Biden Asks Lame Duck Congress to Quickly Expedite Another $38 Billion for Ukraine Plus $9 Billion for Big Pharma


Posted originally on the conservative tree house on November 15, 2022 | Sundance

The White House is urging Nancy Pelosi to utilize the lame duck congressional session and construct a massive omnibus spending bill that will wrap Ukraine funding, COVID spending and a federal budget extension via continuous resolution.  The request for Ukraine funding is an additional $38 billion.

Federal funds to support FEMA and hurricane recovery efforts will likely be part of the bargaining chips. Essentially, the sausage ingredients are: if congress doesn’t give Zelenskyy more money, then DeSantis will not get federal financial assistance.

If you don’t support Ukraine, you’re a Russian operative.

WASHINGTON DC – The Biden administration sent a letter to Congress on Tuesday outlining nearly a $38 billion request to help Ukraine continue fending off Russian attacks.

The administration is also asking for $10 billion in emergency health funding, with more than $9 billion going toward Covid vaccine access, next-generation Covid vaccines, long Covid research and more. About $750 million would be spent on efforts to control the spread of monkeypox, hepatitis C and HIV.

Congress has so far provided about $66 billion for Ukraine and other war-related needs. The administration argues that about three-quarters of that funding has either been spent or is committed to specific purposes.

An administration official said the White House plans to request additional disaster relief in the coming weeks to help with hurricane and wildfire recovery but didn’t provide any tentative figure.

The administration’s request for emergency money comes as appropriators aim to clinch a year-end government funding deal that would stave off a partial government shutdown on Dec. 16 and increase agency budgets for the current fiscal year. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has already promised to provide more money for Ukraine in a government funding package, while some conservatives are arguing that the U.S. should cut off financial assistance and assess how funding for the country has been spent to date. (read more)

Deja Vu, Senator McConnell Says Midterm Voters Were Scared of Extremist Candidates


Posted originally on the conservative tree house on November 15, 2022 | Sundance 

In an identical rehash of Republican Senator Mitch McConnell’s purge of Tea Party populism in 2012, a decade later Mitch McConnell gives his perspective on the 2022 midterm election by saying the MAGA populists were just too extreme for independent voters.  If only, the professionally political would have listened to his program and made the white wine spritzer crowd comfier, Republicans would have won.

This is the exact same playbook McConnell used in 2012 to align with his Democrat party friends and destroy the Tea Party movement.  Those who wear sweaters on their shoulders and live amid the high-minded tribes, were just “too frightened” of the unwashed Republican candidates in 2022.  Seriously, those are his words, “too frightened.” WATCH:

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Most casual political observers have absolutely no idea how McConnell works.  However, for over a decade CTH has been trying –mostly failing– to awaken the base of commonsense voters.  In 2010, 2011 and 2012 the #1 priority for McConnell was to destroy the threat represented by the Tea Party.  In 2022 we are seeing an exact replay of the same intents and purposes, only this time the target is President Trump’s MAGA movement.

Keep in mind this is the same Mitch McConnell who was challenged by the audience during a 2017 Rotary Club meeting in Kentucky, about why he refused to support the election priorities of President Trump.  McConnell responded, “I’d ask for a show of hands, but I know everybody’s saying, ‘been there, haven’t done anything,’ which I find extremely irritating — and I’m going to tell you why.”

McConnell continued, “a Congress goes on for two years. Part of the reason I think that the storyline is that we haven’t done much is because, in part, the president and others have set these early timelines about things need to be done by a certain point,” he said.  Then came the kicker, “our new president, of course, has not been in this line of work before, and I think had excessive expectations about how quickly things happen in the Democratic process.

Ah, the customs, traditions and parliamentary norms of the Senate were to blame for republican intransigence on the Trump agenda.  President Trump held “excessive expectations” as to what could be done to support the America-First agenda in the senate.

According to Mitch McConnell, it was Trump’s fault for thinking a Republican majority Senate would work to support the American middle-class.

Comments like that reveal for most what the true motive of Senator McConnell is all about.  It is a motive and agenda all wrapped up in the senate power structure.

McConnell does not fear being in the minority; the color of the flag atop the spire of the UniParty Senate does not matter to those underneath it.  McConnell maneuvers with just as much power in the minority as he does in the majority.

In fact, McConnell makes more money selling his DeceptiCon caucus votes to Chuck Schumer (on behalf of Wall Street) than he does in the majority where he is forced to purchase them.

Indeed, the entire scheme is a rigged game, as Christopher Bedford realized last year and wrote in The Federalist [SEE HERE] after Mitch McConnell delivered his post-election impeachment floor speech.  A ploy to destroy the MAGA movement with Trump removed:

THE FEDERALIST – […] “So what’s all behind this? After four years of yelling “MAGA!” while pushing his own classic, corporate Republican policies, McConnell had hoped to rid himself and his conference of the conservative populist nationalism the former president had championed and go back to the way things were.

He wants a return to promising to tackle illegal immigration before winking at corporate America that nothing will change. He wants to raise money on fighting the abortion of our infants while comfortably lifting nary a finger. He wants to shrug and change the subject when asked about men dominating women’s sports and using women’s bathrooms. He wants fewer taxes and more wars. Hell, he wants someone to blame for the Republican losses in the Georgia special election, and with them the loss of his seat at the head of the Senate.

Instead, his push to impeach ended with rebuke from his own conference. Angry and embarrassed, he blamed his own colleagues as well as the former president, performing a 20-minute attack ad for the left to use on Republicans for the next election cycle and beyond.” (read more)

Through his power structure, McConnell directly controls about 8 to 15 Republican senators; we have called them “The Decepticons” for years. [Cornyn, Thune, Porter, Blunt, Portman, Burr, Barasso, Crapo, Murkowski, Gardner, Roberts, Sasse, Tillis, Rubio, Graham, Romney, and now, Tim Scott]

McConnell has a well-used playbook he deploys to retain power at all costs and select candidates that will be indebted to his Senate schemes. The 2022 Senate candidates have been up against the same Mitch McConnell club machine that readers here are very familiar with.

To remind ourselves how Minority and Majority Senator McConnell took down the threat of the Tea Party, revisit these old articles CNN Part I and CNN Part II  both showcase how McConnell works.   Then do some research on how McConnell worked with Haley Barbour in Mississippi [SEE HERE].

For those who follow the deep weeds of politics, McConnell’s schemes are brutally transparent. For the remaining 97% of the voting electorate, they still don’t understand how the UniParty works. Decepticon leader McConnell doesn’t want the American electorate to see purchased Senate Republicans voting NO on border security.

McConnell must preserve the trough.  Yes, Democrats are ‘our’ opponents; they are ideological enemies to freedom and a constitutional republic. However, just as dangerous an enemy is Mitch McConnell; the man who builds and fills the Trojan Horses that are presented to the voters every two years in order to maintain the illusion of choice.

Biden’s IRS Army in Jeopardy


Armstrong Economics Blog/The Hunt for Taxes Re-Posted Nov 8, 2022 by Martin Armstrong

Biden’s IRS army of 87,000 new armed recruits is coming under fire by the Republican party. Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Sen. Jon Thune (R-SD) are working on a bill that would require Congress to approve IRS spending. Both men also sit on the House-Senate Joint Committee on Taxation. Biden would like to spend $80 billion on his IRS army over the next decade to shake down American taxpayers.

Our bill will ensure that the IRS is answerable to the American people in how it uses this money and will force it to forfeit funds every day it’s not in compliance,” Grassley said. “If our bill becomes law, the Biden administration’s IRS would have to answer to the American people, not Washington bureaucrats,” Thune added. The American people fund the IRS, and it is only right that they vote on how their money is spent. In fact, they should vote on whether there is a need for the IRS at all.

If the bill passes, the IRS must explain how they use their money every year. Funding to the IRS would be withheld if they failed to comply. If Congress turns red this November, this measure is likely to pass. This would be a great first step in a long overdue overhaul of the entire US tax system, which is designed to be as complex as possible so that the government can squeeze funds out of every citizen.

Cooperate or perish – U.N. chief tells COP27


Reuters Published originally on Rumble on November 7, 2022

United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres told leaders gathered at the start of the COP27 summit in Egypt on Monday (November 7) they face a stark choice: work together now to cut emissions or condemn future generations to climate catastrophe.

Portland’s Homeless Crisis – A Tale of a Blue City


Armstrong Economics Blog/North America Re-Posted Nov 4, 2022 by Martin Armstrong

Oregon is a beautiful picturesque state. Mountains, waterfalls, and beautiful beaches – Oregon was once a desirable place to live. Portland was a promising metropolitan area before politicians completely destroyed the city with light-on-crime policies.

 The Portland Business Journal reported that high-earning residents relocated to areas like Deschutes County, Arizona, and Texas. As in all societies, the highest earners who have the ability to relocate are the first to flee crumbling cities. Multnomah County saw a decline of 2,000 taxpayers between 2019 and 2020, but more have likely fled.

As of June, the average rent in Portland was $1,700, but many will tell you that estimate is low. This is not why homelessness has spiked. Over the past two years alone, the homeless population increased by 25%! Homeless camps have moved into the suburbs as people simply have nowhere to go. The city has attempted to authorize homeless encampment sites in certain areas, but there is not enough room. Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler (D) has done nothing to address the mental health and drug abuse crises at the root of the problem. This is an extremely sad situation, as no one should live in this manner.

The pandemic added to the crisis, but Portland declared a state of emergency back in 2015 due to the drastic number of unhoused people. Oregon legalized hard drugs in February 2021. People may legally carry heroin, cocaine, methadone, oxycodone, and even methamphetamine for personal use. Most users will only face a $100 fine. Drug overdoses rose by 41% in 2020 from the year prior.

As we have seen in many Democrat-run cities, theft is basically legal. The Organized Retail Crime Association of Oregon (ORCAOR) conducted a poll that found 95% of businesses are unhappy with the relaxed crime laws, and 80% admitted theft had risen significantly. “We’ve seen an increase in assaults, in drug use within the stores, threats, individuals threatening with weapons,” said Jeremy Girard, the president of ORCAOR, who conducted the survey in late spring. Around 80% said there was not an adequate police response, but that is because they voted to defund the police and urged them to turn a blind eye to crime.

Businesses are closing, and people are fleeing the city. The Oregon Mayors Association wants to spend $123.5 million annually to prolong the problem rather than address the causes. Another example of poor policies ruining a blue city and asking taxpayers for more funding to throw money at the problem.

Division of Pure Hatred


Armstrong Economics Blog/Politics Re-Posted Nov 3, 2022 by Martin Armstrong

QUESTION: Dear Marty
Are we indeed witnessing this divide between socialists/Marxists and conservatives/sensible people worldwide not just in the USA? Is this the last worldwide battle against marxism (anti-God)?
Look at Brazil. No different. In the protests yesterday several Lula supporters actually ran over Bolsonaristas who were protesting in the street. At least 5 were taken to the hospital and reports of some deaths. They were filmed on people’s phones. It’s horrible what the left will do.
Is this the point where we all need to choose a side and step up to be counted? Freedom has to be fought for it seems.

SP

ANSWER: Unfortunately, yes. While the United States is deeply divided and will ultimately break up as will Europe, our politicians have been fanning the flames of division. The controversy that Tucker Carlson created by characterizing Jammie Raskin as saying “Russia is an Orthodox Christian country with traditional social values. And for that reason, it must be destroyed no matter what the cost to us.”  Tucker’s interpretation of Raskin’s speech is incorrect. Implied by Raskin was that the Democrats stand for freedom and politicians should not be telling you what to do. He insinuates that Putin rejects those ideas implied because it is an Orthodox Christian Country. Putin has rejected the West’s cancel culture and teaching sexual fluidity to children he called a Crime against Humanity.

Putin has said that the cancel culture, and divisions of people, were once part of Russia and led to its demise. Yes, he stands against homosexuality, and this is part of what is inferred by Raskin that Russia is not as liberal and rejects the principles of Wokeness and the push of the Democrats. Did Raskin outright call for a religious war? No. However, his vitriol is rather absurd pretending that the Democrats stand for democracy and freedom when they are dictating how everyone should live from heating their homes to what they drive. Then, he pretends that America stands for Ukraine while refusing to explain that Zelensky has outlawed Russian to be spoken by Russians in the Donbas and that they are to surrender their religious beliefs as well.

On September 6th, 2014, an official statement was made illustrating the religious battle that was also unfolding. The new Patriarch Filaret, who heads the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kyivan Patriarchate, came out and said that Russian President Vladimir Putin has fallen under the spell of Satan and faces eternal damnation to hell unless he repents.

The Western press refuses to report the antics of Zelensky. He has waged a holy war. He has raised the so-called Patriarch of Kyiv and ordered all the Russians in the Donbas that their churches are now to be subsidiaries of Kyiv. He has supplanted the Patriarch of Moscow replacing him with his Kyiv version effectively this is like replacing the Pope with some local bishop. The French did that by seizing the Papacy and moving it from Rome to Avignon. But, hey, Zelensky stands for freedom and democracy while refusing to honor the Mink Agreement that was to allow the Donbas to vote on their independence. So much for democracy.

Why should there be one country under God? It was the Civil War that saw the motto “IN GOD WE TRUST” appears on American Currency in 1864. God is no longer part of the foundation of the United States. Marxism is forbidden by the Ten Commandments. Religion has been under assault in America for quite some time. Some have argued that getting rid of paper money will even kill that motto once and for all.

There is nothing about the United States that adheres to any religious dogma. This idea of “freedom” is really freedom from any religious restraint. This is what has divided the country deeply and the Democrats are looking to win on Abortion. There were extreme abortion supporters who supported even an abortion right after birth. Even the Washington Post had to question that one. I suppose we can do away with the death penalty and just call it post-birth abortion to make it sound better and legal.

The world is divided. Politicians have caused havoc worldwide. They are only interested in winning at all costs and have been demonizing their opponents and that simply divides the country just as Hillary called everyone who voted for Trump, 50%+ – DEPLORABLES. Let’s face it. Both sides are running campaigns of hate.

The United States is already divided. History confirms that a house divided like this cannot possibly stand. The post-2032 era will be a period where society must come to grips with how to design a nation from scratch. The politicians have fueled the politics of hate. I for one could never see myself even dating someone from the other side politically. It would result in constant arguments and at the end of the day, you just cannot live with someone who would be opposed to all your basic beliefs.

Virtue Signaling for Ukraine Wanes


Armstrong Economics Blog/Politics Re-Posted Nov 3, 2022 by Martin Armstrong

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CNBC reported that Biden and Zelensky exchanged harsh words during a phone call in June 2022. After securing an additional $1 billion in funds from Americans, Zelensky said that the US needs to provide more for Ukraine. Biden losing his temper and Zelensky begging for more money are both believable situations. Similar to a child crying for dessert before dinner, Biden caved and gave Zelensky everything he wanted. Zelensky knows he can continually push for more, but that may change.

The media released this story because they want Americans to believe that the Biden Administration is finding Ukraine’s constant requests asinine at this point. The people at the voting booths this November are watching their own cities crumble and are struggling to understand why America has sent over $20 billion to Ukraine this year. The prospect of a world war has Americans even more wary of this endless support.

A Pew Research Center poll from September showed that public support for Ukraine is fading in America. Out of 10,588 respondents, 26% were no longer concerned about the war in Ukraine. In May, 55% of people cited they were “extremely” or “very” concerned about Russia defeating Ukraine, but that figure fell by 17 percentage points to 38% by September. Around 42% of Americans felt that the US was not providing enough support back in March when the war began, but that number has dwindled to 18%.

Americans are now less concerned with Russia invading other nations outside Ukraine. Putin is not interested in conquering new land, and his motives are not akin to a Hitler situation of expanding a dead empire as the media first presented. Yet, people are more concerned now about the possibility of a nuclear war, as 52% of Democrats and 37% of Republicans expressed in the Pew Research Center survey.

Sources say Ukraine would like up to $60 billion in additional funds and will continue using America and Western allies as an ATM until legislation is passed to stop this nonsense.