Seth Ator, 36, reportedly identified as Texas shooter

NY Post  . . . "When his gold Toyota pick-up truck was pulled over for a minor signaling infraction along a stretch of I-20 near Midland, Texas, on Saturday, Ator blasted approaching state troopers, seriously wounding one, authorities have said.
"He then peeled off, firing indiscriminately with his AR-style rifle out of the truck as he floored it towards Odessa, authorities said.
"Along the way, he killed a USPS worker and hijacked her mail truck, continuing the spree, officials said." . . .
Mary Granados was on phone with sister when she was carjacked, killed in Texas shooting  ..."As Rosie would later learn, her sister had been blasted and carjacked by a gun-toting madman, who used the USPS van to continue a gore-streaked spree that began moments earlier when he shot a state trooper and fled a highway car stop." . . .

UK Daily Mail:  Odessa gunman who killed seven and injured 22 with AR-type rifle is identified despite the police chief REFUSING to name him to avoid giving him notoriety

Backlash: Actor Calls For Blacklisting Trump’s Hollywood Donors

For perspective, there was the Hollywood blacklist of the 1950s:  The Hollywood Blacklist was a list of professionals who were not allowed to participate in the entertainment industry due to their suspected or confirmed political beliefs.
. . . "Many people on the Hollywood Blacklist were suspected communists or communist sympathizers. A large number of them were official members of the American Communist Party, making them easy targets, but others were blacklisted merely on the basis of association with known communists or public statements. Others were blacklisted for their involvement in liberal causes, ranging from the animal rights movement to humanitarian organizations.
 . . . "A number of famous and high profile people were blacklisted, much to the interest of their biographers, and some people have also been intrigued by the cases of lesser individuals on the Blacklist, looking at their fates once their careers were destroyed. The collapse of the Hollywood Blacklist started on television in the late 1950s, when blacklisted individuals were hired by sympathetic people like Alfred Hitchcock and Betty Hutton, and from there it snowballed, rapidly becoming untenable."

The blacklist failed because of courageous people in Hollywood who risked so much to stand against that principle. TD

Hot Air

Sen. Joe McCarthy, the namesake of "McCarthyism"

"RNC chairwoman Ronna McDaniel, co-chair Tommy Hicks Jr., RNC Finance Chairman Todd Ricketts and Trump campaign manager Brad Parscale will host a fundraiser in Beverly Hills on September 17. The Hollywood Reporter noted that it will be Trump’s first trip to Hollywood since making some pointed remarks about the entertainment industry on the heels of recent mass shootings.

“Hollywood is really terrible,” he answered. “You talk about ‘racist.’ Hollywood is racist. What they’re doing, with the kind of movies they’re putting out, it’s actually very dangerous for our country. What Hollywood is doing is a tremendous disservice to our country.”

"Actor Eric McCormack responded to the article by calling for names to be published of everyone in attendance. He wants to “be clear about who he doesn’t want to work with”, you see."  . . . 

Eric McCormack

✔@EricMcCormack

Hey, @THR, kindly report on everyone attending this event, so the rest of us can be clear about who we don’t wanna work with. Thx. https://twitter.com/thr/status/1167296709908729856 …

There go the shooters, here come the politicians

Deangelo Parnell, 17, has been arrested and charged with nine counts of attempted murder, Mobile Police Department spokesman Laderrick Dubose told ABC News Saturday morning.

Politicians, 2020 presidential hopefuls react to the latest mass shooting  "Speaking to a group of supporters in Fairfax Station, Va., on Saturday evening, the Texas Democrat and presidential hopeful profanely proclaimed outrage about the second mass shooting this month in his home state, even as details were still sketchy about what actually happened.

“Not sure how many gunmen, not sure how many people have been shot, don’t know how many people have been killed, the condition of those who have survived. Don’t know what the motivation is, do not yet know the firearms that were used or how they acquired them, but we do know this is f----d up,” O’Rourke said to applause from the audience." . . .

'What do you think? You know the sh**t he’s been saying,' O'Rourke said. 'He’s been calling Mexican immigrants rapists and criminals. I don’t know, like, members of the press, what the f**k?'

Politician's quotes.

"A President Marianne Sparkleshine Stardust Williamson Will Crack Down on Guns and Whiteness with New Dept. of Peace"
. . . "Nine years is an awful lot to ask from someone to be a positive psychic energy warrior, even from the soyest of boys. As far as I can tell, Williamson plans on a massive expansion of the federal government to force everyone to be a touchy feely space cadet just like her. I wonder if dissenters will be sent to a “re-education” camps.
"The ball has now in the court of  Lizzy, Joe, Kamala and Spartacus to see if anyone can out-crazy Williamson. I have faith that not even they can top this."

US Navy Sinks Obama’s Climate Change Task Force

If the sea level does rise, it will be because of all the liberal tears.

Legal Insurrection

"The US Navy has announced that it is jettisoning the Obama-era Climate Change Task Force.

The US Navy quietly shuttered a task force created under former President Barack Obama to prepare the military branch for the impact of global warming, reportedly saying the team was “no longer needed”.

Its ending, which happened in March and was first reported on Tuesday by the environmental site E&E News, reflects a trend under Donald Trump in which federal agencies have shuttered operations designed to combat climate change nationwide and around the world.

"Created in 2009, group was tasked with researching methods to adapt to security challenges caused by climate change.

"It appears that the Navy didn’t pursue climate change policies as robustly as progressives in the Obama administration initially envisioned.

But the sense of urgency that flowed through the reports between 2010 and 2019 neither buoyed the Navy’s climate change group nor sparked major reforms across the armed forces.

Retired Rear Adm. Jon White, who spearheaded Task Force Climate Change from 2012 to 2015, told E&E News that he saw “little evidence” that the research undertaken by the Navy and scientific community has even been implemented in any of the military’s environmental strategies.

“Across all of the Department of Defense, it is hard for me to see that climate change is taken as seriously as it should be,” said White, now the president of the Consortium for Ocean Leadership.

“The task force ended, in my opinion, without full incorporation of climate change

"I suspect the non-politically motivated service men and women in our Navy has other priorities, such as new technology that can be used against adversaries." . . .

Mobile Football Game Shooter DeAngelo Parnell: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know

Police said Parnell turned himself in because “…he knew we knew who he was …”  A bond hearing for Parnell is scheduled for Monday, Battiste said.

Heavy.com

"DeAngelo Parnell, 17, has been charged with nine counts of attempted murder after a shooting in a Mobile, Ala., stadium where a high school football game was being played Friday night.

"Police say nine people were shot, mostly teenagers, at the Pebbles Ladd Stadium as a game between LeFlore and Williamson high schools was ending. Parnell is reported as being a student at LeFlore High School.

"Mobile Police Chief Lawrence Battiste said the injured are all teenagers ranging from 15 to 18. Among them, at least five suffered critical injuries. One person suffered a seizure.

"Parnell turned himself in to police early Saturday morning.

"Here’s what you need to know:" . . .

CNN Benches Latino Contributor Because He Supported Trump, Pushed Back On Network’s ‘Racist’ Narrative, Source Says

Daily Wire

"CNN has reportedly benched one of their Latino contributors because he supported President Donald Trump and he pushed back on the far-left network's attempts to paint the president as being racist ahead of the 2020 election.m

"A source familiar with the matter told The Daily Wire that CNN's Steve Cortes met with Trump on Friday at the White House to discuss the situation at CNN.

"The source said that Trump, who is "extremely angry" over the matter, had asked Cortes to go to CNN two years ago to combat the network's narrative, but, with the recent developments at the network, the president no longer sees value in Cortes staying there for the 2020 campaign." . . .

Joe Biden Puts His Foot in His Electability; A dubious argument to run on, and an admission he’s otherwise running on empty.

Tony Branco, Townhall

The American Spectator  "Joe Biden is setting a bear trap for himself by insisting that Democrats should back him solely on the “electability” issue.

"He even had his wife, Jill, as a campaign surrogate, admit to the party’s far-left base that their preferred candidates “might be better on, I don’t know, health care than Joe is” at a New Hampshire campaign event broadcast by MSNBC.

"Mrs. Biden, however, married that admission to a warning: “You’ve got to look at who’s going to win this election, and maybe you have to swallow a little bit and say, ‘Okay, I personally like so and so better,’ but your bottom line has to be that we have to beat Trump.”

Tony Branco, Townhall

"Let’s play that again: “swallow a little bit.” Maybe this strategy will work, but Biden is just as likely to get his electoral hind legs maimed for the effort.
"Trying to sell yourself on the basis of electability has a long pedigree. Of failure.

"Lamar Alexander ran in the Republican presidential primaries in 1996 on the slogan of “ABC: Alexander Beats Clinton.” He finished third place in the Iowa caucuses and dropped out before the “Super Tuesday” primaries.

"Alexander tried again in four years. That time, he didn’t even make it to the Iowa caucuses.

The 1996 election may seem like ancient history to folks, but how about 2016? Is that recent enough?

"Both Jeb Bush and John Kasich were supposed to be more “electable” than Donald Trump and were explicitly sold on that basis. Both had experience governing large states. Both could “credibly” challenge Hillary Clinton. And both went over like a led balloon with primary voters.

"We can quibble with the judgment of those voters, but who exactly went on to be “electable” by defeating Hillary Clinton? Why, Donald J. Trump." . . .

The Times Outraged: Panics as Media Matters Tactics Turned on Paper

A loose network of liberal operatives allied with the Democratic Party and the liberal media is pursuing what they say will be an aggressive, well-funded operation to discredit conservative media deemed hostile to Democrats and the American Left by publicizing damaging information about conservative journalists and other conservative media figures.

Spectator
                      Aiding and abetting attacks on conservative media backfires.

"Well, this is nothing if not rich.

"The New York Times headlined the story this way:

Trump Allies Target Journalists Over Coverage Deemed Hostile to White House

"The opening two paragraphs say this: 

WASHINGTON — A loose network of conservative operatives allied with the White House is pursuing what they say will be an aggressive operation to discredit news organizations deemed hostile to President Trump by publicizing damaging information about journalists.

It is the latest step in a long-running effort by Mr. Trump and his allies to undercut the influence of legitimate news reporting. Four people familiar with the operation described how it works, asserting that it has compiled dossiers of potentially embarrassing social media posts and other public statements by hundreds of people who work at some of the country’s most prominent news organizations.

"Well.

"One doesn’t know whether to laugh or cry at the utter hypocrisy in this story.

Here, for example, is this absolute gem of BS in the story (bold print supplied for emphasis):

But using journalistic techniques to target journalists and news organizations as retribution for — or as a warning not to pursue — coverage critical of the president is fundamentally different from the well-established role of the news media in scrutinizing people in positions of power.

"Let’s stop there for a moment. Memo to the New York Times: Your paper — and the media writ large — are the very definition of “people in positions of power.” Are you kidding?" . . .

We Just Found Out Who’s Been Leaking Trump’s Private Conversations

"Perhaps she can earn a bit role on MSNBC for a few months though." You can be sure CNN is trying hard to get her.

RedState  "If you’ve been wondering how so much of what Trump says in the privacy of the Oval Office manages to make its way to The New York Times and other outlets, we might have an answer.

"Over the years, we’ve seen more stories than I can keep up with leaked to the press centering on something Trump supposedly said in private. Often they center on harmless, off the cuff statements (such as the “nuke hurricanes” flap) that are then printed to try to embarrass the President. Context, whether something was actually a joke, or whether it’s even being presented truthfully never seems to matter and since everything is anonymous, it can never be countered.

"Now, Trump’s most trusted executive assistant has been caught leaking details, not just about happenings in the Oval Office, but also about his family.

Madeleine Westerhout, the president’s personal assistant, was said to have indiscreetly shared details 

about the president’s family and the Oval Office operations she was part of during a recent off-the-record 

dinner with journalists. Doug Mills/The New York Times

"In fact, it’s no surprise that many media members are painting her in a sympathetic light after the resignation. They just lost what was probably their main source into the President’s inner circle. Outlets like Axios and The New York Times have seemingly had a direct line into the Oval Office since Trump was inaugurated. Westerhout may not be the only source, but she appears to be a major one and it explains so much about how the press got ahold of personal comments that only a handful of people would have heard.

"Westerhout will now learn a hard lesson, namely that the press didn’t really care about her. I’m sure they flattered her and made her feel special while she had the goods. Now that she’s gone, she’ll be cast aside as worthless. She could have kept her job for decades to come, long after Trump left the White House and now that’s gone. All to get some plaudits from Maggie Haberman and company. I have a feeling she’s regretting that decision." . . .

Democrat voters, do you REALLY want these people to rule over us?

Under Democrats, we wake up every morning wondering what they will do to us next. AND to our military. TD

Unpacking the Clown Car
Minus the flags these would be Democrats:

It becomes clearer every day that most journalists would rather have Democrats in power than a good economy

Every economic proposal from the Democrats running would involve transferring more power and money to the government from the private sector. Since the Washington, DC area is already one of the richest areas of the country, despite producing nothing, that would make the wealth and wage gap widen, not shrink.

Don't tell me your pronouns — I can guess!  . . . "Generally, I try to leave the aggressively aggrieved alone, but should anyone ever absolutely insist I call him "zie" or "ey," or "he" when she is clearly female, I am prepared with a response:

" 'Alright," I will say, "I'll take your word for it.  I will do my best to remember, every time I see you, that you consider yourself to be something nature doesn't —but I do have one condition.  As you can see, I'm a person of average height at best.  I've always thought that being a little taller would have gotten me more respect and helped my self-esteem.  For the sake of fairness, since I'm remembering your special self-identity, would you mind crouching a little in my presence — just to acknowledge that, inside, I feel taller?' "

Ocasio-Cortez: A knucklehead gives herself airs  . . . "Informed?  She herself famously didn't know that legislators aren't "inaugurated," but sworn in.  Before being sworn in, she imagined herself signing legislation.  She had, and probably still has, little idea of how the government works, what "Legislative Branch" means, and "Executive Branch," and so on.  People as ignorant as this girl have no business in government because their thrashing around, their uninformed assumptions and nonsensical pronouncements, cause problems for serious people trying to do serious work." . . .

Rashida Tlaib Denounces America, Declaration of Independence in Disgusting Tweet

The Federalist Papers  To celebrate the Fourth of July, Rep. Rashida Tlaib decided to denounce America and the Declaration of Independence on Twitter.

Tlaib retweeted this message:

Ayanna Pressley

Verified account

"Our founding fathers were not living gods...they were fallible human beings." The Declaration of Independence "did not condemn slavery, protect the rights of women or include Native Americans."

"Do you know who else believed that? Roger Taney, the author of the infamous Dred Scott Supreme Court decision, and Stephen A. Douglas, Abraham Lincoln’s challenger in the 1860 presidential election.
"Do you know who DIDN’T believe that the Declaration was “sexist, racist, and prejudiced”?"Abraham Lincoln. And Frederick Douglass.
"So why is Rashida Tlaib repeating the arguments of the racist Taney and Steve Douglas against the anti-slavery Lincoln and Fred Douglass?" . . .

Brit Hume: Biden's misstatements could provide a big boost to 2020 rival Warren

Fox News

Hume says Biden gaffes, fading memory could hurt candidate

"If Democrats grow more concerned about former Vice President Joe Biden's verbal missteps, they could begin to consider nominating another candidate, according to Brit Hume.

"Biden may mean well when he speaks incorrectly, but such mistakes could bring about a perception of "fading memory," Hume said Friday on "Special Report."

" ' I think it could become a very big deal indeed," he said.

" 'He's often misspoken and made gaffes. A number of these recent ones strike me as a man with fading memory -- which is to be expected of a man his age," Hume continued, adding he and Biden, who's 76, are both around the same age." . . .