That's the problem with "clear red lines" as opposed to "strategic ambiguity": the clear red lines strategy lets them know what won't attract reprisals, the strategic ambiguity strategy leaves it, well, ambiguous. Put it another way, the first is FA but the second is FAFO
Was listening to Mriya Report just now. Their guest stated that retiring GOP congressman Mike Gallagher is postponing his resignation until at least Saturday so that he can vote to ensure new package passes.
From Phillips P. O'Brien, who's very optimistic about things on the Hill turning out all right in the end This is an exact quote I received from a Republican party insider who knows the GOP inside and out."The damn just broke which is great. We are in a 1938 era - we’ve just swapped Russia/china for Germany/Japan. We have to win this fight."— Phillips P. OBrien (@PhillipsPOBrien) April 18, 2024 Being an O'Brien, he's Irish so if he's optimistic, @The Jitty Slitter can relax
Has anyone seen a comparison between the Senate bill and the House Bills? The topline for the Ukraine bill seems about the same, but the topline for Israel is much larger. I’m on vacation this week, so haven’t been paying much attention.
A Russian Tu-22M3 bomber flying over Stavropol krai caught on fire and went into a flat spin before crashing. Likely to be friendly fire, given the location and the nature of the damage. But Ukraine is claiming it, so who knows.
Russian gasoline productions has shot back up as refineries are being repaired. This would be an excellent time to hit them again. Few things are as deflating as seeing something you just fixed get broken again.
Yes. And also, it's structured more like a loan obligation that can't be written off before the election. Plus of course, depending on what vote rule is in place, the bill might be linked to the other ones which makes this all more complicated
So big news and it's positive! My understanding listening to some coverage in the last 12 hours is that it's complicated but there is a good chance. On the plus side, MAGA Mike is apparently prepared to let this go to the floor, and a good part of his caucus want it. On the negative side, he made it more complicated by hitching it to the other bills, and it was not clear whether this would be a standalone vote, or on all 4 - that depends on what rules come out of committee. As usual if this gets a vote it would pass because most of the dem caucus have said they will back it. The problem is getting it out of the rules committee - but it seems just in the last hours it made it out of rules! The House Rules Committee late Thursday night advanced a package of foreign aid bills — but only with help from Democrats who, in a rare move, supported the procedural vote amid opposition from a trio of hardline Republicans. The panel voted 9-3 to adopt the rule, which governs debate for the legislation, with Reps. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), Chip Roy (R-Texas) and Ralph Norman (R-S.C.) opposing the effort. The successful vote allows the full House to vote on the rule and open debate on three foreign aid bills — sending assistance to Israel, Ukraine and allies in the Indo-Pacific — plus a fourth that includes other national security priorities, such as a TikTok ban. Rule votes — in committee and on the floor — are typically mundane, party-line occurrences, with the members from the majority party backing the rule and lawmakers in the minority party voting against it. But with conservatives voting against the rule out of opposition to Ukraine aid and the exclusion of border security measures, Democrats crossed the aisle to back the procedural vote.
it seems this will be on all 4 bills. So that is what I mean about whether MAGA Mike designed this to fail - having the 4 things together makes it more complicated. But dems broke the impasse in the rules committee which is highly unusual. cross everything
That's a 3-1 vote for among the GOP. MAGA took a real hit today. A big "No" vote among Dems too. The Squad isn't that big. Be interesting to see who they are & why
The post above was the shot. Now for the chaser: Encore un “friendly Fire” sur Bombardier Tu-22 Russe 🇷🇺 à Stavropol 👀 👊🏻 pic.twitter.com/wjz7e7tY6X— La Punchline de Yakovleff (@G_Yakovleff) April 19, 2024 That's a TU-22 strategic bomber. The first confirmed kill of the conflict Rest In Pieces
Ukraine is claiming a hit on the TU-22M using a modified S-200 missile. According to some of the Russian military bloggers, it was Ukrainian AA fire. Even on Solovyov's program an expert said it was a possibility.
Ukraine aid bill passes the House, just like I said it would 🚨Breaking: The House voted overwhelmingly to advance the foreign aid bill for Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan, and Gaza.The vote was 316-94 with 165 Democrats and 151 Republicans voting "YAY". pic.twitter.com/C9tfR5YdrD— Real Mac Report (@RealMacReport) April 19, 2024
Sounds like Russia really screwed up. That aircraft must have been flying that same pattern very frequently for the Ukrainians to pick up on it and then move this system in range and get it ready just at the right time. It probably took days, maybe weeks to set up this kill.
special Tu-22M3 landing operation pic.twitter.com/GVIYHWaeu4— Sadepiippu🇫🇮🇺🇦 (@sadepiippu) April 19, 2024
5 months after Biden warned Congress that funding was running low and 2 months after the Senate passed a virtually identical bill. Not to mention the thousands of Ukrainian lives that died defending Avdiivka with little to no artillery, months of Russia obliterating Ukrainian energy network due to a lack of air defenses… But sure.. just like you said.
and needing dems to pass it out of rules and underwrite MAGA Mikes speakership because his own party was blocking it and threatening to oust him.
It wouldve passed a lot sooner if senile old Biden hadnt dragged his feet on border security. Finally he relented and the bill went through. If he had just agreed to the stipulations the bill wouldve passed in February already. Here's what Biden finally agreed to: https://www.speaker.gov/wp-content/...Sheet_National-Security-Supplemental.docx.pdf THE END THE BORDER CATASTROPHE ACT President Biden and his administration created the worst border crisis this country has ever seen. To crack down on the flow of illegal immigrants and drugs across our southern border, the End the Border Catastrophe Act implements reforms that will secure the border and protect the American people. • Forces the Biden Administration to restart construction of the border wall • Ends catch and release • Ends abuse of parole • Implements Remain in Mexico • Deploys technology to the southern and northern border • Increases the number of Border Patrol agents and provide bonus pay • Requires transparency regarding illegal crossings from the Department of Homeland Security • Strengthens current law to protect unaccompanied children from human trafficking • Strengthens and streamline the asylum process • Imposes additional penalties for overstaying a visa • Reimburses states for costs incurred while securing the border
That border bill is bull**** and should have been sent to the shredder instead of anyone with a pulse of empathy signing it.