799 Comments

It was saddening to have to see Dr. Fauci put up with the nonsense he was subjected to yesterday. He handled himself well and I was proud of how he was able to keep calm considering how angry he was having to listen to these Rep. fools.

He is still one of my heroes.

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The presence, at a Republican chaired Congressional hearing, of a QAnon conspiracy theorist and a convicted Jan 6 rioter - seated prominently behind Dr. Fauci - seems to be a security breach inviting catastrophe.

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Deliberate, the provocation is always there in the most insidious ways. The threat is within.

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All of today's Heather Letter makes Watergate seem quaint. This is nauseating and nothing like the country I've known all my life. If it's now a "banana republic," it's because of Banana Republicans.

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They accuse Dems of what they do, just like Goebbels said

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Precisely sir. Repulicans have a way of turning up to down and left to right. MJT needs to be drummed out of there somehow. If her district won't do it, then a strong Democrat majority Congress maybe can step in.

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Great Pun!!

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Reminds you of Trump stalking Hillary during the 2016 debates. That was like a scene form a B-rated horror movie.

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It was a B-rated horror movie. The Republicans seem to have a soft spot for B-rated actors.

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B-rated? That's pretty high if you ask me....

I've always fantasized that if I were Hillary, I would have turned around, shoved my arms towards him, and shouted, "BACK OFF!"

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I'd like to think I would have turned around, looked him up and down, and said, "Got a problem, big fella?" and walked around him.

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The moderators should not have allowed that

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And finally Biden has taken executive action at the border. I’ve Ben repeating this for moths. Let’s hope it’s not too late to change the narrative l

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The moths are circling the flames

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Ya ya if I fix it now I lose my “likes.” That’s what happens when you post in the middle of the night with one eye opened.

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Egads!!!! Your likes?? Really?

Ahhh, the dopamine of the digital world. Joe Walsh had something to say about that

Note. Editing so Bill can have my likes

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👏👏👏

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Wow you have 9 likes? Why? Must be dopamine of the digital world. This executive action was long over due. Even if it’s not effective. It doesn’t matter don’t you understand politics? Whether you agree that there is a problem or not. Optics is the key word here. I happen to believe that we have sorely opened an ate that should nev have been opened. And I’m a democrat, btw.

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Joe Walsh at the Troubadour....life doesn't get better than that. And two drum kits in that small space - must have been a rockin' might at that tiny club! Thanks for the link!

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Funny album name, when Joe is so awesome with his digits.

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moths and moths can add up to yurts.

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Early to bed, early to rise ..

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LOL!

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The butterflies are jealous, Bill Katz, that you credited the moths. If you get attacked by a battalion of tiger swallowtails, don't say I didn't warn you!

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Humility. Love it

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????

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Clicks and likes in the digital world are dopamine generators for some. Joe is analog

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Yes, indeed they are. Remember Moths who circle the flame, sooner or later fall into the flame, burn, and die.

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The Icarus Society has a Moth Burn Unit Go Fund Me page

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Dave, thanks for my first big smile this am.

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Ah yes auto correct eh

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dRussian12A

MadRussian12A’s Newsletter

just now

Reee-lax Bill.., it's exactly on time. And, certainly not too little too late. Unless, of course if you're ride'n on board the MpTy Greenes bus chanting: "everything’s rigged, the country’s falling into the sea, the economy’s terrible," Re, the Trump sales-pitch bomb which Colin Cowherd so nicely rolled onto the table where it exploded in listeners ears. This Administration knows, that anything they try to implement will be $kewered in the worst way by MAGott$ who are paid 'to $crew thing$ up'. We've read it right here today how #45s' "busine$$e$ & campaign committee$" funneled $ignificant financial benefits$ to at least nine witnesses. Hahahaa.., same 'tit' that punk Jordan, Lee, Scott and the rest of his clowns suck from. The sky is not falling.the earth is not flat, pay your fair share of taxes. Speaking of buss's... did you see the MAGA Bus wreck in NY a couple days ago? Unfortunately no clowns were on it.

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She moans "the country’s falling into the sea"

Its all relative. The country is not falling. It is the sea rising to sink the country (at least part of it). Then as sea slowly rises over Mar-a-Lago, Trump will say "Build My Wall!" /s

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Bill, if he’d done it earlier, the MAGA judges would have had time to reverse it before the election.

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Intriguing thought. You could be right. It’s done and the issue is all but removed from the MAGAs.

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Yes, if the courts shut him down before the election, he can blame the MAGA judge that started the case.

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As always these days - it goes to the courts - maybe we will be lucky and it wont be a trumpist!! Being able to blame the other "side"? That appears to be our only plus currently.

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Biden's sealing the border is a sadly disappointing cave to the ceaselessly braying jingoists on the Maga side, and certainly not to be commended

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It's important to remember that 2,500 migrants may enter per day. (There have been 4,000 migrants daily on average.) Even the usually welcoming folks have said their resources are used up, including medical care, housing, and funding. I think a breather is necessary. Don't forget that not every migrant needs asylum, but there is a process to apply before crossing into the US. Some people are paying shady traffickers tens of thousands of dollars; they are coming from as far away as Africa, Syria, Russia, and China. As David H. says above, global warming and weather catastrophes cause migration worldwide, too. It would behoove all nations to contribute to solutions.

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Good points, Hope, although the 4000 number seems hyperbolic.

Yet the overwhelming majority of desperate migrants are just that, and our asylum laws serve to protect them.

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An additional point--which I inadvertently left out--is that the US, with its high per capita greenhouse emissions--is the worst place on the planet to put more people. 4000/day over a decade is 14.6 million--ever so slightly less than one and a half NY States. That's a huge number. But in 2023, the average number of border jumpers per day was 6849. That's 2.4 NY States per decade.

Meanwhile, in the last 60 years or so, the number of insects in the US has been cut in half, and birds, mammals, and other vertebrates have been similarly decimated. We are killing off nature. Two separate groups of biologists have warned in Nature, the premier scientific journal, that if the population keeps rising, more pandemics are going to emerge.

And as I said a couple of comments ago, the US--the major industrialized nation with the greatest per capita GH emissions--is the worst place on the planet to put more people. On the plus side, you've got grand stand seats for watching the quality of life in our country go down the tubes.

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It's actually a sensible move. The US is the major industrialized nation with the greatest per capita GH emissions, and resource use, generally. The average immigrant's GH emissions rise threefold after arrival. If the rest of the world consumed at the same per capita rate as the US, it would take five earths to support that consumption.

https://overshoot.footprintnetwork.org/how-many-earths-or-countries-do-we-need/

Propublica warns that within several decades, MILLIONS of Americans will become climate refugees. And you're suggesting that in the face of that eventuality, we can allow millions more to settle here?

https://www.propublica.org/article/climate-change-will-force-a-new-american-migration

More people at a time when we're running out of groundwater, threatening our agricultural production--not a good idea

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2023/08/28/climate/groundwater-drying-climate-change.html

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I really don’t understand this position on the border, with all respect. But more importantly, the country is deeply alarmed by the number of people crossing the border—illegally, as they cross between ports of entry.

But put aside who’s right and who’s wrong. The issue is the practicality of leadership. For the very progressive left who want the border open, let me remind you of the FDR quote: “The worst position for a leader is to pause, look back, and find no one in sight. You have left them behind.“

You have to get the country rallied to a new idea. Not every idea. But certainly one this important.

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Dear David and Tom,

The immigration issue is a most complex one. It has always been thus, and will always be until the withering away of the concept of the Nation/State is finally upon us. Yes, I take a more progressive and/or left wing perspective. Yet it is not mine that is the radical position, as I am simply pointing out the fact of the matter with respect to this one aspect of immigration policy: Prez Joe's anticipated executive order sealing the border is in violation of existing law and would be a clear overreach of executive power. We would not allow that if a Republican President would do so, so we should not here either. Beyond that, it would mark a cruel departure from all previous American policies save for those briefly exercised by the Seditionist Sociopath which were properly shot down by the Courts. We are a Nation of Immigrants, and should stay that way.

This does NOT mean, as you seem to imply Tom, that I or those who agree with me are for "open borders". Nor David, does the environmental argument that you make apply herein, as there are no "millions more settling here" save in the fevered and bigoted imaginations of those at the Murdochian Ministry of Mendacity.

The various methods and policies offered up by Biden's previous attempts at border legislation, all of which were shot down by the Trumpistas in Congress, including perhaps lowering the number of eligible asylum seekers while modernizing the immigration system, would have been a reasonable step. Sealing the border absent a true emergency or war is most certainly not

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Murdochian Ministry of Mendacity.... I am so stealing that!

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I listed three emergencies. You denied them.

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12 million people have invaded our country and you hope that you

can wrap a quick band aid on it and change the subject?

Biden is going to get punished in November for opening our borders. There is no way to change the narrative. You can try and lie about it.

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And what did Convicted Felon Trump do in his 4 years as President. 47 miles of new "wall" or whatever you want to call it. I call it a sieve since it's been breached over 5000 times and counting. Talk about open borders -- Convicted Felon Trump PROMISED to hire 10,000 ICE agents and 5000 Border Patrol Agents. He signed a contract with Accenture to do the hiring for $300 million and when he left office they were only up fewer than 1000 total agents.

Talk about ART OF THE DEAL. Convicted Felon Trump is a total failure when it comes to making deals.

So before you denigrate the Biden WH for the border look at who totally lied to us about the Southern Border and what he would do in 2016.

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Just keep saying Convicted Felon Trump, Gary. The bad policy, lies and incompetence didn't phase a single MAGAt, but CFT seems to be moving the needle.

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I was kicked off a MAGA comment session today of a site called "Poll King". They ask poll questions like "Was the Trump Hush Money Trial rigged?" So I referred to Convicted Felon Trump as Convicted Felon Trump. Not surprisingly first amendment rights only refer to MAGAs and evangelicals. 😎 I was surprised it took almost a month before they banned me.

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There may be people who don't vote for him because of it, but he's still going to win. We'll have another four years of decency and democracy at the helm with Biden.

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Decency? You mean censoring speech? using the legal system to prosecute political opponents?

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If anyone had been censored, James, we wouldn't have MTG all over the tv emitting her toxins. If Biden were jury-rigging (pun intended) the DoJ, his son wouldn't be on trial. If you're not just trolling, and you really believe this nonsense, you're an idiot.

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Puhleeeeeeeeze stop with the disinformation. NOBODY believes this.

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I sure hope he wins in November. He's the best president of my lifetime--which began the first summer of the Eisenhower Administration. Nonetheless, he's terrible on immigration, which is an issue that has concerned me since the mid-1990s, when I realized it was the greatest contributor to the US population explosion.

I think Biden get spooked during one of the debates, where the goddam moderator from a Spanish language publication told all the candidates all at once, "raise your hand if you promise not to deport any "unauthorized" (or some such) people from the US. The hands of all the candidates except Biden's shot up and stayed up. Biden's went up part way, then down a bit, and it was obvious he was extremely uncomfortable and didn't know what to do.

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Reee-lax Bill.., it's exactly on time. And, certainly not too little too late.

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Bill, what has been the response of the moths?

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The butterflies are up in arms, chasing Bill for his having ignored them.

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I agree but who among us didn’t know what these buffoons were doing and why? Just makes the GOP look desperate and ridiculous.

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They don’t just look desperate and ridiculous; they are desperate and ridiculous.vote them out and move on.

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I'm waiting to see if they become as ridiculously desperate as Richard and Larry in "Weekend at Bernie's" (trying to make it appear their boss is still alive). Maybe their next trick will be like "Weekend at Bernie's 2" where they try Voodoo to bring him back half alive (as long as they can provide music to animate him).

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Agreed. But the poltroons who think he is the Second Coming of a fictional water walker lap it up and send him their welfare checks

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If I had to guess… I’d say MTG had something to do with the prominently seated Q team behind Dr Fauci.

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Brandon Fellows, who is from upstate New York, has a history of bizarre behavior. He is (inexplicably) out on probation after serving a prison term due to his actions on January 6, 2021. He shouldn't be anywhere near Capitol Hill, let alone at a Congressional hearing.

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Bingo, Erin.

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And in the video clip shared by Ned McDoodle, these two were the embodiment of Isaac Asimov's statement: "Anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that ‘my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge.’"

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The whole outfit is a security breach and Dr. Fauci proved once again that he has more courage than the whole lot of them put together.

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It is the tactic of mobsters

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lin. I am glad Heather reported this as I was concentrating on him and not the people behind him. And yes, which of the MAGAs on the committee invited them and placed them directly behind him. I think he did an excellent professional job as he has always done while serving the country.

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There is a story there that needs some good journalistic research. Who invited and placed those two “enemies of the state” behind Dr. faucet? She-who-needs-muzzling? Appalling.

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Dr, Fauci…I think the same people changed my words.

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I can not believe someone did not stop it and get those idiots out ..how disgraceful and low can they keep going

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Where was Frank Tanganele’s brother?

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I agree

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The vitriol coming from M T Greene is something I'd expect out of North Korea, Iran or that totally self-destructive time of Chinese Cultural Revolution. That it's within the heart of our government is gravely concerning. How brave and good Dr Fauci is.

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She seems determined to validate her reputation as a rude, ignorant, asshat. The stupid is strong with this one.

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As John Bradshaw said years ago, when crazy enters the room, all cease what they are doing and pay attention to the shinny object. She is certifiably evil and just plain trashy..

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Her VP audition is so transparent.

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Seems like a perfect VP for the poorest excuse for a human that the repubs could find.

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Good description. It applies to a hefty number of that party. And the MAGAs love it. That's what's going to rule us if he wins. PRAY....

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If he "wins" it will be by cheating in multiple ways. They are pulling out the stops to regain power. No one will be able to stop the cretins

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Well just in case, we are getting ready to go to Greece and will be looking for property....

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Precisely. She made a fool out of herself with her rudeness to Dr. Fauci at the hearing and the expletive-laden interview in which she placed all her delusions front and center.

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She has learned that “being outrageous” gets her more notice in Congress than it did when she pulled the same stunts in gym class

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For some reason, however, my space laser doesn't work on her.

IMHO she, Gym Jordan and MAGA Mike are gifts to Democrats. Human cartoon characters.

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Al Capp. MTG is the second coming of Moonbeam McSwine -- the bleached out butch built version.

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Gotta set the phaser to stun, Daniel.

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Yes indeed, if Dems would just quote them.

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NC Rep Jeff Jackson has done a series of live videos about his term serving in the House. (Jeff's so effective they gerrymandered him out after he won.) In one of them he talked about members of Congress being perfectly reasonable in private, only to go full on outrageous when the cameras were on. They know what gets the publicity and the donor dollars.

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I grew up in eastern NC and lived away for many years. I moved back home in 2009. Then came home the tea party backlash against Barack Obama in 2010. Horrible, destructive people have been elected since then. My congress critter is a quiet seditionist without an independent thought in his head. He sends out R talking points masquerading as a newsletter. Because I have donated to Jeff Jackson's campaign, I receive communications from him that keep informed about what been happening in Washington. He's a serious congressman. Marjorie three names thinks she is on some reality show and wants the most attention lest she be voted off the show.

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“Ted Nugent Syndrome”

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And the media keep being drawn to the shiny objects

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Knew plenty of attention getters when I worked at junior high. Most of them grew up, some never do

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I would love it if ConvictedFelonDonaldTrump picks her as his VP! The country at large seems to hate her. But she's (maybe) blond so she might get picked. She'd be a reassuring kindly presence for women who almost die because they can't get medical treatment. /s

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I can think of worse to call her.

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Given that I hate being derogatory regarding some one's physical appearance (does not stop me from negative comments regarding myself...) I prefer to use MT Green, pronounced as you choose to. Mine sounds like "empty".

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And empty she is from the neck up - regardless of how "fit" the rest of her is.

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That we Americans who believe and live by morality have been tolerant of behavior befitting a low life thug is what we really should be contemplating about our own responsibility to our children!

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Doesn't say much for the electorate which tolerates her in northwest? Georgia.

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States to Stay Out Of for 500, Alex... ;-)

(I'm reduced to gallows humor these days)

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Bring back Reconstruction!

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At least roll back the egregious Holder-Shelby County decision by our hard right Justices who are now full on MAGA:

https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/court-cases/shelby-county-v-holder

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And do it right this time -- none of that Andy Johnson kissing the Confederates' behinds stuff.

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Agreed. I have a copy of the pardon document issued to a slaveholder connected to my family who fought on the side of the confederates. Johnson's language was that he pardoned them "unconditionally and without reservation". Even the most retrograde confederates received "a full pardon and amnesty for the offense of treason against the United States...with restoration of all rights, privileges and immunities under the Constitution and the laws".

I imagine this is what DJT has in mind for the J6 crowd.

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Yes! Only this time, let's do it correctly & thoroughly.

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Thanks for the humor!!

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Says a lot actually. None of it good

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Sadly they walk among us.

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All 4 votes were counted, Frank.

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Agreed. I imagine she will be voted for in Nov. sigh.

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Sure as shit doesn’t! Asshat…I like that word 😂

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MTG is a disgrace. She's tactless and apparently a card carrying QAnon apostle. She's not averse to saying things patently untrue. I'm not sure I understand how she garners the steadfast support of her colleagues on the Republican side of the aisle, to say nothing of the Speaker of the House.

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I love AOC's response to her when MTG was in attack mode, "Oh, baby girl."

AOC was soooooo mad, but that was her response.

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Jun 4·edited Jun 4

AOC is so, so very much smarter than MTG. You'd think that the voters of Georgia's 14th District would tire of her bombast. BTW - the 14th is just N and NW of Atlanta - so there's more than a few voters with college educations

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yup.. AOC is a seven BBBBBBB'er: Bronx Built Black-haired Brawler Baby.. Better B-careful.

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Gary, yes yes. AOC is one of my favorite Reps. When I read what the crazy mtg said, my immediate response was ‘send her mouth to jail!’

Confession: I saw a clip of the faux trial last evening & had to turn the sound off it was so obviously more maga garbage.

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Someone needs to take her out to the woodshed

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Yeah Swbw..., Kinda makes one wonder just what 'tit' she's sucking on. I see that ProPublica reported, Trump’s businesses and campaign committees have funneled significant financial benefits to at least nine witnesses.., Whoaaaa!!! So could eMpTy Greene be on the end of one of those funnels too? There's got to be a'funnel-farm' out there for all those MAGA politicians. Must be. Can't wait till Jim Jones rises from the dead and mixes up a fresh batch of kool-aid for those clowns. Yuh think?? You see the MAGA bus wreck? D'you believe in miracles? D'you "Trust Jesus"? I think we're on our own here. Jesus has his hands full over in Israel, at the moment.

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Randy Rainbow’s 🌈latest: Look At Me, I'm MTG! - A Randy Rainbow Song Parody

https://youtu.be/il57mgVOQF8

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Thank you, Kathy. Randy always brightens my day!

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That is a gem!! Thank you!

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I was just scrolling through to see if anyone had posted this yet, and there it is! One of Randy's best!!

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Kathy, THANK YOU for the laugh.

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The question.to be explored is whether she is out of touch with the voters in her district. I would hope so

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She is not. As I wrote in response elsewhere, she is perfectly in tune with Georgia’s Confederate roots in the Southern Antebellum period. it’s as if they were under a Brigadoon like spell, convinced they still live in the period of plantation owners with slaves and waving their Confederate flags in defiance of the “so called Federal government.” I am not from there, but know people who are. Atlanta may be more cosmopolitan, but Greenes district is still fighting the Civil War.

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But she is so crude! There MUST be someone with intelligence there.

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Thanks, Debra. I had read that information several years ago (or maybe just one, who can remember???) that she reflects her constituents' politics.

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MTG denigrates her public with her tactless, factless, whingeing:

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The Party of Trump continues it's HARPing at ever level-

H- hate

A- anger

R - resentment and/or revenge

P - propaganda

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Georgia IS and always has been one of the most backwards Confederate states in the Union. Atlanta is the anomaly, put on the map by liberal Ted Turner. Greene’s district is apparently like Brigadoon, under a permanent spell of the Antebellum Southern period.

According to wikipedia:”a period in the history of the Southern United States that extended from the conclusion of the War of 1812 to the start of the American Civil War in 1861. This era was marked by the prevalent practice of slavery and the associated societal norms it cultivated.”

Greene, it seems, has cultivated its worst qualities.

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MGT is a crude, rude, and socially unacceptable dingbat.

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I find mtg despicable and her behavior and words to be dramatic attempts to suck the air out of the House so that nothing can be done for the American people.

Anathema

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Or from a angry 2 year old (no offense to all the 2 year olds out there).

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Dr Fauci is one of my heroes. Hard to come by when one (i.e., me) is older and living in the age of social meteors.

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Can the “chairman” of the congressional gathering not reprimand Mrs Green for her behaviour, disrespect, and bad language and remove her from the proceedings? This carry on is unbelievable. I am a U.S. citizen living in England.

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Rep. Jamie Raskin certainly tried to do it, but MTG is too stupid to know when to be quiet.

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The chairman is way too busy proving to Trump that he's willing and able to weaponize his branch of the government. Just think what he could do if Trump were to give him a bigger playing field. Really, you can't be surprised that Gym Jordan (OH-4) epitomizes the worst of the swamp creatures in Washington.

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Jim Jordan makes me sick, along with MTG and of course, the most sickening of all, the convicted felon who just might be our next president.

I know that states have different laws regarding the "rights" of felons, but most prohibit them from voting, traveling abroad, and owning firearms. Some states deny felons the right to hold office of any kind.

So, will there be any restrictions on Trump's "reckless campaign" (Heather writes that "David Warrington, sent ProPublica a cease-and-desist letter" warning reporters to stop their " reckless campaign of defamation" against Trump. Who's reckless here?? Who has defamed more people than Donald Trump??

Oh well. My flowers need watering and deadheading. While I pinch off the spent flowers, I'll pretend I'm pinching off the heads of Trump, MTG, and Jim Jordan. I might feel better for a while.

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Applause 👋:-) And may your pretend

truly bring your flowers into power.

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Samm, thank you. It always lessens the stress for me when I work in my yard. Being out in nature calms the soul, and I think Americans need calmness more than ever.

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Totally agree with you. I’m so glad I left NYC in 2000 to live where the earth and water meet the sky. Being outdoors is also a balm for calm as you note, a prescription I agree our entire country needs.

Unfortunately some folks still work in conditions that largely exclude this as you too well know.

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Ooooo, a great motivation to deadhead the iris and the rhododendrons!

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☺️

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Are his constituents not disgusted with him?

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You have to understand the make-up of her constituents. Most of them could walk onto the set of Deliverance in their regular street clothes and blend in with the rest of the extras.

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I seem to remember reading that Gym's District is heavily gerrymandered--He certainly doesn't appear to be worried about any political rivals.

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I have the same recollection. There are so many "safe" districts and SCOTUS just made it easier for states to gerrymander last week.

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You'd think so. HIs 4th District is immediately N and NW of Columbus and has a lot of well educated voters in it. Gym Jordan has represented it since 2007. He founded the Freedom Caucus. But he was a voice crying in the wilderness until Trump gave him wings.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ohio's_4th_congressional_district

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She certainly does brings the baggage.

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I think he did.

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She's just toilet humor. There's just so much more to the 350 million of us Americans than that low noise level behavior. No different than the tabloid headline: Mars Alien found living in Queen Anne basement. There's so much more going on over here which keeeps this country running. Soap opera's get old. Even English ones. I liked Keeping up Appearances.

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Please excuse my piggy-backing on leading comments. Here is an eleven minute excerpt from the grilling levelled at Dr Fauci. Could not delineate more graphically who is being vindictive and who is decent and thoughtful. 🤭💡😯⚖️😢

https://www.c-span.org/video/?c5119689/user-clip-dr-faucis-testimony-reps-comer-raskin

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Thank you for the CNN clip. Dr Fauci and Rep Raskin stand firm for truth and responsibility during the bizarre barrage of bombast from Comer and the nodding, smirking mockery of two boneheads seated behind Dr Fauci.

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Jun 4·edited Jun 4

Yeah those thugs looked like washed-up bar bouncers, maybe members of the Wagner or Blackwater mercenary groups.

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LOL

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Gym Jordan and MTG. Birds of a feather. You're known by the company you keep.

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It was maddening

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Me too.....he was so dedicated and made complete sense during a time that the world was turned upside down. He was calming and as consistent as he could be. It will happen again, and we will need another Fauci to guide us through.

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More problematic, it illustrates the sheer, if not willful depth of scientific ignorance in American politics. Likewise, climate change. Needless to say, ordinary folk depend on figures of authority on which they themselves lack the expertise and knowledge to make sound judgements. Isn't there a famous book on Paranoia in American Politics?

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Anyone that looks to a Republican politician for scientific information is a fool.

In 1989 when my wife was finishing her degree in Chemical Engineering her class took a trip to the national convention of Chemical Engineers in D.C. The Senator from the state where she attended college met with her group.

The Senator make a comment to show off his engineering knowledge and one of the group replied, "Sir that would violate the 2nd law of thermodynamics."

With a straight face the Senator replied, "Well, then we should repeal it."

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Jun 4·edited Jun 4

As your wife knows, Gary, the second law of thermodynamics states that heat will always move from a warmer body to a cooler body. Basically, the Senator was proposing that your coffee would never get cold.

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Now now. Of course . Richard Hofstadder. The Paranoid Style in American Politics.

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On my shelf.

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Hear, hear! Fauci is an exemplary American.

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He did. Imagine if the GOP wins the presidency and the house. These “Stalin era” show trial will be continuous.

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This was an intentional and sleazy set up for the cameras. It brings to mind Trump’s assinine antics on stage, gesturing and smirking behind Hillary as she spoke during their debate. The GOP uses freedom as a tool to figure out what you can get away with while Biden uses it find ways to make things better for Americans.

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He's the reason most of us are still alive...

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A member of the committee had to be the person who committed the security breach of putting the felons in the front row.

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He's such a hero, he's an amazing person as well as scientist. I hate to think how many more people would have died if he hadn't been able to influence a lot of what we did. Yeah, he made some mistakes but gee, first global pandemic in 100 years maybe you don't bat 1000 on each and every decision made.

I felt horrible watching the Repubs try to shred him. He kept his dignity but wow, the guy gave his life to help people - and DID - and finally retired after he was 80 -and this is what he gets?Disgraceful.

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I keep hearing that....Fauci made mistakes. But he didn't. He did exactly what he was supposed to do. No one understood COVID. Medicine/public health ALWAYS over reacts until a disease is better understood. Then, as data comes in and understanding evolves on how to best protect the nation, strategies change.

Please tell me what mistakes you think he made.

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I agree!!!Dr Fauci was only doing his job!TRUMPIE was busy telling everyone to vaccinate themselves with disinfectant as a solution for Covid-who are you to trust!A doctor or a deranged Con!

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Wasting time for nothing more than theatre. What a disgusting bunch of sickos.

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"Committee member Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), who has skipped seven of the last ten hearings and who has expressed sympathy for QAnon in the past, attacked Fauci by saying he should be prosecuted: “You know what this committee should be doing? We should be writing a criminal referral because you should be prosecuted for crimes against humanity,” she said. “You belong in prison, Dr. Fauci.” For all the nastiness, the hearing turned up nothing."

McCarthy 2.0. Even less decency.

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MTG is a traitor to the ideals of America. She may also be a Russian tool, but if she is, she probably doesn’t realize it.

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Either way MTG is the definition of a useful idiot.

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Either way - the people in her district are the biggest fools of them all.

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I think she does.

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I was thinking her general comprehension is somewhat less than the average worm.

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Most MAGAts I know are not stupid, more likely to be ignorant, racist, misogynistic, “religious” to a fault, and greedily jealous. Some even have legitimate gripes and no common sense. True that some are in the lowest quartile and being used by smarter bears. The melting pot of fools and arses

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Her kind of malevolence can not be attributed to stupidity. It betrays thought because there is a purposeful design to it. She has been plotting how to put her hatred to use a long time.

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Smells of personality disorder.

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WoRm LibElz!

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Russian or not, she's definitely a tool.

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Jun 4·edited Jun 4

There’s no tool like an old tool!

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That would be TFG. I have a "flashbulb" memory of teen Greta Thunberg hate-staring TFG across a room. In that match-up, "the adult in the room was definitely a minor.

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She does at some low level. She presently serves without pay. But she is positioning herself to succeed Trump.

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Why does she not receive pay Tyler?

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Because Putin is not foolish enough to pay for something he can get for free.

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Putin & Trump love bimbos

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Jun 4·edited Jun 4

It really is disgusting. Worst part is that Americans are getting acclimated to this bool-sheet. EDIT: too bad that Representatives Jared Moskowitz and Daniel Goldman were not on this Kangaroo Kommittee. EDIT: Representative Moskowitz was also present. I had looked up the select committee on the inter-net and Representative Moskowitz was not listed or I missed the reference of his membership on this Kookoo Kangaroo Kommittee (K.K.K.). Apologies for the mistake.

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Fortunately, Rep. Jamie Raskin was there.

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Jun 4·edited Jun 4

I just splattered in several threads Representative Raskin's questioning versus Representative Coma's urinary olympics.

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James Comer is not the sharpest tool in the shed. His phony impeachment case against the president blew up when his chief witness, a Putin agent, got cauglt lying to the Feds.

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Jun 4·edited Jun 4

I just watched Greene's ugly rant. She shows an e-mail from February 2020 when Dr Fauci first said that masks were not helpful. He got new information and changed the policy recommendation. Who would not change the policy? Then she shows a picture of kids wearing masks, almost certainly taken months or more than a year later. Interesting that these Republicans are going after the Bayh-Dole Law of 1980, considered one of the pivotal laws of the twentieth century.

https://www.economist.com/technology-quarterly/2002/12/14/innovations-golden-goose

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I was a fan of Robert Galvin's support of CRADAs (Cooperative Research and Development Agreements), but fear few know the motives and objectives of some who want to use them to much, aiming too much for profitable products than basic research that can be the basis for even greater advances in science. To me, Herbert Hoover as Secretary of Commerce had struck an excellent balance in developing new technology and setting up standardized packaging for many products and interfaces such as for aircraft engine accessories that meant you didn't need the variations in different minor functions for accessories left up to so many different manufacturers that would do them differently (and use patents to limit competition too much).

We benefited greatly by such standardization as we entered WWII (plus a number of patents expiring). Military Spec trucks built by several manufacturers meant we had so many with interchangeable parts compared to the Germans who captured so many different types of factories and had an unmanageable mess trying to get the right parts to maintenance crews trying to work on something like 70 varieties of similar use vehicle (several even within one country they took over).

Back to the Bayh-Dole Law, though. I don't know much about who wants to improve it vs abuse applications of it, but I did find a bit at https://ocw.mit.edu/courses/6-901-inventions-and-patents-fall-2005/517ea433346a46b22e9675dc41b1f2a3_bayh_dole.pdf

"...According to senior research scholar Mildred Cho of Stanford University states:

The Bayh-Dole Act has created opportunities for conflict of interest for university faculty members because academic-industry partnerships can offer direct financial rewards to individual faculty members in the form of consulting fees, royalties, and equity in companies while simultaneously funding these faculty members’ research. ([4] 16)

Many researchers have consulted for and worked for the private sector which creates ties to certain companies. This may lead researchers to favor certain companies when licensing out the patents, which would not promote fair competition. It may also lead to skewed research, which is another possibility that concerns critics of the act.

Universities have remained the main institutions where fundamental scientific research has taken place. With the passage of the Bayh-Dole Act there is much more incentive for universities to shy away from basic research which will produce less patents and applicable inventions, and move towards applied research to gain more royalties from patenting. Mildred Cho “asserts that university research is ‘skewed’ toward

marketable products and not basic research” ([4] 16). This issue seems like a viable possibility, but a study of 3,400 faculty at six major research institutions showed that the ratio of applied research projects to basic science research has not changed over the period between 1983 to 1999 ([5]). According to the National Science Foundation from 1980 to 2001 the percentage of basic science research actually increased from 66.6% to 74.1% and applied researched decreased from 33.4% to 25.9% ([1] 42). While conflicts of interest and a skewing in choice of research may be reasonable concerns associated with the Bayh-Dole Act, there has been insufficient proof of these issues creating actual negative effects..."

I’m a big fan of JPL but I do have (I hope minor), concerns about how they handle patents from what I’ve seen of work done by Michael Minovitch on Gravity Assist Propulsion, and Wally Rippel (whom I owe profuse apologies to on also developing hydrogen regenerative fuel cell systems as well as batteries) on pure research projects published and left on a shelf for far too long. Both were to me, much more interested in pure research beyond others and practical applications more for science’s sake than personal profit compared to those who sponsored or partnered with them.

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Only the best liars for Trump.

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Not to mention Representative Coma's whininess.

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And pure idiocracy. She is clearly reprehensible 🤮

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When it comes to "bad-built body" Marjorie Traitor Goon, aka Potato Face, "if my thought dreams could be seen, they'd put my head in guillotine." Needless to say, should she ever be discovered face down in a dark alley, I will be popping champagne to celebrate her demise.

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She is only one, there are many. Maybe not as ugly (talking about her soul) but she is not alone in her treachery

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Trying to revisit and distract from likelihood that many thousands of the 1.2 million American deaths from covid were preventable. Of course, all this happened on Trump's watch.

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How could any forget those horrid press conferences, the asinine suggestions (including bleach), and the hiding of facts he knew to be true. If we had had a lockdown at the very beginning, it could have been nipped in the bud. Like Obama’s plan of action recommended. It was one idiotic nightmare after another, but Fox never told a soul. Well, they did. Told their employees to get vaccinated, but not their audience. Blood red Rupert

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Exactly right!

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Jeri, I like your comment about ugly in her soul. I often feel that the attacks on anyone’s looks are childish. Not that I can’t and haven’t laughed at some descriptions, but people are born with their features (some cannot be fixed or improved) and making fun of them seems mean to me. The ugliness is found and resides in their hearts, souls, and character. I will not disagree with that…and for that reason MTG is one ugly person!!!

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I like to think that I see a realistic view when I look in the mirror. I don't think she has a clue. Also I imagine she sits on front row pew with no clue about her evil. I knew somebody like that once, she was an anomaly. No more

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"Aka Potato Face" made me snort at the crack o' dawn, thanks TC!

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I need to send you some Yam People Inspired by the faces of DT and MTG the Yammies are crafted from clay and unfired. Simply toss them into water and watch them disappear back into the mud from whence they came. The Yam People, unlike their human counterparts, are designed to lower blood pressure and resist the temptation to commit the felonies these folks inspire.

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The worst part of Margery Taylor Greene’s hideous behavior to Dr Fauci to whom we all owe a debt of grateful thanks..is that each time she behaves this way he tells us he and his family experience additional threats….

She gets away with ‘potential murder’.

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