If conservatives had actual values, they’d be screaming as loud as the left. Some do, and did,.but Liz Cheney was chased out of Congress for doing what she felt was right.

Individual exceptions do not at all argue against the sad reality that “conservatism” is just regressive bigotry, and as such lacks any collective principle worth bothering to learn or debate.

Why should anyone take claims of “conservative values” seriously when they are routinely discarded whenever they stop being convenient?

Update: this is, in fact, hilarious.

If it keeps up my smartwatch may either cure my tinitus or else inflict it upon all those nearby.

That’s… A bold idea which may or may not be hilarious.

If I slam the button at the end do two more random notifications go out?

Not even.

2+2=(3,4,5) is just recognizing imprecision in the original measurement.

The “budget” not matching appropriations is “I’m only going to spend 100 on lotto tickets this month, and save 50” and then buying 150 in lotto and putting the 10 you ‘won’ in savings.

It’s not the math ending up. It’s just recognizing that budgets are nonsense if the actual spending is a wholly separate act of Congress.

I assure you that anyone who ever put on a town hall debate, including the League of Women voters and definitely the TV networks, screened the questions and reserved the right to exclude anyone they chose to.

No debate or political event since well before Nixon/Kennedy has been “open to everyone”.

“town hall” is a style of event. Back when there were meaningful debates during presidential campaigns, it used to be a regular choice.

I guarantee you that they were closed events, with attendees chosen legally-arbitrarily by whatever TV network was hosting the event.

So long as he takes questions from those in attendance, it’s a town hall. Even if no cameras are allowed.

So, how does it work? Does your state have a law requiring congressional “town halls” to be open to the public?

Unless the town hall is paid for with taxpayer dollars or held on government property, it’s a citizen who happens to be in Congress having a private event with their political supporters.

Same as a political party convention or fundraiser dinner,.AFAIK.

(And, depending on state law, even a function on government property may be legally private.)

That Democrats didn’t respond to the “death tax” rebranding by saying “ok, let’s just make the estate tax smaller but annual” is a great example of how we got to this absurd chapter of America.