I'd look around at 10 o'clock and be like, 'What am I going to do today? How about I drink some beers? How about I go have some lunch and have some beers? How about I meet my one or two buddies and have some beers?'

And one beer leads to many, leads to self-medication, leads to 'I've earned this.' Like, 'don't tell me I can't.'

~ Pete Hegseth, August 2021 appearance on The Will Cain Show podcast

When Cain asked Hegseth if he drank heavily after returning from combat, Hegseth said: "Oh yeah."

In Hegseth's 2016 book In the Arena he describes crafting a "pious caricature" of himself, involving abstaining from vices including alcohol.

I barely trust someone who doesn't enjoy a few drinks and won't drop a well-placed f-bomb.

~ Pete Hegseth, In the Arena

Numerous sworn statements from eyewitnesses and from Pete Hegseth himself including his own words "self-medication."

Denying the admitted alcohol problem at this point is obviously laughable on its face and revisionist history.

It *WAS* a Democrat who coined the phrase, "Never let a crisis go to waste"

If you understood the meaning of "coined the phrase" you'd probably not likely blame a Democrat for it.

A crisis usually involves a tragedy, so...... :^/

It's a tragedy how your education is in crisis. You can also twist yourself into a pretzel trying to justify your false equivalency of John M's statement wherein you missed his point entirely.

It's a distinction, not a difference...

Obviously incorrect on its face because the definition of "distinction" is actually "a difference." There is obviously an undeniable difference when someone rushes to blame a particular group for an accident before facts are known and the multitude of mass shooting murders that occur frequently in the United States on a right regular basis. John M's sentiment was dead-on accurate.

At it's heart, both incidents result in politicizing a tragedy...

So you missed his very valid point entirely regarding (quoting John M.) "politicizing a fatal accident the moment it happens, with no facts actually yet known about the causes." He is 100% correct.

And politicizing a tragedy is the Democrat "Go To", not the GOP's...

Said the only commenter on this forum who actually did rush to immediately politicize the accident and blame it on DEI... in regurgitating fashion following the lead of the GOP politicizing the accident.

This FACT is well-documented.

The GOP politicization of the air accident is well documented; they wasted no time whatsoever blaming DEI and all manner of bullshit, you regurgitated the same BS right alongside the right-wingnuts.

There is no FALSE equivalency...

You missed his point entirely that accidents -- repeat accidents -- are now being politicized before anyone has even determined the cause of the accident; however, in your defense, you were likely too busy to notice his point about accidents being politicized because you were too busy blaming the accident on the same bullshit as the other GOP talking heads falling all over themselves to blame the accident on all manner of stupid stuff without any facts whatsoever in evidence.

It's a direct equivalency...

You totally and entirely missed his point about "accidents" and suggested he was incorrect by falsely equating what he meant with something he totally didn't. You then blamed Democrats for doing something you and the GOP actually were falling all over yourselves to do... archived herein for all posterity.

You also apparently cannot see how you are being distracted repeatedly with "someone to look down on" and your reaction on cue to the expanded GOP definition. LBJ was dead-on accurate about that.

"Other countries have tried to outmuscle Donald Trump and so far they're about 0 and 20," said Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller.

So....

Anyone wanna debate PRESIDENT Trump's Tariff Strategy???

One would think ya'all would have learned your lesson about underestimating PRESIDENT Trump...

But, apparently, the lesson must be learned over and over and over and over again... :D

'S ok... I am sure PRESIDENT Trump doesn't mind takin' ya'all to school..

Over and over and over and over.... :D

I would say ANY system that doesn't use competence and merit as it's SOLE criteria is flawed and should never be used..

The society that ignores race in it's practices is a just society..

Ironically enough, it's the society that Democrats CLAIM they want.. The irony comes in when Democrats refuse to look at anything BUT race...

Basement Biden epitomizes this when he stated that he will select a black person as his VP...

While it may be argued that DEI wasn't the reason for the LA fires, it's completely INARGUABLE that Democrat policies (in this case, Democrat environmental policies) that was a BIG cause of the LA fires.. Refusing to clear out old growth and failure to manage water supplies being the culprits..

DEI is simply ridiculous when it comes to hiring practices..

In the case of the FAA, they had THOUSANDS of quality candidates. But Odumbo and Democrats decided the group was "too white" as a group and got rid of them all...

Any and ALL politics aside, that is simply MORONIC...

stewart's view was that it was being used as a convenient scapegoat for problems that it had nothing to do with, like the california wildfires.

Can you summarize it for me??

Stewart is just too ditzy to listen to..

I feel like Billy Madison...

Ta... Ta... TODAY JUNIOR!!!

"There's something.... on the wing.... some.... thing"

Does he always talk like that??

https://youtu.be/mQwJuayXJ18?si=iCscB51wsKUmmxFs&t=1275

Mexico agrees to deploy troops to US border in exchange for tariff pause

The facts CLEARLY prove that tariffs work awesomely!! :D

Hysterical Left Wingers claiming they will fight to prevent ICE from entering schools...

Yet, refuse to arm yourselves to prevent SCHOOL SHOOTERs from entering schools..

THAT is Democrat "logic"... :eyeroll:

http://mfccfl.us/Logic.jpg

Yep, yep, yep...

Before 2014, the FAA primarily recruited candidates from two sources: graduates of Collegiate Training Initiative (CTI) programs and military veterans with relevant experience. CTI programs were rigorous, specialized academic tracks designed to prepare students specifically for the demands of air traffic control. These candidates underwent extensive technical training and were evaluated through stringent assessments to ensure they met the high standards required for the role. Military veterans brought real-world experience, often under high-stress conditions, making them exceptionally qualified for the complexities of air traffic management.

However, in 2014, the FAA revamped its hiring process, ostensibly to foster greater diversity. The agency introduced the Biographical Assessment (BA), a questionnaire aimed at evaluating candidates based on personal attributes rather than solely on technical proficiency or aviation experience. Additionally, the FAA opened applications to the general public, allowing individuals without any specialized background in air traffic control to compete equally with those who had invested years in relevant education and training.

The consequences of this shift were immediate and concerning. Many highly qualified CTI graduates found themselves rejected, not because of a lack of skill or preparation, but because their scores on the BA did not meet arbitrary benchmarks. This new system seemed to undervalue the rigorous academic and practical experiences that previously served as cornerstones for FAA recruitment. Instead, it rewarded subjective qualities that had little correlation with the technical demands of managing the nation’s airspace.

It's inarguable that this approach compromises the core principle of meritocracy. Air traffic control is not a field where diversity quotas should outweigh competency. The job requires split-second decision-making, the ability to manage high-stress situations, and an in-depth understanding of aviation systems—skills that are cultivated through specialized training and real-world experience, not generalized personal traits.

Diversity should NEVER be a bigger priority over competence and merit. And it should NEVER... NEVER EVER.. come at the expense of safety and performance, especially in roles where lives are at stake. The FAA's mission is to ensure the safety and efficiency of the national airspace system. Diluting hiring standards undermines that mission and erodes public trust in the agency’s ability to maintain rigorous operational standards.

Since the implementation of these changes, there have been numerous reports and lawsuits highlighting the adverse effects.

Former CTI students and other qualified candidates have alleged discrimination, arguing that the new process unfairly disadvantaged those who followed the traditional, competency-based path. Congressional inquiries have also scrutinized the FAA’s practices, questioning whether the agency's focus on diversity has compromised its commitment to safety.

Diversity SOLELY for diversity's sake is ridiculous should NEVER override the fundamental need for competency in critical roles such as air traffic control. The FAA’s hiring practices should reflect a balanced approach that values both diversity and merit. However, when lives are on the line, merit must take precedence. The safety of millions of travelers depends on it.

People live, and in the current cases, DIE... when DEI hires are given priority over merit and competency...

"These are the facts of the case. And they are undisputed."
-Captain Smilin' Jack Ross, A FEW GOOD MEN

As party members gathered in Washington this weekend, they heard from candidates for chair who offered largely tactical solutions and fiery attacks on Mr. Trump that echoed the party’s message eight years ago. The eventual winner, Mr. Martin, offered a diagnosis that was all about how the party communicated, rather than what it was saying.

“The policies that we support and the message that we have is not wrong,” Mr. Martin said in an interview after his victory. “It is a messaging problem and a brand problem. Those voters are not connecting our policies with their lives.”

This is **EXACTLY** the problem the Democrat Party has..

Democrats HONESTLY believe that the American people ACTUALLY LIKE the policies of the Democrat Party.. Democrats believe that it's simply a messaging problem...

Headboard Harris and the Democrats spent over TWO BILLION DOLLARS on messaging..

There is absolutely NO DOUBT that Democrats got the message out..

The problem... the ENTIRE reason Democrats lost is because the American people DON'T LIKE THE MESSAGE...

The American people DON'T LIKE the policies..

Until Democrats can figure that out... They will never win another election of any consequence...

if there were no substance to the numerous, specific allegations that indicate hegseth was a regular and problematic drinker, why would he get up in front of the Senate and promise to stop?

Dood.. Now yer really reaching..

Making a pledge to stop an action is, in NO WAY, admission that the action has occurred before..

presuming he is able to keep that promise, perhaps it would be no problem at all, but that's not usually how alcoholism works.

And we're back to accepting accusations as facts... :eyeroll:

Any FACTS that prove beyond any doubt that Pete Hegseth is an alcoholic???

You DO realize that the Russia Collusion BS has been PROVEN to be a hoax, right??

That it has been PROVEN beyond ANY doubt that it was just a Democrat delusion completely made up to try and bring down PRESIDENT Trump.

To put it another way, it would be as if someone came in here and started going on and on about the Hillary Clinton PizzaGate BS....

That's how ridiculous the Russia Collusion BS is in the here and now...

What Trump is doing is making China great, again!

All this chaos Trump is flooding the zone with makes perfect sense.

If Trump is following Vladimir’s instructions. All of the details add up to actually making Russia great again.

presuming he is able to keep that promise, perhaps it would be no problem at all, but that's not usually how alcoholism works.

I asked for FACTS... Not baseless and unsubstantiated accusations..

Do you realize that everyone here treats accusations as fact.. but ONLY accusations against GOP'ers...

Using your example, Basement Biden is a rapist and corrupt con-artist and criminal..

Even if it was factually accurate that SecDef Hegseth WAS drunk when hosting a news/entertainment show... Even if that WAS factually accurate....

So???? It would have ZERO bearing on SecDef Hegseth's abilities as a SecDef....

The supposed justification for tariffs on China was to protect American security. Mexico and Canada are our closest ALLIES. When Trump starts slapping tariffs on our friends, they will turn away from the United States. And when we next need help, they won't "have our back".

Two things...

First, our prime minister said yesterday that while we will be responding in kind to these crazy tariffs, we also know and still believe that the relationship between Canada and the US as friends, partners, allies and indeed family is the strongest there is between any two countries on the planet. So, I think that when the US needs our help, we will be there. Will that remain the case forever? Unknown.

Secondly, if the US continues on the track of isolating itself from its friends and allies and partners throughout the world - from the developed to emerging economies - it will find that it is no longer the gold standard in terms of its currency or its geopolitical influence. Countries throughout the world are already branching off from the US standard and creating their own financial payment systems not centered on the dollar.

Far from making America great, again, under a second Trump administration, the US seems to be on an accelerated decline, no matter how you slice it.

What Trump is doing is making China great, again!

he was regularly hung over on-set at Fox and Friends, and said so to his colleagues. for a tv show that sort of thing can be navigated without much consequence. giving orders that mean life and death to two million service members, perhaps not. if you think Biden's age was an impairment, why the double standard on your side?

JL

"We ran a presidential election, if we were playing a Super Bowl, we started our 7th string quarterback. That's what happened, okay?
You can't address a problem unless you're honest about a problem.
Now, if you would've put the staggering talent that exists in today's Democratic Party -- you heard what I said? The staggering talent that exists in today's Democratic Party. If people would have seen that, they'd have gone 'I didn't know they had people like that, that can actually complete a sentence, okay? That actually know how to frame a message, that actually have a sense of accomplishment of doing something.'
More than in any other election in my lifetime, I’ve been consistently asked by people of all stripes and creeds: ‘Can Kamala Harris win this thing? Are we going to be OK?’ This sentiment is heard over and over from sweaty Democratic operatives who all too often love to run to the press with their woes."
-James Carville

Democrats will never win another major election until they actually FIX the problems they had with the 2024 election..

And the VERY first step in fixing the problem is correctly identifying the problem..

Democrats have gone double moron with their 2024 election autopsy..

Democrats think that it's just their messaging that caused the loss.. Democrats think that they just didn't hate on PRESIDENT Trump enough..

:eyeroll:

Paramount Global In Discussions With Donald Trump To Settle Lawsuit Over Kamala Harris’ ‘60 Minutes’ Interview — Update

Any settlement would be a highly conciliatory gesture to Trump. He was not even part of the 60 Minutes piece, but he sued the network for $10 billion under Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act, which is generally aimed at false advertising.
https://deadline.com/2025/01/trump-paramount-cbs-60-minutes-settlement-1236273890/

First ABC and now CBS...

If anyone doubts that PRESIDENT Trump is on a roll, this proves how completely and utterly WRONG they are.. :D

I guess it's because THAT plan has worked SO WELL for them in the past for Democrats, eh?? :eyeroll:

Hope Democrats enjoy the political NNL for the next couple decades or so.. :^/

Did you have any problems or concerns 4 years ago when it was Basement Biden who was doing the picking??

I don't believe you did..

You kinda see where I am going with this...??? :D

Which is kinda funny because you had NO CONCERNS that Basement Biden wouldn't be able to do HIS job..

Despite a PLETHORA of real and actual facts that PROVED Basement Biden was not up to the task..

Compare and contrast THAT with the fact that there is ZERO indications that Pete Hegseth is not up to the task of being a SecDef..

I mean, let's face the objective reality here, JL..

You only have a problem with PRESIDENT Trump's pick BECAUSE it's actually PRESIDENT Trump who is doing the picking..

Give me ONE single and actual fact that proves Pete Hegseth is not up to the task of being a SecDef.

yes.

what's your nationality?
i'm a drunkard
~casablanca

Are there any facts that prove Pete Hegseth is ANYTHING but an upstanding and patriotic American??

No??

The most insidious form of hate is bigoted hate... :^/

I'm just saying...

I try to avoid commenting on hot "flash-in-the-pan" topics for two reasons:
(1) everyone else is commenting on them, therefore someone else is bound to say what I'm feeling about them; and (2) I'd rather devote my time to shining a spotlight on the issues which I feel people are ignoring, rather than add to an overcrowded field of light being shined on the "scandal-du-jour."

I would wager that many Americans have no idea what the word even means.

This cartoon shows how to speak to the average American.
"I want YOU ... to exhibit the same ethics and conduct as Pete Hegseth, Sec. of Defense"

https://www.politico.com/gallery/2025/01/31/the-nations-cartoonists-on-the-week-in-politics-00201705?slide=4

The supposed justification for tariffs on China was to protect American security. Mexico and Canada are our closest ALLIES. When Trump starts slapping tariffs on our friends, they will turn away from the United States. And when we next need help, they won't "have our back".

I really don't feel like pointing out ya'all's Trump/America hate-athon and ya'all's indulging in yer PTDS on steroids...

Mebbe I'll snap out of it for tomorrow...

Maybe not..

We'll see...

Off to work I go...

It's a direct equivalency...

It *WAS* a Democrat who coined the phrase, "Never let a crisis go to waste"

A crisis usually involves a tragedy, so...... :^/

LOVE Tom Clancy... Although I feel he peaked with EXECUTIVE ORDERS...

THE DRAGON AND THE BEAR was pretty good, but not as good as the whole Jack Ryan saga...

I tried to get into the Jack Ryan Jr books, but they just didn't have the Clancy feel. Probably because they were written by another author of Tom Clancy's untimely death..

False equivalency. Mass shootings are not "accidents" wherein we have "no facts actually yet known about the causes." Mass shootings are intentional murder wherein anyone with even a scintilla of gray matter already knows quite a lot regarding the causes of the multiple murders.

It's a distinction, not a difference...

At it's heart, both incidents result in politicizing a tragedy...

And politicizing a tragedy is the Democrat "Go To", not the GOP's...

This FACT is well-documented.

There is no FALSE equivalency...

It's a direct equivalency...

So I did appreciate your story about that Democratic Iowa Sen.-elect Zimmer winning in a recently Republican district. Most Impressive, indeed - and most inspirational. Maybe there is going to be a way out, after all.

No. It's a large federal tax. Trump is raising taxes. At the same time he is likely planning a massive tax cut that most benefits the upper echelons of the wealthy. It's shakedown time.

The upcoming debt ceiling debates might be a good time to remind Republicans of what their core issue used to be...