Andrea Widburg - American Thinker

"In American schools, boys are increasingly forced to be still, which is antithetical to their true natures. Once on the schoolyard, they’re told not to be competitive, another thing that is hostile to their innate beings."

"The People’s Democratic Republic of California is trying to ban youth tackle football before kids are 12 years old. Ostensibly, this is because it’s too dangerous; in fact, it’s almost certainly because the sport is manly.

"The assembly committee regulating California sports voted to send the bill to the full Assembly. If it passes there, it goes to the Senate and then to Gavin Newsom for his signature. Says the AP,

Heightened concern over concussions and the growing popularity of flag football are driving the effort to impose the ban, which opponents say would take away the ability for parents to decide their children’s activities, put California youth players behind those in other states and cut off some children from a source of exercise and an important after-school activity.

But advocates say the bill will protect kids from the risk of brain damage, which studies have shown increases the longer a person plays tackle football. And they note children can still enjoy the sport through flag football, which is becoming more popular and even has support from the NFL.

"The article also notes that other states have unsuccessfully tried to ban tackle football for kids and that this is the second try in California. It’s the point about it being a second try that is important.

"Unlike conservatives who, if they lose on an initiative, slink away never to be heard from again, leftists never give up. And because they never give up, they slowly shift the Overton window until they can effect a significant societal change. They truly take to heart the old adage that, if at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.

Biden Judicial Nominee Torched by Sen. Kennedy Goes Down in Flames

 May God richly bless Senator Kennedy. He is a national treasure.

PJ Media

Bjelkengren is not the only diverse but grossly unqualified nominee Biden has nominated.

"Last year, Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) exposed the utter incompetence of a number of Joe Biden's judicial nominees. One of them was Charnelle Bjelkengren, whom Biden nominated for a seat on the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Washington. She thoroughly embarrassed herself when she couldn’t even answer Kennedy’s basic questions about the Constitution.

"This week, Bjelkengren was one of three Biden nominees to request that their nominations be withdrawn.

" 'I asked the President not to re-nominate me due to the uncertainty of my confirmation and in order to advance the important work of the federal judiciary," Bjelkengren said in a statement. "My hope is for the swift confirmation of the next nominee."

"Opposition to Bjelkengren grew after Kennedy exposed her as completely unqualified for the lifetime appointment.

“ 'Judge, tell me what Article V of the Constitution does,” Kennedy asked her.

“ 'Article V is not coming to mind at the moment,” Bjelkengren replied after a long pause.

“ 'Okay, how about Article II?”

"After a short pause, she admitted, “Neither is Article II.” . . .Video

. . ."How is it possible that Bjelkengren was nominated in the first place? Well, the answer is obvious. She wasn't nominated because of her qualifications; she was nominated because of the diversity checkboxes she met. Had she been confirmed, she would have been the first black woman to serve on the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Washington and the first black woman to serve on a United States District Court in the state of Washington."

Vivek Ramaswamy Questions Reporters: How Many Of You Will Admit Media Mistakes? Hunter's Laptop And Covid Origin | Video |

 RealClearPolitics   Video  

As long as we're on the subject:

"Vivek Ramaswamy flipped the script on reporters during a press conference in Iowa:

VIVEK RAMASWAMY: By a show of hands, who here is willing to admit that the Trump-Russia collusion hoax was indeed incorrectly reported by the mainstream media? Is there anybody here able to admit that was incorrect reporting?

REPORTER: I think it would be really inappropriate for us to answer a question like that.

RAMASWAMY: Why not? What's inappropriate is lying to the American people.

REPORTER: We're doing our job asking you questions.

REPORTER TWO: Were the public lied to or did the media report on a set of facts provided to them?

RAMASWAMY: That's a fair question. I actually think that the public was lied to long after the media systematically still understood that this was the product of the Steele dossier, a piece of Russian disinformation provided by the Hillary Clinton campaign that was served up to the federal government as a basis for issuing a FISA warrant to then potentially infiltrate a member of the opposition party. . . .

A Perfect Example of How Left-Wing 'Journalists' Lie About the News - The Lid (lidblog.com)    "There could be no better example of how the media lies about the “news” to push a left-wing narrative than what CNN and the Associated Press just published about “voters” seeking to remove Trump from the ballots in Illinois and Massachusetts.

"Were it true, the story would be shocking, to say the least. The narrative is that “voters” in Illinois and Massachusetts have filed objections in their states to remove Donald Trump from their 2024 ballots.

"The implication is that many “voters” in the U.S.A. are rising up to oppose Trump, the evil insurrectionist. And if common, everyday voters are rising up to remove Trump from the ballots, why, heck, then Trump must be beyond evil.

"Here are two X posts pushing that notion:" . . .    

DOUGLAS MURRAY slams ‘sh*t for brains’ US Secretary of State Antony Blinken for continuing to push Israel to agree to the leftist fantasy of a two-state solution which has failed every time it’s been tried

 Bare Naked Islam

"Lost on Blinken is the fact that Gaza essentially has been a Palestinian State since 2005 when Israel totally uprooted all its people from the territory, while leaving behind all the income-producing businesses (which the Palestinians quickly destroyed), and handed them full control of Gaza. Despite having the area completely to themselves, they still could not refrain from launching rockets into Israel on a regular basis, which led to several armed conflicts with the Jewish state. Also lost on Blinken is the fact that the Palestinians only want a one state solution, with no Jews in it."

Islam and Judaism: A Tragic Irony

Israel Uncovers Hamas Tunnel Network Used to Hold Hostages in Gaza (legalinsurrection.com)

MSNBC's Joy Reid and her love for all things Jim Crow

The Most Shameless Liar on Television (youtube.com)

"The most shameless liar on television today is MSNBC's Joy Reid. Every issue, every controversy, can be attributed to some type of racism."

Comment to this video: It just blows my mind over and over again that this person is even employed still.

Rashida Tlaib Is Not Popular in Michigan

  Kate Plummer (newsweek.com)   Rashida Tlaib is not popular in Michigan, with an approval rating in negative figures.

Polling of eligible voters in the state was conducted exclusively for Newsweek by Redfield and Wilton Strategies. The survey found that more people disapprove than approve of the Michigan Democratic representative's job performance.

Tlaib, the only Palestinian-American member of Congress, was earlier this month censured in the House of Representatives by 234 votes to 188 for her use of the controversial slogan "from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free." Tlaib has been censured too for urging lawmakers to join her in demanding a ceasefire in Gaza.

On October 7, Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel, which prompted the Israelis to carry out extensive airstrikes and a ground offensive against the militants in Gaza. As of December 1, more than 13,300 Palestinians have been killed, according to the Health Ministry in Hamas-ruled Gaza, per the Associated Press.

Exclusive: Joe Biden's nightmare polling in Michigan

Tlaib sparked controversy for her reaction to the conflict, using the contentious "river to the sea" chant. The Anti-Defamation League describes it as an antisemitic slogan for allegedly advocating for the dismantling of Israel. Tlaib said the chant references the Jordan River on Israel's eastern border and the Mediterranean Sea to the west, an "aspirational call for freedom, human rights, and peaceful coexistence, not death, destruction, or hate."

Female Hamas Hostages Shown Bloody and Bruised in Harrowing ‘Before and After’ Shots -

  The Messenger

The four teen Israeli soldiers are a few of the more than 130 hostages still believed to be in Gaza

"The bloodied and bruised faces of four young Israeli women, seen in a video only hours after they were taken hostage by Hamas on Oct. 7, are images their families are sharing in hopes of finally securing their release, some three months after the terror group hauled them into Gaza.

"The four women, Liri Albag, 18; Karina Ariev, 19; Daniela Gilboa, 19; and Agam Berger, 19, are all Israel Defense Forces soldiers who were snatched from the Nahal Oz army base as Hamas invaded southern Israel, as the terrorists killed some 1,200 people and taking more than 200 others captive.

"Each can be seen in a harrowing video that emerged soon after they were abducted, appearing afraid – some with blood-stained faces – as they are pressed against a wall in Gaza with their hands tied behind their backs.

"Photos released by their families showing each of the women before Oct. 7 provide an eerie contrast, underscoring the brutality of Hamas' surprise attack. . . .

"Their calls come as details have emerged in the months since the attack of how some former female hostages were raped and sexually assaulted by their captors." . . .

"Some of the girls were badly wounded and haven't been getting proper medical care. Gunshot wounds, even lost limbs. They said they can cope with the disability but not with the manner they were constantly violated."

What do our campus protestors have to say?

Are Protests on College Campuses “Independent of the Hamas Party Line”?

 "Meanwhile, what Hamas, which no one thinks can extract a military victory over Israel, wants is for Israel to be demonized for the fighting. Campus protests accomplish that." . . .Karen Bekker  

 "When the current war between Israel and Gaza is over and the reporting of it is reviewed and judged, this sentence written by Graeme Wood in The Atlantic will rank among the silliest written:

Those on U.S. college campuses and in European capitals calling for a cease-fire are demonstrating their admirable independence of the Hamas party line. . . In that respect, those on U.S. college campuses, as well as some in the media like Cynthia Nixon and John Oliver, are fulfilling exactly what Hamas wants of them.

"This was written in the context of an essay that argues that “Hamas Doesn’t Want a Cease-Fire” (January 2, 2024). While it may be true that Hamas does not actually want a ceasefire right now, and it’s certainly true that it would not adhere to a permanent one, this claim about campus protests shows how little its writer actually understands either Hamas and its goals, or the campus protest movement.

"To start with, as The Atlantic itself reported in early November, in the immediate aftermath of the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack, National Students for Justice in Palestine promulgated a “toolkit” that states, “we as Palestinian students in exile are PART of this movement, not in solidarity with this movement,” and “this is a moment of mobilization for all Palestinians. We must act as part of this movement. All of our efforts continue the work and resistance of Palestinians on the ground.” (Emphasis added.) Commenting on those passages from SJP, Conor Friedersdorf wrote, “the declaration that SJP is united with Israel’s attackers, rather than a faction that is merely allied with them, seemingly cuts against claims of uncoordinated or independent advocacy.”

"But set that aside. Even if nominally there may have been some cases in which campus protests explicitly called for a bilateral ceasefire (though I’m not actually aware of any that have), in reality, calls for ceasefire are not directed at Hamas. Hamas is, after all, the party that broke the ceasefire on October 7, 2023, as well as on November 28, and that no one sane imagines would adhere to one permanently. In many cases, the protests also call for “intifada,” that is, continued armed attacks against Israel. If they stop their primal drumming and chants long enough for speeches, you might hear about the effects of the war on the people of Gaza, but it’s unlikely you’ll hear about the continuing rocket fire into Israel. The calls for ceasefire, functionally, then, are of course directed only at Israel." . . .   Full article...

Christie ends 2024 presidential bid that was based on stopping Trump

 

AfterMath - Home (terrellaftermath.com)

Christie ends 2024 presidential bid that was based on stopping Trump . . .

"The turning point for Christie, who staked his entire presidential primary campaign on a strong showing in the first-in-the-nation New Hampshire primary, came when he failed to win the coveted endorsement of the state's GOP Gov. Chris Sununu, who instead backed former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley. 

"Christie has not divulged whether he plans to endorse in the race, but minutes before the event in which he announced the suspension of his campaign, he could be heard on a hot mic saying, "She's gonna get smoked. And you and I both know it.  She's not up to this." He did not mention Haley by name in that exchange, but another voice in the conversation seemed to reference her, saying that she was still "20 points behind Trump in New Hampshire."..."

Chris Christie drops out: Why he should run for US Senate instead (northjersey.com)

Certainly his sudden announcement late Wednesday to leave the race even before next week’s Iowa caucus or the New Hampshire primary on Jan. 23, where he had focused most of his campaign efforts, gives him some time to gather his thoughts. But not much.

What’s more, Christie will have to come up with an explanation for why the U.S. Senate might now be more appealing than the White House.

Bidenomics

 

Bidenomics: How Joe Biden’s Policies Are Shaping the U.S. Economy (investopedia.com)

  Bidenomics receives strong support from some and vocal criticism from others. While praise and criticism often fall along political lines, this is not exclusively the case.

 Bidenomics: Whopping 38% of Companies Say They're Likely to Have Layoffs in 2024 Due to 4 Reasons, Survey Shows (ijr.com)  "Even as President Joe Biden runs around the country claiming that Bidenomics is “working” for America, 38 percent of U.S. companies are warning that they are looking to launch mass layoffs this year.

"Major U.S. companies began signaling late last year that they were pumping the brakes on their expectations for 2024 and are also looking to shed thousands of workers as Bidenomics continue to batter them.

"Layoffs are looming for companies including Nike, toy maker Hasbro, Roku, Amazon, Spotify, and more, according to Forbes.

"The outlook for 2024 comes on the tail of a large number of layoffs in 2023, as well. Sixty-five percent of companies had layoffs last year, worker information website Resume Builder reported." . . .

Yeah, No – We’re Not Ready to Forgive Bud Light

 Kurt Schlichter (townhall.com)

. . .This was a great moment in cultural conservatism. This is when we all came together and said, no, enough, you shall not pass. But the minute Bud Light got out its checkbook, we got pseudo-conservatives turning to us with a straight face and saying, "Well, you know, maybe Bud Light got a raw deal."

Bud Light Consumers Revolt Against Woke Ad Campaign - Todd Starnes

"Remember how we were boycotting Bud Light for trying to impose the cultural values of your standard Chardonnay-swilling divorced shut-in cat lady upon America? As you recall, Bud Light decided that it would celebrate some ugly dude who pretends to be an even uglier woman as some sort of hero, and then compounded it by having its wine woman – it’s always liberal wine women – executive explain that its consumers are a bunch of knuckle-dragging savages who are too stupid to understand the nuances of today’s society, which apparently means pretending dudes are chicks. It was obnoxious and gratuitously insulting to its audience and just caught fire. We are fed up with having giant faceless corporations trying to impose their garbage values on us, and Bud Light happened to step into the kill zone. And it got crushed.

"So, whatever happened to that? What happened to the conservative unity? We finally took a scalp (a streak continued by the destruction of pinko Harvard’s reputation). Well, as conservatives often do, they have squandered their advantage for about 30 pieces of silver."...

Harvard sued by Jewish students over 'rampant' antisemitism

  David Voreacos & Janet Lorin (jewishworldreview.com)

"Harvard was thrust into the spotlight when more than 30 student groups signed a petition blaming the Oct. 7 attack solely on Israel. Gay was heavily criticized by alumni and students for her slow response and allowing protests that Jewish students found harassing and intimidating. Classes were also disrupted by protesters."  Naturally she blamed racism with - Al Sharpton's support. 

"Harvard University was sued by Jewish students who claim the school has failed to punish campus antisemitism that soared after the Hamas attack on Israel and helped lead to the ouster of President Claudine Gay.

"Harvard administrators failed to enforce policies that should protect Jewish students from antisemitic speech and conduct, according to the lawsuit filed late Wednesday in Boston federal court. Students cited a U.S. civil rights law that's been used to sue New York University, the University of Pennsylvania and University of California, Berkeley.

"The lawsuit comes amid turmoil at Harvard, America's oldest and richest university, where Gay resigned last week after she initially failed to condemn the Hamas attack, mishandled her Dec. 5 testimony in Congress about antisemitism and faced allegations of plagiarism. Hamas is designated a terrorist organization by the U.S. and the EU.

" 'It is clear that Harvard will not correct its deep-seated antisemitism problem voluntarily," Marc E. Kasowitz, whose firm filed the lawsuit, said in a statement. "Jewish students at Harvard are being subjected to vile and threatening antisemitic harassment and calls for the murder of Jews."

"A Harvard spokesman declined to comment, saying the school doesn't comment on pending litigation.

"Alexander Kestenbaum, a Harvard Divinity School student, sued under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which bars discrimination based on race, color or national origin. They also claimed breach of contract based on various Harvard policies, including codes on student conduct.

" 'Harvard, America's leading university, has become a bastion of rampant anti-Jewish hatred and harassment," according to the complaint. "What is most striking about all of this is Harvard's abject failure and refusal to lift a finger to stop and deter this outrageous antisemitic conduct and penalize the students and faculty who perpetrate it."

"In addition to Kestenbaum, the suit was also filed by the Students Against Antisemitism Inc., a not-for-profit group that includes unidentified Harvard law students and a graduate student in public health. Kestenbaum is also a member of the organization." . . .

What John Fetterman Said About Israel and Harvard Will Make Liberals' Heads Explode (townhall.com)   

Fetterman also told Semafor that "Israel is really a beacon of the kind of values, the American values and progressive ideals, that you want to see." 

Sen. John Fetterman powerfully attacks Hamas and South Africa   "Sen. John Fetterman was arguably one of the more leftist Senators to emerge from Pennsylvania. He’s changed, though, and I can’t even begin to guess why (fully recovering from his stroke? getting treated for his depression? something else?). All I know is that we’ve got a man freely calling out rampant progressivism, strongly supporting Israel (against his party), and, in a stand-up-and-cheer moment, telling South Africa, which is attacking Israel in the International Court of Claims, to “sit it out.” Color me surprised and impressed. I know Fetterman is still a Democrat, but he seems to hark back to my dad’s days of being a Democrat." Andrea Widberg