Mediaboss Marketing

FIRST ON FOX: Texas GOP Rep. Ronny Jackson led a letter of 61 Republicans demanding President Biden take a cognitive test or pull out of the 2024 presidential race.

Jackson, a former White House doctor, and the Republicans wrote that, in light of Bidens 2024 presidential re-election campaign announcement, they were concerned with his "current cognitive state and ability to serve another term as President."

"We believe that, regardless of gender, age, or political party, all Presidents should document and demonstrate sound mental abilities," the Republicans wrote.

EX-WHITE HOUSE DOCTOR REP RONNY JACKSON DEMANDS BIDEN TAKE COGNITIVE TEST OR DROP OUT OF 2024 RACE

Texas GOP Rep. Ronny Jackson led a letter of 61 Republicans demanding President Biden take a cognitive test or pull out of the 2024 presidential race. (Sunday Morning Futures/Screengrab)

"While you have undergone two physical exams during your presidency, one on November 19, 2021, and another on February 16, 2023, there is no indication you have had any cognitive assessment, or if you have, such results were concealed from the public," they continued.

The Republicans wrote that, following Bidens February physical, the White House physician Kevin OConnor "claimed you were a healthy, vigourous, 80-year-old male, who is fit successfully execute the duties of the Presidency, to include those as Chief Executive, Head of State, and Commander in Chief."

"However, this is a statement based on a physical exam that excluded the evaluation of your cognitive and mental abilities, which is where our concerns, and the concerns of the American public, lie," they wrote.

Jackson and his 61 Republican colleagues noted the three separate "letters on this issue" since Biden took office and that the president has "failed to respond to any of these letters and have actively ignored the requests of over 50 Members of Congress for you to submit to a cognitive exam."

"While you and your staff dismiss these inquiries, the American people continue to question your mental and cognitive abilities and lose faith in your ability to lead this country," they wrote, pointing to a Harvard CAPS-Harris Poll that found 57% of voters "do not believe you are mentally fit to serve as President or have doubts about your mental fitness."

"When you first announced your bid to run in the 2020 presidential election, questions and concerns were raised surrounding your cognitive abilities. Those concerns have only increased because your mental decline and forgetfulness have become more apparent since you were elected. Over the past two years, public appearances where you shuffle your feet, trip when you walk, slur your words, forget names, lose your train of thought, and appear momentarily confused have become more of a common occurrence."

"These incidents are so common and noticeable that if you search Biden gaffes online, over 14,000,000 results appear," the lawmakers wrote. "These incidents and the rate at which they occur are highly concerning and cast doubt upon your ability to execute the duties required of the President of the United States."

The Republicans wrote that U.S. citizens "should have absolute confidence in their President and know that he or she can perform their duties as Head of State and Commander in Chief."

Additionally, the lawmakers said the "American people deserve complete transparency" on the presidents "mental capabilities" and that the countrys national security "relies on a cognitively sound Commander in Chief," blasting Biden as not fitting "that bill."

"Therefore, we call on you to either renounce your bid for reelection or submit to a clinically validated cognitive screening assessment and make those results available to the public," the Republicans wrote. "Successful completion of this type of exam will ease the minds of the concerned American public and prove that you are capable of performing the duties required by the President of the United States."

Lawmakers said the "American people deserve complete transparency" on the presidents "mental capabilities" and that the countrys national security "relies on a cognitively sound Commander in Chief," blasting President Biden as not fitting "that bill." (SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images)

"More importantly, failure of such a test will allow you to come to terms with the many failures of your administration over the past two years and allow a mentally fit leader to emerge," they continued.

White House spokesperson Andrew Bates pointed Fox News Digital to his previous comments on Jacksons calls for Biden to take a cognitive test.

"I honestly dont care about Ronny Jacksons look at me routine," Bates said. "But if yall get any mail from Nick Riviera, please dont be a stranger."

Bates was referring to "The Simpsons" character Dr. Nick Riviera better known as Dr. Nick who is a quack medical doctor with shady credentials.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Jackson has been vocal in his calls for Biden to take a cognitive test since the president took office in 2021.

The Texas Republicans letter has been circulating since last month and garnered dozens of GOP signatures, including prominent lawmakers House Republican Conference chairwoman Elise Stefanik of New York, House chief deputy whip Guy Reschanthaler of Pennsylvania, and Texas Rep. Dan Crenshaw.

Fox News Digital's Tyler Olson contributed reporting.

The rest is here:
Dozens of House Republicans demand Biden take cognitive test or drop out of 2024 race - Fox News

JD Vance and former President Donald Trump shake hands in 2022.Drew Angerer/Getty Images

Trump said at a CNN Town Hall this week that the GOP should "do a default" if they don't get spending cuts to raise the debt ceiling.

Sen. JD Vance defended Trump's comments to Axios, saying he was just giving "political advice."

Still, other Republican senators said defaulting is not an option.

Former President Donald Trump weighed in on the debt ceiling crisis this week and he thinks Republicans' best bet is to hurdle into economic catastrophe.Ohio's freshman GOP senator is listening.

During a CNN Town Hall on Wednesday night, the network's anchor Kaitlan Collins asked Trump how he views the current debt situation in the country. Since January, both sides of the aisle have been sparring over the best approach to raise the debt ceiling and ensure the US can keep paying its bills, but the country is inching dangerously close to running out of money Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said the US could default on its debt as early as June 1.

Trump thinks that Republicans should not budge on their bill that trades a debt ceiling increase for major spending cuts, even as President Joe Biden has maintained he won't accept anything other than a clean raise, without any cuts attached.

"I say to the Republicans out there, congressmen and senators, if they don't give you massive cuts you are going to have to do a default," Trump said. "And I don't believe they're going to do a default because I think the Democrats will absolutely cave because you don't want to have that happen. But it's better than what we're doing right now because we're spending money like drunken sailors."

"You might as well do it now because you'll do it later," he added. "Because we have to save this country. Our country is dying. Our country is being destroyed by stupid people, by very stupid people."

Sen. JD Vance argued that Trump was just trying to help his party. Vance told Axios that "what the president is doing is really giving political advice ... not financial advice."

Story continues

"He's basically saying that if the Democrats are going to play a game of chicken, Republicans have to be willing to play that game too," Vance said, adding that "I think what President Trump is doing is fundamentally the right thing, which is Republicans can't preemptively break ranks here or we're going to have a terrible negotiating position in the talks with Biden."

Still, most lawmakers in both parties agree that a default would be bad and Congress should do its job to make sure that doesn't happen.

GOP Sen. Josh Hawley, for example, told Axios that he disagreed with Trump's comments and that "there is no world in which [a default] happens." His fellow Republican Sen. Cynthia Lummis echoed that sentiment, saying a "default should be avoided, period."

"I think we should do our job," Connecticut Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy previously told Insider. "I think we should not default on our debt. Congress should do the job that we've, without exception up until this point, done."

Biden was supposed to meet with top congressional lawmakers on Friday for the second time this week to discuss the debt ceiling, but multiple reports said the meeting has been postponed so staffers can continue making progress with the negotiations on their end. Politico reported that potential areas of compromise could include energy permitting reforms and rescinding unspent pandemic funds, but people familiar to the administration told Politico Biden will not budge on student-loan forgiveness, and Medicaid and food assistance.

Read the original article on Business Insider

View post:
JD Vance defends Trump's comments that Republicans should let the US default, saying the former president was giving 'political advice' and doing...

Republicans arent done targeting Disney in their political, disinformation-riddled war on free enterprise.

Late last week, several House Republicans introduced a bill that would rescind special no-fly zones federally authorized above two Disney properties: Disney World in Orlando, Florida, and Disneyland in Anaheim, California.

Its the latest example of the GOP, which is known for favoring corporate interests, seemingly targeting a corporation because of its political independence. Disney, of course, has been under attack by conservatives especially Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis ever since company leadership spoke out against bigoted legislation, signed by DeSantis, that restricts in-school discussions about LGBTQ people.

For this reason, Republican lawmakers have falsely accused Disney of grooming children.And with DeSantis blessing, Florida lawmakers moved to strip Disney of its special tax status last year.

Now, it seems, Republicans are taking things even further.

Rep. Troy Nehls, a Texas Republican, first introduced the Airlines Independent of Restrictions Act targeting Disneys no-fly zones last June. He reintroduced it Friday, with co-sponsors including right-wing extremists Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia and Lauren Boebert of Colorado.

Theme parks like Disney should not receive special treatment just because they are well-connected, Nehls said in a news release upon the bills reintroduction. Our national security should not be compromised to fit the needs of one corporation.

The lawmakers have picked a convenient time to revive a long-standing debate.

In 2003, ahead of the Iraq War, lawmakers helped put extremely rare no-fly zones in place over Disneyland and Disney World, supposedly for national security purposes. This has upset people in the aviation community, especially aerial advertising companies that would like to fly banners over the Disney properties.

So are there legitimate reasons to question the no-fly zones? Sure. And Im certainly no advocate for corporate privileges when it comes at the expense of workers or Americans broadly.

But Im not a fan of illiberal weaponization of the federal government either. And that certainly appears to be the case here.

Just look at this quote from Boebert, included in Nehls news release:Woke corporations shouldnt get any favors from the government. The FAA has no business granting a no-fly-zone over Disney parks. Universal Studios, Hershey Park, Six Flags, and other theme parks dont have no-fly-zones over them, and its time for Disney to get the same treatment. No corporation should get preferential treatment from the government especially when it is grooming children. Go woke, go broke.

Leave it to Lauren Boebert the congressional dunce to spill the beans on Republicans apparent motivation here. Overtly political statements like that, made by DeSantis, are actually why some observers think Disney could win its lawsuit against the Florida governor.

With the aviation legislation several steps away from passing, it might be premature to ponder whether Disney would take similar legal action to maintain its no-fly zones. Still, its noteworthy that Republicans political crusade against a business that ran afoul of their wishes is metastasizing at the federal level.

Ja'han Jones is The ReidOut Blog writer.

See the article here:
Republicans are now attacking Disney at the federal level - MSNBC

The recent move by Tennessee Republicans to expel two young, Black Democratic state legislators for engaging in a peaceful protest for gun control following a horrible mass shooting at a Nashville Christian school has been described in many different ways.

Some called the expulsions anti-democratic while others went further to characterise them as fascistic. The removal of these two young Black men, coupled with the failure to punish their older white female colleague for the same action, has also been labelled racist and an echo of the states sordid past.

Moreover, many recognised the political stunt as a blunder and an own goal. After all, both expelled legislators were promptly reappointed to their seats by their districts and have now become rising national figures, speaking with President Joe Biden and meeting Vice President KamalaHarris, who made a surprise and impassioned appearance in Nashville.

Meanwhile, the Tennessee GOP has been widely condemned by Democrats, and some prominent Republicans, including the states congressional delegation. Tennessees Republican Governor Bill Lee, however, opted to remain silent on the move.

It is hard not to question the wisdom of the Tennessee legislators enacting such an extreme, divisive and ultimately futile punishment. But viewed nationally, the drama in Tennessee is nothing but another step in the same direction for the GOP. Recently, the party has not only shed whatever commitment it may have once held for democracy but appears intent on promoting a distinctly anti-democratic, if not qualitatively fascist, political agenda. In this context, what the Tennessee Republicans did was not a blunder or an overreach it was a test case.

In this state and elsewhere around the country, Republicans have been pressure-testing the strength and limits of democracy, seeing where they can violate and erode the rules and norms of democracy in order to gain and hold office and push through conservative laws and policies.

The ACLU says since 2021, 10 states have enacted anti-critical race theory laws that attack our First Amendment rights to read, learn, and discuss vital topics in schools, with over two dozen additional anti-CRT laws proposed in 2022 alone.

TheInternational Center for Not-for-Profit Law which tracks legislation that restricts the right to peaceful assembly reports that seven states have enacted anti-protest laws since 2017. These laws, among other provisions, enact harsh penalties for blocking traffic and some states laws provide immunities for drivers who hit pedestrian protesters. These laws have also been employed to crack down against journalists covering protests.

In addition to suppressing vital civil rights, Republican governors and state legislators are also actively engaged in efforts to undermine the power of voters, efforts that Brennan Center fellowZachary Roth calls legislative anti-democracy. These moves have included heightened efforts at gerrymandering; reconfiguring the way Electoral College votes are allocated to favour Republican candidates; making direct democracy, such as ballot initiatives, more difficult to achieve; and using state laws to negate or undermine more liberal local municipalities.

The Republican-appointed majority of the Supreme Court, in tossing aside the principle of stare decisis to overturn Roe vs Wade despite it being settled law, has now emboldened conservative judges to engage in the type of judicial activism that liberals have often been accused of conducting.

Recently, a federal judge in Texas attempted to implement anationwide ban on the abortion drug Mifepristone on the basis that the FDA had improperly approved it in 2000. The dubious and flimsy argument behind the ruling made clear that it was a political, rather than legal or scientific, decision.

Given the Supreme Courts conservative and highly politicised supermajority, such challenges from conservative judges hoping to create cases for the conservative justices to enact more aspects of their agenda are likely to become more frequent in the immediate future.

It is not just that conservative Republican officials are pursuing their agenda through various branches and levels of government. It is that they are doing so in ways that disregard or even actively violate fundamental principles upon which American democracy was founded they appear willing if not eager to damage that democratic bedrock in order to enact their agenda.

And they are actively learning from one another.

In 2016, Christian nationalist activists launched Project Blitz later rebranded as Freedom for All to offer effective blueprints to Republicans looking to pass local and state-level laws to achieve their political goals, such as carving out religious exceptions in anti-LGBTQ discrimination laws or scaling back abortion services. Later, a number of states copied one another in enacting legislation banning examinations of racial injustice such as the 1619 Project and the so-called Critical Race Theory (CRT). Meanwhile, a few Republican-dominated states, like Florida under Ron DeSantis and Texas under Greg Abbott, have become productive laboratories for repressive conservative legislation.

Sometimes, a few conservative extremists devise a strategy that others emulate. Texas, alongside Oklahoma and Tennessee, for example, passed the first anti-CRT divisive concepts laws in May 2021 which later spread to Red states across the country. Similarly, Floridas so-called Dont Say Gay lawquickly found imitators in states like Alabama and Texas.

At other times, strategies fail to gain traction, and the party switches course. Donald Trumps refusal to admit defeat in 2020 spawned copycat election deniers from Arizona to Michigan. Such claims did not stick, however, and most deniers eventually failed to win state-level elected office. However, several leading supporters of Trumps stolen election narrative managed to gain power within their state GOP machinery anyway, with several becoming GOP party chairs and continuing to pull the party further to the right with new strategies and tactics.

AlthoughRepublican supermajorities in other states could abuse their power the way that the Tennessee legislators did, the specific tactic of expelling political opponents from office on exaggerated charges may end up being another failed experiment given the enormous backlash. But it will almost certainly be followed by more moves by Republican politicians and operatives to test the boundaries of what they can get away with, either in that state or somewhere else where the GOP currently holds power.

And although this portion of the story is not widely noticed, the Tennessee debacle has given a useful peek into the mindset of Republicans who seek to consolidate power by any means necessary.

In the leaked audio from Tennessee Republicans discussing the fallout of the expulsion vote, state Rep Scott Cepicky spoke of the move not as a political stunt but as a salvo in an existential war for the country.

If you dont believe were at war for our Republic with all love and respect for you, you need a different job, he said. The left want Tennessee so bad. Because, if they get us, the Southeast falls and its game over for the Republic Ive gotten phone calls from other reps, going We sure hope you guys stand up. Because maybe it will give us the courage to stand up and push back against whats going to destroy our republic.

With this apocalyptic thinking, Republicans have convinced themselves that their grabs for power are necessary tactics furthering a righteous cause. Framing themselves as the last defenders of the country, the GOP has justified any and all tactics to achieve victory, even a Pyrrhic victory that destroys the democracy it claims to defend. Under this mindset, we can expect a lot more political manoeuvres as outrageous and diabolically creative as that from Tennessee.

Fortunately, this war footing appears to be the perspective of only a minority of Americans, although it seems to be growing within the GOP. Having seen the dangers of this thinking play out more dramatically through illegal acts like the January 6 insurrection, it is important for any true defenders of American democracy to recognise that it is equally pernicious when the Republican save our country at any cost mindset operates within the current boundaries of American democracy in order to tear those boundaries down.

The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial stance.

More here:
Republicans are pushing American democracy to its breaking point - Al Jazeera English

Country

United States of AmericaUS Virgin IslandsUnited States Minor Outlying IslandsCanadaMexico, United Mexican StatesBahamas, Commonwealth of theCuba, Republic ofDominican RepublicHaiti, Republic ofJamaicaAfghanistanAlbania, People's Socialist Republic ofAlgeria, People's Democratic Republic ofAmerican SamoaAndorra, Principality ofAngola, Republic ofAnguillaAntarctica (the territory South of 60 deg S)Antigua and BarbudaArgentina, Argentine RepublicArmeniaArubaAustralia, Commonwealth ofAustria, Republic ofAzerbaijan, Republic ofBahrain, Kingdom ofBangladesh, People's Republic ofBarbadosBelarusBelgium, Kingdom ofBelizeBenin, People's Republic ofBermudaBhutan, Kingdom ofBolivia, Republic ofBosnia and HerzegovinaBotswana, Republic ofBouvet Island (Bouvetoya)Brazil, Federative Republic ofBritish Indian Ocean Territory (Chagos Archipelago)British Virgin IslandsBrunei DarussalamBulgaria, People's Republic ofBurkina FasoBurundi, Republic ofCambodia, Kingdom ofCameroon, United Republic ofCape Verde, Republic ofCayman IslandsCentral African RepublicChad, Republic ofChile, Republic ofChina, People's Republic ofChristmas IslandCocos (Keeling) IslandsColombia, Republic ofComoros, Union of theCongo, Democratic Republic ofCongo, People's Republic ofCook IslandsCosta Rica, Republic ofCote D'Ivoire, Ivory Coast, Republic of theCyprus, Republic ofCzech RepublicDenmark, Kingdom ofDjibouti, Republic ofDominica, Commonwealth ofEcuador, Republic ofEgypt, Arab Republic ofEl Salvador, Republic ofEquatorial Guinea, Republic ofEritreaEstoniaEthiopiaFaeroe IslandsFalkland Islands (Malvinas)Fiji, Republic of the Fiji IslandsFinland, Republic ofFrance, French RepublicFrench GuianaFrench PolynesiaFrench Southern TerritoriesGabon, Gabonese RepublicGambia, Republic of theGeorgiaGermanyGhana, Republic ofGibraltarGreece, Hellenic RepublicGreenlandGrenadaGuadaloupeGuamGuatemala, Republic ofGuinea, RevolutionaryPeople's Rep'c ofGuinea-Bissau, Republic ofGuyana, Republic ofHeard and McDonald IslandsHoly See (Vatican City State)Honduras, Republic ofHong Kong, Special Administrative Region of ChinaHrvatska (Croatia)Hungary, Hungarian People's RepublicIceland, Republic ofIndia, Republic ofIndonesia, Republic ofIran, Islamic Republic ofIraq, Republic ofIrelandIsrael, State ofItaly, Italian RepublicJapanJordan, Hashemite Kingdom ofKazakhstan, Republic ofKenya, Republic ofKiribati, Republic ofKorea, Democratic People's Republic ofKorea, Republic ofKuwait, State ofKyrgyz RepublicLao People's Democratic RepublicLatviaLebanon, Lebanese RepublicLesotho, Kingdom ofLiberia, Republic ofLibyan Arab JamahiriyaLiechtenstein, Principality ofLithuaniaLuxembourg, Grand Duchy ofMacao, Special Administrative Region of ChinaMacedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic ofMadagascar, Republic ofMalawi, Republic ofMalaysiaMaldives, Republic ofMali, Republic ofMalta, Republic ofMarshall IslandsMartiniqueMauritania, Islamic Republic ofMauritiusMayotteMicronesia, Federated States ofMoldova, Republic ofMonaco, Principality ofMongolia, Mongolian People's RepublicMontserratMorocco, Kingdom ofMozambique, People's Republic ofMyanmarNamibiaNauru, Republic ofNepal, Kingdom ofNetherlands AntillesNetherlands, Kingdom of theNew CaledoniaNew ZealandNicaragua, Republic ofNiger, Republic of theNigeria, Federal Republic ofNiue, Republic ofNorfolk IslandNorthern Mariana IslandsNorway, Kingdom ofOman, Sultanate ofPakistan, Islamic Republic ofPalauPalestinian Territory, OccupiedPanama, Republic ofPapua New GuineaParaguay, Republic ofPeru, Republic ofPhilippines, Republic of thePitcairn IslandPoland, Polish People's RepublicPortugal, Portuguese RepublicPuerto RicoQatar, State ofReunionRomania, Socialist Republic ofRussian FederationRwanda, Rwandese RepublicSamoa, Independent State ofSan Marino, Republic ofSao Tome and Principe, Democratic Republic ofSaudi Arabia, Kingdom ofSenegal, Republic ofSerbia and MontenegroSeychelles, Republic ofSierra Leone, Republic ofSingapore, Republic ofSlovakia (Slovak Republic)SloveniaSolomon IslandsSomalia, Somali RepublicSouth Africa, Republic ofSouth Georgia and the South Sandwich IslandsSpain, Spanish StateSri Lanka, Democratic Socialist Republic ofSt. HelenaSt. Kitts and NevisSt. LuciaSt. Pierre and MiquelonSt. Vincent and the GrenadinesSudan, Democratic Republic of theSuriname, Republic ofSvalbard & Jan Mayen IslandsSwaziland, Kingdom ofSweden, Kingdom ofSwitzerland, Swiss ConfederationSyrian Arab RepublicTaiwan, Province of ChinaTajikistanTanzania, United Republic ofThailand, Kingdom ofTimor-Leste, Democratic Republic ofTogo, Togolese RepublicTokelau (Tokelau Islands)Tonga, Kingdom ofTrinidad and Tobago, Republic ofTunisia, Republic ofTurkey, Republic ofTurkmenistanTurks and Caicos IslandsTuvaluUganda, Republic ofUkraineUnited Arab EmiratesUnited Kingdom of Great Britain & N. IrelandUruguay, Eastern Republic ofUzbekistanVanuatuVenezuela, Bolivarian Republic ofViet Nam, Socialist Republic ofWallis and Futuna IslandsWestern SaharaYemenZambia, Republic ofZimbabwe

Go here to see the original:
Republicans undercut one of their best and brightest - Santa Fe New Mexican