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| Deepening rift among Republicans threatens future of Ukraine aid |
| 2023-09-10 |
| [Stars & Stripes] At a recent town hall back home in Omaha, Republican Rep. Don Bacon was confronted by one of his constituents who, like a growing number of conservatives, was displeased with the vast sums of U.S. weaponry and money being given to Ukraine. Why, this man wanted to know, does the congressman believe that after 18 months it remains in America’s best interest to continue bankrolling the war? Bacon, a retired Air Force general, was ready. Russia, he explained, launched its invasion because Ukraine was growing closer to the United States, becoming more democratic, and posing an existential threat to the authoritarian rule of President Vladimir Putin and his desire to reclaim the Kremlin’s lost empire. "I told the town hall: ’When I was a kid, if you had a bully on the playground - that bully never stops unless he gets punched in the nose," Bacon said later in an interview. " ’And so we’ve got to stand up to Putin here.’ " But he said he included a caveat in that response too: "We shouldn’t give just a blank check to Biden. He’s got to justify why he needs this." The exchange in Nebraska is emblematic of a growing tension throughout the Republican Party, and among a small number of Democrats, as Congress begins anew the contentious process of considering just how big of a check President Biden can have to sustain the flow of U.S. assistance - and for how long lawmakers will keep the spigot open. American attitudes toward Ukraine are shifting, Capitol Hill is feeling the pressure as the country heads into an election year, and Ukraine’s highly anticipated summer offensive has made only minor territorial gains thus far. So, with each subsequent ask for funding, securing congressional approval is likely to grow more challenging, lawmakers and analysts say. The White House in August sent lawmakers a supplemental budget request seeking $40 billion, more than half of which would go toward aiding Ukraine and related efforts intended to shore up NATO allies’ defenses and provide a cushion for other vulnerable countries impacted by the war. The funding, if approved, would bring total U.S. investment to $135 billion, according to an analysis by Mark F. Cancian at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. As the war struggles onward, though, questions like the one aired in Omaha reflect a larger dispute that’s tearing at the GOP, whose raucous right flank is waging an aggressive campaign to rally public support for slashing Ukraine aid. If some Republicans had their way, the price tag on future assistance would be zero. |
| Posted by:Besoeker |
| #23 Been thinking "Highly Albedinous" meself every time he gets (or affects to get) a h.o. for black folks. Mind you, I've always liked him and am glad he's back. |
| Posted by: Hupaque Sneash7655 2023-09-10 22:14 |
| #22 Russian crude oil exports 1990-2013. |
| Posted by: Enver Slager8035 2023-09-10 21:54 |
| #21 Until forces led by Putin took power and rebuild the country. Putin built nothing. He rode the rise in energy prices that began at the end of the 90's. There was a lot more to money loot and government coffers filled as prices rose and western energy majors tapped Siberian oil and gas fields. Historical crude oil price. Select all on graph. |
| Posted by: Enver Slager8035 2023-09-10 21:48 |
| #20 Speculum is more like it. |
| Posted by: Ululating Platypus 2023-09-10 18:42 |
| #19 ^ Highly Specular |
| Posted by: SteveS 2023-09-10 18:27 |
| #18 Reactive, not Reflective. |
| Posted by: Frank G 2023-09-10 17:43 |
| #17 ^Or Russia was the same thing. Until forces led by Putin took power and rebuild the country.* In Ukraine there was no such forces, so it continued it's merry way (52 millions in 1991, 40 million in 2014, 30 million before the war). However, in 2014 somebody in Obama's team - maybe the Lightbringer himself - had a brilliant idea how to deal with Russia ignoring Obama's red lines in Syria. "What if we'll otherthrow the pro-Russian (meaning not pathologically hostile to Russia) by a pro-Western government that will deny Russia the Sevastopol port. Then Russians won't be able to flaut our will in Syria. But, why would Ukrainians do it they've extensive trade with Russia & all these historic relations? We'll promise them membership in EU & NATO (free staff). But, are they that dumb? Dumber." And the rest is history: "The rebirth of Russian Empire". *Kinda like the first Romanovs after Time of Troubles. |
| Posted by: Grom the Reflective 2023-09-10 17:29 |
| #16 and NOT RUSSIA |
| Posted by: Frank G 2023-09-10 16:51 |
| #15 ^It was always (since 1991) a corrupt little shit-hole. |
| Posted by: Grom the Reflective 2023-09-10 16:25 |
| #14 Ukraine was a democracy before Victoria Nuland engineered a coup there in 2014. After that is was just a corrupt little shit hole where Joe Biden went to twist arms and collect bribes. The last man on earth who I want to hear talking about democracy is Joe Biden. |
| Posted by: Abu Uluque 2023-09-10 16:14 |
| #13 Not a bot, and not wrong |
| Posted by: Frank G 2023-09-10 15:32 |
| #12 Go ahead |
| Posted by: Enver Slager8035 2023-09-10 13:56 |
| #11 So ahead, post another Israeli video. You got nothing. |
| Posted by: Enver Slager8035 2023-09-10 13:56 |
| #10 #7 Enver is a bot? |
| Posted by: Grom the Reflective 2023-09-10 13:54 |
| #9 /\ Putin can end the war any time he wants by leaving. Yes, war ending pattern is already established. Obama left Iraq, nearly overnight. Obama/Biden left Afghanistan in a similar manner. Take from it what you will. Many here have already decided what is going on. |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2023-09-10 13:52 |
| #8 'Shining example of democracy' is not required to be better than Putin's kleptocracy. And last I checked it was Russia on Ukraine's side of the border, not the reverse. Nothing says peace and Slavic fellowship like slaughtering your neighbors. Putin can end the war any time he wants by leaving. And, yeah, you're a Putin parrot. Why don't you spend some time on your lovely Israeli 'supreme court' if you're so concerned about representative governance. |
| Posted by: Nero 2023-09-10 13:48 |
| #7 I think you are a Russian that still hasn't grown past your longing for "Greater Russia". It isn't Russians or your right to decide what former captive nations of the USSR decide to be friendly with or seek protection from. |
| Posted by: Enver Slager8035 2023-09-10 13:38 |
| #6 As long as Putin wants to build a NovayaRossiya empire out of his neighbors, it's in our interests to help Ukraine kill Russians at their own risk using our obsolete hardware. I would think USA national interest is to restore things at home. You know, things like constitutional republic, equality before the law, industrial base - so you don't have to rely on Chinese exports. But what do I know? I'm so ignorant (not having the luck to be born an American, or the brains to stay in USA after 6 years of living there), I think that NATO's 20+ years of eastward expansion constitute a provocation justifying Russian response. I think that dogmatic American insistence that Ukraine and the Baltics are shining examples of democracy - despite their oppression of Russian minorities are on par with the insistence (by the very same people) that USA suffers from systemic racism/sexism/and whataboutism. Finally, I think that people who don't understand the difference between patriotism and "cheering for our team" are morons who don't understand that USA became an attack dog of Globalists. |
| Posted by: Grom the Reflective 2023-09-10 13:32 |
| #5 Most of the weapons the US sends to Ukraine is decommissioned cold war or War on Terror surplus that US forces would never use and would have to pay to store or scrap. The US is paying little build new weapons. This is funny (phony) money. The major layout is for ammunition. The US sends old stock and buys new stock for those that the US wants to replace. |
| Posted by: Enver Slager8035 2023-09-10 13:24 |
| #4 As long as Putin wants to build a NovayaRossiya empire out of his neighbors, it's in our interests to help Ukraine kill Russians at their own risk using our obsolete hardware. |
| Posted by: Nero 2023-09-10 13:04 |
| #3 ^And call USG EU's suckers. |
| Posted by: Grom the Reflective 2023-09-10 08:08 |
| #2 Bacon, a retired Air Force general, was ready. Russia, he explained, launched its invasion because Ukraine was growing closer to the United States, becoming more democratic, and posing an existential threat to the authoritarian rule of President Vladimir Putin and his desire to reclaim the Kremlin’s lost empire. And anybody who'd call the estimed general an ignoramus or/and liar must be Putin's agent. |
| Posted by: Grom the Reflective 2023-09-10 08:07 |
| #1 Article contains over 2025 words, not one mention of a European conflict or involvement. |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2023-09-10 06:40 |