'Privilege for me, but not for thee'

[bigtree]

x.com/TheDemocrats/status/1953585971879870944

The U.S. Secret Service said it requested the increased waterflow for the Little Miami River, first reported by The Guardian, to ensure motorized watercraft and emergency personnel “could operate safely” while protecting the Republican vice president, whose home is in Cincinnati.

Richard W. Painter, who served as chief White House ethics lawyer under President George W. Bush, said on X that “it’s outrageous for the Army corps of engineers to spend taxpayer money to increase water flow in a river so @VP can go canoeing when budget cuts to the National Park Service have severely impacted family vacations for everyone else.”

The department provided two natural resources officers to assist the Secret Service with the Vance event, spokesperson Karina Cheung said.

The Vance family has already become accustomed to certain accommodations being made as they move about the world. During a recent trip to Italy, the Roman Colosseum was closed to the public so that his wife, Usha, and their children could take a tour, sparking anger among some tourists. The Taj Mahal also was closed to visitors during the Vance family’s visit to India.

https://apnews.com/article/vp-vance-boating-ohio-river-level-raised-de4c773cfffd6cac0b82e96787fea951

[dalton99a]

1. Entitled arrogant asshole grifter

[malaise]

2. Just the truth

Rec

[CrispyQ]

3. "It's a big club...and you ain't in it!" -Carlin

I predict by Xmas people who aren't die hard cult will start to see the light, but I could be wrong. I'm discovering that more people than I imaged, are easily swayed by others, & hence the rise of influencers & how the number of followers gives some of them creds they didn't earn & don't deserve. And now, AI. Articles I've read say that AI will make us more average & less creative & we're seeing that already. Idiocracy is the comedy version of where we're headed. We're in a scary place, not just as a country but as a species.

[2naSalit]

4. So is this a display of...

Affluenza, 'merikkkan exceptionalism or both?

[Fiendish Thingy]

5. JD Vance says to media: "made you look!"

Rivergate pushed Epstein right off the front pages.

[bigtree]

6. no it did not

...no one should neglect speaking out about ANYTHING this administration is doing wrong, and not assume the public has all they need in the Epstein scandal, which is serving to keep the administration on it's heels.

You may not have noticed, but it's Trump and his cohorts keeping Epstein in the news with their coverup and blunders.

...besides, just this morning:

Democracy nonprofit sues Trump administration to force the release of Epstein files
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/other/democracy-nonprofit-sues-trump-administration-to-force-the-release-of-epstein-files/ar-AA1K9Nd8

The Associated Press
Epstein accuser from 1990s says government should release Epstein files
https://www.msn.com/en-us/video/health/epstein-accuser-from-1990s-says-government-should-release-epstein-files/vi-AA1K2F2t

Ana Cabrera Reports
Epstein victim attorney blasts Trump admin's handling of the files fallout
https://www.msnbc.com/ana-cabrera-reports/watch/epstein-victim-attorney-blasts-trump-admin-s-handling-of-the-files-fallout-244524613718

Why Killing The Jeffrey Epstein Scandal Isn’t Working For Trump

A University of Massachusetts Amherst poll taken in the days after Blanche met with Ghislane Maxwell to interview her showed things have only gotten worse for Trump:
70% of Americans think he botched how the Epstein files should be handled and 63% of Americans think his administration is hiding information about Epstein.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/why-killing-the-jeffrey-epstein-scandal-isn-t-working-for-trump/ar-AA1K6M4s

[Fiendish Thingy]

7. Indeed many are working hard not to let the Epstein story die

But as I said, is it still on the front pages/websites/top stories of the MSM? Not so much the past few days

For a little while at least, Rivergate served its purpose as a distraction from, specifically, the meeting Vance planned to have with DOJ and others to strategize around Epstein damage control.

Prepare for further distractions to push Epstein off the front pages/top stories (Trump’s calls for an early census are another distraction for the media)

Right now, the polling looks pretty bad- that’s why the administration is in panic mode. Let’s see what the polls say about Epstein in a few months, maybe early next year- then we’ll know if the distractions served their purpose.

[calimary]

11. Rivergate. I like it.

[kairos12]

8. Next they will

close IKEA so he can make a personal sofa "purchase."

[dalton99a]

10. +1.

[markodochartaigh]

9. Frank Wilhoit:

“Conservatism consists of exactly one proposition …There must be in-groups whom the law protects but does not bind, alongside out-groups whom the law binds but does not protect.”

[BoRaGard]

12. rich republicons are shitting on average Americans

and it sucks hugely

[the nelm]

13. Geez Italy, where are the damned lions when you need them? n/t