Tag: Bipartisanship

What Is Behind Claim Joe Biden ‘Laundered’ Billions in Ukraine Aid via FTX?

Tina Marie (Ms. Cat)

What Is Behind Claim Joe Biden ‘Laundered’ Billions in Ukraine Aid via FTX?

Multiple tweets, posted between November 12-15, 2022, claim that Ukraine sent billions of dollars sourced from foreign aid to FTX, which was then sent back to the Democratic party.

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Caught in the tailwinds of the scandal, many onlookers have pointed out the links between FTX and U.S. political parties, particularly the Democrats.

Bankman-Fried’s personal contributions to the Democrats have been public knowledge for some time, and he was the subject of a Politico profile in August 2022 that described him as the “newest megadonor,” but he has also made contributions to Republicans.

He tweeted on November 5, 2022, that he was “a significant donor in both D and R primaries. Supporting constructive candidates across the aisle to prevent pandemics and bring a bipartisan climate to DC. And working with them to support permissionless finance.”

“As part of this, @rsalame7926 [FTX Executive Ryan Salame] and I signed up campaigns to accept crypto; and gave some, including millions to Senate & House Republicans.”

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Earlier this year, it was reported by The Intercept that FTX executive Ryan Salame started American Dream Federal Action, his own super PAC focused solely on electing Republicans, into which he invested millions of dollars.

Salame also contributed to the Republican Senate Leadership Fund and Congressional Leadership Fund. These donations were also reported, as per The Intercept article above, prior to the collapse of FTX.

The underlying implication among the claimants—that the Democratic Party was the sole beneficiary of donations stemming from FTX wealth—is provably false.

Related:

FTX’s SBF has made donations to Republican and Democrat parties

First, if there was any money laundering, both Democrats and Republicans were involved. Second, I don’t believe anything that Hal Turner says because he was an FBI Informant,

This Is Where Bankrupt FTX’s Money Went: $74 Million for Caribbean Real Estate; $59 Million to Politicians; Tens of Millions to Big Law, Celebrity Endorsements…

Tina Marie (Ms. Cat)

This Is Where Bankrupt FTX’s Money Went: $74 Million for Caribbean Real Estate; $59 Million to Politicians; Tens of Millions to Big Law, Celebrity Endorsements…

According to data at the Federal Election Commission, Bankman-Fried sluiced $36 million on the campaign coffers of Democrats during the latest campaign cycle. Ryan Salame, the Co-CEO of FTX Digital Markets, the Bahamian subsidiary of FTX, dumped $23 million into the campaign coffers of Republicans and a Super PAC he created to support them, American Dream Federal Action.

S.4760 was introduced by a Democrat and has both Democratic and Republican cosponsors. S.4356 was introduced by a Republican and has one Democratic cosponsor. FTX Digital Markets’ (Bahamian subsidiary of FTX) Co-CEO donated to Republicans, but all we’re hearing about is Sam Bankman-Fried’s donations to Democrats.

Screenshot from OpenSecrets
Screenshot from Ecosia search results

Manchin Wants Deal on Debt, Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid

Tina Marie (Ms. Cat)

West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin [Democrat] said Thursday that Congress needs to deal with the nation’s “crippling debt” by making changes to shore up Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and other programs he said are “going bankrupt.”

Manchin Wants Deal on Debt, Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid

Joe Manchin, speaking at a conference for CEOs, blames the stimulus checks us plebs received for causing inflation! It couldn’t have been the PPP loans, that were forgiven, or the handouts for the Military Industrial Complex every year! 🙄

FYI, Biden didn’t say anything about protecting Social Security from his own party:

“I will not cut Social Security,” the president said. “I will not cut Medicare, no matter how hard they work at it.”

‘I Will Not Yield’: Biden Vows to Fight Any GOP Attack on Social Security, Medicare

July, huh?!

Tina Marie (Ms. Cat)
Screenshot from Congressional Progressive Caucus Letter

“The letter was drafted several months ago, but unfortunately was released by staff without vetting. As Chair of the Caucus, I accept responsibility for this. Because of the timing, our message is being conflated by some as being equivalent to the recent statement by Republican Leader McCarthy threatening an end to aid to Ukraine if Republicans take over. The proximity of these statements created the unfortunate appearance that Democrats, who have strongly and unanimously supported and voted for every package of military, strategic, and economic assistance to the Ukrainian people, are somehow aligned with Republicans who seek to pull the plug on American support for President Zelensky and the Ukrainian forces.

Congressional Progressive Caucus Chair Statement on Ukraine Letter

Mark Pocan’s Tweet
NAFO Troll Response Tweet
Second Response
Agreed

Saw someone comment, on this video, about how the letter couldn’t have been written in July—or something like that (I didn’t screenshot it, unfortunately, and can’t find it now). I totally missed the part, in the letter, about the annexations. Referenda were September 23-27. Letter was released October 24. That’s only one month (Go figure, the first one to notice was a NAFO troll)! Haven’t been able to find anyone that pointed this out in any articles, just Tweets. On another note, Kevin McCarthy didn’t say that he was going to end military aid! They’re taking him out of context!

Ukraine Peace Talks: Pathetic U-Turn by 30 Dems & Curious Case of Jeffrey Sachs

Tina Marie (Ms. Cat)1 Comment

Ukraine Peace Talks: Pathetic U-Turn by 30 Dems & Curious Case of Jeffrey Sachs

Related:

Full Video: The Pathway to a Negotiated Peace in the Ukraine with Jeffrey Sachs via Brooklyn For Peace

The Straw That Broke the Camel’s Back: The Best Way to Respond to Saudi Arabia’s Embrace of Putin

Tina Marie (Ms. Cat)2 Comments

The Best Way to Respond to Saudi Arabia’s Embrace of Putin

But this claim is unjustified. OPEC has never cut production in such a record tight market and these production cuts will lead to unsustainably low oil inventories, sending the price of oil skyrocketing out of any “acceptable band.” Furthermore, the G-7 oil price caps plan is not targeted at OPEC; it is strictly limited to Russian oil.

Nor can this Saudi move be justified by the non-existent global recession its leaders cite. Presently markets are very tight, with lush 73 percent profit margins for Saudi Arabia. In other words, there was no immediate need for Saudi Arabia to reduce supply unless they were seeking to harm the U.S. to the benefit of Russia.

Non-existent global recession?!? Low oil inventories?!? Maybe Biden shouldn’t be releasing our oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve?! As for never cutting production, before, looks like they have!? 🤷🏼‍♀️

NPR is Not Your Friend

Tina Marie (Ms. Cat)

NPR is a problem. Good and proper leftists who read Current Affairs may already realize this. “Of course. NPR (Neoliberal Propaganda Radio) is a bastion of establishment groupthink and orthodoxy that gives cover to imperialism and corporate capitalism.” By contrast, readers on the Right who find themselves consuming Current Affairs may have an equally disdainful but entirely different critique. “Of course. NPR is an elitist liberal propaganda cult that serves as a mouthpiece for the Democratic Party, is openly hostile to any conservative voices, and ought to be defunded!”

NPR is Not Your Friend

Slava Slush Fund: despite economic crisis, Congress readies $12 billion more for Ukraine + More

Tina Marie (Ms. Cat)

U.S. has now allocated over $80 billion to Kiev.

Sure, financial markets and national currencies are imploding worldwide, but the military industrial regime needs to keep churning, and that means pumping more money into the Slava Slush Fund.

Slava Slush Fund: despite economic crisis, Congress readies $12 billion more for Ukraine

Related:

There’s no debating it: Biden will get billions in new Ukraine aid

“Oversight of Ukraine aid is sorely needed,” Julia Gledhill, a defense analyst for the Project on Government Oversight (POGO), tells Responsible Statecraft. “The State and Defense departments are handling billions of dollars in Ukraine funding, but neither have permanent inspectors general in place to investigate and prevent abuse of funds.”

Senate advances spending bill for Ukraine with $12 Billion

After the Senate invoked cloture for the legislative vehicle to carry out the CR, it will now be up for a full vote by the Senate. The House will next vote on it, likely on Friday.

Report: US Preparing $1.1 Billion Arms Package for Ukraine

The weapons package will likely include HIMARS rocket systems, HIMARS ammunition, counter-drone systems, radar systems, training, and technical support.

The arms package is expected to be provided to Kyiv using the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI) as opposed to sending the arms directly from US military stockpiles. The USAI allows the Biden administration to purchase military equipment for Ukraine from the US arms industry.