Mr. President, please shut up and just heal us from the Obama years

National Review has a good deal to say about Mr. Trump. However his ineptitude has in no way made me miss the feckless, petulant Obama. TD

Stop Talking, President Trump  "The president is his own worst enemy — and he may well destroy his presidency if he doesn’t change. 

"The virulent antipathy President Trump inspires among his political foes and critics may well exceed that of any president in the history of our republic. But if there is anything to be learned from what has happened in the days since he fired FBI director James Comey, it is that there is no doubt that the name of the president’s worst enemy is Donald J. Trump. 

"Trump’s inability to stay on message was a serious problem throughout the 2016 campaign and has at times derailed his administration during his first 100-plus days in office. His early morning Twitter meltdowns, such as his ill-advised attack on a Gold Star family or his wild claim that President Obama had ordered the bugging of Trump Tower, set off media firestorms that dominated the news cycle and distracted the public from anything positive he might otherwise have been doing. Yet nothing he has done has been so counter-productive as the things he has said and tweeted since dispatching Comey earlier this week. In an act of almost unprecedented stupidity, Trump has singlehandedly elevated what might have been a momentary tempest into a full-blown hurricane of national outrage that has stopped the country in its tracks." . . .  Read more.

On the Comey Firing, a Race to the Bottom  . . . "It is understandable that Democrats are screaming bloody murder about events of the last few days — certainly Republicans would be doing the same if a Democrat were in the White House and axed an FBI director the way Trump has. But the analogies to Watergate — ubiquitous in the media — are overwrought and obscure what the FBI’s investigation is about. This is worth explaining at some length." . . .

Trump’s Brand Is Crisis  

Trump doesn’t face crises so much as manufacture them. In a way he is the crisis, and his presidency is in danger of being defined not by any legislative or diplomatic achievement but by his handling of the multiplying and daunting obstacles he creates for himself.

Dems Angry About Trump Possibly Taping Comey Forget Obama Taped People

FBI former director James Comey was addressing an FBI gathering in Los Angeles Tuesday when the news of his firing scrolled across the TV screen behind him onstage. How it could it be more humiliating? It’s plain as day that Trump still hasn’t forgiven Comey for making him president.  Comedian Argus Hamilton

Dems Angry About Trump Possibly Taping Comey Forget Obama Taped People . . . "And when Judicial Watch has asked for all records on the multiple issues, have they ever gotten these tapes? 
"D.C. law says perfectly legal to record as long as the recording is made by one party to the conversation. Can we get all Obama recordings on Benghazi? And Iran? And every time he met with Democratic operative Robert Creamer who was encouraging fake protests against Trump and GOP?" . . .

Media outrage over Comey firing flops with the public

Does anyone in the media remember Aesop's fable “The Boy Who Cried Wolf”?

Thomas Lifson  "My friend Mark J. Fitzgibbons calls the media coverage of the Comey firing a, “Classic case of those whom the gods destroy they first make mad. The D.C. bubble is unhinged over Comey.  But it's no big deal for many Americans.”

The evidence?

"Axios cites data: from SocialFlow, and charts the amount of Faceook interaction on several Trump moves, showing the Comey firing ranks far below other stories:

"So the man whose catch-phrase is “You’re fired!” goes ahead and fires the man whose head the Democrats had been demanding, and they and their media pals go nuts with rage and Nixon comparisons.

"Does anyone in the media remember Aesop's fable “The Boy Who Cried Wolf”? "

Last Man Standing Falls to Trump Derangement Syndrome

Daniel John Sobieski  "The cancellation by ABC of Tim Allen’s hit comedy “Last Man Standing” comes on the heels of CBS’ Stephen Colbert’s obscenity-laced rant against Donald Trump and underscores how far the media thought police have gone in their war on conservatives, conservative thought, and even conservative comedy.

"Allen’s show, in which he plays the manager of a sporting goods chain, features Allen’s biting and genuinely funny witticisms poking fun at all things liberal. Its humor is balanced, with the show featuring a Canadian liberal son-in-law who gets his points across. But it is a rarity among sitcoms, in that any conservative viewpoints are represented at all. In its sixth season, "Last Man Standing" is doing quite well in the ratings. As the entertainment website deadline.com noted:" . . .

. . . "Can’t have sentiments such as those expressed on national television these days. As at Berkeley and other college campuses, conservative thought, commentary, and even comedy must be silenced. The goosestepping left used to burn books. Now they burn TV scripts."

Teacher Fired for Giving Student Bible -- Gets Job Back

Todd Starnes 

                                          

     "It was way back in 2014 when I first introduced you to Walt Tutka, of Phillipsburg, New Jersey - and a member of Gideon's International. 

     "Gideon's is a Christian service organization. They give people Bibles. You've probably seen one of their Bibles in a Holiday Inn -- on a bedside table.

     "Mr. Tutka also happened to be a substitute teacher in Phillipsburg, New Jersey. But he was fired from that job after he gave a student a Bible. 

     "The student happened to be the last person entering through a door. Mr. Tutka told the youngster, "The first shall be last, but the last shall be first."

     "The student later inquired on several occasions about the origins of the quote. He showed the student the verse in his Bible, which led to the student asking for a personal copy of the Bible. And being a good Gideon, Mr. Tutka gladly supplied the child with a copy. 

     "It did not seem to matter to the school district that the student had asked for a copy of the Good Book. 

     "First Liberty Institute took on Mr. Tutka's case - and eventually scored a victory with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. They agreed that the school district had discriminated against Mr. Tutka on the "basis of religion and retaliation."

     "And on the eve of First Liberty's deadline to file a federal lawsuit, the school district agreed to a settlement. 

     "That means Mr. Tutka can once again become a substitute teacher -- effective today. " . . .

How ironic. On my shelf I still have a pocket Testament given to me in the 5th grade in 1949 by a Gideon visiting our school in Tillamook County, Oregon. (We seemed so much more free back then and my only regret is that freedom did not extend to African- Americans.TD)

Democrats haven't learned a darned thing from the election

Rick Moran  "Democrats have been predicting a landslide in the off year elections of 2018 largely based on the notion that Donald Trump is so unpopular that Democratic candidates will simply waltz to victory.

"That may be. But first, they have to show that they actually care about people in all those congressional districts that voted for Trump over Hillary Clinton. They must demonstrate a respect for people who don't live on the coasts or in blue congressional districts.

"One Democratic congresswoman representing Silicon Valley shows that the Democrats have a long, long way to go." . . .

. . . Sources inside the meeting told the Free Beacon that Eshoo was frustrated with Pai's comments. She wished out loud that Pai would stop talking about "Podunk, USA*" and instead be more concerned about the venture capitalists on Sand Hill Road in her district near Palo Alto, according to the sources.
Many in the room reacted negatively to Eshoo's remarks, sources said. A member who represents a flyover state did not appreciate the term "Podunk," which means a small, unimportant town, and said districts in Middle America are just as important as those in Silicon Valley. . .

. . .
"Democrats aren't only "out of touch" with most of the country, they hold their fellow citizens in contempt. That attitude was perfectly encapsulated by former President Obama's observation during the 2008 campaign that voters in the heartland are "bitter" and "cling" to guns and religion while hating immigrants. 

"In the nearly 10 years since Obama told a San Francisco audience that most Americans were ignorant racists, not much has changed in the Democratic party. Try as they might to hide their smug sense of superiority, every once and a while, it manifests itself. Until they realize that many Americans are deeply resentful of that attitude, it's a pretty good bet that it won't matter who is president; they will lose."

* You know: those states who are still represented because of the Electoral College .

Krauthammer: A political ax murder

Charles Krauthammer   "It was implausible that FBI Director James Comey was fired in May 2017 for actions committed in July 2016 — the rationale contained in the memo by Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein.  

"It was implausible that Comey was fired by President Trump for having been too tough on Hillary Clinton, as when, at a July news conference, Comey publicly recited her various email misdeeds despite recommending against prosecution.

"It was implausible that Trump fired Comey for, among other things, reopening the Clinton investigation 11 days before the election, something that at the time Trump praised as a sign of Comey’s “guts” that had “brought back his reputation.” . . .

. . . "These implausibilities were obvious within seconds of Comey’s firing and the administration’s immediate attempt to pin it all on the Rosenstein memo. That was pure spin. So why in reality did Trump fire Comey?

"Admittedly, Comey had to go. The cliche is that if you’ve infuriated both sides, it means you must be doing something right. Sometimes, however, it means you must be doing everything wrong.

"Over the past year, Comey has been repeatedly wrong. Not, in my view, out of malice or partisanship (although his self-righteousness about his own probity does occasionally grate). He was in an unprecedented situation with unpalatable choices. Never in American presidential history had a major party nominated a candidate under official FBI investigation. " . . .

Minimum-Wage Hikes: A Feel-Good Lie That Destroys Jobs And Minority Kids' Futures

thefederalistpapers

Investors.com  "Minimum Wage: Once again, another city self-righteously imposes a minimum-wage hike on private employers. And once again, it finds out it's a business- and job-killer — and only boosts pay for a handful of people. This time it's the Big Apple, New York, that's discovering the ugly truth. But don't feel left out: Your town may be next.

"In "Minimum-Wage Boost Squeezes New York City Restaurants," the Wall Street Journal notes that restaurants "are being pinched" by the increase in the minimum from $9 an hour to $11 an hour at the start of this year. Sure, that doesn't sound like much, but it's in fact a 22% increase on restaurants' most basic employee costs.

"And guess what? $11 an hour becomes $13 an hour at the end of this year, another 18% rise.

" 'In the five months since the $11 hourly wage took effect," the Journal said, "several well-known restaurants have closed or announced plans to do so." And more closures are on the way.

"It's true that, as minimum-wage proponents claim, New York is unlikely to suffer horribly from recent minimum-wage hikes. With the boom on Wall Street in recent years, the restaurant industry right now is mostly doing fine.

"Moreover, wages in New York are already high, so the actual impact will be limited in terms of the number of employees affected. Prized workers at many restaurants often make much more than the minimum calls for.

"Even so, it will have an impact. For one, prices are bound to go up. Many people will suddenly find once-affordable restaurants to be out of their financial reach. Business will suffer." . . .

Trump and the Media / Democrats

"Media Runs Straight Past Loonyville En Route to Batsh*t Crazy Land"

"Trump Derangement Syndrome (TDS) is VERY REAL.  Joe Concha points out some of the more mild MSM moonbattery… however, they’ve gone straight past that level . . . "

THE REAL STORY: Trump Didn't Fire Comey To Cover Up Russia. He Just Got Mad At Comey, Then Jumped On A Landmine He Planted Himself.

"While the Democrats and media suggest that President Trump fired FBI director James Comey in order to somehow stymie an investigation into Russian collusion with the Trump team in the 2016 campaign, the more plausible theory was far less damning to Trump. I theorized on Wednesday that this was all an elaborate set-up for a bank heist. But that’s not the theory to which I’m referring. Here’s the actual theory:" . . .

How Low Can CNN Go? Now It's Covering President Trump's Ice Cream Habits. Seriously.

Three cheers for Sarah Sanders   "One has to almost like punishment to face the White House Press Corps these days.  Ever since President Trump was inaugurated, this 100% liberal Democrat murder of crows sits there each day and harasses Sean Spicer, or, as in the last few days, Sarah Huckabee Sanders.  Spicer has toughened up since his early days, but Sanders, who is temporarily replacing him as he serves his Naval Reserve duty, is a born natural.  Like her father, former governor Mike Huckabee, she has the gift of strong, plain language, and she is quick on the draw.  How anyone endures the tedium of this press corps is a mystery, but she seems to revel at the opportunity to push back." . . .

Will the press corps ever learn?  Doubtful.  They have been carefully taught that they are special, that their "job," in the words of Mika Brzezinski, is to tell us how to think!  They are so thoroughly convinced of their own righteous power, they actually believe we pay attention to them.  Even after Trump's victory!  Go figure.

Russia’s Foreign Ministry Slams US Media: ‘Colossal Bias …Lack of Independent Thinking’

CNS News   'Russia’s foreign ministry on Thursday lashed out at the U.S. media for their coverage of Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov's visit to Washington this week. Instead of focusing on bilateral relations, American media outlets wanted to talk about alleged Russian interference in the U.S. election and the firing of FBI Director James Comey.

" Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said U.S. journalists asking questions of Lavrov after an Oval Office meeting with President Trump seemed “unaware of how silly it was to ask the foreign minister of a another country about the reasons for certain personnel changes in their own country.”

“ 'Most of the questions concerned Russia’s alleged intervention in the U.S. election and the dismissal of the FBI director,” Zakharova said.

“ 'This indicates the colossal bias of the mass media, the lack of independent thinking and control by certain political groups,” she said.

'Lavrov’s unheralded meeting with Trump Wednesday made waves because it was closed to the White House press corps while a photographer with the Russian state-owned news agency TASS was allowed in.

'It was only after the Russian Embassy in Washington tweeted the TASS photos of Trump and Lavrov that most journalists and others became aware it had taken place at all.'  . . .

Sessions’ office releases memo to all 94 US attorneys calling for reversal of Holder-era policy (Video)

Fox News and Video  "Attorney General Jeff Sessions' office sent out a letter late Thursday to the nation's federal prosecutors instructing them to pursue the most serious charges possible against most criminal suspects.

"The move will send more people to prison and for much longer terms by triggering mandatory minimum sentences.
"Officials at the Department of Justice said the new guidelines are a direct rebuttal of policies implemented under President Obama’s attorney general, Eric Holder.
"The memo is already being referred to as “the Sessions Memo.” The 94 U.S. attorneys were instructed in the memo to “charge and pursue the most serious and readily provable offense.”
"These cases often carry the longest sentences.The memo also brings back into effect mandatory minimum sentences, which are expected to increase prosecutions and the prison population." . . .

Democrats Grind Senate’s Work to a Halt Over Comey’s Firing  "Democrats have gone from demanding former FBI Director James’ Comey’s resignation or dismissal to being puffed up with such outrage that the president has fired Comey they have decided to grind Senate work to a halt by cancelling or postponing meetings  . . . for a whole day.  This is their way of protesting the “lack of an independent investigation” into Russia’s alleged election meddling." . . .

How about they do it again tomorrow? And maybe next week?

Trump Cans Comey Like A Boss   . . . "But his “Free Pass for Hillary” press conference in July was perhaps the most transparently horrific decision by a Justice Department official since Janet Reno decided that she had to burn down the Branch Davidian compound to save its kids. Here’s the thing about Comey – he was arrogant. He was so arrogant that he took for himself the power to ignore the law because he determined, by himself, that if Hillary was treated like every other non­elite citizen the outcome would somehow be wrong. Voters might vote incorrectly if Hillary was held accountable and Comey, in his surpassing benevolent wisdom, could not allow that. 

"His press conference did incalculable damage to the American People’s faith in the rule of law. But he’s special, and his most­favored­felon treatment of fellow elite alum Hillary and her cadre of crooks was just professional courtesy. " . . .

Mark Steyn  "I'll say this for the suddenly departed FBI honcho James Comey: He's caused enough cases of whiplash to collapse Obamacare before the end of the week. The left in particular likes its cardboard heroes and cartoon villains drawn in bright Sharpie colors, and Comey insists on jumping back and forth between one role and the other like a movie stuntman leaping the roofs from northbound to southbound train. 

"Comey's not going to charge Hillary? What a stand­up guy! The very model of a dedicated public servant! 

"Comey's re­opened the Hillary investigation? What a partisan hack! He's just thrown the election to Trump! This is literally a police state!

"Comey's investigating Trump's ties to Russia? Thank God! This career civil servant is all that stands between us and that fascist dictator! 

"Comey's fingering Huma Abedin for forwarding emails to Carlos Danger? God, this Trump stooge won't let up, will he? 

"Trump's fired Comey? How dare he? This is a crisis for the integrity of our institutions... 

"Not surprisingly it's hard for these poor folk to keep up ­ to the point where Stephen Colbert had to rebuke his audience for cheering his announcement that Comey had been fired. That would have been the appropriate reaction had Obama done it circa November 1st last year. But now it's a constitutional outrage. " . . .