Miscellaneous And Off Topic Subjects

[iam416]

Well, I guess I should amend to say "effectively bullshit" -- or at least that still remains to be seen.

There's no doubt that The Chairman's answer to inflation is that it isn't really happening or, if it WAS, it's under control now. And then, of course....MAGA!!!!!

That's where we are.

[Dr. Strangelove]

Well in fairness yesterday's news could have been ALL about inflation and a 1200 point Dow drop.

But instead Lindsay Graham decided to hold a press conference to announce with great fanfare that he's calling for a national ban on abortion after 15 weeks. It's a bill that gives Republicans some of what they want, Democrats and Independents absolutely nothing, and manages to blow up the Republicans' long-term states' rights argument along the way. Graham himself just a month ago said abortion should be decided by the states!

McConnell looked irritated as hell that he had to be talking about this.

[iam416]

15-weeks is perfectly fine. A national bill is nonsense. Congress has no authority.

And in all fairness, if the shitty inflation news were shitty for, say, a R president then The Media wouldn't give a flying fuck about some proposal from someone like, say, Whitehouse or the like.

BUT, when "democracy is on the ballot" and MAGA!!!!! must be defeated, you have to take sides. Heh, as if they haven't already.

And you KNOW that's true.

[Dr. Strangelove]

I would consider a 15 week national limit if it also required all states to allow abortion up to 15 weeks. It doesn't. It gives the pro-life crowd something and gives the pro-choice majority absolutely nothing.

I posted that NPR poll yesterday that showed that after inflation abortion was the No. 2 issue for Independents heading into the mid-terms.

[iam416]

Meanwhile, despite the grave concerns over MAGA!!!!!! and the END OF DEMOCRACY!!!!, Democrats are celebrating the win of Don Bolduc in the R NH primary. It was roughly a 1200 or so margin. And, of course, the Ds put in money on behalf of Bolduc. Whether it amounted to the narrow margin or not, I dunno, But it's ANOTHER very close race won by a MAGA!!!! a candidate supported, in part, by D money.

According to Politico, McConnel's PAC invested $4.5M in the "normal" R while Schumer's PAC invested $3.1M for Bolduc. Remember that. Remember that when you MAGA!!!! and END OF DEMOCRACY!!!

[Dr. Strangelove]

Bolduc (a flaming imbecile) may be the one to bite Dems in the ass. Trumper Republicans beat the Sununu-backed normie Republicans in both House primaries too. It was enough to cause one of those ratings people to move NH-2 from "toss up" to "Leans Dem"

[foxhopper]

I don't watch much TV but can't recall seeing a republican ad yet.

[Tom W]

I don't watch much TV but can't recall seeing a republican ad yet.

That's because there haven't been any. It's absolutely mind boggling how the R's let imbeciles run their campaigns. .

But then again, they let characters like Graham control their soapboxes.

[Dr. Strangelove]

I don't watch much TV but can't recall seeing a republican ad yet.

They can sometimes be mistaken for gun commercials. Have to pay close attention.

[Dr. Strangelove]

That's because there haven't been any. It's absolutely mind boggling how the R's let imbeciles run their campaigns. .

But then again, they let characters like Graham control their soapboxes.

People like Trump and Peter Thiel have been hand-picking sub-par candidates and then making McConnell fund them, despite both of those guys sitting on a mountain of money.

Also Rick Scott (head of NSRC) has apparently burned through an enormous war chest and no one really seems to understand where it all went.

[Mike]

I don't watch much TV but can't recall seeing a republican ad yet.

I saw an ad for Paul Junge this morning on a YouTube clip of highlights from the Chiefs - Cardinals game. He's running against incumbent Dan Kildee (D) in my district. It was boilerplate blah, blah, blah but I did at least hear him mention inflation. He then ended the ad by saying Kildee works for Nancy Pelosi but he'll work FOR YOU. Riveting stuff.

[CGVT]

I see a shit ton of Republican adds in South GA. Many more than adds for Dems. I get local TV from Savannah and Jacksonville so I get the worst of both worlds. Lots of bullshit for Walker and Kemp in GA. More for DeSatan and Rubio as well as a plethora of "stop Biden's socialist agenda" and "He/she votes in lock-step with Pelosi" for other candidates in FL.

[Dr. Strangelove]

Latest CBS poll from Pennsylvania

Fetterman +5

Shapiro +11 over Mastriano for Governor.

Lots of other questions but the Oz/Fetterman race basically boils down to base Republicans being extremely unenthusiastic for Oz.

71% of all voters think Oz doesn't believe what he's even saying and just tells people what he thinks they want to hear

Pennsylvania midterm election races shaped by economy, abortion — CBS News Battleground Tracker poll - CBS News

[lineygoblue]

We've got a repetitive one showing Elisa Slotkin talking about how Dems "have gotten used to spending trilllllllllllions of dollars... "

And of course, Queen Gretch proudly boasts how much in favor of terminating inconvenient pre-born children she is.

I've started muting all political ads regardless of party. I've seen enough

[Jeff Buchanan]

Switching to the international scene ......several council members in St. Petersburg who, several weeks ago, initiated petitions asking the Russian Duma to remove Putin from power have been fined for discrediting the regime. The governor of that city has claimed the meetings that started all of this were illegal and he vowed to dissolve the council.

https://www.reuters.com/world/europe...al-2022-09-13/

What is significant about this is that it is the first action by Russian officials to publically criticise Putin. It is doubly significant IVO the risk of large fines and prison terms for Russian officials or citizens that dare to criticise Putin or discredit the military. Analysts don't believe that Putin's hold on power is at all jeopardized but indicates that the Russian public is becomeing more aware of the mess Putin has created by his special operation in Ukraine.

But pressure is mounting for Putin to withdraw Russian troops from Ukraine to what degree isn't clear. On Tuesday Olaf Scholz very publically stated Putin needs to wihdraw his forces from Ukraine. Sources also believe that Putin remains committed to continue trying to cause the Zelenski regime to collapse and have a Russian pupet government succeed him. He has the resources at hand if he chooses to use them to do that. It does not seem he is moving forward with that being restrained by what appears to be a failure of the mostly covert conscription practices he has implemented both inside Russia and occupied Ukraine - conscripts lured by offers of hihg paying contracts are refusing to fight and Russians being conscritped are seeking legal advice on how to avoid conscription or fleeing Russia.

While some observers beleive the turn of events for Russia that involve failures of both his military forces and efforts to impose Russian administration and schooling on various aspects of Ukrainin life, may move the needle in bringing Putin to the negotiating table hat in hand. Spokespersons for Zelenski OTH beleive that nothing has changed in Putin's mind that would lead him to negotiate over his control of portions of the Donbas via the LNR and DNR "republics" or his hold on Crimea. Both of these points - the complete withdrawl of Russian forces and administrative occupiers to pre-2014 boarders and the return of Crimea to Ukraine - are demands that Zelenski reamins committed to.

Nevertheless, Putin has a mess on his hands that will be hard for him to extricate himself from while trying to maintain the aura of strength that keeps him popular and unassailble. His grip on power though appears to remain unthreatened .... at least for the moment.