Biden / Harris Focused Discussion

[tehdang]

Gross mischaracterization and you know it. You cited me a scientific study in regards to abortion issues, and when I asked for the study you gave me a link to a National Review opinion piece about the study, instead of the study itself.

I read articles all the damned time. But when a scientific study is your source material, I expect the scientific study, not an opinion about the scientific study.

You made a knowingly antagonistic comment towards me. No need to gaslight.

Nope. Just thought you had a deep aversion to opinion articles from that particular source. And maybe I read too much into your response at the time. Thank you for restating or clarifying your position.

You're missing the forest for the trees, but that's your personal choice. Acknowledging a negative about Trump, and expressing your disgust for the behavior in the same passion as you applied to Hunter Biden, tells your listeners that you're a reasonable person. It's the easiest fucking softball/slam dunk in the world. Look at the first 3 replies to the new Hunter Biden charges from postman, Breccia, and Edge to see what that reasonability looks like.

I'll stick with the specifics when somebody interrogates my posts, and you can post about the great forest of fun I could be having by going beyond it. This isn't the Trump thread, and Trump's issues with hookers and taxes doesn't even crack the top-10 on "disgust for the behavior" as regards Trump. It could be if I found convincing evidence that he, like the Bidens, had political appointees shelf an IRS investigation into deducting stuff like a $10,000 sex club from his taxes. I appreciate your thoughts on persuasion and what you think it would cost me. I cannot adopt them for the reasons already stated: inviting future digressions from thread topic, and my lack of concern proving emotions to the satisfaction of any reader. My PMs are an appropriate venue for people that want my personal feelings (and disgust is a feeling) on matters beyond my posts and responses to others' responses. If people doubt my sincerity or common humanity, they're free to do so.

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So all this time I have been bashing Republicans but of course Biden shares responsibility. I always thought it was Republicans putting border policy into Ukraine, but in the end it was Biden all along.

Biden Tied Ukraine Aid to Border Security, and It Backfired on Him

When President Joe Biden sent his request to Congress last month for aid to Ukraine and Israel, he included a request for more money to help with security at the border with Mexico, a sweetener intended to both address a crisis and win over support of Republicans.

By putting the issue on the table, he ignited demands from the right for broad changes to border policy, leaving his own party divided on a topic that many Democrats see as a political vulnerability heading into 2024 and further complicating prospects for top foreign policy priorities.

The president signaled on Wednesday that he was open to further negotiations with Senate Republicans after they blocked his emergency spending bill.

So in short Biden thinks he can govern with Republican help. Of course Republicans always not wanting to govern and see an opening knew to ask for outrageous demands on border that would make funding collapse.

I get it people, Biden can't pass nothing w/o Republicans House so you have to offer something right? But border policy?

Amazing how Dems really, really want to blow money on funding a war but have put no policies to help here. I would at least work on border policy if it helped Americans. Of course Republicans would never go for that.

Frankly, good on Biden for recognizing that domestic border security should be considered for its sorry state, while so many dollars are spent on the wars and border security of our foreign friends and allies.

[Paranoid Android]

Comer: My concern is that he indicted Hunter Biden to protect him

Tapper: Ahh yes, he indicted him to protect him

Comer: This whole thing has been about a coverup

Tapper: He indicted him to cover it up?

https://twitter.com/Acyn/status/1733...aY9F-_G2g&s=19

Vid in link.

My goodness these people saying the dumbest shit to keep this going.

Remember besides the mouth breathing Republicans I believe polls were at 50% thinking it is as nefarious as Republicans tout.

[Surfd]

I get the sense he's just flabbergasted that Biden stuck out an olive branch in terms of compromise and got 0 of it from Republicans ripped it from his hands and proceeded to beat him with it.

fixed that for you.

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Frankly, good on Biden for recognizing that domestic border security should be considered for its sorry state, while so many dollars are spent on the wars and border security of our foreign friends and allies.

Oh fuck off with this nonsense. US aid to "foreign friends and allies" is fucking pocket change to the American Military Budget. It's the equivalent of what they lose in the sofa cushions. Anyone who honestly believes that US military spending on Ukraine or any other foreign program is somehow preventing the government from finding money to invest in Border programs is an imbecile. And yes, I am looking directly at you as I say that, tehdang. Don't be a fucking moron, it's not a good look.

[diller]

Even this morn got it right

[Dontrike]

Don't try to write off payments to prostitutes and sex clubs as business expenses when dealing with the IRS.

So you're saying Trump and his kids should be worried?

[Spectral]

I linked the article. Obviously if Dems are balking at, you think it's reasonable?

I heard Republicans basically want closed border and roundups. You think Republicans are going to be nice.

They want no asylum, no aid etc.

So, which demands do you think are unreasonable?

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Even this morn got it right

This was correct in 1984 and is egregiously wrong in 2024.




The whole inverted population pyramid thing is working out poorly for the outlook of Social Security. The solutions aren't complicated, but they do require some combination of increased tax rate, increasing the cap on the tax, cutting benefits, or increasing the retirement age. This does not project as a solvent fund with current policies.

[tehdang]

Oh fuck off with this nonsense. US aid to "foreign friends and allies" is fucking pocket change to the American Military Budget. It's the equivalent of what they lose in the sofa cushions. Anyone who honestly believes that US military spending on Ukraine or any other foreign program is somehow preventing the government from finding money to invest in Border programs is an imbecile. And yes, I am looking directly at you as I say that, tehdang. Don't be a fucking moron, it's not a good look.

I wish you luck in your search for whoever said its "preventing the government from finding money to invest in Border programs." Also, it's possible to make comparisons that aren't "For every spending bill, we have to hold it alongside the DoD budget and point and gasp." This is a political calculation and horse-trading. The border's in a sorry state. Crossings broke records this year, and for one sector they just broke weekly total two weeks in a row. The broken asylum application process is causing a catch-and-release policy. This can be fixed while pairing domestic border security with the wars and border security of our friends overseas.

The whole inverted population pyramid thing is working out poorly for the outlook of Social Security. The solutions aren't complicated, but they do require some combination of increased tax rate, increasing the cap on the tax, cutting benefits, or increasing the retirement age. This does not project as a solvent fund with current policies.

If I take Surfd's logic to its natural conclusion, I'd say, using his language, "The American Military Budget is fucking pocket change compared to entitlement and welfare spending. It's the equivalent of what they lose in the sofa cushions. I am looking directly at you as I say that. Don't be a fucking moron, it's not a good look."

[postman1782]

So, which demands do you think are unreasonable?

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This was correct in 1984 and is egregiously wrong in 2024.




The whole inverted population pyramid thing is working out poorly for the outlook of Social Security. The solutions aren't complicated, but they do require some combination of increased tax rate, increasing the cap on the tax, cutting benefits, or increasing the retirement age. This does not project as a solvent fund with current policies.

Do you know why it's insolvent? It's because its capped at 164k or whatever for paying into social security. When you have people making 40 million a year, and they only pay into it up to 168k, its kinda sad.

[Spectral]

Do you know why it's insolvent? It's because its capped at 164k or whatever for paying into social security. When you have people making 40 million a year, and they only pay into it up to 168k, its kinda sad.

Yes, I know that this is one balancing option, which is why I literally wrote as much in the post you replied to.

[Edge-]

https://www.axios.com/2023/12/12/bid...-viktor-shokin

Granted we knew this would be a sham that goes nowhere, but boy howdy is it especially stupid.

House Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) confirmed as much last week, telling reporters that possible "impeachable offenses" mainly center on the alleged "quid pro quo" in Ukraine in early 2016.

Republicans say then-Vice President Biden freelanced by withholding a $1 billion U.S. loan guarantee until Ukraine fired prosecutor general Viktor Shokin — and that he did so to protect his son Hunter, who was on the board of Ukrainian gas company Burisma.

That's the basis for their impeachment inquiry, apparently.

Probably is...

The facts surrounding the Bidens, Burisma and Shokin have been well-established over the course of two major congressional investigations: the first impeachment of former President Trump and a Senate probe led by Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Ron Johnson (R-Wis.).

...

But Shokin's deputy says the office was not investigating Burisma at the time, and the Senate report found no evidence that Hunter Biden's board position — while highly unethical — influenced U.S. policy.

One of their own parties Senators led an investigation into this already and didn't find anything.

Former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch was one of four Trump impeachment witnesses who testified that it was "official U.S. policy" — supported by international stakeholders — to push for Shokin's removal.

Plus like, multiple government officials, under oath, testifying that pushing for Shokin's removal was literally just the policy of the United States of America and many western nations, too.

Trump's former special envoy to Ukraine Kurt Volker — a Republican-called witness — testified that the allegations against Biden were "not credible" and that Shokin's firing "was widely understood internationally to be the right policy."

Including a Trump appointee.

At least five more State Department witnesses — Geoffrey Pyatt, Amos Hochstein, Victoria Nuland, David Wade and Antony Blinken — independently confirmed those facts in the 2020 Senate investigation.

Oh, and another five government employees. FYI - government employees, at least outside of the Trump administration, largely are pretty boring, serious folks who go to some lengths to abide by the law given how much scrutiny they're constantly under. Especially like, perjuring themselves which is really obvious and bad.

Boy, this is gonna be all kinds of extra stupid. I do hope it's very embarrassing for Senate Republicans. Very embarrassing indeed.

[Trifle]

Boy, this is gonna be all kinds of extra stupid. I do hope it's very embarrassing for Senate Republicans. Very embarrassing indeed.

Eh, it's pretty on brand for them really. If they repeat it loudly enough and long enough it doesn't even matter that it's absurd, people just start assuming there must be something to it... see the 20 Benghazi investigations that helped poison Hillary's candidacy.

[Drutt]

It's funny how the Republicans are suddenly enormously concerned about the President benefiting from the foreign dealings of family members when they gave zero shits about it while Trump was in office and Kushner/Ivanka pushed various schemes while employed at the White House.

The rampant corruption is just sad.

[Edge-]

https://www.usnews.com/news/politics...ig-price-jumps

Hundreds of thousands of older Americans could pay less for some of their outpatient drug treatments beginning early next year, the Biden administration announced Thursday.

The White House unveiled a list of 48 drugs — some of them injectables used to treat cancer — whose prices increased faster than the rate of inflation this year. Under a new law, drugmakers will have to pay rebates to the federal government because of those price increases. The money will be used to lower the price Medicare enrollees pay on the drugs early next year.

This is the first time drugmakers will have to pay the penalties for outpatient drug treatments under the Inflation Reduction Act, passed by Congress last year. The rebates will translate into a wide range of savings — from as little as $1 to as much as $2,700 — on the drugs that the White House estimates are used every year by 750,000 older Americans.

Dank Robinette delivering for some senior citizens on fixed info.

https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/statu...18507279024210

Oh no. We’ve upset Big Pharma again.

This would be yet another loss for American patients who rely on public-private sector collaboration to advance new treatments and cures. The Administration is sending us back to a time when government research sat on a shelf, not benefitting anyone.

QQ more, pharma bros.

[Edge-]

https://twitter.com/FLOTUS/status/1735074586721468855

Here's a fun, joyful video leaning into the holiday spirit with some really great choreography and tap dancing from the White House. One would thing, especially given the fairly overt Christmas imagery, that this should be fairly inoffensive.

Depressingly, this video has unleashed a great triggering of Twitter conservatives. One of the most common "complaints" is that the video is "gay" which...technically yes, it is. It's a pretty lighthearted, carefree video. Now we know that's not the definition that they're using, they're choosing to use it as a homophobic slur. But I'd just like to point out they're right without realizing it. Again another drop in the bucket for my ongoing thesis, "Conservatives are generally only capable of unintentional comedy."

[Edge-]

Tap dancing isn't my cup of tea, but I'm curious what they're complaining about? I'm not a Twitter subscriber so I can't see the comments, thankfully.

Looks pretty harmless to me.

I'm generally not a fan of Salon's angles, but they seem to cover a good chunk of it with links to some of the triggered tweets from the usual suspects (libsoftiktok etc.) - https://www.salon.com/2023/12/18/rig...hates-america/

In case you're interested. Otherwise yeah, inoffensive at worst.

[gondrin]

I'm generally not a fan of Salon's angles, but they seem to cover a good chunk of it with links to some of the triggered tweets from the usual suspects (libsoftiktok etc.) - https://www.salon.com/2023/12/18/rig...hates-america/

In case you're interested. Otherwise yeah, inoffensive at worst.

Please. A black woman SMILING and some jazz? That is possibly one of the worst things you can show a MAGA follower. Can't have a person of color being happy. Might as well as take their guns away as offensive at it is to them.

[Muzjhath]

I'm generally not a fan of Salon's angles, but they seem to cover a good chunk of it with links to some of the triggered tweets from the usual suspects (libsoftiktok etc.) - https://www.salon.com/2023/12/18/rig...hates-america/

In case you're interested. Otherwise yeah, inoffensive at worst.

... OK that was just hilarious
I almost clicked on the X on the embedded tweet to close an add.

[Edge-]

So I know there's been a lot of pearl clutching, maybe rightly so, about younger voters souring on Biden and all.

https://thehill.com/homenews/campaig...er-biden-poll/

In the Economist/YouGov poll — conducted via web-based interviews Dec. 16-18 — more than half (53 percent) of registered voters under 30 said they would support Biden, and less than a quarter (24 percent) said they would support Trump.

Another 10 percent said they would support another candidate, 4 percent said they were not sure, and 9 percent said they wouldn’t vote.

The kids are alright.

Among registered voters 30–44 years old, Biden still leads but by a slimmer margin; 49 percent support Biden, and 38 percent support Trump.

The trend reverses for older age brackets. Among registered voters ages 45–64, 39 percent support Biden, and 47 percent support Trump. Among registered voters 65 and over, 36 percent support Biden, and 53 percent support Trump.

However it gets sketchier and sketchier as you get older.

This poll departs from other polls released this week that showed Biden more popular among older Americans. A New York Times/Siena College poll released Tuesday showed Trump ahead of Biden by 6 points among registered voters under 30.

This is notable, so grains of salt all around and such.

[Benggaul]

This is notable, so grains of salt all around and such.

It's a poll for an election that's not happening for nearly another year in an era where polls have been less and less reliable, so I'm not sure there's quite enough salt to go 'round.

[Elegiac]

If I take Surfd's logic to its natural conclusion, I'd say, using his language, "The American Military Budget is fucking pocket change compared to entitlement and welfare spending. It's the equivalent of what they lose in the sofa cushions. I am looking directly at you as I say that. Don't be a fucking moron, it's not a good look."

Narrator: "What the dishonest conservative was hoping nobody in the audience would realise is that criticism of defense spending has to do with what the money is being spent on; spending money helping to mitigate poverty and spending money to drop bombs on brown people are not ethically similar ends regardless of the quantities of money involved."