An unforced error
The President-elect made his first mistake yesterday, but it may turn out to be a blessing in disguise. Trump had his life made miserable by Biden's DOJ and the natural reaction may have been to appoint someone who would hold that same DOJ accountable, namely Rep Matt Gaetz.
Gaetz was himself the subject of a Justice Department investigation. There were allegations that he had sex with a 17-year-old girl and broke sex-trafficking laws, all of which has gone unproven. He also faced an ongoing House Ethics Committee inquiry. Beyond that, Gaetz led the charge of the more right leaning House Republicans to oust House Speaker Kevin McCarthy. That group caused division within the GOP's narrow House majority. Gaetz has made enemies for himself on both sides of the aisle. His confirmation is doubtful in the Senate, where Senate Republicans seemed just as shocked by the nomination as democrats. All the Senate democrats will vote against him and the fickle female Senate Republicans are almost certain to vote against him.
That brings us to the bright side of all of this. Gaetz, in order to give Florida Governor Ron DeSantis a chance at a speedy special replacement election, has already resigned. Mike Waltz should do the same thing in order to get a replacement by early January. DeSantis will be very busy, between the special House elections and appointing someone to replace Senator Marco Rubio.
So Gaetz is officially out of office now and if he does not get confirmed as is likely, his political career is probably over.
Believe it or not, that may be a good thing for Republicans.
In the news:
Ukraine is preparing for potential cease fire talks with Russia. Kyiv’s priority now is protection against future Russian aggression.
In China, a man plowed an S.U.V. into a crowd, killing at least 35 people. Now, officials are clearing bouquets of flowers and working to make it seem as if nothing happened.
New York’s governor will revive the congestion pricing plan she shelved, but with a lower toll. She hopes to implement the system before Trump, who vowed to kill it, takes office.
The New York City Council passed a bill that makes landlords pay the broker fees for renters.
Inflation increased slightly. Analysts said it was a sign that the Fed’s lowering of rates may have been premature.
Biden welcomed Trump to the Oval Office, pledging a smooth transition. “Politics is tough, and it’s in many cases not a very nice world,” Trump said. “But it is a nice world today and I appreciate very much a transition that’s so smooth.”
Senate Republicans chose John Thune of South Dakota, an institutionalist, to replace the retiring Mitch McConnell.
Jack Smith, the illegal special counsel who charged Trump over Jan. 6 and for taking classified documents, vowed to retire before Trump could fire him.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. called Trump’s fast-food diet "poison."
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Good morning.
Tulsi Gabbard, a Democrat turned Republican who represented Hawaii in the House, is Trump’s nominee to be Director of National Intelligence
I think she would be a much better choice as SecDef than Hegseth.
People really thought Hegseth was unqualified, but he does have degrees from Princeton & Harvard, and he did lead US forces in combat operations.
The thing I like about the Gabbard appointment is the irony of it. Do you know they had her on the "Terror watch list?"
Agree
gee, I wonder why? did she ever say who extended the "best foreign policy" between assad and putin?
It’s possible she was put on the watch list because of the way she handed harris’s ass to her during the debate. They happened around the same time.
And then there is this:
A Florida woman traveling out of town unexpectedly gave birth to a baby boy in the ticketing area of Miami International Airport .
Just after 5 p.m. on Tuesday, a female passenger at Miami's largest airport went into labor in the pre-security area, causing airport staff and emergency responders to jump into action.
Just after the woman's water broke, a group of Miami-Dade Fire Rescue, police officers, U.S. Customs, Border Protection agents, and airport staff all responded to the situation quickly.
At first some thought the woman was experiencing a miscarriage.
"Responding to Door 3, pregnant female. Possible miscarriage outside of Door 3 departures," a 911 dispatcher said. "Door 3 departures, Rescue 40."
As each individual assisted with the delivery, they soon found out she gave birth to a healthy baby boy.
"It's alive! It's alive?" an official told a 911 operator.
Following the birth, the mother and baby were taken to a nearby hospital for further care and evaluation.
Updates on their condition have not been provided.
Woman Waiting to Leave Florida Unexpectedly Gives Birth in Airport Lounge: 'It's Alive!'
Needless to say: She missed her flight.
Yeah, she would have had to buy another ticket if she was still going to fly.
Something tells me there might be a change in plans.
The republicans are +3 in the Senate, Collins and Murkowski will no longer have the power they once wielded. Someone should explain this to Susan.
They may when it comes to Gaetz.
No, their power is just is no longer there. hopefully a few others will step up and flush this turd.
I think they will vote against his nomination.
It kind of puts them at odds with the President-elect on something that shouldn't have happened.
I’m not sure what is going on with the gaetz announcement. Given that he immediately resigned from his seat it may be trump offering him a face saving exit ramp to avoid the release of the house investigation later this week.
I think he withdraws prior to a vote
That would be a counterproductive way of doing it.
Is Trump really going to put Senate Republicans in the hot seat should it come to a vote?
I don't think Trump really cares much about Senate Republicans in general.
Maybe not, but he needs them.
Interesting. Can the Senate Republicans introduce the House ethics report if Gaetz doesn't withdraw?
There is no ethics report. Aren't house rules great!
I'm sure Gaetz hopes there isn't.
n the Senate Republicans introduce the House ethics report if Gaetz doesn't withdraw?
I don't know, but I'm sure it will be the basis of the FBI background check and its contents would probably come out one way or the other during the hearing.
I believe they can, if he withdraws, I believe it will stay sealed. Well, that is until some Democrat staffer leaks it.
I agree. I think he is not a good pick, although he has blown many leftists heads. That part is entertaining.
My guess is he will withdraw his name prior to the Senate vote so Trump can name Whittaker, a much better choice.
There's the theory that trump nominated him to draw all the fire from his other nominees and make Gaetz the center of attention for the next six weeks before he withdraws. Pretty much anyone who he nominates after Gaetz will look good by comparison.
Gaetz could have resigned without having the nomination. He had an exit ramp either way. At best him resigning and not being approved by the Senate allows him to save face. Or maybe Trump has promised him some other position if his nomination fails.
No way to know, Trump is capable of all sorts of slimy maneuvers.
Does anyone believe anything Susan Collins says?
Smith is trying to save his own ass.
Kevin McCarthy said, “I'll give you the truth why I'm not speaker. It's because one person, a member of Congress, wanted me to stop an ethics complaint because he slept with a 17-year-old.” That member is Matt Gaetz.
Trump is a Floridian now. Trump seems to be helping Ron DeSantis become the Republican version of Gavin Newsom. Is Ron DeSantis becoming the heir apparent? Will Florida become a sanctuary state for Trump?
DeSantis will have his hands full holding special elections and replacing all these Florida Reps and a Florida Senator whom Trump has elevated to federal service. He will have a decision to make on his own career as Florida only allows a Governor two terms. That is why Rick Scott and DeSantis swapped offices a while back. I always liked DeSantis as a Presidential candidate. He gets what I want done and carries no baggage. If he goes in that direction he'll face off against Vance in 2028.
Well, it certainly appears that Trump is ensuring DeSantis has a political future. DeSantis would be in position to either win the nomination or be the VP pick. With Vance and DeSantis in the mix, could Trump's MAGA movement become a political dynasty? Will future Democrats be quoting Trump the same way they quote Reagan?
I think so.
Will future Democrats be quoting Trump the same way they quote Reagan?
I doubt it. The successors will be the ones quoted.
The idea that MAGA will be the long term future of America is the greatest fantasy in the history of humanity.
For the sake of fending off dystopia MAGA must be forced out of existence.
Not only will it be our future, but Europe will most likely follow our lead.
The devastation from Socialism & overwhelming migration will leave them little choice.
Europe might already be too far gone. Just from the last few days, you have:
in England, the police going around visiting people over social media posts
in France, the government trying to throw the leading presidential candidate in jail
in Germany, an attempt to ban the second most popular party from participating in elections,.
Yes, and beyond that, leaders like Macron depending on a Muslim vote to retain power.
In Italy judges just overruled the elected leader over deporting illegal migrants.
When we come to the US for the six months we spend here... we bring six months of medicines. In my case (lungs and heart) that's well over $5500 of pills.
I didn't spend a cent. French health care.
Socialism is absolutely devastating...
French people under fifty years of age have never known the fear that grips all Americans (all but the very rich, that is) of losing everything to a medical problem. The French may get sick, of course... but they know they will get excellent treatment. They don't have to be afraid of financial disaster.
Absolutely devastating.
I'm not allowed to disagree with you, Sean. But seriously... where do you get this BS?
Same question as for Sean, Vic: where do you guys get this BS?
Do all MAGAs actually believe this nonsense?
And the drug companies charge us here more to make up the difference. In Canada hospital patients are assigned to the hallway because they are swamped.
Socialism is absolutely devastating...
Yes, it is. Like all leftist forms of government, it degrades the individual.
French people under fifty years of age have never known the fear that grips all Americans (all but the very rich, that is) of losing everything to a medical problem. The French may get sick, of course... but they know they will get excellent treatment. They don't have to be afraid of financial disaster.
The so-called French people have become dependent on the state. And are losing their culture.
From various sources:
Macron courts Muslim vote in last-minute visit to Paris banlieue – POLITICO
Macron Needs the Young Muslim Vote to Get Reelected, and He Knows It - Europe - Haaretz.com
French election: Macron needs the Muslim voters he’s spent years attacking | openDemocracy
I cannot say what applies here, because TPTB won't allow it.
Joe Biden tried to be a MAGA President. Biden institutionalized Trump's policies the same way Clinton did with Reagan's policies. Biden returned to Trump's immigration policies too late to save himself, though.
Clinton was more Reagan than Reagan. And Biden tried to be more Trump than Trump. Democrats are already appropriating MAGA; they're just calling it something different.
Contrary to popular European belief, that's not actually what goes on in the US.
I am going to go the liberal route here.......
If If if the democrats get back into power, they will do everything they can to mirror what Europeans are doing.
Difference is, I am probably more correct with my what if scenarios than any of the leftist ones about Trump
You are more than welcome to disagree with me bob.
you don't pay taxes?
34 percent of the French population go without heating because they can't afford it.
A true socialist paradise.
Don't bother, Jack. I told you I have better things to do with my time.
I assume you're not so self-imbued as to think you know France better than I. So I suppose you're actually posting to try to misinform third persons. It they're foolish enough to believe a propagandist rather than someone who spends half the year in France... they deserve their ignorance.
That's one (biased) man's statement, with no data to support it.
I'd give my opinion of your method, here, but TPTB would give me a ticket.
What would your opinion be about citing a fact about France published in media owned by the French government?
Do you pay taxes? If you do, healthcare isn't free. You pay for it one way or another. The French people pay a much higher share of GDP in taxes than Americans do. Average French GDP per capita is less than Mississippi, the poorest state in the Union.
If you want to talk about what French people worry about, do they worry about living in a country with a moribund economy, heavily intertwined with a super state whose economy was bigger than the US's 15 years ago and is now substantially smaller? I'd sure be worried about what things will look like in 20 years unless there are massive changes..
I never know whether you dissemble, or believe your stuff.
After taxes and redistribution, median French income is higher than American.
.
Simple facts Bob. GDP per capita is lower in France than it is in Mississippi, the poorest state in the union.
More facts. the average family with 2 kids in American pays 19.7% of wages in taxes, in France that number is 39.1%
Rev. Al Sharpton plans to hold a rally in protest of President-elect Trump on inauguration day.
Sharpton announced the rally on his MSNBC show, “Politics Nation with Al Sharpton,” on Tuesday. The rally and Trump’s inauguration coincide with Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
Sharpton to hold MLK rally on same day as Trump inauguration
From the article: “ I will be at the nation’s capital working to keep the dream alive,” Sharpton said. “There has never been a more important time to peacefully organize and mobilize.”
Remember Al, that is pretty much what Donald said in 2020. And then when thing went south he was blamed. It would be hilarious to see Al blamed for an insurrection attempt.
Can you imagine what would happen if there were a riot?
We would be told all day & night how different it was from Jan 6th.
There would be some amazing dance steps and pretzel logic to try and convince people it is part of democracy.
Yup, their riots are democratic, and they are on the side of the angels.
Who? is he the snitch who rolled to stay out of jail?
Actually... Donald suggested that the crowd go to the Capitol. Sharpton did not.
Other than that... other than being completely different... yeah! Identical!
Go Peacefully, as I recall
Recognizing the likely futility of this explanation , for some, I will go ahead with it.
Sharpton is going to protest on inauguration day , after the electoral vote has been verified by Congress two weeks earlier.
Trump "protested" on Jan 6th , with the hope his "protesters" would PREVENT the counting of the electoral vote in Congress.
What was the PURPOSE of Trumps Jan 6th event? Why did he tell the mob he would march to the Capitol with them?
At the very least he wanted to physically intimidate Mike Pence, but there is much more to it than that.
“Can you imagine what would happen if there were a riot?”
As some may root for a ‘riot’, an assembly gathered to protest (which is still a right) is in no way similar to the events that transpired and were implicitly inspired on 1/6.
I have no evidence at all, but my gut feeling is that Trump meant to lead the assault... but chickened out.
No need to "root," in 2016 there was a riot in DC...
Remember?
He told them to go peacefully.
All this time and you still won't admit it.
“He told them to go peacefully.
All this time and you still won't admit it.”
And all this time, you still don’t get it.
Good to see you are already thinking about excuses if his crowd decide to get in the way of Trump being sworn in.
You really think Trump believed the protest would stop the counting ?
You forgot the word peacefully. Why is that?
If Sharpton's audience were to storm the Capitol (or any equivalent public site) and engage in breaking and entering and violence then they would be as wrong as the Trump insurrectionists.
Do you think Trump believed that Pence tabling certified votes would lead to Congress accepting his fake electors and deeming him PotUS?
I hope the new head of the IRS has his ass arrested for tax evasion. He still owes millions of dollars in taxes, and it looks like everyone is afraid to go after him because they will be called a racist.
The Biden administration is committed to ensuring “every dollar we have at our disposal” is pushed out to Ukraine before Donald Trump takes office, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Wednesday.
Blinken made a hastily arranged trip to Brussels to reassure NATO and European Union allies that the US will intensify its efforts to send resources to Ukraine ahead of the inauguration of Trump, who has strongly criticized the scale of the US effort to defend Kyiv.
US to Rush Aid to Ukraine Before Trump Takes Over, Blinken Says
They're trying to get as much to Ukraine as they can now. We all know that on January 20th that free flow of money will either cease or will be severely slashed.
While I believe in helping allies, this was idiotic in many ways. Europe should have taken on the role of military supplier. They have had very little expense when it comes to a military budget and the Ukraine war was after all, a European threat.
The US stockpile of munitions is so low now that we couldn't win a war right now with China because of it:
From May:
U.S. Defense Department officials profess to have learned one of the starkest lessons from the war in Ukraine: that high-intensity conflicts consume a huge number of munitions and that weapons production cannot rapidly expand. William LaPlante, the undersecretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment, coined the phrase “ production is deterrence ” in late 2023, and this mantra has been repeated by other senior leaders, including Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks .
Unfortunately, the Defense Department’s budget request for fiscal year 2025, which asks for $1.2 billion less than last year for key conventional precision-guided munitions, belies these claims. The Pentagon cannot continue to kick the can down the road and promise to buy more munitions next year. Supplemental appropriations are needed to replenish inventories of weapons given to partners and expended during operations in the Middle East, but on their own, they are a Band-Aid that will not fix the fundamental problem of production levels that do not match the intensity of modern warfare. The Pentagon needs to consistently buy more of the right weapons to support allies and partners , deal with the threats it faces today, and deter future challenges.
U.S. Military Stockpiles are Dangerously Undersupplied
Beyond that, the Biden administration insisted on a defense only strategy for Ukraine while slow walking weapons systems the Ukraine wanted.
Now they are going to try and undermine the next administration.
That's an understatement.
But they also knew Biden would fork over the equipment and money with no questions asked. Europe was happy when Trump left office in 2020. They weren't held to any level of any accountability.
It hasn't only affected the munition side, it's hit all across the board. The ability to deploy quickly with needed equipment has been hurt because of the lack of training. Training has been lost because of lack of funding, lack of focus in training has become a real problem as well. The list goes on and on.
But at least Austin & Milley have them using the right pronouns.
The Army missed its recruitment goal by about 10,000.
I won't use somebody's "preferred pronouns" for the same reason I won't talk to a schizophrenic's imaginary friends.
Biden should send Kamala Harris. She is a blockbuster fundraiser, after all. Ukraine's Zelensky just needs to sponsor more concerts and attract more celebrity endorsements to save democracy.
"The Trump administration is being set up to quickly advance the President's vision in all areas. Eight years ago, Donald Trump was unsure of himself as he prepared to take power from Barack Obama. Now he's confident, maybe even too self-assured.
Trump's Cabinet Picks - Bill's Message of the Day - Bill O'Reilly
Pennsylvania Senate Race Heads to Recount:
Pennsylvania’s Senate race is heading to a recount, which the narrow margin between Republican Dave McCormick and Democratic Sen. Bob Casey triggered automatically under state law.
Secretary of the Commonwealth Al Schmidt announced Wednesday that the unofficial results showing a narrow race have led to a recount. Schmidt noted in his announcement that counties must begin the recount no later than Nov. 20 and that they must complete the process by noon Nov. 26. The results will not be published until Nov. 27.
Pennsylvania Senate race heads to a recount
Gaetz will not get confirmed. Now he’s no longer in the house. Part of the plan I bet