To Save a Bad Gun Law, Democratic Senators Threaten the Supreme Court

National Review

In a remarkable brief, they impugn the integrity of conservative justices and conclude with an ominous and improper warning

"I just finished reading of the most astonishing legal briefs I’ve ever read. It is easily the most malicious Supreme Court brief I’ve ever seen. And it comes not from an angry or unhinged private citizen, but from five Democratic members of the United States Senate. Without any foundation, they directly attack the integrity of the five Republican appointees and conclude with a threat to take political action against the Court if it doesn’t rule the way they demand.

"The brief is so outside legal norms that, had I drafted it as a member of the Supreme Court bar, I’d be concerned about facing legal sanction for recklessly impugning the integrity of the Court.

"Here’s the background. Senators Sheldon Whitehouse, Mazie Hirono, Richard Blumenthal, Richard Durbin, and Kirsten Gillibrand filed their short brief in a case called New York State Rifle and Pistol Association v. the City of New York, the first Second Amendment case the Supreme Court has taken in nearly a decade.

\"If that sounds momentous, don’t be so sure. At issue is an extremely bizarre New York City law that banned the transport of a locked, unloaded licensed handgun outside the home unless the gun owner is traveling to one of only seven shooting ranges in the city. While the odds were remote that the Court would issue a sweeping Second Amendment ruling in a case involving a truly niche New York City law, it seemed likely that SCOTUS would strike down a regulation so strict that it prevented a person from taking his gun to a second home or even on a vacation to a jurisdiction that permitted him to arm himself.

"And so — after fighting for its regulation through years of lower-court litigation — the city and state of New York changed their laws, slightly loosening the transport restrictions to allow a person to take their gun to a second home, a gun range, or a shooting competition outside the city. New York then filed a motion arguing that its legal changes rendered the petitioners’ claims moot. The New York Rifle and Pistol Association disagreed, arguing that even considering the city’s “miserly” changes, the city rules still violated the Second Amendment." . . .

YouTube Moderators

The American Spectator

Prison guards who were supposed to be checking on Jeffrey Epstein were 'ASLEEP and faked log entries' to make it look like they observed billionaire paedophile on night he 'killed himself'

UK Daily Mail  "Corrections officers at a New York prison where Jeffrey Epstein was being held are accused of falling asleep on the job and falsifying logs to make it appear as if they checked on the billionaire pedophile on the night of his apparent suicide. 

"The Metropolitan Correctional Center's two guards claimed to have checked on Epstein every 30 minutes, but had actually been asleep for up to the three hours, officials familiar with the ongoing probe told The New York Times.

"Epstein is believed to have killed himself early Saturday at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in New York, where he was awaiting trial in a sex trafficking case.

"The abrupt death of the 66-year-old disgraced financier cut short a criminal prosecution that threatened to implicate some of the world's richest, most powerful men.  . . .

. . . "In the days since Epstein's death a portrait has begun to emerge of Manhattan's federal detention center as a chronically understaffed facility that possibly made a series of missteps in handling its most high-profile inmate. 

"The American Federation of Government Employees claims workers there often work a double shift of 16 hours. 

"They can then be forced to work another hour or two if their relief does not arrive arrived and those who refuse the 'mandatory overtime' faces disciplinary action.

"Gregg, president of AFGE Local 3148, told The Daily Beast: 'That is our normal. At some point, people are going to break." . . .

We Can’t Imagine What Cops Go Through

City Journal

Recent NYPD suicides should remind us to appreciate the trauma associated with police work.

"Since June of this year, six members of the NYPD have committed suicide, bringing the 2019 total to eight. This represents a sharp rise within the department, which has averaged between four and five suicides annually. The increase has many wondering how to curb a disturbing trend. I don’t pretend to have the answers, but I hope that these deaths will prompt reflection on the often-grim reality of being a cop. We should ask ourselves whether the critical posture that so many have taken (in New York, in particular) toward police in recent years reflects an appreciation of that reality. 

"When asked what they imagine would be the hardest part of being a cop, many people say that they think first of the risk of encountering dangerous situations—chasing a suspect into a dark alley, being shot at, or kicking down a door, not knowing who (or what) is on the other side. But police officers experience a variety of intense, traumatic incidents that can weigh just as heavily on their emotions and psyches; for instance, imagine the horror of attending to the scene of a car accident in which young children were killed. In 2013, researchers published a study in the International Journal of Stress Management, examining the relationship between “critical incidents” and the mental health of police officers. It found that such episodes are associated both with alcohol use and PTSD symptoms. “Critical incidents” include a range of experiences that police officers—among other first responders—might encounter, including “badly beaten child,” “decaying corpse,” “making a death notification,” and personal harm or injury." . . .

Michael Avenatti indicted on 36 counts in California

KXLY  "A federal grand jury in California has indicted celebrity attorney Michael Avenatti on 36 counts, including embezzlement, wire fraud, tax evasion, bankruptcy fraud and bank fraud connected to his alleged theft of tens of millions of dollars from five clients, one a paraplegic.

The 61-page indictment, disclosed by prosecutors on Thursday, outlines years of alleged deception and an array of false statements to both federal and bank officials by a man who, over the course of the past year, has become one of the highest profile attorneys in the country.

"Wednesday's indictment comes two weeks after federal prosecutors in Manhattan and Los Angeles charged Avenatti, who became a household name during his representation of adult-film actress Stephanie Clifford, known professionally as Stormy Daniels, nearly simultaneously in two criminal cases. In the New York case, Avenatti is accused of attempting to extort more than $20 million from sportswear company Nike."

. . . 

The lawyer speaks: "On Thursday, Avenatti tweeted after the indictment was announced: "For 20 years, I have represented Davids vs. Goliaths and relied on due process and our system of justice. Along the way, I have made many powerful enemies. I am entitled to a FULL presumption of innocence and am confident that justice will be done once ALL of the facts are known.' "

. . . 

"On Thursday, asked about Avenatti's claim that the indictment was the result of a conspiracy by prominent figures Avenatti has antagonized, Hanna dismissed that allegation: "Nothing can be farther from the truth.' "

The Most Brutal Anti-Avenatti Cartoon of ALL TIME

Michael Avenatti Arrested For Allegedly Beating His Wife Since denied by both parties.

Ryan Saavedra commented wisely: "Michael Avenatti might want to change the quotes on his website"

What the El Paso Shooter Learned from Immigrants

"Chicano university professors and student groups speak of "reconquista," claiming ownership of the entire American Southwest, which they call "Aztlan." This is based on the idea that it was once occupied by the ancient Aztecs, and Mexicans are descended from the Aztecs. (Who wouldn't want to be related to enthusiastic practitioners of human sacrifice?) "

Ann Coulter  "I know who filled the El Paso mass shooter's head with murderous thoughts! Contrary to the conclusions of The New York Times' Jeremy Peters, it wasn't me and other conservatives. 

"Peters says we caused Patrick Crusius' monstrous shooting spree by calling illegal immigrants streaming across our border "invaders." It seems that Crusius' "manifesto" also called illegal aliens "invaders." You see? We used the word "invaders" -- and so did he! CHECKMATE!
"I could say it's the Times that inspired Crusius' slaughter, inasmuch as other parts of his manifesto complained about "the increasingly anti-immigrant rhetoric of the right." But I'm bigger than that, New York Times.
"(Also, Peters, you lied about my quote, and you know it. I was not proposing that we shoot illegals at the border. I was pointing out the idiocy of Trump’s sending troops there at all, when they are not going to shoot anyone -- in lieu of the simple, elegant and entirely nonviolent solution of the wall which I, and 62 million other Americans, voted for.)
"Actually, there's another much more obvious source of Crusius' noxious beliefs than conservative commentators -- or even the hateful New York Times.
"The shooter's primary motive was, as he put it, to "(defend) my country from cultural and ethnic replacement brought on by an invasion."
"So he had an ethnic reason and a territorial reason.
"Who is constantly bragging about their ethnic group? Who makes territorial claims on America on behalf of their ethnic group?
"IMMIGRANTS!"
"Crusius' manifesto included lots of chauvinistic boasting about his people, saying his family had been here a long time "and America is the better for it, so I claim the right to reside here by manifest destiny, for myself, my cousins and uncles and children."
"He also had some nasty remarks about immigrants, saying they had "despoiled" his homeland, making it "unsafe and unlivable."

""No, wait -- my mistake! That wasn't Crusius at all. He said nothing about the virtues of his own ethnic group. " . . .

Philly shooting in progress; updating

I imagine CNN and MSNBC are frantically working on a story that will blame President Trump. TD

Kamala Harris Politicizes Cop Shooting In Philly While It’s Still Happening, Suggests Her Plan Would’ve Stopped It

"Once again, threatens completely unconstitutional imposition by executive action.

Democrat Kamala Harris rushes to politicize the police shooting in Philadelphia before any facts have come out, claims without evidence that her extreme gun control measures would have stopped the shooting pic.twitter.com/TkdGV2DTpu

— Ryan Saavedra (@RealSaavedra) August 14, 2019

Democrats and their role in America

No, Really: Al Sharpton Considering 2020 Presidential Bid
"If you're still hoping for even more Democrats to join the already crowded clown car of 2020 candidates, you're in luck, because Rev. Al Sharpton might be thinking about entering the race."

Bernie Sanders threatens to ‘leverage’ US aid to combat Israel ‘racism’

“The United States government gives a whole lot of money to Israel, and I think we can leverage that money to end some of the racism that we have recently seen in Israel,” he said.

Stacey Abrams says she would be open to VP consideration 'by any nominee'
. . . "Some Democratic presidential contenders have already hinted at their prospective vice presidential picks, emphasizing the importance of gender and racial diversity on the party’s eventual ticket." . . .  Stacey Abrams: RNC Going to Send Off-Duty Officers to Scare ‘Voters of Color’

California’s Proposed ‘Ethnic Studies’ Curriculum Lauds Ilhan Omar, Rashida Tlaib
. . . "A section on “African American Studies” proposes learning about Mumia Abu-Jamal, who has been on death row for years after being convicted of the murder of Philadelphia police officer Daniel Faulkner, but whose case has become a cause célèbre on the left and who has received statements of support from some California teachers." . . .

Beto O’Rourke Readies ‘Major Address to the Nation’ Amid Pressure to Drop Out
It's been suggested that he not run against Trump; that he run against John Cornyn instead.

Sharon Stone: .@BetoORourke you have a huge future in politics, please run for Senate and win! We need you so much! Help your country! Thank you !

Stone continued:  "Would you beat John Cornyn, who is seeking his fourth term? It wouldn’t be easy. You’d have to fight for it, and do better than you did against Cruz. But a lot has changed since 2018 — you had a lot to do with that — and Trump is no longer rock-solid in Texas. Neither are the Republicans who support him."

Democrats tagging Trump as white supremacist a losing strategy
. . . "Now they’re putting all their little white eggs in the big racist basket." . . .

"Can the Democratic Party Govern America?"

So, for the benefit of my friend and his fellow Democrats and leftists some further questions to help them answer that fundamental inquiry.

Via American Thinker and Lucianne.

Rot of journalism ethics at New York Times has turned into leftist plague

Andrew Van Puyenbroeck at Expose Liberals & Media Bias

"The tone seems to have been that this sort of travesty must be nipped in the bud, lest it spread like poison ivy. What’s next — a picture of Trump smiling? A spread on how his economic results dwarf Barack Obama’s among blacks and Latinos?" . . .

Michael Goodwin  "There’s not a single journalist, dead or alive, who hasn’t missed a story, made a mistake or mangled a quote. It comes with the territory of writing history’s first draft on deadline, with the consolation that there’s a new story and new chance tomorrow.
"But a certain editor at The New York Times cannot be consoled. His flub was no ordinary one, for he was insufficiently hostile to the president of the United States.
"When Donald Trump is the president, that is not a mere mistake at The New New York Times. It’s a sin, potentially a mortal one.
“ 'He’s sick. He feels terrible,” executive editor Dean Baquet reportedly said of the unidentified headline writer.
"No doubt the sinner grew even sicker during the remarkable staff meeting Baquet convened Monday, which turned into a grievance and shaming session. According to the Daily Beast and Poynter, Baquet declared the headline “a f–king mess” in a bid to appease the many reporters and editors extremely upset about how such an awful thing could happen." . . .

The unforgivable sin:

Joe Biden: The Ted Baxter of politics

Richard Jack Rail  "Joe Biden’s people say that Joe is “gaffe prone” and always has been, and shrug it off. That’s just who he is, no big deal. It’s perplexing how they casually dismiss Biden’s verbal miscues but adamantly insist on Donald Trump’s as revealing deep, dark, ugly things."
. . .

"Joe’s real problem, apart from just not being very bright, is a lack of acting ability. We’ve known since at least JFK that presentation, including physical appearance, may matter more in public life than any other single attribute. Joe Biden has the physical appearance part down but lacks any sense of what to do after that. So he is gradually talking himself out of any shot at being president.

"Which is what Hillary did. The more she ran her mouth, the more people saw what a petty, sad, nasty piece of work she was. Not Joe; he’s just modeling mental midgetry as the Ted Baxter of politics."  Case in point, "Baxterisms":

Being called "Fredo" isn't as bad as being called a "CNN Anchor"

Image by Timothy Bishop

 J. Marsolo: Christopher Cuomo is an embarrassment to Italians "CNN's Christopher Cuomo, brother of N.Y. governor Andrew Cuomo and son of former N.Y. governor Mario Cuomo, objected to a man who called him Fredo.  He threatened to punch out and throw the man down the steps. He then repeatedly used the F-word against the man and, even more bizarre, said the term "Fredo" is a slur against Italians comparable to the N-word against blacks.

"As an American of Italian descent, I don't know any Italian, other than Fredo Cuomo, who thinks "Fredo" is a slur against Italians.  Certainly, it is not remotely close to the N-word." . . .

. . . "Fredo Cuomo should not be upset.  He knows he got the CNN gig because of his brother and father, not to mention getting accepted at Yale University.

"There are plenty of Fredos in politics and business.  For example, Senator Ted Kennedy got elected because of his father's money and his brother, JFK.  But there are better names for Teddy, such as Ted the Swimmer, so why waste Fredo on Teddy?

"Or there is former California Governor Jerry Brown who got elected because his father, Pat, had served as governor of California.  But Jerry had the nickname "Moonbeam" thanks to columnist Mike Royko, so why waste Fredo when you have Moonbeam?

"Chris Cuomo isn't very bright.  The brilliant and fearless Kellyanne Conway wiped the floor with Cuomo when he tried to debate her on border security." . . .

http://stiltonsplace.blogspot.com/

Christopher Cuomo surpasses Juan Williams in stupidity  . . . "But Christopher Cuomo, a worthy challenger, may have surpassed Juan.  Cuomo, the Freddo of the Cuomo family, tried to take on the brilliant and fearless Kellyanne Conway regarding the current Dem-media obsession with the enforcement of our border laws.  The Dems and media are trying to divert attention from the I.G. report of the corrupt Comey investigation of Hillary, which is tied to the corrupt Mueller investigation.  Ms. Conway does not back down from the Cuomo types.  She should be attorney general." . . .

. . . "Cuomo ranted the usual Dem-media talking points about the terrible, inhumane Trump.  Ms. Conway calmly explained how the law, passed by Congress, operates.  It is not that complicated.  If one violates the law, then arrest and prosecution follow.  She asked Cuomo what the Dem-media proposal is, to which he had no answer." . . .

Deep Throat, we need you

http://www.terrellaftermath.com/

Barr investigation eyes coordination by Obama intelligence chiefs  . . . "The 2016 election intelligence assessment came from two Obama loyalists who have since become Trump’s most ardent critics on CNN and MSNBC: former CIA Director John Brennan and former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper. Also signing off was another fierce Trump critic, then-FBI Director James Comey.
"Brennan and Clapper have accused the president of being an agent for Russia. The Mueller report determined there was no collusion between Trump and his associates and Russia.
"On the other side are Republicans in Congress who “wonder whether FBI informants were put into place for the sole purpose of getting a Trump ally to say something that could justify an investigation,” Scarborough noted.

"Coats has all but acknowledged that Barr is conducting a wide-ranging investigation of intelligence agency activities." . . .

Wikipedia:  All the President's Men is a 1974 non-fiction book by Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward, two of the journalists who investigated the first Watergate break-in and ensuing scandal for The Washington Post. " . . .

By Source, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=11127411