Timothy Philen. . . "As was any navel-gazing about the “soul of the Democratic party” until, that is, “Hardball” host Chris Matthews pointed out the electoral “elephant” in the middle of the spin room. It’s a problem bigger than the merits of the messengers. It’s about the tone-deaf aspects of the progressive message itself.
"Matthews bemoaned the fact that today’s Democrats “always miss the cultural piece,” meaning that they are quick to minimize -- and even demonize, as Clinton did -- the patriotic feelings and genuine apprehensions of a large swath of the American electorate -- one that goes far beyond the Left’s caricature of the uneducated angry white racist working-class male and his enabling wife “clinging to their guns and religion,” as President Obama painted them in a moment of candor.
"That swath extends, in reality, to millions of college-educated middle-class Americans of all colors who have heartfelt and conscience-bound concerns about such issues as abortion, the redefinition of marriage and gender, and the free exercise of their religion guaranteed by the Constitution." . . .
Timothy Philen is an opinion writer, award-winning advertising creative director and author of Harper&Row/Lippincott’s You CAN Run Away From It!, a satirical indictment of American pop psychology.
John Rutledge"I first learned of the white cockade while I was reading the novel Bunker Hill by Nathaniel Philbrick. On April 19, 1775, a militia regiment was positioned on top of Punkatasset Hill in Concord, Massachusetts. As the regiment began marching downhill to confront the British forces, a young Minuteman from Acton named Luther Blanchard began playing a tune on his fife. It was reportedthat the militiamen began singing this tune while they marched off to fight the Redcoats. That tune was "The White Cockade." This song was known to be used during the 1745 Jacobite Uprising. Prince Charles of the House of Stuarts sought to reclaim the family throne, which at the time was being ruled by William and Mary. "Bonnie Prince Charlie" led a rebellion known as the "Jacobites," who hailed from the Scottish Highlands, lowland northeast of Scotland, Ireland, and Northern England. The Bonnie Prince pinned a white rose on his blue bonnet as a symbol of rebellion. The prince's rebellion failed, but his myth and courage lived on through the years. In 1790, the famous Scottish poet Robert Burns penned a song in memory of Prince Charles and his White Cockade. " . . .
My love was born in Aberdeen
The bonniest lad that e'er was seen
But now he makes our hearts fu' sad
He's taken to the field wi' his White Cockade
O he's a rantin', rovin' lad
He is a brisk and a bonny lad
Betide what may, I will be wed
And follow the laddy wi' the White Cockade
. . . "The white cockade was once used as a symbol of defiance against tyranny. In 2016, we chose and elected Donald J. Trump as our symbol of defiance against a United States government that was no longer a representative of "We the people." President Trump and a great many American patriots have clearly exposed, for all the world to see, the corruption we've believed was there all along. What a more fitting and perfect way for President Trump to represent America than by adopting the white cockade as a symbol for his 2020 campaign? It's a perfect representation of his revolutionary spirit, and his rebellious fight against the Deep State, the anti-American liberals, and the feckless GOP RINOs.
"How great would the white cockade look on the president's lapel, right next to his American flag pin? If for no other reason, it would drive the Democrats and the liberals more apoplectic than they already are.
"Donald Trump is the most important president this country has seen since George Washington. I say this without hyperbole and as a well read amateur historian. President Trump, his family, and the amazing behind-the-scenes Patriots are the last great hope for the sake and future of this country and everything our Founders fought so hard and died for. " . . .
There is even more basis for the good chairman himself to be called as a witness in any Senate impeachment trial. Let us learn all we can about the rationale for one or more such secret subpoenas. Talk about the need to drain the swamp. This is a prime example.
"Many Americans remain nonplussed over revelations in the House Intelligence Committee’s Impeachment Inquiry Report that its chairman, Adam Schiff, not only secretly subpoenaed telephone records from President Trump’s attorney, Rudy Giuliani, but also obtained responses that detailed dates and lengths of phone calls to Trump attorney Jay Sekulow, ranking committee member Devin Nunes, and Hill reporter John Solomon. That Schiff self-disclosed this action as a rightful part of his committee’s information gathering is equally stunning. "Every bit as bad, it appears that national telephone carriers AT&T and Verizon, who so tout their corporate concerns about subscriber privacy, responded to such obviously politicized demands without a whimper. "Schiff’s actions, and indeed those of everyone involved in secretly demanding and producing these phone records, while perhaps not outright illegal, are simply beyond the pale and reminiscent of Big Brother, from George Orwell’s 1984. "Schiff’s defenders dismiss such concerns, saying the only information thus obtained was the time, duration, and date of these calls and not actual content. But the very ambiguity from this partial record is now used to support all sorts of hypothetical possibilities, such as the assertion that Giuliani had called a number “associated with OMB” — even though lots of other organizations within the Executive Office of the president use the 395 prefix. "It’s really scary to think that this sort of thing has not only been going on for some time, but proudly so." . . .
Geoff Shepard came to D.C. as a White House Fellow right after graduation from Harvard Law School and spent five years on Nixon’s White House staff, including serving as deputy counsel on his Watergate defense team
Devin Nunes and Adam Schiff's phony phone records. . . "But there's a far bigger problem than just Schiff's spy operation, complete with disgruntled deep-state CIA officers. Nunes says he's checked his own phone records and it looks like Schiff made them up." . . .
The Right Scoop . . . "Six Saudis were detained for questioning, including the three that were filming the shooting:" . . .
If there was any thought that Alshamrani was a jihadi lone wolf just killing to earn his Muslim salvation and take out a few evil westerners, it looks like we can rule that out now. Clearly this was bigger than just a lone wolf attack if there were other Saudis filming the shooting. I mean, seriously, why would they be filming it and how would they even know to film it? It must’ve been coordinated for terrorist propaganda purposes. At least that’s the only conclusion I can draw from this.
It would go well with the beheading sections of their library. Disarmed: Gun Control on Military Bases (And Why it Must End)Within reason!I had in my barracks a good number of men whom nobody would have wanted to be armed. Does the word "fragging"ring a bell with anyone? Robert Spencer:Pensacola Jihad Massacre Proves We've Learned Nothing Since the Fort Hood Attack. . . "Many credulous Americans, meanwhile, will believe his list of grievances, and think that if we just stop committing these supposed “crimes,” that the jihad will disappear. Actually, grievance lists such as Alshamrani’s are common from jihadis, who have to couch their jihads as defensive in the absence of a caliphate. In Sunni law, only the caliph can declare offensive jihad. So when there is no caliph, all jihad must be defensive. The enumerated grievances are pretexts that enable a jihadi lawfully to kill in accordance with Islamic law. "Alshamrani was in the country to get aviation training. No one flagged him as a potential jihadi. No one would even have dared to question him to try to ascertain his thoughts about the United States and the global jihad. Any effort to have done so would have been denounced as “Islamophobic,” and would have been career suicide for whoever did the questioning. "We saw this with the Fort Hood jihad mass murderer, Major Nidal Malik Hasan, who was praised and promoted despite alarming his colleagues with his talk of violent jihad. None of his superiors dared do anything except promote him; they knew that if they questioned him about his loyalties, they would be the subject of a CNN feature story the next week on “Islamophobia in the Military,” and they would be looking at a dishonorable discharge." . . .
Pro-Abortion Pelosi's Convenient Catholicism"If House speaker Nancy Pelosi is a "practicing Catholic," then Sen. Elizabeth Warren is an American Indian. If she is a practicing Catholic, then one hopes that one day, she gets it right. You cannot be in fundamental disagreement with a fundamental doctrine of the Catholic Church and then wrap yourself in its vestments to proclaim you don't hate anybody.
"Funny: Cafeteria Catholic Pelosi doesn't invoke her Christian conscience when she supports her caucus's abortion-until-birth infanticide policy, the ultimate separation of mother from child. There is no worse brutality than what an unborn child feels at the hands of a surgeon's tools. It is a fact that forceps kill more children than guns. A detention center on the border or the deportation of those who have had their due process and have a deportation order lawfully issued by a judge doesn't even come close.
"Pelosi did not respect faith-based communities and other organizations, such as her Catholic Church, when it came to Obamacare's attempt to force them and the institutions they administer to provide insurance that pays for abortions and contraceptives. When it comes to Catholics and pro-life people acting on their religious conscience, she fights them quicker than you can say "Hobby Lobby." AsLifeSiteNews reported during a recent abortion funding battle:" . . .
Six Saudis detained in connection to Pensacola shooting after being caught filming the attack. . . "A member of the Royal Saudi Air Force opened fire with a handgun in a classroom on base, killing three and injuring at least seven before being killed by police. A source briefed on the investigation told the New York Times that six people had been detained for questioning. Three of those people were seen filming the incident as it unfolded." . . . Official: Base shooter watched shooting videos before attack "The official who spoke Saturday said one of the three students who attended the dinner party hosted by the attacker recorded video outside the classroom building while the shooting was taking place. Two other Saudi students watched from a car, the official said. "Ten Saudi students were being held on the base Saturday while several others were unaccounted for, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity after being briefed by federal authorities". . . . "Family members on Saturday identified one of the victims as a 23-year-old recent graduateof the U.S. Naval Academy who alerted first responders to where the shooter was even after he had been shot several times. “ 'Joshua Kaleb Watson saved countless lives today with his own,” his older brother Adam Watson wrote on Facebook. “He died a hero and we are beyond proud.” "A second victim was identified as Mohammed “Mo” Haitham, 19, of St. Petersburg, Florida, who joined the Navy after graduating from high school last year, according to theTampa Bay Times. "Haitham’s mother, Evelyn Brady, herself a Navy veteran, said the commander of her son’s school called her and told her Haitham had tried to stop the shooter." . . . Pictured: Mohammed “Mo” Haitham. One wonders how many people during this young man's life gave him angry glances as they felt threatened by his simple presence. TD
. . . "The other element in this story is the fact that guns are already forbidden on military bases. Even those carrying government-issued firearms are required to lack them in an arms room while they are on base. These weapons are only allowed to be used when they are required for training. If a member of the military is caught carrying a firearm on base in violation of the rules their career could be at risk.
"To put it simply, the hard left is going to have a hard time spinning the Pensacola shooting into a piece of anti-gun propaganda. So don’t be surprised if the corporate media forgets about this story in a week or so." . . .
"On Friday the Democrat Party reached a new low. In a vicious attack against Israel that was full of lies, Rep. Rashida Tlaib actually wore the jihad war scarf (keffiyeh) on the floor of the House of Representatives. This is part of norming the sharia and the icons of the jihad. The Democrats can not go one day without shaming America. Any Jewish American who votes for the anti-Semitic Democrat Party is out of their mind. In fact, any rational American would be crazy to vote for the radical Democrat Party. "Tlaib opposes the “two state solution” because Tlaib opposes the existence of the Jewish state." . . .
. . . "The keffiyeh was the terror leader Yaser Arafat’s swastika and became a powerful symbol of jihad. In the ensuing years, the keffiyeh as an icon of anti-Americanism, anti-semitism and anti-westernism took on a life of its own. The death-to-the-Jews marches across the globe are always awash in keffiyehs.
"The Nazi uniform of yesterday has been replaced by Muslims hiding under their keffiyehs (terrorist scarves) chanting “death to the Jews” and “death to Israel”. " . . .
How deep the once mighty have fallen. It's unbelievable. CNN was once an example to be followed. And now? Not one self-respecting real journalist, with ambition, would want to work for them.
Out of all the CNN personalities, how is it that I know of not one who has left that channel because of their journalistic convictions? TD
"If Democrats and their media allies thought that the impeachment of President Trump would be his undoing, I've got bad news for them: it's actually undoing them. The Democrats' favorite (fake) news channel CNN is suffering from a three-year low in ratings.
"According to Disrn, CNN "reached a three-year low in ratings over the Thanksgiving holidays, averaging 643,000 primetime viewers. The news outlet also saw its worst week for viewers among the 25-43 demographic." In that group, CNN only pulled 138,000 viewers. That's pathetic.
"Fox News, on the other hand, "posted higher ratings than CNN and MSNBC combined, averaging nearly 2.2 million viewers during primetime last week. The network also pulled in 303,000 viewers ages 25 to 54," which is the most important target group for advertisers.
In other words, Fox News is utterly and completely destroying the competition. Now, there's nothing new about that in itself, but what is new is CNN's complete and utter irrelevance in the news world. If you're thinking to yourself, "CNN? I never watch it!", you're not only talking for yourself but for just about every single American. There's literally just about nobody watching any of its programs -- let alone those scheduled outside of primetime."
How deep the once mighty have fallen. It's unbelievable. CNN was once an example to be followed. And now? Not one self-respecting real journalist, with ambition, would want to work for them." . . .
"There's just one way for CNN to turn this around. They've got to do something that hasn't been tried in decades. We have Fox News which is pro-Republican. We have MSNBC real journalists to -- and this is going to shock a lot of people -- do real journalism. Be proudly neutral. Don't air any shows by "commentators." Don't mix opinion with news. You bring the news, and that's it. When you have talk shows, you can invite guests who are not objective, but the presenter has to be absolutely, 100 percent neutral.
which is pro-Democrats. CNN's attempt to imitate MSNBC is destroying the channel. The way forward is for CNN to actually hire
"This is the only way for CNN to save themselves. If they don't choose this path going forward, they're doomed."
A brave CNN insider came to Project Veritas to expose anti-Trump bias at the cable giant. Cary Poarch, who works at CNN’s Washington D.C. Bureau, tells Project Veritas “I decided to wear a hidden camera…to expose the bias running rampant” at the network. Poarch documented CNN’s bias for months; recording undercover footage of numerous long-term employees, some of which talk about Jeff Zucker’s anti-Trump agenda. In the video are Nick Neville, Christian Sierra, Hiram Gonzalez, David Chalian, and Mike Brevna. These employee’s positions range from media coordinator to high-ranking executives. I decided to secretly record the 9:00am rundown call meetings with senior management and executives, says Poarch. In the recordings, Zucker details his expectations for CNN’s coverage and very matter-of-factly states “impeachment is the story.”
"Fox News also topped cable news in total day ratings for the 47th consecutive week, averaging over 1.3 million viewers. The network also finished first among the 25-54 demographic for the 17th consecutive week, averaging 222,000 viewers."
“ 'As it turns out, it may not be the substance of their argument, but rather the repetition of it that matters. A recent study found that when people are exposed to the same false information multiple times, they become numb to it. So even if they know the information is false, it just doesn’t sort of register that way anymore. The more we see fake news, the less fake it becomes. Disinformation is a danger to democracy.' ” . . .
UK Daily Mail. . . "The Saudi Air Force trainee who killed three and injured eight when he opened fire at a naval base in Florida on Friday assailed the United States as 'a nation of evil' just before his shooting rampage, AFP reports.
"The man, identified as Mohammed Saeed Alshamrani, opened fire inside a classroom at Naval Air Station in Pensacola early Friday morning. Police quickly responded to the scene and he was shot dead. "Alshamrani was a second lieutenant attending the aviation school at the base. The Pentagon say his training with the US military began in August 2016, and was due to finish in August 2020. "On Friday evening, the SITE Intelligence Group, which monitors jihadist media, claimed they had tracked a Twitter account belonging to Alshamrani which featured a disturbing manifesto written just hours before the shooting. " 'I'm against evil, and America as a whole has turned into a nation of evil,' it read. " 'I'm not against you for just being American, I don't hate you because your freedoms, I hate you because every day you supporting, funding and committing crimes not only against Muslims but also humanity,' Alshamrani wrote. First Pensacola shooting victim is identified as young Naval officer whose brother says 'died a hero' and 'saved countless live' by rushing to alert police after being shot multiple times . . . "Joshua Kaleb Watson, who graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy this year, was among the victims slain on Friday by Mohammed al-Shamrani, a Saudi Arabian aviator being trained in the U.S. "In a heartbreaking tribute on Facebook, Watson's brother wrote that he 'saved countless lives today with his own.' " 'After being shot multiple times he made it outside and told the first response team where the shooter was and those details were invaluable. He died a hero,' wrote brother Adam Watson.
How exactly is a guy like that, flying into a rage at an uncomfortable question, going to take on the master of public relations and televised quick shots, President Trump? Biden's main argument to voters is that he can win. Public meltdowns are not the behavior of a winner.
Monica Showalter"Joe Biden is 77 and ought to actually remember when President Harry S. Truman popularized: "if you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen."
His wretched performance in an encounter with an Iowa voter who challenged him, melting down and flying off the handle, tells voters he never absorbed that political lesson. Either he's either stupid or he has trouble remembering things.
NEW HAMPTON, Iowa — Former Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. on Thursday angrily lashed out at a voter who questioned his son's overseas business dealings at a campaign stop in Iowa, calling the man a "damn liar" in an unusually heated exchange.
The man — who declined to identify himself to reporters — falsely claimed that Mr. Biden had "sent" his son to work in Ukraine and accused him of "selling access to the president."
"You're a damn liar, man," Mr. Biden shot back. "That's not true. And no one has ever said that. No one has proved that."
"Other than the Times' editorial insertion of the word "falsely," it's a pretty strong picture of a man who can't take it.
. . .
"What his little scrap with the farmer really tells voters is that he can't win. It certainly explains why he's polling fourth in Iowa these days and still doesn't have the endorsement of President Obama, the man he worked with as vice president for all of eight years.
"Worse still, he came across as bullying, something that has sunk many a politician, including himself. Remember how Bob Dole was characterized (somewhat unfairly) as mean? Mean and mean-spirited go over like a lead balloon in politics." . . .
. . . “ 'I loved it,” Navarro responded. “I really did. I have known Joe Biden for a long time, and this is Joe Biden. He is scrappy Joe Biden from Scranton and he has to do this. The truth is I’m glad he’s getting some practice calling out damn lies because if he wins the primary, he’s going to be running against a damn liar.' ” . . . Navarro is a CNN reporter, naturally. Joe Biden’s Most ‘Courageous’ Moments. . . "Biden bravely defendedhis renegade son Hunter after an Iowa voter accused him of helping Hunter win a lucrative seat on the board of Ukrainian gas company Burisma. "You're a damn liar, man" Biden barked. He then proceeded to disparage the voter for being "sedentary" and overweight." . . .
One of "Twenty 'hand-picked' Saudi airmen training at Pensacola are among the 62,700 foreign military personnel the US trains each year."
If you take a photo of a man looking like this, remember to be polite and slip away fast. "Sources identified the suspected gunman as Saudi Air Force aviation student Mohammed Saeed Alshamrani " . . .
. . . " 'Obviously the government of Saudi Arabia needs to make things better for these victims. And I think they are going to owe a debt here given that this is one of their individuals.'
"Of the 19 men involved in the September 11 attacks, 15 were Saudi and some of them attended flight school in Florida.
"In recent weeks, 18 naval aviators and two aircrew members from the Royal Saudi Naval Forces were training with the US Navy, including at Pensacola, according to a November 15 press release from the Navy. It was not clear if the suspected shooter was part of that delegation.
"The delegation came under a Navy program that offers training to US allies, known as the Naval Education and Training Security Assistance Field Activity.
"A person familiar with the program said that Saudi Air Force officers selected for military training in the United States are intensely vetted by both countries."
. . .
"The Saudi personnel are 'hand-picked' by their military and often come from elite families, the person said, speaking on condition of anonymity because they did not have permission to speak to a reporter. Trainees must speak excellent English, the person said.
"Saudi Arabia's embassy in Washington did not respond to questions.
"Saudi Arabia, a major purchaser of U.S. arms, accounts for a massive portion of America's spending on foreign military training."
The rules explicitly note that concealed carry permits aren’t honored on the military bases.
“personal firearms may only be stored in the installation’s armory”
“All firearms will be unloaded and secured with a trigger lock and ammunition must be carried in the farthest most possible location away from the firearm prior to transporting on an installation”
What happened to the shooter?The shooter was confirmed dead around 7:50 a.m.He was shot and killed by Escambia County Sheriff's Office deputies. Two of the deputies were injured.
