US Politics Thread

[Satchmo]

10 hours ago, Elias Pettersson said:

 

$278 billion in cash.  Dude knows what’s coming.  He got the phone call.  There is no reason to have that much in cash unless you are expecting the market to crash…

There really can only be one answer.

[King Heffy]

42 minutes ago, Bob Long said:

 

Is this verified? Seems fishy.

Yeah I'm not trusting anything from BRICS news considering which countries that group contains.

[bishopshodan]

4 minutes ago, Satchmo said:

There really can only be one answer.

 

Exactly.

He's obviously heard my criticisms and is set to work on ending world hunger.

[CBH1926]

56 minutes ago, Bob Long said:

 

Is this verified? Seems fishy.

Any news that comes from sources involving Russia, China and Iran, I am little skeptical.

Even the other members of that group like Brazil, Egypt, South Africa, Ethiopia are not exactly the pillars of the democracy.

[NewbieCanuckFan]

 

[NewbieCanuckFan]

 

 

[Warhippy]

Meanwhile back on the Arlington situation

 

Seems that ya, Trump his campaign and staffers are full of shit.  So much for having "permission" at all, because it appears they not only did not actually have permission but actually broke laws and basic decency doing it.

 

https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/trump-team-push-arlington-national-cemetery-employee-army-1235090870/

 

 

“An ANC employee who attempted to ensure adherence to these rules was abruptly pushed aside” by a member of Trump’s staff, the statement continued. “Consistent with the decorum expected at ANC, this employee acted with professionalism and avoided further disruption.”

 

 

Military officials separately told The New York Times that the employee had declined to press charges for fear of retaliation and harassment by Trump’s supporters. 

Following a visit to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier on Monday, Trump accompanied the families of several service members who were killed in the 2021 Kabul airport attack during the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan to their burial places in Section 60 of the cemetery. 

NPR reported that when cemetery staff attempted to prevent Trump’s staff from entering the area in order to film and photograph the visit, they were verbally abused and physically pushed aside. 

New reporting from The Washington Post indicates that before the visit, Arlington National Cemetery officials had told Trump’s team that he could visit the grave sites personally, but not as part of a campaign event. 

 

The cemetery instructed that while the media could document Trump in his visit to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier — a more public space within the grounds — campaign staff could not accompany him to Section 60, and that the use of hats, signs, or banners containing campaign materials were not allowed. 

 

On Thursday, The Daily Caller reported that House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) personally intervened on the family’s behalf when the cemetery was reluctant to let Trump visit the graves.

After allegedly forcing their way into Section 60 to visit the grave of Staff Sergeant Darin Taylor Hoover with his family, the Trump campaign posted footage from the encounter on their social media accounts. The Washington Post noted that the Trump campaign’s “use of the footage marked a flagrant violation of the law against partisan actions at military cemeteries,” citing defense officials.

The rules in Arlington National Cemetery prohibiting campaign activity and the gratuitous gathering of film and video exist to protect the dignity and privacy of those interred at the cemetery and their families. In the aftermath of the incident, the relatives of Master Sgt. Andrew Marckesano — a Green Beret whose burial plot is adjacent to Hoover’s — said they were not consulted by the campaign before Marckesano’s grave was featured in photos. 

 

“We fully support Staff Sergeant Darin Hoover’s family and the other families in their quest for answers and accountability regarding the Afghanistan withdrawal and the tragedy at Abbey Gate,” Marckesano’s sister, Abby, said in a statement to The New York Times. “However, according to our conversation with Arlington National Cemetery, the Trump campaign staffers did not adhere to the rules that were set in place for this visit to Staff Sergeant Hoover’s gravesite in Section 60, which lays directly next to my brother’s grave.”

 

 

“We hope that those visiting this sacred site understand that these were real people who sacrificed for our freedom and that they are honored and respected accordingly,” she added. 

Several veterans groups and veterans serving in Congress have also condemned the incident as a disrespectful campaign stunt by a man with a storied history of bashing members of the military. 

As for the Trump campaign, the former president’s staff have gone on offense. In a statement to NPR, Trump Campaign Spokesperson Steven Cheung accused the cemetery staffer involved in the incident of “clearly suffering from a mental health episode” and deciding “to physically block members of President Trump’s team during a very solemn ceremony.”

 

 

[CBH1926]

2 minutes ago, NewbieCanuckFan said:

 

 

Trump would pose next to a dead body if it benefited him somehow.

They should put his picture next to the word unscrupulous in the dictionary.

[4petesake]

1 hour ago, Bob Long said:

 

Is this verified? Seems fishy.

 

Like everything these days it’s a partisan take on a story with a kernel of truth to it.

 

It relates to an ongoing battle between SIGAR (Special Investigator General for Afghan Reconstruction) and the State Department over information requests on money sent to independent aid groups in Afghanistan in 2022. Most but not all documentation was provided so the Inspector General had this to say in April 2023:

 

"Unfortunately, as I sit here today, I cannot assure you we are not now funding the Taliban," special inspector general for Afghan reconstruction, John Sopko, said at a House Oversight Committee hearing. “Nor can I assure you the Taliban are not diverting it from the intended recipients, which are the Afghan people.”

 

As to the information in question:

 

Quote

 The audit, covering the period from March 1, 2022, to November 30, 2022, scrutinised five State bureaus managing active awards in the region: Political-Military Affairs (PM/WRA), Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM), South and Central Asian Affairs (SCA/PPD), Democracy, Human Rights, and Labour (DRL), and International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL).

According to SIGAR, PM/WRA, PRM, and SCA/PPD met the requirements set out in the Foreign Affairs Manual (FAM) and other counterterrorism vetting guidelines. These bureaus provided thorough risk assessments and complete documentation, demonstrating adherence to State’s vetting protocols.

In contrast, DRL and INL faced serious issues with their documentation. DRL was able to provide adequate vetting documentation for only three out of seven awards, leaving four awards unverified. Similarly, INL presented proper documentation for just three of 22 awards. This lack of adequate records means SIGAR could not confirm whether these bureaus complied with State’s vetting requirements for the majority of their programmes.

 

[NewbieCanuckFan]

1 minute ago, 4petesake said:

 

Like everything these days it’s a partisan take on a story with a kernel of truth to it.

 

It relates to an ongoing battle between SIGAR (Special Investigator General for Afghan Reconstruction) and the State Department over information requests on money sent to independent aid groups in Afghanistan in 2022. Most but not all documentation was provided so the Inspector General had this to say in April 2023:

 

"Unfortunately, as I sit here today, I cannot assure you we are not now funding the Taliban," special inspector general for Afghan reconstruction, John Sopko, said at a House Oversight Committee hearing. “Nor can I assure you the Taliban are not diverting it from the intended recipients, which are the Afghan people.”

 

As to the information in question:

 

 

 

"a lie, Mr. Mulder, is most convincingly hidden between two truths."

 

[King Heffy]

7 minutes ago, 4petesake said:

 

Like everything these days it’s a partisan take on a story with a kernel of truth to it.

 

It relates to an ongoing battle between SIGAR (Special Investigator General for Afghan Reconstruction) and the State Department over information requests on money sent to independent aid groups in Afghanistan in 2022. Most but not all documentation was provided so the Inspector General had this to say in April 2023:

 

"Unfortunately, as I sit here today, I cannot assure you we are not now funding the Taliban," special inspector general for Afghan reconstruction, John Sopko, said at a House Oversight Committee hearing. “Nor can I assure you the Taliban are not diverting it from the intended recipients, which are the Afghan people.”

 

As to the information in question:

 

 

So similar to aid for Gaza being stolen by Hamas.  Absolute nothingburger.

[Warhippy]

Grieving mourners.  Not a photo op.  Not for the campaign.  Totally respectful.  Sure the family of the other three or four fallen are happy to have these people standing on the graves of their family smiling and holding a thumbs up for a campaign photo op on hallowed ground

 

Are they what Boebert et al would have called "crisis actors"?

 

Edited August 29 by Warhippy

[StrayDog]

5 minutes ago, Warhippy said:

Grieving mourners.  Not a photo op.  Not for the campaign.  Totally respectful.  Sure the family of the other three or four fallen are happy to have these people standing on the graves of their family smiling and holding a thumbs up for a campaign photo op on hallowed ground

 

Are they what Boebert et al would have called "crisis actors"?

 

is the only response I can give that won't get me banned

[Warhippy]

Seems like "he was given permission" is falling flat as hell in the face of common decency and the actual rules.

 

My favourite part is the bolded.  Because nothing says respectful conduct more than standing on the graves of the fallen smiling and holding a campaign photo op

 

https://www.thedailybeast.com/veterans-groups-condemn-trumps-arlington-national-cemetery-photo-op

 

“Trump only cares about the fallen when he can exploit their sacrifice for his own gain,” the progressive organization VoteVets said on Wednesday in a statement on social media. “To him, they’re just ‘suckers and losers.’ He’s proven time and again that respect and honor mean nothing to him.”

Former Rep. Max Rose (D-NY), who serves as an advisor for the group, also condemned the events as “sick and tragic.”

Retired Maj. General Paul Eaton, another VoteVets advisor, told USA Today he “truly cannot think of something more repugnant than starting a political fracas on land where Gold Star families mourn. Someone who would do that should never be Commander in Chief.”

Veterans for Responsible Leadership, a non-partisan veterans’ organization, accused the former president of violating both the “sanctity of Arlington” as well as the “code of conduct for national military cemeteries.”

 

“On the three-year anniversary of the Abbey Gate bombing, the president and his team conducted themselves with nothing but the utmost respect and dignity for all of our service members, especially our beloved children,” the group said in a statement posted on the campaign’s social media accounts.

The group said they had given the Trump campaign permission to photograph and record the event “ensuring these sacred moments of remembrance were respectfully captured.”

[the destroyer of worlds]

Bastion of free speech.

 

 

 

https://thehill.com/homenews/media/4853870-donald-trump-npr-x-post-flagged-unsafe-arlington-cemetery-clash/

X flags NPR story on Trump, Arlington as unsafe

[Warhippy]

5 minutes ago, the destroyer of worlds said:

Bastion of free speech.

 

 

 

https://thehill.com/homenews/media/4853870-donald-trump-npr-x-post-flagged-unsafe-arlington-cemetery-clash/

X flags NPR story on Trump, Arlington as unsafe

Literally everone knew the second Musk took over and started blocking people this was going to be the case.

 

Amazingly people are defending it saying it's his platform and it's a private platform with terms and conditions, but don't apply the same to reddit, instagram, facebook or the actual media.  Because anyone being shut down or removed for violating the ToC's is being silenced and free speech.

 

but Musk is ok, because he's their guy

[Smashian Kassian]

3 hours ago, Bob Long said:

 

Is this verified? Seems fishy.

 

3 hours ago, bishopshodan said:

 

Maybe Buffett is going to loan the new POTUS here his cash?

 

When did this transfer happen?

Do you have a link? I dont have the Twit app

 

The story isn't even really new. I actually posted this like a month ago I don't think anyone noticed, but it is back in the cycle, anyways. 

 

https://justthenews.com/world/middle-east/taliban-gets-239-million-aid-after-bad-state-dept-vetting

 

here's a link from 2023 that's basically foreshadowing this report

 

https://www.cnn.com/2023/04/19/politics/afghanistan-congress-watchdog-hearing/index.html

 

It's wild how they know there's little vetting, they know the money is going to the Taliban, yet the checks keep flowing.

 

[DSVII]

4 hours ago, Smashian Kassian said:

How do you 'mistakenly' send that sum of money..

 

I still can't believe this isn't a bigger story. 

 

Yet they always need more tax money, cause they don't have enough to bomb innocent people or fund terrorist organizations already.

 

BRICS is literally the organization involving Russia/China/Iran. I wouldn't exactly trust news being reported for that audience. At least without the full context. It serves them well to have sensationalist clickbait to fuel misinformation.

 

I haven't looked at twitter as a reliable source outside of NHL updates since Elon bought it too. It's clear what stories he's promoting.

Edited August 29 by DSVII

[bishopshodan]

5 minutes ago, Smashian Kassian said:

 

 

The story isn't even really new. I actually posted this like a month ago I don't think anyone noticed, but it is back in the cycle, anyways. 

 

https://justthenews.com/world/middle-east/taliban-gets-239-million-aid-after-bad-state-dept-vetting

 

here's a link from 2023 that's basically foreshadowing this report

 

https://www.cnn.com/2023/04/19/politics/afghanistan-congress-watchdog-hearing/index.html

 

It's wild how they know there's little vetting, they know the money is going to the Taliban, yet the checks keep flowing.

 

 

So rather than a mistake, its sloppy vetting that 'may' have allowed assistance to be diverted to the Taliban. One of your articles said the Taliban recieved $239 then goes on to quote the watchdog group that said 'may have'

 

The Islamic extremist Taliban has received at least $239 million in U.S. aid aimed at counterterrorism after State Department vetting procedures fell apart, according to a government watchdog.

The government watchdog, the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR), issued a July 2024 report identifying at least 29 grants where the Taliban may have erroneously received counterterrorism funds.

 

Neither articles mention a timeline. Is this all during the last year ?

 

Sad though if true. The CNN piece states that the US was trying not to deal directly with the Taliban so they were using International orgs. However without US observers some of the funds 'could be' diverted. 

[the destroyer of worlds]

21 minutes ago, Smashian Kassian said:

 

 

The story isn't even really new. I actually posted this like a month ago I don't think anyone noticed, but it is back in the cycle, anyways. 

 

https://justthenews.com/world/middle-east/taliban-gets-239-million-aid-after-bad-state-dept-vetting

 

here's a link from 2023 that's basically foreshadowing this report

 

https://www.cnn.com/2023/04/19/politics/afghanistan-congress-watchdog-hearing/index.html

 

It's wild how they know there's little vetting, they know the money is going to the Taliban, yet the checks keep flowing.

 

Thing is this is an issue with a lot of aid that goes to nations with questionable governance.   

 

Anything after Jan 1, 2021 to now has QOP control of oversight in the House.  So there is that.  So blame for this doesn't just fall on Bidens lap.

[The Arrogant Worms]

[Bob Long]

1 hour ago, Warhippy said:

Literally everone knew the second Musk took over and started blocking people this was going to be the case.

 

Amazingly people are defending it saying it's his platform and it's a private platform with terms and conditions, but don't apply the same to reddit, instagram, facebook or the actual media.  Because anyone being shut down or removed for violating the ToC's is being silenced and free speech.

 

but Musk is ok, because he's their guy

 

funny thing is, no one needs to use Xwitter. If people really wanted to, they can log out and not view his bullshit. 

 

[Duodenum]

The spokesperson detailed the events of August 26: “Participants in the August 26th ceremony and the subsequent Section 60 visit were made aware of federal laws, Army regulations and DoD policies, which clearly prohibit political activities on cemetery grounds. An ANC employee who attempted to ensure adherence to these rules was abruptly pushed aside. Consistent with the decorum expected at ANC, this employee acted with professionalism and avoided further disruption. The incident was reported to the JBM-HH police department, but the employee subsequently decided not to press charges. Therefore, the Army considers this matter closed.”

 

The Army has also expressed regret over the incident and emphasized that the cemetery staff’s professionalism has been unfairly criticized. Arlington National Cemetery remains a revered site, and its staff will continue to uphold the dignity and respect owed to the nation’s fallen heroes.

 

“This incident was unfortunate, and it is also unfortunate that the ANC employee and her professionalism has been unfairly attacked,” the Army stated. “ANC is a national shrine to the honored dead of the Armed Forces, and its dedicated staff will continue to ensure public ceremonies are conducted with the dignity and respect the nation’s fallen deserve.”

 

 

 

This has got to be the worst campaign ever run in the history of mankind lol. No respect from Trump and his crew for the dead and the military, yet again.

 

Go make your tiktok video dancing on the graves of people far braver than you are DJT 

 

Edited August 29 by Duodenum

[NewbieCanuckFan]

17 minutes ago, Duodenum said:

The spokesperson detailed the events of August 26: “Participants in the August 26th ceremony and the subsequent Section 60 visit were made aware of federal laws, Army regulations and DoD policies, which clearly prohibit political activities on cemetery grounds. An ANC employee who attempted to ensure adherence to these rules was abruptly pushed aside. Consistent with the decorum expected at ANC, this employee acted with professionalism and avoided further disruption. The incident was reported to the JBM-HH police department, but the employee subsequently decided not to press charges. Therefore, the Army considers this matter closed.”

 

The Army has also expressed regret over the incident and emphasized that the cemetery staff’s professionalism has been unfairly criticized. Arlington National Cemetery remains a revered site, and its staff will continue to uphold the dignity and respect owed to the nation’s fallen heroes.

 

“This incident was unfortunate, and it is also unfortunate that the ANC employee and her professionalism has been unfairly attacked,” the Army stated. “ANC is a national shrine to the honored dead of the Armed Forces, and its dedicated staff will continue to ensure public ceremonies are conducted with the dignity and respect the nation’s fallen deserve.”

 

 

 

This has got to be the worst campaign ever run in the history of mankind lol. No respect from Trump and his crew for the dead and the military, yet again.

 

Go make your tiktok video dancing on the graves of people far braver than you are DJT 

 

2nd worst.  Hillary's campaign was worse.  She took it for granted & just tried 'running out the clock'.  Dotard in 2016 was a fair bit fitter (eg., only 50 pounds overweight vs 100 pounds overweight now ) & was able to run a campaign vs letting Mr CouchF*cker handle alot of the 'ground work'.

[Gurn]

https://www.msn.com/en-ca/news/world/georgia-official-slammed-by-fellow-republicans-for-rant-on-jews-controlling-everything/ar-AA1pFACQ?ocid=hpmsn&cvid=19f941a6e2774277a36cf896ab0227eb&ei=29

"

Atop Georgia Republican Parry official, Kandiss Taylor, said recently that Jews in America were "controlling everything" while also alleging unnamed politicians "pander to the Jews," Media Matters found this week.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported Thursday that state Republicans are rushing to condemn her.

--------------------

"Taylor first denied she ever made the comments until a video of them was published online. She then said she regrets not making it "explicitly clear that I do not buy into anti-Semitic conspiracy theories.

--------------------

mal