Comedian won’t headline 2019 White House Correspondents’ Dinner

Washington Examiner  "A comedian will not headline the next White House Correspondents’ Association dinner, after Michelle Wolf’s 2018 performance left many fuming.

"The White House Correspondents’ Association announced Monday that Pulitzer Prize-winning author Ron Chernow will be the featured speaker at the annual dinner in Washington.

“ 'As we celebrate the importance of a free and independent news media to the health of the republic, I look forward to hearing Ron place this unusual moment in the context of American history,” association president Olivier Knox said in a statement.

"Chernow said he was asked to “make the case for the First Amendment” during his remarks.

“ 'Freedom of the press is always a timely subject and this seems like the perfect moment to go back to basics. My major worry these days is that we Americans will forget who we are as a people and historians should serve as our chief custodians in preserving that rich storehouse of memory. While I have never been mistaken for a stand-up comedian, I promise that my history lesson won’t be dry,” he said.

"The selection of Chernow marks a change in tradition from selecting a comedian to perform at the black tie event. Wolf drew widespread criticism for her remarks at this year’s dinner about White House press secretary Sarah Sanders’ appearance.

"In response, Margaret Talev, who was then the president of the Correspondents’ Association, said the organization would consider new ideas about the format of the dinner.

“ 'Last night’s program was meant to offer a unifying message about our common commitment to a vigorous and free press,” Talev said. “Unfortunately, the entertainer’s monologue was not in the spirit of that mission.”

"Over the last 20 years, comedians were picked for all but two dinners. Musician Ray Charles performed in 2003 and Aretha Franklin headlined the event in 1999."

"Here’s a list of previous entertainers:" . . .

Tim Allen, sadly was not on the list:

Tim Allen: Liberals have little sense of humor about themselves, 'so I love poking at it'  . . . "I like pissing people off, and I said there’s nothing, especially in this area, that pisses people off more than a very funny conservative, a smart, funny conservative that takes shots and is certainly self-effacing," Allen said in an interview with IndieWire about his show "Last Man Standing," in which he plays a conservative-leaning character.

"The left-wing point of view is so pervasive that they don’t even realize it’s a point of view. It is just a point of view," he said. "I think this character likes that, he likes to have another point of view. It makes him sharper and more interesting. But we don’t push it."

Allen says in the interview that the character's beliefs aren't exactly his own, but that liberals have a problem with humor targeting them or self-reflecting humor and that it motivates him to prod at the sensitivities of liberals for comedy.

"I think it’s funny to make fun of people that are full of themselves," Allen said. "Liberals have a very small window of sense of humor about themselves, so I love poking at it." . . .

“Fake News” CNN Brutally Summed Up by 11 Hilarious Cartoons

The Federalist Papers  "We all know CNN is the biggest joke in the news business and their hatred of President Trump has caused them to throw what few standards they had, out the window.

"Now they’ve become little more than an opinion channel and an outlet for deranged Democrats.

"Here in 11 hilarious and savage cartoons is everything anyone needs to know about CNN:"

CNN: All Pro-Trump White Women Are ‘Racist,’ Benefit From ‘White Supremacy’

Acosta: our newest celebrity reporter. Watch for him on any TV talk show.

http://www.terrellaftermath.com/

Acosta: the next step   . . . "Which brings us to the dispute about the facts. The key dispute, which the court did not resolve, is whether Acosta “resisted” and/or improper physical contact with the female intern. Since Acosta and CNN both have asserted that he did not even touch her, the White House ought to ask the court to make CNN’s president and Jim Acosta file sworn affidavits to that effect under penalty of perjury. And then they should have the female intern provide her affidavit indicating whether he touched her. They need to set up a classic “He said, she said” situation. Acosta should be eager to swear in court what he said on TV. He need not fear a “perjury trap” if he is telling the truth." . . . Sadly this article actually uses that phrase, "speak truth to power". TD

Earl of Taint

Townhall

Ocasio-Cortez Has No Idea What The 3 Branches Of Government Are

Daily Wire

. . . "Ocasio-Cortez urged people to join Justice Democrats' #OurTime campaign on Saturday to help them identify Democratic House incumbents that are "demographically and ideologically out-of-touch with their districts," the Huffington Post reported.

If you’re a strong progressive leader in your community and committed to getting money out of politics, I want you to join me in Congress. I want you to run.

To run in 2020 without corporate money, you need to start considering now. Join @justicedems tonight to learn more ⬇️ https://t.co/7hkAFkaZ4A

— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@Ocasio2018) November 17, 2018

"In other words, Ocasio-Cortez endorsed a campaign that says that people can't represent those who are "demographically" different from them, which is the very definition of racism."

There’s Growing Proof that Paul Ryan Was to Blame for GOP Midterm Losses

The Gateway Pundit  "Democrats had a decent haul on election night but since Election Day the Democrats have had A SPECTACULAR RUN!

"In the US Senate Republicans flipped FOUR SEATS in the Midterm elections.

** Republican Mike Braun defeated Senator Joe Donnelly after lagging in the liberal media polls all year.
** Republican Josh Hawley defeated Senator Claire McCaskill by 6 points after only leading by .6 according to the polling.
** Republican Kevin Cramer trounced Heidi Heitkamp in North Dakota by nearly 11 points.
** In Florida Governor Rick Scott Senator defeated Bill Nelson by 12,000 votes. This was despite the Democrats’ best efforts to steal a win in Florida.

. . . 

"The Gateway Pundit can confirm that Paul Ryan withdrew funding from a battleground House seat in Michigan two weeks before the election despite the Republican leading in the polling. This Republican later last by a few thousand votes.

"So Where Was Paul Ryan and the Republican Party?

"Paul Ryan was undercover during the election.
"Ryan did go on national TV to poke President Trump one week before the election. Ryan accused the Republican President of using “Alinsky tactics” and “tribal politics” just one week before votes were cast.

"Paul Ryan did nothing to stop the Facebook decimation and elimination of conservative content since the 2016 election.

"And Paul Ryan declined his duty to protect battleground Republicans." . . .

Cheating: Apparent 'Organized Fraud' By Florida Democrats Must Be Fully Investigated

Guy Benson

"We're a week-and-a-half past election day, and Florida Democrats are still refusing to concede the gubernatorial and Senate races they've almost certainly lost. Because the GOP's victory margins were quite thin, mandatory recounts were triggered -- but those margins are still large enough (roughly 34,000 and 13,000 in the governor and Senate contests, respectively) that the outcomes are not in doubt. Following the required machine recounts, apparent newly-elected Senator Rick Scott actually gained a few dozen votes, while apparent Governor-elect Ron DeSantis lost a total of...one vote. Via an Orlando Sentinel reporter: . . .

"State Republicans blasted this as an "illegal scheme" and "organized fraud," and the matter is reportedly the subject of a requested federal probe.  Between the instances of absolute ineptitude, the clear violations of law, and this apparent malfeasance (altering official documents to change deadlines would seem to cross a clear line into fraud), this vote-counting season has been a disgrace in a small handful of Florida's left-leaning counties.  The bad news is that these issues and tactics persist, and must watched with vigilance.  The good news for conservatives is that despite their best efforts, Democrats appear to have lost anyway.  Rick Scott, effectively re-declaring victory, sounds slightly annoyed:" . . .

#Metoo takes more victims

David Paulin: A suicide at the University of Texas Reveals Dark Side of #MeToo Movement

. . . "Morrisett's research offered new insights into alcohol-related brain disorders and alcoholism – an arcane area of research among neuroscientists. Some colleagues called him “brilliant.”

"Morrisett's career, however, was destroyed by a single newspaper article. Published by the Austin American-Statesman, a metropolitan daily, the article dredged up an ugly episode from Morrisett's past – a domestic violence incident involving his girlfriend at the time. It was the sort of inexcusable incident that, sadly, the police and courts handle all the time. There were no serious injuries; it hadn't even merited a headline when it occurred on May 28, 2016. Morrisett, in a plea deal, pleaded guilty to a 3rd degree felony. He was sentenced to four years of probation, called community supervision in Texas, and ordered to receive counseling, take a class on avoiding family violence, and perform 100 hours of community service. Morrisett had thought he was moving on with his life. He had accepted responsibility for his actions and, moreover, had put an apparently volatile and dysfunctional relationship behind him.

"Then, more than a year and a half after the incident, a Statesman reporter contacted Morrisett about the domestic violence case. On his lawyer's advice, Morrisett declined to comment. And not long after that, on Thursday, January 25, his nightmare began: He woke up to see a banner headline across the Statesman's front page: “UT declined to sanction professor who pleaded guilty to violent felony.” The incident had suddenly become timely – tied as it was to the #MeToo movement that, starting one year ago with Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein, has since targeted and disgraced a number of prominent or famous men for being sexual predators and abusers." . . .

Clarice Feldman: Then They Came for the White Women  "As the incompetent election managers in Florida finally finish counting ballots barely in time for the 2020 campaigns to begin, and Georgia’s governor candidate Stacey Abrams chooses to "acknowledge defeat" rather than concede, it’s time to take a look at the role of women in politics.
. . . 
"But there was even more to cheer those who were upset by the Kavanaugh hearing debacle. Senator Joe Manchin, who broke from the Dem pack and voted for Kavanaugh, won his re-election campaign. Senators Donnelly,Nelson, Heitkamp, and McCaskill, who voted against him, lost. Certainly, other factors may have played a part, but obviously the Democrats forgot there are still plenty of women who love men and fair play."

New Committee Chair Cummings Has 64 Subpoenas For Trump

Noisy Room

"Yup, Maryland Congressman Elijah Cummings will become the Oversight Committee Chairman in the new Congress and he has readied 64 subpoenas for Trump and his family over conflicting business deals, the hotel and more.

"Meanwhile, the Democrats are likely going to work to cut funding for the military, ICE, and DHS. They will advance legislation to move the Federal minimum wage to $15.00 an hour and will continue to bail out health insurers to save Obamacare.

"Ah, but this Democrat agenda can become more contentious and nasty if the Democrats want to play a legal warfare game as the Republicans can take some major counter-measures. Of course, none of this is really good for the country but as President Trump declared more than once, we will restore law and order and those who violated the law should, in fact, receive a consequence.

"So, what should the Republicans consider?

1. Declassify and release all Fast and Furious documents.
2. Declassify and release all HolyLand Foundation trial documents.
3. Declassify and release all IRS targeting scandal documents and subpoena emails and documents of Lois Lerner, Eric Holder, Doug Shulman, John Koskinen, Steven T. Miller, Daniel Werfel, Peter Kadzik, Elijah Cummings, among others.
4. Department of Justice to formally open a case on Debbie Wasserman Schultz and the Pakistan IT scandal.
5. Announce a formal investigation into Dianne Feinstein’s Chinese operative employed in her California office and to demand Feinstein submit her investments in Chinese corporations/organizations.
6. Defund Planned Parenthood.
7. Defund the Export Import Bank.
8. Investigate Maxine Waters and her use of campaign funds employing her daughter’s company.
9. Investigate newly elected Congresswoman Debbie Muscarel Powell and her association(s) with Ihor Kolomoisky, a corrupt Ukrainian oligarch.
10. Open a formal investigation into Keith Ellison.
11. Re-open the criminal case against New Jersey Senator Robert Menendez.
12. Refer Bernie Sanders to the Senate Ethics Committee on his loan scandal.
13. Release all the text messages and emails of Peter Strzok and Lisa Page.
14. Open a formal and announced investigation into the Clinton Foundation and release what is in the file now.
15. Need we explain the Hillary email server thing? Git ‘er done.
16. Comey, McCabe, Ohr, and that crowd with the FISA warrant, communications and the dossier.
17. Investigate Sheila Jackson Lee’s office for the staffer’s doxxing operation.
18. How about Uranium One, Rosemont Capital and Vistria?
19. Then there is John Podesta, Tony Podesta, Huma Abedin, Cheryl Mills and all of that.
20. But we cannot overlook the tarmac meeting and the role Loretta Lynch and her DoJ played in the coverup.
21. Benghazi? Was that ever resolved or the billions to Iran?
22. How about releasing the details on the side deals or payments for the Taliban 5 and Bergdahl or the Iran nuclear deal? Include Susan Rice and Ben Rhodes in these details.
23. Release communications on why Obama and the Justice Department canceled Operation Cassandra.
24. Release the full report on John Brennan, former Director of the CIA and his role in ‘spygate’ along with his spying on members of the Senate.
25. Declare via Treasury and DHS, ANTIFA a domestic terror organization.
26. Release all payments made by the Office of Compliance due to congressional member’s misconduct.

"There, of course, are many other things to add to this list. You are invited to include some of your own ideas in the comments."

Maybe We Need a Civic Hippocratic Oath

 Victor Davis Hanson 

 "A mob of protesters associated with the radical left-wing group Antifa swarmed the private residence of Fox News host Tucker Carlson on the night of November 7. They yelled, “Tucker Carlson, we will fight! We know where you sleep at night!” The mob’s apparent aim was to catch Carlson’s family inside and so terrify them that he might temper his conservative views. Carlson’s wife was home alone at the time. She locked herself in a pantry and called police. 

"During the Supreme Court nomination hearings for Brett Kavanaugh, demonstrators disrupted the proceedings and stalked senators. Later, a mob broke through police barricades to pound on the doors of the Supreme Court while Kavanaugh was preparing to be sworn in. Their agenda apparently was to create such confusion and disorder that the nomination might be postponed. 

"Hollywood celebrities habitually boast of wanting to shoot, blow up, or decapitate President Donald Trump. Apparently their furor is meant to lower the bar of violence so that Trump fears for his personal safety and therefore might silence or change his views. 

"Few of these protesters fear any legal consequences when they violate the law. Nor do those who disrupt public officials at restaurants, stalk them on their way to work, or post their private information on the Internet.

"Yet most Americans are tired of hearing the lame excuses that the protesters’ supposedly noble ends justify their unethical or illegal means."

Read Mr. Hanson's suggested list of promises that need to be made here.

GOP Will Audit Elections Office In Arizona County That Swung Elections To Democrats

Weasel Zippers   "They improperly allowed early voting for some people after the time stated.

Via Daily Caller:

The Arizona Republican Party will conduct an independent audit of the Maricopa County Recorder’s Office after three statewide Republican candidates who initially led on election night saw their races swing the other way as outstanding ballots were counted.

"Despite leading on election night and for some time afterward, GOP Rep. Martha McSally ultimately lost her Senate campaign to Democratic Rep. Kyrsten Sinema. The neck-and-neck race took almost a week to call. The former Air Force pilot initially led her Democratic challenger by about 16,000 votes the day after Election Day. However, the slow count of mail-in ballots pushed Sinema into the lead and eventually handed her victory.

"McSally wasn’t the only Arizona Republican who saw her lead vanish as outstanding ballots trickled in.

"Republican Frank Riggs initially led Democrat Kathy Hoffman in the race for Arizona superintendent of public instruction. He went on to lose about a week later. Katie Hobbs, the Democratic candidate for Arizona Secretary of State, had been trailing Republican Steve Gaynor on Election Day, and The Associated Press went so far as to project Gaynor the winner that night. However, after several days of ballot counting, the Democratic candidate is expected to win that race.   Keep reading…

Jerry Brown Receiving Some Blame For California Fires For Vetoing 2016 Wildfire Mitigation Bill

Daily Caller

• Critics are attacking California Gov. Jerry Brown for vetoing a 2016 bill aimed at mitigating fire risks from utility equipment.
• “He has done nothing to harden those assets,” said GOP state Sen. John Moorlach.
• Wildfires have consumed more than 221,000 acres since Thursday, killing at least 44 people.

"California Gov. Jerry Brown’s decision to veto a 2016 bipartisan bill aimed at mitigating wildfire risks from power lines and utility equipment has become the focus of critics as fires rage across the state.

"Wildfires have scorched more than 221,000 acres across California since Thursday, and Brown’s critics are pointing to the two-year-old veto as news reports suggest power lines may have sparked the deadliest wildfire in California’s history.

“ 'He has done nothing to harden those assets,” state Sen. John Moorlach, a Republican, told The Daily Caller News Foundation. 

(RELATED: Jerry Brown Is ‘Not Correct’ About California Wildfires, Scientist Says)

"Moorlach sponsored the 2016 bill, called SB 1463, which would have given local governments a bigger role in putting together fire risk maps with the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) and Cal Fire, the state’s firefighting agency.

"The bill also required the CPUC to work with utilities to mitigate wildfire risks, including putting transmission lines underground if necessary. The bill passed through both state legislative chambers, but Brown vetoed the bill in September 2016. Brown said state officials “have been doing just that through the existing proceeding on re-threat maps and re-safety regulations.” . . .

The Election’s Lesson for Democrats: Don’t Nominate Hillary Clinton

I believe I like this woman just a bit better than I do Kamala Harris.

National Review

. . . "But the fact is that the election results showed a path where a Democratic candidate who doesn’t insult large swaths of the country as “deplorable” can win all of Hillary’s states while adding Iowa, Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, and possibly North Carolina to their haul. 

"There are lots of things Hillary Clinton has messed up in her life. Her 1993 health-care push, which contributed to a Republican takeover of the House. Her vote for the Iraq War, which led to her defeat in the 2008 Democratic primary. The “smart power” intervention in Libya, which led to ISIS getting a foothold in the Mediterranean and exacerbated the migration crisis in Europe. She shouldn’t get a do-over on those. Nor, if they want to win, should Democrats give her another chance to be their party’s candidate for president. 

"Hillary Clinton isn’t owed anything. She’s become much richer than anyone who was such a consistent failure in public life should be." . . .