Is Trump Restoring Separation of Powers?

National Review

Several of his officials are working to contain the administrative state.

. . . "In a series of significant speeches at the Federalist Society’s national convention, the president’s lawyers have begun to articulate a framework for restoring the separation of powers: First, Congress should cease delegating its legislative power to the executive branch; second, the executive branch will stop using informal “guidance documents” that deprive people of the due process of law without fair notice; and third, courts should stop rubber-stamping diktats that lack the force of law. 

"Executive power is often described as a one-way ratchet: Each president, Democrat or Republican, augments the authority his predecessor aggrandized. These three planks of the Trumpian Constitution — delegation, due process, and deference — are remarkable, because they do the exact opposite by ratcheting down the president’s authority. If Congress passes more precise statues, the president has less discretion. If federal agencies comply with the cumbersome regulatory process, the president has less latitude. If judges become more engaged and scrutinize federal regulations, the president receives less deference. Each of these actions would weaken the White House but strengthen the rule of law. To the extent that President Trump follows through with this platform, he can accomplish what few (myself included) thought possible: The inexorable creep of the administrative leviathan can be slowed down, if not forced into retreat." . . .

Portland man found guilty of damaging Montana oil pipeline

Great Falls Tribune:

Leonard Higgins

 Leonard Higgins, charged with tampering with an oil pipeline in Montana last year following a four-state climate change demonstration, was found guilty Wednesday by a Chouteau County jury of trespassing and criminal mischief.

The jury, which got the case at 11:15 a.m., returned an hour later with the verdict, which also included the conclusion that Higgins caused more than $1,500 in damage.

District Judge Daniel Boucher set sentencing for Jan. 2.

Following the verdict, Higgins, of Portland, said he was disappointed Boucher did not allow his defense team to present a so-called “necessity” defense in which he would have argued he committed a lesser harm because of an imminent greater harm, in this case climate change.

Had that climate change defense been allowed, Higgins said, the outcome may have been different.

“It was really frustrating not to be able to talk about climate in the courthouse,” Higgins said.

The charges stemmed from Higgins turning off an oil pipeline valve in 2016 located north of the Missouri River in Chouteau County 75 miles northeast of Great Falls as part of a coordinated, four-state effort to raise awareness about climate change.

His trial began Tuesday and the case was given to jurors for deliberation late Wednesday morning.

“This is not about climate change,” Chouteau County Attorney Steven Gannon told jurors during closing arguments. . .

Progressives have a new nightmare

Glenn Reynolds of Instapundit has long argued that wealthy conservative donors should send their money buying women's magazines rather than futilely buying advertising.  Those women-oriented magazines are uniformly hostile to conservative causes and could easily be turned around.

Media Bias

Thomas Lifson  "Realistic political analysts have always believed that their dominance of mainstream media has always added to the vote totals of Democrats and progressives.  President Trump's excoriation of fake news is an attempt to lessen that advantage by helping credibility erode faster than ever from the major media outlets.

"But now a different kind of threat is emerging, and we can expect screams of outrage if a couple of billionaires "follow through on moves being hinted at.  "Following the example of Jeff Bezos's bargain-basement purchase of the Washington Post, a couple of major media properties may fall into conservative hands and be repurposed as conservative outlets.

"Peter Kafka reports in Recode:

Do the Koch Brothers want their own media empire?

They're putting more than $500 million into a bid for Time Inc. Why?

The fact that Meredith is trying to buy Time Inc. is news, but it's not shocking: The magazine publisher that owns Family Circle and Parents has been trying to combine with the publisher that owns People, Time and Sports Illustrated for years.

The big surprise: Charles and David Koch, the billionaires who are a powerful force in conservative politics, are backing the bid.

The New York Times reports that the Kochs are putting more than $500 million into a deal that hasn't closed but seems pretty far along, and could be finalized in the coming weeks. I'm told the investor group backed by billionaire Len Blavatnik, which floated an offer for Time Inc. last year, doesn't plan to compete for the company now.

We'll learn more about the proposed deal soon, but here's the first, obvious question: Do the Kochs want to be investors in a media business because they like the economics? Or because they want influence? . . .

. . . "The big picture is really scary if you are a prog who depends on media support.  The MSM have been committing suicide by driving away half the public and being so obviously biased that even the remaining audience loses trust.  That opens the door to pick up properties on the cheap.  They are already politicized, so reversing the poles is not a huge obstacle.  There are plenty of unemployed journalists out there, so staffing up shouldn't be a problem.  Moreover, the conservative blogosphere has operated as a sort of farm team system for newly conservative magazines, newspapers, and websites to draw talent from."

This is worrisome aplenty knowing of George Soros' influence on American culture and politics. I fear influence from the right while at the same time see the need for an antibiotic against the disease of leftism. 
But it will take more than conservative media to overcome the leftism in academia and entertainment. TD

Media disdain for Sarah Sanders gets personal

Washington Examiner

"The national media’s relationship with White House press secretary Sarah Sanders has taken on a new tension over the last month, as journalists and news commentators have grown more and more personal in their hostility toward the Trump administration’s top spokeswoman. 

"Several high-prole columnists and writers have torn into Sanders over the last few weeks to mock her appearance, the way she talks, and most recently, an alleged disdain she showed the press by asking them at a brieng this week to say why they are thankful this holiday season. 

“ 'Sanders’s sudden shift from press secretary to minister’s daughter a few days before Thanksgiving coincides with her apparent image evolution from a woman unconcerned with vanity to a more polished version,” Washington Post columnist Kathleen Parker wrote Tuesday. “One can almost hear the hive of consultants discussing how to imperceptibly adapt this no-frills yeoman to the shallower requirements of a visual medium.' ” . . .

A Time for War

"First the universities.  Then Hollywood.  They took over the major media outlets such as the NY Times, the Washington Post, most journalism schools, all the major television networks, and most cable news outlets.  They took over our education system, down to kindergarten.  . . . These already leaned left; now they fully took them over and want to force their ideas on us.  And they hate us."

And how did your Thanksgiving conversations go?

David Prentice  “ 'To everything, there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven.”  That’s the beginning of a famous bible verse.   It’s a litany of life’s times and wonders that are dropped in our laps; weeping, laughing, dancing, healing. 

"The last line purposely changes tone and says, “a time for war”.

"Like it or not, this is that time.

"Civil War.

"It’s here.  Now.  Thankfully this is not yet the blood in the streets kind of war, but war it is.  It’s a war for the soul of this country, it’s a war that will affect everyone; none will escape having to deal with it directly, or indirectly.

"How did we get here?  It’s complicated.  But one thing for sure: what’s not complicated is who started this war, why, and who it is with.  During our lives, it was started by the hard left, and it’s a war to achieve power for them, for them to change the entire workings of our country.  They want to remake every institution they can, with themselves in control of as much as possible.  Power to them, belongs in the hands of their brilliant ideas, and their overwhelming moral superiority.   They believe this war is necessary in order to root out the injustice inherent in our country’s institutions and its tawdry citizenry.  

"The war in its current form began in the sixties.  It was envisioned by the radicals in the SDS days, spurred by the luminaries of the Frankfurt School, furthered by the activities of Herbert Marcuse, Howard Zinn, Bill Ayers, and the leftist academic institutions we send our children to.  They have taken over institution after institution in a long, calculated preparation for this war.

"First the universities.  Then Hollywood. " . . .Full article

SECOND AMERICAN CIVIL WAR 
WILL BE LEFT VS. RIGHT

"The United States is torn in two. Forces on the Left are at extreme odds with forces on the Right. We see real manifestations of this each time Antifa shows up to trash a conservative rally. Under the failed leadership of the past administration, America grew more and more fragmented like never before."

I fear another form of civil war would be black vs. white, but that has also become left vs. right, thanks to the racemongers in the Democrat party. TD

America’s Second Civil War . Dennis Preger writes:

. . . "Liberalism — which was anti-left, pro-American and deeply committed to the Judeo-Christian foundations of America; and which regarded the melting pot as the American ideal, fought for free speech for its opponents, regarded Western civilization as the greatest moral and artistic human achievement and viewed the celebration of racial identity as racism — is now affirmed almost exclusively on the right and among a handful of people who don’t call themselves conservative.The left, however, is opposed to every one of those core principles of liberalism.
"Like the left in every other country, the left in America essentially sees America as a racist, xenophobic, colonialist, imperialist, warmongering, money-worshipping, moronically religious nation.
"Just as in Western Europe, the left in America seeks to erase America’s Judeo-Christian foundations. The melting pot is regarded as nothing more than an anti-black, anti-Muslim, anti-Hispanic meme. The left suppresses free speech wherever possible for those who oppose it, labeling all non-left speech “hate speech.” To cite only one example, if you think Shakespeare is the greatest playwright or Bach is the greatest composer, you are a proponent of dead white European males and therefore racist." . . .

The People's Cube reports, "Planned Parenthood mourns death of abortion icon" Updated.

Satire from The People's Cube   "Planned Parenthood issued a statement this afternoon regarding the tragic loss of late term abortion icon Charles Milles Manson.

"In a prepared statement, Planned Parenthood President Cecile Richards said...

"It is with great sadness that we join progressives around the world to mourn the passing of one of mankind's great visionary leaders , Mr. Charles M. Manson. "Charlie" was decades ahead of his time in regards to empowering young women within his family, giving them great responsibilities to carry out their progressive utopian dreams and exercising their late term abortion philosophy and practice.

Charlie's progressiveness made him a target of right-wing extremism. Charlie served out the last four decades of his life a political prisoner for ordering a procedure that today we at Planned Parenthood proudly perform daily. His social justice campaign against rich wealthy white "PIGS" is an inspiration to us all.

"President Richards said a college endowment will be made in Charlie's name and that The Charlie Manson Male Feminist Award will be given out annually to remember Charlie's empowerment of young women, social justice and late term abortion.

. . . 

"And the New York Times is right behind, taking a Great Orwellian Leap to link Charles Manson to alt-right and ultimately to Trump. 

"As in: Charles Manson has always been a right-winger. 

"If that's true, then a right-winger was also Manson's admirer Bernardine Dohrn and her husband, Bill Ayers. And, by extension, Barack Obama. But let's not the facts get in the way of the narrative.

" 'Trump is literally Hitler" is out; "Trump is literally Manson" is in.

"Charles Manson Was Not a Product of the Counterculture

Quote:

Apart from the long hair and the casual sex, however, Mr. Manson, who spent much of his life in prison with a swastika carved into his head, had more in common ideologically with far-right groups like the John Birch Society than he did with the anarchic leftism of, say, the Yippies.

By El Presidente 

Update and NOT satire: Where Will Charles Manson Be Buried? GoFundMe Pulls Plug On Funeral Fundraising

Viral Feels

Judge Roy Moore Weighs Legal Action Against Accusers As Allegations Fall Apart

The Gateway Pundit  "It looks like the flimsy 38-year-old allegations against Judge Roy Moore are falling apart.

"In fact it looks like EVERY SINGLE DETAIL in Gloria Allred’s accuser allegations against Roy Moore have been debunked.

"Beverly Nelson was not telling the truth."

"And Alabama voters are paying attention.
"Roy Moore now leads ultra-liberal Doug Jones by at least 6 points in several polls this week.
"And President Trump gave him the nod on Tuesday on the way to Mar-a-Lago.

"And now this…

"Judge Roy Moore told reporters this week he is considering pressing charges against one or more of the women who accused him of sexual misconduct 38 years ago.

"NBC News reported: . . ."

But if Moore has done these things, we would be much like the contemptible James Carville and his revolting responses to Paula Jones and Ken Starr . But yet I fear being owned by a possible Democrat scam, a party that seems to be capable of  unconscionable evil.TD

Alabama Women, Say No to Roy Moore

Peggy Noonan

"This tribune of the common folk and their earnest ways allegedly preyed on the unprotected."

. . . "People from the Deep South feel culturally patronized. This is because they are. Reporters from outside don’t admire or relate to them; when a Washington Post journalist presented as fact, in a 1993 news report, that evangelical Christians are “largely poor, uneducated and easy to command,” you know he was thinking of Southern evangelicals. Hollywood has long cast Southerners as witless and brutish in films from “Inherit the Wind” to “Deliverance” and “Mississippi Burning.”

"Politically, Southern conservatives have long decried a double standard. Ted Kennedy spent much of his life as a somewhat inebriated roué whose actions caused the death of a young woman, but now we’re instructed to call him the Lion of the Senate. Bill Clinton was worse than Roy Moore. Mr. Clinton was accused of rape, harassment and exposing himself, but his party backed him and he kept the presidency. Democratic Sen. Al Franken was credibly accused Thursday, by an anchor at KABC radio in Los Angeles, of groping and harassing her on a USO tour in 2006. When she resisted him, Leeann Tweeden wrote, “Franken repaid me with petty insults,” and took an obscene photo of her on the way home, as she slept. Will the liberal media dig into Mr. Franken as they have dug into Mr. Moore? Or is he too good a source and friend?" 
. . . 
"If you care about late-term abortion, that is enough reason to oppose Mr. Jones. It is not surprising that Mr. Moore’s supporters would stick with him when seen through that light.

"But still: It won’t do. All the above having been said, Alabamans who continue to back Mr. Moore are making a terrible mistake.

"Just because something is understandable doesn’t mean it’s right. The charges against Mr. Moore are not only serious; they are completely credible." . . .

Newsgate 2016, Updated November 12, 2017

Sharyl Attkisson

"The following is a news media analysis and commentary"

"Regardless of who is your chosen – or least favorite – presidential candidate, independent minds should be concerned about the latest revelations in the news media’s unseemly relationships with government and political actors. While there are many responsible journalists working today, inside documents and leaks have exposed serious lapses constituting the most far-reaching scandal our industry has known. It’s our very own Newsgate.

Compromised reporting has always existed as a result of covert collaborations between reporters and political officials—Democrats and Republicans alike. For example, in my new book out next year, The Smear, I’ll report on instances of improper collusion that surfaced during the Bush administration. The most recent available evidence is heavy on Democrat-ties due to the nature of the available documents and leaks.  

"It can be argued that some individual accounts can be rationalized and are not serious breaches of ethics. But taken as a whole, it’s easy to see how we as journalists have done a poor job protecting ourselves from being co-opted by organized interests, often ones that are paid and politically-motivated. Whether we realize it or not, they’ve figured out how to exploit the media and use us to publish their propaganda. It implies a broad and growing trend that has seriously undermined the credibility of the news industry.

"Opinion reporters and those who work for obviously ideological news groups are entitled to publish party propaganda. It’s one matter to provide viewpoint journalism. But it’s quite another for us to act as a tool of any interest, publishing narratives or talking points upon suggestion or demand, without disclosing we’ve done just that." . . .

Full Article

Three little Fausts went to market

Evoke

Richard Rail  "Kathy Griffin, Hillary Clinton, and Colin Kaepernick go around in despair about how mean the world is to them, how they're getting cheated out of something rightfully theirs, how things just shouldn't be like this.

"Hatred figures prominently in their respective worldviews.  Griffin hates Donald Trump.  Hillary hates deplorables and Jim Comey and the Russians and men and self-hating women.  Oh, and Bernie.  And Donna.  Kaep hates America, or anyway America's cops.

"All three did this to themselves, but none sees any connection between choices made and present predicament.  Now they make themselves pitiful, irritating, and disgusting by whining, crying, complaining, ranting, and blaming.

"Griffin was the real dumb one.  Kaep's a millionaire even if he did kick away another season's work, and Hillary's got a tidy nest egg up there in Chappaqua, but Kathy didn't look far enough down the road before taking this wrong turn.

"America responds to this trio with eye-rolling.  And deep sighs.  And looking away.  And channel-changing.  Professional victims are nobody's idea of achievers, heroes, models for kids, or fun company on a desert island.

"Look at it this way, guys: you coulda been in Hollywood getting it from Harv and Kev and that bunch.  Then you could have laid it on really thick.  True, it's hard to see how, but you would have thought of something.

"Truth is, you all had it pretty good.  You had it real good.  But you couldn't accept that.  You kept pushing for more.  Idolization or headlines or something.  You never figured out how to enjoy what you had and pocket your winnings.

"Three Fausts looking for the ultimate high.  My, my."

George Washington wishes us all a happy Thanksgiving

Hat tip to Leslie Vaughn Burckard, Tillamook, Oregon

The First Thanksgiving: A story always worth returning to  . . . "The months turned into years and saw the Pilgrims develop good relations with the local natives including Massasoit, a wise and welcoming chief of the local tribes, Samoset, and especially Tisquantum, or Squanto.

"In the middle of March 1621, just as the Pilgrims were coming out of the devastatingly harsh winter, a guard alerted his comrades with the cry of “Indian coming!” Wearing only a loincloth as he walked into the Pilgrims’ camp, Samoset astonished the English onlookers with a hearty “Welcome!” Then speaking surprisingly clear English, he followed his friendly greeting with a request, “Have you got any beer?' ” . . .

2017 NFL condition

The NFL ratings slump is getting worse  "The TV audience for NFL games steepened its slide in Week 11, losing 1 million viewers versus last year’s season-to-date average.

"The 6.3 percent slump — worsening from comparable declines of 5.6 to 5.7 percent during the previous three weeks — plagued a week whose off-the-field drama made gridiron tackling seem almost tame by comparison.

"Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones remained the major distraction by continuing to battle with fellow team owners and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell.

"Jones brought even more tension to Week 11 when video footage surfaced late last week of the football tycoon making a racially charged remark at a 2013 wedding party.

"President Donald Trump added to the off-field antics with a tweet calling for the suspension of the Oakland Raiders’ Marshawn Lynch for not standing for the national anthem during a game played in Mexico City.

"Only two games had audience gains.

"The NBC “SNF” during which the Philadelphia Eagles whopped the Dallas Cowboys 37 to 9 managed to attract 12 percent more viewers than the comparable contest a year ago.

"Fox’s single header on Sunday, which saw the New Orleans Saints sneak past the Washington Redskins 34 to 31, drew 10 percent more viewers." . . .



NFL viewership down 11 percent in 2017   . . . "The NFL ratings are in focus because of President Donald Trump’s suggestion that viewers are turned off by a protest against police brutality that began with quarterback Colin Kaepernick refusing to stand for the national anthem. The protests spread rapidly this past weekend following the president’s criticism of people involved.

"Next week’s ratings will be even more closely watched, since conservative groups and Fox News Channel’s Sean Hannity have called for people angered by the protests to boycott this weekend’s games."

NFL ratings and viewership for every game of the 2017 season, compared to last year. Streaming and adults 18-49 numbers listed when available.