U.S. Politics

[Rick Plant]

'I made a little chart': Biden destroys GOPers who claim they didn't vote to cut veterans' benefits



President Joe Biden trolled House Republicans on Tuesday after they passed a debt ceiling bill that could cut benefits for veterans.

Republicans have accused Democrats of "shamelessly lying" about cuts to veterans' benefits. But the bill "does not explicitly exempt the Department of Veterans Affairs from federal spending caps," according to The Huffington Post.

On Tuesday, Biden tweeted a flow chart showing exactly how Republicans in the House had not protected veterans' health benefits.

"I hear House Republicans out on TV saying they would never vote to cut veterans' benefits," he wrote. "In case there's any confusion, I made a little chart that could help them out."

See the chart below:


President Biden @POTUS

I hear House Republicans out on TV saying they would never vote to cut veterans’ benefits.

In case there’s any confusion, I made a little chart that could help them out.



https://www.rawstory.com/biden-and-veterans-benefits/

[Rick Plant]

Ron DeSantis handed Disney lawyers the ammo they needed to blow him out of the water



If Gov. Ron Ron DeSantis (R-FL) flops in his war with Disney, he will likely have himself -- and his presidential ambitions -- to blame, writes Washington Post columnist Greg Sargent.

Attorneys for the entertainment giant filed a lawsuit against the Florida Republican last Wednesday in U.S. district court in Tallahassee, Florida, asking to have its control over a special tax district restored back to the way it has been run since the 1960's.

Looking for the evidence they need to push back at DeSantis and his hand-appointed board, Disney lawyers found a great deal of what they need in the book DeSantis wrote as he ramped up his fledgling drive for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination.

As the Post's Sargent wrote, excerpts from the book, "The Courage To Be Free," feature prominently in the lawsuit which could undermine his case.

"Memoirs by presidential aspirants often lay out a blueprint for their coming candidacies. DeSantis does, too. It boasts extensively about his war on Disney to advertise how he would marshal the powers of the presidency against so-called woke elites," the columnist wrote. "Disney’s lawsuit cites exactly these passages. DeSantis — who signed a law taking control of Disney’s special self-governing district, and moved to nullify the company’s efforts to work around it — repeatedly flaunts the truth: These were retaliation against Disney for opposing his “don’t say gay” law limiting classroom discussion of sex and gender."

According to Scott Wilkens, senior counsel at the Knight First Amendment Institute, the governor's own words are a powerful weapon being deployed by the Disney legal team.

"You have pretty clear statements from Governor DeSantis that he is seeking to punish a corporation for its speech,” Wilkens explained. “That’s prohibited by the First Amendment.”

Sargent added, "All of this shows how hollow these right-wing theatrical exercises have become. When you start with the thrills you hope to inspire in the Fox News audience and build policy around that, the results tend to collapse once the lack of a real policy rationale becomes widely understood. If quotes from DeSantis’s own memoir lead to another such implosion, it would represent a spectacular and richly deserved form of political justice."

You can read more here: https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2023/05/02/ron-desantis-disney-lawsuit-wokeness-donald-trump-2024/



China-hawk GOP senator making thousands of dollars from business deal with Chinese state firm: report



Sen. Pete Ricketts (R-NE) talks a tough game in standing up to China, and was known for his hawkish anti-China speeches in his former office as governor of Nebraska. But according to The Daily Beast, he is making thousands of dollars off the sale of a business to a company controlled by the Chinese government.

"The new filings by the son of billionaire Cubs owner Joe Ricketts reveal that he had received payouts in the amount of $2,501 to $5,000 last year from his holdings in the National Cement Share Company. The submissions note these are mere 'holdbacks' from the 2021 sale of the stake in the complex to West China Cement held by a private equity firm in which Ricketts served as limited partner—a $23.4 million transaction which The Daily Beast reported on last year," reported William Bredderman. "The recently appointed Republican senator’s office told The Daily Beast he would get a further payment of between $1,001 and $15,000 at an as-yet unknown date in the future. His team further asserted he had no decision-making role in the sale. Ricketts’ press staff in the governor’s office had previously failed to return calls and emails from The Daily Beast regarding the deal."

Ricketts was appointed to the Senate by Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen, shortly after leaving the governor's mansion himself. He succeeded Ben Sasse, a Republican who left to take over the University of Florida system, a move that was controversial for faculty and students of that institution.

"As evidence of his anti-China record, [a] spokesperson pointed to Ricketts’ 2020 ban on the use of the app TikTok on Nebraska-owned devices, and highlighted the closure of the Beijing-linked Confucius Institute at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln that same year," said the report. "However, the state school at the time attributed the shutdown of the controversial Chinese cultural center to budget cuts. And while Ricketts adopted an extremely hostile posture toward the totalitarian regime at the end of his tenure as governor, even declaring a 'Victims of Communism Remembrance Month' to coincide with the 100-year anniversary of the Chinese Communist Party’s founding in 2021, he praised the Confucius Institute in an exclusive interview he granted in 2018 to China Daily — the official mouthpiece of President Xi Jinping’s political apparatus."

As China has stepped up its support of the Russian invasion and genocide in Ukraine, and as military experts have prepared for the possibility China could launch a similar military conflict of its own in Taiwan, there has been a bipartisan demand to take a hard line against China's provocations, and to prevent entities tied to the Chinese government from segments of the U.S. economy critical to national security.

One of the largest national moves against China has been President Joe Biden's sanctions cutting China off from the U.S. semiconductor industry, which massively disrupted the nation's technology industry and took many industry experts by surprise.

Read More Here: https://www.thedailybeast.com/anti-beijing-senator-pete-ricketts-still-collecting-money-from-china-deal/



House GOPer confronted with deep cuts his state will face under Kevin McCarthy's proposed budget



During an appearance on CNN's "State of the Union" to praise House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) for getting his budget proposal passed by a very slim margin, a member of his caucus was confronted by host Dana Bash about how the proposal will hurt his own constituents.

Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-MN) was on to make the case that it is up to President Joe Biden to meet with McCarthy to resolve their differences which led the CNN host to dig into the details of how the proposed budget will impact the state he represents

"Let me quickly look deep inside what you did get passed this past week," Bash began. "The bill would cut all non-defense discretionary funding by 22% — that is a lot of money and I want you to look at what the administration would say it would mean for your home state of Minnesota."

Putting a graphic up, she continued, "Thousands would lose food, rental assistance, and they would pay more for college. Outpatient VA appointments for veterans could be cut. This will make a big difference if, what you want, this bill actually would become law. A big difference in the lives of Americans, especially those living paycheck to paycheck. What do you say to them?"

"Well, I actually challenge it," Emmer bristled.

"They're just not true and what you just said is just not true either," he accused. "You should scrutinize what the administration is talking about."

Watch:

[Rick Plant]

'Unparalleled in its audacity': Herschel Walker accused of scamming more than $500,000 from billionaire donor



Failed Georgia Republican senate candidate Herschel Walker’s improper solicitation of a billionaire donor revealed in emails obtained by The Daily Beast have shocked campaign finance experts, the outlet reports.

Walker in communication with donor Dennis Washington sought hundreds of thousands of dollars for his own personal business, The Daily Beast reports.

Washington complied with Walker's request for the funds, thinking the contributions were political, the report said.

The emails, which have been verified as authentic by a person with knowledge of the exchange, specifically shows Walker requested $535,200 be wired directly to that undisclosed company, HR Talent, LLC, the report said.

The emails, which have been verified as authentic by a person with knowledge of the exchange, specifically shows Walker requested $535,200 be wired directly to that undisclosed company, HR Talent, LLC, the report said.

Roger Sollenberger writes for The Daily Beast, “In the best possible circumstances, legal experts told The Daily Beast, the emails suggest exponential violations of federal fundraising rules; in the worst case, they could be an indication of more serious crimes, such as wire fraud.”

Read More Here: https://www.thedailybeast.com/emails-reveal-jaw-dropping-herschel-walker-money-scandal



Favoritism accusations swirl after Boebert’s son allowed to appear in court virtually



The son of Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO) was allowed to phone in virtually to a court hearing on his driving violation, sparking accusations of political favoritism, reported Westword.

"On April 24, the favoritism apparently continued: A Garfield County judge let Tyler appear in court virtually, instead of in person, despite his failure to show up at a previous hearing and getting hit with a bench warrant as a result," reported Chris Perez. "'Typically, if a defendant misses a court hearing and a bench warrant is issued or stayed, they are required to appear for the next date,' says Sarah Nordgaard, deputy district attorney with the 9th Judicial District. 'Whether that is virtual or in person just depends on individual circumstances.'"

Tyler crashed his vehicle in September of last year, putting a friend in the hospital with a concussion and hand lacerations that nearly severed his thumb. Initially, Tyler was charged with "careless driving leading to bodily injury," a misdemeanor, which was later reduced to the civil violation of driving with broken headlights.

According to prior reports, the congresswoman was unaware her son missed his original court date.

"Tyler, who turned eighteen in March, was scheduled to appear in court and provide proof of completing the 'Alive at 25' driver awareness program — one of the key terms of his 'defective vehicle for headlights' plea deal," said the report. "It was the very last stop on his months-long road of legal drama. 'He must've emailed in the certificate,' said a Garfield County court clerk, who added that virtual appearances are considered on a 'case-by-case basis. If people request it, they can be granted or denied.'"

Boebert has been accused of covering up details of the incident from the public, including the extent of the injuries caused by the crash.

https://www.rawstory.com/favoritism-accusations-swirl-after-boeberts-son-allowed-to-appear-in-court-virtually/



Even this conservative thinks the Clarence Thomas scandal has become too big to ignore



Writing for The Daily Beast on Thursday, conservative columnist Matt Lewis says that the new reporting about Clarence Thomas accepting tuition for his grandnephew from billionaire megadonor Harlan Crow, is the "straw that broke the camel’s back for me" — and the Supreme Court needs to adopt a code of ethics immediately.

"Even if Justice Thomas’ decisions have never been directly influenced by his friend’s generosity, Supreme Court justices should be expected to avoid even the appearance of impropriety. And there can be no denying that the optics of this situation are…bad," wrote Lewis. "Keep in mind that this latest revelation comes on the heels of reports that Thomas enjoyed lavish vacations on Crow’s dime and that Crow purchased the home of Thomas’ mother (and allows her to live there rent-free)."

Initially, Lewis admitted, he was ready to ignore this story because he supported Thomas' jurisprudence, and because he felt the public criticism of Crow's collection of Hitler memorabilia was unfair. But now, he believes it is impossible to ignore.

The whole situation, Lewis wrote, is akin to "a theoretical scenario where left-wing billionaire George Soros was paying for Biden-appointed Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson’s child to attend an extremely expensive school" — something Republicans would surely find "completely inappropriate."

"If our elected officials (whom we could, at least theoretically, fire) are shedding credibility by wetting their beaks, then it must be doubly true of unelected judges with a lifetime seat," wrote Lewis. "It’s not like these institutions have credibility to burn. A 2022 Gallup survey showed that trust in the Supreme Court was at a historic low of 25 percent. That was down 11 percentage points from the previous year, no doubt owing to the overturning of Roe v. Wade. In the wake of these latest revelations regarding Justice Thomas, it may sink even lower ... It is vital that we preserve a separation of powers. But if we the people cannot demand that SCOTUS implement some reform or accountability, then the one unelected branch of government is beyond oversight."

Chief Justice John Roberts has a responsibility here, Lewis argued: "If Roberts really cares about preserving the credibility of this institution, he should push for serious, self-imposed reforms that would ban judges from accepting lavish gifts, regardless of whether there is direct quid pro quo."

Read More Here: https://www.thedailybeast.com/clarence-thomas-has-some-obscenely-generous-friends

[Rick Plant]

Since President Biden took office, small businesses have created 3.1 million jobs – a near record level.




FACT SHEET: The Small Business Boom Under the Biden-⁠Harris Administration

Through the American Rescue Plan and the equitable implementation of emergency relief programs, President Biden and Vice President Harris fostered the strongest recovery for Main Street on record. In 2021, Americans applied to start 5.4 million new businesses—more than 20 percent higher than any previous year on record.

The boom in new business creation has been particularly strong for entrepreneurs of color. In 2021, Hispanic Americans started new businesses at the fastest rate in more than a decade and 23 percent faster than pre-pandemic levels.

And, in the three-quarters of 2021, small businesses with fewer than 50 employees created 1.9 million jobs, the fastest start to small business job growth in any year on record.

This new White House report details the historic recovery for America’s small businesses and demonstrates how the Biden-Harris agenda laid the foundation for this small business boom. By focusing on combatting the pandemic, providing Americans with greater financial security, and delivering more than $450 billion in emergency relief to small businesses, the Biden-Harris Administration has helped create the conditions for unprecedented business and job creation.

The Biden-Harris strategy to rescue and revitalize Main Street contrasts sharply with the latest tax plan from Republicans in Congress. The Congressional Republican proposal put forward by Senator Rick Scott to impose a minimum tax on middle-class families would increase taxes on small businesses across the country. In addition to detailing the historic economic progress the Biden-Harris Administration has made to date, the Appendix includes a new state-by-state analysis of the Congressional Republican tax plan. The analysis finds that this tax plan would raise taxes on nearly half of small business owners (6.1 million people), including 82 percent of small business owners making less than $50,000 per year. Under the Congressional Republicans’ plan, the typical small business owner would see their taxes increased by almost $1,200.

President Biden rejects Congressional Republicans’ plan to increase taxes on half of small business owners. His four-pillar economic strategy for small businesses will lower costs and level the playing field for families and small businesses. The plan is focused on:

1. Expanding access to capital,

2. Making historic investments in helping small businesses navigate available resources,

3. Leveraging federal spending to support small businesses, and

4. Leveling the playing field for small business owners by reforming the tax code.

Read the full report here: https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/President-Biden-Small-Biz-Boom-full-report-2022.04.28.pdf

[Rick Plant]

More historic success from the Biden economic plan — lowest black unemployment rate in history.

Unemployment rate for Black Americans @ 4.7% is now at an all-time low -- below 5% for the first time in U.S. history.

[Rick Plant]

President Biden @POTUS

This is what happens when you invest in America.

We have more work to do – but this is real progress.



https://twitter.com/POTUS/status/1654599351350575108

[Rick Plant]

Marjorie Taylor Greene blames 'mental illness, drugs, and evil forces' for Texas mall shooting
https://www.rawstory.com/marjorie-taylor-greene-shooting/


Right wing extremists like Marjorie Taylor Greene want to blame everything else under the sun except for the weapons of war that slaughters innocent people each day in America.

Right wing Republicans want to blame "mental health" for mass shootings, but Republicans allow mentally disturbed people to easily purchase assault weapons with no questions asked in red states with weak gun laws.

When it comes time to vote for mental health legislation, right wing Republicans in the House of Representatives unanimously vote against mental health services.         

So, Republicans scream about mental health funding and then vote against it when they have a chance to fund it. Republicans vote against what they keep screaming about.

It's all political theatre and Republicans have no intentions of helping to combat gun violence or funding mental health.

Republicans are useless, they continue to allow our communities to be ravaged with gun violence because they are bought and paid for by the NRA to keep guns in the hands of violent criminals and mentally disturbed people.     

The House vote is below as House Republicans and MAGA loon Marjorie Taylor Greene unanimously voted against funding mental health services.