The John Duarte Trial Is Starting And You Should Pay Attention

Hot Air

. . . "In addition to distorting the meaning of “Waters of the United States” beyond any reasonable definition, this case is also challenging the use of the phrase, “normal farming practices.” Stop and think about that for a moment. The act of plowing a field is not, in the eyes of some in our government, considered a normal farming practice.

"Duarte’s lawyer is trying to get the fine dropped to one dollar rather than a figure in the millions since Duarte was already found guilty. But that won’t matter anyway because he’s going to appeal as soon as this is over. It’s more of a matter of principle than the actual money (though I’m sure the farmer could use that also) and a question of whether or not there is any sanity or common sense left in the federal government or the judicial system. Sadly, unless there’s a way somebody in the Trump administration can derail this, his appeal would be going to the Ninth Circuit, which means he’s pretty much already lost because, well… the Ninth Circuit." . . .

EPA and Army Corps seek to rescind clean water rule 

The good EPA; not the Democrat EPA that seeks to rule every corner of our lives.
"The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Army Corps of Engineers released a proposal on Tuesday to repeal the 2015 Clean Water Rule, the latest move by the Trump administration to unwind environmental regulations put in place under former President Barack Obama." . . .

Not So Private Property?: Clean Water Restoration Act Raises Fears of Land Grab

" 'Right now, the law says that the Environmental Protection Agency is in charge of all navigable water," said Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., chairman of the Senate Western Caucus and an opponent of the bill. 

" 'Well, this bill removes the word 'navigable,' so for ranchers and farmers who have mud puddles, prairie potholes -- anything from snow melting on their land -- all of that water will now come under the regulation of the Army Corps of Engineers and the Environmental Protection Agency," he said. 

"Barrasso said the federal government's one-size-fits-all approach doesn't work in the west where the Rocky Mountain states have gone even further than Washington to protect land, water and the environment.

" 'The government wants control of all water -- that also means that they want control over all of our land including the private property rights of people from the Rocky Mountain west, the western caucus and the entire United States," he said." . . .

 

CNN: Hell No, We Won’t Run Trump’s New Ad

Hot Air

. . . "Exit question: Trump’s campaign deliberately baits the media in its ads hoping that it’ll get CNN or MSNBC or one of the broadcast networks to reject them, right? Controversy draws an audience; this ad has nearly a million views on YouTube already, thanks in part to CNN rendering it taboo. No one understands how this works better than a media manipulator as practiced as the president."

Muslim Mafia joins war on Confederate memorials

"Urging all governments to remove any symbols of Civil War South"

WND

"An Islamic organization founded in Washington, D.C., by the Palestinian terrorist organization Hamasis entering the controversy over Confederate monuments, urging all state and local governments to remove any symbols of the Civil War South.

"The Council on American-Islamic Relations, or CAIR, is offering to help facilitate the process, providing a template resolution to be introduced by public bodies such as state legislatures, city councils and school districts.

"CAIR, an unindicted co-conspirator in a plot to fund Hamas, was designated by a Gulf Arab state as a terrorist organization. CAIR has sued the authors of a WND Books exposé, “Muslim Mafia: Inside the Secret Underworld That’s Conspiring to Islamize America,” which documented the group’s ties to the Muslim Brotherhood." . . .

CAIR wants every state and town to remove all names honoring 'white supremacists' after Charlottesville

(perhaps it would also be appropriate to remove all names honoring the fake god of islam, its false prophet, and its followers following the 9/11, Orlando, San Bernardino and Boston islamic terror-castings)

Muslim organization wants every state and town to do this after Charlottesville  . . . "America’s largest Muslim civil rights organization is asking state and local governments across the country to remove or change the name of anything named after Confederate sympathizers.

"Nihad Awad, national executive director at the Council on American-Islamic Relations, or CAIR, told the Daily Caller on Monday that doing so would be a “fitting response” to the deadly domestic terror attack that took place over the weekend in Charlottesville, Virginia." . . .

Stop this purging of America's history!

Removing Confederate symbols will hurt Democrats  By Silvio Canto, Jr.

. . . "These symbols are not racist.  They represent a big chunk of U.S. history and heritage for lots of Americans.  It does not mean that we support segregation or the way black Americans were treated.

. . . "As we've read since election day, many Democrats want to change their party so that it appeals to more people between New York City and the California border.  It's hard to see how removing Confederate statues is going to do that.  I think it will be a huge burden on Democrats trying to get votes.

"Also, this is exactly the kind of issue that could generate huge turnout in typically low-turnout midterms." . . .

How are Democrats going to win congressional districts in the South or West or defend red states?  It will be tough with candidates who believe that Robert E. Lee statues should be removed.

Woman protester, 22, who pulled down Confederate statue in North Carolina is arrested and could face PRISON - as Democrat governor vows to remove all 'anti-American' Civil War monuments from his state  . . . "Takiyah Thompson, 22, was taken into custody on Tuesday by Durham County sheriff's deputies shortly after protesters held a news conference at North Carolina Central University where she identified herself as the person who climbed a ladder to the top to tie a rope around the monument before the crowd tore it down on Monday." . . .

Vandals scrawl ‘F–k law’ on Lincoln Memorial  . . . "A preservation crew is working to remove the graffiti without damaging the stone on the historic memorial, officials said.

"The Lincoln Memorial overlooks the Capitol building and National mall. Anyone with information about the crime is asked to contact US Park Police." . . .

Four Perspectives On Removing Confederate Monuments   "There are four main schools of thought as it pertains to the removal of Confederate monuments from public spaces:" . . .
"There is a fourth set of Americans who, while they may agree with those who want Confederate monuments removed, they also worry about what comes next."
. . . 

"This set of people are concerned that the removal of Confederate monuments is only the beginning of a slippery slope, the end of which will be the sanitizing of great swaths of our history. 

"As of now, it appears the movement to pull down Confederate monuments is gaining steam. Where it goes next remains to be seen." 
 Howard Zinn and his pupils will be proud.

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams calls for removal of Confederate faces off Stone Mountain

We apologize for this error. Below is the picture we wanted to post:

Trump vs. the Norks: Could this be a red line as it should be?

North Korean military presents plan for Guam strike  . . . "Kim's comments, however, with their conditional tone, seemed to hold out the possibility that friction could ease if the United States made some sort of gesture that Pyongyang considered a move to back away from previous "extremely dangerous reckless actions." This might be difficult as the United States and its ally South Korea plan next week to start annual defensive military drills that the North claims are preparation for invasion." . . .

Rich Terrell

North Korea backed down Monday from a threat to fire missiles at the U.S. territory of Guam, according to a North Korean state media report cited by the Wall Street Journal.  . . . "Trump was roundly criticized by politicians from both parties and by the media for his responses to North Korean intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) launches, and to news that the regime could miniaturize a nuclear warhead. Trump threatened “fire and fury” and declared that U.S. military plans were “locked and loaded.” His critics, including former Obama administration National Security Adviser Susan Rice, accused him of escalating the situation. Rice even suggested appeasement: “[W]e can, if we must, tolerate nuclear weapons in North Korea.”

"However, Trump’s method of one-upping Kim-Jong-un’s belligerent rhetoric seems to have worked, as Trump cast himself as even more unpredictable than the infamously impetuous tyrant. He also pressured China diplomatically to squeeze North Korea, which also worked: the Chinese suggested last week that they would not defend North Korea if it attacked the U.S., as long as the anticipated U.S. retaliation did not actually try to end the regime itself."

Of course he was criticized by Obama Democrats; standing up to bullies is the last option they will consider. People who are ashamed and embarrassed over their country find no price to defend it worth paying. TD

earloftaint.

Sec. Mattis Issues Warning, North Korea Decides Not To Launch Missiles At Guam

. . . "Secretary of Defense James Mattis issued a strong warning to North Korea Monday: “If they shoot at the United States, I’m assuming they’ve hit the United States. … If they do that, then it’s game on.”

“ 'You don’t shoot at people in this world unless you want to bear the consequences,” Mattis told reporters at the Pentagon.

"Soon after Mattis issued his warning, state-run North Korean media outlet KCNA reported that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un had inspected his military’s plan to launch missiles at Guam and discussed the possibility of a strike with his top commanders." . . .

Kim, you drive a hard bargain so I'll turn this over to "Mad Dog" for his advice if you don't mind.

Ken Ham’s Noah’s Ark Will ‘Take Back the Rainbow’ for God

"Christians need to take back the rainbow as we do [at] Ark Encounter — God owns it — He decreed it's a sign of His covenant with man after the Flood," 

PJ Media   "A Christian ministry has unveiled a permanent light display to "take back the rainbow" from the LGBT movement, which adopted the symbol in 1978. The ministry pointed to the Genesis 9 account of God giving the rainbow as a sign after the flood of Noah.

" 'The Ark Encounter is lit permanently at night with a rainbow to remind the world that God owns the rainbow & is a sign of His covenant," tweeted Ken Ham, president of the Christian ministry Answers in Genesis (AiG). His ministry launched an "Ark Encounter," a life-size Noah's Ark theme park, in July 2016. Ham's tweet included a picture of the Ark." . . .

. . . "While some Christians argue that the Bible is not incompatible with the LGBT movement, it clearly condemns homosexual activity and teaches that God made people male and female. Ken Ham may not be right on science, but his suggestion that Christians reclaim the rainbow for God is a solid one, no matter how much LGBT activists mock it."

Oh, and  . . .

Ohio LGBT Group Announces Plans to Target Churches for Homosexual Weddings

Democrats and their race card

 Instead of proving Trump a racist, more than anything else, the events in Charlottesville again reveal the depths of corruption of the left-wing media.  Trevor Grant Thomas*

comicallyincorrect

Trump Denounces Bigotry, Violence, Neo-Nazis, and Hate in Statement  CNN was unimpressed, naturally.   "Outright denounces KKK, neo-Nazis, and white supremacists"

White House Acts to Stem Fallout From Trump’s First Charlottesville Remarks  From the CNN-like entity, the NY Times.

The Democrats always play the same game   "President Trump clearly condemned all hate groups, including the white supremacist groups in Virginia, as he should have, but that wasn't good enough for the media, Democrats, and many Republicans.  The race card has again been pulled out, as it always is, to imply that somehow Trump is a racist. 

"It reminds me of what Democrats, via the NAACP, did to George W. Bush right before the 2000 election.  They put out an ad that was meant to show that Bush somehow supported or was sympathetic to lynching because he didn't support hate crime legislation.  John M. Broder described it in the New York Times:" . . .

Some Perspective on the President's Condemning Racial Violence * . . . "I hope that President Trump has more to say on this matter, but then again, U.S. Presidents have often disappointed when it comes to matters involving the hate-filled violence and rhetoric of a small number of their supporters. Take the last President, for example. Whether Ferguson, Missouri (more than once),Baltimore, St. Paul, Baton Rouge, Dallas, Oakland, and so on, time and again, President Obama refused to condemn the violent racists of Black Lives Matter (BLM). On the contrary, Obama and the Democrat Party regularly encouraged the perverse cause of BLM and gave them political cover.
". . . Of course, eager to paint anyone on the right as a racist, describing the Virginia fools as “Trump’s people” has been a regular refrain from pundits on the left. In spite of all of the evidence linking Obama, the democrats, and BLM, as far as I can recall, the liberal mainstream media never sought to label black racists as “Obama’s people.' ”

Why Trump Was Right to Condemn Both Sides For Violence in Charlottesville

PJ Media

. . . "Trump should have condemned the white nationalists more harshly than the other protesters — they started the violence and their actions killed someone. The white supremacy pushed by these groups is utterly vile and without excuse.

But Trump was right that hatred and violence emerged on both sides. Heather Heyer has been hailed as dying "while protesting against hate," but there was violence and inexcusable behavior on both sides in Charlottesville this weekend.

The anger and violence in video after video from Charlottesville shows two sides striking at one another, two sides attempting to inflict harm on one another.

"Americans should not forget that this is the latest in a string of political violence. Last year, a man inspired by Black Lives Matter killed five police officers in cold blood in Dallas, Texas. Just a few months ago, a politically motivated shooter targeted Congressman Steve Scalise (R-La.) and other Republicans at a Congressional Baseball Game practice.

"This isn't the only recent instance of violence caused by white supremacy, either. The Charleston church shooting in 2015 poignantly comes to mind. America has a problem, and trying to determine who is most to blame will only make the problem worse.

"Not to excuse the white supremacists in any way, but it is worth exploring the reasons why this group has felt increasingly marginalized in recent years. Calls for a national "conversation about race" have focused on whites as oppressors and minorities as victims in every case."

Trump calls for peace after Charlottesville violence — but doesn’t condemn white nationalist groups

So many of us were disgusted when Obama did not condemn the anti-police rioters during his administration and when Maxine Waters dignified the LA riots as a "rebellion". Please President Trump, we must be better than people like that. TD

NY Daily News
. . . "Trump blamed all sides for the hatred that “has been going on for a long time in our country.' ”

"His failure to single out the fascists was condemned.

"Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring tweetedthat the "violence, chaos, and apparent loss of life in Charlottesville is not the fault of 'many sides.' It is racists and white supremacists."

"Even Republicans condemned the President's failure to condemn the driver.

" 'This is nothing short of domestic terrorism & should be named as such," Sen. Cory Gardner (R-Colo.) said in the first of two tweets."

Former KKK leader David Duke attended the rally and mentioned the President as an inspiration.
The demonstration, he said, is “to fulfill the promises of Donald Trump.”

Oh, Lord no! What a gift to the left.  

Trump Was Right to Condemn Violence on ‘Many Sides’ in Charlottesville
     "The critics are guilty of a double standard, and of exploiting the violence for political gain, widening America’s divisions at a time when national unity is the only proper course.

     "First of all, as a factual matter, it is self-evident that there was violence on both sides on Saturday, though the attack in which a car plowed into a crowd of left-wing protesters stands apart as a despicable act. Two groups who have been fighting all over the country — white supremacists and so-called “anti-fascists” — went to Charlottesville to do the same, just as they did last summer in Sacramento, and just as they have elsewhere. Condemning one side alone would essentially have given the other side a pass for its tactics — and a political victory that neither deserved.' "

Ohio man, 20, identified as suspect accused of driving car into Charlottesville protesters

"An Ohio man is accused of driving a car into a crowd of people protesting a white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Va., killing a 32-year-old woman and injuring 19 others, police said late Saturday.
James Alex Fields Jr., 20, was booked into the Albemarle-Charlottesville Regional Jail on one count of second-degree murder, three counts of malicious wounding, and one count of failing to stop at an accident that resulted in a death.

Charlottesville rally organizer spat at, chased from press conference by protesters; 1 arrested  Video

NBC Lashes Out at President Trump After Charlottesville Attack

CNN's Jim Acosta Attacks Trump, Blaming Him for Deadly Events in Charlottesville

Mandatory Leftism Week in Higher Education

Your weekly report on campus news.

Legal Insurrection  "Progressive ideas are so popular, students have to be forced to learn them. Oregon State Imposes Mandatory “Diversity Education” for Students Who Live on Campus

• Microaggression Sensitivity Training Mandated for New Students at Rutgers

"Here’s one administrator who gets it. Professor on Campus Life: ‘I would claim my industry created this monster’

"That was quick. Southern Methodist U. Relocating 9/11 Memorial to Avoid Upsetting People

• Southern Methodist U. Rethinks Decision to Move 9/11 Memorial After Backlash

"Trump on campus.  Prof Who Said “Trump Must Hang” Relieved of Fall Teaching Duties

• Clemson Prof: Trump Military Trans Ban is Like the Nazis or Something

• Princeton Prof Seeks Submissions for ‘Trumplandia’ Course Project

"Outstanding.  Conservative UNC-Wilmington Prof expertly trolls colleagues with “resignation” letter
"This helps no one.North Carolina State Administrator Wants Segregated Housing for Black Women

• Social Justice Journalism Grant at Brandeis U. Excludes White Men

• Vanderbilt U. Prof Claims Math Education is Sexist

"Of course.First Person in U.S. to Get Gender Neutral Driver’s License is American U. Prof
"You don’t say…Professor Warns Social Justice Warriors are Ruining the Study of Engineering" . . .

Cartoon added: 

 

Obama's Legacy: North Korea's Nuclear Weapons

"Talk will no longer cut it; it is time for action.  A bully will not listen to reason; he is going to take your lunch money every day until he gets that punch in the nose. Why do you think Barack Obama is so thin?"

William L. Gensert  "Today, without China's help, America has no other choice but to respond militarily to North Korean provocations.  War will be catastrophic and bloody, but inaction may be even more so.

"Progressives are always talking about Barack Obama's legacy.  Well, this is his true legacy: the needless deaths of perhaps hundreds of thousands of innocent people because he refused to take action before the clock ran out.

"Obama wanted to be known as the president who stopped wars and not one who started them, which he did anyway when he thought it would enhance his stature.  Because of this, he withdrew from Iraq, birthing ISIS; waffled in Syria, resulting in the death of a half a million people; and did nothing about North Korea.  He played golf and threw parties in the White House.  With North Korea, it is now probably too late for effective action short of war.  Wait a couple of years, when the bill for his appeasement of Iran will come due.

"Small leaders like Obama don't understand that we live in a dangerous world.  This is not new; it has always been that way.  As treacherous as it may be, it is not really that complicated.  The Democratic Republic of North Korea (DPRK) has a visceral loathing for the United States of America.  The destruction of America has been official policy for decades, and regardless of how much "strategic patience," Obama's non-strategy, we show the DPRK, that will not change. "

When a Bernie Sanders supporter attempted to assassinate Republicans, the media were quick to disassociate a politician from his radical supporters

"There was more media effort to discredit the critics of Sanders than to draw the lines connecting progressive rhetoric to violence.Compare and contrast the media reaction."

Thomas Lifson    "We’re all so used to double standards from the media that we barely notice them.  But right now, the unfairness is so acute that we must take a step back and remember something hideous that happened only this year. President Trump is being roundly criticized by most of the media for failing to criticize one side over the other in the Charlottesville riots, even before the exact sequence of events is understood, such as who initiated the violence. The verdict in this case must precede the evidence.

"So let’s take a short trip down memory lane and recall how the media treated the attempted assassination of House Republicans by a Bernie Sanders supporter. James Hidgkinson, who evidently put a lot of thought and planning into his massacre. He had a prolific history of outspokenness in support of Sanders and was known to be fanatical.  No one on the left raised a peep about him. " . . .