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  1. #9616
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    Trump’s Syria Fiasco Is Part of Putin’s To-Do List

    President Donald J. Trump’s surprise decision to abandon the Kurds and sign off on Turkey’s operation in Syria drew condemnation in the West, but was cheerfully welcomed in Russia, and, for those who follow Russia closely, the contrast revived the ghosts of Helsinki, where Trump’s surrender of American values was on full display.

    There in Finland last year, the leader of the most powerful country in the world demonstrated cringeworthy servility toward Vladimir Putin—president of a rogue government sanctioned by the West for a great number of malign activities, including Russia’s brazen interference in the U.S. elections.

    The world’s pariah looked triumphant next to the deflated American president. As Trump stood hunched over, with a blank expression, Putin was practically glowing—and he wanted the world to know just how great the meeting went for Russia. Putin held up a thick stack of his notes with both hands, showing them off for the world to see, in effect giving himself the thumbs-up.
    Discernible portions of the first page, purposely written in abnormally large script, included references to the election interference, Putin’s request that Russia be allowed to interrogate the former U.S. ambassador to Russia, Michael McFaul, and also the British businessman Bill Browder, pursuant to the 1999 Treaty with Russia on Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters. There was a reference to the Nord Stream 2 pipeline. And at the bottom of the first page, Putin’s notes also mentioned Syria, where Russia has been wreaking havoc and committing mass atrocities in concert with Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad and Iran.

    For public consumption, the Russian president’s handwriting mentioned “joint humanitarian operations with the goal of creating conditions for the return of refugees.” The reality on the ground tends to create—not dissipate—the flood of refugees, essentially weaponized by Russia and Syria to destabilize Europe.
    Kremlin relishes US pullback from Syria, turmoil in Ukraine

    MOSCOW (AP) — From Syria to Ukraine, new fault lines and tensions are offering the Kremlin fresh opportunities to expand its clout and advance its interests.

    The U.S. military withdrawal from northern Syria before a Turkish offensive leaves Russia as the ultimate power broker, allowing it to help negotiate a potential agreement between Syrian President Bashar Assad and the Kurds who were abandoned by Washington.

    And in Ukraine, where the new president saw his image dented by a U.S. impeachment inquiry, Russia may use the volatility to push for a deal that would secure its leverage over its western neighbor.

    The Turkish offensive in northern Syria followed President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw U.S. forces from the area, cold shouldering the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, the key U.S. ally in the fight against the Islamic State group.

    Washington’s abrupt decision to ditch the Kurds contrasted sharply with Moscow’s unwavering support for its ally Assad, which helped his government reclaim the bulk of the country’s territory in a devastating civil war.

    Along with military power, Russian President Vladimir Putin has relied on diplomacy to achieve his goals in Syria, reaching out to regional powers — from Iran to Saudi Arabia, Israel and Turkey.
    Last edited by Tami; 10-13-2019 at 12:48 PM.
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  2. #9617
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    Trump and Pence plan 11th-hour mission to save Kentucky governor

    The White House is planning an 11th-hour push to stave off an embarrassing defeat for the Republican governor of Kentucky, with President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence expected to make separate trips to the state in the runup to the Nov. 5 election.

    Trump is expected to travel to the state to stump for Gov. Matt Bevin the day before Election Day, according to two people familiar with the planning for the event. Pence, meanwhile, is slated to appear in the state on Nov. 1. Final details for the rallies are still being worked out.
    Original join date: 11/23/2004
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  3. #9618
    Invincible Jersey Ninja Tami's Avatar
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    WATCH: When asked about the president possibly withholding aid, Sen. @randpaul
    says he would not "give any aid" to Ukraine #MTP #IfItsSunday

    "I disagree with trying to manipulate them in any way. I just wouldn't give them the aid, period."
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  4. #9619
    Extraordinary Member PaulBullion's Avatar
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    "How does the Green Goblin have anything to do with Herpes?" - The Dying Detective

    Hillary was right!

  5. #9620
    Ultimate Member Sacred Knight's Avatar
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    Fucking hell. Another shooting at a mall in Florida. Just now got the alert so absolutely no details yet.
    "They can be a great people Kal-El, they wish to be. They only lack the light to show the way. For this reason above all, their capacity for good, I have sent them you. My only son." - Jor-El

  6. #9621
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    Foreign journalists, civilians reportedly targeted in Turkish airstrike

    ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – Fourteen people are now believed to have been killed when a convoy of journalists and civilians in northern Syria was reportedly shelled by Turkish forces on Sunday afternoon.

    According to Rudaw’s reporter in Rojava, the convoy had been heading to Sari Kani (Ras al-Ain) from Tel Tammar when it was struck.

    Staff at the hospital treating the injured said at least ten people were killed in the strike, with anywhere between 40 and 100 injured. Television channel France 2, whose journalists formed part of the convoy, have said 14 people were killed while around 20 others were injured.

    The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) also reported 14 people were killed in the strike on the "humanitarian support" convoy. Ten are believed to be civilians, including a woman and a journalist. The death toll is set to rise, the Observatory said, with some convoy passengers, including children, currently in a critical condition.

    In the immediate aftermath of the attack, northern Syria-based North Press Agency (NPA) reported the severe injury of one of its journalists, named by the agency as Delsoz Yousef. Rudaw later spoke to him while he received hospital treatment in Tel Tammar.

    "When the people went to support Sari Kani, the Turks fired a mortar, which fell among the people. We journalists were there,” Delsoz Jousef told Rudaw while he lay in bed.
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  7. #9622

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    On this date in 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, as well as 2018, "Crazy/Stupid Republican of the Day" published profiles of U.S. Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky, the heir apparent to his father, Ron Paul’s political legacy and generally demented views. He’s a board-certified ophthalmologist*, has been repeatedly caught plagiarizing from other sources for speeches (including from Wikipedia articles), and has hired Neo-Confederates to serve on his campaign staff, which shouldn’t be too much of a surprise because Rand also once told Rachel Maddow in an interview that he wouldn’t have voted for the Civil Rights Act. Rand’s also discussed conspiracy theories like the Bilderberg Group, the American Union, the Jade Helm conspiracy theory, and even some 9/11 Trutherism, and experts who analyze the speeches of Congressmen determined he speaks roughly at about the 8th Grade Level. A fine example was in 2014 when he blamed “political correctness” on people being afraid to declare a travel ban because of the Ebola Virus outbreak in Africa, as opposed to the actual doctors and epidemiologists who said a travel ban would only make things worse. Instead, he tried accusing the Obama administration of deliberately exposing 30,000 American troops to the disease. Rand Paul once sponsored a Personhood bill that would apply the 14th Amendment to fetuses, as well, showing he’s not exactly the libertartian “hands off” type he portrays himself as. After a long pattern of Rand Paul shushing female journalists emerged and was noted by political commentators as evidence of sexist behavior, Paul responded by telling critics that it was “sexist to call him sexist”, which is similar to how racists insist their accusers are the real racist ones. in June 2017 he compared National Health Care to "the gulag". (Which is amazing, because the gulag is where Stalin sent millions to DIE whereas healthcare does the EXACT OPPOSITE FOR PEOPLE).

    There was a point when Rand Paul was considered a potential front-runner for the Republican nomination for president, since the Tea Party was originally fomented with the help of his father, Ron, and their “outsider” group of ultra-conservatives. But having a daddy like Ron Paul “helping” isn’t always as much of a benefit as one might like, as the scandal surrounding Ron Paul’s 2012 bid for president where adviser Jesse Benton handicapped Paul’s chances early on. Then, the Tea Party got hijacked over time by even more outspoken bigots than Rand, who was pulling punches, like Ted Cruz, and eventually Donald Trump, who whipped them up into an anti-immigrant frenzy before Rand even realized what happened. Paul lost so much heat that when he published a book to hype on the campaign trail, it sold only a few hundred copies. He couldn’t escape the bottom tier of the GOP, ending up polling somewhere around tenth and barely qualifying for most of the primary debates, and using what little time he had on stage to bicker with New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, who made it his own personal mission to destroy Rand with every opportunity given in the debates. In the midst of Rand Paul looking visibly depressed about his failed presidential campaign all year, he managed to prove n the rest of the year that he's the same libertarian wing lunatic, voting against the permanent approval of The Zadroga Act, talking about getting rid of the Postal Service, voting to make sure anyone found to be on a terror watch list during a background check should still be allowed to purchase a firearm or explosives (which they could use to carry out a terror attack) and reintroduces his own Personhood bill, the "Life at Conception Act", which would grant Constitutional rights to zygotes from the moment of fertilization. In November of 2018, he annoyed senators on both sides of the aisle by holding up military aid to Israel, because he will never miss an opportunity to grandstand about his isolationist bent.
    Last edited by worstblogever; 10-13-2019 at 02:03 PM.
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  8. #9623

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    Rand Paul staggered out of the 2016 GOP Presidential Primary in February of 2016, inexplicably hanging in far longer than he should have, after polling always down near 1%, and raising virtually no money from donors for his doomed campaign. He instead focused on defeating Jim Gray, the openly gay mayor of Lexington, Kentucky, to reclaim his U.S. Senate seat with 57% of the vote, which he now will not have to defend until 2022.

    Rand is more partisan than ever, and not just because he voted to approve every member of the Trump cabinet, or to confirm Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court, or even that he voted to repeal the Affordable Care Act, and would have gotten away with it too if it wasn't for those pesky kids Murkowski, Collins, and McCain. His "smaller government" heartless principles also saw him vote against disaster relief for Houston after Hurricane Harvey.

    We can’t emphasize this statement enough, Rand Paul’s image that he is somehow not a reliable Republican vote, and that he’s an “outsider” because of his Libertarian views? HE IS FULL OF S***. Sure, he’ll have “doubts” about Republican nominees and go on cable news shows to vaguely talk about them, but he still goes out and votes for them anyway and hopes no one notices his actual voting record. He’s done this on some of the worst candidates for nominations, like say when Mike Pompeo is up for Secretary of State, or when torture-enthusiast Gina Haspel is up for CIA Director. Even more galling is that when an accused rapist, widely regarded drunk, and partisan hack is up for a Supreme Court seat, like say Brett Kavanaugh, he doesn’t even HAVE a doubt.

    Back in mid-February of 2017, the Trump administration had its first, and not last ties to the Trump campaign being tied to Russia, after General Michael Flynn resigned after it was revealed he failed to disclose several meetings with Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak during the campaign and the transition. And while the Democrats thought that warranted an investigation and several Republicans like Sen. John McCain agreed... Rand Paul deemed such a move "excessive" and "it makes no sense for Republicans to investigate Republicans", proving that he views oversight as a partisan matter completely.


    ...

    Rand Paul, at this point, is moving into “ride or die” territory when it comes to Donald Trump, as after Trump’s “s***hole countries” remarks in January of 2018, Sen. Paul actually chastised people for calling the president a racist because “it hurts immigration talks. You see? Trump isn’t the problem. It’s all the people rightly pegging him a racist that are the problem. Can’t say I’m shocked from the guy who wouldn’t back the Civil Rights Act, though.

    How much of a spineless toady is Sen. Paul? At this point, he’ll hand deliver letters to Vladimir Putin from Donald Trump (really) that the public don’t get to ever learn the contents of, while claiming that the Mueller investigation and people upset about Russians hacking the 2016 election are just “Trump Derangement Syndrome”. His support of smaller government principles flew right out the window after a member of the Trump administration wrote an anonymous opinion editorial in the New York Times in July 2018, when he demanded that White House staff should have to begin taking lie detector tests to determine who actually wrote it.

    And Rand Paul is currently trying to root out the identity of the CIA whistleblower who revealed Trump tried holding up military aid to Ukraine in exchange for their assistance in smearing Joe and Hunter Biden, indicating he has no issue with Trump openly breaking the law. Well, that and continuing to look like a Russophile by recommending that we abandon our ally and just don’t give Ukraine the military need they need to fend off the Russian army in Crimea.

    But to wrap up this profile… we have to cover the plain weird factor. In January of 2018, one of the more bizarre and mysterious news stories broke… Rand Paul was attacked by his elderly neighbor, and actually suffered six broken ribs and other injuries in the assault. A lot of folks wondered if the beat-down was politically motivated… but no. Apparently, and this might come as a shock to those who have never met Ayn Rand fans… but Rand Paul is a s***ty neighbor, because he’s a selfish d*** who just throws his lawn trimmings and leaves wherever he wants, i.e. right along the property line. (That neighbor’s last name was Boucher, and we keep picturing Adam Sandler from The Waterboy tackling Rand Paul. It is… soothing to picture.) As a result of that attack, Sen. Paul had to have a portion of his lung removed. (We aren't sure when he had a portion of his brain taken out, though.)

    We'll keep an eye on Aqua Buddha, still, because he's apparently going to milk his dad's legacy for far longer than should have ever been possible.
    Last edited by worstblogever; 10-13-2019 at 02:04 PM.
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  9. #9624
    Ultimate Member Malvolio's Avatar
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    The way Rand Paul re-certified as an ophthalmologist is as if you or I, when it's time to renew our driver's licenses, just made up our own DMV office, took selfies and then used those pictures to print up our own driver's licenses. Really stick it to The Man!

  10. #9625
    Invincible Jersey Ninja Tami's Avatar
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    Macabre Video of Fake Trump Shooting Media and Critics Is Shown at His Resort

    WASHINGTON — A video depicting a macabre scene of a fake President Trump shooting, stabbing and brutally assaulting members of the news media and his political opponents was shown at a conference for his supporters at his Miami resort last week, according to footage obtained by The New York Times.

    Several of Mr. Trump’s top surrogates — including his son Donald Trump Jr., his former spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders and the governor of Florida, Ron DeSantis — were scheduled to speak at the three-day conference, which was held by a pro-Trump group, American Priority, at Trump National Doral Miami. Ms. Sanders and a person close Mr. Trump’s son said on Sunday that they did not see the video at the conference.

    The video, which includes the logo for Mr. Trump’s 2020 re-election campaign, comprises a series of internet memes. The most violent clip shows Mr. Trump’s head superimposed on the body of a man opening fire inside the “Church of Fake News” on parishioners who have the faces of his critics or the logos of media organizations superimposed on their bodies. It appears to be an edited scene of a church massacre from the 2014 dark comedy film “Kingsman: The Secret Service.”

    The disclosure that the video was played shows how Mr. Trump’s anti-media language has influenced his supporters and bled into their own propaganda. Mr. Trump has made attacks on the news media a mainstay of his presidency, and he tweeted a similar — but far less violent video — in 2017. In recent weeks as he has confronted impeachment proceedings, he has ramped up his attacks on the news media, repeatedly calling it the “enemy of the people.”
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  11. #9626
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    Quote Originally Posted by Theleviathan View Post
    You're right, that's true, but I think that's why Warren is leaning so hard into calling herself a capitalist. It won't change what the right will do, but it might change the way voters feel about her.

    Bernie on the other hand is actively attacking capitalism even though what he believes really isn't opposed to capitalism. It's...bizarre.
    I think Bernie's making a judgment that it will be a better road to reap the benefits of embracing the far left and becoming the purer candidate and just accepting the incoming socialist attacks rather than attempting to run from them. Meanwhile, Warren is making the judgment that her road is to be safer of the two progressive voices and the one that plays nicest with the party establishment to siphon off Biden voters. Which is kind of ironic because according to polling, for some reason Biden and Bernie have more voter crossover. No idea why.

  12. #9627
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mister Mets View Post
    It is much easier to label someone a socialist if they agree with the description.

    Obama was labelled a socialist. Many Democrats and independents disagreed. He won the White House twice.

    Pretty much. Capitalism is imperfect, but it beats the alternatives in terms of improving quality of living.
    Okay.... and he was still called a socialist at every turn. His signature legislation was deemed socialist. The Republicans ran against it for his entire 8 years and won back government over it. Obama was literally the only exception in that he was a strong candidate and could win. 2008 was also the earliest and the socialism attack then was rather light. So really 2012 was the only time he won with a heavy socialist attack. And even then he had a surging economy and Romney was a weak candidate

  13. #9628
    Old school comic book fan WestPhillyPunisher's Avatar
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    Typhoon Hagibis Leaves Thousands Of Homes Flooded, Damaged Or Without Power

    As many as 36 people are dead from the storm, which caused serious damage in central and northern Japan.

    **********

    Texas Cop Fatally Shoots Black Woman In Her Own Home During Welfare Check, Police Say

    Atatiana Jefferson, 28, was standing near a bedroom window when the white Fort Worth police officer opened fire from outside. This is beyond reprehensible. And people wonder why blacks distrust police.

    **********

    Defense Secretary: Trump Has Ordered U.S. Troops To Leave Northern Syria

    Defense Secretary Mark Esper isn’t saying how many U.S. troops will leave the north, but he says they represent most of the 1,000 troops in Syria. Hardly a shining moment for America.

    **********

    Sam Donaldson Shows How Quickly Senate GOP Could Turn On Trump If He’s Impeached

    The longtime TV commentator explains how Republicans could vote to convict the president after all. An interesting theory to say the least.

    **********

    Peter Wehner Has Damning Theory For Why Trump Supporters Won’t Turn On Him

    “People decided early on for a variety of reasons to accommodate themselves to Donald Trump, some of them thinking that things would get better, that he would grow in office, that he would be surrounded by good people,” he said.

    Instead, Trump has gotten worse. But because of their early accommodation of the president, these voters are essentially stuck with him.

    “Now it’s not just a defense of Trump. It’s a defense of their defense of Trump,” Wehner said. “To indict him is to indict themselves, and to indict their own judgment, and that’s hard for any human being.”

    The result: “They will defend him regardless of what happens, come hell or high water.”
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  14. #9629
    Precious Spice Saffron's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by KNIGHT OF THE LAKE View Post
    I think Bernie's making a judgment that it will be a better road to reap the benefits of embracing the far left and becoming the purer candidate and just accepting the incoming socialist attacks rather than attempting to run from them. Meanwhile, Warren is making the judgment that her road is to be safer of the two progressive voices and the one that plays nicest with the party establishment to siphon off Biden voters. Which is kind of ironic because according to polling, for some reason Biden and Bernie have more voter crossover. No idea why.
    They're both old white dudes with name recognition. People don't vote only for ideology or policy.

  15. #9630
    Invincible Jersey Ninja Tami's Avatar
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    Look who met 3 weeks ago to discuss and make plans for Syria – Putin, Erdogan, and Rouhani

    Ironically, we have to turn to the Kremlin’s English-language website for information on the Trilateral summit on settlement in Syria held in Ankara, Turkey on September 16, 2019.

    en.kremlin.ru/…

    At the link, there are additional links onward to press statements and a 14-point Syria plan agreed by Putin, Erdogan, and Rouhani at the meeting.

    The Kurds weren’t invited to the summit and they weren’t mentioned directly but it’s clear that the three leaders agreed to deal with them in some unspecified way to guarantee Syria’s territorial integrity and national sovereignty.

    From the 14-point statement released jointly by Putin, Erdogan, and Rouhani (my italics added):

    2. Emphasized their strong commitment to the sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity of the Syrian Arab Republic . . .

    4. Discussed the situation in the northeast of Syria, emphasized that security and stability in this region can only be achieved on the basis of respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country and agreed to coordinate their efforts to this end.

    5. Rejected in this regard all attempts to create new realities on the ground under the pretext of combating terrorism, including illegitimate self-rule initiatives, and expressed their determination to stand against separatist agendas aimed at undermining the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Syria as well as threatening the national security of neighboring countries.
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