War

Senate to work Super Bowl weekend after Paul vows to delay Ukraine funding
Senators are slated to work over Super Bowl weekend after Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) pledged to delay votes on a $95.3 billion bill funding Ukraine, Israel and other national security priorities.

Paul called the bill “rotten” and told reporters he wouldn’t agree to speed up the timeline for voting until “hell freezes over.”

As a result, senators are moving at a snail’s pace to finish work on the emergency defense spending package, which faces an uncertain future in the GOP-controlled House.

“I’ll object to anything speeding up this rotten foreign spending bill’s passage,” he declared on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter. “It’s a terrible idea to put forward and pass a bill that tries to secure other countries’ borders before we secure our own. We need to address our problems here at home in a REAL way.”

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) informed Senate colleagues they will vote on a procedural motion to begin debate on the bill at 7 pm on Friday.

He said senators will stay in session until the bill passes, even though the Senate was previously scheduled to take a two-week recess starting Saturday.

Schumer is offering Republicans the chance to vote on amendments if they agree to speed things up.

“I hope our Republican colleagues can work with us to reach an agreement on amendments, so we can move this process along,” he said. “Nevertheless, the Senate will keep working on this bill until the job is done.”

If Paul drags out the floor debate as long as possible, he could delay a vote on final passage until Tuesday.

Adam Smith predicts Democrats would rescue Johnson from revolt over Ukraine
The top Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee is predicting that members of his party would swoop in to rescue Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) if he faces an internal GOP revolt over Ukraine aid. “Democrats would support Johnson,” Rep. Adam Smith (D-Wash.) said this week.

Johnson, since taking over the Speakership last year, has said he supports another round of funding for the beleaguered Ukrainian military. But some conservatives in the Republican conference are fervently opposed to any such proposal. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) has suggested she would launch an effort to oust Johnson if he brings a Ukraine bill to the floor.

Amid the GOP squabbling, Smith forecast that Democrats would help Johnson remain in power if the Speaker works to ensure that Congress’s top priorities get passed through the House, including bills to fund the federal government and a foreign aid supplemental package, featuring Ukraine assistance, which is expected to move through the Senate in the coming days. No Democrats voted to save former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) when he was the target of a motion to vacate in October.

“If we get a vote on the appropriations bills and we get a vote on the supplemental, there’ll be enough Democrats that Johnson will not be removed as Speaker,” Smith said. “That’s just my view.” In that pledge, Smith joins a handful of other Democrats who have also been open to the idea of crossing the aisle to help Johnson survive a potential coup attempt — if he agreed to give Democrats more influence over House business.

Johnson, so far, has been noncommittal about his plans for the legislation. “We’re allowing the process to play out, and we’ll handle it as it is sent over,” he told reporters this week.

The Senate security package had initially combined a series of foreign aid provisions — including assistance for Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan and Gaza — with tougher security measures on the U.S.-Mexico border. But the border components were rejected by Republicans in both chambers who deemed them too lenient, forcing Senate Democratic leaders to strip out the border language and move the foreign aid pieces as a separate package.

That legislation is expected to pass through the Senate in the coming days, but some House conservatives are already warning that they won’t vote to fund a dollar of new foreign aid as long as the migrant crisis at the southern border persists.

Many of those conservatives are pressing President Biden to take executive action on the border — including the installation of “remain in Mexico” policies adopted under former President Trump — while warning that there’s no chance the lower chamber will pass Ukraine aid until the southern border is secure. Fueling that opposition is Trump himself, who says the issue is better left to him as he races to return to the White House.

“If the president secured the southern border — which he could do by executive order today — if he did that, you would have room to figure out how to get money for Ukraine. Many members on Capitol Hill would go for it,” Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.) said this week. “But without a secure southern border, it’s not going to happen.”

Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), another sharp critic of more Ukraine funding, had led the effort to topple Johnson’s predecessor and is now warning Johnson against bringing the Senate bill to the floor. “There’s a celebratory mood about killing that bad Senate amnesty-war bill, and we may have to kill a few more,” Gaetz said. “I strongly encourage the Speaker to have some pay-for in any aid to any foreign country,” he added.

The most explicit threat has come from Greene, a frequent critic of Johnson’s leadership tactics, who has warned she would file a motion to vacate the Speakership if he brings Ukraine aid to the floor. “If he funds $60 billion to fund a war in Ukraine to continue killing a whole generation of Ukrainian men — to continue a war that is a losing war, that [Ukrainian President Volodymyr] Zelensky’s ready for peace talks — yeah, I would introduce the motion to vacate myself,” Greene told reporters last month. The Georgia firebrand has more recently toned down that threat. But Democrats have taken notice, accusing Johnson and other GOP leaders of caving to the most rebellious voices in the GOP conference at the expense of helping an embattled ally repel Russia’s invasion.

“You can look at the battlefield and ports now, with Russians pouring into towns in Eastern Ukraine — incredibly vulnerable,” Smith said. “But Ukrainians don’t have the ammunition to take ‘em out. And that’s what we’re letting happen.” Smith noted that Johnson staged a vote this week on a stand-alone Israel aid bill, which was supported by all but 14 Republicans, without any conditions related to the southern border. “We can’t vote on Ukraine because we can’t say that their border is more important than ours. But Israel’s border is more important than ours? You want to explain that?” Smith said. “So it seems to me that the will of the House majority — and a majority of House Republicans, for that matter — who support defending Ukraine should at least be given the opportunity to have a vote.”

printer said:

Adam Smith predicts Democrats would rescue Johnson from revolt over Ukraine
The top Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee is predicting that members of his party would swoop in to rescue Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) if he faces an internal GOP revolt over Ukraine aid. “Democrats would support Johnson,” Rep. Adam Smith (D-Wash.) said this week.

Johnson, since taking over the Speakership last year, has said he supports another round of funding for the beleaguered Ukrainian military. But some conservatives in the Republican conference are fervently opposed to any such proposal. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) has suggested she would launch an effort to oust Johnson if he brings a Ukraine bill to the floor.

Amid the GOP squabbling, Smith forecast that Democrats would help Johnson remain in power if the Speaker works to ensure that Congress’s top priorities get passed through the House, including bills to fund the federal government and a foreign aid supplemental package, featuring Ukraine assistance, which is expected to move through the Senate in the coming days. No Democrats voted to save former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) when he was the target of a motion to vacate in October.

“If we get a vote on the appropriations bills and we get a vote on the supplemental, there’ll be enough Democrats that Johnson will not be removed as Speaker,” Smith said. “That’s just my view.” In that pledge, Smith joins a handful of other Democrats who have also been open to the idea of crossing the aisle to help Johnson survive a potential coup attempt — if he agreed to give Democrats more influence over House business.

Johnson, so far, has been noncommittal about his plans for the legislation. “We’re allowing the process to play out, and we’ll handle it as it is sent over,” he told reporters this week.

The Senate security package had initially combined a series of foreign aid provisions — including assistance for Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan and Gaza — with tougher security measures on the U.S.-Mexico border. But the border components were rejected by Republicans in both chambers who deemed them too lenient, forcing Senate Democratic leaders to strip out the border language and move the foreign aid pieces as a separate package.

That legislation is expected to pass through the Senate in the coming days, but some House conservatives are already warning that they won’t vote to fund a dollar of new foreign aid as long as the migrant crisis at the southern border persists.

Many of those conservatives are pressing President Biden to take executive action on the border — including the installation of “remain in Mexico” policies adopted under former President Trump — while warning that there’s no chance the lower chamber will pass Ukraine aid until the southern border is secure. Fueling that opposition is Trump himself, who says the issue is better left to him as he races to return to the White House.

“If the president secured the southern border — which he could do by executive order today — if he did that, you would have room to figure out how to get money for Ukraine. Many members on Capitol Hill would go for it,” Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.) said this week. “But without a secure southern border, it’s not going to happen.”

Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), another sharp critic of more Ukraine funding, had led the effort to topple Johnson’s predecessor and is now warning Johnson against bringing the Senate bill to the floor. “There’s a celebratory mood about killing that bad Senate amnesty-war bill, and we may have to kill a few more,” Gaetz said. “I strongly encourage the Speaker to have some pay-for in any aid to any foreign country,” he added.

The most explicit threat has come from Greene, a frequent critic of Johnson’s leadership tactics, who has warned she would file a motion to vacate the Speakership if he brings Ukraine aid to the floor. “If he funds $60 billion to fund a war in Ukraine to continue killing a whole generation of Ukrainian men — to continue a war that is a losing war, that [Ukrainian President Volodymyr] Zelensky’s ready for peace talks — yeah, I would introduce the motion to vacate myself,” Greene told reporters last month. The Georgia firebrand has more recently toned down that threat. But Democrats have taken notice, accusing Johnson and other GOP leaders of caving to the most rebellious voices in the GOP conference at the expense of helping an embattled ally repel Russia’s invasion.

“You can look at the battlefield and ports now, with Russians pouring into towns in Eastern Ukraine — incredibly vulnerable,” Smith said. “But Ukrainians don’t have the ammunition to take ‘em out. And that’s what we’re letting happen.” Smith noted that Johnson staged a vote this week on a stand-alone Israel aid bill, which was supported by all but 14 Republicans, without any conditions related to the southern border. “We can’t vote on Ukraine because we can’t say that their border is more important than ours. But Israel’s border is more important than ours? You want to explain that?” Smith said. “So it seems to me that the will of the House majority — and a majority of House Republicans, for that matter — who support defending Ukraine should at least be given the opportunity to have a vote.”

Adam Smith predicts Democrats would rescue Johnson from revolt over Ukraine

The top Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee is predicting that members of his party would swoop in to rescue Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) if he faces an internal GOP revolt over Ukraine …

thehill.com

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I posted this in the accomplishments of democrats thread but it seems to apply here as well.


I get the sense that in his speech, Jeffries reached out to Republicans who were would be willing to work with them to get important legislation passed that the MAGA caucus are blocking including military aid to Ukraine. It would be nice if we could see a working relationship develop in the House and Senate that defeats Trump's call for chaos and inaction in Congress. I'm dreaming, but it would be nice.

Fogdog said:

I posted this in the accomplishments of democrats thread but it seems to apply here as well.

I get the sense that in his speech, Jeffries reached out to Republicans who were would be willing to work with them to get important legislation passed that the MAGA caucus are blocking including military aid to Ukraine. It would be nice if we could see a working relationship develop in the House and Senate that defeats Trump's call for chaos and inaction in Congress. I'm dreaming, but it would be nice.

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The election is coming and something has to be done, Trump will be in a blind panic soon and having the GOP house by the shorthairs during primary season is not good, for the speaker or the country, he has Johnson by the Johnson. Trump's demands and threats will grow even more dramatic as he gets closer to conviction and they will be made against GOP house members, one does not need to be prescient to know that!

DIY-HP-LED said:

The election is coming and something has to be done, Trump will be in a blind panic soon and having the GOP house by the shorthairs during primary season is not good, for the speaker or the country, he has Johnson by the Johnson. Trump's demands and threats will grow even more dramatic as he gets closer to conviction and they will be made against GOP house members, one does not need to be prescient to know that!

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Printer put out an interesting link and posted some or all of the article that showed perhaps a way forward for Johnson IF he should feel any heat from his constituents regarding actually getting something done about the border and Ukraine, something Johnson said he wanted to get done, btw. I posted a speech by the House Minority leader, Jeffries where he seemed to be reaching out. It would be nice if something positive could rise out of the current impasse.

But maybe certainly Trump would say no. From a procedural or legal point of view, there is nothing Trump can do to stop it if Jeffries and Johnson decided to collaborate. I'd love to see it happen.

Little more bout the Comrade Tucker and Putin talks....

They will supply long range cruise missiles soon...

DIY-HP-LED said:

They will supply long range cruise missiles soon...

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1756020562197958977

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A military man himself, on to Russia since Pussy Riot, and perhaps it's Russia's luck he doesn't have anywhere near the powers you attribute to him. Member of CDU, not in government even though still largest party. With AfD (far-right) rising and a new left-wing party both wanting to end support and call for negotiations... and only 15% of Germans believing the war will end in 2024, and Scholz not wanting to send them, no they won't.

You're quoting the opposition, whose proposal was rejected:


Roderich Kiesewetter [guy from tweet in your post] says that Kyiv's stated goal of recapturing all Russian-occupied territories, including Crimea, is both correct and achievable. But retired Brigadier General Helmut Ganser told news outlet Zeit Online that "the expectation that Ukraine will be able to restore its full territorial integrity by military means is based on a complete loss of touch with reality, considering the force that would be required and the decreasing willingness of key Western governments to provide support."

DIY-HP-LED said:

Just to get a sample of the European mood...

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1755764965661683757

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Actual fascist racist neo-nazi populist with immigrant-gang-rape fantasies and "violence being an underrated tool" when it comes to solving the gay-problem is totally the mood in Europe right now.

That guy lends credence to Putin's denazification propaganda. Whether it's gays, poc, muslims or Russians doesn't matter to him, as long as he has a chance to enter Valhalla. Like I said in the Right Wing nuts thread, all the far-right parties in EU have one or two good points, for some it's castrating pedophiles, for others it's killing Russian invaders. Not surprised they have a different view than for example German far-right, given they share a border with Russia.

"Finland participated in the Second World War initially in a defensive war against the Soviet Union, followed by another, this time offensive, war against the Soviet Union acting in concert with Nazi Germany and then finally fighting alongside the Allies against Germany."

Just off the front lines, cars drive without headlights, gas station where only the numbers on the pumps are lit up, the supermarket where they went is all blacked out, the light of your phone screen can welcome an unfriendly visitor (paraphrasing the previous section of the video).

Zelenski

printer said:

Just off the front lines, cars drive without headlights, gas station where only the numbers on the pumps are lit up, the supermarket where they went is all blacked out, the light of your phone screen can welcome an unfriendly visitor (paraphrasing the previous section of the video).

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How close is Ukrane to waiving the white flag?

Hope Russia did need this, nother 100mil that went poof in the night...

bobPinfeather said:

Zelenski
How close is Ukrane to waiving the white flag?

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Depends how long it will take for the US to supply more ammo. They will get over the winter, probably spring but they will be loosing some ground. After Putin wins the election they will call up a mobilization with more meat to throw into the fire. Ukraine may be saving their ammunition for that. By spring the Europeans will probably have ramped up their production of shells and it should give Ukraine a chance if the US does not straighten its shit out. Don't hold your breath, the war will go into 2025.

Seen a cute response.

Why does Russia use the "Z" instead of the normal Nazi swatika?

Copywrite or licensing issues?

No, the failing defense in Avdiivka was a choice—by Russia-aligned Republicans in the U.S. Congress. When these lawmakers declined to approve further aid to Ukraine starting in October—coincidentally, around the same time the Russians attacked Avdiivka—the howitzers the 110th Brigade was counting on to turn Avdiivka’s flanks into an artillery kill-zone began to fall silent.

I don’t believe him; do you?

Now that Lyndsey Graham,the hawk of hawks(bomb Iran 2wks. ago) has come out in opposition to Ukraine funding(Senate attempt after border bill collapse) in his latest ball washing of Agent Orange,in combination w/Johnson's House of scumbags,Ukraine looks like they are on their own regarding US help at least til a Biden W in Nov. As an American I feel shame that we can actually leave them to dry on the vine and that we have pols. so blind to
history's lessons and so obtuse to our nation's reputation. To pass up a chance to grind Putin's dick in the dirt for what is less than 5% of our Defense budget while supporting a brave,fledgling democracy is criminal,and the trembling ground I feel in my feet are all past R's rolling in their graves.

Russia lobs a Zircon at a plainly civilian target