NYT - How the Special Counsel’s Portrayal of Biden’s Memory Compares With the Transcript

Mr. Biden appeared clearheaded most of the time.

Mr. Biden went into great detail about many matters, the transcript shows. He made jokes over the two days, teasing the prosecutors. And at certain points, he corrected his interrogators when they were the ones who misspoke.

When Mr. Hur showed him a photograph and suggested that two documents resembled each other, Mr. Biden objected to the comparison. When Mr. Krickbaum misquoted Mr. Biden as having told his ghostwriter that he had found material "marked" classified, Mr. Biden interrupted to question his inaccurate addition of that word.

Mr. Hur was selective in portraying Mr. Biden's memory of an ambassador's position.

In portraying the president's memory as unusually faulty, Mr. Hur singled out one other issue: whether Mr. Biden accurately remembered the stance of a diplomat in Afghanistan. According to the report, Mr. Biden, in discussing a memo he wrote to President Barack Obama in 2009 arguing against a surge of additional troops to Afghanistan, had mistakenly said he "had a real difference" of opinion with Karl Eikenberry, who was the U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan. In fact, Mr. Hur noted, Mr. Eikenberry, like Mr. Biden, had opposed a surge.

Mr. Hur's most striking assertion about Mr. Biden's memory was that he "did not remember, even within several years, when his son Beau died." The death of his son from cancer, in May 2015, was one of the most emotional moments in Mr. Biden's personal life — and the subject of a memoir he wrote with a ghostwriter in 2017.


Mr. Biden expressed particular outrage about that line. "How in the hell dare he raise that?" the president said during a news conference held hours after Mr. Hur's report became public. "Frankly, when I was asked the question I thought to myself, it wasn't any of their damn business."

The transcript shows that Mr. Hur did not specifically ask when Beau Biden had died. Instead, Mr. Hur pressed Mr. Biden about where he kept papers related to work he did after leaving the vice presidency in January 2017, like teaching at a think tank in Washington, a cancer "moonshot" project and the book he wrote about Beau's death

Couple Republicans also trying to force a discharge petition...

Democrat Discharge Petition to Pass Senate Aid Bill

The bill includes $60 billion to support Ukraine in its fight against Russia, $14.1 billion in security assistance for Israel, $9.2 billion in humanitarian assistance and $4.8 billion to support regional partners in the Indo-Pacific region in addition to other policy provisions, according to the Senate Appropriations Committee.

Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives - Discharge Petition Details - 9

Republican Brian K. Fitzpatrick Discharge Petition to Pass His Own Foreign Aid Bill

Fitzpatrick’s bill includes Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan funding like the Senate-approved package, but with significant changes.

Fitzpatrick is putting immigration provisions in the bill, including the “Remain in Mexico” policy. This requires migrants to seek asylum in their home country or in Mexico. The legislation also includes new expulsion authority. These two provisions would last for one year only.

“Lend-Lease” language on U.S. weapons sales to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan will be added, a nod to former President Donald Trump. Lend-Lease authority for Ukraine was passed by Congress in 2022, but it expired last year. The United States used similar programs in World War II.

The bill, which was introduced by moderate members of the House Problem Solvers Caucus, provides $66.32 billion for defence funding to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan — less than the $95 billion passed in the Senate earlier this week.

It also doesn't include humanitarian aid for Palestinians in Gaza.

Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives - Discharge Petition Details - 10

The People's Republic of China is a de jure one party state. The primacy of the Communist Party of China is specifically outlined in the Chinese constitution. In order for any other parties to exist, they must accept the leadership of the CPC. 

In Russia's case, while the system is a de facto one-party system rather than a de jure one-party system like China has, United Russia has no actual platform other than supporting Vladimir Putin's policies. In that respect, the Republican Party under the leadership of Lara Trump is more akin to United Russia.

Many states are de facto one-party systems, however, they are dominated by one party while the opposition is the state version of the other national party. Oklahoma is ruled by the Republicans top to bottom, but the only opposition party are the Democrats. Same thing with the parties reversed in California. In many instances, people who leave the dominant party out of disagreement with the polarization of its politics typically switch to the opposite party. In Oklahoma's 2022 gubernatorial election, incumbent Republican governor Kevin Stitt's Democratic opponent, Joy Hofmeister, had won two elections as Secretary of Education, both times as a Republican. She switched to the Democratic Party in 2021, shortly before the 2022 election year began.

Ok. I'm just saying if the GOP dies, then the Democratic party would be the biggest major party. I did blow it a bit out of proportions though bringing in comparisons, though that was my opinion. 

The other parties in China exist, they just don't do anything nor can they due to the lack of political power, presence, and approval of chinese citizens (if they can). CPC has total power.

Russia allows other parties but they don't get support, or any political power (some might actually be murdered for supporting anyone that isn't the President of Russia, but that is speculation for another time).

You are correct with your assessments with Russia and China.

I think the reason so many states (like Vermont and Oklahoma) are seen as de facto one-party systems, is like what you said the majority of the state's citizens and districts are aligned with the ideologies of one party. But every state has at least two parties at all times. I also understand why people decide to join the opposite political party, so they can have a bigger audience. The Green Party, for example, doesn't have the backing equivalent like the Democratic or the Republican party.

This will certainly be an interesting November.

Not sure if this has already been posted but during the speech she blamed Biden for the suffering of a sex traffic victim.  Of course, it turns out the incident occurred during the Bush administration and it occurred in Mexico no the US. So putting that in context and realizing that this who performative grandstanding naturally including misinformation and straight up lies... its just insulting that the GOP believed that this was the message that should be received by millions of grown adults. 

Ever see the 2008 show True Blood?

She kind of reminds me of one of the villains, Christ cultist Sarah Newlin.

The TikTok "ban" seems stupid, unless I'm missing something, it just feels like a way to pat themselves on the back but not achieve much, if they cared about user privacy then they should enforce user privacy laws across the board, banning TikTok doesn't do anything about Meta, Twitter, etc. All it does is kill their competition which Meta and Twitter must be salivating at the thought of.

Good way to kill the already small youth vote too for both sides, Lol.

Maybe Senate kills it.

Yeah, it just seems like anti-China posturing. I doubt it gets through the Senate. It seems too inane to become law, but maybe I have too much faith in the system for once. 

This may be speculation but lmk what y'all think.

If the Tik Tok ban passes, what is to stop the US from taking down Temu, X, Youtube, Instagram, Facebook? Especially if the social medias are broadcasting their freedom of speech during an election year.

If the Tik Tok ban passes, what is to stop this "election interference" (thats on of the reasons the House passes it) from happening when an American buys Tik Tok?

Who decides who buys Tik Tok from ByteDance? (How can I buy Tik Tok?)

These were thoughts that I had while this has been going on. Hopefully, these ideas are that, thoughts. But yeah did anyone else think this?