What’s that old saying: “What CAN go wrong WILL go wrong?” That certainly describes this last week. Let’s “recollect” together:
- The War in Ukraine jumped to higher and more intense fighting with Russia. (That means we must send more money and military equipment to Ukraine);
- Congress can’t agree on a budget deal. The 12 appropriation bills that constitute our budget were NOT even taken up by House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA). And they’ve had the incentive to do so since July!
- The House Oversight Committee began its Impeachment Inquiry with hearings. Though it was humorous to listen to every Democrat on that committee, spend their 5-minute allotments for speeches avoiding any discussions about the President’s actions, instead choosing an all-out war of words against the Republican counterparts;
- Don’t forget: Joe Biden’s Southern Border is WIDE open. And they’re setting records daily — not GOOD records, but the records of how many illegals crossed the border that day! The total number is thousands a day and climbing.
Is there any hope for the United States, or are we “toast?” That question remains unanswered. But it looks like the toaster is warming up! Let’s take a look at this week:
Bullet Points
- Everyone knows the President’s only surviving son, Hunter, has been down a dark road with many nasty incidents. And things for Hunter are far from rosy. He’s facing indictments brought so far for federal gun violations. Many, including me, were surprised when Delaware’s federal attorney brought these charges against Hunter. Why? We look back at his very public drug abuse, alleged prostitution, and even alleged money laundering; these latest charges seem insignificant. Did you know that the feds had considered indicting him for sex trafficking? For complete details, click on this link:
- I’m sure you heard that longtime U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) passed away early Friday morning. She was 90 years old. She had been experiencing multiple health challenges for many months yet maintained her presence and involvement in D.C. in the U.S. Senate until the end. Her death leaves one giant question. California Governor Gavin Newsom must appoint a replacement to serve the remainder of Feinstein’s term in the Senate. Who might that person be? For complete details, click on this link:
- It was humorous to me to watch the GOP Debate #2. The seven candidates went bonkers from its inception. They were loud, nasty, and perpetually talked over their fellow debaters as loud as possible. It seemed like a second-grade classroom where the teacher had been absent for 45 minutes or so! Florida Governor Ron DeSantis went into the debate knowing he had to make a strong showing or else. The “or else” is that he has steadily been losing voter support among Republicans when he, at one point, was the #1 opponent most people thought had the best shot to beat Donald Trump. However, the debate’s numbers tell a vastly different story than most expected. And it isn’t a good look for the Governor. For complete details, click on this link:
- In addition to Governor DeSantis not doing so well after that debate, it seems Americans might have already had enough of these debates. I expected the viewer numbers to increase a little because of all that’s going on politically in D.C. But the exact opposite is true. FOX Business, the host for the debate, did an abysmal job getting their moderators ready to “handle” what most thought would be a loud and contentious get-together. It was deafening and contentious. That may be why debate views in numbers went the other way — DOWN! For complete details, click on this link:
- Many people were stunned to learn that the new Senator from Pennsylvania, John Fetterman, was allowed to wear his “casual” shorts, hoodies, and tennis shoes on the Senate floor! Though there has never been an official dress code, few were OK with Fetterman’s “dressing down.” That has changed! Take a look:
- The Democrat Party made it clear long ago that Joe Biden would be their Party’s candidate in the 2024 presidential election. That put an obvious damper on any contenders’ entry in the race. Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. has made a remarkable impact in his campaign, and many think he would be a perfect replacement on the Dem ticket for Joe Biden. Democrats have feared that Kennedy would bolt from their Party because of Dems’ commitment to Biden and run as an independent. Well, their fears may have been valid. There are rumors that Kennedy is about to make such a move. For complete details, click on this link:
- The U.S. Constitution requires the House to create a budget proposal for the next fiscal year and pass it in both Houses and on the President’s desk for his signature before the end of September each year. Friday, Speaker McCarthy threw a “Hail Mary” pass to his Republican-controlled House called a “CR” — Continuing Resolution. That would give the government a fixed amount of time to complete the budgeting process for next year so they can propose, debate, and vote for a new budget. Friday, 21 of McCarthy’s Republicans voted against McCarthy’s CR! Who are they, and why did they spurn the Speaker? For complete details, click on this link:
- Have you seen how contentious committee hearings held lately in Congress can get? We’ll give you a peek into the latest: the House Oversight Committee hearing that opened the Joe Biden Impeachment Inquiry. In this one section, you’ll see Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL) when recognized for his five-minute time, a Democrat Representative interrupted, demanding he be allowed to present a “point of order” before Donalds could speak. See this for yourself:
- There is a growing cry in the House to “vacate the Speaker’s position,” which means removing Rep. Kevin McCarthy as Speaker. McCarthy agreed to this provision during the contentious battle to choose who would lead the House in this session. McCarthy has been under fire for not making the necessary provisions to put together the budget before its deadline. However, if McCarthy is removed from that spot, who is likely to replace him as Speaker? For complete details, click on this link:
- Former President Donald. Trump has no warm feelings for his former nemesis, Nancy Pelosi (R-CA). In her former capacity as House Speaker during Trump’s presidency, Pelosi despises Trump in every way possible. She fought him and his policies “tooth and nail.” And she constantly made fun of him. Friday, Mr. Trump, when speaking at the California GOP convention, gave a bit of Nancy’s disdain for him back to her in a fiery speech. For complete details, click on this link:
