Armed Citizen Tells How He Helped Get Children Out Of Danger At El Paso Mall

Better to speak about the hero who rushed into danger to save kids than to give the murderer one word of recognition. This should get some campaign dollars for Bobby O'Rourke. TD

GUN-CARRYING HERO Saw “Scared Kids Without Parents” Running In El Paso Mall…Grabbed Them…Tried To Get Them To Safety
Meet the soldier who rushed into danger to help these children . . . "Oakley explained that he was trying to pick up as many kids as possible, but they were “so anxious” that they were squirming out of his arms. “They were without their parents and stuff, so I was just trying to pick up as many as possible.”
The KTSM reporter asked him what it was like to be in the mall, Oakley told her that he’s in the military and that it brought back flashbacks for him. He ended the interview by saying, “I’m not even worried about myself, I’m just worried about the kids.”
"Glen Oakley is a true hero!"

UK Daily Mail features Army veteran Oakley

• U.S. Army Spc. Glendon Oakley told reporters he picked up as many small kids as he could and hauled them out of the store Saturday

. . . "After hearing the gunshots, Oakley said he drew the handgun he was licensed to carry before looking for a place to hide. Then he noticed a bunch of people fleeing from a nearby Footlocker store.

" 'They just dipped. So I ran with them. I just tried to make my way to the parking lot,' Oakley said.

"On his way out, however, the military veteran saw a group of panicking children who were running around inside the shopping plaza unsure of what to do. Their parents were nowhere in sight, he said.

" 'I got my bag in my hand. I'm trying to pick them up, as many as I can, just run out,' Oakley said. 'But they're so anxious, they're, like, jumping out of my hands. Ain't much I can do for the kids, so I just made my way out.' " . . .

HERO!' said Twitter user JamieR Army Girl. 'Active Duty member Glen Oakley, who was near the El Paso Walmart rushed to protect children during the shooting! Thank you and God Bless you!'
'What a honorable man' tweeted Judy M. Poston
'A real life superhero,' added Twitter user Jhobbs.
At least 18 people have been confirmed dead in the aftermath of the shooting, the latest in a string of mass shootings that have left the nation on high alert. 

Weasel Zippers "This is Glen Oakley, who says he helped get some kids get out of the way of the shooter at the El Paso mall. Good work, Glen!"  Video

David Hookstead

✔@dhookstead

This man is an American hero. During the mass shooting in El Paso, he acted to save as many children as possible and used his legally owned weapon to help.

This man represents everything that’s great about this country.

After Dems Praise Al Sharpton, WaPo Publishes Devastating Piece Detailing His Ugly Past

Maxine Waters, take note.

Daily Wire  "In response to President Trump slamming Maryland's Rep. Elijah Cummings for letting Baltimore become a crime-ridden, "rat and rodent infested mess," activist Al Sharpton announced Monday that he'd be visiting the city in solidarity with the Democrat and the Baltimore community. Trump responded by taking aim at Sharpton in a blistering tweet: "Al is a con man, a troublemaker, always looking for a score. Just doing his thing. Must have intimidated Comcast/NBC. Hates Whites & Cops!' "

"Several Democrat candidates came out in defense of Sharpton, including Biden here:

 "And they did more than just defend him; they praised him as "a champion in the fight for civil rights," as Biden put it." Washington Examiner executive editor Seth Mandel

. . .  "Calling Sharpton a lifelong fighter for 'justice' ignores his history of race-baiting and deadly anti-Semitic incitement," Mandel writes before laying out some of the devastating details from Sharpton's past that he's never been forced to fully address and that Democrats have nearly uniformly whitewashed. An excerpt:

      In August 1991, after City College professor Leonard Jeffries ranted that “everyone knows rich Jews helped finance the slave trade” and that “Russian Jewry had a particular control over the movies, and their financial partners, the Mafia, put together a financial system of destruction of black people,” Sharpton rushed to his defense, threatening: “If the Jews want to get it on, tell them to pin their yarmulkes back and come over to my house.” Days later, a Jewish driver accidentally struck and killed a black 7-year-old named Gavin Cato in Crown Heights, Brooklyn. That set off three days of rioting, in the first hours of which a group of African Americans chanting “Kill the Jew” did just that, beating and stabbing an Orthodox Jew named Yankel Rosenbaum, who died of his injuries.     But Sharpton was only warming up. He led crowds in shouting for “justice” — pay attention here, Sen. Warren — as rioters wantonly beat Jews in the streets to chants of “Heil Hitler.” At Cato’s funeral, Sharpton poured out every last drop of gasoline he had left: “Talk about how Oppenheimer in South Africa sends diamonds straight to Tel Aviv and deals with the diamond merchants right here in Crown Heights. The issue is not anti-Semitism; the issue is apartheid. … All we want to say is what Jesus said: If you offend one of these little ones, you got to pay for it. No compromise, no meetings, no kaffeeklatsch, no skinnin’ and grinnin’.”

 Much more here.

Mr. Obama.do you consider Joe Biden a blessing or a curse?

Jonah Goldberg: Debates Show How Much Obama’s Presidency Has Shrunk

. . . "Only Biden stands as a formidable figure, because of his time at Obama’s side. And now even that is turning into a liability, at least on the debate stage."

"What ever happened to Barack Obama?

For a while there, no modern figure was supposed to be as consequential. It’s difficult to describe the hype in the early days of the Obama era. Time, Newsweek, and countless deep thinkers cast him as a 21st-century Lincoln or FDR. Some literally saw a messianic figure — “The One,” in Oprah Winfrey’s words. Self-help guru Deepak Chopra said Obama represented a “quantum leap in American consciousness.”

"George Lucas speculated that he might even be a Jedi.

It was a global phenomenon. In a move that embarrassed Obama himself, the Nobel Committee gave him a Peace Prize on spec — i.e., in anticipation of what they were sure he would do. A leading Danish newspaper editorialized: “Obama is, of course, greater than Jesus.”

. . . 

"The ranks of moderate and conservative Democrats were disproportionately hollowed out under Obama, while Democrats in deep-blue liberal areas were emboldened to move even further left. (Trump has had a similar effect on the right, decimating the moderate wing of the GOP while intensifying the partisanship of conservatives in safe red areas.)"  (Emphasis added to this cautionary tale; TD)

Obama reportedly upset about far-left swing of Democratic contenders. . . "They're going to lose. Why should Obama endorse a loser? 

"And more to the point, why endorse someone whose run to the left of even Obama (who was so left-wing he triggered the Trump reaction) means attacking the Obama legacy as well? We can already see some of this going on as Democrats attack Obamacare and Obama's deportation record as not good enough. For Obama, that's a problem for his ego.

"That's the big one, actually. Why endorse a loser whose real agenda is to throw a blow to his ego anyway?"

Shedding Obama "Democrats are tossing the 44th president aside like an old newspaper.

"Deservedly. He shed people like they were tissues.

"He also has a disdain for his fellow countrymen that befits a Prince Charles or evidently Prince Harry, who is rapidly becoming just as insufferable.

"Obama failed the country because instead of healing the nation, he opened old wounds. His election was a milestone for race relations that he turned into a millstone because he branded any and all critics as racists." . . .

Joy Reid to 2020 Democrats: You’re Not Running Against Obama – Debating Healthcare Details Won’t Help You Win

Openly declaring their rejection of journalism ethics:

. . . "After playing a clip of Trump speaking, Reid stated, “Democrats, you are running against that, not against the presidency or the record of Barack Obama.' ”

Reminder: Obama’s Aides Thought About Dumping Biden for Hillary in 2012  "As discussed in today’s Morning Jolt, no doubt Joe Biden is running as the “Defender and the Inheritor of the Obama Legacy” – even if, as Luke Thompson observes, Biden doesn’t do so with any particular strategy. When Biden realizes he’s in trouble in front of a Democratic audience, he invokes Obama, and hope that makes the trouble go away.
"No doubt Biden feels close friendship and affection for Obama, and vice versa. But any rival of Biden who is tired of Biden “invoking Obama when it’s convenient, dodging it when it’s not,” as Cory Booker put it, could have some fun pointing out all the times the Obama-Biden partnership didn’t run so smoothly." . . .
If that were a western, Biden would have been the dopey sidekick, "Grippy".

[Bill] "Maher mocked the notion that Obama, a person who is still hugely popular among Democrats, “is not woke enough” and suggested this would help President Trump win re-election."

Establishment Democrats and Liberal Media Upset by Obama Bashing at Democrat Debates  . . . "From health care to immigration to trade, key accomplishments of the Obama administration came under fire and faced a sometimes-unflattering re-examination by candidates eager to keep their campaigns alive by trying to prove their progressive credentials.
"Their direct target wasn’t Obama himself, but rather his former vice president, Joe Biden, who leads a large pack of Democrats looking to distinguish themselves in the party’s crowded presidential primary fight. Biden has tied himself closely to Obama, casually referring to his former boss as “Barack” in a bid to illustrate their closeness and benefit from his popularity." . . .

With The Addition Of More Toilets And The ‘Poop Patrol,’ San Francisco’s Streets Are Looking Less Crappy

Hot Air

With homelessness up double digits in San Francisco and surrounding areas it’s definitely too early to claim victory over the scourge of human waste on the streets, but today the Associated Press reports there are some initial signs that the city’s efforts to combat the problem are working. Last August the city announced the creation of a “poop patrol” which would target problem neighborhoods for steam cleaning. The city also expanded the use of “pit stop” toilets which are basically a pair of toilets in a trailer which the city can par[k] wherever needed. At least one local businessman says things have improved:
. . . 
"All of the toilets have a full-time attendant, usually someone who has spent a long stretch in prison and is grateful for the work. The attendant is there to make sure homeless people aren’t taking naps inside the toilets and that they’re not doing drugs. I wonder how hard and fast that last rule is though. The toilets also contain a bin for disposing of used needles." . . .

Turmoil: AOC’s chief of staff and spokesman both leaving her congressional office

Thomas Lifson  "What’s Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez going to use for brains now that her brain trust is leaving her congressional office?  Saikat Chakrabarti, the multi-millionaire entrepreneur who recruited Ocasio-Cortez to run for Congress and who became her chief of staff and Svengali, is leaving her office, it was revealed Friday. Also departing her congressional payroll is her Communications Director, Corbin Trent."
. . .
At right: Chakrabarti wearing a t-shirt picturing Subhash Chandra Bose, an advocate for Indian independence from Britain, who allied with Hitler and the Japanese during WWII.
. . . 
"Recall that Chakrabarti and his Justice Democrats colleagues held auditions for promising candidates to run against moderate Democrat incumbents in deep blue districts, reportedly screening a thousand people and finding Ocasio-[Cortez] and others. Seven of the candidates backed by the group won seats on the House:  Raúl Grijalva, Ro Khanna, Ayanna Pressley, Rashida Tlaib, Ilhan Omar, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and Pramila Jayapal." . . .

Which guy told her to do this?

UK Daily Mail: AOC's top staffers RESIGN: Firebrand Democrat's Chief of Staff and her Communications Director announce they are both leaving her team after a string of controversies  . . . "House Speaker Nancy Pelosi critiqued members of the progressive arm of the Democratic party in an interview with The New York Times.
"She called out four female Democrats known as the 'Squad' describing them as having a 'public whatever and their Twitter world' who she claimed have no following or power.

"The 'Squad' consists of Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar, Rashida Tlaib and Ayanna Pressley - who also faced controversial comments from President Trump.

"It would later be revealed that Pelosi also warned colleagues not to tweet about other members.

"The statement particularly aimed at Ocasio-Cortez and her team, which could have referred to Chakrabarti's comments online. 

"The New York congresswoman later told the Washington Post that she thought Pelosi's words were 'outright disrespectful.'   

"AOC's office have since confirmed to the Examiner that Chakrabarti's departure was decided before and unrelated to the public clashes with House leadership." . . . 

Tony Branco

CNN's Don Lemon and, well, CNN as a whole brought this subject to mind

Five Core Principles of Journalism

1. Truth and Accuracy

Journalists cannot always guarantee ‘truth’, but getting the facts right is the cardinal principle of journalism. We should always strive for accuracy, give all the relevant facts we have and ensure that they have been checked. When we cannot corroborate information we should say so.

2. Independence

Journalists must be independent voices; we should not act, formally or informally, on behalf of special interests whether political, corporate or cultural. We should declare to our editors – or the audience – any of our political affiliations, financial arrangements or other personal information that might constitute a conflict of interest.

3. Fairness and Impartiality

Most stories have at least two sides. While there is no obligation to present every side in every piece, stories should be balanced and add context. Objectivity is not always possible, and may not always be desirable (in the face for example of brutality or inhumanity), but impartial reporting builds trust and confidence.

4. Humanity

Journalists should do no harm. What we publish or broadcast may be hurtful, but we should be aware of the impact of our words and images on the lives of others.

5. Accountability

A sure sign of professionalism and responsible journalism is the ability to hold ourselves accountable. When we commit errors we must correct them and our expressions of regret must be sincere not cynical. We listen to the concerns of our audience. We may not change what readers write or say but we will always provide remedies when we are unfair.
. . . More at the link.

How to spot fake weather stories

Good heavens, Baltimore!

Democrat Indifference to Baltimore's Inner-City Decline Harms Minorities

President Trump was correct to shine the national spotlight on Baltimore's woes, as decades of indifference and bad policy have proven ineffective in combating serious problems that must be addressed.  It is high time for Democrats to choose to shun indifference and failed policy rather than to shun President Trump and Republicans.  This can be a game-changer, benefiting disadvantaged Americans of all backgrounds and all political persuasions, and can deliver the salvation and freedom desperately desired and all too long denied.

Baltimore's Battered Face  . . . "You can’t blame this on President Trump. He is guilty of the sin of unvarnished observation, but responsibility for this lies with Democrats who have controlled Baltimore city for decades. The last Republican mayor in Baltimore city was Theodore McKeldin, who served when Lyndon Johnson was president. More than 50 years of liberal tyranny and oppression has successfully brought about a twisted dystopian reality in Baltimore and the world’s eyes are now on us. But it’s not because of President Trump; it’s because a half-century of liberal neglect gave the world something to look at, and it’s not pretty."  

Four fans unveil 'Trump 2020' banner at Baltimore Orioles game before security EJECTS them as angry spectators chant 'take it down!'

Baltimore’s Homicide Rate Is So High, Residents Could Claim U.S. Asylum If They Weren’t Americans
"People have long misunderstood and misrepresented Baltimore, my cherished hometown, but much of what President Donald Trump said this past weekend about Charm City was right on the nose. The president categorized Baltimore as a “disgusting, rat and rodent infested mess,” which sparked ire among his always-vocal choir of critics but offered no untrue information." . . .

Democrats Don't Care About Baltimore  . . . "Meanwhile, Baltimore -- the actual city, not the metaphor -- could desperately use some attention. If anything, Trump's tweets underplayed the crisis. Last year, the city recorded 309 homicides, a rate of more than 50 per 100,000 people. If Baltimore were a country, it would have the fourth-highest murder rate in the world, barely below Venezuela." . . .

Baltimore: Charm City Gone Terribly Wrong "Democrats and fake news media repeatedly use their tactic of shouting “racist” at anyone who dares to tell the truth about their failed exploitative policies.  Bill O’Reilly was ripped to shreds by leftists for his compassionate talking points memo in which he addressed issues plaguing black America: fatherless households, black-on-black crime, and more.  Leftists’ response was, how dare O’Reilly, a white guy, lecture blacks?  Folks, everything O’Reilly courageously said was 100% true.

"If Democrats were truly the advocates for blacks they claim to be, they would encourage blacks to assume responsibility for their lives.  Every issue plaguing blacks can and must be corrected by blacks." . . ,

Obama: good guy or bad guy?

Legal Insurrection: Establishment Democrats and Liberal Media Upset by Obama Bashing at Democrat Debates

"Wednesday’s debate was striking in the amount of time the candidates spent fighting not only with each other, but going after Obama’s record. At many times, it seemed like Biden was the only person who was standing up for the former president.

"This did not go unnoticed by other prominent Democrats.

"Alexander Bolton writes at The Hill:

Democrats express alarm over debate’s negative tone

Democratic lawmakers were left shaken and worried by Wednesday night’s bruising presidential debate, which left some fearing the fight will hurt the party and result in a damaged nominee.

Senate Democrats are frustrated that candidates are spending too much time and effort attacking each other for relatively small policy differences, while not focusing their ire on President Trump.

They worry the intraparty food fight is overshadowing what they see as the main goal: Drawing a clear contrast between the Democratic candidates and Trump on health care and other key issues.

Another scary statement in this piece:4321`“I’m of the view that we have always been a party of ideas,” said Sen. Dianne Feinstein (Calif.). “I think everybody should sort of consider that.”
When Democrats rule this nation, I wake up every morning, wondering what ideas they have in store for us today. TD

Michael Moore: Only Michelle Obama can save us from 4 more years of Trump
Mr. Big would know; he carries a lot of weight around Hollywood.
We predicted that as the Democrat presidential field looked likely to yield a sure loss to Trump, Democrats would turn their lonely eyes to Michelle Obama, possibly as late as the convention if it looked like a Bernie win.

• Get Ready for Michelle Obama 2020 (September 10, 2017)
• Michelle Obama 2020. Yes She Can. But will she run? (January 29, 2018)
• Michelle Obama 2020 coming into focus with Memoirs release just after 2018 midterms (February 25, 2018)
• Michelle Obama may be best Dem hope for 2020, but says she doesn’t want the job (April 7, 2018)
• Rasmussen Poll: Michelle Obama would beat Trump (November 19, 2018)
• Michelle Obama’s Grammys Buzz – A reminder of the mediocrity of Democrat presidential candidates (February 11, 2019)
• With Bread Line Bernie rising, expect Michelle-mentum (February 21, 2019)
• Don’t rule out Michelle Obama as Democrats’ Hail Mary Pass to prevent a Bernie apocalypse (April 24, 2019)

Lackluster presidential field causing desperate Dems to turn to hopes of Michelle Obama running  . . . "People who know her aver that Mrs. Obama is not interested in the presidency, that she enjoys her life of luxury and leisure, and would rather not run.  I've never met the woman, but she does not seem like Hillary Clinton in a lust for power.  She just said she has "zero interest" in running.

"On the other hand, she continues to share her home with Valerie Jarrett, who introduced her to her husband, who ran things while Barack was watching sports on TV, shooting hoops, and hitting golf balls, who most certainly is interested in political power."

I still consider this scenario unlikely.  Everything I have learned about it suggests that running a presidential campaign is trying and exhausting.  You have to really, really want to be president to put up with it.  And I sense that Mrs. Obama already resents what she had to put up with for her husband to become POTUS.  Can you imagine her campaigning with her heart full of resentment?

CNN did not ask a question about abortion

Silvio Canto, Jr.  "Am I the only one who found this surprising?  CNN did not ask a question about abortion during the two debates.

"In fact, even Planned Parenthood complained about it, according to this tweet:

In nearly 3 hours, there was not one question on abortion access or reproductive health care — despite the fact that the Trump administration is actively trying to dismantle our nation’s program for affordable birth control with a gag rule.

"No question about "reproductive rights"?  Wonder why?

"I would have expected, as the tweet suggests, for the candidates to unleash a fierce attack against President Trump.

"But no question was asked!

"I cannot read the minds of the moderators, but this could not be an honest oversight.  My guess is that they avoided this issue to keep former V.P. Biden from getting into another fight with the left wing.

"Or did the moderators run out of time or have too much to talk about?

"Sorry, but it's hard to believe that Democrats would have a debate and not have an opportunity to tell us about "reproductive rights."  Or maybe they have internal polling that tells them that later-term abortion is not playing well between the coasts."

This would have been a good question to ask:

The Dangerous Invective against Trump

Victor Davis Hanson
The continued litany of threats to physically assault or kill a president will haunt the country long after Trump is gone.

"Former vice president and current presidential candidate Joe Biden has bragged on two occasions that he would like to beat up President Donald Trump.
"In March 2018, Biden huffed, “They asked me would I like to debate this gentleman, and I said no. I said, ‘If we were in high school, I’d take him behind the gym and beat the hell out of him.’”
"Biden’s tough-guy braggadocio was apparently no slip. A year later, he doubled down on his physical threats.
“ 'The idea that I’d be intimidated by Donald Trump? . . . He’s the bully that I’ve always stood up to. He’s the bully that used to make fun when I was a kid that I stutter, and I’d smack him in the mouth.”
"Had former vice president Dick Cheney ever dared to say something similar of President Obama, what would the media reaction have been?
"Recently, Senator Corey Booker (D., N.J.), another presidential candidate, took up where Biden left off:
“ 'Trump is a guy who you understand he hurts you, and my testosterone sometimes makes me want to feel like punching him, which would be bad for this elderly, out-of-shape man that he is if I did that. This physically weak specimen.' ” . . .

‘Did Kamala Feed You These Talking Points?’ Tulsi DUNKS All Over Biased MSNBC Host

The media did not like this, Tulsi.  And in response, you had to be taken down; welcome to our world, TG.

Real Clear Politics  
. . .  "GABBARD: I want to break this down to what we are talking about today because you're talking about a meeting that took place three years ago.

"Every time that I come back here on MSNBC, you guys talk to me about these issues. It sounds like these are talking points that Kamala Harris and her campaign are feeding you because she's refusing to address the questions proposed to her.

"YASMIN VOSSOUGHIAN, MSNBC HOST: Congresswoman, it's important for the American people to have context about your foreign policy issues and where you stand. If you're leading with foreign policy and running for president of the United States, a meeting with Bashar al-Assad, which I’m sure you understand, is a very controversial meeting to take hence the reason why when you come on MSNBC it is important to talk to you about it. And of course every anchor has a different perspective and questions to ask of you.

"GABBARD: Every single time for three years? This is where the propaganda comes in."

Kamala (comma-la) Harris commented on her dust-up with Gabbard

HARRIS: Especially when some people are at zero or 1%, whatever she might be at. So I did expect that I might take hits tonight. But, you know, listen, this coming from someone who has been an apologist for an individual, Assad, who has murdered the people of his, you know, of his country like cockroaches. She who has embraced and been an apologist in a way to refuse to call him a war criminal. I can only take what she says and her opinion so seriously. So, you know, I'm prepared to move on.

 Kamala Harris stooped low to smear Tulsi Gabbard after getting taken-down by her in presidential debate  . . . "Rather than respond substantively to the issues, Kamala Harris’s campaign resorted to the lowest form of smear – one familiar to supporters of President Trump.  It’s “Russia! Russia! Russia!” all over again.

"Senator Harris left it to her press secretary, Ian Sams, to deliver the smear in a series of tweets:" . . .

"The Russian propaganda machine that tried to influence the 2016 election is now promoting the presidential aspirations of a controversial Hawaii Democrat"

With help from Hollywood, AKA the women of "The View":

. . . "The ladies of The View chimed in, with other smears of Tulsi, with Joy Behar noting “Republicans like her,” and then nodding her head [ominously], and Sonny Hostin calling her a “Trojan Horse.' ” . . .

Tulsi Gabbard Is Now A Russian Agent  . . . "You see, it couldn’t just be that Kamala Harris a terrible politician who has no business running for President. No, the only reason Gabbard attacked her is because the Russians made her do it. Do you sense trend yet? Anytime anyone threatens mainstream Democratic thought, it’s always the Kremlin’s fault. "Funny how that works.

"MSNBC’s Joy Reid, who’s never met a conspiracy theory she didn’t love, chimed in as well."

Wajahat Ali

✔@WajahatAli

 · Jul 31, 2019

Beware the Russian bots and their promotion of Tulsi Gabbard and sowing racial dischord, especially around Kamala Harris.

Joy Reid

✔@JoyAnnReid

It is notable that her purpose in these debates has been specifically to take Harris down.

"That’s called having a debate, Joy. That’s what the purpose of that gathering last night was. " . . .  Sheesh.