Maine Secretary of State Makes Legal Ruling Striking Trump from Ballot Based on YouTube Videos

 Breitbart

"Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows unilaterally ruled that former President Donald Trump is unqualified to appear on the 2024 primary ballot despite lacking a law degree and substituting YouTube videos for due process.

"Bellows, who previously worked as Executive Director of the Maine Chapter of the ACLU but is not an attorney and did not attend law school, made the legal conclusion in her ruling that “the declaration on [Trump’s] candidate consent form is false because he is not qualified to hold the office of the President under Section Three of the Fourteenth Amendment.”

"The secretary of state, a Democrat whose social media is littered with photos of President Joe Biden, justified her ruling based on Section 3 of the Fourteenth Amendment’s “Insurrection Clause.” The statute has never been used to disqualify a president from the ballot and has generally been understood not to apply to the office of the president, although left-leaning plaintiffs have sued across the country in long-shot hopes of keeping Trump from appearing on primary ballots.

"Bellows’ ruling that Trump engaged in the crime of insurrection comes despite Trump having never been convicted of that — or any other — crime, or even been charged in court with the crime of insurrection. He was acquitted by the U.S. Senate of charges of engaging in insurrection and continues to deny wrongdoing.

"Her decision has met with widespread scrutiny.

"CNN senior legal analyst Elie Honig said Thursday on Anderson Cooper 360 that Bellows’ decision to bar Trump from the ballot was based on “YouTube clips, news reports” and “things that would never pass the bar in normal court.' ” . . .

In Pete Buttigieg's reality, EVs dominate

"Unlike in Buttigieg’s reality, in real reality many EV buyers are unloading their EVs at a loss.  Only the wealthy who have all the ICE vehicles they need and buy EVs as toys, are not.  Unsurprisingly, there is virtually no used EV market." . . .

 Mike McDaniel- American Thinker    "Real reality-based Americans have been watching the increasingly downward spiral of electric vehicles and their associated PR machine with relief and pleasure. The venerable axiom “what cannot go on, won’t” applies. However, one of the fruits by which democrats/Socialists/Communists may be known is also their defining characteristic: they create their own reality and try to force others to live in it. So it is with Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who is, by the way, gay. You don’t have to ask him; he’ll tell you.  Here’s his current reality: 

“[T]he share of EVs has been dramatically increasing every single year, and that’s continuing. Now, our goal is, by the end of this decade, to be about half-and-half. We think that that can and will happen. But what isn’t guaranteed is, first of all, is that EV revolution going to continue to be made in America? During the Trump administration, China really built a major advantage on EVs. But as somebody who comes from the industrial Midwest, sees how the auto industry creates so much by way of livelihoods where I come from and really around the country, I’m much more excited about the jobs being created on U.S. soil, and that doesn’t just happen. We’ve got to make sure that the U.S. leads the way as this technology changes. I don’t know a lot of people who think that Americans in 2050 are still going to be driving that old technology, that combustion technology that we inherited from the 20th century.”

"So much delusion. So much waste.

“Well, no, you’re not going to meet a lot of people who ever go back after they’ve got electric, and I think that really tells you something. That shows you that the lower maintenance, the fact that it costs less to maintain, the fact that they break down [with] less frequency, and the cost savings that you get by not having to buy gas or diesel are I think why you almost never meet somebody who has an EV who says, I want to back to the old technology.”

Replacing Claudine Gay

 Robyn Dolgin - American Thinker   "Harvard president Claudine Gay is giving America an education as to why she’s still on the job.

"She’s proven to be a spectacular failure in her position, but that’s not enough to show her the door (more on her pathetic performance later). Her saving grace is being the perfect substandard DEI hire (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusivity).

"If she’s dismissed, the Harvard governing board -- all 12 members -- would be forced to face the embarrassing spectacle of calling into question the dismal failure of the entire DEI enterprise.

"It’s a delicate situation.

"They have remained steadfastly loyal to the first Black, female president of Harvard, but the winds are shifting and nearly blowing them off their academic perches, now that prestigious alumnae are calling for their resignation.

"What about a compromise?

"Perhaps they could return to their next stack of underqualified, race-obsessed DEI candidates to replace the embattled Gay. There is one promising candidate who -- unlike Gay -- doesn’t come with the controversial baggage as a confirmed plagiarist in academic circles.

"If the bar is going to be lowered to an all-time low for integrity and academic standards, they may wish to consider the Reverend Al Sharpton.

"He cannot boast of a fancy degree from an Ivy League school, having dropped out of Brooklyn College after two years, but he’s a favorite with the White House.

"He can even attach a letter of recommendation from Vice President Kamala Harris, who gives her seal of approval to the “political activist,” ignoring his reputation as a race hustler.

“ 'The Rev. Sharpton has spent his life fighting for what’s right and working to improve our nation, even in the face of hate,” then Senator Harris wrote @Kamala Harris in 2019. 

"It’s best not to scrutinize too closely what she meant about “working to improve our nation.' ” . . .

The Abolition Of Man?

 Eric Utter- American Thinker   

"C.S. Lewis famously wrote of “The Abolition of Man.” He did so in an attempt to illustrate what happens when we no longer believe in the divine spark that makes us human, in the ability to reason, in the existence of truth — and in the ability to determine right from wrong. And in the idea that humans are fallen by their nature and therefore imperfectible.

"All of which is being almost perfectly illustrated and demonstrated today.

"On so many levels. More, likely, than even Lewis anticipated.

"We are witnessing the deliberate attempted destruction of the Christian religion at the hands of leftists. We are in the throes of an almost total destruction of our “higher education” system, with universities “fundamentally transformed” into stupefyingly illiberal indoctrination centers preaching nihilism and hatred of America and everything for which she once stood. We are in the throes of a sometimes violent revolution against God and nature, one in which young people’s genitalia is being mutilated and discarded as if it were nothing but a cancer to be removed. We are witnessing an unprecedented attack on the very idea and essence of man, as clearly shown by the nearly ubiquitous attack on “toxic masculinity.” Moreover, all too soon, mankind may be subjected to—and subjugated by—“pseudo man,” or artificial intelligence.

"There are even those who say that every breath humans take contributes to the scourge of global warming. Obviously, implicit in that notion is the idea that the fewer humans the better…at least for the planet. In this case, the honorable thing to do would be to end one’s own life, a concept quite at odds with Genesis.

"So we are potentially on the cusp of the spiritual abolition of man, the intellectual abolition of man, the hormonal and physical abolition of man, the figurative abolition of man, and the technological abolition of man." . . .

In the same Vein: A Year in Review: KJP's Most Embarrassing Takes

 Spencer Brown (townhall.com)

"While Karine Jean-Pierre assumed the role of White House Press Secretary last May, 2023 marked her first full year as Biden's chief spokesperson and hoo, boy was it a year of gaffes, ignoring inconvenient facts, storming out of the briefing room, and refusing to answer questions. 

"From Biden's classified document scandal to the Chinese spy balloon affair, denial of a border or inflation crisis, and plenty of "I'm just not going to go there" non-answers, 2023 was a tour de force in obfuscation and opaqueness.

"Before the leftist trolls have a chance to get triggered: No, this doesn't have anything with Jean-Pierre being a woman, black, or "queer" as she identified herself from the podium this year. It's about her being unable or unwilling to be honest with the American people or to acknowledge reality. 

"In chronological order beginning in January, here are KJP's most laughable and inexplicable takes from 2023." . . .

A real winner: "Adam Schiff, Eric Swalwell, and Ilhan Omar are brilliant individuals who deserve access to sensitive information on the Intelligence Committee. "

Joe Biden's Top 5 Worst Moments in 2023 (breitbart.com)   "President Joe Biden, 81, continued his record in 2023 of awkward and embarrassing moments, as well as alarming incidents demonstrating cognitive decline.

"Below are the five top worst moments for Biden in 2023:" . . .

Fireworks at the WH Press Briefing: Reporter Tells KJP She Should Be 'Ashamed' for Ducking Questions – RedState    "We’ve written dozens and dozens of stories about White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre because she’s irritable, evades any questions she doesn’t like, and is just generally incompetent at her job. Few besides Fox News’ Peter Doocy and Today News Africa's Simon Ateba ever call it out; most of the other WH press corps sheep just go along with it." . . .

"But Jean-Pierre is in a class by herself and treats reporters with as much or even more contempt than the Big Guy does. There are so many examples to choose from, but here are just a few:

WATCH: Karine Jean-Pierre Flips out When Faced Down by Peter Doocy Over the Border Crisis

Karine Jean-Pierre Swiftly Flees Presser When Asked About Hunter Biden's Business Partners

Karine Jean-Pierre Gets Snippy When Asked About Claims That Biden Is Treated Like a ‘Baby’

WATCH: Journalist Simon Ateba Announces Filing of First Amendment Suit Against WH, Karine Jean-Pierre

Dianny’s Ten Most Tiresome People of 2023

 

The annual year-end tradition continues…   "I started the Ten Most Tiresome People feature in 2013 at the now-defunct conservative blog All the Right Snark and have continued the tradition every year since.

"It is never easy narrowing the list down to ten. You’d be amazed at how many people seem to go out of their way to dance on my last nerve every year, and this year was no different. It took me the better part of a week to winnow the list down to ten, but I managed it.

"But then, as I was putting the finishing touches on the column this morning, I made a last-minute change, removing one of the original ten in exchange for someone I had initially rejected. That rarely happens. And no, I won’t tell you who got removed. I’d rather keep you guessing.

"Anyroad.

"Here is my list of the Ten Most Tiresome People of 2023."

He starts with....

10. Karine Jean-Pierre

. . ."Then again, sucking at her job is incidental. For Democrats, incompetence is often a resume-enhancer, especially if you check the right boxes.

"The Biden administration was so determined to hire and appoint people based solely on skin color and who they sleep with that America is now stuck watching an incompetent muppet struggle to answer questions every day while furiously rifling through her binder of crib notes.". . . 

. . ."I keep waiting for Karine to announce her imminent departure. But since the Biden White House is where people go when they aren’t qualified to work anywhere else, I expect Karine to hang around until Biden leaves office.

"Unless she starts stealing luggage from airports."

The Ugly Truth About Obama Exposed

State of the Union  "Alan Dershowitz criticized former President Barack Obama for his recent comments on Israel, suggesting that Obama’s criticism stems from a deep hatred for Israel.

"Dershowitz claimed that Obama had never been supportive of Israel and that his true feelings are now coming out since he is no longer president.

"Dershowitz accused Obama of contributing to the problem and encouraging anti-Semitic and anti-Israel attitudes.

"FBN host Maria Bartiromo asked Dershowitz, “Do you think Obama understands what his words have meant?”

“I think he always had a deep hatred of Israel in his heart. He hid it very well.” claimed Dershowitz.

“He called me to the Oval Office, and he said Alan, you know I have Israel’s back.” Dershowtiz told Bartiromo.

"Dershowtiz explained that he “didn’t know he (Obama) had a target on it. He has never been supportive of Israel. And finally…his true feelings have come out now that he’s no longer president, doesn’t have to be elected.”

"He goes on to accuse Obama of “contributing enormously to the problem because he is respected among young people,”

" 'If he says the occupation is unbearable and that anything can be done to stop it, he is asking people to engage in their antisemitic, anti-Israel and anti-American attitudes,” claimed Dershowitz.

" 'He should be ashamed of himself. He should apologize,” insisted the longtime lawyer." . . .

‘Doctors Against Genocide’ Scraps Event At Holocaust Museum, Apologizes After Uproar: ‘Misunderstanding’

State of the Union   "A group of doctors, “Doctors Against Genocide,” planned an event at the U.S. Holocaust Museum to raise awareness about the violence in Gaza.

"However, the announcement sparked backlash, leading to the event’s cancellation.

"The group clarified that the intention was to express empathy for Holocaust victims and learn from the museum’s genocide education initiatives. (Trending: Famous Actor Under Investigation After Calling For Biden’s Execution)

"They emphasized their stance against all forms of hate, including antisemitism.

“As Doctors Against Genocide we wish to address misconceptions surrounding our Holocaust Museum event which has been misrepresented as an anti-Semetic gathering,” the group wrote.

“ 'We had recently announced a planned visit to the Holocaust Memorial Museum as a way to educate and engage the medical community.”

“ 'We wanted to learn from the Museum’s initiatives in genocide education and prevention to inform our own efforts as an organization dedicated to preventing war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide around the world,” the group said.

“ 'It was not our aim to protest inside or outside the museum, nor is it our intent to minimize the important work done by the Holocaust Memorial Museum. We are deeply affected by the horrors of the Holocaust and are moved to prevent similar atrocities.”

“ 'We apologize for the lack of clarity in our previous announcement. Moving forward, we will ensure that our messaging is clear and transparent.”

"The event drew criticism, with Jewish and pro-Israel activists expressing outrage.

"The group’s mission is to confront and prevent genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity, with a current focus on ending the situation in Gaza.

“ 'Hamas has one goal – to murder Jews. For this physicians’ group to desecrate the Holocaust museum with their calls of a ceasefire (ie – for the Jewish nation to stop defending itself) is stomach churning,” the watchdog group “StopAntisemitism.Org” wrote.

“ 'This is a direct attack on our existence and Western values. It’s impossible to respect these unpatriotic, slimy creatures any less,” surveillance group Shirion Collective said." . . .

Remember East Palestine, Ohio? Joe Biden Doesn't, but the White House Says He Still Plans to Visit

Ferguson and Conrad are probably on to something. East Palestine sits in Columbiana County, Ohio. Donald Trump took that county with more than 70 percent of the vote in the 2020 election. Contrast that with the fact that in September, Biden made a beeline to stand in support of striking auto workers in Michigan.

RedState   "As Joe Biden settles in to enjoy his New Year's vacation, Americans are left to ring in 2024 by dealing with a tanking economy, crime rates through the roof, and conflicts abroad. The people of East Palestine, Ohio, have the added bonus of still coping with recovery efforts stemming from the February 3, 2023, Norfolk-Southern train derailment that left their small community a virtual toxic chemical dump. The toxic chemicals that poured into the air and water supply in East Palestine read like an alphabet soup of hazardous waste. Vinyl chloride, ethylene glycol, ethylhexyl acrylate, butyl acrylate, and isobutylene have made residents chronically ill with ailments such as headaches, coughs, fatigue, and skin burning. 

REMINDER— 324 days since the train derailment in East Palestine, OH. Said to be the worst chemical spill in U.S. history. Joe Biden has taken countless vacations, & ZERO trips there. Never forget it’s always Americans last with Joe Biden. FJB 🖕🏽

— 🔥🇺🇸 KC 🇺🇸🔥 (@KCPayTreeIt) December 24, 2023

 "But the citizens of East Palestine can take comfort in the fact that the White House insists that nearly a year after the derailment, Joe Biden plans on visiting them. On Thursday, White House Spokesman Jeremy Edwards said, “The president continues to oversee a robust recovery effort to support the people of East Palestine, and he will visit when it is most helpful for the community." Kind of hard to oversee things when you haven't shown up to see what is happening. As late as September, the White House continued to say that Biden would visit.  One person who did show up to offer support and help was former President Donald Trump. Trump visited East Palestine weeks after the accident with pallets of water and cleaning supplies and met with East Palestine Mayor Trent Conaway, Sen. JD Vance (R-OH), and other officials. Trump also treated firefighters and other first responders to lunch at the local McDonalds."

Full article here...

NY Times: Hamas Weaponized Sexual Violence on 10/7

 HotAir

"This article should be required reading for every woman who dares to protest in support of Hamas and that begins with AOC. It should be posted in the common area of every dorm at Harvard , Penn , MIT. It makes you wonder what happened to all the female hostages. . ."

Didn't Democrats tell us to "Believe all women"?

"Since 10/7 there have been reports that Israeli women were raped as well as murdered during the Hamas attack on Israel. And since that day Hamas has been denying it. There have also been a significant number of very online leftists doing their best to downplay or outright deny the sexual violence carried out by Hamas. As recently as a few weeks ago they were all talking about the lack of evidence for it. Here’s an example of the sort of thing I mean. This comes from a leftist site called MintPress News. It’s not an outright denial just a strong suggestion that these claims about Hamas and rape may not be true.

"These are just a couple of examples but there are hundreds more like this. Today the NY Times published the results of its own investigation into the evidence and concludes that Hamas definitely weaponized rape during the 10/7 attack.

Israeli officials say that everywhere Hamas terrorists struck — the rave, the military bases along the Gaza border and the kibbutzim — they brutalized women.

A two-month investigation by The Times uncovered painful new details, establishing that the attacks against women were not isolated events but part of a broader pattern of gender-based violence on Oct. 7.

Relying on video footage, photographs, GPS data from mobile phones and interviews with more than 150 people, including witnesses, medical personnel, soldiers and rape counselors, The Times identified at least seven locations where Israeli women and girls appear to have been sexually assaulted or mutilated.

"Very few of the victims survived and those who did have so far chosen not to come forward. But a woman who was hiding under a bush near the music festival said she witnessed a group of Hamas fighters raping and murdering several women." . . .

. . ."I’d like to think most people are this sensible. That they can see what Hamas is and stop defending them and chanting their slogans, i.e. from the river to the sea. The fact that these brutal, theocratic, anti-Semitic, misogynist murderers have become heroes to many on the left should be shocking to every sane person in the world."

Tone deaf: Anti-Israel Crew Storms, Blocks Entrance to World Trade Center, Shouting 'Revolution' and 'Allahu Akbar!' –

  RedState

I have to think that whoever is behind the anti-Israel actions must be trying to pick the worst possible places to target on purpose, because they keep doing things that are guaranteed to tick off people and drive away people from their "cause."  

 Update: Holocaust Museum Weighs in As Anti-Israel Group Furiously Backtracks on Museum Storming Event

"But let's remember this isn't only about Israel. Some of the protesters have sported banners saying "abolish the settler project." They regard the U.S. as part of settler/colonizers that must be "abolished," not just the state of Israel, as one professor/activist explained. 

"So on Thursday when they blocked the exits of the World Trade Center, many had a visceral, bad reaction to seeing people posing there in keffiyehs, waving the Palestinian and Yemen flags. The crowd was also carrying Syrian flags. You can see that video here on X.

"The police prevented them from getting inside the building. 

"The red, white, and black flag you can see in the video is Yemeni. Iranian proxies -- the Houthis from Yemen -- are presently attacking U.S. assets.  So, not only is this offensive because of 9/11 but it's also very problematic to wave the flag of the people attacking us. They also raised the one-finger salute to Allah right in front of the front door." . . .  

BREAKING: Now There's Proof! Brad Raffensperger Lied to President Trump When He Told Him in Jan 2021 Phone Call There Was No Fraud in 2020 Election

 The Gateway Pundit | by Jim Hoft

"In late December 2020, President Trump made a call to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger asking him to look at some of the items that were uncovered by his auditor.

"There was plenty of evidence for a competent auditor or any man of integrity to know that the election was uncertifiable.

"Secretary of State Brad Raffensberger’s office secretly recorded the phone call with President Trump, then lied about its contents later when they leaked it to the far-left Washington Post.

"Raffensperger’s office ran to the Washington Post and leaked a fraudulent transcript of the call." 

"Georgia Chairman of the Republican Party David Shafer later revealed that Raffensperger and Fuchs lied to the Washington Post about Trump, demanding that they “find the fraud.”

"Then, after they leaked their version of the story to the Washington Post, they deleted the audio of the call.

"The audio file was later found in the laptop’s “trash” folder. . .