B-Man

Someone is responding after only reading the headlines again. .

The old "I like it, but" response Well it's a step closer at least. BREAKING: Vladimir Putin Responds to Ceasefire Deal Matt Margolis In his first public remarks on the proposed 30-day ceasefire in Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Moscow supports the idea but insists on receiving its own security guarantees, according to a report from ABC News. U.S. and Ukrainian officials reached an agreement on a 30-day ceasefire during talks in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, earlier this week. "Ukraine accepts this proposal, we consider it positive, we are ready to take this step. The United States of America needs to convince Russia to do so," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said. "We agree, and if the Russians agree, the silence will take effect at that very moment. An important element in today's discussions is America's readiness to restore defense assistance to Ukraine and intelligence support." Putin reportedly thanked Trump "for his attention to Ukraine's settlement" early in his remarks on Thursday. "We believe that this ceasefire should lead to a long-term peace and eliminate the initial causes of this crisis," Putin said. https://pjmedia.com/matt-margolis/2025/03/13/vladimir-putin-responds-to-ceasefire-deal-n4937871

Yes, but he wouldn't be drafted til the late rounds anyway. .

After we total up ALL our money, we might be able to get them these. .

Will Shutdown Schumer *Really* Put Russ Vought In Charge of Government? Ed Morrissey Senate Democrats did their level best to deny Russ Vought a confirmation as the chief of the Office of Management and Budget. And now they may be doing their level best to hand Vought the keys to the entire executive branch just a few short weeks later. How so? Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer pledged last night to block the House's continuing resolution, claiming to be willing to risk a shutdown. Well, guess who's in charge of how money flows when funding authorizations run out? Okay, okay, it's technically the president. But guess who makes those decisions on his behalf? This isn't exactly a secret. The Congressional Research Service has routinely informed Congress of this reality, with their latest update having been published in September This prompts the question: Will Shutdown Schumer really give Vought this kind of carte blanche? Color me skeptical. It's easy enough to get up and talk tough on S-Day Minus 3, just to jolly along the donor class and get the lay of the land. But it's not a cost-free move if Congress really does allow funding authorizations to lapse in an administration already looking to dismantle wide swaths of bureaucracies on which Democrats rely as enforcers for progressive ambitions. Suppose Schumer lets a shutdown start on Friday night and holds the Senate for the weekend to cave on Sunday night, as a protest stunt. Vought will likely work all weekend to furlough bureaucratic personnel across the executive branch, especially in regulatory agencies. He'd then allocate their funds to Trump's priorities -- like ICE and Border Patrol, for instance. https://hotair.com/ed-morrissey/2025/03/13/will-shutdown-schumer-really-put-russ-vought-in-charge-of-government-n3800717 .

Fetterman Nukes Democrats Game Playing Over the Schumer Shutdown By Nick Arama As reported on Wednesday, it looks like Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) is marching the Democrats toward a government shutdown by Friday's deadline because they don't want to vote in favor of the stopgap continuing resolution that was passed in the House that funds things through September. Schumer is now trying to counter with a potential clean 30-day continuing resolution until April to avoid the Democrats getting tagged with the "Schumer Shutdown." But just as a clean CR without any deal to pass the larger bill is just kicking the can down the road, it continues to make the Democrats look silly. Since Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) has said he's a no on the GOP CR, so that means the Republicans need eight Democrats to agree to get to the 60 number they need. https://redstate.com/nick-arama/2025/03/13/fetterman-nukes-dems-gameplaying-over-the-shutdown-n2186605

Will THIS GUY Be the Savior of the Democratic Party? Robert Spencer With the party of Jackson and FDR now essentially a smoking ruin after enthusiastically embracing identity politics, the idolization of victimhood, and America-Last socialist internationalism, Democrat top dogs are looking around for someone to lead them out of the wilderness. Now Politico is touting a new savior figure, but the chances that he is the one who can bring them back to electoral dominance are slim to none. The Democrats are not, of course, lacking for presidential hopefuls, but most of them promise more of the same noxious stew of race resentment, ever-expanding government, rising crime, and declining international status in a world that is increasingly on fire. Kamala Harris wants to run again in 2028, and why not? William Jennings Bryan got three chances to lose presidential elections; why shouldn’t a candidate who possesses coveted Woman of Color status get at least that many, and maybe even more? In the name of equity, Kamala could lead the Democrats to defeat not just in ’28 but in 2032, 2036, and 2040, when she will be a Bidenesque 76 years old and her presidential aspirations can really kick into high gear. And then, speaking of smoking ruins, there’s Gavin Newsom. The destroyer of California wants very much to be the destroyer of the United States, and he may well get the chance, but his record in California, however much he points to it with pride, will be tough to overcome. Sane people continue to flee California in droves, and that will be just too easy for JD Vance or Ron DeSantis or whoever the Republicans run in 2028 to point to and skewer Gavin with uncomfortable questions. There are few others who are even remotely plausible candidates. And so on Tuesday, Politico had a new idea: how about Rahm Emanuel for president? That’s right: the longtime Democrat apparatchik is this far-left propaganda organ’s idea of a bright, promising new face. If this is the best they’ve got, they’re in even bigger trouble than they seem to be. {snip} If that’s the Democrats’ model for victory in 2028, however, then they better grow accustomed to remaining in their present role of the angry opposition, furiously opposed to anything and everything that Donald Trump because he is, you know, a convicted felon, and a Russian puppet, and a wannabe dictator, and yada yada. The Democrats have no program, or at least no program that is remotely appealing to the American people aside from those who have dyed their hair blue and think they may really be women, and sending Elvis’ gold Caddy out on tour isn’t going to change that. Rahm Emanuel for president? Great idea, Politico! Keep ‘em coming! https://pjmedia.com/robert-spencer/2025/03/12/will-this-guy-be-the-savior-of-the-democratic-party-n4937843

Oh Pete. "Mr. Buttigieg’s decision to skip the 2026 race to succeed Senator Gary Peters, a retiring Democrat, allows him to pivot more easily to the next contest for the White House...." "Mr. Buttigieg determined he could not run for both the Senate and the White House, according to one of the people familiar with his planning..... Mr. Buttigieg, who ran for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination, was seen as the most prominent potential contender in next year’s marquee Senate contest.... But he also would have been vulnerable to 'carpetbagger' attacks, and was plainly aware of that risk. Mr. Buttigieg, a former mayor of South Bend, Ind., became a Michigan resident in 2022, moving to Traverse City, where he lives with his husband, Chasten, and their twin toddlers.... Term limits will preclude Gov. Gretchen Whitmer from running for a third time next year, and Mr. Buttigieg is not expected to pursue that office...." From "Pete Buttigieg, a Possible 2028 Contender, Won’t Run for Senate in Michigan/The former transportation secretary, who moved to Michigan from Indiana in 2022, had been seen as the most prominent potential candidate in next year’s marquee contest" (NYT). https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/13/us/politics/buttigieg-michigan-senate-2028-president.html?smid=url-share

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#SchumerShutdown Schumer’s attempted shutdown will backfire bigly by Thomas Lifson Republicans, accustomed to being blamed by the media for federal government shutdowns, should not worry about Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer’s plan to oppose cloture on the “clean” funding bill Speaker Johnson’s House just passed. There are multiple good reasons why they can relax on this one: Trump knows how to fight President Trump was a master showman before he entered politics. He knows how to use branding and understands the power of alliteration to embed expressions in the human mind (e.g., “big, beautiful bill”). The “Schumer Shutdown” will be the name used repeatedly by the president and by those who support Trump, and, thanks to free speech on X, that label cannot be stifled. The power of the corporate media to erect a cofferdam around stories and ideas they want to suppress has ended. Schumer is the perfect opponent for Trump Schumer is widely understood to be a phony. His infamous “cheeseburger picture” purporting to demonstrate what an ordinary guy he is establishes that perspective indelibly. Its piece of cheese sitting atop a raw patty of beef is gag-inducing. Ben Domenech provided a priceless TV moment earlier this week on Fox News as he responded to Jessica Tarlov, who pushed the standard Dem talking point that layoffs of federal bureaucrats are a human tragedy (“How many people are enough for you?”): Remember that “essential” services continue. No Social Security or Medicare payments will stop. But “non-essential bureaucrats” are furloughed. Permanently. Best of all, Trump will not engage in the stupid game of putting up barriers to prevent the public from entering national parks. I can hardly wait for Schumer and the Dems to start telling voters that protecting the jobs of non-essential bureaucrats is critical to the health of the Republic. Oh please, Br’er Schumer, don’t throw Trump in that briar patch! https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2025/03/schumer_s_attempted_shutdown_will_backfire_bigly.html

Left-Wing Punished in Surprise Greenland Election Result, Next Govt May Be More Trump-Friendly by Oliver JJ Lane Dramatic and unexpected election results in Greenland saw long-governing legacy parties kicked out of power and more right-wing, pro-American politicians set to dominate parliament for the first time. The provisional results for the Greenlandic elections held on Tuesday show a historic result not forecast by pollsters, with the longstanding political establishment parties punished and relegated to third and fourth positions, respectively. The election comes amid intense discussion of Greenland’s potential independence domestically and global attention over U.S. President Donald Trump’s repeated overtures to the country to become part of the United States. As things stand, Greenland is now a region of its former colonial master Denmark https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2025/03/12/left-wing-punished-in-surprise-greenland-election-result-next-govt-may-be-more-trump-friendly/ .

Inflation cools in first full month of Trump term ABC News, by Max Zahn Consumer prices rose 2.8% in February compared to a year ago, easing slightly over the first full month under President Donald Trump and offering welcome news for markets roiled by a global trade war. Inflation cooled more than economists expected. Price increases slowed from a 3% inflation rate recorded in January, though inflation remain nearly a percentage point higher than the Federal Reserve's target of 2%. Egg prices, a closely watched symbol of price increases, soared 58.8% in February compared to a year ago, accelerating from the previous month. Bird flu has decimated the egg supply, lifting prices higher. https://abcnews.go.com/Business/inflation-report-set-arrive-amid-stock-slide-recession/story?id=119664371 .

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Government shutdown likely after Schumer says Senate Dems will block GOP funding bill By Ryan King and Josh Christenson Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer announced Wednesday that most Democrats in the upper chamber will not support a House Republican-passed bill to fund the federal government through the end of September, all but ensuring a partial shutdown beginning at 11:59 p.m. Friday. “Funding the government should be a bipartisan effort, but Republicans chose a partisan path, drafting their [continuing resolution] without any input — any input — from congressional Democrats,” Schumer (D-NY) said on the Senate floor Wednesday. With Republicans holding a 53-47 advantage in the Senate, and legislation needing 60 votes to overcome a filibuster, at least seven Democrats would need to support the spending bill, which passed the House 217-213 Tuesday night. Following Tuesday night’s vote, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) announced the lower chamber of Congress would recess until March 24, leaving Schumer with the option of accepting the House bill and keeping the federal lights on over the objection of progressive activists, or rejecting it and putting the nation’s capital on course for the 11th partial government shutdown since 1980. In a statement after the lower chamber passed the funding bill, Johnson said it was “decision time for Senate Democrats: cast a vote to keep the government open or be responsible for shutting it down.” Before Schumer’s announcement, the only Senate Democrat to openly back the House GOP continuing resolution was Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.), while Sens. Jon Ossof (D-Ga.), Angus King (I-Maine), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) and Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) had signaled openness to supporting the bill. Liberal activists had pointed out that the current spending fight was the last big chance for Democrats to extract concessions from Republicans until this fall, when the fiscal year 2026 appropriations process begins. (Lets not do what is best for the country, but what is best to "get concessions" real honorable.) https://nypost.com/2025/03/12/us-news/government-shutdown-likely-friday-night-after-schumer-says-senate-dems-will-block-gop-funding-bill/ .

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Democrats Poised to Shut Down Government By John Hindraker The House has passed a continuing resolution to keep the federal government operating until September. The CR will be helpful to the Trump administration because it increases defense spending, while reducing other domestic spending: The current crisis in Washington is driven largely by the fact that the Trump administration, led by DOGE, doesn’t want to spend many billions of dollars that Congress has appropriated to various departments and agencies, and bureaucrats have allocated among specific programs, often in ways that are absurdly wasteful or even antithetical to our national interests. The Democrats can’t stand the idea of any government spending being cut, no matter how absurdly wasteful it may be (e.g., the famous transgender opera in Colombia). So they are prepared to shut down the federal government rather than allow a single dollar to be cut: https://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2025/03/democrats-poised-to-shut-down-government.php .

The government shutdown will start at midnight Friday unless something changes. As for Sen. Schumer's hope that Republican colleagues will join him, he already knows that won't happen because the House has adjourned and members have gone home. Senate Dems held a meeting today just before the announcement during which they yelled at each other about the next move. They have lots of wants but no real plan for getting anything. Throwing sand in the gears at this moment while also pretending they aren't responsible and don't want a shutdown really doesn't add up. As Sen. Thune put it, there's only one option available with little more than 48 hours to go. Even the NY Times seems a bit confused about how this course of action is supposed to work in Democrats' favor. Even putting aside the issue of blame for a moment, if the goal is to stop DOGE, shutting down the government seems like a counterintuitive way to go about it. What's to stop DOGE from capitalizing on the shutdown to create a permanent reduction in force? Some Democrats seem aware this is a possibility but they are ready to roll the dice anyway. It almost goes without saying that Democrats would never attempt this if their friends in the media didn't always have their backs. If a shutdown happens, their only hope is to blame Republicans and you can bet the media will bend over backwards to help convince people Dems are not to blame. Watch and see. https://hotair.com/john-s-2/2025/03/12/it-looks-like-democrats-want-a-shutdown-n3800701 https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/12/us/politics/government-shutdown-funding-bill-senate-democrats.html?smid=url-share .

If This Is the Reaction to the Senate Dems' First Move on the Spending Bill, They Better Rethink It Matt Vespa We’re heading for a shutdown. On March 14, the government will close its doors, and it’s the fault of Senate Democrats who failed to advance the House’s six-month continuing resolution. They want to short-term CR this session to death and disrupt the GOP from their plans of passing a slew of crucial domestic items, like making the Trump tax cuts permanent, finishing the border wall, and securing our southern border. They also want to shut down the Department of Government Efficiency, whose work of uncovering wasteful spending and political class pork has hit close to home. Usually, I hate CRs, but the big prize of passing that budget reconciliation package is too good. It’s not perfect, but it’s pretty damn close. Schumer, however, boasted about the GOP not having the votes for cloture this afternoon, as every Democrat refused to break ranks: If the initial reaction to the Senate Democrats’ move, which is to push the government toward closure, is everyone calling Chuck ‘shutdown Schumer,’ maybe they should rethink this strategy. Democrats also overplayed their hand during the first Trump presidency when they shut down the government over illegal aliens. https://townhall.com/tipsheet/mattvespa/2025/03/12/if-this-is-the-reaction-to-the-senate-dems-first-move-on-the-spending-bill-they-better-rethink-it-n2653723

It Seems the Schumer Shutdown Is Coming Ward Clark Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY) is, to put it as politely as possible, a real piece of... work. He's never seen a tax he wasn't in favor of; he defines "bipartisanship" as "Republicans do what I tell them to, and nothing more," and now he's about to shut the government down, or at least give it his best old college try. Because shutting the government down is only bad when Republicans do it. https://redstate.com/wardclark/2025/03/12/the-schumer-shutdown-is-coming-n2186598

#SchumerShutdown