No, CNN Did Not Defame Cenk Uygur by Trashing his Anti-Israel Ad Supporting Abdul El-Sayed

A new ad running to support Democrat senatorial candidate Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan has been widely denounced as anti-Semitic for suggesting that Jews are taking food from Americans. The ad is the work of Rebellion PAC, a political action committee co-founded by The Young Turks host Cenk Uygur. Uygur has now struck out at CNN over a panel discussion that trashed the segment and called it clearly defamatory. For a torts teacher, the claim popped this story to the top of my pile, and I thought it was worthy of addressing. The CNN segment is manifestly not defamatory. Whatever grievance that he may have with the network, it is not a legal one.

The ad shows a couple shopping for food when the husband grabs a dozen eggs.

Wife: “Honey, you’re going to have to put those eggs back.”

Husband: “They don’t like eggs anymore?”

Wife: “No, they like eggs. But we have to set that $7 aside for killing Palestinians.”

Husband: “What? Don’t we give Israel $4 billion a year anyway?”

Wife: “Yeah, and now we’re giving them another $26 billion. It’s like $161 per person. Apparently it’s costing us a lot of money to drop bombs on Gaza.”

Husband: “It’s terrible.”

Wife: “Yeah.”

Husband: “Don’t they get universal healthcare too?”

Wife: “Yeah, they do. We’re paying for that too, probably. Might as well put the bananas back.”

The 90-second advertisement ends with “Mike Rogers is for they/them. Abdul El-Sayed is for you.”

After host Michael Smerconish presented the ad, the CNN panel expressed revulsion to the ad as hateful and anti-Semitic, including using anti-Semitic tropes to enrage viewers.

Uygur defended the ad, solicited donations to keep the ad running in Michigan, and declared the segment defamatory.

The panelists do not appear to mention Uygur by name but the ad credit does refer to him. Ultimately, that is not critical anyway since you can have defamation per quod where the content is still defamatory in combination with reference to extrinsic information or evidence.

An actionable defamation case requires a false statement as to some fact that is published to a third party that causes reputational or other cognizable form of damage. This must be proven pursuant to the relevant standard of proof, discussed below.

As a threshold issue, Uygur is a public figure who must meet a higher standard for any defamation lawsuit. He has long been an influencer and commentator on national stories. In addition to being the host of the popular Young Turks program and a MSNBC regular, he is the uncle of Hasan Piker.

The standard for defamation for public figures and officials in the United States is the product of a decision decades ago in New York Times v. Sullivan. Ironically, this is precisely the environment in which the opinion was written and he is precisely the type of plaintiff that the opinion was meant to deter. The Supreme Court ruled that tort law could not be used to overcome First Amendment protections for free speech or the free press. The Court sought to create “breathing space” for the media by articulating that standard that now applies to both public officials and public figures. In order to prevail, Uygur must show either actual knowledge of its falsity or a reckless disregard of the truth.

However, the greatest problem for Uygur is that the panelists are expressing their own opinions on the value and the content of the ad. It is protected speech and an exception to defamation. Declaring that the ad is anti-Semitic is not a “fact” assertion that would qualify as the foundation for a libel action.

The Supreme Court has rejected the claim that there is a categorical defense for anything claimed to be defamation.  See Milkovich v. Lorain Journal Co., 497 U.S. 1 (1990). However, opinion is protected speech and routinely protected by the courts from defamation liability.

The CNN segment is armor-plated, unassailable opinon, in my view.

Ironically, it is Uygur who has been criticized for misrepresenting the factual context for the ad.

Critics have objected that the $26 billion figure actually comes from a 2024 emergency spending package and not, as suggested, a new amount. That makes sense because the ad was recycled from Uygar’s 2024 presidential campaign.

The 2024 legislation included over $9 billion in humanitarian assistance, including relief for Palestinian civilians in Gaza and other populations. There was also roughly $7 billion set aside for American military operations in the Middle East the replenishment of American military stockpiles. There were payments of $3.5 billion in foreign military financing for Israel and $5.2 billion for missile defense systems.

The good news for Uygar is that the ad itself is also political speech and opinion. Moreover, while some countries or groups have filed for group libel, they are routinely rejected. That includes dubious libel lawsuits by Israel.

Whatever viable lawsuits come out of the Michigan election, the Uygur defamation action will not be one of them.

Jonathan Turley is a law professor and the New York Times best-selling author of “Rage and the Republic: The Unfinished Story of the American Revolution.”
NB: The original column erroneously referenced Cent Uygur as the uncle of El-Sayed. He is the uncle of Hasan Piker. It was corrected shortly after posting. I apologize for the error.

238 thoughts on “No, CNN Did Not Defame Cenk Uygur by Trashing his Anti-Israel Ad Supporting Abdul El-Sayed”

  1. Even bias-rated “Left-leaning” MediaIte agrees with Professor Turley, https://www.mediaite.com/opinion/cenk-uygur-accuses-cnn-panel-of-defamation-for-rightly-ignoring-his-role-in-poisonous-ad/

    I DO wish that the content of the CNN panel discussion was also quoted here. I had to pull it up, and it appears to be as no more than a majority finding the ad offensive, while substitute host michael skirmconish tries to provoke some anti-Israel and anti-Mike Rogers discussion.

    Ooops. one more thought. The good professor rightfully notes that “opinion” is not per se a categorical/ exempted status, but there is no mention of a cousin thereto, “rhetorical hyperbole?”

  2. Oh my my! Leftists are in a pickle. They have advocated open borders for years in order to “remake America” and “replace evil racist Whites and their culture” but the people they are letting in do not seem to care much for “America’s Greatest Ally! ™. Hate to break it to you, they also feel no sympathy for blacks or responsible for their predicament either.

    BTW – I am Hispanic and owe blacks (and Israel) NOTHING!

    antonio

    1. I thought multiculturalism was supposed to bring us a paradise on earth because everyone knows that only Europeans/Whites can be racist, right? There are many people around the world that did not get that memo because they are fighting and killing one another with nary a White person in sight. And we had to deliberately change the ethnic makeup of America, post 1965. Ted Kennedy promised us it wouldn’t do that.

      Multiculturalism is Hitler’s posthumous revenge.

      And political correctness is pretending not to notice differences.

      antonio

      1. “I thought multiculturalism was supposed to bring us a paradise on earth..”

        We’ve had multiculturalism, celebrated in many shapes, and forms, all under the umbrella of a loyalty to one nation and its local, state and federal governments. Americans all. Virtue-seeking social engineers of the recent past have embarked on acrusade to undo and upend it all because they march to the beat of a different drummer which they demand all of society revert to.

        1. You have multiculturalism and PC in some part due to what occurred in the second world war. Refusal to believe in the absolute equality of all groups and cultures has been interpreted to mean you want to send people to gas chambers.

          Diversity + close proximity = human conflict is often the case. It is not necessarily racial. Bosniaks and Serbs look the same but have not lived in harmony. Irish and English with regards to Ireland. Hutsis and Tutus all look the same but…

          Why is America and Europe required to open their borders to the 3d world? No one advocates this for China or Nigeria. Asia for Asians, Africa for Africans but White Countries for EVERYONE.

          antonio

    2. Antonio is begging us to call him a ‘racist’ because he’s really Hispanic.

      You wonder if Antonio goes around all day with that attitude. Like people see him coming and say, “Don’t call him a racist because he’s really Hispanic”.

      1. Only with s@@libs like you! And if I were a b@tch and m@an Hispanic you be sucking up to me by now hoping to make me like you.

        antonio

        1. Oh please, will someone call Antonio a racist. It would mean so much to him. Estovir, could you create a liberal puppet to call Antonio a racist?

          1. I cannot be ‘racist’ since I am a member of a recognized victim group. Or does that protection only apply to leftist b@tch and m@an Hispanics? Please advise.

            antonio

      1. I am a Traditional Catholic; only Evangelical Christians who hold to Dispensational theology think like that. I am over simplifying things a bit but they think that support of Israel will hasten the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. Evangelical Christians get very little from organized Jewry for their support of Israel. At the very least, most Jews mistrust and despise them.

        antonio

  3. The lady in this ad is not too photogenic. One imagines she’s a typical housewife in some twisted America.

    But I’m wondering if Turley ever wrote about that ad in Ohio concerning Amy Acton’s old hag of a mother.

  4. I would like to express my appreciation for what uungrr has done. He has single handedly swung more Jewish votes to Republican candidates than any man alive. His buddy Picker says that America deserved 9/11. You will know them by the company they keep.

  5. Dear Mr. Turley, some of the comments listed here are hard to read due to their divisive nature. The dear Jewish people are not the problem. Hatred of them is. They are God’s people as He chose them over any other group to birth the Messiah into this world. It would profit Mr. Uygur, Mr. Piker and “Dr.” El Sayed to read the Bible and learn what happened to the various kings and leaders of those ancient peoples who tried to wipe out the Jewish people. WWII history would also be a great help. However, it appears they have closed their minds to anything but hatred of the Jewish people.

    1. Perhaps you might want to re-think calling US taxpayers who question how their taxes are being spent “Jew-haters,” “anti-semites,” and/or “Nazis” when those questions happen to include the expenditure of US taxes on wars in the Middle East. That started immediately after October 7 — an event most rational people found abhorrent — but quickly escalated out of control. Those of us who previously wished the State of Israel well were and are shocked and disgusted by this . . . I don’t what to call it . . . propaganda tactic? It certainly has backfired, as many of us predicted it would.

      1. “Those of us who previously wished the State of Israel well were and are shocked and disgusted by this”

        Famous, your recent entry onto the blog, like many others, is just another attempt by an antisemitic anonymous to add another voice to his claims.

        What you should be condemning is the Gazan attack on Israel. The Gazan October 7 attack killed Israeli Jews in a SINGLE DAY at a per-capita rate of roughly half that at which American military personnel died over TEN YEARS in Vietnam. Gazan necrophilia, rape, torture, hostage-taking, and every other despicable thing are avoided by good people.

        1. S. Meyer: You left out one of the most important things, which has caused me to side with Israel–and that is the location of the Oct. 7 massacre of pure civilians–and other attacks during that period: on clearly Israeli land–not ‘disputed’ territories. I think I am right?

          https://oct7map.com/

          1. Lin, I value your opinion always but please don’t say that one important thing has caused you to side with Israel. The Palestinians were celebrating on 9/11. The Palestinians have been expelled from Jordan, banned in Egypt and welcomed NOWHERE. To not automatically side wit the one nation that is a Democracy, that allows dissent, that welcomes gays and is a beacon of freedom for women is beneath your obvious great mind.

            1. No, I side with Israel because I love potato knishes and the movie, Potok’s The Chosen.

              And (from what I perceive) I like you, and hockey’s history, and Jewish humor (““They say laughter is the best medicine, but have you ever tried a good bowl of chicken soup?”)

              1. Lin, if you have never visited Israel, try it. It’s an incredible place where history takes us on a journey of 4,000 years or more. Take note of its tiny size, just 9 miles wide at its narrowest point, and its remarkable economic development compared with many of the nations surrounding it.

          2. Thank you, Lin. That, and the 38,000 to 45,000 missiles sent to kill Israeli citizens, mothers, and children from 2006 to 2024, and all the incursions and terrorist attacks, like the blowing up of school buses.

        2. Your response is very typical: Ignore completely the substance of the comment (that calling US taxpayers antisemites for being concerned about the expenditure of their taxes) and go straight to the insults. In your rush to call me an antisemite, you may have missed the part where I said October 7 was an event most rational people found abhorrent.

          1. I didn’t rush to call you an antisemite; you didn’t just appear, but rather have always been in the sewers waiting to come out.

      2. Backfired on HAMAS I should say.

        Here ya go!!

        Hamas leaders, including late Gaza chief Yahya Sinwar and former politburo leader Ismail Haniyeh, have described civilian casualties in Gaza as “necessary sacrifices” that “infuse life into the veins of this nation” and fuel the resistance against Israel.

        • Yahya Sinwar: Leaked messages obtained and reported by the Wall Street Journal indicated that Sinwar viewed the rising civilian death toll as a strategic advantage. He argued that mounting casualties would increase international pressure on Israel and force a permanent end to the conflict, writing that the deaths “infuse life into the veins of this nation, prompting it to rise to its glory and honor”. Sinwar was killed by Israeli forces in October 2024.
        • Ismail Haniyeh: In televised broadcasts, Haniyeh similarly stated that the blood of Gaza’s civilians was required to sustain the resistance and the momentum of the Palestinian cause. Haniyeh was assassinated in Tehran in July 2024.
        • Stance of Hamas Officials: Leadership has frequently framed the conflict as an existential struggle where Palestinians face the choice to “die silently or die resisting”, maintaining that the broader historical context of the occupation outweighs civilian losses in their strategic calculations.

        Add to this the content of the HAMAS Charter of 1988 and what one basically has is ‘the juice is worth the squeeze’. Free Palestine from HAMAS and give those they oppress hope for a better life.

      3. Famous here is upset that the nation attacked with an horrific medieval assault went to war to win said war. How did America respond to 9/11, an attack that was about 1/10th as deadly per capita as 10/7? How did America deal with Germany in 1941-45? Dresden anyone? How about those two little nuggets we rightfully dropped on Japan? Any comment Famous? How did Lincoln deal with the Confederacy?

        Israel is doing what any other nation in the world would do if they had the wherewithal.

        As for our taxes going for Middle Eastern wars, I ask, were we at war with Iran or was it only Iran was at war with us? Huh Neville?

        Nothing “backfired”, your allies in the media, the CCP, our college idiot professors and their juvenile puppet students and our new Islamic “residents” worked hand in glove to try to end Israel. That is why you idiot Jew haters were attacking Israel ON OCTOBER 8Th.

        1. According to the Pew Research Center, public support for Israel — especially in the United States — has declined significantly since October 7, 2023, after an initial spike of sympathy following the Hamas attack. You can continue to ignore why that is, but flinging around “Jew-hater,” “Nazi,” “antisemite,” and any other insult that comes into your head when you read or hear something you don’t like is one of the reasons — if not the major reason.

          1. Andrea: Perhaps you yourself should take a look at what the reasons are.

            I invite you to examine the sample pool; weighting; questions asked; and a few other demographic considerations.

            Notwithstanding ostensible weighting, the Pew participants constituted 1850 Democrats and 1500 Republicans. Conclusions: (hard to weight some of this!):

            From the Pew report:

            “Eight-in-ten Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents currently have an unfavorable view of Israel, up from 69% last year and 53% in 2022.” Actual results: Democrats 81% unfavorable; Republicans 41%

            “Around 6 in 10 Americans have little or no confidence in Netanyahu to do the right thing on world affairs.” Actual results: Democrats/Lean Dem: 76% little or no; Republican/Lean Rep: 44% little or no.

            The biggest decline was in young college-age participants.

            https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2026/04/07/negative-views-of-israel-netanyahu-continue-to-rise-among-americans-especially-young-people/sr_views-of-israel_1/

            Thanks

            1. Thank you for the fact-based response in which you did not accuse me of Jew-hatred. Have you considered that the reason “young college-age participants” have a negative view of the State of Israel is because they are engaging in pattern recognition to compensate for the utter failure of legacy media to actually report the news, the concerted propaganda efforts by the State of Israel, and mounting evidence that the government of the US (both elected and deep state) is being influenced by payments from the State of Israel to individuals attached to the US government who have control over the dispensation of the taxes they pay?  They may come to the conclusion that what we are seeing is a massive money laundering scheme.

              1. Andrea, you are confusing lobbying and influence with bribery and money laundering. Provide your evidence. This type of action is done by virtually every nation in the world. Why do you complain only about Israel? Money laundering is a specific crime and is unlawful. Provide your evidence.

              2. “. . . the government of the US (both elected and deep state) is being influenced by payments from the State of Israel to individuals . . .”

                And there it is — the Jewish cabal conspiracy. And that earns you the ignominious label: Jew-hatred.

                “. . . are engaging in pattern recognition . . .”

                You have a delusional view of undergraduates’ ability to link two simple facts — let alone world events.

  6. Uyger’s last escapade was to recruit three randos to make posthumous accusations against Lindsey Graham. There’s a reason they call ’em ‘mediaswine’.

    1. How dare you deprecate swine by comparing them to Ungrrr. Lower than Whale defecation at the bottom of the ocean would be more appropriate. An opportunity capitalist who claims to hate capitalism as he makes his deposits to his bank accounts with a big smirk on his face. He’s a media darling for the left. X loves him.

  7. Familiarity confers legitimacy. Ten years ago, the DSA would have been a sideshow of abstruse but ridiculous political opinion. Hasan Piker and Abdul El-Sayed would have been a sideshow of a sideshow. But now, here they are, front-page stuff. Cenk Uygur would be known only inside a few outside fringe groups.

    1. gdonaldallen:

      One of your best, and legitimate, observations.

      ((may I respectfully add that not only does it confer legitimacy, it breeds/propagates it.)

    2. His sidekick Ana Kasparian is as loathsome a person I have ever heard. Well maybe tied with Jennifer Welch.

  8. If Michigan wants reputational damage, keep electing and appointing Jew-haters, as well as radicals from the extreme Left. Henry Ford is rolling in his grave

  9. Abdul El-Sayed is trying to distance himself from that vile, anti-Semitic ad. And yet he made exactly the same argument: The U.S. should withdraw all aid to Israel, because it is committing “genocide.”

      1. “How is that anti-Semitic? The ad was factual. Plus it was also political speech.”to

        Factual? With respect the amount of funding, perhaps. Opinionated, with respect to the purpose of same and intended to be anti-Israel, for sure. The speaker is clearly THAT in the context of the statement. As the issues have evolved to present, anti-Zionism and anti-Semitism are a suit worn of cloth cut from the same bolt having been woven into the same fabric. What is not clear are the ‘they’ who are receiving receiving universal health care that ‘we’ are paying for. Is the inference being made that theS taxpayer is providing funding for universal health care for the Israeli Jews, a benefit that the American citizen is not receiving? Is this covert suggestion? That remains open for discussion.

      2. Hamas launches rockets at Israel from the tops of hospitals and schools and when Israel attacks these launching sites Hamas claims genocide. It’s interesting that when I make this point X never gives an answer. X is just a member of the Hamas propaganda team. Recognize her/him for who he/she is.

      3. GSX, the ad was definitely antisemitic, but that does not mean a suit for defamation will succeed. Its political nature might make such a suit more difficult.

        You need to get your facts straight and stop trying to prove your case with lies. No, the money Israel may have received did not mean that one should stop buying eggs. In fact, what Israel is given helps protect the US in many ways, and is tiny by any standards. We spend a lot more on other nations in that area as well.

        The fraud in Minnesota can be considered the equivalent of expenditures on Israel. The difference is that Minnesota’s fraud is a hole in the ground, while Israeli expenditures have been boosted as part of America’s war with Iran. Take note that we spend more on Ukraine than we do on Israel, but your comments and others on the blog expenditures deal only with Israel. That by itself places you and others in the position of an antisemite.

        1. The world is a big place, with many wrongs deserving of attention, even devotion. Nobody can make everyone else’s chosen cause one of their own, nor are they obligated in that regard.

          It’s your signature move to accuse those who focus on Israel of antisemitism.

          Questioning Israel’s influence and actions is legitimate political discourse. Find a new justificatione for your tropish accusations.

          1. “It’s your signature move to accuse those who focus on Israel of antisemitism.”

            Old Fish, criticize Israel all you wish. Scream that you don’t want foreign aid for anyone, but don’t create a double standard that makes you look like an antisemite.

      4. X, what was factual about a) $7.00 eggs, b) the amount he said goes to Israel, c) not factoring in how much of that aid went to Palestinians, d) how much it pales in comparison to Ukraine aid, e) how much aid goes to other nations and f) how much aid we give to illegals that your party brought here?

    1. “…..because it is committing “genocide.”

      Nothing more than the usual and customary manifestations of the soft bigotry of low expectations for the intelligence of the low information voter.

    2. Every single piece of that ad was true.

      The only genocide that is happening is the one against the Palestinians. Not the “genocide” that Israel uses to guilt the world.

      Now shut up and keep paying for Israel’s universal health care, genocide, and the rest.

      1. The Palestinians that comprise 20% of the population of Israel hold full citizenship rights and vote in Israeli elections. Helluva genocide.

  10. Such fragile snowflakes and cowards, bigots and bullies are, and Uygur is a bigot and a bully, right along with all of his pals. He wants to punish people with law for not liking him enough, so let’s add self-esteem of a flea to the list. Grow a pair, Cenk.

      1. “Now connect that to today’s article about defamation. Good luck!”

        It’s all connected to the various contenders having brought the ages old geopolitical and religious conflicts of the Levant into the current election cycle. Uygur considers himself ill-used being criticized for having done so. How and why he deems his character has having been defamed is open to argument. IMHO, finding himself in line with his nephew pretty much defines the content of his character. Others are free to disagree. The Intifada is alive and well in the United States and the supporters of same are his useful tools.

    1. “Let’s put things in perspective”

      Such was the practice during the westward movement of Islam into the Levant, northern African and Southern Europe, beginning in the 7th Century and ending in the 15th. Build their houses of worship on the bones of the cultures they sought to subsume. They colonized and occupied. The pot calling the kettle black. [Now we await the usual and customary rebuttal from ‘IT”.]

        1. “Now connect that to today’s article about defamation. Good luck!..”

          Asked and answered!!

  11. We’re over $40 trillion in debt, and we’re arguing about $26 billion in foreign assistance instead of asking some much bigger questions.

    I belong to a charitable organization whose charitable activities can be evaluated by Charity Navigator. Donors can examine its financial accountability, administrative costs, and effectiveness. If they don’t like what they find, they can stop contributing.

    Now consider the federal government. We fund foreign and domestic assistance programs through compulsory taxation. We don’t have the option of withholding our contributions when we disagree with how the money is spent.

    Shouldn’t that demand even greater accountability?

    Why was the money appropriated? Where did it go? How much was consumed by administration? What measurable goals were established, and were they achieved? Are we helping people and nations become more independent, or simply perpetuating dependency?

    Congress holds the power of the purse. Its responsibility doesn’t end when it appropriates the money. We have the GAO, inspectors general, and congressional oversight committees, yet we continue funding programs without consistently demonstrating their effectiveness.

    I’m not arguing against charitable assistance, foreign or domestic. I’m asking whether we’re getting what we’re paying for, whether the spending is justified, and who’s accountable when it isn’t.

    A charity has to earn its donors’ confidence. Shouldn’t a government that can compel its citizens to pay be held to at least that standard?

      1. Earth to whoever you are. The article is about a political ad concerning government spending. I took that issue a little further and asked why we’re spending the money, what we’re getting for it, and who’s accountable.

        You apparently couldn’t follow that far.

        And while you’re busy reminding me what the article is about, you’ve managed to make your entire response about me. Apparently your own advice doesn’t apply to you.

        You’re actually a pretty useful example of how people get distracted by the little things while the bigger issues go unexamined.

        But thanks for demonstrating my point. I couldn’t have done it better myself.

        1. You’re welcome! Ah ha! A big picture guy eh, everyone else is small and stupid, especially your buddy upstatefarmer? Where is he BTW? He’s late.

          But Amazing how you think your dementia derived gobbledygook is applicable to the article. To repeat, its article is about defamation, not you. Always willing to help old folks with dementia.

        2. OLLY,

          Well, the annony goes to show just how current public education and higher education have failed to form a self-governing, intelligent and critical thinking citizen. Also annony proves to us what a failure to launch he really is.

          How marvelous!

        3. The US and Israel are preventing Iran and others no doubt from creating a nuke, nuclear proliferation. The Iranian ideology is unstable at best and driven by its belief mohammed must enslave all people. It must destroy yahweh. Imo

          Some disagree with that agenda, Olly. ☺

          1. Carpe, I have no objection to preventing Iran from developing nuclear weapons.

            But you’re actually making my point. If that’s why we’re spending the money, how much are we spending, what are we getting for it, and how do we know it’s working?

            I’m not arguing against national defense or foreign aid. I’m asking whether Congress is doing its job of making sure the money it appropriates is accomplishing what it was supposed to accomplish.

            And that applies to every government expenditure, foreign and domestic.

            Seems to me we ought to be asking those questions regardless of whether we agree with the spending in the first place.

            1. The article is limited to defamation and an obviously anti-Jewish candidate, Olly. Audit all money used for every purpose of course.

              Israel exists. It’s working.

              It’s a slimey ad. It’s a pitiful 3rd world ad. Personally I’m insulted that I know of it.

              PS: I was censored.

    1. When is the last time Congress went through the deliberative appropriation process? Isn’t the new process to pass budgets by waiting until the debt limit is about to be breached, then just pass another continuing resolution?

      1. That’s a great question, and one that deserves to be discussed.

        I think the last time Congress completed the regular appropriations process on schedule was back in 1997, and 1995 was the last time it passed all the bills individually.

        Thirty years later, with over $40 trillion in debt, you’d think we’d have gotten around to asking whether this is any way to run a government.

        1. From defamation to deficits. Quite the leap you two. You guys know anything thing about tort/defamation law?

    2. “A charity has to earn its donors’ confidence.”

      OLLY, up front, I want to say I am against 501(c)(3)s. The charity has to earn the donor’s confidence, but what about the taxpayer

      1. SM, I’m not defending 501(c)(3)s or their tax status. That’s a separate discussion. My point is about accountability.

        When I contribute to a charity, I can look at how it’s rated, where the money goes, how much is spent on administration, and what it’s actually accomplishing. If I don’t like what I see, I can stop contributing.

        Now why shouldn’t we expect the same from our federal government? We spend billions on foreign and domestic assistance programs. What was that money supposed to accomplish? Did it accomplish it? How much was spent just administering the programs?

        We have the GAO, inspectors general, and congressional oversight committees. But are their findings actually being used to determine whether Congress should continue funding these programs?

        And unlike charitable giving, we can’t opt out of paying taxes.

        Seems to me we ought to be demanding at least as much accountability from the government as we do from a charity, if not more.

        1. OLLY, I know you aren’t commenting on the value of the 501 C 3, but all the problems you see can end by terminating this program. For most, it is self-serving, lining a lot of pockets, and permitting all sorts of bad behavior. I am quite familiar with charities and this tax evasion program that takes money from everyone else.

  12. Too bad political ads can’t just tell the truth instead of try to frighten; the truth is scary enough!

    1. ‘Truth? What then would be the point? Politics is war with another name. Research the history of political ads in America since the 1800’s. No different from today.

    2. Yes, and the message is–>all poor people should hate Jews or as Omar says, Benjamins..

      The ad just fell off the 🍌 boat.

  13. Wow, the truth is not defamation. But defending your innocence of a false claim with no evidence in New York City is still defamation.

    1. Its not like MAGA not suing… think about Trump, he’s sued everybody. And gotten a few wacks himself.

    2. Hey look, Hassan Piker has entered the chat.

      Imagine saying you “can’t criticize (((them)))” while referring to Jews, the most maligned, attacked, protested, shunned and lied about group in the last 75 years.

      What people are saying (and doing) to Jews today is worse than what people said about Germans in the midst of WWII. There has never been such open bigotry against a group of people in my long lifetime.

      1. “Hey look, Hassan Piker has entered the chat.”

        Piker is Uygur’s nephew. Piker’s mother is Uygur’s sister. The two men are reported as very much aligned these ‘daze’.

        1. Imagine this bigotry happening even five years ago? Anonymous is a product of teacher’s unions, bad parenting, and a lack of ambition. Hey glue eater, get a job you lazy sack of garbage.

          1. HullBobby,

            Right on about being the product of some failed public schooling and parenting. This annony is what a failure to launch looks like.

          2. Keep working harder, (((they))) need their universal healthcare and genocides aren’t cheap! Your tax dollars at work buddy.

      2. No it is not, but considering that your kind keeps screaming here all day, every day, death to Muslims, and you wonder why?

  14. Funny how leftwing Fascists complain endlessly about military support for Israel, because it’s too costly, but gladly shovel money hand-over-fist to Ukraine.

    1. …and Haiti…and Egypt…and the Palestinian authority…and Congo…and ____…..and _____….

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