Thune Calls for Major Shift in How US Deals With Putin, As Russia Continues to Wage War on Ukraine

RedState 

As Russia's never-ending war on Ukraine continues, let's consider the following two comments from President Donald Trump, who clearly remains frustrated with the whole thing:

Putin has really surprised a lot of people. He talks nice, and then he bombs everybody in the evening. So there's a little bit of a problem there. I don't like it.

Bingo.

I am very disappointed with President Putin. I thought he was somebody that meant what he said. He'll talk so beautifully, and then bomb people at night. We don't like that.

Neither do we, Mr. President.

Trump made the statements in July — five months ago. Yet, here we are, with just two weeks left in 2025 as I write, and the song remains the same. (If you want to see him say them, the video links are above.)

The lesson to be learned here is that Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin, who served 15 years as a foreign intelligence officer for the KGB (Committee for State Security), cannot be trusted. Then again, most dictatorial murderous communist leaders can't be trusted in anything they say, much less in the heinous actions they take. 

In other words, it's more than clear that President Trump and the United States are largely continuing to do the same thing over and over, and expecting different results from the Russian strongman.

On Thursday, Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) called for a major shift in how the United States deals with Putin and Russia, and in my not-so-humble opinion, Sen. Thune hit the Russian nail on the head.

During a Thursday interview on Fox News Channel’s Special Report, Thune told host Bret Baier he thinks it’s past time for the U.S. to stop focusing on mediation and start putting more pressure on Russia. 

Baier asked:

Ukraine, President Zelensky is saying he would like the U.S. to move from mediation talks to pressuring Moscow. Do you agree?

Thune responded without hesitation (emphasis mine):

I do share that view. I’m very sympathetic to the president, his team, to Secretary Rubio, Secretary Hegseth, and others who are on the frontlines of a lot of these discussions and negotiations. But I think anything that we can put in the president’s toolbox that gives him additional leverage in dealing with the Russians is a good thing. 

A good thing, indeed. Think of it as "Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me multiple times, shame on me." Plainly, it's past time for a major shift in U.S. strategy.

Thune continued:

And there are a couple of bills that have been hanging around up here for a while. One on Russia sanctions, it’s a bill that Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and others have put out, it’s got, like, 85 co-sponsors in the Senate, Democrat and Republican. And as soon as the president and his team feel like that’s a useful tool for them, we’re anxious to move on it. But I just think you want to have as many tools as you can at your disposal. 

Similar to my earlier assessment, Thune summed up his thoughts on Putin and the ongoing war:

When you’re dealing with leaders like Vladimir Putin, who understands nothing but strength, you have to project strength. And I think the peace through strength approach the president has taken all around the world is paying huge dividends, and the jury is still out in Russia and Ukraine, but I’m hopeful there that his approach to this is going to be something that ultimately gets us to a peaceful outcome.

You can watch the video here.

As RedState reported in mid-August, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky reiterated his condition that Ukraine won't concede any land for peace — which Putin has consistently demanded. 

The fly in the expansionist ointment — which has existed for generations — is that Russia, then the Soviet Union, now Russia, again, is not all that fond of relinquishing land it has brutally conquered, which accurately describes Putin's mindset. 

Whether or not serious pressure — and I'm talking beyond sanctions —vs. mediation would alter the Russian dictator's mindset remains to be seen. But at the end of the day, I'd bet — every day of the week and twice on Sunday — that Vladimir Putin won't agree to end the war without taking a sizable chunk of Ukraine and its natural resources with him.

What say you?

CLOWN WORLD - Sacramento cop killed knife-wielding man who lunged at officer—now city has to pay $160,000

 

Sacramento has agreed to pay $160,000 to settle a lawsuit stemming from the fatal police shooting of a man wielding a knife on a light rail train in 2023.

The incident occurred on August 15 at the Sacramento City College light rail station after bystanders called 911 to report a man on board the train waving a “machete type of knife.” Police arrived and found 44-year-old Dante Dwaine Day alone on the train holding the knife, after other passengers had already fled.

Officers ordered Day not to touch the weapon, and he responded, “I’m scared of you all, bro.”

“Please, please, please, sir. Please, I know you all got to do your job, but I’m scared of you all right now,” he told officers, according to the New York Post.

After de-escalation efforts failed, officers fired a bean bag shotgun at Day, which appeared to agitate him. Police said Day then lunged toward officers with the knife, prompting an officer to open fire with lethal rounds.

Following the fatal shooting, an attorney filed a lawsuit on behalf of Day’s father, arguing that Day was experiencing a mental health episode and that officers failed to properly handle the situation. The lawsuit claimed that while Day boarded the train with a weapon, he did not threaten to harm anyone.

“Mr. Day’s behavior towards the officers signified that he was not of sound mind. Neither Officer Doe 1 nor Officer Doe 2 called for a crisis interventionist,” the lawsuit stated. “Officer Doe 1 and Officer Doe 2 made no attempt to de-escalate the situation in a manner that appropriately responded to Day’s state of distress.”

“Mr. Day exhibited signs of extreme mental distress. Day sat down … Officer Doe 1 and Officer Doe 2 entered the train. Mr. Day repeatedly stated that he was scared. Day begged the officers not to kill him. Mr. Day stood up,” the attorney added. “Officer Doe 1 shot Day three times with a bean bag shotgun. Mr. Day ran towards Officer Doe 1. Officer Doe 1 fired 10 bean bags at Day. Mr. Day collapsed to the floor.”

The Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office later defended the officers’ actions, ruling the shooting a lawful act of self-defense. In a 2024 letter, the office stated that officers “reasonably feared for their safety and the safety of other officers,” and that “Under these circumstances, the decisions to use deadly force were justified.”

Still, the city has now agreed to settle the lawsuit, awarding Day’s father $160,000.

USCG Snags Second Sanctioned Ship Off Coast of Venezuela

RedState 

We got another one.

On Saturday, the news broke of another American seizure of a sanctioned ship off the coast of Venezuela. If this keeps up, America is going to see a significant expansion of the country's merchant fleet - assuming these ships aren't total pieces of junk, in which case, lots of raw material for razor blades.

The Reuters piece mentioned in this X post has a little more detail.

The United States is interdicting and seizing a vessel off the coast of Venezuela in international waters, three U.S. officials told Reuters on Saturday, a move that comes just days after U.S. President Donald Trump announced a "blockade" of all sanctioned oil tankers entering and leaving Venezuela.

This would mark the second time in recent weeks that the United States has seized a tanker near Venezuela and comes amid a large U.S. military build-up in the region.

The officials, who were speaking on the condition of anonymity, did not say where the operation was taking place but added the Coast Guard was in the lead.

The Coast Guard and Pentagon referred questions to the White House, which did not immediately respond to a request for comment. 

As we have mentioned in the past, these operations aren't military strikes, like the ongoing campaign of detonating drug-smuggling speedboats. While that operation is a good thing, proving once more that there is no problem that cannot be solved by a suitable application of high explosives, that is the province of the armed forces. This latest ship seizure, if it follows the pattern of the first, is a law-enforcement matter. The first ship was seized under a legally issued warrant, and that operation included military assets but was carried out as a matter of law.

Presumably, this latest ship is being seized under a warrant too, as well as being in accordance with the president's recently-announced blockade on Venezuelan ports. The Trump administration is determined to put the squeeze on El Presidente Maduro, and that's worth doing, every day and twice on Sunday.

The Reuters piece linked above also includes this tidbit:

Since the U.S. imposed energy sanctions on Venezuela in 2019, traders and refiners buying Venezuelan oil have resorted to a "shadow fleet" of tankers that disguise their location and to vessels sanctioned for transporting Iranian or Russian oil.

The dark or shadow fleet is considered exposed to possible punitive measures from the U.S., shipping analysts have said.

Indeed, that's what's happening. The first ship so taken, the Skipper, was part of this dark fleet. This latest ship (could it possibly be the Gilligan?) may well be part of that same dark fleet; at this point, we just don't know for sure.

And, of course:

Venezuela's oil ministry and state oil company PDVSA did not immediately reply to requests for comment.

You don't say.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio Holds an Extensive Press Conference Touching on All Issues

Secretary of State Marco Rubio gives an end of year wrap-up outlining the state of priorities for the United States as they pertain to global influence and geopolitical consequence.  After approximately six minutes of remarks the Q&A with media begins. WATCH:

Elise Stefanik Withdraws from NY Governor Race and Resigns from Congress

New York Representative Elise Stefanik announced on X that she is suspending her race for New York governor and will not be seeking reelection in congress.  Essentially a complete exit from electoral politics.

ELISE STEFANIK – While spending precious time with my family this Christmas season, I have made the decision to suspend my campaign for Governor and will not seek re-election to Congress. I did not come to this decision lightly for our family.

I am truly humbled and grateful for the historic and overwhelming support from Republicans, Conservatives, Independents, and Democrats all across the state for our campaign to Save New York.

However, as we have seen in past elections, while we would have overwhelmingly won this primary, it is not an effective use of our time or your generous resources to spend the first half of next year in an unnecessary and protracted Republican primary, especially in a challenging state like New York.

And while many know me as Congresswoman, my most important title is Mom. I believe that being a parent is life’s greatest gift and greatest responsibility. I have thought deeply about this and I know that as a mother, I will feel profound regret if I don’t further focus on my young son’s safety, growth, and happiness – particularly at his tender age.

I am incredibly grateful to the people of New York’s 21st District for entrusting me to represent you in the United States Congress. Thank you to my dedicated staff over the past decade. I am proud of the significant results that we successfully delivered for the hardworking families in our district and across America. It has been a tremendous professional honor to serve as your Congresswoman over the past eleven years.

Thank you for your support and encouragement as my family and I look forward to the next meaningful personal and professional chapter.

God Bless and Merry Christmas 

[source]

This is a very interesting withdrawal from politics.   Stefanik was very well positioned within the republican party and within republican party leadership in Washington DC.  However, earlier this month, fellow Republican and Nassau County official Bruce Blakeman, whom President Trump had labeled “100% MAGA” announced his own bid for governor, setting up a contested primary between himself and Stefanik.

Stefanik had a recent dustup with Speaker Johnson over the issue of an amendment to the NDAA that would require the FBI to give congressional notification for any candidate for federal office who would be under investigation.  She won that battle and the amendment was included.

Investigation Reveals Pelosi Purchased $10 Million Of Taco Bell Stock Day Before Marijuana Rule Change

Babylon Bee🐝 

.com

WASHINGTON, D.C. — An investigation has revealed that Representative Nancy Pelosi purchased $10 million in Taco Bell stock the day before President Trump loosened marijuana regulations.

Taco Bell's stock surged 47% in the trading session following the announcement of easier access to weed.

"The timing of the stock purchase is purely coincidental. Ms. Pelosi has a long history of loving Taco Bell," said Pelosi's office in a statement. "She has always been a huge fan of the Crunchwrap Supreme. The stock purchase was in no way related to the imminent change in marijuana regulations, and it is a mystery why they would be connected. Ms. Pelosi is guilty of nothing but loving tacos and capitalism."

Several stocks made big moves in the market in the aftermath of the news, with Betty Crocker soaring over 20% on the strength of increased brownie sales projections. Beanie manufacturers also saw strong gains in after-market trading.

At publishing time, Pelosi had also been discovered to have purchased $1 million worth of stock in the parent company that owns Doritos.