DL Open Thread Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2023

Proof, as if more were needed, that politics is now professional wrestling: Disgraced ex-Rep. George Santos is monetizing his graft in various ways. One of them is selling cameo greetings – give him a few hundred dollars and he’ll record a short message for someone. Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman, one of the few Democrats who understands that Congress is now the WWE, hired him to record a message for crooked New Jersey Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez. Quick, name the last time a Republican called out one of their crooked colleagues.

Why might Fetterman want Menendez gone? Here’s a hint: Remember the gold bars the FBI found at Menendez’ house? Turns out that in 2013 a developer named Fred Daibes told police that armed robbers stole 22 gold bars from him. He got them back, and found four of them turned up when the FBI searched Menendez’ house. The feds say the payoff was over an investigation into charges of bank fraud against Daibes, who, as a developer, should be considered guilty until proved innocent. Greed – it’s a helluva drug.

The Republican pretense that Joe Biden is as crooked as Donald Trump is a heavy lift, and it’s looking like hapless Rep. James Comer is a 98-pound weakling. His latest “evidence” of wrongdoing: He lent Hunter money to buy a truck, and Hunter repaid him. As always, now do Kushner.

Lots of pixels being devoted to reports that Israel had advance warning of the Oct. 7 Hamas attack and ignored it as “aspirational.” (My own suspicion is that Netanyahu didn’t ignore it, he tried to use it to his advantage). Better evidence that lots of people knew something was coming: Traders short-sold record amounts of Israeli stocks in the days before the assault. Greed – it’s a helluva drug.

Finally, congratulations America! The Washington Post reported that this year you’ve recorded the most mass shootings killing four or more people since the paper began tracking the statistic in 2006. Not a single one was a terrorist attack, which proves the greatness of the United States. We don’t need terror organizations because we have an entire nation of freelancers.

The floor’s yours.