Below is my column in the New York Post on the reappearance of Marc Elias in leading the effort to undo the victory of Dave McCormick in Pennsylvania. While some have distanced themselves from the controversial Democratic lawyer, Sen. Bob Casey has embraced Elias in his effort to retain the seat. Despite being sanctioned and ridiculed by courts in prior cases, Democrats continue to enrich Elias, who is the personification of the hypocrisy of some self-appointed “save democracy” champions. Casey continued on Tuesday to refuse to concede. Every candidate has a right to have all of the votes counted. However, regardless of the outcome of the effort, Casey’s association with Elias destroys any moral high ground for him and his campaign.
Here is the column:
Marc Elias is back and that is not good news.
Despite the Pennsylvania race being called by the AP almost a week ago, Elias is working with Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa.) to try to change that outcome. It is not surprising that Casey was left with Elias.
For many, Elias is a notorious figure who captures the hypocrisy of the “save democracy” crowd. Elias is an attorney who has been sanctioned in court and denounced by critics as a Democratic “dirty trickster” and even an “election denier.”
Despite his checkered history, Elias remains the go-to lawyer for many Democratic campaigns.
It was Elias who was the general counsel to the Clinton presidential campaign when it funded the infamous Steele dossier and pushed the false Alfa Bank conspiracy. (His fellow Perkins Coie partner, Michael Sussmann, was indicted but acquitted in a criminal trial.)
During the campaign, reporters asked about the possible connection to the campaign, but Clinton campaign officials denied any involvement in the Steele Dossier. When journalists discovered after the election that the Clinton campaign hid payments for the Steele dossier as “legal fees” among the $5.6 million paid to Perkins Coie, they met with nothing but shrugs from the Clinton staff.
New York Times reporter Ken Vogel said at the time that Elias denied involvement in the anti-Trump dossier. When Vogel tried to report the story, he said, Elias “pushed back vigorously, saying ‘You (or your sources) are wrong.’” Times reporter Maggie Haberman declared, “Folks involved in funding this lied about it, and with sanctimony, for a year.”
Elias was back when John Podesta, Clinton’s campaign chairman, was questioned by Congress on the Steele dossier and denied categorically any contractual agreement with Fusion GPS. Sitting beside him was Elias, who reportedly said nothing to correct the misleading information given to Congress.
The Clinton campaign and the Democratic National Committee were ultimately sanctioned by the FEC over the handling of the funding of the dossier through his prior firm. (I previously discussed the comparison to the criminal charges against Trump for treating the mislabeling of payments as “legal expenses.”).
The Democratic National Committee reportedly later cut ties with Elias.
Nevertheless, other Democrats continued to hire Elias despite his checkered past. He unsuccessfully led efforts to challenge Democratic losses. Elias also was the subject of intense criticism after a tweet that some have called inherently racist.
Elias continued to be accused of not defending but thwarting democracy. In Maryland, Elias filed in support of an abusive gerrymandering of the election districts that a court found not only violated Maryland law but the state constitution’s equal protection, free speech and free elections clauses. The court found that the map pushed by Elias “subverts the will of those governed.”
His work for New York redistricting was ridiculed as not only ignoring the express will of the voters to end such gerrymandering but effectively negating the votes of Republican voters.
In 2024, the Chief Judge of the Western District of Wisconsin not only rejected but ridiculed the Elias Law Group for one of its challenges. Judge James Peterson (an Obama appointee) said that the argument “simply does not make any sense.”
The point is that it does not have to make sense. Democratic campaigns fund Elias and his various profitable enterprises to seek to change the outcome of called elections.
That is the case with Casey. Trump won Pennsylvania’s presidential election, and Dave McCormick received tens of thousands more votes. With 99 percent of the votes counted, even Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer relented in reversing his decision to bar McCormick from the orientation for new senators.
What is most striking is the strategy of Elias. The state has roughly 87,000 provisional ballots to count, but those ballots were generally challenged for defects or suspected invalidity. Even if they were to count, it is unlikely that they will break so overwhelmingly for Casey to overturn the result. Indeed, only about 30,000 were coming from Casey strongholds in Philadelphia and Allegheny County.
However, Elias just wants to get within .5% to trigger a mandatory recount.
It is reminiscent of Trump demanding an additional recount in Georgia, maintaining on a call that all he needed was to “find 11,780 votes” to change the outcome. All Elias needs to do is find 40,000 votes.
Of course, when Trump made that comment, Elias and Democrats insisted that he was seeking to defraud the state by demanding a new recount.
It is not the first time Elias seemed to morph into those he denounced. Previously in New York, Elias unsuccessfully sought to flip the result in a congressional race by claiming that the Dominion voting machines somehow switched or changed votes. Sound familiar?
Casey will eventually have to accept defeat, but Elias will remain the break-the-glass option for Democratic campaigns when other lawyers have lost the appetite for challenging election results.
Jonathan Turley is the Shapiro Professor of Public Interest Law at George Washington University. He is the author of “The Indispensable Right: Free Speech in an Age of Rage.”
How does he still have a law license
The Democrat Bucks County (PA) Commissioners just voted to count misdated and undated mail in ballots to try and help Bob Casey and one of them straight up says that she knows it’s illegal but simply does not care. She said no one obeys the law anymore.
Gaetz is a tough sell for confirmation. Maybe there’s a different plan there. Gaetz resigned, premature. The thought is Lara Trump takes Rubio’s seat in the senate. Suppose she takes the vacated House seat, Gaetz is appointed to the senate seat, DeSantis becomes AG, and Florida still has a Republican governor.
Your going to get yours Elias…don’t think the normal people are going to just forget what you and the other leftist scum have done. Reckoning coming soon for you.
And the drumbeat of smears continues: Trump’s picks lack “experience and competence.”
After years of using DEI/WOKE as their guiding star, D’s are suddenly champions of experience and competence. Who believes that that is a serious conviction?
And this smear: Trump is picking “loyalists.” As opposed to what — appointing disloyalists? If he did *not* choose those loyal to MAGA policies, he would betray those who gave him a landslide victory. That betrayal is one reason why the Bush, Cheney, Romney types were rejected.
Who better to go after federal government abuses than those that have been on the receiving end of their abuse? Use every tactic and tool of their administrative corruption to prosecute them. Once completed, restructure so they can never abuse our law against us again.
People are starting to notice that in his public appearances Biden is practically giddy with delight ever since Trump won the election. Gee, I wonder why.
https://www.foxnews.com/media/social-media-erupts-after-biden-appears-jubilant-trump-white-house-meeting
OT
The senate should just rubber stamp the nominees at this point and move forward rapidly and Scott should have been passed without a glitch.
My 2 cents…
Adios, Auf vedersehen , syonara, chow, fat choy…
Trump asked Cornyn, Thune and Scott to commit creating the conditions that he could do large scale recess appointments.
If the Senate Recesses in January, and Trump makes a large number of recess appointments at that time, all of those people could serve until approximately Dec 2026 without confirmation.
I expect that is what we will see happen. That will allow the Trump admin to hit the ground running in late January nearly fully staffed.
Trump could then spend the next two years getting the same – or different prople confirmed should any of them prove unsuitable or unconfirmable.
Regardless Trump stayed out of the Senate Majority leader fight – though Trump supporters did NOT.
And in return Thune agreed to arrange for Trump to be able to make Recess Apointments.
If Thune renigs – he can expect to see a great deal of preasure to end his tenure as majority leader.
While Scott did not win the ML fight – and despite massive MAGA support should not have – he has not been in the Senate long enough.
Trump supporters and MAGA did flex their muscles and Thune is on notice that he is expected to be on board with the 2024 GOP platform.
It is not important What Thune’s personal politics are. What is important is that he understands which side the bread is buttered on – not just with respect to Trump, but The GOP.
The dominant and controlling force in the GOP is MAGA. Other factions are welcome. But the direction of the party and its agenda are MAGA. and if you are not on board with that – join Liz Cheney and get out.
BTW I respect many of the non-MAG major players in the GOP – The Paul Ryans, the Romney’s, the Larry Hogan’s. I respect their voices – the GOP is a BIG TENT, there is room for everyone. I wish Hogan had won the Senate seat in Maryland – he would have been a far better Senator than any choice democrats offered.
The Republican Party as a whole needs to grasp that MAGA is not going to win everywhere and a GOP majority requires working with Senators and Reps from purple states.
But the agenda is MAGA until other factions in the GOP can earn support of the majority of republican voters.
John you seem pretty knowledgeable on politics. What would you say is the main difference between MAGA and the Tea Party during the Obama years?
” I wish Hogan had won the Senate seat in Maryland – he would have been a far better Senator than any choice democrats offered.”
Agree with 90% of your post. I was against Thune as SML based on his past, but he is at least making noises that he is onboard with Trump’s agenda now. We’ll need to see if he delivers. Regarding Hogan though, I give you a big meh”. Is he better than the Dems who were on offer – maybe. But essentially, in terms of positions, he IS a centrist Democrat, and is weak on many issues crucial to Liberty, particularly the 2nd A. Trump says he intends to push for mandatory national reciprocity for concealed carry. My prediction is that Hogan will oppose that, and vote against it.
“My prediction is that Hogan will oppose that, and vote against it.”
Damn, Need more caffeine this morning:
“My prediction is that Hogan will oppose that, and would have voted against it had he won.
Here’s a bada— photo of your next DNI:
https://x.com/CitizenFreePres/status/1856807356111139246
I would have put mostly the same people in different positions.
Vance, Gabbard, Rubio and DeSantis are the likely top contenders to replace Trump in 2028.
And barring disaster or not wanting the job Vance is in the pilot seat.
Regardless, the rest are all going to be the big names in the GOP in the future.
I would have put Gabbard at state – She needs Foreign Policy Cred for the future.
I would have appointed Grennell as DNI. I do not know where I would have put Rubio – except that he must go into a significant cabinet secretary job.
But I do not see him as Sec State. I like Gaetz, but I am not sure about him as AG. Trump needed someone with the credibility of Bill Barr, without the timidity or institutional allegiance.
I am not sure where to find that person.
Regardless, it should have been expected that Gabbard was getting a high profile position with a future.
It should have been obvious by Gabbards social media presence over the past 4yrs that she was campaigning for higher office.
I Think her experiences as a Democrat Rep, DNC Co Chair and Democratic presidential candidate made it clear to her that she was going to have to compromise her principles too much to be successful in the Democratic party. She has been “feeling out” the GOP for the past 4 years. Trying to figure out if she sould come to terms with Current republcan conservatism, and if the Republican party was as politically corrupt as the democrats. I do not have the answer to the last question – Except that Trump is NOT politically corrupt – and that is why she and Gabbard work.
” I like Gaetz, but I am not sure about him as AG. ”
My immediate reaction to Gaetz as AG was doubt, but on further reflection, I do like the choice. Apparently he has really sound qualifications as an attorney of which I was unaware. He has been praised by Florida DEMOCRAT Rep. Jared Moskozwitz, and strongly endorsed by Texas AG Ken Paxton, who was my initial preference for the job. The DOJ needs a brutal house cleaning by an AG who won’t elevate appearance over reality, or tenure over integrity, and won’t hesitate to kick a$$ and take names, and it appears to me that Gaetz fits that bill perfectly. If the Senate really does decline to confirm Gaetz (which process imo is going to be the crucial initial test of how strongly the new GOP Congress is buying in to the Trump agenda and how willing it is to drag itself out of the swamp) I wouldn’t be surprised at Paxton as Trump’s fallback option.
Gaetz is a tough sell for confirmation. Maybe there’s a different plan there. Gaetz resigned, premature. The thought is Lara Trump takes Rubio’s seat in the senate. Suppose she takes the vacated House seat, Gaetz is appointed to the senate seat, DeSantis becomes AG, and Florida still has a Republican governor.
Are they doing a remake of Terminator 2? It’s going to take all day to wipe the smile off my face.
Here is a very well-thought-out, and fair (IMHO), discussion of the Great Democrat Discussion. Trans Woman Democrat, and two former deeply-leftist hosts. I think all will enjoy it, even Democrats:
Attorney General Matt Gaetz. I love it.
Can we now please get rid of all the laws against sex with minors? Get rid of all the rape laws?
I am so happy about this. I can now walk down the street and have sex with any women I find, age is of no concern, consent is of no concern. Well actually, it is my consent is all that matters. I love it.
Or you could get professional help .
Matt Gaetz was picked for AG? Oh boy. Seems like Trump is putting in people that are loyal instead of experienced.
There’s going to be another four years of constant turnover because of incompetence and policy failures. Trump’s expendable cabinet. When things go wrong he’s gonna blame them instead of accepting responsibility.
Seems like Trump is putting in people that are loyal instead of experienced.
If your critique of Trump’s nominations is ever have going to have any merit, you would have to view their qualifications from a completely different worldview. You would need to understand his vision for how these departments will function in the months and years ahead. You don’t have to accept his vision, but to say someone lacks the experience Trump needs leading the DOJ, ignores what experience Trump was looking for. As far as your track record on predicting the future goes, if this were a betting market, people could make a ton of money doing the opposite of whatever you say.
Qualifications? Nearly all of his cabinet picks are poorly qualified. What is consistent is that they all share one attribute. Loyalty. Loyalty is valued over experience. That’s just a recipe for glorified yes-men instead of leadership.
They are all qualified and willing to work with the law instead of using law fare against their opponents. What did we see under the Biden Administration? Attacks against mothers protecting their school-aged children and attacks against the Catholic Church.
Loyalty is one of the most valuable commodities. America voted for Trump and his policies. Loyalty permits those policies to be enacted.
George Svelaz, you keep making a fool of yourself.
Loyalty is hard to come by
S. Meyer, no, they are not qualified. Do you think lawfare will go away when Trump takes over? Trump is going to do the same thing to seek vengeance.
Loyalty should not be the overriding factor when considering a position. Experience and knowledge are far more critical because loyalty is not a substitute for competence.
“S. Meyer, no, they are not qualified. “
That is an ignorant answer.
Let’s go one by one. Is Marco Rubio qualified?
Nearly all of his cabinet picks are poorly qualified.
That depends on what qualifications Trump wants in his picks.
“Qualifications? Nearly all of his cabinet picks are poorly qualified. ”
Because you say so ?
What have you ever been right about ?
Who even cares what you think ?
You have not yet grasped that Tuesday a week ago it was established – that you are irrelevant.
Your opinion does not matter,
You do not matter.
You, the left, democrats, the MSM were consigned to irrelevance.
The adults have returned.
No one cares what the spoiled toddlers think
John Say, you may not care what I think, but you already have doubts about the appointments and disagree with the positions they were chosen for. It’s that obvious. You say Gabbard would be better as Sec of State because she needs the foreign policy experience. You don’t know where Rubio should be and Gaetz is also a doubt. The fact that Republicans are not talking about any experience or qualification regarding Trump’s picks is telling. They are not there because they are bringing leadership and experience. They are there to serve as loyal ideologues. History is full of examples showing why that’s a bad idea.
The adults were never there and are still not there. That’s the problem. Remember, even YOU have doubts about the wisdom of choosing them for those positions. Republicans have a long clear history of failing to govern when they acquire control of all three branches. It won’t be long before scandals and corruption, and failures start to emerge.
Thune was chosen because he’s the more rational choice, it’s about experience over ideology and loyalty. Speaker Johnson was chosen through a chaotic and dysfunctional and embarrassing process. It showed Republicans are NOT unified in their agenda any sense of unity is a facade for the public. Republicans do not have a filibuster proof majority and they will need democrats to help them pass legislation. Moderate Republicans could also stymie the MAGA agenda when things get too crazy or even illegal.
George says: November 14, 2024 at 6:54 AM California time 3:54 AM
It was a slow night at the bathhouse in WeHo which is why Svelaz is commenting so late California time. That or the crystal meth Svelaz acquired is high grade
Readers would do well to wear masks and manure boots to deflect Svelaz’s explosive diarrhea
His vision is that those he commands are loyal to him first and are not going to tell him “no” when he demands something that is illegal or unconstitutional.
He wants people who will any way to make things happen even when certain rules and regulations are in the way.
Bwahahahahaha!
George Svelaz is confused. The Biden administration broke the rules and engaged in corruption and lawfare. Trump did his best to uphold the law and didn’t use his powers to throw criminal leftists in Jail. Take note: Hillary Clinton didn’t have her home raided and was never charged with crimes.
George Svelaz likes to play the part of the fool. Every blog needs at least one fool. This blog is fortunate because so many from the left lack common sense.
“Hillary Clinton didn’t have her home raided and was never charged with crimes.”
That was actually a damned shame. It may well have been politically expedient (or at least have seemed so at the time), but it would emphatically not have been “lawfare”, it would have been justice.
The loyalty he wants is not to him, but to the GOP platform.
Regardless, you keep talking about Trump and others as if your judgement has ever been worth anything.
Voters have spoken – the fraudulent opinions of you and yours are not worth schiff.
You have been condemned to irrelevance.
You do not seem to grasp – Voters did not reject Harris – they rejected you, they rejected everyone who rants the same idiotic lies as you.
They do not care if you think someone is unqualified, or a racist, or garbage or a nazi, or a felon.
You and yours have been found to be charlatans, liars, worthless.
And now you are powerless.
Even your words are powerless.
Lite the little boy who cried wolf – you are not believed.
Rather than ranting about Trump’s choices – something voters have decided that YOUR opinion on does not matter,
You should try to figure out why you lost.
I find it hilarious that you and many on the left fancy yourself as the resistance.
The vote last tuesday was to disempower YOU.
Why is it that you think the people who voted for Trump care what those who called him a Nazi, a felon, a racist, …
think about his appointments ?
I heard recently that many democrats thought Harris was going to win because she had the most massive GOTV ever – and she did.
They knocked on tens of millions of doors. They did everything possible to win, to defeat Trump.
But despite this GOTV effort that was not even close to equaled anywhere – Trump voters voted.
Independents voted.
But the people behind all those doors you knocked on – either did not vote, or voted for Trump.
You can not force people to trust you.
You can not force people to believe you.
Some idiots on the left think Trump used magic words to mesmerize voters.
If any magic words existed – YOU uttered them, and they did not work.
Why would you think people are listening now ?
The MSM was in the tank for Harris – The feted here and maligned Trump every moment.
“They would not listen, they’re not listening still
Perhaps they never will”
Harris did not lose, you lost, the MSM lost, the censors lost, the left lost, democrats lost.
You all more than lost the election – voters do not believe you any more.
If people believed or cared about anything you said – Trump would have lost in a landslide.
You are not beleived, you are not trusted, you have lost power – not just the power to govern,
but the power to get others to listen, to care what you say.
The Future is Trump’s to win or lose on his own.
YOU have no say.
You can insult him and his choices all you want.
Voters do not care.
They heard you and rejected you,
And they are no longer listening.
You can resist all you want – Voters do not care.
It is not the size of Trump’s landslide that matters.
What matters is that voters completely disregarded everything you said.
And they continue to do so.
It is hilarious listening to you ranting about Trumps picks – as if you are relevant.
Voters do not care what you think is constitutional, or illegal, or what rules are being broken.
You do not seem to grasp how badly your behavior – not merely you – George, but you the entire left the MSM, democrats are responsible for the outcome of this election.
One of the problems with the extreme extents you have gone to to trash Trump, is that if you fail – you burn your own credibility and any influence you have to ash.
You seem to think that Harris lost this election – it was not just Harris, it was the entire left, the democrats, the MSM, …
Everyone who ranted nazi, nazi nazi.
When you lobb all the grenades you lobbed and still fail.
That either means that voters beleive you and do not care – they dislike YOU even more than the straw man you have been beating.
Or they decided that you are a liar.
There’s going to be another four years of constant turnover because of incompetence and policy failures.
Curious George has lapsed into one of his psychotic channeling events again.
I don’t think Curious George, the Confederate Kluxxer is talking about that little brown job Vice President DEI Hire with a 95%+ staff turnover while Vice President.
The Border Czar so experienced at law enforcement that she spent four years showing how competent she was protecting America from an invasion of 20 million Illegal Alien Guest Democrat Voters.
That was the Biden/Harris policy success protecting America from an invasion of criminals, Curious George?
Seems like Trump is putting in people that are loyal instead of experienced.
You aren’t talking about Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, the experienced arranger of 51 former intelligence agency officials who signed a document saying the Biden Bribery Laptop is “just Putin election campaign disinformation”? Abandoning Afghanistan to the hajjis was a masterpiece of foreign affairs experience Blinken learned while working for Obama starting wars and screwing up the fighting of wars?
And how’s management of Putin invading Ukraine while he was working for a Democrat president going, George? They’ve done that twice while Blinken was working for a Democrat president. When is SecState Blinken going to get those American hostages back… when, exactly?
Or are you talking about Biden’s choice for National Security Advisor, Jake Sullivan. Greatest experience was his part in creating and spreading the Alpha Bank and ‘Trump-Russia Dossier’ frauds. Same Jack Sullivan who bragged the Administration had made the Middle East safer than ever just days before the Oct. 7th hajji genocide.
How’s Jake Sullivan doing with all Biden’s wars, Curious George?
Or how about Biden’s choice of the the highly experienced and effective Reverend Mrs. Pete Buttigeig? The chest feeding woke Secretary of Transportation who nobody missed when it went missing for months on Birthing Person Maternity Leave?
George, you just ain’t making it here and SNL isn’t going to give you a tryout, you pathetic clown.
Stolen valor “Tampon Tim” is gone. Can we get rid of the rest of the valor stealers? What were your MOS, AWARD, THEATER, AND CAMPAIGN, Screamin’ Lil Bow Wow?
Is that you Airsoft Gravy Seal Sniper gun bunny? If you have anything other than insinuations, bring ’em out.
Meanwhile, don’t take people you don’t like so hard… it’s not like they’re your bum buddies dick.
He may also be setting up a young cabinet, who when they prove themselves, will be players for the next 30 or more years. I think it is a smart move. Yeah, they will stumble a few times but they will come out seasoned. Their bench will be deep.
Ol’ Joe from Scranton came to Washington his late 20s.
The views of the left, the MSM, democrats, on Trump or Trump’s choices was rejected tuesday a week ago.
These voices have less influence than if they were silent.
Trump and his appointments will be judged on their ability to deliver the promises in the Republican platform.
If voters did not care that the left framed Trump as a felon – why would they care that the same people are calling his choices poor ?
George – you lost your ability to have any meaningful say last Tuesday.
At this time – I really do not care what you say – really at all.
Trump will put together his team. They will succeed or fail. and voers will judge in 2026 and 2028.
The voters who voted FOR Trump – not those who voted against him.
So long as Trump retains their support – nothing YOU or yours say is meaningful.
We are seeing the rise of Resistance 2.0 – but it is already impotent.
What are you going to do that you have not already done and failed ?
This is NOT 2017. No one outside the impotent left will care what YOU say about Trump apointments.
CNN will not matter, MSNBC will not matter, the NYT will not matter, WaPo will not matter.
Riot in the streets if you want – Trump will send the NG and put you down and no one will care.
Calling people Nazi’s, fascists, garbage, stupid, sexist, homophobic WILL NOT MATTER
You have already done everything you could possibly do and you have failed.
This election NEUTERED the left.
Those that matter – do not give a schiff about Matt Gaetz,
The DO care whether Trump delivers on campaign promises.
So long as he does that – democrats will remain castrated.
I would also suggest that you watch Floyd’s Kissin/Wu interview – most of the analysis is really good.
Even if Trump falls short of the expecations of his voters,
Democrats STILL will not matter, until they stop their own far left from shutting down discussions within the democratic party.
All of the groups that were rendered irrelevant last tuesday will mostly remain irrelevant – even if Trump fails.
So long as they remain as unappealing and intolerant as they are now.
Probably 40% of the electorate LOVES trump and was voting for him absolutely no matter what.
But about 10% of the electorate voted for Trump as the lessor evil.
Even if Trump fails – he STILL remains the lessor evil.
Beyond the economy, beyond immigration, beyond endless wars – the top exit poll issue driving voters was the extremism of the LEFT.
Trump can FAIL as badly as Biden did and not lose enough voters to matter.
If you want to matter again – you need to return to sanity.
For you George – that is an impossible task.
But hopefully it is possible for the democratic party.
The GOP needs a true loyal opposition to keep them in check.
Current democrats are NOT that check.
Attorney General Matt Gaetz. I love it. Can we now please get rid of all the laws against sex with minors? Get rid of all the rape laws?
Is that you posting Anonymously, President Daddy-Daughter Inappropriate Incest Showers, reminiscing about banging your underage daughter in the shower?
You think this will save The First Felon Crackhead Kid from being prosecuted for having sex with underage kids for his porn channel when you can no longer protect him from the White House?
Inquiring minds want to know if you’re going to pardon him on the way out the door.
You mean “trolling” down the street….
Hmmm. Matt Gaetz for Attorney General!
😂 he won’t be confirmed
Then he can pick Mark Levin
Trump already got Thune to conceed that the Senate will recess briefly so that Trump can make recess appointments.
Those will be able to serve until December 2026
This is pure Whacko! Putin gets his pick for US Nat Intell director, Tulsi Gabbard
Gabbard has expressed beliefs that counter the conclusions drawn by U.S. intelligence, particularly when it comes to Russia and Ukraine.
Gabbard could face an uphill battle for confirmation to the role, particularly given criticism over being too aligned with Russian talking points.
Her various political shifts has accompanied numerous other statements and actions that have promoted numerous accusations that she is peddling disinformation or could even be a Russian asset.
Gabbard has shared content suggesting that the U.S. was involved in Ukraine developing biological weapons – pushing a Russian narrative. Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) said at the time that she was “parroting Russian propaganda” and that her “treasonous lies may well cost lives.”
In 2022, she also faulted the Biden adminsition for failing to address Russian concerns as it invaded Ukraine.
“This war and suffering could have easily been avoided if Biden Admin/NATO had simply acknowledged Russia’s legitimate security concerns regarding Ukraine’s becoming a member of NATO, which would mean US/NATO forces
Russian media called her a “favorite of the Russians.”
Gabbard in 2017 met with Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad, who was accused of using chemical weapons on his own citizens during the country’s civil war. The meeting triggered outrage among her fellow members of Congress. During her 2020 Democratic presidential campaign, Gabbard argued Assad was not an enemy of the United States and declined to say he was a war criminal.
“This war and suffering could have easily been avoided if Biden Admin/NATO had simply acknowledged Russia’s legitimate security concerns regarding Ukraine’s becoming a member of NATO, which would mean US/NATO forces“
FACT
BS, Russia has no legitimate claim on Ukraine, none, zero, nada. This was a blatant grab at territory to keep Russia solvent for the next 50 years. The sooner Russia is defeated the better.
Russia is entitled to be interested in a European Army of Aggression on their flank. After all they have been invaded by European Armies of Aggression 3 times since Napoleon and the last one killed 15 million civilians besides the millions of military deaths. The US by contrast lost less than a half million troops . NATO is a European Army Of Aggression or maybe you missed what the US State Department did to Libya.
Your pro-Putin stance is disgusting and unAmerican.
NATO is a voluntary mutual DEFENSE pact.
NATO has never taken a posture of aggression against any other country.
An attack on one is an attack on all.
Article 5, the requirement to respond to any attack on a member, has been invoked exactly once.
On January 12, 2001, NATO met in emergency session to invoke Article 5 following the attack on America the day before by terrorists.
Every one of the 18 members responded by sending troops to help with the invasion of Afghanistan and Iraq.
NATO is designed as a bulwark against Russia attempting to subjugate Eastern European countries as was done by the Soviet Union.
Putin has explicitly stated that the dissolution of the Soviet Union was a huge mistake, and that his goal is to recreate that totalitarian communist dictatorship.
Russia has absolutely no claim to the independent country of Ukraine.
NATO has never taken a posture of aggression against any other country.
That depends on how you define aggression. More importantly, it depends on how Russia defines NATO aggression.
Assuming you have lived in the United States your entire life, you haven’t experienced what life is like with the threat of military invasion sitting on our border.
Tucker Carlson did a great interview with Putin where Putin spent a great amount of time providing a history lesson on geopolitics from the perspective of the Russian people. He made it clear that the expansion of members in the NATO alliance was a growing threat to Russian sovereignty. Permitting Ukraine into NATO was viewed as a direct act of aggression.
How would you propose our government respond if China formed a “defensive” military alliance with Mexico and opened a military base there?
You mean China hasn’t?
Assuming you have lived in the United States your entire life, you haven’t experienced what life is like with the threat of military invasion sitting on our border.
Oh please Olly… do better. Putin legitimately fears NATO invading Russia? Seriously?
Give your head a shake and go get some fresh air.
You actually believe that NATO can sell an invasion of Russia to it’s member nations and they’ll agree to do like Napolean and Hitler and invade Russia? You need to get a grip if you believe Putin’s story looking for world sympathy has any connection to reality.
The Canadians are going to assent to that? France? Belgium?
Maybe the warlike Dutch, Swedes, or Danes? They’re eager to send their troops to take part in an invasion of Russia???????????
All the aggression concerning Russia since the end of WWII has been Russian aggression against other nations.
My guess is Putin finds it easier to sell that “fear of aggression” overseas than his success selling it to Russians who know that Putin is still the 100% ruthless KGB Soviet communist elitist he always was.
Russia was invaded many times by the West, and that makes them nervous when foreign armies can move closer to their border. They survived the invasions because they used their land and people as a blood barrier to approaching armies heading to the heart of Russia.
WW2 Nazi Germany
WW1 Germany and Austria-Hungary invasion.
Napoleon
Swedish invasion
Polish Lithuanian invasion
Western incursion into Ukraine is worrisome to Russia for good reason.
I have no love for Russia or Putin, but I recognize that every sovereign nation has a right to protect itself and its borders. When East Germany was freed, an agreement was made to stop further Western movements toward Russia. Ukraine should have remained neutral because neutrality can provide a buffer like Austria did after WW2.
You actually believe that NATO can sell an invasion of Russia to it’s member nations and they’ll agree to do like Napolean and Hitler and invade Russia?
Speaking of getting a breath of fresh air. I does not matter what I believe NATO or Russia would do with Ukraine as a member state with NATO. It doesn’t even matter what Putin believes NATO’s plans are. What does matter is why was it important that NATO agree not to bring in Ukraine. Of course Putin should never be trusted. But anyone with two brain cells to rub together knows the United States has a very long history of using puppet regimes in their own game of Risk.
Ukraine is not part of NATO, and the US promised 4 decades ago that it would not be.
I am sure Putin dreams of a restored USSR. But even he knows that is not going to happen.
If Russia can not manage to defeat Ukraine after 3 years – do you really think it will be able to manage against Poland ? Germany ?
This is Russia’s last war for decades. While it has not and will not lose.
It is not winning either.
This is WWI on the western Front – except a million dough boys are not coming to the rescue.
The US was prepared to start WWIII if Russia put missles in Cuba.
Russia committed no act of agreession – but the US backed the bay of pigs invasion of Cuba.
Do not poke the bear if you do not want to get bit.
If you somehow manage to win – what consolation will that be if the Bear bit off your arm before you killed it ?
“Russia is entitled to be interested in a European Army of Aggression on their flank.”
Oh yeah! NATO has a LONG record of NATO nations invading their neighbors! Remember when the Canadian military put on their snowshoes and invaded across the Bering Sea in the dead of winter?
And no NATO nation like Poland, Finland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary etc has ever lived in servitude under the guns of Russian commies with KGB commissars like a guy named Vladimir Putin there to terrorize them?
Not even one of them?
Well, if Russia doesn’t own a century of history that involved communist subjugation and expansion into neighboring countries… why does NATO exist in the first place?
So what ? The US has no national interest in Ukraine.
Regardless, Russia is not going to be defeated in Ukraine – not unless you are willing to send US troops to fight and die.
Whether you like it or not, the only question regarding a peace deal has been – how many people must die first.
This could have been over in March 2022 but for Biden/Harris.
It will be over shortly.
You didn’t get the memo on the Intelligence Community?
Agree100%. All those deaths are the result of a vanity project of Victoria Nuland and the. Neocon machine to give Putin a nose rubbing. They consider those Ukrainian and Russian deaths “ acceptable losses”. And curse Zelensky for being a tool.
Do you understand – voters heard all your nonsense – and they decided that you are a liar.
They are not listening to you.
Your irrelevant.
He’ll put Marc Elias in legirons!
Floyd, your recent comments about food, you being home-bound, cost of living and your cats, have stayed with me. So I wanted to tell you about the St Vincent De Paul Society and offer you their link
https://ssvpusa.org
SVdP, a Catholic charitable organization, offer assistance in terms of rent, food, clothing, and other emergency needs. If you live in the USA, there might be a local SVdP society chapter near you. Check the link I provided to inquire. Don’t go at it alone, Floyd. There may be options.
Thank you for the link! Personally, I am fine. I make enough to live on. I have a roof over my head, and food to eat, even if it isn’t what I want to eat sometimes. I have even been noshing on old Nutrisystem packets my sister gave me, and some of them are pretty rough. (The bolognese penne sauce one in particular – uggggh!)Heck, if the Zombie Apocalypse came, I probably have 6 months worth of canned goods, canned meat, Ramen noodles, etc. I have been adding to that stockpile for years. It is just taking care of the critters that stretches my budget. My daughter helps me out with that, and so far, we are all making it. I have just really had to tighten my belt because of all the price increases. Every time I turn around, something has gone up in price, it seems like. The 40 count box of Friskies that cost less than $18 in 2020, is now about $31, for example. Storeroom rent has doubled, so the storeroom has to go this year. I am also going to liquidate a lot of my personal stuff, because I do not want my daughter to have to mess with that when I pass over The Rainbow Bridge.
The whole food thing I went thru was more about the process that I think a lot of people are having to go through to survive the inflation. People can just not do the things they used to do. I have had to pass on stew meat for example, and just use hamburger to make stews now. I have to make my own tea now, instead of buying it in gallon jugs from WalMart. I know people have had to cut back on their fast food budget, or their entertainment, and streaming subscriptions. Probably, people in the Third World would be giving us the “the world’s tiniest violin playing my heart bleeds for you” treatment for this.
But since we are such a service industry type economy, all these cutbacks are affecting working class people a lot more than me, and they are the ones I really feel sorry for. The people who have to go to work every day, and pay for cars and gas, and kid’s clothes and things. And don’t have a social security check to fall back on. If they lose their jobs, their futures are toast.
But thank you so much for caring.!
This article focuses on Elias – and Elias is particularly dispicable. He is personally responsible for the destruction of our voting systems in 2020.
Turley’s criticisms of Elias if anything are insufficient.
That said – Casey is free to challenge the election. It is extremely close and I have no problem with Casey refusing to concede.
I doubt he will prevail, but with Elias involved I am fearful of a repeat of the Franken Steal. When Coleman went from a narrow lead to a narrow defeat over the course of 12months of legal battles, with thousands of ballots for Franken being “found” in the trunk of election officials.
It is essential that the courts and Republicans thwart efforts by Elias to Steal the election.
Still it is a close election – and Casey is entitled to demand that it gets serious scrutiny.
I personally hope that McCormick wins. But Casey is entitled to challenge the election.
I would strongly suggest that rahter than legal fights and autmatic recounts that PA and other states should just have an automatic runnoff for elections that are not won by a FULL percent.
Good idea. 2nd chances aren’t really good. 😏
What does the good professor think about this? https://www.tabletmag.com/sections/news/articles/obama-not-going-anywhere
It’s not news, mlopez. Maybe Trump will work with him. 😏. You’ll never c the usa again. Sad world.
Obama took you all the to the bottom of the shathole ladder where you just hand the shat up. You don’t have to take shat from nobody.
Enjoy
Badass photo of your next Director of National Intelligence:
https://x.com/CitizenFreePres/status/1856807356111139246