The Rose Garden and White House happenings: Listening to voters’ concerns

GL2 said:

Because he's been so reasonable after 1/6 - renounced his lies, condemned the 1/6 animals, and stopped whining about the election. 

Only fun part is watching Devin Nunez freak out about the condition of TS merger and what will happen to already-weak TS after DJT starts posting on other platforms.

i am alphabetically handicapped here, and no morning coffee as yet, so?

mtierney said:

I avoided the twitter MOL post here because it appeared to me a complex argument about stuff I do not fully comprehend — and an obviously biased hatred for Musk, no matter what he does.

If only there were a thread of simple arguments about stuff we already fully comprehend. That’d keep us coming.

TS - Truth Social??

mtierney said:

i am alphabetically handicapped here, and no morning coffee as yet, so?

Some background here...

https://www.rawstory.com/devin-nunes-truth-social-funding/

DaveSchmidt said:

If only there were a thread of simple arguments about stuff we already fully comprehend. That’d keep us coming.

yes, indeed! —  and going.

GL2 said:

Only fun part is watching Devin Nunez freak out about the condition of TS merger and what will happen to already-weak TS after DJT starts posting on other platforms.

If only there was a way to bottle the sorrows of conservative snow flakes, well, then you would have a product!

GoSlugs said:

GL2 said:

Only fun part is watching Devin Nunez freak out about the condition of TS merger and what will happen to already-weak TS after DJT starts posting on other platforms.

If there was a way to bottle the sorrows of conservative snow flakes, well, then you would have a product!

why are so many of them so easily parted from their money?

ml1 said:

why are so many of them so easily parted from their money?

there’s a proverb for that…

ml1 said:

GoSlugs said:

GL2 said:

Only fun part is watching Devin Nunez freak out about the condition of TS merger and what will happen to already-weak TS after DJT starts posting on other platforms.

If there was a way to bottle the sorrows of conservative snow flakes, well, then you would have a product!

why are so many of them so easily parted from their money?

I should run for TC as a Republican and when I'm inevitably defeated, just refuse to accept defeat and fundraise forever. It worked for Kari Lake, she's made $25 million already.

I am very excited to see Adam Schiff announcing his candidacy for the US Senate seat held by Dianne Feinstein in California. 

Like the smell of bad cooking, Feinstein has lingered far too long.  It would be great to see someone in that position who is willing to actually represent the interests and perspectives of Californians.

GoSlugs said:

I am very excited to see Adam Schiff announcing his candidacy for the US Senate seat held by Dianne Feinstein in California. 

Like the smell of bad cooking, Feinstein has lingered far too long.  It would be great to see someone in that position who is willing to actually represent the interests and perspectives of Californians.

I would prefer that he didn't and just backed Katie Porter instead.

ridski said:

I would prefer that he didn't and just backed Katie Porter instead.

Why?  She seems more conservative that Schiff and less representative of the California electorate.  The way the California system works, the two candidates in the general election will, almost certainly, both be Democrats so there isn't much of a threat of them weakening each other and letting a Repug in.

ETA:  I don't know a great deal about Katie Porter other than what I read on Wikipedia, etc.  I am from Northern California and was only peripherally aware of her before she declared her candidacy for the Senate.

GoSlugs said:

Why?  She seems more conservative that Schiff and less representative of the California electorate.  The way the California system works, the two candidates in the general election will, almost certainly, both be Democrats so there isn't much of a threat of them weakening each other and letting a Repug in.

ETA:  I don't know a great deal about Katie Porter other than what I read on Wikipedia, etc.  I am from Northern California and was only peripherally aware of her before she declared her candidacy for the Senate.

I guess if Schiff beats her at the primary, she can still run for her house seat, but considering how much stick she got for declaring she's going for Feinstein's seat so early, it feels a little dickish of Schiff to suddenly decide to run against Porter.

Don't get me wrong, I like them both, and both would make great senators.

ridski said:

I guess if Schiff beats her at the primary, she can still run for her house seat, but considering how much stick she got for declaring she's going for Feinstein's seat so early, it feels a little dickish of Schiff to suddenly decide to run against Porter.

Don't get me wrong, I like them both, and both would make great senators.

There isn't a traditional primary.  Candidates from all parties throw their hats into the ring and the top two (as determined by a nonpartisan primary) face off in a runoff.  Generally, those top two are both Dems.

Does anyone — other than me — remember the nickname the orange man gave Schiff ? 

Two years later, every time I see him on the Tube, I have to giggle. 

Are all reports so juvenile as to find offensive nicknames amusing? 

Seriously, does anyone remember Wuhan? How much time was wasted, and how many lives were lost at the onset of Covid, in denial, because of a reluctance to upset China?

mtierney said:

Seriously, does anyone remember Wuhan? How much time was wasted, and how many lives were lost at the onset of Covid, in denial, because of a reluctance to upset China?

Quick Hits: Today’s Top Stories

The inspector general’s office at the Department of Health and Human Services issued a 64-page report Thursday, finding the National Institutes of Health—and more specifically, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases—failed to properly monitor a grantee that collaborated on research at the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV), the Chinese city where the COVID-19 pandemic began. The report does not include any evidence the WIV or the grantee—EcoHealth—were responsible for the virus that’s killed millions in recent years, but it does say the NIH did not follow its own progress reporting protocols, nor did they refer the research to their review committee meant to evaluate the risks of pathogen experimentation. “Based on these findings,” the inspector general report reads, “we conclude that NIH missed opportunities to more effectively monitor research. With improved oversight, NIH may have been able to take more timely corrective actions to mitigate the inherent risks associated with this type of research.”

None of this is China's fault and efforts to blame China are a setback to cooperating more on a global basis to deal with outbreaks.

The answer is that we were, and probably still are, woefully unprepared for a major pandemic.  THe source of the pandemic is irrelevant.  Our public health officials spent the first six weeks of 2020 believing it was an overseas thing when they could have been preparing the nation for what was to come.  Trump, of course, was worse than useless at every step of the way.

Let me say it again Mtierney. Pandemics happen.  We need to be prepared for pandemics whether naturally occurring which this pandemic probably is or caused by a lab accident.

I understand how experts in the field here might not have known, or would have denied knowing, the unsanitary working condition associated with live markets in China. But China knew. How could they have not? 

on the other hand, we get this….

Between Elon Musk allowing the dregs back onto the Twitter, Trump back on all social media, and the GOP running the House of Representatives and stocking the committees with conspiracy theorists -

There will be more than enough batsh*t crazy lies and insults to our intelligence to keep this thread going for some time to come.

[Edited to add] Seriously, we're going to be inundated with idiocy that reaches new levels.  Here's an example from yesterday, from one of the dimmest GOP bulbs.

mtierney said:

Does anyone — other than me — remember the nickname the orange man gave Schiff ? 

Two years later, every time I see him on the Tube, I have to giggle. 

mtierney farts in elevator and then waits gleefully for someone to notice. 

mtierney said:

Seriously, does anyone remember Wuhan? How much time was wasted, and how many lives were lost at the onset of Covid, in denial, because of a reluctance to upset China?

none.

but how much time was wasted and lives lost because TFG wanted to pretend it wasn't happening to "keep the numbers down"?

ml1 said: 

mtierney said:

Seriously, does anyone remember Wuhan? How much time was wasted, and how many lives were lost at the onset of Covid, in denial, because of a reluctance to upset China?

none.

but how much time was wasted and lives lost because TFG wanted to pretend it wasn't happening to "keep the numbers down"?

It is amazing looking back at the time when he fought to keep the covid cruise numbers off of the US tally - because it would make HIM look bad.

I'm still not sure to be happy or sad that T**** is the top presidential contender in the GOP at this moment.

mjc said:

TS - Truth Social??

Yes, sorry for lack of clarity.

Jerseyperson said:

Are all reports so juvenile as to find offensive nicknames amusing? 

Moreover, what lack of self-awareness leads an obese, ornately combed-over, orange painted man to continually criticize others' appearances. And the oversized suit jackets? Not fooling anyone. And the comb-over? Matched only by the late great Rep. Trafficante.

GL2 said:

Yes, sorry for lack of clarity.

Hmmm, still scratching my head. Maybe I missed that class?

mtierney said:

Hmmm, still scratching my head. Maybe I missed that class?

Truth Social, where great minds gather:

 https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/27/technology/trump-truth-social-ads.html

mtierney said:

I understand how experts in the field here might not have known, or would have denied knowing, the unsanitary working condition associated with live markets in China. But China knew. How could they have not? 

on the other hand, we get this….

it seems unacceptable for a judicial nominee but I don’t recall you berating Amy Comey Barrett when she struggled and failed to mention the five freedoms enshrined in the First Amendment. 

I am far more concerned listening as  the President speaks in public; walk tentatively, seeming to need direction , or in need of Dr. Jill’s hand. He is turning 81 this year, will be going on 82 by 2024 election day. Add the  four more strenuous years of a second term, and, I think we will have a big problem — I think his health is the elephant in the room. His son , Hunter, is the time bomb.

I agree that Joe should step aside for another candidate, but not for the reasons you cite. Physical limitations do not imply cognitive decline (Stephen Hawking) nor does age (Warren Buffet 92 years young).  Moreover, many of the "diagnoses" developed by vicious GOPers misrepresent a lifelong stutter a a cognitive issue.