Biden’s Timing: Undercutting Bibi
There are many things that explain the timing of President Biden’s decision to drop out of the race. Most importantly, after staying reasonably steady with Trump in the polls, the combined weight of the Democratic firing squad, and — probably — some bounce from the shooting attempt on Trump had started a real hemorrhaging in Biden’s polling. He had to drop when he did to stave off a collapse in the polls.
His former colleagues in the Senate were prepping to move en masse against him. He had asked Chuck Schumer for a week to consider Schumer’s warning, and time was up.
His COVID diagnosis likely gave him a few days to reflect on the decision before him.
Biden almost certainly didn’t base his timing on Bibi Netanyahu’s visit this week (though he deferred explaining it for a few days, which may put that address after Bibi’s). But the timing is wildly auspicious.
While he remains a wildly successful President, Biden dropped out of the race because his age prevents him from running effectively. They are different skills. His age benefits the former but hinders the latter.
But Biden’s policies on Gaza were the primary thing that cut what otherwise might have been a natural lead on Trump. It’s not that Biden is popular. It’s that Trump is so unpopular a Democrat should start out ahead. Or should have, before Israel started slaughtering Palestinian civilians. Some of the activists that have most aggressively targeted Biden are claiming credit (inaccurately, but they should claim credit anyway) for his decision to drop out.
And among Biden’s most stubborn beliefs was not that he was the best candidate to beat Trump, but that he could reason with — that he could moderate — Bibi. It was a foolish belief born of a lifetime of dealing with the man. It was perhaps a naive blindness to the way that Bibi has repeatedly shivved Democrats in the back, not least when Trump first partnered with Russia during the 2016 transition to undermine Obama’s effort to rein in West Bank settlements.
I’ve long expected Bibi’s visit to be part of some partisan attack on Biden, replete with a continued unwillingness to consider ceasefire deals because Bibi is less worried about Israeli and US hostages than he is about retaining power. I fully expect Bibi to yoke his own political future to that of Donald Trump.
But the timing of the visit, coming as it is when Kamala Harris will be more focused on making calls and wooing endorsements, undercuts much of the power of it.
While the Vice President is scheduled to meet with Bibi, separately from Biden, I can’t imagine anyone will expect her to play a major role in this week’s events.
And that provides her space.
I don’t expect that she’ll disavow Biden’s failed Israeli policies, least of all when he is still pursuing a ceasefire. At least not yet.
But because Bibi’s visit will occur when everyone expects Harris to be focused on other things, it’s about the one way that she’ll get a pass on the inevitable centering of Israel in US politics.
Kamala does have distance from Biden on Gaza. She was the person to whom many activists have expressed their dismay. And that distance gives her options going forward.
In virtually every other scenario, Kamala would be tied to a Biden policy that has been deeply unpopular among Democrats. But because of the timing, she may be able to keep that distance.
Update: Some of the Biden staffers who quit over his Gaza policy are speaking favorably about Kamala.
Update: Kamala refused (er, um, declined) to preside over Bibi’s joint session.
Something not right at the end of paragraph six.
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It might also help Harris if there is a substantial boycott of Bibi’s address to the joint session of Congress. Mullah Johnson has already issued a fatwa against protests inside the chamber, but a simultaneous counter demonstration elsewhere would be nice. Perhaps with a reading of Bibi’s criminal indictments, or of AIPAC contributions to those inside the chamber, or testimony from Ukrainians who lost loved ones because Bibi has refused to let Ukraine have Iron Dome.
I can’t speak to whether this is the right thing to do, but it would be satisfying for Israel to be forced to recognize that Bibi has finally broken US bipartisan support for Israel (often the right policy, but less so in the past decade, and absolutely since October 2023). If these actions make Israel stop to reflect, that might be a lot less painful for Israel than the first time the US actively votes against Israel in the UN on Gaza because genocide is not an American value.
Bibi and his fanboys think there is nothing they can do to cut off US arms sales. They are wrong. Convincing them they are wrong sooner rather than later is best for everyone involved.
I emphatically agree this.
There is a peaceful protest going on now in capital hill.
The general election in the US is bigger than that asswipe Bibi. Why give him that position? Of course this comment will be “throttled”.
I gave him no position. I noted accurately that Biden’s policies on Gaza were one of two things — the other being his age — that have harmed his approval ratings among natural Dems. Kamala is better than Biden on Gaza and the thing of this visit provides her a way to retain that advantage, even though it is doubtless going to be a politically charged week.
I am in total agreement. The invitation to Bibi to address the House tomorrow is an obvious GOP hit job, now he can avoid the photo op and flip them off in one smooth move. Darth Brandon strikes again. Will little squeaker Mike sue him for that also?
“…don’t expect that she’ll disavow Biden’s failed Israeli policies, least of all when he is still pursuing a ceasefire.”
We’ll have to disagree, I think, given the circumstances, he’s handled it well. Eg, how to get 2 liars to agree to a ceasefire when neither wants 1?
Amen.
How exactly is the Gazans’ attack on Jews a failure of Biden’s (or any other US) policy?
Recall that the intraparty revolt against Biden was not over his age. Primary voters displayed no concern about that.
It began when far leftists (e,g. Jayapal) started saying that Biden’s support for Israel would cause dual-loyalty Palestinian-Americans in Michigan to throw that state to trump.
FWIW I read the post in the way that EW has just re-asserted: foreign policy regarding Israel has been a fissure in the unity of the Democratic Party, and as such it poses a problem of domestic politics for candidate Harris.
Harris is now wearing 3 hats – VP, President of the Senate, and declared candidate for Presidency independent of the present incumbent. In her formal roles she is expected and bound to the policy positions of the present incumbent. Her policy preferences for her presidency, including shifts of nuance as well as differences, are campaign matters.
I would have thought that a subtle and astute politician in her position would therefore keep her contact with a visiting dignitary to a minimum and if she gives him any hint at all about her own thinking, it would only be at the level of the most coded signal that she pays close attention to developments in the situation, or some such, leaving it to others to express criticism.
That is a dynamic that Al Gore successfully handled, despite the legislated eventual result.
Not a throttling, whatsoever, but some things for your respectful consideration regarding the general election:
The 2020 election shows Gen Z’s voting power for years to come
[snip]
“NBC exit polls suggest that 65% of those between the ages of 18 and 24 voted for Biden — 11% more than any other age group. “
https://www.cnbc.com/2020/11/18/the-2020-election-shows-gen-zs-voting-power-for-years-to-come.html
“This midterm cycle, young voters turned out in historic numbers and helped Democrats stave off the Republican red wave.”
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/higher-young-voter-turnout-in-midterms-changes-approach-to-major-political-issues
Why Kamala Harris prefers Gen Z to millennials, and why it matters
https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2023-11-21/kamala-harris-bail-young-voters-democrats-israel-hamas
“Young Voters Overwhelmingly Approve Of VP Kamala Harris, New Poll Finds. Here’s What That Means
Gen Z voters’ electoral presence next year is expected to be pivotal and could prove to make all the difference come Election Day.”
https://newsone.com/4575395/kamala-harris-young-voters-poll/
From VP Harris Selma speech:
“And given the immense scale of suffering in Gaza, there must be an immediate cease-fire for at least six weeks as is what is currently on the table,” Harris said to loud, sustained applause. ”
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/white-house/kamala-harris-gaza-speech-watered-down-cease-fire-rcna141750
The Gen Z vote matters greatly in the general election.
The only reason Bibi has any political traction is because of AIPAC and the rest of the so-called Israel lobby. The political thinking is that the Jewish vote will be monolithic and in alignment with what AIPAC wants. However, even in Israel there is no alignment behind Bibi, quite the opposite and now that the Haredim can get drafted the brickbats are coming from both sides.
Harris should let Bibi do the reach out, and her first question should be ‘why are you just as bad as your enemies?’ in prosecuting the war.
Exactly. Personally, I’ve had enough of “remember the holocaust” as pretense to justify their every bad act. It was a horror and all that. But that was then, and this is now. The world rallied around them after that event, gave them a state and has backed them almost without restrictions ever since.
I”d like to hear more from some of their leaders (including their mouthpieces on US soil) that they actually have a little gratitude for what the world did, and a desire to give some of that back. I could be wrong, but I can’t think of a single incident they actually did anything good for anyone but themselves.
Who exactly is “them”? This sentence—”The world rallied around them after [the Holocaust], gave them a state and has backed them almost without restrictions ever since”—sure makes it sound like you mean Jewish people, considering that Israel/Israelis didn’t exist before this unspecified “they” were given a state. In that context, saying that you “can’t think of a single incident they actually did anything good for anyone but themselves” sounds a whole lot like the type of anti-semitic garbage used to stereotype Jews for centuries.
If by “they” and “them” you really mean the rightwing leadership of Israel, then don’t act like it speaks for Jews in general. That’s exactly what Bibi and co. do, as an effort to discredit their domestic and foreign opposition.
“The world rallied around them after that event, gave them a state and has backed them almost without restrictions ever since.”
That’s absolute bullshit! You can begin by researching the 1938 conference in Evian, France.
Plus everything that ButteredToast said.
ButteredToastsays: @
July 22, 2024 at 2:22 pm
I don’t know how you take that from my words. Not interested in flame war, but I think that’s ridiculous. The world, led by US, provided a place for Jews to have their own homeland. They call it Israel, and its citizens Israelis. If you prefer Jews, fine with me. That’s all.
No. Israel has prospered, exceptionally well. Most countries in the world who have had similar economic success have set aside $$/resources to help/assist other states/place that really needed it. I’m not aware that Israel has done this, ever.
Do you have any citations? I’d be happy to be proved wrong.
Just their water distribution, barely allow water subsistence levels to (especially) Gaza residents. The levelling of Jenin, repeatedly. Vast destruction of Gaza attempts to build their own industry over decades.
Takes some real imagination to label that statement “anti-semitic garbage” AFAIC.
From everything I’ve read over decades, majorities of Israelis do not support these actions. Majority of Jews in US don’t either. So I guess all these Jews are engaging in “anti-semetic garbage” as well?
ButteredToastsays @ July 22, 2024 at 2:22 pm
Actually, you said it better than I did. That’s exactly my sentiment. I apologize if I was misunderstood or not clear. And it really did not occur to me the distinction you draw was not implied
I definitely do not impute Bibi’s views on Jews everywhere, and often cite majorities in Israel and polled Jews in US as opposing those policies when I get into discussions on this thing. Which is not very often.
Reply to jdmckay8 at
July 22, 2024 at 5:03 pm
Exactly, it was unclear to me whether you were conflating Israelis with Jewish people in general. But I believe you when you say that you didn’t intend it that way.
What I really found questionable was your remark that you “can’t think of a single incident they actually did anything good for anyone but themselves.” It’s obviously justified to criticize the treatment of the Palestinians and Israeli war crimes. But acting like Israel is a uniquely selfish country is ludicrous. And when someone singles out the only Jewish state in the world in this way, it’s relevant to note the long history of anti-semitic stereotypes, including complaints that Jews are clannish or only look out for themselves. As you say, “Israel” isn’t equivalent to “Jews.” I look at it like this: just as it’s important not to invoke stereotypes of Muslims when criticizing, for example, Saudi Arabia, it’s the same for invoking stereotypes of Jews when criticizing Israel. Just like with any other religious or ethnic group, historical context and prejudices are relevant.
Also, it’s untrue that Israel hasn’t provided foreign aid “ever.” It’s fair to argue that they should provide more (Europe and the U.S. should, too), but this level of hyperbole is absurd. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israeli_foreign_aid for a start.
It sounds like you are missing a lot of history, and I wish you were more informed in your comments. It didn’t start with the holocaust. From 1880, there were hundreds of pogroms against jews in Russia, with thousands of jews dead, and tens of thousands of jewish businesses looted and destroyed. Jews started fleeing from the Russian empire. They were basically refugees. At first, most of them immigrated to the US. But then, an immigration reform around 1920 and a quota system that discriminated against immigrants from eastern Europe (mostly Jewish), it became much harder to immigrate to the US, and Zionism, which was previously only a trickle, started looking like the most viable alternative.
During WWII, when Jews were trying to fled from the Nazis, most countries closed their gate to Jewish refugees for all sorts of excuses. The British, who wanted to avoid another conflict with the Arabs and protect their control over the Suez Canal, prevented them from coming to mandatory Palestine. Even shooting at refugee ships that tried to land in Israel. There would be far fewer than 6 million Jews dead if countries, any country, was willing to accept more Jewish refugees. So your expectations that Israel would just be thankful for the world for “giving” Israel to the Jews might be misplaced.
I’m not trying to defend Bibi here. he is a malignant narcissist who is in bed with Israeli far-right extremists. And the war in Gaza cost the life of far too many civilians. Bibi also showed disregard to the Israeli hostages. But when discussing the broader historical context if the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, it is important to understand the many mistakes made by both sides during the last 140 years, why both sides failed to have peace, and why the two state solution is so illusive even though it’s probably the only viable solution.
ButteredToastsays: @ July 22, 2024 at 5:19 pm
Ok, thx. Appreciate your help smoothing things up. It makes a difference.
I bookmarked your link for Israeli aid. I will look into it in detail ’cause I’m interested. If I am wrong about that, I will dive on the sword and send you smoke signal as acknowledgement. I endeavor and put big effort into knowing what I’m talking about, most of the time. If/when I get too far over my skis and get called on it, I value that. I never want to be agent of mis/disinforation.
Take care.
SelaSelasays @ July 22, 2024 at 5:53 pm
Thanks for all that. I am definitely not a scholar on Jewish history, but most of what you cite I read about in my 30’s, about 3 decades ago. I really got the idea. It moved me then, and I haven’t forgotten.
I spent some time writing a more compete response, but turns into too long a screed and I promised Rayne I won’t do that here. Most of what I said to Buttered Toast above, applies to what I would say to you.
The main adder for me to that (short version): as I said, “remember the holocaust” largely has worn thin for me, even taking into account (as I told Toast) I may be uninformed and unfair about Israel’s good will outside their borders. I’ll update myself, promise.
Seeing ADL reps all over TV since this whole Gaza thing turned into a nightmare, saying every day varying statements around “remember the Holocast”, really wears thin to the point of being evil. Maybe some people confuse themselves conflating their history with what’s going on there now, but the Holocaust had about -0- to do with Gaza now. The huge amount of West Bank property seized by Israeli religious fanatics, along with quite a few murders before Oct 7, is never acknowledged by these ADL reps. I’m very sure I do not conflate all that with Jews unassociated with these atrocities whether they’re in Israel, US or anywhere else.
Again, the Holocaust has approx. 0 to do with what’s happening in Gaza now, and to me its an insult to intelligence to suggest otherwise. I don’t like seeing ADL talking heads invoking it given current atrocities. I think its a FU to the world.
That’s all I’m saying, nothing more and nothing less.
ButteredToastsays: @ July 22, 2024 at 5:19 pm
Spent a couple hours reading wikipedia link you provided on various Israeli aid projects, here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israeli_foreign_aid
Most of Reference links on bottom of page either go to the same generic page here:
https://www.gov.il/en/departments/ministry_of_foreign_affairs/govil-landing-page
… or 404 (eg. page not found)
The .gov.il page above is mostly short summaries of activities promised or planned, a few small ones executed. For example this water project consisting of a truck with unspecified equipment apparently purposed for making potable water from tainted sources, in particular the Yarkon River (in Kenya ???) according to the short article. It cites promises to expand this program, but no links I could find detailing any of that.
https://www.gov.il/en/pages/africa-day
This is nice, but very short of documented activities.
Most of rest of that page is Bibi speaking to this or that group in Israel, more or less low key announcements and statements of intentions.
There are a few links to disaster relief efforts, several of which seem more substantial.
Deployed medical team for 2010 Haiti Earthquake:
https://reliefweb.int/report/haiti/earthquake-haiti-latet-organization-deploys-immediate-relief-victims
… although this one seems to be funded by donations, not government (I think, hard to tell). Group is: Latet Organization. There were 15 people deployed there. Their activities are not clearly stated, only the need is stated. I Googled out of curiosity, seems Israel deployed a temporary field hospital specializing in emergency surgeries. But it doesn’t say anything about size of team deployed or surgeries performed. Most of information collected from CNN and co-mingled with descriptions of US aid. Article here:
https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/1,7340,L-3836254,00.html
Another Org I found: IsraAid (The Israel Forum for International Humanitarian Aid) seems more substantial:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IsraAid
That link says: “IsraAID is privately funded by individual Israeli and North American donors.” Most of the listed events they participated in included delegations between 6 – 20 people with different skills, for disaster relief. Their home page is here:
https://www.israaid.org/about/
… but very short on specifics.
So, people can judge the substance of these activities. To me its nice, but not terribly substantial. Maybe there’s more documented elsewhere, but based on this stuff I don’t find it particularly impressive.
Thank you for your respectful response.
I should give a full disclosure. Because of my background, I am not completely neutral on this topic (as hard as I try to be unbiased). I was born and raised in Israel before moving to the US. I am and always been on the Israeli left wing, voting to Meretz and the Israeli labor party, and I strongly oppose Netanyahu and his ultranationalist extreme-right coalition, I strongly oppose settlements in the west bank, and care about casualties on both sides.
But I do make a distinction between what I see as fair criticism of Israel and the current government, which I do as well, and on the other hand, the kind of misinformed, radical views that I often see online and on campuses etc. that often call for the annihilation of Israel, and those who are literally pro-Hamas.
The way I see it, “remember the holocaust” doesn’t pertain to fair criticism of the Israeli government. Israel is certainly not above criticism, and the holocaust doesn’t immunize Israel from that. It is a response to those who believe in the annihilation of Israel, to those who delegitimize anyone who simply believe Israel shouldn’t exist.
SelaSelasays @ July 22, 2024 at 9:47 pm
And thx for your thoughtful response as well. I get sensitivities wrt to the Holocaust amongst Jewish people. Who couldn’t?
I can’t say what I want in this conversation going forward w/out vastly exceeding word limit here. I wrote it, but won’t post it for those reasons. About 5 minute read.
I use a gmail account for “everflow”, eg. for sites I go to that require email address, when I don’t want to be bothered by deluge of junk from those sites. If you care to send me an email there, I’ll mail you what I have to say and you can decide if its worthwhile or bull shit. I think it could make a difference, so this converation has a little lasting value for both of us. It is: roadie000 AT gmail.com (I’m a road bike rider)
(RAYNE: I’ve never done this here, let me know if it breaks rules)
[Moderator’s note: please don’t share active email addresses using the at symbol. I’ve swapped it out with AT but it may be too late — your address may already have been scraped by a spiderbot. Expect spam and phishing attempts. /~Rayne]
SelaSelasays @ July 22, 2024 at 9:47 pm
Just one other thing I’ll mention.
I think it was around ’95. Somehow I came across a “study” in Israel. It was a summer camp for pre-school kids around age 6-7. About 30 kids, for about a month as I recall. About 1/2 Palestinian, the other half Israeli kids.
They did all the kinds of things kids do at events like this, here in US. Campfires, hikes, nature hikes and so on. What was consistent throughout: all the kids got along with each other fabulously. Wonderful time for all.
3 or 4 years later, as agreed before the summer event above, they reconvened. In short,, the kids were polite to each other but could not smile or have any kind of friendly “relationship” they enjoyed prior.
The whole point of it, was: what happened in those in-between years? The 2nd event AFAIC pretty much answers that question, but didn’t solve the problem. I imagine most of those kids went through their lives thinking about that, but also thinking they each were “more right” then the other kids on the other side of the fence.
So the million $$ question is: what’s the solution? Lots of people think they have one, but obviously none of those have mattered. So, what’s the solution? Or, because its gone on for so long, how many people conclude there isn’t one?
The world did not rally around them ‘then.’ Joe Stalin did.
Of all the ironies, that is the biggest.
I believe the majority of Jews vote Democrat.
You may be giving AIPAC more credit than it deserves for it influence. I suspect a US withdrawal of support for Israel could result in destabilizing an already dangerous situation that could result in a widespread Middle East war. There is not always a simple answer to complex problems. Biden could be criticized for whatever he does and no one knows the possible consequences of actions that are not taken. We also cannot assume to know what influences his decisions. The problem is Bibi.
We don’t know what Netanyahu has threatened the US with under Biden’s leadership, either, threats which can’t be divulged to the American public.
Israel certainly has intelligence on which the US has relied, after all.
to Rayne…
and NETANYAHU just mentioned that towards the end of his “speech” today.
Reply to harpie
July 24, 2024 at 3:40 pm
He’s dispensed with subtlety, then, decided to open carry his threat.
Extraordinary post. Thanks.
Biden can, if he chooses, talk about equity. About how Israel has a personnel problem with private sector reductions as IDF expands, so if we help we believe Haredi need to be in the fighting force in fairness to other Israelis, and Bibi is not drafting them although the remainder of his nation demands it. Special favors for a segment of people is wrong and Biden can say so. Bibi should do what his own Supreme Court ordered. https://www.timesofisrael.com/high-courts-patience-with-haredi-draft-evasion-snaps-in-highly-charged-hearing/ —Tokenisam is the latest news – https://www.timesofisrael.com/in-historic-move-idf-said-to-issue-1000-draft-orders-to-ultra-orthodox-men/?utm_source=article_hpsidebar&utm_medium=desktop_site
In short, Bibi messes in our politics, hand back. If Bibi loses the ultranationalist Knesset support by drafting Haredi in meaningful numbers, his government may collapse, (it should collapse), and once no longer Prime Minister, the corruption trials would be timely. Handing back is merited.
Also, slow walking armaments will slow Bibi’s slaughter-show down, adding to his unpopularity, and Bibi’s AIPAC allies can shout against Biden, the non-candidate, and Biden can decisively say, “My place to decide. My decision made,” while Harris can mention Mariam Adelson as a Trump donor to Michigan’s Palestinian bloc, where a quid pro quo for her money would be dropping opposition by a Trump administration against annexation of the West Bank. Harris winning would be the impediment to an Adelson financed Trump doing that mischief which should energizes that bloc to GOTV.
Benie Gantz and .Yoav Gallant can be invited for a White House visit close in time to Bibi’s speech, where they can meet with Biden, Sullivan and Blinken with a joint communique issued, i.e., co-opt the news cycle, etc. Just make things tougher for Bibi in Israel, domestically, as they are doing here against Joe. It couldn’t happen to a nicer guy.
Benny Gantz left Netanyahu’s war cabinet a month ago; Netanyahu then dissolved the war cabinet.
You realize Gallant’s last visit occurred the same time Netanyahu offered a fuck-you. Expect another.
Thanks for this really interesting perspective! … [something I hadn’t thought of] …
and for linking to that letter in the update.
JOHNSON and TRUMP and both MILLERs sure do seem put out about Biden’s move.
Bwahahaha!
Harpie – JD Vance is talking too, reportedly saying, ” ‘If Joe Biden is not fit to run for President, he is not fit to serve as President,’ Johnson wrote, adding, ‘November 5 cannot arrive soon enough.’ ” https://www.cbsnews.com/boston/news/republican-lawmakers-react-biden-dropping-out-presidential-race/ (and other outlets reporting it) That last sentence implies the longer voters see Harris the better she’ll do.
My guess, Biden should note that and say Vance is young and inexperienced, and should not be talking about things he does not really understand. Harris has time and freedom to campaign by not taking over governing, Joe has time to govern best, not worrying about polling numbers. Vance, not foreseeing those clear benefits shows he is not fit to be a heartbeat away from decision making. And if he sees things clearly but still is talking as quoted, he has no more integrity than Trump.
Your view?
Mike Johnson also is reported saying Biden should resign. That hypocrisy is widespread. It is hard to believe they seriously are trying to sell a step that would be so dumb. Those in their base should see through it. They make themselves look bad.
Mike Johnson needs to shut the fuck up, and journalists credulously repeating his bullshit without follow-up need a sharp kick in the ass.
Game it out: If Biden were to resign now in spite of being an extremely effective president (which is one of the reasons Johnson + GOP want him to resign now), what happens to Harris? She becomes POTUS but there’s no VP and the GOP-led House will NOT approve any VP who isn’t GOP, under Trump’s thumb.
Without a VP, who’s next in presidential succession if Harris were incapacitated? The Speaker of the fucking GOP-led House, the same disingenuous jerkoff journalists amplify without pushback.
Further, if Harris took office now as POTUS, she wouldn’t be able to run for but one term in office under the 22nd Amendment. Which of course is another reason why Johnson wants Biden to resign now.
Johnson is essentially continuing the insurrection with his call for Biden to resign; he wants to upend democracy by removing voters’ choice of POTUS and VP. Fuck him.
Agreed. It would be very dangerous for Biden to resign from the presidency now. Plus Harris needs to be free to campaign vigorously.
>Further, if Harris took office now as POTUS, she wouldn’t be able to run for but one term in office under the 22nd Amendment. Which of course is another reason why Johnson wants Biden to resign now.
That’s not true. The 22nd Amendment allows a candidate to run if they serve less than two years of a term that they inherited. It’s why Lyndon Johnson could have run again, if he had chosen to.
You’re right, my bad. I misread the amendment in question:
If Biden had been re-elected and resigned before the end of the second year in his second term this would apply.
ADDER: never the less, Mike Johnson should shut the fuck up.
yep, exactly
You can only run once, if you’re president/acting president for more than two years. So she’s fine for two terms.
Also, with no VP, how do the electoral votes get counted in January?
Hello. That. No President of the Senate.
The US Constitution, the supreme law of the United States is irrelevant for Moses mike.
That’s something he and others managed to normalize without serious pushback.
The back door was open long ago and now they don’t bother using it because nothing obstructs them while they enter from the front. Theocracy is thriving tax free.
Justice system is under their control.
I count on VP Harris to get us back to Democratic procedures.
The Church cannot control the State !!!
As it is, the Gaza mess is a “no win” political circumstance in the US except for the “religious”-Right extremists. Bibi is bad, but I fear the pro-Hamas side forgets that, in terms of respecting human and personal rights and values, this terrorist and religiously fanatic group is far worse. Hamas, after all, started the war with an unprovoked assault on largely left-leaning civilian communities in southern Israel.
I agree there is plenty wrong on the Right in Israel, notably the religious extremists and West Bank settlers, whose behaviour and outlook on the world is disturbingly similar to those of the Whites in pre-Zimbabwe Rhodesia. I can speak of this from direct personal knowledge; I lived as an embedded journalist through the conclusion of the Rhodesia war and (as I’m Jewish) have visited Israel several times in recent years, including some of the “illegal” settlements in the West Bank as well as Hebron.
However, while Hamas’ religious hatred has oozed through every aspect of Gaza’s administration and culture, the story within Israel is much more complicated, with in my opinion, the majority valuing Western democratic ideals and wishing there could be a true peaceful/two-state environment. But you cannot negotiate rationally with Hamas’ hatred.
I don’t envy Harris’ dealing with this stuff — threading a needle between caring about innocent civilians, terrorist leadership, right-wing nut-jobs, racists and anti-Semites is not an easy or simple thing. You are quite right in observing the timing is good; she can get a “pass” in dealing with this stuff this week while Biden (and she) meets with Bibi.
Note to moderators: My apologies if I’ve been here before and used a different user name. I simply have forgotton it.
[Welcome back to emptywheel. Please use the same username and email address each time you comment so that community members get to know you. You last commented as “Mark B.” which now does not meet the site’s minimum standard for usernames. Please make a note of your new username and use it each time you comment. Future username mismatches may result in your comment not clearing for publication. /~Rayne]
Thanks for your comment.
This: “Hamas’ religious hatred” is an assumption. How much of this is really other politics under the label “religious hatred“?
It annoys me to no end that we’re simply supposed to accept it’s “religious hatred” which derails any effort at root cause analysis. If we were to use the Five Whys process, why does Hamas express “religious hatred”? Remove the word “religious” and it’s suddenly a different matter under analysis.
Ditto for the far right in Israel, who have repeatedly demonstrated their own hate by disregarding Palestinians’ human rights. Label it “religious hatred” and it becomes difficult to pick apart.
Hamas avowedly combines religion and politics (as does the Jewish ‘settler’ far right.) And when religion gets in the mix, rational/reasonable and fair-minded behaviour often gets lost.
I realize religion is often a cover for some really nasty stuff. Jewish people have experienced more than their fair share of of evil hatred through the centuries, and the Jewish Religious Right is mirroring the behaviour of the anti-Jewish religious haters (on both the Left and Right).
In this part of the world, I’m afraid religion is at the conflict’s root cause. In the perfect ending, both sides would dust off the old UN Partition Resolution of 1947-8 and live happily together. That hasn’t happened yet and the extremists on both sides really think they have a religious and geographic right to the entire territory. Alas, while many Israeli politicians (and I believe a small majority of the overall population share conventional “western” values) I cannot say that for Hamas, where any form of meaningful political or religious opposition would not be tolerated.
Hamas ≠ Palestinians.
Excerpt:
“It means rejecting anti-Muslim, anti-Arab or anti-Palestinian sentiment. It means refusing to lump all Palestinians with Hamas or other terrorist groups. It means guarding against dehumanizing language towards the people of Gaza, or downplaying Palestinian suffering — whether in Gaza or the West Bank — as irrelevant or illegitimate.”
https://barackobama.medium.com/my-statement-on-israel-and-gaza-a6c397f09a30
Appreciate your thoughtful comments. I agree with much of what you say. But not the religious part. Basically, expansion into West Bank justified by perceptions the scriptures, written well before Christ, deemed those lands to the Jewish people. And in US, evangelicals support them unconditionally on belief Israeli state is fulfillment of prophesy wrt Christ’s return.
All this “stuff” utterly ignores the challenges of every day life. And it also implicitly cedes people for “righteous” violence, doing nothing to guide them to really get along with neighbors with different history, ethnicity, and sometimes scriptures.
AFAIC, this (eg. scripture based justification for deed on property) is not justified… ever. And it is a prejudiced application of religion. By this standard, ethnic claims to land world wide would dissolve borders everywhere. The borders protecting West Bank and Gaza were written into the original incorporation of Israel. And Israel ignored them right from the git go, often in violent fashion. Just in last +/- 9 months or so, Israel has approved the 2 largest seizures of land in the West Bank… ever.
All based on, and (in their view) justified by religious beliefs.
The violent aspirations of Project 2025 are justified, in the views of the authors, by…. (drum roll) evangelical interpretations of Bible. Its no wonder the founders institutionalized separation of church and state. I don’t see much difference between religious justified West Bank property (and violence preceding Oct 7, including murders) seizures and Project 2025. Its kinda all exactly the same thing AFAIC.
I’m all for people being free to practice their religion. I would even fight for it. But I wish their was better definition as to religion’s purpose in society, which in my view is something like serving a purpose to teach, or empower members to aspire and arrive at their better selves. And that very, very much includes and requires they learn to accept and get along with people different than themselves.
There’s a lot I admire about Israel. But this stuff is definitely not one of them. Its just hate, cloaked under religious bigotry.
I occasionally take a swing at humor around here. I can’t recall a single time it ever went over well. With that in mind, here we go again!!! (it has some application to this discussion) It only hurts for a little bit. :)
A couple months ago I was up late, and somehow decided to watch a bunch of old Pat Paulsen videos on Youtube. I never get tired of his humor. I came across one I’d never seen. He had a small crowd in a Pub somewhere just outside of Fairbanks, Alaska. I Got the impression it was one of those out of the way places a lot of good comedians go to work out new material.
Paulsen (from memory): I criss cross our great land, speaking with indigenous tribal leaders everywhere I go. Most still find their people in extreme poverty. Each and everyone of them, when asked how this happened, say the same thing: The culprit was our lax border policies 300 years ago.
(Kind’a prescient, this was around ’94. )
Excellent and timely piece!
Netanyahu is a puppet controlled by puppeteers Roman Abramovich and Vladimir Putin.
Abramovich and Putin also control Charles and Jared Kushner, Ivanka Trump and Donald Trump.
Harris should privately meet with Netanyahu when he is in Washington D.C. and ask Netanyahu specific questions about his relationships with Abramovich and Putin, including whether Netanyahu believes Abramovich, Putin and Semion Mogilevich should be prosecuted for their decades of criminal activity.
Netanyahu is a weak and emotional hothead. Harris should relish the opportunity to meet with him.
How can Palestinians, or Hamas, be accused of being “anti-Semitic” when Palestinians are Semitic themselves? Wouldn’t anti-Zionist be a better term to use? Those against the conservative Judaist who want all of the land for themselves and who would never entertain a two-state solution?
I would like to see Kamala come out and say that the U.S. is friends and an ally to BOTH the people of Palestine and the people of Israel – and not necessarily supportive of either of their respective extremist governments.
The only proper scientific use of the word “Semite” applies to the Semitic language family, to which both Arabic and Israeli Hebrew belong. Otherwise, it belongs in the dustbin of pseudoscience, along with “Negroid”, “Mongoloid”, and all that other rubbish. “Antisemitism” is a real word, but “Semite” is not.
That being said, I often identify myself as a “semite” on forms that request my race. I can’t honestly say “black,” and I sure as hell don’t wanna be identified as “white.”
You could have looked up a definition of antisemitism before posting that.
Regarding Hamas antisemitism, the 1988 charter states (for example) “The Day of Judgment will not come about until Moslems fight Jews and kill them. Then, the Jews will hide behind rocks and trees, and the rocks and trees will cry out: ‘O Moslem, there is a Jew hiding behind me, come and kill him”. Other parts of the charter could be viewed as ‘anti-Zionist’ but since the documentation refers to the Protocols of the Elders of Zion, it is doubtful to be a definition of Zionism that a Zionist would agree to.
The charter was revised in 2017 and the blatant antisemitism removed, though the 1988 charter has not been repudiated.
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I have actually have looked-up the definition of Semite several times in the past few weeks.
Dictionary
Definitions from Oxford Languages · Learn more
Sem·ite
/ˈseˌmīt/
noun
a member of any of the peoples who speak or spoke a Semitic language, including in particular the Jews and Arabs.
Zionism, Jewish nationalist movement that has had as its goal the creation and support of a Jewish national state in Palestine.
I’m not interested a religious definitions of the words due to their biases.
Your research of Dictionary definitions from Oxford Languages seems to have been selective, no doubt accidentally
Hope this helps
Dictionary
Definitions from Oxford Languages · Learn more
anti-Semitic
adjective
adjective: antisemitic
hostile to or prejudiced against Jewish people.
“anti-Semitic remarks were posted on the site”
Whose “definition”?
Johnson et al are pushing the ADL and IHRA “definition” which includes any and all criticism of Israel.
Hundreds of thousands of Israelis have marched against Netanyahu’s government.
Democracy?
I agree with you there are some definitions of what constitutes antisemitism which are deliberately overbroad, and are used to stifle legitimate criticisms of the policies of the State of Israel and political groups which espouse such policies.
My post upthread was intended to puncture the different fallacy, that antisemitism by definition is not a linguistically conceivable category applicable to interactions between people of Arabic heritage and people of Jewish heritage.
Our local (Berkeley) Jewish bookstore Afikomen Jadaica has a few T-shorts in the window; one that has a tree logo and the words “Yo! Semite!”
Another has the classic Dark Side of the Moon album cover of the pyramid refracting light: Pink Freud.
Agreed. The point of my original post is that those who practice Judaism do not have the exclusive right to the term Semitic or the term anti-Semitic. Those two terms belong to many people (cultures, religions) of that region.
Just like the land that conservative Judists covet, those two terms are not exclusive to those conservative Judists who wish to make those two terms exclusively theirs.
This is possibly a massive understatement, that the public has no idea the full extent of details in the past and ongoing.
I’ve found in last +/- year or so, a lot of my old bookmarks just return 404 now. A real sense that somehow, a lot of groups/orgs/states and (???) have made efforts to clean things up in the web they prefer people not see anymore.
Several young people who come by our house, mostly age 24-30, have wanted to talk about this Gaza mess. They are almost unanimous in antipathy (they use stronger language) for Israeli Gaza “activity”. Also a bit painful to hear some of ’em describe Biden as war criminal.
In these conversations, I tried pulling up my old links to USS Liberty incident I imagine most regulars here know well. The best of those articles, highly detailed, is gone now. What I could find was much softer, more ambiguous, missing much that removed any doubt that Israel knew exactly what they were doing.
LBJ buckled at the time, Israel got a pass. Just mentioning that incident as one of those shivved Democrats in the back, although it wasn’t Bibi and it was more US than dems. Sharon was no better. This behavior is kind’a a tradition.
Also, in acknowledgement of Israel’s official non-commitment strategy, the nukes they may or may not own may or may not have come from materials that may or may not have been stolen partially from us.
Surrounded by enemies that literally have their destruction written into official documents, Israel feels like what would happen if Machiavelli was resurrected, rendered immortal and made a permanent cabinet member. Two things can be true. We can acknowledge the “why” behind that behavior, and we can adjust our own accordingly.
Up thread, this is starting to get a wee bit ugly. I have no interest in resurrecting the pissing match that has gone on between Israel and Palestinians since before I was born (I’m 68).
Some people just choose to hold onto their prejudices, over decades/generations/centuries. Even when it leads to their own destruction. And they are always certain they are right. Unless they wake up and realize its better for everybody, including themselves, to overcome this stuff no matter what, its going to continue.
In general it is a real issue of concern that articles posted to the internet go missing. Much information is now pay walled, while multiplicities of lies are free. Somethings have even (been) disappeared from the WayBack machine.
Yes, that really surprised me. I had good links detailing Kuwait’s angle drilling into Southern Iraq, taking Iraq’s oil before Sadam went into Kuwait, the “incubator babies” lie and (etc etc). I had a bunch of other stuff from that whole episode, including Sadam taking things to UN and Bush Sr. shutting him down there…
All gone, including Wayback. Cleaning up history, I guess. :(
Throwing it in at the end, Kennedy Jr. perspective: https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2024/07/21/joe-biden-drops-out-election/rfk-jr-weighs-in-00170092
It arguably is a confession of sorts that he’s aiming to hurt the Democratic Party more than the MAGA people. In terms of where he”d expect to be pulling away more votes. Maybe yes, maybe no. Still a wild card.
Let’s stop giving ol’ Worm Head oxygen. Lord knows there’s very little getting up to his parasite-riddled brain anyway.
RFK Jr. sort of reminds me of Connor Roy from Succession. Disconnected from reality.
Marcy wrote:
“Biden almost certainly didn’t base his timing on Bibi Netanyahu’s visit this week (though he deferred explaining it for a few days, which may put that address after Bibi’s). But the timing is wildly auspicious.”
The Guardian reports this morning:
“Israeli military orders evacuation of part of Gaza humanitarian zone
New evacuation order for Khan Younis covers part of area designated a humanitarian zone by IDF”
https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/jul/22/israel-khan-younis-southern-gaza-evacuation-order-attacks-humanitarian-areas
This is the most recent mention of NETANYAHU in the NY Times:
Pressure Rises on Netanyahu Over Cease-Fire Deal as His Speech to Congress Looms
The Israeli leader’s speech before a divided Congress next week [7/24/24] is likely to be contentious, particularly if he does not close a deal with Hamas to end the war before he travels to Washington. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/18/world/middleeast/hostages-netanyahu-congress.html Ephrat Livni July 18, 2024
That bit about the 500 academics links to Jerusalem Post:
‘A devious prime minister’: 500 Israeli academics ask Netanyahu be disinvited from US Congress The 500 academics signed a letter claiming that Netanyahu’s invitation to Congress was “a dangerous political and diplomatic gesture that endangers not only Israel, but the entire free world.”
https:[space]//www.[space]jpost.com/israel-news/article-810622 7/17/24
And this is from Politico:
Netanyahu’s upcoming Congress speech is further dividing Dems https://www.politico.com/newsletters/inside-congress/2024/07/19/netanyahus-upcoming-congress-speech-is-further-dividing-dems-00169863 7/19/24
Here’s the link to the Congressional Progressive Staff Association 7/17/24 letter:
https://cdn.sanity.io/files/ifn0l6bs/production/c9fb7ce6c42e2c1b82cd7eb00dc0784e3b6930e8.pdf
From February, about the West Bank…not Gaza:
Biden expected to issue executive order targeting Israeli settlers in West Bank The move comes as Biden is under growing pressure to be tough on Israel as it wages war in the Gaza Strip. https://www.politico.com/news/2024/02/01/biden-executive-order-israel-palestine-00139023 Nahal Toosi // Alexander Ward 02/01/2024
From November 2023:
During a [Feb. 2020] Trip to Israel, Mike Johnson [and Jim Jordan] [and their wives] Connected With Far-Right Extremists While there he denied Palestinians were “oppressed in these areas.” https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2023/11/mike-johnson-israel-extremists/ David Corn 11/3/23
That’s the kind of stuff about this whole thing that is, for me, very troubling. Making and declaring US policy, but seeing only what they want to see.
Poor choice of words in that headline by Politico.
This just came across my transom:
Adam Schiff for Senate
Dear AndTheSlithyToves —
President Joe Biden will leave office with a legacy unlike any other modern president.
He took the reins in the throes of an unprecedented pandemic and spearheaded our economic recovery – saving the lives of millions.
He worked diligently to pass the most effective, progressive legislation in the last half century – all while rebuilding our alliances abroad and our standing around the globe.
He has accomplished more in one term than most presidents do in two and he will go down in history as one of the greatest presidents of our time.
Joe Biden has always put the country first, and he did so again today, after more than 50 years of tremendous service.
Now, it’s time for all of us to unite behind Vice President Harris. I am excited to endorse her campaign for President. She has the judgment, the experience, the leadership, and the tenacity to take on and defeat Donald Trump.
I worked with her when she was our Attorney General, Senator, and Vice President, and I can’t wait to work with her as President.
I’m laughing at various reports, one cited below, about donors’ concerns that Harris not be anointed or have a coronation. Democrats have plenty of time to get it right, they say, which conveys a sense of time not shared by many.
Their new-found concern for democratic involvement is touching, but feels a bit stagey. Their usual concern is to have veto power or affirmative control over who runs. They like coronations when they get to pick who benefits from it. That’s not to say big donors shouldn’t be courted, just that they not be the only ones who get a say.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/jul/22/mike-bloomberg-democrats-nominee
There’s a line at the very bottom of that article that is equally illustrative. Almost $50 million in donations from “everyday Americans” to Harris within a day. I know almost half a dozen people in that group, first donations they’ve made this election cycle. The idea that a candidate could drum up that level of support from the unwashed masses is risky if they decide to reward them in the policies they pursue. Part of why Trump is so perfect for certain groups, he rallies large numbers of impoverished or borderline poor masses against every other Other except the one most responsible for their condition.
“The idea that a candidate could drum up that level of support from the unwashed masses is risky”
If I am any indication, these appear to be from ‘washed’ masses, excited for an excellent candidate with a proven track record of standing up for civil liberties and our democratic form of government.
Unless I misinterpreted your comment and you were being sarcastic.
My apologies, my snark can be dry enough that I’m occasionally mistaken for living on the other side of the pond. There is a class of very wealthy Americans, small but at times quite influential, who by their actions seem to be convinced anyone not of their number has no business being active and barely any business being represented. And at times it almost seems that political party is less important to this group than preservation of that ideal. For large groups of people to be excited about a candidate, and for that candidate to respond to that excitement with policies that while hardly perfect are far better than alternatives, may prove frightening.
“The great unwashed” is an English idiom with nearly two hundred years of usage. It’s first confirmed usage was by Bulwer-Lytton in 1830, It refers to the masses who were poor and uneducated (working class and lower-middle class) as distinct from the aristocracy and upper-middle class – the nice people assumed those other people had poor personal hygiene and in Victorian era England that’s not such a terrible generalization as we would have it today. Its original usage was disparaging but I have only ever heard it used tongue-in-cheek, and more often than not self-referentially.
A small correction, the Harris campaign raised $81 Million in 24 hours, from 888,000 individual donors.
And now has the delegate votes for her nomination. On to the VP pick.
Marcy writes: “I don’t expect that she’ll disavow Biden’s failed Israeli policies, least of all when he is still pursuing a ceasefire. At least not yet.”
In 1968 when LBJ dropped out, Humphrey continued his support for the Viet Nam War. It robbed his campaign of much-needed support, I think Harris might want to avoid that outcome. Not now, certainly, but closer to the election.
Arab-Americans are a crucial Democratic voting bloc, if past history is correct. There are a few battleground states where the vote is going to be super close and the election is going to be decided. If the following article is correct, Arab Americans are going to be looking immediately for Harris’ position and her effect on Israel’s actions re: Gaza. The longer she delays dealing with that issue and is seen as a partner with Biden in this area, the greater the chance for the loss of that critical vote as the choice will remain death in Gaza by Biden/Harris or by Trump, or no choice in their minds. Arab Americans will just blank the vote under that circumstance. I really don’t see how VP Harris avoids this.
https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2023/11/11/biden-israel-michigan-support-00125320
This reasoning makes little sense, and while I’ve seen some on the fringe talk this way, I can’t imagine it will hold water generally. Biden stopped (admittedly only some) ammunitions from being shipped. Trump called on Israel to “finish the job”. Is the Arab-American bloc aware of what Trump would be able to do just by himself unfettered by his 6-3 court, let alone what he could do in the chance of a united Congress? “Muslim ban v2.0” anyone? It’s lunacy to even pretend that Harris vs. Trump is an irrelevant coinflip to that population, regardless of how she approaches that difficult issue. And I’ve started believing that anyone who still peddles that is either suffering from the literal mental disorder of depression and needs to seek meaningful help, or their intentions are suspect.
Charles P. Pierce on another aspect of the timing:
President Biden Played The News Of Leaving The Race And Endorsing VP Harris Perfectly
I agree with Charlie on the last point. We need to explain kindly toall the olds in the party that it’s time to step aside. Now. All of them over 70 should finish their terms and go home for good. We need a huge influx of young people, people who have a real stake in the future.
All of the old dems are from safe seats. Look at Danny Davis of Chicago. He’s 82. He’s preventing a whole generation of talented people from taking power, and you never heard of him because he’s useless.
And Dick Durbin is a disaster for anyone who thinks we need to beat SCOTUS and the Fifth Circuit out of acting like a super-legislature.
YES!
Clyburn will not step aside for anyone. He’d have to be pushed out harder than the push made against Biden. It will not happen.
But I bet he’s seen enough to support Supreme Court term limits.
It also needs to be explained to hapless Democrat pols that they can communicate to the president in private rather than perpetuate the media blitz for the purpose of gaining their own spotlight.
thanks for writing about this. it is an extraordinary move. the more i think about its “timing” (like wating for the orange turd to embrace his roadkill vp), the more it seems the tampon felon and the traitorous rethugs are all being cut loose and set adrift into the void.
A Senator [Cardin] Will Preside at Netanyahu’s Speech to Congress After Harris Declines An aide to Vice President Kamala Harris said she would be speaking to one of the nation’s oldest Black sororities at the time of the Israeli prime minister’s address, but would meet with him this week. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/22/world/middleeast/kamala-harris-netanyahu-congress-speech.html Annie Karni July 22, 2024 Updated 8:36 p.m. ET
Oh! Marcy already has an Update with that info…should have figured!
Per Lawrence O’Donnell, Harris has secured backing of a majority of convention delegates, needed to win nomination.
Posted on @thetnholler on IG, from @Juliegrace Brufke (blue checked)
“Senior source involved in planning Nethanyahu joint address tells me:
-VP Harris declined-we were informed on Monday, July 15th
-PPT Patty Murray also declined to preside-we were informed on Tuesday, July 16th
-The Senate is currently figuring out amongst themselves who will preside”
Just saw an article on HuffPost with the title, “Democrats To Move Forward With Virtual Roll Call For Presidential Nomination.”
The reason – the need to have the nomination in Ohio done a week before the convention – is left until the 11th para. I was previously aware of this and have been surprised not to see it referenced when people were musing about a contested convention.
Apparently, Ohio legislators did make a fix regarding the timing of the nomination, but that fix doesn’t take effect until Sept. 1 which would leave it open to legal challenges that no-one wants to put into play.
AP reports a delegate survey says Harris has more than exceeded the number she needs to win the Democratic Party nomination.
https://apnews.com/projects/election-results-2024/ap-dnc-delegate-survey/
Of course this can’t be seen as anything but a form of poll, it’s not official until the convention.
Only 6 of Ohio’s 42 delegates told AP they were undecided — the rest support Harris.
There’s a new visitor to this site who claims to be done with Dems and the media in the US, claims to have left the US two years ago.
However they’re using a government agency IP address in a southern state.
Go away. You are NOT welcome to troll here.
Community members, please be more skeptical while using social media. Influence operations are switching gears and ramping up to demoralize you and other voters ahead of the DNC convention, the election, and certain key political events between now and November.
You say a skunk tried to get into the air conditioning? Being moderated, I find moderation a good thing, and it is work doing it. Thank you.
I wish we didn’t have to moderate you in particular but we have had other visitors try to use a name very similar to yours to comment. I’m sure our community would prefer to know with certainty it’s you and not a troll sockpuppeting as you.
Keep on top. It could have been me a time or two, indiscreet, hasty, but saved by moderation. It is good for me you keep a leash. I have my own posting place, but here I am a permitted guest, and grateful.
THANKS so much for dealing with that and especially for the heads-up, Rayne!!!
The stupid, it burns. Never underestimate our moderator.
I wonder if that would be commentators supervisors know about the apparent misuse of government resources. Some states look very harshly on such things.
Believe me when I saw the IP was that of a government agency I was tempted to report a possible breach to the agency
But it’d take too much of my time and it might result in shutting off access to this site by legitimate readers who visit while on break at work.
In my time before retiring, I found that people who do stuff like this do other stuff, too, that provides a much stronger foundation for disciplinary action. Sometime you have to wait awhile; sometimes you have to look a little closer.
1- BIDEN [and HARRIS?] is meeting with NETANYAHU today
2- NATANYAHU speech tomorrow [I can’t find out WHEN arrrggg!]
3- BIDEN addresses the nation tomorrow at 8 PM on what lies ahead, and how I will finish the job
https://x.com/POTUS/status/1815766423056080912
11:10 AM · Jul 23, 2024
4- I think I read that HARRIS will meet with NETANYHU Thursday
Nicholas Grossman:
[International Relations prof at U. Illinois. Senior Editor of Arc Digital.
Author “Drones and Terrorism.” Politics, national security, and occasional nerdery.]
https://bsky.app/profile/nicholasgrossman.bsky.social/post/3kxxjgqjum42g
Jul 23, 2024 at 11:31 AM
That timing is likely to be as inadvertent as the last time Trump cheated at golf.
Speaking of which, TRUMP says on his failing SM platform
that he will meet with NETANYAHU at Mar-a-Lago “tomorrow”
https://www.nytimes.com/live/2024/07/23/us/harris-trump-news-election-biden/4e14e548-8234-54e1-a9c4-5b4502b12311
Now he says it’s Friday, which makes more sense, schedule wise…
but hey, who doesn’t get days mixed up sometimes, amiright?
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/23/us/politics/trump-netanyahu-mar-a-lago-meeting.html
Here’s a link to TRUMP’s SM posts about this [from the USATODAY article below]:
https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/112837096247654677
Jul 23, 2024, 1:57 PM
Part of TRUMP’s original post on this:
The phrase “peace through strength” at Wikipedia:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peace_through_strength
NETANYAHU will speak to Congress at 2 PM today.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2024/07/23/when-will-netanyahu-speak-congress/74510039007/
https://www.nytimes.com/live/2024/07/24/us/harris-trump-biden-election/f5b6f4d2-9cfd-51ca-825d-920c9f35a1ab [7minutes ago]
So this is how the timing seems to have shaken out:
7/23/24 1:57 PM [Tuesday] TRUMP posts
7/24/24 [Wednesday]
– 2:00 PM NETANYAHU speech to Congress
– 8:00 PM BIDEN address from Oval Office
7/25/24 [Thursday]
1] BIDEN meets with NETANYAHU at White House
3] HARRIS meets with NETANYAHU in Washington
7/26/24 [Friday] TRUMP meets with NETANYAHU at Mar-a-Lago
CORRECTION: TLAIB was at the speech.