2022 - Pensito

Grocery Heiress Was Willing to Underwrite Jan. 6 Insurrection

December 22, 2022January 5, 2023 Buck Banks

$3 million

Julie Fancelli, a daughter of the founder of the Publix grocery store chain, “was willing to shell out as much as $3 million to people and groups protesting congressional certification of Joe Biden’s victory,” the Washington Post reports.

U.S. Economy Grew Faster than Expected in Q3

December 22, 2022 Buck Banks

3.2%

“America’s economy grew much faster than previously thought in the third quarter, a sign that the Federal Reserve’s battle to cool the economy to fight inflation is having only limited impact,” CNN reports. “The Commerce Department’s final reading Thursday morning showed gross domestic product, the broadest measure of the US economy, grew at an annual pace of 3.2% between July and September. That was above the 2.9% estimate from a month ago.”

U.S. to Provide $2 Billion in Weapons to Ukraine

December 22, 2022 Buck Banks

$2 billion

“The Biden administration announced a nearly $2 billion arms package for Ukraine that for the first time includes a Patriot air-defense system to help Kyiv protect itself against the barrage of ballistic missiles and cruise missiles Russia has unleashed on the country’s electrical grid and other infrastructure,” the Wall Street Journal reports. “Also for the first time, the U.S. is providing kits that will enable Ukraine to use its bombs to carry out precision strikes against Russian forces.”

Jeffries: GOP Is ‘Chaos, Crisis, Confusion and Craziness’

December 22, 2022 Buck Banks

“Look at what’s happening right now. House Republicans are attacking Senate Republicans. Senate Republicans are calling House Republicans silly and immature. The leadership situation is in chaos. … Marjorie Taylor Greene is fighting with Lauren Boebert. And George Santos appears to be starring in the sequel to Catch Me If You Can. And it’s not even January 3rd. … The circus has already come to town. Chaos, crisis. Confusion and craziness. Versus Democrats who deliver for the American people.”

— Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), the leader-elect of the House Democratic caucus, reported by Mediaite.

Sununu: Trump Can’t Win in ’24

December 22, 2022 Buck Banks

“I don’t think he can win in November of ’24. He could be the nominee. But I do not believe, and I think most people would agree, he’s just going to — not going to be able to close the deal in November of ’24. … We just have to find another candidate at this point.”

— New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu (R) to CBS News.

Kinzinger Bids Congress Farewell

December 21, 2022 Buck Banks

“Had I known that standing up for truth would cost me my job, friendships, and even my personal security, I would, without hesitation, do it all over again. I can rest easy at night knowing that I fulfilled my oath to the office.”

— Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL), quoted by WLS, in his farewell speech from Congress.

Retiring Leahy Bashes Congressional Colleagues

December 21, 2022 Buck Banks

“There are too many people who think, ‘What can I say that will get me on the evening news or give me a sound bite or get me on this Twitter account,’ or something else. They don’t care about the country. They care about their political ambitions.”

— Retiring Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT) told the AP that too many politicians in Washington “don’t care” about the country.

Coddled Don Jr. Calls Zelensky a ‘Welfare Queen’

December 21, 2022 Buck Banks

“Zelensky is basically an ungrateful international welfare queen.”

— Donald Trump Jr., on Twitter.

U.S. Confiscated Massive Amount of Illegal Fentanyl This Year

December 21, 2022 Buck Banks

379 million

“The Drug Enforcement Administration said Tuesday it has seized more than 379 million potentially fatal doses of illegal fentanyl this year, as Mexican drug-trafficking organizations continue to flood the United States with the cheap synthetic opioid responsible for record numbers of U.S. overdose deaths,” the Washington Post reports.

Trump’s Preferences

December 20, 2022 Buck Banks

When golfing, he likes stories that are uplifting.
With documents, he likes to keep the FBI sifting.
Of course, it’s plain
Why he’s running again:
When governing, he likes to keep up the grifting.

$3 million

Julie Fancelli, a daughter of the founder of the Publix grocery store chain, “was willing to shell out as much as $3 million to people and groups protesting congressional certification of Joe Biden’s victory,” the Washington Post reports.

3.2%

$2 billion

— Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), the leader-elect of the House Democratic caucus, reported by Mediaite.

“I don’t think he can win in November of ’24. He could be the nominee. But I do not believe, and I think most people would agree, he’s just going to — not going to be able to close the deal in November of ’24. … We just have to find another candidate at this point.”

— New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu (R) to CBS News.

“Had I known that standing up for truth would cost me my job, friendships, and even my personal security, I would, without hesitation, do it all over again. I can rest easy at night knowing that I fulfilled my oath to the office.”

— Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL), quoted by WLS, in his farewell speech from Congress.

“There are too many people who think, ‘What can I say that will get me on the evening news or give me a sound bite or get me on this Twitter account,’ or something else. They don’t care about the country. They care about their political ambitions.”

— Retiring Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT) told the AP that too many politicians in Washington “don’t care” about the country.

“Zelensky is basically an ungrateful international welfare queen.”

— Donald Trump Jr., on Twitter.

379 million

Poetic Justice

Verbatim

“His whole act can feel like a clunky contrivance—a forced persona railing against phony or hyped-up outrages.”

— Mark Leibovich

— Salt Lake Tribune

“I don’t want reality.”

— Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-OK), quoted by The Guardian, while questioning a witness about the teaching of race.

“I’m going to leave it up to Kevin McCarthy to see if he wants to help defeat Putin,” Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) told Punchbowl News. “I mean, he’s been pretty good… But is the Republican Party going to be the party that bails out [Russian President Vladimir] Putin? I hope not.”

“You know, I have conversations with my father and my uncle about what I’m doing. I do meditations every day, and that’s kind of the nature of my meditations. I have a lot of conversations with dead people.”

— The Free Press asked Robert F. Kennedy Jr. how he thinks his father or uncle would have responded to the challenges facing Democrats today.

Numerati

71%

Gallup: “Seventy-one percent of Americans think same-sex marriage should be legal, matching the high Gallup recorded in 2022. Public support for legally recognizing gay marriages has been consistently above 50% since the early 2010s.”

115,000

339,000

70%

“The annual ‘Accelerating Acceptance’ study published Thursday by the advocacy organization reported that 70% of non-LGBTQ+ people want companies to include the LGBTQ community in hiring, advertising and sponsorships,” reports The Messenger.

2 million