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https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/obama-blitz-campaign-trail-harris-final-weeks-campaign/story?id=114491830&cid=social_twitter_abcn Former President Barack Obama will hit the campaign trail for Vice President Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz starting next Thursday, Oct. 10, through election day, according to a senior campaign official. The first stop will be in Pennsylvania in the Pittsburgh area before Obama embarks on a campaign blitz across the battleground states in the final 27 days.

The main decision maker was friends with Fisher and friends with Elko. This came through supporting them in the bag game and going on trips and such with them. As it became clear, in their minds, that Fisher had to go, the money had veto rights since they were footing the buyouts. Bjorn/Bjork promised a big name. No one was interested. DeBoer didn’t even take a call with them. Bjorn/Bjork felt like Stoops was a big name and did the deal without checking on the veto. Liucci hated the deal and was buddies with both the money and Elko. Stoops was nixed while flying down. The Elk was then trumpeted as their big boy hire and then spin began.

Well said.

Full text below: Senate House The newly introduced Stand with Ukraine Act aims to create a more constructive framework for US-Ukraine relations over the next 10 years. It's very strong, bipartisan and bicameral, and highlights include: 1. Makes 10-year bilateral security agreement law “On June 13, 2024, the President of the United States and the President of Ukraine signed a 10-year bilateral security agreement, which Congress hereby endorses as an enduring framework between our two countries.” Although Zelensky and Biden signed a treaty earlier this year, international treaties in the US do not become law unless ratified by Congress (typically Senate, though there are exceptions). This would make that treaty into law. 2. Grants State Department new authority to provide military aid "The Secretary of State, in coordination with the Secretary of Defense, may make available to the Government of Ukraine, in such quantities as the Secretary of State considers appropriate for the purpose described in the Bilateral Security Agreement— (1) weapons and other defense articles from the United States inventory and other sources; and (2) defense services. " This language is very similar to PDA (Presidential drawdown authority), by which the President can send weaponry from existing American stocks. This is the most useful kind of aid since PDA can arrive within days, unlike USAI which can take years since it consists of production orders placed with the American defense industry. Essentially this would provide the State Department with the option of providing military aid to Ukraine if Congress doesn’t sufficiently pass PDA or if there is no more PDA left. 3. Prioritizing excess defense article transfer for Ukraine Excess defense articles (EDA) is weaponry that the US no longer needs. The passing of this Act would result in the development of a 5-year plan to prioritize EDA transfers to Ukraine. 4. Fast tracking sales to Ukraine under foreign military sales program Sec of State & Defense makes a list of available and emerging technologies that are pre-cleared and prioritized for sale and release to Ukraine through foreign military sales program Aims to reduce delays caused by deliberations of what is allowed to be provided to Ukraine Provides for the prioritization and expediting of aid to Ukraine Asks for a report from Sec of State and Defense what actions were taken to prioritize sales to Ukraine 5. Treatment of Ukraine as Major non-NATO Ally “Notwithstanding any other provision of law, Ukraine shall be treated as though it were designated a major non NATO ally” Major non-NATO ally (MNNA) is a specific designation with numerous advantages. MNNAs include Israel, Australia, Japan, South Korea, etc. 6. Statement of policy regarding recovery and reconstruction in Ukraine States that its the policy of the US to support Ukraine in building increased institutional, economic and social resilience, with a focus on reforms. Early priority in energy, infrastructure, and demining Focuses on private sector-led economy and integrating Ukraine into global markets This aims to aid the recovery of Ukraine while reducing the likelihood of future Russian influence. 7. Loan and lease of defense articles From 2025-2035, gives President lend-lease authority to Ukraine or Eastern flank countries. Although it was never used for Ukraine after its passing and has now expired, Lend-Lease can prove useful if Congress is opposed to further aid to Ukraine. 8. Depot maintenance strategic plan Long-term maintenance and replacement of Ukraine’s depots of available weapons to repel future Russian aggression. ______________ Last week I was in DC to meet with representatives and discuss Ukraine. One of our key goals was to introduce them to the Stand With Ukraine Act, and ask them to co-sponsor it. Since then a lot of representatives have co-sponsored, and more will co-sponsor in the upcoming days. Call your Representatives! If your representative supports Ukraine and has not yet co-sponsored, please call their office and ask them to co-sponsor HR.9501 (in House) / S.4992 (in Senate). Go to: govtrack.us Enter your zip code on the left. You will get three names with three phone numbers to call Below is a sample script that you can use while calling. Please feel free to add any details, such as additional reasons why the U.S. should continue to support Ukraine and why this issue is important to you. You can use this script for both speaking with a staffer or leaving a voicemail. Hello! My name is [your name] and I live in [city, state]. My zip code is [zip code]. I am a Ukraine supporter. Recently a bicameral and bipartisan bill was introduced to create a more constructive framework for US-Ukraine relations over the next 10 years, and make aid for Ukraine both more efficient and predictable. I'm calling to ask [representative's name] to co-sponsor the Stand with Ukraine Act, [HR 9501 if calling a Representative, S 4992 if calling a Senator]. Thank you.

Credit where it's due to the secretary of transportation

Yeah I'm a retired firefighter and I'm pissed, too. I'm starting the process to end my union dues right now. Fuck that shit. BTW, they don't ask the firefighters who we want to back. They never have. It's all up to the IAFF/AFL-CIO national leaders. For my entire career they've backed the Democratic candidate. Why they chose to sit this one out is mind-boggling. ETA: Here's my tweet from a few minutes ago, with a response from another retired firefighter who's pissed as well.

Can we agree on cyclists?

There's really no better evidence that people are voting against their interest than major national unions failing to endorse Harris.

It is October 4 and this is my (current) prediction - Harris (and Dems) look particularly stronger in the Midwest than they do in the Sunbelt, just like in 2022. I currently have Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania in Harris' column, along with Nevada, which has gotten progressively less and less buzz lately, making me think it's invariably in her column. Harris 276, Trump 219 We've gotten mixed polling in Arizona, Georgia and North Carolina. I'm more inclined to put Arizona (abortion on the ballot + Kari Lake) and North Carolina (Mark Robinson) in Harris' column as of today and Georgia as a toss-up still. The lack of any big statewide (gov or Senate) race in Georgia likely keeps it as tossup/tilt-R. I think it will be the closest state of the 7 swing states. Harris 303, Trump 219, TBD 16 (Georgia)

Those scrolls at the bottom..... Where are those coming from?

I will cast my vote for anyone who promises to disable pre-sunrise Blue Alerts.

Well shit. Anybody want to buy a truckload of toilet paper?

Mailing in my Dade ballot today. LFG

Mayor Pete is a goddamn rock star and i hope i get the chance to vote for him for president one day.

lulz siap

Holy shit ... this lady is fantastic.

sounds good, mr president. now governor walz, why did you say that you spent the summer of 1988 in china, when it was actually september, which is technically not a summer month?

The Duke side of the story was pretty funny, too, with Stoops getting picked, Elko giving a Leo DiCaprio style "I'm not fucking leaving" rah rah speech to Blue Devil team and his assistants, and then getting the A&M call and literally slinking out onto a private jet at midnight with the only two guys who would follow him after that communications disaster.

Encouraging https://www.kyivpost.com/post/39907

Fixed

Some highlights from Liz Cheney's fantastic speech earlier today: "I was a Republican even before Donald Trump started spray-tanning". ... "Vice President Harris is standing in the breach at a critical moment in our nation's history. She's working to unite reasonable people from all across the plitical spectrum. Vice President Harris has dedicated her life to public service. I know that she loves our country and I know she'll be a president for all Americans. As a Conservative, as a patriot, as a mother, as someone who reveres our Constitution, I'm honored to join her in this urgent cause". ... "In the United States of America, violence does not and must never determine who rules us. Voters do." ... “... our republic faces a threat unlike any we have faced before - a former president who attempted to stay in power by unraveling the foundations of our republic, by refusing to accept the lawful results confirmed by dozens of courts of the 2020 election,” she said. “We cannot turn away from this truth. In this election, putting patriotism ahead of partisanship is not an aspiration. It is our duty.” ... “I don’t care if you are a Democrat or a Republican or an independent. That is depravity, and we must never become numb to it. Any person who would do these things can never be trusted with power again.” ... “What January 6th shows us is that there is not an ounce, not an ounce of compassion in Donald Trump. He is petty, he is vindictive, and he is cruel. And Donald Trump is not fit to lead this good and great nation.” ... "In this election a broad coalition has come together to support Vice President Kamala Harris. Now, we may disagree on some things, but we are bound together by the one thing that matters to us as Americans more than any other, and that's our duty to our Constitution and our belief in the miracle and the blessing of this incredible nation. We have a shared commitment, a shared commitment as Americans to ensure that future generations live in a nation where power is transferred peacefully, where our leaders are men and women of good faith, and where our public servants set aside partisan battles to do what's right for this country. So today I ask all of you here, and everyone listening across this great country to join us. I ask you to meet this moment. I ask you to stand in truth to reject the depraved cruelty of Donald Trump, and I ask you instead to help us elect Kamala Harris for President".

Update:

So every Texan had their phone blown up this morning because some white dude is "suspected in violence against a Texas law enforcement officer". In Memphis TX, which is almost 450 miles away from me. The only emergency alert I leave turned on in my phone is for "Extreme Threats to Life and Property". This is not that, you stupid fucking assholes. https://www.dallasnews.com/news/crime/2024/10/04/blue-alert-issued-for-man-suspected-in-violence-against-texas-law-enforcement/

I noticed in the last couple of speeches, they've had Black people in the crowd behind him, but just skimming through the video, they spend most of their time looking down at their phones, only doing anything when people stand up (there's a Black guy behind Trump's left shoulder in a white/gray hoodie who seems to stay out of sight most of the time, but he's also looking at his phone). Did somebody say unions? That group in the obnoxious shirts behind him were Teamsters, and all of those obnoxious shirts are pulled over other clothes, making me wonder if they just handed them out at the rally

Go the fuck away

I was a 28 year career firefighter and my experience has been quite different. Yes, there are plenty who vote Republican and some who are hard core conservative assholes. But you get that in any line of work and there are loads of Democrats as well, and Green Party, and you name it. Even the conservatives, with rare exceptions, proudly pay their dues and back the union. Overwhelmingly in my experience, firefighters here and even moreso elsewhere are extremely pro-union, resulting in almost everyone, like me, continuing to pay union dues well past retirement age, to help the union do what unions do. There are 300,000+ firefighters in the IAFF, and politically, they look pretty much like the general population. I've met plenty of firefighters who are asshole conservatives. That doesn't mean most firefighters are assholes or Republicans. And I've met many who are way to the left. That doesn't make 'em Commies. The vast majority are in the middle, just as I believe is the case for the general popultaion. And, again, the firefighters don't decide who the union endorses or does not endorse. The national leadership does. x,x,x,x,x,x,x,x,x,x,x,x,x,x,x,x,x,x,x,x,x,x

Actually, Pete is not ENTIRELY right....someone WAS "shutting down the airspace" in certain areas and preventing private helicopters from flying rescue missions. https://thehill.com/homenews/4913942-pilot-helene-north-carolina-rescue-missions-arrest-threat/ So, a power-mad local official with a badge.....NOT the FAA, NOT FEMA. Odds that dude votes MAGA? Close to 100%. Elmo continues to get everything -- every. single. thing. -- wrong.

just caught up with the last few pages and i'm reading that the gop is getting tired of trump, and after he loses next month, he'll be out of the picture by 2028. lolol. have y'all learned nothing? if he's drawing oxygen, he will run, and likely win the nomination. must we do this every 4 years?

As I recall they approached a lot of good people. Elko was well down their list and the first time they approached him he also said no thanks. Then the ags went even further down the list, got more rejections, had the weird thing with Stoops, and eventually circled back and increased their offer to Elko. So he was both their 8th and 13th choice...

Lee Griftwood

You haven’t lived unless you’ve tried arroz con gato.

HOL-EE fuck. The Judge spitting fire