@danielbsmith When House Republicans shut down the government during the Clinton administration, it didn’t hurt them in the next election. Even though Clinton won another term.

And now, almost half of the American people don’t give a flip about the Trump crime family, but only the corruption of Hunter Biden and the presumed participation of his father in it.

“No one ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American public.” (H.L. Mencken) This seems to be the Republicans’ credo. Concerned about government spending only when there’s a Democrat in the White House, thinking the public won’t remember the debt incurred under Republican administrations. And thinking they can blame Democrats when they shut down the government. And guess what? They’re probably right!

#football Will the Dallas Cowboys overtake the Boston Red Sox as the most disappointing team with the largest fan base?

@dfohio So I’t’s 90 minutes of dead time a game broken up into two segments? That’s why it isn’t popular on American TV, which depends on multiple 2- minute ads to fill the dead time, interspersed with pundit talk at the quarter, halftime and 2-minute warning breaks. One thing that I don’t like about soccer is the unknown end of game time. At least in football, there’s a clock you can depend on.

@JV3MJD In the old days ( pre AC), Congress took the summer off. Of course they weren’t getting paid like they get paid today. So AC, despite the frequent absences of Congress anyway, actually is responsible for more mischief in the Capitol.

@dfohio Less TV commercial time with soccer?

#football If you’re like me, you turn on the TV or switch channels to get the NFL game and, no surprise, you get a commercial. That goes on and on and on … Well, the reason for this is simple math. NFL games last, on average, 210 minutes. But the actual game time is only 60 minutes. So you have less than a one in four chance of actually tuning into a game in progress.

College basketball is a bit better. You have a one in three chance of getting the game when you tune in.

@mcfate I’m hardly enjoying it! But I’ve seen Trump escape accountability too often to predict he’ll finally get what he deserves. Nothing wrong with hoping for the best though, And I’m in that camp.

@mcfate All it takes is one juror to hang a jury.

@mcfate And, yes, Democrats, unlike Republicans, call out their own when wrong-doing is exposed. Look at Al Franken, for example, and that was a puny misdeed in comparison.

@mcfate Oh, yes you can, unfortunately. It’s whataboutism: “You say Trump is corrupt? Well, what about Menendez and Hunter Biden, huh?” The multitude of charges against Trump won’t matter to Republicans as long as they have Democrats to point fingers at.

Looks like they got Menendez this time.That, and the never-ending Hunter Biden story will be distractions giving Trump some cover. Jeez.

@CarmenSlamdiego And rural areas in blue states are red. They don’t have any political power now except isolated representation in state and national legislatures. In my idea of a split, these pockets of opposition would no longer exist. At least politically. No Democrat legislators in Texas from Austin and no Republican representatives in Congress from upstate New York. Folks in those areas would have to relocate or suck it up.

#politics As we creep toward a civil war, at least politically, I have a modest proposal: Have a referendum in all states for splitting apart the union into red and blue states, forming separate countries. And have the results (overwhelming support, I predict) be the basis of a constitutional amendment - the last such in our current Constitution - making it so.

Lots of food for thought regarding pros and cons of this division. Abe would be turning over in his grave. Or maybe not.

#politics Despite what Trump did in his four years as president, and has done since, most Republicans want to elect him again. Unbelievable! What has happened to the party that used to be for the military, vets, and law enforcement and was a strong bulwark against Russian aggression? Trump happened. It boggles my mind how so many millions of Americans have bought into the man whose only vision for the country is chaos and retribution against those who have opposed him.

Most experts who have opined say that the charges against Hunter Biden only go to a criminal trial if the gun was used in a crime. Hunter never even used it for anything. And the Supreme Court has ruled against making a gun charge such as the one facing Hunter a prison-time offense. Let’s face it, Weiss and the DOJ buckled under pressure from right-wing Republicans looking to sully his father with the association.Glad to see Hunter taking the offense.

@JV3MJD Yes! Stop giving him a platform for his lies and conspiracy theories. Those who already know what he spouts is garbage don’t need to see it again. And those who don’t shouldn’t get reinforcement through mainstream media!

@JV3MJD Funny.

@mcfate He has a case. The IRS steadfastly refused to release Trump’s tax returns to Congress, yet Hunter Biden’s info is fair game?