Tuesday, February 28, 2023
Monday, February 27, 2023
Why J6 Transparency Frightens the Democrats; Publicizing the Capital surveillance video will finally destroy their “insurrection” narrative.
The American Spectator "For two years, the Democrats have insisted that, on Jan. 6, 2021, the republic was shaken to its foundations by an “insurrection” mounted by wild-eyed MAGA extremists. They attempted to reinforce this claim with a series of hyper-partisan hearings, complete with video edited for dramatic effect by a professional television producer. This left most of the footage captured by Capitol surveillance cameras on the cutting room floor, and the Democrats refused to release any of the unused video to the public. Thus, after the midterms, Kevin McCarthy pledged to make it public if elected speaker of the House. He kept his word, and the Democrats are clearly alarmed.
"Indeed, their response to the news that McCarthy had allowed Fox News’ Tucker Carlson access to the surveillance tapes was nearly as hysterical as their reaction to the Jan. 6 affray itself. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), for example, circulated a Dear Colleague letter containing this melodramatic nonsense: “MAGA Republicans in the House have provided tens of thousands of hours of sensitive Capitol security footage to a FOX News personality who regularly peddles in conspiracy theories and Pro-Putin rhetoric.” The Putin angle was parroted by Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.): “Kevin McCarthy turned over Jan. 6 videos to right-wing propagandist Tucker Carlson. A man who spews Kremlin talking points.”
"These claims are not merely unhinged; they are patently false. McCarthy hasn’t turned over a trove of Jan. 6 tapes to Carlson or to anyone else. As Politico’s Kyle Cheney notes: “Carlson doesn’t appear to actually *possess* any of the video footage. His team is reviewing it via government-controlled terminals at the Capitol.” Cheney goes on to point out, “That’s exactly how the Jan. 6 select committee reviewed security footage too.” But that didn’t prevent Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) from penning a preposterous letter to his fellow Democrats contending that Carlson’s access to the surveillance tapes creates a security risk comparable to that which existed prior to the 9/11 terrorist attacks:
"The speaker is needlessly exposing the Capitol complex to one of the worst security risks since 9/11. The footage Speaker McCarthy is making available to Fox News is a treasure trove of closely held information about how the Capitol complex is protected and its public release would compromise the safety of the Legislative Branch and allow those who want to commit another attack to learn how Congress is safeguarded.…
It also risks exposing the carefully laid out and highly guarded plans for the continuity of government, intended to preserve our democracy in the event of an attack.
"What is actually at risk, of course, is the carefully crafted Democratic narrative about what really happened at the Capitol on the afternoon of Jan. 6, 2021. They have invested an enormous amount of taxpayer money and political capital in an attempt to convince the public that it was an insurrection perpetrated by MAGA extremists who have taken over the GOP and are likely to launch another attack on “our democracy” in the future. Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) intimated that last week in this ridiculous tweet: “McCarthy giving 40,000 hrs of Jan. 6 tape to a pro-Putin journalist is an astounding ethical collapse. What security precautions were taken to keep this from becoming a roadmap for a 2024 insurrection?' ”. . .
Mayor Pete Keeps Failing Upward
Cautious, ambitious, “well-rounded,” and soulless, Pete and his ilk are the dominant human type in charge of the world today—the managerial class.
American Greatness "While most of Joe Biden’s demerits can be chalked up to dementia, the train derailment and environmental disaster in East Palestine, Ohio exposes the phoniness and overhyped political skill of Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg.
"As I wrote in an earlier piece, Buttigieg is the “organization kid” who grew up; the man with the golden resume. Alas, people like this frequently do not go as far as they and their parents hope. They peak early. Social intelligence, leadership, perseverance—as well as a little luck—matter a lot, especially in politics.
"Some of these principles are pretty basic. No one is going to want to help someone who is only out for himself. You never hear people bragging about how Mayor Pete helped them out or achieved something tangible for the community. His record in South Bend was full of failures and faddish bad judgment. He’s just been checking boxes all the way: Ivy League, Rhodes Scholar, McKinsey Consulting, combat tourism with the Navy, small town mayor, and now the latest rung, a cabinet position.
"A narcissistic social climber, he’s bored by the normal demands of most jobs. He also lacks the instincts and guts to make the most of challenges and crises. He instinctively runs away from anything that is not rehearsed, planned, and perfect. That’s why he ignored the port crisis last year, instead secretly taking a few months off when he and his gay partner adopted a child.
"I am intimately familiar with this type of person. They make up a solid plurality of the legal profession. They are cautious, ambitious, “well-rounded,” and soulless. This is the dominant human type in charge of the world today, the managerial class, entry to which is controlled by a mania for credentialism and conformity. ". . .
In conclusion: "There is, however, a silver lining: since Buttigieg and his party’s ultimate plans are so destructive, you love to see them screw up so badly."
Can Vivek Ramaswamy fix Washington? CNN and MSNBC will be coming after him immediately
Biden is known for walking stiffly. His big shtick is touching women inappropriately. Working diligently to strengthen the hand of credit card firms against consumers for much of his career in the Senate, it's little wonder that credit card giant MBNA was his largest contributor.
.jpg)
Harry A. White II . . ."Ramaswamy is a multimillionaire. How did Vivek Ramaswamy make his money? The answer is outside politics and fair and square, apparently. This bodes well for an honorable career in politics. More power to him.
In an editorial, Ramaswamy called for making the border secure, eliminating affirmative action "across the American economy," and establishing economic independence from China, "the greatest external threat to America."
To put America first, we need to rediscover what America is. That's why I am running for president. I am launching not only a political campaign but a cultural movement to create a new American Dream — one that is not only about money but about the unapologetic pursuit of excellence[.] ... [I]t is about reviving a national identity.
He hopes to end ESG and diversity, inclusion, and equity (DIE) and put merit back in America.
Is a revival on a gigantic scale (from Kentucky to the White House) too much to hope for? Probably. The only men fit to captain the ship of state — benevolent, powerful men "who have access to the Form of the Good," or God — don't exist in Washington. There are only men spouting the state-sponsored orthodoxy of wokeism, via protected categories in state and federal "non-discrimination" laws, which include gender self-identification.
Looking for arguments for and against DIE, I found a bad one "for" online. Here it is:
Some have said that instituting the principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in the workplace, out of compulsion, results in mediocrity, not meritocracy. However, in the absence of diversity and inclusion, it is exceedingly difficult in most human endeavors to proclaim that someone or something merits designation as 'the best.' In other words, without diversity and inclusion, meritocracy itself is a meritless myth, and any merit bestowed cannot be deemed equitable.". . .
Another conservative pastor canceled by Big Tech
"A few days later, I decided to go to Jack Hibbs's YouTube channel, "Real Life with Jack Hibbs." I got the same message of doom, communicating that the whole channel was blocked. Since I hadn't heard any announcement via email from Hibbs, I thought that maybe it was one of those temporary glitches.
"And then, a few days after the above, I saw Hibbs's headline: "Urgent! Please watch this video: https://vimeo.com/801741601." I took the few minutes to watch it, thinking it might be something having to do with the Middle East or some other crisis area, of which there are many worldwide.
"No, it was something just as serious: YouTube took down Hibbs's YouTube channel and is keeping all of his material, on the flimsiest of charges, which they will not explain or speak with him about. He is being stonewalled as well as censored.
"I admit that I am surprised that it took this long for Jack to get it that YouTube is not our friend and, as a part of the Google empire, is particularly hostile to people of faith and of common sense, conservative conviction.
"Another pastor we listen to is J.D. Farag of Calvary Chapel, Kaneohe, Hawaii. Well over a year ago, Pastor Farag realized that YouTube was no friend, and so he set his church up to "broadcast" his sermons from their own website, bypassing the censorship of Big Tech. Ingeniously, he leaves the first 10–20 minutes of his sermons on YouTube and arranges his content so that the early portion of the sermon doesn't attract the notice of the YouTube censors. Then he stops the YouTube and Facebook streams and urges the listeners to go to his website, where he is free to speak what is on his mind.
"It outrages me that Google soon took Pastor Farag's app icon out of the play store. ". . .
Left proves Dilbert's point
Adams should have couched his preference as encouraging blacks for their own protection to avoid whites because to say it the other way — as he did — is considered a hate crime. Wording matters.
"Chris Quinn, editor of the Plain Dealer, dropped the Dilbert comic strip this week, drawing cheers from the all-whites-are-racist crowd. He cited a podcast of Dilbert creator Scott Adams.
"Quinn wrote, “Adams said Black people are a hate group, citing a recent Rasmussen survey which, he said, shows nearly half of all Black people do not agree with the phrase ‘It’s okay to be white.’”
"The poll actually said 53% agree, 26% disagree and 21% were not sure. One-quarter of black people saying it is not okay to be white shows way too much racism.
"Adams said, “I would say, based on the current way things are going, the best advice I would give to white people is to get the hell away from black people.” (If MSNBC's Joy Reid said that, her face contorted by anger, I dare say she would still be on the air.TD)
"Segregation is making a comeback, long after America achieved racial equality, thanks to race hustlers like Al Sharpton, Joy Reid and Barack “If I Had A Son He’d Look Like Trayvon” Obama.
"Harvard’s hometown is a leader in advocating the separation of races. The city of Cambridge, Massachusetts, published on August 9, 2018, “Why People of Color Need Spaces Without White People,” written by Kelsey Blackwell. She said:
“If your community is mostly white, it is not by accident. Do your work, get real, look at the places you’ve been avoiding. Ask another white person the question you’ve been unsure about asking. See how you’re perpetuating the system of institutional racism; we all are. Become intimately familiar with your role. Explore the places within yourself that you hold back. Can you be yourself a little more? You do this work and people of color will naturally want to engage with you. Why? Because through feeling and exploring your ignorance you’ve created a genuine opening for my reality.". .
Sunday, February 26, 2023
Biden Can't Remember If He's Talked to East Palestine Mayor Amid Toxic Train Derailment
Biden Can't Remember If He's Talked to East Palestine Mayor Amid Toxic Train Derailment "President Joe Biden's mental health is declining; that's no secret. However, it is alarming when he can't make it through an interview without stumbling over his words or being unable to recall whether he's already talked to someone.
"During an interview with ABC on the toxic train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, Biden said that he has "talked to everyone that there is to talk to" but can't remember who he has spoken to.
"Host David Muir asked Biden if he plans to travel to Ohio and has talked to the mayor.
" 'I can't recall whether I've — I don't think I've talked to the mayor. I've talked to everyone else there multiple times. I've talked to both the senators, both governors, I've talked to everyone there is to talk to, and we've made it clear that everything is available," Biden said in response.
"This comes the same day the president stumbled through answering reporter's questions about the incident. ". . .
. . ."PolitiFact reported on February 15 that Democrats’ claims that Trump repealed a safety rule was “Mostly True,” but noted that it had no effect on the train derailment.
"As PolitiFact reported:
During former President Barack Obama’s administration, the Department of Transportation enacted a rule requiring high-hazard cargo trains to be equipped with electronically controlled pneumatic brakes by 2023, allowing them to brake faster.
The Trump administration repealed this rule, citing government reports that found the cost of requiring these kinds of brakes was not economically justified.
Even if this safety rule had still been in effect, it would not have applied to the Norfolk Southern train that derailed in East Palestine, Ohio, because it was not categorized as a high-hazard cargo train.
"Despite this debunking that the Trump administration was at fault for the Ohio derailment more than a week ago, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg perpetuated the lie while he visited Ohio a day after Trump.". . .
"The wheel bearing failed on car number 23. So even with ECP brakes, the derailment would have occurred." pic.twitter.com/AECPta0T5F
— Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) February 24, 2023
. . .Even if this safety rule had still been in effect, it would not have applied to the Norfolk Southern train that derailed in East Palestine, Ohio, because it was not categorized as a high-hazard cargo train.
"Despite this debunking that the Trump administration was at fault for the Ohio derailment more than a week ago, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg perpetuated the lie while he visited Ohio a day after Trump.
. . ."The Biden administration is reeling after criticism that it acted too slowly after the derailment on February 3 and the subsequent release of toxic chemicals that forced residents to evacuate their homes.
"As Breitbart News reported Friday, President Joe Biden only tweeted about the derailment a day before Trump was set to arrive in East Palestine, Ohio, on February 22.
"Biden also chose to take a logistically-difficult surprise trip to Ukraine to commemorate one year of war before visiting East Palestine. Buttigieg visited East Palestine instead, a day after Trump arrived, distributing supplies and comforting residents."
'Oddball' Trump grand jury foreperson Emily Kohrs dealt a 'terrible blow' to prosecution, Andrew McCarthy says
'She basically flouted the secrecy rules of the grand jury,' McCarthy told Fox News Digital
Fox News "Attorney Andrew McCarthy said Emily Kohrs, the forewoman of a special grand jury as part of the Georgia criminal probe into former President Trump, may have dealt "a terrible blow" to prosecutors with her unusual media tour this week.
"In a pair of appearances on CNN and NBC News, Kohrs appeared to strongly hint that Trump was among those recommended for criminal charges while laughing, joking and making animated facial expressions that seemed to provide answers she knew she shouldn't be offering. McCarthy, a senior fellow at the National Review Institute, believes any "fair-mind lawyer" would object to her behavior.
" 'This is a terrible thing. She basically flouted the secrecy rules of the grand jury. She flouted the judge's order, and she makes the whole enterprise down there in Georgia look like it's a, you know – Trump called it a kangaroo court," McCarthy said.
" 'Whether it really is a kangaroo court or not, in that colorful sense, we'll have to see as the proceedings go by. But it's absolutely true that it's a terrible blow for their legal system and for this particular investigation, which has already had problems, because, you know, the [Fulton County] District Attorney [Fani Willis] is an elected Democrat who had a lot to say publicly about Trump even before this investigation opened," he continued. "This doesn’t help them present the impression that they’re running a tight, ethical, professional investigation.' " . . .
Why wealth matters in the free speech debate
The trans movement is the most obvious example of something that causes ‘self-cancellation’. But wokery is a broad church, and you dare question the religion at your peril. Even at the top level, those who are not famous and those not spectacularly loaded dare not speak their minds
UK Spectator "The divide between the rich and the poor is obvious in Britain today. Whether in terms of income, geography or political outlook, the cleavage between the haves and have-nots widens conspicuously. It has become a source of much snobbery and resentment. But there is another field in which this division can be witnessed, yet all too often goes ignored: free speech. Increasingly, the freedom to express your political opinions has become the privilege of the rich, while the poor – or even those on middle incomes – now fear to say what they like. This is especially the case when it comes to talking about gender, race and Brexit.
So fearful of speaking their minds on these touchy subjects, and scared of questioning liberal orthodoxies, many folk are now ‘self-cancelling’. This is the view of Tom Stoppard, who on Newsnight the other day spoke of this sinister etiquette that many conservatives – consciously or not – already know: that you don’t voice any anti-EU, anti-woke opinions in polite society, among most of your friends from school and university, even among relatives, and certainly not in the workplace. You will lose face, or possibly even your livelihood. ‘People tread warily, they’re careful of what they say,’ said the playwright. ‘I’m way behind the curve as to what is sayable and what is thinkable’.
Antisemitic ‘Day of Hate’ Across America Deemed an Abject Failure
Perhaps Jew-haters should have called Antifa for help; no current group but they could match their 2020-2021 Kristallnacht. The Tunnel Dweller
"A “National Day of Hate” against “vermin” Jews organized by white supremacist and neo-Nazi groups across America to coincide with the Jewish Sabbath was deemed a failure and instead turned into a “Shabbat of peace, not hate,” according to the Anti-Defamation League.
"Demonstrations of solidarity with the Jewish people were held several cities in the U.S., including Washington D.C.
"The Anti-Defamation League tweeted Saturday evening that “Increased law enforcement presence as well as heightened community awareness helped to ensure this was a Shabbat of peace, not hate.”
"The effort began with an Iowa-based neo-Nazi group and spread to other groups all over the U.S., the ADL said.". . .
Joe and Jill Went Up the Hill
She is a beneficiary of our culture as it is today; destined to make America a second-tier nation. TD
"Joe and Jill went up the hill, and who knows when they’ll come tumbling down. The nation may careen well before they do. Much has already been said about the devastating policies and tenure of Joe Biden. Simply put, he is unarguably the worst president the U.S. has ever suffered, Jimmy Carter and Barack Obama notwithstanding. Here I will focus on the other half of the Biden tandem, a woman of scholarly pretensions without foundation, the ineffable Dr. Jill.
"The adulation Jill Biden has received for so flimsy a dubious accomplishment as a paper doctorate in a derelict field like Education Studies is utterly misplaced, whether it is the mentally impregnable Whoopi Goldberg thinking that Jill Biden was a medical doctor and should be considered for Surgeon General or a sports announcer for an NFL game, as Megyn Kelly notes, ingratiatingly remarking that “Dr. Jill Biden” was in attendance. I watched that game between the Eagles and the 49ers and nearly turned off the set when the fawning announcer asserted his bona fides.
"The title of Dr. linked to Jill Biden certainly seems inappropriate. Recently, my wife Janice Fiamengo posted a Substack article critical of the First Lady’s doctoral thesis from the University of Delaware, Student Retention in the Community College: Meeting Students’ Needs, a document running to a risible 80 pages, not counting reference pages and appendices. Additionally, the Literature Review does not identify disagreements and contrary viewpoints in the education literature, as is standard practice, nor does her Methodology section indicate the limits of her analytical procedure, also standard practice. These, as well as thin citation, inadequate research, and generally poor writing, as Wall Street Journal film critic Kyle Smith has shown, are crucial problems.". . .
. . ."More worrisome, as Samantha Chang at The Western Journal points out, “The first lady, who has never held elected office, is her husband’s ‘closest and most protective confidante’ and is influencing every major decision he makes, according to Bloomberg’s Nancy Cook. This is frightening because no one voted for Jill Biden, an English teacher who has no background in politics or public policy.” Ms. Chang alludes in this context to the secret presidency of Edith Wilson, one of the strangely implausible episodes in American history of a First Lady managing her infirm husband’s duties.
"Ultimately, this is the Biden trademark: a corrupt and geriatric incompetent in the White House, and a vain First Lady devoid of intellectual substance who passes herself off as a scholar. Everything about such people is meretricious, or in popular parlance, “fake.” Such is current American leadership in both politics and education, a tale of broken crowns and failed policies hurtling down the historical gradient."
Stairlift company mocks Biden falling up the stairs in their latest advertisement
Rajan Laad "The mention of stairlifts reminds me of Billy Wilder’s celebrated legal mystery thriller Witness for the Prosecution which was released in 1957.
"In that film, the great thespian Charles Laughton plays the eccentric and acerbic senior barrister Sir Wilfrid Robarts, who is recovering from a heart attack. Laughton plays him hilariously as if he were doing an impression of Winston Churchill.
"The barrister’s condition prevents him from activities such as ascending stairs, hence he has a stairlift installed at his home.
"The scene of a portly and very reluctant Laughton perched in a tiny chair being steered up and down the staircase at the insistence of his nurse and butler was perhaps the most hilarious moment in that must-watch picture." https://youtu.be/T-ELiRFK_v0
"Stairlifts are back in the news because a prominent stairlift maker is gently mocking Joe Biden for stumbling down the stairs.
Tired of stumbling up the stairs? We strive to help all of those in need across our nation.
— Acorn Stairlifts Inc (@Acorn_Stairlift) February 23, 2023
Whether you live in small town USA or on Pennsylvania Avenue, we are ready to help you regain your independence.
Contact us for your free, no-obligation quote today! pic.twitter.com/C205tEgcZO
"We look at Biden’s record with the Air Force One staircase.
"In March 2021, Joe Biden tripped while ascending the stairs of Air Force One, not once or twice, but thrice. Biden was on his way to Atlanta to meet with Asian community leaders following the massage parlor shootings.
"What was worse was the White House’s laughable attempts to even spin this fall, the reasons of which are obvious to all. Karine Jean-Pierre blamed a gust of wind for causing the stumble:"
Biden stumbled several times and fell while climbing the steps to the presidential plane ahead of his trip to Georgia. White House officials said Biden, who eventually regained and entered the plane unaided, was unhurt. "It's pretty windy outside, it's very windy. I almost fell coming up the steps myself. He is doing 100% fine," White House principal deputy press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters following the stumble, according to reports. Fox
