As GOP calls Biden's oil reserve depletions election-year politics, figures show he's sold off the most

 "Please, sir. . ."

Charles Creitz  "In April 2022, the White House celebrated the Biden administration’s sale of the first 30 million of an eventual 180 million barrels of oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR), which seemed an unprecedented election year move at the time.

"In May, the Energy Department similarly celebrated a planned liquidation of 1 million barrels from the NGSR, a Perth Amboy-to-Boston contingent of the SPR, aimed at lowering summertime gas prices.

"Fox News Digital took a deeper dive into the numbers to see whether administration critics have ground to stand on when it comes to claims Biden is wielding U.S. oil reserves as an unprecedented election-year cudgel, versus simply helping Americans better afford to travel.

"The findings showed the SPR saw its most sweeping drawdowns during Biden’s tenure, and that he, and former Presidents Trump and Clinton oversaw the largest historical decline in reserves." . . .

BIDEN CANCELS PLANS TO REFILL EMERGENCY OIL RESERVES AMID HIGH PRICES

They’ll Try To Steal It. They Have To.

  The American Spectator | USA News and Politics  

"Last week wasn’t a great one for Joe Biden and his handlers, including the main handler I wrote about in the perpetually relevant book Racism, Revenge and Ruin: It’s All Obama.

"Biden went from one public appearance disaster to another — freezing up during a Juneteenth celebration, wandering away during a G7 photo op which forced Italy’s prime minister Giorgia Meloni to rush after him and drag him back to the group, head-butting the Pope for some reason and then freezing again on the stage at a star-studded $28 million Democratic fundraiser in Hollywood, which led to the most descriptive and telling piece of video you’ll see all year:

The Left and the media (but I repeat myself) are working overtime trying to debunk this- claiming that Obama didn’t lead Biden off stage. Unfortunately for them, it’s literally on video.

Would be a shame if this went viral again! pic.twitter.com/1kGNMNqV4n

— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) June 17, 2024

"We have Baghdad Bob propagandists like the Super Simp Joe Scarborough howling about how poorly Biden was treated after the G7 debacle, but nobody believes this stuff anymore. (READ MORE: Is Biden’s Dementia Just Russian Disinformation?)

"Some 86 percent of the public told pollsters Biden is too old to serve another four years as president — which is a polite way for most respondents to say they know his cognitive decline is unmistakable and disqualifying.

"That was in February when the “cognitive events” weren’t as notable as they are now.

"Care to defend this, Karine Jean-Pierre? How about you, Mark Cuban?

Is this normal? pic.twitter.com/xnRZn3hWdh

— The Post Millennial (@TPostMillennial) June 17, 2024

"You’ve got a drip-drip-drip of articles in outlets like POLITICO discussing the behind-the-scenes consternation among Democrat insiders that Biden isn’t up to the job anymore, although few of those insiders will go on the record. There’s a sizable mass of discussion about the possibility Biden will be changed out as the nominee, though none of it seems to go anywhere. (READ MORE: Could Hunter’s Troubles Cause Biden to Rethink His Campaign?)

"What it looks like is chaos. Nobody really knows who’s in charge. Not of the country or of the Democrat Party." . . .

Unity to Victimhood: How Division Became a Political Tool

  David T. Cloft - AFNN

The 1913 Gettysburg reunion offers a poignant lesson: even the deepest divisions can be bridged through mutual respect and a willingness to understand the other side. Yet, instead of following this example, we’ve allowed historical grievances to be manipulated for political ends.

"In the summer of 1913, Gettysburg witnessed an extraordinary event: veterans from the Union and Confederate armies gathered to mark the 50th anniversary of the infamous battle. These men, who had once faced each other in deadly combat, embraced and reminisced about their shared past. They exchanged mementos, sought out those who had once been their enemies, and even buried hatchets—literally. This remarkable display of reconciliation stands in stark contrast to today’s culture, where division and animosity have become potent political tools.

"During the Gettysburg reunion, the veterans’ interactions were characterized by mutual respect and a shared sense of history. Men who had once fought to the death shared stories and laughed together, recognizing their common humanity. This was a time when even a Union soldier could jest with a Confederate about the outcome of the war without rekindling old hatreds. Such acts of forgiveness and camaraderie seem almost alien in our current era, where every historical grievance is dredged up and weaponized for political gain.

"Today’s culture often seems to revel in tearing down rather than building up. Monuments and statues, which once served as reminders of our complex history, are being toppled in a frenzy of moral absolutism. This practice does not heal old wounds but instead reopens them, creating a culture of perpetual victimhood. It’s a shameful misuse of our collective history, turning it into a battleground for ideological warfare rather than a foundation for mutual understanding and progress.

"What’s more baffling is the irony that no one alive today fought in the Civil War or owned a slave. Yet, many act as though they are directly wronged by these long-past events, despite living in an era of unprecedented luxury and freedom. This manufactured victimhood is not only disingenuous but also a slap in the face to those who genuinely suffered and struggled in history. It’s high time we acknowledged that the majority of people today enjoy a standard of living far beyond what most humans throughout history could even imagine." . . .

"Amazing historical movie footage from 1913 and 1938 of the 50th and 75th anniversaries of the 1863 Battle of Gettysburg during the U.S. Civil War. This video is not listed for the purpose of making any type of statement regarding the U.S. Civil War. It is listed for the specific purpose of presenting a visual and auditory glimpse of life 100 years ago. It would be greatly appreciated if you do not post comments regarding personal or political views regarding the U.S. Civil War." The voice of Shelby Foote.

Sarcasm Alert! White House Asks Migrants To Hold Off On Raping And Murdering Any More Americans Until After Election

 Babylon Bee

WASHINGTON, D.C. — With the presidential race heating up for the summer campaign season, the White House asked migrants to hold off on raping and murdering any more Americans until after the election.

"As more and more incidents of violent criminal acts perpetrated by migrants have drawn attention to the Biden administration's immigration policies, Karine Jean-Pierre politely asked migrants to wait until after the November election before carrying out any more horrific rapes and murders.

" 'We'd really appreciate it," said the gay and black White House Press Secretary who is black and gay. "While we understand that many of you are eager to continue raping and murdering American citizens, we do ask that you wait until after November 5 to do any more. We thank you for your patience."

"Though public outrage continued to mount as more violent acts made news headlines across the country, Jean-Pierre emphasized the need for discretion while the election played out. "Everyone likes to make summer plans," she said. "But we hope our incoming migrants can understand the importance of postponing their raping and murdering plans until the election is over. Otherwise, they may end up actually facing consequences for their actions, and none of us want that to happen."

"When asked whether migrants who commit violent crimes would face any repercussions if Biden is re-elected, Jean-Pierre pulled the fire alarm and evacuated the building.

"At publishing time, White House officials informed incoming migrants that for every vote for Joe Biden they cast in November, they would be allowed to commit one free heinous act against an innocent American citizen."

Arrests made after 12-year-old Houston girl found dead in creek; one suspect allegedly tried to escape off balcony - CBS News

Two men who were seen on surveillance footage with a 12-year-old girl before her body was found in a Houston creek earlier this week were arrested Thursday in her death, police said. One of the suspects tried to jump off a balcony and escape before officers caught him, a neighbor told CBS affiliate KHOU-TV." . . .

"Residents told the station that Ramos and Martinez often sat on their balcony and yelled at women who passed by." . . .

Fox News Steps Up to Make Sure You Won't Have to Turn on CNN to Watch the Upcoming Debate

 Adelle Nazarian (westernjournal.com)  

Many cable news viewers have increasingly grown tired of CNN’s biased coverage against Trump, which could’ve had the unintended secondary effect of pushing viewers right to Fox. 

"Fox News Media announced on Thursday that its flagship news network will provide comprehensive coverage of the upcoming CNN presidential debate between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump on June 27, 2024, thereby ensuring that viewers can tune into Fox to watch the debate.

“FOX News Media will present extensive live coverage of the CNN presidential debate between candidates President Joe Biden (D) and former President Donald Trump (R) on Thursday, June 27th in Atlanta, Georgia. Special programming will be available across all of FOX News Media’s key platforms, including FOX News Channel (FNC), FOX Business Network (FBN), FOX News Digital, FOX News Audio and FOX Nation,” a release marking the announcement read.

"Fox News Channel has consistently dominated cable news ratings and has surpassed CNN in viewership for many years. In May, Fox  occupied nearly all of the top 100 telecasts and posted double-digit viewer increases while CNN experienced its lowest-rated month in primetime since 1991.

"Fox News’s announcement that it will simulcast the historic face-off will allow viewers to tune into Fox without having to turn on CNN." . . .

RealityBites by Broc Smith

Ben Rhodes is back, smugger and smarmier than ever

 Monica Showalter - American Thinker

. . ."He said Trump was 'unpredictable' with America's enemies, which he seemed to think was a bad thing, citing China. His talking point there echoed Vladimir Putin's statement that he prefered Biden as the U.S. president because he was more predictable.

"Was anyone looking for a comeback from Ben Rhodes, President Obama's famously smug, smarmy, officious former deputy National Security Advisor, who's best known for being called an "a--hole" by veteran Pentagon correspondent Thomas Ricks?

"Don't think so. But he's back anyway, and according to The Hill, he's out insulting President Trump:

"Former White House national security adviser Ben Rhodes went after former President Trump for his foreign policies, calling him a “chaos agent” who cannot solve problems with other nations.

“Donald Trump — let’s be blunt — he’s not respected. He’s not taken seriously around the world. He’s a chaos agent,” Rhodes said in an interview on MSNBC Saturday. “He’s incapable of working with other countries to solve problems.”

"Speaking of not respected.

"Rhodes, of course, who is a creative writing major, is the famous author of the Iran Deal with its pallets of cash, which the United Nations's nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, said was something nobody pays attention to any more.

"According to a story that ran in Breitbart News four days ago:" . . .

Biden Will Not Be the Nominee - And Hunter's conviction is his Golden Parachute.

 The American Spectator | USA News and Politics   It is only June, but Christmas might have come early for Joe Biden and the Democrat Party.

Hunter Biden is destined, or doomed, to wallow in a multitude of consequences for his multitude of sins, legal transgressions, and moral failures, for the rest of his life. He will be convicted, sentenced, pardoned, acquitted, re-tried — all or none of the above, and long after Biden Fatigue Syndrome has expired. Celebrity justice for a grifter.

 "The latest phase in the center ring of the longest circus in American politics, the 2024 campaign, has ended. Hunter Biden is guilty on all counts — where have we heard that before? — and up next is sentencing, another federal trial, and …

"Dispassionate citizens, if there are any left across the landscape, may be satisfied that justice has been done; it was a case where the circumstances and charges were blatant, to an almost caricatured degree. Sympathetic parents and friends of addicts and self-destructive personalities they love, can withhold feelings of joy over the five-alarm fire that is Hunter Biden. 

"There is no doubt, except for his cognitive cluelessness, that Joe Biden, father, grieves over this outcome.

"There is no doubt either that Joe Biden, politician, rejoices at the ironic life-preserver that has been tossed to him as he flails in the vortex of a doomed presidency and a cursed campaign.

"Biden and his wife and sister and handlers now have an ideal face-saving, if not life-saving, “out.” Beltway Biden has fashioned a career from his small-state sinecure of Delaware by excusing, evading, and enduring uncountable scandals, gaffes, and what would have been toxic disqualifications for other pols in other states. For half a century the Bidens’ sense of entitlement has been their hedge of protection.

"Finally, America understands Joe’s mantra about “threats to democracy” because his manipulation of the system has served him well. He has been the personification of that Threat. Yet “democracy” now is his undoing. There is too much toothpaste to put back in the tubes; too many defections from his obsequious base; too many people now laughing at the exposure of Emperor Joe’s new clothes. The sands of Rehobeth Beach finally have run through his hourglass.

"The big debate within his party and the nation at large is not the economy nor the border nor foreign-policy disasters, but … how to kick Joe off the ticket. With grace. Without offending the Old Man. Without insulting Kamala — because surely, her elevation would be the only worse situation than Four More Years of Joe. Who, what, when, where … and how?

"Then, along comes the blindfolded Goddess of Justice, on a charging steed. Things done in her name have been ineffectual in Donald Trump’s case, and cases, but she can save the day for Biden and his “legacy” and the Democrat Party in 2024.

"The political survival of Joe Biden has also been a perennial routine of whining and evading and changed subjects. From college suspension over plagiarism, to lying about his first wife’s death, to faking his academic resume, to inventing facts about his family — one of the times causing him to drop his 1988 presidential candidacy — to shamelessly distorting circumstances of his views on race, his voting record, his son’s death. Everything but actual tears have stained his record. He has aged like a Fine Whine." . . .

Biden: Slip Slidin' Away (freebeacon.com)

. . ."The weirdest moment comes when the reporters ask Biden to describe his second-term agenda. That's what we in the biz call a "softball question." And here—excuse the long excerpt, but it is necessary to grasp the full absurdity and danger of having this man continue to serve as president—is Joe Biden's response:" . . .  Here are Biden's very words.

. . ."Biden is not just slipping personally. He's slipping politically. The polls have barely moved since May 31, when a New York jury convicted Trump of falsifying business records. Biden continues to run behind Trump, as he has since the fall of 2023. The reason the election is close is not that the public likes Biden. It's that the public is reluctant to send Trump back to the White House." . . .

Biden must be given whatever meds he took to jack him up for his vindictive SOTU speech

Cardinal Castigates ‘Cafeteria Catholic’ Joe Biden -

 While the apostasy of Biden and the advance of anti-Christian ideologies is pernicious, there is hope in the U.S.; The American Spectator

"In his speech, Sarah lamented that authentic Catholic faith, already a minority belief in America, has “been traded for cultural assimilation.” Despite this, Sarah did see reasons for hope in the Church in America.

"Despite this wanton degeneracy, Biden still claims to be a Catholic — in fact, his lackeys in the media world often tout him as a “devout Catholic.” But a former Vatican official has a different term to describe America’s most radically pro-abortion President. In a recent speech at the Napa Institute in Washington, D.C., Cardinal Robert Sarah labeled Biden a “cafeteria Catholic.”

"The former head of the Vatican’s liturgy office, Sarah lamented that Christianity’s influence has waned in the West. He noted, “The West, while not the birthplace of Christianity, is the home of much of what was once called ‘Christendom’ and much of what has become modern society, the roots of which are firmly European.” The West African prelate observed that many Catholics in the West have adopted the secular mindset of the “general population” and have allowed their faith to become dethroned, subjecting it to modern ideas and values. 

" 'You have a self-identified Catholic who is an example of what Cardinal Gregory recently described as ‘cafeteria Catholic,’” Sarah continued, referring to Washington archbishop Wilton Gregory’s comments earlier this year. Biden’s promotion of abortion, transgenderism, gay “marriage,” and a host of other evils or vices places him squarely in contradiction to the perennial moral teachings of the Catholic Church.

"The Catechism of the Catholic Church declares that “human life must be respected and protected absolutely from the moment of conception. From the first moment of his existence, a human being must be recognized as having the rights of a person — among which is the inviolable right of every innocent being to life.” Therefore, the Church warns of the “moral evil of every procured abortion.” The Catechism continues, “This teaching has not changed and remains unchangeable. Direct abortion, that is to say, abortion willed either as an end or a means, is gravely contrary to the moral law.”

"So grave, in fact, is the sin of abortion that it carries with it the penalty of latae sententiae excommunication — that is, the evil is so grave and so clear that excommunication is automatic, no trial or tribunal is required. In Catholic teaching, excommunication is the most stringent and serious of penalties that can be imposed, effectively cutting off the soul from communion with the Church, which is the mystical Body of Christ. More than just a penalty, latae sententiae excommunication serves as both a warning against and a remedy for extreme evils, too. Such a consequence denotes for Catholics the severe depravity of certain acts, warning those who value their faith to keep as far from such evils as possible. But it also serves to call those who obstinately engage in such evils to repent, seek forgiveness, and return to the Body of Christ." . . .

Why do you care about the Palestinians?

Alan Dershowitz, "Why does the hard left glorify the Palestinians?" 

The Palestinian people have suffered more from the ill-advised decisions of their leaders than from the actions of Israel.

Why I Had Enough With The Damn Lies About Israel! A Very Politically INCORRECT Post!

"In a world in which massive violations of human rights have, tragically, become the norm, why has the hard left focused on one of the least compelling of those causes — namely, the Palestinians? Where is the concern for the Kurds, the Chechens, the Uyghurs, the Tibetans? There are no campus demonstrations on their behalf, no expressions of concern by “the Squad” in Congress, no United Nations resolutions, no recurring op-eds in The New York Times, and no claims that the nations that oppress these groups have no right to exist. 

"On the merits and demerits of their claims, the Palestinians have the weakest case. They have been offered statehood and independence on numerous occasions: in 1938, 1948, 1967, 2000-2001 and 2008. Israel ended its occupation of the Gaza Strip in 2005. Yet, even now, Palestinian leaders refuse to sit down and negotiate a reasonable two-state solution. As the late Israeli diplomat Abba Eban once aptly put it, the Palestinian leadership never misses an opportunity to miss an opportunity.

"Nor are history and morality on their side. The Palestinian leadership allied itself with Nazism and Hitler in the 1940s, with Egyptian tyranny and antisemitism in the 1950s, and with international terrorism from the 1960s forward.

"In 1947, the United Nations divided the land that the Romans called Palestine and the Jews called Yisrael into two areas. It provided a sliver of land along the Mediterranean and a non-arable desert called the Negev to the Jews, who were a majority in that area, and a much larger arable area to the Arabs. The Jews declared statehood on their land. Instead of declaring statehood on their land, the Palestinians and surrounding Arab nations declared war. The Arabs lost and the Jews captured more land. As a result of the war, there occurred an exchange of populations: Hundreds of thousands of Arabs left or were forced out of Israel, and hundreds of thousands of Jews left or were forced out of Arab countries and Arab Palestine.

"Again, in 1967, the surrounding Arab nations threatened to destroy Israel, which preemptively attacked and occupied the West Bank and Gaza, which it immediately offered to return — with some territorial adjustments necessary for security — in exchange for peace and recognition. The U.N. Security Council issued Resolution 242, which called for a return of captured territories in exchange for peace. Israel accepted. The Arab nations and the Palestinians, however, issued their three infamous “no’s” — no peace, no recognition, no negotiation." . . .  

I saw horrors in Israel after October 7… Israel is fighting a death cult, says Douglas Murray

You have to miseducate Americans into self-loathing that we see on campuses.

 Douglas Murray has described the horrors he witnessed in the aftermath of Hamas' terror massacres in southern Israel.

"In a powerful and emotional speech, the Sun columnist spoke about visiting morgues and those murdered were being identified.

"He described the Hamas terror organisation as a 'death cult' and heaped praise on Israel's response. "Israel is expected to expand its operation in Rafah in the coming days as it aims to destroy Hamas' remaining battalions and find its leaders including Yahya Sinwar." .

The Manhattan Institute honoured Douglas Murray for his unwavering defence of Western values at their 2024 Alexander Hamilton Award dinner.

The U.N.’s Latest Insult Against Israel May Be Its Worst

  The Heritage Foundation; "Quite simply, Hamas deliberately places children in danger while Israel goes to great lengths to minimize civilian casualties."

"The U.S. has long criticized rampant anti-Israel bias in the U.N., but the time has come to hold the organization accountable. Congress has withheld funding for the Palestinian relief agency UNRWA for its complicity with Hamas. It is past time for the U.S. to take similar action for other parts of the organization."

"Sympathy for Israel has long been in short supply at the United Nations, but the world body has outdone itself this time.

"That’s really saying something, considering its disgraceful treatment of Israel over the past eight months. After the October 7 terrorist attacks by Hamas resulted in over 1,100 deaths and hundreds raped and taken hostage, Israel rightly declared its intent to destroy those responsible and rescue the hostages. Yet virtually every day since, the U.N. seemingly has done everything possible to protect Hamas from the consequences of its barbaric acts.

"Now U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres has listed “Israeli armed and security forces” alongside repressive governments and terrorist groups guilty of “grave violations affecting children” in conflict in 2023.

"Yes, in the immediate aftermath of October 7, the United Nations condemned the attack in the “strongest terms.” But before the calendar turned to November, the secretary-general was saying the attacks didn’t happen in a “vacuum,” U.N. experts were voicing alarm at the plight of ordinary Palestinians in Gaza, and the General Assembly passed a resolution calling for a “sustained humanitarian truce.”

"After that came U.N. accusations that Israel was causing starvation, accusations of war crimes, giving the Palestinians elevated privileges in the General Assembly, echoing Hamas’s false casualty data, and a U.S.-sponsored Security Council resolution designed to pressure Israel into supporting a cease-fire that would ensure the survival of Hamas.

"Through this process, the U.N. member states refused to adopt resolutions condemning Hamas for its terrorism. Over and over, U.N. officials have neglected to properly place blame for the conflict and suffering on Hamas. For instance, a U.N. commission of inquiry report just declared that both Israel and Hamas have committed war crimes since October 7, but that Israel also committed crimes against humanity against the civilian population in Gaza.

"Ignored is the fact that Hamas instigated the conflict, uses Palestinian civilians as human shields, steals aid meant to relieve suffering, and perpetuates the fighting by refusing to release the hostages. The report from a U.N. commission of inquiry even outrageously blames Israel for not stopping the October 7 attack and protecting its citizens." . . .

Whoo Boy: There's a New Associate Communications Director at the White House

 Karen Townsend – HotAir  "[Tyler Cherry] replaces Maria Michalos, who had the job for more than a year. She will step down later this month and will start law school in August. 

"Cherry is a controversial person in the Biden administration. That doesn't make him unique, there are many who conservatives consider controversial, but he is involved with communications. He crafts statements, now from the White House. Last year he caused controversy with social media posts. 

"He has a history of posts that criticize Republicans, attack police, and support the anti-Israel movement. It was bad enough that he was communications director for the Department of Interior when the social media posts created a kerfuffle. Now he has been brought into the White House. His bad behavior is being rewarded." . . .

This is Tyler Cherry.
Biden just promoted him to associate communications director at the White House.
Why? Take a guess.
In 2015, he tweeted “the modern day police system is a direct evolution of slave patrols and lynch mobs."
And he prayed "even harder for an end to a… pic.twitter.com/WjoXP4nGjt

— Joey Mannarino (@JoeyMannarinoUS) June 21, 2024