Motion for Justice Barrett to Recuse Is Withdrawn

Volokh Conspiracy

Attorneys for Luzerne County are no longer asking the newest justice to recuse from Pennsylvania election litigation. 

"Earlier today, attorneys for Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, filed a notice of withdrawal of their prior motion seeking the recusal of Associate Justice Amy Coney Barrett from  Republican Party of Pennsylvania v. Boockvar. As I noted here, after the initial motion was submitted, the Luzerne County Council voted in support of withdrawing the motion.

"The notice of withdrawal makes no mention of the County's vote. It reads as follows:

Given the Supreme Court's safety protocols, I understand that the Motion to Recuse which was electronically submitted on October 27, 2020, has not yet been officially filed. Given the Supreme Court's refusal to expedite consideration of the petition for a writ of certiorari, thus allowing the Order of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania to stand presently, we therefore request that the Motion be considered withdrawn.

"The docket for the case now indicates that the prior motion was not accepted for filing.

"For reasons I explained here, I do not believe the applicable standards or relevant precedent supports Justice Barrett's recusal, though each justice ultimately decides whether to recuse in a given case."

Voters’ Guide to 2020 Ballot Initiatives

 Reason 

Voters' Guides on ballot proposals from across the nation to help voters as they research and make decisions on these initiatives.

"Voters planning to participate in the 2020 election have more to consider than who they will vote for in the highly contentious presidential election. In addition to the election of national, state, and local leaders, this year, voters in many states have a number of ballot initiatives to consider. Statewide ballot initiatives typically allow voters to decide on changes to their state constitutions and laws.

"Reason Foundation’s policy analysts have created Voters’ Guides examining over 40 different ballot proposals from across the nation to help voters as they research and make decisions on these initiatives. These guides aim to:

• Provide plain-English explanations of what a given ballot initiative would do, stripping away the jargon and complex language that can make many of them hard to parse through.
• Fairly summarize the pro and con arguments being made, putting an emphasis on what each side puts forward as their strongest arguments but stripping out ad-hominem and attack arguments so it stays focused on substantive policy arguments.
• Provide an overview of the key issues involved, summarizing what data and research say about the arguments of both sides, flagging experience other states may have had with similar laws, and offering other information that might help voters decide about the initiative.

Ed Markey fails his oath of office in his vile attack on Amy Coney Barrett

Chris J. Krisinger

I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter: So help me God.

" Among the many Democrats throwing fits over Justice Amy Coney Barrett's confirmation, one glaringly stood out.  Sen. Ed Markey, the Democrat from Massachusetts known for his liberal progressive bona fides, issued a bitter judgment of Barrett's judicial philosophy in a Senate floor speech hours before her confirmation last Monday evening.  He specifically took aim at Barrett's embrace of constitutional "originalism," which is the theory that the Constitution's text ought to be given the original public meaning that it would have had at the time it became law.
"Markey then took to Twitter.  "Originalism is racist.  Originalism is sexist.  Originalism is homophobic.  Originalism is just a fancy word for discrimination."

"With that tweet, Markey has essentially said our nation's Constitution is "racist."  By his logic, any effort to understand it, and understand its words at the time they were written, is itself racist, sexist, and bigoted, thereby implying that our Constitution itself is imbued with those traits.  Markey's words are no less than a modern-day challenge to the primacy of the document as the foundation of our national rule of law and system of government, which can then only be construed as attempting to undermine the foundation and efficacy of our constitutional republic.

"Progressives like Markey have long derided the theory of "originalism," often arguing that the Constitution is an imperfect document written during a different time in American history and should be interpreted based on the "spirit of law" rather than the written word.  But Markey's attack takes progressives' animus toward the Constitution and its rights contained to new levels." . . .

Senator Ed Markey Slams Judicial ‘Originalism’ as ‘Racist,’ ‘Sexist,’ and ‘Homophobic’

High Noon in America: Will You Fight or Hide?

The question is whether the American people will back the president by getting out to vote. 

Jeffrey Folks . . .  "Though painful, Will Kane's position is not impossible.  His path is clear because he lives by an unwavering code of values.  He remains in town to defend his fellow citizens, even the many who don't appreciate his efforts.  When everyone abandons him, he faces overwhelming odds — four to one — with only the help of his wife, who returns without his knowledge and saves his life in the shootout.

"President Trump faces the same overwhelming odds.  The political establishment, the Deep State, practically the entire media, academe, unions, minorities, environmentalists, foreign nations, and special interests of all stripes have piled on, outraged that the president would actually stand up for ordinary Americans.  They thought Trump's promise to "drain the swamp" was just words — the usual political rhetoric that would be forgotten as soon as the candidate took office.  That's what Joe Biden —" friend of the working man" — has been doing for 47 years.  But President Trump is not a typical politician, and the establishment hate him for it because he exposes what they are.

"The question is whether the American people will back the president by getting out to vote.  In High Noon, a crucial point was that the citizenry of the fictional Hadleyville were too timid and afraid to join in the town's defense.  Now is the time to defend America, and the only way to do so is by casting a vote for President Trump. " . . .

If CNN-Lemon says he has many pro-Trump friends, surely you won't believe him?

Going forward, Lemon doubted if he would be able to enjoy friendships with such people ever again.

 Weasel Zippers   

Speaking of CNN: Lemon, Cuomo, and...Acosta; grave marker for a once-great news source  Excerpts from this article:   “ 'You’re a partisan and biased hack. The world knows it and wants to remind you that we all know that your nothing but a Democratic Party propaganda minister,” tweeted “FreeSpeech.' ”

“What’s wrong is a once great network @CNN spewing bile & trashing the President of the United States 24/7! You reap what you sow!” tweeted “Gailtalk.”

"CNN reporter Jim Acosta took to social media to whine about his job. It seems the 49-year-old Trump hater is perplexed about how Trump supporters treat him and his network at rallies. Poor Jim was searching for a “friendly face” in the midst of a Trump rally."

Biden says Catholic faith guides policies but gets hit on abortion, religious freedom

 Fox News

Biden would be the second practicing Catholic president but many find his policies to be antithetical to the faith

. . . "Ashley McGuire, senior fellow with The Catholic Association -- which has endorsed President Trump's re-election -- told Fox News Biden's candidacy has been confusing to Catholic voters "who believe that being Catholic is more than just another label."

“Joe Biden has campaigned on his Catholic faith while promising policies that contradict Catholic teaching and even threatening the Little Sisters of the Poor," McGuire said. "The Bishops Conference has warned of the devastating consequences of the Equality Act for religious liberty and for girls and women but Joe Biden supports it."

. . . On the issue of abortion, which Biden didn't mention Thursday discussing his devout faith, Lila Rose, founder and president of Live Action, an anti-abortion organization, tweeted a clear-cut message to the Democratic nominee.

" 'You cannot claim to be a practicing Catholic and support the slaughter of children in the womb. To do so is heinous and despicable. And you cannot claim you 'didn’t know' when your faith, and basic moral law, is telling you loud and clear: You shall not kill," Rose wrote.

"Brian Burch, president of CatholicVote, a conservative political advocacy group, said Biden "has put himself on a collision course with the Catholic Church by promising to pass the Equality Act in the first 100 days of his presidency."

"Biden's aggressive support of the Act, together with his extreme abortion position, opposition to school choice, and pledge to restart the war on the Little Sisters makes clear his Catholic faith will be readily sacrificed at the altar of political expediency," Burch added. "Come Tuesday, Catholics must understand the existential threat posed by a Biden-Harris ticket. Donald Trump remains the best – and only – choice for Catholic voters this election.”

"The Catholic vote has been almost evenly split between the two parties. According to Fox News' 2016 exit polls, 50% of Catholics who voted supported Trump and 46% cast their ballots for then-candidate Hillary Clinton." . . .

Don Lemon: I Had To Get Rid of a Lot of People I Love Because They Believe in Trump

 Canuknucklehead commented: Liberals and progressives are the world's most successful hate group. They attract poor people who hate rich people; aboriginals who hate Europeans; Blacks who hate Whites; gay people who hate straight people; feminists who hate men; millennials who hate baby-boomers, environmentalist who hate energy workers; Muslims who hate apostates; morally relative liberals who hate the rule of law; abortionists who hate life; easterners who hate westerners; ideologues who hate real science; government workers who hate the private sector; and, bratty college kids who hate their parents. One secret of this gate group's success that it PRETENDS to be `sunny`and inclusive‘and `tolerant`… It is NO...THING of the sort. When faced with ANY opinion it doesn't like, a liberal will fly into a rage and lashes out with utter HATE.

Biden Win Would Offer Path to Kill Pipeline That Hollywood Hates

Bloomberg

"Days after taking office, President Donald Trump cleared the way for construction of an oil pipeline in the Midwest that had been the focus of months of opposition by climate activists, celebrities and Native Americans.

. . . Shutting down a three-year-old pipeline ferrying more than 500,000 barrels of crude oil each day would be a drastic step. But it has been operating without a permit following a court decision last summer that allowed it to stay open while an environmental review is conducted, something that could render it uniquely vulnerable to the whim of a new administration." . . .

30 Good Things President Trump Has Done for America

Wayne Grudem  "Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic and Moral Issues of Our Day."

"President Trump receives non-stop criticism in the press. I agree that criticism is necessary when a president makes mistakes, but where are the voices expressing appreciation for the good things Trump has done? It’s unfair always to criticize and never to recognize any of the good things a president has done.

"It might be a refreshing change to recall some of the remarkable, nation-changing good things that Trump has accomplished for America. Here is my personal list. At the end of this list, I address the question, “Are these actions an indication of divine judgment or divine blessing on the United States of America?”

"Because of space limitations, I have not given extensive arguments explaining why I think these actions are good for the United States. But more extensive arguments can be found in my books Christian Ethics, Politics According to the Bible, and The Poverty of Nations.

"1. Judges: Trump has appointed two Supreme Court justices, 53 federal appellate judges, and 146 District Court judges (as well as two judges for the Court of International Trade) who have been confirmed by the Senate so far. In addition, 64 more have been appointed and are awaiting Senate confirmation. All of them are committed to interpreting the Constitution and laws according to the original meaning of the words, rather than according to what a modern liberal judge thinks the law should have said.

"As an evangelical Christian, I am glad to see that Trump’s two Supreme Court appointments have already been responsible for highly significant cases that increase religious freedom, such as the decisions (1) to allow state aid that is given to non-religious schools to be given also to religious schools (Montana decision), (2) to protect the right of religious schools to hire and fire employees based on the school’s religious convictions, and (3) to allow religious groups to be exempt from government regulations that would otherwise cause them to violate their consciences in matters of birth control (and, by implication, probably in matters of abortion and same-sex marriage, but that has not yet been tested).

"2. Historic tax cuts and deregulation: After eight years of high unemployment and meager growth under President Obama’s administration, the Trump tax cuts of 2017 and Trump’s extensive canceling of excessive government regulations on businesses have given a tremendous boost to the American economy. An estimated 25,000 pages of regulations have been canceled, resulting in a savings of $3,100 per household per year. Another result of tax cuts combined with deregulation has been the addition of thousands of new jobs, so that unemployment (before the coronavirus crisis) fell to the lowest point in 50 years, and unemployment among African-American and Hispanic workers was the lowest it has ever been in history." . . . Keep reading...

Do Americans Love their Country More than They Hate Trump?

Related: Squeamishness Shouldn't Stop Americans from Voting to Save Their Country  . . . "And why do I believe that anyone who supports Trump's agenda for America are making a critical error when they abstain from voting for the man simply because they're turned off by his crudeness?"

Lauri B. Regan  "Many NeverTrumps assert that they're voting against Trump, not for Biden. But the reality is that a vote against Trump is a vote for Biden/Harris and their progressive policies.  Biden promised that if he is elected, "I'm gonna be good to go down as one of the most progressive presidents in American history."  Bernie Sanders asserted, "Joe Biden will become the most progressive president since [FDR]."

"Kamala Harris, who stands a good chance of replacing Biden, has the most progressive record in the Senate, farther left than even Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, who will likely serve significant roles in a Biden/Harris administration, critically influencing policy.  Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and other admitted socialists are advising the campaign and will be a powerful influence in a Biden/Harris administration.

"Based on the premise that America is systemically racist, Phil Gramm, former Senate Banking Committee chairman, noted that Biden proposes "a massive transformation of American life, using a reparations commission, wealth transfers, subsidies, employment and promotion preferences, quotas, and even a new mandate to the Federal Reserve[.]"

"The Biden-Sanders "manifesto," which the WSJ labeled "the most radical policy document of either major party in our lifetimes," co-written by AOC promoting her socialist dreams, is a must-read.  The multi-trillion-dollar Green New Deal; $1.4 billion in slavery reparations; open borders; taxpayer-funded college, health care, and housing for illegal aliens; Medicare for All (Squad member Jayapal co-chaired Biden's health care task force); ending Israeli military aid; court-packing; expansive regulations overseeing every aspect of our lives including regulating the destruction of suburbs; federally funded abortion on demand; expanding unions by repealing right-to-work laws; defunding the police; restricting gun ownership; ending fossil fuels and rejoining the Paris Accords; skyrocketing taxes; and empowering Iran and China — these are but a few of the Democrats' plans." . . . Much more here... 

From Russia Today in 2018: Secret Service on alert after actor calls for Trump’s son to be put ‘in a cage with pedophiles’  Jack Posobiec VOTE:

Hollywood Democrat Peter Fonda goes on deranged meltdown, calls for rape of 12 year old Barron Trump, attacks on children of ICE agents

Flashback – Kathy Griffin: ‘Happy to Deliver Beat Down’ to Barron Trump

TMZ reported this week that Barron Trump panicked after he saw the image on television, because he did not know who Griffin was or the context in which the photograph was taken.

Cagle

Clueless Joe thinks If you can run a lawnmower you can learn to code!

 Yes, Joe Biden just literally told coal miners they should learn to code. You can’t make this stuff up.  Bonchie

Photosnark by Rich Terrell

Joe Biden to Miners: Learn to Code  . . . To say that his handlers must have been gnashing their teeth is an understatement." . . .

. . . "Oddly enough, the phrase “learn to code” had previously been banned from social media because people were using it to make fun of “journalists” who were losing their jobs due to their product being mostly garbage. Given that, it’s a little funny to see all these major media outlets posting stories about Biden’s comment without a hint of irony.

"I wonder if Twitter will be banning the VP for saying such a hateful conglomeration of words?"

Does Joe Biden have any idea about what it is to learn to code?  . . . "The Examiner and the Detroit Metro Times earlier focused on the improbable — and patronizing — spectacle of Old Joe going into 'the Hood' and somehow getting hold of black female gear-turners laid off from the auto industry to enroll in the program, a variant on the 'learn to code' trope for 

displaced workers.

"And if you look at the Wayne County School of Continuing Education's website, it's likely that that the program he was talking about was this." . . .

Joe Biden Suggests Coal Miners Should Learn To Code  . . . “ 'Anybody who can go down 3,000 feet in a mine can sure as hell learn to program as well,” Biden said at a New Hampshire event Monday. He added later: “Anybody who can throw coal into a furnace can learn how to program, for God’s sake!”

"Biden’s adversarial posture toward the coal industry bears similarities to that of 2016 Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton, who said her administration would “put a lot of coal miners and coal companies out of business.' ” . . .

Pinterest

CNN Plays the Fool After Laughable 'Anonymous' Reveal

 RedState  "Yesterday, the infamous ‘Anonymous’ op-ed writer revealed himself to be a low-level DHS toady named Miles Taylor. The most common response to the news was to ask “who?” This came after years of speculation that it was actually someone as high in the Trump administration as Mike Pence, Nikki Haley, or Jared Kushner.

"In other words, the media were played for fools. And while The New York Times bears the brunt of that for knowing who Miles Taylor was and still publishing his op-ed under the guise of him being a “senior level” official, perhaps no one looks more foolish than CNN.

"This is a network which went wild with speculation when the op-ed was first written. In typical fashion, they spun crazy conspiracy theories to justify the anti-Trump hit as being exceptionally important, which leads us to the world “lodestar.” The use of that term had CNN convinced that the op-ed had been written by VP Mike Pence." . . .

Infamous 'Anonymous' Op-Ed Writer and Trump Official Has Been Revealed, and It's Hilarious "Some years ago, a supposed “high-level” Trump administration official penned a scathing op-ed in the pages of The New York Times. That set off a wave of speculation. Was it Nikki Haley? Was it Jared or Ivanka Trump? There was even talk it could be Mike Pence.

"Well, the identity of that person has finally been revealed and it’s absolutely hilarious. The media have egg all over their face after this revelation."

"You probably had the same reaction I did. Who is this guy? And how does this qualify as a “senior level” Trump administration official? Further, given his meager rank at DHS, how exactly was he even in a position to influence policy the way he asserted he could in his original op-ed? Remember, this guy painted himself as literally steering Trump away from tyranny.

"This was an absolute grift, nothing more, and the media fell for it hook, line, and sinker."

There was a time when people seriously thought the person who wrote the anonymous op-ed was Mike Pence, Mike Pompeo or Nikki Haley. Turns out it was some nobody in DHS. And the media will still give him more coverage than they will to Tony Bobulinski.

— Greg Price (@greg_price11) October 28, 2020

. . . "Brian Stelter was quick to attempt damage control, claiming that CNN was not aware of this when they hired him. Will they now fire him for lying on air? A network with some integrity would, right?" . . .

The only Democrat campaign ad you need to see this year. pic.twitter.com/jm5QH7WXuB

— Allie Beth Stuckey (@conservmillen) October 28, 2020

. . .  "Color me incredibly skeptical. This nobody had no other reason to be hired by CNN if they didn’t know who he really was. I’d guess he revealed it to the high-ups in order to get the job but that the anchors themselves weren’t told.

"And just in case this wasn’t all funny enough, the left are already turning on Taylor because he was at DHS during the period when “child separation” was going on."

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