Creating Good by Doing Evil

For John, BLUF:  There is no doubt that Adolf Hitler was a terrible person, responsible for tens of millions of deaths.  What would we do to stop him, knowing his evil path?  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Why the Ethics of ‘Would You Kill Baby Hitler?’ Are More Important Than You Probably Think

Here is the sub-headline:

The 2002 Twilight Zone episode "Cradle of Darkness" toys with a simple question: can an evil act (murder) be justified if its consequences are sufficiently positive?

From Foundation for Economic Education, by Mr Jon Miltimore, 31 October 2022.

Here is the lede plus four:

Though it was well before my time, I always loved watching the original Twilight Zone series.  (In fact, I can still recite my favorite episodes, which include “The Shelter,” “The Hitchhiker,” “Living Doll,” and “A Game of Pool.”)

Later reboots of The Twilight Zone never impressed me as much, but the 2002 episode “Cradle of Darkness” is an exception.  Directed by Jean de Segonzac and written by Kamran Pasha, it stars Katherine Heigl as a young woman sent back in time to Austria in 1889 to rewrite history by killing Adolf Hitler when he’s just a baby, preventing (hopefully) the Holocaust and World War II.

The idea of sending someone back in time to change the future is a familiar one to sci-fi fans.  Movie buffs will recall the T-800 cyborg (Arnold Schwarzenegger) sent back in time to kill Sarah Connor to prevent her unborn son from leading the resistance that takes down Skynet in The Terminator.

The difference, of course, is that in “Cradle of Darkness” it’s the good guys who are trying to kill an innocent person to change the future.  Heigl’s character, who indicates she has (ahem) special DNA that allows only her to travel through time, reasons that the moral thing to do is to strangle the wretched little Nazi in his cradle.

“Adolf Hitler was responsible for the deaths of 60 million people. Fathers, mothers, children,” she says gravely, moments before she is whisked back in time to become Baby Hitler’s nanny.

There is the questioni of if in every world Adolf Hitler always turns out to be bad, or if our time traveller can, throuogh an act of kindness, change Mr Hitler's path.

More than that is the questiono of what does this do to the balance of world history.  Would a lack of a Chancellor Hitler mean that Chairman Joseph Stalin would expand his actions and kill his list and Hitler's also?  Would Spain go Communist in the 1930s, resulting in a large number of deaths?

Then there is the question of if doing evil to obtain good is ever justified?  The Writer takes that on, so read the whole thing.

Regards  —  Cliff

The Democrats and Election Day

For John, BLUF:  I think a lot of Democrats are in denial and approaching 8 November on "a wing and a prayer".  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Massachusetts Congressman Warns Republicans About Chickens

From Victory Girls Blog, by Ms Toni Williams, 29 October 2022.

Here is the lede plus four:

Massachusetts is a special place. Men seem to come out of there full of arrogance, but lacking a substantial soundness. C.S. Lewis called them men without chests. “Men without chests”:

In his book, The Abolition of Man, Lewis was prophetic in pointing out that relativism—the idea that there are no absolute truths—would lead to the decay of morality and a lack of virtue within society. Without a belief in and the teaching of universal moral laws, we fail to educate the heart and are left with intelligent men who behave like animals or as Lewis puts it, “Men without Chests.”

Jake Auchincloss seems to me to be one of those men.

Mr. Auchincloss (D) is in his first term representing the Fourth District of Massachusetts. He was previously a Republican and an Independent. Mr. Auchincloss is a Marine Major in the Individual Ready Reserve now, but during his active duty days, he deployed to Afghanistan and Panama. He graduated from Harvard and the Massachussets Institute of Technology. The Auchicloss family is prominent in the state and he is also related to McGeorge Bundy.

One might think someone with that resume would be substantial. One would be way wrong. By the way, his father is Deputy Director for Anthony Fauci. Yep. That explains so much.

Yes, the Massachusetts Fourth Congressional District.  It would make Governor Elbridge Gerry Proud.

So, the Congressman, loooking forward to 8 November, "said that on election night there will be a lot of disappointed GOP candidates and they should watch their words because there are a lot of disturbed individuals in this country."  He is saying that the disturbed in these United Ststes are all Republicans and to bring up Rep Rand Paul or the shooting of the Congressional Republican Baseball Team (or, I assume, the man lookikng to kill Justice Brett Kavanaugh) is just whataboutism and can be dismissed.

I will try to remember to cheeck out his web page on 9 November.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

Even the Progressives in Mass Note It

For John, BLUF:  Sadly, the Mass GOP is not contesting eveery race in this year's election, and even the Progressive Act on Mass has noted it, indirectly.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Massachusetts Has the Leasst Competitive Overall Legislative Contest

Here is the sub-headline:

Fourth Time in a Row

From Saturday Scoop, by Ms Erin Leahy, Executive Director, Act on Mass, 29 Octoober 2022.

Here is the lede plus two:

While we have the chance here in Massachusetts to make some incredible changes — we could have the first Democratic governor in 8 years, we have the chance to pass the Fair Share Amendment and dedicate billions of dollars to improving our public transportation and education, and a new group of pro-transparency State Reps could be elected for the next session — it turns out we actually have the least competitive legislative races of any state this year, according to new analysis from Ballotpedia.  This means, more than any other state, our elected officials are uncontested in their bids for election.

Despite legislative competitiveness steadily growing over the past several years, Massachusetts has ranked dead last for the last four cycles.  Not only do we have the least competitive legislative races of any state, but the next closest states in New England ranked nearly double what MA scored on the competitiveness index.  When voters only have one choice of who to vote for, as so many do here in Massachusetts, our democracy suffers.

But that’s a problem for after the election.

Why after the elecction?  Because it is too late to fix the problem now.

While there may be a role for Third Parties in this problem, the big role goes to the Massachusetts GOP.  And the MassGOP is split, between a Downtown Boston Moderate (Rockefeller) Wing and the Hinterland Republicans, who tend to be and vote more as Conservatives.  Even the Mass GOP State Committee shows signs of this riff.

My experience in the Lowell Republican City Committee, and as Chairman for a couple of years, is that the "Establishment" Wing of the Party, from Governor Baker on down, tends to avoid us outside the more moderate inner circle.  Many trips to Lowell by the Governor and Lieutenant Goveernor, to meet with Democrats, never included an invite for cooffee at The Owl Diner, for me or for my successor as Chairman.  Representative David Nangle, yes, Chairman Cliff Krieger, no.

If the Republican Party is to revive it needs to be a little more united.  On the other hand, maybe the Downtown Boston Republicans are happy holding "The Corner Office".  I hope it is still working in January of 2023.

Regards  —  Cliff

Peace for Ukraine

For John, BLUF:  As discussed previously, there has been precious little talk of peace in Ukraine.  It is nice to see the President's own Party take a step forward.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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""A group of 30 House liberals is urging President Biden to dramatically shift his strategy on the Ukraine war and pursue direct negotiations with Russia..."

From the Althouse Blog, by Law Professor Ann Althouse, 24 Octoner 2022, 3:47 PM.

Here is the rest of the excerpt:

"... the first time prominent members of his own party have pushed him to change his approach to Ukraine....The Democrats are specifically concerned that the United States is not engaging in regular dialogue with Russia as part of its effort to end a protracted war.... The Biden administration has been adamant that it is up to Kyiv whether and when to negotiate with Russia, arguing that Ukrainians as a free people should decide their fate. But some Russia experts say Moscow will only negotiate with the United States, a fellow superpower. The lawmakers say that opening must be seized given the war’s spreading devastation.... The letter was signed by some of the best-known and most outspoken liberal Democrats in Congress, including Reps. Jamie Raskin (Md.), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (N.Y.), Cori Bush (Mo.), Ro Khanna (Calif.) and Ilhan Omar (Minn.)."

There are three very good reasons to look at a peace effort.  First is the danger of escalation to nuclear warfare.  The second is the cost to Ukraine in terms of lines and treasure.  The third is the cost, this Winter, to the People of Europe in terms of energy, food and economic sustainment.  There is a fourth, the cost of the war to the Russian People.

I am not optomistic about this effort.  That said, peace efforts have to start at some place, at some time.

Hat tip to Ann Althouse.

Regards  —  Cliff

Enough People to Sustain a Civilization

For John, BLUF:  To sustain a population a nation needs 2.1 births for every woman,  Not every woman will have children, so the number for those who do it above 2.1  If it doesn't happen then population of workers implodes and the Government will not be able to susktain the elderly.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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A new ‘devil’ of a problem for Planet Earth: vanishing humans

From The New York Post, by Law Professor Glenn H. Reynolds, 26 August 2022 5:56pm.

Here is the lede plus two:

When I was a kid, everyone was worried about the “population explosion.”  Paul Ehrlich’s book, “The Population Bomb,” was a runaway bestseller.

This led to a lot of dystopian science fiction, like Harry Harrison’s novel, “Make Room, Make Room,” which became the famous movie “Soylent Green.”  It also led to a lot of policy changes, from China’s disastrous one-child policy to many policies in industrialized nations aimed at people having fewer children later in life.

The culture also changed.  My mother reports that when she was married, even married couples weren’t considered fully adult until they had children.  Raising kids was seen as one of the most important things people did.  Now, it’s seen as a distraction from the pleasures and opportunities of adult life, things like promotion at work or dating.

Population falling is a world wide phenmenon.  Even in Africa, with relatively high population growth, it is tapering off.  In China, Japan and South Korea, with previous high growth, Governments now find reproductine age cohorts uninterested in reproduction.

On the other hand, it appears the COVID-19 Pandemic has led to a slight boomlet in births:

Remote work spawns mini baby boom, economists say

.

This is thanks to UPI and Reporter Sheri Walsh, back on 20 October 2022.

An uptick in the number of women working from home since the start of the pandemic has contributed to a mini baby boom, according to a new study that claims the increase in births reversed two years of declining fertility in the United States.

A working paper, published by three economists, found that 46,000 more children were born in the United States after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, beginning with a small increase in births in 2020 and a larger "baby bump" last year.

For those of a certain age the magic number is 2.1 births per woman,  That is an average and it conmes down to most families have two children and every tenth having an extra, but other women making up for those who won't ever have children.  Otherwise it all eventually goes down the drain, to be replaced by more vigerious nations, although not neecessarily as Democratic.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

New York Strikes Back at SCOTUS, and Whiffs

For John, BLUF:  "Eight days after the Supreme Court struck down New York's unconstitutional "proper cause" requirement for conceal-carry licenses, the State responded with even more restrictive legislation, barring all conceal-carry license holders from vast swaths of the State."  This case focused solely on carrying in "any place of worship or religious observation,".  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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N.Y. Law Banning Gun Carrying in Churches (Including by People Authorized by the Church) Struck Down

From Reason, by Law Professor Eugene Volokh, 21 October 2022, 5:24 PM.

Here is the lede plus five:

From Hardaway v. Nigrelli, decided yesterday by Judge John L. Sinatra, Jr. (N.D.N.Y.):

Eight days after the Supreme Court struck down New York's unconstitutional "proper cause" requirement for conceal-carry licenses, the State responded with even more restrictive legislation, barring all conceal-carry license holders from vast swaths of the State. The complaint and motion in this case focus solely on one aspect of the new legislation, namely, the portion making it a felony for such a license holder to possess a firearm at "any place of worship or religious observation."

Ample Supreme Court precedent addressing the individual's right to keep and bear arms—from Heller and McDonald to its June 2022 decision in Bruen—dictates that New York's new place of worship restriction is equally unconstitutional. In Bruen, the Court made the Second Amendment test crystal clear: regulation in this area is permissible only if the government demonstrates that the regulation is consistent with the Nation's historical tradition of sufficiently analogous regulations. As set forth below, New York fails that test. The State's exclusion is, instead, inconsistent with the Nation's historical traditions, impermissibly infringing on the right to keep and bear arms in public for self-defense….

Reverend Dr. Jimmie Hardaway, Jr. and Bishop Larry A. Boyd filed this lawsuit on October 13, 2022, and are joined by institutional plaintiffs, Firearms Policy Coalition, Inc. ("FPC"), and Second Amendment Foundation ("SAF")…. Hardaway and Boyd, leaders of their respective churches, "wish to exercise their fundamental, individual right to bear arms in public for self-defense by carrying concealed firearms on church property in case of confrontation to both themselves and their congregants." They allege that, as "leaders of their churches, they would be authorized to carry on church premises to keep the peace, and would do so, but for Defendants' enforcement of the unconstitutional laws, regulations, policies, practices, and customs at issue in this case." In particular, they seek to prevent the enforcement of New York's new law that makes it a felony to carry firearms at all places of worship and religious observation….

The State argues that the place of worship exclusion complies with Bruen. The State cites to 1870-1890 enactments by four states (Texas, Georgia, Missouri, and Virginia) and the territories of Arizona and Oklahoma that contained place of worship firearm restrictions. This does not carry the State's burden, as explained below.

At the outset, as the Supreme Court has made clear, individuals have the right to carry handguns publicly for self-defense. New York's exclusion is valid only if the State "affirmatively prove[s]" that the restriction is part of the Nation's historical tradition of firearm regulation. The test is rigorous because the Second Amendment is the very product of an interest balancing, already conducted by "the People," which "elevates above all other interests the right of law-abiding, responsible citizens to use arms for self-defense." …

From the beginning this banning of guns in places of worship seemed sketchy, and against the intend of the US Supreme Court.  It represented a danger of a major mass shooting in a church at some point in the future.

This seems like a fairly quick turnaroun, which is a good thing.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

The Durham Probe Winds Down

For John, BLUF:  There is that lurking suspicion that the Press is in cahoots with the FBI (or even larger DOJ) and united in opposition to Mr Donald J Trump.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Trump claim of ‘Crime of Century’ fizzles in 3-year probe

From the Associated Press, by Reporter Eric Tucker, 19 October 2022, 4:47 PM.

Here is the lede plus four:

Former President Donald Trump once predicted that a special prosecutor appointed during his administration would uncover “the crime of the century” — a conspiracy to sink his 2016 campaign.

Yet here are the results of the three-year probe by prosecutor John Durham:  two trial acquittals — the latest on Tuesday — and a former FBI attorney sentenced to probation.

That has fallen far short of Trump supporters’ expectations that Durham would reveal a “deep state” plot behind the U.S. government’s investigation into ties between Russia and Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign.

The outcome has led to scrutiny over the purpose of Durham’s appointment by former Attorney General William Barr, who tasked him with sussing out misconduct in the Trump-Russia probe.  It also has raised questions about whether or when the current attorney general, Merrick Garland, might move to rein in Durham’s work or hasten its completion.

“You really measure the success of an investigation by what it uncovers in terms of pernicious activity, and he’s uncovered nothing,” said Stephen Saltzburg, a George Washington University law professor and former senior Justice Department official.

I am shoocked, shocked, that a George Washington University Law Professor thinks that lying to the FISA Court is nothing.  What ever happened to the belief that George Washington never told a lie?  Or that J Edgar Hoover had blackmail material on almost every politician?

The Assooociated Press may be totally unimpressed with the Durham investigation.  I am totally unimpressed by the Associsted Press' inability to connect the dots and come up with a corrupt top floor in the J Edgar Hoover Building.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

Where Have All the Peaceniks Gone

For John, BLUF:  Yes, the absence of the Peace Demonstrations are strange.  What have they bewen doing these last six months.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Known Knowns, Known Unknowns, Et Cetera

From Chicago Boyz, by Sgt. Mom, 19 October 2022.

Here is the lede plus foour:

So last week’s post regarding the paucity of lefty anti-war protesters regarding the Ukrainian war is still going strong with comments, reminding me once again of the great sage, Donald Rumsfeld, regarding what we know, and what we know that we don’t know … and what we really don’t know that we don’t know.

What do I know for sure about the war? I know that both sides are … parsimonious with the truth about everything that is happening in the zone of conflict, to the point where a truckload of salt is necessary when reading the headlines, no matter if it’s the established print media, or blogs.  What to believe?  Practically nothing, save that yes, indeed, there is a war and a pretty hot one, too.

I am pretty certain that Ukraine served basically as the Biden family’s ATM.  Corrupt government – yeah, that I do believe.  But as corrupt than Russia itself, Nigeria, Pakistan, Belarus, South Sudan, Somalia, Burundi, Venezuela, and other frequent fliers on ‘most corrupt evah!’ list?

I do believe that Putin’s Russia apparently went into the Ukraine believing that it would be a one-two punch and settled to the advantage of Russia within a fortnight.  That the war has been going on without a resolution since February of this year argues that Putin and his generals did indeed bite off more than they could chew, seriously overestimating their own capabilities and the Ukrainian will to resist.

The modern Ukrainians are descended from the Cossacks, in culture if not in blood, who had for centuries a tradition of making war … enthusiastically.  They also, if I read my history right, still hold a grudge for being subjected to the Holodomor, the mass starvation under Stalin’s harsh rule in the 1930s.  And that has to cast a very long shadow, among survivors of that state-instituted horror and their descendants.

There is no doubt that Russia has gone back on its signature on the Budapest 1994 Memorandum.  There is no doubt that the United States signed on to iplement and ghuarantee the Budapest 1994 JMemorandum.  zthere is also no douobt thsat there is the danger the Russians could use nuclear weapons in this conflict.  That would not be fun.

What is not obvious is how we back out of this situstion, without Ukraine losing its independence and without falling into a World War I type debacle.  I would like to see a little more explortion of the Unknowns.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

Picking Our Friends

For John, BLUF:  I was assured, after the 2021 Inauguration, that The Adults Are Back in Charge.  The meme now reminds me of the old quip, "Amateurs built the Arc, Professionals built the Titanic."  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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“Humiliated” Dems Want Retribution Vs. Saudi Arabia

From Victory Girls Blog, by Ms Toni Williams, 16 October 2022.

Here is the lede plus twoo:

What on Earth did they think was going to happen?  Democrats say that Joe Biden has been humiliated by Saudi Arabia and that Biden needs to get retribution against the Kingdom.  For decades, the Democrats have been lying to everyone and giving each other participation trophies.  They have not faced the logical consequences of their actions and are shocked, shocked that other countries act in their own enlightened self-interest.  My prediction:  If an adult doesn’t step in, the Democrats will make the situation even worse and you and I will be left to pay the tab.  Why is Saudi Arabia humiliating Biden and the Dems?

During the Ovomit Obama Regime, the Saudis were unhappy about the U.S. negotiating with Iran for the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).  Trump cancelled the JCPOA and the Saudis were happy.  Jamal Khashoggi was butchered, allegedly, at the behest, allegedly, of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman al Saud (MBS) and the Left went batshite crazy, not allegedly.  They demanded consequences.  Biden called MBS and the Kingdom “pariahs” and claimed there would be “consequences”.  That is, until Joe got installed into office and destroyed domestic oil production, then they forgot about Jamal Khashoggi and went gas can in hand to Saudi Arabia.

Because Democrats don’t understand logical consequences and think a photo-op and fist bump cures all, they didn’t expect MBS to hold any grudges.  Baha, haha, haha. The Dems never thought that the Saudis and MBS might feel humiliated.  Nah.  But even worse, yes, the Dems decided to begin negotiating with Iran and revived the JCPOA.  Iran and Saudi Arabia have been close to war many times over the decades.

In foreign policy hurt feelings are of little use.  The questions are, what are the foreign policy goals and who can help us achieve them.  I would think that a stable and modernizing Saudi Arabia would help us aschieve our foreign policy goals in the Middle East.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

Hunter Biden's Laptop

For John, BLUF:  I admire Reporter Glenn Greenwald for his integrity.  Here he is talkiing about Mr Hunter Biden's laptop and how it was reported to the American Public.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Glenn Greenwald will never stop talking about this and doesn't care if it's annoying.

From The Althouse Blogspot, by Law Professor Ann Althoouse, 15 October 2022, 6:43 AM.

In a nutshell:

Glenn Greenwald

@ggreenwald

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I'll never stop talking about this and don't care if it's annoying.

This is a huge journalistic scandal:  almost every major news outlet ratified an outright lie to manipulate the 2020 election and - to this day - not one of them, not one, has apologized, explained or retracted.

In a Presidential Debase Candidate Biden cited a letter signed by 51 people connected to US Intelligence, which said that The New york Post story on Mr Hunter Biden's abandoned laptop computer had all the hallmarks of a classic Russian disinformation campaign.  As Former Central Intelligence Agency officer David Priess told Fox News Anchor Brett Baier, the letter didn't ssy it was a Russian disinformation campaign, just that it had the hallmarks.  President Biden claimed, during the debate, that the letter said it was Russian disinformstion.  Today even The New York Times and The Washington Post admit the laptop story is true.  Thus the letter, apparently not crafted carefully enough, was used to confuse the American Voter.  This poor crafting was not corrected after the debate.

Would it have made a difference in the outcome of the election?  Perhaps, but that is water under the bridge.  The thing to try and get right today is reporting that is not biased for one candidte or the other.

Hat tip to Ann Althouse.

Regards  —  Cliff

Election Deniers

For John, BLUF:  While Democrats (and the Media) decry Republicans with questions about the 2020 Election, it turns out they are inveterate election deniers themselves.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Judge Throws Out Lawsuit by Stacey Abrams’s PAC Over 2018 Georgia Governor’s Election

From The Epoch Times, by Reporter Caden Pearson, 1 October 2022.

Here is the lede plus five:

A federal judge on Friday threw out a lawsuit filed by Stacey Abrams challenging Georgia’s election system after she lost the 2018 gubernatorial race to Republican Gov. Brian Kemp.

The lawsuit, which sought to change how the state administers elections, was filed around four years ago by Fair Fight Georgia, a political action committee established by Abrams after her election defeat. Earlier this year, the judge pared down the lawsuit by dismissing many of its original complaints.

Abrams alleged “misconduct, fraud or irregularities” in the voting process. She took legal action to stop counties from throwing out some rejected provisional and absentee ballots when updated vote totals affirmed Kemp was the likely winner.

When she eventually conceded on Nov. 16, 2018, Abrams vowed to take legal action to continue fighting the outcome.

“Although Georgia’s election system is not perfect, the challenged practices violate neither the constitution nor the [Voting Rights Amendment],” U.S. District Judge Steven Jones said in his ruling.

Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, who was the lead defendant in the case, hailed the ruling.

I don't think I have much more to say.  The facts speak for themselves.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

Rep Adam Schiff

For John, BLUF:  Congressman Adam Schiff (D CA) has a huge warchest.  Why?.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Schiff’s House Dowry

Here is the sub-headline:

The hyper ambitious, limelight-loving Trump impeachment star is also one of the most prolific (and parsimonious) fundraisers in Congress, provoking questions about what he’s hoarding so much money for, anyway, if not to spend it.

From Puck, by Reporter Tara Palmeri, 3 October 2022.

Here is the lede plus two:

I was texting with a Democratic member of Congress the other day when I casually mentioned a figure that had confounded me:  Adam Schiff, the highly-visible Mueller-era liberal hero who represents the wealthy L.A. adjacent exurbs, had raised $18.6 million dollars this cycle between his campaign committee and leadership PAC.  In fact, I noted, Schiff has $20 million in his war chest.  “Holy F_ _ _, that’s a huge amount” this member responded, wholly gobsmacked, but fully cognizant that Schiff’s financial prowess was his most tantalizing argument to replace Nancy Pelosi if or when she steps down after the midterms.  (I’ll spare you the bellicose, obfuscating pushback from her spokesperson, who denies this without actually denying it.)

Schiff, after all, has always been an epic fundraiser, and he’s developed a Pelosi-esque national network to match.  Schiff’s haul this cycle, in particular, is a powerful point of juxtaposition with the other members of the House vying for leadership in a post-Pelosiverse.  Pelosi, of course, has raised the most of any member, with $34.5 million dollars between her campaign committee and leadership PAC, but even her war chest is smaller than Schiff’s as of the June 30 F.E.C. filing, with $16.5 million cash on hand.  And none of Pelosi’s lieutenants in the leadership lineup have even raised more than $10.5 million this cycle between their campaign committees and leadership PACs.  Indeed, by comparison, Majority Leader Steny Hoyer has $3.5 million cash on hand; Whip Jim Clyburn has $3 million; Democratic Caucus chairman (and presumed frontrunner to fill Pelosi’s shoes) Hakeem Jeffries has $3.2 million; Assistant Speaker Katherine Clark has $1.5 million; and vice chair of the Democratic caucus Pete Aguilar has $2.6 million.

Not surprisingly, Schiff’s massive cash pile has led to whispers among members about why he is holding on to so much dough during such a consequential period in the cycle.  After all, members of leadership are expected to spend their war chests to help the conference.  If Schiff wants to be minority leader or hold some other position in leadership, some have wondered, why wouldn’t he be leaning into his fundraising powers to engender support and fealty from the caucus?  As one leadership aide succinctly mused:  “Why does Adam Schiff have $19 million in the bank in the fight of our lives?”

A good question?

Can you imagine Mr Adam Schiff as President?

I think I will remember Congressman Adam Schiff as the person who read into the record a false statement he attributed to President Donald Trump, for which he didn't get much pushback from the legitimate press.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

John Cabot to the Front

For John, BLUF:  Our Senioor Senator, Ms E Warren, would like to change Columbus Day to Indiginous Peoples Dsy.  Why today?  What did Indiginoous People do to spark the uniting of the Eastern and Western Hemispheres.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Anglosphere:  Celebrating Wrong Italian? (Columbus vs. Cabot)

From Free Republic, by James C. Bennet, 12 October 2002.

Here is the lede plus seven:

A few years ago I chanced to be in Buenos Aires on Columbus Day. It is a major holiday there, during which no business is transacted. I spent the day wandering about town enjoying the celebrations. One plaza held a Columbus Day festival in which passersby could enjoy demonstrations and samples of music, dance, crafts and foods of all the various Latin American nations, and of many of the source-nations of Argentina's immigration.

The interesting thing to me was the complete absence of anything representing the United States. This was not a coincidence. Columbus, and the holiday celebrating his landing in the New World, are seen throughout the Spanish-speaking world as having to do primarily with the extension of Spanish-speaking, Catholic civilization to the New World and the creation, through a conflicted encounter, of a new culture. It is, to coin a phrase, the creation of the Hispanosphere that is commemorated.

Traditionally, the role played by the United States in this narrative is not one of a joint participant, but rather an antagonist. In the narrative of Hispanosphere nationalists, Latin America is Shakespeare's Ariel, the graceful and sensitive artistic spirit. The United States, or "Gringolandia" as it is sometimes called, is Caliban, the powerful but ugly monster that dominates tragic Ariel.

Columbus Day in the United States carries an entirely different set of connotations. During the 19th century, Columbus was reinvented by Washington Irving and his successors as a sort of Yankee visionary entrepreneur before his time. His specific roots in time, space, and culture as a Genoese in the service of Spanish monarchs was downplayed; what was celebrated was his seeming prescience and capacity for self-reinvention.

In fact Columbus did have some such characteristics; entrepreneurism is often a leap into the unknown, and he was neither the first nor the last to set out to seek one thing and discover another, nor to venture on the basis of mistaken calculations and assumptions. There was, it is true, a certain Enron-like quality to his mileage calculations.

Subsequently, this useful narrative was seized upon and expanded by Catholic immigrant communities eager to demonstrate that Catholicism was not inconsistent with being American. Italian immigrant groups found Columbus a particularly appealing figure; here was an Italian Catholic already elevated to heroic status by the Americans they sought to join. Columbus Day became established as an American holiday, but for reasons and with symbolism quite different from those for which it is celebrated in Latin America.

Now, of course, Columbus Day is under attack as a holiday in the United States by the forces of political correctness. This is primarily an effect of the Calvinist Puritan roots of American progressivism. Just as Calvinists believed in the centrality of the depravity of man, with the exception of a miniscule contingent of the Elect of God, their secularized descendants believe in the depravity and cursedness of Western civilization, with their own enlightened selves in the role of the Elect.

I like the thread in this article on the influence of Calvinist Puritans.  The idea of a sinful world and a few saved from this perdition.  This does a lot to explain the Woke Community.  The modern day witch trials are now the banning of individual sinners from social media.

The other thing I liked was the bringing up of Joohn Cabot as the true person to celebrate for the founding of English colonies on North American Shores.  I don't recall learning, in elementary school, much about John Cabot, as opposed to Christopher Columbus.  I am the poorer for it.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

Who Comes Next

For John, BLUF:  This is a quick look at the line of succession for President of the United States.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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The US Presidential Line of Succesion

The table below list the statatory line of succession should anything happen to the President, or the President and others on the list of succession.  It is like the TV Show Designated Survivor.

SERIAL	Office	Incumbent	Party
1	Vice President	Kamala Harris	Democratic
2	Speaker of the House of Rep	Nancy Pelosi	Democratic
3	President pro tempore of the Senate	Patrick Leahy	Democratic
4	Secretary of State	Antony Blinken	Democratic
5	Secretary of the Treasury	Janet Yellen	Democratic
6	Secretary of Defense	Lloyd Austin	Unknown
7	Attorney General	Merrick Garland	Unknown
8	Secretary of the Interior	Deb Haaland	Democratic
9	Secretary of Agriculture	Tom Vilsack	Democratic
10	Secretary of Commerce	Gina Raimondo	Democratic
11	Secretary of Labor	Marty Walsh	Democratic
12	Secretary of Health and Human Services	Xavier Becerra	Democratic
13	Secretary of Housing and Urban Development	Marcia Fudge	Democratic
14	Secretary of Transportation	Pete Buttigieg	Democratic
--	Secretary of Energy	Jennifer Granholm	Democratic
15	Secretary of Education	Miguel Cardona	Democratic
16	Secretary of Veterans Affairs	Denis McDonough	Democratic
--	Secretary of Homeland Security	Alejandro Mayorkas	Democratic

Two names have been struck out.  Those two individuals are not native born Americans, and thus are not eligible to be President.

In reviewing the list, which of the first seven do you think are ready to be President?  Who would be better at the job than President Joseph Robinette Biden, Jr, and his team? 

We have people expressing concern that President Biden is in ill health.  There are some who talk about use of the Twenty-Fifth Amendment to deal with President Biden.  Moving to sucession without thinking about what comes next is poor planning.♠  For example, Senator Leahy is two years older than President Biden.

It is worth while thinking of the top seven in the list above.  Which of them would be a step up from President Biden and his Team.

Regards  —  Cliff

♠  For example, before President Nixon was pressured to resign, back in 1974, the system went against Vice President Spiroo Agnew, forcing his resignation, and replacement by the House Minority Leader, Gerald Ford.

Revolution in Iran

For John, BLUF:  After the religious (moral) police in Iran arrested, and killed, a woman for having a lock of hair exposed, there were protest.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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"We tell each other on the scene where and when we would gather next time. But mostly you know where people would gather..."

From Althouse Blogspot, by Professor Ann Althouse, October 2, 2022.

Here is the lede plus two:

"We tell each other on the scene where and when we would gather next time. But mostly you know where people would gather and you do not need to arrange anything....  We will continue until they kill every single one of us....  They fired teargas directly at us the other night, my eyes were burning, I could not sleep all night, but still I went out the next night, with my tears and pain in my eyes."

Said one woman named Nasheen, quoted in "'Women are in charge.  They are leading':  Iran protests continue despite crackdowns/People, determined to defy violence by security forces and online blackout, are resorting to old-fashioned methods to organise unrest" (The Guardian).

Also, from a woman named Negar:  "Much of the time the men are just watching.  Women organise and do everything.  It’s completely different from previous times.  Women are in charge.  They are leading."

This revolution, because of its makeup, threatens the current government in Iran.  Women just ignoring the religious police creates a difficulty for the government.  The government is not directly threatened.  On the other hand, to react to the protestors makes the government look oppressive, which strips it of legitimacy  This is a tricky time for the Iranian government..

The threat is not just to the government, but it is also a threat to Shia Islam, in that the faithful are rejecting a tenant regarding acceptable drress.  What could be next?

Hat tip to Ann Althouse.

Regards  —  Cliff