Tuesday, February 28, 2017

Ms Pelosi on State of the Union Speech


For John, BLUFI am hoping for decorum on Capital Hill this evening.  Nothing to see here; just move along.



Is this a leak being reported by Politico's Reporter Heather Cayley, today?

“I think we have to deal with this in the utmost dignity.  We cannot become them; we don’t like what they did to our president,” House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said during a closed-door caucus meeting Tuesday morning.

“We cannot be out-classed by Donald Trump, that would be the worst of all outcomes.”

Blog poster Mr Stephen Green comments:
Has Pelosi actually laid down the law, or was her plea merely for public consumption?
Good question.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

Another Analysis of Why Trump Won


For John, BLUFHe listened to, rather than tell the great mass of People what to think.  Nothing to see here; just move along.




The sub-headline is:
He won because he took the time to listen to les Deplorables.
The Author of this American Conservative article of 23 February 2017 is C Bradley Thompson.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

Ranting from Univision


For John, BLUFNot a fair and balanced reporter, Mr Ramos.  Nothing to see here; just move along.




From News Busters and Reporter Jorge Bonilla, back on 24 February 2017.

Further ramping up his open opposition to President Trump's immigration law enforcement policies, Univision anchor Jorge Ramos has let loose with an outrageous tirade that could best be described as equal parts nationalistic identity politics, racially-driven demagoguery, and yet another instance of the irresponsible conflation of legal and illegal immigration.

JORGE RAMOS, SENIOR NEWS ANCHOR, UNIVISION:  I am an immigrant, just like many of you.  I am a proud Latino immigrant here in the United States.  My name is Jorge Ramos, and I work at Univision and at the Fusion network.  And you know exactly what is going on here in the United States.  There are many people who do not want us to be here, and who want to create a wall in order to separate us.  But you know what?  This is also our country.  Let me repeat this:  OUR country, not theirs.  It is our country.  And we are not going to leave.  We are nearly 60 million Latinos in the United States.  And thanks to US, the United States eats, grows and, as we've seen today, sings and dances.  So when they attack us, we already know what we are going to do.  We are not going to sit down.  We will not shut up.  And we will not leave.  That is what we are going to do.

Not "Our Country too".  No.  To repeat what Reporter Jorge Ramos said:
Let me repeat this:  OUR country, not theirs.
That sounds like he is saying the country belongs to the 60 million Latinos.

So, does Mr Ramos wish for the United States to turn into a nation run the way many Latin American nations are run?  Is that his goal?  Did the Anglo-Saxons bring nothing of value with them when they left the British Isles?

What about those other dreaded people from Europe?  Other Caucasians from not Europe?

African Americans?

Asians and Pacific Islanders

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

  When I hear things like that I always wonder if the number of Latinos includes within it the Lusitanians in this Great Nation.  You know, the people from Portugal and the Azores.

Sanctuary Cities and Impact on Homelessness


For John, BLUFThat darn President Trump keeps trying to fulfill campaign promises.  Nothing to see here; just move along.




I am so late with this.  A month ago I asked HUD (the Federal Department of Housing and Urban Affairs the following, and they responded, promptly.

Question:  Has the Department examined the impact on homelessness programs of the new Administration’s proposal to limit Federal funds for Sanctuary Cities?

HUD’s response:  HUD’s targeted homeless programs (the Continuum of Care (CoC) and Emergency Solutions Grants (ESG) Programs) are authorized by the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, which outlines how funds appropriated for these programs must be allocated.   In the case of the ESG program, the allocation process is based on an objective funding formula.   In the case of the CoC Program, the allocation process is an annual national competition.   In order to limit or change these processes to restrict certain areas from receiving funds, Congress would have to either change the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act statute, or provide specific direction/language in our appropriation or through another law.   At this time we have not received any indication that this move is underway for the homeless programs.   In fact, HUD’s homeless programs have received broad bi-partisan support over many years, in part due to the Department’s efforts to ensure that these funds are spent as efficiently and effectively as possible in order to best serve people experiencing homelessness across the country.

This is a good response, as it tells us what the law is.  Mr Trump, and Dr Carson, if they want to change our approach to homelessness, have some wiggle room within the current laws, but may have to ask the US Congress for authority to go in other directions.

With regard to withholding funds from Communities that call themselves "Sanctuary Cities" it is a case of wait and see.  There is no doubt that, in the past, the Federal Government has used the power of the purse to coerce States and local communities to do its bidding by withholding money.  Look at how long we had a 55 mph speed limit.

Regards  —  Cliff

Alabama Leads the Way


For John, BLUFFully agree.  Nothing to see here; just move along.




As noted by the InstaPundit.
CHANGE:  Alabama Moves To Separate Marriage And State.  “The legislation would abolish all requirements to obtain a marriage license in Alabama. Instead, probate judges would simply record civil contracts of marriage between two individuals based on signed affidavits. . . .  The proposed law would maintain a few state requirements governing marriage.  Minors between the ages of 16 and 18 would have to obtain parental permission before marrying, the state would not record a marriage if either party was already married, and the parties could not be related by blood or adoption as already stipulated in state law.”  How long until Alabama is called a cesspit of bigotry for refusing to recognize plural marriage?
I have been advocating this approach for over fifteen years.  Marriage should be a private contract between the parties, enforceable in court.  No need for a justice of the peace or anyone else from the Government to Officiate.  The Government can, however, enforce certain minimum requirements with regard to age, just like with alcohol.  If the parties wish a church wedding they can ask.  No Government enforced promises in that direction.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

Monday, February 27, 2017

An Explanation For The Chaos


For John, BLUFIn my Thermo text book the author said that the Second Law of Thermodynamics caused him to believe in God.  Otherwise the Universe would be reduced to enthropy.  Nothing to see here; just move along.



Reporter Jonah Goldberg! Of the LA Times, today, talks to us about thermodynamics and the way things are falling apart,, in sports, in politics and in Hollywood.

Perhaps the second law of thermodynamics explains it.  Well, not the sports victories, but the political and institutional screw-ups.

Steven Pinker recently wrote a wonderful little essay (for edge.org) on how people need to better appreciate the second law. Specifically, they need to understand that if we don’t actively work to keep chaos at bay, entropy wins.  “Closed systems inexorably become less structured, less organized, less able to accomplish interesting and useful outcomes, until they slide into an equilibrium of gray, tepid, homogeneous monotony and stay there.”

“The Second Law of Thermodynamics” Pinker adds, “is acknowledged in everyday life” whenever we say things like “Ashes to ashes,” “Things fall apart” and “Rust never sleeps.”

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

Sunday, February 26, 2017

Tucker Carlson Examined


For John, BLUFI like Tucker Carlson, and his Nine PM show.  Nothing to see here; just move along.




Except Tucker Carlson doesn't wear bow ties any more.

Here is the sub-headline:

Tucker Carlson’s latest reinvention is guided by a simple principle—a staunch aversion to whatever his right-minded neighbors believe.
The author of this Atlantic Monthly article is Mr McKay Coppins and the publication date is 23 February of this year.

The quotes that Professor Glenn Harlan Reynolds pulled are these:

“Look, it’s really simple,” Carlson says.  “The SAT 50 years ago pulled a lot of smart people out of every little town in America and funneled them into a small number of elite institutions, where they married each other, had kids, and moved to an even smaller number of elite neighborhoods.  We created the most effective meritocracy ever.”

“But the problem with the meritocracy,” he continues, is that it “leeches all the empathy out of your society …  The second you think that all your good fortune is a product of your virtue, you become highly judgmental, lacking empathy, totally without self-awareness, arrogant, stupid—I mean all the stuff that our ruling class is.”

That rings true.

And, the Fighter Pilot line is "Better lucky than good, because there is always someone better."

I like this paragraph from the article, which I think is well written (the whole article):

Fair or not, this is the essence of Carlson’s case against the educated elites and well-heeled technocrats that comprise America’s ruling class (not to mention his neighborhood).  They are too certain of their own righteousness, too dismissive of dissenters, too unwilling to entertain new ideas.
Read it through to the end, because the punchline is great, although I am not sure it is something to read to your younger children.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

Saturday, February 25, 2017

Bad Choices


For John, BLUFCNN strikes again.  Nothing to see here; just move along.



From the Ace of Spades. On 23 February 2017.

Chris Cuomo:  If a 12-Year-Old Girl Doesn't Want to See a Penis In the Locker Room, That's Either Because of Her "Overprotective Dad" or Her Own Lack of "Tolerance"
Over the top, Chris.

Not to say we don't need tolerance for those transitioning, but we also need a little respect for those,who aren't.  A two way street, so to speak.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

Hillary Won, in Cyber-Space


For John, BLUFIt is nice Hillary supporters have a sort of "Safe Space".  Nothing to see here; just move along.



From The Wash Post and Reporter Peter Holley, we have this item from today.

It’s just over a month into Hillary Clinton’s historic presidency, and Milo Yiannopoulos works as a Starbucks barista, the Koch brothers have fled the country and the first woman to occupy the Oval Office is the sober, exacting policy wonk that millions of Americans expected.

Her approval ratings are skyrocketing, her news conferences “oppressively intelligent,” “boring” and “too sane.”

And her vanquished political opponent, Donald Trump, is on the verge of being charged with treason by the Department of Justice.

This liberal fantasy on steroids arrives courtesy of Hillarybeattrump.org, a satirical news site designed to dive deeply under the skin of President Trump and anyone who supports him.

Hope springs eternal.

But, I think putting this on Trump followers is a little weak.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

Our AG on Events Elsewhere


For John, BLUFDoes not play well with others.  Nothing to see here; just move along.




She was investigating in New Hampshire?  On my tax dollar?

I hope she runs for Governor.

The article is from The Boston Globe and Reporter Laura Krantz, on the 16th instant.

Hat tip to Political Happy Hour.

Regards  —  Cliff

Friday, February 24, 2017

Respecting the Presidency


For John, BLUFPetty.  Nothing to see here; just move along.




This is from The Wash Post, by Reporter Paul Kane, today.

President Barack Obama shook hands with lawmakers as he strode down the middle aisle of the House of Representatives before his final State of the Union, breaking into a wide smile when he saw a very familiar face.

“Eliot, you’re here,” Obama said.

“Would I be anyplace else?” Rep. Eliot L. Engel (D-N.Y.) replied.

For nearly three decades, Engel has been on the aisle for every presidential address to Congress.  For a fleeting moment, it’s just him and the president — two Republicans and two Democrats since he began the tradition in 1989 — shaking hands in a show of support for the leader of the free world.

Engel could be someplace else Tuesday night, when President Trump strides down the House’s center aisle to deliver his first address to a joint session of Congress.  It’s not technically called a State of the Union this early in a presidential term, but Trump’s speech will have the same bells and whistles.

Ed Driscoll, who posted this at InstaPundit, made this comment:
From 2009 until early last month, the Washington Post would have dubbed such a gesture a racist hate crime.  But didn’t Hillary urge cooperation from the losing party’s representatives back in September and October?
True enough.

However, here is the real point.  Some of our elected Representatives believe that President Trump isn't really the President, that his election was tainted and he is illegitimate.

This is just the latest example of how Trump has scrambled the most basic of traditions in Washington.  On Jan. 20, for Trump’s inauguration, a third of House Democrats publicly declared they were boycotting the swearing-in ceremony, led by civil rights icon John Lewis (D-Ga.), who declared Trump an illegitimate president because of alleged Russian meddling with the 2016 election contest.
But, is it Mr Trump who has scrambled the most basic traditions, or is it the Democrats, who cannot or will not accept Mr Trump as President?  There are those who are forthright about their views, such as Representative John Lewis (D-GA) and those who are waffling, like Senator E Warren (D-MA). Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

Standing Up For The Victims


For John, BLUFLet us not cloud over the truth.  Nothing to see here; just move along.




The reporters for this 23 February 2017 LA Times piece are Mr John Myers and Ms Melanie Mason.

Here is the lede plus three:

After trying to make a statement about the late Tom Hayden and his opposition to the Vietnam War, Sen. Janet Nguyen (R-Garden Grove) was removed from the floor of the state Senate on Thursday, a tense scene that ended in a slew of angry accusations from both Republicans and Democrats.

Nguyen, who was brought to the United States as a Vietnamese refugee when she was a child, said she wanted to offer "a different historical perspective" on what Hayden and his opposition to the war had meant to her and other refugees.

Hayden, the former state legislator who died last October, was remembered in a Senate ceremony Tuesday.

Nguyen's comments were interrupted by the Senate's majority leader, Sen. Bill Monning (D-Carmel), who said she was "out of order." Nguyen, however, refused to stop talking. The presiding officer for the day, Sen. Ricardo Lara (D-Bell Gardens), then instructed the Senate's sergeants-at-arms to remove the Republican lawmaker from the floor.

Garden Grove is in Orange County in California.  My Uncle Bob and his family lived in Garden Grove after they moved out to California from Ohio.  After the Viet-nam War many who fled the Communist Regime moved to Orange County, where the population is now 17.9% Asian.  For Garden Grove the proportion of Asians is 37.1%.

I can see how California State Senator Janet Nguyen would be upset with too much effusive praise for the late Tom Hayden.

Kudos to Senator Nguyen.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

Intel Community Sharing Your Data


For John, BLUFYou probably thought this was going on anyway.  Nothing to see here; just move along.




This is PJ Media and the author of the 15 February 2017 article is Mr Michael Walsh.

Here is the essence of the situation:

This story, from the Jan. 12, 2017, edition of the New York Times, was little-remarked upon at the time, but suddenly has taken on far greater significance in light of current events:
In its final days, the Obama administration has expanded the power of the National Security Agency to share globally intercepted personal communications with the government’s 16 other intelligence agencies before applying privacy protections.

The new rules significantly relax longstanding limits on what the N.S.A. may do with the information gathered by its most powerful surveillance operations, which are largely unregulated by American wiretapping laws. These include collecting satellite transmissions, phone calls and emails that cross network switches abroad, and messages between people abroad that cross domestic network switches.

Why, if he thought Mr Trump wasn't such a good guy, would President Obama relax our Fourth Amendment protections as he walked out the door?  I hope it doesn't come back to bite him.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

Late Obama Appointment


For John, BLUFA payoff or an embedded problem?  Nothing to see here; just move along.




From The New York Post, Mr John Crudele asks a question (22 February 2017).

Here is the lede plus four:

President Trump has been filling a lot of jobs lately, some not too easily and others a bit clumsily.

I want to talk about one clumsy job appointment in particular.

Just days before his inauguration, Nancy Potok was named chief statistician of the US.

The appointment of Potok, who was second in charge at the Census Bureau, wasn’t made by Trump. The job does, however, fall under the jurisdiction of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), which reports to the White House.

The president needs to review this one.

The Link in the Quote is from me.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

Hypocrites on the Left


For John, BLUFWhat is that line about let he who is without sin cast the first stone?  Nothing to see here; just move along.




This is from the blog of John C Wright, Author.

Here is how it starts:

A question for my fellow Catholics: when is the last time, on a nationally syndicated program of any kind, you heard a popular voice praising the Catholic Church, or saying she is right about everything?

I can answer for myself:  it was Milo, on Bill Maher, and in his speeches in colleges, freely available on the internet.

And before that? I can name no one.  I am not old enough to remember Fulton Sheen.

Is he a shameful and terrible spokesman for our beautiful Church?  Yes, indeed, I fear he is.  When I get to heaven, I will certainly chide Saint Mary Magdalene the whore and St. Matthew the tax-gathering collaborator, wag my finger under their noses, and demand to know why persons of doubtful morals speak up for Christ, embarrassing the righteous and the just.

Or maybe I will certainly not.  I am too acutely conscious of my own sins and shortcomings to cast the first stone.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

Trump's Secret


For John, BLUFAs Law Prof Glenn Reynolds likes to point out, "What can't go on for ever, won't."  Nothing to see here; just move along.




"He won because he took the time to listen to les Deplorables."  From The American Conservative and the keyboard of C Bradley Thompson, yesterday.

A quote from toward the end of the article:

This is Trump’s simple genius.  In a nation of the people, by the people, and for the people, Trump found and took the time to listen to les Deplorables.  He heard, saw, and sympathized with the moral malaise and downward mobility of provincial America.  Trump not only listened to the unwashed, he stood up for them.  He fought back.  He attacked, insulted, and denounced the nattering nabobs of both parties.
Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

  "Nabob—a person of conspicuous wealth or high status."

Should the Union Break Up?


For John, BLUFNo, but folks need to learn to accept the foibles of others.  Nothing to see here; just move along.




This is by Patrick J Buchanan and the source is World Net Daily. This is how it ends up:
Suddenly, California knows exactly how Marine Le Pen feels.

And as she wants to “Let France Be France,” and leave the EU, as Brits did with Brexit, a movement is afoot in California to secede from the United States and form a separate nation.

California seceding sounds like a cause that could bring San Francisco Democrats into a grand alliance with Breitbart.

A new federalism – a devolution of power and resources away from Washington and back to states, cities, towns and citizens, to let them resolve their problems their own way and according to their own principles – may be the price of retention of the American Union.

Let California be California; let red state America be red state America.

I think Mr Buchanan is on to something.  Our Federal Union could use a little more decentralization.  Here is how Mr Buchanan puts it in the article.

For Trump’s solution is rooted in the principle of subsidiarity, first advanced in the 1891 encyclical Rerum Novarum by Pope Leo XIII – that social problems are best resolved by the smallest unit of society with the ability to resolve them.
The only time this breaks down is when folks higher up in the hierarchy of Government think you are not capable of making correct decisions and thus decide you are not able to resolve them (properly).

Good luck to us.

Hat tip to the Drudge Report.

Regards  —  Cliff

Thursday, February 23, 2017

Warren to the Front


For John, BLUFI love it.  Nothing to see here; just move along.




This is from Hot Air and Writer Ed Morrissey, yesterday.

Here is the money quote:

Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) is dismissing the GOP’s efforts to make Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) the face of the Democratic Party.

“It’s not going to work,” Schumer said of the strategy, according to Politico.

While, Chuck Schumer can't be right all the time.

And I hope the Republicans here in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts make our elected Attorney General, Maura Healy, the face of Democrats here.

By the way, has Senator E Warren ever come out one way or the other on if she thinks President Trump was elected legitimately, or is she going with her friend, Representative John Lewis, in saying he was not?  Or is she waffling?

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

Alan Colmes (RIP)


For John, BLUFA gentleman.  Nothing to see here; just move along.




This is very sad news.

Hat tip to the Drudge Report.

Regards  —  Cliff

The Elites Never Listen


TRIGGER WARNING:  In which I suggest that the elites can be wrong from time to time.

For John, BLUFWhat is Local Girl Makes Good's line?  "Fasten your seatbelts, it's going to be a bumpy night!"  Nothing to see here; just move along.




Here is the sub-headline:
Forget the conspiracy theories. Something much more dangerous is seeking to gut our government and change the character of our society.
This is from the magazine Foreign Policy, which, in this Trump Era, has become relentlessly anti-Trump.  The author is Mr David Rothkopf and the dateline is 22 February 2017. A friend of mine noted that "This could be read as a defense of the elite."  Yes, the bien-pensant.

Here is an except:

The shallow state is in many respects the antithesis of the deep state.  The power of the deep state comes from experience, knowledge, relationships, insight, craft, special skills, traditions, and shared values.  Together, these purported attributes make nameless bureaucrats into a supergovernment that is accountable to no one.  That is a scary prospect.  But the nature of bureaucracies, human nature, inertia, checks and balances, and respect for the chain of command makes it seem a bit far-fetched to me.  (The bureaucracy will drive Trump, like many presidents, mad, and some within it will challenge him, but that's not the same thing.)

The shallow state, on the other hand, is unsettling because not only are the signs of it ever more visible but because its influence is clearly growing.  It is made scarier still because it not only actively eschews experience, knowledge, relationships, insight, craft, special skills, tradition, and shared values but because it celebrates its ignorance of and disdain for those things.  Donald Trump, champion and avatar of the shallow state, has won power because his supporters are threatened by what they don't understand, and what they don't understand is almost everything.  Indeed, from evolution to data about our economy to the science of vaccines to the threats we face in the world, they reject vast subjects rooted in fact in order to have reality conform to their worldviews.  They don't dig for truth; they skim the media for anything that makes them feel better about themselves.  To many of them, knowledge is not a useful tool but a cunning barrier elites have created to keep power from the average man and woman.  The same is true for experience, skills, and know-how.  These things require time and work and study and often challenge our systems of belief.  Truth is hard; shallowness is easy.

So, darned if you do and darned it you don't.  The elites think they know what is good for the rest of us.  But, their track record isn't so great.  Think of all the nations they have led into ruin.

If a bunch of people think their nation is going in the wrong direction they can vote the politicians out, and if that isn't possible (my wife just asked me "Can't the people of Venezuela do anything about their Government?) the only thing left is Revolution, and you know how that usually turns out.  We were lucky, as were the British.  Others not so much.

And speaking of the Elites, what is that line from Oliver Cromwell?  "I beseech you, in the bowels of Christ, think it possible you may be mistaken."

Regards  —  Cliff

Wednesday, February 22, 2017

One Analysis of the First Thirty Days


For John, BLUFA dialogue, short and pithy.  Nothing to see here; just move along.




Four folks from the FiveThirtyEight Blog talk about the first month of the new Trump Administration:
Nate Silver is the founder and editor in chief of FiveThirtyEight.
Harry Enten is a senior political writer and analyst for FiveThirtyEight.
Clare Malone is a senior political writer for FiveThirtyEight.
Micah Cohen is the politics editor.
I found it an interesting and informative analysis, albeit from the perspective of four folks who probably voted for Mrs Hillary Clinton.

There are places where their numbers approach misses some historic nuances, such as President Andrew Jackson's famous line "John Marshall has made his decision; now let him enforce it!".  That seems a pretty broad swipe at the US Supreme Court.

As for the Press, I think that Mr Trump is not wrong to point out that the Press is wrong from time to time and mischaracterizing his actions.

Regards  —  Cliff

`

Tuesday, February 21, 2017

Michael Novak (RIP)


For John, BLUFA loss for clear thinking.  Nothing to see here; just move along.




Writing in City Journal, Mr Brian C. Anderson gives us an appraisal of the late Michael Novak, who died on 17 February of this year, at the age of 83.  Mr Novak has been writing about Capitalism from a moral point of view for years.  I think this is a good paragraph from the article"
Novak showed that democratic-capitalist societies did promise—and often instantiate—moral goods.  Respect for the individual conscience, the rule of law, the ignition of creativity and entrepreneurialism, general prosperity—these were remarkable achievements by any historical standards.  Novak’s social thought proved hugely influential, cited by Margaret Thatcher and Poland’s Solidarity activists, who read it in Samizdat editions.  Many believe that Novak even helped Pope John Paul II change his mind about free markets.
Regards  —  Cliff

Sunday, February 19, 2017

Trump Rallies the Faithful


For John, BLUFTrump is on a roll.  Nothing to see here; just move along.




In which Ann Althouse talks about the Trump Rally.  Her fourth (numbered) point is about President Trump quoting Thomas Jefferson, who knew a thing or two about the Press.
"Nothing can be believed which is seen in a newspaper.  Truth itself becomes suspicious by being put into that polluted vehicle."  Trump quotes Thomas Jefferson.  Is that a real Jefferson quote?  Yes!  Thomas Jefferson to John Norvell, 14 June 1807:
The colon is because she then quotes the whole passage, which you can read at the link.

Hat tip to Ann Althouse.

Regards  —  Cliff

Democrats Want Trump Gone


TRIGGER WARNING:  In which I suggest that large numbers of Democrat Legislators are unhinged.

For John, BLUFCould happen, but thinking this is it is foolish.  Nothing to see here; just move along.




This is Power Line and the author is Mr John Hinderaker.  The topic is the 25th Amendment to the US Constitution.

The lede:

After three months, the Democrats still refuse to accept the result of November’s election–an idea they denounced when they thought they were going to win.  Now, as Byron York notes, many Democrats are scheming to remove President Trump from office.  How to do it, though, is a knotty problem.
Democratic Party Congresscritters like Jackie Speier (D-CA) and Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) are pushing the 25th Amendment idea.  The idea that the Vice President and half the Cabinet members would agree the President was incapacitated seems a stretch. Mr Hinderaker notes:
They need to get out more.
Too right!

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

Saturday, February 18, 2017

President Trump's Press Conference


For John, BLUFPresident Trump not bowing to the way the Establishment thinks it should be.  Nothing to see here; just move along.




It is Mr Scott Adams again:
There are two clues that the Huffington Post is hallucinating and I’m not.  The first clue is that they have a trigger and I don’t.  Reality violated their egos, whereas I was predicting a Trump win all along.  My world has been consistent with my ego.  No trigger.  All I have is a warm feeling of rightness.

The second clue is that the Huffington Post is seeing something that half the country doesn’t see.  As a general rule, the person who sees the elephant in the room is the one hallucinating, not the one who can’t see the elephant.  The Huffington Post is literally seeing something that is invisible to me and other observers.  We see a President Trump talking the way he normally talks.  They see a 77-minute meltdown.

I would say, based on my observations of the Press Conference that President Trump talked the way he normally talks and felt free to not just provide a canned response to each reporter's question, but to also interact with the reporter, like the reporter was a fellow human being in a conversation.  And, the President was having fun.  Maybe that is the be no that was being violated.

And, it is time the rest of us got to ask some questions, not just the Main Stream Media.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

  Creator of Dilbert.

Government Regulations Going in Opposite Directions


For John, BLUFWhat if you are traveling in Europe and put your eggs in the hotel room frig?  Nothing to see here; just move along.




This item from FEE, the Foundation for Economic Education, is by Mr Jeffrey A. Tucker.  Here is the teaser:
No surprise:  the real answer has to do with government regulations over whether eggs should be washed.  In the United States, the government mandates washing eggs before commercial sale.  In Europe, egg washing is forbidden by law.
Which brings into question the whole government regulation regime.

Hat tip to FEE.

Regards  —  Cliff

Trump Fails Again


For John, BLUFIn my experience, if it wasn't for bad feedback there would be no feedback.  Nothing to see here; just move along.




Yesterday I posted on President Trump's Justice Department handing over to the Court the full CIA Torture Report.  While the Obama Administration had stashed a copy in the Obama Presidential Library, it had been fighting release to the United States District Court for the District of Columbia.

Here is the redacted report, per The Old Gray Lady.

Anyway, I got some friendly feedback:

Part of Trump's plan to inflame the entire Muslim world against us to make us more secure?
As if our American life style isn't sufficient to inflame those in the "Muslim World" who believe we are going against Allah's wishes, as expressed by the Prophet Mohammed.

Regards  —  Cliff

Protesting Trump Appointees


For John, BLUFRemember the Tea Parties and how vicious they were?  Me neither.  Nothing to see here; just move along.




Some InstaPundit posts are perfect the way they are:
THEY TOLD ME IF DONALD TRUMP TOOK POWER, FASCIST VIOLENCE WOULD THREATEN CIVIL GOVERNANCE.  AND THEY WERE RIGHT!  Betsy DeVos being guarded by U.S. Marshals Service.  “The last Cabinet member protected by marshals was a director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy.”

So, basically, taking on the Education Cartel is as dangerous as taking on the Drug Cartels?  Well, the former has more money and jobs at stake. . . .

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

Friday, February 17, 2017

Trump vs the Press


For John, BLUFI don't think the Main Stream Media has figured out it has a losing hand.  Nothing to see here; just move along.




By Ms Dana Blanton
Slightly more voters find the White House more truthful than the media, according to the latest Fox News Poll.
Well, it is Fox, but from Washington DC TV News, WJLA, we have:


By Ms Leandra Bernstein, Sinclair Broadcast GroupTuesday, February 14th 2017.

Here is the lede:

WASHINGTON (Sinclair Broadcast Group) -- While many mainstream media outlets have cried foul over Donald Trump targeting outlets as "failing" or peddling "fake news," that sentiment is largely shared by a majority of Americans.
Then, further down, there is this little item.
According to a 2016 Pew Research study, 22 percent of respondents had "a lot" of trust in local news organizations, compared to 18 percent who trust national outlets. In total, local news coverage enjoyed a six-point advantage over national stations.
So, The [Lowell] Sun is likely more trusted than The Boston Globe.

Next comes some reporting about how the "big" newspapers were beating up on reporters from other agencies over their questions at the President's most recent Press Conference.

Last week Emerson College political communications professor Spencer Kimball published a poll comparing the public's trust in main stream media to the public's trust in Donald Trump. The poll was shared the next day by President Trump himself under the headline, "Trump administration seen as more truthful than news media."

The poll found that 49 percent of voters consider Trump to be truthful, versus 48 person of voters who find him untruthful. The researchers then compared that confidence rating to trust in the news media, which 53 percent of voters considered to be untruthful, a 14-point gap. A key finding of the poll shows that voters find the Trump administration to be more truthful than the news media.

The Sinclair Broadcast Group article is fairly long, but interesting.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

Trump Trumps Obama


For John, BLUFMark one for Transparency in the new Trump Administration.  Nothing to see here; just move along.




From the Blog Tech Dirt, and the keyboard of Mr Tim Cushing, responsible for "Legal Issues".

Credit where credit is due: Trump has done more to preserve the full CIA Torture Report than Obama ever did. On his way out the door, the DOJ fought on his behalf in federal court, arguing against an order to deposit the full report with the court clerk for preservation in the ongoing trial of Abd al-Rahim Al-Nashiri, who has alleged he was waterboarded while detained by the CIA.
Links at the Original.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

Thursday, February 16, 2017

Double Standards


TRIGGER WARNING:  In which I praise Reporter Glenn Greenwald for exposing Democrats for being hypocrites.

For John, BLUFWithout double standards there would be no standards.  Nothing to see here; just move along.




I have been listening to Reporter Glenn Greenwald on Nation of Change talking about and expanding on his article in The Intercept, linked above.

One of the things is Mr Greenwald is excoriating the Democrats in our Nation's Capitol for being two-faced on this whole leaking issue.

He is also appalled that people are suggesting that President Trump is an instrument of the Russians and compares such talk to Mr Glenn Beck when he used to be on TV, with his blackboard, talking about President Obama.

When Reporter Glenn Greenwald is the most stable voice and the one who best represents common sense in President Trump's first 100 Days we are in Chaos.  So, I say thanks to Mr Greenwald.

Ooh, and he just said that the "Two State" solution has been dying for years.  The only two options are Israel become an apartheid state or one state with all citizens having political rights.

Regards  —  Cliff

DWS Living in Fear


For John, BLUFYes, 1984 is about the distortion of language, like in this case.  Nothing to see here; just move along.




This article, by Mr Tom Knighton, dated today, in Pajama Media, is about former DNC Chairperson DWS and her twin daughters going off to college and a Mother's fear of Nazis everywhere.

Part of the issue, of course, is defining Nazi, as in a member of Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei (NSDAP).  In English, National-Socialist German Workers' Party.  Note the "socialist" in NSDAP.  Not that many "right wing" Deplorables can be accused of being Socialists.

As with Nazi, the term Fascist has been turned on its head to change its meaning and attack those on the right.  Benito Mussolini was a Communist who moved to Syndicalism, a form of socialism. If you want some more help, here is an item from Mr Derek Hunter of The Daily Caller"Google Redefines The Word ‘Fascism’ To Smear Conservatives, Protect Liberal Rioters".

Here is the Fascist symbol, on the back side of a US Mercury Dime:

As someone suggested to me, the difference between Nazis and Communists is that the Communists had better communications skills, and, of course, Reporter Walter Durant, of The New York Times.

I wish the Twins good luck in College and hope they get a great education with a broad understanding of what makes the West work and the rest not.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

Trump Actions Polling Well


For John, BLUFAh, listening to the People.  Nothing to see here; just move along.




Well, it is The Washington Examiner.  The Reporter is Mr Paul Bedard and the dateline is 14 Feb 2017.

Here is the meat of the issue.

The survey for Secure America Now found that 56 percent of Hispanic voters approve of deporting criminal illegals.  Some 31 percent don't.

What's more, they back the president's executive order to end the Obama administration's "catch and release" policy at the border.

Over all in the McLaughlin and Associates survey, 69 percent of all voters back the president's plans.

It has been noted that Lawyers, in their various forms (Attorneys General, Judges, ACLU Lawyers, etc), poll 83 percent for keeping the issue alive by resisting the President and his promised actions.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

Wednesday, February 15, 2017

Using Saul's Rules


For John, BLUFThis is about sticking it to the other side.  Nothing to see here; just move along.




It is Kurt Schlichter, from Town Hall, writing today.

So you ask who is Alinsky.  That would be Chicago agitator (Community Organizer) Saul Alinsky, the one about whom Mrs Hillary Clinton wrote her Senior Thesis when she was at Wellesley College.

Since Mr Schlichter lists Mr Alinsky's Rules, I don't have to.  But, unless you are a student of Mr Alinsky, reading the article is helpful to understanding how things are being turned around.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

0 M 3.5

Michael Flynn


For John, BLUFDid everyone get a fair break?  Nothing to see here; just move along.




The sub-headline:

Did U.S. spooks have a court order to listen to his conversations?  Why?

Here is an excerpt from the Article in The Wall Street Journal

The questions someone in the White House should ask the National Security Agency is why it didn’t use minimization procedures to protect Mr. Flynn?  Or did it also have a court order to listen to Mr. Flynn, and how did it justify that judicial request?

If Mr. Flynn was under U.S. intelligence surveillance, then Mr. Trump should know why, and at this point so should the American public.  Maybe there’s an innocent explanation, but the Trump White House needs to know what’s going on with Mr. Flynn and U.S. spies.

I realize that to some the ends justify the means.  However, that is not the way it should be.

And, if there was ever any doubt about us (the US) tapping other people's phones, this should remove all doubt.

Hat tip to one of my friends in Connecticut.

Regards  —  Cliff

0 M 3.5

Monday, February 13, 2017

All Are Created Equal, But Not in Every Regard


For John, BLUFAnother case of too much is too much.  Nothing to see here; just move along.




The readily observable fact that we no longer think politically in terms of unalienable rights is a perfect measure of how much we have abandoned the Founders’ vision.
From The Federalist by Mr Robert Curry, the 8th of February of this year.  The lede:
Others before the American Founders had dreamed of a political order of liberty and justice, but every previous attempt ended in failure.  That men again and again, admittedly fitfully and never successfully until the Founders, struggled to hold that ideal above the dreadful historical reality is perhaps Western civilization’s most honorable claim to greatness.  The Founders’ solution is the crowning glory of that noble tradition.
Basically, if we don't ground rights in something, and limit those rights, we risk the American Experiment.

Read the whole thing.

Regards  —  Cliff

The Political Divide


For John, BLUFWe need to respect the views of others.  Nothing to see here; just move along.




This item was posted by Mr Kurt Schlichter, back on 6 February 2017.

They hate you.

Leftists don’t merely disagree with you.  They don’t merely feel you are misguided.  They don’t think you are merely wrong.  They hate you.  They want you enslaved and obedient, if not dead.  Once you get that, everything that is happening now will make sense.  And you will understand what you need to be ready to do.

You are normal, and therefore a heretic.  You refuse to bow to their idols, to subscribe to their twisted catechisms, to praise their false gods.  This is unforgivable.  You must burn.

Then there follows a listing of offenses.

Not everyone I know.  Not all on the Left, but too many.  I dropped off Facebook before the November Election because of the vitriol.  But, I do talk to others.  How else can we learn?

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

Sunday, February 12, 2017

Grammy Diversity


For John, BLUFThanks to Singer Joyce Villa.  Nothing to see here; just move along.




Singer Joyce Villa wore a "Make America Great Again" gown.
The Grammys can go any way and I will be cool with it, now that I know that at least one person is going to march down the Red Carpet without making the Grammys all about Trump bashing.

Hat tip to the Drudge Report.

Regards  —  Cliff

Whether Our Foreign Policy?


For John, BLUFIt is time to ask about the verities.  Nothing to see here; just move along.



Einstein's definition of insanity


The author of the following is a retired Army Officer of my acquaintance, Charles Krohn.  Actually, Charles is the next below me on the roster of The Warlord Loop.
We invade Iraq because we believe it's heading toward nuclear capability, threatening the region, although we later learn it's not true.

We don't invade Iran that we know is heading toward nuclear capability, threatening the region, although we know it is true.

Sometimes I can't understand how our foreign policy develops or what to make of it.

This is why there is value in the Trump Administration.  It is asking these questions and looking for real answers.

Sure, not everything in our Foreign Policy is wrong, but we need to be open to the possibility that some of our directions are wrong.

Regards  —  Cliff

Flipped by Your Friends


For John, BLUFProgressives making friends for Mr Trump.  Nothing to see here; just move along.




This is a story by, and about, Journalist Chadwick Moore.  The article is from the 11 February 2017 issue of The New York Post.  Here are the two intro paragraphs:
Chadwick Moore, a 33-year-old journalist who lives in Williamsburg, had been a lifelong liberal.  Then, last September, he penned a profile for Out magazine of Milo Yiannopoulos — a controversial alt-right extremist who is an outspoken critic of feminism, Muslims and gay rights (despite being openly gay himself).  Although the Out story didn’t take a positive stance — or any stance — on Yiannopoulos, Moore found himself pilloried by fellow Democrats and ostracized by longtime friends.

Here, he tells Michael Kaplan his story — including why the backlash drove him to the right.

Why can't we just be friendly to one another?  For sure we don't learn by freezing out others because we don't agree with their ideas.  We grow as individuals by being open to new ideas.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

  Of course, if you think the other person is pure evil, then you need to form your own version of the White Rose, die Weiße Rose.  However, the cost could be civil war and the needless destruction of the greatest force for freedom of individuals in the history of the world, well, aside from Jesus Christ Himself.

Wednesday, February 8, 2017

Rules Are Rules

TRIGGER WARNINGS:  Where I suggest Senator Warren thinks the rules apply to others, but not to her.
For John, BLUFRe rules, except maybe at Harvard.  Nothing to see here; just move along.



The link is to a Wash Post OpEd by Ms Amy Wong.  The embedded "headline" is mine.

Here is the Wash Post lede:

When Senate Republicans invoked a little-known rule Tuesday night to silence Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) in the middle of a speech criticizing attorney general nominee Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.), Democrats were stunned.
Little known?  I've known that rule for ever.  If Opinionater Amy Wang doesn't know it, it is strange.  That high priced Law Professor E Warren doesn't know it strains the imagination.

Senator Warren pushed the boundaries and was called out.  It isn't like former Senator Harry Reid lying about former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney.  That is OK by Senate Rules.  personal scathing attacks on a fellow Senator are not.  Senator Warren sinned, through her own fault.  Prayers for her soul, but she did do it.  To no avail.  But, she gets points for virtue signaling.

Hat tip to the Memeorandum.

Regards  —  Cliff

  But then "Waffle" Warren can't say if she thinks President Trump was legitimately elected.  She was asked and punted like she was Ryan Allen

Killing the Children


For John, BLUF:   You don't remember, but President Truman was pretty indignant when some Newspaper Music Critic criticized his Daughter, Margaret.  Nothing to see here; just move along.



A woman with a business is subject to special rules.  Political rules.  And if she does not hew to them, she must be destroyed.  By a gang of women.  You know how women help women?  They don't.  They expect women to hit a higher standard.  Backwards in high heels.  And if she looks pretty dancing backwards in those high heels, we'll actively trip her and laugh when she falls.
Are people trying to turn Ann Althouse into a Trump fan?

Do the Progressives understand they are just ginning up support for the President?

Hat tip to the Althouse blog.

Regards  —  Cliff

Monday, February 6, 2017

Dewey Moment


For John, BLUFIf we keep up at this pace someone will cross a line and it will become ugly.  Nothing to see here; just move along.




I missed this earlier, and then heard Howie Carr (WRKO) talking about it. This is from NBC Sports:
Via Field Yates of ESPN.com, an early edition of the Boston Globe declared victory for the Falcons with a headline that proclaimed:  A Bitter End.  Appearing under that was a photo of Falcons defensive back Robert Alford returning an interception from Patriots quarterback Tom Brady to the end zone for a touchdown that put Atlanta ahead 21-0 in the first half.  New England eventually would trail 28-3 in the third quarter.
Maybe after the Duck Boats roll in Boston at 1100 on Tuesday we can all settle down and become civil again, or not.

Hat tip to The Drudge Report.

Regards  —  Cliff

  There is this from Mr Kurt Schlichter of Live Wire, "The Left Hates You.  Act Accordingly".  That is the way it has been since the election, but maybe it is time to let the passions die down.  Give the Progs a chance to calm down and adjust to the fact that they are not in charge.  Maybe after the US Senate votes to make Ms Betty DeVos Secretary of Education, come Noon Tuesday.

Sunday, February 5, 2017

Super Bowl Hacked


TRIGGER WARNING:  In which I suggest that as Hillary, as Brady.

For John, BLUFDo you think Football Commissioner Roger Goodell was forced to shake Tom Brady's hand?  Nothing to see here; just move along.




A lot of firsts:
  • Biggest Deficit Comback
  • First Overtime in a Super Bowl
  • Tom Brady wins five Super Bowls, more than anyone else
  • Bill Belichick wins five Super Bowls, more than anyone else
But, let us be honest.  If it wasn't for the Russians the Atlanta Falcons would have won.  Russia's cyber hackers hacked the game and passed the information to Julian Assange, who, in turn, passed it to that Canadian, Pamala Anderson, who passed it to Coach Bill Belichick.  Maybe now President Trump will pardon Mr Assange, as per Ms Anderson's wishes.

The InstaPundit, Professor Glenn Harlan Reynolds noted, a few minutes ago, this Facebook post:

“Right now, Atlanta fans have got to be feeling like Hillary supporters on election night.”
Congratulations, Pats.

Regards  —  Cliff

If It Fits...


For John, BLUFFor President Trump's trip to the UK.  Nothing to see here; just move along.




(Latin for "No one provokes me with impunity")

I think Queen Elizabeth II should make President Trump an Honorary Knight of the Order of the Thistle because the motto fits him to a tee.

Hat tip to someone, who said something that pointed me in this direction.

Regards  —  Cliff

Saturday, February 4, 2017

"Are we really stuck with this guy?"


TRIGGER WARNING:  In which I suggest that certain Progressive Snow Flakes have gone 'round the bend.

For John, BLUFThe thing is, he is from Western European Stock, so it is OK to talk this way about him.  Nothing to see here; just move along.



So asks Rosa Brooks in an article in the Journal Foreign Policy, on 30 January 2017.  This question was picked up by Breitbart, with this article:


The Breitbart author is Mr Aaron Klein and the dateline is 2 Feb 2017.  Here is the lede plus two:
In a blog post for Foreign Policy magazine, Rosa Brooks, a former Obama administration official, outlined four ways to “get rid” of President Trump, including declaring him mentally unfit for command or carrying out a military coup.

Brooks is a Schwartz senior fellow at the New America Foundation, which is funded by billionaire George Soros’s Open Society Foundations.  She served from 2009-2011 as Counselor to the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy and served as a senior adviser at Obama’s State Department.

Her posting is titled “3 Ways to Get Rid of President Trump Before 2020,” although the piece actually outlines four ways.

Yes, the George Soros.

This is real news out of Breitbart, about bad policy analysis out of the Establishment journal Foreign Policy.

Maybe it is because Ms Rosa Brooks and her ilk are coping with losing an easy election by fantasizing.  Maybe it is because reality is too hard to face at this point.  Maybe it is because President Trump is challenging old shibboleth, and thus creatively trying to create a new and better world.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

  Remember that the knock on Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was that she was not transformational.  And she wasn't and isn't.  Her election as President would have encased us in amber for four more years, while she blamed the Republicans for failure to make progress.  Now progress is possible, although not guaranteed.

Dunkin' Donuts Fail


For John, BLUFYes, agreed, nutritionally it is bad for you.  However, emotionally it is wonderful.  Nothing to see here; just move along.



Dunkin' Donuts


America Runs on Dunkin'


Yes, that one.

Like Melchizedek of old, it came out of nowhere and then disappeared into nowhere.

That said, it did linger on the Menu Board for some time after it was no longer being offered.  So I kept ordering it at the Drive Thru and kept being told it was no longer offered.

Bring back the Brownie.

Regards  —  Cliff

Thursday, February 2, 2017

You Want More Trump?


For John, BLUFThe rest of the Nation will not long tolerate this kind of activity.  Nothing to see here; just move along.




Mr Stephen Green, posting at The Instapundit, notes that President Trump Tweeted about the riots (riots, not demonstrations) at UC Berkeley.  The author of the linked article, at Pajama Media, was Miss Liz Sheld. At the post at The Instapundit there was this update:
UPDATE (From Glenn):  You want more Trump?  Because Berkeley is how you get more Trump.
Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

  Demonstrations is what happened at UC Berkeley in 1964.  Yesterday, 1 February 2017, was a riot, with property damage and people injured.

Wednesday, February 1, 2017

Chaos Abounds


For John, BLUFThose who said it was about Hitler were right, but focused on the wrong folks.  The Brown Shirts are out "protesting" the Conservatives.  Nothing to see here; just move along.




From Pajama Media and Mr David P Goldman. Here is the lede, plus a commend from Mr Ed Driscoll, at The InstaPundit:
One would have thought that a 90-day suspension of immigration from seven countries with minimal economic ties to the United States would be minor news.  It has to be the best thing an American president has done since Ronald Reagan told Gorbachev to tear down the Berlin Wall, because all the people I dislike have gone bat-guano crazy.

Heh, indeed.™

That is definitely one way to look at it.  People are going crazy.  It is beginning to look like the 1930s in Germany, but not from the Trump side, but from the Progressives.  Look at what happened at UC Berkeley this evening.  Not protests, but rioting, with injuries and property damage over a planned talk by Breitbart News editor Milo Yiannopoulos.

Will they ever grow tired of this, or are we going to have four years of this kind of thing?

If Senate Democrats are an example, this could go on a long time.  And then there is the danger of reciprocity.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

Blue on Blue Attacks


For John, BLUFThe Democrats twist themselves into a pretzel.  Nothing to see here; just move along.




That would be about Islam's teachings on homosexuality.

The article is in The Hill, from the keyboard of Jonathan Easley, yesterday.

Here is what Professor Glenn Harlan Reynolds excerpted for his Blog Post:

The Democratic National Committee is kicking a candidate out of the chairman’s race after he told The Hill that Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.) should not be the party’s next leader because he is Muslim.

In a Jan. 5 email to The Hill, Vincent Tolliver, a former House candidate in Arkansas, said that Ellison, the first-ever Muslim elected to Congress, should not be chairman because of Islamic positions on homosexuality.

“His being a Muslim is precisely why DNC voters should not vote for him,” Tolliver wrote. “Muslims discriminate against gays.  Islamic law is clear on the subject, and being gay is a direct violation of it. In some Muslim countries, being gay is a crime punishable by death.”

“Clearly, Mr. Ellison is not the person to lead the DNC or any other organization committed to not discriminating based on gender identity or sexual orientation,” Tolliver continued.  “I’m shocked HRC [Human Rights Campaign] has been silent on the issue.  A vote for Representative Ellison by any member of the DNC would be divisive and unconscionable, not to mention counterproductive to the immediate and necessary steps of rebuilding the Democratic Party.”

A spokesperson for Tolliver said he stands by the statement.

Then Professor Reynolds asks:
Why are Democrats so anti-gay?
Maybe they aren't.  Maybe the leaders of the Democratic National Party have been given private assurances by Representative Ellison that he rejects such teachings in Islam.  Why drive a wedge by forcing Mr Ellison to make that comment out in the open.

Maybe the answer is that, Muslims in our Great Nation who have come to terms with Americana and modernity have done so by ignoring much of the Islamic dictates and dogma.  They practice what the "essentialism"of Islam, totally avoiding any reference to the "verses of the sword" and basing their faith on a belief in what they consider its ultimate goodness of the faith.  They also know they that adherence to Sharia is incompatible with life in America.

It does seem that our problem is not with all Muslims, but only with those from the Islamic Reformation—the kind of reformation we have seen over the last couple of Centuries.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

  This would be about the same time that President Trump reaffirmed Former President Obama's instructions on non-discrimination against LGBT folks employed by defense contractors.  Go figure.