Not from the Archangel Raphael, but from the Senator and Preacher Raphael:
… the work that we must do is difficult, the issues are not simple, they’re complex, but here’s my promise to you, I will walk with you even as I work for you.
Because here is what I’ve learned as a pastor, you can’t lead the people unless you love the people. You can’t love the people unless you know the people. And you can’t know the people unless you walk among the people. You cannot serve me if you cannot see me.
And so, during these difficult days, even as I work on specific public policy proposals and I offer bills and work with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to get those bills passed, I just want you to know that I see you. I see you parents, as you’re trying to put your kids through college and through community college and technical college. I see you students, as you’re trying to make a way out of nowhere. I see you essential workers, fighting for a livable wage to participate in the prosperity that you create for others. Farmers, who are an answer to our most basic prayer, “Give us this day our daily bread.” And yet, they struggled to hold on to the farm. Farmers, I see you and I’m here with you. And together, we can work through all of these issues. And I want all of Georgia to know whether you voted for me or not-
[…]
… whether you voted for me or not, that every single day I am going to keep working for you. I’m proud of the bipartisan work I’ve done and I intend to do more, because I actually believe that at the end of the day, we are all Americans. I believe in that American covenant,….
hopefully, the lame duck congress will heed the healing words of the good Rev as it limps along in the last days of working towards that “American covenant.”
but first, stephen’s take
With Raphael Warnock’s win in Georgia, Democrats have secured a 51-49 majority in the Senate. In San Francisco, Elon Musk is making Twitter employees sleep at the office, and in Germany authorities rounded up dozens of people suspected of plotting to overthrow the government.
excerpt from walker’s gracious concession:
another well-deserved “atta boy” to a person who really walks the walk as well as talk the talk
TIME Names the 2022 Person of the Year: Volodymyr Zelensky and the Spirit of Ukraine | Markets Insider (businessinsider.com)
Alex.
The piece is lengthy for Alex, but well worth the read – if you need a good laugh.
NYT.
Too bad, so sad… (So much winning)
It’s kind of weird to think that Herschel may have been gaming the gamers.
Something to cheer.
Brittney Griner is free and coming home.
Brittney Griner is coming home!
(And, the announcement knocked Harry & Meghan off of their TV spot. There’s that privacy they claim they wanted.)
I hope we implanted a LoJack chip in Viktor Bout’s neck.
Another win for team Biden.
Too bad they couldn’t get Paul Whalen back, as well.
Sounds like puttie was looking for something good for his no good real crummy year, so trade a tall woman for a nasty arms dealer. Which was probably better than expected for President Biden, as all the sanctions are making russian arms not very enticing.
Yesterday’s FB reply to the WH is still erupting with russian bots and assorted maga monsters. I can tell the maga cult members because those have threats, which I can report to the FB police. The reply quantity is constantly expanding and contracting as FB police delete nasty stuff out.
The COVID recovery is still ongoing. This is wild. At least the worst appears over and I am now mostly fatigued.
Those drone strikes inside Russia seem to have Putin registering that his citizens might get worried enough to give him the heave ho unless he improves his image in some way.
BB, good “worst appears over” and sounds like you’re on the mend.
what was that recent story of putie falling and soiling himself all about? a bit of disinfo on our allies’ part or is he really on a downward spiral physically (mentally, of course considering his ivan the terrible decisions of late)?
patd – I missed that story, it sounds like puttie and SFB are interchangeable in the dirty diaper stories. I will check on a couple sources; it does not appear to be legit though. The most common thread for puttie is he is not healthy, especially as seen early in several Kremlin propaganda scenes. Several are not him, one of which had his fat head photoshopped on what looks like his body double body. They did not even get pixels cleaned up where the head and shirt collar meet. Any “appearance” by puttie has to be considered fake. There is the possibility the guy will be dead for days or weeks before the Kremlin acknowledges it. As for falling, there is no confirmation and the KGB/FSB would not put it out even if it did happen.
https://www.cnn.com/2022/12/08/politics/same-sex-marriage-vote-house/index.html
“The House voted to pass legislation on Thursday to protect same-sex and interracial marriage, the last step before the measure goes to President Joe Biden for his signature and becomes law.”
“While the bill would not set a national requirement that all states must legalize same-sex marriage, it would require individual states to recognize another state’s legal marriage.”
Will this impact the upcoming SCOTUS decision?
If Texas could prohibit same-sex marriage but be required to accept those marriages performed in other states, folks could just leave the state, taking all of those big, wedding dollars with them.
BlueBronc…
same here. I am largely recovered and going about my business… but I’m still fighting fatigue.
Great news on Brittany!
I’m disgruntled we had to release a Russian arms dealer
I wonder what puttie wants to hand over Paul Wheylan? So far this year he released Americans in Ukraine and Griner. That an arms dealer for one basketball player was this deal, there must me something the U.S. is holding that is the price for Wheylan.
Good speech, Sen. Warnock
Good post, patd
🫡 🇺🇸
https://gothamist.com/news/nycs-metropolitan-opera-is-under-cyberattack
“It is the third day of a cyberattack on the Metropolitan Opera that has prevented the institution from selling tickets.”
“The Met Opera says it normally processes more than $200,000 worth of tickets each day.”
“In its reporting, the New York Times suggested Russia could be behind the attack, due to the Met Opera’s support for Ukraine and its crackdown on artists close to President Vladimir Putin.”
“The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, the branch of DHS that is in charge of cybersecurity, has said both China and Russia pose a great risk to American government and cultural organizations.”
BB – What do you make of this?
Craig – Viktor Bout has already served most of his prison sentence. He was going to get out at some point. At least we bought someone’s release with his sorry ass. I wish we could’ve gotten everyone out of that hellhole of a country, but very relieved for Brittany Griner’s release.
https://www.cnn.com/2022/12/08/americas/viktor-bout-profile-prisoner-swap-intl/index.html
“. Bout graduated from the Military Institute on Foreign Languages, a well-known feeder school for Russian military intelligence.”
“He was a Soviet officer, most likely a lieutenant, who simply saw the opportunities presented by three factors that came with the collapse of the USSR and the state sponsorship that entailed: abandoned aircraft on the runways from Moscow to Kiev, no longer able to fly because of the lack of money for fuel or maintenance; huge stores of surplus weapons that were guarded by guards suddenly receiving little or no salary; and the booming demand for those weapons from traditional Soviet clients and newly emerging armed groups from Africa to the Philippines,” Farah told the magazine.
Hmmm, un-fueled military equipment in disrepair, unpaid military personnel, pent-up demand…it’s the same old, same old.
There were two Russians available for swap when Griner discussions began so hopefully they can get the other American as well
Seems to me Brittney shouldn’t have gone there in the first place
U.S. teacher Marc Fogel is doing labor in a Russian prison after attempting to enter the country with medical marijuana.
Griner had been playing pro-ball in Russia for years before being detained.
The intertubes are full of criticisms from both sides regarding this swap, but no one commenting knows what negotiations are occurring in diplomatic channels, ‘cuz if they did, they wouldn’t be permitted to comment
i’m rather impressed the US diplomatic corps can conduct fruitful negotiations with a country against which the US is actively engaged in a proxy-war, nice job 👍
…also not surprised that the Neo-Nazi Caucus isn’t pleased that political capital was spent on behalf of a black woman
bId – russians and Chinese are going after all connected to the internet. And, a few that are not. The articles do not state what type of attack is going on, although it sounds like a denial of service (DOS) which is typically flooding, similar to what Craig faced a couple years ago. i have had that type of attack in the past, one I had to get the people who “run” the internet track down and block the server doing the attack. That one was in Germany, but Russian in origin. The owner of the servers shut down had to be very upset, but that is what happens when you rent space to russians.
One speculation I have is that the KGB/FSB/GRU wanted their man back. He has been out of circulation a long time so there may not be much use for him anymore. He might like to drink some tea or do some bird watching out his hospital window. At first he seemed like a high price for Griner, but thinking his value is more in not having him sit in the U.S. There is speculation that he, and a player to be named later, would be traded for Griner and Wheylan. The thinking is the reason he was not available at Thanksgiving Day call was he was being moved. But, for some reason that deal fell apart.
Just not a fan of rewarding dictators for taking hostages.
a small victory for a small man
One small schlep for man, one giant schtup for mankind.
“Santa Claus Is Coming To Town, the old, stop-action show from the 60s was on tonight. There’s a scene where the bad guy (Bergermeister Meisterberger) falls down the stairs. Shades of the rumor about Poo-tin.
NEW THREAD