Saturday, June 17, 2023

Mini bits: The missing informant; The missing tapes; Capitalists hate labor unions; Etc.

From the Post-Truth Politics Files: Newsweek writes about an informant that Republican elites have been saying has rock solid evidence that proves, proves mind you, Joe and Hunter are bribe-taking, communist sleazeball criminals:
Kentucky Rep. James Comer, who chairs the House Oversight Committee, has admitted no one had had any contact for three years with an alleged key source in its investigation into the Biden family business dealings.

Comer appeared on Sean Hannity's Fox News show Thursday to give an update to the Republican inquiry into allegations Joe Biden took part in "influence peddling," while vice president in the Obama administration. The serving president is also accused of engaging in corrupt foreign business dealing with his son Hunter Biden and Ukrainian energy company Burisma. However, the investigation has so far not revealed any real evidence to back up the claims.
Oops, apparently the informant has disappeared. Nonetheless, Joe and Hunter are bribe-taking communist sleazeball criminals even without proof.

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More from the Post-Truth Politics Files: The Daily Beast writes about recordings that Republican elites have been saying has rock solid evidence that proves, proves mind you, Joe and Hunter are bribe-taking, communist sleazeball criminals: 
Republicans Admit They ‘Don’t Know’ if Biden 
Bribery Tapes ‘Really Exist’

.... Republicans and right-wing media have been running wild with unsubstantiated claims about a foreign bribery scheme involving President Joe Biden.

The story really grew legs in the conservative media ecosphere this week when Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) hyped up the potential existence of “audio tapes” proving Biden accepted a $5 million bribe from a Ukrainian energy company while he was vice president.

At the same time, despite his colleagues being forced to admit there may not be any recordings, Grassley has expressed hope that Trump is proud of him for pushing so hard for a Biden probe. “Well I hope he thinks I’m doing good work,” Grassley said on a conservative podcast on Wednesday. “I’d like to have him think that of my oversight work.”
Grassley the Sniveling Groveller wants DJT's approval for doing good oversight work. So far, Grassley's oversight work has turned up nothing. However, nothing alone is suspicious and Joe and Hunter need to be locked up. Right?

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Employees get fired: The WaPo writes about Starbucks baristas who openly work to unionize and then get fired for doing so:
For months, Lexi Rizzo had clocked in before dawn convinced that the company where she had worked for nearly eight years was determined to fire her. And Rizzo thought she knew why: She was one of 49 baristas from across Buffalo who sent a letter to the company’s chief executive in August 2021 informing him that they were seeking to form a union.

Today there are about 320 unionized Starbucks stores in the United States — a rare bright spot for the shrinking labor movement. But the gains have come at a price, union officials said. Only 13 of the workers who signed the original Buffalo organizing letter are still with the company.
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COVID update: The Hill writes
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) told vaccine manufacturers on Friday their fall COVID-19 update should target the XBB.1.5 strain of omicron. That variant is currently responsible for about 40 percent of all infections, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Vaccine companies have been working on XBB-specific vaccines, so they will be ready by the end of the summer.
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Obama disputes racism with Tim Scott: Consider the arguments that Scott lays out to attack Democrats. This kind of reasoning is at the heart of American radical right political thinking. The Hill writes:
Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) took a jab at former President Obama this week after the Democrat criticized the declared 2024 GOP presidential contender over his remarks about race and racial progress in the country.

“Let us not forget we are a land of opportunity, not a land of oppression. Democrats deny our progress to protect their power. The Left wants you to believe faith in America is a fraud and progress in our nation is a myth,” Scott said in a statement Thursday.

“The truth of MY life disproves the lies of the radical Left. We live in a country where little Black and Brown boys and girls can be President of the United States. The truth is – we’ve had one and the good news is – we will have another,” he added.
Worth noting is (1) the argument that if one minority person can succeed, all of them can and that proves, proves mind you, great progress, implying racism is completely gone or trivial at worst, (2) Democrats deny social progress to protect their power, (3) his silence about some bigoted Republican policies, e.g., voting laws that target racial minorities to limit their influence, and (4) referring to the radical left.

Item 1 is bullshit-based lie that proves nothing. One story about one person does not tell the whole story. Racism in America is far more complex than Mr. Scott alone. Regarding 2, I don't recall most Dems denying progress. Most acknowledge both progress and significant remaining racism-based problems, e.g., in law enforcement, housing and employment. Item 3 is telling. It is a lie of omission. All that minority Republicans can do these days in the face of GOP policy is employ the KYMS tactic (keep your mouth shut). Finally, item 4 is a standard radical right lie employed as a misdirection to distract from the fact that the Dem Party and its power is dominated by center and center-right politicians. In terms of political power, the "radical left" is not a major player. Scott's insinuation of radical left power is a both a lie and a slander.

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