John Durham Changes Jobs

For John, BLUF:  This looks bad, but it isn't.  However, it does kick the issue down the road.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Breaking:  Special counsel John Durham abruptly announces his resignation from the US Attorney's office

Here is the sub-headline:

Durham will reportedly continue his investigation into 'Crossfire Hurricane'

From The Blaze, by Reporter Carlos Garcia, 26 February 2021.

Here is the lede plus three:

Special counsel John Durham, the U.S. attorney appointed to investigate the origins of the Russia collusion and election interference probe, abruptly announced Friday that he would resign from the U.S. Attorney's office.

Durham released an official announcement saying he would resign effective at midnight Sunday.

"My career has been as fulfilling as I could ever have imagined when I graduated from law school way back in 1975," Durham said in the statement.

While Durham will resign from the office, he will reportedly continue in his work investigating whether the FBI's operation to uncover Russian collusion with the Trump campaign was politically motivated.  Former President Trump has claimed that the probe named "Crossfire Hurricane" was an improper and illegal abuse of power by former President Barack Obama to target his political opponents.

All of the US Federal Attorneys were asked to resign as of the end of February.  That would include Federal Attorney Durham.  However, US Attonrey General William Barr made Mr Durham a "Special Counsel", giving him a continuing appointment.

That does not mean that we will eventually have a readout of what happened under operation CROSSFIRE HURRICANE.  The Special Counsel reports to the Attorney General, who will likely be Merrick Garland.  That is the point at which politics could reenter the situation.

Let us hope not.

Regards  —  Cliff

A Kind Word

For John, BLUF:  It is nice to sometimes have common ground.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Congressional Favorability Ratings

Here is the sub-headline:

Most Voters Have Unfavorable Opinion of AOC

From Rasmussen Reports, 26 February 2021.

Here is the lede plus one:

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has only been in Congress a little more than two years, but the New York Democrat known as “AOC” is already widely disliked by voters, who prefer House Speaker Nancy Pelosi as the leader of congressional Democrats.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey finds that 54% of Likely U.S. Voters have an unfavorable view of Ocasio-Cortez, including 44% whose view of her is Very Unfavorable.  Only 16% view have a Very Favorable view of AOC, and another 18% have a Somewhat Favorable view.

I know that in many circles it is popular to make unfavorable comments about Representative Ocasio-Cortez (including me in one of those circles).  However, there is usually something nice to say about everyone we meet.♠

In the case of AOC I would like to complement her for putting her sense of humanity ahead of politics with regard to the cold snap in Texas that left many without power and a few dead as a result of the cold.

The Representative used her fund raising power to raise, in a short period, over $3 Million for relief.  Then she flew to Texas and helping out in a Huston Food Bank distribution effort.  So, both fund raising and hard work for people in need.  Not fellow Democrats; fellow Americans.

Good work, AOC Regards  —  Cliff

♠  Ask Will Rogers.

May One Question the Questioner?

For John, BLUF:  What goes around comes around, even for CNN.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Jim Acosta Gets Acosta’ed at CPAC

From the Victory Girls Blog, by Ms Kim Hirsch, 27 February 2021.

Here is the lede plus one:

CNN’s Jim Acosta must miss the verbal pugilism that happened whenever he confronted President Trump with a question.  So on Friday he ventured into the bears’ den at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Orlando, FL.

He got what he came for — a confrontation.  But what he didn’t expect were any of those “true believers” to give him a taste of his own medicine.

Was MrAcosta not down at CPAC looking for trouble?  Is his style not one of confromtation?

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

NYC School Chancellor Hits the Silk

For John, BLUF:  The head of New York City Public Schools departs, with someone better to follow, we hope.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Good riddance to Richard Carranza — the worst schools chancellor in NYC history

From The New York Post, by Columnist Karol Markowicz, February 26, 2021, 2:25pm.

Here is the lede plus two:

Ding-dong, NYC Schools Chancellor Richard Carranza has resigned.

No one has done more to harm New York City’s public schools than Carranza, and his resignation now, eight months until the next mayoral election, is akin to a captain abandoning a sinking ship that he purposely steered into an iceberg, with the hope that the crash can be blamed on others.

Appointed by Mayor Bill de Blasio in 2018, Carranza set to work accusing everyone around him of racism, degrading parents who dared speak up for their children.  He focused primarily on destroying New York’s best schools while doing absolutely nothing for the worst ones.  His departure has come too late for many kids across the city who have suffered under his leadership.

Yes, Richard Carranza was the Anti-Superintendent.  We have been fortunate that here in Lowell we have not had a School Superintendent who was as destructive of education as Dr Carranza.

I am interested in learning move about Dr Carranza's break.  Here is a clip from Dr Carranza's Wikipedia page:

[Doctor] Carranza will resign as Chancellor of New York City Schools, effective March 15th, 2021.  The abrupt move comes after disagreements between Mayor Bill de Blasio and Mr. Carranza over school desegregation policy reached a breaking point in recent weeks.  He will be replaced by Meisha Porter, a longtime city educator and current Bronx superintendent who will become the first Black woman to lead the sprawling system, which has over 1 million students and 1,800 schools.

As an aside, one wonders why Wikipedia says "Mr Carranza", but we are supposed to say "Dr Jill Biden"?

I regret that the 90 day hiatus for City Life Show means that I will not have a contemporaneous chance to ask Lowell School Superintendent Dr Joel Boyd about his opinion on this public breach between the New York City Mayor and the School Superintendent [Chancellor].

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

Who Bans Books?

For John, BLUF:  Individuals say stupid, ignorant things.  This is not a reason to ban them from speaking, except maybe by walking away.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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A Tweet on Book Banning

Here is the Tweet:

Vivek Ramaswamy  @VivekGRamaswamy  ·  Feb 25
Name ONE time in human history when the group fighting to ban books and censor speech were the good guys.

I’ll wait...

And Mr Ramaswamy will be waiting a long time.

We may not like the thoughts of others, but that does not give us the right to suppress those thoughts.  Fight them, yes.  Absolutely!  Suppressing them, by either Government action or by Mob action, is wrong, wrong, wrong.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

New Postal Van

For John, BLUF:  The new US Post Office delivery vehicle is a radically different design.  With a very low front end and a hugh windshield, it looks like something from a different world.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Why the New USPS Mail Truck Looks So Strange

Here is the sub-headline:

Design constraints from USPS forced Oshkosh to come up with one seriously funky final product.

From Road and Track, by Reporter Brian Silvestro, 24 February 2021.

Here is the lede plus two:

The USPS revealed Tuesday it has contracted Oshkosh Defense, a military vehicle manufacturer, to build its next delivery truck.  Dubbed the Next Generation Delivery Vehicle (NGDV), it's a welcome replacement for the current fleet of Grumman LLVs, some of which have been in service for over 30 years.  Still, one question lingers:  Why does it look so strange?

The answer, as you've probably already guessed, comes down to mandatory design restrictions.   The USPS has a long list of requirements for the new delivery truck that forced Oshkosh to make it look like a misshapen shoe.  Nir Kahn, design director for custom carmaker Plasan, was involved with one of the early proposals for the new USPS truck, and shared his insights on Twitter:

Nir Kahn
@Nir_Kahn
I was involved in an early proposal for the USPS truck so I know the requirements well.  They pretty much dictated the proportions - this package sketch shows that to meet the ergonomic and size requirements, there wasn’t much freedom 1/2 #USPS

It looks "different" but if it does the job, with safety, it is perfect.

An additional thought.  The US Post Office seems to be going through a rough patch right now.  Things we have sent out have been delayed.  We now worry about bill payments arriving in a timely manner.  I recently sent something to Texas overnight and was told that it could take a couple of days for delivery.  That said, our Postal Workers here in Lowell continue to be helpful and cheerful, and even if it is late in the afternoon, the mail arrives at our home.  So, kudos to those who wear the Mail Carrier uniform.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

PTSD

For John, BLUF:  PTSD isn't just about folks who saw combat down range.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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On Post Traumatic Stress, marriages, and two truly awesome books

From the Blog On a Wing and a Whim, by Aviator Dorothy Grant, 24 February 2021.

Here is the lede plus one:

I was sitting in the living room with my Calmer Half, enjoying a cup of coffee and the mutual exhausted silence, when he opened his eyes, looked around, and focused on Jen Satterly's book lying blamelessly on the coffee table.  It's Arsenal of Hope:  Tactics for Taking on PTSD, Together, and it's the... well, last year her husband, retired Delta CSM Tom Satterly wrote All Secure:  A Special Operations Soldier's Fight to Survive on the Battlefield and the Homefront, in which he details the effect that training and operational tempo, combat and losing friends and the resulting PTSD had not only on him, but on his marriages, on his kid, and on his ability to adapt to civilian life.  And how he's fought his way back from the blackest depths to healthy and happy, and is trying to show others the trail he's blazed, and that it's possible and there's hope.

Jen's book is the other half, on what living with someone with PTSD is like, and the toll it takes from the dependent's view.  It's also exactly what is says - an arsenal of many different treatments, therapies, approaches, and the cheerful, rueful note that none of them are a silver bullet.  Some don't work at any given time but work well later, some work and then lose their effectiveness, some will never work for any particular case.  It's an honest, raw look at all the ways that things get messed up between spouses, and that there's been a lot of pain, and depression on her end, as living with rampant PTSD is depressing!  About how to treat yourself, and the importance of putting your own oxygen mask on first, and helping yourself so you can be a help to your partner.

If I had to distill them down to quips, Tom's book is "This shit hits even the toughest of us. You're not weak, you're injured, and there's hope to heal."  And Jen's?  "Here's how, for both of you."

Perhaps the best definition of PTSD in the Blog Post:

It's the right set of responses to the wrong environment.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

Bombs Away in Syria

For John, BLUF:  It appears we are back in the Middle East game, maybe not for the good.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Middle Easterners Begin Painting Transgender Flag Colors On Doorposts To Avoid Biden Drone Strikes

From The Babylon Bee, 26 January 2021.

Here is the lede plus one:

Facing the coming wrath of President Biden, Middle Easterners turned to the only possible means of escape:  painting their doorposts with the colors of the transgender flag.

"Please, O Angel of Death, pass us by!" cried one man as Predator drones flew by, raining the wrath of Biden from above.  "I support your social justice causes, see?  You can pass right on by!  No problems with you here!  We love you, President Biden!  So proud to be bombed by a female vice president of color for the first time! Historic!"

Why are we bombing Syria?  And Iranian targets in Syrian?  How is that working in helping us re-enter the nuclear non-proliferation agreement with Iran?

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

Romney Speaks Straight

For John, BLUF:  The future of the the GOP is a topic for debate, and Senator Mitt Romney has an opinion.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Romney says he is ‘pretty sure’ Trump would win the GOP 2024 nomination for president if he ran again

From The Boston Globe, by Reporter Shannon Larson, 24 February 2021, 1:38 AM.

Here is the lede plus rwo:

Utah Senator Mitt Romney said he is “pretty sure” former president Donald Trump would clinch the Republican Party’s nomination for leader of the free world if he ran again in 2024.

The former Massachusetts governor made the comment in an interview with Andrew Ross Sorkin of the New York Times at DealBook DC Policy Project on Tuesday after he was asked what the future of the GOP looks like.

Romney said he was “sure” that Trump would continue to play a role in the Republican Party — which is currently boiling with tension among its different factions — and that he is also “pretty sure” Trump would “win the nomination” if he ran on the GOP ticket three years from now.

I think Senator Romney is seeinf, and speaking, clearly.

Regards  —  Cliff

Our Magnetic North Pole

For John, BLUF:  If you want to worry about the Environment, worry about this.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Earth's magnetic field flipped 42,000 years ago, creating a climate 'disaster'

From Space, by Reporter Mindy Weisberger, 22 February 2021.

Here is the lede plus two:

A reversal in Earth's magnetic field thousands of years ago plunged the planet into an environmental crisis that may have resembled "a disaster movie," scientists recently discovered.

Our planet's magnetic field is dynamic and, numerous times, it has flipped — when the magnetic North and South Poles swap places.  In our electronics-dependent world, such a reversal could seriously disrupt communication networks.

But the impact could be even more serious than that, according to the new study.  For the first time, scientists have found evidence that a polar flip could have serious ecological repercussions.  Their investigation connects a magnetic field reversal about 42,000 years ago to climate upheaval on a global scale, which caused extinctions and reshaped human behavior.

This could be a global catastrophy.  We could see extinctions, as species fail to adapt.  Life could be very hard for several hundred years.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

Competition for Twitter

For John, BLUF:  Until this article I had never heard of Clubhouse.  On the other hand, I was happy not knowing about it.  Especially after I dropped Twitter.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Clubhouse's rising popularity raises misinformation concerns

From The Hill, by Reporter Revecca Klar, 21 February 2021, 08:00 AM EST.

Here is the lede plus four:

Clubhouse, an emerging social media platform born during the coronavirus-driven lockdowns, has given users a chance to connect through intimate audio conversations with virtual strangers even while isolated at home.

But as the platform continues to grow, the same model that has allowed users to connect while physically apart is raising concerns about how the app will handle the spread of misinformation.

Unlike traditional social media platforms, where a user’s footprint is more permanent, Clubhouse’s chat room conversations are not recorded by the app, making it "essentially impossible" to discern the spread of false information or harassment, Emerson Brooking, resident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Digital Forensic Research Lab, told The Hill.

“Because your words don't follow you the same way that they do with a Twitter account, you do feel more relaxed, and that means the app is working as intended.  But of course, it means it also poses particular dangers,” Brooking added.

Brooking said Clubhouse’s model allows users to feel inclined to speak freely, without necessarily contemplating whether they’re sharing accurate information — or the consequences of spreading misinformation.

I wonder how he (Emerson Brooking) thinks his grandparents made it without someone blocking out all the disinformation for them.  It must have been very risky.  It is a wonder we ever elected Franklin D Roosevelt, Harry S Truman and Dwight D Eisenhower.

The only solution to this disinformation problem is:

ABOLISH ALL BACK YARD FENCES LOWER THAN TWELVE FEET!

We can’t have neighbors talking to each other!  They might be spreading false information!

If we believe that people are smart enough to vote for their leaders then we need to give them credit for being able to sort out the false from the true, which is what voting is all about.  That said, voting in the US accepts that some large percentage of voters, on the losing side, will be wrong.  Wrong, wrong, wrong!  They will not have sorted as well as the winning side.  But, it has worked for a couple of hundred years.

We need to be careful regarding messing with the flow of information, especially actions based on the idea that the voters are stupid.  The urge to curate information will lead to other actions that thwart free choice in our democracy, which means no democracy.

But, I am not a University Poly Sci Professor, although I did substitute for one for a week, until the union figured it out and sent in a professional professor to mess with the minds of the students.  :-)

Regards  —  Cliff

Did you EnjoyYour Stay?

For John, BLUF:  This is, of course, mockery, but it is funny, in its own way.  For sure the DPRK Concentration Camps are abysmal places.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Google Maps users find reviews of North Korea concentration camp

Here is the sub-headline:

People have been leaving largely positive reviews for the Yodok Concentration Camp on Google, which has previously been reported by one ex-detainee as being "worse than Auschwitz"

From The Daily Star (UK), by Digital Reporter Joshua Smith, 21 FEB 2021, 19:40.

Here is the lede plus four:

Google Maps users have found out that reviews have been left for a North Korea concentration camp on the platform.

The reviews, which are mostly positive, have been left for the Yodok Concentration Camp.

The camp, about 110km northeast of the country's capital of Pyongyang, was used to segregate those seen as enemies of the state, punish them for political misdemeanors and put them to hard labour but was reportedly closed down in 2014.

But that hasn't stopped people leaving reviews for the torture camp on Google.

Posting a video of the discovery on Reddit, one user wrote:  "Turns out North Korean concentration camps have reviews on Google."

Indeed they do.

I am glad to see humor, even macabree humor, is still alive and well.

Regards  —  Cliff

Shy Supreme Court

For John, BLUF:  It looks like the US Supreme Court is avoiding engaging on issues of how State Supreme Courts have messed with State election laws.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Justice Clarence Thomas Dissents From Supreme Court on Election Case: ‘We Need to Make It Clear’

From The Epoch Times, by Reporter Jack Phillips, 22 February 2021.

Here is the lede plus four:

Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas issued a dissenting opinion regarding the high court’s decision not to take up a case challenging the Pennsylvania Nov. 3 election results.

The court on Monday announced it won’t take up lawsuits challenging a Pennsylvania state court decision that relaxed ballot-integrity measures, including a move to extend the ballot-receipt deadline during the November election by three days due to the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus.  Former President Donald Trump and Pennsylvania’s GOP urged the court to take up a review of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruling.

“This is not a prescription for confidence,” Thomas wrote on Monday, adding that “changing the rules in the middle of the game is bad enough.”  Thomas, considered by many to be the most conservative justice, said the court should have granted a review.

“That decision to rewrite the rules seems to have affected too few ballots to change the outcome of any federal election.  But that may not be the case in the future,” Thomas wrote (pdf).  “These cases provide us with an ideal opportunity to address just what authority nonlegislative officials have to set election rules, and to do so well before the next election cycle.  The refusal to do so is inexplicable.”

Other than Thomas, Justices Samuel Alito and Neil Gorsuch also dissented.

I am with Justice Thomas on this.

It seems somewhat irregular for state courts to be usurping the responsibilities assigned to state legislatures, even if there is a COVID-19 Pandemic ongoing.

Regards  —  Cliff

G Washington's Birthday

For John, BLUF:  My American hero.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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First in War, First in Peace, and First in the Hearts of His Countrymen

From a eulogy by Henry “Light Horse Harry” Lee.

Regards  —  Cliff

Venezuela Evolving

For John, BLUF:  The sad story is that Venezuela was doing well, but to do better the leadership, under President Hugo Chávez, tried socialism, which caused collapse and thus many, almost all, are doing less well.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Bloomberg:  Venezuela Turns to Privatization After Being Bankrupted by Socialism

Here is the sub-headline:

After much pain and suffering, Venezuelan socialist leaders have conceded they cannot effectively run an economy.

From The Foundztion for Economic Education, by Managing Editor Jon Miltimore, 16 February 2021.

Here is the lede plus five:

Early in 2007, after winning a second six-year term as president, Hugo Chávez announced his plan to nationalize Venezuela’s largest telecommunications company, CANTV, hinting at wider nationalization plans to come.

“All that was privatized, let it be nationalized,” announced Chávez, who had run under the banner of democratic socialism.

Nearly a decade and a half later, on the brink of mass famine and a growing energy crisis, Venezuela is now moving in the opposite direction.

According to Bloomberg News, Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro has quietly begun transferring state assets back into the hands of private owners in an effort to reverse the country's economic collapse.

“Saddled with hundreds of failed state companies in an economy barreling over a cliff, the Venezuelan government is abandoning socialist doctrine by offloading key enterprises to private investors, offering profit in exchange for a share of revenue or products,” write Caracas-based journalists Fabiola Zerpa and Nicolle Yapur.

The transfer, which was not announced publicly but was confirmed by “nine people with knowledge of the matter,” reportedly includes dozens of coffee processors, grain silos, and hotels that were confiscated as part of Venezuela's widespread nationalization that began under Chavez.

It is all happening sub rosa.  But it is happening.  Venezuela is moving away from Socialism, but not necessarily toward Capitalism.

Here is how the article ends:

The Maduro government is still using everything from price controls on food to minimum wage hikes to currency manipulation to manage its economy, not to mention selecting which businesses get to participate in its privatization efforts (and who gets to invest).  In terms of overall economic freedom, Venezuela ranked 179 out of 180 countries in 2020—one place ahead of North Korea and one behind Cuba.

At best, Venezuela’s current economic system is a form of fascism, which Sheldon Richman once described as “socialism with a capitalist veneer.”

Yes, the difference betaween Fascism and Socialism is how the profits are distribued.  In both cases the concept of individual freedom is very limited.  For example, see this testimony by a North Korean woman who is now in the UK.

The key take away is that Democratic Socialism is still socialism and is a perversion of how economics works.  The outcome of any form of socialism is the destruction of the economic signaling system that makes for successful economic exchange and advancement.

Regards  —  Cliff

Impeachment Fail

For John, BLUF:  I have seen accolades thrown at the House (Democratic Party) Impeachment Managers, but the fact is, they failed at their task.  And nothing says a unified nation like them all being Democrats.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Did The Democrats “Tank” The Second Trump Trial?

From Res ipsa loquitur – The thing itself speaks, by Professor Jonathan Turley, 12 February 2021.

Here is the lede:

Below is my column in USA Today on the lack of a strategy by the House to secure conviction in the trial of former President Donald Trump.  As I have previously noted, the House managers did an excellent job in their presentations and many of the videotapes rekindled the anger that most of us felt over the riot.  They also reinforced the view of many (including myself) that former president Donald Trump bears responsibility in the tragedy that unfolded due to his reckless rhetoric.  Yet, there was a glaring omission in the substance of the House arguments.  The managers did not lay out what the standard should be in convicting a former president for incitement of an insurrection and only briefly touched on proving any “state of mind” needed for such a conviction.  That is why I have referred to their case as more emotive than probative.  It lacked direct evidence to support the claim that Trump wanted to incite an actual insurrection or rebellion against the United States, as alleged in the article of impeachment.  I do not believe that an acquittal was inevitable in this case, but it was all but assured by critical decisions made by the House in this impeachment.  The unforced errors discussed below raise the question of whether the Democrats “tanked” the trial.

The rest of the Blog Post is Professor Turley's USA Today Column.

I don't think they deliberately tanked the trial, but I do agree they were driven by their emotions.

More important, this trial failure means that Speaker Nancy Pelosi will need to hang around the US House of Representatives until into 2025, so she can be ready for one more impeachment, in the event Citizen Donald J Trump gets reelected as President.  No retirement for Speaker Pelosi.  The danger of President Trump is too great.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

Rush, RIP

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

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The Indispensable Man

Here is the sub-headline:

Rush Limbaugh, 1951-2021
Ave atque vale

From Styen on Line, by Commentator Mark Steyn, 17 February 2021.

Here is the lede plus one:

It is with profound sadness that we announce the death of Rush Limbaugh, a giant of American broadcasting, a uniquely talented performer, and a hugely generous man to whom I owe almost everything.

Rush died this morning, after a year-long struggle with lung cancer.  I was scheduled to guest-host today's show.  Instead, as you can hear, his beloved Kathryn will be introducing a special program put together by the EIB team to celebrate a great man's life and legacy.  It's a hard thing to do - compressing a glorious third-of-a-century into three hours - but Snerdley, Kraig, Mike, Allie and everyone else I've worked with there for so many years will do their best.

As that Canadian Expat ends up his post,

Talent returned to God.

I am glad for the time that Rush Limbaugh had on this earth and glad he spent it here in the Good Ole USA and on AM Radio.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

Biden on China

For John, BLUF:  This is a coherent exchange, which shows that President Biden isn't just locked away, drooling.  Yes, there will always be Bidenisms and there will always be the danger of unattributed quotes from Baron Neil Kinnock, but a good performance.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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CNN Town Hall:  Biden discusses phone call with Xi Jinping

From Newsweek, by Reporter Soo Kim On, BY SOO KIM ON 2/17/21 AT 9:00 AM EST.

Here is the China Extract:

COOPER: You just talked to China's president, I believe.

BIDEN: Yes, for two hours.

COOPER: What about the Uyghurs?  What about human rights abuses in China?

BIDEN: The Uyghurs.

We must speak up for human rights.  It's who we are.  We can't -- my comment to him was -- and I know him well, and he knows me well.  We're -- a two-hour conversation.

COOPER: You talked about this to him?

BIDEN: I talked about this too.

And that's not so much refugee, but I talked about it.  I said, look -- Chinese leaders, if you know anything about Chinese history, it has always been the time China when has been victimized by the outer world is when they haven't been unified at home.

So, the central -- to vastly overstate it, the central principle of Xi Jinping is that there must be a united, tightly controlled China.  And he uses his rationale for the things he does based on that.  I point out to him, no American president can be sustained as a president if he doesn't reflect the values of the United States.  And so the idea I'm not going to speak out against what he's doing in Hong Kong, what he's doing with the Uyghurs in western mountains of China, and Taiwan, trying to end the One-China policy by making it forceful, I said -- by the way, he said he gets it.

Culturally, there are different norms that each country and their leaders are expected to follow.  But my point was that, when I came back from meeting with him and traveling 17,000 miles with him when I was vice president and he was the vice president -- and that's how I got to know him so well, at the request of President Hu -- not a joke -- his predecessor, President Hu, and President Obama wanted us to get to know one another, because he was going to the president.

And I came back and said, they're going to end their one-child policy, because they're so xenophobic, they won't let anybody else in.  And more people are retired than working.  How can they sustain economic growth when more people are retired?

COOPER: When you talk to him, though, about human rights abuses, is that just -- is that as far as it goes in terms of the U.S.?  Or is there any actual repercussions for China?

BIDEN: Well, there will be repercussions for China.  And he knows that.

What I'm doing is making clear that we, in fact, are going to continue to reassert our role as spokespersons for human rights at the U.N. and other agencies that have an impact on their attitude.  China is trying very hard to become the world leader and to get that moniker.  And to be able to do that, they have to gain the confidence of other countries.

And as long as they're engaged in activity that is contrary to basic human rights, it's going to be hard for them to do that.

But it's more much more complicated than that.  I'm -- I shouldn't try to talk China policy in 10 minutes on television here.

I don't think this was as bad as Television Personality Maria Bartiromo suggested on her "Mornings With Maria" show this morning.  Time will tell.

Hat tip to an unattributed source.

UPDATE:  Thanks to a comment from my Wife, I cleaned up the spelling of Ms Maria Bartiromo's name.

Regards  —  Cliff

Shift in US Foreign Policy Against Israel?

For John, BLUF:  I think Israel still exists in the Middle East because of US support.  I would hate to see us back away from that support.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Biden Makes History:  First President in 40 Years to Punt on Contacting Israel

Here is the sub-headline:

White House doesn't list Israel as American ally

From The Washington Free Beacon, by Reporter Adam Kredo, 12 February 2021, 6:30 PM.

Here is the lede plus four:

President Joe Biden is the first American leader in 40 years not to contact Israel’s leaders as one of his first actions in the White House, setting up what could be four years of chilly relations between America and its top Middle East ally.

Biden has already phoned multiple world leaders, including Russian president Vladimir Putin and Chinese president Xi Jinping, but during his 23 days in office has yet to speak with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu—making Biden the first president in modern history to punt on bolstering U.S.-Israel relations during his initial days in office.  Every president going back to at least Ronald Reagan in 1981 made contact with their Israeli counterpart within a week of assuming office, according to a review of news reports.

Congressional foreign policy leaders slammed Biden’s Netanyahu snub, prompting a flurry of questions for White House press secretary Jen Psaki, who has declined to disclose when or if Biden will call the Israeli leader.  Psaki also said on Friday the White House would not list Israel as a U.S. ally when asked about the relationship during her daily press briefing.

Modern presidents going back to Reagan made calls or overtures to Israel during their first days in office, sending a message the United States would continue to stand for the Jewish state’s security.  Biden’s diplomatic slight comes as Israel faces encroaching terrorist threats and the danger of a nuclear-armed Iran.  He also has hired several individuals with a background in anti-Israel activism, including Maher Bitar, a top White House National Security Council official who spent his youth organizing boycotts of the Jewish state.  The State Department’s Iran envoy, Robert Malley, also has been a vocal critic of Israel.

This report is five days old and this morning I saw a report that said the Biden Administration was planning on contacting Mr Netanyahu within the next couple of weeks.

Even so, I am worried about how the new Administration will be maintaining peace in the Middle East.  President Trump's Abraham Accords offered a new path to peace in the Middle East.  I hope we do not have much backtracking by the Biden Administration.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

President Biden Out and About

For John, BLUF:  I was happy to see that President Biden did this 90 minute town hall.  It shows he does have stamina.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Three key takeaways from Joe Biden’s town hall meeting in Wisconsin

From The Boston Globe, by Reporter James Pindell, 16 February 2021, 10:36 p.m..

Here are the Reporter's three key takeaways:

1. The number one question in America right now is when and how to reopen schools
2. Biden wants to move away from an America obsessed with Trump
3. America is divided and concerned about it

These are important points and very important to address.

The article in The Boston Globe slipped over the issue of China, and its treatment of the Uighurs which was captured by Maria Bartiroma this morning on Fox Business News (Mornings With Maria), and captured here:

"Culturally, there are different norms" that leaders are expected to follow, Biden said.

This question of the Uighurs, Hong Kong and Taiwan will likely be dogging our relations with China for some timer.  It will be a shadow over the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing.  Do we go or do we stay?

The last time we boycotted the Olympics was back in 1980.  It was the decision of President Jimmy Carter and it was in response to actions by Russia.

Regards  —  Cliff

The Wall

For John, BLUF:  I wasn't happy when they closed off Pennsylvania Avenue in front of the White House.  This makes me even less happy.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Creating a Capitol fortress: ‘The obvious, easy, and wrong answer’?

Here is the sub-headline:

Increased security – barbed wire and armed military – may protect the U.S. Capitol against another insurrection, but it also hinders a core component of American democracy: lawmakers who answer to the people.

From The Christian Science Monitor, by Staff Writer Story Hinckley, 11 February 2021.

Here is the lede plus two:

In front of the U.S. Capitol this past Saturday, a young mother with a baby strapped to her chest asked a stranger to take her family’s photo.  As the father tried to wrangle their little girl, wholly focused on her dripping ice cream cone, they stood smiling before the Capitol dome.  It was the classic snapshot – the kind destined to be stuck on a refrigerator with a magnet or taped in a scrapbook.

But that marble citadel backdrop was a quarter-mile away, behind the surreal photobomb of a dozen camouflaged men with black assault rifles patrolling a 7-foot-high barbed wire fence.

The Capitol is off-limits to the average citizen.

What a metaphor for how the Democrats are governing the Country.

To quote from a friend of mine, we are seeing, not leadership, but "inchargeship".  This is different from leadership, including the fact that there is a lack of leadership.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

Repent!

For John, BLUF:  God is a reality.  Everything to see here; don't just move along.

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ASH WEDNESDAY

Let's face it.  We all have sinned, and fallen short of the Glory of God.

Regards  —  Cliff

Donut Tuesday

For John, BLUF:  Fastnacht, Shrove Tuesday, Fat Tuesday.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

---

Lent is Coming

Then Easter!

What are you giving up for Lent?  Or, aren't you?

Regards  —  Cliff

Where Are We Going in the Middle East?

For John, BLUF:  I am a supporter of Israel, so I am bothered by President Biden seeming to give Israel, and Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu the cold shoulder.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

---

Is Joe Biden Looking to Take Obama's Place as the Most Anti-Israel President in History?

From PJ Media, by Columnist Matt Margolis, 15 February 2021, 2:56 PM ET.

Here is the lede plus two:

Barack Obama’s antipathy toward Israel during his two terms was unprecedented at the time, but it looks like Joe Biden is going to give him a run for his money.

As PJM’s Robert Spencer noted earlier, Joe Biden “has pointedly refrained from calling the head of the government of our most reliable ally in the Middle East, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu,” which could be an ominous warning that relations with our most important ally in the Middle East over the next four years will experience some major setbacks.

In his first three weeks in office Biden has spoken with many world leaders, including Russian President Vladimir Putin (OMG collusion, right?) and Chinese President Xi Jinping, but Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been snubbed.  This makes Biden “the first president in modern history to punt on bolstering U.S.-Israel relations during his initial days in office,” the Free Beacon’s Adam Kredo noted.  “Every president going back to at least Ronald Reagan in 1981 made contact with their Israeli counterpart within a week of assuming office.”  Even the notoriously anti-Israel Barack Obama called Israeli leaders on his first day in office. He also called Palestinian leaders the same day, but still made a stronger effort than Biden.  President Trump, of course, had a great relationship with Israel and quickly invited Netanyahu to Washington, D.C., within days of taking office.  President Trump went on to make historic progress with Israel, moving the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem and brokering several peace deals between Israel and Arab nations in the Middle East.

This may work out OK, but it does not seem like the way to go.  If offends Israel.  It likely offends our Arab friends, who have just broken precedent and signed up for the Abraham Accords.  It may please Iran, but not enough for them to come to an agreement with us over nuclear weapons or Middle East peace.

I hope this is not encouraging another Intifada.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

I Forgot

For John, BLUF:  A belated:

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Happy Valentine's Day

Regards  —  Cliff

The New Yorker Strikes

For John, BLUF:  Giving the other side their chance to change minds.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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History Will Find Trump Guilty

From The New Yorker, by Daily Comment Columnist David Remnick, February 13, 2021.

Here are the last three paragraphs:

“He truly made his base believe that the only way he could lose was if the election was rigged,” Joaquin Castro said during one of his trial speeches.  “And, Senators, all of us know, and all of us understand how dangerous that is for our country.  Because the most combustible thing you can do in a democracy is convince people an election doesn’t count, that their voice and their vote don’t count, and that it’s all been stolen—especially if what you’re saying are lies.”

The trial ended in a sour acquittal.  A shamed ex-President would inevitably declare victory.

But it is no victory at all. Within hours of his Inauguration, Joe Biden cancelled the plans of the 1776 Commission. Propaganda would not become the law of the land.  In his closing argument, Raskin quoted a Black Capitol Police officer who, after being called the N-word repeatedly, after his fellow-officers were beaten, abused, bashed with flag poles, and sprayed with bear repellent, asked, “Is this America?”  History will judge Donald Trump severely for his crimes against the United States.

I get that History will likely judge President Trump harshly.  What I don't see is that he is finished.  And even if he is, if his movement is finished.

I am not even sure that Speaker Nancy Pelosi is finished.  Will she now retreat or does she feel the need to hang around until 2025, to Impeach Donald Trump again, or to Impeach his successor.

Regards  —  Cliff

Beating Down the Opposition

For John, BLUF:  I am not sure if I see this as dangerously slow legal action or I see it as the useabuse of Government powers to impact elections.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Prosecutor Demands €5,000 Fine Against Marine Le Pen over Photos Exposing ISIS Crimes

Here is the original in Le Figaro:

5000 euros d'amende requis contre Marine Le Pen et Gilbert Collard pour avoir diffusé des photos d'exactions de Daech

From Breitbrt, by Reporter Chris Tomlinson, 13 February 2021.

Here is the lede plus one:

National Rally leader Marine Le Pen and MEP Gilbert Collard were in court this week as prosecutors demand a 5,000 euro fine against the two for exposing Islamic State atrocities by sharing pictures of them on Twitter in 2015.

The two French politicians had posted the photographs after journalist Jean-Jacques Bourdin compared the Front National, as National Rally was formerly known, to the radical Islamic terrorist group.

Both politicians admit to posting the photographs but protested the hate speech charges against them, French newspaper Le Figaro reports, with Le Pen stating: “It is crime, not photographic reproduction of the crime, that undermines human dignity!”

Le Pen compared the images to the photograph of Aylan Kurdi, a child who had drowned during the height of the migrant crisis in 2015 whose picture made front pages of newspapers worldwide, stating: “This photo was published by the entire French media without the prosecutor’s office ever finding a reason to initiate a prosecution of any kind.”

So, the French Government is going after French Presidential Candidate Marine Le Pen for publishing, on Twitter, pictures of Islamic State atrocities.  This factual expression of the depravity of the Islamic State is somehow bad for the public to see.

You don't think that this is an attempt to smear candidate Le Pen because of her strong showing in the polls against President Macron?  No, that kind of thing would be unethical, particularly by a Government Agency.  Heck, this would be like Impeaching and then trying someone after they had left office.

Hat tip to my Wife.

Regards  —  Cliff

Looking to the New GOP

For John, BLUF:  Here is a more optomistic view of the outcome of the Impeachment Trial.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Acquitted

From Wretchard Blog, by Blogger Richard Fernandez, 13 February 2021.

Here is the lede plus one:

“A conviction would have also set the stage for a vote to bar him from serving in public office again.”  The outcome leaves the populist forces in the field and the old GOP party in the dust.

Up next:  the battle to define conservative politics as Biden faces a new world.

I think the Democratic Party Leadership is not satisfied, but as Richard says, their options are narrowing.

And, the interesting question is the platform and personalities of the Conservative/Liberal (vice Progressive) party that emerges going forward.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

It Isn't Over

For John, BLUF:  We have a Senate vote that acquits Citizen Donald J Trump of the charges under which the US House of Representatives Impeached him.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Senate Votes to Acquit Trump in Impeachment

From PJ Media, by Reporter Tyler O'Neil, 13 February 2021 3:54 PM ET.

Here is the lede:

On Saturday, the U.S. Senate voted to acquit former President Donald Trump of high crimes and misdemeanors, specifically of “incitement of insurrection.”

And here is part of Citizen Trump's responsae to the news:

“Our cherished Constitutional Republic was founded on the impartial rule of law, the indispensable safeguard for our liberties, our rights and our freedoms,” Trump added.  “It is a sad commentary on our times that one political party in America is given a free pass to denigrate the rule of law, defame law enforcement, cheer mobs, excuse rioters, and transform justice into a tool of political vengeance, and persecute, blacklist, cancel and suppress all people and viewpoints with whom or which they disagree.”

“I always have, and always will, be a champion for the unwavering rule of law, the heroes of law enforcement, and the right of Americans to peacefully and honorably debate the issues of the day without malice and without hate,” the former president added.

Do you think this is over?  Heck, when the Lord Protector, Oliver Cromwell, died in 1659, and was buried, it wasn't over.♠  In 1661 the new government dug up his body and "executed" him and then put his skull on a spike outside of Parliament.  Until circa 1685.

Yes, we need some reconcilliation, but it will require a little give from each of the sides.  When will that happen?  Not this weekend.  Senate Majorit Leader Schumer described the 43 Republican Senators voting against Impeachment as having "voted to 'condone' the attack on the Capitol on January 6, 2021".

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

♠  For perspective, we are talking 39 years after the Pilgrims landed on Plymouth Rock.  Seems like just yesterday.

More Gas Taxes

For John, BLUF:  I say tax because even if the price is driven up by a slack in supply due to Government action.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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HERE WE GO:  Gas Prices Have Already Spiked Under Biden (And They Could Go Much Higher)

From Trending Politics, by Mr Chris Donaldson, 12 February 2021.

Here is the lede plus one:

After four years of stable gas prices under President Donald J. Trump, Americans may have to get used to some pain at the pump.

Former Vice President Joe Biden hasn’t even been in the White House for a month and gas prices are already up a whopping 18 percent with at least one analyst predicting that they could hit $4 per gallon in the near future.

This is, of course, a tax on the poor and the Middle Class.

Will the stimulus offset this taxation?

Hat tip to my Buddy Greg.

Regards  —  Cliff

No There There

For John, BLUF:  I am not surprised at Senator Rand Paul's conclusions.  They align with mine.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Impeachment Managers Admitted Trump Was Not Impeached for His Words:  Sen. Rand Paul

From The Epoch Times, by Reporter Samuel Allegri, 12 February 2021.

Here is the lede plus three:

Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) said on Thursday that the House Democrats conducting the impeachment of former President Donald Trump were not able to prove that he incited the violence at the Capitol on Jan. 6.

Paul, in response to a Fox News interviewer asking him what he would recommend to Trump’s defense lawyers, said he “would capitalize on something extraordinary that the impeachment managers admitted.”

“They admitted that President Trump was not impeached for his words.  This is sort of extraordinary because I’m not sure how you incite someone to insurrection or to this violence they say he’s alone responsible for if it’s not through his words,” Paul said in the interview.

“They finish up by saying, ‘Well, it’s not through his words, it’s because he advocated that the election was stolen,'” he added.  “Well, so has Nancy Pelosi … So has Hillary Clinton in 2016.  So has Jamie Raskin, the lead House impeachment manager [who] went to the floor in 2017 and said, ‘Trump stole the election and I am objecting to ceding the certified electors from Florida.'”

This is all pretty sad.

Regards  —  Cliff

Respect is a Declining Value

For John, BLUF:  The US Congress used to be known for courtesy, even if it was only faux courtsey.  The Lady from Baltimore, the current Speaker, seems to have beaten that down.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Pelosi Banned Congresswoman’s Military Officer Son From Attending Her Swearing-In

From The Daily Caller, by Senior Congressional Correspondent Henry Rodgers, 11 February 2021, 1:08 PM ET.

Here is the lede plus two:

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi would not allow Republican New York Rep. Claudia Tenney to have her son present in the gallery for her swearing-in Thursday, Tenney told the Daily Caller.

Former White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer sent out a tweet Thursday morning with the news that Pelosi denied Tenney’s request to let her son, a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, watch her get sworn in from above the floor in the gallery.  The Daily Caller contacted Tenney about the news, to which she confirmed it was true.

“I guess he’s considered a risk,” Tenney told the Caller.  Tenney said that Pelosi told her the news about her son not being allowed to watch from the gallery in a “text from staff and in person,” adding that there were “several exchanges.”

Yes, this is an egregious expression of lack of respect, an expression of discourtiousness.  Sort of like ripping up the State of the Union speech, in public.

Yes, I gave Congresswoman Tenney money last weekend, to help defray her legal expenses.

Yes, Speaker Pelosi fell right into lockstep with President Trump regarding being courteous, and then outpaced him.

Yes, Rep Tenney's son is a US Marine.

Regards  —  Cliff

Watch Your Acronyms (and Initialisms)

For John, BLUF:  This is San Francisco, which might be used as an excuse.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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YGBKM:  Acronyms A Tool Of White Supremacy, Says San Francisco School Board

From Hot Air, by Captain Ed Morrissey, 2 February 2021, 11:25.

This appears to be more of a class issue than a race issue.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

The Impeachment Trial

For John, BLUF:  I am guessing the Democratic Congressional Leadership is saying, "Let's throw mud and see if any of it sticks."  Not a good look for a major party.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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A pithy montage of incitement hypocrisy.

From The Althouse Blog, by Prof Ann Althouse, 12 February 2021.

The casual hypocrisy.

If the Democrats had a bipartisan list, one that included Majority Leader Schumer, Speaker Pelosi and Representatives Adam Schiff and Maxine Waters, I might be willing to talk.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

Happy Birthday Abe

For John, BLUF:  Back when i was young the 12th of February was President Abraham Lincoln's birthday, and a National Holiday, as was Washington's Birthday, on the 22nd.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Lincoln's Birthday

And here is the link to Washington's Birthday:

Washington's Birthday

Happy Birthday Gents, and thanks for putting us on the road to being the freedom loving nation we are and are becoming.

Regards  —  Cliff

Since Reversed

For John, BLUF:  Is it again OK to be patriotic?  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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White House says Mavericks’ national anthem ban recognizes US failings

From The New York Post, by Reporter Ebony Bowden, 10 February 2021, 1:30pm.

Here is the lede plus one:

The Biden administration on Tuesday appeared to support the Dallas Mavericks’ decision to nix the national anthem at games — telling reporters that national pride includes knowing that Americans “haven’t lived up to our highest ideals.”

At a White House press conference, spokeswoman Jen Psaki was asked what President Biden thought of Mavericks owner Mark Cuban’s decision to no longer play “The Star-Spangled Banner” following an athlete-led kneeling protest over systemic racism.

“Well, I haven’t spoken with the president about the decision by Mark Cuban or the Dallas Mavericks,” Psaki said, “but I know he’s incredibly proud to be an American, and has great respect for the anthem, and all that represents, especially for our men and women serving in uniform around the world.”

Biden’s top spokeswoman then appeared to endorse the decision and said athletes choosing to kneel during the anthem were calling out the nation’s failings.

I am not particularly fond of The Star Spangled Banner as our natinal anthem, although Miss Malea Emma Tjandrawidjaja's rendition is very captivating.  I could start the day with her rendition from now to forever. 

I thought the casual dismissal of this by the President's Press Secretary left much to be desired.

However, Mr Cuban appears to have reversed his position, perhaps urged on by the NBA organization.

I have to agree with Ms Jen Psaki, the White House Press Secretary.  We “haven’t lived up to our highest ideals.”  On the other hand, who around the world have?  Who have lived up to their own debased ideals?  We have pitched our ideals pretty high and fallen short.  But, we fight on.  We are Americans.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

Dividing the Flocks

For John, BLUF:  For sure, President Trump has been divisive, dividing the sheep from the goats.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Exclusive:  Dozens of former Republican officials in talks to form anti-Trump third party

From Reuters, by Reporter Tim Reid, 10 February 2021, 9:39 PM.

Here is the lede plus three:

Dozens of former Republican officials, who view the party as unwilling to stand up to former President Donald Trump and his attempts to undermine U.S. democracy, are in talks to form a center-right breakaway party, four people involved in the discussions told Reuters.

The early stage discussions include former elected Republicans, former officials in the Republican administrations of Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, George W. Bush and Trump, ex-Republican ambassadors and Republican strategists, the people involved say.

More than 120 of them held a Zoom call last Friday to discuss the breakaway group, which would run on a platform of “principled conservatism,” including adherence to the Constitution and the rule of law - ideas those involved say have been trashed by Trump.

The plan would be to run candidates in some races but also to endorse center-right candidates in others, be they Republicans, independents or Democrats, the people say.

It isn't just about Mr Donald J Trump.  It is about all those Republicans on Capitol Hill who are unwilling to take him down and bar him from any future office.

Professor Glenn Reynolds notes, in his comment on this article:

Also, the notion that the GOP is “divided” is hogwash.  Bush finished in 2009 with an approval of 34%, and that was a bounce from a fall low of 25%.  Trump finished with 51%, and a 79% approval rating among Republicans.

I am wondering if this new coterie will attract anyone from the Democratic Party side.  Perhaps folks like Representative Marcy Kaptur, of Ohio.  I can't help but think that Trump Derangement Syndrome♠ is what is helping the Democrats hold together.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

♠  My Middle Brother asserts, with great forcefulness, that TDS stands for those of us who are deranged, as indicated by our support for President Trump.  While the Urban Dictionary backs this take, Dictionary dot Com does not.  I go with Dictionary dot Com.

Fortress Washington

For John, BLUF:  i can remember when Pennsylvania Avenue, in front of the White House, was closed to vehicular traffic, on a temporary basis.  Now it appears permanen.  I hope the fencing around Capitol Hill does not become permanent.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Demands Intensify for Security Fence Around Capitol to Come Down

From The Epoch Times, by Writer Mark Tapscott, 19 February 2021.

Here is the lede plus three:

Forty-one House Republicans want Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) to take down the razor-wire-topped steel barrier surrounding the U.S. Capitol complex and send the troops manning it home as soon as possible.

“We write with concerns about the security measures and enhanced fencing around the U.S. Capitol even though high-profile events like the inauguration are over,” the group said in a Feb. 5 letter to Pelosi.

“In particular, we are concerned with recent reports that the fencing surrounding the Capitol may become permanent.  We are willing to have an honest debate about providing Capitol Hill Police (CHP) with the resources they need to be better prepared without turning the Capitol into a permanent fortress.

“To that end, we urge you to remove the barbed wire fencing surrounding the Capitol and send the National Guard troops home to their families.  It’s time.  It’s time for healing and it’s time for the removal of the fencing so the nation may move forward.”

It is interesting that we, the Citizens, have not yet been told about the specific threat or threats justifying the fencing and the retention of the Nation Guard.  We were warned about threats to all the State Capitols on Inauguration Day.  However, nothing happened.

Perhaps the leadership on Capitol Hill, all Democrat, thinks the Impeachment Trial will bring out the worst.  Maybe they are hoping, as a sort of reverse time justification for the trial.

Regardless, it is time to "tear down this wall!"

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

You Will Be Punished

For John, BLUF:  The whole Impeachment Trial of Citizen Donald Trump is a farce, but there are tens of millions who take it seriously.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Democrats to impeach all 75 million Americans who voted for Trump

From Genesius Times, by Reporter Rafi Metz, 9 February 2021.

Here is the lede plus one:

In a stunning and unprecedented move, Senate Democrats have subjected all 75 million Americans who voted for Trump to the Senate’s impeachment trial.

“If we can put a former president who’s now a private citizen on trial, we can put anyone on trial,” Sen. Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said.  “It’s not only Trump we’re after, but all of his voters as well who enabled his reckless behavior of abiding by the Constitution for this long.  They too must suffer the consequences of his actions.  I’m confident we’ll end up convicting Trump and the 75 million Americans who voted for him, disqualifying all of them from ever holding federal office again.”

I think this article is in error.  I think 75 million is too high.  President Trump only garnered 74 million votes.  Thus, there are near one million Citizens who will be spared, but that still means 74 million plus vters will be convicted and denied their political rights.  Sort of like those who swore allegience to the Confederacy, but without a means of recovery.

The photo of Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer is priceless.

I wonder if Snopes has evaluated this?

Regards  —  Cliff

Have We Lost Our Freedom?

For John, BLUF:  We think about free speech in terms of the Government taking it away from us, and while that is important, there is also our fellow citizens, in more informal ways, banding together to deny us our free speech, which seems to be happening today.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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The media Stasi:  Glenn Greenwald slams culture of 'junior high hall-monitor tattling' among prominent 'woke' journalists that is like East German 'citizen surveillance'

Here is the sub-headline:

• The journalist shared his thoughts on what he calls 'authoritarian "reporting"'
• Greenwald points to New York Times reporter Taylor Lorenz who falsely accused a tech investor of using the r-word during an online chat she was monitoring
• 'They have insufficient talent or skill, and even less desire, to take on real power centers...so settle on this penny-ante, trivial bulls***,' he writes
• Greenwald also namechecked CNN's Brian Stelter, Oliver Darcy, NBC's Ben Collins, Brandy Zadrozny and NYT's Mike Isaac, Kevin Roose, Sheera Frenkel

From The Daily Mail, by Reporter Lauren Fruen, 8 February 2021, 11:39 EST.

Here is the lede plus five:

Glenn Greenwald has slammed what he calls the 'junior high hall-monitor tattling' among the 'woke' media, dubbing it 'Stasi-like citizen surveillance'.

The journalist, part of a team that won a Pulitzer for reports about government surveillance programs based on leaks by Edward Snowden, shared his thoughts on what he calls 'authoritarian "reporting"' on Substack Sunday.

In it Greenwald points to New York Times reporter Taylor Lorenz, who falsely accused a tech investor of using the word 'retarded' during an online chat she was monitoring.

Greenwald also namechecks CNN's Brian Stelter and Oliver Darcy, NBC's Ben Collins and Brandy Zadrozny and the Times' Mike Isaac, Kevin Roose and Sheera Frenkel, calling them 'hall-monitor reporters'.

He writes:  'A new and rapidly growing journalistic “beat” has arisen over the last several years that can best be described as an unholy mix of junior high hall-monitor tattling and Stasi-like citizen surveillance.

'They have insufficient talent or skill, and even less desire, to take on real power centers...so settle on this penny-ante, trivial bulls*** — tattling, hall monitoring, speech policing.'

And it goes on, at the link.

For those who don't reverberate with the term Stasi, it was the dreaded East German Secret Police, who monitored everything and everyone and worked to get lover to spy on love and children on parents.  Worse than the tattling on those seen on video walking through the Nation's Capitol on 6 January 2021.  Before computers, many, many file cabinets of "3x5" index cards (probably A7 size index card, it being Europe) and larger size papers and photographs.  The reunified German Government has engaged in a major effort to reclaim and open up the Stasi files.

A serious question is, is anyone playing Stasi in the United States.  There is the Press, of course. Then there are the revelations about spying♠ on Citizen Carter Page, which does not give me confidence.

Hat tip to my Wife.

Regards  —  Cliff

♠  Former FBI Director James Comey objects to calling it spying, but that is what it is, his sensitivities notwithstanding.

The French Are Aroused

For John, BLUF:  The French have a several hundred year tradition of "Liberté, égalité, fraternité", which is a delicate balance,  Now radical ideas from the United States threaten to overthrow the balance.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Will American Ideas Tear France Apart? Some Think So.

Here is the sub-headline:

Politicians and prominent intellectuals say social theories from the United States on race, gender and post-colonialism are a threat to French identity and the French republic.

From The Old Gray Lady, by By Norimitsu Onishi, 9 February 2021 Updated 9:38 a.m. ET.

Actually, I caught this at a Tweet by Reporter Glenn Greenwald.  I have dropped off of Twitter, but that doesn't mean I won't check out a tweet recommended by someone I trust.

Here is the tweet:

Glenn Greenwald  @ggreenwald  ·  49m
Obama-endorsed French President Emmanuel Macron has joined numerous French intellectuals & journalists in warning that "out-of-control woke leftism of US campuses and its attendant cancel culture" poses a grave threat due to the social strife it creates:

Here is the article lede, plus three:

The threat is said to be existential.  It fuels secessionism.  Gnaws at national unity.  Abets Islamism.  Attacks France’s intellectual and cultural heritage.

The threat?  "Certain social science theories entirely imported from the United States," said President Emmanuel Macron.

French politicians, high-profile intellectuals and journalists are warning that progressive American ideas — specifically on race, gender, post-colonialism — are undermining their society.  "There’s a battle to wage against an intellectual matrix from American universities," warned Mr. Macron’s education minister.

Emboldened by these comments, prominent intellectuals have banded together against what they regard as contamination by the out-of-control woke leftism of American campuses and its attendant cancel culture.

It is unusual for the French to be concerned about Americans having radical ideas.  It is usually the other way around.  I would think it would cause all those bien-pensant Democrats to pause and take stock.  But, not today.  Today is about ridding of kingdom of that troublesome Developer.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

Parties Have Work to Do

For John, BLUF:  The Impeachment Trial notwithstanding, both parties have issues to work out before 2022.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Marcy Kaptur’s warning

From The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, by the Editorial Board, 7 February 2021.

Here is the lede plus many very short paragraphs:

Marcy Kaptur is the longest-serving woman in the current Congress.

She has also been in the U.S. House of Representatives longer than any woman has served there, in all of U.S. history.

She came to the Congress in 1983.

She is 74 and has been a Democrat her entire voting life.

You might think she is worth listening to.

As it happens, she has a message for her party: Wake up.

Wake up or you will lose the House in the next election and maybe not regain it for many years.

Wake up or you will lose the working class to the Republicans, for good.

It is already happening.

I see her thinking, but the Democrats could be save by ability of media and Big Tech to "fortify" future elections.

On the other hand, Blogger Ed Driscoll points out Professor Glenn Reynold's comment back in November:

“For a guy who supposedly lost, Trump sure had a lot of coattails.  And for a guy who supposedly won, Biden sure didn’t.”

The General Election in 2022 is not a given for either party.  A lot will depend on the moves of the Democrats.  A lot will depend upon if the Republicans can figure out who they are.  A lot will depend upon the Republicans straighening out State election laws.  A lot will depend upon the ability of Democratic Party allies to "Fortify" the elections.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

The Great Climate Divide

For John, BLUF:  The Republican Party, heck the Republic, is divided between the well off, with well paying, long term, jobs, and the rest, who are not so well off and have more of a hard scrabble existence.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Charllie Baker Climate Official blasted for comments to 'break your will' over emissions.

Here is the sub-headline:

Baker:  Undersecretary will be talked to over comments

From The Boston Herald, by Reporters Joe Dwinell and Sean Philip Cotter, 5 February 2021.

Here is the lede plus five:

The state’s $ 130,000- ayear undersecretary for climate change is being blasted by a fiscal watchdog for saying the administration needs to “ break” the will of taxpayers when it comes to heating homes and driving cars.

The video shows David Ismay, Gov. Charlie Baker’s under secretary for climate change, telling Vermont climate advocates that it’s time to go after homeowners and motorists to help reduce emissions.

At the end of the clip, he adds:  “ I can’t even say that publicly.”

Ismay did not return a Herald request for comment Friday.  Asked about the video during a press conference, Baker said he and Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito had seen the video earlier that morning.  He added Climate Secretary Kathleen Theoharides, Ismay’s boss, is also aware of it.

“ First of all, no one who works in our administration should ever say or think anything like that — ever,” the governor said.  “ Secondly, Secretary Theoharides is going to have a conversation with him about that.”

Baker continued, “And the third — and one of the main reasons we didn’t sign the climate bill when it got to our desk was because we were specifically concerned about the impact that it’s going to have on people’s ability to pay for many of the pieces that were in it, which means it also doesn’t represent the administration policy or position.”

First, thanks to Mass Fiscal Alliance for posting the talk by Undersecretary for Climate Change David Ismay.

Second, this is a warning that there are people out there, like those talking about the "Great Reset",♠ who are prepared to demolish our Capitalist economic system in order to prepare for a climate change that may never arrive.  The losers in such an economic realignment are the little people.  People like those who read this blog.

When we reorganize our Economic System in anticipation of catastrophic climate change, we will have the haves and the have nots, and the great American dream of everyone being able to better themselves will be shattered.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

♠  I am reading the book, but it is slow going, because I sense where the author (World Economic Forum CEO Klaus Schwab) is going, and it is a bad place for most of us.  The sorting out will be ugly.

Follow the Science

For John, BLUF:  Teachers, and students, should be returning to the classrooms, in person.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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When the White House can't handle the truth

From The Washington Examiner, by Chief Political Correspondent Byron York, 5 February 2021, 08:39 AM.

Here is the lede plus six:

On January 21, President Biden’s first full day in office, White House press secretary Jen Psaki began her briefing with this:  “When the president asked me to serve in this role, we talked about the importance of bringing truth and transparency back to the briefing room.”  Now, the administration’s position on opening schools shut by COVID lockdowns is testing that pledge.

Psaki’s problem started on Wednesday, when the White House COVID Response Team held a teleconference for the press.  Among the group was Dr. Rochelle Walensky, the president’s new choice to head the Centers for Disease Control.  A reporter asked Walensky about the CDC’s priorities for vaccination, and in particular whether “the federal government would be working more closely with states to kind of get more vaccinations to teachers in particular so that schools can reopen in the fall.”

Walensky said that a group inside the CDC, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, or ACIP, had created a priority list for those receiving vaccinations.  In December, the committee included teachers in what was called the 1b category, meaning they would be among those who should be next in line.  But that wasn’t law — it was the CDC’s guidance for states to follow, or not to follow.

“We’ve left that to the states to manage,” Walensky explained, “in terms of recognizing the prioritization of ACIP, but also manage at their own local level.”

And then: “That said, I want to be very clear about schools, which is:  Yes, ACIP has put teachers in the 1b category, the category of essential workers.  But I also want to be clear that there is increasing data to suggest that schools can safely reopen and that that safe reopening does not suggest that teachers need to be vaccinated in order to reopen safely.  So while we are implementing the criteria of the Advisory Committee and of the state and local guidances to get vaccination across these eligible communities, I would also say that safe reopening of schools is not — that vaccination of teachers is not a prerequisite for safe reopening of schools.”

There it was: The head of the CDC frankly stating that the science shows schools can safely reopen, and that the reopening of the schools does not depend on vaccinating teachers.  Given the current debate, in which teachers unions, the longtime allies and benefactors of Democratic politicians from Joe Biden on down, are demanding that schools remain closed and that teachers be vaccinated before any reopening can occur, Walensky’s statement was big news.  Would Democratic officeholders listen to the science and break with the unions?

It was such big news that the White House immediately ran away from it.

There are two issues here.  The first is that this White House, notwithstanding the promises to be different from the Trump Administration, is trying to curate the news to meet the interests of various constituencies.  Business as usual.

The second issue is getting our students back to school.  The science seems to say that we can reopen schools, but the Teachers Unions are saying no.  I can see their concern that if the CDC (Centers For Disease Control and Prevention) is wrong, it could be a serious problem for teachers.  However, it is the science.  I thought we are about following the science.  Are we?

Then there is the cui bono question.  If, as COVID-19 goes on, Student performance declines, if teachers are not in the classroom they can distance themselves from said decline.  And, they are still getting paid.

For sure, the White House hung CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky out to dry on this one.  Not a good look.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

Exam Schools on the Block?

For John, BLUF:  This is about San Francisco's Lowell Exam High School, named after Lowell, MA, or so I have read.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Academic high school is too elite (and Asian) for SF

From Linking and Thinking on Education, by Blogger Joanne Jacobs, 4 February 2021.

Here is the lede plus one and a third:

After denaming 44 schools — including Abraham Lincoln High — for historical imperfections, San Francisco school board is fast-tracking a plan to end merit-based admissions for Lowell High School, one of the top high schools in California, reports David Li for NBC News.

The board is on track to approve a resolution to admit students to Lowell (which will be renamed) by lottery, rather than grades and test scores.  Selectivity “perpetuates the culture of white supremacy and racial abuse towards Black and Latinx students,” states the resolution.

The real issue is Chinese supremacy.  Of Lowell’s 2,871 students, 50.6 percent are Asian, mostly Chinese, in a district that’s 33.4 percent Asian, reports Li.

And there is equity for you.  Exam schools allow the smart kids, and also students that come from households that stress academic achievement, to benefit in terms of high school opportunities.  The question is, is it a good thing or a bad thing?  Do those those who go to a former exam school do better?  Or is it that those who might have benefitted from a high performing high school now do not achieve their full potential?

The more subtle question is, does eliminating Exam Schools create equity by denegrating hard work and achievement?  The supplemental question is, does this result in all being worse off, because those entering the economy have failed to achieve their full potential?

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

Fortifying the Election

For John, BLUF:  This helps to explain what happened last year, during the election of the US President.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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The Secret History of the Shadow Campaign That Saved the 2020 Election

From Time Magazine, by Reporter Molly Ball, 4 February 2021, 5:40 AM EST.

Here is an excerpt:

To the President, something felt amiss.  “It was all very, very strange,” Trump said on Dec. 2.  “Within days after the election, we witnessed an orchestrated effort to anoint the winner, even while many key states were still being counted.”

In a way, Trump was right.

There was a conspiracy unfolding behind the scenes, one that both curtailed the protests and coordinated the resistance from CEOs.  Both surprises were the result of an informal alliance between left-wing activists and business titans.  The pact was formalized in a terse, little-noticed joint statement of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and AFL-CIO published on Election Day.  Both sides would come to see it as a sort of implicit bargain–inspired by the summer’s massive, sometimes destructive racial-justice protests–in which the forces of labor came together with the forces of capital to keep the peace and oppose Trump’s assault on democracy.

Here is how Time sees the effort—"fortifying":

That’s why the participants want the secret history of the 2020 election told, even though it sounds like a paranoid fever dream–a well-funded cabal of powerful people, ranging across industries and ideologies, working together behind the scenes to influence perceptions, change rules and laws, steer media coverage and control the flow of information.  They were not rigging the election; they were fortifying it.  And they believe the public needs to understand the system’s fragility in order to ensure that democracy in America endures.

I was doubtful that the Democrafts stole the election, or that it could be proven.  Now I am convinced that the election was fortified.

Here is another view of it, from PJ Media, today.

And here is Columnist James Delingole's take, in Breitbart.  It has an interesting spin on the article.

Regards  —  Cliff