376 Comments

Hakeem Jeffries, take a bow. You win the award for the best and briefest description of Republicans in Congress: “they major in demagoguery and minor in disinformation.” And he signaled an aggressive approach to calm them out.

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T-5 years!!! Justice matters…right. WTH?? How can there be so many Americans supporting this lot of evil people? Crazy and downright scary.

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Just a niche comment here about the “2019 fire that shut down a refinery in Pennsylvania.”

I live about 3 miles from the now shuttered Sunoco/Philadelphia Energy Solutions refinery. It was actually an explosion that released hydrofluoric acid, and if I recall the correct number, had the potential to kill hundreds of thousands of people, and harm up to a million.

https://whyy.org/articles/a-hydrogen-fluoride-release-during-pes-fire-could-have-been-disastrous-some-say-the-toxic-chemical-shouldnt-be-used/

Thanks to economic headwinds, this debacle, and hard work by environmental justice grass roots groups - this awful sh*thole is being redeveloped into something less harmful. Of course it’s situated in a minority/poor neighborhood. I would pay $50 a gallon if it meant we could keep this place closed, and keep transitioning away from cheap oil.

This was my Google review 4 years ago of the refinery:

“A terrible company, polluting the city, contributing over 70% of toxic air emissions, and increasing cancer, asthma, and heart disease rates. Sucking tax payer dollars to stay open while poisoning a city. Needs to be shut down.

From State Impact PA:

"In an EPA screening-level model, which analyzes factors that contribute to human health risk including the amount of chemicals released, the degree of toxicity, and the size of the exposed population — the PES refinery has a score almost 10,000 times higher than the petrochemical industry median."

Anyway, great article as usual. I couldn’t help myself with this tangent. Just maybe correct the “fire” to “the potentially catastrophic explosion which almost released a cloud of hydroflouric acid that would have harmed or killed hundreds of thousands, on top of the thousands of deaths the refinery’s pollution has contributed to over the years, and most importantly - could have increased national gas prices by 5 cents.”

😉

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" If the Republican Conference continues to major in demagoguery and minor in disinformation, their bankruptcy of ideas must be aggressively exposed on an ongoing basis.” OK - Hakeem is officially "my guy". I had some doubts, but that's the right attitude. Also the push on promoting values and aiming programs to help all Americans. When you make a program aim to help everybody, it's a lot easier to build support (as witness the IRA and bipartisan Infrastructure Bill).

As to the Republicans and their "investigations," Democrats should respond as the Republicans have. Don't recognize the subpeonas, fight then, make these scum fight for every micromillimeter of advance. Give them a dose of their own medicine. And always point at them and laugh at their stupidity to their faces.

The special counsel seems to me a guy we should be happy is handling things day-to-day,. rather than Garland. I particularly liked the answer he gave a reporter back in 2011 when he took charge of the public intergrity unit at DOJ. To the question was he concerned about the political pressure those he would be investigating could bring to bear, he replied "If I was someone who could be cowed, I would have sought a different line of work."

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Could someone explain why Adam Frisch did not ask for a hand count of the ballots? Lauren Boebert is not dealing with a full deck.

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After several years of following the lousy journalism of the WP and NYT as they concluded the not popular Biden administration is doomed, I’ve decided to end my subscriptions to both, writing that they have lost all perspective on responsible journalism. Furthermore, I cannot bear to hear one more word from the House democracy -abusers, that I’m sure the Press will faithfully copy daily ad nauseam. Not to mention the rallies, rants, and rages coming from the past President! I will continue to subscribe to you and Robert Hubbell, and find a way to read about the remarkable results coming from the actions of this administration, largely because of Nancy Pelosi. I live near San Francisco. I hope her steps are soon covered with large bouquets of gratitude.

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DOJ published an "immediate release statement" by newly appointed Special Counsel, JACK SMITH who promised to complete the DOJ investigations & pursue the facts & law "without delay". I expect Mr. Smith to conclude the "NARA Lago" matter soon given the ongoing national security risks and the statutory penalty against a Perp that bars a convicted defendant from holding "any office". Per "The Guardian Staff" this afternoon, after 2018 Jack Smith was the Chief Prosecutor at The Hague of war crimes "... in Kosovo, in the Balkans". Right prosecutor now with right job.

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I love the fact that Garland, yet again, called Trump's bluff.

Trump: I want a special master

Garland: Okay fine, but you have to pay $500 per hour to Judge Dearie's associate and you can't wiggle out of that bill.

Trump: I'm running for president so neanerneaner, you can't touch me.

Garland: Slow your roll there, buddy. I'm appointing a guy who eats war criminals for breakfast to oversee not one but two prosecutions against you. Have a nice day.

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We have a great chance to show the country just how little republicans can govern and help the citizens of this country.

People are already sick of the BS and if all the republicans do is have sham investigations (especially with no real results) for the next two years, it will only lead to less republicans getting elected.

Especially if Democrats stay on topic.

They should be blasting everywhere about everything they and the Biden administration is doing.

On a side note, ya notice the farmers are in DC asking for a path for undocumented immigrant to get citizen or some type of way for them to be treated like normal people.

We need immigrants in so many areas and people who don't understand that really shouldn't be in power. Looking at abbot and desantis for sure.

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It is hard for me to express how disheartening it is to hear Kyle Rittenhouse's name mentioned, and to see that killer being lauded and talking about being elected to Congress makes me wonder if we will ever make progress to bring peace and unity to this deeply divided country.

It is more and more evident that the CRT that is NOT being taught in schools nonetheless is continuously proving there is "baked in racism" and white privilege for over four hundred years. Rittenhouse's took a weapon he could not buy legally and placed himself in a position where he could claim self-defense - BUT if he had stayed HOME no one would have died that night!

The hysteria over CRT, banning books, and muzzling educators is based on the example of those who don't want their children and grandkids to know they were the ones screaming at Black kids simply trying to get a better education, kids like Ruby Bridges and the Little Rock Nine.

To make the current situation even worse, two Senators in particular - Cruz and Graham - have been crying and making irrational claims about a person who is "observably stupid" according to comedian Dave Chappelle in a biting monologue on SNL. To support Walker for the Georgia U.S. Senate seat of Raphael Warnock (who DID complete his university degrees) is flat out trying to USE Walker in Congress.

The double standard of men whining and blubbering when women are accused of being "too emotional" or "angry" or while crude references to menstrual cycles are slung about during political campaigns is simultaneously laughable and infuriating.

Add to that Graham in particular is acting like Walker is some paragon when Graham's colleague from the same state (!) is an actual intelligent and principled Black conservation Republican, Graham claims Walker is the model for Black children to grow up to be Republicans. How come Graham isn't saying that about Tim Scott instead? It seems he has virtually never mentioned or recommended Scott for advancement in Congress.

Meanwhile ONE PERSON with money can tank a globally impactful business - the Bird App - that has not only allowed connections of individuals and groups, but been demonstrated to be one of the most effective tools for emergency crises' information and response coordination. That amount of money, so many point out, could have lifted millions of people out of intolerable life circumstances. Trickle-down economics is a falsehood.

We still have SERIOUS racial problems in the country,

no matter what happens to the disgraced, twice-impeached, insurrection inciting, government document stealing, election denying, tax-evading grifter that thinks public office puts one above the law.

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Off topic, but AP has called the race in California's 47th Congressional District for Katie Porter!

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So, for all the rhetoric about crime, inflation and the border, and the willingness of the Republican base to buy into that, and presumably vote for their candidates based on that, the focus in the House will be on obstruction and revenge. What a bunch of suckers!

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One would assume that a former president under investigation for inciting a violent, deadly insurrection on his government should not be allowed to run for the job again. WTF. Merrick Garland and Special Council guy, please give me the best Christmas gift of all and take tfg away for good. Hurry up!

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The reduction in the price of crude oil is, I'm afraid, one of those good news-bad news situations. The good news is that it eases the financial burden on ordinary Americans. The bad news can best be stated by Jevon's Paradox, which says that the cheaper an energy source is, the more it will be used. For fossil fuel, that is definitely not a good thing.

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All that good economic news, and no mention of it in the on-line edition of the NY Times this morning. I scanned it from top to bottom; special prosecutor (top story) to no beer at the World Cup (gasp!) to Thanksgiving recipes. Not a word.

I hope that the new Democratic House leadership team, while callig out the dismal failures of the Republican Party, “they major in demagoguery and minor in disinformation,” will also shout out the serial successes of the Biden Administration, since the MSM only seem to care about Biden's low approval ratings. Jeez, why do you suppose that is?

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Gosh, golly, gee willickers, prices are dropping in the first ten days after the midterms? You'd almost think corporate America and its mates were trying to stick the shiv into Biden this fall.

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