California secession finds unlikely ally in Utah conservative

The Salt Lake Tribune

"Statehouse Republican says secession is a long shot but hopes his bill in support of the move would act as ”a wake up call from the state of Utah.”' 

 

As some Californians push for their state to become its own country, they have an unlikely ally: Utah Rep. Paul Ray.Ray, a conservative Republican from Clearfield — spurred by frustration over California’s liberal politics and the “whining” of some of its residents about wanting to leave the United States — has started drafting a resolution for the 2018 legislative session that would offer support for the most populous state to secede from the union.“This is just kind of a wake-up call from the state of Utah that says, ‘You know what? You guys don’t get it,’” Ray said. “They don’t control other states and, quite honestly, most of us don’t really care for their politics.”Ray said he’s still drafting language for the measure, which would recommend tariffs on California, if it became its own country, for the energy and water it uses that come from Utah, the 31st most populous state.“They‘re smoking too much of their medical marijuana.”
— Rep. Paul Ray“They think that they’re owed a lot and they just think they’ve got the power to dictate, but if they really look at it, they can’t function without federal money going into California and doing business with other states,” he said. “For them to sit there and think they can make their own country and they can do this ... they’re smoking too much of their medical marijuana.”

The "Stephen Miller vs the Press" kerfuffle

Rush Limbaugh opined that these reporters are the products of a poor education system.

Rich Lowry: Stephen Miller TKOs Jim Acosta   "When Donald Trump's policy adviser Stephen Miller stepped to the podium of the White House briefing room on Wednesday to defend a plan for reducing levels of legal immigration, Jim Acosta of CNN was aghast and let everyone know it.
"Put aside that Acosta believed it was his role as a reporter to argue one side of a hot-button political issue (this is how journalism works in 2017). The exchange illustrated how advocates of high levels of immigration are often the ones who— despite their self-image as the rational bulwark against runaway populism—rely on an ignorant emotionalism to make their case.


Stephen Miller Jabs Back at NYT Reporter: About Time We Had Compassion for American Workers

. . . "Miller stated that it is common sense that some companies want to bring in more unskilled labor “because they know that it drives down wages and reduces labor cost.” He said the question to the government is rather, “To whom is our duty?” He answered his own question, “Our duty is to U.S. citizens and U.S. workers to promote rising wages for them.”

“ 'If low-skilled immigration was an unalloyed good for the economy then why have we been growing at 1.5 percent for the last 17 years at a time of unprecedented new low wage arrivals? It’s just, the facts speak for themselves,” said Miller. He then said having ultra-high skilled workers at the back of the line makes no sense in 2017." . . .

Immigration: How Trump Derangement Syndrome Dumbs Down the Press  . . . "I was asking myself that while listening to the stupefying question asked of Trump adviser Stephen Miller by CNN's Jim Acosta at Wednesday's White House press conference.  Miller had been explaining -- with a level of clarity and specificity not often seen at these events -- the immigration proposal being proffered by Sens. Tom Cotton and David Perdue and now being backed by the president.  The press audience appeared impatient with these details, however, waiting to pounce as it almost always does." . . .

Andrea Mitchell: White House aide 'rude' in exchange with CNN reporter

Beat the Press  . . . "MILLER: Maybe we will make a carve-out in the bill that says "The New York Times" can hire all the low-skilled, less paid workers they want from other countries, and see how you feel then about low-wage substitution." . . . 

CNN’s Jim Acosta argues immigration policy at White House briefing, gets schooled   "Stephen Miller teaches “journalist” Acosta about history"

"We all know that CNN’s Jim Acosta enjoys playing the role as an activist instead of a journalist, anything to bring attention to himself. He attempted to do just that on Wednesday, but fell flat on his face and made a fool of himself and his employer.

"President Donald Trump’s policy advisor Stephen Miller attended the White House press briefing to explain the RAISE act, an immigration policy, that Trump endorsed Wednesday morning.

"Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AK) and Sen. David Perdue (R-GA) developed the plan and Trump explainedthat the “application process will favor applicants who can speak English, financially support themselves and their families and demonstrate skills that will contribute to our economy.”

"Acosta tried to debate Miller on the English speaking part of the RAISE act and failed miserably." . . .

Power Line comments: Trump Adviser Stephen Miller Spars With CNN’s Acosta Over Immigration  "Miller pointed out that English is already a requirement of naturalization." . . .

"Do you really at CNN not know the difference between green card policy and illegal immigration?" he asked." 

"Acosta is known for his sometimes adversarial relationship with the White House, including new White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders" . . .

Jim Acosta Was Wrong To Claim Only British And Australian Immigrants Speak English   "Jim Acosta embarrassed himself badly confronting Stephen Miller on camera yesterday. I thought the interchange was beneficial to the Trump administration and to opponents of illegal immigration everywhere. Rather than having a buffoon repeatedly sending whiny tweets about #FAKENEWS!! every day, or sending out petulant dwarves to tell blatant falsehoods, why not send someone out like Miller — who actually knows what he is talking about, and backs up his argument with facts and logic rather than lies and empty bravado?" . . .

The Problem of Competitive Victimhood

Victor Davis Hanson

Divisive identity politics are fading in favor of a shared American identity.

"The startling 2016 presidential election weakened the notion of tribal identity rather than a shared American identity. And it may have begun a return to the old idea of unhyphenated Americans.

" Many working-class voters left the Democratic party and voted for a billionaire reality-TV star in 2016 because he promised jobs and economic growth first, a new sense of united Americanism second, and an end to politically correct ethnic tribalism third. 

"In the 19th century, huge influxes of Irish and German immigrants warred for influence and power against the existing American coastal establishment that traced its ancestry to England. Despite their ethnic chauvinism, these immigrant activist groups eventually became indistinguishable from their hosts. Then and now, the forces of assimilation, integration, and intermarriage make it hard to retain an ethnic cachet beyond two generations — at least without constant inflows of new and often poor fellow immigrants." . . .   Read more.

CNN, NYT reporters humiliated by Stephen Miller at WH immigration briefing

Thomas Lifson  "I could not help but think of the movie The Revenge of the Nerds yesterday, as a balding, slender Republican hit back when the cool kids from the media started implying racism.  Progressive activists masquerading as reporters are not used to Republicans who hit back at their insinuations.  But two of them encountered return fire at yesterday's White House briefing on the new merit-based Senate immigration bill cosponsored by David Perdue and Tom Cotton.

"White House policy adviser Stephen Miller fought back when CNN's Jim Acosta began insinuating that racism is behind the bill in the "last question" of the briefing, claiming a radical change in immigration policy and citing the Emma Lazarus poem added to the base of the Statue of Liberty.

"What you're proposing," Acosta begins his sermon, "or what the president is proposing, doesn't seem, does not sound like it's in keeping with American tradition when it comes to immigration."

He then looks at his notes and says.

"The Statue of Liberty says …"

The Statue of Liberty says.

"It says 'Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,' it doesn't say anything about speaking English or being a computer programmer," Acosta goes on, "Aren't you trying to change what it means to be an immigrant coming into this country if you're telling them they have to speak English."

"As David Harsanyi of The Federalist dryly commented, CNN's Jim Acosta read the Statue of Liberty poem and "had a meltdown when someone suggested immigrants be able to read it, too.' " . . .

Tesla: the beautiful, clever, and very immoral automobile

Bookworm Room

Tesla owners shouldn’t be proud about their “green” machine. Instead, they should be embarrassed about a rich person’s car paid for by poor people’s money.

 

. . . "Tesla’s flagship automobile, the Model S, would not only fail to make money in a free market, it would likely bankrupt any company that tried. As the Los Angeles Times reported, Tesla’s “cars themselves aren’t making the company any money.” A Model S with a typical options package sells for more than $100,000, but that is literally tens of thousands of dollars less than it costs to manufacture and sell.

"How, then, does Tesla make its money?" . . .

Students Outraged After University Moves 9/11 Memorial

This news should trigger you in your safe space.

“Does the university fear that some students or faculty members might be coerced or harassed by a poignant reminder of the atrocities committed by Muslim terrorists on American soil?"

Todd Starnes

"For the past two years, the Young Americans for Freedom chapter at Southern Methodist University displayed nearly 3,000 American flags on a prominent university lawn to remember those killed in the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

"But Old Glory won’t be posted on the Dallas Hall Lawn this year – even though the display had been well-received by the student body.

"The university objected to the location of the display, citing a revised policy aimed at protecting students from “harmful or triggering” messages.

“ 'While the University respects the rights of students to free speech, the University respects the right of members of the community to avoid messages that are triggering, harmful, or harassing,” the policy reads.

"I reached out to Southern Methodist University to find out who could possibly take offense at a memorial honoring American citizens killed by Muslim terrorists. I had my suspicions, but I wanted to hear it from the university’s leadership.

"Spokesman Kent Best told me the revised policy covers all lawn displays, not just the 9/11 memorial." . . .

University Bans White And Straight Students From Campus Safe Space…

Weasel Zippers

"Because it’s okay to discriminate against white and straight people.

"Via Daily Caller:

The University of Minnesota is banning white and straight students from a safe space on campus, according to a Thursday report.

The school’s Gender and Sexuality Center for Queer and Trans Life hosts “Tongues Untied,” a space in which people can congregate to discuss the impact of sexuality, race and gender, according to Campus Reform. But not everyone is invited.

“For our allies: we do appreciate your voices and commitment to dismantling racism and homophobia; however, please note that this is a space created for LGBTQIA and/or same-gender-loving people of color,” the space’s description reads.

“If you identify as a queer and/or trans indigenous person or person of color, we welcome you to take part in our discussions,” states the group’s Facebook page.

The ban refers to this group's particular safe space, not all safe spaces.

"The University of Minnesota has allowed a group to exclude/prohibit white and straight students from dropping into their safe space. The school’s Gender and Sexuality Center for Queer and Trans Life hosts an event called “Tongues Untied.” So, if you’re identified as a straight Caucasian person, you won’t be allowed entry.

“ 'Tongues Untied,” is a safe space to speak about the impact of sexuality, race and gender, according to Campus Reform. The description for the event reads, “For our allies: we do appreciate your voices and commitment to dismantling racism and homophobia; however, please note that this is a space created for LGBTQIA and/or same-gender-loving people of color.' ” . . .

Retired generals, admirals thank Trump for announcing ban on transgender troops

Rowan Scarborough

"More than a dozen retired generals and admirals have signed a letter to President Trump thanking him for his announced policy to ban transgender people from the armed forces.

“ 'We write today to express our gratitude to you for making the extremely courageous decision to reverse President Obama’s transgender social experiment,” the conservative retired flag officers wrote. “There may be an enormous amount of vitriol directed at you for making this policy correction, but please know that overturning this policy may have done more in the long-term to save the culture and war-fighting capacity of the U.S. military than perhaps any other military policy you will adopt as president.”

"The letter came as the Palm Center, a research nonprofit that promotes the LGBT agenda, released a competing statement from 56 retired admirals and generals who say reimposing the ban will hurt readiness, not help it.

“ 'The Commander in Chief has tweeted a total ban of honorably serving transgender troops,” the statement said. “This proposed ban, if implemented, would cause significant disruptions, deprive the military of mission-critical talent, and compromise the integrity of transgender troops who would be forced to live a lie, as well as non-transgender peers who would be forced to choose between reporting their comrades or disobeying policy.”

"Among the statement’s signatories: retired Marine Gen. John Allen, former deputy commander of U.S. Central Command; retired Vice Adm. Donald Arthur, former surgeon general of the Navy; and retired Lt. Gen. Claudia Kennedy, the first woman to achieve three-star rank in the Army." . . .

When Progressives Embrace Hate

NY Times   

"A mere half-year ago, before collusion and Comey, before Mika’s face and Muslim bans and the Mooch, there was a shining moment where millions of Americans flooded the streets in cities across the country to register their rage that an unapologetic misogynist had just been made leader of the free world. (Snip)The leaders of the Women’s March, arguably the most prominent feminists in the country, have some chilling ideas and associations. Far from erecting the big tent so many had hoped for, the movement they lead has embraced decidedly illiberal causes and cultivated a radical tenor that seems determined to . . .   Via Lucianne

Obama wasn't king, and his laws aren't set in stone

William Perry Pendley

To his credit, President Trump directed Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke to begin the process of undoing former President Back Obama's abuses regarding the declaration of national monuments to appease environmentalists.

Former President Barack Obama once acknowledged, "I actually believe my own bullshit," which must include statements that, with him, "the rise of the oceans [will] slow and our planet [will] heal," that stimulus projects were "shovel-ready," and that he is smarter than anyone working for him. To those add his observation that his policies, such as his decrees of national monuments off limits to the public, are set in stone.

"Obviously, from their comments among the 1.2 million filed last month on plans by President Trump to void Obama's and former President Bill Clinton's illegal decrees, environmentalists believe that baloney. They are wrong.

"Obama's abuses of the Antiquities Act of 1906 are well known, including designation of an ocean monument off New England to kill fishing[,] an unauthorized park parading as a monument in rural Maine to kill logging and milling[,] and the 1.3 million acre Bear Ears in Utah to placate environmentalists. Largely forgotten everywhere but in the West was Clinton's designation of the 1.8 million-acre Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument.

"On behalf of the people of Southern Utah, my organization sued Clinton. For years, a courageous federal judge resisted Clinton's lawyers' efforts to dismiss the case; however, when former President George W. Bush's lawyers defended the decree, the judge figuratively threw up his hands. Our lawsuit was over and with it any hopes of limiting future presidents. ' " . . .

Resisting the Tranny State

One wonders how many would join the military just for the sex change, much as the bounty men did in the civil war for money. TD

TakiMag  . . . "But the thing is, these days trannies are not content to just go be trannies; they insist that we become accomplices to their fantasy. We have to pretend to see what they see. We have to use pronouns that we know are

misapplied. We have to allow dudes with dirlywangers to shower, change, and go to the bathroom alongside our daughters. We have to foot the bill for sex change surgeries. To even suggest that sex change operations are elective and not a “medical necessity” is to challenge the tranny illusion. This is at the heart of the controversy surrounding President Trump’s announcement that trans folk will no longer be allowed to serve in the military. Trannies, their leftist allies, and “moderate Republicans” think soldiers are as entitled to state-funded sex change operations as they are to first aid on the battlefront.

"In Sweden, the trans lobby has been able to bully the medical establishment into changing the official term for sex change (or sex reassignment) surgery. The new authorized term is “könskorrigering”—“gender correction.” A perfectly healthy organ (a penis) is now seen as a congenital defect to be surgically lopped off . . .

“Sorry, but you can’t make your mental health dependent on everyone else seeing you as you see yourself.”

By David Cole. 

Confirmed: Senate Too Gridlocked to Move Forward With Obamacare Reform

earloftaint

Legal Insurrection

“There’s just too much animosity and we’re too divided on healthcare”

"We’ve been actively chronicling the Senate Republican’s embarrassing attempt (or feigned, depending on your thoughts here), to repeal Obamacare.

"Whether it’s one big, long con, or a deeply fractured caucus, Sen. Hatch is under the impression that the division in the Republican ranks runs far too deep to find a path forward in the long-promised effort to rid us of Obamacare.

"In an interview with Reuters, Sen. Hatch said, “there’s just too much animosity and we’re too divided on healthcare.”

Trump over the weekend urged Republican senators to stick with trying to pass an overhaul of the Affordable Care Act, former President Obama’s signature domestic initiative known as Obamacare.

Trump made replacing Obamacare a key part of his presidential campaign and Republicans have promised for years to repeal or replace the law. The House of Representatives has passed an overhaul but the Senate has been unable to do so despite having worked on it for months. Three Senate Republicans joined Democrats in voting against repealing even part of the law at the end of last week.

"Hatch’s statements contradict directives from Trump, who urged the Senate to continue working to find consensus Sunday." . . .