledge that puts you in the irrational Love Trump/pretend you love America category.

    That's the difference between me and you..

    I acknowledge the bad things President Trump does.. But the good far outweighs him being mean on Twitter..

    You refuse to even acknowledge the good..

    It is possible to hate Trump (and Biden) and love America. At least the America that it can be.

    And yet, yer living proof that it's not..

    If you truly loved this country, you would acknowledge the good that President Trump did for her..

    The America that Trump, Biden and the rest of their ilk have produced is not worthy of love. Only scorn.

    So you concede you don't love your country..

    I accept your concession...

  45. [45] 
    Michale wrote:

    i'm not saying a biden re-election is likely, just that running against trump would make it more likely.

    With absolutely ZERO facts to support the claim..

    And I remind ya you said the same thing in 2016.. :D

    biden is who he's always been, straightforward and moderate with a periodic foot-in-mouth moment. perhaps not "best ever," but pretty damn far from "pitiful."

    Biden's leadership has been pitiful..

    From Afghanistan to Build Back Broke...

    This is undeniable...

  46. [46] 
    BashiBazouk wrote:

    With absolutely ZERO facts to support the claim..

    Other than he kicked Trumps ass the first time? That's at least one fact...

  47. [47] 
    Michale wrote:

    Hunter Biden scandal: Media slowly acknowledges legitimacy to emails after dismissing laptop story in 2020

    The New York Times verified Hunter Biden's emails after multiple outlets suggested they were 'Russian disinformation'

    But since President Biden was elected, the same media outlets that rejected the damning revelations as unsubstantial are now admitting there was legitimacy all along. Some critics have charged the combination of prominent newspapers and networks turning a blind eye and Big Tech censoring the New York Post's bombshell reporting aided Joe Biden's candidacy in the weeks ahead of his eventual election victory.

    The New York Times published a story Wednesday evening that was a deep dive into the Justice Department's ongoing investigation of Hunter Biden, who himself publicly acknowledged in December 2020 that the feds were looking into his "tax affairs."
    https://www.foxnews.com/media/hunter-biden-scandal-new-york-times

    Looks like the only one who is saying the laptop WASN'T Hunter's is our own Russ.. :D

  48. [48] 
    BashiBazouk wrote:

    Michale [57]

    This story was posted March 18th and refers to the same NYT article that mentioned it "appears" to be from the Biden laptop. Your content is a bit stale and adds nothing new...

  49. [49] 
    BashiBazouk wrote:

    On the other hand, the Washington Post has an article that goes in to how the NY Post analyzed the hard drive that supposedly came from the laptop:

    The security experts who examined the data for The Post struggled to reach definitive conclusions about the contents as a whole, including whether all of it originated from a single computer or could have been assembled from files from multiple computers and put on the portable drive.

    ...

    What the experts found In their examinations, Green and Williams found evidence that people other than Hunter Biden had accessed the drive and written files to it, both before and after the initial stories in the New York Post and long after the laptop itself had been turned over to the FBI.

    Maxey had alerted The Washington Post to this issue in advance, saying that others had accessed the data to examine its contents and make copies of files. But the lack of what experts call a “clean chain of custody” undermined Green’s and Williams’s ability to determine the authenticity of most of the drive’s contents.

    “The drive is a mess,” Green said.

    He compared the portable drive he received from The Post to a crime scene in which detectives arrive to find Big Mac wrappers carelessly left behind by police officers who were there before them, contaminating the evidence.

    That assessment was echoed by Williams.

    “From a forensics standpoint, it’s a disaster,” Williams said.

  50. [50] 
    BashiBazouk wrote:
  51. [51] 
    Michale wrote:

    Thousands of emails purportedly from the laptop computer of Hunter Biden, President Biden’s son, are authentic communications that can be verified through cryptographic signatures from Google and other technology companies, say two security experts who examined the data at the request of The Washington Post.
    https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2022/03/30/hunter-biden-laptop-data-examined/

    Once again.. Democrat Water Carriers confirming what has been known by patriotic Americans all along..

    The emails were Hunter Biden emails..

  52. [52] 
    Michale wrote:

    2 experts used email headers to determine veracity

    But they did agree that nearly 22,000 emails contained on the portable drive were authentic — meaning they contained cryptographic signatures that indicated they came from the accounts that they claimed to be from and had not been manipulated in some way.
    https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2022/03/30/hunter-laptop-methodology/

    Once again... Democrat Water Carrier confirms that the Hunter Biden emails "ARE AUTHENTIC"....

    Ooooooo Ruuuusssssssss????? :D

  53. [53] 
    Michale wrote:

    Inside Hunter Biden’s multimillion-dollar deals with a Chinese energy company

    A Washington Post review confirms key details and offers new documentation of Biden family interactions with Chinese executives
    https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/03/30/hunter-biden-china-laptop/

    Don't look to good for Hunter Biden... And, by extension, Joe Biden.. :D

  54. [54] 
    Michale wrote:

    And once again.. From one of the MAIN Democrat Propaganda Outlets...

    Mainstream media have failed to notice their own disinformation issue

    In fact, we in the mainstream have been so busy denouncing “fake news” that we failed to notice we’re developing a wee disinformation problem of our own — much of which has stemmed, ironically, from our efforts to fight disinformation on the right.

    An election was looming, and of course conservative media leaped on the “incriminating” trove. Here on Earth Prime, the information gatekeepers scrambled to keep this story from polluting the mainstream’s pristine infoscape, condemning the story as Russian disinformation, pure distraction, so dubious that even the New York Post’s own reporters were skeptical.

    Twitter blocked the story, citing its policy barring “hacked materials,” then suspended the New York Post’s account for sharing it. Facebook allowed sharing but downranked the story in the news feed algorithms.

    That’s a whole lot of effort to suppress a story that seems to be … true? The New York Times reported March 16 that the emails are part of the evidence in a federal investigation now before a grand jury.

    One week into the “Oops, it was real” news cycle, I have now heard all the excuses as to why this actually is an instance of journalism and tech moderation working like they should. It was unverified, I’ve heard. Too close to an election. And even if the emails were real, they may have been obtained illegally — can’t have that!

    All of which might sound very reasonable if only my profession had displayed the same caution with stories that made conservatives look bad.
    https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2022/03/27/mainstream-media-disinformation-hunter-biden/

    Anyone who denies that this is real news or claims it's a "nothing burger" is either ignorant, a Democrat Party slave or else pushing an agenda...

    Probably good portions of all three...

  55. [55] 
    Michale wrote:

    "An actual solution will require the recognition that we in the mainstream media are part of the problem: We are not trusted because we are not entirely trustworthy. That is not the only thing that will have to be fixed to heal our epistemic divide. But it would make a very good start."
    -WaPo Columnist Megan McArdle

    Would be nice if more Weigantians had the kind of integrity that McArdle displays in her column...

    But that's just a pipe dream now, I guess...

  56. [56] 
    Michale wrote:

    Let's face reality here, people..

    No one here WANTS to believe the Hunter Biden laptop story...

    But ya'all WANTED to believe Blasey-Fords obvious bullshit..

    Ya'all don't WANT to believe any of the Veritas sting videos..

    But ya'all WANTED to believe the Russia Collusion delusion...

    So, the veracity of the claim is NEVER the question for ya'all...

    The ONLY question for ya'all is "Does It Support Or Refute My Democrat Party Agenda??"

    If the news supports the Democrat agenda, then ya'all WILL believe it regardless of the facts..

    If the story goes against the Democrat agenda, then ya'all WON'T believe it regardless of the facts..

    The actual facts and the reality mean very little to nothing in ya'all's assessments of the various news items...

    Which is rather ironic because Weigantia USED to be a "reality based" forum...

  57. [57] 
    Michale wrote:

    Here’s how The Post analyzed Hunter Biden’s laptop
    Two experts confirm the veracity of thousands of emails, but say a thorough examination was stymied by missing data

    https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2022/03/30/hunter-biden-laptop-data-examined/

    Very interesting.. Democrat Propaganda Outlet WaPo chronicles the FACTS re: the timeline of Hunter Biden's laptop...

    NOWHERE in that story does it mention that the MAC repair guy is blind...

    And NOWHERE does it call into question that the MAC laptop is, indeed, Hunter Biden's..

    So... Russ...

    Once again...

    "Oh Johnny, Johnny... Did you back the wrong horse.."
    -Peter Venkmen, GHOSTBUSTERS II

  58. [58] 
    BashiBazouk wrote:

    Michale [67]

    And NOWHERE does it call into question that the MAC laptop is, indeed, Hunter Biden's..

    You mean other than the very first line which mentions "purportedly"? Doesn't confirm it either...

    Not to mention all the juicy bits I quoted in [59]...

    Your Hunter drive is a mess and a disaster, at least according to the article you posted...

  59. [59] 
    Michale wrote:

    Of course, you would say that Bash..

    Like I pointed out..

    You don't WANT to believe it.. Therefore in your mind, it's not factually accurate..

    I get it.. I really do...

  60. [60] 
    Michale wrote:

    Anyone who denies that this is real news or claims it's a "nothing burger" is either ignorant, a Democrat Party slave or else pushing an agenda...

    Probably good portions of all three...
    -Michale

  61. [61] 
    Michale wrote:

    But it's OK.. :D

    I am sure you realize we're going to be hearing LOTS about Hunter Biden and the laptop and the Burisma emails and Hunter Biden's crimes.. :D

    And what's hilarious is that it's ALL coming from DEMOCRAT Propaganda cites.. :D

  62. [62] 
    BashiBazouk wrote:

    Michale,

    I don't have to say it, it's all in the article you posted. You might want to read it sometime...

  63. [63] 
    BashiBazouk wrote:

    And your "Propaganda cites" leave out quite a bit. Why is that? Doesn't match their party slavery?

  64. [64] 
    Michale wrote:

    I did.. And it doesn't say what you claim it says..

    Oh sure.. You can latch onto a word or two that, if you ignore everything else, says what you want it to say..

    But if you read the ENTIRE article, it's clear what is fact and what is fiction..

    And your claim that this is a nothing burger is fiction..

    Why would WaPo be devoting so much time and effort into reporting the story if it were a "nothing burger"???

    Why would the NY Times devote so much time and effort to this story if it wasn't factual??

    Face reality, Bash.. Just like with your Russia Collusion delusion..

    You lost...

    Get over it..

  65. [65] 
    Michale wrote:

    And your "Propaganda cites" leave out quite a bit. Why is that?

    Really?? Why did I not post the full article??

    Yer REALLY THAT dumb??? :^/

  66. [66] 
    BashiBazouk wrote:

    My "claims" are quotes from the article...

  67. [67] 
    Michale wrote:

    The true cost of Biden's budget: a red wave in November

    Biden seems to be hoping that an agenda of the same old tacking-right policies will benefit vulnerable Democrats in the midterms. Instead, he may simply be depressing Democratic enthusiasm and helping to consign the party to a red wave.
    https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/29/opinions/budget-biden-cost-midterm-elections-filipovic

    Even CNN concedes the Red Wave that is coming in November.. :D

  68. [68] 
    Michale wrote:

    My "claims" are quotes from the article...

    Factually not accurate..

    "Nothing burger", which is your claim, is not in the article ANYWHERE...

    Like I said.. Party slave...

  69. [69] 
    ListenWhenYouHear wrote:

    CW,

    Great to see ya stop by for a visit…we’ve missed ya! It’s always nice to hear your opinions of what is being discussed.

    -Russ

  70. [70] 
    BashiBazouk wrote:

    Yer REALLY THAT dumb??? :^/

    No, but your English comprehension could be better...

    Quite a bit in the original NYT article like:

    In the same April 2014 email, Hunter Biden indicated that Burisma’s officials “need to know in no uncertain terms that we will not and cannot intervene directly with domestic policymakers, and that we need to abide by FARA and any other U.S. laws in the strictest sense across the board.”

    Why did you nor any of your media sources include that quote?

    "Nothing burger", which is your claim, is not in the article ANYWHERE...

    Neither is "confirmed"...

  71. [71] 
    Michale wrote:

    Bash,

    Yea.. And President Trump specifically said to the protesters to protest peacefully...

    I am sure you believe that as well, right??

    Like I said.. You only believe what you WANT to believe..

    Facts are irrelevant..

    Neither is "confirmed"...

    But "authenticated" is VERY prevalent..

    And lo and behold, "CONFIRMED" is a synonym for "AUTHENTICATED"...

    Funny how, once again, the FACTS prove you wrong.. :D

  72. [72] 
    Michale wrote:

    Facts are irrelevant..

    Amend that to say "TO YOU, facts are irrelevant..."

  73. [73] 
    Michale wrote:

    So, WaPo AND NY Times CONFIRMS that the Hunter Biden laptop is authenticate..

    Of course, Bash and Russ STILL want to argue what the meaning of 'is' is..

    BBBWWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHA

    They always like to play semantic games when the FACTS and REALITY is against them.. :D

  74. [74] 
    BashiBazouk wrote:

    Funny how, once again, the FACTS prove you wrong.. :D

    The facts prove me correct. A small percentage of the emails and other files have been authenticated. The Laptop, not so much...

  75. [75] 
    BashiBazouk wrote:

    So, WaPo AND NY Times CONFIRMS that the Hunter Biden laptop is authenticate..

    Uh..what?

  76. [76] 
    Michale wrote:

    Russian fighters armed with nukes...

    Two Russian fighter jets that violated Swedish airspace earlier this month 'were equipped with NUKES with the aim of scaring Stockholm' after Putin had threatened military action if Sweden or Finland joined NATO

    Four planes had taken off from Kaliningrad in Russia before flying over Sweden

    The jets violated the country's airspace over the island of Gotland on March 2

    Two of the aircraft - Sukhoi 24 attack planes - are now said to have carried nukes
    https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10668961/Russian-fighter-jets-violated-Swedish-airspace-earlier-month-equipped-NUKES.html

    Anyone still think that nukes flying is an impossibility??

  77. [77] 
    Michale wrote:

    The facts prove me correct. A small percentage of the emails and other files have been authenticated. The Laptop, not so much...

    Yes, Bash.. Yer definition of 'is' is different than what the reality definition of 'is' is...

    :^/

  78. [78] 
    Michale wrote:

    Now isn't THIS interesting.. :D

    What if Putin Didn’t Miscalculate?

    Suppose for a moment that Putin never intended to conquer all of Ukraine: that, from the beginning, his real targets were the energy riches of Ukraine’s east, which contain Europe’s second-largest known reserves of natural gas (after Norway’s).

    Combine that with Russia’s previous territorial seizures in Crimea (which has huge offshore energy fields) and the eastern provinces of Luhansk and Donetsk (which contain part of an enormous shale-gas field), as well as Putin’s bid to control most or all of Ukraine’s coastline, and the shape of Putin’s ambitions become clear. He’s less interested in reuniting the Russian-speaking world than he is in securing Russia’s energy dominance.

    “Under the guise of an invasion, Putin is executing an enormous heist,” said Canadian energy expert David Knight Legg. As for what’s left of a mostly landlocked Ukraine, it will likely become a welfare case for the West, which will help pick up the tab for resettling Ukraine’s refugees to new homes outside of Russian control. In time, a Viktor Orban-like figure could take Ukraine’s presidency, imitating the strongman-style of politics that Putin prefers in his neighbors.

    If this analysis is right, then Putin doesn’t seem like the miscalculating loser his critics make him out to be.
    https://dnyuz.com/2022/03/29/what-if-putin-didnt-miscalculate/

    What I tell ya'all??

    Gods, it's tough to be factually accurate all the time!!

    :D

  79. [79] 
    BashiBazouk wrote:

    Yes, Bash.. Yer definition of 'is' is different than what the reality definition of 'is' is...

    :^/

    And you will back that up with direct quotes from the NYT or WaPo article? Or are you just talking out your ass?

  80. [80] 
    Michale wrote:

    And you will back that up with direct quotes from the NYT or WaPo article? Or are you just talking out your ass?

    Sure.. Once you back up your claim that "nothing burger" appeared in ANY of the reports... :D

    The simple fact is, the information in Hunter Biden's laptop has been "authenticated".. IE confirmed..

    Your insistent denials of the FACTS simply proves my point..

    You don't WANT to believe the facts regarding Hunter Biden's laptop..

    As with your Russia Collusion delusion, the FACTS prove how utterly wrong you are...

    It's a thang with you.. :D

  81. [81] 
    Michale wrote:

    Inside Hunter Biden’s multimillion-dollar deals with a Chinese energy company
    https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/inside-hunter-biden-s-multimillion-dollar-deals-with-a-chinese-energy-company/ar-AAVFFrA

    Hunter Biden is going to jail...

    Let's see if Hunter Biden turns on "The Big Guy"... :D

  82. [82] 
    Michale wrote:

    AOC’s Warning for Democrats: ‘We’re in Trouble’
    https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2022/03/alexandria-ocasio-cortez-i-was-right-about-joe-manchin.html

    Hell, even Occasional Cortex knows how badly Democrats are going to be decimated in November.. :D

  83. [83] 
    BashiBazouk wrote:

    Sure.. Once you back up your claim that "nothing burger" appeared in ANY of the reports... :D

    That was a few threads ago. We are talking about this thread to which I quoted the WaPo quite a bit.

    But if you can't back up your point and have to quickly change the subject...

    And get the quote right. I said it was a nothing burger with cheese.

  84. [84] 
    Michale wrote:

    Which simply proves what I say as factual..

    You don't WANT to believe the facts.. Even though it's DEMOCRAT Water Carriers who have CONFIRMED and AUTHENTICATED the facts..

    But you still refuse to believe the facts because you are a Party slave...

    I get it.. I really do..

    I mean, com'on.. It's not as if it's shocking news or anything.. Ever since ya'all got yer wee-wees whacked in 2016 by President Trump, it's been the soup de jour around here.. :D

    I'm used to it.. :D

  85. [85] 
    BashiBazouk wrote:

    Aww...can't back up your point so you have to call names.

    Yawn.

  86. [86] 
    Michale wrote:

    I have already backed up my point..

    Hunter Biden's laptop has been authenticated/confirmed by Democrat Water Carriers..

    You were wrong.. AGAIN...

    Russ was wrong.. AGAIN..

    Just like ya'all were wrong about the Russia Collusion delusion..

    Point backed up and PROVEN...

  87. [87] 
    Michale wrote:

    Glenn Greenwald rips Washington Post verifying Hunter Biden laptop: 'Now when it's safe to say it'

    Washington Post authenticated Hunter Biden's laptop on Wednesday
    Journalist Glenn Greenwald blasted the Washington Post in a series of tweets following its admission that Hunter Biden’s laptop was real and not an example of "Russia disinformation."

    The Washington Post published a lengthy report on Wednesday about President Biden's son Hunter Biden's "multimillion-dollar" financial ties to the Chinese energy company CEFC China Energy. The report also acknowledged that its analysis came from a copy of the hard drive from Hunter Biden’s laptop that was left in a Delaware repair shop in 2019.

    A separate report also authenticated the laptop, noting that thousands of emails were verified through cryptographic signatures from Google and other technology companies. Prior to the 2020 presidential election, the Washington Post expressed skepticism at the laptop and published several opinion pieces calling the story "fake" or "suspicious."

    Greenwald noted the change in tune in a series of tweets criticizing the publication.

    "Most of these details were reported and confirmed in several outlets *before* the 2020 election -- as opposed to now when it's safe to say it -- but they were censored by Twitter and FB based on the CIA lie spread by most corporate outlets that it was ‘Russian disinformation,’" Greenwald tweeted.
    https://www.foxnews.com/media/glenn-greenwald-wapo-hunter-report

    WaPo "authenticates" IE CONFIRMS Hunter Biden laptop...

    Bash still wants to argue what the definition of 'is' is.. :^/

  88. [88] 
    Michale wrote:

    "I don't care that I talk about this a lot. It's not talked about enough. The CIA, Big Tech and corporate media all conspired in the weeks before the election to spread a clear lie to manipulate the election: that these emails were forged by Russia. Now *they ignore the proof*."
    -REAL journalist Glenn Greenwald

    Ya'all are going to be hearing a LOT about Hunter Biden's laptop in the coming weeks..

    And all I have to do is quote LEFT WING sources for it.. :D

  89. [89] 
    BashiBazouk wrote:

    But you can't post the relevant quote from the article you posted or the NYT article that was linked to in numerous posts you have made?

    Wouldn't that be the opposite of "PROVEN"?

    Just like ya'all were wrong about the Russia Collusion delusion.

    As I was not wrong about Russian Collusion...

  90. [90] 
    BashiBazouk wrote:

    And all I have to do is quote LEFT WING sources for it.. :D

    Highly selective quoting leaving quite a bit out. Sort of like if you squint really hard so just a tiny bit of light peaks through and then imagine the rest it might resemble what you want it to...

  91. [91] 
    MtnCaddy wrote:

    A LITTLE something in honor of March Madness, from our friends at The Lincoln Project. (2:17)

    And this guy, Randy Rainbow is definitely worth the (3:51.)

  92. [92] 
    MtnCaddy wrote:

    And y'all will be pleased to hear that the Russian warship, go fuck yourself guys survived and were repatriated back to Ukraine in a prisoner swap.

    This guy that I just stumbled across, Randy Rainbow, cracks me up! (2:56)

  93. [93] 
    ListenWhenYouHear wrote:

    So, WaPo AND NY Times CONFIRMS that the Hunter Biden laptop is authenticate

    No, they authenticated that the emails and files found on the hardware came from Biden’s accounts… they cannot say who owned the laptop containing the authenticated data. Read the article you posted, please! Then you could stop being wrong…but if you are actually reading them before you post these; you wouldn’t be “wrong”…you’d be making intentionally dishonest comments.

    The security experts who examined the data for The Post struggled to reach definitive conclusions about the contents as a whole, including whether all of it originated from a single computer or could have been assembled from files from multiple computers and put on the portable drive.

    They also noted that while cryptographic signatures can verify that an email was sent from a particular account, they cannot verify who controlled that account when the email was sent. Hackers sometimes create fake email accounts or gain access to authentic ones as part of disinformation campaigns — a possibility that cannot be ruled out with regard to the email files on Biden’s laptop.

    Then there was this:

    Among the reasons for the inconclusive findings was sloppy handling of the data, which damaged some records. The experts found the data had been repeatedly accessed and copied by people other than Biden over nearly three years.

    And finally, this one which is the best one yet:

    “For my protection I made sevral [sic] copies and I have been trying quietly to bring it to peoples [sic] attention. I am reaching out to you for assistance and making sure the people that need to know about this do.”

    The repairman claims he received the laptop in mid-April 2019 to work on. His lawyer said it proved to be difficult to retrieve the data — a slow, repetitive process. Yet by July 2019 he’s sending out the harddrive trying to get it on the news. How long did he try to get in touch with Hunter Biden? And the timing of all of this… This was right after Trump’s extortion attempt to have the Ukrainian President claim that his government was investigating Hunter Biden for the same exact things that just happened to be on this laptop. What are the odds?

    He made copies for “his protection”, protection from what? He instantly starts offering up the hard drive to ANYONE who will take it. Again…Protection from what?

  94. [94] 
    ListenWhenYouHear wrote:

    Trump might have used a burner phone, but that would not have stopped calls coming IN to the Oval Office from being logged. The file log data has clearly been destroyed.

  95. [95] 
    Elizabeth Miller wrote:

    And y'all will be pleased to hear that the Russian warship, go fuck yourself guys survived and were repatriated back to Ukraine in a prisoner swap.

    Very, very old news ...

  96. [96] 
    Elizabeth Miller wrote:

    ... and one reason why you need to be very critical of news coming from Ukraine and Russian officials and the US DoD, for that matter.

    It's very important, especially during a war, to have impeccably reliable sources.

  97. [97] 
    ListenWhenYouHear wrote:

    MTC,

    Randy Rainbow is the BEST!

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