What do you think about with current News and Opinions?

Guests · Mar 5, 2022

Senate Republicans threaten to slow efforts to fund federal agencies, deliver aid to Ukraine

https://www.washingtonpost.com/us-policy/2022/03/05/republicans-federal-spending-ukraine-vaccines/

Obstruction is a habit or a practice for congressional republicans.

Quote

In the first letter, sent Thursday, eight GOP lawmakers complained that “families are feeling the pressure of skyrocketing prices,” which they blamed on “reckless government spending.” In response, they said they “cannot allow another massive spending package to be rushed through Congress without proper consideration and scrutiny.”
The letter demanded “appropriate time” to read and review any funding bill. It also called for an official analysis by the Congressional Budget Office to assess the impact of the legislation on inflation and the federal debt. And it signaled that Senate Republicans could withhold their votes if their terms are not met, potentially slowing debate to a crawl.
“Until we can fully understand what is in any potential [spending] bill, its impact on the fiscal strength of the United States, and how it will influence our nation’s growing inflation crisis, we should not vote on it,” they wrote.

In the second note, sent Friday, 10 Republicans revived their campaign against federal vaccine and testing requirements. Even as public health officials broadly maintain that the policies help curtail the spread of the coronavirus, the GOP lawmakers pledged they would “stand against these mandates until they are discontinued in ambition, design and practice.”
[GOP tactics herald a grim new era of governing for Biden and Democrats]
Specifically, the Republicans promised to block lawmakers from forging ahead swiftly to pass the bill if it funds implementation of mandates. They said “at the very least” they would “require a roll-call vote on an amendment that defunds enforcement,” a move Republicans have demanded in other recent government funding fights.

Beerman, BSN · Mar 5, 2022

"Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky chided the Biden administration for not slapping sanctions on Russia’s Vladimir Putin sooner in an emotional, approximately hour-long Zoom call with 280 US senators and House members Saturday morning.

“If you had started sanctions months ago, there would not have been war,” he said, Fox News reported."

https://nypost.com/2022/03/05/ukrainian-president-volodymyr-zelensky-zooms-with-us-lawmakers/

As a side note, it's curious that most, if not all, of the liberal propagandist media left this quote out of their coverage.

Hoosier_RN, MSN · Mar 5, 2022

4 hours ago, subee said:

Don't drink the water, don't marry their daughters. I've lived in a few places like that but still don't understand how people don't recognize a defective when they hear one.

Sadly, sometimes they are what the voters consider the lesser of 2 evils

subee, MSN, CRNA · Mar 5, 2022

6 minutes ago, Hoosier_RN said:

Sadly, sometimes they are what the voters consider the lesser of 2 evils

Then they truly deserve what they got since her opponent was a "dangerous progressive" who advocated for background checks and more funds for schools. Just another part if Colorado I never want to visit and stop for a beer.

Guests · Mar 5, 2022

9 minutes ago, Hoosier_RN said:

Sadly, sometimes they are what the voters consider the lesser of 2 evils

That's a false narrative that they've chosen to believe. Similar to the nonsense that we were "choosing between 2 evils" in 2016 or 2020.

Guests · Mar 5, 2022

1 hour ago, Beerman said:

"Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky chided the Biden administration for not slapping sanctions on Russia’s Vladimir Putin sooner in an emotional, approximately hour-long Zoom call with 280 US senators and House members Saturday morning.

“If you had started sanctions months ago, there would not have been war,” he said, Fox News reported."

https://nypost.com/2022/03/05/ukrainian-president-volodymyr-zelensky-zooms-with-us-lawmakers/

As a side note, it's curious that most, if not all, of the liberal propagandist media left this quote out of their coverage.

Fox news reported this, it was repeated by the NYPost and cannot be corroborated in other reporting. No Senators made mention of a remark like that after the meeting. I don't find it curious at all that credible journalists and media outlets haven't repeated that claim.

There was a little bit of a stir about republican senators tweeting images of Zelensky taken during the meeting even though they were asked not to.

subee, MSN, CRNA · Mar 5, 2022

25 minutes ago, toomuchbaloney said:

Fox news reported this, it was repeated by the NYPost and cannot be corroborated in other reporting. No Senators made mention of a remark like that after the meeting. I don't find it curious at all that credible journalists and media outlets haven't repeated that claim.

There was a little bit of a stir about republican senators tweeting images of Zelensky taken during the meeting even though they were asked not to.

Fox News is reporting something they found on a Twitter post? They consider Twitter a source? The NY Post ? I'm snickering.

chare · Mar 5, 2022

1 hour ago, toomuchbaloney said:

2 hours ago, Beerman said:

"Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky chided the Biden administration for not slapping sanctions on Russia’s Vladimir Putin sooner in an emotional, approximately hour-long Zoom call with 280 US senators and House members Saturday morning.

“If you had started sanctions months ago, there would not have been war,” he said, Fox News reported."

[...]

Fox news reported this, it was repeated by the NYPost and cannot be corroborated in other reporting. No Senators made mention of a remark like that after the meeting. I don't find it curious at all that credible journalists and media outlets haven't repeated that claim.

[...]

This was also reported by Salon and the Independent.

And, while no one in attendance made mention of this, I'm not aware of anyone in attendance that has denied it.

chare · Mar 5, 2022

1 hour ago, subee said:

1 hour ago, toomuchbaloney said:

[...]

There was a little bit of a stir about republican senators tweeting images of Zelensky taken during the meeting even though they were asked not to.

Fox News is reporting something they found on a Twitter post? They consider Twitter a source? The NY Post ? I'm snickering.

I'm unsure if Twitter was used as the source for Mr. Zelensky's statement. However, there are reports that at least 2 Republican senators (Mr. Rubio and Mr. Daines shared screenshots of the Zoom meeting prior to its conclusion, contrary to the request to not do so for safety concerns.

Guests · Mar 5, 2022

19 minutes ago, chare said:

This was also reported by Salon and the Independent.

And, while no one in attendance made mention of this, I'm not aware of anyone in attendance that has denied it.

In my view, that's uncorroborated.

chare · Mar 5, 2022

29 minutes ago, toomuchbaloney said:

In my view, that's uncorroborated.

Really? Interesting.

As I wrote, I find it more telling that none of those in attendance, as far as I'm aware, have denied it.

ETA: Like you, I'm somewhat skeptical that this statement was actually made. Particularly considering, and I apologize for not having the link, a recent report I read of the U. S. Increasing aid to Ukraine as far back as December.

And, in addition to the fact that no one has denied, I find it more interesting that no one has confirmed it either.

Beerman, BSN · Mar 5, 2022

55 minutes ago, chare said:

I'm unsure if Twitter was used as the source for Mr. Zelensky's statement. However, there are reports that at least 2 Republican senators (Mr. Rubio and Mr. Daines shared screenshots of the Zoom meeting prior to its conclusion, contrary to the request to not do so for safety concerns.

No, Twitter was not the source. It was a "Senate source" who provided it to a Fox News reporter.

I don't particularly care for anonymous sources. But, it's doubtful the Fox person made it up.

What makes me snicker (like Subee) is the comments from folks here who often post links to WaPo and NYT stories (much bigger stories, not just a quote) whose sources are very frequently "people close to the situation".