But Is It Worth It? A Question To Christian Trumpists

“I know some Christian Trumpists who will simply say that, in spite of Trump’s character flaws, they will support him because the alternative is always worse. My question to Christian Trumpists is: But is it worth it?” - Roger Olson

Discussion

Since we are talking politics a bit, I thought I would bring a little levity with some recent political news and some memories of Abbot and Costello's Who's on First":

Who claimed that no jury would convict Biden due to his age and mental capacity?

Hur

Who?

No, Hur

But who was she?

Who?

No, Hur?

Hur's not a she

Oh, sorry. I meant no offense. Of course we are supposed to be cool with that. So who is they/them?

What?

Hur

Who???

No, Hur

Oh you mean the special council appointed by Merick Garland.

Ken,

Not really. Your bias appears to creep in. The Court ruled that the Biden Administration overstepped its authority in forgiving student debt under the Heroes Act. The Court did not rule (as it specifically stated), whether debt relief should be given, but whether the Heroes Act allows debt relief. The viewed the term "relief" as being more restrictive than Executive branch interpreted it. Of course the three dissenters, viewed the Heroes Act as giving broad discrection for relief, including debt forgiveness.

Biden has not defied SCOTUS, as he has complied with the ruling. Instead the Executive Branch and the Department of Education will reduce the debt on a much smaller scale under the already existing SAVE Plan. The SAVE Plan was not in scope for the SCOTUS case, nor did SCOTUS confirm nor deny whether the administration can forgive debt under any of the many debt relief plans already approved by Congress or the Department of Education.

Not sure how this makes Biden a president who is defy SCOTUS with impunity?

That's not all the Court said. They also ruled:

The court also addressed the limitations of executive authority and invoked the so-called major questions doctrine, which holds that if Congress wants to give an administrative agency the power to make “decisions of vast economic and political significance,” it must say so clearly.

So, instead of abiding by the SCOTUS ruling, we have the president acting like a petulant child who will get his way no matter what. Instead of "forgiving" hundreds of billions of debt at one time, he's apparently going to do it piece by piece - a few billion here, a few billion there.

You don't think he still intends to re-allocate responsibility for the debt by the hundreds of billions?

I'm anything but MAGA, but if MAGA means I actually use critical thought, I'll take it.

Ken,

That is what SCOTUS does in all of these cases. They look at whether one branch is extending beyond where it should. This happens in every administration since the beginning of this country. Whether it is Executive Orders going beyond their limits or not. Every administration has issues lots of Executive Orders and they are always examined and challenged with their over reach. The text that you outlined above is the same text used in many cases. The executive branch acts, and interprets a law one way, and that may be challenged. In fact one session of SCOTUS may rule different ways depending on individual justices leanings (i.e. originalist...). Even SCOTUS rulings are not consistent, and even the ruling above is open to forgiving the debt as long as Congress clarifies the language. If you are going to indict Biden on that, then you have to indict every administration, including Trump, Bush, Clinton, Regan, as they all had similiar rulings against them for their actions.

Yes, executive orders and regulations made by government agencies are both largely illegal.

The "Inflation Reduction Act" of 2022 gives the Biden Admin / DOE hundreds of billions of dollars to support "environmental initiatives." So if you're into "saving the environment" and you've got an expensive way to try to do that, Biden will give you (underwrite your "loans") tons of money to do it. Think about that. That's all going to go to liberals. So if you're a liberal businessman, by supporting Biden and his ilk, you've got a path to personal riches at the taxpayer's expense.

We have got to balance our budget. Then Congress will have the job of figuring out where the small amount of spending we can actually afford should go.

And, yes, Trump spent too much also!

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And David, I don't think you should say, "I don't care about Hunter." Joe was totally involved in Hunter's deals, which you should know by now. It is obvious that our president is beholden to Ukrainian leaders. And what do you know, he is sending them $$$$$$$$$$. Sick.

I don’t care about Hunter. Give me a break about Biden and Ukraine. Just a bunch of MAGA junkies that can’t let go. With the arrest of the informant (by a Republican, Trump appointed DA), there is really nothing left at all. 8 years of investigations (4 years by Trump) and now all of the investigation by the Republican led Congress, and there is absolutely nothing there. Period. What is quickly coming to light is this has been manipulated by Russian intelligence agencies and the Republicans and Trump continue to be manipulated by Russia. Sad day for Republicans, when they have closer ties to Putin than to the truth. Even James Comer the House Oversight Chair and one of the leaders driving the investigation said yesterday on camera that this is all but dead. There is just nothing there. Many in the GOP are questioning the value of moving forward. Should Hunter be prosecuted for his misdeeds? Absolutely. Do I like Joe Biden? No. But is there some deep state conspiracy that Joe Biden colluded with foreign governments and received bribes? No. If anything, Trump was more enriched by using his personal properties to house diplomats and government functions, than Biden with anything remotely touching what Jordan and Comer have been chasing.

This impeachment will die and there will be no evidence. Will people still push for it? Sure. People still believe the earth is flat.

Completely disagree. He should be tried for treason. But he won’t because he doesn’t have enough synapses to stand trial.

He has been charged, and the Republican held Congress can indict him. If he is indicted he will stand trial for treason in the Senate. The only reason that he will not stand trial, as it stands now, is if the Republicans cannot convince their party with the evidence that they have and/or found. The entire Republican party in Congress voted to impeach. So the only thing that stops standing trial is that the Republicans cannot agree there is evidence. Nothing else stops them. Not SCOTUS, not the Democrats, not any deep state party, not because of his mental or physical state. This is it. All doors are open and absolutely nothing is stopping him from standing trial, than the party that unanimously agreed to impeach him.

The fact that you think that he won't because he doesn't have enough synapses to stand trial, is off base. The Executive Branch under Trump spent 4 years trying to indict Biden, and they found nothing. Now the Legislative branch (controlled by Republicans) is trying to indict Biden. So far no evidence. In fact, if anything the only evidence that has been found is that the connection with Biden and Treason has been fed by Russian Intelligence (which seems that you and others have bought into), but not too surprising since the Republican party seems to keep being manipulated by Putin.

and there is absolutely nothing there. Period.

The only reason that he will not stand trial, as it stands now, is if the Republicans cannot convince their party with the evidence that they have and/or found.

So far no evidence.

So is there "nothing there" or just not as much evidence as some would like? No evidence and wanting more evidence are two different things.

The entire Republican party in Congress voted to impeach.

All doors are open and absolutely nothing is stopping him from standing trial, than the party that unanimously agreed to impeach him.

Please site your source. I am not aware of there ever being a vote to impeach Biden. There has been an inquiry into allegations stemming from accusations from a Biden business associate as well as the infamous Hunter laptop. Add to that the FBI whistleblower who has now been arrested and whose credibility has been tarnished. It is the job of congress to take the allegations seriously and to look into them. I do not see how the Republicans are doing wrong for taking the time and looking at the information. Now that some of the evidence they received earlier has been brought into serious question, it was wise for them to not jump to calling for an impeachment vote. Should they continue to examine other evidence that was given to them, or should they just assume innocence? If the president were of a different party affiliation would our answers be the same?

The evidence has always been weak. It was always a lot of inuendo's and stretches at things. There has never been any real evidence. Hunter is on trial for a number of different charges and he has committed a number of crimes, and the Republicans have chased after the fact that since Hunter wanted to leverage his name, it must mean that Joe Biden is in on something. Lots of people try to leverage people's names and name drop when they are close to someone famous, but it doesn't mean the famous person was in on it. They are basically chasing after some text messages and emails that Hunter had trying to cash in on his dad. Despite the fact that Hunter is not the most upstanding citizen in the country. There is a reason why more and more Republicans are abandoning the support of this investigation.

Sorry, he has been charged, not indicted ( or impeached). I am fine with them doing an investigagtion. I think it is a waste of time, but they can do it. What bothers me is that this is just the far right members of the party that are pushing this, and Trump continues to just push it despite no evidence. Just like he continues to push that the election was stolen, despite no evidence. All of the people who attached themselves to Trump and his conspiracy are just getting eating up in court. Guilliani was once a great guy and a great Republican, and he has just been tainted and destroyed over the last few years, and Trump doesn't even really care. It is just sad looking at Guilliani today. Impeachment and investigations should be held to a high standard, not a political tool to try to "sock it" to the other party. And yes, if it was the other party, I would feel the same way. Both parties are spending way too much energy on the fringes of their parties to try to gain political points. How about the Republican's spend less time on trying to impeach Biden and spend more time on doing their real job like addressing the border, addressing taxes and balancing spending.... The reason the border is a mess is that no Congress has actually had the guts to address it (Republican or Democrat), and they just like to accuse the other party of being weak or overpowering and sit back and just let the President try to muddle through it with Executive Orders, half of which get shot down, because they are not the right tool. Congress is to weak or unwilling to create legislation, so they let the President do it by fiat (executive order), and they push for the President to stay in office and overcome the popular election results. And yes, this is for both parties.