117 Comments
Jun 4Liked by Martyn Wendell Jones, Joe Perticone

“…the political version of Kaiba’s defeat…” that’s the type of bold, unapologetic appeal to cool millennial kids that America needs. Great piece Joe. I think it’s time to make a “Press Pass Podcast” happen.

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founding

I'm with you Jim. Joe's work has been great and so well written. At the very least I want Joe on the Focus Group with Sarah!

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He was on with her about 2 months agao.

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founding

Thanks! I must have missed that week :)

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I don't think we need any more podcasts. There are way too many already. It seems like everybody has a podcast.

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founding

I am in favor of that! Joe is our eyes and ears on congress Keep it up!

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As a Gen Z er, I'm grossed out that this sort of cruelty to immigrants who want to become Americans has been dismissed with a Yu-Gi-Oh meme.

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I don’t think the intent was to trivialize how poorly immigrants are treated, but rather to illustrate how Congressional reps in both parties are fundamentally out of position to respond to the policy change and are therefore “blown away”. I agree that immigrants are treated horribly in our culture and legal system, and that has to change writ large, but continuing to allow for border crossings at this magnitude is unsustainable and needs to be addressed.

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Maybe we could address it by making it easier for refugees to immigrate legally, instead of harder. Just a thought.

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Jun 4·edited Jun 5

That's odd. I live in CA and there a lot immigrants and they seem pretty happy. They're migrant workers that don't have a great deal,but they come for the money. When I lived in France it was impossible to get residency as an American. Then I married a French person, it was still a tremendous amount of time and paper work. And vice versa. People from 3rd world nations have a much easier time.

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Maybe we should not have so many barriers to legal immigration. Maybe we should make it easier to immigrate, not harder.

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Maybe, But no country does that.

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We're the United States of America. We're supposed to be the best country in the world. I refuse to match my standards to the rest of the world. We are the shining city on the hill. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me. I lift my lamp beside the golden door! 🗽🇺🇲

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Jun 4·edited Jun 5

You don't understand. They are not coming here to be citizens. They are here unlawfully. If they want to become citizens they need to apply for legal residency.

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Yeah, and wait 12 years? Half my lifetime? That's bullshit and you know it.

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Have you checked what the immigration policies are with countries that aren't the United States? We're not a country club.

If the bipartisan immigration deal hadn't been torpedoed by Orange Julius, asylum claims could be processed more quickly. But again, as a US citizen I can't simply fly into Montenegro or Sweden or even Russia and simply assume I can just go start passing out my resume.

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Fuck Montenegro, fuck Sweden, fuck Russia. This is the United States of America. Those bullshit countries can do whatever they want, but this is the shining city on the hill. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door! 🗽🇺🇲

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Okay, but when the tempest-tost get here, they have to come in legally. We need to work on that process - it's been intentionally hamstrung to frustrate both parties and immigrants. So let's fix it. But we can't simply leave the velvet rope unchecked in the meantime.

Oh, and don't say mean things about Sweden.

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No of course not. Unfettered immigration lowers the standard of living for most people except the very wealthy who less for workers.

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Maybe that would be true if the labor market was competitive. But it isn't. The unemployment rate has been below 4% for years now. We need more workers, not fewer.

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I would like to throw something out there for you. Just like the bipartisan border bill,Biden knew it wasn't going to go thru and the media is still letting Republicans say the border is open blah blah blah. So President Biden did this knowing he would be sued and stopped by the ACLU. He's playing 3D chess. He has turned it around on them. Like he always does. When we get the House back,there will be a bill that will do what you want including the Dreamers. Go back and look at how successful Biden has played MAGA and Trump. He's a good man and president who wants best for this country and the people. He knows how to get it done. Be patient and vote Blue up and down the ballot.

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If this is true, it's a silly gambit for essentially no purpose, that risks hurting many innocent people.

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It's not going to happen. That's the point

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Hopefully you’re more grossed out by how Trump plans to actually treat them.

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Yes, that is why I am a Biden state elector. But I don't like that Biden is choosing to make it harder for more people to become Americans.

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Jun 5·edited Jun 5

What would be best for the world is if immigrants from desperately poor countries ruled immoral ductatotoers were helped first world nations. I'm sure people would prefer to stay in their own countries, and take care of their families. Unfortunately these countries are ruled by selfish exploiting regimes that such cause havoc that most of the people are either enslaved or starving.

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Sure, and Kamala Harris' "Border Czar" mandate is all about working with their home countries to alleviate the conditions that create such desperation.

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We can help people by allowing them entry to our country. There is literally no downside to this. It is the right thing to do, both morally and economically.

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founding

It would be great to have Joe on more podcasts. "We want him on that Hill, We need him on that Hill."

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All hail and hallelujah for Merrick Garland!! Way to bring some truth to the clowns who don’t even deserve to have the benefit of his clear-headed rebuke. Dr Fauci served up a bit yesterday and now they had a second helping today. Maybe if they can have a generous heaping dose every day they might start to… oh what am I thinking? At least I can have a bit of satisfaction. Keep on showing what integrity looks like! ❤️

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the utter corruption outlined by propublica's findings is a great demonstration of where the gop is at today: not a single gop elected has even bothered to comment.

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Excellent report, Joe. It’s good to see AG Garland push back a little.

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Good article but I was waiting for something about Anthony Fauci and who invited the two thugs to sit behind him during the hearing.

Also MTG busily showing her ass once again.

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I think that was her face. Hard to tell, though.

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founding

jawbone of an ass

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Reading Senator Padilla's response I was thinking I hope this not one of those guys who complains proposals are not perfect but doesn't have the stones to make his own suggestions for a solution. But a quick search shows his position and bill he sponsored which seems more geared toward pathway to citizenship for Dreamers, asylum seekers and kids of H1-B visa holders. I respect that he has a proposal and is not just empty words however I don't think his plan address the influx of people seeking asylum which is a big part of the issue.

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Yep and unfortunately there is absolutely no chance that immigration bill will increase any type or form of immigration. That’s why nothing will get done. They did and could negotiate the most draconian bill and the people who negotiated on the Republican side wouldn’t vote for it

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Jun 5·edited Jun 5

I've watched Senator Padilla over the years of his public service in his home state. He usually backs up what he says with proposals. He is not an empty word sort of politician. He's been concerned about the Dreamers and asylum seekers for years. Adding money to fund courts and officers is something he probably supports.

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Agree

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Promoting #BidenBorderCrisis on social media, and falsely claiming that democrats support open borders, Mike Johnson and other far right pols approach immigration today like they approached abortion yesterday: as an opposition party whose role is to attack, not solve. They obviously don’t want the dog to catch this car either. Too bad Biden beat them at their game. Again.

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If the Dems decided to vote for H.R 2, the GOP immigration bill of 2023, the GOP would denounce that bill as not being adequate, or they were still say, too little, too late. But then be willing for the "tons of fentanyl" and "murdering" immigrants to continue to come over the border every month until Trump wins and magically fixes this in 24 hours with his mythical negotiating skills.

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THIS. Not only would republicans vote against it but the republicans who actually wrote the bill would vote against it

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My personal belief is that they don't want to solve this. They got what they said they wanted with respect to abortion, which did not turn out as they expected it to. No way they're going to let immigration go the same way.

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I think it’s both. Their base wants it and wants it bad. The problem is as dumb as republican legislators are they know that a massive cut in immigration would be awful for (1) businesses, (2) inflation, (3) entitlements and (4) what it will look like to deport 11m people (also how much it will cost.

I think they will have the same problem with immigration that they did with roe. No matter how bad they think/know massively curbing immigration is their voters will force them to do something about it.

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I won't disagree. It took the right 50 years and consistent work on changing the makeup of SCOTUS and the federal bench. I imagine any court challenge will be dealt with in much less time. While I am not happy with how this EO came about, I am glad that Biden is throwing down the gauntlet, and showing who the GOP really are.

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I mean he didn’t have many other options. Republicans will not make a deal on immigration. It doesn’t matter if they have a Republican president or Democratic one. I don’t think there is much they can do at the courts to “really” do anything on immigration (major). They will need to do this in congress once they kill the filibuster

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We cannot accomplish anything when purists criticize or block proposals that contain some of what they say they want. It makes me wonder if they are sincere in their own proposals or if they just want a club to beat opponents with in the public sphere.

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I agree. I find it frustrating when people require 100% of something or they block it. Re: renewables, people have argued (argument from past years) that, since they will make up only 5%, why bother? If someone wants to give me a 5% raise, why would I say no? If someone wants to pay 5% of my bills, why would I say no? Just make steps towards improving immigration or any other good thing for the country.

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Jun 4·edited Jun 4

Sen. Roger Marshall (R-Kan.) ..."Well, it’s too little, too late from what I understand"

Lets review. Republicans refused to pass the border bill because it wasn't strong enough, plus they claim Biden can do it all through executive action. Now Biden takes an executive action, he has every incentive to be as effective as possible. That is not good enough either.

Actually the exec order legitimately is not good enough. Everyone understands that legislation is required. We're witnessing a festival of bad faith.

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Garland came out fighting and I love it. Calling out the lies and the lying liars.

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Paying and promoting witnesses? Where is the DOJ on this. Everything the GOP does is criminal. That's the only way they work, and they do it until someone stops them. That's why Trump was stunned when he got arrested and he couldn't get anyone to rig, fix, or at least delay his trial. He was able to do that in Georgia, for the Jan 6 coup, and the documents case. Is Judge Cannon being paid with Russian money? I wouldn't be surprised.

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He learned his lesson with Cohen and Pecker. They turned on him because he did not continue to take care of them. Personal loyalty, it turns out, does cut both ways and does cost money.

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Another Trump crime in plain sight.

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I'm sorry but inspite of this recent, completely surprising actual movement by Garland (who knew he could move?), his overall performance and political image is as I see it etherially thin. America sorely needs another Bobby Kennedy in that office , a visible, bold leader, not a closet dweller.

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Did Bobby Kennedy have deal with anything comparable to what Garland is dealing with? Or are you myth-making?

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Give me a list of what Garland has dealt with. Not faced, dealt with.

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Jun 5·edited Jun 5

2021--- https://www.justice.gov/criminal/criminal-fraud/case/related-enforcement-actions/2021

2022--- https://www.justice.gov/criminal/criminal-fraud/case/related-enforcement-actions/2022

2023--- https://www.justice.gov/criminal/criminal-fraud/case/related-enforcement-actions/2023

2024--- https://www.justice.gov/criminal/related-enforcement-actions-2024

https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus/DOJresponse

https://oig.justice.gov/ongoing-work

Bobby Kennedy did not have to work in an environment where a substantial number of Americans support a seditious, life -long criminal former president for reelection where everybody and their brother is second-guessing him and never satisfied with anything he does one way or another.

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My reply landed elsewhere. Mea culpa.

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Hmm. Of the 8 senators threatening to stop work, and thereby stop the Senate from working, 6 are from right-to-work states, and only one (Vance) is from a state in which public employees have any strike rights at all.

https://www.rodtannerlaw.com/news/the-right-to-strike

But if you’re a senator, I guess you can engage in a job action.

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Fuck the refugees, I guess. Nobody seems to care.

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Not only that but the people who want to fuck over the refugees won’t even give him credit. Why negotiate?

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I literally don't know why Biden is doing this. Maybe the cruelty is the point.

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Political liability. Got to do something and it will be overturned by the courts in a day or 2. Get caught trying

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I have a suggestion for doing something: make it easier to immigrate. If the court doesn't like it, ignore the court.

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Well that is deeply unpopular (both increasing immigration AND not listening to the court). A good way to lose the election then we can get some real draconian immigration laws from Trump

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It's more important to behave ethically than to be popular.

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I don’t know if you’re trolling or not because the reasons are obvious. Immigration is a political liability for Biden, fairly or unfairly, and there is also a genuine issue of too many people claiming asylum for our system to manage. Your virtue won’t do much good if Trump wins and continues dismantling our democracy and building concentration camps.

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So, AG Garland is pissed. Well, so am I. What is he going to do about it. He has more power than I do (legally). If people are threatening harm to FBI people isn’t that a crime? If people in high places are saying that if they lose the election there will be violence, isn’t that sedition? What if some of those people are on the Supreme Court? Isn't his job to make us safe and not just complain about it?

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It seems Garland is weary of triggering more accusations of politicizing justice. I say fuck 'em. If Republicans are going to scream 'lawfare' every time the DOJ does its job, it's crying wolf. Let 'em cry.

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Kind of surprises me that the President gets no credit from the members of the Trump cult. I doubt very much that he is holding his breath looking for that.

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Yep that’s why it never makes sense to move away from his base. What’s the point? You’ll never win them over

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