The discord leaks continue to generate shock waves around the world, as more and more documents unveil secrets about the US, the allied and Ukrainian military deployments, American penetration of Russian intelligence and military networks, and intelligence eavesdropping on key allies, including South Korea and Israel.
The latest round of controversy now pits the United Nations against the US, as leaked reports on António Guterres contain the secretary general’s personal conversations with aides regarding diplomatic encounters.
The Guardian reports:
“The United Nations has raised concerns with the United States over reports that it eavesdropped on the private conversations of the UN secretary general, António Guterres, and other senior officials.
‘We have made it clear that such actions are inconsistent with the obligations of the United States as enumerated in the Charter of the United Nations and the convention on the privileges and immunities of the United Nations,’ said a UN spokesman, Stephane Dujarric, on Tuesday.
The comments followed a number of articles reporting that leaked Pentagon files appear to show Washington was closely monitoring conversations between the secretary general and his aides.”
The first disclosure in the media showed that the US believes that Guterres is too willing to accommodate Russian interests.
BBC reported:
“The documents contain candid observations from Mr Guterres about the war in Ukraine and a number of African leaders.
One leaked document focuses on the Black Sea grain deal, brokered by the UN and Turkey in July, following fears of a global food crisis.
It suggests that Mr Guterres was so keen to preserve the deal he was willing to accommodate Russia’s interests.
‘Guterres emphasised his efforts to improve Russia’s ability to export,’ the document says, ‘even if that involves sanctioned Russian entities or individuals’.
His actions in February, according to the assessment, were ‘undermining broader efforts to hold Moscow accountable for its actions in Ukraine’.”
But that was not all. Guterres frustration with Ukrainian president Zelensky is also clear from the leaked material.
Washington Post reports:
“The Guterres documents, which appear to mix direct quotes from the secretary general and his aides with analysis from intelligence officials about his emotions, underscore some of the secretary general’s most tense recent diplomatic efforts.
[…] Another document reported that following Guterres’ March 8 private meeting with Zelensky and a joint news conference, the secretary general reported to his spokesman, Stéphane Dujarric, that he was “really pissed off” about a surprise public ceremony in honor of International Women’s Day during the visit.
Aides later said Zelensky had sprung the event — which included the presentation of medals to uniformed soldiers — on Guterres without warning and later posted photographs and videos of the event that implied the secretary general was congratulating military personnel on one side of the Russia-Ukraine war.
[…] Guterres told Dujarric that he went to Ukraine to help, but the Ukrainians ‘do everything to liquidate us,’ according to the apparently intercepted conversation in the report.”
The post DISCORD LEAK: US Spying on the UN – Secretary General Guterres Said To Be Soft on Moscow, Frustrated With Zelensky appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
Author: adler
-
DISCORD LEAK: US Spying on the UN – Secretary General Guterres Said To Be Soft on Moscow, Frustrated With Zelensky
-
Dennis Quaid Sounds The Alarm On What Happens If The US Power Grid Goes Down — “It Would Take Us Back To 1880” (VIDEO)
In a recent interview on Fox News channel, Dennis Quaid sounded the alarm on what could happen if the US power grid goes down.
He pointed out there are lots of threats to the US power grid – and one of those threats could come from Chinese balloons.
Watch (transcript of highlights below):From the video:
Dennis Quaid: There’s been several attacks on substations. I heard about one a couple of months ago, and this is not “day after tomorrow,” by the way. This is tomorrow. I think it could happen. And, it’s a problem that we could fix. It’s basically this: In 2003, right here in New York, there was a wire that brushed up against a tree limb — and it took out the electricity in New York for two days. That was just a small little event. But in an EMP event, a bad actor could take out through a Chinese balloon for all we know, or . . .
Jesse Watters: So they could have put a little something, something on that balloon exploded it over the United States. And we lose power For how long?
Dennis Quaid: Well, it could be up to like 30 days. But what we’re talking about is a nuclear explosion up in space. A nuclear explosion in the atmosphere above the United States could unleash a burst of invisible electrical energy that within a fraction of a second could wash over this country and overload all of our most sensitive electronic devices, including the nation’s power grid. Just 30 days without electricity, it would take us back to 1880. And you wouldn’t be able to get gas. You wouldn’t be able to get food. You know, the police would stay home and take care of their own families . . .
Jesse Watters: And you can’t even survive three days without water. And it would affect the water system as well.
Dennis Quaid: Yes, exactly. And we keep talking about it, but nothing ever gets done . . .That’s why stocking up on emergency food is not just a “crazy prepper” thing anymore.
Some of the biggest buyers of emergency food are actually soccer moms—they will not allow their children to suffer when disaster strikes.
My Patriot Supply—the nation’s largest preparedness company—has made preparing easy and affordable.
Right now, if you purchase a 3-Month Emergency Food Kit, My Patriot Supply will give you a free Alexapure Pro Water Filtration System (a $279 value) – plus purchasing through this link and the links below benefits Gateway Pundit.
Because everyone needs clean, safe water.
But let’s not forget the food you get in the 3-Month Emergency Food Kit. It’s tasty! Your whole family will love it. You get breakfasts, lunches, dinners, drinks, and snacks totaling over 2,000 calories a day—just what you need to stay strong during a crisis when calories are your friend. You’ll likely need at least 2,000 calories a day, and these meals go above and beyond.
They’re easy to prepare, too. Just boil some water, pour the food into the pot, and let it cook. In a matter of minutes, your whole family will enjoy these meals.
You won’t even think it’s emergency food. It’s definitely not “bunker food.” Some people don’t even wait for a crisis—they eat it right now, every day. It’s that good.
Best of all, once you order your supply, you can rest easy because the food you get from My Patriot Supply has an impressively long shelf life.
The 3-Month Emergency Food Kit stays fresh for up to 25 years! Just “get it and forget it” until you need it. It will be there, ready to save the day. And you’ll be so glad you have it.
Food shortages, power outages, water contamination—you name it, we could face it. The best choice is to make sure you have a good supply of long-term emergency food and clean drinking water today.
So don’t procrastinate. Check this off your list and sleep better at night knowing your family won’t suffer when disaster strikes.
Act now and get the Alexapure Pro Water Filtration System for free!
People are saying about MyPatriotSupply:
“Product sealed in very durable containers and standing by now for me. No regrets. Absolutely recommend!!”
“Best calories per dollar deal — Over 300 calories per dollar is amazing.”
“The battle to be self reliant is a hand most of the world has lost. Through this company and its outstanding quality we all can sleep easier knowing we are not 9 meals from anarchy.”
Millions of American families have already bought their emergency food from MyPatriotSupply.com — making it the largest preparedness company in the nation.
When you order buckets of long-lasting food, you can worry less about what your family will need when things get worse.
To let MyPatriotSupply.com help you prepare for the worst, click here.
The post Dennis Quaid Sounds The Alarm On What Happens If The US Power Grid Goes Down — “It Would Take Us Back To 1880” (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit. -
“Eight. E-I-G-H” – Joe Biden Can’t Even Spell the Word “Eight” During Rant Attacking Billionaires and MAGA Republicans (VIDEO)
Joe Biden on Wednesday delivered remarks in Accokeek, Maryland on his ‘vision for the economy’ compared with ‘MAGA House Republicans’ vision.’
Biden’s handlers trotted old Joe out for 30 minutes on Wednesday so he could discuss his economic plan at a union training facility.
This is the only public event on Biden’s schedule for the entire day.
Biden claims his goal is to build an economy from the middle out and bottom up instead of one that ‘trickles from the top down..
Joe Biden went on his usual rant against billionaires not paying their fair share of taxes.
“We have a thousand billionaires in America. Do you know the average tax rate they pay? Eight. E-I-G-H percent. Eight percent,” Biden said.
He tried.
VIDEO:Joe Biden can’t spell the word “eight.”
Not a joke! pic.twitter.com/gsH7EXQk0R
— Andrew @ Don’t Walk, RUN! (@DontWalkRUN) April 19, 2023The post “Eight. E-I-G-H” – Joe Biden Can’t Even Spell the Word “Eight” During Rant Attacking Billionaires and MAGA Republicans (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
-
NEVER FORGET: Not a Single Election Expert Has Been Able to Explain the “Drop and Roll” Phenomenon that Flipped the 2020 Election to Joe Biden
It’s been over two years since Joe Biden was declared the winner of the 2020 presidential election after several days of extra counting.
On November 18, 2020, The Gateway Pundit first posted the impossible numbers that swung the election to Old Joe.
We called this phenomenon the “Drop and Roll.”
This has NEVER been explained by any election expert because they can’t explain it without raising the likely possibility of fraud.In the last ten days The Gateway Pundit published several reports on how the 2020 election was stolen from Donald Trump.
The numbers don’t lie.
The election was stolen.
in November 2020 TGP put our findings in an easy to follow video.
We hope you enjoy this.
Please pass it on!
Here is the video on Rumble…And here is the video on YouTube — although people are having trouble seeing it for some reason.
The information for this video can be found at The Gateway Pundit.
Please pass this on!
The post NEVER FORGET: Not a Single Election Expert Has Been Able to Explain the “Drop and Roll” Phenomenon that Flipped the 2020 Election to Joe Biden appeared first on The Gateway Pundit. -
GOP NH Governor Chris Sununu Attacks Fox News as ‘Detriment to Conservatism’
Fox News’ right-wing “echo chamber,” according to New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu, is doing the GOP no favors and contributed to their lackluster showing in the 2022 midterm elections. Sununu, who is considering a presidential bid, said at a meeting of the Republican National Committee on Saturday that the party and right-wing media should work to win over independent voters.
The Undercurrent obtained audio of Sununu saying, “We can sit here and complain about George Soros all you want,” on the same day the governor appeared on Fox News’ America’s Newsroom. He is a dreadful, awful, wicked human being. But you know what? He started investing in the 1980s to prepare for today.
“We need to begin considering the long term,” he said. “We must begin to consider those independents.”
Sununu then switched to Fox and said that he was appearing on Neil Cavuto’s Fox Business program.RELATED: Fox News Will Host First Republican Primary Debate; Rumble to Play Huge Role
Sununu Rips Fox News
Sununu said, “I went on with Cavuto this morning. “And I often communicate with Fox’s management. I said, “Look folks, you’re talking—I watched a panel debate on Fox with like four panelists and they were all literally in agreement with one another. Why are you doing that? ‘We all agree, I said.’ We would all watch the panel and nod our heads in agreement. They are having an echoing conversation. What steps are you doing to expand the team?”
Sununu continued by saying that this “echo chamber” hindered Republicans in the midterm elections. Sununu has been on Fox News and Fox Business at least a dozen times this year.
“And look,” he said. “We can all make the argument that 2022 wasn’t all that horrible. Let’s be honest about getting our butts kicked in 2022. We did. We did. We’ll all be sitting here asking, “Oh, why did we lose?’ if we run ’24 the same way we ran ’22.”
The current front-runner in the burgeoning Republican race for 2024 is former President Donald Trump. Sununu earlier said that the GOP is “moving on” from him in spite of this.
Reprinted with permission. View this story and more on WayneDupree.com.
More from Wayne Dupree:Donations Pour Into Trump Campaign After Indictment
GOP Donors, Including Thomas Pafferty, Reportedly Abandon DeSantis for Being Too Pro-Life
DeSantis Team Allegedly Contacting Remaining FL State Politicians to Not Endorse Donald Trump
House Republican Says If China Attacks Taiwan, He Will Call a Vote to Authorize Force
Mark Levin: We Need To Prepare For War With China, It’s InevitableThe post GOP NH Governor Chris Sununu Attacks Fox News as ‘Detriment to Conservatism’ appeared first on The Political Insider.
-
Previously Expelled Democrat Carries Baby-Sized Casket to Tennessee Gun Control Protest
By Dr. Derek Ellerman
I’ll be honest. As I began to write this up, I was at a loss for words.
Yes, politics is dirty. Yes, it’s the second oldest profession. No, we can’t expect decency or honesty from politicians. But even communists should know better.
Apparently, they don’t – and they’re not afraid to prove it.
Enter Democrat Tennessee State Rep. Justin Jones, previously expelled from the State House for participating in an insurrection a disruptive gun control protest.
I just need you to look for yourself before I go any further:Today, Tennessee State Rep. @brotherjones_ was refused entrance to the TN State Capitol while carrying an empty casket to represent the victims of the Covenant School shooting.
The fight to end gun violence continues. pic.twitter.com/wj8Lgrpt7J
— Gen-Z for Change (@genzforchange) April 18, 2023RELATED: Hours After Nashville Shooting, Dem Rep Katherine Clark Attacks ‘MAGA Extremists’ for Making Trans Community ‘Fight for Existence’
Gaslighting All The Way Down
Let’s get this out of the way – sick, gauche, classless, pick an adjective for the best way to describe carrying baby caskets to a protest.
But this is important, we need to go back to the beginning.
Remember, this entire news cycle started because a psychotic (my guess) transgender former student murdered Christian children and teachers at the Covenant School in Nashville.
The murderer even has a manifesto – which to anyone’s best guess provides the reason why a Christian school and children were targeted for death – that still hasn’t seen the light of day. (Isn’t that weird?)
That’s the story. It’s not about guns. It’s not about “Gen Z.” It’s not about making martyrs out of the insurrectionist Democrat politicians who made spectacles of themselves for power and fame.
Little children were killed, and in this author’s humble opinion, they were true martyrs. Killed for their faith.
I don’t need to tell you what would have happened if a straight white guy walked into a madrasa or yeshiva and started shooting people based on their faith. Shooting children.
We already know who and what get blamed.
But that’s the way the world works right now, and the right needs to figure out how to deal with it.On the clear public interest in—and the media’s sudden indifference to—uncovering the Nashville shooter manifesto:
“I’m not interested in blaming advocates of trans ideology… My interest is the journalistic one. I want to find out what… caused this person to do this.” pic.twitter.com/UiivcoRbg0
— System Update (@SystemUpdate_) April 18, 2023RELATED: Tucker Carlson Explains Why Nashville School Shooter’s Manifesto Is Being Hidden: ‘It’s Not Accidental’
Creating Obama II
Rep. Jones and his comrade Rep. Justin Pearson seem intent on using the event to their advantage. Democrats are very, very good at this, and Republicans are totally clueless.
Jones and Pearson have no intention of letting the crisis go to waste.
After being re-instated, the pair have done their level best to squeeze the maximum amount of juice out of it.
Some have questioned how much of the whole charade is pure performance. Take a look at this, for example:Check out Justin Pearson in 2016 before the 60’s Afro and Wish App ‘Martin Luther King’ emulation.
Oppressed Justin went to school at Bowdoin where it costs $75,000 a year to attend.
Now he’s larping as a 1960’s civil rights leader and the left is eating it up.
I never… pic.twitter.com/iCWeuesMe5
— Amiri King (@AmiriKing) April 13, 2023Any honest person can see that for what it is.
Just as they can see what carrying baby-sized caskets to the Capitol building is. What you need to understand is that the natural revulsion you feel to that episode is not shared by your liberal neighbors. No, they love it. They think it’s genius.
But as I hinted earlier, there’s more at play here. Sensing blood in the water, the entire Democrat machine has spun up, hoping to make Jones, Pearson, or both the next Barack Obama.
They already met with Vice President Kamala Harris.
And if that’s not enough, national Democrats even want the Main Cop in their corner – demanding that AG Merrick Garland “investigate” Tennessee Republicans for expelling Jones and Pearson in the first place.BREAKING: Senate Democrats have just asked the Department of Justice to investigate Tennessee Republicans for violating civil and constitutional rights, as they expelled Justin Jones and Justin Pearson.
“We write to urge the US DOJ to use all available legal authorities to… pic.twitter.com/LtAPzGgiTD
— Brian Krassenstein (@krassenstein) April 12, 2023Democrats play for keeps. Republicans barely even get on the field.
If you doubt it, just take a look at the ideological trajectory of this country:Who changed? https://t.co/cq8gHPFNAQ pic.twitter.com/moz3tFgyIz
— Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) April 12, 2023Now is the time to support and share the sources you trust.
The Political Insider ranks #3 on Feedspot’s “100 Best Political Blogs and Websites.”The post Previously Expelled Democrat Carries Baby-Sized Casket to Tennessee Gun Control Protest appeared first on The Political Insider.
-
Progressive Journalist Glenn Greenwald to Sue FBI Over Nashville School Shooter’s Manifesto
Journalist Glenn Greenwald announced he is in discussions with various law firms about suing the FBI and the Nashville Police Department for access to the manifesto of Audrey Hale, the transgender shooter who killed six people at The Covenant School last month, including three children.
Nashville police chief John Drake confirmed that Hale identified “as transgender” shortly after the rampage and told reporters she left behind maps of the school and a “manifesto” indicating there may have been other targets.
Greenwald said in a social media post that he had been in discussions with two law firms in the city about putting them on retainer, only to see them back out for mysterious reasons.
“We’ve spoken with 2 major law firms in Nashville who said they’d send retainer letters to represent us suing FBI and the Nashville PD to obtain the manifesto of the Nashville shooter, only to back out at the last second,” he tweeted.
“The political pressures are intense,” Greenwald surmised. “We should see it.”We’ve spoken with 2 major law firms in Nashville who said they’d send retainer letters to represent us suing FBI and the Nashville PD to obtain the manifesto of the Nashville shooter, only to back out at the last second.
The political pressures are intense. We should see it.
— Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) April 17, 2023RELATED: Tucker Carlson Explains Why Nashville School Shooter’s Manifesto Is Being Hidden: ‘It’s Not Accidental’
Greenwald Suing For Nashville Trans Shooter Manifesto – Why Does He Have To?
The most glaring question that arises from Greenwald’s tweet is, ‘Why is there political pressure to keep the Nashville trans shooter manifesto under wraps?’
This doesn’t happen in other cases.
Readers will recall that details about the Buffalo shooter’s manifesto were in the media almost immediately, warning of the dangers of racist white men.
But the FBI and the Nashville PD have managed to keep this one under wraps and a seemingly uncurious legacy media is doing very little to expose what could provide insight into the motive behind the shooter’s deadly rampage.
Why? What makes this shooter different from others? What makes these victims different? The answers to that are rather obvious to the skeptical.In case the media establishment needs a refresh course on how real journalism is supposed to look, @ggreenwald is still trying to obtain the manifesto of the Nashville shooter. #trans https://t.co/vd6opv301c
— Ethan Sommer, The Sommer Sound Off (@SommerSoundOff) April 17, 2023RELATED: Did Protesters Just Honor Transgender School Shooter During Tennessee Capitol Protest?
Tucker Carlson: They’re Hiding It On Purpose
Fox News host Tucker Carlson argued weeks ago that the manifesto written by the Nashville elementary shooter would remain hidden by authorities and the media for very specific reasons – to ensure the narrative remains on the guns and how they need to be controlled.
Not mental health or extreme left-wing ideologies. It’s the guns that are the problem.
“Well, that’s interesting,” Carlson said. “Within what seemed like minutes, we saw pictures of the rifles and the pistol. We now have horrifying body cam footage from within the school.”
“But somehow we can’t see the manifesto in which the killer explains why she killed.”
Watch the latest video at foxnews.com
Carlson argued that the main reason authorities and the media want the manifesto under wraps is that they don’t want a narrative to emerge that Christians are being targeted.
“It’s not accidental. You know exactly why it is – because it would make the obvious undeniable,” added Carlson. “The trans movement is targeting Christians, including with violence.”Tonight on @SystemUpdate_, live at 7pm ET:
Why have we not seen the the Nashville shooter’s manifesto when news outlets often hype them? We’ll detail our strangely futile efforts to obtain it.
Plus: US anger toward Lula on Ukraine and the dollar:https://t.co/6cTVSWXQ3f
— Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) April 17, 2023Let’s hope Greenwald is able to make some headway with his lawsuit to attain the manifesto. It’s good to know there are still some journalists out there actively seeking the truth.
It would be of further interest for the media to start digging into these law firms that backed out of the lawsuit. Who is intimidating them into silence?Now is the time to support and share the sources you trust.
The Political Insider ranks #3 on Feedspot’s “100 Best Political Blogs and Websites.”The post Progressive Journalist Glenn Greenwald to Sue FBI Over Nashville School Shooter’s Manifesto appeared first on The Political Insider.
-
WATCH: Kurt Schlichter Explains Whether Congressional Republicans Can Save Trump from Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg
Townhall columnist Kurt Schlichter sat down with The Political Insider’s Brett Smith to discuss the ramifications and recourses that could result from former President Donald Trump’s indictment.
Smith asked whether or not House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy could in fact hold New York District Attorney Alvin Bragg accountable, as he had recently said, for what he considers to be “weaponizing the justice system” to go after the Republican frontrunner in order to derail his third presidential campaign.
McCarthy has also made accusations about federal funds being used.
“What can House Republicans really do to hold Bragg accountable or stop him?” asked Smith.
“Nothing, unless he comes there and lies and then maybe you have perjury that someday a DOJ can try him for in freaking Washington D.C.” remarked Schlichter. “This is why I would, If I was them, hold the hearings outside of Washington D.C. in venues where you can get a really jury down the road as part of our ‘operation payback’.”RELATED: GOP Rep Andy Biggs Introduces Bill to Defund Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg’s Office
Empty Threats?
“I would suggest that what we do is, you know, get the Republicans to change the law and venue that is somebody can get be charged, somebody commits a crime in Washington D.C., can actually be charged in Maryland or Virginia so you don’t have a Washington D.C. jury which will always convict a Republican and never convict a Democrat,” Schlichter continued.
Washington, D.C. is one of the deepest blue areas of the country, voting 93% for Hillary Clinton in 2016 and 93% for Joe Biden in 2020.
Smith asked further whether Schlichter believed whether or not Bragg’s case would collapse before even making it to trial in December.
“The case is going to end when it gets to the U.S. Supreme Court which it will through convoluted means,” replied Schlichter. “Until then, if this was a real case, it would be gone this week based on motion to dismiss. It’s not a real case.”
Schlichter also remarked about the obviously biased nature of the individuals involved in targeting Trump, including the judge who he claims is a partisan donor, whose daughter “works for [Vice President] Kamala Harris.”
Loren Merchan, the daughter of Judge Juan Merchan, has worked for Kamala Harris and Adam Schiff.
“It should be dismissed, so I mean again, not a legal case,” he added.RELATED: Donations Pour Into Trump Campaign After Indictment
House Republicans on the Move or Not?
This week, the House Judiciary Committee began to hold hearings in Manhattan over the rampant increase in violent crime in New York City. However, House Democrats are claiming that this is an attempt at subterfuge in order to target Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg.
Rep. Jerry Nadler, whose district covers Manhattan where the trial will take place, commented, “We’re here today in Lower Manhattan for one reason and one reason only: The chairman is doing the bidding for Donald Trump.”
Rep. Jim Jordan, who is currently the House Judiciary Chair, attempted to call on Bragg to testify before the committee, but Bragg decided to decline making an appearance.
“The House GOP continues to attempt to undermine an active investigation and ongoing New York criminal case with an unprecedented campaign of harassment and intimidation,” later tweeted Bragg.
Watch the full interview below and be sure to subscribe to The Political Insider on YouTube & RumbleNow is the time to support and share the sources you trust.
The Political Insider ranks #3 on Feedspot’s “100 Best Political Blogs and Websites.”The post WATCH: Kurt Schlichter Explains Whether Congressional Republicans Can Save Trump from Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg appeared first on The Political Insider.
-
Senator John Fetterman, Fresh from the Hospital, Returns to Senate Looking Like a Bum
Senator John Fetterman made his triumphant return to the Senate Monday, arriving at the Capitol sporting baggy shorts and an oversized black Carhartt hoodie sweatshirt and looking for all the world like a disrespectful tourist.
Fetterman was returning following a six-week stay in the hospital where he was treated for clinical depression.
The Pennsylvania Democrat refused to field questions from reporters.
“It’s great to be back. Thank you,” Fetterman said as he walked into the building. He raised his hands upward, then crossed them over his chest as if to clutch his heart, thankful for the support.
The display was unbefitting an intern or the Capitol grounds janitorial crew, let alone a member of the United States Senate.
Video shows the Senator walking in what looks to me like a labored manner, wobbling as he turned away from the cameras. But then, perhaps that is his normal gait.NEW: Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) is back on Capitol Hill after a two-month absence for depression pic.twitter.com/QBtfIKR8yX
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) April 17, 2023RELATED: Tucker Carlson: How Can John Fetterman Co-Sponsor Legislation From the ‘Psych Ward’?
Fetterman Returns to the Senate Looking a Little Haggard
I’d be curious to know what our readers think – Is Fetterman’s attire refreshingly simple, a man of the people ensemble, or are you disgusted seeing this man serving in the Senate?
Would you think differently if Mitch McConnell returned to the Senate yesterday after falling and he showed up looking like a slovenly drunkard, wearing a similar outfit?
And you have to love the completely detached statement, “It’s great to be back. Thank you.”
I’m actually a little surprised he didn’t simply respond to questions with, “Hi. Good night, everybody.”Fetterman opens the debate:
“Hi. Good night everybody.” pic.twitter.com/mg0X3Iwf5D
— Greg Price (@greg_price11) October 26, 2022Prior to being elected, Fetterman had experienced a stroke which left him quite obviously unable to understand words and meanings, or even to express the same.
One month into his term, he was hospitalized overnight after reportedly feeling ‘lightheaded’ during a Democratic retreat.
He checked himself into Walter Reed National Military Medical Center for clinical depression shortly thereafter.When you roll out of bed, put on a pair of sneakers, and run to work… pic.twitter.com/j88dF2qxyz
— Amber (@NYCdeb8tr) April 17, 2023RELATED: Sloppily-Clad Fetterman Named to NY Times Most ‘Stylish’ List, Set to Appear in Christian Bale Movie
Ladies and Gentleman: Your ‘Most Stylish’ Senator
It’s pretty wild to see Fetterman arriving at the Capitol building looking like he rolled out of bed when just a few short months ago he was named to the New York Times list of ‘Most Stylish People of 2022’.
No, we’re not kidding.
The Times put Fetterman on a list of other presumably fashionable individuals and called him ‘stylish.’
“The senator-elect from Pennsylvania is going to bring Carhartt to the Capitol,” they wrote.
Fetterman isn’t bringing Carhartt to the Capitol, he’s bringing ogre-chic to the Capitol.Pennsylvania must be proud… https://t.co/vAzsqalXDJ
— TheRifleman (@TheRifleman11) April 18, 2023The New York Times printed a lengthy report in February describing how Senate colleagues have had to adjust to the Pennsylvania congressman’s “special needs.”
Auditory issues since the stroke caused him to hear voices that sound like the teacher in the “Peanuts” cartoons. He needs special monitors and tablets to understand basic conversation.
{“ajaxEndpoint”:”https://thepoliticalinsider.com/wp-admin/admin-ajax.php?action=totalpoll”,”behaviours”:{“ajax”:true,”scrollUp”:false,”async”:true},”effects”:{“transition”:”fade”,”duration”:”500″},”i18n”:{“Previous”:”Previous”,”Next”:”Next”,”of”:”of”,”Something went wrong! Please try again.”:”Something went wrong! Please try again.”}}POLL: Do you think Fetterman should be allowed to hold a Senate seat?
Yes, if the people vote for him
No, he is unable to do the job
Unsure
Email By voting, you agree to receive email communication from The Political Insider. Click HERE for more information.
ResultsVote
But damn it, he looks stylish!
Dressed for work, and ready to keep representing the citizens of Pennsylvania! https://t.co/4SgYY5DZEw
— Dean Cain (@RealDeanCain) April 17, 2023When Shrek’s cousin isn’t showing off his ‘style’, he’s appearing alongside Hollywood legend Christian Bale in a movie titled The Pale Blue Eye.
“John’s got this incredible face,” Bale said. “That’s a face that fits in the 1830s.”
That’s a face that belongs propped up in a remake of Weekend at Bernie’s.It me + G + Christian Bale circa 1830 pic.twitter.com/4NXMuUQ5j5
— John Fetterman (@JohnFetterman) December 9, 2022Fetterman, despite his lengthy absence, is set to chair a Senate panel examining federal food benefits later this week.
Now is the time to support and share the sources you trust.
The Political Insider ranks #3 on Feedspot’s “100 Best Political Blogs and Websites.”The post Senator John Fetterman, Fresh from the Hospital, Returns to Senate Looking Like a Bum appeared first on The Political Insider.
-
Washington Uses Tax Dollars as Patronage Fund for State Programs
By Paul Winfree for RealClearPolitics
“Taxes are what we pay for civilized society,” Oliver Wendell Holmes famously wrote. It turns out that civilization doesn’t come cheap. Last year, the federal government collected about $3 trillion in income taxes. This was in addition to $1.5 trillion in taxes for social insurance programs, $87 billion in excise taxes, and another $270 billion from taxing various things here and there.
So, what are we spending all that money on? Increasingly, the federal government is using your tax dollars as a patronage fund for fiscally irresponsible state programs.
RELATED: GOP Speaker McCarthy Will Demand Spending Cuts in Trade for Debt Ceiling Vote
The federal government used the once-in-a-century pandemic as an excuse to cover up decades of overspending by politicians at the state level. Over the last several years, we’ve also seen an enormous increase in the level of federal grants made to state and local governments. In 2017, $675 billion in federal revenue went to states and local governments. That amount ballooned to nearly $1.2 trillion last year, and another $1.1 trillion is expected this year.
Pandemic-era bailouts may have been emergency measures, but the federal government has demonstrated that it will continue siphoning federal tax dollars to states in perpetuity. About $200 billion has recently been allocated to states (with more on the way) through the American Rescue Plan. What states and local governments are doing with all that money is a bit of a black box.
One thing is sure, however: Most money is fungible. This means that federal grants are being used to offset other state programs. That’s a problem because it can subsidize bad behavior by state and local governments. It is also unjust because it disconnects voters from policy choices being made by their local governments.
The large increase in federal grants to other governments was also an overcorrection from the Great Recession. In 2020, federal policymakers thought that state budgets would suffer from the economic effects of COVID more than they did. They did not anticipate the success of other programs that kept people connected to the labor market and the fact that many people moved to other states.
Public policy at all levels played a major role in this interstate relocation: cheap mortgage rates encouraged by artificially deflated federal interest rates, combined with the rise of remote work and a backlash against onerous state and local public health measures. It all added up to a windfall for many state and local governments in the form of additional tax revenue.
RELATED: Republicans Reveal Plan to Overturn Biden’s Student Loan Bailout
The move to subsidize state and local governments did not occur overnight. In 2000, federal transfers were about a quarter of state general revenue. Today, federal grants account for more than 35% of state general revenue. State taxes haven’t made up the majority of state revenue since 2013.
Politicians like to deflect when they are confronted with their fiscal records. They usually point to all the popular stuff, like Medicare and Social Security, to justify the multitrillion-dollar cash haul, but no matter how many records the federal government shatters in tax collection each year, those programs are somehow perennially underfunded.
The Medicare and Social Security Boards of Trustees found that Medicare will be able to pay only 89% of its hospital claims and Social Security only 77% of its benefits within the next 10 years, according to the most recent report. Those figures beat previous estimates, but the improved fiscal condition owes more to COVID deaths among the elderly than to any improvement in stewardship.
There has also been a change in the expectations for what is a reasonable amount of money to spend on the general operations of government that Congress appropriates each year – that is, discretionary spending. House Republicans reportedly want to limit discretionary spending to $1.47 trillion in fiscal year 2024. Coincidentally, this is what was spent in 2022. President Biden, however, has criticized spending limits, calling the House Republican plan “draconian” – the most overused word in Washington.
Biden’s criticism of the congressional GOP is odd. The House Republican proposal is $210 billion more than what President Obama wanted the federal government to spend on discretionary programs in fiscal year 2024. That’s right. In his final budget, President Obama projected that the government would need only $1.26 trillion in 2024. Lawmakers can quibble over what the actual spending level should be.
RELATED: Federal Government Borrowing Astronomical $6 Billion Per Day
But it hardly makes sense to call the average level of spending proposed by Presidents Obama and Biden himself “draconian.”
Despite collecting nearly $5 trillion in revenue last year, the federal government needed to borrow $1.4 trillion. Almost $500 billion was also spent on interest payments on existing debt. Over the next five years, those debt service payments are expected to grow to nearly $1 trillion. High levels of debt, higher interest rates, and growing debt service costs will increasingly crowd out other investments.
The economist Paul Krugman once described the U.S. government as an insurance plan with an army. There is some truth to that. But now we also need to include “financer of state governments” and “loan servicer” in the government’s job description. If Holmes were around today, perhaps he would have said societies, rather than society.
The former director of budget policy at the White House, Paul Winfree is the director of The Heritage Foundation’s Roe Institute for Economic Policy Studies.
Syndicated with permission from RealClearWire.
The post Washington Uses Tax Dollars as Patronage Fund for State Programs appeared first on The Political Insider.