Third-World California's Rat Problem Is Still Out Of Control, and Now Dems Want to...Ban Rat Poison?

Rich Terrell

It’s possible that rodents carrying bubonic plague are scurrying around LA. In the meantime, don’t expect California liberals to handle this situation seriously or find a rational solution to this problem. They’re mentally incapable of doing it. 

 Townhall  
"California’s decades-long affair with liberal politics has brought disease—literally. Rats are overrunning parts of the state. It’s only amplified by the rising homelessness crisis. For a region of the country that is smug, wealthy, and condescending to no end about how great they are—they do have a lot of bums in the street, fecal matter in the street, and hypodermic needles in the street. San Francisco is covered in crap. And the solution is quite simple: clean up the damn cities. But that would mean be mean to homeless people or something. Well, they’re ground zero for the rat infestation, which has brought back diseases we haven’t seen on such a daily basis since medieval times. Typhus has broken out. Police stations in Los Angeles were forced to pay fines that soared into the thousands of dollars due to the unsanitary conditions. City hall is running wild with rats. And now the state EPA office in Sacramento was forced to close its outdoor playground due to their rat problem; they were worried about kids getting sick. And what is the state proposing now? Oh, they want to ban rat poison (via WSJ):" . . .

Hollywood #MeToo pioneer Alyssa Milano: I aborted two of my children, and I’m ‘not sorry’

Alyssa Milano’s story about her two aborted children highlights how abortion is lethal selfishness

Milano

Lifesite News  . . . "Milano’s confession is revealing. Although the progressive press hails her as a hero, her story highlights starkly what this is really all about: selfishness. Children need their mothers and fathers, but many people would prefer to sacrifice their children in order to pursue illustrious careers. (Countless paths to stardom have been paved with the blood of unwanted pre-born children.) Milano can call it freedom if she likes, but the brutal reality is that two of her children died in 1993 because she felt that their presence in her life would be an unwelcome intrusion. She can claim that abortion is no big deal, she can claim that the decisions were difficult to make, but at the end of the day, the simple fact that this was driven by lethal selfishness towers above it all." . . .

Ex-Defense Secretary James Mattis says U.S. is at ‘breaking point’

“We are dividing into hostile tribes cheering against each other, fueled by emotion and a mutual disdain that jeopardizes our future, instead of rediscovering our common ground and finding solutions,” he said.

LA Times

"Former Defense Secretary James N. Mattis is warning of bitter political divisions that threaten American society, echoing themes he often cited before he resigned from the Trump administration in protest.

"The retired Marine general, who quit in December 2018 amid policy disagreements with President Trump, says he is concerned about the state of American politics and the administration’s treatment of allies.

"“We all know that we’re better than our current politics,” Mattis wrote in an essay adapted from his new book and published Wednesday by the Wall Street Journal. “Unlike in the past, where we were unified and drew in allies, currently our own commons seems to be breaking apart.”

"Mattis said the problem is made worse by this administration’s disregard for the enduring value of allies, which he alluded to in his resignation letter to Trump on Dec. 20.

" 'Nations with allies thrive,” he wrote in the Wall Street Journal, “and those without them wither. Alone, America cannot protect our people and our economy. At this time, we can see storm clouds gathering.”

"In an apparent reference to Trump, Mattis added: “A [polemist’s] role is not sufficient for a leader. A leader must display strategic acumen that incorporates respect for those nations that have stood with us when trouble loomed.”

"Mattis is breaking months of public silence as he promotes his new book, “Call Sign Chaos: Learning to Lead,” which is scheduled to be published Tuesday. Next week, he is to discuss the book in an appearance at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York.

"Without citing Trump by name, Mattis suggested the administration and its strongest critics are engaged in destructive politics. He said he worries more about internal divisions in American society than about external threats." . . .

Mattis resigned shortly after Trump announced he was pulling all U.S. troops from Syria. In Mattis’ view this amounted to betraying the Syrian Kurdish fighters who had partnered with American troops to combat the militant group Islamic State. Trump later backed away from his decision, allowing a portion of the U.S. force to remain in Syria in what the Pentagon sees as an effort to prevent a resurgence of Islamic State.

Stupid White Man TV Commercials from 2008, relevant still

Stupid White Man  Hollywood’s attack on men: Will the industry change its gender stereotyping following UN summit?

LOS ANGELES – “I’ve seen my father’s role as a parent being valued less by society,” actress Emma Watson, an Ivy League graduate and a U.N. Goodwill Ambassador, said in a now-celebrated speech at the United Nations last week. “We don’t often talk about men being imprisoned by gender stereotypes but I can see that they are.” . . .

. . . "For 30 years now, Progressive agenda-driven teachers have brainwashed American students that white men are bad and responsible for all the problems in the world. Stupid White Man TV Commercials confirm that message in the home.

"At the same time, liberal college professors have brainwashed American students and convinced them to turn away from Capitalism and embrace Socialism. Unfortunately, these young Americans (useful idiots) will now suffer the consequences of their brainwashing by Progressive/Socialist teachers and professors." . . .

Who can forget Hirono's insult to men?

The Silly Beto O’Rourke Ejects Breitbart News Reporter from Event at Historically Black College

Tony Branco

Beto O’Rourke Ejects Breitbart News Reporter from Event at Historically Black College
The Trump campaign responded. . . . "What was Beto's Campaign's justification? That Pollack had allegedly been "disruptive" at past events."

Victor Davis Hanson: How Robert O’Rourke Became ‘Beto’  "A great deal of controversy has continued the past few days over Robert Francis O’Rourke’s longtime use of a nickname given to him at birth (albeit temporarily jettisoned while in prep school) — especially in the wake of his recent sensational and unfounded charges that Donald Trump is directly responsible for the mass shootings in El Paso, Texas, and that white supremacy defines America, past and present, and explains Trump’s culpability.

"The point of the amused contention is not that O’Rourke was given such a nickname at or near birth. Rather, the controversy is over his continued use of the sobriquet for cynical political advantage in a somewhat related manner to Senator Elizabeth Warren’s longtime false cultural appropriation of a Native American identity for careerist purposes. After all, we live in a progressive era in which “cultural appropriation” is a mortal sin and non-minority university students are routinely chastised for wearing clothing or hairstyles associated with minority groups or appearing in dramas playing the roles of characters of a different ethnic background.

"According to the Dallas Morning News, a quite prescient senior O’Rourke once explained why he had given the shortened form of the Spanish “Roberto” to his son as a nickname. And he seemed to imply that such naming was for political reasons in addition to avoiding confusing young Robert with his maternal grandfather of the same first name: . . ."

The Silliness of Being Woke  . . . "Because being woke is something that is exclusively a white phenomena- being a white, straight, male makes you the ultimate oppressor- and that badge of courage is white guilt.  Just look at those two Democratic candidates: O’Rourke and Swalwell.  Both are lily white (despite the “Beto” moniker) and both have professed their guilt for being white.  The ultimate virtue signal is, of course, slavery reparations.  Reparations are supposedly a means of atonement for slavery where people having nothing to do with slavery make payments to people having nothing to do with slavery.  It is the ultimate virtue signal with a monetary price tag." . . .

Lockerdome

CNN Lost Their Mind (Again): Guess How Long Their Climate Change Town Hall Is

Don Lemon will have questions for the candidates that contain the phrase "...the bigotry of Donald Trump". TD

Beth Baumann at Townhall

"Just when we thought CNN couldn't get any more pathetic, they prove us wrong...again. The network on Tuesday announced their climate change town hall. The debate, scheduled for Sept. 4th will be seven hours long. Yes, seven hours. The reason? The network wants to give each of the 10 candidates ample time to respond to questions during this "unprecedented prime-time event."

"Each of the 10 candidates will be given 40 minutes to discuss their plans to address climate change. Hosts Wolf Blitzer, Erin Burnett, Anderson Cooper, Chris Cuomo and Don Lemon will act as moderators." . . .

. . . "Let's be clear about this: CNN is delusional if they think people are going to watch a seven hour town hall. People can barely handle three hour long debates. But you know what they say... desperate times call for desperate measures. Their ratings are down the toilet and they need something to help revive them." 

If their ratings are down the toilet, why is CNN on in so many public places, and why does the Ventura, CA school system promote CNN over all other news sources? This chart below I saw in a textbook from that source. TD

How Elizabeth Warren’s Candidacy Benefits From Her Democrat Competitors’ Weakness

Even so, Democrats usually prefer to fall in love with their candidates. Warren’s slow but steady climb in the polls suggest it has not been love at first sight for many. Rather, her success may be as much a function of the competition and where she is positioned among the top candidates.

The Federalist  "According to GQ magazine, it is “The Summer of Elizabeth Warren,” so if you’re going to Massachusetts, be sure to wear some flowers in your hair. The professor-turned-senator has turned “rock star,” drawing an estimated 15,000 people for a rally in Seattle (although the 12,000 who turned up for her in Minnesota is probably more impressive).
"The establishment media is convinced more each day that Warren would run away with the Democratic presidential nomination, were it not for the voice of the patriarchy placing doubts in the heads of middle-aged women that she is not as electable or likeable as some of her rivals. Ironically, Warren’s rise is probably driven as much by her rivals as her own efforts.
"Warren’s main problem is still Warren, and she knows it. The GQ profile gushes about her update of traditional rope-line politicking: “Other 2020 hopefuls oblige random requests for selfies with voters, but no one has the casual spontaneity of picture-taking down to a perfectly engineered production the way the Warren campaign does.” Her campaign sells the idea she has time for 42,000 selfies (and counting) because she has rejected big, corporate fundraising.
"The truth is closer to the reverse. Team Warren wants those selfies flooding social media to raise her name identification in a crowded field and create the appearance of broad, grassroots support. While the campaign would probably never say it out loud to any but the friendliest journalist, the personal touch implicitly pushes back against the widespread perception that Warren is not particularly likeable. The rally crowds suggest this plan is working better to humanize her than that early campaign video of her drinking beer in her kitchen." . . .

CNN Actually Does Need to Make Brian Stelter Apologize or Discipline Him for This:

The Resurgent Hat tip to the Doug Ross Journal

"For a show host who covers “Reliable Sources,” Brian Stelter went a bridge too far on Sunday and CNN either needs to make him apologize or needs to discipline him. This is too much for a network that prides itself in being fair and objective.
"First, Stelter decided it was appropriate and relevant to bring on people to discuss, as experts, the President’s mental state even though they have never diagnosed the President.
"Then, when one psychiatrist disagreed it was relevant and then insisted President Trump had perhaps killed more people than Hitler, Stalin, and Mao, Stelter only interrupted the man to insist talking about the President’s sanity was appropriate." . . .

"Yes, the guest on the show said it was not helpful to talk about the President’s sanity then suggested Trump had possibly killed more than Hitler, Stalin, or Mao.

"Stelter’s response?

"He didn’t rebuke the man, but instead challenged the man that yes we should talk about the President’s sanity." . . .

How sad that when the 1991 Gulf War was on we were tethered to CNN as a trusted news source. Now it is nothing but a propaganda channel for the left. TD

Maher On Koch’s Death: ‘F**k Him. I’m Glad He’s Dead.’ ‘Hope’ It ‘Was Painful’

Maher On Koch’s Death: ‘F**k Him. I’m Glad He’s Dead.’ ‘Hope’ It ‘Was Painful’

In a clip flagged by NewsBusters' Brent Baker, Maher said: "Yesterday David Koch of the zillionaire Koch brothers died ... of prostate cancer. I guess I'm going to have to re-evaluate my low opinion of prostate cancer."

 Bill Maher dances on David Koch’s grave: ‘I’m glad he’s dead and I hope the end was painful’

The list is of charitable donations is astonishing. But Maher, the ignoramus, can only see the money he gave to climate skeptics.

It should be noted that both sides engage in this race to see who can say the nastiest, most vile, most despicable things about the recently dead. But Maher's words -- as I'm sure he intended -- shock the sensibilities of decent people who may be passionate about their politics, but set boundaries where good taste and decorum are needed.

 David Koch: An Appreciation  "He was the perfect gentleman and a man of utter competence."

I would like to compare how often George Soros’s name appears on a building or a work of art as opposed to the Koch name. The fact is that George Soros and the moneyed people on the left give their money almost exclusively to politics. The Koch money covers a much wider range of human experience. That is because the Kochs and other moneyed people on the right live normal lives. Politics is only one of their interests.

Democrats guilty of 'the ultimate hate crime'

Medal of Honor recipient Patrick Brady calls out left's wild accusations of racism

"As sure as the sun rises, the party of Santa Claus candidates, race fascists and hate mongers is coming rising up during this election-cycle horror show, frantically searching for a reason to hate, horrified by their own nothingness, and somehow comforted in their hatred of good and decent Americans.

"A policy-naked party that would kill a baby on its birthday, believes you can marry your cat and denounces the rule of law will hawk their moral superiority. And half of America will cheer them on. And so will the principal enemy of the people – the majority dishonest media, a media that has convinced nearly half of America that Russia elected Donald Trump – the most extraordinary hoax ever.
. . . 

"It is important to know that this hate speech on the left is all about votes, not about policy. What have they done for blacks? President Obama made this clear when he begged black Americans, as if he were a plantation owner, "I will consider it a personal insult to my legacy if this community lets its guard down and fails to activate itself this election."

"The Republican Party was founded on the simple principle: Slavery is a violation of the rights of man. Yet the party that founded, fostered and protected slavery will call the party that fought, died and defeated slavery "racists" – and the dishonest media will support them." . . .

Maj. Gen. Patrick Brady, retired from the U.S. Army, is a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration, the Medal of Honor. He is the author of "Dead Men Flying: Victory in Viet Nam The Legend of Dust Off: America's Battlefield Angels."

"This is the Democratic Party, the party that engineered the most extreme projection in American history. This is the party that cannot now survive without the black vote, yet which was born to enslave blacks, which founded the Ku Klux Klan, which promoted Jim Crow and supported Dred Scott which held that blacks could not be citizens. They opposed the 13th, 14th and 15th Amendments, which banned slavery, guaranteed due process to blacks and gave them the right to vote. This party, itself literally founded on racism, has projected its satanic past onto Republicans and others they oppose, which would seem impossible but for a dishonest media, one that manipulates not only popular perception of the present, but of the past.

"It is important to know that this hate speech on the left is all about votes, not about policy. What have they done for blacks? President Obama made this clear when he begged black Americans, as if he were a plantation owner, "I will consider it a personal insult to my legacy if this community lets its guard down and fails to activate itself this election."

Study Ranks Every State’s Highway System, Finds Road Conditions Worsening In Important Categories

Reason

North Dakota, Virginia and Missouri have the best performing, most cost-efficient state highway systems, while New Jersey, Rhode Island and Hawaii have the worst.

"After decades of incremental progress in several key categories, Reason Foundation’s Annual Highway Report finds the nation’s highway conditions are deteriorating, especially in a group of problem-plagued states struggling to repair deficient bridges, maintain Interstate pavement and reduce urban traffic congestion.

“ 'In looking at the nation’s highway system as a whole, there was a decades-long trend of incremental improvement in most key categories, but the overall condition of the highway system has worsened in recent years,” says Baruch Feigenbaum, lead author of the Annual Highway Report and assistant director of transportation at Reason Foundation. “This year we see some improvement on structurally deficient bridges, but pavement conditions on rural and urban highways are declining, the rise in traffic fatalities is worrying, and we aren’t making needed progress on traffic congestion in our major cities.”

"The 24th Annual Highway Report, based on data that states submitted to the federal government, ranks each state’s highway system in 13 categories, including traffic fatalities, pavement condition, congestion, spending per mile, administrative costs and more. This edition of the Annual Highway Report uses state-submitted highway data from 2016, the most recent year with complete figures currently available, along with traffic congestion and bridge data from 2017." . . .

Trump — or What, Exactly? Let’s compare Trump’s policies and behavior to that of prior presidents — and to his 2020 opponents’.

Victor Davis Hanson  "In traditional political terms, there is always an alternate agenda to an incumbent president’s that reasonable voters can debate. 
"In Trump’s case, two massive annual budget deficits — coming on top of the previous two administrations that doubled the national debt — seem fair game. No president for the past 19 years has sought to offer any remotely sane budget. And with still relatively low interest rates, massive federal spending, a $22 trillion national debt, and an annual deficit of nearly $1 trillion, it is hard to imagine, in extremis, that there remains any notion of “stimulus” or “pump-priming” left.
"Yet we hear little about such financial profligacy.
""Not a word comes from Trump’s critics about the need for Social Security or Medicare reform to ensure the long-term viability of each — other than the Democrats’ promises to extend such financially shaky programs to millions of new clients well beyond the current retiring Baby Boomer cohorts who are already taxing the limits of the system.
"To counter every signature Trump issue, there is almost no rational alternative advanced. "That void helps explain the bizarre, three-year litany of dreaming of impeachment, the emoluments clause, the Logan Act, the 25th Amendment, the Mueller special-counsel investigation, Stormy Daniels and Michael Avenatti, Trump’s tax returns, White Supremacy!, Recession! — and Lord knows what next.
"The subtext of all these Wile E. Coyote all-too-clever efforts at trapping roadrunner Trump is not just the wish to abort an elected presidency; they’re offering the heat of hatred rather than the light of a viable political alternative." . . .

Political Incorrectness