Month: March 2022

Xi’s Economic Plans Spell Disaster for China’s Economy

Buck Banks

“Last year, President Xi Jinping seemed all but invincible. Now, his push to steer China away from capitalism and the West has thrown the Chinese economy into uncertainty and exposed faint cracks in his hold on power. … Chinese policy makers became alarmed at the end of last year by how sharply growth had slowed after Mr. Xi tightened controls on private businesses, from tech giants to property developers. Meanwhile, China’s stringent Covid lockdowns, part of Mr. Xi’s approach to handling the crisis, have ramped up again as Covid cases surge, hurting both consumer spending and factory output.”

— Wall Street Journal

GOPers Taking Credit for Things They Voted AGAINST

Pensito Editors


It has long been the practice of Republican lawmakers to take credit for local benefits of bills they voted against. Politico shares these examples of Republican lawmakers taking credit for projects in the government spending bill even though they all voted against it:

  • Claudia Tenney (R-NY): She lists eight projects that she “secured” while noting: “While I could not support this portion of the bill, I am pleased that the bill includes several Community Funding Projects I advocated for to benefit our local communities.”
  • Rep. Clay Higgins (R-LA): The Louisiana conservative lists four projects that will get funding “specifically requested and secured” by the congressman. “Despite my objections to the bill in its totality, we worked closely with the House Appropriations Committee to secure funding for several important Louisiana projects.”
  • Rep. Chris Jacobs (R-NY): He lists seven community projects while noting he opposed the overall legislation due to “partisan policies that erode the Second Amendment and grow domestic spending.”
  • Rep. Dan Meuser (R-PA): He touts $14 million going to eight projects for his district in a press release. “Passage of this bill is the culmination of more than a year of working with stakeholders in our communities to identify and secure federal support for their critical needs.”

    • Most Americans Don’t Believe Biden Will Run Again

    Buck Banks

    52%

    A new Wall Street Journal poll found that 52% of Americans don’t think Joe Biden will run for re-election in two years, while 29% do expect him to pursue a second term. Nineteen percent are undecided about his future. Among Democrats, 41% said they think Biden will run again, while 32% said they didn’t think he would. The poll found 26% of those Democrats unsure.

    Brace for a New COVID Wave

    Buck Banks

    45%

    Based on European case increases, former Biden adviser Andy Slavitt warned of a spring wave of Covid infections in the United States: “An estimated 45% of the US has had omicron recently. That should be highly protective. Those fully vaccinated but who haven’t had omicron should be vulnerable to infection from BA2, but largely won’t be hospitalized or worse. Those without prior infection would be at most risk of infection. Those who haven’t been infected but also aren’t vaccinated or boosted will be at highest risk of hospitalization. So we could see lots of cases, but an even lower portion of ppl hospitalized than last wave.”

    Rep. Madison Cawthorn, R-NC: Zelenskyy Is a ‘Thug’

    Pensito Editors

    WRAL-Raleigh: “U.S. Rep. Madison Cawthorn of North Carolina told supporters he thought Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was a ‘thug’—a comment that runs counter to the overwhelming share of Republicans with a favorable view of the leader fending off a military invasion from Russia.

    “‘Remember that Zelenskyy is a thug,’ Cawthorn said in a video obtained by WRAL. ‘Remember that the Ukrainian government is incredibly corrupt and is incredibly evil and has been pushing woke ideologies.’…

    “On Thursday afternoon, one hour after WRAL reported the comments, Cawthorn appeared to walk back his remarks, saying on Twitter that Russian President Vladimir Putin’s actions are ‘disgusting.’

    “‘I am praying for Ukraine and the Ukrainian people,’ he added.”