Posted on 02/27/2024 6:50:11 PM PST by MinorityRepublican
House Speaker Mike Johnson has the fate of a democracy and a people in his hands.
It’s not the United States, which will survive – even if the coming general election results in another existential test for the constitutional system.
The country Johnson has the power to save is Ukraine, two years after Russian President Vladimir Putin invaded, decreeing that it didn’t have the right to exist.
Ukraine’s soldiers – trapped in a World War I-style hellscape of trench warfare – are running out of bullets. There are signs that Russia may be about to break a stalemate and tip the war its way.
Johnson, a backbencher who was the last-ditch choice to lead the mutinous House GOP majority last year, could relieve Ukraine’s agony and help ensure its survival as an independent nation in the coming days. He could allow a vote on a bill that includes $60 billion in aid that the Pentagon says is needed to allow Kyiv to continue to effectively fight. It would likely pass with a comfortable bipartisan majority.
The Louisiana Republican’s reluctance to do so is a commentary on the growing power of GOP front-runner Donald Trump, the sharp turn of his party away from its globalist pro-democracy heritage and perhaps even his own ambition since borrowing Democratic votes to finance Ukraine’s defense could cost him the speakership.
(Excerpt) Read more at cnn.com ...
One of the saddest things about this “debate” has been Zelensky being trotted out to beg/guilt trip Republicans. The hold up has been that Democrats do not consider aid to Ukraine to be a primary priority. Initially they might have been able to get the aid with only anti-corruption measures, now the aid hinges on Dems accepting that Republicans define border security and delivering that security.
Defending our borders
Deporting illegal aliens
Limiting immigration
That is a different matter than Ukraine’s difficulty of trying to repel Russian military forces.
Our borders, aliens, immigrants - should be a bill that is separate from any support Ukraine bill.
Truth in Labeling Act should apply to legislative bills, and their content should be plainly in keeping with their names.
That, includes the elimination of the Fits All phrase that is found in most bills:
” . . . and for other purposes.”
That is a different matter than Ukraine’s difficulty of trying to repel Russian military forces.
It’s really not, though. Ukrainians aspirations to have borders, language and culture separate from the filthy Russian world is no different than Americans desire for a secure border and sovereign nation. Ukrainians fight for nation. So far we don’t. Maybe that’s why some armchair populists hate them so much?
I understand what you are saying, but my point, I stated:
That the bills should be separate, honestly titled, and their content in keeping with such bill titles.
Just leave both Ukraine and Russia out of every bill and every vote. Pretend they don’t exist and walk away; let them duke it out. They’re both corrupt as hell.
When are American pols going to start worrying about American people?
We need Trump back NOW. I’m for moving into isolationism.
“House Speaker Mike Johnson has the fate of a democracy and a people in his hands.”
oh my god the hyperbole drooling off of that first line is just dripping out of the whole article. Could they lay it on any thicker to cover up the vapidity of the content? It would be nice if these writers could demonstrate such urgency over something that would actually benefit Americans. It seems the only thing gets them excited enough to achieve journalism is the size of an huge expenditure over a war with the russians over their favored money laundering target in ukraine.
NO. No no no no no. If you guys want to piss away money on Ukraine, then do it in a stand alone bill and don’t play like you’re funding border control and Israel to get the majority of the money to UKR.
We have young men and women being murdered by illegal invading slags here every day and nothing is being done about it. They do this because it’s their nature - it’s why their home countries allowed (helped) them to leave, Even with no violence and murder, the social and public costs they bring are catastrophic. No.
Hell to the No on giving more money and weapons to corrupt YouCrayne.
Close our Southern Border!
—”Now, Ukraine should have stepped up, substituted its own military production for the shells and bullets the West failed to supply - simple things that were perfected a century ago. For some reason, Zelensky has failed to make this a priority, despite foreign aid supplying an amount greater than Ukraine’s prewar economy.”
Your supposition may be possible, but not probable.
And I doubt it is possible.
Notice that Russia has also run low on artillery ammunition and is buying additional rounds from North Korea.
The NORK rounds are reported on Russian channels as low quality, varying charge types and weights, and missing the decoppering device.
Perhaps the NORK EPA issued a decree forbidding the use of lead for decoppering?
Given a choice, few would use this junk.
Yes, old Joe said, “Quantity has a quality all its own?”
And then for some reason, the Russians are still using the junk rounds?
No one here has yet mentioned the CIA’s bio-warfare labs (and inventory) stashed in Ukraine. How odd ...
ARTICLE
With Western military aid increasingly uncertain, Ukraine builds its own weapons
February 13, 20245:00 AM ET
Heard on All Things Considered
By Joanna Kakissis, Polina Lytvynova
https://www.npr.org/2024/02/13/1229974838/ukraine-weapons-industry-russia-war
KYIV, Ukraine — Inside a chilly, nondescript warehouse somewhere in Ukraine, young mechanics in hoodies are assembling mortar launchers designed by Ukrainians.
“These are the bigger ones we make, 120 millimeters,” says a ginger-haired man named Bohdan, 31, who supervises mortar production for Ukrainian Armor Design and Manufacturing Co., a private arms company. “They look tiny but they can do a lot of damage to the enemy.”
Bohdan declined to give his last name for security reasons. NPR also isn’t disclosing the location of this factory. Russia often targets military facilities and infrastructure in Ukraine.
He says several hundred of these mortar launchers have been sent to the frontline. But Ukrainian troops need many more.
Ukraine’s Zelenskyy replaces the army’s leader almost 2 years into war with Russia
Ukraine invasion — explained
Ukraine’s Zelenskyy replaces the army’s leader almost 2 years into war with Russia
“Russia has always had more weapons,” he says.
As Russia’s war on Ukraine enters its third year, Ukrainians are facing a cold reality: Western support for Ukraine is flagging while Russia buys drones from Iran and, according to the U.S., ballistic missiles from North Korea.
Ukrainian Armor and other homegrown arms manufacturers are turning out weapons as fast as they can.
Vladyslav Belbas, the director-general of Ukrainian Armor, says production of mortars and armored vehicles has increased by at least 10 times since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022. Its biggest customer is the Ukrainian government, which went from one-off purchases before the war to long-term orders. (Excerpt)
That sentence was laughable. What an idiot author.
There isn’t ONE Ukrainian that knows who he is.
Fine. Send them a check. Pack your bags and go help.
>ARTICLE
With Western military aid increasingly uncertain, Ukraine builds its own weapons
February 13, 20245:00 AM ET
Heard on All Things Considered
By Joanna Kakissis, Polina Lytvynova
https://www.npr.org/2024/02/13/1229974838/ukraine-weapons-industry-russia-war<
Your source is the paragon of lib broadcasting, NPR.
Not exactly a trusted Conservative site, mommy.
How’s it feel to be in bed with libs Biden, Schumer, Romney, Pelosi, McConnell, Jeffries and other anti-Trump Swamp Creatures?
On every one of your 100’s of propaganda threads, you post a Pray for Ukraine request.
How about a pray for America request?
You had that damn Ukrainian flag in your tagline until you received a warning from JimRob about posting propaganda, then you suddenly changed it to an American flag. I’d call that pandering.
This is an American Conservative site. It’s not a blog for Zelensky fanboys and anti-American sentiments.
And for the millionth time, I think Zelensky is evil. I think Putin is evil. I think Biden is evil. I want my country’s involvement in that meat grinder of a war ended.
In many repects Mike Johnson has reasoned himself into a lot of clout. He has held firm so far and did not let McConnell bully him.
Now McConnell is on his way out the door.
It feels good not giving Democrats and RINOs what they demand.
His job is to deny them.
Harnwell suggests why passing the $60bn for Ukraine is so existential for the UniParty
What is it about the $60bn for Ukraine and the UniParty? Congress would sooner see the US federal government shut down than back down.
Perhaps the reason it appears so totemic is because it is. It is true Congress has never fought this hard for anything in years. But that is matched by the American People — who equally have never resisted Congress this hard in years.
Losing this battle would be like the British political establishment losing Brexit. The spell of the UniParty’s omnipotence would finally be broken, freeing the people to finally become — once again — protagonists in their own destiny.
https://rumble.com/v4g2s3u-harnwell.html
Ben is right about why the UniParty is fighting tooth and nail to pry $60 Billion from our hands and fork it over to Ukraine.
He’s an insightful, knowledgeable analyst. I just wish Bannon would shut up and let him talk.
1) It is pretty clear that conflating aid to Ukraine / Israel / Taiwan and border legislation, together, results in stalemate and nothing gets done at all. That's surely why the Biden Admin. lumped them together. The Republicans in Congress will get blamed, lose badly this November, then the Ukraine money gets passed in time to bail out the Ukies albeit with them suffering some serious casualties and losses. Biden doesn't actually care, so long as the situation can be salvaged, and maybe even if not. His border coup will be complete. THAT he cares about.
2) As FReeper PIF has correctly pointed out, NOTHING the present Congress passes regarding the border will do any good at all as long as Biden / Harris / any such replacement is in office. This is a lawless Administration and it will subvert anything Congress does anyway. I maintain that solutions require a hard-nosed President like Trump, and a Congress to back him up. The best way to elect both is to have this issue front and center and separate in the coming election, NOT muddied up by any connection to foreign aid.
3) Regarding Ukraine aid, Johnson even before he became Speaker stated that he supported said aid with the condition that Biden had to provide some sort of plan with a positive ending, and provide better accounting of monies sent.
Well, first of all, send weapons only, mostly larger ones from old stock. At least 80% of $$ appropriated are to go for new/ upgraded replacements or projects like tens of thousands of moderate cost drones. (Some $$ will be needed for transportation, training, and new production ammo.) The Euros will be left to handle financial aid. I'm not opposed to sending $2 billion in material humanitarian goods.
Included in the aid bill should be a requirement that for weapons to begin to be sent, the Sec. of State must issue a set of clear goals or roadmap for what we intend to accomplish and when, as well as pointed discussion of the long term ramifications of failure, all subject to a week's review by Congress.
The Republican can then focus on immigration in the last 5-6 months before the election, with a bill that is as stern as will "float" with public opinion, and the Dems will block it, setting up the election itself to Republican advantage.
Even if Biden offered a clean bill on the border and that includes building the wall and kicking out illegals, I wouldn't take it anyway. Even if he signs it, after he gets the money on the Ukraine bill, he's not going to follow through and he would still on enforcing the border anyway.
Like you said, we shouldn't negotiate on immigration until the election. Hopefully we'll be able to get enough Americans to vote for Trump so we can beat the fraud.
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