Transcript

Today's Issues continues on afr. com through December 25

>> Today's Issues continues on afr.

>> Tony Vitagliano: Welcome back to Today's Issues. Once again, I'm Tony, Vitagliano. Sitting in for Ray Prtichard. Joining me in studios is Ed Vitagliano. And now we have Steve Paisley Jordal. I've always wanted to say that, so I get the chance to say it.

>> Steve Jordahl: You know what? I would have allowed it on, any day that you're hosting here.

>> Tony Vitagliano: Oh, I get to say it as the host. So that, that was an honor. And of course, the shirt matches the honor itself.

>> Steve Jordahl: You know, here's the secret to the shirt. Last time I was on with your dad, he said, I really like the black shirts with the, It's. I said, next time we're on, I'll wear one. So I did, I did this because I knew I was on with, with Ed.

>> Ray Prtichard: Look at that.

>> Ed Vitagliano: I do. black is my favorite color. Navy, blue comes second. Close second.

>> Steve Jordahl: Man, we talked about this vibrant, we've talked about this bruise colors, the bruise colors.

>> Tony Vitagliano: Also joining us is, of course, Ray Pritchard. Ray, I want to give you just a minute. Tell us briefly about your ministry. keep, believing. I believe.

>> Ray Prtichard: Well, let me say this. Here we are coming up on the season of Advent, which those are the days leading up between Thanksgiving and Christmas. We got Thanksgiving in three days, but Advent is upon us. And folks, I want to encourage you to come over to our website, keep believing.com right there on the front page, keep believing.com. i've written a brand new Advent devotional called Behold the Advent from the Gospel of John. It's Advent and Christmas from the point of view of the oldest, last surviving of all the apostles. And you don't have the shepherds, you don't have the wise men. That's Matthew and Luke. What you get is the bigger picture of Christmas before Bethlehem. And so starting, next Monday, December 1st, and going through December 25th, 25 daily, devotions, with a little there's a devotion, there's a prayer, and we've got an ebook format, PDF, ePub, and, Kindle format. All of that's available, available free for downloading@keep believing.com. so let me encourage our AFR listeners. Let's journey with John through the Advent season. Download, download your ebook@keep believing.com. we're going to start next Monday morning.

Hard to believe that December is already here

>> Tony Vitagliano: Hard to believe that December, is already here. I know, it's unreal. The years just fly by. I always used to think that that was kind of the cliche I heard when I was younger. It's like, you know, time starts to fly when you get to be older. And, it does.

>> Ray Prtichard: Oh, just wait, Tony.

>> Steve Jordahl: Just wait.

>> Tony Vitagliano: It keeps going. It just accelerates sonic speed.

>> Steve Jordahl: I'm confused. Is December here? Did I miss Thanksgiving?

>> Tony Vitagliano: Well, yeah, yeah. Around the Battagliano house.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Yeah.

>> Tony Vitagliano: Thanksgiving just kind of gets skipped over. We jump straight to Christmas.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene is not running for Congress again

Well, Steve, get us going on the news.

>> Steve Jordahl: Well, let me deliver on a promise that we're a, hint that was given here. Let's. I got a couple stories that I want to get to, and then I got something that I was. It's on my mind. So, let's start with this. Representative Marjorie Taylor Green is not running for Congress again. She says she's leaving. She's resigning from Congress. The once Trump foe, Once Trump ally, then Trump foe, then Trump ally is calling it quits.

>> Ray Prtichard: What?

>> Tony Vitagliano: Steve, did she give any reasons as to, why she's resigning? Or is it just she did want.

>> Steve Jordahl: To have to endure a, quote, hurtful and hateful primary against her by the president that she fought for? and he has said now, the backstory on this is that she asked for his endorsement in a, primary, and the polling said that she was not going to win. There was no chance. So Trump wanted that seat to kept in Republican hands. Georgia, as we know, two Democrat senators, it kind of went sideways a little while back, so it has to stay. So he said, I'm not backing you. You don't run. That kind of got her a little sideways. She's been talking. She's been the kind of the MAGA rebel kind of going after the president on certain things. And, he, as he will do, returned in kind. And so she said she was leaving immediately after she said she was leaving. He says, she's not such a bad cat after all. yeah, let's listen to. President Trump had something to say about. Listen, Cut four.

>> Donald Trump: Marjorie Taylor Green is not any way. I mean, she is a very different thinking than I have. something happened to her over the last period of a month or two where she changed. I think politically, I think that her constituents aren't going to be happy. Already I have people calling me. They want to challenge her to a race in her district in Georgia. And, you know, that's too bad. She's lost a wonderful conservative reputation.

>> Tony Vitagliano: Ed, do you think, do you think there are other motivations or reasons behind Marjorie Taylor Green dropping out? Or do you think it was just because she saw the writing on the wall and she wasn't going to be able to keep her seat. And you think maybe there's this speculative. But you think maybe she has a future run in mind at all?

>> Ed Vitagliano: Well, that's been some of the speculation. Is she. Is she going to be doing something else in the political realm? Listen, it's, it is hard to figure out why she has done what she has done. But I think obviously if she's polling, poorly and she's not going to have, not only not going to get the endorsement of President Trump, but going to have President Trump as a political enemy, quote, unquote, then she's. She's dead in the water. Yeah, she was not going to have a political career in Georgia with those kind of circumstances against her. Now, personally, I, think she should have fulfilled her term. I don't like quitting, having people quit over something like this. If she had been very ill or had a, you know, a spouse who was very ill, that had been one thing. but if she's just quitting because she's not going to get reelected, or President Trump has been mean to her, quote, unquote, I think that's treating the people who did put you in office with disrespect.

>> Tony Vitagliano: Yeah.

>> Ed Vitagliano: and then the last thing I'll say is that I don't think she is going to be able to drive a think tank and stay in that kind of political, have that, maintain that kind of political influence, because I just don't think, I don't want to say she's not smart enough. I, I have no idea. But I don't think she's built up enough credibility as a political thinker to where she can, pull that off. So I'm not sure if she's an enemy, and when I say enemy, I'm just saying an opponent of Trump, or vice versa. He's an opponent of her. And she's lost the support of MAGA then in the, in this environment, political environment. I don't think she's got a political future.

>> Tony Vitagliano: Yeah, I think I. That's a, That's a great assessment. I think personally she will try to make some type of run. I'm not sure what type of traction she'll get. But she has been of late increasingly aligning herself with kind of the Tucker Carlsen, wing of maga, which is more, Keep America First. She's been very outspoken about Trump's, emphasis on, geopolitical, movements and his foreign policy and kind of the seeming Focus on that more so than domestic issues, which has caused frustration, amongst the MAGA movement and Trump supporters. But yeah, I'm with you. I can't see her being able to make a, substantial, run at it if that's what she's planning to do. Planning to do. Now she may have other plans. She may start a podcast like, like everybody, like everybody does when they exit the political sphere. So, Steve, let's, let's move on.

Ray McGovern: 28 point peace proposal for Ukraine appears heavily pro Russian

>> Steve Jordahl: All right, I want to get Ray's opinion on this too, because I know he's been following this. This is, our vice president is in Geneva.

>> Steve Jordahl: And he is working, on the peace proposal. A 28 point peace plan. You know, Gaza was only 20 points.

>> Tony Vitagliano: It's a lot of points. I only did 20 points, folks. I'm doing eight more.

>> Steve Jordahl: Eight, four most points. Add the best points.

>> Ray Prtichard: Add the best points. I have the best point.

>> Steve Jordahl: So anyway, this is the peace proposal, that is going to, hopefully bring an end to the Ukraine, Russia war. The plan is being pressed on Ukraine to consent to handing over some of the territory to Moscow. Vladimir Zolinsky saying diplomacy has been reinvigorating. And he's saying it's good. But Ray, it doesn't sound like he's sitting in the room. Sounds like they're dividing up the country. This is bringing back some awful bad echoes in my mind.

>> Ray Prtichard: Look, so far it appears to be so heavily pro Russian that it could have been drafted down in the basement of, of the Kremlin. so if people say this just the beginning, okay, fine. But the way it's drawn up now, basically Putin gets everything. He gets everything he want. He gets Crimea, he gets a deepwater port, he gets that land bridge there. I don't see, I don't see. And according at least to the early drafts, you know, the Ukrainian army has to be, reduced by 50% that can't have cruise missiles. And on and on and on it goes. At least on the surface it appears to be a terrible deal for the Ukrainians. who knows what goes on in the smoke filled rooms when deals like these are made. But as it stands now, this is what, 90% favoring the Russians and maybe 10% for the Ukrainians. You, it's got to become more of an even deal before Mr. Zelinsky should sign it. And, I hope he doesn't until it's fair.

>> Steve Jordahl: Do you remember another time in history when a country was divided up without, sufficient Reference Czechoslovakia.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Well, listen, this sounds to me like when my wife and I go out to dinner, okay, because my wife says, hey, wherever you want to go, that's where we'll go. And then I just, I always say, no, we're just going to wind up going where you want to go. So just tell me from the start where we're going to eat. And that's what it sounds like. I'm not trying to make light of, this very terrible situation for Ukraine, but the way you've characterized it, Ray, I think, and Steve, I think this is exactly. And you know what? This is the reality on the ground. The reality on the ground, and this is something that Putin has understood from the beginning, is that Ukraine cannot defeat Russia unless NATO gets involved.

>> Frank Gaffney: Right.

>> Ed Vitagliano: And that's what Putin has banked on this whole time. And he's ground down a smaller nation, smaller military. Ukraine has fought courageously and has just. I, mean, it's been stunning that they have held out this long. But the fact is nobody's getting Putin out of these lands that Russia controls without the west declaring war on Russia, a nuclear power. And that's not going to happen.

>> Tony Vitagliano: Yeah, I kind of wrote down two points. There's the wish list versus reality. So I think this, this 28 point plan to raise point is kind of the, if you're, if you're making a deal with somebody, are you, are you going to, make them an offer on something you want to buy, for instance, are you going to offer them more than what they're asking for or are you going to try and come way, come much lower down? Right, yeah. What are you going to, you're going to, you're going to low ball them, so to speak, knowing good and well they're not going to accept that. But you start from that point and you try to find somewhere in the middle. So I think to raise point, this is the 28 point plan right now is kind of Russia's low ball plan. I think they realize that, NATO and Ukraine won't agree to everything, but it's forcing, it's forcing NATO and Ukraine to come back with something more reasonable. Because this is, this is because the wish list versus reality works both ways. Ukraine is in, make no mistake, is in no way shape or form winning this conflict. In fact, they continue to lose ground, daily. And so Ukraine and their European allies also have to realize that there is a reality to this that applies to them, which is that if they don't come to some sort of agreement. they're going to end up probably losing more, than what they have so far. And let's not forget, a lot of people don't realize this. there was an opportunity to end this very early on in this conflict. And, there was a deal presented. Russia presented, Ukraine with the deal. And from what I understand, it was involved far less concessions by Ukraine, but it was turned down. The European, allies stepped in and told Ukraine, hey, we'll back you up. You got this. You can win this. And now reality is starting to set in, and it's sad, really, for the people of Ukraine. The innocent, people have been hurt. and, I just don't see any way, I think eventually this is going to get resolved, and I hope there can be peace over there. So, Steve.

Minnesota taxpayers funneled millions of dollars to Somali terror group, City Journal reports

>> Steve Jordahl: All right, investigative journalists are finding massive fraud in the small communities in Minnesota, and they're finding that a lot of the money that is being made from that fraud is going to back an Islamic terrorist group in Somalia.

>> Tony Vitagliano: Hold up, let me take a step back here. Yes, well, Mr. Tim, you're telling me that there is fraud in the, in the entitlement and welfare system?

>> Steve Jordahl: There is fraud in the entitlement. Yes. And it's breathtaking, I gotta tell you.

>> Tony Vitagliano: Shocked.

>> Steve Jordahl: It's the best fraud ever. This is, according to reporting from Ryan Thorpe and Christopher Ruffo in their, website called the City Journal, the largest funder of the Islamic terror group Al Shabaab is the Minnesota taxpayer. They have uncovered financial fraud on an unbelievably massive scale, all under the noses of Democrats in the state. I talked to Gary Bauer about this and listen to what he had to say. Cut 17.

>> Frank Gaffney: the governor of Minnesota was almost the vice President of the United States. The attorney general, has got a long record of Democrat Party involvement. He's a far leftist. and then you've got the likes of Yohan Omar. How in the world could none of the three know about this? So they're either complicit in it or they're clueless. This ought to be on the front page of every newspaper, but of course, it undermines virtually every major progressive socialist talking point. And so it's still not getting the attention that it deserves.

>> Steve Jordahl: Millions and millions, Hundreds of millions of dollars. And, I could go into more detail.

>> Tony Vitagliano: Sent to Al Shabaab. Right.

>> Steve Jordahl: Sent to Somalia and, much of it funneled to Al Shabaab.

>> Tony Vitagliano: Yeah. Terrorist group. Well, Ed, what do you think? complicit or clueless. I like the way Gary Bauer phrased it. Do you feel like, what do you feel like this leans more towards, in the realm of what Democrats have a clue about?

>> Ed Vitagliano: Listen, I think it's probably a little bit of both. Okay. I think that Democrats turn a blind eye to where this money goes once it leaves the United States because all they care about is we're sending money to Somalia.

>> Tony Vitagliano: Yeah.

>> Ed Vitagliano: War torn Somalia, the poor Somalian people. And both of those things are true. Okay. And so they get credit for sending money to Somalia. And at the same time, if it goes and slips into the pockets of terrorist organizations, I don't think they care. I would also say there's got to be some incompetence. A great deal. That's probably. Incompetence is probably the biggest part of this, rather than knowingly sending money to a terrorist organization. But when you're dealing with size, that kind of largesse, these kinds of numbers of millions of dollars, you're not going to know where it's going. And if, and if you're, if your reelection strategy and campaign is simply about, hey, we spent money, we spent, we sent millions of dollars to war torn Somalia, okay? If that's the way you get reelected, you don't really care where it goes because you're getting reelected. So the federal government shouldn't be spending this kind of money and Minnesota shouldn't be spending this kind of money unless, you know exactly where it's going. And the people who say yes to where this money is going should be held accountable. But because a lot of people also get money from Minnesota and from the federal government, from the people who are incompetent, they don't care either.

>> Tony Vitagliano: Yeah, I would say Covid really kind of threw gasoline on that fire of just haphazard spending by the government. And it developed this habit of just well, we got all this, we're flush with cash, just throw it here. There's everywhere. You know, the federal government sending us money got to spend, we got to spend it because we don't want to get any less than you know, we don't get any less next year. So we got to spend it. So there's just this carelessness with the American taxpayer dollar, that is obviously a cause of some of the inflation we're seeing now, four or five years out. but yeah, that, that's kind of COVID Kind of threw that through gasoline on that fire and it hasn't stopped Yet. And we're only going to find. You'll probably only find more of these types of fraud, later on as we go on start digging this up, digging, more of these issues up.

>> Steve Jordahl: I would like to suggest it's not just okay, the normal fraud is when you over bill for Medicare and you keep the. Okay. in one case, this woman, named Asha Farhan Hassan has been indicted and they were set in the community. They have set up multiple fraud agencies that are supposed to deal with autism.

>> Steve Jordahl: And they have convinced her the Somali families have enrolled their children not autistic, but pretending to be autistic. And there are so many of these, fake autism places that to drive up enrollment, Hasan and her partners paid monthly cash kickbacks to the parents of the children who enrolled up to fifteen hundred dollars a month per child per month. I asked our friends at ChatGPT, what's the average family size of a Somali, family in Minnesota?

>> Ed Vitagliano: Six.

>> Steve Jordahl: The average of six kids. That's $9,000 a month, for a Somali family in Minnesota. And that's the kickback.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Well, wait a second. So are you saying, you say nobody was asking? Apparently somebody eventually asked questions because someone's invited.

>> Steve Jordahl: Yes.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Yeah, but how long did it go on where you have. Yeah, we have six kids. They're all autistic. All our kids are enrolled.

>> Tony Vitagliano: Well, it's, that is bizarre. The fact that you would even ask that is racist. You see what I'm saying? You see what I'm going. Yeah, that's probably a lot of.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Nobody, wants to ask the question.

>> Tony Vitagliano: No one wants to ask a question. Tim Walsh needs the Somali vote also, as well as other elected officials there in Minnesota. So yeah, they're just not going to ask questions.

Ray: I think this is indicative of a problem with the entitlement system

Ray, do you think this is do you think this is indicative of a problem we have, with the entitlement system as is now just kind of this no questions asked. whereas it used to be you need help in hard times, you know, the government would provide that assistance. Now it just seems to be, yeah, sure, you have six kids with, with autism, no questions asked. Here you go. Here's you know, $9,000 a month.

>> Ray Prtichard: You know, Ed used an interesting word that the politicians like to use, war torn. That word, war torn covers up, that covers a multitude of sins, so to speak. Here's the poor folks from Somalia. And I have no doubt, I have no doubt that it is a war torn country. And I don't blame anybody for trying to get out of Somalia and get to some better place to live. But you can, under that rubric, then you can just say, all my kids, they all need help. Here's a source of money. And who are you to dare even ask a question like that? Of course my family needs help. I'm from Somalia. And if you ask that, you are indeed a kind of a racist. So this sort of thing, is this the exception? No, I think it's more the rule than anything else in our modern system. It's almost impossible to track. It's difficult to stop. And when it's exposed, too many Americans just shrug their shoulders and look the other way.

>> Tony Vitagliano: Yeah, and not only that, there's. There's the open resistance. You remember, the conniptions that Democrats had when Doge was formed. Right. Department of Government Efficiency. I've never seen such a, revulsion to financial accountability from.

>> Ray Prtichard: Whatever happened, Tony? Whatever happened to that, anyway, that Doge, is it?

>> Tony Vitagliano: Well, actually, I think they just closed it down. I saw the report from Reuters. I don't know if that was because their job was finished.

>> Steve Jordahl: Some of them were feeling like, they weren't protected once. And Donald Trump, I'm sure that's right. And so they left the, Voluntarily.

>> Tony Vitagliano: Yeah, you see, you start cutting off certain spigots, and people, start to get a little upset about it, so.

Don't forget, it's Thanksgiving week

Well, that's all the time we have for today, on that happy note, folks. Yeah, on that happy note. Don't forget, it's Thanksgiving week. And, folks, again, that's Keep, believing dot com. Keep believing dot com for our brother, Ray Pritchard. He's got that Advent devotional which be launched on, December 1st. Is that right?

>> Ray Prtichard: Week from today.

>> Tony Vitagliano: Week from today.

>> Ray Prtichard: Go today and download it.

>> Tony Vitagliano: We got more programming, ahead on American Family Radio.

>> Frank Gaffney: Sam m.