Tag Archives: Mitt Romney

Oct 21 2023

White House Asks Congress for $106 Billion – $61 Billion for Ukraine, $14 Billion for Israel, $9 Billion for Gaza and Humanitarian Relief


Posted originally on the CTH on October 20, 2023 | Sundance


The people behind Joe Biden have put together a single $106 billion request of financial support intended to force Congress to fund the priorities of the Obama/Biden U.S. foreign policy.

The supplemental appropriations request [SEE HERE] also includes funds to support the continued flow of illegal aliens at the southern border.

WASHINGTON – […] All told, the request includes $61.4 billion for Ukraine, including $44.4 billion to provide Department of Defense equipment for the country, to replenish weapons stocks and to continue providing other military support. The administration is also asking for $14.3 billion for Israel and $9.15 billion for the State Department to provide humanitarian assistance to Ukraine, Israel and Gaza.

[…] In addition to the funds for the two wars, the White House is also asking Congress for $13.6 billion to address migration at the southern border. That includes $6.4 billion for border operations, such as holding facilities, $3.1 billion for additional border agents, $1.4 billion for migrant shelters and services and $1.2 billion to counter fentanyl. (read more)

Oct 21 2023

The Big Ugly Continues – After 3rd Round House Vote, Representative Jim Jordan Loses Internal Secret Ballot 122 Nay, 86 Yea


Posted originally on the CTH on October 20, 2023 | Sundance

The Big Ugly battle over control of the Republican Party in Congress was always going to be big and ugly.  We are witnessing the professional Republican apparatus fight hard to retain the UniParty business model that affords them all the affluence and indulgence they are accustomed to.

By now we well understand the nature of the DC political system as a business model. Factually, that’s why congressional candidates spend millions to take a job earning a few hundred thousand.  The business of DC political life is filled with background payments to politicians, family and friends. The business of DC politics provides a life of affluence that is disconnected from most understanding.

Jim Jordan lost his third effort to secure the House Speaker role in a floor vote earlier today.  Following the floor vote, the Republican Caucus held a closed-door meeting and another secret ballot to determine if Jordan should continue.  When they didn’t have to put their names in front of the public for scrutiny, 122 professional members of the Republican Party voted against Jordan, with only 86 votes in support of Jordan continuing.   Jim Jordan from Ohio is done.

Within the voting and the turmoil, we see the axiom bell ring true.   Democrats want power, Republicans want money.  Democrats use money to get power, Republicans use power to get money.  Democrat donors support ideology.  Republican politicians chase donor money.  This is the essential difference in the two wings of the UniParty apparatus.

♦ What becomes visible…. Threaten the power of Democrats, and you receive the weaponization of government.  Threaten the money of Republicans, and you get this Big Ugly outcome.  That’s what we are witnessing.

On the positive side, with each passing example more American voters are starting to understand the nature of the UniParty apparatus.  Within this painful understanding you find the reason why support for Donald J. Trump grows.  Trump threatens the Democrat power structure; so, they weaponize the full weight of government against him (Main Justice, FBI, IC, FISA, the works).  However, Trump also threatens the Republican structure of affluence; so, we see them step aside and willfully watch the weaponization of government against their common enemy.  That’s also what we are witnessing.

WASHINGTON DC – In a shocking turn, Jim Jordan on Friday lost an internal GOP vote that was intended to show confidence in him remaining as his party’s speaker designee.

The Ohio Republican is now no longer his party’s pick to lead the House, a demise sealed by a GOP secret ballot just after his third failed floor vote as a speaker hopeful.

It was an unexpectedly fast end to the Ohio conservative’s candidacy to lead the chaos-ridden Republican conference — and a sign that the flailing party is fed up on its 17th day without a speaker. Lawmakers now plan to leave Washington for the weekend as the next round of ambitious Republicans decide whether to mount their own speaker bids.

But most Republicans acknowledge that even with new faces to consider, they still have no clear path to uniting their splintered conference. They have already rejected two speaker candidates — Jordan and House Majority Leader Steve Scalise — as well as former Speaker Kevin McCarthy during this month alone.

McCarthy gave voice to a sentiment that’s growing within the GOP: The party’s inability to run the half of Congress that it narrowly won doesn’t bode well for its broader future.

“I’m concerned about where we go from here,” said McCarthy, who had been backing Jordan. “It’s astonishing to me, and we are in a very bad position as a party.”

Jordan’s loss of the speaker nod from his party came as something of a surprise, since he had sought the internal vote with allies preparing to cite it as a show of continued support for his candidacy. Instead, the secret ballot revealed that while Jordan’s public opposition never topped 25 votes, scores more House Republicans wanted to see him out of the race.

[…] In all, 122 Republicans voted to boot Jordan as their party’s nominee, while 86 said he should remain their choice, according to two people familiar with the private discussions. Five members voted present.  (read more)

Wall Street, the multinational corporations, the billionaire donors, the people who control the ‘illusion of choice’ mechanisms within the Republican Party apparatus, are all smiling.   Meanwhile, Main Street USA is once again furious.  But remember, the Wall Street group just doesn’t care.  As long as they retain full control over the puppets in DC, including at least 122 Republicans in the House, the multinationals are happy.

The Big Ugly battle continues.

It’s a BIG CLUB, and we ain’t in it….  YET!  

Oct 20 2023

US Provokes China – Russia’s Alliance with China Grow Stronger


Armstrong Economicsa Blog/War Re-Posted Oct 20, 2023 by Martin Armstrong

China has attempted to remain neutral but the Neocons won’t allow that to happen. China is enjoying its recent economic boom and building strategic partnerships through trade and international relations. China has grown to become a global power and will become the next financial capital of the world when all is said and done. Never in my wildest dreams did I ever expect personally that the West would be the aggressor. Now I can see Neocons, who I even personally have known, are really in control of the Biden Administration. The Pentagon released the video above, with CBS News claiming Chinese fighter jets were harassing US planes in international airspace.

Were the planes flying by the coast of California or Hawaii? No. US warplanes were flying near the Taiwan Strait once again. China has repeatedly warned America not to interfere in its One China policy with Taiwan. The media spins the situation as if the government actually cares about the people of Taiwan. The truth of the matter is that the Neocons want to play war games with our tax dollars and do not like China’s recent success or status as an economic powerhouse.

China will eventually be pushed to the brink and will have no alternative but to engage in war. The Pentagon said that US and Chinese fighter planes have come in close contact 180 times since 2021, surpassing the number of encounters of the past decade. China now has the ability to push back and knows the West’s resources are stretched thin.

Putin visited Xi this week in Beijing where he was greeted as a guest of honor. Syria, Saudi Arabia, and Iran are heavily backed by Russia and China, among other Middle Eastern nations. The BRICS partnership has grown so strong that no one is dependent on Western energy, and eventually, no one will be dependent on Western trade or debt. They no longer need to use the currency of their adversary. China is attempting to remain neutral in both the Israel-Palestine and Russia-Ukraine wars, but Taiwan is where they draw the line.

As a Senator, Joe Biden scoffed at the idea of a China-Russia alliance in the event of NATO encroaching on Eastern Europe. Take a look at the video above from 1997 — yes, that was Joe Biden before his health declined to the point where he can hardly speak or step off a stage. Putin was Yeltsin’s deputy-in-chief at this time of this speech, and Bill Clinton was the president of the US. Baltic states were lining up to join NATO back then, which threatened Russia’s national security. Biden insisted that Russia would have no alternative but “to look West.” This was one of the original plans to infiltrate Russia and install a pro-Western leader.

“Yes, we see that some people consider it an attempt by the People’s Republic of China to put someone under its thumb, but we see otherwise. We just see a desire for cooperation,” Putin stated. Last year, China and Russia signed a “no limits” partnership in the wake of the war in Ukraine. They are teaming up against Western aggression, it is not the other way around. All of the players are aligning and preparing for the inevitable.

Oct 20 2023

The House Will Hold a Third Vote for Jim Jordan as Speaker Nominee Tomorrow, Friday, at 10:00am ET


Posed originally on the CTH on October 19, 2023 | Sundance

After a lengthy and often combative GOP conference earlier today, Jim Jordan’s office has announced there will be a 3rd vote for House Speaker Friday at 10:00am.

“The House will vote Friday at 10 a.m. on a third speaker ballot, according to Jordan’s spokesman.” {link}

The UniParty Republicans had earlier floated an interim proposal to grant temporary House Speaker Patrick McHenry with additional authorities which would gain Democratic vote support.  The concept was to get the House through a round of funding for Israel and Ukraine aid and avoiding a shutdown, until January.  However, that effort fell short as the non UniParty Republicans would not agree to the plan.

Jordan spoke briefly about that issue following the conference meeting.  WATCH (46 secs):

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(Via Politico) – […] Republicans are split. Jordan, for now, isn’t ready to call it quits, and some of his backers are gearing up for trench warfare.

“I can tell you, nobody in our conference can get to 217 on two rounds, and three legislative days. So I think he deserves more time,” Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), a Jordan ally, told reporters. “I’m in favor of trying. For Jordan, I would go at least another week.”

Yet his opponents insist there is no negotiation to be had that would result in him winning the gavel. They’ve already detailed death threats and intimidation efforts that they say have only hardened their anti-Jordan stance. (read more) 

The House GOP Speaker’s race is a system of conniving and positioning for a cushy committee assignment, indulgences from the lobbyist control apparatus, office locations and Machiavellian influence for the best junkets and largest leadership PAC deposits.  That’s the truth, the non-pretending truth about the system at work behind the GOPe House Speaker vote.

This internecine professionally Republican stuff has nothing to do with principle centered leadership, and everything to do with self-indulgences and personal affluence.

Here are the 22 professional Republicans who would prefer to see a Democrat House Speaker:

♦ Don Bacon: (202) 225-4155; @RepDonBacon (voted McCarthy) ♦ *Vern Buchanan: (202) 225-5015;@vern Buchanan (voted Donalds) ♦ Ken Buck: (202) 225-4676; @RepKenBuck  (voted for Emmer) ♦ Lori Chavez-DeRemer: (202) 225-5711; @RepLCD (voted McCarthy) ♦ Anthony D’Esposito: (202) 225-5516; @anthonydespo (voted Zeldin) ♦ Mario Díaz-Balart: (202) 225-4211; @MarioDB (voted Scalise) ♦ Jake Ellzey: (202) 225-2002; @JakeEllzey  (voted Garcia) ♦ *Drew Ferguson: (202) 225-5901; @RepDrewFerguson (voted Scalise) ♦ Andrew Garbarino: (202) 225-7896; @RepGarbarino (voted Zeldin) ♦ Carlos Giménez: (202) 225-2778; @RepCarlos (voted McCarthy) ♦ Tony Gonzales (TX): (202) 225-4511; @TonyGonzales4TX (voted Scalise) ♦ Kay Granger: (202) 225-5071; @RepKayGranger (voted Scalise) ♦ John James: (202) 225-4961; @repjames (voted for Moolenaar?) ♦ Mike Kelly (PA): (202) 225-5406; @MikeKellyPA (voted Bainer?) ♦ Jen Kiggans: (202) 225-4215; @JenKiggans (McCarthy) ♦ Nick LaLota: (202) 225-3826; @nicklalota (voted Zeldin) ♦ Mike Lawler: (202) 225-6506; @lawler4ny (voted McCarthy ) ♦ *Marianette Miller-Meeks: (202) 225-6576; @RepMMM (voted Grainger) ♦ John Rutherford: (202) 225-2501; @RepRutherfordFL (voted Scalise) ♦ Mike Simpson: (202) 225-5531; @CongMikeSimpson (voted Scalise) ♦ Steve Womack: (202) 225-4301; @rep_stevewomack (voted Scalise). 

Oct 20 2023

Report – Peter Thiel Is FBI Confidential Human Source


Posted originally on the CTH on October 19, 2023 | Sundance

I have no idea whether this report is accurate, but given the nature of events and revelations in the past several years – this seems plausible, possibly likely.

In the aftermath of the 2020 election outcome, several people on the more libertarian/conservative side of the political spectrum, were concerned about being targeted by an Obama third term. As the rather revelatory story is told today, that provided the motive for Peter Thiel to cozy up to the FBI and avoid being a target.

Business Insider is reporting that Billionaire PayPal founder Peter Thiel became a “confidential human source” for the FBI in 2021. The outline claims that known FBI informant Charles Johnson brought Thiel into the relationship. The exact specifics of what Thiel did for the FBI are unknown.

[READ FULL STORY HERE]

Overstock founder Patrick Byrne was/is also an FBI asset, using his money in conservative circles to support entities of interest to the government. Byrne provided the seed money for Dave Rubin’s Locals platform. Robert Mercer did the same with Breitbart, and Rebekkah Mercer did the same thing with Parler.  Billionaire Paul Singer did the same thing with The Washington Free Beacon.

Interestingly, Peter Thiel has a networked relationship with several people of “conservative” influence – including Tucker Carlson. It is strongly suspected that Thiel is one of the financial backers of Tucker Carlson’s new media venture. {Go Deep}

People often ask me why CTH viciously protects our independence, enjoys staying small and refuses to take lucrative offers for platform expansion. The reality is, The Truth Has No Agenda – but the majority of the characters you run into within the information space generally do. lol.

Eyes of a Mouse…. Ears of an Elephant.

Keep living your best life.

Oct 20 2023

My Take on Obama/Biden Long Game with Israeli War – 8:00pm Biden Speech


Posted originally on the CTH on October 19, 2023 | Sundance

In advance of Biden’s national address, here’s my take on the policy agenda and what they won’t say.

Obama/Biden et al, want a Two State solution for Israel and the Palestinians.  I believe all efforts are underway to exploit the 10/7/23 terrorist attack to advance that agenda.  Netanyahu is being carefully painted into a position where the survival of Israel will be contingent upon accepting this two-state solution, which essentially means -in the long picture- the elimination of the Israeli state.

Biden will give the outward face of complete support toward Israel; however, the background work will be to protect Gaza, and thereby Hamas, and controllably expand -if needed- the regional conflict, such that a two-state solution becomes the only viable option for the survival of Israel.  Efforts by Hamas, Hezbollah, the Muslim Brotherhood and by extension Iran, will appear to be confronted by Biden, but only insofar as the need for USA military support becomes more important and that process paints Netanyahu into a corner.

If I’m right, things are going to get really ugly/sketchy as Biden walks this ridiculous tightrope, and King Abdullah, President al-Sisi and MbS can see it coming.  FUBAR. Pray for the nation state of Israel.  Remember, with disposable one-term Biden in the White House, team Obama have no downside.

UPDATE: VIDEO ADDED

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Oct 20 2023

Something Sketchy – Pentagon Claims U.S. Destroyer in Red Sea Intercepted and Shot Down 3 Missiles and 8 Drones Launched from Yemen to Target Israel


Posted originally on the CTH on October 19, 2023 | Sundance 

Something about this story just doesn’t pass the proverbial sniff test.

It is 1,300 straight line miles from Yemen to Israel; add in the Red Sea path claimed, and you add another approximately 200 miles.  So, the claim is around 1,500 +/- miles.

The Raytheon built Tomahawk cruise missile, with GPS enabling, some of the most advanced cruise missile tech in the world, has a max targeting distance of 1,000 miles [LINK].  How the hell did Yemen get missiles and drones capable of flying 1,500 targeted miles?

Additionally, if Yemen had this level of missile technology available, the Houthi rebels would have flown them at Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, over the past decade during their war.

Now that I have shared that context, look carefully at how the statements are worded (emphasis mine).

(VIA ABC) – The USS Carney, a Navy destroyer in the Red Sea, on Thursday shot down multiple missiles launched by Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen that the Pentagon said were potentially headed toward targets in Israel.

The ship intercepted three land attack cruise missiles and about eight drones, Pentagon spokesman Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder said at a press briefing.

The preliminary U.S. assessment was that the USS Carney was not the target of any of the Houthi missiles or drones.

Information about the engagements was still being processed, Ryder said. “We cannot say for certain what these missiles and drones were targeting but they were launched from Yemen heading north along the Red Sea potentially to targets in Israel.

It’s unclear from where the Houthi militia’s missiles were fired but they were headed in a northerly direction, an official said.

The incident occurred during the early evening hours Thursday local time and the missiles were taken down over water, not land, the Pentagon said.

The missiles fired by the Houthis were engaged by SM2 missiles carried aboard the USS Carney, an official said. (read more)

[Source]

On the afternoon before pudding brain gives his national address on the Israeli war, the Pentagon is reporting on a fleet of missiles and drones, eleven in total, flying from Yemen to Israel, thereby exceeding the capacity of U.S. Tomahawk cruise missile systems by 50%.    You buying this?

…Oh, AND they collectively would have flown over Egypt to arrive in Israel if not intercepted.

Sorry, I don’t mean to sound like a conspiracy nut, but this just doesn’t add up.  This sounds like the seeds of an expanded war narrative to me.

In combination with the ‘couched’ Pentagon statement, Suspicious Cat remains, well, suspicious.

Oct 20 2023

On Eve of Trial Georgia Drops Felony Charges and Sidney Powell Pleads Guilty to Misdemeanors


Posted originally on the CTH on October 19, 2023 | Sundance 

Against the backdrop of Douglass Mackey (aka Ricky Vaughn) being sentenced to seven months in prison for a Twitter meme, and with the state having unlimited financial resources to drag the Lawfare trial out for months, and with a stacked jury likely in Fulton County, GA, lawyers representing Sidney Powell negotiated a misdemeanor plea deal which Powell has accepted.

The Fulton County DA drops all seven felony charges and with the plea Ms. Powell will serve probation, no jail time.

(VIA AP) – […] Powell, who was charged alongside Trump and 17 others with violating the state’s anti-racketeering law, entered the plea just a day before jury selection was set to start in her trial. She pleaded guilty to six misdemeanors accusing her of conspiring to intentionally interfere with the performance of election duties.

As part of the deal, she will serve six years of probation, will be fined $6,000 and will have to write an apology letter to Georgia and its residents. She also recorded a statement for prosecutors and agreed to testify truthfully against her co-defendants at future trials.

Powell was initially charged with racketeering and six other counts as part of a wide-ranging scheme to keep the Republican president in power after he lost the 2020 election to Democrat Joe Biden. Prosecutors say she also participated in an unauthorized breach of elections equipment in a rural Georgia county elections office.

[…]  She was about to go on trial on with lawyer Kenneth Chesebro after each filed a demand for a speedy trial. Jury selection was still set to begin Friday for Chesebro to go on trial by himself, though prosecutors said earlier that they also planned to look into the possibility of offering him a plea deal.

Jury selection was set to start Friday. Chesebro’s attorneys didn’t immediately respond to messages seeking comment Thursday on whether he would also accept a plea deal.

A lower-profile defendant in the case, bail bondsman Scott Graham Hall, last month pleaded guilty to five misdemeanor charges. He was sentenced to five years of probation and agreed to testify in further proceedings.

Steve Sadow, the lead attorney for Trump in the Georgia case, expressed confidence that Powell’s plea wouldn’t hurt his own client’s case.

“Assuming truthful testimony in the Fulton County case, it will be favorable to my overall defense strategy,” he said.  (read more)

I am sure that Ms. Powell did what she feels is in her best interest.

After all, the scales of Lawfare justice always tilt left.

Oct 19 2023

Soros Open Society Behind the Left’s Support for Hamas


Armstrong Economics Blog/Corruption Re-Posted Oct 19, 2023 by Martin Armstrong

The far left in America is supporting Hamas, a terrorist organization. They make it clear that they are supporting Hamas and not merely the innocent civilians of Palestine. Groups like Black Lives Matter have posted images of paragliders, which would have been akin to someone posting a plane crashing into a building shortly after 9/11. Then we have Joe Biden coming out and celebrating the birthday of the man whose death began Black Lives Matter while also pledging support for Israel.

One of the most powerful puppeteers on the left supports Hamas and global terrorism – George Soros. Yes, this is the man who openly said on “60 Minutes” that he felt no remorse for helping the Nazis confiscate the Jew’s belongings before sending them to concentration camps. George handed the power down to his son Alex who has become embedded in the conflict.

Alex was one of many who signed a letter to President Biden urging him to prevent Netanyahu’s judicial renovation. “Sadly, we must acknowledge that warnings from the United States did not ultimately prevent the Israeli government from acting on this agenda,” the letter stated, later urging Biden to appoint a new ambassador to Israel. The same letter also urged Biden to reopen the US consulate in Jerusalem to work with the Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank. “Americans who care about Israel are horrified to see the government assault on the state’s democratic norms and institutions,” Alex Soros stated.

The Soros family is playing both sides. Alex Soros penned an op-ed for CNN in July, one month before his letter to Biden, entitled “Opinion: President Biden has taken a vital step to counter antisemitism in America.” He complains that the likes of Donald Trump and Elon Musk criticized his father. The article states that Jewish Americans were fighting antisemitism, and that Israel’s treatment of Palestine was one of the reasons. “Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government has adopted increasingly aggressive and hostile policies towards its Arab population, elevating extremists to cabinet rank, authorizing new settlements in the occupied West Bank and proposing dramatic new curbs on the independence of the judiciary — a stance that drew criticism from Israel’s traditional allies and propelled hundreds of thousands of protesters into the streets,” Alex Soros wrote.

Remember the Cloward-Piven strategy of creating civil unrest to create a regime change. “It is essential that the tools used to combat antisemitism cannot be repurposed to target academics, activists, students and advocacy groups that voice support for Palestinian human rights and restrict the free speech and policy disagreements that are at the very heart of an open society,” he continued. Now we see this very thing unfolding in America as leftist students and advocacy groups, all funded by the Open Society, firmly support Hamas.

Categories: Corruption, Politics

Oct 19 2023

Iran Threatens US – America’s Enemies Grow Bolder


Armstrong Economics Blog/War Re-Posted Oct 19, 2023 by Martin Armstrong

America’s adversaries no longer live in fear. They see how divided the nation has become under one of the most disastrous administrations in US history. Only a few short years ago this would not have happened. When the Taliban was threatening the US, then President Trump sent the leader of the Taliban a picture of his house.

“Didn’t you at one point tell him, ‘I know exactly where you are,’ and give him the exact coordinates where he was?” Sean Hannity asked Trump. Trump replied, “No, I sent him a picture of his house. He said, ‘But why but why do you send me a picture of my house?’ I said, ‘You have to figure that one out.’ “I said, ‘If you do anything – from that point on we didn’t lose one soldier – we’re going to hit you harder than any country has ever been hit.’ He said, ‘I understand, your Excellency.’“

What happened when ISIS leader Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi was captured? Trump went on national TV to announce that the US would make good on their threats. He explained to the world how the leader of ISIS “died like a dog” who spent his last moments in fear, running from American forces like a “coward” and hiding behind women and children. In another instance, Trump posted a simple picture of the American flag to social media moments before an airstrike in Iraq that killed one of Iran’s top generals. Trump promised to obliterate all of America’s enemies and America was feared.

Our enemies feel they have the upper hand now. Iran publicly threatened America a day before Joe Biden was set to arrive in Israel. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s adviser, Mohammad-Javad Larijani of the Axis of Resistance, issued a warning to America that aiding Israel “would be a strategic mistake” and would make it a “legitimate target for the resistance fighters in the entire region” He ominously uttered that “the war will not be limited to Gaza” and said “in the near future, America’s presence in Syria and Iraq will be very costly for them.”

America’s enemies are growing bolder under Biden’s weak leadership. A nation divided cannot stand strong.