Tuesday, December 18, 2024. Elon Musk is a security risk to the United States and Trump needs to break with him, the geritocracy is harming Congress, more news of Pete Hegseth's drunken misadventures, and much more.
Wondering why pudgy racist Elon Musk can't stop humping Satan's leg? It's embarrassing the two look like they need to get a room. Yesterday, Kirsten GrindEric Lipton and Sheera Frenkel (NEW YORK TIMES) reported:
Elon Musk and his rocket company, SpaceX, have repeatedly failed to comply with federal reporting protocols aimed at protecting state secrets, including by not providing some details of his meetings with foreign leaders, according to people with knowledge of the company and internal documents.
Concerns about the reporting practices — and particularly about Mr. Musk, who is SpaceX’s chief executive — have triggered at least three federal reviews, eight people with knowledge of the efforts said. The Defense Department’s Office of Inspector General opened a review into the matter this year, and the Air Force and the Pentagon’s Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and Security separately initiated reviews last month.
The Air Force also recently denied Mr. Musk a high-level security access, citing potential security risks associated with the billionaire. Several allied nations, including Israel, have also expressed concerns that he could share sensitive data with others, according to defense officials.
Internally, SpaceX has a team that is expected to ensure compliance with the government’s national security rules. Some of those employees have complained to the Defense Department’s Office of Inspector General and other agencies about the lax reporting, which goes back to at least 2021, four people with knowledge of the company said. SpaceX was awarded at least $10 billion in federal contracts with the Pentagon and NASA from 2019 to 2023, making it a major contractor.
And now we have our answer. Lawrence O'Donnell covered this development last night on MSNBC.
Now you know why Elon stays with his body pressed against Satan's -- he's trying to learn things that he can't otherwise -- national security things.
Elon Musk is not an American citizen. He was born in South Africa to a man from South Africa and to a woman born in Canada whose family moved to South Africa and where she chose to make a life for herself when she became an adult. Elon was happy racist in South Africa. But the brutal system of apartheid was coming to an end, Black people in South Africa would be free and this was so frightening to Elon that he fled South Africa.
The racist should not have been given US citizenship. He has divided loyalties. And, as he demonstrated with China (among others), he's happy to take the dictates of other governments and curry their favor.
He never should have been allowed to become a US citizen (I do not believe in dual nationality).
He also should have never gotten a security clearance.
The rules on drug usage? This was all explained to him ahead of time. He stated he could abide by the rules and regulations to receive a national security clearance.
He gave his word.
His word is now meaningless because we know he didn't keep his word.
It's time to cut off his government contracts, it's time to cut of his clearance and it's time for Trump to decide whether he (Trump) is an American or not? Because if he believes even 1% in this country, he would not be hanging out with a security risk.
Now we were warned in the lead up to the general election that Trump himself was a risk. We were told that all it took was flattery and some foreign leader could lead Trump around by the ring in his nose.
Elon flatters and gets to come along, he's the new Miss Sassy having overtaken JD Vance. Donald's boymance (don't call it a "bromance" -- neither of those weak fatties qualifies as a "bro") is putting the country at risk.
Trump needs to erect a wall between himself and Elon immediately. It needs to be public and it needs to reassure the country that South African born Elon Musk is not controlling Trump, is not learning secrets from Trump and is not in any way running the government.
It's time to kick him out of his non-existent post.
If Trump can't do that? I wouldn't be surprised. But I would hope everyone watching his refusal would grasp how Trump cannot put this country first.
He is a laughing stock around the world and he's not even been sworn in.
“Senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, for example, praised Elon Musk, a key Trump lieutenant, as ‘the champion among big tech executives of First Amendment values and principles.’” Senator Richard Blumenthal, HOW DARE YOU BEND THE KNEE. WE SEE YOU. 👎
— Amethyst Sky (@amethystsky7.bsky.social) December 18, 2024 at 6:42 AM
Richard Blumenthal is an embarrassment. Sucking up to Elon -- he's no different than Trump at this point. The disgraceful also includes Senator Bernie Sanders and TV comic Jon Stewart (see "Media: An idiot says he'll sue over art evaluation, two other idiots defend Trump's nominees") who not only praised Elon (and Robert Kennedy Junior) but also whined on air about people calling them out for their fawning.
There was no reason to praise Elon.
But the know-nothings did anyway and, oops, turns out now we see how they truly know nothing.
The left does not advance or pimp odious people in order to look 'fair.' Suck ups do. And what Bernie and Richard and Jon have done is just as disgusting as Mika and Joe bowing and scraping before Trump.
Senator Elizabeth Warren's office issued the following:
“Mr. Musk’s substantial private interests present a massive conflict of interest with the role he has taken on as your ‘unofficial co-president.’”
“Currently, the American public has no way of knowing whether the advice that he is whispering to you in secret is good for the country—or merely good for his own bottom line.”
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) sent a letter to President-Elect Trump with concerns about Elon Musk’s conflicts of interest as he serves as a top advisor for the incoming president.
In the weeks since the election, Mr. Musk has been named the co-chair of the newly created Department of Government Efficiency, and has frequently been by Trump’s side, joining his phone calls with Ukraine’s president, “[met] secretly" with Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations.
“But Mr. Musk is no ordinary citizen,” wrote Senator Warren, pointing out that he is the CEO of several companies that have significant interests before the federal government.
“Mr. Musk’s substantial private interests present a massive conflict of interest with the role he has taken on as your ‘unofficial co-president,’” continued Senator Warren. “Currently, the American public has no way of knowing whether the advice that he is whispering to you in secret is good for the country—or merely good for his own bottom line.”
SpaceX, Tesla, and Mr. Musk’s other companies have an ongoing interest in how the government does or does not enforce labor laws, workplace safety rules, environmental regulations, and other federal laws. Additionally, his companies have been the subject of at least 20 recent investigations or reviews, creating adversarial and significant entanglements with federal regulators.
For example, Mr. Musk’s automobile company, Tesla, has obtained nearly $42 million in government contracts to provide electric vehicles (EVs) and services to the government. The government indirectly subsidizes the company and its competitors via a $7,500 federal tax credit for EVs. Similarly, SpaceX, Mr. Musk’s rocket company, has received nearly $20 billion in government contracts, providing crucial rocket launches.
Indeed, Mr. Musk has already benefitted substantially from President-elect Trump’s victory: in the five days after the election, Tesla’s stock surge alone increased Mr. Musk’s fortune by $70 billion.
“Federal law contains ethics rules for government employees that are specifically designed to protect the public from dangerous conflicts of interest and ensure that government employees are working on behalf of the public interest rather than twisting government policy to line their own pockets,” continued the senator. “As a member of the transition team, Mr. Musk is not a federal employee, but the conflicts he faces are enormous and the need for him to be subject to similar ethics standards is obvious.”
On November 27, 2024, the Trump transition team released its Transition Team Ethics Plan, which outlines that “transition team members will avoid both actual and apparent conflicts of interest,” including financial interests of their “organization with which they have a business or close personal relationship.” Mr. Musk appears to be playing an influential role in the transition, especially as a key adviser to Trump and a high-profile policymaker in his role as co-chair of the DOGE Committee.
“He should be held to the ethics standards that you have established for your transition team and should provide clarity about his role and his activities in order to reassure the American public that he is working solely on their behalf and not using his role in the transition as an opportunity to fatten his own wallet,” concluded Senator Warren.
Senator Warren is requesting Trump’s transition team provide answers to her questions no later than December 23, 2024.
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See, that's what you do. You don't fawn over Elon -- the way Blumenthal, Sanders, Stewart and Ro Khanna keep doing. No, you call him out.
I-I-I-uh-uh-uh didn't know!
You damn well knew. You're a whore for money like far too many people in your demographic.
There's a reason one of THE BIBLE's best known verses is Matthew 19:24, "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."
You tossed that out, you tossed aside common sense, you tossed aside basic principles and you decided to normalize and promote Elon Musk.
You should all be ashamed.
Let's turn to the disaster that is Pete Hegseth. Satan wants him to be Secretary of Defense. This despite the fact that he is not qualified for the job. He has no experience in running anything (the two veterans organizations that he was run out of make that especially clear). He apparently assaulted a woman -- who his lawyer says should come forward knowing full well that the woman had to sign an NDA. His actions at the veterans organizations were text book harassment. He is touring the Senate with his bodyguard -- a man guilty of beating a civilian. None of this says, "Secretary of Defense!" It's all a shame and an embarrassment only made worse by his sending his Mommy out to defend him. Little middle-aged boy who can't fight his own battles sends Mommy to fight them for him.
As Lawrence O'Donnell noted in the video at the start of the snapshot, Pete also has a drinking problem. But, he promises, if he is made Secretary of Defense, he will stop drinking.
Fox News promoted the controversial 2023 New Years clip featuring Fox News host and Trump Defense nominee Pete Hegseth drinking champagne directly from the bottle before being dunked into a tank full of the alcoholic beverage.
The clip, which was recently resurfaced by MeidasTouch, was originally shared by Fox News on their official website and Facebook page.
A few comments left on the Fox News Facebook page called the New Years Special, a “letdown” and “not family friendly.”
In a second report, Wolf notes:
Pete Hegseth, Trump's Department of Defense nominee, is currently fighting against allegations that he has been drinking on the job and that co-workers at Fox News were concerned that he has a drinking problem. NBC News reported that, "ten current and former Fox employees say Trump’s pick for defense secretary drank in ways that concerned his co-workers."
NBC News said Fox News colleagues "smelled alcohol on him before he went on air" and "heard him talk about being hungover as he was getting ready or on set." NBC News stated that "one of the sources said they smelled alcohol on him as recently as last month."
Changing topics, yesterday Patrick Svitek, Leigh Ann Caldwell and Alec Dent (WASHINGTON POST) reported:
House Democrats are on the verge of changing out some of their top committee members, a reflection of the generational change some have wanted to see as the party gears up for President-elect Donald Trump’s second term.
The caucus is set to vote today on new leaders for three important committees where the dynamic is playing out.
“In the run-up to the vote, younger lawmakers challenged ranking Democratic members who have led their committees for years,” our colleague Marianna Sotomayor writes. “These challengers and their allies appear less concerned with seniority and more willing to nudge out elder statesmen to make sure they have the sharpest leaders in place to take on President-elect Donald Trump’s agenda and tussle with House Republican chairmen.”
At 35, Ocasio-Cortez is less than half of Connolly’s age.
House Democrats will also decide whether to follow the Steering Committee recommendation to install Rep. Angie Craig (Minnesota) as the top Democrat on the House Agriculture Committee. The committee selected Craig, 52, over the current ranking Democrat, Rep. David Scott (Georgia), 79, and another challenger, Rep. Jim Costa (California), 72.
Fresh off a comfortable re-election victory in 2018, Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, considered running for president on a populist message aimed at the many working-class Midwest voters who had fled the Democratic Party in favor of Donald Trump.
Brown passed on the White House campaign. Now, six years later, he is soon to be unemployed, having recently lost his bid for a fourth Senate term. It will be the first time since 1992 — and only the second time since 1974 — that he will not hold an elected office.
Trump, meanwhile, will return to the presidency next month, and the existential challenges are already roaring back for Brown and the Democrats. The challenges ring true to Brown, 72, who has been warning about them for years. And, despite his defeat, Brown’s perch in a part of the country where Democrats are a tarnished brand presents him with the opportunity to have a vocal role in the party if he wants one.
In a recent interview with NBC News, Brown talked like someone who does. He spoke of a “post-Senate mission” to reorient Democrats as the “party of workers” in Middle America. He also revealed that he has received calls from people encouraging him to run for chair of the Democratic National Committee, though he added that the position does not interest him.
“Being the national chair, you have a platform,” Brown said. “You also have to run an organization with 50 state chairs. … I don’t want to spend my time on an airplane raising money.”
But Brown’s post-Senate mission could lead him back to the Senate. He left the door open to running for office again in 2026, when Ohio will hold a special election to fill the remainder of Vice President-elect JD Vance’s term. Brown also noticeably described the final remarks he delivered in the Senate on Tuesday as his “last” speech — not a “farewell,” as such addresses from outgoing senators are commonly known.
I'm not in Ohio, the people there will need to determine whether or not Brown should run again. I find him to have more common sense and knowledge than probably 90 members currently serving in the Senate. I have no ill will towards him and believe he makes a sincere effort to address the problems facing our country.
But does it make sense to invest all the time and energy required -- I'm referring to the Democratic Party, does it make sense of them to invest all the time and energy required to win the seat for someone of that age? Maybe if they don't have anyone ready for a statewide race.
That's what's at stake and I hope Sam Seder's making that point in the video below -- the title indicates it is.
You build a party or you paralyze it. And it's past time for more and more reigns to be handed over in Congress. I don't know if people grasp this but the Baby Boom has held onto power. Yes, a few dropplings are being passed on due to rightful complaints. Grasp that Gen X did not get handed the reigns. The Baby Boom refused to do so. They should have done it a long time ago.
We need to see a serious shake up in the House and in the Senate.
And we need to see it now. In 2028, most people are going to be sick of geritocracy -- my prediction -- as a result of Satan Trump's incompetence.
“The most beautiful word in the dictionary is ‘tariff,’ and it’s my favorite word,” he told the Economic Club of Chicago in October. It showed. And the idea seemed to be relatively popular, if not overwhelmingly so.
But there was always a major question about how much that support would hold up over time. Trump, after all, falsely pitched tariffs as taxes paid by other countries — they’re actually taxes on imports that are paid by U.S. consumers — and voters didn’t seem to understand their inflationary potential. Polls generally showed a minority of Americans were able to pick the right definition of a tariff; Republicans overwhelmingly subscribed to Trump’s incorrect framing.
And sure enough, as the reality of Trump’s proposed tariffs approaches, Americans appear to be registering more concern.
Recent polling suggests Americans have begun to understand — and agree — that Trump’s tariffs could drive their prices up. And overall support for Trump’s specific tariffs appears to have cooled. What support does exist seems to be only a few inches deep.
Four years of old man Satan's incompetence and you're going to see a desire for real change and push to move away from the geritocracy.
Let's wind down with this from Senator Patty Murray's office:
Murray, Baldwin, Colleagues Introduce NDAA Amendment to Protect Military Parents’ Right to Health Care for Their Kids
House-passed NDAA included a ban on health care for transgender kids, stripping servicemembers of parental rights to make health care decisions for their children
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) joined Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and 19 other Senators to introduce an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) of 2025 to remove language that would strip away servicemembers’ parental rights to access medically necessary health care for their transgender children.
The U.S. House of Representatives-passed NDAA includes language that bans health care for transgender kids and TRICARE patients under the age of 18.
The amendment is co-sponsored by Senators Ed Markey (D-MA), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Patty Murray (D-WA), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Tina Smith (D-MN), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Alex Padilla (D-CA), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), John Fetterman (D-PA), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), and Martin Heinrich (D-NM).
Every major medical and mental health association in the U.S., representing more than 1.3 million U.S. doctors, supports access to this medically necessary, evidence-based health care for transgender people.
If the House-passed NDAA becomes law, it is estimated that 6,000 – 7,000 transgender children of servicemembers would not be able to access the health care that their parents had approved.
The amendment to the FY2025 NDAA would strike Sec. 708 of the House-passed NDAA, which would ban TRICARE from offering medically sound health care for our youngest transgender servicemembers and to transgender military children under 18.
A full version of the amendment is available here.
An online version of this release is available here.
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New content at THIRD:
- Truest statement of the week
- A note to our readers
- Editorial: We see you and we won't forget
- Media Lessons (Ava and C.I.)
- Roundtable
- Ty's Corner
- Books (Stan, Kat, Ava and C.I.)
- You might have been home schooled if . . .
- 2024 passings
- BLUESKY of the Week
- Book List
- This edition's playlist
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