Brutal and Pragmatic Honesty – President Trump Releases Statement on Kashoggi and Saudi Arabia…

The Last Refuge  "President Trump, not necessarily the White House – but rather, President Trump, releases an absolutely pitch-perfect statement that encapsulates the myriad of interests that have sought to exploit, manipulate, leverage and utilize the murder of Jamal Kashoggi.

"This entirely accurate and brutally honest statement by President Trump will drive the left-wing media, specifically WaPo, NYT and CNN, absolutely bananas:

The President wrote:

After my heavily negotiated trip to Saudi Arabia last year, the Kingdom agreed to spend and invest $450 billion in the United States. This is a record amount of money. It will create hundreds of thousands of jobs, tremendous economic development, and much additional wealth for the United States. Of the $450 billion, $110 billion will be spent on the purchase of military equipment from Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Raytheon and many other great U.S. defense contractors. If we foolishly cancel these contracts, Russia and China would be the enormous beneficiaries – and very happy to acquire all of this newfound business. It would be a wonderful gift to them directly from the United States!
The crime against Jamal Khashoggi was a terrible one, and one that our country does not condone. Indeed, we have taken strong action against those already known to have participated in the murder. After great independent research, we now know many details of this horrible crime. We have already sanctioned 17 Saudis known to have been involved in the murder of Mr. Khashoggi, and the disposal of his body.
Representatives of Saudi Arabia say that Jamal Khashoggi was an “enemy of the state” and a member of the Muslim Brotherhood, but my decision is in no way based on that – this is an unacceptable and horrible crime. . . .

. . .
 As President of the United States I intend to ensure that, in a very dangerous world, America is pursuing its national interests and vigorously contesting countries that wish to do us harm. Very simply it is called America First!  ~President Donald J Trump

Did Democrats steal Orange County?

Monica Showalter  . . . "It's an interesting circumstantial case, because it was funny how so many "found" ballots showed up for so many House seats after the election was done, with all of them favoring the same party, which just happened to be the direction of the one-party state that was counting the ballots.  Funnier still, it's amazing how all of those found ballots, in each and every case, amounted to just enough to tip the congressional seat to the Democrats.  The coincidences seem just a little too strong. 

"Fischer is right that all of the press attention seemed to be on the east coast, where judges were brought in to restore order.  There were no such challenges of that kind in California.

"In fact, the strongest of the Orange County Republicans, Young Kim, who had a large-margin three-point victory on election night, same as Democrat Katie Hill, who defeated Republican Steve Knight uphill in the nearby Santa Clarita vicinity, somehow lost that entire lead in the continuous counting, while Hill's margin by contrast didn't make a dent.  Funnier still, the newspapers, though they insisted that 100% of the votes were counted, never acknowledged that Young Kim had won when it seemed as though she had on election night.  It was like some kind of fix was in.

"One other thing that makes me suspicious is that the secretary of state, Alex Padilla, pretty well asked voters to certify only that they were residents of the state on the mail-in ballot form, not that they were citizens. " . . .

Then there is Florida...3000 Votes 'Disappear' From Florida Recount Tally

Vice Is Just More Anti-Conservative Vitriol

"The same Left that despises President Trump despised George W. Bush long before him."

National Review

"President Dick Cheney, the Left’s all-purpose nefarious bugaboo during the Bush years. The film isn’t unique: It follows W, starring Josh Brolin, a box-office failure; Truth, another box-office failure starring Robert Redford about Dan Rather’s attempt to take down George W. Bush with a fake letter about his military service; and You’re Welcome, America, starring Will Ferrell, which aired on HBO. None of these films raked in the cash. But that’s not stopping Adam McKay, producer of HBO’s Succession, from taking on a president who left office a decade ago. 

"What’s driving McKay? The need to live out his anger against Bush. McKay recalls attending the victory party for John Kerry — who, needless to say, did not win. “Everyone you could imagine was there,” McKay describes, including Tom Hanks, Nicole Kidman, and Ferrell. “Once again, we’re like, ‘Oh, they’re going to lose.’ There’s no way you’d reelect these guys after the disaster we just had. I remember Frank Rich was on the phone, and he’s like, ‘It’s over.’ And within two minutes, the entire party had cleared out.”

"McKay turned away from political projects until The Big Short. But now he’s back, and he’s betting a $60 million budget that Americans are desperate to see Christian Bale put on 45 pounds and play Cheney as a Machiavellian devil hell-bent on sending American troops into battle for no good reason. The cast is massive and includes Sam Rockwell as W., Steve Carell as Donald Rumsfeld, and Tyler Perry as Colin Powell. According to McKay, Cheney was far more powerful than W. " . . .

Trish Regan takes on Kamala Harris over her attack on ICE

100%FedUp  "Senator Kamala Harris was just called out by Fox’s Trish Regan! Harris has met her match!
"Regan made commentary about Harris comparing ICE to the KKK (see below) then Harris made a claim that Fox News was distorting what she said during a hearing. Trish Regan wasn’t taking this sitting down and called Kamala Harris out on her attempt at claiming she didn’t compare ICE to the KKK.

Sen. Kamala Harris has an issue w/ my commentary where I criticized her for saying there's a perception that #ICE is somehow akin to the KKK. She claims Fox is using distortion tactics & that Fox is manufacturing outrage. No Senator, YOU ARE! #TrishRegan #TrishIntel

"Watch below where Regan lets Harris have it: Go Trish!"  
"In case you missed Senator Kamala Harris totally disrespecting ICE, this will make your blood boil. This is what Trish Regan was calling Harris out on:

"Several Democrats recently called for ICE to be abolished. The narrative has continued with the grandstanding the morning from Senator Kamala Harris who is trying to appeal to the millennials with her assertion that ICE is like the KKK:

"Democrat Senator Kamala Harris compares ICE to the KKK and appears to suggest that they are a terrorist group during a Senate hearing to consider the nomination of Ronald Vitello to be the director of ICE.

CNN, the most (fill in the blank) name in news

Brian Stelter?

Thomas Lifson: CNN media critic attacks White House ground rules for press conferences  "CNN seems to have forgotten the old adage, "Be careful what you wish for."  After filing suit over the revocation of Jim Acosta's hard pass to the White House and winning, that network's media beat reporter is upset.  Speaking on CNN's Newsroom, Brian Stelter seems certain that danger lurks in the new open and transparent rules provided by the White House in response to the judge's demand for due process on decisions over revocation of access to press conferences or the White House." . . .

Brian Stelter?

"This new letter, laying out the explicit rules, will help maintain decorum.  Stelter may not be able to admit it, but his colleague Acosta has been way out of line, and only anti-Trump solidarity among the media (a huge problem that the media won't admit) has prevented public shaming of Acosta by his colleagues, many of whom deeply resent him.

"Stelter has just reinforced President Trump's view of CNN as reflexively opposed to him no matter what he does.

"CNN chief White House correspondent Jim Acosta’s carnival-barking"

CNN: All Pro-Trump White Women Are 'Racist,' Benefit from 'White Supremacy'
Video

Dallas Cowboys former head cheerleader Cindy Villareal released a movie about the Cowboys squad in the 80s. Cheerleading has changed. Americans love to watch beautiful women in tight sweaters who cheer for one side or the other, the difference is, today they do it as cable news anchors.  Comedian Argus Hamilton 

 CBS' White House Correspondent: There's a Level of Decorum Expected of White House Press Pool

“Some of my colleagues might say ‘what did you do that for? You had the microphone. You have a voice. Speak.,'” Garrett explained. “The President of the United States said, 'Not you.' So my way of thinking [is] that's enough. The President said, 'I didn't call on you. I called on someone else.' Alright then. Some might say you laid down and were too deferential, I don’t feel that way…I deferred hoping he might call on me again, he didn’t, that’s how I orient myself to the institution…and I respect the institution and the country’s choice.”

Jim Acosta Will Only Behave When There's A Democrat In The White House  . . . 
. . . "Reporter[s] rarely, if ever, interrupted Obama while he gave long, meandering answers.

"These were the same reporters, mind you, who'd just spent eight years hounding President Bush. Back then it was NBC News' David Gregory who played the Jim Acosta role, repeatedly sparring with Bush and his press secretary. Gregory's reward for showboating was a coveted spot as anchor of "Meet the Press.' " . . .

Gregory was one of those who asked Mr. Bush if he would apologize for the attack on Iraq. He called Bush a "failed president" in another interview, completely intimidating the president.

Ian Macfarlane

Vile Michelle Wolf has killed off the comedy feature at the White House Correspondents' Association dinner

Well, for me it all began with the celebriweasel Stephen Colbert and his bullying of George Bush at this same affair. TD

Thomas Lifson  "Purported comedian Michelle Wolf, whose vile attacks at the last White House Correspondents' dinner caused open reactions of dismay from the audience, has induced the group to cancel the custom of featuring a comic at its gatherings.  She has managed to diminish laughter, which is in keeping with the thrust of her unfunny, hate-filled work.  Cancelation is the current theme of her career: her Netflix series lasted three months before getting the axe.  Her reliance on shock and grotesquerie – in place of actual humor based on wit – is at the level of a three-year-old saying "poo-poo head" at the family dinner table, expecting a reaction.  The WHCA demeaned itself by featuring her, and the group seems to have figured that out.

"In a press release, the group touted its choice of Ron Chernow as featured speaker at the next dinner.

"I'm delighted that Ron will share his lively, deeply researched perspectives on American politics and history at the 2019 White House Correspondents' Dinner," said Olivier Knox, Chief Washington Correspondent for SiriusXM and president of the WHCA.  "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."

"The White House Correspondents' Association has asked me to make the case for the First Amendment and I am happy to oblige," Chernow said.  "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."

Sarah Sanders being attacked by
"The Voice"

"I have never heard Chernow speak, but I have read some of his first-rate work.  Almost certainly, the WHCA is looking to contrast the current POTUS with practices of the past, but such is Chernow's standing as a serious and fair scholar that he has every incentive to avoid cheap shots.  The biggest danger he faces is speaking over the (air)heads of the journalists assembled.

"The correspondents have taken to calling their fashion-show-cum-laugh-fest the "nerd prom" – as if they had the intellectual standing to merit the term "nerd."  With Chernow attending, the title may become justified.  

"No doubt, there are hopes that President Trump will attend next year's dinner, appeased by the assurance that he will not be roasted by a professional comedian.  But with the WHCA promising to disregard the new guidelines offered by the White House in response to the court-ordered "due process" for removing press passes, it will take some further developments for Trump to risk making himself a target of a group that generally hates him and wants him out of office. "

Bring Out Your Dead

American Digest  "Every night at 6 PM the Sherriff of Butte County reveals the grim count of the dead discovered, so far, in the ashes of Paradise. He also reveals the latest number of known missing persons who cannot be located by family or friends.  Finally, there is the list of homes and businesses destroyed. The raging fires that destroyed Paradise utterly have passed (for now) but the search for the dead is only beginning.

"Last night’s official tally was:

DEAD: 71 (all but one found inside a home.)MISSING: 1,100HOMES DESTROYED: 9,740 (only about 5% have been search so far)BUSINESSES DESTROYED: 336 . . .

. . . "In the ravines and forests of Paradise, cell reception was so spotty that AT&T gave me my own personal internet driven cell-phone tower. If those off the grid in Paradise actually owned cell phones they would have been lucky to get an alert. But most of those did not own cell phones, and landlines didn’t run that deep in the woods. When the fire closed over them they would have had no warning. No warning until the trailer melted around them. And then there was, out behind but still close to their trailer, their large propane tank.

"How many bodies will be found in the pyre of Paradise? Right now nobody knows for sure.  Nobody will ever know for sure. In five years from today, somewhere in the reviving forest of Paradise, some hiker is going to step on a skull. He won’t be the only one."

Women's March founder calls for group's leadership to step down

The refusal of the leaders to denounce Farrakhan contributed to further anger within the group over the issue, the Daily Beast reported.

The Hill "Teresa Shook, the woman who first suggested a women's march following the inauguration of President Trump, is calling on four of the group's leaders to step down, arguing they have steered the movement from its correct course. 

"Shook specifically called out Linda Sarsour, Tamika Mallory, Bob Bland and Carmen Perez of Women's March, Inc., for allowing "anti-Semitism, anti- LBGTQIA sentiment and hateful, racist rhetoric" to become a part of the platform.

" '[My] original vision and intent was to show the capacity of human beings to stand in solidarity and love against the hateful rhetoric that had become a part of the political landscape in the U.S. and around the world," Shook wrote on Facebook.

" 'I wanted us to prove that the majority of us are decent people who want a world that is fair, just and inclusive of Women and All people."

" 'Bob Bland, Tamika Mallory, Linda Sarsour and Carmen Perez of Women’s March, Inc. have steered the Movement away from its true course," she continued. "I have waited, hoping they would right the ship. But they have not."

"She called on all four to step down and to let other members of the movement take their place." . . .

Palestinian man refused Muslim burial on suspicion he sold land to Jews, to be buried in Jerusalem Jewish cemetery

Legal Insurrection  "Ashkenazi chief rabbi of Israel allows family of Ala’a Qarash (aka Alah Kirsh) to bury him at Jewish cemetery as an “exception” because the “Muslims themselves are unwilling to bury him” and he was a “righteous gentile” who “showed good will” to Jews."
"In a highly unusual ruling, one of Israel’s chief rabbis has allowed a Palestinian Arab man to be buried in a special plot, reserved for those without religious faith, in the Jewish Har HaMenuchotcemetery in Jerusalem.

"At issue is the decision of Aryeh Stern, the Ashkenazi chief rabbi of Israel, to enable the West Bank-based family of Ala’a Qarash (also spelled Alah Kirsh) to bury him at the Jewish cemetery as an “exception” because the “Muslims themselves are unwilling to bury him” and he was a “righteous gentile” who “showed good will” to Jews.

"Along with five others, Qarash had been killed back on November 4th in a horrible car accident on Israel’s Highway 90 when a truck collided with a minibus. But Jerusalem’s grand mufti—Ekrima Sa’id Sabri—determined that Qarash didn’t deserve a proper burial at a Muslim site, including in the Muslim cemetery in the east Jerusalem where Qarash’s other family members are buried, because he had been suspected of allegedly selling real estate in that part of Israel’s capital city to Jews a few  years ago." . . .

Not the same Grand Mufti of Jerusalem as met Hitler in 1941. Close though, I'm sure.

The Grand Mufti doing what Jerusalem Grand Muftis do:  Photographs emerge of Palestinian Grand Mufti visiting Nazi camp in 1943

Haj Muhammad Amin al-Husseini (1895?-1974) served as the Mufti of Jerusalem during the British Mandate period, in the years 1921-1937, and was known as one of the most important and influential leaders of the Palestinian Arabs and the Palestinian national movement.

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