(“Hamas and Putin represent different threats, but they share this in common: They both want to completely annihilate a neighboring democracy – completely annihilate it.” – President Biden. Scroll down for details.)

FRIDAY 10/20/23

Another Plea Deal in Election Interference Case -- Attorney Kenneth Chesebro became the second defendant this week to take a plea deal in the Fulton County, Georgia, election interference case for a trial in which jury selection was to begin today, suggesting further trouble for ex-President Trump's defense (per The Atlanta Journal-Constitution). In a deal similar to fellow attorney Sidney Powell, Chesebro will serve five years' probation, surrender $5,000 restitution to the state, serve 100 hours community service and write an apology letter to the citizens of Georgia. Chesebro also must "testify truthfully" as the case proceeds.

Let's note here that in his pre-speaker vote press conference Friday morning, Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) was asked whether he still believes the 2020 presidential election was stolen. "Yeah, I think there were all kinds of problems with the 2020 election," he replied, without answering directly (per The Wall Street Journal). "I've been clear about that." See results of Friday's vote for House speaker directly below.

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UPDATE: Jordan Loses Three More -- Twenty-five Republicans blocked Rep. Jim Jordan's (R-OH) third attempt to become speaker of the House Friday morning, with Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), Tom Kean (R-NJ) and Marc Molinaro (R-NY) flipping from Wednesday's second try, when the Freedom Caucus founder lost 22 (per The Hill). Twenty Republicans voted against Jordan in the first vote early this week. He needs 217 votes and received 194 votes Friday, to Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries' (D-NY) 210. Interim Speaker Patrick McHenry (R-NC) got six votes, Rep. Steve Scalise (R-LA) got eight and former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) got two. Nine House Republicans voted for others. At this point Jordan will be down to about 167 Republicans by the time he catches McCarthy's 15-round clinching of the speaker's gavel.

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White House Requests $105b for Israel, Ukraine -- Republicans are more unified in their support for Israel’s defense against Hamas, while Democrats are more unified in their support for Ukraine’s defense against Russia. President Biden’s strategy is to bundle his request for $105 billion in aid to both. The greatest obstacle now is a powerless, speaker-less House of Representatives, as Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) was set for his third attempt to claim the gavel Friday. 

“Hamas does not represent the Palestinian people,” Biden said Thursday in only his second Oval Office address since he took office. “Hamas uses Palestinian civilians as human shields, and innocent Palestinian families are suffering greatly because of them.

“Meanwhile, Putin denies Ukraine has or ever had real statehood. He claims the Soviet Union created Ukraine. And just two weeks ago, he told the world that if the United States and our allies withdraw – and if the United States withdraw, our allies as well – military support for Ukraine, it would have, quote, “a week left to live.” But we’re not withdrawing.”

Why does this matter to America? Biden asserted that “when terrorists don’t pay for their terror, when dictators don’t pay a price for their aggression, they cause more chaos and death and more destruction. They keep going, and the costs and threats to America and to the world keep rising.”

Putin, the president said, “has already threatened to ‘remind’ – quote, ‘remind’ Poland that their western land was a gift from Russia.” A top Putin advisor, Biden said, calls Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania – all NATO allies -- Russia’s “Baltic provinces.”

Biden also spoke of the fatal stabbing of a 6-year-old just outside Chicago, last week. 

“His name was Wadea – Wadea – a proud American, a proud Palestinian American family.

“We can’t stand by and stand silent when this happens. We must, without equivocation, denounce antisemitism. We must also, without equivocation, denounce Islamophobia.”

--Compiled and edited by Todd Lassa