#2024 campaign

[deadpresidents]

Do you think debates still matter?

I think they matter less as the political tribes get more solidified and they certainly mean less when they are complete circuses like in the last two election cycles, but they still matter because it's the only chance to see the two Presidential candidates in the same place at the same time.

It's also one of the few times where the candidates are taking part in something not completely controlled and choreographed by their own campaigns, so that's important. I've said before that a real meaningful campaign event would be if Presidential candidates had to speak at one of their opponent's rallies during the campaign. Just one rally -- it isn't advertised ahead of time or anything -- but each candidate has to speak at one of the other's rallies or else they can't air any television ads after Halloween. I'm not saying that it wouldn't be a circus, either, but maybe it would be good. Maybe in order for both candidates to air television ads after Halloween, they have to host their opponent and let them speak at one of their rallies without interference. It would at least be something new.

[dontmeantobepoliticalbut]

House Democrats launch probe of Trump’s dinner with oil executives | The Washington Post

House Democrats are launching an investigation into Donald Trump’s meeting with oil executives last month at his Mar-a-Lago Club, where the former president asked the executives to steer $1 billion to his 2024 campaign and promised to reverse dozens of President Biden’s environmental policies.

The probe comes after The Washington Post on Thursday first reported the fundraising dinner, where Trump said that giving $1 billion would be a “deal” because of the taxation and regulation the oil companies would avoid thanks to him, according to people with knowledge of the meeting, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe a private conversation.

In letters sent Monday evening, Democrats on the House Oversight Committee asked nine oil executives to provide detailed information on their companies’ participation in the meeting. The Democrats voiced concern that Trump’s request at the dinner may have been a quid pro quo and may have violated campaign finance laws, although experts say his conduct probably did not cross the threshold of being illegal.

Lawmakers sent the letters to the CEOs of Cheniere Energy, Chesapeake Energy, Chevron, Continental Resources, EQT Corporation, ExxonMobil, Occidental Petroleum and Venture Global. They also fired off a missive to the head of the American Petroleum Institute, the oil industry’s top lobbying arm in Washington.

Rep. Jamie Raskin (Md.), the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, asked the executives to provide the names and titles of any company representatives who attended the Mar-a-Lago dinner, copies of any materials shared with the attendees, a description of any policy proposals discussed at the event, and a list of any contributions to the Trump campaign made during or after the event.

Raskin also asked the executives to provide a copy of any draft executive orders or policy paperwork that their companies have prepared for Trump or his campaign. Politico reported that oil industry lawyers and lobbyists have drawn up executive orders for Trump to sign in a possible second term, including directives aimed at boosting natural gas exports and offshore oil drilling.

Asked about the letter, Andrea Woods, a spokeswoman for the American Petroleum Institute, said in an email that the group “meets with policymakers and candidates from across the political spectrum on topics important to our industry that range from strengthening energy security to addressing persistent U.S. inflation.”

A Venture Global spokeswoman said of the meeting with Trump: “Venture Global regularly engages with government officials — both past and present — on a bipartisan basis and this meeting was no different. We would welcome a similar conversation with President Biden at any time.”

A spokesman for Cheniere Energy declined to comment on the letter. Spokespeople for the other oil companies did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Democrats on the Oversight Committee lack certain investigative powers because Republicans control the House. If the oil companies decline to turn over the information, Democrats will not be able to subpoena the firms, stymying their investigation.

Yet Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), a vocal climate advocate who chairs the Senate Budget Committee, which wields subpoena power, has voiced interest in launching his own probe.

Trump’s comments at the dinner are “practically an invitation to ask questions about Big Oil’s political corruption and manipulation,” Whitehouse said in an emailed statement.

“Fossil fuel malfeasance will cost Americans trillions in climate damages, and the Budget Committee is looking at how to ensure the industry cannot simply buy off politicians in order to saddle taxpayers with the bill,” he added.

At the Mar-a-Lago meeting, Trump promised to immediately end the Biden administration’s freeze on permits for new liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports in a second term, according to people who attended. He also pledged to start auctioning off more leases for oil drilling in the Gulf of Mexico and to reverse restrictions on drilling in the Alaskan Arctic.

Experts said Trump’s remarks at the dinner probably didn’t violate campaign finance laws as currently interpreted by the Federal Election Commission and the Supreme Court. They said a violation would need to involve a clear quid pro quo in which Trump promised to take a specific policy action in exchange for a specific campaign contribution.

“This alone is probably not enough to indicate the existence of a quid pro quo,” said Dan Weiner, director of elections and government at the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University’s law school.

Trump “was doing what candidates often do, which is saying, ‘Please give me money, and I will do the things that I know you want,’” Weiner added. “The brazenness is still quite astonishing, and it certainly flies in the face of the spirit of the law, if not the letter.”

Former Obama White House ethics adviser Norm Eisen, a Trump critic and prominent supporter of the four criminal cases against him, agreed.

“I’m not saying it’s a violation of the law,” said Eisen, who served as special counsel to the House’s first impeachment of Trump. “But it raises serious questions, and it’s a reminder of why we have those laws on the books.”

[mattpayton]

Democrats Are Losing Because They Stopped Fighting by David Sirota

[elinerlina]

ILLIT Yunah for Acne Studios 2024 S/S Campaign

[flyingmonkeynumber9]

Re: 2024 Election

I recall watching the debate between Kennedy and Nixon. According to some pundits, Nixon's "five o'clock shadow" cost him the debate and the election. Biden's fumbling his debate with Trump was much worse than a five o'clock shadow. Apparently, like many aging seniors, he has trouble realizing his limits. He is ignoring the advice of many democrats and others who are telling him to step aside. If he stays in, he will likely lose the votes of those "undecided" voters. If Biden doesn't step aside, I will still vote for him because the other choice means deep, continued shit for the country.

To my knowledge there have never been worse choices for President.

[abignewscom]

Harris is Banking on One Key Issue

In the landscape of U.S. politics, few issues have the emotional charge and political weight that abortion rights carry today. As Vice President Kamala Harris intensifies her campaign for the 2024 election, she is focusing on one key issue that resonates strongly with her base: abortion rights. The right to choose, particularly in the wake of recent state-level abortion bans, has become a…

[shitpostroundhouse]

For the first split second, I thought the dude in the middle was cookie monster...

[shotofchinaco]

Jeff Danziger for July 25, 2024: “A Jobs Program”

[urbanfashionsense]

"No Donny" political hip hop satire t-shirt on sale at Etsy

[mattpayton]

Kamala Harris’s Eric Holder Problem - The American Prospect

[verkomy]

caleb widogast

you can get a print here: inprnt!

[johnnyrobish]

Trump Takes to Truth Social to Spread ‘Roomer’ About Ron DeSantis

Former president Donald Trump just shared some juicy gossip about Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on his Truth Social platform.  Trump posted, “Roomer (sic) are (sic) strong in political circles that Ron DeSanctimonious, whose Presidential run is a shambles, and whose poll numbers have absolutely crashed, putting him 3rd and 4th in some states, will be dropping out of the Presidential race in order to run, in Florida, against Rick Scott for Senate.  Now that’s an interesting one, isn’t it?”

Gee, Donald Trump spreading “roomers?”  Say it ain’t so!  Now, me thinks perhaps that prestigious Wharton School of Business Trump attended might want to consider adding some basic 3rd-grade spelling classes to its curriculum.  Apparently, Trump is stalled at that level of language development where he is still spelling words phonetically.  Why his poor spelling makes him look like a real “looser.”  Frankly, I’m not sure its a wise choice for Republicans to choose a standard bearer who’d get his ass kicked by Dan Quayle in a spelling bee.  Of course, and in his defense, Trump did spell “DeSanctimonious” correctly, and Fleetwood Mac’s “Roomers” album is a rock classic.  

That said, this whole spelling fiasco makes me wonder if Trump is still spreading those “roomers” about a “stolen erection?”  The truth is - even though there’s some pretty solid evidence the 2016 Trump campaign “colluded with the Russians,” Trump’s post makes it crystal clear he could never be accused of “colluding with a dictionary.”  Now, I hate to sound alarmist, but it kind of sounds like Trump may have some kind of incurable “brain toomer.”  Let us not forget this is a guy who wanted to use nuclear weapons against hurricanes.  Of course, Republicans don’t care what a politician has done or stands for, just as long as there’s an “R” associated with their name.  Hey, maybe R. Kelly should consider a run for VP?  After all, he and Trump sure seem to have a helluva lot in common.

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[destielmemenews]

PolitiFact

[hayden-christensen]

HAYDEN CHRISTENSEN Behind the scenes of ‘Ahsoka - Part Five: Shadow Warrior’ (2023)

[michaeljfox666]

Republican National Committee Chair Ronna McDaniel won her bid Friday to lead the GOP for two more years, prevailing in an election that highlighted fierce internal divisions that threaten to plague the party into the next presidential season.