WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 29, 2025
He "probably did say that!" What did Robert F. Kennedy Jr. say and when did Robrt F. Kennedy Jr. perhaps or possibly say it?
Senator Bennet (D-Col.) was trying to find out! At Mediaite, David Gilmour provides the videotape, and he's done some transcription.
What did Kennedy Jr. say? In fairness, a simpler question might be this—what hasn't the gentleman said? Below, you see the first Q-and-A as Bennet and Kennedy chatted:
BENNET (1/29/25): Did you say that Covid-19 was a genetically engineered bioweapon that targets Black and white people, but spared Ashkenazi Jews and Chinese people?
KENNEDY: I didn’t say it was deliberately targeted. I just, I just quoted an NIH funded, an NIH published study—
BENNET: Did you say that it targets Black and white people, but spared Ashkenazi Jews and Chinese people?
KENNEDY: I quoted a study, your honor. I quoted an NIH study that showed that—
BENNET: I’ll take that as a yes. I have to move on, Mr. Kennedy.
He didn't say it was deliberately targeted! As he tried to explain, or perhaps as he pretended to do so, Senator Bennet—who was now being addressed as "Your Honor"—declared that he had to move on.
So it goes in congressional hearing, Senate and House, thanks to the way the questioning is conducted:
Each solon is given a short chunk of time in which he can pose his questions. This creates a strong incentive against letting the witness speak. Also, witnesses may sometimes tend to try to kill time, knowing the solon's time will soon come to an end.
That said, did Kennedy make the statement in question? Based on that truncated exchange, we'd say it may be a bit hard to tell.
So it goes with congressional hearings. That said, when Kennedy Jr. is the witness, it may end up going like this:
BENNET (continuing directly): Did you say that Lyme disease is highly likely a materially engineered bioweapon?
I made sure I put in the "highly likely." Did you say Lyme disease is a "highly likely militarily engineered bioweapon?"
KENNEDY: I probably did say that...
"I probably did say that!" So said this particular witness, in one of the all-time, comically bad, congressional hearing answers.
Senator Bennet interrupted Kennedy again, then continued along. These were the next two exchanges:
BENNET: Did you say that exposure to pesticides causes children to become transgender?
KENNEDY: No, I never said that.
BENNET: Okay, I have the record that I’ll give to the chairman, and he can make his judgment about what you said.
Did you write in your book it’s undeniable that African AIDS is an entirely different disease from western AIDS. Yes or no, Mr. Kennedy?
KENNEDY: I’m not sure if I made that—
BENNET: Okay. I’ll give it to the chairman. Mr. Kennedy. And my final question...
Kennedy said he hadn't said the one thing. He didn't seem sure, once again, about the other comment. He didn't seem sure once again—though once again, he was cut off.
This isn't a great way conduct such hearings. That said, rational procedures have long since ceased to exist here on these dying shores.
ReplyDeleteIdiot-Democrat Michael Bennet asks, numerous times, "did you say" but that's irrelevant. It doesn't matter what he did or didn't say years ago. That's just a way to vilify.
Correct, meaningful questions would start with "do you believe that..."
No.
Delete"Do you believe..." opens the door for all kinds of deflection and double talk. (Refer to the questioning of Supreme Court nominees.)
"Did you say..." is far more observable and concrete.
Within one fucking week, orange chickenshit has broken the law several times already and should be impeached immediately.
ReplyDeleteNo Senator will change her/his vote based on the hearings. So, the hearings are just political stunts.
ReplyDeleteDo the American people deserve to hear from the nominee, and should his answers be on the public record? I think so. Are you entirely certain there’s nothing he can say in the hearing to cause Republicans to vote against him? That’s kind of a shocking assertion.
DeleteI agree @4:19. The hearings serve the public, not the Senators.
DeleteWhen you are so far in the weeds that you are spending time defending a brain dead ex heroin addict, sex pest, who is responsible for killing people with his for profit unscientific health claims; where is the bottom David? I really feel sorry for you. There is no bottom is there? You'll keep clinging to one asinine explanation to the next even more vile excuse. Never realizing you have abandoned all of you cherished moral principles. And now you have ended up being what you once abhorred; a fascist prick. Say it with me David, Fox the Nazis!
DeleteWell, which is it, Davey? Do the hearings "serve the public" or are they a mere stunt?
DeleteIf the former, then senators ought to be given more leeway for substantive questions. GOP Senate leadership has been stingy on this.
If it's the latter, it's a monumental prank on the American public--one that has been running for years!
Quaker, I agree the Senators ought to be given more leeway for substantive questions. The current format of 5 minutes of whatever per Senator doesn't work. I'd like to see the nominee cross-examined for an hour or more by a well-prepared lawyer.
DeleteI suggest you contact your Republican members of Congress and tell them you feel that way. They're the ones ramrodding Trump's ridiculous nominees through the confirmation process.
Delete"Never realizing you have abandoned all of you cherished moral principles."
DeleteVoting for bigotry is the opposite of David in Cal abandoning his moral principles.
Rough week for Trump:
ReplyDelete--he got humiliated by Newsom and local LA officials during his very brief visit to LA, as they made Trump look weak and foolish
--he got humiliated by Colombia, Trump having to back down on tariffs and sending planes
--reacting to his humiliation Trump made up a story about water in CA (in reality, it just rained)
--reacting to his humiliation Trump made up a story about condoms, reminding everyone about his tiny penis, and how he did not wear a condom when he raped that 13 yo girl (the one that reminded him of his own daughter) and so had to offer her money to pay for an abortion (something he is used to, having paid for his own daughter Ivanka's two abortions as a teen)
--reacting to his humiliation Trump put a freeze on essential services like Medicaid, cancer research and school lunches, a petulant temper tantrum serving as a way to cope with being "owned"
--Trump the next day walked back his freeze, completely humiliated
--Trump deportation efforts included American citizens
--Trump announces a plan to deport American citizens to prisons in other countries, completely mystifying one of his biggest donors - private prison corps
--Trump wants to remove all Palestinians from their land and hand it over to Israel
and that's not even everything.
Oof, bad week for Trump. Ow ow ow!
Trump's favorability rating already moved into positive. With more "bad weeks" like this, his rating go even higher.
DeleteSo much cope!
DeleteCome in DiC, 50/49 is maybe in the margin of error. Have you looked at how popular the idiot is in IA's recent special election? Over 20 point swing to Dems, not a poll, but an election result.
DeleteTrump’s favorabilityis down 9 pts compared to the beginning of week 1.
DeleteThere was an air disaster in Washington D.C. tonight. Way to go, Trump.
Delete"Trump's favorability rating already moved into positive."
DeleteBut:
"Trump’s favorabilityis down 9 pts compared to the beginning of week 1."
And then this:
"At 47%, President Donald Trump's initial job approval rating for his second term is similar to the inaugural 45% reading during his first term, again placing him below all other elected presidents dating back to 1953. Trump remains the only elected president with sub-50% initial approval ratings, and his latest disapproval rating (48%) is three percentage points higher than in 2017, marking a new high for inaugural ratings."
Thanks for playing, David.
The point is to get it on the record that he said certain incorrect things. The supporting evidence is made part of the record. RFK Jr is refusing to answer direct questions. That’s why Bennett is cutting him off.
ReplyDeleteA new Quinnipiac poll shows the Democratic Party at an all-time low (31 percent favorable) and the Republican Party at an all-time high (43 percent).
ReplyDeleteThe Democratic Party needs to fire everyone involved and start over.
DeleteIt's a party of social destruction through sexual perversion, angry feminism, crime, religious bigotry, and racism. It needs to fire its ideology.
DeleteI think you should rescind that comment while letting everyone know it's still in full force.
DeleteAll-time high of 43%.
DeleteLOLx2!
lol
DeleteIf 31% of the country are idiot-Democrats, then we're in big trouble.
DeleteMost likely though, these Quinnipiac people are idiot-Democrats themselves, grossly exaggerating the size of their death-cult.
Caroline Kennedy's grotesque offering yesterday has elevated RFK Jr.'s previously sinking chances to better than even.
ReplyDeleteThe Kennedys opposing him would lobotomize him if they could.
Trump getting his way is so important because reasons. Like the more unqualified and stupid the convicted felons choice is, the more we need them running the most important agencies in the world. Weirdos the whole lot of you.
DeleteIt's just that Democrats are so bad that government by Oligarchs and Kings is preferable to government by the Democrat mob.
DeleteDemocrats work for everybody making it hard to form a coalition. Repubs serve their paymasters who promote grievances, fear, and hate in their owned traditional and social media empires. Middle class pays for their BS, but they are OK taking a few hits as long as the blahs got it worse. Sad.
DeletePlease do explain how Caroline is grotesque and Jr. Is hokey dokey in your view. From Ms. Caroline's letter:
Delete"Bobby preys on the desperation of parents of sick children — vaccinating his own children while building a following by hypocritically discouraging other parents from vaccinating theirs. Even before he fills this job, his constant denigration of our health care system and the conspiratorial half-truths he has told about vaccines, including in connection with Samoa's deadly 2019 measles outbreak, have cost lives.” So weird.
The Democratic Party is such a mess, they lost a Presidential election to a moron.
DeleteIt is not the Democratic party's fault that there are so many stupid and racist people in this country.
DeleteSeptic-tank breath at 9:33 - GOP does know how to get elected (by hook or by crook) but they're a huge fail trying to govern.
ReplyDeleteYou're so classy, Mr. Soros. Your Gestapo friends in the war-time Budapest must've been crazy about you, Sir.
DeleteYou call everyone who doesn't have a gold-plated toilet "classy".
Delete