Politics & Stuff

[Fulham Broadway 17,333]

Yeah, lol

[Fulham Broadway 17,333]

Americans are desperately Googling how to ‘move to Europe’.

Trump has made no secret of his desire for vengeance and retribution against his enemies: tens of thousands of civil servants ; universities, professors and students. He has fantasised and encouraged violence against journalists, protesters, judges, immigrants and political opponents, and has promised to set the justice department and even the military on them. It bears repeating: a second Trump administration will not have the guardrails of the first, where Mike Milley and Mike Esper ignored orders to “just shoot” antiracism protesters.

American dissidents abroad might one day be targeted as well. The EU should announce a principle of non-compliance with any US attempt to extradite or harass US citizens being targeted for political reasons or for civil disobedience – such as engaging in tax resistance against a Trump administration, as some Americans did in small numbers during his first time in office and which has its roots in opposition to the Vietnam war.

Finally, Europe has an opportunity to invert the transatlantic brain drain. This time really is different and Americans know it: searches for “move to Europe,” or for individual European countries are on a totally different scale than ever before. There is a unique chance for Europe to roll out a red carpet of special visas and ease the path for highly educated Americans who want to flee Trumpmerica (like climate scientists sure to have their funding slashed). Or perhaps to partner with US universities that might eventually seek to establish satellite campuses for students and staff who can no longer be located in the US.

Underlying all Europe’s failures to solve its collective action problems is the same phenomenon – sometimes it thinks and acts like a continent but too often actually behaves like a group of small, fragmented nations. In 2003, the German philosopher Jürgen Habermas proposed that Europe might surpass this tendency by constructing European identity in opposition to the US. Two decades later, he may inadvertently get his wish.

Alexander Hurst 

[cosmicway 1,333]

6 hours ago, Vesper said:

Mike Huckabee: "There's Really No Such Thing As A Palestinian"

"You have Arabs and Persians. And there's such complexity in that. But there's really no such thing. That's been a political tool to try and force land away from Israel."

https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/andrewkaczynski/mike-huckabee-theres-really-no-such-thing-as-a-palestinian

Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee once said at a campaign stop during his 2008 run for president that the Palestinian people did not exist. Huckabee, who is currently running for president and has been a vocal critical of President Obama's policies on Israel said speaking of the Palestinian people was really "a political tool to try and force land away from Israel."

"Basically, there really is no such thing as — I need to be careful about saying this, because people will really get upset — there's really no such thing as a Palestinian," Huckabee said at the 2008 campaign stop while speaking to two Orthodox men. "There's not."

Huckabee was responding to a question from one of the men about if a Palestinian state said should exist outside Israel. Huckabee affirmed he believe it should.

Huckabee made similar comments earlier this year when argued a two-state solution is "irrational and unworkable" and that "here's plenty of land in the world" outside Israel for a Palestinian state.

"You have Arabs and Persians," Huckabee continued at the 2008 appearance. "And there's such complexity in that. But there's really no such thing. That's been a political tool to try and force land away from Israel."

Huckabee added he thought a Palestinian state could be made out of land in Egypt, Syria, or Jordan.

"My point is, if that's the issue, if its real estate, if you look at a map, and say here is how much Israel has and here is how much the Arab states hold, there is plenty of land. Let them take it out of Egypt. Let's take it out of Syria. Let 'em take it out of Jordan."

Arabs always existed in Israeli land.
But The term Palestinian is a relative newspeak.
Adopted after the seven days war of 1967.
Find me a press excerpt from the war of 1948, the Suez conflagration of 1955 or from during the seven days war where the term is used by somebody.

However that may have been so because of interArab disagreements.
If Nasser acknowledged an ethnic identiy he 'd have to support them economically and he did n't want to.
He wanted to defeat Israel but not acknowledge an ethnic identity until reluctantly he did.

Edited November 13, 2024 by cosmicway

[cosmicway 1,333]

WHO WERE MORE DUPED, BREXITERS OR TRUMPIES ?
---------------------------------------------------------------
The two things were -more or less- parallel stories.
State your opinion.
I say brexiters.

[robsblubot 3,595]

6 hours ago, cosmicway said:

WHO WERE MORE DUPED, BREXITERS OR TRUMPIES ?
---------------------------------------------------------------
The two things were -more or less- parallel stories.
State your opinion.
I say brexiters.

I will bite.
From afar, I think there is no comparison. Brexit felt to me, and from colleagues who lived through it, was just a case of too many thinking "me, me, me" and not receiving, or considering, the full picture.

Trump not only had a large disinformation machine, but he himself as a Billionaire who will represent the working class is a laughable idea. How they managed to convince people that Harris, an actual worker, was the elite, and that the Billionaire who inherited all the money from daddy would help the working people is really beyond me.
Not even going into all the criminality that went under the rug: Jan 6 and "find me 11k votes" were very serious.

Edited November 13, 2024 by robsblubot

[Vesper 30,224]

12 hours ago, IMissEden said:

Good work so far indeed. No country needs that much disorganisation and lack of transparency. 

Good work?

If all or most of those entities were crippled significantly or entirely wiped out, the US would descend into a systemic deep downward spiral in terms of quality of life for the vast majority, with top-down predation (at a myriad number of levels) by the controlling class unleashed upon the masses at broad and deep initiatives.

Removing constraints and checks in areas that cause massive harm is never a good thing.

The same for removing aid and support in key areas of everyday life for the vast majority of the population.

[cosmicway 1,333]

2 minutes ago, Vesper said:

Good work?

If all or most of those entities were crippled significantly or entirely wiped out, the US would descend into a systemic deep downward spiral in terms of quality of life for the vast majority, with top-down predation (at a myriad number of levels) by the controlling class unleashed upon the masses at broad and deep initiatives.

Removing constraints and checks in areas that cause massive harm is never a good thing.

The same for removing aid and support in key areas of everyday life for the vast majority of the population.

Someone reminded about the previous Trump presidency.
He said up to the covid epidemic Trump was infront, that is February 2020.
As I remember now that is correct. He was infront in the poll or slightly infront.
Of course I expect his "money exists" story will fail like all "money exists" stories.

[Vesper 30,224]

Big loss for Trump and the MAGAts (Rick Scott, the MAGAt pick, lost the race for Senate leader):

 

John Thune wins contested race for Senate GOP leader

The South Dakotan will take over in January at the turn of the new Congress, when Republicans are expected to control the government trifecta.

https://www.politico.com/news/2024/11/13/john-thune-senate-republican-leader-00189305

John Thune will lead the Senate Republican conference next term, winning a three-way election to succeed Minority Leader Mitch McConnell in a closed-door vote on Wednesday.

The South Dakotan will take over in January at the turn of the new Congress, when Republicans are expected to control the government trifecta: the House, Senate and the presidency. And he’ll have some room to maneuver in his own chamber, with Republicans’ 53-seat majority, as the party considers wide-ranging legislation that would tackle tax cuts, immigration and energy policy.

“We have a mandate from the American people,” Thune told reporters after the vote. “I’m excited to get to work with this team right away. … I promise to be a leader who serves the entire Republican conference.”

At 63, Thune, current GOP whip, is considered relatively young for leadership. Thune has not committed to imposing a term limit on the role of conference leader, meaning he’s well-positioned to hold the job for years to come. He is not up for reelection until 2028, and South Dakota is solidly red.

McConnell has served as GOP leader for nearly two decades. In his speech announcing his intentions to step down from the role, McConnell said he wanted to hand the post over to the next generation. He did not publicly endorse a successor.

Thune has long been considered a favorite for the gig. But he faced competition from Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), a former GOP whip himself, and Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.), a former Senate campaign arm chief with deep ties to the conservative wing of the conference. Scott was eliminated as the lowest vote-getter in the first ballot, and Thune won 29-24 over Cornyn in the second ballot, per two people familiar with the vote.

Headed into the election, Thune only had a handful of public endorsements and trailed Scott in public support. But Senate insiders projected for months that the real competition was between Thune and Cornyn. They’re both known as McConnell acolytes who had cozied up to Donald Trump in recent months, though both had some choice words about the incoming president after the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack.

Thune and Trump have spoken regularly as of late, including shortly after Election Day last week, per a person familiar with the conversation.

The newly elected leader will take the reins during a critical time for the Senate GOP. The party has a highly ambitious legislative agenda, including top priorities like tax cuts, the debt limit, government spending and more. Republican lawmakers are also openly eyeing a budget reconciliation package — a limited-use procedural option that would allow Republicans to pass a consequential bill without Democratic support. That’ll require major collaboration and potential deal-making from GOP leaders, both in the House and the Senate.

On the Senate floor Wednesday after the GOP vote, Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer offered Thune his congratulations. “I look forward to working with him. We’ve done many bipartisan things here in the Senate together, and I hope that continues,” Schumer said.

Thune has also previously served in the House. In the Senate, in addition to his current position as whip, he’s been a top fundraiser for the conference, a bona fide that earned him points amongst his GOP colleagues.

 

Edited November 13, 2024 by Vesper

[Fulham Broadway 17,333]

I think Trump is a Populist leader, ala Farage, Putin etc but not a Republican. (We saw how so many republicans sided with Harris.) 

If he delivers for the American people as a populist leader all well and good - but in reality most know Trump is in it for Trump, all about more money, ego and power, and appealing to the lowest common denominator in people - ie fear of the other

''Drain the swamp'' ? It looks like he will be filling a more turgid stinking swamp of sycophants of the same amphibious creatures as him. Any dissenters will be thrown out of the mire - looking forward to Musk crawling on to dry land.

MAGA ? Well with so many politicians that Israel has dirt on, its Make Israel Great first with taxpayers cash, then US second. If Trump really wants to be the peacemaker ( apparently hes very jealous that Obama received a Nobel Peace Prize) he's going to have to upset not just Zelensky but Netanyahu as well. 

 

[cosmicway 1,333]

18 minutes ago, Fulham Broadway said:

I think Trump is a Populist leader, ala Farage, Putin etc but not a Republican. (We saw how so many republicans sided with Harris.) 

If he delivers for the American people as a populist leader all well and good - but in reality most know Trump is in it for Trump, all about more money, ego and power, and appealing to the lowest common denominator in people - ie fear of the other

''Drain the swamp'' ? It looks like he will be filling a more turgid stinking swamp of sycophants of the same amphibious creatures as him. Any dissenters will be thrown out of the mire - looking forward to Musk crawling on to dry land.

MAGA ? Well with so many politicians that Israel has dirt on, its Make Israel Great first with taxpayers cash, then US second. If Trump really wants to be the peacemaker ( apparently hes very jealous that Obama received a Nobel Peace Prize) he's going to have to upset not just Zelensky but Netanyahu as well. 

 

Zelensky lost 20% of his territory.
Managed so far to slow down the Russian advance who initially wanted to take all of Ukraine (don't forget that the first battles were in the outskirts of Kyiv).
There is no way of defeating Russia. The only way to defeat Russia is to attack from many fronts, from Ukraine - from the south - from the arctic circle - from the pacific. That is a NATO job and it's world war III.
So better negotiate peace. He may get back 0% from the lost territory but I don't see how he can win even with additional help.
But he may also get something back in exchange for the lifting of the sanctions against Russia.

Netanyahu is a different story.
Abandoning Israel means new Taliban - Israelis at sea if they survive.
That's how our <<beloved>> Palestinians and Iran play.

Internally Trump I don't know - given that from 2017 to 2020 before covid the Americans liked him.
The only thing I feel sure about is his more money promises, golden spoons etc will evaporate soon, even if he actually believes he can do such things.

 

[Vesper 30,224]

Trump picks Rep. Matt Gaetz as attorney general

 

Key Points

• President-elect Donald Trump said he will nominate Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida to serve as U.S. attorney general.
• If confirmed by the Senate, Gaetz will succeed Attorney General Merrick Garland.
• Gaetz remains the subject of an ongoing House Ethics Committee investigation into whether he engaged in sexual misconduct or illicit drug use.

https://www.cnbc.com/2024/11/13/trump-taps-rep-matt-gaetz-as-attorney-general.html

[Fulham Broadway 17,333]

33 minutes ago, cosmicway said:

Zelensky lost 20% of his territory.
Managed so far to slow down the Russian advance who initially wanted to take all of Ukraine (don't forget that the first battles were in the outskirts of Kyiv).
There is no way of defeating Russia. The only way to defeat Russia is to attack from many fronts, from Ukraine - from the south - from the arctic circle - from the pacific. That is a NATO job and it's world war III.
So better negotiate peace. He may get back 0% from the lost territory but I don't see how he can win even with additional help.
But he may also get something back in exchange for the lifting of the sanctions against Russia.

Netanyahu is a different story.
Abandoning Israel means new Taliban - Israelis at sea if they survive.
That's how our <<beloved>> Palestinians and Iran play.

Internally Trump I don't know - given that from 2017 to 2020 before covid the Americans liked him.
The only thing I feel sure about is his more money promises, golden spoons etc will evaporate soon, even if he actually believes he can do such things.

 

Trump is two things above all else - unpredictable and transactional.

He is also coming to the end of his life, if he is self conscious enough he will be thinking of his legacy. He knows hes done loads of cuntish things so will he seek atonement as the 'peacemaker' ? That orange skin is pretty thick though and more than likely the backdrop will be fingers in the ears going lalalala and he will just be a legend in his own mind.

[Fulham Broadway 17,333]

17 hours ago, Vesper said:

 

Very apt

Trump appointing Fox News host in Defence job. Really ?

Fox News. Its like a failed right wing state. Run by pirates and criminals. The Somalia of television. 

[Vesper 30,224]

44 minutes ago, Fulham Broadway said:

Very apt

Trump appointing Fox News host in Defence job. Really ?

Fox News. Its like a failed right wing state. Run by pirates and criminals. The Somalia of television. 

Even more insane and dangerous are Matt Gaetz as the AG (Attorney General) and Tulsi Gabbard as the DNI (Director of National Intelligence).

All 3 will hopefully not get confirmed, but I am not holding my breath.

[Vesper 30,224]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matt_Gaetz

Matthew Louis Gaetz II (/ɡeɪts/ GAYTS; born May 7, 1982) is an American lawyer and politician who has served as the U.S. representative for Florida's 1st congressional district since 2017. The district includes all of Escambia, Okaloosa, and Santa Rosa counties, and portions of Walton County. A member of the Republican Party, he is widely regarded as a staunch proponent of far-right politics as well as an ally of president-elect Donald Trump.[1][2]

The son of prominent Florida politician Don Gaetz and grandson of North Dakota politician Jerry Gaetz, Gaetz was raised in Fort Walton Beach, Florida. After graduating from the William & Mary Law School in Williamsburg, Virginia, he briefly worked in private practice before running for state representative. He served in the Florida House of Representatives from 2010 until 2016, and received national attention for defending Florida's "stand-your-ground law".[3] In 2016, he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, and was reelected in 2018, 2020, and 2022.

In 2020, Gaetz was accused of sex trafficking and having sexual relationships with minors. After an investigation, the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) decided not to charge him, though Gaetz remains under investigation of the House Ethics Committee.

Ethics controversies

On February 26, 2019, the night before the scheduled public hearing of Michael Cohen, Trump's former personal attorney, before the House Oversight Committee, Gaetz directed a tweet to Cohen that implied without evidence that Cohen had had multiple extramarital affairs and also suggested his wife might be unfaithful while he was imprisoned due to new information disclosed to her.[75] Other members of Congress saw the tweet as an attempt to intimidate a witness.[76][77] Gaetz initially defended his tweet, saying it was part of "witness testing, not witness tampering" and "I don't threaten anybody." Asked to clarify, he said his "tweet speaks for itself".[78][79] After sharp criticism from other members of Congress and an implicit rebuke by Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi,[80][81] Gaetz deleted the tweet and posted a tweet in which he apologized.[79][77][82]

Despite not being a member of the House Oversight Committee,[79] Gaetz appeared at Cohen's hearing, saying that he wanted to observe and ask questions.[83] During the hearing, U.S. Virgin Islands delegate Stacey Plaskett, a member of the Oversight Committee, recommended that Gaetz be referred to both the House Ethics Committee and criminal prosecutors for witness intimidation and tampering.[81][84] After the hearing, Gaetz reportedly texted an apology to Cohen, who thanked him for it.[85] The Florida Bar opened an investigation into Gaetz for the tweet,[86][87] as did the House Ethics Committee.[88] In August 2019, the Florida Bar announced it had found no probable cause that Gaetz had violated its rules.[89]

In April 2020, Politico reported that Gaetz had spent nearly $200,000 of taxpayer funds renting an office from Collier Merrill, a Pensacola real estate developer and restaurateur and longtime friend, adviser, campaign donor, and legal client.[90] Gaetz and Merrill separately told Politico that Gaetz paid below-market rent for the space, but Gaetz later said that the rent was "at or below market rate".[91] House rules explicitly disallow below-market rentals, and require that parties to such leases "have [not] had, [n]or continue to have, a professional or legal relationship (except as a landlord and tenant)".[90] On July 1, 2020, the Office of Congressional Ethics notified Gaetz it had terminated its review of the lease arrangements.[92]

In July 2020, Politico reported that its investigation had found expenditures by Gaetz that appeared to violate the House ethics rules: spending tens of thousands of dollars for a speech-writing consultant and having a private company install a television studio in his father's home in Niceville, Florida, which Gaetz uses when he appears on television.[93] Gaetz's office acknowledged that he spent $28,000 on speech-writing services, which is prohibited by House rules except in special circumstances and with prior approval from congressional officials, but said that it was a clerical error that it would fix.[94][95] Of the television studio, Gaetz said that the company received $100 per month from his office, an amount not reported in his congressional spending records, and also charged television networks each time a network connected to the studio.[93] A statement from Gaetz's office said the arrangement complied with House rules, and that during the setup process, his office consulted with the House Ethics Committee and the House Administration Committee.[95]

In late February 2021, Gaetz and a dozen other Republican House members skipped votes and enlisted others to vote for them, citing the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. But he and the other members were actually attending the Conservative Political Action Conference, which was held at the same time as their absences.[96] In response, the Campaign for Accountability, an ethics watchdog group, filed a complaint with the House Committee on Ethics and requested an investigation into Gaetz and the other lawmakers.[97]

In March 2023, The Intercept reported that Gaetz had hired Derrick Miller as his military legislative aide. Miller spent eight years in prison after he was convicted of murdering a civilian during his army service in Afghanistan.[98]

 

Legal issues

Driving offenses

In 2008, Gaetz was arrested for driving under the influence as he was driving back from a nightclub on Okaloosa Island, Florida. Police recorded him driving 48 mph (77 km/h) in a 35 mph (56 km/h) zone and noted that he showed physical signs of intoxication.[248] Gaetz initially denied that he had drunk alcohol, but later admitted to drinking two beers. He failed an eye test twice, then declined field sobriety tests. After Gaetz was arrested, he refused to take a breathalyzer test.[248]

Shortly after Gaetz's case was referred to state attorney Steve Meadows, Gaetz's driving license was reinstated. Though Florida law requires a year's suspension when a driver refuses a breathalyzer test, Gaetz's suspension was less than a year long. His refusal also did not lead to a criminal prosecution, during which it could have been used against him. A field officer for the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles declared there was no evidence that Gaetz refused a breathalyzer test, despite the arresting police officer having documented it in an affidavit and the arrest report and Gaetz's own attorney also having documented it. Gaetz's attorney also claimed that an unnamed witness who knew Gaetz "observed no indication of impairment".[248] The charges against Gaetz were dismissed.[248]

Allegations of sexual harassment

Former White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson wrote in her memoir that Gaetz harassed her repeatedly.[249] She writes that during a trip to Camp David in 2020 he interrupted her meeting with Kevin McCarthy, repeatedly asking her to "escort" him to his room. Gaetz has denied these actions.[250]

Federal investigations into sex trafficking

In January 2020, the U.S. Secret Service reportedly received a tip that, in April 2018, Gaetz had accompanied Seminole County tax collector Joel Greenberg to a government office where Greenberg was producing fake IDs.[251] Greenberg was indicted in August 2020 on an array of charges, including sex trafficking a 17-year-old girl in 2017 and creating fake IDs to facilitate sex trafficking.[252][253] The investigation of Greenberg led federal officials to look into some of Gaetz's related activities.[251] In late 2020, the Justice Department opened its investigation of Gaetz for allegedly sex trafficking the same 17-year-old girl in 2017 and whether he had violated federal sex trafficking laws by paying her to travel with him across state lines.[252][254][255] As part of his plea bargain, Greenberg cooperated with the investigation of Gaetz and others.[256][257]

On March 30, 2021, Axios reported that Gaetz was "seriously considering not seeking re-election and possibly leaving Congress early for a job at Newsmax".[258] The same day, The New York Times reported the Justice Department's investigation of Gaetz.[252] According to CNN, a person briefed on the matter said investigators also examined whether Gaetz used campaign money in his relationships with young women for travel and expenses and whether cash and drugs were involved.[259] By April 2, the Justice Department was examining whether Gaetz asked women to recruit others for sex.[260][261]

According to the 2021 reports, federal investigators were looking into Gaetz's September 2018 trip to the Bahamas.[253] Gaetz was reportedly joined by marijuana entrepreneur and hand surgeon Jason Pirozzolo, who allegedly paid trip accommodations, traveling expenses, and escort services. Investigators were reportedly exploring whether the escorts were sexually trafficked for Gaetz and whether Gaetz accepted paid escorts in exchange for political access or legislative favors for Pirozzolo, who at the time chaired the board of the Medical Marijuana Physicians Association. Gaetz made two speeches for the organization while in Congress, and Pirozzolo gave two separate donations of $1,000 to Gaetz's campaign arm "Friends of Matt Gaetz", in March 2016 and May 2017.[262] A spokeswoman for Gaetz denied the new allegations.[263] A woman on the Bahamas trip—a Capitol Hill intern who did not work in Gaetz's office but who was dating Gaetz—reportedly agreed in May 2021 to cooperate with investigators, who believe she has information about Gaetz's financial transactions on the trip.[264][265]

Investigators believe that Greenberg met women through a website for sex and introduced them to Gaetz, who also had sex with them.[252] Evidence including mobile payment receipts reportedly suggesting Gaetz had illegally exchanged money for sex, such as May 2018 Venmo transaction records showing Gaetz sending $900 (with a memo referring to a woman) to Greenberg, who then relayed the money (with the memos "tuition" and "school") to three women, one of whom was 18.[266] Joseph Ellicott, an associate of both Gaetz and Greenberg, pleaded guilty in January 2022 to two charges related to this investigation and is also cooperating with authorities.[267]

Gaetz had argued in a November 2020 Fox News appearance that Trump "should pardon Michael Flynn [and] everyone from himself to his administration officials to Joe Exotic".[268][269] In late 2020, Greenberg apparently attempted to secure a pardon from the Trump administration via a confession letter (first reported by The Daily Beast in April 2021), writing that he and Gaetz had had sex with a 17-year-old girl they believed was 19, and that payments had been made on behalf of Gaetz to her and other women in exchange for sex.[270] Greenberg attempted to bribe Roger Stone with a $250,000 Bitcoin payment to secure a presidential pardon, texting Stone, "They know [Gaetz] paid me to pay the girls and that he and I both had sex with the girl who was underage."[270] By the end of the Trump administration, Greenberg was under indictment, investigators had been questioning some Gaetz associates, and federal agents had seized the phone of one of Gaetz's former girlfriends.[271] Gaetz's phone was also seized, and he changed his phone number in late December.[253]

Defense and counter-claim of extortion

Denying any sexual relationships with minors, Gaetz said on March 30, 2021, that he did not plan to resign from the House.[252] Also on March 30, he tweeted that he and his family were "victims of an organized criminal extortion involving a former DOJ official seeking $25 million".[252][272] This allegedly began on March 16, with a text message to his father demanding money in exchange for making sex trafficking allegations "go away".[273] Gaetz and his father purportedly received communications claiming that the FBI had photographs of Gaetz engaged in a "sexual orgy with underage prostitutes". The sender demanded millions of dollars to help secure the release of U.S. federal agent Robert Levinson (who had disappeared in Iran in 2007 and had already been presumed and declared dead),[274][275] proposing that President Joe Biden would pardon Gaetz as a reward for freeing Levinson.[276][277] The sender was later identified as Florida developer Stephen Alford, who was arrested on August 31.[278][279]

Gaetz said his attorneys contacted the FBI, which he said informed them that Gaetz was a subject, not a target, of an investigation. He also said his father agreed to wear a "wire" to help the FBI record the alleged extortionists.[280] Gaetz sent Axios screenshots of text messages, emails and documents outlining the alleged extortion scheme, which he asserted was being run by David McGee,[281] a former federal prosecutor who has been a private attorney since 2005[282] and has represented the Levinson family.[283] McGee's law firm called Gaetz's allegation "completely, totally false" and defamatory,[273] telling The Daily Beast that Gaetz was attempting to distract from the sex trafficking investigation.[284] Alford, who has previously been federally convicted of fraud and is represented by McGee, was federally indicted in August 2021 for allegedly conducting the scheme. Prosecutors alleged that Alford claimed he had contacts in the Justice Department who could arrange for a presidential pardon for Gaetz and directed Don Gaetz to wire the money to a trust account managed by McGee. McGee reportedly met with Don Gaetz before Alford did,[283][285] but apparently did not discuss a presidential pardon, which Alford later admitted to the FBI that he had lied about his ability to arrange.[275]

Also on March 30, Tucker Carlson interviewed Gaetz on Fox News. In addition to denying the allegations about his relationship with a 17-year-old girl, Gaetz denied a previously unreported claim that he had been photographed "with child prostitutes", and said that a friend of his (whom Carlson had supposedly met) had been urged by the FBI to claim Gaetz was "involved in some pay-for-play scheme". He also argued that "Providing for flights and hotel rooms for people that you're dating who are of legal age is not a crime."[286][287][288]

Response and other developments

On March 31, 2021, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy said he had no plans to remove Gaetz from his seats on the Judiciary and Armed Services Committees, but that he might change his mind if Gaetz "gets indicted"[289] or "if it comes out to be true".[290]

On April 1, 2021, CNN reported that Gaetz had shown pictures of naked women to colleagues on the House floor. Gaetz had allegedly claimed to have slept with the women in the photos.[291] The next day, his communications director, Luke Ball, and his legislative director, Devin Murphy, resigned. Both had begun working for Gaetz when he joined Congress in 2017.[292][293][294]

On April 6, 2021, The New York Times reported that in the last weeks of the Trump administration, Gaetz privately requested a blanket presidential pardon for himself and others, which was reportedly denied because it would set a bad precedent.[269] The next day, Trump publicly denied that Gaetz had asked him for a pardon.[295] On April 8, it was revealed that Trump had reportedly wanted to defend Gaetz but was told to stand down due to the seriousness of the allegations.[137]

On April 8, 2021, Gaetz's congressional office released a statement purportedly from his female employees vouching for his character, stating they "uniformly reject these allegations as false". Gaetz's new communications director, Joel Valdez, told Forbes that "all of the office's eight female staffers signed it", but the version of the statement that was released did not have anyone's signature or identify any specific employee.[296] That evening, Representative Adam Kinzinger tweeted that Gaetz should resign, becoming the first congressional Republican to make such a call.[297][298]

On April 9, 2021, the House Ethics Committee opened an investigation into allegations that Gaetz "may have engaged in sexual misconduct and/or illicit drug use, shared inappropriate images or videos on the House floor, misused state identification records, converted campaign funds to personal use, and/or accepted a bribe, improper gratuity, or impermissible gift".[299] The committee deferred its investigation at the request of the Justice Department, but resumed it in June 2023.[300][301]

In late April, Gaetz fundraised to run his own political ads, claiming that he was under attack by powerful interests such as "big government, big tech, big business, big media" that perceived him as a political threat.[302] A public relations firm hired by Gaetz issued a denial statement regarding The Daily Beast's reporting on Greenberg's correspondence implicating him and Gaetz.[270]

On May 17, 2021, Greenberg pleaded guilty to multiple crimes in a plea bargain in which he would have to cooperate with prosecutors.[257]

By June, the federal investigation had reportedly broadened to include obstruction of justice, relating to a phone conversation Gaetz had with a witness.[303][304] Later in June, ABC News reported that the investigation had engulfed many in the Central Florida political scene and that prosecutors could decide whether to bring charges against Gaetz as early as July.[305] In August, ABC News reported that Greenberg had "provided investigators with years of Venmo and Cash App transactions and thousands of photos and videos, as well as access to personal social media accounts". These include September 2018 text messages between Greenberg and a woman engaging in prostitution, which indicate that a prostitute was arranged for Gaetz and that MDMA may have been proffered. A spokesperson for Gaetz said, "not one woman has come forward to accuse Rep. Gaetz of wrongdoing" and that Gaetz had "addressed the debunked allegations against him" on his new podcast, Firebrand.[306][307] According to Greenberg, he made the arrangements for Gaetz.[306]

Two top Washington prosecutors—a public corruption investigator with an expertise in child exploitation crimes and a leader of the public corruption unit—have worked on Gaetz's case since at least mid-2021.[308] Greenberg's sentencing hearing was originally scheduled for August 2021,[309] but due to his cooperation in related investigations, had been repeatedly delayed.[310][311] In January 2022, an ex-girlfriend of Gaetz's testified before a grand jury after being granted immunity;[312] she reportedly had information relevant to two of three criminal charges being considered for Gaetz: sex trafficking a minor and obstruction of justice.[312] (A year later, her attorney said that Justice Department prosecutors made the right decision not to charge Gaetz because "they didn't have evidence to prove a crime".)[313] Gaetz was also accused of violating the Mann Act, which prohibits sex trafficking across state lines.[314] Later in January 2022, Joseph Ellicott confessed that in 2017, he witnessed Greenberg telling Gaetz over the phone that the woman they had both had sex with was underage.[315][316][317]

On December 1, 2022, thanks to his assistance with the prosecutors in a series of investigations, including those involving Gaetz, Greenberg was sentenced to 11 years in prison, plus 10 years of supervised release.[318] The sentencing judge, Gregory A. Presnell, said, "He has provided substantial cooperation to the government...more than I've seen in 22 years."[318]

Court documents filed in September 2024 stated that, according to multiple eyewitnesses, Gaetz had attended a party in 2017 alongside a 17-year-old girl, at the home of lobbyist Chris Dorworth where people engaged in sexual activities and did drugs, including cocaine, ecstacy, and cannabis.[319][320]

A September 2022 Washington Post article reported that prosecutors have recommended not to charge Gaetz in the sex trafficking investigation, telling Justice Department superiors that a conviction is unlikely in part because of credibility questions about the two central witnesses.[321] In February 2023, the DOJ communicated to the attorneys for Gaetz that they had concluded their investigation and would not be laying charges against him, effectively ending a multiyear probe including allegations of misconduct.[322]

Re-opening of investigation by House Ethics Committee

In July 2023, it was reported that the House Ethics Committee had re-opened the investigation into allegations about Gaetz's sexual misconduct, illicit drug use, and other misconduct they had initially started in 2021. The probe by the committee had been paused while DOJ were carrying out investigations over allegations that he had sex with a minor.[323][324] The committee contacted Gaetz's ex-girlfriend who in 2022 had received immunity and testified in the criminal investigation, though reportedly it did not expect her to voluntarily cooperate in the ethics investigation.[325]

 

Personal life

In June 2020, following an argument with then-Representative Cedric Richmond, Gaetz said he had been living with a 19-year-old immigrant from Cuba, Nestor Galbán, since Galbán was 12, and considered Galbán his son. He later clarified that Galbán is the brother of Gaetz's ex-girlfriend and that Galbán spends time with Galbán's sister, Gaetz's family, and Gaetz.^[327] The two are not related genetically or legally.^{[328][329][330]} Gaetz said, "Our relationship as a family is defined by our love for each other, not by any paperwork."^[327] In 2016, he called Galbán a "local student"; in 2017, he called Galbán "my helper".^[330]

In December 2020, Gaetz announced his engagement to his girlfriend, Ginger Luckey, the sister of Oculus VR founder and major Republican donor Palmer Luckey.^[331] They married in August 2021.^[332] Gaetz is a Baptist.^[333]

 

 

 

 

Matt Gaetz friend handed 11-year prison term in US sex trafficking case

Former tax collector Joel Greenberg apologizes in court for ‘shameful conduct’ after pleading guilty to six federal crimes

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/dec/02/matt-gaetz-friend-joel-greenberg-sex-trafficking

A former Florida tax collector whose arrest led to a federal investigation into the US congressman Matt Gaetz has been sentenced to 11 years in prison for sex trafficking of a minor and other offenses.

Joel Greenberg, former tax collector for Seminole county, was accused of stalking a political opponent, public corruption, making fake licenses and scheming to submit false claims for a federal loan.

He pleaded guilty to six federal crimes, including identity theft, stalking, wire fraud and conspiracy to bribe a public official. Prosecutors said he paid at least one girl to have sex with him and other men.

“Nothing justifies my actions. My conduct is so shameful. I feel remorse for what I’ve done,” Greenberg said on Thursday before US district judge Gregory Presnell sentenced him in an Orlando courtroom.

Greenberg also directly apologized to the residents of Seminole county, his family and a schoolteacher he smeared when the educator decided to run against him.

Presnell said that in his 22 years as a federal judge, he had never experienced a case like Greenberg’s and “a defendant who has committed so many different types of crimes in such a short period of time”.

Greenberg’s attorney had asked for leniency, saying that his client had assisted in investigations of 24 people, including eight for sex crimes. Defense attorney Fritz Scheller said that Greenberg’s cooperation had led to four federal indictments, and that he believed additional ones were expected in the coming month.

Greenberg’s cooperation could play a role in an investigation into his friend Gaetz over whether he paid a 17-year-old girl for sex. Gaetz has denied the allegations and previously said they were part of an extortion plot. No charges have been brought against the Republican congressman, who represents a large part of the Florida Panhandle.

Greenberg has been linked to other Florida politicians and their associates. So far, none has been implicated in the sex trafficking investigation.

After the hearing, Scheller called Greenberg’s sentence just.

Scheller said he was shocked that Greenberg’s cooperation had not yet resulted in more prosecutions and that Greenberg had been in communication with federal investigators in the past three months. When asked whether he thought others would be charged with sex crimes, the defense attorney said, “I do.”

“There should be, and I think part of my frustration is that I have a pretty good insight into the evidence in this case,” Scheller said.

[Vesper 30,224]

possible White House Press Secretary (not joking, she became 'famous' after smashing up a Target store Covid mask display in Arizona)

Rein Lively

here she is with Matt Gaetz

with Roger Stone

with Tulsi Gabbard

[Vesper 30,224]

Turkey severs all relations with Israel, says Erdogan

Turkish president says he will not 'continue or develop relations' with Israel in future

https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/turkey-severs-all-relations-israel-says-erdogan

[cosmicway 1,333]

43 minutes ago, Vesper said:

Turkey severs all relations with Israel, says Erdogan

Turkish president says he will not 'continue or develop relations' with Israel in future

https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/turkey-severs-all-relations-israel-says-erdogan

Call me F35.
Big game maybe from Erdo ?
Us or them mr. Trump (Turkiye or GR).

Erdo cares about Israel-Palestine by as much as I care about Tatabanya fc winning the Hungarian championship.

[Vesper 30,224]

Europe should brace for impact

https://feps-europe.eu/europe-should-brace-for-impact/

12/11/2024

When I woke up on 6 November, my phone was flooded with texts from family in Europe. Shock, fear, anxiety, dread – it was all reflected in the questions on my screen. What will happen to you? Will you be okay? And what does this mean for us, here in Europe? Though it is difficult to answer the last question with certainty, given that uncertainty is Trump’s hallmark regarding foreign policy, one thing is certain: Europe should brace for impact.

In his first term, and in the intervening years since, Trump made it clear what a second Trump administration would mean for Europe, and the US-EU relationship: Europe is on its own, and the transatlantic relationship as we know it will be consigned to the ash heap of history. He has said that Europe will largely be on its own when it comes to defence; he has expressed scepticism about continued US support for Ukraine; and he has promised to implement tariffs that will inflict pain on European manufacturers. NATO, too, is at risk. Though Trump cannot unilaterally withdraw from the alliance, he could ‘quiet quit‘ and he has laid out concrete plans where the US takes a backseat to Europe when it comes to NATO. The consequences of a second Trump term are, of course, not limited to defence. The US will approach cooperation on all issues – including energy, climate, health and competition – differently.

European leaders said throughout Trump’s first term that they needed to start taking on more responsibility for Europe’s defence, and in some ways, they did, but much of that progress slowed under a friendlier Biden administration. Under Biden, ‘America was back’ – and the traditional transatlantic alliance with it. But under the second Trump administration, ‘America First’ is back – and Europe will have to adjust. The flood of congratulatory messages for Trump from European leaders shows that they have understood one fundamental truth to working with Trump: flattery is necessary, and criticism will result in punishment for their nation. And even if Europe has to stand alone, European leaders understand that EU-US cooperation will have to remain (though it will not be on their terms).

The two finalists for Secretary of State that the Washington Post reports are under consideration – Florida Senator Marco Rubio, and former acting director of national intelligence Richard Grenell (and former Ambassador to Germany) – would have different approaches to foreign policy, and especially to the US-EU relationship. Rubio is, in most senses, a traditionalist Republican, a foreign policy hawk who fundamentally believes in international engagement. Though he has adapted his foreign policy views to be more ‘Trumpian,’ he would likely represent a more ‘pragmatic‘ foreign policy vision for the US. Grenell delighted in provoking Germany during his ambassadorship, and would focus on building out a foreign policy network, in Europe and beyond. He would embody a much darker impulse towards foreign policy within Trump world.

But ultimately, in issues of foreign and domestic policy, Trump will have the final say. He will sometimes listen to his advisers, and sometimes he won’t, and there is no predictable pattern when it comes to either. He considers unpredictability his signature weapon – a difficult prospect for allies and partners who seek to work together with him and with the US. With Trump at the helm, the US will no longer be a reliable partner.

The transatlantic relationship will not disappear under Trump. There are underpinnings deeper than the top of the ticket that will help maintain the relationship – on a state, local and civic engagement level, especially. And the ties that bind, pragmatically, will remain; though Trump will always prioritise America, there will be concrete issues that will call for continued cooperation, globally and transatlantically. 

For better or for worse, Europe will have to learn to carry its own weight – quickly. And Europe will have to take up the mantle on global issues that Trump will cast aside: climate, tech, AI and regulation. This will require a commitment to European solidarity – not a given – and working closely together at an EU level to compellingly represent forceful policy positions on these issues.

And ultimately, this is a warning for Europe, and for future elections in Europe. Democrats will join the ‘graveyard of incumbents‘ – for the first time in 120 years, the incumbents in every one of the ten major countries that have held elections in 2024 have been punished by voters. ‘Incumbency advantage’ has been replaced by ‘incumbency disadvantage’. And this election was firmly a ‘post-truth’ election – voters were moved more by their feelings and impressions than by facts. European incumbent parties would do well to try to adjust to this new reality as quickly as possible, or they risk learning the same painful lessons that the Democrats here in America must grapple with for the next few years.

[Vesper 30,224]

https://feps-europe.eu/event/state-of-the-unions-2024/

As the dust settles from the US presidential elections, the “State of the Unions” event, co-hosted by FEPS and the German Marshall Fund, provided a pivotal forum to analyse and debate the elections’ outcomes. This year’s event offered a timely opportunity to delve into the evolving dynamics of US domestic politics, and their ripple effects on the transatlantic relationship. With leaders and experts from both sides of the Atlantic, we explored how the election results will shape policies and strategies, influencing not only US-EU relations but also the global geopolitical landscape.

 

The event was divided into two sessions:

Session I: A Polarised Democracy and the Future of US Politics

This panel scrutinised the results of the US presidential and congressional elections, focusing on the internal political shifts and policy changes that will follow. We examined the implications for governance, legislative priorities, and party dynamics within the US. As the country navigates post-election transitions, our expert panel provided insights into the evolving political landscape and what it means for America’s future trajectory.

Guiding questions:

• How will the election results reshape the internal political dynamics and party alignments within the US?
• How do we interpret the vote? What are the major determining factors in people’s choice in this election?
• What are the anticipated policy shifts in key areas such as healthcare, immigration, foreign policy and climate change?

Session II: Transatlantic Tides: US Elections Results and Their Impact on EU-US Relations and the Global Order   

In this panel, we explored the broader implications of the US presidential and congressional election results on the transatlantic relationship and global stability. Key topics included the future of multilateralism, responses to international conflicts, and cooperation on global challenges such as climate change, trade, and economic recovery. Our discussion aimed to uncover how new US leadership will engage with the EU and other global partners in shaping a stable and prosperous world order.

Guiding questions:

• How will the US election results influence the future of US-EU cooperation on trade, defense, and security?
• What are the potential impacts on multilateral institutions and agreements, including NATO and the Paris Agreement?
• How might the election outcomes affect US-EU approaches to global conflicts and peacekeeping missions?
• In what ways can the US and EU collaborate to address global challenges like climate change, pandemics, and economic instability?
• What are the implications for transatlantic relations in the context of rising global powers and shifting alliances?