The open disdain toward Biden from many in a reliably Democratic bloc
is among the many signs the conflict is quickly remaking U.S. domestic
politics, with public fury over a Hamas attack that killed 1,400
Israelis colliding with the horror of entire families in the Gaza Strip
being wiped out in Israel’s retaliatory strikes.
The events of the
week were described in detail in interviews with several Arab American
and Muslim advocates inside and outside the administration, nearly all
of them speaking on the condition of anonymity to candidly describe
their dealings with the White House.
One organizer said community
concerns could be boiled down to a critical question: “Are we dealing
with warmongers or are we dealing with peacemakers? Who are we dealing
with?”
For many Muslims and Arab Americans, the answer came
Wednesday when Biden cast doubt on the number of Palestinian casualties
because the figures come from health officials who report to Hamas,
which controls the territory. Historically, such figures have been
accurate, according to Middle East researchers. On Thursday, Hamas
released names, national ID numbers and other information for the 6,747
people included in the Gaza Health Ministry’s tally. The group said 281
bodies had not yet been identified, bringing the total to 7,028.
If Biden dismisses or questions fails to question the grotesque killing rampage the Israelis are in the midst of, he is rightly rejected by not only Arab and Muslim Amerians, but by thinking and caring Americans, who hate the ethnic cleansing being done by the Netanyahu government, grossly disproportionate already, and growing day by day.
Seven thousand killed, more to come. An initial Hamas mayhem and death incursion into Israel killing 1400, and over and done suggests ethnic cleansing and not proportionate Hamas losses.
In both instances citizen - civilian death happened. Neither the initial incursion, nor the ongoing grossly disproportionate butchery are excusable in any civilized sense.
Biden's and his administration's response, including wanting to further arm the Israelis with more taxpayer money spent than the annual unjustified amounts shows choosing sides in a way many should find offensive. Israel drops bombs because they have them and state of the art airplanes, as well as armor shown again and again by images online. Residents of Gaza have their homes, their children, and no escape.
Go figure.
And going to whitehouse.gov, Biden and crew lack the spine to put their favoritism into online posting which history would preserve. It is reported, with many outlets of mass media simply ignoring further coverage in favor of sporting event score coverage. Bless WaPo and AJ and Guardian and other outlets keeping "hot" coverage of the ethnic cleansing genocide in front of the world to see.
Apartheid sucks. Ongoing mass murder beyond any sane proportionate measure, same judgment. What ending death total in Gaza will we see, once Israeli entry and slaughter are ended, with ground forces having done "enough" and ultimately withdrawn? We can guess and it staggers the mind.
___________UPDATE___________
Images from Gaza and elsewhere, showing Gaza destruction and death shrouds, as well as protests elsewhere. To choose a single online image? Yes. This one,
In Spain, indeed, but a crucial sign, in English. Sooner or later, effective pressure can be employed to lead to a more ideal resolution than full ultimate de facto annexation of the West Bank.
Link. The opening sentence of the item resolves things:
A deficient bridge on Viking Boulevard will be replaced under a contract awarded by the Anoka County Board Oct. 10.
Redstone
Construction, LLC submitted the lowest of seven bids, totaling about
$5.5 million, to construct the new bridge on Viking Boulevard over the
Rum River in Oak Grove.
So "deficient" modifies "bridge" and not "bridge replacement contract."
Link. Unfortunately behind a subscription wall. For that reason, a bit of a quote, even where the Crabgrass and item headlining seem to carry the gist of things. The item:
The care was crucial. He had insurance. His hospital bill? A whopping $155,493.
One Woodbury man's story shows how patients can get stuck in the middle
when insurers and hospitals fight over coverage details.
Mark Christensen figured his hospital bill was a mistake.
The document from Allina
Health arrived in February, stating the 61-year-old Woodbury resident
owed the hospital a staggering sum — $155,493.
It made no sense, Christensen
said. He had coverage through his employer from a reputable health
insurer. And the need for the care was undeniable; Christensen was
hospitalized for about a month for treatment of a rare and deadly blood
cancer.
But his insurer, Empire
BlueCross BlueShield, refused to pay because Allina hadn't obtained
authorization for Christensen's transfer to a new hospital, which
happened about halfway through his inpatient stay.
No shit! What a feeble show of "coverage." Laying traps for the unwary. More:
The company has a policy
stipulating that when interfacility transfers aren't approved, all
claims for care at the second hospital can be deemed not medically
necessary.
This decision left Christensen responsible for the bill.
[...] Christensen's ensuing saga
highlights the financial peril patients can face when trapped between
hospitals and insurance companies.
Through early October, Empire
BlueCross BlueShield stuck with its decision. [...] Then in mid-October, the
health insurer called Christensen to say the claim would be paid. This
call occurred about three days after the Star Tribune began questioning
both Allina and Empire BlueCross BlueShield about the dispute.
The insurer, a division of
Indiana-based Anthem Inc., told the Star Tribune in a statement that it
"appreciates the collaboration and partnership with Allina Health to
review and address this matter and we are pleased to have a resolution
for Mr. Christensen."
Allina Health said it
"strongly believes Mark, or any patient, should not be caught in the
middle of the medical billing appeal process between providers and
payers."
[...] There's anecdotal evidence
that health care providers, faced with a denial from a health insurance
company, are increasingly asking patients to either pay the bill or
fight for the coverage themselves, said Bill Foley of Cancer Legal Care,
an Oakdale-based nonprofit group that helped Christensen with his
appeals.
The item has further disquieting detail. So, have an online subscription, or buy a paper. The bottom line is the guy was getting screwed over by a song and dance team, or there really was an error and misunderstanding. It's circumstantial, so you make your own inferences from circumstances. Crabgrass has its inferences, its guesses. The Strib item ends:
[...] The cancer is now in
remission. Christensen praises the care he received from Allina as well
as attempts to resolve the billing problem by one of the health system's
financial navigators. He's still watching for final paperwork from his
health insurer; the online account no longer shows a huge balance owed
to Allina.
He's grateful for the
outcome. At the same time, Christensen worries that other patients
aren't so lucky in finding a resolution for baffling bills.
"I feel great relief — it's
been a long battle," he said. "But it also leaves me wondering if the
circumstances were different — if I hadn't been working with Bill at
Cancer Legal Care and he hadn't been in contact with [the Star Tribune] —
I suspect that none of this would be resolved yet."
Christopher Snowbeck covers health insurers, including Minnetonka-based UnitedHealth Group, and the business of running hospitals and clinics.
The doctors on the upper floors are okay. The man got sound medicine. For which he is grateful. The Doctors are doing their best under facility rules.
The bean counters on the ground floor, many arguably should not be allowed to reproduce. It looks as if the patient had at least one good bean counter trying to help from the medical facility. Yet, "Into the wind," so to speak, with THE INSURER BEING THE ONE WITH AN INDEFENSIBLE "POLICY" GETTING, STRANGELY, IN BETWEEN PREMIUMS PAID TO BE COVERED, AND UNIMPEDED COVERAGE AS WOULD REASONABLY BE EXPECTED! Go figure.
It appears at present, timestamp of this post, no other airstrikes by the US have occurred, and none were inside Iraq, both being within eastern Syria.
The story is all over the web, in media youtube video reports, and in text stories.
Readers are urged to find relevant material online on their own.
Ostensibly, as stated at the end of Austin's press release, this is independent of Israel and Hamas events. However, were storage sites used by Iran to warehouse materiel for deployment into Gaza, it is not expected the US would disclose such a fact in relation to its own air campaigns. What plausible deniability means, now, and its status, are open to speculation. Israel has expanded its air war and incursions into the West Bank and into Labanon, but not into Syria. So far.
What we know is what we can read or view on the internet.
___________UPDATE_________
Friend Gary in St. Cloud, MN, has ideas with which Crabgrass disagrees, and that Crabgrass feels merit a rejoinder - favoring, of all things, DISPROPORTIONATE response, he wrote:
The word retaliation is used repeatedly throughout NBC's report. The
U.S. should've let Iran know what the consequences of military strikes
against the U.S. would be. That wouldn't stop an Iran strike. It
would've told Iran what we'd do if they hit us.
The other part
of securing the nation through red lines is to follow through on what
you said you'd do. For instance, if Iran attacks a U.S. military base in
Syria, the proportional response is to take out an Iranian oil
refinery. If Iran or one of its proxies kills a U.S. soldier, the price
is taking out Iran's military leaders. If Iran or one of its proxies
takes out a military base, the price is killing Iran's top military
leaders, taking out Iran's refineries and restoring Trump's maximum
pressure sanctions.
The time for diplomacy is over. The time for
establishing harsh realities is here. The time for Biden's wimpy
airstrikes is past.
His party's guy, years ago gave a rejoinder, this link.
The interesting and beneficial thing about opinions is that they can differ.
Do I care to know more about Deano? Not for now. If some of Jim Jordan's mud slinging sticks, somehow, to Joe Biden; ask me then.
On new Speaker of the House, in an earlier post a War Room video between Bannon and Gaetz was linked. It showed both are happy with the unified whole GOP House caucus 1000% dedicated to the man as their Speaker. They liked him, in lockstep, more than they liked Hakeem Jeffries as an alternative. Which does not surprise us.
Who else likes Mike Johnson, and what might we learn of praise for the man? Crabgrass will link and quote, readers can take it from there. One item only.
The praise seems unequivocal. Quoting the item in full:
Leading pro-life groups have unanimously come together in praise of new pro-life Speaker Mike Johnson.
As LifeNews reported, Johnson (R-La.) was elected Speaker of the House of Representatives.
“National Right to Life congratulates Speaker Mike Johnson,” stated
Carol Tobias, president of National Right to Life. “Speaker Johnson is
committed to the right to life, and he will make the right to life and
protecting women and their unborn children a priority in Congress.”
Speaker Johnson represents Louisiana’s 4th district. He is a
constitutional law attorney widely recognized as a leading defender of
the right to life. He has served as vice chair of the House Republican
Conference and, as an active champion of pro-life issues, Congressman
Johnson has co-sponsored multiple pieces of pro-life legislation and is
the lead sponsor of the Child Interstate Abortion Notification Act.
“We congratulate Speaker Mike Johnson,” said Ben Clapper, executive
director of Louisiana Right to Life. “Speaker Johnson has been a strong
ally of the pro-life movement and Louisiana Right to Life. Speaker
Johnson will be a proudly pro-life Speaker of the House who will protect
babies and help moms.”
Louisiana Right to Life, one of the pro-life organizations that knows Speaker Johnson the best, says he’s solidly pro-life.
“We are THRILLED that our friend, Congressman Mike Johnson, has been
elected the U.S. Speaker of the House! Without a doubt, Speaker Johnson
is a strong ally and friend of Louisiana Right to Life, and has served
the pro-life mission for decades,” Ben Clapper, head of the state
pro-life group, told LifeNews.
Together with his wife Kelly, Mike has led many pro-life efforts with
us, including our Life March in Shreveport that garners thousands of
participants each year. Prior to becoming a State Representative, he
served as our Legal Counsel.
When I first met Mike many years ago, I could immediately sense his
heartfelt dedication for protecting babies and helping moms. He cared
deeply about the Shreveport area, especially the high number of
abortions occurring in the area. He regularly helped many efforts in
Shreveport that serve moms and babies, including pregnancy resource
centers.
From working with him for many years, I know that Mike is a man of
integrity with a deep faith. We believe God has placed Mike in this
position to accomplish great things for our nation.
I expressed recently to Mike how the entire pro-life movement is supporting him and praying for him. Thank you for your prayers!
And Frank Pavone of Priests for Life also spoke out in celebration of Johnson’s election as Speaker.
“Great news in the election of Rep. Mike Johnson as our new Speaker
of the House. It is great news for America and great news for the
pro-life movement. He has been a great friend of Priests for Life and of
the unborn for many years and we look forward to his leadership,” he
said.
They look forward to his leadership. As if having expectations that the whole damned GOP caucus will be in lockstep with the Johnson Speakership. It could be.
The bet here is Matt Birk favors the selection too, although no web searching was done in that direction. Just guessing . . .
Of interest to some, perhaps, the item used the term"Right to Life" only nine times, but for those who may have not read past the first few paragraphs, it might have seemed the term density would result in a higher count. Almost the entire second half of the item, perhaps the entire second half, kept up the praise but without the defining phrase. Along with Bannon and Gaetz, they like the caucus choice.
One
thing is clear, however. Johnson is a social conservative’s social
conservative — the most culturally conservative lawmaker to ascend to
the speakership in decades, if not longer.
He has a faith-driven outlook toward
governance and longstanding ties to the evangelical activist group
Family Research Council, which could one day prove discomfiting to
members from swing districts or of a more secular orientation.
His first brush with national
prominence came in April 2015, when Johnson, then a Louisiana state
legislator, proposed a bill called the Louisiana Marriage and Conscience
Act that would have prevented “adverse treatment by the State of any
person or entity on the basis of the views they may hold with regard to
marriage.” Critics called it legalized discrimination against married
gay couples, and the bill failed, but the media attention got him on the radar of the influential FRC and its president, fellow Louisiana native Tony Perkins.
Perkins, who hosts a national radio
show called Washington Watch, began tapping Johnson to guest host.
Johnson, a constitutional lawyer, appeared to be a natural — by December
2015, local Shreveport, La. ABC affiliate KTBS said he “may have a budding second career on the airwaves.”
The FRC and Perkins are political
lightning rods among non-evangelicals — some of Perkins’ stances, like
his argument that natural disasters are divine punishments for
homosexuality, don’t sit well with broad swaths of the electorate. But
Johnson’s political and religious beliefs dovetail with Perkins’ views.
In a 2004 op-ed, Johnson argued that “homosexual relationships are inherently unnatural ... society cannot give its stamp of approval to such a dangerous lifestyle.”
When he ran for Congress in 2016, Johnson placed his faith at the center of his campaign, telling the Louisiana Baptist Message,
“I am a Christian, a husband, a father, a life-long conservative,
constitutional law attorney and a small business owner in that order.”
His connection with Perkins — and his
interest in evangelical radio as a political tool — continued after he
was elected to the House in 2016. As a first-term lawmaker, Johnson announced his bid to lead the Republican Study Committee, a conservative caucus that currently counts 156, on Washington Watch with Perkins. He won the election.
“It’s never been more important for conservatives to stand up and give voice — to be winsome witnesses — to [conservative] principles,” Johnson told Perkins in 2018 during his announcement.
Back in February, Johnson wrote
on X: “American taxpayers have sent over $100 billion in aid to Ukraine
in the last year. They deserve to know if the Ukrainian government is
being entirely forthcoming and transparent about the use of this massive
sum of taxpayer resources.”
Likewise, in May 2022, Johnson expressed America First sentiments,
saying, “We should not be sending another $40 billion abroad when our
own border is in chaos, American mothers are struggling to find baby
formula, gas prices are at record highs, and American families are
struggling to make ends meet, without sufficient oversight over where
the money will go.”
“Republicans for Ukraine,” a nonprofit that believes “the Republican Party must continue to support Ukraine,” has given Johnson an “F” on his support for the war.
Meanwhile, neocon Republican turned Democrat grifter Bill Kristol
fretted on X before the speaker vote, writing, “If Mike Johnson wins,
and unless he’s made private commitments for a floor vote on Ukraine and
funding government: Gaetz wins, MAGA wins, and Trump wins, and
institutionalist, responsible, moderate Republicans lose, once again
having pitifully folded when the crunch came.”
Ending funding to Ukraine means that President Volodymyr Zelensky
will finally be forced to negotiate a peace deal with President Vladimir
Putin. From the onset of the war, there has been no end strategy
presented by Ukraine or the American Uniparty other than the “total
defeat” of Russia. If there is a plan, no one has cued in the American
taxpayers who are bankrolling the war effort.
Well, NATO backs that Ukraine war, and if the US defunds, the remainder of NATO could carry the weight, were they so inclined. Why no negotiated end, so far, is an intriguing question.
Johnson isn’t known
for bipartisanship. He was ranked 429th out of 435 lawmakers in the 2021
bipartisan index kept by the Lugar Center and the McCourt School of
Public Policy at Georgetown University, situated among members of the
staunchly conservative House Freedom Caucus. The measure scores how well
members of opposite parties work together using bill sponsorship data.
The
lobbying arm of the Heritage Foundation, a conservative Washington
think tank, gives Johnson a lifetime score of 90% for his voting record.
Johnson
has proposed legislation on issues central to Republicans’ policy
agenda, including a bill that would make it a federal crime to transport
a minor across state lines for an abortion. He is strongly opposed to
abortion access.
Another
proposal would cut off federal funding to any school district, museum
or other organization that exposes a child younger than 10 to the topic
of gender identity or sexual orientation, enabling parents to sue over
violations.
Johnson
has called for restrictions on medical interventions, such as surgery,
for transgender youth. Conservatives say children are too young to
access care with lasting consequences based on a self-diagnosis.
Yawn. Standard crap. One insight; Heritage Foundation loves his ass Gestalt. Given his Gestalt, is that really news, given the Gestalt of Heritage Foundation?
Again, from the second search, Heritage itself, and what would you expect?
WASHINGTON—Rep.
Mike Johnson of Louisiana won the speakership nomination for the House
Republican Conference Tuesday. Heritage Foundation President Dr. Kevin
Roberts made the following statement:
“As
I have said repeatedly, the speakership is not about any one person,
but about who will fight for the everyday American and their interests
over the power of the Washington Swamp. I congratulate my good friend
Speaker-designate Mike Johnson. As a former Republican Study Committee
chairman and current vice chair of the House Republican Conference,
Johnson has both a tremendous conservative track record and a
willingness to listen to his colleagues and put the will of the
conference and the American people first.
“This
kind of conservative servant leadership ought to unite House
Republicans. All of us at Heritage look forward to working with Speaker
Johnson to secure the border, rein in spending, conduct serious
oversight of the Biden administration, and provide real leadership on
the world stage. It’s time to get to work.”
As said, Heritage loves his Gestalt. So, the usual suspects shelter him with praise.
Knowing that Heritage and Right to Life are cheerleaders, while Federalist Society wonders how Neocon war may benefit - in total, we know nothing we did not already know by reasonable guessing. But we read of it from the web.
__________UPDATE_________
Learning is an ongoing process. More on friends of Mike Johnson - the more we know, the more we can adjust our outlooks and actions, knowing his.
https://religionnews.com/ in an item entitled, "Mike Johnson, pedigreed evangelical, suggests his election as House speaker ordained by God,"notes mid item:
Johnson has continued to voice support for conservative Christian
viewpoints while in office, even hosting a podcast with his wife, Kelly,
a licensed pastoral counselor, aimed at providing an “analysis of hot
topics and current events from a Christian perspective.”
Among other things, Speaker Johnson has repeatedly rejected many
broadly held interpretations of the separation of church and state.
House
Speaker Mike Johnson of La., flanked by the Republican conference,
speaks during a news conference outside the Capitol in Washington,
Wednesday, Oct. 25, 2023. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
“The founders wanted to protect the church from an encroaching state, not the other way around,” he said during a September 2022 episode of the podcast.
He went on to argue that “a free society and a healthy republic
depend upon religious and moral virtue,” arguing that society would
crumble without it.
His views echo the writings of David Barton, a controversial Texas activist who has spent years railing against the separation of church and state. On Wednesday, Substack writer Warren Throckmorton pointed out that Johnson lauded Barton during a 2021 talk [caution, Malwarebytes says that linked item might contain a Trojan, so Crabgrass did not follow that one link] to a group of state legislators organized by WallBuilders, an organization founded by Barton.
“I was introduced to David and his ministry a quarter century ago,
and it has had such a profound influence on me and my work and my life
and everything I do,” Johnson said at the time.
David Barton, on YouTube. Please do watch. Note also that the non-flagged other two links in the final quoted paragraph appear to be Trojan-free and okay - [no promises - but each was accessed by Crabgrass and deemed worth the read].
The gist of the two items is that MJ is a firm adherent against separation of church and state as a bedrock American principle. Briefly, "the Controversial Texas activist" link notes in its beginning:
Josh Mandel, a candidate in Ohio’s Republican primary for the state’s open U.S. Senate seat, insisted during a debate that “there’s no such thing as separation of church and state.” Three months later, Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch made an off-hand reference to the “so-called separation of … church and state” during oral arguments.
In April, Pennsylvania gubernatorial primary candidate Doug Mastriano, now the Republican nominee, dismissed the separation of church and state as a “myth.”
By June, Colorado Rep. Lauren Boebert, speaking at a Colorado church, proclaimed,
“I’m tired of the separation of church and state junk that’s not in the
Constitution. It was in a stinking letter, and it means nothing like
what they say it does.”
The growing popularity of these kinds of declarations is striking
given the place the separation of church and state has occupied in
American politics going back to the Founding Fathers. Though the phrase
“separation of church and state” does not appear in the U.S.
Constitution, the notion is deeply rooted in American jurisprudence and
popular culture.
More immediately, the rhetoric has alarmed some Americans who
associate the constitutional debate over the church-state split with
extreme versions of Christian nationalism.
Yet, antipathy toward the separation of church and state among
conservatives is not new but, rather, is a decades-old argument
popularized primarily by a controversial Texas activist in the early
’90s, when the religious right was ascendant.
In 1993, the Rev. Jerry Falwell Sr., founder of Liberty University and co-founder of the Moral Majority, promoted
a book called “The Myth of Separation” by a Texan named David Barton.
According to a Christian Century report, less than a month later on
Falwell’s television show, “The Old Time Gospel Hour,” he preached a
strident sermon in which he said, “Let everyone know that this
separation of church and state business is bogus.”
MJ is of that school of "thought." And he hence is as dangerous as it is.
Last -
Haaretz.com in an item (unfortunately behind a paywall/subscription wall) begins:
New House Speaker Mike Johnson, an Evangelical Christian, Holds Ties to Israel’s Far Right
Louisiana
Rep. Mike Johnson described his 2020 visit to Jerusalem’s Temple Mount
as ‘the fulfillment of a biblical prophecy’; his election is the most
significant victory to date for evangelicals in D.C.
WASHINGTON
– House Speaker Mike Johnson, confirmed Wednesday after three failed
previous Republican choices and weeks of inner party turmoil, is an
evangelical Christian whose connections to Israel reflect the movement's
deep ties to the Israeli right, which has become increasingly
mainstream over the years.
Okay. He loves Bibi, and Bibi loves his Gestalt. Got that. Filed away under "apartheid." Under "settlements." Under what's new these days in Gaza.
BOTTOM LINE: Not to diminish the man, after all he is now Speaker, but he appears fully akin to Michel Bachmann, more or less, but with a law degree and without the bullhorn, and taken seriously, (unlike Michel). That is relevant information. It helps knowing what must be done.
Enlarge it and it says he will announce his run Friday.
Isn't this announcing it?
Should the headline be Phillips plans speech about his running Friday?
With this in online media, wtf is "will announce Friday?"
Doing it because, "People have been urging me to run."
If you say so, but the real reason, come on, be real. Ego.
It's his time invested in the pursuit. Let's hope he gets to an end without becoming too dispirited. You know - maybe he's practicing. A dry run, eyeing 2028.
Chances might be better than, but that's saying better, not good.
They prayed and fasted for three days and the Caucus turned out united.
Not for them. They're yesterday's laughter. For Mike. And as the Red Sea parted, the Caucus came together, and the today's promised one - won.
Michel and Marcus, truthfully, are no part of the Speaker show extravaganza. It is just a backward look at kindred souls. Mike's people. And - another view of how the caucus came together, where Crabgrass simply presents the video, and readers can make of it what they will. (Wasn't there, can't validate veracity.)
