Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
Gym Jordan threatening to go after Hillary Clinton again? For what exactly? Hillary Clinton, the boogeywoman who keeps on scaring. Boo!
To keep her name in the news, because the GOP has to rely on distractions.
They know their base reacts to her name. It doesn't matter if there's no substance behind it and let's face it... If trump's DOJ couldn't find anything on her in the 4 years he was in office, it's pretty safe to say there's nothing there... but that's no reason not to go after her again for the sake of keeping her name in the headlines.
It's no different than trump trying to extort Zelensky into announcing an investigation of the Bidens. He didn't care if there wasn't a real investigation, just saying there was an investigation would have been enough.
"Five months after House Republicans launched an investigation into President Biden’s son Hunter and other members of his family, they have so far failed to identify any business dealings that may have influenced his decisions as Vice President or President.
But Rep. James Comer, the Kentucky Republican who chairs the House Oversight Committee, said on Monday that his committee’s public airing of overseas business transactions by Hunter Biden and other Biden relatives was helping Donald Trump’s presidential campaign. During an interview on Fox News, Comer linked the Republicans’ investigation into Joe Biden’s relatives to Donald Trump’s poll numbers.
A Fox News anchor asked Comer, “do you think that because of your investigation, that is what’s moved this needle with the media?”
“Absolutely. Absolutely, there’s no question. You look at the polling, and right now Donald Trump is seven points ahead of Joe Biden and trending upward, Joe Biden’s trending downward,” Comer said. “And I believe that the media is looking around, scratching their head, and they’re realizing the American people are keeping up with our investigation. And they realize there’s something wrong here. It’s not normal for the President of the United States’ children and grandchildren and in-laws and nieces and nephews to receive wires from foreign nationals. That’s what we’ve proven.”
Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
The repub primary shit show is going to be a hoot to watch, particularly in contrast to old steady slow mush for brains Brandon. Can’t wait for the women, cat, television, camera, rocket moment.
Fucking pukes. Talk about moving the goal posts and not having a budget or policy? How are these fucks making six figures? Oh yea, never mind.
House Republicans do appear willing to drop some provisions in a bill the chamber approved last month to raise the debt ceiling, especially a call for Biden to abandon his student loan forgiveness program and to cancel some green energy tax credits. But they’re also determined to push for more concessions that weren’t even in that legislation. Not only have they ruled out Biden’s proposals to increase revenue by closing tax loopholes — traditionally a part of bipartisan deals to lower the deficit — but they are also insisting on increasing spending on the military, homeland security and veterans services while cutting funds for domestic programs. That would be a change from how a similar standoff was resolved in 2011, when the last bipartisan bill to raise the debt limit and cut spending passed — the Budget Control Act, which affected defense and nondefense budgets equally.
“The off-ramp here is to solve the problem, to spend less than we spent last year," McCarthy told reporters Wednesday. "That’s not that difficult. They still want to spend more. You cannot do that. No household will do that.”
Asked Tuesday evening what Republicans were offering to get Democratic votes, Rep. Patrick T. McHenry (R-N.C.) gave a brief answer: “The debt ceiling.”
McCarthy’s hard line reflects the immense internal pressure he faces from far-right members who want aggressive budget cuts.
He must appease some of the demands made by the far-right House Freedom Caucus, which continues to insist that the House-passed legislation from last month should simply become law. But Biden and Senate Democrats have already said that won’t happen, which means GOP House leaders are trying to cut a bipartisan deal that can get a majority of their own lawmakers and also attract enough Democratic votes to pass. Without the Freedom Caucus, Republicans wouldn’t have 218 votes to raise the debt ceiling.
“While House Republicans are fighting for hard-working American families facing a woke, weaponized government at odds with our way of life, President Biden and Democrats have been dragging their feet for weeks to fight for rich liberal elitists who want more spending, more government, more corporate subsidies, and less freedom,” one Freedom Caucus member, Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas), wrote in a memo to GOP colleagues Wednesday morning. Roy insisted the GOP should demand the House bill’s enactment into law.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton likely broke laws, Republican investigation finds
By Jake Bleiberg, Paul J. Weber
1 hour ago
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — A Republican-led investigation on Wednesday accused Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton of committing multiple crimes in office — including felonies — during an extraordinary public airing of scandal and alleged lawbreaking that plunged one of the GOP's conservative stars into new political and legal risk.
For more than three hours, investigators presented findings alleging Paxton sought to hide an affair, misused his office to help a donor, skirted protocols “grossly outside” norms and built a culture of fear and retaliation in his office. Investigators told the GOP-led House General Investigating Committee that there was evidence that Paxton repeatedly broke the law over the years, including by misusing official information, abusing his official capacity and retaliation.
The dramatic turn of events in the Texas Capitol unleashed a new test of Paxton's durability in a way he has not previously confronted despite a felony indictment in 2015 and an ongoing FBI investigation. The House committee's investigation has been quietly going on for months and did not come to light until Tuesday.
The committee ended Wednesday's hearing without acting on the findings. The panel is led by Republican state Rep. Andrew Murr, who afterward declined to discuss next steps or whether a recommendation to impeach or censure Paxton was possible.
The legislative session ends Monday and any action against Paxton would have to be taken by then, unless GOP Gov. Greg Abbott calls a special session. In Texas, unlike in the U.S. government, an official who’s impeached by the House is suspended from office pending the outcome of a Senate trial. The governor can appoint an interim to fill the vacant post.
Wednesday's hearing amounted to a remarkable rebuke from Republicans in a building where Paxton has long maintained defenders and allies, including Abbott, who lauded Paxton while swearing him in to a third term in January.
Paxton called the hours of testimony by investigators “false,” accused the committee of misleading the public and attacked Republican House Speaker Dade Phelan as a “liberal.” Paxton also has claimed repeatedly since Tuesday that Phelan has been drunk on the job, something Phelan’s office has brushed off as an attempt by Paxton to “save face.”
“It is not surprising that a committee appointed by liberal Speaker Dade Phelan would seek to disenfranchise Texas voters and sabotage my work as Attorney General,” Paxton said in a written statement.
The hearing came as Paxton is seeking legislative approval for more than $3 million in taxpayer dollars to a settle a whistleblower lawsuit with top aides who accused him of corruption. The whistleblowers' lawyers on Wednesday thanked the committee for recognizing that their clients “suffered real harm in retaliation” for accusing Paxton and called on lawmakers to fund the deal.
Accusations laid out by investigators surround actions by Paxton that previously have been uncovered by reporters or disclosed in court records. Despite the cloud that has hung over Paxton, he has remained popular with GOP voters in Texas and elevated his profile nationally through lawsuits against President Joe Biden's administration and through his defense of former President Donald Trump.
Paxton’s former staff members reported him to the FBI in 2020 on accusations of breaking the law to help a campaign contributor. The donor, Austin real estate developer Nate Paul, employed a woman with whom Paxton acknowledged having had an extramarital affair. In February, the Justice Department’s Washington-based Public Integrity Section took over the federal criminal investigation of Paxton.
Since April, the House committee has issued at least 12 subpoenas for testimony and information to people and entities as part of its probe, according to meeting minutes that note the parties were left anonymous to “prevent reprisal and retaliation.”
During Wednesday's hearing, state Rep. Ann Johnson, a Houston Democrat and vice chair of the committee, asked whether “it was fair to say” that the attorney general's office "was effectively hijacked for an investigation by Nate Paul through the attorney general.”
“That would be my opinion," replied attorney Erin Epley, one of the investigators.
Lawyers for Paul did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Each of Paxton’s accusers later quit or was fired. In the years since, his agency has come unmoored by disarray behind the scenes, with seasoned lawyers quitting over practices they say aim to slant legal work, reward loyalists and drum out dissent. But until now, GOP lawmakers had shown little appetite for looking into Paxton.
Among the new revelations Wednesday were details of Paxton's high-end home renovation, which previously came under FBI scrutiny, and that his affair continued longer than previously known.
It ended “briefly” in 2019 when Paxton’s wife, state Sen. Angela Paxton, found out, “but then it resumed and was underway again by 2020,” said Epley, a former state and federal prosecutor.
That year, Paxton renovated his million-dollar Austin home. Epley said an attorney general's employee overheard Paxton telling a contractor that his wife wanted granite countertops. According to Epley, the contractor replied that the counters would cost $20,000 and said, “I'll have to check with Nate.”
Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
GOP unites in brinkmanship over default, rejecting Biden compromises By Marianna Sotomayor, Jeff Stein, Rachel Siegel and Paul Kane May 24, 2023 at 16:38 ET During a closed meeting Tuesday morning at a GOP hangout a block from the U.S. Capitol, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) made a pointed plea: Do not break ranks over the debt ceiling crisis. Ahead of another round of negotiations with the White House, McCarthy told Republicans they had the upper hand in the discussions and encouraged his members to show their support for colleagues facing tough reelection bids next year as a sign of unity, according to two people in attendance, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe the private talk. McCarthy urged members to make sure vulnerable lawmakers would have plenty of campaign money from GOP coffers — even pledging that they would not be outraised by their opponents in the 2024 election cycle, the people said of the meeting, which took place at the Capitol Hill Club. (McCarthy’s office declined to comment.) The overture reflects the GOP’s determination to stay unified behind spending cuts even as the nation heads toward the brink of a default, despite a rapidly approaching deadline, a White House suddenly eager to compromise and a Democratic-led effort to push a petition that could force a vote on raising the debt ceiling over McCarthy’s objections. After refusing to negotiate for months, President Biden’s aides last week offered the GOP substantial concessions on the federal budget — including a freeze on spending for two years — that nonpartisan estimates have projected could cut deficits by as much as $1 trillion over the next decade. House Republicans do appear willing to drop some provisions in a bill the chamber approved last month to raise the debt ceiling, especially a call for Biden to abandon his student loan forgiveness program and to cancel some green energy tax credits. But they’re also determined to push for more concessions that weren’t even in that legislation. Not only have they ruled out Biden’s proposals to increase revenue by closing tax loopholes — traditionally a part of bipartisan deals to lower the deficit — but they are also insisting on increasing spending on the military, homeland security and veterans services while cutting funds for domestic programs. That would be a change from how a similar standoff was resolved in 2011, when the last bipartisan bill to raise the debt limit and cut spending passed — the Budget Control Act, which affected defense and nondefense budgets equally. “The off-ramp here is to solve the problem, to spend less than we spent last year,” McCarthy told reporters Wednesday. “That’s not that difficult. They still want to spend more. You cannot do that. No household will do that.” The standoff is increasing the chances lawmakers do not reach agreement by June 1, when the Treasury Department says the government could run out of money. Talks at the staff level resumed Wednesday afternoon at the White House. Major stock market indexes on Wednesday were down, as Wall Street begins to focus on the risks of a possible U.S. default. Asked Tuesday evening what Republicans were offering to get Democratic votes, Rep. Patrick T. McHenry (R-N.C.) gave a brief answer: “The debt ceiling.” “That’s what they’re getting,” added Rep. Garret Graves (R-La.). McCarthy and his top lieutenants have in recent days said the White House needs to agree to cut spending, not just keep it flat. The House GOP’s representatives have panned Biden’s negotiators, saying the White House isn’t showing enough urgency or sending people empowered to cut a deal. White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters Wednesday that Republicans were demanding too much: “We’ve also heard some House Republicans refer to preventing default as the only concession they are willing to make. But preventing a catastrophic default is not a concession. It’s their job. Period.” McCarthy’s hard line reflects the immense internal pressure he faces from far-right members who want aggressive budget cuts. He must appease some of the demands made by the far-right House Freedom Caucus, which continues to insist that the House-passed legislation from last month should simply become law. But Biden and Senate Democrats have already said that won’t happen, which means GOP House leaders are trying to cut a bipartisan deal that can get a majority of their own lawmakers and also attract enough Democratic votes to pass. Without the Freedom Caucus, Republicans wouldn’t have 218 votes to raise the debt ceiling. “While House Republicans are fighting for hard-working American families facing a woke, weaponized government at odds with our way of life, President Biden and Democrats have been dragging their feet for weeks to fight for rich liberal elitists who want more spending, more government, more corporate subsidies, and less freedom,” one Freedom Caucus member, Rep. Chip Roy (R-Tex.), wrote in a memo to GOP colleagues Wednesday morning. Roy insisted the GOP should demand the House bill is made law.
Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton likely broke laws, Republican investigation finds
By Jake Bleiberg, Paul J. Weber
1 hour ago
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — A Republican-led investigation on Wednesday accused Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton of committing multiple crimes in office — including felonies — during an extraordinary public airing of scandal and alleged lawbreaking that plunged one of the GOP's conservative stars into new political and legal risk.
For more than three hours, investigators presented findings alleging Paxton sought to hide an affair, misused his office to help a donor, skirted protocols “grossly outside” norms and built a culture of fear and retaliation in his office. Investigators told the GOP-led House General Investigating Committee that there was evidence that Paxton repeatedly broke the law over the years, including by misusing official information, abusing his official capacity and retaliation.
The dramatic turn of events in the Texas Capitol unleashed a new test of Paxton's durability in a way he has not previously confronted despite a felony indictment in 2015 and an ongoing FBI investigation. The House committee's investigation has been quietly going on for months and did not come to light until Tuesday.
The committee ended Wednesday's hearing without acting on the findings. The panel is led by Republican state Rep. Andrew Murr, who afterward declined to discuss next steps or whether a recommendation to impeach or censure Paxton was possible.
The legislative session ends Monday and any action against Paxton would have to be taken by then, unless GOP Gov. Greg Abbott calls a special session. In Texas, unlike in the U.S. government, an official who’s impeached by the House is suspended from office pending the outcome of a Senate trial. The governor can appoint an interim to fill the vacant post.
Wednesday's hearing amounted to a remarkable rebuke from Republicans in a building where Paxton has long maintained defenders and allies, including Abbott, who lauded Paxton while swearing him in to a third term in January.
Paxton called the hours of testimony by investigators “false,” accused the committee of misleading the public and attacked Republican House Speaker Dade Phelan as a “liberal.” Paxton also has claimed repeatedly since Tuesday that Phelan has been drunk on the job, something Phelan’s office has brushed off as an attempt by Paxton to “save face.”
“It is not surprising that a committee appointed by liberal Speaker Dade Phelan would seek to disenfranchise Texas voters and sabotage my work as Attorney General,” Paxton said in a written statement.
The hearing came as Paxton is seeking legislative approval for more than $3 million in taxpayer dollars to a settle a whistleblower lawsuit with top aides who accused him of corruption. The whistleblowers' lawyers on Wednesday thanked the committee for recognizing that their clients “suffered real harm in retaliation” for accusing Paxton and called on lawmakers to fund the deal.
Accusations laid out by investigators surround actions by Paxton that previously have been uncovered by reporters or disclosed in court records. Despite the cloud that has hung over Paxton, he has remained popular with GOP voters in Texas and elevated his profile nationally through lawsuits against President Joe Biden's administration and through his defense of former President Donald Trump.
Paxton’s former staff members reported him to the FBI in 2020 on accusations of breaking the law to help a campaign contributor. The donor, Austin real estate developer Nate Paul, employed a woman with whom Paxton acknowledged having had an extramarital affair. In February, the Justice Department’s Washington-based Public Integrity Section took over the federal criminal investigation of Paxton.
Since April, the House committee has issued at least 12 subpoenas for testimony and information to people and entities as part of its probe, according to meeting minutes that note the parties were left anonymous to “prevent reprisal and retaliation.”
During Wednesday's hearing, state Rep. Ann Johnson, a Houston Democrat and vice chair of the committee, asked whether “it was fair to say” that the attorney general's office "was effectively hijacked for an investigation by Nate Paul through the attorney general.”
“That would be my opinion," replied attorney Erin Epley, one of the investigators.
Lawyers for Paul did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Each of Paxton’s accusers later quit or was fired. In the years since, his agency has come unmoored by disarray behind the scenes, with seasoned lawyers quitting over practices they say aim to slant legal work, reward loyalists and drum out dissent. But until now, GOP lawmakers had shown little appetite for looking into Paxton.
Among the new revelations Wednesday were details of Paxton's high-end home renovation, which previously came under FBI scrutiny, and that his affair continued longer than previously known.
It ended “briefly” in 2019 when Paxton’s wife, state Sen. Angela Paxton, found out, “but then it resumed and was underway again by 2020,” said Epley, a former state and federal prosecutor.
That year, Paxton renovated his million-dollar Austin home. Epley said an attorney general's employee overheard Paxton telling a contractor that his wife wanted granite countertops. According to Epley, the contractor replied that the counters would cost $20,000 and said, “I'll have to check with Nate.”
___
Bleiberg reported from Dallas.
You go Tejas. The majority of repubs and non-voters are okay with an indicted AG continuing to serve as AG. Imagine that. Watch Abbot &Costello look the other way. You go Tejas.
GOP unites in brinkmanship over default, rejecting Biden compromises By Marianna Sotomayor, Jeff Stein, Rachel Siegel and Paul Kane May 24, 2023 at 16:38 ET During a closed meeting Tuesday morning at a GOP hangout a block from the U.S. Capitol, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) made a pointed plea: Do not break ranks over the debt ceiling crisis. Ahead of another round of negotiations with the White House, McCarthy told Republicans they had the upper hand in the discussions and encouraged his members to show their support for colleagues facing tough reelection bids next year as a sign of unity, according to two people in attendance, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe the private talk. McCarthy urged members to make sure vulnerable lawmakers would have plenty of campaign money from GOP coffers — even pledging that they would not be outraised by their opponents in the 2024 election cycle, the people said of the meeting, which took place at the Capitol Hill Club. (McCarthy’s office declined to comment.) The overture reflects the GOP’s determination to stay unified behind spending cuts even as the nation heads toward the brink of a default, despite a rapidly approaching deadline, a White House suddenly eager to compromise and a Democratic-led effort to push a petition that could force a vote on raising the debt ceiling over McCarthy’s objections. After refusing to negotiate for months, President Biden’s aides last week offered the GOP substantial concessions on the federal budget — including a freeze on spending for two years — that nonpartisan estimates have projected could cut deficits by as much as $1 trillion over the next decade. House Republicans do appear willing to drop some provisions in a bill the chamber approved last month to raise the debt ceiling, especially a call for Biden to abandon his student loan forgiveness program and to cancel some green energy tax credits. But they’re also determined to push for more concessions that weren’t even in that legislation. Not only have they ruled out Biden’s proposals to increase revenue by closing tax loopholes — traditionally a part of bipartisan deals to lower the deficit — but they are also insisting on increasing spending on the military, homeland security and veterans services while cutting funds for domestic programs. That would be a change from how a similar standoff was resolved in 2011, when the last bipartisan bill to raise the debt limit and cut spending passed — the Budget Control Act, which affected defense and nondefense budgets equally. “The off-ramp here is to solve the problem, to spend less than we spent last year,” McCarthy told reporters Wednesday. “That’s not that difficult. They still want to spend more. You cannot do that. No household will do that.” The standoff is increasing the chances lawmakers do not reach agreement by June 1, when the Treasury Department says the government could run out of money. Talks at the staff level resumed Wednesday afternoon at the White House. Major stock market indexes on Wednesday were down, as Wall Street begins to focus on the risks of a possible U.S. default. Asked Tuesday evening what Republicans were offering to get Democratic votes, Rep. Patrick T. McHenry (R-N.C.) gave a brief answer: “The debt ceiling.” “That’s what they’re getting,” added Rep. Garret Graves (R-La.). McCarthy and his top lieutenants have in recent days said the White House needs to agree to cut spending, not just keep it flat. The House GOP’s representatives have panned Biden’s negotiators, saying the White House isn’t showing enough urgency or sending people empowered to cut a deal. White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters Wednesday that Republicans were demanding too much: “We’ve also heard some House Republicans refer to preventing default as the only concession they are willing to make. But preventing a catastrophic default is not a concession. It’s their job. Period.” McCarthy’s hard line reflects the immense internal pressure he faces from far-right members who want aggressive budget cuts. He must appease some of the demands made by the far-right House Freedom Caucus, which continues to insist that the House-passed legislation from last month should simply become law. But Biden and Senate Democrats have already said that won’t happen, which means GOP House leaders are trying to cut a bipartisan deal that can get a majority of their own lawmakers and also attract enough Democratic votes to pass. Without the Freedom Caucus, Republicans wouldn’t have 218 votes to raise the debt ceiling. “While House Republicans are fighting for hard-working American families facing a woke, weaponized government at odds with our way of life, President Biden and Democrats have been dragging their feet for weeks to fight for rich liberal elitists who want more spending, more government, more corporate subsidies, and less freedom,” one Freedom Caucus member, Rep. Chip Roy (R-Tex.), wrote in a memo to GOP colleagues Wednesday morning. Roy insisted the GOP should demand the House bill is made law.
continues.....
seems like not paying incurred bills is not just a trump thing, but a gop thing. it's like a whole vibe and a whole lifestyle now.
"You can tell the greatness of a man by what makes him angry." - Lincoln
GOP unites in brinkmanship over default, rejecting Biden compromises By Marianna Sotomayor, Jeff Stein, Rachel Siegel and Paul Kane May 24, 2023 at 16:38 ET During a closed meeting Tuesday morning at a GOP hangout a block from the U.S. Capitol, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) made a pointed plea: Do not break ranks over the debt ceiling crisis. Ahead of another round of negotiations with the White House, McCarthy told Republicans they had the upper hand in the discussions and encouraged his members to show their support for colleagues facing tough reelection bids next year as a sign of unity, according to two people in attendance, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe the private talk. McCarthy urged members to make sure vulnerable lawmakers would have plenty of campaign money from GOP coffers — even pledging that they would not be outraised by their opponents in the 2024 election cycle, the people said of the meeting, which took place at the Capitol Hill Club. (McCarthy’s office declined to comment.) The overture reflects the GOP’s determination to stay unified behind spending cuts even as the nation heads toward the brink of a default, despite a rapidly approaching deadline, a White House suddenly eager to compromise and a Democratic-led effort to push a petition that could force a vote on raising the debt ceiling over McCarthy’s objections. After refusing to negotiate for months, President Biden’s aides last week offered the GOP substantial concessions on the federal budget — including a freeze on spending for two years — that nonpartisan estimates have projected could cut deficits by as much as $1 trillion over the next decade. House Republicans do appear willing to drop some provisions in a bill the chamber approved last month to raise the debt ceiling, especially a call for Biden to abandon his student loan forgiveness program and to cancel some green energy tax credits. But they’re also determined to push for more concessions that weren’t even in that legislation. Not only have they ruled out Biden’s proposals to increase revenue by closing tax loopholes — traditionally a part of bipartisan deals to lower the deficit — but they are also insisting on increasing spending on the military, homeland security and veterans services while cutting funds for domestic programs. That would be a change from how a similar standoff was resolved in 2011, when the last bipartisan bill to raise the debt limit and cut spending passed — the Budget Control Act, which affected defense and nondefense budgets equally. “The off-ramp here is to solve the problem, to spend less than we spent last year,” McCarthy told reporters Wednesday. “That’s not that difficult. They still want to spend more. You cannot do that. No household will do that.” The standoff is increasing the chances lawmakers do not reach agreement by June 1, when the Treasury Department says the government could run out of money. Talks at the staff level resumed Wednesday afternoon at the White House. Major stock market indexes on Wednesday were down, as Wall Street begins to focus on the risks of a possible U.S. default. Asked Tuesday evening what Republicans were offering to get Democratic votes, Rep. Patrick T. McHenry (R-N.C.) gave a brief answer: “The debt ceiling.” “That’s what they’re getting,” added Rep. Garret Graves (R-La.). McCarthy and his top lieutenants have in recent days said the White House needs to agree to cut spending, not just keep it flat. The House GOP’s representatives have panned Biden’s negotiators, saying the White House isn’t showing enough urgency or sending people empowered to cut a deal. White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters Wednesday that Republicans were demanding too much: “We’ve also heard some House Republicans refer to preventing default as the only concession they are willing to make. But preventing a catastrophic default is not a concession. It’s their job. Period.” McCarthy’s hard line reflects the immense internal pressure he faces from far-right members who want aggressive budget cuts. He must appease some of the demands made by the far-right House Freedom Caucus, which continues to insist that the House-passed legislation from last month should simply become law. But Biden and Senate Democrats have already said that won’t happen, which means GOP House leaders are trying to cut a bipartisan deal that can get a majority of their own lawmakers and also attract enough Democratic votes to pass. Without the Freedom Caucus, Republicans wouldn’t have 218 votes to raise the debt ceiling. “While House Republicans are fighting for hard-working American families facing a woke, weaponized government at odds with our way of life, President Biden and Democrats have been dragging their feet for weeks to fight for rich liberal elitists who want more spending, more government, more corporate subsidies, and less freedom,” one Freedom Caucus member, Rep. Chip Roy (R-Tex.), wrote in a memo to GOP colleagues Wednesday morning. Roy insisted the GOP should demand the House bill is made law.
continues.....
seems like not paying incurred bills is not just a trump thing, but a gop thing. it's like a whole vibe and a whole lifestyle now.
If you’re paying your bills, you’re not doing it right.
GOP unites in brinkmanship over default, rejecting Biden compromises By Marianna Sotomayor, Jeff Stein, Rachel Siegel and Paul Kane May 24, 2023 at 16:38 ET During a closed meeting Tuesday morning at a GOP hangout a block from the U.S. Capitol, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) made a pointed plea: Do not break ranks over the debt ceiling crisis. Ahead of another round of negotiations with the White House, McCarthy told Republicans they had the upper hand in the discussions and encouraged his members to show their support for colleagues facing tough reelection bids next year as a sign of unity, according to two people in attendance, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe the private talk. McCarthy urged members to make sure vulnerable lawmakers would have plenty of campaign money from GOP coffers — even pledging that they would not be outraised by their opponents in the 2024 election cycle, the people said of the meeting, which took place at the Capitol Hill Club. (McCarthy’s office declined to comment.) The overture reflects the GOP’s determination to stay unified behind spending cuts even as the nation heads toward the brink of a default, despite a rapidly approaching deadline, a White House suddenly eager to compromise and a Democratic-led effort to push a petition that could force a vote on raising the debt ceiling over McCarthy’s objections. After refusing to negotiate for months, President Biden’s aides last week offered the GOP substantial concessions on the federal budget — including a freeze on spending for two years — that nonpartisan estimates have projected could cut deficits by as much as $1 trillion over the next decade. House Republicans do appear willing to drop some provisions in a bill the chamber approved last month to raise the debt ceiling, especially a call for Biden to abandon his student loan forgiveness program and to cancel some green energy tax credits. But they’re also determined to push for more concessions that weren’t even in that legislation. Not only have they ruled out Biden’s proposals to increase revenue by closing tax loopholes — traditionally a part of bipartisan deals to lower the deficit — but they are also insisting on increasing spending on the military, homeland security and veterans services while cutting funds for domestic programs. That would be a change from how a similar standoff was resolved in 2011, when the last bipartisan bill to raise the debt limit and cut spending passed — the Budget Control Act, which affected defense and nondefense budgets equally. “The off-ramp here is to solve the problem, to spend less than we spent last year,” McCarthy told reporters Wednesday. “That’s not that difficult. They still want to spend more. You cannot do that. No household will do that.” The standoff is increasing the chances lawmakers do not reach agreement by June 1, when the Treasury Department says the government could run out of money. Talks at the staff level resumed Wednesday afternoon at the White House. Major stock market indexes on Wednesday were down, as Wall Street begins to focus on the risks of a possible U.S. default. Asked Tuesday evening what Republicans were offering to get Democratic votes, Rep. Patrick T. McHenry (R-N.C.) gave a brief answer: “The debt ceiling.” “That’s what they’re getting,” added Rep. Garret Graves (R-La.). McCarthy and his top lieutenants have in recent days said the White House needs to agree to cut spending, not just keep it flat. The House GOP’s representatives have panned Biden’s negotiators, saying the White House isn’t showing enough urgency or sending people empowered to cut a deal. White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters Wednesday that Republicans were demanding too much: “We’ve also heard some House Republicans refer to preventing default as the only concession they are willing to make. But preventing a catastrophic default is not a concession. It’s their job. Period.” McCarthy’s hard line reflects the immense internal pressure he faces from far-right members who want aggressive budget cuts. He must appease some of the demands made by the far-right House Freedom Caucus, which continues to insist that the House-passed legislation from last month should simply become law. But Biden and Senate Democrats have already said that won’t happen, which means GOP House leaders are trying to cut a bipartisan deal that can get a majority of their own lawmakers and also attract enough Democratic votes to pass. Without the Freedom Caucus, Republicans wouldn’t have 218 votes to raise the debt ceiling. “While House Republicans are fighting for hard-working American families facing a woke, weaponized government at odds with our way of life, President Biden and Democrats have been dragging their feet for weeks to fight for rich liberal elitists who want more spending, more government, more corporate subsidies, and less freedom,” one Freedom Caucus member, Rep. Chip Roy (R-Tex.), wrote in a memo to GOP colleagues Wednesday morning. Roy insisted the GOP should demand the House bill is made law.
continues.....
seems like not paying incurred bills is not just a trump thing, but a gop thing. it's like a whole vibe and a whole lifestyle now.
If you’re paying your bills, you’re not doing it right.
guess i'm not doing it right. sad.
"You can tell the greatness of a man by what makes him angry." - Lincoln
Comments
Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
They know their base reacts to her name. It doesn't matter if there's no substance behind it and let's face it... If trump's DOJ couldn't find anything on her in the 4 years he was in office, it's pretty safe to say there's nothing there... but that's no reason not to go after her again for the sake of keeping her name in the headlines.
It's no different than trump trying to extort Zelensky into announcing an investigation of the Bidens. He didn't care if there wasn't a real investigation, just saying there was an investigation would have been enough.
I'm pretty sure they bragged about the Benghazi investigation the same way.
https://time.com/6281859/biden-investigation-trump-comer-raskin/
"Five months after House Republicans launched an investigation into President Biden’s son Hunter and other members of his family, they have so far failed to identify any business dealings that may have influenced his decisions as Vice President or President.
But Rep. James Comer, the Kentucky Republican who chairs the House Oversight Committee, said on Monday that his committee’s public airing of overseas business transactions by Hunter Biden and other Biden relatives was helping Donald Trump’s presidential campaign. During an interview on Fox News, Comer linked the Republicans’ investigation into Joe Biden’s relatives to Donald Trump’s poll numbers.
A Fox News anchor asked Comer, “do you think that because of your investigation, that is what’s moved this needle with the media?”
“Absolutely. Absolutely, there’s no question. You look at the polling, and right now Donald Trump is seven points ahead of Joe Biden and trending upward, Joe Biden’s trending downward,” Comer said. “And I believe that the media is looking around, scratching their head, and they’re realizing the American people are keeping up with our investigation. And they realize there’s something wrong here. It’s not normal for the President of the United States’ children and grandchildren and in-laws and nieces and nephews to receive wires from foreign nationals. That’s what we’ve proven.”
The Golden Age is 2 months away. And guess what….. you’re gonna love it! (teskeinc 11.19.24)
1998: Noblesville; 2003: Noblesville; 2009: EV Nashville, Chicago, Chicago
2010: St Louis, Columbus, Noblesville; 2011: EV Chicago, East Troy, East Troy
2013: London ON, Wrigley; 2014: Cincy, St Louis, Moline (NO CODE)
2016: Lexington, Wrigley #1; 2018: Wrigley, Wrigley, Boston, Boston
2020: Oakland, Oakland: 2021: EV Ohana, Ohana, Ohana, Ohana
2022: Oakland, Oakland, Nashville, Louisville; 2023: Chicago, Chicago, Noblesville
2024: Noblesville, Wrigley, Wrigley, Ohana, Ohana
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Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
The Golden Age is 2 months away. And guess what….. you’re gonna love it! (teskeinc 11.19.24)
1998: Noblesville; 2003: Noblesville; 2009: EV Nashville, Chicago, Chicago
2010: St Louis, Columbus, Noblesville; 2011: EV Chicago, East Troy, East Troy
2013: London ON, Wrigley; 2014: Cincy, St Louis, Moline (NO CODE)
2016: Lexington, Wrigley #1; 2018: Wrigley, Wrigley, Boston, Boston
2020: Oakland, Oakland: 2021: EV Ohana, Ohana, Ohana, Ohana
2022: Oakland, Oakland, Nashville, Louisville; 2023: Chicago, Chicago, Noblesville
2024: Noblesville, Wrigley, Wrigley, Ohana, Ohana
"Well, you tell him that I don't talk to suckas."
House Ethics Committee closes Swalwell investigation with no further action
Libtardaplorable©. And proud of it.
Brilliantati©
now reinstate his committee assignments
Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/4018595-man-arrested-at-virginia-preschool-said-he-was-making-his-way-to-the-cia-police-say/
Nikki's going after Ronny....the hand gestures are hilarious
The Golden Age is 2 months away. And guess what….. you’re gonna love it! (teskeinc 11.19.24)
1998: Noblesville; 2003: Noblesville; 2009: EV Nashville, Chicago, Chicago
2010: St Louis, Columbus, Noblesville; 2011: EV Chicago, East Troy, East Troy
2013: London ON, Wrigley; 2014: Cincy, St Louis, Moline (NO CODE)
2016: Lexington, Wrigley #1; 2018: Wrigley, Wrigley, Boston, Boston
2020: Oakland, Oakland: 2021: EV Ohana, Ohana, Ohana, Ohana
2022: Oakland, Oakland, Nashville, Louisville; 2023: Chicago, Chicago, Noblesville
2024: Noblesville, Wrigley, Wrigley, Ohana, Ohana
"Well, you tell him that I don't talk to suckas."
Libtardaplorable©. And proud of it.
Brilliantati©
Libtardaplorable©. And proud of it.
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"Well, you tell him that I don't talk to suckas."
House Republicans do appear willing to drop some provisions in a bill the chamber approved last month to raise the debt ceiling, especially a call for Biden to abandon his student loan forgiveness program and to cancel some green energy tax credits. But they’re also determined to push for more concessions that weren’t even in that legislation. Not only have they ruled out Biden’s proposals to increase revenue by closing tax loopholes — traditionally a part of bipartisan deals to lower the deficit — but they are also insisting on increasing spending on the military, homeland security and veterans services while cutting funds for domestic programs. That would be a change from how a similar standoff was resolved in 2011, when the last bipartisan bill to raise the debt limit and cut spending passed — the Budget Control Act, which affected defense and nondefense budgets equally.
“The off-ramp here is to solve the problem, to spend less than we spent last year," McCarthy told reporters Wednesday. "That’s not that difficult. They still want to spend more. You cannot do that. No household will do that.”
Asked Tuesday evening what Republicans were offering to get Democratic votes, Rep. Patrick T. McHenry (R-N.C.) gave a brief answer: “The debt ceiling.”
https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2023/05/24/debt-ceiling-gop-demands/
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McCarthy’s hard line reflects the immense internal pressure he faces from far-right members who want aggressive budget cuts.
He must appease some of the demands made by the far-right House Freedom Caucus, which continues to insist that the House-passed legislation from last month should simply become law. But Biden and Senate Democrats have already said that won’t happen, which means GOP House leaders are trying to cut a bipartisan deal that can get a majority of their own lawmakers and also attract enough Democratic votes to pass. Without the Freedom Caucus, Republicans wouldn’t have 218 votes to raise the debt ceiling.
“While House Republicans are fighting for hard-working American families facing a woke, weaponized government at odds with our way of life, President Biden and Democrats have been dragging their feet for weeks to fight for rich liberal elitists who want more spending, more government, more corporate subsidies, and less freedom,” one Freedom Caucus member, Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas), wrote in a memo to GOP colleagues Wednesday morning. Roy insisted the GOP should demand the House bill’s enactment into law.
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AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — A Republican-led investigation on Wednesday accused Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton of committing multiple crimes in office — including felonies — during an extraordinary public airing of scandal and alleged lawbreaking that plunged one of the GOP's conservative stars into new political and legal risk.
For more than three hours, investigators presented findings alleging Paxton sought to hide an affair, misused his office to help a donor, skirted protocols “grossly outside” norms and built a culture of fear and retaliation in his office. Investigators told the GOP-led House General Investigating Committee that there was evidence that Paxton repeatedly broke the law over the years, including by misusing official information, abusing his official capacity and retaliation.
The dramatic turn of events in the Texas Capitol unleashed a new test of Paxton's durability in a way he has not previously confronted despite a felony indictment in 2015 and an ongoing FBI investigation. The House committee's investigation has been quietly going on for months and did not come to light until Tuesday.
The committee ended Wednesday's hearing without acting on the findings. The panel is led by Republican state Rep. Andrew Murr, who afterward declined to discuss next steps or whether a recommendation to impeach or censure Paxton was possible.
The legislative session ends Monday and any action against Paxton would have to be taken by then, unless GOP Gov. Greg Abbott calls a special session. In Texas, unlike in the U.S. government, an official who’s impeached by the House is suspended from office pending the outcome of a Senate trial. The governor can appoint an interim to fill the vacant post.
Wednesday's hearing amounted to a remarkable rebuke from Republicans in a building where Paxton has long maintained defenders and allies, including Abbott, who lauded Paxton while swearing him in to a third term in January.
Paxton called the hours of testimony by investigators “false,” accused the committee of misleading the public and attacked Republican House Speaker Dade Phelan as a “liberal.” Paxton also has claimed repeatedly since Tuesday that Phelan has been drunk on the job, something Phelan’s office has brushed off as an attempt by Paxton to “save face.”
“It is not surprising that a committee appointed by liberal Speaker Dade Phelan would seek to disenfranchise Texas voters and sabotage my work as Attorney General,” Paxton said in a written statement.
The hearing came as Paxton is seeking legislative approval for more than $3 million in taxpayer dollars to a settle a whistleblower lawsuit with top aides who accused him of corruption. The whistleblowers' lawyers on Wednesday thanked the committee for recognizing that their clients “suffered real harm in retaliation” for accusing Paxton and called on lawmakers to fund the deal.
Accusations laid out by investigators surround actions by Paxton that previously have been uncovered by reporters or disclosed in court records. Despite the cloud that has hung over Paxton, he has remained popular with GOP voters in Texas and elevated his profile nationally through lawsuits against President Joe Biden's administration and through his defense of former President Donald Trump.
Paxton’s former staff members reported him to the FBI in 2020 on accusations of breaking the law to help a campaign contributor. The donor, Austin real estate developer Nate Paul, employed a woman with whom Paxton acknowledged having had an extramarital affair. In February, the Justice Department’s Washington-based Public Integrity Section took over the federal criminal investigation of Paxton.
Since April, the House committee has issued at least 12 subpoenas for testimony and information to people and entities as part of its probe, according to meeting minutes that note the parties were left anonymous to “prevent reprisal and retaliation.”
During Wednesday's hearing, state Rep. Ann Johnson, a Houston Democrat and vice chair of the committee, asked whether “it was fair to say” that the attorney general's office "was effectively hijacked for an investigation by Nate Paul through the attorney general.”
“That would be my opinion," replied attorney Erin Epley, one of the investigators.
Lawyers for Paul did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Each of Paxton’s accusers later quit or was fired. In the years since, his agency has come unmoored by disarray behind the scenes, with seasoned lawyers quitting over practices they say aim to slant legal work, reward loyalists and drum out dissent. But until now, GOP lawmakers had shown little appetite for looking into Paxton.
Among the new revelations Wednesday were details of Paxton's high-end home renovation, which previously came under FBI scrutiny, and that his affair continued longer than previously known.
It ended “briefly” in 2019 when Paxton’s wife, state Sen. Angela Paxton, found out, “but then it resumed and was underway again by 2020,” said Epley, a former state and federal prosecutor.
That year, Paxton renovated his million-dollar Austin home. Epley said an attorney general's employee overheard Paxton telling a contractor that his wife wanted granite countertops. According to Epley, the contractor replied that the counters would cost $20,000 and said, “I'll have to check with Nate.”
___
Bleiberg reported from Dallas.
Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
By Marianna Sotomayor, Jeff Stein, Rachel Siegel and Paul Kane
May 24, 2023 at 16:38 ET
During a closed meeting Tuesday morning at a GOP hangout a block from the U.S. Capitol, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) made a pointed plea: Do not break ranks over the debt ceiling crisis.
Ahead of another round of negotiations with the White House, McCarthy told Republicans they had the upper hand in the discussions and encouraged his members to show their support for colleagues facing tough reelection bids next year as a sign of unity, according to two people in attendance, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe the private talk. McCarthy urged members to make sure vulnerable lawmakers would have plenty of campaign money from GOP coffers — even pledging that they would not be outraised by their opponents in the 2024 election cycle, the people said of the meeting, which took place at the Capitol Hill Club. (McCarthy’s office declined to comment.)
The overture reflects the GOP’s determination to stay unified behind spending cuts even as the nation heads toward the brink of a default, despite a rapidly approaching deadline, a White House suddenly eager to compromise and a Democratic-led effort to push a petition that could force a vote on raising the debt ceiling over McCarthy’s objections.
After refusing to negotiate for months, President Biden’s aides last week offered the GOP substantial concessions on the federal budget — including a freeze on spending for two years — that nonpartisan estimates have projected could cut deficits by as much as $1 trillion over the next decade.
House Republicans do appear willing to drop some provisions in a bill the chamber approved last month to raise the debt ceiling, especially a call for Biden to abandon his student loan forgiveness program and to cancel some green energy tax credits. But they’re also determined to push for more concessions that weren’t even in that legislation. Not only have they ruled out Biden’s proposals to increase revenue by closing tax loopholes — traditionally a part of bipartisan deals to lower the deficit — but they are also insisting on increasing spending on the military, homeland security and veterans services while cutting funds for domestic programs. That would be a change from how a similar standoff was resolved in 2011, when the last bipartisan bill to raise the debt limit and cut spending passed — the Budget Control Act, which affected defense and nondefense budgets equally.
“The off-ramp here is to solve the problem, to spend less than we spent last year,” McCarthy told reporters Wednesday. “That’s not that difficult. They still want to spend more. You cannot do that. No household will do that.”
The standoff is increasing the chances lawmakers do not reach agreement by June 1, when the Treasury Department says the government could run out of money. Talks at the staff level resumed Wednesday afternoon at the White House. Major stock market indexes on Wednesday were down, as Wall Street begins to focus on the risks of a possible U.S. default.
Asked Tuesday evening what Republicans were offering to get Democratic votes, Rep. Patrick T. McHenry (R-N.C.) gave a brief answer: “The debt ceiling.”
“That’s what they’re getting,” added Rep. Garret Graves (R-La.).
McCarthy and his top lieutenants have in recent days said the White House needs to agree to cut spending, not just keep it flat. The House GOP’s representatives have panned Biden’s negotiators, saying the White House isn’t showing enough urgency or sending people empowered to cut a deal.
White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters Wednesday that Republicans were demanding too much: “We’ve also heard some House Republicans refer to preventing default as the only concession they are willing to make. But preventing a catastrophic default is not a concession. It’s their job. Period.”
McCarthy’s hard line reflects the immense internal pressure he faces from far-right members who want aggressive budget cuts.
He must appease some of the demands made by the far-right House Freedom Caucus, which continues to insist that the House-passed legislation from last month should simply become law. But Biden and Senate Democrats have already said that won’t happen, which means GOP House leaders are trying to cut a bipartisan deal that can get a majority of their own lawmakers and also attract enough Democratic votes to pass. Without the Freedom Caucus, Republicans wouldn’t have 218 votes to raise the debt ceiling.
“While House Republicans are fighting for hard-working American families facing a woke, weaponized government at odds with our way of life, President Biden and Democrats have been dragging their feet for weeks to fight for rich liberal elitists who want more spending, more government, more corporate subsidies, and less freedom,” one Freedom Caucus member, Rep. Chip Roy (R-Tex.), wrote in a memo to GOP colleagues Wednesday morning. Roy insisted the GOP should demand the House bill is made law.
Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
Libtardaplorable©. And proud of it.
Brilliantati©
"Well, you tell him that I don't talk to suckas."
Libtardaplorable©. And proud of it.
Brilliantati©
"Well, you tell him that I don't talk to suckas."