comer, james Rep 10 5%

===

see weaponization

benghazi bs not a fail till fox says?

oversight rank member

ALEC alum

see benghazi BS investigation hunter laptop

bak 4 23

an 1123 200K$ bro meltdown

===

aha reverse of move goalpost on trump [don't impeach, let cts do it --> no ct let voters decide wash rereat --> widen the net/what counts // escalator

an 8 23 no lnx

Republicans’ 'untethered' Hunter Biden claims demolished by WaPo fact-checker

Alex HendersonAugust 17, 2023

A Washington Post fact check on Thursday took House Republicans to task as right-wing lawmakers "over hype" the House Oversight Committee's investigation into President Joe Biden's son, Hunter Biden.

House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-Kentucky) has been leading the Hunter Biden probe in the U.S. House of Representatives. The Post's Glenn Kessler gives Comer and his GOP colleagues an aggressive fact-check in his August 17 column.

"The House Oversight Committee, led by Comer, has been investigating business dealings of President Biden's son, Hunter, and other family members — and by extension, unverified allegations that the president was involved in his son's business as well," Comer explains. "The Committee has obtained thousands of bank records, and the Republican staff has issued three memorandums summarizing some of the findings. The memos are written in a partisan manner — ignoring or playing down contrary information — but an interesting pattern has emerged."

Kessler continues, "The memos themselves have careful language that is often hedged. Then, Comer and other GOP lawmakers, including House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (Calif.), go on Twitter or speak to conservative media using hyperbolic language that goes well beyond what the memos say. Over time, the reporting on the memos in conservative media becomes untethered from the documentation in the reports."

House Republicans, Kessler emphasizes, typically exaggerate the amount of $20 million in payments that went to the Biden family because of Hunter Biden's business activities.

"As for the $20 million in payments," Kessler explains, "Comer and other Republicans invoke this figure often. A close reading of the memos, however, finds that only about $7 million can be directly attributed to Biden family members, mostly Hunter, while the rest went to 'associates,' according to the memos. Yet Comer and other lawmakers misleadingly suggest all of the money went to the Biden family or, as some label it, 'the Biden crime family.' No evidence has emerged that any of these funds can be traced to Joe Biden himself."

Kessler points out that Comer "often suggests that the Biden family used…. so-called shell companies to launder money." But that claim, according to Kessler, is "undercut by the list of 21 companies that appear in" a staff memo.

READ MORE: 'It's like a soap opera': These Republicans are weary of their colleagues' Hunter Biden obsession

The term "shell company," Kessler points out, has a dark connotation. But the companies Hunter Biden headed, he adds, "had legitimate business interests."

"Others had clearly identified business investments," according to Kessler. "Digging through the records, we find only three whose business purpose remains vague. One, Rosemont Seneca Global Risk Services, LLC, may not even be related to Hunter Biden, according to an e-mail found in Hunter Biden's laptop. The memos do not list any payments that flowed through these three companies."

READ MORE: Vivek Ramaswamy implies Hunter Biden is reason behind US aid to Ukraine: report

Glenn Kessler's full column is available at this link (subscription required).

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mma 3 23 matt g

Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s (R-CA) plan to blame President Joe Biden’s economic policies for the Friday collapse of Silicon Valley Bank has hit a snag.

McCarthy wants the Republican message to be that Biden’s spending triggered a rise in inflation, and the Federal Reserve’s subsequent interest rate increases wiped out the bank. But his members have instead been claiming that the bank failed because it was too “woke,” a charge so ludicrous that a caucus leader reportedly urged them to “stop tweeting / going on tv if they don’t understand” the situation.

But McCarthy’s dilemma won’t be as easy to solve as that: It stems from the fact that GOP members of Congress are downstream from the same right-wing misinformation and infotainment apparatus as the party’s base. And that system has spent the Biden administration forcing every policy issue, no matter how complex, through its culture war lens.

SVB failed for banal finance reasons, as Bloomberg’s Matt Levine has detailed. It had a customer base of venture capitalists and the start-ups they fund. Those customers generally don’t require short-term, variable-rate business loans, so SVB instead invested their deposits in long-term, fixed-rate bonds without sufficiently hedging its risk. As interest rates rose, those bonds lost value. Some SVB depositors feared the bank’s finances had become too weak and withdrew their funds; since venture capitalists are panicky and move in a herd, the result was an old-fashioned bank run, and on Friday, regulators took over SVB, saying it lacked liquidity and had become insolvent.

But as the bank collapsed, the right-wing media concocted a very different story that fit neatly into their culture war narratives. In their telling, SVB failed because it was too “woke” and had excessively focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts. Digital media outlets, online influencers, right-wing podcasters, powerful Fox hosts, and columnists at the staid Wall Street Journal all converged on the same talking points.[twt]

republican politicians echoed this theme as it spread through the right-wing press, parroting the message that they perceived was popular among their political base. And not just random backbenchers — over the weekend, Rep. James Comer (R-KY), who leads the party’s investigations as chair of the House Oversight committee, went on Fox News to decry SVB as “one of the most woke banks,” while likely presidential candidate and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis argued on the same show that its leaders had been “so concerned with DEI and politics” that it “really diverted from them focusing on their core mission.”

McCarthy had lost control of the GOP message to propagandists who produce political takes that are optimized for ratings and clicks, and now he is desperately trying to get it back.

This isn’t the first time the right has blamed bank failures on excessive support for people of color. In 2008, it became commonplace to blame the financial crisis on the Community Reinvestment Act. As Fox’s Laura Ingraham put it at the time, that law, which was enacted in 1977, “pushed all these institutions to lend to minority communities, many were very risky loans.”

That argument was wrong — only a small percentage of subprime mortgages were issued by depository institutions under the CRA — and it scapegoated borrowers rather than the predatory lenders who in many cases deceived them or the bankers who profited handsomely by selling those subprime mortgages packaged in complicated financial products, even though it dramatically increased their institutions’ risk.

But the CRA charge was at least vaguely related to actual federal economic policies. That reflected the sizable portion of right-wing media attention paid during the Obama administration to developing talking points in favor of deregulation and other conservative economic priorities like cutting taxes, particularly for wealthy Americans and corporations, and slashing the social safety net.

The right’s priorities have shifted since then to increasingly favor the empty calories of the culture war. President Donald Trump signed legislation deregulating banks like SVB, just as he signed into law a huge regressive tax cut and pushed to kick people off health insurance by dismantling Obamacare. But he was largely uninterested in broad areas of federal policy, instead reflexively viewing issues through his own personal grievances. The right-wing press, and the GOP, adjusted to match his focuses.

By the time Biden took office, the right’s policy debate muscles had atrophied. Biden offered a far-reaching economic agenda, but in early 2021, Fox’s coverage instead revolved around the “woke mob” supposedly targeting Mr. Potato Head and Dr. Seuss. Even when the network’s influential commentators discussed Biden proposals like his $1.9 trillion economic stimulus bill, they fixated on the 0.06% of the total supposedly wasted on “social justice stuff.” The rest of the right-wing popular press followed Fox’s lead.

The shift by Republican propagandists has been bad for the party’s electoral prospects. As Fox’s hosts trained their audience to fixate on their own bizarre grievances, Republican politicians followed along. But it turns out that normal people don’t care about the same things as millionaire TV hosts like Tucker Carlson — in the 2022 midterms, Fox-friendly candidates who pushed the network’s obsessions were trounced, helping Democrats retain the U.S. Senate and several governorships while keeping the House closely divided.

To date, McCarthy has shown little interest in creating daylight between his members and the right’s infotainers — he’s fresh off of giving Carlson’s team exclusive access to January 6 security footage so the Fox host could generate revisionist propaganda. And now the House leader is reaping the fruits of his party’s right-wing media grievance addiction.

===

am 3 23

an 3 23 no lnx

house Oversight Chair James Comer's zeal to open multiple investigations into President Joe Biden and members of his administration is starting to rankle his GOP colleagues who want the Kentucky Republican to slow down and stay out of their work.

According to a report from Punchbowl, there is a belief among Republicans that Comer is spreading himself too thin by chasing after multiple investigations that normally don't fall under his committee's purview.

As Punchbowl is reporting, "In a little more than two months as chair, Comer has launched a barrage of probes into everything from the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan to Ukraine aid to the toxic train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio," and that has some other House committee chairman unhappy that he is stepping on their toes.

One of those avenues of investigations is into Biden's withdrawal from Afghanistan which resulted in a letter from Comer demanding information and that letter caught House Foreign Affairs Committee Chair Michael McCaul (R-TX) flatfooted.

“I was a little surprised by the letter,” he admitted before brushing it off with, “But we’ve talked since then. We’re working it out.”

According to the report, "Comer’s letter to Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg last month requesting information on the Ohio train derailment raised eyebrows in GOP circles as well. Some Republicans thought the probe is overreaching on an issue better served by either the Energy and Commerce or Transportation and Infrastructure panels."

One aide for a House member was critical of Comer thrusting himself into everything.

“There’s a big difference between oversight where you have expertise and oversight to churn out press releases,” they explained. “Everyone thought he’d learn from prior chairmen and work in a more coordinated way. It’s been quite the opposite.”

The report adds that House Judiciary Committee Chair Jim Jordan (R-OH) tried to tamp down complaints about Comer's intrusiveness, telling Punchbowl: "We’re gonna do stuff in our committee. He’s going to do stuff on his committee, and if there’s overlap, and he’s doing stuff that we’re doing too … the most important thing is that the American people get the facts, we propose legislation and we address things in the appropriations process.”

You can read more here.

FROM YOUR SITE ARTICLES

Dean Obeidallah: Comer should probe Trump and Kushner’s Saudi ties if they care about 'influence peddling' ›

'Watching a snake eat its own tail': Analysis torches Comer’s double standard in Trump classified docs case ›

ABC host grills GOP House Oversight chair: Will you be investigating Jared Kushner too? ›

===

an 3 23

all 26 Republicans on the powerful House Oversight Committee have refused to sign a simple, two-sentence statement denouncing white supremacy.

"We, Members of the Committee on Oversight and Accountability, together denounce white nationalism and white supremacy in all its forms, including the 'Great Replacement' conspiracy theory. These hateful and dangerous ideologies have no place in the work of the United States Congress or our Committee," the statement (copy below) from Ranking Member Jamie Raskin (D-MD) reads.

It comes after several Oversight Committee Republicans "invoked dangerous and conspiratorial rhetoric echoing the racist and nativist tropes peddled by white supremacists and right-wing extremists," during a February hearing on the "border crisis," Ranking Member Raskin said in a March 5 letter to Committee Chair James Comer (photo, top.) The Washington Post first reported on Raskin’s letter.

"In particular, some Members repeatedly described the number of migrants arriving at the border as an 'invasion,' and even went so far as to falsely accuse the Biden-Harris Administration of implementing a plan 'to deliberately open our border' for purposes of 'changing our culture'—mirroring language often used by MAGA extremists who believe that pro-immigration policies are designed to replace white populations with non-white immigrants and other racial minorities," Raskin's letter says.

Congressman Raskin is a former constitutional law professor who gained national prominence as the impeachment manager during the second impeachment of Donald Trump.

"As I explained to you at the hearing," his letter to Comer continues, "such language borrows from the 'Great Replacement' theory, the central dogma of contemporary white supremacy that has been repeatedly invoked by white nationalists to justify violent acts of domestic terrorism, including the mass murders of dozens of Americans at a Tops Supermarket in Buffalo, New York, the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and a Walmart in El Paso, Texas."

All 21 Democrats on the Oversight Committee signed the statement, and all 26 Republicans refused. A Committee spokesperson called the statement a "distraction," according to The Independent.

the 26 Republican Representatives who refused to denounce white supremacy and white nationalism are (in order of appearance on the statement): James Comer, Jim Jordan, Mike Turner, Paul Gosar, Virginia Foxx, Glenn Grothman, Gary Palmer, Clay Higgins, Pete Sessions, Andy Biggs, Nancy Mace, Jake LaTurner, pat Fallon, Byron Donalds, Kelly Armstrong, Scott Perry, William Timmons, Tim Burchett, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Lisa McClain, Lauren Boebert, Russell Fry, Anna Paulina Luna, Chuck Edwards, Nick Langworthy, and Eric Burlison.

See a copy of the signed/unsigned statement below or at this link.

===

an 3 23

In late January, DirecTV dropped far-right Fox News competitor Newsmax from its satellite lineup when the two were unable to reach an agreement on license fees. MAGA Republicans were bitterly disappointed, as Newsmax prides itself on being more right-wing and more pro-Donald Trump than Fox News and Fox Business. However, DirecTV hasn't ruled out the possibility of bringing Newsmax back if they can come to an agreement on license fees.

Some of the MAGA Republicans who hated to see Newsmax removed from the DirecTV lineup are angrily accusing DirecTV of discriminating against the right. And one of them is Rep. James Comer (R-Kentucky), who now chairs the House Oversight Committee.

During a Friday, February 24 appearance on Newsmax, Comer threatened to use House Oversight against DirecTV if it doesn't restore Newsmax to its lineup.

Comer told Newsmax host John Bachman, "I'm very concerned. I'm very upset that DirecTV does not have Newsmax on there. I've been in constant communication with the leadership at AT&T and DirecTV. I have strongly encouraged them to meet with your CEO, Mr. (Chris) Ruddy, to get this worked out — or else! If anyone has ever watched the House Oversight Committee — any of our first three hearings — they have to ask themselves: Do they really want to go in front of the House Oversight Committee?"

Fox News continues to have the highest ratings on right-wing cable TV. But in MAGA World, Newsmax appeals largely to people who believe that Fox News and Fox Business aren't far enough to the right.

On Bachman's show, Comer told the host, "We're all huge fans of Newsmax. We don't like to see Newsmax not being offered on DirecTV, especially considering Newsmax is the, I think, the fourth highest-rated news show on TV now."

Comer also said, "And they have dozens of other news shows that have much lower ratings than Newsmax. So, I'm doing everything in my ability to see that this gets worked out. If it doesn't, then I would expect the Republican majority to begin to take steps to take action in this."

DirecTV, however, has maintained that its decision to drop Newsmax was merely a business/budgetary matter — not an effort to silence Republicans.

In late January, a DirecTV spokesperson told Fierce Video, "On multiple occasions, we made it clear to Newsmax that we wanted to continue to offer the network, but ultimately, Newsmax's demands for rate increases would have led to significantly higher costs that we would have to pass on to our broad customer base. Anyone, including our customers, can watch the network for free via NewsmaxTV.com, YouTube.com and on multiple streaming platforms like Amazon Fire TV, Roku, and Google Play. We continually evaluate the most relevant programming to provide our customers and expect to fill this available channel with new content."

Watch The Daily Beast's video here (subscription required).

---

possible not knowing govt structure not a problem for base? asset even?

an 2 23

**Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg** embarrassed House Oversight Committee Chairman **James Comer** Friday evening after he published a letter launching an investigation into the Transportation Secretary in the wake of the Norfolk Southerntoxic train derailment. The investigation notably is not into Norfolk Southern or the Dept. of Transportation itself, but into Secretary Buttigieg’s handling of the derailment.

"This incident is an environmental and public health emergency that now threatens Americans across state lines," Chairman Comer writes. “Despite the U.S. Department of Transportation's (DOT) responsibility to ensure safe and reliable transport in the United States, you ignored the catastrophe for over a week," he claims. “DOT needs to provide an explanation for its leadership’s apathy in the face of this emergency.”

"The fallout from the Ohio train derailment continues to develop. DOT’s National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) issued a preliminary report on February 23, 2023, which stopped short of declaring a concrete cause of the derailment,” Comer added, which is also false, as the Transportation Secretary pointed out in a tweet.

"I am alarmed to learn that the Chair of the House Oversight Committee thinks that the NTSB is part of our Department," Buttigieg said. “NTSB is independent (and with good reason). Still, of course, we will fully review this and respond appropriately.”

The investigation will also focus on the Biden administration’s massive – and bipartisan – infrastructure bill, which the President signed into law in late 2021. Infrastructure projects typically take years to be approved and completed. And yet Chairman Comer appeared to suggest the President’s infrastructure package should have prevented the train’s derailment – suggesting a lack of understanding of basic governmental processes.

"Under your leadership, DOT supported President Biden’s Infrastructure Bill, which included billions of dollars devoted to revamping America’s railways in an effort to make them safer and more efficient. Yet America now faces one of transportation’s largest failures, even while DOT seems to not lack available funding. In America, over 1,000 trains derail every year."

Comer’s letter is signed by 21 Republicans, but noticeably absent is the signature of the Oversight Committee’s Ranking Member, Democrat Jamie Raskin. It appears Raskin was not a part of the decision to send the letter.

===

raw tom b an 2 23

On the heels of a Republican-led House Oversight and Accountability Committee grilling of Twitter executives over perceived bias against conservatives, the editorial board of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch offered up a post-mortem that summarized the proceedings as not only a waste of time but also detrimental to the Republican Party.

Last Wednesday, the committee, headed by Rep. James Comer (R-KY), attempted to make a major case out of a decision by Twitter executives to tamp down a New York Post story on the laptop belonging to Hunter Biden, the son of President Joe Biden.

In the words of Comer, "Twitter aggressively suppressed conservative elected officials, journalists and activists,” with Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) later chiming in, "I think you guys got played. I think you guys wanted to take it down. I think you guys got played by the F.B.I.”

With the Post-Dispatch editors pointing out that Twitter execs now believe it was a mistake to suppress the tweets, they added that the entire hearing hinged on the flimsiest of conspiracy theories and, "To say it blew up in their faces like a gag cigar is putting it mildly."

"The Republican obsession with proving Twitter conspired with Democrats and the FBI against conservatives boomeranged during a House hearing last week, exposing the wispiness of one of the new majority’s favorite made-up scandals," they wrote. "Republicans have asserted, based on nothing, that the platform was pressured by the FBI to tamp down the story for Joe Biden’s sake. It’s part of a broader narrative on the right that says, again with scant evidence, that mainstream social-media sites are in cahoots with liberals and against conservatives."

According to the editors, what transpired was "oafish" and nothing less than "disappointing" when all was said and done.

They wrote, "How they [Republicans] must have wished they hadn’t even uncorked this bottle when a witness further testified that, in fact,the company scuttled its standing prohibition on abusive language toward immigrants so it wouldn’t have to ban then-President Trumpfor his infamous, racist tweet in 2019 saying several American-born congresswomen of color should 'go back and help fix the totally broken and crime infested places from which they came.'"

They added that the GOP is headed down the road to doing more damage to itself which might root out the extremists in the party more interested in revenge than public policy.

"Maybe the GOP’s plan to spend the next two years in retaliatory investigations against Biden isn’t such a bad thing after all. Not if they all go like this," they concluded.

You can read the whole editorial here.

===

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ABC host George Stephanopoulos asked Republican House Oversight Chair James Comer (KY) if he would investigate Saudi funds provided to former President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner.

The New York Times and The Washington Postreported that Kushner secured over $2 billion, mainly from Sauri Arabia, after Trump left office.

Stephanopoulos wondered if Comer would take time out of his investigation of President Joe Biden's son, Hunter Biden, to probe Kushner's foreign business dealings.

"It's clear that you're going to be looking at Hunter Biden," the host said. "I want to put up a front-page story from the Washington Post detailing Jared Kushner's ties to the Saudis."

"We know that former President Trump has also received funds related to the Saudis' golf tour," he added. "Will you be investigating that as well?"

"I think everything is on the table," Comer replied. "Look, we're investigating Joe Biden. We know that Joe Biden said during the presidential campaign that he had no knowledge of his son's business interests."

Comer argued that the Republican legislative solution would apply to the Trump family if they returned to the White House. He also suggested that Democrats had already investigated Kushner's business dealings as part of the Jan. 6 investigation.

"The difference between Jared Kushner and Hunter Biden is that Jared Kushner actually sat down and was interviewed," Comer said. "So, he's already been investigated."

"Hopefully, the Biden family will be as cooperative as Jared Kushner — with our investigation — as they were with the Jan. 6 investigation and all the other investigations of the Trump administration," he opined.

Stephanopoulos pointed out that Kushner's latest Saudi investments were reported in recent days and had not been investigated.

Watch the video below from ABC or at this link.

===

an 2 23

House Oversight Committee Chairman **James Comer** is pushing baseless conspiracy theories about the Chinese high-altitude surveillance balloon floating over the United States – currently, over Montana – that the Pentagon is tracking, and he’s being widely mocked for his unfounded fear-mongering.

Fox News host Harris Faulkner set the stage perfectly for the far-right Republican from Kentucky, declaring the balloon is “the size of three buses” and that “China says was taken by wind – wind that we can’t substantiate.”

The Kentucky congressman who has falsely described President Biden as “compromised,” and stated he is going to target and investigate him, told Faulkner, “I have concern this is going to be another example of the Biden administration’s weakness on the national scale.”

Comer, 50, a former agriculture commissioner, lamented about Biden’s handling of the withdrawal from Afghanistan, claiming it hurt the reputation of America’s military and Commander in Chief.

The balloon, he said, should “never have been allowed” to cross over into the United States.

“My concern is that the federal government doesn’t know what’s in that balloon. Is that bioweapons in that balloon? Did that balloon take off from Wuhan?” he asked, pushing unfounded theories while echoing the far-right’s false claims the COVID-19 virus was developed as a bioweapon and escaped the lab in Wuhan, China.

After suggesting it might have bioweapons, he then said it was “very concerning” the balloon was not shot down before reaching the U.S. – which could have spread the alleged bioweapon.

Faulkner, seen by some as a propagandist, then jumped in to exhibit her surprise that “people on Capitol Hill were not briefed” about the balloon.

“Calling for the president to ‘shoot down’ the craft,” The Daily Beast’s Justin Baragona adds, “some in the GOP called the president ‘Beijing Biden’ while claiming this is further proof that ‘Communist China’ doesn’t ‘fear or respect’ Biden.” [ASK PUTIN, MIL --> PI]

===

riffing off musk? strict fr? lazy bureaucrats

an 2 23

United States Congressman Jamie Raskin (D-Maryland) on Wednesday blasted House Republicans over their opposition to improving the Internal Revenue Service, which has been plagued by staff shortages and antiquated technology.

"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. They complain about delay at the IRS, and then they oppose funding to assist the overwhelmed workforce at the IRS, which is staggering under the weight of all of these obligations," Raskin said.

GOP lawmakers have proposed legislation aimed at ending President Joe Biden's COVID-19 emergency powers and vaccine mandates for federal employees. Representative James Comer (R-Kentucky), the House Oversight Committee chair, argued that "Biden's unnecessary expansion of telework has crippled the ability of agencies to get their jobs done." Comer further stated that telework has "created massive backlogs," adding that "seniors have experienced delays with the Social Security Administration, American taxpayers have struggled to get help from the IRS during tax filing season and veterans have been unable to access the records."

Raskin noted in his floor speech that Comer has not provided any evidence to support his assertions.

"So, you know, this is the first time I've heard that telework was the source of the problem,but apparently that's what it is this week. Of course, we haven't had a real hearing, so we've had no witnesses on it. So somebody has apparently just dreamed that up. It's just been linked to the debt ceiling," he said. Raskin also knocked Republicans for their hypocrisy regarding that very issue.

"Interesting that my colleagues on the other side of the aisle voted to lift the debt ceiling three different times under Donald Trump, who increased the debt of the United States by single-handedly by more than 20 percent," he recalled. "All of the debt of the United States under one president – more than 20 percent."

Watch below or at this link.

===

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A new analysis is criticizing Rep. James Comer's (R-KY) blatant double standard regarding former President Donald Trump's classified documents.

Like many Republican lawmakers, Comer has had difficulty seeing Trump and President Joe Biden's situations through an unbiased lens. However, MSNBC's Steven Benen is explaining how the two cases differ vastly.

"There are obviously a handful of ongoing controversies surrounding national officeholders and alleged mishandling of classified materials, but by any sensible measure, the controversy surrounding Donald Trump is qualitatively different," Benen wrote.

He continued:

After all, the former president, unlike President Joe Biden and former Vice President Mike Pence, ignored requests to return the relevant documents, and failed to comply with a federal subpoena," he explained. "And stands accused of obstructing the retrieval process. And reportedly proposed a possible trade in which he said he’d consider returning materials, but only if officials gave him something else in return. And launched a months-long crusade against federal law enforcement, literally equating the FBI with 'the Gestapo.'

Despite Trump’s track record of misconduct, Benen notes that the House Oversight Committee, chaired by Comer, does not appear to have any interest in investigating the former president.. Expounding on the issue, Benen wrote, "The Republican chairman of the panel, Rep. James Comer of Kentucky has not only defended the former president’s actions, he’s also dismissed the scandal’s importance."

"Comer is, however, deeply interested in pursuing the Biden story, despite the fact that it appears far less serious. How does the GOP chairman explain the double standard? He’s still working on that," Benen wrote.

Referencing Comer's Sunday night discussion with CNN’s Pamela Brown, Benennoted that the Republican lawmaker was asked one compelling question: "Does he have evidence of influence peddling surrounding Biden and classified documents?"

Comer responded saying, “We don’t know. We want to look.”

To that answer, Benen offered a critical assessment, writing, "It was like watching a snake eat its own tail."

Following that interview with CNN's Brown, Comer appeared the National Press Club while in Washington, D.C. where he explained his reason for not putting energy into the Trump classified documents investigation.

“Well, there’s a special counsel,” Comer explained. “There’s a special counsel and I am confident that that special counsel is looking into everything.”

However, Benen has pushed back with a detailed argument explaining why Comer's explanation falls flat. "It was not a good point," Comer noted.

"As the chairman of the House Oversight Committee really ought to know, Attorney General Merrick Garland appointed a special counsel to scrutinize the Biden matter, too," Benen wrote. "If the existence of a special counsel investigating Trump leads Comer to believe he should focus his attention elsewhere, then the existence of a special counsel investigating the Biden story should lead him to the same conclusion."

===

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powerful Chairman of the House Oversight Committee, **James Comer** (R-KY) is being highly mocked after declaring he will investigate **President Joe Biden** for “influence peddling” despite admitting there’s little if any evidence President Biden has engaged in influence peddling.

When pressed, he pointed to Biden’s classified documents and one alleged email from Hunter Biden’s laptop.

But when pressed again by a frustrated CNN host, asking why he’s not investigating ex-president Donald Trump, he couldn’t offer a valid reason, except to claim there no evidence of it.

Some were quick to point out the Trump’s tenure in the White House was filled with alleged influence peddling operations.

Here’s Chairman Comer with CNN’s Pamela Brown on Sunday. While the transcript is a bit simplified, it’s not far off.

JAMES COMER: We're investigating the Biden family for influence peddling\n\n

CNN'S PAMELA BROWN: But why not investigate the Trump family for the same?\n\nCOMER: We have no evidence\n\n

BROWN: What evidence do you have for Biden?\n\nCOMER: That's what we're investigating\u201d

— Aaron Rupar

===

https://www.mediamatters.org/cnn/cnns-jake-tapper-calls-out-house-oversight-chairman-james-comer-his-biden-obsession

===

https://www.alternet.org/james-comer/

badash an 1 23

**U.S. Rep. James Comer** of Kentucky, the Republican chair of the powerful House Oversight Committee is repeatedly pushing a baseless narrative that **President Joe Biden**, who has served his nation for 50 years, is “compromised.”

Chairman Comer, who has promoted the false theory of fraud in the 2020 election, blaming alleged “troubling reports of irregularities and improprieties” on Democrats, has been regularly criticized. He was deemed “a fundamentally unserious, dishonest, laughable caricature,” by Democratic strategist Sam Cornale on Wednesday, and mocked by The Washington Post’s Dana Milbank last year.

“In interviews with Fox News and other public pronouncements, Comer has alleged that the president’s son is responsible for just about everything,” Milbank wrote last year. “Why is fentanyl flowing into the United States?Hunter Biden. Why is President Biden pushing electric vehicles? Hunter Biden. Why isn’t the president tougher on Russian oligarchs? Hunter Biden. Why isn’t the administration pinning the pandemic on a Wuhan lab leak and battling China over currency manipulation? Hunter Biden and Hunter Biden. Why did the United States rejoin the Paris climate accord? Hunter Biden.”

On Tuesday, Fox News’ Sean Hannity led a highly-criticized interview with Speaker Kevin McCarthy, Majority Leader Steve Scalise, Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan, and Oversight Chair James Comer that was shockingly filmed inside the U.S. House of Representatives.

New York University Professor Ruth Ben-Ghiat, an expert on fascism and authoritarian leaders, responded by declaring, “Americans, I give you…President Murdoch and the coronation of Fox News as state media.”

Hannity and the top Republicans were surrounded by dozens of House Republicans,

sitting quietly, as the Fox News personality promoted their talking points.

**U.S. Rep. James Comer** of Kentucky, the Republican chair of the powerful

House Oversight Committee is repeatedly pushing a baseless narrative that **President Joe Biden**, who has served his nation for 50 years, is “compromised.”

“In interviews with Fox News and other public pronouncements, Comer has alleged that the president’s son is responsible for just about everything,” Milbank wrote last year. “Why is fentanyl flowing into the United States? Hunter Biden. Why is President Biden pushing electric vehicles? Hunter Biden. Why isn’t the president tougher on Russian oligarchs? Hunter Biden. Why isn’t the administration pinning the pandemic on a Wuhan lab leak and battling China over currency manipulation? Hunter Biden and Hunter Biden. Why did the United States rejoin the Paris climate accord? Hunter Biden.”

Hannity and the top Republicans were surrounded by dozens of House Republicans, sitting quietly, as the Fox News personality promoted their talking points. [twt]

in addition to posting video, journalist Matt Laslo tweeted, “Hannity noted *to the lawmakers* (who are obediently sitting and saying nothing which is WILD) that many of the lawmakers in attendance might not make it on TV tonight but they gave up an hour to support the Speaker.”

But Chairman Comer made news for two remarks (both seen in the clip below): calling Ukraine – which is fighting to protect democracy in Europe and thus around the globe – an “adversary” of the United States, and strongly suggesting President Joe Biden is “compromised.”

“You know there’s a pattern here with Communist China, with Ukraine, with Russia, with our adversaries across the world,” he told Hannity. “And you look at the bad decisions that Joe Biden makes and this White House makes every day that has a detrimental effect on every American – you wonder, is this President compromised?" [twt]

hannity himself has promoted the baseless claim that President Biden may be “compromised.”

In a December interview with Comer, Hannity, known to have had nightly conversations advising Donald Trump when he was president,: “Do you believe it’s possible Joe Biden is compromised by Russia and China?” Comer dutifully replied, “I fear that he is.”

That word, “compromised,” is now being used by Comer and his fellow House Republicans repeatedly against President Biden – and his family.

On Monday, **U.S. Rep. Andy Biggs** (R-AZ), the former chair of the far-right **House Freedom Caucus**, a former policy advisor to an anti-LGBTQ hate group, and an alleged co-founder of the Stop the Steal movement, called President Biden, First Lady Dr. Jill Biden, and Hunter Biden, “compromised” – while making false claims about classified documents (and the Biden think tank) that were immediately handed over to the National Archives.

On Wednesday, Chairman Comer again baselessly used the word “compromised” against President Biden.

“The Committee on Oversight and Accountability is investigating President Biden’s involvement in his family’s foreign business practices and international influence peddling schemes,” Chairman Comer wrote in an official letter published by ABC News, to Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, making an unsubstantiated claim as if it were fact.

“The Committee is investigating President Biden’s knowledge of and role in these schemes to assess whether he has compromised our national security at the expense of the American people,” Comer wrote.

ABC News adds that Comer “called the Biden probe a ‘top priority for House Republicans during the 118th Congress.'”

“The American people must know the extent of Joe Biden’s involvement in his family’s shady business deals and if these deals threaten national securityand his decision-making as president,” Comer told ABC.

Comer wasn’t done using the “compromised” word against President Biden.

“In a letter to the White House counsel today,” Politico on Wednesday reported, “new Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) said the committee ‘is concerned that President Biden has compromised (intelligence) sources and methods with his own mishandling of classified documents.'”

Chairman Comer has even set up a microsite on the House Oversight Committee’s website, titled, “Biden Family Investigation.”

On it, he alleges, “If President Biden is compromised by deals with foreign adversaries and they are impacting his decision making, this is a threat to national security.”

Donald Trump’s tax returns show numerous foreign bank accounts, including in China, and there were reports of real estate deals in foreign countries while he was president, but Republicans ignored that.

“Two years into his presidency,” OpenSecrets reported in 2019, “Donald Trump continues to make money from properties and licensing deals in nearly two dozen countries around the world, fanning the flames of concerns that the Trump administration is subject to unprecedented levels of foreign influence.”

“Trump continued to hold more than $130 million in foreign assets in a revocable trust as his second year in office came to a close, according to OpenSecrets’ analysis of the president’s most recent annual personal financial disclosure released by the Office of Government Ethics last month,” the website, which tracks money in politics, noted. “Trump’s business entanglements continue to leave him with positions, assets, trademarks and other business interests in more than 30 countries.”

In November of last year,

:{Watch the videos above or :(style="background-color:#ffffff;;display:block;padding-bottom:561px"):}:

https://www.alternet.org/2021/12/trump-russia-collusion

Rep. James Comer (R-KY) tried to claim that the entire investigation into the Trump campaign's multiple contacts with Russian officials during the 2016 presidential campaign was a hoax -- only to run into a buzzsaw in the form of Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA).

Comer started off by mocking Schiff and other investigators for probing the Trump campaign's multiple contacts with Russian officials, including Donald Trump Jr.'s infamous Trump Tower meeting with a Russian national who promised him dirt on Hillary Clinton and former campaign chairman Paul Manafort's frequent contacts with Konstantin Kilimnik, whom the FBI has identified as a Russian agent.

Schiff was quick to cut to the chase.

"Let me ask the gentleman... are you aware that the president's campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, secretly met with an agent of Russian intelligence and provided Russian intelligence with internal campaign polling data, as well as strategic insights about their strategy in key battleground states, are you aware of that?" Schiff asked him.

"I think everyone's aware of every bit of information that you all have tried to peddle," Comer replied.

"Let me ask you," Schiff continued. "Are you aware that while the Trump campaign chairman was providing internal polling data, that Kremlin intelligence was leading a clandestine social media campaign to elect Donald Trump? Are you aware of that?"

"I think we see every day that Russia was trying to do a Facebook campaign in Ukraine," Comer replied, without addressing Schiff's actual point.

"Would you like me to go on?" Schiff asked him.

Watch the video below.

===

an 12 22

Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.) is vowing to bring Twitter employees before Congress as part of an investigative effort to determine how they may have censored reports on Hunter Biden's laptop during the 2020 election cycle.

On Friday, December 3, the Kentucky lawmaker appeared on Fox News where he spoke with guest host Jason Chaffetz who asked him about the report written by Substack journalist Matt Taibbi. According to Taibbi's report, there was an "organized effort at Twitter" to suppress the circulation of the story.

Mediaite reports that "Taibbi, whose source was Elon Musk, reported Democrats and Republicans both had back channels that killed unfavorable tweets."

According to the news outlet, the journalist also claimed "internal Twitter files showed Democrats had more channels that were used to suppress unfavorable tweets and initial reports on Hunter Biden’s laptop."

Chaffetz, also a former chairman of the House Oversight Committee said, “They can’t figure out how to justify this type of suppression. What can Congress, what can the Oversight Committee do, and where are they going to go next with this?”

The Republican lawmaker responded by sharing his intent as chairman of the committee. "When I take your old position as chairman of the House Oversight Committee, I can promise you this: every employee at Twitter who was involved in suppressing the Hunter Biden laptop story will have an opportunity to come before Congress and explain their actions to the American people," Comer said. "This was a huge story."

He added, "When we announced the investigation of the Biden family and referenced material from the laptop, many in the mainstream media said this is just a conspiracy theory. The mainstream media is still trying to use the old talking points the laptop is somehow Russian disinformation."

According to Comer, Musk's decision to share Twitter's files with Taibbi suggests there was some form of collusive effort to diminish the circulation of reports on the social platform. The Republican lawmaker also commended theNew York Post for its original report which was published in October 2020.

He concluded by saying, “We are going to have every person at Twitter in front of the House Oversight Committee."

Watch the video below or at this link.

===

mma 11 22

House Republicans appear set on spending the next two years firmly ensconced within the right-wing media bubble, focusing on creating content for its Fox News stars after garnering a slim majority in the midterm elections.

On Thursday morning, just hours after news outlets had projected that Republicans would take control of the lower chamber, Reps. James Comer (R-KY) and Jim Jordan (R-OH) held a news conference detailing what will apparently be the party’s top priority. Their announcement had nothing to do with the issues voters said they cared the most about when they went to the polls, like inflation or abortion rights. Instead, the incoming chairs of the House Oversight and Judiciary Committees, with the apparent approval of likely Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), promised to be laser-focused on business deals President Joe Biden’s son Hunter was involved in years ago.

As they spoke, the caucus’ official Twitter account was tweeting catchphrases that are incomprehensible to anyone who doesn’t spend a significant amount of time in the right-wing information ecosystem[twt]

fox News hosts and their fellow travelers have been trying to use Hunter Biden’s business dealings as a cudgel against his father since before he launched his run for president. That fixation ultimately triggered Fox’s obsession and then-President Donald Trump’s first impeachment for corruptly using his power to try to force Ukraine to launch a spurious investigation into the Bidens. The story returned to the fore in the closing weeks of the 2020 presidential election as part of a last-ditch effort by Rupert Murdoch’s outlets to use revelations from the alleged “Hunter Biden laptop” to keep Trump in office. And as Election Day 2022 approached, right-wing outlets were rife with demands for Republicans to use the power they might gain to scrutinize what they term the “Biden Crime Family.”

Indeed, Thursday’s event seemed made-to-order for the right-wing press, which rewarded the House Republican leaders with fawning coverage and airtime.

Fox prime time host Sean Hannity opened his program that night by crowing that “Republicans now have control of the House and soon, for the first time in two years, this administration will finally get their feet held to the fire” before spending several segments purporting to explain how “the big guy himself, Joe Biden” had “ended up using his crack-addicted son as a bag man.” He aired clips from Comer and Jordan speaking at the news conference, then rewarded Comer with an interview, which he concluded by thanking the congressman “for your hard work and your willingness to take on a hard topic.” During the next hour, hostLaura Ingraham also touted the event and aired clips before bringing on Jordan.

===

an 10 22

If Republicans retake the U.S. House of Representatives in the 2022 midterms, it’s a safe bet that the January 6 select committee will cease to exist — while House Republicans launch new investigations of the president’s son Hunter Biden. It won’t take a major red wave like the ones of 1994 and 2010 in order for Republicans to recapture the House; all they will need to do is flip five or more Democrat-held seats.

Journalist Eric Cortellessa examines House Republicans’ plans for Hunter Biden-related investigations in an article published by Time on October 3.

“If Republicans win control of the House,” Cortellessa explains, “they intend to ramp up efforts to paint Hunter Biden as a national security threat who has corrupted his father, using official committee investigations to present a degree of seriousness to what has often been an unserious endeavor.”

Rep. James Comer of Kentucky is likely to become chairman of the House Oversight Committee if Republicans have a majority in 2023, and Comer would probably lead Hunter Biden-related investigations. Comer is claiming that such investigations won’t be political in nature — a claim that House Democrats will find hard to believe.

Comer told Time, “We’re not investigating Hunter Biden for political reasons. We’re investigating Hunter Biden because we believe he’s a national security threat, who we fear has compromised Joe Biden…. The Hunter Biden investigation is slowly becoming the Joe Biden investigation.”

Rep. Carolyn Maloney of New York, who currently chairs the Oversight Committee, believes that any Hunter Biden-related probes launched by House Republicans in 2023 will be totally partisan in nature.

Maloney told Time, “Rather than join Democrats in making progress for the American people, Republicans are promoting a so-called investigative agenda that appears to be aimed at riling up their base and rehashing tired talking points from Donald Trump’s failed 2020 campaign.”

===

fossil fuel ceo

In the memo, Maloney wrote that ranking member Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.), who voiced his objection to the subpoenas at the hearing, continued his opposition. As a result, Maloney wrote, “it is clear that further consideration of the subpoenas at a Committee meeting would not serve any purpose. For all these reasons, I plan to proceed with issuing these subpoenas.”

===

mma 8 22

no lnx audiopolitico puff piece on GOP congressman poised to head House investigations leaves out key factsRep. James Comer is expected to chair the powerfulHouse Oversight Committeeif Republicans take the House in the midterm electionsWRITTEN BY JOHN KNEFEL PUBLISHED 08/12/22 There’s a concept in journalism of a “beat sweetener,” a puff piece about a powerful person or organization that is usually designed to ensure that a reporter or outlet gets exclusive scoops in the future because the subject is about to become very influential and therefore newsworthy. Outlets publish these types of stories all the time, often reading like a press release aiming to smooth over any prior negative coverage. Politico published a textbook example of the genre on August 11, profiling Rep. James Comer (R-KY), who is expected to chair the powerful House Oversight Committee if Republicans win back the majority in the November midterm elections. Before laying out who Comer is, what he believes, and recent comments of his, it’s worth examining how embarrassingly flattering and uncritical this profile is in describing “the GOP's future king of Biden investigations.” “It’s easy to see why” Comer has “charmed many on the Hill,” Politico writes. Comer is “a sharp and affable colleague” with “personal appeal” and quick “to crack a well-timed joke that’s often at his own expense.” He’s not just a nice guy, though – “it’s his priority to ensure the oversight panel’s work remains ‘credible.’” Politico tells us Comer is “particularly well-suited to the task according to more than two dozen” of his Republican colleagues, in fact. Politico then gave Comer a chance to tell readers just how serious and professional he is. “I’m not going to be chasing some of these right-wing blogs and some of their conspiracy theories,” he told Politico. He added that he wouldn’t pursue any investigations “unless we have proof."The rest of the piece goes on like that until the 18th paragraph, with only a single, mild, passing criticism offered as balance, namely that he “lean[s] into partisan talking points, like describing the intelligence community as a ‘deep state’ on Newsmax after the FBI’s search of Trump’s home on Monday.”But alas, there is a lot about Comer that Politico left out. Although he may claim that he’s not chasing far-right conspiracy theories, his record shows otherwise. Particularly of note is that last month Comer appeared on Sean Hannity’s radio show and appeared to endorse the racist, antisemitic “Great Replacement” conspiracy theory.“We believe there are a lot of nongovernment organizations who are working with this administration to transport these illegals all over the United States,” Comer said. “And I believe that this is part of their political business model to try to repopulate many of these states to be able to regain control or pad their margins.” Rep. James Comer on Hannity's radio show: NGOs are trying to "repopulate" states with "illegals" JULY 20, 2022 CitationFrom the July 20, 2022, edition of Premiere Radio Network's The Sean Hannity ShowAfter a break, Hannity and Comer returned to the topic, at which point Hannity was even more explicit in his belief in the racist theory. “Is this that the Democrats want to offer something of great value to people that don't respect our laws, our borders, our sovereignty – and that being citizenship?” Hannity asked. “Because it sounds like it, and it sounds like they are doing: ‘So hey, we'll give you citizenship. We hope you vote for us.’ That's what it sounds like to me.” Comer agreed with the host. “That's what it sounds like to me, and I think most Americans are seeing that,” Comer said. “If 3 million illegals have crossed over to the United States, just since Joe Biden's become president – Sean, that's four new congressional districts. Four new congressional districts. So this is political. This is a political plan for the Democrats.” Comer then argued that undocumented people, including children, are a drain on scarce resources, before underlining the conspiratorial nature of what he believes is happening. “They've got some kind of handshake agreement behind closed doors in a smoke-filled room that, you know, this is gonna be good for the Democrat Party long-term,” he concluded.Rep. James Comer: NGOs and Democrats are bringing immigrants to the US because it's "good for the Democrat Party long term" JULY 20, 2022 Audio file CitationFrom the July 20, 2022, edition of Premiere Radio Network's The Sean Hannity ShowAlthough the Politico profile also touches on possible future investigations of President Joe Biden’s son, the piece completely misleads its readers about Comer’s deep obsession with him. And though Comer has saidHunter Bidenwould likely get subpoenaed in the event of a declined invitation to the committee next year, he doesn’t want to appear trigger-happy with issuing subpoenas, either. “This isn’t a dog-and-pony show. This isn’t a committee where everybody’s gonna scream and be outraged and try to make the witnesses look like fools,” he said, before nodding at House Democrats’ past probes of the Trump campaign and Russian election interference. “Unlike Adam Schiff, we’re gonna have something concrete, substantive on Hunter Biden or I’m not going to talk about Hunter Biden.”The Washington Post’s Dana Milbank covered that topic in May, finding that Comer has claimed Hunter Biden is tied to nearly every single domestic or international news story in some way or another.Specifically, Comer has accused Hunter Biden of being responsible for supposed increased levels of fentanyl smuggling at the U.S. southern border, helping China’s battery market, protecting Russian oligarchs from sanctions, and impeding an investigation into the origins of the COVID-19 virus.As Milbank lays out, each of these claims lies somewhere between gross exaggeration and pure fabrication, yet Comer has vowed to be “all over Hunter Biden” when he becomes chair of the House Oversight Committee.Comer’s far-right conspiracy theories don’t stop with Hunter Biden, however. He has also suggested that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) may have been partially responsible for the January 6 fascist riot by not requesting sufficient security. “I want to find out what did Nancy Pelosi know, and when did she know it?” Comer said on fringe cable outlet OAN about a month after the riot. Comer also supports run-of-the-mill conservative cruelty. Last June, for example, he claimed that the child tax credit was “really doing more harm than good.” In fact, the policy lifted more than 3 million children out of poverty before it expired at the end of 2021. He also supports the casual, anti-LGBTQ bigotry that’s ubiquitous in the Republican Party. According to two reporters present at the event that Politico attended, Comer used anti-trans rhetoric about “men” being able to give birth as a laugh line. That line didn’t make it into the Politico piece.Comer’s bigotry extends beyond the LGBTQ community. In July 2019, Donald Trump made racist comments about The Squad – four women of color in the House of Representatives – singling out Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN), a Black woman born in Somalia, saying she should “go back.” When asked about Trump’s tweet, Comer justified it and embellished Trump's racist argument. Somehow, that didn’t make it into the Politico piece either.Comer is poised to become incredibly powerful if the Republicans win back the majority in November. Stories like this one serve to rehabilitate his image and whitewash his history of far-right extremism.

===

R Street Films LLC- Company Profile and News - Bloomberg ...https://www.bloomberg.com › profile › company

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===

https://scorecard.lcv.org/moc/james-comer

life 5%

2020 Score

Lifetime Score

10%

2016 Note: Representative Comer was sworn in on November 14, 2016, following the resignation of Representative Whitfield on September 6, 2016.

===

https://www.vice.com/en/article/bmev9a/kentuckys-climate-change-deniers

2017 no lnx

Rep. James Comer (R-KY-01) Climate change denier"I do not believe in global warming. I'm the one person whose business and livelihood depends on Mother Nature, so I understand weather patterns. We've had a very severe winter this year with 12-inch snows, so there is no global warming."[cn|2] Call him: 270-487-9509 | Email him Rep. Brett Guthrie (R-KY-02) Climate change denier Voted against an amendment to the Electricity Security and Affordability Act (H.R. 3826) that would require Congress to accept the scientific finding "that greenhouse gas pollution is "contributing to long-lasting changes in our climate that can have a range of negative effects." [League of Conservation Voters] Call him: (270) 842-9896 | Email him Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY-04) Climate change denier "I would challenge him [President Obama] to show us the linkage—the undeniable linkage—between droughts and the change of weather, and some kind of human activity." [The Washington Times] Call him: (606) 324-9898 | Email him Rep. Harold Rogers (R-KY-05) Poor climate change voting record Voted in support of an amendment to the Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 2015 (H.R. 4923), which would prohibit federal agencies from using funds "to design, implement, administer or carry out specified assessments regarding climate change." [Kentuckians for the Commonwealth] Call him: (606) 679-8346 | Email him Rep. Garland Barr (R-KY-06) Poor climate change voting record Voted in support of S.J. Res. 24, a "resolution of disapproval" under the Congressional Review Act that would nullify the Environmental Protection Agency's Clean Power Plan—the first nation-wide limit on greenhouse gas emissions from power plants, and key climate change policy. [League of Conservation Voters] Call him: (859) 219-1366 | Email him Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) Climate change denier "For everybody who thinks it's warming, I can find somebody who thinks it isn't." [Cincinnati.com] Call him: (502) 582-6304 | Email him Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) Climate change denier "I think that scientific debate should not be dumbed down to politics. I think this debate has become so dumbed down beyond belief. The Earth is 4.54 [billion] or 4.6 billion years old. Anybody who's ever studied any geology knows that over periods of time, long periods of time, that the climate changes, mmkay? I'm not sure anybody exactly knows why. But we have twenty-, thirty-, hundred-thousand sort of year cycles that go on with the climate. It has been much warmer than it is today. We have real data [for] about 100 years. So somebody tell me what 100 years data is in an Earth that is 4.6 billion years old? My guess is that the conclusions you make from that are not conclusive." [The Huffington Post] Call him: (270) 782-8303 | Email him

===

2 stories at war at fossil fuel ceo:

note god devil terms

https://gizmodo.com/republicans-slobbered-all-over-themselves-to-apologize-1847959116

ref 3 gizmodo bAD CODE NO LNX

gop have a, shall we say,...relationship. But that relationship went from snuggly to downright NSFW on Thursday at a hearing ostensibly about...The House Oversight Committee welcomed executives from four fossil companies and two trade groups as well as a pipeline welder to probe decades of campaigns to confuse the public. There’s plenty of fodder. The past few years have seen...$59,956 in oil and gas money in the 2020 election cycle) said, thanking the company for increasing production. “I want to thank those companies that are actually increasing production,” Jordan later added.

“These companies beingvillainized,” said Rep. Jody Hice (recipient of $5,000 from the oil and gas industry in 2020, which talk about getting your money’s worth). Hice did not ask a question.

“It’s just people who don’t have anything better to do than type on their keyboards,” Rep. Byron Donalds ($18,110 from oil and gas interests so far this cycle) said of climate activists before turning to the oil CEOs. “Let’s be very clear, you need anapology. What I witnessed today isrank intimidation by the chair of this committee. ... It is disgusting, it is absolutely disgusting. Somebody better call Merrick Garland, tell him to get in here, and watch the intimidation that came from this very panel today. It’s not about defending Big Oil. ... I’m sorry for you. And I’m sorry for the people in our country who have to witness shenanigans like this.”

“While this committee may not like you because you’re executives, because your companies have been successful, I just want to apologize for the decorum. Because thank you for what you’ve done,” said Rep. Yvette Herrell ($115,126 from the industry she was overseeing, making her the second-biggest oil and gas recipient in the House so far this cycle). “There are people here who believe in you. Thank you. ... In fact, I would just submit tosaving anybody who has gotten a vaccination or who is going to get one, thank you to the oil and gas industry because I would bet that almost every single one of the syringes has been touched by a petroleum product. ... I just want to thank all of you for being here today.”

“You guys all have a good story to tell. Don’t be afraid to tell people how much cleaner things are than in the past. It doesn’t do any good for you any good to get allwokeon us,” Rep. Glenn Grothman ($30,576 from oil and gas in 2020 and $3,570 so far this year.)

“It’s been very shameful how the other side wants to demonize ouroil and gas industry. I’m very proud of our oil and gas industry, the innovators that adopt new tech, provide a higher standard of living, and jobs throughout our country,” saidRep. Bob Gibbs,the $28,558 oil and gas man in 2020. He later added, “I’m disappointed the chair failed to recognize that and demonize them on that.”

“I apologize to our witnesses that were called and asked to take part in this today,” said Rep. Pete Sessions, who has so far received $11,400 from oil and gas interests and raked in $237,375 in 2018. (2020 data was unavailable.)

“There is a moral case to be made for the fossil fuel industry and fossil fuels as a whole,” Rep. Pat Fallon, who has taken in $5,600 in oil and gas money. “If we want more abundant and inexpensive and cleaner energy—which we all should do—these witnesses here should be the ones that we are supporting and applauding and not demonizing.”

“These very important energy companies and the [American] Petroleum Institute understand you’ve got yourself here, you’ve seen the attitude of the folks on the left of this committee. When you get asked this morning that, aren’t you embarrassed, that’s really an irrational question to ask CEOs about their company,” said Rep. Andy Biggs, the receiver of $27,253 in oil and gas money in 2020.

“My, my, my. Good lord help us to be protected from this threat from within. American patriots are so done with career politiciansand Democratic socialist insanity... We are nauseated by thecontinuous attacks on working Americans and American industry. This entire debacle of a hearing today of why my colleagues across the aisle will lose their majority status very soon,” Rep. Clay Higgins predicted. (Higgins has received $10,426 in fossil fuel cash so far this cycle and $40,773 in 2020.)

“Did President Biden or anyone from the White House apologize to you?” Rep. James Comer, who received $18,500 in fossil fuel cash in 2020, asked the welder Republicans invited. (For the record, he did not....

a United Nations report out this week warns the world as a whole is facing a “production gap,” with more fossil fuels on tap to be produced than is compatible with a safe climate. Other reports have warned that new fossil fuel exploration must stop next year, emissions must fall at unprecedented rates over the next decade, and that cutting fossil fuel production and use is the most surefire way to do that. The reason we’re at this precipice is because the fossil fuel industry pursued a misinformation campaign while further entrenching their product with the global economy, fully aware that it would cause major climate damage.

It is also because Republicans (and a handful of Democrats) have blocked climate action, and have maintained a grip on power in no small part thanks to millions of dollars from the fossil fuel industry. The industry has directed roughly 85% of its donations in 2020 to Republicans, and is on track to do the same this year (and has done the same in past years, too). Those same Republicans who apologized to the industry and thanked it on Thursday.

Anyways, this is all very cool and very legal.

===

https://www.opensecrets.org/members-of-congress/james-comer/summary?cid=N00038260

2020

PAC Contributions* $459,450 62.41%

Large Individual Contributions $266,950 36.26%

Small Individual Contributions (< $200) $9,223 1.25%

Other $493 0.07%

Candidate self-financing $0 0.00%

---

sectors 2019 - 2020

Sector	Total
Agribusiness	$120,250
Communications/Electronics	$34,500
Construction	$39,500
Defense	$6,500
Energy & Natural Resources	$39,000
Finance, Insurance & Real Estate	$31,500
Health	$37,000
Lawyers & Lobbyists	$9,000
Transportation	$35,000
Misc Business	$43,500
Labor	$10,500
Ideological/Single-Issue	$50,658
Other	$8,500

Based on Federal Election Commission data available electronically on March 22, 2021.

2020

McCarthy Strategic Solutions	$12,900	$12,900	$0	$0
2	Falconite Real Estate Holdings LLC	$10,598	$10,598	$0
3	American Crystal Sugar	$10,000	$0	$10,000
4	American Society of Interventional Pain Physicians	$10,000	$0	$10,000
5	Bluegrass Cmte	$10,000	$0	$10,000
6	Majority Cmte PAC	$10,000	$0	$10,000
7	Rain & Hail Insurance Society	$10,000	$0	$10,000
8	National Thoroughbred Racing Assn	$10,000	$0	$10,000
9	National Auto Dealers Assn	$10,000	$0	$10,000
10	National Chicken Council	$9,000	$0	$9,000
11	Altria Group	$7,500	$0	$7,500
12	Farm Credit Council	$7,500	$0	$7,500
13	Stephens Pipe & Steel	$7,500	$7,500	$0
14	National Beer Wholesalers Assn	$7,500	$0	$7,500
15	National Ready Mixed Concrete Assn	$7,500	$0	$7,500
16	American Optometric Assn	$7,000	$0	$7,000
17	National Assn of Realtors	$7,000	$0	$7,000
18	Fluor Corp	$6,500	$4,000	$2,500
19	UnitedHealth Group	$6,250	$1,250	$5,000
20	BWX Technologies	$6,000	$2,000	$4,000

===

Contributor	Total	Individuals	PACs
Hunt Farms	$17,400	$17,400	$0
Brymak & Assoc	$11,600	$11,600	$0
American Society of Interventional Pain Physicians	$10,000	$0	$10,000
Bluegrass Cmte	$10,000	$0	$10,000
Stoll Keenon Ogden	$8,050	$3,150	$4,900

Top Industries, 2021 - 2022

Industry	Total	Individuals	PACs
Retired	$56,915	$56,915	$0
Crop Production & Basic Processing	$46,412	$40,412	$6,000
Lawyers/Law Firms	$18,950	$11,050	$7,900
Health Professionals	$17,889	$7,889	$10,000
Building Materials & Equipment	$17,501	$5,501	$12,000

===

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Comer_(politician)

James Richardson Comer Jr.^[1] (born August 19, 1972) is an American politician from the Commonwealth of Kentucky who currently represents the state's 1st congressional district in the United States House of Representatives. He previously served as the Agriculture Commissioner of Kentucky from 2012 to 2016 and in the Kentucky House of Representatives from 2000 to 2012.

Comer unsuccessfully sought the Republican nomination for governor of Kentucky in the 2015 election. A year later, he successfully sought the Republican nomination for Kentucky's 1st congressional district to succeed fellow Republican Ed Whitfield. On November 8, 2016, Comer won both a full term to the seat for the next Congress and a special election that allowed him to serve the remainder of Whitfield's term.

Early life and education

Comer is a native of Tompkinsville, Kentucky.^[2] He received a bachelor's degree in agriculture from Western Kentucky University in 1993.^[3] In college, he served as President of the Kentucky Future Farmers of America. After college, he started James Comer, Jr. Farms,^[4] a 2,300 acres (950 ha) farm with his family,^[5] and he is also co-owner of Comer Land & Cattle Co.^[6] He also served as a director of the South Central Bank for twelve years.^[3] He served as President of the Monroe County Chamber of Commerce from 1999 to 2000.^[3]

Kentucky politics

Kentucky House of Representatives

In 2000, Comer was elected to the Kentucky House of Representatives at the age of 27.^[7]

Kentucky Commissioner of Agriculture

...That year Comer became the chairman of the Kentucky Industrial Hemp Commission,^[13] and shortly after taking office, Comer labeled the legalization of industrialized hemp as his top priority,^[14][15] and was "instrumental in getting the hemp industry up and running,"^[16] including the founding of several pilot programs^[17] in an effort to restart the industrial hemp industry of Kentucky. His efforts also included filing suit against the DEA, which resulted in the DEA allowing hemp seeds to be delivered to farmers in Kentucky for the first new crops.^[18] Between 2014 and 2015, the hemp crops of Kentucky grew from 33 to 1700 acres.^[19] Comer also advocated for national hemp deregulation in Washington DC.^[20]In 2011, Comer ran for the position of Agriculture Commissioner. The incumbent, Richie Farmer, was term-limited.^[8] In the election, Comer was the only Republican to win election to a statewide executive office,^[9] and worked with a team of Democratic officials and under a Democratic governor.^[10] Comer had the highest percentage of the vote of any candidate on the ballot. He raised $606,766 while his opponent raised $204,287.^[11] He took office in January 2012, and one of his first actions in office was teaming up with Democratic Auditor Adam Edelen to investigate his Republican predecessor's ethical issues while in office.^[12]

Comer also founded the Kentucky Proud Farm to Campus program,^[21] and created a mobile science centers program for primary and secondary school students to learn about agricultural sciences.^[22]

2015 gubernatorial election

Main article: 2015 Kentucky gubernatorial election

U.S House of RepresentativesOn August 2, 2014, during the annual Fancy Farm picnic, Comer announced he would seek the Republican nomination for governor of Kentucky in the 2015 election.^[23] His running mate was State Senator Christian McDaniel.^[24] At the conclusion of voting in the May 19, 2015 primary election, Comer was 83 votes behind businessman Matt Bevin. The Associated Press, referring to the race as a "virtual tie", did not call the race in favor of either candidate. In addition, Comer refused to concede and stated that he would ask for a recanvass.^[25] The request for recanvass was filed with the Kentucky Secretary of State's office on May 20, 2015 with Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes ordering the recanvass to occur at 9:00 a.m. local time on Thursday, May 28, 2015.^[26][27] Upon completion of the recanvass, Grimes announced that Bevin remained 83 votes ahead of Comer.^[28] Grimes also stated that should Comer want a full recount, it would require a court order from the Franklin Circuit Court.^[29] On May 29, Comer announced he would not request a recount and conceded the nomination to Bevin.^[30]

Elections

2016

In 2016, Comer entered the Republican primary election for the 1st congressional district of Kentucky against two other competitors. Prior to the primary, he was endorsed by both the National Rifle Association and the US Chamber of Commerce.^[31] In the end, he won the primary with 60.6% of the vote.^[28] Comer was elected to the United States House of Representatives in Kentucky's 1st congressional district with 72.6% of the vote,^[16] Since Whitfield had resigned in September, Comer actually ran in two elections on November 8–a special election for the last two months of Whitfield's 11th term, and a regular election for a full two-year term. Comer won both elections over Democratic opponent Samuel L. Gaskins, garnering over 72 percent of the vote.^[32] He was sworn in soon after the results were certified, giving him two months' more seniority over the rest of the 2017 freshman class.

During the first few months of his tenure, Comer held several town hall meetings, where he discussed the Congress's early platform.^[33] He also partnered with Murray State University to form the Congressman James Comer Congressional Agriculture Fellowship program,^[34] and has advocated for the reform of agricultural legislation.^[35] He has also criticized the regulatory policies of Barack Obama,^[36] and supported the early domestic policies and actions of Donald Trump. Comer is a social conservative on "same-sex marriage and abortion".^[37] In terms of foreign policy, Comer believes that the trade embargo on Cuba should be lifted.^[38]

Tenure

In December 2017, Comer voted in favor of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017.^[39] After the bill's passing, Comer stated: "I am proud to support this critical part of President Trump's pro-growth agenda that will fulfill this promise to the American people who have struggled under the weight of Washington bureaucrats for far too long."^[40]

Comer was an original cosponsor of the Hemp Farming Act, which legalized hemp nationwide and removed federal regulations on the crop.^[41] The bill was later included in the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 and signed into law by President Trump on December 20, 2018.^[42] Comer was a member of the conference committee which negotiated the final version of the legislation ^[43]

At the outset of the COVID-19 outbreak, Comer teamed up with Democratic Rep. Suzanne Bonamici of Oregon to introduce legislation that would protect access to school lunches for school districts throughout the country that had to close down in light of the coronavirus.^[44] The COVID–19 Child Nutrition Response Act allows the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to waive requirements for children to gather at schools in order for school officials and food service personnel to distribute reimbursable, nutritious meals. It also provides local school officials with discretion over substitutions for meal components if supply or procurement is disrupted.^[45] When introducing the bill, Comer noted that "this bill is a critical step toward ensuring that our students maintain access to the school meals they rely on for their health and well-being".^[44] After clearing both the House and Senate, President Trump signed the legislation into law on March 18.^[45]

Committee assignments

Committee on Education and Labor
- Subcommittee on Civil Rights and Human Services (Ranking Member)
- Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Investment
Committee on Oversight and Reform
- As Ranking Member of the full committee, Comer may serve as an ex officio member of all subcommittees.
Committee on Agriculture
- Subcommittee on Biotechnology, Horticulture, and Research
- Subcommittee on Livestock and Foreign Agriculture

Caucus memberships

Political positions

Health care

Comer supports the repeal of the Affordable Care Act ("Obamacare").^[47]

Economic issues

In 2016, Comer called the Obama administration's final budget a "disaster in the making". He believes that federal spending must become "under control" to not create "mountains of debt".^[47] In 2017, he voted for the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act which is anticipated to add an estimated $1.49 trillion to the national debt.^[48]

Comer opposes paid parental leave for federal workers.^[49]

Immigration

Comer opposes amnesty and sanctuary cities. He supports Executive Order 13767, the building of a wall along the Mexico–U.S. border.^[47]

Abortion

Comer is pro-life.^[47]

Drug policy

Comer supports declassifying marijuana as a Schedule 1 narcotic. He supports growing hemp. He says there is "simply not enough support for medical marijuana legalization across the board".^[50]

LGBT rights

Comer opposes same-sex marriage.^[47] He also opposes banning discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, and voted against the Equality Act in 2019.^[51][52]

Iraq

In June 2021, Comer was one of forty-nine House Republicans who voted in favor of the repeal of the AUMF against Iraq.^[53][54]

Electoral history

...

===

Republican Rep. Andy Barr of Kentucky recently invited Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to meet with coal miners in his state in the hope of showing her that a Green New Deal would harm them financially. But the 29-year-old congresswoman accepted his invitation, stressing that green energy is about job creation—not putting Americans out of work. And Barr, GQ is reporting, has withdrawn his invitation.

According to GQ’s Luke Darby, Barr is demanding that Ocasio-Cortez apologize to Rep. Dan Crenshaw of Texas over something that is unrelated to coal miners and the Green New Deal: Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar’s recent comments about the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. After Crenshaw attacked Omar and claimed that she said the 9/11 al-Qaeda attacks weren’t terrorism—which Omar never said—Ocasio-Cortez rose to Omar’s defense and called Crenshaw out on Twitter for having “the audacity to drum resentment towards Ilhan” with “completely out-of-context” quotes. AOC pointed out to Crenshaw that “in 2018, right-wing extremists were behind almost all domestic terrorist killings.”

Barr is maintaining that unless Ocasio-Cortez apologizes to Crenshaw, his invitation to speak to Kentucky coal miners is off. But according to Darby’s report in GQ, Republicans could be using the Omar controversy as a smokescreen — and Kentucky Republicans are worried that AOC could make some convincing arguments if she comes face to face with coal miners.

Rep. James Comer of Kentucky recently warned that he didn’t “see any upside” to bringing Ocasio-Cortez to his state and that “a lot of Republicans are making a mistake picking on her. I think we need to be very prepared when we debate her on issues that we’re having a hard time with.”

On April 16, Ocasio-Cortez responded to Comer’s assertion on Twitter and saw it as evidence that Republicans are “getting scared that up close, their constituents will realize I’m fighting harder for their health care than their own reps.”

===

2020 yes gt am outdoors acts rest no

2020242Phasing Out Harmful Fishing GearOceans, Wildlife

2020203Increasing Funding for Renewable Energy Research & DevelopmentClean Energy, Climate

2020182Protecting the U.S. Postal ServiceJustice and Democracy

2020166Pro-Environment Funding PackageOther, Environmental Justice, Water, Dirty Energy, Drilling, Lands/Forests

2020164Slashing EPA FundingOther, Water, Air, Environmental Justice

2020163Blocking Trump’s Inadequate Soot StandardAir, Environmental Justice

2020156Removing Confederate Statues from the U.S. CapitolOther

2020155Great American Outdoors ActLands/Forests

2020147Protecting the Grand Canyon and Colorado’s public landsPublic Lands/Forests, Dirty Energy

2020142Maintaining Suspension of Nuclear Weapons TestingDirty Energy