quote:

Do you really (I mean really) believe governments pay millions for access they don’t get!?

I tend to not be a true believer. IOW, I don't believe without some evidence.

In the situation with Hunter, for example, I believe circumstantial evidence exists simply because of some facts. He got money for something. It's fair to presume it carried the expectation of a fair-trade transaction, of getting something for the money. Knowing what we know about Hunter, it's not so fair to presume that he actually intended to meet the expectations of the buyer. It's as likely as not that he conned them.

If GOPers, or anyone, were able to close the gap by proving that the transactions tied directly to Joe, then I would believe that too. But circumstantial isn't good enough. Closing the gap without a money trail and proven access in return isn't good enough. Assuming that they didn't waste their money isn't good enough.

ME,
Don’t play dumb. It was a repetitive action. It happened. I play in the real world with real money. If you see repetitive actions involving large sums of money — goods are being delivered. People with money don’t give money away…they get what they paid for.

Of course, governments pay millions for access they don't get. Governments, all over the world, pay millions for all kinds of shit they don't get. Sometimes, governments get conned.
Right now, Democrats are trying to come to grips with the fact that their candidate, their President, is probably not electable; even against an opponent who, in a sane world, would not be electable either. Democrats have shown themselves to be obtuse. Republicans have shown themselves to be spineless. They are afraid to oppose the lunacy which has taken over the GOP. In the primaries, there was no opposition which, at the first sign of real push back by the Trump faction, didn't decide it was smarter just to kiss the ring. The one exception, Christie, was nearly booed off the stage every time he spoke. The rest cowered and sucked up.
So it is that we have a Democratic party trying to accept that they have been supporting a stuffed suit, while the opposing party continues to try and further discredit said suit, in order to try and make their candidate look less undesirable. This is the state of US politics. Until someone puts up a viable candidate, I can't see the point in wasting my vote. Neither of the present candidates deserve it.
Some advice for Trump: This time, don't give a speech wherein you tell your followers not to mail in ballots because they won't get counted anyway. That strategy is a proven loser. Regards, Bill

Nah…anytime you see repetitive large money spent…something is being delivered. The phrase “follow the money” didn’t come up from thin air.

quote:

Republicans have shown themselves to be spineless. They are afraid to oppose the lunacy which has taken over the GOP.

Thoughtful post there Bill. I quoted just part of it to expound.

What you say in the quote may well be true. That's one way to see it.

Of course they don't think of themselves as spineless. They think they are bold and heroes, patriots out to save the country from ----------

When I say "they" above, I'm not talking about the politicians. I believe politicians know exactly what they are doing and those GOPers are worse than spineless because they know and don't care about that, but something else.

If they, republican voters, recognize the lunacy, most don't say so. And it appears that most embrace the lunacy.

It's too easy to point fingers. I may also be in denial, thinking that Biden can win again.

quote:

Originally posted by ledvm:
Nah…anytime you see repetitive large money spent…something is being delivered. The phrase “follow the money” didn’t come up from thin air.

Then one does wonder, why is it that after 5 years of investigation the GOP is still unable to follow the money?

I'll give you a hint Lane....it's because they don't have the evidence required.

Men playing women’s sports. Subsidizing homeless drug addiction. Millions illegally entering the country. Gender surgeries for minors. Vaccine mandates. That is the Democratic Party and that is truly insane. Biden has been a demented, sympathetic elderly man, literally for years and it can’t be covered up any longer. The msm has been complicit in all of this…for decades. The debate exposed all of this.

quote:

The debate exposed all of this.

Affirmation much?

Nawhh - just a little will suffice as root stock or grafting. Then fertilize with BS, and watch it grow.

quote:

Originally posted by Steve Bertram:

quote:

Originally posted by ledvm:
Nah…anytime you see repetitive large money spent…something is being delivered. The phrase “follow the money” didn’t come up from thin air.

Then one does wonder, why is it that after 5 years of investigation the GOP is still unable to follow the money?

I'll give you a hint Lane....it's because they don't have the evidence required.

I never said they had the smoking gun. When you set up a big enough web (as the Bidens did) following the money can be easier said than done. My point is that when lots of money is spent “goods” exchange. Tracking it is another story. But people with money don’t give it up for nothing.

It's time for a little light humor:

https://youtube.com/shorts/inp...?si=IUbalKfBOB67gCxd

And you still have your bar card?

Like with Trump.

Con men can create enough uncertainty that the burden of proof is very hard to meet.

Why did the government create RICO?

Why did Capone do time for tax evasion instead of his multitude of other, much more serious crimes?

I don’t doubt that Trump has done a lot of what he’s accused of, but proof is pretty difficult.

Biden obviously was better at it than Trump.

The system is predicated on proof, and some things are pretty hard to prove, especially if people keep quiet.

Is Hunter charged with corruption? No. His current legal jeopardy is a gun form he lied on and (like Capone) taxes.

Biden allowed his crackhead son unprecedented access, and damn well should have known better.

He even bragged at getting rid of the Ukrainian prosecutor dogging Hunter.

Yet you lefties accept the whole it was something else argument.

I don’t buy it, but fully acknowledge that it’s the way the legal system has to operate. They can’t disprove the official story unless someone breaks.

At Biden’s current arc, he probably couldn’t be held accountable anyhow. The recent SCOTUS decision seems to protect him as well (it was an official act as VP).

quote:

He even bragged at getting rid of the Ukrainian prosecutor dogging Hunter.

https://oversightdemocrats.hou...eneral-viktor-shokin

Fact v. Fiction: The Firing of Ukraine Prosecutor General Viktor Shokin

https://www.usatoday.com/story...osecutor/5991434002/

https://www.cnn.com/factsfirst...28-9340-2c154688af43

Was Ukrainian prosecutor Viktor Shokin prosecuting Burisma?
CLAIM
Trump said that the Ukrainian prosecutor Joe Biden had pushed to oust, Viktor Shokin, was "prosecuting" the company where Hunter Biden sat on the board, Burisma.

CONCLUSION
Shokin was not prosecuting Burisma.

https://www.cnn.com/factsfirst...16-8040-18d0897185f0

What did Joe Biden say "looked bad" related to Ukraine?
CLAIM
Biden openly stated: 'I said, I'm telling you, you're not getting the billion dollars"... I looked at them and said: "I'm leaving in six hours. If the prosecutor is not fired, you're not getting the money." Well, son of a bitch. He got fired.'" Even Joe Biden admitted just days ago in an interview with NPR that it 'looked bad.'"

EVIDENCE
Trump was not entirely clear on what he meant by "it," but he left the impression that Biden had recently told NPR that his effort to oust Ukrainian prosecutor general Viktor Shokin, or the 2018 video of him telling the story of his effort to oust Shokin, "looked bad." In fact, Biden's "looked bad" comment was about something different: Hunter Biden's position on the board. Specifically, Biden said "the appearance" of Hunter Biden's presence on the board "looked bad and it gave folks like Rudy Giuliani an excuse to come up with a Trumpian kind of defense."